Ethical Kitchen: Maybe my hopes were too high?

One of my favourite cynical comedians Norm MacDonald had a great line at a stand-up performance I caught at The River Rock Casino last year. "It seems like whenever I hear or see the word 'hope', the word 'dashed' always seems to follow. Hopes always seem to get dashed..."

That brings me to my recent experience at "The Ethical Kitchen." I had heard great things about this place from some North Shore people recently, one of them being middle sister. I went on their website and started getting pumped.

Ethical Kitchen front garden

My online research had me pumped and pysched. What's not to love about this place? According to their website, they serve all organic and mostly local menu featuring nutrient dense and traditionally prepared foods made in an cozy open-concept kitchen. They use only grass-fed, organic, BC meats, BC cheeses, sauces and condiments. They have a garden out front of the building where they grow their own greens. They provide re-usable take away containers for leftovers (for a small refundable deposit). They even host full moon feasts, and seminars on nutrition, candle, and basket weaving.
So even as I struggled through traffic over the busy Lions Gate Bridge on Saturday to meet with Tricia and Jayme, I remained positive and eager, looking forward to the feel-good hippie feast I was about to eat. I feel like I actually skipped into the restaurant, pausing to check out the expansive garden in front of the Ethical Kitchen. It's sandwiched between Capilano Mall and busy Marine Drive with large pubs (Hurricane Grill/ Taylor's Crossing) and Indigo book store chain as neighbours.

The inside feels like a country kitchen with antique furniture and an interesting dine-in seating set up with 4 large tables...I think mixed group seating is encouraged. When I arrived just before 1:30pm, there were maybe 5 other people, but due to the set up, it still felt kind of busy.

The deli counter with yesterday's specials

I expected a warm hippie welcome as I sat down and waited for my dining companions, but didn't get it. Jayme and Tricia arrived and we walked up to the counter to grab menus and make our order. At this point, my high hopes started to droop. First of all, on the chalkboard were the daily specials. Many of them sounded tasty (gingerbread pancakes) but when we asked about them, our server was quite short in letting us know that those were Friday's specials and not available. Why hadn't they changed the board on Saturday by 1:30pm??? The menu has a couple of egg/sausage/hashbrown breakfasts, pancakes, sandwiches, soups, burgers, and salads. There was no poultry on the menu (unless eggs count), no fish, and the biggest surprise were that there were only a few vegetarian options and nothing vegan.
Tricia ordered the Chai Pancakes ($10) and a latte, Jayme ordered their quesadilla ($8), and I tried to order the Chorizo Burger, but they were quick to let me know that they couldn't make it for me because they were out of some ingredients. Instead, I went with the Mushroom and Onion Burger ($14). Aside from the cryptic, unavailable specials and regular menu items, I was disppointed with our server at the counter. I was expecting a bubbly, outgoing hippy, eager to tell me all about their philosophy, where all the ingredients were sourced, and recommendations on the best dishes. Instead, she was quite short with us- pretty much giving one word answers to the questions we were throwing out, and not once did she bring up anything about the food being local, organic, peace, waste-free. Overall, my experience at EK was lacking passion and enthusiasm-, which was a real disappointment for me because I'm really excited about businesses that are making an effort to be eco-friendly, healthy, and good for the environment.
Around 15 minutes later, a different server brought us the food.

Jayme ordered their Kraut and Cheese Quesadilla with Herb Quark($8). What is Quark? it's a fresh kind of creamy cheese. It tastes like a super creamy herb cream cheese with a ricotta, sour cream-y taste and texture. The kraut was really fresh and tasty but it was a bit overpowering and the flavour was a bit one note. The flatbread was really nice- a thicker, sour dough-y version of your typical tortilla.

After not being able to order the delicious-sounding Gingerbread pancakes on the board, Tricia went for the Chai Pancakes ($10). This was a good looking dish- approx 10 chai-flavoured, silver dollar pancakes with slow-cooked apple slices, topped with powdered sugar and a dollop of yogurt/ricotta (maybe it was dessert quark?) served in a large clay bowl. I had a few bites- I didn't really taste any chai flavour, but the pancakes were light and fluffy and the cinnamon apples were amazing and bursting with flavour.

This was my mushroom and onion beef burger with a side of quinoa salad ($14). Looks awesome right! And taste wasn't the problem with my meal...The beef patty was amazing, rich, full-flavoured, and not-too fatty. The grilled onions and mushrooms were plentiful and wonderfully cooked. The salsa verde topping and pea shoot garnish were fresh and the flavours popped in my mouth. And the quinoa salad was light and refreshing.

LOOK AT THIS PLATING! This messy, open burger is on a long narrow plate and is actually hanging over the edge. I immediate asked for a side plate because I knew this was going to be a challenge. Simply sandwiching this burger meant fillings spilling all over the table. Then I tried to cut through the crusty baguette bun and dropped 3 knives in the process. It was a really tasty meal but extremely awkward and ridiculous to try to eat. I was actually embarrased when I left because the table was pretty much covered in food when I left. But it was absolutely delicious.

Man, even though my meal was tasty, I really didn't love my Ethical Kitchen experience.

The service wasn't great, I didn't feel any of the enthusiasm about being local, organic, and enviro-friendly that was all over their website, I found the menu to be really limited and was disappointed that many dishes weren't available, and the the bizarre plating that made eating my meal an extreme challenge sadly put me off. Hopes....dashed.

Simba's Grill....Dine Out for Life African Fusion Style

As mentioned in my previous post, this Thursday was Dine Out for Life, an annual event where participating restaurants donate 25% of their proceeds to A Loving Spoonful/Friends for Life, two agencies that help people living with HIV/Aids. I had a dinner date with an old friend that I hadn't seen in a long time planned for this week, so we booked it for Thursday and after perusing the list of participating restaurants, I called and made reservations at Simba's, an African fusion restaurant on Denman.
Things got off to a good start when the sous chef and I scored free street parking a block away- Boo Ya! It's definitely not always easy to get that in the busy West End.

I was pretty pumped walking into this restaurant- we were welcomed warmly by Kurshid Khan, the owner/manager of this family restaurant and shown to our table. It's a cozy restaurant and it was about half full when we arrived. The walls are covered in african masks and paintings of african animals, the menus are leather with the restaurant lion logo, and intense african drumming music was playing over the speakers. Food is served on plates with lions and elephants on it. I didn't quite feel like I was on the pridelands, but I love a them, and I was definitely digging it.

Khan is a one-man show, he's greeting people, making recommendations, explaining the cuisine, taking orders, and checking in. He's not super warm and fuzzy, but he is friendly and clearly he is passionate about his food and his restaurant, and wants you to be satisfied. He has a staff of female international students wearing dashiki's that bring out the food and do a fantastic job of keeping your water glass re-filled.

When Devon arrived to meet the sous chef and I, we poured over the menu and debated what to order. I knew I wanted to try Mufogo after seeing it featured on the food network, but wasn't really sure what else. I've eaten ethiopian food before- but this food was East African fusion and reading through the menu, things seemed to have an heavy Indian influence.

 Devon had never eaten any kind of african food before so she didn't really have a clue what was going on with the menu "this is waaaay out of my comfort zone- I can't even pronounce anything", I was a bit indecisive, and since the sous chef is a vegan- we consulted Khan for some guidance. We went with his vegetarian recommendation- not on the menu- a 6 mushroom King Bryani, Jungle Prawns, Mufogo and Naan.

Mufogo- deep fried cassava root (6.95)
We were starving and thankfully, this dish came out quite quickly.
I would call these African thick-cut fries. They are super starchy but nice and crispy. Mufogo doesn't have that much flavour except for the light dusting of chili powder. They are a wonderful vehicle however for the delicious assortment of complimentary chutneys and sauces that come along with every order.

Chutneys and Sauces (come with the meal)
Coconut chutney- amazing texture with shredded coconut, thick but not too rich and suprisingly not too sweet.
Mango chutney- spicy and full bodied, too hot for some, just right for me!
Yogurt chutney- really thick plain yogurt, good to cool down anything that people might find too spicy
Tamarind Juice- sweet and tangy, I didn't really use this other than mixing it with the yogurt to make a yummy mixed dip

6 Mushroom King Biryani (21.95)
Pretty pricey for a vegetarian main but this was a heaping plate of mushroom/rice goodness that we all shared. It came garnished with crispy fried onions and a hint of saffron. This was an awesome addition for texture and flavour. It was well- balanced, not particularly strong in terms of flavour in the rice, but the mushrooms were well-cooked, meaty-tasting and delicious.

Jungle Prawns (14.99)
This dish was really really good. The dish was 7-8 large prawns cooked in a thick, rich tomato curry. I pretty much loved this sauce and was licking the bowl when we were finished- the spice balanced perfectly with the tomato and I loved its thicker almost curry-paste texture. This doesn't come with rice- and as tasty as it was, I gotta say, I think it's priced too high.

Naan (1.99) for a piece cut into 4
Pretty decent Naan- quite buttery, a little garlicky, a bit thin and crispy- nothing to rave about, but another good vehicle for the sauces and chutneys.

All in all, a delicious meal and great dining experience (although price point is a bit steep)- I will be back.
A big shout out to Simba's and any other restaurant that partipated in Dine Out for Life...It provides an easy and delicious way to support an important cause.
Also, a big shout out to Devon for eating out of her comfort zone and really enjoying it, more people should take a page out of her book and try new things!!!

Dine Out For Life Vancouver 2011

If you go out to dine one day this week, make it this Thursday March 24 for Dine Out for Life, when over 230 participating restaurants from Whistler to White Rock and across the Fraser Valley will contribute 25% of their sales that day to help people living with HIV/AIDS.

Dining Out for Life is an annual fundraiser that benefits two local agencies who support people living with HIV/AIDS.
 A Loving Spoonful provides food for individuals and families who are living with HIV/AIDS, so that they don’t have to choose between food and medication. Friends for Life provides alternative therapies—for example yoga, massage therapy, acupuncture—for those living with terminal illnesses. Both create community for a group of people who are otherwise marginalized and isolated.

Dining Out For Life–Vancouver has raised over $3 million for HIV/AIDS support services over 16 years.

There are some fantastic restaurants that are participating.....check out the link below and start making meal plans for Thursday!

http://www.diningoutforlife.com/vancouver/participating

A Falafel-y good weekend!

I had a weekend fling with Falafel. It started with dinner on Saturday that was so good, it had me coming back for more on Sunday. This is pretty out of character for me....when it comes to eating out, I like to get around, mix it up, try different things, experience variety- but this weekend was all about Falafel Town.

Saturday night, I went to Joe's Apartment on Granville street to check out a friend's cousins band. We had a couple of beers, but no dinner, and headed downtown. I like to make sure there is a proper meal in my belly when I'm heading in for an evening that is sure to involve more drinks (I'm way too responsible), so I mentioned to the sous chef that I had a hankering for Falafel, his favourite place happened to be on the way to the bar, and we tucked into Falafel Town (Granville and Nelson) so I could get a bite.
My first impression of Falafel town was glowing- it was clean and bright, with spotless tables, a fairly fresh coat of red paint, and an enthusiastic owner/operator ready to wrap me up a compact vegetarian lebanese meal.
For those who've never had it- Falafel is a ball or patty made from ground chickpeas. Falafel is usually served in a pita. The falafel balls are topped with salads, pickled veg, hot sauce, and drizzled with tahini and/or hummus. If you are eating falafel, bring your gum...because this is straight up garlicky goodness.

Some stand-outs at Falafel Town:
-great price point (6.50 - and it is filling!)
-standard practice here is to wrap up your falafel with 2 pitas so they can stuff it to full capacity with less chance of messiness and leaking
- extremely fresh toppings--- I LOVE the dill pickles, hot pepper rings, and purple pickled turnips

-their sauces are made in-house with the owner/operators secret recipes. The house hot sauce is unbelieveable- I got it in my pita and then was given a squeeze bottle so I could put more on for every bite. He wouldn't tell me what was in it but it was tomato-based with chili, parsley, and onions and it was so well-balanced and fresh tasting.

-after wrapping up your falafel, they grill it to seal things up (to make it less messy) and crisp everything up. It's a small thing that takes the whole meal up a notch.

Even with a hang-over, I ended up joining a bunch of friends and family the next day downtown for the Celtic Fest Parade. Some people grabbed burritos for lunch but all I could think about was my delicious dinner from the night before. Once I started talking about it, Dave and the sous chef started to have falafel cravings too, and we headed away from the Celtic crowd back to Falafel Town.

It was another awesome meal- this time I got mine with a single pita, a little messier but lower carb and still damn tasty. I chatted with the owner more about the falafel balls and how they are made and I watched him form and fry up a fresh batch- then he gave me a sample from the fresh batch. The sous chef and Dave were also extremely pleased with their lunch and were feeling the Falafel Town love.
I really have to give a shout out to the owner of Falafel Town- he is really passionate about his food and clearly takes pride in his product and makes providing above-and- beyond customer service look easy.

Banana Leaf on Broadway

A group of friends (fairly new friends to me from a New Year's surf trip to Ucluelet) all met up the other night for a group dinner since an out-of-town surf crew member was in town for the night before flying out on vacation. We all met up at Banana Leaf on Broadway (and Willow) between 6:30pm and 7pm and were seated at one of their large tables towards the back of the restaurant. I've eaten at Banana Leaf a few times. The first time, I was blown away and absolutely loved it. But, since I've developed more of a taste of Asian and Malaysian food, and tried the same dishes elsewhere in Vancouver, I keep being less impressed with every visit.

Small dishes of roasted peanuts were brought out for us to nosh on as the group trickled in and everyone figured out what to order. These were salty, oily, and damn tasty. A few of us ordered the special $5 Pilsner on tap. Sadly, this beer was flat. No head or hint of carbonation in the glass. I was thirsty, and drank it anyways without complaining.

Roti Canai ($6) 2 pieces of Flaky layered bread with curry dip. This was a hit- light, warm, and buttery- everyone eating this dish gave it two thumbs up.

Satay - Chicken, Beef  ($1.5 each- min of 6 per order) Grilled marinated skewers with spiced peanut dip. Those who ordered these liked said they were pretty standard. I tried some of the spicy peanut dip- it was thick, not very spicy, but tasty. The meat looked kind of dry to me, but I didn't try any so I can't comment.

Kung Pow Boneless Chicken ($13) Chicken sauteed in dried chilli, ginger & soy sauce with peanuts enriched by black rice vinegar. A couple people who ordered this dish gave it lukewarm reviews calling it "pretty good", "not great,"  and "pretty standard."

Curry Boneless Chicken ($13) Boneless chicken breast simmered in creamy curry with lemon grass, coconut cream. This dish came out in a oversize bowl with a mix of colourful vegetables....it was the first to arrive and it looked huge. Turns out it was a good portion and that the dish was pretty wide but shallow. It came with rice and the diner said that everything in the dish worked well together and made for a nice meal.

Malaysian Curry Chicken ($13) Bone-in chicken legs and thigh with potato stewed in red curry, lemon grass & coconut milk. This diner was not as satisfied with his meal. He said overall, it just wasn't great and he was put off that he needed to order rice seperately with this main. The menu isn't very clear on what dishes do and don't come with a side of rice.

Rendang Beef ( $13)  a rich Malaysian dish, boneless lean beef stewed  in coconut gravy and spices. Those who ordered this dish really liked it. I had a bite and had to agree, it was rich, spicy, hearty, and full-bodied.

Sambal Green Bean ( $11) Stir-fried crunchy green beans with small shrimps & tomato in chili, garlic & dried shrimp paste. This is the dish that blew me away on my first visit to BL and apparantly it is still pretty tasty. The girls who split this dish said the spicy, savoury, salty flavour was awesome and that the beans were cooked perfectly with a bit of a crunch.

Assam Curry Tofu & Vegetables ($13) Soft tofu and mixed vegetables simmered in tamarind juice and curry spice with coconut cream. The sous chef ordered this and liked it. He thought it was a good level of spiciness and loved the crunchy beans and okra.

Seafood & Chicken Fried Rice in Pineapple Boat($13) Fried rice mixed with seafood, chicken, egg, raisins, corn, sunflower seeds, served in a half pineapple boat. Beautiful and over-the-top presentation, but this was another dish that was met with a "just okay" rating. Adam says he orders this dish at the Thai House and they make a far superior version (also served in a pineapple).

Singapore Laksa ($11) Rice noodle in coconut soup base made of dried shrimps, chili, garlic, lemon grass & turmeric with bean sprout, cilantro, tofu, egg, chicken, fish-cake, squid & shrimps. This was my dish....I wasn't sure whether to get the curry laksa or the singapore- the server recommended singapore so maybe I'll blame her. This dish was super bland, over powered by coconut couldn't taste the flavours of the other ingredients.


All over dining experience:
It was a great night and I had an awesome time catching up with great people I hadn't seen in a while. BL has a really nice set up and decor. Servers are dressed in south asian sarongs and long skirts, and the decor and lighting create a nice atmospere. Our server was pleasant, although a bit slow on water re-fills, and checking in throughout the night.
Another server who brought out the food was both startling and entertaining (to a few of us). With every dish that was brought to the table, he would impatiently yell the dishes name until someone came forth to claim it. I found it funny (just to be clear, he wasn't doing it to be funny), but I could imagine it gets on a lot of diner's nerves.
I was really disappointed with the end of the night at the slow speed at which the bill was organized and divided. It honestly took close to 30 minutes for the bills to get organized and presented to us and another 15 to execute payment.
In my opinion, other than a few stand-out dishes like the Sambal green beans and the rendang, the dishes at Banana Leaf is average and over priced, especially after eating other malaysian food around Vancouver (go to BO LAKSA KING!). They are however a nice alternative to the other big chain restaurants for a group meal....that being said, if BL is going to fill that role- they need to figure out how to be better and more efficient with customer service.