Daddy-A

Barb's Buns!! New owners? Since when? My last visit to Ganges was last June(?). Wondering if you Island folk (shelora??) know if Wildfire has any of these sought-after buns. I'll be over for Easter and will be looking for some ... A.

My turn to visit Chi'i last night. J & I were joined by some friends of ours (who happen to live 2.5 blocks away ... crawling distance ). First impressions of the room ... way too cool for the area! Seriously though, I was a little concerned when I saw the cube chairs in the lounge area, but the rest of the room is beautiful. Warm colours, clean lines ... the bar in particular with the oligatory water feature is very inviting. I can imagine sitting there for a couple drinks on a Friday (hint hint hint) or even taking over the large communal table with a large group of eGulleters! Very cool. We started with a round of cocktails ... Lechee Mojito for me, something fruity for J. The teatinis looked really good. I'm just not a fruity drink kinda guy. The Mojito was excellent, although I never got a chance to have one of the booze-soaked lechees as I forgot abut them and I allowed the glass to be wisked away Wine list looks nice too. I'll leave serious critique to montrachet and Coop, but it's been a long time since I've looked at a list of whites and had a hard time making up my mind. I selected the Ironstone Sypmphony (thanks Mike!) which went really well with all the spices that accompanied the dishes to come. Starters: Lotus Root Chips, Duck Spring Rolls, Roti. If I had known the Lotus Root Chips came with several of the other dishes I wouldn't have ordered them. Good, reminded me of roasted cauliflower, but not something I'd eat with a beer. Hve to try the Tarrow Fries next time. The Spring Rolls were amazing! Crispy, not too greasy, and full of ducky goodness. Little globules of duck fat mixed in with the bean sprouts made these a very luxurious version of an old favorite. The Roti was great too ... although I didn't like the dipping sauce as much as the rest of our table. Blame it on personal preference. Small plates: Spicy Eggplant, Wild Atlantic Salmon, Seared Ahi, Grilled Duck, Spice Rubbed Beef, Spicey Beef Carpacio, Monkfish. Sorry for the lack of detail, but I just can't bring myself to taking notes when I'm dining with friends They think I'm odd enough already. The standout (a unanimous decision) was the Carpaccio. One of our friends has a real aversion to anything "raw" (a difficult aversion to handle at Chi'i) but she really enjoyed this dish. Nice heat, and wafer thin slices. I could have ordered at least two more of these. The Monkfish was excellent as well ... the best fish dish of the night. I've recently discovered the joy of fish skin, and the crispy skin here was a treat! I got it all to myself as nobody esle at the table shares my appreciation. I'm just a little curious about the choice of Atlantic salmon. I'm glad it's a wild fish, but it seems a strange choice considering the abundance of superior (IMO) Pacific salmon. The Atlantic salmon was pepper crusted ... nice spice, but I found it a bit dry. I'd like to try this dish with Spring salmon instead. Desserts: They were out of the Lemon Grass Creme Brulee, so we just ordered one each of the remaining deserts: Coconut Creme Caramel, Deep Fried Banana, Tropical Fruit Salad, Varohna Chocolate Suffle (The Suffle takes 20 minutes to prepare, so plan accordingly). The Creme Caramel and the Fruit Salad were served with Mango Ice Cream. All were very good, but I enjoyed the Creme Caramel the best. Simple but full of flavour. The Fruit Salad was surprising ... something I'd expect to see for lunch at my Grandma's house, not at a place like Chi'i. But it really works. Something I'll enjoy during the summer months I'm sure. I introduced myself to Alex at the end of the evening. He knows we've been in and been talking about Chi'i. He and the rest of the staff seemed very interested in what we have to say, and certainly seem proud of what they're doing. And they should be. A few minor service glitches need ironing out, but for a new restaurant the service was really top notch. Food & drink? Slam dunk. They know the location is a challenge. For the sake of those of us who don't live as close to Vancouver as our dining tastes would like, I certainly hope they overcome it. A.

If you want to carry on this discussion in General Foods feel free to start up the topic. This topic is focussing on Western Canadian restuarants and chefs for people that live in the area/ A.

At least we don't go to Texas. A.

Time to move this thread along ... Anybody going for a slice of 'za and a brew at this place this weekend? We need data folks! Time to do some research! A.

Schedule an hour a week on your PDA and you can too! Cheers! ← Ha! I was about to say the same thing! Better yet, dowload a book and read it on your PDA! We're SUCH geeks!

There are some of us here (myself included) who would give the nod to Latin Quarter on The Drive. It's not walking distance from The Sandman, but their sangria is very good. Just stay away from the flamng churizo ... right Neil? A.

Chef, I don't work in the industry, but I do work in a field that deals with "intellectual property" all the time. I'm an interior designer, and I can't tell you how many clients pick my brain for hours, free of charge, and then bugger off to IKEA with my ideas. I've trained a number of designers who now work for competitors. Have I lost money? Perhaps, but I can't very well force these people to stay with me can I? The fact is, it's going to happen. And somehow I doubt Marcello (whom I don't know) is going to lose any money because of it. Sorry, I didn't mean Marcello ... I meant the guy who opened Da Francescos is not on The Drive. I would have a propblem if Da Francescos opened up down the street from Marcellos (Kinda like Marcellos did with Lombardo's - did I get that connection right?). There's room enough for all in this city. And like Coop said, it's not like any of these guys actually invented pizza. A.

There was a Rickshaw in Burnaby, near Imperial & Kingsway. I think it's a Mr. Ho's Wonton House now Dragaon Inn was also near the corner of Hastings & Willingdon ... it was the only "ethnic" food my Danish Grandmother would eat. A.

Dang Eddy! I'm bummed out now! Was looking forward to some tarts next month. Oh well, get inspired and we'll see you ... somewhere ... very soon! A.

I thought of another "tipping point" as I was leaving Phat today. Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks A bookstore dedicated to cookbooks and books on food? That's gotta signify something. A.

It's been said before ... but the biggest change is that I am cooking. The last 10 years have been one revelation after another for me, my most recent being that I can, in fact, succesfully deep-fry Of course I have to fight the no-fat monster that still lurks in the back of my mind, but as long as I don't choq down on Arnacini or Frites every day I can handle the guilt. Other revelations have included: the joys of grilled (eggplant) & roasted (cauliflower) veggies, the stinkier the cheese the better, and cooking with gas. A.

How about Penny Lane? There was one on Robson Street ... upstairs where Malone's is/was (can't remember what's there now) ... and they also had one in Kelowna. First place I ever had curly-fries! A.

Regardless ... you & Neil make a better product. A.

Gingerbread Pudding Taster @ HSG (Of course, I'd have to learn to be happy weighing 400lbs.) Related to my industry, I'd love to work with designers of rooms like Chambar, Lift, Cactus Club (West Vancouver). These kind of rooms require an entirely different skill set than what I possess. There would also be the added benefit of attending all those parties you see on "Opening Soon" A.

Dang! I must have just missed you! I'd have to agree with the deli vs. sandwich shop comment. Having never been to NY nor Schwartz's (been to Montreal, but only for the poutine ) I can't comment on how "authentic" the room is. Just feels like Yaletown to me. Nor can I comment on how "authentic" the smoked meat is. It was tasty to be sure. Nice fat content ... but Brian & Neil's pastrami is still better. The bagel (pumpernickel) was really good too. Chewy but not tough. I found the sandwich a bit pricey for what I got. Kaplans sandwiches are about the same price, but WAY bigger. Sorry ... good sandwich, but it ain't no kolachy A.

I take my kids there after our annual Christmas shopping trip at Coquitlam Centre. My "fondest" memory of the place? The Mikeburger. It's still on the menu. A.

The Cannery My dad & his sibblings still go there for "special" occaisions, but very very few people of my generation even mention it. A.

And we have a winner! dodger correctly identified the "official" name for the McBarge as: Friendship 500/McDonald's. He found the answer here. Oddly enough, so did I! An intersting site with lots of information from the world's fair, including some of the dining pavilions. Dodger, I owe you a pint. A.

So unless Marcello gives his blessing the "chump" is forever required to either stay with Marcello's or forgo making pizza forever? That makes even less sense to me. At least he moved away from The Drive. A.

It sat here for years after expo was done. At the rate McD's change and upgrade their stores, I am sure it is in a HazMat site somewhere. I got pics...they are in ImageGullet under "Don't believe us? The infamous McBarge." Great pics John! I used to see the McBarge every other day on one of my walks in the wilds above Capitol Hill in North Burnaby. It has since been towed away and now resides in Missouri. For bonus points: Do you remember the "official" name of the McBarge? Please PM me with your answer A.

You mean Adesso isn't your first gig? A.

That's what I understood as well, but if you listen to the interview Chef Feenie did on CKNW (Vancouver) he says there is actually a list about a page long of potential ingredients. The advance notice they're given, according to Feenie, "isn't much help at all." Personally, I think he's embelleshing a bit. Ming Tsai showing up with an air compressor for his Peking Duck is enough proof for me that they know more than Chef Feenie is letting on. A.

Are you thinking of Cisco's in that brick complex right at the end of the Burrard Street Bridge? I think that used to be called the Wometco building. I'm pretty sure that used to be the site of the old Coca-Cola bottling plant and Wometco was the name of the bottler. ← Yep, that's the place ... it was the Coca Cola bottling plant, not the Roger's Sugar ... but I was close right?? I remember the restaurant was in the middle courtyard so the ceilings were a high as the building itself. It was like eating outsode! A.

I remember that at Cysco's (sp?) in Kits (in the old Roger's Sugar building I think). That was one of the few places my folks took my brother & I for a "fancy" dinner. A.