canucklehead
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Posts posted by canucklehead
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I don't always post where I have eaten out, frankly it is embarassing how much I of a restaurant glutton I am.
Tuesday: Dinner One - Milestone's with co-workers, nothing great but nothing bad. Had a burger platter and it was servicable. Went to their orginal English Bay locale and it is a nice little spot.
Tuesday: Dinnger Two - Okada. Could not eat too much but had Wild Sockeye Sashimi, Tuna Tataki, Seafood Salad, Grilled Hamachi Neck, and Ume Ozucha. What a difference wild salmon makes - lean, sweet, flavorful vs. fatty, flabby, and vaugely fishy. Good Good.
Wednesday: Dinner - La Regalade. Now that it is getting warmer, I wanted to have a meal their before the summer heat takes my appetite away for heavy french fare. Braised short ribs and Roasted Duck w/ Fruit were particular standouts. The duck is a standard item on the menu and it is my idea of perfect fowl. The duck is cooked through which helps takes some of the richness out of it and it is paired with grapes and a stone fruit. As usual - came away with a lot of leftovers. I am not sure if I have upset the hostess - but I am now usually seated in the Siberia part of the restaurant (but then again - I saw Sarah Machlachlan seated in the same place - so maybe it is not so bad). The service is brusque and built for volume - so don't go looking for Gallic charm. I think it actully throws me off when service is super friendly in a french restaurant (ie: Salade de Fruits).
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Thanks again and I hope you'll be gentle.
You are kidding, right?
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Andrew
Congratulations and all the best. Really looking forward to reading your column in the WE. Hope that this does not cut down on your invovlement with egullet.
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Again, as a very sad commentary on my provincial upbrining - I have never been to the Cloverdale Rodeo EVER, even though I grew up here.
I am a sucker for country fair type things - especially the food. Usually hot dogs are something I could take or (mostly) leave - but shove a stick in it, batter it up, and deep fry it, and I am willing pay $6 dollars for the privilege to eat it. (Actually - this seems to describe many of my preferences - culinary and otherwise).
So - has anyone been out there? Is it worth a day trip?
On the plus side - the very fact that the rodeo drives PETA crazy is reason enough to go. On the minus side - as someone who looks like they may have voted NDP, I don't want to get stoned (in the Biblical sense) to death out in the Valley.
Really - is there sickening and fun fair food to be had? If all there is - are candied apples (revolting!!) and cotton candy, then I will take a pass.
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I love Les Amis and Allison and Alice, but I live on the North Shore and when I don't want to hit the bridge, I head for C The Cheese Shop in Park Royal South, just up from Whole Foods. The price is better, the selection just right.
The owner (can't remember his name, sorry) said that the same truck drops off cheese first at his place, then heads for WF. Same cheese, waaay different prices.
Plus you get to support the small biz guy.
I live on the North Shore also and I have stopped by C a couple of times. I like the shop alot but the service can vary depending on which partner is on duty. The first time I went, I got enthusiastic service and introduced to some new product - I ended up thinking that these guys would my main source for cheese. But the last couple of times the service has felt off.
Last time I went I felt like I being pressured to buy way more cheese then I wanted. When I asked if it was a waste to use the cheese that I had bought for melting - I was asked if I wanted a cheaper cheese instead.
I will always continue to try to support the little guy - but sometimes my patience wears thin.
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I think the recipe you may be looking for is more similar to a Filipino chiffon cake. The texture is, in my opinion, different from most Western chiffon cakes. Very light, and almost sponge-cake like. I con't have a recipe for one here (my recipe is in Canada), but I have one for a Japanese-style chiffon cake, which is even lighter than Filipino chiffons (or maybe about the same). I'm just off to work, but if you're interested I'll post the recipe (warning--it's for a small chiffon cake--Japanese baking recipes are usually for very small servings).
Yes Please!
I think that much of the Asian cakes that are available here are based upon the Japanese Chiffon Cake. I suspect that since the guava cake is from Hawaii - there may be a close correlation.
Even if the recipe is for a small cake - it may give me some guidance as to what kind of method I should be looking for.
Many thanks.
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So I tried my hand at making the cake based upon the Star-Bulletin recipe.
No pictures - because I am a very beginner baker. The frosting and topping tasted very good. But I needed to doctor the topping (which contained no sugar and was kind of flavorless) and the frosting turned out very wet (but I think that this may be more of an issue of how I handled the whipped cream).
The real issue was the cake - it was much denser that I expected it to be. I was surprised - given the recipe called for 4 tsp's of baking powder (perhaps the cake structure collapsed due to baking powder over drive). I was looking for the super light cakes that Asian bakeries seem to specialize. I am assuming that they use chiffon cakes as their base.
The next step for me is to now try the Cook's Illustrated chiffon cake recipe and and replace the water with the Guava concentrate. I will bake it up in layer cake pans or a large spring form pan (I hope that this can be done - as I want to make a round cake out of this).
I will let you know how it turns out.
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I don't think I can help much, but I did get interested in this cake a few years ago and searched extensively for recipes. I didn't actually try any of them, but the best sounding one I found was from the Star Bulletin on-line. It comes with a guava frosting and topping.
This is the one that I found also and will be trying out this week - I will let you know how it turned out.
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This is a repeat post that I left in the Hawaii forum - but it seems a little quite their, so I thought I'd ask some of the serious bakers.
I lived near San Jose CA for a few years and had - what I was told - a facisimile of the famous Hawaiian Dee Lite Guava Cake from a baker called Aki's.
Now - I loved this cake - light and fruity, subtle and not too sweet - precisely the kind of cake that appeals to those living in warmer climes (and Asians for the most part). It was a chiffon cake iced with whipped cream and topped with a Guava fruit topping.
Now - I have be scouring the net for a recipe - and well, you'd think it was the cure for cancer. Is there anyone who has a reasonable recipe that could capture some that cake's delicousness?
Most most reasonable recipe that I have seen looks like a basic chiffon cake that replaces the water with Guava Concentrate - I will try baking it today - but I wanted to see what else was out there...
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Since it is my first spring in Vancouver in a long time - I just got a taste of fresh Salt Spring Island chevre - very tasty indeed. Not sure if this is a seasonal cheese - it was soft, creamy, and tasted so fresh and sweet. I think that I will be having it with a dab of that Korean Citron Tea - which really is basically yuzu marmalade (this month's Saveur discusses it)
The cheese ain't cheap - @ $8 for 160 grams - but it is good. I may need to find a cheaper source.
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I've been meaning to go down and try one. They'll be struggling to beat a good ol' 'Four n Twenty'.
I wish that they did have a proper Aussie style pie - I had some during a Rugby 7's tournement - and they were goooood eat'n.
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They pies are ideal if you buy them frozen and heat them up at home. 45min in a toaster oven gets you something pretty tastey (better than eating them at the shop) I am a big fan of them.
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So - I went to Bis Mereno tonight and they were kind of enough to do a pasta tasting menu for half of the table and a special horse menu for my brother and myself.
This is the first time I've been to Bis Mereno and it was a fantastic experience.
Our special horsey menu (put together on the fly my Chef Miotto) consisted of
- White and green asparagus with local morel and white truffle sauce.
- Rissotto with fresh procinis
- Veal sweetbreads w/cauliflower and peas and cardamon
- Sea Bream tartar, smoked ham foam, and seared sea bream w/ blood oranges and braised fennel.
- Grilled cavello (that's horse to you my friend) with black truffles and red wine reduction.
(Sorry - no pictures - but flash photography felt like I would have been pushing my luck).
Frankly - I licked all my plates clean.
We were recommened a beautiful 2000 Piedmont wine, and I am a novice, I cannot rembember the exact details except to say that it was blended wine from Aga (sp?). It was had delicous fruit and softness on the pallete - with just enough tanins to give it structure. For a beginner in wines - it was very easy to drink and went very well with the horse.
