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Dine Out Vancouver 2017: Bridges / January 26, 2017 by Jenn Chan

We think we got lucky at Bridges, our waiter, André, was fantastic! Our blog posts can sometime become tales of gluttony and sloth. If you enjoy those particular sins then read on, if you don't stop now and click around on your computer and find some funny squirrel videos or vegan s'more recipes. Our adventure started off with the classic 007 martini; the Vesper. Tangeray, Stoli, Lillet with a lemon twist. A tasty Tangeray dominant cocktail with a sweet lemony kick. Jenn partook in the 5 C's: Hendricks Gin, muddled cucumber and lemon, cranberry juice and soda. We asked what 5 c's meant, we've seen it in a few restaurants, and after scratching his head and going back to the kitchen to, presumably, ask someone or Google it we got our answer. The Cranberry, Curtis, Cape Cod Cooler. A very nice mélange of flavours that Jenn found "Refreshing, like I'm in a spa"

Sipping contently André came back with some oven fresh focaccia served with a nice light oil and a fantastic Modeno balsamic vinegar from the beautiful Modeno region of Italy. There is a thriving market for balsamic vinegars these days with some bottles fetching thousands at specialty shops and auctions and this bottle, though likely not with the $10,000 price tag, was absolutely divine! As we munched our bread our Dine Out appetizer choices arrived: Winter salad and BC Mussels. The salad boasted poached prawns, avocado, walnut, radish, butter lettuce, radicchio and an airy basil emulsion. A bite of prawn, some avocado, walnut and butter lettuce and wash it down with a mouthful of the pairing from their menu, the Mission Hill Terroir Viognier 2015, and it's simply heaven. Top 10 salads of my life! The BC Mussels came in a tomato wine broth with chorizo, cilantro, corn and braised celery. Wonderfully salted tomato broth with fresh, plump mussels straight out of BC waters! Chorizo is the greatest. Full stop. Why don't I eat more chorizo? Bridge's offering was spicy and delicious and washed down with the Mission Hill Terroir Syrah 2012 it was simply worth the trip on its own!

BC Mussels - tomato wine broth, chorizo, corn, braised celery, cilantro

Winter Salad - poached prawns, butter lettuce, radicchio, avocado, walnut, basil emulsion

Between courses, and with an empty glass, I again leaned on André's extensive knowledge of all things Bridges and ordered a Shifting Sands: Tanqeray, grapefruit, soda and cherry brandy. Tart, yet fruity with a satisfying and refreshing grapefruit kick. It seemed I'd had no more than a sip when my Grilled Flatiron Steak was placed in front of me. It came the perfect blue rare, I was feeling a bit vampirish, And was delicious! It came with a Madeira jus and Chimchurri. It came out grilled to absolute perfection and was a truly lovely cut of meat. The jus complimented it perfectly and it disappeared quickly! Jenn ordered the Argentinian Prawns was served with preserved lemon & white wine butter. "Obese, these prawns are obese!" Jenn exclaimed after André was out of earshot. Their parents must have been lazy parents and gotten comfortable placating them with food so they would be quiet. It was delicious and the wine and butter sauce was bathing worthy. I would bathe in it. Yes.

Bridge's does Dine Out a bit differently as they offered a selection of sides to accompany the entrées. Jenn chose the Butternut Squash Fritters w/ corn and scallion. These little sumabitches are incredible! Even though some diners might be thrown by the fact they're called Butterbut Squash Fritters on the BridgesRestaurant.com menu they're still worth checking out! I went with the Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes and the velvety texture and savoury flavour with the perfect compliment to my almost live cut of beef.

Grilled Flatiron Steak with Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes + Argentinean Prawns with Butternut Squash Fritters

Argentinean Prawns - preserved lemon & white wine butter

Butternut Squash Fritters - corn, scallion

Grilled Flatiron Steak - sorrel & citrus cream — Grilled Flatiron Steak - sorrel & citrus cream

For dessert I had the Bridge's Sundae: vanilla gelato made in-house, Lindt chocolate sauce and coconut macaroon. Silky smooth vanilla ice cream complimented near perfectly by Lindt's chocolate mastery. I had the Chocolate Fudge Cake w/ Raspberry Coulis. Anytime I see raspberry anything I get gleeful. Thick, decadent, glistening chocolate cake with beautiful, semi-sweet raspberry coulis. It was excellent, a near perfect 9/10! It may have inspired my after dinner drink, the Nuts n' berries. Stoli Raspberry Vodka, Frangelico, Chambord and cranberry. Delicious. A new go-to; a raspberrygasm! Jenn indulged in the Mint Chocolate Mocha, self explanatory, and said it felt like a "warm fuzzy hug at the end of an amazing meal". The perfect nightcap to a wonderful evening at Bridge's! If you've never been just picture a 180 degree view of False Creek and its many beautiful yachts, 30 foot ceilings, huge exposed beams and equally beaming staff, a must see!

Chocolate Fudge Cake - raspberry coulis with Mission Hill Late Harvest Vidal 2012

Bridges Sundae - housemade vanilla gelato, Lindt chocolate sauce, coconut macaroon

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

Dine Out Vancouver 2017: MARKET by Jean-Georges / January 21, 2017 by Jenn Chan

Service is the key to any dining, shopping, travelling or well anything really. "It's hard to find good help" is the old cliché muttered by blue-haired socialites as they lament the departure of the first housekeeper "worth a damn". Our server Kanis is one of the good ones. The Restaurant Manager, Starr, as well: bubbly, congenial and accommodating. When Kanis' parents named her, with the best of intentions, they were under the impression that Kanis still meant, as it always had, the prophet's followers, but, unbeknownst to them, had been adopted to include servants. Sadly our lovely Kanis was teased as a child in Bangladesh, but if anyone in Vancouver looks at her sideways I promise you a headache!

Jean-Georges is a world class brand, in Paris or New York or Mexico or Vegas or here in VanCity, and you can always expect a fantastic culinary experience. Do yourself a favour and indulge in the $40, 3 course 2017 Dine Out menu! We started our experience with a Corpse Reviver II. Yes, far superior to the Corpse Reviver I. It is a melodic mix of Tangueray, Lillet Blanc, Cointreau, Lemon Absinthe and orange. You feeling more awake reading that? It was a jolting, lemony concoction and, though I wasn't a corpse when I got to Market, I certainly levelled up! Jenn decided to try the 2013 Tommasi Viticoltori Le Rosse Pinot Grigio and didn't turn back! "Notes of fruit, tastes like summer". Yes, Jenn, you had a lot of white wine this summer.

The Rice Cracker Crusted Tuna is amazing! Dipped in the oil for only 15 seconds, just kissed really, and is served with Srirachi Aioli, amazing, AND dollops of actual Sriracha! Sriracha Aioli seems to be everywhere, but it's always struck me as a half measure. I love Sriracha, I would brush my teeth with it, wash my hair and it isn't the timid Chef who deigns to utilize it; hats off Jean-Georges!

Rice Cracker Crust Tuna, Cirtus - Sriracha Emulsion

Lois Lake, I'm told, is a Mecca for the people of Powell River, BC in the summer. The Lois Lake Steelhead Sashimi was served Oishi sushi style on a crisped rice log instead of traditional and with a tangy chipotle emulsion. Very fresh sashimi, generously proportioned, but "the emulsion is really what makes it tick." From the mouths of babes folks!

Lois Lake Steelhead Sashimi, Crispy Rice, Chipotle Emulsion

In between the appetizers and the entrées we decided to indulge in some more of the naughty water. At Kanis' suggestion I had my favourite cocktail of the night. The Ginger Margarita is exactly what you think, but better. Reposado tequila, ginger lime, Cointreau, ginger salt and simply delicious! "Hey margarita! Can you put that in the article so people know how funny I am?" Stellar Zoolander reference from JC, stepping her game up!

