Ho Yummy

Review: Brunch At The Cannery Seafood House

For the holiday season, my parents decided to treat our family to brunch at the Cannery. Since the Cannery will be closing at the end of March due to increased security restrictions at the Port of Vancouver, we figured we should pay at least one more visit before this Vancouver institution closes its doors.

Getting to the Cannery is always an adventure in and of itself because you need to buzz in at the Port of Vancouver’s security check point before you can turn onto the road that leads to the restaurant. To refresh myself each time before I go, I always check the directions on the Cannery website to ensure I don’t run into trouble.

I decided to start with an Orange Pekoe tea while Jenkins chose an orange juice. He remarked that the orange juice was very concentrated so he ended up cutting his orange juice with some water.

To start, I convinced Grick and Nav to split the oyster motoyaki with me. This worked perfectly because there were three pieces so we each got one. The oyster motoyaki was actually a recipe from Karen Barnaby of the Fish House. Each oyster was baked with a wasabi mayonnaise and dressed with black sesame seeds and pickled ginger. I really enjoyed my plump and sweet oyster that contrasted with the heated kick of the wasabi mayo. The pickled ginger added an extra dimension of sweetness and spiciness. If only oyster motoyakis at all-you-can-eat sushi restaurants tasted like this, I would order it all the time.

My dad decided to order a couple of the Cannery’s seafood platters for us all to share. Each platter came with fresh oysters, tiger prawns, scallops, candied salmons, small crab claws, and small shrimp. Although the platters were tasty and the seafood quite fresh, we felt it was a bit overpriced at $37 for each of the platters you see below. The candied salmon was the only unique item in the platter but I also enjoyed the sundried tomato oil.

Jenkins and I decided to split two plates again in order to diversify our brunch options. I chose the smoked black cod hash, which also came with some multigrain toast. The smoked black cod was cut into tiny pieces so we thought they had forgotten the cod when the dish was first served. The cod was smoked nicely and along with the Hollandaise sauce, this was definitely a very rich dish. Along with the smoky flavour of the cod, the has was also slightly sweet from the addition of caramelized onions.

Jenkins decided to have the lobster benedict, which was one of the most popular brunch items on the Cannery menu. Fresh Atlantic lobster meat was sauteed with fresh mushrooms, leeks, and brandy and was served on a freshly baked English muffin along with the usual eggs benny fare of poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce. The combination of the lobster, Hollandaise, and eggs were indeed quite tasty but I felt this dish came up short because the English muffin was way too cakey for my taste. I enjoy my English muffins to be light and crispy and because this English muffin was the opposite of all those things, I did not enjoy this dish at all.

Grick decided to go with his Cannery favourite of the Salmon Wellington. This was quite an indulgent option for brunch but I must say that it was quite tasty. The salmon was baked with mushrooms and shrimp in a puff pastry and topped with a delicious Pinot Noir sauce. This dish was quite rich and filling and is probably something I would order for dinner rather than for brunch. I felt that the Pinot Noir sauce really made this dish stand out as its sweet tanginess gave the salmon a great flavour.

Although the food at our Cannery brunch was very enjoyable for the most part, we all felt that it was overpriced. The Cannery is a unique Vancouver establishment with great views and fresh seafood but even that was not enough to justify its high prices. That being said, I will definitely miss the Cannery when it closes and will need to stock up on their lobster oil before they close their doors.

Details:
2205 Commissioner Street, Vancouver
Tel: 604-254-9606

Summary:
Food:
Service:
Price: $$$

Posted in Lower Mainland Cities, Reviews, Vancouver, West Coast | 2 Comments »

Review: Glowbal

For Jenkins’ mom’s birthday, we decided to go to Glowbal. I had never been there before and it was one of the few places that could accommodate our group on short notice. Even though it was a weeknight, it was quite busy so it was good we had made reservations in advance.

Shortly after we made our selections, we were presented with some sliced baguette pieces along with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and hummus. The bread itself was a bit lacklustre but I thought the hummus was quite tasty.

I decided to start my evening with a black cherry mojito. Despite the colour, I could not taste too much black cherry mojito although as a plain mojito, it was pretty good.

We decided to start our meal by sharing the Satay Sampler ($24). The sampler had a selection of all the stays available, including fried oysters, lamb chops, Kobe beef meatballs, seared tuna, and grilled prawns. The satays were all prepared very nicely and were quite juicy. The only thing I wasn’t too crazy about were the Kobe beef meatballs, which I’ve never been a fan of at any of the Glowbal group restaurants. I always find the meatballs are too mushy and don’t have very much flavour to them.

