Raisu Mama's Kitchen

Fresh off a delicious meal from Takenaka food truck, Mijune and I made our way to Raisu on West 4th for a dine-in tasting.  As some of you may already know, Raisu and Takenaka are related and you might notice some of the same dishes on both menus.  I've been to Raisu before and they boast some of the most beautifully plated Japanese dishes in the city.  This time around, since Mijune was around, we could tackle a larger bite out of the menu than the previous visit.

Before we got to the regular menu, we dove into the Omakase Uni Zukushi for 2 at a very reasonable $120.00.  The first course was the Uni Sashimi served with Yuzu Sake.  This was a generous portion of Peruvian uni which was sweet and fresh.  I found the yuzu sake a really nice compliment to the uni.

Next course, we were served 2 x Uni Temaki with snow crab meat, scallop, tobiko and ikura.  With all these luxurious ingredients, the rolled sushi ate very hearty.  Lots of complimentary sweetness and brininess, but the uni still made itself heard.  As you can see, the amount of rice was kept to a minimum so that the ingredients could shine.

We were each served an Uni Shooter consisting of ikura, mountain potato and quail egg with dashi ponzu truffle jelly.  This wasn't a shooter in the truest sense as you would probably choke if you took this all in one gulp.  However, it ate very well as a seafood parfait of sorts.  Fresh ingredients reigned supreme here again where the jelly was the glue that brought everything together.  Actually, the mountain potato (or yam) was sticky enough to literally bind the whole thing.

The next item was a variation of something we've had before in the Uni & Wagyu Aburi Nigiri Sushi.  Replacing the foie gras, he uni served roughly the same purpose with a sweet silkiness spiked by the taste of the sea.  Of course the wagyu practically melted in our mouths with a buttery tenderness.  The light sear on top activated the fats without cooking the meat all-the-way-through.  It was finished off with a arimasannsho-wasabi sauce that added the lightest of spice.

Normally, you would be given a choice between 2 items for the next course, but we ended up trying both for research purposes.  The Spicy Lobster Uni Cream Udon was off-the-hook!  So creamy with a definite kick, the uni afforded an appealing seafoody essence. Of course, adding a large lobster tail to the dish didn't hurt.  Standing up to the flavourful broth was chewy sanuki-style udon.

The other option in the Omakase Uni Zukushi menu other than the udon was the Uni & Snow Crab Donabe Rice with mixed mushrooms, cooked rice and raisu original dashi soup stock.  Boy, it would be a hard decision choosing between the two because this was plenty good too.  The fluffy, yet chewy rice was graced with the subtle essence of crab, the umaminess of the mushrooms (and dashi) and of course the sea-sweetness of uni.  Add in some ikura and this was a subtle flavour bomb (if that makes sense).

I will get to the dessert for this meal later as we went onto the regular menu at this point starting with the Yuzu Wings.  Nothing really complex about this dish, but these wings were prepared properly with well-rendered skin that was lightly crispy.  Add in the yuzukoshu marinade and there was a salty tanginess.

I particularly liked a seemingly non-assuming item in the 100% Wagyu Croquette coated with homemade panko, Japanese tartar and tonkatsu sauce.  Yah, this was indeed 100% wagyu as the meat was juicy, buttery and of course tender.  Lots of umaminess due to the fat content.  Plenty crispy on the outside while not greasy.  Loved dipping it into the tartar sauce as it reminded me of chicken nanban except with beef.

Staying with the same theme, we had Tonkatsu Teishoku with shredded cabbage, dressing, miso soup, rice, pickles and 2 types of sesame seeds (that you crush yourself).  Compared to Saku, the tonkatsu was more firm and meaty.  It was juicy though and ate quite tender.  The panko coating was similar to the croquettes being crispy without being greasy.

Raisu is well-known for their tonkatsu, but their signature offering is the Sho Ka Do Bento consisting of 9 featured appetizers (Chicken Karaage, Wagyu Nigiri, Soba Shooter, Yuzu Tuna Tataki, Grilled Lobster, Eggplant Agebitashi, Scallop Sashimi, Corn Karaage and Snow Crab on the Egg).  Yes, lots of little treasures that may or may not be familiar.  All very tasty especially the corn karaage and wagyu nigiri.  Only limited to 15 per day.

If you thought we were done, then you don't know Mijune very well...  So we soldiered on with the Bluefin Tuna Aburi Sushi.  These came in 4 different toppings and sauces.  I didn't note down what they were, but I believe there was diced pickle, ikura, fried shiso and 2 types of tobiko.  All were delicious and full of flavour without obscuring the delicate bluefin tuna.

Covered all over IG for the past few years, the Deluxe Seafood Bowl and the Blue Fin Tuna Deluxe Seafood Bowl are as good as they look.  I mean it was very obvious that the fish was very good quality and fresh.  Yes, these bowls aren't cheap, but the quantity of quality ingredients makes them worth every penny.  The rice underneath was prepared properly too being chewy and mild-tasting.

So we finished with all of the desserts including the Yuzu Gelato (included in the Omakase Uni Zukushi), Almond Tofu, Souffle Cheesecake and the Yuzu Parfait.  Other than the tofu, most things were a mash of the same ingredients.  However, the parfait featured raw cheesecake rather than the fluffy souffle cheesecake.  Everything was light and fruity.  Perfect ending to an absolute feast.  The quality of the ingredients and of course, the presentation are the calling card of Raisu.  Definitely a few notches above your typical Japanese spot in Vancity.

 *All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:

- High quality ingredients

- Carefully prepared

- Beautiful presentation

The Bad:

- On the pricier side, but you pay for what you get

- Desserts were good, could've had a bit more variety

Published on Main

I'm sure many of you have already tried Published on Main already, but for me, it wasn't that much a priority since dining out at the time was hit and miss due to the Covid-19 voluntary closures of many restaurants.  But as the weather improved and the options for outdoor dining increased, I started to venture out more.  Jacqueline and I decided to check the place out despite not having any resos.  We were able to score a table, but not one of the prized outdoor ones.  Not a huge problem as the tables inside were well-spaced out and they had their large floor-to-ceiling window doors wide open.  Since we already had a meal beforehand, we only got a small taste of the menu and couldn't do it "Mijune-style".

One of the dishes we had to try was the gorgeous Chicken Liver Toast served on house made rye toast with pickled rose, thyme and grated long pepper.  By looks alone, this dish was a winner.  Ultimately, it lived up to its appearance with sturdy rye bread that wasn't overly heavy.  The mousse was blended well being smooth and silky throughout.  It was well-seasoned bordering on salty without actually going over.  The cognac was definitely there, but wasn't overpowering.

Another fan favourite at Published is the Agnolotti stuffed with fresh cheese served with farmers sausage.  Almost as photogenic, the plump and oversized agnolotti were excellent.  Featuring thin pasta that was al dente, the creamy cheese was mild and complimented well by the salty sausage.  Although the dish didn't appear to be all that large, the components were hearty and filling.

One dish that I was looking forward to was the Duck Confit Meatballs with spicy black pepper sauce.  In terms of impact, the flavours were intense and focused.  However, the texture of the meatballs, specifically the exterior, was far too hard.  I found the duck confit in the very middle to be tender, but the dry outer layer was not appealing.

As much as the following dish looked like a whole lot of white on white with a splash of green, it was one of our favourites.  Underneath the matchstick kohlrabi and apple, we found tender slices of cured Scallop.  This was so refreshing and light where the flavours were subtle including the herb oil.  The crunch from the kohlrabi and apple provided the necessary texture to the dish.

As if the other dishes weren't pretty in their own right, the Pacific Halibut was both stunning and perfectly prepared.  Sporting a perfectly seared halibut that was flaky and moist, the collection of zaklan tomatoes, white currents and shiso provided plenty of brightness and impact to an otherwise understated dish.  In general, that was true for all of the food we tried at Published.  Seemingly simple items that were elevated by thoughtful and relevant ingredients.  A must-try in Vancouver.

The Good:

- Dishes were not overcomplicated

- Subtle flavours amped by complimentary ingredients

- Well-prepared proteins

The Bad:

- Can get pricey when you order enough dishes

The Lunch Lady

Okay, if you have ever followed the late Anthony Bourdain, you will know that he helped popularize a spot in Vietnam called The Lunch Lady.  Now, unless you were traveling abroad, there would be very little opportunity to try the place.  With the opening of the Vancouver location of The Lunch Lady, it has suddenly become accessible to people in North America.  Well, sorta because not everyone is traveling and even if you could, there are restrictions in place.  So I guess count ourselves lucky if we live in BC, specifically in the Greater Vancouver Area.  Grace and I decided to check the place out for lunch (after the initial hype died down a tad).

Even though the Bánh Tôm Chiên (Crispy Prawn Fritters) have been somewhat of a hit and miss for some people, we thought they were actually quite good.  I believe that initially they were too hard according to some, but for us, they were light and crispy.  The prawn in the middle was meaty with a snap.  Although they were put thoroughly through the deep-fryer, we didn't find them overly greasy.

One of the more interesting things we had was the Bò Né (Steak & Eggs) consisting of marinated filet of beef, 2 fried free range eggs, sautéed onions, house-made pâté, Laughing Cow cheese and french fries on a sizzling skillet with a bánh mì.  Yes, lots of things going on here, but we enjoyed it nonetheless.  Steak was perfectly medium-rare and super tender.  Loved dipping the crusty and airy bánh mì into the runny egg yolks with the provided soy dip.  Mind you, spreading the pate and cheese on it was plenty tasty too.

Onto more typical items, we had the Phở Bò sporting a 24-hour beef broth, brisket, rare beef and rice noodles.  We found the usual condiments on the side including mint.  I found the broth to be quite impactful being well-seasoned and meaty.  The meats were tender including the rare beef.  As for the noodles, there was a modest amount where it was al dente and not clumpy.  Overall, this was a fine bowl of pho, maybe not my favourite in town, but I have no issues with it.

In actuality, we were more impressed with the feature of the day, being the Mì Quảng with prawns, pork belly, quail egg, fresh rice noodles and full flavoured pork broth.  I thought the broth was even more impactful and complex than the beef.  There was a natural sweetness to go with the seafood as well as the ample seasoning.  Although the seafood was fine, the best part was the tender and buttery pork belly.

Our last dish was not the most interesting, but it was solid nonetheless.  The classic Cơm Gà featured the usual rice, fried egg and char grilled chicken thigh topped with pork crackling and scallion oil.  Let's just say the chicken was well-chared and well-brined.  It was juicy and full-flavoured with the smokiness from the grilling.  Much like the rest of the meal, this dish was good and it would be nit-picking to find a fault.  However, there are some high expectations due to the inherent hype.  Is it worth lining up for?  Maybe not, but the food is prepared properly.  I would be open to trying their dinner menu.

The Good:

- Properly prepared eats

- Decent service

- Some interesting items

The Bad:

- Worth lining up for?  Probably not

Takenaka

With the challenges that go with running a dine-in establishment these days due to Covid-19, it seems the ones that have outdoor dining as well as delivery/take-out options are best suited to survive.  In actuality, the restaurants that didn't have dine-in options to begin with didn't even have to change anything, such as food trucks and purely takeout operations.  That is why the new Takenaka food truck appears to have the right business model during these very strange times.  Offering restaurant-quality dishes (owner of Raisu has a stake in the truck) served out of a food truck (and commissary) for takeout, delivery and limited outdoor seating, this may be the way to do things at the moment.  Mijune and I recently visited the outfit and dined "Mijune-style". 

Starting light with a couple of salads and one item called Snow Crab on the Egg.  Pretty literal name, but it was essentially a boiled egg with snow crab and ikura on top.  Simple, but good with natural flavours and sweetness.  I enjoyed the Sozai Salad the most because there was chicken to go with the kale.  But the dressing was also very good being nutty and just sweet enough.  The Kawaii Salad with spicy beet dressing was a refreshing mix of kale, sunflower seeds and dried cranberries.  I thought the spice was mild, but that was fine as it probably wouldn't work for this salad if it was scorching hot.

The bulk of the menu is dedicated to maki sushi and we decided on several including Snow Crab Roll, House Roll, Unagi Roll and Steak Roll.  As you can clearly see, the rolls were large and stuffed full to the brim with ingredients rather than just rice.  On top of that, the quality of the ingredients was good as well as the preparation.  Of the 4, I thought the unagi roll had the best balance of flavour and texture.  However, the abundance of filling in the snow crab roll made for a luxurious experience.

Eating 4 rolls wasn't apparently enough for us, so we also had the slightly different Mayowill Roll which was essentially a house roll coated in tempura batter and deep-fried.  Even though the heat softened the rice a bit, the consistency of the sushi rice was still good being chewy and just moist enough. The light crunch from the batter gave some texture while the sweet tangy dip went well with the mild-tasting ingredients.

Off to some Temaki, we tried the Lobster, Uni and Bluefin.  These continued the trend of the maki sushi where they were stuffed full of quality ingredients.  All 3 were very good in their own ways.  The lobster was the most hearty with a tempura-fried small tail with real crab meat.  Really enjoyed the fresh sweetness of the uni that was further enhanced with snow crab, ikura and yuzu tobiko.  The bluefin had a beautiful sheen where it was accompanied by snow crab, scallops, ikura and yuzu tobiko.  Something along the same lines without the sushi rice, we found the Seafood Tartar servied with nori.  This was a good mix of fish with 2 tobiko and ikura.  Very simple and fresh.

Staying on the same theme, the Bara Charashi was a colourful mix of salmon and tuna with snow crab, scallops, tamago, ikura, 2 types of tobiko, radish sprouts, shiso-marinated kelp and cucumber.  Since the sushi rice was layered with more ingredients, the bites were balanced and there was actually more ingredients than rice itself.  Again, the fresh ingredients spoke for themselves as well as the properly-prepared rice.  Loved the addition of scallops and snow crab as it added another level of sweetness.  Lots of tobiko ensured pops of ocean brightness.

Still with the raw stuff, we had the Yuzu Tuna Tataki with with a ponzu jelly atop marinated seaweed.  As an aside, loved the plastic packaging they used as it paired well with the colourful food.  Once again, this was excellent with delicate tuna that was lightly seared evenly on all sides.  The ponzu jelly provided pops of saltiness to go with the bright tang of the yuzu.  Classic flavours that were both familiar and delicious.

For our 2 cooked items, we had the Ebi-Mayo as well as the Chicken Karaage.  Nothing amiss with these ones as the deep fry was even where the batter on the ebi was not too thick while crunchy.  It was served with a side of chili-mayo.  As for the chicken karaage, the outside was crispy and the inside was juicy and well-seasoned.  For me personally, I like the fact I can get ebi-mayo to go!

We weren't originally planning to order the Wagyu Shabu Shabu Udon with thinly sliced beef, radish sprouts, seasoned egg, yuzu zest, Sanuki udon and original udon broth.  However, it was suggested we try it.  Wow, this was excellent with strong impactful aroma and seasoning from the broth.  It was meaty and full of umami.  It was so effective that it seasoned the noodles with penetrating flavours.  The beef was so tender and buttery with full meatiness due to the fat content.  I highly recommend this dish.

In a custom to-go box, the Kaiseki Bento Box was as stunning as any take-out can get.  This needed to be pre-ordered. Taking a page from Raisu, this featured 9 different chef's omakase tapas including Saikyo miso grilled black cod, pickled zucchini and eggplant, chicken karaage, whelk with tobiko mayo, house roll, chicken salad, stewed pork belly, snow crab on egg and steak with wasabi sauce.  This could also be made into a combo with a half or full-sized chirashi bowl.

We also tried the Makunouchi Bento that sported some of the same items such as the egg, black cod, chicken salad, whelk, karaage and pickles.  However, the most obvious difference was the beautiful mini-seafood bara chirashi.  There was nothing mini about it as it was quite filling. Again, the best thing about the bento box was the fresh quality ingredients.  Yes, the boxes cost $30.00 and $26.00 respectively and despite being take-out, the food is restaurant-quality if not even better.

One of the most simple-looking items was the Almond Tofu with peach & orange jelly.   Don't let the appearances fool you as this was freakin' delicious.  Aromatic and just lightly sweet, the delicate tofu did its best pannacotta impersonation while topped with a naturally sweet and tangy fruit mixture.  An excellent finish to some pretty impressive looking and tasting food.  Takenaka is just the right food truck at the right time.  With all the Covid-19 concerns about eating within a restaurant, Takenaka offers up restaurant-quality food (just like Raisu) in a convenient take-out format complete with custom containers to match.  I would gladly eat this again.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:

- Fairly extensive menu

- Restaurant-quality eats

- Quality ingredients

The Bad:

- Not necessarily inexpensive for a food truck, but the food quality is that of a restaurant

Mrkt Haul

During these challenging times due to Covid-19, the way people do business has changed.  It is with no doubt that it has been difficult for B&M dine-in restaurants to adapt since their business model relies on customers visiting their dining room.  Furthermore, retail stores have been affected differently depending on what they are selling.  Some grocery stores haven't seen so much business in years (ie. Safeway).  So this brings me to the point of this post - adapting to the current business landscape.  There is a new platform called Mrkt Haul where local business can showcase their products so that people can order them online for pickup.  Featured vendors rotate every month with a variety of products.  Recently, I was given a preview of their September haul with an item from every vendor (ordering is open until Sept 13 for this month).

The most prominent item, due to its clear lid box, was the Mochi treats from Matcha & Cocoa.   These little mochi cupcakes came in matcha, cookies & cream, s'mores and coconut mango.  With a tender chewiness, the bite-sized mochis were also moist and sweet.  My personal favourite was the coconut mango due to the fruity aromatics.  I can see this as a scene- stealer if you bring them to a party.

Two boxed ready to heat and eat items consisted of a Vegan Lasagna from Conscious Food Creations and Chicken Inasal from Hapag Filipino Grill.  If you know me, I'm no vegan, but this lasagna was not bad.  Noodles were not overdone and the freshness of the veggies made it light and easy to eat.  As for the chicken inasal, it was good too.  The well-charred chicken was nicely brined hence the meat was tender and flavourful.  Underneath, there was annatto-garlic rice which was aromatic and nutty.

When I spotted the two bags of Nina's Pierogis, they looked much bigger than ones you would find at the supermarket.  They were completely overstuffed with filling, yet at the same time, sported a relatively thin dumpling skin.  This combination meant tender Pierogies with lots of flavourful and airy filling.  I enjoyed both flavours and found the butternut squash to be super impactful and sweet.  The cheddar and potato was very cheesy and soft in texture.

One of the most unassuming items in the haul was the Raspberry Rose Preserve from Le Meadows Pantry as it was full of fruit flavour with just the right amount of floral essence.  Loved the recycled Chopstick Cheeseboard from Chop Value as it was both beautiful and environmentally friendly.  I don't have a dog, but the Kettle Cod from Bob the Dog will be given to a friend with one!  Of course after eating all these items, one needs to wash up, and what better than a bar of Citrus Bomb Soap from the Poco Soap Co.  Eco-friendly and basically an appealingly smelling soap, we enjoyed using it.  On the topic of smelling nice, the Manang Mina Asiaben-Luisito from Kapé Phillipine Coffee was complex in flavour from the sweetness of peanut-brittle and mamon.  Lastly, there was a handy reusable ziplock Pouch from Happy Baby.

Something that looked and ate like popcorn wasn't popcorn at all.  Rather it was Popped Lotus Seeds by Sacred Foods.  Offered in 3 flavours, the lotus seeds were crunchy, nutty and well-seasoned.  I particularly enjoyed the spicy wasabi with the unmistakable kick.  Of course white cheddar is always a fan favourite and these ate like Smart Food.  The Himalayan salt was well-seasoned without be overly salty.  I could still taste the natural flavour of the lotus seed.

Continuing with snack food, the Goji Granola Bites from True Nosh were right up my alley.  One of my biggest complaints about any granola product is the amount of added sugar.  There was none of that here with this product as I could really taste the goji berries as well as the natural flavours of the granola.  I felt rather healthy eating them!

To be honest, one of the items that I was not looking forward in trying was the Velo City Veg from Coastie Craft Burgers.  Yes, I'm a meatatarian, so the mix of split pea, walnut and roasted beets didn't seem so enticing.  However, after forming the mix into patties and frying them up, I didn't mind them at all.  I found it to have the texture of firm refried beans with a natural sweetness.

I gotta say that the selection of Brownies from The Brownie Bakers was one of my favourites.  The brownie stack consisted one each of the classic with walnuts, salted pecan caramel, white chocolate peppermint and rocky road.  They were ooey gooey and purposefully sweet.  I actually preferred putting them in the fridge so they would firm up a bit.  I really enjoyed the salted pecan caramel with hits of salty sweetness and the crunch of the nuts.

Also at the top of my list was the Cream Dream Cookie from the Ooey Gooey Cookie Co.  It featured a chocolate chip cookie stuffed with cookies n’ cream chocolate and topped with even more cookies n’ cream chocolate & Oreo crumbs. If this sounds sweet to you, it sure was, but I didn't mind it since it was bursting with flavour as well as the cookie living up its ooey gooey name (10 secs in the microwave!).

I guess I left some of the desserts to the end (except for the mochis, as I dug into those right away) including the Mangonada from Crema Ice Cream.  Sporting Creamy mango sorbet with chamoy sauce.  Oh man, this was a flavour bomb with the natural sweetness of mango intermingling with the spice and tang of the chamoy.  Very refreshing and impactful at the same time.

To wash this all down, I gave the Blueberry Kombucha from Top Hat a try.  Normally, I don't drink kombucha, but the addition of blueberry really helped.  The vinegariness was nicely balanced by the sweetness of the fruit.  This was truly refreshing and was really good with the popped lotus seeds.  I gotta say that the items in this haul really helped open my eyes to some truly excellent locally-made products.  I would've never known about them otherwise.  With the Mrkt Haul platform, not only do I get to order these amazing products, there are new vendors featured every month.  Good time to support local in a very convenient manner as well.

*All items were complimentary*