One place that I have always enjoyed dining at (but haven’t been to in ages), is Chambar in Gastown.  Chef Nico Scheurmann and his wife Karri opened the restaurant several years ago with the philosophy of having a “commitment to fresh, innovative and incredible food that is presented without pretention.” They are currently in the process of moving to become a Carbon Neutral business, and also own Dirty Apron Cooking School and Cafe Medina next door.

Two weeks ago, a group of four of us decided to head to Chambar for an early dinner before taking in the evening show of Cirque du Soleil later that evening. We arrived for our 5:30 reservation and were seated near the back window of the dining room as my excitement grew with the memories of all of the good food I’d eaten there before.

We started off with a round of drinks, starting with a couple Blue Fig martinis that both my brother and I ordered. Served with a side of Danish blue cheese, this drink is made up of oven roasted figs, steeped in gin and frozen.  Absolutely delicious (even though I’ve taken on a slight aversion to gin after too many of them in university), I was very happy with the beginning of our dinner.

One of the other drinks imbibed included the Oi-Ling, with jasmine-infused gin, elderberry flower, grapefruit liqueur, and cointreau, balanced with passion fruit and citrus juices.  In my books, this was definitely another winner, although it is slightly more on the sweet side of things.

Finally, I tried the Fruli Fruit Beer, with a fresh strawberry nose, lightly hopped, and a champagne like effervescence.  The last of my beer drinking days ended in high school, but I would have to say I could easily drink a couple of these any day of the week.

At this point, we were all still trying to figure out what to eat, and decided to start with the Moules Congolaise, amongst the four of us.  This is definitely a classic Chambar dish that many people rave about, and I was more than content to have this that night.  The mussels are cooked with a tomato coconut cream, smoked chili & lime, and fresh cilantro, and it comes with a side of crispy fries with a chili aioli, if I recall correctly.  There were plenty of morsels to go around, and we seemed to all agree that we didn’t need all that much more food after our group appetizer was gone.

Moules Congolaise

Alas, we had already decided on our entrees, and none of us were about to tell our server that we had changed our minds.  So we settled in with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and waited a few more moments for our mains to arrive.

I had ordered the Canard et chevre, or roasted duck breast, with goat cheese and tarragon gnocchi, sauteed scallions, and hazelnut gastrique. This did anything but disappoint, and everyone enjoyed the gnocchi with the pieces of hazelnut and the tenderness of the meat. Although we had to make a group effort of it, the entire dish was gone by the end of our sitting.

Canard et chevre

My brother went with his usual, the Tajine d’aziz à l’agneau. This is braised lamb shank with honey, figs, cinnamon & cilantro, served with a side of couscous and zalouk, along with some harissa and raita for a little extra cost.  The only problem I had with this dish was its size, and how our table top became overly cluttered when it was served.  The meat itself was perfectly tender and moist.

Tajine d’aziz à l’agneau

We also worked on a delicious appetizer that was eaten as a main – Le mini méchoui – a Moroccan rubbed, slow roasted lamb loin, israeli couscous tabouleh, tahini yogurt, and grilled flat bread. As you can tell, we were far from vegetarians at this table.

Le mini méchoui

Last of all, we had the Entrecôte grillée, a grilled 10 ounce Angus ribeye steak, with root vegetables, chimichurri, plenty of sauteed chanterelles and watercress.  Cooked to a medium rare, I couldn’t get enough of this eaten with the mushrooms served on top.

Entrecôte grillée

At this point, instead of just taking off perfectly satiated with our meals, we decided to all push ourselves that little extra and share a dessert.  After reviewing the sweets, we chose to have the Pot de Crème au Chocolat – a milk chocolate lavender pot de crème with ganache filled biscuits and orange scented tuiles.  Now I know I’ve mentioned several times that I’m not a huge chocolate fan after a large meal, but this dessert felt light enough to me, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  It reminded me of the lavender latte that you can find at breakfast over at Cafe Medina.

Pot de Crème au Chocolat

After our whirlwind meal, condensed to a faster than usual hour and a half (fast for me), we took off for the evening for a great showing of Cirque.  It was a wonderful night all around, and as you can probably tell, I will be returning to Chambar again and again.

If you haven’t been there yet, please be sure to pay it a visit soon.

Chambar Restaurant
562 Beatty St
Vancouver, BC, V6B 2L3
604.879.7119
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A couple of months ago, a few of us foodie friends got together for a meal at Miku Japanese Restaurant, on West Hastings.  I hadn’t tried it before but had heard that the food was good, although a bit on the higher end of the price scale.

I arrived with Melody Fury of Vancouver Food Tour to find that Darina (Gratinee), Jonathan (Food and Tell) and Teresa (Senses Inspired) were already seated at a large table in the middle of the restaurant, near the bar.

Since a bit of time has passed since we actually dined there, I will skip some of the details and provide you with a photo montage and ratings of the numerous dishes we managed to order that evening.

The Miku Roll was definitely my favourite sushi of the night, with salmon, ikura, snow crab and cucumber all rolled in tobiko and topped with the restaurant’s special Miku sauce.

Miku Roll

The Gyu Tataki, or Alberta beef carpaccio, was served two different ways: one with a house made black sesame sauce and the other with a ponzu with yuzu kosho.

Gyu Tataki

Tofu Salad, with miso marinated and crumbled tofu and organic greens, served in a ponzu dressing.

Tofu Salad

Soba Pepperoncino, or pan fried buckwheat noodles, with jalapeno, squid, mushrooms and bell peppers.

Soba Pepperoncino

Saba Bo Sushi, house cured saba rolled with ginger and charcoal seared.

Saba Bo Sushi

Hamachi Sashimi – there’s nothing more to say on this one.

Hamachi Sashimi

Crunchy Scallop Roll, or hotate and tobiko, sprinkled with aonori tempura bits.

Crunchy Scallop Roll

Assorted Tempura, with prawn and seasonal vegetables.

Assorted Tempura

Amberjack sashimi. Again, enough said.

Amberjack Sashimi

Aburi and Oshi Sushi, or pressed and flame-seared sushi, is one of Miku Restaurant’s specialties.  The Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi is only one of such dishes, made with local salmon pressed and dressed with Miku sauce and a soy sauce, and topped with jalapeno.

Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi

The last of our main share plates was the Calamari, drizzled with Miku’s own tosazu sauce.

Calamari

Now on to dessert.

We were getting a little bit full, to say the least, at this point, and just decided to share a couple of their most recommended sweets.  The first was the Strawberry Charlotte, a light strawberry mousse, creme brulee atop sponge cake, served with a real fruit strawberry sauce and strawberry sorbet.

Strawberry Charlotte

And finally, the Green Tea Tirasmisu, a light orange mascarpone cream and green tea almond sponge cake, infused with green tea,  Grand Marnier liqueur served with blackberry and cassis sauce, green tea tulie cookie and green tea ice cream.

Green Tea Tiramisu

Overall it was a great meal with good friends and lots of sake.  Our server was excellent and we definitely enjoyed ourselves.  The price point is definitely on the high end for this restaurant, so be prepared for it if you decide to try it out.

Miku Japanese Restaurant
1055 W Hastings St
Vancouver, BC, V6E 2E9
604.568.3900
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One Mexican restaurant that I’ve been to several times over the past few years is El Taco on Davie Street near Howe, in downtown Vancouver.  It’s a quaint place that has quick service and fairly inexpensive food options for lunch.

I decided to meet up with my friend Vince there again last week for his birthday (okay, so it was a month late, but still).  Unfortunately, I wasn’t carrying my camera on me, so had to resort to taking pictures with my iPhone.

While my friend decided to mix things up a bit, I went with my usual order of Enchiladas, served with a side of rice and beans (salad is another available option).  Since this dish comes with three enchiladas topped with cheese, lettuce and tomato, I’ll often choose to get beef, rice and chicken so that I can have a little bit of everything. Beside the order counter, there’s also a wide selection of hot sauces with different levels of fire to them, and I always add something to my food – the heat depending on my mood.

Assorted Enchiladas

Vince decided to eat some tacos this time around.  He went with one beef, one pork and one fish taco.  These were larger than we had anticipated, and two probably would’ve been enough for a small meal (he’d had a late breakfast), but we managed to somehow finish most of the food off regardless.  These were quite similar to the enchiladas – the only difference was that they were more messy since they were eaten by hand, and they didn’t come with cheese on top.  I actually liked the fish ones the best.

Pork Taco

Assorted Tacos

El Taco is also known for their massive one pound burritos (which I’ve had and are good, but find a bit too heavy if I want to actually accomplish something during the afternoon).

Open for lunch and dinner. And it’s licensed with a small patio out front.

El Taco
738 Davie St
Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1B6
604.806.0300
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One of the newest restaurants just beyond the border of Yaletown in downtown Vancouver is Commune Cafe. Opened around a month ago, this place is on the ground floor of the furnished living complex called The Level on Seymour Street.  It’s open seven days a week, from early morning breakfast, through lunch and dinner, and even into the late night hours.

I went there for lunch yesterday with a girlfriend, and found that it’s got several great wines, with a list of BC wineries that include La Stella, Joie Farm, La Frenz, and more!  Commune Cafe also has a significant selection of coffee and tea (as it is a cafe and all), Canadian non-alcoholic drinks, and Canadian craft beers to go along with the free-range meats and eggs, organic produce, and 100% sustainable and locally sourced seafood they serve.

I’ve heard good things about it to date from a few different people, and was excited to try it out.  We walked up to the counter to peruse the menu and decide what we wanted to eat for lunch.  I remember having a bit of difficulty and being glad the line up was a bit long, so that I’d have more time making my selection.  There were so many paninis, sandwiches (both cold and hot), and salads that sounded delicious, along with a few share plates, it took me a few minutes longer than usual.  We paid in advance, and then grabbed our number.

Although there’s a large patio outside, we opted to seat ourselves at a window table in the corner (bypassing the long communal table in the center of the dining room), as it was still a bit too cool in the shade.

I then looked over and noticed that on the number that you’re given to take to your table, there’s some sort of ‘Conversation Starter’ question shown on top.  I couldn’t come up with a very good answer to ours since I’m not usually the type to splurge on things (although the best purchase I’ve ever made was probably my laser eye surgery about five years ago).

Around five minutes later, a staff member brought over our dishes and we dug in.

I decided to start with the daily soup, which was roasted eggplant vegetable with cumin olive tapenade, rich with flavour.  The friend who I was eating with has already been back a few times since Commune has opened, and said that she’s had a bland soup there before, but this one was definitely much better.  It was served for a couple of crostini slices.

Eggplant Olive Tapenade Soup

For my main, I went with a simple Prosciutto, Mozzarella, and Basil Panini, with some dijon mustard. It was grilled to perfection, and I liked the amount of filling within the sandwich itself – not too much and not too little.

Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Basil Panini

My girlfriend ordered the hot Shaved Beef, Stilton Cheese and Peppercorn Aioli Sandwich and kept raving about it while she was eating. According to her, ‘it was delicious’ and she’d definitely have it again. It was slightly on the messy side though, and required an extra napkin or two after the fact for clean up. I didn’t try this one myself, and will have to do so when I go back.

She also decided to have the side Commune Harvest Salad, with sprouts, seasonal nuts, and an apple cider maple vinaigrette.  Although she wasn’t a fan of the dressing as she thought it had a slightly hot mustard flavour (which I couldn’t really detect), I thought it was light and tasty, and didn’t overwhelm the salad.

Commune Salad

Apparently the turkey and stuffing hot sandwich is also delicious, and one of my friend’s favourites there, of the three different ones she’s tried.

Commune Cafe is also a member of both Ocean Wise and Green Table.  I think it’s a great new casual addition to the area, with a fantastic patio, great choice of drinks to lead you into the evening, and some good, local and organic food.

Commune Cafe
1002 Seymour Street
Vancouver, BC, V6B
604.681.2551
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It seems like I’ve been to a lot of Japanese izakayas lately.

A little while back (ok, so it was a few months ago), I headed over to Guu Otokomae in Gastown with a good girlfriend of mine, to take her out for her birthday dinner. I’ve been to a couple of others in the Guu chain, and I’ve heard that Otokomae was supposed to be one of the better ones (although I’d have to say that I also liked Guu Garden and Guu with Garlic a lot, too).

We arrived to a lively crowd of people and staff yelling Irashaimase! at around 7:30 in the evening on a weekday.  We walked in and up the stairway to a table in the far left corner, next to the window. It was a fairly loud atmosphere, which is kind of what you expect in an izakaya, and it was actually perfect to be slightly tucked away so the two of us could still manage some good conversation and catch up time.

Since both my girlfriend and I are avid eaters, we took our time perusing both the daily specials and regular menu, and managed to order an ambitious 8 or 9 dishes, and still finish off with a couple of desserts. So here we go, on our marathon meal…

At the starting gate we had a few different appies, the first of which was the Spinach and Sesame ‘tapa.’  This was slightly heavy on the sesame side of things, but I really enjoyed the flavour of the sauce regardless.

Spinach and Sesame

Next up was the Spicy Agedashi Tofu, with a large sized serving of small, crispy and hot tidbits of protein in a light sauce.  I love it when this dish is served with smaller pieces of tofu so that you can finish each one in a single mouthful and enjoy all aspects of it, all while trying not to burn your mouth. Note that it isn’t all that spicy, but for a small dash of it on the top, so this would be fine even for those a little afraid of anything too hot.

Spicy Agedashi Tofu

The Pickled Black Cod Sashimi was an interesting sounding choice on the specials menu, so of course we had to give it a shot. I’ve never had black cod served this way, and wanted to see if it would taste as good uncooked.  It was definitely different to have a pickled version, and although it tasted good, I would still prefer to have it baked with a miso sauce over top.  The pickled taste was quite discreet and the way the fish was served made it feel lighter than it normally does.

Pickled Black Cod Sashimi

At this point, we were just getting started, and there were more rich dishes still on their way.  The Drunken Mussels, served in a sake garlic sauce, were plump and cooked well and I really enjoyed them.  The garlic was definitely quite strong, and this isn’t a good choice if you’re planning on kissing anyone later!

Drunken Mussels

While the Ebi Mayo is quite a popular dish at Guu, I found that it was a bit heavy on the mayo.  The sauce was good, but I think a little too overwhelming for the hot and crisp deep fried prawns.  They were sinfully rich and still quite addictive though.

Ebi Mayo

Finally, we had the Kimchi Bibimbap with egg and mixed veggies, all stirred up in a hot stone bowl at the table.  This was really good – I loved the kimchi spiciness and we managed to finish it all off quite easily.

Kimchi Bibimbap

At this point, we couldn’t seem to make a single choice of a dessert to share, so instead we got two.  I ordered the Stone Bowl Sweets, which was coconut ice cream served with custard sauce and slices of french baguette. It may sound like a bit of a strange combination, but it was so rich and delicious.

Stone Bowl Sweets

Last of all, we had the Black Sesame ice cream.  This was also very creamy and good, but didn’t compare after having a few bites of the Stone Bowl option.

Black Sesame Ice Cream

I really enjoy all the Guu restaurants I’ve been to in Vancouver, and would suggest that anyone who hasn’t tried one yet should go at least once.  Be ready for some great food, drinks, and a fun and lively atmosphere.

Guu Otokomae
375 Water St
Vancouver, BC V6B 5C6
604.685.8682
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Yes, I’m still alive.

For those wondering where I’ve been, I’ve been around but decidedly absent for the past couple of months. A few weddings out of town, and just general summer festivities. I’ve still been eating out, but just not as much.

Anyway, back to it.  I have a lot of catching up to do!

On my birthday in June, I went to Kingyo on Denman Street for a late dinner after my beach volleyball league. It’s one of my favourite Japanese izakayas in Vancouver, and I’ve been there for dinner quite a few times to date.  It’s also been memorable in terms of watching the small female servers matching customers in heavy beer drinking contests (you’ll have to go there sometime to see what I mean).

After walking in to the usual boisterous welcome of Irashaimase, we walked passed the central sushi bar and were seated at a back window corner table and settled in to take a look at the menu while sipping on some delicious Japanese roasted rice tea.  Since there were only two of us, we needed to order carefully so that we could have many different items without getting too full.

The Seared Scallop arrived first, covered with some mayonnaise and tobiko, with a lemon wedge on the side.  This dish stood out the least during the evening, as I found it to be a bit too plain unless I managed to get all of the components into a single mouthful.

Seared Scallop

Next up was the Scallop and Crab Roll (not the imitation version here, of course), with plenty of tobiko and roe. I found these morsels to be quite good, although a little bit on the large size when trying to bite into one piece.

Scallop and Crab Roll

Although I didn’t feel like anything too deep fried that evening, we went with the My Ebimayo prawns with a spicy mayo sauce.  These were served piping hot, and we managed to eat every last one, including the tails (which were crispy enough to easily manage).

My Ebimayo

Something for those a little more adventurous was the Stone Grilled Beef Tongue. I really enjoyed the thinly sliced meat, and being able to cook it myself on the stone and then cover it with the Yuzu hot pepper paste, green onions and lemon.

Stone Grilled Beef Tongue

Finally, our filler for the evening was the Stone-Grilled Kakuni Bibimbap, mixed together with egg, tender pork belly, and Korean style pickles, in a sizzling hot bowl.  We both really enjoyed this version of the dish, and managed to satisfy ourselves without burning our fingers.  A big plus for me (since I’m usually either spilling, breaking, or burning something at pretty much all of my restaurant outings)!

Stone-Grilled Kakuni Bibimbap

Once we had completed our meal, the server brought over some frozen grapes to finish things off while settling our bill.  Luckily, no one mentioned that it was my birthday, as two years before there was a large group of us that ended up listening to an entertaining (read: ear-crunching) rendition of Happy Birthday sang by the staff.

Overall, I really enjoy dining out at Kingyo Izakaya, and will go back when I’m feeling like eating in a loud and lively atmosphere with some great shared Japanese tapas.

Kingyo
871 Denman Street
Vancouver, BC, V6G 2L9
604.608.1677
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I’ve been to Basil Pasta Bar, a quick restaurant to get a simple Italian fix, a few times now since they opened within the past few months along Davie Street, near Seymour in downtown Vancouver. The concept is simple, inexpensive, and fast!

There is the option to choose from either a set menu of House Special Pastas, for only $7.95, or to create your own if you’re feeling a little more adventurous!  There are several pasta, meat, vegetable, cheese, and herbs to choose from, and you have an unlimited choice and amount of toppings that you can add for the same price (although the gnocchi option costs 95 cents more).

There are also a few different combos to choose from, including those with some or all of garlic toast, soup, salad and a drink. And the best thing is, no meal is over $12 including taxes!

The times that I’ve been by, I’ve noticed a high volume of people going in and out at lunch time, being it sitting in the small space (there’s room for about 18 people I think) or waiting or calling ahead for takeout.  The service is friendly, and the food is made quickly. Of course, with those prices, you aren’t getting handmade high quality fresh pasta or anything like that, but you are getting a quick and easy meal with whatever carb-filled creation you’re in the mood for eating.

Last time I went, my girlfriend had the Spaghetti Carbonara with crispy smoked bacon, egg yolk, and peas (which I’m not a fan of unless fresh), garnished with fresh parsley.  She added the garlic toast for an extra $2.  The toast itself is crispy yet warm and soft inside, and has a lot of intense garlic flavour on it – that was my favourite part!  The pasta wasn’t overly salty (which I’ve found to be a problem with carbonara at some places), but the sauce was a bit thick to my liking.

Spaghetti Carbonara

I went with the Mediterranean Penne, which is served with pesto sauce over top of penne noodles, artichokes, asparagus, spinach, tomato, and goat cheese.  This was a vegetarian option from their menu, and I also had it with a side of garlic toast and a drink, all for $10.45 with taxes.  The amount of food was just perfect for me to feel full (and sleepy) afterward, and I was satisfied with my carb-up in anticipation of playing volleyball later that evening.  This dish was a bit on the salty side from the pesto, but it still wasn’t bad for the value and quantity. And who can complain about garlic toast?

Mediterranean Penne

Overall, I think that Basil Pasta Bar is a great place to go for a quick lunch where you want to be in and out while having a decent and filling meal for a reasonable price.  I just went back there today and made my own creation this time around, and will likely continue to do so when I’m too lazy to cook something simple for myself.

Plus, they have anchovies on their menu! Yum!

Basil Pasta Bar
636 Davie Street
Vancouver, BC, V6B
604.568.3106
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During one of the many stagettes I’ve been to this year (as those of you know who’ve been following me along to all of my destination weddings that go along with them), one of the places we decided to stop at for lunch was Temaki Sushi.

There was a group of about eight of us girls that started off the day in a limo, drove around Stanley Park and took pictures, and then realized that we were starving and needed to pick a place for lunch before we hit the tequila too hard (besides, it was only around noon when we started the festivities).  My friend’s sister wanted a recommendation of a simple sushi place to try out in the Kitsilano area, and I cam up with Temaki, as it’s a restaurant I used to frequent quite a bit when I lived through the alley from it not all that long ago.

I called up the Japanese restaurant around 20 minutes in advance to forewarn them about our group  (they usually don’t do reservations for large parties at lunchtime, but I thought it would be nice to let them know at least).  We then drove our way over and had a table ready for us upon arrival.

We settled in our booth, and took awhile to figure out what to order.  Although we were all starving, we couldn’t stop chatting and it took us awhile to make some decisions.

We all decided to get a variety of things, and actually didn’t end up sharing.  Regardless, I’ve been to Temaki countless times, and have tried quite a large assortment from their menu.

Someone at the table got the Spinach Gomae, which isn’t one of my favourite dishes there. I find that the peanut sauce is too thick and sweet, and I prefer the lighter options I’ve had at other similar restaurants.

Gomae

I love Edamame, and while there isn’t anything that stands out about the particular ones we had that day, they were perfect in their simplicity.  Slightly salty, steamed, and satisfying.

Edamame

One of my girlfriend’s also decided to have some Spicy Tuna  Sashimi with Avocado, which I’ve also had in the past and enjoyed.  The fish is very fresh and I really like the large pieces of avocado and cucumber that always go along with the dish.

Spicy Tuna Sashimi

For my main, I went with the Assorted Sushi, which includes a dynamite roll and 6 pieces of nigiri.  Unfortunately, I forgot to ask for the sockeye salmon to replace the farmed version of the fish, so I was a bit disappointed.  Temaki serves both types, and you do have to remember to specifically request the substitution (for an additional charge, of course).  Also, the crab in the nigiri was artificial, of which I’m also not very fond.  Those things aside, I find that the seafood itself is always really fresh, as mentioned, and the rolls are tightly packed and a good size to easily ingest.

Assorted Sushi

Other than that, I had to have my usual Amaebi with the deep fried head (they always ask if I want it or not), and enjoyed it with a lemon squeezed over top.  I think quite a few people in the group turned their heads while I ate this, but I was content and didn’t mind.

Amaebi Nigiri

Another item that I’ve had several times, but didn’t order on this occasion, is the Spicy Hotate.  This is essentially an appetizer of spicy chopped scallop, served with pieces of nori that you can roll up with as much filling as you like.  It’s got a great kick to it, and I love being able to have an excuse to play with my food!

Overall, Temaki is a good, reasonably priced sushi restaurant in Kits, and has been very consistent regardless of whether it’s takeout, lunch or dinner.  I wouldn’t consider it my favourite Japanese  restaurant to go to in Vancouver, but I will definitely go back to it again if in the area. Plus, the staff has always been very friendly.

Temaki Sushi
2156 W Broadway
Vancouver, BC, V6K 4L3
604.738.4321
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At the end of May, a group of twelve of us food bloggers got together for another underground dinner at the Swallow Tail Secret Supper Club, organized awhile back by Jonathan of Food and Tell.

We all met up at Robin’s house (the chef) for the dinner on a beautiful, sunny and warm evening, and were seated outside at a table in the backyard while we waited for everyone else to arrive.  We sat around chatting, with some water and wine to start things off (I tried to hold off on the drinks for a bit, but that lasted all of 5 minutes).

For these types of dinners, it’s bring your own beverages, unless you’re good with drinking water only during your meal.  The great thing though, is Robin will provide a wine pairing list for each course a few days before your reservations.  As a result, everyone chipped in with a variety of bottles, and we got to test out some great variety by the end of the night (and there were even leftovers)!

About half an hour after I arrived, we had a full house, and Robin and Helen brought out the amuse bouche to start out the evening.  This consisted of a Farmhouse BC gruyere & sour apple tart on handmade puff pastry with an apple reduction. I enjoyed this treat, and was a bit sad when I was too slow on getting seconds.

Gruyere and Sour Apple Tart

We then moved into the main dining area, down a long staircase within the house.  Managing to get down them and take to our seats after a barrage of photographs were taken (mine didn’t turn out, so I will not provide those here), we waited for the oncoming onslaught of food to pour in.

The first course was a hand-harvested stinging nettle soup with arugula and sweet peas with garden rosemary and BC stout bread cubes, with a radicchio and cream garnish.  I’m not sure I’ve actually eaten stinging nettles before, but I was content having this dish to start out the evening, and really loved the addition of the bread (which I then continued to use to mop up sauces throughout the meal).

Stinging Nettle Soup

Following this was the second course of cedar smoked romaine with pecorino and parmesan cheese, a portugese olive oil vinaigrette and garlic croutons.  I wasn’t expecting a full head of greens to arrive on the plate, and actually found this to be a bit too much in terms of a salad for me.  Most others did eat all of their romaine though, and it was definitely a light and unique way of serving this dish.

Cedar Smoked Romaine

Next up was my absolute favourite of the evening – the baked live Dungeness crab with Averill Creek BC pinot gris, garlic and crab butter with red pepper and star fruit.  It was not only delicious, but stunning to look at, with the colours of the fruit and veggies reminding me of a Hawaiian paradise.  The crab butter had a strong garlic flavour, and actual pieces of crab meat within – I spent a good portion of the night having to prevent myself from eating every last mouthful with a spoon!  The crab was cooked just the right amount, and Mijune and I managed to finish off an extra portion that was brought to the table (as one of our party wasn’t able to make it last minute). I may just have to go on a crab tour another time so I can catch these babies myself (Robin hosts Swallow Tail Tours and catches most of her own).

Dungeness Crab

We were given plenty of opportunity to walk around at this point and throughout the dinner, but most of us were quite content waiting and chatting amongst ourselves between all of the courses.  So, instead we poured more wine and enjoyed each others company.

A little while later, our fourth course arrived.  This was made up of BC bison tenderloin with red onion jam (braised in Noble Ridge Meritage), creamed parsnips with garden rhubarb, sauteed leeks with cattails in BC chardonnay, and cleavers and chive flowers.  The only complaint I had about the dish was that I wished there was more meat to enjoy – it was tender and moist and very flavourful.

Bison Tenderloin

Now it was time for dessert.  Robin and Helen brought over a beer battered crepe blintz with Limbert Mountain Farm cream Earl Grey tea creme anglais, apples & huckleberries, and an Amontillado Sherry reduction (pepper, lemon rind, and vanilla bean).  I’m not sure I was overly satisfied with the texture of the blintz -  it was a bit too soft and crunchy in bits all at the same time – but it was nice to see the painstaking care that went into each and every serving, as all of the berries were locally hand picked.

Crepe Blintz

After dinner, a tea was served for those who wanted (I skipped out since I can’t drink caffeine well at any time of the day – never mind late in the evening), although I did have a sip of someone else’s to give it a try.  The smell was so good that I couldn’t refuse at least a sample.  It was again the same Limbert Mountain Farm cream Earl Grey tea that made up part of the dessert.

To see what others thought of the meal, you can read their posts (not all of them are up yet at the time of this writing):

I’m Only Here for the Food!
Sherman’s Food Adventures
Food and Tell
Follow Me Foodie
Chow Times
My Secret Eden
La Petite Foodie
Vanfoodies

Swallow Tail Secret Supper Club (underground restaurant)
(address not to be unveiled – but somewhere in Vancouver)
For reservations email Robin at: theswallowdive@gmail.com

Cost:

$29 per person, 3 course portion
$49 per person, 5 course portion (with focus on more exciting foods)
There is a group sitting size of up to about 14 people

Overall:
Food:
Service:
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I know I’m getting behind on posts when I start writing one only to realize that I can’t remember some of the names of the daily specials that we ate since my notes were on my iPhone – and my iPhone probably got taken by a cabbie over 3 weeks ago!

Anyway, quite a few weeks back now, a girlfriend and I decided to hit up Le Crocodile, a high end French restaurant located in downtown Vancouver, on Smithe near Burrard Street.  I had never been before, but my friend really loves the place and she hadn’t been back for quite some time either.

We went for lunch to break up the day a bit, and settled in at our table by the window.  I looked around, and loved the bright yellow curtains surrounding the walls, and the pretty fresh orchids on every table.  Each space was lit up by a small table lamp, that added to the elegant and cheery atmosphere in the restaurant.

To start things off, the staff provided us with a complimentary amuse bouche, which was a small cheese tart of some sort.  Again, I have to apologize as I don’t know what this was called exactly, or even what type of cheese it contained (I can only blame myself for drinking too much the night I left my phone in the cab – although I did remember once I got out of my elevator a minute later. Alas, it was too late).

Cheese Tart

After a short while, our server came back to give us some water and recite the daily specials, which we mulled over while eating  two types of soft, warm bread.  It was actually quite difficult to make a decision in the end, as there were so many different options, and they all sounded so delicious!  As a result, this meal ended up being quite large, as we both decided to order a starter, along with our mains.

We both began immediately salivating when we heard there was a Seared Foie Gras with Scallop available.  This was served with scoops of cantaloupe (which I’d have to say was a bit strange and didn’t really do it for me), greens, and had some sort of red wine jus.  The scallop was cooked just the right amount, and the duck liver was excellent.

Seared Foie Gras

At this point in our meal, our server brought us over a couple of servings of Pear Sorbet, with some sort of liquor and a mint leaf on the side, to cleanse our palates. The icy treat was nice and subtle on it’s own, but I’m not one for alcohol in my desserts at the best of times, so I sort of avoided the pool of it at the bottom of the plate.  I’m sure for those that are fans of alcohol in items other than beverages, they would have enjoyed it.

Pear Sorbet

We then moved on to our seafood mains.  I ordered the daily special of Halibut (which is now in season) served with asparagus, yellow squash and mascarpone potatoes, all in a tomato based sauce (I really wish I could remember exactly what it was made from, but unfortunately, it is not to be).  I found the fish to be cooked quite well, and was very content with my choice.

Halibut Special

My girlfriend went with the Sea Bass daily special, served over linguine pasta with a lemon sauce, cherry tomatoes, and topped with two deep fried prawns.  I quite enjoyed this fish as well, but the sauce was quite tart and strong in terms of it’s lemon flavour.  I didn’t try the prawns, but I did prefer my dish in the end, and so did my dining partner.

Sea Bass Special

They served both of these dishes with some shoestring fries to add some carbs to the mix.  These were just fun to eat on their own, although we didn’t end up having too many.

Frites

Once we had reached this part of the lunch, both of us decided we didn’t have any room for dessert.  When we got our bill, they also brought us a couple of cute crocodile chocolates which ended up finishing the meal quite nicely.

Le Crocodile is definitely a fine dining restaurant, so not something that most would go to very often.  It would be great for a date or special occasion, and I quite enjoyed the French food that I selected that day.  The service was also fantastic, and that definitely adds to the likelihood that I will return one day.

Le Crocodile
909 Burrard St
Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2N2
604.669.4298
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Price: $$$$