Ensemble (CLOSED)

Oh, that ginger cocktail...

Living in a city with such an enriched and vibrant culinary scene, the buzz surrounding restaurant openings, closings and visits from renowned food personalities (hello, Guy Fieri!) travel faster than you can say, "..what already?" It's most definitely an increasingly competitive industry out there - kudos to those who have been able to sustain and succumb to Vancouver culinary standards while my most sincerest condolences are sent to those who weren't so lucky, so to speak...!

On this Friday night, I, along with a few other dining companions, ventured to one of the newest and hottest dining spots in town - Ensemble.  The mastermind behind this relatively newly-opened restaurant is none other than Dale MacKay, Canada's first Top Chef Canada winner.  He has quite the impressive culinary background having previously worked as the Executive Chef of the late Lumiere and db bistro moderne, as well as working alongside celebrity chef and renown television personality Chef Gordon Ramsay.  Perhaps a product of his winnings, here, Dale aims to showcase his ability to utilize classic French techniques of cooking to Pacific Northwest ingredients.

Food:

Cornmeal Crusted Scallops

- accompanied with a tamarind date puree and topped with cauliflower
- I thoroughly enjoyed the delicate and unique pairings of this dish - although I wish the scallops were a bit bigger but they were, nonetheless, very fresh and juicy

Pulled Pork Sandwich (Top Chef winner)
- for the $10 price tag, and given the size of the other plates - this burger had great value!
- it was generously filled with tender, saucy, pulled pork (how a pulled pork sandwich ought to be) with quite a pronounced smokey flavour and aroma
-sided with a deep fried pickle and a piece of very sweet watermelon - this was quite satisfying!

I was also able to sample some of my dining companion's (who likes to go by the initials of J.B) Sweet and Sour Eggplant,Vancouver Island Mussels, as well as the Potato Gnocchi.  The Eggplant was quite the aesthetic pleaser and fared quite well on the taste buds, too.  The baba ghanoush, yogurt and tomato complemented the sweet Asian flavours of the eggplant, which was also cooked perfectly.  The Mussels were the least favourite and devoid of any praise.  There was barely any broth and I expected a more prominent curry flavour.  Although the portion was generous, the mussels were teeny tiny.  The fries were good, but the Mussels were definitely an overall letdown.  Of the three things sampled from what J.B had ordered, the Potato Gnocchi was most satisfying.  Paired with a tomato butter sauce and olives, the Gnocchi was perfectly seared, chewy and executed very well.

I also strongly enjoyed their Ginger Gimlet (so much that I had 2, for the night).  It's a cocktail composed of tanqueray gin, house ginger lime cordial, and topped with a kaffir lime leaf.  It was wonderfully refreshing with just the right proportions of ingredients and bursting with a soothing gingery taste. 

the amazing Ginger Gimlet

Service: 

Prompt and informative


Value:

Fair


Ambience:

The decor is modern and contemporary, the room was actually quite dark while the noise level was louder than expected, especially given that every table was occupied.

Overall: 7.7/10

Yay: Come here for a little taste of Dale MacKay's inventive winning creations...and that ginger cocktail! Mmm! The portion sizes are perfect for sampling a variety of dishes.

Nay: The place didn't "wow" me as much as I thought it would but for some reason, it was what I had expected.  There is definitely room for improvement.

Nu Greek

Nu's gone Greek..and a good Greek, too!

Food:

Chicken Souvlaki Pita - It was definitely a really really good pita sandwich, so to speak. It was served warm, perfectly grilled and what really got me sold was the incredibly soft texture of the pita.  In addition, the chicken was perfectly seasoned, tender and juicy.  Toss in a nice amount of local diced tomatoes and onions, and top it with a very generous amount of nice, garlicky tzaziki sauce - I can strongly state that I would prefer this over any donair any day...



Service:

friendly, quick


Value:

$6.50 for the Chicken Souvlaki Pita - It might not look that big in the picture, but it is quite the hefty portion!

Ambience:

Order, grab and go kind of place although there are a few stools and tables available

Overall: 8/10

Yay: Love the pita, love the chicken, love the tzaziki sauce. A definite 'bang for your buck' pita!

Nay: Downtown - parking. Limited menu options but perhaps there will be more in the future?

