skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Not really all that long ago, the only place where you would normally find higher-end eateries was in either Downtown and/or the Westside of Vancouver. However, with more and more people moving Eastward into the 'burbs, we are no longer stuck with just chain restaurants. Interestingly enough, it isn't the traditional Western fine-dining that are opening in spots past Boundary Road. Rather, we see more expensive Asian joints popping up. Does it have something to do with demographics? Possibly or maybe the appetite is there for more refined Asian eats. This is the case with Stem Japanese Eatery setting up shop in South Burnaby. With the former chef of Zest at the helm, the price point at Stem readily reflects that.
After being open for over half-a-year, we finally made it out with the kids and the grandparents. We started out with an order of the Sockeye Salmon Sashimi for $20.00. Yes, $4.00 per piece can be sticker-shock, but similar to the best sushi bars in town, the quality was worth it. Visually, it was stunning with deep colours. Each slice was buttery soft while retaining a meatiness and being superbly sweet from start-to-finish. We got a couple orders of the Onsen Tamago sporting a 64-degree Maple Hill Farm free-range egg, dashi espuma, Koshihikari rice, kale stem & shrimp furikake finished with black truffle oil. When mixed together, the silky egg and espuma created a velvety base for the chewy rice and crunchy stems. Flavours were subtle, but that was the point due to the delicate ingredients.
Neatly plated, the Soba Crab Roll was certainly an interesting concoction. It consisted of BC dungeness crab surrounded by nori, green soba noodles and then more nori. On the side, there was a dashi soy broth for dipping. Texturally, I wasn't sure of the soft-on-soft. It could've used a crunchy component somewhere (except for the ends). However, it was still tasty since it had a big chunk of fluffy crab in the middle. The noodles were a touch soft, but they weren't mushy. Loved the impactful dashi soy that wasn't salty. For my son, he had to have the Unagi Tamago Cone (2 of his most favourite things). Carefully constructed and featuring chewy sushi rice, there was a buttery piece of unagi and a fluffy slice of tamago. Nothing complex, but texturally on point.
Onto one of our favourite dishes of the meal, the Bio-Dynamic Zucchini Blossom Tempura was perfect. These large blossoms were stuffed with ebi shinjo and deep fried with tempura batter. The result was a crunchy exterior giving way to the delicate blossom and the bouncy shrimp paste with shiso. The plate was finished off with a yuzu aioli drizzle which added a creamy tang. Another solid dish was the Chilliwack Miso Pork Jowl that was cured for 48 hours with a house blend miso. It was simply grilled and topped with a granny smith apple salad. Completing the dish was a roasted rhubarb puree. Texturally, the pork jowl was on point with a chewy bounciness. There was definitely the fermented essence of the miso coming through as well as a smokiness from the grilling. I thought the puree was a great tangy compliment.
Viv's favourite dish was the Grilled Yarrow Meadows Duck marinated with house made shoyu koji. It was garnished with zucchini ohitashi, soy braised mushroom and burdock kimpura. The brined duck breast was cooked to a nice medium which ensured that it was moist and tender. I would've liked the fat to be rendered more, but it was tender and did not get in the way. In addition to the inherent fermented saltiness, the burdock added an herbal woodsiness while the mushrooms were a nice balance between sweet and salty. There was also a background hit of truffle oil as well. The solid plates continued with the Garlic Chicken marinated in garlic sweet soy finished with green onion, shiitake and aomori garlic chips. Although the ingredients were simple, the execution was flawless. Succulent and super juicy, the chicken thigh pieces were caramelized and full-flavoured. Plenty of aromatics to go with the classic sweet saltiness.
Another seemingly simple dish was the Miso Cheese Eggplant. This was basically half an eggplant baked with mozzarella cheese, sweet miso and truffle oil. You've probably heard it before, but I'll repeat here - plates with simple ingredients (and very few of them) are the hardest to make since there is little room for error. Consistent with all of the food so far, this was done right. Cooked through, the eggplant still retained its shape. It was tender and delicate with the unmistakable rich fermented taste of sweet miso. They didn't overdo it with the truffle oil either. Not trying to repeat myself, but the Haida Gwaii Halibut Cheek Age Oroshi was expertly deep fried. It was flaky with an appealingly chewy bounciness normally found with halibut cheeks. The cheeks were dressed in a oroshi daikon dashi soy broth which was subtle, yet impactful at the same time. Combined with a daikon essence, the sweetness of the dashi was only slightly counteracted by the saltiness of the soy.
Based on our server's recommendation, we added the Dashi Omelette. It was made-to-order with local free-range egg, ichiban dashi, snow crab, local shungiku, wasabi stems and daikon radish. This was super delicate and fluffy. Again, flavours were subtle with classic dashi coming through from the bonito and kombu. Providing a touch of sharpness, the shungiku was liberally strewn throughout. The only thing I would've liked to see was less moisture as some parts were soggy. Our last dish was the Hot Udon featuring hand-made noodles from Akita, Japan. These were slippery and silky, unlike the dense generic packaged type you find at many Japanese restaurants in town. The soy dashi broth was sweet and full-of-depth with a background smokiness. Although this wasn't a complex dish, the balance and execution really shone. That would be the best description for the entire meal in general as things were carefully made and presented. Prices are definitely on the higher end, but worth it in my opinion.
The Good:
- Carefully-crafted food
- Delicate, but impactful flavours
- Attentive service
The Bad:
- Pricey
- For some, the flavours might be too subtle, but that is the intention
Even though I've never lived in Langley nor have do I live near Langley, I've always had my pulse on the restaurant scene there. You might wonder why I would care so much about restaurants in Langley... Well, I've always had friends out there and in fact, all through University, I would visit Aussie often and then after that, Nikita and Bluebeard through the early 2000's til present. Let's just say that the restaurant scene has come a long way since then and now we are beginning to see places that can be considered good. The JRG group has recognized the potential of the area and have pegged many of their restaurants throughout the city. Their newest is The Italian offering up legit pastas and Neapolitan pizza.
We headed out there with Costanza's family to get a good feel for the place. We ended up eating quite early and hit their happy hour and took advantage of their drink specials and also their $10.00 pizza deal. But before we hit the pizza and pastas, we got 2 orders of the Caesar Salad for the table. As simple as salads can be sometimes, this one was done right. The romaine was fresh and crisp while the dressing wasn't heavy nor was the salad overdressed. I thought the parmesan yogurt dressing to be tangy and light while aided by the dehydrated olives (which provided a rich saltiness). Finishing off the salad was a sprinkling of honey and herb croutons.
The kiddies wanted the basic Margherita featuring fior di latte, San Marzano tomato sauce, Tuscan olive oil and fresh basil. Prepared in a 900 degree wood-fired oven, the pizza was well-charred with leoparding. It was very crispy all the way to the centre while being properly seasoned. I would've liked to see the crust to be a little more tender in the middle though. Ingredients were legit and the flavours were right there as well. They also shared the Prawn Genovese which was also the table favourite. It was topped with pesto, oven-dried tomatoes, grana padano, mozzarella and basil. The combination was aromatic with a good tang from the tomatoes and cheesy. Done just right, the pieces of prawn were meaty while still tender with a snap.
For the adults, we went for the Truffle Mushroom comprised of thyme roasted mushrooms, truffle cream, mozzarella and baby arugula. As much as we do not prefer the overuse of truffle oil, this pizza was nicely balanced. With just a hint, the truffle cream was definitely impactful without creating an overwhelming earthiness. There was a proper amount of flavourful mushrooms to live up to its namesake while the thyme was evident with each bite. On top, the arugula added a certain brightness to balance off the heaviness of the cream and cheese. I thought the most interesting pizza was the Wagyu Carpaccio with pecorino romano, dehydrated olives, arugula, oven-dried grape tomatoes and truffle aioli. If you can imagine, it was beef carpaccio on a pizza crust. Sliced thin where it literally melted in our mouths, the wagyu didn't disappoint. The complimentary flavours were on point with a creamy saltiness accented by a tanginess. Only issue with this pizza was the temperature as the crust couldn't be hot, otherwise it would cook the meat.
Onto our pastas, the best of the bunch was definitely the Ricotta Gnocchi Pomodoro bathed in fresh grape tomato sauce, garlic, basil, Tuscan olive oil and grana padano. These were large and pillowy soft while still retaining its texture. They were seared nicely where there was a caramelized smokiness. We thought the sauce was perfect since it was not strong enough to overwhelm the delicate gnocchi, but was present enough to provide flavour and aromatics. It was a nice combination of fresh tomatoes with the simple accents of garlic an basil. The kids really wanted the Classic Alfredo with chicken featuring linguine in white wine cream and grana padano. This was also good where the fresh pasta was al dente and while the cream sauce was rich, it wasn't overly heavy either. The ample amount of chicken could've been a bit less cooked though.
We really wanted to like the Spaghetti Carbonara, however, it was far too salty for our tastes. Yes, we understand that the use of speck and guanciale would ensure that the dish would have a certain saltiness, but we found it excessive. On the other hand, no one could accuse the plate as bland or boring. There was definitely the meaty saltiness from the aforementioned cured meats in addition to the free-range egg yolks, pecorino romano and fresh black pepper. I actually enjoyed this pasta despite the salt (mostly because I like salty), but the rest of the table didn't feel the same way. Also overly salty was the Braised Shortrib Pappardelle which interestingly was more balanced due to the spiciness in the San Marzano tomato sauce. I agreed that it had a salty finish, but for me personally, I didn't mind it too much. Again, the fresh pasta was al dente while the generous amount of shortrib was tender. In the end, we were pretty stuff and came away satisfied. We liked how much thought and effort was put into bringing a restaurant like The Italian out to Walnut Grove. With a few tweaks to the pizza crust and the seasoning for the pastas, they food could rival spots in Vancouver.
The Good:
- Decent portions for the price
- No absence of impactful flavours
- Family-friendly
The Bad:
- Pizza crust was a little dry
- Pastas could use less salt
As hard as I have tried, I haven't visited all of the restaurants that serve Dim Sum in Richmond. Naturally, it is extra difficult when some of them change hands over and over again. That would've been the case with my recent visit to Sea Fortune. That location never seems to hold a restaurant for very long. Well with Sea Fortune out-of-the-way, it appears I'm getting closer in trying every Dim Sum joint out in Richmond. There is another that is tucked away on the second floor in a plaza on the corner of Blundell an Garden City Way. Yes, we made our way to Royal Seafood Restaurant to further my mission (is it impossible?).
So, not only was there a 20% off discount if you dine before 11:00am, but the Sparerib & Chicken Feet Rice was only $6.95. At times, the rice can be mushy and lacking in nuttiness, but this one was quite good. Chewy and aromatic, the rice was on point while soaking up the garlicky juices of the spareribs. About those ribs, they were meaty with a tender chew. Lots of flavour including some spice. Normally, we do not order a plate of noodles for Dim Sum, but with Cee Cee in attendance, we had to get the Singapore Fried Noodles (her fav). This was prepared pretty well with chewy noodles that were not clumpy nor too dry. There was enough curry and seasoning for impact and while it wasn't apparent in the picture, there was a good amount of buttery shrimp and BBQ pork.
Of course we got the usual suspects in the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumplings) and Siu Mai (Pork and Shrimp Dumplings). Medium-sized with medium-thick dumpling skin, the ha gau were pretty good. Let's start with the positives first. I found the skin to have a good elasticity and it wasn't overly sticky. The filling was moist being a mix of whole pieces of crunchy shrimp and bouncy mousse. However, the one caveat was that the flavour was a touch fishy. As for the siu mai, they were rather pale and consisted mostly of pork. Texturally, the pork was mousse-like being bouncy yet lacking in natural meatiness. I would've liked to see some shiitake mushrooms for some variance in taste because the dumplings were pretty one-note.
Rather then going with shrimp, we decided on the Beef Rice Noodle Roll. By visuals alone, I appreciated the uniform and careful construction of the rolls. I also liked how they put enough beef in the middle. Therefore, the rolls were hearty and balanced in terms of ratio between noodle and filling. I found the noodle to have a good elasticity while the beef was tender with a firm bounce. It wasn't particularly flavourful, but the sweet soy did the job. On a similar theme, we were served the Beef Meatballs next. They were on the firmer side, but were still tender and had the classic rebound. Again, they weren't aggressively seasoned. There was a balanced amount of green onion.
For myself, I got the requisite Beef Tripe and Tendon. When it hit the table, it didn't look like much and in fact, after digging around, there wasn't much at all. In terms of execution, it was acceptable. I found the tripe to be slightly gamy and a bit too soft. The tendon was outright too soft in my opinion. Tastewise, I thought the dish was too sweet and lacked the usual garlickiness. This was a miss for me. Looking a little over-fried, the Shrimp Spring Rolls were indeed a tad overcooked. However, the outside was still crunchy and not overly greasy. The shrimp filling was a touch rubbery, but not entirely without snap. It was well-seasoned and tasted better than the shrimp in the ha gau.
Rather than going for the usual steamed version, we went for the Baked BBQ Pork Buns this time around. This was a good call as these were on point. Light and airy with a crispy exterior, the buns were very easy to eat. The sweet glaze on the outside was sticky and went well with the savoury BBQ pork filling. I liked how the meat was mostly lean pieces. Our last dish was the XO Daikon Pudding Cake. Pieces ranged from crispy to soggy, yet the overall texture was silky and soft. I found the flavours to be rather mild and not spicy enough. There was the usual brininess from the dried shrimp though. I liked how the dish wasn't soaked with grease. Compared to other Dim Sum spots in Richmond, Royal lags a bit behind since the competition and expectations are high. It wasn't as if the Dim Sum wasn't any good, there is just too many other places to dine at nearby.
The Good:
- Decent service
- Nice dining space
- Dim sum was actually okay
The Bad:
- Okay Dim Sum actually doesn't cut it in Richmond
Coffee shops are a dime a dozen in Vancouver where each has its specific clientele. That is probably why we keep seeing more and more of them with very few closing up shop. We see the spectrum of choices from the very high end (like Small Victory) to the typical chain stores offering up predictable products. However, to stand out in the market, the coffee better be freakin' fantastic or the store needs to offer up more than just the regular. Take Parallel 49 for instance where they introduced Lucky's Donuts or Chez Christophe where the coffee is there to really go with the finely crafted pastries and desserts. The newly opened Their There (by the same folks as AnnaLena) does offer coffee, but also a limited selection of pastries and sandwiches.
We stopped by on our way back from UBC and were able to score the last 4 seats in the house (not that there was much to begin with). Okay, before the authenticity police draw their weapons, I realized that their version of a Cubano wasn't authentic (I've been to Miami 3x and I've had the real deal). However, it was good for what it was featuring crunchy aggressively buttered bread. Inside, the roast pork was tender and lightly flavourful. There was ample cheese and grainy mustard while the briny pickles were what made the sandwich. We weren't super fond of the Montreal Smoked Meat Breakfast Sandwich though as it was rather soggy and too veggie forward. There was only a modest amount of smoked meat combined with a fried runny egg, alfalfa sprouts and cabbage. It wasn't as if the sammie was bad, it just wasn't as good as the other 3.
Talking about good, the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich was our favourite. It featured an ol' AnnaLenna favourite in the crispy fried chicken which was light and airy. This made the sammie not particularly heavy to eat (which was a good thing). The crunch was in every bite while the jalapeno aioli added moisture and a light tangy kick. We also liked how the brioche bun was soft, yet still chewy and firm enough to hold everything in without disintegrating. Coming in a close second was the Croque Monsieur (with the addition of a fried egg). Pure genius of them employing a croissant bun where it was crunchy and buttery. Inside, there was a thick slice of smoked ham that was moist and impactful. Add in a runny fried egg and ample cheese and this was a messy, if not super tasty breakfast sandwich.
To go, I grabbed a Churro Cronut, Banana Cream Croissant and Custard Donut for good measure. Crunchy and spiked with the unmistakable cinnamon sugar, the churro cronut was surprisingly filled with custard. This made it more than a crunchy sweet round thing. Rather, there was body and a nice contrast. Also filled to the brim with semi-sweet custard, the donut was yeasty and chewy with a certain density. The banana cream croissant was pretty tasty. It featured a crunch that led to the defined layers shattering all over the place. The cream was light and not too sweet. I wasn't fond of the banana chips, but I could see why putting fresh banana slices would not be practical due to browning. Overall, we thought there was some definite highlights with our visit to Their There. Prices are on the higher side though, but it is Kits.
The Good:
- When there was a hit, it was really good (ie. Chicken Sandwich and Croque Monsieur)
- Pastries were good (the ones we tried)
- Chic minimalist hipster decor (if you like that)
The Bad:
- Pricey
- Would've preferred a different bread choice for the Cubano
This post has been a long time coming. Literally. I first visited Jun Yuan when it first opened over a year ago. We came away pretty impressed for a hole-in-the-wall spot that once was merely a run-of-the-mill Chinese restaurant. Pricing was reasonable and the food quality was surprisingly high. So why did I not post on it? No, it wasn't that my pictures weren't good nor was it being lazy. Rather, I left the meal with a bad taste in my mouth which had nothing to do with the food. During the meal, I was having a text argument with Miss Y (yes really) and was too distraught to write about the meal. Ironically, this return visit was after our softball game which meant Miss Y was in attendance. We had a good laugh about it since I explained to her why I didn't blog about the place (forgive and forget right?).
So enough of my personal life and onto the food. We ended up getting half Drunken Chicken & Herbs and half Tofu Soup broth since no one was in the mood for spice. If there was one thing that they could improve upon is their broth because both times I found them decent but unremarkable. With that being said, the drunken chicken was chock full of tender strips of wine-soaked breast meat. The tofu soup was pretty mild and didn't offer up any lasting memories. What sets Jun Yuan apart from many other hot pot joints is the Wagyu Beef (right plate in the picture) on their AYCE menu. It is up for debate if it is actually the real thing, but we enjoyed it very much. The thin and fatty slices of beef were buttery soft and flavourful. Even the "regular" Premium Beef was good albeit not as buttery. It was still tender and did not come out dry after cooking.
Continuing with more meats, we had the Lamb and Pork. Well-marbled, the cooked lamb was also tender and buttery. It was actually not sliced super-thin, but even so, it was not chewy at all. Due to the lean nature of the pork, it was a touch drier and chewier even with only a quick cook in the boiling hot pot. Before the actual hot pot arrived and subsequent meats and veggies, we were served a plate of Fried Chicken Wings. We had barely sat down and they asked us how many wings we wanted. A bit confused, we went for one each. I think the reason for this was that they wanted to get this out of the way first so they could shut down the fryer (it was getting late). The wings turned out to be really good being fried golden brown with fully rendered skin. They had been brined so the meat was succulent and well-seasoned. If we didn't have other food coming, we would've ordered more of these.
The next sets of dishes came fast and furious with the fresh Meatballs being the highlight. Sure, some of the ingredients may have been previously frozen, but the made-to-order shrimp, squid, beef, pork and fish meatballs were on point. They were all bouncy to a degree with the beef being meatier with a chew. I especially enjoyed the shrimp meatballs since they had a sweet snap. With a limit of 2 per person, we maxed out on the Fresh Oysters. Most of them were humongous and were a meal in itself. They were briny, buttery and indeed tasted fresh. Also on deck was cuttlefish, squid and chicken. One might think that since the homemade Pork Dumplings and Wontons were frozen, they weren't fresh. For practicality purposes, frozen dumplings cook way better in a hot pot since they do not fall apart or stick together. These were excellent with sweet bouncy shrimp (even the pork dumpling was mostly shrimp). Corn, Rice Cake, Tofu, Mountain Yam, Bean Curd Stick, Seaweed and Fish Tofu rounded out this selection.
Also from the previously-frozen category, we had an order of the White Shrimp. Hey, we didn't mind as for the price we paid, we weren't expecting spot prawns. Besides, frozen spot prawns suck. These were fine as they cooked up to reveal a meaty snap. Okay, beyond the Udon, Fish Noodles (yes, made with fish mousse), Instant Ramen, Enoki Mushrooms, Spinach and Pea Shoots (yes, they were generous with this one), I had to get some offal. That I did with Pork Kidney, Pork Liver and Pig Stomach. Hey, these were good... for me... No one else really ate them! Well, Miss Y did and that was it. We ended up doing another round of beef and then some dessert. For the price we paid ($26.99 + share of the soup base), we thought the food quality and selection was good. Sure, it is much more than it cost a year ago, but it was priced too low. Sure, Jun Yuan is a non-descript and not very sexy, but the hot pot is solid and reasonably-priced.
The Good:
- Reasonably-priced for what you get
- Their wagyu beef is really good
- Nice people
The Bad:
- Not a purpose-built restaurant for hot pot, smells linger and it gets humid
- Seating can be cramped if you have more than 6 people
Mercifully, the Big River Brewing, in the Zone Bowling complex, shut their doors for good awhile back. That place was pretty "meh" even for a default restaurant that served up bar snacks and pub food. If you can't even succeed when people have lack of choice, you know you are doing it all wrong! In its place, Big Chicken Town set up shop. For those who are unaware, the spot is a Korean restaurant, specifically serving up KFC (Korean Fried Chicken). We ended up dining there after watching a movie at Silvercity.
Upon being seated, we were a bit confounded by the small tables as we could barely reach it from the booth seating. No matter, we made it work. From the extensive selection of KFC, we decided on 1/2 order of Honey Garlic and Black Yummy each. Even though it was a half order, the portion size was pretty generous. We found the chicken to be fairly tender and moist, but the batter was too thick and dense. It was crunchy in spots, but we found it mostly cumbersome to eat due to the excessive batter. The honey garlic was pretty tasty being sweet, syrupy and of course garlicky. However, there was a bit too much of it where some pieces were drowning, hence not being crunchy anymore and too sweet. We much preferred the black yummy which was essentially sweet garlic and ginger soy. This was a lighter sauce where the chicken remained more crunchy. Moreover, the light saltiness and bright ginger hit made it less heavy.
We also added some sides including the Gib Jip (or stir-fried chicken giblets). For $10.95, we felt this was a complete ripoff since there was much more green onion and white onion than actual giblets. If we reconstituted the chopped up giblets, there must've been no more than 8 - 10 in the stir-fry. With that being said, the giblets were on point being tender with a firm chew. There was plenty of pepperiness and brightness from the green onion. It was a bit on the greasier side though. On that note, the Corn Cheese was very buttery and hence greasy. But that wasn't a bad thing as the caramelized niblets were super sweet and aromatic. The ample amount of melted stringy cheese added to the sinful, but tasty concoction. This was $8.95 and despite it being only corn and some cheese, it was still a better value than the giblets.
Lastly, we had the Yammers, which were essentially yam fries with a spicy dip. Not sure if these were house-made or frozen, but that didn't matter as they were fantastic. They were fried perfectly where the outside was crispy and easy on the grease. Inside, the tender yam was airy and super light. Therefore, these ate much easier than the usual dense and soggy yam fries we find at many other places. Overall, we thought Big Chicken Town to be fairly mediocre compared to the other KFC options in the GVRD, but a way better option than Big River Brewing...
The Good:
- Fairly friendly service
- Large portions (except for the giblets!)
- Convenient location
The Bad:
- Mediocre
- WTH with the giblets...
Posts
Not really all that long ago, the only place where you would normally find higher-end eateries was in either Downtown and/or the Westside of Vancouver. However, with more and more people moving Eastward into the 'burbs, we are no longer stuck with just chain restaurants. Interestingly enough, it isn't the traditional Western fine-dining that are opening in spots past Boundary Road. Rather, we see more expensive Asian joints popping up. Does it have something to do with demographics? Possibly or maybe the appetite is there for more refined Asian eats. This is the case with Stem Japanese Eatery setting up shop in South Burnaby. With the former chef of Zest at the helm, the price point at Stem readily reflects that.
After being open for over half-a-year, we finally made it out with the kids and the grandparents. We started out with an order of the Sockeye Salmon Sashimi for $20.00. Yes, $4.00 per piece can be sticker-shock, but similar to the best sushi bars in town, the quality was worth it. Visually, it was stunning with deep colours. Each slice was buttery soft while retaining a meatiness and being superbly sweet from start-to-finish. We got a couple orders of the Onsen Tamago sporting a 64-degree Maple Hill Farm free-range egg, dashi espuma, Koshihikari rice, kale stem & shrimp furikake finished with black truffle oil. When mixed together, the silky egg and espuma created a velvety base for the chewy rice and crunchy stems. Flavours were subtle, but that was the point due to the delicate ingredients. 
Neatly plated, the Soba Crab Roll was certainly an interesting concoction. It consisted of BC dungeness crab surrounded by nori, green soba noodles and then more nori. On the side, there was a dashi soy broth for dipping. Texturally, I wasn't sure of the soft-on-soft. It could've used a crunchy component somewhere (except for the ends). However, it was still tasty since it had a big chunk of fluffy crab in the middle. The noodles were a touch soft, but they weren't mushy. Loved the impactful dashi soy that wasn't salty. For my son, he had to have the Unagi Tamago Cone (2 of his most favourite things). Carefully constructed and featuring chewy sushi rice, there was a buttery piece of unagi and a fluffy slice of tamago. Nothing complex, but texturally on point.
Onto one of our favourite dishes of the meal, the Bio-Dynamic Zucchini Blossom Tempura was perfect. These large blossoms were stuffed with ebi shinjo and deep fried with tempura batter. The result was a crunchy exterior giving way to the delicate blossom and the bouncy shrimp paste with shiso. The plate was finished off with a yuzu aioli drizzle which added a creamy tang. Another solid dish was the Chilliwack Miso Pork Jowl that was cured for 48 hours with a house blend miso. It was simply grilled and topped with a granny smith apple salad. Completing the dish was a roasted rhubarb puree. Texturally, the pork jowl was on point with a chewy bounciness. There was definitely the fermented essence of the miso coming through as well as a smokiness from the grilling. I thought the puree was a great tangy compliment.
Viv's favourite dish was the Grilled Yarrow Meadows Duck marinated with house made shoyu koji. It was garnished with zucchini ohitashi, soy braised mushroom and burdock kimpura. The brined duck breast was cooked to a nice medium which ensured that it was moist and tender. I would've liked the fat to be rendered more, but it was tender and did not get in the way. In addition to the inherent fermented saltiness, the burdock added an herbal woodsiness while the mushrooms were a nice balance between sweet and salty. There was also a background hit of truffle oil as well. The solid plates continued with the Garlic Chicken marinated in garlic sweet soy finished with green onion, shiitake and aomori garlic chips. Although the ingredients were simple, the execution was flawless. Succulent and super juicy, the chicken thigh pieces were caramelized and full-flavoured. Plenty of aromatics to go with the classic sweet saltiness.
Another seemingly simple dish was the Miso Cheese Eggplant. This was basically half an eggplant baked with mozzarella cheese, sweet miso and truffle oil. You've probably heard it before, but I'll repeat here - plates with simple ingredients (and very few of them) are the hardest to make since there is little room for error. Consistent with all of the food so far, this was done right. Cooked through, the eggplant still retained its shape. It was tender and delicate with the unmistakable rich fermented taste of sweet miso. They didn't overdo it with the truffle oil either. Not trying to repeat myself, but the Haida Gwaii Halibut Cheek Age Oroshi was expertly deep fried. It was flaky with an appealingly chewy bounciness normally found with halibut cheeks. The cheeks were dressed in a oroshi daikon dashi soy broth which was subtle, yet impactful at the same time. Combined with a daikon essence, the sweetness of the dashi was only slightly counteracted by the saltiness of the soy.
Based on our server's recommendation, we added the Dashi Omelette. It was made-to-order with local free-range egg, ichiban dashi, snow crab, local shungiku, wasabi stems and daikon radish. This was super delicate and fluffy. Again, flavours were subtle with classic dashi coming through from the bonito and kombu. Providing a touch of sharpness, the shungiku was liberally strewn throughout. The only thing I would've liked to see was less moisture as some parts were soggy. Our last dish was the Hot Udon featuring hand-made noodles from Akita, Japan. These were slippery and silky, unlike the dense generic packaged type you find at many Japanese restaurants in town. The soy dashi broth was sweet and full-of-depth with a background smokiness. Although this wasn't a complex dish, the balance and execution really shone. That would be the best description for the entire meal in general as things were carefully made and presented. Prices are definitely on the higher end, but worth it in my opinion.
