Le Billig

Coming back from a long day of sightseeing and having some bevvies in the lovely Bar 1608 in the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, we were pretty tired.  So we decided to retire to our hotel rooms and rest up.  Well, that took longer than expected and by the time we headed out for some eats, it was pretty late.  No matter because we were looking for crêpes and in particular, Le Billig on Rue St. Jean, approximately 4 blocks from our hotel.  They are open late and we made it there before last call.

So since we were in the weird time where most people would be having dessert rather than dinner, we decided to go for one savoury and one sweet selection each.  Costanza went for the baseline in the basic Crêpe with Maple Syrup.  Good idea as there was nothing to hide here.  This thin crêpe was delicate with crispy edges.  The rest of it was tender with an appealing chewiness.  It was buttery and accepted the syrup beautifully.

Elaine went for something much more substantial in La Béarn with duck confit, goat's cheese, spinach and onion confit.  Oh yah, this was fantastic with a crispy thin crepe encasing plenty of ingredients.  This was definitely a meal in itself and more so.  The goat's cheese was creamy and rich without being overly gamy.  Tender shreds of duck confit were strewn about as well as tender spinach leaves.  The thing that put it over the top was the sweet onion confit.  It really brought out the natural flavours of the duck.

For myself, I stayed on the same course and had La Galette Saucisse with homemade cabbage sausage, mustard cream, cheese, wilted onions, spinach and potatoes.  Again, we found a uniformly crispy crêpe folded over topped with the aforementioned ingredients.  The sausage was juicy and meaty where it was complimented by the mustard cream perfectly.  It had a nice bite to offset the heaviness.  Loved the crispy potatoes and the spinach was cooked just enough.

Viv ended up with the La Lemon Curd with lemon cream, mascarpone, salidou and white chocolate chips.  This was utterly delicious with pointed tanginess that was balanced by the salted butter caramel on the bottom of the plate.  The white chocolate chips also added another layer of sweetness and texture. Wow, we were pretty impressed with our crêpes!  They were well-made and combined with thoughtful as well as impactful ingredients.  Would recommend this place to everyone!

The Good:

- Solid crêpes

- Lots of selection

- Friendly service

The Bad:

- Gets pretty warm in there, might want to sit outside?

Brasserie Les Mordus

Sometimes we choose restaurants based on convenience.  Yes, I'm sure there are outliers to this statement, but let's just say most people have dined somewhere that was not their first choice or maybe not even their 10th choice.  However, due to being at a particular location, sacrifices had to be made.  That was the case when we were strolling around in Old Quebec City.  Sure, there are legitimately good places to eat there including Le Clan, but we weren't up for a tasting menu.  Hence we stopped by at Brasserie Les Mordus for a quick bite.

We started off with the Duo of Duck with rillette & smoked duck breast, onion confit with brandy, homemade pickles & croutons.  We weren't expecting much dining at a random spot but this dish was excellent.  The rillette was meaty and ducky without being overtly fatty (yes, it still was, but it was blended nicely).  The smoked duck was moist and tender with a nice hit of smoky saltiness.  That onion confit really complimented the rillette with a natural sweetness.

Viv went for the larger lunch version of the Tuna Tartare with fried vermicelli and served with croutons, salad & fries.  Prepared Asian-style, the tuna tartare had some soy and sesame oil elements but we felt it could've used more seasoning.  The tuna was buttery and the crunch from the fried vermicelli and crostinis provided textural contrast.  Fries on the side were crispy, but seemed a bit overfried.

For myself, I had the Smoked Meat Open-Faced Sandwich with fried pickle, red onion,
sweet & old-fashioned mustard, salad and hash browns.  Sure, this was not the smoked meat you'd find at some of the best delicatessens in Montreal, but it was serviceable and well-portioned.  Wasn't sure what the dressing on the salad was because it tasted like plain mayo.  Hashbrowns were good though, better than the fries.

