#27: Kaide Sushi - February 28, 2014

Before we left Montreal, a few people warned me not to become a "Sushi Snob" while in Vancouver. If the upcoming rant makes me a Sushi Snob, so be it.

It doesn't make sense that Montreal sushi is so bad in comparison to Vancouver. Many people say that Vancouver has better sushi because the fish is freshly caught off the coast. I don't know what kind of fish you can catch off the West Coast, but the fish isn't going from the water to the restaurant in a short enough amount of time for it to make any material difference. Regardless of where it is caught, sushi-grade seafood is flash frozen (or so the internet tells me) and could sit frozen for a while until it ends up on your plate. All that to say, why does Vancouver seem to have better sushi than Montreal if both can in theory get access to the same grade of seafood? I'm going to leave it at that, because the only other explanations are the quality and experience of the chefs and Vancouver's proximity to Japan in comparison to Montreal...I don't know if talking about that is racist, so I'll just leave it out.

There are a handful of sushi restaurants on the Top 50 list. The highest rated one is Miku at #5, but I'm saving that one for my birthday. I'm going to go with the Omakase option, which apparently is a Japanese phrase meaning "I'll leave it to you!" It will be 100% chef's choice, and comes with a high price tag. Not really the best spot for a random Friday evening dinner.

Near the midpoint of the list is Kaide Sushi, located in Yaletown. We walked there, and it is pretty far down Richard Street. About 3 blocks further, and we'd be knee-deep in False Creek. There isn't much else in the area besides some sleepy condo buildings. I think that fits the criteria of being a "hidden gem."

We were greeted and seated by a lovely waitress. I wish I had asked for her name, so I could directly praise her on here. I don't often start a review off by talking about the staff, but in this case I'll do it now before I forget. She was extremely friendly and appropriately chatty. She asked us where we were from and what we thought about the food in Vancouver, and she made great recommendations of what we should order which didn't disappoint. She was petite and Asian. I don't know what other details I can put out there to identify her, but she was wonderful.

By the time 52 weeks of this culinary adventure are over, I will have learned the lesson that when consuming sashimi, I need to start writing down what I am served. This is the second time that we've had fantastic sashimi and I didn't bother to note what was on the plate. The menus usually say something like "Sashimi Platter," and you get whatever is available. Therefore, I couldn't rely on the menu to remind me. In the pictures there are some obvious ones like shrimp, scallop, tuna, salmon and uni that can be easily identified by some distinguishing characteristics. Looking back at the picture of the Kaide Supreme Sashimi there are two different pieces of white fish that I can't figure out. In any case, it was all delicious. Each piece had a distinctly different texture and taste, and there was not too much of any particular type. I've ordered sashimi platters and received filet mignon-sized steaks of raw fish. No one wants to feel like they need a fork and knife to eat sashimi. Kaide's sashimi was delicate and beautifully sliced into perfect little bites. Evidently you can't be picky when ordering a "mystery platter" like this, and you really shouldn't be. The chefs know what they're doing, and they'll give you their very best. Having said that, try to slip in a word about getting uni. We've had it before Kaide, and the waitress warned us that it was a very unique texture. It is sort of tough on the outside, but its butter in the inside and melts in your mouth.

Following the sashimi, we had the Roll Combo:  the 501 roll, half a California roll, and half a Manhattan roll. It was 13 pieces in total. The 501 roll had 3 kinds of fish (salmon, crab and tuna I believe), and 3 kinds of vegetables (cucumber, avocado and asparagus). Surprisingly, the texture of asparagus works in sushi. The roll was a little large for my liking. I prefer to not look like a squirrel when I'm chewing sushi. The California roll was traditional with crab, avocado and cucumber. This was the first time I've had a Manhattan roll, with salmon, avocado, cucumber and cream cheese. All three were delicious. I rarely think much of sushi rice, but Kaide's had a light texture and flavour that made me notice it. It incorporated well with the other fresh ingredients, and wasn't just a starchy filler or a binder.

We were still a little hungry after those rolls, and we spent about 15 minutes arguing about what we should order next. We had settled on the Venus, but asked the waitress what she would recommend. I can't seem to find the roll on the menu Kaide has posted on their website. The waitress mentioned that they do not have a deep fryer on site, so they don't do tempura. Instead they put cornflakes in this particular roll to make it crunchy. Sounds strange right? It totally works! The texture isn't quite the same as tempura and neither is the flavour, but this was our favourite roll. It also had avocado and shrimp in it, but the crunch was the star of the show. This is a must-order next time we go.

It is rare that we don't order dessert, but I've never been to a sushi place that had memorable dessert. We skipped dessert at Kaide in favour of Thierry on Alberni (review to come soon). I'm tempted to give Kaide the title of our "Go-To Sushi Place." The price point was very reasonable for the quality of sushi. The rolls didn't cost that much more than Sushi Shop's crap-in-a-box. Everything was prepared in front of us (we sat at the bar) and tasted fresh and light. It is sort of a hole in the wall but once you find it you're going to wish you skipped lunch and breakfast and you'll want to spend the evening.

The Supreme Sashimi Platter!

The Roll Combo

Yes, those are cornflakes and really big tiger prawns.

 THE STATS - Out of 10

Taste: 8.5 - Everything was so yummy! Even after getting your fill, you're going to be craving more, and anticipating the next time you go there.
Creativity: 7 - Most of the rolls were very traditional, and you would surely find something like a California roll at any sushi restaurant. I bumped up the creativity score because of the way they get around not having a deep fryer with the Corn Flakes. Sometimes weird works.
Service: 8 - Our waitress was absolutely wonderful. She was perky and friendly, without being overbearing and obnoxious. She was a genuinely sweet girl, who was quick to deliver our orders, and wasn't shy to make recommendations. Overall, service was speedy and effective.
Bang for your buck: 8 - The reality is that seafood is expensive. Sashimi-grade seafood is even more expensive. You're eating pretty much everything raw, except for maybe the shrimp and the rice. It has to be good quality ingredients. For what you're getting, the price is very reasonable.
Overall experience: 8.5 - It was a great casual Friday night dinner.

Would I go back? Yes. I would go back every Friday for the rest of my earthly days if I could.
Who would I recommend it to? Adults, any group size, casual occasions. It's not a very romantic spot, and it doesn't pretend to be. Don't take your wife here for your anniversary, but do take her here to give her a break from the kitchen. I don't know anyone who makes home-made sushi on a remotely regular basis, so it's always a nice treat. It's not the place for your picky friends; either you're a sushi person or you're not. The space is not huge, but tables are well spaced and can accommodate big-ish groups (6-8 people). Going with a big group is very different from going as a couple, because you could order 1-2 different rolls per person, and share the variety. It did feel like a very lively place, so go get a bunch of friend together and order a few beers and saki!
For what occasion? Casual. Group birthday celebrations, regular Friday night get-together, that type of thing.
It was better than: Montreal sushi.
It wasn't as good as: TBD - we're going to Miku in a few weeks, so we'll see.
Expect: Fast service and a great variety of traditional and unique menu items. Also expect to not immediately find the place. If you think you've passed it, keep walking. You'll eventually find it.