The horse came to us with a nice gradiation of doneness so that we could see how different doneness effects the meat. The outside char was crisp and outstanding - and you worked your way into a delicously soft buttery center. It confirmed for me that I like horse rare - but it was very thoughtful of Chef Miotto give us the range of experiences.
Horse is a wonderfully lean and clean tasting meat - but it is full of flavor and lush mouthfeel. I kind of felt woken up as I ate it - satisfying without any heavy feeling that one gets from marbled beef.
I can't think of a single bad bite of food. The seared sea bream had me rocking back and forth. Crispy skin giving way to rich creamy flesh. Yumba!
The pasta tasting is a steal at $55 a head for 7 courses that included the famous lobster ravioli. The portion sizes were very very generous and I think it is great way to get your first Bis Mereno experience.
Finished everything off with a trio of chocolate and panna cotta w/rhubarb and strawberry. The panna cotta is the best I have had in Vancouver - soft yielding creaminess without any hint of gelatin rubberyness.
All in all - a fantastic meal. Chef Miotto had to dash out before I had a chance to thank him for his generosity for the evening. He seemed just as excited to have the chance to cook horse and I was to eat it prepared by a somebody that has such passion for the product.
I will now commence on my temporary gastric bypass...
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The menus at In N Out are totally stripped down. This is probably why I was sitting there with a cheese bunwich in an open shoebox thinking, why does everyone think this is so great again?!?
Next time I'm Stateside I'm giving them In N Out another try, armed with this new knowledge...
PS: Canuckle, try putting the ring through your pierced nipple a la Daddy-A and see if you get a better response when flashing it.
Here is a website you may want to check out In and Out Secret Menu I am not sure, however, how much it will improve your experience.
BTW - I don't think I ever want to see a sentence containing the words "Daddy-A" and "Pierced" (I can't even bring myself to mention the body part cited) again. Ever.
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For In'nOut - there are websites dedicated to all the differenct ways to order. The menu at In'nOut are very stripped down - so ordering 'secretly' is part of the fun.
The registers at In'nOut are designed for it - for example, when you ask for 'Animal Style' it shows up on the register as such (and on your receipt). It is not so much secret as 'insider-y'.
I actually tried the egullet decoder ring at Vera's and - not suprisingly got the open handed slap to my face again. Hmmm - I am beginning to think I should stop wearing the ring on my middle finger.
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Had lunch at Kintaro with lunch mafia and it was good and cheap. Have not been in a long time - at it was the perfect thing for a cool-ish day. Not sure if I want a huge steaming bowl of noodles during the summer.
Had a glass of water spilled all over my crotch and I think that Mooshmouse took a picture and it is now posted on a fetish site.
And Waiterblog is a Star Wars fan? Oh. My. Like this whole internet dork food thing isn't geeky enough, he needs top find ways to be more nerdy? I'm going to roll the twenty sided die of shame, and I'll bet it comes up with an increase to his freak level. I'll never be able to look at the guy again without imagining him in a wookie costume.I think I saw him dressed up as Legolas in the line up for Lord of the Rings. He probably did'nt recognize me because I went as a Tree Ent.
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What about Rodney's - heard good things about the oysters. I have not been but heard that the service can be surly - which can be charming or infuriating.
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How about the Tomahawk in North Van - does that count?
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My wifes hairdresser says we're a couple of Hongers.
Well - to be clear, being a Honger is not really a racially motivated term - while eating in South Vancouver (to keep things on topic).
I've met you and your lovely wife briefly - and you two could pass for a certain tribe of Honger. Here is a quiz:
- Brooks Brothers IS casual wear
- The maid can never seem to get the trifle right
- A Range Rover is needed to get up to the top of the Peak
- G&T, need we say more
- Martin Amis is a GENIUS.
If you said yes to any of the above - then you are a classic Expat Honger. Sorry but it is true.
As for HK Borscht - it NEVER contains beets. It is like a food version of that game where you sit in a circle and whisper a phrase from person to person and see what you get at the end. Another example - in HK chicken wings in soy sauce are also known as Chicken ala Swiss. I won't even begin explain why.
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- my Aunt owns La Amigo).
This the place on Alexandera between Maks noodles and Seto Sushi? If so, please explain. We've always been fascinated by the chinese propreitors serving westernized food to a chinese clientele in a mexican motif. Talk about fusion.
.... And being that it's full disclosure day, I'll admit to thinking that HK style western food is horrible. So no baked spagethi with portugese chicken.
Dude
I was hoping you would not call me out on this.
First off - it is named La Amigo after a very old school (probably the first) french restaurant in HK. So the name has a good connotation.
Secondly - I agree with you that for the most part - HK Style Western food is terrible. I think that the first western food in HK was made to serve the British (strike ONE) bueraucrats (strike TWO) and then the locals got a hold of it and tried to make it fancy (strike THREE!). It is basically glorified canteen food. Lots of bland sauces (water-based vs stock based), frozen veggies find their way into everything, and over cooked meat.
For a first try at the genre - I would stick to a baked rice dish (be it seafood or pork chop) - the rice part of the dish is usually fried and handled well. A set meal will come with a soup starter - stick with the HK version of borcht - a soft bun, and a hot drink. If you are super adventurous - try the HK style tea - which is like crazy sweet version of tea and cream (and it comes with LOT's of cream). Otherwise lemon iced tea is actually very good - real tea, lots of lemon, sweetened with a simple syrup.
In my Aunt's defence - she does not cop out on sourcing and the raw materials are always top notch. The prices are not super cheap if you get a steak or lamb chop (but after you go to HSG - what is done to good beef in these places will make you cry).
Keith - you probably consume more Chinese food then most Chinese people I know. I am sure that your MSG blood count is off the charts.
Edited to add: Even the RCMP don't eat there anymore - and my aunt gives them a steep discount when they come in (to show her appreciation for the fine police force - no special favors - unless you cross her favorite nephew).
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Finch's Tea and Coffee House 353 west Pender @the corner of Homer
if you're in a hurry you can call ahead: (604) 899-4040
Near Cassis, there is a soup and sandwich place-was called something like The Old Fashioned Café is now called Finch's. Our class went there for a working lunch break. It's a shabby chic heritage building-not much decor change since the last owners, but the sandwiches served on baguettes were made fresh, tasty, and the salads looked gorgeous. The soups got high marks. I had a full vegetarian baguette with avocado, cuke, red onion, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and dijon mayo. They even do a couple of little cheese plates, one with warm brie and the other with Applewood cheddar. Going to the loo is a bit scary, but at least they have one. I like the windows on two sides-lots of natural light. There's a little bit of revived Bohemia happening on this street-check out the Seam-Rippers gallery 436 West Pender. I think this would be a good place to write a revolutionary tract of some sort. Free-range eggs for brekky and sweets are supplied by Fratelli's on Commercial.
I drove by the place last night and thought to myself - I wonder what it is like. Well now I have a reason to try it out. It seems like one of those great little coffee cafes that are low on pretention and whose decor is a natural out growth of their site (and what a beautiful corner site it is).
Thanks for the lowdown.
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The "minced beef with sunny side egg on rice" is another classic at iCafe (W8th & Cambie). Perhaps too heavy for some, but again, if you add a dash of ketchup to break the grease, the dish is quite good before or after serious drinking/partying.
BCinBC
So did you take the plunge and try the HK Western thing? I checked out mangez's recommendation and went to iCafe (on Cambie and 8th) - and it is probably the best one that I have been too (except places in Richmond - full disclosure - my Aunt owns La Amigo).