Costanza went for the Mordus Open-Faced Sandwich consisting of shredded lobster, crab & Matane shrimp mix and
coconut shrimp, green onion mayo & coconut flakes.  We liked the deep-fried coconut shrimp as they were crunchy and aromatic.  As for the seafood mix, there was no shortage of mayo where the flavours were a bit muted.  Would've been better with some extra acidity.  Salad and fries were the same as the other dishes.

Elaine ordered the Mussels & Fries Provencal-Style with tomato basil and oregano.  This was a pretty large portion of all opened mussels.  The meat was sufficient and buttery soft.  As for the broth, we could taste the white wine and it was tomato forward.  The side of fries were the same being a bit too fried.  Overall, the food at Brasserie Les Mordus did its job and we were satisfied.  It was conveniently located, prices were fair and the service was excellent.  Would it be my first choice?  No, but it worked out decently for what we needed.

The Good:
- Centrally located in Old Quebec
- Comfortable dining space
- Acceptable eats

The Bad:
- Of course there is better, but not where we were and what we needed

Boulangerie Epi'Fanny

Even though I love full-service hotels located in Downtown, it does mean they cost more money and generally, breakfast is not included.  Hence, you either have to spend a lot of money to eat mediocre meals at the hotel restaurant (no thanks) or head out each morning in search for food.  Well, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing in this case as we were only about a block away from Boulangerie Epi'Fanny located on Rue St. Jean.  This gave us an opportunity to sample enough of their wares and to also grab a coffee.

On our first go-around, we had a bunch of items including the Cranberry Daniose.  Even though this looked like a tart, it was not due to its shell being comprised of puff pastry.  This was more akin to a danish and similarly to their Carre aux Fruits in the display case.  Whatever the case, it was light and crisp on the outside while the custard was smooth and just sweet enough.

So one cannot visit a French bakery without sampling their Croissants right?  Well first off, these were not very expensive unlike many $5.00+ croissants these days.  I thought this was a decent version with a crispy exterior and some shattering.  The layers could've been more defined but it did taste buttery.  Not the best croissant I've ever had, but a very good one and as mentioned, reasonably-priced. 

One of their signature items is the Chausson aux Pomme.  Loved the design on the outside and in reality, this was as good as people made it out to be.  Beyond the flaky and buttery exterior, the apple filling was purposefully sweet with a balancing amount of tartness.  We could taste the butteriness of the pastry and there were discernible layers.  As expected, the layer that was in contact with the filling was softer.

As mentioned earlier, they also had a selection of Carré aux Fruits and we chose the mixed berries.  This was a rather large pastry that was impressively not soggy on the bottom.  Even with all of the wet ingredients, the pastry stayed intact and did not sag.  The outside was crunchy and shattered all-over-the-place (which is a good thing).  In the middle, the fruit was tangy and sweet.

Unlike the snails we associate with French cuisine, the Escargot was not that.  Rather it refers to its appearance with the swirled pastry emulating a snail's shell.  This was also similar to the other pastries where it shattered and was flaky.  Inside was soft and buttery while only being slightly sweet.  There were other options for this with various fruits strewn throughout.  We chose the basic one instead.

Lastly, we got the New York Roll with raspberry filling.  This is the latest craze right now with scroll croissants in various forms and flavours.  I found this one very good with a crunchy exterior that shattered everywhere once I bit into it.  There was a considerable amount of sweet raspberry jam inside that helped flavour the entire croissant.  Overall, we found the pastries at Epi'Fanny to be solid and well-priced.  I also had a Croque Monsieur too and it was good, albeit cold (best to get it heated up).  Our coffee was decent too.  That is why we went every morning while we were in Quebec City.

The Good:

- Solid stuff

- Well-priced

- Nice people

The Bad:

- I've had better but not at this price

 

Pause V

Arriving late into Quebec City meant we had really no choice in rental cars.  We were saddled with a Chrysler Pacifica, which would've been awesome if we brought the kids, alas we did not.  That infortainment unit must be the crappiest I've ever experienced.  It kept crashing and messing up my navigation!  Hence we took a little while to get to our hotel in Downtown and once we got settled, there were limited options in terms of late night eats.  We did stumble upon one a block away from our hotel in Pause V.

For Elaine and Costanza, they were in the mood for some Poutine Brune and as such got the classic in medium.  They weren't shy on loading up the legit cheese curds atop fresh cut fries.  Once melted from the delicious gravy, it was an ooey gooey experience.  Those fries were perfect with a crispy exterior giving way to plenty potato texture inside.  About that gravy, it was flavourful to the point of salty but not being salty.  

As you can see, they also had some Cheeseburgers and they were also fantastic.  They looked rather unassuming, but the bun was nicely toasted being soft, but robust enough to keep things intact.  The burger patty was meaty with natural textures.  It had been grilled up with some smokiness and had good flavour.  The only added ingredient was some shredded lettuce and burger sauce.  Basic but good.

Viv wanted something more than basic and ended up with the Country Burger with all of the same things as the cheeseburger except with the addition of a slice of grilled ham and fried onions.  So was this any better than the basic cheeseburger (that costs less)?  No not really.  I mean the ham added more flavour and the onions were sweet and caramelized.  But the basic cheeseburger was king.

So we also got a Shawarma Mixt with both beef and chicken.  In actuality, the beef was chopped up burger patty (which wasn't a bad thing).  This combined with pickles, lettuce, garlic and kebab sauce in a grilled pitta was quite filling and rather tasty.  There was the meatiness of the beef and chicken that was complimented by the sauces and then the burst of tanginess from the pickles brought things alive.  The grilled pita was crispy adding texture and also keeping things intact.

Lastly, I added the Poutine Steak Haché for good measure.  Yes, it was essentially the same classic poutine brune, but with chopped-up burger patty on top.  Therefore, the burger meat made this more fulfilling and robust.  I loved this poutine so much, I came back the next night to get one to go!  Overall, Pause V was a surprise find when we were desperate for food.  It fit the bill and more so.  I would come back the next time I'm in Quebec City!

The Good:
- Solid eats including the burgers and poutine
- Inexpensive
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Basic things are good, don't need to go beyond that, it isn't better  

Dirty Apron (YVR Domestic Departures)

You might be wondering why the heck I'm posting about something located in the domestic departures at YVR...  Well, let me tell you this - food is a necessity when you are waiting for your flight and sometimes it is a life-saver if there is a delay.  Also, I've had my fair share of bad food at YVR including that awful Banh Shop in the US departures.  So when we had something fairly delicious at The Dirty Apron this time around, I had to blog about it!

So we were traveling to Quebec City with Elaine and Costanza and ended up grabbing 4 sandwiches.  The first was the Roast Beef with chimichurri, roma tomatoes, tomato aioli and arugula.  I thought this was the most pedestrian of the choices we had.  The beef was tender but not particularly meaty in texture.  I liked the aioli as it was creamy and had a real tomato flavour.  I thought the bread was a touch on the heavier side, but manageable.

Something that looked really familiar if you've ever been to Finch's is the Prosciutto, Fig and Brie.  In addition to the ingredients already listed, we also found balsamic onions, arugula and balsamic glaze.  The combination of ingredients lends itself to layers of taste.  You have the salty meatiness of the prosciutto balanced off by the sweetness of the sliced figs.  Yet, the creaminess of the brie brings everything down a notch while the balsamic affords some sweet tanginess.  Good combo.

For myself, I had to get the Cuban Ham (or their version of a Cubano) with BBQ pulled pork, honey ham, Swiss, pickles, yellow mustard and chipotle aioli.  This was rather messy and cheesy, but that was the whole point of the sandwich.  Lots of meatiness from the tender pulled pork and salty ham.  The pickles gave a nice tangy kick while the mustard did some of the same.  There was also a background spice.

The best sandwich, according to all of us, was shockingly the Roast Chicken with shaved parm, tomatoes, arugula and chipotle aioli. Due to the big chunks of roast chicken breast, this sandwich also weighed the most.  It ate hearty with tender bites of chicken with the tanginess of the tomatoes and the salty nuttiness of the parm.  Ultimately the sandwiches at The Dirty Apron at YVR were a decent option at the airport.  Prices range from approximately $17.00 - $19.00, which is actually reasonable considering we are kept captive in post-security area.  Much better than the Banh Shop in the US departures. Just remember (and this is really important!), get a freshly made and toasted sandwich.  Not one of those premade one sitting in the refrigerated display.  Those are gross.

The Good:
- Sandwiches actually taste good and have enough filling
- Reasonably-priced with all things considered

The Bad:
- Bread is a bit dense
- Only in the domestic departures  

Birdies Eats & Drinks

When they announced there would be a new location of Earls at The Amazing Brentwood, it was a forgone conclusion that the one on Lougheed would be closing shortly afterwards.  That it did and they rebranded the location into Birdies (still run by the same company).  They totally redid the outside and interior to reflect its California-inspired cuisine.  The place is now much brighter in terms of lighting as well as the colour-scheme.  I recently made a rez and visited the place with the fam.

One thing is for sure, they really pump the music on loud, so the place has an energetic vibe.  Actually, the Baja Calamari seemed quite energetic with all the colours thanks to some snap peas, cherry tomatoes, avocado and pickled onions.  These were fresh and those tomatoes were quite flavourful.  As for the calamari, we found the pieces to be extremely light and airy.  The batter was crispy and properly-seasoned.  I thought the kale aioli was creamy and pleasant, but I would've preferred something more acidic (even though we did have a lemon wedge too).

Onto one of our favourite dishes, the Yuzu Black Pepper Wings were flavourful and succulent.  Normally, most wings at non-Asian spots are never really all that juicy, but these were.  Furthermore, the balance between pepper and tangy yuzu was spot on as we got a bit of pepperiness while the yuzu helped lighten things up.  Although the skin wasn't totally rendered, it was so flavourful, I didn't mind eating it.

We shared one more item in the Bee Sting Pizza with soppressata, spicy capocollo, fresh basil, red peppers and hot honey.  This was pretty good with a thin crust that was uniformly crispy throughout.  There was a low rumble of spice that lingered a bit at the end.  The drizzle of honey helped balance things off while the peppers and tomato offered up tang and sweetness.  I did wish there was more meat on the pizza though.

For her main, my daughter decided on the Saffron Spaghettini with a light cream sauce, prawns, grana padano and fresh basil.  We thought this was solid with firmly al dente pasta and buttery prawns that had a sweet snap texture.  As for the sauce, it was definitely creamy and had a noticeable amount of saffron.  Hence it was aromatic and appealing.  However, there could've been a bit more of it since the dish ate a bit dry.  Also, the basil should've been in smaller strands, not big leaves.

My son wasn't into anything on the rest of the menu, so he went for an appie for his main in the Crispy Birria Tacos.  As with any birria tacos, the tortilla was dipped into the braised short rib liquid and fat, then cooked on the flattop.  They also added cheddar on the outside and seared it up until it was crispy.  Hence this ate quite heavy and plenty sinful.  He didn't even dip the tacos into the braising liquid since the tacos had so much flavour and moisture already.  I dipped it and the shallots added a lot to the meatiness of the liquid.  There was plenty of shortrib inside the tacos and it was more or less tender.

Viv didn't get anything big and went for the West Coast Salad with avocado, bacon, apples, romaine, cherry tomatoes, kale, nut & seed blend, grana padano and white balsamic & avocado dressing.  Okay, the salad itself was good where the freshness of the ingredients was evident.  Bacon and the cheese added the necessary saltiness and body while the dressing had enough balancing acidity to keep things light.  Really didn't think they needed to put that many croutons, but they were crispy and light.

My dad went for his standby being the only fish dish in the Lemon Herb Salmon.  This featured an oven-roasted fillet that was flaky and moist.  It sat atop rice and roasted Brussels sprouts.  I really liked the sprouts as they were still firm but cooked all-the-way-through.  There was some smoky charring and they were well-seasoned.  The lemon parsley glaze was mild and subtle.  It could've used a bit more punch.

My mom also had her usual in the steak, specifically the Salsa Verde Steak.  She asked for it to be prepared medium-rare but closer to rare.  Well, it was perfectly executed.  Hence it was juicy and generally tender (with a few chewy parts).  The steak could've used a bit more seasoning though.  As for the tomatillo salsa verde, it was actually rather mild and I would've liked to see more flavour.  There was a seared potato pavé underneath it was good -  buttery with tender layers of potato.  

For myself, I had the Birdies Burger with double patty, tomato jam, smoked bacon, American cheddar, lettuce, onion and pickles on toasted brioche.  I generally enjoyed this burger since the bun was soft, yet stayed intact while the bacon was uniformly crispy.  The burger patties were a decent size and were moist and tender.  However, I found the patties to be crumbly and lacking a bit of meat texture.  Despite this, the burger was still good.  It also came with a whack load of crispy fries.

For dessert, we decided to give their Key Lime Bar a go.  This was a fairly large portion where the strong tanginess of key limes really came through.  The bar itself was rich and creamy while quite sweet.  Graham crust was firm while the Chantilly cream was light.  Overall, the food at Birdies was generally good with a few tweaks needed.  The place has a youthful presence with bright colours and loud music.

The Good:
- A lot brighter and "open" than the old Earl's
- Decent eats
- Energetic vibe, if you like that

The Bad:
- I love loud music and I play it loud in my car and at home. However, it was so loud at Birdies, it was hard to have a convo

 

Aloha Hawaiian Grill

Oh how I miss Hawaii!  Totally love the weather there, the beaches and of course, the food!  Such an eclectic fusion of cuisines due to the many different cultures intermixing on the islands.  Although we have Hawaiian eats available on the mainland, there isn't much of a selection locally unless you are looking for poke.  Even with that, you get a mish mash of what is supposed to be poke, but sometimes you end up with fish salad.  So when Nora tipped me off a Aloha Hawaiian Grill in Steveston, I just knew I had to meet up with her to try it out!

We were lucky to get there at opening since it was pretty busy by the time it hit Noon. So we had to get some classics including the Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp on rice with a side of mac salad and corn.  This was not bad with plenty of garlickiness and butter.  I would've liked to see a bit more salt, but it was enough to season the shrimp.  About that shrimp, they were of a decent size and plump.  Good buttery snap and natural briny aroma.  Rice underneath was chewy and dry (in a good way).

We also got the Luau Pork Ribs with the same sides.  These slow-cooked ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender but at the same time, they didn't exactly fall-off-the-bone upon contact.  Hence, this was the perfect balance between being tender while not being mushy.  These were sweet and a bit smoky from char off the grill.  I found the mac salad to be decent with al dente noodles and not too much mayo.  It could've used a bit more seasoning though.

Our last big plate was the Loco Moco featuring the usual beef patty with brown gravy and a fried egg on rice.  I quite liked this as the beef patty was large and thick.  It was moist with tender beef and benefited from the sweetness of the onions.  It had been seared nicely and exhibited good caramelization.  The gravy was flavourful but not salty.  The mushrooms added some body and umaminess.  Once again, the dry rice was perfect for accepting the gravy.

Of course couldn't forget about the ever popular Spam Musubi right?  We got a couple of these and right off the bat, I liked how the spam-to-rice ratio was almost 50:50.  Furthermore, the rice was mixed with furikake which meant extra umaminess.  Like it should be, the spam was teriyaki-sauce glazed  which helped also flavour the rice.  I would've liked to see a more aggressive sear on the spam though.  Otherwise, this was a solid version.

We ended off with a small bowl of Shaved Ice in Mango, Cherry and Passionfruit topped with some condensed milk.  I found the shaved ice to be rather snowy and light.  Hence it was easy to eat and not "icy" if that makes any sense.  The flavours could've been anything because it all just tasted sweet to me.  Just enough condensed milk so that the whole thing wasn't sickingly sweet.  Overall, I thought the food at Aloha was pretty good for the mainland.  I still miss the stuff in Hawaii though, but flying there will cost me, so not really fair to compare.

The Good:

- Generally good eats

- Nice people

- Wonderful location

The Bad:

- Garlic shrimp could be more flavourful

- Parking in the village sucks