Vancouver: Wasabi Ice Cream

When I like something I cannot get enough of it. So after finding out that there was a shop serving wasabi gelato I was all over it. La Casa Gelato serves over 200 flavors of gelato, and has been for 20 years. They actually have over 500 flavors, but keep 218 in rotation at all times. They started out in 1982 serving pizza and ice cream, but soon focused solely on gelato. Owner Vince Misceo insists on real eggs, cream, and "no air".



They are ready with ample sample spoons. As the owner acknowledges, they bring customers in with the wasabi and sell them the chocolate. The unusual flavors tend to go wayyyy out there. Corn, vinegar, radicchio, blue cheese, and dandelion just to name a few. The curry ice cream was hot enough to leave a burning sensation on my tongue. Way more than the wasabi did. But strawberry-jalapeno is the only one that tore my face right off.



In addition to spicy and savory flavors, La Casa Gelato has a huge selection of Asian flavors, including many fruits you have never seen in this form before. Lychee, starfruit, red bean, taro, jackfruit, black bean, Oh, and I LOVE durian, which my nephew thinks is insane. It tastes a little like skunk, and a little like the scent they add to natural gas. But lurking under all of that weirdness is the most delicious, dark, satisfying flavor. There is a reason people eat it.



I ended up getting a double cone of lavendar and Hedgehog.





Oh, and you can get ice cream cakes! I can't wait for my wasabi birthday cake!



PS I just had to include this shot

Vancouver: Obey Jonathan Gold at any Cost

Whenever I visit an aquarium they always have a gigantic King Crab. Part of me is standing there thinking about the wonders of nature, and part of me is thinking, "If not for these guards, buddy, it would be you, me, and a pound of melted butter.

When I sent out a general Facebook request for Vancouver restaurant suggestions, none other than Jonathan Gold recommended Sun Sui Wah. Now, that is a recommendation to heed. If Jonathan Gold picked something up off the sidewalk and told me to eat it I probably would - no matter what Lux Interior said.



Sun Sui Wah started out in Hong Kong and became famous there for their squab. During the 80s they opened up two locations in Canada - one in Vancouver, and one in Richmond. The restaurant is set up for banquet facilities with a bride's changing room, and as the website says, "A party of twenty! No problem!"

When we arrived at the restaurant, they were indeed hosting a wedding reception. We had to park a few blocks away since the ample parking was taken up by wedding guests.



The bride in red



At this point my mom was ready to bail. But they offered us a corner crammed up against the seafood tanks, and Justin was down for the adventure. I was tempted to ask them to just bring us the same food as the wedding guests.





But the thing to have here is the Alaska King Crab.

Alaska King Crab
Indigenous to the deep clear waters of Alaska and free from pollutants, the Alaska King Crab is truly King of the sea with tender juicy sweet meat.

Following my family's Chinese restaurant tradition, everyone at the table gets to order one dish. My mom ordered chicken/lettuce wraps (Ants Climbing Tree), which was a familiar and comforting dish. But I was saving my appetite.



and my nephew ordered the squab.

The Famous Roasted Squab
The famous roasted squab, a signature dish marinated with a secret blend of seasoning and spices to bring out the best flavors, roasted till crispy with tender juiced meat. One taste and it becomes habit forming. Although the squab is a delicacy more familiar to the Asian culture, now everyone is discovering its' delicious taste and health values.

I split the squab with him. The skin was crispy and laquered, the meat was juicy and tender without the gaminess I had expected.



Really, we should have only ordered one thing. It was an insane amount of food. But damn it, I was there to have crab and God help me I was gonna have crab. I asked for the smallest crab. They brought a live one out for our inspection, and in spite of it frightening nearby diners, I nodded my approval.

My nephew warned, "Ummmm....auntie...." because he knew how much meat was in that monster. I had no idea. I had eaten 8 crab legs in one sitting before at the local crab shack, so this would be easy. And dammit, a Pulitzer Prize winner wanted me to eat this crab! If Gabriel Garcia-Marquez wanted me to eat this crab, who would I be to question him?



They offered me the crab two ways, so I chose steamed with garlic and cooked with curry. By now my mom was practically rolling her eyes at the insanity. But I was on a mission - a crab mission.

Try to imagine the most delicious seafood you have ever tasted - fresh, intense and clean. Now multiply it by a thousand. The first course was not as buttery as I expected, and the garlic was intense, but the meat was so sweet, so succulent...the perfect crab. I must admit, the crab legs seemed endless - each leg was split into four, and it became a test of fortitude.



When the second course of curried crab arrived, my nephew just shook his head. I was on my own. The creamy, rich sauce was a nice follow-up to the intense garlic. It was smooth and flavorful. My mom stared at me with a mixture of disapproval and horror.



When the bill arrived, I snatched it up as fast as I could. As we left, my mom muttered, "That crab probably cost you 200 dollars." When I got the credit card bill in USD, it came out to 80 dollars. And it was worth every cent.

