Ebisu on Robson, Vancouver

Congrats Selina & Brian!

I just wanted to give a shout out to one of my oldest friends, who recently got hitched to her high school sweet heart.  I went back home to attend her wedding last weekend, and she had her stagette dinner @

 Ebisu on Robson

827 Bute Street

Vancouver, BC V6B2Y4

Tel: (604) 689-8266
Fax: (604) 689-8335

http://www.ebisu.ca/robson/

Wow. so i didnt know that Kamei group owned all of this: Kamei Royale, Ebisu on Robson, Broadway and Richmond, and Daimasu in Richmond and Burnaby, I'm pretty sure i've been to 5/6 of these. 

It's not my favorite japanese izakaya joint, or one i would go to myself, but not one i would vehemently protest (at least not on the outside)... i've been before with other friends and they have pretty creative rolls, and their menu looks pretty solid http://www.ebisu.ca/robson/menu-ebisu2.html, but somehow i've never been sold. i'm not sure what it is, i dont really have loyalties when it comes to food, if it pleases me, it pleases me. I find Ebisu, while offering an extensive and impressively solid menu, somehow, am a little bit undersold. There's a lot of bells and whistles that go on i think, they've got good cheap drinks and happy hour deals, and everything is really pretty! BUT, and there is a BUT, the food is..... its OK. i wouldnt even write about it if not just to tell you that, at the dinner, while everyone was being NORMAL and ordering a few tapas to share, or a few dishes to eat, i went a little overboard, (i blame being secluded on an opposite island. .... you know where im being surrounded by land instead of water,) and kinda ordered a family sized Fire & Ice Sashimi platter for myself... (see last picture)... um and also an Oyster Motoyaki (not pictured, ate it quickly... eating raw fish upon raw fish, i needed something in my stomach quick),  I later regretted having only devoured seafood, as we were going to the bar after and i had nothing to absorb the alcohol but raw fish... and then you have to burp/throw up drunken raw fish.... bleeeuuggghhh

Well, here are some pics, here's my neighbour's beef carparccio...food i didnt try... but looks pretty!

Black Cod Saikyo, marinated in sweet miso... i heard it was delicious

Ah, and this is my platter, for... myself... 6 oysters, raw scallops, spicy tuna in a huge chunks, ebi, and lots and lots of salmon and hamaci tuna. impressive eh!!!!! i thought so too!!! until my 20th bite of raw... haha. im such a greedy little fellow. 

omg. i just saw this on my friend's (jess 3!) fb.... ok. i think this makes all the difference in letting you know how ridiculous i am... and what a spectacle it was when i ordered this (plus another dish) for myself and other people had NORMAL sized dishes..... ok i shared. a bit. LOL... also check out the penis pictures on the table, one of my fav in front, the elepenis! haha. 

Guu with Garlic aka Guu Robson! aka 2nd Guu of all!

According to the Guu website, Guu Garlic was born in 2001 as the younger (what gender is a Guu?) to Guu Thurlow. Apparently with the concept of Garlic is SEXY? you know what i say to that? damn straight!!! garlic is sexy!!! (if everyone has garlic)... garlic for one, is uncomfortable without a good rinse.

anyway, last week i came back to Vancouver, and did the Sea Wall with one of my BESTEST FRIENDS <3 Jenny.  Look what we saw!

(I know this is not relevant to this eating blog unless i picked one up and ate its liver but come on! they're all in a row! so cute!)

Man. Vancouver is so beautiful! A long walk calls for a delicious meal! and so we go!!!

We had intended to go to Guu Thurlow, but after ending up in english bay (and a few stops at other options) we were like. let's just do this. Here we are, sitting at our stoup, while waiting for a seat... damn reserved spots!

Ohhhh!!! daily specials!!!! 

a delicious and refeshing melon type drink with a dollop of ice cream?  mmm!!! was there even alcohol in it? who cares! bring me another! 

