edm

I second Crepe Montagne. Chef Bernard seems to please everyone who goes there. For a kick-ass burger, Splitz grill is THE place to go, and your friend can always order a huge "a la minute" caramelized banana split!

Here are some pics from our NYE dinner! trying to escape one last time from the chef's merciless hands, The beast... gave up for our guests' pleasure: Eco-farmed Vancouver Island Spring Salmon, confit in duck fat, red Kuri Squash, Roasted Kasha and Black Trumpet, Red cabbage sauce House-cured BC Ling Cod brandade, nicoise olives and espelette pepper, Biota farm greens: Part of the dessert, a tasty homemade (thanks, "Bonne maman", for the jars!) orange jam, served with a rice pudding and salted chocolate caramel: It was tasty! Too bad on that night i was on the wrong side of the pass!

JJBean (@ G.Island & Commercial Dr) does fantastic espressos. They're my favorite: full-bodied, buttery and rich with a perfect balance of acidity. Like good bread, a treat on its own! Senses, Delanys on Denman, Elysean room (5th&Burrard), that tiny new cafe on Davie (@Burrard), they all do a great job. The quality of coffee in Vancouver is outstanding.

to me, that's not whining, it's making a statement.

"Pork and veal sausages made in house, with the perfect blend of seasoning and spices. Accompanied with premium potatoes that were simmered to perfection, passed through a tammy, monteed with butter, warm cream and seasoned to perfection. This dish would be then drowned in a beautiful veal jus that was made in house with the freshest of ingredients and the utmost respect for all that entailed in the rendition." You might wanna try Bravo Bistro, on Davie (& Bute) for exactly that kind of food. All i can say is that we do it with passion. We cook what we'd like to eat. Stop by when you have the chance.

Come on, Cobs is a pile of crap. I'm not even sure that it tastes better than Safeway's "bread". By the way, do you know that cobs uses additives that accelerate the degradation of complex sugars in the flours to feed the yeast, therefore making the all process a lot quicker. And that's just plain wrong, because long fermentation means better quality bread (flavour, storage)... Transilvania's bread is OK, but what i like most about the place is... the place! Last time i went, i picked up half a loaf, came home and saw that i bought a whole wheat loaf with roasted pieces of charcoals mixed in. One could call it authentic, but hey!, I'll go to Menphis Blues for a taste of BBQ... So far, i havent tasted anything in BC as good as Wildfire's bread in Victoria. Then, second but far behind, would be Fieldstone in Surrey.

-we need GOOD BAKERIES! that's what i miss the most... Just thinking about it makes me sad (but it also got me into making bread), -we need a welcoming, chatty, casual little wine bar with killer wines from small producers at a reasonable price, -we need a freaking BC equivalent to "the french laundry", a place where the food just blows you away, where you give up all defenses because it just tastes fantastic What we really need is more simple, satisfying food. What i'd like to see: authentic tapas bars, great falafels and kebabs, killer couscous... Authentic, as opposed to someone's poor, lazy rendition of it. Cause we're doing good when it comes to food from Asia, but Vancouver really sucks when it comes to traditional european, african or south-american. For a start, i suggest that Wildfire and Brasserie l'ecole move to Vancouver!

One chef i know who's coming for sure is Raquel Carena. She cooks regional french food in one of Paris' great wine bars, Le Baratin. She is a lively, energetic, outspoken woman and an excellent chef with many killer recipes, making that kind of comfort food that leaves you contempt and happy!

Your meal sounds great. Dont know when your diner was, but BC morels are now here. We've got some!

at the bottom of rue Mouffetard is Octave, a pretty damn good ice cream maker. Their dark chocolate is a pure satisfaction for a cocoa addict. Give it a try!

In Toulouse, Sarran can be superb indeed. And the lunch deal is pretty good, especially now that he has 2*. But you could go to Le pastel, a 1* that gets 17/20 in the GaultMillau. I heard so many good things about Gerard Garrigues' cuisine... This is a guy who doesnt get much press, and keep it kinda low key. I lived in Toulouse for 3 years, and i regret that i never tried it. Another alternative could be the Lycee Hotelier's restaurant. 25 euros for diner, an absolute bargain. There's some hit and miss, but you can not beat that value. And yes, you should get to Auguy and have a choux farci, with a bottle of Gaillac, Madiran or a Cahors... Yeah, now we're talking. About Bras, do stay 2 nights/2 meals if you can ! Even if you take the degustation menu twice, they'll come up with different dishes. And try the chocolat coulant (w/ glace au lait entier, hummm), my favorite chocolate dessert on earth... Lucky you !

did you attend Herve This' seminar ? If yes, how was it ?

indeed, a new ethiopian on south Granville at 5th avenue. "Selassie" is the name. Anyone tried it ?

you guys are too good for me ! I'll stick to the BC forum...

Recently moved to North America from France, and i can tell you that i appreciate dogs staying outside, even though i sometimes blaim the poor pooches freezing their asses off under the rain. If having a grumpy dog roaming in a bistro can add a colourful touch, i doubt that i would appreciate their company in a more formal setting. Not to mention the possibility of dog hair mixing in my food. Dogs are not kids, even though it seems people spoil them even more. They're carrying different parasites, diseases, etc (we could argue, some of those are beneficial to humans, but this isnt a medical forum). What a backlash i'm getting for questioning the presence of pets in restaurants ! Gifted gourmet gives me a lesson about the philosophy and purpose of travelling, while recomminding me not to go to my own country. And Louisa assumes that i've never or barely been in a kitchen... sic... (Louisa, i am a chef. I've spent a bit of time in kitchens, particularly in France) EGullet can be great, but sometimes it seems people get a kick out of the art of debating rather than talking about food. OK, we all know the French love the chit-chat, but i'm just too disadvantaged because of the langage. And as much as your perspective as a foreigner in France can be enlightning and refreshing at times, please dont bother explaining my own country to me.

hygiene, anyone ?

moroccan, definitely... i miss it a lot ! And what else does vancouver need ? A kick-ass, truly fine-dining restaurant, on par with The french laundry, Trotter or any michelin starred place in Europe. Because i've come to the conclusion that Vancouver borrows a tremendous lot from foreign cuisines, but isnt quite looking towards defining its own style. By that, i mean looking for everything that is good and fresh and local, and from there, experiment. I feel like the diversity of produce from the ocean tends to be overlooked, and what about wild flowers, venison, wild boar, elk, etc. On Vancouver island, there seems to be more restaurants with this approach. A greater sense of being rooted in an incredibly bountiful environment, and a willingness to translate that into dishes. In Vancouver, i cant help but feeling overwhelmed by too much attitude, too little lighting, too much artifice, rather than being conquered by the food and/or the service. There are a lot of places out there that just lack character, individuality, and where you dont feel any passion or generosity. And food is just about that... To me, the best restaurants in town are just like really good but overpriced bistros. It's simple : the places i most enjoy myself are japanese, vietnamese... The food is the star, not the room, not the waiter's slim figure, not the menu's font.

thanks for your imput. What striked me, sitting at the sushi bar, is that the chef didnt seem to be in control of what he was doing. He looked like he was still trying things out and getting used to his equipment. One of the waitresses was giving him a hand. And the results werent convincing.

indeed, it's not only about cream (northern France) and duck fat (south-western)... That was my point... i grew up in Paris. I love thai restaurants in Belleville, the vietnamese in the 13th (where i went every we til i was 20). Entotto in the 13th for ethiopian, and i never refuse a good couscous, harira or tajine ! There's pretty good greek, middle-eastern, eastern european restaurants as well in the 5th, 4th and around. It's everywhere !!

alsatienne, picarde, normande, bretonne, basque, provencale, bourguignonne, bordelaise, francilienne, auvergnate, corse... Quelle cuisine desirez-vous ? And, there's plenty more of cuisines and specialties within France to be discovered and enjoyed. It is such a typical comment that you made. And It is those comments that result in this France/Spain intoxicating, useless and unerving debate. It's especially surprising coming from someone who seems to spend a fair amount of time in Paris. Funny how cliches remain strong even in the face of reality...

Ah... la Galette des rois !!! I wish i was in Paris ! As it has not been suggested yet, i would recommand Toulouse. It's the fourth biggest city in France but still feels like a village. It has gorgeous architecture, beautiful streets to wander, and the Garonne river to walk along. Enough restaurants, bouchers, poissoneries, boulangeries, markets of quality to keep you happy. Beautiful flat countryside to cycle. Some very interesting wine regions to discover : Gaillac, Cahors, the Gers (wine+Armagnac, foie-gras...), the Roussillon (Minervois, Fitou, Cotes de Roussillon, Banyuls...) and the Languedoc a bit further... The rugged Pyrennees mountains : 1-hour drive. An i strongly recommand the spanish Pyrenees (the Aragon region is enchanting, forgotten, addictive) The mediterranean : 1h30 The Bordeaux region : 2h And the TGV keeps Montpellier, marseille, Bordeaux are very reasonable distances. And Paris is a 5 hours ride. There are lots to see down there, without doubt less tourists, less pricey... More authentic ? Consider Toulouse, its would be a great home-base !

Taka offered an unpretentious fare, but the freshness, the quality of the food (seasoning, temperature, texture) and the friendliness of the staff were much appreciated. Unless it was a crazy-busy night and things were getting hectic ! When i try a place for the first time, i usually go for items that are familiar to me, that i can refer to and compare with my other experiences. For ex: I had a clam soup: one of the clam didnt open. But it was still served to me, then replaced when the chef eventually noticed. Agedashi tofu: broth not hot enough, tempura batter didnt coated all of the tofu pieces. Oil not hot enough ? problem with batter ? Then it came plain... Which is alright i suppose... Taka's version had enoki mushroom, carrots and green onions in the broth (simple and efficient), smaller pieces of tofu (convenient) and the batter was perfect. Dynamite roll: didnt hold together. the chef offered me a small plate with tuna and dressing. Dressing completely overpowered the fish... So my food was average and lacked imagination. A night without ? Fair enough, but as the only customer in the dining room that night, i would have expected better. I'll go back. Because the owners are both really nice, and the room's cozy, warm and intimate. Also, i'll try some specials. They look quite interesting (monkfish liver, tuna belly, sea urchin...) As a chef, if i have a slow night, or only one table, it'll piss me off. As it is not profitable from a business point of view, etc. But i will take my time and make sure that table leave pleased and contempt. As for "Ajisai", yep, its a good spot for sushi. To my taste, they might over-use mayo and sesame seeds in their rolls, and their menu sticks to the classics with very few cooked items, as mentioned before by Shellback.

i have to admit though that the pain au chocolat from Sen5es is better. Better pastry, more airy and buttery, and better chocolate quality. But i really appreciate the overall quality and expertise found at La petite France. They know their stuff ! "Un grand merci" to Salade de fruits. I go there about once a week and their lunch menu is a treat.

This market you talk about is Granville Island. Some of the most interesting vendors are : Oyama sausage company, a traditional "charcuterie", french style. Everything's good, from their "saucisson" to cured hams, terrines and duck confit ! JJbean for coffee. Terra breads for bread and sweets. Stock Market, if you want to get some soups or stocks to help you fix a quick meal back in Whistler. At the entrance of Granville Isl., the Pacific institute of culinary arts has a restaurant that offers a very good value 20$ lunch menu. (closed til Jan 4th) Not far, on 2nd avenue, just off Burrard, a very good cheese shop "les amis du fromage". Beautiful selection of french cheeses, decent prices. Whenever i go down there, i gather veg, sausages, salted pork, chicken stock, and du Puy lentils, and its a simple delight ! In Whistler, in case you wanna grab a good burger with the locals, try the Splitz grill. In Vancouver, Joe's grill on 4th has good breakfast. For a funkier atmosphere, head to Main St (at Broadway) and go to Slickity Jim. For pastry, "la petite france" on Arbutus and 11th, is a good traditional french bakery. (closed til the 17th). Although Senses (Metropolitan hotel) probably has the best chocolates and some of the best pastries in town. If you're looking for a reasonably priced, good lunch in the west end, Yoshi (denman and georgia) has really good sushis. The guy knows what he's doing ! (15-20$) Kintaro Ramen (denman and robson) is a japanese eatery, always packed, that specializes in bbqued pork soups (7-8$).\ Well, there are lots around. enjoy !

"un incontournable", indeed. I'm actually happy to see how busy Oyama is, and how hectic it's been during the holiday season. Same is true for "les amis" and other quality food shops around town. More people seem to appreciate good food, food that taste what it is, food that involves technique, knowledge, passion, craftsmanship. Let's hope Vancouver and VI keep going in that direction, because the potential here on BC's west coast is phenomenal. So what do we need ? Another Oyama location of course ! Come on guys, and more bakeries, actual fish shops without frozen crap, butchers that offer something different than tenderloin and 10000 varieties of BBQ sauce, and of course... more and more good restaurants, and a few very very good ones, that would blow away Feenie's and West. 'Cause alright, they're good, but they ain't michelin-starred quality yet (OK, we'll argue for 1*).