Portobello

11 years ago, we dined at the Broadway location of Portobello.  Now, we have noticed that it had moved into the former spot of the Pear Tree on Hastings in Burnaby.  I filed that away in my mind so if we ever needed as place to grab some Italian eats, we would hit the place up.  Well, it was my mom's birthday and we didn't want to venture into Downtown, so yep, this was the place for us!

We ended up sharing a bunch of dishes starting with some starters including the Caesar Salad and the Burrata.  Dressed in a house-made dressing, the Caesar salad was fairly mild in flavour despite the rich anchovy colour.  It was plenty creamy with some aromatics and fresh crunch from the romaine.  Soft and creamy, there was a good amount of burrata atop the dressed arugula and fresh cherry tomatoes.

Onto our pasta course, we ordered 3 of them.  The most simple of the bunch was the Fusilli con Polpette.  This featured 2 humungous house-made ground prime rib meatballs sitting in a tomato sauce with shaved parmigiano.  There was enough filler to prevent the meat from being dense, yet at the same time, the beef texture was still prevalent.  The tomato sauce was bright and tangy, yet was a bit one-note.  The shaved parm did help in this regard.  As for the fusilli, it was al dente.

Our favourite pasta of the bunch was not really a pasta, but a risotto.  The Risotto di Mare was a large portion of aborio rice, prawns and halibut.  We thought the rice was perfectly prepared as it was cooked through while still retaining a bite.  The combination of white wine, butter and cream was on point where it made the risotto rich without being too heavy.  Beyond the on point seasoning, the natural sweetness and brininess of the halibut and prawns came through in the background.

We also had the Agnolotti di Ricotta in a rose sauce.  These were not made in-house, but rather imported from Italy.  Well, these were legit as the thin pasta was firm, yet still tender to the bite.  Inside, the creamy ricotto and spinach were dry enough to not impact the integrity of the agnolotti.  Hence, they stayed together even after being cut in half and covered in sauce.  About that sauce, it was nicely balanced with a creamy and subtle tanginess.

So for our Primi, we also ordered 3 dishes including the Cioppino di Mare with clams, mussels, prawns, halibut and squid in a fish stock with white wine, garlic, fresh herbs and light tomato sauce.  This was quite the pleasant dish where the broth was definitely the star of the show.  It was naturally sweet and plenty "seafoody" with a spicy tanginess.  The seafood was perfectly cooked with buttery mussels and clams as well as delicately bouncy pieces of squid.

We really enjoyed the Ossobuco Classico where the large veal shank was so tender and rich with flavour.  It was fork-tender with the flavours of the wine and root vegetables coming through.  That was also evident with the braising liquid that melded perfectly with the al dente and creamy risotto on the side.  When combined, the richness of the risotto and the jus created a delicious bite.  Even better with a piece of the tender veal.

Staying with veal, we had the Piccata al Limone.  This featured several thin slices of veal that were lightly floured, sautéed in butter, white wine and lemon juice.  They were tender while mildly-seasoned.  The lemon did come through, offering up a certain brightness to break up the heaviness of the buttery.  I found the veggies on the side to be perfectly prepared where they retained a crunch.

For dessert, we had the Raspberry-Rhubarb Cobbler and the Tiramisu.  We felt the cobbler was quite good in terms of flavour and texture.  Nice tanginess and balanced sweetness from the fruit while the topping was not too thick nor dense.  As for the tiramisu, the mascarpone cream was light and just sweet enough.  Ladyfingers were properly soaked and we got that espresso hit.   So this meal at Portobello was exactly what we thought it would be.  It's not the sexiest Italian food in town, but is generally solid.   Love the new space in the ol' Pear Tree and the service was fantastic.

The Good:

- Generally solid food

- Excellent service

- Nice dining space

The Bad:

- Thought the tomato sauce pasta was a bit one-note

Italian Kitchen 50-Layer Lasagna Dinner Sundays

I guess it isn't lost on anyone that going out to eat is an expensive proposition these days.  Hey, it wasn't a cheap venture at anytime for the last 10 years, but right now, it is something that might not fit everyone's budget.  I don't blame the restaurants as operative costs in general are through-the-roof.  However, Italian Kitchen is offering up a their 50-Layer Lasagna presented as a 3-course meal for $45.00 on Sundays.  You really could spend more than this at any chain restaurant at the moment, so yes, this is a good deal.  Jackie and I were invited to try this out on well, a Sunday!

Before we got to our lasagna meal, we were presented with an Amuse Bouche featuring a Caramelized Onion Arancini.  This little bite was quite satisfying with a crispy exterior.  Inside, the aborio rice was still chewy, plenty cheesy and robust.  It was hot throughout all-the-way to the centre.  There was just enough caramelized onion to add that taste to the background rather than being at the forefront.  This way, the cheesiness was still the star of the show.

As part of the 3-course meal, we both started with the Rock Prawn Caesar Salad.  When it arrived at our table, we were pretty impressed with the huge mound of baby kale, romaine, radicchio, herbed garlic croutons and shaved parmigiano reggiano.  Greens were fresh and crisp while adequately dressed in a creamy, cheesy and slightly salty dressing.  I found the ample amount of rock prawn to be cold-water crunchy with a sweet butteriness.  This was a nice start to the meal.

So onto the highlight of the meal, we had the Beef Cheek & Chanterelle Mushroom Lasagna that came in layers of pasta and beef ragù atop porcini béchamel and tomato fondue.  Despite being a special, this was a very good lasagna.  It all started from the tender and meaty beef cheek that gave this concoction plenty of body and meaty flavour.  The thin layers of fresh pasta were fairly al dente which added a nice texture.  The umaminess of the meat was quite apparent but the chanterelles only amped that part of the flavour profile.  This was all complimented well with the bright and tangy tomato sauce while balanced off by the creamy béchamel.  We couldn't help but make this more impactful with some shaved black truffle for a $12.00 supplement.

Another option to make this more bougie was the half of a 1lb Lobster for an extra $25.00.  This butter poached lobster was cut into half and served atop some squash purée.  The lobster itself was cooked properly where the meat was still a bit bouncy and plenty moist.  It was sweet and had the usual essence of lobster.  Personally, I thought the lasagna was plenty big and filling, so adding half a lobster tail wasn't all that necessary.  However, if you wanted to make this more deluxe and you wanted leftovers, then by all means, go for it!

For dessert, the included option is the Signature Zeppole made with brioche dough and filled with chocolate ganache.  A vanilla Anglaise was served on the side.  I've had many experiences with this dessert across the Glowbal Group of restaurants and I have to say it is very good.  The crispiness of the donut gave way to the soft brioche interior and then the semi-sweet ganache came bursting out like liquid gold.  I usually do not dip too much in the vanilla Anglasise as it tastes great by itself.

For an $8.00 supplement, you could opt for the Tableside Tiramisu instead where they prepare the dessert right before your eyes.  It started with ladyfingers that were soaked in espresso.  While they were soaking, the marscapone cream was being prepared and then spooned onto the ladyfingers.  To finish it off, chocolate was freshly grated on top.  This was also good since the dessert was at its optimal state.  No excess moisture nor dilution of flavour.  The lady fingers were moist without breaking apart while the marscapone cream was semi-sweet and rich. 

Now we didn't end things off like that because when at Italian Kitchen, you must have more dishes!  So we ended up trying the Tableside Mushroom Risotto.  The hot risotto was placed in a parmesan cheese wheel and tossed until all that cheesiness was incorporated into the already creamy risotto.  The result was a pretty rich and flavourful risotto that featured fairly al dente aborio rice (some portions were a bit soft).  The generous amount of mushrooms both added woodsiness and beautiful texture.  This was also quite the portion size as it would be hard for someone to finish it by themselves.

We also added the Pan-Seared Duck Breast with winter squash & caciocavello ravioli, chestnut purée, roasted shallots and fig jus.  This was a well-prepared dish where the skin was crispy and well-rendered.  It was also nicely seasoned.  The duck itself was cooked to medium where it was tender and remained juicy.  Loved the ravioli on the side as the fresh pasta was firmly al dente.  There was no absence of flavour to the dish with the sweet and sticky jus and sweet purée.  Overall, we felt the 3-course 50-Layer Lasagna meal a fabulous value for $45.00.  You get the same great food, ambiance and service for an inclusive price.  I know there are people who like to criticize The Glowbal Group, but for me, I've generally had great experiences at their restaurants.  This was no exception.  I will come back for this deal.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Reasonable-pricing on the 3-course meal

- Lively atmosphere

The Bad:

- Parking is a bit difficult to find and there is no validated parking in the adjacent lot

Mumbaiyaa

Sometimes, food gets repetitive.  Yah it is definitely #firstworldproblems and given the economic climate at the moment, the fact I get to eat delicious food is a blessing in itself.  So take what I'm saying in context.  I'm always looking for interesting eats and when I try another new Indian restaurant, the food can be absolutely wonderful, but it can be the same-o same-o.  However, when we checked out Mumbaiyaa out on Hastings in Burnaby, there were signs that it would be different.  First of all, it is vegetarian and primarily a chaat house.  Second, they are located in Burnaby!  In my hood!  So I was pretty excited for my visit.

Looking over the menu, the predominant items were the Indian Pav (butter rolls).  The Butter Vada Pav featured spicy and soft potato that was battered and fried until golden brown.  I found the layers of texture appealing with pillowy soft buns with a crispy potato patty in between with delicate potato inside.  Then you had the intoxicating flavours of garlic and then green chutney.  This was so flavourful and aromatic that you didn't notice there was no meat!

Now that was good, but the real star was the Cheese Burst Vada Pav.  This was essentially a butter vada pav with the addition of a cheesy filling in between the layers of spicy garlic potato within the crispy batter.  The same delicious green chutney was there as well.  As much as this was almost the same as the butter vada pav, this was more robust with the ooey gooey cheese and also it somewhat cooled the spice to a degree.  I could eat a tonne of these!

Looking very similar to the butter vada pav, the Thecha Vada Pav was different for one particular detail - lots of green chilies and cilantro.  This made the whole thing very green and remarkably unique in flavour.  Much more spice and also very green-tasting with the cilantro and also the green chutney.  For me, it was still all about the cheese vada pav for me as it was more subtle.

Beyond the cheese vada pav, our next favourite item was the Ulta Vada Pav.  This was huge bun was stuffed full of spicy potato masala and then coated with besan batter.  This was deep-fried until golden brown and crispy.  Oh this was absolutely delicious and had the same qualities of the previous vada pavs, but with the crunch on the outside and all of the soft textures on the inside.  This was plenty spicy as well.

Other than vada pavs, we had both the Pani Puri and Sev Puri.  With the former, the hollow crispy shells were filled with tender potatoes, a pomegranate seed and some spicy tangy water and sweet chutney.  A nice crispy one-biter that packed a lot of flavour.  As for the latter, we found a crispy puri topped with potatoes, onions, tomatoes and chutneys with thin gram flour noodles on top.  Also a one-biter, but maybe with a spoon or fork.  Flavours were a bit more complex here due to the sharp onion and fresh tomatoes.  More crispiness with this one.

Moving onto something a bit different, but featuring a side of fluffy baked kulcha, the Chhole Kulcha featured a chick pea curry that had a surprising meatiness and depth.  Slightly sweet and almost smoky with spiciness that continued to elevate and really hits at the end.  For me, the super soft kulcha was the best part as it was light as a cloud and soaked up the delicious and spicy curry like it was supposed to.

Featuring 3 soft buttered pav, the Pav Bhaji was another delicious curry that was the beneficiary of really soft bread. The cooked-down vegetables were spicy and slightly sweet with plenty of umaminess.  The curry was smooth and and impactful.  It could've been fine with naan or even rice, but the addictively soft buns complimented the curry much like the chhole kulcha.  Eating the buns by themselves would've been awesome, but pair it with a tasty curry, well that makes it more awesome!

Our one rice dish was the Tawa Pulao with basmati, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers, peas, pav bhaji masala and coriander leaves.  This was a fully-loaded rice that was rather saucy.  Lots of flavour from the sweet onions and bell peppers.  There was spice to this and also plenty of impact from the coriander.   Since the rice was already cooked, the texture was a bit softer.

As for the sweets, we had an Oreo Milkshake during the meal and Falooda for dessert (Rabdi & Rose).  The milkshake was creamy and smooth being a drinkable viscosity.  It was sweet, but not overwhelmingly so.  As for the falooda, they were sweet, yet balanced.  Lots of bouncy vermicelli hidden within the milky concoction with ice cream on top.  At the end of our meal, I was really glad that we made it out to Mumbaiyaa.  Nice to try some new things and also some familiar ones.  What a nice addition to the neighbourhood as we do not have anything like it nearby.  The stuff is so tasty and fulfilling, you won't miss the meat!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Lots of flavour and spiciness

- Reasonable pricing

- Super nice owner

The Bad:

- I mean, if you want meat, but for me I didn't miss it

- A little carb heavy, but it is vegetarian though

Secret Garden

I've seen many buffets within Greater Vancouver and also along my travels.  But I haven't seen many Korean buffets.  Now let me clarify, there are many AYCE Korean BBQs that I've encountered and one of them used to be in Surrey.  They even had self-service BBQ meats as well as banchan and other Korean dishes.  However, I do believe that the newly-opened Secret Garden (in the former Red Robin) at Lougheed is a rarity.  It is a classic station-style self-service buffet that offers up various Korean dishes (without at-your-table BBQ).  We recently checked out the place for a weekend dinner.

The renovations at the place has made everything brighter, but some remnants of the old Red Robin still exist.  The buffet stations have a wide range of dishes.  I loaded up a plate of smaller items to begin with like the Kimbap, California Roll, Tuna Mayo Inari, Soft Tofu and Banchan (jellyfish salad, eggplant, kimchi & squid).  Being a smaller kimbap without the tuna, it ate more like a mini-futomaki.  However, combined with the tuna mayo inari, it kinda had the same effect.  I enjoyed the jellyfish salad as it had a nice crunch and was well-seasoned.

Off to another section of the buffet where we found things like Japchae, Bossam, Fried Basa, Kimchi Pancake and Seafood Pancake.  Japchae was not bad as it was not clumpy and not overly greasy.  It wasn't too sweet either.  The bossam was tender and fatty.  I put a good amount of soybean paste on it.  Soft and fluffy as usual, the basa featured a crispy batter and was served with a sweet mayo.  I wasn't too fond of the pancakes as they were really flat and didn't have much in the way of ingredients.

What is a Korean buffet without Korean BBQ?  Well, they have that covered too with a selection of meats including Beef, Chicken, Pork and Salmon.  There was also spicy pork, but that was on another dish.  About the rest of the meats, they were all decent.  The chicken was nicely charred and tender while the pork was also charred but just a bit chewier.  Beef bulgogi was nicely marinated and sliced thin, hence being tender.  Surprisingly, the salmon wasn't that overdone.

In the middle section of the buffet, we found 2 large sections where one of them had some seafood.  We found Sweet Soy Potatoes, Beef Bulgogi Quesadilla, Steamed Prawns, BBQ Mussels, Tteokbokki, Vegetable Fritters and Fried Meat Dumplings.  I enjoyed the potatoes as they were tender with a slightly firm fried exterior.  Would've eaten more if they weren't "fillers".  There were 2 types of tteokbokki and I preferred the rose version.  Mild flavour with chewy, but soft rice cakes.  Shrimp were good, but I didn't want to spend so much time peeling them.

Right next to the previous station was a bunch of random things highlighted by the Korean Fried Chicken in regular and sweet & spicy.  These were decent but not as juicy as freshly fried KFC.  But ultimately, they were crispy and were seasoned.  The sweet & spicy was naturally more flavourful.  Would've liked to see soy garlic (which is my fav), but the 2 flavours did fine.

Also in that section, we found Vegetable Fried Rice, Kimchi Fried Rice, Green Bean Stir Fry, Braised Tofu and Korean Donkkaseu.  Didn't like the vegetable rice as it was bland and lacked caramelization.  Kimchi fried rice was better due to the spice.  Beans were crunchy while the tofu was texturally-appealing and flavourful.  Pork cutlet was a touch dry, but crispy.  There was sauce available on the side.

So this dish was a bit of everything from everywhere.  Here is the missing Spicy Pork BBQ with 2 more items from the same section as the KFC - Sweet & Sour Pork and Stir Fried Shanghainese Bak Choy.  Saucy, but tender and spicy, the pork was screaming for rice.  Maybe the vegetable fried rice would've worked here.  The sweet & sour pork was decent as the sauce was tangy.  Since it was already sauced, the pork was no longer crispy.  Bak choy was quite good, vibrant and still crunchy.

There was also a selection of soups and also a DIY Jajangmyeon.  Of the soups, the Pork Bone Soup was my favourite as it was slightly spice and plenty meaty.  The Beef Bone Soup was clean and pure with just the flavour of meatiness.  Soft Tofu Soup was a touch spicy, but lacking depth.  Squash Porridge resembled baby food.  Wasn't my thing.  The Jajangmyeon was decent with chewy noodles and a sweet and savoury black bean sauce with plenty of onions.

The selection of Desserts was a bit weak, but I give them kudos for hard ice cream and the really good chocolate chip and double chocolate cookies.  They were thick and crispy with lots of chocolate.  Also has the pain au chocolate and they seemed to be the Costco? variety.  No matter, I like those anyways.  Overall, the buffet was quite good with a wide selection of dishes.  Pricing is reasonable at $35.99 Adult Weekday Dinner and $39.99 Adult Weekend Dinner.

*All food was complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Wide selection of Korean cuisine favourites

- Overall decent food

- Reasonable pricing

The Bad:

- As with any serve yourself buffets, some items are better than others

Funk Coffee X Crack-On

Not too long ago, I was able to experience the breakfast sammies from Crack-On food truck for the first time.  I ended up having the Crack Sandwich with their infamous thick-cut bacon.  Well, I got to say it was plenty delicious since that bacon was so meaty and hearty while being at its bacon-best with a smoky saltiness.  The rest of the components were on point which made this a satisfying start to the day.  So in addition to their food truck, their breakfast sammies are now available at Funk Coffee in Downtown.  Jacky and I went down early on a Saturday morning to check it out.

Sadly, they didn't have any bacon, so we had to have the Crack Sandwich with Maple sausage instead.  Well, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing as it was still very tasty.  In addition to the sausage, we found a runny yolk fried egg, havarti, candied jalapeno, tomato relish and lemon, garlic & thyme aioli on grilled sourdough.  I found the sausage nicely spiced and moist with an appealing sear.  The runny egg was still fluffy and not rubbery.  Probably the unsung hero in this sammie was the candied jalapeno with a sweet tangy spice.  Add in the extra sweet tang from the relish and creaminess of the aromatic aioli, this was a flavour party in each bite.

Now this was super delicious, but The Beast was equally so.  It featured the same aggressively-buttered crunchy sourdough bread encasing chopped beef patty, fried egg, cheddar, mozzarella, bacon jam, pickled red onions and the same aioli.  This was even more robust than the Crack Sandwich.  This was due to the beef that had much more texture and depth.  It was really meaty with some peppery notes.  With the addition of 2 cheeses, they were plenty hearty and rich.  The bacon jam afforded some tang and sweetness as well as the usual baconness.  Pickled red onions provided crunch and acidity.

So if we had pork and beef, the only one left would be chicken right?  Yep, we then tried the Kickin' Chicken with fried egg, Cajun chicken patty, Havarti, caramelized onions, tomato and the same aioli.  This was different than the other 2 sammies mostly due to the texture of the protein.  Unlike the heaviness of the pork and beef, the chicken was lighter.  It had some good spice and was still plenty juicy.  The caramelized onions added sweetness and some natural onion flavour.  With the tomato, runny egg, creamy havarti and aioli, the sammie ate a bit wet, but the crunchy sourdough held everything together.

Our last breakfast sandwich was a vegan option in the Plant in Love sporting vegan plant-based sausage, hash brown, vegan cheddar, pickled red onion and tomato relish.  Naturally, this ate even more differently than the previous 3 sandwiches.  The "sausage" actually had some meatiness to it, in a softer and looser manner.  It did taste good with sweetness and spice.  Lots of tang in this sandwich due to the other ingredients.  I think the firm crunch from the grilled sourdough helped make things more hearty.  Of course, the hashbrown in the middle added more body to the sammie.

About that Hashbrown, it was a small little thing that was freshly made and only lightly fried.  Hence, the potatoness of the filling was both evident in texture and flavour.  Just like the last time I had it, it was a bit greasy, but hey, it is a hashbrown!  Loved the Old Bay aioli on the side as it had some real spice.  For our drinks, we had the Yame 0-23 Matcha Latte and the Flat White Latte.  I felt these were not only great to look at, they were smooth and balanced.  The matcha had more impact as expected, but not in a bitter nor strong manner.  Better yet, the calm and expansive space really helped make the experience complete.  They also have a photo booth on site and it seems to be super fun to check it with your friends or by yourself!  Really cool stuff, great food and drinks.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Delicious and filling breaky sammies

- Equally great beverages

- Nice expansive space

The Bad:

- Lots of space, but more seats needed?  Maybe they are limited to that many due to regulations?  When the weather is nice, there is plenty of seating outside though.

- Too bad no bacon on the menu (was it only this time?)