Okeya Kyujiro

I've had many expensive meals in my lifetime (I'm fortunate, I realize that), but honestly, this would be the most I've ever spent for myself and Viv on one meal.  With the urging of Mijune, I booked Okeya Kyujiro for Viv's birthday dinner recently.  She raved about the food and dining theatre provided by the experience.  Now this experience would cost $325.00 each person not including beverages, tax and tip.  Turns out with all that, we got close to $1000.00 for this dinner.  So was it worth it?  I guess you are about to find out!

So, the place only seats 16 people max around the sushi bar where you can see the considerable amount of staff curate all 25+ courses of the Omakase meal.  We started off with the Clam with Dashi Jelly.  This was a subtle dish that featured buttery soft clam meat that was naturally sweet with only the slightest of brininess.  As expected, the jelly was equally subtle with its signature umaminess and sweetness.  This was an excellent intro to the meal as it whet our appetites in the lightest way possible.

Speaking of light, our next course featured a Scallop Chawanmushi with ikura and a touch of freshly-grated wasabi.  Silky, sweet and aromatic, the chawanmushi was so made with such precision that there was barely a lick of excess moisture.  Rather, it was all egg that was super airy and buttery smooth.  Once again, this was an exercise of balance rather than exhibiting strong flavours.  The scallop on top was buttery and sweet while the ikura provided pops of brininess.  That little dollop of wasabi added just the slightest bite to the dish.

From here, the meal started ramping up in terms of impact with the Sawara (Smoked Spanish Mackerel) with ponzu.  The meatiness and and smokiness of the mackerel was so apparent, yet still not out-of-balance.  I found the texture to be robust, yet delicate at the same time.  Exhibiting a touch of bright and appealing fishiness, the smokiness brought a rich savouriness.  Things were kept light with the tang from the ponzu.

Next, we were served a beautiful piece of Blue Fin Tuna (Akami) Nigiri with Japanese mustard atop brown sushi rice.  Although not the fattiest parts of the fish (Otoro & Chutoro), this was still buttery soft with the clean taste of the sea.  It was lightly brushed where it further enhanced the fish with a sweet savouriness.  Underneath, the brown rice was firm and chewy while not hard either.  It was very lightly seasoned so that the blue fin tuna remained the star of the show.  However, the small amount of Japanese mustard afford some bite.

From this we moved onto a piece of King Crab Nigiri with tomalley that brought things down a notch with more gentle flavours and texture.  Naturally, the fluffy texture of the king crab was a contrast to the chewy sushi rice and crisp nori.  The sweetness and brininess of the crab was refreshing compared to the last 2 pieces of nigiri.   This was a nicely planned break before the next course.  Umaminess and sweetness was provided by the tomalley on top which helped bring more impact to the crab.

Progressing from the last 2 nigiri offerings, we moved onto the Lobster Tempura with sudachi juice and seaweed furikake.  This was comprised of a substantial nugget from the lobster tail.  As such, it was meaty, sweet and had all of the succulent bounce texture we associate with lobster tail meat.  The tempura batter was super thin and subsequently light and crispy.  It was not greasy, yet the meatiness was a good transition to the next item.

That next item was something more rich in the Brown Mushroom Soup.  Although there didn't seem to be any cream added, the soup itself was cooked down enough to be thick and full of body.  Normally, mushroom soup can be earthy and woodsy, but this one was far beyond that with a mushroom flavour that hit us in the face.  Calling it impactful would be an understatement.  It was also seasoned just enough where it enhanced the flavours without overshadowing the main ingredient.  I also enjoyed the mushroom pulp in terms of texture.

We moved back to mackerel with Saba Bou-Sushi (Seared Mackerel Pressed Sushi).  Unlike the previous mackerel course, this one was more pure tasting.  What I mean by that is, without the smoke, we got much more the natural mackerel essence.  This brown sushi rice paired well with this as it created a consistent robust bite from first chew to the last.

If you ever questioned the luxuriousness of this meal, it would be answered partially by the next course.  It featured a Flounder Nigiri with monkfish liver, flounder fin and topped with caviar.  Due to the more firm texture of flounder, it is usually a touch chewy, but in this case, it was surprisingly tender.  This was possibly due to the thinness of the slice.  It was lightly sweet.  Adding some more taste of the sea, the ankimo was firmly buttery.  As expected, the small piece of flounder fin was more delicate.  Of course the caviar added some brininess.

Continuing on with nigiri, we had the Shima-Aji next which was buttery and sweet with more impact than the flounder.  It was slightly fatty which made it tender and required very little chewing.  Again, it was brushed with nikiri which added some more sweetness and a touch of light saltiness.  It didn't need much though as it was flavourful on its own.

I expected there to be Miso-Marinated 

Gindara (Black Cod) somewhere during this meal and I was glad to see it served here.  It was classically marinated with sake and miso while beautifully seared.  We found a piece of Japanese ginger to compliment the fish.  Buttery and flaky, the fish was perfectly prepared.  As much as black cod can be forgiving, there is still certain levels of execution and this was on point.  There was just enough seasoning to compliment the fish while the Japanese ginger provided tanginess without the usual sharpness of typical ginger.

As we were progressing through each course, we began checking off the expected luxurious ingredients and sure enough the Hokkaido Uni appeared next.  It was served seaweed jam atop brown sushi rice on a spoon as well as Gunkan with nori.  There was no doubt how fresh this uni was where it was creamy and sweet with the essence of the sea without any funkiness.  The seaweed jam atop Bafun Uni added a jolt of umaminess that was a nice contrast to the pure taste of the nigiri.

So we got some refreshing reprieve from the uni coming from the gindara, now we moved onto something heavier with the Deep-Fried Taro with ankimo cream.  Creamy without any chalkiness, the taro ate easily.  It was coated in the thinest of tempura batter that was crispy and light.  As aromatic as taro can be, the ankimo cream provided that natural sweetness that brought things down a few notches even though it was quite creamy.

On cue, we were brought right back down with the refreshing Persimmon topped with Mashed Tofu.  This was far from complex, but it was thoughtful in terms of placement in the meal progression and also how it tasted.  The floral sweetness and subtle honey flavour of the persimmon was at the forefront as the mashed tofu was mild and creamy.

So far, with all of the things we had been served, the whole ingredient was displayed for us prior.  For instance, with the Golden-Eye Snapper with lemon and seaweed salt, they paraded it around showing us how fresh and stunning the fish was.  Well, it was truly beautiful in terms of the sweetness and slightly firm texture.  It had a slight smokiness due to the searing of the skin.

Presented in a hand-carved cucumber flower, the Moro Kyu featuring moro-miso with black bean was a fermented and umami delight.  Naturally, there was plenty of deep saltiness to go around, but the cucumber helped balance that off.  There was also some sweetness to go with the savouriness with this little bite.  Best of all, the crunch from the cucumber was nice texture after several courses of soft items.

Interestingly, Viv didn't know what she was eating in the Cod Milt with ooba leaf tempura and uni sauce.  I just had to have a giggle to myself about it.  This was lightly tempura fried and appealingly crispy while the milt was creamy and sweet with just a touch of the sea.  I thought the addition of uni sauce added even more seafoody sweetness.

Now in this picture, you might figure it is just a simple Miso Soup.  Yes, it was a miso soup, but with snow crab and harry crab shell infused elements.  Hence, this was intensely sweet and briny.  Furthermore, this paired well with the usual fermented umaminess of the miso soup to create depth of flavour while at the same time being naturally sweet.

Back to the nigiri, we had the Bluefin Otoro which was super fatty and buttery.  As you can tell in the picture, this was melting as it just sat there at lukewarm temperature.  That meant this literally dissolved in our mouths on contact.  The natural sweetness and appealingly fishiness came through with brightness despite the fattiness.  Good thing there was some chewy rice underneath.

The hits kept on coming with the Freshwater Eel that was butchered in-house just before being grilled and sauced.  The result was a super fresh skewer of buttery eel.  It was subtle with natural sweetness that was further enhanced by the caramelization from the grilling.  There was just enough sauce to compliment in a sweet and savoury fashion.

The top-notch ingredients continued with the A5 Wagyu Beef from the Miyazaki prefecture smoked with cherry blossom & black salt.  This little bite was so decadent and sinful, but also thoughtful in its simple seasoning.  The fattiness of the beef was at the forefront with aromatics and meatiness.  However, the small amount of salt added just enough seasoning to compliment the smokiness.

 

As if we could top any of the previous dishes, the Ikura Don with snow crab, bluefin tuna, bonito, seaweed and freshly grated wasabi was such a treat.  Naturally, the sushi rice was perfect in texture while the luxurious items on top was literally the icing.  We had the butteriness of the bluefin while the pops of the sea from the ikura added a nice brininess.  Such simplicity and it was all about the natural flavours and sweetness.

Although we'd already had some beautifully grilled freshwater eel, we were also served some tempura-fried Anago Nigiri.  Yet another example of premium ingredients prepared expertly, the eel was buttery soft while the light and crispy batter acted as a wonderful textural contrast.  Just slightly sauced, this was all about being subtle.

On the topic of simplicity, we were served a piece of Tamago next.  As basic as this is, there are so many bad versions out there.  Well, it is by no surprise that this was prepared with care.  Hence, it was fluffy, not dense and had all of the soft and velvety textures we'd expect.  Furthermore, it was sweet and delicately seasoned.

Our final savoury item was the Seafood Ramen featuring a clean and sweet broth with the intense umaminess of the freshly-shaved bonito.  We also found gold flakes that continued the luxurious theme of the meal.  With an intricate design, the kombu fan was a little surprise sitting in the broth.  As for the noodles, they were al dente with a nice chew.

 

Onto the dessert course, we found a Phyllo Apple Pie, White Bean Paste, Vanilla Ice Cream with raspberry sauce and Crown Melon (Japanese Musk Melon).  Everything on this plate was about simplicity (used this word many times!) and subtle flavours.  The apple pie was sweet and very light while the heaviest item was the bean paste, which was also lightly sweet.  The best part was the small piece of crown melon as it was super juicy, floral and sweet.

Lastly, we ended off this epic meal with the Green Tea Ceremony, which was part of the overall dinner theatre.  I can't stress enough how memorable this meal was.  This might sound outrageous, but the quality of the ingredients, expertise in preparation and entertainment value are probably worth more than $325.00pp.  I'm sure this will go up in price (as with everything else these days), so if you feel spendy and want to celebrate something special, Okeya Kyujiro is a Michelin-Star restaurant that is legit.  

The Good:

- Quality of the ingredients

- High level of execution

- Entertaining

The Bad:

- Well, yah it is going to cost you

- Due to the need for you to eat the food in its optimal state, each course comes pretty quickly

Baan Lao

It's been a year and a half since I've last visited Baan Lao out in Steveston.  This little Thai fine dining restaurant has received many accolades and if Richmond was part of the Michelin Guide, I'm certain they would be in consideration for a star due to the stellar combination of food and service.  That first visit was on my own coin, so my love for the place was genuine.  Sure, there will be those who may not see eye-to-eye with me on this one due to the pricing but I believe that Baan Lao is worth the cost.  Many do not see the intricacies and effort put into every dish.  Everything is fresh and employs quality ingredients.  So for this post, I was invited back along with Jacqueline to try their new tasting menu.  I still paid my own way with the cocktail pairings as well as the gratuities.

So before we got to the heart of the meal, we had a surprise Amuse Bouche waiting for us underneath a woven closhe.  It revealed a trio of little bites including the Watermelon with hand-roasted and dried wild rock fish flakes.  The combination of sweet and juicy with dry and briny really worked.  I found it to increase the intensity of the sweetness.  Next, I tried the Cha Plu Leaf Wrap with hand-roasted organic cashew, herbs & organic coconut flakes encased in carrot.  Layers of flavour greeted our palates in the form of sweetness from the coconut, aromatics from the herbs and nuttiness.  Lastly, we had the MacClintok's Farm Organic Water Buffalo Homemade Meatball on a fresh pineapple spoon.  Oh this was a flavour bomb from the juiciness of the sweet and tangy pineapple to the meaty and savoury meatball.  Lots of sweetness from the meatball as well.

Onto the appies, we had the Fraser Valley Organic Chicken Thai Dumpling hand-shaped as little birdies complete with black sesame eyes and chili beak.  Beyond the chewy bounciness of the dumpling skin, we found a delicious chicken filling that was firm, but not dry.  It had a nutty sweetness complimented by equal parts spice and savoury elements.  The flavours came through in layers with a noted galangal finish.

Sitting in a crispy golden pastry, the Yellow Curried Alaska King Crab was a little package, but provided a wallop in impact.  With little drops of yellow curry strewn throughout, we got the sweetness of palm sugar, earthiness of the turmeric and the creaminess of coconut milk.  This was further enhanced by the textural contrast of the serving vessel.  It brought a robustness to an otherwise delicate dish.

Served tableside, the Organic Coconut Galangal Soup with crispy wild sockeye salmon was very aromatic before we even dug into it.  All the dishes appealed to our senses in terms of appearance, smell and taste.  We definitely sensed the aromatics of galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves and birds-eye chili as we took each spoonful.  Each spoonful was a party in our mouths as it was tangy, spicy, creamy, aromatic, gingery and of course aromatic from the lemongrass. 

To cleanse our palate, we were served a Lemongrass Pandan with Elixir.  This cold shot was the perfect subtle drink to erase the strong flavours of the previous dishes.  It was smooth, aromatic and lightly sweet.  The intricate pandan flower on the side was not merely a garnish.  It offered elements of aroma that elevated the elixir.  Hitting other senses ensured we got the full effect.

Onto the mains, we were served the Seared Hokkaido Scallop with Thai herbs with a spicy tamarind sauce served tableside.  Honestly, the seared scallop with caviar and 24K edible gold leaf was good by itself being buttery and medium-rare while properly seasoned.  However, that tamarind sauce was off-the-hook with equal parts sweetness, tanginess, spiciness and aromatics.

When we got to the Phat Thai with mangrove black tiger prawn, it felt familiar again because this was one dish I've had before.  It was encased in a egg lattice that was intricately constructed.  The crispiness gave way to chewy rice noodles that were perfectly cooked and not clumped together.  Blessed with the house-made tamarind juice from the seeds only, the flavour profile was one of balanced sweetness and tang that was beautiful.  I found this to have a very clean taste with no interruptions from other unwanted flavours or textures.

Our last savoury dish was the Grillled Organic Sumas Mountain Beef Tenderloin in red curry.  The beef could not have been prepared any more perfectly.  It was medium-rare (more on the rare side, which I prefer) and buttery soft.  There was good caramelization on the outside that lead to inherently elevated meaty flavours.  However, that red curry had so much depth and creaminess, I wanted to lick the plate.  Loved the texture from the basil crunch.  There were also little beads of coconut milk caviar that gave a creamy aromatic element.  The 2 types of rice (Jasmine & Riceberry) were actually from Chef Nutcha's family farm in Thailand.

Normally, whenever we are served a palate cleanser, it usually comes as a scoop of sorbet.  However, they served these Lemon Sorbet popsicles tableside (straight from a freezer contraption).  Fresh lime zest was grated on top for both aroma and taste.  These were definitely tart and refreshing with the very cold temperatures.  This helped bring down all of the impactful flavours from the previous 2 dishes.

Featuring a stunningly beautiful cracker, we found both a Pumpkin Egg Custard and Smoked Ice Cream on the place as well.  Normally, I'm not a fan of pumpkin anything, but this had me sold as the flavour was subtle and lightly sweet.  Hence, I was able to enjoy the creaminess of the custard without the overly powerful vegetable gaminess normally associated with pumpkin.  We also had drops of pumpkin puree and coconut puree on the plate to tie everything together.  As for the pure coconut ice cream, it was smooth, aromatic and had a balanced smokiness that gave it depth without overwhelming the mild milk flavour.

Last but not least, we were presented with the Hand-Carved Seasonal Fruit featuring a "chili" was actually made of luuk choop which is like marizpan, but made with mung bean paste coated with agar.  The freshness of the juicy pineapple and melon came through with hits of intense sweetness.   So you can clearly see that we enjoyed the meal and appreciated the thoughtful touches by Chef Nutcha.  I would gladly pay for this meal as I feel it is worth every penny (I have paid for it before too!). 

*Food was complimentary excluding cocktail pairings and gratuities for this post*

The Good:

- Precise and intricate

- Chef Nutcha is passionate with all of her ingredients

- Michelin-level service

The Bad:

- Some might say the price, but with tasting menus and omakase experiences exceeding $300pp these days, I think it is worth it

- Definitely a destination restaurant as it is located in Steveston

Pier 88 Boiling Seafood & Bar

On our way back up to Vancouver, after some pretty epic eats in Portland, we stopped in Lynnwood to end this foodie road trip with a bang.  The place?  Pier 88 Boiling Seafood where the name says it all, featuring an array of seafood dishes as well as the main event, the seafood boil.  Now seafood boils are no longer a novelty because there are quite a few of them to choose from.  However, the key difference between them are the actual physical restaurant as well as different sauces and of course pricing.

As for Pier 88, the purpose-built dining room is spacious with a clear nautical theme.  Lots of room on the table to make a mess with your crab legs.  On the topic of crab, we had the Deep Fried Soft-Shell Crab with parprika aioli.  These little guys were not so little.  They were lightly breaded and fried just enough so they were crispy while still tender and custardy.  Of course there was the natural brininess that made this taste really good.

We then had another pair of fried appies in the Calmari and Popcorn Shrimp.  They have mad deep fryer skills as both were perfectly prepared.  The tender calamari rings were coated in a light and crispy batter while the same was true for the shrimp.  As for the shrimp, they were of a decent size with a buttery, yet not overly soft texture.  I particularly liked the tartar sauce that came with the shrimp.  It was creamy with nice bite from the bits of onion and pickles.

Going from deep-fried to a couple of cold appies, we had the Lobster Salad and a dozen of the Shinsei Oysters.  As you can see, the salad had a good amount of lobster claw meat atop greens, tomatoes, croutons and egg.  This came with a 1000-Islands-type dressing.  The oysters were similar to kushis and were shucked properly.  These petite oysters were briny and sweet with plenty of liquor.

So all of the appies were fantastic, but really, we were here for the seafood boil!  On this platter, we had Snow Crab Legs, Whole Live Dungeness Crab and King Crab Legs in 88 Special Sauce (Medium Spice Level).  Both the snow crab and king crab legs were cooked just right being fluffy with that classic crab rebound texture.  The live dungeness crab was also done right.  We got this in the 88 Special Sauce which was buttery and garlicky with a background kick.

On our next platter, we had a Whole Live Lobster, Head-On Shrimp, Mussels and Crawfish in Garlic Butter (Mild Spice Level).  As with the crab, the lobster was prepared properly with sweet bouncy meat.  The mild garlic butter complimented without being overpowering.  Mussels were plump and briny while the crawfish were earthy tasting as expected.  Shrimp had a nice rebound and were sweet.

For dessert, we tried both the Chocolate Molten Cake as well as the Butter Toffee Cake.  Of the 2, I preferred the latter as it was soft and moist with a rich sweetness that wasn't overpowering.  Naturally, it was buttery and no, it probably wasn't good for my figure...  However, one thing is for sure - the seafood was fresh (even the frozen ones) and prepared properly.  On top of that the sauces were delicious and the prices were fair.  Would do this again.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post*

The Good:
- Fresh seafood (even the frozen ones)
- Prepared right
- Fair pricing

The Bad:
- Even though I feel the pricing is fair, naturally seafood is expensive, so you will need to be prepared to spend some money 

Rukdiew Cafe

We started this Portland foodie trip with Thai food at Khao Moo Dang, so it was fitting to end it with Thai food at their sister restaurant Rukdiew Cafe.  Now they might be of the same cuisine, but the menus couldn't be anymore different.  Whereas Khao Moo Dang dishes up hawker-style food, Rukdiew offers up more typical items you'd find at a Thai dinner spot.  However, the food is far from typical as they have a variety of dishes as well as tasty cocktails.  I absolutely love the eclectic & colorful decor.

Decor aside, we were here for the food as well as some Halloween-themed cocktails (we visited in early November).  These included Dracula's Kiss, Endorphins, Blackberry Margarita and Mango Mojito. Loved the colors as well as the flavors.  There was definitely a balancing amount of sweetness in each one to offset the alcohol content.  Plenty of fruitiness too.  Check out the fake teeth on the first cocktail!

Onto the food, we started with the Crab Rangoon.  This is a classic appetizer that is not particularly Asian due to the use of cream cheese.  But honestly, I do not care if it is a North American invention because it is quite good.  For this version, the wonton wrappers were crispy with melty cream cheese in the middle mixed with imitation crab and onion.  We found chili pineapple sauce on the side that added sweetness.

Nicely-plated with lettuce, sliced cucumbers and fried vermicelli noodles, the Moo Ping (Thai Pork Skewers) were nicely charred.  Also well-marinated, these were flavorful with caramelized sweet smokiness.  The meat itself was moist and almost juicy.  This was further enhanced by the side of spicy tomato dipping sauce.  There was a spicy sweet tanginess that really went well with the smoky pork.

 

Onto some salads, we had the Somtum (Green Papaya Salad) as well as the Larb.  I don't really consider Larb as a "salad" since it is more of a lettuce wrap.  However, yes, it can be eaten as a salad, so it depends on how you eat it I suppose.  With a squeeze of lime, the meat mixture was fairly bright.  The onions helped in that regard.  When eaten with the lettuce, there was some fresh crunch for contrast.  As for the somtum, it was also crunchy and fresh with elements of fish sauce, spice from the chilis, tang from the lime and sweetness from palm sugar.

One of my favorite appies of the meal was the Hot Wings on a bed of fried noodles (actually loved the noodles as they soaked up all of the spicy glaze).  Now the glaze was indeed spicy, but it also was sweet with some hits of soy.  As for the wings themselves, they were cooked beautifully where the skin was rendered while the meat was still juicy and moist.  Also, check out the size of those dummettes! 

To bring it down a bit, we moved onto the Tom Kha.  Now this actually had some spice too but it was definitely balanced by the coconut milk.  As usual with this soup, the aromatics were the real draw with hits of lemongrass, lime leaves and galangal.  Hence, there was tanginess and bright citrusy finish.  With the addition of tender pieces of chicken, there was some nice body to the soup as well as texture.

From here, we moved onto the bigger plates including the Panang Beef Curry.  This was rather aromatic and full-flavored.  It was mild and creamy with the usual nuttiness from the peanuts.  I found this one to have a balancing sweetness.  The array of veggies were cooked just right as they were still vibrant with a light crunch.  As for the beef, it was really tender and not chewy like many other versions.

Trying to go for something different than the usual red and green curries, we tried the Mango Chicken Curry.  Now this was by default a red curry, but with the addition of mango, it ate a bit sweeter and was more "tropical".  This had a bit more spice, but once again, the sweetness balanced things off.  The peppers were cooked just enough while the ample amount of chicken was tender.

Also really enjoyed the Soft-Shell Crab Pad Thai, not only because of the crab, but because this was a solid version of the dish.  Exhibiting noticeable wok hei (high wok heat), the noodles were smoky and caramelized.  There was no excess moisture on the plate, yet at the same time, the noodles were not clumpy.  Lots of brininess and sweetness as well as the unmistakable tamarind tang.

Ending off our savory plates, we went out on a high with the Khao Soi.  This ever popular Northern dish featured a rich and creamy coconut curry soup that was fragrant and aromatic.  The bone-in chicken was soft and stewed to the point where it fell off that bone.  It had soaked up some of the flavors of the soup.  The egg noodles were al dente while the crispy egg noodles soaked up the sweet creamy goodness.

We ended the meal with 3 desserts including the Lava Chocolate Cake, Butterfly Pea Tapioca Pudding and Crème Brûlée Cheesecake.  Yes, these weren't exactly Thai desserts (well maybe the tapioca), but they were good nonetheless.  The lava cake was rather textbook with a rich, yet fluffy texture while the cheesecake was not heavy.  It was creamy with plenty of cheesiness.  I really enjoyed the tapioca pudding due to the sweet coconut milk and the chewy texture.  Overall, the meal was fantastic with bold flavors and well-executed proteins.  Solid Thai food in a colorful and cozy dining space.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post*

The Good:
- Bold flavors
- Colorful and fun atmosphere
- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:
- Yes, there is free parking, but that is one tight parking lot