Vancouver Friday and Sat: Family

I have always loved visiting Granville Island ever since my Auntie Heather used to haul Starbucks coffee beans across the border to sell in her little coffee store. It also helped that she sold Smarties by weight and had a barrel of Smarties in the shop. I was excited to show Justin the cool warehouse market, which was similar to Pike Place.

Unfortunately, Granville Island has expanded ridiculously. I heard that inside the warehouse, it is still a cool mix of bakeries and fish markets, but we never made it that far. Parking was impossible, and the whole area was a mass of cheap gift shops and chain restaurants ala TG McFunsters. We gave up - so much for butter tarts.

We had a nice dinner at Aunt Heather's. She cooked enough for 3 meals. I was polite and did not photograph at the dinner table.



Saturday we had a small family reunion. My mom had 14 brothers and sisters, so I have 72 first cousins on her side. This was definitely a small get-together. My mom's sister came down from north Vancouver Island and her brother came from Kelowna. We had a nice lunch in the hotel restaurant by the harbour.

It was your typical American/Canadian fare - salads, sliders, burgers.



Most of the family ordered the taco salad



I did get into the ahi sliders, mostly because of the wasabi mayonnaise. I am seriously obsessed with wasabi.



Really, people go to unbelievable lengths to humor me and my food photography



Sticky Toffee Pudding, one of the wonders of British colonies



This is a gooseberry



As I was changing out lenses, a cousin impulsively hugged me, and my lens went flying. What is up with Canada and my camera lenses? Canada hates my camera! I was so traumatized I didn't go out partying with my cousin's women's hockey team that night. And that's not a drinking party to miss.



My Uncle Pat was a prison guard, and scared the hell out of us growing up. I don't think I saw him smile until I was in my 20s. He does have a nice smile.



The three closest siblings, Auntie Loretta, Uncle John and Mom



My Auntie Loretta is an amazing cook. I have been making her recipes for years.

AUNTIE LORETTA'S MACARONI SALAD

2 cups macaroni
1/2 cup diced ham
1/2 cup diced cheddar cheese
1 stalk celery, diced
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1.2 teaspoon black pepper

(she adds 1/2 green pepper, diced and 1 teaspoon salt, which I leave out. The ham makes it salty enough for me)

Cook macaroni in saled water for 7 minutes. Drain. Run cold water over macaroni until it is cold.

Mix remaining ingredients into macaroni. Add more mayonnaise as desired.

Allow flavors to blend several hours before serving.

Vancouver: The Elbow Room

The last time I was in Vancouver, I had so much fun with the Elbow Room's wacky waitstaff I had to go back. Plus, my nephew is a burger fan and they make what is known as the best burger in Van.



The elbow room is a local institution at 560 Davie Street, a cute little cafe that is sparse but comfy. The real attraction, besides the food is the amazing staff that you can't help but love.

The Elbow Room was started in 1983 by Patrick Savoie, an ex-teacher and Brian Searle, an insurance adjuster. It's original location, at 720 Jervis Street, was located in the first mayor of Vancouver's house, and was declared a heritage building. At first Bryan did dishes and Patrick cooked. We had one employee, Vera McKee, who waited tables...We now have 52 seats, a staff of 10-12 and abusing customers from all over Canada, the US and the world.

They do have some crazy-ass burgers. Check these out

Tom Select Burger
Topped with bacon, pineapple, peach slices and camembert cheese.

Trucker Burger
Mushroom, baby shrimp, bacon avocado, a fried egg and cheddar cheese

The Chad Lowe
(For the meat lover, a.k.a. ' The F ' ing Kidding Burger ' )
Two 8 oz patties, sautéed mushrooms and red onions, bacon, pepperoni, B.B.Q. and HP sauce.

But being the princess I am, I ordered

Princess Burger
Bacon, sliced avocado, feta and camembert cheese.



Thick, juicy, feta-y...truly a great burger. We also split an amazing fresh banana-blueberry shake



We had room to split one more thing. Now, if you don't finish your food at The Elbow Room you get a spanking. You can sometimes talk them into accepting a donation to A Loving Spoonful, but they really do try for that spanking. One way to avoid a spanking is to bring a college boy because 1. They can finish any plate of food 2. They are more tempting spanking bait 3. They are probably used to that kind of thing what with the hazing and such. OK here is a sample of the menu. Guess which treat we ordered?

A. Savoury Pancake
Bacon, Cheese, Sausage or a Combination

B. Banana Walnut French Toast (No Jenny Craig here)
Made with pound cake. It's delicious and very rich.
Add Bacon, Sausage or Ham? $2.75
Add Blackberries,Blueberries,Strawberries,Banana,or Raspberries $2.00

C. Evelyn Hilderbrant
A large cinnamon bun, grilled as French toast.

D. Administrative Assistant
Banana, green apple slices, and orange wedges, with a blueberry yogurt and Muffin (cranberry bran or Blueberry Peach). No eggs. No meat. Nothing to clog your precious arteries.

That is correct, sir! C - a French-toasted cinnamon bun. Woohoo! Halfway through our burger, we were confronted by our wild-haired waitress, "What's the matter with your french toast?"

"Nothing. We're eating in courses."

"Yeah, that's our dessert."

"Ohhh dessert! Well, dessert!" She ran off and returned with a giant can of Reddi-whip. "Now it's dessert!"

Vancouver: Japadog!!!!

Friday Justin and I were super-excited because we were going to JAPADOG! The greatest hot dog cart in the world! There are three locations - one on Pender and Burrard (menu), the one we hit in front of The Sutton Place Hotel, and Japadogs has just opened a third location Coal Habour Community Centre.





The line stretched for an entire block, and the wait was long, but the crowd was patient and convivial. They knew there was something wonderful waiting at the end of that line.



There is a regular menu, then each stand has a special menu. The standard menu includes turkey and veggie "smokies", bratwurst, and all beef dogs. Since my visit, they have started offering kurobuta (black hog) dogs. Specialty menus at different stands vary. There are four special options at this stand: Terimayo, Oroshi, Misomayo and Okonomi.

The Terimayo is an all-beef dog with teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, fried onions and nori (seaweed). This is their best-seller. The teriyaki flavor was overpowering. We expected the nori to be the overwhelming flavor, but the teriyaki made it almost impossible to taste.



The Oroshi (Daikon) is made with a special soy sauce, grated radish and green onion on a bratwurst. I chose to add wasabi mayonnaise to mine. The sausage was of the highest quality, delicious with a lovely meaty texture. The wasabi mayonnaise was so spectacular I became obsessed with wasabi for days.





The other choices we did not try were still exciting - the Misomayo is oddly enough made with Miso and Japanese Mayo. It was my first choice, but it was sold out. The other is Okonomi (based on a popular Japanese pancake and translates to "what you want"): Special sauce, Japanese Mayo, Fried cabbage, dried bonito flakes. (a review of Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise)

I allowed Google toolbar to translate the Japanese-language story of Japadogs. Computers will never replace human translators because they don't understand context, so they can't make proper word choices. This one doesn't seem to do grammar either.

From what I gather, the Japanese founder dreamed of overseas crepe stands and opened crepe stands in New York. While vacationing in Vancouver, he and his wife decided to open the creperies there - and name them Japadog. Sooo, so much for computer translation. Here is the rest of the story straight from the site via Google translation:

In Vancouver, you can meet a lot of people, luck, 2005 May OPEN. OPEN Initially, I was not decided upon the name of the store. For some time, had become increasingly called JAPA DOG.

Initially, Japanese style, but I did not have much popular gradually in the course of one year one year and continued, it began to be popular items.
Of course, the contracting out of everyone of us (including sales only one a month), but also a visionary and it did not work the menu. Every day, we are prototyping in various ways.

During lunch and evening, you may be side by side. Away to keep you waiting, I'm sorry all the time. That I strive to provide as soon as possible, the limitations of the truly "Darn, and I hasten" in my mind is always crying.

But we don't mind being side by side, because Japadogs is a thing of wonder. I wish I could tell this visionary how much we love them and maybe it will stop his mind from crying.

Day 1: Saturday Vancouver

OK, first of all let me warn all of you that this is my computer set-up right now. So forgive the spelling errors.



The flight, customs, everything went smoothly. Our room at what looked to be a cheesy Holiday Inn rocked - it was a suite, and we were right in the center of the gay neighborhood! Yay! Good food, safe, clean streets, and it is always easy to find a place to buy condoms! Gay gentrification is good for EVERYBODY.

I was kind of dazed from only 30 minutes' sleep on the plane after 48 hours awake, and didn't feel like wandering around just to check things out. So I let my mom and her 2 neighbors, Ralph and Mary Ann, take off and I jumped on the internet. Soon I had a promising destination - The Elbow Room, known as the best burger in Vancouver...and it was only a few blocks away!



You could tell immediately that this was not your average diner. The waitstaff are known for "abuse". But it's more like teasing, which made me feel right at home in a strange city. It was around noon, so I could go either way on breakfast or lunch. There was a risque-sounding 12-inch pancake but I REALLY wanted the burger. Arghhh. Maybe I could just order both and pick at them.



Not at this place. My server said, "No way can you even take 12 inches. I'm bringing you the 6-inch pancake."

I argued, "I want the 12 INCH AND the hamburger!

That was too much! I had crossed the line!

He said, "Oh, I get it, you're being BAD. We have a BAD girl over here! Maybe you need a spanking! Do you need a spanking?"

What? What kind of place had I walked into? Soon he had a wild, red-headed cohort with a mysterious Eastern European accent backing him up, "Does she need a spanking?"

By now I was in fits of giggles and couldn't even talk. I was just going to eat whatever the hell they brought me. And like it, if I knew what was good for me. Well they were NOT kidding about the pancake. It was light and airy, dotted with fresh raspberries and blueberries, but I probably ate one fourth.



If you don't finish your meal at the Elbow Room, there is a mandatory fine. I donated a few toonies to their local version of "Angel Food" and escaped corporal punishment.