Today’s Special: Sweet and sour eggplant, Ensemble
I know I’m not alone when I say that Dale was not my favourite contestant on Top Chef Canada. My Alberta roots were fond of Connie and my Eastern sensibilities bet on Rob to win. But, Dale won, and we all moved on. Dale moved on by opening up the restaurant Ensemble, and word has it, he’s got a sports bar in the works (where his winnings are going?). My lack of love for him meant it’s taken me a while to give him a chance and try a restaurant that people seem to be liking. The room and service are much less stuffy than I expected and despite the care and artistry that goes into the food, Ensemble has a strong neighbourhood-haunt vibe. Hooray! There is no better place than the West End for neighbourhood-ness. In addition to some fancy cocktails worth their price tag, I had the winning pulled pork and the precious pavlova, and both were delicious enough to leave me wanting a repeat visit. The star of the show though was the sweet and sour eggplant, recently and rightly listed as one of the best things to eat in Vancouver. Almost too pretty to eat, this dish will erase all memories of any watery or rubbery eggplant you’ve ever had to suffer through. Smooth and rich, these little stumps are nestled in baba ghanoush and topped with cool yogurt and sweet tomato. Very precious, Dale, but very perfect.

Ensemble
Smithe & Thurlow, Vancouver

Today’s Special: Short rib, Suika
Growing up, my taste for Japanese was more teriyaki than toro. As sushi became overwhelmingly mainstream, I learned to navigate the maki and nigiri menus enough to have a few favourites (mostly veg, cooked items, and salmon). When faced with living in a city where its inhabitants eat sushi as much as they drink coffee and practice yoga, I was a little worried. But then I was introduced to the izakaya. Traditionally, it’s a spot where you go to drink beer and eat greasy food. In Vancouver, it’s a spot where you go to drink beer and fun cocktails, eat inventive greasy things and creative sushi and sashimi, and are greeted and served by staff who go out of their way to make the experience as enjoyable as possible. I was spoiled in my first izakaya adventure with a trip to Kingyo in the West End, probably the best in the city. When I heard that Kingyo had opened up a sister shop across the creek, a small posse was there a.s.a.p. I had read the wonders of the short rib; a large, tender mass of beef covered in an addictive sweet glaze. The fork and knife were hardly necessary, as it yielded sweet morsels from the lightest prod of our chopsticks. Down a few cocktails made with their homemade ginger ale along the way, and you’ll be singing “arigato” all the way home.

Suika
West Broadway & Fir, Vancouver

Today’s Special: Arctic char with fennel risotto, The Marc
I was very disappointed when I heard that Il Portico was closing… for a parking lot. I have many fond memories of many meals and parties there over the years — for instance, my last meal in Edmonton before moving to Toronto; a Christmas party where I ate too much; a Christmas party where I drank too much; a dessert date with Sugar. When news came to me here in Vancouver that its former manager, Patrick Saurette, would be opening up a new restaurant nearby, The Marc, I was excited to try it out on a recent trip home. Elegant and modern but not stuffy, I think The Marc is sure to make its mark (sorry!) on the Edmonton dining scene with its French bistro-inspired menu. The skin on the char was perfectly crisp and seasoned, and the fennel risotto had a flavour that was assertive enough to stand up to the fish. If only it was a short drive away, I’d be back to sit on the large patio with one of their cocktails and an order of pommes frites.

The Marc, Edmonton

I do wish Jared the best.  I hope that he’s kept the weight off and is still enjoying his new jeans.  But I’m glad a corner has been turned, and our current foodie culture is embracing real sandwiches with a strong hug.  And by “real,” I mean ones that focus on a few simple ingredients put together with thought and care.  No dyed vegetables, no corn-syrup-masked-as-condiments, no sawdust bread, no Frankenstein meats.  The kind that remind you of turkey sandwiches the day after Thanksgiving — perfect, slow-cooked meat that barely needs any extras.

Enter Meat and Bread.  Vancouver’s new sandwich spot where you will find three variations of the meat and bread marriage along with a grilled cheese for vegetarian good measure.  And that’s it.  What did I just say?  A few simple ingredients put together with thought and care.  More is not needed.

Barely open and tongues all over town are already wagging about their porchetta.   Unfortunately, lunch rush meant they were temporarily out of the pork, so I went with the day’s special:  roasted chicken, caramelized onion jus, apple and cabbage slaw.  All come on warm ciabatta, with house mustard and sambal and all are $8.  The chicken was unbelievably moist, the bread perfectly chewy and the condiments an appreciated touch.  Loved the cutting boards the sandwiches were served on and loved the simple space of high ceilings, lots of brick and great natural light.  My ringless fingers loved that the focus on flesh-filled sandwiches attracts a disproportionately large number of well-dressed Y-chromosomes for my viewing pleasure.

Some early reviews have been a bit hard on the size of the sandwiches given the price, but I had no complaints.  Even bringing up such an issue is tedious these days.  Do we really need to review the difference between quantity and quality?  I appreciated that my large appetite was satiated and that my small hands were not bested by the sandwich.  I’m sure I had room for their daily side soup or salad, but today I was not interested.  Maybe next time.  And next time will be soon given that I saw the fresh porchetta roast come out.

Another Canada Line lunch adventure for the books.

Meat and Bread
370 Cambie Street
Vancouver

Slightly confused and pessimistic about the lottery system the City decided to use for successful vendors, I’ve waited to see where favourable reviews would fall.  One of the clear leaders of the initial pack is Re-Up BBQ, a cart selling pulled pork sandwiches.  With many kudos already received, a nod to The Wire and trendy pulled pork, I had to try them first.  Only two short blocks from the Canada Line, it was a lunch adventure away from Fairview that I looked forward to all morning.

For $6.75, you get a beautiful, soft bun filled with tender meat, tangy cole slaw and a good dose of their BBQ sauce.  The sandwich is nicely wrapped and comes with plenty of (thank you!) napkins to wipe the necessarily messy deliciousness off your cheeks and chin.  Round off the experience by sitting on the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery on a muggy fall day and you’ve got yourself a near perfect downtown lunch.

If it was Bodie minding the stash, it would have been perfect-perfect.

So, for the love of Omar, get thee to Re-Up!

Re-Up BBQ
700 Hornby (Hornby & Georgia)
Vancouver, BC

Can’t wait to go back!

Le Pigeon

Bunk

Clyde Common

Por Que No Taqueria

Broder Cafe

Ruby Jewel Ice Cream

Alotto Gelato

Rontoms

Mio Gelato

Nel Centro

Pearl Bakery

Tastebud Bagels

Pine State Biscuits

Portland Farmers Market

]]> http://creamandsugar.ca/portland-restaurants-recommendations/feed/ 5 http://creamandsugar.ca/vietnamese-vancouver-chau-kitchen/ http://creamandsugar.ca/vietnamese-vancouver-chau-kitchen/#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:18:03 +0000 cream http://creamandsugar.ca/?p=895 It’s been just about a year since my trip to Vietnam.  With friends there, I think of it often.  And fondly.  I haven’t tried any more Vietnamese recipes since moving to Vancouver, but I haven’t much tried any recipes, really.  Vancouver’s dining options make it so easy for me not to cook.   Especially when so many of the options are so good.

But anyway, back to my story.  The grey of Vancouver is like the cold of Edmonton.  It gets to you in January and you long for something else.  Like Vietnam in February.  I’ve had some bare bones Vietnamese here—dodgy pho et al—like I got at home.  But, what I’ve been craving to wash away the Vancouver grey is the colour and perfume of the fresh food that embraced you every day on the streets of Vietnam.

I caught a little whiff of that tonight when at Chau Kitchen and Bar.  Although not really “authentic” Vietnamese, I could taste Vietnam.  I liked what I tasted.  A lot.

Two of us shared four dishes:  papaya salad, pork and mint salad rolls, jungle vegetable curry, and caramel pork.

I will order all again and have a number of other dishes I would like to try.  The pork was almost the same as the version I had when in the Mekong Delta.

Thanks to Chau, I can happily say ciao to January.
(I’m sorry, I had to.)

Along the Mekong.

Chau Kitchen and Bar
1500 Robson St
Vancouver

For my first visit, my party and I ate our way through 9, n-i-n-e, courses.  This time, I noticed you could do a 5- or 9-course family style set menu. Remembering my previous food baby… my dining date and I chose the 5-course menu.   As the kitchen takes your food allergies and aversions into consideration, what follows is the perfect fresh and seasonal menu created just for our table.  I noticed that the table over did 9 courses and had none of the same dishes as us.  Methinks that’s pretty cool.

Some days I dream about those perfect soft, but supportive pasta pillows.  Other days I want to savour little spoonfuls of that light-as-air soufflé.  All days usually require a moment where I want to twirl al dente spaghetti.

House-smoked trout

Parmigianno souffle

Fennel salad with walnuts and blue cheese

Spaghetti ai frutti di mare

Gnocchi with walnuts and gorgonzola

Ruby trout with chanterelle sauce

Saffron and quince tart, chocolate mousse, tiramisu

Dreams can become reality:  I already have another reservation.

La Quercia
3689 West 4th Avenue
Vancouver

Plantain, cassava and yam chips

Baru ceviche

Arepa con chorizo

Guava quesadilla

Why can’t I say much more?  Because I was too busy enjoying an evening out with new friends to pay too much attention to the food… beyond taking photos with my sangria goggles on, that is.

Baru Restaurante Latino
2535 Alma St
Vancouver

Turning 30 was never a big deal until I was about to turn 30.

Cliché, much?

But, really, I’ve never stressed about age until now.  And it’s not stress in the form of hunting down wrinkle creams and creating a bucket list; it’s the quarter/middle/late-life crisis kind.  The kind that makes me want to drop everything and travel the world, purge my possessions, and rack up my credit card on airfare and walking shoes.  When you’re in such a thrisis, you see age as coming with responsibilities and expectations.  I’m wanting none of that right now!

My age has also revealed too much comfort.

So, a baby step was to shake up my birthday routine.  Instead of either hosting the party at home or going out to eat, I asked Sugar if she would be up for a weekend in Vancouver; for a quick change of scenery and the opportunity to eat too much.  With my partner-in-crime confirmed, airfare bought, and accommodations arranged, all I had left to do was count my blessings as a few other friends agreed to join—I am a lucky girl.

Relying on some word of mouth and Vancouver magazine, I charted out a foodie journey that allowed for flexibility and whim.  Our two dinners were reserved and everything else was up for grabs.

I cannot say anything bad about what we ate.  Nothing was disappointing, nothing was just sustenance.  It was all delicious indulgence.  Here is my synopsis of our culinary itinerary.

Raw + Canvas

We sat in this Yaletown art studio-cum-café-cum-wine bar for a short post-flight rest before getting dolled up for dinner.  Wine in tea cups, Oyama meats, buttery Nicoise olives, and painting in the background.  A destination?  Likely not, but a definite gem if you’re in the area.

1046 Hamilton St

Chambar

Pre-dinner cocktails with sides of candied thyme and blue cheese.  There is nothing like a good cocktail and we found that you couldn’t go wrong with any of the ones listed on the menu.

562 Beatty St

Fuel

Birthday dinner at one of the top-rated Vancouver restaurants.  The kind of place you go to once just to go, but likely will one day want to go back to because the aroma and texture of perfectly cooked pork belly, duck confit, and fresh fish will call to you.  The service was impeccable.

1944 West 4th Ave

Café Medina

The sister café to Chambar, Medina has the best Belgian waffles I’ve ever tasted.  You almost cannot call them waffles because they are so superior to the breakfast diner standard.  Sweet, buttery, and chewy, the only way I could describe them was to say they were croissant-like.  With a waffle each to start, we also had egg-based mains that kept us full until almost dinner.  The lavender Americano and white chocolate, pistachio, and rosewater mocha also kept us revved throughout the day.

556 Beatty St

The Diamond

I had read that Van mag’s Bartender of the Year was opening up his own spot in Gastown.  Lucky for us, it opened mere days before our arrival.  It’s a nice second-floor space with big windows, old school cocktails with modern flourishes, and the best pot stickers I’ve ever had.  If I get to go back, I’m ordering what looked like a duck banh mi.

6 Powell Street

La Quercia

My favourite meal of the trip.  As there were six of us, we were required to order family style, which they politely told me when I made the reservation.  We were all expecting a typical Italian flow of antipasti, pasta, mains, and dessert.  We did not get what we expected.  What we got for $40 per person was nine amazing courses.  Antipasti of prosciutto and melon, tuna and barley salad, paper thin veal, parmesan soufflé, and a simple green salad.  We got three large plates of rotini amatriciana, orecchiete with fresh favas, tomatoes, and ricotta, and a porcini mushroom risotto.  This was followed by seared salmon and the most tender roast chicken.  They rounded us off with a dessert offering of lemon crema, strawberry semifreddo, almond torte, and chocolate cake.

I was very impressed to see that the table next to us received a completely different meal despite also being a table of six.  They took our suggestions, likes, dislikes, and allergies into account and presented us with a personalized and memorable experience.

You must go.

3689 West 4th Ave

Solly’s Bagels

Some friends had told me that there were decent bagels to be found in Vancouver at either Siegel’s or Solly’s.  Solly’s won out because I had also heard that their cinnamon buns were legendary.  While the latke we tasted wasn’t noteworthy, we were happy with the bagels.  The dense, chewy carb I wanted was definitely trying to shine through.  Thankfully, I would not describe a Solly’s bagel as a bun with a hole—the product too-easily found in Edmonton.

And I would agree that the cinnamon buns are something special.  Because they are rolled tighter than the average large bun you find, the cinnamon punch is greater.  We got some to go and savoured them later at home while watching a missed episode of True Blood.  Slightly heated, with or without cream cheese icing, they are what carbohydrate dreams are made of.

368 West 7th Ave

49th Parallel Coffee Roasters

While Caffé Artigiano is often recommended, we were given a tip that 49th Parallel is actually a much better spot for coffee and the like.  With a nicely designed café in Kitsilano, 49th Parallel offered us an excellent Americano and fresh-brewed herbal iced tea.  The cappuccino foam art that brought a lot of attention to Artigiano was also available here.

2152 West 4th Ave

Rangoli

 The lines to get into Vij’s are as well-known as the food I think.  Because of our flight, there was no time for a final meal at the famous Indian restaurant, so we did the next best thing:  a late lunch at Vikram Vij’s café, Rangoli, which is right next to Vij’s.  It is also a place where you can buy the full range of Vikram’s frozen meals and spices.

I’ve never eaten at Vij’s, but based on what I ate at Rangoli, I could not go back to Vancouver without waiting in the famous line.  Our late lunch was delicious, delicious, delicious.  By this point in our trip, eating too much was not possible, so we ordered everything we wanted to try.  Veg pakoras with mango-mint chutney and daal; lamb, beef, and lentil kebabs with date-tamarind chutney; pulled pork with chapatti; pepper and portobello mushroom curry with naan and beet salad.  Each dish had distinct and bright flavours, was well portioned, and proved why Mr. Vij is so popular.  Some of the best Indian food I’ve ever had.

I was obsessed with that chutney.

1488 West 11th Ave

The first of many more Cream & Sugar foodie trips to come I’m sure!