Nu Restaurant (February 2, 2008)

http://www.whatisnu.com/

Three reviewers: ts and js, with a special guest appearance by rl (teehee)
[no reviews by csc, lsc and yd!]

Nu had a $25 Dine Out menu, and a $35 100-Mile Diet Menu.

[js]
Feeling like I have to have "street cred," I had the 100-Mile Dine Out Menu.

I mean, I've read the 100-Mile Diet book (mini-review: "okay" as I could have done with less of the "personal" stuff) and I've always wanted to do something "virtuous" vis a vis our carbon footprint, so now that a 100-Mile menu has been offered to me, I feel like I have to take it.

Even though the 100-Mile Dine Out Menu consisted of chicken for the entree course.

Even though it had some sort of poutine course. I like fries but am not too crazy about poutine.

On to the review.

$25 menu

Side Stripe Shrimp + BC Alabacore Fritter
green beans, olives, preserve tomato, fine herb dressing
--or--
Nu's Classic Caesar Salad
asiago, popcorn pork belly, buttered croutons
--or--
Glenn Valley Farms Butternut Squash Soup
shredded duck, chive dumpling

Crispy Fraser Valley Duck Leg Confit
sweet potato puree, braised red cabbage, orange preserve, jus
--or--
Pan Seared "Larry Albright" Trout
vegetable ratatouille, pemberton potato criquette, dill cream
--or--
Braised Lamb Cheeks
roasted winter root vegetables, wild & cultivated mushroom couscous, minted radish, rich lamb jus

Blood Orange Pavlova
blood orange curd, citrus salad
--or--
Matt's Famous Sticky Toffee + Date Pudding
warm butterscotch sauce

[ts]
Sadly, nobody who ate the $25 Dine Out menu is reviewing!!!

I tasted the seafood fritter (appy) and it was quite nice. I only had one small bit, so I don't remember any details anymore. But it was good. =)

Oh, and tasted the Caesar salad too: the dressing was good and anchovy-y!

100 Mile Menu
Pemberton Potto "Poutine"
qualicum cheese curds, flourless gravy

Glenn Valley Farms Butternut Squash Soup
candied black heart spring salmon bellies, chive oil

Fraser Valley Yellow Skin Chicken
North arm farms root vegetable pave, forest mushroom cream sauce

Caribou Apiaries Honey Creme Brullee, poached quince candy

[js]
The poutine course came and it was a semi-big serving of poutine. It was a bowl-ful of fries, with curds, and gravy, similar in size to maybe a medium (large) McDonald's fries.

The potatoes were merely okay. I didn't think them spectacular by any means: they weren't crispy and were, in fact, on the soggy side. The curds, as curds are, are flavourless, but I didn't really like the gravy all that much. Gravy has too much of an "MSG" taste to me, that is, it's umami to the power of more umami and it seems that the salt or the sodium or the umami-ness of it sticks to the side of my throat. I react this way to processed soups and other processed foods and I really don't like the aftertaste or the after-swallow.

That being said, I really do not know why they chose to have the POUTINE as a starter. I finished about half of my poutine and was trying to finish all of it, but I thought if I ate all of it, then I would be TOO FULL to enjoy the other courses!

[ts]
I agree: I really can't think of WHY poutine would be part of the tasting menu! It's just so wrong. I don't think poutine can stand on its own as a "dish" in a tasting menu. There's really nothing much going on: it's just fries! The poutine itself was all right, but nothing spectacular.

[js]
The butternut squash soup was delicious. It was smooth, silky, with the subtle sweetness of butternut squash. What I didn't care for was the salmon they put with the soup. It was too "fishy," so it was a funny combination to have something that's fishy and sweet. Something fishy and salty would have worked better perhaps.

So to recap: POUTINE + SOUP or something LIQUID. Anybody following the plot? I'm getting fuller and fuller!

[ts]
I didn't think the salmon was particularly sweet. In fact, it sort of tasted like "smoked salmon" to me (but not quite). But yeah, I didn't like that salmon there AT ALL! I just left it in the bowl.

[js]
When my chicken came, I was already FULL. Which was a shame because the chicken dish was delicious. It was tender, the mushrooms were flavourful, and if you had the meat with a little bit of the skin, it was quite heavenly. I couldn't eat more than 3 or 4 little pieces, though and had only 2 forkfuls of the root vegetable square they had. I COULD NOT EAT ANY MORE!

When the server came in to take away my plate, she asked if there was anything wrong with the chicken. I said no. In fact, it was quite delicious, but I was simply too full from the poutine. She smiled and said other people can handle it. I just smiled back and accepted her offer to have the whole thing wrapped up.

[ts]
The chicken dish was good. I liked the mushrooms. I couldn't quite finish the root vegetable pave. Well, one factor would be that the poutine just took up an excessive amount of stomach space, but the second was that there was some sort of strong root vegetable there! I tried asking people if they got what I meant when I said that the taste of that vegetable pauses a little bit after taking a bite, but then rushes forward in a very "effervescent" way... like a WHOOSH of vapor/flavor. It was very weird, and I couldn't quite get to liking that. I assume it's some sort of radish, but I've had radishes before, and this was different. Oh well.

[js]
The dessert was probably the best part of the meal. Again, it is a shame though because I only had 2 spoonfuls of it before I have to pass it on to somebody else who can appreciate it more at that time! I surrendered. I really could not have any more food or else I'll puke everything out. The creme brulee was smooth and creamy, just rightly rich and rightly sweet (not too sweet). I thought I wouldn't like the honey but it might have been the ingredient that put this creme brulee way above other creme brulees. Perhaps it added the right touch of sweetness? Anyways, that's only speculation on my part.

Seems like the night for speculations anyways.

[ts]
The creme brulee was very nice. In fact, I lose respect for a place that can't do creme brulee right! Teehee. The quince candy was basically like a marshmallow! From the description, I thought it would be a piece of candied fruit, but it was not the case. MARSHMALLOW! (I don't really like marshmallows.)

[js]
My overall rating: 8 for the food. It was one of the best performers among all of the restaurants we've tried during Dine Out 2008.

[ts]
For me, the food was executed well, but I was actually wanting to do their Dine-Out menu... I just thought I should take the 100 Mile Menu because they seemed to have put an effort of making one. (I still object to that poutine being a dish in the tasting menu.) So, even though the food was executed well, in terms of my satisfaction, my food rating would have to be 6.5 or 7/10.
And now, RL! She had the wine pairings with her meal.

[rl]
the 'nu' sign was hard to see in the dark -- it was gray. The parking was difficult as well. And the food, it's not *that* good. i felt full right after the first course and its matching light beer. but overall, it was ok.

translated from:
[the 'nu' sign was hard to see in the dark -- gray kasi. parking mahirap din. and the food, it's not *that* good. i feel busog na on the first course pa lang with the light beer. but overall ok lang.]

Marmalade Kitchen (February 1, 2008)

http://www.marmaladekb.com/

Two reviewers: ts and cw

APPY
Polderside Organic Farm Duck Confit Salad, with Poached Pear, Blue Cheese and Pecans
-- or --
Tandoori Chicken Skewers stacked on Yam Fries & Salad
-- or --
Cranberry Filone Crostini with Goat Cheese, Orange and Black Pepper Marmalade
-- or --
Dungeness Crab Tower with Avocado & Mango

[cw]
Chicken - 5.5/10

I was torn between the so-called named "crab tower" and the chicken skewers. I finally decided on the latter, mostly because:
i.) the "crab tower" was wrongly named
ii.) I had just had sushi for lunch, so the crab & avocado combo wasn't very appealing afterall, and
iii.) I had a craving for the yam fries.

The chicken skewers weren't bad, except they were served to me cold. The seasoning was alright, but I wasn't impressed. They were stacked into a teepee formation, with the yam fries lined up beneath. the yam fries, like the skewers, weren't even lukewarm, not to mention that they were soggy and not at all crispy. I used my fork to eat the fries, and guess what, upon picking them up, the fries were actually droopy! no surpise there.

[ts]
The chicken was all right. Tender. Not bad. But yeah, I don't know how long they waited before serving the food, because it wasn't hot.

MAIN
Seared Pork Tenderloin with Apples, Persian Dates and Baby Potatoes
-- or --
Pistacchio Crusted Wild Salmon with Pomegranate Molasses served with Roasted Red Pepper, Feta, Capers and Preserved Lemons
-- or --
Marinated Venison Medallion, Roasted Eggplant, Sour Grapes & Tomato Compote served with Aubergine Caviar
-- or --
Organic Lamb Shanks slow roasted with Fresh Herbs, Zaffir Limes and Red Kidney Beans

[cw]
Salmon - 6.5/10

The salmon itself was well-flavoured, thus fared better than the appetizer. However, it wasn't as tender as I had hoped. It was on the borderline between slightly tender and dry. Anyhow, we were given basmati rice, and this was disappointing. again, it was cold. Being Chinese, I like my rice to be steaming, with each grain to be fully intact and not falling apart. The basmati rice looked like it was microwaved and too much water was added during the process of cooking.

The presentation of this dish was quite strange. The salmon was placed on the left, taking up about 3/5 of the space, while the pepper with pieces of feta and capers scattered on top was placed on the right. The rectangular plate was too small for this entree. there wasn't any whitespace, so to say.

[ts]
I had the venison. It was "OK." Not much to say about it (a shock, I know). Just average-blah kind of food.

And yes! The rice! Weird! I don't even think there was too much water added during cooking -- it seems like the rice was cooked already and then water was added to the cooked rice. That's how it seemed like. Not nice.

DESSERT
Chocolate Bread Pudding with Candied Walnut & Chocolate Chip
-- or --
Lotus Flower Filo Dessert with Orange Creme Anglaise, Lychee & Mandarins, topped with Candied Orange Peel

[cw]
Filo - 3/10
Big mistake in ordering this, as it basically just eating filo. Perhaps I should have ordered the pudding.

[ts]
I ordered the bread pudding. Again, "OK." Not good, not *too* sucky. The pudding didn't have enough custard covering it while baking, so the top part of the pudding was dry and tough (whereas the bottom part was the proper texture). The plate had chocolate sauce on it, but it was't real chocolate! It was a Nesquick-type chocolate sauce. Not good.

---
[cw]
service - 5.5/10
One of the first things I noticed when I went into the restaurant was that the servers either looked unkempt and dirty, or were just inexperienced. For me, the second most important thing is service, the first being well-prepared food that was prepared under strict sanitary conditions (which is why i like the interior design concept where diners can view the kitchen area). I would feel especially queasy whenever I observe the servers are hardly pristine, whether it's sticking their fingers into cups, bowls, plates, etc., or just appearing as though they've just climbed from under someone's car hood at a garage.

ambience - 6/10
small restaurant, decor trying to be mod and trendy. however, a quick look around the restaurant the crowd it attracted was not so. the clientele didn't match the yaletown yuppie type of decor. anyhow, they tried to cram too much in too small a space.

would most likely not return.

[ts]
All about the food, me. Mediocre at best. Disappointing. Won't return. Um, can I even give a rating... I guess same level as La Vallee (although, La Vallee had the nice bread and the poached pear). 3-ish/10.

Gastropod (January 23, 2008)

http://www.gastropod.ca/

Two reviewers: ts and js

[ts]
Just a note: I don't like it when the bread isn't served warm! =(

They actually had a few more than 3 choices for their Dine-Out menu. Some of them had additional charges associated with them (supplements). I'm not too sure if I've listed all the choices there were, because I wasn't paying much attention (wasn't trying to memorize the choices) and they didn't have their entire Dine Out menu up on their website.

SOUP OF ORGANIC CAULIFLOWER
crispy house bacon, croutons, bacon froth
-- or --
GASTROPOD’S GRILLED SALAD
seasonal vegetables grilled and marinated, cream cheese, chive oil, vegetable glaze
-- or --
OYSTERS WITH HORSERADISH “SNOW”
fresh bc oysters, sauternes jelly, shallot reduction
-- or --
SCALLOP [supplement]
gribiche sauce, shaved raw veg salad, serrano ham
-- or --
DUCK TWO WAYS [supplement]
leg of duck confit, parfait of liver, parsley root puree

[ts]
I had the oysters.

I actually wanted a different appetizer, but I thought I'd order this because I think it's one of their signature dishes. I don't especially like raw oysters; I would never crave them. But I thought that perhaps his garnishes/garniture would make it more special.

Well, I had problems. The "snow"! The "snow"! (The snow was shaved ice.)

The whole thing was SOOO cold that I couldn't taste anything! And it hurt my teeth! I think the latter was more of a problem. Since it hurt my teeth, I couldn't really chew it. I even tried waiting a bit before eating more, but that didn't help. I also tried keeping the thing inside my mouth to let it warm up and perhaps let the flavors come through, but that didn't work either.

My tongue only "tasted" a little of this dish, basically it was just a battle trying to eat it without pain.

[js]
For starters, I had the scallops with serrano ham.

This was my A-HA!, epiphanic moment, when I discovered that I really don't like scallops that are not cooked. There was a $5 dollar supplement on this dish, but there were 5 sizable scallops on the plate, 2 sizable pieces of the serrano ham, and quite the blanket of shaved vegetables.

The shaved watermelon radish looked beautiful. The shaved vegetables were quite nice: I liked them better than the scallops nor the ham.

The scallops were seared on one side ONLY. It was half-raw and there was a fishiness to it that I didn't care for.

[ts]
I agree re the scallops. It was very underdone. I had some of this dish as js didn't really want to eat the scallops. I liked the gribiche sauce. Let me look it up... Ah, it's like a French vinaigrette but with hardboiled eggs & cornichons added.

36 HR SOUS-VIDE PORK SHOULDER
truffle sabayon, sautéed spinach, shitake mushroom
-- or --
CHICKEN MEDALLION
sous-vide breast, roasted thigh, garlic purée, daikon,asian pesto
-- or --
WILD SPRING SALMON à la GASTROPOD
wasabi sabayon, pea shoots, warm citrus bulgur salad
-- or --
POLDERSIDE'S SUNFLOWER DUCK [supplement]
crispy breast, figs, yam puree, yellowfoot chanterelle
-- or --
VENISON with some stuff, including a venison cannelloni bolognese

[ts]
I couldn't resist: I keep ordering duck when eating out!

I was quite happy with this. I don't remember if it was all that crispy, but I guess the skin wasn't "soggy." There were a few pieces of tiny chanterelles on the plate. I'm sure they tasted good/OK. I really liked the yam and fig purees. (I think they had fig puree and yam puree, instead of just yam.) The sweetness of the two really went nicely with the duck.

I'm not quite sure why it was called "Sunflower Duck", seeing as there were only a few crushed up particles of sunflower seeds. Probabaly 2-3 seeds max, coarsely chopped/ground.

[js]
For my main, they made a booboo of my order.

I ordered the spring salmon, but the server brought a cube of something else. It turned out that they brought the pork shoulder instead. Normally, I wouldn't mind pork shoulder, but this was pork shoulder to the power of pork shoulder, very, very overwhelming.

Pork shoulder as a cut is rich and pork-y: when braised long and slow like this, it turns very tender and almost melts in your mouth. This pork shoulder was also very tender and melty. It would have benefited from some acid though to cut through the richness.

My plate also had about 5 pieces of spinach and 1 shiitake mushroom cut into 6 pieces. The 5 leaves of spinach and the shiitake were very good: it didn't have the normal sauteed vegetable taste but something else, quite different that was good. Don't know what it is: not butter, I don't think -- can't place it. The mashed potatoes that came with it was also good.

The dish was just too much and I couldn't finish it. Also, points off for not having the skin crispy. The skin was soft and limp, which I couldn't eat. If it were fried and crispy, I would have had it in a heartbeat. It would also have added a much needed textural difference to the dish.

[ts]
I must say, the plates (at least, judging from the dishes we had) were quite bare-looking.

(Haha, js' "5 spinach leaves and 1 shiitake cut into 6 pieces.")

CHOCOLATE FONDANT
earl grey syrup, raspberry sorbet
-- or --
SORBETS AND ICE MILKS
selection of the kitchen
-- or --
THE GASTROPOD CHEESECAKE
Warm cheesecake served with fresh fruit salad, blueberry purée

[ts]
I had the chocolate fondant cake. It was nice and chocolate-y (with a molten center). I didn't care much for the raspberry sorbet; I don't really like raspberries. In fact, i switched our sorbets around: JS had a mixed berry-type sorbet, so I put that on my plate and put the raspberry one on hers.

The earl grey syrup was rally nice; I love earl grey. Good thing I tasted it by itself though, because once it was combined with the cake (*and* the sorbet), it lost its identity. I couldn't really taste it then. Too bad. =(

[js]
For the dessert, I had the cheesecake. Nothing bad to say about the cheesecake. In fact, I quite liked it. It wasn't like regular cheesecake though. They must have used some other cheese to make the cheesecake. The sorbets that came with it aren't that good though (of course).

[js]
Overall, I would say 6.

[ts]
All in all, the execution of the dishes was very good. I guess the food just isn't something I would crave or think about.

The food, based on my satisfaction level as well (and not just the execution) is about 7-ish/10.

Chambar (January 25, 2008)

http://www.chambar.com/

Four reviewers: ts, js, csc and cw


[ts]
I've never been to Chambar but have always wanted to go. I've only heard good things about it.

The place was huge! (Well, relatively huge.) It was really nice inside too. Reds, browns... very warm & a little cozy inside despite the size.

[js]
Chambar is one restaurant I've always wanted to try ever since they opened. When I saw their menu, it seemed to me they were doing more "exciting"/"hip"/"trendy" food.

Laziness, stinginess and the refusal to pay for parking has always won out though, and well, I haven't gotten around to it (in 3 years?) until this week. At $25, the Dine Out menu seemed to offer good value.

[js]
We were approximately 15 minutes late making our 5:00pm reservation. (Yes, we're becoming seniors, eating at such an early evening hour!) We had some problems finding the place and so had to spring for valet parking to avoid being extremely late. When we got to the restaurant, the hostess told us that we have to get out of there by 6:30 , as the next seating is set for that time. When I hear something like that, I get a tad whingy. See, I do not need to be told we had to get out at a certain time. Restaurants should just *not* tell customers they need to leave, because it irritates customers. Don't they think? Because, really, the time it takes the customer to finish their meal is dependent on the restaurant is dependent and the pace of the service. That is, the time it takes for the customer to eat is in the hands of the restaurant, the kitchen, and the wait staff. Most people do not eat slowly.

So, please, refrain from telling me this unncessary info. I certainly do not mind a faster pace of service. In fact, I prefer a faster pace instead of a slower one myself. I am not a lingerer and do not really like to linger after my table's been cleared.

(We did get out of there at around 6:40 , but we could have gotten out of there earlier if they had been faster with the bill. We sat there for ten minutes waiting for them to bring back the bill.)

[js]
Anyways, had to get that off my chest. I don't penalize restaurants for these minor points, because it's all about the food. Efficient and slightly impersonal service does it for me. I don't like overly familiar or overly friendly service in restaurants.

[ts]
On to the food!


