kontemporary

If there had to be a thread of the year on eGullet, I'd have to say it is this one right here. I've never seen so many well expressed criticism, opinions, arguments/rebuttals and the likes in the three pages so far. I find it great how much controversy is coming up over the DIVA review... now I'm even wondering if it was Ms. Gill's intention to do so

Excellent post - I have to wholeheartedly agree. I often find myself not just anticipating reviews from restaurant critics in the paper, but on "amateur" media as well - food blogs, eGullet reviews, etc. There are always different viewpoints, different stances, and different slants. Even to a certain extent "eGullet" seems too "professional". I find myself often trying to think of what the average Joe thinks of restaurants such as West. It's definitely not a surprise to see many people believing that West is not worth it for the money, or that the food wasn't great for them. You can see it on amateur review sites where the public is encouraged to "submit a review." And of course, there is always a wide range of opinion. Some people say Cactus Club is top-notch, some people say Blue Water Cafe has bad seafood. And of course, it's best to be open to the all the opinions out there.. just don't forget to form your own personally.

Has anyone been to "eighteast" on East Broadway a couple blocks off Main Street? It's a very hip-looking café that's new, but I have heard absolutely no publicity of it.. And Mooshmouse, those pics don't do Prado Café justice! The space is very very beautiful and original. They call it "Scandinavian minimalism" but I'd say it's the perfect coffee house to sit down and enjoy a nice latté while reading a novel. The place is as if you were sitting at an art gallery yet still being able to keep up with people-watching on by the window seats.

The last time I was there... well.. just wow. It certainly looks different now. Seems like they have totally remade the restaurant over. Anyone have any news of Saltlik's opening?

I have to say that does slightly echo Ms. Gill's concept of "If I don't pay for a meal, I won't review it." (which ended up being contrary to that philosophy) And it seems that her inability to pay the bill only escalated her impatience further.. but this may be a misunderstanding. Would DIVA had done the same (offering a complimentary meal) for regular diners, if having seen a level of unhappiness with the way things are going? Or was it just because it was a restaurant critic was dining there (which seemed to be the case anyways, with the amuses)? How do restaurant critics take this into consideration? (Perhaps Jamie or Andrew could explain..) If I were to have a bad experience dining at a DIVA, being complimented the meal would signify to me that the establishment is aiming for a sense of reconciliation. They're asking for a second chance. I find it quite unprofessional per se. for her not to have returned to DIVA on a following visit. As in science experiments, multiple trials are a must. In cases such as these, I find it most interesting when critics are critiquing other critics. It seems healthy in a way, to ensure a just opinion is formed. But sometimes you can just end up in a confusion.. and well I'll have to see for myself, what DIVA is really up to sometime.

Not that their food is any Cuban...

I have never been to Diva for dinner, but have went there for dessert a couple of times in the past. Although the desserts I had were enjoyable, I couldn't help but think of the 10.50 price for the dish where it seems the sen5es bakery could be offering a better deal (at the same quality level). The dessert plates themselves seemed to take more of an artistic approach than decadent one; in all cases they were beautifully plated, but the portions were miniscule. If portion sizes are reduced, than flavour and quality should make up for it - in the cases where I have ended nights at Diva, they weren't. This isn't to say they weren't enjoyable.. but it should certainly last longer than 3 jabs of a fork. EDIT: Oh.. and caught this line from the article: "Paying by debit isn't so easily done, I discover, when the front-desk clerk refuses to hand over the itemized bill." Diva doesn't take debit, which may be why they refused to hand over the bill - I had to learn the difficult way.

Staff cafeteria isn't saying much.. what if you worked for Google... that's food worth writing about! http://googlemenus.blogspot.com/

Gelatin powder is available in most any grocery store...it is made by Knox...using it rox, just don't spill it on your sox and please, don't try to feed it to a fox. It probably tastes funny with lox. It comes in a bright orange box. Inside the box are little sachet of gelatin and instructions on how to rehydrate it. I really need to get a hobby or something. ← You and me both. Wait, isn't that what eG is?! ← eG is not a hobby, it's a lifestyle!

anyone know where to find gelatin powder? and differences between powder vs sheet? I'm thinking powder just seems a lot whole more convenient..

Yes - since it's an environment completely isolated from the natural one. Farmed salmon are at huge risk for parasites and what they are fed (in place of their normal diet) often contains harmful chemicals. Someone might want to elaborate on this further, because my knowledge is limited (too busy eating vs learning during that C lunch)

The restaurant in LeSoleil is "Copper Chimney", recently changed from "Oritalia". Not sure where Kettle came from, unless they changed it again.. Their own hotel website hasn't been up to date with their restaurant either.. but the restaurant has always been on the theme of "east-west fusion" based mostly on indian and mediterranean. The concept has always interested me (especially wanting to compare it to Vij's), but I've never gotten myself to going there. EDIT: my grammar is terrible right now..

We cought Chef Fowke one last year for Xmas. I recall we got it from the South China Seas Trading Co. on Granville Island, in the GIM, IIRC. ← I wonder if it's 100% authentic.. as there are 'chinese truffle' scams seen before (not specifically here, though). Truffles are not exclusive to Europe, and there is a Chinese species of it that is often deemed of poorer quality and often sold illegaly as the European one.

Care to share what little bistro this is? For me, I find the chocolate plate at CinCin mouthwatering

Damn. House of Selassie was on my "To Eat At" list, and I've been meaning to get there for some time now. Oh well. I snoozed, I lost. ← Ah, same here! The place got a very good review on Adam's evevancouver.com and definitely seemed like a place to get a bang for your buck.

Hop on the great skytrain after the show, get off at Stadium and head to Chambar.

You could try the Cannery at the Port for something special..

"The 10th annual Most Memorable Meal Awards reflect every experience from casual encounters with upstart noodle joints to sunset-blessed dinners in tranquil shoreline settings." I'm assuming that I guess part of the most memorable meal awards reflect the ever-so-popular criteria of value, considering after all, this is not a critics choice/poll but one among readers' choices.

Bouchon's, Ric's Grill (?) by the waterside are good places to go. I'm not too big a fan of driving away to the wineries.

No no.. I meant dishes ordered in the dining room, not the tasting bar (as the prices differ). I'm thinking the 3-course would then actually have prices for the seperate apps/mains/desserts like Parkside does.

How much are appies and entrées? I wasn't aware that dishes could be ordered individually in the dining room, but rather as a 3-course set or either choosing the tasting menu.

I've no experience with cocoa powders, but I find it funny that Meinhardt would carry a line of cocoa powder that would rate dead last.

Ah cool Another place to check out if you're shopping at Norman's is also Tripla A Market right down the block - good prices.

I find this very interesting because I have not heard of Okonomiyaki until this post (or was aware of it being on menus). It sounds very similar to a dish I encountered while dining at Ap Gu Jung on Robson (a place that calls itself "Korean Fusion") they called "Seafood Pizza". It turned out to be a sort of.. crepe-like crust sizzling on a hot plate with toppings. It was more a pancake than a pizza (not finger-food, either). Is this okonomiyaki?

Well I haven't received a response from my email reply (yet?), but I have some questions regarding Nu's Thanksgiving 3-course (to all those invited who were on their mailing list) if any of you or Leonard himself has more information about it. I was wondering what the menu was, the prices, and when lunch ends and dinner starts at Nu.