Moxie's West Georgia

It has been awhile since I've last been to Moxie's.  I remember it expanded to several locations in the GVRD and then it closed a few locations.  Now it is back with a brand new spot at 180 West Georgia in Downtown.  If this sounds and looks familiar to you, it can be found within the Sandman Inn.  I was offered a $150.00 gift card to try the brand new digs out and also a revamped menu (well, at least since the last time I went).  I ended up bringing the fam with me and went far beyond the $150.00.  So I didn't hold back and topped it up with my own coin.  Loved this new location as it is modern and has some pretty comfy booth seating.  I imagine this would be great before a Canucks game since it is a block away from Rogers Arena.

Back to our dinner, we started with one each of the Salt & Pepper Wings and the Hot Wings.  Both were served with celery sticks and ranch dressing.  These wings were quite large and meaty.  When combined with a perfect fry job, the meat remained juicy and tender.  On the outside, there was a light batter that made things crispy with fairly rendered skin.  As for the hot wings, they were not crispy due to being tossed with sauce.  It was mildly spicy with some tanginess.

Onto the Tiny Tuna Tacos, they were made with wonton shells encasing diced ahi tuna (topped with furikake) and guacamole.  These actually reminded me of the ones I had at Telefèric Barcelona in Palo Alto.  So light and crispy, the wonton shells did not interfere with the delicate, yet meaty tuna.  The guac underneath added some creaminess and a binding agent to keep the tuna from falling out.  That sesame soy sauce was classic Asian with a surprising kick at the end.  The squeeze from the lime wedge added some needed acidity too.  One thing I would like to see is that they plate these in a stainless steel taco holder stand so that they do not get wet from contact with the lime wedges.

Something similar, yet different was the Tuna Stack consisting of diced ahi tuna atop fresh mango, avocado and seasoned sushi rice.  It sat in a soy ginger glaze and was drizzled with spicy mayo.  Loved the addition of furikake prawn crackers as they were super light and crunchy.  As you can clearly see, the stack was made with the freshest ingredients.  Colours and textures were on point.  Loved the sweetness from the mango as well as the sweet soy that had a gingery kick.

Off to our mains, Viv opted for the Chiptole Mango Chicken with atop grilled asparagus and ancient grains.  This was finished with avocado and pico de gallo.  She found this quite filling since it sported 2 chicken breasts.  These were well-charred, yet remained tender.  Lots of smokiness that was tempered by the sweet mango.  With the addition of fresh pico de gallo and avocado, this had a tropical Mexican flavour.

My daughter predictably ordered a fish dish in the Lemon Basil Salmon.  Gently-seared, the salmon was perfectly flaky and moist.  The lemon basil sauce was buttery and rich where the squeeze from the charred half-lemon provided balance.  It sat atop barely-cooked through asparagus and ancient grains.  The grains were chewy and nutty while benefiting from the butter sauce and the lemon juice.  Really brought it alive with flavour and acidity.

For myself, I had the Loaded Cheeseburger with aged white cheddar, 2 strips of bacon, sautéed mushrooms, LTOP, burger sauce and BBQ sauce.  Yes, this was a lot of stuff and the soft potato roll held it altogether conforming to whatever was left after each bite.  I found the burger patty to be fairly large, meaty and moist with a good char.  Bacon was super crispy while the mushrooms were well-seasoned.  Combined with fresh produce and some nuttiness from the cheddar, this was a pretty solid burger.  Fries on the side were crispy and well-salted.

My son had the most expensive item (as opposed to what my daughter usually does) with the 10oz CAB New York Steak with buttered mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. As seen in the second picture, this was prepared medium-rare as requested.  Possibly a more aggressive char on the steak would've made it perfect, but ultimately, the meat was high-quality and super tender.  It was well-seasoned and properly rested with no juices leaking onto the plate.  Creamy and buttery, those mashed potatoes were quite good.  This also came with some demi-glace which was silky and full of meatiness.  Great with the steak and the potatoes.

For dessert, we shared the Key Lime Pie with fresh whipped cream topped with graham crumb and lime zest.  I believe there was both pecans and coconut in the firm and sweet buttery crust.  As for the key lime filling, it was smooth, tangy and sweet.  It was a good thing that they did not sweeten the rich and thick whipped cream since the dessert would've been too sweet.  This way, it as balanced and ate really well.  Loved the aromatic and slightly bitter lime zest.  After we were finished I had to think hard to compare my last visit to Moxie's with this current one.  I have to say this was better since the new menu items were prepared properly and were tasty.  Sure, Moxie's is a chain restaurant, but I am not a food snob.  I judge food independently regardless of where I ate it and who made it.   Bottom line is that we enjoyed our meal.

*Partial comp on the meal for this post*

The Good:
- Properly prepared proteins and vegetables
- Well-seasoned
- Nice location, close to many venues

The Bad:
- Restaurant is a bit hidden

 

Suyo

It goes without saying that Vancouver is well-known for its diverse eats...  in Asian cuisine.  Yep, we got all the Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Indian eats that you want including a spattering Thai, Singaporean and Indonesian.  However, when you want something that is Eastern European and South American, well you might have to look real hard.  Well, we have a newish addition to that in Suyo, that dishes up modern Peruvian cuisine.  It has gotten a lot of positive praise, so Eileen and I decided to hit it up for dinner.

After starting with a few cocktails, we moved onto our first dish - Steelhead Trout Tartare.  This was nicely plated and served with nori-dusted tapioca crisps.  I found the tartare to be buttery due to the trout mixed with creamy avocado.  Naturally, the crisps provided not only a vessel, but also textural contrast.  Nice pops of brininess was provided by the ikura on top.  On the plate we found an aji amarillo sauce that provided a creamy spiciness.  The drops of avocado mousse added even more creaminess.  The only thing I would add to this is a bit more acidity.

We moved onto another raw dish with the Beef Tartare with capers, cornichons and salsa anticuchera.  This was rather saucy and was even more so after mixing the beef with the egg yolk.  It got even more wet when we added a dollop of huancaína.  Despite this, it ate quite well with plenty of tanginess, spice, sharpness and the butteriness of the beef.  Again, the tapioca crisps were the perfect vessel.

One of the best dishes of the meal had to be the Dungeness Crab Croquette Causa.  The croquette itself was practically all crab that was fluffy and light.  There was enough acidity to keep things bright and the outside was light and crispy.  It was topped with spicy aji amarillo aioli.  There was some avocado mousse for extra creaminess while the potato was smooth and extra tangy.  We also found grape tomatoes and quail's egg on the plate.

Also featuring aji amarillo, the Pork Chicharron was accompanied by polenta tamal, yam puree and rocoto emulsion.  Each chunk of pork belly was tender and fatty with some crackling on the top.  It was well-seasoned and tasted great by itself with roasted pork essence.  However, the spicy emulsion helped liven things up.  I found the polenta tamal squares to be delicate and mild-tasting, but some tapenade on top added the necessary saltiness.

Onto the bigger plates, we had the beautifully-plated Haida Gwaii Halibut Sudado with charred broccoli, peppers and onions in an aji amarillo shellfish broth.  Loved the tangy aromatic broth as it complimented the fish well without being overwhelming.  The charred broccoli was off the hook with a firm crunch, noted smokiness and a buttery exterior.  The side of chocio rice (with garlic and corn) was excellent.  It was chewy and fluffy at the same time while completely flavoured with aromatics and butteriness.  As for the halibut, it was a considerable portion, but it was not moist.  It wasn't completely dry, but it was dense.

By the time we got around to the Arroz con Pato, we were completely stuffed.  However we needed to at least try this dish.  It featured a seared duck breast atop cilantro-beer rice with a fried duck egg, huancaína and Peruvian salsa.  The duck was cooked perfectly being barely medium.  It was tender and moist with enough seasoning.  The skin was a bit tough though.  That cilantro-beer rice was delicate and flavourful while the addition of the egg added a rich silkiness.

For dessert, we shared the Chocolate Tres Leches with whipped toasted honey and berries.  This was a fine finish to the meal as it was super moist due to being soaked with condensed milk.  However, the cake itself was excellent with plenty of chocolaty goodness complimented by balanced sweetness.  As a whole, the meal at Suyo was quite good and well-portioned.  Suyo reminds me a little of Andina in Portland, but with even more modern touches.

The Good:
- Nice vibe, modern and inviting
- Overall good food
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- Food is good, but could use a few touch-ups

Pablo Cheese Tart

Okay, I'm sure you've seen this before - Japanese soufflé cheesecakes with their airy and creamy textures.  People have lined up for those and hey I have to admit, I do like them.  We've also seen places that offer up cheese tarts as a different option to the soufflé cheesecake.  Pablo Cheese Tart, another brand out-of-Japan, has entered the Vancouver market offering up cheese tarts (in both large and small sizes) in a variety of flavours.  I was invited to a sneak peek of the place before it opens officially opens on July 21st at 11:00am.  Yes, that is today!

Before I got to the cheese tarts, I sampled some of their Pablo Smoothies including Mango, Strawberry and Cheese Tart.  Normally I'm not much of a dessert guy but these were just sweet enough and had some good natural flavours.  I particularly enjoyed the strawberry as it didn't have an artificial aftertaste.  It was creamy and smooth, yet being fairly light at-the-same-time.  The mango was also natural-tasting while being more mild than the strawberry.  I found the cheese tart interesting as I felt like I was drinking an original cheese tart.  Loved the cheesiness that was mildly sweet.

Onto the full-sized items, I had to go for the classic Freshly Baked Cheese Tart.  This featured a firm crust that was somewhat flaky.  It was the perfect textural contrast to the soft and creamy cheese filling.  About that filling, it had a distinct initial cheesy hit that carried on to the cheesy aftertaste.  Pretty consistent through each bite.  It was not overly sweet, rather relying on aromatics and pungency.  The apricot jam glaze on top helped keep things from drying out as well as offering up some fruity sweetness.

So for those trying to get their Japanese soufflé cheesecake fix, they have a Basque Cheesecake that is somewhat similar to that.  Unlike the Uncle Tetsu and Castella, the Basque cheesecake at Pablo has that classic sunken appearance as well as a slightly scorched top.  Hence, there is much more of a denser layer on top while the rest of the cheesecake is a touch richer.  With that being said, when cut, the cheesecake is still very light and airy (almost falling apart).  The cheesiness is evident and the sweetness measured.  I quite liked this since there was a definite delineation between the top of the cheesecake and the bottom.

Onto the real draw of Pablo Cheese Tart - the Pablo Minis!  These are so cute and aesthetically-pleasing.  Their take out boxes are well-made and sturdy, keeping those precious tarts in one piece.  I can see bringing these to a get-together and being a hero much like bringing over Beta 5 cream puffs.  They are priced at $4.99 for each deluxe tart and $4.75 for the basic ones (such as the original). These have a soufflé-like texture, but a bit firmer.  Something in between a soufflé cheesecake and a regular baked one.  I'm sure this is due to their smaller size in comparison to the large Basque Cheesecake.

I tried most of what they had including the Chestnut, Tiramisu, Ube and White Chocolate Raspberry.  I'm not a huge fan of chestnut anything but this was okay due to the modest amount on top.  It was sweet and nutty.  Tiramisu had familiar flavours, but much cheesier due to the filling.  Loved the colour on the ube and ultimately it was on the sweeter side.  Talking about sweet, the white chocolate was definitely that but the raspberry balanced it out with some tangy fruitiness.

The baseline tart was the Classic and it was similar to its bigger version except being more firm.  The Blueberry was somewhat different as the cheese filling had blueberry in it (making it look kinda grey).  As much as blueberry is a subtle fruit, the filling did taste like it.  The Crème Brûlée featured a torched sugar topping that was smoky and sweet.  Apple Cinnamon was one of the most impactful due to the amount of topping it had.  It did take on the sweet apple flavour.

Last 3 consisted of the Peach, Juicy Mango and Strawberry Mochi. These all had one thing in common - being pretty fruity.  So if you want something a bit lighter due to the fruit, these would be it.  The most flavourful was the mango since it was sweet and "juicy".  Loved the mochi on the strawberry as it provided another texture.  Overall, the cheese tarts at Pablo are good and the options are pretty extensive.  I didn't even get to try their Matcha and Earl Grey cheese tarts as well as the Chocolate and Premium Cheesecake.  Will be back.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- The minis are attractive and taste good too
- Lots of choice
- Cheese flavour is impactful

The Bad:
- With any of these Japanese cheesecake/cheese tart spots, it can get expensive  

Meet Fan

You know I go on and on about food costs these days...  This goes for groceries, restaurants and also the cost for restaurants to operate.  I understand and accept that food prices will and are going to remain high due to inflation, fuel and labour costs.  However, I'm always on the lookout for good value when it comes to dining out and I've legitimately found some.  The latest is Meet Fan out on Kingsway near Boundary.  They are primarily a takeout spot with a few seats for dine-in.  There are snacks, rice and noodle bowls that are reasonably priced and spoiler alert, they are tasty too!  Recently, we were invited to try out a good selection of their wares.

First off, we were presented with a selection of snacks including the  Mini Pork Floss Tamago Beignet Balls that were a nice little bite.  Encased in the soft and fluffy donut was a piece of tamago while the outside was coated with sweet mayo and a tonne of dried pork floss.  These had a salty sweetness to them and were quite addictive.  We also got an alternative variation of these in the Pork Floss Tamago Puff Roll, which in my mind, were even better.  The flaky and buttery pastry had an appealing softness to them.  Inside, the egg and pork floss provided texture and flavour that was akin to the beignet balls.

Continuing on with the same delicious pastry, we also had the Smoked Duck Puff Roll.   Again, the flaky pastry was a good starting point.  Inside, the smoked duck was tender and moist with plenty of smokiness and saltiness.  This was tempered by the julienned cucumbers that also offered up a cold crunch.  This was somewhat along the lines of a Peking Duck wrap, but just a bit different and much more fulfilling.

With all these things stuffed into pastry and such, it was by no surprise we also had a sandwich.  This was the Deviled Egg & Chicken Salad Sandwich.  As much as the ingredients are important, the use of brioche was perfect.  It was soft and slightly sweet while giving way to the savoury filling.  There was fluffy egg, tender chicken and crunchy cucumber that would've not looked out-of-place at a afternoon tea service.

For the next item, they ditched all forms of carbs and went just for the meat in the Grilled Chicken Skewers with wasabi mayo.  First of all, the use of dark meat helped ensure that the skewers wouldn't be dry.  Second, it provided more umaminess and body due to the chicken fat.  I liked how the chicken was completely marinated so there was plenty of salty sweetness.  The wasabi mayo was mild and that was a good thing.

Moving back to the duck, we had the Truffle Smoked Duck Salad.  Now I already knew how tender and buttery the duck was from the puff roll, so it was even more evident in this salad (since we were eating actual slices).  This was because they sous-vide the duck first.  There was a light smokiness to it while the truffle dressing was just right not being overwhelming.  We found spring mix underneath as well as some corn with imitation crab on the side.

My absolute favourite "snack" was the Spicy Mala Crawfish Rice.  Normally, I hate eating crawfish because it is so much work to gain access to so little meat.  However, they did the work here by putting a considerable amount of tender crawfish atop rice.  These were dressed in an impactfully spicy mala sauce that was delicious without hurting our tastebuds.  I could've gobbled this whole bowl myself if I didn't need to pace myself.

Onto the bigger items, we had the Garlic & Scallion Sous-Vide Soy Chicken Rice.   For $14.95, this was a good amount of delicious food.  Completely affordable in my books.  So back to the food, the chicken was super tender and the flavours had penetrated the meat.  To complement the soy flavour, the scallion sauce and fried garlic offered up brightness and aromatics.  Loved the addition of a ramen egg on the side.

Suspiciously looking like the same bowl of food, the Pesto Sous-Vide Soy Chicken Rice was completely different in flavour despite the using the same soy chicken.  You see, the pesto was quite apparent and created a non-Asian tasting concoction.  Sure it was still the same moist and flavourful soy chicken, but it suddenly tasted Italian.  Surprisingly good combination even though I wouldn't have expected it a first glance.

Here we are with the delicious smoked duck again in the form of Teriyaki Smoked Duck Rice.  The sauces were actually served on the side and that let us taste the duck all by itself.  It was really good with balanced smokiness and enough saltiness for effect.  With the side sauces, we could've made this teriyaki or truffle.  I tried the teriyaki as we already had the truffle.  Naturally it gave a sweet saltiness to the dish.

Now for our first beef item in the 24-Hour Slow Cooked Beef Rib Strips with black pepper truffle mixed noodle.  Oh I really liked this one as the black pepper sauce really made this dish sing.  In addition to providing a peppery kick to the tender beef, it made the noodles extra savoury and appealing.  There was this depth from the pepper as well as the truffle that made the al dente noodles addictive.

So another favourite of mine was the Shredded Mala Chicken Rice with lots of peanuts and nori on top.  Their mala seasoning is on point with a bite that is numbing to a degree but not really overpowering either.  The tender chicken soaked up all of the nutty spiciness and helped flavour the rice underneath.  Loved the crunch from the nuts too.  Also, those marinated eggs were nicely custardy in the middle.

A bowl with the same chicken but tasting completely different was the Shredded Chicken Shoyu Wasabi Rice.  This one was a Japanese-inspired creation complete with tobiko and nori on top.  The result was something quite creamy with a bit of saltiness, brininess and bite.  Definitely a 180 from the mala rice.  Really, that is the cool thing about Meet Fan.  They use many of the same ingredients (smart thing to do so costs are kept in check), but the dishes taste remarkably dissimilar.  Prices are reasonable and the portion sizes are good.  What's not to like about this place?

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Affordable
- Super tasty with unique flavours
- Well-portioned

The Bad:
- If you wanted to dine-in, there are limited seats
- Repeated proteins, but it keeps the costs down and they really do taste different

Thai By Thai (Scott Road)

Okay, I must profess that I was too lazy to take an updated photo of Thai By Thai and am using my old one from 2014.  Now nothing on the outside has actually changed other than grand opening banner.  You may notice the banner advertising $7.50 lunch specials.  New flash, they are now like $15.00 and hey I don't blame the restaurant.  Things have gone up a lot due to inflation.  So essentially it has doubled in less than 10 years.  However, our paycheques have not followed suit!  Anyways, we returned to see if the food was still as good as we remembered.

Starting off the meal, we had the Thai Spring Rolls as well as the Vegetable Thai Salad Roll.  Nothing out of the ordinary here with crispy spring rolls with vibrant and crunchy veggies inside.  In terms of aesthetics, the rolls could've been fried more aggressively so it would be darker.  However, it didn't affect the texture or taste.  The salad roll was pretty basic and filled with rice noodles and veggies. The rice paper was soaked properly having an appealingly chewy, yet moist texture.

Another appie we had was the Thai Chicken Wings served with a spiced fish sauce.  These giant mid-wings (or flats) were super juicy and well-brined.  They were starch-coated and fried until they had a good colour and were lightly crunchy.  Due to the brine, the wings had good inherent flavour already, but it was even better after the soaking it with the spicy and garlicky fish sauce.

Of course we had to be defaultish and get the Pad Thai.  Well it was a huge portion that is a half size bigger than most other places.  Although this had plenty of tanginess from tamarind, I found it to be on the sweeter side.  Noodles were chewy, but a bit clumpy.  We asked for our dishes to be medium and this was more or less that.  Overall, this was a respectable Pad Thai and worth ordering.

Next we went with 2 curries including the Chicken Green Curry.  Again, this was a huge portion consisting of the usual ingredients including peppers and eggplant.  We found the green curry to be flavourful but would've enjoyed a bit more brininess.  It was aromatic and lightly creamy from the coconut milk. The best part was the chicken, it was shockingly tender and juicy (possibly from being tenderized).  Sure, it isn't traditionally tenderized, but hey, we liked it more than dry white meat.

We also went for the Beef Red Curry with peppers and bamboo shoots.  Again, this was creamy and fairly flavourful with some spiciness.  This one seemed to be richer than the green curry.  As you can see, this was the same portion size as the green curry, so you must order enough rice to compliment.  Similar to the chicken, the beef had been tenderized and it was tender and moist.  I didn't mind it as it still retained a meaty texture.  Some might argue against it, but I say get over it, it still ate really well.

Lastly, we got the Stir-Fried Mixed Vegetables.  Typically, this dish employs a mushroom "oyster" sauce, but there did not appear to be any in this one.  Despite that, the veggies were vibrant and crunchy while being completely seasoned.  There was a quite a bit of moisture at the bottom of the plate though.  Overall, the food at Thai By Thai was decent and well-portioned.  I've always thought it was one of the better Thai options along the Scott Road corridor (not that there is that much competition).  This most recent visit affirms this.  

The Good:
- Decent eats
- Good portions
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Love that there is a parking lot, but it is a bit tight to maneuver when full
- Some creative license over the food to make it more palatable to the area

Clove - The Art of Dining

If you haven't already noticed, Indian cuisine (particularly Punjabi) is fast becoming more refined and served in fancier digs. Much like the humble Cantonese restaurants of the 70 and 80's, we now find higher end establishments littering the dining landscape.  Of course prices go up with the territory, but we are finding superior service, modern spaces and elevated food.  One of the newer high-end Indian restaurants to hit the scene is Clove - The Art of Dining.  Jacqueline and I were invited to sample some of their wares.

There was a set menu for us that started with the Scallop & Shrimp with cauliflower alleppey, raw mango, sago crisps and curry leaf dust.  As you can see, this was nicely plated with bold colours. It ate quite well too with buttery and nicely seared scallops.  The puréed cauliflower was smooth and creamy with aromatics.  We loved the sago crisps as they were crunchy and light.  They were great to pick up the remaining alleppey.

Next we had the Goan Salmon Fish Cakes coated with rava with pickled mooli and mango sriracha sauce.  Although looking rather pale on the outside, the fish cakes were crispy and not greasy.  Inside, the salmon was moist with some drier parts.  I thought that the sweetness of the salmon came through, but it did really need the sauce to add the necessary kick as well as moisture.

Onto the mains, we had the classic New Delhi Butter Chicken.  Since this was mainly comprised of roasted tomatoes, the tanginess was more muted while the creaminess was quite apparent.  The use of tandoori chicken thighs meant the meat was more tender and moist as well as exhibiting umaminess due to the fat content.  I thought this was a well-balanced butter chicken where the spices came through with a bit of heat.

 

We were presented with something I've had recently was the Bombay-Style Parsi Lamb Kheema.  I personally think these are the tastiest "sloppy Joe's" around.  The lamb kheema was tender, moist and full-flavoured with a touch of spice.  Loved the sunny side egg on top as it added another layer of silkiness.  Those buns were toasted just right to be soft the inside and firm on the outside.

So Jacqueline isn't much into lamb (hey, but I am!), so they supplied an alternate dish in the Kadhai Paneer.  This consisted of bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, roasted kadhai masala and fenugreek.  This was a savoury and spiced concoction that helped flavour the squishy paneer.  Lots of robust spiciness from the masala that helped make this a good compliment to the rice and naan.

About that Garlic Naan, it was good.  I found the pillowy soft texture was complimented by equal parts of elasticity.  On the outside, there was leoparding providing nuttiness and some crispiness.  It was brushed with ghee and littered with garlicky goodness.  We also got the Assorted Papad with 3 chutneys including chatpatta hummus, smoked tomato garlic, and mango chili.  These chutneys really complimented the crispy papadams.  I especially enjoyed the smoked tomato garlic as it was layered with flavours and aromatics.

Onto dessert, we had the Gulab Jamun Cheesecake.  Yes, you read it right, the really sweet doughball soaked in rose water has been combined with a cheesecake.  The result was a more balanced dessert with the sweetness from the gulab jamun making up for the mild-tasting cream cheese.  I really enjoyed the bite of cheesecake and a touch of the gulab jamun.  I found the crust to be nicely firm as well.  Overall, the food at Clove was good and plated nicely.  The dining space is gorgeous and fitting of a fine dining establishement.  This is another great addition to the higher-end Indian within the Surrey restaurant scene.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:

- Gorgeous dining space

- Solid eats

- Elevated experience

The Bad:

- Parking lot can get rather busy at times