Andy Lynes Tours Vancouver & OK Valley

[Andy Lynes]

Day 2 post has been edited to add more detail about West.

[tighe]

sablefish and ling cod are two different fishies.

It would appear that this is correct. Sablefish is also referred to as black cod and I'm sure somewhere along my travels it was also called ling cod. Comparing the following sites it seems that sablefish and lingcod are quite different, although might possibly be a related species, see what you think:

sablefish

Lingcod

If you tasted them side-by-side, you would note a significant difference. I love both, but the texture of sablefish/black cod makes me weak in the knees. I had the same preparation at West a few months ago and was almost reduced to tears.

[jamiemaw]

Apparently, on sunny days, Vancouverites would rather queue for an al fresco table than dine inside.

Andy,

I think it would be useful if you would inform your readers, especially your British ones, that Vancouver leads the world in restaurant patio heater technology. It is just one reason that we were awarded the 2010 Winter Olympics. The other reason remains the attractive and welcoming local citizenry.

The technology was begat in 1977 (at the very end of the pre-Arugula Epoch) when the first patio heater was installed on the three table sundeck at Chatter Up!, a small cafe in Richmond (a charm-challenged southern suburb known mainly known for as the local home of Ikea and Vancouver International Airport.) Chatter Up! specialized in the oft-admired regional cuisine of the Hebrides. Unfortunately, the heater's fuel, kerosene, proved to be even more volatile than the proprietor's temper. In particular, one guest's bouffant was badly scorched--the matter was settled out of court. The inventor, F. Morris Chatters, also soon discovered that it would work out better if he were to construct the heaters from a material other than the widely available western red cedar.

The earliest heaters were of the garden variety type. Looking like elongated aluminum toadstools they shared one thing in common with their barbecue brethren--the igniter switches proved useful for precisely three outings. This, in turn, begat a sub-industry in elongated lighters, for which Vancouver is also widely acknowledged as a world leader.

By the 1990s, the technology had changed radically so that heaters could be adjusted so as to more slowly roast one's head while leaving one's extremities frigid. However the propane that fuelled them, stored in small tanks at the base of the units, proved cumbersome and inconvenient. Trunk (boot) explosions were not uncommon.

In 1997, toward the end of the Arugula Epoch proper and with Chatters' patent about to lapse, the technology took a quantum leap forward. Today, eave-mounted units, fuelled by piped-in natural gas, are the norm on restaurant patios around the town. In tandem with power-operated canopies, they provide better ambient heat so that is now possible to actually pick up the tools necessary to negotiate dinner. As a result, more sophisticated cuisine is now available on Vancouver's patios.

Needless to say, smokers' rights have also been honoured with these technological breakthroughs. It is actually easier to smoke in an aircraft lavatory than it is in a public space in Vancouver, except after sex.

In addition to fondling cordless power tools at the Canadian Tire, it remains every red-blooded Vancouver male's fantasy to watch hockey on a plasma TV while outdoors on a restaurant patio. A cleansing ale and a blinding blizzard are welcome accompaniments.

I trust that this will assist you in the compilation of your article.

Yours etc.,

J.D. Maw

don't knock the herring spawn

Paul,

Far be it from me to denigrate the herring or its spawn. In fact I ate some very good herring spawn just last week. What a shame that most of it is immediately shipped to Asia after harvest.

Coincidentally, in the forthcoming issue of Van Mag I pay homage to the First Nations peoples and their cuisine--we are in considerable debt to them.

Cheers,

Jamie

[Johnathon]

Delighted to hear an echo of my thoughts on the Filet and the Sablefish ala Hawksworth. By far the best piece of beef I have ever had the pleasure of dining on (complimented by some gorgeous fresh morels) and the Sablefish is a dish I would recommend to anyone and everyone who would listen to me rant on about the beauty of that broth!

Yoshi is both a tactition and an artist, to enjoy his crative skills up close and personal is a treat indeed.

Artigiano? Best damn cup of Joe in town. Period.

keep it coming Andy! As a Voncouverite it makes me wish to possibly-consider-without-obligation-a-perhaps-reservation-for-snacks-beverages-sushi-tasting menu-maybe-sort-of-booking-at-some-place... maybe.

[Keith Talent]

[Needless to say, smokers' rights have also been honoured with these technological breakthroughs. It is actually easier to smoke in an aircraft lavatory than it is in a public space in Vancouver, except after sex.

I think you need to clarify for our new English friend. Outdoor patio heating technology makes it easier for the dope smokers to enjoy an after dinner puff, cigarette smokers are still sent around back, where the good citizens of the city don't have to cast their gaze upon these filthy weezing wretches. As everyone know, (tobacco) smokers are the lowest rung of the Vancouver social ladder, lower even than herring spawn harvesters.

[robyn]

[Needless to say, smokers' rights have also been honoured with these technological breakthroughs. It is actually easier to smoke in an aircraft lavatory than it is in a public space in Vancouver, except after sex.

I think you need to clarify for our new English friend. Outdoor patio heating technology makes it easier for the dope smokers to enjoy an after dinner puff, cigarette smokers are still sent around back, where the good citizens of the city don't have to cast their gaze upon these filthy weezing wretches. As everyone know, (tobacco) smokers are the lowest rung of the Vancouver social ladder, lower even than herring spawn harvesters.

I don't think that's true. When I went to Blue Water and C - I dined out on the patios. So did most of the other diners those evenings. And although I didn't do a head count - I'd be surprised if more than 50% of the tables were totally non-smoking. I think one reason these patios are popular is because you can have a cigarette at a restaurant. I ran across a lot of "closet smokers" in Vancouver. Robyn

[robyn]

Andy,

I think it would be useful if you would inform your readers, especially your British ones, that Vancouver leads the world in restaurant patio heater technology...

And if one tires of the history of restaurant patio heaters - one can swing south to Seattle and spend endless hours exploring the history of the crapper .

For comparative studies - I recommend going to Phoenix and studying the technology of restaurant misters (they're really quite wonderful with them there). Robyn

[tighe]

And if one tires of the history of restaurant patio heaters - one can swing south to Seattle and spend endless hours exploring the history of the crapper .

Yeah, the ol' story about how they used to reverse-flush when the tide came in is great dinner-time banter....

[Andy Lynes]

Day 3 Tuesday June 29 (am)

The one thing I'll say about Rachael Ray is that’s she's always there for you. No matter what time of day or night, turn on food network and you too can rustle up meals in thirty minutes or survive on $40 a day. So I duly kept my very early morning appointment, and she and that big old mouth of hers duly sent me back to sleep.

I had been tipped off that the black cod hash at Diva at the Met was the way to start the day when in Vancouver and that even if it wasn't on the menu, they might make it for you anyway. Well, I was out of luck. It seems even being "one of the world’s foremost wine and food journalists from London, England " (John Thompson, Castanet) doesn't allow you to power order at Diva. I settled for some steel cut oats with steamed milk and strawberries (yum) another bucket of coffee and another exceptional service experience.

I failed to make a note of my servers name so I can't honour her here, but she didn't hesitate to ask the kitchen if they could meet my particular request, was apologetic when she had to give me a negative response and suggested that I come back on Thursday when, as it was a holiday, they would serving the brunch from 8.00am and I could try the hash then. Perfect.

During the numerous times she re-filled my coffee cup, she was generous in her recommendations for places to eat and things to do, even jotting down names and addresses for me to take away. She was confident, poised, at ease with herself and with her job. Oh, and very good looking. But you probably guessed that already.

Vancouverites at this point are probably thinking "so, what's new?" In the UK, this sort of service is fairly rare for a number of reasons: lack of training, lack of commitment to the industry, a natural reticence in the national character and the class system: the service industry is still looked down upon, perhaps unconsciously, by many people in the UK.

In the minds of the British service still equates to servants which makes people on both sides feel uncomfortable with the relationship. Vancouver strikes me as far more egalitarian society, and its people open and welcoming by nature and inclination, all of which feeds very nicely into a service industry like catering.

I rather cheekily arranged an on the spot meeting with Judy Ahola, manager of corporate and public relations for the hotel, who set up a meeting with Thomas Haas for me later in the day, just before he jetted off to Las Vegas for a pastry symposium. She also told me that chef Scott Baechler was leaving Diva in a few weeks time to move to Dubai.

Then it was back to the Wedgie (as I believe the Wedgewood is known locally) for a chat with exec chef Michael Knowlson. A Brit, Knowlson took over the reigns a few months ago from fellow ex-pat Frank Dodds who I am informed has "gone back East" (why does that always sound like an insult coming from the lips of a West Coast resident?).

As with most people I spoke with, Knowlson extolled the virtues of the West Coast lifestyle, especially compared to that of a jobbing chef in London, although with breakfast, lunch, weekend brunch, afternoon tea, dinner, bar menu, conference and banqueting rooms the life of a hotel chef is never going to be easy (I was particularly pleased to see that he serves a traditional British Sunday night roast chicken dinner with pomme and parsnip purres, something entirely suited to the hotel and dining room's old world surroundings).

It seemed to me that the chef was still settling into his position at the hotel and getting to grips with the work patterns of his kitchen staff and adapting to Vancouver's supply chain. The hotel's website states that Knowlson will "elevate Bacchus to one of the finest restaurants in North America", a grand claim indeed and one that I am unable to asses the feasibility of on the basis of one casual lunch alone. However, given that the hotel is rubbing shoulders with the likes of the Pennisula in Bangkok in this years Travel & Leisure Magazine World's Best Value Readers Survey 2004 (a fact they are very proud of and would probably never for give me if I didn’t mention) I'm sure its not just a hollow boast and I look forward to the opportunity of sampling the full on Bacchus experience when I am next in the city.

PM - Feenies, Museum of Anthropology, Interview with Thomas Haaz

Dinner at C Restaurant, tour of Raincity Grill and Le Gaveroche, 2nd Dinner at 900 West to follow.

[Oakley]

Then it was back to the Wedgie (as I believe it's known locally)

I'm a local and have never heard the Wedgewood referred to as 'the Wedgie'. I had to read further to see Bacchus to know what you were talking about. Am I the only one?

By the way, Bacchus serves the most delicious Lavender Earl Grey tea. Definitely worth a stop for tea-lovers like me.

Looking forward to your reviews to follow...

[Andy Lynes]

I'm a local and have never heard the Wedgewood referred to as 'the Wedgie'. I had to read further to see Bacchus to know what you were talking about. Am I the only one?

One person definately referred to the Wedgewood Hotel as the Wedgie whilst I was over there. If its not a local thing, I would like to propose that it becomes one.

[Jerry_A]

I agree with Oakley, I've never heard that term before. Makes it sound like a pub for drunken frat boys.

[Andy Lynes]

Day 3 Tuesday June 29 (PM ) - Feenie's

Hey everybody, I've found this great restaurant out in Kits, you probably won't have heard of it. Its called Feenie's, named after its chef Rob Feenie. He's one to watch for the future, mark my words. Just remember where you heard it first.

If you're of the opinion that yet another breathless rave report on this restaurant is exactly what the world, and these forums, needs least right now, you'd better go and grab yourself a cup of latte. Don't worry, it all be over in 5 minutes or so and there's some less relentlessly positive and bouncy stuff coming up over the horizon pretty soon, so stick around if that’s more your thing.

If Feenies served plates of gruel, tap water and sharp slaps to the back of the head it would still be packed. Not because the chef's celebrity has somehow blinded the dining public to accept any old rubbish he wants to serve up to them, but because he has cleverly arranged for a beauty contest to be staged in his dining room every day of the week. The front of house are simply drop dead gorgeous. And that’s just the men etc.

Being a 39 year old man of the world and married to a beautiful woman, this was of course no problem to me. For example, when we were greeted by associate manager Samantha Geneau, I emitted a weak sighing noise, similar to a balloon with a slow leak, and deftly wiped away the drool from the corner of my mouth so that she hardly noticed it at all. Throughout the meal I responded to queries from our server Melanie about what I wanted to order, how I was enjoying things or did I want more water with a varied series of grunts that I felt eloquently demonstrated my sophisticated ease. They were pretty impressed I can tell you.

Feenie's is the extravert, in your face, sporty younger sibling to Lumiere's more mature, restrained, bookish older brother. On a Friday night, Feenie's would be out with the guys from the football team, chugging down Molson, making fart jokes and ogling the girls, while Lumiere rented a Fassbinder video, sipped Blue Mountain Pinot Noir and fretted about the economy.

Jonathan has accurately described the interior of the restaurant in his Eating The Northwest and you can check out the photos on the website, so I won't attempt to better those existing resources, but suffice to say that I found the colorful, upbeat surroundings comfortable and an enjoyable space in which to spend a few hours.

The menu is long with 10 starters plus a choice of local and imported charcuterie (supplied by John Van der Lieck 's Oyama Sausage Company), 7 lunch or dinner dishes, 9 of "Robs favourites", 8 side dishes, 6 cheeses, 6 desserts and 8 flavours of ice cream, not to mention a set 3 course lunch menu with 2 choices at each course. As with films, so its is with menus: long=bad. But not here. Excepting the side orders, cheeses and desserts (I had another two dinners to manage that night) we ordered from right across the menu and hit pay dirt every time with plenty more dishes just begging to be tried.

Chicken noodle soup with free range chicken breast and garlic crouton was a beautifully clarified and deeply flavored broth with a generous amount of sliced, flavourful breast. Even the crouton was fantastic (see, I told you it was going to be a rave). A selection of charcuterie demonstrated why Oyama were winners at this years Van Mag awards. Pappardelle with braised short-rib, pine nuts and arugula more than made up for Cioppinos summer break, the outstanding dish of the day and in the top five of the entire trip.

If good cooking is all about balance, this dish was all about good cooking; if it's all about a lot of little things done well, this dish was still about good cooking. Feenie marshals its elements with impressive authority and insight: silken hand made pasta, just the right size and thickness for the brazenly meaty sauce, a little crunch from the nuts, a fresh green, peppery note at the end from the arugula;

I could go on. Ok, I will: grilled ahi tuna sandwich with guacamole, tomato, cilantro & shiso mayonnaise on an olive bun proved a delicious combination; the Feenie burger and fries from the "Rob's favourites" section of the menu was equally as good. The only thing wrong with another of the chefs favourites, "shepherd's pie with duck confit, mushroom duxelle, corn, truffle-scented mashed potato" served with a rich jus to pour at the table, was the name. It can’t be a shepherd's pie if there's no lamb – quackers and mash anyone?

In short, I was impressed and I struggle to think of anyone doing anything similar in London. The Ivy has a similarly wide-ranging and casual menu I suppose but is quite different is every other respect. Feenie's is a great and distinctive restaurant but completely approachable and great fun, an unusual and desirable combination.

[M'd]

Is the appeal of Feenie's the food, ambiance or the T&A factor?

M'd

[Andy Lynes]

To be serious for a moment, the top drawer food is without question the main draw, with the casual ambiance a close second. Before any Hooters devotees get the wrong impression, I wasn't inferring that there is any "T&A" action to be had at the restaurant, merely that the front of house staff are a fine looking bunch - male and female.

[Oakley]

I find the Feenie's bunch can sometimes be a little TOO good-looking for their own good. I do not enjoy the air of superiority that most of them convey as they greet (or rather fail to greet) at the front door. The Lumiere Tasting Bar is much more inviting in this respect.

Love the food though, especially the lobster benedict and the braised short ribs.

[Andy Lynes]

I find the Feenie's bunch can sometimes be a little TOO good-looking for their own good. I do not enjoy the air of superiority that most of them convey as they greet (or rather fail to greet) at the front door. The Lumiere Tasting Bar is much more inviting in this respect.

Love the food though, especially the lobster benedict

Ooh, that sounds good. It wasn't on the menu when I was there, care to elaborate?

[Oakley]

Quote from the Feenie's brunch menu:

"Eggs benny served on a croissant with hollandaise sauce, choice of : lobster $18, smoked salmon $12, or ham $10"

The croissant is so buttery and rich. They are generous with the tender chunks of lobster (as opposed to chewy as many other places seem to serve their lobster). A perfect amount of hollandaise...not drowning and not dry. Also served with a roasted tomato. All in all, it is brunch perfection! I love it.

(and for those of you Vancouver e-gullet regulars...no, I do not work there, nor do I even work in the restaurant industry...I am just a food-lover!)

[map]

Having just settled into the city (full time) after a delightful stay at the Wedgewood, the term "Wedgie" would not be how I would describe the hotel. You may want to re work that one.

[Andy Lynes]

Wedgie is simply an affectionate shortened version of Wedgewood and not an attempt to describe or characterise the place. Former British Labour politician Anthony Wedgewood Benn is commonly referred to as "Wedgie Benn" in this country, but that doesn't mean to imply that he goes around with his knickers up his arse all day.

[jamiemaw]

The only reason he didn't Andy--as a leftist Labourite member of the House of Lords--is that they were typically in a considerable twist.

[Andy Lynes]

Day 3 Continued - Musem of Anthropology and Thomas Haas

I shoehorned in a visit to the Museum of Anthropology which at 45 minutes was way to short to properly appreciate the place. Even so, it was difficult not to be impressed and stirred by the beautiful, powerful sculpture and artifacts on show. This was a real eye-opener for me and I would encourage anyone visiting the city to take the short trip out.

The reason for the brevity of my time at the Museum was that I had to get back to The Metropolitan Hotel to meet Thomas Haas. It's no exaggeration to say that virtually everyone I met in the catering and hospitality industry in the city told me that I must meet the man. There is a great deal of respect and affection for him and having grabbed 45 minutes of his time, I can quite understand why.

Haas was 7 minutes late for our appointment. I know this not because I was staring at my watch, tapping my foot and thinking, "where the hell is he", but because Judy Ahola told me. She also apologized on Thomas' behalf that he would not be dressed in his chef's whites when he arrived as he was preparing to leave for the World Pastry Forum in Las Vegas in the morning where he would teach 10 classes in 5 days.

Haas arrived, again apologizing for running late and for being dressed in shorts and handed me a box of his fine chocolates (I rather heroically left these entirely untouched for the remainder of my trip and gave them to my wife as a present when I got home.) Haas is a fourth generation pastry chef from the Black Forest village of Aichhalden, but with his slight frame and well groomed good looks he could just as easily pass for an IT specialist from Silicon Valley. That is until he starts to speak, and then you know you are in the presence of a truly passionate and dedicated man.

We covered a lot of ground in a short period of time: I learnt that Haas is building a centralized production facility on the North Shore where he will be able to xercise even greater control over the products sold via the Sen5es retail outlet and the plated desserts at Diva at the Met. He also hinted at the possibility of his desserts being offered at other restaurants in the city.

I asked Haas if he felt there was any conflict between the traditions of his family and the more modern style of his desserts and chocolates. He told me that his father, who remained in Germany to re-build the family business following the war, was very supportive and even a little envious of Haas' travels to France Switzerland and North America and what he has achieved so far (including being appointed Daniel Boulud's Executive Pastry Chef and opening Restaurant Danie.l)

We talked briefly about Hass' style and he told that he never mixes fruit with chocolate as he feels the chocolate has enough of its own acidity. Instead, fresh fruit puree is layered inside the confection and topped with a handpainted "plaquette" that reflects its flavour.

The chef told me that he was reluctant to name his rectangular creation of layers of toasted caramelized hazelnuts and milk chocolate hazelnut nougat the wonderfully memorable "Haas Bar" as he was not looking to glorify himself and that he had to be persuaded into it. As I write its not yet available to buy as the packaging is still being sorted out (its longer and thinner than Haas' other chocolates) but I understand that a version is served at Diva.

Haas is certainly charming company, and has a certain puppyish enthusiasm about him. But I also sensed that he is an ambitious man, and one confident of his abilities and worth in the market place. He is an important figure in the city, keen to impart his skills to a new generation of pastry chefs, thereby not only securing the future of his own business, but raising the bar for all of Vancouver's serious restaurants.

[Andy Lynes]

Day 3 Dinner Part One- C Restaurant

It would be unfair to say that C Restaurant is all about the patio and the view. It’s more than that of course, but it’s a lot about the patio and the view. Hard by the Granville Bridge, both the patio and smart, contemporary dining room afford lovely views of the harbour and sundry skaters and joggers passing by.

Owner Harry Kambolis is shockingly young and good looking (as indeed is his wife) and opened C in 1997 with the intention of making it "Vancouver's definitive fish restaurant." In the press pack, claims are made for C having "set the standards for seafood in the city and across North America". Press packs tend towards hyperbole, that it what they are there for. However, these are bold claims indeed.

For whatever reason, C didn’t really float my boat. Which is not to say its not very good indeed at what it does, and that I would have no hesitation in suggesting it to visitors to the city in search of local seafood. Chef Rob Clark is undoubtedly talented and the restaurant's commitment to sustainable sources of seafood is nothing short of admirable. But somehow the food didn’t quite add up for me.

Clark is the only chef whose food I encountered during my all too brief stay in the city that flirted with "molecular gastronomy". And it really was a flirtation. Don't run away with the idea that C is Vancouver's take on el Bulli. But an anise hyssop "bubble" served with "Thetis Queen" side striped shrimp and the octopus bacon wrapped around a scallop, served with foie gras hinted at an adventurous spirit moving through the kitchen.

Whilst both these dishes were enjoyable, I couldn't help but think they were less than the sum of their parts, that the innovations had somehow been grafted on and unbalanced the dishes rather than completing them. I couldn’t quite figure out what the chef was trying to achieve with these modernistic flourishes. Whilst these criticisms may seem harsh, they are made in the context of the stated very high ambitions of the restaurant.

(I will fill out and embelish these thoughts and impressions in due course when I am in possession of full details of the menu and wines served that night to jog my memory.)

[stovetop]

Andy, is it like if you were creating a painting and you started with a white base, adding the colors and layers, then you just thought that it needed a bit more color, you were feeling bold that day, you had a beautiful landscape and the sun just setting, so you thought you would pick out the color but instead you lost the color and got to much gray, so you painted it white and started again.

Fusion can cause to much confusion for a lot of people, it is kind of like Mingus, or better then that someone trying to interpret mingus but going way out, multiple shots, trying to be a little too outside, somehow missing the message, or just to complex for the average person, I mean art still has to reach the common man, then somehow it is like a jazz musician just wanking off for the sake of being or that he or she can.

The whole idea of communication is to reach as many people as you can that is kind of what I see you thinking, a lot of writers and critics have the same opinion of "C", and I see a common criticism of the restaurant and the style of Chef Rob Clark.

But did you or could you have chosen or see any thing else on the menu, is all the menu out there or did you just try something and it did not float you boat, A menu can have many layers to it, so that is why I always feel that writers can not really objectively give a critic of a restaurant or chef just after one time, can you really make judgment by that one time, it is like making love, can you say that after just one time, and that time was perhaps not that good or as I say how can you judge something only after one time, you are just getting to know your partner and perhaps not knowing your own pleasures, how can you pass judgment onto your self or your partner.

Also a menu like I said is multidimensional do you eat the whole menu, really get a feel of the restaurant, I say no, I feel you must try at least half the menu, go to the restaurant when other people other then the chef is cooking, is it still great, if it is yes then to me this is a good sign of a great restaurant.

[robyn]

I ate at C last time I was in Vancouver (about 2 years ago). I love fish/seafood - especially when there's a bit of summer in the outdoor air - and I have to say that the meal I had was the second best seafood menu I've ever had in North America (the best being a crustacean tasting menu at the Ritz Carlton in Buckhead/Atlanta Georgia).

So what didn't you like about the meal? Robyn