Truth be told: Where've you eaten lately? (Part 2)

[Keith Talent]

Just got back from a fantastic dinner at Bin 941...an ahi tuna and chow mein deal.

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Ahi? Certain members are going to freak. Sure it wasn't albacore?

[kontemporary]

Last time I was at Bin941 they were serving Ahi three ways. It was.. seared ahi, an ahi salsa (if i remember right?) and a stir-fry.

[snacky_cat]

Last time I was at Bin941 they were serving Ahi three ways. It was.. seared ahi, an ahi salsa (if i remember right?) and a stir-fry.

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Yup, we munched on what the virtual menu confirms was "Sashimi grade Ahi Tuna seared rare, spicy tuna tartare as salsa, shitake mushroom sui choy egg noodle chow mein, sweet soy Pinot Gris lime sauce".

Let the tuna conniption fits begin! (Oh, and I must ask, why? I have vague recollections of ahi-put-downs some time ago, but like many things, it has been lost to my wine-rotted memory.)

[peppyre]

Read through the information from the C Sustainability Lunch. I think it's mentioned or linked too there.

[*Deborah*]

Um, sustainable tuna issues...Bluefin is a no, but Ahi is OK (if caught properly...).

[Keith Talent]

Um, sustainable tuna issues...Bluefin is a no, but Ahi is OK (if caught properly...).

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Uhh, according to the Monetray Aquarium, the only acceptable method for catching Ahi is with a pole and line, both longlining and trolling which are the methods used for commercially caught fish are cited as being unsustainable, due to bycatch.

[Daddy-A]

I've been avoiding the dine-out scene lately, and spending lots more time cooking at home. Besides, work has been to busy to allow me the privelage of the lazy lunch.

Fridays seem to be a bit more flexible. Last Friday was another edition of the Lunch Mafia, this time at Simply Thai. I agree pretty much with all the others' comments. What they didn't say was that we were supposed to go to Budapest on Main Street, but although the sign said they'd be open for lunch, at noon there was nobody in sight. Is this just an eccentrisity of this place? Seems an odd way to run a business ...

Sunday was Burger Club at Feenies.

I've also managed to visit Churroliscious or whatever that place was we were all fighting about good churros over. For anybody intrested, they'll be over at Waterfront Park for the Carribean Days Festival. Not sure how churros are Carribean ...

Today I dropped by for lunch at Go Fish! is search of the ellusive fish taco. I started with the soup, which was Szeschuan Salmon and Black Bean. Not their best effort. The flavours were good at first, but became quite muddy after a few spoonfulls. The coups here are typically clean and distinct in their flavouring. This one needs some work IMO.

Lunch was save however by the Salmon Taco. Fresh, flaky flour tortilla (although I would have preferred corn it was really good) filled with cabbage, chipotle mayo, salsa and grilled Spring salmon. I bought two with the intention of bringing one home for "J". If I hadn't had the soup, there's no way the second taco would have made it home.

A.

[*Deborah*]

  Not sure how churros are Carribean ...

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There are a number of Latin American countries bordering the Caribbean, Arne.

[Daddy-A]

  Not sure how churros are Carribean ...

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There are a number of Latin American countries bordering the Caribbean, Arne.

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Point taken ... I suppose I'm thinking more about jerk chicken and the like. Churros never crossed my mind, but I can see now where they might fit in.

A.

[kontemporary]

Haven't done a review for awhile.. so here's my contribution of my experience on the opening day of Watermark on Kits Beach.

We were seated promptly after arriving at 7 - the restaurant had a few tables left not yet occupied. Service for the most part was very relaxed and casual. I believe our server was the maitre'd (he seemed very professional and had the folded cloth over his shoulder at most times). Our table had also seven people, of whom three were missing. He was quite tolerant of our hurdle in trying to find out why our late-showers were late and if they were coming. As the night progressed the restaurant began to fill up, eventually leading to a small lineup for tables with the server rush was very noticeable. The food came out a bit slow, though that is understandable for its opening day. It was a thirty to forty-five minute wait which was bearable. Dessert was much quicker and came within fifteen minutes of order. There were some significant 'glitches' so to speak though: the oven was not working, and therefore one of their entrée menu items, a tart, was unable to be ordered. There was also no martini list (they did have a wine list), but the bartender was open to any cocktail orders. After our main dishes arrived (the crowd decided not to have appetizers), service disappeared. Our glasses of water were left unfilled, and not once throughout the entire meal were we asked how we were doing. I also asked for a second glance at the wine list to one of the servers, whom eventually forgot my request and I was forced to ask a different server.

To the food.. I had the Surf Clam Vongole, which was done quite mediocre. The pasta was cooked al dente and perfect, but the sauce was very bland, and the clams, overcooked. The dish was also mildly warm, with suspicion of being under the heating lamp for too long. My friend next to me had the Lemon Thyme Chicken Linguini, which was also quite mediocre. The sauce was not a "light cream sauce" as its description, but a sauce of a buttery taste that minimally coated the pasta which did not suffice. My other friend had the burger, which I found to be excellent after taking a bite out of it and sharing the curly fries. Burger was very flavourful, and the fries crispy. Adding some aioli would have made a perfect dish, and I'm sure you can order it even though I believe it was not listed on the menu as an option with the dish. The desserts of the night were very wonderful. I had the chocolate orange brulée which was very good. It was in a dish the shape of a snail, which made it harder to eat, but was visually pleasing. My friend had the lemon cheesecake which was also very good. Dessert definitely saved our experience - compliments to the pastry chef.

The atmosphere was very eclectic and upbeat. Background music was a mix of lounge and techno electronica, with a strong but fluid bass. The crowd seemed to be of a normal Kitsilano dinner crowd, though there were some people coming in from the beach just wearing jeans (like me). And of course, there is the biggest and arguably the best aspect of the restaurant which is the patio and beach view. It was very nice to have a 180 view of the mountains and the beach, going right to sunset and enjoying the weather while dining. It was stunning. However I'm sure some patrons had problems with the sun being directly in their line of vision and the server has mentioned of perhaps setting up blinds for some hours in the day.

Overall it was a mixed experience. There were some aspects that were enjoyable and others not. But of course, this was their first day, and many of these bugs will be fine-tuned out in the weeks to come. It was still enjoyable (the dessert was awesome), and I will be sure to re-visit Watermark once it grounds its feet in the near future.

EDIT: so many grammar mistakes after reading my post again.. sorry i was abit tipsy the night before

Edited July 23, 2005 by rêvasser (log)

[Andrew Morrison]

Powdered mashed potatoes, mechanically separated turkey, cubed squash substitute and some cold Ponsardins at the Maternity Bistro.

Alexander Innes Morrison has joined our table finally, all 8 pounds 5 ounces of him.

Edited July 25, 2005 by editor@waiterblog (log)

[jamiemaw]

Powdered mashed potatoes, mechanically separated turkey, cubed squash substitute and some cold Ponsardins at the Maternity Bistro.

Alexander Innes Morrison has joined our table finally, all 8 pounds 5 ounces of him.

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Heartiest congratulations to you and yours, Andrew!

[*Deborah*]

Powdered mashed potatoes, mechanically separated turkey, cubed squash substitute and some cold Ponsardins at the Maternity Bistro.

Alexander Innes Morrison has joined our table finally, all 8 pounds 5 ounces of him.

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Oh, great news!!

Felicitations to the whole family!

[chef jeff]

Powdered mashed potatoes, mechanically separated turkey, cubed squash substitute and some cold Ponsardins at the Maternity Bistro.

Alexander Innes Morrison has joined our table finally, all 8 pounds 5 ounces of him.

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When can I start winning his allowence money at restaurant industry poker night?

Congratulations!!!

Jeff

[Harry Sturhahn]

Congrats Andrew!

[barolo]

Fantastic news, Andrew! Congratulations and best wishes.

Edited July 25, 2005 by barolo (log)

[gerald]

Congrats Andrew

As someone who has 3 kids let me tell you what your in for.

nevermind, i wouldn't wnt to spoil the fun.

[Vancitygirl]

Powdered mashed potatoes, mechanically separated turkey, cubed squash substitute and some cold Ponsardins at the Maternity Bistro.

Alexander Innes Morrison has joined our table finally, all 8 pounds 5 ounces of him.

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I love the name! Congratulations - hope you are out and on your way to some better meals.

[Daddy-A]

I had a Ling-day on Saturday ...

Breakfast at Whitespot before I opened the showroom. Met a friend from visiting from Kamloops who's not the adventurous type, so getting him up the street to Tomato was not an option. However, I'll admit to liking Whitespot breakfasts. I had the "Big Bowl" which is essentially a deconstructed Western omlette sitting on top of hash browns. Tasty, and surprisingly not greasy. Waitress brought me the wrong toast and didn't even offer to correct the mistake. Just said "sorry about that and left

"J" and I met up after work (I open the showroom at 10, close at 4) and I was ravenous. It was going to be a couple hours before we went to the C's game at the Nat, and I wasn't going to make it. We stopped at the 5-Point on Main for some beers and snacks, sharing the chicken wings and blackened tuna. The wings were good as far as wings go, but the tuna bordered on deliscious.

Does beer and fries from The Nat Bailey Stadium Concession Stand, and a jumbo apricot-oatmeal cookie from Fieldstone's (courtesy of lemon curd) count as a meal? C's won by the way ... and that Jeffy Boy sure gets surly after a couple ball-park brews. He was making the players cry the way he was taunting them! I'll let peppyre chime on on her hot dog.

post game snack at Aurora Bistro. Finally able to cross them off my "must visit" list ... and I spent most of the evening wondering why I had waited so long. The hospitable kurtisk (who looks EXACTLY like his avatar!) made us feel most welcome in one of the best designed restaurants I have been in. Complete design coordination front to back, including the menu & moniker. Really excellent.

I enjoyed the Tempura'd Zucchini Blossom stuffed w/ Curried Halibut Cheek and the Nicola Valley Bison Carpaccio w/ white truffel oil. Both were fantastic dishes with my nod going to the halibut. I love halibut cheeks but have never thought of doing them curried. "J" had the Blue Cheese Tart and a sausage of some sort (I know it had fennel!). All were washed down with a Kettle Valley Viognier. A cheese course followed with a bottle of Township 7 Late Harvest Pinot Blanc.

Chef Jeff came out to introduce himself and accept accolades on a truly wonderful post-game "snack."

A.

[Ling]

Truthfully, my outings this week have been very alcohol-centric, but I'll report anyway

Wednesday:

Frog and Firkin: Wednesday is Customer Appreciation day, and thus they offer all their drink specials (and wing specials too). I had too many shots of Jaeger to count, and a glass of Mission Hill cab. sauv. that tasted off. I guess not many people order wine at a bar.

We ended the evening at Viva nightclub in Richmond--wow, I haven't been here since high school, when it was cool to chill here and rub shoulders with other misguided Asian youth. Drank pitchers of a popular Honger concoction (whiskey and green tea...and yes, it tastes even worse than it sounds), and downed many shots of liquor. That was a rough night.

Saturday:

Yuk Yuk's: A friend won free tickets, so we shared jalapeno poppers and Coronas. We also got kicked out for being too rowdy. Can you imagine? Am I not a very well-behaved young woman? I must've missed the "No Laughing" sign on my way in.

After a few rounds of gin & tonics at my friend's house, we cabbed over to Aqua for another 4 or 6 drinks each. I ate something downtown that night that came with a sweet corn relish, but I don't remember what it was. I think it was...chicken? And shared a chocolate bar and cookies with a guy I'm seeing.

Tonight I will be once again re-visiting by high school days by having bubble tea with some friends.

Edited July 26, 2005 by Ling (log)

[Ling]

Powdered mashed potatoes, mechanically separated turkey, cubed squash substitute and some cold Ponsardins at the Maternity Bistro.

Alexander Innes Morrison has joined our table finally, all 8 pounds 5 ounces of him.

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What a stylish name--I love it. Congrats!

[Jeffy Boy]

... and that Jeffy Boy sure gets surly after a couple ball-park brews.  He was making the players cry the way he was taunting them!  

Note to visiting teams: You might want to leave any players named "Darryl" at home.

We ended the evening at Viva nightclub in Richmond--wow, I hadn't been here since high school

Edited July 26, 2005 by Jeffy Boy (log)

[Badiane]

Saturday:

Yuk Yuk's: A friend won free tickets, so we shared jalapeno poppers and Coronas. We also got kicked out for being too rowdy. Can you imagine? Am I not a very well-behaved young woman?  I must've missed the "No Laughing" sign on my way in.

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Wow!!!! Back in the day - my wild mis-spent youth - I was a stand up comedian at Yuk Yuk's. Not to cast aspersions, but you pretty much have to leap on the comedian's back and ride him like a cowboy to get tossed out of that place...what the heck were you doing?!

[canucklehead]

First off - congrats to Andrew

Second off - intervention for Ling

Sunday Lunch - returned from a weekend in Victoria - but I did not have a chance sample alot of local fare. So - hit Go Fish to try the new kool aide and had two fish tacos. They are a good as noted above - don't try to judge them against any 'authentic' standard - but enjoy them for what they are - beautiful local salmon balanced against warm chipotle heat and fresh fresh herbiness.

Monday Lunch - Cin Cin. Very quiet room - but the food was very good. Had a pasta special of beef tenderloin w/ mushrooms and pasta. Substantial and filling - but somehow did not feel out of line with summer eating - don't know why.

Monday Dinner - Bluewater Cafe. Sat at the sushi bar and had delicously fresh sweet sushi (though it was disconcerting seeing the fish coming out of vacuum packs - even I know that this is probably the best way to keep the freshness of sushi grade fish). Ridiculously generous Uni Cones and Negi Toro Rolls that actually and good quality Toro in them (not the crazy fatty O-Toro - but good quality Chi-Toro).

I expected it to feel strange to be eating top notch sushi surrounded in a western restaurant. But it did not. It reminded me of one meal I had where Japanese and French courses were alternated by the Chef who was demonstrating his skill in both cuisines. I was sitting in a virtually empty restaurant while a typhoon roared outside... yet all this perfectly prepared food just kept on coming. In this same way - Toshi Yabo's little plates of jewel-like freshness made the rest of the room fall away.

(Sorry about the size of the pictures - I am grateful to you all for indulging me).

Edited July 26, 2005 by canucklehead (log)

[Ling]

Saturday:

Yuk Yuk's: A friend won free tickets, so we shared jalapeno poppers and Coronas. We also got kicked out for being too rowdy. Can you imagine? Am I not a very well-behaved young woman?  I must've missed the "No Laughing" sign on my way in.

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Wow!!!! Back in the day - my wild mis-spent youth - I was a stand up comedian at Yuk Yuk's. Not to cast aspersions, but you pretty much have to leap on the comedian's back and ride him like a cowboy to get tossed out of that place...what the heck were you doing?!

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In all seriousness, I was really surprised that we were singled out for being "loud"--we were just laughing (and not outrageously loud, either!). And we were not being rude or obnoxious by talking to one another during the acts. I really don't know what happened there.

And to make this post slightly more on-topic, tonight I had coffee and a lemon bundt cake from Starbucks. Cake was reasonably moist, with a very sweet glaze. Not terribly good.

Edited July 26, 2005 by Ling (log)