UrbanDiner.ca | Vancouver Restaurant Scene Magazine » Pictorial

November Events Roundup: Cocktails, Cornucopia, Chinois, Bittered Sling Bistro and More!

Editor — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:09:36 +0000

Check out some select photos from a few of the exciting F&B events Urban Diner has attended during the month of November.
(Images by Brian K. Smith)

^ The Craft of Cointreau cocktail competition brought together some of Vancouver's best bartenders on November 6th, 2011. DHM beverage director, Trevor Kallies (sitting left) took home this year's title along with a trip to France to visit the distillery.

^ Legacy Liquor's Amorita Adair, Shangri La lead barman Jay Jones, and Vanmag booze scribe Neal McLennan judging at the Craft of Cointreau cocktail competition

^ Chef Ryan Mah, Peter Girges and Anthony Pratt at the grand opening of their new restaurant Chinois in Yaletown on November 9th, 2011

^ Everyone's favourite Canuck, Trevor Linden, poses with friends and staff at the Chinois opening party

^ Granville Island brewmaster Vern Lambourne poses with a ceremonial RCMP officer at the Butcher & Brewmaster event presented by Whistler's Dubh Linn Gate Pub on November 11, 2011

^ Top Table's Jack Evrensel celebrated Araxi's 30 years at the restaurant's legendary "Big Guns" wine dinner with Terry David Mulligan and friends during Cornucopia on November 11, 2011

^ Revelers at "Casino Royale" presented by Ric’s Grill at Whistler's Cornucopia festival on November 11, 2011

^ More lovely ladies at the Casino Royale party during Whistler's Cornucopia festival

^ The bubbles were flowing at the Crush Gala during Whistler's 15th annual Cornucopia festival

^ No expense was spared for the re-boot of the Bearfoot Bistro's infamous Masquerave party after a 3 year hiatus, now a benefit event for ONE DROP, an initiative of Guy Laliberté, founder of Cirque du Soleil

^ A colourful and voluptuous booze vixen poses at the Masquerave party during Whistler's Cornucopia festival

^ Cornucopia's Masquerave party brought the both the sex appeal and the top shelf booze

^ More masked party goers at Cornucopia's Masquerave party

^ Chambar's lastest man behind the wood, Jacob Sweetapple, shows off one of his fine cocktail creations at a recent media preview on November 15th, 2011

^ Kale & Nori's Lauren Mote and Jonathan Chovancek, along with Barjonesing's Jay Jones and friends at the launch of the Bittered Sling Bistro event at Legacy Liquor Store on November 22, 2011

^ Kale & Nori's Jonathan Chovancek and his helper prepare plates at the Bittered Sling Bistro event at Legacy Liquor Store

^ The Beat 94.5 afternoon host Holly Conway, Lisa Martella, executive director of A Loving Spoonful, Joanne Gassman, senior vice president, B.C. and Yukon, Bank of Montreal, and Nicole Oliver at the World AIDS Day luncheon in support of A Loving Spoonful on November 25, 2011

View more event photos at the UD Facebook gallery: click here

If you have a local event that you feel would be of interest to our readers and would like to appear in the regular “Events Pictorial” feature, please submit the details and invitation to: events@urbandiner.ca

If we are able to attend the event, we will contact you directly to make confirmation.

See you out there!

Sincerely,
Urban Diner events staff

Pictorial: Oakwood Canadian Bistro Opening, Prestons Fall Menu, Dockside’s 10th, Black+Blue Opening Party

Editor — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:19:23 +0000

Check out some photos from a few of the exciting F&B events Urban Diner has attended over the last few weeks.
(Images by Brian K. Smith)

^ At the Oakwood Canadian Bistro opening party on October 20th - bartender Tristan Jensen, owner Mike Shea, general manager Amy Wheatly, and executive chef Mike Robbins

^ Jennifer Yau serves up a tray of OCB Burgers at the opening party

^ Alison Cromie, Farrah Alford and Natalia Lundrigar share a drink at the Oakwood Canadian Bistro party

^ Prestons' general manager Steven Billyard with chef Alessandro Vianello, Ashley Martell, Mark Zwanink, and Michael Schadinger pose during their fall menu preview event

^ Michelle Alexander and Ashley Brown enjoy drinks at Preston's bar

^ Preston's Rachel Ryall with a tray of crispy chicken kaarage

^ Dockside food and beverage director Glen Cormier and brewmaster Mark Simpson behind the bar during Dockside's 10th Anniversary party

^ Sherry Sarnowsky and Bella Chauhan enjoying the evening of special cask beer at Dockside's 10th anniversary party

^ Proprietors Shannon Bosa-Yacoub and Emad Yacoub at the October 28th opening of Black + Blue, the Glowbal Collection's seventh and most ambitious restaurant yet.

^ The heart of Black+Blue is the giant glass meat cooler filled with every cut of beef imagined and lined with bricks of Himalayan rock salt

^ Stepania Indelicato serves up a Blue Bentleys at the Black+Blue opening party

^ Susan Yan serves Black Hills Syrah 2009 in the VIP section of Black+Blue

^ Fitness trainer Anna Wong and media personality Meena Mann at the Black+Blue party

If we are able to attend the event, we will contact you directly to make confirmation.

See you out there!

Sincerely,
Urban Diner events staff

Events Pictorial: Taste of Yaletown, Wine Yacht, iPad Menus at Lift

Editor — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 03:18:22 +0000

Check out some photos from a few of the exciting F&B events Urban Diner has attended over the last couple weeks.
(Images by Brian K. Smith)

^ Hapa Izakaya Bartender Leo Higashio and Alice Huang toast Taste of Yaletown dining promotion running this Wednesday, October 19th - October 30th.

^ Alice Chen of Grooster.com at Hapa Izakaya's Taste of Yaletown media preview

^ Cento Notti Gm Jack Scott pours the bubbles for Heather MacDonald, Taste of Yaletown host Carolyn Smith, Christine Tarves, and Amy Van Vliet

^ Paul Marshall, Executive Chef at Cento Notti in the Opus Hotel serves the popular Tiramisu at the Taste of Yaletown media preview

^ Glowbal Steakhouse Chef Jay Vallee and General Manager Brandon Copico show off the sirloin steak offered on their Taste of Yaletown menu

^ The hospitable folks of Hamilton Street Grill stop to pose during the Taste of Yaletown media preview: Darin Hodge, Neil Wyles, Erin Temleton, and Lisa Conroy

^ House Wine gals, Michaela Morris and Michelle Bouffard toast the launch of the Wine Yacht with a series of wine and food pairings on October 13, 2011

^ General manager and wine director of Lift Bar and Grill, Steve Lobsinger, introduces the restaurant's new iPad menus

EDITOR’S NOTE: If you have a local event that you feel would be of interest to our readers and would like to appear in the regular “Events Pictorial” feature, please submit the details and invitation to: events@urbandiner.ca

If we are able to attend the event, we will contact you directly to make confirmation.

See you out there!

Sincerely,
Urban Diner events staff

Is the World Ready for White Sturgeon Caviar from the Fraser River?

paulkamon — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:21:48 +0000

Is Sechelt going to be the caviar capital of Canada? The Sunshine Coast’s Target Marine Hatcheries, the producers of Northern Divine caviar think so, and have invested over $5 million dollars over the last 11 years to prove it.

The idea to raise farmed sturgeon in Canada (also see Acadian Sturgeon and Caviar from NB) started in some ways as a reaction to the fall of the USSR in 1991 and their loss of control over the Black and Caspian Seas, home to wild Beluga sturgeon, the producers of the world’s finest caviar. With renewed competition for the precious roe from freshly independent republics of the former Soviet Union, the world’s most delicate and prized food, known to fetch up to $10,000 per kilo, was suddenly in turmoil.

Not surprisingly, all the caviar producing countries failed to properly manage the fishery and it went into serious decline, leading to an eventual ban in the US in 2005 followed by an international ban in 2006.

Over a decade ago, Target Marine, a closed containment aquaculture operation that made its business producing salmon smolts for fish farms, saw the opportunity and decided to explore the idea of farming sturgeon. Located on a 60 acre property just north of Sechelt next to Tillicum Bay Marina on the Salish Sea, general manager, Justin Henry, took some time out of his busy day to give Urban Diner an in-depth tour of the facility and their quest to produce the world’s first Fraser River sturgeon caviar.

