canucklehead

I have always liked the Banh Mi at Au Petite -so I am intrigued by the Pho Thy recommendation - will try soon. Kind of off topic - but what I love about Au Petite actually the beef stew - richly sauced like the French would do - but with enough pieces of soft gelatin-y tendon to remind you that you ain't in Kansas anymore...

As noted upthread - vodka should be tasteless so if you cook it out for 10 mins then all the alcohol is gone. Now cream and tomato is an excellent sauce on their own. Does the vodka actually make any difference then? Can you taste the difference somehow? I've noticed Nigella Lawson adds the vodka at the very last second in her recipe (I mean basically splashing it on the tossed pasta). This seems to make more sense to me - I mean why use vodka if you don't get all of the side benefits also?

I left one the Bay Area about 10 months ago and right before I left, I made repeated trips to Delfina and every single time the food was top notch. It seems like to me the oversalting may have been a one off. When it first opened up - I resisted going to Delfina because the reviews were so OTT. But the top notch ingredients and deceptively uncluttered cooking make it one of the places that I really really miss now that I live in Canada. In fact, I have always felt that they err slightly on the underseasoned side. I am sorry that you had such a bad experience. Did you say anything at the time or did you just let it slide?

Paul - thanks for the great pic's. I waited by the phone, but alas to no avail. I would be greedily scraping up the crunchy bits on the bottom of the pan.

I don't think that I am allergic to MSG - but I do think that it has caused my severe lower body acne, over active nose hair growth, sweaty palms, pangs of loneliness and panic, overactive thyroid, mommy separation anxiety, lack of real social contact with others, swelling of eyelids, toenail inflamation, chakra displacement, inappropriate intimacy with Skytrain Drivers, and severe delusions of grandeur. Thank goodness for egullet for helping me work through my issues.

I really enjoyed the burger at Feenie's - and @ $12, it did not seem overpriced at all to me. I mean WS burgers are floating pretty close to the $10 range and the quality is vastly superior. Though when you are eating at Feenie's the tab has a way of really clicking upwards. I really like the bun - crazy sesame seeds, crunchy exterior, soft fluffy slightly sweet interior. The patty was very very good - as Daddy-A said - it really tasted beefy. Juicy and pink with a soft yielding texture (hey - sounds like certain people I know). I think that they must rest the meat a little because it was juicy throughout (or the fat content is way higher then I would like to concede). Certainly the meat was not overhandled - I'm guessing just patted together from ground steak. Also - the meat was not over seasoned. I think alot of places like salting the meat overnight (a la Zuni Cafe) - but sometimes I find that results in an over-seasoned patty that has shades of 'sausage meat' texture to it. The chipotle mayo was a good addition - nice bite to brighten the meaty burger. (Is it just me - or is chipotle everywhere now? Still - it works in this instance) The fries were good but I did not eat alot of them because frankly the burger had me satiated. Big issue for me though was how frigging hot the room was. I had lunch earlier in the day at Stella and it was the same thing there. Nothing kills my appettite and enjoyment of food faster then when a room is hot and muggy. And the womblike interior design of Feenie's just adds to the feel. Please - even though your patio door is open - turn on the A/C if it feels like Dante's inferno inside or at least have your fans suck up some of the hot air (and I concede - much of it emenating from my table mates ). Surely it is bad for business when everyone's appetite is off from the muggy room. The waiter did a good job trying to juggle two tables of loud hamburger demanding egulleteers. You got to feel for the poor sap that draws that short straw - I am sure that it brought back Chuck E Cheeses flash backs from earlier waiting gigs. I will defintely go back - I think that this is one of the best burgers that I have had in a long time. But I will sit outside to ensure access to cooling breezes.

Interesting points Jamie. BTW - I did not consume all of the food by myself in my wonton nooodle posting, it was lunch for two. But I see what you are saying. But I do not feel the same effects after say - a huge plate of pasta. Dim sum, if anything, is fairly low are carbs - with lots of bites of pork and chicken. Korean food - which is also meat rich - also tires me out. I am not however - an anti-MSG zealot. I figure it is the price you pay to enjoy certain food. Why ask for extra MSG? I've noticed that one of the symptoms of MSG overdosing that the link to Vancouver postings cited was genital swelling. I don't know what to say.

For me - the symptons are a dazed out tiredness and a tightness in neck and head. Also - like Ling - I get a really parched thirstiness. Ever since I lived in Asia for a few years - I've noticed my reaction to MSG becoming more and more adverse. When I lived in Shanghai - it was easier to buy MSG then salt - and I would feel sooo tired after eating out that it was hard to function. It always seems like dim sum, won ton noodle houses, and Shanghainese food are the biggest perpetrators of MSG overdoses. As I've posted elsewhere - a good fizzy coke seems to help alot in mitigating the worse of the effects (God knows why - but in this instance, two wrongs do make a right).

After all this heavy duty Chinese food - I decided to have a simply bowl of won ton noodles. And in Vancouver - we are extremely lucky to have the just about the best won ton noodles that you can get. And I do NOT mean Hon's. Mak's Noodles in the Fairchild Plaza in Vancouver and in Richmond and McKim's Noodle Saga in Richmond (what an OTT name eh?) spring from the orginal Mak's in Hong Kong - which is definitely the best won ton house in HK. In HK it is very old school and has been around for decades. The owners of Mak's in HK - came over here and with partners opened up Mak's locally. As happens sometimes - the partners had a dispute and the HK owners left the Canadian venture and opened McKim's (which phonetically is closer to the Chinese name of the orginal in HK). So - the true orginal is McKim's - which was really opened just to spite the old partners - but all of the permutations are good. I had lunch at the Broadway and Cambie location in Vancouver. Classic wonton noodles. Bowl of Wonton only. Beef brisket LoMein. LoMein with Pork in Spicy Brown Sauce Why are these wonton noodles soo much better than Hon's? First off the portion sizes are civilized - they do not try to choke you with noodles. Each of these portions cost about $5 - so it is still good value for money (think of some of the double digits you pay for 'small plates' at other restaurants). And most importantly - the noodles are sooo MUCH better. They aree perfectly cooked to a real al dente. A real bite to the noodles and a liveliness in the mouth and have a clean freshness about them. They should be just translucent when cooked well - not the overboiled twine that some other places serve. The wonton themselves are also exemplary - the skins so thin and delicate and a filling that really tastes of shrimp. In HK - if you were a special old school Tai Tai (that is the wife of a really important and respected dude) you could order just a bowl of the wonton wrappers cooked as though they were noodles. Insane!! Don't even think of asking for it here. Now - I do have some issues with the soup. Nice and clear - it seems fine, but my post lunch afternoon daze confirms that it is packed with MSG. Still - this is best example of true classic HK Wonton Noodles. McKim's in Richmond also serves small dishes - but I have no first hand experience with those.

Carumba is not bad for salads, pastas, and sandwiches. Had a lamb roll up that was pretty good and prices are decent. Splitz Burger has been recommended to me but I have been personally - so I cannot say. I am sure other's will have better advice.

Ohhh Salumi - how I miss it already... I was there a couple of weekends ago (just two hours away from Canada) and bought some of their spicy Salami - but I forgot it at my friend's place. I could shoot myself. They will DHL their product accross the US - but not into Canada. Aaaugh! It is like some form of torture. That house salami of theirs is sooo good - sweet porky goodness pearled with just enough fat to remind who's the boss. Well - consoling myself with this thread will have to do for now.

This is absolutely correct. It is absolutely NOT traditional Chinese to use "olive oil" to preserver the greeness. I'd like to see scientific evidence of this. If you pour olive oil into the water, the olive oil only floats on top of the water. Try it without the olive oil Evan. I'm confident you'll find the "greeness" is the identical. ;) ← While using olive oil is not traditional - using an unflavored oil in the cooking water is (as in 'yau choi'). I find that it does effect the final color and finish of the veggie - the oil is picked up by the veggie and does not just 'float on top'. I have done it both ways and the oil does make a difference. A little oyster sauce on the side and you are ready to go. I've also seen some friends from Northern China dress the vegetable with dark vinegar spiked with dried chilies. My favorite is to stir fry gai lan with garlic - I love that mustardy flavor that seems to be really excentuated by a hot wok. Hmm mmm. Also as Evan describes - it is common in HK to peel the lower stem if it particularly fiberous so that you maintain the length of the gai lan.

