Goldfish Pacific Kitchen | Yaletown, Vancouver

As part of a blogger marketing campaign, Marcelo and I recently had dinner at Goldfish Pacific Kitchen, a spacious, alive and sexy restaurant in Yaletown. From the time we walked in right up until we left, the service was fantastic - the hostesses, servers, kitchen and bussing staff were all attentive, friendly and efficient.

Most important is the food, which focuses on seafood fusion. We ordered the prawn and chicken gyoza with ginger red vinegar ($9) to start. They were very tender, so much so that they tended to fall apart when you picked them up. Nevertheless, they were quite delicious and I'd order them again.

Marcelo is usually on the hunt for a restaurant that can cook a good ribeye steak. Goldfish's came with a brandy peppercorn sauce and mushroom risotto spring rolls ($35) - risotto spring rolls? That one sounded strange. I ordered the pan-roasted halibut with prawn meringue and baby bok choy served in a lemongrass broth ($26).

We have noticed that quite a few restaurants in the city underplay how large the portions are and always suggest ordering a "side dish". The servers often say the main doesn't come with much more than a tiny "garnish". We should have known better, but went ahead and ordered the pan-roasted corn with green chilies and cilantro ($8) and the hand-cut fries with lemongrass-scented ginger aioli ($6).

It turned out that both mains were quite substantial. Underneath my tasty piece of halibut was a healthy amount of bok choy - enough to complete the meal. The first few sips of the lemongrass broth were quite spicy (and I love spicy), but I felt it sort of overpowered the fish. Overall, the fish was cooked well and the dish had nice flavors.

Marcelo's medium-rare ribeye steak was a delicious cut of meat that was cooked perfectly. We both did not like the two risotto-stuffed spring rolls that accompanied it though. While we appreciate fusion cuisine, we thought this one was taken way too far. In our opinion, spring rolls and risotto just aren't meant to be friends. It seems wrong. (I bet the eyeballs of a certain Italian I know would pop out of his head if he reads this.) The risotto was mushy and competed with the flavor from the oil in the wrapper. I always admire the restaurant that keeps their menu simple and is able to nail each component. We both would have preferred a small side of perfectly-cooked risotto to dig our forks into.

The presentation for each plate was quite nice but the disappointing part was there was just too much food. We are not light eaters?but the additional sides were not necessary as the mains were generous enough. However, we both loved both the fries and the spicy pan-roasted corn. The sad part is that there was absolutely no room for dessert.

Overall, dinner at Goldfish was very pleasant. We'll visit Goldfish again, but will make a mental note to order less. Try it out for yourself.

Tagged as: [ culinary restaurants review vancouver ]

Salsa & Agave Mexican Grill | Vancouver, BC

With new restaurants springing up nearly every day in Vancouver, competition ought to be fierce. You'd think restaurant owners would strive to keep customers coming in. Not always so. Last week, Marcelo and I stopped at an unnamed oceanside bar/restaurant for a drink and a light snack. It was a seat-yourself environment so we sat down on the patio and waited?and waited?and waited.

The servers were too busy entertaining their friends at the bar inside to realize other customers were trying to get their attention. Noticing the frustration on their faces, it didn't take us long to figure out we needed to move on. It's not like this establishment had no competition either - with packed restaurants on either side of it, this one was barely a quarter full.

I'm thankful it happened because after we left, we discovered Salsa and Agave, a marvelous little Mexican restaurant that opened just over 3 weeks ago. Now this is what a restaurant should be like - warm and hospitable. Family-owned and operated, I knew the moment I walked in and heard "mama from Mexico" was cooking, it was going to be great. When you eat food like this, it's obvious it comes from someone who loves to cook and wants to share it with you.

Salsa and Agave's service is super friendly and attentive; the food is fresh and tasty. I ordered the pozole soup (available only on weekends), which was based on a flavorful pork stock, containing corn grains. It was served with crunchy corn tortillas, fresh lime, and lettuce, which you sprinkled into the bowl. Our server was kind enough to bring by some oregano because she thought it gave the dish an extra touch, and it did. Marcelo had the plate of 3 rolled tacos - shredded chicken, shredded beef, and potato. All were scrumptious.

