transfattyacid

I`ll wager it`s the theatrical town of Stratford upon Avon.

For me it`s always been Victorinox. I got my first set in 1987, the meat fork and the long and now very thin carver still remain. Over the years i have tried to get into other knifes but they have always disappointed me, one way or an other. Global in particular, i have a few globals for home use. they snap too easy ( i`ve gone through 3 that way ) and they are really uncomfortable if your using them for longer than 5 minutes. Gustav are probably the second best for me, my long serving palete knife is a Gustav. Its now on its last legs. It looks like some one has taken a bite out of one side of it and it`s missing a rivet. But to throw it away would too much for me to bare, and i can`t seem to find anywhere that sells them over here in Canada. Incidently i was persuaded not to buy that palete knife by a salesman way back in 1988, as he thought it be too expensive for a young commis. This is what i refer to as my 'working set ' as i`ve got at least triple this in storage back in England, and as yet have not plucked up courage to get them all through Canadian customs. people say i have big knives, but i do have huge hands, and small knives are for girls Our local Knife man ( a perpetually giggling Japanese chap ) gets a great edge on our Blades thrice a year, he even honed one of my "pastry" knifes, that was getting a bit dull, to a point where it has no more serration, and has become an excelent slicer for terrines and such. oh and ... A diamond steel for honing , and my wet stone

Anyone tried either of their existing locations? ← Hi Sarah I have been to the new one on fourth, and i`m not overly proud of that fact either. Its a theme park, with unremarkable food. I`m sure the young staff mean well, but they have the oddest facial expressions. i`m a big believer in cooks not being on show for this very reason. they can look so gormless when not occupied by the task of cooking. ← What did you have to eat, TFA? ← Hi Sarah It was a pizza. cant remember the details to be honest for there have been 80 hours worked since i ate it, and my head is caved in. Belated happy birthday to you Sarah

What cheek ! The shyster proprietor of Chez Jim offers stolen ashtrays ( from fashonable London restaurants ) for his guests usage. And no doubt trying to attain design kudos in the same stroke !. Or is it to gain an edge for when the Guide Michelin starts awarding stars in ForMiCa ? It`s not cricket !

I have lived in Vancouver for getting close to 4 years now. I`m an English transplant for those who don`t know. Unfortunatly i have not been able to track down a source of supply for these products. Yet. My Wife and i were hooked on the ' rhubarb and custard crunch corner '. and on a summer trip last year to see my folks, we consumed on average two a day ( each ). I used to have at least six in my fridge in london at any given time. Hmmm Sainsburys * drifts off into a daze * My folks are coming over in the spring, maybe i can twist a few arms and get a consignment personally delivered.

I have managed to recently obtain two distinct burns. Both of which are located half way down my upper arm on the inside. The scars are now unremarkable, and definitely not worth a pic. They happened within a week of each other in a very tender spot. I was completely unaware of them until getting into the shower after work when with the aid of hot water the made them selves very apparent. To this day i`m still baffled as to what moves i was pulling when the incidents occurred.

Darth Vader & Drugs

Anyone tried either of their existing locations? ← Hi Sarah I have been to the new one on fourth, and i`m not overly proud of that fact either. Its a theme park, with unremarkable food. I`m sure the young staff mean well, but they have the oddest facial expressions. i`m a big believer in cooks not being on show for this very reason. they can look so gormless when not occupied by the task of cooking.

My god that kitchen is spotless *drools * How often do these guys get to use it ? ← Yhey use the kitchen every day, throughout the year. The Terrace (where Chef Cuff is positioned during the season) has its own kitchen, but most of the prep goes though here - Mission Hill caters for up to 600 on-site. ← Fair play . * Plots to abduct their kitchen porters * beautiful floor to boot ! a phrase seldom used to discribe working environments.

My god that kitchen is spotless *drools * How often do these guys get to use it ?

Nice Bloggary Mr Maw. `Tis bookmarked, as you`ve chose the most inopportune time for us mere cooks to spend quality time with our PC`s. :] I`ll catch up when my shoulder leaves the grind stone long enough to log in. do carry on .....

With regard to the 'Cupcakes' store on denman street. My wife is now parading round the apartment shaking her clenched fists at you all after reading comments of displeasure that you may have encountered at this very store. I for one have no emotion in the establishment what so ever. * cry`s of "wimps" "cynics" to be heard in the background * maybe she should get her own username

As a rule of thumb i would like to think that I/we tip well, and for the well deserved. For a couple of reasons, but primarily because we are a cheap table. Yes thats right. I`m a cheap bastard. As restaurateurs are calculating their average spend figures, along come the fattyacids to dash any plans that they might afford a new Mercedes. My disposable income ain`t what it used to be and i don`t drink. A financial version of survivors guilt kicks in when presented with the bill. So i tip to compensate this. Generally around the 17-20 % mark. I also receive tips at work, not lifestyle changing amounts here, but it all helps. The waiting staff give a pile to the kitchen, which gets shared by all us sweaty cooks. Interesting that you bring the UK up here Mr Maw. As i`ve been made painfully aware in the past, how utterly bad we are as a nation at the tipping game. And i`m sure that if we are to be racialist towards my fellow country persons of no specific gender, then that generalisation would be correct. My wife had to school me on the confusing art of tipping, when we arrived in Vancouver from London. Should i tip the hairdresser after preening my blue mohawk ? Should i tip at mcdonalds, and if not where do you draw the line for me to start tipping ? ... is it where things are brought to you whilst your sat down? like in an airplane ? or does the establishment have to have a structural foundation recognised by the builders guild as to be sound ? Anyway as for England, Since you started it Mr Maw. Yes the middle ground, so to speak, has it`s own set of issues regarding attracting staff and then rewarding them for doing the job well. but i do find tipping an alien concept. As i recall to get good service in England you really have to open up your wallet wide and pay top end prices. Having worked at a top end restaurant over there, i did receive a wage that allowed me to have the disposable income required to eat out well and be served accordingly in london. But to say it`s .. On the contrary as i would argue that tipping creates the very us and them attitude between the have and the have not`s, and alot of British folk find it all very condescending, me included. My first impression of Earls by the way (and i`m a fan of their work) was being told that my order of chicken vindaloo was " like totally awesome " . Now the opposite to the English ( lack of ) incentive model is the North American one, which some one mentioned above, to get better service on a second visit tip well. so tell me is that right, or is that not a teensy bit elitist ? and here in Vancouver are we all just a walking walk-in dollar amount to our servers ? and do you propose that creates a less sincere service culture ? Any way enough of my nonsense, potentailly off topic ramblings and armchair revolutionary speel so yes 17 - 20 % it`s is then.

Okay, so after seeing the photos, I guess there was a little Vegas, too. Here is the link to my Flickr account, hosting the 27 photos that I decided to put up. I got permission from the owner of the photos, but not Mr. Feenie or Mr. Trotter. Credit for the photos goes to Brian Bradley (pastry chef where I work, winner of the Grand Marnier Dessert Challenge and a ticket to this event.. in one week) and credit for the food goes to everyone else involved, especially the cooks. There are very few descriptions, as the photos are high-quality and really speak for themselves. It looks amazing. -- Matt. ← Thanks for the link Matt. ps well spotted re: Hellmans bucket behind the bar

Re : sticky toffee pudding. For me the secret to the sauce is some of this

take a look here

hmmmmmmmm . Very interesting thread I post with a degree of anonymity. Reason = i am but a mere cook, with no ulterior motive other than just to converse with like minded people about the topics which are raised on these very forums. I don`t give out my name / place of work 'willy nilly' as i`m kinda busy when i`m at work and it could get awkward if people ask to see me,( you never know, some one might want to ?) as i`m not the head chef, manager or indeed the proprietor. Also my skill in the schmooze department is considerably lacking in solid training. I also avoid commenting on, or about, the restaurant where i work. I also don`t voice my employers opinions, and would hate for any of you good people to judge them because of me. That`s all. No sinister conspiracy theory sleep well

Any one heard / typed about Quince yet. It`s going to be in the old lesley stowe spot.

