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

[Chocoholic]

Last weekend was spent in Whistler, soaking up the sun and hiking around the Harmony trails. Gorgeous weather, stupendous views and lots of food. A perfect weekend for sure.

Saturday morning on the way in we stopped at Whole Foods in Park Royal and picked up some sandwiches from their deli counter. Brie and prosciutto with figs on a toasted ciabatta bun. I had to pull over at the top of Taylor Way since I was too engrossed in consuming the sandwich to safely pilot the family vehicle.

Saturday afternoon we strolled through the village and ended up on the Earls patio. We had some appies, dry ribs, a tomato puree soup and a piece of salmon with some rice for the little one. I was more into the Bellinis and the mango Margaritas we had, forgetting the lethal combo of high alcohol drinks and blazing sunshine. Luckily I was able to prostrate myself in the village square watching the live music while Chocoholic Jr. amused the crowd by going into an elaborate dance routine. Seeing a 2 year old do a Saturday Night Fever impression puts smiles on everyones faces. We made the mistake of letting him have a large scoop of ice cream at Earls so he was in hyper mode for many hours afterwards, refusing to sleep until about 9:30pm. At that point we had to drag ourselves downstairs to the restaurant (we were staying at the Westin) called Aubergine with Jr. fast asleep in his stroller. It was too late for a full dinner so we ordered some appies, the crab cakes were especially tasty, so tasty that we ended up ordering another round. We also munched on a salad and finished with a cheese plate and some port. The plate was very generous with dried figs, lots of nuts and sizable chunks of cheese. By the time we were finishing it off it was past 11, the chef came by for a chat and announced he was going home. We took the hint and retired to our room.

The next day after a hike on Whistler mountain we had lunch at Araxi on their patio while watching more live music and more of Jr.'s dancing antics. I had the cheese souffle followed by duck confit with a walnut salad, washed down with pints of GI Hefeweizen. The souffle was lovely, with a slightly creamy interior and a good but not overpowering cheese flavor. Duck confit is one of my favorites and it didn't disappoint this time. Connie had a salad followed by their halibut and chips which she shared with the little one. His combinations of dipping sauces, pieces of lemon, fish and garnishes were interesting to behold. He is the Jackson Pollock of cuisine no doubt.

[*Deborah*]

OK, I finally had a chance to go to my client's restaurant! (Central Bistro on Denman, in the old Brass Monkey space--I proofed the menus and wine list). Harry's been open for a few weeks now, and they are still working through a few things...the deck just went up Sunday and should be open today, and the interior will be going through a few décor changes still, I suppose evolving is the right word to use. I think it looks good already, but it seems there's still more to come.

Harry wants to make a little neighbourhood joint in this space, that tourists and others will still want to go, and I think he's well on his way! He's open from 9:00 a.m. for brunch, kitchen open till 12:00, lounge open till "late."

Mooshmouse was kind enough to accompany me (and take some doubtless beautiful photos, which I'm sure will be posted eventually) to try out the Flavours of Summer menu: Monday to Wednesday there's a 3-courses for $19 menu, changing weekly. Get it while you can! Not only that, but it was $5 Martini Monday...Christian was on the bar, making up some pretty delectable drinks.

Moosh started out with a Sugar Daddy--something we all could use--strawberry vodka, cherry liqueur, and dry vermouth, served with fresh berries. I had a Commercial Drive, to fill my Campari craving, which also included vodka and their great fresh lemonade.

We decided to have some crispy chicken and cabbage wontons served with spicy avocado dip, good flavour, which hit that "give me grease now!" spot. Not to say they were greasy, particularly, but they were fried. We like fried

On to the menu: we both started with the butter lettuce salad, served with small-diced tomatoes and hardboiled egg, and a delicious mustard and cider vinegar dressing. Very not froufy, very tasty. Kind of what salads were about before they were about 25 different recherché ingredients.

Second martinis*: a Geisha Girl for Moosh (sake, plum wine, berry vodka and cinnamon hearts), and a Tokyo Rose for me (melon liqueur, sake, and sweet vermouth). Not that they particularly went with the food, but it's important to do your drink research, don't you agree?

Main courses: Moosh had the Wild Salmon served with a wonderful basmati rice cooked with apple and ginger and peas (I had to try it! I love rice and peas), and I had the veal stew...oh so good. Veal and nugget potatoes and carrots and onions, in a creamy rich sauce with thyme. Very classic flavour, I hope this item comes to the regular menu in the fall.

For dessert, I had the grapefruit and watermelon granita, served on a cloud of cream, very light and refreshing, and Moosh had the bumbleberry brûlée, which was actually made with sour cream and yogourt, but with the burnt sugar top. Surprisingly good! very rich and creamy, and egg-free. I went on to my third and last martini,* a Purity's Passion, featuring vodka, ruby port, lime juice and cherry syrup. Mmmmmmm.

We decided we had not quite sated our hellacious dessert tooth, and Harry had a Milk Chocolate Semifreddo brought over to us....wow. Just wow! really delicious, fluffy and moussey and rich...served with a rhubarb compote that made my little saliva glands scream (in a good way).

So I am happy to recommend that you try out Central Bistro. In fact, I am hoping to assemble a small group to try out the 3-course menu on Tuesday August 2 (no Martini specials on Tuesday, but the wine markups are not bad). The menu for the coming week includes a fresh summer pea and chive cream; pear, fennel and orange salad; Chicken Linguine Carbonara with roasted garlic cream (I'm drooling already); Salmon Wellington served with a spinach and bacon salad; a strawberrry bavarian with chocolate cream; and pineapple carpaccio with a fresh ginger semifreddo. I'm a girl on a budget, always happy to find a bargain, and the food is good, too.

PM me if you would like to come with and I will make the reservation.

* No, I know they're not really martinis, but it's so much quicker than saying cocktail in a martini glass.

Edited to correct the date.

Edited July 27, 2005 by *Deborah* (log)

[Foodie in Vancouver]

I think you had tooooo many martini's - perhaps you mean Tuesday, August 9th or if it is August 6th, it is a Saturday.

[*Deborah*]

HA!

I mean Tuesday, August 2nd!!! day after the long weekend.

Thanks, Karole!

[kurtisk]

The hospitable kurtisk (who looks EXACTLY like his avatar!) made us feel most welcome

Thanks Arne! I hope my 3-dimensional self was more engaging...

k.

Edited July 27, 2005 by kurtisk (log)

[vanderb]

My turn for Calgary:

last Sunday, a truly terrible meal at the new Vietnamese place in Kensington called Saigon 9. I can't believe I've had this bad a Vietnamese meal in Calgary (with more Vietnamese restaurants than any place on earth outside of Vietnam). Noodles were sticky, clumped together and obviously cooked a lot earlier than ordered, and the meat was so dry I think it might have been jerky. The shrip salad rolls actually had a hard edge they were so old.

Last Friday, Il Pescatore on 11th Avenue SW. This place has definately had it's day and on a Friday night only had about 5 tables seated. The food was good but fairly un-inspired and the wine list was a surprise as there were only about 8 reds to choose from and nothing that really caught our attention. Considering the nights' halibut special was $38 I was surprised they didn't have a wine list to go along with it.

Saturday, July 16th, Muse in Kensington. Once again an incredible meal and evening at my favourite restaurant in Calgary. Service was excellent and it's always nice to have the owner drop by the table to ensure the evening is going well. The artichoke appetizer was great to see on the menu (never enough artichokes served in Calgary) but sadly a half an artichoke just can't cut it for me. The lamb entry was perfectly done and the mushroom ragu well above the bar. I do miss the rack of lamb entry they had going in the winter, hands down the best lamb I've ever been served in Calgary. The wine list prices were as intimidating as ever but I'm getting used to it.

Vanderb (ever hungry)

[canucklehead]

Lunch on Monday - Golden Sichuan for lunch with some egulleteers. I think that lunch is better then dinner - more generous with sichuan peppercorns, a lighter hand with the dan dan noodles. We shared the chili boiled beef, poached pork belly with spicy dipping sauce, and pea shoots with garlic. Such oriental delights - and the food was very good too.

Lunch Today - Snuck out to Mak's again on Broadway and had the wonton noodles and shared a plate of stir fried beef noodles. The beef noodes were excellent - hot from the wok and tightly cooked (not over sauced).

Dinner Tonight - Chambar

Have not been in ages and it was nice to be able to drop in a get a table. Things are not crazy busy for then early in the evening as the good weather keeps people outside and the fireworks are scaring diners away. Had the Mussel Congalese (sp?) - spicy broth and really really plump mussels. They come in from Lund (Northern Vancouver Island) and were fresh and tasty. A couple of days ago - I had gone to another restaurant and the mussels there were much smaller and stronger tasting. We were told then that it is simply a function of the summer weather - but now I am not so sure about the explanation. The Chambar mussels were as nice as I have had all year - even in the colder months. Also had an excellent roasted elk loin - served nicely rare with grilled polenta and assorted vegetables - not sure how they are keeping things to $20 - but this dish was a winner. Perfect portion size that seemed civilized but generous at the same time. Dessert was chcolate mousse and Kriek - what a fun combo (thanks to Vancouver Lee for introducing this to me). A bit of tasting alchemy that turns the Kriek into a fruity fizzy dessert beer.

Chambar's menu is evovling nicely and takes advantage of new ingredients. The place continues to fire on all pistons and it is nice to see everybody working there having fun and revelling in a restaurant finding its sweet spot.

edited to add - thanks to kurtist for returning to a much more pleasant avatar.

Edited July 28, 2005 by canucklehead (log)

[Ling]

Wednesday night: Stopped by for a drink at Viva in Richmond (omigod...why am I here again?!! ) The guy I'm dating introduced me to DJ Wax, who apparently is the top turntable DJ in the world. I met some of the same misguided Asian youth I hung out with the week before. Drank Chivas. My liver hates me.

Thursday, 4:30a.m: Consumed slices of microwaved, take-out "Deluxe" pizza bought earlier in the day from a place in Broadmoor while playing Earthbound, a Nintendo game from '95 on his new laptop. Everything about this smacks of elementary school "dating" (well, except for the decidedly more adult activities that took place earlier on. )

Thursday, 1:00p.m.: A lovely lunch with a friend at Le Crocodile. We ordered 2 of the daily specials: a foie gras dish with potato galette, topped with seared scallop. A few cantaloupe balls surrounded the foie gras, but I'm not sure they contributed much to the dish, although I don't mind foie with fruit. Friend ordered the lobster bisque and another special--the double-cut veal chop with porcini cream sauce. It came with 2 kinds of pommes frites (regular, and shoestring). I had the Alsacian onion tart (a sizeable portion of quiche with a fine dice of smoked ham, with a small salad and quail egg) and also the roast quail stuffed with sweetbreads. Beautiful presentation on a bed of wilted spinach, atop a thin slice of potato gratin anchored by a mound of whipped potato.

Tonight will no doubt be another night of drunken debauchery at a club, followed by early-morning dining at a greasy spoon.

(I promise I will revert to my former civilized self when this guy leaves for Japan in a few days.)

Edited July 30, 2005 by Ling (log)

[Andrew Morrison]

Ah, Ling.

[Ling]

^Full report for Waiterblog to come.

[Andrew Morrison]

Including the extraneous, non food related details? Awesome!

[Ling]

Andrew, I've tried to PM you a few times but it says you don't have use of your PM service?

As for non-related food details, I've yet to master the art of spicing up my reviews with a double-entendre here and there. Must ask Mr. Chatters for some help with that. He can turn a pretty phrase or two...and is dastardly good-looking, to boot.

