Little Frog

Everything about that is just wrong, wrong wrong. ← My thoughts exactly... I do not know about Robbie Burns dinners this year, but there are a few butcher shops that can help with your haggis cravings. I bought some last year from Jackson Meats on Granville and it was good. However, the one I was served two years ago for New Year's Eve by my Scottish friend was incomparably more flavourful. I am almost positive that she got it from the British Butcher Shoppe in North Van. Let us know what you find!

We're getting there! I have a reservation at Cassis on the 25th and Bravo Bistro on the 3rd, plus I let a friend twist my rubber arm into joining her at the Heather on the 19th. Looks like our Chambar plans are thwarted though, as the place seems to be pretty much sold out on the days we chose. Oh well. We can always pay them a visit before or after the madness is over I have a bit of an etiquette question: many of my friends are out of town/on a post-holiday diet/a little short this month and I have not been able to find dining partners for the other restaurants on my list. Do you think it would be out of line to make a DOV reso for myself only? I have absolutely no problem dining out by myself. I do it all the time and actually enjoy it very much. But during an event when space is at a premium, I feel that it may be inappropriate to do so Maybe it would be OK at restaurants that have bar seating? What do you think?

This and the braised veal cheeks promptly ensured Parkside a place on my list...

Same here! Ten years ago, I spent quite a bit of time going back and forth between Beirut and Paris (which has some wonderful Lebanese restaurants) and I am pining for good arayess or habra nayye... The original Nuba location is at 322 Hastings. As for the Seymour one, I checked their sign again this morning and it actually says Fall 2006 / October 2006. My crystal ball is telling me this is not going to happen ... so we'll have to wait and see (or maybe phone them and find out what the timeline is).

Hey, I work right near there too, that's exciting! Do you know when they're supposed to open? ← Hi Sylphid, I will check tomorrow on my way to work and report back! I think the sign I saw a while ago said end 2006, I will see if there is any updated information

So many tempting menus... so far I can hear the following places calling my name (all new-to-me restaurants, except from Chambar whose menu looks too good to miss!): - Bacchus - Bravo Bistro - Cassis - Chambar - Figmint - Parkside - Trafalgars I am also waffling on Star Anise, mostly because I live a few blocks away, yet for some reason I never took the time to give it a try. Has anyone been there recently? Recommendations would be very much appreciated! Now to find some dining partners... unfortunately my boyfriend tends to be a picky eater and he dislikes crowds, so I am afraid he will have to stay home while I eat my way through DOV Oh well. I will take him for a pre-birthday dinner at the HSG before the Dine Out madness begins to make up for it

I am looking forward to the second Nuba location opening at 1206 Seymour. I have not been to the one on Hastings but several of my friends recommended it. Lebanese food a few blocks away from work... almost sounds too good to be true!

I second the recommendation for Serengeti Trading. My favourite is the Hunters Biltong, which has a very straightforward meat taste and a lovely dark colour. Have not been there in ages, and the boerewors supply is running out too... an expedition to North Van is in order!

Yes, I thought that you too may well have read about the Place here, especially after overhearing that you were ordering the hot item of the moment - the juicy dumplings! I should have introduced myself, but I did not want to barge into your conversation and, since I have not posted here in a very long time, my username would not have rung a bell anyway. The pork and vegetable dumplings sounded tempting too, I will have to try that on my next visit! How was the Szechuan pork dish? Would you recommend it? Next time I go, I plan on bringing several friends so that we can sample a bit of everything, so recommendations are welcome...

Hello everyone, it is good to be back! A few health problems and a crazy workload kept me away from eGullet in 2006 but hopefully I am back in the swing of things for good now As I had not been dining out much as of late, I tried my best to make up for lost time last week: - Cioppino's : As soon as our waiter announced that the wild boar was back, I knew what I was having for my main course! I was lucky enough to enjoy Pino's take on wild boar last year and did not think twice when I heard that it was available again. I started on a light note with a Caprese salad (wonderful mozzarella di buffala ), then had the braised boar shoulder while someone else at the table opted for the wild boar belly, which looked wonderfully rich and crispy. We were having champagne and interestingly enough, the lively and crisp bubbles worked very well with the richness of the boar. The portions were quite generous and I was going to pass on dessert when our waiter came back to tempt us with a special we could not resist: pannetone pudding with chocolate and cranberries. The texture, even more so than the flavours, was amazing. Silky may well be the best way to describe this pudding. An excellent cup of espresso ended what was without doubt the best pre-Christmas dinner I had this year. - EN restaurant : My boyfriend and I have always been big fans of the modern Japanese cuisine at EN and he was quite disappointed when they closed on Granville Street. What better place then, than their new West 10th location for his welcome back dinner after he had been away for a month and a half? The new EN is very similar to its previous Granville incarnation: same colours, same lighting and, I think, exact same menu. Neither of us was particularly hungry (very late lunch for me, severe jetlag for him), so we just nibbled on old favourites such as the goma leaf tuna sashimi, the avocado salad and the prawn tempura, while sipping green tea. Everything was excellent as usual, in particular the tuna sashimi with its slightly crispy goma leaf. Wonderful! Service was very, very slow however, which I must say took away some of the enjoyment. - Crave : It was my first time at Crave after hearing quite a few glowing reviews, so I was very much looking forward to dining there. We got there rather early on Saturday night but the room was already packed. We were seated within 10 mn, but the couple who arrived right after us was told the wait would be over half an hour. We shared the beet salad, the crab cake and the shrimp popcorn. Saw nothing particularly compelling on the wine list, so we decided to give it a miss. The beet salad was very good and came with a delicious goat blue cheese that looked like it was coated in ash. I am kicking myself for not asking our waiter what cheese it was, as it was really spectacular. I really enjoyed the crab cake: it was light, very flavourful and, o joy! full of crab. This was a very nice surprise, after having been served so many dense pucks of filler with a tiny bit of crab in other restaurants. It came with a great shredded apple and parmegiano salad. The shrimp popcorn and its dipping sauce were good too, even though I only tried one piece - deep-fried food is not my favourite. We had a very satisfying meal and I definitely would not mind going back when I feel like a light dinner; however, I do not know if I would wait half an hour or more to get seated. So far I am only willing to do that to score a table at Toshi's - Oh, and I also went to Place Restaurant last night, where I had some great dishes - I described them in the "Chinese in Vancouver" thread

All this talk of xiao long bao made me very curious (and hungry!), so I headed to Place Restaurant on Granville last night. I ordered the chicken in wine sauce, the lamb skewers and of course the xiao long bao, which are called "Shangai-style juicy dumplings" on the English menu. I also ordered the sweet sesame cakes to round my meal off, even though the lady who took my order looked a little concerned and kept telling me "that's too much food for one person!" The chicken in wine sauce, served cold, was very flavourful and quite meaty, compared to other places where the chicken is almost all skin and cartilage. I ordered the lamb skewers after reading that Chocomoo had enjoyed them and wow, what a nice dish that was! The lamb was cooked through but still juicy, there was a perfect balance between lean meat and fattier chunks and the spice mix was very interesting, enhanced by a liberal sprinkling of sesame seeds. I will order this dish again next time and would recommend it to all lamb enthusiasts. Next were the xiao long bao, which were simply delicious. The broth was clear and had an excellent, clean flavour, perfectly paired with the melt-in-your-mouth pork filling. The vinegar was good and the shredded ginger the bao came with was a perfect complement to the other flavours. I see many, many more of these wonderful dumplings in my future My last dish was the sweet sesame cakes, which came as three large buns sprinkled with sesame seeds. The sesame filling was not overly sweet, which made these cakes a great alternative to dessert for someone like myself who does not really have a sweet tooth. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and will be back soon, as there are several other dishes that I am looking forward to trying. There is no doubt that I will be dragging many friends to this restaurant

My vote goes to En. Fantastic Japanese cuisine and yet it is hardly ever mentioned...

I was there three weeks ago, but I have not gone since. I will be in the neighbourhood on Saturday to pick up some cheesy comestibles at Les Amis du Fromage, so I will check and report back!

This would explain the several fire trucks I saw on Granville this morning when I left for work...

The hot chocolate at Picnic on Granville is really thick and rich... even a little too rich for me, actually! But boy, it tastes good

Thank you for the heads up on what sounds like a great new place! What does the tea selection look like? I know a certain someone who would drop everything he is doing and rush over if he could find some Silver Needle tea (we were precisely talking about that yesterday over dinner!), but very few shops carry it... Good scones would definitely be a big draw for me, as would a green tea cheesecake

Thank you Kurtis!

Kurtis and Jeff, a big heartfelt thank you for hosting us! It was a very enjoyable evening and it was great to meet everyone. We really enjoyed tasting so many different meads, especially while surrounded by people who all had interesting insights to contribute to the conversation. Maybe Basil and I were biaised because we had already tried and loved the lavender mead a few months ago, but it was our favourite by far. I also quite liked the green tea and ginger one (he found it a tad too alcoohol-y) and the wild harvest one, which was on the sweet side and would pair very well with chocolate- or custard-based desserts. I found these meads well-balanced, without too much residual sugar. One could tell they were well-crafted; I would be very interested in knowing what yeast the meadmaker used. After the mead tasting, we stayed for a very nice dinner. I started with a beautiful bison carpaccio, very lean yet flavourful. I then had mushroom risotto, which was exactly what I needed on such a rainy night. Very clean flavours and slightly al dente, the way I like it. Kurtis was kind enough to pour us a glass of ice wine at the end of our meal; I had never tasted ice wine with such a prominent hazelnut note. I unfortunately did not write down what it was... We will definitely be back at Aurora Bistro soon; thanks again to our gracious hosts! Little van den Frog

Wow! Everything looks and sounds fantastic! I will be at Aurora Bistro tomorrow evening, but I think a visit for brunch this weekend is in order too!

