Twisted Fork Bistro

May 27, 2012May 3, 2013Leave a comment

Snails – Tender garlic snails cooked with shallots, mushrooms, herbs and white wine served with tomato basil sauce, arrugula and crushed croutons

Scallops and Bacon – Pan seared scallops marinated in thyme and chipotle oil served with caramelized onion, potato puree, Vancouver Island’s double smoked bacon and house corn relish

Stuffed Portobello Mushroom – Filled with arrugula, and pesto vinaigrette, topped with a cashew dill crust served with lentils, baby carrots and tomato basil sauce

Fresh Mussels – One pound, with cream, herbs and fresh tomatoes, served with frites

Confit Duck – Crispy Confit duck served with bacon braised cabbage, duck jus and finished with fruit ketchup

Lavender Creme Brulee

Chocolate Terrine – Frozen dark chocolate mousse layered with raspberry sorbet, with biscotti crumbs and raspberry coulis

Twisted Fork Bistro has been on my go to list for quite a while now. I was so excited to try it finally since there’s always huge line ups for it. Waited a little more than 15 minutes and finally got a seat. The place is really small, so it usually gets packed quite fast. It’s got a warm, homey feeling to it which I love. They serve cozy French cuisine, and are known for their great desserts.

First off, we got the Escargots, which I didn’t find particularly special or anything. There were a lot of escargots, but the flavour was nothing special. The Scallops and Bacon had a sauce that basically tasted like salsa with corn, and I found it a little too sour for my liking. The Stuffed Portabello Mushroom was just alright again. Nothing too special. As for the Fresh Mussels, I found that there were not enough flavour. It was a little bland for me, and I usually don’t eat very feisty flavoured things too. My favourite dish had to be the Confit Duck. The duck was cooked really tender and the sauce complemented the duck breast very well. And finally, we ordered desserts! Tha Lavender Creme Brulee was really delicious! It was infused with a lavender flavour, which I found very special since not many restaurants serve creme brulee with lavender. The lavender actually worked very well with the creme brulee. Lastly, we also ordered a Chocolate Terrine, which had raspberry sauce, and was extremely rich and creamy.

Overall, the main dishes were just alright, but I really enjoyed the desserts, and would probably come back again for that. Always so packed though, so I’ve got to come here earlier!

Seto Japanese Restaurant

May 21, 2012May 3, 20132 Comments

Miso Soup, Takoyaki, Seaweed Salad

Katsu Don

Chopped Scallop Roll, Yam Tempura Roll

Seto is always one of my favourite go to Japanese restaurants in Richmond. This is where you can get authentic Japanese food at an affordable price. It’s always packed on weekends, and without reservations, you pretty much can’t get a seat. But we went on a weekday, and it was pretty empty. Kitty came back from Toronto and desperately wanted Seto, and so off we went along with Jack. I had just gone downtown with Kitty for some Japadogs, so we were both still pretty full. I ended up getting the Takoyaki and Chopped Scallop Roll. Both were as always up to standards. Definitely would recommend Seto if you are looking for authentic Japanese food in Richmond.

Mandalay Lounge & Steakhouse

February 14, 2012May 4, 2013Leave a comment

gloomy Steveston…

and then the sun came out 🙂

Certified Angus Beef Prime Rib Burger

Colossal 8oz prime rib beef patty, lettuce, Guinness cheddar cheese tomatoes, onions, mayo and yam fries

Moo Shu Crab Cakes

A duo of Fresh crab cakes with Shanghai noodles & Lychee Creme Fraiche

Mandalay Prawns

Mandalay garlic spiced pan-seared Black Tiger Prawns. Finished with a savoury Cafe de Paris butter

Pacific Seafood Chowder

A medley of seafood morsels topped with fresh crab, Torogashi spice

Went for a very nice lunch in Steveston with my bestie the other day except the weather was playing tricks on us! It was very sunny in the other parts of Richmond, but as we were heading towards the water, it got gloomier and foggier! Luckily, it brightened up a little later! We always have tough choices deciding where to eat, so I did a little urbanspooning, and found Mandalay Lounge and Steakhouse. There were a lot of likes, so it couldn’t be that bad! And it definitely wasn’t! It was right by the dock, so it had a lovely view. The restaurant was however completely empty when we arrived, but we were still greeted by our lovely waitress who was extremely friendly. I guess it was empty since it was an afternoon weekday – I mean most of the whole village was pretty quiet and empty. I decided to get the burger and my friend got a few appies that we also shared. Food took a little longer than I expected, but everything came all at once and was presented very nicely! I didn’t get a chance to try the chowder, but the crab cakes and prawns were quite good! The crab cakes were a little spicy, but I actually prefer the crab cakes from Water St. Cafe. I really liked the fillings they used. The burger was also really good! It was huge and was actually too big for me to even bite! Yam fries were also delicious with a very nice crisp on the outside and there were plenty to spare – too much that I couldn’t even finish even with my friend helping me out! Overall, I was extremely happy with the service and the food was quite good. The view and ambiance was above average and it would definitely be a great place for a very nice dinner!

Water St. Cafe

February 9, 2012May 4, 2013Leave a comment

Beautiful Gastown at night!

Complementary Bread

Caesar Salad – romaine lettuce, fresh grated parmesan, anchovies and garlic

Sunshine Coast Seafood and Corn Chowder

Fanny Bay Oysters – sautéed with smoked chipotle peppers, cream, sundried tomatoes and parmesan gratinée

Baked Portobello Mushroom – topped with grilled vegetables, cream cheese and parmesan gratinée

West Coast Crab Cakes – Dungeness and blue crab, Pacific shrimp with a roasted corn salsa and garlic aioli

Potato Gnocchi – hand rolled potato dumplings, prosciutto, fresh Pacific shrimp and a butternut squash with sage sauce

Duck Confit – with a balsamic and pineapple chutney glaze on garlic mashed potatoes

Tiramisu – classic Italian trifle

Flourless Double Chocolate Espresso Cake – Served with a black cherry compote

Gastown is so gorgeous at night! I love the historic brick buildings and flooring! Makes me feel as if I’m walking in Europe or something! During the weekend, I went to Water St. Cafe for Dine Out with my girlfriends for a girls night out dinner. We each chose a different appetizer and I had the fanny bay oysters. I have to say they didn’t look too appetizing but it tasted really good! The sundried tomatoes were a great complement to it. I also took a bite from my friend’s stuffed portabello mushroom and it was delicious too! Next, I had the duck confit for my entree. I kind of wanted to try the crab cakes too but I wanted to see what everything else looked like! The duck confit was quite tender, and the pineapple chuntney glaze gave it a nice flavour. I took some of my friend’s crab cake and it was delicious! I really liked the bread crumb coating and you could taste a lot of the crab and shrimp in it. The gnocchi was also quite good, with a very nice sauce and was the right chewiness. Last but not least, the desserts! The tiramisu was very good! One of my favourites. It was quite strong in alcohol, but something about the right amount of cream and all was perfect. The chocolate cake was also pretty good, but I found it a little too fudge-like. But I guess that’s why it’s flourless! Overall, this dine out was quite delicious! It was only $28 and it was actually very filling! Service was okay, but not superb or anything. The ambiance is quite nice though. It’s a very cozy place; a very nice place to talk and to enjoy some food. It’s also directly in front of the steam clock which is beautiful to look at at night while enjoying dinner.

Portobello Ristorante

February 5, 2012May 4, 2013Leave a comment

RISOTTO DI MARE
Italian Rice with Prawns, Squid, Sea Scallops, white wine, fresh herbs

COZZE ALLA MARINARA
Fresh mussels, steamed with butter garlic and white wine, touch of tomato sauce

FUNGO PORTOBELLO GRATINATO Portobello mushroom stuffed with bread crumbs, fresh herbs Served with roasted red pepper sauce
Amaretto Di Saronno crème brulee

Torta di Nocciola
Hazelnut chocolate Cheese cake

Portobello Ristorante is said to be hidden gem in the neighbourhood when you have a look at the reviews online! So of course, I decided to go try it out! I had imagined it to be a very fancy restaurant, but it was actually quite family-oriented. It is apparently an Italian family owned restaurant and therefore, the food is quite authentic. Both the risotto and mussels were very delicious! It had great flavour. The portobello mushroom stuffed with bread crumbs was my favourite. I’m guessing this is their signature dish since the restaurant has the word portobello in its name! It was extremely moist and juicy, and crispy at the top. The hazelnut chocolate cheesecake and creme brulee were also exceptional! Definitely need to check this restaurant out! It’s casual, but the ambiance is lovely!

ensemble Restaurant and Bar

February 2, 2012May 4, 2013Leave a comment

Prawn Cocktail

Black Cod with Pork Thai Broth – Bok Choy, Coriander, Chili Oil

Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio – Radish, Crisp Shallots, Rosemary Bannock

Beef Shin and Fritz – Carrot Purée, Watercress

Strawberry Soufflé

As a Top Chef fan, who got excited when we had Top Chef Canada, the discovery of ensemble Restaurant and Bar meant more excitement! Top Chef’s first Canadian winner Dale MacKay opened ensemble sometime last year in the spring, actually before Top Chef Canada was actually aired, and hearing pretty good reviews, I was excited to finally go try it out! Clearly, he did not disappoint! The Black Cod with Thai Broth had great flavour and the cod was cooked perfectly so that it was still moist. This was also top rated on his menu, and from what I remember, it was also featured on Top Chef. If you love carpaccio, the Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio is a must try! It was probably my favourite dish that night. It was extremely fresh and the seasonings were great! Lastly, for dessert, the Souffle of the Day was a Strawberry Souffle, which I enjoyed a lot. Not only did it look pretty, but it was fluffy and light and I liked the hint of strawberry twist to it. It’s interesting to also note that if you go to their website, they call themselves a French Restaurant, but I have to say that the food is more like contemporary WestCoast food.

Tandoori Grill at Whistler

January 9, 2012May 4, 2013Leave a comment

Assorted Indian Snacks – Vegetable Pakora, Samosa, Chicken Tikka and Seek Kebab

Lamb Tikka – Marinated leg of lamb pieces

Spinach Naan – Leavened bread, stuffed with grated homemade cheese and chopped spinach and Naan – Leavened bread of fine flour

Aloo Gobhi – Fresh cauliflower and potatoes cooked with fresh onions, tomatoes and exotic spices, Curry Chicken – A traditional boneless chicken cooked in onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and exotic spices, and Butter Chicken – Boneless pieces of chicken marinated in ginger and garlic, cooked in a butter-tomato sauce

So I pretty much disappeared for a while after Christmas to New Years since I was celebrating my holidays up at Whistler! Sadly I didn’t get many pictures of food up there as we didn’t eat out much or I was too hungry to bother taking pictures. So this is the only post about food up at Whistler! Last dinner before we left, we decided to have a nice Indian cuisine dinner at Tandoori Grill. About a 15 minute walk from where we lived and situated in the Village, we were all starving to get some good food. We had made reservations ahead of time, which probably was a good idea as it was quite packed. To our surprise, it was a really quiet with dimmed lights and probably one the more fancy restaurants up at Whistler. Excuse my poor lighting pictures, as it was very dim inside and I only had a phone to take pictures! Food was quite delicious although portions were on the smaller side for the price. But then again, it’s about quality over quantity! I especially liked the assorted indian snacks as we got to sample a little of each, and the lamb was also very good. It came in a sizzling plate and had just enough spice. We asked for mild for all our dishes, but even so, the more we ate, it got a little too spicy for me to handle! Great place to have a lovely dinner up at Whistler!

Italian Kitchen

October 2, 2011May 5, 2013Leave a comment

Cocktails

Risotto Sample

Linguine Carbonara – pancetta, scallions, free range egg, parmesan

Penne Arrabbiata – crispy pancetta, peperoncino, basil, tomatoes

Went to Italian Kitchen in Downtown Vancouver for a girl’s night out dinner. Somehow, we ended up there really late, almost at 9, but the place was still packed and luckily, they were still serving dinner. Atmosphere is very nice and modern and a perfect place to get a little dressy. We were also given a sample of risotto for free and it was very creamy and delicious! Lots of pastas to choose from, and I had the linguini carbonara and it was very good. Service was also wonderful. Great place for a night out!