Dine-Out Vancouver: Five Sails

Walls of glass opens up the restaurant to one of Vancouver's most iconic landscapes. Tables were adorned with candles and a petite vase carrying a single rose. It was warm. It was inviting. It was like a scene straight out of the movies.

After settling down and spending a few minutes gazing into each other eyes (I'm joking), we ordered. From the several options in the set menu, I ordered the Lobster Bisque "Cappucino" to start, the Grilled "Prime" New York Steak as the main, and the fresh fruit Pavlova to finish. Likewise, B started with the Lobster Bisque but then chose the Duo of Butter Poached 1/2 Lobster and the Phyllo Pastry with Lemon Cream as the dessert.

Before our appetizers arrived we were pleasantly surprised to receive a complimentary pre-appetizer of not only two kinds of bread (a fruit loaf and ciabatta), but Beef Carpaccio! The Carpaccio was delicious. Absolutely delicious. Buttery and soft, it melted right in my mouth. Not too long after they whisked our plates away, our appetizers arrived. The soup was good. It had a good amount, as well as reasonably sized, chunks of lobster and full of flavour. It was just a bit too rich and heavy for me for an appetizer, though.

When our entree's came, I was kind of shocked at the small portion size of B's main. It was really just a lobster claw and one piece of pork belly and a few vegetables. And for that reason, I didn't try too much of B's entree, but he did say it was really good. My entree however, was a more decent portion and quite delicious. The steak was a perfect medium rare. Tender and juicy. The seasonable vegetables, which included asparagus, carrots and something I couldn't figure out, were served on top of a bed of pureed potatoes. The onion rings were beautifully golden brown, crisp on the outside and sweet on the inside. What I loved most about this dish was how nicely it was composed with all the different textures. It made it so appetizing.

Several minutes later, our empty entree plates were exchanged for our desserts. My Pavlova looked impressive. It was covered neatly with fresh fruits as well as a dollop of whip cream. It was crisp on the outside but once you get past that first bite, it becomes chewy - almost like a marshmallow with a crispy outer-shell. The meringue by itself was way too sweet for me, but the tart fruits helped cut through some of the sweetness for me. It was quite big, and I wasn't able to finish my dessert. B, however, devoured his. His pastry was layered with a delicious cold lemon cream and roasted pear and figs. Once again, the textures of the components of his dessert really complimented each other. Oh, and we also received complimentary chocolate truffles to accompany the dessert.

Overall, I really enjoyed Five Sails. Out of all of the dine-outs I have been to this year, Five Sails was definitely my favourite - hands down.

Egg and Cheese Hash Brown Nests

 

Thought I share an awesome breakfast recipe with everyone by A Cozy Kitchen! Check them out for more delicious creations!

Egg and Cheese Hash Brown Nests

What you will need2 russet
potatoes, peeled
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 medium eggs

1. Generously grease a muffin tin and set aside. Using a box grater, shred the
potatoes and transfer them to a bowl; sprinkle with the kosher salt and allow
it to sit for 10 minutes. Gather the potatoes in the center of a cheese cloth
(or a bed of paper towels) and wring the potatoes dry, removing the excess
water. There will be quite a bit!

2. Transfer the dried, shredded potato back to the bowl and add the shallot,
garlic, pepper and paprika. Mix until combined.

3. Preheat the oven to 400F. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture into
each muffin cup, being sure to line the bottom and the sides. Since the
potatoes will shrink when baked, make sure you go all the way to the top of the
muffin tin when lining the sides. Bake for 10-15 minutes, and until the outer
sides appear lightly golden brown.

4. Decrease oven to 350F. Remove from oven. In the center of each hash brown nest,
add a teaspoon of grated cheese, and then top with one egg. Bake for an
additional 10 minutes, and until whites are set, but yolks still appear soft.

5. Allow to cool for 2 minutes in pan. Using a butter knife, run it around the edges of
each hash brown nest and gently remove it. Top with remaining freshly ground
pepper and serve immediately.

Shit Foodies Say - Episode 1

I'm sure that by now, many of you have already seen or heard of all the "shit _ says" videos floating around youtube and possibly every other social networking website there is - including this one.

I found this hilarious and had to share, especially since it stars www.Followmefoodie.com, Mijune Pak. :D

Garlic knots

Garlic Knots
Credits to the above link.

Dough:
3/4 cup warm water (105°F-115°F)
1 package (2 teaspoons) of active dry yeast (check the expiration date on the package)
1 3/4 cups bread flour (can use all-purpose but bread flour will give you a crisper crust)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Garlic-Butter Coating:
5 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup parsley, minced
1 teaspoon salt

Sprinkle the yeast on top of the warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes. Stir to combine and let sit for another 5-10 minutes, until it begins to froth a bit.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the olive oil, then the yeast-water mixture. Mix this together to form a soft dough and knead for 5-10 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and lightly coat with olive oil. Put it in a large bowl, top the bowl with plastic wrap and set it at room temperature to rise.

When the dough has doubled in size, anywhere from 90 minutes to several hours, cut it in half.

Set out a large baking sheet and line it with a silpat or parchment paper. Take one half of the dough and cut it in half. Working with one piece at a time, flatten into a rough rectangle about 5 inches long 1/2 inch thick.

Using a sharp knife, slice the dough into strips of about 1 inch wide by 5 inches long. Cut these strips in half. Take one piece and work it into a snake, then tie it in a knot. The dough will be sticky along the cut edges, so dust these with flour before you tie the knot. Set each knot down on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough. Remember that the dough will rise, so leave some space between each knot.

Once all the knots are tied, paint them with a little olive oil. Loosely cover them with plastic wrap and let them rise again until doubled in size, anywhere from 90 minutes to three hours or so.

Toward the end of this rising period, preheat the oven to 400°.

Uncover the knots and bake in the oven 12-15 minutes, or until nicely browned on top.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pot and cook the garlic gently in it just long enough to take off that raw garlic edge, about 1-2 minutes over medium-low heat. Add the salt and parsley and stir to combine. Turn off the heat.

When the knots are done, take out of the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Paint with the garlic-butter-parsley mixture and serve. These are best warm, but are good at room temperature, too.

Happy eating!

Matcha Parfait

This picture was taken a while back by Eva when we were in our Parfait phase.

How to make a Matcha Parfait. You will need a tall 10oz glass or something similar to the picture above. The ingredients we used is just what we prefer, you are welcome to use whatever ingredients you like in your parfait. We just chose this combination because the taste and the texture makes sense to our palette.

Ingredients:
Matcha Ice cream (we used Mario Gelato)
Canned sweeten red beans (you can get this at any Asian market or a supermarket with an Asian section)
Whip cream (we whipped our own)
Green tea sponge cake
Kellog's Vanilla Almond Cereal
Mochi balls (you can get this at any Asian market, cook them and let them cool in a bowl of sugar water)

How to layer the Parfait (we chose to do it this way, you're welcome to layer it anyway you like)
small layer of cereal
1 scoop of matcha ice cream
couple of small cubes of the Green tea sponge cake
a thin layer of whip cream
a thin layer of cereal
a thin layer of red beans
top if off with another scoop of matcha ice cream
add 3 to 4 mochi balls next to the ice cream
decorate with more whip cream
serve!

Can’t wait to make one of these again!