La Soupe de Mais et Crabe
Roasted corn & crab soup. "Piment d'espelette".
-- or --
La Salade d'Hiver
Belgium endive & watercress salad, cranberry & vanilla vinaigrette, star anise fig crostini.
-- or --
Carpaccio de Chevreuil
Venison carpaccio, roasted garlic & horseradish tapenade, golden yukon crisps, baby arugula.

csc and cw both chose the soup.

[csc]
I had the crab and corn soup. Pretty tasty. I liked it.

[cw]
8.5/10
This was a very nice appetizer, it sure got my appetite started! i only wish that there was more! i only remember the corn, not so much the crab. a more generous serving would have been appreciated!

[js]
For starters, I had the venison carpaccio. It was presented beautifully, on a rectangular plate, all red disks like that. Different from the usual round carpaccio presentation.

I wish I had more arugula: I had at most 3 LEAVES of arugula. The dressing for the carpaccio is slightly sweet, which I didn't like all that much. I would have preferred something more acidic.

Horseradish is always nice, although I don't like it that much with the sweetish roasted garlic combination.

[ts]
I had the carpaccio as well. Again, I seem unable to resist raw red meat on a menu. ;)

I must say that the venison was sliced extremely well! That is, they were all uniform in size and thickness. I was impressed. The meat looked good as well. Nice and red; fresh-looking. It was also dressed well.

Of course, the yukon gold crisps were good (how can they not be) and the arugula was nice. There was only a little bit of the roasted garlic/horseradish tapenade, which was fine since that preparation was just "OK" for me; I didn't really look for it. All in all, satisfying.

Moules Congolaise
Mussels cooked with a tomato coconut cream, smoked chili & lime, fresh cilantro.
-- or --
Boeuf Braise a la Kriek
Bellevue Kriek braised beef shortribs, hazelnut pomme puree, sour cherry compote.
-- or --
Truite et Ravioli
Absinthe butter crusted ruby trout, roasted pepper & goat cheese ravioli, citrus herb shaved fennel.

[csc]
I had the beef shortribs. I thought it was going to look like the Korean beef shortribs (with bones and meat) but it was just a chunk of meat.

It was good, except, that day, I had roast beef for breakfast and for lunch (and actually roast beef for dinner the night before). So I was all “beef-ed” out. Couldn’t finish it. The mashed potatoes were good.

The meal wasn’t huge, which was perfect coz my belly can’t hold so much food now that baby’s taking up more space hahaha!

[js]
For my main, I had the trout. I didn't like the fact that the skin was not crispy and was all soft and limp. For something "crusted," it didn't really have any crunch at all.

I liked the fennel salad, as it was cool and refreshing. It picked up the fennel, anise-y flavours of the "crust" on the trout. The dressing was not really really citrus-y, as far as I remember, because I would have liked it more citrus-y to balance the anise-y flavours. Too much anise is a little bit intoxicating, cloying.

The dish overall was too anise-y for my tastes. Something to have "grounded" the anise flavours would have been nice. And needed.

[ts]
I had the trout as well. (JS copied my orders!)

I didn't mind the non-crispy skin. Fish was cooked well. I don't know if I tasted the absinthe flavour; all I know was that the "crust" was crumb-y and salty and worked with the fish.

The fennel was a nice addition, although I wished it had more acid (and perhaps a touch more seasoning). The ravioli was really nicely done as well: flavorful filling, nice pasta.

Again, satisfying.

[cw]
8.5/10 - well done.

the trout was very tender and the skin was easily removed which is a plus! it wasn't fishy at all. also, i love goat cheese, so this was mostly why i chose this dish as my entree. the ravioli was also quite good.

same comment as with the soup... fast forward a few hours later... i was hungry! so again, i wish there was more trout and some more ravioli for the "filling" factor. but all in all, i think it was a good deal for $25!

[ts]
A note about the mussels (which none of us ordered).

It looked HUGE!!! It came in a black covered pot. A pretty big one, considering it's for one person. There was a guy in the party beside us who ordered it. When the server uncovered the pot, the smells from the dish came wafting our way. It smelled REALLY good!

Also, throughout our meal, CSC observed that it was taking the guy QUITE A WHILE to get through his mussels dish! And this with a lot of shells already discarded on his shell-plate.

Same observation when I was on my way to the washroom near the end of the meal. I saw people with lots of discarded shells on their side plate, and still a number of mussels inside the pot! The broth also came to about 1/2 of the pot (or 1.3, let's say).

Pretty generous serving, that mussels dish. (Unless there's some sort of voodoo with that pot, it was really big.)

So next time, perhaps someone will order a mussels dish. =)

(The only "problem" I can think of is how is one supposed to eat all that mussels and broth without RICE?! Haha. Because it would just be eating ALL MUSSELS, ALL THE TIME! )


Pommes Frites

[ts]
This was "OK". I guess I expected more since this *is* a Belgian restaurant!

Actually, there was a "shelf" taste to the pommes frites. ("Shelf" taste = stale taste)

I don't know if I'm convinced that that was the paprika sprinkled onto the frites (as per JS's suggestion).

