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

[Edible Vancouver]

I have been making an effort to try and get out to try some of the restaurants I have been wanting to try for some time, so Mrs. Gourmet and I took a few days off and managed to try a few in the last week or so. I know this is more than the requested 3, but I will save having to write some later as I never seem to have the time.

I stopped for a quick take-out dinner at Rangoli on south Granville last week. I was pleasantly surprised to find enough choices without wheat or dairy to make a full meal for myself while enough variety to keep Mrs. Gourmet happy. We ended up with a fabulous lamb curry, yummy yam patties, sautéed kale and potatoes, cumin rice, 3 chutney’s and naan for $30! A must stop on the way home from Meinhardt’s!

We had lunch at the Smoking Dog in Kits on Monday and we quite disappointed with the quality and service. Details are in the Westside lunch forum.

Phnom Penh was a great recommendation from Mr. Maw and was a cheap and wonderful lunch on Sunday. We tried the requisite Pho just to find out how it compared to other Pho restaurants, followed by the squid (grandmother’s recipe), and a fried rice patty in coconut topped with ground pork and fried onions. Highly recommended!

Kansai Sushi at 15th and Lonsdale has out standing order ready at least a couple nights a week if not more. We have tried everyone of the sushi restaurants on Lonsdale and a lot of the other ones located on the North Shore and no one makes better rice than Kansai (and my wife is Japanese so she is a little picky about her rice! )

I stopped for a quick lunch at Cassis on Thursday and got what I expected; a nice small bowl of Coq au Vin with the Dijon on the side. The dish was flavorful but only warm and the service left a little to be desired, but overall, it was okay. Where else can you go and have lunch for two for $20 in DT Vancouver!

Another new place we like to stop for a bite to eat is Brown’s on upper Lonsdale. We have been a few times and usually get good service and pretty good food for a very good price. Don’t laugh, but I usually have the Pad Thai for $10 and a glass of wine – in and out for less than $20 – a great value in my mind and the Pad Thai is not too bad either.

Last weekend we made a long awaited trip to Richmond which meant shopping at Yaohan and a snack at the fabulous Food Court. I love the fact that most of the signs aren’t even in English and that it doesn’t seem to matter what you choose, it is authentic, cheap and incredibly good.

Another frequent stop for me lately has been Chambar. I know it has been having issues with services, the wine list, etc. but in general I still find it too be a great value with good food and a nice room in the evening. I am not a big fan of the room during the day and the lunch service tends to make the night service look much, much better. On the positive side I have been told that they have hired a consultant to get the service levels up to par. All I can say is – two lamb shanks for less than $20 with amazing cous cous!

As mentioned under the Hanger Steak forum, the Hamilton Street Grill was a great place for dinner on Friday night and I can’t wait to go back. Chef Neil is the consummate host!

I will also post some details on the meals we enjoyed in Whistler at Cornucopia last weekend (Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub, Araxi, Trattoria di Umberto and Wildwood Bistro) as well in the Cornucopia forum.

If anyone wants more details on any of these places, please send me a PM.

Happy eating!

Eric

[Daddy-A]

So I'm sitting here trying to figure out what happened with the Lions in a game I really couldn't care less about, and recovering from a week of 30 degree weather in Puerto Vallarta, and from returning from that weather to 3 degrees here in Vancouver ... sitting here trying to find a way to describe whereI've been eating lately.

Few people who experience all-inclusive resorts will rave about the food. I knew that going down, and I know that as I type this now. We stayed at Palladium Vallarta not for the food, but for the staff and the location. The staff is great and the location is remote and beautiful.

Having said that, the food was not horrible. It's kinda like eating the same meal 5 different ways. You need to be creative and look at what the locals eat. Once I let the kitchen know this gringo wanted to explore some local food, the buffet started featuring things like menudo, and a very good pisole. Desserts were a major downer, although rice pudding made a welcome appearance.

In Puerto Vallarta, amid the miriad of hucksters and trinket booths, we managed to find some decent chow. J & the kids found a really good jeldo place right beside the main bridge to the old town. On the top floor of the mercado we found a booth selling chilli powder covered mangoes and candied coconut. Our favorite find was a little mom & pop where we enjoyed a feed of fish tacos ... thank goodness my kids are adventurous eaters!

Tonight, J & I stopped off at Bombay Bhel. Situated right beside the infamous Anton's on Hastings in North Burnaby. We were hoping for big things from this place ... North Burnaby hasn't done Indian cuisine well, or at all for that matter. We started with Sev Poori ... nice tamarind sauce, crispy texture, good spice ... if marketed correctly they could kick the crap out of Natchos as a TV snack.

Entres were Saag Gosht, Fish Masala and Aloo Gobi. All were served with a choice of rice or naan. You know how sometimes Indian dishes all taste like the same sauce but with different proteins? Not here. Everything was very delicious ... lamb was very tender ... one question: Is Alaskan cod commonly used in Masala? Just wondering.

A.

[Mooshmouse]

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.

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

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Okay then Brian. Two clicks left on the decoder ring and a right-eyed wink should suffice the next time I want to refer to, well, you know. I just wish they were open on weekends.

[Mooshmouse]

In Puerto Vallarta, amid the miriad of hucksters and trinket booths, we managed to find some decent chow.

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Oooh, Arne, did you make it to Cafe des Artistes? Ian and I had one of our best meals there a few years ago and have been dying to return ever since. Dinner was so good that we photographed our dishes even before the advent of our "serious foodie" days.

[Daddy-A]

Oooh, Arne, did you make it to Cafe des Artistes?  Ian and I had one of our best meals there a few years ago and have been dying to return ever since.  Dinner was so good that we photographed our dishes even before the advent of our "serious foodie" days.

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Joie,

I did mention we had the kids with us right? Thierry & Cafe des Artistes will have to wait for another trip, as will Bianco and many others.

If AB taught me anything its that some of the best food is found off the beaten path. What he didn't teach me was that I ain't dropping big coin on a meal for my kids when they'd be just as happy with fish tacos.

A.

[Ling]

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.

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

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Okay then Brian. Two clicks left on the decoder ring and a right-eyed wink should suffice the next time I want to refer to, well, you know. I just wish they were open on weekends.

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Mooshmouse, your son is too cute!

Where is...uhm...this secret place that sells the Reuben?

[Daddy-A]

Where is...uhm...this secret place that sells the Reuben?

Ling, it's at 888 Beatty ... sorry Brian. Secret's out See you there for lunch tommorrow?

A.

[Mooshmouse]

Joie,

I did mention we had the kids with us right?  Thierry & Cafe des Artistes will have to wait for another trip, as will Bianco and many others. 

If AB taught me anything its that some of the best food is found off the beaten path.  What he didn't teach me was that I ain't dropping big coin on a meal for my kids when they'd be just as happy with fish tacos.

A.

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Gotta say, child-minding while you're on vacation is the best thing ever. During our recent Palm Springs trip (well, Indian Wells and Rancho Mirage), we had a (well-referenced) babysitter look after our little one for a few hours while we had a romantic dinner on our own. What a great splurge that was. We'll definitely be taking the all-inclusive, kids' program resort route when our son is older.

One thing that we greatly appreciated while on vacation is how accommodating many American mid-scale and upscale restaurants are when it comes to children. Kids' menus featuring healthy, non-fried food at reasonable prices while Mom and Dad enjoy a good quality non-chain restaurant meal. Something that's significantly lacking here in the Lower Mainland unless your child is an adventurous eater or likes ethnic food... thank goodness our son has a well-rounded appetite. Not saying that patrons of Cru or Parkside should be saddled with a toddler at the next table, but it'd be nice for families to have more options than White Spot or Milestones.

[Ling]

Where is...uhm...this secret place that sells the Reuben?

Ling, it's at 888 Beatty ... sorry Brian. Secret's out See you there for lunch tommorrow?

A.

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have a midterm tomorrow (that I should be studying for right now) so the sandwich will have to wait until Tuesday!

[Mooshmouse]

Mooshmouse, your son is too cute! 

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Thanks Ling! He's quite enamoured with older women, and I know he'd think you're gorgeous... now, if you're willing to wait...

[Peter Rodgers]

On a four day visit to our second home in Vancouver, managed to keep the following pace (and arrive back home in the East, several pounds heavier):

Dinner at the bar at Feenie's

Duck leg confit salad -- oops, forgot to ask that they hold the blue cheese;

Pappardelle Bolognese -- super, as always. Could have this dish every week.

Dim sum at Kirin Mandarin:

Great pot stickers and sticky rice;

Not so wonderful har gow and steamed pork buns.

Dinner at the Octopus Garden

Could not get a seat at the sushi bar; said they didn't take reservations, but in fact the seats were reserved for others; not happy; good tempura; very average nigiri sushi.

Lunch at Rodney's Oyster House

Very good Pacific oysters -- three kinds;

New England clam chowder could use work;

Love the atmosphere.

Dinner at West:

An amazing creamless Cauliflower soup;

A citrusy tuna tartare, as tasty as I have had;

A chef's surprise gift of risotto with shaved Alba truffles -- couldn't do better in Piemonte;

A rich, winey, braised port belly that was the night's special;

All in all, surely a good as it gets in Vancouver; David Hawksworth never rests on his laurels.

Dim sum at San Sui Wah on Main:

Terrific dim sum from the carts, including great pot stickers, perfect sticky rice in lotus leaf and excellent steamed har gow and peanut dumplings.

[Foodie in Vancouver]

Here are 3 of my recent meals out - some places more than once:

Go Fish - in fact those are my hands in the picture in the Queue section of the Sun this Friday. Got to Go Fish on a stunning, sunny day that convinces you there is no where else in the world to live than Vancouver. Arrived at 11:30 or so to find that one of their deep fryers was down so no fish and chips. Chaos was barely held at bay - orders were going missing and the chap taking the orders was clearly still in training. But Gordon was holding it all together - gentle reminders to the staff about how to dress the salads, leaping to the grill to turn salmon fillets and flashing his smile at the customers. And, the buns arrived in time to ensure sandwiches were possible. So that's what we had - grilled salmon sandwiches with greens. We took them back to the office, partly because we were chilly and there was no where to sit and partly because the wait had been so long. But a worthwhile wait. I took my grilled salmon sandwich into my 1:00 meeting and barely managed to keep the mayo off my chin and retain whatever dignity I have. It was delicious - well worth the wait. I would cheerfully return - I just haven't found the opportunity. And I will wear something other than my office clothes - dry cleaning will be more than the cost of the lunch and I will eat in private.

Hamilton Street Grill - have been there the last 2 Friday's for the hangar steak. At risk of sounding like a shill - what a great place! A fun room, great food and good service. No doubt about it - Neil's attention to the front of the house, as well as the kitchen pays off for the customer. The staff performs flawlessly, service is gracious, prompt and attentive, without fawning. Last night we spent some time at the bar and that too, was a great experience. Neil definitely has hired the right talent.

The hangar steaks, on both occasions, are tasty, chewy and flavourful. You know you are eating beef, which is just the way I like it. I had mine cooked rare the first time and medium rare last night and recommend the medium rare to medium. Last night I started with the pear and stilton salad. Excellent - not too much dressing (which I abhour - one reason I always hesitate to have salads in the US - they always drown them in dressing; more is better in America) and just enough Stilton to punch up the flavour. I had a glass of the Domaine Chaberton syrah at the bar which I continued with the salad. Not a very good wine in my opinion - based on the Syrah, I wouldn't hurry out to Langley. Almost had a raisin taste to it, quite off-putting. We had the Penfolds Shiraz- Cabernet with the steak this week and last week had the Nota Bene. The Bene was definitely the better choice of the two.

And tonight we went to Bishop's to celebrate our wedding anniversary. It is with a heavy heart that I report a very mere and actually disappointing meal. For $230 (with tip) I am sure I would have been swept off my feet at West. Instead at Bishop's we couldn't get out of there soon enough.

What went wrong? The service was certainly attentive - they must have at least 10 people, including John on the floor. But the noise in there tonight was overwhelmng. We were seated upstairs, just at the passageway to the kitchen and the bathrooms and in front of the area where they keep the wine glasses. My husband said it reminded him of sitting in the toilet row of an airplane (you know, the last couple of rows where people line up to wait for the bathroom). We were unable to converse because of the din. Our expectations were for a romantic evening so the noise and constant bustle of staff around our table was a distraction. But at Bishop's we have come to expect superb tastes, flavours and pairings. The only time this happened was the amuse bouche - seared scallop on a deep-fried wonton skin. That was the Bishop's we have known and loved. A hit of ocean flavour and a silken texture in the mouth. It truly set us up for great things to come. I started with the spot prawns - there were 4 on the plate with a small mound of overdressed greens. The prawns were perfectly cooked with respect to texture but somehow managed to fall flat on flavour. Perhaps it was the bitter greens with too much dressing? Nels had the tempura squid which he said was rubbery. I had a Venturi Schulze sparkling wine with the prawns- it was clean and sharp and a good match. But it was oddly devoid of bubbles - or maybe they were too small to be seen. A nice brut, none the less but probably not worth $13 a glass.

We both had the ahi tuna as our main course paired with the Blue Mountain Pinot Noir. Our impression of the wine list was that it was skewed towards some very, very pricey wines. The vast majority of the wine list was well outside our budget with no Pinot Noirs by the glass.

The tuna was so disappointing that I struggle to find words to describe it. Yes, it was dark pink inside, but the outer 1/4 to 3/8ths of an inch was so well done as to be chewy and dull. I like seared tuna to be almost like sashimi - meltingly tender and like butter with a delicate feel in the mouth. Almost as if it isn't there. Well this tuna was all there, all the time. Chew, chew, chew. And no flavour anywhere. It was served with a small amount of grainy mustard sauce and roasted vegatables. Serviceable but an overabundance of potatoes. Dessert was the vanilla- coffee brulee. Nothing exciting - nothing bad.

We vowed that for the next celebratory meal we are heading to West were we know that $230 later we will have had a meal that makes us smile in utter contentment and one that is truly a celebration of food and wine. And we will have had a chance to talk quietly to each oblivious to those around us.

[butter]

La Bodegas last night because there was an hour and a half wait at Bin 942 at 9:30 p.m. Too starved to wait. Had chicken livers in a cream sauce, (sorry can't remember the Spanish names of these items) which was great for dipping bread in, paella (very dry and tasteless), garlic prawns (okay), and baby squid with another good bread dipping sauce, and patatas bravas (yummy). Although the food is very basic and can be made at home easily, I really like the warm atmosphere and it's comfort food.

Re: Go Fish. The fryer was down when I went there too a few weeks ago. Service was slow, I wonder if the same guy is still in training, but the smiles and laughter from Chef Gordon made up for it all. What energy! Great halibut.

[janevm]

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...

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[janevm]

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...

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[peppyre]

Saturday I had lunch at the Singapore stall in Abderdeen Mall in Richmond. Had the Roti Prata with Curry Chicken. It was quite good, but I was hoping for a little more spice.

Friday night was an amazing evening at Hamilton Street Grill. Had the Hangar steak special with the Beringer Zin and my date figured that if he was smart he'd order the same. It was fantastic and I could quite easily have that at least once a week. I did get to try the Gingerbread Pudding this time (didn't get a chance to eat mine at the Big Night. Guess I'm too slow) We decided to order two and well, I still have half of mine in the fridge. Actually I'm glad I have some left, I can savour it until I can get to HSG to get more. It was one of the best dinner's out I've had in a long time.

And well, I think we all know about my take out experience from last weekend. Oh and then there's lunch at the hospital cafeteria salad bar every day. The joys of working in a hospital. You eat a lot of vegetables.

[Mooshmouse]

I succumbed to the pressure of last week's discussion and headed straight to The Kolachy Shop for lunch on Monday with my son. Sure enough, there's Arne sitting by the front door, polishing off a reuben kolachy of his own. Noah and I joined him, ordering two reubens of our own and one apricot kolachy for dessert. Yummmmy.

Hamilton Street Grill twice. Tuesday evening for the Santa Rita wine tasting (Neil and Brian could more expertly enlighten you on the menu, but the Triple C was extraordinary) and Friday apres-yoga for Vancouver Island honey mussels with a glass of Yalumba Viognier and hanger steak. Of course, warm gingerbread pudding too with peppermint tea. So much for yoga. The room was absolutely slammed on Friday evening; Neil, you've definitely got a good thing goin' on.

Thai Away Home on the Drive for a quick and cheap dinner with Ian and Noah. Emphasis on quick, vis-a-vis peppyre's experience last weekend. Chicken with cashew nuts, served with soup, rice, green salad and a spring roll. Not exactly flaming hot, but certainly not bad. I'm still exhaling the aftereffects of their sweet, garlic-laden salad dressing.

Edited November 29, 2004 by Mooshmouse (log)

[Daddy-A]

Moosh & I seem to be stalking each other in the food department ....

Yes, there I was at The Kolachy Shop. Noah wanted me to take him over to Dix for a beer and some pulled pork, but I fear his mother more than he does so I thought better of it Really liked the kolachy (indeed it was a Reuben - I must have been Jewish in a previous life), but the borscht was excellent as well.

Thai Away Home is just up the street from my office, so I eat there a lot. I have tried many of their lunch items, but have found them all inferior to the Pad Thai. The Pad Thai is such good value too ... $5.50. No sign of Moosh, but I'm sure she was around somewhere.

Wanted to take my sons to Go Fish! on Saturday, but made the mistake of waiting until 1:30. The parking lot was full ... of people! Is Vancouver devoid of fish & chips shops or is Gord slipping something into the coleslaw? On the upside, the boys now believe me that Go Fish! is in fact in business.

We ended up at Kim Phung for Pho'. I am happy to announce that I have converted 2 more to the Pho' cause! (Pho Shizzle!) Even fussy R. made a huge effort to finish the whole bowl. Another reason this was a fortunate diversion ...I was looking for chicken parts for stock and there is a really cool Chinese/Vietnamese grocery just up the street.

Moosh, you'll have to have Pho next.

A.

[James Kendal]

Last night at Brasserie LÉcole: awesome Tuna main course for $18, glass of Fevre Chablis, Kettle Valley Pinot Noir for $8. Great D'ambert cheese after.

Hate to say it but I went to Wendy's twice this week for a Mountain Burger... it was damn good but I cant go back for at least a month or my wife will kill me after we watched "super size it last week".

[Xando Head]

Ate at the Kolachy Shop for breakfast this morning. Lineups out the door w/the construction guys working on condo towers going up in that area.

Had the sausage and egg ... man oh man do I love this place. I only wish they were open on the weekends, when I actually have TIME to get out of my office to eat.

[Ling]

Whole Foods a little over a week ago. I had some sort of chicken salad from the deli. It was OK, but definitely not worth $10.

Samurai Restuarant on Davie Street. I had the hamachi sashimi and a half order of salmon sashimi. My bf had their rainbow roll and a 1/2 order of their enormous house roll (lots of tasty fillings, not a lot of rice).

Just got back from Umami Restaurant on Davie Street. What can I say except that I feel very lucky to be living only 5 minutes by foot from this fabulous little tapas place! We had the tuna spring roll wrapped in nori, which was very tasty (nice big piece of tuna, and a very tasty, slighty sweet sauce that matched wonderfully). Then we had the foie gras and bbq eel on daikon. The foie gras was nice and crispy on the outside, rich and creamy like it should be on the inside. I very much enjoyed this dish; it had an incredible depth of flavour from the brothy-soupy sauce. And then we had the rack of lamb with a delicious double-baked potato. I usually don't find anything very special about baked potatoes but there was something in this one that made it just taste sooooo good (maybe there was an umami element? ). I drank Township7 Merlot and my bf had the Township7 sauvignon blanc. For dessert, we both had the incredible Popular Grove blue cheese creme brulee--the very reason why I had to try this restaurant tonight, after Montrachet posted about this dessert! It really exceeded all my expectations. I swear it was so good, I didn't want to swallow it. I didn't really know how the blue cheese/creme brulee pairing would work--I was expecting maybe chunks of intensely flavored cheese interspersed in a not-very-sweet creme brulee, but it was actually a bluish-greenish colored, mildly sweet creme brulee. The cheese had been somehow totally incorporated into the creme brulee base. It was served with frozen grapes, and I drank some port with it. A perfect ending to an exceptional meal. I can't wait to try the other delicious-sounding tapas on the menu!

btw: bf's favorite dish of the night (and my 2nd favorite) was the tuna spring roll. I was saying during dinner how I wish I could eat like 50 pieces of this stuff. YUM!

Edited December 4, 2004 by Ling (log)

[mangez]

West Restaurant. Honestly, I never was too keen on this place (been there about 5 times) until last night. I think the wine we brought has something to do with it. A 79 Cheval Blanc tends to make everything perfect regardless.

Well, we made a last minute booking and got a seat next to the kitchen at 8:30pm. Not a bad setup as we managed to bribe the chef with a nice glass of wine and our food tasted extra yummy.

Corkage was reasonable at $25 considering the decent glassware and decanters.

We had the main course portion of the truffle risotto, very pricy at $54 (we only found out when paying the bill, 2 grams of white truffle and some risotto costs $54 each) but it was super tasty. I was pushing my gout limit and had the pan seared goose (duck I suppose in Canada) liver, it was better than the double roasted cold version also available.

Tried to have a sauterne by the glass, only got the Aussie equivalence. Still went well with the liver.

