La Grotta del Formaggio

fresh, hearty, and easy on the pockets...what more can you ask for?

Food:

I call this "the J special"

La Grotta del Formaggio is definitely unique in the sense that not only do they offer ginormous sized made-to-order Italian type sandwiches but I particularly love the fact that you can pick your own bread, meats, cheese, veggies, and sauces, as well. My usual go-to sandwich is a concoction of half a Focaccia with edam cheese, hot salami, hot capicollo and loaded with all the veggies.  I generally like an easy amount of regular mayo and regular mustard (though I should switch up the sauces from time to time (basil pesto mayo, anybody?).  I also like how they add in balsamic vinegar and olive oil prior to loading up the veggie, meats, sauce, etc. for it gives your sandwich just that tangy taste that zings things up! Also love the assortment of veggies they offer (including roasted red peppers, marinated artichokes, green olives) Lastly, I prefer it untoasted (though I should really try having it pressed and grilled for once)

Service:

Speedy and friendly

Value:

$6.50 for half a focaccia; $11.50 for a whole - easily the best value of all sandwiches (next to the cost of a Vietnamese sub (banh mi), of course ;) )

Ambience:

A grab and go Italian deli sort of a place, not much ambience nor is it expected

Overall: 8.5/10

Yay:  Come here for cheap, fresh, hearty, made-to-order monstrous sized sandwiches as well as other Italian deli pick-me-ups and other goodies (raincoast crackers, anybody?) Also a great place for those who like to "choose your own adventure" (and by adventure, I mean the sandwich-ingredient-selection process analogous to the kind of adventure one was out to seek in the "Choose Your Own Adventure" books from way back. Anybody remember that? Lol!)

Nay: It can be a bit of a wait come peak lunch hour times. They also lack some sort of a structured ordering system (no number tabs or anything) though I have never had a problem with this for there are a quite a few number of ladies working the deli counter! :)

Cafe Nuba

Aruba aNUBA....oOooh I wanna eat ya!

(think: Beach Boys, lol!)

For the past year (?) or so, Nuba has been quite the talk of the town - boasting authentic Lebanese cuisine in Vancouver (a first?) and quite recently, it has opened up its 4th (!) location at the Waldorf Hotel.  For one, I can't think of anywhere else in Vancouver specializing in Lebanese cuisine and second, not only is their food scrumptious, but they use local, fresh and organic ingredients in their cooking - a win-win situation, n'est ce pas?

Food:

Najib's special - Crispy Cauliflower

Najib's Special - crispy cauliflower with lemon & sea salt, served with tahini
                         - great starter, Nuba's speciality (claim to fame?), this must be deep-fried or something to achieve that crispy texture and taste but it sure doesn't taste like it's been (deep-fried!)

Le Petit Feast

Le Petit Feast - hummous, taboulleh, baba ganooj, and homemade pickle
                        - YUM!! Great start, beautifully-presented, everything was so fresh-tasting, hummous and baba ganooj were perfect, not too thick  - just the right smoothness consistency, loaded with lots of lemon juice and garlic flavour, pita bread was good too (though it was packaged from an exterior source)

Chicken Tawook (grilled Mount Lehman chicken breast marinated in paprika, thyme, lemon and garlic confit)
                        - a little dry (although I know how hard it is to make a nice, juicy, moist chicken!)

Beef Sirloin kebab - beef was cooked 'medium' (your choice) and it was tender, wonderfully-seasoned, juicy and succulent!

Lamb kibbeh

Lamb kibbeh - grilled grain-fed halal lamb patty with aromatic spices
                       - mmm though it was a bit gamey, it was a very well-seasoned sort-of lamb meatball! It was served atop a generous amount of nice, creamy tzatziki sauce..yum!

Service:

Very friendly and super casual - I liked :)

Value:

Fair and reasonable

Ambience:

Semi-funky yet cool interior - geometric wallpapers and retro-looking decor, casual atmosphere

Overall: 8/10

Yay:  If you're feelin' for some nice Middle Eastern, local, fresh and organic fare - think no further than Nuba! 4 great locations to serve you (all in Vancouver, so far)

Nay:  Minimal seating - not ideal for large groups





Posted by: J



Red Wagon

comfort food at a reasonable price...

