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SBonner

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Everything posted by SBonner

  1. Nice review. I'm off to Hong Kong and Australia in a few weeks....hopefully I'll get bumped into business class. Glad you got to have some decent wine on the flight!We are flying Cathay Pacific so it will make an interesting comparisons of food, wine, and service. I'll keep you all posted. Cheers, Stephen
  2. I did not go to the awards but I'm always curious to the judging process. Seemingly it is based on tourist input but I have to wonder about an international publication and it's advertisment base and agenda. I have never actually seen an issue of the publication Stephen
  3. I'm working on re-vamping a restaurant tea program and was curious on consumer and trade prices on tea. What do or what would you pay for a pot of premium tea? I'm talking about higher end teas and not Red Rose or PG Tips.. Thank you, Stephen
  4. We are doing dinner (actualy late lunch) for 10. Turkey for sure along with maple glazed sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, tarragon-sugar baby carrots, and Yorkshire pudding as well as several bottles of Pinot Noir, sparkling shiraz, and a bottle of Aussi sticky to finish off an old school sticky toffee pudding with Devon cream. My mum will most likely start off dinner with a hearty bowl of tomato soup and regail us with stories of surviving the blizt, putting us through public school, and how lucky we are compared to her generation. Something to be thankful for......... Cheers, Stephen
  5. I have not seen the book but they better mention some of the great IPA's coming out of Washington and Oregon. Hoegaarden and Bellevue Kriek would be on my list as well. Cheers, Stephen PS off to the local for a Strongbow cider and a Guinness
  6. I would not worry about it. Although most beers taste best cold most are not shipped or stored refridgerated. Beer like wine is pretty resilent and can survive some varied temperature changes. Try that beer appeals to you and play around with different degrees of temperature and see what works for you. Cheers, Stephen
  7. If memory serves me right I think the desserts were around $15 upto $18 (incuding coffee). You might want to double check with the FOH staff about joining your party later on. It can be tough to get them to allocate some extra chair/table space if busy in the main dining room. Have fun. Stephen
  8. For me this week I'm fixated on the aromas and flavours of Thai green curry. I just can't get enough basil, lime, and coconut in my food this week. Cheers, Stephen Vancouver
  9. Deborah, Make sure if you buy them on the internet you are getting a marrow spoon and not a marrow priest which anglers use to help gut fish. If you find any modern ones pm me I would be interested in a modern version. Cheers, Stephen
  10. Wow...this brings back memories of Sunday dinner at my grandmothers. The only ones that I have seen here in Vancouver were antique made from sterling silver and with the old Vancouver Club crest on them. They were in the "Source" on Main Street. Yummy marrow...
  11. I'd opt for a section of Pont de la Tour. Great walk afterwards to burn off the alcohol and pud. I wish I worked for a firm with a 200 pound xmas budget per person Cheers, Stephen
  12. I had the hoppers afew times now and I am also onto the lampries on my next visit to our new Sri Lankan restaurant in Vancouver. Cheers, Stephen Vancouver
  13. Every restaurant in Hackney comes to mind. I see my grandmother who still lives in the area and everytime I take her out for a meal it's a total disaster. Horrid service, below par food, and just a joke to be a restaurant owner or server in this part of London. No jokes aside I grew up in this neighbourhood but moved to the colonies...a good thing. On the otherhand dinner at Conran's Porternoser was equally horrible for service when we were there six months ago but maybe that's because Conrad Black was sitting across from us Cheers Stephen Bonner Vancouver
  14. I like Hakkasan. You may want to get a reso for St.John with the busy Xmas party season coming up. Cheers, Stephen
  15. Such a tough question.... but I'd say Andrey at Parkside, Jeff at Aurora. David at West...and the list goes on. If it came down to just one, Rob Fennie, since he beat an Iron Chef and put B.C. on the world culinary stage. Cheers, Stephen
  16. We go to New Town on Keefer Stephen
  17. Keith, I've seen them in a couple of the Chinese shops on Keefer Street. If I remeber the shop name I'll pm you. Cheers, Stephen
  18. If in Gastown, the Salty Tonguie deli, has cheeses from the Borough Market. On the Northshore try WholeFoods. Otherwise all the other posts are bang on. I never go to Costco so no comment. Cheers, Stephen
  19. I have not been back to this restaurant for a sveral months... I was planning on going again this coming week but I've heard a number of their talented servers have left and the sommelier is now gone. Any similar comments heard lately? Cheers, Stephen
  20. If you can find an Australian Tokay Muscat you'll be in heaven with your dessert. Cheers, Stephen Vancouver
  21. I recently came across a U.K. food mention of Sydney Gourmet Burger "SGB" Is it a chain or just one restaurant/cafe/take-out. Are the burger's unique or should I give it a miss on my trip to Australia in November. Thank you, Stephen Vancouver
  22. We are sold on the elite series of rangemasters. Stephen Vancouver
  23. SBonner

    Valdivieso Wines

    I'm a big fan of these wines. Right now in B.C. the agent is blowing out the brut for $6 CDN a bottle...I'm not sure if there is any left The entire range offers great value in my opinon based on the prices we pay here with our government taxes and mark-ups. Cheers, Stephen Vancouver
  24. Helen and I live 5 minutes away and according to my credit card I believe I have paid a few utility bills there and server wages In truth I think the location was a blessing. It is a great space for a regionally focused restaurant much in the vien of the "cool Britannia" restaurants in past dodgy areas of Clerkenwell and Soho. The food, service, and drinks are on par wth top establishments and foodies will traverse the city, nation, and globe to eat. Happy birthday to them. Cheers, Stephen
  25. It’s 7pm and Helen and I are in the mood for some of Umami’s eel and foie gras… wow we arrive without a reso and discover Umami is no more but now called Kei’s Dining Bar. I believe, Kei was Hiro’s sous chef, so even though startled that Hiro has gone and the restaurant has changed name the food most likely is still what we after craving. Thankfully the eel and foie gras is still on the menu along with about 40% of Hiro’s popular menu items. The menu is now divided up into salads, cold tapas, hot tapas, Japanese tapas, and entrees. The prices have been reduced by a dollar or two making the tapas menu between $7 and $12 dollars and entrées $14-$18. Service was stellar with Bridgette (ex Blue Water Café and Oasis) working the floor and patrons. The room looked the same after a 10 day close down period other than a small ledge built along the bar and back light by candles and art work on the walls (old Cinzano and Campari ads). The music was more upbeat and louder than during Hiro’s days. We tried Kei’s Japanese French fries ( paprika spiced wedges) pretty tasty but a nice side of lemon aioli or mild wasabi aioli would be have been nice. The chicken wings with a light dry curried rub were hot and tasty and a big departure from the Umami school of food and wine pairing. The wine list has the same wines by the glass as selected by Chef/Sommelier Hiro but the reserve wine list is no more. On the dessert front, Hiro pushed the envelope on flavours with his Blue mountain blue cheese and black sesame crème brulee, and now Kei has done the same thing with his grapefruit and chocolate crème brulee. We will go back, tonight was the soft grand opening, but where is our friend Hiro? Anyone know? Cheers, Stephen
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