Acme Cafe: First Edition

Frankly, who gives a shit about what they're eating unless they are enjoying the company they're with? That's why I thoroughly enjoyed the post-workout bro-down over Rueben's with the boys last Friday.

I can't help but comment on the rapidly changing neighborhood and hope that the Acme Cafe is a sign of things to come. Walking into the Cafe calmly transports you away from the frenzy of West Hastings. The place is clean and crisp, with uncluttered 50's diner-style nostalgia. The giant man who takes your order is kind and prompt. All this comes together over comfort food and fart jokes, and what more could a girl ask for?

The portion sizes weren't huge, but for nine bucks it was a reasonable Rueben sammich. And really, unless it's an all-you-can-eat situation, I try to avoid supporting gluttonous behavior. The show-stealer was definitely the side of Broccoli Almond Slaw, which I highly highly recommend. I would even suggest getting a double portion and skipping the potato chips.

I want to go back for the Breakfast. I want to try the Mac and Cheese and the Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwhich. I wanna eat lots of pie, and next time I will try the Espresso Milkshake instead of the Strawberry. On second thought, I should probably go back to the gym first.

Japadog: Everybody's doing it.

Yayaya! Oishi!

If you live in Vancouver and haven't heard of Japadog you're retarded.

It's old news that after spending several years building their street cred, the Japadog empire of street meat hot-dog carts have upgraded to a full-on store-front location at Robson and Richards.

After receiving some sage advice, I chose the Kurobuta Terimayo. Kurobuta being extra special fatty pork from Bershire pigs raised in Japan, and Terimayo is the oh-so-genius combination of terryaki and mayo sauce. This succulent tube steak is garnished with nori (dried seaweed), which I indifferently picked off after the first bite. As per usual, the Japanese raise the bar; this is next-level hot-dog.

It's worth the wait, just avoid the fries that taste like butter.

Kurobuta Terimayo = Happiness in a Hawt-dawg. 

Kadoya #2 Addendum

If you haven't noticed by now, I'm a creature of habit. This doesn't always bode well for bringing NEW! and EXCITING! information to a blog, but yet again, fuck it. I'm all about finding the places in my hood that I can call my own, my hovels of comfort, the places I can rely on for being their awesome or awesome-ly shitty selves.

Now that it's getting warm out, the Denman Kadoya patio is a perfect place to catch up with besties.

Inari Nigiri: one of my favs, the oh-so-sweet bean curd sac.

Chicken Karaage: it tastes as weird as it looks. Unless you're a fan of tempura-flavored chicken dry ribs style, don't do it.

I Shouldn't Really Talk About This: The Nuba Secret.

So I've stumbled upon this ethical dilemma; to talk or not to talk about "The Secret". After thinking about it for half a second I realized that no one really reads my blog anyway. No offense, but I have Google Analytics and know that all four of you don't actually take me seriously (technically there's really only three because I still have to figure out how to get it to stop counting myself), so whatevs, enjoy:
 

Nuba started out small and created a solid reputation for authentic Lebanese fare. It carved a little niche for itself in the city and expanded to three locations (Seymore @ Drake, Cambie @ Hastings, and 3rd @ Main). I had numerous recommendations from friends, but hadn't gotten around to checking it out... until I discovered the perks of nepotism.  FYI: the opportunity to try The Secret may have been the kicker for going on a second date, just sayin.

Aptly named, The Secret is an off-the-menu dish which is a collection of their best/favorites that you can only order if you know somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody, etc. Granted I was distracted by the wine and conversation, but I'm not really sure what exactly it was that I ate. I'm guessing it was taboulleh, a lentil dish with rice, and tzatziki. I found it flavorful in that warm, comfort food, salt-of-the-earth delicious way, and in reality it probably could have been anything because half the excitement is the fact that it's this sneaky secret thing. 

The selection of vegetarian and vegan options are rad, the ambiance is great, and the general theme felt very 'bead-curtain chic'. The service was a bit slow, but the overall experience made it worthwhile. If you're in the neighborhood I recommend giving it a whirl, after of course, you've tried La Taqueria.

 Najib's Special - crispy cauliflower. Sounds odd, but uniquely yummy. 

The Secret. 

...On second thought, I might go to blogger hell for this.  It's a special circle where we'll be assaulted with ad-space, typos, and blurry photos

Cinch on Robson

Sunny day lunch on the Cinch patio!

Pan-seared Prawns and Seasonal Greens Salad. Heck Yes.

Mattchew Fong's Braised Short-Rib Sammich.

I had to hold myself back from beating him up and stealing it.

Eat!Vancouver Festivities

Jacqueline and I checked out the new convention center for the first time this weekend, hitting up the Eat Vancouver Food and Cooking Festival in search for some interesting local grub. The tickets were $15 at the door, $12 online, or $10 if you buy them off scalpers like we did. The food tickets were 50 cents each and each food item was about 4 or 5 tickets ($2 - $2.50), so it was reasonably priced. The only setback was that we got a little overzealous buying the tickets and were full before we ran out. See Solution Below. 

Technically the first thing that I ate was some Butter Chicken from an Indian booth, but I was too hungry to remember to take a picture. These are lamb tacos from Dona Cata, and although the sauces weren't as good as La Taqueria, they were made with lotsa Latino loooooove. 

What makes a ham samich Peruvian? I'm guessing the slow-cooked pork part. Even with the plain-old mustard it was tasty.

Butterscotch pudding with chocolate from Milestones. Reminded me exactly why I don't eat at Milestones. BORING.

Smoked salmon and creme cheese panini from Fishworks. We had to wait the longest for this one, but didn't mind because we were distracted by the cute and chatty promoter boy. It was good, I'd eat it again if it had more filling. 

My first experience eating Kangaroo was from the Australian tourism booth. I give it an overall thumbs up, it tastes similar to venison. The mini sammich was called a Slider, so for the rest of the day I had stuck in my head (in an Australian accent): "G'Day Mate, Roo Slida?"

 What to do with all the left over food tickets? Hit up the alcohol samps!
Ps. avoid Canadian-made tequila, it tastes like gasoline.

KCC Thai Noodle Aroy, AKA: Thai Noodle AWRY

What do I know about Thai food? Absolutely nothing, other than the fact that Pad Thai is delicious. I'm the white girl who can barely handle pepper because it's too spicy, so don't take me too seriously. BUT in a rainy epic fail to try out the Kintaro Ramen place on Denman and Robson on a Monday (hint: it's closed), I spotted the KCC Thai place across the street thinking, "A noodle is a noodle" right? Wrong. Even I can tell by the color that there is not nearly enough of that magical Thai ketchup in this dish. 

 And there's only ONE prawn!

Lunch @ The Brass

A while back when La Brasserie started doing a lunch service during the week I went on my break and had one of my favorites from their menu, the melt-in-your-mouth lamb cheeks.

If you eat this on your lunch you will not want to go back to work, you will want to curl up into a ball, sigh, and have a nice little nap.

Kadoya #2

Kadoya has opened a second location! Formerly the location of Sakuri Sushi, it's above the Marble Slab Creamery on Denman and next to the Soho Grill. I went for dinner and it wasn't very busy. Because it's on the second floor, I can't imagine there would be a huge amount of foot traffic, but that's what makes it great. The Kadoya on Davie is my favorite sushi restaurant in the city, but because the seating is cramped and it's always busy, I prefer to get take-out. With seating that includes booths and more than an inch between each table, there is ample space to sit and even walk around. Bigger is better at this new Kadoya, so you can enjoy your tuna tataki in comfort on their ridiculously huge new plates!

The plate was so big that there was an odd collection of garnishes on the end to fill up the space.

Salmon Tataki

How Exactly Do You Pronounce "Mr. Kumpir"?

Apparently an establishment can survive selling only baked potatoes. Yup. Giant baked potatoes. This bright and friendly venue, Mr. Kumpir, serves Turkish stuffed potatoes at the South end of Denman. There are several options and a variety of toppings but I've opted for the Traditional (bacon bits, green onions, and sour cream) with added corn. Oh, and the potato part itself is a pseudo-twice baked kind, they scoop the warm potato out of the skin, MIX CHEESE INTO IT, and then put it back in! I know I shouldn't be getting this excited about potatoes, but it's one of my favourite combinations of all time. Potato + Cheese = Happiness. You eventually get past the initial shock of having to eat this thing that looks like a singed turd capsule, dehissing it's bowels of tasty toppings. Once you mix it all up, another satisfying carb experience.

Ps. Do not consume and then follow up with an ab workout or you will be puking up Mr. Potato Head. 

Hi, My Name Is Gillian, And I'm Addicted To La Taqueria.

Call me a slut, but at the intersection of  Hastings and Hamilton is an establishment that I have no shame in admitting I frequent several times a week. This little hole-in-the-wall is the Pinche Taco Shop, La Taqueria, undoubtedly one of my favorite places in the city. I arrange my week based on when I can get my next fix, and spend the rest of my time dreaming about it.

One step up from a taco stand, it's the real deal.  Using authentic recipes, authentic ingredients, and authentic staff ; it makes you feel guilty for being white. Don't worry, every second of awkwardness while ordering (in my case, shamefully trying to pronounce the menu items with what I'm guessing is my terrible French accent), is worth it because the result is sinfully delicious. The service is quick and helpful and they adorably call me "Juliana" when they bring out the goods. I don't even know how many times I've forgotten to take pictures because as soon as I get that plate within reach my hands start to move and my mouth just can't say no.  
  

You can get four veggie tacos for $7.00 or four meat ones for $9.50. I usually get the same three veggie tacos: the Raja Con Crema (roasted peppers with creamed corn and cheese), the Frijoles Charros Con Queso (re-fried beans and cheese), the Picadillo (sauteed ground tofu in a secret recipe), and trade up my #4 option, usually vying for the Al Pastor (pork marinated in pineapple) or the special (lamb, chorizo, chicken in peanut sauce, etc.). The kicker is the double layer of homemade corn soft taco tortillas, this enables you to mush half of the guts into the second taco shell, optimizing the time spent eating. 

 

With about 15 seats of the stool/counter kind, the venue is cozy, colorful and decorated with the requisite Lady Guadalupe paraphernalia. If it's too busy and/or sunny outside, I recommend getting your tacos to go and eating them on the grass in Victory Square Park next door. With it's reputation, I know that if I can't convince you to check out La Taqueria, then someone else will. 

 

Petit Lapin!

On Easter Monday I ate Thumper/Peter Cottontail/ The Easter Bunny. All of these near and dear to my heart, tasted as good as they looked. 

Ps. Do I really have to tell you where?

BUCK-A-SHUCK!

What? I'm talking about The Brass again? I know, it's not all that hard to believe, considering I have a huge boner for this place. In my quest to eat at all the places on Davie and Denman I can admit that I've gotten a little distracted by the shiny turquiose chairs at Corner Suite Bistro, the tacos from La Taqueria, and the cute boys at the Brasserie. But fuck it, this is MY Choose Your Own Adventure book.  And I'm not just going to mindlessly plough through all the food out there because that would be boring, I'm looking for the whole package. An intimate venue, servers who remember your name, deserts worth fantasizing about, and a menu that I have a hard time picking from because I WANT IT ALL. I'm looking for a place that makes my small-town ass feel welcome and serves food that tastes like heaven. That's not too much to ask right? 

So headed out on a Wednesday night with some girls from work to share the experience of buck-a-shuck. A little wine and poutine later, and as usual, I was not dissipointed.  

corner suite bistro de luxe

If it is ever appropriate to use the phrase 'nouveau-vintage-chic', Corner Suite Bistro de Luxe might just be the only place in Vancouver lucky enough to deserve the title I officially made up. And seriously, "Corner Suite Bistro de Luxe"? Why so verbose? And turquoise is your accent color of choice? Really? Anyway, I might forgive them for trying to be a little too bougie, because the food deserves some credit.

Originally slated to open in early November of '09, Corner Suite Bistro de Luxe finally opened it's doors on February 4th after waging a paperwork war with the licensing department of pre-Olympic Vancouver. Subject to an extraordinary amount of hype because of local boy, celebrity chef Antony Sedlack (from the Food Network show, The Main), I had to see what all the talk was about. So I ventured in not just once, but twice for dinner over Valentine's Day weekend, thus creating my Corner Suite Love List.

What do I LOVE you ask? Well. Even more than I love salivating over executive chef Antony Sedlack and his new extreme makeover (which may or maynot have included loosing 40 pounds and facial reconstructive surgery), I love his menu. French-influenced, it is beautifully balanced with West-coast flavor and top-notch ingredients. Love is patient, Love is kind, Love is delicious and in an edible heaven, Love comes in the form of a tuna nicoise salad. 

Undoubtedly #1 on my Love List at Corner Suite, the tuna nicoise has yummy little fingerling potatoes, egg, tomato, haricots verts, and olives. Such a great combination, but it's the dressing that ties all the scrumptiousness together.

Tied for #2 on the Love List is the beef tartare with quail egg and the crispy pig's ear with sweetbreads, onion soubise, and shallot & parsley sauce. The tartare is smooth, but it doesn't quite match the depth of flavor of the steak tartare from La Brasserie.  Whether it's curiosity or simply love of porcine, the crispy pig's ear is almost worth the $14. Exactly as it's labelled, the pig's ear is crispy without being chewy, but the small portion size leaves you wanting more. Not that I'm an expert on glands, but the sweatbreads seem way too rich.

Falling into the #3 position on my Love List is the skate wing with gnocchi in a lemon cream sauce. What is skate wing you ask? Well, as anyone with an iPhone would do, I googled the shit out of this while I was in the restaurant, so I didn't have to ask the server and look stupid. And because Love works in mysterious ways, I totally recommend eating this fish thing that looks like a sting ray because it is melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The meat is succulent and with the homemade gnocchi the combination of textures is genius.

My verdict? Corner Suite doesn't live up to all it was hyped up to be; the service sucks (it took over an hour get our food), the food is overpriced, and the place is riding on the coattails of Sedlack's fame. Maybe wait till they get their shit together, get dressed up, sit at the bar, check out the massive drink menu, and see for yourself. 

 

Crispy Pig's Ear with Sweetbreads

 

Tuna Nicoise Salad

  

The Veal Cheeks. A little too salty, and not as good as La Brasserie. 

 

The Steak with Blue Cheese Butter and Frites.   

 

The Duck Confit. Uninspiring.