Lupo Restaurant & Vinoteca

FOIE GRAS PARFAIT
madeira gelee, assorted crostini

WAGYU BEEF CARPACCIO
reggiano, mustard, baby artichoke

PAPPARDELLE
braised rabbit, olives, capers, saffron

BLACK TAGLIATELLE
prawns, pancetta, jalapeno, herb bread crumbs

VEAL PARM DAILY SPECIAL

Au Comptoir

Birthday brunch!!!

BRANDADE DE SAUMON SUR BRIOCHE
salmon and corn brandade, poached eggs, brioche, dill hollandaise

CONFIT DE CANARD EN SALADE
duck confit, frisee, potatoes, spring vegetables, mustard vinaigrette, poached eggs

Jam Cafe

JJ BEAN RAILTOWN DRIP COFFEE

THE CHARLIE BOWL
crumbled biscuit, hash browns, ham, bacon, corn salsa, peas, green onions, cheddar cheese and sausage gravy with two sunny eggs

BUTTERMILK BISCUIT SANDWICH
buttermilk biscuit made in house served with sunny eggs, cheddar, tomato jam and hashbrowns

SUGAR-CURED BACON

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%

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!!!

Sal y Limon

Sal y Limon is located in the heart of the Mount Pleasant community, right by Kingsway and Fraser St. I have passed by this restaurant so many times on my way downtown and have heard great things about their tacos from a number of people.

Sal y Limon translates directly to "salt and lime" - how fitting for a Mexican restaurant! The joint is co-owned by two couples - Carolina & Sebastien and Adriana and Pepe. The restaurant is well-known for its authentic Mexican cuisine and exuberant wall decor. As you can tell from the picture below, the interior walls play host to a colourful display of artwork by Mexican artists. They also have a small area towards the back that is designed as a play area for children (so yes, I would categorize the restaurant as being "kid friendly"). I loved the bright colours and openness of the seating area.

I am told that the place has been renovated relatively recently and wasn't always like this.

You order your food up at the front and then wait at your table for them to bring out your food. There is a stack of menus at the front where you place your order. Luckily, it wasn't that busy when we (Sameer and I) were there because I took me quite a while to navigate through the menu. We came here this past Sunday for a late lunch. There was a steady of flow of customers going in and out, but overall, it wasn't too busy.

They had this trophy proudly showcased on their front counter.

In case you are wondering (because I wondered too) ... Taco Wars is a series of episodes from the show Best in Chow from the Cooking Channel. The show features Chris Nannarone, a standup comedian, who travels to different cities and tries different restaurants in search of the best burger, pizza, taco, etc.

Now back to the food ...

We ordered the Shrimp Ceviche (it's a weekend special) and 6 tacos:

- 1 beef tongue
- 1 beef
- 1 pollo pibil (slow roasted chicken breast)
- 1 fish
- 1 cochinita (slow roasted pork)
- 1 chorizo (pork sausage)

Pretty reasonably priced ... me likey!

There was hardly any wait for the food ... which is always a plus for forever-hungry-Cynthia!

Shrimp Ceviche

The Shrimp Ceviche was yummy. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of shrimp that came with it. You can't tell by the picture because they're all buried underneath the surface. The shrimp  was pretty fresh and well-textured. I always enjoy the limey tang of ceviche. My only critcism would be that it could've come with more tortilla chips. We had to finish the remainder of the ceviche with a spoon after we ran out of chip for dipping.

From the top, going clockwise - Beef tongue, pollo pibil, and fish.

From the top, going clockwise - Chorizo, beef, and cochinita.
Note: these tacos were stripped of cilantro because Sameer is not a fan.

The tacos were delicious. The tacos were made from two soft corn tortillas stacked directly on top of each other, with no shortage of meat on top. The meat was very juicy and tender (likely due to the slow roasting). I would give the marination two thumbs up.

I especially liked the variety of salsa there was to choose from: avocado, chunky, arbol, chipotle, peanut, chef, jalapeno, diabla, and sweet diabla. The salsa are all spicy, ranging from 1 to 3 chili peppers. I secretly wanted to try them all, but I didn't want to over do it. We decided to go with avocado, chipotle, and peanut (all of which tasted fantastic). 

We gobbled up everything in a fury, including any over-spillage of meat that might have escaped from the taco. I really like the whole atmosphere of the restaurant, friendliness of the staff, and the authenticity of the food. Needless to say, I will definitely be coming back.

Honourable mention:

This is a random observation that is not food-related. They have beautiful bathroom sinks! Fits in very well with their Mexican artwork decor.

Burgoo

Burgoo. What a cute name??? I've wanted to try this place out ever since I drove by it on Main Street the first time.  I've since learned that there are two other locations in Vancouver - one on West 4th and one on Londsdale Avenue, in North Van. "Burgoo" sounds like a fictional baby-talk term. However, Google and Wikipedia tell me otherwise. Apparently, "burgoo" refers to a type of thick stew, often prepared communally as a social gathering.

The restaurant's slogan is, "food for comfort". Their menu seems to say the same thing. I recently read a Daily Hive article titled, "101 things to eat and drink in Vancouver before you die"...

"82. Mac and Cheese at Burgoo
Beloved for their comfort foods, Burgoo's Mac and Cheese always gets top nods for being among the best in the city."

MAC AND CHEESE??? BEST IN THE CITY??? YES PLEASE. (Yes, the capitalization and punctuation is absolutely necessary to properly convey my level of excitement.)

Sameer and I came here this past Sunday for a late lunch and was lucky enough to score a seat on the patio. It was already 3 pm by the time we still had to wait about 15 min to be seated. As usual, I was famished by the time we were seated. Luckily, I didn't have to waste any time deciding what to order ... because MAC AND CHEESE. I took a sneak peek at their menu anyway, just to see what other yummy selections they had to offer.

I made a mental note of the items I wanted to try on my next visit: Jambalaya, Chicken Pot Pie, Beef Bourguignon, Burgoo Biscuits, and Queso Fundido ... to name a few. And that's obviously subject to me being able to restrain myself from ordering the Mac and Cheese again.

Our waitress told us right off the bat that all of their cheese dishes were very popular. This made me very happy. I proudly ordered the Mac and Cheese and a Caesar (because why not? And because they have $6 Caesar specials on Sundays!). Sameer ordered the El Cubano Sandwich that was stuffed with braised pulled pork, spicy Capicollo ham, mix cheese, grainy mustard, and garlic pickle relish. It also came with a side of kale salad.

El Cubano Sandwich

I took a couple of bites of his sandwich to try it out. The meat was very flavourful and soft and the sandwich was good overall ... but didn't come close to my  Mac and Cheese.

Mac and Cheese - star of the show!

My Mac and Cheese was piping hot and fresh out of the oven ... just the way I like it! I like having Mac and Cheese while it's H-O-T (hot to the point where you could burn your tongue if you're not careful). That way, the cheese is ooey gooey and melted just right. This Mac and Cheese was loaded with aged white Cheddar; simple and classic. A common criticism I have for mac and cheese is that it's dry or it doesn't have enough cheese. The macaroni here was soft and very moist, but not mushy. There was just the right amount of cheese and the taste of cheddar was not too overpowering. I also loved that they had bottles of Sriracha sauce readily available. If you are a fan of mac and cheese, please do yourself a favour and try this one!

Cynthia Approved Mac and Cheese Rating (CAMCR*)

*Percentage weight of each factor in calculating the total CAMCR - Macaroni 20%; Cheese - 30%; Presentation - 5%; and Overall Taste - 45%.

Category: Gourmet**/Classic? - Classic

**Note: Toppings/Ingredients would have been a factor if it was categorized as "Gourmet".

Macaroni - 4/5

Cheese - 5/5

Presentation - 3.5/5

Overall Taste 4.5/5

X(perience) Factor*** - 2/2

***Click here (and scroll down to the bottom) for an explanation.

Burgoo gets a CAMCR of 92.0%

Tableau Bar Bistro

This post is long overdue considering that I came to this restaurant about a month ago. My friend Cory and I decided to try Tableau Bar Bistro for dinner on a rainy Thursday night. The restaurant is located downtown Vancouver, just west of Thurlow Street, on Melville, and is connected to a boutique hotel (Loden Hotel).

Since it was raining fairly hard that day, I didn't take a picture of the entrance to avoid being outside for longer than required.

From doing some quick research on the restaurant, I discovered that Tableau and Homer St. Cafe share the same executive chef - Chef Marc-Andre Choquette. Chef Choquette is well-known for his extensive training in French classical haute cuisine. Seeing that I had a fairly pleasant experience at Homer St. Cafe several months ago, I was excited to see what Tableau had to offer. Unlike Homer St. Cafe's focus on offering upscale comfort food, Tableau's menu features classic French bistro fare prepared from locally sourced and seasonal ingredients.

The interior of the restaurant is decorated with dark tones, wood-framed furniture and black and white square tiles. It gave off a very classic vibe with a hint of French charm (but not so much that it was overbearing). There was an Escargot Special on the day that we went. The dish was only $5, so it was a "must order" for me. I was a little torn on what to order for my entree, so I defaulted to asking our waiter for his favourites on the menu. I find that this always works in my favour. He suggested the Steelhead Trout without any hesitation ... so that's what I went with!

Escargot on special

The escargots were so delicious, to say the least. This was my first time having escargots prepared in a cream sauce ... and I loved it! The sauce was a tomato-based cream sauce that paired very well with the escargots. The dish was served with chopped potatoes, blistered orange tomatoes and BC morel mushrooms (which I thought were sea cucumbers at first) and garnished with a sprig of parsley. The escargots were quite size-able and the texture was soft and chewy. Two thumbs up!

Steelhead Trout

The trout was served over a medley of quinoa, almonds, dill, and capers with lemon yogurt sauce on the side. I'm always reluctant to order fish at restaurants because I've had too many experiences where the fish was overcooked (and we all know that overcooked fish ruins everything). The waiter was not wrong to recommend this one though! The trout was perfectly cooked and the skin was delightfully crispy. The lemon yogurt was probably my favourite part. It gave the fish even more moisture and served as a good "adhesive" for the quinoa mix. I did notice that the trout looked and tasted eerily similar to salmon.

Fun fact (that I discovered afterward): Steelhead Trout actually belong to the same family of fish (Salmonidea) as Salmon. 

Overall, I had a very pleasant dining experience. The service was good - our waiter was very knowledgeable about the menu (he was the one who identified the BC morel mushrooms). The ambiance was charming and comfortable. Since I was here last, I've heard a lot of good things about the restaurant's brunch menu. So, it looks like I'll have to pay another visit sometime soon!

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!

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.