Food By Fanta at BCD Academy and Vanfoodster's Sandwich Challenge

Though I have a poor record when it comes to participating in Vanfoodster's food challenges (they ran out, they're closed, they served us something different, we didn't read properly), here we are again! The Sandwich Challenge is a perfect challenge for us as there are only four participants and we have never been to any of the places (we love trying new places)! We started with Food by Fanta at BCD Academy. BCD is the cooking school of Parinya Lopston, owner of Langley perennial favourite, Ban Chok Dee Restaurant.

Well hidden behind the sign for the now-defunct "My Thai" restaurant in what is more or less a small business mall on Fraser Highway, make sure you have the street address and don't be afraid to go looking. Rumour has it that they will soon be opening a full restaurant adjacent at which time signage problems will presumably disappear. 

So we started with the challenge entry "Trans-Atlantic Sandwich". We noticed that what we were served did not match the photo we had seen but apparently a couple of details have been changed to make it better! The original bagel was deemed a little too heavy and was replaced by an in-house-made bun (almost a croissant but crispier? ) which was excellent all by itself! Topped with tasty Thai sauced shrimp, avocado, a spectacular puree of red onion (I mean that was an interesting and wonderful puree), microgreens, edible flowers etc., this was an impressive sandwich. The amuse-bouche served on the side was more of a chicken spring roll which was nice enough.

And speaking of amuse-bouche (I have now used the term twice in one post after never having used it in this space before), we were served one at the very beginning of this meal. A prawn cracker with some tuna in house-made mayo and a few house-grown microgreens. Very nice!

Since souffle pancakes have suddenly become all the rage, we decided to try their Creme Brulee Souffle Pancakes. Neither of us are pancake fanatics but these were pretty amazing. Light and pillowy and served with fresh fruit and a sweetish cream sauce. The creme brulee topping was not creme brulee crispy as we had hoped but it was tasty just the same.

Finally, we had the Grilled Cheese Chicken Waffle. How could you see that on a menu and not try it? The chicken was boneless thighs in a house-made barbeque type sauce. Not too crispy or spicy, the chicken was very tender. The waffles were decent also with cheddar between a stack of two. All in all, a very nice treat.

The space is elaborately decorated yet very comfortable but I'm not sure why they need 4 big TVs on the walls. Service was excellent as was the coffee. I believe that it would be fun to come and take one of their classes. Information is readily available about classes on their web site.

For what our opinion is worth, we give Food By Fanta and the challenge sandwich, 4 out of 5.

Saravanaa Bhavan

While perusing the Daily Hive, just the other day, I happened across the article, "Where to find the best Indian food in Vancouver." While most of the places listed are familiar enough, I was struck by the exotic-sounding "Saravana Bhavan" (missing the final 'a' in Saravanaa) located in Delta. Always on the hunt for dosa and learning that this was a south Indian restaurant, we set our sites on Nordel Way and 120th.

We were intending to order a la carte and really didn't even know that they offered a lunch buffet (neither their web site nor the DH gave us a clue as to this so maybe its a new thing?). We also didn't realize that we were in a vegetarian restaurant but that was just because of not paying attention. Look closely at the photo of the front of the restaurant!

The weekend lunch buffet is $15.99 compared to $24.99 just down the block at Tandoori Flame (bear in mind that TF offers many choices for the carnivore...and is huge). The buffet is not long here but there are different choices on each side and roving servers bring you dosas and puri (and dosa is what we were craving, to begin with).

While a buffet offers the advantages of giving you the opportunity of trying small tastes (or large) of many things, it has the disadvantage of my plate being not as pretty when I arrange it myself! We tried the idli and vada with sambar and coconut chutney as we almost always do. These were all tasty but the idli didn't profit from waiting for us in a steamer. Even the chutney was maybe a buffet level below what we have tasted in other south Indian places in the area. The chana was good and the bisibelabath (a spicy rice dish with lentils and vegetables) was very tasty. 

The process with dosa is that someone is making them fresh in the kitchen and then they are delivered to diners by one of the servers. In the meantime, we took some potato masala and mushroom masala on our trays to eat with our dosa. The dosas were crispy and fresh and made us happy but again, not as pretty as when they come on a plate from the kitchen. Still, this was worth the price of admission.

Marie and I made one more visit to the buffet to try some desserts. I love these metal trays by the way and I want some for home (just kidding on the last part). These were all tasty and to my palette, not quite as overpoweringly sweet as the north Indian sweets that we sometimes have. Mostly made up of rice and fruits and nuts in various arrangements and even one was made with cream of wheat! BTW, I am aware that Indian cuisine is a little more than just north and south but for purposes of simplicity...

Like many Indian restaurants, this one is elaborately decorated with giant chandeliers and is very comfortable. All of the staff were friendly and helpful, ready to lend explanations at the buffet. It turns out that there are many locations of SB all over the world. It is the world's largest Indian vegetarian restaurant chain!

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

Hi Five Chicken

I don't want the search for great fried chicken ever to end or reach the point where we have an absolute winner. In the name of research, I want to continue always to get mt fingers greasy without guilt or remorse (which are essentially, the same thing).

Hi Five has 2 24 hour locations and we went to the one on 10th Avenue in Burnaby. It's hard not to compare this place right off the bat to Church's but there are some differences as we will see.

We started with a couple of their more unique sides (shame on me for not thinking to try their coleslaw or other salads) namely, poppers (3 on the right) and Mac and Cheese Wedges (5 on the left). The mac and cheese deals were actually not too bad! Cheesy and crispy at the same time! They advertise these as being 'vegetarian' which is kind of cute and technically true. The poppers were less thrilling being not spicy at all and filled with a cream cheese concoction that did not leave us wanting more.

Fried chicken, of course, is the main event and frankly, this was very good. We tried the regular and spicy. The spicy was not spicy (they could do with a bottle of hot sauce out on the counter) but they were both very juicy and crisp on the outside. This was what led us to the Church's comparison. The potato wedges were not bad either.

The baked chicken (they should call it roasted) is what makes Hi Five a little bit unique. This was also very good. Not dry and the skin, while not being crispy(obviously) was very flavourful. They use a honey mustard type of sauce which had some zing. Colour us impressed.

So we kind of liked this place. The food is decent including the baked option. There is the whole 24-hour thing should you be craving at 4 am or coming home from God knows where with the munchies. There is fast-food seating for about 8 to 10 people inside as well as some tables and chairs outside. The staff are friendly enough and our order did not take too long.

For what its worth, we give Hi Five Chicken 3 out of 5.

The Taste of Africa

Once again we found ourselves braving the wilds of Whalley to find a place listed on scoutmagazine.ca's "Never Heard Of It" list. While we had the list as motivation, at some point also, I  had become convinced that Jollof Rice is a great thing (I am still convinced) that should be sought out wherever it could be found!

The Taste of Africa is located right on King George, not far from 108th. I was somewhat nervous about parking my car where I could not see it (grow up, Mike) but all was well. This is not only a small restaurant with take-out available but also an African ingredients grocery store. It is a very casual place but not uncomfortable. Seating about a dozen people, the couple that runs the place were kept busy by members of the local African and non-African community alike while we were there.

A number of familiar and unfamiliar dishes are offered in combinations. Marie had Baked Tilapia with the aforementioned Jollof Rice. She easily reduced this fish to a pile of bones. It was nicely cooked with a spice mix on the skin that I could not possibly identify. It was not spicy but savory and maybe just a little bit sweet. Delicious! The accompanying rice was as advertised, tomatoey, a little spicy and rich and comforting. The little taste of coleslaw on the side was a pleasant surprise and offset the spicy part nicely.

We also tried Okro (not okra, even though I kept saying okra) stew. This was also delicious but a little challenging to my uneducated palate. It does have okra as one of the main ingredients as the name suggests and as does the texture (slightly viscous). This version of the stew has beef (although I would have guessed goat owing to the bony pieces). It was spicy enough to make me sweat if I didn't spell off with bites of rice. It also contained the ingredient fish powder (didn't know there was such a thing) which lent its own taste to this complex stew. It was interesting and enjoyable but needs a little getting used to just like dishes with fish sauce that we have learned to love.

The side here was Rice and Beans, another comforting dish reminiscent of the Jamaican and even Creole versions that we are more familiar with.

Fried plantains rounded out our meal. These were sweet and rich. All in all, this was a satisfying and interesting meal. We felt like we were able to expand our culinary horizons, just a little bit. We also enjoyed our friendly hosts and a little taste of the culture that surrounded us.

For what its worth, we give Taste of Africa 3 1/2 out of 5.

Jamjar - Commercial Drive

Marie and I are dedicated transit users. Not during the week so much because we live out in the Valley where I am close to work and Marie works late evenings when there is no service. On the weekends though, when we treck into town (which we often do), we generally park at Scott Road Station and use skytrain and buses. Adding another vehicle to the congestion and parking mayhem of Vancouver doesn't help the planet or my stress level, so we put up with the occasional inconvenience and let someone else drive. It also helps my walking game. The biggest single component of my fitness program these days is walking 10km a day, which I do religiously (I used to run and even ran a few marathons but I have a few joints which will no longer tolerate the pounding). My point in all of this is that sometimes, proximity to transit is a large contributing factor when it comes to lunch! Such was the case with Jamjar (loving Lebanese food is, of course, the second big factor), which is very conveniently located just a few steps from Broadway/Commercial Station.

Arriving just before 1:00 on Saturday, we did not have to wait for a table but were seated right away. The menu is not as confusing as it first appears. All you need to do is follow directions. When we did, we ordered Falafel as a mezze to start.

These were brilliant. Crispy on the outside and light but substantial on the inside. One of my favourite healthy, with a tiny touch of non-healthy, treats. Chickpeas, parsley, garlic, etc., made into balls and deep-fried and served with a sort of tahini yogurt sauce (don't quote me on the sauce)!

Falafel is one of those things that I could live on in good conscience and reasonable health. We wouldn't have complained about a little more sauce.

Again, carefully following the menu instructions, we ordered a Makali Bowl. The makali is the deep-fried cauliflower with pomegranate molasses. Also as crispy as you can expect cauliflower to be, the molasses was an amazing addition being sweet and tart with a citrusy finish. Loved this and again our consciences did not trouble us! As a bowl, (you can order anything as a mezze, a wrap or a bowl), your main can be served over brown rice or cabbage (more of a slaw) or a combination. You also get to choose one cold mezze and for this plate, we chose a smokey eggplant dip called muttabel. Everyone needs to try this! it was creamy and smokey and wonderful!

For a second bowl, we ordered their Shish Tawouk, chicken thighs marinated in yogurt, oregano, garlic, and lemon and then grilled. This was tasty enough also but a bit less of a thrill than the previous items. I am sorry that we chose to wander off the vegetarian trail when there were other interesting items to be tried. Certainly, the labneh, which we chose as a cold mezze, was a highlight here and came with a generous splash of very good olive oil.

We have come to love places that cook with conscience. Jamjar uses local ingredients as much as possible and offers several vegan options. Even the name Jamjar is an indicator of community and hospitality.  This is a very nice space and comfortable with friendly folks.

For what it's worth, we give Jamjar 4 1/2 out of 5.

Two Rivers Specialty Meats

Under the heading, "What took us so long to get here?" comes Two Rivers Specialty Meats. I remember the buzz around the opening and being quite excited about the quality of the menu and product they sold in this top-quality butcher shop. Well better late than never, we arrived Labour Day just before noon.

Located more or less behind Capilano Mall in an industrial area, TR is a sleek storefront with a clean sleek interior (as you might expect from a butcher shop).

We started with Crispy BBQ Pork Bites. Give it a squeeze from the grilled lime and you have an amazing snack. Both lean and fatty, these guys were rich, tasty and surprisingly tender. I assume that they use their signature rub on these. We decided that we liked the crispy little pieces slightly more than the bigger pieces but we would never consider leaving either behind.

We came for a burger. 65-day dry-aged beef really does make a difference. This burger was beefy in a way that one dreams of. 

With bacon and cheese, this is one of the best burgers that we have ever had. The fries are cooked in tallow and that makes for an excellent tasting and crispy product as well.

You have the option of sitting at the counter and watching the chef at work, cooking over wood. Pretty impressive to tackle all the effort involved in keeping a wood fire at an even temperature.

From their butcher dop, we took home some house-made sausages to try later. The small one was lamb with allspice, garlic and lemon. The others were Chorizo and Longaniza (not the Filipino kind but the Portuguese kind). All three were more than a little but impressive. 

So a full-service impressive butcher shop that runs a cafe featuring their products. The procedure is order at the counter and they deliver your food to your table. The staff are knowledgable as well as friendly. I am guessing that it can get pretty busy here but there is seating for probably 60 people or more. It would be worth a wait also.

For what it's worth, we give Two Rivers Specialty Meats 4 1/2 out of 5.

The Fish Counter

Considering that we are living next to an ocean and have literally thousands of men and women who fish for a living based in the area, I feel like we don't have a lot of affordable seafood places. Obviously, sushi, which might be the perfect way to treat high-quality fish, is everywhere. Higher-end seafood specialty restaurants, including Asian places are also abundant. So what am I talking about? I am talking about good old fashioned fish and chips. Oh, I know there are a few but this is an underrepresented dining area.

Located on Main Street near 22nd, The Fish Counter is one of the few places that offer really decent seafood at a more than reasonable price. Run by a couple of guys who could be (and were) running a top-end restaurant and who are more than a little conscious about sustainability, Robert C Clarke and Mike McDermid. We arrived just after noon on Saturday and got in the short line to order.

The system is order at the register and pick up at the counter. There are a few counters where you can stand and eat or a few benches with no tables where you can maybe work something out using your lap. Pleasantly cluttered, this is both a place to eat, get take out and a fresh and frozen fish and shellfish store complete with a few other gourmet items. We were here to eat of course and we started with a Cod Fish Taco. 

Served on a corn tortilla, this pretty good-sized piece of deep-fried cod was crispy and hot. A nice little slaw on top provided some contrast and a bit of a creamy sauce. Very nice!

I always order Mushy Peas when it is on the menu. It just sounds so cool and authentically British. This was almost a little buttery, very tasty and really stood out compared to what I have had in the past.

So once I had an Oyster Po-Boy in New Orleans and now I think I know everything about them. To the best of my recollection, the bread wasn't quite spot on here but so what? It was a delicious sandwich of amazing fat deep-fried oysters and other tasty things. I barely remember past the oysters!

Finally, we had one piece Halibut and Chips which to my eyes, appeared to be two pieces. It was not a mix up as the cook called it as he passed it to me. I believe they just want it to be a generous serving and that impresses me to bits. Halibut is not cheap! Firm and wonderful this was some of the best fish and chips that we have had in a long time! The frites were good too being of the thinly cut variety.

So call us officially fans of these two gentlemen and their crew and their little store. Vancouver's best fish and chips? Just maybe!

For what it's worth, we give The Fish Counter 4 1/2 out of 5.