It's been a few months since my visit to Kimura for omakase, and knowing their menu changes frequently, I decided a revisit was in the making. A friend from YYC had heard great things about it all the way from cow-town, so I figured, why not?
Very weird eating a salad with chopsticks! The fish were a nice touch, but the parmesan was weird. I wasn't quite sure what to put all these flavours together. I found the dressing a little too oily, and a bit undersalted. But onward after eating the obligatory greens.
This is the cold plate and I regret I didn't write down everything on this platter. There was jellyfish, taro, Japanese squash, fish liver, and oysters. Some of the other things I didn't like and I ended up taking a small bite of everything just to "try". This differs from my past experience, where I inhaled absolutely everything!
Fresh oysters on the shell with a mignonette sauce...these were fresh and tasty! I liked that they weren't big like Fanny Bay oysters...these were like Kusshi...unfortunately, our server never told us what they were. Notice how two are dressed and one isn't? I'm sure it's because the undressed one is different, but I would have liked to know what was what, and why chef did that. Ah well, must sit at the sushi bar next time!
Salmon Carpaccio was amazing. Slices of salmon topped with vinegar for tang and a bit of sesame oil for flavour and richness. (not a smidgeon of wasabi in sight!). Eat this quick because the tangy vinaigrette could easily overcook the fish if you wait too long. This was a portion for one...so yes, very generous.
Then we got the yakitori dish. On the top was the Nasumaki, which is eggplant wrapped in chicken. I've never had eggplant this way, but it works! We also got some chicken bites as well as some pork. These were all good, and to be honest, I was craving cooked food after the salad, salmon and oysters! I think I would have like a bit more char on the skewers, but with the ventilation in the restaurant, it's probably best they didn't!
The next dish that came was a complete surprise...Ox Tail Braised with some really sad looking grilled potatoes and broccoli. The ox tail was huge, and very tender but the flavour profile was very mild. It could have used some more salt, spice or maybe some smokiness. I love ox tail and enjoyed this dish despite the slight blandness of the dish.
Another hot dish! Yay - perfect for winter! A hot bowl of Tofu Soup (not miso-based) with pork meatballs, yam noodles and shitake mushrooms. The broth was slightly oily and again, mild in flavour, but the pork meatballs were really good. I think the addition of a few more noodles would have benefitted the soup.
To finish off the dinner, we were presented with four pieces of nigiri...Ebi, Eel, Tuna and Salmon. Finally, wasabi arrives. I found it weird that the sushi came after the ox tail and the soup...but nevermind that. The sushi was good, and it was presented much nicer than the last time I had this. The knife cuts were more refined, and as with before, the rice to fish ratio was perfect. To sum up, if you want to revisit Kimura fora repeat of your previous experience, you will be disappointed. However, if you approach each visit with a brand new outlook, you will be pleasantly delighted. So yes, I will revisit, without any expectation that I will enjoy the best dish of my last meal. That was my problem this time; I was hoping for a repeat performance of the highlights from my last meal, and that served to cloud the whole experience. Learn from me!
One weekend this part winter, I went to Dinesty for the very first time. I was really looking forward to having some Sticky Rice Roll (Salty, of course), but they were sold out. So let that be a lesson to you...go early!
This is one of my favourite go-to dishes at Shanghainese dim sum places. It's simply Marinated Beef wrapped in a fried pancake. Yeah, meat rolled up in a pancake...it's like a fajita, but what gives it the Asian touch is the addition of green onions with hoisin sauce to make the beef and pancake lighter than you would expect.
We also got their Noodles topped with Home-made Meat Sauce. I don't think there was enough of the meat sauce, but that might just be a personal preference. I do like the shredded cucumber and egg on top...adds great texture to the noodles buried underneath. While I liked this dish, I found the addition of the cool cucumber and the room temperature egg hastened the cooling of this noodle bowl, and I like my food hot!
These are the Xiao Long Baos, filled with just the right amount of soup, and served piping hot. I like the slight chewiness of the skin, which were thin enough to balance the meatiness inside. I think these are one of the best in Vancouver, well, Richmond. There were four of us and we ordered two of these. Yes, they are that good.
Stewed pork in brown sauce...with a bit of Bok Choy. The brown sauce isn't spice, but rather a thick gooey sauce that slightly sweet and does a great job of permeating throughout the pork. Shred this up a bit and add a bit of the vegetable. Then, grab the steamed buns that accompany it and make yourself a sweet chinese sandwich!
These buns are so good...at a glance, these reminded me of madeleines! Soft and doughy, these are great for absorbing the sauce from the pork. Their sponginess is what I really cherish. You might find the pork a little bit fatty (I did) but the buns make up for it. Trust me.
Have you tried Kingyo? I was invited by VANEATS.ca to try their latest package...$19 for amazing 5 courses! I was smitten when I watched the video, showcasing all the yummy dishes I was going to sample!
The first dish we tried was their Sashimi Salad...loaded with salmon, scallop and amaebi. With organic greens and a light soy vinaigrette, this was a great palate cleanser to start the meal. The salmon portions were generous and the scallop was moist and sweet. The amaebi was head on...just the way I like it!
We also added a Cha-Su Rice Paper Roll, it's like a Vietnamese Salad Roll, but loaded with diced pork and veggies. If you are looking to add something to your tasting, I'd suggest this because it's like nothing on the courses you will get. The pork is very juicy, and the rolls are stuffed to the gills!
Next is the Chicken and Cod Spring Roll. Delicate chicken breast and cod rolled into a tight little cone, and then all deep-fried. Very nice crunch on the skin, and sliced chicken and cod were good and aplenty! The mayo soy dipping sauce is good too, adding some tanginess to the dish.
This is part one of the Mushroom and Tofu in a hot stone bowl. The deep fried tofu is topped with bonito flakes and okra. And yes, the bowl is insanely hot.
And here is the second part of the dish, a bowl of mushroom broth. To complete the dish, you pour this saucy goodness into the stone bowl...and wait for the sizzle!
And here is the completed dish. So great on a cold wintry day. Hot mushroom sauce ladled over fried tofu pieces. And the stone bowl ensures everything stays hot while you slowly enjoy the mushroomy goodness.
Our last dish was the negitoro roll, a generous portion of 6 pieces. The toro really stands out and the green onion is pared back to let the fish flavour shine. I loved the sprinkle of tobiko on the plate, as well as the seaweed paste, eliminating the need for soy sauce. Another pretty adornment is the tealight candle housed in a turnip case. Definitely a first for me!
See the yummy crispy lotus root chip? Yes, that garnish is present in almost all their dishes. So healthy and just a nice light crunch.
And to round off the meal...a tiny Almond Tofu. Very smooth and creamy, this dish was a nice light dessert. Unlike the dishes at some Asian restaurants, the almond flavour of this is very true to form, and not the chemically almond "paste" some places use as a substitute.
The bill comes with two frozen grapes, just like at another Izakaya. Not sure why, but this was nice pleasant touch. It's always nice to get something for free when you get the bill, right? For $19, you get everything I tried here, with the exception of the Rice Paper Roll. This is more than enough food for one person, and for $19, it's a heck of a deal!
Mahony & Sons has been opened for a few months now, and I finally got to try them for dinner last week! It's an Irish pub with a huge variety of other cuisines. Would you believe they have Thai Chicken Curry and Italian Thin Crust Pizzas too?
The day we visited was an insanely cold day, so we all started off with their French Onion Soup. It's a hot tasty concoction of Guinness (it IS an Irish pub after all!) & onion broth. There is also chunks of gammon bacon (made from the hindlegs/rump) in there, add extra depth and richness to the soup. And to top it all off, there is a crusty bread dunked into the soup and then smothered with cheese and broiled. This was really good and perfect way to start the meal and warm the tummy!
Here is a shot of the Mahony Platter. It's loaded with tons of the usual bar favourites and also some things that are not your average Appy Platter. Sauces are Honey Mustard, Tzatziki and something that seemed more like sour cream than anything else. Feel free to mix and match!
The Calamari is lightly breaded, and served with Tzataki and a sprinkle of red onion. The pieces are nice and small, a perfect bite-size portion. The calamari was cooked just enough, with a crispy breading and a nice chewy centre.
Next up were the ribs and wings. Now this is more like the appy platter you'd find at other sports bars. The wings were nice a spicy, with a cayenne rub. They were juicy and slightly wet with just a hint of stickiness. These were big meaty wings and drummettes, and really finger-licking good. The ribs were flavoured with a dry spice rub and cooked to a meaty crispness. A great meat-to-bone ratio here.
One unexpected favourite were the Fresh Cooked Potato Chips. I didn't really know what to expect, I think I was expecting potato wedges or chunky potatoes. But what came to the table was actually thinly sliced potatoes, deep fried to a crisp, but with a soft and tender inside. These were just lightly salted but that's all the flavouring it needed. I could definitely eat all of these, and more!
Also on the platter is the Focaccia Parmesan Bread...sliced into triangles, and richly flavoured with the parmesan, this was chewy and yummy! The Chicken Tenders were breaded with Panko, making it very light. I really liked these with the Honey Mustard Sauce.
We also tried the Mahi Mahi Tacos...loaded with fish and greens, this actually seemed healthier than anything else we tried. This is a great way to eat light, and if you're looking to share something as an appy? One of these for two people would be great.
We also tried two items off their Fall Menu...the first to arrive was the Truffle Mushroom Poutine. Ladled with gravy and cheese curds, this was an extraordinary poutine. I'm used to the usual cheese curd and "brown" sauce, but I have to admit, the addition of Truffles and Mushroom really elevates the dish. But be warned, this is definitely a main course meal, and not a simple side dish.
The other Fall Menu item I tried is their Paddy's Turkey Dip. This is Thanksgiving Dinner in a bun! There's stuffing, cranberry sauce with actual chunks of cranberries, all topped with slices of turkey (dark and white meat!) Oh, and you need to have that side of gravy for dipping! The bread really makes the dish, a nice yeasty and chewy bread quite similar to a baguette. You need a substantial bread to hold all this goodness in, and this one is up for the job!
One dish we were given to try was their Seared Jumbo Prawns. There are two versions of this available, one is a Thai curry sauce, but the one we tried was topped with a Moroccan style seasoning. You really do taste the cumin and turmeric spices in this dish, and they are heavier than in Middle Eastern cuisine, but that's the way it should be.
They have a Mahony Sundae Sampler...we started off with the Strawberry Cheesecake Sundae, made with vanilla gelato and topped with yummy strawberries! This was refreshing and very good
Another sundae we tried is the Chocolate Sundae, with the same vanilla gelato, but this time, topped with a Frangelico chocolate sauce, more strawberries , nuts and even some caramel for good measure.
The last sundae I tried was the Coconut Mango Gelato Sundae. I'm not a fan of coconut but I'm a huge fan of mango...and in gelato form? Oh yes, you bet I'm trying this. The sundae is topped with pineapple and some pecans. Nice and light, this ended up being my favourite dessert of the night!
Here is a shot of all three sundaes together and yes, those are our leftovers behind them. We totally over ordered, as usual. Funny thing? We polished off the desserts though! So next time you're in the Coal Harbour area and looking for a casual bite, give Mahony and Sons a try. They have a large menu and with a wide variety of items suitable for groups!
After a week on the Allure of the Seas, one of the things we were craving was DimSum. Not wanting to head into Richmond, we opted for something closer to home.
Talk about going back to basics...we just wanted plain comfort food dim sum, so we started off with the Har Gow (蝦餃). We loved it because it was the first real Chinese food we were eating in about 10 days. In reality, it was filled with plump shrimp but the skin was a bit thick, and not as translucent as some higher end places.