The Beef tenderloin came with crunchy potatoes which were amazing. The meat came out that sexy pink that catches your eye. Tender, flavourful and oozing personality. Dip it in the smokey tomato compote and it elevates the flavour even further! Jenn ordered the Slowly Cooked Steelhead, which one could assume, again, came from the fresh water paradise of Lois Lake. It came with mashed potatoes and truffle vinaigrette. Very moist fish, soft, buttery and delicious and the subtle hint of truffle really accentuated it nicely. We also got a dish of Foie Gras to share. As I type this autocorrect changed "foie" to "dope" and that's not far off. So tender that it absolutely melts in your mouth and flavourful. There isn't an adjective higher than flavourful, but there should be to describe a good bite of 'fatty liver': decadent, incendiary, heavenly... Bottom line is it's good! Go and purchase some. Today.

Grilled Beef Tenderloin, Slowly Cooked Steelhead, Roasted Wild Mushrooms, Seared Foie Gras

Grilled Beef Tenderloin, Crunchy Potatoes, Smokey Tomato Compote

Slowly Cooked Steelhead, Mashed Potatoes, Truffle Vinaigrette

The Quails Gate Vintage Foch 2012 was suggested to accompany our dessert and it was delicious; sweet and smooth. I ordered the cheesecake with warm pear compote and spiced gel and Jenn had the warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. The cheesecake was incredibly soft and rich and was bathed in the delicious pear compote. The warm chocolate cake is Jean-Georges' take on the ever popular lava cake, but with an upscale French influence. It comes with a frothy vanilla ice cream with the perfect vanilla flavour. The desserts just accentuated our experience and left us satisfied and almost too weak to walk the 100 metres to our home. We did get up and make our way out, reluctantly, and each glanced back and estimated, forlornly, how long it would for us to get back!

Cheese Cake, Warm Pear Compote, Spiced Gel

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

Dine Out Vancouver 2017: ARC Dining @ Fairmont Waterfront / January 20, 2017 by Jenn Chan

When you enter Arc you are taken by the incredibly beautiful space: 30 foot ceilings, massive columns, dark woods, modern seamless glass railings, fireplaces, marble, fresh orchids, opulent fixtures, and a complete glass wall, 180 degrees in an arch, 30 feet high, the length of the restaurant overlooking Canada Place and the waters of Burrard Inlet. It is IMPRESSIVE; all caps. It was renovated in 2014 to the tune of $3M and you can see where every penny went. It is truly one of the most grand great rooms in the downtown core restaurant or not!

The Caesar Meyer is a slam dunk and a fantastic way to start a meal. I give it a 9.2/10 on the patented Jenn Chan Photography Caesar metre, one of the highest scores ever allotted. It had a delicious flavour and texture reminiscent of a spicy Campbell's tomato soup and I bloody love Campbell's tomatoes soup, Warhol wasn't the only one! Jenn had the Lavender 75, Arc's take on the French 75 and remarked it was "lemony, a bit bitter, but refreshing and not too overpowering." That's high praise gentlemen!

The meal started with an Arc menu staple, the Beet salad. It had grated goat cheese all over erythang. If you sprinkled goat cheese all over 'Weird' Al Yankovic I would eat him too. Legit. Large, fresh, tangy and sweet beets, both golden and red, and worked marvellously with the cheese.

Beet Salad - salt-baked beets, apple gel, lotus chips, farmhouse goat cheese, hazelnut dressing

The Tuna Tartare came next and will be featured prominently in Arc's upcoming 2017 Dine Out offerings. It was highlighted the fresh, supple tuna and large chunks of pickled cucumbers. Combined with subtle jalapeño flavour, delicious candied lime and black sesame seeds because, well, they make everything better. Bland soup; sesame seeds, scrape your knee pour some sesame seeds on it, getting evicted; you guessed it, black sesame seeds. "Being targeted by ISIS; black sesame seeds" thanks Jenn for your nightly contribution, but hopefully your input doesn't land us on any no-fly lists! I once had tuna tartare, ceviche or sashimi 10 times in a week. No exaggeration. This ranks in the top 5 percentile I've ever had in terms of flavour combinations, presentation and freshness.

Albacore Tuna Tartare - egg yolk purée, pickled cucumber, jalapeno, candied lime, black sesame seeds

In between the appetizers and main courses the GM Dave Vo, a genuinely nice man, recommended Jenn try the Yuzu Sour. A lovely mixture of yuzu, cucumber and gin that Dave, himself, was responsible for being on the menu. He beamed when he came back and Jenn told him how much she was enjoying it. Our lovely waiter Arvin then came out with the Arc's famous Flaming Rosemary Gimlet. They flame the rosemary, which they grow on the roof on the Arc, in front of you at your table. They really stress 'garden to glass' at Arc, as some restaurants have started to do, but it doesn't get much more direct than the roof of the restaurant!

The entrées featured, drum roll please, bread. Fresh skillet bread to be exact sweetened with honey from their rooftop bee hives. Rarely does bread take centre stage, and this is no slight against the charred octopus or braised short ribs, but this bread is good! The Charred octopus is local and caught in the waters of the Pacific Ocean which were visible from our elegant table. The octopus was very fresh and complimented the accompanying chorizo perfectly. Dried olives added a lovely flavour and the summer heirloom tomato ragu was simply heavenly! The Braised Beef Short Ribs, braised agonizingly slowly for a full 6 hours, have a scrumptious coffee and chili glaze. Seldom does an entrée, the main protein at least, pair so well with the wine suggested. The Merlot from Burrowing Owl washed down a bite of the short rib in a way that could only be described as preordained. Have you ever gotten into a fistfight over mashed potatoes? It came very close on this night! Light, airy, buttery goodness. 2 small dollops of heavenly mashed potatoes border the plate and were metered Out like rations for a starving man, so good! The Lingcod had a lovely breaded skin that had a crunch that was divine. It came with fingerling potatoes and a Japanese mayo and was very good.

Chared Local Octopus - tomatillo dressing, dried olives, chorizo, summer heirloom tomato ragu

ARC Skillet Bread - heritage grain, caramelized honey, lavender butter, rooftop herbs

Braised Beef Shortrib - coffee and chili glazed, roasted baby turnips, parsley

Lingcod - purple kale, heirloom carrots, crispy shallots, potato purée, olive oil sabayon

The Dessert platter was immense! The Hoyne Brewery Dark Matter Choco Cake was rich and delicious, the Pistachio Pot de Crème reminded why I used to eat pistachios by the bucketful as a youngster, the Ice Cream Trio was an eclectic bunch with the smooth texture of homemade and the White Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake had a simple yet intoxicating flavour. If you could have finished these desserts you're a better man than I and, sadly, a bit had to go into the ever-shameful doggie bag. Head over to Arc and try for yourself and you'll leave as happy as we did!

ARC Dessert Platter - Hoyne Brewery Dark Matter Choco Cake, Pistachio Pot de Crème, Ice Cream Trio + White Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

Dine Out Vancouver 2017: Trattoria Kitsilano / January 18, 2017 by Jenn Chan

Trattoria Italian Kitchen is a beautiful restaurant in a shotgun layout with warm tones and vibrant colours. What sets it apart from the other Italian restaurants along the bustling W. 4th strip is service; Glowbal Group does it right! Fiona, our gracious server, has been at Trattoria for a year and a bit which is an eternity for anyone in the service industry and indicative of the environment that GM Adam "Real Deal" Jeal has created. I'm predicting they're going to be very busy during Dine Out 2017!

At Adam's suggestion we started our evening with a couple of cocktails: a Canadian 75, a take on the French 75 and made with an in-house vanilla infused vodka and an Italian Greyhound, gin and aperol orange Aranciata goodness. Just as the ice was mellowing the kick of our cocktails the Farro soup arrived. The broth is light, devoid of a heavy oily top layer as some can generate, and the mussels, oh the mussels; mouthgasm. I don't generally prefer mushrooms, kind wording, but I ate every different variety.

The fresh burrata and crisp prosciutto dish is a bed of various brightly coloured baby tomatoes with fresh burrata. I don't eat tomatoes, love ketchup, but the smooshiness and general texture of tomatoes throws me. If you ate a tomato like an apple in front of me I would both vomit and possibly strike you to make it stop. No telling which would precede which. Enough burrata, the gooier, sweeter cousin to mozzarella, and anything starts to taste good. I tried a couple and it was pretty good, Jenn raved so I'll assume it, as with most things Glowbal Group, is top notch!

Farro Soup, Fresh Burrata * Crisp Prosciutto with wine pairings

Farro Soup - Wild Forest Mushrooms, Mussels, Porcini Brood

Fresh Burrata & Crisp Prosciutto - Roasted Baby Tomatoes & Basil Insalata

Seated beside us was a very nice couple out for dinner at Trattoria all the way from Abbotsford. The gentleman had suffered from congestive heart failure and celebrated receiving a clean bill of health a year later at UBC. They're going to be reaching out to us after they read this article, Adam, and I told them you'd do your best to get them their lucky table #7!

Fiona came rounding around the corner just as the last of the tomatoes vanished and she was holding what turned out to be an incredible culinary experience. All 3 of the main entrées on offer for Dine Out 2017. Veal scallopini, bresaola with fontina cheese. Peppery, spicy, sausage-y good. Paired with the Prospect Major Allan Merlot. Taking a bite of veal with the bresaola is heaven. Laid delicately beside it was the pan seared salmon. Oh how incredibly crisp and delicious the skin on the salmon was. The fish itself seated, perfectly, was fresh and flavourful. The gnocchi was the best I'd ever had. Why isn't this served with everything? Seriously! Who doesn't like it? Pappardelle is a fun word to say, but it's a funner pasta to eat. Layer in some braised beef cheek that has been braised for FOUR HOURS and you have yourself a sublime dish which was complimented nicely by some very tasty kale.

Veal Scallopini, Pan Seared Salmon, Braised Beef Cheek Pappardelle with Wine Pairings

Veal Scallopini - Bresaola, fontina cheese, white wine butter sauce, brussels sprouts, roasted potatoes

Pan Seared Salmon - fried potato gnocchi, grilled zucchini, roasted garlic aglio e olio

Braised Beef Cheek Pappardelle - braised kale, pear & apple mostarda

Tiramisu is coffee-flavoured Italian custard. It's usually made with ladyfingers dipped in coffee and layered with mascarpone cheese.

As full as I was it's my duty to try these foods so that I can write about it. So incredibly flaky and sweetened to the perfect point and the coffee wasn't overpowering, a near perfect 10! With our dessert we indulged in a limoncello and peach mojito and JC tried the red sangria. A perfect parallel to our experience at Trattoria: visually stunning, served with a smile and thoughtfully constructed.

Traditional Tiramisu + Prespect Admiral Shorts Tawny

Traditional Tiramisu - mascarpone mousse, espresso soaked lady fingers, mocha crème anglaise

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

Dine Out Vancouver 2017: Minami Yaletown / January 14, 2017 by Jenn Chan

Welcome to Minami, bienvenido a Minami! Head Chef Jay Pugong has headed the Minami kitchen for 2 years, is self taught, having eschewed an engineering degree at SFU, and, I'm sure you'll agree once you try the food, he made the right choice! Our server, Krystle, named for a popular character on the soap opera Dynasty, was our first official welcome. She was very pleasant, knew her stuff and was quick to offer fantastic recommendations!

We started out with a few cocktails while awaiting the first course of Minami's set Dine Out menu. I had an Ono No Chi made with jalapeño tequila! Now I brush my teeth with Sriracha and beg waiters to make my Butter Chicken "Indian spicy" at my favourite Indian restaurants so this was right up my alley. Jenn tried it and said a curse word so you know it's good spice/ tequila fans of which I know there are many! She asked Krystle for a recommendation for a fruitier drink and came back with a Miyasaki #2 - a beautiful mango drink with meringue-y foam on the top; delicious!

Out came out first course. A lovely beet salad with goat cheese. I thoroughly enjoyed it! The beets were fresh and slightly crispy and the dressing was light and the goat cheese was pungent, but not overpoweringly so.

Market Beets and Citrus with Sake Pairing

Market Beets and Citrus - Okanagan goat cheese mousse, wild baby arugula, basil pesto, yuzu marmalade, soy balsamic reduction

The next course was the quintessence of Minami! A sushi platter featuring their best Oishi, or block sushi. Each gets a charcoal sear with a blowtorch before your eyes in the open kitchen and the aromas fill the air. The first sushi, the name of which alludes me, but please check the gorgeous photograph as we'll go in order, and you can comment below, if you know it, was very good. The second was an amazing scallop offering which melted in your mouth. Toro means belly in Japanese and when you see Toro anywhere on anything purchase it to eat! The tuna toro is worth a one hour forty five minute drive to visit this restaurant. My people in Hope I'm looking at you!

The Dine Out Vancouver Festival is Canada's largest food festival and runs 17 days starting January 20th. 279 restaurants in the Lower Mainland put together a set menu for either $20, $30 or $40. Go check it out: dineoutvancouver.com. Which brings me to sushi #4, a Dine Out exclusive, Spicy tuna with a delicious strip of ultra lean roast beef wrapped around it. Jenn thought it was a "flavour party" while I was more drawn to the pepperiness brought out by the beef. The must sell 1,000,000 Ebi Oishi a year! So lemony and soft. I'm willing to bet the prawn was caught within the week; gorgeous! If they sell a million Ebi Oishi they must sell a billion Salmon Oishi. It's a good thing they plate two or else... riots... beheadings... Who knows?

In between the appetizers and main course and, yes, this gorgeous sushi platter was an appetizer, we partook in a Kochi 5, which lavished with lavender and lemon, not just clever alliteration, they GO TOGETHER marvellously! I had a Vespa because James Bond is an idol of mine and if you're expecting a 40 proof face punch you'll find the Vespa to be lighter than most of her martini cousins. This might be as good a time as any to highlight the sake pairings: Aburi ginjo for her first salad and sushi latter with its light vanilla tones.

The Nightingale accompanied the soon to be drooled over main course and is a bit more grassy than the first. "I've never had grass so it's hard for me to say" was Jenn's contribution to my sense of it. She tries. The Indigo is their dessert sake and it is absolutely delicious, light and fruity.

Entrée is a fun word to say. As a bilingual French and English speaker I revel in French words we adopt and don't butcher. Did you know cul-de-sac means bottom of a bag in French? Knowledge is power people! There is a choice of two entrées on their 2017 Dine Out menu: a 2-hour braised beef ankle with a coconut and garlic lobster tail or a decadent Miso Sablefish again with the lobster tail and each with a mixture of market vegetables. The ankle of a cow, an all too infrequently enjoyed delicacy, is a dense yet tender cut of meat and is braised until it melts in your mouth. Sablefish used to go by many different names. The most , or least, popular of which was Black Cod. In those days it was a 'junk fish' and was sold cheaply. Once palates became accustomed to the taste, and a masterful rebranding was undertaken, Sablefish is common amongst the world's best restaurants in whose company I would include Minami and her sister restaurant Miku! The sablefish was buttery and fresh and the lobster tail was a playful combination between the sweet of the coconut and the tang of the garlic. The garlic wins the flavour war and the freshness of the seafood is evident, the folks at their supplier 7Seas Fish Market know their stuff!

Dine Out Entrées: Sesame Soy Glazed Obie Briaser & Coconut Poached Half Lobster Tail + Miso Sakekasu Baked Sablefish & Coconut Poached Half Lobster Tail

Miso Sakekasu Baked Sablefish & Coconut Poached Half Lobster Tail - sunchoke cauliflower purée, shaved candy cane beet, spiced broccolini, wasabi ginger relish

Sesame Soy Glazed Obie Briaser & Coconut Poached Half Lobster Tail - market vegetables, baby potato fondant, wasabi horseradish

Reeling from the wholly satisfying meal we sat back and relaxed as our Hojicha Mousse came to our table and we turned to our Indigo sake to accompany it. The flavours blended so well together as we took a nibble of mousse and washed it down with the sweet sake. What an exhilaration! Minami could be visited for any of the courses alone or just the beautifully crafted cocktails or sakes while you sit at the bar in front of an incredible 40 foot by 10 foot single slab of fantastically lovely marble; breathtaking!

Hojicha Mousse - white chocolate shortbread, ginger crumble, raspberry coulis, fresh berries

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan