Top Patios in Vancouver Series: Joe Fortes Roof Garden / May 11, 2016 by Jenn Chan

The words "little children loved him" adorn a commemorative fountain in Alexandra Park which overlooks Vancouver's English Bay. Sculpted for Joe Fortes, for whom the formidable Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House is named, the fountain is a testament to a Vancouver legend, a gentle giant and he is definitely worth a quick Google! It's safe to say "adults love Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House"!

Since 1985 Joe Fortes has been a must see Vancouver institution. In 2014 Zagat rated them a 24 for food and service and a 22 for decor; these are world class grades from the most famous restaurant rating system in the world. Seafood, steaks, pasta, entree salads and even casual sandwiches and fish tacos on their lunch menu, there will be something for everyone!

Our experience started atop their incredibly lush, garden patio. Seated beside the tall glass railings perched above Thurlow Street we ordered a couple of Caesars. That's vodka with Clamato, Tabasco, Worcester Sauce and usually some creative garnishes, for the uninitiated, and took our time with the menu while we basked in the May sun.

To start we ordered an Albacore Tuna Tartare served with a wakame salad, ponzu, egg yolk, pine nuts and taro root chips as well as a New England Clam Chowder. The tuna was very fresh and the pine nuts added a lovely texture and taste. The clam chowder was very delicious, rich and hearty and could have been a meal in on its own.

Our main courses were chicken and waffles and a seafood bowl. I have this issue whereby, when it's offered, I have a very hard time not ordering chicken and waffles. I mean it's chicken, excellent, and it's waffles, equally excellent. When combined they make a culinary duo that I thoroughly enjoy and can seldom resist. Add in some maple syrup and your twosome is now a threesome. I'll save any jokes to your imagination.

The seafood bowl was a generous mix of cod, mussels, clams, tomato broth and jasmine rice served with fresh, grilled bread. The broth was one of those ones you want to take to go after you're done. The cod tasted like it was pulled from the water minutes before! The mussels and clams were high quality and tasty. All in all a spectacular dish!

The scene on Joe Fortes' patio at midday feels like the lunchtime epicentre of Vancouver. Men in suits encircle lavish tables, under elegant umbrellas, presumably talking business, and sip cognac. Ladies in smart dresses, gleamingly accessorized, dine alongside shopping bags from Gucci, Louis Vuitton or the brand new Prada store across the street. Dudes and bros in skinny jeans sit at the bar and swill craft beer. Young ladies with pierced eyebrows, dark lipstick and spiked purses drink water and happily much large salads. All walks of life coming together to enjoy the necessities of life. I'd highly recommend you join them!

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

Top Patios in Vancouver Series: The Roof @ Black & Blue / May 5, 2016 by Jenn Chan

The Roof at Black + Blue is a beautiful space and the largest rooftop restaurant in Vancouver. To combat the occasional, extremely rare, rainfall in the city The Roof comes equipped with a gigantic awning that covers the entire space and, if you're lucky enough, as we were, to catch it at noon on a 30 degree day in early May, it retracts to showcase a lovely vantage of the Shangri-La tower and the iconic Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

One of the things that sets Black + Blue, and the entire Glowbal Group collection of restaurants, is service. As a lifestyle blogger you can become accustomed to getting more personal service, but as we were greeted by the restaurant manager, a very cordial gentleman named Matt Hawes, with champagne in hand and a lovely stuffed Yorkshire pudding we knew we were in for a lovely experience. Courtesy appetizers, we were informed by a fellow patron, aren't only reserved for food critics, but are routinely offered to guests as a thank you. Class.

If you don't know what a Josper Grill is I suggest, nay urge, you hit the Googles right now. Go on. I'll wait. Costing nearly $20,000 and using, exclusively, charcoal as its fuel source this wonderful contraption, the only one of its kind in the entire country, infuses Black & Blue's wares with an incredible, smoky flavour.

I ordered the Seafood Trio skewer, a melange of jumbo tiger prawns, scallops and lobster tail. While it is difficult to do lobster tail badly, and it was exquisite, what really impressed me were the scallops. I don't really like scallops. On occasion I have been heard to proclaim a distinct disdain for the creatures, but I could have eaten 50 of them! The smoky flavour was evident on the prawns, a triumph in my humble opinion, likewise the incredible lobster, but on the scallops it took centre stage and made them a true culinary triumph. My partner ordered the lamb salad, similarly cooked in the Josper Grill and, similarly, stunning!

Between courses, and basking happily in the sun, we partook in one of our favourite summertime cocktails; the uniquely Canadian drink, the Caesar. I requested mine with some spice and my partner requested mild and we were both very pleased with the quality of the vodka, easily apparent, and the mix. Both perfect 10's.

For dessert we split the dessert platter: lemon italian meringue, peanut butter macaron, butter cake, honeycomb, salted caramel chocolate cake with vanilla anglaise & caramel sauce. We paired it with a lovely rosé champagne and were very intrigued by the thoughtful mélange of flavours, but the consensus favourite was the lemon meringue.

As we left the space we both immediately looked at our schedules to see when we could make it back, the ultimate compliment. I would live there if they let me, The Roof is a must do!

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

The Urban Tea Merchant - Sakura Tea Set / April 28, 2016 by Jenn Chan

The decision by The Urban Tea Merchant (TUTM) to extend their very popular Sakura Tea Set until the end of May is the best thing to happen to you today whether you know it or not!

Chef Cliff Hohl has an innate flair for Japanese fusion and the "tea gastronomy" dishes in the Sakura Tea Set hit the mark. The term, Tea gastronomy, which I believe they coined themselves, is the practice of using tea, in some way, in all of their dishes. Chef Hohl was gracious enough to take the time to lay out our platter personally and explain each different morsel in mouth watering detail.

Gold Yin Zhen tea, sprinkled with 24K gold flakes

Three different teas accompanied out meal and started with a 2016 Darjeeling Nouveau which had been picked from the Darjeeling region of India only 3 weeks earlier. The Darjeeling is the champagne of teas and it doesn't take more than a sip to know why! We then partook in their very popular Bain de Roses tea, which literally translated means Rose Bath, but was much more subtle, followed by my personal favourite, the limited edition, Sakura! Sakura! Tea. TWG Tea is the only tea the TUTM serves and it is world renowned for a reason. There may or may not be some exciting news about the TWG and TUTM partnership coming up, but it isn't my news to break :)

2016 Darjeeling Nouveau, Bain De Roses Tea, Sakura Tea

We were advised to start with the Wagyu Beef, which was perched just centimetres above a piping hot bowl of soup that was to be its final destination, as it was to be cooked in the Japanese Shabu Shabu hotspot style. Do some quick research on Wagyu Beef and you will see why it was such a tender piece of meat and very flavourful.

We then moved on to the Seared Scallops in Wild Boar Jam. The scallops were soaked in Sakura! Sakura! Tea and the earthy, floral flavour shined through and was a wonderful compliment to the Wild Boar Jam. The Kumamoto Oyster was next and it was delightful with a sweet Passionfruit Tea Jelly.

Sakura! Sakura! Tea "Stained Seared Scallop, Wild Boar Jam, Yuzu Gel

Kumamoto Oyster with Togarashi "Passion Fruit Tea" Jelly

The main course is a Miso Maple Sablefish. Being well travelled foodies and prolific food / lifestyle bloggers, my partner and I tried to think of the amount of times in the past few months we'd had Miso Sablefish; it was 4! Our fifth Sablefish was our favourite, by far, hands down! Chef Hohl's Sablefish secrets, I'm told, will die with him, but the fish was cooked to perfection and its light, buttery flavour was absolutely stunning and we will be back time and time again for it alone and we haven't even gotten to the desserts yet!

Miso Maple Sablefish, with Watermelon Radish & Deep Fried Lotus Leaf, on Shiso Leaf — Miso Maple Sablefish, with Watermelon Radish & Deep Fried Lotus Leaf, on Shiso Leaf

The dessert included a Bain de Roses Macaron, a tea-infused Ricotta Cheesecake, a Chocolate Dipped Strawberry and a lovely array of Fresh Fruit. All were heavenly with the Ricotta Cheesecake being my favourite, but only by a nose.

“Sakura! Sakura! Tea” Pavlova, TWG Tea Macaron, “Tokyo-Singapore Tea” Cheesecake, White and Dark Chocolate Dipped Strawberry & Mélange of Fresh Fruit — “*Sakura! Sakura! Tea*” Pavlova, TWG Tea Macaron, “*Tokyo-Singapore Tea*” Cheesecake, White and Dark Chocolate Dipped Strawberry & Mélange of Fresh Fruit

In all this tea set from The Urban Tea Merchant left us feeling full and satisfied, the service was exceptional, a perfect 10, and the atmosphere is lovely; it is a must do!

Darjeeling Tea, Bain De Roses Tea, Sakura Tea

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

MARKET by Jean-Georges :: Sakura Tasting Menu / April 26, 2016 by Jenn Chan

Jean-Georges Vongerichten is a French chef who studied his craft in the south of France before making the move to New York City in 1985. Market by Jean-Georges is his only foray into Canada, and the west coast itself, though he fronts 30 restaurants from Shanghai all the way to Mexico.

The dining room is contemporary and well-imagined and it is hard, upon being escorted to your table, to miss the smattering of Moët and Veuve Clicquot bottles throughout the upscale space. Our table was a meticulously kept booth overlooking the floor to ceiling windows perched 3 floors above the elegant shopping on Alberni Street. A gleaming Prada store, fresh from its grand opening, beckons from below with a steady stream of happy, well heeled customers buzzing in and out of its grand doors.

MARKET by Jean-Georges Private Dining Room

For variety's sake we chose the Sakura tasting menu with some imaginative wine pairings, opting against the alternative sake pairings, and one meal à la carte. So taken was I by our waiter's keen suggestions that I left wine pairings for my à la carte selections to his discretion and was not disappointed.

The first Sakura course was a very fresh Stripe Shrimp and Eggplant Salad paired with a fantastic sparkling rosé from BC's own Grey Monk Winery in the beautiful Okanagan Valley. Luckily my partner was in a sharing mood! The shrimp melts in your mouth at the first hint of carbonation from the rosé and there were many heartfelt "mmmmm's" during the first course. I chose an Angus Beef Carpaccio with a very surprising Taragon Mayonnaise which was paired nicely with a Pinot Noir from the Meyer Family Winery also of the nearby Okanagan Valley. It was splendid!

The second Sakura course saw another lovely seafood dish come out as sublime morsels of Albacore Tune were brought alongside Sake Cured Torchons of Foie Gras all in a Passionfruit Miso Sauce. Not being a big liver fan I attempted to pass on my generous partner's first offer to share, but after her marvelling at the symphony of flavours I ventured in and was please I did so. The fish was incredibly supple and fresh, as one would assume from being only a stone's throw, perhaps more aptly a cannon shot, away from the Pacific Ocean. I had ordered the Soft Shell Crab with Summer Squash and was delighted, as was my partner, with the quality of the seafood and the freshness, though only spring, of the Summer Squash.

Albacore Tuna - Sake Cured Torchon of foie gras, with passionfruit miso sauce

Crispy Soft Shell Crab, with summer squash, basil & soy oil

Next on the Sakura menu came the Clams steamed in Sake while I busily worked on my Soft Shell Crab. It was paired with a wonderful Chablis from the Pascal Bouchard Winery in Burgundy, France. So taken by it was I that I ordered a glass to accompany my dessert, but I am, quite regrettably, though excusably, getting ahead of myself! The clams were wonderful and it didn't take long before my partner was eating them right out of the shells so as to afford herself more opportunity to partake in the Sake, Soy, Butter and Garlic sauce they swam in. I must admit that I also abandoned a modicum of table etiquette, at her behest, in the same endeavour and it was simply wonderful!

Clams steamed in Sake - soy, butter, garlic

Following fresh on the heels of our divine clam experience it was time for the main courses... To say we were satisfied with them is like saying we were satisfied with being born; it was not something we had planned, like our birth, but, on this night at least, integral to our happiness on Earth in every imaginable way! The Sakura menu boasted, boasted, a Sablefish Marinated in Sake Lees accompanied by Crispy Rice and an Edamame Purée. The fish was cooked to perfection and complimented its side dishes with flair and was paired with a subtly tart Chardonnay from the Hester Winery, again, from The Okanagan Valley. If you're unfamiliar with the Okanagan Valley I pray you do some research! It is the location of the paternal side of my family's emigration to Canada, Canada's only desert climate and has the most amazing collection of fresh water lakes, some 72 Km's long, I have ever come across in my extensive travels. In summer it is a paradise; stated without a hint of hyperbole.

Sablefish Marinated in Sake Lees, with crispy rice & edamame puree

For my entrée I went with the Beef Tenderloin in a Red Wine Jus. As I like my meat rare I was very pleased with the red hue that I was able to spot from across the dining room as the wait staff arrived with my meal. It was cooked just the way I like it and as tender as a warm summer's breeze. It was paired with an intriguing Cabernet Sauvignon from the Cannonball Wine Company in California's Napa Valley. It was another wonderful selection from our pleasant host Nathan, presumably Nate to his friends, a stalwart fellow with a calm, friendly demeanour who seemed like the kind of guy who would also have good suggestions for beer pairings; my personal beverage of choice.

The Sakura menu offered a Matcha Sponge Cake as its dessert and it was greedily devoured by my partner. It had a lovely texture, was very, very fresh, but I have just never developed a taste for Matcha so I skillfully declined a second tasting when it was offered. Having had trouble deciding between the Warm Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream and the MARKET Cheesecake with Crispy Strawberries and Strawberry Sorbet Nathan suggested a smaller serving of each. If these were smaller servings then I am a monkey's uncle! This was the first time, that I know of, that Nate had ever lied to me :) The lava cake tasted as though it had just come from the oven and the lava flowed forth with a thick, rich avalanche of chocolaty goodness. The cheesecake ranks among my top 10. So light and airy without any hint of roof clinginess that besets other desserts of its ilk. When combined with the tangy sorbet it formed a tag team duo that really punctuated the entire dining experience.

Matcha Sponge Cake - biwa, ume plum semi freddo

Market by Jean-Georges, at the base of Vancouver's tallest tower and inside one of the city's plushest luxury hotels, the Shangri-La Vancouver, is a must see! If you can't find it just look up. The Shangri-La has dominated the Vancouver skyline since it was built in 2008 and still boasts the title of tallest tower though the regrettably named Trump Tower, located just across Georgia Street, comes in only 43 feet shorter.

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

Easter Brunch at Arc Restaurant / March 27, 2016 by Jenn Chan

The Arc Restaurant at Fairmont Waterfront underwent a massive renovation in 2014 and as soon as you walk in you can see that it was money well spent. The sleek, curved interior, with its modern finishes and floor to ceiling windows offering spectacular views of the Burrard Inlet, North Shore Mountains and the bustling Canada Place Square and cruise ship terminal, is elegant and has a clean, upscale vibe. With the addition of a large patio it has become a fantastic place for dinner and drinks for tourists from the beautiful Fairmont Waterfront upstairs and locals alike.

The food is simply amazing! The crab is succulent and fresh and the meat was coaxed from the thoughtfully pre-cracked shell with minimal effort. The salmon tasted like it was pulled minutes before from the Pacific Ocean, a stone's throw from where you sit comfortably in your tasteful leather chair, the waters renowned worldwide for their salmon fishing. The sushi was a welcome surprise in its authenticity and expert composition and there was an extensive wine list from which to draw your pairings.

Got myself a plate of delicious seafood!

The desserts are rich and the options are plentiful. From the velvety, soft chocolate cake to the divine mousses there will be something for everyone.

The staff exuded professionalism, charm and dedication and truly go the extra mile to accommodate their guests. The Arc will welcome you and you will go back!

Thank you for having us Fairmont Waterfront!

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

Intercontinental Hong Kong / January 21, 2016 by Jenn Chan

As some of you might know, I spent 3 weeks recently in Hong Kong. I did a lot of exploring, dining, relaxing, and of course photo-shooting. I had an absolutely amazing time there, and in the next little bit, I will continue to show you some of my favourite spots to visit while on vacation!

Today, I want to share with you my time at Intercontinental Hong Kong. The Intercontinental Hong Kong is located in Kowloon along the waterfront, with panoramic view of Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island. We got there around sunset (which is always a great time for photos), and settled ourselves at their Lobby Lounge. They were serving Afternoon Tea at the time, so we ordered a set, and enjoyed it alongside a spectacular view of Hong Kong Island.

Intercontinental Afternoon Tea Set for Two

We were whisked away afterwards to check out their most luxurious room - the Presidential Suite. Not only is this suite the largest in Hong Kong, but is also recognised as Asia's most spectacular. The suite is a 7,000 sq. ft duplex, which includes a study, a gym, and butler service at your beck and call.

Overlooking the Living Room from the 2nd floor of the suite

Master Bathroom, complete with views of Hong Kong

My absolute favourite part of the Presidential Suite has got to be their 2,500 Sq. Ft. rooftop terrace, with an infinity swimming pool & jacuzzi - all complete with a panorama view of Hong Kong Island.

This has got to be one of my top 10 places to visit when in Hong Kong! What are some of your must-see landmarks in Hong Kong?

Thank you Intercontinental Hong Kong for feeding us and showing us around!