Poutine at Brado Pizza

My friend and I have been on somewhat of a poutine binge. We started with Costco then expanded our horizons with Zako's Deli, A&W, and UBC Pit Burger Bar. Posted on the wall at Zako's was a list of top poutine places in Vancouver. Brado was on the list, so it was our next stop. The poutine turned out to be great so we decided to go back again with more company.

Brado Pizza
1399 Commercial Dr
Vancouver, BC V5L 3X5
(604) 251-7251



Above is a large regular poutine. The poutine at Brado is a lot different than at other places. For a lack of a better word, everything was "smooth", especially the gravy. The gravy was glossy and its consistency was very soft, kind of like a gel. Even the fries felt like they were polished smooth. The cheese curds were squeaky and not cold, which I enjoyed. Portion wise, it's a much better deal than at Zako's, but doesn't beat the Costco by Stadium Skytrain Station. I have to say that I am pretty sick of poutine at this point, but there's still lots of places to try.

Benkei Ramen on Robson

We were still hungry after Guu and stopped by Kintaro, which was really busy. So we walked to Benkei nearby, which turned out to be cheaper.

Benkei Ramen
1741 Robson St.
Vancouver, BC V6G 1E1

It was kind of late and while we ordered their more special ramens, we had to settle for something a little more basic since they were out. I believe we got the Miso and the Shoyu. The decor and service gave off a much friendlier vibe than at Kintaro. Since the restaurant wasn't busy, it was also more relaxed.





I don't remember having the choice between fatty or lean meat, but I did add an egg which was well cooked and creamy. The ramen was decent but portion might be smaller than at Kintaro. Quality wise, I don't remember Kintaro enough to make a valid comparison. Truth be told, I don't like ramen enough to have it often. In any case, I am looking forward to trying something beyond the basic shoyu, miso, and shio soup bases next time.

Guu on Thurlow

Guu on Thurlow
838 Thurlow St
Vancouver, BC V6E 1W2
(604) 685-8817

The seared beef was tasty and nicely presented. I don't remember anything else about it.



For the tofu dish, again, I liked the presentation but I found the texture of the tofu too hard. It would have been nicer with a softer tofu. The high ratio of tofu to everything else made the dish seem rather bland. In other words, I don't think the tofu paired well with everything else. I'd like to point out that this wouldn't have been an issue if the sauce was good, instead of insanely salty. Then again, maybe the bland tofu was to provide relief from the sodium overload, which it did.



This was the seared pork belly. It was a bit salty, but acceptable. Would have been better if the meat was more tender and in bigger pieces.



The meal was okay and I enjoyed my glass of plum wine. However, I have to say that I was a little disappointed this time. Service was also very slow. I think I'll stick with their deep fried fare and udon. Regardless, I find that Guu never satisfies my satiety no matter how much I order. I usually end up going somewhere else afterwards.

Deutsches Haus at the Vancouver Alpen Club

This place is close to my house and has been open since 1935, so there's quite a bit of history. As a kid, I used to think it was a middle ages themed restaurant because of all the escutcheons (shield part of the coat of arms) on the outside of their wall. While German cuisine is not exactly what I envisioned (being a knight and eating giant turkey legs), I figure it's meaty enough to be an adequate substitute.

Vancouver Alpen Club
4875 Victoria Dr (33rd Avenue)
Vancouver,BC V5N 4P3
604-874-3811

We went when they recently painted on the mural, I think it looks great compared to how plain it was before. A thing to note is that the entrance to the restaurant is downstairs by the mural.



We came on a bad night as they had trouble finding a table for us. They felt bad for seating us alone in the less formal part of the room, so they asked if we were comfortable with eating at one of the reserved tables before the patrons showed up. In hindsight, it was a poor choice. Though we finished before the guests arrived, another patron (in the same predicament) was seated with us half way into our meal. It was a bit awkward.

My server recommended the kassler rippchen, I think it was $16. The fried onions were delicious, as were the mashed potatoes. I found out that I'm not a big fan of sauerkraut though. Notably, the server did mention that any of the sides could be substituted. Together, the gravy, mashed potatoes, and the pork loin tasted great. Alone, the pork was kind of odd to eat. It was similar to eating a giant piece of smoked ham, which I guess shouldn't be surprising given its description on the menu (smoked, cured pork loin).



My dining companion got the gefüllte hühnerbrust, which was a stuffed chicken breast.



Overall, I found the meals to be a bit pricey for what they are and while service was keen on being accommodating, the end result was unusual and uncomfortable. I am not against coming back just to try some of their other dishes. I just have to remember to reserve a table.