Eats: Tojo's...

For my Father's birthday my sister and I decided to take the family to Tojo's Japanese restaurant. Some people say it's the best in Vancouver, some say it's the best in Canada, and some say it's the best in the World!!! There is only one Tojo's and this is it... :) I had heard many things about Tojo's but never had the opportunity to go.

Tojo's has just relocated to 1133 West Broadway. We were initially set for opening night but Dad forgot that he had classes that night so we had to re-reserve to the following night. Who knows, it could have been a blessing in disguise :) Opening nights are usually pretty packed, so the quality of the food sometimes drops a bit. Let me tell you now, Tojo's puts out top quality food with top quality ingredients... oh ya, before I forget... Tojo's other claim to fame is: He invented the California Roll ;)

We arrived at the restaurant and were promptly seated in our booth towards the back of the restaurant. I wish I had taken more pictures of the new restaurant, but, I really didn't want to disturb those who were already seated and having their dinner. As I anticipated 95% of the staff were Japanese... a nice change, and a good sign considering 90% of Japanese restaurants in Vancouver are owned by Chinese or Koreans. The service was great. The waiters took the time to go over the menu with us and before they took our orders she made sure to ask whether any of us have food allergies. My sister opted out of the Mayo for some of the dishes, they made sure it came with no mayo :)

We had a look at the menu and all decided on the Omakase, something that was recommended from the start. On the menu, they list $60, 80, 110, and up... we all opted for the $80 dinner. The prices are per person. $60 = 4 dishes, $80 = 5 dishes, $110 = 6 dishes...

First up, Tuna Tataki: Seared Tuna with Ponzu Sauce, delicious. The tuna was seared lightly and placed on a bed of shredded white radish, topped with Ginger, Daikon with spicy sauce, etc...


Japanese White Fish (Snapper) mixed greens with wasabi dressing.


Halibut Cheeks (Yuzu) served with Ginger Butter & Miso sauce, Oyster Mushroom, Spring Onions, Chives...


Salmon (Beef Teriyaki), Teriyaki sauce, Organic Shiitake, Daikon w/ Spicy Sauce...


Main platter: Lots of different rolls... I don't quite remember most of the names :p Umm.. I remember a Golden Roll... uh... there was one with Scallop, one with Dungenous Crab, Flying Fish Roe... some with Avocado, and this was the plate where my sister requested no Mayo :) Hers was served on her own plate, nice...


Coconut Icecream with Blueberries, Raspberries and Apple, Very very nice... refreshing...

Our Tojo experience was definitely a positive one. I HAVE to go back again under different circumstances (w/o the family) :p I'm sure it'll be a different experience. IMO, anyone who enjoys good food made with top ingredients with top quality service must come in and try the food at Tojo's. They are very accommodating and will prepare the food to your preferences... :) Remember... Only in VANCOUVER!

Grand Honour Restaurant...

Last week my family went to The Grand Honor Restaurant. They mentioned how it's supposed to be a really expensive seafood restaurant and that they use REAL Shark's Fin... wooo. That being said, I was still a little skeptical. I was expecting it to be one of those pristine Chinese restaurants, you know the type... huge fish tanks, nice big bar, white table cloths with the plastic cloth underneath :D Anyway... from the outside, it looks like any typical restaurant... but... I suspected that it wasn't going to be too nice inside. What gave it away? The fact that I couldn't see inside the restaurant.

I didn't take any pictures of the inside of the restaurant, unfortunately, but you're not missing anything. Honestly, it looked like one of those ol'school Chinese cafes where everything costs $2 and they stir your drinks with their fingers. We were promptly seated, nothing special considering the restaurant was fairly deserted.

Everyone arrived slowly and after some small talk and catching up the first course arrived.

Course# 1 - Appetizers (Cold-cuts & stuff).


Right away I could tell that this wasn't an ordinary restaurant. Normally the appetizer plate is just simple cold-cuts (pork, beef and the like) but this one had Ungai (BBQ eel), stuffed tofu skins, rolled salmon sashimi (can't remember if they were smoked or not), Jellyfish AND cold-cuts. Everything was made just right.

Course #2 was Abalone in soup.


The abalone was frickin' huge... just like rubber :p but tasted nice. The soup was a little starchy for my taste but very flavorful... the vegetables, not too soft and not over-boiled. I'm a big fan of veggies and that hit the spot (for now).

Course #3 - Shark's Fin soup!


Here's where my skepticism kicked in. Most restaurants serve "shark's fin" soup :P You know what I mean. The kind that is made with clear noodles that they try to pass off as REAL SHARK'S FIN. That night, it was the REAL DEAL! Wooooooooo! On top of that, it was REAL Shark's Fin Soup with REAL Crab Meat too! Bonus :) Nice texture, but not so much flavor (typical) which kinda makes me wonder why everyone longs for it O.o Good thing they had lots of red vinegar on-hand.

Before I forget to mention it... the service up to this point was exceptional. Between each dish the waiters took our used plates and had new ones set for us.

Course #4 - BBQ Pigeon.


Now, I'm not a big fan of pigeon... maybe it's due to the fact that pigeons are carriers. And I don't mean the type that ferry notes from one place to another... I mean carriers of disease. LOL, yea, yea.. I know... these ones are bred for consumption, blah blah. So the truth is, pigeon is too gamy for me. The taste is too irony (blood) and I can't stand fighting against all the little bones. Ya, I'm lazy :p heh. Our family friend, who is a connoisseur of pigeon, said that it was some of the best pigeon she had tasted. You'll have to take her word for it.

Course #5 & #6 - Prawn thingies with Walnut & Bok Choi (spelling?) with Conch.


I don't remember much about the prawn thingies... they looked waaaaay too unhealthy at first glance, so I just ignored them for a bit. There were quite a few left-over by the end of the meal, not-to-say they weren't good. They were too rich / creamy. The veggies were Bok Choy (spelling?) with Conch... not too shabby! That dish disappeared pretty quick :)

Course #7 - Choice of Almond Soup with Black Sesame Ball or Mango Pudding.


Usually you don't get a choice of what you want. But since my mum knew some of the staff we got special treatment :D How great is it to have a hairdresser for a mom? :P I'm not a huge fan of Almond extract so I opted for the Mango pudding which came out of a nice heart-shaped mold. The pudding was mediocre, even with the condensed milk it wasn't that great. I also tried the Almond soup just for the hell of it... someone pushed theirs away so I picked it up... it tasted as typical almond extract tastes almost like almond milk... the sesame ball was nothing to write home about either.

Overall, the food was pretty good... flavorful and nicely presented, also helped along by the superb service. The atmosphere definitely didn't match the quality of the food / service... I still felt like I was in a little cafe in the Chinese ghetto. All-in-all... I'm still not sure if it was worth the $600 among the 8 of us... oh well, c'est la vie!

Crap.. I just realized something... there are only 7 courses in my list... O_O I'm soooo sure I'm missing something... there aren't enough veggie dishes either :( argh! I'll update if I figure it out :(

Gotham Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar...

On Tuesday I went to Vancouver's premiere steakhouse Gotham Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar! Although it's my favorite steakhouse, I don't regularly attend, if you haven't figured out why already, you'll see why by the end of my post.

The occasion was a simple night out with my sister and a family friend. We arrived just after our reservation time, roughly 7:40pm. I dropped the ladies off and went to park the car.

Gotham is an upscale steakhouse located downtown on Seymour near Dunsmuir. Although it's billed as fine-dining I haven't heard of any cases whereby people have complained/been rejected for dressing down. In fact, the table that was next to us (seating roughly 10) were dressed down (jeans, hoodies, etc). Our party of 3 were dressed more formally :)

When I arrived I had to pass my credit card over to the host :P our guest was very insistant on flipping the bill.

One of the first things you'll notice attending Gotham is the service, it's impeccable... AND it begins even before you step through the doors. The valet approaches your car to open the doors and if you're not driving, he opens the doors for you (whether he's inside or outside). The hostess makes eye contact before you reach her and politely offers to take your coat... she was probably thinking I'm a nut because I was wearing my trench coat and I turned her down :p

I was led to our table where our waiter took over. As I sat down, he unfolded my napkin and placed it in my lap. We were presented with our menus (a simple 1 page menu) and the wine list (bound with a leather cover). As soon as he saw that I was settled in, our waiter asked if I would like a drink. I ordered my Guinness and was good to go.

The 3 of us chatted for awhile at the same time looking over our menus and discussing our options. During that time our waiter came back to ensure we understood everything on the menu. He was very knowledgable and explained everything / answered all our questions.

All of Gotham's beef is Grade A Alberta beef. It is aged up to 35 days. He also explained to us that since there is an issue with spinach right now none of the spinach dishes are available. He also pointed out that the first 3 steak in the Entrees (Porterhouse, Bone-in New York, New York) are all 23-24oz steaks, WOW! He even explained the cuts of the steak, the fact that they all still contain deposits of fat, and that the New York Strip still contains a strip of bone in it 'to add flavor'.

Our waiter took our orders and we continued our conversation.

I love the atmosphere at Gothams. The lighting is very dim, perfect for a nice romantic dinner. There is a main floor, a patio on the side (with fireplace) and a dining area upstairs. To get to the washroom you have to take a stroll to the back and then down a spiral staircse. Yes, as you can imagine, the washrooms are impressive! More importantly, they're clean ;)

Our appetizers came first:

Gotham Tossed salad for the ladies (single order). They even took the time to split the salad evenly on to separate plates.

Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio for myself...


Blackened Ahi Tuna cajun style & Roasted Prime Rib of Beef...


Steak and Lobster (Filet)... in the background you can see the sides I ordered as well. Fresh Asparagus & Spiced Sauteed Mushrooms...


The food was delicious, well worth the price paid... we took our time eating & chatting, our drinks were always topped up... when we stepped away from the table to go to relieve ourselves our waiter would come over, fold the napkin neatly and place it on the table! How's THAT for service? ;) By the time we were done everything (me finishing last as usual) we continued chatting... we were offered the dessert menu, but were all too stuffed to even look at it.

The only 1 mistake that our waiter made was a very small one. He brought me the bill w/o swiping my card first :p No biggie ;)

Here's the damage :P


Could have been worse, right? Hehe.

If you haven't gone there yet, you should... Gotham's is an experience you won't soon forget! I know I won't.. especially since it was Hallowe'en night and towards the end of the night a woman in a skimpy pink nurse's outfit came sauntering in to use the facilities! Our family friend said, "Wow... you can see her panties"! That's how short her skirt was... sorry guys, no pic! :D

Mum's B-Day @ Aqua Riva...

Today is mum's birthday :) Happy Birthday Mum!!! Ask for her age and she'll tell you she's 29 and holding :P hehe.

I'm not sure why, but Mum and Dad decided that they wanted to go out for dinner last night instead of tonight but it happened that way, and the pick was Aqua Riva, down by Vancouver's Waterfront, right next to our World Trade Center.

Aqua Riva is located right on the waters edge and offers a beautiful view of North Vancouver as well as the 5 Sails of Canada Place. For all of us it was the first time here so we weren't sure what to expect... I hung back outside to take a picture of the entrance, so I didn't get to see what their hostess is like. I'm sure they're nice.

After seating, in typical Chinese fashion my Mum pulled out a newspaper clipping :) It was an add that was advertising the Aqua Riva Best of B.C. Menu (which was included with the regular menu given to us when we were seated). For some reason I was feeling particularly lazy that night so I just stuck with the $29 set dinner which included your choice of (1 from each section):

Appetizer:

Chilliwack Corn & Seafood Chowder
Vancouver Island Sidestripe Salt Prawns
Local Baby Field Greens

Main Course:

Roasted Wild Skeena River Coho Salmon
Roasted Fraser Valley Free Range Chicken Breast
Wood Grilled Salt Spring Island Lamb Sirloin

Dessert:

Pitt Meadow Blueberry Cheese Cake
Okanagan Apple and Cherry Bread Pudding

You can click on the picture below to see the dish details.

Below are the pages from the regular menu:


The prices are on par with most other 'up-scale' restaurants in Vancouver (~$10 for an appy and ~$25-$30 per entree.

I have to say that the service was impeccable. The waiters are all First Class, we didn't really get to test their knowledge as we all ordered from the set dinner (and no one ordered wine) but from what I've heard, they're also all very knowledgeable. The waitress also let me know that the Guinness that I ordered was coming in a can... I know, they're always supposed to tell you that, but I've come across places where they don't tell you...

Dad ordered:
Chilliwack Corn & Seafood Chowder
Wood Grilled Salt Spring Island Lamb Sirloin
Okanagan Apple and Cherry Bread Pudding


Lamb Sirloin & Bread Pudding
Mum & I ordered:
Local Baby Field Greens
Roasted Fraser valley Free Range Chicken Breast
Pitt Meadow Blueberry Cheese Cake


Grilled Free Range Chicken Breast

Baby Greens & Cheese Cake
Dad said he liked the chowder (which I didn't get a snap of) but it was filling him so he pushed it over to me :P. I haven't ordered chowder in a dog's age but this one wasn't too bad :) It wasn't too creamy and it wasn't too runny either, just right. For some strange reason I don't recall there being big chunks of seafood. Everything seemed kinda mashed together o.O Maybe dad ate all the good stuff before passing to me.. hehe.

The baby greens were nice, all the leaves were fresh & very tasty :) It came with preserved peaches too... and what looked like melba toast with some sort of Garlic butter... sorry :p I suck when it comes to picking out ingredients :$.

On to the Free Range Chicken. I am pleased to say that it was some of the best chicken that I have had. The Chicken was served on a bed of Mashed Potatoes and mixed vegetables topped in a gravy. Mmm.. I love mashed potatoes... AND I LOVE VEGGIES :D Can't go wrong :p. What made it even better is that the chicken was stuffed with Dungenous crab & sweet corn, resulting in a very subtle, unique flavor...

Mmmmm... Cheesecake! I was expecting the cheesecake to be REALLY rich, but instead it was nice and light. Not too much Blueberry, not too rich and cheesy... superb.

I didn't get a chance to try my dad's Bread Pudding but dad says that the texture was nice, it tasted sweet, and it was better than the Cheesecake :p

All-in-all, Aqua Riva was a very pleasant experience. I'm definitely going back, next time to try something off the regular menu!

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Some random shots outside of Aqua Riva:


Dad, Mum & 5 Sails of Canada Place

Vancouver's World Trade Center & another one of those bears, this one's a Canuck Bear :)

The Sears Tower and the Gate to Historic Gas Town

For the dorks: EA's downtown campus & the old trainstation

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Btw.. my blog is now worth:

My blog is worth $5,080.86.
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Bird Day Outing #3

My parents had wanted to take me out for dinner during the week but we decided to move the dinner to Saturday so that's when we went out. Bird Day outing #3 was at Coast restaurant in YaleTown (Hamilton St).

I've been to Coast Restaurant a couple of times before and each time was a great experience. One of the things that drew me back was their attention to detail. I filled out one of the surveys after a meal and within a week I received a card thanking me for taking the time to fill out the survey. The card was written and signed by our waiter :p. On my Birthday I recieved another letter from Coast, this time offering Birthday wishes and inviting us to enjoy a complimentary dessert for 2 upon presentation of said letter :) They know how to make you feel special :p

Coast restaurant is a loft setup with a patio outside, Communal table in the middle tables all around and more seating upstairs. Unfortunately for us, this time we were seated in the booth right next to the stairs... which is not such a bad thing, save for the A/C blowing down on us.

For dinner my Dad ordered the Australian Lamb Rack and Baja Scallops, Mum ordered the Grilled Seafood Brochette (?) and I had the Carpaccio of Beef Tenderloin followed by the Alaskan King Crab Gnocchi.



Dad's Lamb was very nice, not too strong, and very tender. The scallops... mmm. Mum's I couldn't really tell what it tasted like O.O she ruined all the flavor by dumping tabasco all over it :P. My carpaccio was delicious, thinly sliced, served with Head Cheese, figs and some greens. The Alaskan King Crab Gnocchi was very nice as well. I'm a big fan of gnocchi and crab so the combination intrigued me :) It was very nice. The gnocci was prepared nicely not too soft, not too hard, and the King Crab was full of flavor, very juicy.

For Dessert we shared the dessert for two :p We didn't order anything else because we had to meet up with my cousin that night (True confections). It's her BirdDay too ;) The Dessert for two was a little dinky but still... wow. I was surprised. There were two items: Coast's version of an Oreo cookie (outstanding) and Coast's version of a Reese's Peanutbutter cup (also nice) tho I'm not a big fan of Peanutbutter.

After dinner we walked on down to the car and headed down to Denman street and True Confections!

When we arrived My cousins and friend were already there. They were waiting for us and two more. Wow... I hadn't been there in awile... mainly because I'm not too much of a desert person and alternatively because the portions are huge and not cheap :P shh.


I ordered a RootBeer Float to drink and everyone else ordered their own.. some water, and some coffee. When everyone else arrived they ordered their dessert: I have pictures but don't know what they are :D sorry... all I can say is that those wedges are freakin' HUGE!!! O.O They couldn't finish the layered one and ended up taking half of it home :D



Our night ended at the Cue Club, a poolhall that just opened nearby my house. It was formerly another poolhall ,Starlite Billiards, where I worked before. We all shot a couple of games of pool and then went home... another nice BirdDay outing!