canucklehead

no doubt, choosing something you enjoy is good, but "General Tso chicken" is kinda like...I dunno, going to Romagna Mia and asking for pepperoni pizza...or a California roll at Hiro. It's not Chinese food, so not only are you going to get crappy food, you're also going to be treated like...a "tourist" I guess, I'm not sure how to express what I mean. Sort of a "oh, you're looking for chop suey, I guess we can throw together some slop for you.". whether or not such treatment is fair/polite/etc. is not my argument here, just that it will happen. ← Here's a prespective from Vancouver. To get a good gauge of a Chinese restaurant I think it is generally best to order something simple. Chinese food is ingredient driven and the goal is to enhance the inherent postive qualities of that ingredient. A simple stirred fried vegetable with garlic is a good starting point - the vegetables should be impeccably fresh and green, not over cooked but not cruncy raw either - it should not be greasy or taste of MSG. This will tell you if the kitchen cares about the basic things. Even when the dish gets more complicated - good ingredients and a sure hand should show itself. The dish should be tight and the flavors distinct and bright - if there is too much sauce or the flavors are muddy - then you know things are not so good. Though I am not too familiar General Tso's Chicken - I don't there is anything inherently wrong with ordering what you like. Endy is right in saying though that some places may take this as a qeue that you are not be a 'serious' eater - clearly a mistake on the restaurant's part. I personally like ordering sweet and sour pork at Cantonese restaurants - and it should be done well. Crisp fresh coating - a good balance between fat and meat, and a nice clean tasting sauce. Good! Sorry to hear about your crappy experience. Simply unacceptable and there is nothing that you did that should have illicited such sloppy cooking.

Yes - It's Le Pic Nic: Ownership changed a few months ago and I tried one of their croissants and it was simply not the same. The fruit tarts were not as good either. Very sad.

Unfortunately - the bakery that you refer to has changed hands. The new owner - though compentent - is not anywhere as good as the previous baker. The croissants are disapointingly cottony and dry. The closest top notch baker I can think of is Thomas Haas in North Van.

Great trip report dude - what incredible meals. La Cabotte looks tremendous - incorporating the newest ideas - but grounded in classic techniques. Also that candied orange dipped in chocolate is insane!

YES! I love those crazy million BTU burners they use. Probably some sort of fire safety code standing between me and delicous bo jai fan. Damn you Sam Sullivan!

The clay pots are so banged up after the making the 'bo jai fan' - that they usually can't reuse them - so giving them away indicates it should the real deal. What I hate are places that make the rice separately and then serve it in the clay pot - very anticlimatic! In HK - you can request having "top broth" to be poured into the crusted on rice in the pots after you finish eating the contents. I've ordered clay pot rice - then have them remove the rice (after a bowl or two) and then have the soup and rice as a second course - good! There is a place in HK - Farm House in Causeway Bay - that does a giant version of this - heaven. I will check out the local version that you speak of.

Actually the dish I am describing is "bo jai fan" - or little clay pot rice. A clay pot of steamed rice and preserved meats that is almost a one pot meal in its simplicity - and deceptively hard to do right. In HK - you see restaurants with jet burners lined up on tables outside cooking up little pots of rice as the weather cools. I have not seen this dish done properly in Vancouver - and not sure how you could make it at home. Not a simple rice cooker dish I think given the super high heat that I've seen used in restaurant preparations. "Wo Bah" is crisped up sheets of rice (usually deep fried) with a sauce poured over the top - the classic sizzling rice dishes you seen on alot of old school chinese places - it's traditionally a northern dish. Completely different from 'bo jai fan'.

What rumors? I think Sea Harbour offers one of the best dim sums in Vancouver. Pricey, granted, but you won't find better pork cheek anywhere. ← My Aunt said she was not a big fan of their dim sum and to be honest I found that Sea Harbour does the non-traditional offerings better than the standard dim sum offerings. The shrimp dumplings, sticky rice, and rice rolls were okay - but it was items like pastry stuffed with lotus root, grilled pork cheeks (LB - you are right it is excellent), and gai lan with cured meats that were the big winners for me. Lunch was finished with a dish of dried scallop fried rice that was just about perfect. Huge bonus - everything on the menu has pictures accompanying the item description in both english and chinese. It made for extremely easy ordering. I would stick to the more adventerous items on the menu - and note: everything on the dinner menu is also available for lunch (ie: the gai lan and cured meats).

Those wine cellars are amazing - great photo's. Loving the trip report - but, unlike Ling, I would like you to keep any 'romance' out of the programming. Your wife is lovely and I do not want to see her subjected to your mooniness - of any sort. No soft focus shots of Daddy-A!

I was just going to ask the same question - is there a place in town that does a good and proper clay pot rice? With this cooler weather I am totally obessessing about it now...

Dim Sum at Sea Harbour - rumours of shitty dim sum were unfounded. Food was generally good - but pricey. What I was after was the gai lan stirred fried with cured meats. Delicous! Vancouver is known in Chinese food circles for having an excellent producer of cured sausages (lap cheong), pork belly (lap yuk), and air dried duck (lap ap) - Dollar Meats in Chinatown. A classic Chinese winter dish is a large clay pot of rice cooked with a mix of cured meats topped with gai lan and soy. The rice is rich with cured meat flavours and fat - and crispy at the bottom from being cooked in a clay pot. What is sometimes done is after the rice is eaten, a clear chicken broth is poured over the crispy rice, stirred around to release the toasty bits. The result is a the most fantastic chicken and rice soup imagninable.

Excellent pictures and commentary so far - looking forward to the rest of the report. That cheese shop would have sent me into paralysis and shock.

Believe it or not - I saw some a few weeks back at Whole Foods in WV - prices were not evil. They may have frozen them - give them a call.

I was in SF this weekend and wanted to share with you guys my favorite place in the world for oysters. Swan Oyster Depot I got off the plane feeling groggy and tired but the first thing to do was to hit Swan Oyster Depot. Very popular with the tourists but who cares. The place is good old fashiond seafood bar and does not pretend to be anything else. It is totally what the Only should be - instead of the piss stinking, rat infested frozen fish fry up that it has turned into. The gates of paradise: Usually their is a long line up to get in - trick is get there before noon - or do like I do and get closer to closing time (I arrived at about 4pm). The lobsters in the window are local pacific spiny lobsters and the roe is fresh salmon caviar. Old school! Place was opened in 1912 - and the marble counter looks like it has been around for decades. This is the real deal. I've been to Rodney's only once and the waitstaff's Tom Cruise fratboy antics and super loud music have kept me far far away. First couple of courses - Clam chowda and a mixed seafood salad with crab, prawns, and shrimp with a Louie Sauce (basically a house made thousand islands style dressing). I really like the chowder - I think they use milk instead of cream (you can see that soup has 'broken') - but the taste of fresh clams was ringingly sweet and clear. The salad is fantastic - chopped iceberg lettuce topped with house made dressing and fresh sweet cold seafood - fucking look at the crab! I can't tell you how good this salad is - it's what all those chopped retro-salads aspire to be. Here is the main event - I had 1/2 doz Miyaga oysters (3 from Washington State, 3 locally sourced) - beautifully shucked (each half shell was swimming in oyster liquour). Sweet briny metallic flavors served perfectly cold - I favored the house mignonette (cocktail sauce is the ketchup of oyster eating if you ask me). Ahhhh - all gone! All this food for about US$35 - an incredible deal. Oh how I wish that someone would rescue the Only and return it to the glory that it deserves. Swan Oyster is in an edgy part of town - but it holds true to its purpose. Selling lotsa fresh oysters and seafood.

Oh - I am sure something can be arranged... heh heh heh

AFAIK - it is only available by mail order. You may want to check with Barbara-Jo's if they have it available - not to be confused with a book by the same name that Edward Behr compiled from his old columns. Lot's of articles on old world wines and cheeses.

Edward Behr's - Art of Eating. Ridiculously researched and always an engaging content rich read cover to cover. Introduces you to things that you never thought you were interested in. I wait every quarter for the new issue. I've lent my back issues to a friend - fingers will chopped for every lost or damaged page....

Usually hangovers start after you stop being drunk.

Landmark Hotpot on Cambie @ 25th ave (King Edward) is very good - cantonese style w/ lots of fresh seafood. Golden Szechuan on Broadway @ Burrard does a spicy sichuan hot pot.

Oh... I guess Salt is out

Dude - I am totally with you. I was hearing an interview on how word processors have made teaching writing classes so much harder - word processors make everything look pretty and organized and people think - 'well that's it, I've written something good.' I think that the same can be said of desktop publishing and websites - people put together something that looks 'right' while actual content languishes - I mean, have you read half the blogs out there? I want more too - a fresh prespective, a bit of sophistication, but most of all a sense of fun and enjoyment. There are new things popping up all the time - all the more fun for armchair chefs like me. As to their website (I have not seen their magazine) - well I hope things improve.

They also have a website - openmouth.ca Hey - we live in a food obessed media saturated society. I think anyone who wants, should get a kick at the can. At the end of the day - content is key and that's something readers get pass final judgement on. But I say good on anyone who is willing to stick their necks out and give it a shot. It's hard hard work. Unfortunately - your intial review of their mag does not bode well for them.

For downtown - the Korean places on Robson (Norboo, Jang Mo Jib) are all open super late. Not sure why this is the case - lot's of students perhaps. They may also be able to satisfy your noodle craving. As for non-asian places - I am not sure. Okay - I am telling you - stay away from Hon's - you will be tempted (full of people, lot's of chinese people working there...) don't do it.

Some one correct me if I am wrong - but Opus's bar is basically their lobby - or is there another bar. Very Phillipe Stark.

Nu is open till 1am and serves drinks and food right up to closing. If I remember correctly - they had a good drinks selection. If you are looking for more leading edge cocktails - I am not sure what they have. It may be worth contacting them to see. Caveat - some people absolutely hate the seats - nice looking though they are. George is a good call - but it can be very busy and velvet rope.