Medina Cafe

I have been wanting to try Medina Cafe since I first moved here last year. If you're a Vancouverite, then you've most likely heard of this famous brunch spot and its infamous wait times. I've tried going to Medina twice before. On both of those occasions, I wasn't determined enough (or prepared) to stick around and wait for 1.5 hours. I tend to think most brunch places are overrated, but I was curious to see what all the fuss was about.

Last Sunday, I finally sucked it up and decided to wait it out. Sameer and I got to the restaurant around noon and was told that the wait was approximately 1.5 hours (as expected). The wait actually wasn't bad at all. Mind you, we had already eaten something beforehand in anticipation of the wait. Like many others, we decided to walk around downtown after we put our name down on the wait list. The hostess assured us that we wouldn't be crossed off the list if we didn't make it back on time. We returned to the restaurant 1 hr and 15 minutes later and there was a table ready for us. 

Now a bit about the restaurant ...

Medina Cafe first opened in 2008 in Crosstown (on Beatty Street), Vancouver. It later moved to its current and more spacious location by Richards and West Georgia Street in August 2014. The cafe offers a unique Mediterranean-inspired cuisine that features locally sourced ingredients. Medina is also well-known for its fine selection of coffee and lattes and its mouth-watering Belgium waffles.

There is not much signage on the outside ... which is fine considering it's hard to miss the entrance of the restaurant; there is always a crowd assembled outside. I am a fan of their coffee sign though! The inside of the restaurant was very charming and cheery. Even though it's actually situated slightly below street level, the interior was very bright - likely due to the high ceiling and large windows at the front. I noticed that the restaurant attracted an interesting mix of people, all of which seemed to be enjoying both the atmosphere and the food.

We always like to try the most popular and classic dishes on the menu at a new restaurant. From reading reviews of the restaurant, the two most popular dishes seemed to be the Fricassée and the Paella (which our waitress confirmed). We ordered those two to share. We also ordered a Salted Caramel Latte, a Lavender Latte, and waffles with a milk chocolate lavender dipping sauce.

The waffles and the lattes came out first. The waffles weren't as warm as I had hoped, but I suspect that they would've been if we were there earlier on in the day. It was almost 1:30 pm by the time we ordered (the restaurant closes at 3 pm). However, that was my one and only semi-criticism of the food. The texture and the the sweetness of the waffles were perfect. The milk chocolate lavender dipping sauce was super smooth; great combination of melted milk chocolate with a hint of lavender. Both of the lattes were superb - the salted caramel and lavender flavour for each one, respectively, was distinct, but not overpowering.

Salted Caramel Latte on the left and Lavender Latte on the right.

We finished the leftover dipping sauce with our spoons :)

As mentioned above, I think a lot of brunch places are overrated. Many times, people focus too much on the presentation of the food, rather than the taste of the food. It actually irritates me when I try a highly talked-about brunch place only to discover that the food is merely a "fancier" version of what I could make at home in my kitchen. In my opinion, in order for a restaurant to be a good brunch restaurant, there must be something special about the food such that it's not something I could easily replicate at home. 

I loved both the Fricassée and the Paella - there was definitely something special about both dishes.

The Fricassée

The Fricassée was a hearty medley of braised short ribs, roasted potatoes, caramelized onions, applewood smoke cheddar, and seasonal greens that was topped with a fried egg. It also came with a slice of grilled focaccia on the side. I am not exaggerating when I say that the short ribs were incredibly tender - "fall right off the bone" type of tender (except there were no bones). The roasted potatoes were also very soft. The sauce was what really brought it all together. The sauce was tomato-based, with a bunch of different spices added to it. After mixing everything together, every bite was a savoury bite of goodness.

The Paella

Unlike traditional paella, this Paella was made with orzo pasta instead of rice. The orzo is cooked together with some spicy chorizo, seasonal vegetables, avocado, and grana padano cheese in a spicy tomato salsa. Just like the Fricassée, every bite was full of flavour. The spicy chorizo really stood out to me - the spiciness of it was almost addictive; I just kept wanting more of it. The avocado and the egg was the perfect addition to the dish to give it that "brunch" feel.

So ... I have to say that Medina is worth the wait and I would highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't already tried it. It's rare to come across a brunch spot that serves non-traditional "brunch food". The restaurant is open Monday to Friday as well, starting at 9 am in the morning. Our waitress said that the wait time is usually 30 min max until closer to noon. However, she did mention that a line usually starts to form outside the restaurant around 8:30 am ... so get there early!

Kenzo Japanese Noodle House

For those of you who might be wondering ... this restaurant is different than the Kenzo Japanese Noodle House in Toronto and is owned by different people. This one is located in Burnaby by Griffiths and Kingsway. For the past several months, I've been making a mental note to try this place every time I drive by it. I finally went to try it out with a co-worker (Joanna) for lunch this past Friday.

