LordBalthazar

Ah, I remember going to Haru on Thurlow and having Japanese mountain potatoes. Sigh. I miss that place.

As someone who occasionally enjoys making a meal of a selection of starters, I love the notion of "trios". It offers up an incredible variety of fairly creative dishes. Ling, I'm surprised you didn't enjoy your visit. I've been twice and, on both occasions, thoroughly enjoyed my meals (the lobster risotto on both occasions was an overwhelming table favorite). I'm also surprised you gave Michael Mina's the thumbs down. It's another restaurant (both the SF and Vegas branches) that has yet to disappoint me. Aside from the lack of really exciting dishes, do you think the idea of the "trios" works? Do the different styles and flavours add interest or just create a muddled and confusing meal? I have to admit it sounds gimmicky to me and the food sounds excessively complicated, but that may just reflect my preference for classic and simple. ←

Hills Foods offers rabbit as well as an assortment of other game meats including ostrich. I even heard they were thinking of bringing possum in. No kidding.

The opentable.com website is no help at all, so I searched the web and found this: "VIP MEMBER BENEFITS Restaurants know you are an OpenTable VIP. Your reservation is flagged with a special note. Periodic perks such as VIP invitations, premium offers, and more. Exclusive recognition on OpenTable.com for VIP Members. In addition, VIP status and $3.50 will get you a cheese sandwich." Okay, I made that last part up.

My friend Carl is not one for white truffle foam or raspberry coulis. The thought of eating a veal cheek makes his skin crawl. A foie gras parfait would be as inviting to him as a leather insole creme brulee. Its not that his palette isn't refined. Carl simply doesn't have the patience for haute cuisine. So when it came time for me to host his culinary tour of Vancouver, I chose a dish we could both agree on: the hamburger. But not just any hamburger. Over the past four weeks, we have tested some of the best this city has to offer. We went to Diva's where he enjoyed a double Kobe beef cheeseburger (while I had mine with brasied short ribs, foie gras, and white truffle oil). We checked out Vera's Burger Shack and Moderne Burger. And, tonight, our journey took us to Feenie's, a place that gets my vote for "worst restaurant in which to have a conversation". The music is always a little too loud, the room's accoustics downright irritating. We were seven. Carl, of course, chose the burger (sans foie gras and short ribs, natch) while I opted for what I assume is a new menu item: the Peking Duck club sandwich. I also ordered a lobster poutine for the table. The lobster poutine was up first: excellent fries topped with bearnaise a sauce, brie, and a few lobster morsels. Although I wasn't expecting the dish to be overflowing with lobster, at $25+ I was expecting a bit more of a presence - and, at the very least, enough brie and bearnaise sauce to cover the fries. When my Peking Duck clubhouse arrived, I instantly regretted not having gone with the burger. The sandwich was tiny. It was served on a toasted fruit and nut bread and included some excellent duck meat and skin and crispy pancetta. It was very good, but not particularly satisfying. Nevertheless, I would recommend it to people with smaller appetites (say anyone over ninety years of age). One of my fellow diners ordered the Montreal smoked meat sandwich ("From Montreal,"our waiter informed us) which, for some reason, was served with melted cheese. As someone who grew up in Montreal, I assured my fellow diner that this was the exception and not the rule. She was less than impressed. Carl enjoyed his burger but rated the Diva's burger heads above the rest. Moderne Burger came in second. Vera's and Feenie's tied for third. Note to Rob and co.: work on that bun. As we paid our bill, a woman seated at a neighboring table asked our waiter for some cheddar. He informed her that the restaurant didn't like to encourage customers to order cheddar because there were so many superior cheeses on the menu. Upon overhearing this, Carl's eyes bugged out so far I feared they would pop right out of his head and into his condiment cart. If there's one thing Carl dislikes more than foie gras, its waiters with attitude. After tonight's experience, I doubt I could ever convince him to go back. Red Onion anyone?

Went back the other night with guests. The food and the service were as good as the first time we went. And the desserts are still as disappointing.

I have never been to Coast, but a few of my friends have and their takes were less than positive. Glowbal is a fine place for lunch. My wife and I went for dinner once and she was served a chicken that was so suffused with herb flavor that she has refused to go back. As for Sanafir - as I wrote in my review, I was pleasantly surprised by the food. It was great. The service was equally great. And while, yes, the "beautiful people" do put on a show, I see them more as a source of amusement than a point irritiation.

Whenever I hear the words "in" or "hot" used to decribe a restaurant, I can't help but expect the worst. These trendy establishments inevitably boast a beautiful staff to compliment the equally beautiful decor - and food that is usually an after-thought. Of course, I seem to be in the minority as I know many people who rave about places like that Cole Harbour hotspot my wife less-than-affectionately refers to as "Earls on the Water", or that new generation Chinese restaurant with their failed experiments in five-spice. So it was with a certain amount of trepidation that I agreed to check out Sanifir, the "new hotspot on downtown Granville". Our fellow diners were eager to go and, hey, I'm a fairly open-minded guy (unless we're talking about shepherd's pie, reality shows with dancing contestants, or fruit in my dessert - but more on this later). I made the quick and easy reservations via Opentable.com, and we arrived shortly after 6:30 p.m. Sanafir's location isn't exactly upscale - which would explain the bouncer stationed outside the entrance as we left, or the fact that I got hit up for change twice in the time it took me to walk from the valet to the restaurant. Some would even describe the surroundings as downright seedy. But the second you step through that front door, you enter an oasis of Middle Eastern sophistication. The place is spacious and beautiful. The four of us were seated at a roomy booth that could well have complimented twice as many, and we were welcomed to Sanafir by our server. She handed out the menus, took our drink order, and prepared us for the unique dining experience to come. As outlined in the previous post, the menu is divided into different choices: Beef, Tuna, Chicken, Pork, Prawn, Lamb, Scallop and Vegetarian. Each of these choices is comprised of a trio of different tapas selections (although I believe it is possible to mix and match as I noticed a neighboring table had ordered three identical beef tapas). In addition, larger side dishes are offered. We went with two of these side dishes - a fantastic hummus boasting chunks of the sweet roasted garlic, and an equally incredible lobster risotto. They accompanied our foray into a impressive array of dishes, 12 in all, covering the five basic food groups. Yes: beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and tuna. Given the wide variety of dishes, you would assume there would be just as many hits as misses - but, to my surprise, the items we sampled ranged from very good to excellent. Highlights included the braised lamb shank with Vidalia onion confit, the pork pakora, and beef-stuffed ravioli with white truffle cream and shaved black truffle. The evening would have been perfect - if not for the dessert trio: a fruit and chocolate sushi roll, a cardamom yogurt topped with what I believe was a grapefruit granite, and some meringue berry thing. Not one fruitless offering in the bunch. Our server was kind enough to offer to rustle up a biscotti for me, but I politely declined. "I'll pick up a doughnut on the way home,"I told her. Two servings of lobster risotto, an order of hummus, five main menu items (three dishes a piece for a grand total of 15 tapas plates), and a couple of bottle of sparkling water came out to a little under $150 including tip. Not bad at all. Service was exceptional - polished, professional, and friendly. After our meal, we were given a tour of the upstairs lounge with its low tables and comfy beds. Definitely a fun place to hang out with friends. BYOJ (Bring Your Own Jammies).

My wife and I had been following the progress of Red Pepper on West Broadway (couple of doors down from Cru). After several months, the OPENING SOON sign was finally gone and, we assumed, the establishment was open for business. We dropped by last night to check it out. Even though the sign outside said OPEN, the place was empty. There was also another sign on the front window that read OPENING SOON: PORTOBELLA RISTORANTE. Did I miss something? Like the week and a half Red Pepper was actually in business?

If you're still looking, Meinhardt's on Granville now carries Santander along with Amedei, Michel Cluizel, and assorted other high-end chocolates.

Are they still importing their fish from Tsukiji?

I know that Oysi Oysi used to entertain large groups of Japanese tourists way back when I was living downtown. I remember them preparing natto especially for them.

Next time you go, try the tea-smoked duck and/or the pork belly - in my opinion, two of the top offerings on a very good menu. The homemade house noodles are also great (they serve a spicy bean version that is out of this world) as is a spicy chicken dish served with crispy spinach (tender pieces of chicken breast, not deep fried).

Jamie, Thanks for the response. It's nice to hear that Richmond may be reinstalled a geographic category next year. If it does happen, I'll be very interested to see how the area's contendors weigh in against some of Vancouver' perennial winners. Still, Pink Pearl inclusion in the "Fine Dining" category baffles me, to say nothing of its win. I've eaten there on two separate occasions. In both instances, our dishes were cold, the restaurant itself...well, let's just say a far cry from what I'd classify as "fine dining". "I can only respond as one judge, but can tell you that I have had 16.0+ point meals at each of the restaurants that you mention with the exception of Caffe de Medici, where I have been less successful. And I might add that the jury is still out after Julio Gonzalez-Perini's sale of the Villa." Fair enough. I'll admit to having had some less than successful outings at all of the above-mentioned restaurants. That said, I've found Cioppino's and, CinCin in particular, much less consistent (even disastrous on one visit to CinCin with my in-laws last year). "This category does not currently contemplate roast beef, but perhaps that's worthy of consideration." Truth be told, I'm a bit of a steak snob. Ever since I visited Tokyo and tried Kobe beef for the first time, the North American offerings have simply never measured up. I suppose if I tried a Kobe roast beef on my next trip to Japan, my opinion of the Keg's version could change. I'd be intrigued to see your list. Personally, I rate Thierry Busset's desserts and Sebastien le Goff's and chef Andreas's' cheeses highly. And for that matter, Busset's breads are amongst the best in any city restaurant." I can't argue cheeses and breads, so I'll defer to your expertise on these. As for my dessert destination - I'll start working on my list.

Today - dropped by Feenies for brunch only to be told there were no tables available even though the place was half empty. Tried Sophie's but didn't feel like waiting in line and noticed Bistro Pastis was open for lunch. We secured a table, no problem, and had a wonderful brunch. My wife had a wonderful French onion soup and I had a nice, light offering of scrambled eggs with chives and wild smoked salmon. We split a no-so-light dish of crispy sweetbreads in what I believe was a parsnip-squash, bacon studded puree. Delicious. Last night - Went to Don Francesco's. Started with my usual sublime squash-stuffed ravioli in black truffle butter, had a wonderful Hungarian-style paprika patridge for my main course, and finished with the house white chocolate mousse. Don Francesco was in fine singing form, serenading two birthday girls and an anniversary couple over the course of our seating. Yesterday lunch - Dropped by Northern Chinese Delicacy in the Aberdeen Center on our way to the Richmond Auto Mall. Followed our waitress's advice and enjoyed a wonderful spicy chicken with crispy spinach. Along with the various dim sum items, we also had the restaurant's masterful tea-smoked duck. I can't recommend this particular menu item enough.

As with most awards, they provide fodder for some wonderful debate and discussion (not to mention great publicity for all of the winners), but they shouldn't be taken as a serious reflection of the relative quality of the individual restaurants. While it's hard to argue against obvious selections like West, Lumiere, and C for best overall restaurant, it's though to swallow some of the more debatable selections. Blue Water silver plate award for Best Japanese fine dining? Seriously? Hun's Wun-Tun gold plate award for Best Casual Chinese dining? For real? Next year, I'd be more than happy to draw up a list of restaurants for the judges to check out. It would necessitate their traveling outside of the downtown core, but hopefully they'll be up to the challenge. Speaking of which - it's unfortunate that the judges couldn't be bothered to check out the multitude of Chinese fine-dining establishments in Richmond. There are a few that could, dare I say it, even give the antiquated Pink Pearl a run for its bronze plate next go-around. Also, as someone who works in the television and film industry and has been to countless dinners at Cioppino' and CinCin's (they are, after all, the industury's "in" restaurants), I can honestly say my experience with both has ranged from "usually pretty good" to "occasionally middling" as opposed to the more consistently great meals I've enjoyed at the likes of Don Francesco, Villa del Lupo, and Caffe de Medici. It all makes for entertaining (sometimes unintentionally hilarious) reading but, ultimately, it all comes down to individual opinion. Congratulations to William Tell for winning the gold plate for Best Other European, but I'll be opting for Ouzerie or Budapest instead. Hurray for Gotham and Morton's for winning the gold plate for Best Steakhouse/Chop, but if I want the most flavorful prime rib in the city, I'll be swinging by The Keg. And good on both CinCin and Blue Water for receiving an honorable mention in the Best Last Course category, although if I had a hankering for dessert there are roughly two dozen alternate establishments I'd check out first.

I' ve seen it on the wild game menu at Don Francesco but have yet to try it there.

Here's the link to the list - http://www.theworlds50best.com/bestlist.aspx I've eaten at approximately 0 of them. Anybody here tried any of them? Thoughts on any of the restaurants listed - or the list itself? I'm somewhat surprised that Hong Kong and Japan didn't crack the top 50.

I've used opentable.com to make reservations on numerous occasions. It's quick, easy, and I have yet to experience any problems with the site. The only drawback is the limited restaurant selection.

My review of Jang Mo Jib... I have driven by the restaurant countless times on my way to work in the mornings and have always wanted to check it out. My wife and I tend to be creatures of habit (if we find something we like, we stick to it) but, feeling unusually adventurous last Saturday night, we set out to "try something new". We drove down 12th and, unable to hang a left on Kingsway, I took the next left and turned into the parking lot next door. Unfortunately, the sign by the entrance made it clear that the parking lot was reserved for patrons of the Ramada Inn (if I remember correctly) and that illegally parked cars would be towed. So, I turned around, drove out, hung a right on Kingsway hoping to find metered parking out front. Alas, there is no metered parking in front of the restaurant - or for the next couple of blocks for that matter. Undeterred, I took my first right and looked for parking on one of the side streets behind the restaurant. As it turns out, the entire area is residential permit parking only. Almost out of options, I turned into the raised parking lot directly above the restaurant - and read the sign informing me that this was also a Ramada Inn parking lot and that illegally parked cars would be towed. So we turned around and went to Long's Noodle House instead - and had a wonderful meal. Final score for Jang Mo Jib: Service: N/A Ambiance: N/A Food: N/A Price: N/A

What did you have at Fran's Chocolates?

Thanks for the responses. Since a friend suggested Roppongi, I was looking into the Grand Hyatt. But now, I'm not sure... The more I hear about it, the more I think the Park Hyatt in Shinjuku is the place for us. It may be out of the way, but we usually cab it around Tokyo anyway. And good room service is important. We stayed at the Hotel Seiyo in Ginza two years ago and it was the best room service we've ever experienced (and the best breakfasts we've ever eaten). Also, we're looking for a hotel with a good restaurant or two on the premises. I've heard good things about The Four Seasons Marunouchi, Robyn. Please let me know how you enjoyed your stay. As for what type of food we're interested in trying: mainly Japanese (some Korean being the sole exception because my wife is a huge fan of the Korean restaurants we have tried in Tokyo). Some of our favorites we'd like to to re-visit include - Serina Honten - a beautiful restaurant that offers top quality shabu-shabu and teppanyaki. The place we first fell in love with Kobe beef. The bar offers a gorgeous view of the Tokyo cityscape. Gompachi - great yakitori and robata with locations in Ginza and Odaiba. Places I plan to check out this time around: Sushi Restaurant Hashida - for the out-of-this-world uni Chikuyoutei Ginza - for their famed barbecued eel Bairin - for their purportedly lightly panko-crusted yet delectable kastu Chanoha - for some highly-recommended chestnut delicacies Ginza Miyachiku Restaurant - for their Miyazaki beef teppanyaki and steak fat-soaked dessert cracker my friend raves about

LordBalthazar .... Congratulations on a successful event. It sounds like it came off really well. What can be more heavenly than an evening spent eating the "food of the gods" ? Please let me know when you are planning on hosting another one. We are in the process of starting a new chocolate company where we will be making our own chocolate -- all the way from the bean. I suspect we will be up and going by the time you set up another event. If you give me a heads up, perhaps we can assist you in some way (i.e., with chocolate). And yes. there is a distinct possibility that we will have Porcelana (and others) for you to try. -Art ← Good luck to you and do keep me posted. I'm thinking of hosting another soiree in 4-6 months.

My wife and I have tentative plans to return to Tokyo in late November. The last two times we visited, we stayed in Ginza - once at the Imperial Hotel, another time at the Hotel Seiyo - both high-end hotels within easy walking distance of great eats and shopping (for eats). This time around, I was thinking of staying at the Park Hyatt Shinjuku, but was told it is a little out of the way. Someone suggested we stay in Roppogni. So, can anyone recommend some high-end hotels in Roppogni (with either great restaurants or located near some great restaurants). Alternately, if you could stay anywhere in Tokyo for a week, which hotel would you choose and why? Thanks in advance. LB

Yes. I ordered a bunch from Chocosphere as well but, sadly, ran out of room at the party and didn't get a chance to put them out. I ordered (if memory serves me correctly) the Fortissimo (which was an 80%), and the Caracas, Madagascar, Venezuela, Java, Equateur and Trinidad (which were all 75%). My writing partner and I spent an afternoon sampling them and both chose the Venezuela and Caracas as our favorites (the former was my number one, this latter his). Of the 75%'s, the Java was my least favorite as I found it a little too strong and lingering. Of course, there are a bunch I've yet to try including the Trinidad, Vanuata, and Jamaique. Which are your favorites and why?