Fraiche Restaurant - West Vancouver

Sorry, no pics - Hubbs felt it might ruin the romantic mood of our 4th anniversary dinner ;) We made an impromptu last minute decision to go out for dinner to celebrate 4 glorious years of marital bliss, and I picked Fraiche because it has been on my brain ever since I discovered it a few weeks before V-day. I had tried making reso's then, but they were of course completely booked. Next year I'm booking in October ;)

This time we made early reso's and it was on a week night, so they had room and even a table with a view. The restaurant is located in one of the highest points in West Van and thus overlooks the cityscape of Van (particularly near the Stanley Park seawall area). An incredibly romantic place, and quite upscale; the dress code is business casual (at minimum) and the fellow sitting near us who wore a t-shirt probably felt pretty sheepish about his clothing choice ;) I wore a cocktail dress, and most ladies there did the same, so that should give you an idea what to expect ;)

Anyway, Hubbs and I both got starters, he the crab cake and I the foie gras. I think he enjoyed his crab cake (it was pretty yummy from the sampler I got). The foie gras I had was the best foie gras I have ever had, even better than the "Meat and Potato" appie at Hardware Grill in Edmonton. The foie gras was perfectly (and lightly) seared, and so delicate and flavourful and deliciously fatty and smooth that it made my heart flutter. The other part of the foie gras, the "pate" version, was also rich and smooth and paired beautifully with the crispy flatbreads that accompanied it. The clincher though was the candied pineapple that came with the foie gras. The slightly acidic juices were the perfect compliment to the creamy texture of the foie gras.

I could have eaten a pound of foie gros, I'm sure. However, I held back and waited patiently for the main entree. Hubbs had a pasta that came with lobster and sablefish, and I had their rack of lamb. Again, judging from Hubbs finishing all of his meal, I think he liked what he had. My lamb was very tender and roasted such that it was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. I've not always loved lamb but this particular preparation was very very good.

For dessert (we made room), I had the creme brulee and Hubbs had the sticky toffee pudding. My creme brulee was good but not particularly stand-out (save for the wonderful "Happy Anniversary" message written in chocolate on my plate), whereas Hubbs' dessert was incredible. Next time I will probably order the toffee pudding instead; it was aromatic and just a decadent and rich dessert to finish off the evening.

Service was great; our server was very helpful and friendly and professional without being snooty. Given the eliteness of the restaurant, his attitude was refreshingly normal and approachable. I very much enjoyed the view and the absolutely wonderful fare. We've already decided we need to save up and come back every season just because we liked it so much!

Fraiche is a great place to celebrate anniversaries and other major occasions, though the place isn't very affordable so it's one of those "save up to go" sort of restaurants. The view is breath-taking, probably moreso at night, so I'd advise going for a late dinner rather than an early one like we did. Do take pictures because it is truly a spectacular view of Vancouver from their dining room; I will next time. :)

Service: 4.5 out of 5

Food: 4.5 out of 5

Sequoia Grill - The Teahouse

Hubbs and I have been eating out a lot. We did the seawall walk a few weeks ago and stopped by the Teahouse for lunch. We had a hard time finding the Teahouse since its real name is Sequoia Grill and happens to be located in a teahouse, which is where the nickname comes from.

Anyway, we got to sit on the deck outside in the sunshine. After having walked to Stanley from our Coal Harbour home, and from the one end of the seawall all the way to Third Beach, we were pretty hungry. We decided to share an appy and order sandwiches.

The ahi tuna was seared perfectly and done really well. Hubbs loved it, and I enjoyed it too (but likely not as much as he did).

Next, the sandwiches. Hubbs had a shrimp clubhouse sandwich while I had the chicken breast BLTC burger. Hubbs liked his sandwich but found it a little lacking in flavour; he does a spicy shrimp salad for his own sandwiches and personally, I think this has spoiled him for all other shrimp salad sandwiches to come.

My BLTC was yummy. A bit drippy/messy but I devoured it all; the bacon was a nice thick kind and very smoky and flavourful, and the chicken breast was moist and filling. I even liked my wedge fries, although they gave me so many that it was an impossibility to try to finish them all off. I think I picked out all the crispy ones ;)

Service was friendly, the standard for most upper-scale restaurants. Some of the other patrons on the patio were obviously among the wealthy "elite," the sort of folks that I find a bit too snooty to want to interact with. Such is to be expected, though; this isn't a cheap burger joint, and it is reflected in both the clientele and the prices. However, the dining experience is very pleasant and proper, making the lunch enjoyable overall.

The Teahouse would be a great date place, and very romantic at sunset I imagine. Be prepared to spend money if you go, however; it's not the sort of location you want to roll into every week wearing your holey jeans and sweat shirt.

Service: 4 out of 5

Food: 3.5 out of 5

Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company

Maybe we're just suckers for thin-crust pizza, or maybe we were weakened by our famished state, but Hubbs & I really enjoyed Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co. Sans reso, we popped in for some flatbread pizza one warm evening. The prices were affordable, the atmosphere relaxed and friendly (and family-friendly, too), and the aroma of authentic fire-roasted thin-crust pizzas made the wait nearly unbearable.

Hubbs had the seafood pizza with wild boar bacon and Quallicum scallops, while I had one with prosciutto, fresh basil and mango; it may have been their special because it's not on the online menu.

It's a pretty chill place, and one we plan to return to. Go for a quick bite of yummy and unique pizzas. It isn't the cheapest pie in the city but the price is justified by its wholesome and fresh ingredients.

Service: 4 out of 5

Food: 4 out of 5

Bon's Off Broadway

Sometimes it's foolishness to try something new. Sometimes it's just smarter to stick with what you know. Such was the case with breakfast one morning. We should have gone to our weekly favourite, Paul's Omelettry, but since it wasn't Sunday yet, Hubbs thought perhaps we should try something different.

Using Urbanspoon on his iPhone, we located Bon's, which seemed to have a number of good reviews. There was also a line up that went out the door. Both, we felt, were positive first signs. How wrong we turned out to be!

We waited a long time for a table, then to get our order taken, then to get food. The whole ordeal lasted well over an hour from line-up to departure. Not only that, but the line-up wasn't exactly a nice collection of elderly folks. There were some pretty rough lookin' individuals there waiting to get in on the $2.95 breakfast, and these are the type of people who've seen a lot of life on the other side of the tracks, if you get my drift.

Bon's was also pretty dirty and run down, and had the looks of a place that doesn't care much about upkeep. My coffee cup saucer had a big chip on it. The whole feel was...dingy. The food wasn't much better. Hubbs' pancakes were huge but I far prefer IHOP's. His bacon tasted like some cheap no-name bacon, rather than something organic or locally-produced or Maple Leaf, even. My perogy breakfast was icky too. They pan grilled the dumplings and stuck them on top of a mound of half-grilled onions. The sour cream was stiff like cream cheese. My Ukrainian sausage slices (they were round and flat) tasted stale and slightly freezer-burnt.

The service was slow, but only because the poor girl serving was one of only two servers covering the entire place. Now this restaurant is probably nearly twice the size of Paul's, and Paul's usually has 3-4 servers working the floor; that gives you an idea as to how understaffed they were at Bon's.

The price was right, of course...cheap cheap cheap. No wonder there were so many rave reviews; I should really keep in mind that for a lot of people, quantity, when inversely correlated with price, is directly correlated with favourability. That is, if you get lots and lots of food for the dollar, you'll give a rave review even if the food is crap.

We originally thought the place would be funky, sort of like Sophie's or Joe's Grill, but whereas those other places had some alternative-culture funk to them, this place just seemed grimey and cheap. Maybe in its heyday Bon's was a hip place to go, but times, they are a-changin'. So maybe I'm missing it, but I don't see the appeal.

Conclusion: don't go. Stick with what you know. If you do go, be warned; it's not for the clean or the sheltered.

Service: 2.5 out of 5

Food: 2 out of 5

Quattro on Fourth

I'm getting lazy. Nowadays, I find myself more inclined to blog only if the food somewhere is horrendously bad or amazingly good. Consider this the latter. Upon our return from E-town, Hubbs took me to dinner at Quattro on Fourth. I'm not sure where he heard about the place from (I think it was Vancouver magazine) but he really wanted good Italian, so we made a reso and off we went.

Secluded behind shrubbery, the corner location of Quattro on 4th makes it very cozy and intimate. We were one of only 5-6 tables there (late Sun. night) and so the service was attentive, though I found the dishes did take a bit of waiting.

Hubbs & I both did appies and pasta; he had the crab & sablefish cakes to start, followed by the famous Spaghetti Quattro. I had the grilled radicchio bocconcini followed by their house-made gnocchi with bbq duck confit. Both of our appies were delicious, though I think I liked mine a bit more than Hubbs' given that I found his cakes a bit salty for my tastes; my radicchio was well-grilled and the cheese inside was just a bit gooey, making it a great texture contrast to the slightly crisped lettuce.

I also loved my gnocchi (a seasonal dish); it was tender, and a perfect flavouring complement to the duck and the bacon and the peas. It also wasn't too heavy, but was seasoned and spiced in such a way that upon reheating leftovers, I had my colleagues drooling ;) Hubbs can't stop thinking about his spaghetti, which is made with minced chicken breast, black beans, and a garlicky tomato coating. I hesitate to say sauce because it wasn't saucy so much as it was a flavoured olive oil, though it did have chunks of tomato in it. Hubbs loved it. I believe it's the best spaghetti he has ever had (that's what he says, anyway).

So far, this has been our favourite Van Italian eatery. It was romantic, upscale (but not ridiculous - think about $20 for pasta entrees), and the food was tasty. Service was professional and friendly without the server pretending to be our friend (I hate when they do that). Quattro on 4th is a great "special occasion" or romantic date restaurant, and we'll definitely be back soon. :)

Service: 4.5 out of 5

Food: 4.5 out of 5

B.C. Sushi

On Sunday, Hubbs & I needed to find a quick and relatively healthy restaurant to eat lunch at, before our afternoon meeting/class.  Neither of us was particularly hungry, but we were both well aware that if we waited until after our commitment to eat, we'd be ravenous and it wouldn't be pretty.

We picked B.C. Sushi because it was the first sushi restaurant we came across that was near the church, and also because it had AYCE for $11/person.  Usually, when we have maki rolls, we spend around $35-40, so we figured this was a good deal and would afford us some variety in our roll and sushi choices.

We were served piping hot green tea upon arrival.  We ordered right away, too, and sampled the B.C. roll, the dynamite roll, the chopped scallop roll, and one other roll whose name escapes me (but I know it had avocado, salmon, and tuna in it).  We also each had a piece of salmon and tuna nigiri, and a mini order of gyoza.  When the rolls arrived, we were surprised by a few things:

-the size of each roll piece was quite large, like how most "specialty rolls" are

-the server gave us a double portion of BC roll, so we got 6 instead of 3 pieces of it

-the salmon and the tuna sushi were both rather flavourless, all things considered

Generally, Hubbs & I aren't super picky sushi eaters, though we know what we like.  I mean, we even enjoy Richmond Sushi and Tomokazu, so we're familiar with AYCE's fish quality being less stellar than places like Ajisai, and we're okay with it.  However, even with its cheaper prices, B.C. Sushi doesn't make the cut.  The rolls weren't all that flavourful and they all tasted similar.  The fish wasn't all that fresh, and the gyoza were greasy and the skin wasn't pan-fried to a crisp.  We thought the whole lunch experience was...MEH.

Would we go back?  Likely not.  There were several tables there when we were there, so I assume there are some who like the place.  We're just not among those; our tastes aren't so indiscriminate that we could consider B.C. Sushi a good, or even a decent, place for Japanese food.

But hey, it was quick, and it was cheap.  For many, those are the only two standards that matter, and I suppose if you decide to eat there, you'll find such a population of diners eating to their heart's content.

Service: 3.5 out of 5

Food: 2.5 out of 5

 

Season in the Park

On the day of the parking-lot stabbing at the restaurant (but several hours prior to it), Hubbs & I, and our friends N & J, went to Seasons in the Park for dinner. Our friends are planning to have their wedding reception here, I think, so we were there to scope out the joint.

It's a gorgeous restaurant with awesome views of the city from its raised elevation; we sat by the window so we saw some great city skylines as the sun set. The restaurant is also quite unique in that it's circular in shape, with a circular platform in the middle of the restaurant. In the very middle of the place there is a gorgeous large chandelier that dangles into the oddly-shaped tree that is growing up from the center of the circle.

We had a super friendly server who came by promptly to take drink orders. Hubbs & I shared the cornmeal-crusted Fanny Bay oysters, while N & J had the carrot & ginger soup and caesar salad, respectively. The oysters were delicious and just lightly fried; I could have used a crispier crust, but that's just because I like things fried to a crisp. The oysters were delicious and fresh and were accompanied by a pea shoot & fennel salad that we didn't finish.

For the main event, Hubbs had a colossal prawn duo and I had the duck two ways. Hubbs' prawns really were large; they looked bigger than some lobster tails I've had. Though not as sweet as the BC spotted prawns, his two prawns were still quite crispy in texture and had a mildly sweet aftertaste. My duck leg confit was a little fatty (yum!) and its skin was very crispy, though perhaps the leg lacked a bit of its own flavouring. It ended up absorbing the hoisin and 5-spice flavours of the sauce. The duck breast was tender and had just the perfect amount of skin on it to be rich, but not overly artery-clogging. I really enjoyed my dish, and it was exactly what I needed to curb my duck craving. I also really liked the shittake mushroom rosti that accompanied my entree. Overall, I really can't complain since the entree was a reasonable $28 and it was very very good.

Though I was pretty full by the end of my meal, I opted for a dessert anyway, and ordered their daily cheesecake (almond). It was a generously-sized round piece of cake, and I appreciated that the texture of the cheese was smooth and not too sweet. The almond flavour was also prominently featured, which I liked. Hubbs' creme brulee was good and also very largely portioned, but like a trooper he ate it all ;)

Our server was really friendly and helpful, and quite prompt with her service. No complaints in that department.

Overall, I'd say that Seasons in the Park is one of those nicer, dress-up restaurants that you really should check out on a sunny evening. It's a fantastic date-night sort of place, and romantic during the sunset hour. Prices are not super steep, though not inexpensive either; it's definitely a save-up-to-go sort of place where you really don't want to cheap out when you're actually there. Given its location in the heart of Queen Elizabeth Park, it's also a good place to go for a lovely stroll either pre-or post-dinner. We'll definitely be back, and not just for N & J's wedding ;)

Service: 4.5 out of 5

Food: 4.5 out of 5

The Crime Lab

Hubbs &  I are big big C.S.I. fans, so a restaurant called the Crime Lab obviously caught our attention.  N & A generously took us out for dinner a few nights ago so that our curiosity about the place could be satisfied.

We arrived sans reso, and it looked like they were quite busy.  We did manage to get seated anyway, at a booth/table that was close to the patio.  We really should've sat on the patio, though, since it was heated and the patio chairs had blankets on them for patrons to use. Anyway, we ordered our drinks and meals and then the wait began.  At one point my server returned to tell me that they had run out of pork loin chops, so I had to rechoose my entree.  I wasn't thrilled with having to go with Plan B.

Maybe it was because it was a Sunday night, but the restaurant was incredibly busy.  We had to wait quite a while for our food, and then our order got messed up so that A & I got our meals about 10 min. before Hubbs & N got theirs.  The staff there obviously felt bad about the mess-up, though, because they generously offered the table a complimentary round of drinks *and* an appy of yam fries!  I love when serve staff are thoughtful that way.

When our meals arrived we dove in.  My free range chicken breast was alright; the drumstick that they left on was my favourite part and the skin was broiled to a wonderful crisp, but the white meat tended towards being a bit dry.  My risotto was awesome though, and sufficiently cheesy to be tasty without being super heavy.  Hubbs loved his seafood linguine with dill cream sauce, daring even to compare it with his mother's linguine with clam sauce.  I think that both N and A also enjoyed their meals, although they were both feeling fatigued and N was under the weather so maybe this affected their dining experience.  The free round of drinks were great though :)

Overall, the service was good (esp. since they gave us freebies) and friendly and appropriately apologetic, and the food was good.  Prices were also reasonable, and servings were adequately sized.

I would probably head back to the Crime Lab again, though perhaps not for a while, since I think there are probably many other restaurants in Van of comparable food quality and pricing.  The next time I do go, however, I'll probably aim to sit on the patio; it looks over Coal Harbour so the views are pretty rad. :)

Service: 4 out of 5

Food: 3.5 out of 5  (Hubbs gives it a 4/5)

Maria's Taverna

This past weekend, my friends A & N were in town and we decided to hit up a Greek restaurant.  Hubbs & I hadn't been to even one Greek eatery yet, so we were up for some yummy mediterranean grub.  We were originally going to go elsewhere, but were too hungry to walk that far and ended up at Maria's on Denman.

Since we were starving, we ordered as soon as the server came.  Unfortunately, it took him a while to come, since the restaurant was swamped with people and appeared to be working with a skeleton crew.  Decor was typically Greek, BTW - lots of white and blue and not very stylish, but an intimate setting nonetheless.  We nursed our drinks and enjoyed the delicious warm pita (it was more like a bread since it was fluffy but boy was it good) dipped into our hummous and tzatziki.  Hubbs thought the hummous was the best he's ever had; it was good but I wouldn't go that far!

Then the server came out with one dish, which he promptly took back when he realized he had given A someone else's dish!  Good thing she hadn't taken a bite yet.  When our order finally came out, we were astounded by the enormity of the portions.  N had the calamari dinner and A chose the Kleftiko meal.  Hubbs & I shared the Greek platter for two, which was probably big enough for 4 (we barely touched our potatoes and rice).  Our dolmathes were pretty good, but I found the chicken souvlaki a bit dry.  Hubbs loved the keftedes and we were both drooling over the tenderness and moist perfection that was the kleftiko.  Two *huge* lamb shoulders that were so delicious and delicate that the meat fell off the bone...yum!  We were stuffed by the time we left!

The price was right too; only $49 (pre-tax and tip) for the platter.  Had we been less hungry, we totally would have had leftovers!

The service was friendly but slow given the number of patrons there that night.  It was a Saturday so I guess I can understand, although I thought that they could have comped us with something for the wait and the meal mix-up.

Highly recommended for the giant portions and the great lamb shoulder.  Probably best to go on a week night, though.  

Service:  3 out of 5

Food: 4.5 out of 5

PS - sorry, no pics...we inhaled our food so there just wasn't time to take pictures of it.

Shady Island Seafood Bar & Grill - Steveston

Hubbs & I have been bad.  We've been eating out ... a lot.  One of the places we tried recently is a cute little restaurant on the "wharf" in Steveston, called Shady Island.  We decided to give this place a try after gawking at the menu, which featured a steamed seafood platter for two.  Guess what we had? ;)

Of course, we weren't smart enough to check the reviews on the place before getting seated, so when we did finally read up, we were a bit worried.  Food, it seems, is mediocre, and service is apparently appalling.  We braced ourselves for the worst.  However, our server came promptly, and took our orders (drinks & food) at once.  We waited a bit for our grub to arrive, but it wasn't a super long wait.  When it came out, our food was an impressive display stacked on a two-tiered rack. 

Thankfully, we were hungry.  Famished, in fact.  Hubbs immediately got down to business with the lobster (an entire one) and the crab (an entire one).  Meanwhile, I aimed my appetite at the delicious mussels, scallops, clams, shrimp, and oysters on the bottom tier.  I could honestly have eaten the entire bottom plate, but held back and saved some for Hubbs.  I even helped him with cracking through all those claws; I'm quite adept at it now. :)

It was unfortunate that I couldn't try the two items on the top, but I had to make sure my stomach didn't go into convulsions afterwards and abstinence is the best policy when it comes to me and crab and lobster.  Hubbs tells me they were good.  The oysters were killer awesome - fresh and flavourful - and I really loved the clams as well.  The garlic toast that came with the meal was not quite crispy enough, but since I was sopping up garlic butter anyway, I didn't mind so much.

The meal set us back a pretty penny, but definitely was more affordable than Blue Water and good value considering how much we were getting.  Service wasn't nearly as horrible as others have said, but I have a feeling that the place is probably hit-and-miss most of the time, and we just happened to catch them on a hit day.  

Don't come here dressed in your Sunday best; seafood can be a messy affair.  Also, don't come for super fancy dining; with a name like Shady Island, it's not something you should expect.  Do come for a nice view from the patio, and for some yummy seafood prepared the most basic way possible (which is great for a food purist like me).  

Will we be back? Likely, though we'll probably give ourselves more time next time, in case we do get poor service.

Food:  4 out of 5

Service: 3.5 out of 5

Irashai Grill

Even though we love Shuraku, Hubbs & I felt that we should try the Japanese sushi place right behind our place.  We had walked by Irashai Grill hundreds of times but we hadn't actually dined there yet was our rationale.  So, sans reso on a Canucks game night, we went for dinner.

When we arrived, we noted a few things: 1) funky decor, 2) empty restaurant, and 3) booths! We were seated at a booth right in front of the flat screen, which was great for watching the game and seeing the bar in action, but sucky since there wasn't a lot of action from either ;)

We ordered several delicious rolls, including one that was their biggest roll on the menu (Monster Roll?).  The other two, the Fresh Fish Roll and the Summer Roll, were fantastic.  The Monster Roll, however, wasn't as yummy; there was a weird spice in the rolls that we really didn't care for.  We also ordered the Aigamo, which is a tataki duck breast.  THAT was beyond awesome (crispy seared skin, just the right amount of fat between skin and lean meat, and very flavourful and tender), though also very pricey ($16?) for just one breast.

Service was attentive, but perhaps to the point of uncomfortable.  There were several servers on the floor that night, and we were one of two booths (a third came in a little later and another couple was seated at the bar).  I guess the servers were bored, because our tea was filled very regularly, and our plates were cleared the moment we finished a roll.  It was almost too much, you know?

Prices were steeper than Mandala Iki but comparable to Kamei Royale, so expect to pay between $8-15 per specialty roll.  However, the atmosphere was quiet and lovely and the seats were way comfy! 

We'll probably be back, though perhaps not as often as we go to the cheaper alternatives for sushi rolls.  Irashai Grill is definitely a step above "normal" sushi joints, and a finer dining experience that, contrary to the reviews of some others, is definitely value for the dollar (even though you'll be spending more dollars to be sure).  Portions are not generous but also not shrimpy; they are moderate and if you choose wisely you can be full without spending $80.  

Highly recommended for romantic dates, watching the game (season's over but you know what I mean), and some innovative sushi rolls.

Food: 4.5 out of 5

Service: 4.5 out of 5

Sweet Obsession

One night, I decided we needed to go for a drive post-dinner.  Hubbs and I explored the west end of Van and at one point, we passed a place called Trafalgar's, which advertised that they served dessert from Sweet Obsession.  Never one to pass on dessert, we decided to stop in and pick something up to go.

Hubbs ordered an apple tart and a mountain of creampuffs, which they called the St. Honore.  I had an apple strudel-like dessert.  All were amazing, especially my very flaky and buttery strudel dessert.  These were so good, in fact, that we came back the very next night to get desserts to go.  This second night, we had the tiramisu cake, which was light enough to be delicious, and decadent enough to be satisfying.

Neither visit had us sitting in the cafe, which seems to offer a few tables (most of which were occupied both times that we were there).  I think perhaps in the future we will give it a go dining in; the atmosphere was relaxed and casual and comfortable and cheery.  

Prices are reasonable, maybe a bit higher than at some other dessert places, but certainly not more than having dessert at Blue Water Cafe ;)  Given the yumminess of the sweets, however, we will be back to try more of their goodies.  

Highly recommended for: late-night sweets, romantic cheap dates, and take-out.

Service: Hard to say since we didn't dine in...

Food: 4.5 out of 5

Capones Restaurant & Live Jazz Club

Man, I swear my reviews are getting shorter.  Anyway, Hubbs & I decided at virtually the last minute to go to Capones for dinner; we figured that we'd like it since we like jazz and we like food.

When we arrived for our reso, we were seated front and center at a little round table smack in front of the live jazz band.  The amp was jacked to the max and we were right near the speakers so of course we couldn't hear each other, and we weren't fond of our location.  It then took the server 10 minutes to come and take our drink order.  Strike 1.   When I saw that a booth table had freed up, I requested to be moved.  Server guy left to go ask if the table was available, and then he ignored us for another 5 minutes.  Strike 2.  We finally had to flag him down to check if we could move, and gave him our drink orders.  He said yes, and after we moved to the new booth table, our drinks never arrived.  Strike 3.

Thankfully, another server came by and took our drink order again.  She was way more efficient and came with our ice teas shortly afterwards; turns out the first server figured it wasn't his table anymore so he didn't bother to pass along our drink orders to our new server.  Thanks.

We ordered the Capones lasagna and the Godfather pizza.  I was worried we'd be hungry but Hubbs figured this was enough food.  He was right.  The lasagna came out in a small plate and I thought, uh oh, this won't be enough, but it was hearty and filling.  The pizza, about 10" in size, was also loaded with meat and quite filling.  In the end, I could only finish half of it, and Hubbs had all of his lasagna (save for a few bites that I stole) and 2 pieces of my pizza.  We still have 2 slices left over. 

The music that was blaring was still super loud from the booth/table (since it was right at the front near the stage) but at least Hubbs & I were able to sit beside each other in the booth and hear one another talk.  Then the band went on a break for 30 min., giving us time to rest our poor eardrums.  When they returned to the stage, their next set was a bit more mellow to start out with, allowing us to readjust our ears to the loud loud music.  I must be getting old, since I don't recall loud music ever bothering me before.

Overall, the food was pretty tasty (there was foie gras in the lasagna and duck on my pizza!) and the music was good (albeit loud).  Service was hit and miss depending on who served us, and prices weren't cheap (~$20+/entree, $14/app), but it was an experience that ended better than it started.  Our server also told us that they've come under new management and now the menu changes every so often, and they're trying to improve to their former glory.

Looks like they have their work cut out for them.  First step: fire that first server.  He's bringing them down.

Service: 3 out of 5 (4/5 for the second server, and 2/5 for the first)

Food: 4 out of 5

Shuraku

Hubbs & I are on a quest to find our favourite sushi joint in Van.  We may have inadvertently discovered it on a recent visit to Shuraku.  

We made a reso online a few days ahead of time, and showed up to a lovely hostess/server who knew my name as soon as I mentioned my reso.  The menu was extensive in terms of their sake collection, but because Hubbs & I are both on meds for our coughs, we had to stick with their tea options (there were 3).  We stuck with the genmai green tea, the standard, and it was one of the least watered-down genmai that we've had in a while.  

Because we weren't 100%, we opted to eat light.  This meant we only ordered 3 rolls (the Roulette, the Rainbow, and the Red Torch), 2 Monkfish Liver nigiri, and an order of gomae because I wanted some "greens" in my diet.  The gomae proved to be the most flavourful gomae ever; just thinking about it makes me want more!  Their servings for some of this stuff are izakaya sized, so the gomae wasn't huge (though you know they probably had to go through a lot of raw spinach just to make one little bowl of cooked spinach).  Hubbs ended up having half of my gomae because it was just that tasty!  

Our nigiri came next.  I liked the monkfish liver though of course it was cooked so it had a pate-like consistency to it, which was an interesting combination to pair with rice.  I might want to try it as an appie next time, just to see what it's like on its own.  

Our rolls came out altogether.  The favourite for us was the Roulette Roll; the negitoro's green onion flavours came out very well although the chopped scallop was far more subdued in flavour.  I liked the crispy lotus root chip on the top, too.  We really loved the taste of this roll, given our partiality to negitoro.

The rainbow roll was (according to Hubbs) the best rainbow roll he has ever had.  It was also fresh and tasty.  The red torch roll was unique and had a bit of kick from the kimchee on top.  It wasn't overly spicy though, and the texture of the BBQ salmon skin offered an interesting contrast to the soft rice, the crunchy cucumber, and the fatty roe. 

Generally, the rolls were not particularly wide in girth, but because of that we could really taste the filling of each roll and weren't overwhelmed by rice (which many places tend to do with their specialty rolls).  I liked their sizing although I know some might balk at the rolls being diminuitive relative to other places.  The pricing was also moderate; I wouldn't say it was cheap since the rolls averaged about $12 each, but our total bill (given we didn't have sake and we didn't try the dessert) was only $50, tax-in.

I totally will be coming back.  The server was super sweet and very efficient, and Hubbs and I both enjoyed the rolls.  The decor is very clean and a bit more upscale than the traditional-looking sushi houses in the city, and I appreciated the more contemporary feel of the place.  It wasn't overwhelmingly noisy and Shuraku had a warm and lively vibe to it.  It's a great date night sort of place.

Service: 4.5 out of 5

Food: 5 out of 5

Blue Water Cafe

So I can't believe I never posted a review of the Blue Water Cafe (before today, that is).  It is a personal favourite of Hubbs and I and we've been here half a dozen times since his birthday 2 years ago.

Anyway, our most recent visit happened while my Superstar Jo sister and SpaceMax bro-in-law were in town.  We made our reservations early and they had a booth lined up for us upon arrival.  Our server was awesome, timely, and friendly.  When my sis & I wanted fruity non-boozy drinks, she had the bartender specially-design a citrus drink for Superstar Jo and the "Berrylicious" bevvie for me.

The three of them ordered our usual favourite, the "Seafood Tower" while I opted for the beef tenderloin (due to shellfish sensitivities).  We also went with some starters: hot & sour lobster soup for Hubbs and duck confit salad for the rest of us.  Hubbs loved his soup and I quite enjoyed my appie, although I would have preferred a crispier skin on the duck.

Next up were our mains.  This is a small pic of the seafood tower; I took this pic on our first visit to Blue Water but you get the idea.

There was actually a *process* to putting down the eating tools for this thing.  It's quite an exhibit, really, and fun to watch and experience.  During our most recent visit, the Dungeness crab on the top tier was replaced with a 1-pound lobster.  There was also a jellyfish salad on the bottom tier that was once a little plate of escargot (in shell).  Aside from a few minor changes like that, the tower was essentially the same as ever, and (according to my fellow diners) as fresh and decadent as ever.

My tenderloin was perfectly seared and very tasty.  I particularly like macaroni-and-blue-cheese accompaniment that comes with the tenderloin.  It is rich and creamy, flavourful and indulgent.

After our mains, we decided to stay for dessert; in the past, we've sometimes opted to go elsewhere just to experience a different, more casual setting, but on this night we chose to stay.  Hubbs had the profiteroles, which he proclaimed to be one of his new most favourite desserts.  I had the warm Cuban chocolate cake, which was rich and tasty but perhaps not quite warm enough.  Superstar Jo had the fruit brulee which I found to be a bit tart but I think she liked, while Space Max had the Mont Blanc, which I assume he also very much enjoyed since he announced he wasn't going to share with us (jokingly, of course). 

All in all it was another wonderful visit to Blue Water for us.  The price tag isn't cheap and the place is business-casual at the minimum, but you get what you pay for, and the dining experience is exquisite and a good way to impress a date or entertain business associates or celebrate special occasions.  We'll be back again, and likely soon.  We want every member of our immediate families to have a chance to experience the awesomeness that is the Blue Water Cafe; that's just how we roll.

Service: 5 out of 5

Food: 5 out of 5

We finally caved and went to White Spot.  There's one near our place en route to the gym, and we pass by it nearly every day, but we have never set foot inside that restaurant.  Instead, we ended up at the North Van White Spot after a trip to Wal-mart (did you know there's one at Capilano Mall)?  We decided to give it a try because someone told us that the White Spots are better in BC than they are in AB.  Both Hubbs & I did not enjoy our visit to White Spot Edmonton many years ago, so we were a bit wary of dining at a WS in Van, even if it was for lunch (less commitment and cost than dinner).

Anyway, it was a late Sunday lunch, and Hubbs was feeling pretty tired, so we weren't in a particularly foodie mood.  Hubbs selected their seafood risotto and I ordered the turkey club on whole wheat, with sweet potato fries.  The server was competent and quick, and the restaurant was super quiet so late in the afternoon, so we got our food quickly.  Hubbs' risotto was cheesy and hearty and pretty loaded down with seafood, which justified its higher price ($18?).  My club sandwich was *huge* and I couldn't actually fit my large mouth around it, so I had to eat it in layers and leave half my bread at the end of the meal.  The bacon was meh, but the turkey was uber-tasty and moist.  The sweet potato fries were awesome, though, made moreso by the chipotle dip that accompanied it.  That was my meal highlight.

For a cheap dinner (or a pricier lunch), White Spot as a place is pretty good.  It is certainly better than the White Spot in E-town, and I was actually a little surprised at how pleasant my dining experience was.  I thought it was going to be more like a Smitty's, but I'm glad it was a half-step up from that.

Service: 3.5 out of 5

Food: 3.5 out of 5

Lombardo's Pizza

We were initially going to go for Thai food.  Then it was changed to French (my idea), then Hubbs thought better and declared it an Italian night.  I grudgingly agreed, the grudging made moreso when Hubbs took me on a "scenic route" down Burrard St. before bringing me to Lombardo's.  I didn't quite appreciate the two scraggly folks yelling, "F*** off!" and "F*** you!" to each other at the bus stop on Burrard.  It was sketchy and scary to me (Hubbs says I've become spoiled).

Anyway, the place was crowded when we arrived, and we snagged their last table.  We totally would've made a reso if they would have accepted one, but thankfully our timing was fortuitous since they don't.  We were led up to a tiny 2-top on the 3rd floor (well, 2nd floor but they also have tables on the landing half-way up the stairs).  Shortly after being seated, as in 30 seconds, we were asked for a drink order.  I had ice tea.  

Then, down to the ordering.  Of course I was going to have pizza, though Hubbs was torn between pizza and pasta.  He eventually caved in to my insistence that previous reviewers liked the pizza more, and ordered himself a Salmone pizza.  I had the Al Due Formaggi.  We also shared calamari to start. 

Given how full the place was, we were pleasantly surprised to see that our appies came quickly.  The dip with the calamari was super yummy, though I wasn't fond of the tubular nature of their squid.  I liked the tentacles the best. :)  The wait for the pizza was a little longer, but still within the realm of reasonable.  Hubbs loved his pizza, while I liked mine.  Maybe it was the tomatoes, but my pizza was soggy in the middle, to the point of forming a wet puddle in the middle of my plate.  I ended up having to sop up some of the liquid with my napkin (gross!), and even then I found my pie lacking in crust crispiness.

After our meal was done, we shared a tiramisu.  That was my favourite part of the night; the creamy whipped goodness in this dessert was enough to make me melt.  Better yet, the tiramisu wasn't overloaded with ladyfingers, which I like but not in excess.  I say, bring on the sugary marscapone cream!  Hubbs had insisted that I actually eat half of the dessert (which I don't always do), and this time I gladly complied.

The bill at the end of the night was respectable, though I was a bit chuffed that when I asked our server to break my $20 for me, she ended up bringing back two $10's and claming that she couldn't get anyone to break it down any further.  Say what?!  What sort of restaurant doesn't have a float?  What sort of restaurant can't give me a $5 and some change?!?  WTF.  I wasn't too pleased with her for that.

All in all, in the end I had a decently good meal, so I didn't give Hubbs the gears too much about choosing Italian over French (I wanted to head to Les Faux Bourgeois).  I get to pick our next major dine-out though, so I'm going to make sure it's a place that can make change and doesn't sog-out on the pizza.

Service: 3 out of 5

Food: 3.5 out of 5 (4 out of 5 on the tiramisu)

Kamei Royale

It's been a sushi sort of week for Hubbs & I.  On the weekend we headed back to Kamei Royale for dinner.  We had been here several times before, but I guess I never thought to review it until today.

Anyway, the place is boothy, and there are several tatami rooms.  The restaurant is quite large, so I've never seen it packed, though some nights it has appeared to be quite busy.  The restaurant is more fancy, given its off-Robson location; it is the sort of place that someone might take their date.  It's also very Japanese, right down to their servers.  The menu is extensive, and yet every time Hubbs & I have ever come, we've had the rolls (depsite being huge fans of sushi).  This visit was no exception.  We ordered their Cherry Blossom, Delicious, Samurai, and Lobster rolls, and two pieces of nigiri toro.

The rolls came out in due time, and were generally quite tasty.  I really liked the Cherry Blossom roll because it wasn't obscured by sauce and was loaded with raw fish, and the seaweed salad in the middle was flavourful and yummy.  The Delicious roll had mango in it, but I couldn't taste any of the mango at all, which was a bit disappointing.  Hubbs loved the lobster roll, and I found it good but heavier due to the deep-fried tempura batter around the lobster.  The Samurai was tasty but the sauce that was drizzled on it had a bit of a kick to it, so my mouth would light on fire temporarily after each bite.  The toro nigiri was super good, and I probably would have been happy to eat that all night.

Overall, Kamei Royale serves some very tasty food.  We've been there before, and we'll be there again.  Kamei Royale isn't inexpensive, however; it will set you back quite a bit more money than some other Japanese places ($13/roll).  You pay for the atmosphere as much as you do for the quality of the food, so be warned in advance.  I do think Kamei Royale is a great choice for sushi novices, though, since their large menu offers both cooked and raw items and can accommodate both adventurous eaters and the faint of heart.

Service: 4 out of 5

Food: 4 out of 5

 

Mandala Iki Asian Bistro

Hubbs and I stopped in for a quick bite at Mandala Iki over the weekend, attracted by the "Brown Rice Sushi" sign hanging outside the shop.  We've not seen any other restaurant that offers this, so we were pretty psyched at the prospect of having healthy sushi (and not having to forego the rice).

When we arrived, I was struck by the bareness of the place.  A sushi station at the back of the restaurant, with a kitchen tucked away behind said station.  A flat screen TV on the wall, playing TSN.  Booths lining both sides of the wall, and tables set up in a linear pattern in the middle of the room.  A loaded bar (and till) at the front of the boxy restaurant, on one side.  Everything was sort of simply laid out, and completely unpretentious.  It felt efficient (must be Chinese owned, I reason).

Anyway, when we got our menus, I was struck again - this time by the affordable prices.  I could hardly believe my eyes: rolls for only $7 - 9?!? I'm used to the outrageous Kamei Royale roll prices...you know, $14/roll.  This was a pleasant surprise, but of course my skepticism kicked in and I wondered how good the food would be.  The fact that the restaurant serves very traditional Chinese fare (congee, fried rice noodles) along with sushi was enough to make me a bit wary.  

Fortunately, my fears were unfounded.  We ordered 4 rolls (Crispy Lobster, Crispy Mango, Negitoro, Kits Rolls) and 2 pieces of toro nigiri, all with brown rice.  When the rolls came out, I almost died of delight.  They were sizeable pieces, fresh, tasty, and not greasy.  When I read "crispy" I was expecting a bit of tempura overload, but they totally redefined crispy for me.  I think they used sesame seeds or something, because all of the rolls (including the ones with a tempura shrimp inside) were not the least bit greasy.  I particularly loved the Mango roll (a specialty) because the juicy sweet mango flavour was very prominently featured.  The rolls each had its own distinct flavour, and the brown rice was sufficiently moist as to not seem like I was eating brown rice.  The toro nigiri was fresh too, and a good sized piece of toro was offered; the fish wasn't as melt-in-your-mouth as some other specialty sushi restaurants, but for $1.75/piece I was willing to "settle" for this delicious giant hunk of tuna belly.

The best part (aside from the speed of service, due to a lack of patrons at 4:00 in the mid-afternoon) was the bill...a whopping $32! That was it!! Hubbs and I even had tea ($0.75/cup, not the best deal ever) and we rolled outta there with full bellies and not-so-empty wallets.

Will we be back? Hell yes!  Probably on a semi-weekly basis, too.  Next time I might also want to check out their "Chinois" food, since I have a serious hankerin' for some sweet & sour pork (also on their menu).  Hubbs already has his eye on some of the other rolls, and of course he loves that Lobster Roll so he'll be back for it, probably even this week! ;)

Service: 3.5 out of 5

Food: 4.5 out of 5

Update

Hubbs & I came back here a few days ago, and I tried their ginger beef.  It was, no word of a lie, the best ginger beef I've ever had.  They used slices of tender beef instead of sticks of dry over-fried beef, and instead of deep-frying with a ton of batter, they used a light batter (I'm guessing made with cornstarch) and so the beef was crispy yet still soft enough to chew.  The sauce had a good gingery kick to it, leaving my mouth on fire for a bit afterwards.  Hubbs loved it too, and we ended up devouring the entire dish before our rolls even arrived.  Next time I might try their sweet & sour pork.  Even thinking about their food now is making me drool...yum.

Slickety Jim's Chat & Chew

Hubbs & I came here last weekend for some breakfast. We didn't want to look loserish and hit up Paul's Omelletry two days in a row, so we opted to try this place for one of the mornings, having seen a review for it in the dining guide.

Slickety Jim's Chat & Chew is one of those hipster breakfast places that aims for a retro-funky feel. It reminded me a lot of Sophie's Cosmic Cafe, complete with old toys (think disembodied doll heads on mantle pieces) and weird photographs covering the walls. The cafe is also quite small, with line-ups that run out the door 10-people deep.

We waited about 15 minutes before we got seated, and lucky for us, we got a booth! The party of 2 ahead of us ended up at a table that was situated literally 3 inches away from the table beside them. In our booth, we had some privacy to converse.

Hubbs ordered eggs benedict with prosciutto and gorgonzola and I had french toast and hash with a side of bacon. We also ordered coffees that tasted not nearly as good as the stuff at Paul's.

When our food came out (it took a while because of the busy-ness of the place and the lack of servers - there were only 2 working), I was ravenous. Unfortunately, my french toast was only mediocre and the maple syrup they poured over it had run all over my potatoes, which were also only mediocre. Hubbs loved his eggs benedict, and even at the mention of it now he begins to salivate. I guess the lesson learned is to order the benny and not the french toast.

In the end the breakfast cost was comparable to Paul's, the service was friendly but slow, and the food was okay. If you're into eggs benedict and you have free time to spare in the morning, come here. If not, you may wish to try a less popular breakfast joint.

Service: 3.5 out of 5

Food: 3.5 out of 5

Yoshi

As an early birthday celebration, Hubbs decided to take me out for dinner during the middle of the week.  I love when he gets all spontaneous, so of course I was willing! :) He had his heart set on trying out Yoshi on Denman, since it isn't too far from where we live and we're both big fans of Japanese food.  In flying by the seat of our pants, we didn't even make a reservation, and just sort of dropped in.

The restaurant, more sizeable than I had imagined, was nearly empty when we arrived.  Their special "party room" was booked for the night, but I have no idea how large that party was.  The room was sectioned off from the rest of the restaurant and I couldn't get a visual.  Just as we got to the restaurant, I noticed that it had started snowing outside.  Snow at the end of February in VANCOUVER?!? It wasn't the best way to start off the night.

As we browsed through the menu, Hubbs suggested that we try omakase.  Of course, they didn't have omakase at Yoshi's; they only had Kaiseki.  Hubbs then suggested that we go for the full K, but I suggested that we stick with the mini-K, knowing that we'd get a bit too full if we went for the full meal deal.

We didn't know quite what to expect from the kaiseki menu, despite the descriptions of each course.  It didn't matter too much, of course: we were ready for a culinary adventure. :)

As part of our appies, we were first served two items to kick off the meal: a cold mushroom salad and several types of "fish cakes" (fish pate).  I enjoyed some of the pate but found the pieces a bit dense and filling for my tastes.  I wanted to ease into the meal, and the mushroom salad accomplished this nicely.  The fish cakes, however, were a bit much. 

I was pretty excited to see the soup that our server brought to us next.  Given the wintry conditions developing outside, I was starting to get a hankerin' for something warm and brothy.  This clam soup was delightful and delicate, and the clams were fresh and tasty.  They gave the soup a more full-bodied flavour and offered up some good texture to boot.  This was a dish I quite enjoyed.

The dish we looked forward to most was served next: the sashimi.  We both enjoyed some excellent cuts of fish that melted in our mouths and were generously sized.  I liked the tuna the best, and I think Hubbs liked it all equally.

The grilled item came next.  We ended up with a lovely cut of grilled salmon, though I found it overcooked (I like mine a little bit on the raw side).  This was probably a leaner type of salmon, unlike the white spring salmon I'm so accustomed to.  As a result, it was flaky and I only found it meh on the yum scale.

Our next course ended up being a deep fried item; I actually forgot that we had this item to go before our last savoury dish!  Imagine my surprise (and slight fear) when the server brought out this deep fried yam or pumpkin or some other orange starchy veg, plus a deep fried shittake mushroom.  I really enjoyed the mushroom but I found the other veg a bit heavy for the end of the meal so I didn't finish it.  My tummy was getting full.

And still, the food kept on coming....our last "dish" dish and we were starting to feel pretty full.  Luckily, we ordered the sushi, and there's no policy on not finishing the rice.  We had pretty standard types of sushi so there's not much to write home about aside from saying that it was fresh and tasty, and the fish was a bit cold for my preference.

The finale: dessert.  Hubbs isn't having ice cream for a year, so he ended up ordering fruit.  I, however, stuck with the original dessert, which turned out to be a yummy vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel, a red bean dessert, and strawberries.  The red bean was a bit on the sweet side, but the ice cream finished my meal perfectly :)

Overall, I quite enjoyed our mini-kaiseki meal at Yoshi on Denman.  Given their lack of patrons that night, I feel as though we really got top-notch service and good quality food for the dollar.  The meal items were certainly not conventional, and the adventure was a lot of fun, even though we didn't love everything we were served.  Yoshi may be an even better place to go for regular sushi items, though we can only surmise this based on the few types of sushi we tried that night.  We'll likely be back to sample their maki and other types of sashimi in the future, since this omakaze-esque experience was relatively positive in our books.

Service:  4.5 out of  5

Food:  3.5 out of  5

Legendary Noodle @ Denman

Once again, pictureless post (you can Google images if you really want them)...this was an impromptu dinner date with friends, and we were running late so of course the camera was not a priority.  We got to Legendary Noodle first, and punctually, and were seated at an old-style Chinese booth (meaning hard solid wood benches with little silk cushions - cute).

When our friends arrived, we ordered the house tea on their recommendation.  It's a hot tea with dried fruits (including the gojiberry) and chrysanthemum.  While the rest of the table enjoyed their tea, I found it meh.  It was only partly sweetened, but I found the chrysanthemum taste and the weird herbal flavourings of the tea to be kind of icky.

We ordered green onion pancakes, the garlic-fried pea shoots, and steamed pork and chive dumplings as appies.  Of course, our appies and mains came out at the same time so really there ws no differentiation of the courses.  The pea shoots were fresh and tasty, and I thought the dumplings were okay; they had a bit of soup inside (sort of like xiao long bao but in dumpling form rather than round).  The green onion cakes were pretty good, and they weren't greasy nor too oniony.  

Our shared noodle courses included the following: a beef broth thick noodle soup with beef, a pan-fried flat noodle with beef brisket, and a saucy peanut-sauce broad noodle with prawns.  I liked all of the noodles, but since this was my first handmade noodle experience in Van, I can't really compare its noodles with that of other handmade noodle shops.  The noodles were crispy and not too doughy, but the noodle soup noodles were so long and of course uncut that it made sharing a bit of a challenge.  I found the beef broth delicate and salted properly, though I wasn't a big fan of the cilantro flavours.  The peanut sauce was yummy and the bits of peanut gave the dish some good texture.  I also enjoyed the stir-friend dish, and their beef brisket was not too fatty (though I had hoped to see more meat than we actually got).  

Prices were unbeatably good though; in all, tax-in, our total was around $56 (not including gratuity).  For four people, you can't beat that.  We were all satisfied and there was even a bit of noodle left over.

The service was quick and efficient, and not rude (as some reviewers had observed).  We enjoyed the place and will probably be back.  If you decide to go, do try to go at an "off" hour since their seating is limited.  If you can, also try to get a view of the noodle man making the noodles.  It's fun to watch!

Service: 3 out of 5

Food: 4 out of 5

True Confections

Being part-pig, we couldn't end our night with just fish.  We needed dessert.  This is why Hubbs and I headed out to True Confections on West Broadway for some later-evening treats.  We liked the look and vibe of this place from the moment we arrived.  The ribbons and paper hearts adoring the windows and the funky circle-patterned wallpaper were some of the interesting touches that gave the place its own unique feel.  

We were initially overwhelmed by their vast collection of sweet treats.  Should we have cake or pie? Cheesecake or a special dessert? Tea or coffee?  It was a stressful decision.  In the end I chose a slice of classic chocolate cake while Hubbs had the hazelnut chocolate cake.  He also ordered a shaken berry ice tea while I had an herbal fruity tea.  Our drinks arrived first; my tea was a Mighty Leaf tea and it was very delicate and fruity.  Hubbs fell in love with his ice tea and started planning his next trip to True Confections for the sole purpose of having more berry ice tea ;)  

When our cake slices came, at first I wasn't sure if I should be scared or amazed.  The slice wasn't too thick but holy cow, was it ever tall!  Four layers of cake topped with 4 layers of icing; it seemed like a daunting task to try to eat it all.  My cake was moist and sweet and yummy, but I found my icing a bit too heavy and sweet.  Hubbs' icing was a little lighter for some reason, so it was preferable to mine (plus the hazelnut flavour wasn't as commanding as I thought it would be).  The desserts were pretty impressive, though, and by the time we had had our fill, we had sworn that we will be done with cake for a good long while.  

Service was prompt and polite, and the prices weren't too horrible.  Expect to pay about $10/slice of cake, and a few bucks for drinks.  True Confections is a good place to hang out (some were even playing board games there) and its late operational hours make it a convenient place to get a sugar fix after a long night of drinking or to get caught up on gossip with some close friends.  The desserts are sizeable though, so either don't eat too much beforehand, or else be expected to share with others to prevent waste! :)

Service: 3.5 out of 5

Food: 4 out 5

Ajisai Sushi

Another pictureless post; I should really remember to bring my camera!  Hubbs and I tried Ajisai Sushi in Kerrisdale tonight, after reading a lot of favourable reviews for the place.  I'd read that they don't do a lot of cooked goods but their sushi is fresh, and some of their more special cuts of fish are flown in from the motherland.  That got me curious.

We arrived at about 6:55 on a Saturday evening and the place was packed.  We were put on a waiting list for the next available seat, and were told we'd be waiting for more than 30 minutes.  Luckily, a lot of their patrons on the waiting list were picky about sitting at a real table (versus on stools at a side table or at the sushi bar), so we were seated in about 15 minutes at the side table.

Keep in mind that Ajisai is tiny, and at best can seat about 30 people.  Given there were 10 ahead of us in line, the wait wasn't bad and as beggars we weren't going to be choosers table wise.  When we got to our seats we immediately ordered some green tea and began making a list of all of the things we wanted (we were starved).  We ended up ordering the Special Unagi Roll, 2 pieces each of their special nigiri sushi, some gunyan sushi, a plate of toro sashimi, a crispy hot tuna roll, a pressed anago roll, and a negitoro roll.  We weren't thrilled with the pressed roll (too much rice, and not enough fish) but the rest of the food was remarkably fresh and very enjoyable.  In fact, it was good enough to tie with our favourite all-time sushi restaurant, Wasabi Sushi in E-town.  We especially liked their specialty fish (young yellowtail, Japanese mackerel, Spanish mackerel) and their special unagi roll (which contained asparagus, avocado, scallop and unagi).  Hubbs really enjoyed the negitoro, but he's biased towards it anyway.  The toro sashimi was tender and nearly melted in our mouths; I think that was my favourite of the night. 

The service was also quite quick (though not super-friendly) considering how busy the place was.  We inhaled our food and from arrival to departure, our eating adventure only took about an hour.  Impressive, or perhaps just incredibly gluttonous - I'm not sure which one just yet.  Anyway, our bill was steeper than I had expected (each piece of nigiri cost about $3.00 and we blew $12 on that pressed fish thing) but the quality of the food nearly justified the higher-than-normal costs.  

Will we be back? Yes, but probably for the sushi and not for that pressed stuff.  We're always on the hunt for the freshest and tastiest raw fish in the city, so if you think there's a better alternative than Ajisai, speak up!  Otherwise, this is our new favourite non-izakaya, non-AYCE sushi joint in Van.

Service: 3.5 out of 5

Food: 5 out of 5

El Taco

Excusing the cheesy name, El Taco is probably our second favourite burrito place (after Mucho Burrito in E-town).  Hubbs and I stopped in to grab burritos to go today, after we had gone on a long walk (my DPA-daily physical activity) ;)

Hubbs ordered a seafood burrito while I had the beef one.  The lady behind the counter was very friendly, and informed us that we'd be waiting 5-10 minutes for our food to be made.  Next thing I know, I see said lady having a very animated discussion with the cook lady in the kitchen.  My concern was that our food would take forever.  It didn't but it did definitely take the full 10 minutes.

We enjoyed our giant, one-pound-plus burritos when we got home.  Mine was leaking a bit (owing to a poor wrap job and the fact that this thing was monstrous in size), but it was sure tasty!  I didn't finish my entire burrito, but I did try to eat most of the filling and leave the white flour tortilla.  Hubbs really liked his burrito, which held together far better than mine did.  

At the end of our meal, we came to the conclusion that we liked El Taco much more than most of the other taco places we've tried, but not quite as much as we like Mucho Burrito.  El Taco did beat out Taco del Mar and that U.S. chain, Chipotle, though!  And the cost wasn't bad - we paid about $8 per burrito.

Service: 4 / 5

Food: 4 / 5

Hon's Wun-Tun House

Sorry, no pictures from our meal.  Hubbs and I live close to a Hon's location, and decided one night a few months ago that we needed (well, *I* needed) to have some Chinese food.  We figured that even without a reservation, an informal quick-eats sort of place like Hon's would have room for us.  I was right.

We were seated almost immediately, at a table that was uncomfortably close to another group of diners.  The good part about this was that I was able to check out their food as it was being served.  Maybe my tastes are too picky from my many favourable dining experiences in authentic Chinese hole-in-the-walls in Hong Kong, or maybe I'm just spoiled because my dad is a Chinese chef with mad culinary skillz, but I wasn't impressed with what we got.

Hubbs and I ordered some potstickers, a "medley of seafood" in a potato bird's nest, and curried beef brisket with rice.  The curried beef brisket was okay but I didn't think the meat was tender enough, and I would've tried it without the curry had Hubbs been agreeable to that.  The seafood "medley" was generic and not very seafood-laden, but the folks there gave us an abundance of broccoli lining the bottom of the nest.  There was no way that the two of us could have consumed that much broccoli even if we were starving! Honestly, it was a total waste of veggies.  The potstickers were okay, but a bit flat in shape; I was expecting nice thick 3-D pan-fried dumplings but these were sort of flat and not super meaty.  Overall, the presentation of the food sucked.  

The food came out ridiculously fast though, owing to the fact that the restaurant has several food stations set up, and each station has their designated cooking tasks (eg. the potsticker station, the veggie station, etc.).  The food was also very very affordable.  The servers were efficient, bordering on rude, but not intentionally.  They were just your typical abrupt Chinese servers who didn't feel the need to assauge their patrons.

My conclusion: go to Hon's if you want semi-real (meaning non-Westernized) Chinese for cheaper prices and quick service.  I'll probably give them one more chance just because I have yet to taste their congee (rice soup), homemade noodles, and sweet & sour pork (my litmus of a truly "good" Chinese place).  If you want tasty authentic Chinese food with any semblence of presentation, you will need to look elsewhere.

Service: 3 / 5

Food: 2.5 / 5

Bee Kim Heng

(Image borrowed from mydinnertable.typepad.com - thank you!)

Thanks to my sister Vanilla Con (or Congee, as I fondly call her), we discovered the awesomeness that is Singapore pork and beef jerky.  The best in the city is found at Bee Kim Heng, a dirty, sketchy, cash-only place located in an equally sketchy neighbourhood on Fraser St.

The store is nothing to write home about, unless you write home about scary dirty things.  However, once you get over the setting and place your order (sold in half or full pound portions in either beef or pork, sweet or spicy), the nice lady behind the busted counter disappears into the back room (which I will never want to know about, since it might ruin my otherwise-healthy appetite for this jerky), and comes back with these vacuum-sealed, labelled packages of decadent smoked meat.

This is my addiction - jerky.  I swear, it's the greasiest stuff, even though the meat is dry.  For some reason, the moment I touch even the smallest piece of jerky, my hand will reek of grease for the next hour (even with lots of scrubbing with scented antibacterial soap).  Looking past the smelly greasy hands however, I find myself endlessly devouring this chewy, flavourful meat.  It's not like western jerky, which is stringy and dry.  This stuff comes in sheets, and it is quite moist despite being jerkified.  I can't figure it out.

It's good though.  I can eat about a pound of the sweet pork jerky in 2 days.  My jaw will ache afterwards for another day, and my gums will hurt from wherever bits of jerky have embedded themselves into my oral flesh.  Even so, I cannot stop eating this stuff.  It's delightful and delicious and worth the $19/lb.

Go, but don't blame me if you get addicted.

Service: 3 / 5

Food: 5 / 5

Hell's Kitchen - Dine Out Vancouver

Our final stop during 2009 DOV was tonight's visit to Hell's Kitchen (not the Ramsay-associated one, but a pizza joint on West 4th).  We were fairly excited to try the place out, and the visit

 proved pretty good overall.

The atmosphere of Hell's Kitchen was far better than Granville Room's.  The music was more relaxing and not blaring, so we could still carry a conversation without yelling.  The Superbowl game played in the background, keeping patrons entertained.  We ordered drinks right away, and I quite loved their mango mojito (enough to order a second one later on).  The attentive, friendly server also took our orders promptly.

Our first courses were of course appies: Hell's poutine and Hell's chowder.  The photos (taken with my phone) don't really do justice to the delicious chowder.  It looks way greasy in the pic but actually it was slightly sweet and very tasty.  The poutine fries were crispy and the gravy was yummy, but I would have wanted to see more cheese and taste more of their crispy capers.  The cheese was all located in one area on the top of the bowl but the fries at the bottom got no lovin'. :(

Next came our pizzas: the Aphrodite and the Soprano.  Hubbs really liked the Soprano because it wsa meaty and had a spicy sauce on it.  I preferred the Aphrodite; the pesto sauce did not overwhelm, the crust was thin and crispy, and adding slivered almonds to the pizza proved to give a different texture to it.  

Of course we didn't finish the pizzas, and moved on to dessert with leftovers to go.  Hubbs had the tiramisu and I had the creme brulee.  Hubbs' tiramisu was fluffy and light, and a bit more solid than I am used to for tiramisus.  I liked the more solid consistency and Hubbs ate the entire thing so I think he liked it too ;)  My creme brulee was tasty (sort of like soft serve vanilla ice cream in terms of flavour) but it didn't have enough time to set, because it was runny like a thick soup.  I still ate the whole thing but was disappointed that they didn't chill it more before serving.

In all, the ambience of the place made the dinner a far more enjoyable experience than it would have been had the place been noisier.  The server was friendly and the service, prompt; we were in and out in an hour.  The food was pretty good but not stellar or exceptional.  The DOV meals were cheap though: $18/person so I guess we really couldn't expect TOO much.  

I'd recommend Hell's Kitchen if you're into drinks and lounging.  It would even be a good place to grab a pizza to share, but as far as fine gourmet food is concerned, you might want to go elsewhere.

Service: 4.5 / 5

Food: 3.5 / 5