The inside of the restaurant is pretty cozy - not too big, not too small; furnished with a lot of wood (very Korean/Japanese style - I'm fairly certain the owners are Korean). We came here around 12:30 pm and it wasn't super busy, but there were 3-4 other tables seated. Our waitress was very friendly and brought us over two cups off tea as soon as we sat down. Below are the pages of their menu that feature ramen:

I had a sore throat that day, so I was actively seeking out some non-spicy and slightly "healthier" options. Otherwise, I probably would've automatically opted for the "King of the Kings Ramen". I decided to go with the Don Ko Chi. Considering I was feeling a bit more health-conscious that day, their added description of: "it has very little oil", was really what sold me on it. Joanna ordered the Miso Ramen with a spicy level of 1.

Miso Ramen

Don Ko Chi

Unfortunately, I didn't try Joanna's (I didn't want to impose because I was feeling under the weather that day), so I can't comment on/rate hers. She said it was okay-good, but not better than Ramengers. 

Joanna and I tried Ramengers together a couple of months ago and we were both fans. Sadly, my food blog did not exist at that time. Click here to read my review of it on Yelp.

My first impression of the Don Ko Chi was that it did not resemble the picture in the menu at all. The broth for the noodles is a tonkotsu broth - soup boiled from pork bone. Tonksotsu broth tends to be milky and creamy (kind of like how it looked in the picture on the menu). The broth wasn't as milky as I was expecting, but it did retain a lot of flavour from the pork bone. The broth wasn't too salty or oily ... I actually enjoyed it a fair bit! I was able to drink a majority of the soup without the usual feeling of needing to follow up with 5 glasses of water. I highly suspect that it's MSG-free, but I didn't get a chance to confirm this with our waitress. The noodles were cooked well; just the right texture. As you can tell from the picture, there weren't a lot of toppings. The green onions complimented the broth very well, but I would've appreciated some other toppings too! The chashu was too rough, in my opinion. They likely chose a less fatty cut of pork to minimize the oil in the bowl, but the chashu was too lean for my liking.

Cynthia Approved Ramen Rating (CARR*)

*Click for the percentage weight breakdown for each factor (scroll down to CARR)

Toppings - 2.5/5
Meat - 2.5/5 
Broth - 4/5
Noodles - 4.5/5 
Presentation - 3/5 
Overall taste - 3/5

X(perience) Factor** - 1/2

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

Kenzo Japanese Noodle House gets a CARR of 72.0%

Chewies Steam & Oyster Bar

Last night I went to Chewies with my friend Cory for dinner. There are two locations in Vancouver - Coal Harbour and Kitsilano. We went to the one at Coal Harbour. I've been here once before for my birthday this past December and I loved it the first time.

I tried an oyster shot for the first time on my birthday! It wasn't the greatest experience, but I'm glad I tried it. The method to properly ingest it does not come naturally to me - the double task of trying not to prolong having the liquor in my mouth while not choking on the oyster proved to be very difficult for me. I believe I had the Jammers Oyster Shot, which is a concoction of chilled Hurradura tequila, fresh shucked oyster, lime juice, sugar, and crystal hot sauce. The hot sauce not only got stuck in my throat, it also made the tequila burn all the way down.

The restaurant embodies a New Orleans theme and features an open kitchen. Their walls are decorated with a lot of vertical wood panels that gives off a very rustic vibe. I was a huge fan of their decorations, especially the saxophone art piece by the front entrance and the Rue Bourbon street sign that's anchored by the centre of the restaurant. Their menu offers signature New Orleans dishes such as: Fried Gator & Hush Puppies, Classic Gumbo, Southern Fried Chicken and Jambalaya. They also offer a wide selection of oysters from both the east and west coast.

We ordered half a dozen oysters to share: two Kusshi oysters (from B.C.), two Effingham oysters (from B.C.), and two Raspberry Point oysters (from PEI). I love oysters and I love trying different types of oysters to experience the different flavours and textures. I wasn't very impressed with the oysters we ordered last night. Maybe it was the type? Maybe they weren't quite in season? I typically prefer creamier oysters with sweet flavours. The Kusshi oysters were described to be creamy and sweet with a smoky finish - not the case in the ones we had. I didn't particularly like the Effingham or Raspberry Point oysters either. They both tasted briny and was similar in texture, even though the Raspberry Point oyster is known to have a "sweet finish". However, oysters are often hit and miss and even great oyster bars sometimes play host to some not-as-flavourful oysters (as I've experienced), so I'm not overly critical as long as they are fresh. I did enjoy their selection of sauces - the spicy habanero one was my favourite.

I like having caesars with oysters. I think it goes really well together ... so yes, I ordered a Chewies' Caesar. The Chewies' Caesar is made with Sobieksi Vodka, homemade hot sauce, fresh horseradish (which is scattered throughout), Worcestershire, Clamato, and garnished with a Cajun prawn (my favourite part!). Instead of regular ice cubes, the drink is chilled with crushed ice. If you like horseradish, then you'll love the Chewies' Caesar - the horseradish really adds a good kick.

Cory's glass of  Poplar Grove Pinot Gris was filled right up to the rim! No complaints there.

For my entree, I ordered the Southern Fried Chicken. I ordered this last time as well and was taken aback at how good it tasted (because who thinks to order fried chicken at an oyster bar?). It was just as awesome this time. I don't usually like fried chicken, mostly because I find the batter tends to be tasteless and too thick. The batter for this fried chicken was finished with a maple-syrupy glaze that gave it a very pleasant sweetness. The sugary flavour went together perfectly with the buttermilk mashed potatoes that it was served with. The chicken was tender and juicy and I cleared the plate, no problem.

Cory ordered the Scallops & Succotash. I was lucky because she let me have a taste :) The lemon butter was a good dressing choice for the succotash, but I thought the scallops were overcooked. The scallops tasted good, but according to the menu, they were supposed to be seared rare. To me, they seemed to be cooked all the way through. Cory also ordered a side of Chive Baby Biscuits, which she graciously offered to share.

The biscuits were phenomenal (not to sound over-dramatic) and they were only $4! The biscuits were drizzled with honey butter and garnished with chives. I would have never thought to order biscuits with dinner, but I'm glad she did. The both of us were marveling at how well they were baked. The outside still retained a bit of a crunch while the inside was soft, but still firm. Every bite was like a bite of buttery goodness.

If you're wondering about the actual size ... each one is about the size of my fist.

Via Tevere

I discovered an authentic Neapolitan pizza place this past Sunday night ... all thanks to my lovely friend, Rita. She suggested that we go to her favourite pizza spot for a girls' dinner. Via Tevere is hidden in the heart of a residential neighbourhood by Commercial Dr. and Hastings (Victoria and Williams, to be exact).

As usual, I did a bit of research beforehand ...

The restaurant was founded by two brothers - Frank and Dominic Morra, who also own Ragazzi Pizza Co. in Vancouver. Via Tevere is named after a street in Naples, Italy where the founders' father was raised. The brothers attribute their appreciation for Neapolitan food, lifestyle, and most importantly, pizza, to their experiences on Via Tevere. And so, they started the restaurant with a goal to commemorate their family's heritage and the essence of "la vera pizza Napoletana" (the true Neapolitan pizza!). 

Their menu features an appetizers, pizzas ranging from $11 to $21, a daily pasta, and a mini collection of dessert. Their pizzas have won numerous awards and have been lauded by many as the best Neapolitan pizzas in Vancouver (next to Nicli Antica Pizzeria - already on my to-try list).

And now, a little bit about Neapolitan pizza and the history of pizza:

On June 11, 1889, a Neapolitan pizza-maker in the name of Raffaele Esposito cleverly crafted a pizza embodying the colours of the Italian flag to honour the Queen Margherita of Savoy. The pizza was adorned with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil and has since become one of two most popular pizzas among Neapolitans. That pizza is know commonly known as the Pizza Margherita. The other pizza that ranks similarly high in popularity among Neapolitans is the Pizza Marinara - garnished with tomatoes, garlic, oregano and extra virgin olive oil. 

I learned that Neapolitans take their pizza seriously. So seriously that there is actually an association that exists to restore and preserve the authenticity of traditional Neapolitan pizza-making. Together with the Italian government and European Union, the Associazone Vera Pizza Napolatena (AVPN) sets strict guidelines and criteria for the certification of a vera pizza Napoletana. The criteria is as follows: 

1. Required ingredients include: double zero flour, San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil; 

2. The pizza must be baked in a wood-fired, domed oven at 485 degrees Celsius for a duration of 60 to 90 seconds; 

3. The dough must only be hand-kneaded; 

4. The pizza must be 30 cm in diametre, with a thickness of 3 mm at the centre, and a cornicione (crust) of 1 to 2 cm in height; 

5. The texture should be soft, elastic and easily fold-able into a libretto (booklet) and the centre should be soft to the touch; 

6. The the finished crust should be golden with a bit a charring, the mozzarella should appear in even patches, and the basil leaves should be cooked to a darkened green colour; and

7. The pizza should be consumed immediately at the pizzeria right after being taken out of the oven! 

Fun fact #1: In Naples, pizzas are served uncut to preserve its toppings and its thin centre.

Rita, Rachel, Michelle and I got to the restaurant just a bit before 7:30 pm on Sunday. The optimist in me was hoping that there would be no (or close to no) wait. Unfortunately, the wait at that time was around 30 - 40 minutes. However, I've actually heard that sometimes the wait gets up to 1.5 hours, so perhaps we were lucky after all. The exterior of the restaurant had a very rustic feel that I was drawn to right away. One of the sides of the building is a canvas to a vintage-looking mural. Parked along the side of the street is their blue food truck and a cute little yellow 1969 Fiat 500 mini, branded with the name of the restaurant.

Fun fact #2: Via Tevere has a food truck that operates in downtown Vancouver by Burrard and Pender from Tuesday to Friday.

After about half an hour, they offered us four seats at the bar (which I was more than happy to accept considering how hungry I was at that point). The inside of the restaurant was very comfortable and charming. Their wood-fired oven acts as a centrepiece and is beautifully covered with turquoise/teal-coloured tiles. The staff were all very friendly and personable.

I told him I was taking a picture for my food blog and he agreed to pose for my photo ... yay!

We ordered the Polenta Fritta to start and a Pizza Prosciutto e Funghi, a Pizza Capricciosa, and a pasta of the day (because we wanted to satisfy our carbs craving) to share.

The Polenta Fritta were deep-fried sticks of cornmeal that were served with a side of tomato sauce. I read in a Vancouver Sun article on the restaurant that the owners' mother comes in to prepare all the fried appetizers. I wonder if this is true. The polenta sticks tasted better than I expected, but not extraordinary by any means.

The Pasta Del Giorno (pasta of the day) was a penne pasta in meat sauce - not particularly exciting and borderline sub-mediocre. I'm going to withhold from commenting too much on the pasta, as I'm well-aware that Via Tevere is a pizzeria.

The pizzas definitely lived up to my expectations! The Pizza Prosciutto e Funghi was topped with tomatoes, mozzarella, prosciutto, and mushrooms and the Pizza Capricciosa was topped with tomatoes, mozzarella, prosciutto cotto, salame, artichokes, mushrooms, and olives.

Note: Prosciutto (crudo) is Italian dry-cured ham and prosciutto cotto is Italian baked ham.

Pizza Prosciutto e Funghi

Pizza Cappricciosa

Both pizzas were soft and fold-able (as described in #5 of the above APVN criteria list), all the way from the crust to the centre. I'm not a fork and knife type of pizza person, so I opted with the fold and eat method. The crust was perfectly charred, but not too much so that it was overly hardened. I liked that the ingredients were traditional and simple and that they did not skimp on the prosciutto. The saltiness of the prosciutto went really well with the fresh mozzarella and the smooth tomato sauce.

To end off the night we ordered their Tiramisu to share. We had heard good things about the tiramisu and couldn't wait to see of ourselves. The bartender said the serving was quite sizable, so we went with just one. A common issue I have with tiramisu is that the lady fingers become too soggy after they've been dipped in coffee/rum. This in turn makes the whole inside of the cake too wet. Another common issue I find is that I can rarely taste the mascarpone in the whipped cream layers of the cake; a lot of times I can only taste the whipped cream.

The lighting wasn't very good, so the photo doesn't do it justice.

This tiramisu was heavenly. It did not have a "wetness" problem. There was actually still a bit of crunch from the lady fingers. The whipped cream layers were very well done - the whipped cream was very smooth throughout and the mascarpone was distinct. Despite the many calories I'm sure I consumed while eating the cake, it tasted very light and spongy.

Honourable mention: Rachel and Michelle ordered lattes to try. I had sip of Rachel's and loved it - the latte was very smooth and not too sweet.

Overall, I would give Via Tevere 4/5 stars for their pizza! Their efforts to maintain a high level of authenticity definitely paid off. The pizza is worth the wait. Also, if you're a big tiramisu fan, I would highly recommend you give theirs a try. Trust me, you will not be disappointed. 

Cactus Club Cafe

When I started this blog, I decided not to write about chain restaurants. BUT, I felt like dish deserved a shout out because it's my absolute favourite at Cactus Club and I often get cravings for it.

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Prawns

The raviolo (yes, I had to look up the plural form for "ravioli") are stuffed with mashed butternut squash and mascarpone, topped with sauteed prawns and crispy sage, and covered with truffle butter and crushed pine nuts. I've actually had this dish at three different Cactus Club locations now and I haven't been disappointed. The saltiness of the truffle butter sauce brings out the sweetness in the butternut squash filling. The crispiness of the sage leaf creates a good texture that balances out the chewiness of the prawns and the softness of the raviolo.

I do tend to like "truffle" anything. It's one of my guilty pleasures.

The truffle butter does make this dish very rich, so I would recommend either ordering the starter size or sharing the entree size if you want to try it out.