Tasty n Alder – Portland

October 15, 2014October 15, 2014Leave a comment

Before our trip, we did some research on where to eat to save time and get the most out of our trip. Tasty n Alder was one of the picks and it was located conveniently in the downtown area. We arrived at around 7pm, and it was packed! They don’t take reservations, but they do take down your name and number when you arrive. You can then go elsewhere and they will call you when your table is ready. However, since we didn’t have any US minutes, we had to check up on our table every half an hour. We ended up waiting a good 2 hours until we got a table. I’ve never waited so long to eat… It’s pretty ridiculous because you would see people who are already done eating, but they would lounge around for a long time. In Vancouver, the servers would probably be trying to kick you out by then, if there’s a huge line up for the next round of diners. Not here. Luckily, they ended up serving us some complementary bubbles to thank us for waiting.

The restaurant is dimly lit inside, and is quite hip. Sort of like a bar, but a bit more fancy. It’s Pacific Northwest food with some European twists. There are small and large plates, and I find that they are all great for sharing. By the time we got in, the restaurant was already quite empty.

Fried Oysters with Remoulade

First up, we got the Fried Oysters with Remoulade. They were lightly battered, and the oysters were tiny but sweet. It came with a remoulade, which is similar to a tartar sauce, and a coleslaw.

Crab Dip

The Crab Dip was one of my favourite dishes. The crab meat was flaky and mixed with tomatoes and herbs. It came with some pita bread to scoop. However, I found the pita bread to be too charred. Some parts tasted like burnt bread.

Seared Scallops with Mint Pesto

By far, my favourite of the night were the Seared Scallops with Mint Pestos. Although there were only three scallops, they were seared perfectly and the scallops just melted in your mouth. The pesto was also flavoured really well and was delicious alongside the scallops.

House-made Pasta with Squid

We also got the House-made Past with Squid. The pasta was al dente and I think it was just a simple drizzle of olive oil mixed with some veggies and squid. Simple, but tasty.

Goat Cheese Dumplings Arrabiata

I’m not a fan of goat cheese, but apparently the Goat Cheese Dumplings Arrabiata is one of their famous dishes, so we got it. Surprisingly, the goat cheese wasn’t too strong, and when mixed with the arrabiata suace, which is a spicy tomato sauce, the flavours really excelled. It came with some toasts to accompany the dumplings.

Chocolate Potato Doughnut with Creme Anglaise

Lastly, we got the Chocolate Potato Doughnut with Creme Anglaise, which is also another top menu item. This was freshly deep fried and a must order!! I believe they use potato instead of typical flour and the texture was not as doughy. It came with a creme anglaise, which is a light custard cream. Overall, Tasty n Alder was quite good, but I don’t know if I would wait 2 hours for it again. They have quite unique items, but I also found the menu to be quite pricey for small portions.

Salt & Straw – Portland

October 14, 2014October 13, 2014Leave a comment

After 5 hours of driving, we finally arrived in Portland and settled into our hotel at Park Lane Suites. It’s a pretty nice hotel for the price and was located quite near downtown city centre. After dropping our stuff off, we decided to take a walk in the neighborhood and try Salt & Straw, which is a famous ice cream shop.

The inside is hip with cool music blasting and friendly servers. It reminds me of Earnest Ice Cream, with unique flavours. The inside smells like freshly made waffle cones too!

There’s a line up, but it’s really not that bad. The servers will come up to you and ask if you would like to sample some flavour. They then bring you spoons with the samples to try before you even get to the ordering area. That way, it speeds things up.

They have their classic menu, but also a seasonal menu. They were featuring a summer harvest series, which included sweet corn, apricots, peaches, and plums. A favourite classic that many talk about is the Pear and Blue Cheese, which I actually sampled and surprisingly thought was really good! A odd combo and for someone whose not a blue cheese fan, I actually still liked it! They also have sundaes, ice cream floats, milkshakes, and draft beverages.

Honey Lavender

For myself, I ended up with the Honey Lavender. I’m a sucker for floral flavored food, or food items that use flower petals.

The Honey Lavender uses Oregon-grown lavender petals which are steeped in honey to extract the floral flavor. The honey used is from Bee Local which is harvested from urban hives all around Portland. I loved the hint of floral but sweetness from the honey. It was smooth and creamy! A huge scoop in a huge waffle cone as well. I believe it only came to $5.

Oregon Peaches with Toasted Walnuts

K went for the seasonal flavour of Oregon Peaches with Toasted Walnuts. It’s made with freshly pureed peaches and mixed with toasted walnuts. Super refreshing.

Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons

J got the Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons. It uses Fleur de Sel and is topped off by ribboning in hand-burned caramel that is made in house. I loved the salty and sweet flavour!

Overall, Salt & Straw did not disappoint! If you’re an ice cream lover, you won’t be disappointed with all the unique flavours! I’d definitely revisit this ice cream shop again!

Pike Place Market – Beecher’s Handmade Cheese + Pike Place Chowder (Seattle)

October 13, 2014Leave a comment

Before starting full time work, I decided to head down to the States for a road trip with my friends. Our destination was Portland, but we decided to stop in Seattle to grab lunch. Of course, we ended up at Pike Place Market. First, stop, we went to Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, which is an artisan cheesemaker and retail shop. Normally, they have huge line ups because tours bring them here, but we arrived early in the morning, so there were no line ups!

You can purchase cheese here, but also grilled cheese, mac and cheese, and other items. What’s unique about Beecher’s is that they mainly use pasteurized milk, but they also have their own farm and cattle to control their cheese products. You can actually see the cheese being prepared right next to the cafe.

World’s Best Mac & Cheese – penne pasta combined with Beecher’s award-winning Flagship cheese

We decided to share the World’s Best Mac & Cheese, which was absolutely delicious! It used penne pasta and was drenched in Beecher’s award-winning Flagship cheese which is aged for one year! It was thick and creamy and full of cheesiness. I found it quite pricey though since it was around $9 for a large, which really wasn’t too large.

After wandering around the market, we decided to head to Pike Place Chowder. They don’t open until 11:00 am, but by 11:30, there was already a huge line up!

Pike Place Chowder is famous for their award winning chowders. They serve 8 varieties of chowders, but also sandwiches and salads.

Sampler (four 5oz cups of any chowder)

I decided to go big and got the Sampler, which comes with four cups of chowders of your choice. Probably a bad choice, because 5 oz is actually a lot! I was basically drinking 20 oz of chowder…and they are quite thick! This would be great to share though. On the top left was the Seared Scallop Chowder, which came with sweet, tender scallops served in a creamy broth and flavoured with dill and lime juice. This was probably my least favourite. I found the broth to be too creamy and the dill was a little off-putting for me. On the top right was the Smoked Salmon Chowder, which came with nova smoked salmon, capers, and cream cheese. This was much lighter and had a strong smoked salmon flavour. Not bad! On the bottom left, was the Market Chowder. That day, it was a crab and oyster chowder, which was probably my favourite out of the four. If you love seafood, this one is perfect! I also loved the strong flavour of oysters. It wasn’t too heavy as well. Lastly, on the bottom right was the Seafood Bisque, which had Pacific cod, Northwest salmon, Oregon bay shrimp and crab. It was seasoned with fresh basil and simmered in a creamy, tomato-based broth. This was also one of my favourites as the bisque was light but full of flavour. I really enjoyed the tomato-based broth as well. Your chowders come with sourdough bread as well, but I was way too full drinking the soups to be dipping the bread in.

The Sampler is a good deal if you’re looking to share, since you will actually get really full from a 5 oz cup if you’re looking for a snack. However, their chowders are still quite pricey at around $6 for an 8 oz cup.

Catch 122 Cafe Bistro

October 6, 2014October 6, 2014Leave a comment

Throughout the summer, I despserately wanted to hit some happy hour spots, just because work would start soon and the weather would turn terrible. Finally, K and I decided to head to Gastown and we ended up checking out Catch 122 Cafe Bistro. They offer happy hour from Tuesdays to Saturdays from 4pm to 6pm.

We got there right at 4pm, and I guess it was sort of an odd weekday, so we were literally the only diners. Shortly, there were another couple, but it’s definitely not very busy during these odd times. The interior is rustic yet hip. I loved the wooden furniture and spacious setting.

Beer Flight Paddle (4 X 5.5 oz) ($6.50)

For drinks, I decided to go for the Beer Flight Paddle, which is a great deal to try all their local craft beer on tap. It’s around $3 off the regular menu. Starting from the left, we have the Russell Eastern Promises Pilsner (5%). This was a Czech-style pilsner one of my favourites. I liked how it was light and crispy and had a touch of honey flavour. Next, was the Russell Blood Alley Bitter (5.5%), which was my least favourite. I didn’t like it mostly because I found it too bitter and dry. It did have a hint of grapefruit flavour though. Continuing to our right was the Driftwood Farmhand Belgian Ale (5.5%). This one is brewed in Victoria and is supposed to be Belgian in flavour. It was okay, but I found it to be on the bitter side. Last but not least, on the very right was the Driftwood Fat Tug IPA (7%). This was an Indian Pale Ale, and I liked how it was a fruity beer. It had notes of grapefruit, mango, melon, and passionfruit.

Salmon Tartare, 63º Quail Egg, Gaufrette Potato ‘Chips’ ($4)

For snacks, we started off with the Salmon Tartare. The food items are not discounted, so they are the same price as the dinner menu. However, they don’t offer the dinner menu during happy hour time.The salmon tartare came with a quail egg, which I mixed together. The tartare was flavoured well and the dill definitely brought lots of flavour to your palette. It came with potato chips so you could scoop the tartare. The plate is definitely very small, but very well done.

Mushroom Pâté, Olive, Hazelnut, Poppyseed Lavash ($3.50)

The second appetizer we got was the Mushroom Pâté, which was visually appealing. It looked like a little plant! The pâté was seasoned with olives, hazelnuts, and pepper. It was then topped with little mushrooms. Super cute! Around the pâté, there was a poppyseed lavash ring. The flatbread was crispy and great to scoop the pâté.

Based on just the happy hour menu, Catch 122 has good quality food. I can’t comment too much since I didn’t try most of their menu. However, I liked the atmosphere and I appreciate the fact that they put thought into their dishes, so it’s a bit more unique. Service wasn’t extraordinary, but it was available. I’d definitely return to try the rest of their menu. I hear their breakfast/brunch menu is quite good!

Master Hung BBQ Restaurant

October 5, 2014Leave a comment

Master Hung is near my house, but I have never made the effort to visit. Finally, we decided to give it a try, and surprisingly it is packed. Even with reservations, we had to wait 15 minutes. They are supposed to be famous for their Soy Sauce Chicken.

The restaurant is actually fairly small, and the interior is actually much nicer than I expected judging from the outside. Service was quick and friendly.

Daily House Soup

We started off with the Daily House Soup. It was simmered with meat and veggies and full of flavour.

Ling Cod (2 courses) – sauteed with celery and snap peas

Next was the Ling Cod which came in two courses. The first was sauteed with celery and snap peas. I found that it lacked flavour, but this was probably the better version of the two. Some of the pieces had bones in it, which I’m not a huge fan of.

Ling Cod with Tofu Hot Pot

The second course was the Ling Cod with Tofu Hot Pot. For some odd reason, there wasn’t much flavour to this either. You would imagine that this dish would be more flavourful. The best part was the tofu. The ling cod in this dish had a lot of bones too.

Soy Sauce Chicken (half) $2 extra

They have dinner specials, where you can order a number of dishes for a set price. We chose the combo of three, which came to $41.80. Our first dish was the famous Soy Sauce Chicken which came in half a serving. We had to add an extra $2 for this. The chicken was decent, but I didn’t find it too special. The meat had great chew, but I thought it was almost a bit too hard to chew.

Combo for three – $41.80

Bamboo Pith Buddha Feast $2 extra

Next, was the Bamboo Pith Buddha Feast, which came with an assortment vegetables. It included mushrooms, wood ear fungus, corn, bean sprouts, carrots, and broccoli. Again, it wasn’t very flavourful.

Honey Garlic Spareribs

Lastly, we had the Honey Garlic Spareribs, which was probably my favourite of the night. They didn’t look too appealing, but they were battered lightly and flavoured well. A good hint of honey and garlic so it wasn’t too sweet or overwhelming.

Overall, we found Master Hung to be overrated and just mediocre. We were surprised by how many people ate here and how good the ratings were on Urbanspoon. Fair prices, but the items really lack flavour. I guess it’s good if you like your food to be more on the bland side…

Potter’s Garden

October 4, 2014October 4, 2014Leave a comment

Since we were in the Metrotown area, we decided to grab some food after hiking. We ended up going to Potter’s Garden. There were customers constantly coming in, which is always a good sign! I believe the owners are Korean as well, but they can speak fluent English, so no problem with ordering here!

They first start you off with some appetizers. Here, we have marinated seaweed salad, beansprouts, sweet potatoes, and kimchi. We actually got two sets of these for 5 people, and I’m pretty sure you can ask for a refill.

They also provide you with lettuce so you can wrap your grilled meat, some dipping sauces, and my favourite ssamjang.

Bulgogi

We started off with the Bulgogi, which is just stir fried marinated tender beer with vegetables. Since we only ordered two grilled dishes, they did not open up the grill for us to grill on our own. I actually prefer that since I don’t exactly enjoy the grilling part and smelling like grilled food afterwards. The meat was very tender and flavourful. Along with ssamjang and wrapped with lettuce, it was very delicious!

LA Galbi Jui

Next, we got the LA Galbi Jui, which are grilled marinated prime ribs. I found the ribs to be slightly disappointing as the meat was a bit tough to chew. And of course, there weren’t too much meat as well. The sauce was very good though.

Nakji-dolsot-bibimbap – rice mixed with assorted vegetables, octopus, optional red pepper paste in a hot stone pot

My favourite of the night was the Nakji-dolsot-bibimbap. This was your typical bibimbap or rice in hot stone bowl with a twist. It has assorted vegetables like bean sprouts, carrots, and zucchini, but also octopus! The octopus was very tender and easy to chew. It was also dressed with the red pepper paste so it was very flavourful and feisty! Recommend!

Japchae

We got our all time favourite Japchae, which is potato noodles stir-fried with vegetables and beef. This was a small size and was a good portion to share so everyone could get some. It was filled with lots of vegetables and beef, so you would get some crunch to it.

Haemul Pajeon (seafood)

Lastly, we got the Haemul Pajeon, which is the Korean style pancake with seafood. Again, this was the mall size. I thought this was done very well as the top was crispy, and they didn’t cheap out on the seafood. It had a mix of squid, shrimp, and of course lots of chives.

Overall, Potter’s Garden was quite good for the value. Nothing too outstanding, but I would probably revisit again when I want Korean food near Kingsway. I believe they are also open until 2 a.m., so a perfect place to get some drinks and late night snacks.

Beta5 Chocolates

September 30, 2014September 28, 2014Leave a comment

Milk Chocolate Praline, Blueberry Yuzu, Cherry Cola, 85% Dark Chocolate and Caramel

Cream puffs are one of my guilty pleasures. I’m not always craving for them, but they always make my day when I have one once in a while. There’s the go to place, like Beard Papa, but Beta5 Chocolates is the place to get unique cream puffs! I’ve had one before, and finally, K came home with a box of 4 to share. How could I say no? A box of 4 will come to a price of $16. It’s quite pricey, but they’re also quite large and well worth the splurge! They recently launched the Cherry Cola, which is the one with a red piece of chocolate. I loved the hint of cherry flavour, but it was mostly a cola flavour. Felt a little fizzy actually. The Milk Chocolate Praline, which was dusted with icing sugar, was also quite good, with the milk chocolate being very creamy and smooth. I liked how it wasn’t too sweet.

Blueberry Yuzu

The Blueberry Yuzu had a yellow piece of chocolate on top. Beta5 is very famous for their chocolates, so of course even the piece of chocolate was smooth. The cream puff shell’s texture is a bit different from typical cream puffs. It’s a bit harder, so even when you cut into it, the shape stays.

The Blueberry Yuzu was very refreshing. It was filled mostly with vanilla cream, but you could taste the slightly sour taste of the yuzu. The blueberry jam was great to bring sweetness to the puff.

85% Dark Chocolate and Caramel

The 85% Dark Chocolate and Caramel of course came with a piece of dark chocolate with a speck of gold. The puff itself was chocolate flavoured and filled with dark chocolate cream and caramel, which made it extra smooth and creamy. One of my favourites out of the four I tried!

Overall, Beta5 is a great change to your typical Beard Papa or store bought cream puffs. They are slightly pricey, but a great treat once in a while. I just wish their location wasn’t so far off. Their hours also close when most people get off work…so it’s always hard for me to get more!

Bella Gelateria (Yaletown)

September 29, 2014September 28, 2014Leave a comment

Bella Gelateria is my all time favourite for gelato, and I was excited when they opened their second location in Yaletown. It’s right by the water, so it’s quite nice on a summer evening. K and I decided to go there on the first day it opened, but ended up going pretty late. We were shocked to see a huge line up, but later realized the line was for gelato only. Phew! So we quickly got seated outside and our server was beyond knowledgeable. She was able to explain the menu thoroughly and gave us her personal favourite suggestions.

The indoors is brightly lit with white decor. At the back, you can see the pizza chefs making the Neapolitan pizzas – which are one of their main features. Apparently, it only takes 90 seconds to bake the pizzas since the oven is very hot.

They also have a showcase of desserts. There are ice cream sandwiches that another company sells here, some ice cream macarons, and the famous gelatinis! A very pretty display! There are also baked good in the morning for the brunch menu.

Margherita – San Marzano (D.O.P.*) tomatoes, fior di latte, parmigiano-reggiano, EVOO, & fresh basil

The menu is quite pricey at Bella Gelateria, with our Margherita pizza being $12. It’s extremely thin, so one person could easily finish it. They use San Marzano Tomatoes (Protected Designation of Origin) which are plum tomatoes. The menu claims they are considered to be the best paste tomatoes in the world. I could definitely taste the acidity and freshness of the tomatoes. The parmigiano is aged for 36 months, rather than the typical 12 months and EVOO stands for Italian extra virgin olive oil. They definitely use the top ingredients. However, we were slightly disappointed that our pizzas didn’t come sizzling hot. When we told our server, she explained that they are made to order, so shouldn’t be. Not sure why ours was sort of cold, but she said she would let management know.

Matcha Smash Gelatini

We couldn’t come to opening night without giving their gelatini a try. The Gelatini is something owner, James, invented, which is martini + gelato. Our server described it as sort of like an island, with the gelato being the island, and the martini being the ocean. We went for the Matcha Smash, which combined matcha powder with vodka and a tcouh of herbal Chartreuse. It was topped with a bit of lemon juice and a slice of lemon peel. Honestly, I thought it was really boozy! And our server said there was one that was way stronger. The vodka was almost too strong for me. I had to take a scoop of gelato before drinking the liquid to balance it off.

The Wonka Coppetta

We also wanted to try their other desserts, so we got The Wonka Coppetta. Coppetta really just means a cup in Italian. The Wonka had Tahitan vanilla gelato, and was topped with a blueberry orange compote and a chocolate drizzle. I liked the balance of sweet and sourt from the blueberries. However, it’s quite pricey – coming at a price of $8. Would I get it again? Probably not. It reminded me of a sundae with fruits and chocolate sauce.

If you go into the restaurant, you can see the kitchen where they make the gelatos. James is here as well!

I love how they incorporated the famous gelato truck inside. If you want gelato after your dinner, you can simply skip the line and order your gelato. I like how they’ve made the line begin outside the restaurant, so it doesn’t disturb the diners. Therefore, the line may look longer than it really is. To be honest, the lines at their original location are even longer since they start inside! Overall, I thought the pizza was mediocre. The gelatinis are interesting, but a little too boozy for myself personally. I’d love to give some of their other desserts a try. Still my favourite spot for gelato though! Now I have another location to visit if I want some of Bella’s gelato!