Dinner at Rangoli

Last Saturday evening our out-of-town guests wanted Indian cuisine, and we wanted to show them something uniquely Vancouver, with the constraint that the destination had to be baby-friendly. Rangoli was the obvious choice (http://www.vijsrangoli.ca/index.html). It was a beautiful evening, but unfortunately, we had to sit inside as the patio was already full by just after 5 when we arrived. However, this was our only disappointment that evening.

We started with four shared appetizers: the savory chaat, the lamb, beef, and lentil kebabs, the sautéed tomatoes and purple onions, and the cauliflower, spinach, onion and potato pakoras. All four were very tasty (not a scrap was left on any of the plates), but my personal favorite was the sautéed tomatoes, purple onions, and paneer. It had buttery undertones that give it a lovely richness. And it went marvelously with the Joie Riesling I was drinking.

For mains I chose the tamarind and yogurt marinated grilled chicken, and Chris had the spiced and marinated tilapia. Our guests had the beef and broccoli in spicy onion-tomato masala and the grilled eggplant with chick peas. The chicken was very flavorful with only a light bit of spice. The sprout salad it was served with crunchy and fresh, the legumes only slightly sprouted. Chris’s tilapia was a perfect example of what Vij does best, take Indian techniques and spices and marry them with unusual ingredients. It was creamy and flavorful, yet with a lightness befitting tilapia. Our guests’ dishes were also well received, although one wished that the beef and broccoli (a combination that I assume was inspired by/in homage to the large east asian population here in Vancouver) had been served with rice.

We ended our meal with chai and dessert, all of us opting for the same coconut pudding. It was a fairly thin pudding with great fresh coconut flavor, which, for those unfamiliar with fresh coconut, is quite different from what many in North America think of as coconut; it is much less sweet, intense, and overpowering than dried coconut, even when unsweetened. It was a nice summery dessert, although I think that in winter I might like something a bit more substantial.

Rangoli also sells packaged meals, and I purchased several on our way out the door. They are now sitting in our freezer for days when we don’t have time to cook. I will report on these as we eat them.

My one real complaint about the place is the lack of any place to change diapers. There are no changing tables in the washrooms, and the countertops are too narrow to use. It is a very family-friendly restaurant, and so I find this quite disappointing. Vancouver is a town full of young families, many of whom (at least among our friends and acquaintances) are eager to expose their children to a variety of food experiences (and do not want to stay home all the time simply because they have children). For this reason only I'm giving Rangoli 3 thumbs, (2 from Chris, 1 from me).

Wine and Asparagus - Joie 2007 Dedication Pinot Blanc

This past weekend after a day trip to Whistler with some out-of-town guests, I was charged with making dinner. The only constraints: it had to be quick to prepare as we arrived home rather late, and it had to include asparagus, as one of our guests had gifted me with several bunches of it.

I decided on penne with a cream sauce with asparagus, proscuitto, onion, garlic, and parmesan, served with garlic bread and a simple green salad, a quick and simple dinner. The wine selection proved more difficult. Asparagus is notoriously difficult to pair with wine. However, ‘difficult’ does not mean ‘impossible’; it simply means that some thought is required in making a wine selection. Chris’ choice for the evening was a 2007 Dedication Pinot Blanc from Joie (http://www.joie.ca/index.htm). It was a perfect choice – classic fruit on the nose, but not sweet, some minerality to complement the asparagus, and enough acid to handle the cream in the sauce. Happily, we bought a few bottles of this when it was released a few months back (the website says that they’re sold out). I suggest that if you find some in your local store, you buy it then and there, because you may not see it again.



‘Recipe’: I cut the asparagus up into two inch pieces and blanched it. I sautéed chopped onion until soft, added sliced proscuitto and chopped garlic, then after another 1-2 minutes of sautéing, the asparagus, and salt and pepper. Then a little chicken stock and some half and half went into the pan until warm. Off the heat, the sauce was finished off with a generous handful of parmesan, and some fresh lemon juice. The salad was spares: some romaine, green onion, and red pepper. It was simply dressed with good quality olive oil mixed with fresh chopped garlic, salt and pepper, and then finished with a drizzle of Venturi-Schulze balsamic vinegar (http://www.venturischulze.com/Vinegar/index.php?page_id=vinegar).

I'm back!

Like the nice weather, I'm back in Vancouver. However, my life has changed quite drastically since last summer: my husband and I welcomed our son to the world on May 6. I anticipate that this will affect the frequency of posts this summer, as well as the content. Expect fewer restaurant reviews, and more information on stores and reports on BC foods and BC wine pairings from meals at home.

Black Widow Winery Single Vineyard Pinot Gris, 2007

Sorry for the absence of posts recently; I haven't forgotten the blog, I just haven't been up to BC for a few months. But summer's getting closer, and with it more regular visits. In the meantime, here's some thoughts on a BC wine that we opened this evening.

This evening I made a quick and simple chicken dijon stew with pearl onions, baby carrots, and snap peas, served over long grain rice. The richness of the sauce cried out for something crisp and mineraly. Chris looked in the cellar and pulled out something from a winery I discovered on our trip to the bench two summers ago - Black Widow Winery (http://www.blackwidowwinery.com/index.html). The Single Vineyard Pinot Gris (2007) he chose was the perfect accompaniment. A blend of barrel and steel fermentation means the wine has nicely balanced acidity that was wonderful alongside the stew. It cut through the richness of the butter and allowed the natural sweetness of the carrots and pearl onions to shine through. Needless to say, we were very happy with the wine choice of the evening.

Poplar Grove 2007 Pinot Gris and Comox Brie

Last night was another fun dinner at home with friends featuring some BC cheese and wine I thought I’d share. We started off with some Comox Brie (www.naturalpastures.com/awards), pepper pate, and some of the spiced pickled Fraser Valley blueberries I made in the summer (bcfoodandwineadventures.blogspot.com/2008/07/fraser-valley-berries.html). I’ll just come clean and admit I love Comox Brie. I don’t know if it’s because I lived in Comox as a teenager, or because I love good brie. Probably a little bit of both. It’s creamy and rich and was just lovely with the Poplar Grove 2007 Pinot Gris (www.poplargrove.ca) we served to start.

At the table we began with French de puys lentils finished with white wine, shallots, orange, and tarragon and topped with a salad of baby spinach and proscuitto tossed with a tarragon, orange, and white balsamic vinaigrette. This dish was what the Pinot Gris was intended for, and the pairing worked really well. The wine is clean and crisp and yet with what I can only describe as round fullness and body, without the tropic fruit one often gets on the bench. The food and wine were a perfect balance.

We moved on to herb encrusted roast BC beef tenderloin with a beef stock, red wine and shallot reduction, served alongside italian roasted vegetables and roasted garlic mashed Yukon gold potatoes. The meat was purchased from The Butcher on West 10th (www.thebutcher.ca), a local store I can’t say enough about; their quality and service are exceptional. Chris selected a Poliziano 1999 Asinone (Montepulciano) to serve with the main course, which was absolutely delicious, and worked very well with the meal.

Desert was a simple chestnut panna cotta with a chocolate ganache sauce, whipped cream, raspberries, and mint, and a moscato d’asti.

Hopefully this sets your mouth to watering, and your mind to thinking about all the wonderful meals you can make with BC foods and wines.

Blue Water Cafe & Raw Bar

Our anniversary is so close to Christmas that we decided long ago to forgo gifts. Instead, we go out for a nice meal together. This year’s destination was the Blue Water Café and Raw Bar (www.bluewatercafe.net).

Likely due to the weather, we managed to get a last minute reservation there for 8:45 on a Saturday night. (We only called at 6.) The wonderful service started the moment we walked through the door. We were greeted and our coats taken immediately upon arrival. A few moments later we were seated and the waiter arrived shortly thereafter to ask about water, and our water and fresh bread rolls with a chick pea red pepper spread quickly followed.

We had almost decided on dinner, when the waiter came back with Chris’s bubbly (Sumac Ridge Pinnacle Brut) and told us about the specials. This of course caused us some pause. In the end, I went with the Galiano Island Swimming Scallops baked with tomatoes caper compote, lemon beurre blanc as a starter and the Lingcod with warm celeriac panna cotta, beluga lentils, caramelized salsify, and tarragon mustard jus as my main, both from the menu. Chris opted for the mixed ceviche (menu) to start, followed by a scallop special, scallops with a raisin caper sauce, roasted fingerling potato, and cauliflower and broccoli, for his main course.

The first course dishes arrived remarkably quickly. Chris really enjoyed the ceviche. In particular, he thought that the ginger and grapefruit were a unique but wonderfully flavorful twist on a classic dish. And his bubbly was a perfect complement. I was less enthused by the scallops. Some were overcooked, others were undercooked. Some had altogether too much bread crumb, making them dry, and the tomato-caper compote was remarkably bland. I was also a little taken aback that one of the scallops still had the ‘foot’ attached. At a restaurant of this caliber, I don’t expect those sorts of mistakes. So all in all, the dish was disappointing.

Not so with our main courses. The scallop dish that Chris ordered was wonderful. The scallops were perfectly cooked, and the blended raisin caper sauce was so tasty it was hard not to lick the plate! It could have been too sweet, but wasn’t - just wonderfully buttery, with a touch of salty sharpness from the capers, and a soupcon of sweetness from the raisins. The glass of Poplar Grove Pinot Gris he had alongside his meal had just the right amount of citrus and acid to serve as a foil for the buttery richness of the scallops and the sauce. My dish too was very good. The cod had a nice crust on the outside, but was just barely cooked through. The lentils were slightly undercooked in my opinion, but very flavorful. (I love beluga lentils and eat them every chance I get. So I have numerous other lentil experiences to compare with, including last year’s anniversary dinner at West.) When ordering, I was curious rather than enthusiastic about the celeriac panna cotta. But it was creamy and had just the right amount of celery flavor to it, and so ended up being quite a nice accompaniment to the fish. The caramelized salsify and pearl onions were like candy, their natural sweetness brought out perfectly by the roasting. And the tarragon sauce was surprisingly good. I often find tarragon overwhelming, but the chef had an appropriately light hand with the herb in this sauce. We were both very content after our mains.

After our plates were cleared we noticed a dark ring on the tablecloth where my plate had been. It seems that the bottom of my plate was dirty, not with grease, but with dark dust, something I found a surprising, and little off-putting.

After much deliberation, for desert, I opted for the Cassis Crème Brulee with apple fondant and Chris, the Warm Dark Cuban Chocolate Cake with vanilla bean ice cream. He chose to pair the cake with a glass of Mt Boucherie Pinot Noir Ice Wine. I simply had tea. I have never before had a tart tangy crème brulee, and so was a little shocked when I first tasted it, but after the third mouthful I was convinced. It was not what I expected, but it was delicious nonetheless. Likewise, the flavor of the apple fondant was wonderful. However, it was filled with hard apple core bits; there was some in almost every bite. I really hate biting into cooked apple and finding sharp hard bits in my teeth. Again, it seemed that the attention to detail was just not there. Chris found his Chocolate Cake tasty, but not spectacular. The wine he chose paired well with the ice cream, but less so with the cake. Note that this was not the pairing recommended on the menu, however, we have had wonderful experiences with red desert wines and chocolate which influenced his choice. (Pairing of note, anything dark chocolate with Van Der Heyden Late Harvest Cabernet Sauvignon, www.vanderheydenvineyards.com/.) It was, however, very nip to sip by itself, and we will almost certainly look for it

Overall, we were happy with the meal. There were a few things that were somewhat unsatisfactory (the scallops, the dirty underside of my dinner plate, the apple core in the desert), but in the main, the flavors were very good. And the service was consistently exemplary. Despite the few bumps in the road, we would return.

4 thumbs.

Twisted Fork

It was the end of November and we were looking for a place to dine with some foodie friends. After mulling over several options, we decided to try one of Vancouver’s newest restaurants, the Twisted Fork Bistro at 1147 Granville Street.

When we called to confirm their hours, etc., we learned that they don’t take reservations. This proved not to be a problem, as there were two tables large enough available when we arrived. (It was a Sunday night, fairly early.) We were given our choice of a table up near the front, or a booth farther back into the space. We selected the booth which was quite cozy, a little too cozy in fact. I found it a rather awkward layout. It was shaped like an E without the short middle line, and compact enough that knees of people seated on the edges and those in the middle could not help but collide. It would have been perfectly fine for three, but was a little tight for four. Not to worry, we were with friends and celebrating.

The service was consistently good. A server quickly arrived at our table with water, and was very patient with us throughout the evening despite our frequent indecision. We took a long time to decide in full, with orders for different things by different people being placed at different times. And they were very accommodating. Chris wanted to start with a glass of bubbles, something they didn’t actually serve. However, they offered him one anyway, which made him happy. When he later ordered a glass of red wine to go with his meal, they only had 2/3 glass of what he ordered left, so they just gave it to us.

For starters the table shared mussels, an order of Fernie Fries (assorted fried roots and tubers), and a cheese plate. The mussels were the definite favorite of the trio: very tasty, perfectly cooked and not a bad mollusk in the bowl. (I am very sensitive to old seafood.) As promised, the sauce was a must slurp, and they brought plenty of bread for sopping it up. The muscles were topped with frites, which were the same as the Fernie Fries. All in all, they were quite tasty, with the mix of roots and tubers providing nicely varied flavors, although flaccid. Frites should be crisp, either because they are twice fried or very thin cut, neither of which these were. Despite this, however, we (possibly I) did consume most of the fries. The cheese plate was rather pedestrian, a blue, a camembert, and some Oka. All perfectly nice cheeses, but with so much local variety available, why stick with three old favorites?

For mains, Chris ordered the duck (breast and confit served with ratatouille), and I had the game hen with potatoes and roasted vegetables. Our dinner companions ordered the steak frites and oxtail soup. The duck was very tasty. The breast was nicely cooked, and the confit had flavor beyond just the lusciousness imparted by being cooked in duck fat. It really was a nice dish. I was less enthusiastic about my game hen. The skin was not the least bit crispy and the sauce was very salty. The sides were fine, but a little strange – there were mashed and roasted potatoes. As for our friends dishes: the steak was slightly overcooked, and the oxtail soup, while flavorful, was overly salted.

For desert Chris ordered strudel and I had the lemon tart. The strudel pastry was burnt and tough, so much so that a stead knife would have been handy. And the was filling bland. My filling in my lemon tart was nicely tart and tangy, although runny. Again, the pastry was tough, and hard to break through with a fork.

All in all, there were a few hits (the mussels, the duck, the service which was consistently good), but more misses. Chris said he’d be willing to try the place again, but I am less inclined to do so. There are so many restaurants in town, why not try somewhere else? On our way out, we noticed that there was a large ‘bar crowd’ near the front when we left (which made me glad we chose the booth at the back – the table up front where we would have been was surrounded), who all seemed to having a great time. Chris suggested that maybe Twisted Fork should concentrate on smaller plates and build up that side of the business. It’s a thought.

2 thumbs.