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 Maenam, since I saw Angus An on Global TV this morning talking about Sen Pad Thai. Yes, I am very susceptible to TV advertising. We started off with a Grilled Thai Sausage and Crispy Rice Salad. 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. This was another appetizer meant for sharing, it's their Hot and Sour Soup with Halibut Cheek. 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. So this was my favourite dish of the night, their 8 Spice Ling Cod. 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.
Our final dish was our only curry, the Gang Kau, 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. This was a surprisingly good dinner. I had high expectations since Maenam was named Restaurant of the Year in 2016, 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.
A few months ago, I went to Burdock & Co 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! Since it's Spot Prawn 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! I've never tried Knotweed before but here it is, Roasted Knotweed with White Prosciutto and a Duck Hollandaise. It had a texture like hollow asparagus, but chewier. (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: Eat the Weeds) The hollandaise was on the lemony side and gave it a refreshing flavour. And who can say no to Prosciutto? The next dish was amazing, a Miso Caramel & Garlic Mirin Glazed Duck Leg. 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.
For just a touch of carbs, we tried the Fettucini with Sea Urchin Butter Sauce 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. Our final savoury dish was their Striploin. 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.
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 Kumquat and Messor's Olive Oil Cake 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. And for you chocolate lovers out there, I'd recommend the Chocolate Pot de Creme, 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. And talk about saving the best for last, this is their Meyer Lemon Curd Shortbread Meringue, 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... 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!
