Previously on Adam Riff™: Eater's Digest: Vancouver, BC
October 2015
tacofino commissary / papparoti / terra breads / laurelle's fine foods / hawksworth / bella gelateria / purebread / phnom penh / tuc craft kitchen / ask for luigi / meat and bread
Crispy Chicken Taco (Tacofino Commissary)
black chili mayo, brussels sprout kimchi, radish sprouts, radish, green onion
Chicken karaage, to be exact.
Tuna Taco (Tacofino Commissary)
soy, sesame, wakame, ginger, wasabi mayo
This taco can't decide if it wants to be a taco or poke, and suffers as a result.
Pork Jowl Taco (Tacofino Commissary)
cabbage, fried shallot, pineapple, sriracha
Banana Churros (Tacofino Commissary)
ibarra chocolate, banana sriracha ice cream
Grape Bread (Terra Breads)
pine nuts, walnuts
Grapes are an underused pastry ingredient. Why do we settle for raisins?
Hawksworth was named the best restaurant in Vancouver, and the second best restaurant in all of Canada.
Chef Hawksworth loves green apple.
Yellowfin Tuna (Hawksworth)
kombu pickled cucumber, yuzu soda
A seemingly seamless sphere of tuna.
Hamachi Sashimi (Hawksworth)
yuzu kosho, tangerine, kohlrabi, shiso, crispy potato
Raw fish and curly fries? Delicious, actually.
Foie Gras Crème Brûlée (Hawksworth)
beet, orange, gingerbread
This ain't no crème brûlée I've ever seen.
Scallops Baked in Bone Marrow (Hawksworth)
parsley, brioche, lemon
Faloodeh Sorbetto (Bella Gelateria)
—Rose water sorbet with rice noodles mixed in – a play on one of the earliest known frozen desserts.
Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey Gelato (Bella Gelateria)
Banana Bread Gelato (Bella Gelateria)
Adults Only Cookie (Purebread)
dark chocolate, sea salt, rosemary
The rosemary adds a mint flavour. It's a mint chocolate cookie without mint.
Lemon Chèvre Brownie (Purebread)
—Lemon-flavoured goat cheese in a brownie is odd, but works.
Chocolate Coconut Cream Bundt Cake (Purebread)
—Not the Nanaimo bar in cake form that I thought it might be.
Raspberry Mocha Loaf (Purebread)
Marinated Butter Beef (Phnom Penh)
—Vietnamese carpaccio. A tad too sweet for me.
Beef Brisket and Pork Crackling Sandwich (Tuc Craft Kitchen)
double r ranch brisket, sourdough bread, dijon mustard, assorted pickles, salsa verde, served with smashed potato fries
Its parts are better than the sum.
Crispy Bucantini and Fontina Crocchette (Ask For Luigi)
—Classier deep-fried mac and cheese.
MISSED CONNECTIONS
Matcha and Dark Chocolate Butter (Churn)
—That's butter flavoured with matcha and dark chocolate.
Nanaimo Bar Spring Roll (Noodlebox)
coconut dipping sauce
Deep-Fried Nanaimo Bar (Pirate Chips)