Since we were discussing waffles upthread... The best waffle I had in Vancouver so far was at Picnic . The portion was big enough to feed a small army and came with fresh fruit and whipped cream. I forgot to ask for the whipped cream on the side, but the waffle remained reasonably crisp until the end, always a good thing in my book. This morning I tried the Brussels waffle at Patisserie Lebeau but was not that impressed. It was on the dry side and the flavour was a tad too yeasty. Service was good, even though they were extremely busy, but unfortunately the space is just too constricted to feel comfortable. Next time I will try their Liege waffle (although I much prefer the Brussels ones) and it will be to go. I must confess that I am not used to thinking of waffles as a breakfast food. My mother is, after all, from Brussels, so I was brought up with the typically Belgian idea that a waffle is best consumed between 4:00 and 9:00 PM, preferably during a stroll on the beach. So it took me a couple of tries before I could try the Belgian waffle at Pane from Heaven on Cypress, which is served until noon. Well, maybe the Universe was trying to tell me something. I should have listened. Don't get me wrong, it tasted OK. But nothing like a waffle. Tasted like a pancake, had the texture of a pancake. Actually, had it been a pancake, it would have been great. But to call it a Belgian waffle verges on misleading... my ancestors are rolling in their graves somewhere between Brussels and the Ardennes Belges! The waffle was overloaded with different garnishes, most of which were too sweet for my taste: no whipped cream but custard, maple syrup, strawberries, two fruit jellies and drizzled chocolate. The waffle sat on the fruit jellies (one red and one yellow), turning the initially attractive plate into an unappetizing mess after two bites. Needless to say, I will not order it again. I think I am waffled out for a while now... time to switch to French toast! Any recommendations?

Rabbit? Roasted pig? Armagnac? Horchata? A mojito that sounds like the real thing (ie no mint syrup)? A visit is in order! ETA: In today's Vancouver Sun, M. Parry could not resist the pun either and wrote: "If Ferreira were to move into an earlier [Kenny] Bogas locale at the Kitsilano-waterfront foot of Yew street, he could call it Senova Beach"

Hello eGullet mead brewers! Thought I would bump this thread and see how everyone's batches are doing, as I am about to embark into my first mead brewing adventure... This thread was a huge help when it came to getting the equipment and the ingredients. I read several books on mead, but past the basic instructions, most launch into various technical/stylistic considerations that do nothing but confuse the bewildered newbie. So it was really helpful to find a tried-and-true basic recipe. My friends and I will start brewing next week. I am sure I will have plenty of questions for our mead experts soon! Wish us beginner's luck!

Went to Mistral last night and had a very enjoyable dinner. My friend and I had a nice chat with Minna Benoit. By a funny coincidence, we were a Finnish/French table in a restaurant run by a Finn and a Frenchman, so we both got a chance to practice! For starters, my friend had the pissaladiere. It had been years since I last had this typically Nicoise onion tart and I must say that this was the best one I ever sampled. The crust was extremely thin, much thinner in fact than what one would usually get in Nice. I thought it was a smart decision: the crust is not too filling and just acts as a backdrop for the intense flavours of the olive oil-glazed onions and the anchovies. Said anchovies were just perfect, without any of the overwhelming saltiness they can sometimes impart to a dish. Needless to say, I highly recommend this appetizer! I had the duck platter: rillettes, crepine, magret and foie gras garnished with small radishes and real cornichons. Certainly not a low-fat choice, but who the hell cares, especially when there is foie gras and magret to be had? It was nice to see a crepine, a technique seldom used nowadays, even in France. The magret was smoky and had a very nice mouthfeel. The foie gras was smooth, flavourful and nicely spiced (was it a hint of cracked black pepper that I could taste?) The only thing I did not enjoy as much was the rillettes, but it is only because I am particular with the texture of my rillettes. I prefer them chunky with lots of meat in them and these were definitely on the smooth side. Very nice flavour though and the bread I spread them on was excellent too. For mains, my friend had the pistou pasta: it was redolent of garlic and basil, cooked just right, as were the prawns that went with it. Very well executed. I had the steak tartare. I much prefer my tartare to be served with the condiments on the side; this one came already seasoned and it lacked a little bite for my taste but it was quite enjoyable all the same. I really appreciated that the beef was cut, not ground, it made for a wonderful texture. The frites were excellent, as was the mesclun salad. Neither of us is a very heavy drinker, so we just had a glass of Burrowing Owl Merlot with our dinner. No room for dessert after all that wonderful food. Portions are definitely not Nouvelle Cuisine-like! We will be back, there are too many tantalizing options on the menu to explore!

Between Taste of Yaletown and many a farewell party/get-togethers with friends, I sure have been eating out a lot as of late! Cioppino's was buzzing with activity on Wednesday night. We arrived early at 6:30 but it was almost full already. The Enoteca side, where the Taste of Yaletown menu was served, was quieter for a while but soon every single table was occupied. As usual Celestino was a consummate host, checking on each table regularly. The first course was a crab and avocado salad presented in a little "cup" made of thinly sliced cucumber and served with an excellent tapenade toast. The fresh, clean flavours were perfectly matched by a crisp Mission Hill Sauvignon Blanc. We then had a veal and spinach ravioli whose delicate flavours were enhanced by an interesting sage-garlic sauce (had to look at the menu for that one, I had not recognised the sage in it). I like my red wine bold and flavourful, so I probably would not have ordered a Mission Hill Pinot Noir myself, but I have to admit that it was a good match for the ravioli. Anything bolder would have overwhelmed the subtle veal and spinach harmony. Then we had incredibly tender short ribs paired with an earthy, tannic Syrah. The beef was wonderful but the vegetables (carrots and green peas) looked and tasted a little tired. Dessert was a very pretty honey and citrus semifreddo, with a late harvest Chardonnay. I do not have much of a sweet tooth, but I quite enjoyed this dessert and the accompanying wine, precisely because neither were overly sweet. Service was as usual very prompt and attentive. Pino made a point of visiting each table in spite of how busy they were, which was a nice touch. Even though I liked the food, I must say that I am looking forward to my next visit to Cioppino's or the Enoteca when I can enjoy everything Pino's talent has to offer whithout the constraints of a tasting menu. Hamilton Street Grill It was my first time there and all I can say is that I see many return visits in my future! We went on the last day of ToY and even though only a few tables were occupied when we arrived, it soon turned into an extremely busy evening. I do not think I ever saw a server move that fast! The staff must have been exhausted by the end of the night... We enjoyed all the more the efficient and pleasant service we received. It was great to get to meet Neil and we really appreciated the fact that he made time to come and introduce himself on such a busy night. Everyone at the table ordered the tried-and-true ravioli/grill/plate/GBP plebiscited by fellow eGulleters and boy did we enjoy it! I particularly loved the sauce that was served with the ravioli, everything on the grill plate was excellent, including the crisp and flavourful vegetables and everyone fell head over heels for the GBP! The grill plate was quite substantial and in all it was a lot of food but we happily ate it all! Great value for money, very nice atmosphere, lovely people... what more can you ask for? East is East On my first visit to this new restaurant on West Broadway, I was very disappointed in the service, so careless it was almost rude. The atmosphere was not very welcoming either. The music was too loud and the dining room inexplicably dark: my scarf slipped from the bench where I was sitting and it was so dark that I could not see it under the table! But... I loved the food and the drinks. So I decided to pay them another visit, based on the fact that they opened only recently and that the service might have improved since. I am glad to say that when I went back on Saturday evening, our waitress was very nice and efficient and that it is not necessary to carry a flashlight anymore. Warning: the room is still quite dark, so this is not a good place to bring a book, which this bookworm regrets very much. We were offered a complimentary sample of chai before our meal. The texture was thinner than that of the chai latte you can get in coffee shops; the flavours and the spiciness were also a far cry form the watered-down version usually served. The ginger in particular stood out. We then had two rotis each (lamb kebab in garlic sauce / baked eggplant for me, salmon / spinach with paneer for my friend) with an excellent thick lentil soup and a small green salad as side dishes. The ingredients were all very fresh, the flavours and textures were well-balanced, everything tasted just "right" and well-executed. We both had a rosewater/pistachio/cardamom smoothie that was to die for! Mind you, after spending quite a bit of time in Lebanon I became downright addicted to those three flavours, so I knew I was going to like it, but once again the texture and the balanced flavours exceeded my expectations. East is East is not fine dining by any stretch of the imagination and the funky atmosphere may not be for everyone, but I would definitely recommend it for good casual Middle Eastern food at very reasonable prices. Now if only someone would open a Lebanese restaurant of the same calibre, I would be a happy woman.

I had a look at the menu tonight and was very pleased to see so many Provencal classics. Daube! Pissaladiere! It is like being back in my hometown near Nice! We will be having dinner there next Thursday and I am very much looking forward to it. I was fortunate enough to enjoy a few dinners at Chantecler in Nice in the late 90's but I have no idea who the chef was back then... it would be a funny coincidence if it was Jean-Yves Benoit!