Lunch at Hawksworth

I decided to head to Hawksworth for lunch with my boss last month. We usually go to Kirin but I wanted a change of pace. I am not a huge scallop fan, but when I saw this on the menu, I couldn't resist. The Pan Seared Scallop caught my eye, not because of the scallops, but because of the accompaniments. It arrives on a bed of rice noodles, in a Vietnamese broth with some crispy pork. So, it's like Pho? Yes, this was super reminiscent of pho. Complete with a bit of sprouts and jalapenos. The crispy pork is really interesting, I haven't had anything like this before. When dipped into the broth, it softens and has a nice chew to it. There's plenty of scallops (about 8 in total) and they were seared to a perfect doneness. You are also presented with some chilies and limes to fully evoke the sense of Pho. I used a bit of the lime but all of the chilies. This was really fun and elegant version of pho. Loved it! My boss went for another option of a high-end version of a "low brow" food He got the Hot Dog. It was a bison sausage in a poppy seed pretzel bun, topped with greens and fried onions. On the side was some tempura cauliflower. He throughly enjoyed it, although eating it was a bit messy. Better to knife and fork this baby.
Take Note:
Prices are higher than normal, but you are dining at the Georgia.
Bar menu's Beef Burger is huge and you could probably share it with a friend.
Brunch is served 10:30-2 on Saturdays and Sundays

Lunch at Gotham

A few weeks ago, I decided to head over to Gotham's for lunch for the very first time. Though I've been there for dinner and parties, I've never really thought of it as a lunch spot.
I know this is weird, but for some reason, we didn't order steaks, even though they are know as a steakhouse. Instead, we started off with the Salmon Cakes, which were a bit mealy and more filler than salmon. I don't think I have to say anything about the fries, they were flaccid and unseasoned. This was a disappointing start but we hoped it would get better.  Our next arrival was the Lobster Cobb Salad, and this was amazing. Loaded with lettuce, bacon, blue cheese and avocado, this would have been a great salad on its own. Add that half a lobster on there and you've got a winner. We asked for the dressing on the side,  but truth be told, we hardly needed it. One thing I was surprised by was the greenish ring around the hard boiled egg. We were there for lunch, I'd say around noon. How long does it take for a ring like that to form on an egg?   Now, another appetizer dish, their Black and Blue Ahi Tuna. It's served simply seared with a bit of soya sauce and wasabi. I really like the crust on this and found the portion to be rather generous as well. I could have had thinner slices though, as these were a touch too thick. And our final dish was our only meat dish, and that was the Prime Rib Tartare. It's hand chopped, topped with two whole anchovies! If you like steak tartare, I'd say it's one of the best in the city. The beef is well seasoned with onions, capers and made super creamy with the egg yolks. The bread was nice and soft and made for an excellent vessel for the beef.

Take Note:

• Great patio in the back on sunny days
• Solid salads, generous portions
• Save room for the Key Lime Pie

Scallops, Seafood and Salad at Mosaic

Although I have had Chef Heinrich's food at Mosaic for dinner several times, most notably the Spot Prawn Tasting, this would be the first time I'm visiting at lunch. The space has lots of natural light during the day. Although it's located in the Hyatt Regency, it's a popular lunch spot for the downtown work crowd, so it's great for locals and tourists alike.

If there is Bread and Butter on the table, I find it hard to resist taking a photo, since I'm still trying to learn how to take good shots of paler foods (like butter, cheese, etc.) I was actually surprised that they served bread and butter even at lunch. It's something I do expect or enjoy for dinner, but didn't think it would be offered at lunch.
For starters, we tried the Weathervane Scallops off the bar menu. These were gigantic, and just simply seasoned and then quickly seared. There sit atop a few thin slices of tomatoes and a pile of lovely greens. The scallops were so thick you could actually halve them through the middle.
The special of the day was a Seafood Curry with Basmati Rice. The rice was nice and fluffy, but it was sure hard to take this picture (foiled by paler foods again). Thankfully, the rest of the dish was brilliantly coloured! Nestled on top of the rice is a variety of seafood consisting of white fish, salmon, mussels and clams. Rounding out the dish are some carrots and broccoli. This curry is not a super heavy curry, rather light in texture, more fragrant than overwhelming pungent, as some curries can be. The light Thai flavours were clear and crisp, with hints of lemongrass and coriander. And although there was a bit of heat, it was very mild.
And this is the Big Salad, well, they don't actually call it that, it's called the Cobb Salad. Underneath the toppings of bacon, blue cheese, chicken breast, hard boiled eggs and chopped tomatoes, there is a large mound of romaine as well. The dressing is a lemon-dijon vinaigrette, but I didn't really use too much of it. Instead, I just squired some lemon juice on everything. I only finished a third of this...mostly the tomato, eggs and some bacon! I packed the rest to go and still think I have enough toppings for another whole salad. Note: said salad usually comes with avocado, but I asked for it without.

Take Note:

• Great for working lunches, bright and lots of large tables
• Staff are friendly and very courteous
• Chef's Tasting Menus rotate every two weeks and are amazing! 

Hart House - a pleasant surprise

On a sunny Wednesday afternoon and in need of celebrating, we brainstormed for a new restaurant that I hadn't yet blogged about. Lots of ideas were floating around, but when I mentioned that I hadn't ever been to Hart House, the decision was much easier. Although close to my home in Burnaby, this is one of those places I always meant to visit but never really ended up doing so.  Greeting us after we got seated was freshly warmed baguette and another loaf of a nuttier bread.  That gigantic pat of butter is scary. Restaurants really overestimate how much of this stuff we slather on. In fact, I find that the better the bread, the less butter I use.  

There is an Express Two Course Lunch that is offered up daily, with a starter and and entree. Today's starter was a choice of a Tomato Dill Soup or a Chef's Goat Cheese Beet Salad. Not a fan of plain tomato soups, we opted for the salad. The serving was decent, with three chunky, if uneven pieces of beets. They were slightly pickled and are less sweet than roasted. If you don't think you like beets, try them this way and you might be surprised. The goat cheese is pungent and rich enough to go head to head with the beets here, and even more flavour is added with the inclusion of some curried pistachios and very crisp pears. The last time I had beets was at the Taste of Yaletown tasting and I'm slowly changing my mind on beets.    
  The other starter we tried was the Crispy Calamari. I find calamari a bit of a hit and miss, with some places using way to much batter. But I was intrigued by the promise of the crispy and I gave it another shot. And I am sure glad I did. The coating was light, the pieces were indeed crunchy and the thin rings really snapped in my mouth. The garlic yogurt dip had bits of cucumber in it, and the chevre was nice and rich. I'd have to say these were better than the ones from Yew.  Part Two of the Express Two Course Lunch is a pasta dish, since we didn't really feel like Fish and Chips. So we went with a Cavatelli Amatriciana, made with a herby tomato sauce, some smoked pork cheek. The cavatelli pasta is a short pasta, similar in size to penne, but instead of being hollow, the pasta sort of curls up into itself. The beauty of this is that the sauce has ample of opportunity to get into the nooks and crannies. The grilled grape tomatoes were super sweet and bursting with juices. I am still of two minds on the pork cheek, it's not a what I expected. When I see pork cheek on the menu, I immediately think of braised pork cheek, but this was better. The skin maintained a porchetta-like crunch while the meat itself had strong hints of smokiness, reminiscent of bacon. I think I liked it, but I just didn't expect it to have that crunch.  Onto the final main course,this was the Knuckle Sandwich, made with lobster, shrimp and some apple for crunch. There is a small side salad to accompany the sandwich, but the star of the show is definitely the sandwich. The bread is a soft brioche, with a signature "H" stamped on the top. There was a lot of lobster and plenty of baby shrimp, but I found the dressing to be a bit too much. It was nice and tangy, but there was just too much of it and made the sandwich a bit less refined as it could have been. I  like things lightly dressed, and usually, I remember to make the request, but I think this filling was probably already made as a batch (just a guess).

