St. Lawrence Restaurant

Similar to my visit to The Botanist, this dinner at St. Lawrence has been a long time coming.  To be blunt, one reason it took so long was the rumour circulating that they do not appreciate picture-taking in the restaurant (flash or no flash).  However, much like The Botanist, the reviews were solid and people were raving about the French Canadian cuisine.  Fine, I'll bite.  So I agreed to meetup with Maggi, Kristina and David for a meal among friends and early enough that there would be some natural light for some pictures (smartphone and camera).  Turned out that they didn't say anything about the pictures, so the delay trying the place was stupidity on my part.

There was no doubt as to which dish we had to get no matter what - Oreilles de Crisse or fried pork rinds with maple syrup & spice.  Whimsically plated in a maple syrup can, these crunchy little bites overflowed onto the plate.  Whatever they seasoned these with, it should come with a warning that addiction is likely.  Just enough of a hint, the maple syrup was lightly sweet while balanced off by the savory spice.  I could literally eat a few plates of these myself.  The next dish was something quite rare in Vancouver.   As Kristina remarked, the Quenelle de Poisson resembled the French Canadian version of a Chinese fish ball or mousse.  She wasn't far off, but the quenelle was a lot more delicate and airy than the Chinese version.  It was sweet and fishy (in a good way) being complimented by the lobster cream sauce that was aromatic while easy on the salt.  The side of shrimp were buttery and perfectly prepared.

Our next 2 small dishes were comprised of Steak Tartare with chèvre noire & potato chips and Chicken & Duck Terrine.  If you know my tastes by now, I really like food that exhibits a certain level of acidity and tanginess.  Therefore, my personal bias ensured that I would like this tartare.  For others, it was a bit overwhelming in addition to the strong truffle essence.  The chunks of
chèvre noire were pretty impactful which also took away from the tender beef.  Again, I still enjoyed the tartare and the chips were the perfect vessel.  As for the terrine, it was a nice portion that featured large chunks of tender meat, fat, pistachios and spices.  All together, there was enough inherent meat flavours to make an impact.  Of course, the mustard was a welcomed condiment too as it brightened things up.

Onto our larger plates, we started with the feature of the day which was Crispy Veal Sweetbreads with red wine & truffle sauce, onion ring, chanterelles and corn.  This had to be some of the largest pieces of sweet breads I've ever eaten.  As such, beyond the crispy exterior, the centre was soft, tender and moist (partly due to execution and partly due to thickness).  With the woodiness of the mushrooms combined with the sweetness of the corn as well as the beautiful red wine sauce, there was enough umaminess for impact rather than relying on salt.  Although the Côte de Porc with fromage Oka & sauce charcutière didn't seem like a sexy dish, it turned out to be delicious.  Let's start with the pork chop itself, it was fully cooked while still moist and succulent.  It sported a caramelized sear and sat atop pomme puree with Oka cheese which was decadent being smooth, creamy and nutty.  The butcher's sauce was no slouch either being meaty and deeply flavourful (not salty though).

Staying with heavy and rich food (you get the theme here right?), we had the Steak St. Lawrence consisting of a medium-rare grilled hanger steak, bone marrow, sauce aux poivres & frites.  Due to the cut of meat, its inherent natural meat flavour was definitely at the forefront.  As evidenced in the picture, it was perfectly prepared.  I enjoyed soaking up every drop of the silky demi that was full-of-depth and completely cooked down.  Of course we couldn't dine at a French Canadian establishment without ordering the Tourtière de Ville au Cerf (Venison Meat Pie).  Oh wow, this was very good featuring flaky pastry that held up to the ingredients.  Inside, the meat filling was super tender, appealingly dense and flavourful.   There was a pretty noticeable finish of cloves and nutmeg after the initial hits of meatiness and sweet onion. Not to be outdone, the jus was pretty rich and gelationous.  Loved the sweet syrupy house ketchup on the side.

