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If you have paid close attention, I've been trying to revisit some of the most iconic restaurants in the city. Have I run out of new spots for my latest food adventure? No, there will always be the latest and greatest. Rather, I've been influenced heavily by Mijune as she has remarked that restaurants change chefs and menus frequently, so a post about a restaurant can be out-of-date as soon as less than a year. Now trying to eat at some of the most expensive places in town on a schedule every year might be hard on the wallet, so it isn't really all that practical. Let's just say that I'll try to hit them more often than I've done before. Sometimes, this is easier when there is an invite and this was the case when Mijune and I sampled the new menu from Chef Kai Leitner, who has been at Bishop's since August 2019.
To begin our feast (and it is always a feast when eating with Mijune), we had a rather large amuse bouche in the Chicken Croquette. It was lightly crispy on the outside and consistent temperature throughout. It was smooth and creamy on the inside with a cheesiness that was further enhanced by the spiced tomato sauce underneath. Stunningly plated, the Seafood Salad was a bounty of treats including diver scallops, side stripe prawns, kusshi oysters, mussels, clams, sea urchin and crab, dashi gelee, ocean and field greens. If there was ever a plate with all my favourite seafood items prepared expertly, this would be it. What brought everything together was the gelee as it was impactful enough to add a subtle sweet fishiness as well as a wine finish. It wasn't too strong as it let the natural sweetness of the seafood come through. The crab salad was texturally a delight and was probably a preview to the chilled whole dungeness crab on the menu.
Onto the Winter Squash & Okanagan Apples which was impressively presented and equally delicious. Appealingly charred, the squash was smoky and nutty with the natural sweetness completely activated. Interestingly, it was served cold and although this might've muted the flavours a touch, the resulting texture was spot on as it helped retain some firmness. The array of apples helped add crunch and tang. Although the warm walnut vinaigrette was the perfect compliment to the ingredients adding a nutty acidity, we would've liked to see more walnuts for textural purposes. Completing the dish was a topping of creamy goat's feta. Amongst the tasty dishes we'd had so far, believe it or not, the Bread was pretty good by itself despite its plain appearance. 2 slices were parmesan while the other 2 were rosemary (served with nori butter). Loved the crustiness of the exterior giving way to the fluffy insides.
The progression from seafood to squash was the perfect setup for the heavier Wild Boar and Cruciferous with confit boar belly, textures of cabbage, bacon pear vinaigrette and manchego cheese. Tender and meaty with literally melt-in-our-mouths belly, this couldn't have been executed any better. The bacon pear vinaigrette added the usual bacon essence combined with the subtle sweetness of the pear. Interestingly, we could see the manchego, but it was more of an added texture than layer of flavour. Propped up by rocks, the Razor Clams were served with mint and basil pesto, sunchokes and almond, essence of seaweed and chili. With a buttery rebound, the sweet clams were perfectly prepared. Although there was a host of complimentary ingredients, none of them overwhelmed the clams. In particular, the almond provided both crunch and aromatics. Loved the light hit of spice from the chili as well. Although, I would've liked to see a more muted seaweed salad underneath as the wakame was a little strong on the sesame oil.
One of my favourite dishes was the Crab Ravioli with clams, mussels, olives and tomato sauce. Although the pasta wasn't super thin, it was still thin enough being ever-so-delicate with an al dente chew. The crab filling was fluffy and sweet. The large honey mussels and manila clams couldn't have been more plump and tender while the tomato sauce was definitely in the background allowing the delicate seafood to do the heavy lifting. Continuing on in a similar theme, we were presented with the Sunchokes and Gnocchi with roasted sunchokes, watercress, parsley Parisian gnocchi and mustard. Although the gnocchi was a bit bigger than the typical Parisian-style, it was spot on in terms of texture sporting pâte à choux. This meant each nugget was fluffier and lighter than the traditional Northern Italian gnocchi. Although it was coloured a brilliant green from the parsley, it was not bitter nor tasted like parsley, which was probably the intent. Perfectly contrasting the soft pillows, we found crunchy roasted sunchoke chips. I'm sure you noticed the shaved black truffle on top, which did its earthy thing while the mustard seed added pops of tang to compliment the smooth sunchoke puree underneath.
Exquisitely-prepared, the Lamb Saddle and Carrots featured the most tender lamb I've had in quite some time. It looked so rare, that I originally mistakened it for the venison. It was accompanied by carrot cumin puree, flageolet beans, leeks, essence of sumac and lamb jus. Interestingly, the firm beans were the second best thing on the plate (after the lamb), as the bite was appealing and there was a sweet smokiness to them. Naturally, the sweet and Earthy carrot cumin puree complimented the lamb beautifully. Now about that Venison (and Pear), it was equally well-prepared. With such a lean cut of meat, it can be difficult for it to be tender. However, it was cooked just enough that the meat remained moist. Normally, we see vension paired with berries of some sort, but the use of pear with its subtle sweetness really worked (with both a pear glaze and also poached pear). Adding some saltiness, the bacon chestnuts worked together with the jus to balance off the pear.
Onto the sweets, we had something that didn't look like a dessert, but I assure you that the Bourbon & Sunchoke was not an appetizer. Yes, it sure looked like one with crispy sunchoke on top of bourbon ice cream. For me, this was really good since I'm not into super sweet anything. Although the ice cream itself was on the gummier side, it was smooth and lightly sweet. The crunch from the aromatic and earthy sunchoke not only brought texture, it really made this an easy-to-eat dessert (didn't need to worry about drinking water to balance off the sugar). Next, the Apple Fritter with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream was not what we expected. Rather than chunks of apples in batter, we found a whole apple ring battered and fried. This was actually really good and due to the addition of the other ingredients (including cinnamon sugar), it tasted exactly like apple pie.
The featured dessert for the night was a Raspberry Sorbet covered in chocolate dust and strawberries. As pretty as this plate appeared, sadly, the sorbet underneath the semi-sweet dust was pretty much all melted. It could've been partly our fault as we took some pictures before we dug in. Flavours were good though as there was a balance between the sweetness and tartness of the raspberries. From that, we had our favourite dessert of the night in the Chocolate Tart with dark chocolate ganache, chocolate cream and creme anglais. Everything about this was executed properly including the firm tart shell. Smooth, rich and not very sweet at all, the ganache featured a beautiful sheen and a good hit of chocolate with a minor bitter finish. On top, the chocolate cream was airy and light while also being only semi-sweet.
A classic meal-ender at Bishop's is the iconic Sliced Apple (I had a pear last time). Great knife skills and best of all, very refreshing from the tang and crunch of the fresh fruit. However, this was not the last thing we had. Mijune wanted to have it all (like she always does) and we used what little room we had in our stomachs to try the Almond and Sea Salt Ice Cream. On top of the ice cream there was a almond espuma, toasted almond, fleur de sel and olive oil. Due to the salt content and the restrained use of sugar, this didn't really eat like a dessert. In actuality, we paired it with the chocolate tart and it was delicious! Loved the crunch of the almonds and the creaminess of the espuma. Ice cream was similar to the bourbon we had first where it was on the gummier side rather than being creamy.
To completely finish the meal, we were presented with Petite Fours consisting of chocolate truffles and fruit jellies. Also, we had some Popcorn on the side as well. From the dishes we tried, it is apparent that Chef Leitner is attempting to modernize the menu at Bishop's while still paying homage to tradition. I've always held Bishop's in high regard for John Bishop's attention to detail and hospitality. His restaurant is one of the true iconic fine-dining institutions in Vancouver. There is nothing here to gloss over what is important - exquisitely-crafted food, dining room filled with class and top-notch service. Yes, there are flashier spots out there that may satisfy a different demographic, but what gets lost is the actual food.
*All food and beverages were complimentary*
The Good:
- Careful execution of proteins
- Restaurant is all class
- Restrained sweetness for the desserts
The Bad:
- Some ingredients repeated often
- Ice cream texture could've been firmer
Inaccessible Dim Sum - where most typical diners cannot afford to visit often. It all started with Mott 32 where we found high-end Dim Sum complete with non-traditional Michelin-Star quality service and accompanying dining space. Then we found places like Ampersand and Blossom where fusion Dim Sum was served in modern digs without the old surly wait staff that could care less if you existed. Well now we have something that meshes new and old together without bastardizing traditional Dim Sum nor asking for your first-born to dine there. The name is Little Bird and this is within the same family that runs the iconic Flamingo House restaurant. So at the very least, we know that the eats will be legit. We essentially find traditional Dim Sum served in a non-traditional setting.
The main draw for me was that I could eat this for dinner, so I rounded up the fam and made the drive out to Kits. We decided to try an array of dishes including the usual Ha Gau and Siu Mai. Now you will noticed that they served the dumplings in threes rather than fours mostly to keep the costs down as the location isn't cheap and neither is the modern. Moreover, the wait staff are young, courteous and efficient - that means they cost more too. In terms of execution, the shrimp dumpings were indeed good featuring a semi-thick wrapper that had some elasticity. Inside, the whole shrimp and shrimp paste filling was moist, airy and of course bouncy. It was mildly flavoured with the unmistakeable hint of sesame oil. As for the pork & shrimp dumplings, they were on the firmer side consisting of the classic combination of processed pork, chunks of pork, shrimp and shiitake mushroom. So all of the usual flavours were there, yet at the same time, the dumpling was not salty.
Interestingly, most Dim Sum spots do not offer Shrimp Toast anymore, but they had it here at Little Bird! There was no doubt we had to order this. I'm happy to report that it was no mistake as each piece featured crunchy toast bottoms that were only somewhat soaked with oil (hard to not be when you throw bread into a deep-fryer) which makes it so tasty! On top, the shrimp mousse was perfectly moist and springy with the natural sweetness coming through. If you haven't tried this before, I recommend this as a must order. Staying on with the deep fried, we had the Deep Fried Wontons that were stuffed with a filling that was like the ha gau. As such, it was just as bouncy and miost. Once again, the seasoning was mild where the natural flavours came through. As evidenced in the picture, the outside was crispy and completely browned affording a noticeable nuttiness.
On the flip side, their Spring Rolls were of the traditional variety consisting of pork, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, dried shrimp and bamboo shoots. It is true that I'm much more used to the all-shrimp variety that is more common on menus these days. However, this version was really good and brought back memories of my childhood (wait, I used to go to Flamingo House as a kid... makes sense...). Firmly crunchy on the outside and served steaming hot, these were on point with a varied textured filling. One of the more surprising dishes offered on the menu would have been the Deep Fried Chicken Knuckles. I surely didn't mind as each piece was large and meaty with the unmistakable crunch from the cartilage. Try it, don't be scared! The only thing I would've liked to see was a bit more spice and saltiness, but then again, we could get hot sauce on the side.
One of the largest items on the menu was the Sticky Rice served as one portion wrapped in lotus leaves. Very traditional as we normally find 3 mini versions at most places now. There are advantages with the larger version as it usually stays more moist and in this case, can be stuffed with 2 drummettes and a large piece of cured sausage (insert joke here...). Indeed the sticky rice was moist and still appealingly chewy with plenty of ground pork and shiitake. One of the more relatively expensive items on the menu was the BBQ Pork Bun for $3.00 each. Granted these buns were actually rather large (also insert joke here) as it took up most of the steamer all by itself. In terms of execution, the bun was good where it was fluffy and light while retaining some resistance. The lean BBQ pork filling was on the sweeter side yet not overly so.
Another table favourite had to be the Scallop Taro Puff. Normally, these are served in a football-like shape, but this one had an open top covered by a scallop. The scallop itself was delicate and buttery while caramelized on the outside. Light and crispy, the exterior was not overly greasy (as some versions tend to be). Just underneath, the medium-thick layer of mashed taro was airy and smooth. Inside, the ground pork and shiitake was fairly light and mildly-seasoned. Although the Pork Spareribs were full-flavoured from the plethora of minced garlic, the dish itself was a bit sloppy. There was far too much moisture and grease which made things goopy. With that being said, the rib portions were tender while still retaining a bite. Furthermore, the dish wasn't oversalted which meant that the garlic and natural flavours of the pork come through.
Onto 2 pan-fried items, we had the Pot Stickers as well as the Shanghai Pork Bun. We enjoyed the semi-thin dumpling wrapper of the pot stickers as they were easy to eat as well as having a mouth-pleasing elasticity. Inside, the pork filling was tender and moist. It wasn't very dense either and had just enough cabbage. Once again, the seasoning was on the milder side and we were beginning to suspect that this was intentional considering that many of the clientele would be sensitive if there was too much sodium or MSG in the food. As for the Shanghai Pork Bun, it was an actual bun like the BBQ Pork Bun where it was fluffy and light. That made it a lot less cumbersome to eat like many other versions of this dish. On the other hand, it also was more wet as it absorbed the moisture from the moist filling as well as the oil in the pan.
We settled on 2 items for dessert beginning with the Egg Tarts. These were pretty textbook featuring a buttery and flaky puff pastry shell. The browning on it was a bit uneven, but the ultimate edibility and texture was not compromised. We found the silky egg custard centre to be aromatic and purposefully sweet. My son wanted the Steamed Sponge Cake and it arrived in 3 separate portions rather than the tall single version. This was also good where the cake was airy and light while having a sweet aroma. The cake itself was just sweet enough, but there was a side of condensed milk for those with a sweeter tooth. So as you can see, we tried a good chunk of the menu and most items were good. For all of the places that are offering overpriced fusion Dim Sum, it is nice to see a place reasonably-priced (with all things taken into account) authentic Dim Sum in a non-traditional space (and area for all that matters).
The Good:
- Authentic Dim Sum
- Attentive service
- Reasonable-pricing with all things considered
The Bad:
- Most items could've used more seasoning, but it might have been intentional
- Not a big restaurant, keep your party small
- Might offend some traditionalists, but that is not the target demographic
The corner of Kingsway and Salisbury in Burnaby is a deathtrap for restaurants. I can't even count the different establishments that has graced that corner, only to close down in favour of a new venture. It's not like there isn't any foot traffic, as it is across the street from Highgate. Furthermore, Nao Sushi and Anatoli's Gate are literally on the same block where they have survived for over a decade. Now, we find the Vancouver outpost of the Singaporean chain Eighteen Chefs taking over the spot, yet with a curious name. Due to bureaucratic red tape, they weren't able to secure the name Eighteen Chefs (as of yet) and decided to open under the old name of Queen's Cafe "Asian Cuisine by Eighteen Chefs" rather than not be in business while waiting for the approval.
We dropped by in the opening week to check it out along with Guy and Girl Smiley. One of the first dishes that caught our attention was the Salted Egg Yolk Fries. Sadly, it wasn't what we expected as they merely poured a very wet salted egg yolk sauce on top of generic soggy fries. Don't get me wrong, the sauce tasted great with the unmistakable saltiness from the creamy and luxurious salted egg yolk, but the amount of moisture killed the texture. This would've been much better if the fries were super crunchy and coated with dry salted egg yolk. One of the more surprising dishes was the Chicken Skewer with Truffle Curly Noodles. This was not an overly complex dish but the chicken was both plentiful and super juicy with a smoky char. They used a lot of rosemary which added a layer of earthiness. Although the noodles appeared to be of the instant variety, they were al dente and coated with enough black truffle paste that it was woodsy enough without being too much.
Onto 2 HK-style cafe type dishes, we had the Spaghetti Bolognese as well as the Baked Pork Chop Rice. By virtue of not being baked, the spaghetti was lacking in body and aroma. Even with the generous amount of meat sauce, the noodles ate plain and probably needed to be salted more when it was being boiled. I thought the sauce was decent with lots of tender nuggets of beef, but the flavour was somewhat one note and lacking in the usual combination of sweet, savoury, tangy and a hint of star anise like the usual Asian-version. The addition of arugula was a bit strange too. On the other hand, the pork chop rice was excellent. Underneath, the fried rice base was nutty and dry, which was the perfect compliment to the balanced tomato sauce topped with plenty of ooey gooey cheese. Best of all, the large panko-crusted pork chop was moist and tender with a crunchy coating.
Sporting the same pork cutlet, the Nasi Lemak consisting of the usual ingredients including rice, crispy anchovies, cucumber, peanuts, fried egg and sambal. Nothing particularly amiss with this other than us choosing the pork cutlet over the chicken. Oh and yes, there is a fried egg rather than a boiled egg. For me, I'm not a stickler for complete authenticity and this was still fine when everything was mixed together. Again, the pork cutlet was the star as it was large, crispy and completely tender. Served with roti, the Curry Chicken was fairly large in portion size. About that roti, it was more like baked puffed pastry rather than the usual doughier roti found in Malaysian cuisine. With that being said, it was texturally a delight and really was delicious when dipped into the creamy coconutty curry. It had a nice viscosity and had a touch of spice. The large chunks of bone-in leg were tender and not overdone.
We also gave the Hainanese Chicken a go and it was acceptable. However, there were a few glaring issues. First of all, we got the wing and very little else, so there was barely any meat to go with the rice. Second, it was if they used a butter knife to chopped the chicken as there were bone fragments everywhere. Taste-wise, it was pretty good and the chicken oil rice was nutty and chewy. Loved the chili sauce as it was legit spicy rather than just sweet. We waited forever for our Spring Chicken & Striploin Steak Platter. Turned out it was not worth it because the steak came out rare when we asked for medium-rare. They even argued with us! We know what medium-rare looks like! As for the chicken, it was fairly moist with rendered fried skin. Too bad it was completely bland. The side of signature heart-attack rice was nutty and chewy, but not as flavourful as we expected (even though it is cooked with rendered fat drippings). Overall, there were some highlights to go with some duds. They just opened, so it is fair to give them some time to work out all the kinks.
The Good:
- Portions sizes are generally large
- Proteins were cooked right except for the steak
- Reasonable pricing for what you get
The Bad:
- Service was non-existent, didn't even cutlery for the longest time. Also, arguing with customers when something is clearly wrong is a huge no-no
- Some dishes need further refinement
Here we go with yet another restaurant in the burbs. This time around Grace and I ventured out to New West for some Italian eats at the newly-opened Artusi on 6th Street. If you are thinking that I've been eating a lot of Italian food lately, you would be correct. This hasn't been intentional, although I do in fact love Italian food, rather there are just a coincidental amount of new Italian restaurants opening up lately. What makes it even more interesting is that most of them have been out of the city of Vancouver itself. That makes me happy because the burbs deserve good food too!
After some complimentary bread, we got going with some appetizers including the Bagna Cauda featuring an array of fresh veggies, bread and the dip consisting of EVOO, anchovy and roasted garlic. If I had to compare to the one I had at Savio Volpe, this was actually saltier and fishier. For me, I enjoyed the pronounced flavours especially when paired with the plain veggies and bread. However, it was not subjected to the amount of emulsion like the one at Savio Volpe, which meant it was greasier and the flavours needed to be mixed around for full effect. Next up was the Vitel Tonne (aka Vitello Tonnato, that featured thicker-than-usual slices of medium veal. This meant that the meat ate much more robust with extra body. Since the veal was prepared perfectly, it remained tender and moist. On top, the tuna caper sauce was creamy, salty and fishy (in a good way).
Onto our pastas, we tried the Tagliatelle alla Papalina first and sadly, it was our least favourite item of our meal. It consisted of prosciutto crudo, free range egg cream and 24 month-aged Parmigiano, which sounded great on paper. In practice, the pasta was overdone and the "sauce" was far too heavy and goopy. The pasta could've done with half the amount of moisture (that probably helped it overcook too). We couldn't even get through 1/4th of it. On a positive note, it did taste good though with the nuttiness of the aged parm. We much preferred the Pici al Chinghiale sporting wild board and pecorino. Unlike the tagliatelle, the pici was al dente and did not soften from the ragu. It was creamy and rich, but the addition of tomato helped cut the heaviness. The ample morsels of boar was tender and gave the pasta an appealing meatiness.
Our favourite pasta of the night was the Calamarata Profumo di Mare with squid, clams, prawns, peppers, tomato and wine. First of all, the pasta was firmly al dente and was the perfect vessel to hold onto the tangy and seafoody tomato sauce. About that seafood, it was prepared just right without being overdone. We probably liked this the most because it was not as heavy as the previous 2 offerings. Onto dessert, we had the Tiramisu al Limon which essentially replaced the espresso with limoncello and added lemon to the marscapone. The result was a tangy and refreshing version of a tiramisu. I thought the thick marscapone did its best impression of a lemon cheesecake while the soaked ladyfingers were a bit too wet. If they lessened the limoncello, this would've been perfect. Overall, the food at Artusi was decent especially taking into account its location. Give it some time and we hope to see some improvements.
The Good:
- Okay pricing
- Friendly service
- Some twists with menu items
The Bad:
- Some refinement is needed
It's nice to see better dining options opening in non-traditional locations all over the Lower Mainland. Once upon a time, all we would find in the burbs were chain restaurants and "just good enough" spots for their given locations. More recently, we've seen outposts of established "good" restaurants popping in seemingly random storefronts. One of the newest is Bufala out in Edgemont VIllage in North Vancouver. I've been to the original one in Kerrisdale and came away satisfied with their Neapolitan-style pizzas. Whereas the menu is limited at that location, the new one sports a more comprehensive selection.
We decided to see if it was worth the drive through rush-hour traffic across the 2nd Narrows Bridge. Well, the place was definitely bustling for a Friday night where if we hadn't made a reservation, we would've been out of luck. To kick things off, we had the Arancini as well as the Polenta. Stuffed with mushroom risotto and mozzarella, these were crispy and at the right temperature throughout. We enjoyed how the risotto was not mushy and had a thick consistency where it didn't fall apart on contact. Underneath, there was a smoky aioli which was creamy and mild-tasting. Off to the polenta, they were fried in cubes topped with pecorino romano and served atop salsa verde. We thought the exterior of the fried polenta was too firm and dry. However, it was fluffy and light inside. Flavours were subtle, but the cheese provided a saltiness while the salsa verde was bright.
While we were dividing up the Meatballs, they seemed pretty firm to each cut from the knife. Our fears that it would be dense were alleviated as the pork and beef meatball was tender and juicy with a pleasant rebound texture. It was tasty on its own, but the muted tanginess of the marinara helped add another layer of flavour as well as the saltiness from the parmigiano. Now that was good, but the Burrata was even better. Majestically placed atop roasted squash and topped with hazelnuts in an aromatic oil, this was appetizing just to look at it. We added an order of prosciutto on the side for good measure and when we combined all of the ingredients atop toasted sourdough, the textures and flavours were impactful. There was the creaminess of the cheese as well as the crunch from the bread while the salty chewiness of the prosciutto added a hit of salt. Finally, the hazelnuts were the umami aromatic compliment that made this more than just meat and cheese.
Yes, it is true that the appies were pretty solid. In fact, I was curious about some of the other options on the menu. In the end, we knew that some greens was probably a good interlude before the main dishes. Therefore, we ordered the Kale Caesar with parmigiano, bacon and anchovy. What a great way to make a salad super tasty! I know, this probably took away from the "healthier" aspect, but who cares? We loved how they only plucked the most tender parts of the kale and served them in small bite-sized pieces. The briny saltiness of the anchovies really came though and the salad was not over-dressed. Predictably, the bacon only made the salad better with body and smoky saltiness. Onto the pastas, the first one to hit the table was the Spaghetti with albacore tuna, olives, anchovy and capers in a "Puttanesca" style. Generally, puttanesca is plenty salty and briny which I personally enjoy. Others at the table seem to think that the pasta was too salty. I guess taste is subjective, so if you prefer your pastas more mild, this would not be for you.
On the other hand, the 2 other pastas, Pappardelle and Rigatoni, were universally loved. Tender, yet still al dente, the pappardelle was delicate in terms of texture and taste. The combination of smoked pork hock ragu, caraway, black pepper and parmigiano created a creamy umaminess that was impactful enough without being salty. There was a background smokiness from the pork while the caraway added another layer of earthiness. Best of all, there was not a whole lot of moisture to the pasta (which kept it from being soggy), but all the flavours were there regardless. As for the Rigatoni, it was a more straightforward offering with firmly al dente tubes of pasta enveloped by a beef & pork bolognese finished with parmigiano. Rich and meaty while not heavy, the bolognese was balanced while somewhat one-note. However, that didn't detract from the overall eating enjoyment.
For our one pizza, we decided to forgo the basic Margherita and went for the Pepperoni instead since the kids lobbied for it. I actually wanted the bone marrow pizza, but that idea was shot down. In addition to the pepperoni, we found mozzarella, parmigiano, oregano and marinara sauce which created some classic flavours. There was enough tang in the sauce to keep things from being dull and the amount of pepperoni was just right. With enough charring, the pizza crust was nutty and crispy throughout, even at the centre (although it was predictably a bit softer there). For our mains, we shared the only 2 on the menu including the Heritage Flat Iron Steak. As evidenced in the picture, the 7oz Alberta beef steak was prepared rare. It was well-rested and the result was a tender chew with plenty of meatiness. While the steak itself wasn't aggressively seasoned, the topping of peperonata offered some sweetness and light spice. The side of polenta was super creamy and a good compliment.
One of the best dishes of the night was the Peach Country Lamb Shank served atop mushroom risotto. The braised and subsequently oven roasted shank was absolutely perfect. Beyond the caramelized exterior portion, the meat underneath was gelatinous and fork tender. It was full-flavoured from the braise with the promise of rosemary (from the menu). Now the shank was good, but the risotto was the proverbial icing on the cake as it was cheesy, rich, woodsy and perfectly executed. As we moved onto dessert, the selection on the menu was a little sparse as we ordered everything that was listed including the Tiramisu. This consisted of the classic lady fingers, amaretto, espresso and marscapone, but in terms of execution, it was different. Now it looked like a regular tiramisu, but the lady fingers were barely soaked. As a result, they ate drier, less sweet and with mild hits of espresso. For some, this would be texturally wrong, but for me, I enjoyed it since there was plenty of creamy marscapone to make up for it. I also liked how it was not as sweet too.
The other 2 desserts were a variation of soft-serve ice cream with the kiddies each snagging a Vanilla Soft Serve with chocolate sauce. Nothing particular unusual about the sundae as it was pretty straightforward. The soft-serve was a little on the melty side and not overly creamy, but it wasn't too sweet and the chocolate sauce wasn't overbearingly sugary. For the adults, we tried the Boozy Affogato with soft serve, espresso, amaretto and cookie crumb. Since the ice cream was melty, it became even more so after the espresso and amaretto was poured on top. It was more effective as a drink (as affogato should be) than a dessert. It tasted great though with the bitterness of the espresso bringing down the sweetness of the soft-serve. Not that the desserts were bad, yet compared to the rest of the meal, they were weaker. About the rest of the dinner... It was fantastic and we would gladly brave the traffic to come back.
The Good:
- Spot on execution
- Attentive service despite being busy
- Reasonably-priced
The Bad:
- Desserts were weak in comparison to the rest of the meal
- Dining room is lively, but the acoustics make it really loud
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If you have paid close attention, I've been trying to revisit some of the most iconic restaurants in the city. Have I run out of new spots for my latest food adventure? No, there will always be the latest and greatest. Rather, I've been influenced heavily by Mijune as she has remarked that restaurants change chefs and menus frequently, so a post about a restaurant can be out-of-date as soon as less than a year. Now trying to eat at some of the most expensive places in town on a schedule every year might be hard on the wallet, so it isn't really all that practical. Let's just say that I'll try to hit them more often than I've done before. Sometimes, this is easier when there is an invite and this was the case when Mijune and I sampled the new menu from Chef Kai Leitner, who has been at Bishop's since August 2019.
To begin our feast (and it is always a feast when eating with Mijune), we had a rather large amuse bouche in the Chicken Croquette. It was lightly crispy on the outside and consistent temperature throughout. It was smooth and creamy on the inside with a cheesiness that was further enhanced by the spiced tomato sauce underneath. Stunningly plated, the Seafood Salad was a bounty of treats including diver scallops, side stripe prawns, kusshi oysters, mussels, clams, sea urchin and crab, dashi gelee, ocean and field greens. If there was ever a plate with all my favourite seafood items prepared expertly, this would be it. What brought everything together was the gelee as it was impactful enough to add a subtle sweet fishiness as well as a wine finish. It wasn't too strong as it let the natural sweetness of the seafood come through. The crab salad was texturally a delight and was probably a preview to the chilled whole dungeness crab on the menu.
Onto the Winter Squash & Okanagan Apples which was impressively presented and equally delicious. Appealingly charred, the squash was smoky and nutty with the natural sweetness completely activated. Interestingly, it was served cold and although this might've muted the flavours a touch, the resulting texture was spot on as it helped retain some firmness. The array of apples helped add crunch and tang. Although the warm walnut vinaigrette was the perfect compliment to the ingredients adding a nutty acidity, we would've liked to see more walnuts for textural purposes. Completing the dish was a topping of creamy goat's feta. Amongst the tasty dishes we'd had so far, believe it or not, the Bread was pretty good by itself despite its plain appearance. 2 slices were parmesan while the other 2 were rosemary (served with nori butter). Loved the crustiness of the exterior giving way to the fluffy insides.
The progression from seafood to squash was the perfect setup for the heavier Wild Boar and Cruciferous with confit boar belly, textures of cabbage, bacon pear vinaigrette and manchego cheese. Tender and meaty with literally melt-in-our-mouths belly, this couldn't have been executed any better. The bacon pear vinaigrette added the usual bacon essence combined with the subtle sweetness of the pear. Interestingly, we could see the manchego, but it was more of an added texture than layer of flavour. Propped up by rocks, the Razor Clams were served with mint and basil pesto, sunchokes and almond, essence of seaweed and chili. With a buttery rebound, the sweet clams were perfectly prepared. Although there was a host of complimentary ingredients, none of them overwhelmed the clams. In particular, the almond provided both crunch and aromatics. Loved the light hit of spice from the chili as well. Although, I would've liked to see a more muted seaweed salad underneath as the wakame was a little strong on the sesame oil. 
