Keith Talent

You mean "A" Rob Feenie love-in as opposed to "THE" Rob Feenie love in, right?

I'm not being sarcastic. It's how I feel. I honestly believe as a consumer you owe a duty to the chef/restuaranteur to experience their vision unadulterated by your own bias. I think it's a part of the American consumerist infinite choice mindset that has led to a deterioration of fining dining to the point where a chef will subjugate his talent to satisfy the essentially immature request of the consumer. Take what I say lightly, I am a bit a food fascist, I don't belive in lactose intolerance or even worse, peanut allergies.

The chef is always right. You go to restaurant to experince his/her vision, not your own. If you want things according to your own whims, go to Burger King or stay home. If you don't like what the restauirant serves, vote with your dollars and go somewhere else next time. Plus, as an adult, eat everything that is on your plate in front of you. Nothing makes me more amused than grown-up that can't/won't eat red peppers or tomatoes or whatever. Stay home you big babies.

With all due respect to everyone involved; WHO CARES. There's no drama, there's only two restuarants conceiveably able to take restaurant of the year, one one real contender for best new. In fact, print last years results and I'd bet there's basicly zero change.

Yeah, and that age is not quite as old as most everyone else. Boo-yah! And what the hell was the appeal of that place? I remember it was more hippy-ish back then, but really remember very little else. I can only imagine if someone propsed stopping at a Bread Garden on the way home late at night now. "So, uh you wanna stop and get a coffee at the Bread Garden on the way home?" Me, "no." (Unless of course we're going to throw stale pastry at Sam as he pops in for his early morning Strawberry Banana Fibre muffin.) *edited to add the part about throwing mediocre pastry at fellow e-gulleters .*

Mmm, gas station sushi. Anyone remember when the Bread Garden on 1st was the hottest late night spot in town? Late 80's?

I've never eaten at a Hooters in my life, nor do I ever intend to. BUT, were an e-gullet crew to trek in, I'd go. And I get to sit next to Moosh, it'd be awesome. "HEY BITCH - THESE DEEP FRIED CHEESE STICKS ARE COLD!"

Didn't Hooters go tits up?

Good point. THen again, is that a heavily touristed area? I dunno. Gastown, GI, Robson are, but Davie & Denman? I dunno. And anyone that finds themself on that corner and decides that Fatburger offers best chance of a meal doesn't deserve to be a tourist in Vancover. They should head to Clevland or Pittsburgh. Where is Sam Salmon and his observations of flat footed overweight behemoths blocking isles when you need him?

Carl's Junior couldn't carry In'n'Out's jock, (to maintain the football theme.) At the branch I most often frequent, there's a Carl's Junior on the other side of the lot. It seems to have as it's business model perveying food to In'n'Out patrons waiting in line. That's how long the lines are, other burger chains doing a good trade feeding people while they wait on line at the competition. Back on topic. I think Fatburger is making a mistake gunning for Vera's and Moderne, they should set thier sights a little lower down the burger food chain. The White Spot burger drive throughs sprouting around town (complete with chimney) are more analagous to the market Fat burger is in stateside. Vera's is not their competition. Fatburger is a kinda semi-handmade sandwich, not at the low end, but certainly not in the full handmade to order burgers at other places around town. White Spot is their competition.

Come for the burgers, stay for the game used sweaty jerseys. I'd think that location would be more ammeanble to old ciopies of Playbill, maybe Wizard of Oz memrobilia, Liza Minelli autographed photos, that sort of thing rather than football... err...CFL stuff. The CFL is to football as McDonalds is to burgers. And having eaten at Fatburger in California, I've gotta say, too bad it's not In'n'Out.

I wasn't going to comment further, but upon further reading and consideration, I think it's noteworthy to comment on the fact that Subway has finally been dethroned as best sandwich. Yes, the unending cruel tyrany of the Subway years has been replaced by a new regime, and if this decade has any unifying theme when viewed in the rearview mirror of history, I'm certain it will be regime change, unless of course Dolphins evolve opposable thumbs and become the dominat species on earth with in the next four years, in which case it'll probably be known as the Dolphin Years. Anyway, all hail the new Emperor of Sandwichs, I give yoy QUIZNOS. The people have spoken. And the people are idiots, but we all knew that. Honestly though, I don't know why anyone is suprised. Look at any popular human activety, and you will see that mediocrity is rewarded far in excess of its' merit, whereas genius dies broke and alone. Have you ever looked at the TV ratings and noticed that "Everyone Loves Raymond" is a top rated show, yet is dreadful and unfunny and stupid? Same thing as here. You ever look at the music charts and notice that Brittney Spears sells more records than whoever you happen to thinks is good. Have you ever looked at the Publishing Best sellers list and noticed that Steven King and John Grisham sell more than Phillip Roth and Ian McEwan? In light of this, I'm suptrised that anyone is incredulous at the Golden Plate results. Populist tastes are almost always crap, lowest common denominator nonsense. It's the difference between being an afficianado and a mere consumer, the desire to only get the good stuff.

Doh! Gellatin? Who knew? (Aside from Ling of course.) I'm off top console my self with a half dozen Xiaolong Bao.

Chambar? Beatty Street. Bad neighbourhood, bad name, bad concept, I give it a couple weeks.

Belgian? It'd never fly in this city.

23 egulleters and 23 spouses/partners wondering why they married such losers.

I thought someone linked a Tim Pawsey review of Ba Guo Bu Yi somewhere in this thread, my reading skills are going to crap, I can't find it. Anyway in the review I read earlier this week about the place, the proprietess (is there a femine verson of proprietor? Is proprietor a gender specific term? Screw it, it is now,) said the most difficult part was knowing how much broth to add to the mixture, so that the right amount sweats out. It also said something to the effect that the broth was based on pig skin. Mmm, pig skin soup. The gelatine idea sounds good, but I'd see the flaw being that in sub-tropic Shanghai in the summer, the gellatin wouldn't set due to the high temperature/humidy, so don't see how this method could have evolved.

I shouldn't say bun, it's not a bun. it's a dim sum wrapper. Similar to the casing around a wonton or shu mai or even gyoza, except slightly thicker. Purse shaped, pinched closed at the top, meat filling is pinched into the wrappers and closed, apparently the broth cooks out the meat during steaming solving the mystery of how the get the soup inside the dumpling. Well made examples are slighlty translucent, and hang heavily when picked up, kinda like water ballons, except instead of being filled with water, they're filled with molten meat juice, and you only dare pick them up at an establishment who's closure techniques and dough making skills you really trust, otherwise soup'll be everywhere.

I'm stupid, I read that as MacGyver juicing, had to look at it five times before it made sense. And one thing that hasn't been mentioned. Rob Feenie still holds the honour of worst dancing ever on TV. It looked close for a few minutes, I'll bet he was on the edge of his seat, dying for the mantle to be removed from his shoulders, nope sorry Bob it's still you.

We ate once at Ba Guo Bu Yi, and contarary to everyone elses opinion, wasn't that enchanted by the place. Food was average. It was early days for them though and I'd ceratinly be willing to give it another go. We went for Sichuan as they advertise, and found it very average. Why call yourself Szechaun if you're going to specialize in Shanghiaese? The Chinese are a complete mystery. Is it not like opening a restaurant called Brasserie Paris and specializing in sushi? And more importantly, if a group of dumb looking caucasians come in, does it not behoove them as restauranteurs to inform clueless consumers that "we're actually just kidding about the whole sichuan thing, we specialize in soup buns, try those instead, our tan tan is just Sappro Ichiban and chili oil." The buns at the market are not as good as Shanghai Wind, skin is thicker, soup less savoury, construction less sturdy. Still very good. Gary Soup is a far more descriminating critic than I, and if he says they're good, they're good. Both places are far far superior to any other dim sum versions I've ever had. Again, and this seems to be key, lots of broth encased in the buns, which you rarely get at the regular dim sum places.

I'm still waiting to see the first signs of Chatters slipping into Vanmag. I suspect it'll be soon, and that Jamie will need some quiet time in a sanitarium. after that. There's probably at least a couple hundred words available to someone wanting to compare/contrast Jamie/Chatters with Gollum/Smeegel in Lord of the Rings. l can't be assed at the moment, but if someone else wants to take up the cause, feel free.

Here's my take of last years awards. It was also the thread that encouraged Jamie to allow his alter ego almost equual time, yes I played a role in the birth of F. Morris Chatters, and for that I'll be eternally sorry. (I think) the first appearance by Mr. Chatters.

They read so we should be positive or at least offer constructive critism? Sorry Coop, that's the funniest thing I've read this week, maybe next week you'll be back on top. I'm almost certain the producers will console themselves by pulling their Range Rovers over to the side of the 99 this evening to do a line of coke off the abdomen of an aspiring starlet going with forementioned producer up to Whistler for some extended reading this weekend. I'm certain that'll help quell the pain of a bunch of internet geeks not appreciateing their artistic vison, I know it would work for me. What's that? Not all TV producers are coked fueled oversexed philanderers? But that's the common stereotype on the tube.

Soup out, vinegar in? That's so crazy it just might work. Actually it sounds like an excellent idea. And if you're an eater, and I'm not being funny here, I honestly beleive this, there is no better place to live in Vancouver than Richmond. Architecturaly, we could be faulted. Astheticly, again, we could be faulted. Perhaps we have the odd problem with urban planning. Transit, not so good. BUT, there is nowhere I'd rather be on a Wednesday night looking for a quick simple cheap dinner. Friends in the city are constantly bemoaning the fact that they don't have even a tenth the choice of options we do. Chinatown is a pain in the ass because of parking. So is south Main. Add the fact that Richmond residents have the longest life expectancy in North America, well actually that has nothing to do with anything, I just felt like throwing it out. Richmond still has the most vibrant exciting and competitive restaurant restaurant culture in the GVRD.

I thought it was both better and worse than I'd expected. Occasionally you'd get theses weird pockets of sharp well written entertaining dialogue lost in the expanse of banality and cliches. Weird. I'm going to have to try letting my pinot grigio breath. The casting was hilarious. Without exception the characters look like Torontonians pretending to be Vancouverites. The chefs especially. And I've been to wrech beaqch, wreck beach is nothing like that.