Hakkasan Bistro – ChineseBites Media Event

July 14, 2015July 14, 2015Leave a comment

NOTE: Today’s post will be a guest post since K attended the ChineseBites media event on behalf of me. As part of the ChineseBites media event, all food was free, but all opinions are based on K’s own experience.

With work being so hectic and exams coming up, K got the chance to attend another ChineseBites media event on behalf of me. This time, it was at Hakkasan Bistro, where we have both been years ago when it first opened. It’s located in such a random area, with industrial offices on No.5 Road, that I have almost forgotten about this restaurant as an option.

Honey Roasted Pork Cheeks

The ChineseBites media dinner featured a good 10 course meal. It started off with the Honey Roasted Pork Cheeks, which is a chef’s signature dish. The cheek, or jowl was very tender and had that nice chewy texture. It was marinated in a honey glaze so it had a hint of sweet flavour.

Chef’s Signature Whole Coconut Pork & Snow Fungus Soup

Another signature dish was the Whole Coconut Pork & Snow Fungus Soup. The soup is double boiled for over three hours with pork, snow fungus, and savoury broth. K liked how the soup had coconut flavour, but also that you could scrape the coconut on the side, which was soft enough to eat. It also came with a soy sauce and chives dipping sauce which helped flavour the chicken. K’s only complaint was that the hole was a bit small, so a bit hard to eat, but nevertheless, one of the favourites of the night.

Steamed Specialty Odorless Garlic Lobster, Jasmine Rice

Next up was the Steamed Specialty Odorless Garlic Lobster which is one of their famous dishes. The garlic is odour-less so you won’t have garlic breath after eating this! K thought that the garlic flavour was not as pungent, and many others agreed that they would still prefer the real garlic. However, the lobster was pretty fresh and came with a fragrant jasmine rice.

Ancient Style Salt Baked Chicken

Another specialty is the Ancient Style Salt Baked Chicken. The free range chicken is marinated with a special blend of ten different flavourful Chinese herbs and spices, and then wrapped in parchment paper and placed in a clay pot filled with hot salt. This ancient baking technique gives the chicken a unique aroma and taste.

K liked this a lot since it was not super salty despite being cooked in salt. She also found the meat to be very tender.

Braised Pork Hock and Steamed Mini Flour Rolls

The Braised Pork Hock is glazed in a sweet braise sauce and came on top of some broccoli. K said that the fat didn’t melt in your mouth like some other restaurant’s pork hock, but it was still pretty good. The Steamed Mini Flour Rolls were also perfect to pair as there were lots of dipping sauce.

A nice layer of fat on top of tender meat.

Mui Choy Stirfry Seasonal Greens

Some greens for dinner were the Mui Choy Stirfry Seasonal Greens. The mui choy was pickled and flavoured well, and was great to go with rice. You don’t see many restaurants using mui choy to stirfry with veggies, so this was an interesting dish.

Hakka Homestyle Steamed Egg, Pork with Duck Yolk

The Hakka Homestyle Steamed Egg was a favourite because it was simple yet had the homey feel to the dish. Again, it paired well with rice and featured pork and duck yolk inside the silky smooth steamed egg.

Stirfry Fish with Pickled Cabbage

The last savoury dish was the Stirfry Fish with Pickled Cabbage. K found it to be quite average and her least favourite dish. Not that it wasn’t good, but there wasn’t anything too special and she felt like she could order this at any other Chinese restaurant.

Steamed Milk Egg White Custard

To finish off the huge meal, there was Steamed Milk Egg White Custard, which was great to ease off the savoury dishes. The custard is not very sweet, and K said it seemed like a great dessert if you’re on a diet!

Overall, Hakkasan definitely had quite a few impressive menu items. Prices are a bit on the higher end but they execute well with good quality items. Be sure to check to make sure whether you need to order some of these items a day in advance. The coconut soup and salt baked chicken, for example, require reservations.

