December 11, Saturday – Sunny
I had an appointment near Broadway and Granville and need to find a place for lunch alone. So I decided to try out Q Go Ramen (95?). It’s a small restaurant with simple decor. Different from other Ramen joints, I was served with water and a small bowl of edamame soon after I was seated. Continue reading “Q Go Ramen”
December 3, Friday – light rain
Since our first lunch discovery of Kiriri, we wanted to return and try out more food there for dinner. My friend P was craving Japanese food and dinner with her and K were long overdue. So we decided to meet there on Friday, less than a week from our first visit.
K and us arrived first at the restaurant and compared to last time, the restaurant looked pretty full. We were taken to our table and given hot green tea right away. Shortly, P messaged us that she will be late from her shopping across the border. So we decided to order a warm sake and a few appetizers while we were waiting for her.
We got the Maguro Yamakake (raw tuna with grated yamaimo – mountain yam) . It’s served in a very small but pretty bowl. The dark sauce and the addition of enoki mushroom was different from other restaurants. The tuna was very fresh and soft. We love the slippery, gooey texture of the grated mountain yam which is an acquired texture. It’s similar to the slimy texture of raw egg with rice.
Continue reading “Dinner at Kiriri Japanese Cuisine & Sushi Bar”
December 8, Wednesday – Rainy
This was D’s birthday! I planned to take D to L’Abattoir which is a new restaurant in Gastown that had been talked about by many foodies and on newspaper reviews. A few friends had dinner there before and recommended it as well. The only “catch” was that L’Abattoir didn’t take reservation but we were OK to take the chance. Worst case, I’ve a list of backup restaurants near by. To my surprised, on Monday, I read from Scout Magazine that they just started to take reservations. I quickly made our reservation online. Yes, I have to admit that I prefer having reservation especially for special occasion dinner like this.
We were lucky to find a near by street parking and were greet warmly and taken to our table on the second floor upon our arrival.
To start our dinner, D ordered a cocktail, Donald Draper – Buffalo Trace, Pineau De Charentes, Abricot de Rouillson, Peychauds bitters, Absinthe. It’s a complex cocktail with a warm tone. Nothing overly sweet nor fruity, exactly like what D wanted his drink to be!
In the bread bowl, there were butter rolls, crispy sesame thins and anchovy butter bread sticks. I really really love the bread stick that I asked for second helping. (I rarely eat my bread because they take up too much room in my stomach 😛 ) . The anchovy butter gave it a special kick and it’s warm and flaky.
December 4, 2010 Saturday – Rainy
The Cellar, a popular Jazz Club in Vancouver, has been around for a while. I went there a few times for Jazz shows and for celebration with my friends. It’s a very great place to listen to live Jazz but I never remember how their food was. After visiting the Baker’s Market and The Whip for brunch, I continue with my busy day and celebrated my friend’s birthday at The Cellar. We attended a very enjoyable Flamenco show that night.
We arrived at 6:30 and ordered drinks and wine but I didn’t try their cocktail that night. We also shared the following appetizers:
Antipasto with great olives, goat cheese balls, smoked salmon, prosciutto, melon cubes, grapes, mozzarella, tomato, grilled sweet pepper and crackers. Great dish to start and to share with.
We also ordered Yam Fries and Risotto Cakes. They are crispy and tasty without being greasy (no dripping oil on plate after we finished both dishes)
Continue reading “The Cellar turned into a tablao for a night!”
Dec 04, 2010 Saturday – Sunny
After visiting the Baker’s Market with my friends, we headed off to The Whip on E. 6th for brunch. The Whip is on E. 6th and Main. A new condo is being built across from the restaurant so we had to park 2 blocks from the it. Since it was a nice day, it’s nice to have a walk.
We ordered our drinks and I got the Driftwood White Bark Ale (Victoria) from the tap. It’s in an interesting pale yellow cloudy colour. It had a medium body and was herbal, spicy and yet fruity with a bitter citrus finish. I think it actually tasted sweet and fresh (vs bottled version). A very good beer for brunch ^_^. Sorry I already had a few sip before I remember to take the picture.
