Keith Talent

Rectified the situation on Saturday night. Now I'm angry about all the other meals in my life I've eaten that weren't there. Is the highly touted Garlic Lemon Squid the best thing since the NFL was invented? Damn right. Had Cambodian style beef meat ball soup, rare beef salad, stuffed crepe and the forementioned squid. The food here justifies the constant accolades it gets from the media (thanks Jamie) that many other places that are subject to local media group think aren't. I actually lie, I had eaten there before, back what feels like a million years ago when they had a location on Broadway. I was young, and that's really my only excuse for not fawning over this place back then. Who knows what my objections might have been, but I'm ceratin they were unjustified, and clouded by the ignorance of youth, because our dinner on Saturday was so delicious, that if I'm ever faced with the grim prospect of eating greasy calamari, topped with acrid raw onions and dipped in watery youghurt ever again, I'll throw my meal at the chef and scream some incoherent rant about the superiority of well prepared squid. My point is thus; A) If you haven't eaten at Phenom Phen you're wasting precious eating time at places that aren't half as good as this place, and B) the crux of my post; Where are you embarrased to admit you've never dined in Vancouver. Everyone has some spot that yeah, I know as a devotee of the local food scene, you should really have eaten there but have never gotten around to it.

Ate at Nan Chuu, the Richmond Gyoza King spinoff the other night. Out-freaking-standing. So good. More refined than the Robson branch, seems more like Hapa ver. 2.0 rather than Gyoza King. The interior looks very similar to Hapa, dark, modern and cool in the way that makes you forget you're in the middle of strip mall hell. Menu seems similar, all the Talent family favourites were there, but prepared in a far more delicate sophisticated manner. Ebi Mayo was presented in a potato basket so delicate, greaseless and crispy that it didn't seem strong enough to hold the shrimp. Fatty pork belly came in a sauce so rich and fragrant that I'm thinking of petitioning the inlaws to sub it for the usual lumpy gravy at the christmas meal. Gyoza unimpeachable, as expected. Somen came toped with the usual assortment of Japanese condiments, plus one I'd never had before. A thick gel of salty plum, well for lack of a better descriptor, slime. I loved it, salty and sweet, other family members were less taken with the concept. Rice hot pot (something I've never had on Robson) was insanely delicious. Mound of rice, studded with the usual Japanese pickles/garnishes, served in a cast iron pot over a flame, which you dump miso broth over. Kinda a Japense version of congee, I dunno, I've never seen it anywhere else. Perfect dish to finish a meal of small plates, something that ensures you don't leave hungry. Also had bacon wrapped quail eggs, (is there anything bacon wrapping doesn't improve?), toro and cow tongue, (which was grilled as opposed to braised at Robson). Tax, couple drinks, $55.00 plus tip. It's fair to assume that my input will be diminished, I don't see myself having much to say about anywhere else for the forseeable future. It's on Alexandra Road (which seems to have a bunch of new restaurants I haven't tried pop up recently.) Next door to the Kam Do Bakery, across from the Sheraton hotel. Reservations required. And I coundn't tell if it was Japanese or Japanese. Good looking waiteresses regardless.

I'm waiting for the day that Starbucks begin appearing in Japanese Restaurants, or maybe vice versa. And there's a gas station here in Richmond that features a nice sushi selection in addition to the more traditional pepperoni sticks and jerky. If you dine of gas station sushi you're a far more adventurous eater than I. I basicly refuse to eat off those rotating sushi conveyors, nevermind sushi that's next to new wiper blades.

Hate to spoil yor fantasy, but in a word, no. Chinese places are busy 365. You could probably get Denny's to yourself though.

Apparently Fujiya is good place to look. Plus, they do a pretty good bento lunch, so getting lost in the wood and starving to death, or barely hanging on with Powerbars, an even more horrifying prospect is removed from the equasion.

Only the City of Vancouver would be so self absorbed as to debate minutea like the ward system when truly pressing issues face the city like the LACK OF WOOD BURNING OVENS. Idiots.

I bought lunch at Fujiya yesterday. Damn my unobserving eyes. And who said I hate leaving Richmond? The only thing I hate about leaving Richmond is that if you live here long enough, hills start to freak you out a little. You forget how to use your parking brake, wheels towards or wheels away from curb, stuff like that.

"don't get me wrong I'm all for helping the environment". Good for you Dr. Suzuki, I'm all for potatoes and chicken roasted in a wood fired oven. Is that seriously true, no new wood ovens for environmental reasons? If that's true, I'm going to maintain a small tire fire in my yard, just to undermine their efforts. Screw them, air Nazi's. And are there pine mushrooms for sale anywhere around town? Those of us that would rather eat tinned sliced buttons from Money's rather than go into the woods need alternatives too. Plus the whole "high likelihood of killing myself" thing dissaudes me from gathering my own, not as much as being forced to go into the bush mind you, but still.

Jamie, you need to get out here ASAP. I'll tour you around and open your eyes. Hell, Richmond is barely better than Burnaby. What ever you do, do not express the opinion again in public that Richmond vs. Venice is a push, your credibilty will suffer greatly. The olive groves are beautiful out here though...

I was going to chastise you drinking soda in a land where you can buy little bottles of Campari and Soda, all ready for impromtu snacks, when I noticed the "little" preceeding Italy. In Italy we couldn't find Campari & Soda in any grocery store we looked. We could find spirits, lots of wine, beer, but no Campari and Soda. Until one day, walking down the soda isle we found it next to the Pepsi and Coke. What is better than Italy?

You're still using steel elk sheers? Luddite. Next time you're in Oklahoma, pick a Japanese ceramic elk sheer, you'll wonder how you ever lived without. It's like the differnce between black & white and HDTV.

I dunno, using todays rate of exchange, a 99 Canadian is 77.1469 American. Seems about right to me.

We went to House of Knives and the did an outstanding job. Quick, cheap and sharper than the day they were bought. We used to use that guy that traveled to the various Ming Wo's periodically, I think he may now be retired. He basicly never did anything of value, then again he was free, so you got what you pay for.

Went to Chambar last night. Few complaints, but overall it seems like it will mature into a great spot. The room is beautiful. Ate the confit to start, then had the steak frites. The confit was fine, the accompanying salad fine, the sauce the confit sat in one of the most bizzarre things I've ever encountered and the only real low point of the meal. It was decribed as "Canard Confit au cidre Cider duck confit with apple and summer beet salad. $12". The au cidre was a thick, cold white duck fat and cider emulsion, acrid in flavour, quite grim. It resembled a cross between a foam, mayo and a cream sauce. It needs to be changed before anyone else unwittingly consumes it. Steak frites was excellent. Nice piece of meat. Abso-freakin'-lutely fantastic fries. Only complaint is they used pickled peppercorns for the sauce, I prefer my steak au poivre to be made with fresh pepper. Wife had moules et frites. Good mussels, not as good as at La Regelade a couple weeks earlier, but very good none-the-less. Wine list needs attention. I'm not certain Vancouver is a beer town. I know I'm not much a beer drinker, with the exception of at the golf course etc. And I got screwed for my pint of Hooegarten, which I just realised while thinking about the meal right now. Ordered a Gentleman Jack to start, they didn't have it, Makers Mark? Nope. Fine, I'll take a pint of the Hooegarten, eight bucks on the beer list. They bring me a glass, yet charged for the pint. I really need to pay attention to this stuff more. At this early stage, the place kinda seems to be looking for its' identity, which seems natural. Is it going to be a casual beer and moules joint, or aspire to higher levels? The back room seems slightly refined for the current menu. I can see the front keeping the current format, and the back room going slightly more upmarket. My wife and I both thought a prix fixe menu in the back with four maybe five courses would be great. Rush down to this place, it really is a welcome addition, prices very reasonable, portions generous, and service excellent. One last complaint. Washroom doors painted cream. Gender designations painted white. Lighting level low. Doh!

I'd almost be willing to forgive Rob one appearance on Iron Chef, screw it I lie, I'll mock unmercifully forever if he appears on that stupid show.

In reverse order; Saturday night we went to a friends (new) house in Surrey. First, I swear on Vij's Lamb Popsicles, or whatever you may hold holy that new houses in Surrey now come equpted from the builder with a grow op room rather than a suite as a mortgage helper, few simple reno's and you could have a nice meth lab instead. We got takeout from Green Lettuce at the corner of 64th and Scott Road. My second time trying their "hakka cuisine" (I use the quotes because nowhere else on earth do they refer to that style of food as Hakka except Vancouver). The restaurant specializes in chinese by way of Bombay. Liked it better the first time than I did this weekend, it seemed to be essentially very average takeout chinese with a ton of cumin and cilatro added. I'd be very interested to know if anyone else has eaten here and what their thoughts are. Saturday for lunch I took my daughters to the White Spot at Oakridge. It's always a joy to eat at White Spot because it's such a comedy act. From the pretend busyness, (just have a seat while we clear your table, when you can see half the restaurant is empty) to the service staff that seem to be suprised to discover people in their place of business that would like food brought to them, nothing runs smoothly at White Spot. I almost ordered an open face hot turkey sandwich, then remebered NEVER order anything other than a burger there, or you'll only have yourself to blame. Tuesday dinner was at, hold on, get ready...Chuck E Cheese. Giant pizza rat and all. My daughters turned four on Tuesday, I came home and told them I would take them for dinner, where'd they want to go? Gyoza King they both shouted. Then I asked if they wanted to go to a fancy new big people restaurant that served the best fries in the city (Chambar), YEAH they screamed. Then I start thinking, "Keith, you selfish miserable bastard, your kids turn four exactly once and you want to drag them downtown to a place where they'll have to be quiet, sit nicely, not throw pizza at a giant rat, quit thinking of your own needs for once and try to do the right thing by your kids, there's plenty of time to celebrate birthdays at smart new restaurants." So i said, "Or...we could drive to Langley and go to Chuck E Cheese. Wife gives me a look that could kil plants. Kids go mental. We started with chicken wings (NEW!! As the menu proudly proclaimed) that resembled...oh fuck it, there's no other substance in nature to create an analogy with, they are a material unto themselves. They do resmble chicken in shape however. Pizza is so bad it's incredible. Take a stale bagel, slice it in half, smear with ketchup, cheese whiz and sprinkle imitation bacon flavoured bits on top and you'd wish you were having that instead. It's weird how unappetizing it is. It's ten times worse than the cheapest frozen pizza's you'd eat as a kid (or serve your kids as the case may be). But at least the interior is too loud and too bright. Drank a mix of lemonade and 7-up from the serve yourself soda dispenser, that was good, and the slices of lemon added gave it a nice zip.

I want to second Coops comments on Salade de Fruites they parrot mine almost precisely. Hey man, you mind having an original thought? The only thing I'd change is that I'd stay away during dinner, and anytime you can't sit outside. The 20 dollar table de hote is not quite the bargin you think it is.

One would hope I'd be slightly more adept at reading your intended level of sarcasm. No Pork & Beans on the menu that night. Our post modern ironic menu choices were the forementioned (bad) beef dip and Mac & Cheese. In retrospect we should have had the Macaroni rather then the beef. The good things we ate were the Sable fish on potatoes and squash ravioli with truffles. The average was the carpacchio (sp?), which was good, only that carpacchio can only be so good, you know what I mean, it's difficult to do more to it than everywhere else on earth already does. The Capon with mashed potatoes, saurkraut and dijon sauce was very blah too. Too much dijon, capon was stringy. The beef dip was horrid. Okay, horrid is a slight overstatement. I was hoping for a reconstructed take on a childhood favourite, Feenie proved some things are better left alone. Short rib meat on a way to large in volume sourdough roll, covered in cheese. Sourdough didn't work at all in my opnion. The "tang" combines with the slow roasted meat to make an off flavour, kinda the same sensation leftovers that are a day past being good gives you. Cheese doesn't belong on a beef dip, period. As mentioned earlier, fries were excellent. Cocktails were competently made. Service excellent, wine exhorbitant. Two cocktails, bottle of wine, 5 dishes (@$12 ea.), 2 espressos, tax and tip - $175. Seems slightly too much for what we got, I'd prefer to go to Bin 941 or Cru for less money, food as good or better. Although next time I go to Bin 941 I'm bring my own chair from home. Worst chairs in the universe.

Sandwich of the God's. When you die and finally meet your maker, don't be suprised to find banh mi crumbs in his beard. It makes one wonder how the hell Subway stays in business. 6 inch warm fragrant french roll, mayo, your choice of meat, marinated carrot strips, marinated cucumber, cilantro and hot peppers. Meat choices are meatball (same as in pho, slightly rubbery, but good) ham, grilled pork or lemon grass chicken. You're in Richmond, Jeff? Saigon Star at the corner of Park and Cooney is excellent, but my new find is a tiny little hole in the wall. At Cook and #3 in the mall with the Staples beside Bob's Submarines. Don't know what it's called, but you can't miss it. Four tables, caters mostly to takeout crowd, four sandwiches for TEN FREAKIN' DOLLARS. It's insane. The mayo is different here, it looks like, well there's no other way to put it but the mayo looks like mud. I have no idea what's inside, maybe dried ground fermented fish? Anyway, it has that heavy umani hit you get from fish sauce, but is not fishy. I also had the Cambodian style pho there, which I'd never had before. It was very good, but new styles of soup seem somewhat extraneous when pho is also available. And someone in this town could probably make a good sum of money starting a westernised, upscale in appearance chain of banh mi stands in office buildings etc.

I'm going there with a packet of post-it notes, a sharpie pen and marking dibs on the furnishings I like.

I would have had the pork & beans, but wanted to accompany it with the Yellow Tail Shiraz vertical, and they were sold out of the '02, so didn't want to taint the experience with an incomplete tasting.

Isn't that just a euphamism for "successful grow op entrepenuer"?

As long as we're establishing a line on sundry events, who's going to have the first non-complimentary thing to say re. Chambar? Think how difficult that will be, after all the anticipation, all the glowing praise around here soon someone is going to have to say something negative about it. Who's it going to be? So, this Wilson's, it's in that space that used to hold Courtnall's? Foot of Robson? What's the target market? Because if I want to eat badly prepared meat in that neighbourhood I can just walk down to Dix, and they throw the surly service in for free.

See, you're just being hyper-sensitive due to the recent change in policy at Vanmag changing the letters to the editor to a section that would be more accurately named "Things I don't like about Jamie". It seems every unbalanced disaffected loner wierdo in the city ('cept me of course) have been shapening their Crayola's and unleashing a torrent of criticism with about as much accuracy as was last shown when Colin Powell was at the UN doing his powerpoint presentation showing the exact locatons of the WMD. So you're forgiven for being slight defensive regarding cheap meaningless critism, but hell, if you deny me that what do I have left, (aside of course from stunning looks, and a trail of satisfied lovers across the whole southern BC). Tried to go to Chambar week before last, as the Talent monsters we're camping with their grandparents for a night (I honestly can't say who that's worse for, truthfully, probably the people in the campsite next to them.) Ended up at the Lumiere tasting bar instead. Off topic, but shared five dishes with Mrs. Talent, two were outsanding, two were mediocre and one was terrible. Yo Rob. How do you manage to screw up a beef-dip sandwich so badly? Great fries though. We'll go to Chambar this week. Tuna & Peaches? That just sounds odd, please tell me that it works more successfully thatn it sounds.

Look at it this way, if you can gross thirty grand A DAY on some shitty thousand dollar a month eastside storefront, and there's no jail time involved if you're caught, I'm going on the Freedom 36 plan. The way I see it, I can have three mil in tax free cash before Christmas. Guess who's getting that Bentley GT? Or maybe the Aston Martin.