Vancouver 2010 Olympics - Holland House: Dutch food

Restaurant: Holland House – Dutch food

Cuisine: European/Dutch

Last visited: February 27, 2010
Area: Richmond, BC (Minoru Park)

7191 Granville Avenue
Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

I really wish I could have put this post up earlier, but I didn’t make my visit to the Holland House until the last Saturday of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics! GO CANADA GO!

I heard lots about the Holland House and the exclusiveness of it. Every time The Netherlands won a gold medal they would only let in people with Dutch passports. Throughout the day anyone with a Dutch passport could get in automatically with no line-up, but for everyone else it was 30min on a good day and sometimes up to a 3 hour wait! The exclusiveness made it extra alluring and I also heard they were serving traditional Dutch food so I was determined to check it out. Authentic Dutch foods…actually Dutch food in general…and even Dutch people are hard to find!

So what’s up with my Dutch obsession? Well I was lucky to live in The Netherlands for a while so it has a place close to my heart…and stomach for that matter. So what was my game plan to get in? Well I grabbed my Utrecht Universiteit hoodie and my expired Dutch student ID that clearly states: 2007-2008. And with that I was able to get in! WOOT WOOT! The loser is the one who doesn’t try right?! Seriously…lucky me!

Needless to say I am familiar with traditional Dutch food – well as familiar as I could get. Living there I would ask people all the time what traditional Dutch food was? And more often then not my Dutch friends were lost for words. However after a while I was able to get an idea of Dutch food and the menu offered at Holland House was in pretty close to the real deal! It definitely brought back memories!

Added note: Almost all Dutch food tastes better than it sounds and looks. The stuff at the Holland House was no exception…it was cafeteria style Dutch food, but it was good! It's partly rated so high just becuase I miss it. :(

On the table:

Stamppot Boerenkool met Worse en Spek

• Potato-kale hotchpotch with sausage $7.50
• The one served at the Holland House is pretty much the “fast food version”…which is interesting because the original is already quite “fast food-like” as is.
• Now I didn’t order this one because I tried a home made version in the The Netherlands already. Also the guy working there said his favourite was the Hutspot met Worst en Spek (the one I actually ordered).
• Below is the Stamppot Boerenkool I made with my Dutch friend in The Netherlands. It’s traditionally served with pickled pearl onions and pickles.

• Stamppot Boerekool is the most traditional and popular ‘stamppot’ or hotchpotch. It’s not necessarily the favourite, but there’s many ways to make it and many combinations, however this potato-kale one is most common.
• Stamppot is a traditional dish that people make at home, but it’s not really served at restaurants. It’s pretty much traditional Dutch comfort food that mom’s make.

Hutspot met Worst en Spek 4.5/6

• Potato carrot hotchpotch with sausage $7.50
• Okay so this isn’t how it’s supposed to be served, but under the circumstances of a standing room only/drinking tent atmosphere it was the most practical method serving it in a cone.
• It’s basically mashed potatoes with milk and butter, mixed with coarsely mashed up carrots and onions and topped with a sausage and bacon bits.
  

• The sausage was a crappy sausage – it was those cheap hot dog wieners…usually it’s a thicker sausage, like those ‘U’ shaped ones (like the image in my home made verison)
• Other than that the mashed potato carrot part was delicious even though it was sitting under heat lamps for the whole day. It was really creamy and really soft and fluffy. I loved it!
• The bacon was new. I’ve never seen it served with bacon, but I liked it. It was almost like a baked potato and I think that’s what they’re going for. They were pretty fresh bacon bits too – not those hard crunchy dried ones.

Broodje Kipkerriesalade 4/6

• Sandwich chicken curry salad $5.00
• I was pleasantly surprised to see this on the menu. It flew under my radar and I almost forgot how popular of a sandwich it is there.
• There’s a heavy Indonesian influence in The Netherlands so it’s very common to see “satay” or “curry” on their menus.
• This sandwich is very close to what they would serve at quick eateries or small cafes in The Netherlands.
• 
• It’s pretty much diced chicken mixed with a curried mayo. They also include some diced apple and maybe some diced onions in it.
• The bread was crappy and tough and it was overpriced, but whatever…that was expected.
• The chicken curry salad was really good though. It’s creamy and sweet from the apples. Usually they would serve it with some lettuce and maybe some tomatoes. At really good places I could get them with bean sprouts! I love it with bean sprouts.
• The curry is not spicy at all, but just really creamy and rich.

Valentine's Day 09 - 15 Course Dinner

A LOVE AFFAIR WITH FOOD…

Happy Belated Valentine’s Day! (This is the post for Sunday Feb. 21 and Monday Feb. 22, 2010...couldn't "waste" it on one day...took a long time to make ;))

I didn’t do anything really special on Follow Me Foodie for Valentine’s Day so I’m doing it now.

As you know, my best friend and I really enjoy cooking and baking…well if you didn’t know, not you know. (It really pays off to be friends with us! ;)) This is the same friend I made 3 kinds of crab cakes with for our Christmas dinner – See my post for My Holiday Dinners and Feasts.

Anyways on Valentine’s Day last year we got together and made a 15 course dinner…for the 2 of us. Yay! Fun right?! It was! And we ate it all. I wanted to do an appetizer thing so I suggested that we make 3 appetizers each…except I went overboard and couldn’t stop and ended up making 12 appetizers. Well we actually had 12 savoury and 3 dessert courses which came to 15 courses in total.

So here’s a sneak preview of what happened last year.

Added note: Sorry, but I have no recipes for anything...(well might have an idea by memory, and I'm not sure what her recipes are) but I like to cook and so does she but we're not chefs (she could be!)...we just really really like food and I like to go with the flow :)

15 Course Dinner Menu

1) Deep Fried Mac n' Cheese Balls with Pomegranate Salsa - by SC
2) Coconut and Panko Crusted Prawns with Sweet Chili Sauce - by SC
3) Chilled Strawberry and Cardamom Soup (palette cleanser) - by SC
4) Baked Creamy Crab and Artichoke Dip with Pine Nuts - by SC
5) Red Beet with Feta, Almonds and Balsamic Reduction - by Me
6) Red Beet with Honey Glazed Pears, Cranberry & Pink Peppercorns - by Me
7) Sicilian Salad - Pasta shells, sun dried tomatoes, basil & lemon caper dressing - by Me
8) Caramelized Onions, Sesame Pork, Garlic Spinach and Candied Walnuts on Baguette - by Me
9) Creamy Chicken Ragout topped on Yam and Sweet Potato Cake - by Me
10) Sweet Potato, Yam & Snap Peas with Caramelized Onions and Sweet Chili Balsamic Glaze - by Me
11) Edamame Pesto Rotini - by Me
12) Lemon Orzo with Feta, Spinach, Almonds & Cranberries - by Me

Desserts
13) Homemade White Chocolate & Cranberry Cookies with Espresso Ice Cream - by SC
14) Baked Pumpkin with Pumpkin Seed Cookie, Caramel, Vanilla Ice Cream & Pecans - by Me
15) Half Baked Chocolate Brownie with Red Beet Compote & Vanilla Ice Cream - by Me

A few highlights...

Deep Fried Mac n' Cheese Balls with Pomegranate Salsa - by SC

Coconut and Panko Crusted Prawns with Sweet Chili Sauce - by SC


Chilled Strawberry and Cardamom Soup (palette cleanser) - by SC

Baked Creamy Crab and Artichoke Dip with Pine Nuts - by SC

Red Beet with Feta, Almonds and Balsamic Reduction - by Me

Red Beet with Honey Glazed Pears, Cranberry & Pink Peppercorns - by Me

Caramelized Onions, Sesame Pork, Garlic Spinach and Candied Walnuts on Baguette - by Me

Creamy Chicken Ragout topped on Yam and Sweet Potato Cake - by Me

Dessert 1 - Homemade White Chocolate & Cranberry Cookies with Espresso Ice Cream - by SC

Dessert 2 - Baked Pumpkin with Pumpkin Seed Cookie, Caramel, Vanilla Ice Cream & Pecans - by Me

Dessert 3 - Half Baked Chocolate Brownie with Red Beet Compote & Vanilla Ice Cream - by Me

The Irish Heather GastroPub – Long Table Series 2

Restaurant: The Irish Heather GastroPub – Long Table Series 2

Cuisine: Pub food/Irish/West Coast
Last visited: January 24, 2010
Area: Vancouver, BC (West End/Downtown)
210 Carrall Street

Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: n/a (only came for LTS)
Service: 3.5 (for Long Table Series event)
Ambiance: 5 (for Long Table Series event)
Overall: 5 (for Long Table Series event)
Additional comments:

• Irish cooking in Irish house with Irish people working
• Sister restaurant to Salt Tasting Room, Shebeen, & Salty Tongue
• Since 1997
• Classy pub with affordable food
• Homemade comfort food w/twist
• Handmade sausages
• Some fusion items or globally inspired twists
• Sandwiches made with bread from Vancouver’s local Terra Bakery
• Fine tuned menu
• Extensive beer and wine list
• Very popular Long Table Series offered – reservations required
• Vegetarian options available
• Casual, yet sophisticated
• Lively atmosphere
• 2 rooms – one brighter lighting the other darker
• Serves lunch and dinner

**Recommendation: Long Table Series

It was my first TwEAT-up for Follow Me Foodie and I decided to host it at The Irish Heather for their Long Table Series. The 1^st time I tried the Long Table Series was back in Christmas for their Roast Duck Leg. The event and food made a lasting impression so it was no doubt I would come back for seconds.

This time I was joined by some close friends, new faces as well as Vancouver bloggers Kim (I’m Only Here for the Food), Nicole (Le Mode Du Jour), Kathy (Kathygko), Michelle (2010 Cheap Eats), Adela (On the Fringe) and Elaine and Chris (Parker Pages). Thank you for coming guys! Everyone is welcome to these TwEAT-ups so if you’re interested just e-mail me at mpak@followmefoodie.com.

This time I wasn’t late and was able to see how the whole event goes down. While dinner starts promptly at 6pm, people are invited at 5pm-6pm for pre-dinner drinks in the Shebeen (a private room/lounge) in the back of the restaurant. At 6pm they open the doors to the dining room where there’s a mad rush of hungry people and a game of “musical chairs” at a 40 foot long wooden communal table. (I still felt like Oliver Twist getting a meal from the Upper East Side.) Next Chef Lee Humphries comes out and explains the menu and paired drink for the evening. All this happens for only $15 (tax + services included). It’s good food, a fun time, and more than a fair deal so I have nothing to complain about. They also offer homemade desserts at $5 for those that are interested, but I wasn’t too impressed by them.

Note: The portions are a bit inconsistent and late arrivals tend to get bigger plates!

On the table:

Smoked Pork Chop 4.5/6

• Smoked Pork Chop with Bacon Braised Cabbage, Crisp Potatoes and Roasted Apple-Raisin Gastrique with 16 oz - Pint Orchard Hill Cider $15

• I liked the Roast Duck Leg better than this dish, although this one was still good.
• I was actually expecting a pork loin chop, but I guess at $15 I can’t expect that. I should have clued in when it said “smoked pork chop” because that means it was slowly cooked….which is usually a cheaper cut.
• The pork chop was I’m pretty sure a chump chop which tastes more like a ham than it does a pork chop. This was mainly due to the fact hat it was smoked as well. It was quite tender, relatively lean with some fat around the edges and cooked with the bone to retain juices and flavour.
• It’s a big slab of it and it’s a pretty cheap cut, but they didn’t do a bad job with it. By slowly smoking it they were able to get a nice smokey flavour with a slight sweetness throughout the meat.
• The apple-raisin gastrique was very hickory in flavour but they needed much more of it. The raisins needed to be cooked longer because they weren’t as plump and juicy as I would like. It matched the pork chop really well, I just wish there was more of it or even if it was a bit more saucy than compote like.
• The bacon braised cabbage was the best thing on the plate! I could have eaten a whole bowl of it. It was almost like creamy garlic mashed potato cole slaw. It was sweet, salty and tasted like a scallop potato mash with braised cabbage and carrots. They definitely thickened this braised cabbage with some creamy mashed potatoes, it was so excellent!
• I think it was braised with a touch of vinegar and maybe even sour cream because there was a savoury tang to it. I mixed my apple-raisin gastrique into it and it was even better! The only thing is the bacon wasn’t crispy or cooked to enhance all the flavour it had to offer.
• The crisp potatoes were very crisp and dry. They were almost like crackers and they could have used more salt. I dipped these into my braised cabbage and that worked really well.
• The cider was a great match for the dish. It really brought out the apple flavour and enhanced the sweetness of the meat and their was a slight bitterness that was welcoming and not overpowering.
  

Dessert

• The available homemade desserts for the evening:
• Lemon Trifle
• Boston Cream Pie
  
• Chocolate Mousse
• To be honest, nothing seemed appealing except maybe the lemon trifle. I didn’t get to try it but I did get to try the Mud Pie.

Boston Cream Pie 1.5/6

• It didn’t look good and it also didn’t taste good.
• It was a very dry Boston cream cake with a very light and thin custard layer.
• It was more sponge cake then cream and looked like it had been sitting there.
• The chocolate glaze was hard and looked/tasted artificial.

Lemon Trifle

• Didn’t try it, bit Nicole liked it!

Ocean Wise Turns 5 Media Dine-Around

Event: Ocean Wise Turns 5 Media Dine-Around
Date of event: January 23, 2010

The 1^st Ocean Wise event I attended was the Seafood Chowder ChowDown last November. That was a great event, and this one was even better! This time I was invited to attend the Ocean Wise Turns 5 Media Dine-Around. It was a fully-hosted evening of culinary adventure and yes, I was quite jealous of myself!

First, I want to congratulate the success of Ocean Wise and wish them a happy 5^th birthday.

Ocean Wise is Canada’s leading sustainable seafood program. In 2009 Ocean Wise welcomed over 120 partners and in April they brought the program national. Most likely you have seen the Ocean Wise symbol on your menu at one point or another. I could go on listing facts about the organization, but I won’t…that’s the point of having my media source being a blog…I have the freedom to write ;) (Yes, I know I have a little blog, but I like to think I have a bigger voice :D)

No, I’m not going to bash Ocean Wise because I do support what they’re doing. I respect that they don’t solicit restaurants to participate in their program. Instead they allow restaurants to approach Ocean Wise willingly. I think this is the way to advocate social change, give clients the freedom of choice. That being said, the other side of the argument is: is it fair when a restaurant only offers Ocean Wise to their diners and thus the diners are ‘forced’ to pay the extra dollars? Don’t the diners have a choice since they’re the ones that are paying?

Again, I do support Ocean Wise, but I just want to stir up some discussion. A reason why I support it is because Ocean Wise is promoting positive social change. In my definition “inappropriate fishing” shouldn’t even exist. Bottom line: if the method isn’t sustainable – change it. Ocean Wise is the long term solution and when all the fish is gone from over fishing everyone will really be paying more than the extra couple dollars.

Personally I think a lot lies in education. I think diners should want to choose Ocean Wise and not have to choose it because it’s the only option. Therefore I think there needs to be more initiatives on educating the public about the harms of overfishing, bycatch, and habitat destruction. Buying Ocean Wise is one thing, and knowing why you’re buying it is another.

Anyways, I am Follow Me Foodie, so let’s get back to the event and the food.

The event was a fully hosted evening that kicked off with a champagne reception at the Aquarium. From there we made a toast to 5^th year anniversary for Ocean Wise and many of their achievements in 2009. This includes being the winner of the 2009 Pinnacle Award for Supplier of the Year!

We were all separated into groups and taken on a bus provided complimentary from Landsea Tours (sustainable transportation). The two restaurants we were going to be surprised with were 2 of Vancouver’s newest Ocean Wise restaurant partners. Can’t you feel my excitement?! The following list is Vancouver’s newest Ocean Wise Restaurant partners. The ones in bold were the restaurants I got to visit.

MEDIA DINE-AROUND Restaurants:

Aria Restaurant and Lounge - Westin Downtown, Vancouver BC

Burrard Bridge Marine Bar and Grill, Vancouver BC

The District, North Vancouver BC

The Edge Bistro, North Vancouver BC

Fraiche , West Vancouver BC

Griffins – The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver BC

Revel Room, Vancouver BC

Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company, North Vancouver BC

Tapenade Bistro, Steveston BC

Zen Japanese Restaurant, West Vancouver BC

After my dinner at The District and The Revel room we ended the night at C Restaurant. C Restaurant is the founding partner of Ocean Wise so it was the perfect spot to end the evening.

On the table:

The following is just a teaser, please keep checking back for reviews and details of the food.

Restaurant 1 – THE DISTRICT

Location: 13 Lonsdale Ave North Vancouver, BC

Chef: Executive Chef Paul Mon-Kau

Smoked Salmon Caesar

• Wine pairing: Pentage Pinot Gris or Van Westen Viognier
• Ocean Wise salmon: Wild BC/AK salmon – Chinook or sockeye (as per our Seasonal Wild Pacific Salmon Recommendations)

  

  

The District Mussels

• Wine pairing: Triple Karmeliet Ale or Road 13 Honest John's Red
• Ocean Wise Mussels: Mussels (sustainably farmed; off-bottom culture – minimal to no habitat damage; no feed necessary; no pollution from farm)

Red Wine Cassis & Cardamom Poached Pears with Vanilla Gelato

Restaurant 2 – REVEL ROOM

Location: 238 Abbott Street

Chef: Executive chef Tyrell Brandvold & Chef Joel Silva

Pecan Crusted Pacific Sablefish

• Braised kale, bacon, and charred tomato vinaigrette
• Sablefish (Sustainably caught: Alaskan by bottom longlines, BC by traps; minimal bycatch & habitat damage; strong management; resilient species & abundant)

West Coast Jambalaya

• Salt Spring Island mussels, Manila clams, spot prawns, chorizo, rice
• Mussels (sustainably farmed; off-bottom culture – minimal to no habitat damage; no feed necessary; no pollution from farm)
• Manila clams (sustainably farmed; on-bottom culture with hand harvest; minimal habitat damage; no feed necessary; no pollution from farm)
• BC spot prawns (sustainably fished with traps; minimal bycatch & habitat damage; strong management; resilient species & abundant)

Restaurant 3 – C RESTAURANT

Location: 2-1600 Howe Street

Smoked Baynes Sound Scallop

• Denman island herring “escabeche”, peashoots in multiple textures, compressed cucumbers, shallot vinaigrette

Selback-Oster, Riesling, Zeltinger Sonnenuhr

• Spatlese, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Gemany (Sustainable) 1998

Salt Spring Island Goat Cheese and Vanilla Mousse

• Sapo bravo stone fruits, spiced liquid marshmallow

Forbidden Fruit Winery

• Iced Apple Dessert Wine
• Similkameen Valley, BC (Sustainable) 2007

  

Vista d’oro Winery

• Fortified port style wine with Walnut brandy
• Langley, BC (Sustainable) 2007

Additional note: Due to the fact that this was an event exclusive to media, everything from transportation to food was complimentary. However there are no expectations from Ocean Wise or the restaurants and everything written is 100% of my personal thoughts and experience.