Take Note:

• Very knowledgeable staff, they know the dishes inside out and have great attention to detail
• Room is very cozy and warm, perfect for festive dinners over the holidays
• Express Lunch is only $19, good deal. 

Q4 Brunch Tasting

Last month, I was invited to Q4 Ristorante's relocated space at the old Lumiere for a Brunch/Lunch menu tasting. I've always loved the West Fourth location and have had many great meals there. Here are the new location, it's clear that they've done quite to bit of work to the room using both the DB Bistro space as well as BD Modern's.   The large dining room and bar is great with lots of natural lighting. The sleek bar is also fun and great for a casual bite.   This is their Breakfast Sandwich, made with sourdough toast, with two eggs, ham, cheese with a pesto sauce. It's a generous portion, and for just $10, it's a pretty good option. Note, the additional protein (bacon) is a side order.  Here is another great starter for brunch, the quintessential Melon and Prosciutto combination. If you're dining with a few friends, this is a great sharing appetizer. 

Another light option is their Granola, Yogurt and Fresh Fruit cup...for those days when you're not in an indulgent mood. There are four Eggs Benny on offer as well, namely, the Lobster with avocado, one with Chorizo & pepperonata, a lighter Smoked salmon with a mascarpone dill, and a vegetarian option of Spinach, tomato confit.
If you are looking for something more decadent, be sure to give their Panettone toast, a try. This isn't your average French toast, not when it come with frangelico bananas and a chocolate hazelnut spread! Also available at Brunch is their Antipasto Bar, here we have one of my favourites, their Lamb Sausage. It has a great texture and the meaty flavour of the lamb is unmistakeable.   You can also give their Chorizo Hash a try, and it comes with caramelized onion,s corn, roasted garlic. Oh, and their chorizo is cured in wine. How can you go wrong.
And they are very well-known for their pastas, and there is no shortage of those on offer for brunch. You can't go wrong with their three choices: Spaghetti "bacon and eggs" carbonara, a Rigatoni with Bolognese ragout, and the fan favourite, Spaghetti Q4. Now, with all the picture taking out of the way, it's time to eat! We were treated to a miniature version of the Torpedo Panini, a weekday lunch item. It's a Q4 Meatball Sandwich and it's amazing. The meatballs are a blend of veal, pork and beef. Super tender and juicy, topped with a bit of pomodoro sauce for contrast. Here's a closeup of the mini version. The real version lands on your plate just as a torpedo would. Here is their version of a BLT, with Prosciutto, Arugula and Tomato aioli. This was a nice light sandwich, would be great if you're just looking for a small bite. Again, this is a taster size, yours will be larger for sure! Here we have the Chef's Salad, made with butter lettuce (my favourite), cucumber, egg, pancetta, and served with a gorganzola vinaigrette. I liked the fact that the dressing was not too heavy, since the gorganzola really packs a punch.  As I mentioned before, their pastas are amazing, and this risotto is no exception. Loaded with Caribbean Lobster, this dish is actually lighter than you would expect. The fresh peas are also a nice touch.  
For our last course, we had the Steak Frites. The fries are really crunchy, and goes well with the horseradish foam.  The beef is seared nicely, with a good amount of red in the middle, just the way I like it. Rounded out with some arugula and this is another excellent option for lunch. And to finish off the meal, we had the Q4 Napoleon, essentially, this is a macerated cherries, layered with whipped Marscapone, and with some caramelized phyllo pastry to hold it all together. Again, this is just a tasting portion, the real one comes stacked with layers of phyllo.
Their old location wasn't open for lunch (except during the holiday season), so it's great to see Chef Bradford's spin on the iconic Q4 dinner dishes, but made suitable for midday dining. Their location on Richards St. downtown, Q4 al Centro is also open for lunch on weekdays. 

Take note:

• Price points are fair, given the area
• Free Valet offered nightly
• Opens early (10:30am) on weekends for brunch

 

Simple Lunch at Hawksworth

One day when we were fed up with the lineups at various food trucks, my co-worker and I decided to forego the lines and headed to Hawksworth instead.

