Kaneda Sushi

My post Vegas hangover had me craving something fresh and healthy, and what better meal to breathe life back into my broken body than sushi. Kaneda is located on Broadway between Granville and Hemlock. They are a dine in/take-out/ All You Can Eat/late night sushi joint with a pleasant decor and mid range prices. Theres a 15% discount on take-out orders, and a $30 minimum for delivery items. Right now they have a special where you can get a california roll for 99 cents.

My favourite item was the Salmon Nigiri ($1.50), it was the best I’ve ever had. The fish was so fresh and buttery, I could have eaten a whole meal of just nigiri. Look how succulent they are! Nom nom nom

The appetizer tempura ($6.95) came with two prawns and three root vegetables, and best of all, it was served with miso soup. What an excellent deal. The tempura batter was light and cooked all the way through, however the prawns were a little over cooked. Still, taste wise, everything was delicious.

When dining in I always try to be adventurous with my orders, but my take-out order staples are always Dynamite and Spicy Tuna. The Spicy Tuna was delicious, not drowning in sriracha sauce and not too fishy. The roll was perfectly balanced between spice and flavour, allowing the tuna to shine through. It was $4.25.

Like the spicy tuna, my dynamite roll was very fresh, especially the avocado – such a vibrant green! I don’t always like lettuce in my dynamite rolls but this was the perfect balance. I really enjoyed this, even at $4.50. But you get what you pay for, and this was worth it.

On my second take-out adventure I steered from the path and ordered a Yam Roll and a Gomaae roll. Sadly, the Gomaae was a little underwhelming. I was hoping it would have a peanut sauce drizzle over it, alas it was a little dry. But still, and interesting roll and who knows, the dine-in version might be better. I felt that at $4.00, this roll was over priced for what you got.

I don’t usually like Ebi Nigiri because they are alway so dried out, but after having tried the salmon and loving it, I thought why not. The ebi ($1.50) was better than other joints, still not my favourite, but I would order it again.

The yam roll was light for a battered root vegetable. Again, for a vegetable roll, I thought $4.00 was over priced.

24/7 Thai Cuisine. . . When you need Thai Food at 4am

24/7 Thai Cuisine is exactly what you expect its going to be: inexpensive Thai food at any hour of the day or night. There is no glamour to this restaurant, just simple cheap food served hot and fast. I was skeptical to eat here because it looks a little run down from the outside. You can find 24/7 Thai Cuisine on Broadway and Oak, sandwiched between the 7/11 and a japanese restaurant that never looks like it’s open. Dont let the looks of the place deceive you – they have a big menu with your classic Thai staples, as well as some items you wouldn’t expect to see, such as pho.

The restaurant doesn’t offer much in the way of decor so we got our food to go. As we were the only customers at 10:30 pm, our food was prepared quickly.

The fried vegetarian spring roll didn’t wow us, I don’t think I would order these again. It was really garlicky, a flavour I didn’t expect to be so prominent in a spring roll. The dipping sauce was too vinegary for my tastes, but Phil liked it.

I ordered the Shrimp Pad Thai. Decent portion size as you can see, although I should have asked them to make it spicy! 

The dish used a thinner rice noodle than other places, a change that was different but still enjoyable. The seasoning was good, it wasn’t too sweet and the prawns were cooked perfectly. I didn’t expect it to be the best Pad Thai, but I wasn’t disappointed by it either. If you’ve got a late night craving for Thai food give it a shot, I think this food would be most enjoyed after a night out drinking. They also deliver from 4pm-10pm with a $25 minimum order. If you want to dine in there is an entertainment coupon for them as well.

365 Days of Heaven

365 Days of Dining is an amazing opportunity for one blogger to eat out in the city of Richmond B.C. for ONE YEAR. Did I mention it is paid? I think I’ve died and gone to heaven. Already sent in my application, keep your fingers crossed for me!

 

Pulled Pork at The Five Point

Doesn’t that make your mouth water?

Pulled Pork Poutine

I tried this triple threat at The Five Point restaurant on Main and 16th. After living in Montreal for 5 years I consider myself fairly versed on what makes a good poutine. Well, The Five Point hit it spot on while adding a unique spin that has me calling this alliterative dish my new favourite.

The pulled pork was moist and juicy, the sauce, a sweet bbq, was evenly dispersed throughout the fires. Very filling but not too rich overall this meal was great, five stars for the Five Point! I think I’m addicted…

Calamari

We also ate the calamari, which was okay but nothing special ( the Pulled Pork Poutine was the star of the evening). The somewhat small portion  wasn’t overly greasy and coated in a salt, pepper, and lime breading. The breading was a bit rough, like it hadn’t been cooked long enough. Overall I wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great.

I just found out Tuesdays are 50 cent wing days at the Five Point, what a deal! Will have to go visit them and report back… until then, Happy Eating everyone.

Restaurant Shout-Out: L’Abattoir

Located in fancy-shmancy Gastown, L’Abattoir is by far one of the cooler places I’ve been since leaving the always trendy Montreal social scene.

Gorgeous interior inspired by modern and rustic design concepts, mason jar lighting and long corridors with open wine cellars are only a few of the gems you will encounter here.

Their posh menu looked amazing ( I gawked as food went out from the kitchen ) but I can guarantee that their drinks are as delicious as they are unique. My favourite was the El Camino (not pictured) and consisted of watermelon infused tequila, aperol, fresh lime, agave nectar, grapefruit pop, and a salt rim. Ya, it was that amazing.

We also tried these drinks, the Meat Hook and Clover Club Refashioned

L’Abattoir website: http://www.labattoir.ca/index.html

The places I’ve gone… the food I’ve eaten

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted because it’s been awhile since I’ve been in a kitchen, at least with a camera handy. This doesn’t mean I haven’t been eating… here are some pics of meals I’ve enjoyed over the past couple weeks… hoping to get some new posts up soon, perfecting the recipes first!

Special order pepperoni basil pizza at Frankie's Italian Kitchen and Bar

Went to Frankie’s Italian Kitchen in the Georgian Court Hotel for drinks with a girlfriend, and wound up enjoying a late night snack – thin crust pepperoni basil pizza – specially made for us by our friend, the chef! Delicious.

Sweet Sweet Sushi...

Sushi from a little Kitsilano sushi joint called iSushi. It was a pricier than I would have liked (about 13 dollars for miso, spicy salmon, yam roll a.k.a sweet potato roll – and yes, there is a difference, and dynamite roll). To be honest, it wasn’t the best sushi I’ve ever had, the main reason the price bothered me, and I’d rather go to SUSHI BANG which offers outstanding quality for your money and all their rolls are always awesome.

Next up, more meals at Monk McQueens! So goooooodddd….

Roasted Sable Fish

My camera does NOT do this dish justice. The beats are a sunny gold and deep red, and it taste just as fantastic as they look( in person). Glazed with agave nectar and tequila (party fish!),  the sable fish rests on a bed of Chilliwack corn risotto that is to die for. I highly recommend this dish.Oh, and I ate the garnish before I took the photo, oops!

Tandoori Lamb Chop with quinoa in papadum & mango yogurt dip

I didn’t think I liked lamb…. until I tried the tandoori lamb chop lunch special. Such a delicious surprise, the meat was tender and the tandoori/mango dip combo was perfect. The quinoa was great as well, but the papadum stood out as a unique touch. Mm, mm, lunch!

Mascarpone Crab & Shrimp Cakes

On another occasion I tried the Dungeness crab and shrimp cakes, which were OK. I loved the sangria poached pear under the crab cake. Two crab claws adorned the plate as well and the balsamic  vinaigrette paired nicely… however… the glorified chipotle mayo was a bit much. This mayo dip also comes with the calamari, again a bit too fatty for my tastes. I love calamari but I don’t like dipping it in mayo. If you order the calamari at Monks, ask for it with the cucumber dip that accompanies the…

Balinese Lemongrass Chili Scallops!

Balinese Lemongrass Chili Scallops

I absolutely adore scallops, cook them anyway and I will eat my weight in them like it’s my 9 to 5. This Balinese dish has just the right amount of spice, enough heat to make you notice it but not to overpower the flavours.  Also the steamed jasmine rice and cucumber sour cream act as the perfect neutralizer for this zesty treat, and I even combined mine in a bowl to make one new super dish!

(Oh and just a note, I mentioned above that I thought dipping flash fried calamari in mayo was too fatty and then realized when I looked at the Monk McQueen’s menu that the cucumber dip I suggested as an alternative is actually sour cream. Not the healthiest of substitute I realize, but still…better than mayo in my opinion)

The entrée I tried was the Sun Haven Farms Organic Pork Chop ( organic pork chop?).  I don’t eat a lot of pork chops but everyone was raving about it so I gave it a go. I have to say it was quiet good.

Sun Haven Farms Organic Pork Chop, brown and wild rice pilaf, braised fennel, with a grainy mustard riesling sauce. Prepared medium well

The brown and wild rice pilaf evened out the richness of the pork, so the dish wasn’t  too heavy. I was hesitant about trying the pork chop because I don’t like fennel, however the flavour wasn’t as prominent as I had feared. In fact I think the dish would be better without the braised fennel all together.

And thus ends my post. If you visit any of the places I mentioned I hope your experience is enjoyable, Happy Eating!