We also shared the spicy Ahi tuna tartare, which came with a selection of dips and chips to spread the tartare on. The tartare was fresh and creamy but not spicy at all. The dips added some additional flavour to the tartare although I can’t remember exactly what the flavours were.

I actually wasn’t very hungry that day so I decided to have a beet salad with arugula and burrata cheese. I enjoyed the sweet beets, which were cut slightly with a light acidity from the vinaigrette. The cheese added some mellow notes to the salad and I really enjoyed its mild creamy flavour and texture. Beets are usually quite filling for me so this served me well as a light dinner.

Jenkins was a bit hungrier than I was so he had the blackened BC salmon with gnocchi. He noted that the salmon was well cooked but did not have any of the blackened flavour that the menu promised.

Jenkins’ brother had the Kobe beef meatballs with truffled spaghetti. As I mentioned earlier, I’m not a fan of the meatballs and the truffle flavour in the spaghetti was a bit lacking. However, Jenkins’ brother seemed to like it well enough.

Jenkins’ parents were not very hungry either so they shared the halibut with crab and shrimp stuffed conchiglioni pasta. They liked the way the halibut was prepared and said it was quite tender.

Despite the fact that I wasn’t very hungry, I still managed to find room for dessert. Jenkins and I shared the mini apple fritters which came with some cinnamon gelato. The apple fritters themselves were crispy on the outside and airy inside, just how I like my doughnuts. There’s something about freshly made doughnuts that seems to make them extra tasty.

Jenkins’ brother decided on the chocolate coffee cake with pistachio gelato and white chocolate mousse. I couldn’t really taste the coffee flavour in the cake and I would have also liked for it to have a richer chocolate flavour. The gelato could have also had more pistachio flavour but that may be because I like my pistachio gelato with a really strong nutty flavour.

Our meal at Glowbal was pretty enjoyable and it was nice because it was a place that Jenkins’ parents wouldn’t normally go to. The food we had was acceptable for the most part although I found it had a slightly chain-like quality to it. I was actually talking to someone at work about it today and we both mentioned that the food at Glowbal was good and predictable but seemed to have something missing from it. We obviously seem to be in the minority though as Glowbal is almost always packed so I suppose it’s all a matter of personal preference.

Details:
1079 Mainland Street, Vancouver
Tel: 604-602-0835

Summary:
Food:
Service:
Price: $$$

Posted in Italian, Lower Mainland Cities, Reviews, Vancouver, West Coast | 4 Comments »

Review: Brunch at Nu

It took a while for me to get back into blogging but Jenkins and I are back from Peru! We had a fantastic time and I diligently took pictures of everything we ate so that I can share our culinary adventures with you. But first, I have a few more posts from before our trip to to blog about…

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Jenkins and I met up with Mildred and Stuart one sunny weekend for some brunch at Nu. It had been quite a while since I last went to Nu and although I remember not being too impressed with my dinner at that time, I was open to giving their brunch a try.

After we placed our orders, our server brought out a small dish with some jam, ketchup, and grapes. I felt that since there were four of us, they could have brought out more grapes but then again, since they were complimentary, I probably shouldn’t complain too much. :p

I was feeling quite hungry that morning so I decided to order the corned beef and sausage hash ($15.90). It seemed like a hearty choice and came with a poached egg, cabbage, onions, and spinach. The poached egg was drizzled with some hollandaise sauce but I felt the hash was a bit on the dry side and could have used some more sauce. It was also a bit smaller than I expected although it was quite tasty overall.

Jenkins decided to go with a traditional Eggs Benedict. It was pretty regular tasting although Jenkins noted that he would have liked for the back bacon to be sliced thicker.

Mildred and Stuart noted that the last time they were at Nu, they were given complimentary hot chocolate and scones to start their meal. When we asked the server about this, she noted that she was going to bring it at the end of our meal instead of the beginning. We weren’t sure if she had forgotten or if there was another reason for this since Mildred noted they usually received the scones and hot chocolate at the beginning of their meal. In any case, I actually felt that the scone and hot chocolate was the highlight of our brunch. The scone was perfectly baked, with its sugary & crispy outside giving way to a buttery inside. The hot chocolate was topped with a homemade marshmallow fluff, which gave it just the right amount of creaminess.

Although the food at Nu was not bad, I don’t think it was good enough to justify the higher than normal brunch prices. However, I suppose if you take into account the great view of Granville Island from Nu’s location, that somehow offsets the higher prices.

Details:
1661 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC
Tel: 604-646-4668

Summary:
Food:
Service:
Price: $$

Posted in Lower Mainland Cities, Reviews, Vancouver, West Coast | No Comments »

Review: Lunch at Avenue Grill

Jenkins and I happened to be in Kerrisdale doing some shopping one day and decided to stop for lunch at Avenue Grill. Avenue Grill has been quite a mainstay in Kerrisdale for a while…I remember even stopping there for lunch during my high school days with my friends. We had received a gift certificate for Avenue Grill from my uncle and since both Jenkins and I prefer their lunch over dinner, we decided to stop in around brunch/lunch time.

Jenkins ordered the fresh orange juice. He liked that it was freshly squeezed but it was smaller than he had expected.

Since it was still before lunch in my books, I decided to order a cappuccino. The milk foam was nice and frothy, which I enjoyed.

Jenkins ordered the East Coast Club Sandwich, which was a typical club sandwich with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, herb-crusted chicken, and bacon. I liked the crispiness of the bacon and it added a nice touch of saltiness to the sandwich. The sandwich also came with a small side of mixed green salad in a vinaigrette dressing. I always prefer vinaigrettes over creamy dressing and this salad was done quite nicely.

I picked the counterpart of Jenkins’ choice with the West Coast Club Sandwich. My version came with smoked salmon, shrimp, and avocado rather than the cheese, bacon, and chicken. I actually liked the West Coast version more than the East Coast version. The smoked salmon and shrimp went very well with the creamy avocado and it was a unique spin on a regular club sandwich.

Taste-wise, I thought both sandwiches were quite well done but I would have liked the toast to be more crunchy. By the time we were served, the toast was not so crisp and I wasn’t sure if it was due to not enough toasting of the sandwiches were sitting out too long before they were served. There also looked to be quite a variety of dishes for brunch and I wouldn’t mind giving that a try sometime.

Details:
2114 W. 41st Avenue, Vancouver
Tel: 604-266-8183

Summary:
Food:
Service:
Price: $$

Posted in Lower Mainland Cities, Reviews, Vancouver, West Coast | No Comments »

Review: Top Table Progressive Dinner Part 2 – West

Part 1 at Blue Water Cafe

After our thoroughly delicious appetizers at Blue Water Cafe, Pick and I drove over to West on Granville & 13th. I’ve been wanting to go to West for who knows how long so I was thrilled at the chance to finally go and to taste a special menu to boot! Similar to Blue Water Cafe, the hostess and our server were expecting us and we were quickly seated at a nice table by the window. Even though it was a Thursday night, the restaurant was quite busy.

Shortly after we were seated, we were presented with some bread along with some organic olive oil and a knob of sea salt butter. I was a bit wary about eating yet more bread but Pick convinced me to by telling me how tasty the multi-grain buns were. The butter was good, but nowhere near the tastiness of the seaweed butter at Blue Water Cafe. I mostly stuck to the olive oil, which was very fragrant and full of fruity flavour. [Pick's notes: I like to judge a restaurant by 3 standards: 1) the cleanliness of the washroom, 2) the desserts, and 3) the bread. 3 was definitely a winner at both West and Blue Water Cafe (1 also, but I can't comment on 2 since we went to CinCin's).]

Our server asked us if we had any preferences for our main courses. Both Pick and I were pretty flexible so just told them to bring anything they thought we’d like. After we settled on who would have fish and who would have meat, our server brought us an amuse bouche. I don’t recall what this was called but it was a creamy and slightly tangy pudding-like top with a creamy salmon pate on the bottom. I wasn’t quite sold on the tanginess of this amuse bouche but it was different from anything I had tried before. [Pick's notes: I'm pretty sure it was a panna cotta of sorts, which was new to me, as this was the first non-dessert panna cotta I've ever tried. My bouche was definitely amused.]

My first dish was a dungeness crab tortellini with a lettuce and apple salad. The tortellini was also topped with some crab foam. The tortellini itself was very al dente and had a very firm outer layer. The bubbly light foam contrasted nicely with the tortellini and the crab filling. Both Pick and I remarked that the crab filling seemed a bit overcooked though, making the crab more chewy than we would have liked. The tangy applies also provided a nice contrast to the savoury tortellini. [Pick's notes: Agreed with Gigi on her comments. I couldn't really tell if the texture and chewiness was on purpose, as some people might have preferred it more like this.]

Pick’s dish was a seared ahi tuna with chanterelles. The flavours for this dish were very simple and tasty. The ahi tuna was seared perfectly and nothing beats fresh chanterelles! [Pick's notes: Simplicity at its best!]

