tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55122202024-03-19T02:25:59.049-07:00gracecheung604 | write on timeEat, IG, Repeat | Mom to @charliebarlie604 | 🍷 lover | #latergrammer cuz I'm living in the moment | FOOD is a VERB | idiot wrapped in an enigma | 👇gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/15000773815183494955noreply@blogger.comBlogger1016125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-62412745794702312552020-12-09T10:02:00.001-08:002020-12-09T10:05:34.989-08:00Happy Hour at Fanny Bay<span style="font-family: verdana;">We went to <a href="http://www.fannybayoysters.com/location/oyster-bar--shellfish-market" target="_blank">Fanny Bay</a> a few weeks ago for their Happy Hour. When I went to check out their website for this post, I was delighted to learn that for December 1- 31, they will have Happy Hour from Noon to 6pm daily! </span><br /><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsuaFcUoZOTtPafN0Mt7f8hRAuj05L43sXg-zHrclU7gDeskMhW9V7nS3Wk3WIKett-wUapGGgqSlCvPf7mMh2tsxjkL6iHx9YkoJ0NnyKzxL6lGKdkeCFjmVYujC48IcRN8uk-w/s2048/2020-10-30_15-32-53_415.jpeg"><img alt="Fanny Bay Oyster Shooter" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsuaFcUoZOTtPafN0Mt7f8hRAuj05L43sXg-zHrclU7gDeskMhW9V7nS3Wk3WIKett-wUapGGgqSlCvPf7mMh2tsxjkL6iHx9YkoJ0NnyKzxL6lGKdkeCFjmVYujC48IcRN8uk-w/w640-h640/2020-10-30_15-32-53_415.jpeg" title="Fanny Bay Oyster Shooter" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">We started off with their signature <b>Fanny Bay Shooter </b>($7), featuring whisky and caesar mix topped with a fresh oyster. This was a delicious and the jury is still out on whether you slurp the oyster first or drink the shot first and have the oyster as a chaser. Which way would you go? </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTh9I0eOyyKANNmPd7ry0PcMpdBgj7iuDUImG-MrFewXkSGUX3oGRlCtoVgvu_7PTDRILUpVUAMqRZdR9gqShv9QhzQPtEP3jxnisbQO3MOVkx_Od-YqtE7i832GUVxK5pGj3AIA/s2048/first+dozen.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Happy Hour Oysters $1.50/ea" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTh9I0eOyyKANNmPd7ry0PcMpdBgj7iuDUImG-MrFewXkSGUX3oGRlCtoVgvu_7PTDRILUpVUAMqRZdR9gqShv9QhzQPtEP3jxnisbQO3MOVkx_Od-YqtE7i832GUVxK5pGj3AIA/w480-h640/first+dozen.heic" title="Happy Hour Oysters $1.50/ea" width="480" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Of course we had to get their <b>Happy Hour Oysters (</b></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">$1.50/ea)</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Served with a classic mignonette and plenty of horseradish and lemon wedges. Fresh and cleanly shucked, this was well executed. And yes, someone ate one before the pic was taken...they didn't short change us. 😉</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEWISgecWgFNAZU0UZCqRo7LFj7wyNSFgjT2qUAw1x6twybMo4UN6bKRVKNSNlYhXy6T2X5xRam2V2IAc-VH5Vec6PZaf-kR23f0iHRPvqw3JVg7NODYs0SiiSv5uwnxLBzZ2ww/s2048/tacos.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Seafood Tacos $12/trio" border="0" data-original-height="1166" data-original-width="2048" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEWISgecWgFNAZU0UZCqRo7LFj7wyNSFgjT2qUAw1x6twybMo4UN6bKRVKNSNlYhXy6T2X5xRam2V2IAc-VH5Vec6PZaf-kR23f0iHRPvqw3JVg7NODYs0SiiSv5uwnxLBzZ2ww/w640-h364/tacos.jpg" title="Seafood Tacos $12/trio" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Our next bite was their <b>Seafood Tacos</b> ($12/trio). I can't remember what type of fish we had that day, I think it was snapper? The corn salsa, pickled onions and chipotle aioli complemented the lightly battered fish nicely. </span></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFHC71Qhr2TPUiM_e4G1qdHFOoMoTtanB6foiuQTXFed4Lo9NZWlx2LPwt8mmQ5SvwbxreyQXaohOipLP5ep1WvouIQZfxXO3ng8ZDftghcbt1pn2wBlGmab3HUz1ZTCram0iFWA/s2048/sablefish+collar.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sablefish Collar $14 during HH" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1789" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFHC71Qhr2TPUiM_e4G1qdHFOoMoTtanB6foiuQTXFed4Lo9NZWlx2LPwt8mmQ5SvwbxreyQXaohOipLP5ep1WvouIQZfxXO3ng8ZDftghcbt1pn2wBlGmab3HUz1ZTCram0iFWA/w560-h640/sablefish+collar.jpg" title="Sablefish Collar $14 during HH" width="560" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Next up? The <b>Sablefish Collars</b> ($14 at Happy Hour, $17 regular). There are a few dots of wasabi mayo as well as some cilantro and chili sauce too. It's hard to see but there is also a drizzle of soy reduction. This was surprisingly good, lightly coated and deep fried to a golden crispiness! If you haven't tried this dish (also available in some Japanese restaurants), you should! </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4NaMoYdMa6PdfPSiVO3RmFSZVGpW3Kr49Qi-SeK7Bo0gjtUMAYxoQrZkbcwzIb4Te4rMCUlrduHdsDZey8ywNc4WdGkB0d1uaiaRDg_9vUMuAu1k6dSuGvyW_ZN163mVCwEnDw/s2048/second+dozen.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kusshi Oyster" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4NaMoYdMa6PdfPSiVO3RmFSZVGpW3Kr49Qi-SeK7Bo0gjtUMAYxoQrZkbcwzIb4Te4rMCUlrduHdsDZey8ywNc4WdGkB0d1uaiaRDg_9vUMuAu1k6dSuGvyW_ZN163mVCwEnDw/w480-h640/second+dozen.heic" title="Kusshi Oyster" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">So we were pretty full by now, but we were really craving a few more oysters. We decided to finish off our happy hour wine with six <b>Kusshis</b>, our favourite.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">With an extended Happy Hour, this month is a perfect time to visit!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" aria-hidden="false" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m14!1m8!1m3!1d10411.533323395051!2d-123.1141059!3d49.2786079!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x0%3A0xf0d9da3a23633336!2sFanny%20Bay%20Oyster%20Bar%20%26%20Shellfish%20Market!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sca!4v1607536809148!5m2!1sen!2sca" style="border: 0;" tabindex="0" width="600"></iframe></div>gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com0Vancouver, BC, Canada49.2827291 -123.120737520.972495263821152 -158.27698750000002 77.59296293617885 -87.9644875tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-44378120642996174242020-11-05T13:18:00.002-08:002020-12-09T10:08:29.757-08:00Fun Drinks and Bites at Tacofino<span style="font-family: verdana;">A few weeks ago, after having a few drinks and bites at La Fabrique St George (post on that to come), the boy and I wandered around the area and found <b><a href="https://www.tacofino.com/location/ocho" target="_blank">Tacofino</a></b>. I have been to their Hastings location before (see post <a href="https://xmasbb.blogspot.com/2017/07/tacofino-revisited.html" target="_blank">here</a>) but this location was new for me. They were surprisingly not busy and we got a seat immediately. This was just a snack but so delicious that we will definitely be back for more. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NawpcFKEuXChkbZB0Zj13d5CCOhU3c0czXDn4yXKo1_vL7ne0kiYnhAu6KAux2Xna9yAbTJFb6Epyl4fV7aRCvs1MK8ACtXDbtAli3JcEODTA2PnQ2Mo4PNDCsL1os4G9neDIA/s2048/2020-10-21_17-27-01_812.heic" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NawpcFKEuXChkbZB0Zj13d5CCOhU3c0czXDn4yXKo1_vL7ne0kiYnhAu6KAux2Xna9yAbTJFb6Epyl4fV7aRCvs1MK8ACtXDbtAli3JcEODTA2PnQ2Mo4PNDCsL1os4G9neDIA/s600/2020-10-21_17-27-01_812.heic" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">For the drinks, I chose the <b>Habenero Mango</b> ($11.50). I love it when my drinks have a hint of spice so this concoction made with cazadores blanco, aperol, mango puree, fresh lime, <b>habanero bitters</b> with freshly muddled cilantro was perfect. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqf59qASgVD5EXK0hIBEwL00OPdLJ2BKTQ8JaeMa0JUIqF1SFCdDUkDUZwyDSQSIrorvFi1Qp3NLmu3LzRLLyIkhkdYQUqrImRh9a62Izy-AVeV9m__QBAWJz729465UEQebpCGg/s2048/drinks.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqf59qASgVD5EXK0hIBEwL00OPdLJ2BKTQ8JaeMa0JUIqF1SFCdDUkDUZwyDSQSIrorvFi1Qp3NLmu3LzRLLyIkhkdYQUqrImRh9a62Izy-AVeV9m__QBAWJz729465UEQebpCGg/s600/drinks.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">The other drink on the left is their <b>Classic Lime Margarita</b> ($11.50)with cazadores blanco, cointreau, fresh lime and agave. Oh, and if you're like me, ask them to make it spicy! </span></div><div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfmpyGUHiEn8PnwIHvoXDhIR0eaTkCUdM1I9Gnrl8C1dW9DeVaM4A4E_POBRO67_3qJFEQDXS_KgOKcbhNA_HEVVM9Af-YAMX6kNwCny9gmCooClxbR4GMqOvtalSYuCKGGV1xw/s2048/chickentacos.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1925" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfmpyGUHiEn8PnwIHvoXDhIR0eaTkCUdM1I9Gnrl8C1dW9DeVaM4A4E_POBRO67_3qJFEQDXS_KgOKcbhNA_HEVVM9Af-YAMX6kNwCny9gmCooClxbR4GMqOvtalSYuCKGGV1xw/s600/chickentacos.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">So as mentioned, we had already eaten a bit earlier, we just got their <b>Grilled Chicken Tacos </b>($8). The chicken had a soy marinade and then topped with a bit of tamarind mayo slaw then smothered with an edamame chimichurri. Bursting with flavour, this really hit the spot! I was surprised by how much chicken there was so it was really satisfying. Can't wait to go back for more! </span></div><div><br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" aria-hidden="false" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2603.5320325216385!2d-123.10662558478217!3d49.266315179851965!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x5486731a27ee7913%3A0xd2d3afd427805260!2sTacofino%20Ocho!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sca!4v1604610573487!5m2!1sen!2sca" style="border: 0;" tabindex="0" width="600"></iframe>gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com0Vancouver, BC, Canada49.2827291 -123.120737520.972495263821152 -158.27698750000002 77.59296293617885 -87.9644875tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-21972303635797472012020-11-03T11:57:00.002-08:002020-11-03T11:59:33.525-08:00Homemade Hunter Chicken<span style="font-family: verdana;">As we may be facing another lockdown, I thought I would share another easy homemade dinner. </span><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">My version of Cactus Club's Hunter Chicken. </span></h4><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The key component of this dish is the Mushroom Sauté.</span><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Ingredients</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 Tbs. olive oil</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 Tbs. unsalted butter</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 lb. mixed fresh mushrooms (I use 6 oz. shiitakes, 8 oz. cremini and 2 oz. white mushrooms).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Clean them with a damp paper towels, washed, trimmed, and sliced 1/4 inch thick, to yield 5-1/2 to 6 cups</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">2 cloves garlic, minced</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">1/2 tsp. kosher salt</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Freshly ground black pepper</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">2 to 3 Tbs. heavy cream, broth, or lemon juice (optional)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Additional chopped herbs, such as thyme, sage, and/or chives (optional) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Directions:</b></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter foams.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Add all the mushrooms and minced garlic and stir.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The mushrooms will quickly absorb the oil and butter. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sprinkle with the salt and gently stir with a wooden spoon until the mushrooms start to release their moisture and begin to shrink, 2 to 3 minutes. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Turn the heat to medium high so that you hear a steady sizzle; stir gently. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">After 5 minutes or so, when the mushrooms start to brown, give just an occasional stir with the spoon (about once a minute) and allow the mushrooms to brown evenly, maybe for another 3 minutes. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Turn off the heat and toss the mushrooms with the parsley and pepper to taste, adding more salt if needed. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Stir in some cream just to wet the mushrooms again.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Add other herbs if you like.</span></li></ol>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">For the other parts of the dish, simply pan fry the chicken breast on a non-stick pan for a few minutes, and then place into a 350 degree oven to finish cooking.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Cactus Club serves this with mashed potatoes and some steamed asparagus as well. I suggest elevating your mashed potatoes by adding a few tablespoons of shredded cheddar cheese and some green onions.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeyOBsXUuEdnrVxg_0iWi5avhACir0c8CW_dzEIUdzPGgM3VqiS715nfVlDdQxg3YdJxuryHCFfLjYtnTZQ6OxvbrQsah2CoBXlEtFXCFxqHwMIZ5-F6Y19bDkdPzYvQwZWtqAQ/s2048/2020-09-23_17-54-50_055.heic" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeyOBsXUuEdnrVxg_0iWi5avhACir0c8CW_dzEIUdzPGgM3VqiS715nfVlDdQxg3YdJxuryHCFfLjYtnTZQ6OxvbrQsah2CoBXlEtFXCFxqHwMIZ5-F6Y19bDkdPzYvQwZWtqAQ/s600/2020-09-23_17-54-50_055.heic" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Let me know if you try this or if you have suggestions on how to make this better!</span><br /></span></div></div></div>gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-80943067156781976702020-10-21T12:25:00.000-07:002020-10-21T12:25:08.893-07:00TGIF at Miku<span style="font-family: verdana;">On a sunny day in October, we decided to head downtown for lunch at <a href="https://mikurestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Miku</a>. It's <a href="https://xmasbb.blogspot.com/2010/09/csk-and-miku.html" target="_blank">been a while</a> since I've been there and was definitely overdue for another visit. We had originally requested a table outside but the weather had taken a turn for the worse and they accommodated us with a table inside. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioY6RQSTcYkkj_zwKsRPhYbwH3l5S0wHmPMwzkN59gtNNtfuFz6ACNL5W7VoUl5hCQArFYHrMVDTTlMDAOsp0PW_XwzJvenqcsn8zkYFDtudx6jXC3DsYtvDMM2YiA-1vITiZEpQ/s2048/2020-10-09_13-52-54_806.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="drinks" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1885" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioY6RQSTcYkkj_zwKsRPhYbwH3l5S0wHmPMwzkN59gtNNtfuFz6ACNL5W7VoUl5hCQArFYHrMVDTTlMDAOsp0PW_XwzJvenqcsn8zkYFDtudx6jXC3DsYtvDMM2YiA-1vITiZEpQ/s600/2020-10-09_13-52-54_806.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Nothing starts a lunch better than a few cocktails. I'm a huge fan of old-fashioneds or negronis, so this <b>Golden Hour Manhattan</b> ($21) made with <br />saffron infused toki Japanese whisky, bénédictine, odd society bittersweet vermouth and grapefruit bitters was a perfect option. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The boy opted for the <b>Cucumber Gimlet</b> ($17) made with beefeater gin, fresh cucumber juice and lime. It was a nice elevation to the usual Gin & Soda and something I can try to make at home. Both drinks were strong and packed a punch. </span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYc1KK9DO52aafGkevFvzrurM72VSYk_15zFGbod7k2FBmKSlzgymk72ioW7QB0dELUKTSZaK8kuBsTNcdzNpDwDFU4tCC-kFT6TXE6nnIFKw5nriAOoW1FY7E15E6FUht5YVmw/s2048/2020-10-09_14-29-40_238.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1966" data-original-width="2048" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYc1KK9DO52aafGkevFvzrurM72VSYk_15zFGbod7k2FBmKSlzgymk72ioW7QB0dELUKTSZaK8kuBsTNcdzNpDwDFU4tCC-kFT6TXE6nnIFKw5nriAOoW1FY7E15E6FUht5YVmw/w640-h614/2020-10-09_14-29-40_238.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>We decided to share the <b>Lunch Shokai</b> ($41) which starts off with their miso soup. The miso broth is topped with a touch of enoki mushrooms and wakame. Warm start to lunch!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFM_cY3CfFwP13L-QFoZgDTHi6MLgBUBeqTo3TQkFu4k_zJFoOkNduuxeby2qCQphXQC-zZrAjCkytC3ufPDU4Fci7q4aYWkjSQa9OEsqZzDGTSU49jM_HhCoQElIVtVHH2KvbA/s2048/2020-10-09_14-35-15_861.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="appetizer" border="0" data-original-height="1314" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFM_cY3CfFwP13L-QFoZgDTHi6MLgBUBeqTo3TQkFu4k_zJFoOkNduuxeby2qCQphXQC-zZrAjCkytC3ufPDU4Fci7q4aYWkjSQa9OEsqZzDGTSU49jM_HhCoQElIVtVHH2KvbA/s600/2020-10-09_14-35-15_861.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">The lunch special also comes with two starters. One was the beef shank and the other option was a fish fritter. Since we were avoiding beef, they graciously offered to swap that out with their sablefish appetizer instead. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFaff2CtU0tFo2zq-j0U1tOUm6YGQAwAH4Bt_BvqkfngQOBs7PUqDLu2p3OhZNNKGl6GmtiRT3jg-ANmRsWrWccCYq5ghMS1VFVmgt7vzwVg3CNf50gYN2AR6TTidItQE3bhWMDw/s2048/2020-10-09_14-37-11_851.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="appetizer1" border="0" data-original-height="1978" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFaff2CtU0tFo2zq-j0U1tOUm6YGQAwAH4Bt_BvqkfngQOBs7PUqDLu2p3OhZNNKGl6GmtiRT3jg-ANmRsWrWccCYq5ghMS1VFVmgt7vzwVg3CNf50gYN2AR6TTidItQE3bhWMDw/s600/2020-10-09_14-37-11_851.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">This <b>Fish Fritter</b> with their homemade tartar sauce reminded both of us of a Filet'o'Fish. This is not a complaint, as we are both fans of the McD's favourite. The fish was tender and juicy with an airy batter. The sauce was creamy and tart and actually made a great dressing for the greens. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-TRfhy1aW-PTrU2UuiSjh3ng3OQNXI_mSz3qIkDQ0DaVq5V0Zorc8xirh3XhFYvu5X3d2uP3SDXtliL83HuqZPp644Cj55z3HVDiaMZE-X0P3ZN7Jww5xw3Xulv93ZKXnJEcBEg/s2048/2020-10-09_14-37-18_200.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="appetizer2" border="0" data-original-height="1888" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-TRfhy1aW-PTrU2UuiSjh3ng3OQNXI_mSz3qIkDQ0DaVq5V0Zorc8xirh3XhFYvu5X3d2uP3SDXtliL83HuqZPp644Cj55z3HVDiaMZE-X0P3ZN7Jww5xw3Xulv93ZKXnJEcBEg/s600/2020-10-09_14-37-18_200.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">This <b>Sablefish</b> was amazing. Just a hint of crunch on the skin and super buttery texture. It was mildly flavoured with a touch of smokiness. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuVE1dRoz-yGO3AraoNnZ93FP0sKq5EmpEpa-hVe8h3yfxjI5Cw4J9cYmle5cU7G532qwtQ-VKClR2-mABivMT1CdrvfYs1NX_cYz9QpsSn2IdjxWmuv7jIaW2QTq2QxmKxilZg/s2048/2020-10-09_14-35-51_321.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1836" data-original-width="2048" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuVE1dRoz-yGO3AraoNnZ93FP0sKq5EmpEpa-hVe8h3yfxjI5Cw4J9cYmle5cU7G532qwtQ-VKClR2-mABivMT1CdrvfYs1NX_cYz9QpsSn2IdjxWmuv7jIaW2QTq2QxmKxilZg/w640-h574/2020-10-09_14-35-51_321.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>Now onto the star of the show...their assorted <b>traditional and Aburi oshi, rolls,
and nigiri</b>, 10 pieces in all. Salmon, ebi, tuna, toro and more. Everything was good and we actually managed to share most of the nigiri. My chopstick cutting skills are pretty impressive. Every bite was tasty and I didn't even miss the wasabi.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9kU9NjS-UXKwitKrFsi4qYFG-81-NEncNzGIq1eFWK9ZJFOT1G3EuS2YGZMxKilMzrwn3-15nHOVXoSVm-8SeKLYR35l83ktGZu6WqEDqnP0OPCr_hZE_3Fp4nyZ8JiDC0U07Q/s2048/2020-10-09_15-45-57_715.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="dessert" border="0" data-original-height="2003" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9kU9NjS-UXKwitKrFsi4qYFG-81-NEncNzGIq1eFWK9ZJFOT1G3EuS2YGZMxKilMzrwn3-15nHOVXoSVm-8SeKLYR35l83ktGZu6WqEDqnP0OPCr_hZE_3Fp4nyZ8JiDC0U07Q/s600/2020-10-09_15-45-57_715.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Now I'm not usually a dessert person but you can add this petit <b>Green Tea Opera</b> (+$7) bite to complete your lunch set. Although I was going to pass on this, when I saw plate after plate of this arrive]ing at nearby tables, I knew we had to get it. As per their website, this is is green tea génoise, matcha butter cream, dark chocolate ganache, azuki bean cream, hazelnut wafer and matcha ice cream. As the description would indicate...this was creamy. It was a great way to end a wonderful lunch.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">On a side note, our waitress was amazing...she had lots of stories about the A-listers that swing through Miku on the regular. </span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" aria-hidden="false" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m14!1m8!1m3!1d10409.798360996652!2d-123.112583!3d49.2868259!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x0%3A0xc4977021fe4d4a91!2sMiku%20Vancouver!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sca!4v1603307839309!5m2!1sen!2sca" style="border: 0;" tabindex="0" width="600"></iframe></div></div>gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com0Vancouver, BC, Canada49.2827291 -123.120737520.972495263821152 -158.27698750000002 77.59296293617885 -87.9644875tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-54682882889262585632020-10-19T10:40:00.002-07:002020-10-19T10:40:28.934-07:00Happy Hour at Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar<span style="font-family: verdana;">Oh how I long for patio weather...back in August, when we were gently lifting the quarantine, we ventured out to <a href="https://boulevardvancouver.ca/" target="_blank">Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar</a>. Grateful for the good weather, we managed to easily socially distance on the patio. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVaFtfibXC-_8fAr5U9zrotvRf4iUJa4F4mfcqcGziwUKBh2t8rOVrkLR4Bgkn7c1wtEKpAvhNMeKsBGd3imq-JmYIKCHBRrzmwaz_hnKf1a3cT_Zyegve9EzbtoFjWU2-We7u1g/s2048/2020-08-05_16-56-11_866.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVaFtfibXC-_8fAr5U9zrotvRf4iUJa4F4mfcqcGziwUKBh2t8rOVrkLR4Bgkn7c1wtEKpAvhNMeKsBGd3imq-JmYIKCHBRrzmwaz_hnKf1a3cT_Zyegve9EzbtoFjWU2-We7u1g/s600/2020-08-05_16-56-11_866.jpeg" width="600" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">I've always been a fan of <b>Spicy Margaritas</b> ($8) (first discovered at Tacofino) but they didn't have this on the menu. Fortunately, the bartender improvised with fresno chilies since they didn't have jalepeno peppers. This was good and makes me want to make my own <a href="https://www.supercall.com/recipe/spicy-chili-tequila-recipe" target="_blank">chili-infused tequila</a>. Doesn't seem hard, right? We can totally do this!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhfpEYihnXx0JcFxjlDRT61_PB6UdWGX7tJYQvdMv6-o-4Q-Lac2fY8tWzjywjbat82E8ajBwbI5hzVzMwQI9LcBSmex8UwhUK84LpvlkvXZrMicrGQK6DIYTzb-UREvun5RhDw/s1161/2020-08-05_17-03-07_000+%25282020-09-22T07_23_31.941%2529.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1161" data-original-width="1161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhfpEYihnXx0JcFxjlDRT61_PB6UdWGX7tJYQvdMv6-o-4Q-Lac2fY8tWzjywjbat82E8ajBwbI5hzVzMwQI9LcBSmex8UwhUK84LpvlkvXZrMicrGQK6DIYTzb-UREvun5RhDw/s600/2020-08-05_17-03-07_000+%25282020-09-22T07_23_31.941%2529.jpeg" width="600" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Well, it IS an oyster bar...so we must have <b>Oysters</b> ($2/ea). These were creamy and sweet. I do like my oysters on the small side, one-bite wonders. How do you eat your oysters? I drain any residual juice from the shell, then give it a squirt of lemon juice and just a bit of the mignonette and a touch of horseradish. I used to add Tobasco sauce all the time but lately, I find that it overwhelms the delicate flavours of the oyster so have been leaving it out. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20-d8YJyIKzFvPbVN2O7orgTfNiB-Ou7cbyY7qMCu5Z2Nb-Iuba9UjEjKqoEvnlhjLwDJlwjTfkZGmjL4_-hTcGE2K7J1f4j0rnxJpDYRLfuSjaO4RhLz2-wWmEg3JusRuWOuWw/s2048/2020-08-05_17-03-37_344.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20-d8YJyIKzFvPbVN2O7orgTfNiB-Ou7cbyY7qMCu5Z2Nb-Iuba9UjEjKqoEvnlhjLwDJlwjTfkZGmjL4_-hTcGE2K7J1f4j0rnxJpDYRLfuSjaO4RhLz2-wWmEg3JusRuWOuWw/s600/2020-08-05_17-03-37_344.jpeg" width="600" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">These <b>Chicken Wings</b> ($12) were one of the first things I've ever had here and I just had to get them again. The umami comes from the nuoc cham or fish sauce caramel. And no, it's not fishy. It's nice and crunchy with some heat coming from a bit of sambal chili paste. The sweetness of the coating is mitigated by the pickled veg. Get two orders because it's hard to split three wings amongst two people...</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibRlt3m5pcrhy7B6MUyGlIf29g4_FNrHMcSI_x0EwcniADQpk2smbbGqKuldLSncynRuNDf17x-bhZnJvd6scSEWvnVqXzjxIWYFmglZ9tCaeH1rxdSEwM4CprC5_W7ESErdHD7g/s2048/2020-08-05_17-04-39_071.heic" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibRlt3m5pcrhy7B6MUyGlIf29g4_FNrHMcSI_x0EwcniADQpk2smbbGqKuldLSncynRuNDf17x-bhZnJvd6scSEWvnVqXzjxIWYFmglZ9tCaeH1rxdSEwM4CprC5_W7ESErdHD7g/s600/2020-08-05_17-04-39_071.heic" width="600" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Although not always on the menu, this <b>Lobster Mac and Cheese</b> is worth trying if available as a daily special. I love the gratin topping, it gives the dish a nice crunchy texture which contrasts the creaminess of the mac and cheese. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHAZpcjeObeMg6x1dQXKyOez1EUUxnOWlqzanCBCIcvXcLSyqA2Rpq0n3ZoyG_cIUm8IDti_BuUIQ4XxAmD9B9eagfsae8SG2kiMj9ON0G6L2IWlqLP62uq65DjR3pooGTD0Suuw/s2048/2020-08-05_17-08-34_538.heic" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHAZpcjeObeMg6x1dQXKyOez1EUUxnOWlqzanCBCIcvXcLSyqA2Rpq0n3ZoyG_cIUm8IDti_BuUIQ4XxAmD9B9eagfsae8SG2kiMj9ON0G6L2IWlqLP62uq65DjR3pooGTD0Suuw/s600/2020-08-05_17-08-34_538.heic" width="600" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">There's plenty of lobster here and it's a dish best shared because it can get a bit heavy if you try to eat the whole thing yourself. The flavours were a bit mild and the dish could have probably used a touch more cheese. Nonetheless, it's a good appetizer and a bit more satisfying than just oysters and wings. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">They have $2 oysters during happy hour and 20% off bottles of wine as well. </span><br /></div>
<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2602.6473780295514!2d-123.12609708462065!3d49.28307857866416!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x548671801b0f04c7%3A0xd287e6fb211722b4!2sBoulevard%20Kitchen%20%26%20Oyster%20Bar!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sca!4v1603129139911!5m2!1sen!2sca" width="600" height="450" frameborder="0" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" aria-hidden="false" tabindex="0"></iframe>gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com0Vancouver, BC, Canada49.2827291 -123.120737520.972495263821152 -158.27698750000002 77.59296293617885 -87.9644875tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-44502756799501121302020-10-16T13:10:00.002-07:002020-12-09T10:28:04.026-08:00Homemade Aglio e Olio with Prawns<span style="font-family: verdana;">Once in while, you might see some recipes here when I actually cook at home. I don't create recipes, I simply adapt ones that I find on other blogs, websites and from my cookbook collection. </span><br />
<h4 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Aglio e Olio with Prawns - </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen </span></h4><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Serves: 2 </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdg2-fqWu6WbgHUoMFvT9hyiVOIe7Ei7DzrEBgRCihZ5Ax7LWlDDZwkdXjr0YAU5u62NXy0Y_71qBtbC5TrI2H8IE2FJ79olDrEhn_06D0A6MJ5_sxIGiayqoIQcryg124pq8wg/s2048/2020-10-13_21-07-32_202.heic" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdg2-fqWu6WbgHUoMFvT9hyiVOIe7Ei7DzrEBgRCihZ5Ax7LWlDDZwkdXjr0YAU5u62NXy0Y_71qBtbC5TrI2H8IE2FJ79olDrEhn_06D0A6MJ5_sxIGiayqoIQcryg124pq8wg/w480-h640/2020-10-13_21-07-32_202.heic" width="480" /></a></div>
<div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Ingredients </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">3 cloves garlic, minced </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">1/2 teaspoon salt </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">1 pound large prawns (16-20 ct/lb), peeled and deveined </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">6-8 ounces pasta </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">2 tablespoon shredded parmesan</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Directions</b> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Make pasta, drain and reserved a cup of pasta water. <i>(I'm going to assume you know how to do this, don't prove me wrong.)</i> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">In a large skillet, heat oil over low heat; cook garlic, salt and hot pepper flakes, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until garlic is light golden but do not let it get brown. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Increase heat to medium-high. Add prawns to skillet; stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly pink and opaque. Sprinkle in parsley and toss.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Add drained pasta to skillet, along with a cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss until water is almost absorbed and dish onto bowls.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sprinkle with parmesan shreds and serve. </span></li></ol></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpbzuN-2wsMFzS2taKNkLDDGjdftVv_dORT9WUebUZH2uWMAwcbXNlolm6WKn2dg4FI1VJduKNEW9FnOZ6e8_SMBVUB4nY8zhkgTSqb1NMngk9VqRFZBwo1_zflYkLQqKHPYKzAw/s2048/2020-10-06_19-04-57_395.heic" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpbzuN-2wsMFzS2taKNkLDDGjdftVv_dORT9WUebUZH2uWMAwcbXNlolm6WKn2dg4FI1VJduKNEW9FnOZ6e8_SMBVUB4nY8zhkgTSqb1NMngk9VqRFZBwo1_zflYkLQqKHPYKzAw/w480-h640/2020-10-06_19-04-57_395.heic" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">The very top photo is my second attempt. This one here is my first attempt and the prawns didn't get as good a colour as I wanted but the taste was there. Since I made a small portion to test, I made another batch a few days later for the top photo. The second time, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I let the prawns fry a bit longer before I added the pasta the second time. And I didn't have parsley either time so just subbed with green onions for colour and freshness. </span><div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">What I like about this dish is that you can use any pasta you want, long or short. The sauce is light, not creamy or tomato-y with just a touch of heat. And of course, if you want to substitute the prawns with another protein (chicken would be great) or remove it altogether, you can do that too!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Let me know if you give it a try and your thoughts! </span><br /></div>gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-42273061129373806602020-10-15T14:42:00.003-07:002020-10-15T14:46:20.710-07:00Anchovies and so much more at Autostrada<span style="font-family: verdana;">When COVID-19 restrictions started lifting in late August, <a href="https://www.autostradahospitality.ca/" target="_blank">Autostrada</a> was one of the first places I ventured out to try. They have two locations; Main and West Pender, both are taking reservations to observe social distancing guidelines. It was my first time at the Main St. location and I wanted to try everything!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkOPPrAjfT0FCe7pHAfCKiKI7zRiJ7apLIogi3rdbYqq0vaoz9JzfAokJ-3mKNAnUHE3f3fqQaCgbNvAIB0YVXUXx46bRFDZIfnQ4txzcIDUpP2JVMw3Etib1wRCDMEN9FtclRA/s1440/anchovytoast.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Anchovy Toast" border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkOPPrAjfT0FCe7pHAfCKiKI7zRiJ7apLIogi3rdbYqq0vaoz9JzfAokJ-3mKNAnUHE3f3fqQaCgbNvAIB0YVXUXx46bRFDZIfnQ4txzcIDUpP2JVMw3Etib1wRCDMEN9FtclRA/s600/anchovytoast.jpeg" width="600" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">We started off with a few antipasti. The first one to arrive was the <b>Anchovy on Focaccia</b> ($12) with a few slices of pickled veg and a scattering of fresh herbs. I have always felt that anchovies are underrated as a food, but they really elevated this dish here. Meaty, salty and plentiful, the anchovies sit atop a bed of warm and crunchy focaccia, making for very satisfying starter. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">If prosciutto is on the menu, chances are I will order it and this time was no different. This appetizer arrived with <b>Cuor di Burrata</b> ($32). Super creamy and buttery in texture, the cheese is served with just a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. There are some fresh herbs and nuts (I think they were hazelnuts?) but burrata stole the show.
