QOTD

There are people I know who won't hurt me. I call them corpses.
Randy K. Milholland, Something Positive Comic

Last night...

DineOut is coming to an end, guess all things do have to end.
Headed down to Au Petit Chavignol for the first time, ready to try something new and exciting. First thing we noticed was the amazing carver they had...a brightly painted machine capable of effortlessly slicing paper-thin pieces of proscuitto and other meats.

Their wine list is pretty extensive, with a good selection of local and international wines, with a strong German bent. We got a bottle of BC Wine, called Freud's Ego from Therapy Winery...funny how you get something without realizing how much you needed it.

The wine was good, and the bottle was hilarious. I asked if we could bring it home – and it’s now proudly displayed with my other empties. Good thing I asked or else we might have forgotten once she decanted it.
Had a heck of a time trying to decide what to order…so many options. There were an $18 menu with a Soup du Jour or a Prosciutto di Parma starter, and a Four Cheese Mac and Cheese or Cheese and Charcuterie Plate for the main. The $28 had an Arugula Salad or Jamon Serrano to start, followed by a Bacon Gruyere Mac and Cheese or another Cheese and Charcuterie Plate.

After much analyzing (almost 30 mins) we settled on one order of the $18 and one order of the $28. Both orders come with Petite Chocolate Cookies.
The Prosciutto was from the cheaper menu, but was by far the better of the two. Maybe it was because it was aged 24 month instead of the 12 month that the Jamon Serrano was aged? The Serrano was drizzled with an olive oil that was amazing, something called Mas d’en Gil. So although the Jamon wasn’t as good as I expected, the olive oil was outstanding.

The little baguette slices were perfect with the meats, but the rosemary crackers were way too powerful for the delicately flavoured meats. We decided to save it for the Cheese and Charcuterie plate instead.

Next was a piping hot Four Cheese Mac n Cheese…Totally decadent, piping hot when it landed on the table, and just smelled like home. A generous portion for two people to share, it was so sumptuous! If you attempt to eat the whole thing…they’d have to roll you out of there.

The entree from the $28 was a Cheese and Charcuterie Plate that came with a Pate Perigord, which is a pork pate with a heart of foie gras. Also on the plate were two cheese, a Roubine de Noyan from Quebec (very brie like with a soft rind) and a 21 month old Comte de Montagne from France (reminiscent of a Spanish manchego).

Both stood up to the rosemary crackers quite well. The 4 petit cornichons were good as well, but the quince paste we could have done without. It was the only thing left on the plate when we were done.

The Petit Chocolate Cookies arrived in two separate paper bags…still warm and fragrant. I had two and they were the softest cocoa pillows I’ve had in a long time. There was still nine left after another was one eaten…good portions again.

The only downside came when we paid the bill. They brought the portable machine over, tried it twice without any luck. Then  someone said that their credit/debit machine hasn't been working for the past hour or two. We were then told to walk to the credit union down the street to get some cash. Now, if it were two girls, neither of us would have felt safe wandering around the 800-block of East Hastings around 9pm at night. And admittedly, a bank/communication error isn’t their fault but something just didn't feel right.

Life isn't about waiting...

...for the storm to pass, it's about learning how to dance in the rain.

Why I Love My Job - Reason #89

We had a work function this evening…bowling at Commodore Lanes. Last year, I didn’t bowl...I had bruised my wrist. This year, as part of the Social Committee, I was the photographer.
Afterwards, we walked over to Sala Thai for dinner. We ordered their appetizer platter, a seafood curry, and veggie dish, and a pad thai as well. Too bad I forgot to take photos.

On another note, the Canucks played their second game in Chicago, and got smoked. It’s a good thing that the tv at Sala Thai was too small for me to see the action during dinner. Plus my phone died also disabling me from checking the score on Score Mobile.
It wasn’t until I got home that I realized the loss we suffered.

Surprise Sunday

I don’t eat fried chicken. That being said, Church’s is the only fried chicken I ever eat. So when a friend called on Sunday evening offering to bring dinner, I said, “Surprise me”. My only stipulation? No Pho, McDonalds, sushi or pizza. So when he showed up at the door with a bag behind his back, I was uber curious. Church's is served!

I love eating the dark meat, which is always juicer than white meat. The crispy skin is great, but I soak it with the pickled jalapeño juice and seeds until the skin radiates with heat.

I then did my ritual: loaded up the paper serving trays with four packs of ketchup and 6 bags of pepper. There were fries too, freshly made to order. And since these fries are so much heartier than the McD fries, it stands up well to gravy. A box of fries and a tub of gravy. Harmony done right.

Decadence is dinner!

Smores Saturday

Yay, it's Round Two, Game 1. The best to watch it? Earls Bridge Park in Burnaby. Woke up at the first intermission from a well-deserved nap. Mad love to the hostess who took our call and saved us a seat at the lounge. Got the Dry Ribs to start, as my friend had been craving it. It’s almost like the Big Mac from McDonalds – you have to get it, you know it’s going to be good, and no matter where you go, it’s the same!
Started the night (er, evening) with a bottle of the Perrin & Fils Cotes Du Rhone wine. Yes, a whole bottle...live on the edge people. You can always bring it home if you can't finish it!

The Dry Ribs were perfect…salty and peppery, and juicy little riblets. Love the way you have to eat them with your hands, but your hands don’t get greasy because the ribs are juicy, but not greasy. There’s always just enough meat on each piece to make it worth sucking on the bone…just saying.

As good as we were trying to be, we needed to order another dish. We were deciding between the Certified Angus Beef Top Sirloin Sandwich and the Sicilian Pizza. A desire for the tried and true won out and we went the pizza route.

What could be more satisfying than salami, capicollo and bacon, baked with cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese? Once we received our requested condiments of chilli flakes and parmesan cheese, we were sitting pretty. Besides we were saving room for dessert.

Campfire Smores made it back onto the menu. If you have a sweet tooth, stop reading. What's better than a sandwich made with homemade graham cookies, filled with chococlate and marshmallows and drizzled with chocolate sauce? When you get TWO with every order. Plus they serve it with a scoop of chocolate and vanilla gelato. Wow…sugar heaven…hands down!

Dim Sum at NingTu

Whenever I go to NingTu for lunch, there are two items that I just have to order. The Siu Loong Bau (steamed soup dumplings Shanghai style) and the Chee Fan (sticky rice stuffed with Chinese donut, pork floss and preserved vegetables). Everything else is gravy. This time, we rounded out the meal with Green Onion Pancake and Pork Chop in Noodle Soup.

First to arrive was the Chee Fan. A little disappointing in appearance, since the two end pieces were falling off the edges of the plate, so it wasn’t as “rolled” as it should be. Most Shanghai dimsum places serve their rolls still wrapped in saran wrap, to avoid this. Appearances notwithstanding though, the roll was perfect. Crunchy donut (some places cheap out and give you stale ones), lots of pork floss for the salty flavour and diced preserved veggies for added crunch.

The Green Onion Pancake was next, and there were two golden rounds of flour with loads of green onions…perfect for a green onion lover! Not as oily as I expected, thankfully, but still piping hot with a doughy chew softness.

The Pork Chop in Noodle Soup came and they were the only mild disappointment in the whole meal. The pork chop was fried well, nice and golden in colour but the noodles and soup were bland. But never fear, hot sauce to the rescue!

The Siu Loong Bau came last, and there were 8 cute little dumplings sitting atop of thinly sliced carrot, to prevent bursting as you peel it off the bottom of the steamer with your chopsticks. Gently dip the dumpling into the vinegar, and then carefully bite through the skin, releasing the juicy soup inside. Oh wow…delicious!

We only had the green onion pancake left and one section of the Chee Fan to pack home. Comfort food, Chinese style.
Note: this place is Cash Only...something my dining campanion will attest to as he had to go grab cash so we didn't have to wash dishes...

Sprained my Arm...

Stayed home from work today due to a workout injury. Between the chest and incline presses that I did, as well as the various planks and other bench related exercises that I’ve been doing, I must have pulled something in my arm, and pulled it bad. I didn’t notice the pain right away, but there was definitely pain involved when I was driving home yesterday. I couldn’t make a turn using my right arm only. The next thing that made me realized it was the pain I got when trying to open the fridge for a Coke Zero! Emailed my boss last night to advise her of my stupidity.
Woke up early this morning but just couldn’t get out of bed. In desperate need of soothing food and shameless pampering. Since I can’t really drive, I enlisted my friend to help me out by taking me to lunch at NingTu (review here)…and to Costco…and to the liquor store.
Had to get TP from Costco. I’ved been living on my own for 9 months and this is the first time I have bought TP for my place. I’ve been mooching off my mom this entire time…shameful!

Got a ton of new magazines and enough European sausages to have my very own sausage fest tonight! Yes, I took them out of the original packaging...and repackaged into ziploc baggies in a less menacing portion...only 4 at a time. Wonder if they shrink in the freezer?

Staying in for an old school WAP night, (Wine and Austin Powers) night. It’s an old school tradition and one that has been forgotten for way too long. The race is on to see who can recite more lines from the movie…we opted for AP #2 with just a touch of Liz Hurley and a whole lot of Heather Graham. Hmmm, he thinks the crochet dress would be one wicked Halloween costume…I just need to get a wig…and the body!

Salads and Sliders at Cactus Club Cafe

Had another unexpected lunch out today during work, this time at the Cactus Club Cafe located in Bentall 5. Last week’s surprise at Joey’s was delightful (review here), but I can’t bring myself to go there so often. Instead we headed over to Cactus, at noon. There was a short lineup, but we decided to sit at the bar and only waited about 10 mins. Although it was weird to sit at the bar and not drink, both of us had to head back to the office, so no liquid lunch today.

Deciding to be a bit healthy after the recent DineOut extravaganzas at the Granville Island Keg (review here) and Zakkushi (review here), we ordered the Spinach Salad. Okay, the fact that we saw it paraded past us with generous servings of prosciutto had persuaded us too. But we can’t be too healthy here, so we compensated for it by getting the Mini Burgers.

The salad was flanked by prosciutto at each end, loaded with spinach, sprinkled with goat cheese and candied pecans, with chunks of pickled beets on the bottom. Since we were sharing, I divided up the salad, and then remembered to take a photo. Well, then I was reminded to take a photo. This is maybe one-third of the salad here, so there is lots to go around.

Saw some people around us having actual burgers so, when our Minis arrived, I did experience a moment of burger-envy. Happy to report that bigger is not necessarily better in this case. The burgers we peeked at looked a little bare, lacking adornment and sauciness. Our little minis had a nice soft bun, some mustard/mayo blend, and bacon as well as melted cheese. It was a pretty good burger, definitely not the typical more bun than patty deal. I found myself eating it clockwise, instead of top to bottom. Does that make sense? Just picture this, my final bite was the middle of the burger, not an edge.

All washed down with good old Vancouver tap water…no complaints here. Satiated and sashayed back to the office, all in under 75 minutes.

DineOut - Day Two (Happy Bday, B)

Another DineOut dinner tonight. This time at Zakkushi. In my opinion, prix fixe meals work better as a 3+ course meal, and Japanese food has always seemed like a big one-course deal, so I was a little hesitant. Here is their menu.
I was concerned if there would be enough food, or enough variety. Well, I needn’t have worried. The food was amazing, plentiful and beautifully presented. I should have brought my camera along instead of relying on my blackberry for all the foodie shots.
There were two choices for appies and three choices for entrees (one was vegetarian and summarily excluded from contention). With 4 people eating, we decided to do two of each and call it a day.

The Fisherman’s Favourite (Sashimi) was amazing, fresh and sweet, bite-sized pieces of salmon, tuna, yellowtail, toro, uni and even amaebi! I thought the serving portion of 10 pieces was very generous, and any fear I had about lack of food was gone. The Antipasto Trio was really different On one end was the Gomaae, which was flavoured with a mild peanut sauce and served with a generous sprinkling of sesame seeds. The beef tataki slices were thinly sliced and served with green onions and grated daikon alongside. The Kimpira was something new to me, but the crunchy lotus root gave the dish the texture it was lacking.

The entrées were so beautifully presented. The Charcoal Grill Intensity was a meat lovers delight. Part One consisted of four skewers of meat. There was the chicken meatball, a skewer each of chicken thigh and pork, and a skewer of garlic stubs wrapped with pork. Truly delicious and welcomed after the 10 slices of sashimi I had. Part Two of the entrée was the Beef Steak Don. Served in a little wooden bowl, the presentation was very pretty. At first glance, there didn’t seem like a lot of food inside, but once you start digging, there was plenty of rice and even more beef to go around.

The second choice was The Japanese Tradition with a distinctly seafood bent. We started with a Bouillabaisse, with loads of shellfish, salmon and cod, along with corn and potato. Not to be outdone by the Grill selection, this choice was accompanied by 6 generously sized nigiri sushi. And they didn’t try to trick you with Tamago or Haddock-based imitation crab. All 6 pieces were quality sushi, each with a little dollop of wasabi placed inside, not your run of the mill AYCE sloppiness.
Needless to say, we were stuffed by this point (and I had completely forgotten about taking photos, again), yet we still had dessert coming. We again had two to choose from, the matcha tiramisu, and the black sesame and yuzu ice cream. I was the lone brave one to test out the tiramisu, and was pleasantly surprised. There was just a very slight taste of green tea, almost like an aftertaste. The black sesame ice cream was similarly light in taste, in fact, it was light in appearance too and looked to be green tea ice cream. The yuzu scoop was very refreshing after the sweetness of both the tiramisu and the black sesame. There were actual citrus peel in it too, a very nice touch.
Overall the meal was amazing, lots of food, lots of variety, and presentation that really displayed the artistry of Japanese cuisine. For all of you who stick to the AYCEs, it’s time to give it a try. To those of you who love your Hapa and Guu, this is definitely worth checking out…you won’t be disappointed.
And one very odd thing…there bathrooms are very cool. I only have photos of the women’s washroom, and even then, I felt very weird heading into the bathroom with a camera. The size of it is tiny, reminiscent of a airplane bathroom, but the ceiling is richly textured, and the faucet is really unique.

The tap is on the wall, attached to a stone-like display. The water trickles out from a bamboo pipe (reminded me of the bamboo sake from Hapa). Heard the men’s bathroom was just as off the wall, but I will have to take my friend’s word for it…for now.
Note: only the location on Main is part of DineOut, their other locations on Denman and Fourth are not.