Monday, January 31, 2011

Sandwich Smackdown – 2011 Pork Edition

It started with a simple plan for a lunch date at “Meat and Bread” to see if their porchetta sandwich lived up to all the “sandwich hype.” That got me thinking about a handful of sandwiches/sandwich places (featuring pork products) that I keep hearing good things about, but haven’t tried. From this humble concept, I began plotting a downtown pork sandwich tour. 4 friends who love to eat and have a bit of time on our hands + 4 pork sandwiches (cut lovingly into pieces of 4 for sharing) that have been getting rave reviews= one epic extended lunch hour.
Meat and Bread
370 Cambie Street
Vancouver, BC
meatandbread.ca


Meat & Bread on Urbanspoon
This Victory square sandwich shop is a new kid on the block (late fall 2010) that’s created a huge following and a whole lotta buzz within the Vancouver foodie scene with an emphasis on simplicity and quality. The menu is small: they offer 4 sandwiches- Porchetta, Spiced Meatball, Daily Feature (usually chicken or lamb), and a grilled cheese- and a daily soup and salad option. By all reports, the porchetta is the star of the show ….and that’s what we ordered.

Porchetta sandwich( $8)
MM: The sandwich is made to order- and the process is pretty simple. Try not to drool as the counter staff slice the rolled, slow-roasted pork stuffed with herbs and pile it high onto the ciabatta roll (from swiss bakery), add a light drizzle of salsa verde, chop up and sprinkle crispy crackling on top, and then plate the masterpiece on a wooden plank with a small dollop of their in-house sambal and horseradish mustard. The meat was soft, juicy, and tender and the bits of chopped crackling added a texture and flavour dynamic that I’ve never experienced.  The meat –to- bread ratio was fantastic- with every bite the meat was the star and the soft ciabatta (from swiss bakery) and salsa verde were there simply to serve the meat and elevate it. The bread was soft and chewy, not too thick, with a nice subtle crust- it held up against the juicy pork and not getting soggy.
Leggy Redhead:  Let's start with the meat!(seeing as that is the first word in the name of the estab)  Yummy!  The salsa verde(with just the perfect hint of mint) is rolled into the meat and cooked like a big roast.  The flavours were perfect.  Moist meat sliced fresh off the pork rolled roast so you get crackling as well in every sandwich!  Perfectly cooked and seasoned.  Bun was dense enough to handle the juices, but not too dense that it is dry and doughy. Again, perfect!  It is all about the meat...condiments are served on the side(Sambal and horseradish mustard) so you can flavour to your own taste.  All round, nothing left you wanting except maybe having another one!
The MFing Coop: oh my, juicy chunks of freshly carved porchetta, a light salsa verde with pieces of mint on a wonderful bun (best of the day) - two light dipping sauces mustard based and sambal - both nice accompaniments. I seem to recall an oily element which I couldn't tell was from the bread or added during sandwich prep - regardless, it added to the scrumptiousness. 2nd Best Sandwich of the Day.
Big A: Elegant in simplicity, excellent quality bread, great big slab of pork, good if limited accompanying condiments, stood above all contenders in over-all impression even though this was super-basic.

maple bacon ice cream sandwich( $4)
MM: I enjoyed this- I’ve tried a few bacon dessert attempts- the best being homemade bacon dipped in chocolate with skor crumble- and this is the best commercial attempt. Bacon chunks were substantial but not overpowering with the vanilla/maple soft-serve filling. I wish there was a bit more maple flavour
Leggy Redhead: I had only seen these(bacon and sweets mixed together) on TV so had to try.  Wow, bacon in ice cream...who knew!  Really tasty! Perfect balance of sweet and salty with a waffle crust.  A bit pricey for the size, but a must try!
The MFing Coop: Good lord, this is the second time bacon has surprised me in the past month. First, a strip in GLC's Caesar and now this - bacon for dessert. Frickin' genius! Loved the balanced sweetness of the maple along side the saltiness of the Bacon. The two thin waffers were crisp offered good texture but avoided detracting from the stars of the sandwich. And the bacon wasn't just slivers of think strips but decent sized 3D chunks. What an amazing surprise - worth the 4.25 all day long. Best sandwich of the day!!!
Big A: tasty, decadent and over-priced.
the establishment
MM: The décor is simple, cool, slightly gritty with long communal tables, a couple of animal heads on the wall, and antique boxing gear and lockers. The service was fantastic- we were greeted warmly the second we stepped in the door and had the specials explained to us. Staff was funny, helpful, and handled the meat with a lotta love. Did I mention they were all pretty good looking?
Leggy Redhead: besides all the lovely dark haired boys behind the counter that are serving you up some yummy meat, great simple, funky decor.  Big communal table is great.  They stick to basics and it works!  Love that they make your sandwich fresh in front of you.  Great service.  Can't wait to go back!
The MFing Coop: these people give meat it's deserved due - from the two person meat carving station, racks of knives, MEAT box light fixture all the way down to my favorite element - meat hook toilet paper holders in the washrooms. YAY meat! By far the best eating environment and somewhere I will return many times.
Big A: Excellent first impression, great decor (love the option to step over and "work the heavy bag" between bites), love the huge communal tables, service/staff super friendly and helpful, the sandwich was not quartered by the staff

