Lamajoun

I found out about this long place before I found Scoutmagazine.ca's "Never Heard Of It" list and have meant to go for some time. Unfortunately, procrastination will get you every time. Next thing I knew, everyone had heard of it and everyone's going and I will not be able to boast about finding it!

An Armenian bakery and cafe (the only one in Metro Vancouver, we believe) located in an industrial park in east Richmond, its no wonder that no one had heard of it. Except that the Armenian community has certainly heard of Lamajoun. During our visit on Saturday just before noon, everyone else in the place was speaking what I assume was Armenian. A gentleman that I spoke to outside said that he and his family were from Boston, while another customer lived in Oregon. They were Armenian expats and when they came to Vancouver, they all went to Lamajoun. 

We started with the dish for which the cafe is presumably named, Lamajoun. We quickly discovered that these folks are very good with bread. Ground beef with a bit of onion, garlic and parsley topped a thin semi-crispy flour shell.  Simple, light and tasty and a good way to start a meal.

Also, we started with Armenian Jingle Bread, similar bread but stuffed this time with spinach, parsley, green onion and the fresh taste of dill. Very nice!

We were so impressed with Pide, a wonderful fluffy bread boat filled with cottage and feta cheese, an egg and your choice of meats. We were able to order with both their cured beef and sujuk, a slightly spicy Armenian beef sausage. I'm not sure what the actual correct procedure is but we cut this in half and folded it like a New York Style slice too eat it. I would drive a long way out of my way to have this again! It was rich and comforting. Wonderful!

Finally, we had Khinkali Dumplings, a Georgian dish. These may look a little doughy and around the topknot, they are a bit chewy, but the overall experience is of a quite delicate dumpling. The pork filling is herbaceous and very moist and tasty. We kept trying to eat them like xiao long bao but they not quite soup dumplings. 

Quite a teeny place inside, it filled up quickly. Outside, there was a standing table set up for communal eating,  certainly a solution when the weather is fine. The folks here are very hospitable and rightly proud of how they are representing their culture. This place is very much worth finding and visiting. Also, their menu offers quite a bit more than what we tried including various chops, wraps and salads and a few vegan items.

For what its worth, we give Lamajoun 4 1/2 out of 5.

Carnival del Sol

For Saturday afternoon at least, in Vancouver's Concorde Community Park least, the old 'sol' seemed to be hiding away from us and we hoped not to be driven away by the 'iluvia'. Alas, we had not anticipated by bringing our umbrellas. Still we paid our $2 admission and got our moneys worth at this colorful multicultural festival.

Many Latin American countries were represented and of course, they brought their music. How could there not be a mariachi band?

But other forms of Latin American music were represented on the 4 stages at the festival including the Robyn Lane Band that played Afro Latin Jazz.

Naturally, there was also percussion and dancing, sometimes including willing participants from the audience.

Arts and crafts (including cooking demonstrations) and a colorful market were also on site to capture your attention. There were children's activities and even games for adults.

And of course, there was food...In fact  a lot of food. There were a lot of things available from different countries including things I had never tried!

There was Paella from the aptly named Paella Guys (aptly except for the fact that it wasn't all guys running this food stall).

And just all kinds of things such that making a decision was a bit difficult.

We decided to try a Brazilian Pastel from What A Food. These were deep fried pockets of whatever filling you chose.

We chose beef and found that there was a decent amount of tasty but rather plain beef. It was hot (there was quite a line up here and so all orders were filled straight out of the fryer) and nicely priced at $8.

Elsewhere, I paid $7 for an inch of guava juice with a whole lot of ice. I wasn't thrilled with this transaction. The real problem though, is that we did not come hungry enough because there were so many other things that we wanted to try.. Don't make the same mistake. The Carnaval del Sol. continues today (Sunday July 7, 2019) and you should go!

Varadero Cafe

Just south of Commercial Skytrain station is a little Cuban joint called Varadero Cafe. I am not sure exactly how it ended up on my radar, possibly just the fact that there are not a lot of Cuban places around!

We arrived early Sunday afternoon and were seated right away. We enjoyed the vibe, the Carribean music and colourful decor.

Everything on the menu looked good and we started with an empanada.

This was a meat-filled empanada and arrived fresh out of the fryer. The filling was tasty and moist. Overall, probably our favourite item of the meal.

Next was a Tamal Cubano. It was similar to a Mexican tamale, maybe a little larger, stuffed with braised pork and was topped with an onion sauce. The onions provided some texture and kept the bites from being dry. Tamales are often dry but these were pretty good.

We tried their Ropa Vieja a slow cooked beef with tomato sauce. It was very tasty and the acidity of the tomatoes contrasted nicely with the richness of the beef. Tostones (deep fried plantain) were served on the side and were crispy and hot.

This entre was served with black beans on the side. These were very plain which was fine with me as I love black beans. I could tell that Marie (no poker face) was less than thrilled with this. There was no salt on the table but there was a bottle of excellent hot sauce so no excuses there.

Lechon Asado was our other entre. I guess we were expecting something a little different here as the menu describes slow roasted pork chunks but what we got seemed to be sauteed slices. It was tasty enough but a little on the chewy side. Served with maduros (sauteed plantain slices) that were nicely sweet. The rice and beans came together as congri on this plate (you have the two options with both the plantains and the rice and beans).

So we're not experts on Cuban food. It was all interesting and tasty enough but nothing life-changing. Our server was friendly and accommodating and the little place is not uncomfortable. I am inclined to want to try Varadero at lunch time as they have several variations on the Cuban sandwich along with tacos and such.

For what it's worth, we give Varadero Cafe 3 1/2 out of 5.

Joojak

Scoutmagazine.ca's "Never Heard Of It" list, brought us next to Joojak. This little restaurant on Kingsway, a short walk from Joyce skytrain station, serves Xi'an style Chinese food, and may have jumped to the top of my favourites list (OK, so I am a little schizophrenic when it comes to favourite places. Often my most recent meal was the greatest meal ever!)

Xi'an, a one time capital of China at the end of the Silk Road, is another unique cuisine of China and our lovely friendly hostess, being originally from that place, was happy to fill us in on some of the details. 

The Pork Burger was something I could have ordered a half dozen of and been perfectly happy with that alone for a meal. A tender steamed bun made crispy on the flat top, filled with such tender gently spiced pork ( cumin and peppercorns maybe?) was excellent and apparently something you do not fail to eat in Xi'an.

Hand Pulled Noodles with Meat Sauce is another iconic Xi'an dish and this brought us close to swooning. The flavouring is complex. I was sure that I picked up on cinnamon and citrus in addition to the aforementioned cumin and peppercorns but the noodles were truly the star here.

Hand pulled and so tender, I'm sure that you've seen better pictures of these wide long noodles.

Xinjiang Flavour Braised Lamb on Rice made us happy also. Xianjiang is a province of China not exactly adjacent to Shaanxi (whose capital is Xi'an) but their flavours are found throughout much of the country as a result of the movement of the largely Muslim population. Again this was a complex and deliscious dish with a generous amount of tender lamb.

Stir Fried Green Beans are labelled as spicy on the menu but we found them more sweet and salty (good salty not too salty). We were assured that the spiciness in Xi'an style food was not comparable to Hunan or Szechuan cuisines and to be sure, there was no face numbing involved. Something did make me sweat a little though which was pleasant but my tolerance is a little low.

This is a small restaurant with seating for 18 (I actually counted). Our server and hostess were pleasant and patient with us and their food was wonderful. You need to put this place on your list!

For what it's worth (and this doesn't happen often) we give Joojak 5 out of 5!

Mumbai Local and Jazz at David Lam Park

My calendar is marked and the days set aside each year for the last weekend of the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Always on the Canada Day long weekend for as far back as I can remember, the festival organizers set up a big stage in the park and present acts from noon until about 10 pm (Saturday and Sunday). All kinds of jazz, blues funk etc. bands play and all you need to worry about is the weather. I have a collection of CDs and downloads from some of the more impressive bands we have seen over the years.

This year (so far), impressing the heck out of me was the Istanbul Sessions Band including bass guitar player extraordinaire, Alp Ersonmez who variously thumped his strings with a drum stick, tapped notes with both hands high on the neck of his instrument and employed various effect pedals, one of which (presumably) gave him access to notes at least an octave up from what bass strings produce! 

All that music makes folks hungry and we took a break and went for a walk up to Mumbai Local, an Indian restaurant specializing in the street foods of India. I have been meaning to revisit since first I sampled their food on a Vanfoodster Tasting Plates event back in February of this year.

On that comparatively chilly evening, we tried a sampler of chaat and a tasty Indian dessert.

On this visit, Marie and I tried some of their specials from the West End Farmer's Market. On Saturday morning, these folks peruse the market seeking the best and freshest local ingredients and then use Indian recipes and techniques to create some wonderful dishes.

The first thing we tried was Swiss Chard Vadi. Battered with chana flour and deep fried, rolled sushi style and served with fried curry leaves, nasturtium petals, mustard seeds and coconut. This was a little over salted but an amazingly conceived dish. It was a little crunchy and delicious and we loved it!

Next up was Dum Aloo, a Kashmiri dish of baby potatoes with cashew curry and caramelized onions garnished again with the nasturtium leaves. The nasturtium leaves and petals are edible and a little peppery and reminded me of stealing leaves off my Aunt's plants when we were kids! This was also a wonderful vegan dish with fried purple potato chips and a complex sauce which I finished with a spoon after the potatoes were gone!

It was served with bread that I cannot remember the name of (No. It wasn't roti. I know what roti is.), that had beet in the dough and as a filling. Nice!

Finally, off the regular menu, we had Dahi Puri, tasty crackers filled with yogurt, chickpea and tamarind and date chutnies. Refreshing!

Mumbai Local is a comfortable, casual space. Our server gave us excellent advice and explained their impressive West End Farmer's Market plan. I would not have caught on to that without her advice! This is a great Davie Street eatery, very affordable,  with some creative and interesting choices.

For what its worth, we give Mumbai Local 4 1/2 out of 5. 

West Coast Fishing Club - North Island Lodge - Langara Island - Part Three

We were up and at 'em on Sunday morning, and our last full day of fishing from North Island Lodge brought a continuing good catch.

More of the same today folks. We admired some wildlife including more sea lions, a pair of breaching whales in the distance (too far away to photograph), auklets and this deer (Sitka Black-Tailed Deer?), which is an introduced species and a bit of a problem.

We caught some fish too! That shouldn't be surprising!

But let's get back to the food!

Appetizers in the lounge including not just one type of chicken wings but three! The Buffalo Hot Wings packed a bit of a punch but all three were hot, crispy and yet tender.

What makes Deep Fried Mac and Cheese Balls better? Smoked Salmon does! 

While we were munching on these tasty bites, Chef Luke Mussato was smoking some salmon with a bit of a mustard glaze for our dinner.

Dinner started with a riff on a Greek Salad accompanied by Pita and Tzatziki.

Roast Chicken and Gravy with Fingerling Potatoes, Yams, Broccoli and Green Beans. They actually have been feeding us more fresh vegetables that many of us eat at home. This was a wonderful roasted chicken and a very comforting meal.

Here is the result of Chef Luke's work at the smoker. The Maple Dijon Glaze was just slightly sweet but did not intrude on the smokey and tender fish. I notice that apple slices have served as a serving platform in several cases. Nice idea!

Dessert was Chocolate Mousse, creatively served in Mason jars with a chocolate shortbread crumble and raspberry coulis. 

Of course, this could not go on forever (I would be up to 300 lbs before long) and the next morning, this crew of Bert's Electric's employees made the trip home.

We did not go home empty handed however and will be eating Haida Gwaii salmon for some time. We all hope to be going back at some time. Thanks, North Island Lodge and thanks again Bert's Electric!