My next dish was halibut with an herb crust on top of a bed of spinach, potatoes, mussels, and risotto. The halibut was moist and very fresh and flaked off easily with my fork. The herb crust provided a slight crunch and went very well with the halibut. The potatoes, mussels, and risotto were very rich and creamy, which was an interesting contrast to the simple freshness of the halibut. [Pick's notes: I enjoyed this, but I enjoyed my entree more. ]

Pick had the lamb sirloin, which came on top of an eggplant and black garlic cannelloni. It was dressed with goats cheese and figs. The lamb was cooked a perfect medium rare and was very juicy and moist. The cannelloni was my favourite part of this dish and the creamy, garlicky eggplant went very well with the lamb and the sweet figs. [Pick's notes: Everything was perfect about this dish! The cannelloni was a nice addition to the dish and the figs provided a sweet refreshing new dimension to the course.]

At this point, our West portion of our meal was coming to an end. We still had one more restaurant to visit but we were both starting to get full! So far, all the dishes that we had were excellent and service was top notch. West definitely lived up to my expectations…I will need to take Jenkins here one day.

Stay tuned for the final part in this series, dessert at CinCin’s!

Details:
2881 Granville Street, Vancouver
Tel: 604-738-8938

Summary:
Food:
Service:
Price: n/a

Posted in Lower Mainland Cities, Reviews, Vancouver, West Coast | 4 Comments »

Review: Top Table Progressive Dinner Part 1 – Blue Water Cafe

Pick participated in the Vancouver Blogathon this year, helping to represent the Developmental Disabilities Association. Not only was he an active blogging participant, he also won TinyBites.ca’s top donor award for his donation to the Vancouver Food Bank. For his efforts, he received a 3-restaurant, progressive multi-course dinner for 2 at Blue Water Cafe, West, and CinCin. As luck would have it, he decided to take me as his date.

Before we went on our feast, Pick was contacted by Top Table and they asked him if there was anything he really wanted to eat at any of the restaurants. We were pretty open to eating whatever the chefs wanted to serve us although we did have some preferences with respect to dessert. It was decided that we would have 2 dishes at each restaurant, starting with appetizers at Blue Water Cafe.

When I arrived at the restaurant, Pick was already there but he was kind enough to wait for me before digging into the bread. Accompanying the bread was a roasted red pepper hummus and a seaweed butter. I started first with the hummus but the real star here was definitely the seaweed butter. It was full of seaweed flavour and salted just enough to really complement the seaweed and the bread. Both Pick and I admitted that we were chowing down on more bread than was wise, just so that we could have more of this butter. It was so good that if Blue Water sells this for home use, I would definitely buy it! [Pick's notes: We definitely ate more bread than we should have, but the seaweed butter was just too good!]

Our attentive server probably noticed just how much bread we were eating, so he wisely brought over our first dish of the evening. The amuse bouche was a crab and cucumber salad marinated in a sunomono-like vinaigrette. The vinaigrette had a mild taste of rice wine vinegar and blended the crunchy cucumbers with the crab very nicely. [Pick's notes: Many different flavors and textures were combined in this dish - the cucumbers, the vinaigrette, the crabs - everything fit together nicely and made this dish "fun" to eat and refreshing in flavor.]

Next, we were presented with a plate of fresh Kusshi oysters. Both Pick and I are huge oyster fans and the Kusshis at Blue Water were very fresh and tasty. Our server told us that they are brought in fresh daily and you could really tell from eating these oysters. They had a slight sweetness and firmness to them which made me wish that I could eat more than the 3 that Pick allocated to me. We drizzled a little of the fresh horseradish and vinaigrette, although this wasn’t totally necessary as the flavour of the oysters really shone through. [Pick's notes: Oysters hardly disappoint, and they definitely did not this time either.]

Our last dish at Blue Water Cafe was a scallop carpaccio with black truffles, mixed greens, and a sesame miso dressing. The scallops were thinly sliced and like the oysters, were very fresh. The woodsy taste of the truffles went very well with the slightly sweet scallops and the saltiness of the miso dressing. This was one of the best preparations of scallops that I have had in quite a long while. [Pick's notes: Definitely my favorite dish for the evening. This dish was prepared perfectly in every way possible; from the thickness of each slice to the flavor of the garnishes.]

Our eating adventure was off to a great start at Blue Water Cafe. It’s hard to objectively review the food and service since our dinner was part of a prize and everyone knew about us prior to our arrival. However, I have to say that the service was top notch and very attentive without being suffocating. The food was also excellent and was a huge improvement over my Dine Out experience at Blue Water several years ago.

[Pick's notes: Blue Water was a great start to the evening. I really doubt the food could have been any better. Thank you again to Karen Hamilton from Tinybites and to Shelley from Top Table for organizing this fantastic dinner.]

Part 2 at West will be posted later this week!

Details:
1095 Hamilton Street, Vancouver
Tel: 604-688-8078

Summary:
Food:
Service:
Price: n/a

Posted in Japanese, Lower Mainland Cities, Reviews, Vancouver, West Coast | 10 Comments »