The Elephant Bar

I was at Albuquerque, NM for a few days but there was only one day that I get to go out to try out something interesting.  The restaurant is really cool.  Anyway, I do not quite remember the name of the dish but it's a couscous salad.  The couscous was amazing but the sides were a little dry to my liking.

Blue Water Cafe and Raw Bar

I have been to Blue Water Cafe and Raw Bar one other time before this and I absolutely love their main entrees.  So,  I am going to attempt to summarize my two visits with as many pictures as I can and as few words as I can

Starting us off some bread and some spread.  I think it's butter with herb and some red pepper beans?

Gulf Island Swimming Scallops
I love the crunch crunch crunch of it! And the scallops was very juicy!

Lobster Roll

Dungeness Crab + White Asparagus Panna Cotta
I did not know what I was expecting. I can have a few servings of this for lunch!
The green apple really lighten up the dish a lot.

Artic Char
The skin was nice. Love the sides!

Ling Cod
Wonder why there are sausages? It adds flavour to the whole dish.
But the sausages are a little too salty to my liking.

Ahi Tuna
It was nicely grilled.  I would like it more if the inside is a little more juicy.

Brownie with Chocolate Ganache
A little too dry for my liking

Minami Restaurant

Minami Restaurant is a sister restaurant to the famous Miku Restaurant that I like a lot too.  My friend was very nice to pick this restaurant for her birthday dinner since I wanted to try this restaurant for the longest time.  My personal preference is Minami for a girls' night out while Miku for a date night ;)

Deep fried goodness!
Ebi Fritter -- I love the mayo! And of course, the cruncy shrimp!

Love the freshness and the charcoal
Aburi Sashimi - Three types of sashimi: Tuna, Salmon and Hamachi.

More charcoal!
Aburi Saba Oshi Sushi -- Balanced portion of rice and fish. Rice are gently pressed too.

Crunchy Scallop Roll -- It's scallop roll sprinkled with tempura bits.
I felt a little tricked by the name but now I know!

A different kind of roll.
Yasai Maki Chicken -- Roasted chicken breast with vegetables rolled underneath it. 
I like to think of it as stuffed chicken!

Saikyo Miso Baked Sablefish and Shrimp Crab Dumpling -- The miso took away the attention to the softness of the fish.
It's still good but I prefer the one from Blue Water Cafe and Raw Bar across the street :D

Happy Birthday Suli!
Coconut Blueberry Cream -- The coconut taste was not strong.
I don't usually like coconut so yes, I enjoyed it. 

Sweetness <3
Passion Fruit Verrine -- I have to love that almond pudding!
The passion fruit ice cream was a little sour to my liking though

Rainforest Cafe

It was 5 minutes from the hotel.  It was packed with people.  It sounded famous.  We ended up in there sitting next to the gorillas at the Rainforest Cafe near Niagara Falls.  We were told that the gorillas and elephants move every 15 minutes while there will be thunderstorm every 30 minutes.  It was fun at the beginning but it gets annoying when we could not hear each other every 15 minutes!  Anyway, we didn't order much food because we were not very hungry. 

Oliver and Bonacini Cafe Grill

This is the second time I have been to the same Oliver and Bonacini chain restaurant. We went the day their Summer Fixe menu was introduced.  It was too tempting to try this three course menu that I gave up on ordering the calamari that was amazingly good when I tried it last Christmas.

Hawksworth

The Hawksworth Restaurant won a few awards in the Golden Plate 2011, which hints me to pay the restaurant a visit with a few friends.  The restaurant has a very nice atmosphere - simple and sleek design -- fitting for downtown Vancouver.

The Boathouse

It was a few friends' farewell party that we decided to pay The Boathouse at English Bay a visit.  I have been there before and my favourite is their Miso Crusted Wild Halibut that I had a few years back.  It was so good but I didn't get it because it is the restaurant's 30th Anniversary and... ... they offered a very reasonably priced 3 course meal for $30.  Of course, I went for it!  Keeping the comments as short as I can ...