You`re a braver man than me, as lame as this show is,i can not watch it. as it`s too cringeworthy for my tender eyes. I`ll disagree on that one, i find it airy, fresh and open, and all the better for the high ceilling. And i`m not just trying to be argumentative. A hidden band of acoustic insulation behind the large menu could absorb some of the sound as it bounces round. but saying that the 'noise' is no problem in my mind. Mr Wyles $30K on a new improved signature lemon meringue pie recipe ?

Is there a Link to this ?. Purely for research purposes.

Oh hell yeah !. I knew the moment the oven door was opened, containing my souffle in it`s perfect state of doneness, as i could smell that bad boy from my seat. My back was to the kitchen, we were sat at the booth right by the door. Worth the explained, under stood and quite frankly not that big of a wait for this alone. The bonus here being i got to eat it too .

Yes but in order to coddle and protect. We must go! and give them shiny things . I'll probably get some guff for that. Maybe you will, lets wait and see. i honestly think that most people know this to be true and think it anyway. And i`m sure you aint the first to say it out loud in print . edited `cos it was just a mess of quotes.

WTF is that man ? that must be the most sinister thing i`ve seen in years. well done !

Hi Andrew As i said up thread, we were in early, half-6-ish sit down . There were a couple of dueces and a young family ( 2 adults 2 very well behaved kids ) when we arrived. By the time we were on puddings we had the place to our selves. When we were paying irishgirl and Mr maw had arrived. If this constitutes an ' onslaught ' then so be it. There was no eGullet conspiracy, not that i`m aware of. And dinner @ Diner was not premeditated on our behalf until wifee got home from work. But tell me Andrew. You sound very concerned about the level of business that Diner can handle. Why is that ?. Do excuse my ignorance here, as i am but a mere cook. But correct me if i`m wrong, are you feeling slightly guilty, in the fact that you may have contributed to the very ' onslaught ' of which you speak by writing about Diner in the WE ?. ( utterly dull disclaimer :- not read the piece my self ). Now forgive me if i`ve got it all wrong again, but surely the person ( heather, bless her ), who`s tasks include counting the shiny things that her customers so generously leave behind in leu of refreshments taken at her charming establishment. Would prehaps prefer you to not dissuade her future patrons from embarking on such a pleasant experience. In order to have enough of the said "shiny " things to open again next month. After all, there is yaletown rent to pay. I can understand your view , to a point. After only enjoying one meal at Diner i feel personally attached to the place already. The style , or lack of, depending on which side of the design fence you choose to sit, and the menu concept speaks to me in many ways . I find myself wishing then on to fulfill their inherent potential. Maybe Diner has so much character, soul and personality. That when it`s in the firing line next to some of the monsterous eateries of yaletown, that we become over protective of this small and personal space. Maybe we are both getting too paternal, but Diner is not one of our offspring about to go to war with the masses, it`s primarliy a business. And a good, honest one at that. A business that has to learn from it`s own experience. We have all had a bus load walk in when we`ve least expected it and learnt how best to deal with, and prepare for, these situations. Diner also will have those nights and the ensueing morning afters, and rise to the challenge of operating in the market place, change ( hopefully not too much ), modify and adapt to this. I would be interested to see if the fabled chocolate souffle lasts on the menu, i certainly hope it does as those ubiquitous 'molten chocolate cakes' are both boring to make and eat. and this pudding makes for a well needed alternative. But this may have to be streamlined in order to meet demand, either operationally or logistically. Any way just the voices in my head again. do carry on as you were.

Harsh, aint i the ignorant sod then. Saying that i wouldn`t have recognised you, but hi all the same :] Yeah i was torn between the ribs , some danish number with polenta if memory serve`s and those peogies, great menu don`t ya think ? Makes me wanna go back and eat it all .