One of my favourite dishes was the Crab Ravioli with clams, mussels, olives and tomato sauce. Although the pasta wasn't super thin, it was still thin enough being ever-so-delicate with an al dente chew. The crab filling was fluffy and sweet. The large honey mussels and manila clams couldn't have been more plump and tender while the tomato sauce was definitely in the background allowing the delicate seafood to do the heavy lifting. Continuing on in a similar theme, we were presented with the Sunchokes and Gnocchi with roasted sunchokes, watercress, parsley Parisian gnocchi and mustard. Although the gnocchi was a bit bigger than the typical Parisian-style, it was spot on in terms of texture sporting pâte à choux. This meant each nugget was fluffier and lighter than the traditional Northern Italian gnocchi. Although it was coloured a brilliant green from the parsley, it was not bitter nor tasted like parsley, which was probably the intent. Perfectly contrasting the soft pillows, we found crunchy roasted sunchoke chips. I'm sure you noticed the shaved black truffle on top, which did its earthy thing while the mustard seed added pops of tang to compliment the smooth sunchoke puree underneath. 
Exquisitely-prepared, the Lamb Saddle and Carrots featured the most tender lamb I've had in quite some time. It looked so rare, that I originally mistakened it for the venison. It was accompanied by carrot cumin puree, flageolet beans, leeks, essence of sumac and lamb jus. Interestingly, the firm beans were the second best thing on the plate (after the lamb), as the bite was appealing and there was a sweet smokiness to them. Naturally, the sweet and Earthy carrot cumin puree complimented the lamb beautifully. Now about that Venison (and Pear), it was equally well-prepared. With such a lean cut of meat, it can be difficult for it to be tender. However, it was cooked just enough that the meat remained moist. Normally, we see vension paired with berries of some sort, but the use of pear with its subtle sweetness really worked (with both a pear glaze and also poached pear). Adding some saltiness, the bacon chestnuts worked together with the jus to balance off the pear.
Onto the sweets, we had something that didn't look like a dessert, but I assure you that the Bourbon & Sunchoke was not an appetizer. Yes, it sure looked like one with crispy sunchoke on top of bourbon ice cream. For me, this was really good since I'm not into super sweet anything. Although the ice cream itself was on the gummier side, it was smooth and lightly sweet. The crunch from the aromatic and earthy sunchoke not only brought texture, it really made this an easy-to-eat dessert (didn't need to worry about drinking water to balance off the sugar). Next, the Apple Fritter with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream was not what we expected. Rather than chunks of apples in batter, we found a whole apple ring battered and fried. This was actually really good and due to the addition of the other ingredients (including cinnamon sugar), it tasted exactly like apple pie.
The featured dessert for the night was a Raspberry Sorbet covered in chocolate dust and strawberries. As pretty as this plate appeared, sadly, the sorbet underneath the semi-sweet dust was pretty much all melted. It could've been partly our fault as we took some pictures before we dug in. Flavours were good though as there was a balance between the sweetness and tartness of the raspberries. From that, we had our favourite dessert of the night in the Chocolate Tart with dark chocolate ganache, chocolate cream and creme anglais. Everything about this was executed properly including the firm tart shell. Smooth, rich and not very sweet at all, the ganache featured a beautiful sheen and a good hit of chocolate with a minor bitter finish. On top, the chocolate cream was airy and light while also being only semi-sweet. 
A classic meal-ender at Bishop's is the iconic Sliced Apple (I had a pear last time). Great knife skills and best of all, very refreshing from the tang and crunch of the fresh fruit. However, this was not the last thing we had. Mijune wanted to have it all (like she always does) and we used what little room we had in our stomachs to try the Almond and Sea Salt Ice Cream. On top of the ice cream there was a almond espuma, toasted almond, fleur de sel and olive oil. Due to the salt content and the restrained use of sugar, this didn't really eat like a dessert. In actuality, we paired it with the chocolate tart and it was delicious! Loved the crunch of the almonds and the creaminess of the espuma. Ice cream was similar to the bourbon we had first where it was on the gummier side rather than being creamy.
To completely finish the meal, we were presented with Petite Fours consisting of chocolate truffles and fruit jellies. Also, we had some Popcorn on the side as well. From the dishes we tried, it is apparent that Chef Leitner is attempting to modernize the menu at Bishop's while still paying homage to tradition. I've always held Bishop's in high regard for John Bishop's attention to detail and hospitality. His restaurant is one of the true iconic fine-dining institutions in Vancouver. There is nothing here to gloss over what is important - exquisitely-crafted food, dining room filled with class and top-notch service. Yes, there are flashier spots out there that may satisfy a different demographic, but what gets lost is the actual food. 