Edited July 30, 2005 by Ling (log)

[sniffles]

Friday was lunch at Costco (Burnaby), that counts doesn't it? Has their classic hot dog and pop (1.99) and their Montreal smoked meat sandwich (4.99). I'm sure most of what you buy at their counter is available in their aisles. Hot dog was nothing to complain about (toasted bun would be good). The sandwich was not bad, a good inch of smoked meat in a sourdough (?) triangular bread, and a couple limp pickles.

Would I go back? Definitely!!

Sunday lunch at Horizons, had the west coast seafood chowder and aldergrilled wild bc salmon (lemon tarragon butter). Chowder was in the peppery side, only seafood I would find was salmon and clams (plus bacon). Looking at their web site there's no details with regards to their chowder so I guess they put in the leftovers. Grilled Salmon was tender and not bad, bit too much butter for my liking, accompaniments were home fried potatoes and home cut fruit. Potatoes were sliced and sauteed with onions and ?.

Would I go back? Probably with a 2 for 1 coupon

Sunday dinner at Cafe Kathmandu (finally!!),

Appetizers: chicken choilaa and chicken momo. The choilaa was enjoyable, chicken cubes with cilantro(?) (well you read the menu: http://www.cafekathmandu.com/menu.html). The taste and texture of the momo's was what I remembered 3 years ago in Nepal, but unfortunately they were wrapped in won ton wrapping (as per previous threads) which made than look like xiaolong bao's. I have made momo's myself but will have to say a homemade wrapping is a pita to make but well worth it at the end. The dipping sauce was mild (as requested) and very good accompaniment to the momo's.

Main: Dhal Bhat with goat curry was a bit of a disappointment, the dhal is basmati rice, bhat is yellow lentils, goat curry not bad but a bit tough and cabbage (?) achaar. The bhat was the dissapointing part, it was rather bland (not what I remembered), requested hot sauce to liven it up. Maybe I was expecting too much from this place.

Would I go back? Only if the momo wrapping were more hands on. I can skip the dhal bhat.

[Ling]

Saturday, 2:30 a.m.

After a rough night of drinking at Plush, we headed over to Kim Penh Xe Lua (24/7 pho place on W. Broadway) for a much-needed MSG pick-me-up. The boy had the steak pho, and I had the steak and tendon pho. We ordered the pork banh mi too, which came when he went out for a cigarette. The sandwich had mysteriously disappeared by the time he came back to the table... (I shoud not that this is was my first banh mi ever, and although I'm sure it's not the best you can get in the city, it was a pretty darn tasty sandwich.)

Sunday, 8:30 p.m.

I had dinner with the boy at Amarcord in Yaletown. Was pretty excited about dinner, considering the praise I've heard about the food. We had the antipasto platter for two to start, and then we both got the roast lobster (with garlic, white wine, chunks of roast tomato)--he had it with risotto, and I had it with the spaghetti. I ordered a bottle of Sumac Ridge Gewurztraminer--light, fruity, and paired well with the lobster. No time for dessert, as we were running late, but we did manage to down a few shots of amaretto and sambucca before we split.

11:00 p.m.

Next, we hit up Tatlow's for his second going-away away party. I drank a Shiraz-Cabernet and made a big dent in the huge pile of nachos.

1:00 a.m.

We went to Crush nightclub. I had a Scotch and soda, and then we went to a private room with a bunch of friends. We finished a few bottles of Alize and a 1996 bottle of Dom Perignon (the big bottle...1.5L?). I remember asking a girl, "Did you enjoy the champagne?" And she just shrugged and said, "It's OK. Just champagne, right?" And here's the kicker--the last of the champagne was used to douse the dying embers in glass filled with cigarette butts on the table.

3:30 a.m.

Kim Penh Xe Lua--yes, AGAIN! Nothing like pho and another pork banh mi to sop up some of the alcohol, right? I hazily remember picking apart my banh mi and trying to taste each of the components separately, thinking, "Is there pate in here? Nope. Is there anchovy in the mayo? Think so...The julienned carrots and daikon are lightly pickled and quite sweet. Crusty baguette...mmm...Must include this in my Egullet post."

Edited August 1, 2005 by Ling (log)

[makanmakan]

deep breath....my first post on this thread!

we were in mt vernon for the weekend for a wedding. on the way back on sunday, we stopped at calico cupboard for a snack. this is a quaint little cafe just off the i-5, with a little book store attached to it. old brick, old wood floors, mismatched furniture, great food and drinks, just slow on the service. he had a spinach salad with blue cheese, bacon, and a raspberry vinagrette, and i had the clam chowder. both came with a huge chunk of grainy bread that's made onsite. both were tasty, and as we were in the states, the portions were quite big! yummy homemade lemonade and fresh brewed ice teas went with our meals. left with a couple of giant sticky cinnamon buns for later.

came back into town and had an early dinner/snack at a little hole in the wall mexican spot on east broadway and rupert (i think) called vallarta's. it was a quaint little place, loud mexican tv in the corner, felt like i was back in a small town in mexico. the chicken fajita was huge and tasty and the flautas were awesome. a huge pint of jamaica and tamarindo juices were perfect and thirst quenching. will definitely be back to try out the rest of the small menu!

later on, we made our way to the richmond night market. followed the crowd in like a herd of cows. walked through the food section feasting on dumplings, pork and shrimp, roti canai, korean lamb kebobs, chicken on a stick, beef on a stick, tried curried periwinkle (didn't like it so much), lumpias, scallop tako yakis, leek pie and green onion pancake, washed down with a mango bubble tea for him and a watermelon juice for me. dessert was warm sweet tofu pudding for me and i can't remember what he had. we rolled out of there finally, with a couple of huge bellies, groaning about how much we had eaten!

oh, and the cinnamon buns were yummy this morning, with our coffees, warmed up in the nuker!

Edited August 2, 2005 by makanmakan (log)

[Jeffy Boy]

And here's the kicker--the last of the champagne was used to douse the dying embers in glass filled with cigarette butts on the table. 

That's it. You kids are the reason we can't have nice things in this house anymore!

Speaking of kids... Went about 5pm today to Blue Water, intending to have a couple of drinks and an appetizer. Instead stayed for dinner, on the patio, when we saw the "early bird" prix fixe menu. Ordered a bottle of Sancerre, and some Kushi oysters to start which were wonderful. Plump, creamy, delicious. I savoured each and every one.

In comes a table of 6 - three adults and three kids. The kids (about 2, 6 and 8) were actually reasonably well behaved. What amazed me though, was that these kids really dug raw oysters. At first I thought "cool, kids who eat oysters". Then, as they chowed their way through a plate of two dozen, I thought "WTF? These children are popping down Kushi oysters at $3.50 a piece, and not even thinking about it. Sure, they may like them, but when they fight over the Game Boy in between bites, I know they aren't having the same religious experience I had! And do you know how long I'd have had to save my allowance to buy even one of them? "

BTW, right next door to Blue Water is a Cigar store. I think I overheard a patron say "Naw, don't package it, I'll smoke it on my way out." I recommend the south side of the patio.

[the Bill]

a few from soi-distant Toronto...

Asian Legends, to see if the xaolongbao could fly with those from Shanghai Wind...alas they were plump, but the soup lacked that 'flood the mouth with taste' flavour.

Via Allegro, to drool over the venison special, and look at the incredible wine list available, but ultimately to enjoy a fine dinner while wondering about the restaurant decor.

Jamie Kennedy's wine bar, for a couple of glasses of brunello, while nibbling on appetisers (grilled flatbreads with interesting dips, roast duck with white beans & duck sausage, and an array of cheeses including a New Brunswick sheep cheese like Sieur de Duplessis)

all the while watching the staff make the dishes, break the dishes...a pleasant pastime while visiting.

[chocomoo]

I had dinner at Adesso with some highschool friends on Sunday. Skipped appetizers, & between the 6 of us, we ended up having 3 dishes. 2 mushroom pizzas, 2 linguines vongole, & 2 dishes of braised short rib stuffata with papardelle. It worked out so that the 2 people who ordered the same dish were always sitting next to each other I ordered the mushroom pizza, which was topped with wild mushrooms, pesto, fontina, & some other cheese. Wonderfully thin, crispy crust and bubbly browned cheese. It was really good, I think I might order this again next time, or make someone else order it & steal some from them

I've also had the mushroom pizza at Bacchus, twice, and the first time it was really delicious - the caramelized onions really rounded out the flavour. The second time, they added fennel to it, which I didn't like as much, & there were fewer onions topping it. Adesso's mushroom pizza is way better.

On Monday, I had dim sum with family at 10:30 in the morning at the place the old Carianna on Alexander Road. Anybody know what it's called now? In Cantonese it sounds like "Yook Ting Heen". It's still Chiu Chow mixed with Cantonese style food. Dim sum isn't cheap, but if you order before 11:30, you get a discount (20% maybe?). What I like about this place is that their dim sum has a Chiu Chow twist to it.

For example, pan-fried white radish cakes normally come as square flat pieces. At this place, they're cubed & pan-fried with XO sauce (they're not spicy, there's just a slight heat to the flavour) & served in a bowl made of a deep-fried spring roll wrapper. Another example of a dish I haven't seen anywhere else is their Chinese-style mochi, made with a yam-flavoured wrapping (instead of the normal...sugar flavour?) and filled with a creamy chestnut filling.

In addition to the humongous pile of dim sum, my godfather also ordered the stir-fried scallops with garlic. Really plump & flavourful (although I detected a hint of ammonia - nobody else ever notices though). The seafood here is really fresh - I've been for dinner before and was pretty impressed.

For Monday dinner (another family thing), we went to Spicy Court (is that the name? Cantonese pronunciation "Ying Yuet Heen", it's almost kitty corner to Oakridge). The honey garlic spareribs really stood out - big chunks of meat, not over-fried or too dry or chewy. Another thing that really stood out was the (again, Cantonese pronunciation) "King San Dou fu", a sort of "set" tofu dish. I think it's really tofu combined with egg whites, that's steamed, & topped with some sort of soya-based sauce with chicken (dark meat) morsels, chopped up kale & carrots, & Chinese mushrooms.

For dessert, we had the baked tapioca pudding with lotus seed paste as the filling. Mmm, Chinese tapioca pudding....

[*Deborah*]

My hangover is keeping some details a little fuzzy, but I was joined by 8 intrepid eGulleters (Mooshmouse, snacky_cat & Mr. Cat, barolo, appreciator, Lynn Dinwoodie and her Executive Chef, and the always-amusing canucklehead) for the Flavours of Summer menu at Central Bistro last night. The menu included fresh pea and chive cream soup or a fennel, pear and orange salad; Linguine with roasted garlic Carbonara with chicken (and peas) or Salmon Wellington; and a strawberry white chocolate bavarian or pineapple carpaccio with a ginger semifreddo. I had the salad, the pasta, and the pineapple, and Moosh and I also shared some edamame, and a bottle of Cline Cellars 2002 Syrah, quite nice.

Since it was quite hot in the window where we were originally set up (NOT that I’m complaining about the lovely weather!), we asked if we could sit in the back instead, along the wall. So they very kindly and expeditiously re-arranged things so there was room for us in the back. Unfortunately between the container strike and the hot weather, the white wine list, in particular, was a bit depleted, so it took a little while to get orders in. Holly, our server, was very patient about repeating what was and was not available.

Chef sent us an amuse of tuna tartare in a sesame oil-wasabi glaze on a bed of shredded ...cabbage, but not regular cabbage, Napa? I thought it was very nice, it had just enough wasabi to tingle on the tongue, without making me sneeze or ruining my tastebuds. I also enjoyed the salad very much, a nice mix of flavours and very refreshing in the heat.

The pasta came, oh, yum! the roasted garlic added a subtle bite to the creamy carbonara sauce, the bacon (pancetta?) was great, the linguine was neither mushy nor so al dente that it wouldn’t behave on my fork (I hate that), a very very good dish, satisfying. Comfort food! Everyone seemed to enjoy their Salmon Wellington, as well. The desserts came, and the pineapple carpaccio was very delicate and nice in the mouth; the ginger semifreddo was as good as I hoped it would be, creamy and light...I had a mouthful of the strawberry bavarian, as well, a sort of a mousse I suppose, also refreshing and not too heavy for a hot summer night. Along with dessert, we were presented with two bottles of a spicy red whose name and varietal I shamefully cannot remember. I enjoyed it, and also got a lesson from Martha (Moosh) Stewart on how to remove said red from a snacky_cat’s white outfit with white wine when my depth perception is adversely affected by alcohol consumption. I was pleased only that, for once, Ms. Cat did not have my monthly salary in Marc Jacobs on her back, the glass was far from full, and the white wine trick works!

Harry kindly also comped us some more of that wonderful milk chocolate semifreddo with rhubarb compote, and we finished the wine (among 8 of us drinking, we got through 7 bottles, plus several glasses!!) and chatted some more.

No summer night on Denman is complete without gelato, and to my great joy, Mondo had Black Sesame in. We weaved the half-block to Mondo, dragging our gracious host along for one last sweet before bed.

It was a lovely evening, and Harry really treated us well. Many thanks to everyone at Central who made it their mission to keep us happy in spite of a solid dinner crowd in the restaurant (and on the patio!). And thanks to my dining companions, it was a pleasure to see you all!

[peppyre]

Very nice evening Deb. The very first time I met Moosh, she decided to clean up my red wine dribble with white wine. Her husband took pictures. It did work though, although I was a little skeptical but drunk enough not to care.

[*Deborah*]

Uh-oh, Lee had a camera....who knows what he got photos of!

[Ling]

One last night of madness....

Wednesday, 1:00 a.m.

We are at Wet Lounge in Richmond, but I got there late and last call was at 12:30 a.m. Saw remnants of a very unappetizing chocolate fondue congealing on the table, and bottles of beer and cigarettes littering the table.

1:15 a.m.

We are at Viva in Richmond...why am I here AGAIN?!!!! I see the same people here all the time. DJ Wax scratched on the turn-table for us because the boy told him he was leaving Vancouver for Japan in the morning. And then we played drinking games and drank Chivas and green tea. (Aiya! I'm starting to like this drink....!! I find the slight bitter-sweetness of the tea quite refreshing.)

2:30 a.m.

Now we're at No. 9, another high-school haunt of mine. I had the beef tendon noodle--this is what I used to order back in high-school too. (That, and the HK- style french toast). BTW--what is tendon? Is it a protein? Tastes like fatty meat-jelly. I like fatty meat-jelly. The boy had wonton. His friends had the...uhm...mixed balls noodle? (Fish balls and beef balls?), baked spaghetti, and gyoza. The baked spaghetti looked truly disgusting (mushy noodles with meat sauce that didn't smell particularly appetizing, especially after drinking).

10:30 a.m.

After only 4 hours of sleep, I met him at the airport to see him off. We went to the Fairmount Hotel for breakfast. Actually, I only had like 7 minutes before I had to leave and get to work, so I told the waitress I wasn't going to order anything. The boy had the breakfast buffet and then the waitress said to me, "Why don't you help yourself to whatever you like, too? I mean, how much can you eat in 7 minutes?" Lady did not know who she was talkin' to! This is what I shovelled down:

-a plate of bread pudding (quite good...soft and custardy, with a strong caramel flavour)

-a plate of sausage and hickory-smoked bacon

-fresh orange juice

-hashbrowns

-a soft-poached egg on biscuit, with gravy

-a made-to-order omelette that the boy got, filled with cheese, ham, and green onion

That was nice. Thank-you, unassuming waitress.

(Oh, and then I said good-bye to the boy. That was a fun month. )

Edited August 3, 2005 by Ling (log)

[kontemporary]

Oh you showed that waitress alright!!

[appreciator]

I've finally chalked up another 3 meals out in recent enough succession (mostly this is necessary for me to remember what I ate ) to post in this thread. Well, two meals were at the same place but on different days - that still counts right?

Last week I popped over to Central Bistro for a late lunch. I'd never been to the previous incarnation - The Brass Monkey - so I can't say how the decor has or has not changed. They have an nice outdoor patio which I am sure will be extremely busy during the rest of the summer (and when the new patio furniture comes in ) After scanning the menu, I decided to order the Cobb Salad. I am a huge fan of these salads and the one at Central did not disappoint. In fact, it was one of the best Cobb Salads I've had in a long time. I especially enjoyed the generous amount of blue cheese.... yum! Had a chance to have a bit of a chat with Harry (chef proprietor) which was nice... he is a very gracious host. My waiter was a cheery delight as well.

Next up was lunch over the weekend on Salt Spring Island at La Cucina. As I mentioned elsewhere in the forum, I was astonished at how many restaurants were closed on a holiday weekend Sunday.... but luckily for us this one was open. We sat outside in the bright sunshine (memo to self - always wear sunscreen in the summer, no matter what the forecast) and had a lovely view of the harbour. There were 3 of us dining and we all had the panini sandwiches, 2 chicken, one mushroom and goat cheese; 2 served with "a nice little green salad" and one with soup. I convinced my friend Ilse to split the panini with me so I got to try the chicken and the mushroom and goat cheese one. While I don't really think of these sandwiches as classic paninis (they were on small submarine sandwich type buns and not flat) both were quite flavourful.

And last night, a return visit to Central Bistro with the folks noted above in Deborah's post. It was a lovely evening and I enjoyed the company very much. Our waitress was excellent and Harry was able to spend some time with us all as well which added a very nice personal touch to the evening. On to the food... as Deborah noted, we started off with an amuse of tuna tartare in a sesame oil-wasabi glaze on a bed of shredded cabbage? ( I actually

thought it was lettuce but heh... what do I know ) I then had the fresh pea and chive cream soup which was lovely and "pea-y" if I can say such a thing... though for some reason, I had thought it would be cold. No matter, it was delicious. Next up was the nicely done Salmon Wellington, wrapped in filo pastry for a more delicate touch. This was served with a yummy (yes, yummy) spinach salad dressed with I believe a sweet and sour dressing. Reminded me a dressing that my Mum used to make which I loved. (second note to self - must see if it's in her recipe files ). Back to last evening... for dessert, I enjoyed the pineapple carpaccio, served with a ginger semi freddo on top. It was light and refreshing.

The three gals at my end of the table managed to polish off 3 (yikes!) bottles of Hawthorne Mountain Riesling which worked nicely with our food. Though it does explain the sluggish start this morning.

Overall, a most enjoyable evening: great company, great food, great atmosphere and great hospitality. Thank you so much to Deborah for organizing, to Harry and crew for hosting/feeding us and to my fellow dining companions for providing such lively repartatee. Must do it again soon!

Edited about 5 times because I apparently can't spell worth shit!

Edited August 4, 2005 by appreciator (log)

[Ling]

Oh you showed that waitress alright!! 

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Re-read my post and I hope I didn't come across as rude and snarky. I thanked the waitress a few times when she offered me free reign on the buffet...and there was only one other table besides ours in the dining room (they were ordering a la carte). And the boy always leaves a really good tip...so I've noticed.

Edited August 4, 2005 by Ling (log)