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

Top Japanese Restaurants in Vancouver Series: Gyoza Bar / January 2, 2017 by Jenn Chan

Chef Wooj tried to kill me! The Head Chef at the Gyoza Bar, one affable Japanese import named Woo Jin Kim, attempted to snuff my light by gorging me with plate after plate of Gyoza Bar's best!

The meal started, as all great meals do, with a couple beverages. I started with the Postmark dark IPA, an IPA and porter-like hybrid, which was very good. Jenn tried their signature Mango Mule and loved it, it seemed to disappear pretty quickly. Chef Wooj came out and was gracious enough to introduce himself and chat for a bit. "Leave it to me" he said, "you don't need a menu": exhibit A in my murder trial had he been successful! As we waited Jenn got into a Pender Collins, a cocktail of elderflower centric deliciousness, and I tried the Blood and Beauty. "Scotch, scotch, scotch. I love scotch" well Ron Burgundy I don't mind it either - 8/10. We also had an Aburi ginjo sake which I found tart and refreshing with a hint of vanilla. All engines go!

The first salvo in the food war was a very nice Roasted Beet Salad. It had an amazing dressing, made in-house, and the beet gyoza was very soft and flavourful. I wholeheartedly, 100% endorse the use of fruits and nuts in salads and the orange and roasted almonds make this salad an adventure. He also brought their Prawn Ceviche and Pork Gyoza. See I told you and this is just the iceberg's tip! The Pork gyoza is, bold statement coming, the best gyoza I've ever had! Pork shank and minced pork belly mixed together with few other ingredients distracting from the main oinky feature, served in a heated skillet, and served with an umami and spicy miso sauce. Absolutely incredible! Chef told us how important it was to him that gyoza be served hot and consumer hot and it makes all the difference! The ceviche was excellent, fresh and tasty! Make yourself a sandwich with the gyoza skin cracker, guacamole and prawn and thank me after.

Roasted Beet Gyoza + Market Salad - feta cheese, pickled beets, fresh orange, toasted almonds

Pork Teppan Gyoza - served with spicy miso _ umami soy

And then it came. The Bao Board... The pork ribs, cooked for 36 hours, were smoky and sweet and the meat was high quality. I put some in a bao bun with sriracha aioli and a couple apple slices and had a foodgasm! Also on the massive Bao Board was a succulent tenderloin, so tender and supple. I combined it in a bao bun with spicy miso and Asian slaw and it was excellent! The Chicken skewer was soft and fresh, maple garlic goodness. Toss some into a bao with butter lettuce, Asian slaw and spicy miso sauce, you'll thank me! But the plate is not finished! The Shrimp Gyoza consisted of fresh-out-of-the-water shrimp with a tangy cilantro-garlic vinegar. The restaurant should be called Gyoza King!

Head Chef Woo Jin  Kim working on our Family Style Bao Board — Head Chef Woo Jin Kim working on our Family Style Bao Board

Family Style Bao Board - Maple Garlic Soy Chicken Skewers, Soy Garlic Tenderloin Skewers, Korean Spiced Pork Rib, Asian Slaw, Kimchee & Pickled Cucumber

Family Style Bao Board with Bao Buns & Butter Lettuce

Chili Shrimp Teppan Gyoza - with Cilantro-Garlic Vinegar + Umami Soy

So there you have it. If you'd like to sign my petition to have Mr. Woo Jin Kim charged with attempted murder please contact me at Scott@JennChanPhotography.com. BUT WAIT... Out comes a big bowl of Chicken Miso Ramen. "Don't worry about trying to finish it all" Chef Wooj exclaims "I just wanted you guys to try!" The free range chicken makes all the difference and the al dente ramen noodles, made in-house daily, with a heavenly miso broth.

Panting heavily after having made a valiant attempt on the ramen a smiling Chef Wooj saunters out with a Japanese Green Tea Cheesecake. A subtle matcha flavour in a decadently soft, whipped cheesecake. All 3 bites I was able to muster were light, fluffy and flavourful and I don't generally care for matcha and yet thoroughly enjoyed it.

Japanese Green Tea Cheesecake - Strawberry compote, Vanille Icecream, Azuki Beans

If you like gyoza or ramen or Bao or delicious cocktails or desserts I would highly recommend you head to the Gyoza Bar! Say hi to Chef Wooj for me!

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

Lost Inhibitions by Church & State Wines / November 23, 2016 by Jenn Chan

The Church and State winery is in the Oliver-Osoyoos wine region of the gorgeous Okanagan Valley. In 2015 their 2012 Coyote Bowl Malbec won best Malbec getting 96 out of 100 points beating out 5,000+ other entries! Their 2011 vintage also received many accolades and awards.

Lost Inhibitions screams young, hip, fresh and fun. Phrases like "you're so f@cking classy" "we should do this more often" "shut the front door" in bold colourful writing accompanies their value priced white and red wines. The white is resfreshingly crisp and paired very nicely with a lovely chicken and waffle platter. The red wine is full bodied and smooth and is perfect for a chilly winter night!

Enter our Lost Inhibitions giveaway here

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

Test Driving the 2017 Ford Fusion / September 28, 2016 by Jenn Chan

The 2017 Ford Fusion's steering wheel has more buttons on it than my first car had in its entire interior! The navigation display was almost as big as my childhood tv! The seats felt like a reassuring hug from my dear mother, supple and soft, and the suspension was tight yet forgiving. If you're gathering that I enjoyed the vehicle you're not far off... I loved it!

The first day of our week long test drive was a typical day in our household. With work finished for the day a plethora of chores loomed. Or Netflix. We opted, reluctantly and after some tense discussion, for the former and set off to make the 50 km journey from our perch in Downtown Vancouver to a property we're flipping in South Langley. Jenn took the first leg of the trip and seemed to enjoy the smooth ride, but bemoaned the height of her road view after years spent exclusively in SUVs. Compared to our usual chariot, a 2012 Ford Escape Hybrid, we felt crouched in go-kart position, but the sensation quickly wore off as we acclimated and after no time at all the silence in the cabin, the comfort of the interior and the responsiveness of both the acceleration and deceleration trumped all.

Then it was my turn. My first impression was more positive than an optimist 3 beers in on his birthday. As I set about fixing the mirrors and setting my seat into the optimum position, think Cheech in a '64 Impala, low and leaned, I realized that I could set it to auto-Cheech the next time I got a chance to drive her. A slow smile crept over my face that didn't disappear after I reached up and clicked the push button start. It didn't disappear after I twisted the Jetson-like dial gear shift into drive. Poof and, with no rubber laid, we were off at a break neck speed. I reached the 60 KM limit in what seemed like 4 seconds and let off the rocket pedal to scope out the cruise control and survey all the other futuristic LED lights, dials and doo hickies. This car was from the future. Here I was in September of 2016 driving a car from 2017. Let that sink in. Magic and unicorns on that trip home folks. Talking beavers and slip and slides in the clouds.

The next day we had a photo project for a successful Tri-Cities Realtor. The Tri-Cities comprise Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody. Each more beautiful than the last. Seriously. Lakes and rivers and mountains and winding mountain roads. We had a list of 24 items and locations to photograph, what better excuse for a test drive? What better way to gain an appreciation for both the shiny silver Fusion AND the lush region? With a dozen locations set into the GPS we set off on our adventure. The vehicle performed admirably in the mountains, on the freeway there and along the winding roads! We were 3 hours into our day when I found it...

Sport mode. A mode for guys who like sports? Maybe. I do like sports, but I prefer to think of it as a button that tells your car's computer to make itself more awesome. It obliges. After delighting in its torque and pick up for the better part of an hour I noticed something else. While stopped at a light the paddles on the steering wheel I had been fooling with trying to change the radio station made an "A" grey out and a "1" replace it: sport mode with a paddle shift 5-speed manual transmission! Jenn was nervous for the next hour as I tested how quickly I could scorch my fellow road mates on the line. I didn't lose a "race". In part because I was the only one who knew it was a race and in part because this car has gumption!

Over the week it served as a grocery-getter and could have housed our $250 Costco run AND no less that 2 dead bodies; it's a big trunk. It hosted a designated driver DJ'ed pub crawl where passengers marvelled at the leg room in the back. I think someone for the backseat asked me for some Grey Poupon at one point. At least I think that's what he said.

By the end of the week our minds had changed on sedans. Perhaps that trunk would suffice for our snowboard gear, beach chairs and the like? Yes, we thought, we I'll definitely keep it if they offer it. They didn't, however, so I'm left to write about a lost love and plot a course that puts us together again soon. If only in my dreams.

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan