Chameleon

Dining with Nikita and Bluebeard always entails a fun time.  Yes, they are good company and that is pretty important, but the fact they pick lesser-known spots outside of the city of Vancouver makes for good social media content!  Anyways, the restaurant du jour happened to be Chameleon out in Maple Ridge.  Upon walking into the place, I was impressed with the modern "Downtown" decor as well as its elevated menu.

After looking over that menu, we decided to get a few appies including the BC Albacore Tuna Tataki atop a carrot and daikon slaw with honey citrus vinaigrette, Tokyo aioli, edamame, pickled serranos and radish.  Sure, tuna tataki isn't anything unusual, but the spicy rub on the outside did make the dish more impactful.  This was nicely balanced by the tanginess of the slaw and chilis.  Beyond the perfectly rare tuna which was buttery and soft, the slaw added the necessary crunch to the dish.

As much as an order of House Fries didn't seem like anything special, it turned out to be really good.  These were starch-covered and due to the perfect deep-frying, they turned out to be light and crispy.  They were tossed with salted rosemary, thyme and sage while topped with freshly grated parm.  That in itself meant the fries were flavourful and aromatic.  However, the side of truffle aioli provided creamy umaminess.

For my main, I decided to get the Fraser Valley Duck Breast.  I found the skin to be hard-seared until crispy while topped with maldon salt.  The fat was somewhat rendered.  Cooked to medium, the duck was still moist and tender.  It sat on a bed of braised lentils and ponderosa mushrooms.  This was all surrounded by parsnip chips, roasted parsnip and parsnip puree.  I thought these were all good providing different textures.  Completing the dish was some kale and demi glace.

Viv decided on the Kuttera Salmon and Gnocchi.  Beautifully seared and seasoned, the salmon was barely cooked through.  Hence, it was moist and flaky.  Also nicely pan-fried, the gnocchi were delicate and soft while having a bite.  The lemongrass cream sauce added an Asian herbaceousness to the dish.  As for the veg, we found confit tomatoes as well as crispy kale and brussels sprout leaves.  Finishing everything off was an aromatic tarragon herb oil.

For Nikita and Bluebeard, they *gasp* ordered the same 8oz Prime Rib with mash potatoes and Yorkshire Pudding.  This was actually a Sunday special for a reasonable $32.00.  Interestingly, they could add vegetables for $5.00 (that you see here on the plate).  In my opinion, that wasn't really worth it.  As for the prime rib, they asked for medium-rare and it came as such.  It was tender and was accompanied by a flavourful demi glace.

For dessert, Viv and I shared the Vanilla Sponge with mango gel and passionfruit sorbet.  Okay, there is no getting around this, but the sponge cake was terrible.  It was super dense and dry.  Nothing about it was good.  Fortunately, the mango gel was fruity and the sorbet was flavourful and tangy.  Overall, the food at Chameleon was quite good and well-prepared except for the dessert.  Considering it is located in Maple Ridge, I would say it is worth a try since there aren't many of these spots around the area.

The Good:
- Elevated experience that is not in Downtown Vancouver
- Decent eats
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- Dessert could use some work

Shoom (Da Lang Menu)

Boy, I haven't been back to Shoom in ages!  Even though I keep telling everyone that it is one of the best places to grab solid Cantonese cuisine, I keep getting distracted by other newer spots.  I had originally tried the place out after softball way back in 2015 and then returned shortly after with the fam.  Both times, the food was well-prepared and the portion sizes were generous.  I really should've returned sooner, but with an invite to try their Da Lang (late night) menu, I didn't need to be asked twice!

For those who are unfamiliar, Da Lang features smaller dishes (also subsequently priced lower) eaten with a congee (often after 9:00pm and past midnight).  Usually, it is plain congee because the dishes are already flavourful and designed to go well with a neutral-tasting starch.  However, we were served Preserved Egg and Salted Pork Congee for this meal.  The viscosity was on the money being thick while still drinkable.  It was mildly-seasoned with plenty of egg and tender slices of pork.

Personally, I feel that Da Lang is not complete without a plate of Deep Fried Silverfish with chili salt (was "Noodlefish" on the menu).  This goes very well with congee not only due to the salt, but the crunchiness is the perfect textural contrast.  I usually put a spoonful of these crispy little fish right into the plain congee.  These were good with a light crispy batter as well as just enough seasoning.

I don't even recall ordering Cumin Lamb for Da Lang, but it was a good call this time around.  This was a generous portion given this was the late night menu.  Featuring tender chunks of lamb, there was barely any filler in this dish other than onions.    As mentioned, the meat was tender and well-seasoned with complimentary earthiness as well as some spiciness.

One of the best values on the late night menu was the Salted Egg Yolk Prawns with Rice Cake.  For $14.00, this was another good portion that featured plenty of salted egg yolk.  Hence, the flavours popped and were very impactful with nuttiness and saltiness.  Prawns had a meaty snap while having a crispy exterior (even though it was coated with egg yolk).  The slices of rice cake were tender with an appealing chew.

Another typical Da Lang item is the Deep Fried Squid with Chili Salt.  Anything with chili salt goes well with congee!  This featured large pieces of squid that were tender with a moist chewiness (in a good way).  The batter was on point being crispy while not being heavy nor greasy.  They were wok-fried with chilis, garlic and salt which meant the aromatics were apparent in smell and taste.  

For me at least, I always want Sweet & Sour Pork, whether it be breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and/or late night.  Heck, I even eat it at a food court (don't judge me).  Well, the one here was legit with medium-sized chunks of pork.  There was minimal fat with each piece, yet at the same time, the meat was still juicy.  The batter was not overly thick while retaining a crunch despite being coated in sauce.  The sauce itself was tangy with balancing sweetness.

Something I haven't had in awhile is the Oyster Omelette, partly due to the fact it isn't found on all late night menus.  The one here was prepared beautifully where the egg was seared with slightly crispy edges.  Inside, it was still slightly runny and fluffy.  Strewn throughout, we found chunks of buttery, barely-cooked oyster meat.  The brininess sweetness came through while the egg itself was mildly-seasoned.

Normally, I do not order the Deep Fried Pork Large Intestines at any meal.  It isn't because I do not enjoy them.  In fact, I really love intestines (don't judge me), but no one else wants to eat them with me!  Fortunately, @tasteofvancouver was totally game and actually suggested we order the dish.  As you can see, this was uniformly fried with a crispy exterior giving way to a gamy and appealingly chewy interior.

Adding some veggies to our meal, we chose the Angled Loofa with Woodear Mushroom and Pork Cheeks.  Another solid dish where the luffa was cooked through, yet still had a bite to it.  There was plenty of woodear for crunch while the sliced pork cheek was its usual tender bouncy self.  This was one of the more mild items we had sporting a balanced sweet and salty starch-thickened glaze.

When we were looking over the menu, there was a discussion as to which clam dish to order.  The solution?  Order both!  So we started with the Clams with Sake first and it was a more subtle dish allowing the brininess of the clams to come through compared to the usual black bean clams.  Furthermore, the broth had a definite sake essence, but was nicely balanced by equal parts sweetness.  The clams themselves were buttery and all open.

As mentioned above, we also got the Black Bean Clams and yes, this is as classic as it gets when it comes to Cantonese cuisine.  This is another dish that pairs perfectly with congee.  The fermented saltiness of the sauce coupled with garlic and of course the brininess of the clams, it becomes a umami bomb that yells out for something to bring it back down (hence the congee).  This was flavourful with once again, all open clams.

Staying with shells, we got the Wok-Fried Escargots in House Special Sauce.  If you ever had these before, you will know that getting them out of the shell can be a bit tricky.  You can use a toothpick, but best method is just to suck them out (while at the same time removing the hard bottom portion).  These were pretty good and the sauce was a mix between salty and sweet.

Lastly, we ended up with more veggies in the Sautéed Pea Tip Leaves with Garlic.  Frankly, this dish looked more like a regular-sized portion, not that we were complaining!  The pea tips were tender while still maintaining a crunch.  It was mildly seasoned and none-too-greasy.  In the end, the Da Lang experience at Shoom was a positive one that featured all of the good qualities of the place - solid eats and generous portions.  I will be back for this as there are times I get the late night Da Lang cravings.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:

- Well-prepared plates

- Generous portions

- Modern dining space

The Bad:

- On the pricier side, but portions are bigger than most

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