Hakkasan: A Review

When I was visiting my Uncle last month, he told me he really wanted to go to Hakkasan. Just by hearing the name, I thought it was a Japanese restaurant. Who knew it was a Chinese restaurant! (Probably everyone, but whatever.) This is actually the first time I’ve seen Chinese cuisine “elevated” towards a Western standard in the states. I’ve been to elegant restaurants in Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan, but reading about Hakkasan made me genuinely intrigued. I’d actually not heard of Hakkasan before, despite their myriad locations, and I must admit…I am generally very picky about Chinese food. I am my father’s daughter after all.

I’m not usually picky about anything else, but to me…I feel like I know Chinese food well. I mean, I did grow up with it. I also often feel like Chinese food is misrepresented by stereotypes and generalizations. Chow mein, fried rice, lemon chicken and spring rolls Chinese food does not make. Taking into account my love for Japanese food and Japanese “fusion-type” cuisines I've sampled, I was interested in seeing an “elevated version” of Chinese food. The best Chinese food I’ve had was when my dad was taking us around Hong Kong, the place where he grew up, and we were eating rice noodles in hole-in-the-wall type restaurants with maximum seating room for ten people. It was fun.

Going into Hakkasan feels a little pretentious. The restaurant is located by Westfield Center in the downtown area of SF. That area is always pretty busy and filled with tourists, so the juxtaposition from the busy street to the tranquil lobby is kind of abrupt. From the street entrance, you’ll step into a lobby with a dedicated desk and host/hostess to greet Hakkasan’s customers. The lobby is also heavily incensed, as in they burn a lot of it to create a certain atmosphere. I’m sure some people like it, but it gave me a vague headache. Being greeted at the bottom lobby, you then step into a sleek elevator that's been designated to take all of Hakkasan’s patrons to the main restaurant floor.

The décor was very chic and for some reason, at least for me, vaguely reminiscent of Las Vegas. Lots of dark shiny surfaces contrasted with high shine metals. The decorative accents they added were cute and reminded me of being in a “tearoom.” Latticed partitions, octagonal windows, and the occasional orchid now and then hinted to the kind of cuisine they served. The service was friendly and I enjoyed chatting idly with our server. He was very friendly and was very knowledgeable of the non-gluten items on the menu. He also told us that the SF Hakkasan location was hoping to bring in some Michelin Stars this year (sadly, they did not) and the requirements for restaurants to earn them. A very interesting conversation.

Left to Right: China Doll and Kowloon Cooler

My uncle and I went to Hakkasan for their lunch service, so we opted for a little taste of everything by ordering their lunch set menu and some drinks. It’s no shock to anyone in my peer circle that I can’t hold alcohol, and it’s uncharacteristic of me to order drink with food. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised they offered blended non-alcoholic drinks alongside their cocktail menu. Usually it's just a boring array of sodas or some fancy juices.

My uncle and I ordered China Doll, which is a tamarillo fruit, pistachio, apple, and peach juice concoction, and the Kowloon Cooler, which consisted of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, lychee, apple juice, cranberry juice, and lemon lime soda, from their non-alcoholic drink menu. While I didn’t enjoy the taste of the drinks paired with the rest of the food we ordered, they were perfectly fine on their own. My berry drink was tangy and refreshing, but had quite an “earthy” aftertaste. My Uncle’s Lychee concoction was sweeter and equally as refreshing, but was brighter and didn't have the "earthiness" mine had.

Fried Dim Sum Selection: (bottom) crispy prawn dumping, (middle) xo scallop puff, and (top) roasted duck and pumpkin puff

From the lunch set options they gave us, my Uncle opted to order the dim sum appetizer set, and they give you a choice between having your appetizers fried or steamed. Due to the gluten, I couldn't personally taste them myself, but my Uncle looked like he enjoyed them. And to be totally honest, anything fried is pretty yummy. 

The trio of dim sum yummies included: a crispy prawn dumpling, pumpkin puff, and an xo scallop puff.

I asked if I could get the steamed dim sum set and supplement it with three shrimp dumpings (they're traditionally covered in a rice wrapper versus a flour one), but the waiter said that the trio of samplings were fixed and you can't modify them.

Stir Fried Mushroom Lettuce Wrap with pine nuts, and pistachios 

So instead, I got the lettuce wraps. I feel bad, but I just naturally am not wow'ed by lettuce wraps. I think it was my initiation with lettuce wraps from P.F. Chang's, but I just think they're meh. These lettuce wraps, obviously with the addition of pistachios and pine nuts, didn't taste very "Chinese" to me. Of course we can get into the whole debate about "what does Chinese actually taste like?", but let's focus on the wraps. It was very nutty, the mixture didn't really seem like a cohesive filling, but instead an amalgamation of nuts that someone had thrown together. I was very generous with the filling, but even so, I still had a couple of spoonfuls left over when I had finished the lettuce leaves. It was ok, but I didn't feel satisfied after eating it nor would I order it again.

Stir fried Black Pepper Ribeye Beef 

For my Uncle's main dish he ordered the stir fried black pepper ribeye beef. Due to the soy sauce this dish wasn't gluten free either, but I still nabbed a bite. I'm more strict on myself about gluten now, as I developed a headache and had all the other unpleasant side effects of eating gluten, but it was tasty. It was savory, tender, and mildly sweet.  Very good and addicting, my uncle enjoyed himself and ate everything on the plate. He even gave the fried noodle cornucopia a try.

Spicy Prawn with Lily Bulb and Almond

 As for myself, I went for the spicy prawn main. Honestly, in retrospect, I don't think this was gluten free (it's not denoted on the online menu), but the waiter told me it was at the time. Despite not being gluten free, it was delicious. As I stated before, I didn't think that gluten in small amounts would hurt me, but it does. ::lol:: Gluten allergy, who knew? The shrimp was delicious though, it was plump, juicy and not overdone. The curry sauce they paired it with was spicy enough to give a slight kick, but not enough to feel like your whole mouth was burning. The sauce was creamy and addicting as well, while the almonds and lily bulb gave the dish the textural notes it needed to keep it from being monotonous.

When choosing the lunch set it includes a bowl of bok choi and your choice of steamed or egg fried rice. The bok choi was nothing special, just some normal bok choi that was gently flavored with garlic. I was very glad that a vegetable side dish was included in the meal. At this point it seemed very meat heavy.

Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin

This dish was an additional main that my uncle and I ordered to make sure we were sated at the end of the meal. Since our lunch sets had come with bok choi, we elected to go with a viand. This dish was also recommended to us by our waiter, who said that the dish was quite popular. It was good! The pork was tender and the sweet and sour flavors balanced each other out completely. There's nothing worse that ordering a "sweet and sour" dish and having all of one aspect, but none of the other.

Everything was evenly coated in the sweet and sour sauce, the pork was tender, and the pomegranate seeds, pineapple, and red onion added little bites of acidity and freshness that the dish needed. Even though I like pineapples, when they're served in savory dishes like this, I pick them out and don't eat them. I think it's something about the texture of cooked pineapple that I don't like. 

Overall the meal was above average, the ambiance was wonderful, and the service was great. We had a wonderful experience with our waiter just shooting the breeze. Nothing really wow'ed me or was original in my opinion. I would definitely go back to Hakkasan, but only with friends. For some reason, I feel like I would choose other places to go to eat than Hakkasan if I had the choice. The environment that Hakkasan creates is one of a chic nightclub or a swanky lounge, if I wanted to go on a date or spend some family time here I think I would feel out of place. It lacks that sort of intimacy that some restaurants offer their diners. To me, it seems like Hakkasan is a place to go before clubbing or if you want to explore something new with friends.

Thanks for reading! I hope you give Hakkasan a try!

Price: $$$ out of $$$$$
Kid Friendly: Yes! They're very accommodating and I did see some kids playing about in the booths next to our table.
Repeatable: Yes! With friends.

Aziza: A Review

While I was in San Francisco, many high end restaurants were waiting with baited breath, not for my arrival of course (haha, I'm awful.), but instead for the 2014 Michelin Star Rankings. A day after the Michelin Star Announcement, my Uncle noticed a familiar name on the list: Aziza. So with that we decided to try some Moroccan Food. Although my Uncle had been before, this was my first time, and the first time that I can remember trying Moroccan Food.

The decor was both very Moroccan and very modern. I have a minimal amount of knowledge about Morocco and Moroccan culture, but what I had in my head seemed to match with the decor. Rustic oranges, curved archways, deep blues, and bright crimsons decorated the restaurant.

The menu was small, but featured a range of enticing appetizers and entrees that featured seasonal ingredients. Obviously, the menu rotates and things are switched out, different flavor combinations are switched in, etc. By now, I should really know to take a photo of the menu or write down the exact thing I ate.

This was the best I got. HAHAHA. I know, awful. Dat side blur tho.

The staff was quiet, efficient, and not overly friendly. When I told our waiter about my gluten intolerance, he was incredibly knowledgeable about it and knew immediately what I could and could not eat. When I expressed interest in the lamb shank, he immediately offered to substitute the barley on the lamb for something else. My uncle and I were quite adventurous, and we ordered two appetizers, two entrees, and two desserts. 

Chicken Wings, honey, nigella seeds, cucumber

These are the chicken wings with honey, pickled cucumber, and nigella seeds. As you can see, it was very beautifully presented, boneless, and each wing chopped into three pieces. Which is wonderful, because the two of us could evenly divide the appetizers without having that awkward moment of "who gets the last piece?" 

The flavor was tasty, the chicken was sweet and tender, and I can easily see why it's a staple on the menu. Aziza altered the dish to be gluten free for me, but I was really unsatisfied with the texture. Unfortunately, Aziza does not have a dedicated gluten-free fryer (which makes sense, they're expensive!) so they cannot fry the wings without risk of cross contamination. Because of this the wings really suffered textually. Although the nigella seeds were crunchy, the wings on a whole felt monotonous in texture profile. I wanted a larger crunch, with the tender sweetness of the chicken meat in the middle. I was grateful for the cucumber on the plate. I think with the mild sweetness of the chicken, the cucumber was a good palate cleanser to move onto the next appetizer. 

Squid, cucumber, spinach, tomatillo, zhug

 The squid appetizer accompanied by a sliver of tomatillo, cucumber, spinach, and some smatterings of zhug. Unfortunately, there were only three pieces of squid distributed on the plate...and I gave the last piece to my uncle. Selflessness. I should be sainted.

The squid was cooked perfectly. It wasn't difficult to chew, but had enough bite in it to balance well with the crunch of the cucumber, and the tenderness of the spinach. Additionally, I really admired the knife work done on the outer layer of flesh. It served the dual purpose of looking really neat and adding texture to an ingredient that would otherwise be textually boring. The zhug or skhug, a middle eastern type of hot sauce, wasn't too spicy, but added a nice kick of flavor to the three mild ingredients. The dish was satisfying and skillfully executed, but I wasn't too "wowed" by it. Especially given the price and the portion size, I think I would opt to try something else if I was given a second chance to look over the menu.

Halibut, Seaweed, Barley, Root Vegetables

As for entrees, my uncle ordered their daily seafood special which was a halibut "clay pot" served with fried seaweed, barley, and assorted root vegetables. You can see the barley peeking out of the sauce there, so this dish isn't technically gluten free, but I'm sure the chef and waiters would be more than happy to change it for a gluten intolerant patron. I had a little bite of the halibut and it was very good. Tender, moist, and buttery...the halibut was an addictive fish to eat. I couldn't eat anything else, for fear of gluten, but I was told the flavors of the dish were very fresh and mild compared to the lamb shank I ordered. Which is great, because if you're not feeling like rich hearty food, you can always order something light and equally as delicious off the menu. 

Lamb Shank, Baby Arugula, Sunchoke, Saffron, Pomegranate Seeds

I ordered the lamb shank garnished with baby arugala and pomegranate seeds, with a side dish of sunchokes and celeriac. The lamb shank was rich, hearty, and heavenly. They gave me a steak knife to cut it, but I didn't need it. The lamb shank was fork tender and had a melt-in-your mouth consistency. I really loved the arugula and the pomegranate seeds, because when the rich lamb taste got too monotonous, you could always pick up a little arugula for some palate cleansing bitterness or munch on some pomegranate seeds for their tart acidity. The celeriac and the sunchokes soaked up all the delicious lamb fat and provided a much needed starchiness and carbohydrate-y goodness to the dish. This dish is a staple on the menu for a reason and very obviously a fan favorite. I recommend at least one person at the table get this dish, it's very yummy and everyone will get a chance to taste that fork-tender lamb shank. 

Chocolate mousse, coconut, rooibos  

For dessert, I decided on the chocolate mousse, as it was naturally gluten free, and served with all sorts of tantalizing things like a caramel wafer and coconut. Honestly, as a someone who prefers milk chocolate, this chocolate dessert was way too heavy for me. When I took a bite of that chocolate mousse, the cacao completely covered my tongue with its rich, powdery flavor. The dark chocolate wasn't very sweet at all. Everything else in the dish: the coconut, the rooibos ice cream, and the wafer, balanced the dark chocolate out, but I still couldn't get over the desserts' inherent richness. I can see someone else loving this dish though. 

Black Currant Curd, Vanilla, Fennel Meringue, Almond-Hazelnut Sable

I'm usually not a fruit dessert fan, I'm one of those people that think desserts have to be rich, chocolately and sinful to be categorized as a "real dessert", but this odd little wreath of black currant and vanilla droplets totally stole my heart away. The black currant droplets were tart and were perfectly balanced by their vanilla companions, and the fennel mergingue added a fluffy, light textural element to the whole dish. We asked for the almond-hazelnut sable on the side, since it was basically a crumbled up cookie, but I can see how that would add to the dessert's texture as well. Even without the crunchy goodness of the cookie, I enjoyed this dessert. I'm actually over the moon about it, I just wish there was more. After my rich meal, this fruity, tart, sweet dessert is the perfect meal closer. 

My whole Aziza experience was above average, but not mind blowing. My main gripe about Aziza is the portion sizes, especially in terms of their appetizers and desserts, given their prices. I'm not expecting a huge portion with each dish, but the sizing of the dishes left me with a strong feeling of disparity between the food and the price. My uncle had been to Aziza once before and he said that his first experience was really one to write home about and he was somewhat disappointed with this revisit. However, he's since been back a third time and one of the waiters said that the Aziza kitchen had gotten a whole slew of new line cooks, so the head chef wanted to break them in. He also said the third visit was much better than the time that we went.

All in all, I think I would revisit Aziza for special occasions, but probably not a casual meal. I love their twist on Moroccan cuisine, although I wouldn't be able to tell you if it's authentic or not. I can tell that they put a lot of care into each dish in terms of texture, presentation and flavor. Congratulations on the Michelin Star Aziza! 

Kid Friendly: Probably! They're very accommodating.
Price: $$$$$ of $$$$$
Repeatable: Yes, for special occasions. 


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Laurelhurst Market, Restaurant and Butchershop ~ Portland Oregon

This is the place I originally had dreams about. Why? They fry their french fries in duck fat. End.That's all you need to know. Oh you want more? I guess I can expound on my experience. ;) However, I do have to say that I might have built up my expectations too high in anticipation of my second visit....it wasn't that the food was bad. It was simply that I was just so blown away with it the first time and built up such a enormous idea and taste profile in my head, the second visit didn't really stand up to my memory of the first. It was still yummy though! I would still definitely go back. Also, I apologize for the blurry pictures in advance! I've been hoarding these pictures for awhile.

My family has a friend in who lives in Portland, so we always make a point to visit when we're passing through the area. Our Portland friend also happens to be a foodie, and makes a point to take us to his new dives. He was also the one that originally introduced us to Laurelhurst.

Although by no means revolutionary, Laurelhurst combines the best of both worlds: a fully stocked butcher shop, with patties, sausages, and cured meats all made in house, and a fantastic, family style no frills restaurant. The whole restaurant is sort of a shrine to meat, good company, and raucous times. The first time we ate here, our party sat at the long communal table located in the middle of the restaurant.. However, this time we had a smaller, four seat table to ourselves. Both times I've visited, the restaurant has always, always been busy with a boisterous atmosphere. The decor is bare bones, even on the restaurant side, and the whole theme of being a butcher shop runs through both halves of the restaurant. There's a chalkboard with different cuts of meats available hanging above the open kitchen, hardwood tables and chairs filling up every inch of floor space and some candles to add that certain "atmosphere." It's a great place to have a goodbye party or even a first date!

For being so busy, the servers were alright. Food wasn't really delivered in a timely manner, but waters and wine were constantly being poured and refilled. They also knew exactly when to disappear and when they were needed. Their menu was diverse, yet concise and it only filled up one "menu page", but the hard part is just ordering one thing. Literally, everything on the menu looks lovely and delicious. Combine the menu descriptions with the dishes and smells coming out of the kitchen and it's almost impossible to just order an appetizer, main, and dessert. Definitely make plans to share with the rest of your party.

Marrow Bones, Toasted Soft Pretzel and Pickled Mustard Seeds

Given how much meat and bones the market goes through, I really appreciated this sort of attempt to use "all parts of the animal." I'm not sure about what the market necessarily does, but I am a huge fan of nose to tail cooking. Upon a preliminary google search, Laurelhurst Market and its head chefs have quite a lot of articles associating them with nose to tail cooking, you guys can peruse them if you so wish!

Marrow is one of my favourite "secret" bit of the animal, tucked within the the calcium prison of bone, it's an absolute delight to scoop out and eat. Served with soft pretzel and pickled mustard seeds, both accentuate the smokey, rich, and buttery marrow. The toasted pretzel provided a wonderful base to slather the opulent marrow on and the pickled mustard seeds cut right through the oil and added another layer of flavor to the marrow.

Foie Gras Au Torchon 

Tto make a foie with the Torchon technique takes a lot of time and effort. Although I do love my pan seared foie, I really have to appreciate the commitment that chefs put in to create Foie Gras Au Torchon. It takes about an average of four days to create a beautiful torchon and that includes de-veining, curing, boiling, forming and refridgerating the raw foie before it evolves into its final form in the photo.

This torchon was beautifully done and not discolored at all, which is inherent of foie that has been sitting too long and the surface has begun to oxidize. As per usual this foie was served with toasted bread and a fruit accompaniment: a raspberry sauce and some pickled grapes. For those of you who haven't tried a foie torchon, it is like eating the most decadent butter in the world. It melts in your mouth, and since it has already been imbued with all the gentle spices and flavorings of the curing process, imparts just a lovely fatty, protein-y, goodness that is supported by the starchy bread and elevated by the sweet fruit. As paraphrased from Thomas Keller's cookbook, "Foie gras is something that should be minimally garnished. You eat it because you lie the taste and feel of foie gras. Foie gras on toast is perfect. Foie gras with a poached pear, a fig, a truffle --it's almost impossible to go wrong."

Steak Tartare: Vodka, Chives, Shallot, Salt 'Cured Egg Yolk 

As always, I have a strong weakness to steak tartare and when I saw that it was paired with all my favorite things, I just had to order it. The vodka, chives and shallot all cut through the raw beefiness of the tartar with a gentle acidity and the salted yolk was just a wonderful salty binder.

Honestly, it was just a solid, well executed beef tartare. If raw meat doesn't float your boat or if you're not in the mood that day, then don't order it!

Mussels Frites: Dijon Mustard and Creme Fraiche 

This is actually the dish that I dreamed about and was the driving force for me to come back to Laurelhurst Market. The mussels and fries are so lovely and so popular that they actually deserved a whole section of the menu by themselves! So, you have the option of choosing Dijon mustard and creme fraiche, mole sausage, or green curry sauces that your mussels will be steamed in. Honestly though, I do think that dijon mustard and the creme fraiche is the combo that beats out all the rest.

The mussels were cooked to perfection and were allowed to wallow in the juices that they were steamed in. Taking out each succulent rusty, saffron colored mussel from its obsidian prison and dragging it through the Dijon mustard sauce in the bottom of the bowl was absolutely heavenly. The fries were crisp, golden and the perfect starch to absorb the remnants of the mussel juice and the dijon mustard sauce.

However, I must say that this second experience really differed from my first tasting of this dish. Again, maybe I elevated the flavor profile in my mind or maybe Laurelhurst was having an off day, but the powerful well integrated flavor was somewhat lacking in this dish. Not to say that it was flavorless, but where previously the flavor was a solid ten, I would rank this second iteration of the dish at maybe a five or a six.

Warm Red Kale Salad: Marinated House-Made Mozzarella, Fried Cardoons, Pickled Peppers, Pancetta Vinaigrette 

Given that our meal was almost 90% meat and starch, we wanted some veggies to balance out the protein. Out of all the salads, this one looked the most appealing, especially with its combination of mozzarella, pancetta, and kale...three of my many weaknesses. ;)

Honestly, I'm not a huge salad fan, I prefer to have my veggies cooked, and since this was a warm salad it definitely made the dish more palatable to someone that usually rejects salad. Now, it didn't blow my mind or make me crave it long after the meal was over, but it had a simple flavor profile that made it exactly what I needed in the meal to prevent scurvy.

Wagyu Denver Steak -- Cocoa Nib Rub, Red Harissa, Grilled Scallions, Queso Blanco

The Wagyu Denver steak was what our dinner companion ordered and I only got a piece of it, but I wasn't expecting it to be presented pre-cut. I didn't get to eat much of it, but I was impressed by the rub and the sauce. The cocoa nibs gave the meat a deeper, sweeter flavor and the red harissa sauce gave it a nice spicy-kick.

Creekstone Ranch Ribeye -- Cold Smoked; Blue Cheese Butter, Fried Sweet Onion Rings

This is what my sister and I ordered, to share of course, and it was delicious. Something about the combination of blue cheese, a delicious cut of meat and some golden onion rings just made this dish irresistible.

It's a good piece of meat! We ordered it rare, as we usually tend to do, and really loved how the blue cheese  elevated the beefiness of the ribeye. The flavor profile was simple, but packed a punch, while the meat was tender, juicy, and cooked to our liking!

Dulce De Leche Chesecake

Honestly, I think it was a bit unwise of me to order this cheesecake considering that I was already pretty full at the time. It was a sweet, dense cheesecake, and I definitely needed the aid of water to help wash the "body" of the cheesecake down. I really appreciated that Laurelhurst gave it a thick, thick crust. It was good and interesting, but it doesn't make me crave for it after the fact and honestly didn't leave a very strong impression, probably because I was so full. I think if I ever return I'd try some of the other dessert items listed.

Laurelhurst Market is still definitely a lure that makes me want to visit Portland, but I have to say the times that I have visited Laurelhurst were radically different. The first time the meal was incredible and it really made a lasting impression on my mind, and palate, while the second time was not bad...it was just simply unmemorable. It didn't really live up to my first visit and the meal I had then. However, I still don't know whether I built up the flavors in my mind or whether Laurelhurst was having an "off-night" that night, but I do know my sister also felt the same way. When it all boils down to revisiting or not, I would still visit it again.

Kid Friendly: 
Yes, I've seen children dine at the long communal tables, but the majority of the crowd were certainly older diners. 
Price:$$$$ out of $$$$$
Repeatability: Yes
Website: http://www.laurelhurstmarket.com/


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Bottega ~ Napa Valley

Bottega is Michael Chiarello's brainchild and baby. You're probably thinking to yourself "Where have I heard that name before?" Was it a sneeze? A type of exotic pepper? A Celebrity chef? It's probably the last one. ;) Chef Chiarello has been on the likes of The Next Iron Chef, Top Chef, and Top Chef Masters, all the while being a successful restauranteur, having his own cooking show, and publishing several popular cook books.

 

Bottega is beautiful. Napa is a gorgeous place, but I feel that the decor of Bottega goes against the grain of "traditional California chic." Bottega's decor is rich, homey, and rustic with dark woods, deep russet, and orange and gold accents that stand in contrast to the green, sunny exterior of Napa Valley. The brickwork in the walls and the plush leather chairs make you feel like you're in a close friend's home, relaxing in their foyer, and drinking some fine wine, whiskey, or spirit. Something that I was also genuinely impressed with was the attention to detail throughout the entire restaurant. In the photo shown above you'll see an image of custom made copper goblets specially for Bottega that are able to maintain a cooler drink temperature for longer period of time. Of course, these copper goblets, spices, and other decorations are available for purchase next door in the Bottega store.

Sometimes I feel like I love too many things, but honestly....I love Bottega. The ambiance, the food, the service it was all perfect. The perfect end for a perfect summer in California. Surrounded by friends, family, and the love of my life it was truly a lovely, lovely experience. Of course it was also the last time I got to see boyfriend, and there was a wedding going on in the garden, so I think all the lingering romantic affects my have influenced my judgement on the atmosphere.....but even without all that mush Bottega was extremely pleasing. The combination of the cuisine, atmosphere, company, and attentive service made the dinner at Bottega a shining memory.

I would highly recommend reservations and coming with an empty stomach. Interestingly enough, my dinner party found the appetizers a bit more interesting than the main course options. Following our appetites and our intuitions we decided to make a meal out of the appetizers. Click through the jump for the rest of the meal! 

Meat and Bread ~ Vancouver

My pictures for this are terrible. There's something about my cripplingly low self-esteem and dragging around a large DSLR camera, especially in an extremely crowded place, that makes me want to take pictures as fast as possible and slink away. Anyway, most everyone in the Vancouver area has heard of Meat and Bread. On their facebook page they've posted some international Meat and Bread "lookalikes" in New Zealand and South Korea. However, you guys will know that the true Meat and Bread originated on Pender Street in rainy-old Vancouver.

The Line

The concept of Meat and Bread is simple, like its name denotes, Meat and Bread is a sandwich shop that centers around a daily menu, with one meat option, one vegetarian option and a staple sandwich, the "Porchetta", in addition to this they also have daily soups and salads that you can order as a "side" to your sandwich. From what I saw, most people seemed satisfied by the sandwich alone As you can see from the photo above, which is only a fraction of the line, Meat and Bread gets very, very busy. There's always a really long line, but thankfully it moves quite quickly. There is bar seating, private table seating (for parties of two), and communal table seating. I feel like the seating capacity is quite limited, probably around 35-40 patrons at most, but the turnover is quite fast.

Technically you're not allowed to get seats before getting your food, but the waitress assured us that there would always be seats after we got our food. However, speaking of wait service there pretty much isn't any. There are some "line constables" that come with some preset phrases like the "line moves quite fast", "unfortunately, you can't get seats before getting food", "Meat and Bread been here for awhile", and help you buy the sauces and meat rubs that are by the door...but otherwise you pretty much do everything yourself. Meat and Bread has a delightful variety of apothecary inspired bottled sodas and drinks by the cashier. However, if you're a heavy water drinker like me, you might as well fill up two or three cups with the water pitches provided, because you'll be going back and forth quite often.

Crispy skin and delicious porchetta....

As for the ambiance, Meat and Bread is charmingly vintage and quirky with modern elements all at the same time. Their decor seemed to retain a lot of the original "gastown" features, including a seat that has water continually dripping on it from the old AC system, while there seemed to be the very modern additions of a small functional kitchen space. Waiting in line at Meat and Bread reminds me of being in an old metalworking factory, with the burly men in leather smocks "forging" the bread and "smelting" the meat to make the ultimate sandwich-y creation. The guys behind the counter at Meat and Bread are definitely the blacksmiths of meat or at least reminiscent of a sexy firefighter catalog or something.

As the menu changes every day, I found that it made the most sense to "review" the porchetta which is the only staple sandwich they have on the menu, and also happens to be my favourite item. Firstly, I am not such a huge fan of "pork", but don't judge me yet! I love bacon, ham, and prosciutto...but for some reason I've never really been a fan of pork chops or pork tenderloin. However, Meat and Bread have definitely turned me on to the white side. Pork, you know...the other white meat. =P

Mass Producing Porchetta

While you're waiting in line you\ll have the opportunity to watch the blacksmiths behind the counter cutting, dicing, and assembling sandwiches. Honestly, it's like watching a commercial for how pork is supposed to be prepared and cooked. I've never seen cut pork actually drip juice in real life. Each little slice of pork included in the sandwich is glistening with flavor and lightly covered in salsa verde. And the pork rind, oh god the pork rind, is a welcome component in an already delicious sandwich. Meat and Bread puts a squirt of mustard on the wooden chopping block they serve all their sandwiches on and it happens to be the one of the only mustards I find palatable.

The sandwich is well housed within a beautifully baked loaf of bread. My father thought the bread's consistency was too hard, but honestly I felt that if it were any softer...it's be one of those soft, wet white bread sandwiches characteristic of an prepacked elementary school lunch. This loaf was chewy, but not unbearably so, and I didn't have to fight with it to get a well proportioned bite. The salsa verde isn't spicy at all, but instead sort of accents the natural porky flavors of the porchetta. To break up the tender monotony of the sliced pork meat, the meatsmiths (that sounds vaugely porn-like) sprinkle crispy, delicious pork skin over the top and it is lovely. I wish they would add more of it though. The first time I went I was very satisfied with the pork and pork rind ratio, but the second time I felt like the pork rind was lacking.

Inside of the sandwich

Behind my little sandwich over there, in the previous photo, there's a little blurred bowl of chili. Well, I can't show you a full photo of it...because I ate it. It was good, good chili. There are beans, tomatoes, pulled pork, and a lovely topping of sour cream and scallions. One thing I dislike about pulled meats in chili, or any sort of soup, is that they tend to be tough. The pulled pork that was in this chili was surprisingly tender and easy to digest. I also found the chili to be more on the watery side and a bit spicier than I'm used to, but I still highly recommend it. However, I did find that the sandwich was enough for me, portion size, on its own.

Bacon Ice Cream

The second thing Meat and Bread is quite famous for, other than the porchetta, is their infamous bacon ice cream. To be quite honest with you...I was actually really hesitant to try this. It brought back flashes of Burger King's Bacon Ice Cream Sundae monstrosity and Epic Mealtime's Sauce Boss yelling profanities at me...but surprisingly my mom ordered it and loved it. After seeing her reaction, I had to grab a bite.

First, the waffle the ice cream was sandwiched between was great. Great. I'm sure you've all had that one ice cream sandwich whose wafers were far to hard or far too brittle...and you just ended up with an disproportional messy ice cream pile or two dry pieces of cookie.....blech. The wafer on the bacon ice cream sandwich was lovely; it broke off easily and wasn't too powdery in consistency. While the ice cream itself was somewhat reminiscent of a salted caramel ice cream. The bacon wasn't too fatty or overpowering, instead it added little bursts of savoriness to a sweet and mellow vanilla. =) For some reason, this ice cream sandwich reminded me of boyfriend...I think he would like it. And it would be a fun date night or picnic day item to get.

Overall, I really, really, really recommend Meat and Bread. The artistry of a great sandwich really has to be celebrated here. =) Not only is everything actually succulent, well flavored, simple, and amazingly mouth watering, Meat and Bread is also located in one of the most interesting districts to meander around in...Gastown. Honestly at this point, my ideal date would probably be going to Meat and Bread, getting something to go, going out to one of the nearby parks to picnic, and browse all the little boutiques and furniture shops around. It's truly lovely.

Price: $ out of $$$$$
Kid Friendly: Yes? I haven't seen any kids here, but I can imagine that little kids would also enjoy a good sandwich

Repeatability: Yes =)
Website: http://meatandbread.ca/

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