Food:

Three words: Pulled Pork Sandwich. Deeeelicious!  Think: an oozing and generous amount of saucy, tangy, spicy, stringy and tender pieces of pulled pork with a creamy and crunchy coleslaw sandwiched between two halves of a fresh Portugese bun.  It is very messy to eat, so be prepared to have piles of napkins ready (in addition to making sure that what you're wearing is pulled-pork-proof! lol!)  This p.p sandwich stood out from many others that I've tried because of many reasons, one being the the fact that it was served on a nice, toasty, portugese bun and two, I loved that the sauce was a bit spicy.  The sandwich also came with an order of fries which I liked.  They were crispy, tasted like pomme frites (my favourite), and very similar to the fries from NY Fries!

Since my d.c and I had dinner plans later in the evening, we made a very wise and conscious decision to share the p.p sandwich with an order of Perogies, made in-house.  They were good, though nothing extremely out of the ordinary.  Nicely panfried, generous amount (about 6-8 pieces), stuffed to the pocket with pototoes, served with bacon, caramelized onions and sour cream - the perogies were very satisfying.

p.s check out the plating (above) used for the Perogies - nostalgic much!?

Service:

Friendly

Value:

Very good - both the p.p sandwich & the perogies were under $10, making the total bill a little under $20. 

Ambience:

It is a diner, afterall so don't expect a pretty sight here.  The floors could use a mop.  A renovation could definitely be in order, but I don't think people come here for the ambience!

Overall: 7.8/10

Yay:  Great value, excellent pulled pork sandwiches, weekend brunch available

Nay:  Minimal to no decor

Pink Peppercorn Seafood House

The Cannery version 2.0....resurrected, bigger and better!

Food:

When the local legendary 'The Cannery' restaurant closed down less than a year ago, I, like many others, immediately thought of things-to-do-before-the-Cannery-closes.  I, personally, am not that big of a fan of the place - though they do indeed have a wonderful scenic view and a pleasant ambience, I thought the food was just mediocre-tasting and a little pricey.  Needless to say, I did end up purchasing a gift certificate for some friends who love the Cannery and had one of my amigas purchase me a bottle of their ever-so-popular Lobster Oil.

Fast forward a few months later, I find that, to my surprise, the Cannery has not completely died afterall! In fact, one of the chefs from the Cannery decided to make a very wise move and opened up a restaurant of his own where he also brought along some of the Cannery's specialities (I swear, he brought the decor along with him as well!)  After reading several (quite good) reviews of the Pink Peppercorn, I was excited and eager to try it.

To start the night, I ordered their Prawn Caesar to slowly sip and enjoy.  I was expecting a cocktail prawn/shrimp but to my surprise, it was served with 2 very plump and delicious garlic-buttered sauteed prawns - neatly placed on the rim! It was darn amazing.  The Caesar was prepared well, too.  As an appetizer to start, my d.c and I both agreed on ordering the Salmon and Crab Cake.  When it arrived, we were surprised and quite elated to find that there were two crab cakes! Score! The salmon and crab cakes were nicely-battered (though I wish it was a bit crispier), quite plump and generously filled with salmon and crab.  There was also some sort of sweet, tangy, hoisin sauce (?) drizzled atop, and paired with some spring greens.  We were also served warm and toasty french bread with their (once again) famous lobster oil and balsamic vinegar :)

Complimentary French bread served with
Lobster Oil & Balsamic Vinegar

For my main, I opted for their Halibut Special which was a Herb-Crusted Pan-fried Halibut with mashed potatoes, grilled veggies and mushrooms in a creamy terragon sauce.  It was delicious!  The halibut was soft, flaky and cooked to perfection. The portion size was very generous as well.  The mashed potatoes were good as were the grilled veggies (red pepper, broccoli, asparagus).  The creamy tarragon sauce was rich and savoury.  My plate was also nicely dusted and capped off with a touch of pink peppercorn :) 

My d.c opted for the Seared Scallops and Tiger Prawns in a Garlic Butter Sauce, served with rice and grilled veggies as well.  It too, was amazing - rich garlic butter sauce, accompanied by perfectly cooked scallops and tiger prawns, generous portions...everything was quite near perfection.  We both left feeling very satisfied and was so close to ordering dessert until we realized that we seriously could not fit anything else into our system!

Service:

Very warm, friendly, polite and attentive

Value:

Very good and extremely reasonable

Ambience:

Dimly-light, romantic and quiet

Overall: 8/10

Yay: Excellent value, great service, ideal for a romantic night out

Nay: This place is very quiet - definitely not ideal for parties or large group gatherings




Posted by: J

El Caracol Mexican Cafe

Hasta La Pupusa, Baby! (think Terminator, lol...)

FYI:  Pupusa = Traditional El Savadoan dish made of hand-made corn tortilla stuffed with meats, cheese or beans

Food:

To drink, I started off with their "Tamarindo" or tamarind juice, i believe.  It is a drink that strikingly resembles that of a Chinese prune drink that is sometimes served at hot pot places.  It was a generous amount (served in a tall, wide glass) and refreshing.
As for the grub, we ordered and split the Enchilada, Chicken Fajitas, and their Seafood Soup.  Everything was so fresh (and took a darn long time to arrive).  All portions were overly sufficient and generous.  All arrived with this special kind of rice that was so fragrant and tasty, it was soo good. It really reminded me of the rice that comes with Hainanese chicken.  I just couldn't get enough of it.  The Enchilada was oozing with beef, beans and flavour.  The chicken for the fajitas were perfectly seasoned. Would've loved fresh guacamole though (as opposed to the couple of avocado slices).  The Seafood Soup was amazing!! This was the second time having it and it was just as marvelous as the first.  The soup arrived sizzling hot, steamy and full of seafood (mussels, fish, prawns, crab).  The flavour was excellent and I loved how that it was comprised of coconut milk, too.  The broth was just perfect.

Service:

S...l...o...w! Can't really complain much since they only have 1 server working and another in the kitchen. Not that friendly nor cold, either. She also didn't know what a drink menu item was, when I inquired about it. It was ok service.  Entrees did not come out at once - we waited 20 mins. for the first one and 40 mins for the last one.

Value:

Excellent value - most items were under $10 and huge generous portions! :D

Ambience:

Little hole-in-the-wall joint with semi-cool lookin' decor - yellow walls, random Mexican gadgets mounted on the walls, washroom walkway that goes through the kitchen, random dvd collection...

Overall: 8/10

Yay: Super tasty authentic Mexican-Honduran, Salvadoran food. They even have poutine ( I know, weird) but heard it's good, too!

Nay: Do NOT come here if you are pressed for time. Or, if you are, call them ahead! They are a 2-woman band (1 in kitchen, 1 serving). Be prepared to wait for your food! Poor, poor ventilation.  Both times here, we've had to ask to open the door for more air!

Bo Laksa King's

hidden laksa gem...

As their name implies, Bo Laksa King's specialty resides in...well, none other than laksa.  For those who are not familiar, laksa is a popular noodle soup with origins in Chinese/Singaporean/Malaysian cuisine (I believe).  Vermicelli is usually the prime type of noodle offered, with the usual ingredients being: fish balls, prawns, tofu puffs, and boiled egg....all in a coconut-based curry soup.

BLK (I'm gonna shorten it just for convenience sake...and the fact that I love reducing names to an aconym-form, lol) also features other Malaysian/Burmese items (roti, satays, "pickled tea leaf salads", etc).

*Pls note:  I apologize for the lack of information as I felt too lazy on this day to glean more info, given time and circumstantial constraints!

Food:

The laksa was divine and definitely lived up the rave reviews that currently exist about this place.  It was a generous portion of vermicelli, along with the essential ingredients of tofu puffs, fish balls, prawns, pieces of chicken satays (a bonus!), topped off and garnished with red onion, cilantro, bean sprouts, japalenos and lime.  It was certainly appealing to the appetite and taste.  The soup was perfect - with the perfect ratio of coconut to curry taste.  My dining companion also pointed out that we were given a whole boiled egg, instead of a half (which you would expect at other places).  I also loved the addition of pieces of chicken satay...grilled to perfection and immaculate in taste. 

It is also important to note that they give you a separate container for the soup.  The feeling of just being able to pour your own soup in, somehow makes it so much more gratifying...and more fresh-tasting. Don't you agree? ;)

Service:

Not sure if the lady and the man behind the counter were a couple but they were very hospitable and kind.  They even offered us (free) tea and gave us a sample of their "pickled tea leaf salad" (which, btw, tastes like how it sounds). 

Value:

$7.50 per bowl of laksa....not too pricey, I don't believe. It's worth it, regardless!

Ambience

It's not a restaurant, or a cafe.  Nor is it situated in a food court...or on the streets. But rather, it's located inside a grocery store.  Yes, you heard me.  The space isn't very large - just a food counter, and 1 (or 2) tables that sits 2 people each.  Regardless, I didn't mind it too much!

Overall: 7.7/10

Yay:  Yumm laksa...good for take-out.  No real parking issues here.

Nay: It's located in a grocery store where take-out may be the only option at times.

** Interesting Fact: The owner (I believe) informed us that they will be now offering delivery (within a 5-km radius), as well as a new menu!