The prices were decent and it is very western friendly. Menus where nicely designed and had lots of english. My brother had Portugese Chicken - which is a very mild chicken curry - usually with alot of coconut milk. I had the baked seafood rice which had a nice crust and lots of squid. It is, however, covered with an onion-cheese white sauce that you will find either comforting (I do) or bland and mucous-y.
Have fun with trying it out - it's only food and not pricey. Dinner for two with their version of bortch and two cold (non-alcoholic) drinks for $32 tax and tip included.
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But my objection is that they add nothing to the city, with the exception of very nice produce available 7 days a week.
Agreed - I think that the value equation is going to be tough for them. Vancouver is definitely where their market is - but the choices in the city are exponentially higher then just about anywhere else in the lower mainland. Given the choice to fight to find parking in a crowded lot (probably underground) and a nice little walk down Commercial - well I know which I would choose. It not hard to see how it will be tough for WF on Cambie.
I was surprised that they did'nt hit some other suburbs first. South Surrey/White Rock and Fort Langley come to mind (I visited Fort Langley for the first time in YEARS and I was surprised how beautiful it was - some serious horse money out there).
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what ever happened to the thrill of the hunt? like actually going to a true italian deli for italian sausages? getting fruit and vegetables straight from the people who grow them at the farmers market at trout lake? driving up and down Kingsway looking for ghee and garam masala at the Indian supermarkets?
To paraphrase the immortal chuck D: if I ever pay $15 at one of those supertrendymarkets for a bottle of olive oil that you can get on Commercial Drive for 9 bucks, you can slap me right here.
Thanks for some focus.
I think if this thread were about a new branch of a chain of restuarants rather than a supermarket, the discussion would be different. Generic yuppie psuedo-greens in their german SUV's buying organic bottled water isn't really that interesting.
I don't think that it is fair to label WH as strictly a yuppie market. I shop there and they have introduced me to local products that I otherwise had not tried (Mont Royal Bagels for instance). They try to feature local farmers and the stores are encouraged to source locally. I have seen on their shelves Savary Island Pies, Denman Island Chocolates, Lesley Stowe's Rain Crisps, etc... They have the biggest selection of Avalon dairy products I have seen in a supermarket. They used to really push Island Farm products until it was sold to Beatrice in Quebec.
WH does alot to help mainstream alot of organic products. For example the now carry Blue Goose Cattle - which is BC raised organic beef. I can't think of another place where I can buy a clearly identified BC beef product. All the better that it is organically and humanely raised cattle.
WH sells fish based upon sustainable fishing practices and species. They also treat their employees well - and they are given alot of autonomy to provide the best customer services as they see fit and are rewarded for it. There are governance policies in place that limit the gap between the highest paid person and the lowest paid person in the Company.
Are they perfect? Of course not. The pricing can be killer - if Costco sold organic meats and sustainable seafood... I would not be at WH a whole lot. But they do provide choices that were not previously available. They are providing organic farmers a way to up the volume of their crop and spread the word on organic food.
I still shop ALOT at local stores (you should join me on a sourcing weekend - I am going from one end of the city to the other - because it's fun). Last weekend I was at Santa Barbara Produce and a number of cheese places on Commercial. I buy my bread at Uprising Breads...
Anyways - it is about choices. I just happen to think that WH provides good choices. To be honest - I do shop less at their store since they opened up because some of the novelty factor has worn off - and I do enjoying 'sourcing'. But I make no excuses for shopping at WF.
So - to keep things on topic
- a WF on Cambie and Sav On opening up right across the street shows how tough the market it going to get. I can't remember the last time I went to a Safeway (without being desparate). It is either local shops, Save On, Costco, or WF when I go spend my dollars. Grocery stores - becuase of the thin margins - always seem to be teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Uggh - I am now officially very late for work.
Richmond, Shanghainese Food, Xiaolong Bao
in Western Canada: Dining
Posted
NOOOOOOOO!
I've heard that this is the owner's MO though - start a place and then selll it. Shit - I was supposed to go to Shanghai Yan Yun for lunch today! Now I've got to figure out Plan B.