Dine Out Vancouver 2012

When Dine Out Vancouver (DoV) was first launched about a decade ago, I was thrilled.  Three-course dinners at a number of notable restaurants with $15, $25, and $35 prices? Sign me up! 

Unfortunately, in the recent years, DoV has been mostly a disappointment.  I guess with greater hype come greater expectations...and greater chances of a letdown.  First of all, prices have gone up.  Secondly, albeit the number of participating restaurants has surged in the past few years, I find that the overall, the course selection for DoV isn't all that impressive.  Thirdly, there's always the doubt of whether the quality of the food served during DOV is reflective of the quality you would receive had you dined at the same establishment on a 'regular' day.  I guess it's up to each individual to be the judge of that, but for me personally, the DoV fan in me has increasingly waned over time.

One place that is almost always consistently satisfying is none other than the beloved steakhouse, the Keg.  It is also almost the only place that I recommend for DoV.  The DoV value is awesome. Plus, you get free bread and comfortable seats - definitely a win-win situation in my books!

DoV stop #1: The Keg, Burnaby

my go-to drink...with extra beans to boot :D

Baked Garlic Shrimp

10 oz. Prime Rib with Keg Fries

Billy Miner Pie

 

DoV stop #2: Oakwood Canadian Bistro

Radiccio salad with goat cheese, candied pecans, bacon lardons

Braised Lamb Stew

Nanaimo Bar Brulee

Our DoV experience was Oakwood was alright.  Portions were good and I enjoyed the appetizer and dessert.  The stew was overly salty though.  We had also ordered mussels and the burger off their regular menu.  I really enjoyed my super moist and juicy burger but the mussels were a little underwhelming with the broth being once again, overly salty.  I've also had brunch here and really liked it.  Overall, Oakwood is a great culinary establishment that's committed to serve fresh homemade food made from locally sourced ingredients.  I will return!

 

Holiday Gluttony

This holiday, I sure jingled my appetite bells and had myself a very merry pig-fest for it was the most wonderful time of the year! I mean, "everybody knows a turkey (and some mistletoeeee) helps to make a season bright." But what I really wanted, most of all, was to roast some of my own chestnuts on an open fire (although I eventually had to settle for someone else roasting them for me, instead). Do you hear what I hear?

:: dinner at Les Faux Bourgeouis Bistro ::

lamb tenderloin brochette with goat cheese salad

beef tenderloin in a peppercorn cream sauce

my candy cane cocktails ;)

:: brunch at Hawksworth ::

brioche french toast with caramelized banana, lavender honey, cream

halibut cake benny

:: lunch at Au Petit Chauvignol ::

cup of tomato soup

              reuben sandwich served with pomme frites 

:: lunch at Meat & Bread :: 

what do you get when the chicken meets the duck meets the turkey? 

:: snackin' on euro treats at the Christmas Market ::

my blurry bratwurst

waffles on a stick

:: dinner at my most beloved Chambar ::

Qualicum bay scallops, smoked kurobata pork cheek, pickled green beans

Smoked foie gras terrine with truffled brioche french toast...amaaaazing

moules frites congolaise...absolute necessity

poutine a la belge...avec le fromage bleu. Formidable!

:: dinner at Pivo Public House ::

Cajun Chicken Cobb Salad

:: NYE dinner at Tableau ::
(last meal of the year, hence the splurge ;) )

6 oz. beef tenderloin topped with foie gras & black truffles

G is for Gingerbread!

Run, run, as fast as you can. 

You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!

'Tis the season for all things peppermint, cranberry, eggnog and other fantastic festive flavourings.  For me, personally, it's gingerbread that gets my Yuletide taste buds rolling. And what happens when I suddenly become obsessed with trying all things gingerbread? Why, I go on a gingerbread hunt of course!

The first ever gingerbread hunt proved to be a bit of a...disappointment.  The prevalence of gingerbread-y goodies out there, in the edible market, just wasn't very...prevalent.  Needless to say, it didn't go very well.  But ah well, you win some, you lose some.  Moving on to my next ingredient obsession!

