Botanist

To be honest, it has taken me this long to finally dine at The Botanist for an actual sit-down meal due to one reason - there was just too much hype going on from their initial launch.  I had attended the media event where nearly every single person was invited, but really didn't get a sense of the food due to massive crowds and not being able to try any whole dishes.  So after all the social media buzz began to die down, Viv and I went on a quiet weekday to check out their current menu.

For our appetizers, we had the Pan-Seared Scallops and Charred Octopus.  Neatly plated, the scallops sat atop a madeira jus that was silky and mild.  The buttery scallops were beautifully caramelized on the outside and adequately seasoned.  It was topped with a thin slice of guanciale that added a slight saltiness while the green apple contributed a tangy sweetness.  This was a balanced and composed dish.  As for the octopus, the char was on point as it was smoky and firmly crusty on the outside.  The depth-of-flavour was evident as well as salty spiciness of the chorizo.  We found the octopus on the chewier side although it was far from being too firm.  The rest of the ingredients including watermelon radish, cauliflower and kohlrabi were beautiful to look at, but were merely a garnish.  We would've liked to see them pickled for some acidity.

For our mains, we dove into the Herb-Crusted Lamb Saddle first (at least I did, because Viv doesn't really prefer lamb).  It was pretty clear that the meat was expertly prepared being medium-rare and tender.  I didn't notice the herb crust though.  The meat itself could've been seasoned more aggressively as it was a bit bland on its own.  Hands-down, the best item on the plate was the fluffy panisse as it tasted great with the garlic really came through as well as the taste of caraway.  Loved the tart mushrooms as they brightened up the dish while the burnt shallots added aroma and sweetness.  Uniquely plated with a side of fermented vegetables in a puffed tapioca cup, the Seared Sablefish was also on point.  Perfectly crispy and seasoned on top, the rest of the fish was flaky and buttery.  It rested on an onion nage which was an excellent compliment as it was bright, light and naturally sweet.  When eaten with the tangy veggies, the flavours were balanced.

Hands-down the best dish we had was the Duck Breast with winter squash, pomegranate, brussels sprouts and natural jus.  Crispy and completely rendered, the skin on the duck couldn't have been any better.  Furthermore, the duck was served medium-rare being succulent and tender.  The combination of pomegranate and jus was the perfect marriage of sweet and savoury.  Wrapped in a carrot cannelloni, the squash was nicely spiced with the usual nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves.

For dessert, we had the stunningly presented Croissant Perdue with graham cookie ice cream, apple, raisin compote and calvados mascarpone drizzle.  The combination of ingredients yielded familiar flavours that were complimentary and purposefully sweet.  Loved the light booziness and sweetness of the drizzle.  We also had the Meyer Lemon Polenta Cake which was pretty firm but understandable given the ingredients.  It was refreshing though with a nice tanginess to balance the sweetness. Loved the apples as they added a sweet tartness to go with the honey, angelica brulée and lemon buttermilk ice cream.  I especially enjoyed the angeica brulee as it added a hit of tanginess.  From this experience, we agreed that the Botanist is a great replacement for departed Oru.  Food and service were good, especially for a hotel restaurant.

The Good:
- Well-prepared proteins
- Complimentary and impactful flavours
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- On the pricier side (kind of expected due to its location and class of hotel)
- Some minor tweaks needed with certain items

Black Rice Izakaya

There are no shortage of Izakayas in Vancouver, specifically in Downtown.  They come in all forms from the relatively affordable to the downright expensive.  Mind you, with some of the premium ingredients involved (wagyu beef and seafood), it isn't surprising.  One of the more understated Izakayas is located on the edge of Downtown within the Blu Hotel complex.  I've been there in the past for some snacks after late-night hockey coming away satisfied.  I was recently invited to try their new menu items.

We started with the Dobin Mushi with hamaguri, water, yuzu peel and clams.  This was a great start to the meal as the hot broth was sweet and full of brininess.   As much as it was full of flavour, it was more than just the salt content.  In fact, the broth was not salty at all.  Rather, there was a light depth that exuded an umaminess.  I loved the buttery whole clams at the end as well.  Another light appie ws the Goma Tuna which consisted of large buttery chunks coated in just enough sesame dressing.  It was aromatic and lightly sweet with a touch of background saltiness.

