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!

CinCin Ristorante & Bar – Dessert Review

Restaurant: CinCin Ristorante & Bar – Review on dessert only

Cuisine: Italian/Mediterranean/Fine dining
Last visited: November 24, 09
Area: Vancouver, BC (Robson Street/West End/Downtown)
1154 Robson Street

Price Range: $50+

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

Dessert: 5.5
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 6
Overall: n/a (just came for desserts)
Additional comments:

• Fine dining in Vancouver
• Restaurant + Bar: 5pm-midnight
• Late menu: 11pm-midnight
• Extensive wine bar
• Gourmet dessert menu: Chef Thierry Busset from France
• Beautiful Mediterranean/Italian décor and feel
• Brightly lit, great lighting
• View of Robson Street
• Coat check service
• Open kitchen
• Will soon open bakery near Coast on Alberni & Burrard

**Recommendation: n/a – didn’t try enough of the menu

CinCin Ristorante & Bar is one of Vancouver’s fine dining Italian restaurants. It attracts locals and celebrities and often hosts parties for high profile events like Vancouver International Film Festival.

I only came for the dessert and it was under special circumstances, so I don’t feel it would be fair to rate the service and overall experience I received. As usual I will focus on the food, specifically the dessert. I will mention that I did get to talk to the pastry chef, so that’s why I can give an even more detailed review that I usually do…and you thought it was impossible! ;)

The pastry chef Thierry Busset is from France and his experience and training comes from working in places such as France and London. His desserts were made with care, and a few of the ingredients were imported to guarantee a gourmet experience. The execution and style of the desserts is very European - but also much more French than it was Italian. From ingredients to presentation it is well worth it to come again...for dessert at least.

Now I'll let you in on a secret - CinCin is actually planning to open a bakery near Alberni & Burrard where the new COAST Restaurant is located. I can't wait until that happens.

On the table:

• Caramelized Apple Tart 5.5/6
• Tahitian Vanilla Gelato and Caramel Sauce $14.50
• Dessert wine pairing: Chateau Dereszla Tokaji Aszu 2000 $18.00

• I had it with the wine pairing (for those who ‘know’ me I rarely drink), but in this case I’m glad I had the pairing because it really made a difference. It really brought out the caramel taste in the tart. It was amazing.
• This tart reminded me exactly of the ones I had in Paris from gourmet/best bakeries (such as Poilane) or even the apple strudels I had in Vienna. It was light, flaky and very delicate. It was a pretty big tart, which I wasn’t expecting especially for a fine dining restaurant. The presentation was clean and simple and it was served warm or even a bit room temperature. The caramel was warm though.

• The apples were baked until they were so soft and tender. I was wondering how they got so soft, but the secret was in the apple used (Elstar apple), the paper thin slices he used (hand cut), and the way it was layered (one even layer). Everything was baked really evenly.
• The apples are sliced into very thin wedges and he actually hand slices the apples, which blew me away…because I was almost 98% sure it was done with a mandolin. Talk about handle with care.The apple slice was almost as thin as the phyllo pastry.
• The caramel sauce was the freshest caramel I think I’ll ever try. It was warm and actually not thick. It was more syrupy and tasted like melted soft caramel chew candies. It had a real roasted sugar texture and flavour and it’s quite sweet. You used it to pour over the tart. I’m not even a big fan of caramel, but this one went hand in hand with the tart.
• The vanilla gelato is the best vanilla gelato I’ve had to date. It’s unlike any gelato you’ve ever tried before. It was really ice and very intense with vanilla flavour.
• In American apple desserts we’re always used to the Granny Smith apple because it’s tart. However the apple the chef used was an Elstar apple from the Okanagan. It actually originates in The Netherlands though. It’s in the same family as the Golden Delicious apple, which totally makes sense because it has a similar flavour. The chef actually brought one out for me to see. It actually tastes like an old apple, it’s a bit soft and powdery in texture. It's crunchy on the outside and soft inside, it' not crunchy-crispy and refreshing though. I was really caught off guard. It’s not that juicy or tart, but more sweet and honey-like. I think he uses it more for the texture it brings rather than the flavour…because for me it definitely made a difference in the texture of the tart.
• The reason why I didn’t give this a 6/6 is because I wanted a bit more contrast in this dish. The phyllo pastry was light, flaky and crispy, but it was so light and the apples were so soft I couldn’t really taste the difference between them. It tasted like layers of melt in your mouth ingredients and I think I just wanted a little bit more of a difference in texture. I felt as though the phyllo and apples blended together a little too well. I wanted another component, even if it was something crunchy on the side.
  
• 

• Amarena Cherry Creme Brulee 5.5/6
• Chocolate Gelato $12
• Dessert wine pairing: Chateau Partarrieu, Sauternes 2006 $16.00

• I had this one with the dessert wine as well and again it made everything taste like caramel. It was a great match.

• 

• This is probably going to make some readers/foodies mad, but I’m actually not a big fan of crème brulee either. I wouldn’t go as far to order it, but I’ll always try it and still eat it if it’s there. It’s slowly growing on me. Even for me not liking crème brulee that much, this one still ranked a 5/6.
• He used about 4 Amarena cherries, a couple whole and a couple cut in half. (They’re quite expensive)
• The custard was actually more jelly like than expected. It was still creamy, but the custard was firmer than I though it would be. It had a jelly like start and then turned creamy in your mouth. It’s served cold, but not out of the fridge cold.
• The toasted brown sugar topping was great, and I think this is the party I usually don’t like about cream brulee. This one was great though. It was a light layer and toasted until it was caramelized and not burnt.
• I loved the Amarena cherries they used in it. The cherries are imported from Italy – they’re not fresh but come in a syrup. I was lucky enough to sample these alone as well. They’re very sour and yet very sweet at the same time. Definitely a cherry made for desserts...actually it could make a good reduction for a thick steak or lamb as well. When you bite into these plump cherries the juice stimulates your saliva glands immediately. It was the texture of an olive or a rehydrated prune.
• It came with a tiny donut which I can best describe as an Amarena cherry and marzipan fritter. (Marzipan is almond paste). It’s an Amarena cherry rolled in a layer of marzipan and then crusted with an almond donut batter. This was a 6/6!
• It was crunchy from the almonds and then chewy from the marzipan and juicy from the cherry. It was rich, decadent, sweet and tart. I started off with the dry donut texture and then you got the juicy bite of cherry. Great textures.
• It was served with a rich chocolate gelato that wasn’t as amazing as the vanilla gelato, but it was still really good. After the vanilla gelato though, no other gelato can compete.

Manhattan Restaurant - Dessert Review

Restaurant: Manhattan Restaurant - Delta Hotels & Suites

Cuisine: American/Regional/West Coast
Last visited: November 16, 09
Area: Vancouver, BC (Waterfront/Downtown)
550 West Hastings Street
Price Range: $20-30

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

Desserts: 3
Service: 3
Ambiance: 1.5 (for a hotel)
Overall: 3
Additional comments:

• Serves traditional soups, sandwiches, pastas, entrees
• Located on 2nd floor of Delta Inn Hotel
• Large windows, but not much view
• Good for business lunch meetings
• Old-fashioned hotel restaurant
• Cozy mom and pop type seating area
• Fresh sheet available (3 course dinner)
• All day dining: breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Dessert menu

**Recommendation: Big Apple Split

To see my review for Manhattan Restaurant appetizers.

To see my review for Manhattan Restaurant lunch/dinner.

On the table:

• Big Apple Split 4/6
• Apple fritters, rum raisin ice cream, white chocolate sauce $10

• It was half a Granny Smith apple battered in this really light and crispy brown sugar batter and deep fried until golden brown. Very simple recipe and flavours, but very well presented.
• No doubt the Big Apple Split was a sight for the eyes, but from a foodie perspective it could have been executed better. Presentation – great! But could it have tasted better while using the same ingredients? Yes. Based on the description I was expecting something different, not to say that I was disappointed, but calling it “apple fritters” means slices or pieces of battered deep fried apples, not the entire apple…so I was caught off guard.
• 
• The batter was a gourmet-type batter that was very crispy almost like a brown sugar and cinnamon chip or crisp. It created a shell around the apple. There wasn’t many additional spices I could taste, just cinnamon.
• I think it would have tasted better if they cut the apple up in slices and made them into actual fritters. Using the whole apple made it very difficult to eat especially with the ice cream. Because it was such a big piece it didn’t cook all the way through so the apple wasn’t tender. They should have either baked it and them deep fried it, or deep fried it for a longer time until it was softer.
• The ice cream was very soft and they give you a lot! There was a decent amount of raisins, but I couldn’t taste any Rum. I don’t like my ice cream to taste boozy so I was fine with it.
• On top of the ice cream are minced sautéed apples. I liked this added touch because it made it more special.
• It could have used more white chocolate sauce – they only used it for décor around the plate.
• It tastes as good as it sounds and looks, but because the recipe is so simple I was more impressed with the presentation. It’s worth the price though.
• 
• Chocolate Cake 2/6
• Truffle, mousse, cherry sauce $12

• This was a very dense, rich and sweet chocolate cake served cold. It was almost like a gourmet very dense version of black forest cake. At first bite it tasted like there was espresso or coffee in it. It was really moist and really chocolaty, you definitely need a glass of milk with it…which I had to order. In between the layers of chocolate cake was milk chocolate mousse. It was barely a mousse though because it tasted more like frosting to me. The ratio of cake to mousse was pretty off too.
• The cherry sauce was basically sour cherries from a jar with the syrup it was preserved it. It wasn't warm so I doubt the cherry sauce was made in house. It wasn't reduced or anything. It was on the watery side. There’s no cherries in the actual chocolate cake.
• The truffle is that brown oval you see served on top. It was dense and tasted like frosting. It was made of milk chocolate, powdered sugar and maybe some butter and heavy cream. It was much too sweet for me and had this grainy texture which I didn’t like.
• I prefer the 24 layer chocolate cake at CHOP in Richmond or even just the chocolate cake at True Confections