Big Lou's Butcher Shop

Big Lou's Butcher Shop is one of new restaurants that opened up in the new year; the restaurant is located in a couple of blocks from Chinatown, and is from the owners of the nearby Two Chefs and a Table. While the food is similar to Meat & Bread, in terms of being a sandwich joint, the place is unique because it is primarily a butcher shop first and foremost.

The space and design of the restaurant and shop has a charmingly old-fashioned, yet graphically modern feel. The meat display is wonderfully attractive, with meat laid out in a most pleasing way. The meat itself is locally sourced.

There is also a selection of pickles (asparagus, bean), and various spice rubs.

While the store is quite spacious, the eat-in dining area is quite minimal, consisting of just a bar facing the wall and some (quite uncomfortable) stools. The butcher art is quite a nice touch.

Here's the porchetta sandwich ($9), with a Boylan Black Cherry soda, which Brigid ordered. The sandwiches came attractively wrapped in custom printed paper and white string. The pork itself was very flavourful - juicy and well-seasoned. While the sandwiches had bits of crackling, the pieces that were included where quite hard, nearly teeth-breakingly so. In comparison with the porchetta sandwich at Meat & Bread, Big Lou's version is not as good, due to many tiny reasons; however, it is still a pretty good sandwich.

Amanda got the Bulgogi chicken ($9), which didn't look like what you would find in a Korean restaurant. However, Amanda reported that this was pretty tasty, although she wasn't fond of the grilled long stalks of green onion that was in the sandwich, which were stringy and hard to bite off. To be honest, I'm not sure about the 'Bulgogi' and the 'Bahn Mi' on the menu - it seems a little out of place, especially considering there are a few really amazing & cheap bahn mi places just a few blocks away.

I had Big Lou's Chicago Style sausage sandwich ($7.50), with house made sausage, pickles, mayo, pickled peppers and mustard. This had some problems. While the sausage itself was tasty, with hints of fennel, the outside didn't have that crunch and pop that a well seared sausage has - it was instead really chewy. There was also way too much mayo and pickled peppers. These elements, along with the mustard and pickles, made the sandwich taste really unbalanced.

While the location is a little out of the way, Big Lou's is certainly worth a visit. The store's commitment to local food and product is certainly admirable, and hopefully there will be a few tweaks here and there to make the space more inviting and the food a little more refined.

Shaktea

I love teas. It's one of my favourite drinks, and I love especially the sheer variety of teas - you can try tons of teas and still be astounded at a new flavour that you didn't even know existed. Somehow, there doesn't seem to be many tea places on the East Side of Vancouver, so when Shaktea opened up a few years ago, it was pretty unique. Now, we've visited here a few times - most of the time to get some loose tea; but we hadn't gone there for tea service in a long while.

The interior of Shaktea is filled with warm colours and had a cozy feeling. Aside from a few choice seats near the window, there is not much seating at all. However, the display of jars of tea is pretty neat.

They also always have three pots of tea to sample: usually an herbal one, a rooibus  or honeybush one, and a black tea, all sitting in three glass teapots.

It was moderately busy when we arrived, and we managed to snag one of the last couple of free tables. We were given the menu right away, but it took almost 15 minutes to actually place our order. Even though other people all around us were placing orders, the servers seemed to forget about us. In the end, we actually had to flag someone and ask her if we could order.

From the time we were there, service seemed to be a problem; people would sit there without menus, without having orders taken, and given 'reserved' tables with a warning that they couldn't stay very long. The service wasn't too joyful.

I got the matcha latte, which arrived in a unique ceramic bowl (around $4). This was delicious - creamy and with a nice green tea flavour. One of the nice things about this place is that they always give you a few mini gingersnaps with your tea. It's a really great touch.

Shane had the Earl Grey latte ($4.25), which arrived in a small tea pot. The tea was unsweetened and had a very aromatic and wonderful Earl Gray flavour. The amount of creaminess was perfect. The teas did take a very long time to arrive though.

We also ordered a chocolate pistachio cookie ($1.95). Unfortunately this was very dry and lacked a distinct pistachio flavour.

The teas at Shaktea are great. And if you can find a time when they're not busy, so much the better. However, they do need to improve on the customer service aspect if they want to garner customer support.

Vera's Burger Shack - Main St

I always have mixed feelings returning to the Main Street area. One reason is that when I lived there about five years ago, it was not so trendy and hipster-y as it is now. It's become a little too popular these days. But I also have pangs of jealousy because there is so much cool new stuff that wasn't there before, like the new community centre and library, and all sorts of up-and-coming restaurants.  Vera's Burger Shack is one of those places that wasn't there when we were around. So when we were in the neighbourhood and after unsuccessful attempts to visit Benkei Ramen on 5th (closed) and Lucy's Eastside Diner (too busy), we ended up at Vera's for lunch.

Now we had gone to another Vera's years ago but never actually been back for a while.

The restaurant occupies a place that used to be a cafe, as I recall (Pedro's Coffee?), and the interior feels a little like a worn old shoe. Not that the place isn't clean or anything (well, there were crumbs at our table...), but it had the feeling of being used too many times. However, the seats were comfortable enough.

The menu is pretty extensive, ranging from basic burgers, to specialty burgers, to hot dogs and sandwiches. The choice is pretty dizzying at first. Of course, the price of the burgers is just for the burger itself; the sides are not included.

I went for The Natural Burger ($7.89), which features organic beef. The good thing at Vera's is that you can customize your burger with whatever toppings you want; this time, I went for pickles, tomato, lettuce, hot peppers, and mustard. All in all the burger was good: the bun was soft but toasted, and the meat itself had a good flavour. The patty was juicy, if a little overdone and lacking in seasoning.

Shane got the Power Burger ($8.69), which featured a fried egg, fried onions, and cheese.  This one was pretty good; the egg had an appropriately gooey yolk, and the whole thing was a yummy mess. Of course, with this kind of burger, the patty becomes second fiddle, which may be a good thing in this case.

Both of us shared a side of fries ($3.99 for the combo with drink). This was a disappointment. The fries were dry and had an unappetizing puddle of oil at the bottom of the basket. It just wasn't good, and it may speak to a lack of care in the preparation of the food. I mean the reason that a person would choose Vera's over McDonald's or some other joint is that they care about the quality of the burger, right? I'm not sure if we felt that difference, to be honest with you.

Will we return to Vera's? Maybe.

But would it be our first choice? No.

Romer's Burger Bar

We were in the neighbourhood to catch a movie at the nearby Fifth Avenue, so we decided to pay a visit to Romer's Burger Bar, a relatively new burger joint in Kits. Being in the neighbourhood, we could have easily gone for a more healthy option, but we wanted a really good burger.

The decor is dark, with deep red booths, high tables with bar stools, and lots of mirrors. Cozy nightclub vibe, if you prefer.

Romer's burgers are purportedly gourmet, with natural, free-range local meats. One advantage to the set up of the menu is that the burgers are sold alone, without any sides. This gives the customer the option of choosing their various sides, which range from fries, to onion rings, to veggies and salads.

The bad news is that for a single burger here (priced from $9 - $20), you're more or less paying for the price of a full meal at any other burger joint.  The sides range from $3 - $8, so a whole plate does add up. But if the burger is good, it's worth it, right?

I ordered the 'Wicked Deadly Cheeseburger' ($11) which was topped with five types of cheese, onion, greens, and a Russian tarragon dressing. This was good, except that the only cheese you could taste was the goat cheese. Perhaps this was a proportion problem or the nature of the goat cheese itself, but I couldn't tell you what other cheeses were in that burger. The burger was an okay goat cheese burger, though I wasn't terribly blown away. Yes, the bun was nicely toasted and had a sumptuous softness, but the meat was a little dry, overdone, and really under seasoned.

Being a man, Shane felt it appropriate to order the 'Man's Man Burger' ($11), with bacon, cheddar, onion strings and tomato. This was also okay - the onions added a nice crunchy texture, but the problem again was the overdone meat and the lack of seasoning in the meat. There were no meat juices dripping on to the plate, you know?

Of course we had to try the poutine ($8). This was a terrible disappointment. The fries were crisp enough, but the problem was with two of the three components: gravy and curds. The gravy was quite minimal and bland, more of a drizzle than the more appropriate puddle. The cheese curds were also minimal and lacked that pleasant toothy squeak. The whole dish was weirdly un-hot (not a real word, but appropriate for this occasion).

For dessert, we tried the apple pie ($6), which arrived with a side of mascarpone cream. The pie was another disappointment, a bland, cold disappointment; the crust was thin and more chewy than flaky, and the apple filling was just standard. By far, the best part of the dish was the generous dollop of mascarpone.

By the end of our meal, we sad to have spent so much money on a burger joint. It could have been so good. But we just wanted to turn back time at that point.

Meat & Bread

Sigh. There are a million blog reviews of Meat & Bread on Urbanspoon, so why even bother writing about the place?

Well...because it's really damn good! Meat & Bread is one of those new restaurants with a really simple concept: really good sandwiches, and quality ingredients. Their location at Hastings and Cambie is utterly perfect for me - literally a five minute walk from work, which is a good and bad thing. So this review is cobbled together from three separate visits, and these occasions made me like the place even more.

First of all, how cool is the menu? Small menu, with limited choices, which is a really good thing (they do have two staples: the porchetta sandwich and the grilled cheese). The whole restaurant has a modern / retro feel that makes one feel a little nostalgic.

Look at those wooden floors! There is very limited seating here; aside from a few tables near the front of the restaurant, the place features a big, stainless steel communal table (hi, neighbour!).

Along the side are water jugs, glasses and napkins, along with an impressive wall of condiments for sale: mustard, sambal, and salt. The whole thing is beautifully composed.

This the beauty shot. That is the porchetta - free-range pork rolled with herbs and topped with golden crackling, surrounded by piles of ciabatta buns.

Here is the porchetta sandwich ($8), pork with salsa verde and bits of crackling. The first bite was heavenly, and heaven just went on and on, with tender, well-seasoned, juicy pork and the surprise crunch of fatty skin. Can I confess that I would like to munch on a bag of those cracklings?

The salsa verde didn't do much for me, however, and it made the bun a little soggy at times.  The sandwich  is served with a dollop of delicious mustard, and a surprisingly tasty sambal sauce. To be honest, the sandwich reminded me exactly of the one I had at a Tuscan market in Italy, which I remember as one of the best meals I've ever had.

On another visit, I tried the meatball sandwich ($7), which didn't consist of whole meatballs, but more of crushed variety. While the meat wasn't spectacularly flavourful, the sauce had a nice spiciness and the sandwich had a nice layer of Romano (?) cheese. It was a comforting dish.

A friend of mine had the grilled cheese ($7), consisting of Gruyere (I think the cheese changes) and onions. She liked it a lot. She also had a side of tomato soup, which she also liked. However, I must say that the sides, at $4 for a small bowl, is not the best deal.

The restaurant also boasts quite an unusual dessert: maple bacon ice cream sandwich. It's served between two thin waffle wafers. It was quite good, though not mind-blowing. The bacon goes surprisingly well with ice cream and lends a chewy texture amidst the creaminess.

Meat & Bread is a great addition to the neighbourhood. The focus of the menu is impressive, and so is the whole look and feel of the place. I must, however, refrain from visiting too often. Porchetta is not a friend to my health!

Bo Laksa King's Bubbles and Bits

Since last year or so, we have heard lots about Bo Laksa King, ever since Chowtimes reviewed their first location on Joyce Street. Chowtimes raved about the food and many bloggers followed with great praise and many reviews. A visit to Bo Laska had been on my list for quite a while, especially since we learned that the chef and owner is from Burma, which is where my family is originally from.

We were in the neighbourhood of their second (and now only) location on Hastings Street, and decided to finally pop in. I must say, the exterior did nothing for the place, with the broken 'Open' neon sign and many pictures of bubble tea. In fact, without knowledge of Bo Laksa, I would hardly know that real food was actually served there.

The interior is simple and utilitarian, with black plastic tables and chairs and dark teal walls. When we arrived for an early lunch, we were the only customers there and this felt a little awkward.

We were pleased to see a number of Burmese dishes on the menu, but we decided to go the non-Burmese route, to save comparisons with my mother's cooking. We ordered the chicken satay, which arrived in a rather impressive arrangement, with 3 skewers arranged tee-pee style on the plate with sides of rice and peanut sauce. The chicken itself was pretty good, with a nice grilled taste. However, the peanut sauce was a little on the sweet side, without the balance of spicy and savory. As an appetizer, we were very impressed by the size of the dish.

Here is their famous laksa ($7.50). This came in a huge bowl filled with tofu puffs, shrimp, fishball, chicken, beansprouts, and a whole boiled egg. You had a choice of yellow egg noodles or the rice vermicelli, and I got the vermicelli. The noodles were well cooked, not too soft, and the soup had a nice coconut creaminess. However, I felt that it was lacking a little in spice; the soup was very mild. I also though that the soup could have used a bit more salt, because it tasted a little bland.

Shane ordered the Mee Goreng, a Malaysian fried noodle dish. I heard that the owner's wife was Malaysian, so we had great expectations of this. Unfortunately, this was the weirdest Mee Goreng I'd ever tasted. The noodles had a sauce all over it, and it was extremely sweet. I'm not sure what happened, but it was really bad.

So our first experience with Bo Laksa was a rather mixed one; I must confess that I left the restaurant a little let down. Perhaps my expectations were too high? Nevertheless, we are willing to return, if only to try the Burmese dishes, which will be the ultimate test.

Pied-a-Terre

(Bear with me, I'm catching up on a backlog of food posts. Here's one from a few weeks ago....)

Amanda, a friend from work, and I had a chance to have a leisurely lunch when we were out of the office visiting various places for one of our projects. We decided upon a French bistro on Cambie called Pied-a-Terre. As you can see from the photos, the restaurant is very distinctive looking, with a playful flying pig mural on the side of the building contrasting with its rather stark, elegant, vertical facade.

Reservations are recommended for this place because it is quite small. The interiors were a delight, with a fancy black chandelier, dark framed mirrors, a chalkboard menu, and tasteful wooden tables and black leathery banquette and chairs.

The lunch started out wonderfully, with a stack of warm slices of French bread that were utterly divine, with a crunchy (but not hard) crust and a fluffy interior.  These came with a generous portion of butter. This was amazing - one of the best breads I've had.

Both Amanda and I had the unfortunate disposition of being gluttons, so when we saw the Table d'Hote option of three courses for $25, our eyes widened and we impulsively went for it. You only live once, right?  For the first course, both of us chose the quail on a frise salad. This was very decadent, to have the whole bird to yourself as an appetizer, no less!  The quail was delicious, with a really mouth-watering grilled flavour and delicately cooked flesh. The salad was also really tasty, with morsels of pork nestled among the greens. (Note: my dining companion who does not eat red meat or pork didn't enjoy this - the quail tasted too 'gamey' for her palate)

For the main course, Amanda ordered the trout with capers, served on a bed of vegetables. The portion was very generous. She liked this quite a bit, and loved the size of the meal, even though she couldn't quite finish the whole thing.

Amanda also wanted to replace the bed of vegetables with fries, so the server gave her an extra side of fries at no charge. I found that to be pretty impressive. Look at the size of that!

In fitting with the theme of the day (gluttony), I went for the steak frites with peppercorn sauce. This was huge, and along with the main components, also came with creamed spinach and a herbed breadcrumb topped tomato. The dish was enjoyable; the fries were well cooked, golden brown and crispy, the vegetable sides were really pleasant departures from the regular steak frites. The meat was a nice medium rare and was well seasoned. My only comment would be that the steak itself was a little tough and needed quite a bit of chewing. But considering the cost, this is pretty understandable. All in all, a very hearty dish.

We were utterly stuffed at this point. But who can pass up dessert? Amanda chose the simple vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce. Judging from its appearance, the ice cream looks housemade (thought it did seem a bit too 'melty'). She enjoyed this, although she thought that a bit more chocolate sauce would have made it perfect.

I got the Napoleon with sour cherry compote. The sour cherries were absolutely amazing - the tartness cut through the richness of the cream on top and between the layers. However, there was a major problem with the dessert, because the pastry layers were so thick and hard that it was impossible to cut through them. As a result, the layers and cream went all over the place. It was not very elegant to eat.

We very much enjoyed our lunch at Pied-a-Terre. For the amount of food, the service and quality of the ingredients, it is quite the deal. The whole meal was an experience, and was one of those meals where you felt like you were in a different country on vacation. 

I would definitely comeback to this restaurant. They know what they're doing.