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It isn't often I do repeat visits to restaurants so close together, but that is what I did with El Santo in New West. After a delicious lunch, I went back shortly after from an equally yummy brunch. I thought it was all fine and dandy for awhile until Mijune suggested I join her for a dinner tasting. Well, of course a tasting would be enticing since I wouldn't need to dole out any of my own coin, so that was an easy decision for me to make (especially since I enjoyed my previous 2 visits). Also to be fair, I do agree that more than one visit to a restaurant is only fair since so many variables are at play. Only problem is... I'm not made of money. LOL.
Anyways, getting down to the food, we started with something I've had before in the Trio of Guacamoles featuring tomatillo & citrus, mango and chicharrón served with house made tortilla chips. I actually thought this was better than the first time as the guacamole had more impact. They were smooth and fresh where the spice was most evident with the chicharrón. My favourite continued to be the mango as it was sweet and tropical. The best part of this dish was the outstandingly crispy and light chips. Although it was topped with brunch items, I had tried the Pan de Elote (skillet cornbread with jalapeño jelly) before and this was just as good. It featured crispy firm edges that gave way to a soft and fluffy interior. There was a muted amount of sweetness that was nicely complimented by the mildly spicy jelly. If you have a chance, try this at brunch topped with braised short rib, egg and chipotle Hollandaise.
Sporting the same crispy tortilla chips, the Ceviche de Camaron featured white prawn, roasted tomato, red wine vinegar, avocado, ancho and arbol. The flavours here were balanced and mildly impactful. That was not a bad thing since white prawn is delicate where overwhelming strong flavours would negate its existence in the dish. There was enough acidity to keep things bright and the good amount of avocado made things more robust. The one dish that I had to have was the El Santo Huevo or their version of a Scotch egg. It consisted of a masa-battered soft boiled egg, house made chorizo and habanero apple jam. Unfortunately, this time around, it wasn't fried long enough (or the batter was too thick). Therefore, the outside was not crispy nor aromatic. Inside, the egg was still money while the chorizo was meaty and delicious.
As you can tell, there is some fusion going on with the menu at El Santo, so it was no surprise to find Croquetas de Jabali with wild boar, braised red cabbage, pickled blueberries, fermented basil crisps and corn jus. Beyond the crispy fried exterior, I found the wild boar inside to be very tender, yet almost mushy. I thought the red cabbage was impactful while the blueberries weren't as pickled as I would've liked as the acidity would've livened up the meaty croquettes. Going with an Italian/Mexican mix, we were presented with the Noquis con Epazote with gnocchi, white bean puree, epazote pesto and black bean sprouts. Texturally, the gnocchi was on the firmer side but the aggressive sear on the outside added a nice crispiness as well as nuttiness. Due to the addition of epazote, the flavour profile was definitely herbal with an aftertaste, but it also acted like a balancing agent to the effects of the white bean.
My favourite part of the meal was when we hit the tacos. We tried them all including the one I've tried before in the Pescado with beer-battered BC ling cod, avocado lime crema, shredded cabbage, tomato, scallion and salsa verde. Like last time, the fish was flaky, fresh and moist with a crispy thin batter on the outside. The rest of the ingredients were fresh and vibrant providing both moisture and crunch. The bright salsa verde on the side was a good compliment to the taco as well as the lime wedges. For our one vegetarian taco, we had the Verduras (fried cauliflower) with sikil pak and mango salsa. Even though there wasn't any meat, the meaty cauliflower was quite good with a crispy batter. Although there was a wealth of flavour to the dish, it was too sweet for me (and the addition of the mango salsa didn't help)
One of the more interesting tacos was the Tuetano or bone marrow with poblano, caramelized onion, confit garlic and salsa verde. My first thought was that the bone marrow would simply melt away on the hot cast iron plate. Well part of it did indeed melt, but the pieces of buttery marrow that did remain were sinfully delicious. The whole garlic cloves really added a beautiful aromatic flavour as well the sweet onions. I thought the bright salsa verde helped cut through the heaviness of the bone marrow, but only a bit. Since I've had their Barbacoa de Cachete before, I knew the braised beef cheek would be good. That it was being tender and moist while accompanied by onion, cilantro and marinated chilis. Although there was some background spice, it was mostly savoury with some sweet notes from the onion.
Our last taco was the Pollo al Carbon with adobo marinated Farmcrest chicken, onion, cilantro and habanero salsa. On the surface, it looked like any other grilled chicken breast, but there was the hint of tang from the adobo. It was nicely charred with noted smokiness. Since chicken isn't the most exciting protein, it was nice to see the addition of habanero salsa for just a touch of heat. From here, we moved on the larger dishes with the Pescaito Frito consisting of fried BC ocean perch, mezcal chipotle glaze, green rice and tortillas. In terms of aesthetics, the whole fish looked grand. It was fried up crispy where the meat was tender and moist except for the edges where it was drier. I thought the sauce was too sweet, where it emulated a sweet n' sour rather than something that should've had spice. As much as I appreciated the amount of rice on the plate, there was too much of it.
One of the more interesting dishes was the Salmon con Mole al Sarten with BC Sockeye salmon, carrot and garlic mole, pickled carrot salsa, radish, refried beets, sauteed greens and rice. Okay, nothing out-of-the-ordinary with the salmon, it featured crispy well-seasoned skin with a moist centre and more dry edges. Rather, the refried beets was the curveball of the dish. Yes, I've never had something like that before and it was actually quite good with a soft texture and caramelized sweet flavour. There was some background spice as well. I thought the mole was decent with a smokiness accented by sweetness. Rounding out the meats, we had the Lomo de Cerdo Asado or roast Berkshire pork loin with brown butter & jicama puree, grilled scallion, roast carrot, paprika cured egg yolk, arbol and mint salsa. The pork itself was fairly tender and moist only in the middle as the edges were a bit dry. Wasn't really feeling the puree as it was aromatic and nutty, but lacking some punch.
Moving onto dessert, we had them all (of course we did) including the Capirotada (house made bread pudding, cascabel hot chocolate and candied walnuts). This was pretty good with soft chunks of bread that was nicely spiced and not overly sweet. Although there was a large pool of hot chocolate on the plate, it wasn't too sweet either, so the entire dish looked heavy, but didn't eat like it. Nicely plated in a paper cone, the Churros were crunchy and hot. However, they were a bit underdone in the middle and the amount of cinnamon sugar was excessive. If these 2 things were corrected, the churros would've been some of the best I've had (sounds strange how I said that, but it is true).
Our last actual dessert (before the complimentary marshmallows) was the Horchata Gelato. I really give it to them that they are making things in-house because it is a lot more work. Flavourwise, this wasn't too sweet and plenty aromatic from the cinnamon but the texture was inconsistent with plenty of ice crystals strewn throughout. Much like every other time I've been to El Santo, we were presented with house-made Marshmallows which were pillowy soft and a real treat to end the meal (even if you didn't order dessert). So from my 3 visits to El Santo, it appears to me that the strength of their menu lies within the more traditional Mexican fair. These include the appies, tacos and tortas. I also enjoyed their brunch items as well. Once again, El Santo proves to be a little slice of Downtown Vancouver in the heart of New West. Come for beverages and order the aforementioned dishes and you'll have a good time.
*All food and beverages were complimentary*
The Good:
- Downtown vibe in New West
- Solid traditional Mexican dishes
- Extensive bar
The Bad:
- Some of the more fusion items are hit and miss
- Inconsistent deep fry on the eggs
Long ago, I had a wonderful higher-end Japanese meal at Zest tucked in near the corner of 16th and MacDonald. I never got to do a revisit because they closed and reopened as Stem in Burnaby. As much as I enjoyed our visit to Stem, it couldn't replicate what we experienced at Zest. Well, now we have Yuwa Japanese Cuisine occupying the old location of Zest offering up a similar experience with premium prices and high-quality food. Authentic and featuring only the best ingredients, Yuwa isn't the same as the many other run-of-the-mill Japanese spots in town (nothing wrong with those BTW).
Of course to get a sense of any Japanese restaurant (that serves sushi that is), one must try their sashimi and that we did with the Chef's Sashimi consisting of chu-toro, bluefin tuna, hamachi, sea bream, jackfish, madai and saba. This was masterfully presented on a multi-tiered plate complete with foliage and ice. I really enjoyed the chu-toro as it was buttery and literally melted in my mouth. It was sweet and fresh. The same could be said about the non-fatty belly of the bluefin as it was meaty, yet delicate. The rest of the fish was also good, but not on the same level as the bluefin tuna. Just to cover all of the bases, we also got the Chef's Omakase Nigiri featuring chu-toro, hotate, cured sea bream, seared hamachi and ika. Featuring many of the same ingredients as the sashimi, the nigiri were good with a good fish-to-rice ratio. I thought the rice was nicely chewy, albeit a touch on the dry side.
So one of the more simple dishes we ordered was the Asparagus Komeko-age that was asparagus deep fried with a rice cracker crust and served with sansho pepper salt. This was all about the textures where the rice cracker was firmly crunchy and brittle. It was a complete textural contrast to the soft, yet still not overcooked, asparagus. I would've liked to more flavour with the asparagus on its own, but then again, that is what the dip and sansho pepper salt was for. This was a deceptively delicious creation. Staying somewhat on the same theme, we had the Seasonal Assorted Tempura with purple yam, zucchini, okra, sweet potato and tiger prawn. The care put into the preparation of the tempura was obvious as the batter was light and crispy while not greasy at all. The tiger prawn were buttery with a light snap.
Continuing on, we got the seemingly simple Jidori Dashimaki Tamago made with Maple Hills Farms free-range eggs. Although there was a bit of moisture leaking onto the plate, the omelette itself was well-prepared. I found the rolls to be even and delicate while the texture to be fluffy and airy. It was mildly seasoned and served wtih a side of grated daikon. This was actually served as a whole, but we cut it up for the picture (it looked better...). For our one maki roll, we had the Canadian Lobster Roll with mango, mayo, sliced cucumber, tobiko and lobster bisque sauce. This was attractive and fresh, but we felt the amount of lobster was either lacking and/or got lost compared to the other ingredients. There wasn't anything inherently wrong with the roll, it just wasn't that interesting nor impactful. Even the lobster bisque wasn't as aromatic as we would've expected.
Some more robust items came in the form of the Beef Suji Nikomi and Duck Udon. Consisting of beef tendon and daikon, the beef suji nikomi was slow-stewed for 48 hours in a shoyu stock. The result was something very Chinese-tasting, but good nonetheless. Unlike the Chinese version, this was much more subtle and delicate. It wasn't salty, rather we could taste the sweetness of the daikon and the gelatinous texture of the soft tendon. As for the duck udon, the shoyu dashi mirin broth was lightly sweet with subtle umaminess. The noodles were slippery and perfectly textured (chewy, not soft). I thought the duck was excellent being tender and meaty. Overall, I thought the meal at Yuwa was good with carefully prepared food. Flavours were delicate and well-thought out. However, due to the pricing, our expectations were justifiably high and we felt Yuwa could and should be even better.
The Good:
- Quality ingredients
- Carefully prepared food
- Excellent service
The Bad:
- Good, but not great considering the price point
Typically, when I see a whole roast chicken on any restaurant menu, it inevitably elicits comparisons with Costco chicken. Okay, put away the pitchforks. I know Costco cannot be placed in the same stratosphere as the swanky Elisa Steakhouse. From decor to service, they are completely 2 different animals. Let's not even get into Homer Street Cafe as I've gone over this before in that post. So here we go again with newly opened Ubuntu Canteen on Fraser as they offer up their version of whole roast chicken. I recently went to check that out as well as most of their other offerings on the menu.
Since they don't take resos, we had to wait for a table in the small dining room (used to be Bows X Arrows). After that, we were hangry and proceeded to order nearly the whole menu beginning with a dozen Oysters. These were sweet and briny served with a mignonette, lemon and horseradish. We also asked for Tabasco as well. They were shucked well except for 2 of them that had shell fragments. From there, we moved onto the fantastic Burrata with salsa macha, gem lettuce and toasted bread. Although the burrata was a bit on the firmer side, the fabulous salsa macha added a nutty rich spiciness that brought the flavours alive. When spread onto the crusty bread, there was a good combination of textures.
Onto 2 vegetable forward offerings the Roasted Turnips were really good. Firm with a crunch while retaining aggressively roasted tops, the turnips were delicious on their own. A bit earthy, the turnips went well with the nutty and peppery Romesco sauce. The rest of the dish featured Walla Walla onions and arugula. Next, we had the Young Asparagus with kohlrabi, orange segments, honey labneh and dukkah. Normally, asparagus is all about the texture (when prepared properly and this one was good with an appealing crunch), so I really enjoyed the honey labneh underneath as it provided a creamy sweet tang. The thinly sliced kohlrabi was crunchy and bright, but just a bit too salty. An extra burst of fresh sweetness was provided by the perfectly segmented orange. To literally top it all off, the dukka provided a nutty crunch.
From here, we moved onto some pasta including the Tagliatelle with lardo, pickled onions, lovage, bread crumbs and pecorino. This was really good featuring firmly al dente tagliatelle that was lovingly caressed by the silky lardo. As rich as this was, the pickled onions provided a nice acidity to cut through the literal fat. The brightness of lovage all helped in this regard. Adding a textural contrast the crunch from the bread crumbs helped deviate from soft-on-soft. The only thing that could've been better was the temperature as the pasta was luke-warm. The other pasta was the Cavatelli with leek, sugar snap peas and black pepper. Simple, bright and tangy with a background sweetness and pepperiness, the lack of meat didn't take away from the dish. We found the cavatelli to be perfectly chewy and a good match for the sauce.
Our first meat dish was the Pork Loin with rhubarb chutney and collard greens. It featured 2 large slices which were fatty and tender. One was thicker than the other which meant it was also more moist as well. I felt the pork was seasoned well enough to stand on its own, but the tangy and sweet rhubarb did pair well with the loin. Alas, we made it to the Whole Rotisserie Chicken with French lentils and Mizuna Caesar salad. The thing was massive where one half of the breast was big enough to feed one person. Skin was fairly well-rendered and the meat was moist (even the white meat). I thought the chicken could be more seasoned (or even brined), but the flavourful lentils did make up for that. However, for $1.00 more, the whole chicken at Elisa is better in my opinion and costing less is the one from Homer Street Cafe (different types of restaurant, I know). I won't compare to Costco, because we can't group restaurants with a grocery store, but overall, I thought the chicken wasn't the star of the show here. The rest of the eats were pretty solid and thoughtfully created. Nice use of the small space as well.
The Good:
- Fresh tasting and well-executed
- Bright, airy and casual vibe
- Nice people
The Bad:
- A bit pricey for what you get
- Chicken is good, but for the same price, other places do it better
So the late night food scene in Vancouver is not as dynamic as it should be given its population, but there are some decent choices out there. Among them are the usual Chinese spots serving up wonton noodles, congee and da lang as well as the various Vietnamese Pho joints. Let's not forget the many bar/pubs that serve up brews with the accompanying North American eats. Some more unique choices are Seigel's Bagels and Lucy's Eastside Diner. Joining the fray is something a bit different in Sing Sing Beer Bar that offers up a wide range of brews pairing with Vietnamese fare AND pizza. Interesting combination in a place that is also very un-Vietnamese.
We ended up visiting the place after late night Friday hockey one night. To say the place was bumping is a huge understatement. After a short wait, we got a table and proceeded to get bevvies and eats. In terms of the small plates, they were pretty solid including the Calamari with salsa verde, roasted garlic and sambal. These were fried up light and crispy where the grease factor was low. The squid itself was tender with an appealing bite where the inherent seasoning was enough for impact with a garlicky, salty spiciness. Equally good were the Chicken Wings with garlic, sambal, lime and cilantro. Sure, these weren't Phnom Penh quality, but appetizing in their own way. They were crispy with fairly rendered skin while the meat was tender and juicy. Again, there was enough seasoning to go with the spice, garlickiness and acidity.
The best appie of all was the BBQ Chicken Skewers with lemongrass, fish sauce and toasted sesame. Perfectly charred with a smoky and caramelized exterior, the skewers were a full-flavoured with briny saltiness from the fish sauce and aromatics from the lemongrass. Beyond that, the meat itself was super tender and juicy. Now the small plates were pretty well-executed and went with our bevvies fine, but when we got to the Phở Gà and Phở Bò, they were truly disappointing. When the menu states that, "Traditional family recipes passed down to proprietor Regan Truong", one would expect something amazing. However, we found both to taste nothing like any other Pho we've had. It looked and tasted like they put soy sauce into the broth. Rather than aromatic meat flavours, what we got was something far too salty and muddled. We really didn't enjoy these.
Onto the other dominant menu item, we tried the Pizza Margherita as well as the Carne Piccante. These featured thin crusts that were more akin to a large cracker rather than the usual Neapolitan-style type. I would say it is most like a thicker version of Me-n-Ed's. So it crunchy, yet a bit dense. We were rather indifferent with these as we didn't dislike them, but didn't love them either. The toppings were fine though with enough tangy tomato sauce and cheese for impact. Personally, I thought the carne pizza was better due to the meat. However, other than the appies, we thought the food at Sing Sing missed the mark. At the same time, many of the patrons were seemingly happy with the beer selection and the lively atmosphere. If that is their calling card, then Sing Sing fits a late night niche.
The Good:
- Lively atmopshere
- Good appies
- Nice beers on tap
The Bad:
- Pho is lacking
Believe it or not, for as long as I can remember, I've never dined at Water Street Cafe. I know this might be extremely strange because it has been around for 30+ years and is a fixture in Gastown (right across from the famed steam clock). Well, I'm not alone in this as Mijune hasn't been there either. Maybe we get so caught up in trying the newest and most ritzy spots in town, we forget about the classics. So our first real taste of the place happened because we were invited to try their Crabfest menu (until July 1st) as well as some other items from the regular menu.
Naturally, we started with everything crab including the BC Dungeness Crab Bisque with creme fraiche and chive oil. From my initial observations, I could tell this was more tomatoey than creamy. Personally, I prefer this as it ate more tangy and lighter. There was plenty of crab aroma and sweetness. Texturally, this was chunkier with plenty of fluffy crab which was also fine by me. In terms of overall seasoning, the bisque was not salty which meant I could taste the crab. Flanked by half of crab, the BC Dungeness Crab Club Salad was a meal in itself. It consisted of a iceberg lettuce wedge topped with buttermilk dressing, avocado and bacon lardons. Beyond the fluffy crab, the lettuce was fresh and crisp while the avocado was soft and ripe. There was just enough creamy dressing for effect without drowning everything. I enjoyed the aromatic lardons, but wished they were just a bit more cooked down.
Beautifully plated, the Crab Napoleon featured handpicked BC dungeness crab and whipped avocado in between layers of puff pastry. This was finished off with an Asian soy ginger vinegar dressing. The concept of the dish was sound as crispy puffed pastry would be a good textural contrast to the fluffy crab. However, we felt the pastry could've been crispier. Loved the combination of creamy avocado and the plethora of crab. As much as I enjoyed the dressing on its own, it was probably a bit too sweet for the crab. From here, we moved onto a classic dish from their regular menu being the West Coast Crab Cakes made with pacific rock crab and baby shrimp atop a saffron aioli. On the side, we found a fennel and arugula salad with preserved citrus. These were really good crab cakes that contained no filler as it was full of fluffy crab. It was fried up perfectly where the breading was crunchy and relatively thin. It was tasty on its own even without the aioli.
When the Surf & Surf hit the table, we marveled at the portion size, it was massive! Sporting the same 1/2 crab as the salad, we were treated to even more fluffy meat. The other half of the dish consisted of a large piece of halibut that couldn't have been prepared any better. Beyond the charred exterior, the fish was flaky and super moist. It was nicely seasoned and ate well on its own. We felt the limoncello gel was a bit too sweet for the dish and could've used some added acidity. However, the dish as a whole was spectacular. We also got the Surf & Turf featuring a crab thermidor served in a crab shell and a 16 oz. AAA ribeye steak with salsa verde. Loved this dish as the thermidor was rustic and downright delicious. Lots of crab in a creamy cheesy sauce combined with perfectly cooked root veggies and peppers. The steak itself was a perfect medium rare and well-rested.
Moving onto the regular menu, we went for the Burrata Caprese Salad with heirloom and roma tomato, basil, salsa verde, white balsamic glaze, sun dried tomato pesto, chive oil and Himalayan pink salt. At first, we thought this was a burrata dish and wondered why there was so much stuff in it. Upon looking a the description, it was indeed a salad and the burrata was just taking the place of fresh mozzarella. Nothing wrong with that as it added a creaminess to an already tart and sweet concoction. The sundried tomato pesto was the dominant flavour in the dish being tangy and salty. From here we went for their pasta staples with their most popular being the Rigatoni with Italian Sausage, roasted fennel, plum tomato and cracked chilis. This was a pretty textbook version of this dish where the pasta was a softer al dente while the sauce was tangy and aromatic from the fennel. I would've liked to see more sausage as it was meaty and tender.
My favourite pasta was the Linguine alle Vongole with Manila clams, garlic, white wine, cherry tomato and fresh herbs. Yes, if you know me, this is my favourite pasta on any menu, but this was actually a very good version. There was much more in the way of fresh clams than pasta (as evidenced by the picture). Therefore, the brininess and sweetness of the clams really came through in the buttery and garlicky sauce. The addition of canned baby clams further amped the brininess. Pops of tang from the tomatoes really helped brighten up the dish as well. Our last pasta was the House-made Gnocchi with mushrooms, truffle butter and chèvre. To say this was rich and creamy would be an understatement. Earthy and cheesy, this was decadent and full of umami. I found the gnocchi to be pillowy soft with a nice sear on the outside.
For dessert, we went for 4 of them including the Baked Apple Crumble topped with vanilla gelato. Yes, this dessert is a bit standard and relatively simple. However, that is what makes it hard to be good too. Well this version on point with cooked through apple slices that still retained a bite while being tangy. This balanced off the sweetness quite well. The crumble on top was crunchy and buttery. Another classic dessert came next in the Tiramisu. I would say this was pretty textbook with moist soaked lady-fingers layered within rich and creamy mascarpone. This was actually not overly sweet which was nice. I would've liked a bit more espresso, but at the same time, this was enjoyable nevertheless.
Our last 2 desserts consisted of the Raspberry Lavender Creme Brulee and Flourless Double Chocolate Espresso Cake. Normally, most creme brulee desserts I've had feature a weak torched sugar topping. Not this one as it was thick and smoky. There needed to be effort to crack into it. Once past the topping, the custard was creamy and not too heavy while mildy sweet. I found that the raspberry was more evident than the lavender which was fine by me. Onto the cake, it was rich and plenty chocolaty with a bitter finish. Hence it wasn't overly sweet while the espresso did come through, yet not too strong. These were some solid desserts to end a generally well-executed dinner. We noticed that the dishes we had were pretty classic except for a few Crabfest items. Considering the awesome location right in the heart of Gastown across from the steam clock, the menu offers up a little of everything that most people will be familiar with. With that in mind, Water Street Cafe does a great job in providing good value with more-than-adequate portions of well-prepared food.
*All food and beverages were complimentary*
The Good:
- Well executed dishes
- Reasonable pricing especially for its location
- Well-portioned
The Bad:
- Some dishes were a bit too sweet
Before the expansion of street food (ie. food trucks and food carts) in the Lower Mainland, all we were allowed to experience was the good ol' hot dog. Yep, my memories of Mr. Tube Steak are still fresh in my mind (albeit not overly excited about it). That is also why we got Japadog since the owner wanted to do something different and all they were allowed at the time was a hot dog cart. From there, we now have everything from Neapolitan Pizza to Spanish Tapas. However, sometimes things come full circle as we can see with one of the newer trucks in Dog N Roses. Yes, they do serve up hot dogs, but they feature house made sausages and truly interesting ingredients. I was recently invited to try their wares while they were parked in front of Moody Ales in Port Moody.
We ended up trying all of their dogs including the Pork Smokie with kimchi mayo, green onions, black sesame spread, furikake sprinkles, fried onions and green apple pearls on an organic brioche bun. I actually got to sample the smokie separate from the hot dog and it was meaty, juicy and not overly fatty. There was a nice snap to the casing while the meat was well-seasoned. When combined with the rest of the ingredients, there was naturally an Asian flavour to it with the slight spice from the kimchi mayo and nuttiness from the black sesame. The pops of sweet tang from the pearls was actually a nice compliment. Next, the Pork Kebab "burger" was served with artichoke sumac cheese, green onions, asian sesame coleslaw and yogurt pearls. This being more of a meat patty rather than a sausage meant that the texture was more robust and less moist. It wasn't dry though and I enjoyed the spices mixed in with the meat. Lots of crunch and freshness from the coleslaw and once again, the "je ne sais quoi" from the yogurt pearls was welcomed.
My favourite was the Spicy Bolgogi Chorizo with sesame coleslaw, green onions, gochujang mayo, pineapple pearls and cilantro. Once again, I got to try the sausage on its own and wow was it ever fantastic! Beyond the firm snap of the casing, I got large chunks of tender and meat that was definitely spicy, but balanced. There was enough fat for the sausage to be moist and juicy without being greasy. The coleslaw brought the heat down with a tangy crunch as well as the sweet pearls. Moving onto the Beef Weiner, we found it nestled in the same organic brioche bun with organic sauerkraut, dijon mustard and fried onions. As simple as this one appeared, I thought the tender savoury beef weiner was accented nicely by the tangy sauerkraut. Of course the mustard added another layer of tang and a bit of bite. I wasn't sure if there was actually a whole lot of fried onions as most of it was raw on top which was good, but a bit overpowering.
Lastly, we sampled the Poutine with 5-spice gravy, cheese curds, fresh house made kimchi, furikake sprinkles, greens, friend onions and cilantro. Once again, the Asian influence was front and centre here as the gravy had that unmistakable essence of 5 spice, in particular from the star anise. There was a lot going on here and in some sense, a little less moisture would've been ideal. However, the flavours were strong and the fries were crispy. Well, for a "hot dog" food truck, there was more to it than a tube steak. Rather, we found delicious house made sausages combined with interesting ingredients. Good accompaniment with your beer.
*All food and beverages were complimentary*
The Good:
- Well made and textured house made sausages
- Not your typical toppings
- Focused menu
The Bad:
- A little on the pricier side (but sausages are house-made)
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It isn't often I do repeat visits to restaurants so close together, but that is what I did with El Santo in New West. After a delicious lunch, I went back shortly after from an equally yummy brunch. I thought it was all fine and dandy for awhile until Mijune suggested I join her for a dinner tasting. Well, of course a tasting would be enticing since I wouldn't need to dole out any of my own coin, so that was an easy decision for me to make (especially since I enjoyed my previous 2 visits). Also to be fair, I do agree that more than one visit to a restaurant is only fair since so many variables are at play. Only problem is... I'm not made of money. LOL.
Anyways, getting down to the food, we started with something I've had before in the Trio of Guacamoles featuring tomatillo & citrus, mango and chicharrón served with house made tortilla chips. I actually thought this was better than the first time as the guacamole had more impact. They were smooth and fresh where the spice was most evident with the chicharrón. My favourite continued to be the mango as it was sweet and tropical. The best part of this dish was the outstandingly crispy and light chips. Although it was topped with brunch items, I had tried the Pan de Elote (skillet cornbread with jalapeño jelly) before and this was just as good. It featured crispy firm edges that gave way to a soft and fluffy interior. There was a muted amount of sweetness that was nicely complimented by the mildly spicy jelly. If you have a chance, try this at brunch topped with braised short rib, egg and chipotle Hollandaise.
Sporting the same crispy tortilla chips, the Ceviche de Camaron featured white prawn, roasted tomato, red wine vinegar, avocado, ancho and arbol. The flavours here were balanced and mildly impactful. That was not a bad thing since white prawn is delicate where overwhelming strong flavours would negate its existence in the dish. There was enough acidity to keep things bright and the good amount of avocado made things more robust. The one dish that I had to have was the El Santo Huevo or their version of a Scotch egg. It consisted of a masa-battered soft boiled egg, house made chorizo and habanero apple jam. Unfortunately, this time around, it wasn't fried long enough (or the batter was too thick). Therefore, the outside was not crispy nor aromatic. Inside, the egg was still money while the chorizo was meaty and delicious.
As you can tell, there is some fusion going on with the menu at El Santo, so it was no surprise to find Croquetas de Jabali with wild boar, braised red cabbage, pickled blueberries, fermented basil crisps and corn jus. Beyond the crispy fried exterior, I found the wild boar inside to be very tender, yet almost mushy. I thought the red cabbage was impactful while the blueberries weren't as pickled as I would've liked as the acidity would've livened up the meaty croquettes. Going with an Italian/Mexican mix, we were presented with the Noquis con Epazote with gnocchi, white bean puree, epazote pesto and black bean sprouts. Texturally, the gnocchi was on the firmer side but the aggressive sear on the outside added a nice crispiness as well as nuttiness. Due to the addition of epazote, the flavour profile was definitely herbal with an aftertaste, but it also acted like a balancing agent to the effects of the white bean.
My favourite part of the meal was when we hit the tacos. We tried them all including the one I've tried before in the Pescado with beer-battered BC ling cod, avocado lime crema, shredded cabbage, tomato, scallion and salsa verde. Like last time, the fish was flaky, fresh and moist with a crispy thin batter on the outside. The rest of the ingredients were fresh and vibrant providing both moisture and crunch. The bright salsa verde on the side was a good compliment to the taco as well as the lime wedges. For our one vegetarian taco, we had the Verduras (fried cauliflower) with sikil pak and mango salsa. Even though there wasn't any meat, the meaty cauliflower was quite good with a crispy batter. Although there was a wealth of flavour to the dish, it was too sweet for me (and the addition of the mango salsa didn't help)
One of the more interesting tacos was the Tuetano or bone marrow with poblano, caramelized onion, confit garlic and salsa verde. My first thought was that the bone marrow would simply melt away on the hot cast iron plate. Well part of it did indeed melt, but the pieces of buttery marrow that did remain were sinfully delicious. The whole garlic cloves really added a beautiful aromatic flavour as well the sweet onions. I thought the bright salsa verde helped cut through the heaviness of the bone marrow, but only a bit. Since I've had their Barbacoa de Cachete before, I knew the braised beef cheek would be good. That it was being tender and moist while accompanied by onion, cilantro and marinated chilis. Although there was some background spice, it was mostly savoury with some sweet notes from the onion.
Our last taco was the Pollo al Carbon with adobo marinated Farmcrest chicken, onion, cilantro and habanero salsa. On the surface, it looked like any other grilled chicken breast, but there was the hint of tang from the adobo. It was nicely charred with noted smokiness. Since chicken isn't the most exciting protein, it was nice to see the addition of habanero salsa for just a touch of heat. From here, we moved on the larger dishes with the Pescaito Frito consisting of fried BC ocean perch, mezcal chipotle glaze, green rice and tortillas. In terms of aesthetics, the whole fish looked grand. It was fried up crispy where the meat was tender and moist except for the edges where it was drier. I thought the sauce was too sweet, where it emulated a sweet n' sour rather than something that should've had spice. As much as I appreciated the amount of rice on the plate, there was too much of it.
One of the more interesting dishes was the Salmon con Mole al Sarten with BC Sockeye salmon, carrot and garlic mole, pickled carrot salsa, radish, refried beets, sauteed greens and rice. Okay, nothing out-of-the-ordinary with the salmon, it featured crispy well-seasoned skin with a moist centre and more dry edges. Rather, the refried beets was the curveball of the dish. Yes, I've never had something like that before and it was actually quite good with a soft texture and caramelized sweet flavour. There was some background spice as well. I thought the mole was decent with a smokiness accented by sweetness. Rounding out the meats, we had the Lomo de Cerdo Asado or roast Berkshire pork loin with brown butter & jicama puree, grilled scallion, roast carrot, paprika cured egg yolk, arbol and mint salsa. The pork itself was fairly tender and moist only in the middle as the edges were a bit dry. Wasn't really feeling the puree as it was aromatic and nutty, but lacking some punch. 
Moving onto dessert, we had them all (of course we did) including the Capirotada (house made bread pudding, cascabel hot chocolate and candied walnuts). This was pretty good with soft chunks of bread that was nicely spiced and not overly sweet. Although there was a large pool of hot chocolate on the plate, it wasn't too sweet either, so the entire dish looked heavy, but didn't eat like it. Nicely plated in a paper cone, the Churros were crunchy and hot. However, they were a bit underdone in the middle and the amount of cinnamon sugar was excessive. If these 2 things were corrected, the churros would've been some of the best I've had (sounds strange how I said that, but it is true).
