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To be frank, when I first got the invite to check out Semiahmoo Resort and Spa, along with a visit to Pierside Kitchen, I was indifferent. Was this going to be just another default restaurant serving up standard eats for people trapped at a resort? Well, let's just say that I was about to be pleasantly surprised. Little did I know that the place had gone through a change in ownership back in 2013. Since then, the resort has been going through renovations in stages. One of the biggest changes was the total revamp of Packer's Oyster Bar and the adjacent dining space.
With its waterfront location across from White Rock, Semiahmoo Resort is only a short drive from the Peace Arch border crossing. Viv and I took advantage of this by heading down to Bellingham prior to checking in. We were put up in a water view King bedroom on the 2nd floor of the resort. The room was spacious and had undergone some of the aforementioned renovations including bathroom marble counter top and top-of-the-line Simmons Beautyrest Black mattresses. Suffice to say, I liked our mattress as I have the model one step below at home. The completion of the remaining renovations (including change of furniture) will be completed by the end of 2014. We were given a tour of the facilities which included a full-service spa, pool, steam room and hot tub. On the floor above, there was an impressive fitness facility complete with a small jogging track. An indoor tennis and racquetball court completed the recreational options within the building. If one wanted to play golf, a shuttle could take them to either Loomis Trail Golf Club or Semiahmoo Golf and Country Club.
Now enough with the resort itself, onto the food! We were first treated to freshly shucked Drayton Harbor Pacific Chilled Oysters on the Half Shell. Sourced locally and super fresh, these were really good being naturally sweet while accented by a wonderful brine. As much as I loved adding sambal and horseradish, these were perfectly fine eaten as is. This exemplified their commitment in working with local farms, artisans, ranchers and fisherman to ensure both freshness and representation of Pacific Northwest food. We then moved onto Packer's for some cocktails and a Margherita wood oven fired pizza. Although not particularly authentic in a Neapolitan-style manner, the pizza was still delicious. The relatively thin crust was crispy while elastically chewy on the inside. The dough was seasoned without being salty where it exhibited a nuttiness from the char. I found the tomato sauce hid in the background and gave way to the fresh tomatoes on top as well as the plethora of pesto (their take on a Magherita).
As mentioned, we also sampled 2 drinks including Hoist that Rag consisting of Square One Basil Vodka, cucumber puree, lemon and rosemary simple. On my initial sip, the cucumber really came through with a fresh and bright lightness. As a result, the drink did not go down heavy, rather it was extremely easy to finish. The nice hit of tartness from the lemon and balanced amount of sweetness made this a dangerous drink (as one could drink many). Next, we tried an experimental cocktail of sorts being the Magneto made with gin, Luxardo, sweet vermouth, Fernet Branca, lemon tarragon foam, egg white, lemon juice and simple syrup finished with an edible flower petal. Again, this went down easy with a certain smoothness thanks to the egg foam. Furthermore, the balance of sweetness vs. acidity was just right. All herbs used in their drinks came from their garden which were used in the house-made simple syrups.
After this, we moved back to Pierside for an unexpectedly large feast. Already awaiting us at our table was a board of Charcuterie made up of figs, capicola, salami, prosciutto, fruit, grain mustard, cornichons, pickled garlic, roasted hazelnuts and almonds with rosemary country bread. Arranged beautifully with a balanced mixture of different items, it ate as good as it looked. We felt that the menu price of $14.00 was fair for the amount and quality. Next up, we had an amuse bouche (Smoked Yogurt Panna Cotta) that I was so excited to eat, I forgot to take a picture of it! This was something different with the tartness of the yogurt playing off the smoke essence. It was served with braised artichokes, heirloom carrots, black pepper tuile, watercress and pine nut hummus. The sweet and pepper tuile as well as the even sweeter carrots were necessary to counteract the tartness of the yogurt. We weren't sure if the artichokes (which were tart as well) were necessary.
