Archive for October, 2007
Tuesday, October 30th, 2007
Mabel, Christina, Sashi, and I went to the Salt Tasting Room one day after work to celebrate Christina’s birthday. It is a funky new “restaurant” right in Blood Alley in Gastown. There is no real address per se, but the map provided on their website is pretty helpful. The restaurant entrance is indicated by a banner with an upside down salt shaker.
The reason I put “restaurant” in quotes is because there is no real kitchen at Salt. Most of the items are pre-prepared items like cured meats and sausages, cheeses, and breads. I’m not sure if this would really work for dinner, but since we were there for a pre-dinner get-together, it worked out well for us. 
First, we decided on the drinks. Salt has an extensive wine and drink menu and their servers were very helpful in pointing out to us what would go well with our dishes. Christina and I both chose a rose wine and Sashi selected a zinfandel.
Mabel selected a fizzy passion fruit drink, which she said was quite good.
The most popular item at Salt is their tasting plates. For $15, you can choose three items from their ever-changing selection of cheeses and meats. It is accompanied by fresh bread and three spreads. You can choose the spreads yourself but we asked our server to pick something that would match our cheeses and meats. Because there were four of us, we opted for two platters.
The cheese platter came with Camembert, Dubliner cheddar, and buffalo mozzarella. The Camembert was served with sliced Bartlett pears. The crunch and sweetness of the pears contrasted nicely with the creamy cheese.
The Dubliner cheddar came with a small bunch of Nimrod grapes. The cheddar was aged and stronger than the cheddar I usually get from the supermarket but was very good. The Nimrod grapes were like wine grapes and were very sweet and juicy.
The buffalo mozzarella was paired with Spanish fig date slices. I am not a big fan of dates normally, but somewhat chewy date slices went very well with the creamy mozzarella. My only complaint was that I wished there was more mozzarella in the platter.
For our meat platter, we chose salami with coppa, hot capicollo, and smoked beef. Our server told us that capicollo is Italian smoked pork shoulder and neck. That sounded pretty tasty so we decided to give it a try. :) It was paried with grainy Dijon mustard. This was one of my favourite items that we chose. It wasn’t as spicy as I thought it would be, but the tangy mustard paired really well with the tender pork slices.
The salami came with cornichons, which are basically mini pickles. The cornichons were slightly sweet, which was an interesting combination with the salty salami slices.
The smoked beef was another one of my favourites. The creamy balsamic reduction that it came with really brought out the smoky flavour. The slices were also thin enough that the beef was not too tough to chew.
Salt Tasting Room is definitely one of those places to try with one or two friends. The space is quite small so it is not too accomodating for big groups. Going in small groups also makes it easier to share the food as there are less people you have to fight with to get a taste. :) I would definitely recommend this for a pre-dinner snack or late night get-together.
Details:
45 Blood Alley, Vancouver
Tel: 604-633-1912
Summary:
Food: 
Service: 
Price: $$
Posted in French, Reviews | 3 Comments »
Monday, October 29th, 2007
With the Canadian dollar being so favourable compared to the US$ these days, Jenkins and I made yet another trip down to Bellingham. It is so close and there are enough stores to occupy us for an afternoon. We are also too lazy to drive all the way to Seattle. We normally drive back to Vancouver before eating dinner but this time, we stayed later than usual so we decided to eat at Mi Mexico. It is located at 241 Telegraph Road in Bellingham across from Bellis Fair and Linens & Things.
This place was actually recommended by Gene, although he could not remember the exact location or even the name of the place at the time. It wasn’t too difficult to find though. When we walked inside, the restaurant was quite busy and full of people.
As soon as we sat down, our server came with a big pitcher of water and a big bowl of fresh tortilla chips and salsa. Yum! I am a sucker for tortilla chips and these were not too oily. The salsa was much spicier than I had anticipated but still very tasty.
I must confess that I am not very familiar with Mexican food as I don’t eat it very often. However, I decided on the chicken fajitas as that sounded very good. This turned out to be a pretty good choice as I saw that many other people in the restaurant also ordered the same thing. My dish came out pretty quickly and in several parts. First came the chicken, which was served on a sizzling iron plate with onions and green peppers.
