Posts Tagged ‘Spanish’

SANAFIR

February 25th, 2011 admin

1026 Granville Street, Vancouver

Tel: 604-678-1049

Web: www.sanafir.ca

Twitter: @glowbal_group

Advice: Reserve one of the upstairs ‘beds’ for that special occasion.

I love this room with the high ceilings, motifs and Middle-Eastern decor. The kitchen is located towards the back with the long bar running along the side towards the front, sitting anywhere downstairs is ideal for enjoying the atmosphere and the ambiance. The menu boasts selections from along the Silk Route with an array of tastes with influences from Spain, Morocco, Egypt and India.

White Sand Cocktail

I had dinner here recently and had a tasting menu created by Chef Mike Robbins, I left it up to him to put together a tasting menu for me, it was what become a journey for my tastebuds.  I started off with the White Sand Cocktail ($9) created by the bartender to match the dishes that I was about to eat.

Falafel stuffed with beef shortrib,

Mediterranean Ribs

Grilled Octopus

The first dish was the Falafel stuffed with beef shortrib, on a bed of hummus; next was the yummy and tender Mediterranean Ribs ($7.50) olive oil, parmesan, espelette lime, crisp fried herb. A dish that I would not have thought to order was outstanding, Grilled Octopus ($7.50) crushed potato, mussels, chilies chorizo, cauliflower, olive oil.

Vindaloo Prawns

Egyptian Spiced Striploin

Moving on to the entrees, I had one of their Indian specialties the Vindaloo Prawns ($17.50) that came with mango chutney, cucumber raita and pappadum. Next was the delicious Egyptian Spiced Striploin ($20.50) cauliflower puree, roasted tomato & eggplant, madera jus  Chef Mike explained the meat was marinated for 24 hours in Onion water.

Cardamom baked yoghurt (l) & Flourless Chinese 5 Spice Chocolate Cake (r)

For dessert I had the light Cardamom baked yoghurt Okanagan fruit compote and the Flourless Chinese 5 Spice Chocolate Cake with a sweet red bean sauce.

Review by: Richard Wolak

Posted in Downtown Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , No Comments »

THE LEETEG ROOM

February 14th, 2011 admin

1489 East Hastings St, Vancouver (located inside the Waldorf Hotel)

Tel: 604-253-7141

Web: www.waldorfhotel.com

Twitter: @waldorfhotel

Advice: open for dinner service Wednesday through  Saturday.

I have always had a fascination with Spanish food and ever since I visited Barcelona and tasting all the delicious food and sweets, I have longed for Spanish cuisine even more. The Waldorf Hotel ‘s Leetag Room specializes in Spanish cuisine and every few months they are featuring a different region from within the country as visiting chefs take up residence here to create a regional menu for all us lucky diners to savour.

Ajo Blanco

Gambas al Ajillo

I dined in a couple of weeks ago and celebrated the NW region of Spain, starting off with a Glass of Burgans Rias Baixas – 2008 Albariano from Pontevedra, Spain ($9) which went well with the smooth Ajo Blanco – ($6) Chilled White Almond Gazpacho with extra virgin olive oil and fresh grapes. The next dish was the tasty Gambas al Ajillo ($12) –sauteed prawns with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, red chilli, brandy and parsley, the sauce was the best part of the dish and I used the bread to soak up the remaining jus.

Red Snapper and Clams

Fabada Asturiana

Chuletillas de Cordero con Pimientos y Papas Confitadas

My first entrée was the Red Snapper and Clams ($20) in Salsa Verde –traditional basque style red snapper served with clams and olive oil, garlic and pasley sauce; followed by the 2nd entrée ‘Fabada Asturiana’ a white bean stew ($18) with saffron, bacon, shoulder of pork, blood sausage and chorizo. My 3rd entrée was my absolute favourite dish Chuletillas de Cordero con Pimientos y Papas Confitadas – Basque style grilled lamb chops ($22) with garlic, sherry vinegar, pipuillo peppers and potato confit, this lamb was done to perfection and paired well with the Glass of Las Rocas de San Alejandro -2008 Garnacha (Aragon, Spain) ($8).

Fondante de Txocolate

For dessert I had the outstanding Fondante de Txocolate ($8) Chocolate fondant with Mango ice cream it was the perfect ending to the outstanding meal the chocolate fondant was superb.

They have an impressive well thought out wine list that features a good selection of Spanish wines, you will also find cocktails and beers on offering. This menu was created by Ernesto Gomez (Nuba), Pedro Martin (Jaleo) and Cesar de la Parra (Nuba). All three trained together under the notoriously brutal brigade of three Michelin Star Chef Martin Berasategui in San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain. The room is located inside the Waldorf Hotel and is of a Tiki theme, perhaps not what you would think of when dining in Spain, however it all works here and the service is spot on.

Review by: Richard Wolak

Posted in Eastside Tags: , , , , , , , , , , No Comments »

JUDAS GOAT TABERNA

March 22nd, 2010 admin

27 Blood Alley, Vancouver

Tel: 604-681-5090

Web: http://www.judasgoat.ca

Advice: Go early or make an advance reservation.

Bruschetta selections

It’s as if I was back in Barcelona, sitting in a courtyard off the beaten path enjoying delicious tapas and tastes. This 28 seat, tiny restaurant is one of Sean Heather’s latest projects and he has nailed it with great food and great prices. Our server explained how we were to order, my friend and I then check marked each of the selections on the single sheet menu and handed it to him, voila it was just that easy. To begin our sharing meal we had two of the Bruschetta selections ($2.25 each or 4 for $8) the Stewed Mushrooms with Sherry and Comte ($2.25) and the Piquillo Peppers with Serrano Chilli & Goats Cheese ($2.25).

Beef Brisket Meatballs

Potted Prawns with Pistachio Butter and Croistini

Marinated Beet Salad

This followed by the outstanding and well presented Beef Brisket Meatballs ($6) with Rustic tomato sauce, topped with grated ricotta cheese. Next up was the surprisingly tasty Potted Prawns with Pistachio Butter ($7) this dish was intriguing, served cold in a pot with Croistini. We decided that having a salad was a good idea to add some vegetables to the mix and we enjoyed the Marinated Beet Salad ($7) with shaved ricotta salata and aged sherry vinegar.

Dark Chocolate Tart with Chili jam

To end the meal we chose one dessert and shared the divine Dark Chocolate Tart with Chili jam ($7). I was surprised to see how well Chef Lee Humphries and his chefs navigated around the small kitchen and turned out dish after dish. Although Spain is the inspiration, the tapas are also influenced by Italy, France, and beyond. The wine list is simple featuring a good selection of Sherry from Spain, along with some white, red and pink wines from Spain, France, Germany and one from BC and one from California. Next visit I must try the Spanish Coffee Truffles and I’ll make that two desserts.

Review by: Richard Wolak

Posted in Gastown, Restaurant Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , , , No Comments »

CAFÉ BARCELONA

January 24th, 2010 admin

1049 Granville Street, Vancouver

Tel: 604-909-2223

Web: http://www.cafebarcelona.ca/

Advice: Bring a long a friend or two to share the tapas. Call ahead for reservations and to find out which nights they have live music.

Pan con Tomate

I have been to Barcelona a few times and love the food and culture, I had hoped that the food at Café Barcelona would have equaled the flavours of the tapas I had longingly missed from the visits to Barcelona. The dishes that my friend Sophia and I had here wasn’t the same, the food selections were ok but not spectacular.

Escalivada con Quesco de cabra

Patatas Bravas

Gambas Ajillo

Tarta de Santiago

We started off our tapas sharing with the Pan con Tomate (catalan style) ($3.50) and Manchego cheese; Escalivada con Quesco de cabra ($7.50) red and green bell peppers, eggplant and tomato are grilled, then sliced and topped with a garlic dressing and goat cheese. The other two tapas dishes we had were the Patatas Bravas ($2.75) fried potato dices served with spicy tomato sauce and aioli; and the Gambas Ajillo ($6.50) prawns sauteed with garlic and parsley. For dessert we had the Tarta de Santiago ($4.50) almond pie filling principally consists of ground almond, eggs and sugar. The top of the pie was decorated with powdered sugar, masked by an imprint of the Saint James cross. They have a good selection of Spanish wines that go well with the tapas. The Escalivada con Quesco de cabra was the most unique dish we had, and we both loved it. If you are looking for a place to go after the symphony or the theatre then this would be an ideal place for tapas and drinks.

Review by: Richard Wolak

Posted in Granville, Restaurant Reviews Tags: , , , , 1 Comment »

DULCINEA SPANISH CAFÉ

August 18th, 2009 admin
inside looking outside

inside looking outside

1118 Denman Street, Vancouver

Tel: 604-689-2699
Web http://www.dulcineachocolatecafe.com

Advice: Try their chocolate taster, great free wifi.

Caffe Bamba

Caffe Bamba

Chocolate, passionate and all is wonderful. I fell in love with this place on my first visit and since have been many more times, little by little I tasted new and different chocolate creations. This is a Spanish café that is inspiring not only for the palate but for everything that it does, the café is comfortable and it has a true ambience. I have a few favourites, try the “Barcelona” made with espresso, chocolate, milk and orange served hot or try the “Chocolate Chai” for another sensational beverage. Try the Caffe Bamba ($4.25) ice cream smothered with their chocolate 1528 and topped with whipped cream (optional), You may aspire something simple and pure, order a shot of their liquid drinking chocolate 1528 ($2) and also a double espresso shot and sip and savour them both. The staff are friendly and ready to help you choose from the wide variety of hot and cold beverages. Tell them it is your first visit and they will give you a taste of their drinking chocolate. There are other chocolate snacks and treats including cookies and cakes to accompany your beverage.

Review by: Richard Wolak

POST UPDATED — Restaurant Closed in November 2010

Posted in Bar & Cafe Reviews, Westend Tags: , , , , , , , , No Comments »

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