Hubbub Sandwiches

Sandwiches that make you go hubba bubba, indeed...

Food:

Meat and Bread. The Dirty Apron.  Hubbub. Big Lou's. And the list continues.  For the fellow lover of food and all things related, you would have to have been living under a rock if you had not realized that yes, there has indeed been a recent sandwich craze in Vancouver.  Sure, anybody can slap on two slices of bread, fill with desired ingredients, engulf and engorge.  But who would want to go to such great lengths (with the preparation, purchasing process, and all) especially when you're only looking to satisfy that, hopefully, one-time pulled pork sandwich craving?

Everybody loves a sandwich, although everybody loves a gourmet sandwich even more.  On this fine Monday afternoon, my dining companion and I decided to continue our gourmet sandwich quest with a visit to Hubbub (thank you Groupon, once again!)

My beloved Pulled Pork sandwich, Ginger Beer and Coleslaw

 ** I apologize for the absence of shots of the sandwich interior. My hands were really full and the sandwich was really oily. Plus, it didn't look that great on the inside, lol.

At first, we were both quite sound in our selection.  Hands down, we both wanted the Pork.  After a bit of contemplation and what not, we decided on the Pork and the Veggie.  We each also added a "sidekick". I opted for the Clean Slaw, while she chose the Quinoa Salad.  Our orders were ready in a jiffy!  As for the inital thought upon receiving the sandwiches: "Wow, these babies are heavy!"

Veggie sandwich with Quinoa Salad

 Sure, the sandwiches were messy but that doesn't stop me from enjoying every litle (big) bite.  What I loved most were the base ingredients added to every 'wich:  pickled jalapenos, creamy garlic sauce, romaine lettuce, cilantro, and caramelized onions.

Though the baguette lacked a soft interior, it still was very fresh, chewy on the exterior and was served warm and toasty.  The 24 hr-marinated and slow roasted pork was spicy and tender. I really liked the spices inherent in the pulled pork - it really gave the sandwich that zing!  The Veggie sandwich comprised of diced red peppers, eggplant and squash in a chili-lime marinade.  It was good, though not outstanding.  

The side salads were a real standout, especially the Clean Slaw.  It was extremely refreshing with the finely chopped cabbage.  Really enjoyed the coconutty-minty-cilantroey vinaigrette dressing as well.  The Quinoa Salad came with black beans, corn and peppers - tasty and definitely a high protein "superfood"!

Service:

Speedy!

Value:


Prices may seem a bit steep at first but fear not, once you have the actual sandwich in your hand and allow gravity to take hold, one will mostly think: "Hey, 10 bucks for this sandwich isn't so bad after all..."


Ambience:

It sure can get very busy during peak lunch periods.  It was also quite bumpppin' with louder-than-usual music (for a sandwich joint!)

Overall: 8/10

Yay: Definitely a 'sandwich bliss' haven. Good value.  Nice "sidekicks". Nice slaw. They also serve beer here :) Had myself a nice ginger beer.


Nay: Downtown - parking. May be a bit too 'heavy' for some. You will also need to have several napkins handy - it can get realllly messy with those hubba bubbas!

 

Guu Garden

a Guuuuuu'd lunch (box)!

Food:

Kobe beef burger bento

As the latest newcomer added to the ever-so-loved Guu chain of restaurants in Metro Vancouver, Guu Garden certainly did not disappoint.  Recently, I have read that they now offer very reasonable priced lunch specials including rice burger bento boxes priced at $10 each!

On this day, I opted for the Kobe Beef Rice Burger Bento while my dining companion went for the equally-as-sound-appealing Tuna Cutlet Rice Burger Bento.  Each bento box consisted of the following:

- shrimp and avocado Salad (lightly dressed in a light creamy, tangy, vinagarette dressing with a mild wasabi kick, spring greens) * i enjoyed this 'side' the most

-tempura green beans (green beans in a lightly coated tempura batter and deep fried) *could've been crispier and better accompanied with a side of mayo (doesn't come with it, I asked for it)

-miso soup (with pieces of tofu puff and seaweed) *second favourite side

Tuna Cutlet with tartar sauce bento

-sweet radish (white radish marinated in a semi-sweet soy sauce) *it was ok, a good palate cleanser perhaps? lol

As for the main events...*drum roll please*...lol the rice burgers were superb! They were both excellent and very filling! The Kobe beef was perfectly seasoned and cooked, topped with fine, shredded pieces of cabbage and teriyaki sauce.  The tuna cutlet was nicely battered and crispy, though a littttle bit dry.  Both rice buns were nicely executed and pan fried (?)

We also ordered a half order of their Salmon Oshi Sushi - 3 pieces of 'box' pressed sushi (very similar to the sushi they serve at Miku - can anybody say 'yum'?). The pieces here were a tad bigger but were equally as delicious.  The salmon was immaculately seared and seasoned, topped with a fine load of ponzu-sauced strands of daikon and topped with a thin wedge of lime. 

Strawberry Season ($5.50) - consisted of Cassis and strawberry puree. The ratio of each constituent was perfect and it served as a real nice refresher for a mid-day beverage :)

Happiness in a glass...

Service:

Polite and friendly - though it may be hard to convey your food/drink requests as there is a language barrier with most of the staff here

Value:

$10 for lunch box bentos - 2 thumbs up!

Ambience:

This location is definitely a lot more spacious than the Thurlow and Robson locations.  And as we all know, 'lunch time Guu' is a lot more different than 'dinnertime Guu' on the noise spectrum. 

Overall: 8.1/10

Yay: Great lunch specials, bigger dining space, salmon oshi sushi

Nay: Downtown - parking

Aki Japanese Restaurant

triple S is the best (Sushi-Sake-Sablefish)

Food:

Zaru soba - cold buckwheat noodles served with a sweet soy sauce, a quail egg and green onion garnish.  Tasty, refreshing and healthy.  At first, I thought you were supposed to crack the quail egg on top of the noodles (I swear I saw that somewhere on a blog), but later the waitress explained that the quail egg was actually supposed to be cracked into the sauce, mixed with the green onions (and wasabi, if you wish) and then you dip the noodles in.

Chicken Tsukune - Two skewers of beautifully grilled, marinated mince chicken meat (meatball texture) but flattened (see photo).  These were delicious - served hot and the flavours were bang-on (with strong teriyaki flavours)

Spicy Tuna & Spicy Chopped Roll - Fresh fish, good proportion of rice to ingredients - typical and satisfying!

** Grilled Black Cod ** - This was basically the impetus of our visit to Aki: the grilled sablefish/black cod.  At $11 a piece, not only is it a steal but is probably the best valued sablefish in the city! Thanks to this wonderfuly recommendation by a fellow friend/d.c of mine, we ordered a sablefish each, lol!  It was delicate, flaky, flavourful, moist, perfectly grilled, and hot.  The portion size was also very reasonable.  It was served with a slice of lemon and grated radish.  My d.c had also requested for these sweet asian pickles that were great accompaniments to the cod!

Service:

Super friendly and genuinely warm


Value:

Standard prices at a Japanese restaurant though the $11 grilled black cod ups it up a few notches on the value factor!


Ambience:

Quite bustling on a Thursday night with predominant Japanese customers! It's also like sitting in a huge wooden house, with wooden booths, with an open sushi/robata bar...


Overall: 8/10

Yay: Authentic, Japanese owned and operated, warm service, popular for robata (charcoal grilled items), black cod...great lunch specials!

Nay: Downtown - parking, also a little hidden perhaps (on Thurlow right next to the McDonalds, located downstairs where Samba Brazillian Steakhouse is)

**Interesting fact:  They have been in operation for 47 years and counting...!

Urban Tea Merchant

oOoh those macarons...I just can't get enough...

