A little bit of a lot of things - Burdock & Co

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!

Cravings at Cravings

There's a big of a hidden gem in the Marpole area that my parents discovered but I've been slow to try. If you live in the area, you probably know Cravings, but it's quite tucked away and barely any signs directing you towards the restaurant. Two servers and the chef actually purchased the restaurant from the original owner in September 2012. 
For a healthy starter, we opted for the Caesar Salad. This was a fairly classical rendition of the item, with romaine tossed in a homemade dressing and croutons. I could have used more of the Grana Pandano Parmesan and more bacon never hurt anyone. But if this was an ample portion and tasty. I added more pepper to some punch but otherwise, this was fairly good.  
Another Salad option was their Roasted Squash Salad which actually had two large pieces of roasted squash. The spinach was topped with some candied pecans and Feta. The dressing was really light with a bit of honey vinaigrette and some balsamic vinegar. 
For our appetizer, we tried their Chicken Wings with a salt and pepper crust and a bit of Hot Sauce on the side. These were not breaded which I appreciated. They were quite meaty and had a crisp exterior. The hot sauce wasn't overly spicy but had a good heat into it. We opted out of the celery and ranch but you could add it for just an  extra $1. 
For a bit of a comfort food feel, we decided to get the Macaroni & Cheese. The addition of bacon and jalapeño gave the dish some novelty. It could have been cheesier, but I say that about everything. A bit of panko topped the dish prior to baking, giving it a good crunch. There was absolutely nothing wrong with this dish and I really enjoyed the garlicky bread that accompanied the dish. 
We had a child with us and the go-to is  the Grilled Cheese from the Kids Menu. I liked the use of the multigrain bread, making an otherwise nutritionally weak food just a bit better. The fries were really good though. I didn't actually try the sandwich, but considering it's a fairly simple dish, I would expect that it was average. 
For the adult entrees, we started with a Fig & Chicken Linguine. The fig was barely noticeable, but the chicken was nice and juicy, though there could have been a bit more. The arugula was slightly wilted, after being tossed in with the hot linguine. The white wine butter sauce was really light, barely noticeable, but the goat cheese and cherry tomatoes really stood out as a result. 
Our third chicken dish of the night, a Chicken & Portobello Wrap. It was essentially the same as the pasta dish, but with the addition of the portobello mushrooms. The arugula was replaced with spinach, but the same goat cheese and balsamic dressing was the same. It was a light entree, which was what I wanted but it seemed a bit like cafeteria food to me. There was nothing there that elevated it. 
As I mentioned, we had a child with us and the default dessert is always Ice Cream, Chocolate ice cream to be exact. I thought this was a bit expensive, $5.50? And if you wanted a soy ice cream, it was $6.50! 
Normally, we don't order dessert for the "grownups" but we did this time, two of them in fact. The first was their Vegan Brownie, with a scoop of French Vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of warm caramel sauce. This was a much better deal at $6 than that simply scoop of ice cream above.  
And for me, I splurged on the Lemon Meringue Pie. It was a good version of the classic, with a lemon custard (rather on the sweet side though) and a thick layer of soft meringue. I prefer my custard on the tart side, but the description on the menu did say that it was a sweet lemon curd. 

Take Note: 

• Similar ingredients used throughout the menu
• Service in the lounge (versus dining room) can be a bit of a miss
• 3-course menu available for $26 as well as a full Gluten Free menu