We started with a Beef Tataki with a Ponzu Sauce.  hmmm did they change this?  I'm used to a different lay out with garlic chips on top, however, still delicious!

A staple at every Guu meal is the Pumpkin Croquette. why? hmmm deep fried pumpkin with a boiled egg drenched in tangy thousand island dressing, how does that NOT sound.. well. you just gotta put it in your mouth!  Jenny wanted us to order one for each of us... i almost want to admit i made a mistake to stop her... but... gotta fit up on other stuff... silly!

I had to take a picture of the inside, Guu Toronto, THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT!!!! (this is how you do it!).... omg i cant tell you how disgusting the Guu Church is in comparison (beggars cant be choosers), if you want to see the Guu one, here is my Guu Church review

Jenny ordered this, Okonomi Yaki: deep fried squid and cabbage pancake with tonkatsu and mayo.  Hmmm. im not a fan tonkatsu, im not sure why. its a lil too tangy for me, and i also felt this was filler. but, a few days into being back in Van, i think i'm just picky. back to normal.

Salmon Yukke, the menu claims to have garlic sauce, green onions, and pine nuts. Which is what i was used to previously, with quail egg on the side, and shrimp crackers.  Today was a nice change with little garlic toasts instead.  I could have eaten a plate full of this! but i wont. because there is other food.

I wanted to try this Hotate Butter, Grilled Garlic Butter Scallop on Onion w/ Bonito Flakes and Garlic Chips.  Hmmm. if i must say, this was probably my least favorite of the night. There were only 3 scallops, and the bonito flakes were way to overpowering for me.  I would have preferred just Garlic Butter Scallop, or i would have also preferred if i had read the menu, because i know what bonito flakes are.....

MMM part of the daily specials, was this Steamed Mussels with Garlic, Sake, Butter & Brother... Jenny wasnt a big fan of mussels so... more for me!!!! the mussels were huge! and sake broth, couldnt go wrong, nothing better than hot sake broth on a 16 degree summer evening (beats this 40 toronto heat...)

Kaki Mayo - Oyster, Creamy, Cheese = how can you go wro... im having at heart a.. just kidding! i just took a long ass walk! It was really good except i wish i got more oyster! though i also like eating creamy and cheese!

Well! originally I wanted to order the Pork Belly off of the Daily Specials but Darn It! it was sold out, so the waiter suggest this, it was very delicious! he said.  Here I wouldnt think of ordering a Beef Tenderloin Pastry with Gravy Sauce, but i'm easily sold, on everything... don't try it. It was quite tasty... and there was quite a bite for $8.80. Man i love this place!

Oh! piece de resistance! Gin Dara. Man. I love Black Cod. (COD), its so amazingly melt in your mouth deliciousness.  It's a shame they always serve it in such small portions... i guess to leave me wanting... oh delicious fish. i want you... all the time...

How come the yaki udon always comes at the end? Is it like a, here is a carbo, because i bet you werent full from all the tiny dishes, filler up! well wrong! I was full! (for 20 minutes)

Here's the Bill, pretty reasonable i think! i would have paid double!... for double the food....

This was my neighbour's food. she got an BBQ Eel rice gratin 

She also got this sashimi salad. i think. i love sweet shrimp sashimi. 

Well! that was my Guu Vancouver Adventure. til next time!

Guu with Otokomae (Guu Gastown)

obviously not my fantastically manicured finger... but fancy vianne's

I've hit up this location, along with Guu Original based on the proximity of the location to my apartment in vancouver, (another izakaya I always used to go to is Alpha Global Sushi & Bar on 1099 Richards Street, looks like a big black box, unseeingly a great izakaya restaurant lays inside), also because Guu with Otokomae (Guu Gastown) is the preferred location when you are with a  bigger group of people because it can accommodate and take reservations.  We've also had, on occasions of group parties, a set menu, where you can pick a whole bunch of dishes for $25.00 per person.  As I mentioned on my quick rundown of all the Guu's I've been to, this one is probably the trendiest, and darkest. Oobviously Trendy > Lighted environment. 

Last time I stopped back home, I went out with my girlfriends to devour some delicious izakaya, and salmon and 14 of his friends. 

Grilled Short Ribs

You can compare to the pic and comment below, not worth rementioning. it is what it is.

Beef Tataki

Something changed and I can't put my finger on it, first the presentation used to be on a rectangular dish, with daikon on the bottom, this just seems… Lazy. But still tasty. I have such great expectations.  The waiter took our plate away when there was 1 more piece of beef tataki left, I was FUMING.  I was like, MAN someone is gonna hear about this, and as the closest waiter came our way, I started to complain when he put a fresh plate of beef tataki down.  The table of drunk dudes who didn’t know what they were ordering wasn't going to miss it, so I kept my mouth shut, and chewed on the free raw beef. Score!

Ebi Mayo

This is how it needs to be done Guu Church, look at the crispy textured batter and the spicy mayo where I can see the spice, not like that cream coloured sauce you sprayed all over the toronto version.

Grilled Black Cod / Gin Dara

Yeah, this was delicious, as always, when it's from the ocean. We can't decide what those sticks are, we think its uncooked soba or something.  The presentation is WAY better than the Toronto Guu

Hamachi Tuna

I love tuna, such a magical fish, you cook him and flake him and melt cheese all over him and he's delicious and cheap. You eat him raw and he's an expensive mother f*er. You eat his tummy, call it Toro, and he'll break the bank, what the hell.  Nothing beats the melt in your mouth texture of a nice piece of fresh fish tho. Mmm.

Oyster Gratin

More Gratin than Oyster but what do you want, this is kind of a filler and oysters + carbs + cheese sounds like an excellent aphrodisiac.

Salmon and 7 friends

We actually ordered this dish twice, hence the 14 friends.

I had something similar at Guu Original on Thurlow…(by myself… I can't remember if I took pictures, but I was in town for work and was set up in a hotel, got hungry, couldn’t wait to find someone to eat with, so I went to Guu by myself and ordered like 6-7 dishes. There were 2 dudes I was sitting next to, they ordered 3-4 dishes. They should have been embarrassed.)

This is how the Salmon and his friends look when they have a giant orgy together, oh yeah I was trying to say something, so last time I had something similar at Guu Original except it had some fermented beans in there, they did NOT mix it for me (as they did here, it's quite the spectical, as our waiter skillfully mixes it all, using the egg to bind everything together, pulling it straight into the air, turning it into one big delicious mess.  I guess you're suppose to use the nori (seawead) and wrap it.  The friends to nori ratio is pretty unbalanced so we had to order 2 orders of nori to finish the rest up, at an upcharge :( I suggest you bring your own seaweed.

Yaki Udon

Obviously we don’t stray far away from the tried tested and true dishes we all know and love.  Like I mentioned before, a satisfying "filler" type dish of beef, mushrooms, green onion in a soy-butter noodles.

Bay Sushi - Vancouver

Bay Sushi

678 Seymour Street

Vancouver, BC

(604) 806-0363
http://www.baysushicafe.com/

Here`s another Vancouver post, cause... again, i was visiting last week, and i have sooo many pictures to update with, seriously, the amount of eating i did in vancouver last week would have served me well for 2 normal weeks... So 2 wednesday ago, I went downtown to Zeal Salon on Robson to get my hair did (i LOVE their massage chairs, and friendly, cute, anime Japanese service, detail oriented and man i love that scalp massage on the, did i mention massage chair).  Anyway, since i used to live in that area, after my hair appointment, I went to check out my once favourite neighbour cheap sushi joint: Bay Sushi, by... well The Bay (HBC), across from the granville skytrain station... that place is always packed with exchange students, and suits, and hungry people of all sorts.  You go pick out your food, they have the same specials since i was around 3 years ago on a chalkboard out front, and various pics around inside, so order your food, get a cute laminated ticket, wait for your food, and eat in, or take out! 

I choose the eat-in option with a Chirashi Don at around $13-$14 bucks. This thing was MASSIVE as i could not even finish it. The fish was fresh and assorted. salmon, tuna, some other white fish, and squid maybe, i dunno. I got the hot version, which really, just came with a big bottle of hot sauce. Fresh and delicious! Man i miss vancouver

here`s a shot of the fish once i moved the seaweed out of the way... 

Congee Noodle House with Mom and Dad

Congee Noodle House

141 E Broadway

Vancouver, BC V5T1W1

Tel: (604) 879-8221

I LOVE the congee at congee noodle house, i dont know what it is, its so smooth, but there`s bits of texture within the smoothness, ahhh its just sooo good.  I haven`t been able to find anything like it here in Toronto, if anyone knows what im talking about, please lead on to the right way, i am looking for some good congee!

We got a basic minced beef congee, and even that is the most amazing congee to me... i want congee noodle housssseeeeeeeee

I always mention my dad`s favs, but this is one of my favs, rice noodle with beef and veggie... um the wet version. My dad preferred the version we got from Mui Garden the day before, but meh, i love em all. 

Ok this is my dad`s fav, he loves Jongs. which is basically sticky rice with green beans, fatty pork and salty egg in the middle.  Why, he said cause it fills him up.... which would NEVER be a reason for me to like something... my dad is weird.

Oh, and another one of my dad`s favorites... haha. wontons, though he forgot to order the noodles, which really is his favorite,  he loves a good chewy wonton noodle.  Me, eh, not bad.  

The end, this is a pretty boring post. i blame the basic staples of chinese quick eats. 

Family Gathering @ Fortune House Seafood Restaurant in Metrotown

Fortune House Seafood Restaurant
4700 Kingsway, #2199A

Burnaby, BC V3J1A1

Tel: (604) 438-8686

Fax: (604) 438-5138

Burnaby, BC, V5H 4M1

http://www.fortunehouserestaurant.com/

so, if you saw my previous post, i went back to vancouver last week, and the very next day i woke up to a giant dim sum feast, and some 5 hours later, we were driving to Fortune House for some post-Chinese New Year dinner with my family.  It seems that Fortune House gets a lot of flack from people, but it wasnt too bad, we picked our own selection, outside from the set menus, and it really wasnt that bad!  We even got to see a sample show of traditional Chinese Mask Changers, and the 25 year old master changed his face like 9 times. very cool. no pictures tho. only food.

So we started with soup, whenever i see these ceramic chinese soup things i, this is what i see in my head, now you see it too! 

Started with this egg dish, really interesting, its like a steamed egg with a whole bunch of other eggs in it, like thousand year old, and duck egg, with scallops and dried scallops on top. I was never a fan of thousand year old egg when i was a kid but i totally dig it now... i still dont like duck egg, but at this rate, i'll probably love it in another 20 years.

My dad loves this, some sort of fatty 5 layer pork with brocolli.  Apparently a great cut of pork where its like meat-fat layers times 5... hence... 5 layer pork... it makes sense now...

mmm honey garlic spare ribs, cant go wrong with that!

lemon chicken, lemon on the side

birds nest, with some really tender beef chunks

pea tips, a fav in my family

mmm this was great, some sort of breaded giant massive prawns in a sweet and sour sauce, as you can see the waiter is bringing it in, his hand is on the right, i just had to get the shot in.... i have no patience at all...

Steamed fish, i love steamed fish, so simple and so flavourful.  I dont think my parents were a fan of this, but what do i know, whens the last time i got to eat some...

and voila, we cleaned the plates.  Of course what kind of chinese meal is it without a bean dessert at the end. but no picture of that though, they`re everywhere, a dim a dozen, its like taking picture of rice or something.