Mid-Blog Crisis

Well, I have to say ... it's been a HOT minute since I've made a post. After some introspection, I think I've determined that the best way for me to keep this blog alive is for me to change the style of the blog into a photo diary (of sorts). Otherwise, I really can't keep up with all the food that I eat. My thinking: even if I won't be able to fully document all of my food adventures in writing, the least I can do is still document them in photos. Plus, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Warning: There will now be a slew of food photos (possibly even dating back to 2016). 

Let's be real - sharing is caring ... and better late than never, right?  Here goes!

Midam Cafe & Bistro

Of course I would end a three-month blogging hiatus by posting two days in a row.

Just a disclaimer -- this blog post will consist mostly of pictures. This is one of those occasions where I feel like the pictures just speak for itself. No need to ruin the visual with too many words.

I think I would describe Midam Cafe & Bistro as a Korean/French fusion cafe. The original location is on North Road in Burnaby (almost Coquitlam). I tried their relatively new Richmond location on Garden City Road. The inside of the restaurant was not what I expected, but I dig it. Imagine a trendy Korean bubble tea shop that has been decorated by an ultra NBA fan.

And this is what we ordered (to share, of course!):

Budae Hot Pot 

Stir-Fried Kimchee and Bacon Udon 

Spicy Chicken with Cheese

And for dessert .......

Rice Cake Toast with Green Tea Ice Cream

Strawberry Tiramisu Shaved Ice

We (basically) finished everything. OM NOM NOM. I am definitely coming back here. Perhaps this will become one of my go-to, late night comfort food spots.

Yolks

Yolks has two locations in Vancouver -- East Hastings & Clark and West Broadway & Cambie. This doesn't include their popular blue food truck that is usually parked downtown by Burrard and West Pender. We went to the one on Broadway (which coincidentally is right next to a new Ramen Santouka location - read my last blog post!).

I think I've said this before, but I will say it again -- I am not a fan of "classic" breakfast food. I don't see the appeal of going out and paying to eat sunny-side up eggs and bacon strips (unless they are sugar-cured bacon strips from Jam Cafe ... which I should probably blog about) when I can easily replicate it at home. In my opinion, good brunch food's gotta have that je ne sais quoi.  And yes, I would have to say that Yolks has that je ne sais quoi.

When we got to the restaurant that day, we were not surprised to learn that there was over an hour wait. There isn't a lot of seating inside and it was Sunday morning after all. Luckily, we were able to put down our number so that they could text us when seats became available. Yolks uses an online wait list system where you can monitor your place in line. Thumbs up for the convenience! 

Tip: There is free parking around the back of the restaurant that not a lot of people know about (us included). If we had known about this beforehand, we would have saved a lot of time from not having to circle around the block 5 times to find street parking.

Since Yolks is known for their "perfectly poached eggs", we obviously had to try the eggs. You can either go with one egg for $7.50 or two eggs for $10.95 (pretty reasonable for a popular brunch restaurant in fancy Vancouver!). We both opted for the two egg option. You then get to customize your egg order with your choice of toppings and sides.

Me --> Portobello mushroom with aioli, fresh arugula and aged white cheddar on truffle-lemon hashbrowns (+$2.95, BUT SO WORTH IT)

Sameer --> Smoked wild BC sockeye salmon (+$2.00) with fresh arugula, crispy capers, real hollandaise on truffle-lemon hashbrowns

Hands down, my order was the better of the two (this was determined by mutual agreement). The smoked salmon was good and perhaps even worth the $2.00 extra, but definitely not on the same level as the portobello mushroom and aged white cheddar combination. Just thinking about it makes me want to drive over to Yolks right now. The truffle-lemon hasbrowns were also awesome. I may be a little biased because I love everything truffle-related, but I have to say that those were probably the best flavoured hashbrowns I've ever had at a brunch place.

One last comment -- the eggs were perfectly poached.

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

If you're a local Vancouverite, then this probably won't come as news to you. It turns out that the West End (by Robson St and Denman St) of the city is ramen central! There are about 4 to 5 different ramen joints within a very short walking distance (some even directly across the street from each other).

For those of you who are not familiar with Santouka -- the restaurant first originated in Hokkaido, Japan, and has since expanded to various locations around the world. The momentum behind its quick expansion was largely a result of the popularity of their Shio Ramen (which was actually the only item on their menu) when they first opened for business. I've been to the Santouka in Toronto (one of my favourite ramen places), but I wanted to try this one out to test their consistency in quality. For me, consistency in quality plays a big role in how I rate a chain restaurant.

When we first got there, it seemed like there was going to be quite a bit of a wait. Lucky for us, they have a very efficient system going on. The waiters take your order before you are even seated! I can see how this might rub some people the wrong way. But, for me - I don't go to eat ramen for the ambiance, so this was A-OK with me. Two thumbs up for efficiency! The restaurant isn't too spacious and most of the tables are meant for shared seating. I don't mind getting cozy. 

I ordered their specialty; white tonkotsu soup ramen - the Shio Ramen. Sameer decided to go with the Spicy Miso Ramen

Shio Ramen

Spicy Miso Ramen

We each ordered a Hanjuku tamago (seasoned soft-boiled egg) to have with our ramen. (Almost) everything tastes better with an egg. 

So, let me start off by saying that this Santouka was just as good as the one I've tried in Toronto. Everything from the soup base, to the meat, to the noodles ... and even the egg tasted great! The soup (especially the Shio one) was very creamy, flavourful, and aromatic ... but, not too salty. I loved the texture of the ramen noodles - they were chewy, without being too tough or hard. The pork slices were soft, with a relatively thin lining of fat. I don't like it when there is too much fat or if there is no fat at all. I would've liked it if the slices were a little bit thicker and if there was a bit more meat in the bowl. THE EGG! On their website, they describe the texture of the egg to be "viscous". I would say that they were pretty accurate in their word choice. I find that the best way to enjoy the egg is to first immerse it into the soup. Since the egg yolk isn't too runny, the yolk is able to stay in place while soaking up the soup. 

Cynthia Approved Ramen Rating (CARR*)

*Percentage weight of each factor in calculating the total CARR: Toppings - 10%; Meat - 15%; Broth - 20%; Noodles - 20%; Presentation - 5%; and Overall Taste - 30%. 

Toppings - 4/5

Meat - 3.5/5 
Broth - 5/5
Noodles - 5/5 
Presentation - 3.5/5 
Overall taste - 4.5/5

X(perience) Factor** - 2/2

**Click for explanation (scroll to the bottom of post)

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka gets a CARR of 91.0%

Hollywood Cafe

Hollywood Cafe was at the top of our list of breakfast/brunch places to try in San Francisco. The restaurant is located just a couple of blocks south of Fisherman's Wharf by the intersection of North Point St and Taylor St. Many of the reviews that I read on Yelp said that this place was "one of the best breakfast places in San Francisco". Only one way to find out ...

We got here fairly late in the morning that day, but there was still a lineup outside. We were told that there is always a line up outside. 

Luckily for us, we were the only party of two in the lineup and a table for two just so happened to free up inside the restaurant. The inside was very cozy and the walls are decorated with pictures of classic Hollywood stars.

We started with two glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice. A bit pricy, but I would highly recommend it.

Although their Breakfast Specials (James Dean, Clark Gable, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe) were very tempting, we ordered two plates of their classics to shares: Old Favorite Eggs and Eggs Benedict with Salmon and Shrimp.

Old Favorite Eggs - Two sunny-side up eggs with sauteed mushrooms.

Eggs Benedict with Salmon and Shrimp.

The food was good - nothing amazing, but solid overall. We didn't have any specific complaints, but both agreed that it wasn't worth the lineup. My favourite part of the meal was probably the large capers and fresh cherries that were served on the side of the plate. 

Meet in Gastown

I am so behind on my food posts! That's part of the reason why I will be keeping this one fairly short. Just wanted to put that out there before I get started.

Meet in Gastown - probably best described as a restaurant where casual comfort meets modern hipsterness (I think I made that word up).

I first stumbled across this place by accident when I was wandering around in Gastown trying to find a place to have dinner. Although the address of the restaurant is on Water Street, the actual spot is a bit tucked away inside a corridor. The restaurant's inconspicuous location makes it a good place for a quiet and cozy meal. I am definitely a fan, even though the "patio" only offers glimpses of sunshine.

I came here with Cory (almost 3 weeks ago now) for dinner on a Thursday night. There was a good flow of people going in and out, but it wasn't too busy. I will confess that I didn't know much about the restaurant before coming. Neither Cory or I realized that the restaurant was known for its gluten-free and vegan menu selections. I've actually never been to a completely gluten-free / vegan restaurant. I guess there is a first for everything! 

Knowing my preferences, I (obviously) ordered their Mac N' Cheese .. with the add-on of chili!

Mac N' Cheese with chili.

Their Mac N' Cheese is made with their vegan cashew cheez sauce, scallions and smoked salt. I had a choice of brown rice macaroni or wheat penne. I picked brown rice macaroni. It actually bothers me when mac and cheese is not made with macaroni! How can it be "mac" and cheese ... 

And truth be told, it was actually very tasty! I will refrain from giving it a CAMCR (Cynthia Approved Mac and Cheese Rating) because although it tasted good, it didn't quite resemble your typical mac and cheese. It was more of a chili mac, if anything. I couldn't really make out the cashew cheez very well, so it's hard for me to comment on how it stacks up with real cheese. 

I do plan on coming back and trying their house chili though. I saw several people around me ordering it and it looked like straight comfort in a bowl. 

Miku

If you are a Vancouverite, then chances are you've already heard all about Miku. For my Toronto friends, chances are you've heard about Miku too (seeing that they opened up a location in Toronto relatively recently).

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about ...

First of all, "miku" translates to "beautiful sky" in Japanese.

Miku is an upscale, Japanese restaurant located downtown Vancouver. The location is conveniently situated alongside the waterfront, next to Canada Place and is commonly known as one of the best Japanese restaurants in Vancouver. Miku's location is prime as it offers its diners a beautiful view of the North Shore mountains. The view would be significantly better if it wasn't partially obstructed by some hideous orange cranes on the nearby loading dock ... but, I guess that's not the restaurant's fault!  The restaurant prides itself on its focus on sustainability and its commitment to its corporate philosophy of Ningemni. Ningemni translates to "finding a joy in your life by bringing one to others". This ideology really comes through from their lively ambiance, vibrant artwork, and friendly restaurant staff. Above all, Miku is most well-known for their gourmet Aburi cuisine. Their Aburi-style sushi (aka pressed sushi) is prepared using their famous flame-seared technique and signature sauces.

I have been to Miku twice since I moved to Vancouver - once for lunch and once for dinner. The Sashimi Lunch special I had for lunch was good, but not amazing. I wouldn't  recommend coming to Miku if all you are interested in having is regular sashimi or (nigiri) sushi. There are many other spots in Vancouver that serve high-quality sashimi and nigiri in larger quantities and at a more reasonable prices.

Their Aburi sushi, on the other hand, is a different story altogether. I had a much better dinner experience at Miku. Note: you can also order Aburi sushi at lunch ... I just didn't order it when I went for lunch that time. Sameer and I went to Miku for dinner a couple of Sundays ago. It wasn't planned, so we didn't have reservations. It was about 7 pm at the time and we were told that the wait for a table with be around 45 min to an hour. Luckily, there was only a 5-10 min wait if we wanted to sit at the bar. And ... that's what we decided to do.

Our view from our bar seats.

We asked our waiter to recommend an appetizer and he suggested the Aburi Beef Carpaccio without hesitation. I was sold after he told us that it came with an egg in the middle. From the Aburi Oshi Sushi list, he recommended the Salmon Oshi Sushi and the Ebi Oshi Sushi. He said that although Salmon is always the crowd favourite, he personally liked the Ebi one best. From his descriptions, we went with two orders of the Salmon Oshi Sushi and one order of the Ebi Oshi Suhi. Each order comes with six pieces. 

Aburi Beef Carpaccio.

The Aburi Beef Carpaccio was absolutely delectable. It reminded me of the Butter Beef at Phnom Penh (minus the cilantro) - just as tender and flavourful. The carpaccio was prepared with sterling silver AAA short ribs and topped with a bed of organic baby greens, slivers of Asian pear, and a beautiful 64-degree organic egg. The dark sauce (as you can see in the picture) is jalapeno-garlic ponzu and the green dollops on the corners are pickled wasabi. I liked everything about this dish - from the beef itself ... to the tangy ponzu ... to the kick added by the pickled wasabi. At $19.50 per plate, it is on the pricier side, but totally worth it in my opinion!

Fun fact #1: Ponzu is a citrus-based Japanese sauce. 

Fun fact #2: A 64-degree egg is an egg that's slow-cooked in its shell in 64 degrees Celsius water for about 45 min. Cooking the egg in water at this temperature gives the egg yolk and egg white a certain desired consistency. Once the egg is ready to be served, it must be removed from its shell under a water bath in order to prevent stress and damage to the egg's shape.

 

Salmon Oshi Sushi (top and bottom); Ebi Oshi Sushi (line in the middle).

Melt-in-your-mouth - best description of the sushi that I can think of. The fish and prawns at the top of the sushi was perfectly blow-torched and so sooo tender and juicy. Blow-torching creates this effect, as the heat helps to melt down the fat. The Salmon Oshi Sushi was made with pressed BC Sockeye Salmon, topped with adorable mini slices of jalapeno, and finished with Miku's special sauce. The Ebi Oshi Sushi was topped with lime zest and finished with ume sauce. I loved the pairing of jalapeno with the salmon and lime zest with the prawns. The jalapeno brought out the freshness in the salmon and the tanginess of the lime zest and ume sauce brought out hints of sweetness in the prawns.

Fun fact #3: Ume sauce is a tart Japanese dressing that is concocted using pickled plums.

Fun fact #4: My research tells me that Miku's special sauce is French-inspired and takes the form of a browned, yolky, house-made mayonnaise. 

As I mentioned above, if you're just looking to have some standard sashimi or sushi to satisfy a craving for Japanese food, Miku may not be the best place to go. However, if you're looking to really satisfy your taste buds and try something new ... the Aburi sushi at Miku is a must try!!!