Sobaicecream

Hi Oyster Guy, Thank you for the oyster offer--very kind of you!

Hi everyone, Thanks for the great input! Sabrosita, I spent my childhood in Vancouver and my family were regulars at Sushi Village, but haven't been back to Whistler in over ten years, so it's great to hear it's still good! Looking at the photos on the Rimrock website, it looked very casual--is that not the case? Since we're celebrating a special occasion (dad's 70th birthday), we wanted something a little fancier. Oyster Guy, thanks for the tip on Araxi. I did kind of get the same impression. As for the other restaurants you mentioned that I missed, I actually left some of them out because I thought they seemed a little on the casual side--Apres, Elements, etc. Please let me know if I'm wrong. I think I'm leaning toward Bearfoot Bistro, right now--it kind of seems like the safe bet.

I've been researching restaurants in Whistler (for a Christmas Eve/birthday dinner) and, after a thorough search of eGullet, noticed there aren't many new posts on the subject. I know there are a few names that consistently come up--Araxi, Bearfoot Bistro, Les Gros, Rimrock Cafe, etc.--but are these places all *still* good? I read a review elsewhere that said service at the Bearfoot wasn't great, for example. Usually, for me, the quality of food always comes first, but since it's a special occasion, I'm concerned about service, ambiance, etc., as well. So weighing all these things equally, which restaurant would you recommend? I've also tried to find more info on Les Gros--what's the ambiance like, can it accommodate a part of 7 to 8 people, etc.--but haven't been able to find much. Anyone have pictures?

Hi Ling, thanks for replying! And sorry it took me so long to respond. Did you mean underbeating the butter and sugar? Or the batter after the flour has been incorporated?

I recently made mini caramel-banana cakes from a recipe that originally makes one large loaf cake. The cakes were so good, I decided to try making the larger, single loaf cake version and was surprised that the texture came out very different. The main problem with the larger cake is that the crumb feels quite greasy. I did a search on eGullet as well as on the Web but can't seem to find the cause for greasy cakes. Does anyone have any guesses as to what happened?

Thanks, Hiroyuki. My Japanese isn't great, but I'll give it a try!

Hi everyone, I have some friends visiting soon and I wanted to take them to a good depachika. I used to be the depachika queen, but lately I just go to Seibu and Tobu in Ikebukuro, caust it's closest. I did a forum search, but I'm hoping for more current info. About a year ago, I thought the best one was probably Matsuya in Ginza (very generous with the samples). Now I'm not so sure. So which is your favorite and why? Thanks for your help!

That restaurant on the corner is actually Golden River now, it used to be known as Ha Bien. I actually enjoy the pho dac biet at Bac Nam which is not located in the downtown/Chinatown area. Sun Ki's recommendation of Pho 97 is a good one. I've been there a couple of times and have enjoyed it. If you like pho with a strong anise flavor and don't mind poor service, you can try Pho My Lan. I was just there a few weeks ago. ← Thanks for the info everyone! I realize pho isn't the first thing people think about in relation to Hawaii, but what you've got is better than anything in Tokyo. Hey Suzy, Thanks for the additional tip on the Vietnamese iced coffee--yum. Sun Ki, I'm not a connoisseur, but some important factors for me is that the beef soup has to be clear (not cloudy), there should be a respectable selection of chilli sauces and other condiments, the noodles shouldn't be at all stuck together, and it should come with lots of bean sprouts and basil. Ah, I can't wait! By the way, is the one you mentioned that's downtown--Pho 97--behind the Ala Moana shopping center? Because I went to one there that wasn't too bad. Hi Reid, love your blog, by the way. So do you think Bac Nam's better than Pho 97 or Pho My Lan? Is there any main differences among the three?

Hi everyone, I'll be in Oahu soon and need to find good pho (can't get it where I am)! I did a search on this forum but turned up zero results. Can anyone help me out? Or better yet, guide me to the best pho? I know there are tons of Vietnamese restaurants in Chinatown, but I only have two days! Thanks!

I think that's what it is. If you're still open to other ideas, how about white chocolate ice cream and mango sorbet, paired with tuile cookies? Or a white chocolate-mango swirl cheesecake? That way you really get a nice melding of those two flavors on the tongue.

Fresh mango scooped into a cup and topped with plain yogurt for breakfast--mmm. Mango is surprisingly good paired with blueberries. I love mango blueberry crumble, served with ice cream.

Thanks, Hiroyuki-san!

I've always thought the Japanese teaspoon (kosaji) and tablespoon (oosaji) looked like they *could* be different from the metric teaspoon and tablespoon--does anyone know if 1 oosaji is 15ml?

chefpeon, I think I use single-acting baking powder. I've never seen the double-acting kind before. I hope this isn't a stupid question, but why would you want something to activate before it went into the oven? But if the soda has nothing to react with, does it still work? Or would a tollhouse cookie be actually unleavened, or...half leavened?

Oh! I always thought baking soda was instantly activated the minute it got mixed in with any liquid. That's great to know! I think I'll just take your word for it!