ORU Restaurant - DOV

Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel
1038 Canada Place
Vancouver BC
For the Dine Out Vancouver 2012 festival, one of the restaurants I chose to try was ORU Restaurant located at the Fairmont Pacific Rim. Comprising of Pan-Asian cuisine, their DOV menu was of the $28 variety and it seemed like a really good deal because their regular menu can be very pricey.

From our table we could see the earth! Haha, no...that's just the gigantic hanging earth globe inside the Vancouver Convention Centre that's across the street.

Onto the food! For my appetizer, I had the Albacore tuna karaage with sesame spinach and bonito broth. Talk about portion control! The claypot was large but there were 2 measly slices of tuna inside. Not enough to whet my appetite! This wasn't what I envisioned kaarage to look like. I sort of expected it to look like chicken kaarage but this looked like tuna tataki only with a breaded crust. Nonethless the tuna was still tasty. The broth smelled really good when the claypot arrived but it was actually kind of bland...

Sorry, I didn't capture the other appetizer that W had because it was a plain looking Caesar salad.

For my main, I ordered the Wild coho salmon with sweet potato puree, wild mushrooms, beet chutney on mushroom dashi. OMG this was so so good. Like YUM-O good! The salmon was moist and I loved the sweet potato puree. It mingled nicely with the savoury mushrooms and dashi. I thought the overall combination worked really well.

Beef shortrib with chimichurri mashed potatoes and roasted root vegetables was the entree that W ordered. I didn't really try a lot of this; only had a bite of the shortrib which I found to be too salty. W said the mashed potato was the highlight of the dish.

Dessert time! I loved the creativity of this one! I had the Caramel praline parfait with candied hazelnuts, cappuccino mousse and dulce de leche. I suppose this was a deconstructed parfait since I expected parfaits to come in a parfait glass. The gelly-like parfait cubes were YUM! Loved all the different textures together - soft, jiggly, crunchy, crispy.

W was left to order the Chocolate torta because I picked the parfait haha... This one consisted of a brownie frangipane, milk chocolate chantilly with cocoa nib nougatine. I tried a small bite but didn't find anything too special about it. I guess after eating my own dessert, this one just couldn't compare!

Aside from the minor disappointment in the tuna kaarage, I thought the execution of the 3 courses were well made, especially considering the $28 price point. Service was pleasant and we were not rushed throughout the meal. Overall, my first visit at ORU was good!

Cache Bistro - Dinner #1

1269 Hamilton Street
Vancouver, BC

If you remember, I mentioned that W's old highschool classmate and another one of his friend/colleague partnered together to open up a restaurant. We finally had time to go try it out before the year ended. Located in Yaletown, Cache Bistro & Lounge serves Asian and French fusion cuisine.

The ambience inside was dark with some French soft jazz playing. They had a TV mounted inside and it was showing the Food Network so that was kind of weird, but hey, I didn't mind because I love watching Food Network!

I started with a Raspberry Lemonade to sip on while browsing through the menu. It was too sour and it had a lot of raspberry seeds ~_~

While we were deciding what to eat, the server brought us a plate of complimentary deep fried pickles to munch on! Way different from complimentary bread that I'm so used to, these were warm and crunchy but the fried exterior kept slipping off since the pickle inside was wet(? for lack of a better word).

After perusing through the small menu, we decided to order a few plates to share.

Foie gras creme brulee topped with tobiko

With frisee salad and white balsamic vinaigrette

Inside the egg shell was a creamy soft custard infused with foie gras. The bits of tobiko lent some crunchy texture. The salad was just a bunch of frisee leaves which looked like a nest to garnish the egg shell cup so it felt like I was eating garnish rather than a salad.

Smoked duck breast salad

White truffle vinaigrette, onion jam, wine-soaked raisins

The flavours were subtle in this dish. The duck was lightly smoked and I found the meat a little on the chewy side. I liked the wine-soaked raisins though! At first I didn't know what I was eating but I liked it so much that I just kept eating them off the plate!

White truffle infused mushroom medley risotto

Button, brown, portobello and oyster mushrooms

Oops, W started eating this before I could take a proper picture. I liked the variety of mushrooms in the risotto but honestly I don't really remember much about this dish.

BBQ baby back ribs

Hoisin BBQ sauce, mini cornbreads, butter poached corn

I found the ribs kind of ordinary. The BBQ sauce was on the sweeter side due to the addition of the Chinese hoisin sauce. I believe the ribs were par-boiled before grilling them because the meat was soft and it fell of the bones quite easily but the sauce wasn't very penetrated into the meat (hence why I found it ordinary). The mini cornbread were so cute and they reminded me of takoyaki!

Dessert tasting sampler

Crepe with matcha cream, Apple fritters with coconut ice-cream, Tiramisu

For dessert, W and I shared the dessert sampler. I liked the crepe the best because I like anything matcha haha! I think the coconut ice-cream was house-made and it was a nice contrast to the warm apple fritters. Still, I'm not a big fan of coconut so it alright to me. W liked this and the tiramisu more than me.

