Cactus Club Cafe English Bay

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Sean

The new Cactus Club Cafe at English Bay has not only become known for its amazing view but it’s also a place where you could find a 90 minute or more wait for a table at dinner. I made my visit on a lunch hour so I was able to get a table on the patio without a problem.

The location does have all the favorite items on the Cactus Club menu but there are also a couple of dishes that are completely unique to this location.

I started with the Ravioli and Prawn Trio. A Rob Feenie Signature Dish. Tender jumbo prawns and silky butternut squash filling team up with a rich truffle infused sauce and pine nuts. I was really surprised how rich this dish would be-it was a filling appy and surprised me for only being 3 ravioli. The pasta was Al dente and the right thickness for being fresh pasta. This is a winning dish that I would order again

Tuna tataki and prawn salad with mango, cucumber, radish, crispy shallots and a yuzu vinaigrette for $17. Another Rob Feenie Signature Dish. I like salads and this was a winner for me, the tart yuzu/soy dressing was a perfect compliment to the tuna and prawns. The seafood and fish were really fresh and the tuna melted in my mouth, the prawns were plump and juicy. The greens in the salad were also nice and fresh, the mango was the star of the mix and I would have loved more in it. Again I’d order this and recommend it for a nice light but filling lunch.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bar – with Tahitian vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce and crunchy chocolate pearls. This tasted like a gourmet Wunderbar! The caramel sauce was thick and rich. The chocolate bar itself was amazing, it melted in my mouth and the peanut butter flavor was just right. The ice cream was rich, creamy and smooth with the perfect amount of vanilla flavor. This is a must try for peanut butter and chocolate fans.

At the end of the day I had a great lunch and with a great selection of items I’d say it’s a great fit for a leisure lunch or romantic dinner with that killer English Bay sunset that we all love so much.

I Went Dutch

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Sean

So I’m born and raised here in Vancouver and for the life of me I can’t remember ever visiting the De Dutch Pannekoek House and since there is one that is close to my place and I’m trying to eat breakfast in the area more I felt like I should give it a try. The location on Robson Street is newly renovated and the space is bright and comfortable with booths lining the wall and some tables and chairs making up the rest of the seating.

What’s a Pannekoek?~pan_ne_koek (pãn-ne-kõõk), n. genuine Dutch pancake, tasting similar to the traditional North American pancake and is slightly thicker than a crepe. It has a circumference of 37″, a diameter of 12″ and if you cut it into square inch pieces you will enjoy 113 bites. Simply delightful any way you like, but the customary way is to roll it up and cut off bite-size pieces.

As I checked out the menu I started with some coffee, the menu is pretty big with lots of different breakfast and lunch options~there only open for breakfast and lunch. The coffee was pretty meh but did job, also my server kept my cup topped up.

I went with a choice that fellow blogger The food Queen loves and recently blogged about on her recent visit,you can check out her visit by clicking here, the Hash with choice of meat served on a pannekoek for $12.50. It’s hash browns, mushrooms, onions, cheddar, peppers, your choice of meat, topped with hollandaise sauce, for my meat I went with the debakon~I think they spell it deweird!.

You get a choice of condiments including a couple of types of tabasco, ketchup and maple syrup~I stuck with the maple syrup for my meal.

The hash was pretty good and flavored well from the veggies but the hollandaise sauce was a fail for me~it looked split but it tasted OK, the debakon was nice and smoky and reminded me of back bacon. The pannekoek was like a cross between a pancake with the thinness of a crepe with a slight sweetness to it. I will say that by the end of my meal I was stuffed to my surprise and I’ve realized that Dale Mackay has spoiled me hollandaise sauce wise because ever since I’ve had his at Ensemble Tap nothing else has compared.

After takes and tip my meal came out to around $17 bucks, it was a decent breakfast but I think it was on the pricey side I think. There a new franchisee I’ve been told by a friend who has eaten there before~hence the new renovation and facelift, they have had some crappy Urbanspoon reviews posted for the location when it was under old ownership but my visit thankfully was good and my service friendly and prompt with the new owners.

Wikipedia: At or in this place: Stop here for a rest. →

A Tale Of 3 Chicken Sandwiches

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Sean

Lately I’ve noticed that I eat a lot of sandwiches when I’m out so here is a brief sampling of 3 of the latest chicken sammy’s I’ve chowed down on lately.

First up is the cheapest out of the bunch, it’s Mc Donald’s new “McBistro” line of chicken sandwiches and came in at $5.99 before taxes. I chose the crispy version of this because I was of the understanding that it was a new version of the crispy breast they had before but the sandwich I got from my local Mickey D’s had the old breast and came packaged in the old line of sandwich boxes but was on the new whole wheat bun, I went with the BLT version out of the 3 choices, the tomatoes could have been fresher and I took them off after taking the picture~you could tell they weren’t sliced that day and the chicken was really tough. In the end it was a meh kinda sandwich and let’s just say I wont be having another one~there pretty much the same line of “Supreme” sandwiches they had previous but just on a different bun.

Next up and in the middle position price wise is the Fatburger Classic Grilled Chicken Sandwich, it was the special of the day so the combo ended up only costing me $9.79 plus tax. I’ve never had the grilled chicken sandwich at Fatburger before, the chicken breast was nicely seasoned with a lemon pepper blend and had a nice tang, it was juicy and tender, toppings wise it was kept simple with lettuce, tomato, mayo and pickles. I must say that I really like the fries here compared to other fast food places, there crisp and tender on the inside and seasoned with a bit of salt, also there cooked to order which makes all the difference.

Lastly we have The Big Chick from Vera’s Burger Shack over in Kits, again I stopped in on the day when all combo specials were available so the combo ended up costing me around $12 after taxes. The Vera’s crew marinade this chicken breast in bourbon and the burger is topped with sautéed onions, provolone cheese and bacon, veggie wise it had lettuce, tomato and a pickle. I’ve had this before when I first tried Vera’s and it’s a good chicken sandwich but for some reason this one refused to stay in the bun and the chicken breast slid out more with each bite so needless to say this gets the messiest sandwich award. On a flavor note I’d suggest getting cheddar or something else as the cheese on this because the provolone totally dominated this and it wasn’t a good thing. My meal also came with fries and a drink, the fries here are hand cut and fried to order but the ones that I got needed to be cooked more and lacked seasoning so 2/3 of the basket were not eaten but at the end of the day it’s not about the fries and the chicken sandwich was good and the quality of the toppings were there.

So out of the 3 sandwiches I’ve mentioned the one at Fatburger is the one that I’d go back for or eat instead of a burger, the seasoning on the chicken was unlike I’ve had at any other place in Vancouver and definitely made the sandwich standout against the others.

Vera Your Meat Got Beat!

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Sean

Lord knows I love burgers and with all the great places that have opened that specialize in burgers and also those solid restaurants that have put a great burger on their menu it’s really become clear to me when I get a bad burger and also when the price is way out of line for what is served.

I’ve had some good meals at Vera’s Burger Shack and the one by my place in the West End has put a smile on my face in the past. Recently I was craving a burger and not wanting to hit the other burger place up the street when I have been to a few times recently I thought I would mix things up and grab BBQ Burger combo at Vera’s and watch the game for a bit~I usually just grab and go eat at home but I dined in on this visit.

I got the BBQ Burger and made it a combo, the burger on its own costs $8.99, the combo comes with the fries pictured above and a fountain drink that is equal to the medium size at any fast food restaurant and is bottomless and all this came to $17 with a $2 tip included.

It was a decent sized burger and I got all the usual toppings on it but it wasn’t so BBQ’y tasting~it tasted more like a greasy grill and I say this because I’ve had this burger a ton of times in the past and it’s one of my favorites so it was a huge disappointment when it lacked so much in the flavor department and what really gets me is the price for this combo, for the same $$ I paid I could have spent $2 more and got a burger from Hawksworth Restaurant at the Hotel Georgia~a burger really worth $20 so I think it’s really time for Vera’s burger Shack to rethink their because the prices now don’t equal value for money.

Vera your meat has been beat by every burger joint in town that specializes in burgers as well as some other places that don’t. My fries were the best part of my meal~something I shouldn’t have to be saying from a place that specializes in burgers.

The Boathouse English Bay

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Sean

For my next Dine Out 2012 dinner I was in the mood for some steak and with a long day behind me I didn’t want to go far so going to the Boathouse restaurant at English Bay was a no brainer seeing I live around the corner from it.

The views of English Bay are great and the patio that is open in the summertime is one of Vancouver’s best and should not be missed if you’re visiting the city.

They are offering 2 choices of menu’s~one for $28 and one for $38, both are 3 courses and offer some pretty appealing dishes, I went with the $28 choice and I was really happy with that choice.

For my appy I went with the Firecracker Shrimp, in this Dine Out portion size I got 10 nice big shrimp, the sauce was buttery and there was some heat in it form chili and some grape tomatoes in the dish, served along with it was a black olive bread that was perfect for dunking in that nice sauce that came with the shrimp~I’d order this again without hesitation on a future visit.

For my main I went with their 7oz Sirloin with Lobster Thermidor topping, the topping included shrimp, lobster, mushrooms in a sherry cream sauce.

The steak was cooked perfectly to my liking and was juicy and tender, I would have liked to see more lobster in the topping on my steak but it was delicious none the less.

The dish was served with a side of broccolini and buttered mashed potatoes~both were great and a nice accompaniment to the steak. This dish alone is $28 on the menu so the rest of the meal was like a bonus!

For my dessert I went with their New York Cheesecake with a berry compote, it was a killer, rich thick cheesecake that anybody that likes cheesecake would dig!

Over all my Dine Out meal was totally worth $28 and shows a great value for money with you leaving with a full belly.

Mucho Burrito-Fast Casual in the West End

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Sean

Mucho Burrito opened its doors in the summer of 2011 and the people are eating up the fresh take on take on Texmex classics. With locations across Canada and some in the states it’s a better option than Taco Bell or Taco Time-these guys here are cooking real food here right in front of your eyes so you know your not getting any mystery meat here!

Here is what there all about according to their website:

“Get ready to change your tune about what you think Mexican food is! Mucho Burrito™ hits just the right notes with our made-to-order gourmet Mexican menu. Just one taste of our hand-rolled burritos, tacos and quesadillas will tell you how much effort we put into our mouthwatering products. We’ve put a fresh gourmet spin on Mexican food! Our tender “barbacoa” (shredded beef) and “carnitas” (shredded pork) are slow-cooked (about 8 hours!), retaining the tantalizing flavor of the Mexican seasonings we amply apply. There’s a reason these meats are marinated overnight – it’s called “succulent!” Delicious salsas and guacamole are made daily. Mucho Burrito™ offers it all in a bright, fun contemporary atmosphere you’re sure to love.”
Johnny Mucho

I will say it was refreshing to see real meats being grilled in the open kitchen and veggies being sautéed in fresh batches as needed for the burritos and other dishes-something you don’t usually see at fast food restaurants.

This review is based on a couple visits, on my 1st visit I went with the 12″ medium Barbacoa burrito with guacamole for .99 cents extra and a side of black bean and corn salsa with tortilla chips for $2.09 more, they also have a selection of Mexican soda’s-Jarritos, that I quite like so I grabbed a pineapple soda.

One think I will say is that this meal came out to just about 15 bucks-a bit on the expensive side for a meal for one but the ingredients were really fresh and it tasted just fine, the beef was flavorful and melt in your mouth tender. It was packed with ingredients and then grilled in a press resulting in a crisp top and bottom but on the other hand it was a pain and a mess to eat and ended up falling apart.

They have a selection of salsas you can add to your burrito-I went with the green tomatillo, it was pretty mild and you can also add fresh chopped jalapeño for some spice then if you want more heat they have a selection of hot sauces up front for your enjoyment.

The black bean and corn salsa that I chose is one of the options to have in your burrito so it wasn’t a wet salsa like you would expect so eating it with the chips was a bit hard and it’s better off used in the dishes, they had the traditional mild,medium and hot salsas to choose from for your chips, the chips were hot and fresh and fried on site I think, packaged up in little brown paper bags and placed in a warming cabinet up front, it was a nice touch from just plain old cold bagged tortilla chips.

On my 2nd visit I decided to go with what I would usually have-a burrito salad for $8.99, this time I chose the carnitas-slow roasted shredded pork-one of my favorites. Again I went with pretty much the same stuff as I had in the burrito but the rice is replaced with lettuce, you also can choose your beans-pinto or black-in both cases I went with black beans. This was a good meal and was just what I was expecting, the pork was flavorful and tender. Again my meal came in at the $13 mark after taxes.

To wash it all down I chose a grapefruit Jarritos and I’d recommend it to anyone-it’s super refreshing and tastes just like the pop named Squirt that is sold in the USA.

With the choices in meats-they even have chorizo as a choice and the quality if the proteins Mucho Burrito is set apart from similar TexMex fast food places but the price for a meal won’t have me coming back when there are better price options for me closer to my apartment but it’s a good option if you work in the area or are just looking for a quick TexMex meal.

Tossed

Posted on December 31, 2011 by Sean

A new option for healthy quick eats has opened it’s doors in the Downtown core and I wouldn’t call it fast food but rather good food fast. The Tossed chain is from the USA and the location in downtown Vancouver is the first and only in Canada.

The interior is bright and modern and goes with the healthy eating concept, the food is prepared when you order it but everything is packed to go~even if your eating in, you can order online for pickup in advance right now but eventually going to get there online ordering system to the point where they will deliver your food to you in your office downtown, they also do catering.

The menu is really diverse compared to other options like this in the fast casual market, they offer custom made salads as well as chef created choices, soups, sandwiches, panini, smoothies and desserts as well as something I haven’t seen before-fat free, whole wheat buttermilk crepe wraps.

On my first visit I was served by the owner of the location, he was very helpfully with suggestions and answered any questions I had.

I went with the Turkey Crepe Wrap for $7.95, it had smoked turkey, smoked bacon, romaine hearts and chopped tomato with mayo.

It was a was a good lunch but the smoked bacon flavor over took the wrap and the turkey flavor was muted, as for the crepe as a wrap I really like it compared to a tortilla, the texture and flavor were light and showcased the ingredients in the wrap. Your wrap comes in some white paper-keep it on and peal it down as eating otherwise your wrap will be a mess to eat-I removed the paper to get a photo and have learned my lesson, also you might want to not get them to cut it in half and eat it like a burrito.

On my 2nd visit I went with something I saw on There Is Always Room , Heather raved about the soups here and I had to try them-I love some good soup, they had Mushroom Bisque or Chicken Noodle, I went with the bisque as part of there Tossed 2 combo for $7.95, you get your choice of daily soup or 1/2 salad (Caesar, spinach or vegetarian) and 1/2 a sandwich or panini.

The soup was totally delicious, it had a mix of wild mushrooms in it including shitaki, the flavor of the broth was nice and rich in a good mushroom way, it wasn’t a creamy mushroom soup that’s for sure~I licked my bowl clean and would order a large bowl of this again.

I chose the roast beef sandwich for my main on multigrain bread, it had baby arugula, roasted red peppers and thousand island dressing. It was one good sandwich, the bread was nice soft yet it totally held together, the thousand island dressing was light in taste and worked with all the ingredients~something I never would have put on a sandwich, the arugula and roasted peppers provided a nice savory note and were a nice change from the typical lettuce and tomato for a roast beef sandwich.

I think Tossed is a great healthy option that fits with the lifestyle of a lot of people who live in Vancouver, they also offer a gluten free menu, it’s a great addition to the Vancouver Good Food Fast Scene!

You can order and check out there menu online by clicking here

Fat Burger on Denman St

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Sean

Fat Burger is an American chain that has made its way up to Canada about 4 or 5 years ago. With a location on Denman street it’s not far away from my place but to be honest I made a visit here right after they opened years ago and they had a bit of a different menu~and it wasn’t a good thing, the prices for a burger, fries and a drink were over $14 and the value for money wasn’t there, I made the decision not to come back~till a couple weeks ago!

The decor inside is very American Diner and the walls are adorned with record albums from classic American artists and each location has a Wurlitzer Jukebox and the seating consists of booth type seating and some tables.

I ordered up their “Big Fat Deal”, it consisted of a bacon double cheeseburger, an order of their skinny fries and bottomless fountain drinks for $9.99. This was a better priced option that what I had before and made a lot more sense to me for value for money.

After placing your order at the counter your burger is cooked fresh so they give you a number and bring out your meal to your table when it’s ready~nice touch in my eye’s. They have all the usual condiments at the table as well as their brand of MSG free seasoning, I like the fact it’s MSG free but it’s still high in unnecessary salt so use it sparingly.

After waiting for 5 minutes my food was delivered to my table, it’s a nice amount of food and the burger looked like a classic bacon double cheese and would satisfy any burger lover.

The fries here have changed since my first visit~the potato skins are new and they are a bit thicker now, still they were good fries~not soggy and well seasoned but as I got to the bottom of the container they were soft from sitting.

My burger on the other hand was just what a bacon double cheese should be and it definitely kicks the Golden Arches in the butt!, the bun was soft yet it held together throughout the eating of the burger.

It was almost like my burger had a bacon tongue!, the burger size here is very similar to Nimby Burger in Kits, there not as big as Vera’s Burgers but still I didn’t walk away hungry.

With a good meal on this visit I’d come back and try them again, the restaurant is also really kid friendly, while I was eating dinner a coupe Grandparents came in with 3 little ones and the staff hooked them up with toys to draw on and keep them occupied while waiting for dinner and it totally worked and the kids were quiet with Grandma and Grandpa smiling away!

Rasoee Indian Kitchen on Robson

Posted on December 11, 2011 by Sean

One of the new franchises to open this year has been Rasoee, serving up Indian food in a modern environment with a few twists on some of the classic Indian dishes is what sets them apart from what else is on the market.

I was lucky enough to have won a free regular size curry bowl and a free “small bite” or in other words~appetizer from there weekly twitter contest so I headed off to the location I’m near the most~Robson Street and chow on some curry!

I went with a bowl of beef curry on basmati rice it usually goes for $7.49 on the menu.

The curry bowl was a decent size and the chunks of beef were on the large size, the curry itself was OK, the flavor of it was kind of one note and the meat was lacking the flavor of being stewed and cooked in the curry like I’ve had at other Indian places and one thing that I didn’t like was the sounds of a microwave being set when my meal was being prepared evident by this

the meat was lukewarm in the middle and kind of tough~in a nuked kind of way. I think next time I’ll stick to chicken or totally vegetarian.

This is the small bite I chose, they call these Potato Tikkis, again they go for $2.99 for 2 pieces and they comes with a side of Rasoee Indian ketchup.

They are vegetarian and filled with ground chickpeas, spices and potato and the outside is light and crispy. I really enjoyed these on their own but I didn’t like the Indian ketchup~it had the taste of strawberry jam for some reason and it was too spicy for my tastes.

At the end of the day my meal was OK from Rasoee and I’ll still keep them on my list of quick eats when I’m in the area.

Rosie’s on Robson-Identity Crisis!

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Sean

I’ve passed by Rosie’s on Robson for years and have never stopped in. It’s a warm, inviting looking joint that is always busy and seemed popular with their breakfasts and brunch items. So when I was down in the area and wanted to try some place new I popped into Rosie’s for lunch.

The space inside is large and open, the wood bar totally dominates one side of the restaurant and the mix of tables and chairs take up the rest of the space. After sitting in here the thing that really struck me how dated this place is and the dark carpet shows that this place really needs a renovation/makeover~where’s Gordon Ramsey and Kitchen Nightmares when you need him!

I was seated promptly by a friendly server and seeing I missed the lunch rush getting a table in a well-lit area wasn’t a issue~the restaurant was deserted except for a couple of tables that were finishing up their meals.

As you can see the menu is pretty big with lots of different choices and I noticed a British Pub themed menu at this point, Items like Curry and Chips and Ploughman’s Platter as well as malt vinegar on the table for the fish and chips:

all very British and I thought I would be in for a good home cooked meal by the way the menu sounded. I steered away from the deep-fried typical British pub fare and went with the servers recommendation:

I started with a Alexander Keith’s Premium White beer for $6.50, I haven’t had this before but I do really like light crisp beers like this so it was a great choice.

This was the main my server recommended, the “house made” Guinness Meatloaf $15, served with a side of blanched green beans, red skin mashed potatoes and sautéed mushrooms and BBQ sauce~this is where the identity crisis starts!

My sides tasted just fine, the beans were cooked but still had some bite to them and were seasoned with butter and some garlic

My potatoes were not gluey and had the red skin from the potato on, they were solid mashed potatoes and were indeed house-made evident by a couple lumps~just like mom used to make!

Now on to the Guinness Meatloaf

It was 2 thick slices of meatloaf that instead of being sauced with gravy it was slathered in BBQ sauce and to make things worse it was store brand Bulls Eye corn syrup laden BBQ sauce and sautéed mushrooms

I don’t know what day my mushrooms saw the frying pan but they were stone cold and reminded me of an optional burger topping~which I think they also double as and the BBQ sauce totally dominated the flavor of the dish and it didn’t help that it was also served in the side as well. I personally think a Guinness mushroom gravy that is made in-house would be a logical choice. The menu also said that the meatloaf had Guinness braised vegetables in it:

this is the other side of one of the pieces and show the extent of the braised vegetables, I didn’t taste any Guinness flavor in the dish at all and this is my main gripe of the dish, it says that it in made in-house but the meat loaf had a weird mystery meat texture to it and it was perfectly smooth and void of any texture~something that comes from a factory and you would expect to find in a frozen TV dinner.

At the end of the day for $15 I expected a little bit more for a house specialty and really simple item do right, my side dishes and beer were better than the “meat” of the meat and potatoes dish I ordered. I would have said something about what I received to the waitress but seeing the kitchen would put out something like that I wasn’t looking to experiment with something else and also when presented with my bill I noticed this odd thing:

The Elephant and Castle???, WTF??, I can remember this from my childhood and had bad meals there

nowhere on Rosie’s menu or advertising say that I’m dining at the Elephant and Castle Pub, I they had appropriate signage outside I don’t think I would have come here and spent $28 with tip for lunch. My final words of wisdom~don’t come here!