On this lovely, chilly yet beautiful sunny afternoon, my three dining companions and I decided to embark on a little ...high-tea-kinda-outing.  I mean, who doesn't love a nice, aromatic cup of tea paired with miniature gastronomic delights?  I have frequented the usual high tea suspects and have had incredible experiences (namely, Secret Garden), an 'ok' experience (Adonia) and a not-so-ok experience (Provence Marinaside).  Needless to say, I was excited to try Urban Tea Merchant especially since they were having their Holiday Afternoon Tea Special :)



My Cinderella coach look-a-like teapot :)
Earl Grey Blanc tea



Food:

To start off, we each chose a (different) kind of tea off their extensive tea list.  I didn't feel too daring today and thus, opted for the Earl Grey blanc tea.  Though not a regular tea drinker, I thought that my tea was a little on the flavourless, watery side (or maybe that's how it is supposed to be given that it is named a 'blanc' or 'white' tea).  My d.c's enjoyed their tea though with a few semi-minor complaints (tea wasn't hot, no cream available)



bottom tier: assorted tea sandwiches



As for the edible eats...overall, they were quite delicious, especially the savoury and delicately-prepared desserts.  On the bottom tier of the tower of goodness laid assorted sandwiches consisting of egg salad, cucumber and cream cheese a roast turkey breast sandwich with cranberry mayonnaise.  They were all prepared on white bread and though not extraordinarily tasty, they were good.



On the middle tier sat lovely, freshly-baked, warm and perfect-tasting savoury scones accompanied with tea-infused devonshire cream and jelly.  I really enjoyed these scones for it tasted really fresh and perfectly-baked (crunchy on top).  Coupled with devonshire cream and jelly, these were my favourites of the day.

delicious savoury scones with tea-infused
devonshire cream and jelly

Last but not least, the top tier (my most favourite) was comprised of macarons flown in from Paris, sweet confections from Thomas Haas, tea-infused shortbread cookies and chocolate-dipped strawberries.  They were all to-die-for - I seriously loved everything on this plate, especially the immaculate-tasting, chewy yet crunchy and perfectly-sweet Parisian macarons (best I've ever had).

confections of perfection

Service:

The teas took quite a long time to arrive although the service itself was very pleasant, genuine, prim and proper :) The tea server individually served and poured us the tea...pouring in a very unique, swirling motion and was able to pleasantly answer any questions that we had.

Value:

$19 (regular $25) for Holiday Afternoon Tea Special - pretty good!

Ambience:

This tea room - though quite small (40-50 seater) - was comfy, warm and welcoming with see-through windows facing Alberni Street

Overall: 8/10

Yay: Come here for an extensive tea list and tea pairing delicacies - if Parisian macarons don't tempt you, I don't know what will...

Nay:  Be sure to make reservations as wait times can be long, service can take even longer...

Chungdam Ahn

The Korean equivalent of Hapa...



Spicy Rice Cakes...mmm



Food:

Started off with the Creamy Garlic Prawns which were quite tasty and more plentiful then expected.  There were about 8-10 plump, nicely-battered, crispy prawns drizzled with a mild mayo-type-based cream and sprinkled with pieces of crispy, roasted garlic.  I like how it wasn't overly dressed like the typical ebi mayo dishes you would normally expect.  This was a nice starter to our meal :)




Bulgogi Beef

 Being immense lovers of carbs (and with my dining companion being a lover of all-things-glutinous especially), we opted for the Spicy Rice Cakes.  It arrived in a huge plate, piping hot, with an assortment of varied ingredients such as mussels, fish cakes and prawns.  It was essentially a pool of seafood, onions, scallions and chewy cylindrical rice cakes swimming in a generous amount of a semi-sweet, semi-thick, spicy, kimchi-based (?) sauce.  It was delicious and overly-filling - so much that we had to pack a third of it home.  We also ordered the Bulgogi beef which was very tasty.  The beef (though more shredded than usual - perhaps a good thing?) was deliciously-seasoned and well-marinated.  It also came alongside a shredded cabbage salad, which was appetizing.

Service:

Friendly

Value:

A little pricier than average if you paid regular price.  Luckily, I had bought a couple of online coupons (2 x $20 value vouchers which I paid $10 each) :)

Ambience:

We arrived on a rainy, slow Thursday night to a restaurant that was near a quarter full.  Usually, I have heard that this restaurant is hip hop happening with the ambience and noise level similar to what you would expect at Hapa izakaya.  (One sure sign of this is the multiple notices/reminders that were posted throughout the restaurant to remind customers of the constant noise complaints they've been getting from the nearby residents!)