Hart House

I haven't been posting regularly, I know...  Life has been in the way but nothing is in the way for a good afternoon lunch at Hart House.  It is near Deer Lake, a beautiful lake.  They have an afternoon lunch special and guess what I ordered? The Express Lunch.  The lunch special is a 2 course meal with an appetizer and entree.  There are two appetizers and three entrees to choose from.  

The 100 Days

I will be honest and admit that this visit is from three years ago at 100 Days Restaurant.   So, I don't quite remember the names of dishes BUT I still remember the taste of the food.  Oh! And the cool and funky paintings on the wall!  They were very very cool!  We went for the three course menus and tried the different dishes for the appetizer and entrees. 

In love with Brix

Yep! Enter through the curtain!  The atmosphere at Brix is definitely a WOW as I walk through the curtain.  There were candles along the side of the walls are definitely a warm up for a romantic dinner.  No wonder my friend said, "Hopefully your date is going well." when I sent him a picture of the food.  Usually, my friend will check all the reviews for the restaurants before going to a restaurant.  This was a different story because we went late and the special menu was not available for the hours we were there.  So , I had to try my luck with the dishes.

Do you C?

I have a thing for the C Restaurant ever since we came here for the Groupon deal back in April 2010.  I came back a few times with different deals they offered and if there was another deal, I would go back again. Why? The restaurant is has nice view if you were seated at the right place.  The service and food are simply amazing.  This is one restaurant that I will definitely miss when I leave Vancouver.

Like any restaurant, they always start us off with some bread and butter.  The bread they served on the table differed everytime I had been there.  Usually, they will give us several types of bread to try.  The first time I was there, they served us four types of bread!  I am going to write about the dishes they served during my third visit mainly because I have lost the photos from my first visit and forgot to take photos during my second visit. Boooo me :(

Ok.  The Groupon deal we had was a four course meal.  The first course is a very flavourful soup -- Wild & cultivated mushroom veloute with confit garlic and brioche croutons.  The soup was creamy but it didn't irritate me nor make me feeling too full for my next course.  The soft texture of the garlic and the crunchy croutons did not take away the sweetness from the mushrooms.

I was not really looking forward to the risotto because it was usually very filling for me.   However, this corn risotto with green onion relish came as a shock to me.  Every bite of risotto has a little bit of sweetness from the corn.  With the help of the relish, the sweetness stands out a lot.  This dish is very unique to my taste bud and the reasonable portion saved me enough space for the next dish!

The third course is BC albacore tuna with some fantastic potatoes and zucchini.  Based on my few experiences here, this is the most filling course and it usually has the longest name --
BC albacore tuna, lyonaise potatoes, zucchini ribbons, parmesan soubise.   Even though the tuna was nicely done, I still prefer the potatoes and zucchini better.  Strong flavoured tuna with simple vegetables as side dishes... yum~~

Chocolate brownie as dessert this time!  I have always had bad experience with burnt brownies but this time it was soft in the inside and outside.  It is not as if the brownie was melting away.  They used dark chocolate and hence there was a tiny bit of bitterness to it but I like that bitterness.  They used a sweet (berry chantilly) and sour (lemon curd) combination of sauce to complement the bitterness for those who do not like dark chocolates.  I love the lemon curd because the sourness did not make me made funny faces.



The macaroon was not a part of the course but they served it as we asked for our bill.  It was not as amazing as the other courses but hey, it's a change from the chocolates!

Sailing with Five Sails

We went to Five Sails Restaurant for out first Dine Out Vancouver 2012 for our Chinese New Year eve dinner.  We were seated near the window where we can see the sea and North Vancouver. Wonderful lights.  Wonderful scenery. Wonderful food.  

Lobster bisque "cappuccino" with fresh Atlantic lobster

They started me off with a really wonderful dish -- lobster bisque.  I enjoy how it was served in a cup.  I can smell a very strong lobster fragrance from the bisque before tasting it.  I was very excited when I found a small piece of fresh lobster in there too!  If I wasn't sitting in a five star restaurant, I probably would have lick the bowl.

Creamy wild mushroom risotto shaved parmigiano reggiano

The risotto was very nicely done too.  Usually, the amount of risotto served would have made me very full but this one didn't make me feel that way.  I like the bland but appetizing taste of it.  The sauce did not take away the points from the risotto and the same can be said with the risotto.  They complement each other very well.




Lobster for Chinese New Year dinner is the best thing ever.  Even though it's a small piece but the side dishes that came with it make up for everything else.   The different flavours from each dish complement each other very well.  The bland vegetables complement the flavourful meat.

Duo of butter poached 1/2 fresh Atlantic lobster orange & tangerine scented butter emulsion
Crisp Kurobuta pork belly berry gastrique, roasted squash puree & shiitake mushrooms

The lobster was very fresh and sweet.  It was a little bit overcooked. Just a tiny tiny tiny bit otherwise it would have been very dry.  With the sauce that came with it, my complaint can be swept under the rug though.


The sauce on the pork belly was amazing.  It has a very strong flavour but did not turn me away.  Nicely done! A story on the side... I am not a big fan of fat.  So I left the fat part of the pork belly at the side of my plate.  My friend stared at it for a long while and decided to ask, "Are you going to eat that fat?" I told her no. She immediately took it and finished it! 


I was amazed at the vegetables that was on the plate too.  I think they used the same sauce for the pork belly to stir fry the mushroom slices.  The mushroom slices were then put on top of a plain but well cooked radish.  The strong flavoured mushroom slices brought out the sweetness of the radish. 

Pavlova with fresh seasonal & exotic fruits fruit coulis
& silky creme Anglaise

Dessert time!  We ordered both types of dessert.  I have never tried pavlova before.  When it was served, both my friend and I said, "A huge macaroon? "  It was very sweet but the fruits were very fresh.  There was a lot of whipping cream on it but it did not turn me away much. In fact, I enjoy having it with the pavlova itself while having the fruits on the side.

Crisp phyllo pastry with chilled lemon cream salted caramel sauce,
roasted pear & golden pineapple warm sour cherries

I might have mentioned this before -- I am not a big fan of sour stuff.  Lemon is one of those scary thing to me. But this was not too bad for me.  The ratio of lemon and phyllo was just right. However, I would like the phyllo to be a little more crispy.






They served us two tinyyyyyyyyyy pieces of chocolate ganache when we asked for our bill.  They were really nice.  I wish I can share this with someone another day <3

Cork & Fin

This is my first time at Cork and Fin Restaurant and my second Dine Out Vancouver 2012 experience.  In general, this is a nice place to chill with friends.  I like the atmosphere but the restaurant is a little small when there are too many people.  We were seated at the second level and it felt a little uncomfortable when the tables are a little too closed to one another.  Anyway, back to the food...

Winter Salad, poached pear, gorgonzola, organic greens

I love the salad.  There was no sauce but the pears that came with it did an amazing job to make me finish it.  And the best part is the blue cheese.  I usually do not like blue cheese but who knew that the blue cheese would go well with the pear!

Sawmill Bay Oysters on the half shell served with Champagne mignonette.

The other appetizer we had was the oyster.  Fresh oysters and very nice sauce.  The sauce was not strong at all so it brought out the original taste of the oysters.  Between the salad and the oyster, I prefer the salad better though.

Salmon Ceviche, heirloom finger radish

The first entrees came in the size of the appetizer, in our opinion.  The salmon pieces are fresh but lack a bit of sweetness.  My other complaint about the dish is the lack of sauce.  It came as a little too dry to me even though the radishes were very juicy.  Maybe a little olive oil over it will make a difference.  I had to add some salt to the dish to increase my appetite for it.

Manilla Clams, saffron broth, crostini

There was a tiny bit of sand in the first clam I had.  They were nicely done though.  The same complaint I had about it was the lack of flavour to the sauce.  That might be because they want to bring out the sweetness of the clams but since the clam was a little overcooked, it didn't go well.  Oh, the crostini was very yummy though!

Pan Seared Snapper, carrot & ginger puree, watercress

This entree was a disaster for me.  First, I found a little bug in the green.  The waitress was very nice to get me a new plate.  But, the second piece of fish was not completely cooked.  I can still see transparent meat :( They were probably in a rush to get me a new plate and hence the uncooked fish.  On my first plate, the skin of the snapper was very crispy and I like it a lot.  The downside is overcooked flesh.  Yes, it was overcooked on the inside.  The puree made it less dry to eat. I didn't taste a lot of ginger in the puree and the sweetness of the carrot was not there as well.  I wonder if it's because of all the commotion with my plates that I ended up not realizing how nice the puree was.  Maybe I will try to make the puree myself to see if it's supposed to be what I had.

Tart of the day: Pear tart

The dine out menu did not include dessert.  We figured we might not be back any soon so we might as well try the dessert.  They have quite a selection but we ended up with the tart of the day and Hazelnut Buttercream Napoleon.  The pear tart was nicely done.  It is not too sweet and there was a generous amount of pear!  The crust was not crispy but I like the texture.  I have a thing for hazelnut so I might be bias when I said that I like the Napoleon better.  The biscuits that came along wasn't crispy or it was supposed to be not crispy? The cream, on the other hand, was very nicely done -- not heavy nor too sweet with a strong hazelnut fragrance in every bite.  So, I was very satisfied in the end!

Hazelnut Buttercream Napoleon

Goldfish Seafood and Chops

Note: Restaurant will be closed officially on February 05, 2012. 

Joe Fortes

I used to pass by Joe Fortes whenever I lurk around Robson Street but it had never occured to me that I have to go there as it doesn't look too special to me. When the name showed up on the list of restaurants for Dine Out Vancouver 2010, I finally convinced myself to give it a try. As usual, we have several choices for the appetizer, main course and dessert. Since I went a bunch of friends as a social gathering, we were able to sample a little of each others' food. I think we ordered quite a variety of what's on the list but *excuse me* I was too busy sampling food that I forgot to take pictures of some of the dishes we ordered :(

My friend ordered the Casesar salad but when I asked her, "How's the salad?" She replied, "Just salad." I will leave the rest to you. My appetizer is what they called, Joe's Raw Plate. It is made up of smoked salmon and albacore. I am glad that they did give me thin slices of samon and albacore. I get irritated when I am served a chunk of raw fish that I have to chew for ages before I can swallow. Those slices of sashimi melted in my mouth. *thumbs up* They chose a slightly sour sauce, which is not at all bad because it's an appetizer. I do find it a little too sour and kinda "sting" my taste bud.





I don't remember what's the name of the dish but it's grilled chicken with roasted potatoes. I really liked the potatoes. Very nicely done. The homemade tomato sauce was blended with herbs and spices. I am not sure if it's a coincidence as the chicken itself, despite nicely done, was quite bland. However, the sauce that came with it added just the right amount of flavour to it that makes the how dish just nice.



Aye! I remember the name of this dish - fresh shrimp and king crab gomiti with prosciutto, sweet peas and bechamel. Why would I remember such long name? Simply because I would have never ever order pasta in a seafood restaurant. Yep, my friend ordered it because of the "king crab" but in the end there was only a tiny little pieces here and there. It's a very nice combination of ingredients, however. My greatest relief was, the pasta wasn't overcooked.




My friend ordered the steak and prawns with garlic mashed potatoes, veal jus and a side of corn, dried tomatoes and edamame. I didn't try the steak because I can't :( But she said it was not bad although it seemed to be a little dry to me from the look. Maybe the sauce had fixed my concern. But, the mashed potato was very nicely done. I didn't get to taste the prawns because there were only 3 and it would be unfair for the other 3 persons(not including the person who ordered it) on the table if only I eat-ed it. So, no comment on the prawns. Again, but, I didn't sense any wow-effect the dish had on my friend overall.



So, there were only 2 choices for dessert : chocolate cake and creme brulee. The chocolate cake came with a small scoop of vanilla ice-cream at the side. It's probably just me but I found the chocolate cake was slightly burnt and the ice-cream tasted better than the cake itself.



The creme brulee wasn't bad at all except that the sugar coat on top was quite uneven and was slightly burnt when they torched it. The vanilla is so strong that I could even smell it the moment I cracked open the sugar coating at the top. Some might find it a little larger than the usual creme brulee but I am not complaining when it's dessert :)




PS: I forgot to bring my camera. So, you will have to bear with the photo quality of my crappy phone.