Chocoholic

If it is pandan leaves you are refering to, they regularly sell them at the South Seas Trading Company in Granville Island. I use them for Indonesian style rice and curry dishes. They also make a great garnish since you can tie them in neat bows and things like that. For mochi, try the Japanse place on Venables and Clark. I have never bought it myself but if any place has it, this would be the one.

They were a special of the evening so you would have to beg/bribe the chef to make some before coming over. After complimenting on them our server mentioned the positive responses from other guests so perhaps they will make it as a regular menu item.

The wife and I met on the 18th of February (10 years ago this year...) so we usually do the romantic dinner thing a week later to avoid the V-day madness. This year since it is the big 10 years I decided to do something special like a personalised tasting menu at West. David Hawksworth is not in town next week so this weekend it is, Saturday we will be treated to a 10 course menu. Needless to say I am very much looking forward to this one! I booked this about 3 weeks ago and have been counting down the days ever since

Sounds very interesting. As a "mangiacake" married into a deeply Sicilian family, I have a wife at home who has grown up eating her mother's traditional and uncompromising Sicilian cooking. This was back in Toronto, this lady has tomatoes growning on hockey sticks in her back yard. Every summer there is the highly ritualistic tomato sauce making event during which the house is full of Italian ladies that are crushing tomatoes and drinking grappa. To this day she Fedexes us overnight packages containing such delicacies as pork lard, garden snail pasta sauce, polpete (little meatballs), etc. Anyhow, I digress. I can rarely convince my wife to eat Italian since her standards are exacting. I may bring her to Adesso and await the verdict. She can be bribed with ricotta filled cannoli in case of disaster. Seriously, we haven't eaten Italian out in a long, long time. Time to rectify that situation.

On the regular night out with my foodie friend we decided to try Pastis. My friend is habitually late so I enjoyed a Pastis while perusing the wine list while waiting for him to show up. Having grown up in Holland eating large quantities of unadulterated black licorice I adore anything with licorice and alcohol so it went down rather well. It is now second to black Sambuca in my licorice indulgences. The appetiser of the evening was foie gras croquettes in orange marmelade. I was very intrigued and ordered them. They were exactly as expected, pieces of foie gras wrapped in a panko batter and deep fried. I guess this takes some culinary balls to do but the result was surprisingly good. Perfectly fried, crispy and crunchy on the outside with the ethereal foie in the center. My friend's escargot ravioli looked sad and bland in comparison. He inhaled them however so I assume they were good! I had the cassoulet next, one of my favorite comfort foods. Every once in a while I undertake the elaborate preparation of one at home but it had been a while. This one with a braised pork osso bucco in the center of the plate and merguez sausages and shredded duck confit was lovely. My friend had steak frites, it looked good but I was too busy eating my cassoulet to notice really. Desserts were fine, I forsake chocolate for a lemon tart which had a nicely bruleed top and a good lemon flavor. The service was top notch, our waiter very attentive. The room wasn't very busy, I guess this is the post DOV void that will befall many restaurants in February. This is another place to add to my list of casual and comfortable dining rooms. This is why I like e-gullet, it leads me to try and discover new restaurants.

We had our night out at Vintropolis on Saturday. There were 16 of us, everything went very well. The service was great (separate bills for all without any glitches), the place was full but our food arrived very timely and the wine flights were a hit with my friends. Most of us went for the trio of Italian reds that went down very well. I was starving and on a bit of binge so I had a big plate of fries with some aoilis (chipotle and chili) followed by a double-bone pork chop. Details are vague I'm afraid, blame the round of bubbly we had to start and the rest of the wine after that. I also had dessert but I remember little about it other than that it had chocolate in it, that is all that matters really. I must admit I didn't pay as much attention to my food as I usually do, I was hosting the evening and was busy socialising (and getting a wee bit plastered). But overall it was a very positive experience and would recommend the place to others. I had several of my party (including some of the more picky ones) tell me how great they thought it was.

Interesting... The last time I bought salmon there the guy told me a whole story where he caught it, etc. I wonder if this is part of the illusion or is there something else going on here. It doesn't make too much sense since Go Fish prides itself on buying straight off the fishermen, presumably the guys down at the wharf. Weird is all I can say.