They had a Special of the Day, a Clams and Spaghetti dish. What I enjoyed about this dish is how the cherry/grape tomatoes were sliced into thirds, rather than halves. It's this kind of detail that I go out to eat for. If you're going to half a tomato, well, I can do that too. It takes much more patience to cut them into threes. Another noteworthy attention to detail is the lack of shells on the dish. I'd rather had a plateful of shelled clams rather than a big display of clam shells, all of which are empty.  

We also got the Hawksworth Beef Burger. I have to say, this was amazing. And I'm not just talking about the juicy burger, which was cooked to a perfect medium rare. The toasted bun was speckled with black and white sesame seeds, and you get  some butter lettuce, to make it worth your while, they slip in a few slices of bacon too! What's NOT to love! And OMG, the fries are out of this world. The thickly cut fries are divine, deep fried to a golden crisp on the outside, and totally soft and mashed on the inside, these were decadent. 
The only downside was that there were only six of them. I could have had another six. 

Lunch with the Office Gang at Tableau

After a busy RRSP season at work, a few of us decided to head out for a "Thank God It's Over/Celebratory Lunch" and chose Tableau for its proximity to our office. I have been several times before at their previous Voya at the Loden, but have yet to try this new incarnation.

Even though it was lunch time, the warm bread arrived while we were perusing the menu. Since I didn't have breakfast, we quickly devoured the soft chewy bread and decided on lunch. 

One of the choices was their Pappardelle and Mushroom with leeks and pine nuts. Although this looks like a very light sauce, it really served to showcase the mushrooms and pasta. It's a good meatless option. 

One of the lighter eaters of the group decided on the French Onion Soup. It's your usual gruyere laden cheesy goodness, broiled and bubbly. But because I didn't try it, I'm not sure how the broth actually was. Considering my co-worker finished it, I am going to say it was a good one! Just the look of the cheesy goodness won me over.

I was the porker of the group and decided to have one of the "Les Sandwichs". There is a veggie option with tomato, bocconcini and basil, as well as a BBQ Pulled Chicken with cheddar. But I decided to go with the Beef Brisket, sauerkraut and gruyere. 

I decided to get my sandwich with a salad, although you can choose frites or soup.  The salad was a bright mix of greens, carrots, radish and cheery tomatoes. This was a nice light start to the meal.

The sandwich was amazing. So rich, so perfectly stuffed with brisket, sauerkraut and cheese, I was amazed. I also loved the grilled bread, but boy, was it rich. This is one half of the sandwich and I think I had about a third of it before calling it quits. I think this would be enough for two people, maybe with another side salad to balance things out. 
They have daily feature, and I really want to go back on a Wednesday, because it's their Duck Confit lunch! 

Lunch with Work at Mosaic

I work really close to the Hyatt Hotel so on several occasions, we've had some working lunches there. Here is a compilation post of a few visits. Be sure to tell them you're there for a working lunch and they will show to you a larger than usual table, perfect for note-taking and spreading out papers.  

One visit in the winter resulted in a comfort food meal of French Onion Soup. It's hearty and cheesy. Not overly salty like some other places. They lose out to The Keg because they just didn't have the cheese that overflows and oozes over the bowl. The cheese was sufficient, but not excessive, which is what I liked.  

After having the soup, there was no way I could finish a whole sandwich. Fortunately, my co-worker also got a French Onion Soup, so we decided to split their Club House with bacon, and turkey. As expected, you get some tomatoes, cheese and lettuce. We both opted out of the mayonnaise but requested the garlic fries! Hey, we're healthy...not sadists!

On another even healthier occasion, I decided to get the Cobb Salad. I know it doesn't look very big, but it IS! Loaded with grilled chicken, bacon and egg...it was topped with some avocado, blue cheese and a lemon-dijon dressing. It's good if you're in the mood for healthy...and it's hearty too, I couldn't even finish it!