Lobster Fest at Provence Marinaside

The Marinaside area of Vancouver is one of the most breathtaking communities in the city! The yachts, the seawall, the posh restaurants and the ultra luxury condos and townhouses. Poshest amongst the eateries is the decadent Provence Marinaside. 

Our experience starts, at Wine Director Josh's recommendation, with a nice, light 2016 La Beyssannette Rosé from, perhaps not coincidentally, the Provence region of France. A very pale pink with notes of strawberry and citrus that compliments, but doesn't overpower the vintage. Delicious! Out pops an amuse bouche from Chef Jean-Francis Quagua halfway through our first sips, perfect timing. The baby shrimp salsa pops with a fresh vegetable burst and the shrimp is perfectly cooked and as fresh as if they pulled it from the Pacific Ocean which lies a mere 50 feet from where we sit.

Lobster Fest Menu

Amuse Bouche - Shrimp Salsa

Lobster bisque is good. It's universally accepted. Paired with the 2014 Pinot Gris from the Okanagan's Kettle Valley winery it elevates it even further. The richness of the soup is neutralized perfectly by the acidity in the wine. A bite of lobster with a heavy spoonful of broth and chase it down with a sip of wine. You'll thank me! Emmenthal cheese has just recently come onto my radar, even a foodie misses some things, and it is good. Try melting it with Dijon, shallots and mushrooms then adding Atlantic lobster. It is a revelation. Again the sommelier reached into the Okanagan Valley for his pairing; the 2008 Summerhill Cipes Blanc de Noirs. If I had Josh in my employ I would have him pair my morning Cheerios, wine is life!

LOBSTER BISQUE | grapefruit chantilly cream
Wine Pairing: Kettle Valley Pinot Gris 2014 Okanagan, BC

BAKED LOBSTER THERMIDOR | creamy dijon, shallot and mushroom sauce with emmenthal cheese
Wine Pairing: Summerhill Cipes Blanc de Noirs 2008 Okanagan, BC

There's a reason that lobster is expensive. It's a similar reason that Maseratis are expensive. Demand. The flavour of a good lobster, drenched in molten butter, cannot be easily described. The performance and hand made detailing in a Maserati is likewise difficult to articulate and, as such, the demand is high so the price follows in lockstep. We ordered the Whole Lobster Gratin and Whole Atlantic Lobster and did not, for one second, regret our choices. The gratin offering is paired with the delicious Angels & Cowboys Rosé from Sonoma County and the latter with the eclectic 2014 Reichsrat von Buhl Spatburgunder Rosé Trocken from Germany. When a sommelier drops off a glass of wine and can't explain its bouquet or highlights, especially one as talented as Josh, it will make you curious. The German wine is quite nice, but certainly difficult to put a finger on. It did; however, pair extraordinarily with the lobster and helped propel it into a fine dining category that few eateries in Vancouver match. The Sonoma wine melded with the smoked tomato infused gratin lobster and it was probably my favourite of the two, but, like a doting parent, I hate to play favourites.

WHOLE ATLANTIC LOBSTER | sautéed provençal style, seasonal vegetables, seven grain rice
Wine Pairing: Reichsrat von Buhl Spatburgunder Rosé Trocken 2014 Pfalz, Germany

WHOLE LOBSTER GRATIN | smoked tomato, corn, wilted spinach, forbidden rice
Wine Pairing: Angels & Cowboys Rosé 2016 Sonoma County, California

Something about rhubarb takes me back to childhood. I remember picking it in our yard as a very small child and washing it like mom had showed me and sprinkling a bit of sugar on it and going to town. Mama's little baby also loved shortcake, shortcake. Provence's strawberry and rhubarb shortcake elicited a gasp as it arrived at our table. The perfect combination of sweet and tart and the shortbread was so fresh and flaky! Paired with my first experience with a late harvest merlot, the Paradise Ranch Merlot Ice Wine from the venerable Okanagan Valley. Delicious! Even if you have just came from dinner you can still spoil yourself with an amazing dessert at Provence! Service is a near perfect 9/10, only to give them something to strive for, and ambience is a perfect 10. Full stop. Treat yourself to one of the best restaurant in vancouver!

BC STRAWBERRY AND RHUBARB SHORTCAKE | basil agave chantilly
Wine Pairing Paradise Ranch Merlot Ice Wine 2013 Okangan, BC

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

Mott32 Dining + Champagne Lounge at Trump Vancouver

As you walk into Mott 32 the first thing you will notice is... well there's a lot. Like a lot, a lot. But one thing that will certainly strike you is that each table has unique, custom-made seating and each area has a subtly different theme. The outlying tables, some close to their lovely new patio and some near to the lavish, intimate bar, each have a particular, distinctive style. As you get to the centre of the restaurant you see the space is dominated by Mott 32's signature steel octagon. During the day natural light streams through the octagon ceiling's frosted glass panelling, but at night the soft lighting and dark walls beckon with a sultry, sophisticated ambience.

Our culinary adventure started with an amuse bouche; fried tofu with candied ginger in a sweet and sour sauce. My usual gripe with tofu is the slimy squishiness, but Mott fries these until they're crisp. The sauce complimented them perfectly and signalled we were in for a real treat during our first visit! They were followed closely by our chosen appetizers: the Maine Lobster Har Gow and Shredded Peking Duck Spring Roll. The har gow was packed with lobster flavour and dripping with saucy goodness. A solid 8/10 on the deliciousness metre! The spring rolls are a revelation! We watched as whole duck, which must be ordered 24 hours in advance, after whole duck rolled by our table to be cut up table side for our lucky fellow diners. Our spring rolls helped to dry our tears from not having ordered the delicious, succulent duck and the crispness of the roll made the flavour of the duck pop. No soggy, previously frozen spring rolls at Mott! I hate to give perfect 10/10's because chefs need a goal in the distance to strive for so I'll label these a 9.7/10... They're amazing! Top five spring rolls of my life!

Shredded Peking Duck Spring Roll

Maine Lobster Har Gow, Yunnan Ham

Starting to feel the groove we welcomed our entrées: Alaskan King Crab Vermicelli, Australian Wagyu M9 Sirloin and 24 Hour Slow Cooked New Zealand Lamb Shank. The vermicelli boasted more roe in a pasta dish than I have ever seen. Large pieces of crab, fresh, thin noodles and every bite covered in flying fish roe! The roe provides a nice crunch to the dish which compliments the tender pasta and supple crab perfectly; delicious! Wagyu beef, as I have often ranted, makes other beef, AAA, sirloin, New York, whatever, taste like Big Mac mystery meat. The innovative 'log house-style' plating, homemade black bean paste and tasty button mushrooms almost made me forget that the bottom layer of the log house was one of my arch nemeses; the leek. Out of deference for the talented Mott 32 chefs I ventured a bite of onion's ugly cousin, but, sadly, as predicted, I didn't enjoy it. Jenn loved it so I am willing to go with her assessment: "fresh, perfectly cooked and tangy." Now onto the winner of tonight's "what did you enjoy the most" prize; the lamb shank! Jenn and I have recently started slow cooking. Everything! Put a rack of ribs in the slow cooker and add... things... I'm not actually sure what she's putting in there, but I do know you can cut the meat with a cross look or a stern glance. You could eat Mott's lamb shank if you didn't have any teeth, it would be easily gummed down! The 'northern spices', about which I could not get many hints for our very talented server, is very tasty. The hulking, very photogenic, lamb shank is worth a trip to Mott all in its own and I implore you to try it!

Alaskan King Crab Vermicelli, Flying Fish Roe

Australian Wagyu M9 Sirloin, Grilled Leeks, Homemade Black Bean Paste, Garlic Chips

24 hour Slow Cooked New Zealand Lamb Shank, Northern Spices

Almost ready to roll home like the obnoxious, blueberry girl who couldn't leave Willy Wonka's gum alone in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, we opted against dessert. Seeing as how we live less than 200 steps away, we counted, we assured ourselves we would be back to partake and we never let ourselves down when gluttony is involved! Got to Mott 32, treat yourself, you'll be glad you did. Mention us at Jenn Chan Media and I'd wager dollars to donuts there will be a surprise in store you you!

Champagne Lounge

Infuser

Louis XII

The Macallan

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

Top Patios in Vancouver Series: Glowbal

This was the best meal of my young life! We at Jenn Chan Photography are extremely proud of our relationship with the Glowbal Group. It's hard to go wrong regardless of which restaurant in the Glowbal chain you try: Italian Kitchen, Coast, Black & Blue, Glowbal Grill, etc... Exceptional service is preached on the first day they train new staff, Jenn is a former Coast server so we have some insider knowledge, and reiterated throughout an employee's tenure. And it shows! 

Being that we were cordially invited to dine at the Glowbal Grill on this evening we weren't surprised to be whisked past the lineup upon sight, greeted warmly by the general manager, a delightfully gracious gentleman name Kyle Johnstone, and showed to one of their loveliest patio tables. What might surprise some, however, is that this is the default Glowbal setting. The GM made the rounds the entire night, chatted with customers, put out fires and just generally controlled the flow of the patio like an orchestra conductor.

Seemingly seconds after we were seated we were presented with an amazing amuse bouche courtesy of the chef. You don't need to have 20,000+ followers on Instagram or blog posts that are seen by more than 70,000 eyes, you only need to go to Glowbal Grill. Everyone is treated like a celebrity and let me tell you that the mushroom arancini with truffle oil we were gifted did nothing to dispel that celebrity feeling! I'm not a big mushroom fan, but I could have eaten 50 of these, but then we wouldn't have had room for the rest of our meal which, in case you've forgotten the first sentence of this article, was the best of my life!

If you're fans of our blog, and we're eternally grateful if you are and humbled by the number of you, you know we always, always test a restaurant's Caesar. Glowbal's aptly named Pacific Caesar is as high end as Caesars get and scored a near perfect 9/10 on the JCP Caesar Meter! JC ordered the red sangria and called it delicious and drank it like a race horse at the water trough after the Kentucky Derby so, even though I can't attest to it because I didn't get a chance to try any, I am going to go out on a limb and say it was exceptional!

Mushroom Arancini with Truffle Oil

Now here is where things got very interesting, very quickly. While scanning the menu we happened upon some Siberian Caviar and when we asked our server what she thought of it her knees got weak and she almost keeled over! Oh Nathalia! Some people are just plain good at everything they attempt and I have a sneaking suspicion our server on that night is one of those. An extraordinary waitress; kind, warm, helpful and genuine! The tin of delicious Sturgeon roe arrived accompanied by red onions, chives, egg white, egg yolks and bakery fresh Latkas. We paired it, at Kyle's recommendation, with the 2014 Domaine la Gemière Sancerre. Now I consider myself an eloquent writer, I have the best words to steal a line from Donald Trump, but it's tough to articulate the flavour of caviar melting in your mouth after a swallow of this delicious Sancerre. I lament my inadequacy, but at least it will give you further reason to visit the Glowbal Grill.

Siberian Caviar - with Red Onions, chives, Latka, Egg White, Egg Yolk, Sour Cream

Still reeling from the foodgasm that is caviar paired with a nice white wine our second courses arrived: a sashimi trio consisting of halibut, ahi tuna and wild salmon and an order of ahi tuna poké with mango/ coconut chips. I eat a lot of sashimi, like a lot. I'm currently on a bit of a health kick and protein is king. You can get a $10 sashimi dish at a quaint, smaller Japanese restaurant and be perfectly content, but when you get sashimi from a restaurant who prides themselves, defines themselves by quality it is a whole different animal! Literally. Wild salmon, ocean fresh halibut and the kind of ahi tuna someone had to get up very early to buy at the docks.

Sashimi Trio & Ahi Tuna Poke

Sashimi Trio - Halibut with yuzu kosho & ponzu, Ahi Tuna with sesame miso, Wild Salmon with jalapeño gochujang vinaigrette

Ahi Tuna Poke, with Mango & Coconut with Chips

Jenn has a horrible habit of ordering miso sablefish whenever and wherever she finds it. Maybe horrible is a stiff assertion, but compulsive behaviour, wherever it rears its head, should be avoided imho. The fish, however, was exquisite, the shiitake mushroom consommé and soba noodle salad extremely lovingly constructed and it quickly disappeared. I was lucky enough to grab a couple bites in between the blur that was Jenn's wizard-like mastery of knife and fork and can attest to the quality. In and of itself worth a visit.

Miso Marinated Sablefish - Shiitake Mushroom Consomme, Soba Noodle Salad

Now let's get serious for a second. Not as serious as cancer, but as serious as an avid carnivore meeting what he didn't even know was his favourite thing in the world. Enter my raw cut of Wagyu beef paraded to the table in all of its marbled goodness. I've had Wagyu before, many times, but I have never had such an incredibly tender, deliciously fat marbled cut as this. Hands down the best steak of my life! The best! Served a perfect medium rare, first box ticked, and so tender, so tender, that I could have cut it with a stern look. It sat on a bed of decadent, fluffy mashed potatoes and crisp, fresh broccoli. The steak was a perfect 10/10, the mashed potatoes were a handcrafted miracle of carbohydrates and, I'm told, the broccoli was excellent!

Japanese Wagyu

8 oz Japanese Wagyu New York Strip

Even hardly able to walk to excuse myself to the restroom I did not have the mental fortitude to deny an offer of freshly baked apple pie. I mean who does? Gandhi maybe, but that's it! Light, flaky puff pastry with caramelized apples served with delicious rum raisin ice cream. Hard to follow the best steak of my life, but an extremely valiant attempt and I would even go so far as to acquiesce to the fact that you could probably make a trip to Glowbal for the pie alone.

Apple Pie - puff pastry, caramelized apples, rum & rasin ice cream (baked fresh daily)

Have you been to downtown Vancouver? It's the largest city in North America without freeway access which means there are only a few ways in and out of the downtown core. One of them, that you will undoubtedly take before you die, leads you right past the Glowbal Grill at the bottom of the newly opened 1,000,000 square foot Telus Garden development that boasts the length of an entire city block. The unique birdcage booths on the patio will catch your eye, but not more so than the 220 foot long arched canopy that boasts an LED light show at night. It is truly an engineering marvel and hard to miss. If you do miss it look for me. I'll be there.

Glowbal

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

French Cuisine in Vancouver: The Stable House

Ahhh the leafy, tree lined streets of Fairview. I've long been a fan of the decadent, posh suburbia right across the bridge for where I'm nestled comfortably in the Downtown core. As soon as you cross the Granville Street bridge and pass the shops and restaurants that dot the road you are transported into a world of mansions and old growth Maples and Pines. Take a left or a right off of Granville before the mansions start and the apartments and heritages homes and condos peer out from behind an envelope of leafy green trees that blot out the sky. The air is fresh, the people friendly and the restaurants, oh the restaurants, are special. 

You may have passed by the Stable House Bistro before and not even noticed. Unassuming. I like my wine to be unassuming, inoffensive, I like my women to be unassuming, unpretentious, and I like my restaurants to be neighbourhood secrets. The owners originally started the Stable House as a wine club for their friends, but, after Chef James got his hands on the menu, word got out.

Charcuterie boards are unmistakably French. Pair them with a nice sparkling wine, or if you're at the Stable House actual champagne from the champagne region of France, take a bite of cheese, have a swallow of the champagne and let it melt the cheese in your mouth. Let the salty, cured meats zap your tastebuds before you bathe them again in cheesy, sparkling goodness. And repeat ad nauseum.

Before our board arrived we, as we often do, decided to test the Stable House's offering on the patent pending Jenn Chan Photography Caesar Meter. I ordered mine as they make it and JC ordered hers mild. I found mine to be tangy, spicy and very flavourful. JC loved hers as well and said she gave it a 9 on the JCP Caesar Meter, and I liked mine similarity; 9's around! Solid score Stable House crew!

The board arrived laden with a house made terrine of juniper scented pork; absolutely amazing! Also along for the ride was a delightful chicken liver paté and pickled plums. A unique and entertaining assortment and it all soon disappeared. It was paired masterfully by our server Matthew with  a full bodied Chianti from the Carpineto winery in Italy. 

Housemade Characuterie - Juniper Scented Pork Terrine and Chicken Liver Pate with pickled plums & aioli

2014 Domaine Bott-Geyl Gentil d'Alsace, Alsace France

After the board our second course came, a refreshing watermelon and radish salad with shaved fennel. It was a nice light palate cleanser and again paired perfectly with Alsace from the Domaine Bott Geyl winery in Alsace, France.  Pampering at its finest, a talented sommelier can be such an incredible addition to a meal. Matthew informed us gleefully he was heading to France the next week to undertake further wine study. Wine study in France I thought, tough job. 

Local Watermelon Radish Salad - Shaved fennel, compressed fennel stem, micro peppercress, crushed almond and balsamic cream

2013 Chianti Classico

I ordered the Confit Chicken Thighs. Chicken cooked in a duck fat reduction. Yes, it is as good an idea as it sounds. Served with local baby carrots, roasted potatoes and English snap peas it was the best chicken I have eaten in 2016 and I laboured to think of a better piece of poultry in my lifetime. Simply delicious! JC order a seared Newport Steak with a barley and black trumpet risotto and pickled enoki mushrooms. I thought they had spilled dish soap on it until I was informed politely that it was Grana Padano foam. Good save guys. Regardless the dish soap, for whatever reason, tasted great and the risotto was light and flavourful. The steak came out the perfect pink and the meat was tender and delicious! Both entrées were outstanding and both worth a visit on their own.

Maple Hill Farms Confit Chicken Thighs - Roasted new potatoes, glazed local baby carrots, english peas, snow peas & wasabi pea dust

Kettle Ridge Farms Seared Newport Steak - barley & black trumpet risotto, pickled enoki mushrooms, gran padano foam, and black garlic coulis

Dessert was an adventure all on its own! Anytime meringue is involved I am there. It reminds me of my dear granny who would make the most light, airy meringue in the world. Or so I thought. We were presented with a plate of lemon custard, chantilly cream, raspberry coulis, meringue and fresh, local raspberries. We couldn't pinpoint our favourite item, but both have the platter a 9/10. Heady scores if you're fans of our blog!

Lemon Custard - chantilly cream, raspberry coulis, hazelnut praline, merangue and BC raspberries

Looking back the Stable House is a must! Pleasant staff, an incredible wine selection and an eclectic ambience. Head over there and tell them JCP sent you and get yourself the Chef's choice and let them pick your courses and sit back and relax. Cheers!

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

Fairmont Vancouver Airport

Fairmont Vancouver Airport

The Fairmont Vancouver Airport was the winner of #1 Airport Hotel in North America award in 2015; its third year in a row! Located only a convenient, 2-minute waltz to the departure gate it is a luxurious way to make an early morning YVR departure.

As soon as you cross the skywalk entry into the granite encrusted lobby you can see why the Fairmont Vancouver Airport is ranked a 4 Diamond hotel and why they have won countless international hotel commendations.

The fitness equipment is top notch and well maintained with a unique view of enthused, optimistic travellers starting the first leg of their travels. The accompanying pool and hot tub are each kept at an ideal temperature and the poolside lounge chairs offer a merry view of the aquatic activities and back onto floor to ceiling windows 20 some feet above the departure gates where passports and luggage alike are checked.

The lounge, open to hotel guests and their fellow travellers, beacons with immense floor to ceiling windows peering out onto the YVR runways and North Shore Mountains. Cypress Mountain, Grouse and Mount Seymour can be viewed simultaneously from the enchanted vantage the Fairmont enjoys. A well stocked menu fulfills the appetites of the wine connoisseur, spirit lover and beer enthusiast in addition to the toddler in search of chicken strips and orange juice. 

Globe@YVR is a revelation! Microwave sandwiches, greasy burgers and fast food tacos are no longer synonymous with airport food. Now you can add Bison Tartar, Lobster Bisque, Ribeye and Sablefish to that selection. Wine pairings are expertly suggested by some of the most congenial service staff we've had the pleasure of encountering and the experience is topped off with a dessert menu large enough to satisfy even the most discerning of tastes.

Globe @ YVR Fresh Breads

Globe @ YVR Crab Cakes

Globe @ YVR Bison Tartar

Globe @ YVR Miso Sablefish

Globe @ YVR 10oz Ribeye

Globe @ YVR Beef Cheeks

Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee

Berry Cheesecake

Globe @ YVR Chocolate Parfait

Thank you so much for having us Fairmont Vancouver Airport! It definitely was an amazing way to start our vacation!

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan