Updates

Through a series of life's ups and downs, I have not been posting on my blog as I should have been.

Instead, the focus of my dining experiences have switched to gathering with friends and family instead of critically assessing the restaurant landscape of the world and Vancouver.

Perhaps this can be seen as a shift in my overall mentality. A sign of growing up? Maturity? Or, insanity???

Anyhow, I have decided to officially announce a hiatus on food blogging for now. I am setting up a personal site however. You will be able to find this in the links section. Until next time...

A Chambar Celebration

Since we've joined the Chambar e-mail list from our last visit during Dine Out Vancouver, my friend and I have both been receiving fabulous specials and emails from the restaurant. Included were emails offering a special set menu to celebrate National Belgium Day. Unfortunately, neither of us could make it and try out the feast.

This time around, we jumped at the chance to try the restaurant again as my friend received an email for a free petit plat to celebrate her upcoming birthday. I ordered the L'octopus carpaccio, while the birthday girl ordered the foie de canard 'Villa Lorraine', and Guest #3 ordered the Feuillete de canard confit.

It might have been my liking of sushi and sashimi, but the octopus carpaccio only tasted so so. Even though the lemon and fried capers brought out the freshness of the dish, it lacked the excitement of a dish with the punch that I was looking for. It was refreshing, but it wasn't "blow me out of the water" type of refreshing.

As for the Foie Gras Terrine, we all found it a bit buttery and "jello-ish" than expected. When another friend's canard confit arrived however, we both like the texture of the dish as the duck confit rested comfortably inside it's crispy golden shell, brought out at just the right time.

For main, the b-day girl ordered the moule frite coquette and I the Steak aux echalottes et porto. Guest #4 ordered the Poutine á la Belge and olive sides.

The moule frite is saucy enough to make the dish very satisfying (especially when the sweet aroma of bacon beckons), steamed with a combination of white wine, bacon, vegetables, garlic and a touch of cream, it doesn't overwhelm like most dishes. The fries are crisp outside, moist and soft inside. Dipped with the garlic mayo, a perfect balance is achieved with the light airy mussels.

The Steak aux echalottes was quite average, as I asked for a medium rare (on the rare side) and gotten a medium instead. The exception was the fondant potato. Similar to a filet mignon, the potato sat under the steak and became the base of the dish, absorbing the succulent juices of the steak, port, buttered kale, shallots, and green peppercorn. Seared on the flat side and just right on the inside, this medallion became the highlight of the dish.

The poutine was another great dish, mixed with a green peppercorn, those great fries, a dark, flavourful gravy, and small bits of cheese. What makes this dish incredible is the ability of the chef to pull off the right temperature. Many times, the heat gets unevenly distributed and you end up with a great mix at the top and frozen cheese and fries at the bottom. This mixture did not look like it was poured over very quickly and sent on its way. Great care was taken to heat up the dish as well as to ensure that the mixture spread evenly throughout. All in all, this Chambar celebration was not bad, but next time, I'm definitely filling up on the poutine instead of the carpaccio.

Budget wise, it's not a hole-in-the-wall type of place like Kintaro. It's a eat slowly and enjoy every bite type of place. But a once-in-a-while splurge was in order, and this opportunity came right on cue.

Kintaro - Round 2

Hi everyone,

Round 2 continues at Kintaro... Although it's been a while since I've updated my blog, as promised, here's my take on the Spicy Miso Ramen and the non-spicy Forest Fire specials.

The extremely elusive spicy miso ramen was a 3/4 month special offered at Kintaro during the winter months, while the forest-fire ramen, the perennial Saturday night special, was always a popular choice among Kintaro diners. Unfortunately, they are usually sold out by the time we arrive for the dinner hour at 7 o'clock.

With this visit however, we were in luck. The spicy miso ramen arrives in a steaming bowl with the usual adornments such as bamboo shoots, pork (your choice of lean or fat), corn, and bean sprouts, but the soup is the genuine piece de la resistance for those who like it hot. At first, the soup starts up light and unassuming, extremely smooth on your senses like the miso ramen.

But it is the after taste that takes your breath away as the combination of spices starts to shoot through the roof of your mouth. The fireworks produced by this soup is balanced by noodles and adornments. Then, a final tinge of miso lingers on your taste buds as you begin on your next bite.

As for the forest fire ramen, it's a bit of a hit and miss. What's impressive are the things the noodle includes, with chicken, spinach, egg, bamboo shoots, sesame. This makes the forest fire the most value priced menu item in the whole restaurant especially when adding an egg or having extra meat will cost you $1.00 more per item. However, we all found the dish a bit small and light in contrast to the very heavy, full-flavoured miso ramen, and, at a higher price point, it simply didn't satisfy our large appetites and small wallets.

Kintaro meets Tokyo

My eating out routine has changed dramatically since I changed jobs. Looking to save more and splurge less, I embarked on a fervent search for more budget eats. Kintaro was on my hit list for a long time (as touted by local food presses), and I finally decided to try it out at lunch on New Year's Eve with 2 fellow noodle enthusiasts.

