Hart House

With all the new restaurants available for us to dine at in the GVRD, it is easy to forget about some of the oldies.  Literally and figuratively, the Hart House is one of the oldest restaurants still standing in the Lower Mainland.  Housed in a Tudor-style mansion overlooking Deer Lake, the place is quaint and the setting is beautiful.  I recently came back for brunch and it was pretty good, especially at its reasonable price point.  Hence, my mom picked the place for her birthday dinner.

Looking over the menu, there wasn't a huge selection of appies we could share.  We normally do not order Charcuterie at restaurants because we eat all the time at home, but we got it this time.  It featured sopressata, capicola and salami with manchego and goat cheese brie.  This was a nice selection of meats and cheeses that also included cornichons, crostini and warm olives.

Staying with meat and cheese, we had the Prosciutto & Burrata as well.  There was a generous amount of creamy burrata drizzled with lemon & chili honey vinaigrette atop white asparagus.  That vinaigrette had a nice balance of sweet, spice and acidity.  Other than the parcels of buttery and purposefully salty prosciutto, we also found asparagus ribbons and fresh dill.

Now to some items that required cooking, we had the Seared Diver Scallops with wild garlic puree, pickled ramps, tobiko and garlic & Parm chips. Aesthetically-pleasing, this dish was equal to the task when it came to overall execution.  The scallops were beautifully seared maintaining a rare centre.  They were properly seasoned and buttery soft in texture.  The brightness of the garlic puree was welcomed while the crunch from the chips broke up the softness of the dish.

Our last appie was the Grilled Humboldt Squid which actually belonged to the Chef's Menu (Taste of the Middle East).  This was a fairly simple dish, but prepared expertly.  The grilled squid was super tender while still having a bite.  Underneath, we found a tabbouleh salad made with quinoa instead of bulgur.  Flavourwise, it was bright and mildly acidic.  A small amount of yogurt on top added creamy tang to the dish.

As part of the tasting menu, the main dish was the Ras el Hanout Braised Lamb Shank.  This was a generous portion of lamb, couscous with Turkish apricots, capers and olives as well as toasted almonds and carrots.  The lamb shank was perfectly cooked as it fell off the bone being moist and gelatinous. I found the flavours to be a bit muted though.  As for the couscous, it was texturally on point with the sweetness of apricots and tangy saltiness of the olives and capers.

My mom decided on the 6oz AAA Beef Tenderloin with braised short rib crepinette, shiitake marmalade, baby carrots, gruyere pomme puree and red wine jus.  She asked for it to be prepared rare and it was exactly that.  Nice sear on the outside of the steak too.  That short rib crepinette was tender and meaty while the pomme puree was smooth with a balanced cheesiness.  Loved the jus, but wish there was more of it (maybe serve some on the side?).

Viv went for the Blackened Lois Lake Steelhead with broccolini, roasted fingerling potatoes, smoked steelhead mousse, cherry tomatoes, trout roe, lemon beurre blanc and herb oil.  Sporting a slightly crispy charred exterior, the steelhead was moist on the inside.  It was well-seasoned with a smoky savouriness.  Veggies were perfectly cooked while the beurre blanc had good acidity.

My dad got the other fish entree in the Pan-Seared Halibut with cherry tomatoes, baby chard, pesto fregola and sauce vierge.  The large piece of halibut was expertly prepared where it was flaky and moist.  The sauce was tangy and aromatic from the herbs.  This was further amped up by the al dente pasta tossed in pesto.  The addition of tomatoes added more brightness as well as acidity.

My daughter loves duck and it was no surprise to anyone she went for the Seared Duck Breast.  It sat atop porcini polenta, pea puree, morels, grilled asparagus and cherry jus.  Prepared medium, the duck was tender and moist.  The skin was semi-rendered while slightly crispy.  Jus was sweet and complimented the duck beautifully.  Loved the morels as it added both earthiness and texture.

 

My son went for the Hart House Burger featuring an AAA beef brisket patty, garlic mayo, smoked caciocavalla cheese, pickles, tomatoes and arugula.  The last time we were here, I had the exact same burger.  Therefore, it was no surprise that it was good.  Well-charred, the beef patty was moist and juicy.  Lots of beef flavour and nicely complimented by the cheese.  Those truffle frites were super crispy with plenty of earthiness and saltiness.

As part of the chef's menu, the dessert was the Baklava with walnuts, candied pistachio and pistachio ice cream.  Normally, I'm not a huge fan of this because it is so sweet.  However, this was just sweet enough so I could actually have more than one bite.  The layers of phyllo were crispy on top while the sweetness of the honey was restrained.  Side of pistachio ice cream added a creamy coolness to the dessert.

Even though we were sharing the desserts, my daughter essentially ate Dark Chocolate & Raspberry Trifle with lavender roasted white chocolate all by herself.  This featured discernible layers of sweet and bitter chocolate intermingled with the tanginess of the raspberries.  It was purposefully sweet and nicely balanced.  It was topped with meringue, chocolate shavings and fresh raspberries.

Our last dessert was the Basque Country Cheesecake with vanilla Chantilly & blueberry compote.  This is very different than a classic NY cheesecake where it was, of course, burnt on the top and also lighter and more custardy than cheesecake-like.  I liked how the cheese flavour still came through, but the texture was a bit more eggy than other versions I've had.  Still loved the texture and the blueberry sauce was mild enough to not add too much sweetness.  Overall, it was a good dinner at The Hart House.  Nothing mind-blowing, but solid and predictable.  A classic experience in a heritage Tudor-style house.

The Good:

- Classic place, classic setting

- Solid food

- Excellent service

The Bad:

- Traditional and safe, so don't expect too many risks here

Happy Valley Food City (Dim Sum Service)

Fresh off a visit to the HK-Style Cafe side of Happy Valley Food City, we were curious about their Dim Sum service on the other side of the restaurant.  Truthfully, my parents had already visited a few weeks prior and they said it was decent.  Hence, we went with them on a Saturday morning to see for ourselves.  As mentioned in the previous post, you cannot order anything but Dim Sum in that section of the restaurant (and Chinese BBQ during dinnertime).  For all your HK-Style Cafe needs, you must be seated in the front section of the place.

To kick off the meal, the first plate to hit the table was something sweet in the "Turtle" BBQ Pork Pineapple Buns.  These were cute, but ultimately good too.  The actual bun wasn't super airy, yet wasn't dense either.  Uniform in shape and completely intact, the "pineapple" crispy sugar and butter topping was good.  Inside, there was a bevy of sliced BBQ pork that was fairly lean.  The glaze was a bit pale in colour, but was sweet and savoury.

Sticking with the same protein, the BBQ Pork Pastries with Unagi were something familiar with a twist.  As for the pastry, it was flaky and light while not being too greasy from the lard.  Inside, the filling was essentially the same as the aforementioned BBQ pork bun.  With the unagi on top, it added another layer of sweetness and texture.  For me at least, I would've preferred it to be mixed in with the filling, even though there would be less of it.

Next, we had something we always order, in the XO Lo Bak Goh (Daikon Cake).  This featured fairly large cubes of daikon cake which were semi-firm.  Hence, they retained their shape while not being overly dense.  The exterior was fried nicely where it was slightly crispy.  I found the dish to be not that greasy (as it can be).  My only complaint would be the lack of XO flavour and spice in general.

One of the kids most favourite things to eat is beef brisket (in any shape or form).  Therefore, we decided to get the Beef Brisket with Rice Noodles.  In reality, there was more pieces of rib finger meat than actual brisket.  However, that was fine by us as we prefer that cut of meat anyways.  The meat was moist and tender with appealing fattiness.  Flavours were impactful and there was enough sauce to coat the rice noodles.

So here we are with arguably the most important Dim Sum dish - Ha Gau (Steamed Shrimp Dumplings).  If you look closely at the picture, it is pretty apparent that the dumpling skin was rather thick.  It certainly ate that way too with a noticeable denseness and chewiness.  It had good elasticity though.  Inside, the filling was quite good with whole shrimp that had a moist snap.  Seasoning was on point with aromatics including sesame oil.

Now arguably the second most important dish is the Siu Mai (Steamed Pork & Shrimp Dumplings).  For this version, they served 5 of them unlike the usual 4.  I found these to be good with pieces of pork that exhibited the classic bounce texture.  The dumplings were juicy and properly seasoned with equal parts savoury and sweet.  The little dollop of raw tobiko on top made things appealing.

Of course we were going to order the Shrimp Spring Rolls since the kids love this dish.  This arrived piping hot and freshly out of the deep-fryer.  If you take a look at the shrimp filling, you will notice they are big pieces of whole shrimp.  Texturally, they were on point with a juicy rebound while being well-seasoned.  The exterior was lightly crunchy and none too greasy.

My daughter never passes up the opportunity to have some congee, so we got a small bowl of the Fish & Vegetable Congee.  This was pretty solid with a thick base that had the right viscosity (thick but still drinkable).  It was seasoned enough so there was a nutty sweetness.  There was no shortage of fish that was well-marinated, so that it was still moist and flaky.

So far so good with the dishes we had, but the Steamed Chicken Feet was probably the weakest of the bunch.  First of all, the chicken feet were on the scrawnier side, hence there was less skin, cartilage and fat.  Second, most of them were missing skin as you can clearly see.  At the very least, they were soft and braised enough.  Also, the flavours were on point with garlicky and sweet notes as well as the saltiness of black bean.

Back to the kids, they felt like some Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaves) this time around.  Another good dish were the sticky rice was soft and glutinous.  As you see, there was a good amount of ground pork and shiitake filling as well.  Hence, there was a balance of textures and flavours with starch-thickened sauce mixed well with the rice.

Looking a bit pale, the Steamed Beef Meatballs were inundated with green onion.  Sure, there is supposed to be some in the mix, but this was a bit excessive.  The result was a very one-note flavour which of course, was green onion.  As for the texture, these were textbook with a fluffy rebound and airiness.  They had been whipped just enough to achieve this.

Even though we had the beef brisket rice rolls already, we ended up with the more usual Prawn Rice Noodle Roll as well.  Yes, without the soy, it looks pretty plain and pale, but rest assured, this was pretty good.  The sheet of rice noodle was semi-thick with good elasticity.  Inside, the whole prawns were meaty with a rebound.  They were mildly seasoned where it allowed the soy to do its thing.

Normally, when we order Steamed Black Bean Pork Spareribs, the small sauce dish is 3/4 full.  Well, for this one, it was overflowing with spareribs.  Not only was the portion impressive, it was also prepared properly.  Most pieces were meaty rib portions and they were marinated enough that the flavours penetrated and the meat had a nice bounciness.  This was probably one of the best dishes of the meal.

Even though we had a few sweet items already, our actual dessert was the Steamed Sponge Cake.  Loved this as the brown sugar afforded a rich and toffee-like sweetness that wasn't overwhelming.  The cake itself was moist and airy.  So overall, the Dim Sum at Happy Valley was decent and we would have no problem having it again.  Definitely better than the HK-Style stuff we had the previous week.

The Good:

- Generally decent

- Above-average service

- Well-portioned

The Bad:

- Some dishes could use further refinement

- Limited seating for Dim Sum

Hai Chi Em Modern Vietnamese

Remember when Vietnamese restaurants were usually a dive, often a converted old restaurant that was formerly an Italian or Greek restaurant?  Yes, those still exist, but we are seeing more and more modern Vietnamese spots open up with updated decor and expanded menus.  We still see the staples such as Pho and Salad Rolls, but we are also getting a taste of less known Vietnamese dishes as well as some fusion.  Of course this also means prices have crept up too in the process.  One of the newest modern Vietnamese restaurants on the scene is Hai Chi Em on Fraser Street.

We decided to finally check it out early on a Friday so it wouldn't be too busy.  We were really shocked at the size of the Crispy Garlic Butter Wings.  They were all mid-wings and I would say they were at least a half-size bigger than any other wing I've had lately.  Being properly marinated, these were juicy and tender.  I found the skin to be properly rendered and crispy.  However, the size of the wings also meant that they flavours were more muted due to the amount of meat.  Hence, we needed quite a bit of the lemon pepper dip to have an effect and even with that, we could've used much more flavour.

Next, we tried the Crispy Lemongrass Salt & Pepper Tofu that looked very much like the butter wings (and the next dish as well).  We asked for no cilantro, hence the lack of colour in the dish.  I found the tofu to be rather firm and wished they had used something softer as it ate a bit dense.  I do understand it is easier to work with though as the softer tofu can break.  The batter was very crunchy and did have a good mouth-feel.  However, it was heavy as a result.  I personally would've liked to see a batter that was lighter.  In terms of flavour, I thought there was enough of it, but would've liked to see a stronger lemongrass presence.

One of my favourite dishes of the meal was the Deep Fried Squid served with a side of sauce that was highly addictive.  Similar to the tofu, the hard crunch from the batter was a nice contrast to the tender squid.  However, once again, I would prefer a lighter batter.  The star of the show was the side of sauce consisting of condensed milk, fish sauce and lime leaves.  This was so aromatic and sweet that I wanted to drink it.  It paired beautifully with the squid as it added plenty of punch while softening the hard batter.

We also had the Pomelo, Shrimp & Pork Salad with carrots, onions, peanuts, sesame seeds and shredded coconut flakes.  This was another favourite where the textures and flavours were on point.  There was no shortage of ingredients from the big chunks of citrusy pomelo to the meaty shrimp.  Lots of pork belly, but maybe being stone cold, the fat was a bit heavy.  Maybe would be better if the belly was sliced thinner?  Loved the acidity and sweetness of the salad as it did make things bright.

For our soup noodle, we chose to have the Bun Bo Hue with the pork knuckle and blood on the side.  Apparently I'm the only one that likes that?  I praise them for making a legit BBH as not many places offer pork knuckle and blood.  This was a good version of the soup noodle as the broth was flavourful and fragrant.  The spice level was just right too as I could still taste the soup.  I would've liked a brinier aroma with the broth, but it was still good nonetheless.  Noodles were plentiful and al dente while the meats were tender.  Especially loved the pork knuckle as the skin was gelatinized and the meat was moist.

Our last dish was the Crab Fried Rice with tobiko and mushroom.  Originally, it was supposed to have cilantro, but we asked for it be prepared without it.  That might affected the overall flavour profile of the dish.  Even with that, the rice was quite good with discernible grains where they were chewy and nutty.  They didn't skimp with the real crab as there was a big pieces of leg meat.  I would've preferred that they added egg to the rice to give it more body and varied texture though.  Possibly a bit more fish sauce would've elevated the caramelized flavours too.  Overall, the food at Hai Chi Em was good.  I feel that with a few tweaks, the food would be great.

The Good:

- Properly prepared proteins

- Fair portion sizes

- Nice people

The Bad:

- Food could use a bit more flavour (except for the crack sauce for the squid)

- Batter for the tofu and squid could be lighter

Texas Smoke BBQ

My first experience with Texas Smoke BBQ was back in September 2021.  I had decided to drive deep into Langley after work one day to check the place out.  I ended up ordering everything they had and truly enjoyed the food.  One caveat though, I had to trek all the way back home before digging into the smoked goodies.  Thankfully, I was invited to a tasting several months later with a group of other foodies.  We were able to have the food slightly warmer (although it was winter).  Since then, I've returned on my own half a dozen of times and let me tell you, the brisket is amazing right after it has been sliced.   Fast forward to the present and they have opened up a second location in the parking lot of Milner Feed & Pet Supply.  Jacqueline and I were invited to check the place out and we gladly made the drive out across the Port Mann.

Let's cut the suspense and get right to the meats.  We were served a platter with Pulled Pork, Tex Mex (Barbacoa), Beef "Dyno" Rib (Short Rib), Pork Sausages and Beef Brisket.  As you can clearly see, there is quite the bark on the brisket and short rib.  Impactfully smoky without going overboard, the bark is also flavourful from the rub.  Tender and moist, the brisket is the meat to have here, but the short rib is a close second where it is fatty and fall-apart succulent.  Shredded and sauced, both the pulled pork and barbacoa are meaty while tender.  Lastly, the sausages have a wonderful snap from the casing giving way to a juicy and meaty filling.

So doing a deeper dive into that short rib, I can say it is subjective that the brisket is better.  In some sense, the short rib is the choice of meat here.  Jacqueline seemed to think so.  As you can see in the closeup, the meat is fatty, gelatinous and moist.  Combine it with a flavourful bark and this might be the first meat to go if you are sharing.  At $31.99 each, this is a lot of meat for the price.

Of course we cannot forget about the Burnt Ends that also included some twice-smoked sausages as well.   The burnt ends here are a bit different than some other versions I've had (here and in Texas).  These ones are much more meatier and tender as opposed to the fattier and harder ones.  Furthermore, the sauce is a lot lighter and not as thick.  You can definitely eat more of these as a result.

Off to the sides, we have Smoked Baked Beans, Mac & Cheese, Corn Bread and also a Brioche Bun (that is used for their sandwiches).  I love how they char the mac & cheese to give it a smoky flavour as well as adding crunch (the extra panko helps too).  Baked beans are sweet and smoky while the cornbread is buttery and moist.  It can be had in jalapeno form too.

The last available side is the Southern Slaw where I noticed that it is different (in a good way).  Unlike in the past, there is much more dressing and the tanginess really comes through.  Fresh cabbage also ensures that the bright crunch is there too.  As you can tell, I love Texas Smoke.  I wouldn't spend so much money on the place if I didn't.  Also I wouldn't drive out there if it wasn't worth it.  I think that you should do the same.

*All food was complimentary*

The Good:

- Properly smoked meats

- Reasonable pricing

- Nice people

The Bad:

- Well, both locations are in Langley.  Worth the trek in my opinion.

- Maybe a thicker sauce for the burnt ends?

Seaside Provisions

Looking back at the last time I dined at Seaside Provisions, it was just prior to the pandemic.  Honestly, that seems like eons ago and I look fondly at those simpler times.  My original visit was an invite with Mijune and the meal was so good, I actually came back with my family shortly after (on my own coin).  Then the pandemic hit and well, you know what happened.  So here I am again with another invite along with Jacqueline featuring some of their new menu items and cocktails.

I've always like the cozy dining space here and we were seated right by the fireplace on some comfy couches.  We were served 3 cocktails including the Caribbean Sea (Cazadores tequila with fresh passion fruit, pineapple infusion and a flaming 151 rum),  Highlight Out (Mount Gay eclipse rum with fresh grapefruit juice, cinnamon and blood orange bitters topped with soda, garnished with an orange peel and mint crown), Raspberry Gin Sour (Bombay Bramble gin with fresh raspberries, egg whites and fresh citrus garnished with fresh raspberries).  These were all rather fruity and completely up my alley.  I particularly enjoyed the Highlight Out where it was the least strongest in alcohol and had a refreshing finish.  The Caribbean Sea was tropical and sweet but if you added the 151, this would be the strongest.  Due to the use of gin, the last cocktail was mild with a nice raspberry essence complimented by the foamy egg whites.

As for the food, we began with the Argentinian Chili Garlic Prawns seared with pablanos with torn and charred brioche.  Oh this was as good as it looked with a bevy of confit garlic as well as equal parts of spice.  The capsicum emulsion also had a sweet seafoody finish which was quite appealing, especially when we sopped it up with the texturally awesome torn bread.  It had a nutty crispiness that gave way to an airy lightness inside.  To finish off the flavour profile, the gremolata added an aromatic tangy bitterness.

Another dish with some spice was the Fried Chicken sporting a soy maple glaze topped with garlic crème fraiche.  This featured tender nuggets of fried thigh meat that was juicy and tender.  The batter was crispy while being completely flavoured by the glaze.  It wasn't as sweet as I had feared (as maple can be quite sweet) where it only provided the essence of maple complimented by equal parts savouriness and spice.  The garlic crème fraiche provided some creaminess and aromatics while the pickled red onion added crunch and extra acidity.

Personally, I love Fried Brussels Sprouts and the one here was no exception.  It was a good portion of perfectly prepared Brussels sprouts that were crispy while still exhibiting a tender meaty centre.  They were aromatic from the deep-fry and also nicely seasoned by the red wine vinaigrette.  The parmesan espuma added a bit of creamy salty nuttiness which went well with the fried sprouts.  The spattering of crispy guanciale afforded even more umaminess as well as a salty meatiness.

Onto the most impressive dish, we were served the Petite Platter sporting 12 oysters, whole lobster, ahi tuna tataki, Argentinian prawns with guacamole, 2 pcs each of ikura, salmon and hamachi nigiri.  This was so impressive, the table next to us was wanting to devour it if we weren't (of course we would devour it!).  The oysters were Gems from Comox Valley and they were shucked properly without any shell fragments.  They were sweet with just the right amount of brininess.  Lobster was cooked right with it being sweet and exhibiting the classic bounce texture.  Absolutely loved the tataki as the kalamansi gel was super tangy with some sweetness.  We found the nigiri to be well-prepared as well while the rice was appealingly chewy.

The seafood and Japanese theme didn't end there where we were served the Trout Oshi.  By virtue of being lightly cured with house-pickled serrano peppers, the trout had inherent flavour in the form of acidity and spice.  Texturally, it was soft with a bite while the rice underneath featured discernible individual grains that were chewy. Dipped into a touch of soy and these pieces of sushi were nice little bites.

We also added the Scallops with pineapple curry, herb salad and calamansi gel.  This was a good decision as the scallops couldn't have been prepared any more perfectly.  Still slightly rare in the middle and sporting a caramelized sear, the scallops were buttery and soft while being well-seasoned.  Loved the tangy sweetness of the pineapple while the gel provided an extra shot of acidity.  The combination of ingredients also afforded the salad an appealing brightness.

Onto the mains, we had the delicious Prawn Risotto with carnaroli rice, tomato confit, parmesan foam.  Due to the use of the starchier carnaroli rice, the risotto ended up to be thicker and creamier.  I felt the risotto was firm enough with softer edges.  It was plenty flavourful from the mild tomato and the aroma of Argentinian prawns.  Of course, the cheesiness of the risotto was evident, especially from the foam.  As for the prawns, they were buttery with a minor snap texture.  They were naturally sweet with enough seasoning.

We were then presented with a Herb-Crusted Halibut with parsley, chives and basil served atop celery root puree, charred fennel and a potato fondant.  Initially, I was concerned that the piece of halibut might be overdone, but it was actually flaky and moist.  The herb crust was crispy and aromatic with a crispy exterior texture.  Loved the creamy puree as it added luxurious moisture to the fish.

Our last entree was the 6 oz Tenderloin with house-seasoned fries and peppercorn jus.  Prepared perfectly medium-rare, the steak was moist and super tender.  The peppercorn jus was impactful with a richness as well as a bite from the pepper.  Due to the starch coating, the fries were lightly crispy while being plenty potatoey on the inside.

Onto dessert, we were served 2 including the House-made Yuzu Pannacotta.  This featured a gelatin topping which provided a nice texture while adding more tanginess.  As for the pannacotta itself, it was really rich and creamy.  I would've preferred it to be a bit lighter, but that can be purely subjective.  It almost ate like a light cheesecake, but with the brightness of yuzu.

Our second dessert was the House-made Bread Pudding with dulce de leche and ice cream.  I have to say this has to be one of the best bread puddings I've had in quite some time.  Loved the crispy top that was contrasted beautifully by the tender and moist interior.  This was purposefully sweet and aromatic.  Overall, the meal at Seaside Provisions was even better than my first visit (granted that was 3 years ago). Nice to see they have continued to refine their food and kept up the focus on fresh seafood.  One of the better spots in the neighbourhood.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Fresh, well-prepared seafood
- Impactful flavours
- Cozy dining space

The Bad:
- Pannacotta could've been lighter