On a four day visit to our second home in Vancouver, managed to keep the following pace (and arrive back home in the East, several pounds heavier):
Dinner at the bar at Feenie's
Duck leg confit salad -- oops, forgot to ask that they hold the blue cheese;
Pappardelle Bolognese -- super, as always. Could have this dish every week.
Dim sum at Kirin Mandarin:
Great pot stickers and sticky rice;
Not so wonderful har gow and steamed pork buns.
Dinner at the Octopus Garden
Could not get a seat at the sushi bar; said they didn't take reservations, but in fact the seats were reserved for others; not happy; good tempura; very average nigiri sushi.
Lunch at Rodney's Oyster House
Very good Pacific oysters -- three kinds;
New England clam chowder could use work;
Love the atmosphere.
Dinner at West:
An amazing creamless Cauliflower soup;
A citrusy tuna tartare, as tasty as I have had;
A chef's surprise gift of risotto with shaved Alba truffles -- couldn't do better in Piemonte;
A rich, winey, braised port belly that was the night's special;
All in all, surely a good as it gets in Vancouver; David Hawksworth never rests on his laurels.
Dim sum at San Sui Wah on Main:
Terrific dim sum from the carts, including great pot stickers, perfect sticky rice in lotus leaf and excellent steamed har gow and peanut dumplings.
Truth be told: Where've you eaten lately?
Started by
Mooshmouse
, Sep 18 2004 06:27 PM
1366 replies to this topic
#62
Foodie in Vancouver
-
- participating member
- 401 posts
Posted 28 November 2004 - 12:49 AM
Here are 3 of my recent meals out - some places more than once:
Go Fish - in fact those are my hands in the picture in the Queue section of the Sun this Friday. Got to Go Fish on a stunning, sunny day that convinces you there is no where else in the world to live than Vancouver. Arrived at 11:30 or so to find that one of their deep fryers was down so no fish and chips. Chaos was barely held at bay - orders were going missing and the chap taking the orders was clearly still in training. But Gordon was holding it all together - gentle reminders to the staff about how to dress the salads, leaping to the grill to turn salmon fillets and flashing his smile at the customers. And, the buns arrived in time to ensure sandwiches were possible. So that's what we had - grilled salmon sandwiches with greens. We took them back to the office, partly because we were chilly and there was no where to sit and partly because the wait had been so long. But a worthwhile wait. I took my grilled salmon sandwich into my 1:00 meeting and barely managed to keep the mayo off my chin and retain whatever dignity I have. It was delicious - well worth the wait. I would cheerfully return - I just haven't found the opportunity. And I will wear something other than my office clothes - dry cleaning will be more than the cost of the lunch and I will eat in private.
Hamilton Street Grill - have been there the last 2 Friday's for the hangar steak. At risk of sounding like a shill - what a great place! A fun room, great food and good service. No doubt about it - Neil's attention to the front of the house, as well as the kitchen pays off for the customer. The staff performs flawlessly, service is gracious, prompt and attentive, without fawning. Last night we spent some time at the bar and that too, was a great experience. Neil definitely has hired the right talent.
The hangar steaks, on both occasions, are tasty, chewy and flavourful. You know you are eating beef, which is just the way I like it. I had mine cooked rare the first time and medium rare last night and recommend the medium rare to medium. Last night I started with the pear and stilton salad. Excellent - not too much dressing (which I abhour - one reason I always hesitate to have salads in the US - they always drown them in dressing; more is better in America) and just enough Stilton to punch up the flavour. I had a glass of the Domaine Chaberton syrah at the bar which I continued with the salad. Not a very good wine in my opinion - based on the Syrah, I wouldn't hurry out to Langley. Almost had a raisin taste to it, quite off-putting. We had the Penfolds Shiraz- Cabernet with the steak this week and last week had the Nota Bene. The Bene was definitely the better choice of the two.
And tonight we went to Bishop's to celebrate our wedding anniversary. It is with a heavy heart that I report a very mere and actually disappointing meal. For $230 (with tip) I am sure I would have been swept off my feet at West. Instead at Bishop's we couldn't get out of there soon enough.
What went wrong? The service was certainly attentive - they must have at least 10 people, including John on the floor. But the noise in there tonight was overwhelmng. We were seated upstairs, just at the passageway to the kitchen and the bathrooms and in front of the area where they keep the wine glasses. My husband said it reminded him of sitting in the toilet row of an airplane (you know, the last couple of rows where people line up to wait for the bathroom). We were unable to converse because of the din. Our expectations were for a romantic evening so the noise and constant bustle of staff around our table was a distraction. But at Bishop's we have come to expect superb tastes, flavours and pairings. The only time this happened was the amuse bouche - seared scallop on a deep-fried wonton skin. That was the Bishop's we have known and loved. A hit of ocean flavour and a silken texture in the mouth. It truly set us up for great things to come. I started with the spot prawns - there were 4 on the plate with a small mound of overdressed greens. The prawns were perfectly cooked with respect to texture but somehow managed to fall flat on flavour. Perhaps it was the bitter greens with too much dressing? Nels had the tempura squid which he said was rubbery. I had a Venturi Schulze sparkling wine with the prawns- it was clean and sharp and a good match. But it was oddly devoid of bubbles - or maybe they were too small to be seen. A nice brut, none the less but probably not worth $13 a glass.
We both had the ahi tuna as our main course paired with the Blue Mountain Pinot Noir. Our impression of the wine list was that it was skewed towards some very, very pricey wines. The vast majority of the wine list was well outside our budget with no Pinot Noirs by the glass.
The tuna was so disappointing that I struggle to find words to describe it. Yes, it was dark pink inside, but the outer 1/4 to 3/8ths of an inch was so well done as to be chewy and dull. I like seared tuna to be almost like sashimi - meltingly tender and like butter with a delicate feel in the mouth. Almost as if it isn't there. Well this tuna was all there, all the time. Chew, chew, chew. And no flavour anywhere. It was served with a small amount of grainy mustard sauce and roasted vegatables. Serviceable but an overabundance of potatoes. Dessert was the vanilla- coffee brulee. Nothing exciting - nothing bad.
We vowed that for the next celebratory meal we are heading to West were we know that $230 later we will have had a meal that makes us smile in utter contentment and one that is truly a celebration of food and wine. And we will have had a chance to talk quietly to each oblivious to those around us.
Go Fish - in fact those are my hands in the picture in the Queue section of the Sun this Friday. Got to Go Fish on a stunning, sunny day that convinces you there is no where else in the world to live than Vancouver. Arrived at 11:30 or so to find that one of their deep fryers was down so no fish and chips. Chaos was barely held at bay - orders were going missing and the chap taking the orders was clearly still in training. But Gordon was holding it all together - gentle reminders to the staff about how to dress the salads, leaping to the grill to turn salmon fillets and flashing his smile at the customers. And, the buns arrived in time to ensure sandwiches were possible. So that's what we had - grilled salmon sandwiches with greens. We took them back to the office, partly because we were chilly and there was no where to sit and partly because the wait had been so long. But a worthwhile wait. I took my grilled salmon sandwich into my 1:00 meeting and barely managed to keep the mayo off my chin and retain whatever dignity I have. It was delicious - well worth the wait. I would cheerfully return - I just haven't found the opportunity. And I will wear something other than my office clothes - dry cleaning will be more than the cost of the lunch and I will eat in private.
Hamilton Street Grill - have been there the last 2 Friday's for the hangar steak. At risk of sounding like a shill - what a great place! A fun room, great food and good service. No doubt about it - Neil's attention to the front of the house, as well as the kitchen pays off for the customer. The staff performs flawlessly, service is gracious, prompt and attentive, without fawning. Last night we spent some time at the bar and that too, was a great experience. Neil definitely has hired the right talent.
The hangar steaks, on both occasions, are tasty, chewy and flavourful. You know you are eating beef, which is just the way I like it. I had mine cooked rare the first time and medium rare last night and recommend the medium rare to medium. Last night I started with the pear and stilton salad. Excellent - not too much dressing (which I abhour - one reason I always hesitate to have salads in the US - they always drown them in dressing; more is better in America) and just enough Stilton to punch up the flavour. I had a glass of the Domaine Chaberton syrah at the bar which I continued with the salad. Not a very good wine in my opinion - based on the Syrah, I wouldn't hurry out to Langley. Almost had a raisin taste to it, quite off-putting. We had the Penfolds Shiraz- Cabernet with the steak this week and last week had the Nota Bene. The Bene was definitely the better choice of the two.
And tonight we went to Bishop's to celebrate our wedding anniversary. It is with a heavy heart that I report a very mere and actually disappointing meal. For $230 (with tip) I am sure I would have been swept off my feet at West. Instead at Bishop's we couldn't get out of there soon enough.
What went wrong? The service was certainly attentive - they must have at least 10 people, including John on the floor. But the noise in there tonight was overwhelmng. We were seated upstairs, just at the passageway to the kitchen and the bathrooms and in front of the area where they keep the wine glasses. My husband said it reminded him of sitting in the toilet row of an airplane (you know, the last couple of rows where people line up to wait for the bathroom). We were unable to converse because of the din. Our expectations were for a romantic evening so the noise and constant bustle of staff around our table was a distraction. But at Bishop's we have come to expect superb tastes, flavours and pairings. The only time this happened was the amuse bouche - seared scallop on a deep-fried wonton skin. That was the Bishop's we have known and loved. A hit of ocean flavour and a silken texture in the mouth. It truly set us up for great things to come. I started with the spot prawns - there were 4 on the plate with a small mound of overdressed greens. The prawns were perfectly cooked with respect to texture but somehow managed to fall flat on flavour. Perhaps it was the bitter greens with too much dressing? Nels had the tempura squid which he said was rubbery. I had a Venturi Schulze sparkling wine with the prawns- it was clean and sharp and a good match. But it was oddly devoid of bubbles - or maybe they were too small to be seen. A nice brut, none the less but probably not worth $13 a glass.
We both had the ahi tuna as our main course paired with the Blue Mountain Pinot Noir. Our impression of the wine list was that it was skewed towards some very, very pricey wines. The vast majority of the wine list was well outside our budget with no Pinot Noirs by the glass.
The tuna was so disappointing that I struggle to find words to describe it. Yes, it was dark pink inside, but the outer 1/4 to 3/8ths of an inch was so well done as to be chewy and dull. I like seared tuna to be almost like sashimi - meltingly tender and like butter with a delicate feel in the mouth. Almost as if it isn't there. Well this tuna was all there, all the time. Chew, chew, chew. And no flavour anywhere. It was served with a small amount of grainy mustard sauce and roasted vegatables. Serviceable but an overabundance of potatoes. Dessert was the vanilla- coffee brulee. Nothing exciting - nothing bad.
We vowed that for the next celebratory meal we are heading to West were we know that $230 later we will have had a meal that makes us smile in utter contentment and one that is truly a celebration of food and wine. And we will have had a chance to talk quietly to each oblivious to those around us.
Cheers,
Karole
Karole
#63
butter
-
- participating member
- 261 posts
Posted 28 November 2004 - 11:24 AM
La Bodegas last night because there was an hour and a half wait at Bin 942 at 9:30 p.m. Too starved to wait. Had chicken livers in a cream sauce, (sorry can't remember the Spanish names of these items) which was great for dipping bread in, paella (very dry and tasteless), garlic prawns (okay), and baby squid with another good bread dipping sauce, and patatas bravas (yummy). Although the food is very basic and can be made at home easily, I really like the warm atmosphere and it's comfort food.
Re: Go Fish. The fryer was down when I went there too a few weeks ago. Service was slow, I wonder if the same guy is still in training, but the smiles and laughter from Chef Gordon made up for it all. What energy! Great halibut.
Re: Go Fish. The fryer was down when I went there too a few weeks ago. Service was slow, I wonder if the same guy is still in training, but the smiles and laughter from Chef Gordon made up for it all. What energy! Great halibut.
"One chocolate truffle is more satisfying than a dozen artificially flavored dessert cakes." Darra Goldstein, Gastronomica Journal, Spring 2005 Edition
#64
janevm
-
- participating member
- 64 posts
Posted 28 November 2004 - 07:38 PM
Thursday lunch at Kamei Royale with friends from work. One of the largest Japanese lunch menu I have ever encountered. Very reasonable prices - I had the carb laden combo B: chicken teriyaki, Udon, California roll and Tekka maki $8.40.
Friday, pre-theatre bite at CRU. We shared the heirloom tomato salad, pan seared scallops and braised short ribs. Great food, but still feel the room lacks ambiance - maybe it's just the shape of the space. The pricing reflects the Granville Rise location. Personally, I think I still prefer Parkside.
Saturday night, hubby is craving for Korean food, so we ended up at the Jang Mo Jib in the Biltmore Hotel. There was a line-up. Was seated after 15 minutes wait. We had their house special "Pork backbones hot pot with kimchi and onions". $24.99 for two and includes rice and 6 different Korean side dishes which they filled up at no charge. Excellent deal and very satisfying - but don't expect service. Noticed a sign above the cashier: Homestay in the Biltmore Hotel $1,350 per month plus two meals a day ($900 per month if sharing a room). Not a bad deal at all!
Sunday night, Sequoia Grill - I think I still prefer the old Teahouse. The new look and new name, lighter more seafood oriented menu does not make an impression. We sat in the Atrium section and it was too loud for conversation and the music from the bad speakers just sounded tinny and disrupting. I had the grilled prawn in lobster sauce appetizer and Cajun spiced grill halibut. My husband had the clams and mussels in lemon grass coconut milk and a steak. He thought his steak was excellent. Would I go back? Maybe for the view...
#65
janevm
-
- participating member
- 64 posts
Posted 28 November 2004 - 07:39 PM
Thursday lunch at Kamei Royale with friends from work. One of the largest Japanese lunch menu I have ever encountered. Very reasonable prices - I had the carb laden combo B: chicken teriyaki, Udon, California roll and Tekka maki $8.40.
Friday, pre-theatre bite at CRU. We shared the heirloom tomato salad, pan seared scallops and braised short ribs. Great food, but still feel the room lacks ambiance - maybe it's just the shape of the space. The pricing reflects the Granville Rise location. Personally, I think I still prefer Parkside.
Saturday night, hubby is craving for Korean food, so we ended up at the Jang Mo Jib in the Biltmore Hotel. There was a line-up. Was seated after 15 minutes wait. We had their house special "Pork backbones hot pot with kimchi and onions". $24.99 for two and includes rice and 6 different Korean side dishes which they filled up at no charge. Excellent deal and very satisfying - but don't expect service. Noticed a sign above the cashier: Homestay in the Biltmore Hotel $1,350 per month plus two meals a day ($900 per month if sharing a room). Not a bad deal at all!
Sunday night, Sequoia Grill - I think I still prefer the old Teahouse. The new look and new name, lighter more seafood oriented menu does not make an impression. We sat in the Atrium section and it was too loud for conversation and the music from the bad speakers just sounded tinny and disrupting. I had the grilled prawn in lobster sauce appetizer and Cajun spiced grill halibut. My husband had the clams and mussels in lemon grass coconut milk and a steak. He thought his steak was excellent. Would I go back? Maybe for the view...
#66
peppyre
-
- participating member
- 1,169 posts
Posted 28 November 2004 - 10:02 PM
Saturday I had lunch at the Singapore stall in Abderdeen Mall in Richmond. Had the Roti Prata with Curry Chicken. It was quite good, but I was hoping for a little more spice.
Friday night was an amazing evening at Hamilton Street Grill. Had the Hangar steak special with the Beringer Zin and my date figured that if he was smart he'd order the same. It was fantastic and I could quite easily have that at least once a week. I did get to try the Gingerbread Pudding this time (didn't get a chance to eat mine at the Big Night. Guess I'm too slow) We decided to order two and well, I still have half of mine in the fridge. Actually I'm glad I have some left, I can savour it until I can get to HSG to get more. It was one of the best dinner's out I've had in a long time.
And well, I think we all know about my take out experience from last weekend.
Oh and then there's lunch at the hospital cafeteria salad bar every day. The joys of working in a hospital. You eat a lot of vegetables.
Friday night was an amazing evening at Hamilton Street Grill. Had the Hangar steak special with the Beringer Zin and my date figured that if he was smart he'd order the same. It was fantastic and I could quite easily have that at least once a week. I did get to try the Gingerbread Pudding this time (didn't get a chance to eat mine at the Big Night. Guess I'm too slow) We decided to order two and well, I still have half of mine in the fridge. Actually I'm glad I have some left, I can savour it until I can get to HSG to get more. It was one of the best dinner's out I've had in a long time.
And well, I think we all know about my take out experience from last weekend.
Oh and then there's lunch at the hospital cafeteria salad bar every day. The joys of working in a hospital. You eat a lot of vegetables.
#67
Mooshmouse
-
- eGullet Society staff emeritus
- 1,853 posts
Posted 28 November 2004 - 10:14 PM
I succumbed to the pressure of last week's discussion and headed straight to The Kolachy Shop for lunch on Monday with my son. Sure enough, there's Arne sitting by the front door, polishing off a reuben kolachy of his own. Noah and I joined him, ordering two reubens of our own and one apricot kolachy for dessert. Yummmmy.
Hamilton Street Grill twice. Tuesday evening for the Santa Rita wine tasting (Neil and Brian could more expertly enlighten you on the menu, but the Triple C was extraordinary) and Friday apres-yoga for Vancouver Island honey mussels with a glass of Yalumba Viognier and hanger steak. Of course, warm gingerbread pudding too with peppermint tea. So much for yoga. The room was absolutely slammed on Friday evening; Neil, you've definitely got a good thing goin' on.
Thai Away Home on the Drive for a quick and cheap dinner with Ian and Noah. Emphasis on quick, vis-a-vis peppyre's experience last weekend. Chicken with cashew nuts, served with soup, rice, green salad and a spring roll. Not exactly flaming hot, but certainly not bad. I'm still exhaling the aftereffects of their sweet, garlic-laden salad dressing.
Hamilton Street Grill twice. Tuesday evening for the Santa Rita wine tasting (Neil and Brian could more expertly enlighten you on the menu, but the Triple C was extraordinary) and Friday apres-yoga for Vancouver Island honey mussels with a glass of Yalumba Viognier and hanger steak. Of course, warm gingerbread pudding too with peppermint tea. So much for yoga.
The room was absolutely slammed on Friday evening; Neil, you've definitely got a good thing goin' on.Thai Away Home on the Drive for a quick and cheap dinner with Ian and Noah. Emphasis on quick, vis-a-vis peppyre's experience last weekend. Chicken with cashew nuts, served with soup, rice, green salad and a spring roll. Not exactly flaming hot, but certainly not bad. I'm still exhaling the aftereffects of their sweet, garlic-laden salad dressing.
Edited by Mooshmouse, 28 November 2004 - 10:36 PM.
Joie Alvaro Kent
"I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2,000 of something." ~ Mitch Hedberg
"I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2,000 of something." ~ Mitch Hedberg
#68
Daddy-A
-
- legacy participant
- 3,240 posts
Posted 28 November 2004 - 11:34 PM
Moosh & I seem to be stalking each other in the food department ....
Yes, there I was at The Kolachy Shop. Noah wanted me to take him over to Dix for a beer and some pulled pork, but I fear his mother more than he does so I thought better of it
Really liked the kolachy (indeed it was a Reuben - I must have been Jewish in a previous life), but the borscht was excellent as well.
Thai Away Home is just up the street from my office, so I eat there a lot. I have tried many of their lunch items, but have found them all inferior to the Pad Thai. The Pad Thai is such good value too ... $5.50. No sign of Moosh, but I'm sure she was around somewhere.
Wanted to take my sons to Go Fish! on Saturday, but made the mistake of waiting until 1:30. The parking lot was full ... of people! Is Vancouver devoid of fish & chips shops or is Gord slipping something into the coleslaw? On the upside, the boys now believe me that Go Fish! is in fact in business.
We ended up at Kim Phung for Pho'. I am happy to announce that I have converted 2 more to the Pho' cause! ([/I]Pho Shizzle![I]) Even fussy R. made a huge effort to finish the whole bowl. Another reason this was a fortunate diversion ...I was looking for chicken parts for stock and there is a really cool Chinese/Vietnamese grocery just up the street.
Moosh, you'll have to have Pho next.
A.
Yes, there I was at The Kolachy Shop. Noah wanted me to take him over to Dix for a beer and some pulled pork, but I fear his mother more than he does so I thought better of it
Really liked the kolachy (indeed it was a Reuben - I must have been Jewish in a previous life), but the borscht was excellent as well.Thai Away Home is just up the street from my office, so I eat there a lot. I have tried many of their lunch items, but have found them all inferior to the Pad Thai. The Pad Thai is such good value too ... $5.50. No sign of Moosh, but I'm sure she was around somewhere.
Wanted to take my sons to Go Fish! on Saturday, but made the mistake of waiting until 1:30. The parking lot was full ... of people! Is Vancouver devoid of fish & chips shops or is Gord slipping something into the coleslaw? On the upside, the boys now believe me that Go Fish! is in fact in business.
We ended up at Kim Phung for Pho'. I am happy to announce that I have converted 2 more to the Pho' cause! ([/I]Pho Shizzle![I]) Even fussy R. made a huge effort to finish the whole bowl. Another reason this was a fortunate diversion ...I was looking for chicken parts for stock and there is a really cool Chinese/Vietnamese grocery just up the street.
Moosh, you'll have to have Pho next.
A.
#69
James Kendal
-
- participating member
- 149 posts
Posted 03 December 2004 - 11:39 AM
Last night at Brasserie LÉcole: awesome Tuna main course for $18, glass of Fevre Chablis, Kettle Valley Pinot Noir for $8. Great D'ambert cheese after.
Hate to say it but I went to Wendy's twice this week for a Mountain Burger... it was damn good but I cant go back for at least a month or my wife will kill me after we watched "super size it last week".
Hate to say it but I went to Wendy's twice this week for a Mountain Burger... it was damn good but I cant go back for at least a month or my wife will kill me after we watched "super size it last week".
#70
Xando Head
-
- participating member
- 91 posts
Posted 03 December 2004 - 01:57 PM
Ate at the Kolachy Shop for breakfast this morning. Lineups out the door w/the construction guys working on condo towers going up in that area.
Had the sausage and egg ... man oh man do I love this place. I only wish they were open on the weekends, when I actually have TIME to get out of my office to eat.
Had the sausage and egg ... man oh man do I love this place. I only wish they were open on the weekends, when I actually have TIME to get out of my office to eat.
Food Lover -- nothing more, nothing less
#71
Ling
-
- participating member
- 4,946 posts
Posted 03 December 2004 - 11:05 PM
Whole Foods a little over a week ago. I had some sort of chicken salad from the deli. It was OK, but definitely not worth $10.
Samurai Restuarant on Davie Street. I had the hamachi sashimi and a half order of salmon sashimi. My bf had their rainbow roll and a 1/2 order of their enormous house roll (lots of tasty fillings, not a lot of rice).
Just got back from Umami Restaurant on Davie Street. What can I say except that I feel very lucky to be living only 5 minutes by foot from this fabulous little tapas place! We had the tuna spring roll wrapped in nori, which was very tasty (nice big piece of tuna, and a very tasty, slighty sweet sauce that matched wonderfully). Then we had the foie gras and bbq eel on daikon. The foie gras was nice and crispy on the outside, rich and creamy like it should be on the inside. I very much enjoyed this dish; it had an incredible depth of flavour from the brothy-soupy sauce. And then we had the rack of lamb with a delicious double-baked potato. I usually don't find anything very special about baked potatoes but there was something in this one that made it just taste sooooo good (maybe there was an umami element?
). I drank Township7 Merlot and my bf had the Township7 sauvignon blanc. For dessert, we both had the incredible Popular Grove blue cheese creme brulee--the very reason why I had to try this restaurant tonight, after Montrachet posted about this dessert! It really exceeded all my expectations. I swear it was so good, I didn't want to swallow it. I didn't really know how the blue cheese/creme brulee pairing would work--I was expecting maybe chunks of intensely flavored cheese interspersed in a not-very-sweet creme brulee, but it was actually a bluish-greenish colored, mildly sweet creme brulee. The cheese had been somehow totally incorporated into the creme brulee base. It was served with frozen grapes, and I drank some port with it. A perfect ending to an exceptional meal. I can't wait to try the other delicious-sounding tapas on the menu! 
btw: bf's favorite dish of the night (and my 2nd favorite) was the tuna spring roll. I was saying during dinner how I wish I could eat like 50 pieces of this stuff. YUM!
Samurai Restuarant on Davie Street. I had the hamachi sashimi and a half order of salmon sashimi. My bf had their rainbow roll and a 1/2 order of their enormous house roll (lots of tasty fillings, not a lot of rice).
Just got back from Umami Restaurant on Davie Street. What can I say except that I feel very lucky to be living only 5 minutes by foot from this fabulous little tapas place! We had the tuna spring roll wrapped in nori, which was very tasty (nice big piece of tuna, and a very tasty, slighty sweet sauce that matched wonderfully). Then we had the foie gras and bbq eel on daikon. The foie gras was nice and crispy on the outside, rich and creamy like it should be on the inside. I very much enjoyed this dish; it had an incredible depth of flavour from the brothy-soupy sauce. And then we had the rack of lamb with a delicious double-baked potato. I usually don't find anything very special about baked potatoes but there was something in this one that made it just taste sooooo good (maybe there was an umami element?
). I drank Township7 Merlot and my bf had the Township7 sauvignon blanc. For dessert, we both had the incredible Popular Grove blue cheese creme brulee--the very reason why I had to try this restaurant tonight, after Montrachet posted about this dessert! It really exceeded all my expectations. I swear it was so good, I didn't want to swallow it. I didn't really know how the blue cheese/creme brulee pairing would work--I was expecting maybe chunks of intensely flavored cheese interspersed in a not-very-sweet creme brulee, but it was actually a bluish-greenish colored, mildly sweet creme brulee. The cheese had been somehow totally incorporated into the creme brulee base. It was served with frozen grapes, and I drank some port with it. A perfect ending to an exceptional meal. I can't wait to try the other delicious-sounding tapas on the menu! btw: bf's favorite dish of the night (and my 2nd favorite) was the tuna spring roll. I was saying during dinner how I wish I could eat like 50 pieces of this stuff. YUM!
Edited by Ling, 03 December 2004 - 11:06 PM.
#72
mangez
-
- participating member
- 108 posts
Posted 04 December 2004 - 07:40 AM
West Restaurant. Honestly, I never was too keen on this place (been there about 5 times) until last night. I think the wine we brought has something to do with it. A 79 Cheval Blanc tends to make everything perfect regardless.
Well, we made a last minute booking and got a seat next to the kitchen at 8:30pm. Not a bad setup as we managed to bribe the chef with a nice glass of wine and our food tasted extra yummy.
Corkage was reasonable at $25 considering the decent glassware and decanters.
We had the main course portion of the truffle risotto, very pricy at $54 (we only found out when paying the bill, 2 grams of white truffle and some risotto costs $54 each) but it was super tasty. I was pushing my gout limit and had the pan seared goose (duck I suppose in Canada) liver, it was better than the double roasted cold version also available.
Tried to have a sauterne by the glass, only got the Aussie equivalence. Still went well with the liver.
I was fortunate enough to have a very attractive lady dropped some cash with her bank card on the floor next to my seat, and then the waitress assumed that it was mine and gave it to me. I returned the money to the manager and didn't think twice about it. Oh well, a silly mistake! I should have at least talked to the blonde but I suppose with my pregnant wife next to me, I was asking for trouble.
Back to food.
Also had the steak tartare. Quite good when you consume it with the slightly over salted fries. In fact, my wife seems to think everything was slightly overly salty but with the 79 Cheval Blanc, everything was fine to me.
Wife had the Alberta Wangyu beef, I really liked it. In fact, I think I'll hit that place was it 'chocolate' or 'butter' who recommended the place, on E Hastings to pick up some ourselves. The Wangyu was more reasonable at around $30.
Much better food than I can remember, better than the Ouest days for sure. Too bad didn't leave room for desserts.
I like West much better than Chambar which was a serious disappointment. But then, perhaps it was not a good review of the place as I had a cold when tasting their dishes. 9.5% Beer was good, but mussels was very average and no decent bread for dipping. However, honestly, I much prefer the mussels at Salade De Fruits Café or La Regalade. Service was poor at Chambar and I don't' think I'll ever go back. Food was not impressive, my beef was cold.
Also went to Cru on Wednesday which was pretty nice. The seat (not the bench) however, started sticking to my rear end after two hours. They should have used breathable leather instead of vinyl, the unpleasant sensation reminded me of a long haul flight to Asia.
Wine pairing was ok, food was better than the other new places I tried out on Main Street, Aurora? cannot remember the names.
Probably will have some Vietnamese noodles for lunch with this visiting guest, Au Petit Café has good beef noodles, the beef quality is better than that place on Fraser with the yellow awning but the latter still serves the best Vietnamese cold coffee in town.
Any fans of the chicken rice at Cafe D'Lite on Broadway here? Another good lunch alternative.
Enough talking, have to catch some sleep I need the energy to put more things in my mouth later today.
Well, we made a last minute booking and got a seat next to the kitchen at 8:30pm. Not a bad setup as we managed to bribe the chef with a nice glass of wine and our food tasted extra yummy.
Corkage was reasonable at $25 considering the decent glassware and decanters.
We had the main course portion of the truffle risotto, very pricy at $54 (we only found out when paying the bill, 2 grams of white truffle and some risotto costs $54 each) but it was super tasty. I was pushing my gout limit and had the pan seared goose (duck I suppose in Canada) liver, it was better than the double roasted cold version also available.
Tried to have a sauterne by the glass, only got the Aussie equivalence. Still went well with the liver.
I was fortunate enough to have a very attractive lady dropped some cash with her bank card on the floor next to my seat, and then the waitress assumed that it was mine and gave it to me. I returned the money to the manager and didn't think twice about it. Oh well, a silly mistake! I should have at least talked to the blonde but I suppose with my pregnant wife next to me, I was asking for trouble.
Back to food.
Also had the steak tartare. Quite good when you consume it with the slightly over salted fries. In fact, my wife seems to think everything was slightly overly salty but with the 79 Cheval Blanc, everything was fine to me.
Wife had the Alberta Wangyu beef, I really liked it. In fact, I think I'll hit that place was it 'chocolate' or 'butter' who recommended the place, on E Hastings to pick up some ourselves. The Wangyu was more reasonable at around $30.
Much better food than I can remember, better than the Ouest days for sure. Too bad didn't leave room for desserts.
I like West much better than Chambar which was a serious disappointment. But then, perhaps it was not a good review of the place as I had a cold when tasting their dishes. 9.5% Beer was good, but mussels was very average and no decent bread for dipping. However, honestly, I much prefer the mussels at Salade De Fruits Café or La Regalade. Service was poor at Chambar and I don't' think I'll ever go back. Food was not impressive, my beef was cold.
Also went to Cru on Wednesday which was pretty nice. The seat (not the bench) however, started sticking to my rear end after two hours. They should have used breathable leather instead of vinyl, the unpleasant sensation reminded me of a long haul flight to Asia.
Wine pairing was ok, food was better than the other new places I tried out on Main Street, Aurora? cannot remember the names.
Probably will have some Vietnamese noodles for lunch with this visiting guest, Au Petit Café has good beef noodles, the beef quality is better than that place on Fraser with the yellow awning but the latter still serves the best Vietnamese cold coffee in town.
Any fans of the chicken rice at Cafe D'Lite on Broadway here? Another good lunch alternative.
Enough talking, have to catch some sleep I need the energy to put more things in my mouth later today.
Edited by mangez, 04 December 2004 - 07:50 AM.
#73
butter
-
- participating member
- 261 posts
Posted 04 December 2004 - 11:14 AM
Hate to say it but I went to Wendy's twice this week for a Mountain Burger... it was damn good but I cant go back for at least a month or my wife will kill me after we watched "super size it last week".
Couldn't resist this one. Your wife won't have to kill you, she can let the burgers do it for her.
"One chocolate truffle is more satisfying than a dozen artificially flavored dessert cakes." Darra Goldstein, Gastronomica Journal, Spring 2005 Edition
#74
stovetop
-
- participating member
- 899 posts
Posted 04 December 2004 - 03:45 PM
1) CRU Restaurant : Vancouver
We all had a great time at Cru; Chef Dana Reinhardt does a great job with her menu, all the dishes were of the best quality meats and ingredients, flavours were fresh and not overly complicated, you could taste all the subtleness of all the ingredients in every dish.
All flavours and taste were executed with greatness and all wine pairings worked out great.
I can see why Cru has had all the great reviews; for me it was the best dinning experience so far this year and was worth every cent.
steve
2) Acme: Nanaimo
What a cool space; Sade playing in the foreground, suits in abundant pushing the envelope of the business lunch, very casual, a fusion of food cultures and interior design; I do not know what is more eclectic; the menu or the décor of the Acme.
Located in downtown Nanaimo, the Acme has seemed to grow into its space, for years I have walked passed it many times never entering, until this day.
The menu covers a huge amount of ground, from sushi to pizza to tapas and has an average wine and beer menu.
Service is friendly and efficient but sometimes lacks in product knowledge, but it is Nanaimo after all and the Acme is a casual place so they do not pretend to be anything else, so one should not have huge expectations, they do well by what they do, providing Nanaimo with a fun food place, that covers lots of ground and try to please a little of everyone in the market. It is a great inspiration for Port Alberni, it shows one can do more with a restaurant, Port could take a page from the Acme and break away from the same tired menus all restaurants in Port Alberni have been doing for years, it is not the eighties any more, thanks Acme, I had a good time.
steve
3) Blue door: Port Alberni
The Blue Door is becoming my Fav breakfast place in Port Alberni; it is a total old school café from days gone by, it is not the cheapest breakfast joint in town but has a consistent charm to it and after ten visits I would say it is in the top five egg slingers in town.
steve
We all had a great time at Cru; Chef Dana Reinhardt does a great job with her menu, all the dishes were of the best quality meats and ingredients, flavours were fresh and not overly complicated, you could taste all the subtleness of all the ingredients in every dish.
All flavours and taste were executed with greatness and all wine pairings worked out great.
I can see why Cru has had all the great reviews; for me it was the best dinning experience so far this year and was worth every cent.
steve
2) Acme: Nanaimo
What a cool space; Sade playing in the foreground, suits in abundant pushing the envelope of the business lunch, very casual, a fusion of food cultures and interior design; I do not know what is more eclectic; the menu or the décor of the Acme.
Located in downtown Nanaimo, the Acme has seemed to grow into its space, for years I have walked passed it many times never entering, until this day.
The menu covers a huge amount of ground, from sushi to pizza to tapas and has an average wine and beer menu.
Service is friendly and efficient but sometimes lacks in product knowledge, but it is Nanaimo after all and the Acme is a casual place so they do not pretend to be anything else, so one should not have huge expectations, they do well by what they do, providing Nanaimo with a fun food place, that covers lots of ground and try to please a little of everyone in the market. It is a great inspiration for Port Alberni, it shows one can do more with a restaurant, Port could take a page from the Acme and break away from the same tired menus all restaurants in Port Alberni have been doing for years, it is not the eighties any more, thanks Acme, I had a good time.
steve
3) Blue door: Port Alberni
The Blue Door is becoming my Fav breakfast place in Port Alberni; it is a total old school café from days gone by, it is not the cheapest breakfast joint in town but has a consistent charm to it and after ten visits I would say it is in the top five egg slingers in town.
steve
Cook To Live; Live To Cook
#75
Daddy-A
-
- legacy participant
- 3,240 posts
Posted 04 December 2004 - 04:07 PM
The Blue Door is becoming my Fav breakfast place in Port Alberni; it is a total old school café from days gone by, it is not the cheapest breakfast joint in town but has a consistent charm to it and after ten visits I would say it is in the top five egg slingers in town.
Not to sound flippant steve ... but just how many egg slingers does Port Alberni have??
BTW ... I love the old school cafes. One of our faves is Skinny's Grill in Hope. Always stop by Skinny's for breakfast on our way to the cabin.
A.
#76
jamiemaw
-
- participating member
- 2,173 posts
Posted 04 December 2004 - 04:14 PM
The Blue Door is becoming my Fav breakfast place in Port Alberni; it is a total old school café from days gone by, it is not the cheapest breakfast joint in town but has a consistent charm to it and after ten visits I would say it is in the top five egg slingers in town.
Not to sound flippant steve ... but just how many egg slingers does Port Alberni have??
BTW ... I love the old school cafes. One of our faves is Skinny's Grill in Hope. Always stop by Skinny's for breakfast on our way to the cabin.
A.
Where exactly is Skinny's, Arne? A recent stop at Home was unsatisfactory.
J.
from the thinly veneered desk of:
Jamie Maw
Food Editor
Vancouver magazine
www.vancouvermagazine.com
Foodblog: In the Belly of the Feast - Eating BC
"Profumo profondo della mia carne"
Jamie Maw
Food Editor
Vancouver magazine
www.vancouvermagazine.com
Foodblog: In the Belly of the Feast - Eating BC
"Profumo profondo della mia carne"
#77
stovetop
-
- participating member
- 899 posts
Posted 04 December 2004 - 04:26 PM
Lets see:
1) H20-4
2) blue door
3) Smitty's
4) Swale rock
5)Stamps at the Best western
6)Roadrunner restaurant
6)Capelllis cafe
7) Coast Hospitality's The Harvest restauarnt
8) Westwind Pub
9)Steamers Cafe
10)The Arli
11) the Rootcellar cafe
eleven places that do breakfast
steve
1) H20-4
2) blue door
3) Smitty's
4) Swale rock
5)Stamps at the Best western
6)Roadrunner restaurant
6)Capelllis cafe
7) Coast Hospitality's The Harvest restauarnt
8) Westwind Pub
9)Steamers Cafe
10)The Arli
11) the Rootcellar cafe
eleven places that do breakfast
steve
Cook To Live; Live To Cook
#78
Daddy-A
-
- legacy participant
- 3,240 posts
Posted 04 December 2004 - 04:58 PM
BTW ... I love the old school cafes. One of our faves is Skinny's Grill in Hope. Always stop by Skinny's for breakfast on our way to the cabin.
Where exactly is Skinny's, Arne? A recent stop at Home was unsatisfactory.
Hmmmm ... that kind of information is gonna cost you Maw!
It's on the old Hope-Flood Road. If you look at the road signs announcing places to eat, Skinny's is on one of them. We've only ever done breakfast there, so you're on your own for lunch or dinner.
A.
#79
montrachet
-
- participating member
- 171 posts
Posted 04 December 2004 - 09:55 PM
Here are my last three:
Ajisai: Had the special sashimi platter that had Geoduck, Wild Sockeye, Hamachi, Kanpachi, Local Tuna, Japanese Akamaguro, Japanese Octopus and Amaebi.
Ordered some nigiri sushi from the fresh-sheet and was blown away by Sekisaba (a mackerel native to the northern part of Kyushu) and Isaki (Striped Pigfish). I doubt these are available elsewhere. As I was peeling my beer label, I noticed that Asahi beer is now brewed in the Czech Republic and then imported into Canada!
Connie's Cookhouse: Started with the Peppery Salt Chicken Wings and then for entrees, ordered the Kung Pao Chicken, Sliced Beef with Ginger and Onions and a big tub of steamed rice. Perfect rememdy for when you get pangs for a cheap and cheerful Chinese food craving.
Pair Bistro: Waited in line about a half an hour around 8:00 p.m. as they do not take reservations. We just ordered what the majority of other tables had ordered and we were in for a big letdown once we tasted the food. We didn't think it could be worse than the drinks and appies we had earlier at Vintropolis but it was pretty darn close. I think I'll stick to Cru and Parkside for this type of food. I may go back to Vintropolis for the Nota Bene which they sell for $52 a bottle!
Back to baking cookies!
Ajisai: Had the special sashimi platter that had Geoduck, Wild Sockeye, Hamachi, Kanpachi, Local Tuna, Japanese Akamaguro, Japanese Octopus and Amaebi.
Ordered some nigiri sushi from the fresh-sheet and was blown away by Sekisaba (a mackerel native to the northern part of Kyushu) and Isaki (Striped Pigfish). I doubt these are available elsewhere. As I was peeling my beer label, I noticed that Asahi beer is now brewed in the Czech Republic and then imported into Canada!
Connie's Cookhouse: Started with the Peppery Salt Chicken Wings and then for entrees, ordered the Kung Pao Chicken, Sliced Beef with Ginger and Onions and a big tub of steamed rice. Perfect rememdy for when you get pangs for a cheap and cheerful Chinese food craving.
Pair Bistro: Waited in line about a half an hour around 8:00 p.m. as they do not take reservations. We just ordered what the majority of other tables had ordered and we were in for a big letdown once we tasted the food. We didn't think it could be worse than the drinks and appies we had earlier at Vintropolis but it was pretty darn close. I think I'll stick to Cru and Parkside for this type of food. I may go back to Vintropolis for the Nota Bene which they sell for $52 a bottle!
Back to baking cookies!
#80
Daddy-A
-
- legacy participant
- 3,240 posts
Posted 10 December 2004 - 01:34 PM
Wild Rice
Never actually eaten there before. Always a martini or something, then off to somewhere else. What was I thinking? J & I had a wonderfull meal here after a really lousy day for both of us at work.
Many many small plates and several Tanq 10 martinis Started with the Halibut Congee, and could have closed down voting for best item right then and there. Wonderful lemonny congee with flakes of halibut, and crispy fish crackers. Perfect.
Continued with potstickers (squash, and lamb w/water chestnut), enoki mushrooms wrapped in kobe beef (my second favorite), and edamame. Mains were kung po chicken (J's second fave) which had 3, count'em, 3 different types of broccoli, and the su dong po wild board. The chicken was amazing ... the boar as well, nice and sweet with lots of fatty bits to keep me smackin' my lips. A little too much rice served with the boar IMO. On the plus side, it was very tasty rice.
Desert was 4 spice sticky rice ... didn't read the menu closely and was surprised with ... chocolate! This dish could have used a bit more cream, as it got a little dry once the cream was gone. Finished with tea and a round of Jaeger with the bar staff.
Service was attentive (helped that we were sitting at the bar) and knowledgeable. I've heard the room critisized for being noisy. We were sitting just below a speaker and could easily hear each other over the music (jeez I'm sick of that Ste. Germaine des Pres jazz-fusion crap!). We will definitely go again, probably to the detriment of Chambar
Go Fish!
"Yeah so what else is new!" I hear you say. I only mention this trip because I made it with our very own stovetop. I won't put words in his mouth, but he seemed suitably impressed. The soup was a Red Thai Curry Chowder, perfect for warming up on that damp Wednesday ... and I had a grilled salmon steak & frites. I still maintain they have the best fries (is there a difference between frites & fries? Or is one just more pretentious than the other?). For a sockeye steak, it was very moist. The citrous glaze made for good fry dipping too.
Boston Pizza
After Christmas shopping with the kids in Coquitlam. What a wasteland it is out there! I had a steak sandwich. At least they got the medium rare part right. Oh! And I earned 3 Airmiles!
A.
Never actually eaten there before. Always a martini or something, then off to somewhere else. What was I thinking? J & I had a wonderfull meal here after a really lousy day for both of us at work.
Many many small plates and several Tanq 10 martinis
Started with the Halibut Congee, and could have closed down voting for best item right then and there. Wonderful lemonny congee with flakes of halibut, and crispy fish crackers. Perfect.Continued with potstickers (squash, and lamb w/water chestnut), enoki mushrooms wrapped in kobe beef (my second favorite), and edamame. Mains were kung po chicken (J's second fave) which had 3, count'em, 3 different types of broccoli, and the su dong po wild board. The chicken was amazing ... the boar as well, nice and sweet with lots of fatty bits to keep me smackin' my lips. A little too much rice served with the boar IMO. On the plus side, it was very tasty rice.
Desert was 4 spice sticky rice ... didn't read the menu closely and was surprised with ... chocolate! This dish could have used a bit more cream, as it got a little dry once the cream was gone. Finished with tea and a round of Jaeger with the bar staff.
Service was attentive (helped that we were sitting at the bar) and knowledgeable. I've heard the room critisized for being noisy. We were sitting just below a speaker and could easily hear each other over the music (jeez I'm sick of that Ste. Germaine des Pres jazz-fusion crap!). We will definitely go again, probably to the detriment of Chambar
Go Fish!
"Yeah so what else is new!" I hear you say. I only mention this trip because I made it with our very own stovetop. I won't put words in his mouth, but he seemed suitably impressed. The soup was a Red Thai Curry Chowder, perfect for warming up on that damp Wednesday ... and I had a grilled salmon steak & frites. I still maintain they have the best fries (is there a difference between frites & fries? Or is one just more pretentious than the other?). For a sockeye steak, it was very moist. The citrous glaze made for good fry dipping too.
Boston Pizza
After Christmas shopping with the kids in Coquitlam. What a wasteland it is out there! I had a steak sandwich. At least they got the medium rare part right. Oh! And I earned 3 Airmiles!
A.
#81
Ling
-
- participating member
- 4,946 posts
Posted 10 December 2004 - 02:17 PM
^It's been 2 years since I've been to Wild Rice, but the menu sounds like it hasn't changed much. The kung-pao chicken is one of my favorite dishes as well. I also really like the slices of beef tenderloin stacked between the fried triangles of sticky rice. Have you tried their Caesars? They use sambal in their recipe--really good! My favorite appetizer is the hot and sour soup; I wonder if that's still available. I've always found their desserts to be lacking, maybe because they used to be all dairy-free (don't know if this is still true).
#82
*Deborah*
-
- participating member
- 1,741 posts
Posted 10 December 2004 - 03:51 PM
Last three restaurants:
Saturday late dinner with out-of-town guest: Shiru-Bay in Yaletown, HOLY COW I loved it there (so did my friend), we shared the deep-fried prawns with sweet chili mayonnaise, a salmon tartare with a relish (I’m sorry, I forget the salient ingredient, it was unknown to me and it didn’t stick. It was good though), bluefin sashimi, and beef carpaccio with fleur de sel. We were just swooning, it was so good. We washed it down with a few Sapporos.
Sunday for lunch we went to Kitto on Granville Street, cheap and fast, I had the lunch special B with yaki-udon, and he had an Oden, wacky fish soup with strange strange things within. He was very game, though, and ate it all up, and said it was good. My friend lives in Copenhagen, so I guess his sushi possibilities are few, hence also the fact that we ate Japanese two meals in a row.
Sunday for dinner we went to Parkside, my new favourite place (well, for the past six or seven months--I managed to be taken to two separate birthday dinners there this year! score! as well as taking my parents there for Mother’s and Father’s Day) and I forewent the terrine of duck and foie gras, opting instead for Yukon gold blini with smoked salmon and crème fraîche, capers, etc...lovely. My friend started with the pithivier, which he was very impressed with. For mains, I had roasted pheasant, and he had prawns and scallops with a risotto Milanese. We finished off the me having the chocolate terrine (ingredients: chocolate, cream, and Amaretto, if I can believe my tongue) and he had the pink grapefruit in ice wine syrup.
We drank my new lower-end fave, a Burrowing Owl Syrah (edited, because I had a blonde moment, and initially had Merlot in there), started with cocktails (I had a Parkside Negroni--the only way I can bear to drink gin--and he had a Cranberry Collins).
We loved it madly.
One of my best-eating weekends in a while, even including humble Kitto.
Saturday late dinner with out-of-town guest: Shiru-Bay in Yaletown, HOLY COW I loved it there (so did my friend), we shared the deep-fried prawns with sweet chili mayonnaise, a salmon tartare with a relish (I’m sorry, I forget the salient ingredient, it was unknown to me and it didn’t stick. It was good though), bluefin sashimi, and beef carpaccio with fleur de sel. We were just swooning, it was so good. We washed it down with a few Sapporos.
Sunday for lunch we went to Kitto on Granville Street, cheap and fast, I had the lunch special B with yaki-udon, and he had an Oden, wacky fish soup with strange strange things within. He was very game, though, and ate it all up, and said it was good. My friend lives in Copenhagen, so I guess his sushi possibilities are few, hence also the fact that we ate Japanese two meals in a row.
Sunday for dinner we went to Parkside, my new favourite place (well, for the past six or seven months--I managed to be taken to two separate birthday dinners there this year! score! as well as taking my parents there for Mother’s and Father’s Day) and I forewent the terrine of duck and foie gras, opting instead for Yukon gold blini with smoked salmon and crème fraîche, capers, etc...lovely. My friend started with the pithivier, which he was very impressed with. For mains, I had roasted pheasant, and he had prawns and scallops with a risotto Milanese. We finished off the me having the chocolate terrine (ingredients: chocolate, cream, and Amaretto, if I can believe my tongue) and he had the pink grapefruit in ice wine syrup.
We drank my new lower-end fave, a Burrowing Owl Syrah (edited, because I had a blonde moment, and initially had Merlot in there
), started with cocktails (I had a Parkside Negroni--the only way I can bear to drink gin--and he had a Cranberry Collins). We loved it madly.
One of my best-eating weekends in a while, even including humble Kitto.
Edited by *Deborah*, 11 December 2004 - 12:04 PM.
#83
KnifeSkills
-
- participating member
- 18 posts
Posted 10 December 2004 - 09:44 PM
Umami My husband and I walked in the pouring rain without an umbrella from Robson all the way to Davie. By the time we got to Umami, we looked like a couple of drowned rats. Despite our disheveled appearance, Hiro was as gracious a host as ever. I shared four tapas plates with my husband: Dungeness crab and scallop spring rolls with an avocado grape salad and wasabi mayo dipping sauce; Maple and soy marinated sablefish with yam potato pancake; Foie gras with barbecued eel on a slow-roasted slice of daikon in a honey ginger dashi broth; and grilled lamb chops with rosemary. Everything was exquisitely prepared and perfectly cooked. We both had a glass of the Township 7 Merlot and the Wishing Tree Shiraz. For dessert we split a Japanese Tiramisu.
Pho Number One. I went straight from the dentist to this little cafe on Denman Street because I needed a pho fix. Afterwards I went a few doors down to Cupcakes for dessert: a pink "Diva" cupcake.
Le Gavroche for my birthday dinner. Strangely enough, it ended up being a veal-themed dinner for us. My husband had the veal sweetbreads for an appetizer, then the veal tongue and cheek for a main course. I had a couple of slices from a wild boar and pistachio terrine for an appetizer, and veal chop for my main course. We shared a bottle of Domaine Saint Gayan Gigondas (1998) with dinner. For dessert we each had the Crepe Suzette.
-Christine
Pho Number One. I went straight from the dentist to this little cafe on Denman Street because I needed a pho fix. Afterwards I went a few doors down to Cupcakes for dessert: a pink "Diva" cupcake.
Le Gavroche for my birthday dinner. Strangely enough, it ended up being a veal-themed dinner for us. My husband had the veal sweetbreads for an appetizer, then the veal tongue and cheek for a main course. I had a couple of slices from a wild boar and pistachio terrine for an appetizer, and veal chop for my main course. We shared a bottle of Domaine Saint Gayan Gigondas (1998) with dinner. For dessert we each had the Crepe Suzette.
-Christine
Edited by KnifeSkills, 10 December 2004 - 09:45 PM.
#84
Ling
-
- participating member
- 4,946 posts
Posted 11 December 2004 - 11:29 PM
Station 23 in Richmond a week ago. I had fried chicken wings, and fries covered in mayo and ketchup. Also had waaaaay too many drinks (my favorite--creme de cacao with Bailey's...mmm...dessert in a glass! Those things are deadly b/c I can't even taste the alcohol. I think they're called Slippery Nipples. ) There was some drunken karaoke going on...haha. This was also the same night I was wandering around Davie, looking for food at 3AM (btw Arne--I know where Fresgo's Inn is now!)
Samurai Restaurant on Davie. I eat here about once a week, usually on a Wednesday or Thursday night because I get off work at 8:00pm on those days and don't feel like cooking. I had salmon sashimi, hamachi sashimi, and 1/2 of one of their huge house rolls.
Character's on Davie. Just got back from a quick dinner. Wasn't too hungry since I was eating chocolate covered macadamia nuts all day. Oh yeah, and I polished off an entire box of Almond Roca all by myself.
Anyway, all I ate was a plate of kalamari. It wasn't fantastic...the yogurt sauce was very runny and bland, but the kalamari was perfectly fine. I used the buy one get one free coupon in the Georgia Street. So full now. 
) There was some drunken karaoke going on...haha. This was also the same night I was wandering around Davie, looking for food at 3AM (btw Arne--I know where Fresgo's Inn is now!)Samurai Restaurant on Davie. I eat here about once a week, usually on a Wednesday or Thursday night because I get off work at 8:00pm on those days and don't feel like cooking. I had salmon sashimi, hamachi sashimi, and 1/2 of one of their huge house rolls.
Character's on Davie. Just got back from a quick dinner. Wasn't too hungry since I was eating chocolate covered macadamia nuts all day. Oh yeah, and I polished off an entire box of Almond Roca all by myself.
Anyway, all I ate was a plate of kalamari. It wasn't fantastic...the yogurt sauce was very runny and bland, but the kalamari was perfectly fine. I used the buy one get one free coupon in the Georgia Street. So full now.
Edited by Ling, 11 December 2004 - 11:30 PM.
#85
Mooshmouse
-
- eGullet Society staff emeritus
- 1,853 posts
Posted 12 December 2004 - 03:59 AM
The Tomahawk for late brunch today after an errand-filled morning. Yukon bacon, two scrambled eggs, hashbrowns and multi-grain toast. Grease and coffee, a holy panacea.
Milestone's on Thursday for a quick pre-grocery-shopping dinner. Yes, yes, I know, Milestone's... let's just say it's convenient and Noah enjoys eating there. Hey, it beats Boston Pizza! For Ian, an entree-sized California Spring Salad with goat cheese, chopped apple, spanish onions, and spicy glazed pecans, washed down with two pints of Stella Artois. For me, Shanghai Noodle Stirfry with shitake mushrooms, red peppers, gai lan and honey five-spice grilled chicken, washed down with a couple of bellinis.
Soupspoons on West 4th last week with a girlfriend for a Christmas shopping intermezzo. A steaming bowl of Chicken Lemongrass soup and half an Italian Panini with prosciutto, tomato, swiss cheese, garlic and basil.
And a light meal at Umami a while back on a night that montrachet was seated at an adjoining table. Our dinner closely mirrored the one that KnifeSkills recently enjoyed: Albacore Tuna Spring Rolls with a nori and shiso wrap, Maple Soy Marinated Sablefish and Tiramisu with matcha cake and azuki-infused marscapone. Started with a glass of the La Frenz Viognier followed by a glass of the Wishing Tree Shiraz. What a wonderful haven on a rainy night.
Milestone's on Thursday for a quick pre-grocery-shopping dinner. Yes, yes, I know, Milestone's... let's just say it's convenient and Noah enjoys eating there. Hey, it beats Boston Pizza! For Ian, an entree-sized California Spring Salad with goat cheese, chopped apple, spanish onions, and spicy glazed pecans, washed down with two pints of Stella Artois. For me, Shanghai Noodle Stirfry with shitake mushrooms, red peppers, gai lan and honey five-spice grilled chicken, washed down with a couple of bellinis.
Soupspoons on West 4th last week with a girlfriend for a Christmas shopping intermezzo. A steaming bowl of Chicken Lemongrass soup and half an Italian Panini with prosciutto, tomato, swiss cheese, garlic and basil.
And a light meal at Umami a while back on a night that montrachet was seated at an adjoining table. Our dinner closely mirrored the one that KnifeSkills recently enjoyed: Albacore Tuna Spring Rolls with a nori and shiso wrap, Maple Soy Marinated Sablefish and Tiramisu with matcha cake and azuki-infused marscapone. Started with a glass of the La Frenz Viognier followed by a glass of the Wishing Tree Shiraz. What a wonderful haven on a rainy night.
Edited by Mooshmouse, 12 December 2004 - 04:04 AM.
Joie Alvaro Kent
"I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2,000 of something." ~ Mitch Hedberg
"I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2,000 of something." ~ Mitch Hedberg
#86
Daddy-A
-
- legacy participant
- 3,240 posts
Posted 12 December 2004 - 09:23 AM
Station 23 in Richmond a week ago. I had fried chicken wings, and fries covered in mayo and ketchup.
<SNIP>
I had salmon sashimi, hamachi sashimi, and 1/2 of one of their huge house rolls.
<SNIP>
Wasn't too hungry since I was eating chocolate covered macadamia nuts all day. Oh yeah, and I polished off an entire box of Almond Roca all by myself.
Now that I've met Ling, I have only one question ...
Where the hell do you put it all??? 1/2 a box of Almond Roca would have finished me for the day!
A.
#87
butter
-
- participating member
- 261 posts
Posted 12 December 2004 - 10:53 AM
[quote name='Daddy-A' date='Dec 12 2004, 09:23 AM']
Where the hell do you put it all??? 1/2 a box of Almond Roca would have finished me for the day!
She walks it all off at 3 a.m.
Where the hell do you put it all??? 1/2 a box of Almond Roca would have finished me for the day!
She walks it all off at 3 a.m.
"One chocolate truffle is more satisfying than a dozen artificially flavored dessert cakes." Darra Goldstein, Gastronomica Journal, Spring 2005 Edition
#88
Jeffy Boy
-
- participating member
- 460 posts
Posted 12 December 2004 - 11:28 AM
Milestone's on Thursday for a quick pre-grocery-shopping dinner. Yes, yes, I know, Milestone's... let's just say it's convenient and Noah enjoys eating there. Hey, it beats Boston Pizza! For Ian, an entree-sized California Spring Salad with goat cheese, chopped apple, spanish onions, and spicy glazed pecans, washed down with two pints of Stella Artois. For me, Shanghai Noodle Stirfry with shitake mushrooms, red peppers, gai lan and honey five-spice grilled chicken, washed down with a couple of bellinis.
Sounds like Thursday's are wash day at the Moosh household.
I know a man who gave up smoking, drinking, sex, and rich food. He was healthy right up to the day he killed himself. - Johnny Carson
#89
Mooshmouse
-
- eGullet Society staff emeritus
- 1,853 posts
Posted 12 December 2004 - 02:40 PM
When you put it that way, we at the mouse house don't mind doing the wash any day of the week!Milestone's on Thursday for a quick pre-grocery-shopping dinner. Yes, yes, I know, Milestone's... let's just say it's convenient and Noah enjoys eating there. Hey, it beats Boston Pizza! For Ian, an entree-sized California Spring Salad with goat cheese, chopped apple, spanish onions, and spicy glazed pecans, washed down with two pints of Stella Artois. For me, Shanghai Noodle Stirfry with shitake mushrooms, red peppers, gai lan and honey five-spice grilled chicken, washed down with a couple of bellinis.
Sounds like Thursday's are wash day at the Moosh household.
Joie Alvaro Kent
"I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2,000 of something." ~ Mitch Hedberg
"I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2,000 of something." ~ Mitch Hedberg
#90
Ling
-
- participating member
- 4,946 posts
Posted 12 December 2004 - 06:02 PM
Station 23 in Richmond a week ago. I had fried chicken wings, and fries covered in mayo and ketchup.
<SNIP>
I had salmon sashimi, hamachi sashimi, and 1/2 of one of their huge house rolls.
<SNIP>
Wasn't too hungry since I was eating chocolate covered macadamia nuts all day. Oh yeah, and I polished off an entire box of Almond Roca all by myself.
Now that I've met Ling, I have only one question ...
Where the hell do you put it all??? 1/2 a box of Almond Roca would have finished me for the day!
A.
I put it the same place you put your Reubens--in the gut!
Almond Roca are some of my favourite candies. I share Moosh's love for sweets and over time, I seem to have grown a separate stomach just for sugar-laden treats.