(quietly ignoring the debate raging on above ) over: Coast. I have eaten there two times now and even though the food is perfectly edible and the service pleasant enough, I don't think it deserves the accolades and hype it has been receiving. It is not the kind of place I put in my list of places to take friends from out of town who want to sample good Vancouver food for example. under: I totally agree about the Ordinary. Another place in walking distance from my house, this time on our way to Kits. After passing by a few times and glancing inside and checking out the menu we decided to pop in for some dinner. This was a while ago and I don't exactly remember what we had but what I do remember is that we really liked the place and will certainly return soon. They were also very accomodating to our little boy who is undergoing rigorous restaurant training but still makes a bit of a mess Another one is Jumbo Sushi on 6th and Willow. Ignore the somewhat distracting name. It is a very nice little place with a funky interior, jazz music in the background and a Japanese couple in the kitchen who crank out quality sushi, donburis and sobas at bargain prices. The three of us ate our fill there last week for what I paid for just my steak at Gotham the night before. Lastly is En, I never see it mentioned here. Not nearly as cheap as Jumbo, it does deliver innovative and quality Japanese food outside of the norm. This is my wife's favorite Japanese place and I agree fully. Somehow after eating at En we always end up at the Bizou Bistro next door for specialty coffees and chocolate bombs...

I buy off the fishermen at the wharf next to Granville Island. Prices are lower than in the market, you get a nice chat about where they get the fish, etc. and you get to know them which is always a good thing. Their wild salmon is especially good. And while you are there you can wander up to Go Fish and get some of their tasty food. The only drawback is that the selection can be limited. Usually salmon, cod and some halibut. Lots of shrimp too.

As a frequent restaurant customer I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in. First off, going the Wild Rice / Vij's route of no reservations doesn't work for me. When we want to go out for a dinner for two we need to organise a babysitter ahead of time and we will be on a schedule. I need to make a reservation for a certain time and cannot afford to wait 1 hour for a table while the babysitter's clock is ticking. We love Wild Rice so when we want to go there we usually do it early on a weeknight and bring the baby. But that is a different experience altogether. I certainly wouldn't mind giving you my CC # when making a reservation and when I don't show up feel free to charge me a fee, I believe I deserve it. However when I do have to cancel I don't want to have to argue with you please! Things happen, babysitters cancel at the last minute, etc. You are going to have to come up with a solid but also flexible set of rules to make it work. For example if my babysitter cancels one hour before dinner (this has happened) and I call you to cancel, do I still pay the fee? As soon as you start taking people's money as a penalty you enter a zone where you can expect to argue a lot. I strongly believe in common sense and a good dose of fairness on everyone's behalf. As long as we all keep that in mind I will keep coming back to eat, drink and be merry Lastly, I always book a table when I go out to eat. Once I decide where I want to eat I always look forward to the food too much to risk not getting a table

This wasn't really planned as a DOV meal but since DOV is raging on all around us, it turned into one! After a quick chat Saturday afernoon with Neil we decided to come in early to beat the rush. Our son Kai fell asleep on the way in so we were given the table in the back that has a convienent stroller parking spot next to it. I went for the obvious, hanger steak and gingerbread pudding. This required a small tweak to the DOV menu since the $25 menu has the steak but the $35 menu has the pudding. The $25 menu starts with a salmon chowder which was lovely, nice and creamy with a good potato flavor to it as well. The hanger steak was great! Kudos to the server for explaining the intricacies of this cut, I guess it can take some people by surprise. I was well prepared however and loved it. The expression on my red meat phobic wife's face was amusing as well My wife also insisted on sharing the gingerbread pudding (which lived up to its reputation), I am very protective of my desserts but for the sake of our family harmony I agreed. Kai woke up during dessert and loved the pumpkin ice cream that comes with the pudding. My wife didn't have the DOV menu but went a la carte instead. She had the wonton soup and the halibut, both of which she devoured. She did the 'clean the plate with bread' thing meaning she really loved the food. I had the wine pairing as well, a glass of Gewurtz with the soup and a Merlot with the steak. They went down very well. Thanks to Neil for accomodating us at the last minute and for the hospitality. HSG was just ramping up when we sat down at 5:30pm, we left around 7:15pm at which time the place was fully slammed. During a wander with my son I discovered the back room with the bar. I know where I am having my birthday party this year!

Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian...my favorites. I was born in Holland and grew up eating lots of Indonesian food and cook it at home regularly. I am very interested to see what they will do with the menu. Opening date, sample menu and web site needed!

Gotham is on par with the other steak houses of that caliber (Hy's, Mortons). The Filet Mignon is $39.95, side dishes are $6-$10 apiece. There were 5 of us, we had steaks, a number of side dishes, two bottles of wine and dessert. The total came to about $110 a head. So yes it's expensive but the steak was really good so it is worth it for an evening of carnivoric male bonding. It is the traditional aspect that counts really, most of our spouses won't set foot in places like Gotham due to vegetarianism and other afflictions

I love to cook and we attempt to eat home cooked food as much as possible but sometimes it just isn't possible. Especially these days with a 16 month old running around the house. We have a small list of places we get take out or delivery from, I bet there are places I don't know that may be worthy additions (for example we to this date haven't found a really good Chinese place) Indian: Raga (pickup, around the corner) or delivery from Maurya Thai: Chao Praya Thai Meat: Memphis Blues (3 minute walk...a blessing and a curse all at once) Roti: Nice and Spicy (pickup on the drive home along Broadway) Japanese: Jumbo Sushi on 6th & Willow (tiny mom & pop place, great food and value) These places have always been consistently good and we rarely stray from our list. I'd love to see similar lists if anyone has them...

Vintropolis was actually suggested by a few in the group so I thought I'd go with it. I'll report back here after the visit and let you know how it went.

Thanks for the suggestions. The group actually consists of a wide vareity of eaters, from the very omnivoric (like myself) to the strictly vegetarian so a good mix is important. So far it looks like Vintropolis is going to be the venue for our little party, my 10 years in Canada anniversary.

I am trying to organise a night out for a medium sized group of people (16-20) to a not too expensive restaurant ($15-20 entree range) that is also vegetarian friendly on a Saturday night (3 weeks away so it should not be too impossible). My first choice was Pair, but they don't take reservations. Chambar was my second but their menu has exactly one vegetarian item on it. A good wine list and bar are also something I'm looking for, yummy desserts a plus! Any suggestions are welcome.

I find myself in my kitchen a lot during the winter. On a cold, rainy day I will spend some time making a good pea soup from a smoked ham hock, the kind that the spoon will stand up in on its own. I like to eat it with dark rye bread that I will use to clean the bowl. Today after coming back from a frigid walk around Jericho beach I grabbed a bag of beef stock, some anchos, a dried chipotle, a bit of pasilla powder, some chorizo sausage and a couple of sweet peppers. The resulting soup is deeply flavored, spicy and intensely warming. Later I will mix some milk, chocolate, coffee and brandy, light a log in the fire place and curl up on the sofa to read a book or watch a movie. When I do venture out to a restaurant I seek places that serve simple comfort food. A bowl of Pho or soba noodle soup always does the trick. A visit to Memphis blues never fails to warm the old bones. Some braised beef shortribs and a good glass of Port are also very welcome during cold times. (Any places in Vancouver that do good braised meat?)

Well we went to Diva last night and it was a success as always. The service was impeccable and the food everything we expected. The Thomas Haas signature chocolate bar with a glass of Grandfather port was the perfect way of finishing off the dinner. We even got one to go for the babysitter, chocolate that is, not the port! Pair will stay on the list of places to try one day, maybe we'll grab an early table and bring our son (he gets regular restaurant training) or one of us will go on a "eat out with friend while spouse stays home with kid" nights.

A few slices of spicy buffalo salami from Oyama sausage in Granville Island. Just by themselves or on a piece of Wasa sesame crispbread. Yum...

Thanks for the sympathy and suggestions! We went to Cru for our last escape. We live in the Granville and Broadway area so Cru and West are in very convenient walking distance. (So is Memphis Blues, ever seen a 1 year old dig into a pulled pork sandwich?) I am still inclined to go to Diva, we have been eating there since the days of Michael Noble and we have some fond memories of the place. Here is a suggestion for fellow parents: Our son is a lively little fellow but once he is asleep for the evening he will mercifully stay asleep for quite some time. So sometimes we put him in the stroller and go out for a late meal, parking the stroller with snoring child in a convenient corner of the restaurant. So far this has worked out well but somehow it is not the same as being out without him since the fear of our culinary bliss being interrupted by a pissed off 1 year old is always in the back of our minds. Also, the place has to be roomy enough to be able to accomodate a stroller.

Since the birth of our child last year our foodie lifestyle has taken a hit. Without any parents in town for convenient infant disposal we are at the mercy of friends to babysit while we pop out to a restaurant for some quiet eating that does not involve removing bits of pasta from everyone's various bodily cavities. Monday is the day, a friend is babysitting and we will be off for some food and wine fueled relaxation. This friend raved about Pair bistro. It sounds intriguing, we are definitely into the kind of food they offer. However the days of reckless experminentation are behind us. We cannot afford to have a bad experience since our emotional and culinary well-being depends heavily on these all to infrequent escapades. We were going to go to Diva since we love the place, never had bad food there and the desserts are to die for. Soooo....any opinions on Pair? Any other new places we can try? We are well versed in the Vancouver restaurant scene yet tend to stick to old favorites these days. Good food is the main thing we are after, quiet and relaxed/romantic atmosphere is also important.

In my mind still lingers the deeper, perhaps more sinister question: "what happens to the bread that was inside the bowl?". Is it mindlessly cast aside and left to harden in some dumpster? Is it put to greater use? Do TH's donuts have a bit of a bread-like taste these days? Or is there a black market out there where TH employees are making money on the side selling illegal croutons to unscrupulous Ceasar salad manufacturers? So many unanswered questions...

Being a Dutch expat (who used to live close to the Belgium border) I had high hopes for Chambar. I remember sitting in small restaurants in Holland or Belgium, eating pan fried sole and beef roulade accompanied by baskets of fries with thick, luciously globby mayonaise. These meals would be simple but delicious and enjoyed with copious amounts of very good beer. Chambar's menu surely looked promising so when I finally got some time to go with a good friend I was excited. I went on a Tuesday evening at 8pm, expecting it to be reasonably busy which it was. I spent some time at the bar waiting for my ever late friend which gave me a good opportunity to scrutinise the beer menu and try a few. I have to say they got the beers right. A nice mixture of generic Belgium beers, some classic like Duvel, some a bit more adventurous like the Rochefort. The thing about these highly fermented beers is they are much higher in alcohol content than the average North American beer so they get you nice and mellow, just in the right mood for some good food. The service was friendly and timely. I had the duck confit which came with some greens and a bit of apple sauce. It is hard to screw up duck confit so it was fine. My friend had the mussels escargot. I don't like mussels (which is strange since Dutch waters are brimming with the things) so I can't comment on them other than that my friend liked them. I ordered the most classic thing on the menu, steak frites with peppercorn sauce. I thought if they get this right, things should be OK. Well the steak was fine, nothing spectacular but fine. The fries however were a bit of a disappointment. Golden and crunchy on the outside, white and fluffy on the inside, at least that is how I remember them from home! The ones I got were sub-par. A bit overcooked (too dark, they get bitter) and a bit anemic when it came to substance and flavor. Too bad, a place that bills itself as Belgium must get the fries right. My friend's lamb tajine looked and smelled very good. He adored it and he can be pretty picky. It is their signature dish and I saw a lot of them go to the different tables. Dessert wise I ordered the double chocolate shots. It was a nice idea and they sure looked good at the other table. Eating them was another matter, the shot glasses were filled with what looked like chocolate mousse but turned out to be some intensely alcoholic cream like substance. The alcohol killed whatever other flavor was present in the dessert. Too bad, I like my chocolate with booze, but not when it has been drowned in the stuff. Being the chocolate fiend I am I also ordered the actual mousse dessert which was tasty enough. I guess this restaurant has the disadvantage of dealing with high expectations. There is a lot of buzz about it, the place seems to be consistently full (good for them) and depending on how high your expectations really are, you may or may not like it. It didn't transport me back to my days back in Belgium but the food was decent enough, the space is unassuming and functional, the staff friendly and helpful. I will probably go back in a couple of months to give it another try. If not for the fries then for the beer.