LordBalthazar

Avoid this place at all costs. I reviewed it on my blog back on May 21st. Some of the highlights - "...Now you’ll be excused for assuming Oji is a Japanese restaurant. It’s not. Nor is it a Chinese restaurant. Or a Vietnamese restaurant for that matter. It is, in fact, a bit of everything. Feel like barbecued pork and spicy wontons? Well, you‘re in luck. Feel like udon? You can order that too. How about some pho? Bingo! Past experience tells me that these types of restaurants tend to fall under the “Jack of all trades, master of none” category. And sadly (for me on this day) Oji is no exception. We sat through: fried desiccated chicken satay, unremarkable pan-fried dumplings, a bland chicken chow mein, passable radish pancakes, and barbecued pork so cloying it effectively appeased any desire I had to go grab a post-lunch dessert. On the bright side, service was good. Granted, we were the only ones in the place (the only other potential customer leaving immediately after perusing the menu) but still, our waitress was prompt and courteous..."

Monde Chocolat opened its doors last week on Burrard St. (just below West Broadway). I did a little write-up on the blog - http://josephmallozzi.blogspot.com/2007/06/june-22-2007.html Some interesting selection in that Zotter line. Among the flavors I picked up and subsequently brought into work for my friends to "enjoy" was a celery, truffle and port wine creation and something called "bacon bits" which included pieces of crunchy pork cracklings!

Which merchant was carrying the truffle butter?

For upscale, I think C is your best bet. I went there just the other day and had a terrific meal. For a little more casual, I'd suggest any of the Vancouver's better Chinese restaurants where you can have everything from abalone to lobster prepared the way you like them (Sun Sui Wah and Imperial come to mind although, if you're wiling to make the trip, Sea Harbour Seafood in Richmond is also a good bet). LB

We usually just park in the nearby mall and walk over. Do check out Figmint. It's definitely worth the effort.

Gastropod will also be extending their DOV to this Wednesday.

Went to Aurora Bistro tonight. My wife and I had: Tasty but lukewarm cauliflower soup with white truffle oil and almonds. Moist and meaty half cornish game hen. Overdone veal cheeks. Hospital cafeteria-worthy apple upside-down cake.

Tucked away behind a Starbucks (kitty-corner from another Starbucks) on Thurlow Street, Il Nido is an assuming little restaurant that has persevered in the shadows of some of the city’s more high-profile Italian eateries. In my seven years living in Vancouver, I remember eating there once - but can’t recall anything about the place or the meal I had. I was hoping my second visit would prove more memorable. Fondy and I arrived for our 6:30 p.m. seating to a fairly empty house (somewhat surprising given all the talk of the heavily booked Dine Out participants). Il Nido’s Dine Out menu is extensive, offering a wide variety of appetizer and main course selections, almost twice as many as those offered on the regular menu’s of other restaurants. Fondy started with the roasted butternut squash puree with roast garlic crostini. She enjoyed it but I thought it paled in comparison to the more flavorful versions I’ve had elsewhere. I started with the porcetta, roasted pork belly with balsamic brown butter sauce. It was good, if not a tad overly salted, but, again, came up short in comparison to the melt-in-your-mouth versions I’ve sampled elsewhere. For her main course, Fondy got the braised short ribs on polenta with natural jus. We were both a little confused because she had told me she was going to order the jumbo pork chops and we both thought she HAD ordered the pork chops - although Fondy admitted that it was possible she may have pointed at the wrong menu item. Still, despite the fact that her heart was set on pork chops, she did like the short ribs. I went heart-healthy or my main, choosing the snapper in livornese tomato broth with julienne vegetables. While the snapper itself was perfectly cooked, the broth was fairly insipid. Thank God for the shredded green onions that topped the dish. We ended the evening with dessert: a very good tiramisu for her, and a great flourless chocolate cake (actually more pudding than cake which was capital A-okay with me) and crème fraiche sorbetto. Service was prompt, polite, and a little icy. Overall, a fine meal but, to be perfectly honest, probably not one I’ll remember seven years from now. For pics and an account of my futile attempt to eat a mango, check out my blog -

Hey Busboy, Thanks for the tip and link.

What are the "can't miss" dining destinations in Boston?

Don't you mean Vancouver culinary icon Chef Michel Jacob as opposed to Chef Emile Jung of Au Crocodile? ← Easy mistake. Strasbourg ... Vancouver. It's like the same place, no? A. ← Oops.

We had dinner there tonight. To tell you the truth, we already knew what we were going to order when we stepped through the door: the fantastic pan-fried skate wing with beurre noisette and capers my sister had ordered the last time she was in town. Alas, the only thing on the menu not available that night: the pan-fried skate wing with beurre noisette butter and capers. Initially disappointed, we managed to make due - in a big way. To begin, we were served an amuse-bouche - a duck confit and cranberry tartlet - sweet and savory, flaky, and still warm from the oven. Fondy's appetizer was the garlic-fried frog legs in a parsley-chive butter sauce accompanied by an orange tomato puree. A terrific dish. I opted for the wild mushroom soup - morels, porcini, button mushroom (from what I could taste and tell) pureed into a nice, meaty soup with a smattering of pan-fried crispy counterparts, the whole finished with a few drops of white truffle oil. Superb. We were torn over the night’s special appetizer so, rather than miss out, we ordered it as a second course: breaded, seasoned, oven-roasted bone marrow finished with fleur de sel. If you like marrow (which we do), you’ll love the way Chef Michael Jacob prepares this wonderful dish. Finally, onto our main courses. Fondy had the Dover Sole, panfried and served with a beurre blanc sauce. A very rich and truly delectable dish. I had one of the night’s additions: a perfectly cooked Chilean sea bass served with tomato fondant and garlic mashed potatoes. The whole was accompanied by crispy pommes frites. We decided to forgo dessert on this night but did book ahead for Valentine’s Day. I can’t think of a better place to celebrate a special occasion. For pics of tonight's dinner and an amusing story involving a christian summer camp and ice cream sandwiches, check out the blog.

Tonight, we had dinner at Octopus Garden, a tiny Japanese restaurant in Kits. We started with the spicy tuna sashimi, fresh albacore in a pleasant but not too spicy sauce served in a hollowed-out orange. I followed with a nice lobster miso soup while Fondy went with a mixed salad. My sushi followed: Isobe Age (a tempura seaweed roll with squid, green bean, and cod roe), and one of this evening’s specials, a flounder (hirame) sushi. While the flounder was incredibly fresh and delicate, with a sweet and subtle flavor, I wasn’t won over by the Isobe Age’s marriage of green bean and squid. Fondy’s spicy tuna roll was excellent however. She also had the Pavarotti - stir fried udon noodles with sundried tomatoes, garlic, and chicken. She everything but the chicken. We ended our meal with two sour gummy octopi that accompanied the bill. As usual, check out the blog (January 9, 2007 installment) for the pics.

After a grueling afternoon of watching playoff football, it was off to Fuel, that new restaurant on West 4th. Unable to access their menu online, I had no idea what to expect. We arrived for our 6:00 p.m. seating and were greeted by a very friendly, very upbeat host who welcomed us, then showed us to our table where we were presented with the menu. Like their neighbor Gastropod, Fuel's menu is small - about 6 appetizers, 6 mains, and some 5 desserts. You also have the choice of ordering one of the chef menus ranging from 4 to 9 courses. I opted to go for the more modest 6 course chef menu. First up was a velvety smooth pumpkin soup with caramelized sunflower seeds accompanied by a perfectly cooked whole scallop. It was a truly awesome soup and the gorgeous glass bowl in which it was served (a product of Spain that takes ten weeks to ship) proved equally as popular with my fellow diners. My next dish was a romaine salad with chanterelle mushrooms and a poached egg with a red wine vinaigrette. Perhaps feeling sorry for my wife and our friend who were looking forward to three courses to my four, the kitchen was nice enough to serve them a dish of tiny gnocchi in a cream sauce with salmon eggs which, I have to admit to enjoying even more than my salad. Next up was a melt-in-your-mouth foie gras and duck confit terrine accompanied by some caramelized shallots and sweet brioche. My wife and her friend were treated to another little extra from the kitchen, a much appreciated and very much enjoyed prawn with leek and crispy lardon served with a citrus vinaigrette. I was served a very good lemon risotto with crispy capers and smoked albacore tuna, the smoky tuna and tangy risotto complimenting each other very nicely. Finally, it was time for the main courses: Alberta rib streak with rapini and sauteed gnocchi in a Bordelaise sauce that was nothing short of magnificent, and an outstanding pork loin with romaine roulettes (stuffed with delicious diced potates and foie gras). Prior to ordering, I advised our waitress that while I had no food allergies or aversions, I strongly objected to any fruit with my dessert. As a result, my dessert was the chocolate-caramel brownie with vanilla ice cream, a milk chocolate-stuffed circular wafer and cocoa nibs. I found the brownie a little dry but tasty nonetheless. The ice cream was great and the stuffed wafer the highlight of the dish. Our friend had the three tier apple cake (apple cake at the bottom, hazelnut chocolate in the middle, and a creme anglaise brulee on top) served with a shot of apple soda - a fun, creative, and very good dish. My wife went with the pear beignet with sabayon and grapefruit sorbet which, I have to grudingly admit - despite the fact that it was chock full o' fruit - was the tastiest dessert of the night. An assortment of sweets accompanied our bill including a very good vanilla macaron, and some accomplished chocolates (dark with tangerine, and another dark with anise and coffee). Service was excellent - courteous, professional, yet friendly and helpful (given the number of times we asked about the minutest details of each dish). The decor is nice and clean, very airy. I was amazed to learn that Fuel has only been open five days now. They have hit the ground running, demonstrating the inventiveness and polish of a veteran. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this restaurant to anyone and I plan a return visit sometime later in the week. To top off the evening, we returned home to discover the pugs had broken into a bag of Hershey's milk chocolate kisses. We spent the rest of the night cleaning up dog vomit. Pics on my blog - the January 7, 2006 entry.

Tonight, we checked out one of the new kids on the block - Gastropod, located on West 4th right beside fellow newcomer Fuel. Still on east coast time (and liking it), we made a reservation for 5:30 p.m. Due to the treacherous driving conditions (I mean, seriously, this is Vancouver not Montreal!), we arrived a little late. Fortunately, it appeared our late arrival didn't inconvenience anyone as the front door was locked when we arrived. A group seated at one of the tables (I believe they were friends of the chef) flagged down one of the hostesses who unlocked the door and let us in. The menu at Gastropod is small - about six appetizers, six main courses, and six desserts. There is a Prix Fixe option that allows you to select one appetizer, a main course, and a dessert for $42.50 which is a good deal if you're eyeing some of the pricier choices. On this night, my wife was feeling pricey while I opted for a more uncharacteristically restrained meal. She started with the Foie Gras a la Gastropod, two pieces of foie gras (with the consistency of a torchon) served skewered, topped with pistachio and salt, and accompanied by an apple and a rhubarb puree. The foie gras was mysteriously flavorless. She likened the twin purees to dining on baby food. Alas, I didn't fare any better with my appetizer, the Tuna Mille-Feuille - alternating slices of marinated daikon and tuna in a confit pepper yuzu dressing. Unfortunately, the daikon thoroughly overwhelmed the subtleness of the tuna. For her main course, my wife went with the braised beef ribs with glazed chesnut - accompanied by chanterelle, burdock, wilted spinach, and cipollini onions. The meat was very tender, the accompaniments perfectly cooked. I went with the slow-cooked ling cod with panko and almond cloud - a very nice, very flavorful piece of cod served on a bed of delicious crushed baby potatoes with leek, bok choy, and toasted almonds, the whole nestled in an almond foam. Both main courses were terrific but the portions were surprisingly small. For dessert, I went with the chocolate fondant with Earl Grey syrup, switching out the raspberry sorbet for a nice vanilla ice cream. The fondant was still warm, with a liquid dark chocolate center that married nicely with the sweet Earl Grey syrup. Some nice complimentary handcrafted chocolates completed the meal. Service was fine although I did find it a little annoying that I was only told of the addition to the menu ("Venison,"I was succintly informed) after I made a point of asking, and only after my wife had ordered her meal. The decor is stark and clean, the wood and frosted glass entranceway reminiscent of my old high school principal's office. As we were leaving, we popped in next door to make a reservation for Sunday night. Sadly, the gang at Fuel were dealing with a mini-crisis: a power outage that had pretty much shut down their kitchen. Fortunately, their computer systems were still online and we were able to book a table for this weekend, presuming they would have their electricity restored by then. For the pics on this meal, check out my blog entry dated January 5, 2006 -

December 24th: Sis's place for lasagna, eggplant parmesan, sweet canelloni, baked garlic mussels, roast leg of lamb, and various Greek desserts. December 25th: Dinner at the in-laws where we enjoyed another roast leg of lamb, turkey, homemade Vietnamese spring rolls, shrimp in lobster sauce, won ton soup, and an awesome dish of Chinese mushrooms, tofu, and chicken. December 26th: Bar B Barn for a half-rack of their famed sweet ribs. December 28th: Pied de Cochon for a foie gras blow-out - cromesquis (with their foie gras liquid centers), foie gras cru sur tartlet, foie gras poutine, foie gras grilled cheese, foie gras-stuffed pigs feet, foie gras and duck in a can, and pork pot (pork four ways: shank, belly, sausage, and cinammon-spiced blood pudding). Dessert highlights: pouding chomeur (a decadently sweet cake in a bubbling pool of Maple lava) and Vahlrona dark chocolate mousse. December 29th: Smoked Meat Pete's for a fantastic medium-fat smoked meat sandwich and fries. December 31st: Dinner at Le Gourmand where highlights included a breaded veal cutlet, Maple smoked salmon, chicken liver mousse, and a hot chocolate torte topped with vanillla ice cream. Check out the pics on my blog...

Remind me never to invite you over for dinner. You need help. A. ← Well, I'm heading back to Montreal for the holidays. It'll be interesting to see: a) what mom cooks up and, b) how she reacts to the camera. Pics to come!

Until I can figure out how to post pics to this forum, you can check out the pics at my blog. I even snapped pics and reviewed dinner at a friend's place this past Saturday.

Well, we paid a return visit to Prima Taste. This time, we went for lunch. We started with the delectable chicken satay and its accompanying satay sauce. I followed with the Bak Kut Teh, a soup made with herbs, spices, and simmered pork ribs. Was this the soup you were referring to, Canucklehead? It was great but not overly peppery as you described. I fished five whole sweet garlic cloves out of the clay pot in which it was served. Very good. My wife started with the vegetarian spring rolls that were crisp, not too greasy, and very tasty. She wasn’t that crazy about her main course, the Mee Goreng. I thought it was very good but she was still thinking about the curry chicken she’d enjoyed the last night. Overall, another enjoyable meal. One of the nice things about this place is that they’re not afraid to spice their food, unlike many of their more conservative rivals.

We had a fantastic dinner tonight at a Singaporean restaurant called, oddly enough, Prima Taste (570 Robson Street). We were actually intending to go somewhere else and were walking by when the menu caught our eye. Well, I’m glad it did because the food here was really, really, REALLY good. I started with six perfectly grilled, nicely seasoned, juicy chicken satays. I defy you to find better in Vancouver. They were served with a very nice, deep peanuty satay sauce topped with minced ginger and garlic. My wife had the mango salad: mango strips, shredded iceberg lettuce, purple cabbage, and cucumbers in a slightly sweet dressing that packed a surprising kick. I’m not a salad man (considering it little more than a distraction from the main event) but found this particular salad very hard to stop eating. My main course was the Hainanese chicken - steamed chicken served with a surprisingly flavorful bowl of rice (cooked in chicken stock) and accompanied by three types of sauces (soy, sweet chili, and minced ginger and garlic), and a bowl of equally flavorful chicken broth. My wife loved her curry chicken, but the highlight of the night for her was the coconut rice. Holy smokes! I have to say, I’ve never tasted rice this good! All in all, a terrific meal. And since I forgot my camera at home tonight, we’ll be going back tomorrow so that I can post some pics for you all.

Hmmm. I'm going to reserve judgement as well. That said, Montri's is my wife's favorite restaurant (we just ate there last night and had a wonderful meal) and she'll be quick to critique any changes to either the menu or the quality of the dishes.

Konnichiwa from Japan. I had the most inventive, memorable dinner I've ever had in my life, and my first foray into molecular gastronomy at the Oriental Mandarin Tokyo's Tapas Molecular Bar. 2+ hours, 28 courses. I did a write up on each of the tiny dishes, with pics, in the December 5, 2006 Part II installment of my travel blog - http://www.josephmallozzi.blogspot.com/

Air Canada flight 007 to Hong Kong. I'm in Asia for the next couple of weeks and keeping a food/travel blog if anyone's interested... http://www.josephmallozzi.blogspot.com/ LB

It's not Long's Noodle House, it it?