East is East

Restaurant: East is East

Cuisine: Middle Eastern/Indian/Persian/South East Asian/Fusion

Last visited: January 23, 2010
Area: Vancouver, BC (Kitsilano)

3243 West Broadway
Range: $10-20

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

Food: 3.5

Service: 3.5

Ambiance: 6

Overall: 4.5

Additional comments:

• Serves a variety of Middle Eastern/South East Asian cuisine
• Very authentic atmosphere – Persian rugs, wooden benches
• Upstairs is way nicer – sunroom and “lay down” seats
• Atmosphere better and more authentic than food
• Great drinks, “Eastern Shakes” – very unique
• Affordable
• Busy during lunch and packed during dinner
• Line-ups
• Popular for lunch time take-out
• Middle Eastern 101 food – very mild
• Chefs trained in mainly Afghan cooking
  
• Popular for Middle Eastern themed event nights
• Attracts locals, especially neighbourhood locals
• Live Middle Eastern music
• Complimentary ginger Chai tea
• Vegan/Vegetarian options
• Dairy free options
• Organic options

**Recommendation: Nutty Gypsy Eastern Shake, Dhaalcha soup, Eastern Plate – specifically the Afghan eggplant, minced beef kebab

I’ve been to East is East on a few occasions before I started reviewing, so this is actually my 3^rd visit. To be honest, I’m more attracted to the atmosphere and ambiance than I am to the food. Really bluntly, East is East is jack of all trades but master at none. It's not bad though! The food is on the whole good, but also quite “meh”. It’s hard to say it specializes in anything, because it doesn’t really. They serve Middle Eastern food: Persian and Afghan, and then South East Asian: Thai and Tibetan, and last but not least, Indian food. Everything tastes like the watered down version of the real thing. It’s quite Westernized, like “Martha Stewart’s” version of Thai food or “Uncle Ben’s” idea of fried rice. They cater to a Western market so it is Middle Eastern food for “white people”.

I’d categorize the cuisine as “Middle Eastern Fusion” and so does the restaurant. Nothing every reached its full potential and everything seemed bland, especially if you’re familiar with that particular cuisine and how it’s authentically served. I would come back because I love the atmosphere and for the price you pay it’s really reasonable. It’s a great place for “beginners” because everything is mild and it’s also a great introduction to Middle Eastern cuisine if you’ve never tried it.

I’ve been to one of East is East’s event nights and I will 100% vouge for it being a great experience! I felt like a hippie in some Middle Eastern country. There’s fantastic entertainment and it’s one of the most culturally satisfying events I’ve been to at a restaurant.

On the table:

Complimentary Ginger Chai

• I love how they give little shots of Chai as you wait and even when you’re seated. It's quite spicy and very ginger-y. I've never had ginger in my Chai even when made by Indian people. It was good though!

Rangoon Rain Yogurt Lassi 5/6

• Peach, lychee, pineapple, banana, coconut Single: $4.50 Double: $5.50
• This was like a pina colada and almost a dessert. It was sweet, but not too sweet and I really liked it!
• I could taste the banana, coconut, and pineapple the most.
• I didn’t notice the peach and I could only taste the lychee if I looked for it.

Peshawari Bazaar 1.5/6

• Cucumber, mint, salt, cumin Single: $4.50 Double: $5.50
• I wasn’t a fan of this and I like trying exotic/“different” things. The ingredients are definitely a unique combination, but I just didn’t like the flavour as much.
• The main taste is cucumber and it tasted like tzatziki in drink form. It is refreshing though.

**Nutty Gypsy Eastern Shake 6/6

• Mixed nuts, cardamom, cinnamon, chocolate Single: $4.50 Double: $5.50
• Made with ice cream & organic 1% or frozen yogurt & soymilk.
• I don’t have a photo of this one but it was the best one of the 3! I would come back for this drink. It tasted like a nutty Middle Eastern version of an Oreo milkshake! I loved it!
• I want to try and reinvent this at home. This was like a dessert too!

Khichri 2/6

• Brown dill rice with ground beef, spinach and mushrooms topped with dehydrated yogurt, tomato and onions $13.50 This isn't listed on their online menu.
• It tasted like basmati rice pilaf with mildly Afghan spiced minced meat. It kind of tasted like spaghetti bolognaise with very subtle Afghan spices like cumin seeds.
  
• The dehydrated yogurt is just a yogurt they buy from a grocery store and it tastes like goat's yogurt. I don't like it because it's very gamey and makes the minced beef taste like gamey minced lamb.
  
• It was ok, but nothing too special. I would think it was good if they used plain yogurt. I would get bored eating the whole thing because it was big enough to be a main.

Tibetan Mantu 1.5/6

• Dumplings stuffed with chives, green onions & herbs. Topped with dehydrated yogurt, chick peas and sprouts $13.50. This isn’t listed on their online menu either.
• This can easily be a main as well. It’s one of their most popular appetizers.
• The “dumplings” are actually more like ravioli. I think there are 5 of them. The filling tastes like frozen spinach and parsley. Besides a strong parsley taste, the filling was so cooked down they lost their texture and flavour and became quite bland.
• The ravioli and the dish overall was too soft and soupy for me. The dumpling skin seemed overcooked so it didn't help the mushiness.
• The dish looks great but I actually didn’t like it because of the dehydrated yogurt again. It tasted like goat’s yogurt. The menu states “vegetarian” so I was not expecting to taste meat – the gaminess from the yogurt was just overpowering.
• It was served in a tomato based butter chicken-like sauce so it was savoury, tangy and then just very gamey.
• 

Eastern Roti Roll 3.5/6

• Our roti rolls are made with organic vegetables and meats. Each roll comes with baby green salad, lentil soup, yogurt-mint sauce, and your choice of lentil rice or Afghan rice (with carrots and raisins). Single: $11.50 Double: $14.50
• They have a lot of varieties for their Eastern rolls and this item is popular for lunch or take-out because they’re easy to eat. It’s like a Middle Eastern burrito.
• It’s more worth it to order the Eastern Plate because it’s pretty much an item from the Eastern plate rolled up in a roti.
• I find the roti really dry and thin, it tastes like a whole wheat tortilla rather than a traditional homemade roti.

**Eastern Plate

• Eastern plate is served with dhal soup, salad, roti, Afghan and coconut rice. Chose any 2 of the following items to complete the plate $19
• This is totally worth it and hands down what you should order if you want to try everything. They used to only let you chose 2 and you could keep getting refills of those 2. However now you can order ANY 2 options and keep getting refills as long as it’s 2 at a time. (Prevents wastage, which is good).
• It’s pretty much a buffet, but an Eastern Plate is meant for one person.
• The dishes are relatively small, so for one person you would be pretty full after trying 4 things. I tried everything!
• Miso Salmon 3.5/6
• New item. A baked Miso salmon in coconut milk, lime leaves, and red and green Thai curry. It's the bowl on the very left.
• It’s very creamy and I couldn’t taste the Miso at all. I think they were going for a Japanese/Thai/Indian fusion? I couldn't even taste the coconut milk and I though it was more Indian tasting.It was almost like a sweeter butter chicken sauce.
• I don't feel like the salmon was baked or had a baked flavour. It seemed like it was just stewed. It was chunks of salmon and there were bones throughout all the chunks. You could eat them, but they were distracting enough for me to pull out.
• Minced Beef Kebab 4/6
• Minced organic beef with mushroom, tomato, green pepper and herbs. (No picture, but it looks like meatballs in tomato spaghetti sauce with veggies)
• This was really good, but also not Indian/Middle Eastern at all. It tasted Italian. It was basically meatballs in a tomato bolognaise type sauce. I wanted to eat it with pasta…but the rice worked. It tasted like the Khichri appetizer.
• I think this was supposed to be Persian/Afghan?
• Organic Lamb Kebab 1/6
• Organic lamb roasted in ginger, onion, garlic, and mint and tomato with a 5 spiced curry. It's the the bowl in the middle. (Miso salmon on the left)
• I didn't try this one becuase there was a general consensus around the table that it was gamey. So I just didn't bother becuase I really hate gamey.
• Saag Paneer 1/6
• Whipped spinach and paneer (Indian cheese) with mushrooms.
• Vegetarian. The bowl on the very right.
• This was very bland and almost tasted like defrosted frozen spinach. I have never seen saag look like this. It was not good. There were no flavours at all. It seems like canned saag with shredded packaged paneer on top.
• Saag at almost ANY Indian restaurant would have been better than this.
• Chicken Marsala 3/6
• Organic chicken in creamy marsala and herbs. It's the smaller bowl in the middle.
  
• This was good and probably the closest to authentic for me. It used to be a "light" marsala, but they changed it to a "creamy" one.
• They used dark chicken meat with the skin which I didn’t like. At least there were no bones, but still the skin should be removed. I wish they used chicken breast.
• This tasted like a less rich version of butter chicken and was quite tangy. The spices were there although it wasn’t very spicy. Everything is relatively mild here.
• Afghan Eggplant 5/6
• Baked eggplant sautéed with herbs, onions, garlic and sundried tomatoes.
• Vegetarian. It's the bowl on the right.
• This was the best one! It stood out because everything else was just good and this one was better than good.
• The eggplants were very sautéed, tender, and stringy - didn't seem baked.
• This one didn’t really taste Middle Eastern either…it was like more like Italian again! It was eggplant stewed in a tomato marinara sauce with very subtle spices.
• The eggplant comes up in a lot of pictures because we kept reordering it. They also serve it with raita which is basically yogurt. So the dish is quite tangy.
• Peas and Cheese 3/6
• Peas, paneer cheese and potato mixed and spiced.
• Vegetarian. It’s the bowl on the right. (Eggplant on the left)
  
• The fact that it’s called “Peas and Cheese” and not “Paneer” highlights the western take on the menu and recipe.
• It was a very westernized version of a typical Indian dish. It was good though! It was basically a very creamy and rich butter chicken type sauce but it has no meat.
• The peas are frozen Green Giant peas and I like them better than the canned mushy peas most Indian restaurants will use. Although traditional, using those, I like Green Giant ones better. There were lots too!
• The cheese is like cottage cheese, there’s chunks of it and it’s very light and mild tasting. It's bought and not made in house though.
• Thai Tofu 2.5/6
• New item. Tofu, red peppers, lime leaves, and ginger in a sweet and sour mango green curry. I don’t have the exact description because it’s not on the menu online. It's the bowl in the front.
• This was another very Westernized take, but this time with Thai food. It was quite mild and the curry sauce was packaged and a bit too watery. I actually found it quite bland although it was obvious it was Thai…just a tame Thai. The sauce was actually quite sweet because of the mango. I actually didn't find it sour.
• Alu Gobi 4/6
• Cauliflower and potato in a tangy tomato coconut sauce. Vegetarian.
  
• I don't have a photo but it looked just like the Miso Salmon, but instead of salmon it was cauliflower. They sauces tastes almost the same, but the Alu Gobi is sweeter.
  
• This was a good one. The cauliflower is nice and tender and the sauce is again that butter chicken sauce, which seems like their standard sauce.
  
• Mango Butternut Squash 1/6
• Butternut squash and mango cooked with coconut milk. ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and curry leaves. Vegetarian.(no photo)
• If you have a baby you can feed it this. It was seriously pureed canned mango and butternut squash. It was really sweet especially with the added coconut milk and tasted like baby food.
• I love both ingredients so it was a very disappointing dish.
• I could barely taste the curry leaves or spices. It wasn't spicy at all.
  
• It would be good in a trifle or used as a spread or condiment.
• Chickpeas 2/6
• Chick peas, onions, tomato, herbs & spices. Vegetarian.
• This was a very Western take on Channa Masala – another classic Indian dish.
• It was creamy, but again very mild in spices and was that same butter chicken sauce but not as sweet. It was creamier than the chicken marsala. The chicken marsala had more spices and flavour though.
• Dhal soup
• This is pretty much a lentil soup with vegetables and Indian spices. It's the top left bowl.
• For a more authentic version you can get it at Mayuri South Indian Cuisine.
• This one is good too though although it is very westernized. It’s very mild, but there are lots of ingredients and it’s hearty and thicker than the real deal.
• It was almost like Campbell’s version of dhal soup…but I did like it!
• Afghan rice, coconut rice, roti, stuffed naan
• Afghan rice: this was good, but again light on the spices. There were carrots and raisins in it too.
• Coconut rice: I couldn’t taste the coconut at all. Tastes like plain basmati.
• Roti: Again it was like a whole wheat tortilla shell. It was almost stale and not fresh.
• Boulani: I liked these! This was an Afghan "pita" stuffed with a thin layer of potatoes, onions and herbs. Very aromatic and tasty.
  

This dinner was a Vancouver Food Bloggers dinner. It was great meeting you all!

Melody (GourmetFury)
Jonathan (Food and Tell)
Jessica and Mark (Yum-O-Rama)
Sherman (Sherman’s Food Adventures) - Thanks for organizing!
Kim (I’m Only Here for the Food!) - Thanks for sharing your photos!
Joyce & Frank (Van Foodies)
TS (eating_club Vancouver)
Jenny (My Secret Eden)
Kevin (604Foodtography)
Anita (La Petite Foodie)
Jennifer & Ricky (My Secret Eden)
Victoria (Victoria's Food Secrets)
Darina (Gratinee)

Lupo Restaurant + Vinoteca

Restaurant: Lupo Restaurant + Vinoteca

Cuisine: Italian/Pacific Northwest/Casual fine dining
Last visited: January 16, 2010
Area: Vancouver, BC (Yaletown/Downtown)
869 Hamilton Street
Price Range: $20-30 (for entrée)

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

Food: 3.5
Service: 5

Ambiance: 4

Overall: 4

Additional comments:

• Located in historical Victorian house
• Executive chef Julio Gonzalez Perini
• Italian chef
• Specializes in Italian
• Italian with West Coast influence
• Extensive wine list
• Casual fine dining
• Clean menu, nice selection
• Home made desserts
• Great presentation on the whole
• Very friendly service
• Cozy, intimate atmosphere
• Great for parties, private rooms available
• Dinner from 5pm
• 5-6:15pm 3 course set menus $28/$38 available

**Recommendation: Hard to say – I liked parts of each dish. Ideally it would be braised pork cheeks on soft mascarpone polenta…which is a combination of 2 entrees. I’ll have to recommend the braised beef short ribs, and the lamb shank ossobucco is popular too. I’m very curious about the chicken; it’s supposed to be amazing. For dessert: Panettone Bread Pudding, Tiramisu

Lupo Restaurant + Vinoteca recently reopened. The restaurant was originally Villa Del Lupo Restaurant but they went through some new owner and also had to reinvent themselves. Rather than catering to the $50+ clientele they are targeting to a $30-40 crowd and hoping for a more casual atmosphere. As much as they’re trying to revamp themselves it still feels intimate, cozy and slightly pretentious, although the service is not at all. Good thing! It’s almost impossible to leave this “cozy/intimate” atmosphere because the restaurant is in a historical Victorian house from 1905. I felt like I was walking into someone’s house for dinner, it reminds me of Mis Trucos on Davie, but more upscale.

It’s supposed to be serving traditional Italian food (what I was told), but the menu looks more West Coast Italian to me. The main ingredient in each dish is Italian, but there’s still some creativity and small global influences to it. I was more impressed with the service and presentation than I was with the food. The food was good, but it sounded better and I don’t think any of it reached its full potential. Everything was missing a note and parts of every dish had something going for it, but no dish on the whole was outstanding - it was quite good though. I would come again, but I also wouldn’t chose to come again.

My dessert post

On the table:

Ricotta Gnocchi 4/6

• Braised pork cheeks and porcini mushroom “sugo” $14/19 (14 appetizer size, but quite big)
• The pork cheeks were the tenderest meat out of lamb shank ossobucco and braised beef short ribs. It was really juicy tender and soft which just a thin layer of fat around the edges. Even as an appetizer it came with 2 cheeks which was a great surprise.
• The sauce was “sugo” almost like a ragout made with stewed tomatoes and mushrooms. The sauce was very simple in flavour and tasted mainly like tomatoes so it was quite tangy and one dimensional in flavour. I wanted to taste some red wine and some meaty flavour like beef stock.
• The mushrooms were very slippery and very soft. I didn’t feel like the mushroom flavour cooked into the sauce though.
• The gnocchi wasn’t a traditional gnocchi. The concept was there and I was really excited about it, but it sounds better than it was. I couldn’t taste the potato, and if I paid close attention I could taste the ricotta, but if I didn’t I could have forgotten it was in there. The ricotta made the texture a little more mushy and soft than typical gnocchi is. They also put some minced flat leaf Italian parsley and minced carrot into the ricotta potato mixture. It was quite flavourful, but I didn’t warm up to the texture.
• This may be getting a bit picky, but the gnocchi was inconsistent in terms of size. They were very oddly shaped and it might be because the ricotta made for an overly soft dough.
• They were also missing the fork indents so it’s didn’t pick the sauce up as well as it could have.
  

Risotto 3/6

• Seasonal wild mushrooms and garlic confit $16/20
• The biggest issue with this was the size and plating. The ricotta gnocchi as an appetizer looked the same size and was probably more filling than the mushroom risotto as a main dish size.
• It was served on a plate and I think it should have been served in a deeper dish. I wasn’t too impressed with the plating which is unfortunate because everything else was plated well.
• This wasn’t my dish, but I did get to try it. Based on my sample I wasn’t too impressed. I’d be really disappointed if I ordered it because at $20 it was really small and I’d still be hungry. Not just me too, anyone would.
• The price comes from the fact that this dish is loaded with mushrooms. The mushrooms are great, juicy and plentiful, but the rice is still hard. The texture could have been creamier and I felt like it was rushed.
• It also needed some truffle oil, which would have enhanced everything.

Lamb Shank Ossobucco 3.5/6

• Lamb shank ossobucco with lemon saffron risotto $20
• This has been an item on the menu for 20+ years. It’s the only item that has carried on from the old menu and it’s one of their most popular entrees.
• The presentation is lovely with mini scoops of zucchini and carrots – talk about fine details to plating.
• The lamb was coated with a simple tangy tomato sauce and it was tender but it could have been tenderer. It wasn’t falling off the bone and it still required some kni fe and fork action. The lamb also had a slight gamey taste at the end, it’s wasn’t too strong, but I’m really sensitive to that taste and I could taste it.
• The lemon saffron risotto was creamy but the rice was still hard again. It tasted like exactly what it sounds like so the recipe was quite simple. It was tangy and I could taste both ingredients, but not much of anything else. I could have used more parmesan cheese to give it more flavour. It maybe could have used some peas too, to give it some texture.

**Braised Beef Short Ribs 4/6

• Braised beef short ribs with soft mascarpone polenta $24
• It was really good, but could have been better. The au jus was the problem for me.
• The braised beef was boneless and very lean with little bits of juicy fat around the edges. It wasn’t chewy either.
• The meat was very tender but not necessarily juicy (except for the fatty parts) because there weren’t many spices or seasonings if any.
• The braised beef had more fat than the pork cheeks yet the pork cheeks were most tender out of the 3 meat entrees. The braised beef still shred away with a fork, but still not as easily as the pork cheek.
• The mascarpone polenta had a great texture and I loved the ultra creaminess. It’s creamier than the risotto. The problem was I couldn’t taste the mascarpone – even keeping in mind mascarpone has a very mild flavour. It was almost like mashed potatoes, but less starchy and it has a mealy (like polenta is) in texture. I really liked it though – just missing the cheese factor.

  

• The gravy they served it with also wasn’t very reduced. It was actually very salty and tasted like over salted beef au jus. At first I did not like the runny texture of the gravy, however with the polenta as the starch it worked well. If you let the polenta absorb the au jus then the mascarpone flavour completely disappears even more than it did before. The sauce was very overpowering and didn’t enhance the dish.
• On top of the short rib was a crispy piece of pancetta. I think it’s deep fried, but I didn’t like it. It was salty, and it looks nice, but it has the texture of egg shells.
• If the gravy is going to be like this then they need to serve it in a deeper dish so that the polenta can absorb the sauce. They should have served it like my Roasted Duck Leg at The Irish Heather.
• Again it had nice presentation, but hard for me to capture.
  

I didn't forget the dessert...yes there is always room...;)

Claypot Restaurant - Hot pot

Restaurant: Claypot Restaurant

Cuisine: Hot pot/Chinese/All you can eat
Last visited: November 6, 09
Area: Richmond, BC
Unit 105 - 8291 Alexandra Road
Price Range: $20-30

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

Food: 2
Service: 2
Ambiance: 1.5
Overall: 2
Additional comments:

• Has a lot of variety
• Cooked food available (5 items)
• Serves lettuce in strainers type of hot pot place
  
• Not as clean
• Spacious
• Casual
• Busy/line-ups
• 1.5 hour eating time during peak times
• All you can eat $18.95 + $7 soup base
• Addition $.50 for sauces
  
• Gourmet soup bases available
• $0.50 soft drinks
• 4 for $10 domestic beer
  

**Recommendation: Deep fried wontons

I'm going to write this review differently than my others because it's hard to get detailed/specific with all-you-can-eat hot pot.

I went to Claypot Restaurant as a THIRD option because Chubby Lamb Hot Pot and Cattle Hot Pot, both down the street, were completely booked up.

Claypot is very popular to locals and it's almost always packed on Fridays and the weekends. They're not even that cheap, the soup base is slightly more expensive than other places and they charge you extra for sauces. I think they're always packed because it's casual, pretty quick service, seats the most out of all the other hot pot places on Alexandra, and the menu selection is perhaps the most extensive. It serves all the standards and more, however the quality and cleanliness is not as good as it's competitors. The shrimps specifically weren't fresh and tasted like the sea, that was the worst for me. I think it's usually a default choice if everything else is booked up...it would and was my default choice.

When I go for hot pot I look for:
1) Variety
2) Cleanliness
3) Freshness

Not necessarily in that order either.

Claypot's items that are not on every hot pot menu : Enoki mushrooms, lotus root, Garland Chrysthemum, salmon fish head, geoduck ($13/dish), preserved squid, taro thread noodle, fish noodle, deep fried wontons, 2-3 hot pot rice items, sticky rice

I wish they had: Konnyaku (clear noodles in knots), Rice noodle (flat thick ones)

On the table:

• Pork Bone Soup (left) & Satay Soup (right)

• Pork Bone Soup 2/6 ($10)
• This soup base was one of their specialty soup bases, so it took a bit longer to prepare and costs a bit extra.
  
• I think it was a rip off though. It wasn't that flavourful, as pork bone soup should be. There was a bone but I didn't tastes the slow-cooked all day flavours. they're were some mushrooms and corn in it too, but in the end it was nothing special.
  
• Satay Soup 4/6 ($7)
• This soup base was quite good, and not as spicy as other places. I always chose this soup base, it's the best one for hot pot.
• AAA Beef slices
• Lamb slices
• Some pork and beef organs (maybe sweetbreads? livers? or kidneys?)
• Deep Fried Wontons 3.5/6
  
• These are really popular here, it's one of their specialty hot food items and younger people go crazy for them. They're perfect bite-sized munchies.
  
• It's exactly what it is. I think they're so popular because they're super crispy, deep fried until golden, and the pork meat is still juicy. They're pink inside and you might think they're undercooked, but they're not...they just look like that.
• They serve it with sweet and sour sauce so they're great as snacks while you're waiting for your food to cook.
  
• I would prefer more pork filling, but I guess that's being picky.

My review for Hot Pot One

RauDZ Regional Table

Restaurant: RauDZ Regional Table
Cuisine: Contemporary/West coast/Seafood
Last visited: August 14, 09

Area: Kelowna, BC
1560 Water Street
Price Range: $20-30

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

Food: 5
Service: 3
Ambiance: 5, mainly b/c of history and concept
Overall: 5
Additional comments:

• To locals and tourists it's one of the best restaurant in Kelowna
• Reincarnation of a 4 diamond, award-winning fine dining restaurant - still same owner/chef
• All time favourites from Fresco are still on the menu
  
• Focus on organic, fresh, natural, all regional food
• Everything is from local bakeries/farms etc. in Kelowna
• Homemade sauces/condiments/dressings
• Very unique flavours and chef creations - but everything was missing a little salt and came across as a tad bland - yes, fresh ingredients, but when it all came together it was missing that punch
• Simple ingredients, but unique recipes and combination of flavours
  
• Excellent presentation with really decent portions - not huge, and not small
  
• Very reasonable prices for what you are getting - a gourmet bargain, however overall experience impressed me more than the food
• They offer a sample menu, but they don't advertise it and you need to ask your server
  
• They don't take reservations and open 5pm daily
• Drink specialties: Fresh fruit martinis
• Complimentary gourmet housemade lollipops when you get your bill eg: Tangerine & Thyme lollipop

**Recommendation: Crab Cappuccino, BLT, Arctic Char, Signature dessert, fresh fruit martinis

How I discovered this restaurant was completely by chance, luck was on my side...so I'm glad I fell upon it. If I were in Kelowna again I would go back to this restaurant to try other things are their menu.

I walked by the restaurant at around 5pm and stopped to take a look at their menu posted outside. There was a couple from Seattle waiting outside the restaurant for it to open and they strongly recommended us to try this restaurant. They said it was their favourite and that they dine here everytime they are in Kelowna. They said they come especially for their Crab Cappuccino which enticed my immediately. I took a quick look over their menu and saw the most creative dishes eg: hot dog with lavender mustard - right then and there I knew I had found my dinner spot for the night.

I went in to put my name down for a reservation but the hostess said it was so busy that reservations were not accepted...as if I wasn't convinced enough; now I knew I had to check out what the hype was all about. We basically ordered everything that was recommended on their menu, but I'll discuss the best out of those.

Overall, the experience was better than the food, although the food was by no means disappointing. It's comparable to great restaurants in Vancouver.

On the table:

• **Crab Cappuccino 4/6
• Dungeness crab, milk froth

• One of the most popular items on the menu. It actually originates from the old Fresco menu, the restaurant that came before RauDz...it's such a favourite it had to stay on.
• The presentation was lovely. It was good, but lacked a little bit of saltiness, it wasn't sweet either though...it was just a bit bland. The texture is not thick and creamy, it's the texture of a cappuccino made with whole milk, so it's not heavy or filling.
• It came with 2 larger pieces of dungeness crab which is a bit disappointing because I expected more. The dungeness crab flavour wasn't brewed into the cappuccino broth...it was more just 2 pieces of crab found in the broth. I found they should have chopped it up a bit more rather than just putting in 2 big chunks. I understand that they did this because it's called a "cappuccino" not a "soup"...but still.
• A nice subtle hint of cappuccino flavour and I think I tasted a little saffron which was great. It came with a nice frothy foam on top, and it's actually good as an appetizer or even order it for the end of your meal.
• It is a must try because it's unique and you can't find it anywhere, but I wouldn't need to order it again or anything. For $12 I found it on the expensive side, but because everyone orders it they can afford to keep it there.
• Calamari 4/6
• Another favourite item from the Fresco menu.
• Fresh calamari stuffed with sundried olive stuffing on a bed of roasted cauliflower salad.

• This calamari was very fresh and not the deep fried kind that you typically get served when you order a Calamari. You could really taste the freshness of these beautiful squids. Eat these little guys in one bite otherwise the stuffing oozes out and your ratio of calamari to stuffing is off. The stuffing is fabulous! Nice and salty, a great texture where you can taste the olives and the hint of sundried tomatoes. The squids don't taste salted, you get the saltiness from the olive stuffing. The olive stuffing was almost a spread - I would love to eat it with crostini or warm baguette.
• The cauliflower salad was very nice. Small pieces of roasted cauliflower, I think it could have used some capers in there because again it was a tad bland.
• ** BLT 5/6
• Grilled salmon, pancetta, fig anise toast, baked fries

• The fig anise toast made this sandwich! They order this fig & anise bread from the local bakery in Kelowna called The Bread Company - see my review on this bread and on this cafe because we tried it the next morning.
• Nice piece of fresh and moist salmon, you get a bit of saltiness from the pancetta and the sweetness of the figs. The taste is in the quality of ingredients.
• Fries - the fries they use made of Yukon Gold potatoes, and they aren't cut in house but they do bake them in house with their special infrared oven - these fries are really good and taste deep-fried...but they're not!
• I liked the little dish of salad it came with - that was actually not bland
  
• Fish & Chips 3/6
• Baked chickpea batter pacific rockfish, fennel spiced chips, cucumber tartar
• The picture for this was too blurry, so I didn't realize it at the time...so I apologize for having no picture.

• Nothing too spectacular, big pieces of fish and the fennel spiced chips are fries
  
• I'll repeat my fry message above - it's made of Yukon Gold potatoes and they're baked and are genuinely as good as deep fried ones.
• **Arctic Char 6/6
  
• Oat crusted, maple butter, potato, bacon & spinach sautee

• This was my favourite entree of the bunch. Another signature entree form the Fresco menu.
• For me the feature of your entree also known as the protein should be the stand out of your entree, for this dish - it was! The oat crust was amazing - I would order this again for sure.
• Halibut 4/6
• Raudz spice rub, grilled potato, and walla walla onion salad, blueberry and nectarine salsa

• Very good, but not excellent. What made this dish was the blueberry and nectarine salsa - I wish it was the halibut...but it wasn't. The Arctic char was better. The halibut was on the dry side for me and because it was such a thick piece and it was coated in this dry rub it became even more dry. I had to enjoy every bite with the salsa, and I think you should be able to enjoy your protein with or without condiments if it's done really well.
• Blueberry and nectarine salsa was excellent! Fresh local fruit, very well composed and great texture. You can see the quality and freshness. Could have used a squeeze of lime or maybe some lime zest to really bring out that fruity flavour. I'd ask for lime and do it myself next time. But I may not order this again, I would rather try something else.
• Best presentation out of all the entrees
• Lamb 5/6
• Bbq double chop and tenderloin, homemade gnocchi, oyster mushroom and arugula saute, tomato and molasses BBQ sauce

• This was better than the halibut, but not as good as the arctic char. Really decent sized portion and the lamb was very tender.
• The stand out of this dish was the homemade gnocchi, you could really taste the potato in it - best part of the dish, and one of the best gnocchi I've tried. It's easy to get the oyster mushrooms confused with the gnocchi though because they look the same and are same in size. The BBQ sauce was more tomato based, and it did have a unique homemade flavour - can really tell they put care into their sauces and the texture was perfect! - Not too runny and not too thick and bold enough to stand up to lamb, but subtle enough to not overpower the main ingredient.

Dessert

• **Signature 6/6
  
• Double chocolate mashed potato brioche, raspberry sorbet, warm chocolate sauce

• Holy crap...this was soooo good! We literally consumed it in under 45 seconds. This is a dessert I would dream about and what to go back for. This is SO their signature dessert and SHOULD NOT BE MISSED.
  
• It was $10 and I'd pay more for it.
  
• This potato brioche is amazing, it's so moist and decadent. The raspberry sorbet is made in house and was the perfect accompaniment to this dish.
• Blueberry Tart 4/6
  
• Apricot salad and sour cream ice cream

• This was good, but not the best tart I've had. The apricot salad was 2 apricots cut in half and I think they should have really chopped it up into smaller pieces. It would have been better and the apricots would have been more tender. The blueberries and apricots were all from local farmers and were fresh - so I think they wanted to let them stand out on their own...but they didn't. If I order it as a dessert I would prefer them to be used more creatively and then have them fresh as a garnish.
• Sour cream ice cream - homemade...and a great choice to match with this tart. This was my favourite part, you could tell that it was sour cream ice cream but it wasn't too sour or too pungent. Quality ice cream that was a perfect match for fruit.
• Hands down the Signature dessert was better

Drinks

• Must try their fresh fruit martinis - they have an extensive drink/wine menu, but their specials are their fresh fruit martinis.
  
• We tried their Blackberry martini made with a fresh blackberry puree and aloe - great texture and you can taste the aloe - brilliant ingredient to use with fresh fruit I have now discovered