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

[Ling]

Seoul House Royale: lunch with a few other Egulleters. We had this amazing fried potato noodle dish, some nicely marbled beef, scallops, and spicy lamb shoulder. Everything was delicious. (I really like their seaweed appetizer--one of those freebies they give you when you come in.)

Elysian Room: I've been here twice recently--once with a friend, and once with Joie and Arne after Korean food. I had the oatmeal raisin square and an Americano. Love the oatmeal raisin square--very soft and buttery.

Kim Phung: lunch with Arne and Lee. The pho did not disappoint, but I still think I have to get the edge to Pho Lan in Richmond. The broth at Kim Phung is darker, saltier, more "beefy". The broth at Pho Lan is slightly greasier, lighter-tasting, with lots of cilantro. I would say Kim Phung is my 2nd favourite place for pho.

at UBC cinnamon-flavoured Seattle's Best coffee and a white chocolate chip cookie before class.

[inanimate]

Kaide sushi bar on richards. Exceptional sushi which also happens to be cheap. generous portions of very fresh seafood, prepared beautifully. My favourite sushi place downtown now.

Mr. Sub on davie. so much better than subway. Nice folks too. A lunchtime favourite at the office.

Jang Mo Jib on kingsway. Service is often indifferent, but the food is generally great. My korean girlfriend wasn't as impressed with her tofu hot pot, but just about everything else I'd had there has usually left me glowing (sometimes just due to the spicyness of it all).

[Coop]

That's it Ling. You can say what you want about other places but to say Kim Phung isn't the best, well that does it! I haven't been to Pho Lan but how could it compare? I'm going to talk to the owner (Mrs Kim Phung) and have you barred. I'm sure she will say something like:

"Never Darken my Doors Again".

I believe she will be posting here soon about her own special tendon and tea evening.

[Keith Talent]

Pho Lan?

Surely you jest. Pho Lan might be the best pho restaurant for white people, but the best in Richmond? I don't even think it's the best on that block. It's an old adage, but I think it's also quite true, ideally you want to be the only caucasian in an asian restaurant, and Ling, lets be honest, you'd be the only asian in Pho Lan. Hell, you're probably the only person there that's had pho more than once. That place is like pho for newbies.

It might be the dirtiest pho restaurant in Richmond. It might be the the skimpiest on the meats. The only positive is that they are not stingey with the basil.

[*Deborah*]

next on eGullet: Pho Wars

[Andrew Morrison]

So I’m all a flutter at work about website troubles and a myriad of other things that pick away at me like staccato taps of 20 fingers on a strung out banjo that’s seen better days. I get 4 tables on a slow night. I leave early.

My wife and I are in the midst of a move from a one bedroom apartment to a three bedroom house. We share a 3,000 volume library and have been moving it, one painful carload at a time. After that comes the various pieces of ornamental bric-a-brac, such as our couch, bed, 10 book cases, dining set, etc…you get the picture.

I’m a weak, little man. Moving sucks for me. I’ve enlisted the help of three of my colleagues (our bar manager and two servers) to help move the heavy stuff (in exchange for beers at the pub and sweet-ass karma) and so far I’ve only lifted about 500 books in progressively crumbling boxes. But as a consequence, tonight I’m dead tired.

My back aches. I’m hungry. I’m stressed.

Choice A: get on with the packing, the editing, the manifesting, and so on.

Choice B: go buy more coffee and get a bite somewhere in West Vancouver. It’s 10:00pm. After a bodum ground pound of Starbucks’ Sumatra is paid for I slip back into the car and cruise down Marine Drive towards the Lion’s Gate Bridge. Cindy’s? Closed. Marecelo’s? Closed. Beach Side Cafe? Closed. What are my options? Fast food…

Hell no. Instead, I turn right into the new development in the south part of Park Royal that boasts a Lululemon. a Cafe Artigiano, a Starbucks (maybe 6 of them) and a Whole Foods. A pretty ambitious set, like the Four Horsemen of the Apocolypse. In the midst of this new monument to purchasing, nay…at it’s nexus, is a brand-spanking new Cactus Club.

Now, I’m an idiot and a snob. Though I’m piss poor, I don’t value good value. But after tonight I’m as close a convert as I’ve ever been to the Church of Casual Fine Dining.

Again, it’s 10:00pm. Everything appears to be closed except the Cactus Club. I’ve walked passed the place on my way in and out of shops. I’ve been curious, but also suspicious. My years in fine dining have stifled my appreciation for things more ordinary. It’s embarrassing. But it appears now that I’ve always mistakenly categorized the Cactus Club as uber-ordinary. I walk up and take a fresh look. From the outside it looks like a suburban 60’s highschool designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and a hand-picked group of kraftwerk fans and cubists on coke. I walked in and wanted to slap myself for my foolishness.

It’s a gorgeous room.

The layout is literally breathtaking. Is that an Andy Warhol print of Chairman Mao over there? Wtf? It is! This is a Cactus Club? What’s Next? The Castroburger?

Hipster politico aesthetics goes mainstream…who knew?

Awesome artichoke shaped chandeliers hold court over the dining room. I see Chef Eric Foskett’s smaller plates going out on the arms of servers. I sit at the oval bar with 25 seats and survey another 50 seats in the lounge. Behind me are 70 seats in the dining room. Think deep red leatherette banquettes, under-lit lounge tables low-hung for casual martinis and comfy draping of the languid lululemon set. Beyond the dining room is the patio which gets de-flowered soon. It’ll hold another 75 people. I checked it out. Bubbling fountain (the Trevi it ain’t. More like something from Naboo), heatlamps, and thoughtfully placed plants are suggestive of the long, summer nights just around the corner. Not bad for a space in the newest strip mall. Not bad at all. These guys spent some coin getting this place so well dressed.

What’s more, there are people here. Again, it’s 10:00pm on a Monday night—in West Van. What’s going on here? They’re mostly young guys. A few dates. A gaggle of girls drinking cosmos and crantinis. A cacophony of cellphones play the discordant tune of the twenty-somethings that abound. I spy a six-top of older guys doing business (explains the two Ferrari’s I saw in the parking lot—sorry about the ding on your door, buddy.). There’s a group of guys watching Lakers highlights on several strategically places plasmas.

But it’s much more than a place to watch the game. Contributing to the relaxed mix is the drinks list. It’s very well considered. You get the feeling that there were actual meetings (complete with laptops and takeout coffee stained blueprints struggling to stay unscrolled) to discuss at length what should and what shouldn’t get put on the list. It’s that well-chosen. 20 wines by the glass, from low-level and mid-range goodies such as Wolfblass and Blue Mountain. Their “reserve” list sports cultish wines like Conundrum and Caymus’ Cabernet ($150). The wine-snob in me was pleased to see that much thought get put into so few wines. They even had a Brunello (Frescobaldi)!

From an inside point of view it’s a server’s paradise. It appeared to be a good team atmosphere. Small sections (4 tables per waitron is their magic number). Lots of young staff. Excellent training. The management team of GM Todd Pocklington and AM Ryan Proctor run a tight crew. I was certainly served well.

Friendly folks to the bone.

The food? Chef Eric Foskett’s crew prepare some imaginative dishes with notable consistency. Kung Pao Chicken with soft rice noodles, peppers, cilantro, broccoli, and a spicy cocunut sauce pleasantly lit my taste buds on fire. 4 different burgers (including 2 veggie options) – try the one with the Jack Daniels BBQ sauce. Quesadillas and Fajitas galore. Lots of sharable dishes. Quality? No pretensions here…this ain’t fine dining. It’s good food at good value, but I suspect their business model steers their motivation towards the margin, rather than excellence in the kitchen…and that’s ok. The food was good. The menus were interesting.

We should be grateful for what they’re trying to do: provide us with affordable alternative to fine dining. They serve unique and simple food in an uber-cool atmosphere that makes you feel as if your plates are costing $30 bucks a pop rather than $10. Inarguably, it’s a goldmine location and a promising amalgamation of some interesting concepts. But above all, if they can help West Vancouver stay up a little later, they will have contributed to the greater good of society at large.

One final note: they’ve got just about the coolest bathrooms I’ve ever seen. Plush red carpet. Overstuffed leather chair. Personal tv’s in the stalls. Soaring black and white canvas of bison on a windswept prairie. They’ve caught on to a little known trade secret, that the first time you usually catch your breath at a new restaurant to even consider judging it always occurs in the solitude of the bathroom.

Like I said, well-thought out.

Edited February 8, 2005 by editor@waiterblog (log)

[*Deborah*]

That's funny, because I never would have used the "fine" regardless of modifier in describing a Cactus Club, based on the two I have eaten at (Robson Street and North Vancouver--Pemberton?).

Hmmm.

[Daddy-A]

One final note: they’ve got just about the coolest bathrooms I’ve ever seen. Plush red carpet.

One word for that: EWWWWWWWWWWWW!

A.

[peppyre]

One final note: they’ve got just about the coolest bathrooms I’ve ever seen. Plush red carpet.

One word for that: EWWWWWWWWWWWW!

A.

←

What, you don't like the idea of carpet in front a toilet in a men's room?

[Coop]

I have always thought of the Broadway and Granville Cactus Club washrooms to be the finest in the city. And as Elvis Costello sang, "My Aim is True".

[Andrew Morrison]

Deborah, I think I used the cfd word because I was so impressed with the decor, the layout, and the vibe. It would be a small leap for these guys to get into the "fine" category. Everything is in place for that transition except the food. It wasn't bad. It wasn't excellent. It was just good. It's the fault of the demographic that they are trying (and I imagine they've had immense success here) to capture that they skimp on excellence from the kitchen. I presume they just want to please a growing culture of dumb -- dumbed down tastes, dumbed down expectations, and an under-appreciation of the elevated dining plane. I had a feeling that the guests would much rather eat their fajitas than sup from the genius of Senor Hawksworth. That's fine. In other words...just gimme a burger and allow me to feel cool as I gargle my Wolfblass. Is that my phone? That dude in the mini better not scratch my hummer...

Still, I was impressed. The look and feel is so far removed from any other Cactus Club i've seen. Very swank.

Edited February 8, 2005 by editor@waiterblog (log)

[Andrew Morrison]

What, you don't like the idea of carpet in front a toilet in a men's room?

Twas off to the side, far removed from the urinals. Silly person.

Edited February 8, 2005 by editor@waiterblog (log)

[*Deborah*]

Deborah, I think I used the cfd word because I was so impressed with the decor, the layout, and the vibe. It would be a small leap for these guys to get into the "fine" category. Everything is in place for that transition except the food.  It wasn't bad. It wasn't excellent. It was just good. It's the fault of the demographic that they are trying (and I imagine they've had immense success here) to capture that they skimp on excellence from the kitchen. I presume they just want to please a growing culture of dumb -- dumbed down tastes, dumbed down expectations, and an under-appreciated of the elevated dining plane. I had a feeling that the guests would much rather eat their fajitas than sup from the genius of Senor Hawksworth. That's fine. In other words...just gimme a burger and allow me to feel cool as I gargle my Wolfblass. Is that my phone? That dude in the mini better not scratch my hummer...

Still, I was impressed. The look and feel is so far removed from any other Cactus Club i've seen. Very swank.

←

So it seems!

I have a bit of an unreasonable bias against chains...although I do eat in them. I will think of that Cactus Club next time I'm thinking about the Milestone's over there.

I have to agree with Arne and Peppyre that a carpeted bathroom could become less than salubrious though

[Keith Talent]

Now, I’m an idiot and a snob.

←

And thus the reason you've fit in so quickly and easily here.

[Daddy-A]

I have a bit of an unreasonable bias against chains...although I do eat in them. I will think of that Cactus Club next time I'm thinking about the Milestone's over there.

Welcome to the club Deborah! (Note: an unofficial not-in-any-way-associated-with-eGullet kinda club ). I have similar biases, but when you have hungry sons, you get over them really quickly!

My only complaint about Cactus Club is the music. I'm gonna start sounding like my dad now, but it's too frickin' loud! If they would change over to some fusion jazz (Ste Germaine des Pres or something like that) and drop it from 11 to about 7, I'd be all over the place.

A.

[*Deborah*]

Now, I’m an idiot and a snob.

←

And thus the reason you've fit in so quickly and easily here.

←

Oh yeah, I meant to comment on that too (in a join the club way)

[Andrew Morrison]

Now, I’m an idiot and a snob.

I'm also rather unattractive and a bit of a drooler.

[3WholeCardamoms]

My only complaint about Cactus Club is the music. I'm gonna start sounding like my dad now, but it's too frickin' loud! If they would change over to some fusion jazz (Ste Germaine des Pres or something like that) and drop it from 11 to about 7, I'd be all over the place.

A.

Wait for the CD to change. Doesn't the city hand out St Germain CD's with each restaurant license? Or was that Portishead?

[Ling]

Pho Lan?

Surely you jest. Pho Lan might be the best pho restaurant for white people, but the best in Richmond? I don't even think it's the best on that block. It's an old adage, but I think it's also quite true, ideally you want to be the only caucasian in an asian restaurant, and Ling, lets be honest, you'd be the only asian in Pho Lan. Hell, you're probably the only person there that's had pho more than once. That place is like pho for newbies.

It might be the dirtiest pho restaurant in Richmond. It might be the the skimpiest on the meats. The only positive is that they are not stingey with the basil.

←

That's weird, I used to eat at Pho Lan almost everyday about a year or two ago, and I've only evr seen a handful of Caucasian people in there. The restaurant was usually almost completely full when I went (probably around 8pm?) and it's a very popular pho place on another board I used to frequent. The only times I saw more than a few Caucasians is when I went at lunch (but probably about 90% of the time, the clientele is all asian). The owners speak Vietnamese to most of their customers, so I'm guessing most of their clientele is Vietnamese. I've also recommended it to quite a few asian people, and they rave about the pho there too.

However, I haven't had pho there in the past year, so I can't say if the quality has declined.

It's dirty, yes. The platter of meat I got at Pho Lan, however, was much more generous than what I got at Kim Phung (perhaps 4 slices).

Edited February 8, 2005 by Ling (log)

[Ling]

That's it Ling. You can say what you want about other places but to say Kim Phung isn't the best, well that does it! I haven't been to Pho Lan but how could it compare? I'm going to talk to the owner (Mrs Kim Phung) and have you barred. I'm sure she will say something like:

"Never Darken my Doors Again".

I believe she will be posting here soon about her own special tendon and tea evening.

←

I'll have to somehow ingratiate myself to Mrs. Kim Phung. Don't want to miss out on the tendon and tea extravaganza.

[Mooshmouse]

Now, I’m an idiot and a snob.

I'm also rather unattractive and a bit of a drooler.

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eGullet bibs... getchyer custom-embroidered eGullet bibs, emblazoned with the dancing eGullet man and the CFD logo of your choice...

[Vancouver]

1. Guu with garlic - had to wait about 45 minutes. Found out they now take reservations (ok, so I'm slow.). Tuna tataki was deliciously fresh, takoyaki was decent (but I long for the ones from the street vendors in Osaka which I haven't found a true equivalent for in Vancouver).

2. Que Pasa - finally tried the deli there after meaning to for a long while. The taquitos were good. Crunchy, and perfectly fried. The soft taco was bland, even after adding the "hot" salsa. The tortilla on the soft taco was a bit too hard - as if it was old and had not been heated up. No horchata to be found - anyone know a good source?

3. Ho Yuen Kee - the meal itself was good as usual. The highlight was the ginger custard. Yum! Had to order it 15-20 minutes before wanting it as it is made fresh. Came out steaming hot, creamy, with a pleasant sting of lots of ginger. The perfect end to a meal!

Cheers!

[Keith Talent]

You can buy Horchata powder in grocery stores in Bellingham, mix it into milk or water. It's not the reals deal, but is not bad either.

[canucklehead]

Shanghai Yan Yun on Main - I mean I've said it before and I'll say it again - very very good juicy pork buns, xiao long bao and I don't have to go to Richmond (I live on the North Shore).

Perogies at Ukranian Church (10th and Main). Very popular once a month thing and the the perogies taste like the one's I've had from Winnipeg. I've been going for a while now (before the Vanmag recommendation) and it is really really good. Plus - the whole feel is so Canadian - it is like a Benneton ad as envisioned by the CRTC.

Lunch today at Shanghai Bistro - very good rice cakes, a typical Chinese New Year lucky thing to eat. It was very very busy and had a nice CNY buzz.

Gung hei fat choi everybody!!

[Mooshmouse]

Rangoli for lunch with Daddy-A yesterday. I'll leave the details of Arne's meal to him, but I had the lamb in Vij's masala curry on vegetable rice pilaf with daal and naan. Tender, flavourful meat in curry that I mopped up every last drop of with my naan. And a wonderfully creamy, tastes-like-summer mango lassi. Must add that Vikram Vij is, without question, one of the warmest, most congenial hosts in the city.

Post Indian food lattes and bumbleberry pie from The Elysian Room. Who ever thought that an organic wheat-free, spelt flour pie would taste so good?! The spelt flour made for an interestingly-textured crust; not quite as flaky as wheat flour would render, but tasty nonetheless. Packed with filling, not too sweet and not too tart. I'll definitely be ordering pie again. (I wasn't going to confess to buying an oatmeal raisin bar for breakfast the next day, but oh well!)

Takeout from Thai Away Home on the weekend. Cashew chicken and pad thai noodles as well as some chicken satay sticks and spring rolls for Noah.