Subeez Cafe. Noodle Express. Samurai Sushi. “Gourmet Kitchen.” Chianti Cafe. Oasis.
Not a super-happening month. Just wait until next month….!
Subeez Cafe, Apr.11’06
When I told F. that I was going to Subeez for a blogger meet-up, he said, “That place is dark!” It wasn’t dark when I first walked in but sure enough the waitress was walking around lighting all the candles at each table and the overhead lights were drastically dimmed.
With some prize Metblogger money we ordered nachos ($13), spring rolls, curly fries with garlic mayo, and this amazingly good braised steak. Nachos were not the heaping plate and the salsa was annoyingly granular and with a streak of cilantro. Spring rolls were just alright – with some non-descript vegetable filling. The fries were shoestring with great homemade garlic mayo that was infinitely dippable. We debated on the nature of the meat that composed the steak – was it bison? It was for the most part deliciously tender and infused with an ale braising sauce. A good portion of steak was lain over garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach making it a very impressive appetizer indeed.
861 Homer Street, Vancouver, B.C.
Noodle Express, Apr.16’06
Full review at Vancouver Metroblogging.
747 Thurlow Street, Vancouver, B.C.
Samurai Sushi, Apr.17’06
Full review at Vancouver Metroblogging.
3338 Cambie Street (@ 41st), Vancouver, B.C.
“Gourmet Kitchen”, Apr.22’06
This restaurant on the south side of Hastings a little west of PNE has a name that doesn’t leave much of an impression. Serving Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese food, we pulled in on a Friday night, er Saturday morning, around 1:30 in the morning. It’s nice to find a place in Burnaby (well, I guess it’s actually in Vancouver).
We ordered a combination we could pick ourselves, consisting of miso soup, gyoza (3 pcs.), salmon rolls, and teriyaki chicken. We also ordered a a maki combo (consisting of 6 pcs. each of california rolls, B.C. rolls, and veggie rolls).
?? Hastings Street East, Vancouver, B.C.
Chianti Cafe, Apr.22’06
There’s a Cafe Chianti in Halifax with the coolest maitre d’ ever, hanging bottles from the ceiling (as weird as it sounds), the best stewed octopus, and totally satisfying plates of pasta. On 4th Avenue, there is Chianti Cafe that I have passed on many occasions and was intrigued as to how it compares with it’s “counterpart.”
First, I was surprised that it was a family establishment – on a Saturday evening, families with small children were wrapping up their meal. We were quoted a twenty-minute wait time and there was always about four other partieis waiting as we were waiting. Of course they had underestimated the wait-time.
Decision-making is made easier by pricing all the pastas at 11.99 – a fantistic price for a meal, but if you think carefully, pasta isn’t a worth a great deal, homemade or not. (There are pasta nights on Monday and Tuesday where their pastas are 7.99… or was it 8.99.) The selection for sauces is great. Imagine a seafood pasta costing the same as a spaghetti bolognese.
I ordered spinach fettuccine in tomato pesto sauce with grilled chicken. Unfortunately, the chicken was very bland taking up none of the sauce flavour and verging on the dry side. (To be fair, for some reason, the left overs were very good.)
1850 West 4th Avenue (@ Burrard), Vancouver, B.C.
Oasis, Apr.29’06
I found this restaurant listed on evevancouver.ca under the Kerrisdale section. It mentioned “Chinese style pearl drinks, ice creams, rice platters, noodle platters, Formosa omelette, stewed pork omelette, teriyaki chicken, Formosa delicacies — simmered egg, tea flavoured egg, fish bowl soup. A simple but roomy hangout popular with nearby highschool students, and worthy of your tastebuds.”
But when we arrived, we learned it had become a Vietnamese place. That was okay, as much as I wanted a Formosa omelette or stewed omelette, this was my chance to try out Vietnamese subs that were recommended in the “Best of Vancouver” magazine.
I ordered the chicken sub special that comes with a can of pop (3.99) while F. ordered a beef brisket udon (“red roasted”) (5.95).
Marinated and pepper chicken pieces are served on a toasted white baguette and garnished with pickled daikon (predominantly), cucumber, and carrots, slathered in whipping dressing. It was fantastic, so much more comfortable than a Subway sub!
2076 West 41st Ave., Vancouver, B.C.