RestoReview: Sushimoto

Sushimoto (UrbanSpoon)

2221 Holdom Avenue, Burnaby, BC
(near Holdom Station on SkyTrain Millenium Line)


Sushi Moto is quite a drive away for me from Richmond, but I was definitely more than satisfied with the food and would have no issue with driving that distance again for the amazing food that they serve.




The friends I dined with tried a wide variety of dishes though we were a little bit disappointed because the restaurant had to turn down some of our orders as they were out of stock on oyster motoyaki, hamachi sashimi, and uni sashimi. :(



Verdict
Highly recommend
For anyone who loves to try unique Japanese flavors. It's not the cheapest place for sushi, but for the quality of the food, the price is more than worth it.

Although I think the owners of the place are Korean, the ambience definitely has a Japanese vibe with an interesting collection of action figures that populate the sushi bar as well as the vehicle models on the walls. The Hobby Japan magazines in the washroom is a nice touch. Staff was very friendly and were nice enough to give our party a few free dishes to try out.

Highlights and favorite dishes

Best dish: Aburi Ika
This was the most interesting flavour from the meal. I've never had Aburi sushi 炙り寿司, roasted sushi, before and I really loved this new take. The crispness of Ika with the roasted flavor and underneath that interesting texture is the minty after taste of shiso leaf.

Aburi Ika

Other highlights: All the sashimi dishes were super fresh and most of the other dishes were delicious in general and so here are a few of the ones I liked the most.

Aburi Toro Steak

Tuna sashimi

Seared Tai Flower

Takoyaki

Failures
Avoid: This was the one dish that was totally unappetizing and tasted bland. The wasabi tobiko sushi needs to be taken off the menu.

Wasabi Tobiko sushi

Notes
When I go back to Sushimoto I already have a list of things I want to try that I wasn't able to hit on this trip. I'm definitely wanting to try more of the aburi sushi, fresh oysters and Oyster Motoyakis (hopefully they have oysters in stock next time), Moto Orange, and the Takowasabi.

RestoReview: Mission Hill Terrace Restaurant

The Mission Hill Terrace Restaurant is located on the Mission Hill Family Estate Winery in Westbank in the Okanagan. The Mission Hill Winery itself is a marvelous example of modern architecture, the Terrace restaurant (I'm not sure what the actual name is), is a natural complement to the winery itself. Terrace seating overlooking wonderful greenery and the waves of the Okanagan.







A view of the entire restaurant. The tables line the 2 rows of pillars on both sides of the terrace hall.




Winery-Made Dips & Roasted Olives (red lentil hummus, chèvre herb cream) - The bread was served with 2 different types of breads, baguette style slices and thin crunchy bread chips. I preferred the crispy snaps as they gave a more interesting texture to pair with the hummus and the goat's milk cheese. Both were strong, but not overly pungent. Enough to give you a taste but leave you wanting for more. The olives was a nice counter balance to the thick and creamy dips.







Queen Charlotte Halibut, Olive Oil Sorbet (spot prawn ceviche, sea beans & squash) - This is seafood served straight and simple. The halibut was cooked perfectly, not too dry. The olive oil sorbet was certainly interesting. I'm not sure how else to describe that. The prawns for the ceviche were tender and crisp. The greens gave a good balance to the seafood and the cream sauce.



Kurobuta Pork Belly, Seared Diver Scallop (white bean purée, fennel & apricot) - The scallop is absolute bliss. Seared to perfection with a slight caramelized glaze on the outside and tender on the inside. Kurobuta pork was tender as expected, and goes well with the white bean puree. I had higher expectations for this though, it still doesn't compare to the Kurobuta from The House (in San Francisco).



Jack’s Sooke Ruby Trout, Tarragon Cornbread (green tomato chutney, garden herb purée) - This is awesome! I've never had trout prepared like this. The green puree and green tomato chutney were an amazing choice to give a light flavor to the saltiness of the trout.



Another order of the Kurobuta Pork



Roasted Duck Breast, Crispy Confit Raviolo (almond bok choy, cinnamon jus) - I love everything about this dish. The duck was soft and tender and tasted terrific with the cinnamon jus. The Ravioli was a surprise since I thought it would overpower the duck, but it was a light vegetable filling. Hmmm... the whole dish tasted like the color you see, it tasted orange. (That totally doesn't make sense).



The Dessert Menu



A cup of their coffee with biscotti.



Vanilla Bean Chèvre Cheesecake (hazelnut crisp, caramelized blackberry) - Omgomgomg! This was absolutely fantastico! The goat's milk cheese just makes an absolutely incredible cheesecake. Soft and melting, it gives a strong flavor and a totally unique version of the classic cheesecake. The blackberry coulis, and the green one (I'm not sure what that is), but it tastes magnificent with the cake. MUST TRY!



I am absolutely blown away with this place. Beautiful scenery and absolutely amazing cuisine. The one regret is that I wasn't able to taste more of the menu because I'm sure they would taste as stellar as everything else.

Jeff recommends this. 5 stars++!
Mission Hill Winery Terrace Restaurant
Link to June Menu

Service & Setting: 5/5
Taste: 5/5
Cost Level: 4.5

RestoReview: Zakkushi on Denman

Zakkushi on Denman is a Japanese izakaya that the restaurant dubs as a "Charcoal Grill Diner". They do indeed use a charcoal grill and makes for a very flavorful experience. We were lucky to be able to be seated as we came in early around 6pm. However, since most of the space was already reserved, we got stuck in the worse corner in the restaurant, at the bar right in front of the entrance. The restaurant has a very simple design. Clean, but not much space. The grilling is done in the open right by the bar and you can even sit right in front and watch your order cooked to perfection. Zakkushi is among many of the increasingly popular Japanese izakayas in the Denman food corridor in downtown Vancouver.






Ebi Mayo(Deep-fried Prawn Skewers w/ Chili Mayonnaise Sauce) - First up, the classic Ebi Mayo. This is standard fare for an izakaya and if they can't prepare this properly, then there is something wrong with the restaurant. Thankfully, the Ebi Mayo here is delicious!




Kushi Set(5 Selected Skewers! Momo, Ninnuku Memaki, Shiso Maki, Gyu-harami, P toro) - Next up was an assortment of Zakkushi's grills. You normally order the grills a la carte, but they provide this as an introduction dish. A breakdown: Momo (Chicken Thigh), Ninnuku Memaki(Garlic Stubs Wrapped w/ Sliced Pork), Shiso Maki(Chicken Thigh Wrapped w/ Shiso Leaf), Gyu-harami (Beef w/ Japanese Radish & Ponzu Sauce), P toro (Pork). They were all pretty tasty except for the Momo. Definitely a must try dish for those who don't know what they want to order.




Dotekon(Boiled Daikon radish on Pan-fried Beef teriyaki) - This was off of Zakkushi's "Special Menu". An interesting dish. The broth was a little too rich for me, but the texture of the daikon had a fresh taste mixed in with the beef.




Beef Steak(Beef Sirloin Steak w/ Daikon Radish Garlic Chips) - I am unimpressed by this dish. If I wanted a hunk of steak, I would have gone to a steakhouse. This dish was a little over-charred on the outside and provided no distinct flavor. It's just steak, with some chips. No originality. The quality of the beef was good though.




Kawa(Deep fried Chicken Skin) - This was probably an unhealthy dish to order, but it's crunchy chicken skin! Yum.




Ebi(Deep fried Sweet Prawn w/ Herb Salt) - I did not like this dish at all. The ebi was not crunchy enough. It was a little mushy inside, and the contrast of the sweet prawn with the salt was too strong.




Uzura Maki(Quail Eggs Wrapped w/ Sliced Pork) - I love this dish, but that's also because I love quail eggs. The eggs give a unique contrast to the pork wrapped around it which tasted more (and probably was) like bacon than pork.




Oropon Tsukune(Chicken Meat Balls w/ Japanese Radish & Ponzu Sauce) - This was an excellent dish. Grilled Chicken Meat with the simple flavors of radish and ponzu. Light and tasty!




Dorayaki Ice Cream(Sweet Japanese Red Beans in Sponge Cake Served w/ Ice Cream) - This dish is AWESOME! The red bean cake is very light and pairs well with the vanilla ice cream sprinkled with matcha powder. I was actually confused at first. I thought it was Matcha ice cream, but realized it was just the sprinkles. It tasted like a light matcha ice cream. Definitely a MUST try!




I'm looking forward to trying the other Zakkushi locations, on 4th and the new branch on Main.
Zakkushi on Denman
823 Denman Street, Vancouver, B.C.

Service & Setting: 4/5
Taste: 4/5
Cost Level: 3

RestoReview: Trattoria

Trattoria or Trattoria Italian Kitchen is a contemporary lounge restaurant targeting a relaxed atmosphere. The restaurant has its own spin on the trattoria style establishment by being less formal but also being a vibrant lounge having a large selection of wines and various delectable Italian dishes with modern twists. It is part of the Glowbal Restaurant Group and most likely an offshoot of Italian Kitchen. Trattoria is located at 1850 West 4th Ave in Vancouver rooted in the heart of Kitsilano's dining district.

We started out with a pitcher of the Sangria Bianca, or the White Sangria. Light, but well balanced. Cranberries give it a slight pink color also adding a hint of fresh fruitness.

Antipasto Plater(eggplant parmigiana, kobe meatballs, tiger prawns
osso bucco crochette, forno roasted clams, caprese salad
forno roasted asparagus and mushrooms
calamari with spicy tomato fonduta) - this was a delightful teaser and sampler of the different vegetables, seafood and meats.

Pasta Platter(spaghetti and kobe meatballs with tomato fonduta
penne pomodoro, linguine pesto and lasagna) - Delicious sampler of the various pastas. This is a MUST order. The Linguine Pesto is superb.

Torta di Mascarpone Pizza (fingerling potatoes, roasted garlic, caramelized onion) - I'm a little conflicted on this one. I'm pretty sure they served the wrong cheese since it was very strong and smelled more like Gorgonzola, than the supposedly Mascarpone. The cheese tasted bad, but the rest of the pizza was delish. Very tender roasted potatoes. Yum, and the dough was an oven fired masterpiece. The cheese issue might have just been a little kitchen mix-up.

Trattoria (Italian Kitchen)
1850 West 4th Ave, Vancouver, B.C.


Service & Setting: 4.5/5
Taste: 4/5
Cost Level: 3

RestoReview: Soul Robata and Izakaya

Soul Robata & Izakaya is a new Japanese restaurant in Richmond's "food alley" on Alexandra Road. Soul is not your average Japanese all-you-can-eat. It serves a more traditional robata-style grilled food. Although the restaurant is dubbed as an Izakaya, it didn't feel like it as I didn't even see a drink menu. The restaurant is not really visible from the outside, it blends into the various stores beside it. However, the interior is charming and quite inviting. They had little lanterns or Akachōchin hanging above their sushi bar. The restaurant has a small, warm loungey atmosphere with quirkiness represented by the little cups and ceramics on the wall with english phrases that didn't make any sense or fit with the ambience. Examples of some of these phrases were: 'corn squeezins', 'mountain dew', and 'little brown jug'.

Sashimi (Hamachi, Kampachi, Mata?) - Fresh and soft. What good sashimi should taste like.

Grilled Beef Tongue - Soft, tender, and melts in your mouth. My fav beef dish!

Monk Fish Liver Pate - Definitely a must try. I haven't really tried fish pate and I have to say I really like it. It reminds me a little bit of the salmon pate I had before, but this is given a unique twist with its slightly pickled flavor. Yum!

Salmon tartare with Nori - I'm a little put off by this. I've had better salmon tartare elsewhere in Vancouver (if I remember correctly, it was at Brix). I would have to say it was average, and a little too strong in flavor. It was too 'fishy' and had a strong smell.