What seems like a small unassuming restaurant from the exterior is anything but. We were subjected to the ritual of waiting in line outside of the restaurant, then ushered to and fro as the waitresses scurried to grab menus and have us place an order inside the already packed restaurant.

Having never ordered authentic Tonkotsu Ramen (Japanese soup noodles in pork bone broth) before, we chose the fat soup from a menu that featured light, medium, and fat soup bases, and ordering the Miso ramen, Kintaro's signature dish. This soup, in addition to the pork base, combines 12 different types of miso into the mix in creating a strong, soya flavour that soaks into the noodles as you devour your share. Mixed with bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, green onions, and corn, plus several slices of pork (your choice of fat or lean), each ingredient adds strong texture and sophisticated flavour to every bite. At around 7 dollars for the bowl, the meal was economical, filling, and best of all a very comprehensive eat.

Having returned several times since the first trip, we also discovered delicious gyozas that were cooked crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The edges of each gyoza has a golden tint while the middle remains soft and svelte, markedly different from soggy steamed or greasy pan fried gyozas.

A friend visiting from Tokyo also remarked that this place comes very close to the noodle shops in Japan, and even cheaper. Eating out throughout her trip, she was truly impressed with Vancouver's culinary diversity and skill, especially in creating Japanese dishes.

Unfortunately, we have yet to try the always sold-out Kintaro Saturday special, the Forest-fire ramen, as well as their 3 month special, spicy miso ramen. Hopefully, we will have the privilege to sooner or later. If we do, I'll post the review for sure.

Heading West!

Dear readers,

My apologies for the long delay. During these last few months, I've taken on a sort of reorganization with other everyday pursuits, and the food just seemed to take a back seat in favour of the almighty dollar. Of course, this will always be one of my passions and I'm not about to give that up. Although my memory's a little foggy from the visit, I'll provide the highlights of what I enjoyed most. Hopefully I can afford to go back..... I'm still thinking about it... Note: The menu changes and revolves around seasons and ingredients, so what I may have mentioned may have changed (as I did visit it about 1 1/2 months ago).

My heart beat with anticipation as I neared the door to West. Finally, with enough change in my pocket, I will get to experience the buzz that's been building over the past years in Vancouver's food scene, to try what everyone calls the "pinnacle of cuisine in Vancouver," I was on Cloud Nine.

As suggested by a friend, I wanted to try a variety of dishes that reflected the skill of cooking that the restaurant is renowned for. So without hesitation, I went for the tasting menu. This would put the most seasonal ingredients at the forefront, and would be the easiest to decide on given my lack of experience and knowledge of its cooking style.

The most impressive dish was the crab salad. The crab was freshly deshelled, steamed, and cooled, then placed on a bed of mango and beetroot sauce. This three in one combination not only mixed taste, but also temperature and texture. The infusion of warm beetroot and cool crab permeated through every bite, with semi sweet mango in the middle to meld the imperfections from the saltiness of the crab and tanginess of the sauce. The foie gras was another interesting dish, with roasted organic peaches to tone down, but not hide the strong taste of the pan seared liver.

The other dishes maintained the same level of delicate quality, boldness (but not overdoing it), and freshness. The quality of the lamb was a little bit disappointing, as I had expected better cuts, but knowing that all ingredients were organic appeased my uneasiness a little. Although the meal was a bit on the pricey side, it was great value to have six courses. The portions were not tiny and most other restaurants of similar calibre would cost at least $10 more per course.

I'm most impressed by how none of the dishes ever go overboard, it always seems to be just right in terms of ingredients and the way it's cooked. I'm definitely going back for a visit...

More to come!

Dear Eaters,

My apologies for the long hiatus, but I'm prepared to make this up to you with an upcoming expose on Bin 942 and Diva at the Met. Please be patient... I will try to have them posted by next weekend. Thanks for your support!

Steppin' into Stepho's

At the suggestion of several friends, I visited the famous Stepho's on Davie to try out its famous portions and great taste. It's been legended to have not so famous line-ups and received rave reviews from several people I've talked to. Therefore, I was truly excited to finally try out one of the most well known Greek restaurants in Vancouver's history.

We ordered the mousakka, chicken souvlaki, and baklava. To be fair, I was quite impressed with its portions, as we were all struggling to finish until the very end of the meal. However, the quality of its dishes were not as I expected. The two entrees were more greasy then I would have liked, especially with the meat in the mousakka and the rice in the souvlaki. If you had taken your fork and pressed on both items, you can see the oil drizzle out of the sides. On the other hand, the chicken was dry and difficult to separate from the skewer. The potatos lacked flavor and punch. Last came the baklava, cold and uninteresting in texture nor taste, with only sweetness prevailing.

Maybe it's because I'm used to visiting other Greek restaurants, I carry no prejudices against this one and am willing to try it again, but I do so with caution that its dishes may not stand up to my scale of good eats.

Pretty Pearl Sparkles as Great Budget Eat

What lies behind a fogged up storefront and an unassuming facade is Pearl Hotpot. A jewel among the strip of small local restaurants along Burnaby's Kingsway corridor, Pearl hotpot offers a variety of reasonably priced combos that suits the tastes of almost everyone interested in "hotpot," a way of eating whereby a person cooks an assortment of food through a pot of boiling water or soup base. The varieties are endless, and anything is considered hotpot food, including vegetables such as lettuce and enoki mushrooms, noodles, chicken wings, and seafood such as prawns and lobsters. At first glance, the restaurant looks to be a simple mom and pop operation, but the adventure begins right after your order.

We first began by choosing a soup base, ranging from plain water to satay flavours. Then we choose our meat/seafood entree, which comprises of 70% of the whole meal + an assortment of vegetables like the ones mentioned above. Once the ordering has finished, the broth in the pots bubble with fervor until the orders arrive in immaculate form. Along with your main dish (whether it will be beef, chicken, or seafood), you will also be presented with a neatly arranged plate of vegetables such as lettuce, enoki mushrooms, and tofu. These, considered the side dishes, accompany the main dish, such as your meat/seafood. Aside from the tofu (which I personally dislike), I enjoyed the whole experience of simmering my food in a rich flavorful broth that wasn't too salty or spicy.

For under $15 + tax + gratuity, I have never been able to get such quality fare at such low prices. That's why it's become one of my top recommendations for a Great Budget Eat. But you'll have to keep in mind that I went at the "special price" after 1:30/2:00 in the afternoon. I guess that's the sacrifice you have to make to get such a good lunch.

Gung "Ho" Fat Choi

Recently, I and a bunch of my coworkers ventured out to a local Chinese eatery for dinner to celebrate Chinese New Year. Truth be told, I had been quite skeptical of this restaurant's culinary finesse, as I have visited it many times during lunch and have only experienced their "lemon chicken" and other greasy fares (dishes who usually appeal to the more Western crowd).

This time surprisingly, I was proven wrong. For once, the quality of the ingredients and great service overcame the bad image that lingered from my previous meals. With 20 of us in tow at about ($15-$20) per person, we were treated like royalty at "Mr. Ho Wonton House." Although this restaurant cannot be compared to other higher end competitors (like SSW, Granville, or Kirin), it has its proper and decent place in the standings under the "Local budget Cantonese eats" category.

Two dishes, out of about seven, stood out. Steamed scallops with black bean, soya sauce, and green onion, and lobster in cream sauce with noodles. The size of these scallops are twice or triple the size of the store bought deshelled variety. Steamed with a little bit of black bean sauce and sweet soya sauce and accompanied by a sprinkle of young Chinese green onions, the sweet, spicy concoction brought out the freshness and sweetness of the scallop, while minimizing the salty flavor of the sea. Taken out at just the right moment, the scallops maintained its moist consistency throughout without being overdrenched in water or being too chewy from overheating.

Although the cream sauce lobser dish as a whole does not make it to my recommendation of dishes for Mr. Ho's, I would certainly recommend ordering any lobster dish from the restaurant. With 2 tables of 10, the restaurant was able to find two 2-3 pound lobsters (that's really rare for a local budget eat). I was very surprised at its quality. When the lobsters were served, we were all shocked at the sheer size and good quality meat. This proves that food quality does not always cost you an arm and a leg.

Happy Lunar New Year! (next time... hotpot)

Death by "Chocoholic Buffet"

When I first happened upon the Sutton Place Hotel's Lobster menu, I thought I had hit the "jackpot" with their menu of fresh lobster thermidor, bisque, lobster terrine, and other wonderful lobster dishes. This is because I had a firm believe that the lobster would not be broken apart, and that guarantees that the lobster will not be of inferior quality or its best parts taken away for my enjoyment.

However, I was a bit disappointed with the overall taste and quality of the meal. We started with a roast duck salad, which tasted more like Chinese barbecue pork on a bed of vegetables. The second dish, the lobster bisque, lacked the taste and freshness of the ocean. Instead, I felt the bisque lacked the texture and thickness from the lobster essence and was too sweet overall. The lobster thermidor echoed the same taste and was overall just an average meal for such a hefty price.

What I was most surprised with, however, was the quality of their "Chocoholic Buffet/Bar." As an add-on to our menu for only $9.99, this part of our meal was far superior than our $50/head meal. The selections of the buffet mostly comprised of chocolate dishes and fruits. But the fresh crepes with sorbets for topping were my favourite.

The effect of the cool refreshing mango sorbet enveloped by the sweet warm crepes was a perfect companion to the raspberry sauce that accompanied it. With other combinations such as liquer sauces as toppings, a raspberry sorbet, and mango and passion fruit sauce, both me and a fellow chowhound enjoyed a full 3 to 4 rounds of crepes until we could eat no more. The only appropriate phrase to describe this phenomenon would be "Death by Chocoholic Buffet"...... How sweet it is.......