Truth be told: Where've you eaten lately? (Part 1)

[Mooshmouse]

For some reason, I've been fortunate enough to fulfill my next three restaurant quota before week's end.

The Kolachy Shop for Monday lunch on the run with my three-year-old son. Mmmm... warm bread. Mmmm... meat. Mmmm... warm bread with meat in it. We both seem to like the Reuben best: corned beef and sauerkraut filling.

Umami for late Tuesday-night dinner after a preschool parents' meeting. Was pleasantly surprised at the venue; for some reason, my brain had switched off all previous mention of Umami not being an izakaya restaurant per se. Enjoyed my crisp, refreshing glass of La Frenz Viognier more than I did the Burrowing Owl Pinot Gris. I was quite happy with both the Albacore Tuna Spring Roll (healthy sized chunks of fish nicely accented with a nori and shiso wrap, spring roll wrapper light and not greasy) and the Maple Soy Marinated Sablefish (apparently marinated for 48 hours, lovely, delicate, not overdone, organic quinoa tabbouleh was on the bland side though). Dear husband was over the the moon about their Gambas al Ajillo on Fontina Cheese and Edamame Risotto Cake. I wasn't quite as enthusiastic, however, as I found their "orange and saffron dungeness crab bisque sauce" (damn, that's a mouthful) to be too overpowering.

And lunch today at Cassis Bistro. After reading numerous rave reviews, I was expecting the sun, moon and stars but found my visit to be good rather than great. Shared a tasty Spinach Salad with prosciutto, chevre and white balsamic marinated peaches. Coq au Vin wasn't quite as rich and hearty as I would've liked, but our 1/2 litre of Wishing Tree Shiraz compensated for that. Unimpressed with their dessert crepe, at least the strawberry one we ordered, but am willing to give the crepes another shot. During my meal, I could hear the frites at Chambar calling my name...

[tofino]

Mixed bag here - was in Vancouver last week for a meeting and in 24 hours I packed in the following

Monday Lunch - Wild Rice - very quiet at 12:30pm, good service, had the Bison plate - which with a couple of nice cold beers was fabulous - first time in, would go back for sure!

Monday Dinner(?) - kind of a travelling dinner that night, starting at a smal reception at Aqua Riva - fabulous service and food - again first time but a definite return is in order. We headed from here to the 1st anniversary party at Feenies - great fun, good food (love those mini burgers!) and for a small town boy - a very eye-opening experience.

Tuesday Lunch - Rodneys Oyster House in Yaletown - again first time, first guy in for an early lunch - guys behind the bar were amazing - moules done in a black bean sauce, and frites - but had to start with some Pickle Point Oysters - one of my new favorites for casual hangout spot!!

Tuesday afternoon - home to Tofino - diet! - haha!

[Ling]

Yesterday lunch (Saturday afternoon): a fudge brownie from Mackinnon Bakery (sp?) on W. 12th and Granville. I've read about these and they live up to the raves. I also had a large square of their carrot cake (got a craving after reading that carrot cake thread over on the Baking forum). A brownie and a piece of cake for lunch--I sure love my sugar.

Yesterday dinner (Saturday night): went to a wedding banquet with 400 other guests at the Sun Sui Wah on Main.

Today lunch: McChicken, no fries, no pop. (I ate cookies and moon cake when I got home--the burger was much smaller than I remember!)

[Daddy-A]

Was away on Saltspring & Vancouver Island this weekend.

Friday night was an amazing meal at House Piccolo. Chef Piccolo is Finnish, and brings a lot of Skandinavian sensibilities to our West Coast ingredients.

I started with Marinated Herring (with some Aquavit) which whomped ass over the lutefisk I had as a kid. Fresh, firm, and not too oily. J. had the Warm Gorgonzola Tart. Hard to argue with warm cheese in pastry.

Entree's were Lamb for me and Duck for J. One note on the Lamb ... perfectly cooked. Both entrees were accompanied by scalloped taters ... and that weren't half&half he used.

Desert ... crepes with lingonberry & vodka sauce (more Skandinavian memories).

Amazing wine list. Highly reccomended.

Saturday we caught the ferry from Fulford to Victoria. Made my now mandatory return to Morningside Cafe for their Veggie Burger. Excellent as always. Accompanied by the best latte on Saltspring and a Gingersnap for dessert.

Alas, Sunday would not bring a tasty close to the weekend. My father-in-law took us all out to the South Bay Pub & Cafe in Victoria. I won't publish the address, lest you suffer the same heartburn I did after a mediocre birthday brunch for my sister-in-law. Lesson learned: If a restaurant won't offer their regular menu during brunch ... RUN!

A.

Edited September 28, 2004 by Daddy-A (log)

[Shellback]

Thursday lunch at Kamei Royale with friends from work. One of the largest Japanese lunch menu I have ever encountered. Very reasonable prices - I had the carb laden combo B: chicken teriyaki, Udon, California roll and Tekka maki $8.40.

Friday, pre-theatre bite at CRU. We shared the heirloom tomato salad, pan seared scallops and braised short ribs. Great food, but still feel the room lacks ambiance - maybe it's just the shape of the space. The pricing reflects the Granville Rise location. Personally, I think I still prefer Parkside.

Saturday night, hubby is craving for Korean food, so we ended up at the Jang Mo Jib in the Biltmore Hotel. There was a line-up. Was seated after 15 minutes wait. We had their house special "Pork backbones hot pot with kimchi and onions". $24.99 for two and includes rice and 6 different Korean side dishes which they filled up at no charge. Excellent deal and very satisfying - but don't expect service. Noticed a sign above the cashier: Homestay in the Biltmore Hotel $1,350 per month plus two meals a day ($900 per month if sharing a room). Not a bad deal at all!

Sunday night, Sequoia Grill - I think I still prefer the old Teahouse. The new look and new name, lighter more seafood oriented menu does not make an impression. We sat in the Atrium section and it was too loud for conversation and the music from the bad speakers just sounded tinny and disrupting. I had the grilled prawn in lobster sauce appetizer and Cajun spiced grill halibut. My husband had the clams and mussels in lemon grass coconut milk and a steak. He thought his steak was excellent. Would I go back? Maybe for the view...

[Hue]

Ling:

I have also heard rave reviews for those brownies from Mackinnon's, so I did try it out, but I was quite disappointed! I think it was overpowered by the extremely walnut taste ( this is coming from someone who eats walnuts right out from the bag), and reminded me of a Chinese snack that's made of walnut and dates. Not chocolatey at all!

Well, it could be just because my expectations were so high...

Now back to your regular programming.

[Coop]

Pizza from a place in WV called Pastameli. It's amazing you could make pizza so tastless. Sushi freom a new place in the Ridge called Iori. Very good sushi, warm rice, fresh fish and some very good spicy tuna. A donair at a place in New West called Paradise. This place is pretty good, order the chicken. I'm not sure wether my judgement is clouded by the fact that the owner is such a nice guy.

[map]

Dinner at Trafalgars Sweet Obsession on 16th/Trafalgar,very good!

I love their brunch menu so tried dinner Stilton Souffle with a lightly curried carrot salad and Mushroom Risotto...the desserts are of course top notch.

Lunch at Bacchus, Best Cobb Salad in a long time.

Dinner at Burgoo on West 10th, very hearty but tasty.

[NVNVGirl]

Sushi on Sunday at Hibachi in Rancho Mirage...their filet mignon volcano is to die for as well as their shrimp tempura roll. The Asahi beer wasn't bad either.

Mexican food at Del Rio's in Palm Desert on Friday~ had a tacoburrito that was delicious. Hubby had an enchilada ranchera he said was the best thing he's had there (we eat there regularly)

Shame On The Moon in Rancho Mirage~ had salmon that was just perfect. Everything they serve is delicious.