Crispy Chicken Skin - Mmmm. Can't really go wrong with fried chicken skin. Crisp, and flavorful.

Hairy Crab Bruschetta? - I'm not sure what is so hairy about it. Crab paste (the high cholesterol stuff) on top of bruschetta and served on some salad. An interesting dish guaranteed to raise your cholesterol through the roof. It's something to try if you've never tried it before, but I didn't feel like it was all too delish.

Takoyaki/Octopus Fritters - I love takoyaki, and Soul's "Octopus Fritters" are no exception. Standard formula and tasted like perfection.

Fried Ice Cream - I tried out two different flavors, green tea and
black sesame. The green tea was quite ordinary and did not match with the fried exterior at all. The black sesame on the other hand is rated as Jeff's current "Best Fried Ice Cream ever". The dark, intense earthy flavor of the black sesame merges perfectly with the fried batter. It is a perfect dessert to a Japanese robata dinner. For those of you who have never tried black sesame ice cream, it is an intense, mildly spicy concoction that has a nutty taste. (Unless you order ice cream at Guu, in Aberdeen anyway, that tastes like watered down ice cream because it's probably from Mondo Gelato).

Soul Robata & Izakaya - Definitely a robata, not so much an Izakaya. It's not Japanese run, but that's okay, the food is good. Service was excellent, tea service came by almost every 5 minutes or less and the staff was friendly. Ambience is a little quirky and not authentic, but it's a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. The Black Sesame flavor Fried Ice Cream is a MUST.


Soul Robata & Izakaya
1015-8580 Alexandra Rd, Richmond. B.C.

Service & Setting: 4/5
Taste: 4.5/5
Cost Level: 3

Jeffrey's Manila Restoreview Roundup

Angels Kitchen, Connecticut Ave, Greenhills

This restaurant has an identity crisis. The restaurant's walls are bare. The back wall is painted green, but the side walls are white. There's a couple of old 70's style floral leafs, and some mirrors, but other than that, the restaurant has no attitude or message to convey to say "This is who we are".

The thin bread crisps they serve as munchies are bland and not crunchy enough. They taste like they're old and given to you just because they don't want to give you fresh ones. Granted, they serve pate with the bread crisps, but the pate itself is quite tasteless. Even ;
The Pumpkin Soup was decent. However, it was inconsistent as we ordered it twice, and it was good on the first order, but the second serving tasted bland.

I tried the Lamb Chop Curry? It was alright, nothing spectacular. Nothing to write much about. It's pretty standard. Lamb... covered with curry.

Their "Fruit Splash" is more like "Not Enough Fruits mixed with too much ice". I could barely taste anything. It was mostly watery and made me feel like a retard for drinking something with no flavor.

The cuisine is mostly home style cooking. Home style Filipino, and other regional home style dishes in general. It's mainly Filipino cuisine, but not limited to, there are some select dishes from different regional cuisines, like Malaysian, and Indian. It's more of a potpourri of dishes anyone can prepare at home.

The one thing that does redeem this restaurant is its desserts. The Banana Chocolate Cream Pie is deeeelish! Not enough chocolate though, or else the balance is perfect.
The Apple Pie covered in caramel was quite scrumptious. Incredible crust! Oh my! The one issue I had is that the pie is served cold. The waitress also told us not to get it a a la mode for the pie because it's already covered in caramel. She was wrong, customer's always right. It tasted better after we got the vanilla ice cream anyway, but the pie would have been even better served hot.

Overall rating: 4/5

Zucchini's Vinotek and Grill (Redux)

Strike, the lunch menu is exactly the same as their dinner menu.
Have I ever mentioned that their Apple/Pumpkin Cream Soup was excellent? No? IT IS EXCELLENT. Can you hear me now? IT'S EXCELLENT.
Their Tomato Soup is also top notch. This is the first time I've tried their French Onion Soup, and now I've come to the conclusion that the soup entrees are Zucchini's best offerings.

The Duck a L'orange was tres excellente. Duck is one of those dishes where you either cook it right, or it tastes like crap. I was delightfully surprised with the texture, but mostly the Rosti Potatoes that came underneath the duck pieces.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Cyma Estiatorio, 1/F Greenbelt 2 Ayala Center, Makati

Attitude! This place is overflowing with it. With the unified "Opa!" from the staff upon lighting of an order of "Flaming Cheese" and the white stucco walls and chic modern Greek hybrid murals and lighted glass, it's a very relaxing dining atmosphere.

I've forgotten what I ordered, but most of the dishes were pretty good. The salad is excellent. The one thing I didn't like was their lamb, and the Greek potatoes, they weren't sour enough. But it's not fair for them, any Greek I taste has to go up against my experience with food at The Mad Greek.

Overall rating: 4.2/5

Jeffrey's Manila RestoReview 2008: Florabel

Florabel, The Podium

The restaurant's contemporary wooden design with dimmed lighting is accentuated by simplicity of the plastic table lights. I would probably say that any type of electric lighting is cheesy, but the smooth, curved plastic-shelled lights they use as table lighting actually gives a statement of the restaurants simple, but elegant atmosphere.

The appetizer I ordered, the 'Duo of Tuna & Sashimi' is sheer genius. I would have walked out happy just having eaten that appy.
It was a very well rounded presentation of seared tuna sashimi, a risotto mixed with tempura chunks and morsels of tuna sashimi, and mesclun salad.

I was a little less impressed with my main entree. The 'Pan Seared Prawns and Scallops in Lemon Caviar Butter' with risotto had a very weak taste. It relied too much on the butter to give the rice and seafood flavor. The scallops were seared perfectly. Just enough to give it a crisp texture. Just enough that it was still soft inside. The risotto was a little too hard for my taste, it could have been because it was made with wild rice, but I still disagree with it. Risotto should be soft enough so that it feels like it melts in your mouth.

My disappointment was short-lived. For dessert, I ordered their Chocolate Souffle with Yuma, accompanied by vanilla ice cream, and fruit compote. I didn't mind having to wait the 20 minutes for them to prepare this because ultimately, it's chocolate ecstasy. Oh how the warm, hot soft chocolate souffle just melts on your tongue. MMMMM

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Jeffrey's Manila RestoReview 2008: Duo

Duo Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Serendra Piazza - Fort Bonifacio Global City

Their menu has a good selection, but there is no creativity at all.
We started with the Tessie Tomas salad for appetizers. It was very good. The shiitake mushrooms gave it an earthy flavor while the seafood lightened it. The cheese was a little too strong for salad though.

The Steak and Foie Gras was excellent. The steak was cooked to tender and moist medium rare perfection. The Foie Gras was a little bland though, the lack of flavor made the dish completely about the steak. I don't know what the chefs at Duo are thinking, but trying to fool the customer is a no-no. Sneaky attempts at trying to mix people's perceptions, by mixing the meat and potatoes into a single mound so they all look alike, is down right devious.

The Mint-crusted Lamb was ho-hum. The mint-crust was something new for me. But the preparation was sloppy. The meat was not consistent for each lollipop, and the garlic mash was too salty.

The waiters were unprofessional. We brought a birthday cake, and yet, when they came out with it from the kitchen, the waiters held it for a little girl to look at. I would have said nothing if the child was from our party, but she wasn't. And if the cake is ruined, how the heck are they going to make up for it?

The menu is lacklustre. The overall generality of dishes allows the chef to do whatever he wants with a dish on that day. There is no focused vision on the flavors of the restaurant. The plating and originality of the dishes is a complete disaster. I know it's a steakhouse, but the chefs should still have pride in making each entree distinct and visually identifiable. From what I saw, the dishes were prepared just to spec to match the menu description.

Overall Rating: 3/5


This was my first trip to Serendra out at Fort Bonifacio.

I was looking for a website for Duo, but I found a review instead. I love his style. He's a professional travel writer/critic so he has experience writing polished articles. I need to get a new camera so I can actually do that, my DSLR is way too bulky to carry around. Some day, I hope I can improve my writing and be able to write a little more professionally. I'd love to be a pro food critic. That'd be the funnest thing to do. Eating for work. =D

Jeffrey's Manila RestoReview 2008: Zucchini's

Zucchini's Grill and Vinotek, Quezon City

I have to come out and say I'm a little biased about this place. My previous trips here have been nothing but beyond expectations. I can still taste their wonderful Cream of Apple and Pumpkin Soup (with roasted walnuts and apple chips) and the Lamb Lollipops with Saffron-infused Rice.
However, this actually works against them for my review today. I was expecting nothing but pure gourmet ecstasy. Sadly, I was not as impressed this time around.
For appetizers, we shared a Sea Scallops dish served multiple ways, and a Duck Breast Salad. The Sea Scallops dish had nothing memorable and was mostly mush. Even the element served with foie gras lacked flavor. The salad looked pretty appetizing but alas the duck was overcooked, and eventually renders the dish flavorless just as a salad dish with overcooked meat.

The soup never fails to impress. I tried the Roasted Mango Soup instead of the usual Apple/Pumpkin. It tasted more like Squash soup as it was more savory than sweet. I think it was probably a squash soup mixed with some mangos, and mango bits to give it a little bit of a sweet after-taste.

The Lamb Lollipops a la Provencale (with Escargot Ragout, Cauliflower Puree, and Zucchini Florentine) was pretty interesting. The taste of the lamb paired with the Provencale sauce was quite disappointing, but I was more interested in the sidings. The Escargot Ragout had a very subtle taste but a very distinct presentation, it was mixed light and airy, similar to a garlic mash. The Zucchini Florentine was some spinach contained in a section of zucchini, covered with some melted cheese. Disappointed by the taste, but presentation is still wonderful.

Dessert? I can't really remember if Zucchini's has good desserts or not. I ordered the "Frozen Coconut Souffle". I've never heard of such a thing.... souffle, that's frozen? (Okay, maybe it's because I'm just not an experienced gourmet.) Plating, presentation, and originality are all off the charts. This was some crazy concoction from the chef's demented psyche. The base of the dish was thin slices of pineapples caramelized with sugar and created little saucers of pineapples. On top of that in the center was some type of frozen coconut custard, similar to panna cotta, accented with a cherry on top. This was more a work of art than food. Visually impressive, but hard to eat. The custard was alright, but the pineapples were very hard to cut, and definitely way too sweet.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Jeffrey's Manila RestoReview 2008: Cafe Uno

Cafe Uno, Tomas Morato

They always have a unique variety of dishes, varying locations of culinary inspiration.
Their uniqueness doesn't carry much weight though. Their cooking is absolutely terrible.

Appetizers
The Roti with Onions and Gruyere started everything off with a nice twist. Roti's not usually served wet, but I liked the new approach to a standard cultural (Malay) dish where it's served dry with some spicy sauce.
Scottish Smoked Fish Chowder, was too smelly. Too salty. It was something new, but most people wouldn't be able to take a few sips before throwing up from how smelly the fish was. I know it's supposed to be salty because it's smoked, but you don't want people to be choking on it. They need to lighten the concentration.
The Green Pea Puree was standard fare. It's just puree of green pea.

The Grilled Wrasse was more fried than grilled, the fish was actually pretty tender, but the onion sauce was way too salty and too strong.
The GrilledBarramundi was even less thrilling. The fish lacked any flavor at all. The bean sauce they used to try and cover up the lack of flavor was still lackluster and merely a reminder of how unskilled the chef is.
The salmon was alright. A little overdone, but nothing special.
So far, the only dish they actually had any success from what we tasted was the Rack of Lamb with horseradish. Perfect counterbalance sauce for lamb.

Dessert
Creme brulee. TERRIBLE. The creme was not cooked enough. It wasn't creamy at all. It had the consistency of cheesecake. It was warm. How can you serve creme that's not chilled? And to top it off, the sugar wasn't completely caramelized.
The Chocolate Fallen Cake was okay.

Overall score: 2/5