Cork & Fin

May 27, 2015May 27, 2015Leave a comment

To celebrate mother’s day and K’s birthday, we decided to go to Cork & Fin for some seafood. On Sundays, they have buck a shuck oysters after 6 pm, and the best part was they still offered it on Mother’s Day.

The interior is very homey with wooden accents. Our seating area even had pillows, which was pretty cute. There is a bar here where you can see the chefs shuck the oysters.

The menu comes in a folder which I thought was a cute touch.

Tricycle Grapefruit Radler

We got the Tricycle Grapefruit Radler which is a grapefruit beer brewed by Parallel 49. I really enjoyed this beer as it almost tasted like grapefruit juice! The citrus gives it a little bitterness, but it definitely is on the sweeter side.

Oysters

And of course we came to Cork & Fin for their buck a shuck oysters! The waitress didn’t explain what oysters these were, but they were on the smaller size. It came with a champagne mignonette and horseradish. I have to say, I was a bit disappointed with the oysters. They weren’t super fresh and the shucking wasn’t done very well. My family and I both found little pieces of shell in our oysters, which wasn’t a very pleasant experience.

Prawn Ceviche

Next up were the Prawn Ceviche, which was seasoned with peruvian chilles and stafruit. These were actually the whole prawn, rather than chopped up pieces. Very fresh and they were well seasoned and worked well with the crispy tostadas.

Seafood Tower

On Sundays, Cork & Fin also has a Seafood Sunday promo, where the Seafood Tower is $49, rather than $89. This was such a good deal, we couldn’t resist. The tower offered a chilled half lobster, shucked oysters, prawn ceviche, cured salmon, marinated tuna, and mussels.

Unfortunately, we didn’t notice that the seafood tower included the prawn ceviche already, so we ended up getting two of these.The chilled half lobster was decent. Just your typical lobster. It was pretty fresh and you got a decent amount of meat.

Another dozen or so of oysters came along and there was the same problem with the bits of shells. The cured salmon was pretty much your typical smoked salmon and wasn’t too special. The marinated tuna was like your tuna tataki and the mussels came in a marina sauce.

Baked Oyster Hash

Cork & Fin plates are meant for sharing, so we also shared the Baked Oyster Hash. This came in a sizzling plate and the hash included chorizo, potato, and caramelized onions. The hash was flavourful and had a hint of cheese. However, I found that it lacked oysters. I was hoping for more of that since oysters should have been the star of the dish.

Braised Veal Cheeks

Another plate we shared was the Braised Veal Cheeks, which came with a pommes puree and veal jus. This was one of my favourite dishes. The veal cheeks were so tender and just flaked off so easily. However, I did find that the potato puree was a bit thin for my liking.

Pesto Pappardelle

Lastly, we had the Pesto Pappardelle, which was topped with walnut, mushrooms, tomatoes, and vermeer cheese. The pasta was cooked to al dente and very delicious. It seemed like they were made in house. Tons of flavour and I would definitely recommend ordering this.

Overall, our dinner at Cork & Fin was decent. I was slightly disappointed with their oysters, but the rest of the meal was pretty on point. Prices are on the pricier side for the portions you get. Especially with the amount of seafood dishes you get, it’s hard to get full from the meal. Still, the ambiance is really cute and would make a nice place to chill with a glass of wine.

Pros:
– Buck a shuck after 6pm and promo Seafood Towers on Sundays
– Ambiance is laid back but nicely decorated

Cons:
– Oysters were not shucked very well
– Pricey for the portions

Price Range: $25-30

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 3 Service: 3 Ambiance: 4 Parking: 3 Overall: 3

Wildebeest

May 3, 2015May 11, 2015Leave a comment

This year, the firm’s end of busy season tax party was at Wildebeest and I was extremely excited since has been on the list of restaurants I wanted to visit. Located in Gastown, Wildebeest is known for their meat-centric dishes. Many of their dishes are served family style, and you’ll find some not-so-typical meat dishes here.

Our firm booked up the entire top floor, which featured wooden ambiance with long tables and wooden swivel chairs. They have a bar and an open kitchen so you can watch the chefs in action. Service started very slow in the beginning. We probably sat around for at least 30 minutes with no snacks or drinks being served. It might be because we arrived earlier than they had expected us, but we were all hungry for food. As the first dishes began to roll out though, things picked up and we got our food fairly quickly and there were no further complaints by the end of the night.

Freshly Shucked Oyster

We had a set menu ready for us with canapés to start. First came the Freshly Shucked Oyster, which was topped with a shallot mignonette and black pepper. This was delicious with the oyster being sweet and fresh. The second item was the Albacore Tuna Tataki, but this ran out by the time it got to our table. I was quite disappointed with this as I thought they would have enough to serve each person one. Some people at my table also didn’t get the oysters. You would think they had made enough for each guest to have at least one.

Angus Short Rib

The third item was the Angus Short Rib, which seemed to be the favourite item for most people. This had a brown butter jus and was topped with bonito flakes. The bonito flakes gave it a Japanese flare and the meat was cooked to a medium rare. Extremely tender and we all wanted seconds!

Bjorn Borg

Our cocktails finally came around and I started off with the Bjorn Borg, which is like a slurpee. The ingredients included earl grey, pear, honey, premium Vodka, lemon, and London dry gin. You got that hint of sweetness from the pear and I liked how it was in a slurpee type of form. It reminded me of a Bellini and was very refreshing.

Pork Rinds

Our set menu also included some snacks to share between around 4 guests. The first were the Pork Rinds. These were crispy and slightly seasoned. StevieD said that they were quite average and tasted like the ones you get off the shelf at the supermarket. Nothing too special. I also agreed and also disliked the fact that the rinds stuck to your teeth.

Pork Schnitzel

Next were the Pork Schnitzels, which were a favourite at my table. The pork were deep fried to golden brown and the batter was very crispy. It came with a caraway-spiced beer mustard.

Spiced Hazelnuts

The last snack was the Spiced Hazelnut. These were roasted and seasoned with spices. I didn’t find these too special. They were nice to snack on while waiting for our food, but they didn’t wow me.

Gaston Collins

Since we were still waiting for our food, we went for another cocktail. This time we chose the Gastown Collins, which has London Dry Gin, Amaro Montenegro, lemon, honey, and IPA. This was a very bitter drink mostly due to the Indian pale ale. None of us really enjoyed this drink.

Spring Beet Salad

Then our appetizers came. BG got the Spring Beet Salad, which he commented had endless beets. There were both red and yellow beets, along with shaved cucumber, compressed apple, a ricotta salata, miner’s lettuce and a beetroot sorbet.

Bison Carpaccio

Most guests at my table got the Bison Carpaccio, which featured kalamata olive and soy vinaigrette, pickled shimieji mushrooms, puffed wild rice, and micro arugula. I tasted this as well, and really enjoyed it! You can roll the ingredients with the thin layer of bison, which I thought was a great concept. The bison had a more gamey flavour than your typical beef carpaccio, but all the ingredients worked well together. StevieD commented that he didn’t really like the puffed wild rice as you got that unexpected crunch. S on the other hand like that pop of crunch.

Bone Marrow

For myself, I decided to try the Bone Marrow. It came with butter leeks and oyster mushrooms on top. It was topped with a crimini mushroom vinaigrette. Grilled country bread accompanied the dish and I was told to spread the bone marrow onto the bread. The bone marrow was very jelly and oily like. It’s definitely not a dish for everyone, but I enjoyed it quite a lot.

Pan-Seared Halibut

Onto the main course. S got the Pan-Seared Halibut, which came with butter braised potato in a wild mushroom broth. It also came with some Shanghai bok choy and grilled scallions. The halibut was moist and the broth was very flavourful. A dish with many Asian flavours.

Angus Striploin

For myself, I got the Angus Striploin, which came with roasted fingerling potatoes and cipollini onions, smoked salt, and hay jus. This was served medium rare and you could see it was cooked perfectly with the pink meat. I liked how it was served all cut up already, making it easy to eat. The meat was tender, although I got a piece with a huge piece of fat still stuck on. The potatoes were great and the sauce was addicting. Everyone cleaned up their dish!

Wildebeest Cheesecake

For dessert, StevieD didn’t want his dessert, so I ended up getting to try two! First was the Wildebeest Cheesecake, which came as sort of a deconstructed cheesecake. It was a whipped cheesecake, with strawberry sorbet and pastry crumble on top. As it was a whipped cheesecake, it was very mousse-like. Definitely not in a cake form. Many of my coworkers enjoyed this, but I could taste that hint of blue cheese in it, which I’m not a fan of.

Anjou Pear

The second dessert was the Anjou Pear, which I enjoyed much more. It had dark chocolate honeycomb and chocolate ice cream. I loved the honeycomb as it gave it a nice crunch. The pears were candied and I loved this texture.

Overall, Wildebeest was great and I would highly recommend it if you are adventurous and ready to try some exotic meats. Their regular menu even has horse tartare! Everyone agreed that the food tasted great. Service was a bit slow in the beginning, but it definitely picked up by the end of the night. Jason, who was our table’s server for most of the night was also very friendly and knew all his drinks and food very well. Perfect one to ask for suggestions. As food was comped by the firm, I cannot comment too much on the prices. I can say that you do get full from a three course meal, and the portions aren’t as small as you’d expect.

Pros:
– Lots of exotic meats
– All dishes were executed very well

Cons:
– Service was very slow in the beginning

Price Range: N/A (~$30+ per the regular menu)

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 4
Service: 2.5
Ambiance: 4
Parking: 3
Overall: 4

Chewy Junior

March 29, 2015March 29, 2015Leave a comment

Chewy Junior opened their first North American flagship store in Vancouver last year in Gastown. I’ve walked by it many times and it always smelled really good. It’s a Singaporean chain store with various locations in Asia. They offer a healthy version of cream puffs, since they are baked rather than fried.

They have around 10 flavours to choose from and are priced from around $3.50 to $4.00 depending on the flavour.

Chocolate Oreo Crunch

I decided to get one each for S and I. I chose the Chocolate Oreo Crunch for S, which didn’t look too appealing. It was topped with crushed Oreo cookies on the top and filled with chocolate cream. Slightly on the sweet side, but not bad.

Matcha Nippon

For myself, I got the Matcha Nippon, which featured a matcha glaze and was filled with matcha cream. The cream puffs themselves are on the chewy side, hence perhaps why they are named Chewy Junior. I actually quite liked this chewy texture, but I still prefer Beta 5’s cream puffs. I find that these are quite pricey for what they are. They are more unique than Beard Papa, but priced a lot higher. Beta 5 is priced slightly higher, but the flavours are very unique and of high quality. Would I come back? Probably not, but I’d say the cream puffs aren’t bad.

Pros:
– Cream puffs are average, but I enjoy the chewy texture
– Lots of cream filling

Cons:
– Slightly on the pricey side for the size
– Not a lot of flavours to choose from – they seem to sell out

Price Range: $3.50-4.00

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 3
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3
Parking: 3
Overall: 3

Tuc Craft Kitchen

March 22, 2015March 22, 2015Leave a comment

I’ve heard really good things about Tuc Craft Kitchen, so K and I found some time to check it out on a Saturday afternoon. On the weekends, they offer their brunch menu and the spot is very busy.

The restaurant is located in Gastown and has two levels. The interior has a European feel to it.

Vegetable Frittata

K got the Vegetable Frittata, which featured three free run eggs, Swiss cheese, wilted kale, buttered leeks, sweet bell peppers, salsa verde, and toast. The portion was huge! Very flavourful and cheesy.

Irish Stew Skillet

For myself, I had the Irish Stew Skillet, which had two free run poached eggs, grass fed beef, yakima valley lamb, roasted button mushrooms, and BC new potatoes. At first, I thought the portion would be too little, but there’s actually tons of meat and potatoes, so it fills you up just right. The beef and lamb were very flavourful, with the potatoes being crispy on the outside. The poached eggs had a runny yolk and mixed well with the rest of the dish. Really enjoyed this!

Based on the dishes we tried, I really enjoyed Tuc Craft Kitchen. I’m looking forward to coming back to try their famous fried chicken and waffles. Prices are quite reasonable for a Gastown location and service was pretty good. Will definitely return!

Pros:
– The dishes we tried were tasted great
– Friendly service

Cons:
– Usually need reservations

Price Range: $15-20

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 4
Service: 4
Ambiance: 3
Parking: 3
Overall: 4

Ask For Luigi

March 16, 2015March 16, 20151 Comment

I’ve been wanting to dine at Ask for Luigi some time now, since it’s the latest hype in Vancouver and everyone has said it’s a must try. However, every time I go at dinner time, the place is packed and there’s always at least an hour wait. This time, I went during lunch time, and was gladly surprised that there was no wait at all! It’s located on Alexander Street, far away from most of the other restaurants in a little white house. You wouldn’t expect a restaurant here, but people still manage to find their way here.

The restaurant is very small and seats probably 20 diners or so. It’s a bit cramped, but I didn’t find it too bothersome. I hear that they don’t have air conditioning, so it’s quite hot to dine here in the summer. Might’ve changed by now though.

The interior is quite hipster, with water in glass bottles and a tap that’s built into the wall.

Pappardelle alla Bolognese & Fried Egg

On the weekends, they offer brunch, but they still have two pasta dishes. Since they’re famous for their handmade pasta, we had to get both of these. K got the Pappardelle alla Bolognese & Fried Egg, which was my favourite. the pasta was cooked to al dente and you could tell they were freshly made. The yolk of the fried egg was still runny and oozed out and tasted great mixed with the pasta. The bolognese sauce was slightly spicy, but not overwhelming. Very flavourful and I would definitely recommend this.

Tagliatelle alla Carbonara & Poached Egg

For myself, I got the Tagliatelle alla Carbonara & Poached Egg. Again, the pasta was very fresh and cooked to al dente. There were some bacon bits in it to bring more flavour. I liked how it wasn’t as heavy as most carbonaras.

The poached eggs were cooked perfectly so they were runny in the inside.

Overall, we were extremely pleased with Ask For Luigi. I would say that they are one of the best spots for pastas I’ve been to. Service is attentive and friendly and prices are quite reasonable. They aren’t the largest portions, like what you would get at chain restaurants, but it’s more than enough to fill you up. Parking isn’t too bad as well, as there are lots of street parking along the area.

Pros:
– Handmade pasta is delicious!
– Reasonable prices for quality eats

Cons:
– There are usually long waits during dinner time
– No reservations – must place name and number on the list on the day and they will call you

Price Range: $15-25

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 4
Service: 4
Ambiance: 3
Parking: 3.5
Overall: 4

Soft Peaks

March 8, 2015March 8, 20151 Comment

Soft Peaks just opened over a month and it has gotten a lot of hype. I was fortunate enough to be invited to try their media samples. Located in the heart of Gastown, it’s very convenient and it was no surprise that there was a long line up on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

The shop is owned by two Korean brothers and they focus on ice cream that is made with Avalon organic milk. Everything about the shop is about local – from their local ingredients to their cups and spoons which come from local suppliers.

They are famous for their honeycomb topping, which comes from the Okanagan and Fraser Valley. The honeycomb on ice cream was the craze in South Korea last year, so it’s great that they’ve brought it to Vancouver.

Other than the honeycomb, they offer many other premium toppings, including Himalayan pink salt, Tim Tams and yuzu marmalade.

Honeycomb Peak

Of course I went for their signature ice cream – the Honeycomb Peak. It featured a piece of local honeycomb on top with corn flakes at the base. The honeycomb is sticky and sweet and the honey oozes out of the comb. I love the mix of honey with the creamy dairy based ice cream. Makes it super smooth and the sweetness of the honey is just right. However, I wish that I could dig into the corn flakes earlier on. You can’t really get to it until the end.

Green Forest

K chose the Green Forest, which features organic Premium Matcha powder, sweet red beans, and condensed milk on top of the soft serve. I actually really enjoyed this as it wasn’t too sweet. K said she wished there were some mochi balls as well. That would’ve been perfect!

Overall, we were quite pleased with Soft Peaks. They come at a premium price and are good treats once in a while. A good change from your typical gelatos. Service is friendly, but expect long waits since everyone is checking out the shop these days. They also have some seating upstairs if you want to enjoy your ice cream indoors.

* All food were complimentary.

Pros:
– Ice cream is smooth and ingredients are all local
– Interesting toppings to choose from

Cons:
– Long waits
– Premium prices

Price Range: $5-10

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 4
Service: 4
Ambiance: 3
Parking: 3
Overall: 3.5

Flying Pig (Gastown) – revisit

January 26, 2015January 26, 2015Leave a comment

Not too long ago, I visited Flying Pig at their Gastown location for lunch. A few months later, here I am again checking out their brunch menu. Restaurant was busy, but we made reservations ahead of time, so we were seated right away.

Complimentary Banana Bread

Service begins with their complimentary Banana Bread. I love this since it’s very moist but a little sticky. It’s also not too heavy or dense.

Featured Corn Beef Hash

They offer some daily features and that day they had the Featured Corn Beef Hash, which SP got. It came with two poached eggs on top of corned beef and hash. It also came with Hollandaise sauce and a side of salad. I really liked the sauce it came with and the potatoes were crispy on the outside.

Smoked Salmon Benedict

For myself, I got the Smoked Salmon Benedict, which also came with a salad. The house smoked salmon came with dill cream cheese on top of a piece of toasted bread. The Hollandaise sauce topped the poached eggs which I asked to be done to medium. The yolks oozed out as you broke the egg, and was delicious when mixed with the cream cheese and smoked salmon. My only concern was I found the bread to be too toasted, hence it was difficult to cut into with a knife.

Country Style Breakfast

SK got the Country Style Breakfast, which came with 2 eggs, back bacon, baby greens, and some sourdough bread. She got the eggs sunny side up.

Brunch is pretty good here, but the prices are slightly higher for the food you get. Service was also very cold this time around. Our server took the wrong order for my friend and when the dish came and we said we hadn’t ordered that, she got very defensive and said we were wrong. Quite disappointed, since I had some pretty good service the previous time I visited.

Pros:
– Conveniently located in the heart of Gastown
– Great place for brunch type of food

Cons:
– Prices are slightly high for the portion size and what you get
– Service wasn’t so great this time

Price Range: $15-25

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 4
Service: 2
Ambiance: 4
Parking: 3
Overall: 3.5

Alibi Room

January 14, 2015January 14, 2015Leave a comment

Seared Albacore Tuna

For K’s birthday, we went to Alibi Room in Gastown. It’s located almost at the end, where it’s a lot more quiet, but Alibi Room is always still packed with people. A super chill environment, with dimly lit lights and communal tables, Alibi Room is a great place to hang out with friends and have some drinks. They are famous for their beers, but I opted for one of their ciders. We decided to share a few dishes and started with the Seared Albacore Tuna. The tuna was lightly seared on the sides and very fresh. It was topped with a green olive tapenade and a side of greens. The star of the dish was actually the red lentil puree though. I’m not even a fan of lentils, but the way they seasoned the puree was perfect. Very flavourful and we cleaned up this dish in no time.

Mezze plate

Next, we got the Mezze Plate, which came with housemade rosemary flatbread. These were sort of soft but slightly chewy. It came with a white bean and green olive dip, goat feta, caponata, cucumbers, and marinated olives. The dip actually tasted sort of like a guacamole. Pretty good, and I liked the caponata mixed with the dip to bring more flavour.

Mushroom & Hazelnut Pate

Lastly, we had the Mushroom & Hazelnut Pate, which was flavoured with truffle oil.The truffle flavour was actually very strong, or it could have been the mushroom flavour that I was tasting. It came with crostinis for dipping, but they were rather hard. On the side, there were garlic confit to accompany the dish. Not bad.

Overall, I thought the food was average. Nothing too special worth coming back, but I like the ambiance here for get togethers with friends for drinks and snacks. I thought that service was friendly, but rather slow. Our drinks came first, but our food took more than 30 minutes to arrive. We ended up finishing our drink before the food even arrived. Something they will need to work on.

Pros:
– Casual, hip ambiance
– Great place for drinks and late night snacks

Cons:
– A bit on the pricey side
– Long waits

Price Range: $20-30

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 4
Service: 3
Ambiance: 4
Parking: 4
Overall: 4

Every Day is a Food Day

Category: Gastown

Cork & Fin

Wildebeest

Chewy Junior

Tuc Craft Kitchen

Ask For Luigi

Soft Peaks

Flying Pig (Gastown) – revisit

Alibi Room