Chef Jeff: Seared Scallops

Searing scallops. Take two.

I tried to dry the scallops before cooking as much as possible. Any suggestions? I used paper towels to absorb the moisture about three times each.

Unlike the last time I seared scallops where I didn't put enough salt or seasoning, this time, I put a lot of salt this time.

The scallops absorb the salt like crazy so be liberal in salting. I also put a lot of pepper to season and give it flavor. The scallops are pretty thick so they needed a lot to give enough taste to all of the meat.

On to cooking... I used some butter and cilantro to give some smell and texture to give it that extra kick.

I'm very happy with the overall result. Perfect sear with balanced seasoning.

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

Purge Update: Day 35

My new bookcase is up. This is the first time I've actually had a fully "functioning" bookcase. It looks very sleek and sexy too.
Hmm... I'm very behind now in my cleanup. One computer is gone/donated to a friend, and I have just yet to throw out the other one. I am also excited about bringing in my new mac. It should have been here on Friday but I wasn't here to pick it up. I should have it y tomorrow... and yes it should have been by in that last sentence.... my b button is breaking! D:

Jeffrey's top 50 things to-do list

In no particular order
1) learn to fly a plane
2) go surfing
3) go fencing/swordfighting/kendo
4) evasive driving lessons
5) play at the world series of poker main event
6) go snowboarding (26 feb 2009)


aaaaand second time on (13 mar 2009)

7) go sailing
8) go fire a rifle
9) role/extra on a film or tv show
10) see/climb the pyramids of Egypt
11) go to Italy and see the Colisseum/take a ride on a gondola
12) visit every continent (4/7) - Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America
13) climb an active volcano
14) watch kickboxing at Lumpini Stadium in Kuala Lumpur
15) fly in a fighter jet
16) be a spy
17) learn how to paint
18) write a good song
19) learn how to ballroom dance
20) go to hawaii
21) visit the great wall of china (30 dec 2008)


22) visit thailand
23) visit vietnam
24) ride a jetski
25) get published/printed
26) go parasailing
27) visit the galapagos islands
28) go back to China and eat snake/starfish/grasshopper/larvae
29) learn to speak Japanese
30) learn to speak Mandarin fluently
31) learn to speak German/Russian/Spanish
32) play the theremin
33) eat Fugu
34) attend a TED conference
35) rappel

36) rappel face-first

37) go scuba diving

38) try bjj

39) try archery (04 dec 2009)

Some snaps from Stanley Park and downtown

I went for a hike yesterday around the sea wall. 10km walk. puff puff. I was feeling okay after the end of it, considering I haven't done any major walking/hiking in a while. My legs were aching a little, but nothing too major, and it's mostly gone now. It was a fun walk. I need to go down there more often.
It was a perfect day. Sunshine and a temperature of 22 degrees. I was a little afraid I was going to get sunburnt or suffer a heatstroke, but I survived exposure in the sunshine =)

Oh yeah! I saw a seal in the water right near the entrance to Stanley Park, near where some kayakers were practicing. I didn't get a good shot of it though. :(

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