Dine Out 2007 notes

For reviews of Dine Out 2007 restaurants, please see:
Parkside (January 31, 2007)
Al Porto Ristorante (January 2007)
Figmint (January 2007)
LK Dining Lounge (January 2007)
Elixir (January 27, 2007)

All in all, it's a "gamble" to eat during Dine Out as, sometimes, one can't be sure if the restaurant is just out to grab "Dine-Out" cash or if they are actually willing to serve their (hopefully "usual") good quality fare at the discounted rate.

While Parkside was super-excellent and the others above were in varying degrees of "success", there were a couple of truly disappointing ones this year. Some excerpts from our reviews:

Ocean 6 Seventeen (January 2007)

[js]
So out of 10, total rating was probably a 3-4. A bit of a disappointment. I don't know if this is a function of DINEOUT (because it's so cheap then some restaurants might have a cheaper version of their menu) or just the restaurant is like that is all.

3/10 to 4/10 and one point of that is because of the company.

Central Bistro (February 2, 2007)

It was a case of the menu stating one thing, and the actual dish being another. Execution was also just not good, in general.

[js]
I really didn't know what this dish was trying to do: something was not "there there." I don't know if it's the execution or the conceptualization that was at fault here. It sounded good on paper, but I was disappointed with this dish. I felt like it was (a) all over the place; (b) not well thought out; (c) poorly executed; (d) somebody didn't care about the dish. And (d) is the most general and worst indictment at all.

[ts]
Maybe the problem was the menu descriptions: they made it seem like there would be "more" to the dish, so that when the actual item arrived, it's a little bit of a letdown. If they just wrote what the dish actually is, then one would know what to expect. (eg, the salad components; "forest mushrooms" = button mushrooms, "honey & citrus vinaigrette" = balsamic reduction, etc.)

Rating: 4-ish too... Am just trying to remember what I gave Ocean 6 Seventeen. Not sure which is better/worse.

Parkside (January 31, 2007)

[This is a long dialogue. Get yourself a cup of tea and relax.]

Dine Out at PARKSIDE RESTAURANT, January 31 2007
http://www.parksiderestaurant.ca/

[ts]
[js]
[csc]
[We are labeled & color-coded!]

Prologue

[ts]
I had been to Parkside a year after it opened. So perhaps this was about 2 years ago, but I don't recall exactly. My experience there was good: there was one dish where I was tempted to lick the plate! (I had to contend with using a piece of bread to squeegee the plate.)

So, I was definitely looking forward to dinner there last night.

Parkside & the Dine Out dilemna

[ts]
Whereas Dine Out menus at other restaurants only have 3 choices per course (or 2, in some cases), Parkside offered FOUR choices for each course. The three of us spent countless minutes trying to finalize our strategy for ordering the food when JS made a BOLD, SURPRISING and INTRIGUING PROPOSITION.

[js]
We sat down and sat down to the inevitable jostling/positioning/discussion/negotation as to who was having what. Back and forth, back and forth, why don't you have this and I'll have that, but I don't want that I'd rather have this. . .and so on and so forth. This is our birthright as part of the most dreaded of all restaurant customers, the Fukien group (article forthcoming). We must have spent close to 30 minutes discussing the menu when,

"Why don't we just order ALL of the FOUR?"

That way, nobody gets left out and not a dish goes untried.

Simple and elegant? The answer to the mysteries of the universe? This might REVOLUTIONIZE the way we think about restaurant ordering. LOL It's a paradigm shift!

In any case, it solved the problem of endless discussion.

[ts]
CSC & I were surprised and delightfully intrigued by this idea. We then enthusiastically decided to forge ahead with our 4 Dine Out meals!

[csc]
Actually, I knew I was having the chicken for main course, but when I changed my mind about the appetizers, that's when the sisters started (or extended) their bargaining, discussion about what they were having... until JS's BOLD AND INTRIGUING PROPOSITION.

[ts]
Teehee. I was excited for us to make that order so I was a little impatient for the guy (waiter) to come and take out orders!

[csc]
Yes, I was quite impatient for the waiter to take our order, but when he came, we had to point to each other as to who would then tell him the INTRIGUING PROPOSITION!

[[This new format in reviewing where we have a dialogue instead of posting individual reviews reflects the consequences of revolutiuonary thoughts like JS's BOLD and INTRIGUING PROPOSITION.]]

[[Haha.]]

BEVERAGES
Fresh squeezed blood orange and carrot juice with fresh ginger $5
Basil and lemon soda with fleur de sel $4
Sparkling apple juice with elderflower and fresh mint $4

[ts]
They actually had imaginative non-alcoholic beverages! I didn't have to resort to my standard pineapple juice, hehe.

I had the blood orange/carrot/ginger concoction. It was good; not too sweet, as the blood orange juice acted as the sole source of sweetness. The combination was nice, especially with the ginger, but I would've liked it more if there was less carrot juice. The carrot juice has an "earthy" taste that I don't care for that much. By "earthy," I mean a "soil" taste.

Sipped a little of the basil-lemon soda. Again, this was very good and not too sweet. The combination of flavours was nice, especially the salt!

[csc]
I had to exchange my blood orange for JS's basil-lemon. I don't like ginger so I don't know why I would choose this drink! Really not good for me. But the basil-lemon was good. I don't like basil, but with this drink, I think I might start liking it. This is similar to the drink that TS makes at home but the basil gives a different depth that's a nice change to the familiar.

[ts]
(If the g-ongs remember our "home-made" mocktails, the basil-lemon soda is an upper scale version of that. Teehee.)

[js]
I liked both these drinks, although I probably liked the basil and lemon soda better than the blood orange. The carrot juice does "ground" the drink a little bit and gave it body, but I'm not that big a fan of the carrot juice. I would have liked more of the zing of ginger, I think, to counteract the carrot.

The basil was Thai basil and if there's anything else, perhaps I would have added a little bit of mint in this to complete it.

[ts]
We should've ordered all 3 kinds of drinks, but ordering the drinks came before JS's BOLD AND INTRIGUING PROPOSITION. By the time the food came, we were less concerned with the drinks and ordering the apple juice with elderflower never happened.

[js]
And we didn't know what elderflower is. Sounds like a flower that has lost its bloom already, past its prime. A geriartic flower.

[ts]
I was just afraid it would be too flowery. I still can't get over ordering Rose Tea a long time ago (at a bubble tea place). It was like eating potpourri -- I couldn't down the drink!

Already this much copy and we haven't gotten to the food yet.

FIRST COURSE
Oxtail consommé with Madeira, shiitake mushrooms, bone marrow dumplings
Salad of lettuces and herbs, avocado, crispy rock shrimp, mustard, crème fraîche and chive sauce
Alsatian onion tart, curly endive and bacon salad
Handmade pumpkin ravioli, sage butter and crushed amaretti

[ts]
The consomme was too "meaty" in taste for me. It tasted like the "iyak" Mama makes for me! Otherwise, it was good enough. I don't remember how clear the broth was.

[js]
Of the first courses, this consomme was the dud for me. It was too one-dimensional. The bone marrow dumplings were intriguing, but ultimately, I really didn't get the bone marrowness of it. I felt it was too dull -- don't know if it was a function of underseasoning -- but it needed something to brighten it up, an agent to make the ingredients shine even brighter. With the shiitake and the dumplings (aka wontons), they could have gone towards the Asian end of the spectrum. I don't have expectations vis a vis food (I'd rather be surprised by the chef) and I don't know if I expected them to take it towards that. But anyways, this was dud-dy for me.

[csc]
This consomme reminded me of "mah-kut teh" (Singaporean soup), which I like. So this wasn't too bad for me.

Salad of lettuces and herbs, avocado, crispy rock shrimp, mustard, crème fraîche and chive sauce

[ts]
The salad was just "OK" for me. I wasn't really looking forward to salad that night.

[js]
When I first bit into the crispy rock shrimp, it tasted like those run-of-the-mill battered and fried shrimp that you see everywhere: in the frozen food section, in all-you-can-eat buffets (Oriental), chain restaurants. It's just like that, except this *is* slightly better, as it didn't have that preservative, old-oil, processed taste. Maybe there is nothing you can do with rock shrimp and they're just really awful. 'Cause of course this would be a totally different dish if it had better quality shrimp. And grilled.

I liked the salad very much. Usually I don't like avocados that much but with the lettuces and herbs it's a great mix. I don't remember the chive sauce or the creme fraiche. Given the non-remembering, I wonder if they changed the dish somewhat from the advertised menu.

[ts]
I thought the chive sauce/creme fraiche was part of the concoction with the avocados.

[js]
If that's the case, then it was very good.

[csc]
OK -- me, I like the "run-of-the-mill fried shrimp". So with the added ingredients of endives,sauce, etc etc...this was just great!

Alsatian onion tart, curly endive and bacon salad

[ts]
Now, the tart! It was very good! It was "all that it should be and more!" (George Costanza, Seinfeld)

Even the curly endive was good! The tiny dice (plural) of bacon in the salad were crucial -- without them, I wouldn't have enjoyed the endive; the saltiness of the bacon really cut through the bitterness of the endive. Bacon makes everything good!

[js]
I didn't feel like the endive was particularly bitter. In fact, I don't remember it being bitter at all. The tart was very, very good. I like tarts in general -- something about that pastry shell -- and onion tarts are always good. This is a particularly well done version.

[csc]
You may notice that my reviews are all somewhat like this: This was good, this was bad... etc. Nothing about each particular ingredient (unlike the 2 sees-ters). I don't really dissect my meals that much... I like them all mixed together and then figure out if I like the taste and the textures. So for this onion tart... I thought this dish was SURPRISINGLY GOOD! I wouldn't order anything ONION but this was really nice. I honestly can't remember the endive/bacon thing being mentioned above. hehehe.

Handmade pumpkin ravioli, sage butter and crushed amaretti

[ts]
I thought the sage butter would be a brown butter type sauce (not emulsified), but it was actually a smooth emulsified sauce. Again, all elements of the dish were perfectly executed. The crushed amaretti cookies provided the perfect "grainy", crunchy contrast to the smooth, soft (sweet) pumpkin filling, the pasta, and the smooth, rich butter sauce. I would've been happier if it were just seasoned breadcrumbs (because I don't really like that "almond essence" flavor). However, the almond taste really did go well with everything else in the dish.

[js]
Yeah, I didn't like the amaretti. The almond essence was the first thing that I tasted. After going past the almond, I got the pasta and then the sweetness of the pumpkin. Don't recall the sage butter unfortunately. One thing about the PROPOSITION: I think I was slightly confused, having rotating plates and all. The pasta was a tad tougher/chewier than I expected. Being that it was handmade, I thought it'd be softer. By chewier, I mean denser.

[ts]
I liked the texture of the pasta. I thought it was the way it was supposed to be.

[js]
For being freshly-made, I thought it was too thick. But what do I know -- I only had half a ravioli, given that somebody finished off my other half!

[csc]
I think this restaurant is surprising me a lot. I normally would not order RAVIOLI. I just don't get them... ie, it's just the same one dimensional taste after another. But the pumpkin filling gave a hint of sweetness that was quite nice. So this was actually pretty good. Although, I'm glad I only ate one, because I don't think I'm still a ravioli kind of person.

[ts]
(An aside: but why would ravioli be more one-dimensonal than other pasta dishes? It's still pasta with sauce -- but with a filling inside!)

SECOND COURSE
Fillet of steelhead trout, French beans, fondant celery root, toasted hazelnuts, scallop tartlette
Polderside farms organic chicken, mushroom duxelles, gnocchi, braised lettuce, Parma ham, jus rôti
Braised veal cheeks & grilled flatiron, cauliflower puree, pomme croquette, gremolata, red wine jus
Assiette of Italian vegetables and legumes

[ts]
I think I was in the mood for "lighter fare" that night (very rare, indeed).

The braised veal cheeks -- ah yes, braised veal cheeks -- brought back memories. (Haha. See Figmint reviews.)

Again, they were very tender, but in this version, they still had form (as opposed to being totally "melted"). But, Andrey (chef) probably knew about this "veal, all the time, all day, everyday" problem, because this dish also had grilled flatiron (steak). Both the cheeks and the steak were very good, but I just didn't feel like meat.

I didn't really taste the cauliflower puree as it seemed to have disappeared by the time the plate got to me. ;P I also don't remember the gremolata on the plate. The pomme croquette was good.

[js]
As with the beef and beef-like offering of the oxtail consomme, I really didn't care much for this dish. I actually liked the Figmint veal cheeks better, because it had another dimension to its flavour via the saffron. I can see that Parkside veal cheeks are a well-executed dish, but I just didn't like it that much last night. The veal cheeks were just too much of that braised-meat-brown taste for me.

I didn't care much for the flat-iron steak either. See, the flat-iron steak I expected to be beefier but it was slightly bland-tasting to me. It must have been overpowered by the beefiness of the veal cheek in this dish.

Aside: I haven't had very many cheeks of veal -- hence the PROPOSITION so we can try this version of veal cheek -- but the best beef cheek rendition I like is in a cabeza taco! Mexican cuisine! Authentic Mexican cuisine. They know how to cut through that meatiness and those cheeks are just too darn good. They still retained that essential beefiness but something else has happened to them. They've transcended their nature. Went over and beyond beef cheek.

I didn't really like the pomme croquette that much. It sort of tasted like tempura batter to me: don't know if they used panko crumbs for that exterior.

[ts]
(Note: Pomme Croquette is basically mashed potato formed into a shape, then breaded and fried.)

[js]
I didn't taste the cauliflower puree either. I didn't even know where it was! I got a hint of lemon on a spot of a veal cheek, but I didn't see the gremolata either. They should have put more of the gremolata, because that lemon made everything so much better.

[csc]
This dish landed on my spot first, and I had steak for lunch so I wasn't really looking forward to having any more beef. But I needed to try this veal cheeks to compare to Figmint. First taste, I was surprised by the texture... thinking, wow, something to chew on. But then realized later it was the flat-iron steak. And then I discovered the tender veal cheeks (see Figmint review: I don't like too-tender food). But the fact that the chef knew to put flat-iron with veal cheeks, I think tells me he cares about texture, etc. So, bonus points.

Polderside farms organic chicken, mushroom duxelles, gnocchi, braised lettuce, Parma ham, jus rôti

[ts]
The chicken: this dish was more than the sum of its parts. It was more than what one would expect simply by reading the menu.

The Parma ham (prosciutto) was a long slice on the bottom of the rectangular plate. It covered the plate from one end to the other. Then the other components of the dish were placed on it, so you wouldn't have known it was underneath everything.

Mushrooms: yes.
Braised lettuce: yes.
Gnocchi: even bigger yes! I really liked the gnocchi and its pillowy self.
Oh, of course, the chicken too.

Everything was very good and very well executed.

[js]
Of the dishes, I thought it's the chicken dish that was the best. Extremely well done. Gnocchi was good. The lettuce excellent. This was the winner. Who would have thought, chicken?

[csc]
I KNEW I was going to have this dish as soon as I read it on the menu. So I had to PATIENTLY wait for my turn... which meant, I ate this dish 3rd I think. But then I got the chance to finish most of it off! hahaha. I can't believe I would enjoy the braised lettuce sooooo much. This dish, I would go back for to have a WHOLE plate. Not just slightly more than 1/3!

Assiette of Italian vegetables and legumes

[ts]
Vegetables! Haha, of course, if we didn't accept JS's BOLD AND INTRIGUING PROPOSITION, we wouldn't have even seen this dish!

There was a section with white beans (cannellini) in a tomato sauce. There were grilled radicchio. There was a ratatouille with bell peppers and olives. Oh, there was also polenta.

Again, all the components of this dish was well executed. The grilled radicchio had SO MUCH of that grill/charcoal taste! Nice. I liked the polenta as well. Everything was just tasty.

[js]
The vegetables were very good. In fact, if we didn't have the revolutionary way of ordering, I was seriously considering getting the vegetables. By process of elimination, I didn't want the veal cheeks and I didn't want the steelhead trout. I was going for either the chicken or the vegetables. If CSC had the chicken, then I would have gone for the vegetables.

I liked the ratataouille. The bell peppers had a nice sweetness to them and the olives its particular oliveness. I also liked the cannellini beans. In fact, I liked every vegetable in this dish, especially the grilled radicchio. Yum, yum. That grilled radicchio was extremely delicious. I liked the broccoli rabe as well.

The thing with vegetables though is that they don't seem to have any "flash." Or "flair." As I'm describing the dish, I guess I'm thinking, "Hm, that's it?" "That's the vegetables?" "Nothing to them?" "What else can you do with vegetables?" "That's it?"

[csc]
Ate this. To me, the vegetables are just the "sauce" or "topping" for pasta or some sort of meat... not a real meal. So I couldn't quite get it when JS is saying she was seriously considering this as her main course. That's why during the initial discussion period, I was trying to get her to order the other meat (veal cheeks) by saying, "Well, if you get the veal cheeks, you could compare it to Figmint's and see how they fare in execution and taste."... So then that got both sisters into longer discussion as to who will get what... until, as mentioned, JS's BOLD AND INTRIGUING PROPOSITION.

Fillet of steelhead trout, French beans, fondant celery root, toasted hazelnuts, scallop tartlette

[ts]
But, with my mood for "lighter fare", I think my favorite was the trout. Yes, trout! Surprising, indeed. Especially since this was STEELHEAD trout (faux-salmon type)! (See reviews/info re "Dine Out Vancouver" at our house. We were so SICK of salmon and steelhead trout by then.)

The trout was pan-fried; crisp exterior, of course. French beans -- those smaller, thinner green beans -- are one of my favorite vegetables. There were wedges of celery root (celeriac). (I don't know what they mean by "fondant celery root". The only fondant I know is the icing-type paste used to decorate cakes.) The scallop rested on puff pastry. There was a sauce on the plate, herb-y and smooth. Perhaps a type of butter sauce?

Anyway, I enjoyed eating all of the components in this dish in a variety of combinations. What I really liked was the contribution of the toasted hazelnuts. The toasted flavor has infused the sauce on the plate so that with every bite, there is a quick little puff of toasted hazelnut taste and aroma. This added a depth to the dish that grounded it and prevented the whole "light fare" thing to float away.

[js]
I didn't have a lot of the trout and didn't really get to explore all of the elements of the dish. I liked the scallop on the puff pastry (I like puff pastry). I didn't care much for the steelhead trout, but that's just because of my pink fish fatigue and not something inherently bad about the trout or the dish. The dish, again, was very well-executed and I really have no complaints about the dishes. I just didn't feel the trout-love tonight.

[csc]
This dish was nice. I actually liked the (1/3) scallop on the puff pastry that's on the side. The trout was... well, like hubby's trout that I ate 1/2 of at Figmint's. But I think I prefer this Parkside trout better.

[js]
Again, the rotating plates were a little bit confusing for me. LOL

FINAL COURSE
Espresso panna cotta with white chocolate foam and chocolate dipped biscotti
Prune and Armagnac ice cream with a brandy snap biscuit
Lemon tart brûlée with blood orange sorbet
Bleu de Bresse with spiced nuts, kumquat marmalade, brioche toast

[ts]
The ice cream was good and very well made. Although, it was too liquor-y for me. Of course, if you like armagnac, then this would rate a 10. I liked the brandy snap biscuit.

[csc]
The ice cream did taste too liquory. But for some reason, if you want to have a "fake buzz" of something non-alcoholic...this would be it. Nice. hehe

[ts]
I don't like blue cheese. However, this did seem to be a mild type. It was OK when I ate it on brioche toast with the kumquat marmalade. That way, I had the creamy, velvety mouthfeel of the blue cheese, but not too much of its "blue" taste. All the components in this dish went well with the cheese and with each other, in various combinations. It also had celery sticks as well (for eating with the blue cheese).

[csc]
I had to try the blue cheese and it turned out quite nice with the brioche and marmalade. I like it, but I wouldn't eat too much of it.

[ts]
I like panna cotta. This panna cotta was very well done: it had a strong espresso flavor and wasn't too sweet. I don't really have detailed comments. I just like!

[csc]
Panna cotta, again. Surprise for me. I don't like soft mushy nothing to chew anything. But this was good!!

[ts]
Again, with this strange phenomenon of me & "lighter fare", my favorite of all the desserts (the panna cotta comes pretty close, though) was the lemon tart! Very, very surprising (again) as I'm actually not too fond of lemon curd-type items.

Before going into the tart itself, the blood orange sorbet was very nice and complemented the tart. It had a nice texture.

Being a brûlée tart, the top of the lemon tart was caramelized (like a creme brulee). I, of course, like the thin layer of caramelized, crackly sugar. The lemon "filling" was superb! The texture was very smooth; it had a light lemon flavor; it was rich and luxurious but light all at the same time. It really was super good.

[csc]
OK, this dish was DISGUSTING to me!!! Just plain yucky! It had the taste of "wet meat" or unwashed rag or whatever it was... Like prosciutto that's too wet, soft. I couldn't understand why TS and JS like this at all!! As mentioned, I don't generally like soft mushy things... but this was soft/mushy, which wouldn't be too bad (see Panna cotta), but this was just AWFUL!

[ts]
I don't know what CSC is talking about regarding the taste of "wet meat" vis a vis the lemon tart. I mean, really, the filling (which was the objectionable part for her) tastes like a good/better lemon curd!! IT REALLY WAS THE BEST LEMON TART FILLING I'VE EVER TASTED!

So, JS and I were trying to figure out that perhaps CSC objects to the "egg" or "protein" taste? But then, she likes egg yolk and such!

(This then led to a discussion of how CSC's one big walking contradiction in terms of tastes: she likes sour, but sometimes says she hates sour things... She likes something else, but also hates it. It's very frustrating!!! Hahaha.)

[js]
I think the eggs they use at Parkside are just more flavourful than standard eggs at the supermarket. Might be from the Polderside chicken that we ate! LOL. That's why you get more of that "protein" taste.

The lemon tart was good! I liked the tart and its lemoniness. (For some reason -- and I'm thinking age is the reason -- I've been wanting lemon and lemon in dessert manifestations.)

(The eggs in the tart tasted like the eggs in "egg pie" that I had in the Philippines, which would make sense, because the eggs in the Philippines are more likely to be free-range than eggs here, which tend to be from commercial farms.)

[js]
Everything was good, re the desserts.
I think I got slightly buzzed from the armagnac even!

[csc]
(See I told you!)

[js]
I liked the bleu -- it's not as blue as other cheeses, that is, not as pungent -- and it was good with all other elements of the dessert.

The panna cotta was also very good, not too sweet.

Of the desserts, I liked the armagnac ice cream the best.

Epilogue

[js]
I rate this 8 or 8.5/10.

[csc]
Hmmm... I rate this 9/10, despite the disastrous lemon-tart, which I would NEVER order anyway.

Wait, why not just give it a 10? Well, too bad for I did taste the lemon-tart. =(

[ts]
I really don't get CSC & her lemon-tart objections! I have a feeling this is going to be one of her feuds -- like her and AURORA BISTRO, hahahaha!!

[ts]
All in all, Parkside does not disappoint (yet again). I rate it 10 or something like it.

Al Porto Ristorante (January 2007)

[This review is by alyn. She is EXCELLENT!]

Reviewer: alyn

If I were to describe the food experience in this restaurant, I would say, "Very, very good!" So if you're considering a place to try out, then you should definitely put this place on your list!! I've tried all the food we ordered and I was very satisfied with each one of them! $25 is well-worth it!

APPETIZER
Carpaccio di Manzo
Brandy mustard and shaved Grana Padano
-- or --
Insalata Caprese
Bocconcini & organic Roma tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil & balsamic reduction
-- or --
Tuscan Parfait
citrus red currant jelly & baby gherkins

I had the insalata caprese -- thinly-sliced tomatoes with the bocconcini on top. The balsamic was elemental in providing a nice contrast to the tomatoes -- it released the natural sweetness of the fruit. I loved that this dish was very simple yet refreshing.

Grace had the carpaccio. We were at-a-loss with the Italian terms in the menu and discovered that this was actually thinly-sliced beef over shavings of Grana Padano. I was reminded of beef sashimi but I'm not certain if the beef in the carpaccio was also raw. Regardless, I still liked it.

Most of our friends had the Tuscan Parfait or liver pate with a small serving of greens on the side. Although I don't really eat liver (don't really like internal organs), the small piece I had was tasty. It wasn't gamey, and not bad at all. I can have another piece of this, given the chance.

ENTREE
Pollo Cacciatore
Free-range chicken upon buttered fettucine
-- or --
Tournedos of Beef w/ wild mushroom demi-glace
-- or --
Frutti di Mare alla Casalinga
prawns, scallops, wild salmon & halibut in a Marsala sauce
-- or --
Penne with Spicy Sauce (?)
(not on the Dine-Out Vancouver menu on the web)

The menu on the web only provides three choices for the entree, but the restaurant actually gives its diners four choices. The parties at our table either had the fruitti di mare or the beef. I took a peek at the other tables and most of them also had the same things. Guess they also wanted "bang for their bucks." =)

I LOVE MY FRUITTI DI MARE!!! It was fantabulous!!!!

No scrimping because it's dine-out week at all!!!! The dish came with two prawns (not shrimp!!!), two humongous scallops, cubes of halibut and salmon, on a bed of vegetables -- green beans, carrots, brocolli, and sliced red pepper -- with a side of scalloped potatoes. Just describing it gives you an idea how huge the serving is! I loved the prawns -- very firm (so they're fresh!), not overdone, not "overdressed" so that one could actually relish the real taste of the prawns. I also appreciated the fact that we had a selection of vegetables on our plate. Not only did this give the dish more colour, it also gave the diners more variety. The scallops were also a mouthful -- had to slice them because they were big, even bigger than the loonie and about 3/4" thick.

As a whole, I liked that this dish was able to preserve the true tastes of seafood. The sauce used was not strong so as to overpower the innate sweetness of the ingredients.

Grace had the beef and it was very juicy. A picture says a thousand words and a clean plate says it all!

DESSERT
Zuppa Inglese fruit panetone pudding with Creme Anglaise
-- or --
Chocolate Ganache Torte w/ strawberry coulis
-- or --
Tiramisu (not seen in the Dine-Out Vancouver menu on the web)

I had the pudding because (1) I figured I would be too full to have the torte, (2) I only had panetone when they came in a box so I wanted to find out the difference if I ordered from a restaurant (hopefully, they didn't take it out of a box..)

(1) reason -- Not true. One can never be too full to have chocolate, esp THIS torte. The torte had a melt-in-your-mouth consistency and was heavenly! I've never had torte like this.. I was taking big swipes out of Grace's plate and someone even offered me half of their portion (Bless her, and I didn't say, "No.") Thank goodness I don't eat this everyday. Otherwise, I'll be as big as a barge..

(2) panetone -- Not at all "airy" like the boxed panetone I had before.. It was dense but not as dense as fruit cakes go.. If I didn't have the torte, I would really like this but the torte "ruined" it for me..

Elixir (January 27, 2007)

Two reviewers: ts and cw

They also had a "Dine In" menu for $49, but it didn't seem that appealing. I don't remember what the items were.

This was the $35 menu.

Photos (courtesy of cw): http://www.flickr.com/photos/cw731/sets/72157594505113843/

Waldorf Salade “Moderne”
Belgian Endive with Candied Walnuts, Pears and Blue Cheese Dressing
-- or --
Chestnut, Celeriac and Apple Veloute with Truffle Oil

[ts]
I had the veloute (soup). It was all right. Earthy and such. I don't know if I tasted the celeriac; it was more chestnut-y.

[cw]
I had the soup too. Didn't like it very much as it was a bit too sweet for my taste. The truffle oil was a little much for me too.

Petit Hen “Coq au Vin” with Sauce Grand Mere
-- or --
Pan Seared Trout with Creamed Leeks, Tomato Jam, Escargot Ravioli and Parsley Sauce
-- or --
Bacon Wrapped Petit Tenderloin with Pomme Pont Neuf, Peppercorn Sauce and Bearnaise

[ts]
I had the fish dish.

The trout itself was nicely done: crispy skin & well-seasoned. The escargot ravioli was just "OK". The filling was OK, but the whole ravioli seemed a little dried out (dried out!). I don't recall the parsley sauce, but the creamed leeks were very good! It was very good, but a little rich, so eating it with a little bit of the tomato "jam" was a good combination. The tomato "jam" by itself was just OK: it seemed to lack flavor (and no, it wasn't sweet). I thought it would be more acidic and sweeter (I guess, more of a chutney), but that wasn't the case.

[cw]
The petit tenderloin was good and was accurately named... very petit. Nonetheless it was good... well, probably because it was wrapped in bacon. The presentation of the dish however, didn't look that great. For some reason the fries reminded me of the Inukshuk for the 2010 Olympics. Didn't each much of my "fry logs" as I don't usually like fries anyway. I'd rather they have paired the tenderloin with some mashed potatoes instead.

Warm Sticky Toffee Pudding with Tahitian Vanilla-Maple Syrup Ice Cream
-- or --
Amaretto Creme Bruleewith Almond Glass Biscuit

[ts]
Had the toffee pudding. What's with the proliferation of "toffee puddings"?

Anyway, this was nice, actually. The caramel sauce had a "burnt" caramel flavor which was a nice accent to the sweetness of the dessert. The ice cream was nice too.

[cw]
Had the creme brulee. Usually not much of a sweets/dessert fan... but i actually liked this, even though it was a little rich. I finished it off. I liked the almond glass biscuit too. Maybe they should have put two of those for this dessert.

[cw]
Overall: I don't think I'll be returning to this restaurant. For the price point of the food, it's not that worth it. It wasn't that special. I'd prefer one of the regular chains anyday. Last year, I remember going to Raincity Grill and the food there was absolutely divine for the same price.

The food here at Elixir was just a little too heavy for me and was swiftly hurled into the porcelain upon returning home. What a waste of $45!!!!!

[ts]
All in all, this was not bad. I don't think I would go back anytime soon, though. If you look at the regular menu, it seems to be pricey for the type of food it is. It's supposed to be a bistro* or brasserie** (def'ns below). It was "not bad", but not especially good. For the prices they have, mishaps of any kind (see trout) can't be forgiven too quickly.

I've just been wanting to go here because the Opus Hotel is supposed to be nice; so we walked through the lobby, hehe.

~~~
*bistro
A type of small restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in an unpretentious setting, especially in Paris, France. A bistro may not offer professional service or printed menus, and it will usually specialize in simple classic dishes such as steak au poivre, French onion soup, and coq au vin.

**brasserie
An informal French café that serves beer, wine and simple, hearty food.

LK Dining Lounge (January 2007)

Two reviewers: ts and alyn
(woohoo! alyn!!)

[ts]
It sounds so Chinese, "LK", but apparently, they're the initials of the owner's grandmothers, Lily & Kate. Alyn asked the server at the end of the meal. teehee.

[alyn]
As TS pointed out, “LK” seems so Chinese-y. Because I didn’t want this to be another one of those “unanswered questions” that would forever go down our LA annals, I really had to ask the server what the initials stood for. Turns out “LK” stands for “Lily Kate’s,” the names of the owner’s grandmothers. Would that have led the owner in a quandary coming up with the right name for her restaurant years ago? Hmm, “Lily Kate’s Lounge” doesn’t seem so elegant/classy (sounds like one of those mom-and-pop diners) as to warrant a second glance from the bon vivants. TS suggested maybe Kate Lily’s would be better, but then KL didn’t go down as “smooth” as LK. We progressed to a discussion about Lilydale’s chicken (Lilykate’s … Lilydale’s…Lilykate’s.. get it?)

However, we ARE digressing and given the factors, personally LK Lounge seems to be the better choice.

[ts]
We were served tortilla chips and tomato salsa at the beginning of the meal. There was too little salsa, I felt, and for some strange reason, it had only tomatoes! Perhaps there were other ingredients, but whoever spooned the salsa into the little ramekin didn't take care to include them. It needed a tad more salt & acid also.

APPETIZER
Ceviche cilantro-lime dressed tuna, tomato, avocado, tortilla cone
Croqueta crab-plantain fritter, red pepper criolla emulsion
Pincho chipotle-glazed chicken skewer, avocado-lime aji verde

[ts]
Tried the ceviche: it was just "OK" for me. The tuna was a bit mushy; probably in the acid too long.

Croqueta. It was "OK" too. The crab flavor was a bit too subtle. Grace & I couldn't figure out where the plantain was, but it turned out to be in the form of very tiny cubes inside the fritter. They were still quite firm, which leaves me to wonder if they actually needed more cooking time. The only strong "flavor" was from the "batter". Although, to its credit, it was very pillowy and nice.

Pincho. I actually liked this best of all 3. It was fragrant and the chicken was tender. Without reading the description, I would've been very satisfied. However, this was supposed to be chipotle-glazed; I don't think I tasted much chipotle there. The dip was nice, though. Very lime-y!

All 3 were "OK", with the chicken being the best, in my taste.

[alyn]
I had the ceviche. I haven’t had this before so have no point of comparison. The taste reminded me of negitoro roll (of course it’s tuna!). Eaten alone, it was ok. I didn’t taste the cilantro-lime in the tuna but maybe they were only supposed to kill any “fishy” smell, or perhaps that was how it’s supposed to be. The appy came in a flute of tortilla and eaten together, you get the crunch and that hint of salt.

Tasted the croqueta from Grace’s plate – I preferred my ceviche better. Probably because I don’t like batter-coated food.

Had some pincho from Glennys’ plate – Loved it! The chicken was nicely done and the dipping sauce of avocado-lime was a nice complement to the chicken!

ENTRÉE
Crisp Serrano-Wrapped Cod
blue corn polenta, glazed baby carrots, lemon-chile butter
Orange-Coriander Roasted Duck
chipotle-yam puree, spiced green beans
Risotto Legumbre
portobello mushroom, butternut squash, shaved manchego, fresh herbs, pumpkin seed oil

[ts]
Nobody had the risotto because of that "bang-buck" problem.

Tasted the cod. All the different components of the dish tasted good. Only had a "forkful" of the lemon-chile butter, so i can't recall whether it was very lemon-y or chile-y. It was definitely buttery. The blue corn polenta wasn't blue! It was just regular polenta with some blue specks in it. Although, that polenta was very good: flavorful, with a nice crust balancing the soft texture within.

[alyn]
I had the cod. I wasn’t dissatisfied but wasn’t really impressed with it either. It was crisp wrapped in Serrano ham but I wanted something perkier. However, I guess I shouldn’t really expect much since it did say it came with lemon butter sauce. That should’ve clued me in – nothing unpredicatable with butter sauce. I did like the polenta though. It was crispy, firm, tasted good. Only thing was it wasn’t blue as indicated in the menu!!! Sure there were dark specks in the polenta but I didn’t think (still don’t think) we got the real deal! Is it because we are on Dine-Out prices and this entrée on it’s own costs around $25~26 (did I remember right?)? ;)

[alyn]
Glennys’ duck was GOOD!!!! I loved it – a far-cry from the barbeque duck of Chinese restaurants! It was tasty, juicy, and tender. The skin was crispy too. I’m not really a proponent of duck because my past experiences with this fowl has been foul (hee hee) – too tough, too salty, not-much meat, too fatty. However if they made duck this way, I would be a quick convert. How good? Glennys’ quote on the dish: I wish we had some bread so we can soak up the sauce…

[ts]
I had the duck. Medium rare, nicely done! The duck was very tender, the skin was nicely crisped, the seasoning was spot-on, the jus was flavorful. It was very nice!! Of course, I like green beans, so that's good. I even liked the yam. Usually I don't like yam or sweet potatoes because they tend to be too sweet for me, but this was good.

To nitpick, after re-reading the description, I'm not sure how orange-y or coriander-y the duck was. Ditto for the chipotle in the yams. I guess I like more aggressive -- or, as LK themselves put it, "BOLD" -- flavors.

But, this was still very good and satisfying.

DESSERT
Crema Quemada de Coco
coconut crème brulee, pineapple confit, mango coulis
Torta de Chocolate
oaxacan chocolate tart, vanilla gelato, raspberry coulis
Helado Tropical trio of homemade gelato

[ts]
Of course I wouldn't get the "helado"! Teehee.

The chocolate tart was nice enough. Tasted like chocolate! =) The vanila gelato was so-so; it was a tad too airy, it seemed. I don't know what made the tart Oaxacan; not sure if there was supposed to be some sort of flavor from Oaxaca or if they just meant that the chocolate was from Oaxaca.

[alyn]
The crème brulee was not bad. At first I thought it was a bit “hard,” but thanks to TS who instructed me to “crack” the candy crust on the top first, I was able to savour the crème.

The gelato was ok – trio of mango, coconut, and pineapple gelato on individual ramekins.

Chocolate tart – The slice was really small – it was half the portion you get when you order a serving of pie from any restaurants. But after eating it, I think the serving was just right. The chocolate was too rich and a big slice would’ve been too much. I don’t think the vanilla gelato was the perfect pairing for this. I would’ve preferred having a lemon gelato with the chocolate. That would’ve given this dessert the proper contrast. I want more of the raspberry coulis too!

~~~
[alyn]
The menu outside the restaurant boasted of “bold” flavours. Browsing through their regular menu, I think this could very well be more than a claim. It would have been nice if their Dine-Out menu showcased some of these flavours, though. As it was, I think the selection we had last night was pretty tame, too safe. For me, total food experience means an overload of the senses – not just the taste, but also the visuals, the smell. The lounge was so dim that I couldn’t appreciate the colours and any contrasts they would’ve provided in the food. I had to strain my old eyes to read the menu because we only had a small votive on our table. The chairs were pretty small too – couldn’t help sitting with my legs tightly closed. Otherwise, you get those “overflow” from the chairs.. (Heehee) Other than these, service was great! Wouldn’t mind going back to try their regular menu..

[ts]
All in all, this was a pretty "successful" meal. I took marks off because the flavors advertised on the menu (orange, coriander, chipotle, etc) weren't really pronounced (if there at all) and for the not-quite-there appys. Otherwise, the actual flavors of the products themselves spoke out and the dishes were executed or cooked nicely enough. So, rating is a solid 7/10.

Figmint (January 2007)

Three reviewers: ts, csc and js

1st course
Ballontine of Duck Confit and White Beans & Green Bean Salad with Pumpkinseed Dressing.
-- or --
Mixed Greens with Figs, Goat Cheese, Reduced Balasmic and Lemon Dressing.
-- or --
Grilled Squid with Endive and Tomato Salad and Lobster Dressing

[csc]
The squid dish was nice. The squid was tender (I actually don’t mind it if it were chewier coz I don’t mind chewing – more on this later). The endives, mint (or whatever leaves those were), sauce on this thing… normally, I would NOT eat by itself, but combined together (yes, all TOGETHER) with the squid… very nice. Gave me a whole range of flavor that you have to somewhat “figure out” (ie, that was the endives, that was bitter, etc etc).

[ts]
I also had the squid. It was really good! The endive was fairly bitter. The lobster dressing was a "foam" type sauce; tasted like a lighter lobster bisque. The squid was very tender, and you could really taste the "grill" aroma/flavor. The tentacles were perfectly deep-fried. That was crispy, the endive as well, while the rest of the squid was tender and the lobster dressing was a little rich. COMBINED all together -- 10/10? This dish went very quickly.

[js]
Hearing from the two of them how great the squid is, I am disappointed with my ballotine of duck confit. For some reason, [ts] kept "directing" me to have the duck!

"You're getting the duck, right?"
"So, you have the duck, right?"

I was persuaded to have the duck. This dish was merely okay -- that is, I wouldn't recommend it, but it wasn't that bad either. The white beans and the confit were mashed together in one disk, while the green beans and the pumpkin seeds were just on the plate. It was a good presentation.

My quibble is with the duck. Mashing it together with the beans or shaping it that way turned the duck kind of mushy as well as the beans. In general, I don't like my food to be overworked. I mean, I can appreciate the transformative aspects of it -- oh wow, it was a duck now it's a disk -- but really, let the duck be. I didn't really eat the pumpkin seeds and I didn't really taste the pumpkin seeds in the dressing, whatever little of it is on the plate. (It was just a very thin line on the plate). It was more mustard-y to me than pumpkin-seedy. So I didn't really enjoy this dish as much. I mean, I can appreciate that it's a well-executed dish, but in terms of concept, I guess I just don't get it.

[ts]
About me telling JS to get the duck: that was only because she kept saying she was going to get the "Leaves." Of course, the "leaves" wouldn't be "sulit" at all! Not really a "bang for your buck", them leaves.

2nd course
Saffron Braised Veal Cheeks with Wild Mushroom Golden Beet Puree and Pine Nut Butter.
-- or --
Crisp Rainbow Trout with Saffron Crushed Potatoes and Salsa Verde.
-- or --
Artichoke and Mascarpone Risotto with Lemon Oil.

[csc]
Ok, first off: I don’t like veal. Give me chewy steak anytime. But then it’s either that, the trout or the artichoke risotto… I didn’t feel like trout and I would never order vegetarian anything coz …there’s nothing to chew! Hahah…

So the veal… first bite, kinda sweet… and if you like your meats soft, then this one is for you. It does melt in your mouth…but really, I don’t like that. The taste was ok… nice, but then there’s nothing to contrast the texture and the “sweetness”. The vegetables were all chopped up… so again, nothing to chew. If perhaps that have given us the string beans in LONG form, or something to chew on for contrast, then there might be something better to say about this veal.

[js]
I had the saffron-braised veal cheeks as well. I think I would have to agree with CSC and found the dish too one-dimensional. It was veal, too much veal.

Granted, choosing the veal, I was kind of swayed by economic considerations (which dish would give me more bang for my buck), so it's a tad ironic that I would complain that there was TOO MUCH VEAL. It was ALL VEAL. I expected some mushrooms in it as the description said there were mushrooms, but I think somewhere along the way, it got pureed. There were supposed to be golden beets and again somewhere along the way it also got pureed. (See my comments about food being overworked.) The description also said there was pine nut butter but I didn't see it or didn't really taste it. All I could taste was the veal, all veal all the time.

Again, that being said, this was a well-executed dish. That's the thing: this restaurant I would probably return to because they do care about the food and they do know what they're doing. I guess I just didn't like this veal concept but it was a perfectly-executed dish. The veal really was melt in your mouth and had excellent flavour, like it's not quite beefy but beefy. On the verge of beefy.

[ts]
Someone should've gotten the risotto just to see how it is. It sounds like it would be good: artichoke, mascarpone, lemon oil. But, again, see, no "bang." =)

Tasted the trout: it was really crispy and it was seasoned well. Just very nice. I didn't get to taste the accompaniments; don't know what those sauces were that they had. As for the saffron potatoes, they were all right. I'm not *too* big a fan of saffron.

The veal. Ah, yes, the veal. That dish really was ALL VEAL, ALL THE TIME. It reminded me of pork hock in that it had that "thick", really rich taste. It was good and very tender, but you really would get tired of it if you don't have something else to taste!

The golden beet puree was actually very nice, but there was too little of it. (And as per others' point, it, too, was soft, texture-wise.) I would've liked more of the haricots verts, and not cut up into such small pieces. I couldn't really taste the mushrooms in the dish; ditto for the pine nut butter. I'm assuming they were part of the sauce.

[csc]
BTW, I ate Diner#4's ½ trout… and YUMMY. Don’t know if it’s because I wasn’t quite into my veal, but the skin of the trout was crispy and nice texture and flavor. So maybe I should’ve had the trout instead.

Dessert
Fig Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream and Crystallized Mint.
-- or --
Pumpkin Creme Brulee with Gingerbread Sable

[csc]
Toffee pudding: Sweet, nice… but I couldn’t finish it just because I ate Diner#4's main course. Hahah.

[js]
I liked the toffee pudding although again it was probably too much for me. That is, it was too heavy for me, too sticky. Probably because Diner#4 took my ice cream which would have acted as a good foil to it! LOL

[ts]
Tasted the toffee pudding: very nice.

I had the brulee. It had a nice flavor. My only complaint would be the "cheating" re the sugar crust. Instead of caramelizing sugar on top of the brulee, forming a crust, they pre-made the "sugar crust" separately, and just put on a few pieces on top of the brulee. The result, instead of a delicate wafer-like crust of caramelized sugar on top, there were these THICK, hard-to-crack GLASS-like sugar pieces. I had to WHACK them hard and WHACK them many times to get them into smaller pieces and easier to eat. Even then, they were still too thick and sharp(!) and thus, hard to eat.

[ts]
But, I would return to Figmint. It was too bad they didn't have their a la carte menu available during Dine Out (then Diner#4 could've gotten something else; like a steak or some such thing). I've seen their regular menu and would want to try several of the items there. Rating for the meal, I guess about 8/10.

[js]
Rating: about an 8. This is a restaurant that I would return to and I would like to try their other dishes. Hopefully I hit on one that's just right for me. It was good: I didn't feel they were cutting corners simply because it's DINE OUT -- seemed like the chef cares what comes out of his kitchen. Food of integrity: that I like and can't complain about that.

[csc]
Oh, and as we were leaving, I saw right beside me on my chair, the tentacles from the squid appetizer!!! And TS was saying, is that why I didn’t even acknowledge her comment re: how nice the tentacles were coz they were crunchy and yummy… but I didn’t hear her and therefore did not go looking for my tentacles… which I guess fell off the plate as I took up my napkin. So, this one, the appetizer was nice, but the rest were… well…. Not super great.