Overall: 7.4/10

Yay:  Come here for a fun night out with your friends accompanied with drinks (Soju, anyone?) and lovely Korean-fusion fare :)

Nay:  Prices are a little steeper than average, no banchan offered here (complimentary Korean side dishes), parking





Posted by: J

La Brasserie

                                              a little bit of French...a little bit of German...

and a whole lot of value!

Food:

La Brasserie has been on my list of restaurants-to-try for quite some time now.  One, being that it is a "Franco-German" restaurant (you don't have very many of these in Vancouver) and two, I have come across an abundant number of food bloggers who have visited this restaurant and have got nothing but good things to say.  Thirdly,  I've also read that they have a Truffle Poutine on their menu and with a sudden poutine craze -reading, seeing and craving nothing but poutines - it was very fitting to finally pay this little "gem" a visit...

Truffle Poutine...*drool..

On this night, my dining companion and I started off this lovely evening with a nice glass of Villa Wolf Riesling ($8) each.  For our appetizer, I suggested the Mussels and Frites in a Lemon Parsley Cream but asked to substitute the frites for a Truffle Poutine (of course) and pay a little more ($4).  While reading and 'prepping' (lol!) for this visit, I was also aware that they served Lamb Cheeks here. Yes, the idea of eating cheeks from any type of animal may be a little daunting, to say the least, but knowing me - I love the tripe, tongue, liver, stomach, tendon, ear, feet etc. etc. (obviously, I have a limit so don't even think of going on a hypothetical question rampage - e.g, Would you ever eat a ______ of a ______?) Point being is, my friend once had Veal Cheeks from Le Faux Bourgeois Bistro once and said that they were amazing.  Thus, this evening allowed for a great opportunity to pop my cheek-eating cherry (boy, does that ever sound wrong!)

Mussels in a Lemon Parsley Cream

To start, we were served two types of bread: french bread and othe ther being some sort of rye bread with butter and a Pork and Chicken Rillette (similar to pate).  The pork and chicken rillette was more like a pork and chicken spread/salad, with shredded pork and chicken, mayonnaise, seasoning, etc.  I thought it was ok and a nice start to the meal.  The mussels were very plump (always a good thing) and I enjoyed the lemon, parsley cream broth (though no broth can ever compare to Chambar's).  The Truffle Poutine was ah-may-zing - with a plentiful amount of huge mozarella cheese curds and teeny tiney pieces of truffles throughout.  The frites themselves were crispy - no complaints there!



Braised Lamb Cheeks with a Carrot Puree



My entree arrived as Braised Lamb Cheeks in a Carrot Puree with an assorted array of beautifully-presented vegetables: baby carrots, cauliflower, parsnips, brussel sprouts and long green beans.  I don't think I have ever had an entree accompanied in the presence of the recommended amount or an exceeded amount of vegetables!  The lamb cheeks were moist and very tender, though a little salty but they were delicious, overall.  The vegetables were all very fresh and cooked and boiled to perfection.  The portion size was quite generous as well.  My d.c opted for one of the specials: Roasted Quail with Spaetzle (?).  Not sure what her entree was exactly as the server spoke way too fast.  I had a sampling of her quail; it too, was quite tasty, cooked to perfection and I loved the crispy roasty-ness aroma to it.

Service:

Ok - not super friendly nor over-the-top and worthy of praise

Value:

Quite relatively reasonable - $20 and $22 for our entrees

Ambience:

Nice, romantic, dim-lighted ambience - perfect for a romantic date or a small group dinner outing

Overall: 7.9/10

Yay:  Come here for the truffle poutine! Generously-size portions of generally well-executed Franco-German fare, perfect dining destination for a romantic date

Nay: Not the right place for huge group outings, no reservations taken - first come first served!




Posted by: J



Miura Waffle Milk Bar

felt like I just died and went to waffle heaven...

Bulgogi Waffle Sando

Food:

I fell in love with Miura's waffle 'sandos' (which means 'sandwiches' in Japanese) the first time I laid my taste buds on them.  Not only do they offer both 'savoury' and 'sweet' waffle sandwiches, but were also created with a Japanese (and Korean) influence.  On my first visit here (on Canada Day), my dining companion had their Bulgogi waffle sando and their special of the day which was a Maple Marshmallow S'more Waffle sando filled with marshmallows, chocolate, and maple syrup (maple syrup as a tribute to Canada :)).  Both waffles were devoured in seconds; they were very fresh-tasting, delightfully delicious and epitomized the quintessential gourmet waffle sandwiches.

Maple Marshmallow S'more Waffle Sando

On my second visit here, my dining companion wanted to try the very same Bulgogi Waffle sando.  It was just as appetizing and appealing as when I had it the first time.  It was filled with marinated barbeque beef (Korean 'bulgogi'), small chopped up pieces of boiled egg that were reminiscent of an egg salad, and kimchi.  Sandwiches between 2 crispy halves to complete a waffle sando, it sure did not disappoint.  To satisfy our sweet craving, we opted for special of the day which was their Banana Caramel Waffle sando.  This waffle sando was not crispy, but was rather more fluffier.  This was fine and very suitable to the overall ingredients that it contained.  The ratio of banana to caramel was good.  I should also mention that it does contain whipped cream, but I had asked for a lesser amount (of whipped cream).  This sweet sando was overally very satisfying and would pair even better with a latte.

Banana Caramel Waffle Sando

Being branded also as a 'milk' bar, I felt the need to have to try one of their yogurt milk concoctions.  We oped for the Blueberry Yogurt Milk.  It tasted literally like yogurt liquid with freshly blended (?) blueberries.  Though I wish it was more of a smoothie texture, it tasted fine.

Service:

Friendly and polite

Value:

Waffle prices range from $4.00-$6.99 ~ price is a little steep for the more 'gourmet' sandos but they're worth a try!

Ambience:

Been here twice and I feel like they need a bit of soothing music or something to accomodate the cafe-like ambience, love the smell of waffles wafting in the air

Overall: 8/10

Yay: Yummy, yummy made-to order savoury and sweet waffles.  Love the creation of the waffle 'sandos' they have come up with - where else can you have bulgogi in a waffle and have it taste like you just died and went to waffle heaven? They've also got free Wifi!

Nay: Parking may be an issue

** Interesting fact: Recently, there have been an influx of online coupon sites where you can purchase discount vouchers redeemable at a variety of local restaurants, food stores, speciality shops, tourist attractions, etc.  Some discount vouchers are valid only on the day (of) when you purchase the voucher, while others have a reasonable validity period.  Luckily, I was able to get my hands (mouse, haha!) on them and was able to snatch up a couple of discount vouchers for Miura when they were featured on the Social Shopper website.  I purchased 2 vouchers at $5 each but were worth double the amount! Who can ever resist such a win-win situation? :)



Posted by: J

Voya Restaurant and Lounge (CLOSED)

Va-Va-Va Voya!

Food:

Absolutely divine. Started off with the Beef Carpaccio and the Steamed Local Mussels.  The carpaccio was melt-in-your-mouth scrumptious while the mussels were doused in a very nice aromatic, fiery tomato-chili broth.  Also loved the fact that it was accompanied by a large piece of grilled focaccia bread - just the perfect type of bread for soaking up the remnants of the broth.

For my entree, it was no suprise that my indecisiveness overpowered me.  I couldn't pick between the Ricotta, Lemon & Herb Ravioli or the Grilled 8 oz. sirloin steak with pomme frites and onion gratin.  On my first visit to Voya, I had a Chicken & Pappardelle dish here and it was amazing.  Needless to say, my wanting-to-eat-healthy instinct prevailed and so, I opted for the steak.  Nicely sliced, seared and cooked to perfection as requested, the steak was tender and juicy as can be. Win win all around!

Service:

Fine, but not spectacular (although with a place that looks like this, you would expect better service)

Value:

Wonderful value for food. Drinks, not so much.  Cocktails were very good, though not sure if it was worth the price ($12). 

For 1 cocktail, 1 entree and 1 appy - my tab came to be $65 including tax and tip, which overall, isn't too bad!

Ambience:

Beautiful decor with a very posh-looking dining area, bar and lounge area, and a private room for big parties.  We came here on a Friday night and we're only one of the few tables occupied.  I also like that it's not too pretentious here.

Overall: 8.3/10

Yay:  Trendy, gorgeous and well-executed food and drinks - what more can you ask for? Parking is not an issue either as it is located in the more less-bustlin' area of downtown - Coal Harbour.  Also attached to the Loden Hotel. Perfect for a night out with the girls, or a romantic dinner with the beau.  I also love the fact that the menu undergoes seasonal changes from time to time!

Nay: The drinks (though, wonderfully-concocted) could seriously add up to quite the costly tab. The price of a cocktail ranges from $10-$16.




Posted by: J

Toratatsu Japanese Tapas Bistro (CLOSED)

Tora-tora-Toratatsu!

Toratatsu is one of many izakaya joints in Vancouver specializing in 'tapas' dishes, all the while serving up tasty cocktails and sake admist a vibrant and hip atmosphere.  It has been in operation for a few years now and is a sibling restaurant to the old Shiru-Bay Chopstick Cafe (Yaletown), which closed down a few years ago.  It's a nice deviant from the usual Guus, Hapas, etc. with a more spacious environment (than Guu) and a better value (than Hapa).

Food:

On this night, I arrived with a party of 4.  We ordered quite a variety and abundance of food.  Thought it'd best to summarize in note form:

Ebi Chili Mayo  - their most popular dish, huge plump tiger prawns wrapped in excellent batter coating

Cheese Tofu -  a super unique tofu made of creamy mascarpone cheese...it tastes pretty much guilt-free since it's tofu-based but contradicting at the same time given its similarity to the taste of devonshire cream! my favourite of the night

Ishiyaki Risotto - served in a hot stone bowl, another one of their specialities - risotto with seared scallops, mushrooms and Iwanori seaweed - a little salty but definitely tasty

Cold Ramen Salad - generous portion and very refreshing, a little too drenched though

Sashimi Platter - oysters, albacore tuna and sockeye sashimi (choice of any 3), it was ok - sashimi wasn't extremely fresh though

Power Roll - bbq eel & cream cheese filled... and seared on top - lovely!

Creamy Crab Croquette - nicely battered and tasty filling! one of their daily specials

Value:

Typical izakaya prices

Service:

Attentive and polite, although language could be a bit of a barrier with some of the servers

Ambience:

We visited on a rainy Monday night, so restaurant was about 30% full - but otherwise on weekends, it's pretty bustlin'!

Overall: 7.8/10

Yay: Nice alternative to the Guus & Hapas, etc!

Nay: Sashimi isn't tooo fresh, parking, not ideal for groups of 15+

Chambar

it's only my most faaavourite restaurant everrr....

It was a difficult decision to make (Chambar or Le Crocodile?), but after coming across a blogger who recently raved about the mushroom and goat cheese spring roll that he/she tried at Chambar, I just haaddd to go and try it for myself...pronto! And so, without a second thought, reservations were made and finalized at the much-beloved Chambar.

Side note: I love Chambar with all my heart and have never been disappointed at all.  I was excited to pay it a good (6th, to be exact!) visit once again.

Food:

We started off with the much-anticipated, drool-worthy Les champignons forestiers (marinated beets, mushrooms, watercress, mushroom and goat cheese spring roll) admist a wonderful vinaigarette accompaniment.  The appy arrived piping hot, as Scoe would say.  The spring roll was generously filled with an ample amount of goat cheese (yummm!), while the beets, mushrooms and vinegarette side only made it better.  It was wonderful as expected, and I devoured them wanting for more.

Scoe also ordered La salade d'hiver ("winter salad" in translation) to fulfill his daily veggie requirements.  That was nice and fresh (I don't remember too much of it as the taste of the goat cheese spring roll still lingered in my mouth).  Both appies were magnificent in taste, which only prompted us to order a third appy.  We opted for Les Coquilles St. Jacques (Seared scallops with smoked kurobata pork cheeks).  'Twas an excellent choice - nicely seared, plump, divine-tasting scallops.  The night was only getting started :)

As for our entrees, it was not a surprise that Scoe and I both opted for les Moules Frites (although other fish, meat entrees are equally as spectacular).  As usual, Scoe had the Mussels Vin Blanc (in white wine, braised leeks and celery) while I chose my usual Mussels Coquette (white wine cream, smoked bacon lardons, spring onions).  It once again, lived up to expectations - flavourful broth, plump and juicy (ocean-friendly!) mussels, generous portions with an excellent side of pomme frites (and garlic mayo!)