[hayasaka.k]

In reverse order:

Thurs Lunch - Lunch Box Soup

I had French onion soup + bocconcini sandwich, SO had a cinnamon-y butternut squash soup + spicy meat sandwich. Hearty soup portions but I expected richer, homier goodness than that. I'd go there if I worked nearby for "I don't really feel like anything in particular" light fare. Still hankering for a good soup fix place, any suggestions?

Wed late night - #9 (Richmond)

Shared plates of BBQ duck on rice, foo yuu steamed lettuce and surprisingly satisfyingly spicy szechuan-style wontons. Mmm...quick fix.

I'm sure I'm missing something in between, but:

Sat late night - Bluewater Cafe

Tsunami (hamachi with jalapeno, ginger & sesame oil), veggie roll (asparagus, baby carrot, baby lettuce + cukes), Stamina (crab, bbq eel, smoked salmon & sweet glaze), rum raisin creme caramel.

Edit: almost forgot the Bluewater roll (their dynamite roll).

Edited October 1, 2004 by hayasaka.k (log)

[Ling]

Ling:

I have also heard rave reviews for those brownies from Mackinnon's, so I did try it out, but I was quite disappointed! I think it was overpowered by the extremely walnut taste ( this is coming from someone who eats walnuts right out from the bag), and reminded me of a Chinese snack that's made of walnut and dates. Not chocolatey at all!

Well, it could be just because my expectations were so high...

Now back to your regular programming.

←

I think they offer two kinds of brownies and I think we're talking about the same ones (the fudge). I found the browies very chocolately--certainly better than than the cardboard-tasting ones I usually find in most bakeries. I haven't the regular brownies at Mackinnon's.

Do you have a favorite place for brownies? I'm always up for something chocolate.

[Kayaksoup]

Finally, more to add:

A couple weeks ago, Lunch at the Stonehouse Pub in Canoe Cove.

Thai chicken Satay and Strongbow for me.

Liver and onions with a Guinness for my mom. Very fine liver and onins, might I add.

Last week, Lunch, Tangs Noodle house, Wonton noodle soup bowl. I was happy with it and will be going back there.

Today, Sha-Lin Noodle house. Round noodles, vegetable and tofu soup. Boring.

[jayhay]

We've just returned from a trip to Atlantic Canada & the last three were:

CHIVES CANADIAN BISTRO...Halifax: Wonderful food...great waiter, nice room...a hit with us.

FRIES & COMPANY...Halifax: Supposed to be the best fish & chips in town....not as good as King's Fare in Vancouver.

IL MERCATO...Halifax: Noisy , inattentive wait staff, food okay, attractive room.

[jschyun]

[*]Dim sum at Shanghai Chinese Bistro, upstairs on Alberni just off of Thurlow.  Spicy Wontons.  Need I say more.  And the best mango pudding in the city.

←

Seriously? Better than Kirin on Cambie? Thanks for the tip, I am so there.

[Jerry_A]

Blue Water Cafe: Overpriced and underwhelming is how I'd describe this meal. When I am paying over $30 an entree there are certain things I expect, and this place did not do any of them. I expect a fish knife with my fish, my coat to be hung up not draped over my chair and dragging on the ground, and I expect not to have to pour my own wine. The only real highlight was the crab and honeydew soup that was a part of my appetizer, very nice flavours, crab, honeydew, cantaloupe, and mint.

Parkside: We decided to partake of their newly priced and stylized menu, $10 for an app, $24 for an entree, $40 for a three course. Excellent meal as always, the standout being the duck pot au feu which had all of the wonderful richness that I have come to expect from Chef Durbach's cooking. As a bonus we learned the recipe for their Lillet cocktail which is no longer on the menu due to an apparent shortage of the stuff, lucky for us we have a bottle sitting in the fridge. Anyway, this was easily the second best meal I have had all year.

Westwood Plateau Golf Course: We were here for a wedding just last week, the final of three we have had to attend in the past month or so (thank god it's over). This was a buffet and was barely above the low standard of all of the other weddings. Overcooked lamb, bland sauces, etc... What is it about wedding food at these places, are they trying not to offend anyones palate, well if so they failed, my palate was offended. Although the open bar made it go down a little better.

Edited October 15, 2004 by Jerry_A (log)

[paul mitchell]

I haven't been outside of Tofino in 6 months - Shelter, Cafe Pamplona, The Wick, Sobo and Weigh West for wings are all good believe me but I cannot wait to hit the Big Smoke! - I got a mitfull of pressed $100's and I will be taking Vancouver by storm on the 26th of the month - my staff from the season is convening on West on the 29th for a multi-course feast but I am also excited to careen about the city from one gastro feast to another - Hamilton Street Grill, Chambar, Tsu Han Village, Rodney's to finally eat some oysters instead of just shucking them, Granville Island to the salami place and get a tin of beluga from the seafood counter and eat both on the benches outside, Vij's take out place, Parkside, Tojo's - it is so frusterating hearing on e-gullet about all these fantastic places to eat - and then the frusteration is multiplied as many of our clientele is well travelled and food savvy - the conversation went like this last week with a surgeon from Vermont and her husband - "So after our stay here we are driving down to California....we are stopping at the Herbfarm, having dinner at Gary Danko and then are on the waitlist for the Laundry......but who cares if we get in cause we have reso's in November at Per Se" - Then I say "$&@$#!" and "....can i get you another glass of '98 blue mountain striped label pinot noir?"

I am expecting it will be a rampage with only a few nightly incarcerations.

[nwyles]

I haven't been outside of Tofino in 6 months - Shelter, Cafe Pamplona, The Wick, Sobo and Weigh West for wings are all good believe me but I cannot wait to hit the Big Smoke! - I got a mitfull of pressed $100's and I will be taking Vancouver by storm on the 26th of the month - my staff from the season is convening on West on the 29th for a multi-course feast but I am also excited to careen about the city from one gastro feast to another - Hamilton Street Grill, Chambar, Tsu Han Village, Rodney's to finally eat some oysters instead of just shucking them, Granville Island to the salami place and get a tin of beluga from the seafood counter and eat both on the benches outside, Vij's take out place, Parkside, Tojo's - it is so frusterating hearing on e-gullet about all these fantastic places to eat - and then the frusteration is multiplied as many of our clientele is well travelled and food savvy - the conversation went like this last week with a surgeon from Vermont and her husband - "So after our stay here we are driving down to California....we are stopping at the Herbfarm, having dinner at Gary Danko and then are on the waitlist for the Laundry......but who cares if we get in cause we have reso's in November at Per Se" - Then I say "$&@$#!" and "....can i get you another glass of '98 blue mountain striped label pinot noir?"

I am expecting it will be a rampage with only a few nightly incarcerations.

←

Man ! I live here and I am jealous of the journey you are about to take. I wish I could come along !

Sounds like a great time.

Cheers

Neil

Edited October 15, 2004 by nwyles (log)

[Ling]

Daikichi Sushi (just off the Burrard Bridge): this is a neighbourhood sushi place that's like 10 steps from my building, so I ate lunch there one day. Had the salmon and tuna sashimi, and split the chicken teriyaki with my boyfriend. He ate some sort of sushi combo, and I remember the California roll didn't look that great. Decent prices and the sashimi was OK. I'll probably eat there whenever I'm too lazy to cook.

A few days ago, I went to Caper's and got a big piece of chocolate cake with chocolate icing. It was OK, but I think my homemade chocolate cake is better. This was eaten straight from the box (which was precariously balanced on my lap) while driving home.

I just got back from Caper's again and this time I had their carrot cake, which was on special for $2.79 a slice. It was pretty damn perfect--a little sticky and moist from all the pineapples, and the cream cheese frosting was rich with butter and a bit of honey. Don't like nutmeg in my carrot cake, and this one didn't have any. The recipe that Mackinnon's Bakery contains nutmeg. Caper's carrot cake is so good. I'll definitely be getting this again soon!

Edited October 24, 2004 by Ling (log)

[Mooshmouse]

After two weeks of restaurant fare in Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage, we've been cocooning at home and enjoying the simple pleasures of home cooking; hence, not a lot of dining out until this past week.

Hamilton Street Grill last Tuesday evening for the Mission Hill instalment of Neil's weekly wine tastings. Four fantastic wines and four great pairings. And two of the simplest dishes were the most memorable for me: the spinach salad and the shortbread. My carotid arteries are still recovering from the shortbread.

Saturday brunch at The Tomahawk. Big plates, loads of cholesterol, Yukon style bacon and more Yukon style bacon. Bliss.

Dinner on Saturday evening at Fiction. My heart sank when I saw that the truffled scrambled egg taster wasn't on the menu. Quickly placated by arctic char gravlax on one of the best rosti I've ever had. Dear husband had Moroccan lamb atop lentil and red cabbage something something (wine, too much wine blurs the memory, but the dish was lovely nonetheless), and I ordered halibut served atop mashed potatoes with a beet (?) reduction. Dessert was somewhat disappointing: a Valhrona chocolate trio featuring mousse, souffle and espresso gelato over chocolate ribbons. Good but not great. Overall, a pleasant enough dinner; however, we probably should have opted for the Sunday afternoon tasting seminar and dinner at Cru rather than a Saturday night out. Oh well.

[Foodie in Vancouver]

Mooshmouse: Our paths must have just missed as we have also been in Palm Desert for 2 weeks but unlike you we didn't go out once. Our first stop is always Costco for fabulous wine reasonably priced. I cooked every night and didn't mind a bit because of all the cooking wine that I had.

You missed an amazing dinner at Cru last night. The 6 wines we tasted in flights of 3 were:

1. Bourgogne 2000 Louis Jadot $26 - my favorite of this flight. Delicate, well mannered and opened up with typical French barnyard notes

2. Beaune du Chateau Premier Cru 2001 Bouchard Pere $47 - we excused its poor showing deciding that it must be going through its dumb phase. No matter what Mark had done to coax it out of its shell it was just blah. Nothing. absolutely nothing going on at all

3. 1998 Echelon Calif Central Coast $30 - many liked this best but it was a bit too big on its own for me.

Flight 2

1. "Anderson Vineyard" 2002 Kim Crawford Marlborough NZ $34 Again my favorite of this flight. a bigger wine than the French but still quite nuanced and nicely balanced.

2. Platinum Reserve CedarCreek 2001 $30 - didn't fare as well on its own but stunning when paired with food

3. 2002 La Crema Sonoma Calif. $37 Again just too much wine for me but once I got used to it I liked it. A big fat Pinot in my humble opinion.

As for food. What can I say but I told you about the event and the fact that you missed it is your own damn fault.

First course was a roasted halibut on a potato puree with bacon and thyme infused jus. The halibut was cooked to utter perfection with an amazing crust that belied the silky interior. Who knew that the Echelon Pinot would be such a perfect match. I could have dined on this all night but the next course was:

Pan-Seared Foie Gras. I don't know which thread on eG I read all about Foie Gras so I can't be sure which producer this Foie came from but all I know was that this was the stuff of dreams. I will leave it to the reader to decide which type of dreams. Again, I don't know what Dana does to produce such intense carmelization but the crust was almost that of a brule with a meltingly soft and exorbitantly rich interior. This was paired with the Louis Jadot - what else?? A sumblimly French dish with a pure French wine. Reminds me of a foie gras I had several years ago in Rocomador (sp?) during which I decided I didn't mind if I stayed single if I could continue to eat like that. I am happily married and thanks to Dana I ate like that again.

The next course was duck breast on polenta with cranberry concord compote paired with the CedarCreek Pinot 2001 Platinum Reserve. This is where the CedarCreek Pinot got to strut its stuff. During the tasting it had seemed atypical in a fruity kind of way but with the duck and the compote it snapped to life. Dessert was a chocolate cake with the 1994 LBV Smith-Woodhouse Port. By this time I was definitely struggling and only managed small amounts of the cake with the accompanying rhubarb. Heaven. A wonderful dinner and accompanying wines with interesting commentary by Mark - the superlative host. I won't tell you about the next dinner until I secure my place first. God forbid I should lose out.

Other recent meals out have been lunches - Elixir again and today Earl's. Believe it or not, my seafood penne was excellent. Salmon cooked, just - exactly the way I like it and the shrimp was still firm-tender. Sauce was interesting and not too overpowering - it was the fish/seafood that made the dish.

[CRUZMISL]

Last 3 reataurants inclue Tribute, Sweet Georgia Brown and Rattlesnake Club. All some of the best the Detroit area has to offer. It was my Anniversary this weekend so the list doesn't reflect my routine. If it did I would be broke:)

Joe

[Ling]

went to some neighbourhood sushi joint called 'Downtown Sushi' or something like that on Davie Street about a week ago

then a few days ago I went to Samurai Restaurant on Davie. big portions. the house roll costs under 10 bucks and I bet it could feed 2 people (lots of filling--chunks of salmon, tamago, tuna, crab, avocado and not a lot of rice--just the way I like it). i also had an order of tuna sashimi and a half order of salmon. i can eat sashimi like a bottomless pit

and now i jsut got back from section 3 in yaletown. and guess what i drank the yellowtail shiraz because i let my friend choose the wine (i chose the 1st bottle and it was mission hill merlot and i had a pinot grigio from italy too) anway it was a lot of wine and i am going to bed now. i had to make this post because i remember someone made fun of yellowtail shiraz on this site haha and i tried to get my friend to pick something else but she insisted.

edit: oh yeah forgot to say what i ate at section 3 i ate the peppered tuna with some sort of mango sauce and the seasoned dry ribs and also we got free some free 5 layer chocolate cake!

Edited November 20, 2004 by Ling (log)

[Mooshmouse]

Cactus Club in Yaletown for post-yoga takeout on Tuesday night. I know, I know, Cactus Club, but their Bandara Salad with grilled cajun chicken is perfect for an apres-exercise meal (the chopped dates are the best part).

Sushi King, one of our neighbourhood sushi joints (to borrow Ling's phrase), for more post-yoga takeout on Friday night. Fast and decent on the taste scale for a cheap local eatery. Noah loves their beef udon soup. An Alaska roll (salmon, crab, avocado), tuna nigiri sushi, and a ridiculously large house roll.

West this evening with Jeffy Boy and Lemon Curd. We were lucky to catch Chef Hawksworth before he leaves for the UK, and our dinners certainly did not disappoint... a fair shake better than beef stew in a bread bowl! It's Jeffy Boy's job to rave about our fabulous meals; however, to quote West's menu, I had the Wild Bluefin Tuna Tartare with golden brook trout caviar, spiced citrus dressing and baby greens, followed by soy marinated North Pacific Sablefish with pine mushrooms and oxtail broth. The taster of White Truffle Risotto that Chef brought us was damn fine. Dessert was Passionfruit Souffle with white chocolate creme anglaise accompanied by one of the best cappuccinos you can get in Vancouver. I'm remiss in forgetting what my wine pairings were, but the company and conversation were so good that the specifics slipped right past me.

[Chef Fowke]

The Kolachy Shop for Monday lunch on the run with my three-year-old son.  Mmmm... warm bread.  Mmmm... meat.  Mmmm... warm bread with meat in it.  We both seem to like the Reuben best:  corned beef and sauerkraut filling.

←

Never speak of this place again...it is my favourite secret!!!!

[montrachet]

HSG on Friday night. I wrote about my experience elsewhere but in short, the chef recommended beef quadruple play was superb.

Montri's Thai on Wednesday night. Hospitality and cuisine on par with one of my other fav ethnic places in town, Vij's. Waited for the heat in our mouths to subside and then had nice after-dinner wines at Umami.

Parkside on Monday night. First time and definitely not my last time!

I will definitely go there to try the after-dinner drinks. Thanks for the tip Coop!