Romance with Seafood

The Cannery Seafood Restaurant
Seafood Restaurant
2205 Commissioner Street
Vancouver, BC
V5L 1A4 Canada
ph: (604) 254-9606

Having the Entertainment Book is the best thing ever especially if you love to dine out. I have gotten mine last year from a draw at our company's Christmas party and ever since then I have been hopping from one restaurant after another. When I found out that The Cannery is on the book, I was ecstatic. Not only I have heard amazing things about this place but having a coupon means great food for less moolah and having known for a "date" restaurant, The Cannery is a bit heavy on the wallet.

My good friend and I were planning our "lesbo" date to The Cannery months back but we always set it aside and when I realized that I only have less than a month left to make use of the great Entertainment Book discounts, we decided to finally head out to this infamous restaurant. Making a reservation is always a good habit but we were a bit disappointed that we were only given the 5:15 time slot. Located in the Vancouver port, the very friendly host gave us a quick run-through of the directions and I thought that it would be a piece of cake to find it so I didn't bother to take down notes. Actually going there is a bit tricky and we had to make a few detours to go to the right direction but the worst thing was we were stuck waiting for the freaking long-ass train to cross. It was annoyingly moving so slow, taking its sweetest time and as if it knows that were running behind schedule, it would back-up and move forward again, back-up and move forward again. Afraid to lose our table, we called the restaurant and told them about our train dilemma. The host was very nice about the situation and reassured us that we will still have a table when we get there. With our stomachs growling and our patience thinning, the train was finally able to go across and we were able to pass and continue on to The Cannery.

When we got there we were a bit surprised to see the parking lot full of cars. I guess there is a reason behind our 5:15 table slot, it seemed like a busy night at the restaurant. The host greeted us with a big smile and when she found out about that we were the ones having problems with the train, she sympathized and asked our server to lead us to our table. The restaurant was so cozy and beautiful. The fireplace right smack in the middle gave warmth to the whole place and the huge windows showcasing the amazing view seals the deal for this restaurant to be one of the most romantic in Vancouver. I was kind enough to my friend to give her the seat facing the huge window and just enjoyed the view on my side of the table. Our server gave us our menu and we were thinking of ordering a starter dish with our mains when we decided against it since we'll be given bread with lobster oil and we were not planning on skipping dessert. I was torn between the Salmon Wellington which was a dish of salmon, shrimp and mushrooms in a puff pastry and the Scallops and Prawns. I asked the server for his suggestion and he told me that the Wellington was the specialty of the house and of course I would choose that. My friend decided on the Crispy Rainbow Trout which was my third option.

We were munching on the yummy lobster oil and balsamic vinegar dipped bread when we noticed the very well-dressed couple beside us. My friend and I continued on with our conversations as we waited for our food. For some weird reason the lady seated beside us seemed to be eavesdropping and whispering to her boyfriend, poking fun or saying whatever, we tried not to mind her especially when our food came. The Wellington was a huge portion with a good serving of veggies, coming from a dimsum brunch, I already know that I was gonna take half of it home. The puff pastry gave it a little bit of baked sweetness although the salmon was a tad dry but forgivable because the pinot noir sauce made it moist and was just perfect for the dish. I don't know what's in a pinot noir sauce besides the obvious red wine but it tasted like mushroom sauce to me, whatever was in there, it made the dish more delish. My friend gave me a little bit of her trout and scalloped potatoes which was very good as well. The potatoes complimented the trout very much but I liked my Wellington more. As we were eating and conversing, we kept on getting a bad vibe from the lady seated beside us, still eavesdropping and whispering to her boyfriend and it was starting to piss us off so my friend and I spoke in our native Tagalog, it sure beats to have a second language!

I asked my server to wrap the rest of my dish and asked for the dessert menu. Three things that stood out: 1.) Jacques Favourite, a combination of chocolate desserts with mousse and ice cream 2.) Pavlova cake, this light airy cake topped with fruits is a bit hard to find so we got excited seeing it on the menu 3.) Apple Cheesecake, two words: CARAMEL SAUCE. It was so hard to make a decision so I once again asked our server and told us that the cheesecake will surely leave us satisfied and fulfilled so we went for it. When we were picking our dessert, the lady once again was bothering us, looking and eavesdropping so my friend and I decided to go all out and talked about her in her face in our language and laughed a lot, then the dessert came and one bite of the apple cheesecake dipped in caramel sauce totally made us forget about that eavesdropping annoying lady or her suit-wearing boyfriend, even the view outside the window, the server was so right, we were both satisfied and fulfilled.

We got our bill, it was actually not bad but we still had our coupon so it was even better. We made sure to give a good tip to our very accommodating server. Overall, it was very good. It wasn't just the food but the place itself, the restaurant being hidden in the Vancouver port, the very friendly staff, everything made it good and even without the Entertainment Book coupon, I would still go to this restaurant, hopefully next time there will be no overly-dressed eavesdroppers so we would be left alone with the good food and the great view.

* picture stolen from flickr.com/photos/60168506@N00/257798218

Unobtrusive Izakaya Bliss

Toratatsu
Japanese Cuisine / Izakaya
735 Denman St
Vancouver, BC
V6G2L6 Canada
ph:(604) 685-9399

We have an on-going Izakaya competition between friends weighing the good and the best amongst our favourite Japanese bistros. Toratatsu, a newcomer in Vancouver's expanding Japanese Izakaya family is surely a tough competitor. Having an edge for it's non-traditional Japanese look but delivering very good Izakaya staples such as Ebi Mayo and Agedashi Tofu makes this bistro a place to visit.

I first heard of Toratatsu from my Japanese roommate who obviously knows what an Izakaya should be. She came home from a night of drinking and gushed about this hidden gem and thinking that I have a radar for good restaurants, especially in the downtown area, not to have heard about it was a bit of a surprise. I immediately called my friend and reported what my roommate have said and sure enough we have found ourselves in this cozy bistro days after.

Toratatsu is located in the quiet area of Denman St. but it's also joined by a few other restaurants. It's a great location off Robson St. especially if you're looking for a more intimate night. The warm red hues of this bistro also contributes to the intimate environment and the modern decor gives this place the right amount of funky look that makes you feel stylishly comfortable.

We were given a warm, un-Izakaya like greeting meaning that they didn't scream intangible Japanese phrases to us as we entered. Our server quickly gave us the menu and left us to decide our picks for the night. We went for the very interesting Negitoro Tuna with avocado fries and tuna dip, Cheese Tofu, Spicy Chicken Wings and Ebi Mayo. The Negitoro Tuna was the first one to arrive and the first bite was just OK but as we ate more of the tuna dip, we find ourselves liking it more and more. The tuna was very well seasoned and complimented the avocado fries very much. It was a good start, but then the Ebi Mayo came and I silently wished that this dish came last so we could savour it more. The prawns were juicy and succulent and I have to say this is by far the best Ebi Mayo I have tried. It's not BS when they said "world famous Ebi Mayo" because it does deserve to be well-renowned. The almond and the wanton crisps also added a nice crunch to this dish. The cheese tofu came shortly after and it was surprisingly very very good. We didn't know what to expect but it was delicately sweet, more like a dessert that could make you forget that cheesecakes exist. It was absolutely divine. We saved the last bite of the Cheese Tofu for last for last and moved on to the chicken wings which was nothing great but I was having a bottle of Asahi and the "beer's best friend" written on the menu as a caption for the chicken wings pushed me to order it. Ah, the power of words! Beer and chicken wings was just hard to resist that night and if I wasn't craving for liquid yeast, I would have tried their sake since this little bistro serves premium sakes and to my delight it's also served in a bamboo pitcher! I guess that takes the edge out of Hapa Izakaya. Oh yeah, they still have their scantly clad servers to boot but obviously they're not for me.

We were in between full so we were deciding whether or not to go ahead and order the Kushi-age but for some reason I just said no but not to dessert this time! We ordered the Camembert cheesecake which was just slightly sweet, a little too slightly actually and the distinct taste of the Camembert overpowered the honey but it was still good especially for the people who are looking for a not-too-sweet dessert although the Cheese Tofu made more of an impression to us.

I promised myself to go back to this place and I did actually a week after and brought a boy. I first took him though to Guu on Robson but he hated the awkward sitting place by the bar the staff offered us and the 45 minute waiting time if we do decide to wait for a table and dine there. We declined the offer and I thought about Toratatsu which was my second option. We were happy because not only we were seated immediately but we also got to choose our table. He liked the ambiance as well which I knew he would for it's intimacy. I picked the Ebi Mayo right away and ordered the dishes I snubbed the last time like the Agedashi tofu, the Toratatsu roll and of course the Kushi-age. The Ebi Mayo is a sure winner as we enjoyed it down to the last bite. The Kushi-age came after the prawns and I have to say, I was a bit disappointed. It was dry and really it was no big deal but thankfully the two dishes which came after the Kushi-age put this Izakaya back on top of the scoreboard. The Agedashi tofu was very good and the slimy okra juice (which my guy hated for the texture, it's OK, more for me!) gave it more flavour. The Toratatsu roll made with prawns, avocado and salmon caviar was also a winner which my date claimed as his dish and gave me the whole bowl of tofu to finish.

Toratatsu is a really a good find, it is a great Izakaya sans the wait (ten points added). I'm glad that my roommate introduced me to this place. I would go to this bistro again and again most especially if I have Ebi Mayo on my mind. And like I said, there are tons of Izakayas to choose from in Vancouver and most of them are good, more than good actually but if you're looking for a more quiet night of Japanese tapas and sake where you don't hear loud Japanese phrases being exchanged every 2 seconds, Toratatsu is the place for you.

* picture stolen from toratatsu.com

Deliziosa Ristorante Vancouveriano

The Italian Kitchen
Italian Cuisine
1037 Alberni St.
Vancouver, BC
V6E 1A1 Canada
ph: (604) 687-2858

In spite of the air of pretentiousness in the Glowbal Group restaurants, I must admit that I appreciate this company for revolutionizing the Vancouver dining scene. They have been utterly creative in coming up with new restaurant ideas which leaves Vancouverites salivating for more. When the Glowbal Group decided to give the usual Italian ristorante a touch of Vancouver, the Italian Kitchen was born. This brand new restaurant joining the Glowbal Group family immediately created a buzz amongst food lovers, the in-the-know crowd and the like. Situated in the more business-y area of downtown Vancouver, this ristorante is not hard to miss. Having to pass by this sleek modern kitchen almost everyday and seeing it bustling as it was bursting with Italian aroma, it's almost stupid for me not to walk in through that door.

Coming in, the restaurant seemed busy and we had to wait at the front with a couple more people to let our presence known to the host/server so that she could take us to a table. We were seated near the bar and our very accommodating server immediately gave us our menus and offered us some water. The space was no different from the outside. It had simple but stylish decor giving the restaurant a casual feel to it. We went through the menu and we decided that the anti-pasto misto platter was the best way to go so that we could have a taste of almost everything this restaurant had to offer. We also ordered a glass of limoncello with prosecco and vanilla infused syrup called limonata and I was beyond delighted to find out that they have pitchers of their own concoctions on their menu. Offering pitchers of alcohol is a surefire way to lure a younger crowd who are out looking for a good dinner and a nice buzz.

Our limonata came in no time and as I took a sip, the syrup's sweetness immediately gave me a sugar shock. I usually gulp my cocktail but this drink should be sipped and slowly savoured. Our server also gave us a small plate of foccacia with balsamic and olive oil dip and as soon as my fingers touched the cold bread, I was turned off but when the bread touched my mouth and the flavours made me say "Mmmmm", I knew that I shouldn't have passed judgement until I've tried it. Our anti-pasto came as we were finishing up the bread and when we looked at the spread in front of us: zucchini blossoms stuffed with burrata cheese, eggplant parmesan, asparagus wrapped with proscuitto, forno baked clams, caprese salad, ahi tuna, spicy kobe meatballs and jumbo prawns -- I had a notion that we will leave with full bellies.

We started with the 1.) ahi tuna which was fresh and flavourful, you can never go wrong with ahi tuna regardless of where you go. 2.) The kobe meatball was just to die for, the spicy tomato sauce definitely gave a nice kick to it. 3.) The forno baked clams was a step behind the meatball for being the most unforgettable dish. It had a distinct Italian flavour very well suited with the clams. 4.) The jumbo prawns were lacking a bit of flavour but it was a nice break from the other dishes which already made a huge impression on our tastebuds. 5.) The zucchini blossoms were interesting, maybe I was expecting a jalapeño-cream cheese flavour but this deep fried croquette was definitely something different. 6.) The caprese salad was good but not out of the ordinary but it was definitely nice to have the fresh tomatoes and bonconccini cheese included on the platter. 7.) The asparagus and proscuitto had a very small serving, it was good but having just one made us hope to get a little more that what we had on our plate. We saved the 8.) eggplant parmesan for last but as we took a bite, we hoped that we should have saved the meatball instead. The eggplant was so-so, nothing spectacular but all-in-all, the whole platter is definitely a must-try.

After our server cleared our table of our empty dishes, he came back almost immediately and seemed enthusiastic about showing us their long list of desserts and recommended the Italian style doughnuts. My friend and I gushed about the good selection and we're already discussing if we should get the white chocolate pannacota or the chocolate parfait when all of a sudden, I had this flash of glutton guilt and declined to try what seemed to be an amazing dessert menu. My friend tried to subtly persuade me by asking me if I was sure and saying that it's not a dinner without the dessert. I looked down at my expanding belly which haven't had a break for awhile and said no. When we told our server that we'll be good and skip dessert, his face fell ever so slightly and left to get us our bill.

After the very satisfying Italian Kitchen dinner, my friend and I went to the movies when my sweet tooth craving attacked me and after the nice walk to the theatres, I am sure that I have room for dessert. I immediately regretted passing on the dessert at the restaurant although the TCBY frozen yogurt totally killed my craving. Maybe the frozen yogurt is more waistline friendly but I have to say that my friend was right, I actually already know it but the whole dinner experience is never complete without the dessert and so I made a mental note to go back to The Italian Kitchen, gorge on their desserts and maybe put a smile on our server's face.

* picture stolen from blog.jan-chan.com

A Taste of Le Marrakech

Le Marrakech
Moroccan Cuisine
52 Alexander Street in Gastown
Vancouver, BC
V6A 1B4 Canada
ph: 604 688 3714

Years ago, I watched a movie called Sabrina, the 1995 version with Julia Ormond and Harrison Ford. There was this very delicious scene when the two actors where bonding in a Moroccan restaurant relaxing on over-sized pillows while they eat with their hands and play with rose petals. I was drawn. I don't know if it was the very appetizing food, the exotic ambiance or the scene itself but as soon as I finished the movie I went on a search for a Moroccan restaurant. Back home in Manila, I did find a good one but it was interiored very modernly and it lacked the exotic appeal that I was looking for. I wanted the whole Moroccan feel where you feel like you're transported without paying a plane ticket to Morocco and when I moved to Vancouver I never stopped searching for that restaurant until I found Le Marrakech.

I have read about Le Marrakech in Georgia Straight. The article immediately caught my eye as I read the review and I was mostly excited when I read about washing your hands in rose water, belly dancers and the whole big production. This is exactly what I was looking for and I immediately called my friend to try it out.

We headed out to the touristy Gastown area and as we welcomed ourselves in, we were immediately greeted and ushered upstairs. Just by looking at the restaurant's bold choice of colours and intricately designed lamps and decors, I knew that I have found a gem. If the food wasn't all that great, the ambiance would definitely make up for it. Our server donning a bright pink kaftan gave us our menu, a basket of Moroccan bread and their homemade aged butter called smed. We asked another server for suggestions and he told us that if we like spicy the mussel appetizer was a very good choice. We took his advise and added the braised beef on a bed of cous-cous and veggies with that order. We attacked the bread while waiting for the food and we didn't expect it to tickle our tastebuds that much. The bread was filled with spices and the butter was salty, the first bite was over-whelming but as soon as you have jumpstarted your tastebuds, you wanted more. The smed was definitely addicting, well, I am a bread and butter fan but the smed is certainly not your usual, typical butter.

We tried to hold off on the bread as we waited for the mussles and when it arrived, it was a heaping serving and was swimming in spicy broth. It seemed like dipping the buttered bread into the broth was second nature but as soon as the moist bread touched my tongue, my reaction changed. The spiced bread, smed and broth combo gave a more intense flavour that brought exoticism in your palate. It was amazing. The braised beef arrived shortly after. It was served in a clay pot and looking at the portion, we were happy that my friend and I were just sharing one entree. We carefully tore the meat and took a spoonful of cous-cous for that one perfect bite, the raisins added some sweetness to the dish and once again, the flavours created a circus like feeling on my tongue. It seemed like all the flavours wanted to show up all at the same time, sweet, salty, sour, spicy... yummy...

While we were finishing up, a belly dancer started to strut her stuff. We were getting happily entertained as her dancing progressed. The restaurant was definitely an escape to Morocco, everything seemed very authentic. We enjoyed it to the last bit especially when we were chased back in to wash our hands with rose water which sent us leaving in fits of giggles.

Coming to Le Marrakech, I never expected to reinact the Julia Ormond-Harrison Ford moment, definitely not since I wasn't with a boy going on a romantic dinner but I was with a good friend who appreciates the experience of good food and we both know that finding a place that could bring not only the taste of an exotic country but also the feel of it is always worth the visit.

*** this was written several months ago but was never posted. I have recently been to this restaurant for my birthday dinner and was a bit disappointed with the service but I still appreciate what this restaurant is trying to offer.

Not A Very Hapa Experience

Hapa Izakaya
Japanese Cuisine / Izakaya
1479 Robson St,
Vancouver, BC
V6G 1C1 Canada
Tel: 604-689-4272

Hearing mixed reviews about restaurants gets me more intrigued to try it out. It makes it kind of a mission to pick a side. I first heard of Hapa Izakaya from my teacher in a bartending class. He was gushing about how good it was and naturally I made a mental note to myself to try it but my friend who is in love with Japanese food had nothing good to say about it and I was a bit turned off. I stalled on my Hapa Izakaya experience and made a full round in the downtown area -- which the restaurant is situated, trying out other Japanese Izakayas until my sister and her boyfriend took me there for some after dinner drinks. The sleek black interior was very modern Japanese which surprisingly exudes a cozy atmosphere maybe because of the no-windows design and warm lighting that hides you from the outside world. I liked the ambiance but their cold sake was the one that sold me. It was served in a bamboo pitcher with little bamboo sake cups. It definitely made it more special and having it on a warm summer night was surely a treat. Since we were there for drinks I wasn't able to give their food a try but suggested a Hapa Izakaya dinner to a friend

My friend picked Hapa Izakaya for her birthday dinner but we were a bit put down that there was a no-reservation policy. We had to look for back-up just in case. Thankfully, we were able to get a table and were approached by our very helpful sever. I ordered the cold sake right away for everyone as we carefully discussed our choices and like myself, my friends were awed at the cold sake's deadly but refreshing taste and of course its unique pitcher and cups. We chose Hapa's version of Bibimbap, Ebi Mayo, Crab roll, Tuna tataki, Chicken Kaarage and their Avocado salad. As we were waiting for the food, we noticed the scantly dressed servers which gave the restaurant a bit of a modern day geisha house impression. Our server though was an exception since she was not parading around to be seen and hoping to be gawked at by the male customers.

The Ebi Mayo was the first dish to arrive. The prawns were huge and the mayo dip gave it enough flavour that I was a bit disappointed when this dish disappeared in an instant. The Tuna tataki and the Crab roll came shortly. The Tuna tataki was good was good not exemptionally the best but good enough. The Crab roll was more interesting and gave a different approach to the regular roll. All our other dishes arrived shortly. Hapa's Bibimbap was a disappointment lacking in flavour but the Avocado salad was refreshing and the Kaarage was the same as the Tuna tataki, good but not the best. The Ebi Mayo was the winner dish and so we didn't hesitate to order it again, we needed more of those yummy deep fried succulent prawns.

Dinner is never complete without dessert and we eagerly asked our server for the dessert menu right after the last Ebi Mayo disappeared. Given the choices, we opted for the Matcha Cream puff and the Chocolate Cheesecake. Unfortuantely, both desserts were dry and unsatisfying. The matcha cream was just made it a little better than bad and we wished that we have ended our dinner somewhere else.

After our Hapa Izakaya experience, I thought that I would finally pick a side. Either gush about it or rant about it. I was actually wrong. I am indifferent about this restaurant. It's not good or bad, it's just strictly in the middle. Nothing great, not the worst, it was just alright. They didn't have any standout dishes since I also have tasted topnotch Ebi Mayo in other Izakayas. Their sake has saved them but the geisha house feel lost another point for me but would probaly gain an extra for the boys.

Sweets for My Sweet

Cupcakes by Heather and Lori
Dessert Shop
1168 Denman Street
Vancouver, BC
V6G 2M9 Canada
ph: (604) 974-1300

Having a sweet tooth is dangerous. I should know, I work extra hard to stop myself from finishing a whole package of mint milanos, hoping that extra cookie will not make me balloon up like a blimp - or make me develop diabetes. Desserts surely make life sweeter but not exactly healthier. It's just way too hard to resist all these calorie-laiden goodies that leave you in an almost orgasmic state. Having stumbled upon a very popular cupcake store on Denman St. simply called Cupcakes was bittersweet. I am happy to have found it and at the same time I regret knowing it.

You can spot this store from a mile. If not the cutsie baby pink sign, the sweet butter cream scent will surely lure you into this Cupcake store and once you're in, there's no turning back. Trays of cupcakes with a smorgasbord of flavours are laid out for you to salivate on in this cute retro-inspired store. Maybe it's curiousity or my gluttony that made me try almost all cupcake flavours but I did pick my favourites which I eventually got stuck with before finishing off the whole list of flavours. Sweet Sixteen, the very simple vanilla cake with vanilla butter cream icing is hands down, my all-time favourite. Having its pink icing and candy sprinkles look a little too sugary for me, a bit too candy but I have to say, the first bite of this cupcake didn't give me that too-sweet cringe. It was just the perfect sweetness that did not make me reach for my water bottle right after having one. Koo koo is another personal favourite. Coconut cake and cream cheese frosting, topped with shredded coconut, this just makes me coco loco. The other flavours are top notch as well but I can't seem to stop getting these two flavours time and time again. I have yet to try Red Velvet with its red cocoa cake and cream cheese frosting that made my fellow "connoisseur" friend (at least we'd like to think ourselves as that... yeah, right!) give it a two thumbs up.

Before discovering The Original Cupcakes, I would have those cheap-ass, crappy grocery-bought cupcakes that made me only eat the icing part because the rest of the cake tastes so blech, well, I don't have to overload on calories for something that is mediocre. Cupcakes on Denman (and on West Broadway and North Van --3 stores that serves Vancouver) will satisfy that cupcake craving and leaves you with just a tiny little bit of guilt you can sleep off the next day because cupcake this good, you know it's worth it.

* picture stolen from danandcarmen.blogspot.com

Will not be a Habit

Habit Lounge

Contemporary Cuisine
2610 Main Street,

Vancouver, BC

V5T 3E6 Canada

ph: (604) 877-8582

Being tagged as "the best" is the downfall of a lot of restaurants. Customers just expect great food, great service, great everything and if the restaurant failed to deliver, disappointment becomes more that it actually is. It's always best to take top critical acclaim with a grain of salt because sometimes the restaurant should have gotten a little less praise than they deserve. Enter Habit Lounge.

Habit is located in the southern part of the artsy Main Street which serves contemporary cuisine with a touch of global flair. Their space is picture perfect, very well-interiored with a nice modern wall on one side and on the other, a wall decorated with hand painted wooden planks for a hippie touch. The citrus coloured straw lamps and the warm orange benches completed its unique look, I was impressed. The service was also good, friendly and fast, however the food was not up to par.

There are many interesting dishes on the menu and it was a toss up between the halibut lettuce wrap and the tuna salad but we thought that the halibut was more intriguing and went with that instead. The Moroccan spiced chicken wings and the crispy tofu was easier for us to pick. Starving, we were excited as the halibut came in no time. We carefully created the lettuce wrap starting with the fish flakes then the crunchy noodle, pickled carrots (looked like carrots to me), peanuts and we topped it with the ginger sauce for the first perfect bite. Ummm... the fish was bland. It definitely needs to be more seasoned and maybe a slice of lemon, it will help A LOT. Even if you put a generous amount of ginger sauce it was still missing something. It was nothing great. The chicken wings arrived shortly after. It was drenched in sauce, a little different from the usual chicken wings and as we tasted it, we were happy. The flavours were very unique. The sweet exotic pomegranate sauce definitely made it. I liked this dish a lot but with many restaurants offering a different twist to this pub grub favourite, I was still expecting for more and was hoping that our last dish will redeem it. The cripsy tofu came nicely presented, topped with shitake mushrooms, eggplants and and bean sprouts, it definitely looked promising, but unfortunately, it just wasn't exciting. It tasted like a less flavourful version of agedashi tofu. The sauce needed something more than just soy sauce and sugar, well, at least that's how it tasted to me. Once again, it was lacking.

Despite our disappointments, we finished every dish down to the last bit and when our server came and asked us if we wanted dessert we said we were good but remarked on how we did a good job polishing our plates. We smiled and she said, "I can't blame you, it's very good food". Yes, it was OK but not very good. My taste buds were not jumping up and down for joy and my growling stomach was more to blame for the squeaky clean plates. Extra points though for the great interior. This restaurant was definitely visually stimulating but not really deliciously satisying.

* picture stolen from habitlounge.ca

Kadoya Never Fails

Kadoya
Japanese Cuisine / Sushi
1063 Davie St.,
Vancouver, BC
V6E 1M5 Canada
ph: (604) 608-1115

It is an understatement to say that Vancouverites love sushi. They are crazy about it. In fact, you can find a sushi place in every corner of the city. These restaurants don't produce mediocre creations, the chefs spend extra time and even squeeze their brain for some ingenuity to find new ways of jazzing up this most loved hand-rolled delight. Back home in Manila, I was more accustomed to having the traditional teka maki and negitoro but moving to Vancouver, it introduced me to the world of creative sushi that is actually art. Having said that, there is an unspoken battle of which restaurant holds the title of the best sushi in Vancouver and believe me, many will have their own opinion. Maybe it's their own preference, the price or the dinning experience that made everyone pick a personal favourite but I'm sure everyone has a reason for that choice. As for me, Kadoya is my top pick, this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant just never fails.

Kadoya's special rolls were huge, inventive and every bit delicious, it was hard to pick what to order, I wanted them all but after some trial and error (the error only happened once), I fell in love with the Canucks roll. It was an amazing combo of tuna and tempura bits topped with salmon and bonito flakes, I could eat that everyday. The crunch of the tempura bits and the added flavour of the bonito flakes just made this roll unforgettble. Their tuna tataki is another must-have. The grade A perfectly seared tuna with a garlic soy dip had a buttery aftertaste I just can't get enough of. I promised myself to have the other dishes and rolls on the menu but I just find myself having my usual Canucks roll, tuna tataki and spinach gomaee and it was definitely a habit that will be hard to break.

There are other Kadoya special roll winners and must-tries. The Sakura roll with its chopped scallop and the Spider roll which has more than just the usual soft shell crab are also on my list. I have never tried their regular sushi but why would I? Offering these one of a kind rolls makes Kadoya a special place but you have to come early for dinner or line up. This tiny restaurant decorated with "I love Kadoya" written by their customers from all over the world fills up in a blink of an eye. The price is also good, definitely worth it for the portion and the quality. The service may be inconsistent depending if you a get a friendly or a bitchy PMSing server but all will be forgiven once you have piece of their Canucks roll -- works for me.

* picture stolen from dineouthere.com

Cuckoo for Chicken Wings

Phnom Penh
Vietnamese-Cambodian Cuisine
244 Georgia Street East
Vancouver, BC
V6A 1Z7 Canada
ph: (604) 734-8898

Venturing out to the bowels of Chinatown at night without a car is an ordeal. Being in a dark alley with shady people lurking in the shadows, you don't know if it's instinct or paranoia that drives you to walk at a speed of light. You're just hoping to get to the place of redemption: the bus stop, but once you're there, you find yourself cursing under your breath hoping to see that bright yellow "15 Downtown" light -- this is what you have to go through for a plate of Phnom Pehn chicken wings. Is it worth it? Every bite.

Phnom Pehn is a Vietnamese-Cambodian restaurant with a menu so long it reminded me of a karaoke song book where there is a numerical equivalent for every dish, "I will have #35, please, thank you". The service is fast but if you come at the restaurant's peak hours then you might be one of those unlucky ones waiting in line for a table watching people eagerly clean up their plates. Thankfully, they accept reservations but if you don't feel like calling, consider going for an early dinner preferably before 7 pm. The restaurant is clean and straight-to-the-point without any fancy shmancy interiors. It has four white walls, tables and chairs, a kitchen plus staff and it's good to go. You go there for the food, not for the ambiance. It's not exactly a date place unless your idea of a romantic dinner is watching your date accumulate chicken grease on her fingers. The price is a little more than the usual Vietnamese restaurant but it makes up for the serving.

If you have a more exotic palate and love carpaccio, I highly recommend the butter beef. It's a dish of thinly sliced half-cooked strips of beef swimming in a vinegar-garlic-cilantro concoction so good that I didn't mind the pinkness and the texture. Of course you can never skip the chicken wings if you visit this place, unless you are a vegetarian. It is by far one of the crunchiest and tastiest chicken wings I have ever put in my mouth. You just find yourself savouring it, wing after wing even without dipping it in the tangy lemon-pepper sauce. There are a lot of other interesting dishes on the menu from the more popular Vietnamese dishes like the lemon grass chicken and spring rolls which is also good but not exemptionally the best compared to the hundreds of other amazing Vietnemese hole-in-the-wall restaurants but Phnom Penh also have unusual dishes of deep fried frog legs which the other restaurants don't offer. Remember, you have a whole lot of variety in this menu to explore, go crazy!

* picture stolen from The Daily Kimchi -Korea Blog

Que Rico

Cobre Nuevo Latino

Latin Fusion Cuisine

52 Powell St.

Vancouver, BC

V6A 1E7 Canada

Ph: (604) 669-2396

I always make a mental note to keep my ears open for fresh, new restaurants that are creating a buzz in the area and somewhere, I'm not sure exactly where, I have heard about Cobre Nuevo Latino. Mostly, hyped up restaurants have a lot to live up to but stepping into this modern Latin-fusion restaurant already made me a little less skeptical.

Cobre Nuevo Latino is actually almost a year old situated in the now trendy Gastown where new restaurants are mushrooming in every nook and cranny of its cobblestone alleyways. Their space is small but it was stylish as it was cozy. The brick wall in the restaurant gives a "warm blanket" feel while the sleek wooden tables give a modern touch to the setting. It was a very nice mix of hipness and comfort.

Upon ascending the stairway, we were warmly greeted, seated and our server came immediately. We were waiting for a couple more friends and ordered the corn bread with the spicy butter and I had a glass of Rose wine. The corn bread had an interesting flavour and the butter was good but I like my spicy with a nice kick and it was lacking a little of that. We were enjoying the bread when my friends finally came as well as a bunch of other people as we were noticing the place filling up very quickly. The restaurant was already getting busy but our server still took his time giving us a run through of the menu and gave us suggestions and an introduction to the more popular dishes. After some debating, we opted for the scallop ceviche, goat cheese empanada with eggplant, wild prawns with corn arepas, duck taquitos and the flat iron steak.

It was either the interesting conversation we were having or the quick service which made it seem like minutes when our scallop ceviche arrived. It was nicely presented although the quantity was very small. The flavours were very light, it was good ceviche but it had no "wow" factor. Our next dish though made us forget everything about our scallop ceviche. The goat cheese empanada came right after the first dish, and it was one of the best empanadas I ever had. The crust was thin but it gave a nice crunch to the very tasty goat-cheese-eggplant medley and the red pepper salsa contributed a nice tang to the flavours as well a good contrast on my tongue, it was warm-empanada-meet-cold-salsa combination.

I was still raving about how good it was was when our second dish came, once again with perfect timing. The prawns alone were already good but adding the corn arepas with the creamy, cheesy centre was a knock-out. The combination was amazing. I had a different idea though what an arepa was since my Venezuelan coworker made us batches of fresh arepas a few times and it was a bit different, less bread-like and but I have to say, I really liked Cobre's. When the next dish came, I was a bit hesitant, I am not a duck fan. Duck is like lamb for me, it's a hit-or-miss. If you have a bad duck dish, you're stuck with an aftertaste so intense that will linger in your mouth until the next day but I have to say, Cobre converted me with their duck taquitos. Maybe it was the cilantro that gave it a fresh taste but there was definitely no bad aftertaste, instead there was that duck flavour that was prominent but not over-whelming, ask your server for a slice of lemon and you'll love it even more.

My taste buds were already satisfied that I wasn't even thinking about our last dish, the flat iron steak which came with a heaping serving of crisp sweet potato chips drenched in chipotle sauce. The steak was tender and the sauce to match it had that perfect smoky chipotle flavour and together, it was phenomenal and adding a genenerous amount of sweet crunchy chips just made this dish beyond phenomenal.

We didn't end our little rendezous with Cobre with the steak. Although full, we had to see their dessert menu and we had to give in to their dark chocolate souffle and dulce de leche. Forget the calories, you should indulge yourself once in awhile and these desserts will make you say "Oh my god!" on the first bite. The souffle had a side of warm, crunchy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside churros which was perfect for dunking in that rich chocolatey souffle centre. This dessert is great especially if you don't like anything too sweet. The dulce de leche on the other hand was an experience on its own. It was light and creamy and just a dulce as it should be. The berries were a good touch and it meshed well with every dulce de leche bite. Every bit was just perfection.

You'll know if you've found a gem of a place when you tell your friends, coworkers, random people about it and we did find ourselves spreading our love for this restaurant and are shamelessly getting into that Cobre hype. We are definitely going back for more and maybe try that albacore tuna ceviche I have heard about and hoping that our next experience will be as good as the first, hopefully even better.

*picture stolen from Vancouver Courier News / dinning

In Curry Heaven

Vij's Restaurant
Indian Cuisine
1480 11th Avenue West
Vancouver, BC
V6H 1L1 Canada
(604) 736-6664

I always believe that Indian cuisine is for the more adventurous palate. It's not as daring as eating blood porridge or cow's tongue in mushroom sauce but I have seen people being hesitant in taking morsels of palak paneer in their mouth. I think it's more of the "journey to the unknown" is what scares people the most. My mom and my sister on the other hand claims that the overwhelming scent of the spices turn them off and for this reason they can't even set foot in an Indian restaurant. I tried to convince them though to take that first bite because I know that if they do, it would completely change their mind. As for me, I have immersed myself in the wonderful world of Indian cuisine. I am a big fan of the spices and anything that would take my senses to that world of exoticism. I am looking for that experience and Vij's world renowned dishes has that reputation.

Vij's had taken the crown as the best Indian restaurant in Vancouver but I have been told that it is also the best in North America. There's only one tiny glitch: the horrendous line-ups. Oh well, there is no perfect world. Also, to try the best, you also have to pay good money but that didn't stop us and a hundred of other regular customers or first-timers like me to head down to South Granville to confirm this claim.

For my first Vij's experience, we came prepared, enough cash to blow and a time schedule. Unfortunately, due to the untimely snow fall, we had to sit through traffic and lost precious minutes and sure enough there was a line-up when we got to the restaurant. Vij himself greeted us at the door but we weren't lucky enough to make the early bird cut and had to wait for an hour and 30 minutes. Being first on the list, my friend and I just shrugged it off and made our way to the lounge.

The lounge was very cozy and well-decorated, like the rest of the restaurant. It is modern and yet there is that feeling of ethnicity. As soon as we sat down, the server immediately offered us appetizers. Having to wait for hours, the appetizers surely made it less torcherous to be surrounded with mouth-watering aroma. An added bonus, you also get to mingle with the rest of the anxious customers and hear their stories of why they were there squished in the lounge with you. The appetizers were unforgettable and the fresh taste of the cracker with the mung bean salad topping took the cake for me. We had this spiced mango and rum cocktail called Dark Army, it was an interesting mix although the spice overshadowed the taste of the mango which I was actually looking for when I took my first sip. The servers at the lounge served us well, we had an abundant supply of appetizers which I had to refuse after a few rounds. I didn't want to get too full for the main course.

After an hour of wait, we were eventually seated and the sever took care of us right away. We knew what we wanted: the paneer appetizer, ling cod in tomato curry sauce and the ever famous lamb popsicle. I couldn't help but notice the classy but ethnic kitchen ware, which added a special touch to to the dining experience. The owner also came by our table a few times to check up on us which made our Vij's experience more intimate.

It felt like 5 minutes when our paneer appetizer came and my friend and I attacked it like we haven't eaten in months. Very flavourful. The tamarind curry sauce complimented the paneer and eggplant and there is a nice spicy kick to it, not too hot but enough to savour the dish. The lamb popsicle arrived with a bowl of basmati rice and a new batch of naan. First bite and it is confirmed. Vij's does derserve to be the best Indian Restaurant. This dish had every right to be famous. The lamb was very tender and the creamy sauce was so decadently delicious. Our ling cod arrived very shortly and it was delicious as well, the cod melts in your mouth and the smoky taste of the grilled green beans was just to die for. I was too caught up with the creamy sauce though that I was just mixing it with the cod dish. I was in curry heaven. We polished every dish and did it with a smile and though we barely had room for dessert, I convinced my friend that we should try the mango kulfi. It was a perfect end to a perfect meal. The kulfi was light and delicately sweet, just enough to make the curry aftertaste disappear. I have to admit that receiving our bill did make our smiles fade a little but it was well worth it. It wasn't the price that made me feel a bit of a pang of guilty pleasure but it was the guilt of eating too much that lingered in me a little.

*picture stolen from viewauckland.co/nz