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

[Dining Diva]

oops!

Edited March 22, 2005 by Dining Diva (log)

[Dining Diva]

We booked Gu'u on Robson for my B-day and reserved the upper room for the 16 of us.  I absolutely love this place, it is hands down my favourite place to eat out.  They have a daily fresh sheet as well as their regular menu items.  That night we we're ordering complete pages of menu's at a time, along with ample amounts of beer and Sake.  We ate and ate.  Items ranged from braised Halibut Cheek, Jellyfish salad, Salmon, Tuna, a really interesting pumpkin dish with an egg inside, Deep fried Prawns, Broiled Calamari, an interesting chewy rice dish.  I can't remember it all because all the mixing with the Sake made things fuzzy.  While the party forged on after Gu'u, and it did involve food and A LOT of drinking, I think I should end this description here.... 

Lunch a few days later at YaoHan center in the food court on Richmond.  Strawberry Bubble Tea from the Juice King, deep fried smelt, and a plate of BBQ Pork w/ rice.  My bride had a tasty noodle soup with shrimp wontons.  Overall very satisfying for very little money

Dinner tonight at LA Chicken in Richmond at No. 5 road and Cambie.  This is some damn good fried chicken!  We tried a mix of their regular and spicy chicken.  It was an excellent combination of crispiness and juiciness.  Our tastes leaned more towards the spicy.  So good I bought a box of 12 pieces to take home after we we're done eating.

←

Yoy sat down in LA Chicken??

That little curtain that seperates the kitchen (passthru) from the front counter always kinda freaked me out.

As an ex-Richmondite, I can tell ya, some damn fine chix to be had for sure.

John

PS: I lived around 4 & Cambie so I'd go there quite often!

←

It's a long haul back to downtown from Richmond. so we pushed a few of their tiny tables together for the 3 of us and chow'd down. My friend now is in a real dilemma only working about 5 minutes away from there. He's trying to eat well now, but the revelation of LA Chicken and how good it is might put forth to him a formidable obstacle.

←

yes pao pao, that was a GREAT night... (sorry this post is so late, i've only recently become a member and participating member ) and yes, you were wise to end the story of your bitthday when you did HAHA!

i have to agree that Guu was amazing, thanks so much for introducing my taste buds to that experience! too bad i missed out on the LA chicken experience but i did try popeye's chicken and have to say that i was very impressed! they were spicy and juicy and just right! plus i love the biscuit they give you. let's go there next time!

[DMH]

Sounds like everyone is eating some delectable things...

My dining lately has been a little boring but that will last only until I start getting paid at my new job...

So, my last outings were...

Arby's - gotta love that Beef n' Cheddar washed down with a Jamocha shake. I hadn't had it in at least two years so it was a nice fast food treat.

The Ashley - this was a new restaurant for me. It's in downtown Stuart, FL. We thought it was going to be a bit nicer but it turned out to be just average pub food. I had a Cobb salad with a nice buttermilk dressing. The bacon was wonderfully crispy. For dessert we shared a really dense chocolate cake covered with caramelized walnuts. It was called Chocolate Blitz and it made up for an otherwise average meal.

The Pasta Factory - This place has been around for ages in Calle Ocho, Little Havana. I had never been there but I had always heard pretty good things about it. It was not amazing but not bad if you are looking for simple, inexpensive pasta dishes. They have really yummy spinach pies. All the pasta is made in house and part of the attraction (apparently) is that on Saturdays you can see the pasta being made on these massive pasta machines that are on display. You also get a second bowl of pasta free....i didn't make it that far.

I'm going to throw in a fourth dining experience for anyone in Miami. The potato gnochi in a light pink sauce at Berries in Coconut Grove is awesome!!!

[Ling]

I think I forgot to mention I ate at nevermind for a friend's birthday last week. I had a few glasses of wine and poutine. Then we had cheesecake, but that was from Costco.

Yesterday:

Adesso: I had the calamari, the chicken, and the apple fritters. My favourite was the chestnut soup with extra virgin olive oil.... So delicious! I want a pot of that soup. I enjoyed the wine pairings very much, particularly the Moscato D’asti and the Tommasi Ripasso.

Lucy Mae Brown: thanks Sean, for feeding me my second dinner. We had 2 platters of food that included hummous, salami, chicken skewers, ceviche, roasted red peppers, olives, calamari, and bread. I drank a Debauchery "martini".

I just got back from a quick dinner at a neighbourhood sushi place--Samurai was packed, unfortunately, and I couldn't bear to wait the 10-15 minutes for take-out, so we walked a bit further and found Downtown Sushi. I had the wild salmon, toro, and shared my bf's sushi rolls. The food was pretty disappointing....after a recent round of great Japanese food, I think my palate is spoiled.

[Vancouver Lee]

My last post was Friday, and here it is on Monday and I've already eaten at three restaurants!!!! Woo-Hooo! It's good to be back in the groove!

Saturday night: Kalamata at Broadway and Cambie. Very good greek food in a non-fancy, home-style place. Great value. See the Over/Under thread for details.

Sunday night: Adesso with the eGullet army.

Monday night: The horse meat tasting dinner at Bis Moreno. Edible Vancouver arranged for a private chef's tasting dinner at Bis Moreno for those interested in trying horse meat. The timing was too soon after the Adesso dinner, I suppose, as the only eGullet folks to attend were Eric and myself, and we were joined by Ron Shewchuck, a very nice fellow who writes a column for Toro magazine about meat, and is also the reigning Canadian BBQ champion!

Moreno had 5 courses planned for the three of us. I deeply regret not bringing a notepad along to record all the details of what was served, as sitting here typing this (only a few hours later) I cannot recall all the details. I'll do my best (Eric, please correct me if I make any mistakes):

We got started with a Campari and soda cocktail and a roasted pheasant with asparagus sauce (plus a white sauce that I've forgotten) amuse-bouche.

First course was asparagus soup with white truffle oil. Moreno told us it's one of his signature dishes, and I can see why. Incredible.

Second course was a pairing of fish, one being a salmon and the other a white fish that I also cannot remember. Eric - HELP! Moreno has a wonderfully delicate touch that really shines through in dishes like this (particularly in the sauces).

My third course was (Eric and Ron had something different - I'll let Eric explain) homemade agnolotti with braised veal topped with a tomato sauce. Melt-in-your-mouth pasta and rich tasty veal made this pasta a real treat. I understand that Bis Moreno has a pasta tasting menu that is now very high on my "must try soon" list.

And then, the main course: Grilled Horse Tenderloin. We were all just blown away at how good this was. Moreno served it rare, as apparently the flavour evaporates and it gets tough when cooked beyond MR, and the meat was honestly like butter. It had been marinated in a touch of red wine with a sprig of sage, a bay leaf, carrots, celery and onions for 7-8 hours, and cooked on a flat grill. There was the slightest of gamey tastes in the outer crust, but you really had to look for it to notice it. You would have no problem at all passing this off as beef, and you'd have people raving about how wonderful it was. Truly, it was better than the best piece of meat I've ever had in my life.

Desert was, in the words of Moreno, "Grown-Up Jello". Quail's gate Reisling and sheet gelatine with red grapes suspended in it. Yum yum yum.

There were 5 different wines served, individually paired with each course. There was not a weak wine in the bunch - each was excellent. The somelier really knows his stuff. In the words of Ron, the pairings fit like a jigsaw puzzle. I really wish I brought a notebook with me so I could remember what they were! Hopefully Eric's memory is better than mine.

Ron promised to email me the photos he took, so as soon as they are available I'll post them. I'll also edit this post as I remember more.....

I'll never look at a horse the same way again.

Edited March 22, 2005 by Vancouver Lee (log)

[Edible Vancouver]

Monday night:  The horse meat tasting dinner at Bis Moreno.  Edible Vancouver arranged for a private chef's tasting dinner at Bis Moreno for those interested in trying horse meat.  The timing was too soon after the Adesso dinner, I suppose, as the only eGullet folks to attend were Eric and myself, and we were joined by Ron Shewchuck, a very nice fellow who writes a column for Toro magazine about meat, and is also the reigning Canadian BBQ champion!

←

I am not sure if I remember much more than you do!

Moreno had 5 courses planned for the three of us.  I deeply regret not bringing a notepad along to record all the details of what was served, as sitting here typing this (only a few hours later) I cannot recall all the details.  I'll do my best (Eric, please correct me if I make any mistakes):

We got started with a Campari and soda cocktail and a roasted pheasant with asparagus sauce (plus a white sauce that I've forgotten) amuse-bouche. 

←

I believe the other sauce was a white bean puree.

First course was asparagus soup with white truffle oil.  Moreno told us it's one of his signature dishes, and I can see why.  Incredible. 

←

This was paired with the Alabai Wine from Black Hills which was probably the most perfect pairing, in my mind, of the night.

Second course was a pairing of fish, one being a salmon and the other a white fish that I also cannot remember.  Eric - HELP!    Moreno has a wonderfully delicate touch that really shines through in dishes like this (particularly in the sauces). 

←

This course was spring salmon and sea bream which were both done ceviche style with lemon juice and sea salt. The two sauces were a thyme and lemon sauce with the salmon and ??? (I don't remember ) This course was paired with a pinot grigio from northern Italy, but the exact name escapes me as well.

My third course was (Eric and Ron had something different - I'll let Eric explain) homemade agnolotti with braised veal topped with a tomato sauce.  Melt-in-your-mouth pasta and rich tasty veal made this pasta a real treat.  I understand that Bis Moreno has a pasta tasting menu that is now very high on my "must try soon" list. 

←

For the third course, Ron and I both had roasted monkfish wrapped in pancetta served on top of some baby spinach and an Italian style sausage, the name of which escapes me. The sausage was made of pigskin and other interesting parts of the skin. It has to be boiled for many hours before frying it and it has an almost gelatinous texture. The sommelier paired this course with a medium bodied wine (which again I don't remember) that was crafted by a Canadian whose is now a winery owner in Italy creating new world style wines with old world grapes.

And then, the main course: Grilled Horse Tenderloin.  We were all just blown away at how good this was.  Moreno served it rare, as apparently the flavour evaporates and it gets tough when cooked beyond MR, and the meat was honestly like butter.  It had been marinated in a touch of red wine with a sprig of sage, a bay leaf, carrots, celery and onions for 7-8 hours, and cooked on a flat grill.  There was the slightest of gamey tastes in the outer crust, but you really had to look for it to notice it.  You would have no problem at all passing this off as beef, and you'd have people raving about how wonderful it was.  Truly, it was better than the best piece of meat I've ever had in my life.

←

I second Lee's opinion - I don't think I have ever had a better piece of meat in my life! This is the wine we should have remembered as the reason the horse meat was even served was due to the perfect pairing with this wine. When the winery told Moreno what wines he would be serving for the wine festival dinner last night, he did some research as to the perfect pairing for this particular wine. He discovered that in Italy, it is often matched with horse, which is why we were so fortunate to get to try this great meat. I will have to email Moreno and get all the details from last night including the name of this wine.

Desert was, in the words of Moreno, "Grown-Up Jello".  Quail's gate Reisling and sheet gelatine with red grapes suspended in it.  Yum yum yum. 

←

This was served with a glass of Moscato and was great and perfect finish to the meal as we were so full by the time we finished the horse.

There were 5 different wines served, individually paired with each course.  There was not a weak wine in the bunch - each was excellent.  The somelier really knows his stuff.  In the words of Ron, the pairings fit like a jigsaw puzzle.  I really wish I brought a notebook with me so I could remember what they were!  Hopefully Eric's memory is better than mine. 

←

Not much better I am afraid!

Ron promised to email me the photos he took, so as soon as they are available I'll post them.  I'll also edit this post as I remember more.....

←

I have the photos from Ron but I have no idea how to attach them to the post - help Arne!

[Vancouver Lee]

Second course was a pairing of fish, one being a salmon and the other a white fish that I also cannot remember.  Eric - HELP!     Moreno has a wonderfully delicate touch that really shines through in dishes like this (particularly in the sauces).  

←

This course was spring salmon and sea bream which were both done ceviche style with lemon juice and sea salt. The two sauces were a thyme and lemon sauce with the salmon and ??? (I don't remember )

←

Amazing what a good night's sleep will do - it was an arugula sauce.

I have the photos now, too. I'll post them shortly.

[Vancouver Lee]

Here's the main course: Horse Meat at Bis Moreno.

[Vancouver Lee]

The full gallery:

Horse Meat Dinner at Bis Moreno

[canucklehead]

Holy Exhibition Park!

Roasted horse looks so delicious! What cut meat was it? Looks like a rib roast of some sort. Is this a one off event or can someone call ahead to see if they are serving it on a particular evening.

Okay - so here is the PC Guy in me - how is the meat supplied and is it done in a humane way? Where do the horses come from?

This may be better placed in the horsemeat thread - but I am asking here for continuity sakes.

>>>> Edited to note that answers provided on horsement thread. Once again thanks for the great pictures.

Edited March 22, 2005 by canucklehead (log)

[Vancouver Lee]

Holy Exhibition Park!

←

Roasted horse looks so delicious!  What cut meat was it?  Looks like a rib roast of some sort.

←

It was a tenderloin.

[Foodie in Vancouver]

Not necessarily the last 3 restaurants but 3 nonetheless as I wrote about Chi in that thread.

Cru I needed somewhere to recover after a week in London where it snowed everyday and the prices left me breathless. Mark and Dana delivered and wowed our guests, who despite living within walking distance had never been to Cru. Needing comfort and cosseting I ordered my old familar friend - the beef carpaccio (I know that is the incorrect spelling - when are we going to get Auto Correct? Should be a feature for eGullet Society donor ) I then had the beef shortribs and neither selection disappointed. Service continues to be a standout at this restaurant as does the winelist. As my husband and I don't always gravitate to the same parts of the menu (the only differences we have) we rarely can order a bottle of wine with dinner. This restaurant not only gives you lots of choice but gently nudges you in the right direction so you always get the wine that works with your food choice. Definitely the restaurant to head to when you need some soothing stability and comfort.

Fiction We have now been to Fiction 4 times - and three of those times with our daughter. Great room and very friendly, knowledgable staff who cheerfully help with food and wine selection. Our daughter has made it her restaurant of choice (when we pay) and is always angling for an opportunity to return. The small plates theme seems to work best for our family; even when we dine at home we often find ourselves making several options for dinner and literally grazing on them over the course of several hours. Fiction has lots of choices that work well for all of us. Our daughter loves the tarts which are a rectangular filo pastry with 2 toppings. She likes the goat's cheese/artichoke combination. It is light but flavourful with just the right combination of textures - crispy flaky crust and the savoury, creamy topping. The pickup sticks are fun and easy to share. You get a choice of 3 of the 4 options which range from pear/cheese (I think) to Guiness marinated beef shortrib with seafood/chorizo (paella on a stick) and the 4th??? Can't recall. We always get the endive and spinach salads and then combine them for what we think is the perfect salad. And, thankfully, never too much dressing. Last time I had the scotch-cured salmon and the scallops. Both were full of flavour and just enough food to get all the texture and taste but not too much leaving one room to try more. When my husband is with us we also order the yam frites - they really are terrific and filling. Job well done, Sean. We will be back for more very soon.

Hamilton Street Grill Beringer Wine Dinner We were lucky enough to get a spot at this dinner on Monday night. I am so hesitant to post about it because if I tell you how wonderful it was, I run the risk of never being able to score a place at the table again. And that would be tragic. Neil and Brian really pulled out all stops on this dinner. IMHO it was the equal, and possibly better than the Big Night Dinner. Nels and I were so eager we arrived an hour early so we scurried off to Blue Water for a cocktail and suprisingly had a wonderful time chatting away as there was almost no one else in the restaurant. It was a lovely start to the evening which simply got better and better. There were 8 courses and 5 wines over the evening. We started with a wine tasting seminar given by Jerry Comfort, Director of Wine Education for Beringer. Jerry is charming and a delighful speaker but what was so amazing was his demonstration of how tastes in wine and food actually work. We all got a plate containing apple slices, a lemon wedge and salts. Jerry then led us through how these flavours alone and in combination affected the same glass of Founders Estate Sauvingnon Blanc. Extremely well done - not too long, not pedantic and great information. I really loved this approach to wine and food pairing.

And then the food. Whatever I say won't do it justice so please understand that this is an understatement of how wonderful the evening was. I will lead with the wine and then tell you the food that followed:

Beringer Founders Estate Sauvingnon Blanc 2001- Duo of Fresh Tuna - Hawaiian ahi and BC albacore with a duo of sauces - roasted red pepper and creme fraiche grainy mustard. Quite simply perfect. I love tuna and I love it raw so this played right into my fantasies.

Beringer Napa Valley Viogner - Then came the Lamb Curry with basmati rice, sweet mango chutney and frizzled leeks. Interesting how the lamb worked so well with the wine but the chutney completely muted out the wine. Perfect flavour on the curry - not too spicy so the fruit of the wine still came through. We were seated with a woman who doesn't like lamb but she polished off her portion promptly.

Chateau St Jean Sonoma County Chardonnay 2001 - Spinach and Watercress Salad with crispy proscuitto, goat's cheese and grilled fruit vinaigrette. Oyster Fritter with oven roasted tomato ragout, scallion aioli and black olives and grapes. Nels loved the oyster fritters so much he ate mine We also were treated to the latest in Reidel stemware with this course. They were beautiful and I am sure contributed to the fact that I really liked the Chardonnay - not a normal course of events for me when it comes to California Chard.

Two Tone Farm Merlot 2001 - Veal and Pancetta Cannelloni. If there were a God, this would be on the regular HSG menu. But I appreciate that it would be impossible given the complexity of the sauces, the meat filling and the fact that this was homemade pasta. All I know is that I would have cheerfully sold my children for more of this dish. The sauce with it was a beurre rouge ver jus but I swear it looked green in my bowl - but perhaps that was because I had already had several glasses of wine and a martini. Preserved Lemon Sorbet - not a perfect match with the wine but fun, nevertheless

Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages, Sonoma County 2000 - Angus Beef Tenderloin with gruyere risotto and a veal reduction. Neil has a way with Angus beef and this course was a standout as well but the real star was the wine. We recently opened our bottle of the 1996 vintage of the same wine and despite the fact that it was wine of the year I think this vintage is its equal. But that might be the effect of pairing it with such magnificent meat. Cheese plate - featuring Neal's Yard cheshire, asiago and chevre.

A tremendous evening and, as always, Neil's careful stewardship of both the kitchen and the FOH results in perfection. I have learned so much from watching how Neil is so attuned to all the nuances and details. There is no doubt that absent Neil the HSG would just be another restaurant. It is he who propels it onto the next level ensuring that all the elements combine, no details are overlooked and everyone leaves having experienced the best of food, wine and service. So thanks to all who worked so hard to make the evening perfect - Beringer and Jerry, Neil's kitchen staff (including Brian and HK Dave) and the service staff who managed 8 courses for each of us as well as 5 wines with never a slip or mis-step. I had a wonderful evening and will definitely be back to the HSG and will buy more Beringer wines.

[BCinBC]

Karole, your descriptions sound so good! Cru is one that is inching towards the top of my list of to do's. Incidentally we seem to have the same wine problem as you and your husband, and tend to drink a lot a pinot noirs as a result. I know, we should probably switch to by-the-glass. Let me know if you have other suggestions.

Maybe I'll try to get down to HSG tonight, thus putting Cru on top tomorrow...

Anyway, last night: Memphis Blues. Glad to report the pulled pork is great, and the BBQ sauce is even better ! Slaw was kind of blah, next time I'll nix it and get extra beans instead. Big Rock on tap is a nice extra. Must return for the ribs.

[Vancouver Lee]

Holy Eating Out, Batman!!! Three more meals out in the last 2 days.

Tuesday, lunch at the aforementioned Memphis Blues. I, too, had a pulled pork sandwich with extra sauce that was great. Fries, a Boylan grape soda and tons of napkins to accompany it.

Wednesday lunch, Long's Noodle House with Canucklehead, Mooshmouse, Mooshmouse Jr., Peppyre, Daddy-A and Ling. Not much to look at, and I'm not totally sure what we ate (other than turnip cakes ), but it was all delish. I left mostly full, and I got change back from the $10 I put in to cover my share of the bill.

Thursday lunch: The Keg on Thurlow. Frozen shrimp cocktail and a middling prime rib with baked potato and a side of shrooms. An unfortunate end to one heck of a week food-wise.

Tonight: Kraft dinner in front of the TV.

Edited March 25, 2005 by Vancouver Lee (log)

[HKDave]

It's been a serious week for eating out. The Delectable Ms. A is in town, so we're going out every night. This is a big change from a normal week, where I ... um... also go out every night, although sometimes forget to eat.

Sunday and Monday night I was busy pretending to be a cook, so it was staff meal (chili) in the kitchen at Aurora Sunday, and (very good) leftovers toward midnight at HSG Monday after the wine dinner finished.

All week at school we were cooking different Asian themes - Monday Thai, Tuesday our own menu (in my case, a pork loin, butterflied like a porchetta roast and stuffed w/Thai green curry spices, then tied and slow braised in coconut milk - tasted great but my plating looked like something done by the lunch cook of a coffee shop of a 3 star airport hotel in a small town in Illinois), Wednesday Japanese, and Thursday Indian (yummy goat curry) - so that's what was for lunch on each day.

Tuesday night was Guinness at the Heather, with their fish and chips for TDMA, and later on, a healthy life-affirming burger and poutine for me at Fresgo.

Wednesday was another 3-restaurant dinner: Umami for apps, HSG for cocktails, and Parkside for mains. Martinis at each establishment, just to maintain a theme for the evening. Umami is the perfect app restaurant, and those deep-fried spaghetti snackies they have on the bar must be dipped in crack, they're so addictive. The food at Parkside was just perfect. I had the duck confit, which was essentially a deconstructed cassoulet. TDMA had poached salmon. Nothing overly complicated or silly, just excellent ingredients, with every element of the dish perfectly prepared. Why was this restaurant 2/3 empty, and the tables mainly occupied by tourists? Parkside isn't cheap, but for what's on the plate, it's good value. There should be line-ups here. I aspire to being able to cook like these guys.

Thursday was Tojos. I've been a customer since the Jinya days, back sometime in the mid-80s, but haven't been here in more than a year. As always, come with a full wallet, sit at the counter, and let Tojo choose. I lost count of the number of courses we had, but there was only 1 that TDMA or I had ever seen before (golden roll), and in most cases I couldn't tell you what we had beyond Tojo's minimalist verbal description (like "shitake mushroom", or "sablefish", for a plate with 5 or 6 things on it). Everything was mind-blowing. Even more amazing, the couples on either side of us were mostly getting different off-menu dishes than we were. It was about 50/50 raw and cooked plates. The highlight for me was the millet crusted halibut cheek, or maybe that crab sushi that was hot on the inside but cool on the outside, or that one of the 2 sauces with the first course that I couldn't even guess one ingredient of....

Tojo still rules. It's absolutely beyond me how people come up with negative reviews of this place. I guess if you ate there once and ordered off the menu, you might not get it. I've never looked at his menu. The whole point is to see what Tojo comes up with. He hasn't disappointed yet.

Walked back across the Cambie bridge and stopped in at HSG for a cocktail, where we ran into 3 different parties of eGulletters.

Tonight I think we'll take it easy.... or not.

PS I'll second Vancouver Lee's report on the Keg on Thurlow... went there a couple weeks ago, and food at The Keg - or this Keg, anyway - is not what it used to be. Nice decor, friendly staff, but lame food. If you're near this Keg and want prime rib and it's a weekday, instead go to Rex Grill at the Bentall Centre.

[*Deborah*]

Last night: The Keg, in Coquitlam or somewhere...Ordered a glass of Fetzer Merlot for no particular reason, and the server tried to sell me the feature Fetzer Cab Sauv instead (same price, basically). Occurred to me, at least, that if I had wanted a Cabernet Sauvignon, I probably would have been able to order one all by myself. I didn't say anything though and just stuck with my merlot (which was fine). My father and his wife had a toasted goat cheese appy that they enjoyed. For mains, she had the prime rib with baked, he had the special 20 oz. T-Bone with garlic mashed, and I had the filet mignon with baked and what they described as chives which were monstrous! bigger than some scallions and v strong in flavour...not really sure what beast they were; thought you might be able to climb one to a giant's lair...The food was pretty good, the beef was juicy and tender, the "chives" were a bit scary, and my potato had some black (frozen? spoiled?) bits on the inside, ew, but I didn't want all that starch anyway. For dessert, my dad had the brownie sundae thingie, which he enjoyed tremendously, and I had the ...deep fried lemon cheesecake? what was it? it was a crepe sort of deal enclosing a lemon cheesecakey filling, fried, sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and served in a pool of caramel sauce with vanilla ice cream. I described it as a Mexican cannoli. Strange but good.

Lunch yesterday, my mother and I went to Kitto on Granville as it's close by and she can't walk far. She had an order of tempura and a bowl of rice, and I had a tempura yam maki and a rainbow roll, both of which were good. We both had tea. This place is great for quick and fine, I guess I should list it in the Hole in the Wall thread, as it's nothing special, but quite reliable, and sometimes all you want is Sushi Combo B, you know?

Dinner the night before, we went to HSG as I had been telling her about the pudding...BWA-HA-HA. We scored another bottle of the Burrowing Owl Cab Sauv '02. I had the mixed grill, which included some braised lamb, mmm, and she had the sirloin with Caesar. We were both pretty hungry but made sure we left room for dessert: we shared the pudding (duh!) and a warm apple tart, which is a galette-style tart served with more delicious sauce and vanilla ice cream...I think we left a little bit on both plates, but...Mummy had a Spanish Coffee and I had a Monte Cristo, it was a nice meal, met some more gulleters (our unofficial clubhouse?), and Neil had some time to chat, which was nice.

Today's plans include Relish up the street, which I have been meaning to try, and Parkside for dinner

[*Deborah*]

So so so dinner.

Parkside.

We had an early reservation (6:00) as I had a show to go to tonight. We walked in actually a few minutes before 6, found them having their meeting. Chef Andrey Durbach was there, and I introduced myself and shook his hand as this was my 9th or 10th meal there, and I enjoy it so so much. We had the Johnny Depp waiter (whose name I didn't notice on the check, oops).

My mum and I had Chris' Blood Orange Negroni, which is truly my favourite cocktail ever. My dad had a nice Mojito, which he enjoyed very much. Because it was my parents' anniversary dinner, I talked my dad into ordering a Turley Zinfandel (Dogtown 2001), which was a wine that a fellow I dated many moons ago had nothing but praise for. We were not disappointed.

Due to the specialness of the occasion (and, I think, our wine choice), we were presented with an amuse-gueule of seared tuna and many lovely things that I couldn't begin to identify in a gingery sort of sauce--oh wait, there was a baby baby bok choy leaf, there was cucumber...it was just delicious, and my dad, who normally wouldn't dream of eating seared tuna, loved it to death.

For entrées, my mum had the gnocchi in pesto sauce with pine nuts, which she loved; my dad had a Roma tomato salad with Pecorino and aged balsamic and a few other things, which he loved; and I had seared foie gras on a bed of toast in a port wine sauce with morels and fava (?) beans and asparagus...the server came up and said "You're not dancing!" but oh it just melts in your mouth, que je l'adore. They gave me a little taste of a Moscato to have with the foie, 'cause that's the kind of people they are.

For mains, my mum and dad both had the veal scaloppine in a sauce with morels and with osso buco tortellini and a few vegetables; and I had the halibut cheeks in a niçois jus with mashed potatoes and darling green beans...my first halibut cheeks and so very tasty!

Dessert was a very tough decision for all of us. My mother had the Granny Smith tarte fine with caramel sauce and vanilla gelato and a Calvados; my dad had the Meyer lemon tarte brûlée with lemon sorbet; and I had the pithivier au chocolat avec gelato Valrhona (and a very excellent Monte Cristo)...I put my fork into that pithivier and lo and behold, "Oh! it's full of ganache!!!!" "chocolate ganache?" says my mother. "Is there any other kind?!" say I...oh my word, it was just divine. A few slices of blood orange to set off the sweetness...

This is why this is our favourite restaurant. It's not relentlessly expensive, or frou frou, it's not jam-packed with beautiful people who want their sauce on the side...it's just a damn fine dinner.

Three thumbs up.

[Mooshmouse]

After Dave's, Karole's and Deborah's posts, I'm hesitant to post about such pedestrian fare. However, risking the fate of relative blandness, here are the places I've/we've visited over the past week or so.

The new JJBean on Main Street this afternoon with Ian and Noah for one cappuccino, one americano and one chess game (the boys... I was a mere spectator) by the fireplace. Damn. That's one sexy coffee shop. This was after a quick visit to Solly's for a pastrami with dijon on light rye and a sprinkling of bagel chips on the side, a potato and onion knisch and a couple of jam/nut/raisin rugelach.

Josephine's on Thursday for Filipino lunch with Noah and some friends. We ordered family style and shared pancit guisado (Filipino chow mein made with clear rice noodles, shredded chicken and julienned vegetables), BBQ chicken, laing (taro leaves and prawns simmered in coconut milk), lumpiang shanghai (mini deep-fried pork and vegetable spring rolls served with chili plum sauce), and sinigang (a sour fish soup with kangkong/water spinach, tomatoes, onions, chili peppers and white fish). And steamed rice of course. No Filipino meal would be complete without it. Dessert was cassava cake and a bowl of warm ginataan (a creamy dessert containing tapioca pearls, coconut milk and cream, rice-flour dumplings and chunks of jackfruit, taro root, burro banana and sweet potato).

Wednesday lunch with fellow eGulleters at Long's Noodle House (yes, I had a Coke to counteract the MSG) followed by the requisite desserting at Notte's Bon Ton.

Lunch on Tuesday with Noah and my cousin at Seb's. I ordered seared scallops with mango on lemon pepper spaghetti, my cousin had a buffalo burger, and Noah wolfed down his order of scrambled eggs, turkey sausage and toast with housemade strawberry preserves.

Edited to correct a memory lapse.

Edited March 28, 2005 by Mooshmouse (log)

[transfattyacid]

hi all

villa de lupo, kinda sh**y really. tomato risotto with roasted scollop was good but one scollop and an ounce of rice = $18 i dont think so !. the main course i`ve had tastier staff meals. dessert was taken at parkside , tarte fine of granny smith apples was the best thing i ate that night.

hot dogs with lots of fried onions, at chez transfattyacid

and Rangoli

[canucklehead]

Did a kind of hi-lo sushi thing.

Dinner a couple of nights ago at Okada. Sushi was fresh and lovely - the tuna tataki was particularly nice. Chicken karaage and ume chazuke (tea poured over rice) were also very good. Big disappointment with geoduck in garlic butter (sounds good eh?) But it was over cooked and watery. Otherwise - Okada was very good.

Then the next night went into deepest darkest Burnaby - 7000 block of Kngsway and had cheap sushi at Sushi House. Japanese run - this place seems to do a killer take out business - all sushi, sashimi, rolls and cones. Generous portions and the turnover keeps the stuff very fresh. Spicy scallop cone was Ling-sized - fresh with a touch of spice. Don't expect expert knife work or delicate morsels and briny perfection - this is good value stuff but fresh. All their tuna rolls seemed to start with Himachi tuna.

Then went to the old East Ocean - now Rich Ocean (just below Tojo's). Excellent deep fried tofu, steamed alaska crab, pork neck stirred fried with star squash and wood ear. It is the staff and chef from East Ocean trying to make a go of things. Very good food but the room was only 75% full. Speaks to how competitive the Cantonese restaurant market has gotten since many of the Hong Kongers have up and left.

Over dinner at Rich Ocean one of the other diners told me how West has become her favorite western restaurant. This is a woman who is extremely fussy and is a Bhuddist Vegatarian. Which means along with the usual restrictions - the food cannot have any garlic or anything from the onion family (just in case it makes the food too pleasurable)! It is amazing what the team at West can do - even with crazy restrictions. This woman has take other HK women who lunch to West and it has become the favourite of a number of HK families.

Good work to Chef Hawksworth and his team.

[BCinBC]

Oh I am going to frickin kill Internet Explorer!!!!! Seriously, what a piece of shit. Is there anything more frustrating than retyping a long-winded piece of bad prose? Besides reading it?

Okay, recapping my (now very) late report on Thursday's dinner at HSG... Reso at 7, dropped N off and circled for parking. Arrive 10 minutes later to find her seated at a table beside Neil and Lurker Kate with a rather full glass of wine. After intros and spirited conversation, Neil points out 2 women who've just arrived and informs me that *Deborah* is in the house. Introduce myself to her and her lovely mother. Sometime later, after mains and before desert I think, a fellow wanders over and introduces himself as Paul Mitchell. Then after desert, I learn another guy at the bar is HKDave (with aforementioned "TDMA"). Everyone is very nice, but man this internet life / real life crossover thing is getting eerie. But onto the food...

Starter: mussels diablo. Very much enjoyed, as evidenced by the cleaned out bowl afterwards (well there were some bread crumbs). Good hints of heat, but next time I'm going to ask for an extra shot of peppers!

Main: after learning that the hanger steak was not on that night and having dried my tears, I ordered a 12oz NY instead. Still a beautiful piece of beef. Nice crust outside, sooo juicy inside. With a side of mushrooms, plus the mashed butter I mean potatoes and grilled veg, and a glass of syrah (Domaine de Chaberton, ordered because I'd never heard of it, quite peppery). N had the halibut special, delicious esp with the roasted red pepper sauce, and a glass of chardonnay (Mission Hill I think). Neither of us finished the generous helping of potatoes because we were saving room for...

Desert: (drum roll) yes it was the gingerbread pudding. A different desert experience, but one that really works (I'm not into super sweet). The crusty outside, gooey inside really made it, but the savory pumpkin and sweet maple ice cream sides were no slouches either. Coffee for me, tea for N.

It was a great meal (in quality and quantity!) with really enjoyable service, at a very reasonable price - $96 before tip. Thanks Neil, Jude & crew - I will return for the hanger!

[peppyre]

Well, first we need to go back to Wine Fest. On the last night the group that I was working with ended up at the Hamilton Street Grill at 11pm. Since we were starving we had every appetizer on the menu along with drinks and more drinks. My mom and I inhaled one order of the carpaccio. It was fantastic. The mussels were extremely spicy and was a great kick after the gorgonzola fondue. The food was fantastic. Thank you Neil for taking us on such short notice. Everyone absolutely loved it!!

Then on Tuesday (?) went to Hakata Sushi with Arne for Vietnamese, which I think is much better than their sushi. I had the beef brochette, a little chewy, I remembered why I never order this, and a spring roll. Really tasty and a great lunch.

Wed was Long's Noodle House with a group of eGulleters. Really good. I took a Benedryl before I left the office and that actually seemed to help a bit with the MSG. Then again, for food that good, I'm willing to finish off my afternoon with a few painkillers. It was a great lunch!

Sat night I went to Da Francesco's. What a great find. We shared a medium Capriociossa (?) pizza that had ham, salami, black olives and artichokes, a caprese salad and a lasagne. The pizza was light and the crust was crisp and thin and flaky. I thought the lasagne was fine but my friend thought it had a tad too much salt. Their house wine is very drinkable, Zonin Montelupuciano D'abruzzo, and the bill was under $50. I told my grandma that the next time she has a craving for Nick's I'll take her to Da Francesco's. Very good.

That's it for eating out for a while. I must start cooking again.

Edited March 28, 2005 by peppyre (log)

[Viola da gamba]

I had the halibut cheeks in a niçois jus with mashed potatoes and darling green beans...my first halibut cheeks and so very tasty!

←

Welcome to your new fish addiction One of my favourite pieces of fish - we have some marinating at home in a ginger/lime/chilli mixture that are going on the barbecue tonight - whatever the bloody weather - to eat with the leftover roasted squash/roasted garlic/bacon risotto. Hooray!

Edited March 28, 2005 by Viola da gamba (log)

[Jenny McClure]

Yesterday: Miro, San Juan Puerto Rico. Excellent seafood. Ceviche, cuttlefish(sepia) camarones al ajillo, arroz con calamares (black rice with squid). Everything was great.

Friday night: The Rock cafe, Virgin Gorda, BVI's very bad assortment of bruschetta, excellent linguine with Lobster.

Wednesday night: Noche, St Thomas, great salads and Steaks.

[Ling]

Long's Noodle House back on Wednesday with some Egulleters, then off to Bon Ton for some desserts.

Octopus Garden on Saturday with montrachet and his two very generous friends (they offered us some very good sake, and tastes of some of their dishes, including King Crab sashimi! ) I also ate a lot of sashimi (my favourite was the prawn wrapped in sea bream...it was so delicious, I accidentally ate both pieces, leaving my very understanding dining companion with none! ) Another thing I really enjoyed were the deep-fried jumbo shrimp heads, grilled King Crab legs, this uni shooter with mountain potato and a quail egg, chutoro, otoro (lightly seared with yuzu pepper), fresh oysters, kaki pon (fried oysters), this curry fish that came with a black sesame gelee, and fried bananas and ice-cream for dessert! We drank sake and a bottle of Burrowing Owl pinot noir. I drank way too much that night and Sada probably thinks I'm really loud and obnoxious all the time. *cringe*

I don't know if this counts, but I ate chocolate for lunch today at Chocolate Arts. Does it count if the amount I paid for the chocolate equals a nice lunch somewhere? One of my favourites was the Rustica; it was infused with cinnamon (I looked for the complete description on the card they give you, but maybe this is a special because it's not there.)

And tonight...Da Francesco's for pizza and pasta! I'm eagerly anticipating the highly-touted rose sauce.

Edited March 28, 2005 by Ling (log)