Top 50 Worthy? It's solid sushi, and I got the impression that it is consistently amazing. I have no hesitation in labelling them as a Top 50 restaurant.

#9. Via Tevere Pizzaria - February 22, 2014

These next few paragraphs are just observations. I'm not going to make some long-winded socio-economic or political analysis out of those observations. It's more of a "I'm just saying..." kind of thing.

When we looked up Via Tevere on GoogleMaps, it didn't seem that far away. We would have to walk a few blocks and then hop on the 20 bus for about 20 minutes. When we got on the bus, we noticed that there was a supervisor there. Not suspicious; we assumed that he was evaluating the driver, or that that the driver was new or something like that. After a few stops, we noticed that the people getting on were not showing bus passes or paying the fare. The supervisor was just waving at them to get on. Soon the bus was packed with people of all ages (including kids) wearing tattered clothes and looking like they hadn't bathed in weeks. The bus reeked of alcohol and a lot of the passengers could barely stand. We stuck out like sore thumbs. Suddenly, we arrived at a strip of abandoned buildings, with hundreds of people standing, sitting and laying in the streets. There were shopping carts of full plastic bags, tarps on the ground with random items for sale, and bottles in paper bags being passed around. Nearly everyone got off the bus at the next stop.

One block to the west, we were in downtown Vancouver, in an area that looked similar to where we live. Montreal has it's share of sketchy neighbourhoods, but I was shocked as how sudden the change was and how concentrated it was, and just as shocked at how quickly everything seemed to go right back to "normal" after that stop.  

Montreal has a lot of people in this situation. I would probably cross 15 of them between my doorstep and work. There is no particular area where they are and aren't. In Vancouver, if you never ventured out in that specific direction, you would be totally ignorant to the fact they exist. It's just different than I'm used to... turns out we had just crossed through what is referred to as East Hastings.

Eventually we got to the corner of Commercial Drive and William Street. We got off the bus and walked 2 blocks to Via Tevere. During that walk we were unsure if we were in the right place. Sure enough, the tiny dinning room was there. There were a few people waiting outside, but they were parties of 4 or 6. The pair of us were seated after about 10 minutes. There were only 10 tables or so. The beautiful blue-tiled pizza oven and prep station took up nearly as much space as the seating area.

We knew what we came for, and it wasn't apps and salads. We looked at the tables to either side of us, and not one couple was sharing a single pizza. It helped justify our pre-adventure decision to each order a different pizza. Each pizza is big enough to be generously shared between 2 people, maybe even 3 if you're a group of light-weights. However, I strongly recommend against it. You can take whatever is left over to go, and we ate it the following morning. It might have been even better next day.

I ordered the Filetto: San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, garlic and basil. I wanted to see how well they could pull off a very simple Neapolitan pizza. Stephen ordered the Capricciosa: tomatoes, mozzarella, prosciutto, salame, artichokes, mushrooms and olives. Basically he ordered Via Tevere's version of "all dressed" pizza.

From my seat I could see them preparing our pizzas, from hand-stretching the dough, to topping them, to slipping them into their 900-degree wood-burning oven. Considering the menu say the pizzas only spend 90 seconds in the oven, we were waiting a fairly long time for them. We ordered drinks while we waited. Stephen ordered a Negroni (his drink of choice... I can't stand them) and I ordered something lemon-y with basil in it. I can't recall what it was called. They were both very reasonably priced and expertly-mixed.

After about 25 minutes of staring at pizzas being prepped right next to us, ours arrived! They smelled and looked glorious. GLORIOUS! There must be some hardcore ventilation system there because we never noticed the intoxicated smell of anyone else's plates before ours arrived. I briefly picked up my folk and knife to eat my first slice, but quickly ditched them. This pizza is definitely meant to be eaten with your hands. The thin, crisp and chewy dough allows for it, without the topping slipping off the end onto your plate.

Everyone's had pizza before. Fresh, frozen, delivery, pizzas of every kind. For that reason, it's extremely difficult to describe how delicious Via Tevere's was, and why it was. The Filetto was incredible. Never underestimate the power of fresh and authentic ingredients that are well treated. It's an easy thing to screw up, but when done well, are phenomenal. The tomatoes were tangy but sweet, the cheese was creamy and salty, and the slightly-wilted basil was a kick of freshness. Stephen's Capricciosa was everything but the kitchen sink, just as we expected it would be. It had every flavour and texture you could want on a pizza, without it tasting greasy and heavy.

You have to experience Via Tevere for yourself to truly appreciate what I'm trying to say. All the ingredients are put on the pizza in their rawest possible form. Obviously the artichokes are boiled or steamed and of course the prosciutto and salami are properly cured, but besides that, nothing else is done to the toppings. Simple and delicious on their own. Go there, and find out!

For dessert, we ordered the Tris di Dolci: a trio of their 3 desserts. On the right was the Torta Caprese, a gluten-free chocolate cake with almonds and walnuts, and a splash of orange liquor. It was our least favourite. It wasn't "rich" like the menu described it. It was quite dry and bland unfortunately. In the centre was the Graffe con Nutella, essentially a donut with drizzled Nutella and sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar. It was our favourite of the three. It's hard to go wrong with a freshly fried donut and Nutella. To the far right was the Tiramisu. It was pretty traditional, and by "traditional" I don't mean that fake crap made with whipped cream and tea cookies drenched in Taster's Choice instant coffee. They have a lot of Tiramisu's like that in Montreal, and I was under the impression that I didn't like Tiramisu because of it. This one was the real deal with very rich mascarpone cream and bitter-sweet espresso-dipped ladyfingers. I highly recommend that you exercise self-control when consuming your pizza, and stop with enough space left for dessert!

As far as atmosphere goes, things are constantly moving. Tables turn quickly (which means you won't wait too long at the door), they are pretty close together (the couple next to us kept commenting on how good our desserts looked), and wait staff squeezes their way between the tables to delivery the hot pizzas (now you see them, now you don't). It is a great place to sit down, eat, then get up and go. I wouldn't plan to go with a crowd or with the intention of spending the evening chatting away. The staff was nice and polite, but not memorable. They just did what they had to do. I don't think these observations are negatives, but rather are inherent given how small the place is.

The beautiful tiled wood-burning oven. Apparently a direct import from Napoli!

Our cocktails

The Filetto

The Capricciosa

The dessert trio!

THE STATS - Out of 10

Taste: 8.5 - Like I said before, "GLORIOUS," fresh and simple.
Creativity: 4 - I can't give them much more than that, because it's Neapolitan pizza. It's creative only in the sense that it is being very well recreated in North America.
Service: 5 - Our pizzas were a little slow to arrive, but otherwise the service was nice. I put a lot of weight on service, since it can change the dynamics of a meal entirely. The service was unmemorable, so I couldn't give it higher.
Bang for your buck: 7 - The price of the pizzas were a little high considering the ingredients, and I'm sure the place is making tons of money on those margins. Having said that, we did take half of each pizza home and ate it for breakfast the next day. The dessert are a good value though at $12 for all 3 options.
Overall experience: 8 - The food was amazing and definitely worth the trip out there. Having eaten a lot of pizza both on the East and West Coast, there aren't many places you can get pizza like Via Tevere's.

Would I go back? Absolutely. On a night that we are experiencing a little cabin fever and have time to make the trek out there, I would definitely go back.
Who would I recommend it to? Couples, even if one or both of you are picky eaters. The size of the restaurant, the volume level, and the proximity to other tables causes you to become a little anti-social. Go with your significant other who has been your significant other for a while, because it will be a pretty silent dinner. That can be awkward with someone you are just getting to know. I wouldn't recommend it to even small groups because no matter when you go, there will be a line. It is much easier to get a table for 2 than a table for 4. Please don't bring your kids. If your kids are hungry for Via Tevere pizza, park outside and take it to go. No one wants your stroller crammed between 2 tables, or your kids screaming echoed through the joint.
For what occasion? Basic dinner out. Nothing fancy. It's not quite special-occasion-worthy.
It was better than: The pizza was better than Italian Kitchen's.
It wasn't as good as: Pizza Pinnoli and Il Focalaio in Montreal; I know not the same style, but very few pizzas can compete with Pinnoli and Focalaio.

Top 50 Worthy? Yeah. They have an edge because everyone goes there for great, authentic pizza, and they have mastered it. At a typical Italian restaurant, one person could order pizza, another order pasta, another veal scallopini, and another a risotto. Chances are that not all 4 are going to be amazing, and attempting to do 4 things well instead of just 1 often doesn't work out. At Via Tevere, there is pasta and antipasto plates on the menu, but I didn't see anyone actually order it. The focus is definitely a speciality-within-a-speciality, and they do it damn good enough for Top 50.

Italian Kitchen - February 16, 2014

So here is how we ended up at Italian Kitchen.

As I mentioned in a previous post, on the second day of my new job, my boss treated me to Trattoria in Kitslano. Trattoria is one of many members of the Glowbal Group, including Coast. As you may remember, I was not at all pleased by the mains that were served to us at Coast. After I write up my blog posts, I usually post "THE STATS" portion of the post as a review on TripAdvisor. However, for Coast I just couldn't restrain myself from copying and pasting the entire post to TripAdvisor. I felt that strongly about the disappointing mains, and it was a completely honest review.

"Tara A," a Guest Relations Manger, left a response to my review asking me to email to discuss my meal with them directly. I wrote them a very polite note about my experience, and received a response from Coast's Executive Chef Pedro Gonzalez. I very much appreciated being contacted by a Chef, instead of a Maitre D' or front manager who really knows very little about the food preparation and execution process. He explained the cooking and quality assurance processes for the two dishes we had that night. I re-iterated that regardless of what controls were in place, I was just not satisfied with the dishes. I offered Chef Gonzalez the opportunity to offer us some sort of compensation for the sub-par mains, and unsurprisingly he did.

Here is why that is unsurprising. Some people think that it is impolite and just plain wrong to send food back to the kitchen, or to ask to be compensated for a poor meal. Consider the following example. I'm an accountant at a Big 4 firm. Say a client asks me to prepare a formal memo on a particular topic, with beautiful, colourful diagrams, and reliable source references. If I come to them a week later with a report written in sloppy point-form slang, a coffee cup stain on the diagrams, and references to Wikipedia, how do you think they'd feel? Do you think they'd pay me for it? Don't you think they'd tell me to re-do it, if not fire me? It wasn't what they ordered, and I didn't do my job. If your food does not look and taste as good as it did on the menu, it wasn't what you ordered and the kitchen staff didn't do their job. It's the exact same thing.

A few days later, we received a pair of Glowbal gift cards in the mail courtesy of Chef Gonzalez and Coast. Chefs and restaurant managers listen up! Glowbal and Chef Gonzalez are doing it right. That is how you properly handle a situation where a customer is not satisfied. 

By now you've gathered that we didn't go back to Coast to use them. It was a rainy Sunday evening and we really wanted some (hopefully) delicious comfort food, so I suggested that we use the Glowbal gift cards at Italian Kitchen. I really wanted Stephen to taste the epic Fusili Lunghi I had at Trattoria, and Italian Kitchen has the same owners and menu. We promise we will go to back to Coast eventually, and I have no doubt they will redeem themselves when we do.

Alright, so on to the good stuff: what we ate.

You can't go to Italian Kitchen and not order the Burrata & _________. It doesn't matter which one you pick; I'm sure they are all amazing. We ordered the Burrata & Pancetta, which was on a crostini with corn, leeks, sage, and corn nuts. Though the portion is small (2 crostinis) and could only be shared between the two of us, the savoury accoutrements and creamy fresh burrata is an amuse-bouche to die for! You'll never want to eat plain old mozzarella again!

We also ordered the Bruschetta Sampler. This app can easily be shared between a group of 4. It consists of one piece of flat bread topped with chickpea hummus, tomato basil bruschetta, pesto, and buffalo mozzarella. The flat bread is cut in a way that there are 16 generous pieces, 4 with each of the toppings. First off, anything on that fresh and yeasty flat bread would have been amazing. My favourites were the hummus and the pesto. Since we would later be eating pasta and pizza, we were very grateful for the toppings to contrast all the carbs.

Obviously I ordered the Fusilli Lunghi since I had raved about it, and Stephen ordered the Prosciutto di Parma pizza. The fusilli was good, but it just wasn't the same as at Trattoria! I even ate it again at Trattoria this past week to be sure I wasn't crazy. It is definitely much better at Trattoria. I think it has to do with the ingredients ratio. At Trattoria, the ratio is about 2 parts fresh pasta with cream sauce, 2 parts mushrooms, and 1 part pancetta. At Italian Kitchen, it was more like 3, 1, and barely there pancetta respectively. I was a little disappointed that I had gone on and on about it being the best pasta dish of my life, and the Italian Kitchen version was nothing special. All that to say...the Fusilli Lunghi at Trattoria is EPIC. At Italian Kitchen, not as much.

On to the pizza. The dough was not what we expected. It looked similar to the flat bread dough we had with the bruscetta, but it was a little more dense and chewy. We also expected the crust to be thin and crispy, but it was thicker and soft. Despite all that, it was damn good pizza. Every component had its place. The proscuitto was salty and meaty, the burrata was creamy and smooth, the arugula was fresh and bitter, and tomato sauce just brought it all together and made it comfort food. It was balanced and "light" comfort food at that, since the ingredients aren't piled on for inches high. Lucky for us, it left us with room for dessert!

A few years ago, "salted" in a dessert description grossed me out. These days I've changed my tune to "You had me at 'salted.'" Having said that, I didn't get too far down the dessert menu since "salted" is the first word on it. Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart...chocolate ganache, salted caramel sauce, walnut streusel, and Earl Grey gelato. The pieces of the dessert were pretty much as described on the menu. You know the reaction when you go "Yep, that gelato is definitely Earl Grey flavoured." It was like that. Each component was delicious and near perfection on its own, but all together a crunchy element was missing. There was a spiral of hard candy which may have been intended to be crunch, but though pretty and crafty, it was impractical and didn't quite fit. Besides the lack of crunch, it was a great salty and sweet end to the meal.

