Archive for the 'French' Category
Tuesday, May 27th, 2008
I’m going to take a break from my trip blogging to review a few restaurants I’ve visited since I came back. If I don’t blog about them soon, I’m going to forget what it was that I ate. 
Connie was leaving Vancouver and going back to Asia so Derek, John, Victoria, and I joined her for dinner one evening. Both Victoria and I had been wanting to try Pied a Terre for the longest time and we were finally presented with the opportunity! Pied a Terre is a small French bistro on Cambie St and is actually owned by the same people as Parkside and La Buca.
We all decided to start by sharing a couple of appetizers. First came the steamed mussels. They were steamed in some white wine and shallots. I usually enjoy steamed mussels as much as the next person but these mussels had a fishy taste. Perhaps it was because mussels are not in season? I’m not really sure when mussel season is actually though.
Despite the fishy taste of the mussels, the broth was very tasty and we enjoyed dipping our bread in it. Yum.
We also shared some fries, which came with ketchup and mayo for dipping. I prefer mayo myself, but find that people either love mayo or hate it with their fries. :) There was nothing too spectacular about the fries though…they were just…fries.
For my main course, I had the beef shortrib bourguignon. It was a stewy dish and came with pork belly chunks, peas, and mashed potatoes. The dish may have looked small but due to the yummy shortribs and potatoes, it was extremely filling. The rich beef and sauce went great with the potatoes. Even though it was a rich and filling dish, I didn’t feel too heavy or stuffed afterwards.
Connie had the halibut cheeks, which she noted was also very filling. I was later told that the halibut cheeks are made differently every so often.
I was full enough after my main course that I could have just gone home. But of course, I had to try dessert. :) I wasn’t feeling too adventurous that day so I just stuck with the chocolate mousse. It was very chocolaty but tasted light at the same time. Sometimes, after a few bites of chocolate mousse, you’ve had enough. However, I probably could have eaten a second or third serving of this chocolate mousse. :) It also came with a shortbread cookie on the side.
Connie was the only other person who had dessert and she chose the creme caramel. It had a nice firmness to it and you could really taste the egg in the custard. I also liked how the caramel sauce was not overwelmingly sweet.
Pied a Terre definitely met my expectations. Even though we went on a Monday night, it was already packed at 6PM! The service was prompt and friendly and I was really impressed by the food. The prices were also quite reasonable. I’ll definitely be coming back for a repeat visit.
Details:
3369 Cambie Street, Vancouver
Tel: 604-873-3131
Summary:
Food: 
Service:
Price: $$
Posted in French, Reviews | 3 Comments »
Sunday, February 17th, 2008
My last Dine Out of the year was with Derek, Connie, and Wendy. I was in charge of picking the restaurant so I chose Mistral Bistro because this was on my list of places to try. Also, the menu looked pretty good so I figured it would be a good pick. Mistral is located on W. Broadway right next to Feenie’s and Lumiere. Mistral is a French Bistro that opened up fairly recently and I had heard quite a few good things about it. Evidently, a lot of other people had heard the same thing because there was a huge crowd waiting outside by the time we left the restaurant around 8:30pm.
After we placed our orders, we were served some yummy French bread and whipped butter. I love whipped butter because it’s so light and airy and you don’t need to put a lot on the bread. The French bread was still a bit warm and was crusty on the outside and chewy and yummy on the inside…just the way it should be.
I started with the salmon tartare. The salmon was mixed with some citrus cream and crunchy cucumber chunks on top. I found it hard to really taste the salmon because there was too much cream. However, I found the cucumber to be a nice contrast to the creamy salmon.
For my main course, I had the duck confit with navy beans, beets, and lamb sausage. The duck was moist but not too fatty, which is sometimes the case with duck. I also liked the beets because they were not too mushy and had a nice sweet flavour. Although I thought that the navy beans and lamb sausage were also quite tasty, I didn’t feel that they went very well with the duck. I would have been happy with just the duck and beets…and maybe the beans.
I felt that my dessert was the best dish of the evening. I chose the dark chocolate mousse, which was very creamy and full of chocolate flavour. I only had two scoops for my dish but I really wish there was more…although my waistline may thank me that there wasn’t! Derek thought that the presentation left something to be desired, but the taste more than made up for it.
Here are some pictures of Connie’s and Wendy’s orders. I can’t remember their exact comments on their dishes but they did enjoy them quite a bit.
Wendy picked some pork cheeks with olives, winter vegetables, and pea cakes for her main course…
…and a waffle with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, almonds, and nutella cream. I was trying to decide between the waffle and the chocolate mousse…they both looked so yummy!
For Connie’s main course, she had the prawns, mussels, and daily fish with veggies and a saffron aioli. Although she liked the prawns and mussels, she noted that her fish was a bit fishy tasting.
Although my dinner at Mistral was quite good, I felt like it really could have been better. Just like Unwine’d, it fell a bit short of my expectations although the desserts really saved the day. The prices for the regular menu also seem to be quite reasonable so I would really like to come back here for a non-Dine Out experience. Despite them being quite busy that evening, our service was prompt and friendly.
Details:
2585 W. Broadway, Vancouver
Tel: 604-733-0046
Summary:
Food:
Service:
Price: $$ (we had all had the $25 dine-out menu)
Posted in French, Reviews | 2 Comments »
Monday, November 5th, 2007
Victoria, Connie, and I went to Salade de Fruits at 1551 W. 7th Ave in Vancouver for brunch one weekend. It is a little French bistro tucked away in the French Cultural Centre. It was a bit tricky finding the entrance to the restaurant because you go in through the cultural centre doors.
Once we were at the entrance, we were greeted in French by a friendly server. The menu was also in French, so this was a good opportunity for me to practice my limited French skills. The server will also help you navigate the menu if you are having trouble.
Both Victoria and I chose the crepe of the day, which was spinach. You also have a choice of potatoes or salad for your side dish. We decided on the salad, which came in a light lemon dressing and was very tasty. The crepes came in two rolls and was stuffed with spinach and a creamy cheese sauce. Even though it was only two fairly small crepes, the filling was so rich that we were both full after eating this. There was also a small selection of fruit with our crepes.
Connie settled on the ham omelet, which was the omelet of the day. Her dish cost the same as ours ($7.95) and was a great value. Along with the omelet, she also had a lamb sausage, potatoes, a slice of baguette, and fruit. The omelet was layered generously with cheese and ham.
I also ordered a hot chocolate with my crepes. The chocolate wasn’t as rich as I would have liked and was a bit lukewarm.
I would definitely come back for brunch again. The dishes were light and a great way to start your day. They also have set dinner menus for $21.99, which I would love to try out sometime.
Details:
1551 W 7th Ave, Vancouver
Tel: 604-714-5987
Summary:
Food:
Service: 
Price: $
Posted in French, Reviews | No Comments »
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 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 »
Friday, October 5th, 2007
In a city where a new restaurant seems to open every day, sometimes you can get caught up with always trying the “new” place that just opened. I know my head spins just thinking about it.
So for a birthday dinner with my girlfriends, we opted to try the Lumiere Tasting Bar - a hallmark restaurant on the Vancouver restaurant scene. This was my first time at Lumiere and I must admit, up until this point I was never eager to go. There were always too many mixed reviews. Some people felt the service was excessively snooty, and others didn’t feel the food was worth the price. And then, with the flurry of recent exits from the kitchen, who knew what would happen to the food?
But still. This is Lumiere, a restaurant called out as the best in Vancouver several years in a row. That’s got to mean something. And a recent review of the Tasting Bar in the Vancouver Courier reminded of this.
I really love food and restaurants, but my income does not support going out to a restaurant like Lumiere on a regular basis. And to ensure my friends (who are also aware of prices) would eat another meal out with me again, the full Lumiere restaurant was out as an option. So the tasting bar it was. And what a meal we had.
We arrived at 6pm on a Sunday and were greeted immediately by the friendly staff. They took us to a corner table, poured us some Antipodes sparkling water, and then we got to work studying the menu, which was small, but with a nice range of items and prices.
Our waiter (I wish I’d gotten his name - he was awesome!) suggested starting off by sharing the menus decouvertes, a seasonal sampling of 4 different seafood dishes. Ours included an ahi tuna tartare, a seared scallop with delicious mini crab beignets, a piece of arctic char with asparagus and a 25 year balsamic reduction, and perfectly cooked halibut with a basil foam.
All the dishes were fantastic (if I were to be super picky, the arctic char may have been a tad dry), but the ahi tuna tartare stood out. Incredibly fresh fish and a nice subtle vinaigrette. The flavours really exploded when you took a bite. Even one of my friends, who doesn’t like raw fish, loved this.
Next, between the four of us, we ordered several dishes:
Heirloom tomato salad w/ handmade bocconcini, Eleni olive oil, 25 year old balsamic
- I didn’t try this dish (expect for taking a swipe of the balsamic), but my friend reported it was delicious - especially the cheese, which melted in the mouth.
BBQ peking duck broth w/ pork & duck wontons, enoki mushrooms
- The waiter also brought three condiments to add to the broth: minced red thai chillies, lime wedges, and a mixture of minced lemongrass,ginger, and spring onion. I first took a sip of the broth without condiments - really flavourful. But then - and this always amazes me - I added in a dash of red chilli, a squeeze of lime, and lots of the lemongrass/ginger/onion mixture and it brought the broth to a totally different place. As a new food lover, I am still blown away at how a couple simple ingredients can make such a difference to flavour. The wontons were huge, tender, and delicate. I would go back solely to have this soup again.
Butternut Squash & Marscapone Ravioli w/ black truffle beurre blanc
- This is Rob Feenie’s signature dish, and I can see why. If you can make pasta with marscapone cheese AND a butter sauce taste “light”…well that’s pretty impressive. It’s hard to explain the taste of this dish, but order it, and make sure you eat the ravioli whole, don’t cut it in half. That’ll ruin everything.
Sake and Maple Syrup Baked Sablefish w/ braised shortrib meat, potato and soy-ginger froth
- This was the favourite dish of the night for my husband. He gave me one bite, but only because if was my birthday. Otherwise he said he would never share this dish. Perfectly cooked sablefish, that went really well with the shortrib. That really surprised us. We would have never thought sablefish would need a beef accompaniment, but this dish worked.
Butternut Squash Risotto
- This was probably the most “average” dish of then night. Good taste, but didn’t seem like anything special for us.
Macaroni & Cheese w/ four cheeses and double smoked Irish bacon
- I just had to order the mac & cheese. First the portion was HUGE. There is no way I could have finished it. The “macaroni” was actually cavatappi (corkscrew) noodles, smothered with a four cheese sauce (I’m guessing fontina gruyere, and 2 others) and topped with bread crumbs AND bacon. Oh my! All my friends loved this dish, especially my husband - he finished it for me! I actually found it too rich for my taste, but that’s just me.
Now, dessert! I suggested sharing a couple between the four of us, but everyone shot that down in favour of getting their own. Who was I to argue?
Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Bar w/ milk sorbet, candied rice crisps, praline emulsion
- This was my choice and it was awesome. Loved the rice crisps and the milk sorbet was light, sweet, and perfect with the bar.
Plum and Blackberry Pavlova w/ vanilla cream, lime & mint, fruit, plum caviar
- The vanilla cream was to-die-for. I didn’t get to taste the rest but I’ll assume it was good since it was gone within seconds!
Petits Fours
- A huge assortment of cookies and cakes.
Caraibe Chocolate Fondant w/ bluebery compote and a lemon, basil, and white chocolate ice cream
- The ice cream definitely made the dish. Really interesting flavour. Yum.
The table drank either the Seven Stones, Speaking Rock 2005 Pinot Noir or the Balthasar Ress, Hattenheimer Schutzenhaus Reisling Kabjnett 2005.
We enjoy wine, but admittedly don’t know much. So we were really happy with the recommendations from our waiter.
And finally, the service. I know many people who have had questionable service at Lumiere, but the staff was working the night we were there. They were attentive, accommodating, and they made us feel very welcome at the restaurant. Very little “snooty” factor, at least in the tasting bar.
I recommend everyone go to the tasting bar at least once. It makes Lumiere more accessible, and do-able for a special dinner. The bill for 4 came to $343 before tip. This may seem like a lot, but we were there for about 3.5 hours and I’ll remember the food. It was also still less than an omakase for 2 at Tojo’s (although I think my experience there was worth every penny).
Plus, I am a big believer you can scale what you spend with a menu like this. I would happily walk in again, sit at the bar and have a glass of wine with the Peking duck broth for dinner.
So try the Lumiere Tasting Bar. Then, go back again to try all the awesome new restaurants popping up. Lumiere will always be there when you need it. The restaurant and its food aren’t going anywhere. But you need to have the food to understand why.
Lumiere Tasting Bar, 2551 W. Broadway (inside Lumiere, next to Feenie’s), 604-739-8185
Summary:
Food: 4.5 out of 5
Service: 4.5 out of 5
Price: $$$, but worth it every once in a while
Posted in French, Reviews | 3 Comments »
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