BCinBC

Friday Hudson’s Landing Pub After work beers (GI Hefeweisen) and nachos. The beer was actually pretty refreshing, not heavily carbonated. The nachos were okay – pub nachos, you know the drill. At least the chips were quite crisp, and not in that stale-flimsy state that some nachos acquire. Saturday our place Okay so it wasn’t a restaurant meal however it is worth mentioning. In-laws came over for some pre-party sangaria and brought some very fresh oysters from Desolation Sound up the Sunshine Coast. MIL floured/egged/breaded some which I fried up and served with a squeeze of lemon. They crisped nicely outside, but remained soft and briney inside. Excellent. They also brought some in the shell but sadly time didn’t permit. Even worse, I tried storing them in the fridge but by the next day, four out of five of them had opened and started releasing a funky odour, so I elected to not risk severe GI disorder and wished them a teary goodbye into the bin. Saturday Fairmont Waterfront Friends’ bon-voyage-pre-wedding-party, where we had drinks and hors d’oeuvres, then a sit-down meal, with buffet-style desserts, and many many drinks. I thought the Fairmont did very well. Assorted passed HDs included micro-quiches, smoked salmon rolled in something like an egg tortilla if you can picture it, a couple canapés with artichoke and tomato/cheese, and a very fine prawn wrapped in spring roll and deep fried number that was my favourite. The bartender was mixing some killer rye and gingers, too. Dinner started with a simple salad of baby greens in a cucumber ring with cherry tomatoes and chopped fruit (pear and dried cherrys IIRC). Actually this was the consensus course of the evening. The salad was so fresh, and the dressing was a very complementary but not overpowering vinaigrette. (Have I thanked God lately that the trend of raspberry vinaigrettes is over?) The fruit was a great touch, adding a lot to the salad. My main was a beef tenderloin, seared nicely rare/MR, with something-mash (potatoes and something yellow) and yellow beans and asparagus. The something- in the mash may have been yellow beets, since there was a yellow beet (which some speculated was a turnip, but I don’t think so) on the plate as well. Accompanied by a red-wine pan sauce. The beef was very good, but the portion was a bit on the small side – maybe 4 oz or so. I know this is the gov’t recommended protein portion, but come on now. Penfolds Koonunga shiraz-cab to accompany. N chose the salmon, which looked beautiful and made me wish I could re-choose. Desserts were very chocolatey, for the most part not overly sugary (a good thing). The exception was the chocolate “fondue” which was to be ladeled onto pineapple chunks. Since the pineapple was already quite sweet, I thought that the chocolate could have been less so. There were assorted mousse cakes, but that's not my bag. Jackson Triggs reserve cabernet stepped in for the duration of the evening. I requested and received Stairway to Heaven for the final song, but not many others seemed to appreciate it. Oh well, a fine meal, a fun time. Sunday Risty’s Next morning breakfast: coffee, Denver omlette, and a quarter of N’s clubhouse. Every time I make the mistake of not ordering the clubhouse, but I love breakfast and don’t want to sacrifice it for lunch. Waitress spilled a bit of coffee on my knee, too numb to feel anything except wet. More sleep required.

Milan is supposedly going to be at Trout Lake for all of August and at least the first part of Sept (as I overheard in line last weekend). I cannot recall what he looked like exactly, since I was averting my eyes the whole time - and had the soup nazi episode of Seinfeld replaying in my head. However, I can almost guarantee you that if you show up at 9 AM, his stall will be the one with the big line. He also has a cardboard sign that says something like "Stoney Paradise - Tomato Man(ifesto)" posted at his stall / temple entrance. Last week his stall was closer to the parking lot. If you stood at the coffee trailer and faced the market, his was on the right side about 5 or so kiosks in, across from the mushroom guy. Again, look for the line. Good luck.

No doubts, that lucky dog. I have been following this thread from afar. The photos from the curing process right through to the final product are excellent. I am sad that there is nothing like this in Vancouver, but maybe some day Salumi will cross the border. Anyway, congrats on the amazing-looking proscuitto. Any plans for a second, or after all that work is it preferable just to purchase the final product?

N and I went for a quick bowl of noodles last night at Daimo on Granville and 66th or so. It has: 1. the obligatory Cash Only sign, 2. surly-Auntie service, 3. an almost exclusive Chinese clientele. (4. It also has the English words "Daimo Noodle House" on the sign.) And I like it. I had beef brisket in noodles, a childhood favourite; N had tomato chicken on rice (which IMO is being done too sweet everywhere, when I make it - not with chicken - I leave some tang in the tomatoes). Anyway, the rice was late coming out so I had to stumble through my broken Cantonese to get one of the surly-Auntie waitresses to check on it for us. She smiled knowlingly, relishing in me breaking into a sweat while running translations in my head before forcing the words out in a totally westernized accent. In a way, it was funny. But since I'm fairly regular here and the ladies know me (I think), I'm okay with this. I most likely would not try this in a place I just walked into though, I'd just switch to English.

Interesting discussion. At the end of the day yes I agree with Canucklehead and Sanrensho that the Chinese restauranteurs will do what they must in order to survive - whether that be upholding very high food standards (which most will do) or trying to open their door, so to speak, to a wider band of patrons (which some may try to do). And that they don't need to do the latter, if they're already doing the former. Does a business owner have a right to post a Chinese-only sign? Absolutely, as I said before. Is it intentionally trying to keep out the White Wave? No, I suppose not. That is the completely opposite of what a successful business person would want - to exclude clientele. But yes Keith I do still think it is a passive demotivator, maybe not to you or anyone on eGullet, but to your average person. Then again, as you said, your average person may only be looking for BBQ Pork Chow Mein anyway, and not necessarily The Best $50 Crab. So after all this, I vote for an eG outing to the Mega Happy But Misleading Rising Sun Cantonese place - led by Canucklehead. Personally I love the over-the-top crab / lobster / rock cod dishes, but really only eat them when I'm with my Mom or elder relative, who is doing the ordering (same reasons). By now I'm comfortable saying that Lee is like a big virtual brother, so why not exploit this relationship for some sweet-ass crab? (Figuratively; I don't usually eat crab ass. Lobster ass, though... [drool]) Cheers.

I'll go a step further. Someone please send me a list of all the places in Vancouver that have Chinese/Farsi/Japanese/Vietnamese/Turkish/Punjabi-only signs and menus. Those restaurants will be at the top of my list for places to find food that isn't watered down. ← The next paragraph after the part you quoted actually contained my point (staff talking about you). Perhaps it's only because I could understand what they were saying that I had issue in the past. But yes I agree with you that these places would offer a very good likelyhood of "authentic" food - (authentic assumes you know what type of restaurant you just walked into: Cantonese - mainland or Hong Kong, Sechuan, Shanghai-ese... or other). When Mr and Mrs eGullet get a craving for Ukranian, they may seek out all the storefronts with Ukraininan-only signs (NOT Russian, Ukranian). But what about the other 99% of the general non-Ukranian population, how does the Ukranian-only restaurant pull them in? Again I say put something into the signage that is in English, even if it is merely a phonetic spelling of what the other characters say. Better would be to state what type of cuisine you are offering. Doing this doesn't mean that you've caved and have to serve "watered down" cuisine. 1st Hunan Restaurant on Main and Marine. Simple name, menus A and B in Chinese and English, specials in Chinese only... But you get a craving for Hunan, and you think hey let's go to 1st Hunan. You can read a menu, even if it is menu B, or you can close the menu and ask them to make you something "authentic". Or how about the Budapest on Main? It's named after a city with an English-language name already, how convenient. And you know it's Hungarian. I've got it on pretty good word that it's authentic. Anyway, my original point way back when was that there are some Chinese places in Richmond that are not making any effort, so I question whether they are sincerely trying to attract non-Chinese people in.

Miami-based Don Shula's Steakhouse prints their menu on a football!. ← I am strangely drawn to this, not for the food, nor for any allegiance to the Dolphins... But because it is so weird. Like if I passed on this opportunity, it would never come again. For better or worse, I know. Does the menu come off the place kick stand, or is it stuck? Can you throw the menu back to your waiter on a long post pattern? I must know!

You are right, I absolutely agree with the latter part as a general rule. (Well, the flip side - that the more [ethnicity of restaurant] people I see in there, the better.) However, having a Chinese-only sign will most likely foster a Chinese-only or let's say Chinese-mostly clientele. By default, would I assume that it's a place I want to patronise? No I wouldn't. There is a disconnect in the food and the service at places like this, and this is where I'm more concerned when I step inside. I have had experiences where the people in the restaurant are talking about me in Chinese, and because I don't read Chinese, they've assumed that I also don't understand it. Regardless of what they say, I find this rude. If they happen to be saying something disparaging, well... Shit, meet fan. I am not saying that every place with a Chinese-only sign is like this, or even that most of them are like this. But like I said, unless there is something that specifically pulls me in, I probably won't subject myself or my wife to potential discomfort just because. This is very adventurous of you. I most recently tried tripe again about 3 months ago, just to see if I like it yet. Still no. I don't know if you've ever been to a Chinese banquet where one of the courses was this long stringy black fungus. It looks quite gross (IMO). When we were kids we called it "[my sister's name]'s hair", and proceed to not eat any (unless I wanted to gross out my sister, in which case I would eat some with a big smile). I have since tried it, again just to see if I like it. Nope. It doesn't taste bad, it just looks terrible. What I'm wondering is, are things not aesthetically pleasing more likely to be pointed at and ordered? Does it add to the adventurousness? Question's open to anyone, I'm really curious. Okay, I knew you were going to say something like this Snacky. Unfortunately I've seen you buying a Silly Happy Blue Cat Anime shower cap, while naming all the Hello Kitty and Pokemon characters that appeared on various stationary / mugs / inspirational school bags. So far, you are in the minority of white people I know. This is not a bad thing, it is in fact in a very odd way endearing. But definitely not common. Edited to add: thanks for the reply! Let us know how it goes with your Jewish Texan friend, and take photos. At least a few people on here should be able to identify what you ate after the fact...

Lee, this sounds very much like the halo halo Joie made, complete with red beans (I left all mine in the bottom of my cup - a trick I learned by watching my dog eat something with peas in it). So are iced kacang and halo halo the same, similar or totally different?

I'm not Chinese, but I can read Chinese characters. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to go there. ← You have obviously made an effort on the language barrier, except in the opposite direction. This is great. Not everyone is able to do so. Also you seem quite enthusiastic about the place, so I'm curious what the sign says. "Incredible Treasures Await Your Mouth, Step Inside"? "Meaning Of Life Found Through These Doors"?

Here is the problem: The storefront screams Silly Happy Blue Cat Anime, and the sign might as well say Do Not Enter (Unless You Can Read This). This is a common problem in Richmond (the non-English signs), one that has even gone to city council. People have a right to put just about anything up on their own establishment. However, being a born-here Chinese person who cannot read Chinese, I don't find that type of establishment particularly inviting. What do non-Chinese people think? Same or no? Some free, if somewhat obvious advice: if restauranteurs truly do want more non-Chinese people in these places, make an effort with the language barrier. Draw people in to sample the food; once they've tried it and enjoyed it, they will return.

I saw an article on this on the news the other day. That's one way they were pitching it, too: vegetarians would now be able to eat sausages etc. WTF? It still comes from an animal, at least the original cell does. Also, perhaps it's just me but my impression is that an "ethical" vegetarian would not only be opposed to eating something with a face, but probably something grown in a lab as well. But you never know, those vegetarians are unpredictable weirdos. Whoops. (To ward off future rants, I should state the obvious - that I was kidding.)

I am currently drinking a Coke. That is hilaious/disgusting. That and I am having the scene where Jeff Goldblum's character barfs on the donuts and eats them, replay in my head.

Interesting, I was at a function at the Canadian embassy in Beijing and as far as I know there was no resident chef. Our function was catered (Thai of all things! And it was pretty good). Anyway, the idea of doing a year "sabatical" in a foreign country sounds pretty cool. How does one go about finding a position like that, let alone applying? Because it's gov't, do they have to go through the open-to-public advertising and interviewing process, or can they just "appoint"? I am not a chef, I'm just curious. Also I for one would love to see some photos from the markets, if at all possible.

I like to taste the corn too, and therefore usually prefer regular yellow corn to p&c. However, the cobs we got this weekend were totally devoid of sugar, even after getting roasted on the BBQ. And corn without any sweetness doesn't taste like corn to me either.

As reported in the Stoney Paradise tomato thread, N and I braved Trout Lake “first thing” Saturday morning in search of The Greatest Tomato Of All Time. Which we found, actually – along with some red Cascade tomatoes, a Walla Walla onion, and baby green beans. We also visited the mushroom guy (criminis plus a few packs of dried porcini and “forest floor mix” or something like that), one of the corn guys for 3 ears of peaches and cream and 3 ears of “regular” yellow corn (whatever the name is), plus assorted white/green/banana peppers, elephant plums, peaches, purple pears, and more organic cherry tomatoes. These went into some great weekend eating: Saturday breakfast Omlettes stuffed with fried crimini, feta and fresh basil, with a side of sliced Cascades (s+p only). Saturday dinner (All grilled) pork chops marinated in red wine, olive oil, a little honey, fresh rosemary and bay; skewers of cherry tomatoes (not Milan’s, no need to do anything to those babies), Walla Walla onion, assorted peppers and crimini mushrooms marinated in lemon and olive oil; corn on the cob; and tomatoes stuffed with feta, basil and garlic. And a bottle of La Bastide. Sunday breakfast Toast with peanut butter and crabapple jelly, sliced pears, plums, nectarines and peaches. Sunday dinner Roast chicken with fresh tarragon, basil, thyme, lemon, garlic and a touch of sambal; last two cobs of corn; steamed baby green beans; and grilled pineapple with ice cream. I’ve already gone on about the tomatoes, but the other standouts were the mushrooms and the peaches. I was a bit disappointed in the corn, it’s still pretty starchy and not yet sweet (even the p&c). I even went for the guy with the big line, selling 6 ears for $3.50 (50c more than everywhere else). Is this true for all local corn at this point – not sweet yet I mean?

Well we did it. Got up early on Saturday, went down to Trout Lake, lined up at 9:03 for a good 15 minutes listening to the hippy lady play her guitar and tell me she's "leaving on a jet plane"... and was rewarded with a pint of Sun Gold cherry tomatoes ($4), a small bag of Cascade tomatoes (Milan's "best all-around tomato"), a Walla Walla, and a small bag of baby green beans. Under normal circumstances I will pretty much take the alternative over lining up for anything. But in this case... In a side-by-side comparison with some other organic cherry tomatoes from the market, there simply was no comparison. Each of Milan's Sun Golds is like a reduction, so intense is the flavour. No salt or pepper required, they are very sweet and oh so slightly tart already. Very impressive. Anyway, after a quick round in the market (with no sign of Arne or "J"), we hightailed it out of there. The screaming off-leash children were a little too much that early on the weekend. PS: After Milan's line cleared, at about 9:30-9:40, there were still a few pints of Sun Golds to be had. However I've been scared by the soup nazi references, and didn't want to exceed my limit lest I be cut off for one year.

A lot of Chinese places do have that annoying Cash Only thing, because 1. they don't want to pay Visa / Interac fees, 2. perhaps they fear they won't be in business long enough to justify said fees, or 3. there is some sort of "funny" accounting going on. These reasons are not endearing to me, any of them. However, I will still eat at a Cash Only if the food is good enough. I will just make a side trip to an ATM - which in and of itself will tell you how much it is worth it to me. PS: there is another thread around about tipping and tipping on credit cards. There is an extra step involved to get the dough into the waitrons' pockets, but my view is hey that's life (no disrespect to Andrew et al).

CBC Story link. The containers are moving again, but it is going to take anywhere from a month to three (depending on who you believe) to clear the backlog and approach normal port operations again. Many of the trucking brokers are not happy with the Vince Ready deal, terms under which all moving containers are operating, and the Feds have 90 days to come up with a "permanent" solution.

Thanks for the link Menton1. This is quite comprehensive and user-friendly too. We picked the end of Sept because we could still catch the end of summer, while avoiding for the most part tourist season. Very much looking forward to this... For the record, I haven't actually read the Mayle books, but I think my wife has read them all.

Ha ha, classic Talent. This is such a great idea, perhaps I'll make up a button that says "Win one for the Gipper" while I'm at it.

For lunch / dim sum, I have witnessed some fairly stingy (stin-jee not sting-ee) tipping practices by Chinese people, including relatives, including relatives involved in the industry. I've always wondered why, but have never gotten a good answer. Tarteausucre, 10% is pretty normal. I think it is just a generational thing, which may be have been due to the fact that you always used to pay at the till at the front - and therefore you'd leave a rounded-off-to-the-closest-denomination tip at the table. So if lunch was say $20, you'd probably end up leaving $2 bill. (Nowadays it would be a toonie of course.) Just a theory. Again, this is not my tipping practice, but I have certainly witnessed this before. And it has gotten better in recent years - but still definitely not up to 20%, which would cause astonishment, whooping, gasping, flying hands, etc amongst the older gen. $4 on a $20 lunch? Waaah! $5 on a $20 lunch? Absolute straight jacket insanity. I feel fairly safe in saying that we as in born-here kids have adopted the N.American tipping standard. Personally, because I think of cash as the monetary system used by cavemen and generally use plastic everywhere, tipping is a hybrid of the rounded-off and loose-change practices: a simple mental calc and a signature. As for where the tips end up, at my mother's restaurant I believe the tips are pooled and split between all FOH. If the same system was in place at Ducky's restaurant, the waitron would have handed the lump sum to the hostess, who would then (presumably) make and drop the change (ie actual tip) into a jar for dividing up later.

Oh man, I was so looking forward to a sleep in tomorrow morning, but after reading about Milan's tomatoes being picked by the Hand of God (I think this is a direct quote!), I may have to wait until Sunday to catch up on my sleep. Perhaps I'll dig out my elbow pads from the ole hockey bag, nothing clears crowds faster than rank hockey equipment. Better grab a stick too...

Okay the 8-hour sleep one is a little much. I mean, I make it through the night without going pee. How often do I not go pee for 8-hours when I'm awake? Uromisitisis!

Bux - thanks for the comments. Of course the difference between three- and one star is beyond service levels, and I didn't mean to trivialize it. Ideally (ie with unlimited time and money) I would like to comprehend the spectrum of zero to one to two to three star establishments and what makes them all so. Realistically, this will be an ongoing educational process, but at least I will be able to start it. What you said about relativity of one-star restaurants in "town" (for lack of a better word) versus rural one-stars is very interesting, and duly noted. Menton1 - we will be staying in Cavalaire-sur-Mer, but with some mobility we will be able to go east or west (or north). Apparently I need a more detailed map, because I can't find Port Grimaud. My father-in-law is an Englishman with a love of Provence, and therefore loves the Peter Mayle books. However I've heard from others that, since those books were published, the region has been severely "touristed". FIL loves St Tropez, and of coruse I want to see it, but my hopes are not that high. Having said that, we will most likely try La Pinede and I'm sure will not be disappointed. A question about reservations: our schedule is "loose". Does this mean that we will have a difficult time getting into certain restaurants, especially those with two or three stars, without reservations? I know it's mostly dependent on the restaurant, but in a general sense, how far in advance should reservations be made?