Yokohama Teppanyaki

Okay, I've read the reviews.  Actually, I've even heard from first-hand experiences about the mediocre food at Yokohama Teppanyaki out in Steveston.  So what prompted me to drive all the way out there (from North Burnaby) to have a questionable meal?  LOL, yes, it was the cursed Groupon.  Hey why not, it was cheap (there was a further discount) and I've never tried it out.  I think Nora scolded me about going there.  I don't blame her, but we need to try the crappy stuff so we can appreciate the good things more right?  Don't take things for granted???  I guess we were about to find out!

So similar to many other Teppanyaki joints, we were seated at a 4-sided station that had 2 grills.  Being a party of 2, we were with another group of 4.  So be prepared to be a bit social.  Otherwise, make a reservation of 8 and you will be will all friends.  So before we got to the cooked food, we were served a plate consisting of Miso Soup, Green Salad and Edamame.  There is not much to comment on this other than the miso soup was your standard offering from a non-Authentic Japanese restaurant.  The green salad was fresh and the dressing was a bit bland.  Edamame was well, edamame.  Next, we were presented with a plate that sported on Onigiri and 2 pieces of Sushi which appeared to be a form of BC Roll (we were never told what it was).  These were okay, nothing special. I found the rice in the roll to be too soft while the onigiri was better. 

Interestingly, for the teppanyaki, we were started with the Veggies and Fried Rice before the proteins.  Usually, it goes the other way around.  Not a man of many words, our chef was nice and tried his hardest.  That was about it as the entertainment value was below average.  A mix of zucchini, sprouts and mushrooms, our veggies were well-seasoned and had enough caramelization.  For some, this might've been a bit too salty, yet that is probably where the fried rice came into play.  The rice was pretty good where it was chewy and aromatic from the flattop fry.  Since there was a good amount of butter and seasoning used, it was blessed with plenty of flavour on its own.

Onto the meats of the meal, we were served a portion of Striploin with garlic.  With all things considered, the quality of the steak was actually quite good.  It was moist and tender despite the slight overcook (we would've preferred medium-rare, it was closer to medium).  Again, the chef was not shy with the butter and seasoning, so it did taste good.  It didn't look like a lot of steak (especially all cut up), but it was sufficient.  Our last 2 proteins consisted of Shrimp and Basa.  Not particularly large, the 3 shrimp were good but not very satisfying.  I wish we have at least 2 more.  There was a buttery snap and once again, very well-seasoned.  As for the basa, the fish is one of most inexpensive on the market, but at the same time, I don't particularly mind it.  It was soft and flaky (as it tends to be, very forgiving) while once again, aggressively seasoned.

For dessert, we were given the option between Green Tea or Mango Ice Cream.  We got one of each and well, they were pretty standard.  At the very least, they were creamy and not icy.  So at the end of it, I would say the Teppanyaki experience at Yokohama was exactly as expected - average at best.  Now with that in mind, it wasn't terrible either.  But given that Yokohama is located in Steveston, I wouldn't drive all the way there unless you live nearby and bought a Groupon.  However, this needs to be said - with the mediocre choices for Teppanyaki in the GVRD, it isn't as if there are many better ones too.

The Good:
- Inexpensive if you have a Groupon (which seems to be an ongoing offer)
- Decent service
- Acceptable food

The Bad:
- Meh experience all-around
- Low entertainment value

Livia Forno e Vino

When Livia first opened, I was quite aware that they had some killer bread and other baked goods.  Further more, I also knew that they had a breakfast and lunch menu that I was interested in trying.  However, watching Mijune's IG stories, I noticed that they were suddenly doing a dinner service featuring their house-made pastas.  Well, that really piqued my interest.  When Viv suggested we go out for date-night, that was the perfect segue for us to try it out.  Just a tip, there was no mention of reservations available on their website, but indeed you can make one (well, when this Covid-19 thing has passed).

We tried to emulate Mijune (of course we couldn't completely get there) by ordering as much as we could handle beginning with the Vitello Tonnato.  As you can clearly see, this was well-portioned and carefully plated.  Supremely thin, the slices of medium veal were moist and barely needed any effort to chew.  On top, the tuna mayo was creamy and fishy (in a good way) while salty enough to flavour all of the meat.  The capers added more salt and a touch of tang.  We really loved our next dish in the Clams all'Arrabbiata featuring Baynes Sound Manila clams, tomato and chili.  Usually, I loved any pasta in an arrabbiata sauce, so this was going to be a win even if it was mediocre.  Now this was far from that as it was outstanding!  All the clams were open being buttery and just barely cooked-through.  They were briny and sweet while the arrabbiata was tangy and spicy.  To top it all off, we were served a side of Livia's famous sourdough.

Off to the 3 available pastas, we had the Agnolotti alla Piemontese stuffed with veal and rainbow chard.  These were supremely al dente, possibly a bit too much so in my opinion.  However, that wasn't a deal-breaker since we loved the chewiness.  Inside, the veal was full-flavoured and the reduced braising jus was silky, meaty and nicely spiked with black pepper.  If I had to compare, I would give Oca Pastificio across the street the slight edge in terms of the agnolotti.  Next up, the Orecchiette con Rapini e Salsiccia was fantastic.  Great texture on the thumbed pasta with a chew that had rebound.  Best of all, the combination of rapini, fennel sausage and chili was impactful.  We got hits of the fattiness from the sausage as well as the licorice taste from the fennel.  Brightness from the rapini and then a hit of spice from the chili.  Really good.

Our last pasta was purely vegetarian, but happened to be my favourite too!  Considering I loved the squash agnolotti at Oca Pastificio as well makes me wonder if there is some vegetarian in me!!!  The delicious Tagliolini ai Finferli was graced with chanterelle mushrooms, white wine and parmigiano.  That meant it was full of earthiness and nutty saltiness while balanced by the crisp white wine.  Just enough moisture graced each al dente noodle so it didn't clump together.  Simple but well-executed.

We tried both desserts starting with the Orange Blossom Semifreddo with sesame crunch and blood orange.  This lived up to its namesake by being floral and lightly sweet.  We found the semifreddo not completely set so it was rather soft.  However, it wasn't a huge deal as it was light and fruity (just how I like it).  With that being said, the Chocolate Nemesis Cake with rum and chestnut cream was the better of the two.  It was rich and chocolaty while being light and fluffy in texture.  Not sure if the figs really went with this cake, but the cream was aromatic and light. Overall, we really enjoyed our dinner at Livia.  There is no doubt we will be back and hope everything is good with Livia after the restrictions have been lifted due to Covid-19.

The Good:
- Well-prepared food
- Super kind service
- Quaint

The Bad:
- Small, some seats are tight (but it makes it more personal and quaint IMO
- Super nice people, but we weren't checked on enough

Afuri Ramen & Dumpling

I've seen the hype.  I've heard the hype.  So what's the deal with Afuri Ramen & Dumpling?  They have opened up a location in Richmond in the old Dazzling Cafe spot and IG was littered with posts.  In actuality, this hasn't been the first time I've heard of Afuri.  I was passing by Portland last year and it was on my list.  I just didn't get around to trying it.  After working off the calories before we consumed them at the Olympic Oval, Jacqueline and I made our way over to the newish Afuri Ramen to see and taste for ourselves.

To ensure we tried all of the good stuff, we went for their signature Yuzu Shoyu Ramen with chashu, frisee and nori.  I am a great supporter in change and innovation, so a lighter and tangier ramen broth was welcomed.  However, I found this to be much too shallow in terms of impact and depth.  Hence, there was a lack of umaminess.   Furthermore, the fruity tang was not something that worked for me in a ramen.  The seared pork chashu was good though where it was smoky and melted-in-my-mouth.  Even better, the egg was perfectly runny and seasoned.  Trying to go for something more typical, we had the Tonkotsu Shio Ramen next and it featured some black garlic oil as well.  That we got, but the pork flavour was fairly weak.  It was intentional, yet again, it wasn't our cup of tea.  The ramen was far too light and didn't exhibit the usual silkiness as well as depth.