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Be sure to get some extra <b>Focaccia</b> ($7) to truly enjoy this. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Trust me, you'll need this for the next dish!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Our final appetizer was the <b>Polpette al Sugo</b> ($15) made from a blend of ground beef and pork with a pomodoro sauce and some pecorino shavings. The meatballs are juicy and savory, with a nice tanginess from the sauce and a hint of saltiness from the cheese. That focaccia comes in handy here too! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Now, I can't go to an Italian restaurant without sampling some of their pastas and they have quite a large variety here. I went for the <b>Tagliatelle Bolognese</b> ($23), for some traditional comfort food. The sauce tasted like it was cooked for days and had a creaminess I don't usually find in bolognese sauce. The pasta was cooked perfectly and had a nice al dente texture. The parm shavings completed the dish. Sometimes, I ask for a bit of chili flakes but I didn't see the need for it here. </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpREJJfag51G5iyTah8TjK6ng2rz3k52qrHOM16gxLf8EbmuAXj8Mt5oMv10BeC-WodCbPfG0j_5azX3tQCbjC3NVOLO4k3j4LjmGHpLfvqzXnSqTVka9NYOfnjcYz_tFI6SWHg/s1440/Ripirena+Halibut+Stuffed+Cappelletti.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Cappelletti" border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpREJJfag51G5iyTah8TjK6ng2rz3k52qrHOM16gxLf8EbmuAXj8Mt5oMv10BeC-WodCbPfG0j_5azX3tQCbjC3NVOLO4k3j4LjmGHpLfvqzXnSqTVka9NYOfnjcYz_tFI6SWHg/s600/Ripirena+Halibut+Stuffed+Cappelletti.jpeg" width="600" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">The second pasta we shared was their <b>Ripiena </b>($24) which was their daily stuffed pasta. I'm not usually a fan of stuffed pastas (like ravioli or tortellini) but when the server described it, we couldn't resist it. The special was <b>cappelletti stuffed with halibut in a spot prawn broth</b>. It was fresh, light, seasonal and fantastic. I find that in most restaurants, if the chef makes an effort to create daily specials, it's usually worth a try. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">And yes, we actually got dessert too! As with prosciutto, if there is a lemon/lime dessert on the menu, we're getting it. This <b>Pizzelle Limone</b> ($7) is so pretty and delicious that it needs three photos to do it justice. The snowflake pattern is so pretty and the dusting of icing sugar made it look heavenly. Psst, I found some of these cookies at London Drugs or you can buy a pizzelle maker at Bed, Bath and Beyond for ~$60. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0u-e1yrlmwY11ZE0fFi1NsQ4G3yJ5DdgP02VywrSZXEoRXKKGPzoVBRus6bjDKsQJNQ30o2MtmoOUkoR6uYKgRKiV1BUA_jTuvUu_7I1j6gvNL9pkBLlXuxgitnm4DZOBbqDZ_w/s1440/Pizzelle+Limone2.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="PizzelleLimone" border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0u-e1yrlmwY11ZE0fFi1NsQ4G3yJ5DdgP02VywrSZXEoRXKKGPzoVBRus6bjDKsQJNQ30o2MtmoOUkoR6uYKgRKiV1BUA_jTuvUu_7I1j6gvNL9pkBLlXuxgitnm4DZOBbqDZ_w/s600/Pizzelle+Limone2.jpeg" width="600" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Sandwiched between the three cookies are swirls of lemon crema. Light and flavourful, this was a good way to end this meal. But wait, there's more! </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvHPnxTXCfeC8igTeFqcY4iCsDDBUOAlRhbyCZEcfGS16DMt-cX3qojuB-z5G29aI59updP2wS8h53Ef4Zpt3kcaRj49SSXr0CJetygVoWXko09nc0ohSlIpKgpjxgwKWwLdoyg/s1417/Pizzelle+Limone4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="839" data-original-width="1417" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvHPnxTXCfeC8igTeFqcY4iCsDDBUOAlRhbyCZEcfGS16DMt-cX3qojuB-z5G29aI59updP2wS8h53Ef4Zpt3kcaRj49SSXr0CJetygVoWXko09nc0ohSlIpKgpjxgwKWwLdoyg/w640-h378/Pizzelle+Limone4.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Hidden in the middle was a generous serving of blueberry filling. This was a nice surprise! All in all, I'd say this was a great meal and I'll definitely be back to try our more pastas. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">They have a risotto with braised short rib that I need to try and also the garganelli with lamb ragu. Oh, and they have tiramisu too! </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">And if you are dining alone, be sure to grab a seat at their cozy bar. </span><div><div><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" aria-hidden="false" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2604.828367282875!2d-123.10381638462219!3d49.24174318159193!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x5486740a286c99ef%3A0xfdd1fa06da847758!2sAutostrada%20Osteria%20Main%20Street!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sca!4v1602797191241!5m2!1sen!2sca" style="border: 0;" tabindex="0" width="600"></iframe></div></div></div></div>gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com0Main St, Vancouver, BC, Canada49.2457108 -123.10123720.935476963821152 -158.257487 77.55594463617885 -87.944987tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-73289512803629204332020-10-10T13:43:00.002-07:002020-10-12T11:43:29.027-07:00Pizza and Gelato at Gusto<span style="font-family: verdana;">Earlier this month, I met a friend in Olympic Village for a quick snack in the afternoon. I haven't explored much of the area in recent months, but am forcing myself to head down there more frequently. When my friend suggested <b><a href="https://www.gustoatasteofitaly.com/" target="_blank">Gusto - A Taste of Italy</a> </b>when I said that I was craving gelato, I was eager to give this a try.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4lxuDESgHhlHNLmQiTE5FXhFUjKIdyYbPCXAbZTxgGMB4PFYb3cntsaRUVKvxAVtsf-VlTPZn4Q50Gp5ecqEBMH0Bsf3CmOhCz59qMQruTVkM14F9O2h3Mad7Ar8vH9-fUOMPxQ/s1463/GustoPizza-20201001.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1463" data-original-width="1097" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4lxuDESgHhlHNLmQiTE5FXhFUjKIdyYbPCXAbZTxgGMB4PFYb3cntsaRUVKvxAVtsf-VlTPZn4Q50Gp5ecqEBMH0Bsf3CmOhCz59qMQruTVkM14F9O2h3Mad7Ar8vH9-fUOMPxQ/w480-h640/GustoPizza-20201001.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">I hadn't eaten lunch yet so decided to try out one of their pizzas, before moving on to dessert. They pride themselves on serving up Authentic Italian Scrocchiarella. It's almost the opposite of a thin crust artisanal-type pizza. The crispy Roman-style pizza has a great crust with a decent amount of chew. Scrocchiarella is as specific type of flour and crust is reminiscent of focaccia. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I wanted something light, so opted for the <b>Prosciutto e Rucola</b> ($10.99). They serve it warmed up and the rectangular-shaped is one classic trait of Roman-style pizza. It was really good, the crust was doughy and chewy, perfect for me as I love pizza crust. I will eat yours if you let me! And the toppings (prosciutto, arugula, signature sauce and parmigiana) were plentiful and very fresh. I thought it was good value for the price. I only ate half and took the rest to-go. I had to save room for the real reason I was there, gelato!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPywrtr2AHGo-yBwhtqh8Qt04GkTa9wAnXVKeWmjHYj9pHJwTcS2oEGdylgNUHud4I7Z_ZSAsNHuV4JCnzcMlhmjuDZ3LgYFVteQps09n0ok8RLICV3SEC6tJoj0wcdGnRl5aGYg/s1463/GustoGelato-20201001.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1463" data-original-width="1097" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPywrtr2AHGo-yBwhtqh8Qt04GkTa9wAnXVKeWmjHYj9pHJwTcS2oEGdylgNUHud4I7Z_ZSAsNHuV4JCnzcMlhmjuDZ3LgYFVteQps09n0ok8RLICV3SEC6tJoj0wcdGnRl5aGYg/w480-h640/GustoGelato-20201001.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">Now, time for some Gelato Artigianale! Their chefs are from Italy and the machines are flown in from Italy as well. I chose to enjoy mine in a cone. There are so many flavours to choose from and you're allowed to try three before making your choice. The Pistachio one was highly recommended, but I am not really a fan of the nut. There was also a Caramelized Fig one with figs flown in from Sicily. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Finally, I decided on the <b>Cioccolato Fondente</b> ($5.95), described as Dark and Dangerous on the website. It's a blend of black cocoa, 85% chocolate and 72% chocolate. I was in heaven and did not want the treat to end.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">There are quite a few things I'll probably come back and try. They have a wide variety of Antipasti, such as Bruschetta, Salads as well as a Cheese Board. In addition to gelato, they also have other treats for your sweet tooth, such as biscotti, cannoli, flakey croissants (plain or filled with butter cream or Nutella). There are tarts, mousse cakes and so much more. They have a selection of both cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Oh, and they have Happy Hour 3-6pm Monday - Friday.</span><br />
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</div>gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com0Olympic Village, Cambie St Bridge, Vancouver, BC V5Z, Canada49.2665315 -123.115736120.956297663821154 -158.2719861 77.576765336178852 -87.9594861tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-75576085618137165722020-10-10T12:27:00.003-07:002020-10-10T13:44:15.915-07:00Brunch at Jam Cafe<span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Partially due to time constraints, this blog was essentially abandoned in 2015. Now with COVID-19, I find myself occasionally eating out with lots of time to write again. </span></span><div><span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Welcome back! Finally, I have the time to write and you have the time to read. </span></span><div><span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The (re)new(ed) blog will not be just all restaurant reviews, though there will be some. I have been cooking at home during this crazy time and a recipe or two might come through as well. </span>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">So grab a coffee or drink (coffee, beer or cocktail) and have a read. </span></span><div><div><span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">I've been to <a href="https://jamcafes.com/" target="_blank">Jam Cafe</a> on Beatty a few times but never gave their Kits location a try. Last week, taking advantage of the nice weather, we decided to have a late lunch there and then take a walk along Kits beach. <b>Bonus</b>: all day parking on Kits beach is only $7.10 during October 1 - March 31. (<a href="https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/kitsilano-beach.aspx" target="_blank">City of Vancouver Link</a>) </span><br />
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyoARr8LxiWMurTK_eMgaVDqop48OdBVeOvpd-ytad13ycbCR9gUYC4fSt88DK_olQi8xOTvIk2mdWapss0nEs2EAUdPFgUhIQVXYOAfanXjSwE_Pcd3Npi_VzmFc5ruBB795MQ/s0/Jam1-20201002.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><span><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyoARr8LxiWMurTK_eMgaVDqop48OdBVeOvpd-ytad13ycbCR9gUYC4fSt88DK_olQi8xOTvIk2mdWapss0nEs2EAUdPFgUhIQVXYOAfanXjSwE_Pcd3Npi_VzmFc5ruBB795MQ/w640-h640/Jam1-20201002.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span><span style="font-family: verdana;">My friend had <b>The O</b></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>ld Town Breakfast</b> ($15) with your basic two eggs your way, choice of sourdough or multigrain toast, choice of bacon, sausage, ham or avocado (if you must). But seriously, <b>it's all about the hash browns here</b>. Medium poached eggs with some chives, bacon and multigrain toast was the selection of the day. Oh, and of course, <i><b>strawberry jam</b></i>, you're at Jam Cafe afterall...</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEZ2atgh8y1MuPzWw7GRPIuexWg2HSiUBP1lX-DNEF-0YDvyprBu9V_9LGSKtsf5kMrRPdd2W6K6V4rV4MHv8wpGFOLP64GKuxO-lRMNHwIyTZxfSk55D0KZ3ELNK1iHupPNFfg/s0/jam2-20201002.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><span><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEZ2atgh8y1MuPzWw7GRPIuexWg2HSiUBP1lX-DNEF-0YDvyprBu9V_9LGSKtsf5kMrRPdd2W6K6V4rV4MHv8wpGFOLP64GKuxO-lRMNHwIyTZxfSk55D0KZ3ELNK1iHupPNFfg/w640-h640/jam2-20201002.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">I decided to go with the <b>B</b></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>lackstone Benny</b> ($17 for mine, $14 for a half-size), with the </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">sugar cured bacon. I found the bacon to be very tasty and it was quite plentiful as well. I usually get the hollandaise on the side, but forgot to mention it this time. The addition of the roasted tomatoes added an unexpected juiciness to the English muffin. The eggs had a bit of parmesan shavings as well as the hollandaise. And of course, the delicious hash browns. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">This was way too much food for me and I asked for the take out box as soon as the plate arrived. </span><b style="font-family: verdana;">Pro tip</b><span style="font-family: verdana;">: the box is a bit shallow so make sure you move the egg off the English muffin so it won't get squished. </span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I've heard that there are long waits on the weekend and I don't think the food is worth the wait. However, we went at 2:15pm (they close at 3pm) and were seated quickly, even with the social distancing guidelines.</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" aria-hidden="false" frameborder="0" height="300" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d83314.28631933666!2d-123.15206313210234!3d49.265568203945605!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x548673d6a009534b%3A0x951d073a3b2f350c!2sJam%20Cafe%20Kitsilano!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sca!4v1602357164450!5m2!1sen!2sca" style="border: 0;" tabindex="0" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/jam-cafe-kitsilano-vancouver" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Jam Cafe, Kitsilano and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Jam Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/18983810/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a> </div></div>gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com0Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC, Canada49.2683705 -123.168329720.958136663821158 -158.32457970000002 77.578604336178842 -88.0120797tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-87558688084113576862020-08-07T11:04:00.002-07:002020-08-07T11:05:24.748-07:00Smoked Salmon - 6 ways...<span style="font-family: verdana;">So in the hopes of eating healthy and to avoid the dreaded Quarantine Fifteen, I went to Costco to buy all things healthy. I came back stocked with loads of veggies and one treat, smoked salmon. Well, I came home with a lot more than that (magazines, pretzels, granola bars, etc.). I used to get out of Costco under $50 but this time, it was $200+. It's true what they say, do not shop on an empty stomach...</span><div><font face="verdana">So I had 500g of smoked salmon and I was determined to come up with a few ways to have it over the next few days. <br /></font>
<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzOUgxPbkMO07lO4vNVClL5BH4tduvB-ZG9a3nLwQxhxRdc2ltpKR8yNzSgKqbjkmsGtvggnOIrOHT5bHirzPOGqAC2LXowU6HVamcePvR70iTCjr-dDM9Zoq9qfUFmihVnLhLw/s1206/Day+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1182" data-original-width="1206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzOUgxPbkMO07lO4vNVClL5BH4tduvB-ZG9a3nLwQxhxRdc2ltpKR8yNzSgKqbjkmsGtvggnOIrOHT5bHirzPOGqAC2LXowU6HVamcePvR70iTCjr-dDM9Zoq9qfUFmihVnLhLw/s640/Day+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">On Day One, I did a very simple breakfast of smoked salmon with quail eggs and a sprinkle of capers. I had some mini-croissants which suited the whole miniature theme. I don't normally eat a lot for breakfast anyways, and this two little bites made me feel like a giant, a Brobdingnagian from Gulliver's Travels. I suppose one could mistake this for a full sized croissant and chicken egg at a glance, right? </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17Sf-1xbaXTNSUVY0A6OA-LPDyBIEX7UBllcU2xniwvQnxo4CWgRwv77Xy5r2q0hOxkZ7JKPAaHIK9r-6aDeuhpX9MsV92rSsGuDu9Yh5rMDUatFESRXKbVQkF4VLzz8aR8V2fA/s1186/Day+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1180" data-original-width="1186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17Sf-1xbaXTNSUVY0A6OA-LPDyBIEX7UBllcU2xniwvQnxo4CWgRwv77Xy5r2q0hOxkZ7JKPAaHIK9r-6aDeuhpX9MsV92rSsGuDu9Yh5rMDUatFESRXKbVQkF4VLzz8aR8V2fA/s640/Day+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Okay, no more mini-croissants for Day Two so I paired with some Wisecrackers (from Costco) for a light lunch. They are pretty mild, flavoured with olive oil and sea salt. The crunch was really good against the soft salmon and egg. I added some La Vache Qui Rit because I didn't have any cream cheese at home, so that was a handy substitute.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLcIAKxRNgjzryKTrc3ce4l4c04zK3QS92OrJ5StrLpemMulCPeIKH41eyrZuInNWv_uQkP2QE-nX-ivIBHTsnN8urmjsQeEtQK6WuiTSNxfSER-nCtp206lG0IT51vH7B77k5jw/s1192/Day+3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="872" data-original-width="1192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLcIAKxRNgjzryKTrc3ce4l4c04zK3QS92OrJ5StrLpemMulCPeIKH41eyrZuInNWv_uQkP2QE-nX-ivIBHTsnN8urmjsQeEtQK6WuiTSNxfSER-nCtp206lG0IT51vH7B77k5jw/s640/Day+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">On Day Three, I decided to have the smoked salmon as just a snack. Using the same crackers as yesterday, I added some cucumber and cherry tomatoes but it was a pretty bland. Maybe I should have used more dill and maybe a squirt of lemon juice too. Oh well, next time. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6f48eRY2AnJIe2oFwY7D7fYEM1iVnR8v_GkyfSaNs3S_m96Ycwowv4XV-fIEnQ04mbZ_JtGN_Nvp5YzX87yTMlE7R6QcC1fwnql51Z3pLlafvWs6RQYdGjblFn89OZTI0IZc4ww/s1182/Day+4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1180" data-original-width="1182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6f48eRY2AnJIe2oFwY7D7fYEM1iVnR8v_GkyfSaNs3S_m96Ycwowv4XV-fIEnQ04mbZ_JtGN_Nvp5YzX87yTMlE7R6QcC1fwnql51Z3pLlafvWs6RQYdGjblFn89OZTI0IZc4ww/s640/Day+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">So by Day Four, I was a little sick of crackers and opted for a healthy pasta salad instead. I used a chickpea, brown rice and quinoa-based fusilli but it was disappointingly crumbly. Maybe I overcooked it? I tossed it with a lemon vinaigrette found it really refreshing. I would do this again but with another type of pasta or maybe quinoa? </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpz_C1DCi18TcDlRgW8u-BpYBWCm5gbKEQtvjC514fzm-bJAROcVEjr0uy5YsMPTTGnoeLcoiuLb5ReMNyz4jwjIw_PXOxkZIAmiVlGPf-vQHh2hX8BLci9BRkTUDpbeIw8Hx6vg/s1196/Day+5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="1196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpz_C1DCi18TcDlRgW8u-BpYBWCm5gbKEQtvjC514fzm-bJAROcVEjr0uy5YsMPTTGnoeLcoiuLb5ReMNyz4jwjIw_PXOxkZIAmiVlGPf-vQHh2hX8BLci9BRkTUDpbeIw8Hx6vg/s640/Day+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Day Five was my favourite so far. Maybe because I was comparing it to Day Four...but I did finally get cream cheese and more dill. The colours were so bright and fresh, the pop of the quail egg yolk made it even better. Yes, this was definitely my favourite. It was a perfect bite, a bit of crunch from the cracker and the cucumber, and the smooth cream cheese and the buttery salmon. Yum! </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBeuU9E26igwHJqLGMvcCCEPbY3p9qI4aXAGiij12PfSrcHPQVm2UuoxEAeS7N_XFb0RNpk5TI7hUYr7AK5QJxQwOPfUvqk-r_c4uAN0iFEPqxlklnLRZpJexsGkuQq-UDs2pTw/s1192/Day+6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1186" data-original-width="1192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBeuU9E26igwHJqLGMvcCCEPbY3p9qI4aXAGiij12PfSrcHPQVm2UuoxEAeS7N_XFb0RNpk5TI7hUYr7AK5QJxQwOPfUvqk-r_c4uAN0iFEPqxlklnLRZpJexsGkuQq-UDs2pTw/s640/Day+6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;">And now we're at Day Six, and the last of the smoked salmon here. There's not quite enough for a meal, so I added two poached shrimp to round it out a bit. Originally, the plan was to make a hot pasta dish, something creamy and decadent with rotini or linguine, but the heatwave we have going on right now here in Vancouver made me catatonic at the thought of turning on the stove. So Thai Noodle Salad it was! It's a huge pile of veggies, romaine, yellow and red peppers, cucumber as well as bean sprouts over a bed of vermicelli. For a bit pf protein, I topped it with loosely shredded smoked salmon and a few prawns. The dressing is made up of fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, a bit of sugar and some bird's eye chilies and cilantro. Refreshing, spicy and more filling than you'd expect! I mixed the dressing with the vermicelli first so it has a chance to soak it up first, then top with the salad and drizzle more dressing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">So now that my Smoked Salmon theme is done, I am going to have to find another ingredient to do five or six ways. Maybe canned tuna? Chickpeas? Quinoa? Or maybe I'll move on to baking...but only small batches because it's too hot out, and oh, my big oven is broken...</span><br /></div>gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com0Burnaby, BC, Canada49.2488091 -122.980510420.938575263821157 -158.13676040000001 77.559042936178855 -87.8242604tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-7439588682949387312020-05-09T11:35:00.003-07:002020-12-09T11:37:09.272-08:00Spot Prawns are Back!<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 78%;">Here is one where there is a homemade version of <b>Steamed Spot Prawns</b>. These were bought at T&T, and works out to 40 for $46. If you don't mind doing the work yourself, this is the best deal ever! </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gracecheung604/8830719546/" title="2013-05-24 19.03.29 by gracecheung604, on Flickr"><img alt="2013-05-24 19.03.29" height="640" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3767/8830719546_5fb5988dac_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 78%;">The process is simple, boil water with a steamer basket. Throw the prawns in, and steam for four minutes. What come out is pure heaven. 20 <b>Spot Prawns</b> cooked to perfection. Choose your dipping sauce, be is a simply Soy Sauce with some chillies, or a bit of Red Vinegar, or a much more elaborate version of Soy, Sesame, Satay and Chillies with thinly diced Green Onion. Whatever you choose, these prawns will stand up to it. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gracecheung604/8830727956/" title="2013-05-24 19.03.54 by gracecheung604, on Flickr"><img alt="2013-05-24 19.03.54" height="640" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3738/8830727956_50d5bb6e50_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 78%;">Despite what you might think, man (and woman) cannot live on Spot Prawns alone. So what is a good accompaniment? How about some <b>Roasted Pork and BBQ Duck</b>. Um, YES! The salty meats are a great foil to the sweetness of the spot prawns. </span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gracecheung604/8817814067/" title="2013-05-25 14.20.42 by gracecheung604, on Flickr"><img alt="2013-05-25 14.20.42" height="480" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3806/8817814067_4e79c4584f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 78%;">As I said earlier, there were 40 of these, so we steamed up the rest and here is enough for another full serving. I probably won't reheat this, because I don't want to overcook them. I might take the heads off and oven-bake them but for the bodies, I will likely eat at room temperature. This is when that elaborate sauce would be called for. If you like spot prawns like I do, head to T&T before these babies are gone!</span>gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-84403537844705353362019-06-28T13:36:00.003-07:002019-06-29T11:58:54.576-07:00Crispy Chicken Chow Mein<span style="font-family: "verdana";">So it's been a few months, er, years, since I've blogged and the industry sure has changed! I remember the days when people used to read blogs for in-depth reviews of various new restaurants but now, it's all about Instagram, isn't it?</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgumN56vqsEkjotWZEbDPtb_s-QysxiNFSgnq7jCzjD82veGfyjcwfl4i75gV8p4xW8xGy1GfTqrBCnOHYJ80DhyphenhyphenXUIdmOQz3S8exgDTigiDKxpqpxMupAUzD4mJd6Oh7dhM-MrQA/s1600/20190621+chow+mein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgumN56vqsEkjotWZEbDPtb_s-QysxiNFSgnq7jCzjD82veGfyjcwfl4i75gV8p4xW8xGy1GfTqrBCnOHYJ80DhyphenhyphenXUIdmOQz3S8exgDTigiDKxpqpxMupAUzD4mJd6Oh7dhM-MrQA/s640/20190621+chow+mein.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I miss the days when people would read a blog post to get the sense of the restaurant, cuisine, service and overall value. However, it's just all about the IG boomerang post. It's hard to put all of that into one image, no?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">But despite all that, I'm going to take another crack at blogging again. But instead of restaurant reviews and publicity events, I'm going with a different focus. I am cooking a lot more at home and trying new recipes, instead of the tried and true foods that I usually make. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">The goal is to learn more about nutrition, FODMAPs, and organic ingredients, as well as to remake some restaurant favourites. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Here the first of a remake! I found this recipe from </span><a href="https://www.recipetineats.com/" style="font-family: verdana;" target="_blank">RecipeTinEats</a><span style="font-family: "verdana";"> for </span><a href="https://www.recipetineats.com/crispy-noodles-with-chicken/" style="font-family: verdana;" target="_blank">Crispy Chicken Chow Mein</a><span style="font-family: "verdana";">. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">It seemed daunting at first, as the boy had quite high expectations for this, hoping against hope that I could replicate what we have at <a href="https://cindyspalace.ca/" target="_blank">Cindy's Palace</a> for our weekend dim sum brunches. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">And you know what? It was easy peasy! I followed the recipe to the letter and could not have been happier with the result!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3QdZXIzyeJdEJKHoyoS4QiYW_umig7AzAMOn6dRAhICen65_CAHwAfj7ODF8X4Lw9ZWfTTkqEQouGHsGsCwEl0CpYNepx-Y4sUW6YS6Kia_9lb_j_8T5rbQeqv3ewi59k3xv_A/s1600/20190621+chow+mein+done.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3QdZXIzyeJdEJKHoyoS4QiYW_umig7AzAMOn6dRAhICen65_CAHwAfj7ODF8X4Lw9ZWfTTkqEQouGHsGsCwEl0CpYNepx-Y4sUW6YS6Kia_9lb_j_8T5rbQeqv3ewi59k3xv_A/s640/20190621+chow+mein+done.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">See above for the crispy noodles, and no, there's no deep frying going on here. Just oil, noodles and a few tablespoons of water. <b>The key is to let the heat do the work.</b> Once you've toasted one side, pour that onto a plate and flip it back into the wok or frying pan for another few minutes before putting it into the oven to keep warm.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Now, before you do all that noodle frying, you should make all the sauce and marinade the chicken about 30 minutes before because once you start, you can't stop to look for that sesame oil in the deep recesses of your pantry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">The chicken marinade is easy and you can probably do that the night before. Once the noodles are done, wipe the wok down and add the marinated chicken. Then add the veggies (carrots, bok choy stems <--<b>low fodmap</b>! and some shallots or green onions).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Then add the sauce which has corn starch in it to thicken it. Remember to stir it before adding into the wok/frying pan. It might look wet and way too liquidly at first but <b>Give It Time</b>. The corn starch will do its thing and make this the glossiest and creamy sauce. Once everything has incorporated, add the bok choy leaves and bean sprouts and just gently toss until everything is coated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">All that's left to do now is to take the crispy noodles out of the oven and pour this magnificent sauce over it. But take it easy, don't drown it or you'll lose the crispiness that you tried so hard to achieve.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I serve mine with some of the sauce on the side as well as a small dish of chili oil. If you've been looking for a way to make chow mein at home, I sincerely hope that you give this a try. </span><br />
<br />gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-29041279556114084822017-10-09T23:15:00.000-07:002017-10-11T11:47:18.724-07:00Wine Society Dinner at Villa Eyrie<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Last month, I was fortunate enough to head up to <b>Villa Eyrie</b> at Malahat for their Wine Society dinner dubbed <b>The Perfect Pairing</b>. It's about two hours from Vancouver, with a 1.5-hour ferry ride from Tsawwassen, and a 30-minute drive from Victoria. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Upon our arrival at the dinner, we were given bread, served with olive oil and butter. After a long trip from the city, this was devoured gratefully. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Our first course of the 5-Course menu was a light starter of <b>Albacore Tuna Crudo</b>, served with sliced strawberries, fennel and cucumber ribbons with a light cucumber vinaigrette. The tuna was slightly chilled and very fresh, almost creamy. I loved the simple and elegant presentation. The</span><span style="font-family: "verdana";"> pairing was a </span><b style="font-family: verdana;">Stag's Hollow 'Syrah/Grenache' Rose, 2016</b><span style="font-family: "verdana";">, a 70/30 syrah/grenache blend. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Our second appetizer was a <b>Grilled Corn Agnolotti</b>. The pasta was made with acorn flour and imparted a nutty and earthy feel to the dish. The brie filling was rich and velvety, and the sprinkling of corn and chives rounded out the dish nicely. (*Note to self, look for acorn flour on my next shopping trip). </span><span style="font-family: "verdana";">This was paired with the <b>Tinhorn Creek 'Old Field' Chardonnay, 2014</b> and had grapefruit and green apple flavours. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">The <b>Pan Seared Duck Breast</b> was served with some colourful beets and braised chanterelle. There is also a sprinkling of mushroom and cabbage powders to offset the sweetness of the cherry jus. I would have liked the skin to be crispier and the fat rendered out more, but the breast itself was juicy and very flavourful. To accompany this dish, a <b>Misconduct 'Suspect Series' Pinot Noir, 2014</b> was served. Each bottle is marked with GPS coordinates to show you which vineyard the grapes came from! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">The <b>Pemberton Farms Short Rib</b> was processed three different ways. First, it goes through an overnight marinade, then into the smoker, and then finally braised. The glaze is a reduction of Juniper peppercorns, and the meat was just falling off the bone, and fork tender. The other part of the duo was the <b>Grilled Strip Loin</b>, perfectly done to a medium rare. The peppercorn glaze served to flavour this well. The pretty Hasselback potatoes was lightly brushed butter but I thought they were just a touch underdone. However, that was just my opinion, everyone else said theirs were just fine. The last red wine of the night was the Nichol 'Old Vines' Syrah, 2014 from Naramata Bench and had cherry and peppery flavours.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Dessert was a homage to <b>Roasted Peaches</b> and included a peach mousse as well as some lightly roasted peaches. There was also a peach sorbet atop a strawberry coulis and a praline as well. Excellent blend of textures without being cloyingly sweet, exactly how I prefer my desserts! And the dessert was paired with <b>Quail's Gate 'Botrytis Affected' Optima, 2015</b> and would be delightful with blue cheese and pâté.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">If you have a free weekend and enjoy a short vacation in a secluded luxury resort with amazing food, Villa Eyrie is a great option. In addition to a heated saltwater pool, it is also home to the Tuscan Spa, complete with massage treatment rooms, lounges for manicures and pedicures, as well as amazing views of the Saanich Inlet. </span>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Click <a href="http://www.villaeyrie.com/" target="_blank">here</a> for details about <b>Villa Eyrie</b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Click <a href="http://www.villaeyrie.com/the-perfect-pairing/" target="_blank">here</a> for details about the <b>Wine Society Dinner</b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">*Note: All food photos are by me and all photos of wines are courtesy of Villa Eyrie Resort. </span><br />
<br />gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com0Malahat, BC V0R 2P4, Canada48.544839 -123.5645412000000127.211015000000003 -164.8731352 69.878663 -82.255947200000008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-9095801200138814902017-07-31T11:23:00.001-07:002017-07-31T11:23:33.011-07:00Tacofino Revisited<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I fell in love with <b>Spicy Margaritas</b> when I first went to <a href="https://www.tacofino.com/location/hastings-commissary" target="_blank">Tacofino</a> a few years ago and have been craving it in these hot summer days. So naturally, I had to give in to my desires. They have Margarita Mondays, so instead of $10, it's only $8. And how do they make it spicy? They use a habanero tequila! And that salted rim is everything! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Tacofino is well-known for their fresh <b>Tortilla Chips and Salsa Fresca</b>, so that's what we got to start. Margaritas and Chips. That's happiness right there. The margaritas were spicy enough and those warm tortilla chips will likely come back to haunt me in my dreams tonight. The Guacamole is $3 extra, but SO WORTH IT! The creaminess of the guac added with the homemade salsa sitting atop those fresh tortilla chips are a perfect trifecta. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">We ordered a trio of Tacos, this is the <b>Albacore Tuna</b>: It's a few slices of fresh tuna tossed in soy and sesame oil. Then add the salsa fresca from the chips and some fresh seaweed (aka wakame) and some wasabi mayo. My least favourite part of this is the ginger but that is totally a personal preference. (I don't eat it on a sashimi platter either).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">A special that's only available on their dinner menu is their <b>Grilled Wagyu Steak Taco</b>. The beef is laced with some black garlic mayo and some pickled vegetables. The jalapenos are placed to the side along with the lime. If you are feeling brave, add the jalapenos and squeeze some lime juice on top. Trust me, spice and citrus work with meat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Their other fish taco is simply called the <b>Fish Taco</b>. Made with slightly breaded and crispy Pacific Cod, this taco is topped with some shredded cabbage and a light chipotle mayo. And again, we see the salsa fresca. I swear, they put that on everything! It's a bit messy but well worth the effort! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I didn't save room for dessert but they have a lime curd vaso that I would like to get to know next time I'm there. </span><br />
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/tacofino-commissary-grandview-vancouver" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Tacofino Commissary, Grandview and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Tacofino Commissary Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16626365/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com0Vancouver, BC, Canada49.2827291 -123.1207375000000249.1169156 -123.44346100000001 49.448542599999996 -122.79801400000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-34775344314547364182017-07-30T21:58:00.003-07:002017-07-30T21:58:54.275-07:00Boozy Brunch at Black & Blue - The Roof<span style="font-family: "verdana";">So in an effort to bring two wine connoisseurs together, I tasked them each to bring a bottle to a lunch where they would meet each other for the first time. I suggested <a href="http://www.glowbalgroup.com/blackblue/" target="_blank">Black and Blue</a> since I've been there <a href="https://xmasbb.blogspot.ca/search?q=black+and+blue" target="_blank">numerous times</a>, and steaks are what you need with some bold wines.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdlxUEYuMGLe6exk_RXJNhK5va8lZbAh7QSGiIHUmJttyHh7WCeR_gKi3IoLFPD1lmktv1JLBZguZn09v54a6W0nli2ICVTfHDetW6AXQnBKZPNn18AkD4G2nMAGcZB-c-0Ywtw/s1600/35874503680_bb5cf86ca7_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdlxUEYuMGLe6exk_RXJNhK5va8lZbAh7QSGiIHUmJttyHh7WCeR_gKi3IoLFPD1lmktv1JLBZguZn09v54a6W0nli2ICVTfHDetW6AXQnBKZPNn18AkD4G2nMAGcZB-c-0Ywtw/s640/35874503680_bb5cf86ca7_o.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">And as you can see, the boys did not disappoint! I am in no way an expert, but I can definitely appreciate these wines. The Chablis Grand Cru was an amazing way to start lunch. What surprised me the most was how the red really changed as we drank it. Also, since we were on the roof, we actually had to keep the Côte-Rôtie on ice to keep it at the proper drinking temperature. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kWGQwrRDG_D7E3EixfAZ7oUOmhb6czhfaiJ48y7_HJdvEzC5TXJqE7uLZzHmf7TNaH_BEsoiCxn8YkR3-PAGjZ3oFxtjqPadyUOrigw0vdzuZ5hfFFNdHKf1_8-HdDNRkTgFIQ/s1600/36100735002_eaf56e6045_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kWGQwrRDG_D7E3EixfAZ7oUOmhb6czhfaiJ48y7_HJdvEzC5TXJqE7uLZzHmf7TNaH_BEsoiCxn8YkR3-PAGjZ3oFxtjqPadyUOrigw0vdzuZ5hfFFNdHKf1_8-HdDNRkTgFIQ/s640/36100735002_eaf56e6045_o.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">This is the <b>Lamb Salad</b> and as one of my friends said, "Vancouver is the only place that can sell you a skewer of lamb and call it a salad.". And that is exactly how it arrived at the table, a hot skewer of meat that they serve tableside. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">As a side note, we also got their <b>Tuna Poke</b> as an appetizer, which is also prepared tableside, however, I was too busy drinking and neglected to take a pic. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana";">But truth be told, it's not their best appetizer and it's shockingly small for a "share plate". </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Go for the </span><b style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://xmasbb.blogspot.ca/2013/05/brunch-at-black-and-blue.html" target="_blank">Phyllo Prawns</a></b><span style="font-family: "verdana";"> (apparently they were out of phyllo that day) or the </span><b style="font-family: verdana;">Mac & Cheese Sticks</b><span style="font-family: "verdana";"> (and I was avoiding carbs), those are my go-to. </span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOafUn8WiSASZSOR4VMSCFJMrJFSEdkXMfChNX_nxE8LZMHD-KyaFcbsYTeAH-4RuTzmx8HK_pI0b-JKVcqnyz75TfolNC-whcpAWXZ5j6hk2NK4FqcXvp-p4IqZNa8azwrhOeqQ/s1600/36267318085_2308e17036_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOafUn8WiSASZSOR4VMSCFJMrJFSEdkXMfChNX_nxE8LZMHD-KyaFcbsYTeAH-4RuTzmx8HK_pI0b-JKVcqnyz75TfolNC-whcpAWXZ5j6hk2NK4FqcXvp-p4IqZNa8azwrhOeqQ/s640/36267318085_2308e17036_o.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">My other friend got the <b>16oz Rib Eye</b>, and it was amazing looking. Though I didn't get to try it, I can attest that it was cooked to a perfect medium rare and you just can't beat those grill marks. And since I had the same sides with my steak, down below, I can also say that the asparagus was a bit wilted but the truffle smashed potatoes were decadent. </span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-GfNGHAd7qXhbFBiOBDqL-zyIzCO1MkXJ358wZfqXm69QOxuAvvqXQMMTOWsDlDPXn443wvHvKlNTB5tE-cIqqIk8Cdp-xhPwF08QnBBC15Lf4HujaG3Ae2n1nQFLYUbXHNcRaA/s1600/36267462545_0e4f312686_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-GfNGHAd7qXhbFBiOBDqL-zyIzCO1MkXJ358wZfqXm69QOxuAvvqXQMMTOWsDlDPXn443wvHvKlNTB5tE-cIqqIk8Cdp-xhPwF08QnBBC15Lf4HujaG3Ae2n1nQFLYUbXHNcRaA/s640/36267462545_0e4f312686_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana"; text-align: left;">And this was my <b>NY Striploin</b>...just a 12oz. and also done to a perfect rare/medium rare. When this baby landed, I had my doubts as to whether or not I could finish it. After giving a taste to both my friends, I started working on this baby, and then next thing you know, I was DONE! It was so moist and juicy, and then add the smokiness from the grill, it easy to do. There wasn't much fat on the edges and what there was, I ate it all. Oh, and did my best with the veggies, but I had to leave some of the potatoes behind. All in all, I say it was a valiant effort! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTfOJc3q4dsQp4ZTmXJSyvrPDvaTajAaC12SZNmH4R4ZBIHVwdEU6fpiYyufNf_7iNKQwwyFLbHYKG3yO5DsUdPa_4zEPJTyIr4S3ackZRAvRauFJ0u0XMDbzxCT1Mah7mN6bgw/s1600/35434625334_d0886cf9ba_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1525" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTfOJc3q4dsQp4ZTmXJSyvrPDvaTajAaC12SZNmH4R4ZBIHVwdEU6fpiYyufNf_7iNKQwwyFLbHYKG3yO5DsUdPa_4zEPJTyIr4S3ackZRAvRauFJ0u0XMDbzxCT1Mah7mN6bgw/s640/35434625334_d0886cf9ba_o.jpg" width="610" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">And as you know, I'm not one for sweets, but if you have a <b>Cheese Selection</b> on your menu, chances are high that I can have my rubber arm twisted to try, even after a 12 oz. steak. We opted for their selection of three kinds of cheese, (it's available in three or five), but they generously gave us five. This included crumbled blue, brie, an ashen goat cheese and two more that I can't recall! Probably because of that glorious glass of port in the middle of the board. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">If you are a cheese lover like me, I'd recommend sharing an appetizer and a huge steak with your dining partner and cap the meal off with this. It's worth it!</span><br />
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/the-roof-at-black-blue-west-end-vancouver" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about The Roof at Black + Blue, West End and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="The Roof at Black + Blue Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16708232/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com2Vancouver, BC, Canada49.2827291 -123.1207375000000249.1169156 -123.44346100000001 49.448542599999996 -122.79801400000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-79973739500794404162017-07-22T16:18:00.002-07:002017-07-30T09:58:41.851-07:00Sen Pad Thai at Granville Island<span style="font-family: "verdana";">So after visiting <b><a href="https://xmasbb.blogspot.ca/2017/06/tasty-thai-at-maenam.html" target="_blank">Maenam</a> </b>last month, I was in the mood for Thai again and went to <a href="http://senpadthai.com/" target="_blank"><b>Sen Pad Thai</b></a> in in Granville Island with <a href="http://www.shermansfoodadventures.com/" target="_blank"><b>Sherman</b></a>. Don't worry, there is more than just Pad Thai here. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbKKPwrsQ9qVmrGGc5YKRyHeYik1FOg1Br0y3IEPghLICEgaOSZsZrbEcLeGGGEhEeDVcFQeqYyOErFxdlK19sm4iw66EkBkYvvUfxsHcRmQ__wf22lKYHyJ6fHER6tOpW9J0vCQ/s1600/35986925475_77f5666178_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="menu" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbKKPwrsQ9qVmrGGc5YKRyHeYik1FOg1Br0y3IEPghLICEgaOSZsZrbEcLeGGGEhEeDVcFQeqYyOErFxdlK19sm4iw66EkBkYvvUfxsHcRmQ__wf22lKYHyJ6fHER6tOpW9J0vCQ/s640/35986925475_77f5666178_o.jpg" title="menu" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">So I'm sorry for the fact that you can't read the menu, but if you zoom in, you can see all the goodness they offer. Or just keep reading and you can see what we decided to order. To get your food, y</span><span style="font-family: "verdana";">ou order at the counter and get a buzzer that alerts you when the food is ready. This gives you a few minutes to wander the shops at <a href="http://granvilleisland.com/taxonomy/term/75/all" target="_blank">Net Loft</a>. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5n_WBha85G6yHOyOBtpcew9qlgER6fapE3DBYcZZtoPuyQWDZXbX9-4uUWxHaQoup_3cGBWGTgVivXyVQ1LoenQVVqdgAKqBGBb4beOwMcOokIU53wsB-itLqeY3GbgqwMfxfBg/s1600/35986925495_b3e53a861f_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="sauces" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5n_WBha85G6yHOyOBtpcew9qlgER6fapE3DBYcZZtoPuyQWDZXbX9-4uUWxHaQoup_3cGBWGTgVivXyVQ1LoenQVVqdgAKqBGBb4beOwMcOokIU53wsB-itLqeY3GbgqwMfxfBg/s640/35986925495_b3e53a861f_o.jpg" title="sauces" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">And on the counter, they have sauces for you to enhance everything they serve. The <b>Dried Chilli</b> is great to pump up the spice. The <b>Chilli with Lime Juice and Fish Sauce</b> is a perfect combination of spice, citrus and savory. And if you get the Pad Siew, they have a <b>Chilli Vinegar</b> for that! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhAAtFruMa6NHopT9oPuXScsdnW3N7iNVTNb2jlFmEZivJ2Hu_ln8g5ixktLsibP1LODSF21l3oX_MCdN9tRq_fehUyFowXgkip9Pe2RSNwOrS931VKd4NNwFUBr0_OdN1G2OEA/s1600/35986858905_66f1d7cb36_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pad Thai Goong" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhAAtFruMa6NHopT9oPuXScsdnW3N7iNVTNb2jlFmEZivJ2Hu_ln8g5ixktLsibP1LODSF21l3oX_MCdN9tRq_fehUyFowXgkip9Pe2RSNwOrS931VKd4NNwFUBr0_OdN1G2OEA/s640/35986858905_66f1d7cb36_o.jpg" title="Pad Thai Goong" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Since it's a pad thai joint, we got one, specifically the <b>Pad Thai </b><b>Goong </b>($15), a pad thai with shrimp. Despite the rather bland colour, it had huge flavour! My biggest worry was that a "food court" place couldn't have huge wok flavour (鑊氣) but I was so wrong. The noodles weren't drenched in a gooey sweet and sour sauce (whew!) and the addition of the green onions and bean sprouts gave the dish a fresh kick. Add dried chilli flakes for some extra heat. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPUEllWZ8Zvua4FZoNPBjrziqG4NemVI-HIms0Ljc6_srgybK_6qvhE1SRtqavM-PeyUKMb_GnBQUmcwcJNB01Sh7BRy7p_k_grZmQxYbGdPbq82sSVRK9N9HePT_REE0CNis9g/s1600/35854375631_63cb2656b0_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pad Siew " border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPUEllWZ8Zvua4FZoNPBjrziqG4NemVI-HIms0Ljc6_srgybK_6qvhE1SRtqavM-PeyUKMb_GnBQUmcwcJNB01Sh7BRy7p_k_grZmQxYbGdPbq82sSVRK9N9HePT_REE0CNis9g/s640/35854375631_63cb2656b0_o.jpg" title="Pad Siew " width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Our other noodle dish was the <b>Pad Siew with Pork</b> ($12). The rice noodles were perfectly cooked with a slight chew but tender and moist at the same time. Normally, restaurants tend to load you up with carbs (which are cheaper) and skimp on the meats. This was the exact opposite. We both loved the noodles and ended up with a boxful of leftover pork. However, this dish had the same heat as the pad thai, smoky and fragrant. It was my favourite out of our three carb dishes. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYB_whDLXRUNKjfFoDB1tOodcAmC-JQxJjzDFb6ifRyZJfpq6pnln2vFRCBRcRQ7_9hglayp2pmkduT7lVK41FaI4ChWq9FY5agYBSVLWiBuNdp-NP2eQCIeD8AaM5ohvCaIlGQ/s1600/35986858775_bd08f33ab3_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Khao Pad" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYB_whDLXRUNKjfFoDB1tOodcAmC-JQxJjzDFb6ifRyZJfpq6pnln2vFRCBRcRQ7_9hglayp2pmkduT7lVK41FaI4ChWq9FY5agYBSVLWiBuNdp-NP2eQCIeD8AaM5ohvCaIlGQ/s640/35986858775_bd08f33ab3_o.jpg" title="Khao Pad" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Our last carb dish was the <b>Khao Pad </b>($10). Oh my, out of the three dishes, I was most surprised by this one. I've had fried rice before, but this was lighter than any I've had before. The sausage is tangy and the hot chewy rice had a strong flavour of fish sauce, strong but not overpowering. Each grain was coated with flavour, light and fluffy.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGs645wPPgVNdz4QfmbCwOnxHe8McYbnkOLQx2WgpKKkbDr-QVtMGJrFUWGZplhyphenhyphen_GDp2Svam6CG_xyRqhRcbkM2xp7TkMEERItHNoK20en02-MUy7RyAn00YGgSXFeAlhnjscg/s1600/35816096802_340757d3d3_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Papaya Salad" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGs645wPPgVNdz4QfmbCwOnxHe8McYbnkOLQx2WgpKKkbDr-QVtMGJrFUWGZplhyphenhyphen_GDp2Svam6CG_xyRqhRcbkM2xp7TkMEERItHNoK20en02-MUy7RyAn00YGgSXFeAlhnjscg/s640/35816096802_340757d3d3_o.jpg" title="Papaya Salad" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">This fresh <b>Papaya Salad</b> ($8) is a great way to start your meal. But, what we did was to eat the hot stuff first. So when we got to this, we felt it was a bit bland but likely due to the amount of spice we had added to the previous dishes. Don't get me wrong, the elements are all there, crunchy papaya and carrot. However, it seemed a bit simplistic compared to the previous dishes. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OUYbwInggB7qT5vejtgvMiL3gTFtZoHDbdIQ4cvQzN6NksZmf0ga7M8Wuk1kwYlHzfSD-U5C2w-IL8KWjsUQL3umjsc2y4k3zqNP-u2YH7C83XRzXUe-GxD3NFPlovg1yGxhgg/s1600/35597852630_a60d297f10_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Crispy Wings" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OUYbwInggB7qT5vejtgvMiL3gTFtZoHDbdIQ4cvQzN6NksZmf0ga7M8Wuk1kwYlHzfSD-U5C2w-IL8KWjsUQL3umjsc2y4k3zqNP-u2YH7C83XRzXUe-GxD3NFPlovg1yGxhgg/s640/35597852630_a60d297f10_o.jpg" title="Crispy Wings" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">And because we had the wings at <a href="https://xmasbb.blogspot.ca/search?q=longtail" target="_blank">Longtail Kitchen</a>, we had to reorder and do a comparison. Alas, these were the most disappointing of all the items. The wings were crispy as expected but the pale colour is indicative of their flavour. However, it did come with a sauce which gave these wings a new life. I guess they didn't want to sauce the wings to avoid getting the wings soggy but it could have used a sprinkling and additional sauce served on the side. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10On_I2QEA_khC5LoENiCMBvzntNaJC8izUM1hwqaby6fua6u3hyphenhyphen7FMQWfwPaPWvMFIBRPrn3aS74-EhbmtkczLhlvx266CKHIcNc9GnN3XwdjuSH7q0yxIQpU-3lGfE5oFtPfg/s1600/35816140872_0b127f9f34_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10On_I2QEA_khC5LoENiCMBvzntNaJC8izUM1hwqaby6fua6u3hyphenhyphen7FMQWfwPaPWvMFIBRPrn3aS74-EhbmtkczLhlvx266CKHIcNc9GnN3XwdjuSH7q0yxIQpU-3lGfE5oFtPfg/s640/35816140872_0b127f9f34_o.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">So here are all the dishes we had and the total was $53 + taxes. It's a bit pricey considering it was a "serve yourself" place, but the food was good, I'd definitely have the Pad Siew and Khao Pad again. Truth be told, if this was a standalone restaurant and the food was plated properly, I'd say it was worth it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana";">Two items that I will likely go back and give a try are their Oyster Pancake and Roti & Curry. Heck, I could make a lunch just out of that!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span> <a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/sen-pad-thai-granville-island-vancouver" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Sen Pad Thai, Granville Island and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Sen Pad Thai Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16709178/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com01669 Johnston St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3R9, Canada49.2723568 -123.1350654000000327.943044299999997 -164.44365940000003 70.6016693 -81.826471400000031tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-65892165031625614032017-07-08T02:56:00.001-07:002017-07-08T02:56:07.580-07:00A revisit to Mr. Red Cafe...so much more than just a bowl of pho!<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Although I had been to Mr. Red Cafe before, there were only two of us and the items ordered were lacking in variety. However, with my sister in town, we made a return visit to sample more of their offerings. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmzcsnqkszD14jvtcOQ8GXyoSo-Qi8oE-qwyYZSqCpx-UR1B9_lJV2N7nm2Ko7P2566V_FpFuIoxKJofcnZfrb7v5OG-AHIdA08G6brbwjNYFPEqlJYKzaHJDlZ24gSNo9N3wn/s1600/25160387015_39e13a7a90_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmzcsnqkszD14jvtcOQ8GXyoSo-Qi8oE-qwyYZSqCpx-UR1B9_lJV2N7nm2Ko7P2566V_FpFuIoxKJofcnZfrb7v5OG-AHIdA08G6brbwjNYFPEqlJYKzaHJDlZ24gSNo9N3wn/s640/25160387015_39e13a7a90_o.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">This was a dish that I had last time, the <b>Pate Ga</b>. The sticky rice with mung beans and chicken, pate and fried shallots is a mouthful of textures and flavours in every bite. Chewy rice, juicy chicken and crispy shallots. As I mentioned in my <a href="http://xmasbb.blogspot.ca/2015/02/1st-time-at-mr-red-cafe.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, "this is like an open-faced Chinese jong (</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">粽</span><span style="font-family: "verdana";">)". </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPEs41Qnvb6vpo-WF-hUk-ICUxiW5AiGQ2zcvmdwf6VzL8VzW-POa8mbviJBleOtOkZYG85hZQ-UOFck_mfnWAyDGRnl_60OHYxqSBT9aPVD2nzeTUv67433YXViSATv4Qhd9J/s1600/24792683679_53effdcd35_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPEs41Qnvb6vpo-WF-hUk-ICUxiW5AiGQ2zcvmdwf6VzL8VzW-POa8mbviJBleOtOkZYG85hZQ-UOFck_mfnWAyDGRnl_60OHYxqSBT9aPVD2nzeTUv67433YXViSATv4Qhd9J/s640/24792683679_53effdcd35_o.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">This is the <b>Bánh bot loc lá chuói</b> (please forgive me for the missing accents) as it arrives. The banana leaves hold something delicious inside!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwI5DYw_WWN7DJyfz69LI8evf1uq6ghj6UofDNZkMw0MSiN0I90QqbZZ5XpHEYdpfWNQ0Apotj7tbcZQd0plyggRNym7Sy0TQcJv-XkkRnOaY_oFvDBZ1RsDnbImTyZgNJOAW/s1600/25134771636_69d16f76c6_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwI5DYw_WWN7DJyfz69LI8evf1uq6ghj6UofDNZkMw0MSiN0I90QqbZZ5XpHEYdpfWNQ0Apotj7tbcZQd0plyggRNym7Sy0TQcJv-XkkRnOaY_oFvDBZ1RsDnbImTyZgNJOAW/s640/25134771636_69d16f76c6_o.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">And now, the reveal...these pork and shrimp dumplings are wrapped in tapioca. They are super moist and have a luxurious mouth feel. It's not sticky, it's more like chewy but in a comforting way. I did use a bit of the chili oil to give it a bit of a kick.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkcwfkjQVuDmI0H0xveQ9QAJ4Znzml1EbOyPwzRujZFZJHt797-UEhkFDITPeP2jOWjgS_73l3uE2i1BNe-Nla5Ozv-hq-IlrEIzo9GooNPxBzJevowY90Qq_WzXEc64iotn2/s1600/25067857471_0448a94097_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="563" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkcwfkjQVuDmI0H0xveQ9QAJ4Znzml1EbOyPwzRujZFZJHt797-UEhkFDITPeP2jOWjgS_73l3uE2i1BNe-Nla5Ozv-hq-IlrEIzo9GooNPxBzJevowY90Qq_WzXEc64iotn2/s640/25067857471_0448a94097_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Since my mom doesn't like beef, we had to get the <b>Phô Gà</b>, a chicken noodle soup. The broth was clear and slightly sweet, but the shredded chicken was a bit dry. The noodles were cooked just right though, and this was a healthy portion, more than enough for one person. </span><br />
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHj7G9jfY73ncUFZdkRsxZg2qCvP93ajvHMVyi0Wv2GE9mF5RWP82W6fV0lawd-JsNWipYt2uCT4ZYCmKoBZoIj2Q6j03_SvFw_GZ3i7zuYWows1qViToM90orettUKv9lcri/s640/24530429954_bbbb70d82a_o.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">And this is a dish we had last time too, <b>Chef's Special, Bún chả giò thịt nướng</b>. Essentially, it's an avalanche of pork, deep fried tofu, crab spring roll (which make is special), and the traditional mint, basil, cucumbers and cilantro atop a base of vermicelli. Add the nuoc nam (fish sauce), some of the chili oil and give it all a toss. I prefer to take the crab spring roll out first though, to keep it nice and crispy. The tofu is a nice refreshing respite from the potential spiciness that could happen from that extra sprinkling of the "cock" sauce. "Get your mind out of the gutter, please." </span><br />
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<span separator="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdbkxdK1_hc6Rw4LzTtzOIdLNn2fRUQe5Xp2DpVIPVuaPOAZd9viiQW2teL00UiJ9EjoAWJxp3DbYVwwKY9oMqIMIYRoZu5laG378R-YyQJ3GjCaYryRoHByJEKUydqEvnYtn/s1600/24534276153_c680c9502e_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdbkxdK1_hc6Rw4LzTtzOIdLNn2fRUQe5Xp2DpVIPVuaPOAZd9viiQW2teL00UiJ9EjoAWJxp3DbYVwwKY9oMqIMIYRoZu5laG378R-YyQJ3GjCaYryRoHByJEKUydqEvnYtn/s640/24534276153_c680c9502e_o.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Ah, yes, here is another serving of the aforementioned <b>Crab Spring Roll</b> (Bún nem cua bé). I think you should be able to see the crunch of the spring roll skin from the pic above.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0HzS9hIgR6dIDiOG1wShrr5q3ap_L-MKLN3JxMwEFWWSobaELAYJjjVPQ_MB23Ll0FGK6iyV1-r1HYWexwSsrKS9xKYM0XGWnmg9LdzygHrNyuj92VavhpTW0jeR4uBJSjBDu/s1600/24530436154_8fed576dc8_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0HzS9hIgR6dIDiOG1wShrr5q3ap_L-MKLN3JxMwEFWWSobaELAYJjjVPQ_MB23Ll0FGK6iyV1-r1HYWexwSsrKS9xKYM0XGWnmg9LdzygHrNyuj92VavhpTW0jeR4uBJSjBDu/s640/24530436154_8fed576dc8_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Here's a close up of the spring roll, and yes, the Thai bird's eye chili is there to provide some heat...actually maybe it was a bit excessive. The cucumber helped to douse the fire in my mouth.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpLUmuWiY79fGtndeteYCDJ12SrwEVSwvwrfcrk-Y6GM05VeWAZkpv9EF2BHSW4qU4SrS8vpZ4NjLZasIejpBrF43TsBafo7R7qigL0MrX7GdHMgWBEEozYKAXnvxPAaBPEuv/s1600/24534279993_ec43802787_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpLUmuWiY79fGtndeteYCDJ12SrwEVSwvwrfcrk-Y6GM05VeWAZkpv9EF2BHSW4qU4SrS8vpZ4NjLZasIejpBrF43TsBafo7R7qigL0MrX7GdHMgWBEEozYKAXnvxPAaBPEuv/s640/24534279993_ec43802787_o.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">We ended up getting a dessert, the first was the <b>Mung Bean Pudding</b> with Coconut cream. I'm not a dessert fan (that's my sister's domain) so I found it very sweet. In addition, I was quite full, so barely touched more that a spoonful of it. I don't go to Vietnamese restaurants for sweets so I wouldn't count this against them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">The rest of the meal was amazing and I will make another revisit to try their chicken wings, the Bún Bò Hué and their papaya salad. If you've tried, I'd love to know what you thought of them. Please comment below.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/mr-red-cafe-grandview" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Mr. Red Cafe, Grandview and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Mr. Red Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16628047/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/15000773815183494955noreply@blogger.com0Vancouver, BC, Canada49.2827291 -123.1207375000000249.1169101 -123.44346100000001 49.4485481 -122.79801400000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-18225892692030567452017-07-07T13:24:00.000-07:002017-07-07T13:24:25.278-07:00Brunch worth waking up for - Seasons In the Park<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Ah, summer is finally here and it's time for some al fresco dining. On a sunny Sunday, we woke up early and decided to head to <a href="https://www.vancouverdine.com/seasons/" target="_blank">Seasons in the Park</a> for brunch. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1E69B_xKpd3Z6Fm7fo8UHp1Q1SjpsGvBXX5f8LGRmn1vgBu-7KkO2y11fZVVuDsuPmVmzXgjLQ__f-x-dQ3CAU-m18dIiB5x5_VJ6-_v2dVl2S15sGxCm7xsFTW2ncI5O6ilU8A/s1600/aperol+spritz.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1E69B_xKpd3Z6Fm7fo8UHp1Q1SjpsGvBXX5f8LGRmn1vgBu-7KkO2y11fZVVuDsuPmVmzXgjLQ__f-x-dQ3CAU-m18dIiB5x5_VJ6-_v2dVl2S15sGxCm7xsFTW2ncI5O6ilU8A/s640/aperol+spritz.jpg" width="640" /></a> <span style="font-family: "verdana";">Once seated, we were served warm bread with a very generous slab of butter. Yum! I washed it down with a light cocktail, their <b>Aperol Spritz</b>. It's my favourite accompaniment to brunch, since it's just prosecco, aperol topped with soda.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSKvoRNQX-z5DcHa30hAposMhm_f6OZnCvHBqLMu1N5_TgIJMUa1EVJYwMboYQepzlqFF_N8IKNoj433UoXnfiq7iWvzg8Gy2PtZjJW1seG9L0HGESJHOqCkiT58NMazpeYUSEw/s1600/Egg+Benedict.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSKvoRNQX-z5DcHa30hAposMhm_f6OZnCvHBqLMu1N5_TgIJMUa1EVJYwMboYQepzlqFF_N8IKNoj433UoXnfiq7iWvzg8Gy2PtZjJW1seG9L0HGESJHOqCkiT58NMazpeYUSEw/s640/Egg+Benedict.jpg" width="640" /></a> <span style="font-family: "verdana";">Okay, this was a bit decadent and not at all representative of my normal breakfast (which is just a tea). <b>Smoked Salmon Benedict</b> with red onions, arugula, and fried capers with some creme fraiche layered inside. All this sits on top of a fried potato cake and then drenched in hollandaise sauce. I loved the greens and the bit of fruit as well. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Y4xjDkl5fHk6kEV1LXu6Pm6dnnzJO_SjwjE3DTnBaeZ7hg1XKReObH7YOQJi-EbZ6b_IKjrnbSrFicgbUNnN8mFjoz9W7xiYElxwEf94XL349GlJOBiuob9cfeLUgVN1wA4pWA/s1600/Italian+Sausage+and+Eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Y4xjDkl5fHk6kEV1LXu6Pm6dnnzJO_SjwjE3DTnBaeZ7hg1XKReObH7YOQJi-EbZ6b_IKjrnbSrFicgbUNnN8mFjoz9W7xiYElxwEf94XL349GlJOBiuob9cfeLUgVN1wA4pWA/s640/Italian+Sausage+and+Eggs.jpg" width="640" /></a> <span style="font-family: "verdana";">And this <b>Italian Sausage & Eggs</b> is exactly as advertised. A slightly spicy sauce with some scrambled eggs. There is a rustic charred pepper puree, slightly tangy and perfect for the corn bread. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">When mornings start like this, the day can only get better!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span> <a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/seasons-in-the-park-riley-park-little-mountain-vancouver" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Seasons in the Park, Riley Park & Little Mountain and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Seasons in the Park Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16618343/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com0Vancouver, BC, Canada49.2827291 -123.1207375000000249.1169156 -123.44346100000001 49.448542599999996 -122.79801400000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-42261391320570246882017-07-06T22:30:00.002-07:002017-07-08T01:09:27.813-07:00Tasty treats at My Shanti<span style="font-family: "verdana";">My sister has been visiting from Hong Kong with her son these past few weeks. We've been eating out lots, but one cuisine was missing...Indian food. As luck would have it, I was invited to Taste Canada Awards event at HBC a few weeks back and Vikram Vij was one of the presenters. We had chatted briefly and I made a mental note to give <a href="http://myshanti.com/">My Shanti</a> (which translates to My Peace) a try. So off to Langley we went!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOcBE_Px-1mZL1eQvJE07NVkH9JyzPaGhRRUD2Qyx5kdl-7Y19IJ9c1tnnGJrcaVrpL2Yy_FMgNfmkX1vmPVt2fkJ3yo0vrKYNmC3stKwM7YM5GUGcCOBlPHx0ynxyK4GjbybmiQ/s1600/outdoor.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOcBE_Px-1mZL1eQvJE07NVkH9JyzPaGhRRUD2Qyx5kdl-7Y19IJ9c1tnnGJrcaVrpL2Yy_FMgNfmkX1vmPVt2fkJ3yo0vrKYNmC3stKwM7YM5GUGcCOBlPHx0ynxyK4GjbybmiQ/s400/outdoor.jpg" width="300" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Located at Morgan's Crossing, this is the wall that you're looking for, shimmering in all its glory. You simply cannot miss it!</span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Ul_LyKUiMVXN4Zkl44bXBIj0R1zNLJ32hWn3PrMc09PU121eMLqNRRY9RiEdxRnsKj5CjN93uSw5aMgH5yurVX5VaCby6Qy2PMfe6c7ytKDF5UKlmgg8Ljfz65DWlW9h856_QQ/s1600/devdas.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Ul_LyKUiMVXN4Zkl44bXBIj0R1zNLJ32hWn3PrMc09PU121eMLqNRRY9RiEdxRnsKj5CjN93uSw5aMgH5yurVX5VaCby6Qy2PMfe6c7ytKDF5UKlmgg8Ljfz65DWlW9h856_QQ/s640/devdas.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I wanted to start off with a cocktail, and this is the <b>Devdas</b>. It's mixed with a chai masala syrup and comes with a cinnamon bark. Very smooth...maybe too smooth!</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpuFgAAJM7nYZO14AixgKvJACfJzT3ju9cRANchYqHZm13UTT9pe7ZaH4tFUup4cuBqL9ncqamoj1cQk-l4eTPdIO1WDajSssK-pfaYTcZ4HWMn8m9TdU5p_h56NEDkO335XuKA/s1600/samosa.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpuFgAAJM7nYZO14AixgKvJACfJzT3ju9cRANchYqHZm13UTT9pe7ZaH4tFUup4cuBqL9ncqamoj1cQk-l4eTPdIO1WDajSssK-pfaYTcZ4HWMn8m9TdU5p_h56NEDkO335XuKA/s640/samosa.jpg" width="480" /></a> </div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">For appetizers, we got the <b>Samosas</b>, made with a blend of ground chicken, lamb & beef. Spices include cumin and turmeric and are served with some fruit chutneys. Piping hot, and with a crispy skin, the filling to wrapper ratio is very generous. An order comes with two, and it's definitely meant for sharing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuDop5a9dhOogJik1fhStguAw7IqqZhvLN-b-ZWF3IAVnell9RSOdLltRNTjrael6xSeR5un94XbdW_kN9L9yj1eMrtbXBQE5EtxBShv1v_P5KxK2N_CLG-uoO3SyBUQjL8tPQsg/s1600/gunpowder+prawns.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuDop5a9dhOogJik1fhStguAw7IqqZhvLN-b-ZWF3IAVnell9RSOdLltRNTjrael6xSeR5un94XbdW_kN9L9yj1eMrtbXBQE5EtxBShv1v_P5KxK2N_CLG-uoO3SyBUQjL8tPQsg/s640/gunpowder+prawns.jpg" width="480" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Next up? The <b>Gunpowder Prawns</b> in Bombay style. These are whole prawns cooked in a sweet and sour masala. These are mild and a good option for those who don't like a lot of heat. The appam that it's served on is edible and is quite similar to dosas. It's made with rice flour and coconut milk and makes a pretty vessel for the prawns.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxMI7mfbUb6wuC1eVkSfTNtbEcXiRQaKpcUAf0u3E5OxpuJVm3wh8P9xavJ9mCU7n5WigqpJ1lDT7MDJNo7H21bj2x46Ny5b4MjNntP3qiIJWRTFkrxuKEqHY59pQK25dWSxqUw/s1600/naan.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxMI7mfbUb6wuC1eVkSfTNtbEcXiRQaKpcUAf0u3E5OxpuJVm3wh8P9xavJ9mCU7n5WigqpJ1lDT7MDJNo7H21bj2x46Ny5b4MjNntP3qiIJWRTFkrxuKEqHY59pQK25dWSxqUw/s640/naan.jpg" width="480" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">To accompany our mains, we ordered the regular <b>Naan</b>. These were hot and pillowy, and to be honest, a steal at $2! Their Kheema-stuffed naan is only $4.75 and is on my "to eat" list for the next visit.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3FomchDtDPNi2TKxGIiLWRKeke12vwiCT1MERMpX_Qb3-hp76zEBOtmcQ6LWKh2UIwpObgZyBAFojOSZX-3Dw6nCb2PDdzkLp2CwL5WfkbcqlTGgq3j1QxPy2qcJOA4yjg57i6w/s1600/lamb+curry.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3FomchDtDPNi2TKxGIiLWRKeke12vwiCT1MERMpX_Qb3-hp76zEBOtmcQ6LWKh2UIwpObgZyBAFojOSZX-3Dw6nCb2PDdzkLp2CwL5WfkbcqlTGgq3j1QxPy2qcJOA4yjg57i6w/s640/lamb+curry.jpg" width="480" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">From the Garam Maas sections, we got the <b>Lamb</b> in Kashmir style, which was done Mughlai-style. Flavoured with cloves, black peppercorn, cardamom, mace and cinnamon in a stew with fenugreek, the meat is amazingly tender and moist. Eat with your hands! That's what the naan is for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKA-xCBEkUhQs7hrtUwzJAJguYNg9d-WL0ZrETV78k3IpUjWHwhiLxhetHS_7VL7oGk6WrgGb5gSMP-mTE8afQcWt0kZL8TA59o5L_07Y-Atbd9V_EhgGQNACEmmTuNIulKS9u6A/s1600/chicken+korma.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKA-xCBEkUhQs7hrtUwzJAJguYNg9d-WL0ZrETV78k3IpUjWHwhiLxhetHS_7VL7oGk6WrgGb5gSMP-mTE8afQcWt0kZL8TA59o5L_07Y-Atbd9V_EhgGQNACEmmTuNIulKS9u6A/s640/chicken+korma.jpg" width="480" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Our other meat dish was the <b>Chicken Korma</b> in a Rajasthan style, one of my sister's favourites. The large morsels of grilled chicken were served with a creamy cashew garlic sauce. Served with a flavoured basmati rice, this was a well-developed curry, fragrant and rich. The serving may appear small, but it's so decadent that you'd have a hard time finishing it. We ended up packing both the lamb and the chicken.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnD5QdhFv9FWX-FkM2zUAH8xGxnyZ6Eb2wpiPt6XOmr3TWO0gEP4DoBDDFFMbHX_j5cQ29se8ue9jNNXkeqG2h9cbgXAe-RAKsUpLoMk3FlwWdYg2DxK3LU-1vSa6pK4YewyFUMA/s1600/dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnD5QdhFv9FWX-FkM2zUAH8xGxnyZ6Eb2wpiPt6XOmr3TWO0gEP4DoBDDFFMbHX_j5cQ29se8ue9jNNXkeqG2h9cbgXAe-RAKsUpLoMk3FlwWdYg2DxK3LU-1vSa6pK4YewyFUMA/s640/dinner.jpg" width="480" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Dining on the patio was amazing, I didn't even remember that we were next to an outlet mall! It's a great place to give yourself a little taste of India. I'll be back...that Duck Biriyani is calling my name! </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/my-shanti-south-surrey" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about My Shanti, South Surrey and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="My Shanti Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16627990/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a>
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gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com0Langley, BC, Canada49.1041779 -122.6603519000000249.062590900000004 -122.74103290000002 49.1457649 -122.57967090000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-25150597299137865162017-07-06T11:37:00.001-07:002017-07-06T11:51:46.403-07:00First Peek at St. Lawrence<span style="font-family: "verdana";">So this was a complete accident...I wanted to go to <a href="http://masayoshi.ca/" target="_blank">Makayoshi</a> for dinner, but since they were closed for the Canada Day long weekend, I couldn't make a reservation. Fortunately, the boy thought ahead and made a reservation at <b><a href="http://www.stlawrencerestaurant.com/" target="_blank">St. Lawrence</a></b>, so here we are! Rising from the ashes of Big Lou's Butcher Shop amongst a <a href="http://www.straight.com/blogra/462661/big-lous-butcher-shop-suddenly-closes" target="_blank">scandal</a> involving one of the founders, St. Lawrence is helmed by J-C Poirier, from <b><a href="http://www.askforluigi.com/" target="_blank">Ask for Luigi</a></b> fame. The restaurant serves classic Quebec dishes that reflect the chef's roots and upbringing.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9muOdpIePXuklbRqUmFQl_65aexA310N2jyPa1y7aOf7qlPC0fbaCJej-XvtH_Rw9FkEcmBfgaeQwlvTYaMyua5ixb6gK14R5mZ3cbUGWg_qeplAfYxUqg_gAC4TczaYM4tweQ/s1600/35721200636_17490d7853_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9muOdpIePXuklbRqUmFQl_65aexA310N2jyPa1y7aOf7qlPC0fbaCJej-XvtH_Rw9FkEcmBfgaeQwlvTYaMyua5ixb6gK14R5mZ3cbUGWg_qeplAfYxUqg_gAC4TczaYM4tweQ/s320/35721200636_17490d7853_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">But first things first, the boy decided on the vino of the night while I snapped pics of the menu. See below..."pour commencer" and "les légumes et les plats". Menus evolve, so what you get might be a bit different.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgr50kpmRTIdt-Tk9byt9FGPwZHaXs3Dr_eiz18AOGtFk0rr1jCkX6Ny4QjFd8dwIg8Ip9UGA14xJWBFyEvooPdGclL2prRgti6dab3HjIWqSWUGq63EvVTnqFMIc4sBCHUSYfaw/s1600/pour+commencer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgr50kpmRTIdt-Tk9byt9FGPwZHaXs3Dr_eiz18AOGtFk0rr1jCkX6Ny4QjFd8dwIg8Ip9UGA14xJWBFyEvooPdGclL2prRgti6dab3HjIWqSWUGq63EvVTnqFMIc4sBCHUSYfaw/s640/pour+commencer.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">For starters, there are a few tasty choices. <b>La Terrine du jour</b> popped out at me. But I was quite intrigued by the Langue de Bison as well.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SBsFlWx2v_LtXbSGigJqIow_poG1X6kvBNZxdJUTZGQiVqb0z0AHxlKC2BQXtx5dROTeXvLaJwwjPhPWQzuWD65hA_SiWR28AeNl0xAbAjJegQSG31iLQIlCiTXylfXBQW1StA/s1600/les+plats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SBsFlWx2v_LtXbSGigJqIow_poG1X6kvBNZxdJUTZGQiVqb0z0AHxlKC2BQXtx5dROTeXvLaJwwjPhPWQzuWD65hA_SiWR28AeNl0xAbAjJegQSG31iLQIlCiTXylfXBQW1StA/s640/les+plats.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br />And there are more delicious choices for Les Légumes & Les Plats. Does something jump out at you? Decisions had to be made, read on to find out what we ordered!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_P9s1YsembEy9kcOXY0M_Lo4MFn69FSuyqjIQJz0R-FHFWRLvYwzYmusnenVSsYTSyocqfwG5hj4JNLHTOsJe6jH8nDihXdm_RwOTcKw1sirv13WfZxXuK24nkJUIL_lF3pB3Q/s1600/bread-to-start.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1483" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_P9s1YsembEy9kcOXY0M_Lo4MFn69FSuyqjIQJz0R-FHFWRLvYwzYmusnenVSsYTSyocqfwG5hj4JNLHTOsJe6jH8nDihXdm_RwOTcKw1sirv13WfZxXuK24nkJUIL_lF3pB3Q/s640/bread-to-start.jpg" width="592" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">So the chef started us off with <b>La Terrine du Jour</b> and a grainy mustard, served with a hearty portion of warm rustic bread. To be honest, as a "non-carb lover", I LOVED this. Creamy and rich, but not overly decadent...it was a perfect starter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"> </span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FpOsGIMoFq8POmnB0elwJPSlB8Oz2hElgyTED5CTi1SdYimQwTX37JcyP6fAQdAQLqU2oAOgFu5rRpqRVlrfVzQgCaGmuATXvHchnw-fDuWyuk895XyXj98DUhUXiBPJXw8M_A/s1600/steak-tartare.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1511" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FpOsGIMoFq8POmnB0elwJPSlB8Oz2hElgyTED5CTi1SdYimQwTX37JcyP6fAQdAQLqU2oAOgFu5rRpqRVlrfVzQgCaGmuATXvHchnw-fDuWyuk895XyXj98DUhUXiBPJXw8M_A/s640/steak-tartare.jpg" width="604" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">For our appetizer, we opted for the <b>Steak Tartare, chèvre noire & pomme gaufrette</b>. Chef J-C Poirier started making this two seconds after we ordered, seriously fresh. The chips were warm and crispy, becoming a perfect vessel for the creamy tartare. The cheese gave a punch of flavour to the tartare and we polished this off in about 5 minutes, greens and all.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsR-AoBUWZ9c8xYU-6PzV-rXkQfcY4YgFhuruTiIRhMFfI2ssZrneOR-ERC9_vE9IqP7S90WitxbzIm82dYhAbwe_TJmBmbwdpQaOS0m80CETg_yPmUKD0MrsTaws-fVYVGLW6w/s1600/vol-an-vent-aux-champignons_34936713523_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsR-AoBUWZ9c8xYU-6PzV-rXkQfcY4YgFhuruTiIRhMFfI2ssZrneOR-ERC9_vE9IqP7S90WitxbzIm82dYhAbwe_TJmBmbwdpQaOS0m80CETg_yPmUKD0MrsTaws-fVYVGLW6w/s640/vol-an-vent-aux-champignons_34936713523_o.jpg" width="480" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Our next dish was the <b>Vol-au-vent au Champignons & Sauce Mornay</b>. The various mushrooms were earthy and juicy, sitting atop a light and buttery puff pastry pedestal. Despite the small size of this dish, the mornay sauce was rich and made the dish a heavy hitter in terms of flavour. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGITYY5hlqyxisgfOVcrHIHYOusoJ8cyoWAPN02AhlvJ1dYar2r3se-yQ0xkJNds1GqpvO7kQP_Zq5y8Hqg-0zMjGfb5iZuZeBq0kJ7Hpefix6kawK2Ie1DvGq1UTfHseCEKML9Q/s1600/ballotine-de-canard.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1333" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGITYY5hlqyxisgfOVcrHIHYOusoJ8cyoWAPN02AhlvJ1dYar2r3se-yQ0xkJNds1GqpvO7kQP_Zq5y8Hqg-0zMjGfb5iZuZeBq0kJ7Hpefix6kawK2Ie1DvGq1UTfHseCEKML9Q/s640/ballotine-de-canard.jpg" width="533" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Our first main was <b>Ballotine de canard, pomme dauphine & sauce a l'érable</b> and it was stunning. The forcemeat was wrapped around the tender duck and served to keep everything moist and juicy. The potatoes had a nice crisp on the outer edges, but the inside was buttery smooth. I would definitely order this again.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDXBz_M2wkAVkIKiS2ZAXJ-y96RPlUWl64Y8SjXD7XK6Cq4xUR8QI-EuLxryIGRrn5xYjmAgqPW8djsTXWH2xDPv550OHoQsJekCWkUkJ7hAQhOV2Rz5v1q8_vsBETciwW8eK9g/s1600/cote-de-porc.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDXBz_M2wkAVkIKiS2ZAXJ-y96RPlUWl64Y8SjXD7XK6Cq4xUR8QI-EuLxryIGRrn5xYjmAgqPW8djsTXWH2xDPv550OHoQsJekCWkUkJ7hAQhOV2Rz5v1q8_vsBETciwW8eK9g/s640/cote-de-porc.jpg" width="480" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">And this was our other main, <b>Côte de porc, fromage Oka & sauce charcutière</b>. The bone-in pork chop was recommended by the chef and it was a great pick. The meat was super juicy due to their bath in a brine. The Oka cheese flavour is really strong and pungent, and if you're a cheeselover, put this on your "must-eat" list! The potatoes are smooth as butter and it brings the dish over the top.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8flzKmJkH9txziMjlS8c-Tc2Lxh_-Zbpa7b6J6N5ZjLiwdsnK89yV5ieQs7scynrOh0lseJx8TwOM-ipTPT_sb9f5_cu2NPElHD7hgoQm-lzOp0zKZD8SoDGjuK0Ds8AWvlCScA/s1600/rice-pudding.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1483" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8flzKmJkH9txziMjlS8c-Tc2Lxh_-Zbpa7b6J6N5ZjLiwdsnK89yV5ieQs7scynrOh0lseJx8TwOM-ipTPT_sb9f5_cu2NPElHD7hgoQm-lzOp0zKZD8SoDGjuK0Ds8AWvlCScA/s640/rice-pudding.jpg" width="593" /></a> </div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br />My regular readers know that I'm not usually a dessert fan, but this was a gift from the restaurant and I was a grateful recipient. This <b>Rice Pudding</b> with a splash of salted caramel wasn't overly sweet and it eradicated all my negative notions of rice pudding, and I would gladly order this again.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD57bifrAfPQVGnpwHB9zPAE8DXfs76yJSXUXdSwVRRsRFgAK3Kt_45L-MkbJn_C4eGrSZDch88DxDr9Y3PjiRJJse95IHFHwMpDeeMhgf3XZ9DLKh-e1rIAquReoNu5oycORjXg/s1600/35720641216_a43a9e9219_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD57bifrAfPQVGnpwHB9zPAE8DXfs76yJSXUXdSwVRRsRFgAK3Kt_45L-MkbJn_C4eGrSZDch88DxDr9Y3PjiRJJse95IHFHwMpDeeMhgf3XZ9DLKh-e1rIAquReoNu5oycORjXg/s640/35720641216_a43a9e9219_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br />And yes, we did order a lot of food...so some of it had to come home with me...and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/charliebarlie604/" target="_blank">Charlie</a> had a helluva treat the next day. I think he'll become a Canadiens fan now.</span>gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com1260 Powell St, Vancouver, BC V6A, Canada49.2828592 -123.0984012999999827.953546699999997 -164.40699529999998 70.6121717 -81.789807299999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-18469706781744192502017-07-01T13:17:00.000-07:002017-07-01T13:17:18.427-07:00Wander Lust Led Me to Nomad<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Although I first came to this place for just a few cocktails, but a quick look at their food menu told me that I'd be back to sample some of their dinner items too. </span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41jqxJiIPEfc1dUAh7LzjCxxD1ShwwCB6NQe-o_lHoUIco82VWiDQ4Lrxe0bAY_IRidOS5QaZV4NHVePL0pdtATKfDSAX05fy0Y1uYv3qOOJ4PKF12KtqqCjowWmrIWSGsxH7SA/s1600/33583277243_89d9a7527f_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41jqxJiIPEfc1dUAh7LzjCxxD1ShwwCB6NQe-o_lHoUIco82VWiDQ4Lrxe0bAY_IRidOS5QaZV4NHVePL0pdtATKfDSAX05fy0Y1uYv3qOOJ4PKF12KtqqCjowWmrIWSGsxH7SA/s640/33583277243_89d9a7527f_o.jpg" width="640" /></a> <span style="font-family: "verdana";">But first, to the cocktail...I chose the <b>Satan's Whiskers</b> and as you can see, it's gin based, with vermouth and curacao. It's as tasty as it looks with just a bit of tang...but really packs a punch. The name is very appropriate.</span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNnfCIZF_MHaw7a2Ktsk9tKzBKKAmZxYNh-aZyA0OHiLsFwRWRwdHVNJHHSMFmR8a6MSdHJ-ThG6gU9Cj9lAmJ7_EGvU6GxFdXHz52n-w8XS26LC2LS34BJ_ipydRYDIFKTePOA/s1600/33583276693_6501a930a4_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNnfCIZF_MHaw7a2Ktsk9tKzBKKAmZxYNh-aZyA0OHiLsFwRWRwdHVNJHHSMFmR8a6MSdHJ-ThG6gU9Cj9lAmJ7_EGvU6GxFdXHz52n-w8XS26LC2LS34BJ_ipydRYDIFKTePOA/s640/33583276693_6501a930a4_o.jpg" width="640" /></a> <span style="font-family: "verdana";">We decided to eat light and decided on the </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Wild Pacific Lingcod</b>. Sounds like a heart healthy choice right? That was until we read further and realized that it's wrapped in Chicken Skin. What? Yes, we went ahead and got it anyways...because there was also a bit of </span><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Nettle Gnocchi, Hakurei Turnip and a tasting preserved orange butter. The fish was delicately cooked and the chicken skin kept the whole thing tender and juicy. A whole new way to use chicken skin, if you ask me. </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQgnMn9rx99KEwtuquGUdqxKrHp8neWyZ8QltqMqprsBd1ynuU8Bv2HbpRC0LrYpjksmAkXo5lSHRIJiO3mieYjsbGUmy3Qk9dROpUkmTWdKYT5Ks4vLzUj33hNWzDpDBrg6hbQ/s1600/34393277915_4c8daed727_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQgnMn9rx99KEwtuquGUdqxKrHp8neWyZ8QltqMqprsBd1ynuU8Bv2HbpRC0LrYpjksmAkXo5lSHRIJiO3mieYjsbGUmy3Qk9dROpUkmTWdKYT5Ks4vLzUj33hNWzDpDBrg6hbQ/s640/34393277915_4c8daed727_o.jpg" width="640" /></a> <span style="font-family: "verdana";">I was definitely in the mood for meat, so we had to make a hard choice. We could have each had Smoked Organic Beef Brisket or Roasted Wild Boar Rack, but we decided on the </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>10oz. Dry-Aged Organic Beef Ribeye</b>, to share. Not too heavy on the carbs, there were just some rosemary fried baby p</span><span style="font-family: "verdana";">otatoes and veggies. The beef was tender and when you have a good cut of meat like this, the less you do to it, the better. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Since we were fairly good with dinner, we decided to treat ourselves to dessert. The picture didn't quite turn out, but give their </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Ginger Pumpkin Panna Cotta</b> a try. Lemon thyme jelly and port meringue, need I say more??</span><br />
<br />gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com0Vancouver, BC, Canada49.2827291 -123.1207375000000249.1169156 -123.44346100000001 49.448542599999996 -122.79801400000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-57386427368196407012017-06-20T21:03:00.001-07:002017-06-21T19:37:31.127-07:00Tasty Thai at Maenam<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I feel as though I've been eating at the same old places lately and dining on the same old types of cuisine. Well, I decided to break out of this funk and go for something new. I decided to head to <a class="" href="http://maenam.ca/" target="_blank">Maenam</a>, since I saw Angus An on Global TV this morning talking about Sen Pad Thai. Yes, I am very susceptible to TV advertising. </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcEUoQMsrMZut5aSQksYYaYTIDZDVFA_AeSHvGOWpJg3U3YR6t0JKoZdkQ9O4adQwF5pyDaTv1V6AgK7VFmncdddZvNZ5fogCij04HDNO4EgDatkzSp1Bj7teCc1bAGnY7P6M8Q/s1600/35205604121_8752a64128_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="grilled Thai sausage and crispy rice salad" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcEUoQMsrMZut5aSQksYYaYTIDZDVFA_AeSHvGOWpJg3U3YR6t0JKoZdkQ9O4adQwF5pyDaTv1V6AgK7VFmncdddZvNZ5fogCij04HDNO4EgDatkzSp1Bj7teCc1bAGnY7P6M8Q/s640/35205604121_8752a64128_o.jpg" title="grilled Thai sausage and crispy rice salad" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">We started off with a <b>Grilled Thai Sausage and Crispy Rice Salad</b>. The sausage is house fermented pork, which was reminiscent of Chinese lap cheung (臘腸). There's also some crispy curried rice puffs (think savoury Rice Krispies), all tossed with coriander, lemongrass, ginger, fried shallots, oyster mushrooms, holy basil, and fried garlic. The saltiness of the pork is quite sharp, and the crunch from the rice puffs are perfect for texture. The flavours from the spices are very traditional Thai. This is about half the serving as I was dining with a non-foodie, whose chivalry at serving me beat me to the "phone eats first" mantra that I live by. A whole portion would serve two people nicely as an appetizer.</span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiiYKQcbBv9nITvvjMsvMDWNnNRF3HdLWMHNJ5NMZCgzSChUpekMEcSuFj7wqBIYEPKigmMgoxbH2s1g1cikOXiOPNxk_gygTeGFyRngVlcCN06ddWjhZz36jrqMfg6kywRsslFQ/s1600/34491778294_b68f67355c_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="hot and sour soup of halibut cheek" border="0" data-original-height="1498" data-original-width="1600" height="599" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiiYKQcbBv9nITvvjMsvMDWNnNRF3HdLWMHNJ5NMZCgzSChUpekMEcSuFj7wqBIYEPKigmMgoxbH2s1g1cikOXiOPNxk_gygTeGFyRngVlcCN06ddWjhZz36jrqMfg6kywRsslFQ/s640/34491778294_b68f67355c_o.jpg" title="hot and sour soup of halibut cheek" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">This was another appetizer meant for sharing, it's their <b>Hot and Sour Soup with Halibut Cheek</b>. The heat isn't blow-your-mind hot (but I do have a fairly high tolerance for heat, so beware, my friend thought it was HAWT), rather it's a lingering slow burn. The tartness compliments the spice quite well, and the halibut was cooked perfectly...still tender but not falling apart. And the oyster mushrooms soaked up the soup as well, making every mouthful super tasty. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcDT77-leQLrqNpH1Wl0dYKhKqPpuii8rYMX8oNo8Ky2V2rzqQ40prmbnbaRRnWZA3ieRv3jW2bZ0U0YPYZf_qOEAO3Kf41pW_EWPkZ6mqKygG6W7iSpXk7QJcZZyXIG1kwHy5w/s1600/34491778584_c16df20ef5_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="8 spice ling cod" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcDT77-leQLrqNpH1Wl0dYKhKqPpuii8rYMX8oNo8Ky2V2rzqQ40prmbnbaRRnWZA3ieRv3jW2bZ0U0YPYZf_qOEAO3Kf41pW_EWPkZ6mqKygG6W7iSpXk7QJcZZyXIG1kwHy5w/s640/34491778584_c16df20ef5_o.jpg" title="8 spice ling cod" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">So this was my favourite dish of the night, their <b>8 Spice Ling Cod</b>. It was truly amazing. The ling cod was super crispy, and topped with a lightly caramelized palm sugar and tamarind sauce. The ling cod stayed crispy under the drizzle of the sauce, and the sprinkling of deep-fried Thai spices and basil was fun. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJeXM_PMLizTHZAXiAx696uNABtq190OsvOtTJuf4_0zBehitm03NCZv1FdfcAMXV0S5bozm0zL7SdZnumG7KiqSpsoTYdQaO_uvSx95bc9-4ZELyKtiGvfHj13rOaIDCAfCA2w/s1600/35205604021_37cc240f03_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="grilled striploin beef" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1339" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJeXM_PMLizTHZAXiAx696uNABtq190OsvOtTJuf4_0zBehitm03NCZv1FdfcAMXV0S5bozm0zL7SdZnumG7KiqSpsoTYdQaO_uvSx95bc9-4ZELyKtiGvfHj13rOaIDCAfCA2w/s640/35205604021_37cc240f03_o.jpg" title="grilled striploin beef" width="535" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Our final dish was our only curry, the <b>Gang Kau</b>, a Tumeric Curry of Grilled Striploin. Tender slices of beef cooked to a perfect medium rare, in a vibrantly yellow and fragrant curry, paired with some kale. The shredded ginger and shrimp paste were the top notes in the curry. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">This was a surprisingly good dinner. I had high expectations since Maenam was named R</span><span style="font-family: "verdana";">estaurant of the Year in 2016, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Best Thai in 2009-2016 by Vancouver Magazine and ranked 26 in Canada's Top 100 Restaurants in 2015. And all those accolades are well deserved! If you like Thai, do give this place a try. </span>
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/burdock-co-mount-pleasant-vancouver" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Burdock & Co., Mount Pleasant and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Burdock & Co. Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16626980/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com0Vancouver, BC, Canada49.2827291 -123.1207375000000249.1169156 -123.44346100000001 49.448542599999996 -122.79801400000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-70348945791004008922017-06-14T09:14:00.001-07:002017-06-21T19:38:50.435-07:00A little bit of a lot of things - Burdock & Co<span style="font-family: "verdana";">A few months ago, I went to <a href="http://www.burdockandco.com/" target="_blank">Burdock & Co</a> for the first time and had an amazing meal. But...I FORGOT my Phone! So needless to say, a repeat was necessary...can you imagine a food blog post without pictures, and just rather decent writing? No, neither can I! And they added new items so that made it even better!</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfzG8aOpvA6MgriTc8SBsH-AK9nBv4CRbW3-tY_nd_MVQPXNqN6ckSywP5inorGx0EuerUJMh-vnRDabnBTQDK-gEY6QHXXNVieeCdeeDkovSGWCObNBOlcn9UVQ5X0mtE9alxA/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="872" data-original-width="1038" height="537" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfzG8aOpvA6MgriTc8SBsH-AK9nBv4CRbW3-tY_nd_MVQPXNqN6ckSywP5inorGx0EuerUJMh-vnRDabnBTQDK-gEY6QHXXNVieeCdeeDkovSGWCObNBOlcn9UVQ5X0mtE9alxA/s640/FullSizeRender+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a> <span style="font-family: "verdana";">Since it's <b>Spot Prawn</b> season, it's a no-brainer that I would be getting some. And of course, the heads are essential to the whole experience. Just flash fry them and you can eat them just like chips! </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKsjV4OfDsIYZlh-v9cIwEIWUwzvf3pzylIkPmsoqyIBWn-d_Gx_QsJBKeyzxWPTqn06GjRFeIm2TZ3FGA7XomHTWuHYRZrZKfM8x0Lj-1EkiktkLDyWlkU_RrP1KCRhJCChDwTA/s1600/roasted.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Roasted Knotweed with White Prosciutto - Duck Hollandaise" border="0" data-original-height="1304" data-original-width="1600" height="521" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKsjV4OfDsIYZlh-v9cIwEIWUwzvf3pzylIkPmsoqyIBWn-d_Gx_QsJBKeyzxWPTqn06GjRFeIm2TZ3FGA7XomHTWuHYRZrZKfM8x0Lj-1EkiktkLDyWlkU_RrP1KCRhJCChDwTA/s640/roasted.jpg" title="Roasted Knotweed with White Prosciutto - Duck Hollandaise" width="640" /></a> <span style="font-family: "verdana";">I've never tried Knotweed before but here it is, <b>Roasted Knotweed with White Prosciutto and a Duck Hollandaise</b>. It had a texture like hollow asparagus, but chewier. <i>(In fact, one of the botanical names is Fallopia japonica named for Gabriello Fallopia, an Italian anatomist who “discovered” fallopian tubes. Creepy, I know. *Source: <a href="http://www.eattheweeds.com/" target="_blank">Eat the Weeds</a>)</i> The hollandaise was on the lemony side and gave it a refreshing flavour. And who can say no to Prosciutto?</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmIMbLKIMmCsYNidQj1zRB9ASTHkbVS9d9tn2vUfjy7YaDxp5J7G2_N2qqoK7VMaBB1RPlwQTtYaCd8uASJg4GyhK8Ahyphenhyphen4kQ4xXMAUrbxlFzyCgRzhAKD1jWJrvM0rUHioswdFkg/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Miso Caramel Glazed Duck leg - garlic mirin glaze" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1538" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmIMbLKIMmCsYNidQj1zRB9ASTHkbVS9d9tn2vUfjy7YaDxp5J7G2_N2qqoK7VMaBB1RPlwQTtYaCd8uASJg4GyhK8Ahyphenhyphen4kQ4xXMAUrbxlFzyCgRzhAKD1jWJrvM0rUHioswdFkg/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" title="Miso Caramel Glazed Duck leg - garlic mirin glaze" width="615" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">The next dish was amazing, a <b>Miso Caramel & Garlic Mirin Glazed Duck Leg</b>. This was amazing. It had a slightly crispy skin, and the glaze was deep and complex. But the meat inside stole the show, it was falling off the bone and so juicy and tender. The three of us polished this off, so so good. I'd definitely have this again, and again, and again. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrSP1cbpPZqHj9aQXFWmCtbFJIO-ole35rthN62vxDN3OSydhs-SjifTUxFlZB7SPNhTh_0gBzTkDXFqKTiXBDTlVZnHjvVh0uyC-cjVI58wyfEykkStASvFtRkqWSibUcSjKLg/s1600/not-your-average-pasta-that-egg-tho-burdockandco_34611663270_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Fettucini with Sea Urchin Butter Sauce - shiso green plum, cured yolk" border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrSP1cbpPZqHj9aQXFWmCtbFJIO-ole35rthN62vxDN3OSydhs-SjifTUxFlZB7SPNhTh_0gBzTkDXFqKTiXBDTlVZnHjvVh0uyC-cjVI58wyfEykkStASvFtRkqWSibUcSjKLg/s640/not-your-average-pasta-that-egg-tho-burdockandco_34611663270_o.jpg" title="Fettucini with Sea Urchin Butter Sauce - shiso green plum, cured yolk" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">For just a touch of carbs, we tried the <b>Fettucini with Sea Urchin Butter Sauce</b> with some shiso green plum topped with a cured yolk. The sauce was creamy, and when you pop the yolk, it just gets even better, so rich. The portion again was perfect for three people sharing. The pasta was cooked to an al dente and holds the sauce nicely for a perfect bite.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZDM5HNxhHX_H3FfpM2XKiPvV0cxbZHVFpmj7GFyNBjijxAMWde2JHLv5a6g6t3BpGt7r3dQeXAGHTWNpgUC9sht28IyxDpAG5nJDGO0xmZfy4sc7sE_t2VvcP9aR9-gNYVZJcA/s1600/beef.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZDM5HNxhHX_H3FfpM2XKiPvV0cxbZHVFpmj7GFyNBjijxAMWde2JHLv5a6g6t3BpGt7r3dQeXAGHTWNpgUC9sht28IyxDpAG5nJDGO0xmZfy4sc7sE_t2VvcP9aR9-gNYVZJcA/s640/beef.jpg" width="640" /></a> <span style="font-family: "verdana";">Our final savoury dish was their <b>Striploin</b>. It's not on their menu currently, but if it's available as a special the night that you go, please do yourself a favour and order it. The meat is so well-marbled and the each slice is juicy. It's not exactly "melt in your mouth, but it has a good chew to it. You know you're eating meat.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpI3rmF0WwR6NDMO7zI8_MLXszSN9OD-Qi0FJcOpUEwMUK6Ml629bz3cJ6tf4xBpOzu3YEbQGBXSnK72bP1NlbgzNFNEZBFw5AhTugvLMOzVUos3IOcT10jL8HfEOwbKhYsAAWCA/s1600/35099364972_b76d6edfee_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kumquat and Messor's Olive Oil Cake - Coconut Cream" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1470" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpI3rmF0WwR6NDMO7zI8_MLXszSN9OD-Qi0FJcOpUEwMUK6Ml629bz3cJ6tf4xBpOzu3YEbQGBXSnK72bP1NlbgzNFNEZBFw5AhTugvLMOzVUos3IOcT10jL8HfEOwbKhYsAAWCA/s640/35099364972_b76d6edfee_o.jpg" title="Kumquat and Messor's Olive Oil Cake - Coconut Cream" width="588" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">So with the main dishes done, it was time to ponder dessert. Since there were three of us, and there were three desserts, the choice was easy. One of each! This was the <b>Kumquat and Messor's Olive Oil Cake</b> with Coconut Cream. I don't think I've ever actually tried an olive oil cake, the thought just didn't appeal to me. They always looked dry and crumbly, not like a moist cake made with butter. But this one was different. The texture was so moist (ugh, hate that word), and the kumquat flavour was subtle enough to let the Messor's come through. The nuts and coconut gave the dish some needed texture. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6-30tSwCypXP8ltC5RLPnBOY9jhY-8z_mq5ITsf6JqXtPeHrPTXqNKoGKWjm3v-cP4i1Hqo8XqCSC2O0eA8siStLqsUernewfaK4Pxy3s6FcKhVDA88hgIScRY8SANojh5SXuA/s1600/35265750815_23c3e820d8_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Chocolate Pot de Creme - caramelized cocoa nib, gingerbread cookie" border="0" data-original-height="1475" data-original-width="1600" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6-30tSwCypXP8ltC5RLPnBOY9jhY-8z_mq5ITsf6JqXtPeHrPTXqNKoGKWjm3v-cP4i1Hqo8XqCSC2O0eA8siStLqsUernewfaK4Pxy3s6FcKhVDA88hgIScRY8SANojh5SXuA/s640/35265750815_23c3e820d8_o.jpg" title="Chocolate Pot de Creme - caramelized cocoa nib, gingerbread cookie" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">And for you chocolate lovers out there, I'd recommend the <b>Chocolate Pot de Creme</b>, with caramelized cocoa nib and a gingerbread cookie. It was velvety smooth and bursting with chocolate flavour. The cocoa nibs have a nice crunch and the gingerbread cookie was a perfect addition to the dish.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPJpFMQKeZxlOK0pqTbH1tuxaqGZQbrcLRwUl5Vcx-NlJuEQ2XcOX62T4hp1mqX6dXRrbw5fJWLbA_81J0HzXvo6YNgvmLseJUxcps3y0Y9IowfY_Wm-WtMEOd8WVSSWKCVSTcA/s1600/35099090302_f4b7408b49_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Meyer Lemon Curd Shortbread Meringue, Milk Gelato" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPJpFMQKeZxlOK0pqTbH1tuxaqGZQbrcLRwUl5Vcx-NlJuEQ2XcOX62T4hp1mqX6dXRrbw5fJWLbA_81J0HzXvo6YNgvmLseJUxcps3y0Y9IowfY_Wm-WtMEOd8WVSSWKCVSTcA/s640/35099090302_f4b7408b49_o.jpg" title="Meyer Lemon Curd Shortbread Meringue, Milk Gelato" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">And talk about saving the best for last, this is their <b>Meyer Lemon Curd Shortbread Meringue</b>, with a silky smooth Milk Gelato. Think of it as a deconstructed lemon meringue pie, one of my all-time favourite desserts. The curd was tart, the meringue was sweet and the milk gelato was chilled. Everything came together wonderfully. If you put the lemon curd on my arm, I'd chew my arm off...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana";">All in all, this was a great meal. Their sommelier has developed a well-balanced list and anything from the digestif list is a great way to end your meal. Oh, and they are also open for brunch on the weekends. And I think I'm going to give it a try soon!</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/burdock-co-mount-pleasant-vancouver" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Burdock & Co., Mount Pleasant and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Burdock & Co. Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16626980/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com0Vancouver, BC, Canada49.2827291 -123.1207375000000249.1169156 -123.44346100000001 49.448542599999996 -122.79801400000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-9520813863590323222017-04-23T18:08:00.000-07:002017-04-23T18:30:01.881-07:00Nibbles at Nightingale<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 16px;">During Lent 2017, I restricted myself to a whole host of dietary rules, meaning that I can only eat poultry and seafood, no pasta and no fast food. One such meal was at <a href="http://xmasbb.blogspot.ca/2017/04/the-oakwood-casual-cozy-and-delicious.html" target="_blank">The Oakwood</a>. Here is another one I tried at <a href="https://hawknightingale.com/" target="_blank">Nightingale</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qURnLgm3C0HY4BeyNB06Ct8zptBagB5MwSqM3adHYfh-mY0Py_CTYYmtAYF5AXbDeODIvY9-ra3LpFMLeSdRqP7-yt8DRX4H0te_d5JhHaDc_QLZJOJT78Z_H-Iv8LGY8Z6rfQ/s1600/Yellowtail+crudo%252C+roasted+poblano%252C+meyer+lemon%252C+%2527monti+iblei%2527+olive+oil+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qURnLgm3C0HY4BeyNB06Ct8zptBagB5MwSqM3adHYfh-mY0Py_CTYYmtAYF5AXbDeODIvY9-ra3LpFMLeSdRqP7-yt8DRX4H0te_d5JhHaDc_QLZJOJT78Z_H-Iv8LGY8Z6rfQ/s640/Yellowtail+crudo%252C+roasted+poblano%252C+meyer+lemon%252C+%2527monti+iblei%2527+olive+oil+.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 16px;">Our first plate was from their Raw section, the Yellowtail Crudo, dotted with bits of roasted poblano, and a meyer lemon and 'monti iblei' olive oil emulsion. This was tasty, and super fresh. Each slice was delicate, sweet and stood its own with the lemony flavours. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXCgS6Sgfq-MFTQHcjN1ZkNcP9IzM4DuzXri8iStWKSZC_-95V6L5kbHHBC_GF2lDZrrK-3boxzoxrc6U8mES2504H-jGW0njh4uOCm_mNAwNwTWtG9ZqeX9rnkDWSMIvxyLM1Q/s1600/Roasted+acorn+squash%252C+walla+walla+onion%252C+macedonian+feta%252C+sage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXCgS6Sgfq-MFTQHcjN1ZkNcP9IzM4DuzXri8iStWKSZC_-95V6L5kbHHBC_GF2lDZrrK-3boxzoxrc6U8mES2504H-jGW0njh4uOCm_mNAwNwTWtG9ZqeX9rnkDWSMIvxyLM1Q/s640/Roasted+acorn+squash%252C+walla+walla+onion%252C+macedonian+feta%252C+sage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 16px;">Our first Vegetable plate was their <b>Roasted Acorn Squash</b> with walla walla onion puree. Then it's topped with crumMacedonianonian feta and crispy sage. The texture of the squash was tender and the feta gave the dish a richness I didn't expect. Crispy herbs are always fun, but the sage flavours really did enhance the squash.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7VOeR0dXPb-cVJCIJh12drP9an5NXKXU0EnUHC9gkKeJiL3TwSju937aU_7_kmpGSzhecEe1zjqit2T0_ItL0P-sPdhjJXPSs2CWHPPHXks-93AjpPQ8UrNAZstIyhlwacdMUA/s1600/Roasted+maitake+mushroom%252C+pecorino%252C+brown+butter%252C+hazelnut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7VOeR0dXPb-cVJCIJh12drP9an5NXKXU0EnUHC9gkKeJiL3TwSju937aU_7_kmpGSzhecEe1zjqit2T0_ItL0P-sPdhjJXPSs2CWHPPHXks-93AjpPQ8UrNAZstIyhlwacdMUA/s640/Roasted+maitake+mushroom%252C+pecorino%252C+brown+butter%252C+hazelnut.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 16px;">The second Vegetable dish was the <b>Roasted Maitake Mushroom</b>, topped with pecorino and hazelnut on a bed of brown butter. The juicy mushrooms were earthy and the hazelnut crunch was delightful. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1jNe4wPkB7y0GXta6zlIf8TlE9CxMozH7skBLUgSTRTK9RKllteYyjECRs0Q4xJeupBKEiqLsSnsDsYF63Yw9m0MVXuKI9f2U6pPUIwnT1eYOlQNvQRnYlpX_SF10AoyrMYnSgw/s1600/Crispy+fried+chicken%252C+preserved+lemon+yogurt%252C+dill%252C+espelette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1jNe4wPkB7y0GXta6zlIf8TlE9CxMozH7skBLUgSTRTK9RKllteYyjECRs0Q4xJeupBKEiqLsSnsDsYF63Yw9m0MVXuKI9f2U6pPUIwnT1eYOlQNvQRnYlpX_SF10AoyrMYnSgw/s640/Crispy+fried+chicken%252C+preserved+lemon+yogurt%252C+dill%252C+espelette.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 16px;">From their Small plates, we opted for the <b>Crispy Fried Chicken</b>. This was probably the most disappointing dish. The chicken was dry and the batter was thick and heavy. The dill and preserved lemon yogurt dip, and the dusting of espelette pepper did little to help matters. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioXNbuBT-5gTLGXXiTecgjl7RcFhn8hirlhkGd0_18IEVCQxKKwe5wZmTXISaBQ6QY18oSNthWPRP5Lg0SHc_hdJ6dE8jcw1yFgSvHq8Hj8TipMs2cWjilptd0Kc2MJ8kmYbJDYg/s1600/Grilled+arctic+char%252C+fingerling+potato+and+artichoke+salad%252C+toasted+almond%252C+lemon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioXNbuBT-5gTLGXXiTecgjl7RcFhn8hirlhkGd0_18IEVCQxKKwe5wZmTXISaBQ6QY18oSNthWPRP5Lg0SHc_hdJ6dE8jcw1yFgSvHq8Hj8TipMs2cWjilptd0Kc2MJ8kmYbJDYg/s640/Grilled+arctic+char%252C+fingerling+potato+and+artichoke+salad%252C+toasted+almond%252C+lemon.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 16px;">From the Large plates, we tried the <b>Grilled Arctic Char</b>. This was by far my favourite dish of the night! Chunks of fingerling potato and artichoke salad gave the dish some weight, and the toasted almond silvers had a nice smoky crunch. The lemon lightened the dish and really gave the fish a wonderful citrus flavour.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 16px;">Second of two amazing meals during Lent, come back for more in the next few weeks! </span><br />
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/nightingale-coal-harbour-vancouver" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Nightingale, Coal Harbour and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver"><img alt="Nightingale Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/18318977/biglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0; width: 200px;" /></a> gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com0Downtown, Vancouver, BC, Canada49.281954 -123.1170743999999849.261237 -123.15741489999998 49.302671 -123.07673389999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512220.post-62442137404683761372017-04-13T18:32:00.002-07:002017-04-13T18:32:56.048-07:00The Oakwood - Casual, Cozy and Delicious!<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 16px;">Since Lent started over a month ago, I've been challenging myself to find meals that do not include any of the following: anything that walks on land with four legs (so poultry & seafood are fair game), pasta (including pho and ramen), rice (which excludes sushi) as well as fast food (so no more Sausage McMuffins). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 16px;">This seemed daunting at first, but I've found it to be surprisingly easy! Here is one of my more memorable meals at <a href="http://www.theoakwood.ca/" target="_blank">The Oakwood</a>. Stay tuned for more in the next few weeks. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6kokHsEFLt7_g7O1wt-i-YPP6iPhqE6sqer646OPxLVSk1oslnEniqWuJ3rwwNccoEZ90XGUY8TbIhRPcmEGJV_16tlEKWoO3YnDWQvKPAyv3gIUWI_OWq0u7K7BZs6dwFK4gg/s1600/cocktail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Passion Gone Sour" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6kokHsEFLt7_g7O1wt-i-YPP6iPhqE6sqer646OPxLVSk1oslnEniqWuJ3rwwNccoEZ90XGUY8TbIhRPcmEGJV_16tlEKWoO3YnDWQvKPAyv3gIUWI_OWq0u7K7BZs6dwFK4gg/s640/cocktail.jpg" title="Passion Gone Sour" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 16px;">Before taking a look at the menu, the cocktail list caught my eye (there's a reason I didn't give up alcohol for Lent!). I love all things tart, such as Sour Keys, Lemon Meringue or Key Lime Pie. So when I spotted the <b>Passion Gone Sour</b> cocktail, I had high hopes that it would bring on a serious pucker, in liquid form. It didn't disappoint! The cocktail is dark rum based, sweetened with mezcal, passionfruit & orange syrup, add a strong sour note from lemons, and made velvety with egg whites. Delicious and addictive! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlNziSVLyauLZ1o-WhNCEu_Q5sgAtn8w6vnhAhZ6GbgP3bOyYOFmpRnpXTTOSNBmr8SXRH3WO6t6yCwpTqfyjHSGBYi-vHaF_TmdU2cSuBUV1uu3kEqE6Uwjlb5Up1jfdSsXus2w/s1600/warmkalesalad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Warm Kale Salad" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlNziSVLyauLZ1o-WhNCEu_Q5sgAtn8w6vnhAhZ6GbgP3bOyYOFmpRnpXTTOSNBmr8SXRH3WO6t6yCwpTqfyjHSGBYi-vHaF_TmdU2cSuBUV1uu3kEqE6Uwjlb5Up1jfdSsXus2w/s640/warmkalesalad.jpg" title="Warm Kale Salad" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 16px;">We started with the wildly popular <b>Warm Kale Salad</b>, and I can see why. In addition to kale, there are also cauliflower and brussel sprouts, and some buttermilk fried onions for crunch. All the veg is then topped with a light lemon parmesan dressing. The various textures and slightly tangy flavours almost make you forget that you're eating a superfood. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWujbFRVxI229a8gR1yrF4QdsXCSKhvuUHOmEEV1_mhNYNqfGQwBtdCRzSAnf3aD9CUvoX88McZ8sswHl9UgwhgAUHwJHqFdtxNn6jXCBnbQfgMn7Upb2IQhCohhVtiZwJMI_8Iw/s1600/sirenscall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Siren's Call" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWujbFRVxI229a8gR1yrF4QdsXCSKhvuUHOmEEV1_mhNYNqfGQwBtdCRzSAnf3aD9CUvoX88McZ8sswHl9UgwhgAUHwJHqFdtxNn6jXCBnbQfgMn7Upb2IQhCohhVtiZwJMI_8Iw/s640/sirenscall.jpg" title="Siren's Call" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 16px;">Having been a fan of petit verdot wine since my first exposure to the Pirramimma Mclaren Vale, I was eager to try this offering from <b>Siren's Call</b> (a nod to Green mythology), a wine from the Okanagan. I thoroughly enjoyed this and paired well with our next few dishes.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjY94zxNVTp-YN9Z5CcB1h8WhGiEHx5wXcx57he582KwkWOWOCm_QE_B0UwH8uK961jCEKES2gFrHucktZyNt-C63RUSnU0HusUPbWtTjJsmv2aQJCrJEM5WV5XbkVBujy7RDh4g/s1600/salmon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pan Roasted Sockeye Salmon" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjY94zxNVTp-YN9Z5CcB1h8WhGiEHx5wXcx57he582KwkWOWOCm_QE_B0UwH8uK961jCEKES2gFrHucktZyNt-C63RUSnU0HusUPbWtTjJsmv2aQJCrJEM5WV5XbkVBujy7RDh4g/s640/salmon.jpg" title="Pan Roasted Sockeye Salmon" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 16px;">Some people aren't fans of salmon skin, but I am, and the best part of any <b>Pan Roasted Sockeye Salmon</b> is the skin, which was well-seasoned and slightly crispy. The veg that accompanied the salmon included peewee potatoes, daikon, oven dried tomatoes and melt-in-your-mouth confit shallots. The sauce is quite reminiscent of a Chinese ginger and green onion sauce but was actually a charred scallion & ginger concoction.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDFg9Xbm9ZpmVxN8E5dgiOQ19li4UdMaU9PcwbsDHXtH4jdI6mofGnOHdqZDONJq5dbUPJvoLD1vbW_-CyBXxO9bbRQAdEztB9LNDM4G-2ttgRnKgR6ecHVl2BIznFiiHUw3X1A/s1600/duck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Seared Duck Breast" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDFg9Xbm9ZpmVxN8E5dgiOQ19li4UdMaU9PcwbsDHXtH4jdI6mofGnOHdqZDONJq5dbUPJvoLD1vbW_-CyBXxO9bbRQAdEztB9LNDM4G-2ttgRnKgR6ecHVl2BIznFiiHUw3X1A/s640/duck.jpg" title="Seared Duck Breast" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 16px;">Since I'm allowed to have poultry, we decided to share the <b>Seared Duck Breast</b>. It was a perfect medium and came on top of some smoked lentils and brocollini. Commonly paired with a fruit-based sauce, such as berries, orange or even plum, this duck was served with a cherry gastrique. A black garlic puree (made from garlic that has been heated for days or weeks) dots each slice of the breast and a snowfall of brown butter powder completes the dish. This was the highlight of the dinner for me.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVH01UJNsbKEffza9BrDly_FUXGryg_jIuDTRt0SmwYgeXP5pzTkNXnRnTs33cF87FDf1eVtos4mrq-p0256CadF7vtwcYiSVQJXEPQRIoUi3mLPi3d9mzF3KrbnWKGNAB5_ARA/s1600/chocolate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cardamom Chocolate Ganache" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVH01UJNsbKEffza9BrDly_FUXGryg_jIuDTRt0SmwYgeXP5pzTkNXnRnTs33cF87FDf1eVtos4mrq-p0256CadF7vtwcYiSVQJXEPQRIoUi3mLPi3d9mzF3KrbnWKGNAB5_ARA/s640/chocolate.jpg" title="Cardamom Chocolate Ganache" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 16px;">Now I'm not one for desserts but I am during Lent. I needed something to round out the meal. The first plate was a <b>Cardamom Chocolate Ganache</b>, with a bit of tartness from the orange gel. The sesame praline crisp was tasty, jam packed with sesame flavours, and the earl grey ice cream balanced out the rich ganache nicely. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZdNXSw1aJ5xJlM5s46j0n0kJ9_cLUDqZiUu8eaUfhIROodLzQgeh4GdEI4TKrt0mVIlSnuALBZbE1XyZeGlK60wPvsbmsCu-NQuvelmnkiqd6NBRIEcYfNzGzp9Axz3Wxr8ZRA/s1600/blueberry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Coconut Custard" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZdNXSw1aJ5xJlM5s46j0n0kJ9_cLUDqZiUu8eaUfhIROodLzQgeh4GdEI4TKrt0mVIlSnuALBZbE1XyZeGlK60wPvsbmsCu-NQuvelmnkiqd6NBRIEcYfNzGzp9Axz3Wxr8ZRA/s640/blueberry.jpg" title="Coconut Custard" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 16px;">Now, honestly, I didn't plan on having a second dessert, but who am I to complain? This next one is the <b>Coconut Custard</b>, its mild sweetness is cut by the blueberry ice cream. A bite of the pink peppercorn meringue crisps imparts a slightly spicy crunch, the macerated strawberries and blueberries give the dish some freshness too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 16px;">Although I had been to Oakwood years ago as part of Dine Out, I'm sure glad I came back to give this place a try. And once Easter has come and gone, I plan to come back and sample their 48 hour slow cooked beef short rib and burger 2.0. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 16px;">The plates are meant to be shared so bring a group and you can sample as many dishes as you like. </span><br />
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/vancouver/the-oakwood-canadian-bistro-kitsilano-vancouver" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about The Oakwood Canadian Bistro, Kitsilano and other Restaurants in Metro Vancouver" target="_blank" ><img alt="The Oakwood Canadian Bistro Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16625660/biglink" style="border:none;width:200px;height:146px;padding:0;" /></a> gracecheung604http://www.blogger.com/profile/17586280500078865783noreply@blogger.com0Vancouver, BC, Canada49.2827291 -123.1207375000000249.1169156 -123.44346100000001 49.448542599999996 -122.79801400000002