Each of Glowbal's restaurants has a list of great promotions. My favourite is Trattoria's $11 Pasta Tuesdays (any of their pastas for $11! In some cases, that's 50% off!). We took advantage of not 1, but 3 promotions going on when we went during the late-afternoon Sunday. Firstly, we got 2 rounds of the $5 cocktail of the day (available daily from 3-6pm). They were very well mixed cocktails and they definitely don't stiff you on the booze. Secondly, each of the appetizers were 50% off (available daily from 3-6pm). Thirdly, we took advantage of the Alberni St. Early Bird special, which gives you a free 2nd entrée when you order 2 apps and an entrée (available daily from 4-6:30pm). The combination of all these specials definitely allowed our post-Coast gift cards to go much further than expected!

My biggest regret about our dining experience was not ordering off the "Art of Sharing" section of the menu. Near the end of our meal, I saw a couple at a neighbouring table order a very generous antipasto platter and pasta platter. It was more like a trough with mountains of 4 different kinds of pasta. A trough! Of pasta! It was one of the most glorious things I had ever seen, but I have no idea how the two of them could possibly consume that much food. Had it been more than the two of us, I think we would have been game.

Here is another reason why Italian Kitchen is awesome. They sent us a Thank You card! I have never gotten anything like that before, and I'd go back just because someone took the time to show their appreciation for our patronage. Nice touch Italian Kitchen!

The delicious $5 cocktails

The bruschetta sampler

The burrata and prosciutto

The side by side

Our mains!

And the salty-sweet, lacing some crunch, finale

`

Nice touch from the Italian Kitchen staff!

THE STATS - Out of 10

Taste: 7.5 - Most of what we had was fantastic. I downgraded them from a 9 because the Fusilli Lunghi was just not as amazing as Trattoria, and the dessert needed a little crunch.
Creativity: 6.5 - It is tough to give them higher in this category because it is close to traditional Italian food. Some little twists are taken, but the food isn't quite innovative or daring.
Service: 7.5 - The service was quite friendly and knowledgeable about the menu, and we were served at a perfect pace. Also, the Thank You card was a really nice touch.
Bang for your buck: 8.5 - Definitely check out what promotions are going when you go. The menu is already reasonably priced for what you're getting, but no one ever complained about getting a discount. Especially since the specials are likely for menu items you would be ordering anyway.
Overall experience: 8 - It was just what we needed that rainy Sunday.

Would I go back? Yes. I feel like you can rely on the food and service to be consistently well prepared and presented, which allows the restaurant to lend itself to any occasion, or no occasion.
Who would I recommend it to? Groups of adults (up to 8 comfortably), couples, and families with teen-aged children (I'm still against bringing young children to restaurants). The food is traditional enough that even picky people (including moody teens) will find something they will enjoy. The food is casual, unpretentious and shareable, which makes it great for family and/or friends gatherings.
For what occasion? I wouldn't take someone on a first date here, but any other occasion is fair game.
It was better than: Bistro 101, The Fish House in Stanley Park, Coast (take 1 of Coast anyways)
It wasn't as good as: l'Abattoir, Via Tevere, Trattoria (for the Fusilli Lunghi)

Top 50 Worthy? I think so. The food has the potential to bring Italian Kitchen into the Top 50 within the next year. I think the menu, ambiance and service can easily create a loyal customer-base that will have patrons coming back again and again.

#22. Bistro 101 - February 12, 2014

I was pretty excited for Family Day weekend. That is until I came down with a hardcore strain of the west coast common cold. Nine days later, I'm still coughing like an 80-year-old chain smoker and going through Kleenex so fast I regret not buying shares of Kimberly-Clark. I had to take the Friday off of work and was sick in bed the whole 3-day weekend. We had planned to go to Science World, to the movies and of course out to dinner. All those plans were obviously scrapped, and I watched 3 seasons of Downton Abbey incapacitated on the couch instead. So that explains why I haven't posted in a few days.

Our first Valentine's Day together, Stephen took me to the Institut de tourisme et d'hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ) for dinner during the "Montreal en lumière" festival. We had an amazing 7-course dinner prepared by the ITHQ students with the guidance of guest chef Jason Wilson, and it was perfectly paired with Washington wines specifically selected for the event. Culinary schools are a hidden gems that you wouldn't normally think of when picking a place for dinner or lunch. Firstly, the young and creative chefs-in-training are sure to deliver an awesome meal. Second, you'll probably pay between 50-75% less for a 3-course meal than if you ordered identical plates at an established restaurant. Thirdly, you're helping future culinary talent get practice, and then when they make it big you can say you ate their food before they were famous. Fourth, if you want to impress a date with really shishi-looking food (you'll know what I mean when you see the pictures below) culinary schools surely won't disappoint. Wherever you are, research culinary schools in your area, and give them a try.

Valentine's Day is definitely the worst day of the year to go to a restaurant. I like to people-watch when I go to restaurants and make up back-stories for all the interesting characters that I spot. Valentine's Day diners just make themselves such easy targets for this sport. Half of the female diners clutch grocery store roses that were procured at the last minute, male diners go slack jawed when they see the bottom line on the bill, and both genders order the cheapest thing on the menu and no booze because they picked a restaurant with a price point out of their comfort zone because they never go out and felt like they would treat themselves, but really end up depriving themselves of what they really did want to eat. I'm not a Valentine's Day hater, but gentlemen, take your ladies out on dates as often as your can to nice places, and give her decent flowers on random Tuesdays. Don't save it for Vday. All that to say, I had no interest in going to a restaurant on the 14th, so we went on the 12th instead.

Bistro 101 is the restaurant at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, located just outside Granville Island. Another benefit of going out for our Valentine's Day dinner on the 12th was that we could take advantage of Bistro 101's Wine Wednesdays when all bottles of wine are 50% off. It basically makes the wine the same price as you would pay at the liquor store (if not cheaper). Paired with a 3-course dinner at $26 per head, the value for your money can't be matched.

Before we received our apps, we were treated to an assortment of fresh breads and an amuse bouche. The entire meal is perfectly portioned, so I highly recommend that you indulge in a piece of each of the 6 or so different types of breads that are served. Cornbread, whole grain, poppy seed, choux...they were all delicious. The amuse bouche was a salmon mousse macaroon. The meringue was similar to a traditional macaroon, but the filling was rich and fresh. This is the second time I've had a savory macaroon. In fact, the last was at the ITHQ event (it was fois gras... and it was epic)! Kudos to the culinary student that executed these, they were fantastic and I would love to try more savory preparations.

We went on to the Sea Scallops with Crispy Cauliflower and Avocado Mousse and the appetizer of the day, a sous vide venison. I was a little worried about Stephen ordering the venison since we had terrible venison at Patrick Guilbaud, a 2-Michelin Star restaurant in Dublin, Ireland. Then again, I've never associated deer with Ireland. The sea scallops were smaller than I had expected, but they were well seared and buttery in the middle. The texture of the crispy cauliflower and radishes added the contrasting textures and flavours that scallops crave. I had high expectations of the avocado mousse, but it had little flavour and was more of a foam than a mousse. A little more density and salt would have helped. As for the venison, it was a visually stunning and complex dish. The medium-rare game-y meat was accompanied by blue cheese cream, capers, sweet chili sauce, roasted beets, arugula, caramelized onions, and flavoured coarse salt...pretty much every texture and flavour profile you could ask for. On their own, each of these elements was okay, but all together in one bite they were amazing. The students could teach Patrick Guilbaud a think or two about making a great venison dish!

My entrée was the best plate of the night: Squid Ink Pappardelle, Chorizo, Winter Squash and Prawns. I love fresh pasta. I would have happily eaten just the pasta. It was fantastic, and everything else was a welcomed bonus. The chorizo was spicy but not too hot and the squash was sweet and slightly charred around the edges. Two of my ultimate favourite textures also joined the party. First, prawns were cooked just to the point of being opaque, so they weren't chewy and rubbery. Second, the roasted grape tomatoes were intact on the plate, but burst in your mouth when you bit them. Timing is everything with these two, and having them as only 2 of many elements on a plate is tough to achieve. 

Stephen ordered the Braised Lamb Shank with Buttermilk Whipped Potatoes and Brussel Sprout Leaves. The lamb tasted like lamb. Go to the grocery store, buy some lamb, cook your lamb, and taste your lamb. Did it taste like lamb? Probably not. Did it feel like you were chewing on a piece of a Hunter of Scotland rubber boot? Probably. Lamb is so easy to screw up. Kudos to the student chefs for showing lambs' true potential. Their lamb was shredded which made it extra tender. The mashed potatoes had a great consistency and buttery taste according to Stephen (I'm still not a mashed potato fan). There were also roasted red and yellow bell peppers on the plate, which strangely were the first thing we smelled when the plate arrived. I didn't even know bell peppers had a distinct smell, but this dish proved me wrong. Overall, the braised lamb was a solid dish, but mine was definitely better.

Dessert was good, but not very memorable. I found myself eating them, but not really paying attention to what I was putting in my mouth. There weren't any "Ooooo Aaaaahh" moments. I had the Black Forest Flourless Chocolate Cake. It sort of tasted like a denser version of cake from a Betty Crocker box. The white chocolate mousse on the cake didn't really have much white chocolate flavour, and it just looked weird on the plate pipped out in a random and inelegant way. The cocoa nib ice cream was good, but it wasn't quite an ice cream. It tasted slightly watery and had partially crystallized. Stephen ordered the Mocha Verrine. The dark chocolate mousse bottom layer of the verrine was quite good, and so was the vanilla shortbread top later. However, the white chocolate mocha mousse and lemon gelée in the middle together had a panna cotta texture that didn't quite fit with the other layers. It felt confused and the presentation missed the mark. The verrine glass was far too large and the swoosh on the plate was unnecessary.

As far as service goes, it didn't quite meet my expectations. It was quite slow, and we often found ourselves talking over empty plates for 10 minutes. It took another 10 minutes after our dessert plates were taken away to be offered the bill. The restaurant wasn't particularly busy (less than half the tables were occupied), and the staff was clearly running un-dinner-service-related errands. I guess the difference between Bistro 101 and the restaurant at ITHQ is that ITHQ is also a hotel management school, and therefore there is a higher focus on service and hospitality. Still, strong service is essential for any decent restaurant, so I believe a higher emphasis should be put on it at Bistro 101 for the students' benefit.

Scrumptious fresh breads!

Salmon mousse savory macaroon. Could have used some better plating, but it was delicious.

Sea scallops with avocado mousse and roasted cauliflower nibs

Sous-vide venison, beautifully plated.

Squid-ink papardelle with chorizo and prawns. Delicious!

Braised lamb with whipped butter mashed potatoes and crisp brussel sprout leaves

Flourless de-constructed black forest cake.

Mocha verrine

THE STATS - Out of 10

Taste: 7 - The ingredients were definitely fresh, but some were better cooked and applied better than others.
Creativity: 8 - Many cooking and plating techniques are used, since the students need practice across the board. You wouldn't get all of these techniques in one visit at any other restaurant
Service: 4 - It was quite slow, mousey and unmemorable
Bang for your buck: 8 - For $26 per head for 3 services, you're definitely getting great value. I know I didn't give the most raving review, but for $26 I feel good about it. It's highly unlikely you would get a similar 3-course dinner for less than 3 times that price per head. Also, take advantage of Wine Wednesdays!
Overall experience: 7 - Considering that students are manning the kitchen and dining room, it was a nice experience.

Would I go back? Yes. The menu changes monthly, and they also have a 3-service lunch for $20. I would definitely go back.
Who would I recommend it to? Adults, any occasion, any group size. It definitely isn't suitable to young children, or even teenagers that would be intimidated by the plating and flavour combinations. It is not the best place for picky "meat and potatoes" types, but they could probably work their way around the menu to find something they like. The dinning area is small, but there is ample space between tables, so large birthday party groups wouldn't disturb the neighbouring couples having a romantic night out.
For what occasion? Valentine's Day of course, birthdays, anniversaries, "just because," etc. There are no limits!
It was better than: I don't know if we've had enough comparable sit-down experiences. For now, Bistro 101 sits on the bottom of my resto totem pole, but probably not for long
It wasn't as good as: The appetizers/dessert at Coast, l'Abattoir, Fish House in Stanley Park
Expect: Expect to eat the students' gourmet culinary experiments using seasonal ingredients, and different textures and cooking techniques than you wouldn't necessarily see in other established restaurants.

Top 50 Worthy? I don't think so. The food was good, but I find it hard to believe that there aren't 50 better restaurants in Vancouver. The student did great work, and the food was on-par with my expectations, but it probably isn't one of the Top 50.

Romer's Burger Bar - February 1, 2014

Burgers! Finally! Even though there is close access to local beef and organic local beef, surprisingly there aren't a lot of burger joints in Vancouver.

I wrote the UFE in 2012. If you're an accountant you know what that is, and if you're not an accountant, Google it. It was brutal. Stephen was actually writing it at the same time... we were a really happy couple that summer....not. About 2 weeks before the big exam, I couldn't handle studying any more. I didn't want to be within 50 feet of anything accounting related. Obviously the first of those 2 weeks was spent worrying that I was going to fail and go through a summer of hell next year. To take our minds off the UFE, during the second week Stephen and I had the brilliant idea of participating in Montreal Burger Week. Not only participate, we challenged ourselves to go to every single burger place on the docket. There was a point system in place where you earned points every time you Facebook checked-in or tweeted that you were at one of the burger restaurants or when you voted if the burger was good, and you could convert the points to prizes. After about 9 burgers in 3 days, I caved. I just couldn't handle any more beef and bun. However, we were among the top points earners. Unfortunately, despite emailing the organizers of Montreal Burger Week like crazy, they only sent us half of the prizes we earned. Still waiting on my $100 gift card for Mbrgr guys!!