Not I, I'm afraid. There are some good Indian lotus root dishes, though (I forget from what region). Have you made anything with lotus root? ← My mom makes this Chinese braised lotus root and pork belly stew that is insanely goooooood! The lotus root is "smashed" rather than cut to maximize the thread like characteristics of the root. Not sure if can get a recipe - but I will hunt around.

Paul B - I would be happy to come by and take pictures for you. Really - it's no problem.

Taking a hit for the team - I've continued to explore spicy chinese food and I must admit I am enjoying it. It is a real change from the cleaner Cantonese food that I usually have. So went to Schezwan on Saba Road tonight with most favored Aunt (who did not pay). As Keith says - this is a beautifully decorated restaurant. We got a private room - which usually adds a 20% charge on the bill. But my Aunt had a VIP card - so no upcharge. The last time I saw lighting this nice was in a Johnny Wad movie. Cold poached Pork Belly with Spicy Sauce. Boiled Spicy Beef. Stirred fried eel w/ garlic chives, lily bulb, and chilies. Dan Dan noodles. Chicken soup with ginko nuts. The food is very good - but it has been dialed down for the Cantonese people who overrun Richmond. I really liked the pork belly - sweet tender pork dipped in a nicely spicy sauce - ooh soo good. The boild spicy beef - was huge - spicy but not quite enough of the Sichuan peppercorn citrus-pine bite that I really love. The stirred fried eel was very nice - clean bright flavors - but do they have eels in Sichuan? The eels had alot of whole Sichuan peppercorns - really nice and pungent. The Dan Dan noodles were a mixed bag - the noodles were perfectly tender and a nice chew - but the sauce was heavy handed. Lots of soy and full of fried soybean nuts - sounds like a good idea but the crunch is jarring - like you have bitten into a bone. The soup is the giveaway that they are serving a Cantonese market - it is a sweet clean broth and very welcome balance to the meal - but I this did'nt strike me as Sichuan. Still I am not complaining. Pretty pricey meal - about $100 for two. There were alot of leftovers and I don't think you would have needed to order whole lot more even for maybe four diners. I think that this is a nicely civilized way to enjoy Sichuan food. The servers are all PRC Chinese and the clientel was nice mix of all sorts of people. But I must agree that Sichuan Garden on Broadway seems more on the target of real Sichuan food - I mean you could tell it was a different kind of cuisine there. Schezwan in Richmond though very enjoyable - the food had alot of Cantonese 'notes' and was not an unadulterated experience. I am told that the lunch is not so good - and dinner is their best service. I also drove by Bao Yu Guo and Shanghai Wind and asked my Aunt if they were good. All she could say was - 'Ech! So dirty!'

Ooooh Wow... That steak looks so good - it is like a physical assault. I may have so bring legal action here. Otherwise - how would you feel about adopting a 30-something son? No diapers to change (usually)!

I remember the first time I had really good nachos. I have a low threshold - I mean I even like the cheese whiz crap. But I was still at UBC and some of us went out to Bridges one afternoon and sat out on the deck and had nachos and other appy's. The nachos were loaded with cheese and stuff and the chips were super toasty from being under the grill. It was the 80's (and Ling had just been born somewhere...), everybody was wearing Ray-Bans, and I was having my Gordon Gecko moment. God - they could serve any crap on that deck and it would taste good. They need to spend some dough and clean up the big sign on the restaurant - it is virtually frosted with bird poop.

Yes.

The Krispy Kreme donuts are much lighter and softer then Tim Horton's - so the construction may be more difficult. You may have a collapse on your hands depending on how high you go. And really - unless you go crazy high - why do it? Badiane - I was at a Chinese wedding dinner and I was making a speech but no-one could hear me because everbody was whipping out plastic food containers and packing up left-overs. It was breath taking.

Following up my earlier posting on aged beef - the WF butcher confirmed that the store will age entire rib of beef. Is an entire rib of beef ribs 5 through 13? Anyways it is a big chuck of meat. They will dry age it for 28 days then remove the chine bone and the fat cap. The last time they did this - it came to about $250 for the entire set of ribs. They told me that this is the only way they sell aged beef now as the butcher shop is so busy now that they cannot spare the fridge space (does this make sense? I guess that aging the beef does cut into margins). I have visions of a Fiar Tuck-like feast dancing in my head now. Then again they told me that they sold hangar steat - but they only knew it as skirt steak. Blank stares when confronted with the word 'onlget'. Amateurs.

I corralled some fellow egulleters and based upon the good word from Nondual1 and Vancouver - decided to check out Hu Nan on South Main. The storefront must have been one of the saddest I have been in a long time. Felt like one of those dusty roadside places that I have been to in China - which could be a good thing or a bad thing. The place has been around for 3 years now and so seems to be able to make a go at it. The food was indeed exemplary - showing alot of finesse and care to ingredients. Was not as spicy was we were hoping/fearing and it turns out the owner dailed down the heat for us - even thought I specifically told him not too. Well a return visit is in order to test out how hot the blast furnace can go. The first dish was a house speciality and on the (Chinese only) special board - stirred fried cured pork belly with garlic chives - this was my favorite. They smoke and cure the meat themselves and it is hung to dry so the flavours can concentrate. It was like smokey spicy bacon that was perfectly matched with the crisp fresh greens. The second dish was HuNan Beef - basically stirred fried beef with scallions, chilies, and black beans. We were told that these were the classic elements of Hu Nan food. Good and again showing alot of finesse - but could have really done with more heat. The stirred fried pea shoots with garlic were outstanding. Not greasy or stewing in their own juices - this dish showed that the kitchen is interested in first class ingredients and treating them well. Sort of a litmus test - the way Jamie Maw describes how soups are a good guage of a Western restaurant - a simple stir fry of a seasonal vegetable will reveal how much care the kitchen is willing to put into the little things. The steamed chicken with chili's and vinegar was a real balancing act of flavors. The vinegar and chili really worked together to heighten the heat but still refreshing the palatte. If they did not hold back - the owner told us that the entire dish would have been carpeted with chilies. Too bad - would have been really interesting to experience fully spiced. Be forewarned - this dish has ALOT of bones - when Sushicat found a strip of chicken breast - you would have thought we had raised the Titanic by our yelps of joy. Still - good good good. This place also delivers for free for a 5km radius. A solid recommendation from Nondual1 and Vancouver.

Big slow roasted shoulders of pork (huge glazed hams. Chinese redcooked ham) etc.... Big chunks of meat always look impressive and pork shoulder is cheap no? Indian food? Much of the stuff is cooked in big batches and actually improves with sitting (or freezing). My fantasy is to one day sit in a big tub of butter chicken and eat my way out ala Homer Simpson. Hmmmm butter chicken.....

Nice and fatty with a little gristle too - good good. I think that the waitresses mistake you for one of those girls that worry about everything that they eat. Little do they know that you are the Unrelenting Merciless Eating Machine.

Went to Vogue in Richmond (Cambie and Sexsmith). It is a very popular restaurant with the Tawainese. I find that the Tawainese food to be all about making things rustic - which means alot of strong flavors. The Tawainese are big snackers too - and I like their appetizers and dim sum items the best. The restaurant is very non-chinese friendly. The waitresses speak very good english and look like they are the asian cast of "Earl's - the Waitrons". The menu translations are not bad and they have marked out their top 20 most popular dishes. We had Beef Rolls in Pancake, Pig's Ears, Handmade fried noodles, Special Tender Beef, and Spicy Wonton's. As expected - the Beef Roll and Pig's Ears where the best items. The handmade noodles were think and doughy (chinese Anton's!) and the Tender Beef was beef brisket in bubbling brown sauce - not bad but - meh. The beef rolls - where like giant peking duck wraps. Onion pancake rolled around and five spice beef and hoisin sauce. Good. The pig's ears are thinly sliced - uh pig's ears dressed in a spicy sesame oil dressing. Meaty and Crunchy! Everybody was ordering them (so be like the popular kids and get some too). So Vogue is good for the small plates and friendly and actually helpful (for a change) Asian waitstaff.

Ahhh... Mui Garden's Curry Beef Brisket - I think that the Main St branch is the best.