Four Beakers Archives - Page 24 of 24

In Downtown

Market by Jean-Georges

August 27, 2010

Two of my friends and I decided to embark on a journey to The Market, this was no market indeed. This was The Market by Jean-Georges in the Vancouver Shangri-La. We knew it would be a bit pricey during the dinnertime, so we opted to go during the lunchtime.

The Market I located on the third floor of the Shangri-La so you will need to take the elevator or the stairs up from the main floor. The little area that we were seated in reminded me of the 70’s. The green furniture worked with the decor but if you put it into your living room, it would be quite awkward.

For the Appetizer, we started off with the Beef Carpaccio Pizza, which was quite unique and super delicious. But, I’m not quite sure if you can still call it Carpaccio is it’s a bit cooked? I’m not sure either but it was yummy. If you are not a big fan of raw food, you won’t even notice the raw beef on this pizza. The Parmesan, arugula and mushroom balance this dish out so it is very flavorful.

For the main dish, Taiwanese girl ordered grilled salmon with a side of fries. It seemed like she really enjoyed the salmon especially the sauce that came with it since she kept dipping her fries into it. Apparently, your salmon can be rare, medium rare, medium, or well. I really thought this was only for steak or lamb, but salmon too. The green peppers on the plate seems like it could be super spicy but when you taste it, it was not anywhere near spicy. Very mild and had a nice taste.

CanuckGirl ordered the Grilled MARKET Burger. It was a very nice tasting burger with the regular stuff plus Russian dressing and a cool Onion Ring. The burger had 2 patties of meat! A very meaty burger if you are a carnivore. Also, you can choose what type of cheese you can have on your burger! Swiss and cheddar are the ones I can remember off the top of my head,

For my main dish, I had the halibut which was so soft and delicate. it came on a bed of boiled spinach with a nice creamy sauce. It was so yummy that I was so tempted to lick the plate.

To finish it all off, I had the chocolate pudding! This was by far the BEST part of the meal. If you look at the picture, the green part is the cup. For the longest time, we were staring at other tables thinking there was cool jello under neither the pudding. On top was a softly whipped cream and crystallized violet. As you dig deeper into this pudding, you find a nice piece of cake in the center and it just really gives the dessert a bit more of a texture.

If you are looking for a fancy place to eat, this is the place to go! Everyone must try this place at least once … or twice in their lives because it is just so delicious!!!!

We Rate The Market:

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

In Coquitlam

Cumpari’s Gelato & Caffe

August 23, 2010

Cumpari’s Gelato & Caffe used to be the home of Burger King in the 1990’s and after years of abandonment, Cumpari’s took over this deserted venue. There is no other authentic Italian dessert place near Lougheed Mall. They have anything from cakes, gelato, to coffees and teas. They even play Italian opera music to set customers in the mood.

At a given day, there are a dozen of different cakes and pastries produced. Even though they look super delicious, it will put a bit of a dent in your wallet. Each piece can range from $5 to $8 per piece. If you have that sweet tooth right after dinner, it’s quite enjoyable.

Along with their cakes, they produce gelato! Without the gelato, they could not pull off the whole Italian dessert place. They do not have 300 flavours but they do have one that people will enjoy. We ordered the large which gave us 3 flavours – pistachio, mango creme, and Hazelnut. If you are not so keep on so many flavours they also have smaller sizes too.

Ferrero Rocher cake! Yes, it is made out of Ferrero Rocher! It was a big slice, so sharing is key! I found it to be a bit too sweet for my liking.

This cake, which I have forgotten it’s name was sweet and when you got to eating a strawberry they were a bit sour.

Mini Von Horne is made out of small profiteroles filled with cream and drizzles with chocolate. This dessert was not overly sweet and was just perfect.This is probably the best way to share a dessert since there are 5 balls that come apart easily without the messy ripping and sharing.

Craving Italian pastries during the night but too lazy to drive to Vancouver or Richmond? Get your fix here, but it is slightly pricey.

We rated Cumpari:

Cumpari Gelato & Caffe is located at 535 North Road in Coquitlam, BC

In Brunch

Cafe Medina: Lunch of Champions

August 5, 2010

Fricassee was on my mind. I heard that the best fricassee in town was at Café Medina, so I called up DesignGirl for a taste quest. Sitting on Beatty Street, Café Medina thrives adjacent to its classy Belgium nighttime counterpart, Chambar. When we arrived, the cafe was bustling with alfresco diners relishing in the summer sun and Café Medina’s renowned Belgium waffles.

While waiting for a lunchtime seat, we were startled by a “Hellloo there!” behind us. I realized then that this was a warm welcome from our host and server – there are no apron-donning busboys, or penguin waiters (the classic black and white look) here! Medina’s servers are warm and casual – blending well with the clientele and truly lending the café an ‘at home’ feel.

I have a fresh-squeezed juice addiction and needed my fix that afternoon! For an eatery that prides itself on brunch items, Café Medina surprisingly does not offer freshly-squeezed juice. Nonetheless, I settled for a “just as awesome” OJ, upon our server’s recommendation, while DesignGirl opted for a vanilla latte, after deliberating between chocolate, vanilla, or raspberry caramel. My OJ arrived – although lacking the subtlety of fresh OJ – and still tasted smooth and saccharine. Anal Beads DesignGirl’s latte came oddly in a glass juice cup, but she said that the coffee tasted so delightful and looked so pretty that it wouldn’t have mattered if it arrived in an egg shell! Her coffee came with leafy latte art, and after sneaking a few sips, I concurred that it indeed was a luscious latte. The menu also has a wide selection of mimosas and beers.

Café Medina’s menu has extensive breakfast, lunch, and brunch options, ranging from the classic omelet to exotic paella. We saw that there were two items served all day – the fricassee and the saumon fume (smoked salmon). Without hesitating, we decided that these two must have been the most popular to allow for its AM-to-PM availability.

My fricassee arrived with two fried eggs (I love runny yolks!) and verdant arugula greens covering the roasted potatoes, braised short ribs, caramelized onions, apple, and chedder cheese beneath. The fricassee is meant to be mixed to allow the juiciness of the ribs and the smokiness of the cheese to mingle with the succulent onions, and crispy greens and apple bits. The side of focaccia bread came unadorned of any herbs – warm backed Italian bread that perfectly complemented the firework of flavors from the fricassee, without taking way from it. The fricassee is a breakfast item, but I recommend selecting it for either brunch or lunch. I found it to be a very heavy breakfast-eat due to its large quantity and overabundance of meat, and would wish for more applewood chedder.

DesignGirl’s saumon fume was served as an open-faced ciabatta sandwich, with smoked-salmon, caper cream cheese, and fried egg on one side, and arugula pepperdew and artichoke salad on the other. The two sides of the sandwich offered contrasting textures and tastes – the cold smoked salmon mixed well with the warm runny yolk of the fried egg, creating a richer feel upon the palate; the arugula and artichoke salad held a an acidic vinaigrette and offered a light zest and freshness.

Even with our stomachs satisfied, we couldn’t pass up the chance to sample Café Medina’s fresh Belgium waffles, especially with their aroma wafting through the café corridors. The waffles come with a variety of toppings – everything from dark chocolate to yoghurt to white chocolate pistachio rosewater. Our waffle arrived daintily dusted with confectioner’s sugar and a side of white chocolate pistachio rosewater topping. At first, I thought the name was just a fancy tag, but upon digging and dipping into our topping, we could really taste the smoothness of the white chocolate, the nuttiness of the pistachio, and the softness of rosewater – what a surprise! The waffles were not overly sweet and were the perfect ending to a delectable lunch.

Cafe Medina’s varied menu provides an amazing array of choices at a reasonable fare (most items range between $10-$16). They also offer grab-and-go coffee/tea and impeccable service.

We rated Cafe Media:

Check out their website: http://www.medinacafe.com/