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