Dirty Apron Delicatessen
540 Beatty Street
Vancouver, BC
www.dirtyapron.com


The Dirty Apron on Urbanspoon
Dirty Apron Delicatessen is brought to Vancouver by the owners of 2 of the cities hottest restaurants, Chambar and Cafe Medina. The Dirty Apron is a cooking school (The Leggy Redhead and Big A did their “Meat Class” and loved it), that’s recently expanded their location to include a gourmet specialty foods market and a delicatessen. I had read some fantastic reviews about their sandwiches (in particular the pulled pork and grilled prosciutto varieties), so that hype and its geographical proximity to Meat and Bread, made it our next stop for their…
Grilled Prosciutto Sandwich ($8.99)- with fig, watercress, cambozola cheese, and balsamic onions
MM: There is no denying that this is a large, tasty sandwich made with quality ingredients. But after the simplicity of Meat and Bread, I found there was too much going on in the sandwich. I couldn’t actually really taste the prosciutto because the sandwich’s flavour was overwhelmed by the cheese….and I’m probably alone in this….but it was too much cheese. The bread was a fig, cranberry walnut variety and while it was yummy, I would’ve preferred more of a simple flavour to let the sandwich innards do the talking.
Leggy Redhead:  all round good sandwich, but meat was overwhelmed by the cambozola cheese.  So it is more about the cheese and the well matched condiments in the sandwich(fig jam, caramelized onions).  Great choice of bread (cranberry I believe).  I like my grilled sandwiches to have runny cheese, so for me it wasn't grilled long enough.
The MFing Coop: by far the most high brow sandwich of the smackdown. Fancy and complex bread, watercress, cambazola and procuitto, fig jam and caramalized onions. I found it a lot to take in - a lot of really yummy elements, but together it was a bit much for me. While the fig jam was outstanding, the Cambozola dominated the delicate procuitto. And since meat was the flavour of the day, points were lost. Tied for fourth. However, I would consider Dirty Apron to be the second best location we visited - just not a contender in the pork sandwich category.
Big A: The most elegant of the sandwiches, the whole sandwich (and especially the semi-pungent cheese) has been slowly climbing in my judgement since the initial reviews, the pancetta was not particularly special; however, the watercrest, date relish, sauteed onions and cheese were combined with the ham to very great effect.  Very good bread. This ended up as my #2 sandwich on the day.
the establishment
MM: Service was helpful and friendly- she recommended the pulled pork and grilled prosciutto as her favs. Seating also wasn’t available since there was an event in the cooking school but staff was super helpful to create a makeshift bistro seating area for us. I didn’t love that sandwiches were pre-assembled in deli counter- I prefer when they assemble it in front of you to make it more custom. The space had a cool euro feel and the market had all sorts of yummy looking goodies and some sample cheeses to help kill time while the sandwich was grilling. All of their sides and sandwiches were visually stunning and had me drooling.
Leggy Redhead:  love the clean and funky deli style.  Service was quick and friendly.  Lots of other goodies to pick up while you are there...the 'Dondy' asian inspired condiments are great(they let me taste test them when we asked).  Standout...the Dondy kecap...yummy kafir lime flavour!
Big A: Love the option of shopping in Foodie heaven while the Sandwich is being prepared, unfortunate that the regular table was not available for dining but their alternative was very quaint, the sandwich was quartered (thumbs up)
The Greedy Pig
307 W Cordova St
Vancouver, BC
www.thegreedypig.ca



Greedy Pig on Urbanspoon
Set on the edge of cobblestoned Blood Alley or “old Gastown”, sits The Greedy Pig. This pub/eatery is known for an amazing drink and cocktail menu (created by local booze hero Nick Devine) and their sandwiches that focus on local artisan ingredients- especially their truffled roast beef, shortrib hoagie and our sample pick…
pulled pork sandwich ($11): braised pork shoulder, tangy bbq sauce, fennel and apple slaw- served with housemade coleslaw and pickle
MM: The shredded pork itself was moist, tender and enveloped in sauce (almost sloppy joe style). The sauce’s flavour was dominated by vinegar and tomato and unfortunately was a bit too sweet for my tastebuds. Coleslaw- mixed in and on the side was nice and light, but not mind-blowing. The Brioche-style, double grilled bun was the sandwich stand-out for me: light and fluffy inside yet toasty and buttery on the outside. Special shout out for the  house made dill pickle- crunchy and crispy and refreshing, a wonderful palate cleansing intermission before moving onto the last stop of the day.
Leggy Redhead:lots-a-sauce! yummy! Slight vinegar flavour, lliked it.  Worked for the simple, drippy, pulled pork sammie. They grill both sides of the bun!  Perfect carrier for pulled pork! Came with a side of slaw and big pickle. Yummy meal. Good, but not sure that I would go out of my way to have it again.  If I was in the hood, I would gladly stop in.
The MFing Coop: The pulled pork was wonderful - flavourful and tender. The bbq sauce was generous but not overwhelming. It was lighter than most bbq sauces, both in colour and flavour - which was a big attraction and kept the sandwich from feeling to heavy. The most oustanding element was the bun, light and fluffy, a glazed top - reminded me of brioche - although it wasn't. The most lovely surprise was the bun was grilled - that made a huge difference. It kept the bun and meat separated and avoided the goopy fate many suffer. 3rd best sandwich of the day.
Big A: The sandwich that most lived up to expectations.  Good and simple (truth be told, I have never thought to highly of the BBQ pork sandwich as a culinary height, thus I had lower expectations).  It was moist and rich.  The Bread was good with appropriate toastage. The stand-out at The Greedy Pig was the coleslaw in (and outside) the sandwich.  Crisp, rich and tasty; it alone brought the rating of the plate up a point or two
the establishment
MM: Our server was great- she even had the sandwich cut and plated for 4 which meant we all got a small side of coleslaw and pickle. Nothing décor-wise really stood out, but I bet it would be a really cool place at night.
Leggy Redhead:   kinda grungy, pub feel.  Ripped seating could use some loving.  Great, friendly service.
Big A: Pretty unimpressive decor, very friendly helpful staff member, Tree Brewing's Pale Ale went down well, our chauffeur got the car, Not only was the sandwich quartered, it was separately plated with pickles and coleslaw, very impressive touch.

RE-UP BBQ
open from 11:15 to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday, off the Vancouver Art Gallery plaza

This shiny metal trailer parked on the Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza has emerged as the stand-out favourite of critics and hungry Vancouverites alike from last summer’s food cart movement.Re-up uses the Irish Heather kitchen (in the wee hours of night) to barbecue the 240 pounds of pork three nights a week. They sell Pulled Pork Sandwiches ($6 plus tax) and two summery beverages- homemade watermelon soda and sweet tea ($2 plus tax).

pulled pork sandwich ($6)
MM: The meat itself was yummy and plentiful. I liked that it had a spicy, smoky flavour without sweetness and too much sloppy sauce, although it was a bit too dry. I’d love a happy medium between the extreme slop at TGP and the slightly dry Re-Up pork. The coleslaw was chunky, fresh and crisp with an awesome dijon flavour. I thought the portugese bun was pretty lame- too bulky, too fluffy, without any great flavour.
Leggy Redhead:  great sandwich for the price point! Lots of meat and they include crispy slaw inside the sandwich...makes it!  I like my pulled pork a little saucier, so I would ask for extra sauce inside next time.  The bun they use isn't great, but it also isn't bad...maybe if they grilled it first!  For a street cart meal on the go, definite recommendation.
The MFing Coop: The most basic of all the sandwiches we tried, but with good reason. It's served from a fast food cart on the North west corner of the Vancouver Art Gallery block. The pulled pork is passable but ordinary. A healthy amount of slaw with a light delightful slaw dressing elevates this sandwich. Unfortunately the bready portugese bun drags it down a notch. But, at 6 dollars and with a 1 minute prep time - you've got an amazing value-for-money sandwich with minimal time commitment. Tied for 4th w Dirty Apron.
Big A:  smallish Portuguese bun with pork that fell apart easily and some more fresh coleslaw; there was nothing that dazzled about this sammie.  It was an "also-ran" in my book.
the establishment
MM: I hang my head in shame when I tell you that this was my first Vancouver food cart experience. They’ve been around since last summer but I haven’t hit any of the new food carts yet…..love the stainless steel box at a prime location for foot traffic. It was cold and rainy, so there were no lines and we ended up eating in my car “the meat mobile.” A cozy and quirky dining experience but would really love to sit in front of the VAG and chow down on a sunny summer day. Great price point.
Leggy Redhead:  I was in the car so didn't really get to see it up close.  Looked like a cute little street cart that would be great to grab from and sit on the Art Gallery steps on a nice day.
Big A: sidewalk service gets some auto-credit.  No idea why I think the idea eating out of a wee street-side shack is cool; maybe brings me back to my university days with late night curbside eating.  This would have been way better in the sun; less fun in the rain/drizzle.  Obviously, no "quarter" given here.


additional comments on the day’s events:
MM: These were all yummy sandwiches and worthy of foodie hype/buzz in their own right (for different reasons). I definitely learned that when it comes to sandwiches- it’s all about personal preference. For different people, different elements are what make or break a sandwich.
Leggy Redhead: Overall, Meat and Bread winner for me hands down!  Then Re-up, and Greedy Pig/Dirty Apron are tied for 3rd.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Dine out Vancouver 2011: Sanafir....."it was just okay"

It's Dine Out Vancouver time and myself and three girlfriends from the North Shore who had surprisingly awesome dine out meal last year at YBC (amazing duck confit!) and wanted to all hit this city-wide event again as a foursome. After perusing the menus (we've got a picky eater in the group, although I won't name names), we narrowed it down to a few and then sanafir was selected since none of us had been there before and the menu sounded tasty.
This Granville strip restaurant/lounge is a part of the Glowbal group and has a middle eastern upscale cavern feel. It's decor is all about extremely high ceilings,a ceiling jam-packed with chandeliers and an upper level that seats customers on moroccan-style beds. This restaurant is extremely dark and there was a single tea light on each table (that explains the crappy photos- sorry!)
The regular menu consists of small tapas-style plates prepared with the flavours of the North Africa, Asia and Middle East...but we were there for DOV so we didn't even glance at the menu.
The $18 menu featured three choices for appies, three choices for mains, and one dessert.


Chicken, Chorizo and Poached Egg Salad caramelized onions, paprika honey vinaigrette. This was the meaty salad was hearty and filling with a rich, smoky taste. The chorizo had an awesome flavour and the paprika dressing was packed with flavour that made the spinach sing.








Jayme and Alana got the Grilled Tandoori Prawn Skewer chickpea and pea shoot salad, roast garlic and lemon vinaigrette. They really enjoyed it....Fresh Pea Shoots and savoury prawns of a decent size.
Tricia selected the Roast Root Vegetable and Quinoa Salad balsamic and dijon vinaigrette. Aside from discarding the crispy fried onion topping, Tricia enjoyed this dish and dug the dressing.


Jayme and I selected the
Seared Coho Salmon fingerling potato, braised greens, coconut yellow curry for our mains. I loved the crisp texture on the spice-rubbed salmon but I found the fish itself pretty bland. I found the braised beet greens and fingerling potatoes a bit over-done and mushy. Jayme didn't dig the coconut curry sauce- I thought it was okay, but a bit bland.
Alana and Tricia ordered the
Punjabi Butter Chicken mango chutney, raita, and papadum. Neither were blown away and found the flavour good, but not great. Both missed the usual naan bread on the side and felt the papadum was a disppointment.
There was only one dessert (a bit disappointing because I like options) a Five Spice Chocolate Cake cardamom yogurt, berry compote. It was a bit of a yawn. Pretty much a standard chocolate brownie.....but I did like the cardamon yogurt topping.
Overall, everything was just okay (we agreed the appetizers were the highlight) and I was a bit disappointed with this Dine Out Experience, although it was good company and nice to hang out with old friends.
Check out Tourism Vancouver's Website to view all of the participating restaurants.
Sanafir Restaurant and Lounge
1026 Granville Street / 604-678-1049
http://www.sanafir.ca/


Sanafir Restaurant and Lounge on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Cheap and easy recipe: Bean Veggie Burgers

This is an easy recipe to whip up veggie burger patties for lunch or dinner- throw it in a bun or pita, or cook and crumble to go in pasta, rice, or tacos.
It's an easy concept- I would recommend playing around with the flavours and ingredients until you find the perfect consistency/taste for you.


I used:
1 can of kidney beans (rinse and drain)
1/3 chopped white onion
1/2 clove of garlic
squirt of sriracha sauce
squirt of worchester sauce
dollop of plain fat free yogurt
pinch of dried oregano
sprinkle of cumin
Throw all of these in a food processor (or magic bullet) until it reaches a full mixed, thick, pasty consistency.
Add
*salt and pepper to taste
*1 egg (i used a little less)
*1/2 cup of bread crumbs (you could sub this with quinoa, oats, bulgar, brown rice)
Mix the additional ingredients in
Then form 4 patties on aluminum foil
I fried on up with a little canola oil spray on a frying pan (about 5 min each size- time will be dependant on size and thickness) with mushrooms, crumbled it and put in a pita with spinach and red pepper- and wrapped up and froze the other three. This was too garlicky for me....next time I will omit the garlic and put in chili powder or chili flakes!


Thursday, January 20, 2011

Taste BC 2011- Paradise for a sample-junkie

I was lucky enough to be invited along to Liberty Wine Merchant’s Annual Fundraising event for the Children’s Hospital-Oak Tree Clinic which specializes in providing care and services to those with HIV/AIDS. This was the event’s 17th year, and heading into this year, the event has raised a total of $170,216.
Those with tickets to the event get to taste food from local restaurants and catering companies and sample some of BC’s best wine, beer, and spririts.  
Basically, for a lush and sample junkie like me- this was heaven!
I tried a little of everything….
Food samples I loved were:


Benton Brothers Fine Cheese

Central Bistro- Fig and tomato braised lamb on a taro chip


Central City Brewing- Grilled Cheese with stout cheddar and beer bacon and tomato soup capsules (innovative and tasty!)

Rodney’s Oyster House- Freshly Shucked BC Oysters

Poplar Grove Cheese
Some of my favourite wines were: Blasted Church Hatfield’s Fuse 2009, Mt Boucherie Summit Reserve Pinot Noir 2008, Poplar Grove Merlot 2006, Therapy Vineyards Freud’s Ego 2008
Other booze I really dug:


Driftwood Brewing White Bark Wheat Ale
Howe Sound Brewing Winter’s Ale




Russell Brewing: Honey Blonde, Wee Angry Scotch Ale
Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse: Wild English Cider
To find out more about BC Children’s Hospital and their Oak Tree Clinic http://www.bcchildrens.ca/Services/SpecializedPediatrics/OakTree/default.htm
Getting tipsy and noshing on tasty food…..it was a good night, for a good cause!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Ashley's Birthday at Les Faux Bourgeois

It was one of my best pal Ashley’s birthday, so I decided to take her out for a special birthday date. I’ve only been to LFB once, but my experience was soo awesome, it’s now one of my favourite “special-occasion” restaurants in Vancouver. Ashley  had never been and wanted to try it, so we were already off to a good start.
Note: LFB is awesome in dealing with reservations and they call you to confirm and are great about accommodating changes.
We arrived and were seated at a table for two near the window. It was a bit chilly, but they had put out a small space heater which made our seating nook nice and cozy. After gabbing for about half and hour, and having our lovely, polite, (and adorable) server check on us approximately three times, we settled into ordering. I had checked out the menu online, and I was in a seafood mood, so I ordered Le Cabillaud ($17): Ling Cod, mushrooms, savoy cabbage, cod croquettes and manila clam pan jus. Ashley wasn’t sure what to order. Based on everything I’ve heard/read, you really can’t lose with either the mussels and fries or steak and fries. She had narrowed it down to either the salmon dish or the mussels and asked our server for his recommendation. Without skipping a beat, he suggested the mussels and fries.
 After our orders were placed, we were brought a basket of their delicious bread with butter and garlic aioli (sooo tasty- save some for fry dip!).
Our mains were brought out shortly after (approx 15 min) and they looked and smelled absolutely divine (but honestly, the same could be said for every dish we saw delivered to the hungry customers all evening). My dish was really tasty- the stand outs were the variety of sautéed mushrooms, the crispy cod croquettes, and the savoury cabbage. It was an impressive plate that I ordered because of all the delicious-sounding elements. BUT, I can honestly say that I was out-ordered that evening by the birthday girl.
Those Moules Mariniere ($16): Mussels in white wine, garlic and parsley, with pomme frites, are simple and outstanding. The dish is so simple and so flavourful. That mussel sauce creates a garlicy, buttery bowl of bliss. You almost have to refrain from diving head-first into that bowl. Thanks for sharing Ash!
Another awesome experience at Les Faux Bourgeois. Great food, reasonable prices, and awesome service.
Les Faux Bourgeois

(604) 873-9733
663 E 15th Ave
Vancouver, BC V5T2R6

Masa's Bar and Grill- Sunpeaks Pub Lunch

I went for a weekend getaway in Sunpeaks recently for my pal Tricia’s birthday. We ate most of the meals in her family cabin/chalet, but we did one lunch at Masa’s Bar and Grill during a snowboarding/skiing/drinking and ice skating day. 
I ordered the vegetarian chilli combo with salad and a garlic breadstick. The chili had a nice mild/medium heat with a tomato-dominated flavour. I liked the texture- it was a nice balance with a few different types of beans, diced peppers, and chunks of tomato. I asked for some hot sauce for the table and they brought me out a small cup of quite tasty hot sauce with a slightly buttery taste (I’m guessing Frank’s Hot Wing Sauce) that I dunked my garlic breadstick in and added to my chilli for a bit more flavour. To my chagrin, when the bill came, the server had charged me an additional 75 cents for a side of hot sauce…this is a pet peeve of mine- first of all, places shouldn’t charge for condiments. But if that’s the policy, and as a server you HAVE to do it, let the customer know about the additional charge. The side salad was pretty lame with the exception of the shredded pickled beet topping.
Scott ordered the beef dip and although it looked stand-out awesome, he said it was just average. The bread was a dark crusty baguette style with some girth and the meat was well cooked, tasty, and plentiful but the au jus sauce was disappointing. According to Scott who sees himself as a beef dip connoisseur: the darker the au jus with the more floating meat bits, the stronger the flavour. He found this au jus too weak and watered down.
Tina, Jayme and Tricia all ordered the Open Faced Greek Donair-grilled chicken with iceberg lettuce, tomato, feta, and tzatziki and served with a side of fries.
 They all found this dish pretty average- something they could make easily at home, pretty unimpressive and uninspired. The diners who ordered this dish were put off by the olives liberally sprinkled on top and scraped them off immediately, and a bit cranky that they weren’t mentioned in the menu description.
Jayme and Tina also ordered the Quesadilla with sautéed mushrooms and spinach, peppers, gruyere cheese and wait for it, wait for it….garlic mashed potatoes.
The ladies gave this Quesadilla four enthusiastic thumbs up. Tina broke it down…”I’m a lover of carbs so when you get a carb, wrapped up in another carb- AMAZING! Then you get fries in there and it’s a triple threat.” Jayme loved the creative use of mashed potatoes and said it tasted “rich, but not too rich.” She also loved the sautéed mushrooms and spinach filling and felt like they added some depth to the already flavourful meal.
Some of the boys at the table ordered an appy of Cajun Encrusted Cheese Sticks with slightly melted mozza with a crumbled spicy tortilla chip exterior were a huge hit with everyone for flavour, texture and innovation.
Overall, everyone felt pretty average about their lunch except for the quesadilla that had the girls wanting to mix garlic mashed potatoes into everything!
Masa's Bar & Grill (250) 578-5434       
Located in the Village Day Lodge
Sun Peaks, BC

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Feeling lucky at Hachi Hana

I love Vancouver. The mountains, the ocean, the diversity, the culture, the city, the different neighbourhoods, the amazing food.....I could go on and on. Over the holidays, my friends Bree and Kate came back to Vancouver from Peace River, AB and Toronto respectively. I really wanted to take them for a nice meal while they were in town. I threw out a bunch of ideas for based on food buzz around town for posh places for a special meal and I was leaning towards a dinner at Vij's. Bree kind of surprised me when she told me that was desperate for a sushi lunch. 
Peace River isn't exactly a culinary destination and apparantly the only available sushi is packaged grocery store rolls. Her closest sushi destination is Edmonton and apparantly it's pretty pricey. $5 for a tuna rool- $7 for a california roll-$15 for a california roll-$9 for an avocado roll.    I was surprised when Kate told me that sushi is pretty pricey in toronto too. She was quoting $5 for a basic 6 piece tuna roll and $11 for a house special-type 8 piece roll.
I did a bit of research on Urbanspoon and recommended a few places....they didn't feel like leaving the North Shore so we headed to the one NS location on my "recommended" list...Hachi Hana on Lonsdale.
Walking in at around 1:30, the place was packed- I take that as a good sign since there is pretty much a sushi joint on every block of Lonsdale, so there are plenty of other options in the neighbourhood. It was a short wait and the servers were friendly and attentive. When the menus came out, Bree and Kate started a list that seemed a mile long of all the different dishes they wanted and we quickly decided to order a variety and share.....and they had a lot they wanted to order....so they did.
We ordered 6 pcs Gyoza (3.95), 8pc Tuna Sashimi (7.95), 9 pc Vegetable Tempura (6.95), Vegetable Maki Combo- kappa, veg, asparagus (7.50), Yam/Sweet Potato Roll (3.95), Negitoro Roll (3.95), Spicy Tekka Maki (2.95), Chopped Scallop Roll with spicy sauce (4.95) and the 12 pc Hachi-Hana Special Roll w/avacado, smoked salmon and prawn(8.95)....and I got a miso soup. This was some pretty impressive ordering and we definitely filled up our table.
They decided to bring us even more food and brought us a complimentary order of BBQ Tuna. It didn't look like much (kinda looked like a plain cooked chicken breast cut into small pieces) but behind its plain appearance lay a light, lemony flavour that was fresh and light-tasting.
 I'm not usually a big tempura fan, but I found this tempura exceptional:light and flaky with no greasy aftertaste.
The tuna sashimi was cut nice and thick with a beautiful colour. Fresh and bursting with flavour, it melted in my mouth. I also LOVED the attention to detail with the presentation and the use of pea shoots.
The yam/sweet potato roll was another stand-out. It was different than your typical yam roll in that the tempura yam was on top of the roll and the inside was full of marinated and grilled mushrooms.
The negitoro roll was bursting with fresh flavoured tuna and the added kick with the chopped green onions made it memorable.


The spicy sauce in the spicy tuna and chopped scallop roll is made in house and a tasty, savoury addition. All of the veggies in the rolls and garnishes were fresh and added a nice, crisp, crunchiness to some of the rolls. The Hachi-Hana special roll was a definite hit with everyone at our table. Draped in avocado and smoked salmon and stuffed with fresh prawn- it definitely felt special and like it was made with a lotta love.
Kate and Bree LOVED the quality of their meal and the comparative affordability. I think they were even a bit sad at the end of the meal knowing that it would be a while until they would have reasonable, affordable access to such a sushi feast again.
I've definitely had cheaper sushi in Vancouver and on the North Shore before- but I found these prices reasonable especially considering the quality of food and great service. It was a great meal with great friends and it was the best sushi I've had in a loooong time.
Hachi Hana
(604) 990-0081
North Vancouver
1426 Lonsdale Ave
Hachi Hana on Urbanspoon