Anywho, we love burgers. I'm not going to reveal too much, but our wedding menu has burgers on it! Get excited invitees!

We had heard about Romer's from a few co-workers, and decided to try it out even though it wasn't in the Top 50. These would be the first Vancouver burgers we have indulged in.

Though they had a Dine-Out Vancouver menu, we opted for à-la-carte since we didn't feel the need for 2 appetizers, 2 burgers and 2 desserts. The menu is pretty comprehensive. Besides burgers, they offer Mac & Cheese, fish & chips, street tacos, and salads (for that friend who couldn't possibly order something with red meat on a bun... oh no carbs and calories oooo... GTFO). They also have lots of interesting starters like deep fried pickles. Obviously we ordered them. I love pickles and I love deep fried, so what could go wrong? These tempura-battered wedges of pickle genius are amazing. They don't taste the way you think they would. Right now the flavour you have in your mind is swallowing a big glug of pickle juice, but its nothing like that! Trust me, they're delicious. Crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside, the fried, un-salted batter tames the saltiness and vinegary tang of the pickles. The blue cheese dressing adds a much needed creamy element to the starter. We're going to have to talk to our caterer about adding these to our menu.

After much deliberation, we finally decided on the Man's Man Burger and the Magic Mushroom Burger. We had debated ordering the The Chorizodor and Romer's Righteous Rib Burger, but we asked our waitress which burgers she thought were best, and ordered what she recommended. Actually, to paraphrase her: "All our beef is organic and our buns are fresh, so you could order just the meat and bread and it would be great." We didn't go that route, but her other recommendations didn't disappoint! The Magic Mushroom had perfectly caramelized onions and portobello mushrooms that weren't drowning in oil and salt. It's surprisingly hard to get those two right. The herb Boursin cheese was the creamy and salty element, which was balanced out with much-welcomed bitter arugula. The beef was well treated and was thick, juicy and cooked perfectly medium. In terms of taste, there was nothing special about the bun. However, the bun to filling ratio is very important. A great burger shouldn't fall apart in your hands, with the filling falling out the back end. The bun should be big and spongy enough to handle all the condiments and toppings. Romer's buns kept my burger intact and my fingers clean, so it was a winner.

The Man's Man Burger was also pretty fantastic. It had ooey-gooey amber ale cheddar, amazing thick-cut applewood bacon, and crispy onion strings that put it in our Top 3 Burgers Ever list. It's up there with Montreal's Art:Brgr. Romer's makes all their own sauces (except Heinz Ketchup and Frank's Red Hot). This burger had both their whole-grain mustard and olive oil mayo. The bacon was the real star of this burger. I'd order a few pounds of it for Sunday brunch if I could. I'm not sure how many strips were in it, but every bite we took had this bacon in it. It was an awesome staple burger.

As a side, we ordered the share-able fries. They have 3 kinds: sea-salt, truffle oil and parmesan and garlic. We got half sea-salt so we could test out their basic fries, and half garlic because I'm not a huge fan of truffle oil. Real truffles or bust. Don't try to fool me with truffle oil. That shit ain't fancy. The fries were meh. They were fresh, but weren't crispy enough. They had the same texture as frozen McCain fries. I've seen and tasted more sea salt on fries at Wendy's, and thought he garlic scent was intoxicating, the fries just couldn't handle it.

I was ready to get the bill after that, but then our waitress told us about their Drunken Donuts: 10 freshly fried mini-donuts, with 3 alcoholic dipping sauces. Stephen's eye's lit up when she told us about them, so even though I'm not a huge donut fan, I couldn't say no. What arrived was a glorious tower of soft and fluffy fresh delights, drizzled with just enough glaze for a hint of sweetness. The dipping sauces, in ascending order of deliciousness were, Kahlua-Nutella, Maple-whiskey and Limoncello lemon curd. Adding alcohol to the sauces was brilliant given the sweetness that needed to be broken up a bit. These are definitely not to be missed. Keep a little space for them!

In terms of decor, the place is pretty standard red on black. It has a bar in the middle, one wall of banquettes, and a dozen or so tables of 2 or 4. Everything is clean and new, but it's nothing special. It looks like a regular sports bar. Service was quite good and quick. Our waitress told us about each burger without reading off the menu, recommended burgers, and easily sold us on dessert.

Overall, it was a solid introduction to Vancouver burgers and we're looking forward to tasting more!

View from our table of the bar

Pickles & Beer! Amazing deep fried pickles!

Magic Mushroom Burger... that cheese was sooooo yummy!

Stephen's Man Man's Burger... Monstrosity! 

Beautifully cooked.

Drunken Donuts with fantastic dipping sauces!

THE STATS - Out of 10

Taste: 8.5 - Amazing fresh ingredients with great combinations in their burgers. The fries were boring though.
Creativity: 7 - If you look at the menu overall, there are some pretty creative dishes. Some of the burgers are standard, but deep friend pickles get extra points.
Service: 7 - Friendly service, and gave us a great sales pitch on each of the burgers and dessert
Bang for your buck: 6 - The burgers are priced a little high for what they are. They are an average of $12 each, without sides. I'd like to see them up the price by $1 but include fries.
Overall experience: 8 - Great burgers and dessert, mediocre fries, good service, pretty plain decor and vibe.

Would I go back? Definitely. Just look at the menu. You can't possibly try everything you'd want to in one visit. I want to try a few more burgers and their mac & cheese. We'll see if they can maintain these stats the second time around!
Who would I recommend it to? Couples and small groups. The place isn't huge, and I didn't see any tables of more than 4, so having a big gang there might be tough. It's a good place to hang out and have a few on-tap craft beers. I wouldn't really recommend this place to families, though I did see a few small children there. This isn't Boston Pizza. Leave your kid at home.
For what occasion? This isn't a place for special occasions. It's a great Friday night go-to place. You probably wont stick around for very long after your meal if you do go with friends. They do have tv's all over the walls, so it might be a good spot to catch a game.
It was better than: Stephen says it's better than Montreal's Burger Bar, but I disagree.
It wasn't as good as: In my opinion, Montreal's Burger Bar and Art:Brgr. At least Burger Bar has decent fries.
Expect: Just a great burger. There wasn't a line at 1pm on a Saturday, but I'm not sure if you'd have to wait in the evening or for a weekday lunch. The atmosphere is very casual, so don't bring a hot date here, unless she's the pizza and beer type.

Top 50 Worthy? Nah, but we knew it wouldn't be. If there is a Top 50-worthy burger out there though, we sure would love to hear about it!

#35: Coast Restaurant - January 25, 2014

This is Dine Out Vancouver Part II. I had high hopes for this one. On the second day of my new job, my manager took me to Trattoria for lunch. It was a Tuesday, so their lunch special was any of their pasta dishes at $11 or something. I ordered the Fusilli Lunghi, and without a doubt it was the best pasta dish I have ever eaten. I wanted to take a picture of it in all it's glory, but it was my second day on the job and didn't want to leave a weird impression. My boss explained that Trattoria was part of the Glowball Group of restaurants, and that some of their other locations were not far from where I was living. One of these locations is Coast Restaurant. Coast was the only Glowball Dine Out menu that really drew me in, and if they could make their dishes half as good as Trattoria's pasta it was worth it.

I'm going to describe this experience as being a "disappointment sandwich." You've probably heard of the "sandwich technique" of giving feedback, where you give someone criticism in-between giving them compliments so you don't emotionally destroy them. This is going to be pretty similar.

Compliment: Coast is a hella cool place. Floor to ceiling, everything is chic and modern. The 360 degree raw bar in the middle is probably an awesome view from the loft-like 2nd floor seating. The typical oak-finished wine cellar is replaced by sleek stainless racks with glass doors, which compliment all the raw and industrial accents. If you want to impress a girl on a first-date, suit up and take her here. Have a few drinks and oysters at the bar, and then settle into a comfortable table to two.

Compliment: I ordered the Mussels with Frites, and Stephen ordered the Dungeness Crab and Sun Choke Chowder. I'd be so bold as to say that after vacationing in Ireland in 2012 and PEI in 2013, we are mussels and chowder experts. We've eaten mussels made for us personally by Chef Michael Smith, and tested about 75% of the chowders competing in the chowder competition at the PEI Seafood Festival. We know our stuff (or at least think that we do). 

I'll start by saying that visually, the dishes were stunning. The mussels were literally the size of my thumbs, and not the shell, the meat! I've never even eaten an oyster that big. Our waiter confirmed that they were local BC mussels. There must be something post-Fukumisha in the BC water. The chorizo and feta sofrito was ridiculously flavourful, and made for a broth that I could drink by the barrel. I would have killed for a few pieces of bread to soak up the broth from my bowl. Though frites were not a good substitute for crostinis, they were also amazing. At first I thought they would be overkill, but damn were they ever good.

Apart from the few bits of extremely undercooked pieces of potato, the chowder was the best we've ever had. The miso and sake definitely turned this usually rustic stew into a high-end gourmet app. The crab, mussels, and clams were perfectly cooked, and the broth was creamy and savoury. It was just wow.

Criticism: Here's where it started to go down hill. The mains were bad. Very bad. Had I not paid only $38, an effective discount of 50% of what I would have paid, I would have marched into the kitchen and asked the chef "What the hell?!" 

Firstly, Salmon Two Ways was really Salmon One Way But We're Going To Throw Some Olive Tapenade On One Of Them To Make It Look Like We Spent Twice As Long Prepping Your Plate. One was supposed to be olive-crusted, and the other was supposed to be roasted. Both were grilled the exact same way and they weren't grilled fresh to order. That salmon had been sitting under a heat lamp for I don't know how long. There was zero distinction between the "Two Ways," besides the little bit of muddle black olive on one of them. It was dry and bad, and I'm mad at myself for letting it slide. The pea-basil purée was pleasant and the prawn and bacon croquette was quite good, but it didn't make up for two pieces of disrespected salmon. Apparently there was a cauliflower purée as well (I didn't see or taste it), and the wild mushrooms were pretty blah. Overall, I'm pretty angry how bad it was.

Stephen order Grilled Alberta Beef Oscar Style. The Oscar part, shrimp and Hollandaise sauce, was thick, creamy and delicious. The same can be said for the whipped potatoes, which coming from me is saying a lot since I hate mashed potatoes. However, the Alberta Beef, much like the Salmon Two Ways, was totally disrespected. It had no seasoning. It was perfectly cooked medium-rare and the texture was wonderful, but where the heck was the salt? 

I don't know how these mains went so wrong. They were simple dishes. Whoever was on the protein station that night needs to get it together.

Compliment: I was pissed after my main, and once I get it in my head that I don't like something, it's usually hard to change my mind. I have to say that Coast almost redeemed themselves with an exceptional dessert (almost). I wasn't excited about it initially because the description was uninspiring: "candied puff pastry, assorted fillings, anglaise." Boring, right? WRONG! The candied fish-shaped puff pastries were really tasty and flaky, and the filling was sweet and dense. I still can't figure out what the filling was, but it tasted like a chocolate and passion fruit mousse, but with a cheesecake density. The Anglaise was beautifully smooth and tasted like fresh vanilla bean and tart fruit. I assume the intention was to dip the taiyaki in the Anglaise, but the presentation of the Anglaise in a water glass made it difficult. Something about have the depth would have been appreciated.

Compliment: The wait staff at Coast was very pleasant. We had about 3 different waiters serve us in the span of an hour. This meant that we never waited for anything and we were well attended to.

In summary, the apps and dessert were extraordinary. The mains were a huge disappointment, and the mistakes that were made with the salmon and beef were inexcusable, even if I did only pay half-price for Dine Out. The point of Dine Out Vancouver is to entice people to come in because the menu is so cheap, and come back because the food is epic. Coast missed the mark unfortunately. I would not have paid full price for those mains.

View from our table of the bar

Stephen had to order the caesar... it was pretty awesome.

I really liked the table setting

Muscles and frites... look at the SIZE of those things!!!

One of the best chowders of life.

Salmon one and a half ways...

Oscar would have called for more seasoning.

Delicious, but presentation could use some work.

THE STATS - Out of 10

Taste: 3 for the mains, 9 for the apps and dessert. I'm not even going to average them out like I usually do. The mains were that bad.
Creativity: 7 - Though the dishes were all close to traditional for what they were, we went from Mediterranean apps to "Canadian" mains to Japanese and French inspired desserts. The "variety" gets extra points.
Service: 6 - Basic friendly and attentive service. Not extraordinary, but not bad.
Bang for your buck: 4 - At Dine Out Vancouver prices, we didn't feel like we were being ripped-off. At full price of about $35 for the mains, like I said, I would have marched into the kitchen and confronted the chef for sending out such bad food.
Overall experience: 6.5 - Great start, great finish, but the main event sucked.

Would I go back? I don't know. I'm interested in sitting at the bar and indulging in the seafood tower, but I'm hesitate because of the in-acceptable salmon and beef. I don't know if they deserve more of my money. I'm still thinking about it.
Who would I recommend it to? Couples and groups under 4 people. The seating seems like it would be a little tight for a group that was more than 4 people. This is a great date spot if you're looking to effortlessly impress.
For what occasion? This isn't a "hey, it's Friday night and there is nothing in the fridge, let's go out" type of place. It's great for romantic special occasions like anniversaries, birthdays and Valentine's Day.
It was better than: If we just talk about the apps, the seafood was as good as Ireland and PEI. But, the mains just killed it.
It wasn't as good as: L'Abattoir, The Fish House in Stanley Park
Expect: A full house. Definitely make a reservation! The vibe is really lively and chic, so dress your best!

Top 50 Worthy? For the apps, yes. For the mains, no. I'm sure the menu overall is Top 50-calibre. Maybe if we had paid full price we would have gotten our moneys-worth.

#21: Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House - January 19, 2014

Brunch enthusiasts rejoice! You're going to love this one!

I'm sure there are tons of restaurants that you've been to for dinner, but never thought to bother going there for brunch. In my opinion, if you can't make a killer Hollandaise, cook an egg properly, and heat your maple syrup to the same temperature as your waffles, you have no business making anyone dinner. Why do you think every season of MasterChef has a breakfast challenge? If you can't rock breakfast, you shouldn't exist. All that to say, next time you're feeling adventurous on a Sunday morning, try out somewhere you'd typically go for dinner and see how they measure up!

During one of our online searches for a Vancouver breakfast spot where we can eventually become regulars, Stephen said "This place has chicken and waffles! I want chicken and waffles!" Now Joe Fortes doesn't quite fit our criteria for a weekly breakfast go-to. The menu is a little pricier than I would wan't to spend every Sunday, the speed of service is definitely at a sit-down pace rather than diner-pace, and most of the menu choices are on the heavier side. However, it was a fantastic once-in-a-while place that I think is largely undiscovered by our demographic.

Nearly everyone else who was at the restaurant at the same time as us was old enough to be our parents. I'm not sure if it's because the decor appeals to their age-group or because there are hotels in close proximity. Either way, they were all baby-boomers with thick enough wallets to start with oysters on the half shell (yeah, at 11am, weird right?) and throw back a few mimosas.

The mimosas are hard to say no to. A waiter comes by every table with a bottle of bubbly and a jug of fresh orange juice and says "Mimosa?" before you are even offered a glass of ice water. We resisted, but all of the tables around us indulged. I found the menu to be waaaaaay too long. They could easily cut it down by 75% and save the kitchen the headache of one person ordering that super unpopular dish that the chef hates making and only put on the menu because the owner's nephew eats it when he's in town. Stephen of course ordered the chicken and waffles, and I ordered Joe's Signature Benedict.

The waiters were quick to offer us mimosas, but the rest of service was quite slow. Not quite "um, we ordered 30 minutes ago, where is our food?" slow, but what we ordered didn't justify the waiting we did. It took about 5 minutes to be served a glass of water, 10 more minutes for Stephen's coffee, and another 5 before they came back to take our orders. At least while we waited for our mains, we were served scones instead of bread. It was an appropriate swap-out for brunch. I believe they had white chocolate and cinnamon. About the same time we received our mains, the table beside us complained about the wait for their food since they ordered before we were even seated.

Enter the main attraction: two visually stunning brunch plates. Not only did they look amazing, the smell was intoxicating. Our food was expertly prepared and plated, and suddenly the wait was justified. Joe's Signature Benedict was hands-down the very best eggs Benedict I have ever had! Yes Rosa (my very best foodie friend back in YUL), even better than l'Avenue! For the first time, the waiter asked me how I wanted my eggs poached: soft, medium or well. I ordered soft, and when I ate them I appreciated the option because, as I've mentioned in other posts, I despise hard-cooked egg yolks. The truffle and sage Hollandaise sauce was so creamy and thick and delicious that I just wanted an entire glass of it. The wild mushrooms were meaty and perfectly sautéed,  and though the prosciutto wasn't crisp as the menu described it, it was a great salty complement to the whole dish. I also got a generous helping of breakfast potato that were crispy, salty and yummy as well. And they were served with ketchup on the side, so they saved me the embarassment of asking a waiter in a nice restaurant for a side of Heinz. I'm not sure what else I can say about eggs Benedict. Just go order one. Do it. It's amazing.

The chicken and waffles was also pretty perfect. The ratio of waffle to chicken was spot on. A lot of restaurants where we've ordered chicken and waffles are generous with the waffles and stingy with the chicken. These were 2 big hunks of perfectly seasoned and deep fried, crispy chicken. Take a hand-full of Tostito chips, stack them up, and bite into the entire stack at once. That's the sound the chicken made when you bit into it. No joke, hella crispy. To my surprise it was also both juicy and completely cooked through. If you are reading this, chances are you aren't great at cooking chicken (I have't eaten your chicken, but I know you aren't cooking it right). There is a fine like between pink/undercooked and juicy/cooked, and it's rarely achieved. Kudos to Joe Fortes for that ridiculous chicken. The waffles were fluffy, not super dense, and just a tad sweet without the syrup. They had a crispy exterior, and tasted great on their own. AND the syrup was served warm. Why do a lot of places think it's a good idea to serve cold or room-temperature syrup with hot waffles? Faux pas! Sage was also present in this dish, this time deep fried. In Montreal, we had this massive, thriving sage plant, and never knew what to do with it. Lesson learned: breakfast/brunch is the place for sage. The plate also had a little sweet chili sauce on the plate. Chicken + waffle + syrup + chili sauce = Holy sh!t, where have you been all my life?

All that to say, I typically wouldn't have gone to a place like Joe Fortes for brunch, but I'm so happy that we gave it a chance. It was one of the best brunches I've ever had, and you really have to check it out for yourself!

White Chocolate Cinnamon Scones

Chicken and Waffles!

The Joe Forte's Benedict... The Best!

THE STATS - Out of 10

Taste: 9 - It was very close to perfect tasting dishes, but Stephen says the coffee needed to be better for them to earn a 10. It's a crucial element of breakfast, so I won't disagree with him.
Creativity: 7.5 - I give them a 9 for creativity on the menu overall, but a 6 for creativity in the dishes we actually had since they were pretty traditional with minimal creative twists, so let's split it to a 7.5.
Service: 6 - Service was very friendly, especially the hostess when we arrived, but it was a little slow
Bang for your buck: 7 - It's hard to judge this one. I've had eggs Benedict and chicken and waffles for $12 each, and Joe Fortes prices were 50% higher. Factoring in the superior quality and in-house-made elements like fresh-made English muffins, the prices may be justified. Would I spend that much every Sunday? Nope.
Overall experience: 8.5 - It was a wonderful surprising experience.

Would I go back? Absolutely, and for both breakfast and dinner. Though we were set on what we were going to order before we arrived (courtesy of them having their entire menu online...love that), we started to doubt our choices when we saw some of the other dishes on the physical menu. We'd like to go back and try a few more.
Who would I recommend it to? Couples, small groups or even big groups. The space is big, and the tables are close enough that you can eves drop (you know you do it!), but far enough that you aren't annoyed by a loud table next to you. You could easy bring a family with young children here for brunch, but I probably wouldn't recommend it in the evening for dinner.
For what occasion? I wouldn't qualify this as a weekly brunch, or for a very important event. It is a great once-in-a-while place.
It was better than: Twisted Fork Bistro
It wasn't as good as: Cafe Medina
Expect: To be seated right away since there is tons of seating. It feels a little like Tiffany's in Montreal, but quality is definitely a cut above. Don't let the decor and wait staff uniforms intimidate you into thinking its hoity-toity. Expect to be there longer than other Vancouver breakfast joints, because the service is on the slower-side. At the same time, they aren't trying to rush you out so that someone else in line can be seated, which would be especially appreciated if you were going with a bigger group. Hipsters beware: expect everyone to be a baby-boomer or older.

Top 50 Worthy? Yeah, I'll give it to them. Their food was damn good. They could easily be in the Top 10 if they would cater to the young-professional demographic.