DOV 2018: YEW, fantastic fish dishes!

Restaurant: YEW (visit their website here)

Location: 791 West Georgia Street, Vancouver
Cuisine: Seafood, Canadian
Dineout Price: $40

Date of visit: January 22, 2018
Atmosphere: 4/5
Staff/service: 5/5
Food variety: 4/5
Food quality: 4.5/5
Buck worthy? 4/5

For date night, we decided to revisit YEW since their Dine Out was so enjoyable last year. Sadly, we weren't able to try all three options available, though I saw other people order the scallop, beef, and cookies n' cream dessert-- all looked equally delicious.




We were started with some bread and a lobster spread (didn't get the name, only heard lobster and olive oil). It was delicious! Reminded me of a tuna paste but with some lobster and in the form of a mousse-like concoction.

Couldn't resist also ordering some oysters ($3.75 each), they had Paradise Cove rotating through this evening. These were medium sized, plump, and fresh. Briny and creamy with a sweet finish. Yum! It came with fresh horseradish, a red wine vinaigrette, and hot sauce.

Appetizers

Tiger Prawn Ceviche
peppers, red onions, lemon, coriander
The funny thing about this was that I actually got the vegan version first! I dug around trying to find my beautiful prawns...to no avail. Our server promptly brought me the right dish after this was flagged.

I enjoyed this bright dish, it was light and tangy with fresh veggies and large prawns. Some of the butter lettuce pieces were larger than bite-sized, but easily folded to fit a mouthful.

Salmon Gravlax
cucumber, avocado, toasted sesame, tamarind sauce
Adorables started on this dish first and he was quite impressed. The salmon was smoked and the flavors of the tamarind sauce enhanced the creamy avocado. Just the right amount to start our meal.

Entrees

Steelhead Salmon
brussels sprouts, pickled daikon, bonito consommé
This dish won my heart. The salmon was so perfectly cooked it melted in my mouth. Upon first entry, it has a crispy exterior and buttery salmon inside. Brussels sprouts and consomme felt a little detached to the dish, as if it could've been there or not. Tasty nonetheless.

Ling Cod
parsnip chiboust, winter vegetables, Jerusalem artichokes
Every year we seem to order both fish options for our mains, so here's the other. Still beautifully cooked, this ling cod was full of rich fish flavor of its own. It was falling apart a bit though. Exterior was golden and crispy.

Desserts

Pistachio Cherry Tart
brandy soaked cherries, crème Anglaise, sweet butter crust
As I've noticed, pistachio seems to be a common choice of ingredient this year for dineout. The plating of this dish was so elegant and beautiful. Aside from the brandy soaked cherries, which I don't like to begin with, this was a delicious dessert. Not too sweet, the pistachio concoction atop the sweet butter crust created a wonderful combination of textures and flavors.

Earl Grey Chocolate Mousse
38% milk chocolate, orange gelée
The star of the show goes to this dish. I mean, look at the sparkles on it! Although a small piece it was rich, creamy, and just the right amount. The earl grey was prominent in the mousse and not overpowered by chocolate. The base itself was dense but also had crispy bits in it! A wonderful surprise in textures. We both felt it was amazing because it wasn't overly sweet and strong in tea flavor.

And thus concludes another memorable Dine Out experience at YEW for us. They ended our meal with some complimentary financiers-- chewy on the outside and fluffy moist cake on the inside. I loved them, and even ate Adorables' share (only half,  I let him have a bite). 

Aside from the food, service is always attentive and friendly. A solid choice every year!

Pokéworks: Fresh Poke-- works for me :D

We were touring some relatives from out of town downtown and I've had a couple friends talk about another new poke place in Vancouver, so we headed over to Pokéworks so they could try poke! Conveniently located within walking distance of the convention center (it's basically beside Chewies, entrance faces Cordova), it was a prime location that wasn't too crowded.

Restaurant: Pokéworks (visit their website here)

Location: 150-1021 West Hastings Street
Cuisine: Poke, Hawaiian
Price range: ~$15-20 (Depends on how many add-ons and size)

Date of visit: October 16, 2017
Atmosphere: 5/5
Staff/service: 5/5
Food variety: 4.5/5
Food quality: 4.5/5
Buck worthy? 4/5

It wasn't a busy time when we visited (around 4pm on a Monday), and greeted promptly by staff. They had the typical poke setup, with proteins first, then veggies and other toppings after. I ordered two large bowls ($13.50) from their signature works menu. There is an option to create your own bowl too.

I got the Hawaiian Classic and chose extra kale, diced mango, edamame, cucumber, sweet onion, crab salad, masago, seaweed salad, seasame seeds, and onion crisps, garlic crisps, and shredded nori from their crunch items (all included in price). The ahi tuna was fresh, didn't taste fishy, and went well with their classic sauce. Maybe I was greedy and got too many toppings but I felt there wasn't enough rice to compliment the ingredients.

The second bowl I got was the Shiso Salmon and again, I added most of the above ingredients on top. Personally not a fan of wild salmon, so I enjoyed the fresh farmed fatty salmon. I could feel it was fresh since it had nice bite to it, not mushy at all! Went great with the fresh ponzu sauce! Again, I felt more rice would've made for a more filling meal, but I want those greens to make myself feel healthier =D

Overall, the bowls were huge and full of good quality ingredients. I've been to a Seattle location and Pokéworks offers a good price for what you get, especially considering it's a prime downtown location. Staff were friendly and quick. I hope they can keep up the good work and continue improving! (Had a friend go and her order was completely wrong, staff working at that time had no clue what was going on)

YEW: Last dineout-- datenight!

To end our Dine Out adventures this year, we decided on YEW, located at the Fairmont beside Pacific Center. They offered a $40 3-course menu with optional wine pairings for each course (various prices). The inside decor is classy but felt comforting. Our server was very friendly and started us with some hot water. Adorables said that he looked familiar, almost like a person he had met during a volunteering mission many years ago!

We were provided with bread to start, Adorables and I gorged on their bread with herb butter.

I ended up dipping my bread in their Yew Lobster Bisque with crispy leek and croutons. I enjoyed this dish the first time I came, but it had been so long I didn't really remember the taste, only "it was good". This was a very creamy but thin bisque. Rich lobster shell flavor. Although it was a small bowl, it soon proved to be a little much all for myself (of course I shared the rest with Adorables).

I talked Adorables into getting the Albacore Tuna with green lentil salad and winter vegetables. Plated as a tower of fish on top of a green lentil salad and garnished with winter vegetables, it was a beautifully colorful arrangement.

Tuna was nice and fresh, lentil added texture to the mushy tuna. Gotta say their plating was simple yet elegant.

I knew it was a silly idea but we both chose more fish for our meal, with Adorables getting the Roasted Salmon with Greek style vegetables and coriander. The fish was cooked perfectly, flakey and not overdone. A golden sheen on the outside on a bed of veggies and soup. Adorables enjoyed the pairing of soup to his fish. I was impartial to this.

I had the Pan Fried Sablefish with vegetables spaghetti, coconut and bouillabaisse. This was a magnificent dish. The sablefish was flakey, moist, and melted in my mouth. Paired with the delicious bouillabaisse-- the dish was well enhanced. I liked this "soup" base more than the one Adorables had since it was more fragrant and full-bodied. The vegetable spaghetti was fine and nicely twirled on my fork.

Onto the dessert round! Their Green Mountain was made with green tea, chestnut, and vanilla yuzu creme. It was a smooth, creamy explosion of green tea flavor in my mouth. The chestnut was very sweet but in small amounts was fine with the rest of the dessert. I loved the shape of it, so cute!

Couldn't decide on the other dessert, our server recommended the Jitters Gateau made with coffee and brown butter Pain de Gênes, coffee cream, and coffee hazelnut streusel. It was amazing! I don't know what made the crunchy bits, but along with the cream and cake-- this was a wonderful dessert experience with a variety of sweet and bitter and textures too!

By the end of the night, we had fully enjoyed our meal and spent some time looking through old photos trying to remember the name of the guide who led the volunteer mission in Morocco-- it turns out our server was indeed the same person! He was still building the school, and it had expanded to become a community center with healthcare included. What an amazing end to our evening, and what a small world it is to reunite with old faces halfway across the world!

C | Prime: First Dine Out of 2017!

It's that time of year again, Dine Out season! For those of you unfamiliar with what this is, it's an event that typically runs for two weeks near the end of January into February (before Valentines). Participating restaurants from around the metro Vancouver area offer a special 3-course menu for set prices of $20, $30, or $40. Some may have variations of the 3-course and additional options you can have with your meal, such as wine pairings. Popular restaurants get booked super quick, so best to book ahead of time! You can view the offerings on their website, but dishes may change when you arrive at the restaurant.

For our first Dine Out adventure this year, I picked C | Prime, which is an Italian restaurant located inside Century Plaza Hotel in downtown Vancouver. They offered a $30 3-course menu with an optional $20 (for 9oz) wine pairing.

We were started with some Foccacia bread with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and olives. The bread was fluffy, light and moist, quite enjoyable to begin with as we waited for our food.

I was super excited about their baked clams appetizer, but due to the recent news regarding multiple people experiencing food poisoning-like conditions with oysters, they decided to pull that option from the menu for safety measures and offered a Grilled Calimari Steak on Arugula Salad instead. Adorables ordered this and it was clear that this was a last-minute change to the menu, since the squid was not seasoned all the way through. Texture was chewy and overall an enjoyable dish.

I opted for the Mediterranean Octopus with Heirloom Tomatoes and Fingerling Potatoes. This was another surprise, since originally it was octopus with eggplant and roasted pepper puree, I didn't mind the change though.

The octopus was soft and tender, nicely marinated with flavors deep into the meat. Tomatoes burst in my mouth and the potatoes were cooked well.

To try everything on the menu, MaCherie ordered the Twice Baked Asiago Cheese with Hazelnut Salad. Aesthetically this was the most pleasing of the trio of appetizer options. It looked like a little cookie on the salad!

The texture of the cheese reminded me of quiche, and paired nicely with the salad. A little on the heavier side for appetizers though.

Onto the mains, Adorables got Lamb Loin with Parmesan Risotto, Wild Mushrooms, and Rosemary Jus. The lamb portion felt a little small, but the flavors were deliciously marinated into the meat. The risotto was creamy and rice melted in my mouth nicely. Mushrooms added a nice touch to the flavors dancing in my mouth.

ChezWil, being a chef himself opted for a medium rare variation of the dish, and it looked beautiful. He explained that this allowed him to taste the gaminess of the lamb better.

I got the Arctic Char with Chickpea and Chorizo. The char was almost white in color, which suggests to me that it might be farmed, since the color of the meat depends on the feed that is given to the fish and can be controlled to suit the purchasers' needs. Nonetheless, this was perfectly cooked, the fish was moist and the skin was crispy. I felt a disconnection between the chickpea, chorizo and fish though. It felt like they just happened on the same dish and had little interaction as a dish. It was underwhelming.

Being the trooper, MaCherie opted for the vegetarian option of Gnocchi with Wild BC Mushrooms in a Porcini Truffle Cream Sauce. This was surprisingly my favorite dish out of the three mains. The gnocchi was light, fluffy, and full of flavor. The cream sauce was rich and I could taste the mushroom which complimented the gnocchi well. This was a bit much to eat for one person, since it was so rich and creamy, but we shared it and I couldn't just stop at one piece!

Onto our favorite part of the meal: desserts! Adorables got the Paniforte Siena with Almonds, Hazelnuts, and Candied Fruits, which was a baked cake consisting of the nuts and fruits. It was plated with chocolate creme and I think a salted caramel sauce (with some sort of alcohol I couldn't figure out). The cake wasn't too dry, had some crispy bits and when combined with the bitter chocolate creme and sauce-- made for a deadly combination! I loved it!

I ordered the Lemon Tart with Lemon Curd and Italian Meringue, which was the highlight of dessert. The lemon curd was deliciously tangy, with bits of lemon in it and the consistency was perfect. The smooth and tart lemon curd contrasted well with the sweet crispy tart.

The dish was adorned with meringue pieces and marshmallow, quite pleasing to the eye and palate!

It just happened so that MaCherie ordered the heaviest of the options all meal! The Warm Spiced Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Gelato although delicious, was quite filling. The bread pudding was dense but melted in my mouth. Reminded me of autumn (probably because of the pumpkin), I could taste the pumpkin strongly. Salted caramel gelato helped a little with cutting the heaviness of the bread pudding and was a great end to our meal.

The staff were friendly and helpful, but don't expect fast service here. Our meal lasted three hours as we waited to order, then our food, and the bill!

Cactus Club: A Good Staple to Canada Place

Located conveniently near where we were shooting for Anime Revolution Summer and offering seating with reasonably-priced food for downtown, we found ourselves seated shortly in the outdoor patio area, ready to satisfy our growling tummies.

Restaurant: Cactus Club Cafe (visit their website here)

Location: 1085 Canada Place, Vancouver
Cuisine: Gastropub, Canadian
Price range: $25+ per person



Date of visit: August 7, 2016
Atmosphere: 4/5
Staff/service: 3/5
Food variety: 2/5
Food quality: 3.5/5
Buck worthy? 3.5/5

Since we were seated outside and it was a pretty chilly day, we grabbed a couple blankets draped over the chairs to keep warm. Unfortunately we were never supplied with one more blanket after I had asked for it, so I just froze :c Nevertheless, food was on the way, so I survived!

One of the staples I always try to order here is their Ceviche ($15.25). Composed of Louis Lake Steelhead, prawns, red onions, Thai basil, mint, cilantro, nuoc cham and limes on the side. I love the tart sauce intermingling with the salmon and prawns on a crispy tortilla shell. It's very appetizing and refreshing.

For my main I ordered a Short Rib Pappardelle ($22.50) because I had pasta cravings since forever for pappardelle (don't know why but I do). This totally hit the spot. Made with slow-braised short rib with porchini mushroom cream sauce topped with grana padano-- delish! The rib was moist and flavorful, it melted in my mouth. Pasta was cooked al dente and soaked up the sauce well. Began being delicious but does get a bit heavy after a couple more bites.

Thought I'd need to order more food for Adorables since I thought I could finish all that pasta by myself . . . so I got something "smaller" which was their Baja Fish Tacos ($14.50). Ocean wise lingcod was beer battered and topped with shredded cabbage, chipotle aioli, fire roasted tomato salsa, pickled red onions and guacamole wrapped in a soft tortilla shell. The cod was fresh and moist inside with a crispy exterior but the batter was too oily and dense. Guacamole didn't wow me either, rather bland and tasteless.

Overall it satisfied my starving tummy, and waitresses were friendly in general. I really wish I got that blanket though. Otherwise they were quite accommodating for us cosplayers and photographers with all our gear!