Alimentaria

To say that the Mexican-food scene in Vancouver is lacking would be an understatement.  Now I'm not implying there isn't Mexican cuisine to be found, it just isn't well represented and sometimes, it is not very good.  However, I've had some decents ones in the Lower Mainland and am always excited to see new ones open up.  That was the case with Alimentaria located in the former Edible Canada space on Granville Island.  Originally, Nancy and I went during their soft-opening when their menu was limited.  Before I could even write the post for that, both of us were invited to their media night.

We were started off with 2 tostadas including the Smoked Salmon Tostada on a crispy corn tortilla topped with locally smoked chum salmon, cucumber-cream, pickle red onions and capers.  Loved the combination of Westcoast ingredients in a Mexican dish.  The salmon was buttery with a balanced smoke complimented by the classic accompaniments.  Flavours were familiar, yet presented differently on a beautifully crisp tortilla.

The second one was the Chorizo Verde Tostada with crispy corn tostada, topped with a grilled house-made sausage nearby Oyama with refried beans, charred cabbage & feta.  Completely different than the first one, this tostada ate more hearty with meaty and tender sausage.  Add in the refried beans and this was a meal in itself.  There was some smoky sweetness from the cabbage and cooling creaminess from the cheese.

From these, we moved onto the made-to-order Guacamole.  Once again, there was a Westcoast twist where it was topped with  feta, pumpkin seeds & pea shoots.  So the creamy guac ate well with the side of fresh crunchy corn tortilla chip.  With a squeeze of the lime wedge, the whole thing was pretty bright.  Once again, the creaminess of the feta added more luxuriousness to the already creamy guac.  I found the pumpkin seeds to be an interesting texture that contrasted the avocado.

One of the favourite items was the Albacore Tuna Ceviche with sashimi grade albacore, lime, tomato, cilantro, onion and cucumber.  Not overly complex but well-executed, the fish was delicate and sweet.  There was enough acidity to "cook" the fish while not being too overwhelming.  The whole thing was fresh, bright and appetizing.  I also thought the restraint with the cilantro ensured that the whole thing wasn't dominated by one flavour.

Now my actual favourite dish of the night was the Duck Flautas filled with braised duck and roasted squash topped with pickled red onion, cabbage and recado negro.  Beyond the firmly crunchy fried tortillas, the shredded duck was super moist and full-flavoured from the spices.  I've had duck flautas before and these were by far the best.  To bring down the heaviness, there was a refreshing slaw and pickled onions.  It also added crunch and tanginess.

One of the most striking dishes was the Halloumi and Grilled Cactus.  With its attractive sear, the cheese was aromatic, nutty and squishy.  Underneath, the grilled cactus was beautifully prepared where it was not slimy at all.  In fact, it still had a bite which was appealing. All of this sat in a charred tomatillo salsa verde with pickled red onion.  Bright with a touch of smokiness, the salsa verde provided good balance to the hearty halloumi.

Another solid offering was the Birria Tacos with slow cooked beef braised in dried chilies with onions, cilantro & limes.  Loved the tortillas as they were thin and lightly crispy.  They were nutty and aromatic.  Inside, the braised beef was tender with plenty of punch.  As promised in the description, there was some spice, sweetness and overall depth.  We could customize it to our personal tastes not only with the side of accompaniments, but also the hot sauces provided as well.

The most grandiose dish was served last in the Sopes with Bone Marrow.  The roasted bone marrow was topped with gremolata and sat atop a corn sopes and refried heirloom beans.  Yes, this was not a light dish by any means but really, it wasn't meant to be.  There was an overload of buttery and fatty bone marrow that overflowed off the sopes.  A sprinkle of fleur de sel and oh man, it was sinful to eat.  Yet as the same time, it was delicious.  At least the brightness of the gremolata helped cut the fat a touch.

We ended things off with the House-Made Churros in classic cinnamon sugar and a side of dulce de leche.  Loved how these were relatively thin and lightly crispy.  Inside, it was delicate while the sweetness was amped by the caramel-flavoured dulce de leche.  This was a fine end to a delicious meal.  It is nice to see a new Mexican spot that serves a variety of dishes where some are influenced by local ingredients.  I'll definitely be back.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- A good variety of Mexican dishes that might not be what you normally see locally
- Well-executed
- Those duck flautas!

The Bad:
- When Nancy and I visited on our own the first time, there was quite the wait. Be sure to make a rez
- Parking can be tricky on weekends  

Sabà Cafe and Bistro

It isn't often I venture into Fort Langley, even though it is closer than some of my Abbotsford adventures as of late.  However, Ophilia urged me to head out there to try one of her favs in Sabà Cafe and Bistro adjacent to the actual Fort Langley site.  The place is a bakery/cafe in the daytime and then sectioned off at night to become a bistro.  To further increase capacity, they occupy the courtyard for outdoor seating.  We ended up sitting inside, but when the weather is nice, the courtyard sure seems inviting.

We began the meal with the Jumbo Tiger Shrimp pan-seared in lemon garlic butter with a side of fresh herb aioli.  These shrimp were indeed large (this is an oxymoron right?).  They were perfectly prepared being meaty with a buttery sweet snap.  They were completely seasoned and the acidity came through.  I was expecting the aioli to be heavy, but it ate more like a tzatziki being light and almost bright.

Trying to order one item from each section of the menu, we got the Grilled Caesar Salad featuring a whole romaine heart with house-Caesar dressing, fried capers, parm, crispy germolata and charred lemon.  On the surface, this didn't appear to be anything out-of-the-ordinary, but it was ultimately very good.  Despite the char, the romaine was still crisp.  The creamy dressing was balanced with saltiness and garlickiness. More acidity was provided by the lemon (in addition to the gremolata and capers).

For our pasta course, we chose the Wild Mushroom Gnocchi in a rich and creamy sauce.  First and foremost, the fresh gnocchi were delicate while retaining a chew.  That meant that beyond the almost pillowy softness, it wasn't mushy nor devoid of texture.  As for the sauce, it was a bit heavy, yet still very tasty due to the plethora of wild mushrooms added the classic umaminess.  Seasoning was on point where there was enough without going overboard.

Onto the mains, we had land and sea with the latter being the Halibut with coconut jasmine rice, asparagus, broccolini, lemon caper butter and charred lemon.  Although the plating was quite basic, the overall execution was on point.  I found the halibut to be seared nicely while still being flaky and moist inside.  It was properly seasoned while accented well by the salty acidity of the butter.  Asparagus and broccolini was charred and cooked just enough.

For the land portion, we had the 10oz Prime Striploin with garlic mash and asparagus.  Again, the plating was very rustic in appearance, yet the execution was good.  The steak was medium-rare and tender.  Good char on the outside and properly seasoned as well.  Mash was creamy and garlicky and the once again, the asparagus and broccolini were crisp and bright.  Overall, the meal was good with the proteins properly executed.  A bit of a surprise given that it was way out in Fort Langley.  But it just proves that delicious eats are limited to Vancouver.

The Good:
- Properly executed proteins
- Seasoning on point
- Quaint

The Bad:
- Basic plating  

Restaurant 62

Restaurant 62 has been on my radar for a very long time.  However, just like many places, it got lost in the shuffle and honestly, I'm not out in Abby very often.  Interestingly enough, I've been out there 3 times this past Summer.  We've hit up Brodeur's Bistro and recently Bow & Stern.  This time around, after the Chilliwack Corn Maze, we stopped by Restaurant 62 for lunch.

My daughter decided on trying out one of the daily features which was the Gnocchi with mushrooms cream sauce and arugula.  This was super rich where we could definitely taste the fresh cream.  It was completely accented by the ample amount of mushrooms.  Hence, there was plenty of umaminess.  As for the gnocchi, they were medium-sized with a soft texture but still retained a bite.

For my son, he actually wanted the gnocchi, but I "encouraged" him to order the Fraser Valley Chicken Orecchiette with rosemary, ricotta and mushrooms.  This one was a bit similar but not as creamy while the woodiness of the rosemary really came through.  It wasn't overpowering though and we could also get the mushroom.  This was well-seasoned without being salty.  The pasta itself was al dente and held the sauce well.

Viv went for something more casual in the Cheesesteak with Fries.  This consisted of a toasted roll with sliced beef, peppers and onions.  Due to the nature of the dish, we found it the least appealing, not because it was bad but the others were just so much better.  With that being said, the beef was tender and the roll was soft.  Peppers could've been cooked down a bit more and the whole thing needed a bit more seasoning.  Fries were good.

For myself, I had the BC Halibut with Salt Spring Island mussels, manilla clams and fennel in a bouillabaisse.  This was really good where the broth was fragrant with a definite taste of the sea.  I noticed there was a coconut background finish which was pleasant.  Mussels and clams were cooked perfectly while the halibut was seared crispy.  Inside it was flaky and moist.  So this was a good introduction to one of the best restaurants in Abbotsford.  Still curious about the dinner menu and if I can get myself to head out there again, I will surely give that a go as well.

The Good:
- Well-prepared eats
- Nice dining space
- Overall good service

The Bad:
- On the pricier side especially out in Abby, but it is quality food
- Parking lot is large, but runs out of space fast

Bow & Stern

For the second time within a month and a half, we headed out to Castle Fun Park for some go-karting and mini-golf.  Meeting up with us was Bluebeard and Nikita as well as their kids.  It was fun times and honestly, the games were only delaying what I really wanted to do...  go eat!  So while in Abby, we had to seek out some family-friendly eats that also satisfied the adults while not breaking the bank.  Having gluten-free options was important too. Ultimately, we decided on Bow & Stern in Downtown Abbotsford.

Now I'm not a huge fan of salads, but something about the Seafood Salad intrigued me.  It was a stellar decision as the darn thing was absolutely huge.  There was an overload of flaked halibut, dungeness crab and tiger prawns atop mixed greens dressed in lemon, herb & garlic vinaigrette.  Served on the side was  Marie Antoinette dressing and pickled asparagus.  I kid you not, this would be difficult for one person to finish.  The amount of fluffy crab and halibut was enough for 3 salads honestly.  I would totally order this again.

I didn't only have a salad because I also ordered the Lobster Mac n' Cheese with house-made mornay sauce and fresh herbed focaccia.  On the thinner side, the cheese sauce was still fairly flavourful, yet could've been cheesier and saltier.  There was a decent amount of beautifully cooked lobster meat nestled inside.  The pasta was tender and almost al dente.  Focaccia was soft and was great for soaking up the sauce.

Now my son was deciding between the lobster mac and the Chicken Burger, so I proposed that he split it with me and I would give him some mac.  It was a done deal especially since I had to try it (if you don't know, check out @shermaneatschickensandwiches).  This was a fairly standard burger with a crispy fried chicken breast.  It was a little dry, but still tender.  I found the overall flavour to be a bit plain, but it still ate well with a soft bun.

My daughter went for the Baja Fish Tacos with a side of Boston Clam Chowder.  These tacos were filled to the brim with pico de gallo, guacamole, colesalw and jalapeno.  Great for those who love plenty of condiments, not so good for my daughter.  No harm no foul, she just removed some of it.  The fried piece of fish was crispy and light while flaky inside.  As for the clam chowder, it was rich and creamy with plenty of chunky ingredients.  It could've been brinier, but it wasn't bland either.

Viv ended up with the Fried Oyster Po-Boy with peppers, mixed greens, remoulade, tomato and onion.  Once again, there was probably a bit too many other things in the po'boy that it detracted from the beautifully fried large fresh oysters.  Again, no big deal as we just removed some of the onions and peppers.  This way, we got the full briny sweetness of the oysters as well as the remoulade.  The side of fries were very good being crispy and having all the good qualities of being fresh cut.

Bluebeard went for the Halibut and Chips with house-made tartar and lemon wedge.  This was pretty darn solid with flaky fresh halibut encased in a light crispy batter.  Tartar was bright and creamy while the fries were good as mentioned above.  In the end, we were all satisfied with our meals and probably more so.  Portions were large, food was good and service was up to the task.  Combined with reasonable prices, Bow & Stern is a solid choice for casual eats in Abby.

The Good:

- Large portions

- Generally good food

- Attentive service

The Bad:

- Some things might have been a bit too busy, a few less ingredients would've been better

Kam Tou Seafood Restaurant

After a year and a half of not dining in for Dim Sum, I've been on somewhat of a tear lately.  I guess making up for lost time is not only a cliché, it is really a mantra that many people are living by these days.  What else could explain all the bars in and around Kits fully packed on a Monday night?  We've been needing to wait for table after softball on a Monday night!  Anyways, the latest Dim Sum spot we hit was Kam Tou Seafood Restaurant, located in the Continental Shopping Centre in Richmond.  For those who feel this location is familiar, it is the former spot of Dragon View Chinese.  We ended up making a reservation and thank goodness we did, the place was packed for lunch...  on a Tuesday!

We got the XO Daikon Cake to start and it was exactly how we like it.  Each cube of daikon pudding cake was just the right size where it was fried crispy and golden brown without losing its soft texture while also not being too big (which makes it floppy and soft).  It was tossed in a good amount of XO sauce that added both spice, umaminess and seasoning.  Even though we ignored the dish after some others arrived, it remained crispy.

My daughter really wanted the Seafood Congee and well, she usually gets what she wants...  Not a bad choice really as it was filled with enough fish, squid, scallops and prawns for it to be hearty.  They were all cooked beautifully so that their optimum texture was achieved (ie. crunchy prawns, flaky fish, tender squid and buttery scallops).  The congee was quite silky and had an appealing viscosity but we felt they were a bit heavy-handed with the MSG.

Loved how they numbered their dumplings by 5's rather than 4's so it felt like we were getting more.  In reality, they were smaller, so probably the same amount of ingredients as 4 dumplings.  So the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumplings) were decent with a medium-thick skin that had some elasticity.  Inside, the shrimp were buttery and had some snap.  I found the seasoning on the sweeter side with hints of natural shrimp sweetness and bamboo shoots.

As for the Truffle Siu Mai, I thought these were also strangely on the sweeter side, but at the same time, they were still good.  Texturally, I got the bounciness of the pork as well as the snap from the shrimp.  We were still able to pick out the pork and shrimp flavours, so that dumpling wasn't overseasoned despite being sweet.  The amount of truffle was balanced where it added woodsiness while not overwhelming.

Numbering 3 and being quite large, the Beef Meatballs had the classic bounce texture from the processed meat.  It was slightly on the denser side, but didn't eat heavy due to the bounciness.  Loved how they didn't overdo it with the cilantro/green onion as some places really load up and we can't really taste the meat anymore.  Despite the processed beef, we could taste the natural flavours.  Underneath, I was delighted to find bean curd skin as it is one of my favourite things to eat.

For me, I had to order the usual offal in the Steamed Tripe and Tendon.  I thought this dish was excellent with large slices of tripe that had been braised long enough for it to be tender, yet retaining a chew as well.  There was actually more tripe than tendon, however, for the pieces underneath, they were soft and maybe just a bit overdone.  However, they didn't melt away, so there was some texture left.  Again, this was rather sweet.

Another solid dish was the Steamed Bean Curd Skin Rolls stuffed with pork and shrimp.  As mentioned, I love the texture of fried bean curd skin. Anyways, I found the soft chewiness of the bean curd skin to be on point where it held everything together and was also soft to chew at the same time.  The filling was juicy and had the requisite bounce texture.  Yes, once again, it was slightly on the sweeter side, but it still tasted great.

One of the least successful dishes was the Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet) because it was overcooked.  Most, if not all, of the skin on the chicken feet was detached at the base.  Furthermore, the cartilage and tendon underneath was mostly melted away.  Now with that being said, the skin was still tender and well-seasoned by the sauce (which was yes, sweet). So it wasn't all bad, but could've been better with plumpness rather than what we got.

As for the BBQ Pork Buns, it was expected to be sweet, so I am going to say it was on point.  The glaze had rich sweetness while balanced off by a complimentary amount of saltiness.  It also had the proper viscosity.  I found the sliced BBQ Pork to be meaty and lean, but not dry.  The actual steamed bun itself was fairly fluffy and had a good ratio to the amount of meat.

To change this up a bit, we decided on the Crispy Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll over the usual ones we normally have.  It was a great decision as this was excellent.  First of all, the rice noodle was delicate with medium thickness.  It was soft while still exhibiting elasticity.  Inside, the crispy coating was light and consistent.  The ample amount of shrimp was buttery with a sweet snap.  There was a good textural contrast between the 3 ingredients.

Staying with shrimp and fried, we had the Shrimp Spring Rolls with a layer of nori inside.  This was also very good.  It was served hot and crunchy without being greasy.  Inside, the sheet of nori was not chewy at all, which can happen sometimes.  The shrimp filling was as good as the previous dish being well-seasoned and buttery with a snap.

For dessert, we didn't do anything special, but did go with the classic Baked Egg Tarts.  Okay, this was far too sweet.  They could've done with half the amount of sugar.  As for the custard texture, it was good being silky and light.  I found the tart shell to be not as flaky as I expected it to be, but it wasn't bad still.  So this dessert did highlight the main issue with the food - the overuse of sugar.  Now, that didn't mean it wasn't good, but if you prefer things more savoury or have diabetes, you might want to be careful.  With that being said, we enjoyed the Dim Sum and would come back.

The Good:
- Generally well-prepared food
- Service was decent

The Bad:
- Things were on the sweeter side

Harbour Oyster Bar

By virtue of its location, Vancouver is not only known for being the hub of Asian Cuisine (specifically Chinese), but for a great place for seafood.  Fresh seafood can be found on most menus and there are restaurants featuring seafood (Blue Water, Coast, Joe Fortes).  However, most of them are rather expensive and high-end dining.  What if I told you there is a place on the Drive that features seafood but is much more casual and reasonably-priced?  Harbour Oyster Bar is exactly that and they offer happy hour oysters @ $1.50 each from 11:00am - 5:00pm everyday!  We checked them out a few times after Sunday morning hockey at Brit nearby.

So about those Oysters...  They have been featuring Chef's Creek the last while for $1.50/shuck during their happy hour (which is almost all the time except for dinner).  All the condiments are included such as horseradish, mignonette, cocktail sauce, lemon wedge and an array of Tabasco.  Don't let the price fool you because these oysters were creamy and slightly briny with a clean finish.  One of the better deals in town considering the extended HH.

Also on their HH menu is the Steamed Clams in butter, garlic and white wine served with garlic bread for $12.00.  These were prepared perfectly with every clam being open and buttery soft while retaining a bite.  They were briny and sweet while fully flavoured with the broth underneath.  The side of charred garlic bread was the perfect vessel to soak up all of the buttery clam juices. 

Another HH option is the Garlic Prawns in Cajun lemon butter sauce for $12.00.  These were also quite good with buttery prawns that had a sweet snap.  These were tasty on their own, but the ample and sinful butter sauce was flavourful with the acidity of the lemon and accompanying lemon wedge.  Our only suggestion would be a side of the same garlic bread as the clams to soak up the butter.

Out last HH item was the Lobster Poutine, also for $12.00, with jalapeño, corn, cheesy béchamel and cheese.  This was only average as there wasn't a whole lot of lobster to be found.  Fries were crispy and held up well to the sauce and the addition of corn provided pops of sweetness.  Didn't notice the jalapeño much.  I found the sauce to be creamy and mildly flavoured with sweetness.  Could've used more spice.

Onto some bigger items, I tried the Oyster Po'Boy on my initial visit.  This consisted of 3 mini-brioche buns with one fried oyster each dressed in remoulade, slaw, corn and tomatoes.  This was so delicious as the oysters were creamy and briny while sporting a crispy spiced batter.  Brioche was soft and toasted and each one just ate so well.  On the side, the made-to-order Boston Chowda had to be one of the best I've had in town.  Lightly creamy, well-spiced and full of fresh clams and mussels, this featured natural briny and sweet flavours.

Milhouse has been one of most trusted eating companions since the start of this blog and I thought I should actually mention him by name as he ordered the Blackened Cod Sandwich with asian slaw and sambal mayo.  Although the piece of fish was a bit small, it was moist and flaky with a noticeable spice crust on the outside.  The slaw was crunchy while the mayo was only mildly spicy.  Brioche was toasted and held everything together being airy and soft. 

On my other visit, I split my Lobster Prawn Rolls with Tonya (not her real name) so I could get half of her sandwich (more on that later).  These featured the same soft brioche buns as the po'boy.  Inside, there was a good amount of both lobster and prawn which were texturally on point and also dressed just enough.  The side of fries, much like in the other dishes, were crunchy and stayed as such until the end.

Okay, the item I shared with Tonya was the Lobster Grilled Cheese on grilled sourdough.  This was really good with plenty of melted cheese and an equal amount of tender and moist lobster.  The sourdough was buttery and evenly crunchy that offered up the right texture contrasting the cheese and lobster.   So this is pretty clear, but I'll reiterate - the food at Harbour is solid and reasonably priced.  A good place to get your seafood fix in a casual spot with great service to boot.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Reasonable pricing
- Good service

The Bad:
- Seating is somewhat tight