We were back again this evening and tried the Azteca soup - a tortilla soup containing chipotle pepper, freshly diced avocados, cheese, and sour cream. I can't decide which soup I like more because they were both fantastic. The chicken enchiladas were authentic, spicy, and satisfying.

This has quickly become one of my favorite places for a casual dinner out. I feel happy when I leave and am glad they offer take-out. The restaurant is already packed and should brace for lineups. I have no hesitation to give this kind of establishment my business.

Salsa and Agave is situated in the heart of Yaletown and is open from 11:00am to 9:30pm. It's sadly closed on Mondays, but mama needs to rest too!

Tagged as: [ mexican restaurants review vancouver ]

Cobre Restaurant - Nuevo Latino Cuisine | Gastown, Vancouver, BC

Marcelo and I stumbled upon the week-old Cobre Restaurant a few days ago. Their intriguing menu, which fuses the cuisines of Argentina, Cuba, Brasil, and Mexico, lured us to try it out with a couple of friends this evening. This lofty-style restaurant, situated in a Gastown heritage building, is very warm and relaxing. The decor is gorgeous and I love how they expose the old brick walls.

Most importantly, the food is amazing. We ordered 10 tapas-style plates to share and each had their own unique and phenomenal flavors. The menu has many highlights. I plan to go back just for a bowl of the pozole oxtail soup, followed by the vaca frita (flash seared skirt steak). The blue corn crusted chicken thighs, served with delicious plantain and marinated okra, were a big hit. We also tried three different kinds of tacquerias: pulled duck, poblano chili, and pork saddle. Another gem was the refreshing halibut ceviche, which literally melted in your mouth. I'm getting hungry all over again just thinking about it. I don't need to say any more. Just go.

Tagged as: [ cuisine restaurants review ]

Jules - Casual French Bistro | Gastown, Vancouver, BC

We recently had dinner at a lovely little French bistro. Jules is another wonderful addition to Gastown, which is an area that is on its way to being one of Vancouver's hottest spots. Development is booming and I'm glad to see care being taken to retain the character of existing old buildings.

The dining room at Jules is comfortable and airy with its high ceilings and many windows. I can hardly wait to also sit on their patio in summer. We all wound up ordering some form of beef for our entrées, so I can't comment on the rest of the menu yet, but everyone was very pleased with their dish. The sauces were delicious and the frites were hot and crunchy. Our waitress was helpful, offered wine suggestions, and the service, overall, was great.

If you opt for the fixed menu, you will receive fantastic value for only $21.00. Marcelo enjoyed a fresh bistro salad, AAA rib-eye steak with frites, and a chocolate terrine dessert. We are already anticipating our next visit and will make sure to try Jules out for lunch too.

Tagged as: [ cuisine french restaurants review ]

Dine Out Vancouver | Gastropod Review

Following a good tip from a past culinary classmate, we decided to try out Gastropod during Dine Out Vancouver.

We had visited restaurants during a similar event in DC but found that either the portions were far too big for a 3-course meal or the restaurant was too pretentious and annoyed at the fact that they were participating in the affair.

Gastropod turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Having been open only 7 weeks, everything was spot on. Not surprising, given Chef Angus An's impressive experience! 

In the $25.00 prix fixe dinner, we each had beef brisket stew braised in espresso with croutons. It was piping hot and seasoned very well.

Marcelo's entree consisted of a very moist pan roasted chicken breast that was served with warm Israeli couscous, tossed with chorizo, capers, spinach and parmesan cheese. I had the roasted wild mushroom risotto with garlic foam. It was decadently rich and full of flavor.

Dessert was tasty. I chose the coffee brownie with vanilla crème fraîche and caramel ice cream. Marcelo had the creamy vanilla rice pudding with pine nuts, nutmeg syrup, and crushed nutmeg tuiles.

The ambiance was warm and the service was fantastic – attentive (but not overly), helpful, and refreshingly unpretentious. We both thought the portion sizes were perfect and the time between each course was well spaced out. We will definitely visit this restaurant again.

Tagged as: [ culinary dine gastropod review vancouver ]