Hearthstone Pizza

Almost 10 years ago, I had visited Hearthstone Pizza out in PoCo (more like Coquitlam, but technically PoCo).  Fast-forward to the present, Jacky and I were invited to check it out.  Despite still being a pizza place, it is now run by a wonderful Korean couple where they have put their own touches on the menu.  Sure, there is still classic stone oven thin crust pizza, but they also have Korean-inspired pizza featuring a thicker crust that is actually not heavy.  Of course, they've added Korean snacks and dishes for their dinner menu as well as a pop-up of cream buns.  They are also licensed.

We ended up trying out most of their menu starting with the classic pizza.  These featured a thin crust and barely-there edge.  We started with the baseline in the Margherita.  This consisted of tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and fresh basil.  There was a good amount of everything on top, but despite that, the crust remained fairly crispy.  I found the tomato sauce to be mildly tangy with a balancing sweetness.  The decent amount of cheese made each slice rather hearty.  Despite the big slices of tomato, it didn't make the pizza too wet.

To get an idea of the other offerings, we did half-and-half of the Meat Lovers and BBQ Chicken as well as the Mediterranean and Hawaiian.  As with the margherita, the crust was relatively thin and was uniformly firm from edge to centre.  I liked how the toppings and cheese made it almost to the very edge of the pizza.  My favourite of the bunch was the meatlovers with the ample amount of meat.  The Hawaiian was also solid with plenty of ham and pineapple.  They weren't shy with the cheese either.

For the Premium K-Pizza featuring a thicker dough, we had the large No. 1 Signature that had a bit of everything atop its square pieces.  Each piece represented the different pizzas available on the menu.  The amount of mozzarella cheese on this pizza was ridiculous but welcomed.  Very cheesy and filling.  As for the crust, it was still thin on the bottom while thicker on the outer edge.  However, it was airy and light while filled with more cheese!  I feel that a large K-Pizza would easily feed 4 people (as long as they are not football linebackers).

Even though we had all of the pizzas represented already in the Signature, we ended up with 2 medium pizzas so we could try them in a bigger slice.  We got the No. 4 Gold Rich and the No. 7 Garlic Shrimp.  As much as there was just as much cheese and toppings on the gold rich as the signature, I wasn't a huge fan of it as it ate very heavy.  The sweet potato puree sure tasted great, but carbs on carbs make for a heavy slice.  However, the garlic shrimp was primo as the generous amount of melted mozzarella melded well with the buttery and well-seasoned shrimp.  Each slice was so delicious and aromatic, I wanted to eat more of it.  Alas, I was getting quite full at this point!

In addition to pizza, they also feature a few flavours of baked Chicken Wings.  We ended up with the Honey Garlic.  To ensure we were able to try the other flavours, we had side sauces of the BBQ and Spicy too.  Since these were baked, there was no batter on the outside, which made the skin more rendered.  As for the meat, it was fairly moist given that the wings were baked enough for the skin to be rendered.  The honey garlic was mild and only lightly sweet.  I loved the BBQ sauce, it was plenty tangy and sweet.  The spicy did have a nice kick to it.

Onto the Korean eats, we had some snacks including the K-Corn Dogs and So-Ddeok So-Ddeok.  I really enjoyed the So-Ddeok So-Ddeok as the rice cakes were crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.  Such appealing texture.  Also, there was just enough sweet and spicy sauce drizzled on them.  The sausage was meaty and nicely grilled.  Lastly, the corn dogs were coated aggressively, but the batter was not as heavy as it appeared.  Nice crispiness on the outside and plenty cheesy on the inside.

At night, they serve certain Korean dishes including the Gamjatang and Korean-Style Sausage Stew.  I really enjoyed the pork bone soup as it was served bubbling hot and was flavourful.  There was a nice meatiness to it while exhibiting a noticeable spice.  The pork bones were fall-off-the-bone tender.  The sausage stew was a smaller version of the dish and sported noodles in a spicy broth.  There was a good amount of sausage and tofu as well.

One more snack was the Corn Cheese that was served on a long and deep plate, the corn cheese had plenty of cheesiness while the corn niblets were nicely textured and sweet.  Our last Korean dish was the Steamed Egg and if you look at the picture, it was plenty fluffy and light.  There was a good amount of green onion on top which partially dominated the flavour profile (dependent on where you scooped).  Otherwise, it was sweet and mildly flavoured.

Also located within Hearthstone Pizza is Golden Brown where they have a selection of savoury baked buns as well as their sweet cream buns.  We tried all 3 of their savoury options including the Corn Cheese, Basil Pesto & Chicken and Ham & Cheese.  All 3 featured a firmer exterior that was slightly crispy while inside was soft and nearly pillowy soft.  There was no absence of ingredients and seasoning to make these tasty.  I very much enjoyed the basil pesto as it was herbaceous and the corn cheese was sweet from the niblets.  Ham & cheese was pretty basic, but had a good mix of cheesiness and saltiness.

Now those were really good, but I found their Cream Buns to be even better.  The bun themselves were pillowy soft and had a slightest of chew that gave it a great mouth feel.  Inside, there was so much filling that you can't help but get it all over your face.  My favourite of the bunch was the basic milk cream as it was like eating an eclair but in a soft bun.  The Oreo cream was good too, but sweeter.  Chocolate was similar to the milk cream except tasting like milky chocolate.  If red bean is your thing, the matcha & red bean had plenty of impact from the slight bitterness, but balanced off by the sweet red bean.  So as you can see, there is a lot to eat here at Hearthstone.  A bit misleading from the name, but rest assured, the Korean food is legit and the buns are heavenly.  I guess you might have to make multiple visits to try everything!

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

The Good:

- That K-pizza has so much cheese and toppings (even in the crust!)

- Solid Korean dishes

- They even have Golden Brown cream buns

The Bad:

- They do a good job in pulling it off, but maybe a bit too many items on the menu?

Song

Since there are so many new restaurants to try, it is hard for me to do revisits of restaurants, even if I love them.  However, there are a few you may have noticed that I do revisit.  Those include Published, Mauna Sushi, Chef's Choice and Song.  I don't even care if I don't get more content because the food is just so consistent.  So for the latest meals from one of the aforementioned spots is Song.  In fact, it was 2 consecutive visits in as many weeks where we tried some new dishes and also ol' favourites.

But before we even got to any dishes, we got started off with an Amuse Bouche consisting of a pineapple "spoon" that resembled the one we had at Baan Lao.  Not sure if it was comprised of the same ingredients, but this meatball had all of the same flavours including the sweetness of palm sugar and nuttiness of the peanuts.  One dish that is only on the happy hour menu was the Fried Corn.  This was super crispy from the rice flour and the pops of sweetness from the corn niblets as so appealing.  The side of sweet peanut chili dip added a bit of everything to the crispy corn.  This reminded me of the corn karaage I had at Yardbird in Hong Kong.

One of my favourite dishes at Song is their split wings.  I've had them many times, but they have changed it up where they are now sporting a different seasoning.  Now called the Laab Wings, these are still cut in half exposing them to a more even deep-fry.  The result is a crispier exterior and easier-to-eat format.  Now with the laab seasoning, the wings were spicier and appealingly tangy.  These were great both times we had them with a crispy flavourful exterior while the meat was still moist.

Right in time for the change of seasons, their new Thai Corn Salad with salted duck egg was a subtle flavour bomb.  I know that statement is an oxymoron, but really, it was not in-our-faces flavourful, but at the same time, it was super impactful.  The combination of grilled sweet corn, long beans and grape tomatoes, provided the textural canvas for the spicy salted duck egg yolk dressing.  I found it mildly spicy, but definitely had all of the umaminess of salted egg yolk.  Naturally, the sweet corn was the star of the show and since it was grilled, the sweetness was amplified.  Loved the crunch of the ingredients too.

We tried 2 more of their new salads in the Jasmine Blossom and the Green Mango Crab.  With Thai tonkin jasmine flower, minced pork and tiger prawns topped with cashew nuts, this was a fragrant concoction that had elements of a laab combined with jasmine flowers.  However, unlike a laab, this was a very mild-tasting salad.  I enjoyed the meatiness of the dish as well as the cold-water crunchy prawns.  However, I was wanting more acidity. 

As for the Green Mango Crab Salad, this was all about the Thai herbs.  I wouldn't use the word overwhelming, as there was enough of the other ingredients (crab, green mango, pomelo, lemongrass, cashew nuts and salmon roe) to somewhat balance the flavours out.  However, the saw leaf herb was prominent.  The whole thing was tossed in a coconut Nam Jim dressing served with Cha Plu Betel leaves.  So there was aromatics as well as a certain sweet, briny and spicy thing going on.

One of the best things to order at Song is their Tom Yum Soup.  At first glance, you might be wondering why it costs $50.00.  Well, first of all, it is enough for 4 people and second, it has 6 giant tiger prawns.  Lastly, the flavours are so on point.  It is medium-spiced with plenty of brininess to go with the big hits of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal.  The tiger prawns are meaty with a sweet, briny snap.  Personally, I'm not a fan of the saw leaf herb on top as it is a bit too pungent.

Another new dish is their Seafood Pad Kapi with prawns, scallop, squid, sator bean, long bean and baby corn.  They were not shy with loading this up with plenty of seafood.  The squid rings were tender with a chew while the baby scallops were buttery and soft.  Prawns were meaty and cooked perfectly.  Veggies were on point with vibrancy and crunch.  However, the one thing we wished for was more impact from the seasoning.  It wasn't really all that spicy or anything.

On the other hand, the Mushroom Stirfry with Fried Silken Egg Tofu is one of my favourite dishes here.  The combination of mixed 

mushrooms, silken egg tofu, celery and green onions are bathed in vegan mushroom garlic oyster sauce and sesame oil.  Although subtle, the flavours are impactful with saltiness and aromatics.  Combine that with the earthiness of the mushrooms, there is not wanting for more.  Texturally, the egg tofu is so delicate while the crunchy wood ear provide a nice contrast.

From one tofu dish to another, the Thai Chili Tofu is remarkably different than the previous dish.  Employing firm tofu that is fried aggressively, we have slices that are crunchy and almost hard.  However, they are soaking in a spicy sweet & sour tamarind sauce with bell peppers.  Therefore, the texture gets a bit softer and of course the flavours are prominent with spice, tang and sweetness.  Add on the fried basil and shallots on top, and there is plenty of aromatics.

Off to some curries, we have 2 non-Vegan choices starting with the Crab Curry with chunks of blue crab meat in a Thai yellow curry.  This is a fairly mild dish where the creaminess from the coconut cream shines through.  It is aromatic and sweet which compliments the crab well.  Normally, crab can be lost in a curry, but they are able to keep it relevant by not making it spicy nor too strong in terms of the spices.  Naturally, this needs to go with rice and it comes with a bowl.

The other curry is the Jungle Chicken Curry with Morel Mushroom. This soup curry consists of chicken thigh, morel mushroom, wood ear mushroom and Thai vegetables.  It doesn't look it and neither does it taste spicy right away, but believe me, it does have a real kick at the end.  The morels are a real treat but not as noticeable in flavour as you might think.  The chicken is dark meat and it is cooked just enough so that it remains moist and tender.

Their classic Pad Thai is one of the best in the city in my opinion.  Lots of wok hei and caramelization leads to a smoky essence complimented by the tang from the tamarind and intense sweetness from the palm sugar.  You can add a protein to this dish, but I feel it is pretty good without it (but I do like adding the grilled pork cheek sometimes).  The noodles are chewy and flavourful without being too saucy nor clumpy.  The ample amount of seared firm tofu adds plenty of meatiness to the dish.

Lastly, to end off the meal, you can't go wrong with the Mango Sticky Rice where the rice is coloured by butterfly pea flower.  The rice is warm, soft and chewy with sweet coconut cream and young rice pop on top.  Nice crunchy texture to break up the softness.  Mango on the side is ripe and juicy.  These were 2 delicious meals at Song where the classic dishes delivered.  I felt the fried corn was fantastic and that salted egg yolk salad to be really flavourful.  Some of the other new dishes were fine, but maybe a little conservative in terms of seasoning.  Solid service as usual.

The Good:

- Their classic Thai dishes are on point

- Bold flavours

- Solid service

The Bad:

- Some of their new items need a bit more impact

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