Cache now has a brunch menu as well. I recently tried their brunch offerings (post to be added soon) and I think I like it more than their dinner menu. However, for an ordinary working class girl like me, I don't think I can afford eating here more than once every few months :(

*Just an FYI, even though we knew the chef and owner, we paid for our own meal.

The Black Forest Restaurant

180 Esplanade Avenue
Harrison Hot Springs, BC

During the last week of December '11, I took a few days off from work so W and I headed to Harrison Hotsprings for some R & R :)

Simmering in the hotsprings pool sure made us hungry! For dinner, we went to the nearby Black Forest Restaurant. It's a German restaurant with quite a few selections of schnitzels.

Good thing we made reservations! The place was packed! Like VIPs, we swooped past groups of waiting customers and made our way to our table.

Since it was a German restaurant I wanted to try a German beer. They were advertising Krombacher Pils, which was apparently Germany's #1 draught beer, so I gave it a go. It was not bad! I'm not a big beer drinker but this was quite smooth and not very bitter. We didn't know how big the portions were so W and I both ordered an entree each.

I opted for the Gourmet Schnitzel which consisted of a really large breaded pork cutlet with mushrooms, black forest ham topped with bearnaise sauce and sides of red cabbage, pan fried potatoes and honeyed carrots. My goodness, the schnitzel was bigger than my face!! There was also a lot of ham hidden underneath the sauce so it was meat on top of meat haha! Overall, it was pretty good; crisp and meaty. I really liked the honeyed carrots because it provided a nice flavour break from the savoury schnitzel.

W had the Roasted Pork Hock. It also came with sauerkraut, potatoes and honeyed carrots. Again, the pork hock was ginormous! There was so much meat clinging to the bone. However, the skin was roasted to a state where it became tough and dry. The skin was quite thick so it didn't turn very crispy. Rather, it was chewy and kind of gelatinous due to the fat underneath the skin. The meat underneath stayed moist though.

At end, we had to doggy-bag our meals! I'm not sure how authentic the food was since I've never had German food (except for bratwurst and black forest cake haha). In general, I enjoyed the food for what it was. Being in a touristy town, I wasn't expecting such huge portions but I was pleasantly surprised. If you are in the area and are not sure where to eat, Black Forest Restaurant is a good option. Be sure to make reservations though!! 

Secret Supper Party ~ Photo-log

I was invited to a Secret Supper party by a friend of W's. The dinner was hosted by a husband and wife team who held reservations-only (from referrals only) dinners at their cozy condo. Surprisingly, the chef (husband) was an old high school friend of W! They had lost contact after they graduated and they met up again here! Crazy!

Anyway, back to the food. We had a 5-course meal complete with palate cleansers and coffee or tea at the end while W's friend brought his own wine for our party of 6. I apologize in advance for the quality of the photos because of the dim lighting.

Thai Style Steamed Clams 
Savory clams steamed in a white wine, lemongrass, coconut(?) broth 

Wish there was some crusty bread or baguette to soak up the broth!

Tiger Prawn Mousse Lollipop 
Sugarcane infused prawn mousse atop wedge of pineapple
 Parsley and carrot salad

 My fave of the night :)

Lobster Thermidor 
Halved lobster baked with an Indian style curry cheese sauce
 Panko and herb topped roasted tomato

Le Trou Normand 

Planter's Punch, a medley of fruit juices and liquor (palate cleanser)

18-hour Slow Roasted Certified Organic Beef Hanging Ribs with Bone Marrow
 

First time having bone marrow!

Costa Rican coffee

Pear tea

Pumpkin Custard served with House Made Eggnog Ice-cream 
Thai style baked pumpkin custard garnished with kiwi berries and gooseberries

This secret supper was a unique experience and as the name suggested, I felt very privileged to be invited to partake in a delicious and fun dinner amongst friends. The husband and wife team have now partnered up with another of W's friend/colleague and have opened up a restaurant in Yaletown! It's a French-Asian fusion inspired bistro called Cache. Please visit and try their food if possible!

Red Wagon Cafe

2296 East Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC

After being exposed to many food blog posts about Red Wagon Cafe and its "must-try" pulled pork pancakes, I had to go check it out and see what the hype is all about! One sunny summer afternoon in 2011, I dragged W to go try out the place for lunch.

We arrived a little after noon on a weekday. From the inside and out, it looked a little like a run-down diner. Rest assured though, the cafe was clean and bright. Most of the tables were occupied by some of the locals but it didn't seem too busy for lunch hour. We were seated promptly and handed menus. No need to look at the menu for me! I already know what I'm having: the Pulled Pork Pancakes with Jack Daniels maple syrup please!

And it was just that - a stack of 3 pancakes with pulled pork sandwiched in between, lain on top of a thin pool of maple syrup. The savoury pulled pork worked well with the sweetness of the maple syrup. The contrast in flavours helped break up the one-dimensional-ness of the pancakes. At first it seemed small but nearing the end I had trouble finishing the pancakes ~_~

W decided on the Crisp Pork belly sandwich on baguette with pickled veggies, cilantro, jalapeno chilis, mayo and fresh made chips. I took a bite of the sandwich and immediately the spiciness of the jalapeno peppers hit me. I don't take heat very well so that was the only setback for me... It was also quite tall so I had a hard time fitting all the layers of the sandwich in one bite haha... The chips were great though; crisp yet not very salty and oily.

I'm not sure if the hype is over but I can tell Red Wagon will be a mainstay among the locals there. This cafe brings some innovative food choices to the area which I think the neighbourhood needs.

Feastro the Rolling Bistro

I can now include "food carts" as one of the perks of working downtown. Even though the majority of the food carts are a little too far of a walking distance from my office, Feastro the Rolling Bistro is just around the corner from where I work so one day W and I ordered a few items for lunch.

I had the Baby shrimp soft shell taco. It was one of their specials of the day. Amidst all those greens was a healthy scoop of baby shrimp mixed with a creamy mayo dressing. With all those leaves jutting out, it was very hard to pick up the taco and eat it without having some of the filling fall out =P However, it was very fresh and I felt quite healthy eating this haha...

 W ordered the Pulled pork soft shell taco. It's not really the kind of pulled pork slathered in barbeque sauce but the meat was tender and juicy nonetheless.

We also ordered a Seafood chowder to share. The chowder was filled with fresh fish (salmon and some other white fish?), clams, and shrimp. It was definitely warm and hearty. Perfect for a cool and windy spring day. The chowder also came with toasted baguette which was good for dipping.

The food items were not exactly cheap but the freshness and quality of the food makes up for it.

eat@Galiano Inn

134 Madrona Drive
Galiano Island, BC

During the Victoria Day long weekend in 2011, W and I took a short getaway to Galiano Island, one of the gulf islands situated just a short ferry ride away from Vancouver Island. The small and quaint island is perfect to relax, enjoy nature, and of course, sample some West Coast cuisine.

For one of the nights we ate at the restaurant that was part of the inn where we stayed called, aptly enough, eat@Galiano Inn.

W had water while I ordered a cocktail to nurse throughout the meal.

Served in a martini glass, the Galiano Island Black Berry cocktail was fruity and sweet; something up my alley :)

Then we started with an appy to share - the Seafood Stuffed Portabellini. There wasn't anything special about it....

For my main, I had the Braised apple pork chop with brown butter herb gnocchi and beets. Om nom nom! This was a hearty dish! The pork chop was cut thick so it was actually a little tough to cut and eat. I found the gnocchi and beets to be the star of the dish though! The little dumplings were pan fried so it had a crispy exterior and a soft, chewy interior while the beets were sweet and nutty from the brown butter.

W tried the Tomato braised lamb shank with garlic mashed potatoes. I only ate a little bit of this but I remember the lamb was quite tender. The portions of our mains were quite large. I had a hard time finishing my dish. I was sad because it was so delicious and I so wanted to finish it all...

...But I had to save room for dessert!

After some deliberation, we decided on the Trio of Creme Brulee. From left to right, the flavours were: Orange, Truffle Chocolate, Vanilla Bean. The flavours were not bad but I'd have to say the most simple one (Vanilla Bean) was the best out of the three.

This was a nice dinner to end a lovely spring evening.

Beecher's Mac 'n Cheese

1600 Pike Place
Seattle, WA

If you live on the west coast and have never been to Seattle's Pike Place Market, you are missing out. Yes, it's your typical tourist attraction, but the food is definitely not to be missed. From clam chowder and fresh seafood to deli sandwiches and fine wine, there's a lot of variety to discover. One of the shops that I must visit every time I drop by is Beecher's Handmade Cheese. Their mac 'n cheese is so awesome!!

This is part of their "Beecher's Specialties" menu, called World's Best Mac 'n Cheese. It consists of a blend of their Flagship cheese, Just Jack (cheese), penne pasta and spices. It's rich and gooey and savoury. It's the kind of pasta that makes you want to take a nap afterwards haha...

Man, now I'm craving their mac 'n cheese :(

F for Food returns!

How long will I remain? Who knows! But I do know that I am very sorry for disappearing, once again, and neglecting to take care of my blog. I have some time now to dust off my blog and make some long-awaited posts, mostly photo-logs, as I have forgotten most of the details of the food I have sampled. Strangely enough, I'm quite eager at updating my facebook albums with food pics (along with comments!) yet I completely ignore this place.


Anyhoo, let's get on with the drool-inducing food-centric photo posts!