I made a conscious effort to take photos of the following dishes starting with the RR Ranch Tenderloin Carpaccio with Cloud Mountain Farm summer legumes, pecorino and Marcona almond. Cleanly presented while highlighting the ingredients, we knew from this point on that this wasn't "Plain Blaine" as some have remarked in years past. At first, I was concerned with the thick slice of beef, but with one bite, it practically melted-in-my-mouth. A subtle aroma emanated from the eye-pleasing chive oil while the pink peppercorns added a background bite. We felt the flavors were in harmony as well as the textures. Immediately after the carpaccio, we were presented with a Plum Sorbet to cleanse our palates. I guess this was a sign that there was a whole lot more to come... As simple as this was, the taste was natural with a good mix of tart and sweet. Texturally, it was as smooth as ice can get.
Emulating a work of art, the multitude of eye-popping colors from the Chef's Garden Petite Greens with young Walla Walla onions, blackberries, raspberries, macerated strawberries, goat cheese, edible flowers, baby lettuce mix and Verjus Blanc Vinaigrette was a refreshing and light course. I liked how the sweetness of the fruit worked with the acidity of the vinagrette and gaminess of the goat cheese. Onto the mains, Viv had the Wood-Fired Halibut with artichokes, piquillo sauce, English peas, cherry tomatoes and olive tapenade. As evidenced in the picture, the halibut was the beneficiary of a golden sear which added a crispiness and caramelization that gave way to moist and flaky fish (which was only lightly seasoned). Despite appearing spicy, the piquillo sauce only had a slight kick on its finish. Due to my personal love of olives, I welcomed the addition of tapenade to the plate as it added the necessary saltiness. It was smartly accented by plump tomatoes and firm English peas.
For myself, I had the RR Ranch All Natural Beef Tenderloin with local summer vegetables, bacon lardon, carrots, young turnips, thyme jus and shaved black truffle. Oh man, that shaved truffle...! From appearances alone, this dish meant business. Blessed with a caramelized crust featuring a good dose of cracked pepper and salt, the tenderloin did not long for any more seasoning. It was prepared a nice medium-rare where the meat was tender. The thyme jus was silky with the essence of red wine while completely cooked down. As for the veggies, they were on point texturally, yet a bit oversalted. Another interestingly plated dish was the Aerated Brie with seasonal accoutrements (berries, figs, grapes and kumquats). At this point, I had to remind myself I was in Blaine, not some big North American city. As straightforward as this dish was, the thing that brought it all together was the crusty house-made toasted bread. It provided texture as well as being the vessel to combine the soft, airy brie with the sweet accompaniments.
For dessert, we had the Whipped Citrus Cremeux with short bread crumble, fennel-crème fraîche ice cream, orange curd, marshmallow fluff, grapefruit, orange and grapefruit fennel gelee. Again, attractively presented, this was another study in various uses of citrus. First, the cremeux was super light and creamy. The citrus showed up at the finish with no tartness. Same with the curd and gelee as they were more floral than citrusy. Of course the wedges of grapefruit and orange did offer up an acidity that was needed. Lastly, the ice cream was smooth and semi-sweet with only a mild fennel taste. With all the things going on with the plate, we felt the marshmallow probably didn't need to be there. Ending off the meal, we had the Chocolate Royal Bites where the layers of hazelnut crunch, 70% Valhrona mousse and ganache emulated a Ferraro Rocher. The varying textures of airy, rich chocolate and crunch were pleasant in our mouths. Furthermore, the bites were not sweet, rather, they were aromatic with a touch of bitterness.
Oh wow. Really. Okay, it is true that this visit to Semiahmoo Resort was comped and they really pulled out all the stops to impress us. Well, consider myself and Viv thoroughly impressed. As I've said before and I'll say it again, despite being an invite, an establishment can only do their personal best. They cannot be significantly better just because they want to. I never would've thought that this level of gastronomy would be available in Blaine. Considering the relatively reasonable-pricing and inviting dining space, there is much to like about Pierside Kitchen. I guess we shouldn't have been that surprised because both Packer's and Pierside are under the direction of Executive Chef Eric Truglas, hailing from Paris and a Michelin Star trained Epicurean World Master Chef. As much as the resort is still in transition (from the renovations), the restaurants represent a bold refocus. If this was just a taste of what's to come, I'm definitely coming back to see the finished product.
*Accommodations, food and beverages excluding gratuities were comped*
The Good:
- Shocking level of refinement and execution
- Prices are in-line with the food quality
- Bright, modern rustic dining space
The Bad:
- As much as the restaurants are completely renovated and revamped, the rest of the resort is in transition (until it is completed, some parts are old)
- Not really a bad because the pizza was good, but I'd like to see true Neapolitan pizza from the wood-burning oven
Now with my trusty dash cam documenting everything that is happening in front of me, my comfort level traveling to Richmond has increased significantly. At the very least, I can compile a compilation of Richmond's greatest hits (sorry for the pun). Hence, it has made it that much easier for me to continue my assault (not sure if that word is ironic or not) on Richmond Dim Sum spots with Parklane as our next destination. Situated in the former location of Empire, Parklane offers up Cantonese Dim Sum with Chiu Chow options. As we pulled into the parking lot, I was giddy since I was able to park in an isolated spot to my lonesome. No threat of door dings!
With our very first 2 dishes, the Chiu Chow cuisine was in full effect. I sampled the classic Ong Choy with fermented tofu and it was prepared decently. The vegetable itself was still somewhat crunchy while fully cooked. However, the whole dish was rather wet and lacking the zip from the fermented tofu. It could've used more of it and a touch more corn starch. Next up was the Chiu Chow Duck. This was unfortunately hurriedly prepared and it showed. The meat was chewy and lacking in flavour. Furthermore, the skin was equally hard to eat and despite the colour, no flavours actually penetrated it. If it weren't for the garlic vinegar, there would be no taste at all.
We ended getting 2 orders of hot pot rice starting with the Pork Spareribs and Phoenix Talons. Unlike many other "hot pot" rice dishes, the rice here was actually chewy and dry. That meant there was a degree of nuttiness. However, it did need the sweetened soy as it was too dry to eat on its own. The spareribs had a good rebound texture, yet it did lack seasoning as there was no real distinguishing flavours. The other hot pot was the Ground Pork Patty with Salted Fish. Being a bit fatty, the ground pork was moist and soft. It did retain some meat texture though and it was only mildly seasoned. No real problem as the big piece of salted fish added the necessary punch.
Moving on, we had more conventional Cantonese Dim Sum items being the Haw Gow (shrimp dumplings) and Sui Mai (pork & shrimp dumplings). With a slightly thick and wet skin, the Haw Gow was not bad. Inside, it was filled with whole shrimp which were buttery and exhibited a moist snap. It was conservatively seasoned where we could only get sweetness without the usual sesame oil kick. As for the Sui Mai, the dumplings were chewy and meaty (the meat was not fatty). I enjoyed that there was a variety of tastes including sweet pork, woodsy shiitake and the essence of crunchy shrimp. Although it was a minor detail, I liked how they were carefully prepared where each piece was uniform in shape.
When the Pan-Fried Taro Cake arrived, it certainly looked distinctive with its big pieces of shredded taro. As mentioned, Parklane has Chiu Chow influences and this dish was no exception. With the abundance of taro and very little pudding, the textures were dry albeit crispy on the exterior. We would've liked to see more seasoning as the flavours were flat. We also got both the Beef and Shrimp Rice Noodle Rolls (only shrimp pictured). The noodle itself was thick and stiff. Inside, the shrimp was overcooked where it was rubbery and chewy. To top it all off, the shrimp was not seasoned very much, hence relying completely on the sweetened soy. The beef was better as it was tender with just the right amount of greens.
Of course we couldn't forget about the kiddies, so we got the usual Lo Mei Gai (sticky rice in lotus leaves). Steamed not only in lotus leaves, these were also double-wrapped with parchment paper ensuring all the moisture and flavour was locked in (as well as using less lotus leaves in the process). The rice was moist and glutinous while there was an equal amount of ingredients including ground pork (with plenty of starch-thickened sauce) and salted duck egg yolk. Flavours remained mild though. The Shrimp Spring Rolls were also quite good with a crisp, non-greasy shell. Inside, the shrimp had a good snap while being seasoned aggressively with garlic.
Continuing on with the kiddies, we got the BBQ Pork Pineapple Buns. If you don't already know, no pineapples were harmed in the creation of these buns. The crust just resembles the exterior of a pineapple (whoever thought of that...). These were fluffy and airy with a sweet crust on top. The lean BBQ pork was sufficiently less sweet, so it didn't make this a dessert. Now for dessert itself, we got the Egg Tarts last. Yay! These were flaky and light with an airy buttery consistency. The custard itself was silky and pretty sweet. Overall, we thought the Dim Sum service was inconsistent. Some dishes were good while others were not. Considering that they have Chiu Chow specialties on the menu, they weren't very well-executed.
