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 ]

EAT! Vancouver

EAT! Vancouver was a great way to spend the afternoon today. The entry fee was very reasonable, at only $12.00 per person, if you brought with you a non-perishable item for donation to the food bank; otherwise, admission was $14.00. There were an impressive number of exhibitors who were eager to share their products, free samples, and information. If that wasn't enough to satiate the appetite, you could purchase additional tickets to sample food and drinks from participating restaurant booths and liquor vendors.

The participants from the culinary competition created and displayed some incredibly beautiful dishes, which were so detailed, colorful, and elegant. They were absolutely gorgeous to look at. I thought this particular dish was so pretty:


Over at the Chocolate Stage, I witnessed a chocolate-eating competition, where one young fellow ate 30 gourmet chocolates in 2 minutes! Why didn't I put my hand up when they asked for a volunteer contestant from the audience?


Today the Professional competitors in the Belcolade Chocolate Competition certainly showed off their stuff. These chocolate skates were a fantastic showpiece, representing the 2010 Winter Olympics.


I'm also happy to report that a recent graduate from our Professional Pastry Class at NWCAV took home Bronze for his three dessert creations.  


Congratulations! Job well done!

Click here to see more pictures from EAT! Vancouver. Tomorrow is the last day of the festival.

Tagged as: [ chocolate competition culinary showpiece vancouver ]

The Belcolade Chocolate Competition | May 25-27, 2007 - Vancouver, BC

Conducted by the BC Chefs' Association, the annual EAT! Vancouver Festival will be hosting a new and exciting event this year. Belcolade, North Leaf, and Rubens will be sponsoring the first Chocolate Competition where pastry professionals and students can enter to show off their skills and creativity. Three wonderful categories are open for entry:

• Chocolate Showpiece (Theme - Thrive for Gold, 2010 Winter Olympics)
• Plated Desserts
• Bonbon and Praline

North Leaf will provide each competitor with 1kg of dark and 1kg of light Belcolade chocolate at no extra charge. The application deadline is May 11, 2007. Good luck to all of the contestants!

Tagged as: [ belcolade bonbon canada chocolate competition dessert pastry praline showpiece vancouver ]

Happy Chinese New Year!

Hope you were able to join in on the festivities in one way or another. Here are some pictures from the parade in Vancouver's Chinatown.

Tagged as: [ canada chinatown newyear parade vancouver ]