I’ve complained before about the lack of ramen shops in Richmond. I thought Gyoza King group had the market cornered. Well, I was wrong, technically — there are alternatives, if you’re willing to look for them. Shibuyatei is a tiny ramen shop located on the edge of central Richmond, operated by a single Japanese man. There’s ample parking, either in a cramped lot in front of the building, or a spacious, somewhat sketchy lot in back. The menu is mostly composed of home style Japanese food, such as ramen (Larmen?) and katsu curry, as well as sushi and gyoza.

I had a mixed order of the prawn and pork gyoza. The shell was nicely seared and a bit chewy, just how I like it, instead of soggy like some of the sub-par gyoza I’ve had before. The prawn filling had a good, firm prawn texture, but on the whole was nothing special. The pork filling was even more unremarkable, but maybe I’m just not good at judging gyoza. Janice said that the gyoza had a baking soda flavour — I detected a bit of an odd note, but couldn’t place it. I haven’t tasted baking soda, but if you have, apparently these taste like baking soda.

I had my regular shoyu ramen, which at this restaurant was served with green onion, bean sprouts, and nori. No soft-boiled egg, which is a major point against the ramen here, as I think that a good shiotama is the best part of a bowl of ramen. The broth was also a little less flavourful than I’m used to at the Robson noodle shops, and from what I heard from Janice, the shio broth wasn’t much better. One plus here was the abundance of pork — I find that some ramen shops give only one slice (?!). Never fear, Shibuyatei is generous with the meat.

Shibuyatei is an alternative to Nan Chuu ramen, yes. Is it a viable alternative? I don’t think so. The lack of shiotama makes it unlikely I’ll return (it’s really that important to me!), although I definitely respect the dedication that it takes to run a one-man restaurant. If you’re not a huge fan of egg in your ramen and would rather have a generous portion of pork, then this might be the place for you!

Shibuyatei
125-2971 Sexsmith Road
Richmond, BC

Winter may be coming to an end, but it can still get chilly at night, and maybe you received a bottle of bourbon as a gift over the holidays. It’s the perfect time to make a cocktail. The recipe for the Thermo-Sour was published in the January 2013 issue of GQ, but I’m reproducing it here and adding my own thoughts on the drink.

Thermo-Sour

3oz bourbon
1oz fresh-squeezed orange juice
2oz water
2tsp white sugar
cinnamon stick (garnish)

combine liquids
caramelize sugar in a pan over high heat (until it liquifies and starts to turn brown)
combine all in pan and heat
garnish

This one has a little preparation involved. Honestly, I’m not sure I really like this drink. I like whiskey sours, and that’s basically what this is: a hot version of a whiskey sour, but the fact that it’s steaming hot, and alcoholic — well let’s just say that it clears the sinuses when you bring it to your face to take a sip. I’m a huge fan of pulpy orange juice, but I recommend making this drink with the pulpless kind, if you can find fresh squeezed pulpless orange juice. I found the gritty texture of the pulp a little off-putting in this drink. In the end, I’d rather just have a regular whiskey sour.

Over the past little while, Revolver Coffee has grown into one of Vancouver’s favourite coffee-focused cafes, and one of the pioneers of “craft coffee” in the city. Think of it a little like Prometheus bringing the fire of meticulously sourced and roasted coffee to the Starbucks-swilling masses of the Lower Mainland. I made the trip to Revolver with Andy and Janice as sort of an epilogue to our visit to Big Lou’s Butcher Shop. After all, what’s better to ward off meat coma than a pot of coffee?

Espresso drinks are on the menu at Revolver, but their specialty is in their individually-brewed regular coffees. Coffee fans or even just the coffee-curious also have the option of a tasting flight (three coffees brewed with one method) or a brew flight (one coffee brewed with three different methods). These different brewing methods are where Revolver sets itself apart from the everyday coffee experience. The myriad of methods includes some familiar methods, like French press, but most of the brewing techniques are scientifically-named enigmas. Siphon. Aeropress. Chemex. These sound like the names of equipment found n a laboratory, and the descriptions are surprisingly apt — the brewing glassware resembles lab vessels, including such hallmarks of high-school chemistry class as open flames, fluted flasks, and glass spheres.

The coffee beans even come in pre-measured doses. I opted for Handsome Coffee Roasters’ Finca la Bolsa, which Handsome Coffee, in its very detailed coffee notes, lists as having “flavors of clementine, chocolate, brown sugar and graham”. The coffee was brewed by the Chemex method, which involves a very labour-intensive slow pouring of water from a small kettle over the coffee. The entire process took about five minutes and gave me a distinct tea-ceremony vibe. This wasn’t pre-brewed coffee sitting for hours, or even minutes. This coffee was being brewed just for me, right now.

Being a relative coffee novice, I wasn’t able to pick out the more subtle flavours (clementine?!), but I definitely noticed that the drink was sweeter and smoother and denser in body than other coffees I’ve had, although that might have been the result of the Chemex brewing method. The coffee was served in a small pot, like tea, and was cloudy from suspended coffee dust. I don’t want to say that it was grounds, because it was definitely finer than that — more like the sediment found in a bottle of wine. I drank it black; it seemed like a waste to cover up and modify a drink that had been executed with care, from bean selection to roasting to preparation. I think many other Revolve patrons agree, and the owners seem to encourage this spartan approach, as the cream-and-sugar cart is placed way at the back of the cafe, near the washrooms.

Revolver Coffee is definitely more than a place to go for your morning hit of java. In fact, if you’re in a rush, I wouldn’t really recommend it. Some people have called it part of a “slow coffee” movement, which I find an apt description. It’s a more respectful approach to coffee that views the drink as more than a vehicle for delivering caffeine to the brain. I think it’s high time that coffee received the same treatment as beer, wine, and cocktails have as of late — that is, a step back from looking at the sensory experience as merely ancillary to the active ingredient that you’re drinking. So if you’re interested in drinking coffee instead of just ingesting it, I definitely recommend making the trip to Revolver or one of its “slow-coffee” brothers and sisters, and doing so.

PS. Revolver also sells fancy brewing glassware, including all of the above mentioned brewing methods, as well as the same coffee beans that they brew.

Revolver Coffee
325 Cambie Street
Vancouver, BC

La Belle Patate has many, many varieties of poutine on its menu, featuring roast beef, chicken, and that other specialty of la belle province, smoked meat. This one is a poutine in the traditional style, with fries, gravy, and cheese curds. I believe that La Belle uses vegetarian gravy for their poutines, so as long as they don’t order one with a meat topping, vegetarians can enjoy these delicious morsels with the rest of us!

So what makes La Belle’s poutine that much better than the other’s I’ve tried? In a word, the cheese. La Belle manages to keep its cheese curds squeaky every time. I hear they’re flown in from Quebec. That’s pretty unenvironmental, but it’s the kind of detail that keeps a restaurant on top of its game. The curd also don’t melt, despite being coated in hot gravy. I’m kind of disappointed when I order poutine, bite into a curd and it doesn’t squeak. Even more disappointing when the curds melt into a gooey mess like so many shreds of store-bought mozzarella. This particular visit, La Belle’s fryer was probably overdue for an oil swap, as the fries came out pretty dark, and not the overcooked dark either. But every other time the fries have been spot-on, so I’ll call it an anomaly.

If you’ve never tried poutine, I definitely suggest you go and try it, and try it here. However, as of late there have been new arrivals into Vancouver’s poutine scene (hey that rhymes), including Montreal import Dunn’s Famous and another chain from out east, Smoke’s Poutinerie. These could be legitimate competition, but I’ll have to visit and put them to the test. Until then, La Belle Patate can keep its crown.

La Belle Patate
1215 Davie Street
Vancouver, BC

Portside occupies the former Post Modern nightclub space, and it’s easy to see its nightclub roots despite the fact that I never visited Post Modern while it was there. Apparently, Portside kept the three-level layout of the nightclub, and it shows in the presence of both an upper and a lower bar, as well as a dance floor/stage and a floorplan not really conducive to lots of seating.

Portside attempts to convey a nautical vibe. I wouldn’t call it a nautical “theme” — the bartenders aren’t dressed up as pirates or sailors; there aren’t any signal flags on the walls (that I saw). Rather, the sea-inspired design choices are showcased through the materials, some small props, and to some degree by the layout of the space, being somewhat reminiscent of a ship’s deck, with the double side staircases leading to a lower level. The exposed ceiling beams and abundance of wood give the impression of being belowdecks on an old sailing ship.

A little more of the nautical inspired design. Another thing I noticed — lots of Jameson here. There’s a Jameson-branded bathtub suspended from the ceiling with taps attached to it. Whisky taps? I didn’t get a chance to see, but that would be interesting.

The food at Portside, at least for the night, came from three street stall-like booths dispensing dim sum, sandwiches, and hot dogs. I didn’t see any sandwiches that night, but I did sample a few bites of their dim sum, and saw some hot dogs going around. They also have pork rinds, although I don’t know which of the three “themes” they’d fall under.

This is the first time I’ve tried Grimbergen. Janice recommended it to me, and although I’m not usually a fan of Belgian beers, this one was very good and not as heavy as some (Fin du Monde) that I found too heavy, almost cloying, for my tastes. There’s no doubt that this dubbel has the signature sweetness characteristic of the style, but it leans to dark fruit rather than banana. The colour is also really nice.

I decided to go back to a style that’s more my cup of tea beer with the Deschutes Chainbreaker. A “white IPA”, it’s a hybrid between an IPA and a wheat beer. I can see this beer being very sessionable; it’s bitter without being shockingly so, and has an incredibly bright flavour. It was a great zippy, refreshing brew after downing the Grimbergen (in its massive 500mL+ goblet).

Now, I still have some questions about Portside. Is it a pub, or a nightclub? Are there going to be more tables during normal operating hours? Is there going to be live music on a regular basis? Are both bars going to be in use in off-peak hours? How about those food counters; are they going to be able to deal with volume and actual orders rather than roaming hors d’ouvres service? All these questions should be answered in short order, or with another visit. Here’s hoping Portside is as successful as Brand’s other establishments.

Portside Pub
7 Alexander St
Vancouver, BC

Yes, the raw oysters. Cork & Fin has a screen in the restaurant that displays the day’s oyster selection, which I assume changes day-to-day. Clockwise from bottom left, these are the Chef’s Creek, Skookum, and Joyce Point varieties. They were served with Tabasco sauce and mignonette. Call me a heretic, but I actually like Tabasco and/or a little horseradish on my oysters.

I don’t know what I was thinking here. Why would I go to a seafood restaurant and eat steak? Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for a delicious tower of fresh shellfish? However unlikely that may be, I ended up ordering steak, which came cooked to a juicy medium rare. It was accompanied by fries of a thicker cut than that served at most other restaurants, even ones that don’t serve shoestring fries. They must have been cooked longer, because they weren’t soggy as thicker-cut fries usually are. The fries were accompanied by aioli for dipping.

I also ordered this cocktail. I don’t quite remember what was in it — this was before I started bringing a notebook to restaurants, but I remember it was refreshing and sweet and well-made. Is there anywhere in Gastown that doesn’t do good cocktails? Also, Gastown was looking good the night I went to Cork & Fin. Have some pictures and maybe visit if you happen to be in the area and have a craving for fresh shellfish.

Cork & Fin
221 Carrall St
Vancouver, BC

I recently went on a food blogger date with Janice from Good Eat and Andy from Andy Eats A Lot. We decided to make a little tour of Gastown, with visits to places that were on our respective to-eat-at lists — the first of these visits was to Big Lou’s Butcher Shop, which, along with Meat and Bread, is one of the artisan sandwich shops popping up around Vancouver, and particularly Gastown, as of late. As its name suggests, and unlike Meat and Bread, Big Lou’s is a butcher shop as well as a sandwich shop, and if the meat coolers showcasing the day’s cuts weren’t enough, passerby can also watch the butchers practice their trade through a window fronting the street.

I’ve always wondered if the taste/cost ratio of small butcher shops like this stack up to Costco frozen meats. Will I be able to tell the difference? I’ll have to try it sometime, but all this meat makes the carnivore in me hungry. Big Lou’s also has a blackboard listing the “unusual” meats that are available — livers, tongues, and other assorted sweetbread things. Just so you know, there is no actual bread involved in sweetbreads.

Big Lou’s also fills custom picnic baskets for your summer romantic frolic at English Bay. They also come in these sweet picnic baskets. I want one and I don’t even picnic.

Of course, the stars of the show here were the sandwiches. This is the Cubano (slow roasted pork shoulder, sliced ham, spicy mayo, Swiss cheese, pickles). The pork here was delicious; not too tough, as the slow roasting served to tenderize the often tougher cut of meat that is the shoulder. For some reason, the Swiss cheese in this sandwich refrained from overpowering as it usually does, but instead played nicely with the other flavours. The pickles were the deal-maker, here. The touch of brine cut through the oil and umami of the meat and cheese, preventing the sandwich from becoming progressively heavier and a chore to eat. I think banana peppers would be even better in this role, as the spicy mayo didn’t really make much of an impact here. I actually couldn’t taste any hint of heat at all.

If you’re in the Gastown area and have some carnivorous cravings, you should definitely check out Big Lou’s either to pick up a steak for dinner or to try one of their excellent sandwiches. Maybe you’ll even stop there on the way to a picnic…

Big Lou’s Butcher Shop
269 Powell St
Vancouver, BC

We ordered the Feast for Two, which includes a half crab, seafood spring rolls, miso soup, and fries. I’m not really a fan of miso soup, but I tried this one, and found it quite pleasant; less salty than typical sushi restaurant miso soup. I still found it a little incongruous in the context of the rest of the menu, though. Fries and a western-style crab preparation paired with miso soup and spring rolls bring the word “fusion” to mind, but without the accompanying harmony and playful, well, fusion between cooking styles and ingredients. Like Canada is a cultural mosaic, this is a culinary mosaic, within one restaurant!

I’m a spring roll fiend. I like all things deep fried, and these ones were okay. My favourite kinds are still the ones found at dim-sum restaurants: super crunchy rather than crispy, with steaming hot filling. The shell on these rolls was flaky and crispy rather than crunchy, which, while probably healthier, didn’t quite suit my taste. The filling was average, though I forgot to make note of exactly what was inside the roll. It was definitely seafood, though, so no false advertisement here.

The fries were a little soggy, perhaps owing to the gravy, but the addition of crab was a nice touch. Crabby poutine. A few minus points for the shredded cheese, but after many poutine experiences in Vancouver, I don’t even know about the use of legit cheese curds in poutine anymore. Nowhere gets the squeak right…

Thinking back, I’m actually not even sure why I ended up at Crab King to begin with. I don’t even like crab that much — it’s a lot of work breaking into the crab shell for a small payoff of meat. Lobster has a much better time/food ratio, although it’s more expensive. Luckily, Crab King supplied us with crab breaking supplies, so I didn’t have to resort to the time-tested Chinese method of just biting the shell until it breaks open. Or was that just my own method, being the savage I am? Another thing about crab: I’m not even sure that the different methods of preparing it have an effect on the flavour. After all, people don’t eat the shell, which is where all the seasoning is. Crab King remedied this with a little dish of butter for the crab, to lend some flavour to the meat. I personally prefer letting the delicate taste of the crustacean stand on its own, but to each their own!

Immediately, you’d think that this isn’t really enough food for two people, and… you’d be right! This isn’t heavy food, at all; it’d probably be best suited to a light or early dinner before taking a summer evening stroll around the Steveston boardwalk and picking up some frozen yogurt.

Crab King
3540 Bayview St
Richmond, BC

The Oakwood is perennially on many “best burger in Vancouver” lists, so of course I made the trip down to the parking hell that is West 4th to see if the stories were true. My visit was conveniently timed right after the Oakwood renovated its interior, so I was one of the first to see the new decor, which was sort of a “modern rustic” style.

Lots of exposed wood and brick around, and of course, what I assume to be the signature rack of antlers on the back wall. The Oakwood wears its Canadianness proudly: it was (is?) called The Oakwood Canadian Bistro and its website advertises its modern Canadian dining experience.

Of course, where would Canadian cuisine be without that quintessential staple, poutine? The Oakwood’s version includes the classic fries, gravy, and cheese curds, but with the addition of smoked brisket on top. Not exactly the most traditional of poutines, but delicious nonetheless! However, the brisket somehow makes it way more heavy than the regular plain poutine that you’d get at La Belle Patate. I was wise to just nibble at this before starting in on my burger, and then attempt to finish it afterwards. Better not to be able to finish a poutine than a burger!

The Driftwood Fat Tug IPA that I ordered can be seen in the background. I used to hate IPAs, but I’m slowly warming to them. Fat Tug in particular is fantastic; the high level of bitterness from the hops is contrasted with the medley of fruit that can be smelled and tasted before the hops smack you in the face. The bitter beer also tends to clean and refresh the palate, a property I’ve noticed in other bitter drinks like gin & tonics.

The Oakwood is among the restaurants who offer their burgers cooked to order; that is, you can order the burger medium-rare if you want. This may sound strange, even dangerous, to those unaccustomed to the practice, but let me assure you that if a restaurant offers their burgers this way, they’d better be confident in the fact they can deliver clean food, lest they be sued out of existence. So, trust, order, and enjoy an incredibly juicy burger. The Oakwood burger comes with cheddar, relish, aioli, fried onions, and alfalfa, which is a somewhat uncommon burger topping. Careful! This one’s messy; I had to use a knife and fork to eat it. I don’t want to say that it was partially because of my drool, but… then again, I’m a huge wimp when it comes to messes, so if you’re some sort of burger beast, this will be right up your alley.

Verdict: solid burger by the Oakwood. Interesting touch with that alfalfa, and made-to-order is always great! It’s one for the lists, people.

The Oakwood
2471 W 4th Ave
Vancouver

I take my camera everywhere on vacation, especially when visiting Universal’s Islands of Adventure, where the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is located. I’d wanted to go since it opened, and I finally ended up visiting. It was everything I thought it’d be and more, but this post is about incidental food blog material created by carrying a DSLR everywhere I go; it’s about Mythos. Located in the Lost Continent section of Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Mythos Restaurant was voted the best theme park restaurant by Theme Park Insider magazine for 6 years in a row from 2003-2009. However, its rating slipped to 3rd in 2010. I don’t know if this says a lot, given the state of theme park restaurants. That is, the presence of captive clientele motivated by whining children often leads to complacency in the quality of food put out by the restaurants, because they know customers will keep coming.

The menu looked quite standard; it was on the level of an Earls or Cactus Club, perhaps a bit lower, at a lower price point. I was actually surprised by the fact that prices for theme park food weren’t astronomically high (merely “very high”). I ordered the Blackened Fish Tacos, as the Florida heat had sucked all the appetite out of me. The fish wasn’t very blackened, and was overwhelmed by the mountain of creamy vegetable slaw. The tacos were also quite bland when not accompanied by the salsa they were served with. With the salsa, they became quite tasty, but nothing to write home about. The corn tortillas had a good chew, but this resulted in them tearing apart messily every time I took a bite, instead of biting clean through. This might be just me being a taco noob, though.

Overall, Mythos is a restaurant on a level with Earls, which is to say that the food (that I tasted) was below average, although the service was quite friendly. Both of these can be explained by its theme park location. Best theme park restaurant 6 years in a row? I could see it. But I’m waiting for the good-food trend to catch up to the mega-corporations that own these theme parks, and for one to open an actual fine-dining restaurant that can compete with the best outside of a park as well. It’d be so far ahead of the pack that all current theme parks would be scrambling to catch up.

Mythos
Islands of Adventure
Orlando, FL