Another staple at dim sum is Chicken Feet (鳳爪) - fried, boiled and marinated. These were really good...richly red and nice and bony, just the way I like them!
The highlight of the lunch was the Eggplant - four pieces of stewed eggplant stuffed with deep-fried shrimp paste. Lots of shrimp and really tender eggplant. The flavours of the eggplant were fragrant, and the shrimp paste had a great bite to it. It was sweet and served to set off the eggplant perfectly. One of the best versions of this I've had in a long time.
As is my habit, I always try to try something new at every dim sum lunch and this one was no different. They had a sticky rice dumpling on the menu and I decided to give it a try. Since they are cartless, you order off a menu sheet, not knowing what you're going to get exactly. I imagined a sticky rice dumpling wrapped in a bread-like dough. I was surprised when it arrived as a dumpling, wrapped in a Sui Mai dough.
Once I took it off the dim sum basket, I dissected it to see what was going on inside. I was greeted with the usual sticky rice with dome shitake, dried scallop and various preserved meats. But be warned, this is a heavy dish. You eat one of these babies, and it will ruin your appetite for anything else...best to save this for last!
So although Prince isn't the best dim sum in town, it's a decent place for an afternoon lunch. I've heard that service can be slow, but if you stay the course and order the usual dim sum dishes, you'll be just fine.
The American Cheesesteak Company held a media event this past Tuesday and I was one of the first ones to arrive. Knowing how great their sandwiches are, this was an easy invite to accept.
I was early, arriving at 4pm, and the place was fairly calm. They asked me what I wanted to try, actually, Anthony Sedlak asked me what I wanted to try. He loves the whole menu but told me to pick two that really appealed to me. Once my mind was made up, meat got thrown onto the grill and we were rocking away! The sandwiches are all made to order, so onto the grill went the thinly shaved meat. In less than a minute, the meat was cooked and passed onto the "dressing station".
What you see here is The New Yorker, one of the "traditional" items on the menu. While many of the Specialty sandwiches are served with sauteed veggies (onions, mushrooms & peppers), this is one of the few that come with fresh veggies, so I had to try it. It's made with their shaved prime centre cut prime rib, loaded up with some sauteed mushrooms & peppers, but add some fresh shredded lettuce and sliced tomatoes. The gooey sauce you see there? House made roasted garlic mayo. This was a big sandwich, and super messy. I think sauce was dripping down my arm at one point, but oh, was it ever tasty! The fresh lettuce, the melted cheese whiz (yes, I went for the whiz), and the freshly cooked prime rib came together like magic.
The other one that I was really interested in trying was Le Bifteck...it's one of the Specialty sandwiches, and they had me at Double Cream Brie. Again topped with fresh arugula, this was made with caramelized onion compote and a smidgeon of dijon. The cheese melted so well, it honestly became part of the sauce. The arugula helps a bit to cut the richness, but in a duel between arugula and brie, the victor will be brie!
Another of the Specialty sandwiches was The Cowboy and this was made with the usual shaved prime rib, this baby was topped with bacon mayo, fried onion strings, cheddar cheese and a sweet & spicy bbq sauce. Yeah, this was like a BBQ on a bun.
The other sandwich I sampled was their Chicken Milanese...for you non-red-meat-lovers, this is a great option. The chicken breast is breaded and thinly sliced, and then topped with the tasty trio of grilled mushrooms, onions and peppers. For this sandwich, they chose the fontina cheese, which was rather mild but allowed the flavours of the tomato sauce to come through.
Oh, and you can't have a sandwich without fries...can you? I tried the ACC Fries, which are tossed with garlic and topped with shredded parmesan and some parsley. I decided to forgo the usual ketchup here, and instead opted for the Truffle Aioli Dip...you can see the specks of truffle in there. That was heavenly.
While I was chatting with Anthony, Omni TV showed up and he made a sandwich for them on the spot. Talking as he was cooking, it's easy to see his passion for serving up fresh food and ingredients at affordable prices. Check this place out next time you're hungry...and oh yes, they're licensed!
