The Sandbar – DOVF 2015

February 1, 2015February 1, 2015Leave a comment

Wok Charred Albacore Tuna

For our work’s squad lunch, we went to The Sandbar restaurant in Granville Island. It’s part of the Sequoia group of restaurants, like Seasons in the Park and they offered the $28 lunch menu during the Dine Out Vancouver Festival. Most of us started off with the Wok Charred Albacore Tuna for our appetizer. The tuna was crusted with sesame and lightly seared so the middle was still raw. Very fresh and combined with the pickled ginger, it was very refreshing. It also came with a wasabi aioli, but it lacked any wasabi flavour. The dish also came with some crispy wontons to eat with the tuna, which gave the whole dish a very Asian flare.

Seafood Hot Pot

For the entree, I chose the Seafood Hot Pot, which came with loads of seafood! It include bok choy, salmon, snapper, clams, mussels, prawns, and even a scallop. All the seafood was really fresh and it came in a red coconut curry broth. The broth was a very thin consistency soup and was very aromatic in coconut flavour. There was barely any spice, but it was perfect for dipping the complimentary bread into.

Wood Grilled Steelhead Salmon

A got the Wood Grilled Steelhead Salmon, which had a very nice char to it. It came on top of some bok choy and coconut jasmine rice, which sat above the tomato fennel broth. A said it was very delicious.

Chocolate Oatmeal Brownie

For dessert, some of them got the Chocolate Oatmeal Brownie, which came with a creme anglaise. They said this was a bit sweet though.

Lemon Cheesecake

For myself, I chose the Lemon Cheesecake, which came with a raspberry coulis and strawberry. The cheesecake was light and not too sweet. Not bad!

Overall, we were all very pleased with our lunch. I find that their Dine Out menu doesn’t showcase a lot of their best dishes, but it’s a good price at $28 to check it out. I found it interesting that most of their menu threw in some Asian ingredients as well. Service was friendly and efficient. Our food came out quickly, but at a good pace, which was perfect since we wanted a quick lunch. Ambiance is also great, especially when you get seated outside. There’s heating lamps and you get a beautiful view of Vancouver.

Pros:
– Reasonable prices for seafood dishes
– Beautiful views of Vancouver

Cons:
– Parking at Granville Island can be difficult during busy hours
– The Dine Out menu doesn’t showcase their best food

Price Range: $25-35

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

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

Merchant’s Oyster Bar – DOVF 2015

January 31, 2015February 1, 20152 Comments

It’s Dine Out Vancouver Festival time again, and this year, I suggested we try Merchant’s Oyster Bar. Located on Commercial, it’s where the rest of the hipster food spots have opened up. The restaurant is pretty dimly lit, so I’ve never even noticed it. The restaurant has a bar table, but also dining seating. It’s rather dim, but very casual at the same time.

Online, we found the Dine Out menu to be $28, with three savoury dishes. Sort of the reason why I chose this, and also because they had oysters! However, upon arriving, their menu also featured a 4 course menu for $31, which included desserts. The desserts didn’t like anything too special, so we all opted out. They also have wine and non-alcoholic pairings.

MW went for the Scandal Lager, which came in a really cute bottle. So hipster.

Tuna Ceviche (+$2)

The first dishes are “snacks.” MH went for the Tuna Ceviche, which came on top of an endive This gave it a good crunch, but we could barely taste any tuna. The ceviche was seasoned with lime, Jalapeno, cilantro, and shallots, but we all agreed that it tasted too much like the herbs. Quite disappointed with this one.

Baked Oysters (+$3)

IC went for the Baked Oysters, which again came in a set of three. They were seasoned with lemongrass coconut crema, kimchi, and topped with tempura crumbs. I didn’t try this, but she said it was very good.

Oysters

MW and I went for the Oysters. Each diner gets three oysters each, and they brought us two types. One was the kusshi, and I could nto remember the second. It came with mignonette, lemon and horseradish for seasoning. There was also Tabasco sauce to give it some spice. The oysters were tiny, but extremely sweet and fresh. Definitely satisfied my oyster craving.

Beef Tartare

For my first course, I chose the Beef Tartare. The raw beef was chopped up and seasoned with a fermented hot sauce and pickled shallots. Accompanying it were caramelized onion crackers. I was disappointed with this as the beef was rather flavourless. I could barely taste the hot sauce. Without the cracker, the beef would have been very bland. Raw beef needs lots of seasoning or else it doesn’t taste good. It also came with a side of salad with a basic vinaigrette and olive oil dressing.

Sunchoke Soup

IC got the Sunchoke Soup, which had a very thick consistency, which we all enjoyed. You could also taste a hint of truffle oil and the soup came with some Sunchoke chips.

Albacore Tuna

MH got the Albacore Tuna, which came with a daikon pear slaw, ginger ponzu and pickled red onions. I thought that the tuna would be more like a tuna tataki, where it was lightly seared but raw inside, but it was actually fully cooked. I found it to be overcooked, but the daikon pear slaw made the dish really good since it was sweet and crunchy.

Slow Braised Short Ribs (+$2)

IC got the Slow Braised Short Ribs, which came in an interesting presentation. I found the veggies to be plated quite oddly. The short ribs were very flavourful and the meat was extremely tender. It came with some parsnip puree, honey roasted carrots, and braising liquids.

Confit Pork Belly (+$1)

MH got the Confit Pork Belly, which was rather a small piece. A good proportion of fat to meat and you really didn’t need to chew much since it was so soft. It came with a side of celery root puree, clams, celery, and a walnut vinaigrette.

Pan Seared Ling Cod

For myself, I got the Pan Seared Ling Cod, which was moist in the inside and was seared until there was a crispy skin. It came with some sauteed purple potatoes, apple chorizo emulsion, and kale puree. My favourite was the apple chorizo emulsion, which are pictured as those yellow drops. The sauce was so intense with the smokey chorizo flavour and paired great with the fish.

Pros:
– Reasonable prices for the type of food you get
– Ambiance is chill and great to hang out

Cons:
– Food is good, but not nothing too memorable
– Service is average

Price Range: $30-40

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

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

Maji Restaurant – revisit

January 28, 2015January 28, 2015Leave a comment

I’ve been wanting to revisit Maji for some time now, since I found that they had some pretty decent Taiwanese eats. However, parking here is just a nightmare, with Alexandra Street filled with diners on Friday nights. The restaurant itself is also packed! Luckily, we made last minute reservations while driving here and we were seated right away upon arrival. So be sure to make a call first!

Deep Fried Oysters

First up, we got the Deep Fried Oysters. These were big juicy oysters battered and deep fried. Along with a squeeze of lemon and this sweet chili sauce, it was very delicious. All of Maji’s dishes are meant to be shared, so this is great with a larger group.

Deep Fried Shrimp with Salted Egg Yolk

We also got the Deep Fried Shrimp with Salted Egg Yolk, which would have been perfect with white rice. The shrimps were deep fried with mashed salted egg yolk batter. You get tons of that egg yolk and I like how it was crispy and gave it a nice texture.

Taiwanese-Style Stir-Fried Noodles

Last but not least were the Taiwanese-Style Stir-Fried Noodles. A dish of oil noodles stir-fried with shredded cabbage, carrots, shredded pork, and basil. The basil flavour was very strong, and there was a good ratio of ingredients to noodles.

Overall, I was quite pleased with Maji once again. The only disappointment was they didn’t have their Taiwanese fruit beers that night, which I have been wanting to try. Prices are reasonable, and it’s a great place to share dishes with larger groups.

Pros:
– Great Taiwanese dishes for sharing and reasonably priced
– Ambiance is rustic, but modern

Cons:
– Parking is a nightmare
– Long waits if you don’t make reservations

Price Range: $10-20

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

Food: 4
Service: 4
Ambiance: 4
Parking: 1
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

LA Chicken (revisit)

January 25, 2015January 25, 20152 Comments

I hadn’t been to LA Chicken in over 2 years, so when S wanted fried chicken, I thought it would be time to go for a revisit. LA Chicken is a hidden gem in Richmond, in a small complex off Cambie and No. 5 Road. You probably wouldn’t blindly walk into this shop unless you’ve heard about all the good stuff. Nothing is fancy about the exterior or interior. Old school menu board with ambiance that does not make you want to stay, but the fried chicken is probably the best in town. Run by a family, most people say LA Chicken is better than KFC or Church’s, and I have to agree.

We got the Dinner Combo for 2, which includes 6 pieces of fried chicken, a medium order of fries and gravy. You can choose between spicy or regular, or have a mix of each. We went for the regular and the skin was super crispy and the meat was moist. Tender and juicy in the inside, and crispy on the outside. It also wasn’t overly salty. However, 2 weeks later, we went for the same combo, and we found it to be overly salty. It seems to normally be less on the salty side, but I’m not sure what happened with that batch.

As for the fries, they were underwhelming. Fries weren’t crispy and they were well under-seasoned. Unless you use the gravy, the fries are pretty bland. The fries were just not good. Stick with the chicken and skip the fries. Gravy was alright, but I found it a little too salty.

Prices are a bit higher than your fried chicken chains, but it’s still reasonable. Service is also really friendly, but expect some waiting time since there are always line ups during dinner time. Get the chicken to go as the ambiance really isn’t that great. Parking is also a bit of a nightmare in that small complex, but you can park near the residential areas and take a short walk over.

Pros:
– Chicken is moist and crispy
– Service is very friendly

Cons:
– No ambiance whatsoever
– Always a line up

Price Range: $10-20

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

Food: 4
Service: 4
Ambiance: 1
Parking: 3
Overall: 3

Trafalgar’s Bistro

January 22, 2015Leave a comment

Trafalgar’s Bistro. Located on West 16th, just West of Granville, this rustic, inviting restaurant sits next to the popular Sweet Obsessions.

The restaurant is small, with an interior that is both intimate and warm. On a Friday night, it was surprisingly quite empty. We also found that we were probably the youngest diners all night.

On top of their regular menu, they have a fresh sheet that changes daily depending on the seasonality and what’s available locally.

Complimentary Bread

Dinner starts with complimentary bread and butter. The bread was crispy on the outside and soft inside. It ended up being great for dipping in my entree’s broth.

Parsley Crusted Haida Gwaii Halibut

S got the Parsley Crusted Haida Gwaii Halibut, which came with roasted lobster mushrooms and spinach puree. S commented that the dish was visually unique, to which I concurred. Furthermore, the fish offered a supreme moistness complemented by the crispiness of the parsley crust.

Salt Spring Moules with Bistro Fries

For myself, I got the Salt Spring Moules. This mussel dish is on their appetizer dish, but you can upgrade it to an entree portion size. The mussels were tender and fresh and the cream broth was flavoured with leeks, shallots, white wine and garlic. I also upgraded the fries to Bistro Fries, which are double fried and tossed with truffle oil, Parmesan and fresh herbs. It also came with a house made garlic aioli for dipping, but I didn’t find the need for it as the fries were already very flavourful and well seasoned.

In conclusion, Trafalgar’s Bistro was a pleasant dining experience.

Side note: street parking is amply available.

Pros:
– Fresh sheet changes daily based on what’s in season locally
– Quality eats and presented nicely

Cons:
– Portions are on the smaller side
– Service was there, but didn’t feel friendly

Price Range: $25-35

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

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

Dunn’s Famous

January 19, 2015January 19, 2015Leave a comment

K and I had signed up for Paint Nite, which is a two-hour painting experience where an experienced artist teaches you how to paint well-known paintings. The nice part of this is that they use different venues and you can drink and eat while you paint. For our event, the location was at Dunn’s Famous in Downtown.

The restaurant itself is sort of like a sports bar, but it’s definitely one of the nicer ones. Just around the corridor though, they set up the Paint Nite event so it was more like a private event.

At Paint Nite, everything is supplied to you and it normally costs around $45 per person. We got a Groupon, so it was only $25. Pretty good deal and they often have these deals if you look around. Food and beverages are not included.

Dunn’s Famous Mac & Cheese

Since I just got off work, I was starving. Dunn’s is famous for their smoked meat, but I didn’t think holding a smoked meat sandwich in one hand and painting with the other would work too well. I ended up getting the Dunn’s Famous Mac & Cheese, which had three cheese elbow macaroni baked and topped with a julienne of Montréal smoked meat. It was also served with a side of Caesar salad & garlic toast. I liked how the pasta was very cheesy in the middle, but the top was slightly crispy. I didn’t find the smoked meat anything too special though. I thought it almost tasted like bacon bits. The garlic bread was toasted nicely while still being soft and fluffy. As for the Caesar salad, it was slightly under dressed, but came with a good amount of Parmesan cheese and croutons. Pretty good for pub food.

Based on my experience at Dunn’s for Paint Nite, the service was quite attentive and very accommodating. Prices are reasonable considering it’s right in the heart of Downtown. I can’t comment too much about the food since I didn’t try what they were famous for, but the pasta was good regardless.

Pros:
– Casual, retro ambiance
– Decent eats based on what I had

Cons:
– Not exactly the greatest value considering it’s pub food

Price Range: $20-25

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

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

Top Shanghai Cuisine 上海一只鼎

January 18, 2015Leave a comment

Baked Scallion Pancake

Top Shanghai Cuisine has been around for years. I still remember going to their previous location years ago, but I haven’t revisited since they moved to their Ackroyd location. We started off with the Baked Scallion Pancake, which was fluffy and well seasoned. I liked how it wasn’t too oily.

Stir Fried Noodles with Beef

Next, the Stir Fried Noodles with Beef arrived, and it was a decent portion. I found it to be very heavy in oil though. I guess this dish is usually very oily anyways though. This was average in terms of flavour. I think I’ve had better elsewhere.

Steamed Pork Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)

A weird timing, but the Steamed Pork Dumplings showed up last. I found that the skin for these dumplings were thicker than the ones at Ding Tai Fung. However, I liked how the soup inside was still sizzling hot and although I would’ve liked more soup in it, the broth was very flavourful. Not bad!

Overall, Top Shanghai Cuisine has some decent eats. No wonder this place is so packed! Don’t expect much ambiance or service here. Tables are packed so close together and the waiting customers are basically standing next to you while you’re dining. Arrive before 7pm or you’ll be waiting around for seats.

Pros:
– Decent eats with reasonable prices
– Menu is filled with pictures for easy ordering

Cons:
– Don’t expect amazing service
– You’ll be sitting very closely to the table next to you

Price Range: $10-20

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

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

Every Day is a Food Day

Tag: food

The Sandbar – DOVF 2015

Merchant’s Oyster Bar – DOVF 2015

Maji Restaurant – revisit

Flying Pig (Gastown) – revisit

LA Chicken (revisit)

Trafalgar’s Bistro

Dunn’s Famous

Top Shanghai Cuisine 上海一只鼎