js' food blog

India Gate - Do Not Enter

2009-03-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

One day when J and I were starving at work, we had a craving for some butter chicken. The place closest to where we were was India Gate on Robson and Granville. We ordered the dish to go so that we could eat it at work. First of all, the butter chicken was $17. The person on the phone never informed us of the price when we ordered it. Personally, I think this is a pretty outrageous price for butter chicken from a mediocre looking restaurant. Anyways, when we were at work and opened the package, we found that the bread had hair on it. Well... into the garbage that went. We opened the naan that we ordered and it was half burnt! Alright... not impressed... but we still haven't tried this $17 butter chicken yet. I open the package containing the butter chicken and there is literally a thick layer of orange grease on top of it. Well, I'm starving here, so I start eating this anyways with the soggy rice that they provided to go with the chicken. Partway through, I could literally feel my stomach disagree with the food. I stop eating. (I'm still hungry!) I spend the rest of the night hungry but bloated, and with a stomach ache because of this overpriced butter chicken from India Gate. So think of my story as a lesson. Do not eat food that looks disagreeable, no matter how hungry you are. Do not go to India Gate! :(

the whip gallery restaurant

2008-11-15T11:47:00.000-08:00

This week, S and I paid a visit to the Whip Gallery Restaurant on Main and E. 6th. We walked in and it looked to be pretty busy. We were told that it'd be a 15-20 minute wait for a table for two but we were welcome to sit at the bar until a table became available.

The decor and vibe reminds me vaguely of a saloon from the Old West. It features wooden beams with funky artwork adorning the walls, and plays retro music that gives the place a laidback feel. It also has an upstairs dining area and an outdoor seating area that was closed on the day we went.

I got the blueberry cocktail which consisted of Stoli blueberry vodka, blue curacao, and a few other things in it. Soda, I think? S declined on ordering a drink. This was pretty good. Not too strong and not too sweet.

Our food took about 10-15 minutes to arrive, which is a pretty normal wait time in a restaurant. We decided to just eat at the bar instead of switching to a table midway through eating. The bartender seemed busy but wasn't inattentive. The service was ok, nothing spectacular but just pretty standard.

S and I ordered the duo dip which is described as hummus and warm Mediterrean served with pita and chips, which doesn't sound quite right. Warm Mediterrean? Huh? The hummus tasted overwhelmingly of refried beans. I detest refried beans. I don't even like beans that much except in my chili. The other dip was much better.

Since, S has been craving nachos lately, we grabbed a plate of nachos there, as well. The menu description is "aged mixed cheddar, tomatoes, olives, and chili peppers topped over our house fried tortillas, drizzled w/our house made avocado cream sauce and sour cream and served with a side of our house made salsa." There was an option to add chicken or beef to the plate. We opted to add beef to our nachos. These were not bad and loaded with toppings but the house made salsa fell a little flat for me. It was very mild and had no kick whatsoever which was fine with S.

Our last dish was the smoked salmon wrap that came with a choice of soup, salad, or fries. S picked the salad for our side which turned out to be a poor choice. The salad consisted of greens, a cherry tomato or two, 2 thick cucumber slices, and the whisper of a very weakly flavoured vinaigrette. The salmon wrap had thick slices of onion, too much for both mine and S' liking. On the whole, the wrap was just very disappointing. S left most of her half untouched and I finished 2/3s only because I was so hungry and picked at the tortilla left on the rest of my wrap.

I'd pass on trying any of the other lunch or dinner dishes again at the Whip but they do have a brunch menu that could be more satisfying but I guess we'll have to wait and see. This place had some pretty good reviews especially after having changed owners and being renovated, but I find that on my part, that the Whip, failed to live up to the good reviews it generated. There's definitely room for improvement, food-wise but as for the drinks, seems like it outshines the food. The Whip has been written up in the Vancouver Sun and lauded in the Vancouver Sun, City Food, and Vancouver magazine as the best local brewpub.

Anyone that has tried the Whip and liked it, please comment and tell us what dishes we should have tried instead.

Note: We did take photos on my cell phone but the computer I have my phone program installed on to upload the photos is currently not available to use so, I will upload the photos whenever that computer is working again or I find the cd with that software program on it. Hopefully, sooner rather than later.

No More Nachos :(

2008-11-06T16:22:00.000-08:00

Previously when I was craving nachos, I would always go to Red Robins and order their Macho Nachos. That single plate definitely had enough nachos to fulfill my cravings for the next few months. Unfortunately, when J and I went to fulfill my craving today, we discovered that it was taken off the menu! We ended up getting the spinach dip and poutine instead. They were definitely not suitable substitutes for my nachos craving. I'm disappointed, Red Robins!

Trick or Treat!

2008-10-31T10:05:00.000-07:00

What's one of your favourite treats?

We have a fridge full of Bueno. :) They're especially yummy when cold because the center hardens a tad, but melts as soon as you pop it in your mouth. yum! Happy Halloween!

Cookies!

2008-10-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

I like to bake sometimes. :) The sparkly cookies with the kisses and hugs on top turned out the best. Here's the recipe.

http://photos-a.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v347/238/80/502610982/n502610982_1401984_2577.jpg

(I used more nutella than the recipe recommended and shortened the baking time so that the cookies would be softer.)

taste of yaletown

2008-10-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

Taste of Yaletown runs from Oct. 14-26. Participating restaurants will offer special 3 course tastings menus at $25, $35 or $45. A portion of the proceeds raised from each restaurant will be donated to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.

http://www.yaletowninfo.com/events/toy.aspx

closed

2008-10-14T11:32:00.001-07:00

Congee Noodle House on Broadway and Main has closed =( I went with 2 friends to get a bite after I finished a class around 9:30 on a Wednesday, and there isn't a lot to choose from since those 2 hate going downtown because they find it to be a hassle, but I picked this place and we found it with the lights off and newspapers covering the windows.

reading list

2008-10-07T13:09:00.000-07:00

alone in the kitchen with an eggplant - jenni ferrari-adler
no reservations - anthony bourdain
kitchen confidential - anthony bourdain
secret ingredients: the new yorker book of food and drink
the fortune cookie chronicles: adventures in the world of chinese food - jennifer 8 lee
the omnivore's dilemma: a natural history of four meals - michael pollan
the billionaire's vinegar: the mystery of the world's most expensive bottle of wine - benjamin wallace
i'm just here for the food: version 2.0 - alton brown
my life in france - julia child, alex prud'homme
culinary artistry - andrew dornenburg, karen page
wild, wild east: recipes and stories from vietnam - bobby chinn, jason lowe
roadfood: the coast-to-coast guide to 700 of the best barbecue joints, lobster shacks, ice cream parlors, highway diners, and much, much more - jane stern, michael stern

i wonder what i should add to this list

how to eat sushi

2008-10-03T15:37:00.001-07:00

http://www.sushifaq.com/howtoeatsushi-etiquette.htm

yew restaurant+bar at the four seasons hotel

2008-09-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

Last friday night, S and I checked out yew restaurant+bar at the Four Seasons hotel. The place is gorgeous. Simple, elegant, and modern. A dramatic change from when it was the Garden Terrace restaurant.

The service is attentive without being intrusive, and very professional.

Now on to the good part, the food. They started us off with a basket of bread and interesting looking breadsticks. I liked the breadsticks. S said they weren't bad but they'd be just something for her to chew on while bored and watching tv. The bread was nice and light.

We ordered a sampling of a bunch of appetizers. Although, they don't look so appetizing in this photo, unfortunately but trust me, the photo doesn't do these justice and the way they tasted was much better then my photography skills for this particular shot.

In the front on the left, is the scallops, citrus and coriander ceviche. To the right, the octopus grilled with saffron and chili. In the back on the left, is tuna tartare, bosc pear and nicoise olive. On the right, poached lobster in a creamy almond vinaigrette.

The scallops were my favorite. It was light, clean, and refreshing. The citrus taste highlighted the flavor of the scallops very nicely. We had mixed feelings about the octopus. I don't think I was digging the saffron with the octopus and we didn't taste much of a chili flavor. I liked the tuna but it wasn't anything too special. The poached lobster was another winner, though. That one was S' favorite. The lobster was perfectly cooked and the almond vinaigrette was creamy but not thick, which was good.

S and I ordered 2 other dishes: the carnaroli risotto with morel mushrooms and spring peas, and the crispy polderside duck with ricotta gnocchi, fava beans, and sweet and sour sauce. We shared both of them.

Again, apologies for the terrible pictures. The risotto was slightly undercooked. It was a bit hard in the middle but, I guess, what you can say for it is that it wasn't terribly overcooked to the point of being mushy. It wasn't that bad, though.

The duck was cooked medium rare. S said she liked it but would have liked it even better if it had been cooked for a little longer to bring out the flavor. I liked it the way it was, though. I like my meat bloody. I like my steak pretty rare. My whole family eats it that way too. I wasn't into the greens that much. And I'm not too sure how I felt about the gnocchi, which I think, were pan fried. I liked the little pieces of oranges in the sweet and sour sauce, though. And, I usually hate beans but I liked the fava beans.

S and I looked over the dessert offerings and decided nothing looked tempting enough for us to order something. We asked for the bill and were brought these little things with them. I don't really know what to call them, evidently, by me calling them "little things" for lack of a better term. I think those were nuts covered in powdered sugar or cocoa powder and the ones in the middle were chocolates with kahlua or bailey's in them.

Overall, I enjoyed it and would go back to try different things. Kind of expected a little bit more but it was still pretty good.

Oh, and the dishes ranged from about $10-40.

Downtown Quick Bites

2008-09-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

J and I work downtown. Day after day, we go through the dilemma of "what to eat for lunch?" Here are some of our favourite quick bites:

Japa Dogs! If you have ever walked down the corner of Burrard and Smithe, you have probably caught a whiff of the scent of hot dogs. These, however, are no ordinary hot dogs. They are... Japadogs! They serve hot dogs covered with dry seaweed, wasabi mayo, and different assortments of Japanese ingredients. My favourite is definitely the Terimayo. It's served with seaweed, fried onions, and a variety of condiments.

For quick, inexpensive, decent sushi, try The Bay Sushi Cafe. You should try the dynamite rolls. It has crab meat, cucumbers, and two pieces of prawn tempura. It's like an ultra dynamite roll! They also always have daily specials that are well worth it. If you wonder about what your food is going to turn out looking like, they have pictures of their selection plastered throughout the whole cafe. They are located across from the Bay on Seymour St, between Dunsmuir and Georgia.

Walk down the corner of Granville and Robson and you'll find a lineup at the Babylon Cafe. They're famous for their delicious shawarma. The service there is usually more than friendly and their wraps are definitely worth the wait. The only thing I don't recommend trying there is the falafel. They tend to make them fairly dry and tasteless.

straight goods

2008-09-05T12:16:00.001-07:00

Another straight goods. Be sure to check out Davie Day this saturday and this weekend is your last chance to visit the Chinatown night market.

http://straight.com/article-160071/eight-food-dining-events

Kissy Cupcakes

2008-09-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

These are the first cupcakes that J and I have made together. They are chocolate cupcakes with a hershey kiss on top, AND one in the middle! I know that they look kind of like cartoon poop, but I swear that they are delicious.

Here's the recipe!
http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipes/detail.asp?id=3389&page=6&per=10&category_id=13

mmm... Starbucks Green Tea Frap

2008-09-02T16:44:00.001-07:00

Lately, J and I have had quite the obsession with Starbucks. We get a variation of the Green Tea Frap. My cousin who used to work at Starbucks recommended it to me. I feel like the biggest ass whenever I order it, but this version is significantly better. It's "a tall green tea frap, with half classic syrup (no melon), an extra scoop of matcha, and extra whip."
Try it! :)

Edit.// S still hasn't gotten around to getting her own gmail account yet so sometimes it's me, sometimes it's her when it says posted by J. And to the coffee aficionados who oppose Starbucks because "they have low quality beans" or "they burn their coffee beans", I say, I don't agree or disagree because I don't really drink coffee that much so don't know enough about it to have an opinion on it. My aunt and uncle who are more knowledgeable about coffee (my aunt even owns a coffee shop) than I am recommend JJ Bean's, a local coffee chain. I do enjoy their coffee drinks, though, such as their blended fraps, or green tea lemonade, stuff like that. Having a caramel frap or green tea frap makes me and S able to tolerate being at work.

the Eatery

2008-09-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

S and I went to True Confections yesterday, the one on Broadway and Alma. Sooooo far but S really wanted to go to that one because she was craving her favorite dessert, their lemon berry tart and she said the one on Denman isn't as good as the one on Broadway. After we had dessert, we walked to the Eatery which was a block or two away because I hadn't had dinner and was feeling a bit peckish.

Now, we've been to the Eatery a few times before, I even had my birthday dinner there last year. Bit expensive for the rolls but the rolls are creative and inventive, as are the drinks, and has a funky, fun atmosphere, so it is a good place to host a birthday dinner. And for people who don't enjoy sushi rolls, there are plenty of other items on the menu.

We walk in, get seated, and wait for, at the very least, 15 minutes while the waitress takes her sweet ass time. I've worked at a restaurant before. I worked at a bunch for 2, almost 3 years so I know good service. They're supposed to greet you, at least within the first 5 minutes, just come by your table and say hi, ask if you want some water or something to drink, whatever and if you're not ready to order yet, tell them you'll be back in a few minutes when you've decided on what you're gonna eat.

This did not happen. At least, 15 minutes passed and we kept trying to get the attention of a waitress, there was at least 5 girls there working, I don't know which ones were just hostesses or waitresses or whether they were hostess/waitresses, but the girls were busy talking to each other or they'd just walk right past us.

Finally, one of the waitresses deigned to stop by our table and grace us with her presence and we got to order. We ordered 2 rolls: the dragon roll and the charlie tuna rolls. The rolls arrived after at about 15 minutes and I don't think it should have taken nearly that long.

It took us another 10 minutes to flag down a waitress to bring us our bill. I had my hand up and one of the girls who was working there was standing in front of the bar talking to one of the other girls, looked right at me but yet didn't go ask one of the waitresses to come to our table.

We were so ticked that we left 70 cents as a tip on a bill that was around 14 dollars. Now, that's bad considering S and I always tip at the very least 15 percent. It'll be a while before S and I return to the Eatery and when we do, the service better have improved or that'll be the last time we go.

http://theeatery.ca/

straight goods

2008-09-01T13:40:00.000-07:00

I love the straight goods. Highlights include: dine italia which gives u a deal on italian food at various participating restaurants and the $17 summer special at JJ's Fine Dining at VCC.

http://straight.com/article-159213/six-food-dining-events

Taiwanfest!!

2008-08-30T14:46:00.000-07:00

Taiwanfest runs from August 30-September 1st.

http://straight.com/article-159216/tasty-snacks-go-well-taiwanfest-fun?rotator=1

recipe

2008-08-26T23:15:00.001-07:00

My aunt made this cake for my sister's birthday. White chocolate cake with lemon curd and raspberries. Mmm. Too bad I don't have a picture of this....right now. I'll look for one.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/LEMON-LATTICE-WHITE-CHOCOLATE-CAKE-1157

sushi experiment

2008-08-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/08/22/sushi.dna/index.html

Powell Street Festival

2008-07-25T17:27:00.000-07:00

This japanese culture festival is coming up August 2-3 at Oppenheimer Park (400 block of Powell St.).

Feeling brazilian?

2008-07-25T17:20:00.000-07:00

A list of perfect summer cocktails wouldn't be complete without a recipe for caipirinhas!

http://straight.com/article-154664/killer-brazilian-cocktails-shake-afternoon

Say no to 24 hour pho

2008-07-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

If anyone reads magazines or newspapers like the Georgia Straight and Vancouver Lifestyle magazine, especially their dining sections, generally, it's good but when it comes to Vietnamese food, they don't really know they're talking about. Listed under Vietnamese in VLM was Pho Hoang on Main St. That place is not good and the service was slow and indifferent. Granted, when you go for pho, you don't usually go for the great service and atmosphere but when you've worked in a restaurant before, you're less likely to want to put up with it. Pho Hoang is on par with 24 hour pho places like restaurants from the Pho Hoa chain (definitely to be avoided), and Golden Train on Kingsway near the London Drugs kind of close to Joyce.

The soup broth at Golden Train on Kingsway is spicy. The basic soup broth shouldn't be spicy when it first arrives at your table. The only time it should be spicy is if you order bun bo hue or if you've already added hot sauce and peppers into your soup.

And under no circumstances, go for pho or Vietnamese food in downtown. Saigon Vietnamese Cuisine on Robson St. is not to be visited. They just don't know how to make Vietnamese food properly. Also, usually in downtown, Vietnamese food is pricier there than at any other restaurants in Vancouver, because they're catering to tourists/Caucasians. So, if you're craving Vietnamese food and you're in downtown, look elsewhere.

The places S and I like are: Thai Son (373 E. Broadway), Le Do (2292 E. Hastings St.), Bao Chau (2717 E. HastingsSt.), and Ba Le (21-701 Kingsway). Thai Son is known for their broken rice dishes. It's a must try if you visit! Le Do is all around good. Bao Chau boasts their specialty as spring rolls and they're right. Ba Le offers delicious Vietnamese sub sandwiches.

Mmm...fries

2008-06-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

S and I hit this french fry joint on 718 Davie St. yesterday night after she finished work because we've heard good things about this place. We decided the raves were justified after trying the poutine there. We shared just one because we both weren't too hungry but just wanted a small snack. The fries were crisp, not soggy and light instead of dripping in oil like it does from some places. The gravy was tasty, not too thick and the cheese curds were generous. It was good but next time we go back, we'll try something different.

Useful tips from Real Simple

2008-06-28T13:57:00.000-07:00

Healthy food pairings; food that's healthier together than separately and the ones that arent.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/diet.fitness/06/27/rs.food.pairings/index.html

Useful kitchen gadgets

http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/gallery/0,21863,1141036,00.html?xid=cnngad?cnn=yes

New functions for rarely used appliances

http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/gallery/0,21863,1087135,00.html

http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/content/food/0,21770,1087254,00.html

Guilt-free Fish and Chips

2008-06-24T13:31:00.000-07:00

Concession stands on public beaches in Vancouver now serve up Ocean Wise-approved deep fried fish, meaning they only sell sustainably caught Pacific cod, so you can enjoy your fish and chips with your conscience clear.

http://straight.com/article-150187/concessions-fry-guiltfree-cod-and-chips

Eco-friendly Alcohol?

2008-06-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

Looks like the green craze has spread to even our alcohol. We now have organic vodka.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/06/11/organic.cocktails.ap/index.html

Beard Papa!!!

2008-06-20T19:38:00.000-07:00

Beard Papa, famous for its' light, sweet but not too sweet cream puffs, first made in Japan, now has its' first store in downtown Vancouver on Denman St., right next to Marble Slab Creamery, close to English Bay. The first store in BC, opened up in Richmond, awhile ago but this is way more convenient and S and I can't wait to make our first visit (of many, probably) today.

Edit...So, we went to the store yesterday after 9 cuz S had work until then and by the time, we got there, they were all out! We were so disappointed cuz we were looking forward to it since yesterday morning. I ended up going with our friend today and S grabbed her best friend to go w/her during her break from work today. Tried the chocolate. It's alright, not as good as the vanilla one though. I think the strawberry and green tea flavors will probably taste better, hopefully.

We <3 Izakayas

2008-06-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite types of restaurants is Izakayas, which are kind of like Japanese tapas bars. Lots of little dishes, different and interesting flavours, all creatively put together. We can't get enough of them. Our favorites, so far, have got to be Kingyo on 871 Denman St. and Kitanoya Guu with Otokomae in Gastown on 103-375 Water St.

There are 4 in the Guu family: one on Thurlow and Robson, another one on Robson and Bidwell, the third called Guu Sushi in Aberdeen Centre in Richmond, and the last one on Water St in Gastown. Each have different specialties, so don't expect to be able to order the same thing at each of the Guus. All 4 have different menus with only a few similar items.

Recently we took our fellow blogger, Sunny, to Guu for his first time. We started off with drinks. Love the drinks list there. There's sake, shochu (Japanese vodka), wine, beer for those who drink it, martinis, and creative cocktails. For this visit, Sunny had the "Diva" which consists of cassis, peach schnapps, calpico, guava juice, and red wine. , Serena had an "Aurora" (blue curacao, pomegranate, and lychee juice), and a glass of the "pink pearl jump" (malibu, pomegranate, aloe vera juice, 7up, and lychee flavour ice balls) for me. The Matcha Coco is definitely one to try, if you're a fan of green tea. As for the martinis, the Yaletown Rose-tini is quite nice. All the martinis are named after local areas which gives a cute touch. Beer, wine, and the harder stuff, I can't really tell you about, since we haven't really tried it, but your friendly server can probably guide you through those choices.

Diva, Aurora, Pink Pearl Jump

The Matcha Coco

We started with the Tuna Tataki. Seared tuna on a bed of daikon?, seaweed, and sprinkled with green onions and garlic? Delicious. Something me and Serena get every time we come.

Next, was the Deep Fried Brie with mango sauce. Has a nice crunch to it and the contrasting flavors work well together.

After, we had the Maguro with Five Color Sauce. Tuna with avocado and seaweed, crowned with crispy wonton pieces and sprouts, served with 5 different sauces, one of them being wasabi mayo, I'm guessing. Love the presentation. We recommend this as well =)

Up next, was the Deep Fried Tofu? Actually, I'm not too sure what it is. I'll find out on our next return visit to Guu. We ordered it off the feature menu. Decent but not something I'd order again.

The Kimchi Bibimbap. Mixed vegetables and meat over rice with hot sauce served in a hot stone bowl. Sooo gooood and you can tell it's straight out of the kitchen because of the steam rising from it in the photo. It would've made for a better picture before it was mixed but oh well. Especially love when the rice gets crunchy in the sides of the bowl.

Last, was a Clam Chowder-casserole like dish, topped with cheese and garnished with grape tomatoes. Loved the tomatoes. Again, it was an item on the feature menu and decent but probably wouldn't order it again. Not a new favorite.

The verdict? Friendly, attentive, and prompt service! More dishes are a hit rather than a miss, and are reasonable priced. Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends, because it gets pretty busy. Definitely rates many return visits. The feature menu gets changed every so often, so it's a good idea to check back when new items appear. Ooh, and the food comes out pretty fast, so you never have to wait long for your order to come out of the kitchen.

4/5 stars for the food
4/5 stars for service

http://guu-izakaya.com/