Shiang Garden – ChineseBites Media Event

July 6, 2015Leave a comment

NOTE: Today’s post will be a guest post since K attended the ChineseBites media even on behalf of me. As part of the ChineseBites media event, all food was free, but all opinions are based on K’s own experience.

Since I have been quite busy these days, K attended the ChineseBites media event at Shiang Garden on behalf of me. Shiang Garden has been around for quite some time, and their decor is quite fancy with chandeliers hanging off the ceiling. We’ve both attended some weddings here and the food has always been quite on par. For the media event, K was able to try a whooping 13 dishes!

Prawns Salad with Papaya

First up was the Prawns Salad with Papaya, which was a very refreshing appetizer. K is not a big fan of papaya, but she actually quite enjoyed this dish. There is mayo on top of the prawns and it is great for the summer weather.

Sauteed Mixed Seafood

Next up was the Sauteed Mixed Seafood, which featured shrimp, scallops and sea cucumber intestines, which tastes sort of like a clam. All seafood were pretty fresh, although the clam was a bit chewy.

Tremella with Chicken & Crab Meat Soup

The Tremella with Chicken & Crab Meat Soup was quite delicious. Tremella is like a opaque jelly fungi and it was cut up into bits in the soup. It definitely gave the soup some texture. Allen, the general manager said that the soup normally doesn’t come with tobiko, but for presentation purposes this night, they did.

Whole Chicken in Abalone Sauce

The Whole Chicken in Abalone Sauce was presented like a piece of art! Looked like a peacock, and it was literally the whole chicken! The chicken was very moist and tender. The abalone sauce paired well with the chicken to give it more flavour.

XO Sauce

Allen also brought over some XO Sauce to try, which he said is homemade. K said this was really good since it wasn’t too spicy. It had bits of dried shrimp and scallop in the sauce.

Diced Beef Tenderloin in Honey & Pepper

The Diced Beef Tenderloin in Honey & Pepper had an awesome presentation. The beef bites were very tender and flavourful.

Specialty Layer Pork

The Specialty Layer Pork was really fatty but not super oily. K said it was one of the better ones she’s had. The meat was also pretty tender, while the fat just melted in your mouth.

The dish came with a side of steamed buns, which were perfect to pair together. Put some of that fatty meat in between your buns, and you get a delicious snack!

The meat to fat proportion was on point.

Lamb Chop with Honey & Pepper

The Lamb Chop with Honey & Pepper were really good. You don’t normally see lamb dishes at Chinese restaurants, so this was quite unexpected. The meat was very tender and wasn’t too gamey.

Whole Tilapia in En-Ping Style

Next up was the Whole Tilapia in En-Ping Style. There is a vermicelli like noodle underneath which is delicious when soaked in the sauce. The fish was also quite fresh and moist.

Lobster in Salted Egg Yolk

K’s favourite dish of the night was the Lobster in Salted Egg Yolk. You usually see this salted egg yolk batter on crab and shrimp dishes, but at Shiang Garden, they’ve done it to the lobster too! The batter is dry so it stays on the meat. The lobster was also very fresh.

BC Dungeness Crab in White Wine Sauce

The BC Dungeness Crab in White Wine Sauce was also a favourite amongst the bloggers. The meat is covered with egg whites to keep the meat very moist. It’s also heavily flavoured with the white wine sauce which is delicious. Again, very fresh crab!

Steamed Spot Prawns in Garlic

Another beautifully presented dish was the Steamed Spot Prawns in Garlic. These were butterflied, but K felt it was a bit unnecessary as it didn’t make it easier to eat. She felt that the spot prawns were just average and the ones she had weren’t very fresh.

Buddha’s Feast Roll with Cabbage

Basically the only real veggie dish of the night was the Buddha’s Feat Roll with Cabbage. These were cabbage rolls filled with enoki mushroom and julienned carrots. K felt that it was a bit hard to chew when it was all rolled up and ended up deconstructing it to eat.

Baked Durian Pastry and Osmanthus Flower Cake Pudding

To finish dinner off, there were two desserts. First was the Baked Durian Pastry, which K loved. The pastry was very flaky and there was an abundant of durian filling. You could tell it was fresh durian since it was very strong in taste and aroma. Great if you’re a durian lover! The second dessert was the Osmanthus Flower Cake Pudding. The jelly was light and refreshing, but quite typical. Nothing too special.

Overall, Shiang Garden executed the food well and their seafood was quite fresh. You can also count on them for presenting nice dishes for special occasions!

Temper Pastry (Summer Soirée and New Menu Launch)

June 13, 2015June 13, 20151 Comment

NOTE: All food and beverages were complimentary as part of the Temper Pastry media event.

Last week The PR Company invited me to Temper Pastry for their summer soirée and new menu launch. Temper Pastry is located in the village of Dundarave in West Vancouver, which is an area I am not too familiar with. However, going along Marine Drive, I realized how beautiful this area is! Tons of cute cafés and boutiques in this seaside village. Temper has both seating indoors and outdoors. The patio was perfect to enjoy the sunny evening.

Owner and chef, Steven Hodge was on site and greeted me as I arrived. Steven actually grew up in Dundarave, but later moved to California to study business administration and then at Le Cordon Blue, specializing in pastry and chocolate. Steven has years of experience from all over the world, from apprenticing at Dominic’s Restaurant in West Hollywood to working in England at Gordon Ramsay’s 3 Michelin star restaurant. He then returned to Vancouver to work with Thomas Haas to fine tune his culinary skills. And just last January, he decided to open Temper to follow his culinary dreams.

Temper offers many take home chocolates and are perfect for gifts. I especially loved the chocolate animals.

And of course they offer their gourmet handcrafted chocolates. Any items that are coffee flavoured feature Stumptown coffee.

Temper offers some items for the summer. That evening, we got to sample some of these summer items as well as new menu items.

Pink Grapefruit Iced Tea

I started off trying their Pink Grapefruit Iced Tea, which was extremely refreshing and pretty to look at. There is just a slight grapefruit flavour without it being too tangy or sweet.

Almond Croissants

We also got to sample various croissants. Temper’s croissants go through a three-day process: a 17 hour-polish and 24 hour dough. He also uses high quality ingredients like European butter to ensure that the croissants are the flakiest they can be. I got to try the Almond Croissants, which I had high expectations for, knowing that he had trained under Thomas Haas. Thomas Haas definitely makes the best croissants in Vancouver in my opinion, and you can tell that Steven has learned to do just that. These croissants were flaky and melted in your mouth. There were also various truffles, which were also exceptional.

Lime and Coconut Fruit Tart, Passion Fruit Dessert (Back – left to right)
Rum Baba Parfait, Pistachio & Strawberry Parfait, Eton Mess Parfait, Lemon Yoghurt Mousse Parfait (Front – left to right)

Next were some of the new desserts, featuring a variety of parfaits. I didn’t actually end up trying all these, but I did get to sample the Rum Baba Parfait. Just like how a rum baba should be, the cake was moist and saturated with rum, although I found it rather sweet than strong in alcohol flavour. There was just the right amount of cream and there were some crunchy bits at the top to give it some texture. Delicious treat and I liked how it wasn’t too heavy.

What’s great about Temper is that they also support the local community. They actually feature their neighbouring business, Sebastian & Co Fine Meats Ltd. We got to sample some charcuterie and the meats were delicious! I especially enjoyed their salami and prosciutto.

Sebastian and Co. also sell cheese, so we got quite a variety of cheese to sample that night.

Loved the Smoked Gouda!

Drinks were also being served that evening. For wines, Tightrope Winery was a featured sponsor, and I got to try the Pinot Gris (2014). I liked how it had a fruity aroma to it.

Several breweries also sponsored beer that night. This included Bridge, Grolsh, Hoyne, Black Kettle, and Postmark. Unfortunately, I did not get around to trying all these.

Mini Ice Cream Bars

And then the Mini Ice Cream Bars rolled in! These are homemade and featured just for the summer. The perfect size without feeling too guilty! There are three flavours: almonds, chocolate, and vanilla. The little cups featured a caramel dessert which I forgot what the name was, but other guests mentioned they were really delicious!

Chocolate Mini Ice Cream Bar

I went for the Chocolate Mini Ice Cream Bar, which was absolutely delicious! Just the right amount of sweetness, and the chocolate inside was creamy smooth!

A snapshot of the interior of the chocolate mini ice cream bar.

Affogato Espresso with Vanilla Ice Cream

Next up, I sampled the Affogato Espresso with Vanilla Ice Cream. I’m not a regular coffee drinker, but I loved the contrast of hot and cold in this drink. The espresso is from Stumptown Coffee and the drink was smooth and creamy. If you love coffee and ice cream, then this is the perfect drink for you.

Longaniza Sausage

Last but not least, Temper had a barbeque going on, so we got to try some of Sebastian and Co.’s specialty sausages. That night, they had three sausages being grilled: Hot Italian, Longaniza, and Classic Pork. I believe I got the Longaniza since it tasted like chorizo. The sausage was flavoured with chilies and spices, and I added some grainy mustard to my hot dog. Super tasty without an overwhelming amount of heat.

Guests left with a gift bag, which featured some of Temper’s chocolates. This included Temper’s Signature Dark Chocolate Bar, which I really enjoyed. A slight bitterness to it, but extremely smooth chocolate.

We also got some truffles and chocolates including, a Ganache, Pina Colada Truffle and Salty Ball, which has won an award. The Salty ball is chocolate enrobed in liquid caramel! Delicious!

Overall, I was extremely impressed with Temper’s chocolates and pastries. Steven’s creations show the years of experiences he has gone through in perfecting his skills. I guess I will have to make trips out to West Vancouver to try out more of his desserts now! Thanks to Naz from the PR company and Steven for inviting me to this wonderful event!

Chewies (Coal Harbour Happy Hour)

June 8, 2015June 8, 2015Leave a comment

I’ve been on an oyster craze lately, so when SP and SK asked where to eat, I suggested Chewies at Coal Harbour. We decided to get there right after work so we could get our orders in for happy hour. There’s some construction going around here right now so it’s a bit hidden, but they do have some signs directing you.

The restaurant wasn’t too busy on a random Thursday night. The patio outside did fill up, but the indoor seating was still quite free. I hear they are quite packed on Fridays and weekends though. The Coal Harbour location has happy hour from 3-6pm daily, and the people were quite nice about it even though we arrived at 5:45. They made sure we got our orders in right before 6pm.

Whistler Paradise Valley Grapefruit Ale

Several of their BC craft beers and boutique wines were featured on their happy hour menu for $5, which is a pretty good deal. Their pints of beer are all 20oz, so it’s actually quite a bit! I chose the Whistler Paradise Valley Grapefruit Ale, which I loved! You got that hint of citrusy flavour and I liked how it wasn’t very bitter.

Parallel 49 Gypsy Tears Ruby Red Ale

SP got the Parrallel 49 Gypsy Tears Ruby Red Ale, which is more of a bitter ale. You could definitely taste the contrast from the grapefruit ale, but it’s definitely a lighter beer compared to some of the really strong bitter ones I’ve had.

We were obviously here for their buck a shuck oysters, so they first started us off with the sauces that go along with the oysters. They have four: a cucumber vinegar, your classic mignonette, cocktail sauce, and a spicy habanero. They also bring you some Tabasco sauce. Our favourite was probably the spicy habanero, but it really wasn’t even that spicy.

$1 BC Beach Oysters

We got a dozen of their $1 BC Beach Oysters, which were extremely fresh. They switch up their oysters depending on what’s in season, and the server explained to us the name and all, but I didn’t catch it.

They also offer $2 oysters during happy hour for their premium oysters. These were quite big, but they were still very sweet! The only issue I had was that one oyster or so had some shell bits in it. Always a sign of how good the shucker is.

Pan Seared Calamari

Their happy hour menu also features a selection of their ‘first bites’. They actually offer quite a large variety – so many that we ended up ordering almost the whole menu… Since it’s 50% off their regular price…why not? Well, first off, we started off with the Pan Seared Calamari. Like its name says, the calamari is seared rather than fried. These were actually really good though and a good alternative to the oily fried calamari. The squid had a nice char to it and was super tender! It came with a cucumber, mint and jalapeno salad with creme fraiche dressing and remoulade. That salad was a killer though as it was way too spicy!

Dungeness Crab Cakes

Next up were the Dungeness Crab Cakes with a lemon aioli and an avocado & cucumber salad in a cilantro-lime vinaigrette. They come with three pieces, so were perfect for us to share. These were pretty good although I wish they were slightly more seasoned. The lemon aioli helped bring more flavour for sure.

Fried Fanny Bay Oysters

And then there were the Fried Fanny Bay Oysters. These were parsley and cornmeal battered Fanny Bay oysters and came along with Chewies’ tartar sauce. I felt like these had more batter on it than the actual oyster. I was expecting more fatty oysters, but they were pretty small and felt rather overcooked. Not a huge fan of these.

Brioche Garlic Toast

The fried fanny bay oysters also come with the Brioche Garlic Toast, which were pretty delicious. Tastes just like your typical garlic bread with a nice crispy texture to it.

Oysters Rockefeller

Since we’re at Chewies, might as well keep loading up with the oyster dishes… So we got the Oysters Rockefeller, which featured fresh hand shucked BC oysters, absinthe, spinach and herb puree, and topped with Parmesan cheese bread crumbs. An order came with 5 oysters and these were pretty good. The oysters were quite large and fatty and I loved the spinach and herb puree underneath. I still prefer the ones at Joe Fortes a bit more though.

All Dressed Cajun Fries

We also got the All Dressed Cajun Fries. At first, I was skeptical to order this, since I’m not a huge fries person and I can only imagine how much they can do with fries. However, this was beyond my expectations! It ended up being very simliar to a poutine, with Andouille sausage, fresh garlic, diced tomatoes, cheese curds, Parmesan and garlic mayo. The fries were crispy and sizzling in the pan. The sausage and seasoning gave it a slight kick, but nothing overwhelming. Definitely a great dish to share.

Crocs & Hush Puppies

Lastly, we got the Crocs & Hush Puppies, which we were all curious about. Yes – crocs meant fried crocodile! Well the menu acutally detailed it as “chicken fried crocodile,” so I’m not really sure if we were eating crocodile or not. The meat was definitely much more chewy, but I actually quite liked the texture. Hush puppies refer to these cornbread balls and these were nothing too special. The dish came with a house vinaigrette and some jalapeno jelly which definitely had a level of spice.

Overall, happy hour at Chewies definitely met my expectations. They have a good selection of dishes with 50% off, and most of them were good, if not really good. My favourites had got to be the calamari and fries. Their oysters are also extremely fresh and you can even upgrade to their premium! Ambiance is also really nice with high ceilings and a modern environment. Great patio during the summer as well. Service on the other hand was a bit of a hit and miss. Our last two dishes actually didn’t come for the longest time and we had to remind them to cook it up. The server at the end was pretty nice though and apologized for our wait. Oh and by the way, if you end up like us ordering pretty much the whole menu, your happy hour deal isn’t so happy after all since the bill will add up. But hey, at least we left with a full tummy!

Pros:
– Fresh oysters for $1 or $2 during happy hour
– Good selection of dishes during happy hour for 50% off

Cons:
– They forgot two of our dishes at the end

Price Range: $25-30

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

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

Joe Fortes (Happy Hour)

June 5, 2015June 6, 2015Leave a comment

Joe Fortes has been around for a long time and it’s known for their seafood and steak. They are your classic North American restaurant and a prime spot for both tourists and locals. Their regular menu can be a bit on the pricey side, so what better way to enjoy than to try some of their bar items by going for happy hour! They offer happy hour from 4-6pm daily and the best part is they have buck a shuck oysters! S, N and I headed over and we were slightly earlier than 4pm, but the hostess still seated us knowing that we were here for happy hour. So be sure to get there early and you’ll be guaranteed a spot!

Orchard Hill Red Roof Apple Cider

We started off with some drinks, although we ordered off their regular menu. However, they do have happy hour drinks with highballs, house wine and Molson pints on deal for $5. I chose the Orchard Hill Red Roof Apple Cider instead, and this was light and crisp without being overly sweet. Very refreshing!

“Buck a Shuck” Oyster

Of course we had to go for the Buck a Shuck Oysters. They are literally only $1 each, which is a steal!The oysters were served on top of ice and served with a classic cocktail sauce and horse radish. They also give you Tabasco sauce for those who like it spicy. The oysters were quite large but they were still very sweet! No bits of shell at all in any of mine! That’s a sign of a good oyster shucker. I’d definitely say Joe Fortes is one of my top favourites for oysters. Probably just after Rodney’s, but Rodney’s happy hour is slightly more than a $1.

Joe’s Shrimp Ceviche

Their happy hour is actually quite extensive and you get to choose from a large variety of snacks. We went for Joe’s Shrimp Ceviche, which featured a mix of shrimp, jalapeno, avocado and tomatoes. This was served with corn chips. The shrimps were very tiny, but they were still fresh and bouncy. Probably not my favourite ceviche, but it’s not bad. I would’ve liked a bit more tang to it.

Mini Lobster & Shrimp Rolls

And then we got their infamous Mini Lobster & Shrimp Rolls. These are a must order at happy hour! The buns are filled with shrimp, Atlantic lobster meat and a classic French mayonnaise sauce. You actually get quite a bit of lobster here, so it’s definitely a good deal. Plus, something about the rolls are just so delicious. They are buttery and super soft but crispy on the edges.

Oyster Rockefeller

Lastly, we got the Oyster Rockefellers, which I also highly recommend. An order comes with four large local oysters, which have a spinach base and topped with hollaindaise sauce. The oysters are huge! It’s like an eggs benedict but with an oyster instead. I loved the creamy spinach along with the sauce. A slight bit of paprika sprinkled on top gives it some extra flavour.

Overall, we were extremely pleased with Joe Fortes. They are definitely the place to go for Happy Hour. Service was also very attentive, professional and friendly. Ambiance is rustic and traditional, but no need to dress up. Perfect spot to stop by while shopping on Robson.

Pros:
– Great happy hour menu (must order oysters and shrimp and lobster rolls!)
– Professional service

Cons:
– Restaurant can be busy so may need to wait sometimes

Price Range: $20-30 (Happy hour)

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

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

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

Twisted Fork Bistro

March 29, 2015April 2, 2015Leave a comment

Twisted Fork is a busy little bistro on the Granville strip in downtown Vancouver. No reservations mean long waits, but as we arrived at the restaurant around 6:00PM, we managed to get seating almost immediately.

The restaurant features an open kitchen concept with seating that features an ample amount of pillows. In a word, it’s “chill.” Service is friendly.

The menu features a “fresh sheet”, featuring dishes which may change daily (updates are provided on their website).

The complimentary bread was average, suffering from being both cold and tough to the chew.

Duck Confit

S ordered the Duck Confit with bacon braised cabbage, jus and pickled pumpkin. He said that it was “not bad.”

Mussels with Frites

I got the Mussels with Frites, which feature a pound of mussels tossed in cream sauce and topped with fries. I think the fries were actually yam fries, so that’s always a plus. However, the fries were quite soggy. The mussels were small, but sweet. Quite good

Pros:
– Quality food
– Cozy ambiance with friendly service

Cons:
– Bread was disappointing
– Usually long waits and no reservations

Price Range: $20-30

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

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

Every Day is a Food Day

Category: $$$

Hakkasan Bistro – ChineseBites Media Event

Shiang Garden – ChineseBites Media Event

Temper Pastry (Summer Soirée and New Menu Launch)

Chewies (Coal Harbour Happy Hour)

Joe Fortes (Happy Hour)

Cork & Fin

Wildebeest

Twisted Fork Bistro