FOOD | Omakase Dinner at Bistro Sakana, Yaletown

I finally got a chance to check out Bistro Sakana, a little Japanese restaurant nozzled in with other restaurants and cafes on the Yaletown strip. I'm happy to be able to finally try this spot, especially their Omakase menu.  I'm also very happy that I came hungry to this meal, because it was absolutely filling!  

The Omakase meal has 13 items on the menu, including:

• Appetizer
• Dobin Mushi
• Omakase Sashimi
• Tsubugai Tsuboyaki
• Lobster Tempura
• Smoked Kurobuta
• Kegani Kanimiso
• Omakase Sushi
• Steam Fish
• Bafun Uni Cahwanmushi
• Wagyu Hobayaki
• Madai Gohan
• Dessert

I was almost full from just reading the itinerary for the evening to come.

We started off with the appetizer, which included 3 different little items on the plate: Tuna with Avocado, Uni & Caviar, Radish wrapped Smoked Salmon with Mango & Masago, Sea Cucumber in Vinagrette. As some of you may know, I LOVE Uni and Caviar, so when you combined the 2 ingredients along with tuna to make a tartare, it sent my taste buds straight to heaven. The Sea cucumber in vinagrette was so refreshing and unique, this might be one of the first times I've had this good of a sea cucumber. This is a good start! 

Shortly after, our next course came, the Dobin Mushi. We loved the presentation, it came in a little clay tea pot with a lid that plays double duty as a bowl. I wasn't sure about the lime initially, but it really adds an extra complexity and flavour to the soup. The Sashimi platter came and my eyes could not believe its presentation! (Look below for photos) This platter came with such a wide variety of sashimi, including Geoduck, Miragui, Minadai, Blue Fin Tuna, Shimaaji, Akami, and of course, the main attraction - the Lobster Sashimi. All the sashimi were super fresh, and most melts in your mouth! The lobster also goes perfectly with the Ponzu Sauce that came with it. Did I mention the presentation of this platter? 

Appetizer: Tuna with Avocado, Uni & Caviar, Radish wrapped Smoked Salmon with Mango & Masago, Sea Cucumber in Vinagrette

Dobin Mushi

Omakase Sashimi

I will just say now that all the courses came looking nothing short of perfect, and I was impressed with the presentation on most of the dishes, it made my job easy as a photographer! Every course was unique and had its own flavour profile and texture to it. The Welk and Clam in liver sauce is no exception, coming on a hot plate, sitting on a bed of sea salt and kelp.

Tsubugai Tsuboyaki

Lobster Tempura

Kegani Kanimiso

I feel like I'm repeating myself a lot here with the presentation, but look at this Smoked Kurobuta! Two smoked out domes arrived on our table and we were initially left with guessing what's inside. When the lids were lifted in a skillful manner, we were able to smell the smoke, which added a great smokey flavour to the fish.

The sushi was next, and we were instructed to eat them in this specific order: Ashiaka Ebi Sushi, Hairy Crab sushi, and then the Wagyu Beef Sushi. The Ashiaka Ebi is a very juicy and sweet shrimp, and the wagyu is so tender that it literally melts like butter in your mouth. The garlic chips on top gave it an additional flavourful crunch.

Smoked Kurobuta

Omakase Sushi: Hairy Crab Roll, Ebi Roll & Wagyu Beef Roll

These cute little packages came next, and as we undid the ribbon, we revealed a great rolled up Madai (Sea Bream) with enoki mushrooms rolled up inside in a natural dashi broth. This bite-size piece left me with a mouthful of flavour and wishing there was more of it! 

Steamed Fish

Bafun Uni Chawamushi

By this course, we were both starting to get pretty full, but out comes the Wagyu Hobayaki. It was my first experience to have beef cooked tableside, on a little grill, on a Houba leaf. We were told that the leaf was so thin that the wagyu is able to cook overtop, as well as add flavours to the meat. The experience itself is a 10/10 for me. Again, their wagyu is like butter, super smooth, and absolutely delicious with the secret sauce that was cooked with it.

Wagyu Hobayaki

Madai Gohan

Do you recognize this lobster? Do you feel like you might have seen it before? Well, you are not wrong if you thought it looks familiar, it was the same lobster that we had back in course 3, the sashimi course. This, in my opinion, was a great way to end and round up the meal. The miso soup was so full of flavour, especially with the little bits of lobster meat that came off the shell! 

Lobster Miso

Confession, I have never had a Panna Cotta before. Yes, I know, SHOCKING! I'm shocked myself, and I can't even think of a reason why this might be the case. So, thank you Bistro Sakana for giving my first ever Panna Cotta, and a matcha one at all! They know my heart! The panna cotta was silky smooth and creamy. I loved the bitter taste of the green tea, which matched well with the sweetness of the red bean. I'm not typically a dessert girl, but I ate this whole dessert up, and slurped up every last drop. Boy, am I full!!!

Green Tea Panna Cotta

Overall, everything was delicious and left me feeling very full and content. I felt like I needed to be rolled out. A complex menu, amazing selection, absolutely fresh ingredients - I will definitely recommend going in to try their Omakase Dinner!

PRESS RELEASE | Mon Amour & Valentine's Menu at TWG Tea

This Valentine’s Day, TWG Tea invites you to embrace the season of flowers and romance with TWG Tea’s collection inspired by the blush hues of the delicate rose. Capturing the essence of love in a sensual Darjeeling tea blended with delicate rose blossoms, Amour de Thé is an enchanting potion elegantly packaged in blush pink and gold caviar tin tea and gift box, making it the ideal gift to dazzle the hearts.

On February 14th, beckon your beloved with a cup of Mon Amour Tea, a magical potion composed of a rich black and sweet notes of quince, the sacred fruit of the Goddess of Love.
Perfuming the air with rare and precious essences, the Bain de Roses Tea Scented Candle perfectly accompanies evenings of sweet romance. The dusky Grasse roses of envelop you in an intoxicating perfume combined with a secret bouquet of black tea, heady notes of white sandalwood, warm vanilla and fresh grapefruit.

The Valentine's Day Menu will be available on the following dates & times:

February 1-13:

Monday to Friday, 10am-7pm
Saturday & Sunday, 10am-8pm

February 14:

10am-9pm

Reservations may be booked by phone at (604) 692-0071 or by email at TWGCanada@VanSingDG.com.

TRAVEL | THINGS TO DO | English Heritage Stonehenge

Admittedly and, sadly, irrecoverably whilst I'm abroad in Europe I am at the mercy of my Global Positioning System (GPS). Satnav, if you're from these parts, but time, necessity and my own not-giving-a-mother-f'ing whaaaaa dictate that I'm not going to Google, or as Jalen Rose would say 'Goggle' "Satnav" to give that silly acronym any credence.

When you're prone in life whether it be: spiritually, financially or merely spatially your surroundings seem to push down on you from all sides trying to squeeze everything you have inside you outside of you. Satnav says you pop up out of this freeway on-ramp and when you're almost there your excitements mounts.

If Stonehenge is a term you recognise then Stonehenge is probably a place you put on your "to-do" list. That list that wanderlusters put, and rank, mostly mentally, the countries they can, will and must see. I'd put Stonehenge and it's pre-historic significance in my top five. It's a millennium old and it was made in that time where they didn't write everything down. Remains dictate Stonehenge started as a burial ground/ religious site and archeologists have found many remains to back up those facts. No one in this random enclave, in this unremarkable British countryside, has left word of their customs or intentions and it is all at once intriguing and remarkable. A puzzle which is insolvable and therefore there remains an appetite for the facts that is unquenchable.

For the first time in my life I saw a sign that warned "queues likely", but there it was. I thought "we have likely taken a wrong, dumb 'slip road' and now we're down a 20-minute-delay rabbit hole as we drive 10-20 miles in one direction and then flip the next roundabout and head back." Happily, this was not the case. The "likely" delay was, and will be when you visit,  due to rubber-necking nincompoops who routinely drive past the 5,000 year old monument. If you're an office drone, à la Steve Carrell in the beloved American edition of The Office, maybe you slow to 5 MPH everyday, every week, on your commute to work and think about these Neolithic tribes traipsing across the countryside. Or maybe everyone sucks. Maybe when you're running late every freeway will have likely delays. If that's your mindset, I'm sorry... I love you, even as a stranger, and people still care.

 

inside the Stonehenge

When you're visiting a UNESCO Heritage Site you know there will be, at least, is going to be a vending machine. The commercial infrastructure is just there and, yes, there were several. AND a gigantic gift shop and delightful café/ bar. I partook, unabashedly, in a late afternoon Stonehenge Brewery lager. Twas good and twas adequately large so that when we boarded the shuttle out to the historic site of Stonehenge from the visitor centre I was still sipping it. A few pictures were snapped, Stonehenge lager in hand, of yours truly, astride the ruins. Whether this was once a religious centre, burial ground, community centre or just where the kids raved I did what I do; left no mark on the soil and only took the mark of the experience with me.

The Jenn Chan Photography blog is a viable, vibrant entity because of Jenn's humility and love of photography and not my narration, positions or hawkish entrepreneurism. The next time you're at the beach pick up a stone that looks about the size of your thigh. That's it. Everyone has a different sized thigh don't judge just grab it depending on your girth. I'd say definitely brace yourself. Get a wide stance and lift with your legs and not your back. Now picture that rock as the equivalent of 14,000 thigh sized, gargantuan pieces of stone laying in slabs 50 KM's away. What compelled these people? How many years did they study the stars before they calculated the exact angles where the sun on the longest day of summer and the shortest day of winter collide into its epicentre ? If you were left stranded for 100 years, be it on a beautiful, lush island or a cold tundra, could you ever make a device to send an email? Where would you start?

Replica Stonehenge Stone

Stonehenge Heel Stone

Stonehenge at Sunset

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

PRESS RELEASE | Vancouver Wine Fest Ticket Dates - NOW ON!

VANCOUVER, BC (December 20, 2017) — The 40th Vancouver International Wine Festival returns for an eight-day celebration of wine and food February 24 to March 4 at the Vancouver Convention Centre and other venues around Metro Vancouver. The 2018 festival features 173 wineries participating in 51 events. This year, the spotlight shines on wines from Iberian Peninsula neighbours Spain and Portugal, with 38 wineries from Spain and 20 from Portugal in attendance. Two very distinct nations with their own rich histories and cultures, the festival provides a fascinating opportunity to see how their winemaking and viniculture have developed in divergent and convergent paths over the centuries.

• Tickets for all public events go on sale Wednesday, January 10 at 9:30 a.m.
• Tickets for Trade Days Conference go on sale Wednesday, January 17 at 9:30 a.m.

Tickets are currently on sale for the four International Festival Tastings, Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction, the Delta Air Lines Tasting Lounge, as well as the Gold Pass and Trade Days Pass.

From educational wine seminars, tastings and parties to lunches, winery dinners and the spectacular Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction, VanWineFest offers something to please every palate. Browse public events online, click through the interactive Festival at a Glance PDF, or download the promotional brochure for full festival details. For those in the wine trade, see Trade Days events here.

FREE TICKET WITH HOTEL BOOKING
Starting in January, festivalgoers can get a free International Festival Tasting ticket (a $79 to $99 value) by booking a downtown hotel stay via StayVancouverHotels.com. Quantities are limited. The free ticket offer is available until February 15, or while supplies last. Saturday evening sold out well in advance in 2017, so book early. The StayVancouverHotels initiative is courtesy of Vancouver Hotel Destination Association and is an important cornerstone of the festival’s Don’t Wine and Drive program.

HOW TO PURCHASE TICKETS
Online: VanWineFest.ca
Phone: 604-873-3311, toll free 1-877-321-3121 (Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.)
In person: 202-162 West 1st Avenue, Vancouver (Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.)

Stay in Touch
For more information, go to VanWineFest.ca
Facebook: /VanWineFest
Instagram: @VanWineFest
Twitter: follow @VanWineFest for news on tickets and sold-out events. Join the conversation at #VIWF. 

ABOUT VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL
Canada’s premier wine show marks its 40th edition of pairing wine, food and the performing arts from February 24 to March 4, 2018. The festival features Wines from Spain and Portugal and showcases 173 wineries from 15 countries (including 38 wineries from Spain and 20 from Portugal) pouring 1,450+ wines at 51 events to a projected 25,000 admissions. The Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction opens the festival on Saturday, February 24 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The Trade Days Conference goes Wednesday, February 28 to Friday, March 2. The festival has been named the #1 Food, Wine & Hospitality Event in Canada by New York’s BizBash for five years running.

The festival is produced by the Vancouver International Wine Festival Society, which has three mandates: provide an informative, educational and entertaining wine experience for public and trade; be a premier marketing opportunity for the wine industry and festival partners; and raise funds for the Bard on the Beach Theatre Society. Since inception in 1979, the festival has raised $9 million for the performing arts. Major sponsors are Delta Air Lines and the Vancouver Sun; major industry partners are the BC Liquor Distribution Branch, BC Liquor Stores, and the Import Vintners & Spirits Association. The festival is made possible through the gracious support of our participating countries’ consulates and embassies.

PRESS RELEASE | High-Protein Breakfast at Starbucks

For many, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and the cornerstone for those new year’s resolutions. BeginningTuesday, January 9, high-protein breakfast-on-the-go arrives at Starbucks Canada with the debut of Sous Vide Egg Bites.

Perfectly cooked, cage-free eggs are prepared using the French "sous vide" technique resulting in a creamy, velvety texture that's bursting with flavour. Starbucks Canada Sous Vide Egg Bites are prepared with simple, premium ingredients, are wheat-free and available in two varieties. And like everything on our menu, Sous Vide Egg Bites are available all day long!

Your local Starbucks will be offering the following two flavours:

Bacon and Gruyere – (Wheat-free) – A foodie delight, even when you're on-the-go. We added aged Gruyere and Monterey Jack cheese, and topped them with Applewood smoked bacon for a delicious, high protein, convenient breakfast. Two Bacon and Gruyere bites have 310 calories and 19 grams of protein.​

​Egg White and Roasted Red Pepper – (Wheat-free & Vegetarian) – We added creamy Monterey Jack cheese, plus spinach and fire-roasted red peppers for a high-protein vegetarian breakfast that's both delicious and convenient. Two Egg White and Roasted Red Pepper bites have 170 calories and 13 grams of protein.

TRAVEL | FOOD | Mott 32, Hong Kong

In 1851 New York's first Chinese convenience store opened at 32 Mott Street in Lower Manhattan. A tip of the cap to the nucleus, the epicentre, of what would become New York's Chinatown, Mott 32 makes a vast, subterranean former bank basement lush and inviting. Renowned interior designer Joyce Wang went all out creating unique dining areas and nooks utilizing the nuanced layout of the award-winning space. The frosted glass ceilings inside matching octagonal dining areas in the main room fool the eye and the mind into believing sunlight and views would be pouring through, even several floors underground, were there no need for privacy glazing; truly a feast for the eyes!

Even being a lunch engagement Jenn and I were in full vacation mode so we dabbled in a few of Mott's signature cocktails. Jenn opted for the The Milk Tram, a vodka, milk, matcha concoction that she really enjoyed and I tried the Hong Kong Iced Tea and the Blanco Avion Tequila gives it a really nice back, I'd recommend it! If you're in HK you're doing, or at least should be doing, dim sum. Translated it means 'touch the heart' in the way that food brings people together and parents nurture their offspring and give life with its sustenance. If you haven't tried it think high end Chinese tapas, each course is brought out piping hot in its own little, round picnic basket. Siu Mai is the 'gateway dim sum'; the non-offensive, Caucasian-palate-friendly offering which has been known to lead one to a life of harder dim sums. Without hesitation the Soft Quail Egg, Iberico Pirk and Black Truffle Siu Mai is the best I've ever tasted! The light, runny egg explodes in your mouth as you pop it in and the flavours mesh really well. Next they brought out a very nice dumpling comprised of South Australian Scallop, Spinach and Caviar. The freshness of the scallop and the ever so slight caviar tinge gives it a very complex flavour and it will certainly please most tastes. The Hot & Sour Iberico Pork Shanghainese Soup Dumpling rounded out the first delivery and its unique flavour survived through the cocktails and lingered, thankfully, until the next course arrived. 

Hong Kong Iced Tea & Milk Tram Cocktail

South Australian Scallop, Spinach, Caviar Dumpling

Soft Quail Egg, Iberico Pork, Black Truffle Siu Mai

Assorted wild mushroom in lettuce cap with black truffle sauce descended upon our table, ominous I know, accompanied by Barbecue Pluma Iberico Pork with Yellow Mountain Honey. So many different flavours going on in each wrap and to describe it would not do it justice. Jenn ate most of them and that's usually a good indication that it's excellent. Lean cuts of pork came alongside bathed in a sweet honey sauce; delicious! By the time the Signature Smoked Black Cod came out and its signature campfire  presentation was wafting through the room I was near bursting, but for the team, for you guys, our readers, I soldiered on. You're welcome. The pine, hickory scent that was now permeating the room is infused, magically I'd wager, in the fish. Do you love the smell of summer and barbecue and campfire? Then this is a lakeside, catch and cook, fish plate that you cannot pass up on trying. I let Jenn handle the critique of her Wok Fried Cauliflower with Air Dried Szechuan Sausage because I was unable to go on and she gasped at the spice level of the sausage so naturally I tried it as well. Very, very tangy and a bit of a slow uptake on the heat, but it's coming baby! Jenn adores cauliflower so she went through it and really liked the freshness and snap of the different colours of one of her favourite plants.

Assorted Wild Mushroom in Lettuce Cup, Black Truffle Sauce

Hot & Sour Iberico Pork Shanghainese Soup Dumplings

Signature Smoked Black Cod

Barbecue Pluma Iberico Pork, Yellow Mountain Honey (Limited Daily)

Wok Fried Cauliflower, Air Dried Szechuan Sausage

Dessert can either be your best friend or your worst nightmare. Picture a late night glass of champagne at an upscale lounge with your sweetheart. You're laughing, bubbles are flowing and you order a plate of strawberries and vanilla ice cream layered in whipped cream. How can you go wrong there? Impossible! BUT you put that same bubbly couple at the end of an eight course meal and bait them with Fresh Mango, Coconut, Glutinous Rice Rolls? It may end with a trip to the ER. Not unlike a previous HK dining experience I've had, but that's for another place. I mean the word glutinous and gluttonous are so similar, who's in charge of marketing 'round hurrr? I ended up eating most of it, but that's beside the point. When is manslaughter by food Mott? When? Top shelf, imaginative food, great service and award winning ambience. Safe to say that if you miss Mott 32 right by the Central MRT station you've missed Hong Kong.

DESSERT: Fresh Mango, Coconut, Glutinous Rice Roll

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan