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"Have you heard of the Dirty Burger?", queried Sean. "No", I replied. "Okay, have you been to Upstairs @ Campagnolo???", asked Sean. "Uh... No...", as I gave a perplexed look. Yes, I was more confused than a Corolla in a traffic circle. I guess I've been a little out-of-touch lately, but to be fair, I'm busy with other things... Like watching the Canucks. Wait, they're not in the playoffs. Okay, then I have lots of time to catch up then! Anyways, I ended up meeting up with Sean to check out this mysterious place atop Campagnolo.
Arriving at opening, we got the pick of the limited amount of tables. Of course we snagged one of the only window seats as the rest of the place was pretty dark. In addition to the full Campagnolo menu, a few exclusive items were available. Being a bar, we started with some beers and an order of the 18-Month Dry Aged Ham served with bread. The fatty ham had a soft prosciutto quality to it while being much less salty. For some of the thicker slices, there was a bit of effort to chew while the thinner ones were buttery and went well with our beverages.
Next up was one of their daily features being the Fried Chicken Skin drizzled with honey, house-made hot sauce and garnished with blue cheese. Rather than some of the other versions that only feature a very light dusting of flour, these were full-on battered with a crunchy coating. Hence, there was more body, seasoning and texture. The hot sauce had a real kick that amped up in stages while the honey and blue cheese helped bring it back down. We shared a side of their Kennebec Fries which were in an attractive shade of deep fried. I particularly liked how they were still very much potatoey inside while the outside was easy on the greasy and crispy.
Onto the Dirty Burger, it looked actually quite clean and simple. Consisting of a house-made 45-day dry-aged beef patty fried with onions topped by lettuce, tomato, pickle, American cheese and secret sauce (looks like mayo, ketchup, mustard and paprika and seasonings), it is the reincarnation of the one served at Refuel. All of this was served on a butter-fried bun. You know how most burgers are a study in how moist and soft everything is? Well, this one was an exercise in crispy and crunchy, including the patty. The sinfully butter-soaked bun (known as a Scotch Bap) was super crunchy and nutty tasting. That gave way to crisp lettuce, crunchy pickles and a patty that had a noticeably charred exterior. The one thing that really came through was the purposeful amount of onions. Definitely an interesting and different burger. Other than a few small bar snack items, this was essentially the whole menu which is a reflection of the place - simple and to the point.
The Good:
- Simple with no useless frills
- If Campagnolo is busy, you can get the full menu here
The Bad:
- Health food this is not, far from it
- Limited seating which means it will get pretty full like downstairs
Invites to any tastings outside the city of Vancouver proper can be a bit dicey. First, there is the travel aspect where gas ain't exactly cheap. Second, to get someone to actually join me for such a food adventure can be challenging. Before I can even get the words "Surrey or Langely" out of my mouth, the phone line goes dead or I get don't get a text reply. Where's the love for the 'burbs??? Fortunately, Sexy Mexi was all game since she actually lives out there. With new ownership and chef, we visited Sabatino's for a South Surrey tasting.
Arriving at the table first was an amuse bouche (Gamberi Napoli) which was a tiger prawn flambeed in Pernod with garlic, grape tomato, onion and basil. The prawn exhibited a meaty, buttery snap with some chew. For the amount of ingredients, the flavours were surprisingly muted as I could only get hints of basil and garlic. This probably could've done with more salt and a touch of acidity. Next up was the Barbabietola Arrosto consisting of roasted beets, goat cheese, roasted walnuts and spinach with dill vinaigrette. For me, I really got the goat cheese in every bite. The beets were tender and sweet while the dressing was a bit too greasy. I know this might be nit-picking, but the plating could've been neater on this one.
Moving onto the pastas, we got sample sizes of the Spaghetti Carbonara and Ravioli Aragosta. Comprised of prosciutto, free-run egg yolk and Grana Padano, the carbonara was not lacking in flavour. In fact, with so much crispy prosciutto, it was bordering on salty. As much as the sauce enveloped each strand of spaghetti, there could've been more of it as it took on elements of greasiness rather than creamy. In a complete contrast, the ravioli consisting of lobster and crab in a tomato basilico was fresh, tart and acidic. In fact, the plethora of firm onions helped masked the flavours of the delicate crab and lobster. The ravioli itself was pretty good with soft (while not overdone) pasta encasing a fluffy, sweet centre.
With the mains, Sexy Mexi and I shared both the Brasato al Valpolicella and Duo d'Anatra. For the brasato or Two Rivers beef short rib with red wine jus, it was masterfully braised. The meat was gelatinous, moist and melted in my mouth. It had a natural meaty flavour accented by the fat, but as much as I could sense the Chianti braising liquid, there was a lack of seasoning. As for the mash and veggies, they were on point. Despite the light colour, the duck leg confit was prepared nicely. Underneath the crisp skin was fall-off-the-bone moist duck meat. As for the pan-roasted duck breast, the skin could've been rendered more, yet the meat itself was sufficiently tender. It was accompanied by a cherry demi glace which was not as sweet as it looked.
For dessert, I sampled the Tiramisu first and it was light & fluffy. It was only semi-sweet with a mild coffee taste. In fact, I got much more chocolate than coffee. Next, the Frangelico & Chocolate Cheesecake was rich and smooth. Without a complete reliance on sugar, there was huge flavour from the Frangelico (hazelnut liquor) without a huge alcoholic aftertaste. The biscotto crust was crumbly and nice compliment to the dense cake. Overall, the meal had its hit and misses. The mains and dessert were pretty good while the pastas could've used some tweaks. Furthermore, some of the seasoning could've also been more aggressive.
*All food, drinks and gratuities were comped*
The Good:
- Proteins done nicely
- The cocktails we had were good
- Spacious dining space
The Bad:
- Some seasoning issues
- Some flavours out-of-balance
There is always one constant in life - change. Yes, I do realize the contradiction, but really, things do not remain the same, no matter how hard we try. Hence, restaurants suffer the same challenges due to a variety of reasons (including changes in staff, ownership, menu and so on). That is why I've been doing quite a few revisits, in particular, to restaurants that I haven't been to in 5 years. This time around, I revisited one of my first awful experiences in the life of the blog - Nordel Sushi. The food was less-than-acceptable, even for an AYCE. Keep in mind, I have tried the a la carte menu on several other occasions and it was pretty average.
Once again, I tried the AYCE lunch menu for $16.00 ($22.00 for lunch). If this price raises some eyebrows, it should since many other places charge closer to $12.00. However, there are a few items such as sashimi and ebi tempura that somewhat justifies the cost. Furthermore, with no competition nearby, they can get away with those prices. On that note, the Sashimi (limited to 6pcs a person) was acceptable (unlike last time where they were chopped into Chiclets-sized pieces). I found it a bit on the softer side though. As for the aforementioned Ebi Tempura, it was cripsy despite the fact that the batter was flat (missing enough baking soda?). The Beef Yakisoba was okay as well with chewy noodles and enough seasoning that had a nice zip. Light and crispy, the Agedashi Tofu could've benefited from some grated daikon.
With the appies, I found the Miso Soup to be typical, but at the very least, it was not salty. I didn't mind the Spinach Gomae since the pieces were tender while still being vibrant in colour. Although the dressing looked to be candy sweet, it really wasn't. Instead, it did have a discernible sesame essence with the typical sweetness. I found the Ebi Sunomono to be strange as the noodles were the super thin variety. Hence, the texture was more rice noodle chewy rather than slippery bite from the thicker kind. It did taste okay though with a good balance. Moving onto some cooked items, I was not a huge fan of Chicken Teriyaki as the meat was firm and dry with far too much syrupy sauce. The Beef Teriyaki was slightly better as it was somewhat moist and tender. The Fried Gyoza were decent with a crispy exterior encasing a good mix of pork and veg.
Similar to the sashimi, the Nigiri was also acceptable. It was neatly prepared with a decent ingredient-to-rice ratio. As for the rice itself, it was on the drier side with only a mild amount of seasoning. In terms of the Maki Sushi (California Roll, Dynamite Roll, Tuna and Salmon), it was neatly constructed and once again, acceptable (especially for an AYCE). As evidenced in the picture, there was a good ingredient-to-rice ratio. Well, this return visit to Nordel Sushi pretty much exemplified change for the better. Now, I'm not trying to say the food was anything to write home about, rather, it was far better than the last time. Considering it was AYCE and in an area where there is no competition, it does the trick.
The Good:
- Despite what others have said, I've never had bad service here
- Acceptable for AYCE
- Okay pricing for a la carte
The Bad:
- Pricey AYCE
- Limited choices
- a la carte menu is pretty average
Way back in time... Well, maybe not that long, makes me feel old... Anyways, sometime in the past, I would join my friends and do the breakfast thing at De Dutch Pannekoek House. I reminisce about the times that Chill would call me up last minute to head out for some pannekoeks on Sundays. Ah, the life without kids, so much freedom and pure randomness. Well, I hadn't been back De Dutch in 5 years and much like my other recent posts, it was time to revisit and evaluate.
For myself, I went for their Eggs Amsterdam with ham and edam. Rather than English muffins, they used a very crispy toast called a Dutch rusk that was a nice textural contrast. The eggs were not exactly poached, but they were still runny though. I found the Hollandaise rather mild with no lemon zing nor anything butteriness. Rather, it was just creamy. Mrs. Spray Bottle decided to have the Hash on top of a pannekoek. It was savoury and topped with Hollandaise sauce. Since it wasn't very flavourful, the whole thing was very mild. As for the pannekoek, it was thin and slightly crisp on the outside while soft and chewy on the inside.
Tomcat had the DeBakon and Eggs and it was prepared nicely. The eggs were fluffy while the bacon was slightly crispy along the edges while not dried out. The dish was completed with squishy hashbrowns, toast and fresh fruit. Potty Mouth had the sweet tooth and chose the Pannekoek with strawberries and cream. No different than Mrs. Spray Bottle's other than the addition of chocolate sprinkles and strawberries in sauce, this was a dessert breakfast. Well, this was a pretty predictable breaky at De Dutch as with all of my other previous visits. I guess the draw of De Dutch would be their slightly different take on breakfast as well as their pannekoeks. However, it comes at a price and a relatively high price that is...
The Good:
- Something different
- Decent eats
The Bad:
- Expensive
- Different, but not necessarily outstanding either
I'm sure it is not lost upon many that the former Sammy J Peppers was not famous for their food. And to be blunt, the main draw was the waitresses... end story. Yes, I did eat at the place a few times with unimpressive results. Hence, the closure of several locations didn't really surprise many people. Recently, I was contacted by the rebranded Sammy J's (no more peppers) to try out their revamped menu that features what they like to call "casual food with attitude". Instead of heading to the closest location to me in Coquitlam, I made the hike out to South Surrey to check out their flagship.
To help me try as many items as possible, I enlisted the help of Costanza and Elaine (and Viv actually decided to join me for once). We were seated in a comfortable table complete with sofa-like seating. With windows abound in the quasi-solarium, it felt like we were sitting outside. We were started off with a stack of Baby Back Dry Ribs served with house-made BBQ sauce. These were meaty and crispy on the outside (with ample salt & pepper) while the meat was falling-off-the-bone moist. The BBQ sauce was a good compliment as it was spicy, sweet and almost tamarind-like with a noticeable tang. Next was the Twisted Tails which were essentially panko-crusted Atlantic lobster tails. We liked the breading as it was crispy while the lobster meat was buttery and sweet (originally, we were concerned the lobster would be overwhelmed, but it was not). These were served with a habanero cream which was purposely spicy.
Arriving on a sizzling cast iron plate, we sampled the Teppanyaki Steak Skillet consisting of 8 ounces of Certified Angus Beef tossed with braised cabbage & teriyaki sauce topped with scallions and sesame seeds. We found the dish to be overly saucy, yet we did like the cubes of medium-rare steak as it was tender with a bit of chew. The teriyaki sauce was on the saltier side (and the evaporation didn't help matters) though. Onto somewhat lighter fare, we sampled the Cabo Wabo Tacos with grilled fresh tortillas, slow-roasted pulled short rib, corn, black beans, cabbage, avocado, salsa fresca, habanero cream, cilantro & cheddar. As much as the ingredients suggested a flavour explosion, it was more mild in reality. We liked the grilled tortillas as they had a nice chewy texture while the short rib was very tender. One thing that we would've liked to see was more acidity to liven up the flavours. Moreover, I wasn't convinced that cheddar was necessarily the right choice of cheese as it was heavy.
Moving onto the mains, we had the New Orleans Combo Skillet featuring a 5 oz certified Angus steak, scallops, jumbo prawns & veggies in Cajun cream atop white cheddar mash with a drizzle of hot sauce. This came in a super sizzling hot cast iron plate where the Cajun cream began to separate. Hence, it looked and ate quite greasy. With that being said, the sauce was very good. It had a nice balance of savoury and spicy elements that did not overwhelm. The creamy mash soaked up the sauce which made it extra rich and even more flavourful (as it had plenty from the cheddar already). It almost resembled spicy cheese grits. The steak itself was tender and a nicely prepared medium-rare while the prawns had a good cold-water snap. The small scallops became somewhat rubbery from the hot plate though. Prior to this, we got a sample of their Cheeseburger Caesar. Yup, you're not seeing things, look a the picture, nothing more needs to be said.
Our next dish was the Tequila Habanero Meatloaf made with Angus beef, bacon & aged cheddar topped with tequila BBQ habanero sauce. It was served with the aforementioned mash, veggies and crispy onions. I found the meatloaf to be moist with plenty of meatiness as it wasn't overprocessed. There was definitely spice with equal amount of sweetness accented by a tequila finish. We thought the meatloaf could've been a slightly larger portion though. Although it was sporting a beautiful golden crust, the Pan Seared Alaskan Halibut was on the drier side. However, the ample amount of chipotle lime butter sauce helped the cause in terms of moisture and overall impact. The spice was noticeable and lingered beyond each bite. It did finish with a sweetness to balance it out.
Sporting 7 humungous cold-water prawns, the Seafood Linguine also featured scallops, grape tomatoes and lemon pepper tossed in a white wine garlic cream sauce. This was a complete 180 from the previous dishes as the flavour profile was really mild with only small hints of garlic and wine. The sauce was definitely creamy, but there was a bit too much of it. The star of the dish was prawns, as they had a buttery snap. Off to dessert, we were presented with the Red Velvet Cake. We liked the thin layer of sweet icing as there was just enough of it without overwhelming the entire slice. The cake itself was really moist, yet it was mostly due to the addition of more oil which made it almost banana-bread like in texture. Finally, we tried Reese's Peanut Butter Pie and that was freakin' fantastic. It was smooth and creamy while not reliant on sugar for flavour. Rather, it was nutty and aromatic with a wonderful chocolate crunch crust. Overall, we found the food to be an improvement compared to the past. With that being said, some dishes could benefit from a few tweaks as their pricing is on par with its direct competitors.
*All food and drinks except for gratuities were comped*
The Good:
- Appeals to a more diverse clientele as opposed to before
- Sauces are impactful and spicy
- Wonderful open-space seating
The Bad:
- On the pricier side of the chain restaurants continuum
- Skillets are neat, but may cause havoc with some of the sauces
After a relatively light meal at Yo Ramen, Miss Y and I decided to grab some dessert. Yes, you heard me right, for dessert. I think the last time we had sweets in Downtown, she was over an hour late, leaving me to my scones and finger sandwiches at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. With that clearly in my various nightmares, I was happy that the timing was under my control as I was driving. And there I drove all way down Robson to Nero Belgian Waffle Bar. Luckily for us, we were early enough to score a table as a lineup quickly ensued (there are only like 6 tables).
We decided on the Dame Blanche and the Heaven. The Dame Blanche consisted of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and dark Belgian chocolate on our choice of a Brussels waffle. As advertised, the waffle was airy and light while super crispy. It wasn't incredibly sweet which was a good thing as the chocolate and ice cream made up for it. I would've liked to see more bitterness with the chocolate though. Miss Y liked how there was just enough of it.
Next, the Heaven was simply sliced strawberries and whipped cream. We selected the Liege waffle for this. It was effectively sweeter due to the sugar content with a nice chewy texture with pockets of crunch. This went well with the lighter and milder tasting ingredients. With the 2 waffles we tried, we were sufficiently impressed with the overall quality and execution. It was something that was memorable enough that warranted return visits.
The Good:
- Carefully prepared
- Waffles are on point
- Sweet but not overly sweet
The Bad:
- Dark chocolate could be more bitter and less sweet
- Can get pricey
Here we go with another coupon I purchased online on a whim. I figured that a little ol' ramen shop would be an easy place to visit due to it's casual nature. However, as with many of these deals, there was certain restrictions which made it more difficult. Since we couldn't use it for lunch nor weekends, it only meant we could go on a weekday night. Furthermore, with an 8:00pm sharp closing time, we'd have to get there early too. With the punctuality of Miss Y involved, that meant we missed it and had to go to Bin 941 instead. This time around, I made sure we made it in time...
The deal included an appetizer consisting of a Green Salad and Fried Gyozas. For something as simple as mixed greens, the "dressing" was somewhat of a surprise. A combination of onions, ginger and pineapple, it was sweet with a mild tartness. We didn't mind the gyozas either as they were crunchy while not oily. The filling was slightly dense with only a moderate amount of greens. Flavourwise, it was more meaty than anything else. We would've liked to have a dedicated dip rather than plain soy sauce (we did add chili oil though). Miss Y went for the Tonkotsu Ramen that also featured a few drops of chili oil. We actually didn't mind it but the soup itself did not have much depth, rather, it relied on salt. It wasn't creamy where the bone marrow would seep into the broth after an extensive boil.
For myself, I went for the Shio Ramen and it was a very light broth. It wasn't as salty as I would've imagined, but that was a good thing. The noodles were toothsome and remained so until the end. I wasn't a huge fan of the egg as it was a bit too salty (and I prefer soft yolk anyways). As for the chashu, it was lean and meaty. It wasn't particularly flavourful not overly tender either (but it wasn't chewy). Overall, we didn't dislike our meal, but it wasn't memorable either. With all the other ramen choices in town, I would rather try their Korean dishes instead.
The Good:
- Owner seems genuine
- Okay pricing
The Bad:
- Average eats
- As expected (from the menu), ramen is more Korean-style than Japanese
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