Beautifully presented on the half shell, the Kimchi Scallop Motoyaki looked appealingly tasty.  Consisting of tender baby scallops, bell pepper, butter and cheese, there was a definite spice that was nicely balanced with the brininess and cheese.  Yes, it was in fact very tasty and almost seemed like it would go better with some rice or noodles.  Right on cue, we got the Napolitan Spaghetti with soba noodles, tomato sauce, ketchup, bacon, sausage and onions on top of silky egg.  This was a touch zesty and mostly sweet.  I found the noodles a touch soft, but at the same time, it was still a pleasant dish.  The barely cooked egg underneath was a nice treat.

Served in a boiling cast iron pot, the Kimchi Nabe was influenced by the chef's Korean roots.  It was served piping hot with tofu skin knots, sliced pork, seafood and of course kimchi.  It definitely captured the essence of kimchi without emulating a Korean stew.  I found it to be its own dish with a balanced sweet, salty and spiciness.  They left the best for last with the Teriyaki Wagyu Steak atop Monterey Jack and mozzarella cheeses with mashed potato.  The steak was super tender while going really well with the smooth and creamy cheeses.  Overall, the tasting provided a nice overview of their featured seasonal items.  The beef was totally the highlight while the scallop and kimchi nabe were surprisingly good.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Daring to be a bit different with Korean/Japanese fusion
- Apparent flavours

The Bad:
- Spaghetti was a bit overdone

Atlas Steak + Fish

Hidden within the Delta Hotel (adjacent to the Grand Villa Casinos) in Burnaby, there once was a restaurant called EBO.  Often confused with being a Japanese restaurant, EBO stood for East of Boundary or later one, Experiences Beyond Ordinary.  Whatever the case, this little gem produced great food in a classy environment.  Alas, after the purchase of the Starwood Hotel Group by Marriott, EBO was closed and now Atlas Steak + Fish has opened up shop.  We decided to check it out for my dad's birthday since EBO was one of his favourites as well.

I must say they did a good job revamping the place as it is now modern and dare I say glitzy?   We started off with their Seafood Tower for 2 that included clams, honey mussels, tiger prawns, king crab legs, Fanny Bay oysters and a lobster tail.  Accompaniments included tobasco sauce, classic mignonette and half lemons.  For $42.00pp, we thought this was a fair price considering the amount and types of seafood served.  Furthermore, all of it was prepared correctly where the lobster was springy while not chewy while the mussels and clams were buttery with a slight chew.  We thought the oysters were on point being sweet and briny with no shell fragments.

One of their signature appetizers is the Caesar Salad prepared fresh table side.  We got a couple of orders for $13.00pp.  Our server was attentive and wonderful where she also made a mean Caesar.   Consisting of the classic ingredients including egg yolk, anchovies, minced garlic, lemon juice, Worcestershire, pepper, Parmegiano-Reggiano, Romaine and house croutons, there was also Tabasco which added a vinegary bite.  Sure, the table side service was a gimmick, but a welcomed one as you could see what exactly went into the salad and of course it was fresh-tasting.  With all things considered, it wasn't expensive as most jarred Caesar salads cost around $10.00 everywhere else.

Onto our mains, I went for the Brome Lake Duck Breast prepared medium.  As evidenced in the picture, the duck was executed properly with decently rendered skin.  I would've liked it more crispy, but it wasn't overly fatty either.  The duck itself was tender and fairly moist with some dry edges.  The five spice was a natural compliment and wasn't overwhelming.  On the side, there was pan-roasted sweet potato and apple slaw.  Viv decided on the Spicy Lobster Spaghettini with roasted tomato, fresno chilies and salt spring mussels.  We found the pasta a touch soft, yet still good.  The sauce was nicely tart, flavour and full-of-depth.  It wasn't very spicy though and could've used more seafoodiness.  The small piece of lobster was perfectly prepared as well as the mussels.

My son is a meat and potatoes kinda guy, so it wasn't surprising he had the 10oz New York USDA Prime Striploin.  It was prepared a perfect medium-rare where it was juicy and flavourful.  There was a crusty and peppery char on the outside which created a nice smokiness and slight crispiness.  The meat did live up to its billing as it required very little effort to chew while still being meaty at the same time.  Following the same theme, my mom selected the 6oz Alberta Angus Reserve Beef Tenderloin prepared rare.  She asked for medium-rare, but in reality, it didn't matter as the meat quality was so high, it ate super tender.  As with the striploin, the exterior char was good.  She added a side of red wine demi-glace that was silky, rich and deeply flavourful.

As usual, my dad had fish in the Josper Grilled Salmon Steak.  Unfortunately, this was probably the first dud we had for the meal.  It was overdone where the salmon was a bit dry and lacking any flakiness.  It did taste okay though as it wasn't overseasoned.  Rather, the chimichurri added the necessary brightness.  On the side, there was a warm potato salad.  My daughter also had fish in the Seared Ahi Tuna & Shiitake Mushroom Vinagrette.  The tuna was nicely rare in the middle, but the exterior could've been cooked a bit less.  As for the vinaigrette, it was nearly inedible as it was super salty where the acidity couldn't even bring it down a notch.  Suffice to say, the fish dishes were a bit disappointing compared to the previous dishes.

As for dessert, we shared 3 including the complimentary Vanilla Cheesecake (Dad's birthday).  Beautifully presented, the cheesecake was definitely cheesy while only mildly sweet.  It had a hybrid texture of a panna cotta and cheesecake.  Nothing wrong with that, but just different.  Inside, dulce de leche was sweet and smoky providing the rich sugariness the the mild cheesecake needed.  My daughter hijacked the Frozen Trio consisting of raspberry gelato, pomegranate lemon ice cream and tangerine sorbet.  After sampling it, I could understand why as it was refreshing, impactful and nicely textured.  The tangerine was my favourite was it tasted just like the fruit.

Lastly, we had the Apple Galette with rosemary ice cream, bourbon maple caramel sauce and candied pecans.  Reminiscent of the one found at Joey (this is a compliment), the galette was flaky, buttery and full of tangy and sweet apples.  This was not as heavy as it appeared and the flavours were balanced.  Although the rosemary ice cream was aromatic and went well wit the galette, we found it too icy. Overall, our meal at Atlas was decent for a newly opened restaurant.  However, with the price point involved, we would've liked to see more consistent execution.  Maybe this will happen in time.

The Good:
- Attentive and friendly service
- Nice revamp of the dining space
- Good meat quality

The Bad:
- Inconsistent execution 
- High price point (okay for the things made right, but not for those that weren't)

Ocean Wise Pop-up Cafe at the Vancouver Aquarium (Dine Out Vancouver)

Dine Out Vancouver can be be a great experience when a menu is composed of appealing dishes for a fair price.  As I've mentioned before, some restaurants miss the boat where one is left with less-than-desirable food that are small in portion size.  However, the Ocean Wise Pop-up Cafe at the Vancouver Aquarium can be classified as a special experience.  Not only does the menu consist of quality ingredients, the portion sizes offered up by Executive Chef Ned Bell are downright generous.  Coupled with an all-inclusive price of $62.35 with taxes, gratuities and admission to the Aquarium, this has to be one of the best values during Dine Out Fest.  I was invited along with other media to experience this event on the first night of Dine Out.

To get a feel for the menu, Rich and I ordered different dishes.  For myself, I started with the Torched Albacore Tuna Tataki Salad that featured thick slices of lightly seared albacore tuna that was still perfectly rare in the middle.  It was dressed with an aromatic (due to the sesame seeds) and tart honey lemon vinaigrette that kept things light and refreshing.  There was enough seasoning, but at the same time, the tuna was still able to shine.  Loved the shaved radish which added a nice crunch.  Rich had the Fanny Bay Clam Chowder which was super rich being creamy while not overly thick.  It was well-seasoned and had a background brininess.  The bits of clam were fantastic as they were buttery with a nice rebound texture.  The niblets of Chilliwack corn added bursts of sweetness as well as the nutty Maple brown butter.

As an add-on, we tried Ned’s Famous Dungeness Crab Tacos that were bursting with chunks of fluffy crab.  I emphasize "chunks" as the crab was not little pieces.  They were so on point in terms of being prepared where the cook on them was perfect.  Loved the natural sweet and saltiness of the crab simply stuffed in a crispy shell.  As if there wasn't enough crab, the plate was strewn with it as well.  The fresh guacamole underneath was both a stand for the tacos and a great condiment.

For my main, I had the Icy Waters Arctic Char which was also prepared flawlessly.  The fish was flaky, super moist and just barely cooked through.  All the flavour was concentrated on the crispy skin where hits of salt sweetness as well as a noted acidity were present.  Underneath, the firm laird lentils had a nice mouth-feel and were pretty filling.  Aromatic and just evident enough, the vanilla added a je ne sais quoi quality.  One of the best parts of the dish was the chunks of firm parsnip hidden within the lentils.  There was also a puree on the plate too.  Rich ended up with the other fish option in the Organic Ocean Northern Coho Wild BC Salmon that was curiously accompanied by cranberries.  It actually worked in my opinion as it added a tangy sweetness that balanced the black pepper vinaigrette.  The fish itself was more done than the char, but was far from dry.  Completing the plate was charred cauliflower and puree.  For both dishes, we had the $10.00 selva shrimp supplement.

For dessert, the Sea 'Weed' Brownies with kelp and almond praline was enormous (as with the other dishes).  It was super rich, yet still moist with a creamy frosting.  The seaweed added a bit of impact, but we would've liked to see even more of it.  Adding both a firm candy crunch and even more sweetness, the almond praline was necessary for a textural contrast.  Add the caramel on the dish and the whole thing was pretty decadent and sweet.  Considerably lighter, but not smaller in size was the Roasted Apple Tart with whipped cream and caramel.  This thing was piled high with tender and tart apples atop a hard shell.  These were both texturally appealing and the sweetness was muted.  As you can clearly see, the meal was full of well-portioned quality dishes.  Combined with the Aquarium experience, it is worth every penny.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Unique experience that includes Aquarium admission
- Large portions
- Well-prepared dishes

The Bad:
- Parking is expensive, but hey, it is Downtown Vancouver (not much free parking anywhere)

Osteria Autostrada

I've been a fan of Chef Lucais Syme ever since I first set food at La Quercia.  So much so, I made several return visits (which I rarely do).  Then I had subsequent great meals at Cinara and La Pentola.  So when I heard that he was opening a new restaurant on Main Street (aka Hipster Central), I was quite anxious to try it out.   So I waited and waited some more shadowing their Facebook page every week in December.  Finally, they opened on January 10th.  Choobee and I met up check the place out a week later.  We were seated in the middle of the restaurant and let's just describe the place as cozy.

We started with a couple of appies including the familiar Anchovy on Toast (from Cinara).  This featured white anchovy, radish, pickled cucumber and herb butter on somewhat toasted bread.  I say that because when I picked it up, half of it almost fell limp.  Despite that, I still enjoyed it due to the impactful saltiness (but just enough) married with the considerable tang from the pickles.  Also loved the crunch that kept things from being one texture.  Next up, we had the Vittolo Tonnato (also from Cinara) with the usual shaved veal, tuna sauce and capers.  This was very good where the thin veal was the right doneness being super tender and almost buttery.  The tuna mayo on top was texturally on point being creamy yet with still the meatiness of tuna.  It was amped up with saltiness from the capers.

Onto the pastas, the Spaghetti with duck & anchovy ragu arrived first.  It featured firmly al dente pasta that had a great mouth-feel.  It was also nicely salted.  There was a generous amount of tender duck that was rather mild-tasting as we were expecting more anchovy impact.  However, the dish was still tasty being hearty and cheesy from the pecorino.  When the Linguine with clams and mussels hit the table, we attempted to find the clams to no avail.  Did they forget or was there no clams for the night?  That in itself impacted the level of brininess.  There was some due to the buttery and plump mussels, but without the clams, the sauce was merely tangy and spicy.  We loved the flavours as they were definitely there, but it was definitely missing the clams.

Lastly, we had the Bucatini with black pepper, butter and pecorino.  Yes, this was a very simple pasta, but also my favourite.  The bucatini (in place of the lumache) was a perfect al dente and was nicely salted like the previous pastas.  A bit nutty and slightly peppery, the pasta ate well and wasn't overly greasy.  We could've used a bit more black pepper though.  In fact, we could've used more food in general as the portions (like Cinara) were on the smaller side.  Yes, the ol' adage of quality over quantity does apply here, but when you spend $100.00 for 2 people before tip, you want to walk away full too.

The Good:
- Properly prepared and tasty pastas
- Great service
- Reliable small plates

The Bad:
- Small portions
- A few execution issues (limp toast and missing clams) but forgivable due to being only the 2nd week of operation

Holy Crab Dine Out Menu Preview

Ah, here we are back again for another year of Dine Out where we find some restaurants who understand the concept and give us a real good menu at a reasonable price.  This affords people the opportunity to check out many of the best spots in town without losing their whole paycheque.   There are also special experiences that are worth a shot while some restaurants completely miss the boat and offer up a 3-course meal consisting of a beet salad, some entree that they would never offer on their regular menu and a pedestrian dessert.  The whole point is for people to come back right?  Well, after being invited to check out the Holy Crab's DOV menu, it looked promising since $40.00 gets you a 3-course seafood meal.

The first course consisted of a choice of soups including the Seafood Bisque and Seafood Chowder.  I was able to try both and was pleasantly surprised to find whole in-shell clams hidden within broth.  Furthermore, there was tender baby shrimp as well.  The bisque was silky and mild in flavour.  I enjoyed how it wasn't salty while still emitting an aromatic brininess from the lobster shells.  The chowder was pretty thick and buttery with bits of tender potato and the aforementioned seafood.

For our sides, we were given an option of Fries, Cajun Fries and Onion Rings.  Unlike my first go around with the Holy Crab, the onion rings were much better this time being coated in a light and crispy tempura batter.  The fries were crispy too and stayed as much even after our incessant picture taking.  My preference was the Cajun fries as the extra spice eliminated the need for any dip.  For a $2.00 surcharge, we could upgrade to either Calamari, Wings or Frog Legs.  Although they looked more like onion rings, the calamari was quite good.  Then large tender rings were coated in the same light tempura batter than was crispy and easy on the grease.  The wings were pretty decent with rendered skin and moist meat.  I thought the frog legs were also good being tender and almost juicy with a light fry on the outside.

For our mains, one could choose their combo from either Snow Crab Legs, Shrimp, Potatoes and Corn or Crawfish, Clams, Mussels, Potatoes and Corn or Shrimp, Clams, Mussels, Steamed Veggies and Corn.  For a $10 surcharge, one could get King Crab Legs instead of snow crab or for $25 more, one could sub a whole Dungeness Crab for the snow crab legs.  For the combo with the crawfish, one could sub Snow Crab Legs for $5 more or a Dungeness Crab for $30 more.  Personally, I would chose the first option and be happy with that.  I honestly couldn't finish all the food especially with the addition of corn and potatoes.

*All food and beverages were complimentary

The Good:
- Reasonable pricing for essentially a seafood meal
- Enough food to be full

The Bad:
- Not a negative, but more of a personal preference, but I would choose option 1 or 3 because crawfish look big, but don't have a lot of meat

Hula Poké

If you haven't noticed by now, I haven't even attempted to visit all the various poké shops that have been sprouting all-over-the-place in the Lower Mainland.  So much like my last post on poké, new spots need to set themselves apart from the rest due to the immense competition.  Let me get this out-of-the-way first, most of the poké in Vancity is not really poké at all (the one at Carp is pretty close to the real thing).  Rather, the ones we get here are more like salad bowls with rice and fish.  That's not necessarily a bad thing as they can be tasty, it is more of an observation.

I was recently invited to sample the bowls at the newly-opened Hula Poké in the food court at Pacific Centre.  Right there, the location sets them apart since it is in a food court and a busy one at that.  Onto the bowls, we started with the Lei (Togarashi Salmon) and Nikkei (Citrus Ahi Tuna).  At first glance, they looked similar with red pepper strings on top, but they were very different.  The Lei featured salmon, togarashi mayo, cucumber, avocado, red pepper, green onion, spicy peas, furikake, kale and rice.  This was creamy with some spice from the togarashi.  Texturally, there was crunch from the cukes and red pepper.  

As for the Nikkei, it consisted of ahi tuna, Peruvian citrus, avocado, white onion, red Thai chili, grapefruit, togarashi, crunchy peas, black sesame seeds, cilantro, wasabi lemon crema, kale and rice.  As expected, the citrus kept things fresh and light.  The acidity was impactful as well as the spice.  Texturally, there was variation with the soft tuna and crunchy onions and peas.  Although it looked like a garnish, the sesame seeds were nutty and aromatic.  Underneath, the rice was a blend of basmati and jasmine rather than the usual sushi rice.  This was intentional as sushi rice can be rather heavy.  With that being said, I wouldn't mind having the option of rice.

As you can see, or not see, the garnishes on top pretty much obscure everything else underneath.  Hence, we started to move them out of the way starting with the Koko.  Besides, the amount of cilantro was a bit much in my opinion (but that can be altered of course).  Consisting of spicy gochujang salmon, the koko ate much heartier with a sweet spiciness.  Add in carrots, white onion, cucumber and kimichi and we got some serious texture and even more tangy spice.  Rounding off the ingredients, we found black sesame seeds, avocado, furikake, cilantro, kale and miso ginger vinaigrette.  There was a lot going on in this bowl, but ultimately, the dominant flavours were the kimchi and gochujang.

Moving along, the Bahamian (Coconut Rockfish) was a complete 180 from the Koko.  This was made up of rockfish, coconut & pineapple salsa, edamame, red pepper, green onion, jalapeno, coconut flakes, cilantro, kale and rice.  I wasn't sure what to make of this one as the flavour profile appeared to be tropical in a Caribbean-manner.  One bite and yes, the aromatics from the coconut and sweet pineapple elicited memories of a pina colada.  The creamy mayo was pretty strong with a definite spice from the jalapeno while the red pepper didn't seem to belong.  I thought the firm rockfish was on point being fresh and naturally sweet.

Continuing with the rockfish, I tried the Ancho featuring rockfish, ancho crema, avocado, jicama slaw, green onion, red pepper, chili oil, pea shoots,cilantro, crispy onions, kale and rice.  This was a winner in my books as the flavours were remarkably different with a smoky spiciness.  It was balanced though where the fish was still discernible as well as the creamy and slight sweetness of the creama.  The crunch from the jicama was a good counterbalance to the softer ingredients.  Also smoky and aromatic, the crispy onions helped add another layer of texture and flavour.

Although it is one of their most popular bowls, I didn't get to sample the Tiki (Togarashi Spicy Tuna) until nearly the end.  It was a mix of ahi tuna, togarashi mayo, cucumber, green onion, red chili, edamame, crispy onions, black sesame, hijiki, cilantro, kale and rice.  Once again, they weren't shy with the spice level.  That in itself was impressive as it could alienate some customers, but really, why make food bland?  For the 6 of us, we all enjoyed the spiciness as well as the creamy dressing and the aromatic crispy onions.  Again, the amount of cilantro was a bit much for my liking (but you can ask for less).

Our very last 2 bowls consisted of Cali Veg (Miso Ginger Tofu) and the Sweet Potato (Ancho Sweet Potato).  Predictably light and refreshing the Cali veg featured miso ginger tofu, snow peas, red pepper, avocado, carrots, black sesame seeds, red pepper string, kale, hijiki, and picked cucumber.  Naturally, this was less robust than the ones with fish, but at the same time, it was still filling and had the benefit of some familiar Asian flavours (like a hybrid Chinese/Japanese salad with a vinegary taste) and plenty of crunch.  

As for the Sweet Potato, I would actually order it.  This sported sweet potato, ancho crema, jicama slaw, green onion, red pepper, chili oil, cilantro, kale and crispy onions atop noodles.  This almost ate meaty with the aromatics of sesame and spice.  Loved how there was a bevy of textures too.  This bowl, like the others, highlighted the premise behind Hula Poke.  They offer a product that is related to poke, but put their twist on it.  Lots of quality and fresh ingredients that make for a quick meal that doesn't involve the fryer.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Lots of interesting and different flavours
- Sufficient toppings for impact
- Reasonably-priced for Downtown

The Bad:
- A bit heavy on the use of cilantro (but you can get that adjusted to your liking)
- Although the blend of rice works with the toppings, I wished there was the option of sushi rice at least