Moving onto another section on the menu, we selected the Karaage Gohan.  The first thing that we noticed was the soggy rice that was texturally off.  Honestly, how do you mess the rice up?  This setup the dish for failure as every bite was wet with poor mouth feel.  As much as the chicken karaage was crispy on the outside and juicy inside, there was just not enough of it.  Hence, we ran out of it pretty quickly and was left with rice and veggies. This dish was a definite miss.  On the other hand, the Soft-Shell Crab Bun was fantastic.  Easily the best thing we had (which wasn't very hard to to do honestly), the crab was large and fried perfectly.  It was crispy and well-seasoned while the inside was fluffy.  Loved the spice and crunch of the veggies it provided lots of textures to compliment the soft mantou.  It held together and the whole thing ate beautifully.

Our last dish was the Buta Gyoza that sported a considerable skirt.  However, that didn't translate to any crispiness.  In fact, the bottom of the gyoza was doughy.  Actually, the whole thing was surprisingly doughy with very little elasticity.  I wonder if they overcooked them and despite the sear underneath, it wasn't able to be rescued?  Not sure, whatever the case, this was meh.  Realistically, the only thing we enjoyed was the bun and seeing the overall cost of the meal, we are not planning on returning when there are so many other good ramen spots in town.

The Good:
- Spacious dining space (rare for a ramen joint)
- Okay service
- Fairly varied menu

The Bad:
- Ramen broths are light by design, but it doesn't mean we have to like them
- Rice was wet
- Gyoza were doughy

Fufú Café

I think it goes without saying that I tend to repeat myself here over and over again (I think I just did that... LOL).  There is a very good reason for that though.  You see, Vancouver (not unlike many other cities) is very much susceptible to fads.  Now I'm not implying that all of these fads eventually end, I'm just saying that when something becomes popular in Vancouver (albeit like 10 years too late), there are many copycats and in no time, we find a saturation of the marketplace.  Right now, we are witnessing the infancy of the souffle pancake craze.  In addition to certain dessert spots and the Richmond Night Market, we are seeing independent stores open up as well as the grandaddy of them all in Gram.  After our meal at Bodgea, we went to the newish Fufú Café to sample their souffle pancakes. 

We hit them up just before closing and managed to snag 3 versions including the Classic Souffle Pancake with butter, maple syrup and icing sugar.  Since I just recently tried Gram as well as the version served at Sweet Honey I had some form of comparison.  The pancakes at Fufú were more like the one from Sweet Honey being soft, fluffy and airy.  I would say they were a bit firmer than Sweet Honey though.  Gram, on the other hand was stiffer and much more aromatic in flavour.  I quite liked the pancake here and that was a great start.  We did have to use much of the syrup as the pancakes themselves weren't very sweet.  We also ended up trying the Mixed Fruit Souffle Pancake which was essentially the same as the classic except with the addition of grapes and strawberries.  I'm not sure where they sourced their fruit from since they were ripe and freshly textured.

Our last order was the Tiramisu Souffle Pancake where it was remarkably different than the other two so far.  We weren't sure if we liked this or not.  I mean we did enjoy the pancakes themselves and the combination of mascarpone cheese whipped cream, espresso sauce, almond chunks, dark chocolate curls, cocoa powder and espresso flake ice cream provided lots to the senses.  However, it wasn't as impactful as it looked and sounded.  On the other hand, it wasn't offensive and there were the elements of tiramisu.  So let's just say this will be judged in the taste of the eater.  Overall, we thought
Fufú was good, but not great.  Still worth checking out.

The Good:
- Fluffy souffle pancakes
- Interesting flavours
- Decent service

The Bad:
- Not many seats
- Wait is long (but I guess they make it to order)

Bodega

Earlier on, I had visited Bodega when it was still fairly new.  I came away with mixed feelings where a return visit wasn't high on my list.  Maybe I was unfairly comparing it to the shuttered La Bodega (Father ran that, son runs Bodega)?  I'm curious how it would do against some of the newer tapas spots in town.  Well, give Bodgea credit because the restaurant is still there bustling with activity.  So I wondered, did they improve?  Yah, that's what I heard from other people.  But one must really experience it for themselves because our opinions regarding food is subjective.  

What better way to kick things off than the classic Patatas Bravas?  Yep, we used to enjoy this dish at La Bodega on Howe in Downtown.  I'm glad that this was still as good as we remembered with crispy chunks of fully cooked potatoes.  Compared to a recent version we tried at Havana, this was much better as the chunks weren't as big, so they were fluffy.  As for the sauce, it was smoky from the paprika and lightly tangy with background spice.  Next, we had the Calamares Fritos which were serviceable.  A little pale, the squid rings were the beneficiary of possibly new oil, hence the colour.  I say that because it wasn't as if it wasn't fried enough.  Rather, the batter was light and crispy while not greasy.  It could've stood for more seasoning in the batter though.  The side of lemon and aioli did help in this regard.

Costanza and I really enjoyed the Callos a la Madrileña or beef tripe in a stew of tomato, chorizo and paprika.  Naturally, we love offal and that would already put this dish high on our lists of preferences.  Delightfully, it was prepared well with tender pieces of tripe that were appealingly gamy.  The best part was the stew itself as the tomato was richly flavoured and smoky earthiness from the paprika.  What added an extra layer of depth was the chorizo as the fat and spice really came through.  Something remarkably simple was also quite good. The Pollo Frito (fried chicken wings brined with garlic and sherry) was reminiscent of Asian-style wings being juicy and moist.  On the outside, the skin was fairly rendered and crunchy.  Due to the brine, there was also no absence of seasoning which made the wings good on their own even without the side of aioli.  

Another solid dish was the Pulpo a la Parilla (grilled octopus with piquillo romesco).  Nicely braised until tender, then grilled with sufficient charring, the octopus had the desired texture being soft with a chew.  There was even a slight crispiness from the char on the outside.  It was seasoned enough, but the romesco was a good compliment with nutty sweetness.  To amp things up even more so, there was a side of roasted garlic.  One of the more meh dishes we had was the Gambas al Ajillo (sautéed prawns in garlic and chilies with sherry).  There was nothing particularly wrong about the execution as the prawns were buttery with a snap.  The real problem was the muted flavours of the dish.  Was it garlicky?  Somewhat.  Was it spicy?  Not at all.  So they could improve this dish with just a bit more punch (was better last time).

Simple and well-portioned, the Champiñones (sautéed mixed mushrooms with garlic, sherry and finely grated aged manchego) was fantastic.  Although the plate wasn't particularly large, you must remember mushrooms cooked down considerably, so this was pretty bountiful.  They were subjected to enough heat for caramelization while they weren't overdone either.  Buttery with a bite, the mushrooms were also tasty with the garlic and cheese coming through with an aromatic nuttiness.  For only the sole reason to compare with the one from Como Taperia up the street, we ordered the Tortilla Española (potato and onion omelette with aioli and mixed olives).  This one was a bit different, served as large wedge rather than a whole circle.  With a section of a larger circular omelette, this was a bit looser.  I didn't mind it as it was somewhat lighter despite the layers of potato.  It was more mild, but I did get the onion and the charred flavour from the outside.

The most basic dish we had was the Chorizo a la Parrilla served with mustard.  At the same time, it was one of our favourites.  Grilled and charred beautifully, the flavours were definitely activated with smokiness, spiciness and fatty aromatics.  Of course, the mustard was a natural compliment to the sausage.  Okay, the first time I was here, the Paella Mixta was a bit of a disappointment.  This time around, it was significantly better boasting a generous amount of seafood, chicken, chorizo and pork.  Due to the amount of ingredients and most importantly, the chorizo (there was none last time), we found the chewy rice to be flavourful and aromatic.  The seafood was properly prepared where the large prawns were our favourite.  This was a good end to a pleasant time with friends over food and drink.  Much better than the first time I went and proves that multiple visits are necessary to give restaurants a fair shake.

The Good:
- Above-average and better than the first time I went
- Reasonably-priced
- Acceptable portions for tapas

The Bad:
- Service was friendly, but could be more attentive

L'abattoir

Similar to our recent visit to Cin Cin, I am continuing my series on revisiting some of the best restaurants in the city.  It is true many of them have been around for awhile and aren't necessarily the sexiest or newest additions to the culinary scene.  However, the reason they continue to thrive is that they are good at what they do.  Up on deck is L'abattoir and their finely crafted French cuisine.  We ended up here to celebrate Viv's birthday with Costanza and Elaine.  Like we always do when we get together, we shared 4 appies and 4 entrees.  Unfortunately we had no room for dessert, but I made up for that with a return visit with Mijune shortly afterwards.

Now onto the appies, we were all in with the Terrine of Duck Foie Gras with quince segments, wine jelly and toasted brioche.  Generous in portion size, the terrine was rich, silky and smooth.  By itself, the luxuriousness of the foie went well with the toasted firm brioche.  However, things got rolling when we added the quince and wine jelly to the mix.  This cut through the heaviness (although that was actually appealing in this case) with acidity and tang.  A fulfilling bite to start off the meal.  Equally delicious was the Wagyu Beef Tartare with sauerkraut, quinoa and Avonlea cheddar.  The greatest compliment I could give this dish was the fact Elaine ate the tartare without issue.  Normally, she isn't into raw beef but the texture and flavour were exquisite.  Cut into little morsels, the buttery beef didn't require any effort to eat and was seasoned enough without the meat being completely overwhelmed.  We got the silkiness of the egg yolk with hits of tanginess.

My favourite small plate of the night had to be the Pan-Fried Veal Sweetbreads on Toast.  Although the toast was a bit too firm, it was necessary to hold up to the wet ingredients (which it did successfully).  On top, the sauce gribiche was creamy, tangy and bright.  This helped balance out the richness of the tender sweetbreads.  Topping it all off literally and figuratively, the pickled shallots provided another shot of acidity.  If one person ate this, it would be rather filling by itself.  Next, the Glazed Veal Brisket looked rather unassuming on the plate next to kohlrabi and green beans dressed with whole grain mustard.  Not as majestic as the previous dish, yet still very well-executed and tasty.  This was super tender with enough meatiness for effect.  It also had depth with the sharpness of the mustard coming through while balanced with equal sweetness.

On my revisit with Mijune, we were started off with the amuse bouche version of the Sliced Raw Albacore Tuna with Meyer lemon, snap peas and horseradish.  Although it was difficult to actually see the tuna underneath the other ingredients, it was definitely there with a "fresh from the sea" essence.  The horseradish was beautifully restrained where it was apparent without being overpowering.  Lots of greenery aroma was provided by the snap peas while the lemon (and rind) added acidity and bitterness.  Of course we can't forget about the complimentary Bread which included bacon brioche, parmesan twist and sesame flatbread.  That alone was the price of admission both times (and previous visits too!).  Excellent for snacking on and also sopping up any sauces left on the plate.  I also had their signature cocktail in the Avocado Gimlet with Mediterranean-style gin, fresh avocado, apple liqueur and lime.  Smooth and refreshing, this had an appealing bitter finish.  I could see myself having lots of these since it went down so easily.

Back to the food, we moved onto the Fillet of Pacific Ling Cod cooked in sake with sauce of sturgeon caviar, fine herbs and bunches of tatsol.  OMG.  The cod couldn't have been prepared any better.  It was tender flaky and ever-so-slightly rare in the middle.  Hence it ate with texture, yet at the same time, melted-in-our-mouths.  What really brought it all together was the creamy and briny sauce with a bevy of sturgeon caviar.  Not forgetting the tatsol bunches, it provided a mild earthiness that tasted like the garden.  Normally, I'm not overly excited about greens, but the Winter Endive Salad was so robust and hearty while at the same time, not heavy.  It also included Comte cheese, shaved black truffle and a fried egg. Naturally, the bitter crunch of the endive was front and centre.  However, the silkiness of the egg added luxuriousness and body.  The plethora of shaved black truffle did its earthy magic and brought the whole thing together.

Onto some bigger plates from my original visit with Elaine and Costanza, we had the classic Steak Diane with smoked potato, marrow and onion.  L'abattoir is well-known for its high quality execution and this was absolutely spot-on.  The steak was prepared medium-rare and well-rested.  The pan sauce was really silky and full of depth from the bone marrow.  Good hits of tanginess as well.  One of the more filling dishes (most were though), the Honey Glazed Duck featured Brussels sprouts, pear and jus gras.  Loved the duck as it was tender and meaty while cooked to medium.  The skin was crispy and fairly well-rendered.  It is all about the sauces here at L'abattoir where the jus gras was sinfully rich from the duck fat but still sported a slight pick-me-up with background acidity.

Continuing with the same visit, we had the Barbeque Venison Loin with salsify, yellowroot and chestnut.  Since the meat was lean, it had to be prepared more rare than the steak.  That it was and therefore, the texture was perfectly tender and moist.  It was slightly gamy, but not terribly so.  Although the sauce looked similar to the one of the steak, it was appreciably different with a noticeable tanginess to go with the silky meatiness.  Featuring beautifully crisped skin, the Roasted Striped Bass was again, perfectly executed.  It was accompanied by clams, fregola and kale.  If there was a perfect example of expertly prepared fish skin, this would be it.  It was firmly crispy while not burnt nor over-browned.  It was well-seasoned and did not affect the moist texture of the bass.  Loved the brininess of the fresh clams on the side.

Circling back to the visit with Mijune, we had probably the best plate of the bunch in the Slow-Cooked Fillet of Ocean Trout.  Oh wow, if I thought the sea bass was perfect, this trout was beyond perfect (if that is possible, like "Infinity and beyond"?).   It practically melted-in-my-mouth with a buttery delicate texture.  Normally, lobster sauce is merely cooked down shells and some cream and/or butter.  Well this one actually had big chunks of lobster which only further enhanced the aroma and flavour.  Completing the dish was white asparagus and interestingly pink grapefruit.  Finally moving onto what we were really here for - dessert!  We began with the Rice Pudding sporting chai spice pudding, mandarin orange crémeux and sorbet, milk jam, milk foam and brown sugar crumble.  Lots going on here where the rice pudding was on point.  Great texture and aromatically sweet.  I could've done without the sorbet as the whole thing was too cold.

Of course we needed to try more desserts in the awesome Smoked Honey Flan with salted honey, whipped crème fraîche, toasted buckwheat tuile, and armagnac prunes.  L'abattoir is also know for its desserts and the flan was a good indication why.  It was smooth and silky with no air bubbles.  The smokiness really came through while the sweetness was measured.  The perfect amount of salt helped elevate the rich caramel flavours even more so. Also quite good was the Dark Chocolate Ganache with sesame chocolate praline base, earl grey syrup, yuzu banana sorbet, caramelized banana, black sesame crumb and sugar glass.  Again, there was a lot going on here, but they seemed to work well with each other.  Rich with an appealing bitter finish, the ganache benefited from the nutty crunch of the base.  Normally I'm not  a huge fan of banana desserts, but the sorbet was a good mild accompaniment to the ganache.

One last dessert because we wanted it was the Rum Cake with white chocolate crémeux, rum raisin crémeux, horchata crumble and soaked sultana raisins.  This was a close 2nd behind the fabulous flan.  At first, I thought the rum cake was dry and too mild, but that was by design.  The side of cremeux added all the necessary moisture and flavours to compliment the cake.  If the cake was any more moist, the whole thing would've been too wet.  So if I didn't know this before, these 2 revisits reinforced that the notion that L'abattoir continues to be one of the premier dining destinations in Vancouver.

*On the second visit, some items were discounted*

The Good:
- Expertly prepared food and desserts
- Attentive service that isn't pretentious
- Good cocktails

The Bad:
- Not inexpensive, but worth it IMO
- Not the easiest area to find parking