Gingerbread Macaron, Thierry

Gingerbread Timbit, Tim Hortons

  
Gingerbread chocolate covered s'mores, Hagensborg Chocolates

Gingerbread frozen yogurt, Yogen Fruz

 Iced Gingerbread Latte, Starbucks

 and last but not least, my first ever Gingerbread Barn!

A Sweet Sisterly Seattle Weekend

Seven, nine, two hundred and twenty-six point five.  These were respectively, the number of gastro-locales visited, hours spent in the wonderful Emerald City, as well as the accumulated number of kilometers traveled.  We strolled (the wonderful streets of downtown Seattle), we ate (more accurately, gorged) and we conquered (the surprisingly short border waits).

top row (from left to right):

1 - Our wonderful Trader Joe's haul
2 - Coconut Cream Pie Bites, Dahlia Bakery
3- Beef and Onion Piroshky, Piroshky Piroshky
4 - Top Pot doughnuts
5 - The ever lovable Pike Place Market

bottom row (from left to right): 

6 - Combo vermicelli with grilled pork, chicken, shrimp, spring rolls, Green Leaf
7 - Macarons, Le Panier Very French Bakery
8 - 'World's Best Mac n Cheese', Beecher's Handmade Cheese
9 - Flagship, basil and tomato grilled cheese, Beecher's Handmade Cheese
10 - Pizza with sweet fennel sausage, roasted peppers, provolone, Serious Pie

** I apologize for the inconveniently small photos as the layout of my template would not allow for bigger photos! Sorry!

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.

Return of the Pumpkin Hunt!

'Tis the season to bid farewell to the long, warm days of summer while welcoming the crisp and cool arrival of autumn. I feel extremely blessed to be able to live in one of the most greatest cities in the world - where seasonal change is so beautifully apparent in many parts of Vancouver.  To the foodie, specifically, the arrival of fall conjures up images and wonderful tastes of freshly pressed apple cider, warm pumpkin pie, and a bowl of hearty, homemade butternut squash soup...to tickle your Autumn taste buds :)

As you may recall, my first pumpkin hunt was quite successful where all sorts of pumpkin-based gems were tried, tested and true (oy, effective marketing car slogans does wonders).  From gelato to lattes to creampuffs - this seasonal squash did not disappoint at all! I enjoyed it so much that I decided to venture out again, with my pumpkin spectacles and all, in hopes of finding what other pumpkin goodies may await me...alas, here were some of my findings. 

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake, Trees Organic Coffee:
 -light and pillowy soft interior of the cheesecake
-nice thin graham-cracker crust
-top cinnamon layer

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake (left)

Pumpkin Cheesecake, Max's Deli Bakery:
-a little dense but still quite good
-not overly sweet

 Pumpkin Creme Brulee, Suika
-mini size ($3), seasonal feature
-perfect amount of sweetness
-less custard-y in texture, more pumpkin puree based, but still very smooth

Pumpkin Maple Cheesecake, Sweet Obsessions
-best of the pumpkin cheesecakes tried so far
-the girl at the store described it along the lines of a "pumpkie pie coated in cheesecake"
-smooth and not too dense with a perfect balance of spices
-absolutely loved the nutty exterior coating!

added a touch of whipped cream for pleasure purposes :)

Pumpkin Spice Loaf, East Village Bakery
-incredibly moist 
-topped with icing sugar drizzles & walnuts

Pumpkin Spice Donut, Tim Horton's
-seasonal item
-a little too doughy, would've preferred a more cake donut texture

Pumpkin Braided Bread, Hyggelig
-topped with a brown sugar glazed
-tasted really fresh and soft but we all agreed that it was lacking the pumpkin flavour

Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Pudding, Cactus Club
-topped with a generous dollop of whipped cream (cheese?) and drizzled with sticky toffee sauce
-served incredibly warm and infused with nutmeg, cinnamon and pumpkin
-it was to die for and an excellent conclusion to the dinner

Pumpkin Macaron, French Made Baking
-named "Le Cendrillon" (Cinderella in French)
-filling: made with a white chocolate ganache mixed with an organic pumpkin puree made from scratch
-size was more bite size and smaller to the macarons from Thierry
-crunchy and delicate on the outside (though I found it a taaad too sweet) but a perfectly smooth tasting interior

the pumpkin ones were the only 2 that cracked, out of the 6 :(

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin and Pumpkin Spice Latte, Starbucks
-thoughts on the Pumpkin Spice Latte can be found on my first Pumpkin Hunt post 
-the muffin was good enough albeit a little plastic-y tasting, lol
          -I didn't expect the muffin to be very fresh tasting, though boasting with pumpkin flavour
          - the cream cheese was rather boring, could've been enhanced but not quite sure how...lol

Pumpkin bread, nine bunnies baking company
-incredibly moist and not too sweet
-served with mascarpone cream and blueberries

 Pumpkin Pie Gelato, Bella Gelateria
-pumpkin pie was peeled, cooked, spice - all made from scratch and turned into gelato by the owner and gelato-enthusiast himself, James (he even holds a Masters in gelato making and attended Gelato university - take that!)
-amazingly refreshing gelato with perfect texture and taste

Pumpkin Ale Sorbetto, Bella Gelateria
-made from Granville Island Brewing Co.'s Pumpkin Ale (see below)
-unbelievable flavour - tasted just like it!

Kobacha (Japanese pumpkin) Waffle Sando, Miura
-kobacha custard cream with cranberry compote (seasonal Thanksgiving feature)
-the custard cream was good though I thought it could've been a little more sweet and thick
-I get the wanting-to-mix-two-seasonal ingredients here (pumpkin + cranberry) but together, it doesn't complement each other as much
-still tasty regardless - the kobacha custard cream would've paired well with something less tangy (though I don't know what? Any suggestions?)

Roasted Pumpkin Benny, Aphrodite's Organic Cafe
-with Goat Chevre & Goat Feta, served with home fries and garden greens
-eggs were nicely poached though the benny itself tasted a little bland
-skimpy potato portion, def. could've used a little more taters

Pumpkin and Pulled Pork taco, Off the Taco Wagon (food truck)
-seasonal feature
-pulled pork was nice and tender, adequately sauced and I thought it paired well with the roasted chunks of pumpkin

Phoenix roll, Kadoya 
-pumpkin tempura, salmon, imitation shark fin
-though the combination of these ingredients may sound seemingly bizarre, it wasn't so bad!
       - i enjoyed the sweetness of the pumpkin (it was most likely the Japanese kobacha pumpkin that was used) topped with the raw salmon and sweet and silky strands of the imitation shark fin 

 Smoothie, Aphrodite's Organic Cafe
-made with frozen berries, ginger, mint, OJ, pumpkin seed protein powder
-perfect consistency and thickness of how a smoothie should be 
-perfect proportions of ingredients and a great start to the morning!

 Pumpkin Ale, Granville Island Brewing Company
-brewed  with real pumpkin puree and a blend of various spices
-light aroma and taste
-some say it tastes just like pumpkin pie but I actually think the pumpkin taste is very minimal

Welps! That wraps up "Pumpkin Hunt pt. II"! All in all, a successful `Pumpkin Hunt`, I must say! I think I`m all pumpkin-ed out now and rightfully so! Lol...would`ve liked to try the Pumpkin Donut from Lee`s donuts (at Granville Island), as suggested by the food blogger: Greedy Guts.  Also was meaning to try the Pumpkin Spice Donuts, from Joeys, with the Dulce Leche Caramel Sauce pairing but one can only consume so many pumpkin things...until next Fall, it is!

Thinking of going on a 'Gingerbread' or 'Peppermint Hunt' for the upcoming holiday season...what do you all think? Any other festive ingredients that I should consider?