[csc]
I agree with ts. The fries had that “old” starch taste of like old rice… something was not quite right about it.

[cw]
7/10 - aside from the seasoning, this was very much like the fries at earls or cactus club, so i wasn't impressed. i think the "fries" from bistro bistrot have set the bar for fries for me at least. i wouldn't mind another bucket of fries from there.

[ts]
Yeah, those pommes allumettes from Bistrot Bistro were good. =D

Drinks
Pear & Passionfruit Nectar, with thyme
Grapefruit Juice and ___? with___?

[ts]
I always give extra points for places that spend just a little time mixing up non-alcoholic drinks. (Like Parkside! And Chow too. Chow was good too. )

I had the Pear/Passionfruit drink. It was not bad. I still like pineapple juice the best, hehe. =D

[csc]
I had a sip of this, and was completely reminded of cough syrup. I didn’t like any of the drinks at all. Good thing I stuck with water.

[ts]
JS had the Grapefruit one. I don't remember what was in it. She didn't like it that much, she said.


Gaufre Liegoise
Belgian waffle, housemade vanilla ice cream & warm chocolate sauce.
-- or --
Pot de crème
Matcha pot de creme, lemon sable & blueberry compote.
-- or --
Le Fromage
Daily cheese, spiced quince jam & toasted fig bread.

[js]
The waffle, with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce: very good.

But I like pastries with ice cream always. Chocolate was darker than milk chocolate, so everything was of the good.

The only thing I can say is the waffle really didn't have a lot of flavour for me. I expected it to be more delicious and able to stand on its own.

[csc]
I had the waffles.

When we arrived, I actually just wanted dessert right away, no more appetizers and main course because it was 530 PM!! I think my lunch was still not quite digested!

But the waffles were pretty good. I could’ve done with lots more ice cream =D

[ts]
I had the pot de creme. I really love creme brulees, pots de cremes... so nice. =)

Anyway, this had a nice macha flavor. I could've done with MORE macha flavor, but I think that's just the Chinese in me talking.

The blueberry compote was nice too; it wasn't too sweet. However, I think the pot de creme would've fared better without the blueberry. But I guess they felt they had to add another component to the dessert so it wouldn't be too plain.

[cw]
9/10 - i'm not usually a dessert person, so this was a very nice surprise.

the pot de creme was very light, being not very sweet, and the combination of the compote was perfect. the cookie was also very good as it wasn't sugary or buttery as well.

the pot de creme and cookie were both so good that i'd probably return to the restaurant just for this dessert!

[cw]
Service: 7/10 -
once they're at your table, they're very good. but at times, it was difficult to flag them down when we needed something.

Ambience: 7/10 -
i just wish the table was more comfortable... well, the view wasn't bad though.

[js]
I would return to this restaurant to try their other dishes. Very intrigued by the mussels in Congolaise sauce. The space is very "hip," very "trendy," and you get the feeling they hire servers and staff for their looks mostly.

Food: about a 6/10. Could be better, but I'm not holding it against them.

[ts]
I think this was one of the better Dine Out experiences I've had. And it really is such a good deal at $25 for the whole meal. (See above re Mussels, haha.)

Non-food-wise, I don't there was anything seriously amiss during the meal.

My rating's higher: 7.5/10 (Points off because of *you*, pommes frites!)

But yes, would return.

[csc]
I wish we could do the dine-out again (I mean, go and have dine-out prices again) so I can try the mussels and if it was too much mussels not be too worried if I don’t finish. I hope the mussels are “safe” for pregnant women (aren’t they when cooked??)

Rating: 7/10,
but might be higher if I hadn’t forgotten that I had beef, beef, beef(!) already the whole day’s meals.

[cw]
I would return to try some other things on the menu. maybe pair it with a beer or something!

La Vallee (January 26, 2008)

http://www.lavalleerestaurant.com/

Dine Out menu: http://www.lavalleerestaurant.com/menus/dine_out_vancouver_menu.pdf

Two reviewers: ts and js

[ts]
I liked their breads. Served warm with nice "crispy", crackly thin crust. These were rolls, by the way.

Dungeness Crab Bisque with Whipped Pernod Crème
-- or --
Olive Oil Poached Wild Mushroom Ravioli topped with a Tomato, Basil Confit

[js]
Points for poaching the ravioli in olive oil: I like the bubbles and the texture fat-cooking gives to food. Unfortunately, the poaching did not really add anything to the flavour of the ravioli -- overall quite a tasteless dish.

The tomatoes did not really taste like tomatoes, didn't have the brightness, acidity, sweetness of tomatoes, and I did not get any basil at all. No whiff, no flavour, no thing. The salad that came with it was very very dull: I forget if there was even vinaigrette or any kind of dressing on it.

Were there mushrooms inside the pasta? Did not taste anything at all.

Very, very dull.

[ts]
I had the same dish. The ravioli actually reminded me of a perogie; the dough seemed a little dense and chewy. I didn't mind that at all, though. I liked that sort of hearty, chewy texture. (It just wasn't that revaioli-like.)

I was a little surprised that the ravioli was "fried" because I assumed the poaching in olive oil would be a gentle process that would not yield that "fried" look/texture. But again, I didn't mind that.

What I did mind was the overall blandness of the dish. The filling -- which I think was a mixture of mushroom and ricotta -- was very bland and flavourless. It wasn't even an underseasoned mushroom filling. I just couldn't taste the mushrooms at all.

There was a salad with the dish and it only had oil (no acid) and no salt. The one element that had some flavor was the tomato confit. At least you can taste it. As for the basil, I think there was basil oil on the plate, but I didn't really taste it.

The dish wasn't objectionable, but that's because there was too little flavor/taste for anything in it to offend.

Braised Alberta Beef Short Rib
Butter Tossed White and Green Asparagus, Red Wine, Veal Reduction
-- or --
Pan Seared Wild B.C Salmon
Over top a Baby New Potato and Haricot Vert Salad, Grape Tomato and Kalamata Olive Vinaigrette
-- or --
Honey, Balsamic Marinated Roasted Cornish Game Hen
Yukon Gold Potato Rondelle, Winter Vegetable Medley

[js]
I did not like my salmon at all. Again, it was very, very boring (I feel like I could do a better salmon dish).

There are no other flavours besides the salmon, which I found too fishy tonight. I like salmon in general, but I could not finish this dish. Part of it is I'm full -- but I would have pushed through if the flavours were there.

It was advertised as having an olive vinaigrette and I did not get any kind of vinaigrette. The olives would have added another dimension to the dish. A much needed flavour boost.

[ts]
The Cornish Game Hen. Ah yes. It tasted like adobo chicken! (Philippine-style adobo chicken.)

Sadly, not quite as flavorful as your typical adobo. (And I should know, because we actually have adobo chicken at home and I had a little bit of that for lunch!)

The hen was also a tad dry. In any case, it didn't seem like the acid from the dish was balsamic-tasting. I also didn't get the honey flavor. The yukon gold potato round was nice though. Overall, underwhelming.

Oh, I tasted the beef and that was pretty good. At least, it was the most flavorful among the 3 entrees.

Merlot Poached Bartlett Pear Candied Pecans and Vanilla Cream
-- or --
Trio of Local Cheese’sServed with House Made Preserves

[js]
Cheese plate -- well, nothing to write home about. 3 extremely small pieces of regular, all-too-common cheeses. Again, very dull.

[ts]
The poached pear was nice. It wasn't too mushy and it had a nice cinnamon flavor. As Grace also pointed out during dinner, it wasn't sickeningly sweet as well. The vanilla cream didn't really have an impact, but the candied pecans were very nice. So yehey, at least the meal ended relatively well. For me, at least.


[js]
The restaurant advertises itself as "wine country cuisine," which I assume to be Napa wine country. It tasted like -- no, it didn't taste like -- anything at all. Just very, very boring spa cuisine. Really disappointing.

[ts]
I was disappointed. The website states that their Executive Chef was ex-French Laundry, so I was really expecting something good. It really didn't deliver. I don't know if this is a function of it being a "Dine Out" meal or not. In other notes, the service was pretty good. The interior of the restaurant was also warm and inviting. They also had really nice comfortable chairs! =)

But, it's all about the food, and it didn't cut it.

I guess rating is about 3-ish/10, let's say, because of the poached pear & the beef.

[js]
Very, very boring.

I'm not as forgiving of this restaurant as I am of Nyala, because they hype themselves up so much! If they have the nerve to hype themselves up, they should deliver on the hype.

For a chef from French Laundry, I am very surprised at the level of food that we got tonight. This was boring, very mediocre food. Granted, it was only $25 dollars for 3 courses, but I still found a tad objectionable to be spending this money on this food.

One issue is the overhype, another issue is the false advertisement. Do not describe something in the menu that's not going to be in the dish itself. Never do this: it strikes a wrong note, gives off a whiff of dishonesty, to mix metaphors here. They wanted the menu to read more than it is.

So, I probably would not return to this restaurant. If you write a menu like that, make sure you deliver. That's all.

Food: 1/10, for being at the very least edible.

Nyala African Cuisine (January 16, 2008)

http://www.nyala.com/

Two reviewers: ts and js


[ts]
First of all, I must say that the meat choices for the entrees don't seem to appear on their regular menu. Hence, I am a little in doubt of their "authenticity"; I don't think they were at all representative of "African" cuisine (even though there's a "Moroccan" stew and a "Kenyan" curry). I'm thinking that perhaps they decided to provide more "conventional" flavours for the Dine Out crowd.

But, what do I know?

I guess it just makes me want to try the restaurant in its non-Dine Out form.

The night we went was the 1st day of Dine Out and it seemed like they were still somehow scrambling around and didn't yet know quite how everything should flow, in terms of food & service.

Vegetable Pakora
Fresh, frittered vegetables deep-friedserved with mango chutney and hot sauce
-- or --
Black pepper Scallops
Scallops sauteed in a special Nyala sauce
-- or --
Boerewos kobab (South African style beef Kobab)
Spiced South African sausage sauteed, skewered and grilled with some vegetable friends - served with Mango Chutney and hot sauce

[js]
BLACK PEPPER SCALLOPS
This was served with a generic mesclun salad.

Not very pepper-y for my taste: when something is advertised as being black peppered, I expected it to be sweet and fiery from the aforementioned peppers.

Nothing spectacular for the scallops but at least they were cooked through. I've since found myself having an aversion to partial-cooked scallops.

[ts]
I had the sausage. It was served with a pappadom and some sort of salad that had beets. I didn't mind the beets-and-something salad at all. The sausage itself was actually flavorful as well and not dry. I tried the mango chutney but I wasn't quite sure if that was homemade. It looked like it came out of a jar. In any case, I didn't think the sausage really needed it that much and hence, avoided it.

(Note, I like the write-up of "with some vegetable friends." Teehee, so cute.)

Lamb Tagine with couscous or rice
A Moroccan dish. lamb cooked in a clay pot (Tagine) with Dried apricots, okra and prunes over a slow heat.
-- or --
Chicken Curry with coconut milk
a Kenyan dish chicken prepared in coconut milk and curry served on a bed of scented rice
-- or --
Ingudi watt ( Split peas with mushrooms) and spinach stew
It is vegan friendly, no animal fat or dairy products are used.
It is served on a bed of Ethiopian flat bread (Injera) or rice

[js]
LAMB TAGINE

The lamb was tender, with a sweet, lamb-y, and not overly gamey flavour. I expected this dish to be more aggressively spiced though! Sweet, savoury, with a subtle heat -- but this was not very complex at all, with the sweetness from the dried fruit and the cinnamon overpowering the dish. Come to think of it, it was also slightly underseasoned. Again, aggressive spicing, please! This dish was too timid.

[ts]
I had the curry chicken, of course... that is, not the vegetarian option! Teehee. It was a whole leg and thigh of chicken, so fairly "generous" in serving size. This was "OK". Nothing remarkable, but passable. I mean, I did eat it all, but it didn't make a strong impression.

Pecan brandy tart
-- or --
Cheese cake
-- or --
Baklava

[js]
CHEESECAKE
Did not like this at all. I don't know what it is, but I'm finding myself averse to mango syrup in desserts. The cheesecake served was drizzled with a mango syrup, which I really do not like on cheesecake! (On the same vein, please stop this pairing mango with seafood! I find mango to overpower everything it comes in contact with, it of the overly sweet flesh, ripe and heady aroma.)

[ts]
I actually ordered the baklava, but the pecan brandy tart came instead. Also, it was more a cake than a tart. It was "OK"; not really "good," but not bad. I tasted the cheesecake and I have the same comment.


[ts]
All in all, the food was "OK". Nothing was objectionable, but nothing was spectacular as well. But, for the price of $15, this was really good value. It was akin to home-cooking, which is fine with me. I just wished there were stronger flavours present.

Food rating: hmmm, I'm thinking a 5-ish/10 or something like that for this meal. Basically just not very memorable.

Again, I would like to try their regular menu items.

I think the owner just didn't know what to expect for Dine Out. He mentioned that he had to rush to get extra tables and other such last-minute prep, so perhaps he just didn't really have enough time/energy to oversee the whole thing. This seemed the case from the get-go, so even though things may not have gone really smoothly, we knew not to be overly "sensitive" to any glitches.

In fact, the experience of actually being in the restaurant was fairly pleasant.

[js]
I would go back to Nyala to try to discover dishes that I will like.

We ate here the first night of Dine Out and the owner seemed very eager to please and was really trying hard to make this a good night for his customers.

I like the restaurant because it seems to serve honest food. I don't know about the mango chutney -- I didn't try it because I don't like mango chutney in general -- coming out of a jar. I mean, I can't really tell if it did come out of a jar -- if that would jive with this idea of "honest" food at all.

What I mean by "honest" food: the food is not pretentious at all and does not claim to be more than it is. The price point is very reasonable. At $15 for the Dine Out menu, I felt a little embarrassed to get 3 courses out of it. Our server even forgot to add the coffee and the tea we ordered to the bill, which we easily remedied by adding 6 bucks to the total bill to cover those.

Where the restaurant can improve is in the execution of the dishes. They should hire somebody in the kitchen with the requisite culinary chops to present these dishes the way it can be presented. Of course, once they have someone with a whole lot of skill, their prices should reflect it. I don't mind at all: in fact, I would welcome a restaurant like that, serving "African" cuisine with integrity, skill, and artistry.

So, even if I were not totally satisfied with my Dine Out night, I would go back again and support the restaurant.