** I must add that they have a wonderful selection of Belgian beers, as well as finely-executed cocktails.

Service:

Prompt and friendly

Value:

Reasonable, although this is one of the few places, that I know of, that charges for bread.

Ambience:

Hip, hip, happeningggg! Maybe a little tooo loud at times. But overall, a wonderful place to be, and be seen at. Make sure you make reservations!

Overall: 9.5/10 (yes, i love it THAT much!)

Yay: Excellent belgian food (and probably the only place for great Belgian food in Vancouver). Come here for the mussels, appies, steak, beer...hell, just pay it a visit already. You won't regret it.  Foodmatik guarantees it, lol

Nay: I don't know if there really is a nay....parking's not too bad in this area. Probably not a good choice if you're wanting a nice, quiet, romantic dinner?

** Interesting fact:  Cafe Medina is their sibling restaurant/cafe known for their lovely Morrocan-influenced brunch and belgian waffles. Another lovely little place...no wonder they're affiliated with Chambar :) In addition, Chambar has also opened up a cooking school right next door as well.

Also...on my very first visit to Chambar, I saw Pierce Brosnan dining here (and boy, do I have a story to tell about that...!)

Market by Jean Georges

i ♥ Market!

* note: actual dining experience occured almost 2 weeks ago, late review is due to the recent holiday craze. My apologies!

Food:

My siblings and I chose this restaurant as the locale for our annual Christmas dinner because it sure didn't disappoint us the first time here.  Needless to say, we left Market with all smiles (as well as full tummies) the second time around :)

We started off with the Crispy Calamari (with Pea Shoots and Chili Dip) and the Arctic Char Sashimi.  Both were good, but not great. The calamari was nicely battered, but the chili dip that it came with was frothy (not thick, as you would expect).  I liked the garlic specks that came atop the sashimi.  Both appetizers were good, but I would recommend the Seared Scallops and the Foie Gras Brulee, if you ever go. We ordered those the first time here and thought they were the much better appetizers.

For my entree, I was comtemplating either the: Soy-Glazed Apple Short Ribs (had those the first time here and LOVED it) or the Lobster Baked with Basil Butter Lemon Spaetzle (with Autumn Vegetables)  I ended up ordering the lobster (other sibling chose the short ribs and thus allowed me to pick and "sample" her food :)).  I wish I knew (or inquired about) what the spaetzle was, but regardless, my entree was just o-k.  I wasn't feeling the lemon, spaetzle and lobster combination.  From what I wikipedia-ed just now (haha), Spaetzle is a type of noodle with origins in German cuisine (fyi!).  Overall, the entree was a little too sour for my liking (should've known).  Note to self: Never order lobster in a non-Asian restaurant unless it's accompanied with pasta! lol

As for the other entrees sampled :), they were all excellent.  The Seared Sirloin of Beef was tender and cooked to perfection.  The enoki mushrooms as well as the soy caramel sauce only served to boost its flavour.  Divinity as its best (lol)

Dessert consisted of a Green Apple Crumble and a Warm Chocolate Cake. Both were savoury and delicious. Once again, I apologize for the lack of description in taste! All I remember was that they were both good, lol

Service:

Our server took a while in arriving to take our order, but she was friendly.  Bread boy (hope that's not offensive) was prompt and always there to reload on the good ol' carbs.  The manager had a sense of humour (albeit a lame one) but he was still there whenever we needed him (e.g to take pictures for us! lol)

Value:

On par with what you would expect at other fine dining restos. (Although it would be nice to get my money back for the disappointing lobster dish!)

Ambience:

Beautiful.  Love the all-white decor and interior.  It's located in the Shangri-La Hotel, so I'll let you be the judge of what you would expect to see :)

Overall: 8.6/10

Yay: Fabolous food, setting and a damn nice place to be seen at.  Word has it that this is one of theee places for celebrity sightings (Bradley Cooper, Zac Efron...anybody? :) )

Nay: Downtown. Parking. Parking. Downtown. You get the drift!


** Interesting Fact: Jean-Georges is a world-renowned chef, author, and entrepreneur.  My sister went to his NYC restaurant (Spice Market) recently and had nothing but good things to say!


Posted by: J