My tortilla shells came in its own container and was also piping hot. I had a choice of soft tortilla shells or crunchy taco shells but I felt that the soft shells would be more healthy.
I also had a huge plate with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, rice, and beans. I constructed my fajitas with the soft shells and lined the inside with a combination of items from my various plates. The chicken was tender and not dry at all. I also liked the guacamole and salsa a lot. If I had known the dish was this big, I probably would have shared with Jenkins. I found the rice to be a bit dry and there was too much cheese in my beans for my liking.
Jenkins ordered one of their large combo plates for about $10.95. These were a pretty good deal and allowed you to try a variety of their more popular items. Jenkins opted for the one with one taco and two burritos. He found the combination of the beans and cheese to be quite filling but the overall taste was not too bad.
Overall, the food at Mi Mexico was not too bad but I am still trying to figure out what kind of dishes I like at Mexican restaurants in general. The next time I go, I will have to look for something a bit lighter. The servers at Mi Mexico are all very friendly though and we liked how quick and efficient their service was.
Details:
241 Telegraph Rd, Bellingham, WA
Tel: 360-647-0073
Summary:
Food:
Service:
Price: $$
Posted in Mexican, Reviews | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 24th, 2007
Jenkins and I stopped by Congee Noodle House for dinner one day. We believe it is somehow related to Congee Noodle King or has the same owner…something like that. In any case, the menus are pretty much identical, as is the basic layout of the restaurant. It is located at 141 E. Broadway in Vancouver.
Jenkins and I ordered a few dishes to share. We started with a plate of rice with BBQ pork and roast pork. This dish is quite large, although I felt that they skimped a bit on the meat. It also came with a bowl of pork and root vegetable soup. I forgot to take a picture of the pork and rice but here is a picture of the soup. It had obviously been cooking all day and was very flavourful.
I was in the mood for noodles so we got fried “lai fun” noodles with 3 types of meat. Don’t ask me what the meat was because I really do not know! I suspect however, that it was pork, chicken, and…something else. This is normally one of my favourite noodle dishes but I found it to be too greasy this time around. The dish itself was quite large though and we were unable to finish it off.
To balance out our meat-filled meal, we also ordered a small dish of “gai lan” veggies with oyster sauce. This was very tasty and the gai lan was very fresh.
Overall, the meal really was not too bad. I kind of wish I had ordered some noodles that were not as greasy but I will just have to remember that for next time.
Details:
3163 Main St, Vancouver
Tel: 604-876-8520
Summary:
Food:
Service:
Price: $
Posted in Asian, Chinese, Reviews | 1 Comment »
Monday, October 22nd, 2007
Pick’s birthday was coming up so Grick and I took him out to dinner at the Smoking Dog Bistro. It is located at Kits at 1889 W. 1st Ave right at the corner by Cypress. It came highly recommended by several people and even has a $25 set menu in October.
Despite the lure of the set menu, I was even more intrigued by their dessert menu so decided to spring for the a la carte items. Grick however, decided to try the set menu.
Both Pick and I ordered the French onion soup. The only other time I had French onion soup, it was way too salty and I did not enjoy it at all. This time, I could taste more of the onion and the broth was nice and light. The cheese and the crouton on top though made this quite a heavy and filling dish. I don’t think I am much of a French onion soup person…but Pick enjoyed this.
Grick had the apple and squash soup. I liked this much more than the French onion soup. The combination of the apple and butternut squash gave this soup a great Fall feeling and was surprisingly light.
Along with our soups, our server also brought us some baguette slices, fresh and hot from the oven. This was one of the best baguettes I had eaten other than in France. The outside was crispy and crusty while the inside was warm and chewy. I could have munched on this all night.
Pick had the lamb shank, which was braised in a red wine juniper berry marinade and was served with spring vegetables and some mashed potatoes. He enjoyed this very much and noted that the meat just flaked off the bone.
Grick’s set menu choice was the chicken alfredo. Despite what seemed to be a small dish, it was so rich and creamy that Grick could not even finish his whole dish!
I went light and chose the niçoise salad. It had seared ahi tuna, roasted bell peppers, green beans, roma tomatoes, olives, and anchovy fillets. The ahi tuna was tasty for the most part but some pieces were grilled a bit too much for my taste. I also would have liked it if the anchovy fillets were broken into smaller pieces as the entire fillets were too salty when that’s all you got in one bite.
By this time, we were all quite full. However, we figured we would be doing an injustice to ourselves if we didn’t have dessert. I had the lemon sabayon tart, which came with a side of berry sorbet. The lemon sabayon was very light and the lemon taste was perfect. I found the crust to be too floury though and a bit on the dry side.
Pick had the Grand Marnier creme brulee. This was quite good although Pick and I both found the sugar topping to be too thick. Grick said he liked his creme brulee like that though.
Grick’s set menu dessert was creme caramel. I had a little taste and this was basically the creme brulee without the sugary topping. It was very tasty and creamy and the light caramel syrup was not too sweet.
Overall, dinner here was not bad and I would likely come again. There were a few items that did not meet my expectations, but maybe it was because those dishes just aren’t for me in general. Grick and Pick both enjoyed their dishdes and the set menu in particular was a great deal. Service was also prompt and friendly. Even though we were there on a Thursday evening, the restaurant was pretty much full.
Details:
1889 W 1st Ave, Vancouver
Tel: 604-732-8811
Summary:
Food:
Service:
Price: $$
Posted in French, Reviews | 4 Comments »
Sunday, October 21st, 2007
It was Isabel’s & Meghan’s birthdays coming up so we had an advance birthday cake for them. Their mom bought it from Sweet Obsessions in Kits, which is one of my favourite dessert places. It is right next to Trafalgar’s Bistro at 2603 W. 16th Ave. I believe it is actually owned by the same people as Trafalgar’s.
This particular cake was called the Triple Berry Mousse cake, which had three different types of mousse on a thin base of vanilla sponge cake. If memory serves me correctly, I believe the three berries were strawberry, blueberry, and blackberry. Yum!
The mousse layers were light and creamy and the three berry flavours blended very well together. Before I even knew it, I had finished my entire slice and was eyeing other people’s pieces!
Details:
2611 W 16th Ave, Vancouver
Tel: 604-739-0555
Summary:
Food:
Service: n/a
Price: $$
Posted in Dessert, Reviews | 3 Comments »
Friday, October 19th, 2007
A bunch of us met up for dinner one day at Grillage BBQ. It is a Thai place 3885 Rupert St right by E. 23rd Ave. Derek had been giving it rave reviews for the longest time, so we figured we should check it out and see what the fuss was all about.
Before we ordered, we were served a basket of crusty rolls with butter…yum.
Dustin and John both tried the thai iced tea, which came highly recommended by our server. They commented that it was interesting tasting…tangy but sweet.
I chose the pad thai with chicken. This also came highly recommended by our server. I asked for medium spicy (you get to pick mild, medium, or spicy) but the noodles turned out to be much spicier than I anticipated! It was still very good though. The serving size was quite large and it was loaded with chicken, crunchy sprouts, green peppers, and other yummy veggies. Cedric had the same thing but with beef…and he commented that he liked his pad thai on the drier side with less sauce.
Dustin and John shared some potato skins for appies. They looked quite tasty and were not too oily.
Miguel had a braised beef dish served with rice and carrots. He is quite picky when it comes to beef but he enjoyed this dish quite a bit.
Dustin went for the chicken abodo, which I think is a braised Filipino dish. It came with rice, egg, tomatoes, and beans.
Derek had paella, which took 30 minutes to make since they had to do it from scratch. This looked delicious and Derek said it tasted great. There was a generous spread of mixed seafood over the rice. It is definitely a dish to try if you can wait the 30 minutes.
John went for a skewer of prawns and scallops. They were grilled nicely and also quite tasty.
Connie had to go somewhere else for dinner later so she just came for a snack. She ordered prawns and mushrooms which came in a little cast iron skillet. It looked quite good but was a bit on the oily side.
The dinner here was not bad…the server was very friendly and attentive. The food was also interesting and tasty for the most part. It was also pretty different from the food I normally ate, which made for a nice change.
Details:
3885 Rupert St, Vancouver
Tel: 604-873-5300
Summary:
Food:
Service:
Price: $$
Posted in Thai, Asian, Reviews | No Comments »
Posts (RSS)