Onto the sweets, we got serious with the Riz au Lait Façon L’ami Jean (Rice Pudding with salted caramel).  This was for the table and sported candied walnuts and their version of cinnamon toast crunch on the top.  Usually rice pudding can be pretty plain, but this was nothing like that.  Beyond the creaminess of the base, the caramel added depth of sweetness.  This was all aided by the sweet crunch from the toppings.  As a person who can't stand really sweet anything, the Tarte au Sucre
(Sugar Pie & vanilla cream) was not really something I preferred.  However, it was actually quite good.  Now I wouldn't be able to finish the whole thing, but the 2 bites I had were rich, deeply sweet and densely creamy.  I guess this was the perfect way to end the meal as it represents St. Lawrence very well.  The food is heavy, rich and in some ways, in your face.  But they make no apologies as they offer up delicious traditional French Canadian cuisine.

The Good:
- They don't hold back and produce truly delicious French Canadian cuisine
- Attentive wait staff
- Developed flavours that aren't reliant on salt

The Bad:
- Really heavy (that is what the food is like)
- On the higher end of the pricing spectrum (I thought it was worth it)

Popina (Granville Island)

What do you get when you combine 4 of the most talented chefs in Vancouver with some shipping containers?  No, this is not a trick question nor does it imply anything illegal.  Rather, Popina has "popped up" in the former parking lot adjacent to the Granville Island Market serving up quality eats crafted by the chefs Hamid Salimian, Angus An, Joel Watanabe and Robert Belcham.  The shipping containers refer to the actual structure which it is built from.  After a few weeks of their soft launch, I decided to drop by to try a few of their wares.

We ended up sharing the Chicken Fried Humboldt Squid to start.  Mixed with onion and jalapenos, there was only a modest amount of squid.  The batter was perfect though being crunchy, well-seasoned and not oily. I found the pieces to be cut up a bit too small for my liking though.  Okay, the East Coast Lobster Roll has been a rather polarizing item on the menu considering its $26.00 price tag.  Some would like to argue that it is overpriced.  For me, I would say maybe it should be a few dollars less, but it is still worth the money due to large amount of buttery lobster.  There was barely any filler other than a few bits of celery and the lobster pieces were of quality.  Buttery and soft, the roll was texturally on point and held everything together.  I've had lobster rolls in Boston, Maine, Nova Scotia and PEI and they aren't as cheap as one would think.  The only one that blew me away was the one at Neptune Oyster Co. and that is currently $31.00USD (it is bigger though).  Luke's Lobster charges $17.00USD and it is half the size of the one at Popina.  So my point is, don't be surprised at the pricing because it is that way everywhere or more.

To counteract the fried food, we got the Salade Niçoise with tomatoes, mixed lettuce, potato, green beans, olives, egg, pickled onion and olive oil poached tuna with a Japanese curry dressing.  Beyond the traditional ingredients found in this salad, the dressing changed everything.  I thought it went really well with mild hits of curry, tanginess and sweetness.  Back to the ingredients, the tuna was perfectly rare with only the slightest of cook on the outside.  It was buttery soft and sweet.  Egg was not overdone while the green beans were still crunchy.  On that note, the same olive oil poached tuna was employed on the Tuna Toast sporting other ingredients including pickled onions, olives, capers, dill, tarragon, parsley and yogurt.  There was a lot going on here compared to the description on the menu.  We would've preferred a little less herbs, but there was no denying that they went with the concoction.  The toast was crunchy and did not wilt under the wet ingredients while the tuna was buttery soft .  Despite the plethora of ingredients, the flavours were still subtle. 

My son didn't deviate from his eating habits and went for the Grassfed BC Cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato.  On the surface, it didn't really look like much and didn't photograph sexy.  However, it ate well with a thick, well-charred patty.  It was naturally-flavoured and still moist despite being cooked all-the-way-through.  There was plenty of wet ingredients to keep things messy (the patty kept sliding out).  The bun somewhere between soft and chewy, so it held everything together without falling apart.  That was good, but the Crispy Free-Run Chicken Sandwich was better.  This thing was texturally on point.  The chicken was aggressively battered, but wasn't heavy nor dense.  In fact, the crispy, well-rendered skin was light and almost airy.  Juicy and moist, the chicken meat was also seasoned properly.  It wasn't actually spicy per se (nothing is as spicy as DL Chicken), but it was flavourful.  Again, the nicely toasted bun held everything together without being dry.

Of course we had to get a side of their Crinkle Cut Fries to go with the burger and sandwich as well.  Despite the visuals, the fries weren't spicy.  Rather it was a mild-tasting seasoning salt that wasn't actually very salty.  The fries themselves were hot and crunchy while not greasy.  Nothing particularly exciting about these fries, but they were prepared properly at least.  For dessert, we tried their Puff Cream which was soft-serve within choux pastry (replaced the cream or custard with soft-serve in a cream puff).   Some have said that the choux is too dry, but for me it was fine and in fact, considering the amount of melting ice cream, it softened up quick.  The soft-serve was creamy, yet melted quickly as mentioned.  We got caramel sauce on top and it wasn't too sweet.  Overall, I thought the lobster roll and chicken sandwich were the highlights while the rest held their own.  Prices are definitely not cheap, but the ingredients were high quality and prepared properly.  Remains to be seen how budget-conscious customers will take to the concept.

The Good:
- Quality food
- Menu has a little bit of everything for everyone
- Fresh ingredients

The Bad:
- Pricing is on the higher end
- They might want to offer a smaller seafood platter as the lowest priced one is $120.00

Tocador

Over the years, I've been fortunate to visit Miami on 3 separate occasions.  Loved the beaches, the nightlife and of course the food.  There is a definite Cuban flair to their food scene and of course I haven't shied away from it!  So when it came time to find a Cubano back in Vancity, the closest I've come to the real thing is watching Chef on Blu-Ray.  Yes, I've had the one at Havana (they've changed hands recently, so this might not be up-to-date) and it was laughable (they served it on a hamburger bun!).  So when Tocador opened up in the former Charlies (and Habit before that), I rounded up the softball team to check it out.

Since it was a Monday, it was happy hour all day with discounted appies and $5.00 draught beers.  Score!  We shared the the appie specials including the Croquetas con Cerdo featuring spiced pork, corn, peas and potatoes for $8.00 (normally $14.00).  These were really good served piping hot and crispy on the outside.  They weren't greasy at all.  On the inside, the soft and airy potato filling was flavourful but somewhat one note.  Also on special was the Plantain Chips served with house-made guacamole.  These were also good being crunchy and none-too-oily.  They were lightly salted and the side of guacamole was fresh and vibrant.  However, I would've preferred something with more punch like a mojo.

Miss Y got some happy hour Oysters for half-price (which meant she could get double-portion).  These were shucked properly without shell fragments and were nicely briny.  I ended up sharing a Cubano and the Pollo Confidencial with Bear since we both couldn't decide on one dish.  Consisting of the usual ingredients (the Miami version), it included smoked ham, lechon asado, dill pickle Swiss cheese and mustard on a house-made Cuban roll.  It was pressed to order and the result was pretty good.  The bread was crunchy while not dense.  Inside, there was enough filling for impact where the salty, cheesy and tangy notes came through.  For those expecting something mind-blowing in terms of spice, you won't find it.  That's not a Cubano, nor is it Cuban cooking in general (although the Cubano originates in the state of Florida).  The Tampa version would be more of your fancy since they use Italian salami.

For our second dish, the Pollo Confidencial didn't look like much when it hit the table.  I didn't properly read the description because I thought it was braised chicken.  That it was, braised in citrus and spices (such as oregano, cumin etc...), then breaded and fried.  So what we had was fried chicken.  But oh wow was it good fried chicken.  The breading was crunchy and wasn't as heavy as it appeared to be.  Underneath, the meat was succulent and super tender.  As for the braising liquid have much impact on the chicken, well it was rather mild.  However, the accompanying gravy was potent and full of depth.  Hence the chicken was amped up once dipped into it.  On the side, there was a carrot and jicama slaw.

JR went for the Filete en Rodajas which was a mojo-marinated skirt steak prepared medium-rare and served with chimichurri, arugula salad and tomato relish.  This was also quite good with well-prepared steak that was tender and moist.   It had been marinated enough that we could get mild notes from the mojo.  Again, Cuban food isn't known for being in-your-face flavours, so this was actually fine. The chimichurri was decently flavourful being garlicky and bright.  For dessert, we go a couple orders of their Churros served with spiced Cuban chocolate.  Unlike the ones you find at the PNE or any other fair and theme park, these were soft and less crunchy.  They were almost eggy-like.  Personally, I would've liked more crunch, but they were good nonetheless.  The chocolate dip was lightly bitter and not overly sweet.  Hey, the stuff we had at Tocador gave us a reason to go back and especially on Monday since the deals make it easy on our wallets.

The Good:
- Lively vibe
- Decent eats
- Open late

The Bad:
- Plantain chips were kinda cold, would've been nice if they were warm

Ramen Koika (Robson)

Oh look!  Another Ramen joint on Robson Street!  Yes, I guess there is never enough of a good thing when it comes to Japanese Ramen in Vancouver.  Seemingly, it doesn't matter how many there are in a small area, there will always be the clientele.  To be fair, Ramen Koika only replaces the short-lived Hapa Ramen in the adjacent spot where Hapa Izakaya used to reside.  I've tried their original Davie location and have enjoyed their offerings.  Recently, I was invited to check out their new location to sample some of their specialties in addition to an interesting new creation.

Before that, we got down to some appies including the Puri Puri Ebi and Spicy Chicken Karaage.  These two are some of the more popular items on the menu and we could see why.  Crunchy with a thick breading, the ebi actually ate a lot lighter than it appeared.  The ebi itself was buttery and moist with a light snap.  Despite the copious amounts of tartar on top, it did not make things too creamy nor greasy.  At first, the spicy karaage looked like they just squeezed some spicy paste on top of a regular order.  Oh wait, they did do that!  But appearances aside, this was super yummy.  Although there was good kick from the sauce, there was still layers of flavour.  The chicken itself was tender and moist with a lightly crispy exterior.

Continuing with more appies, we tried their Housemade Ebi Gyoza and Pork Bao.  One bite and I could really appreciate the freshly-made gyozas.  The dumpling skin was medium-thick and delicate.  There was a certain tender texture that was also supported by an elasticity.  Moist and balanced, the filling was mildly-seasoned and tender.  As with the puri puri ebi, the shrimp in the gyoza was meaty and had a buttery snap.  I only wished that the bottom was more crispy.  We finished with 2 Pork Bao featuring shredded pork, marinated onion, green onion, sauce and mayo in a Chinese bao.  We requested for less mayo so we could see the pork, however, their default amount of mayo is the perfect amount (since we were wanting more of it as we ate the bao).  I found the pork to be tender and moist while the saltiness to be just enough.  The bao itself was soft and fluffy. 

We moved onto 2 of their classic offerings in the Triple Black Garlic Ramen and King's Seafood Ramen.  The thin noodles in the garlic ramen were completely on point being firm and chewy while cooked through.  Each noodle pull (no not for the picture, but to eat) was subjected to the silky and aromatic nuttiness of the black garlic oil.  There was no mistaking its presence and influence on the already meaty broth.  I found the chashu to be evenly fatty and subsequently buttery tender.  Most impressively plated (or bowled?), the seafood ramen sported green mussels, clams, blue crab, veggies, Thai chili and red pepper powder.  Considering how expensive ramen costs in Vancouver, this was only $15.95 (which we considered as a fair price especially on Robson).  We asked for medium spice and it was noticeable without being overwhelming.  The broth was sweet and briny.  Seafood was on point as with the noodles.

Saving the best for last, we tried the new their new creation - Beer Soba with a side of regular chicken karaage. Okay, I know what you are thinking - this looks strange and seriously beer?  Don't worry, it is actually a cold dashi with house made noodles.  The only beer is the froth on top.  Hence, it ate like a zaru soba with firmly chewy noodles and a rich and slightly sweet dashi.  I didn't think I would like this, but it turned out to be really good.  Great dish for a hot day.  So as you can see, there is some creativeness with the food here.  For me, I thought they are able to incorporate their unique touches successfully.  You really can't go wrong with the 2 bowls of ramen we tried (as they are the best on the menu) as well as their new beer soba.

*All food excluding gratuities were complimentary*

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Reasonable pricing
- Good portion size

The Bad:
- Gyoza needs to be crispier 
- Some might want more standard ramen, but this is not what they are about either

Barrique Kitchen & Wine Bar

White Rock is an interesting little enclave south of Hwy 99.  There is everything you need there including all the big box stores and chain restaurants.  For many, it's got a great view and comfortable surroundings.  Of course those properties command a premium and yes, there are many affluent residents.  So it begs the question, why aren't there more upscale eateries?  Yes, there are some found on Marine Drive, but that is a totally different animal as it attracts many tourists and others from the Lower Mainland.  Yet, how about a place where one could visit more than once and doesn't command a locational premium?  Well, Mijune and I were trying to find out if the newly opened Barrique could fill that niche.

We ended up doing the "Trust the Chef" tasting menu in addition to other dishes (yes, Mijune needs to eat lots!).  The first plate was the Chicharrons with sour cream & onion dip.  These were perfectly airy and crispy.  I'm sure the synchronized crunch from our table resonated throughout the room.  They were liberally dusted with salt while the dip was an excellent compliment.  It was thick, creamy and had an appealing sweetness from onion.  Next, we were served the House Made Brioche with truffle butter.  Cute and small, the mini-loaf featured a crispy outer crust while the inside was classic soft brioche.  The whipped truffle butter was smooth and creamy with a definite hit of black truffle earthiness.

Normally a bowl of Olives doesn't elicit much of a reaction, but these were pretty darn good.  Mind you I love olives, so I get pretty happy if there are some on the table!   These were castelvetrano olives marinated with rosemary, EVOO and raisins.  In addition to the generally mild flavour and meaty flesh of a castelvetrano olive, we found the woodsiness of rosemary and pops of sweetness from the raisins.  Although there was not ginger present, there was a hint of it possibly from the flavour combination.  We actually added the Panisse fries served with herb aioli further on in the meal, but I'll talk about them here.  These were served hot and crispy.  Inside, it was fairly fluffy and mildly seasoned.  This would be a great snack with a cold bevvie.

Onto some veggies, we had the Carrots roasted in honey butter served atop cracked pepper yogurt, pickled grapes and pistachios.  In terms of aesthetics, this was colourful and nicely plated.  Charred and caramelized, the carrots were earthy and sweet albeit a bit too firm (but a whole lot better than being too soft).  Personally, I love tart and sour, so the grapes were perfect, but I could see for some it could be overwhelming.  Covered with a plethora of pecorino, the roasted Mushrooms in brown butter sported the crunch of toasted hazelnuts.  I enjoyed this dish as there was a fair amount of mushrooms for $12.00 (they really cook down!).  They were not overdone, hence there was very little moisture on the bottom and the texture was meaty.  There was definitely the aromatics from the nutty butter and also the salty cheese.

Enough with the veggies, we got down to business with some meat including the Boudin Blanc featuring house-made sausage served with 2 types of mustard and grilled sourdough.  Yet another generous portion for $14.00, the sausage itself was meaty and lean.  The mustards were definitely needed as the lean meat was on the drier side, but still good.  On the other hand, the Honey Butter Chicken was succulent and juicy.  It sported crispy well-rendered skin that remained as such even though it was tossed in a honey butter while sitting atop dijon honey mustard.  The chicken thighs were lightly seasoned so that they weren't bland without the sauce.  However, combined together, there was this sweet and tangy thing going on which was aided by the pickles.

Back to the house-made brioche, we had that as the Foie Gras Toast featuring a healthy (oxymoron?) slice of foie gras terrine, poached pear, pickled grapes and dijon.  Thick-sliced, the toasted brioche was crispy on the exterior and soft inside.  The ample amount of terrine was creamy, buttery and decadent.  It literally melted in my mouths and was nicely contrasted by the crispy toast.  Adding acidity, tang and sweetness, the grapes and pears were a necessary component.  I guess with all the heavy food we were eating, another serving of veggies were in order.  Hence, we were served the grilled Asparagus with hollandaise and preserved lemon.  Yes, one can make veggies rich and creamy!  These were perfectly prepared with a smoky char giving way to firm, yet fully cook asparagus.  Although a bit powdery, the hollandaise was still silky and balanced.  The preserved lemon added another layer of tang.

Okay, heavy isn't even the right word to describe the next dish - #Beastburger.  This thing sported an 8oz. housemade patty, a thick slice of foie gras terrine, housemade dill pickles, caramelized onions, raclette, housemade bacon hollandaise and sour cream & onion spread.  In terms of size, it didn't look physically large, but believe me, it was quite the monumental task in finishing it.  Although cooked through, the lean burger patty was still moist and nicely charred.  I found the melting terrine to be generous, but extremely difficult to keep within the burger.  Add in all the sauces and there was plenty of moisture and richness.  The pickles helped slightly in breaking up the heaviness while the bun stayed intact.  However, this is definitely a fork and knifer.  On the side, the fries were meaty with a firm crunch.

As if we needed anymore food, we were presented with a large platter of the Duck à L'orange featuring 2 confit duck legs and a seared duck breast.  Underneath, we found squash puree, roasted root veggies and pickled sea asparagus.  By far, the best thing on the plate was the plump duck legs.  They were prepared expertly where the meat was succulent and tender.  Moreover, the skin was completely rendered and slightly crispy (despite being coated with sauce).  We enjoyed how the salt level was mild so that we could taste the natural duck flavour as well as the subtle orange.  The duck breast was the correct doneness being moist and tender.  We found the skin to be somewhat rendered, but lacking in crispiness.  We could've done without the pickled sea asparagus though.

Of course after a filling meal such as this one, we naturally had to get all of the desserts according to Mijune.  Stunning to the eye, the Clafoutis with fresh cherries, vanilla bergamot pudding and granola.  Texturally, we thought it was too stiff, but the flavours were there being buttery with only a conservative amount of sugar.  The cherries were ripe and delicious while the granola on top added a crunch.  Completely deconstructed, the Lemon Tart featured a large scoop of lemon curd atop toasted marshmallow, crème fraîche and shortbread crumble (and a piece of shortbread on the side).  I found the curd to be a bit dense although it wasn't a huge deal.  It tasted great with a pronounced tanginess supplemented by just enough sweetness and a buttery finish.  Light, buttery and crumbly, the shortbread was a nice textural compliment.

Struggling to continue, I was beginning to tap out.  However, we had 2 more desserts including the Rooibos Tea Crème Brûlée with cherry compote, toasted meringue and pistachio brittle.  This was my personal favourite as the textures all worked.  I found the custard to be silky smooth and just the right consistency.  It wasn't too sweet where the tea essence really came through.  Loved the ample tangy cherries and that brittle had a hard sweet and smoky crunch (only wished it was in smaller chunks).  Lastly, we were presented with the Dark Chocolate Ganache with raspberry blackberry sorbet, chocolate soil and blackberry jam.  They were very generous with the amount of thick and chocolatey ganache.  We only wished it was a in shallower dish so it would be easier to scoop.  The tangy sorbet was a nice compliment and provided balance to the dessert.  Phew...  We made it to the end of the meal and yah, I'm not sure how Mijune does this...  Anyways, the food at Barrique was pretty solid and definitely a nice addition to White Rock.

*All food and beverages excluding gratuity were complimentary*

The Good:
- Overall solid elevated eats especially given the area
- Appreciated that the chef takes some risks
- Fair pricing

The Bad:
- Menu is a bit all over the place, needs more focus
- Desserts tasted great, just needs a bit more refinement