I was fortunate enough to have a very attractive lady dropped some cash with her bank card on the floor next to my seat, and then the waitress assumed that it was mine and gave it to me. I returned the money to the manager and didn't think twice about it. Oh well, a silly mistake! I should have at least talked to the blonde but I suppose with my pregnant wife next to me, I was asking for trouble.

Back to food.

Also had the steak tartare. Quite good when you consume it with the slightly over salted fries. In fact, my wife seems to think everything was slightly overly salty but with the 79 Cheval Blanc, everything was fine to me.

Wife had the Alberta Wangyu beef, I really liked it. In fact, I think I'll hit that place was it 'chocolate' or 'butter' who recommended the place, on E Hastings to pick up some ourselves. The Wangyu was more reasonable at around $30.

Much better food than I can remember, better than the Ouest days for sure. Too bad didn't leave room for desserts.

I like West much better than Chambar which was a serious disappointment. But then, perhaps it was not a good review of the place as I had a cold when tasting their dishes. 9.5% Beer was good, but mussels was very average and no decent bread for dipping. However, honestly, I much prefer the mussels at Salade De Fruits Café or La Regalade. Service was poor at Chambar and I don't' think I'll ever go back. Food was not impressive, my beef was cold.

Also went to Cru on Wednesday which was pretty nice. The seat (not the bench) however, started sticking to my rear end after two hours. They should have used breathable leather instead of vinyl, the unpleasant sensation reminded me of a long haul flight to Asia.

Wine pairing was ok, food was better than the other new places I tried out on Main Street, Aurora? cannot remember the names.

Probably will have some Vietnamese noodles for lunch with this visiting guest, Au Petit Café has good beef noodles, the beef quality is better than that place on Fraser with the yellow awning but the latter still serves the best Vietnamese cold coffee in town.

Any fans of the chicken rice at Cafe D'Lite on Broadway here? Another good lunch alternative.

Enough talking, have to catch some sleep I need the energy to put more things in my mouth later today.

Edited December 4, 2004 by mangez (log)

[butter]

Hate to say it but I went to Wendy's twice this week for a Mountain Burger... it was damn good but I cant go back for at least a month or my wife will kill me after we watched "super size it last week".

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Couldn't resist this one. Your wife won't have to kill you, she can let the burgers do it for her.

[stovetop]

1) CRU Restaurant : Vancouver

We all had a great time at Cru; Chef Dana Reinhardt does a great job with her menu, all the dishes were of the best quality meats and ingredients, flavours were fresh and not overly complicated, you could taste all the subtleness of all the ingredients in every dish.

All flavours and taste were executed with greatness and all wine pairings worked out great.

I can see why Cru has had all the great reviews; for me it was the best dinning experience so far this year and was worth every cent.

steve

2) Acme: Nanaimo

What a cool space; Sade playing in the foreground, suits in abundant pushing the envelope of the business lunch, very casual, a fusion of food cultures and interior design; I do not know what is more eclectic; the menu or the décor of the Acme.

Located in downtown Nanaimo, the Acme has seemed to grow into its space, for years I have walked passed it many times never entering, until this day.

The menu covers a huge amount of ground, from sushi to pizza to tapas and has an average wine and beer menu.

Service is friendly and efficient but sometimes lacks in product knowledge, but it is Nanaimo after all and the Acme is a casual place so they do not pretend to be anything else, so one should not have huge expectations, they do well by what they do, providing Nanaimo with a fun food place, that covers lots of ground and try to please a little of everyone in the market. It is a great inspiration for Port Alberni, it shows one can do more with a restaurant, Port could take a page from the Acme and break away from the same tired menus all restaurants in Port Alberni have been doing for years, it is not the eighties any more, thanks Acme, I had a good time.

steve

3) Blue door: Port Alberni

The Blue Door is becoming my Fav breakfast place in Port Alberni; it is a total old school café from days gone by, it is not the cheapest breakfast joint in town but has a consistent charm to it and after ten visits I would say it is in the top five egg slingers in town.

steve

[Daddy-A]

The Blue Door is becoming my Fav breakfast place in Port Alberni; it is a total old school café from days gone by, it is not the cheapest breakfast joint in town but has a consistent charm to it and after ten visits I would say it is in the top five egg slingers in town.

Not to sound flippant steve ... but just how many egg slingers does Port Alberni have??

BTW ... I love the old school cafes. One of our faves is Skinny's Grill in Hope. Always stop by Skinny's for breakfast on our way to the cabin.

A.