DINE OUT - CARDERO'S RESTAURANT - COAL HARBOUR VANCOUVER

It's Dine Out Vancouver again!

Remember in my past years, I am not particularly a fan of the Dine Out events, I think the gimmick is valued more than the quality of food. BUT whatever motivates my friends and I to go out and enjoy fine dining...

I'm in.

I was able to visit a Cardero's on the first day of Dine Out. I have been to Cardero's for the regular lunch and dinner menu before - all visits, so I had an idea of what to expect.

AMBIANCE | Unfortunately, the ambiance was disappointing  I have never been to Cardero's on a full-house Friday night, and I probably will never again. Situated close to the center back of the restaurant, I found Cardero's acoustics dreadful. I was literally yelling at the person next to me to be able to converse, I simply could not hear the person at the end of my table. According to the engineer majors within my friends, the low roof combined with solid wood walls cause sound to bounce back and forth, literally amplifying and echoing everything, creating a mayhem.
I also found it very stuffy and warm inside. I had my coat on the back of my chair, and when I got home, my mother instantly said "you smell like frying oil, you better dry clean that coat!" To save costs, my coat is currently being aired out in the garage haha.

Overall, the interior of Cardero's is very similar to Sandbar (Granville Island) - both consisting of wooden themes and a half open kitchen (I suppose thats why I smelled of oil...) The wood and anchor/nautical details certainly suit the seafood cuisine. Above all, I did thoroughly take pleasure in the casual and fun mood of Cardero's, it is the perfect restaurant for having laughs and drinks, all while enjoying fine dining. Plus, I should not complain about anything that was an amazing waterview.

Food ordered (Party of 6):

Appetizers:

Tomato Bocconcini Salad vine ripened tomatoes, Fior de latte, balsamic reduction and fresh basil

Manhattan Style Clam Chowder finished with dark rum

Wok Squid garlic, chilies and cilantro

Entrees:

Braised Lamb Shank mashed potatoes, market vegetables and red wine demi-glace

Grilled Steelhead Salmon roasted vegetable succotash, brown butter sauce

Dessert:
 Cardero's Chocolate Mousse Cake raspberry coulis, fresh berries

FOOD | Cardero's again, specializes in seafood. This time however, I wanted to try their kitchen and order some land animals. I ordered the Bocconcini Salad, which was average and small (as with most Dine Out menus). I heard the Chowder was decent, though many said that European white clam chowder would've been preferred. Still I regret not ordering the Wok Squids. The squid portion looked small but in my opinion would've been a better deal over a few slices of tomato and vinegar.

Between Lamb, Salmon and Chicken breast, I ordered the lamb. A word of caution, the lamb is very game. The portion looks big, but the lamb shank had a huge bone in the middle, so in reality, the meat portion is very small. Oh, I really enjoyed the mashed potatos (I suppose you cannot really go wrong with mashed potatos...). I tried a touch of the salmon - it was quite juicy, far better than I had expected. Going with the rule of thumb, choose salmon for a light taste, lamb for the meat hearties. That said, if it is your first time to Cardero's, salmon would be the recommended choice since seafood is their specialty.

I almost never enjoy Dine Out desserts. To me, they are almost always a generic, overly sweet cake of some sort. Cardero's surprised me. The seemingly common chocolate mousse cake was perfectly flavoured - not too sweet and not too heavy. I finished my plate in a jiffy!

1583 Coal Harbour Quay 
604-669-7666

Dine Fine - BEARFOOT BISTRO - WHISTLER

The unstable and unbalanced college life of me always looks for ways to loosen myself up, whether it a stroll by the Seawall or a massage at the Spa. By far, Whistler is one of my favourite places in the world to be. From the scenic drive on the Sea to Sky Highway to the natural aura of the Village, the commute already eases one's stressful mind. The shift of focus from the polluted streets to the breathing of frosty brisk fresh air - Whistler isn't just a place for those who ski and snowboard, its a place for everyone.

We walked into Bearfoot, which was located a little walk off of the Whistler main village, and to my surprise the restaurant was large, but with only a few tables seated. We were offered a seat by our lovely waiter towards the back of the restaurant, it felt like we had bought out the restaurant for the night. I immediately thought "Bearfoot Bistro is the most underrated restaurant I have ever been to. This restaurant deserves the much more recognition! Well, at least from what I see from the amount of people seated in the restaurant on a beautiful Sunday evening."

The restaurant is not only elegant, extravagant (though it a very approachable way), it holds the most unique food experience of my life - The Belvedere & Canada Goose Ice Room, Nitrogen Ice Cream and BC's largest Wine Cellar (excluding private collections).

Mr. F and I each ordered the three course menu.
Forgive me for forgetting the exact name of some dishes, they have either been taken off the online menu now or was a special item at that time

Mr. F ordered - Nova Scallop in Maple glaze

Braised beef shank
I ordered - Artic Char salad

Opal Valley Lamb Loin

Both finished off with Nitro Ice Cream (minimum two people to order)

The food was wonderful, but despite lengthy reviews of praise, I have decided to focus only on the top three most memorable moments of the night.

BELVEDERE & CANADA GOOSE ICE ROOM

There is a selection of over 50 different types of Vodka to choose from and your very own Vodka specialist to explain/tour, plus here's the cute part - learn how to say "cheers!" in the language of where your Vodka is originated. Intially we were going to go for the 2 shots each, but ended up going with the $98 per person deal for 4 shots (one in between each course of dinner and an additional one at the end). At -26 degrees, the chill of vodka is at its finest - a definite must try in Whistler.

NITROGEN ICE CREAM

Ever watch ice cream made in front of you? In less than 5 minutes? Using magic? Wheeling out a wooden cart and a large tin bowl, the server mixed a white vanilla liquid together with so liquid nitrogen, smoke and gas emerged and within minutes of mixing, fresh ice cream appeared. There was only two small golf ball sized lumps of ice cream for each of us, but the ice cream was velvety smooth and the toppings were cute. For an extra $20 per person, i'd say its a memorable experience.

BC'S LARGEST WINE CELLAR

Mr. F and I didn't order any additional alcohol other than the Vodka shots, but we didn't didn't find out about Bearfoot Bistro's amazing wine cellar until after dinner. The wine cellar is under the restaurant, its entrance way a discreet and narrow stairway in the middle of the dining room. Housing some of the world's finest and most expensive wine's and champagne, I can't wait to come back again.

Bearfoot Bistro has given me a moment that I cannot forget. Three surprises in one night  merely begins to describe the feeling of that night. The ambiance, the service and the food - you can get absolutely anything you want here: a relaxing lounge, chilled vodka room, any wine and champagne pairing you can name, any seafood and meat, even fresh ice cream. I cannot imagine anything that is missing from this restaurant. Perhaps though, many will argue, you will be missing an inch of paper from your wallet. This dinner was one of the most expensive dinners of my life - but dining is not always just about the food; its also about the atmosphere, the mood you came in with, the people you dine together with and most importantly, its about creating moments that you treasure and remember.

Hear me, one word - unforgettable. 

4121 Village Green
Whistler, BC

Dine Fine - CHAMBAR - GASTOWN VANCOUVER

Chambar is rated as one of the most romantique restaurants in Vancouver, and what better time to taste this restaurant than on Valentine's Day?

Honestly, I had such a love hate relationship with this restaurant I actually got a little ticked off inside. I loved the decor, loved the atmosphere, loved the vibe of Chambar... but I cannot say the food is for everyone. 

AMBIANCE | If you could only describe Chambar in a sentence, it would be something like sexy romantic... cozy but mysterious... utterly charming. 

The dining portion of the restaurant is a long L shape, the entrance decorated with small couches, ideally the beer lounge. As you move towards the back (where we sat) tables got larger and it was a gorgeous dimly lit dining room. The overall ambiance is rosy burgundy, bricks and vines... mysterious but cozy. I'd definitely come again just to breathe the environment again. 

Mr. F ordered - Les coquilles St. Jaques - Seared scallops, smoked kurobuta pork cheek, pickled cheek, pickled green beans and horseradish vinaigrette

Bison et Choron fume - Peppercorn crusted bison flatiron, wild forest mushrooms, caramelized baby potatoes, cornichons, smoked tomato bearnaise

I ordered - Venison Shortloin Carpaccio - (removed from online menu apologies for forgetting the ingredients)
Taijine d'aziz a l'agneau - Braised lamb shank with honey, figs, cinnamon & cilantro, served with cous cous and zalouk


Paired with Gruen '09 Riesling White

Menu found here

FOOD | Now the genre of food is European mixed fusion food (or that's what I'd call it). They are most famous for their Belgian beer and Moules Frites - which I did not try, I had white wine instead. I have heard wonderful things about their Moules Frites being the best in Vancouver, I will definitely return to try.

But as for their dining appetizers and main courses, I have a bit of a funny story. Mr. F ended up swapping appies because he didn't fancy his appie so much, and I swapped my main course with him because fancy my main course. The server noticed our switch-a-roo and we sparked at cute conversation. 
From the ingredients, I could tell the chef did a thoughtful job of putting together fusion pairings on the menu. But I cannot say the tasting suites everyone, at least not all the tastes suited me and Mr. F. The scallops were amazing, Mr. F didn't prefer the pickled cheeks and picked green beans. My braised lamb shank was cooked to a tender meat, but I would've preferred a difference sauce and herbs. That said, the Venison (similar to deer) Carpaccio and Bison were definitely more universal items in terms of flavour, which I enjoyed more.

Universality can be a positive and negative thing to restaurants. By all means, it makes no impact towards the rating of culinary skills, rather the restaurant should be rated on a different scale. Ethnic foods are full with flavour and culture, unfamiliarity on my part only makes me sound extremely ignorant. I am not disappointed, rather I can say I was surprised. That said, I will return to Chambar, there are plenty of other delicious foods on the menu that are awaiting me to try, the Moules Frites and Belgian beer for sure. 

562 Beatty Street
Vancouver, BC

DineOut Vancouver 2012: LA VALLEE - DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER

My second and last Dine Out Vancouver of 2012. I dare say La Vallee has given me the worst fine dining experience of all time. Which is such a shame, the restaurant décor is absolute stunning, the food is amazing, but the service definitely could use much more improvement. Dine Out Vancouver is to incentive for Vancouverites to try out restaurants and enjoy a three course meals at a slightly cheaper price. It is not a surprise, as I have stated with Mistral French Bistro, that restaurant qualities fall slightly to accommodate the high volumes of customers. But La Vallee`s service has me extremely doubtful about giving it another chance.

SERVICE & FOOD | Normally I review AMBIANCE and  FOOD, but for lack of better words, I cannot wait to share my dining experience from beginning to end.

I had arrived with my party 7 people at 7pm. We ordered by 7:30 and the appetizer came about 20 minutes later. The bread, I must say, was the best of the night - it was deliciously fluffy and warm. The vinaigrette complemented the bread very well. Definitely a smile on my face. But when asked the server for some hot water, which she promptly plopped a large boiling teapot in front of me ON TOP of my fork - immediately I saw a tiny red flag. The crab cake was decent, but the salad I ordered was rather mediocre. I had read reviews on this restaurant stating that this salad seemed to have came straight from a Costco salad box, and as much as I hate to say, I do agree. The appetizers seemed rather "thrown together" - rather thoughtless.

However the disappointment lies in the entree. We had to wait an hour and a half after the appetizers until our main courses finally arrived -the dirty appetizer dishes were still sitting on the table the whole time. For the benefit of the doubt, we thought maybe the food was freshly cooked - that was the only way to explain the delay. But the food was not only cold, the server did not even try to remember who ordered which plate! She simply stood at the front of the table announcing the dish and expected us to raise our hands and say "mine!". I was over the top surprised at the service from a restaurant located in a formal hotel Downtown Vancouver. The food AND plates were not even warm, it was simply room temperature.  I could taste so much potential in my lamb shank. The side of potato was butter and soft, the tender lamb shank was cooked with a rich sauce. But the wait, shocking service, and room temperature food already made my tastebuds run away. 

Lastly the dessert, I took two bites of my Praline and it tasted wonderful! The layers of cake and crisp was intricate and not overbearingly sweet. But the pistachio parfait that my friends ordered, was ruined by the service. Originally the parfait was elegantly designed to stand freely in the middle of the plate, decorated with drizzles along the side. But one of my girlfriend's parfait had toppled over and buried the spoon by the time the server brought the dish to our table (please see the picture below) and the server clearly pretended not to notice. 

I walked out of this restaurant with utter disappointment and pity. Not once did the server come by to ask us if the food was alright or if we needed anything else. Not once did I feel like my money and presence was appreciated. The food in this restaurant - although lacking a tad of character and thought, was savoury and delightful.


I see so much potential in this restaurant, only for it to be masked behind such terrible service. I did say in my last review that Dine Out qualities are to be judged with discretion, but La Vallee has me again, extremely doubtful that I will return.  

1379 Howe St. Vancouver

604-696-6980

Dine Fine: LE CROCODILE - DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER

I am going to make a bold statement here in the world of Blogger: I think I have found my new love. Le Crocodile is the GEM of Vancouver. I am sure many of you would agree.

My birthday was a few months ago, pardon the late post, I stalled on my post for Le Crocodile to wholeheartedly sit down, and do this wonderful restaurant the justice it deserves.

Mr. F ordered - Bisque de Homard parfumée au Cognac - Lobster Bisque served with Fresh Cream and Cognac

Carré d’Agneau Rôti, Jus de Thym et Sabayon à la Moutarde - Roasted Rack of Lamb, Fresh Thyme Jus and Mustard Sabayon

I ordered -  Escargots Maison - Snails baked in Pastry Shells, with Garlic Butter

 Caille Grillée et Foie de Canard Poêlé, Réduction de Calvados - Grilled Quail and Pan Seared Duck Foie Gras, Calvados Reduction

Dessert ordered - Panache de Sorbet aux Fruits Frais - Fresh Fruit Sorbets Made Daily 

Crème Brulée a l’Orange - Crème Brulée with essence of Fresh Orange

Menu found here 

 

AMBIANCE | I described the setting of Modavie (my first blog post set in Montreal) to be very "old school Mary Jane". Today, I would describe Le Crocodile to be "Maria Jane". Modavie is a romantic down-to-earth country bumpkin restaurant (down to earth, I mean decor NOT prices). Le Crocodile is also a romantic, but upscale and smart French venue. Imagine Mary Jane flat shoes compared to Mary Jane stilettos. "Mary" being the shorted from "Maria" is such that both restaurants are similar in French cuisine and tradition, but Le Crocodile is much more sophisticated. 

Le Crocodile is definitely an impressive restaurant for dates and anniversaries. While it is a swanky restaurant, its decor is far from flamboyant and extravagant. Its mood is very floral and clean. Simple with swatches of oak, burgundy and champagne, it is dated yet classic, minimalistic yet chic. 

Valet service, coat check, ushers and servers, service is only the best. Our server's light humor was a pleasure.

FOOD |  Le Crocodile is not marketed to be a "light" diner, all dishes are intricately designed to be rich and thick. Do not come with even a half-full stomach, come prepared to feast on quality food.

The presentation of the complementary starting bread is like a trailer to a movie. It is the very first impression and tasting of a restaurant, all while holding a suspense towards the courses to come. Many places surprisingly, in my opinion, fail to see the importance and significance of this starter - for I have been to many places with not only rock hard, but slightly stale, day-old bread. Le Crocodile left me with a smile on my face even before I started the courses. The choices of white and multi-grain fresh oven bread was warm and fluffy. The warmth melted further melted the butter into a golden essence. This sneakpeek was definitely a thrill before the main launch

Mr. F's choice of lobster bisque with lamb is a perfect combination. The creamy and smooth texture was a lovely entrance to a lamb entree. While lamb is quite filling, the side veggies complement the heavy sauces wonderfully. Mr. F critiques that Modavie's "lamb specialty" title still holds champion, but Le Crocodile's lamb is in a close second place.  

The lobster bisque would not have eased me into my heavy duck main course, as the bisque is far too rich in flavour, but the escargots were amazing! Garlic and buttered escargots were sitting in thin crispy pastry shells looking not only adorable, but tasting golden and juicy. I even used the remaining complementary starting bread to soak up all the sauce left on the plate after we finished the shells. It hurt me to leave any bit of this dish to waste. The Escargot Maison, literally translated as the "House of snails", is my favourite dish on the menu and I say that with a certainty even though I haven't tried everything. My bird entree was beautifully tender and soft. A rather large dish, the sauce while a bit heavy, did not dominating the meat. I simply cannot get enough of fois gras - the luxury of this ingredient was cooked to perfection by Le Crocodile. 

In all, I urge your to bring your loved ones here, you will not regret the experience.

909 Burrard Street

Vancouver, BC

Lunch Munch - MODAVIE - OLD MONTREAL

A panorama of flowered cobblestone streets, veined brick walls, mixed with smiles full of steak and gravy - Montreal is truly a perfect harmony of classic Parisian romance and relaxed Canadian informality.

During my 3 month stay in Toronto, I wanted to explore the East coast and hence, I picked Quebec as one of my destinations. Despite the 6 hour drive, I honestly could not be more happy with my choice of venue and travel buddy. Our trip was a total of three days, to which we dedicated one full day and a half browsing Old Montreal. To be honest, there were so many beautiful restaurants in every block I couldn't remember my way around the town, let alone remember the restaurant choices. Each diner roamed with the smell of garlic and cheese, together with a rainbow of tourists, it was rather overwhelming. Pleasantly overwhelming that is, you will never experience anything like this in homie Vancity. There's something about strolling through this city that leaves a warm feeling I've never felt in Vancouver - maybe it's the sense of craving poutine, maybe it's the sight of the sun reflecting in the sea, or maybe it's just the joy of R&R I haven't had in a while. With all, Montreal is definitely a place I will return to.

Now I normally don't write this much, it's a FOOD blog not a talk-about-yourself-jibberish blog. But really, I just had to document Montreal, at least for the whole world to see...

Mr. F and I were down to decide between Steak Frites and Modavie for lunch. Both on opposite corners, both specializing in different foods - steak and lamb, respectively. Modavie has a little stamp on their menu quoting "Lamb, our Speciality". Mr. F loves lamb - everything from Asian hot pot lamb chops to the classic herb rack of lamb, so the decision was obvious. 

Mr. F ordered the Rack of Lamb - with goat cheese, Dijon mustard and sesame

I ordered the Endive & Apple Salad - with Roquefort and walnut oil vinaigrette

Menu found here: http://www.modavie.com/Menus05/menu%20VM.pdf

      

DISHES | Mr. F loved the rack of lamb, and naturally I snitched a few bites from him. I actually don't have much to critique about the lamb - it was the same as I expected. I had high expectations for a restaurant claiming "lamb, our speciality", and I certainly was not disappointed. I didn't taste much of the Dijon mustard, which wasn't too big of a deal, because the blend of herbs and spices topped with sesame were already sufficient. In terms of the lamb being gamey, I'd say the lamb was cooked to a medium rare perfection - tender yet not gamey. Should be majority accepted... that said...

The goat cheese for my apple salad was incredibly gamey. But sooo good! It literally melts in your mouth! But I normally don't mind it being gamey anyways (perhaps because I'm born in the year on the lamb?), and thought the goat was a perfect addition to my simple salad. The cook cleverly toned down the already mild vinaigrette, allowing the strong goat cheese to be the main focus of the dish. The sweet apples and hints of walnuts together with the fresh greens acted as a light companion to the fabulous cheese. I really enjoyed the salad. A perfect portion for lunch.

AMBIENCE | We sat in the corner of the restaurant with wide wooden windows alluring a soft breeze. I have a soft spot for old school Mary Jane romance - paintings, wood, copper and cobblestone mixed with white table clothes and country flowers. Yup, just like pretty much every girl in the world, I loved the interior of this restaurant. The ceiling and walls were actually painted water stains and burnt brick residue to add to its mature aura. The old bar in the middle and wall of wines was very comfortable and inviting. It is such a nice break from the usual contemporary lounge-y feel of bling metropolitan cities. I love this authentic European feel thats only a few provinces away.

Would I try Modavie again? Mr. F and I both agree - Yes. The same dishes? Probably not. Given lamb is their specialty, next time I would try lamb again, but opt for another seasoning technique. Don't get me wrong, the rack of lamb was utterly amazing - but nothing completely outside the box. The apple salad was gorgeous - but I do scope more interesting dishes on the menu.
To try next time? Dinner. Absolutely. Had I known there would be live Jazz during dinner, I would have waited the one hour lineup.

While there are many food choices on the strips of Old Montreal, Modavie is definitely a comfortable and light restaurant to enjoy the classic life of the French Canadian fusion.

1 Rue Saint Paul Ouest

Montreal, QC

H2Y 1Y6, Canada(514) 287-9582