^ General manager of Target Marine, Justin Henry

The original fish stock was received from Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo where sturgeon research has been on-going since the 1980’s. The recent opening of a $5.25-million International Centre for Sturgeon Studies on campus will ensure further and more in-depth studies, as still very little is known of the life cycle of this mysterious pre-historic fish (read more here).

The Fraser River sturgeon (a white sturgeon) is the largest freshwater fish in North America and can grow up to six meters in length, weigh of over 600 kilograms, and live for over 150 years.

According to the Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society, the white sturgeon population of the lower Fraser River plummeted in the early 1900’s to near-extinction levels as a result of unchecked intensive commercial fisheries and the population has been slow to recover ever since.

Researchers at the university claim that sturgeon are more robust than salmon and deal better living within the closed containment system. The pens at Target Marine are high-tech fish tanks. The fresh creek water that flows-through these giant vats is constantly monitored, aerated and scrubbed of excess CO2 with the solid wastes being removed into a septic tank, eventually ending up as composted fish fertilizer.

When the fish reach a juvenile stage (around 7 kg) their sex is determined, either by ultrasound or by biopsy and they are then separated; the males are processed for meat while the females are further matured to produce eggs, which can be 11 or more years in the making. Extracting the eggs is a delicate operation and requires a sterile environment. First the ovaries are removed, and rubbed on a screen to release the eggs. They are then rinsed, drained and then pure dry salt is added to the mix. Left to rest for approximately 1 hour, they are then graded by size, texture and colour. Right now there are 2 grades (small and large) with plans to increase the grades when the harvest grows each coming year.

The caviar is sold in tins of 30 gram ($99), 50 gram ($155), 100 gram ($304), 250 gram ($744) 500 gram ($1459) and 1 kg ($2860), easily making it the most expensive food product in Canada.

Wondering what this unique culinary product looks like on a plate? The first sales of Northern Divine caviar, which is Oceanwise certified, fittingly went to ocean conservation pioneer Harry Kambolis’s C Restaurant.

Here’s a look at Chef Lee Humphries exclusive Northern Divine caviar menu featured at ‘C’ for $235 per person:

(Images courtesy of Hamid Attie)

^ Kumamoto Oyster and cucumber with Northern Divine Caviar

^ Scrambled Egg smoked hawkshaw salmon, Northern Divine Caviar, brioche

^ Pan Seared Sablefish with Pomme Fondant creamed leeks, caviar-lobster hollandaise

^ Northern Divine Caviar with Potato Blini traditional garnish

With positive reports from the restaurant describing it as a hit with visiting tourists during its first run on the menu this last summer, Sechelt may just have become the ‘Caviar Capital of Canada’.

~ PK

For more information and to purchase Northern Divine caviar, visit: northerndivine.com

EDITOR’S NOTE: Target Marine Hatcheries has applied to the District of Sechelt for rezoning amendment that would allow them to process sturgeon for caviar on the premises. The request has met with some controversy with local residents who have complained about the noise coming from the site and have concerns about the requested changes, citing the open-ended amendment that would allow the operation to increase the size and footprint on the existing site.

In an article in the local paper in January 2011, Target Marine’s Justin Henry responds to the concerns assuring locals that the company does not plan to increase its size and just wants to complete it’s whole operation intact.

“If there’s a way we can word our zoning to limit the size, then that’s what we’ll do. We’re happy to do that.”

“We are asking for the right to add the last half hour to 11 years of sturgeon culture and we are asking the community to support this initiative to leave no doubt in Sechelt council’s minds that this is what the community wants. Sechelt can become the caviar capital of Canada,” Henry said.

The application will be decided by referendum in the next municipal election taking place on November 19th of this year.

Events Pictorial – Wine, Wine, Party, Party!

Editor — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 03:32:40 +0000

Check out some photos from a few of the exciting F&B events Urban Diner has attended over the last couple weeks.

