East side art Crawl and a taste of Russia

November in Vancouver is not my favourite month, the days are short, rainy and cold. The only thing that makes it bearable is that next month is December with all that brings. Another thing to look forward to in November is the East side culture crawl.  I go every year, for at least one day, and wander round the studios until I am too tired or satiated with all the art. This year instead of going to large studios one of which holds 128 artists we decided to wander around Strathcona and visit individual artists sometimes in their own homes.

After an hour of wandering aimlessly looking at art and buying jewellery, we stumbled across someone with food in a take out container that they said they got from the Ukrainian church basement. As this was only a block away we headed over for a perogie lunch.  The church basement looked just like a church basement should, institutional with bad lighting, hard stacking chairs and grey walls.

The food on the other hand was great. Made by the woman of the church with pride and my friend who had grown up in Winnipeg said that it was very authentic to the large Ukrainian population on the prairies.  We got two lunches to share between the three of us $13.00 each plate.  A vegetarian lunch perogies, cabbage rolls, coleslaw and borscht.

vegetarian borscht

We also had the non vegetarian lunch, perogies, cabbage rolls, coleslaw and Ukrainian sausage.

Bob likes Thai food

Across the road from work a couple of months ago the small restaurant Go Fish closed, and shortly thereafter a new restaurant opened up.  I checked the menu and it was a Thai restaurant called Bob Likes Thai Food.  So on Thursday night when Nancy my husband and I were going to the theatre and needed somewhere in the area for dinner I suggested this place as I was getting a good vibe about it.

The first thing that stuck out on the menu was Bob's poutine, Nancy and I decided we had to try it, so we ordered a portion to share.

These were amazing, tarot chips with a light fragarent thai sauce, hot peppers and a little fried tofu to emulate the cheese curds.  There was just enough sauce to make them flavourful, but not soggy and the chips were light and crispy with no hint of grease.  To say I loved them would be an understatement.

We each then ordered a dish to share, I ordered rather boringly beef coconut curry.

Spontaneous Urban day in Vancouver with lunch at the VAG

The weather continues to be warm and the sun keeps shining and it seemed like a good day to be a tourist in our own very beautiful city. There is an exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG) that is nearly over, that I had been meaning to get to all summer, so Connie Nancy and I set out for a day of art and exercise.

Granville Street Bridge with Burrard behind

The exhibit was a collection that had been amassed by the Cone sister of Baltimore.  it contains the largest collection of Matisse in the world.  Not only was the art awe inspiring, but the story of these two sisters from the turn of last century was inspirational as well.  These were two strong minded women, who I would like to say were truly independent, but unfortunately they gained their money from their brother and father, so that can not quite be said.  Regardless they lived their enviable lives travelling Europe collecting art (and clothes) and the eldest sister was a research Doctor.

We thoroughly enjoyed the exhibit which included a very good documentary film hosted by Micheal Palin.  After all this culture we were ready for lunch and headed up to the gallery cafe.

We picked up our food and found a table in the dappled sunshine on the deck.  Even if the food hadn't been very good, this would be a wonderful place to come for lunch right in the heart of downtown Vancouver.  But fortunately the food is good too, it seems to me when in doubt where to have lunch in a new city head to an art gallery or museum.

Monk McQueens

If I was going to give a prize for the best deck in Vancouver, Monk Mcqueens would come very high on the list. It is set over the water in False Creek and is extensive, my only complaint is that on a very hot sunny evening like the one that we were lucky enough to have there is no shade.  Even the umbrellas are not the kind that bend.  I really think they should invest in some bending umbrellas.

They advertise themselves as a fresh seafood and oyster bar and the menu is very heavy on the seafood with a few non fish choices. We had trouble choosing a wine, and when we finally chose one, we decided that we did not care for it. They very accommodatingly said that as this was one that they served by the glass we could pick another one at no cost. We wanted to order a couple of appetizers to share as a couple of party were not staying for dinner.  But there are not a lot of choices on the menu that lent them selves to this.  We decided on panko coated calamari $14.00 and tuna poke $15.00.

The calamari was crisp and fresh and served with tatziki.  This was good but nothing out of the ordinary.  The Tuna poke was in fact soy marinated tartar with avocado and won ton chips.

Suika West Broadway

I have actually been to this restaurant several times for lunch as it is close to work and very good.  This week it was a colleagues birthday, so 6 of us went for lunch to celebrate.  This is not your normal Japanese food that I am familiar with, so I struggle a little with menu not really knowing what things are.  But I have always been pleased with what I received even if sometimes as was the case this time a little surprised.

What ever you order the meal always starts with a green salad served family style in a big bowl.

This has a very tasty dressing, I have to say one of my favourite things to order in a Japanese restaurant is the green salad as the dressing is usually very good.

One member of our party ordered a sashimi rice bowl

This as the name would suggest was chopped up sashimi served on top of rice, I did not try any of this but he seemed very happy with it.

A couple of people ordered the spicy shrimp on rice.

Nu restaurant

I work on South Granville in Vancouver. There are a plethora of good restaurants for lunch and dinner, from extremely expensive to extremely cheap, of almost every ethnicity that you can think of. Last Tuesday I had an appointment after work, that meant I had to grab a quick bite to eat before going.  I did not want to spend a lot of money or time, so I decided to go to Nu restaurant. This little hole in the wall take out is owned by the same people as the upscale "C" restaurant.

The interior is spare and simple as is the menu. They advertise that they provide modern, authentic homemade Greek food. The choices are basically souvlaki with a choice of several meats and seafood with a selection of 4 salads and 3 dips.

I ordered the lamb souvlaki with chickpea and mint salad along with greek salad.

Vij's Restaurant

I don't think that there is any doubt that Vij's is the best Indian restaurant in Vancouver, possibly North America.  When he first opened up 18 years a go, I would eat there a couple of times a week for lunch. The food was amazing and cheap and Vij was always there greeting and serving and generally making everyone welcome. I went to Vij's restaurant this week for the first time in a while and it was as good as ever, and Vij was as welcoming as ever. I am afraid I did not take many or very good pictures, due to not wanting to embarrass my son too much.

We arrived at 5:15 and there was already a long line up to get in, Vij opened the door at 5:30 precisely and we all filed in.  We got a table for three, but we were near to the last table seated, the remainder had to wait until we had finished!  You can not make reservations and this was on a Wednesday night, it only gets worse on the weekend, but if you are willing to eat early it is worth the 15 or 20 minute wait in line.

My Father and Son both ordered spiced duck breast with fennel seed curry.

This cost $28.00 but the duck breast was very large and meaty, in the picture above several pieces had already been taken off the plate.  The duck was char grilled and still rare inside with the most delicious curry sauce and potatoes underneath.  I was jealous as this was very delicious, but they shared with me.  The food comes in serving bowls and everyone is given a small plate, so sharing is definitely encouraged.

Poets Cove Pender Island

I just spent 3 days on Pender Island celebrating a friends birthday, I won't out her but it lets just say it was a big one.  I have known her for 30 years and it was an honour to be included in this small group of women to mark this milestone.  Part of the celebration was a trip to Poets cove resort and spa for a massage and lunch.

We were ushered into the spa area by a very friendly young lady and while two of us indulged in an hour long aroma therapy massage the other three went to the steam cave and hot tub.  Totally relaxed and refreshed we went to join them in the hot tub which is set in the rocks overlooking the Marina.  Due modesty concerns and possibility of blackmail I have no photo's of this very pleasant interlude. So instead here is a picture of the view from the Aurora restaurant where we went for lunch.

Since this was mid March and not on the weekend only one restaurant was open and it was not very busy.  In fact I was a little concerned that the food might be a little tired and not too fresh because of this, but I was proven completely wrong.

The lunch time menu is casual and includes mostly sandwiches and burgers, which I understand are normally part of the menu of Syrens bistro which will reopen for the season on April 1st.

I ordered the home smoked salmon sandwich with salad (with a promise of some stolen fries from a friend)

A little education and a little Society

Saturday morning I woke to the worst of Vancouver winter weather, pouring rain, gray almost dark skies and not an end in sight.  So My friend and I decided to make the best of it and drive in to town and visit some of indoor sites that we had not seen before.  The weather was starting to clear up a little (only drizzling not raining) as we pulled up to the Beaty Biodiversity Museum at UBC.

My Father had been here when it first opened and raved about the building and the whale skeleton.  He was right it is a beautiful simple building and what greets you at the entrance is an enormous blue whale skeleton.

It is very striking and in a small theatre they have a movie telling the story of finding and restoring this amazing exhibit.  We joined a tour that just happened to be starting as we arrived and spent a very interesting 40 minutes learning a little about the collection and evolution.  I would highly recommend a visit especially if you are at all interested in the story of how we ended up where we are today.

Having thoroughly enjoyed our visit and with our brains brimming with interesting facts and information that sadly would vanish with no trace in a couple of weeks, we decided to go to Yale town for drink and some appetizers.

It had started to rain again and we stumbled in to Society this restaurant is part of the glowbal group of restaurants specializing in childhood-inspired menu. Pizza twinkies, cotton candy, meat loaf and fried chicken. The drink special was a strawberry mojito with cotton candy on top.

We were sitting up at the bar (as the restaurant was fully booked) and the couple sitting next to us not only let me take a picture, but even gave us a little cotton candy to taste.  Who doesn't want a little cotton candy as an appetizer. We on the other hand were very boring and ordered a half litre of very nice red wine.

Lukes Corner Bar and Kitchen

I work on South Granville and have done for nearly 30 years, so I have got to know it very well and am on first name terms with many of the merchants.  There are so many options for eating out, it is only my wallet and waist size that stop me from eating at a different restaurant every day.  Lukes Corner Bar and Kitchen is situated on the corner of Granville and 14th.  This is a little further up than I usually get on my wanderings at lunch time so I am not sure when this opened, the last time I had noticed it was called the red door.

Any way we went there for lunch on Monday to welcome a couple of new members of our finance team and I was pleasantly surprised with the food.
macho chicken salad,   this was grilled spicy chicken with angry pecans chopped egg crisp salami-prosciutto and an avocado-rocket dressing

As usual I asked for my dressing on the side as I am trying to cut down calories and anyway I find often restaurant add too much.  This was a large plate and the chicken was freshly grilled and still warm. The salad was fresh and crisp with spicy pecans and crisp shards of prosciutto sprinkled through it.  All in all in very tasty fresh lunch.

Granville Island

Every big city has a great market, Seattle has Pike Place Market London has Borough Market and Vancouver has Granville Island.  It truly is a world class market, and I am lucky enough to work with in walking distance to it.  But going at lunch time is bitter sweet as their really is not enough time to wander around and really enjoy it, and so it was a treat this Saturday to share hunting and gathering for dinner with my good friend Nancy.

The fruits and vegetables are beautifully displayed by all the vendors and really I do not have a favourite one for fresh produce, I just wander around and find which one has the best of what I want that day.  There is one who sells produce directly from the Okanagan, so the selection available varies by the time of year.  Right now there is an abundance of fresh crisp apples and on their stall this week they had these wonderful gourds which look for all the world like a pair of swans in love.

There are a couple of permanent stores that are my favourites, that I nearly always go to, one of those is Oyama Sausage

Crime Lab Restaurant Vancouver

Saturday night before meeting our friends on their boat, my father, husband and I decided to go out for dinner.  We were parked at the entrance to Stanley Park and so the Crime Lab  was the closest restaurant, and it has a spectacular view of Coal Harbour.

Our timing was perfect, just as we arrived a table of 4 on the deck was paying their bill and so we managed one of the much sought after tables outside.

I did not really have great hopes for the food, the restaurant has such a stunning view and an extensive drinks menu, I thought the food would be a bit of a throw away. But I was wrong, the food though not cheap, was not overpriced and was very good.

My father ordered the seafood linguini.

Home made hummus to go

On Saturday night Vancouver was having the last of 3 nights of "the festival of light"which is a half hour spectacular firework display in English Bay.  hundreds of thousands of people from all over the lower mainland come into town to see this, so when a friend invited us down to their boat to watch them we jumped at the chance.

We arrived at around 7:30 after having eaten dinner, but we were going to have a little nibble to eat and a glass of wine while we waited for the fireworks to begin. Hummus is a healthy alternative to most dips, so I decided to make some to go along with the vegetables that my friend was bringing.

forgive the plastic container but look at the view

I could have bought some, but really it is so easy to make and I always have the ingredients in my fridge and pantry, so I decided to make it instead. But if I do buy hummus, I always add the juice of a lemon or two to brighten up the flavour.

1 can of chickpeas
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup of tahini (you could add more to taste)
Juice of two or three lemons
1/4 cup of olive oil (or water to make even healthier)
salt to taste

Go Fish West Broadway

This restaurant just opened about 2 weeks ago just across from where I work, it is the same people who run the outdoor fish stand down on Granville Island.  I have been there several times and though the food was always good, service was not great and often the lines extremely long.  So when it was suggested last Friday that we go there for lunch I jumped at the chance.

The restaurant is located where Bin 942 was at 1521 West Broadway and I believe is run by the same people as Bin 942.  The decor has completely changed much brighter and a little down market from the previous incarnation.

One of my friends ordered the scallop ceviche, she was served what looked like ceaser salad with two cooked scallops.  When she questioned this the waitress said that they would bring the correct dish and was very apologetic.  She said why don't you eat this anyway while the correct dish is made.  I shared as I had my own problems.  This was very good with lightly grilled romaine lettuce, the dressing on the side and two bacon wrapped scallops.  We both enjoyed it and then her dish arrived.

Salad de Fruits Restaurant Vancouver

My Father met me after work one evening this week and since the rest of the family was not going to be home for dinner we decided to go out.  The choice of where to go was not too hard as one of our favourite restaurants was close by, Salad de fruits.  It turned out to be a lovely evening so we thought it would be nice to sit outside on their deck and enjoy the evening.

Out door seating at Salad de fruits

  We started by sharing a Salade de chèvre chaud. (salad with warm goat cheese) This is a salad that I make sometimes, and we thought it would be a nice light start to the meal.

The salad was good, it had a light dressing on the mixed lettuce not drowning as I often find restaurant salads, and the cheese croutons were warm crisp and tangy.  Nothing spectacular but good never the less.

I ordered my old stand by duck confit.  It came with a wonderful cassis sauce that was tangy and not too sweet, and a selection of tender crisp vegetables.  This really was not authentically french, as in France traditionally the vegetables are well cooked and usually do not come with the meat.  But authentic or not they were delicious and cooked perfectly the duck and vegetables were sitting on a lovely garlic mashed potatoes.  These were so good I think they must have had a whole lot of butter in them, really the duck was not too salty as confit sometimes can be, and it was meltingly tender.

My father ordered Lapin (rabbit) and he decided to opt for fries instead of the vegetables.

There were a lot of fries, but being the good daughter that I am, I helped him out.  The rabbit was delicious cooked confit like the duck and served with a wonderful sauce with olives in it. There was also what tasted like a home made mayonnaise to dip the fries in, if you felt you were not getting enough fat.

Much to our waiters derision we did not have enough room for dessert, but just settled for a cup of coffee.  It was a lovely evening sitting outside enjoying a glass of wine and a wonderful meal together.  The food is always good and the prices are reasonable, with the main courses being around $20.00.  They have a fixed price menu which for $25.00 you get 3 courses, which is a really good deal if you can eat 3 full courses!

Urban dinner downtown - Halibut cheeks with baby vegetables

My good friends daughter who is my adoptive daughter, just moved into an apartment on the 29th floor down town Vancouver. Her Mother and I decided to visit and cook dinner for her and her boyfriend.  First we went to Granville Island to hunt and gather, one of the best places in the world in which to do this.  Sadly I did not take any photographs, but here is the view from her brand new apartment.

Her apartment is brand new and very beautiful, but very small so we picked up some very small vegetables, actually we picked them up because the looked so cute and tasty. This picture really does not show the size as there is nothing for scale, but the zucchini were about the size of my finger.

Very tiny vegetables on very beautiful granite top

We were feeling like fish so we picked up some halibut cheeks at the market, the cheeks really are the best part of the halibut. She had some little potatoes as well so I decided to make a light warm potato salad with those, and to roast the vegetables.

Food carts of Vancouver - Slingers

Finally good street food has arrived in Vancouver, last week I saw this food truck parked just around the corner from work on South Granville just by 10th Ave.  I had already eaten so I asked if they were going to be around for a while and I was assured that they would be in the neighbourhood lunch time Monday to Thursday.  So this Tuesday I decided to give them a try.

Slingers food cart

The food cart was called Slingers and they even have a website check it out. The menu was small and both Florence and I decided to try the Slinger's Signature Parmesan on a bun.  It arrived in a couple of minutes in a neat little biodegradable  box, we carried these back to the cafeteria at work and it was still warm enough.

I opened up the box and this is what I saw.

Chicken parmasan

Nuba Lebanese Restaurant

I discovered Nuba about a year ago and was blown away with their fresh interesting food.  This Thursday Nancy and I were going to the theatre (Death of a salesman) playing downtown Vancouver and due to no better suggestions we decided to go to Nuba for dinner again.

We did not have a reservation which 6:00 on a Thursday night was a bit of a problem, but as we promised to be finished by 7:30 they gave us a table.  It was a hectic week at work for both of us so a large glass of red wine was in order.  We decided to order 4 appetizers and share so that we could try more things.

The first thing to arrive was the Mjadra this was green lentils served with a generous helping of caramelised onions on top and avocado on the side.

The Cactus Club Broadway and Granville

Yesterday I very reluctantly went in to work on what was supposed to be a day off as there are somethings I find really hard to do when everyone is there and constant interruptions.  My good friend Nancy was in the same situation, so we decided to make the best of a bad lot and meet up for a glass of wine and something to eat.  The Cactus Club is next door to where I work so a frequent haunt. I find the people who work there very friendly and efficient, though the waitress "uniform" does nothing for me, then I am a middle aged women not a middle aged man. But I have got over that now and surprisingly the food is very good.

We ordered 3 appetizers as sharing small bites is really my preferred way to eat, that way you get taste lots of different things.  We ordered korean style bbq pork lettuce wraps, beef carpaccio and the prawn and ravioli trio.  These are all Rob Feenie signature dishes, and though obviously he is not cooking them, he knows how to put flavours together.

The prawn and Ravioli dish was recommended by one of the waitresses and I probably would not have ordered it otherwise.  But it ended up being my favourite of the 3 dishes.

Ravioli with prawns (Sorry about the picture quality)

The ravioli was stuffed with butternut squash and topped with a large perfectly cooked prawn and a delicious cream sauce with a hint of truffle.  I think a little truffle goes a long way like sesame oil just a hint is wonderful a little too much is overwhelming.  There were 3 large ravioli and we finished off the sauce by dipping the bread in it.

Beef carpaccio is something I often order at restaurants as I love it and it is not something I make myself, and this is a very good beef carpaccio I have had many times.

Phnom Penh Restaurant

Thursday evening I met a former work colleague for dinner, she and I both enjoy food and trying new restaurants and she had recently returned from a trip to England.  Before going on her trip she wanted my suggestions for places to stay and things to do in London and I was eager to hear how the trip went. We decided to revisit Phnom Penh on the outskirts of China town 244 E Georgia Street.  This is an old favourite and I had not been for a while so I was looking forward to a very tasty meal.

Now the first thing you must know about Phnom Penh is it is illegal to go there and not order the deep fried chicken wings, at least that is what you would think if you looked around.  I don't think I have ever been there and seen a table that did not have them.  This is for good reason they are amazing. So being law abiding citizens we ordered the deep fried chicken wings.  Though I have to say last night they were good but not amazing. Neither of us could put our finger on what the problem was, was there just not enough salt, or was something else missing.  Any way they were good and though we had far too much food we almost finished the the whole plate.