La Casa Gelato on a Hot Day

August 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I was flabbergasted upon entering La Casa Gelato. 218 flavors of gelato in one location? It was the perfect cure to a hot summer day!

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Inside La Casa Gelato there are about 4 gelato freezers on each side of the wall and a big space in the center. There is no seating available inside the gelateria but you can bring your gelato outside and enjoy it at the park just right across.

I am told it gets very busy at night. It’s presumably the reason for all the signs on the counter-tops asking for people’s patience when waiting for samples. La Casa Gelato has also put a prepaid system in place. Once you have paid, you are given a poker chip in a color that corresponds to your scoop choice. Then, you hand the poker chip to your server upon ordering.

There was so much to choose from I didn’t know where to begin! La Casa Gelato has exotic flavors such as curry, durian, and chili chocolate. So my advice is: sample, sample, and sample!

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I ended up getting the pineapple coconut macadamia (to die for!) and black sesame gelato. The next time I go I will most likely order one of their sorbet. I found the watermelon sorbet quite nice when I tried it. Now if only it wasn’t so far from where I stay…

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Filed Under: Food, Vancouver Tagged With: , , ,

Mystery Kitchen Tour 2010 Finale

August 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I attended the last Mystery Kitchen Tour fundraiser this year at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (PICA) in Granville Island. There were 8 professional kitchens with 8 highly talented chefs serving up culinary masterpieces. Needless to say the food was to die for! I will let the pictures do the talking.

Chef Brian Fowke from Kitsilano Daily Kitchen served octopus salad with cucumbers, peach and red ginger.

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Chef David Hawksworth who will head Hotel Georgia’s Restaurant prepared seared tuna with soy caviar and charred avocado.

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Chef Jennifer Peters from Raincity Grill served 2 kinds of salmon, a salmon croquet and cured salmon with dill sauce.

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Chef Vikram Vij of Vij’s Restaurant amazed us with his goat curry with mint and date chutney on jasmine rice.

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A chocolate buffet was prepared by PICA paired with dessert wine.

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My top 3 dishes that night were:

1. Chef Chris Irving’s fried oysters with porcini mushroom, peach marmalade and watercress purée. (Pourhouse Restaurant)

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2. Chef Andrew Springett’s lamb tenderloin on coriander cracker with peach chutney and lamb ragout. (the lamb ragout was braised for 3 hours which should tell you how good it is and I don’t even like lamb!) (Black Rock Resort)

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3. Chef Quang Dang’s albacore tuna bacon with plums, cucumbers and grated bonito. (Diva at the Met)

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Best kitchen to hang out in: Chef Vikram Vij’s and Chef Quang Dang’s kitchen. Chef Vikram was a pro host and his kitchen was lively and happening while Chef Quang Dang’s kitchen was engaging with bar stools you can perch on while eating.

The fundraiser is for the 2010 Canadian Chefs Congress whose theme this year is Food Sustainability, particularly seafood. The Chefs Congress will happen on September 11 – 12, 2010 where 500 chefs from around Canada will gather together.

Filed Under: Events, Food, Granville Island, Vancouver Tagged With: , , ,

Mystery Kitchen Tour Fundraiser

August 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

From the Canadian Chefs Congress Website:

Once again, we will preside the eight professional culinary kitchens of the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (PICA). Embark on a food and wine laden tour, mingle with mystery chefs, and support a national meeting of culinary minds for the 2010 Canadian Chefs’ Congress. Don’t miss this opportunity to graze amongst the best chefs our province (and country) has to offer.

Date: Sunday, August 22, 2010, 6:30pm – 9pm
Location: Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts -map-
Tickets: $75 per person

Register for Mystery Kitchen Tour Encore at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts in Vancouver, British Columbia on Eventbrite

Our past two Mystery Kitchen Tours have showcased the talents of:

  • Angus An – Maenam
  • Jeremie Bastien – Boneta
  • Robert Belcham – Refuel, Campagnolo
  • Ned Bell – Cabana Bar and Grille
  • Julian Bond – Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts
  • Andrea Carlson – Bishop’s
  • Sean Cousins – The Vancouver Club
  • Quang Dang – Diva at the Met, Metropolitan Hotel
  • Scott Jaeger – The Pear Tree
  • Lisa Perkins – The Vancouver Club
  • Neil Taylor – Cibo
  • Marc Thuet – Thuet, Conviction Kitchen
  • James Walt – Araxi
  • Chris Whittaker  - O’Doul’s, Listel Hotel
  • Josh Wolfe – Coast Restaurant
  • Neil Wyles – Hamilton Street Grill

Will you be able to guess our next slate of participating culinary icons?

Filed Under: Events, Food, Granville Island, Vancouver Tagged With: , , ,

Food Trip: Section (3)

July 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

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Located at the end of Mainland Street, Section (3) is a good place to go if you’re looking for someplace casual in Yaletown.

I don’t care much for their dark interiors and booth seating inside (it feels like a dive bar) so I usually try and get a table on their patio.

You have to appreciate Section (3) for its unique drink list with creative names and food that is surprisingly good. However, it may be a bit of hit and miss with this restaurant. An example: I had their yam fries on two separate occasions; first time it was dry and bland, and on my next it was almost dripping in oil. And yam fries can’t be all that hard to cook.

For drinks, their Sangrias are a good choice for summer. A lot of their drinks taste watered down though, so it would be best to order a double.

Over-all still good value for your money.

Tuesdays has $2.50 pints, lunch time can get you $10 quickies ($10 or less for lunch menu items) and every week they have Fresh Sheets which promises to be as local and affordable as possible.

FUN FACT: The neon-lit NERD sign above the bar was meant to be De Nero, their original name. But according to a provision under Section 3 the restaurant was in violation for using that name and thus had to change it.

Filed Under: Food, Vancouver, Yaletown Tagged With: , , ,

Food Trip: Gudrun

July 17, 2010 By 1 Comment

We wandered into Gudrun looking for a place to unwind in Steveston Village. It is not easily visible, tucked behind a number of establishments on Moncton Street, but it is a hidden gem worth discovering.

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The decor was fabulous in its simplicity, wood and concrete complementing each other. On their patio sits reclaimed wood that incorporates a full grown tree into the design. Inside, a large chalkboard takes up a wall to list yummy selections of salads, paninis, wines and cheese. Menu is limited keeping to its theme of being a wine tasting room.

The owner Patrick was very chatty, very hands on and very knowledgeable. We found ourselves ordering a bottle of white from their list of mostly organic and locally grown wine. The Ortega was clean and crisp and of course one bottle turned into 2..

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A very good experience over-all. The cool, laid back atmosphere was a welcome change to the crowds out on the wharf. I should definitely be back before the end of summer.

Filed Under: Food, Richmond Tagged With: , ,
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