Megs

The line ups at Tomato have always turned me off; can't say I've ever bothered. My parents, however, had dinner there last Saturday and my mother (the biggest critic on the planet) had "the best steak" she's ever had, and my father (who will eat anything) had a fantastic chorizo pasta. In regards to the Flying Tiger, I must second the rave review of the fantastic food. I wrote about it somewhere on the site in way too much detail so I'll spare you all now save for... go eat there, it is excellent, as is the service! Oh, and are we still doing over/under? Y'all are gonna beat me for this but... Over - West. Myself and a girlfriend (separately) had very poor dining experiences there recently. Service - good. Food - VERY lacking. The amuse was the best part. For that kind of cash, a huge disappointment. Under - Fiction. Although the menu isn't huge, the food is excellent and the staff are experts in food and beverage knowledge, as well as at making you feel like you are over at a friend's house. It's my favourite spot.

Gotta put a vote in for Fiction... my first choice for an intimate drinking evening, though the food is fantastic as well!

The last restaurant I worked at (a "real" restaurant, at that), the tip out to management was 4%. Not kidding. While I agree that management isn't making fat coin at most restaurants, they sure as hell were where I was working- I saw the bills firsthand. AND... the management that was working when I was there sure as hell didn't earn it - support they did not!

Disclaimer: This is what I do when avoiding a paper due at school.... I write one for no credit at all. You've been warned. I've got 4: I've been contributing to the Earls family lately.... Joey's on Broadway We had the same as always... Ahi Tuna Tacos - mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Lettuce Wraps - always tasty Ginger Beef (without the hot peppers) - same as above Blue Cheese Fries - a new reason to live - absolute heaven I detest the excessive wait at this place but it reminds me of when Cactus Club opened on Broadway and Granville (at which I worked at that time)....hype, hype, hype. It'll slow eventually and I'll get over it. It's a great room, too. Earls on Fir I wanted the spinach dip but apparently they are not using spinach yet because of "the whole spinach debacle".... which makes me wonder why they get their spinach from California rather than locally....? So we had the Sesame Seared Wonton Tuna Stack...it was alright...the tuna was seared with togarashi spice on the outside and then thinly sliced...it was quite dry and relatively flavourless other than the bit of spice on the outside. It is served with little strips of fried wonton wrappers (which normally have spice on them but I ordered without as I am one of those poor people who can't handle anything hot, though I love it), but they were so narrow that it was hard to get the tuna and accompanying avocado and tomato salad actually on top... !?!? Side plates would have been helpful too. We had the Sicilian pizza which was tasty as predicted and the chicken and rib combo (my bf has never ordered anything but this at Earls except the time we went after he got his wisdom teeth out and he had soup). Bin 942 A personal favourite of mine, much to my bf's chagrin. Not that he doesen't enjoy the food, he just wants a lot more (he's a rugby player - he's happy with KD for dinner) . He's more into the idea of ordering an appetizer and then an entree, and then being full. Me, not so much. Frites, as always (I dream about these), excellent. Cinnamon and Chili Rubbed Flank steak.... (my secret excuse to get more frites on the table)...I love the balsamic reduction that comes with the frites but when they come with the flank steak you instead have the deliciously sweet sauce to mop up....SO good. Scallop and Tiger Prawn Tournedos - I love every thing about this dish - the leek tempura thingy on top, the cucumber salsa, the sweet bonito butter sauce...all delish. Black Olive Hommous with fry bread...yum....... and I always order the Caesar Salad, because even though one may think that a caesar salad would be pretty damn easy, you'd be shocked at how few restaurants do it well...really! The Bin caesar is in a league of it's own - hands down the best I've ever had.... and being the formerly Ridiculously picky eater I once was (and perhaps am still just a little bit), I have had more than my share of caesar salads. And now for the piece de resistance.... We went for dinner last night at.... the Flying Tiger I took it upon myself as a loyal foodie to try as many dishes as possible to give the most informative review possible We were seated at perhaps the most uncomfortable table in the room (I take the blame for not making a reservation - it was clear we were lucky to get a table at all considering the stream of people that continued to come in even past 10:00). We were right and I mean RIGHT by the washrooms (you know the table at Feenies where there is a fire extinguisher on the wall immediately beside you? Worse.) on little leather squares (rather than chairs) with no backs, so I had to wrap my long coat around myself to avoid it being on the floor! Don't worry, things rapidly improved.... We started with the Roti Canai, $4, malaysian fry bread with malaysian peanut sauce. It was served piping hot, and the sauce was not too spicy for me (which most everything usually is so I was pleasantly surprised) and the bread was delicious, flaky and light. We then had the Flying Tiger Samosas, $6, which were again SMOKIN' hot (as it turned out, every dish was. Yay freshness!) and very tasty. They come with a coconut and tamarind chutney which isn't as much a sauce as it is a topping - it is grated coconut tossed with the chutney so you more or less pile it on top of the bite you are about to take. Yummy, nonetheless. Next we had the Satay Malaysia, Sambal Kacang , $12, which is listed on the menu as chicken and beef satays but is in fact only chicken. It was served with the same tasty peanut sauce as the roti. It was alright, not spectacular. If I ever have it again I will ask for it to be well done as I thought that the chicken was not quite cooked enough, though I am a little paranoid. Next on the list was what I imagine was the Javanese BBQ Cornish Game Hen ,($15, I am looking at their menu on their website right now for memory refreshment). I am certain that that is not what it is called now...it was not half a chicken, rather two legs, but yummy anyway (sticky sweet soy glaze) and the coconut and pineapple slaw and fried rice that accompanied it were damn tasty, especially eaten together with the cold/hot contrast. Price wise, iffy for two little legs and the 1/4 cup portions of accompaniments. Is game hen expensive at a butcher/grocery store? I may be wrong here, as I have never bought it myself. Next up was the Hawker Street Noodles $12. There was nothing bad about this dish but nothing special either. The little bits of crispy chicken (there were very few, tiny little pieces) were sharp (in texture). The flavour was pretty unexciting. Again, price point also seemed off for a small noodle dish with a wee bit of seafood. We then tried the Szechuan Green Beans, $5. Very tasty, not too spicy, very reminiscent of the same dish at Sandbar. We also tried the Poori Fry Bread $2, as I remembered it mentioned in a review somewhere as being similar to the fry bread at Bin. It is similar, however, it has something dusted on it that has a citrus (lemongrass?) flavour and a sweet flavour. It was good but whatever was dusted was very strong. Last to mention was the Vegetable Tempura, $4 . Personally I would stick to that at a Japanese restaurant. Not that it was bad, but again, the dipping sauce was hard to dip in and I hate mushrooms, which I have never seen in tempura before (personal preference, I know). The batter was nice though, light and crunchy. As for drinks, I had the Chalet Pinot Gris (BC), which I've never hear of before and loved, and the bf had the Singha which was served traditionally with a tiny little glass. Service was friendly and efficient, similar to Bin style (as was the food service, which we were informed of at the beginning - food cooked, food come!) where everyone helps out, which is nice. Price point was mixed. Some of the "Larger" plates we ordered were nowhere near worth their price tag, but some of the "Smaller" plates were more food than I expected for what was charged. Overall, I would absolutely refer anyone who enjoys this type of dining (food arrives when it is ready, shared plates, etc) as the food was overall excellent. I was also impressed when Tina Fineza herself came out on the floor and cleared our plates and asked how everything was. It is always refreshing to see a chef who would actually come out to the floor and, rather than make it clear they are the creator of all dishes etc etc, just to see a cleaned plate on a table and to remove it. It's all about flow, people. Back scratching. Anyone who has worked in a restaurant knows what I mean. Try it, folks! It was great, and it would be great place to go with a group (and unlike Bin, they take reservations so such could be a reality rather than just a dream!!!!) so that everyone can try even more items! I feel bad for my bf that I'm not more adventurous in the eating department (no pork, no shellfish, very little beef, halibut and salmon, and absolutely nothing with bones). I will go back with him and my best friend who happily enjoys chicken feet. She is sure to try ribs and duck with him! Both looked great when they arrived on the table next to us but I just couldn't do it. Anyway, sorry for the essay, it's been a good week of food and I'm always stoked to try something new, as I think we all are. Happy eating!

Hmm... I am quite certain I know of which place you speak, and I have two friends who have had the same gastrointestinal reaction to deli food from said place. Too bad they didn't listen to you- I just hope that something worse dosen't happen!

Vancouver Cooks is wonderful, and such a great idea, but there are still a fair share of chefs I would love to see put out an entire book rather than just one reciepe for the public...and that vote goes to Vikram Vij.... I would love to see him put out a cookbook! I'm happy that Rob Feenie released "Feenies"- it is an excellent cookbook and I am happy to say I have actually cooked out of it many times (which I can't say for too many of my LARGE cookbook collection). The Lumiere cookbooks, beautiful as they are, don't do much for the ameteur chef in terms of cooking.

Salmon - well something - did not get the description ←

We had...in no particular order... The fire roasted chicken skewers...fabulous peanut sauce, of which I asked for more of even though my mouth was on FIRE (I am very sensitive to spicy food but tend to ignore that and suffer because I love it)...it was an interesting dish though- it wasn't a tenderloin strip on a skewer as I had expected it to be- it was, I believe (could be wrong), ground chicken (still breast meat) on a popsicle stick, shaped like a paddle more so than a popsicle (am I making any sense?). Good nonetheless. Also had the albacore tuna tartare with the ponzu sauce.....loved it...had a bit of caviar on top, served with great little crispy crackers. Very tasty, nice and simple. We tried the vegetarian gyoza as well, as I am a sucker for a potsticker. They were very good, but otherwise no different than you would get at say, Kitsilano Sushi.... really, how much can you do with a vegetarian potsticker though? My friend had the wok island clams....I don't do shellfish, but she said they were fantastic, and I tried the broth, which was really tasty. We also ordered the "hot stone flatbread", which they don't have, instead substituting a sesame rosemary flatbread (not sure what the difference is), which was nonetheless good...the olive tapenade was delish (and I don't even like olives), and the fresh salsa was also yum. My favourite thing of the evening was the bottle of Blue Mountain Pinot Gris, but that applies anywhere I drink it.... All in all, I left stuffed (in a good way), tipsy, and happy, vowing to return- I'm going to take my boyfriend there for his birthday next week. As much fun as I had with my girlfriend, the view and the atmosphere (and the wine!) made me pine for my boyfriend. A suprisingly romantic spot! (Added bonus- it's in walking distance...well, walk there, roll me home anyway... )