The Good:
- Some unique items to supplement the usual Cantonese Dim Sum offerings
- Good specials before 11:00am
- Okay service
The Bad:
- Fairly narrow restaurant = tight seating
- Some dishes just didn't work
An Asian buffet located in the heart of Langley - sounds like a foodie's paradise doesn't it? Well, if orange is the new black... Wait... So why on Earth do I subject myself to such torture and exposure to food that would make Manchu Wok look gourmet? Call it part curiosity and part wishful thinking. I keep believing that one day, I'll find a decent buffet in the GVRD. Yah I know, that is a likely as finding people who know how to navigate a traffic circle. Yield to those already in the circle people! Anyways, we decided to check out Super Buffet for the heck of it.
From the outside, the place doesn't look like much. However, on the inside, they have renovated and the place looks pretty nice including the super clean washrooms. Shocking I know! The floor looked clean enough to eat off of... Well, not really... In the middle of the restaurant, there was 3 hot buffet stations consisting of the usual Chinese items, various fried items and a modest amount of seafood. On the side, there was a very humble selection of sushi, fruits, veggies and a surprising amount of desserts including some refrigerated items and hard ice cream. I tried the sushi and wish I hadn't. The rice was dry and bland, but really, it wasn't really sushi.
Naturally, I attacked the dungeness crab first and typical of buffets, it was DOA. Despite this, the crab meat was still somewhat fluffy and not overly mushy. On the same plate I had a fried chicken wing which was juicy, yet coated by an obscene amount of batter. The fried rice was so-so being dry and rather bland. I didn't mind the stir-fried veggies as they were still crisp an vibrant. I finally tried the Chinese food and it was pretty average. The sweet & sour pork was a bit hard while covered in a mainly sweet sauce. Same went with the other fried meats as they were rather dry. The fried noodles were alright being not overly greasy.
There was also some soups available where I tried the hot & sour and the wonton soup. The latter was acceptable with a mild broth and smallish wontons. I found the filling to be a bit loose and flavourless though. As you can clearly ascertain my complete and utter excitement in my post, this buffet experience was pretty much like any other one in the GVRD. Hence, these places are best left to those who are hungry and not picky as to what they are eating.
The Good:
- Really nice people
- Decent selection
- Not overly expensive
The Bad:
- Food is pretty average at best
- Nicely renovated dining room, but too dark
- Sushi is terrible
I'm sure you're familiar with the phrase, "Friends with Benefits". If not, go watch the movie by the same name staring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. Wait, on second thought, just Google it... Well, interestingly, there is a new poutine joint in town name Frites - Fries with Benefits. Um... Does that mean we can snack on these suckers and have no remorse of guilt? Wham, bam, thank you yam? No, they don't use yams, but that was the only thing that rhymed... Anyways, I rounded up the kids (they love poutine) and headed down to Frites in the former location of Dougie Dog.
A word of warning for those wanting to dine-in, with only 4 bar seats, it was just enough for us (barely). We started off with the basic being the large Authentic Belgian Frites with 2 dips (roast garlic and lemon dill). These fairly large fries were potatoey and only lightly crisp. They weren't greasy while being adequately salted. The roast garlic dip was sufficiently flavourful, yet could've been even more garlicky. On the other hand, the lemon dill was full of impact especially from the dill. We also got one Frites Dog with Korean hot pepper sauce. This combination of hot sauce and mayo was moderately spicy and plenty creamy. The beef hot dog was large and meaty where the casing exhibited an appealing snap. The bun was a bit cold and plain, maybe some toasting or steaming would've helped.
As a baseline, we had the Traditional Poutine which featured a dual layer of gravy and cheese curds. Since the frites were the thicker variety, the poutine was starchy and heavy. Combined with the good amount of gravy (most of it was in the middle and bottom), all of the frites became even heavier. With the cheese curds being nestled in the hot fries and gravy, they were melted and I could not see if they had any squeak or not. Furthermore, the gravy was on the saltier side albeit of a silky rich consistency. Now as for the Bacon Mushroom Poutine, it was more interesting as they piled on the toppings. There was almost as much mushroom, bacon, cheese and gravy as the frites. As such, there was plenty of various flavours such as salty, woodsy, smoky and cheesy. My daughter couldn't stop eating it. Overall, we thought that Frites was okay, but not nearly as good as La Belle Patate and The Spud Shack.
The Good:
- Not shy with the ingredients
- The frites themselves are decent (if you like them starchier)
- Friendly enough service
The Bad:
- With all that gravy and stuff, the thicker fries get really heavy
- Purely takeout, only 4 seats, but that is the same as some other joints
Here we are again, another year of the PNE! Although wandering throughout the Showmart tempted in purchasing a broom or some mixer is something that I look forward to every summer, it is really all about the food. In years past, the selection of food was pretty much predictable and unchanging. However, in more recent times, there seems to be newer and bolder options that range from tasty-to-just-plain-weird. Well, without further ado, here are some of the new things we got to try as part of our media tour.
Our first stop was at Unroutine Poutine where we were treated to a Parisian Poutine with braised beef, Kennebec fries, cheese curds, red wine gravy, sauteed mushrooms and crispy onions. This ate as good as it looked with crispy and starchy fries which were bathed in a silky gravy that was more akin to a demi. There was a real hit of wine flavour albeit a touch salty. The buttery mushrooms were nestled within big chunks of moist beef. Off to our next destination, we went with something sweet with the Cannoli King. As the name suggests, we were presented with sample sizes (half-portion) of a hand-rolled Cannoli filled with sweetened ricotta cheese, almonds and chocolate chips. OMG, this was freakin' fantastic as the thin crisp shell gave way to a super creamy and light ricotta filling. It was purposefully sweet with an almond finish.
With cannoli still on my mind, we sauntered over to Pennsylvania Dutch for yet another one of their wacky fried creations. In the past, I've tried their fried Jelly Bellys and Oreos with varying degrees of satisfaction (loved the Oreos, the Jelly Bellys not-so-much). This year, they've decided to fry cubes of Cookie Dough in batter. Although these were crispy outside and not particularly greasy, the partially melted cookie dough was a bit too sweet for my taste. Across the way, we headed over to Revolution Corn where we sampled their 3 options including Canadian Corn with butter, maple syrup and bacon, Classic Roasted Corn with butter and salt and Cuban Corn with spices, mayo, cheese and lime. For me, I like things simple and enjoyed the sweet crunchy pop of the classic. However, the Cuban was the most interesting with a fragrant cheesiness accented by the acidity of lime.
Moving along, we visited one of the icons of the PNE, who has been around for 47 years - none other than Hunky Bill's. You might think the stuff here is so well-known, there wouldn't be any surprises, but they've come up with Gluten-Free Perogies. I was apprehensive at first because my experience with many gluten-free products have been on par with eating stale bread. However, these fried dumplings weren't bad with a crispy exterior and not overly hard dough. The cheesy filling was impactful and just right in consistency. But...they should've drained the grease as there was enough oil to moisturize one's face. Next door, we visited Gourmet Burgers as we did last year. Among the burgers I sampled were the duck and kangaroo. Due to the lean meat, these were predictably dry. They did have distinctive flavours though. Eventually, I just had to try the Kitchen Sink with top sirloin beef patty, fried egg, ham, bacon, onions, mushrooms, lettuce, mayo, sharp cheddar, BBQ sauce and Provolone cheese. Although the patty was not exactly juicy, due to the wealth of ingredients, the burger was not devoid of moisture and ate messy.
Our last 2 stops were of the sweet variety beginning with Cin City Donuts in the Showmart. Hey, there's that broom I wanted! Anyways, we were served samples of their 5 different Mini-Donuts including strawberries & whipped cream, Canadian maple syrup & bacon, s'mores, chocolate sauce & powdered sugar and classic cinnamon sugar. I found the donuts to be more cakey than the other kind found at the fair. The outside had an appealing light crispiness. Finally, we ended up at The Roaming Dragon to try their unique Cotton Candy in mango and lychee flavours. Being made of sugar, these were naturally sweet, but the flavours of the fruit did come through, especially with the lychee. So there you have it for 2014 food at the PNE. Glad to see that it isn't only about foot longs and soft serve anymore (although I still love those too!).
*All food was complimentary as part of the media tour*
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