WestCoast Archives - Page 6 of 6

In Three Beakers

Red Fish, Blue Fish: Awesome Tacones

April 3, 2012

Hello Internet! Roman J here with another review! I went to Victoria with Will, Maku, and Ralph. Any trip to Victoria isn’t complete without seafood. We tried the popular Fish and Chips joint called Red Fish, Blue Fish located in the harbor of Victoria.

When we arrived at Red Fish, Blue Fish the line was ridiculously long. My friends and I waited 45 minutes just to order, then we waited another 10 minute for our order to come out.

There is seating along the pier. People sit on top of upside-down plant pots. Further along the pier, there are stools to sit on and enjoy your meal.

BBQ wild Salmon Ravines Tacones ($5) has sweet smoked chili adobo, pea shoots, and lemon pickled onion. The tacones are delicious. The wild salmon is perfectly seasoned and the flavor just pours out of the fish. Also, the cabbage mixed with lemon-pickled onion adds a refreshing taste.

Chipotle Shrimp Ravines ($5) has million island dressing, pea shoots and lemon-pickled onions. The tacones are packed with shrimp and blends well with the cabbage. Due to the sauce there is a slight of kick of spice.

One Piece Salmon ($10). Maku had the salmon he described it to be juicy. The batter on the salmon is really thin and crispy.

Fish Poutine Add On ($2.50) This is worth it’s value, the fish poutine is huge and comes fully loaded with fries and a chowder chipotle sauce with a mayo base. The sauce has bits and pieces of fish. This sauce is really rich and makes this poutine very filling. I would recommend getting this dish, if you like mayo.

Overall, Red Fish, Blue Fish has a lot to offer in terms of Tacones. They have a large number of Seafood Tacones to choose from. The tacones I had here are probably the best I’ve ever had. I would recommend this place if you have the time to wait and stand in line, if not try another restaurant around the harbor.

Words of Wisdom

Long lines
Daily specials
Good portions sizes

We Rate Red Fish, Blue Fish:

Website:
http://www.redfish-bluefish.com/

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In Downtown

First ImPrestons Dining Package Review

February 29, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: VANEATS.ca approached me to try out their “First ImPreston’s” dining package and write a review about it. I got a complementary dining package for myself and I brought along Abbytizer to keep the review as unbiased as I could. The review does not guarantee 100% similar service you might normally get from this restaurant

Abbytizer and I have never been to Preston’s before. From the outside it looks like a very nice, sleek lounge for drinks. The VANEATS “First ImPreston’s” dining package can fully satisfy one person, but is minimal for two people to share.

The Preston’s Dinning Package consists of 5 dishes:

Appetizer

Dungeness Crab Cake
Preston’s Pulled Pork Poutine
Chicken Karrage

Entree

1/2 Rack of Baby Back Ribs

BC Halibut Wrapped in Double Smoked Bacon

Dessert

Maple and Double Smoked Bacon Creme Brulee

The interior of the restaurant is very modern. There is a wall with a cool graphic display that illuminates a pink light throughout the restaurant.

On the left: “Dungeness Crab Cake” with panko breading, tomato dressing, micro herb salad, and fried capers.

The Dungeness Crab Cake, Chicken Karrage, and the Pulled Pork Poutine come as a trio in an appetizer. The first one we tasted was the Dungeness Crab Cake. The texture of the crab cake is crunchy and it was perfectly warm throughout. Abbytizer and I both enjoyed this dish. Abbytizer described it as “packed with real crab meat, which made it very tasty. The sauce that came with it was a perfect match. She enjoyed the crunchy texture of the panko breading because it gave the crab cake a good bite. The only negative thing she had to say about this dish was that it was a little awkward to cut in half in the presentation it came in”.

The center: “Chicken Karaage“, is flash fried marinated chicken with garlic sake, served with spicy sambal lime aioli and miso cabbage slaw.

The chicken karrage was a let down. There was nothing special about the chicken; it was borderline dry and lacked flavour. Abbytizer stated that it needs more aioli sauce to accompany it. The coleslaw is sweet and tasty, but it wasn’t enough to save the dish.

To the Right: “Prestons Pulled Pork Poutine“, with crispy French fries, Quebec cheese curds, and Rickards Red Gravy.

Abbytizer and I both enjoyed this dish because this poutine was not like any other poutine we’ve had before. There is a distinct sweetness from the pork and sauce. The pork is really soft and tender and it blended perfectly with the gravy and the cheese. The fries were crispy and added a nice textural contrast to the dish.

The presentation of the appetizers is quite nice, but the portion size is very minimal for two hungry people. The appetizers would are just enough for one person.

Before we received our main dish, we were presented with a tiny pellet that holds a compressed cloth. When soaked in water the cloth expands, and when peeled a part, the cloth becomes bigger. The tiny pellet became a wet nap. This process was quite amusing to Abbytizer and I before we had our main meals.

“1/2 Rack of Baby Back Ribs“, with sweet hoisin & ginger glazed pork ribs, roasted fingerling potatoes and crunchy coleslaw.

This meal is very pleasing to the eyes. Abbytizer enjoyed it very much. She described the dish as savory and delicious. The sauce was so tasty, she nearly licked her plate clean! The ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and the fingerling potatoes were perfectly seasoned with the right amount of salt. The coleslaw added a nice crisp contrast to the softness of the ribs. Overall, this entree was a winner!

“BC Halibut Wrapped in Double Smoked Bacon“, ($26) served with creamed leeks, quinoa and honey shallot j’us .

I ordered the Halibut to try the other entree offered in the “First ImPrestons” dining package. I never had quinoa before and the quinoa was delicious. The quinoa carried the flavor of the dish. The halibut, however, lacked flavor even though it was wrapped in bacon.

Green Tea Matcha Crème Brulee served with julienne slices of pickled granny smith. The restaurant made a mistake of giving us the green tea crème brulee instead of the maple and double smoked bacon crème brulee.

The green tea matcha crème bruelee was served in a tiny ramekin. However, it was packed with matcha goodness and was very enjoyable. The julienne slices of pickled granny smith apple have a distinct sour taste that is refreshing. People who don’t prefer sour tastes may not like the apples in this dish.

“Maple and Double Smoked Bacon Creme Brulee“, is a very interesting dish. It has a strong initial taste of bacon grease, and after a while of having it, you can taste the smokiness of the bacon. The top of the crème brulee is sweet and when broken and mixed with the crème, it tastes sweet and salty. Abbytizer described it as an acquired taste, especially for anyone who finds bacon as a very unusual dessert flavour.

Chocolate Brownie Sundae ($8) with two scoops of vanilla ice cream and raspberry coulis.

Abbytizer enjoyed this dessert. She described the brownie as soft and moist, with a rich chocolate flavour. The raspberry coulis cut through the richness and sweetness of the brownie nicely, and the vanilla ice cream is a wonderful addition to the dessert. The portion of this dessert is large enough to be shared between two people.

The Chuck Norris ($9) with Beefeater Gin, Triple Sec, Lilet Blanca, fresh limejuice and Absinthe. This drink has a very strong initial taste of lime and a strong after taste that is a kick to the face. Who needs shots when you can drink a Chuck Norris.

Hot and Dirty ($9) This is a blend of Absolut Vanilla, Absinthe, lime juice, cordial and a dash of Bols Blue. Abbytizer found this drink to be pretty and potent. It was not as sweet as she anticipated it to be. Overall, a good cocktail.

Overall, one main entrée at Prestons cost just as much as the VANEATS dining package. The VANEATS “First ImPrestons” pass is great value for your buck, especially if you want to try out a restaurant with great food. However, the pass is suitable for one person, so if two of you are dining, you may want to order another appetizer or entree.

You can purchase the “First ImPrestons” Dinning Package at VANEATS.ca for $21 starting on February 29^th.

Words of Wisdom:

Large drink menu
Nice lounge area
Bathroom is outside the restaurant

We rate Prestons:

Address:
1177 West Pender Street
Vancouver, BC V6E

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In Mount Pleasant/Main Street

Fray: Restaurant on Fraser

February 28, 2012

Hello Internet! Abbytizer and I checked out a fun, new restaurant on Fraser Street called Fray. The restaurant prides itself on having its dishes made from locally sourced and fresh ingredients.

The inside of the restaurant is dimly lit, has interesting decor that includes luchador masks and poster art on its walls. The Fray also has vintage board games and an “adult activity sheet” that provides amusement while waiting for the food. The restaurant has a very causal, laid back feel.

Fray’s Famous F-Bombs ($7.95) are fresh figs wrapped in crispy, Fraser Valley bacon with a balsamic reduction. I personally do not like figs but this appetizer was sweet in the inside, and salty on the outside.

Abbytizer describes as an interesting contrast between the sweetness of the soft figs, and saltiness of the crisp bacon. I enjoyed the balsamic reduction; it cut through and complemented the other flavours quite nicely.

The Portobello Fries ($8.95) is a Jenga tower of breaded portobello strips lightly fried and served with truffle aioli sauce. I personally loved this dish. The mushrooms are so tender and the breading made them perfectly crisp on the outside. Abbytizer describes it:

These fries are a perfect alternative to ordinary french fries! I love mushrooms and the idea of cutting strips of Portobello, breading them and frying them is great! They are perfectly seasoned and the aioli dip that accompanies them is a great complement.

It’s so good that we ordered this appetizer TWICE! We had one before our entrees, and one after our entrees.

The Mint Julep ($5.60 for a single) consists of Maker’s Mark bourbon, mint and simple syrup, shaken.

Abbytizer ordered this and describes it to be very strong. A single of this drink is more than enough to get a decent buzz on.

The Berry Fizz ($5.50 for a single) is strawberry-infused vodka, cranberry juice, ginger ale and lime juice, shaken over ice. A very light strawberry and cranberry blend drink. You’re going to need a lot of these to feel it.

The Pan –Seared Salmon ($14.95) consists of West Coast wild salmon, pan-seared with light cream sauce, balsamic vinegar and gnocchi tapenade. Abbytizer describes this dish to be a disappointment as the fish was cooked a little longer than it should have been, which made it slightly dry. However, the gnocchi was quite tasty, and the saving grace of the entire dish was the delicious cream sauce.

The Fat Bastard Pork Belly ($15.95) is a thick wedge of local pork belly with apple peach compote, white balsamic chive reduction and fresh slaw. The pork belly was sweet and juicy in the inside. The outside was cooked right, leaving the outside of the pork skin to be crunchy. Each bite was sweet and enjoyable. Also, the fruits on the side were out of the ordinary, but made the meal enjoyable.

The Rustic Apple Tart ($7.95) is a puff pastry with vanilla ice cream. It is a very simple dessert with an enormous amount of apple flavor. We finished the apple tart before the ice cream!

Overall, this restaurant has a lot to offer, especially if you’re looking for vegetarian or potentially gluten-free options. The dishes are reasonably priced for modern, western cuisine. On certain nights, The Fray serves as a venue for different events. At the time we went, Abbytizer and I watched an amateur stand-up comedian contest. Needless to say, the food was better than some of the jokes told.

Words of Wisdom:

Free parking in front
Free WiFi
Mediocre service
The restaurant hosts special events after 9pm (variety show, trivia night, etc.) on certain nights.

We rate Fray

Address:
3980 Fraser Street
Vancouver, BC

Website: fray.me

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In Lynnwood

Red Lobster: 4 course meal for $15

February 15, 2012

It has taken me two trips to Lynnwood to figure out where Red Lobster is located. The first time, my GPS led me to a residential area and I gave up. I didn’t want to use data on my phone cause…you know…I’m asian and I hate being charged for unnecessary things I don’t need.

Red Lobster is a chain seafood restaurant in the United States. They specialize in seafood and usually draw in large crowds on the weekends. We saw that they were having a $15 4-course meal, so TaiwaneseGirl, CanuckGirl and I decided to try it out. It’s a good price and it didn’t seem like it could go wrong. In the 4-course meal it gave you a few choices below.

Soup

New England Clam Chowder
Creamy Potato Bacon Soup

Salad

Fresh Garden Salad
Fresh Caesar Salad.

Entree

Grilled Honey-BBQ Shrimp Skewers
Garlic Alfredo Shrimp-and-Scallop Pasta
Garlic-Herb Shrimp and Chicken
Cajun Chicken Linguini Alfredo
Wood-Grilled Fresh Tilapia
Parrot Isle Jumbo Coconut Shrimp
Hand-Breaded Shrimp

Dessert

Triple-Chocolate Brownie á la Mode
Apple Crostada with Caramel Drizzle

When we arrived, there was already a line forming. We had to wait about 30 minutes to be seated. For others, they would have to wait over 1 hr to be seated. It’s always good to make reservations to avoid these long waits on weekends.

The whole interior looked like a boat!

Look Lobsters!

They even give your these taser-like devices that signal you when your table is called.

The dining area was very wooden as well. I guess that works with the theme of the restaurant.

New England Clam Chowder was alright. It had minimal clams and wasn’t very amazing.

Cheddar Biscuits are unlimited!! It was very fluffy on the inside and you can tell there was lots of butter to make these. Despite that, it was hands down very good biscuits!

Fresh Caesar Salad was alright as well.

Fresh Garden Salad had the addition of tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. I had a balsamic vinegar dressing on top.

Garlic Alfredo Shrimp-and-Scallop Pasta is probably the best entree out of the seven choices. TaiwaneseGirl and CanuckGirl did enjoy it, but it wasn’t the most amazing pasta they have had. It had a good amount of sauce, scallops and shrimp.

Parrot Isle Jumbo Coconut Shrimp is just gross! Stay away from this at all times. I really don’t know how this is even considered an entree. It was overly sweet and it really ruined the taste of the shrimp. How is this even somewhat healthy?

Apple Crostada with Caramel Drizzle was alright as well said CanuckGirl. It really could have used a side of vanilla ice cream.

Triple-Chocolate Brownie á la Mode was good! The brownie was warm and super moist with the side of vanilla ice cream. It’s not too sweet and it was a good end to the meal.

The dishes were ok, but nothing amazing. I am glad I didn’t have to pay more than $15 for this meal because most of it kinda sucked. We probably should have gotten lobsters, but the special was just at such a good price.

Words of Wisdom:

Very busy on weekends
Lots of rear parking
Make reservations
Avoid anything with coconuts and shrimp

We Rate Red Lobster:

Address:
4231 196th St SW
Lynnwood, WA 98036
Website:
http://www.redlobster.com

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In Dineout

Edible Canada at The Market: Dine Out

February 10, 2012

The one place I really wanted to try out was Edible Canada on Granville Island for Dine Out Vancouver. It’s $28, so its quite affordable compared to the $38 restaurant options. They only use the best sustainable ingredients and take pride in that. They opened up in the Summer of 2011 and since then, they have changed their menu more than 6 times. They really do like to keep everything seasonal and fresh!

PLUS, they have extended their Dine Out menu so you can still have this deal till Febuary 11th, 2012!

The place was packed and the service was good except it did seem like they were trying to push more items onto us to make us order additional items. It’s totally understandable, but usually water and bread is complementary right? Tap water is free!

Bread ($5) we actually thought it was complementary part of the meal but apparently it wasn’t. We didn’t mind too much since all of us split the cost. The bread was good and comes in a few varieties with and oil and balsamic dip.

Canyon Rabbit Terrine has quince mustard, pickled pemberton vegetables, and warm potato bread.

I’ve never eaten a rabbit before and it tasted really good as a terrine! Kinda flakey in texture like tuna. Everything went really well together.Half of the table ordered this and the only comments were about how they didn’t like brussel sprouts…so I ate all their brussel sprouts

Hazelmere Farm potato & Leek Soup has agassiz hazelnut & horseradish foam, and purple potato chips.

The other half of the table had this and they really liked it. Some didn’t like the horseradish foam, but if you just stir it around to incorporate it into your soup, it tastes a bit better.

Wild Mushroom Crusted Wild Albacore Tuna Salad has warm finger ling potatoes, kale & autumn squash, and wild mushrooms.

This is just so delicious looking! The salt on top was a nice touch to bring out the flavour of the tuna and the vegetables were yummy too. They only thing we noticed was that some of us got 7 pieces, others got 8 and someone else got 9. I was clearly jealous of CanuckGirl because she had 9 pieces.

Slow Cooked Alberta Grangeland Elk Stew has fraser valley sunchokes, brussel sprouts, carrots, and rosemary. Notfauna and TaiwaneseGirl liked their dish! It would be good if they had something starchy to dip into that sauce.

Chefs Selection of Petit Fours has Okanagan pear gelée, vanilla salted thomas haas chocolate brownie, and maple bourbon toffee pudding.

Okanagan pear gelée was loved by half the table and the other half really didn’t like it. I personally liked it because it had a really good taste to it despite the coating of sugar.

Maple bourbon toffee pudding was alright but tasted a bit dry. The caramel sauce was delicious.

Vanilla salted thomas haas chocolate brownie was also a bit on the dry side, but the chocolate on top was so good.

At the end of the meal, we were all give Bacon Sea Salt! It was a really nice touch. They said it goes well in salads and eggs.

Doesn’t that just look so good? I haven’t tried it yet, but I think I will soon.

Overall, the dinner was really good and worth the $28. They use some very unique ingredients, which you wouldn’t find at other restaurants. All of my friends were happy with our dishes. The only thing bad about the night was some tomato soup spillage that got on a few of our jackets but the management took care of it. I would probably come back again.

Words of Wisdom:

Great dishes with unique type of protein
Some free and some paid parking in the area

We Rate Edible Canada:

Address:
1596 Johnston St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.ediblecanada.com/bistro.php

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Vancouver

In Seafood

Pearl Urban Bistro: A Restaurant By The Sea

February 7, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: I was invited by the owners to try out their restaurant. I brought along 3 friends to really keep this review as unbiased as possible! This review does not guarantee 100% similar service you might normally get from this restaurant.

Pearl Urban Bistro is a restaurant located in White Rock. They specialize in seafood dishes and are located right by the ocean. It probably has a good view during sunset. Their dishes are around $20 and its a good place to check out if you are a seafood fan.

RomanJ, Abbytizer, M and I headed down here and had a double date kind of thing. I’ve never dined in White Rock before, so it was good to see what was down there. There’s so many restaurants!!

The dining area is very hip and trendy. It’s quite comfortable and cozy.

They have a bar with a good selection of wine!

Long Island Green Iced Tea ($6.95) has mint infused rum, green tea infused gin, fresh lime juice, and cola. Abbytizer thought the drink was sweet and pretty refreshing, but the cola flavor slightly overpowered the mint and green tea flavors.

Orange Drop ($6.95) has Smirnoff Orange, Triple Sec, orange juice, and orange simple syrup with the rim of sugar. RomanJ thought the drink was sweet and refreshing. He mentions this drink is more suitable for a hot a summer day on a patio.

Signature Pearl Punch ($6.95) has Captain Morgan’s spiced rum and pink lemonade. Abbytizer thought that this drink was a little tart, but would suggest it to anyone who enjoys sour flavors in their cocktail.

Signature Onyx 30 Minute Caesar ($6.95) has Smirnoff vodka, fresh horseradish, Worcestershire, lime juice, and Clamato. This was the first time I had a Caesar and it was pretty good. The waitress explained that they make their caesars a bit more mild compared to other restaurants, so its great for first time drinkers of caesars. It has a lot of different flavours going on and you probably have to choose wisely what you eat with this.

Amuse Bouche of Roasted Carrot & Brie Soup has Agassiz Farmhouse brie and herb oil. The soup came in a very very cute little cup and a tiny spoon. It tasted really good. They also have a larger version for a starter dish.

Fresh Shucked Oysters ($2.95 each) comes with lemon jelly, red wine mignonette, and horseradish as toppings. The type we had are medium-sized, but that was the selection they had for this day. It can always change depending on what comes in. Best to ask the server what type they are.

The toppings were good, but my personal favorite topping is just tabasco sauce! You can probably ask them for some.

Baked Brie ($13.45) is wrapped in a pastry with spicy apple & pear compote on top. It is also served with other berries and cranberry toasted bread. When you cut into the baked brie, the ooey gooey cheese just melts out and its so yummy on the toasted bread. If you are a brie and fruit fan, you should get this.

1LB Steamed Mussel Pot ($14.95) has West Coast mussels with lamb chorizo and a fresh herb shallot butter sauce. The chorizo looked more like grounded meat, so there was no sausage looking pieces in the pot. Still, the mussels tasted delicious with the subtle taste of the lamb and butter sauce. The best part about it is dunking the pieces of bread into the liquid and it just soaks up all the delicious flavours.

Canadian Rock Crab Cakes ($24.90) comes with Yukon Gold potato nest, celeriac purée, and spinach cream. It was a pretty good crab cake with lots of crab meat inside. It is mixed with a bit of celery on the inside, so it added a nice additional texture inside. This whole plate probably won’t fill you up, so it’s always good to order additional items with it. I found some of the fries in the potato nest were not of the same consistency, some were crispy and some were very limp. This is a bit odd since the fries are so thin.

Seafood Pappardelle Pasta ($17.95) has Pacific Coast mussels, prawns, and spinach garlic cream sauce. Abbytizer found this pasta dish very disappointing. The pasta sauce was lacking in flavor and a pinch or two of salt would have helped it out. Also, four mussels and two prawns placed on the plate does not make it a “seafood” pasta. For the price and quality, Abbytizer would not order this dish again.

Pemberton Striploin with Mushroom Risotto was the feature of the day. M thought the risotto was very delicious and creamy. He was a bit disappointed by the steak since I think he expected a whole steak. He said it still tasted good, but he just was feeling like a meat kinda of day.

Seared Sablefish ($27.40) comes from the BC Coast with pork belly, arancini, and squash puree. RomanJ thought this dish was delicious even the though the portion of Sablefish was small. Regardless, the fish was juicy and well seasoned. The pork belly was crunchy and savory, which was perfectly complimented with the smoothness of the squash puree.

Chocolate Pate ($9) has Creme fraiche ‘pearl’, macerated cherries, and hazelnut praline. We all agreed this was the best, yet the smallest dessert. Don’t let these little cubes fool you! Since the cubes are like a ganache, it is very rich. It comes with 4 pieces, so its good for sharing.

Marble Chocolate Cheesecake comes with berry compote. It quite large, so definitely sharable! I personally enjoyed this dish.

Warm Apple Galette ($9) comes with vanilla bean ice cream and maple candied bacon. Abbytizer enjoyed this dessert a lot. It offered different textures, from crisp and crunchy to soft and smooth. The caramel sauce was delicious as well.

Vanilla Creme Brulee ($9) was good. It was nice and creamy on the bottom with the hard shell of sugar on top. Our favorite part was just cracking the sugar layer with our spoons.

For the desserts, we were all quit torn on which one was our favorite since each person had a different answer. It comes down to a matter of personal preference.

Overall, the dishes are good and they have a decent selection of food. One thing we thought that could have been improved was the speed of service and a bit of tweaking on a few dishes. We thought the appetizers and entrees took a while to arrive at the table. Maybe it was just a busy night.

Words of Wisdom:

Delicious desserts and drinks!
Free parking after 8pm
Can be seen as a tad expensive
A few minutes from the border
Good for dates

We Rate Pearl Urban Bistro:

Address:
14955 Marine Dr
White Rock, BC V4B

Website:
http://www.pearlurbanbistro.ca/

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In Four Beakers

The Flying Pig: Brussel Sprouts are AMAZING

January 28, 2012

Following a long day at a conference, a bunch of us decided to have a super early dinner at the Flying Pig in Yaletown. We heard about their long lines and delicious food, so we decided to give it a try.

Since it was still quite early, we opted to order almost all their sides and have a few drinks.

You would think their menu has a lot of pork items, but they don’t! They have a wide variety of appetizers, entrees and sides. They offer a simple menu inspired by fresh local seasonal ingredients.

The dining room is quite nice and it has an open kitchen in the back to see the chefs hard at work!

The menu.

Granville Island Lager ($5) has a clear golden brown color and it tasted light and smooth.

Complementary Bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Lobster and Prawn Risotto ($9) has a bit of thyme and mascarpone as well. Most of us at the table ordered this! I really enjoyed it because there was a good amount of lobster and prawns. The thyme and mascarpone didn’t shine through but the risotto was still nice and rich with a creamy texture. Its a good size for sharing or even just all to yourself!

Whole Roasted Mushrooms ($5) is topped off with parmesan and fresh herbs. Since I am a mushroom lover, I really liked this dish. Probably best for mushroom lovers. When you bite into them, all the flavourful juices flow out. Yum!

Bone Marrow Cheezy Bread ($5) was quite mediocre. We couldn’t see any bone marrow, nor could we taste it. Maybe it was masked by all the cheese?

Short rib Jumbo Macaroni ($9) has cabernet cream sauce. It was very delicious and was kinda like a meal on its own too. Nothing says yum like short rib meat and cream sauce!

Crispy Brussels Sprouts ($5) has a touch of lemon, parmesan and capers. The brussel sprout haters at the table loved it! It was hard to keep your hand off of them because they are that good!

Overall, we loved the sides and wide variety of choices. We weren’t trying to be cheap by ordering the sides, but the descriptions just really caught all our eyes. I got a feeling that the waitress did not like us ordering just sides and you could tell by the small gestures such as telling us to hurry up with the bill since there was already a line forming for dinner. Just for the food, I would return again since they do have pretty delicious innovative dishes.

Words of Wisdom:

Amazing sides! Must have Brussel sprouts!
Sides are best to share
Long lineups later in the evening
Closest Skytrain: Yaletown

We Rate The Flying Pig:

Address:
1168 Hamilton Street
Vancouver, BC V6B
Website:
http://www.theflyingpigvan.com/

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In Three Beakers

Glowbal Grill Steaks and Satay: Steak Tartare is so good!

June 5, 2011

ConsultingGirl, Fabo, CanuckGirl and I took a trip to Glowbal for the Telus Taste of Tuesday. I don’t normally go to such high priced restaurants because as a student…well…I don’t have that much money to splurge. Plus, who could resist getting a free dessert and appetizer with a purchase of an entrée. There are always tons of great deals for the higher priced restaurants, so you just got to look out for them.

I got off of class and didn’t get the chance to change before coming here, so I was in t-shirt, jeans and a huge backpack. I felt so embarrassing going here, but the waitresses were really nice and didn’t look at me too funny.

The menus that they have are HUGE! So huge that you could play hide and seek at the dinner table.

After we ordered, some rosemary bread arrived. The bread was very soft and had hints of the rosemary herb.

The next thing that arrived at the table was the amuse-bouche, which featured their wild mushroom soup. This was so flavorful and had a very distinct mushroom flavour. It was really really good!!!

ConsultingGirl started with the Caprese (13.95). It has 2 types of vine ripened tomatoes, mozzarella and greens. She thought the dish was all right, but she did not like the mush texture of the tomatoes. She refers more of the firm tomatoes.

CanuckGirl and Fabo both ordered the Waygu carpaccio (18.95). Waygu beef has a large amount of marbling … its basically like kobe beef. The dish has 8 thin slices of the waygu beef with truffled aioli and frisee salad on top. They really liked the flavour of the beef with the greens on top.

I ordered the Steak Tartare ($18.50). This has grounded 5oz prime beef tenderloin mixed with a bunch of aromatic ingredients with a yolk on top. It is served with focaccia chips on the side. What I loved about the presentation is how there was dry ice under the dish, so when the dish arrives, it has a cool smoking presentation. I really loved the flavours of it and I would order this again and again!! Even though price is a bit steep, its pretty damn tasty.

Fabo had the Mushroom Risotto entree ($18.95). The dish has wild mushrooms, and an intense amount of truffle oil in the dish. It also has shaved parmagiano-reggiano on top. The smell is so fragrant and strong.

Consultinggirl ordered the Spaghetti & kobe meatballs (25.95). The dish has truffle cream, tomato garlic confit, tete de moine (Swiss Chese), and 4 huge kobe beef meat balls. She did not take a liking to the dish. She found it was quite mediocre for the price and it was not spectacularly intriguing.

CanuckGirl and I both ordered the Lamb shank (24.95). The roasted lamb shank sits on top of mushroom risotto, beans and pinot noir jus. The lamb shank was very nice and tender. The same mushroom risotto was underneath and it did also have a very strong mushroom taste and smell due to the truffle oil.

The Crème Brulee Trio ($8.95) has 3 different flavours- hazelnut, white chocolate and vanilla. I was not particularly impressed by the crème brulee. Once you break into the hard sugary surface, it was a tad on the watery side. I was really not a fan.

The Frosted beignets and apple fritters ($8.95) comes with 3 apple fritters in a steel martini cup. This reminded ConsultingGirl of the mini donuts at PNE. You also have 3 frosted beignets. There is some vanilla custard and strawberries on the side as well for the beignets and apple fritters. This desserts is pretty sugary.

This is the Warm Brazilian chocolate cake ($8.95). This is similar to a lava cake with espresso gelato and fresh berries on top. If you are a chocolate lover, this is the dessert for you.

Overall, the food was pretty good, but if there wasn’t the special, this dinner price would have been pretty steep. One thing we also didn’t expect was that the water would cost $3 per person. We probably should have just asked for tap water.

Words of Wisdom:

Steak Tartare, lamb shank and Brazilian chocolate cake were pretty good
A bit pricey, so best to come here on special occasions
Some items can be a hit or a miss

We Rate Glowbal:

Address:

1079 Mainland St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
www.glowbalgrill.com

In Brunch

8 1/2 Restaurant + Lounge

March 7, 2011

M and I had no clue where to eat brunch on a lovely Sunday morning. I’m sure there are plenty of places to go, but my brain was not working that day. I recall KoreanGirl saying something about 8 1/2, so we went there without her (oops). I’m sure she doesn’t mind. =)

They serve west coast dishes and really pride themselves by making everything fresh and made to order. All their ingredients are local too. On the weekends the have brunch!

Their interior is really nice and modern. They also have a bar if you want to drink up!

This is their menu, if you came here during brunch time, but felt like something else, you can order that too. For brunch they serve the usual items.

They started off giving us cucumber water, if you haven’t had this before, it’s really unique when you add cucumber to water!

We ordered the Orange Juice ($ 2.50). Their juices are freshly squeezed as well.

I ordered the Wild Salmon Benedict ($9.50). It hasWild BC smoked salmon, dill cream cheese, 2 poached eggs, capers and hollandaise sauce served with rosemary potatoes and fruit. The hollandaise sauce was a bit different than what I am usually use to. It just tasted like mayonnaise. The poached eggs were done very nicely and were super gooey and yummy.

I wished there was a bit more wild salmon because the hollandaise sauce really drowned out the flavour. The rosemary potatoes and fruit on the side were good as well.

M ordered the Feature Hash ($ 11.50). The hash contained steak and cherry tomates, with rosemary potatoes, 2 slices of toast, and topped with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce.

M liked the dish but really felt like the hollandaise sauce really ruined the taste of the dish.

The bill came out to be $30. Which, I guess if you go to a lounge for brunch, it’s an ok price. M really would not come here again for brunch since right across the road is Nice Cafe, which serves brunch as well for super cheap. Over all, the food was decent, but I think it was the hollandaise sauce that killed it for us.

Words of Wisdom:

Fresh local ingredients
Weekend/ Holiday Brunch
Daily specials

We rate 8 1/2 Restaurant + Lounge:

Address:

151 East 8th Ave
Vancouver, BC

Website:
www.eightandahalf.ca

In Dineout

DineOut: L’Abattoir

February 8, 2011

DineOut #2 was at L’Abattoir! I have actually never heard of this place until PhotographyGirl took me here with a bunch of people. This was all on the $38 menu category. Expensive, but we still saved a lot.

The name ‘L’Abattoir’ mean Slaughterhouse in english. It’s kinda funny because it’s nothing you would expect from such a nice sounding name. When we figured this out, we were enjoying out meatly entrees. hahaha.

L’Abattoir is located in the building which use to be Vancouver’s first jail. Even thought it use to be a jail, they really made this place look super amazing. I wish I took pictures but I didn’t for some reason. You can even feel a bit of eeriness when you see the bricked walls.

I LOVE THE BREAD. It came with 3 types – Anchovy cheese twists, bread buns with bacon bits, and this flat cracker type thing.

One of their appetizers were the Dungeness crab and chickpea toast ($13), it has toasted brioche, light crab custard, and carrot pickles. Everyone who had it loved it.

I had the Raw pacific oysters ($15). It has Mushroom and marrow croquettes. It was SO GOOD! Very light and delicate and has so much flavour! The bone marrow croquettes were also very flavourful.

For the entree a few of us had the Pan fried filet of steelhead ($24) It has Squash puree, olive gnocchi, and anchovy butter. The people that had it loved it and the foam was a really cool touch.

I had the Slow cooked loin of pork. It has Cassoulet, brussels sprouts, and mushroom. The pork was cooked perfectly and was not tough at all. Unlike some people, loved the brussel sprouts! Everything blended nicely.

Another entree was the Lamb loin and sausage ($26). It is served with grilled endive lettuce and cleriac (root-like vegetable).

Everyone had the Dark chocolate and coffee layer cake ($10). It is served with cherry apricot compote, whipped vanilla crème fraiche. It is nut free and rich! Everyone loved it and i envied them because i got something else.

I was different and got the Fizzy lemonade ($9) It has Blood orange sorbet, tapioca pearls, and earl grey granita. This I found was very sour. It was still a really cool dessert.

Words of Wisdom:

Dineout menu items are also on regular menu
Amazing food
On the expensive side…
Cool looking interior
Pay Parking on adjacent streets
Great place to just get drink…good for intimate date

We Rate L’Abattoir:

Address:

217 Carrall Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
www.labattoir.ca

In Bar and Grill

Yew Restaurant + Bar

February 4, 2011

A Year ago, PhotographyGirl and I went here for Dineout and loved it. Since I never came here for lunch, I wanted to try it out.

Yew is located at the Four Seasons Hotel in Downtown Vancouver. It has really gorgeous interior. I would say it would be pretty good for a business lunch or a nice date.

The lunch menu is pretty straight forward, you have your appies, mains, and then dessert. Most people are pressed for time during lunch…so you probably don’t want to order all 3 if you have a 1 hour lunch. There’s a lot to choose from on the menu, but since I was on my diet, I was limited in choices…. 🙁

I started off with a coke. Even comes with refills!

The bread came and it was a sour dough? I think and some crunchy bread sticks.

I ordered the Ahi Tuna Wrap ($18) which came with a salad and I added on the daily soup ($6).

Inside the Ahi Tuna Wraps were Daikon, Asian Pear, Cilantro, on Vietnamese Rice Paper. Really nice and had sizable chunks of tuna. For $18 for 3 pieces of wrap and a salad … I didn’t think it was worth the price…but at least it was healthy.

I also added on a side soup since the waitress described it so exquisitely. I can remember what was in it, but it had real crab in it too!

PhotographyGirl ordered the starter version on the daily soup ($8) and the Pear Salad ($10).

The salad has Grilled Bosc Pear, Baby Spinach & Frisee Salad, Blue Cheese. She found the presentation not as well as it could have been.

Words of Wisdom:

Great for DineOut Vancouver option or any regular meal
Reservations are recommended
Have good breakfast
Free Coffee in the morning!
Outstanding soups

We Rate Yew:

Website: http://www.yewrestaurant.com/

Address:

791 W Georgia St
Vancouver, BC

In Dineout

DineOut: Aqua Riva

February 3, 2011

Since the old gang was back together in Vancouver, going out to Dineout seemed right. We left all the planning to ConsultingGirl and she brought everyone together.

We chose to go check out Aqua Riva. Aqua Riva is located beside the Waterfront convention centre. The dine out was $28 for 3 courses.

We just had water since we got reservations for 5 people at 8:30pm. Since we all had to work or go to school the next morning, we just didn’t get any additional drinks.

2 types of bread came to our table, Focaccia bread and french bread? It also came with salsa and butter. Salsa was my choice of topping on bread…..yum!

LabRat and I started off with the Baby green salad with Smoked Wild Salmon. On top of the greens, there is white and green asparagus. THe sauce used was a sherry Dijon Vinaigrette. I liked it and the salmon was really really good!

PharmacyBoy got the Manhattan Seafood Chowder. In addition to the seafood was chorizo and saffron. He was quite disappointed by the chowder because it was a tomato sauce rather than the traditional white cream sauce in chowders.

ConsultantGirl and SpongeBobGirl ordered the Sesame Crusted Scallops. The scallops are served with spinach and couscous salad. Around it is a orange and sesame vinaigrette.

SpongebobGirl and I both ordered the Wood Grilled Rib Eye. The steak was done medium rare. It comes with Cajun jumbo fries, Salsa verde and a peppercorn sauce.

PharmacyBoy and LabRat ordered the Orachiette pasta with grilled prawns. Shittake Mushrooms, spinach, chilies, and pesto cream sauce.

ConsultingGirl ordered the GInger potato crusted wild salmon. There is a grilled asparagus risotto, corn + blackbean salsa and basil butter sauce.

For dessert there was Apple and cranberry crisp.

There was also the Banana Chocolate Mousse Cake.

No one could really decide which one was the better dessert since we all had different tastes. Since it was only limited to 2 choices of dessert, we didn’t feel that Aqua Riva had any extraordinary desserts.

Words of Wisdom:

Parking at Convention Centre for $9 all night
Decent dineout but not the best for the $28 range

We Rate Aqua Riva:

Website: www.aquariva.com

Address:

200 Granville St
Vancouver, BC

In Bar and Grill

Boathouse (Port Moody)

January 9, 2011

The Family decided to go to Boathouse for a lovely dinner. The have a bar section where patrons can grab a drink and enjoy the game.

On the other side is an open kitchen and high walled dinning room.

The Boathouse locations always have large windows so you can gaze upon the river. Their Lobsterfest always draws a large crowd.

Their dining room was packed and the layout of the restaurant gave people little room to move around.

They also have a kids menu if your kids dont want items from the regular menu. The kids menu is also a coloring book, so they will be occupied!

My sisters and dad all got Shirley temples ($3.79).

My father got the BC Wild Sockeye Salmon & Atlantic Lobster Tail ($32.99). This dish had a fire-grilled fillet and 4 oz. lobster tail. You also get wild rice and green peas and pepper.

All lobster dishes are supposed to come with butter and when we asked our server…she was kinda unsure. You can hear my rant about the service below….

My mother ordered the boathouse bouillabaisse ($28.99). This dish had wild salmon, halibut, prawn, scallop, mussels, alaskan king crab, and fingerling potatoes in a rich tomato broth. There is also bread that comes with it if you want to dip it into the broth.

My mother enjoyed this dish!

My older sister got the Louisiana Lobster Pot ($29.99). There is Carribean Lobster, Manila Clams, BC Wild Sockeye Salmon, mussels, chorizo sausage, tiger prawns, vegetables in a spicy broth.

She enjoyed this dish because it was packed full of seafood.

I ordered the sirloin & seafood grill ($28.99). The seafood skewer had a prawn, a small sea scallop & 2 pieces of wild salmon. It also came with mashed potatoes, green beans, and the sirloin. I did enjoy the dish, but I personally prefer The Keg over Boathouse.

The sirloin was done to medium rare and was perfect. The only bad thing about it was how the scallop that was part of the skewer was really small, it took me a while to figure out where it was because it was between the shrimps head and the tail.

Their mashed potatoes are really good!!

My little sister got the Fire-grilled sirloin ($21.99). Her sirloin was 7oz. It also came with mashed potatoes and green peas and a pepper.

She really liked the dish!

The bread never arrived at our table… we finally asked our server and she forgot to give us bread.

Our service was pretty poor since our waitress was fairly new. She couldn’t explain the new lobsterfest menu, forgot our butter for lobster, forgot the bread, rarely came to our table (we had to flag down other waitresses to get her), gave us the wrong utensils (she gave me a spoon for eating a steak…..)

What made it worse is when we went to the front desk to buy a giftcard for a family friend, our waitress passed by the front desk to check their computers…looked at us…walked past us and said nothing.

I usually don’t complain about service, but I was really upset by the service. Clearly, I will not be returning to this location.

Words of Wisdom:

Hard to get to…so drive and use google maps
Free parking in front
Reservations are suggested
Special Kids Menu
Lobster FEST!!

We rate BoatHouse:

Website: www.boathouserestaurants.ca

Address:

2770 Esplanade Ave
Port Moody, BC

In Downtown

Market By Jean-Georges (Visit #2)

January 6, 2011

MedicalGiraffe and I had our first meal of 2010 at Market By Jean-Georges. They have amazing set lunch/brunch sets for $32. You get 2 dishes and a dessert!

I went here in August and I loved it, so it wasn’t too difficult making a choice to revisit.

We sat in a different area of the restaurant and it looked super nice! Very modern.

We got our fix of bread and butter and awaited our dishes to arrive!

MedicalGiraffe ordered the Beef Carpaccio Pizza ($16). It has mushrooms, arugula, parmesan, and beef carpaccio on top of crispy pizza dough. I had this last time too and it’s a great appetizer especially for sharing.

I had the Dungeness Crab Cake ($16) as the appetizer. It comes with pink grapefruit, avocados and ginger. The different ingredients may seem very strange at first, but they worked well together. WHen you try the sauce on it own… it is sour…super sour, but when you grab a bit of the crab cake, avocados, and grapefruit IT IS AMAZING.

MedicalGiraffe ordered the Slowly Cooked Atlantic Char ($25) and it comes with mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts and truffle vinaigrette. the arctic char was perfectly cooked and full of flavour. All the items on the plate meshed well together.

I ordered the Alberta AAA Hanger Steak ($21) and it came with gingered Mushrooms, sauteed broccoli Rabe and a soy – Caramel Sauce.

I had it medium rare and when it arrive at the table, you know its medium rare by looking at it. I really liked the presentation of the steak sliced up because the color from the inside really pops up and makes your super hungry. The steak was cooked perfectly and the cut of meat looked really good.

The only problem I found with the dish was that the mushrooms underneath the steak was a tad bit salty of my liking.

Lastly, we both had the Chocolate Pudding, which is composed of whipped cream, crystallized violets, chocolate pudding and chocolate cake. This is my all time favorite dessert…and I will probably always order this. The light whipped cream on top really balances out the heavy rich pudding beneath. The hidden chocolate cake in the middle is a plus!

MedicalGiraffe enjoyed this dessert for the first few bites and then found it a bit bland afterwards.

The total of the bill came out to be $71.68. Not bad considering we could have paid way more if it was not a set meal. This is why I love coming here for Brunch and Lunch times!

Words of Wisdom:

Parking on the streets
Having the bunch or lunch set menu and really save $$$ if you want to try out Market
Great for dates or a get together

We Rate The Market:

Check out The Market’s Website: http://www.shangri-la.com/en/property/vancouver/shangrila/dining/restaurant/market

Address:

1128 W Georgia St
Vancouver, BC

In Fairview

Cru

December 28, 2010

Since MedicalGiraffe was back in town, we went to Cru! Since we didn’t want to waste too much money on dinner, we opted to go there for lunch.

The interior was not as what we imagined. It was kind of small and had mostly booth style sitting. We imagined the inside to be more blue. Instead, it had very warm color tones.

Their lunch menu you can order by dish or you can indulge in the the set menu in choices of 2 or 3 dishes. We chose 2 dishes each for $19.

Medical Giraffe started off with the soup of the day, which was carrot and ginger puree soup. It didn’t really taste extraordinary. The taste was a bit bland and was similar to baby food but in a more soupy form.

She next had the Citrus-cured Roasted BC Sablefish which has olive oil crushed potatoes, creamed leeks and oven-dried tomato. This dish was good, the sablefish was very made perfectly.

I had the Crispy Duck Leg Confit which has warm bacon vinaigrette, spätzle and goat cheese hash. The duck was very crispy on the outside and oh so delicious on the inside. All the items worked out really well together.

For my dessert, I had the “Grand Cru” Chocolate Truffle Torte with dulche de leche ice cream and a nut tuille.

At first, the torte looked dry, but when you bite into it, it was amazing! Very moist and chocolate on the inside. It kinda reminded me of the one bit brownies but 100000x better. Ice ice cream and nut tuille worked well with the dish as well.

Overall, we didn’t think the portions were large enough to get us full. On normal days, we don’t really eat a lot anyways…so if you are a person with a large appetite, Cru may not be the place for you.

Our server seemed a bit awkward for some reason but we couldn’t put our finger on it. They also seemed understaffed for lunch as there was just one server walking around. The food took a while to come out too. If you are limited to 1 hour lunches…you may expect to be here for 1.5 hours for lunch.

Words of Wisdom:

Meter parking… or park in the back and pretend you are going to the chinese restaurant!
Don’t sit near the booth near the entrance, every time someone enters, a gust of cold air can be felt
Reservations are good to ensure a spot

We rate Cru: