tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52063423694200399362024-02-02T14:13:43.062-08:00Average Palate, a blog about Vancouver dining, deals, recipes, and food & cooking scienceJ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-82178158291858204752010-07-01T21:49:00.000-07:002010-07-01T21:54:11.075-07:00Seasoning foodI read a <a href="http://thestonesoup.com/blog/2010/06/the-absolute-beginners-guide-to-the-art-of-seasoning-5-ingredients-10-minutes/">nice article about using salt and pepper properly</a> recently. I know this is one area that I've had trouble with (still do actually) and I know I'm not alone in that respect.<br /><br />Seasoning is tricky because there's no hard rule you can follow and it can essentially make or break a dish. The simple answering is to taste as you go. It's true that tastes vary significantly, but cook to please yourself :).<br /><br />I like to think of it as a culinary titration.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-82559000006822597742010-06-19T12:00:00.000-07:002010-06-19T12:23:53.877-07:00My little hiatus & Yummy Vancouver, a food & drink search engine side projectHey everyone,<br /><br />Lack of updates recently, mainly due to me being sick for the past three weeks. I've also been busy with a lot of non-food related stuff.<br /><br />On a more food related matter, I've been working a little project called <a href="http://www.yummyvancouver.com/">Yummy Vancouver. It's a custom google search engine designed to search through local food blogs and websites</a> (like dinehere, tasteof604, etc). With some help and ingenuity, I managed to include all the (mostly relevant) discussion topics from the British Columbia and Western Canada topics of both Chowhound and eGullet.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcQ2q5c4FeN2BIEz82MyzikDhorahZAGr0vELrSJ_pIRM4zKJpXw-R40GVgGW9wJ0sMlgROy2tffRxFyk8-3F87wFv1PctH2JKESg7m8u_6rmzd9uA4MpVp7kaPWTY1z1ZptjHhTpSCpB/" alt="Yummy Vancouver, a food & drink search engine for Vancouver, BC"><br /><br />There are a lot of great resources on all things food & drink in Metro Vancouver, but you often have to know where to look. I thought that by compiling a database of these resources, the result would be a more focused alternative to simply using google. Anyway, try it out and let me know how it works for you!<br /><br /><a href=" http://www.yummyvancouver.com/">http://www.yummyvancouver.com/</a><br /><br />If any food/drink blog or website owner wishes to be apart of the database, leave a comment here. Read the "About" section on the Yummy Vancouver website though!<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />The Average PalateJ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-26347492319314855402010-05-28T11:31:00.000-07:002010-06-03T17:28:09.467-07:00BC Spot Prawns - a sustainable choice<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBuLnuAlb9h1GG4BRevxLuChmrDOgUDgWuGaUiNURHZykuAwmGu8JK0SpCGu01CWGRMLap_Gy6pQbmiLjVu4bYC7FTVzIgw00i7GnC4GoRlzcPr5o9djy03CTyq44_bQhrtezOhVwcOoT/" alt="BC Spot Prawns" height="442" width="640" /><br /><br />Spot prawn (<span style="font-style: italic;">Pandalus platyceros</span>) season started here early in the month so by now, you should be able to get a good deal at any local supermarket. I've found them for around $8 dollars at T&T and other Asian markets. They are also available at the <a href="http://www.falsecreek.com/fishforsale.html">False Creek Fisherman's Wharf</a>, but at a premium. Supposedly you'll get fresher and bigger specimens, but I've never compared.<br /><br />As food, spot prawns have a prominent sweet note with an interestingly firm texture. When cooking them, I tend to keep it simple. Most of the time, I steam or boil them plain just until the tails turn white. Occasionally, I will cook them with garlic and cooking wine or dip them in a lemon pepper mixture. The key is to not overpower the natural flavours of the shrimp.<br /><br />My favourite part to eat has always been the "head". Anatomically, that part of the prawn contains the hepatopancreas (digestive gland) which is an organ that contains functions similar to the mammalian liver and pancreas. In lobsters and crabs, the hepatopancreas is commonly known as tomalley, the tasty green gooey paste.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoaRAWF_nlRC5onUKsiNeQvppV1_tzVI_U8BM9e8v3xVw-n7sdgv8zEsZnGQYpgIsVMFskTuExG7W9c8pgCL4ipuAo0YdTQuFxixuj9oD_0cQty2W5Jm-aJFiSBkmxjZfF82ByrbarqKZx/" alt="BC Spot Prawns tomalley hepatopancreas anatomy" height="127" width="300" /><br /><br /><u>So, why are they a sustainable choice?</u> <a name='more'></a><br /><br />Populations are tightly monitored and areas may be closed from fishing, hence the short and varying availability of live spot prawns.<br /><br />There are also many restrictions and regulations on the number of licenses, number of traps, size of traps, specimen sizes, etc. A single haul policy allows smaller prawns to find their way out of traps.<br /><br />Undersized and berried (egg bearing) prawns must be released. (Sometimes the prawns I've purchased have eggs though and I have to admit that they tasted good)<br /><br />BC Spot Prawns are caught with traps that minimize bycatch (ie: fewer other things caught). Although habitat damage does happen when the traps bounce around on fragile corals and sponges, the impact is relatively low overall.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSs9tnb0wGUX8JB-1Ffpqjommk2kOW-ToP5jiHm4gWQ6nmOr_RVqZrxORXsgAeq8RNqWSZHYVqtf9rZ6GoXSiGHu68Omzm6V7pwnP2bmUEL95Om7vqywdKegcq7wG2_lMAxVCT1e1YnMhv/" alt="BC Spot Prawns" height="452" width="640" /><br /><br /><u>Fun facts about spot prawns</u>:<br /><br />90% of commercial catch is frozen and exported to Japan.<br />They start their lives as males and then transform into females during the last 1-2 years of life.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-31076405393716550742010-05-26T18:52:00.001-07:002011-01-21T18:15:05.005-08:00Urban BurgerI had a great burger today at Urban Burger. They happened to have a $5.99 + tax combo, which came with fries, a 16 oz fountain drink, and a basic burger with tomatoes, lettuce and red onion. The place was empty and I hadn't heard about this place before, so I wasn't sure what I was going to get. I did notice that the dining area and kitchen were very clean and organized, which is much appreciated.<br /><br />Urban Burger<br />1067 Davie Street<br />Vancouver, BC V6E 1M5<br />(604) 568-3133<br /><br />Their menu is very small to say the least. Customers have the option of the $5.99 combo, a chicken burger or combo and a veggie burger or combo. Add ons (cheddar, mushrooms, bacon, etc) were $1.00 + tax each. Their milkshake seemed reasonably priced.<br /><br />The burger bun was excellent, lightly toasted on the outside soft on the inside. The patty was on the thinner side of the spectrum, but at $5.99 + tax for a combo, this should be expected. The patty was beautifully browned without being too greasy or dry.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FDEqfF2avd3kYI979soWB0yERXil-kAI2jFLRBZCtRhaSACv5rS22wMRWE77V63Jyn41UNVQWQCRsK-eIKl_DL2Lj-LGVkpTzbW16Uu7hGEisa6VWHxLkPME5oM8LGRuFZfVRcYmZXdN/" alt="Urban Burger on Davie in Vancouver" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />I'm not sure what the sauce was (some fancy mayo), but it was tasty. The lettuce, tomatoes and red onions were noticeably fresh. I added bacon which turned out great, not too crispy and not too soft. Best of all, the burger didn't fall apart on me, which seems like a rarity these days.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-UDwQvlNKNj-3AnJ1lJDEKODzRYx0lcs25tERqajL-xk1RUo3m0HPA7zalH68-8xAL5xredyLuE3B6jvOLmZlXxc-WeyBhVObuAdvMBq-3k5GnWe9s3LjYxKPSFQIH_UxeYwNxK679aI2/" alt="Urban Burger on Davie in Vancouver" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />The fries are fresh cut, which definitely came through in the flavour and texture. The downside to this is that some pieces end up being pretty small. My fries were very lightly salted, which I personally don't mind. It's easy enough to add or ask for more salt if you want it.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96fQJCLP-rGwtrmRbt08UjThOktsN5wHgFTo9HNUMH01fLADoqhlxiqhaYz9k29Jmh-MTGsNnlp4C_IUCpqsFfs3zMYdESa2oKp6cIL98BOCa-3HcSmvauzXDGJTphKxh5mjmJ77zIgV1/" alt="Urban Burger on Davie in Vancouver" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />Overall, I found this to be a fantastic deal for the quality of the food. I'm not sure if the burger combo deal is temporary or permanent, but if it's permanent, I'd definitely come here over Vera's.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/1423392/restaurant/Robson-Street-West-End/Urban-Burger-Vancouver"><img alt="Urban Burger on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1423392/minilink.gif" style="border: medium none; width: 130px; height: 36px;" /></a>J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-8084019339421302222010-05-25T13:03:00.000-07:002010-05-25T13:19:19.687-07:00Mussels in Tomato Broth - What's for Dinner?<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErCyuyLsKPkSyGAkK6TfAzpFzqeZHYvrfjXZzpuPh3up_iChTXXGlRkSRTvVfBmb1sht8iGO2ggH28pR7mUbvZgD95xO_F5-yrqNnCm5ye-pZ4domIMYu3MMD9Nqe2UONks71Jo7yRuDj/" alt="mussels in tomato basil red wine broth" height="439" width="640" /><br /><br />Prepare a broth with the following items and simmer for 5 minutes.<br />~1 cup of crushed tomatoes (fresh or canned)<br />~60 mL to half a cup of red wine, depending on taste<br />1/2 an onion, diced onion (can substitute with onion powder)<br />1 clove garlic, minced (can substitute with garlic powder)<br />1 tablespoon dried basil<br />Juice from a small lemon wedge<br />Salt and pepper to taste<br /><br />Add in ~ 1lb live or frozen mussels and cook until mussels are cooked. If using live mussels, cook until the shells are open and discard any that remain closed. Top with chopped scallions and lemon wedge.<br /><br />Optional: Brown onions and garlic prior to preparing the broth for extra flavour.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-32197824764002323032010-05-22T12:28:00.000-07:002010-05-23T08:12:57.698-07:00Food Bargain Round Up #3<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1CwiK3pJChpdjGnGT6apVsz2fZXO1Si3smsg8mNGX1PLssbqr6A371Z6wHDMv0Va2eB5obwVQuNRMZ8usJYBZWVIHmz212zf6OdnA4ka29-B8dELjZAv6AnoqsLvlq5xaSmGt7h34YXQ/" alt="deals, coupons, freebies, and bargains" height="67" width="346" /><br /><a href="http://www.5react.com/?c=ca">Free Wrigley's 5 React Gum</a>, must have facebook.<br /><br /><a href="https://lifemadedelicious.ca/">Free Multi-Grain Cheerios offer.</a> Click the "Facebook Offer" banner on the site.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Free 1lb of wings</span> at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Wings on Granville</span> from <span style="font-weight: bold;">9am - 6pm</span> on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday May 23rd</span>.<br />1162 Granville St.<br />Vancouver, BC<br />604-682-3473<br /><br /><img src="http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/2684/granvillebday000.jpg" alt="free wings" />J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-67119496413875470862010-05-20T09:48:00.000-07:002010-05-20T13:12:02.262-07:00Why leftovers and reheated foods taste different or offWhile there are tons of foods that can taste good or even better the next day (pizza), many foods suffer from short term storage. Meat is particularly susceptible and can obtain flavours which some characterize as stale, metallic, or cardboard-like. In academic literature and industry, this is called warmed-over flavour (WOF).<br /><br />A fundamental concept to keep in mind is that food is dynamic in its physical and chemical composition, even after cooking. Over time, the chemical make up of a stored food will be different than when it was first cooked.<br /><br />In a nutshell, the chemical changes that occur during food storage are responsible for the staleness in leftovers. There is also water loss, but I'll focus on the chemistry side. Food scientists point to lipid oxidation as the main factor for developing WOF. The typical victims of storaged induced oxidation are lipids found in the outer membrane of cells (phospholipids, sphingolipids, glycolipids). Fat tissues are mainly saturated fats, which are not as suspectible to oxidation.<br /><br />Meats with more unsaturated fat content are more prone to developing WOF.<br /><br />Fish (most likely) <span style="font-weight: bold;">></span> Poultry <span style="font-weight: bold;">></span> Pork <span style="font-weight: bold;">></span> Beef <span style="font-weight: bold;">></span> Lamb (least likely)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><u>So why is meat more likely to develop off flavours compared to other foods?</u></span><br /><br />Meat contains iron embedded proteins. Iron is released from these proteins (hemoglobin and myoglobin) during cooking. This free iron can then speed up (catalyze) lipid oxidation during storage, hence meat is particularly vulnerable to developing that "off" taste. I have created some diagrams to show how lame I can be and for illustration purposes (I guess).<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-wmk8YB_YyEv9AHOIbpV_oqPJPiC01P1Uw1XEJ8JzS_1IN0rUg8jjwjjtWV091L2oBxgd76aHRdtgXRy0FNJjTrANCxXFCt1R8cLGeclmpbRB3yvhSr7U4wyKqmQCpIMSqQEqXdoLn2n/" alt="Iron increases warmed-over flavours in leftovers" height="500" width="376" /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><u>So, how do we minimize these warmed-over flavours?</u></span><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Antioxidants</span> - when present, some of these molecules are oxidized instead of the membrane lipids. Antioxidants, in a sense, sacrifice themselves. Antioxidants are readily found in garlic and in herbs and spices such as basil, rosemary, sage, thyme, etc.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHS0MIzyBLvHZhTyxVrcbaH4R1Gcydh1cHRkwm7_twRW6XcfuJQrqMcr9bukyDrC_OCALdDGF6QFmI67q6QZuhPo3e9QOa4GJ_qJTfRdylvztD65dWlmkoZm3vEdo1SGMvGWz3kxcSs08/" alt="Antioxidants prevent warmed-over flavours in leftovers" height="254" width="547" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Citric Acid</span> - when present, will bind (chelate) metal ions such as iron that contribute to oxidation. Citric acid is abundantly found in citrus fruits like lemons, limes, and oranges.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK16GtP5_6r09TcoSiOeeKPwV5JA79KSet-r19DKI8XDAS5W028BgygjmemChXEwlgBYj07x4uCHKKG5DZ4AFqHJ7_UbkjX7RyiJZZGJXDeTcmErm9al2Jb4VOJdCz5EqMdzdUXtaQA0-k/" alt="Citric acid chelation prevents warmed-over flavours in leftovers" height="284" width="257" /><br /><br />Methods 1 and 2 highlight a not so obvious benefit of marinades, dry rubs, and glazes. Pretty neat, huh?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Limit oxygen and light exposure</span> - keep your fridge dark and remember to wrap and cover containers.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Use a gravy or sauce</span> - this limits oxygen, masks bad flavours, and could contain Maillard reaction products which can also inhibit oxidation.<br /><br /><u>For the scientifically inclined:</u><br /><br />Igene JO, Pearson AM, Dugan LR & Price JF (1980). Role of triglycerides and phospholipids on development of rancidity in model meat systems during frozen storage. Food Chemistry 5(4), 263-276.<br /><br />Pearson AM & Gray JI (1983). Mechanism Responsible for Warmed-Over Flavor in Cooked Meat. In The Maillard Reaction in Foods and Nutrition. American Chemical Society.<br /><br />Trout GR & Dale S (1990). Prevention of warmed-over flavor in cooked beef: effect of phosphate type, phosphate concentration, a lemon juice/phosphate blend, and beef extract. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 38(3), 665-669.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-65997381755399390032010-05-19T03:05:00.000-07:002010-05-19T05:52:11.268-07:00Sunrise Tofu Dessert: Caramel Custard FlavourI found Sunrise flan (crème caramel) flavoured tofu dessert in the fridge the other day, which was a little confusing for me, mainly because I thought this only existed in my head. I never thought my custard tofu idea was a good one, but I was excited nonetheless.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtR4UfjT_l3PG9yE2TeEMtyIxxU8WwNSqGQnKekxjE0-5KzOlNRjG_mXo0JC0fX3WWOWaVBLvojL0rvQqDrEA0J8Nfi5y0rUSPV8u1C6cCd7qM2dt_oF8P4HNo1RpVCKeNCHu451oJGkQB/" alt="Sunrise Tofu Dessert, Flan Caramel Custard Flavour" height="451" width="640" /><br /><br />It basically tasted like tofu dessert with artificial caramel flavours, which actually tasted a bit like real caramel (obviously, it didn't have the depth or complexity). Supermarket flavoured versions of tofu dessert never quite win me over, but this was at least fun to try.<br /><br />Sidenote: Anyone else think that the easy peel corner is not so easy, but rather frustratingly difficult?J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-32485485304579457432010-05-16T03:15:00.000-07:002010-05-16T08:19:05.178-07:00Food Bargain Round Up #2<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1CwiK3pJChpdjGnGT6apVsz2fZXO1Si3smsg8mNGX1PLssbqr6A371Z6wHDMv0Va2eB5obwVQuNRMZ8usJYBZWVIHmz212zf6OdnA4ka29-B8dELjZAv6AnoqsLvlq5xaSmGt7h34YXQ/" alt="deals, coupons, freebies, and bargains" height="67" width="346" /><br /><a href="https://www.allkpass.ca/kashi/freecereal/default.aspx"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Free sample box of Kashi cereal</span>, choice between Toasted Berry Crisp and Honey Almond Flax Flavour.</a>The form still works even though it says it's expired.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.verasburgershack.com/verasClub.html">Subscribe to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Vera's Burger Shack Club</span> (monthly e-newsletter) and get a <span style="font-weight: bold;">free $10 gift certificate on your birthday</span>.</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Free $3/$5 Chapman's Ice Cream Gift Certificate</span> good for any <a href="http://www.chapmans.ca/products.aspx">Chapman's products</a>, available<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>once a year per family. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Email </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="mailto:contactus@chapmans.ca">contactus@chapmans.ca</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> and request a coupon</span>.<br /><a href="https://www.cfandrservices.com/Atkins/"><br />Receive coupons for <span style="font-weight: bold;">2 free Atkins bars</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">$6 in coupons</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">carb counter</span>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">a contest entry to win a get fit kit</span>.</a>J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-89373419167196913092010-05-15T09:00:00.000-07:002010-05-16T11:41:32.424-07:00Forgotten FoodsIn the spirit of nostalgia, I present foods from another time.<br /><br />Jimmy's Chinese Style Beef Jerky used to be ubiquitous around Canada and the US. For that reason, it's surely a part of many of our childhoods. Over 5 years ago, it became impossible to find. A quick google of Jimmy's Fine Food Ltd. gives a relevant phone number (604-254-6616). Sadly, many jerky mourners have called this number, without success, indicating that the company is indeed out of business. I feel sorrow that I'll never get to taste this paper thin treat again, but at least I know I'm not alone.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZn4wwuUx1GV5APu-pfR-myTVnoAoSqECbZSGsRMD7Z4EX4qslyycrarzXmCcL0BeFN_ilvKpAgfOHXBByScx1G5So-QjccNi0HvQxGBWv0_hjJAH_tCV2FA7oeHuH5AZOr1xSlA9rC3Ua/" alt="Jimmy's Chinese Style Beef Jerky" height="426" width="676" /><br /><br />Orbitz is an instantly recognizable drink that was produced by the Clearly Canadian Beverage Corporation. The concept was cool. Surprisingly, the suspended edible balls made the drink look refreshing. Unfortunately, I don't think I've ever tried the product. One thing for sure is that despite whether or not you've tasted it, most people will remember seeing the product at 7-11. If they ever bring it back, I would buy it just to satisfying my childhood urge to drink a lava lamp (I bet you've made the same association).<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ABRf18xVUExwE8olq-79WfmpvRo7256bqS-CaiJNU8aaBZ_MVQL5RDcyYJTKE1nwBshwH723-Kca-QnJAafN_IOLt3hLhdI-lb9hLF6DC-4Rqfd5b0VzWxCKu52CWNKZXSwQrN4GRINp/" alt="Orbitz" height="348" width="390" /><br /><br />The <a href="http://www.clearly.ca/">Clearly Canadian Beverage Corporation</a> also produced a glass bottled flavoured sparkling water. The product was widely available for a time and then fell out of popularity. While it is still produced, the classic glass blue bottle is gone and I doubt that the product is the same. Moreover, it doesn't seem like it's widely distributed at all.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6sWK76BLMSu93JCTjzPnhPAlw0qVKXA0hat8kkaLIvlFnZ6pEaVNNNbaHCJPZsOU4nRRZucMr6a4iulBFKT3PGCPUux4pHa1RNxi6uZO8pLJ2G_ABtb9DNBD0GLGEHms11AW8QZEGVzSi/" alt="Clearly Canadian Flavoured Sparkling Water" height="523" width="250" /><br /><br />I have fond memories eating at McDonald's with the older decor (unlike now, where some of them are more contemporary than a condo). I remember the excitement as a kid waiting 10+ minutes for a McDonald's personal pizza. Unless they bring it back, I'll never know if it was the pizza that was awesome or if it's just because I miss my childhood.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AD4pG_UTKPp_MhP-lPQ-irfnLFZXprTh0NbYzJx51yoTW_DGGOHQn0o0yw049Yn2hceogCPV97Qu7iRXBDMEuvLfWtbigy26t070n0oAP41yKMvibWlt5c-FdEaya7e-qTmtCEF50u2F/" alt="McDonald's Pizza, McPizza" height="117" width="200" /><br /><br />Cadbury's Astros were like big Smarties with a biscuit center after the milk chocolate. The biscuit part was sort of like Maltesers or Whoppers. They used to run ads on TV and I distinctly remember going to the local corner store ever so often to buy a box of them. From online searches, it appears this product is still available in South Africa, of all places.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lHVv4aEM3L3AbG_qoHCJCin74XKyfWhhVpAwsS4SDG9_FfxEaSCDhcB95M6G9y1QpvjXHr3mrYFgcDI9I5_Jjs6J6hn0JtEpMSf5aMKORsxCfAvjRmTh0cTm0foNjBqmc13_Y6gmaw4e/" alt="Cadbury's Astros" height="370" width="200" />J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-3388843871747450342010-05-14T01:47:00.000-07:002010-05-19T03:01:13.323-07:00Bo Laksa KingI felt hungry the other day and noticing that Bo Laksa King had their new website up, I thought it'd be a good idea to finally try them out. A word of note: their website lists that as of May 15th, their prices will no longer include tax, so there's going to be a bit of a price increase.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bolaksaking.com/">Bo Laksa King (inside Joyce-Way Food Market)</a><br />4910 Joyce St<br /> <span class="locality">Vancouver</span>, <span class="region">BC</span> V5R 4G6<br /> <span class="phone tel">(604) 339-0038</span><br /><br />The roti canai ($5.99 for a large) is quite oily, including the curry chicken dip. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just different from what you would get at Banana Leaf. Bo's version is much chewier and therefore, quite different texturally. I also noticed that the flavour ends on a bit of a sweet note. Though the amount of oil makes it difficult to eat a lot of it, I do like the version here and would buy it again. My preference is for the dipping sauce to be less oily though.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDtJV-4exflO488l8YqsETLpSPqN3oLoPCgpOeDm9zUI4IiS2kmCCoN5Tup7Ns2UY__Cmfx2HGnt-Hq470VLhBfSDJY_b-YdoDUYM__tz-dz8S_vnpSdZs3YCd9IV758ffYskuAVENx2B/" alt="Roti Canai, Bo Laksa King" height="416" width="640" /><br /><br />I had the laksa with yellow noodle ($7.50), which was great. The flavour profile of the curry was complex, yet each spice could be distinguished. Overall, it was fragrant, tasty, and the noodles were well cooked. You can see from the picture that it's quite heavy on the coconut milk. In some ways, the coconut milk does mask some of the elegance of the curry sauce, but depending on if they add the coconut milk after, it's easy enough to request less or more of it.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs47qREQ6NbNkwsBzm67PV60azgvY-QtVae3r7I9UtS2UsqqZXLNyNO0aQmo3m-QOa2VShAAUVflG6wUxbh4R6N0NjQP5KtMGRfZhVeGLH9jgg-SQ7_Jm3SXBVo35tmx1TDaZzUJSZ8DgT/" alt="Laksa, Bo Laksa King" height="369" width="640" /><br /><br />I wasn't expecting much of the wraps ($4.50 each regular price) because they looked rather typical so I tossed them in the fridge after my meal. When I got back to it, only the curry chicken one was left. It was surprisingly good. The flavours worked well together and the ingredients felt balanced, not even the potatoes felt excessive. This is in contrast to a lot of the wraps available in Vancouver.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVOeuHe8-WycgO9kCf_16eqR4G0UES5wb-EPVtCuMv4WCEpjsRSm6KOZ3oBwQmXayFZxmT6NkNAVZsb8q1xeRVyd0wFUc48N7UHdS1VCJPIQxR6wZc-TryJH9QRX3YdH1olYN6iz_GVd92/" alt="Wraps, Bo Laksa King" height="341" width="640" /><br /><br />Great food, maybe a little overhyped. This place is close to my house, so I would happily go back. The quality in the cooking does show. I also noticed that they'll be having two new items on their menu, Faluda and a pickled mango salad from Myanmar. Descriptions from their website are listed below for reference.<br /><br />Faluda - A great summer dessert, which is a popular beverage in South Asia made with rose water, tropical fruits, beans, ice cream and basil seeds along with condensed milk.<br /><br />Pickle Mango Salad - Pickled green mango with red onion, crushed peanuts, dry shrimp, fired onions, sesame seeds, garlic chip and chick pea powder.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/1475240/restaurant/Renfrew-Collingwood/Bo-Laksa-King-Vancouver"><img alt="Bo Laksa King on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1475240/minilink.gif" style="border: medium none; width: 130px; height: 36px;" /></a>J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-48021394610528119042010-05-14T01:36:00.000-07:002010-05-19T03:01:13.324-07:00Banana Leaf on BroadwayBanana Leaf's a place everybody's been to. It's accessible, reliable, and most people like it. I've never been since I'm not usually a fan of this type of food (at least in a restaurant setting). I got to go recently for a friend's birthday.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bananaleaf-vancouver.com/index.html">Banana Leaf on Broadway</a><br />820 West Broadway<br />Vancouver, BC V5Z 1J8<br />(604) 731-6333<br /><br />I ordered the Appetizer Sampler for two, which worked out to be $8/each. Below is some sort of salad with papaya, pineapple, etc. It was okay, but personally not for me. The vinaigrette was pretty strong. FYI: you get two plates of the salad with the sampler, but only one plate of the other stuff.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYM2NOf_5T8VxfIbzgP25nVonIwGm_LRfsg2NR89u9EoacVnUI9JVbqWK8veindJaM4rJpU_RGj1LxCrOs464LCTBMw95Bgm6SfExXQu4mtijoNqoFpKoqzT3k9KfnUSDns0vJf8ukSGf/" height="365" width="640" /><br /><br />The chicken satay was well done. The meat was tender and juicy. Seemed better than the one at Tropika, but that was too long ago to make a fair comparison.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNDBbzyMZsqSVT5cEwH65TItXOUiyW3S7YGskznIeE2bIrX-uRq3oZdATdwKiBWzX82oT5l9ptXGaSh5mWi_eL8q5uaq4wBpy4HtZzRp6FygSgEB4tAWZlzyFfFrpnFGRYERQLAwf3wzs/" height="417" width="640" /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />Calamari was decent and the roti canai was great. The spring rolls, however, were not for me because I wasn't a fan of the filling nor the dipping sauce.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeFO4J_Vwz7PIZyIaCSo06ke-QkF9Nw4_3WS1ZnTptEN6qJEhYKGxijn-y8jRB2zZPrd6fuN9glCGmKt07A0YSHZpFOXgHU0j-wpO4RuJZej_StacaD-S0_eR60v1cTl0m2YqMLnPIPtwS/s640/banana%20leaf%203.jpg" height="738" width="450" /><br /><br />We had a separate order for roti canai ($6), I loved this.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipUv-uwtlKxtUSzlnJ2DRc-f7nzqFG2mE6zS2KO1SDeKlAHVpq4nFRphlrq_ZDtETYgC9XbhwyJ1-1BScYHaa-pUYI3IvP4ifFmQLKC4J4nmaxWBh1XN5rGR5HNNwDiiA3_79IjEDDeJqn/" height="424" width="640" /><br /><br />Pineapple fried rice ($13) is often pretty fail, but I tried a spoon of this and it was pretty good. Well cooked with good flavour combinations and seasoning. Much prefer over Tropika's version.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmEU51Xr5cuqXRBJGfqjUxEMca2CP2tNEr-0xcuaznTwZpEv2Ggfohi4a6ckAmDF4fXHEl3IRft96t8uL4B-O3XYaIoE7Eyns_a1f02I3K4yoLa6Jk0Vr60I7kjuVBk09mKYFwA56vYQVw/" height="390" width="640" /><br /><br />This was my mee goreng ($11), which I deem decent, but wouldn't order again. Don't really like this type of food while eating out, should have known better.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvYmM3FVM8jZ37trrWBBo65C03B4LxxNWCh2ifhrGbmUynp1lLQjQeZtwBRGdwFZNS5-bemb5suPl9lDHGhO-gs8mYjWjj_G-sE32gUWVdBpVp5fUJOgVZD6R-vOFBjHTyAXHPH_eRvmY/" height="375" width="500" /><br /><br />Some pineapple soda that I didn't try.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_Gk44LtsUoL93m3Ch4TUu8fuHOntYd6YHejGLyPvivwsIP5pdvES0q0m6kEatzwzN1lDkkk6XHDMjzeDQbIEqyS7-GXa7y9l_Z5sQ5yhjbNqABDpKZRgflPEtPdPItMnIWzy3plnhPb6/" height="515" width="300" /><br /><br />Mango Ice Cream ($3.50), also didn't have a bite.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGaRYtThkQgoU8WHt1MGk7VGqcd7Yf6p1MvNHsHxqVuRaDYPf1o1n1HTdcK5lQ3uHrlU03YyZAn2o2FEiWXMwVgBKEBGXAqDwVb4iIg5lC6QY3oSz9Na7Dpb_5xHhJlgiCIOlat-KZB6R5/" height="506" width="640" /><br /><br />Some dishes were worth it, while others I found pricey for what it is. I doubt I'd come here normally, but wouldn't mind take out for some of their better items.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/180124/restaurant/Fairview/Banana-Leaf-Broadway-Vancouver"><img alt="Banana Leaf (Broadway) on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/180124/minilink.gif" style="border: medium none; width: 130px; height: 36px;" /></a>J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-61946228095595946602010-05-13T04:02:00.000-07:002010-05-19T09:34:44.908-07:00Lazy Pasta - What's for Dinner?<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiofTwuNRUQ3CXTc94K11xeC6AqW8U4atsLDcHELgFADHKmiUcLI7It9slMJGWXsX9hXsKMXYIH2fyriiU2qR9hLbfoIVpEPuSILdoYCfy-a46nGfgd-qdLqKrmB9F5sFg36OwTfXvJX9b4/" alt="creamy tomato sauce with spaghetti" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />This is one of the lazy pasta dishes I cook when I want a quick meal without tinkering with crushed tomatoes. I don't have an exact recipe for the sauce, but the following is a guesstimate:<br /><br />350 mL tomato sauce from a jar or a can<br />1/2 tablespoon onion powder (ran out of onions)<br />1/2 tablespoon garlic powder (also ran out of garlic)<br />3 heaping tablespoons of sour cream<br />1/6th of a cup of red wine<br />100 grams of ground beef, browned for extra flavour<br />3/4 tablespoon dried basil<br />3/4 tablespoon dried thyme<br />1/2 a tomato, diced<br />Salt and pepper to taste and dried parsley to garnish.<br />Mushrooms would have also been a nice addition, but I didn't have any on hand.<br /><br />Mix and serve with your favourite pasta.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-15648503019398338152010-05-11T02:47:00.000-07:002010-05-19T09:01:21.624-07:00Browning Food: Principles and MisconceptionsEverybody is familiar with the browning process that happens when food is cooked in a hot pan, oven or over an open fire. This process has been utilized since our prehistoric cave dwelling ancestors discovered fire. Browning is essential to the development of the flavours we tend to associate (and appreciate) with cooked meat.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG381OLrFpV2r-Cu8AoO6L291KylyA7cOUHT9BY1sUFJt4zp4raEMAD_JrBJoIujZNFXwsRCEBhv4U2zgsr2szJSAyVrOrwgwOY-p7Wd23NHLHm7gpdlYICpjuIAQDowxwcI9ulw3xeONy/" alt="steak panfried and oven roasted" height="457" width="640" /><br /><br /><u>There are two main types of reactions responsible for the browning process</u>:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Maillard reaction:</span> a very complex set of reactions starting with an amino acid reacting with a sugar. I will explore this reaction in another post since it is omnipresent in cooking.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Pyrolysis</span>: a complex series of reactions starting with the spontaneous breaking down of <span style="font-style: italic;">either</span> carbohydrates <u>or</u> proteins due to high temperatures. <span style="font-style: italic;">Caramelization (oxidation of sugars) is a type of pyrolysis</span>. Like with Maillard reactions, flavour and colour compounds are formed.<br /><br />While both reactions are involved in browning foods, the Maillard reactions dominate by a large margin. The extent of each reaction depends on temperature, sugar content, protein content, etc.<br /><br />Chefs and cooking enthusiasts often throw out terms like caramelization and the Maillard reaction, without differentiating the two. There seems to be a great deal of misunderstanding and confusion among online communities. The key point to remember is that both pyrolysis and Maillard reactions are involved, but it is the Maillard reactions that dominate.<br /><br />I've recently read online posters claiming that Maillard reactions are not involved with the browning of meat due to the lack of sugars. They propose instead that the main player is pyrolysis. I have not been able to find a citation to support this. In fact, I have found experimental evidence of the contrary (see reference 2 at the end of the post). The problem with this claim is that there is an abundance of sugar in meats, as part of molecules found in cells (ATP, nucleic acids). Scientific literature I have read state that ribose, the sugar found in ATP and nucleic acids, is the major sugar participant in the Maillard reaction in the browning of meat. Hence, there's no reason to doubt there is enough sugar in meat for Maillard reactions.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">So how does the browning process begin?</span> With sufficient heat! The reactions involved occur most readily, or sometimes exclusively, at very high temperatures.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Heat is not the only requirement though.</span> Food does not brown when it is boiled or steamed, even though there is a heat source. This is due to the presence of free water (ie: not water content in the meat). Non-enzymatic browning requires temperatures in excess of 100°C (boiling point of water). That means when a lot of water is present in liquid form, no browning can occur because water will take up all the heat and keep temperatures from exceeding 100°C. I drew up a little diagram in photoshop, mostly for fun.<br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDabjotbVUI8n_-U4hGv9Bg_hmuYnq8NKpidV7NwC-XJ-G3q89X8-uoRMhcl3gPa5mI1aPuF6j8wXBUUzwgo4QGT2VUQPVdMOXXGAVtutqY3hdGqRpVc8EcFfgZh1klUJ2mgtGffBtoNir/" alt="browning meat, Maillard, pyrolysis, caramelization" height="418" width="640" /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">You might be wondering about the inherent water content in food. Since there's always water in food, why does browning occur at all?</span> The answer is simple when we think about how it's only the exterior of what we are cooking that is browned. What happens is that as water evaporates from the food's surface, the temperature can increase increase to sufficient browning levels.<br /><br />There's another reason why water inhibits the browning process besides temperature. The Maillard reaction produces water. If water is already present in the system (ie: your pot or pan), a reaction that produces water is less likely to occur. (Remember Le Chatelier's principle from high school chemistry?)<br /><br /><u>For the scientifically inclined</u>:<br /><br />Mottram DS (1998). Flavour formation in meat and meat products: a review. Food Chemistry <span>62</span>(4), 415-424.<br /><br />Pearson AM, Tarladgis BG, Spooner ME & Quinn JR (1966). The Browning Produced on Heating Fresh Pork II. The Nature of the Reaction. Journal of Food Science <span>31</span>(2), 184-190.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-63060522319340690732010-05-09T03:29:00.000-07:002010-05-19T09:01:57.041-07:00Ginger Milk Curd: How the Milk Coagulates (no magic)A while back, I discovered that the process of making Ginger Milk Curd depended on enzymes, found in ginger, that break down proteins (proteases). Since then, I've always wondered how an enzyme that breaks down proteins would cause the proteins to solidify. I did a little research and some of inferring. So below are the cliff notes.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjubF3RLwGFOnXlS92QvpL8xw9MBcLoT4wE-nPeyH7qpSk0iWB1I9TJ1p5boMFY8YrLkuR7ToMDdksF7vfTj1lezzq-5SUd7iIzflYoCt4rKZtITeO1WFtCA0NMDds1aNZ2f2sbBLYBVBeN/" alt="ginger milk curd" height="436" width="500" /><br /><br />I have to note that I didn't find an exact mechanism for ginger, but I did find one for rennet (a set of enzymes produced in the mammalian stomach and often used in industry to produce cheese). After reading some articles and wikipedia, I think the enzymes in ginger and the enzymes in rennet likely work in a similar, but obviously not identical fashion.<br /><br />So why does milk solidify in the presence of certain proteases?<br /><br /><span style="text-align: justify;"><b><a name='more'></a></b></span>In cow's milk, the main type of protein found are caseins. Three of these caseins are unstable in water based solutions such as milk. So how does milk remain so uniform and liquid? (At least at the macroscopic level, below is milk magnified 450x. Picture is from <a href="http://microbeauty.blogspot.com/2009/11/milk-and-curd-fermented-milk-through.html">The Wonderful Microworld</a>)<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRUnfTs3vHrqNGy0jwX8DdMUHiQl4YPlvxpCTkgPUNLuNW2l6HmeoXQG1HbbQLmGKib0iPJJRGipBoKszwL5KJJJ6fZ_aTs9l_RcvwlF6hqV7BUaxYQ0gBd_aZ_jDGbkcxQzCIF-Amq2s/" alt="Magnified milk 450x" height="370" width="500" /><br /><br />If the caseins are so unstable, we would expect milk to be a solid. The insoluble parts would clump together. It turns out that milk remains a homogeneous solution (to the naked eye) because of the fourth type of casein, K-Casein. K-Casein stabilizes the other three and prevents them from aggregating. Precisely how this work is debated. The basic idea consists of a ball of casein surrounded by a protective coating of K-Casein. Since K-Casein is in the way, the other caseins can't lump together. Effectively, K-Casein acts as a stabilizing barrier. There are many proposed models of the specifics, but this post is likely boring as it is, so I won't get into them.<br /><br />Now, what would happen if we got rid of the K-Casein? The other caseins wouldn't be stabilized and would fall out of solution and aggregate with one another. This is exactly what happens when proteases are added to milk. They destroy K-Casein by breaking it into little pieces. The net result is the formation of a solid... or in our case, a tasty gingery treat! Such proteases (besides the one in rennet) are found in ginger, papaya, figs, pineapple, and kiwi fruits. Papaya Milk Curd, anyone?<br /><br />Fun fact: Extracts from papaya, figs, and pineapple have been traditionally used to treat intestinal worms. The proteases discussed earlier have been shown to break down the skin of some of these worms. (Please don't try to self-treat worms with pineapple juice.)<br /><br /><u>For the scientifically inclined</u>:<br /><br /><a href="http://class.fst.ohio-state.edu/FST822/lecturesab/Cafunc.htm">Casein Functionality from Ohio State University (Food Science 822)</a><br /><a href="http://class.fst.ohio-state.edu/FST822/lecturesab/Milk.htm"><br />Milk Proteins from Ohio State University (Food Science 822)</a><br /><br />Sandra S, Alexander M & Dalgleish DG (2007). The rennet coagulation mechanism of skim milk as observed by transmission diffusing wave spectroscopy. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science <span>308</span>(2), 364-373.<br /><br />Stepek G, Behnke JM, Buttle DJ & Ducel IR (2004). Natural plant cysteine proteinases as anthelmintics? Trends in Parasitology <span>20</span>(7), 322-327.<br /><br />Su HP, Huang MJ & Wang HT (2009). Characterization of ginger proteases and their potential as a rennin replacement. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture <span>89</span>(7), 1178-1185.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-52337430463726306752010-05-05T18:34:00.001-07:002010-05-15T09:23:17.804-07:00DOV-esque dining deals available year round in Metro VancouverDuring my research (<a href="http://averagepalate.blogspot.com/2010/05/picking-restaurants-during-dine-out-and.html">see this post</a>) of which restaurants to eat at during DOV, I've found quite a number of Dine Out like deals that are available after the event. With Dine Out 2010 drawing to a close, I thought I would share some of these.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><u><br />Set Menus</u></span> - availability, prices, and times may change<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Legend</span>:<br />(*)<span style="font-style: italic;"> - varies from being more expensive to cheaper than dine out counterpart</span><br />(>)<span style="font-style: italic;"> - more expensive than dine out counterpart</span><br />(<) <span style="font-style: italic;">- less expensive than dine out counterpart</span><br />(=)<span style="font-style: italic;"> - cost the same as dine out counterpart</span><br /><br />A Kettle of Fish (*) - <a href="http://www.akettleoffish.net/"> three course menu</a> varies between $35-$45<br />Brasserie Bistro (>) - 2 course meal for $32.00 and a 3 course meal for $38.00<br />Brix Restaurant & Wine Bar (<) - <a href="http://www.brixvancouver.com/">$29 three course "first seating menu"</a> (between 5pm -6:30 pm)<br />Diva at the Met (=) - <a href="http://www.metropolitan.com/diva/pdf/Sample%20$38%20Dinner%20Tasting%20Menu.pdf">$38 dinner tasting</a>, <a href="http://www.metropolitan.com/diva/pdf/Sample%20$28%20Lunch%20Prixe%20Fixe.pdf">$28 lunch prix fixe</a><br />Mistral French Bistro (<) - <a href="http://www.mistralbistro.ca/index.php/riviera">$19-24 dollar lunch menus</a> (11:30 am-2 pm Tuesday-Saturday)<br />Raincity Grill (<) - <a href="http://www.raincitygrill.com/featuresmenu.cfm#rmd">$3o three course early prix fixe</a> (between 5-6 pm)<br />Trafalgars Bistro (>) - <a href="http://www.trafalgars.com/dinner-menu.html">$35 three course menu</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><u>Entertainment Coupon Restaurants</u></span><br /><br />Some restaurants that participated in DOV have 2 for 1 entree coupons, which often works out to be cheaper than DOV, with more selection. You can view the restaurants that have Entertainment coupons here (warning: huge list): <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://vancouver.entertainment.com/discount/search.shtml?Ntt=Dining&submit.x=0&submit.y=0">http://vancouver.entertainment.com/discount/search.shtml?Ntt=Dining&submit.x=0&submit.y=0</a></span><br /><br />Let me know if you find anything else!J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-17359247226802480402010-05-05T14:43:00.000-07:002010-05-07T15:44:05.661-07:00Food Bargain Round Up #1<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1CwiK3pJChpdjGnGT6apVsz2fZXO1Si3smsg8mNGX1PLssbqr6A371Z6wHDMv0Va2eB5obwVQuNRMZ8usJYBZWVIHmz212zf6OdnA4ka29-B8dELjZAv6AnoqsLvlq5xaSmGt7h34YXQ/" alt="deals, coupons, freebies, and bargains" height="67" width="346" /><br /><a href="http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/2499/coupon.png">Get a<span style="font-weight: bold;"> free 591 mL bottle </span>of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Canada Dry White Ginger Ale</span> -<span style="font-weight: bold;"> expires May 8th</span>.</a><br /><br />Between <span style="font-weight: bold;">May 7</span> and<span style="font-weight: bold;"> May 16</span>, enjoy a<span style="font-weight: bold;"> half-price Frappuccino®</span> blended beverage at participating <span style="font-weight: bold;">Starbucks</span> from <span style="font-weight: bold;">3 to 5 p.m</span>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.marsacts.ca/Details.aspx">Get a <span style="font-weight: bold;">free</span> participating <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mars Canada Inc. Chocolate Single</span>, while supplies last.</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.allkpass.ca/allbran/en/register.aspx">Get a<span style="font-weight: bold;"> free honey nut flavour All-Bran bar</span>, while supplies last.</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.icoke.ca/pdfs/en/KO_BK_CS_COUPON_April6.pdf"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Burger King</span> - Two WHOPPER® Sandwiches, two medium fries and two medium soft drinks for <span style="font-weight: bold;">$8.98 + tax</span>, offer valid from May 1 – June 30, 2010.</a>J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-50994757691901550382010-05-04T03:38:00.000-07:002010-05-19T03:01:13.325-07:00West Restaurant + Bar (Dine Out Vancouver 2010)I was very excited to try West. I had to reschedule this multiple times and was worried from hearing about how everybody was disappointed with their meals at West during Dine Out Vancouver 2010. Oh, parking was pretty expensive. $2/hour at the meters.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.westrestaurant.com/profile.html">West Restaurant + Bar</a><br />2881 Granville St. (Around 13th Avenue)<br />Vancouver, BC V6H 3J4<br />604-738-8938<br /><br />Bread didn't seem that fresh though the server emphasized it was baked fresh in house. Having both butter and olive oil was a nice touch.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhetnPuskFROY_tVTe8dylYkMweRLwC4i5fXNAuQaXm3Z5Nx-39YAAj3_q7tyq8fLGUTw0pvW42ku404nB6nSq3mbH7_3NleaMPRxmHowudDd3vcvyfhcovP_1w8Q2yfLobSLg2bXFO3X8f/" alt="West Restaurant, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, bread with butter and olive oil" height="398" width="640" /><br /><br />Queen Charlotte salmon tempura with smoked creme fraiche, cracked wheat and citrus. Very good, well fried and good flavour.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw0-FaVmIPw0njKjOem7T5MCeWeETzQgrumVZrNoOllBS6ZFoy4K1POaszcDawlURbGWSTyP2W3gN0L38gJS3FFrliMTnHYf55nr3tW_PAb5zaCQhKymECBizOkoA0jm9AWB082FmFYV9K/" alt="West Restaurant, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, Queen Charlotte salmon tempura" height="453" width="640" /><br /><br /><span style="text-align: justify;"><b><a name='more'></a></b></span>Sweet onion soup, crispy shallots and thyme oil. Tried a spoon of this, was pretty sweet. Don't think it's my type of soup though. I was surprised by the portion size, which I think is pretty good for this type of restaurant. The bowl was actually quite deep, which you can't see from the picture.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6v3lr2SibyjYn3VrrrwfsJ12P_Q0xitkREnJ8fybY9nQ-VjMnD1MYe96iECknlL3OK-Bo4FO9fHIszaYFCDLvjE0rB543kyeBp1CL7LQPHzZWGkksQdgqWRnphkuk-HsZow7coMI5Amj/" alt="West Restaurant, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, sweet onion soup" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />Salad of Hannah Brook's organic greens with Sloping Hills shredded ham and green beans. Didn't get to try this one, unfortunately.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Rzyi-qHan23t9VFnKBh6CZcKIJax48tWG8NMQoUvuWpvGiLbNuSB0qzLYSuyjQgdIskOOMiC4QCueZWdGa82YqFvSbL45y1XQWZ1d3JZmYh129HvwGVj7gLk40Aq50TLn_VBN7PEjD6C/" alt="West Restaurant, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, salad" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />Hecate Strait ling cod with Pemberton sunchoke, asparagus, and mild Madras curry sauce. Only had a bite of the cod, which was pain on its own. Can't comment on how it would have went with the sauce. I don't see any sunchoke though?<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjExsJwBykjOwCYtyts05VXlhy0-0jJmygMFpsH_xZDpIPegvzb12Y_wU-YaF-hWTr79ODGPnhi5BQSYtge0kz8SUEVl-t2gWBs6cfS6K7R0RD7POBxrJTcirlYqaBgcZhiLbbq1jkopDK5/" alt="West Restaurant, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, Hecate Strait ling cod" height="520" width="640" /><br /><br />Peace River lamb shank with North Arm farm vegetables, creamy polenta, and olive jus. Lamb was very well done, but didn't try much of the vegetables or the polenta. This dish was well received by others though.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit01BAt5u0rhkWGfKgiDtaJ8Ng3nWpyOHYwAbDJUKXi6Cn6eNG8oh2r_A2sdDFbB6UsJoglDvvX636Nb6SoQXNXExhd_S8uqPDYEeIzwQQFVxAiRUQrfvbHPVFCiucNL3weqOv26DUrN91/" alt="West Restaurant, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, Peace River lamb shank" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />Tagliatelle with locally cultivated mushrooms, parmesan, and black truffle sauce. This was my dish, I added on the red wine braised short ribs ($9). A little off putting that it was basically $9 for two pieces, but without it I think the pasta would have been deficient. The black truffle sauce and mushrooms had a dominating presence, making it very earthy. This was a good thing. I've never had tagliatelle so I'm not sure what it's supposed to taste like. For me, it was a little reminiscent of chinese egg noodles, which makes me feel a different pasta would have paired better. The pasta was also done a little bit on the firmer side, I would have enjoyed it a bit softer.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzOWHC1X3imeUjKM_iDEOR5WCD4kWY4zSDziSBJyIHpnStW9ELb8lXpKQHk8o7HsJ5uPEufZyUcE6fjxBPJl1knXX4QQ7-fB0YyyZeRaW1sOY2AQv-7hO8xX3Q5fJT7SMUq1UzcB0JRe3/" alt="West Restaurant, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, tagliatelle" height="521" width="640" /><br /><br />Coconut génoise with roasted pineapple, banana caramel ice cream and caramel crisp. On its own, the coconut cake portion was rather plain while the banana caramel ice cream on its own was good. Together, however, was fantastic and delicious all the way through. No complaints about the roasted pineapple or the caramel crisp, but the génoise and the ice cream were the main players here.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88Z8JDX8v6_jdKdmrztfIjzFKfROhmE0l2N2bS56TsPfULRWqK2XxO2hcMufgBHUSdAtdzk7F03bh9AgB4b4Q64gocd_4RgbbWz8LZyKn6XpSNb_ap_eWigQG5mueULJrk8AtzeeNt1Fd/" alt="West Restaurant, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, coconut dessert" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />Prosecco braised grapefruit segments with basmati rice custard and raspberry marshmallow ice cream. I believe the grapefruit segments were substituted with rhubarb pieces, which I think would work better both in flavour and texture. The presentation screams inukshuk to me.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWd8hWMcM09xX5HChxi9MZrYBoA-LJgQN_iHw6MMPabDy1x-74phnJ2fC6b6pFIAo7RN097Tp11K3L202dxYRFH2lSrTssOhVj3RG6b7lq9RqtWfCdJ_du4HDRcu_kXDMpNvJ_3HxdXe18/" alt="West Restaurant, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, custard dessert" height="431" width="640" /><br /><br />Chocolate orange marmalade pot de crème chocolate olive oil chiffon mousse cake chocolate orange sorbet. This was well received. I enjoyed it, but not as much as the génoise and ice cream. Don't remember getting much orange out of this though.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SJ1PL14Jjj0BbRba-GaTXtBHrLqDAhyIdqf5AwKi_VUtznBia9JMjezE60IB6qrYDBsgA8goR4rHpc70pt1LDb1WERKtjFydZLI6RbT1Eov9f8vlnFhg0x2s5fw3MIFTZe1T4PfTx7G8/" alt="West Restaurant, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, chocolate dessert" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />Wonderful meal and loved the lighting! Guess they really want you to see the food. It's great that they source their ingredients locally and in BC. The environment of the restaurant seemed a bit hectic and busy, but I had a booth seated adjacent to the kitchen...plus it's dine out. Portion sizes were a lot more than I predicted too, so that was a bonus for me.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/181937/restaurant/Fairview/West-Restaurant-Vancouver"><img alt="West Restaurant on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/181937/minilink.gif" style="border: medium none; width: 130px; height: 36px;" /></a>J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-64389789900106787132010-05-02T17:24:00.000-07:002010-05-16T07:49:28.253-07:00Food scraps and yard trimmingsSince Earth Day of this year, the city of Vancouver has allowed food scraps to be picked up with yard trimmings. According to their website, this first phase will only allow certain items to be placed into the yard trimmings. Cooked food and anything with oil is not allowed yet to keep odours down and deter pests (since yard trimming pick up is only on a bi-weekly basis).<br /><br />I have also been critical of how archaic our municipal waste and garbage collection is, but I think this is a step in the right direction, especially for those that don't have room for a backyard composter.<br /><br />In 2011, they expect that all food scraps (fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, dairy, bread, cereal products and food-soiled paper) will be allowed. This will involve a transition to weekly yard trimming pick up. However, it does note that <span style="font-weight: bold;">garbage pickup will be bi-weekly</span>. So it's best to get into the habit of separating the food scraps now.<br /><br />Below is some info I found on the <a href="http://vancouver.ca/projects/foodWaste/index.htm">Residential Food Scraps Collection website</a>.<br /><br /><u>Here are some of the items that are currently allowed</u>:<br /><li>Uncooked fruits and vegetables</li><li>Eggshells</li><li>Coffee grounds and along with coffee filters</li><li>Teabags</li><li>Newspaper or brown paper that's used as a bin liner</li><br /><u>Here are some tips to minimize odours, insects and pests when collecting collectable scraps</u>:<br /><li>Sprinkle with baking soda</li><li>Line or wrap food scraps with newspaper or a paper bag (these can be put into the yard trimmings too!)</li><li>Empty it out and wash it regularly</li><li> Keep a lid on when not in use</li><br />They have <a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3C98FJ3">an online survey</a> and <a href="http://dialogue.vancouver.ca/foodscraps">an open dialogue in blog form</a>.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-39043126890148057792010-05-02T02:23:00.000-07:002010-05-19T03:01:13.326-07:00hidden (Dine Out Vancouver 2010)Number 3, $18 price tier. This was a late dinner, so it was pretty dark and my hands aren't the steadiest. They had a paper fortune teller at each table that turned out to be pretty lame. It wanted to tell me what to get.<br /><br /><a href="http://starwood.webcanada.com/restaurant/?rid=5190">hidden (@ the Weston Grand, near the main library)</a><br />433 Robson St.<br />Vancouver, BC V6B 6L9<br /><span class="phone tel">(604) 647-2521</span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUaA5OHGUgsKHc4evUCDC9v96mLkgpAFINg36-Mc-g31vx_Bp7dKzgGd0Sr8EieEL1uXUSXeX0t4NA70F5oiF2d_t9LoSHv1IPnVZs95XAN2dZqrcp_5I6etvhJpj48IHCR2Iu1rArDXQR/" alt="hidden, Dine Out Vancouver 2010" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />Pacific poutine with halibut cheeks, qualicum cheese curds, crispy Yukon golds and lemon hollandaise. Halibuts were a bit salty, but great dish overall. We had a side order of fries that happened to be rather soggy, but the fries in the poutine were fine.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzW3XlCRxpBB4cYYY0eKeRyi6jCj1-kgmBOE-KS_QGtburzX4N9Ze3PmV4IeFxbr2YlksF0fGD-Ziu4i1LyDqBb0Al3WknbnO6DUDWUOi1fB8PRo5yjwaTUaZ8yWJlfOSukre1iCxn54K/" alt="hidden, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, poutine" /><br /><br /><span style="text-align: justify;"><b><a name='more'></a></b></span>Beets and blues salad with roasted chioga beets, crumbled blue Claire cheese, grapefruit and toasted pumpkin seeds. I love beets and was thrilled to try different varieties. I found the grapefruit too strong and in too big of a portion compared to the rest of the elements. No complaints otherwise.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOgC42Xg7I7M7yq94PzktUo3h2wkJDPdcMwHijB5t_RpKzHXgFF9RUF63L23A4CElDUPdTEcddBCkXn1wmf86G0Il3fpHk6Z8NPhSDwvGXdrJTsLJ_x4_Yn-dyNjLY2qlqygkRqhHIeC32/" alt="hidden, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, beet salad" height="375" width="500" /><br /><br />Smoked and seared albacore tuna with gorgonzola stuffed tatertots, kalamata coulis and sunchoke chips. The smoked tuna tasted a bit like ham to me. The coulis was reminiscent of preserved Chinese fruit candies. Never had sunchoke chips so they were a treat. A bit burnt though, but googling makes me think that they're always a little burnt. Can't really comment on the tatertots, especially when I mistakened them for gnocchi.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYm_dNFoPwmFOw2iM5id2-qbK-CYpZJ-GcuBmEU9a8QgL99HGoEGUOBx1lRQJ4f2PVfuUjrdO5HrDCYeqiHOrPwiVPW0DLaM0oXmWTvc91TmH7I5BPwf0QVbh7LIZMgGh-L4qk1V_FMi1/" alt="hidden, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, albacore tuna" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />Fried chicken breast and cheddar waffles with an apple/jack gravy. Chicken was well seasoned, adequately moist, and had good texture to its coating. Moreover, it wasn't greasy. I didn't get a whole lot of cheddar from the waffles, but that didn't hinder the dish.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwtG9cCwDWaYFien2z8pF57Qqrgm8TXcUHN47wibje_LZ2RfRVJXHuuHdnDxKu72ho5H_T9jVKJ65piP5Kpxu4GC-Rjilzfj4ywrOB0XIe6xncOp59xt5f9eAoGS6LVaD2rnfw8AevFJIE/" alt="hidden, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, fried chicken and waffles" height="375" width="500" /><br /><br />Cinnamon dusted beavertail, Canadian whiskey caramel sauce and house made lemon-sour cream ice cream. Only had a bite of this. I remember it was less doughy compared to ones that I've had before.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yY5St19EJj_aJnJnu7JmkgWb8z2pY7EU02z5Fztlwy4-0ALKxvTf3fTwT4JyeojgSnj9KqKwR4-0_mWj0v8soUI9X686EbzRhKo4XJDgcJRCIADEKgmaJaCxU5EVjCDgIXKjW90lrxx7/" alt="hidden, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, beavertail" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />Root beer, hazelnut and maple ice cream parfait. I love root beer so this was awesome. I would have liked more root beer flavour in the gelatin however. I loved the nuts (slapchop anyone?), nuts and ice cream that isn't too flavour forward always go together nicely.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjD4FduAaX2G5Y5ZNertXFnF0VQ-gqdQZkti2OtD8HnZ4FReQK0YvjmlU447jsGuPrukU_a1w4FIGFWe_3Bfhhf1eQzdsU6G1Ur_LaveSsPFGxGghuoYMA3N6yKoACYeCEepTUCwkcF4U/" alt="hidden, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, root beer hazelnut maple ice cream parfait" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />Innovative and great value. I heard this restaurant only opened up recently, so I look forward to seeing how they are after some fine tuning.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/1521660/restaurant/Downtown/Hidden-Vancouver"><img alt="Hidden on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1521660/minilink.gif" style="border: medium none; width: 130px; height: 36px;" /></a>J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-64581116314008056792010-05-01T03:10:00.000-07:002010-05-19T03:01:13.327-07:00The Observatory (Dine Out Vancouver 2010)Numéro deux, this one's at the $38 option.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.grousemountain.com/Winter/dining/the-observatory/">The Observatory</a><br /><span class="adr"><span class="street-address">6400 Nancy Greene Way</span><br /><span class="locality">North Vancouver District</span>, <span class="region">BC</span> V7R</span> 4K9<br /><span class="phone tel">(604) 980-9311</span><br /><br />To take full advantage of the beautiful weather since this year's Dine Out got pushed back, I planned dinner reservations according to weather predictions from two sources as well as sunset times. I was determined to have a nice view. I seem to be cursed. The weather today was dreadful. It was overcast and snowing on the mountain, it was exactly like looking through a thick fog.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4d22ujTzSyb9AXILkh2aF7wxqDmQ8JJTSgCrpMFYD_vEvubSOdq3LI0tY7JXvEf7DE8xSEMSKiLEgmFraUSkgWZXSfg7MSte-6VVPRtaUIziHDJWn856z1Jx6bEha_-xqrNOazgZDw0x9/" alt="Observatory Grouse Mountain, Dine Out Vancouver 2010" height="301" width="588" /><br /><br />In addition to my weather woes, traffic was stalled all over Vancouver due to multiple accidents. A 15 minute car drive turned into an hour, and as a result, we had to skip the Theatre in the Sky. I will digress a bit, dinner reservations at the Observatory has a few complimentary perks. In addition to the Theatre in the Sky show, the skyride up and down the mountain is also free. In the winter, there is even a sleigh ride and free skating on the pond, weather permitting.<br /><br />To make matters worse, we found out that the car was leaking engine coolant (wish I remembered to take a picture of the green fluid). On the way back, we had to resort to using water on a pinch. Wait that's not all, when I got home and started editing the photos, I realized that I forgot to turn off the High ISO settings. Hence, the pictures for the night are ridiculously grainy, so much so that I couldn't really adjust any of them without the grain becoming even more apparent. So I apologize for the poor pictures.<br /><br />On with the food... <span style="text-align: justify;"><b><a name='more'></a></b></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzs60qnb3zD91fQl6rT3ffJm0abfStAWcnlojc1heZ67v2IRQnSI1UocJO5JqI5lpgrNkbZyNXlzquHtRNcWaXErhwcvM9PgTz-rYn4Cf3eqXeLKvxbzdPXR_wdtk8rwPdtTUIypySus6R/" alt="Observatory Grouse Mountain, Dine Out Vancouver 2010" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLVM2KWRo9tr1P1Sox4vNCzvD1UL8-yRcDsMPtqMdsefZTqt9OhmEG-wSn-UzxObJq04MLJopSp5OInafm49Ea5mXz0CVo64-B_CV12JF4sDWjctTZ-EvOMVLVz-EdPuKyP-H4D1nbpQ8/" alt="Observatory Grouse Mountain, Dine Out Vancouver 2010" height="853" width="640" /><br /><br />The bread and butter... Bread was decent, good consistency to the butter, but we found the butter wasn't as flavourful as other places.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7ak7p7vF8BXcUJW-zR9YZxt2zxmSmj7QGuDHgMOSkVMCCkwsLdZzD1Hw_0Hyzj4xr3AL4f8igxDPN0yxS-EROOwvjbLEC_5rMU3vIw39cablQzlZXyck_vGOIGYmSBLodIid_FPIQuhF/" alt="Observatory Grouse Mountain, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, bread and butter" height="467" width="350" /><br /><br />I had the BC Wild Mushroom Consommé (with spring onion, smoked sablefish, truffle oil). My soup was actually cold, but the other person who ordered it didn't have the same problem. Aside from that, this dish had a lovely aroma, the sablefish was beautifully done and the flavour profiles of each component harmoniously pleased the palate. My group preferred this over the next appetizer.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6h5frM_OuNc9TyLivWkk6MfpqEZjgNmEmk7xdLuotUMEXFH2JlBTekvy-hX0ZgeIb3emIXSCyVTsks6_GtNIK7q7Y6iZL2dqQGK6DVQG_akOI6pQMlOG84WmG9KSP_o3tkztUko1gpPF/" alt="Observatory Grouse Mountain, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, BC wild mushroom consommé" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />This was the Pinenut & Salt Spring Island Goat Cheese Beignet<br />(with cracked pepper aioli, parsley and frisée salad). I found this to be rather plain. Despite the adequately deep fried dough and the aioli, it felt like something was missing.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZlX4ciKKb8DvOi1VcIJQyQWw068i7F0G5_7LhztN5gkE49HzVNWYkcAOkFfwCJvAVwU2FIXs2ZYnYwm7N2ePOu_OlTfV4a-ypzK4sNysEMfBXYhUjFmRNmAGmXatSi7wJChwD_dft01m/" alt="Observatory Grouse Mountain, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, pinenut beignet" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />Everybody had high hopes for the Qualicum Bay Scallops (with spinach purée, crab risotto, salmon roe). There was no disagreement about the scallops being delicious, but my dining companions did not enjoy the crab risotto. I found it to be decent. The spinach was also good.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbg-M3zzpVXokld5u-FlQAWqPGL1Ee8PDR78pFIcqF0RcHbiGaMPZcY-GiaiaSokFD2PYEBFAUAuObNe8ePatM-eV071qVt5Qw06yDRGoZOEVwIBY1MWCeBDNtpWyCTYbVfaIpGudg3BG/" alt="Observatory Grouse Mountain, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, Qualicum Bay scallops" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />Below is the Fraser Valley Pork (with smoked pork belly, apple potato rissole, green cabbage, housemade mustard butter). The server informed us that it came with pork loin in addition to pork belly. This was a surprise hit with the table. The loin was very good, as was the pork belly. With the belly, however, it's so fatty that it makes you feel guilty about enjoying it. It tasted a bit like <span lang="zh-Hani"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siu_yuk">燒肉</a>, without the skin and with more fat.</span> Potatoes were good, but I think it would have been better if they were slightly softer. I am not a big fan of cabbage, but it tasted fine with the sauce.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hihGGn6xoPCse80x19aL4OfGGPRQcC51nhnmbop3-_SwULNUJ7vJLK3x2C4VKAbzm9MpP0iewDPZK8b3cFupb4KNO-xe8czq6f6jhuJBfdDenutVotx-2caIcFyBsuRDITLwpnb0qk1O/" alt="Observatory Grouse Mountain, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, Fraser Valley pork" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />There were also high expectations for the Apple Financier (with lavender panna cotta, ice wine poached apples). The apples were good and went well with the ice wine. The panna cotta, I liked, but a few of my tablemates found it funny and odd tasting.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRMwzYC8omJhEHkr7q8IhsxPQnQDsqb-JKn5B3Pxpt_O_hTPsuzgajKdI68GJvDRNnCembK9ZFud8qtvEdCh25b1vnlsYZ0UoW6kwhV7HSFJyE8syDRpUVwiuoYPxhEj85Y4HGyNi4xk6_/" alt="Observatory Grouse Mountain, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, apple financier" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />Last is the Manjari Chocolate Mousse (with sour cherry compote, red wine caramel sauce). The sherry had a strong presence and went well with the chocolate. But I have to say that this dessert was much too rich for me.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87JSM6hRtqxE_CweSxDtHaHckTAYVRzEiDWLzxtc-eJH6EKe4rbrUES_OGnfgMCnSp1mCZTynlnMjj3v9hYpPDT85h-bUqN3pKFuJVSKq8A9kmp9xCLfEk8oft13Sme1rCIiYSaVV00Ta/" alt="Observatory Grouse Mountain, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, Manjari chocolate mousse" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />Since everything else today went wrong, I'm glad that some of the dishes were good. Portions were minuscule though. The Observatory is probably one of the best deals during dine out because their regular prices are so high, plus sky rides are fun and if you have better luck than me, the view is gorgeous. By the way, does anybody know what the rock is for?<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqW5Dqc8WxQFkq1Hsuoqhj3wHrahs3a8VElrnB_dOBFV4sxS5wryV_dKGE5ZDscBwY8XE0ICbYgs1Xbo1PZOvG5z9vlabHOTo12hUOwaPAweEnS08S3w5HZvyaGczQFDoUJ9F_ikP8DR2c/" alt="MBNA smartcash mastercard, Observatory Grouse Mountain, Dine Out Vancouver 2010" height="337" width="299" /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/181292/restaurant/Vancouver/North-Vancouver/The-Observatory-North-Vancouver-District"><img alt="The Observatory on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/181292/minilink.gif" style="border: medium none; width: 130px; height: 36px;" /></a>J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-52107565411676518732010-04-30T08:46:00.000-07:002010-05-19T03:01:13.328-07:00Monk McQueens (Dine Out Vancouver 2010)This is my first dine out of the year and it's one of the $28 options. I did not initially want to come here since I noticed that they do have a 2 for -1 entree entertainment book coupon. However, a friend wanted to come here and the menu looked decent enough. Street parking was difficult to find in the area, but there is pay parking somewhere along Moberly Road ($1/hour).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.monkmcqueens.com/">Monk McQueens</a><br /><span class="adr"><span class="street-address">601 Stamps Lndg</span><br /> <span class="locality">Vancouver</span>, <span class="region">BC</span> V5Z</span> 3Z1<br />604-877-1351<br /><br />The first thing I noticed was that the restaurant smelled a bit funky. If you get seated in the middle of the dining room, ask to be moved because you'll get a way better view by the windows. The second thing I noticed is that they added a third option to their Dine Out Menu, some of the options may have been vegetarian. We stuck with what was on the website, though.<br /><br />The bread was good, but the butter was too hard and difficult to spread.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNgIOT9HJalZLVRet0M5Bjc1McGW2WWIbA3Cf1oZXeAiX5sbxhhfEWCEk1JgDsyJQdnweyMoLLPrDxvJZ9RyYHAO3JslsLaimAuXZn6pTnl45GeIRQF0wSWCFu8wCsShgnZCwtrWf0BC9B/" alt="Monk McQueens, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, bread and butter" height="853" width="640" /><br /><br />The Bloody Mary Spirited Mussels (Sky vodka, tomato broth,dill, garlic & shallots) looked great and tasted great. The broth was a tad salty though, perhaps from the mussels themselves, which impaired the other flavours from really acknowledging their presence.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYGXbot-8XC1UhestbG0NzE_cisKCJSobUtpd9Rc-ghX-kquoN0zNN-pI6oqB2I4Yjh3VKWr17-0Rbha-3B0JHYsWGppIJzLq6vXueQYIEPVhc8RULI-1GLyvlBKm8AIj3CaLAZEm2_1G/" alt="Monk McQueens, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, mussels" height="535" width="640" /><span style="text-align: justify;"><b><a name='more'></a></b></span><br /><br />The Spicy Pork Empanada (refried beans, cactus honey glaze) had good flavour, although I don't know what the cactus part of the honey is supposed to be. The refried bean filling was warm and tasty. I would still recommend the mussels over the empanadas though.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIl2Mt_Wt8j03xPdmuNyq-tgz2p-aHF0D8kaEiD57OU81IEqb1nIwHWO6tSHwCvAF4Ba6IcLQRspqasoHnugZN3YsBkHywKJe6zA8Zix9FLtXygXLLBpcjCiGLXkN8Arzagji-ar_R_9-R/" alt="Monk McQueens, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, spicy pork empanada" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />For the Braised Lamb Ossobuco (baby fennel, four bean and chorizo stew roma tomato chianti demi glace), the lamb and vegetables were nicely done. The meat was a tad gamey which might be a problem for some. I was a little bit disappointed with this dish. It wasn't bad at all, it was pretty decent actually, but maybe chickpeas dominated the flavours too much for me to appreciate the dish.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxJ-vjwsmgztCS-GcrGfX63kLZ_I2oMzbMgILT34fmxBHEpBrrpZO6aF2xj3B5286ObKfAchPQanYoRj-n7DzVyTWLLyri3nCTmfZWpvInQV_K4CO3r3fUH8ryMrkDVXAqrU0co0BZeso/" alt="Monk McQueens, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, braised lamb ossobucco" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />Despite initial reservations, I highly enjoyed the Crispy Rainbow Trout (potato hash and braised cabbage with bacon lardoons, beurre blanc) over the lamb. Excuse the picture, it makes it look nastier than it actually is. The flavours of the trout, cabbage, bacon, and potatos went very well together with the beurre blanc. Everything in the dish complemented each other.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvoWl2GjA9hfD9cozSy7LvpipqHduwZtytKW-zlr4bQWHjF_2E3Y6GfVWDMP95NXf9f0R41F4EhYcBqYRK_coJ1yA4FxRn81hH-FqKDuvqej82X4MN3f70j0v_PK4S7IRj7TTIScLmJcsR/" alt="Monk McQueens, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, crispy rainbow trout" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />Below is the Mini Key Lime & Lemon Pie Duo (with graham cracker crust, whipped cream,malibu rum drizzle). No problems with this dish, very creamy when you first take a bite, but as you eat it's well balanced. I particularly liked the key lime and the colour of the rum drizzle.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimye7hIft4E0EWMTh6sJ9LtyRYEntZ07NGJpKnrLqjqerik_WnVtotEawcLyMigNX0OPg7umovKIs9eLJOsokH1pURyev-2Vgk5V0YtIInlFplfzDTTxVBSt5Hv0yGfja101WvEz-C2X3X/" alt="Monk McQueens, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, mini key lime & lemon pie duo" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />Evidently, pictures got progressively harder to take as a function of time. No complaints about the Peach & Blueberry Crumble (with rolled oats-almond crust,vanilla bean gelato). Both desserts are good choices, though portion wise the crumble definitely wins.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcyoEQ8YyrY1Rx7gpncgYq4ZWJuh3w68m3IaJFessL9AwwKsQ25ANstMEvorhLSNkaB90bkEsubLiQmZHE1HTuBiWiITiXvASsWBIZctmzgQxLC1titcIrQ5iubX6VPl_jYHXrPbjlQENI/" alt="Monk McQueens, Dine Out Vancouver 2010, peach & blueberry crumble" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />Pretty good meal, but keep in mind that you can get 2 for 1 entrees any time of the year. You get more selection and I think it might work out to be a better deal in some if not most cases. So unless you love the Dine Out menu, there's no rush.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/181205/restaurant/Fairview/Monk-McQueens-Vancouver"><img alt="Monk McQueens on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/181205/minilink.gif" style="border: medium none; width: 130px; height: 36px;" /></a>J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-77223419882079486702010-04-26T16:14:00.000-07:002010-05-05T18:42:43.895-07:00Choosing restaurants for Dine Out VancouverSomething that I've learned is that you can't assume you're getting a good deal with Dine Out. I'm not saying that Dine Out isn't worth it, you just have to know where to go and pick carefully in order to get the most value out of the event.<br /><br />Here's how I choose:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Compare the prices between the Dine Out menu and the Regular menu</span><br />At times, DOV will be more expensive than if you ordered à la carte. Although, they toughened up on this by removing some of the culprit restaurants this year, especially in the $18 tier. More often, Dine Out sometimes only works out to be free dessert or free appetizer. Think about if it's really worth it to have to book in advance and deal with how busy the restaurants are, particularly if you don't normally order appetizers or desserts (like me).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Check if the restaurant has a prix fixe or early dining menu. </span><br />Some restaurants have deals that are on par or even better than Dine Out. One drawback is that these taster menus often have less selection than during DOV, but not always!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Check if the restaurant has entertainment coupons (or even coupons from the Georgia Straight)</span>.<br />Many restaurants often have 2-for-1 entree coupons in the entertainment book. So if you already have one, the coupons are often cheaper or equal to the discount from Dine Out, plus you get more selection. You can view the restaurants that have Entertainment coupons here (warning: huge list): <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://vancouver.entertainment.com/discount/search.shtml?Ntt=Dining&submit.x=0&submit.y=0">http://vancouver.entertainment.com/discount/search.shtml?Ntt=Dining&submit.x=0&submit.y=0</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. If you absolutely adore a menu that a restaurant has during Dine Out, #1-3 can be ignored.</span> This particularly applies to restaurants that have items not normally found à la carte.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-713179313877447022010-04-26T08:58:00.000-07:002010-05-19T03:01:13.329-07:00The Pit Burger Bar (UBC)Nothing on the menu is spectacular and their mozza sticks and popcorn shrimp were notably small and not worth it. However, I do enjoy the waffle fries, belgian fries, and the occasional faux poutine.<br /><span class="adr"><span class="street-address"><br /><a href="http://www2.ams.ubc.ca/index.php/businesses/category/the_pit_burger_bar/">The Pit Burger Bar @ UBC</a><br />6138 Student Union Blvd (Student Union Building)</span><br /><span class="locality">Vancouver</span>, <span class="region">BC </span>V6T 1Z1</span><br /><div><span class="phone tel">(604) 822-6511</span> </div><br />Normally this wouldn't warrant a post, but... well see for yourself. Below is what my friend and I have dubbed, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Poutina</span> (our friend Tina was with us when we got it).<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvPOlD_E2k454DD58SmZHgh8tZT-fqof1x7dWyqL3ZNHELpsvh3dSrOODDTmAP4dEsXckDrt8uFYDrHqlrHp0BckbrnlLfa6ZObR6Yre1zNccsFt4PGB1vM4rHdaaFxOHXMu-KLGEdXFP/" alt="UBC Pit Pub Burger Bar at the SUB, waffle fries poutine, poutina" height="611" width="640" /><br /><br />Waffle Fries $2.75<br />Side Gravy $0.50<br />Xtra Cheese $0.60<br />---------------------------<br />$3.85 (GST included)<br /><br />This combination was nothing short of heavenly in taste, but awful in smell. I likened it to the insides of a shoe or an unwashed sock.<br /><br />It was a huge triumph in being able to order this as we have tried on several occasions without avail. Supposedly, the staff aren't allowed to make this at all and the cashier made a mistake for us. We've gone back (unsuccessfully) everyday for about two weeks trying to relive our success. Since they were willing to do waffle fries with gravy alone, I tried buying a cheese string from the Delly, which worked out to be cheaper than the Poutina but nowhere near as tasty.<br /><br />Maybe with enough awareness, they'll put the Poutina on the menu someday. I am hopeful.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXEHukQhC2TVbrpwi6HDvkgIj2wnL5JzQT_hIaNB-41puZwvA0T-Jf7jY_qN_SshvalCQFWbKiDmwJNuvOuxbZJCddutxjC_X-xfnHY8WmIiOut6kGtVerBUgWkntQpDqlrghbtdRq-0N/" alt="UBC Pit Pub Burger Bar at the SUB, waffle fries poutine, poutina" height="408" width="640" /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/1477964/restaurant/UBC/The-Pit-Burger-Bar-Vancouver"><img alt="The Pit Burger Bar on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1477964/minilink.gif" style="border: medium none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a>J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206342369420039936.post-90659137374228681922010-04-19T13:11:00.000-07:002010-04-26T09:37:09.689-07:00Dine Out Vancouver 2010Reservations have been open as of around 12 am, still lots of dates available. I noticed Blue Water Cafe isn't participating this year though. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/dining/dineout.php">http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/dining/dineout.php</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">April 26 - May 6, 2010</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><u>$18</u></span></span><br />
Ashiana Tandoori Restaurant<br />
Au Petit Chavignol<br />
<a name='more'></a>Bistro 101 at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts<br />
Blarney Stone<br />
Burgoo Bistro Lonsdale<br />
Burgoo Bistro Main Street<br />
Burgoo Bistro West 10th<br />
Ceili's Irish Pub & Restaurant<br />
Chilli House Thai Bistro<br />
Chutney Villa<br />
Darby's Pub<br />
Fortune House Seafood Restaurant<br />
Hell's Kitchen<br />
hidden<br />
Kerkis Greek Taverna<br />
Las Margaritas Mexican Restaurant<br />
Marias Taverna 4th Ave<br />
Marias Taverna Denman<br />
Medley's Restaurant<br />
Mi Bistro & Bar<br />
MIGZ BBQ on Broadway<br />
Rocky Mountain Flatbread - Kitsilano<br />
Rocky Mountain Flatbread - Lynn Valley<br />
Sanafir Restaurant and Lounge<br />
Smileys Public House<br />
Society Dining Lounge<br />
Thai House Restaurant<br />
Thai Spice Restaurant<br />
The Calling<br />
The Old Spaghetti Factory - Gastown<br />
The Reef Restaurant Commercial Drive<br />
The Reef Restaurant Main Street<br />
Urban Thai Bistro<br />
Wild Rice<br />
Yagger's Downtown Restaurant & Sports Bar<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><u>$28</u></span></span><br />
ABIGAIL'S PARTY<br />
Al Porto Ristorante<br />
American Grille<br />
AQUA RIVA<br />
Arms Reach Bistro<br />
Azia<br />
Banana Leaf in Kitsilano<br />
Banana Leaf Malaysian Cuisine<br />
Banana Leaf on Denman (Reservations not accepted, 1st Come 1st Served)<br />
Baru Latino<br />
Bistro Pastis<br />
Bistro Sakana<br />
Boathouse Restaurant - English Bay<br />
Boathouse Restaurant - Horseshoe Bay<br />
Boathouse Restaurant - New Westminster<br />
Boathouse Restaurant - Port Moody<br />
Boathouse Restaurant - Richmond<br />
Boathouse Restaurant - White Rock<br />
Cafe Carthage<br />
Cardero's Restaurant<br />
Carmichael's Restaurant<br />
Central Bistro<br />
Charm Modern Thai<br />
Ciao Bella Ristorante Italiano<br />
Cloud 9 Revolving Restaurant & Lounge<br />
Cobre Nuevo Latino Cuisine<br />
Copper Chimney<br />
Coza! Tuscan Grill<br />
Doolin's Irish Pub (Weekends Sold Out, Accepting Weekday Reservations)<br />
Elixir Bistro<br />
Fresh Restaurant & Lounge<br />
Gramercy Grill<br />
Granville Room<br />
Griffins - The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver<br />
Gusto di Quattro<br />
Hamilton Street Grill<br />
Harold's Bistro & Bar<br />
Highlander Resaurtant<br />
IMPERIAL CHINESE SEAFOOD RESTAURANT<br />
Inlets Bistro & Lounge<br />
Irish Heather Gastropub<br />
Kingston Taphouse & Grille<br />
LE BISTRO CHEZ MICHEL<br />
LUX Restaurant and Bar<br />
Manhattan Restaurant at Delta Vancouver Suites<br />
Marmalade Kitchen & Bar<br />
Maurya Indian Cuisine<br />
Milestones Grill + Bar English Bay<br />
Milestones Grill + Bar Kitsilano<br />
Milestones Grill + Bar Park Royal<br />
Milestones Grill + Bar Robson<br />
Milestones Grill + Bar Yaletown<br />
Mistral French Bistro<br />
Monk McQueens Waterfront Restaurant<br />
Mosaic Bar & Grille<br />
Northlands Bar and Grill<br />
nu restaurant + lounge<br />
Nyala African Couisine<br />
Oru<br />
Osteria Napoli<br />
Ouisi Bistro<br />
Piato Estiatorio<br />
Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier<br />
PRESTONS<br />
Provence Mediterranean Grill<br />
Reflect social dining + lounge<br />
regional tasting lounge (r.tl)<br />
Salam Bombay<br />
Salathai Thai Restaurant on Burrard<br />
Salt Tasting Room<br />
Samba Brazilian Steakhouse<br />
Scoozis Mediterranean Bar & Grill<br />
Seasons in the Park Restaurant<br />
Section (3) Restaurant<br />
Shaughnessy Restaurant<br />
SIP resto-lounge<br />
Social Gastown<br />
Steamworks Brewing Company<br />
Szechuan Chongqing Seafood Restaurant<br />
the apron<br />
The Brasserie Bistro<br />
The Fish House in Stanley Park<br />
The Flying Tiger<br />
The Keg - Caesar's<br />
The Keg Steakhouse & Bar<br />
The New Bohemian<br />
The Ocean Club Restaurant & Lounge<br />
The Point Restaurant & Tapas<br />
The Refinery market.style.eatery<br />
The Salmon House<br />
The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant<br />
The Smoking Dog Bistro<br />
The Teahouse<br />
Tomato Fresh Food Cafe<br />
Trafalgars Bistro<br />
Trattoria Italian Kitchen<br />
Water St. Cafe<br />
Watermark on Kits Beack<br />
Yaletown Brewing Co.<br />
Zakkushi Dining on Main<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><u>$38</u></span></span><br />
A Kettle of Fish Restaurant<br />
Amarcord Ristorante Italiano<br />
Bacchus Restaurant & Lounge<br />
Beyond Restaurant and Lounge<br />
Boneta<br />
Bridges Restaurant<br />
Brix Restaurant & Wine Bar<br />
C Restaurant<br />
Cafe Il Nido<br />
Carver's Steakhouse and Lounge<br />
cassis bistro<br />
Chambar Belgian Restauant<br />
CinCin Ristorante + Bar<br />
COAST Restaurant<br />
Cru<br />
db bistro moderne<br />
Dinner Cruises.com<br />
Diva at the Met<br />
DiVino<br />
Dockside Restaurant and Brewing Company<br />
Don Francesco Ristorante<br />
EBO Restaurant<br />
Federico's Supper Club<br />
Figmint Restaurant and Lounge<br />
Five Sails Restaurant<br />
Fleuri<br />
Globe@YVR<br />
glowbal grill steaks and satay<br />
Goldfish Pacific Kitchen<br />
Gyu Japanese Teppanyaki Restaurant<br />
Hart House Restaurant<br />
Hermitage Restaurant<br />
Herons Restaurant & Lounge<br />
IL Giardino Restaurant<br />
Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House<br />
Kirin Mandarin Restaurant<br />
Kirin Seafood Restaurant<br />
Kirin Seafood Restaurant (Richmond)<br />
La Terrazza Restaurant<br />
La Vallee<br />
Le Gavroche Restaurant<br />
Lift Bar Grill View<br />
L'Altro Buca<br />
Market by Jean-Georges<br />
Miku Restaurant<br />
Moustache Cafe<br />
OCTOPUS' GARDEN<br />
O'Doul's Restaurant & Bar<br />
p2b bistro & bar<br />
Players Chophouse<br />
Provence Marinaside<br />
Q4<br />
Raincity Grill<br />
Seawall bar & grill<br />
Show Case Restaurant<br />
STONEGRILL Restaurant<br />
The Beach House Restaurant<br />
The Italian Kitchen<br />
The Observatory<br />
The William Tell restaurant<br />
Tramonto<br />
West Restaurant + Bar<br />
YEW restaurant + bar<br />
Yokohama Teppanyaki Japanese Restaurant<br />
Zen Japanese RestaurantJ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08386237905696958632noreply@blogger.com0