I had dinner at Watermark last friday with a girlfriend. I was peeved too about the no reservations after 6 thing (I DON'T like to wait), but we went at 8:30pm and only waited 10 minutes or so for a patio seat, and there was tons of lounge/bar space for us to have a drink while we waited. I loved it! The food was great, the service was perfect, the view can not be beat (even after the sun was down), and the atmosphere is exactly what I wanted it to be. It was busy, but not super-loud, and the room is so nice and open. The no- smoking patio ROCKS, and frankly, I don't have one single complaint. Everything was great! My complaint now is that it's gonna be booming and I'll have to wait for a table because of their stupid reservation policy

Feenie and his lovely wife have bun number two in the oven, as a matter of fact. Maybe there's your answer?

My assumption was that Memphis Blues was rated for it's bbq in vanmag- not so much in competition with the grand steakhouses- I think they are competing in a different category as the restaurants are hardly comparable.

If you want to knock her socks off, take her to the mothers day brunch at the Wedgewood Hotel. We went there with my mum two years ago and it was FANTASTIC. I don't even like brunch! It was the best spread I've ever seen (it's a buffet with everything you could imagine), and the food was spectacular. I think it was something like $60 a head though, but I'm not quite sure. It was definitely well worth it though!

Thanks Moosh! I'm always on the lookout for tasty delivery....

Mmmm...do they have a website? (tandoori palace)

Seriously? My bosses got engaged there.....(to each other) Probably not that shocking actually, I'm sure it's a frequent spot for weddings and engagements, being all romantic and what not!! Our spot is Fiction, because when we were first dating we used to go there ALL the time and get stupid drunk off martinis and.... well it was always a good time anyway!! I love going there....the lighting, the finger food, the fanTAStic booze selection....there's something quite romantic about it....of course if I could afford it, it would be Lumiere, but that's slightly out of our price range 99% of the time.

Couldn't agree more- as soon as I knew it was crab I was just waiting for the ravioli, and when they were curious about the beurre blanc, I was pretty sure I knew what it was for. It was fun to watch him sweat, but with his typical confidence. I was actually surprised at how little he spoke- from having his cooking show, I was half expecting him to give a running commentary. I think he did a good job though, and he genuinely looked surprised when they announced he won. Proud to be Canadian right now, moose and all Oh yeah, and what WAS that spoon comment?

Karri! After working with you in Whistler a few years back, I wasn't the slightest bit surprised to see you and Nico on "Opening Soon" and am thrilled for you for the success Chambar has seen thus far. Congrats on doing such a fantastic job! I was most impressed at all the work the two of you did yourselves- it truly is YOUR restaurant from the ground up. And to everyone else...I know it dosen't always mean much in the cut-throat restaurant world, but this gal is extremely gracious and professional and nice.... hype or not, she and her talented husband deserve their success. (I know you're just racking your brain trying to figure out who I am! )

I once had a customer who claimed she was allergic to salt. Anything with salt in it, on it, salt. She would DIE if she ingested salt. I had to bite my tongue so hard. Was that ever fun telling to the kitchen..

As a former restaurant employee and a frequent restaurant patron, I see ABSOLUTELY NOTHING wrong with this..... if someone chooses to be rude and selfish by not honouring their reservation and not letting the restaurant know, there is nothing wrong with letting them know that their neglect/laziness has affected you (especially in such a polite way). Nothing pisses me off more than people with no manners, and not showing up without calling is downright rude!! (Wow, I didn't know I felt so strongly! ) Also, for the rest of the general public who would love to get into sold out restaurants during DOV, it's a bit of a slap. I'm in total agreement about etiquitte lessons in high school....rude people suck

When I posted, I was actually thinking of Sala Thai but Thai Away Home is really good too. I'm also in Kits.... perhaps if we ask them really nicely, they'll open a branch in our 'hood.... along 4th somewhere would work for me, would that work for you? ←

I think you mean Thai Away Home on Cambie and 17th. I order from there at least once a week- absolutely fantastic food. The thing I like most about it is that the place seems spotlessly clean, therefore I imagine my food is well taken care of... I too wish they delivered...I live in Kits!

Haven't tried it myself but most of my friends have (girlfriends dad is one of the owners) and it's gotten RAVE reviews on the food...and from a non-seafood-loving group at that! Apparently the sushi is like no other...

I work out...that could be dangerous! Thanks for the info guys! yay...new place to stuff my face...

Gee whiz you guys are darn fast!

Whereabouts is this place? (i.e more specific than "Kits" pleez) I've never spotted it and here it's in my very own neighbourhood? Am I completely blind? (That's rhetorical - I often search for things RIGHT in front of me)