Goldfish Pacific Kitchen

Goldfish Pacific Kitchen has become my favourite fine dining restaurant.  My experience there was exceptional.  

As I stepped into the restaurant, we were greeted by two hostesses and was promptly seated in this trendy restaurant.  It was a Sunday night at around 6pm - restaurant was not busy with about 5 tables occupied.  The restaurant is quite large in size, and a trendy bar and lounge is available for happy hours.  Atmosphere was perfect and versatile - great for a romantic dinner, a birthday dinner or just a night out with the girls.
We went there intending to have the Dine Out menu.  However, we saw the regular menu and decided to go with it instead since we weren't too crazy about the dessert selection either.
We started off with the...

Crispy Prawn and Scallop Spring Rolls with garlic and fresno chili mayo Do NOT underestimate springrolls.  These were OH SO DELICIOUS!  I enjoy spring rolls at vietnamese restaurants but these make those spring rolls seem like they're nothing but oil and deep-fried junk.  You can actually taste the freshness of the prawns and scallops inside of these spring rolls.  I also really appreciated the fact that the spring rolls came straight from the deep fryer to our table within seconds as it was really hot.  Also, a hint of spice in the prawn and scallops along with the chili mayo gave me a mouth-gasm after 2 bites. For entree, I had the... Mussels and Clams with shallots, garlic, sake, coriander butter The clams were tasty and the mussels were sooo juicy!  The coriander butter was so good that it had me scooping it and just drinking it.  The greens inside sauce were refreshing so the butter was creamy and not too overpowering.  Usually with this type of entree, the sauce is what makes the dish.  Goldfish aced it.  The bread was mediocre only as I like other types of flatbread more.  The bread that was provided just tasted like warmish cold toasted french baguette. My husband had the... 10 oz. Canadian Angus New York Strip with hazelmere farms organic coriander crushed potatoes, peppadews and broccolini The husband ordered this as medium rare/rare.  It was cooked perfectly.  The meat was so tender and the marinade was phenomenal.    I only had two bites and even without the sauce, it was sensational.  I did not try the potatoes but my husband enjoyed them because he usually doesn't eat them.  The sweet and tangy peppadews contrasted with the protein perfectly. We also ordered a side of... SQUASH AND SPROUTS with winter squash, brussels sprouts, and bacon I scooped a spoonful already before taking this picture because it smelt so good I couldn't resist and forgot about the picture.  Wow, this is one of the best vegetable side dish I have ever tasted.  Cooked with olive oil and tossed with bacon bits, the brussel sprouts and the squash ( i believe it to be pumpkin squash) were delicious - definitely not a boring vegetable side dish.  I just wish they served it in a larger portion because I can eat that on its own as an entree! I have nothing bad to say about the service.  Our server Maggie promptly served us with a pleasant smile on her face.  Food was quick and a new pot of hot water was brought to our table without being asked.  When our table was too crowded with dishes and utensils, she removed the pot of hot water but she kept on eyeing our table to see if everything was okay.  A new hot water was brought to me when my glass was almost empty.  Dirty dishes were promptly removed from the table.  She came back to us to check up on us enough times without being annoying.  Fantastic service. I was pleasantly surprised with my experience at Goldfish.  This will undoubtedly be my go-to restaurant for special occasions.  Provence Marinaside used to be my go-to restaurant but this is perfect in every regard.  I think Provence aims for more mature diners but this restaurant aims for a younger crowd. Atmosphere: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Food: 5/5 Value: 5/5 We did not order any drinks (*note that I'm not really an alcohol person, I usually like my hot water with lemon) and our bill came up to 90ish + tip but the overall experience was well worth it.  We will be back again very soon.

Dine out 2011 @ Culinaria

In case you guys don't know what Culinaria is about, it is actually where you become guinea pigs for the culinary arts students of the Art Institute of Vancouver.   I wanted to try Bistro 101 on Granville Island but they do not open on weekends, so I went for Culinaria instead. After walking by there so many times, I said why not give it a try?


I went on a Saturday night at 7pm - very slow for a Saturday Dine out night.  There were still 5 tables vacant.  This restaurant is very tiny - there were only about eight 2-tops max.  A large window to the kitchen allows you to witness the future Robert Feenies fixing up tuna tatakis.  With a warm lighting, atmosphere was nothing spectacular, though I did appreciate the fresh Gerbera Daisies sitting beautifully on each table top.


Service was pleasant and friendly.  There were only 2 servers and a manager that was hosting as well, but they seemed to have managed fine.  Our glasses were always filled and the manager and our server frequently checked up on us.   Food was very slow; we were waiting 15-20 minute in between every course.  Our server kept us informed throughout the night of wait times as there was a new student preparing our dishes.  I noticed that the two couples that sat down after us were served with all their courses before us.  I guess it was bad luck that we got the "new" student.  I appreciated that the server did inform us about the new student but I think if they knew that the student was going to be slow, they could've better managed their time by starting to prepare our next course right after the previous course was delivered to our table.  


So with the $28 menu, we had an appetizer, entree and dessert.
Both my husband and I had the Canadian Albacore Tuna Duo (Togarashi Capriccio and Traditional Tartar)

The tartar was perfect.  The greens eaten together with the tartar were phenomenal.  My husband noted that it would've been even better if they served it with flatbread.  The pepper crusted Capriccio was delicious; it was cooked perfectly.  The center part was tender and fresh which contrasted perfectly with the peppery crispy exterior.  We had a hard time figuring out what the green sauce was - tasted like some sort of yogurty aioli.  If they were a little bit more generous with the aioli, it would've enhanced the taste to a perfect 5 out of 5.


For dinner, I had the Grilled Salmon, with Roesti Potato, Rosemary Beurre Blanc and Winter vegetables.

The salmon was not spectacular but I enjoyed it.  The rosemary butter went perfectly with the salmon.  The fish tasted just a tad overcooked but my husband thought it was cooked perfectly.  It could've been because I had tuna capriccio as an appetizer as there was a huge difference in texture.  Most people would say that I am really not a "sauce" type person.  When I order a salad, I get dressing on the side and I dip my veggies in the dressing.  So i use minimal amounts of sauce.  However, again, on the entree, they were not generous enough with the sauce.  The Roesti Potato was phenomenal.  I dislike potatoes but this was SO tasty - crispy exterior, soft shredded potato in the center.

My husband had the Osoyoos Larose Lamshank with Squash and Sage Risotto and Orange Gremolata.

The lamb shank was quite a generous portion and yes, with generous sauce.  The meat fell off of the bone easily and the timing of cooking was perfect.  I'm not a huge lamb fan as I am not overly fond of the particular lamb taste but I still had a couple bites.  The lamb taste was not too strong.  Paired with the risotto, it would be lamb-lovers' heaven.


For dessert, I had the Poached Pear Melba.

When I asked our server what this dessert was all about, she told me that it's poached pear with ice-cream.  I specifically asked her to define what "melba" was.  She told me it's just the name of the pear and ice-cream together.  Sounded strange but ice-cream and poached pear?  Seemed like something I might enjoy.  When I took the first bite, I realized there was no ice-cream in there whatsoever.  It was whipped cream.  Melba was actually the sponge cake/cookie type pastry on the bottom.  It was nothing like what she described to me.  Regardless, it wrapped up the whole meal nicely.  The contrast of the textures and sweetness of the pear and melba complemented each other.


My husband chose the Caramel Cheesecake.

I do not usually prefer cheesecake but this cheesecake was delicious.  The cheesecake had a strong but not too over-powering taste.  I think that the crust could have been more packed/crunchy as it was a little flakey.


The following is my take on Culinaria:
Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 4/5
Value:3/5
Service: 4/5 (5/5 if the wait times in between the courses were shorter)

A night with friends at Il Giardino

Il Giardino is a restaurant I have been meaning to try.  So a couple weekends ago, my husband and I decided to go try out this fine popular italian restaurant.  I have to admit, I went with high expectations due to its high reviews and popularity.

We went on a Saturday night so it was quite busy and loud inside.  Decor is decent - lighting is warm and dim.  It felt like an authentic, classic little joint in Italy.  Ten minutes after sitting down, the waitress finally came to ask us what we would like to drink.  We were a large group and most people were late.  Apparently, we were only allowed the drinks menu because when I requested for the food menu, the waitress asked if everyone was about to arrive.  I told her I needed to know what I wanted to order for entree before I can decide what wine to pair my entree with.  She said okay and moved on to her other tables.  She did not return with the food menu.  Needless to say, I was not impressed with the service.  The waitress had an assistant that understood and spoke very little english.  He was responsible for bringing us drinks and bread, and removing dirty and excess plates and glasses from our table.  Even with the assistant, throughout the night, my hot water was not filled up after asking several times.

I ordered the Roasted Pheasant Breast Stuffed with Wild Mushrooms.

The sauce and the stuffing were delicious.  I asked the waitress what was in the stuffing other than wild mushrooms, as it had a mushy and soft texture.  She did not know and she said she was going to find out and get back to me.  She never did.  The protein was tender and juicy.  It is difficult to describe but its taste is somewhere in between chicken and turkey.  The sauce, not overpowering, complemented it perfectly.  In all, I enjoyed this dish.  However, I had high expectations as this dish was $40.

My husband ordered the Penne Arrabiata with Chilli and Tomato Sauce

This dish, priced at $18-23 (within that range, cannot remember) had no protein in it.  It was tangy and my husband described it as being decent.  There was no wow factor and he even described it as a little on the bland side.  Since the word "Chilli" was in the name of the dish, he expected it to be spicy.  It wasn't.  

All in all, I do not think my money was well spent.

Food: 3.5/5

Service: 2/5

Atmosphere: 3.5/5

Value: 1/5


I enjoy fine dining but the food was just mediocre; service was less than satisfactory; atmosphere was mediocre; lastly, nothing compensated for the high price tag.  Vancouverites are spoiled enough with many selections of fine dining cuisines for a romantic night out.  I probably will not return to this restaurant.


Dine Out 2011 is about to end and I still have not tried any restaurants.  This Chinese New Year landed right in the middle of Dine Out - it makes it more difficult to plan around family dinners.  Hopefully this weekend I will be able to squeeze a Dine Out restaurant visit...

Allow me to introduce myself...

Here I am, finally starting my first blog.  The reason for the delay was my inability to think of a suitable blog name.  Props to my cool colleague for thinking of this name.  Follow his blog by clicking here: A Sip and a Bite.  A Sip and a Bite takes you all food lovers to different restaurants around Vancouver.  Stuck on where to go out for dinner on a Friday night?  One click to A Sip and a Bite will give you plenty of ideas on where to go.


I reside in one of the most habitable places on earth - Vancouver, beautiful British Columbia.  I love enjoying all the finer things in life and I strive to live healthy and enjoy every second of everyday.  So you will probably be seeing blogs on many different things - anything from dining, fashion, beauty, music, shopping, fitness, health and cooking.  The list does not stop there.  Anything that I come across that is blog-worthy will appear on here.


The journey commences now, as I am just BEAing me.