^ Okanagan Crush Pad's Alison Scholefield poses with a bottle of Haywire Rose at the recent wine tasting at the new Boneta in Gastown

^ Okanagan Crush Pad's David Scholefield ready with a bottle from his newly launched line Bartier & Scholefield

^ Okanagan Crush Pad's head winemaker, Michael Bartier, with his red "The Goal" and white "The Cowboy" wines at the exclusive industry tasting at Boneta

^ Laughing Stock Vineyard's David and Cynthia Enns join the Top Table wine directors, Sarah McCauley, Samantha Rahn, and Andrea Vescovi for the official launch of Top Table's "Director's Blends" (a private label wine collaboration) at Cincin Ristorante on Wednesday, September 14th

^ Pink Elephant Thai restaurateur Desmond Chen and friend with Playboy bunnies at the 25th Anniversary of Thai House Restaurants (Image courtesy of Brian K Smith Photography)

^ Thai House restaurateur Desmond Chen poses with local food blogger, Victoria Chemko at his family's 25th anniversary party

Tuesday Hammer Tour

paulkamon — Wed, 11 May 2011 09:44:41 +0000

Tuesday was my night to roam, so I decided to take the VCBW Hammer on tour and visit some of this year’s venues, capturing some of the big personalities that make this 9 day craft beer festival so much fun. Enjoy!

^ Alibi Room's Nigel Springthorpe wields 'The Hammer' and immediately goes berserk with a desire to tap kegs

^ Driftwood brewmaster Jason Meyer in good form at the Alibi Room before the Upright x Driftwood Brewmaster’s Dinner

^ Raincity Brand's Adam Henderson, importer of Oregon's Upright and Ninkasi is rumoured to be in the next Thor sequel

^ Ninkasi brewmaster Jamie Floyd from Eugene, Oregon is excited to join this year's VCBW festivities

^ Alex Ganum, head brewer at Portland's Upright Brewing returns for his second VCBW visit

^ Former Alibi alumni, Gudrun's Patrick Tubajon gets hammered at the Upright x Driftwood dinner

^ VCBW superfan Bert Legg on a beer week vacation from Arizona. Tell your friends Bert!

^ AFIC's Ken Dick at the Irish Heather for the start of the Brooklyn Crawl

^ The Irish Heather's Mike Mitchell prepares to open a bottle of Brooklyn's East India Pale Ale in one swift motion

^ Boneta's Mark Brand never misses. Ever.

Boneta's Neil Ingram is judge, jury, and victorious sommelier after a narrow win over cicerone Chester Carey in their beer vs wine showdown on Monday night

^ Tyson Reimer of Gastown's Peckinpah is ready to tap his next R&B cask and BBQ a whole hog for your fine dining pleasure on Wednesday, May 11 at noon.

^ Howe Sound Brewery co-owner Leslie Fenn is all smiles at their brewmaster dinner at Central Bistro

^ Red Truck's Sam Payne pleads with brewmaster Dave Varga to not spill any of his precious 'Big Black Bock" beer

^ Au Petit Chavignol Chef Jenny Shearman does her best Gallagher impression with chef Joe Chaput's melon at the Red Truck Brewmaster Dinner and Cheese Tasting

^ VCBW superfan, Shangri La Hotel bartender Jay Jones at the Red Truck Brewmaster Dinner and Cheese Tasting at Au Petit Chavignol

Tickets to remaining events still available! Visit: vancouvercraftbeerweek.com

Events Pictorial – Casks, Books, and Lots of Wine

paulkamon — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:18:55 +0000

Check out some photos from a few of the exciting events Urban Diner has attended over the last few weeks.

^ Tom Orange and Norm Eng of Beer Thirst help the Granville Room launch their first weekly cask night with a dry-hopped Elysian ESB

^ Author Andrea Bellamy holds up her latest gardening book "Sugar Snaps and Strawberries" with photographer Jackie Connelly at Barbara Jo's Books to Cooks launch party

^ Wine festival director, Harry Hertscheg, at the 2011 Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival official launch party at Joey's Wine Bar

^ Holler PR's Ryan Bazeley and Urban Diner's own Katherine van der Gracht at Joey's wine fest party

^ Good Life Vancouver's Cassandra Anderton with Breakfast Television's Dawn Chubai help celebrate the launch of the 2011 wine festival

^ Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Global TV's Nathan Fong at Market at the Shangri La's "Wine Down" post-fest cocktail party

^ Mark Anthony's Debbie Shing and Le Vieux Pin's Rasoul Salehi pose at the Wine Down party at Market by JG

^ 49th Parallel's Barrett Jones, Cincin barman Colin Turner, and Montecristo food scribe Joie Alvaro Kent at the Wine Down party

Events Pictorial – Tales of the Cocktail Edition

paulkamon — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 08:59:42 +0000

Check out some photos from the 1st annual Tales of the Cocktail on Tour in Vancouver.

^ Dave Arnold and Don Lee after their Tales of the Cocktail "Science of Cocktails: New Techniques Behind the Bar" demonstration

^ Pourhouse bartenders Brian Grant and Christopher Flett during the Tales of the Cocktail bar crawl present their signature cocktail the "Chimney Sweep"

^ L'Abattoir bartender, Shaun Layton proudly presents his barrel-aged Martinez

^ The Refinery's Lauren Mote w/ her signature TOC cocktail the "Mayflower"

^ Master Distiller Desmond Payne, the father of Beefeater's 24 premium gin, shows off his baby

^ Chef Nico Schuermans and cook roasting a pic in front of Chambar for the Tales of the Cocktail wrap party on March 15

^ Brown and Foreman's Chase Stampe poses with Canadian Professional Bartenders Association president, Dani Tatarin at the final Tales of the Cocktail Vancouver event, Chambord's Palais Royale at The Refinery on March 21

^ Sazerac fans pose with Buffalo Trace Master Blender, Drew Mayville

^ The Tales of the Cocktail on Tour Vancouver Team (top) Paul and Ann Tuennerman, Jay Jones (bottom) The Cocktail Angels (L-R) Neely Hannah, Michelle Dunnick, Melissa Young, Christina Gaspari

Events Pictorial: Marquis, Southern Comfort, Dining Out for Life, 100 Nights, and a New Latitude

paulkamon — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 07:37:34 +0000

Check out some photos from a few of the exciting events Urban Diner has attended over the last few weeks.

^ Benton Brothers, Jonah and Andrew, serve some of their fine cheese at Marquis Wine Cellars' annual "Social Media Friends Tasting"

^ Wendy McGuinness, bar manager of Chambar, poses with her cocktail at the Southern Comfort Society Challenge at the Cascade Room

^ Jon Smolensky of Brix, recent winner of the "Tales of the Cocktail on Tour Official Cocktail Competition" competing at the Southern Comfort Society Challenge

^ The Southern Comfort Society Challenge winner The Keefer Bar's Dani Tatarin (middle) along with Brown and Foreman brand managers, Ryan Cheverie and April Solonyka

^ In the Shebeen, Jody Levesque (Sumac Ridge Estate Winery) Sheena Sargeant (Friends for Life Society) and Lisa Martella (A Loving Spoonful) welcome the media to the launch of this year's Dining Out for Life fundraiser taking place at 238 participating restaurants from Whistler to White Rock on Thursday, March 24, 2011

^ RocksGlass Concepts' Peter Girges, Heth PR's Kate MacDougall and GM Anthony Pratt celebrate the launch of "100 Days" the second phase of their temporary '70's glam' restaurant concept in Yaletown's Opus Hotel

^ The Cascade Company's Nick Devine and Nigel Pike at the re-vamped launch of Latitude, now featuring a sexy new menu of Latin American street food

Pictorial: Academic 1 Year, Big Night, Cocktail Kitchen Finale, Fairmont’s “Lifestyle Cuisine +”

paulkamon — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 09:54:12 +0000

Check out some photos from a few of the exciting events Urban Diner has attended over the last few weeks.

^ The Donnelly Group's Trevor Kallies and Hawksworth PR gal, Tiffany Soper pose during the Academic's 1st year anniversary party on January 27th

^ At Vancouver Magazine's "Big Night" - 'Best Small Plates' Chef Alana Peckham of Cru with her foie gras torchon, mission figs and pistachios paired w/ Penfolds Grandfather Tawny fortified wine

^ 'Best Formal Italian', Cioppino's Pino Posteraro offers a Thiessen farm pheasant cannelloni and mushroom cream paired w/ Champagne Lallier Grand Réserve

^ 'Best Casual Japanese' - Kingyo's master samurai chef, Koji Zenimaru with his slow-braised beef with balsamic sweet and sour sauce and coriander oil paired with Ricossa Barbaresco at Vancouver Magazine's "Big Night" party

^ The Refinery's Lauren "Ivana" Mote at the Cocktail Kitchen's Russian-themed finale party. D'ah baby!

^ Fairmont Pacific Rim bartender Jacob Sweetapple with his fresh raspberry and sparkling wine cocktail

^ Food writer and industry consultant Jason McRobbie poses with Fairmont Pacific Rim executive chef, David Wong, at the Waterfront Hotel during the launch of the hotel chain's "Lifestyle Cuisine +" culinary program that offers more healthy menu options, such as vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free items

Pictorial: January 2011 Events Round Up

paulkamon — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 02:03:48 +0000

Check out some photos from a few of the exciting events Urban Diner has attended over the last few weeks.

^ The Tales of the Cocktail crew lands in Vancouver with a splash with their preview event at Gastown's Boneta Restaurant (L-R Christina Gaspari, Charlotte Voisey, Ann, Ann Tuennerman, Jay Jones, Melissa Young, Neely Hannah, Michelle Dunnick)

^ Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival PR star Shannon Heth with event director, Harry Hertscheg at their "Festival Taste" media preview that featured some of great wines being featured at this year's festival on March 28 - April 3.

^ Stag Hollow's owner Larry Gerelus and winemaker Dwight Sick celebrated 15 years in the business with the launch of their limited edition “Cachet Series” of wines at the Legacy Liquor Store in Vancouver on January 18.

^ Sanafir Executive Chef Mike Robbins and Glowbal Group CEO Emad Yacoub show off some of their tasty offerings for Dine Out Vancouver January 24- February 6.

^ Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley & the Brix Restaurant kitchen team pose during at their recent bourbon dinner on January 20, 2011

Pre-Holiday Events Pictorial

paulkamon — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 01:42:59 +0000

Check out some photos from a few of the events Urban Diner has attended over the last few weeks.

^ Relais & Châteaux book launch at Barbara Jo's Books to Cooks: (L-R) Lee Parsons of Wedgewood Hotel, Nicholas Nutting of Wickaninnish Inn, Terry Pichor of Sonora Resort, and Ali El-Khalafawi from the Wickininnish Inn cooked up tasters from the 2 new cookbooks

^ Vancouver City Councilor, Suzanne Anton, sabres a bottle of champagne at the grand opening of the Legacy Liquor Store at the Athlete's Village

^ Vancouver City Councilor, Heather Deal, gets ready to sabre another bottle of champagene at the celebration of the new Legacy Liquor Store

^ Chambar's Wendy McGuinness pouring her unique bourbon cocktail creations at The Refinery's Cocktail Kitchen competition

^ Epic Media's Paul Done and St. Regis Hotel GM, Jeremy Roncoroni welcomed guests to the hotel's 2nd year anniversary party (Image courtesy: Mark Kinskofer)

^ At the St. Regis 2nd Anniversary Hotel party, a cook prepares some pasta for the arriving guests (Image courtesy: Mark Kinskofer)

Fall Events Pictorial

paulkamon — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 10:15:27 +0000

Check out some photos from a few of the events Urban Diner has attended this month.

^ In early November, Charm Modern Thai Restaurant and Lounge proprietor, Dez Chen, welcomed friends and media to his 2nd anniversary party in Yaletown

^ Calabash bartender, Derek-Vanderheide, competes during the first week at The Refinery's November Cocktail Kitchen series featuring the food of the West Indies and the spirit rum

^ Top barman, Nick Devine, poses with one of his body-warming, classic Tiki cocktails featured every Thursday at Habit Lounge

^ Michelle Bouffard and Michaela Morris of Housewine.ca lead a preview of some of the 16 new value-driven Spanish wines arriving from Castilla-La Mancha during a tasting event at Boneta in Gastown

^ Anthony Ricco, Executive Chef of Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Spice Market offers a taste of some of his menu items being featured at Market by Jean-Georges until November 30th

^ Montecristo editor, Craig David Long, got caught between Top Table's Shelley McArthur and food writer, Joie Alvaro Kent at Araxi's Big Gun's dinner during Whistler's Cornucopia

^ Araxi's sold-out Bubbles + Oceans soiree kept the wines flowing until the late hours at Whistler's Cornucopia

^ At this year's CRUSH event during Cornucopia, the lovely ladies of Vancouver Magazine were happy to offer a few wine selections from their publication's list of Top 100 Wines of 2010

^ Painted Rock proprietor, John Skinner with an assistant poured some of their award winning wines during Cornucopia's CRUSH in Whistler.

^ Walla Walla's Pepper Bridge winemaker, Jean Francois Pellet, stands behind some of his great Washington State wines at Cornucopia's CRUSH, which were also featured at Araxi's famous "Big Guns" dinner

~ PK

Dine Around Richmond 2 – “Demystifying Food Street”

paulkamon — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:01:56 +0000

The second installment of Tourism Richmond’s Dine Around series (there will be 12 in all) was a walking tour along Alexandra Road or “Food Street”, which is an aptly fitting description when you consider the dizzying labyrinth of mini strip-malls along this three block stretch of pavement contains over 200 + Asian restaurants.

Our intrepid guides, Stacey Chyau and Michelle Ng (foodietours.ca) led us on an afternoon outing that intended to deliver a small, but diverse cross-section of what this street had to offer.

First stop: Well Tea Taiwanese Restaurant for a briefing on our plan of attack. A popular cafe, now with 3 locations (Richmond, BCIT, UBC), Well Tea is a refuge for young students looking for cheap Taipei comfort snacks and a 40+ selection of bubble tea; nothing on the menu exceeds $8.

^ The magically and bizarre entrance to Well Tea Taiwanese Restaurant

Well Tea Taiwanese Restaurant
4811 Hazelbridge Way (corner of Alexandra) | Richmond
Tel: 604.278.7268
www.welltea.ca

HOW TO GET THERE

^ Mango bubble tea with pearls

A short stroll away was our next venue, the bustling Cattle Café, a Hong Kong-style eatery (ie. comfort food) where we sampled a selection of their signature dishes; the colourful menu of East/West fusion focused on value with every dish coming in under $10

Cattle Café
Unit 1020, 8580 Alexandra Road | Richmond
Tel: 604.276.2800
www.cattlecafe.ca

HOW TO GET THERE

^ BBQ eel (unagi) sandwiches

^ A very flavourful Malaysian Laksa soup with seafood and tofu

^ Baked pork chop with tomatoes and seafood with creamy sauce on rice

^ Cattle Café's famous bubble waffle

Third leg on the tour was Nan Chuu, one of the Gyoza King’s sister izakaya-style restaurants, considered by some to be one of the best for authentic Japanese in Richmond.

Nan Chuu Japanese Izakaya
1160-8391 Alexandra Road | Richmond
Tel: 604.276.8391

HOW TO GET THERE

^ Hitachino Nest? Japanese craft beer! Nice.

Testing our mettle, perhaps, some of the items that rolled out were a little challenging for the uninitiated. Marinated beef tongue, skewers of chicken hearts and gizzards all offering some strange and foreign textures were quickly balanced with a few tried and true classics like ebi mayo, salmon yukke, and a delicious and simple mushroom bacon yakisoba.

^ Beef tongue

^ Crispy chicken skins

^ Ebi mayo

^ Skewers of grilled chicken hearts

^ Salmon yukke with nori

Our final stop brought us to Jang Mo Jib, which roughly translates to “Mother in Law’s house”, part of a Korean chain of restaurants in Vancouver and Richmond that have been owned and operated by the Moon family (see interview here) since the early 90’s. The building, resembling a neon-lit alpine chalet from the outside, was cozy and inviting on the inside with a distinct and welcoming home atmosphere.

Jang Mo Jib Korean Restaurant
8320 Alexandra Road | Richmond
Tel: 604.273.0712
www.jangmojib.ca

HOW TO GET THERE

Jang Mo Jib’s traditional and authentic Korean food was brilliantly executed and an interesting departure from the more known Chinese and Japanese cuisines that populate the street. Korea, with a similar climate to Northern China, uses many of the same preserving techniques of pickling and fermenting and also a liberal use of spice and marinades, giving much of the food a dense savory character.

^ Jab Che - stir fry sweet potato noodles with assorted vegetables and beef

Jab Che, this stir-fry noodle and vegetable gem was my dish of the evening. A perfect balance of interesting textures and savoury and sweet flavours. Highly recommended.

^ Hae Mool Pah Jun - seafood pancake with green onions, egg, served with soy sauce

Soon Dae Jub See - traditional Korean pork blood sausage

^ Jok Bahl - Korean traditional BBQ pork feet

^ Tohng Gahl Bee - traditional Korean beef short ribs

After a full four hours of eating our way through Food Street, all of the group were more than satiated and ready to hobble back across the bridge to Vancouver, but before we could leave, we were told to prepare for next month’s Dine Around: “A Seafood Feast in Steveston”

Aye, Captain!

~ PK

Dine Around Richmond – Northern Chinese Cuisine

paulkamon — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 10:43:17 +0000

Last week, Tourism Richmond invited some local food media on a rather lavish exploration of some of the city’s eclectic Northern Chinese restaurants as part of their monthly Dine Around Richmond campaign. Riding high on a wave of enthusiastic local and international press as well as the second successful showing in the Chinese Restaurant Awards, Richmond’s dining scene continues to push the culinary envelope.

: ^ Our ride for the day courtesy of Tourism Richmond and Aerocar HighEnd Limousine Service

(click map to enlarge)

Northern Chinese cuisine covers a significant area of the country. Stretching from Shanghai all the way north past Beijing deep into Mongolia and as far west as Xinjiang. The food tends to be colourful, spicy, and full flavoured — a reflection of the region’s more severe climate of hot summers and cold, dry winters. Using hardy crops such as wheat, cabbage and root vegetables, much of the food is preserved, often pickled or salted.

Our first stop was a popular bbq and hot pot haunt called Point Zero Four Fusion Restaurant on Alexandra Road, a.k.a. Richmond’s unofficial “Food Street”, where you will find 200+ Asian restaurants tightly packed into three city blocks.

Point Zero Four Fusion Restaurant
140-160, 8500 Alexandra Road | Richmond
Tel: 604-278-1213
pointzerobbq.com

HOW TO GET THERE

: ^ Cold dishes: Beijing pork jelly and beef slices with sour chili sui choy

: ^ Spicy and savoury Chinese hot pot .

: ^ Super spicy BBQ chicken wing.

I did order their super spicy chicken wing to try; basically, a bbq’d wing coated in chili. Thankfully, I bit into it near the end of my meal as it pretty much was like napalm on the palate for the next half an hour. To put out the fire, the staff brought a plate of frozen grapes and cherry tomatoes, which helped… a little.

: ^ Baijiu or “white liquor”, typically made from rice or wheat, is the digestif of choice at Point Zero. This powerful spirit clocks in around 80-120 proof and has a sweet alcohol burn.

Considered by some to be one of the best Shanghainese restaurants in Richmond, Suhang has quietly been building a loyal local following tucked away in a non-descript strip mall across from the Save On Foods.

Suhang Restaurant
100- 8291 Ackroyd Road | Richmond
Tel: 604.278.7787

HOW TO GET THERE

^ Marinated bean curd and spinach

^ Deep fried fish fillet with seaweed.

^ Crispy smoked fish Shanghai style

^ Braised wheat gluten with mushrooms

^ Mud baked chicken Hangzhou-Style

Wrapped in lotus leaves and covered in clay, “Beggar’s Chicken” is a legendary Beijing dish and the highlight of our visit at Suhang. As the story goes, a lowly beggar in rural China had stolen a chicken from a nearby farm and was busy preparing a cooking fire when the emperor’s guards came along the road with the Emperor and his entourage. In a panic to hide the bird, the beggar covered it in clay and buried it in the fire pit. Enchanted by the incredible aroma of the baked chicken, the Emperor stopped to dine with the beggar, demanding to know how he created such a delicious meal.

If you are interested in trying this traditional dish, you will need to call a day in advance to the restaurant as it takes over 4 hours to prepare.

Our final stop was Shanghai River, one of Richmond’s best known and celebrated restaurants; the place was packed full at 7:30 pm mid-week. Nonetheless, the house made Xiao Long Bao dumplings alone are well worth the trip.

Shanghai River
110-7831 Westminster Highway | Richmond
Tel: 604.233.8885

HOW TO GET THERE

^ Xiao long bao

^ Pork lettuce wrap

^ Peking roast duck is served and eaten with pancakes, scallions and sweet bean sauce

^ House made noodles

^ Gao Lic Dou Sa (deep fried Chinese meringue) and a sweet bean paste

The next planned Dine Around Richmond is in a couple of weeks and is called “Demystifying Food Street”, where we will dive head first into the heart of the Golden Village on Alexandra Road. I am sharpening my chop sticks in anticipation.

~ PK