LUNCH MUNCH - McCORMICK & SCHMICKS SEAFOOD RESTAURANT - BELLEVUE WASHINGTON

I popped by Bellevue recently to pick up a few things from the wonderful Bravern, thus going to one of my favourite venues for lunch. I always spare an hour to visit McCormick & Schmicks when I come Bellevue. I love the clean wooden decor, complete with textured glass, wine displays and individual private booths. The nautical feeling of this restaurant is fine and inviting, truly completing my vacation mood. 

Clearly this restaurant is very photogenic!

We ordered:

Smoked Salmon Benedict - Smoked Salmon Lox Topped with Poached Eggs and Hollandaise

Crispy Fish Tacos - Cilantro Aioli, Southwest Jicama Slaw, Charro Beans 

The bread tasted like a sweet blueberry cake! It was quite a delightful addition to the meal. Overall, the food is pleasant to average. I am hesitant to try their dinner, but for $11-15 a lunch entree, complete with such a lovely atmosphere, the M&S company never ceases to disappoint me. 

700 Bellevue Way NE
Bellevue, WA 98004
425-454-2606

Lunch Munch: GUU GARDEN - DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER

I used to love Guu. Guu gastown was my favourite, Guu Garlic on Denman was a close second. Guu Richmond and Guu Thurlow didnt cut the chase for me. 

As I grew older (uhh like in the past 2 years), I started getting very annoyed with loud and crammed restaurants.  The first time in Guu I loved the authenticity of servers yelling warm Japanes greetings around the restaurants, but by the tenth time I walk in, the excitement is gone, and I really rather not wait in line in a stuffy and crowded atmosphere. While Guu izakaya snacks are so unique - each plate being full of surprises, I chose other restaurants such as Aki over Guu. Well, until Guu Garden.

AMBIANCE | Guu Garden is located in the office area of Vancouver. Located upstairs Gyu-Kaku, Guu Garden is much more ventilated, much more open, and much more comfortable. There are floor to ceiling windows that outlook a Japanese garden shaping a simple and earthy environment. Splashed with colourful, but pastel pillow seats, and decorated with simple wooden tables, Guu Garden actually feels like a garden. A simple rural garden, not extravagant, not luxurious, but simple, easy and calm.

We ordered:

Garden Bento 1

Tonosama Bento: Deep friend breaded shrimp & veggies, grilled or stewed fish of the day, four kinds of sashimi, kobachi, rice and miso soup

Garden Bento 2

Businessman Bento: Saikyo miso black cod, three kinds of sashimi, salmon and saba sushi, kobachi and miso soup

Dessert: Sake pulp and Sea Salt Ice cream

Menu found here

FOOD | For lunch, they offered bento boxes ranging from $9-15.80. We ordered two of the $15.80 "Garden" boxes, and while the size looks small, it was actually really filling! Having just returned from Japan, in terms of presentation,Guu Garden is legitimately a restaurant that is plucked from Japan and placed in Vancouver. The placement of the foods are delicate and detailed (even a small umbrella for the grapes) and I would even call the bento box "cute" and "comfortable". The food is also finely made. Each tempura is freshly fried, each sushi is delicately made. 

My favourite of the meal was definitely the dessert. I have been to gelato places with numerous of strange and interesting flavours, but "sake pulp and sea salt" flavour is by far the most interesting and appetizing I have ever seen. The ice cream is based off a vanilla icecream with subtle hints of sake and salt. I absolutely loved it, and would recommend it to everyone. 

M101-888 Nelson Street 
Vancouver, BC V6Z2R9
604-899-0855

Lunch Munch: STACKHOUSE BURGER BAR - DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER

I have found a new burger love! Burgers are the childhood love of all. But as I grew older, Ronald McDoodoo was no longer my idol and I slowly gravitated to more gourmet burgers. Burgers are usually hit and miss for me,   it tends to take a great deal of effort for me to find a perfect burger place. I find myself constantly complaining about the bun being soggy, or the patty being over cooked, or the presentation to sloppy, even little details like the onions aren't sweet enough. 

Burgers are such classic goods, it takes a quite a bit of oomph for a burger to bring itself out of the ordinary into something spectacular.

Stackhouse burger was definitely something different. It was amazing!

We ordered

Ahi Tuna Burger - 5oz Ahi tuna steak with miso aioli, watercress and creamy avocado. TOpped with fried onions, served on a brioche bun

Stackhouse Burger - 6.5 oz local prime rib patty with pancetta, portabellini, Cuiness cheddar, chipotle aioli and butter lettuce served on a brioche bun.

Poutine - seasoned fries served with local bocconcini, topped with truggle demi-glace

All entrees and sliders are served side fries of side mesclun salad

AMBIANCE | Despite the grey area its located in (the edge of downtown), the decor of the diner is surprising. The main theme of the restaurant is a fresh, but quirky feeling. Featuring ceiling to floor glass windows, a large mirror filled with graffiti, a white wall filled with booze and small random decors, Stackhouse has a minimalism, but bohemian texture. It reminds me of very chic, young, urban American cafes that are not popular here in Vancouver. 

FOOD | $15-20 a burger with fries is like 5 times the price of a McDoodoo burger. Was it worth it? Absolutely. The Ahi Tuna Burger with avocado was an interesting combo. I've never had anything quite like it. Ahi Tuna and avocado are two of my favourite things. I even upgraded the fries to my favourite POUTINE! The meal was a super favourite for me! I could use a little more avocado, and a warmer bun... but the Ahi Tuna was cooked to prefection - ever so slightly raw. The Classic Stackhouse burger was the special of the day at $10! I made Mr. F choose the Salad to make me feel better about eating such heavy lunches, and I could not have been more pleased with the salad. The salad is a simple veggie and vinegar x olive oil mix, but it has a touch of edamame beans! Such a wonderful surprise!

I have recommended Stackhouse to many people and each time they come back to me as pleased as can be. Stackhouse in my opinion, masters the art of creating a unique spirit in simple, classic foods. I will be back!

1224 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 2G6

Lunch Munch - THE BOATHOUSE - PORT MOODY VANCOUVER

There's nothing better than having a wild Saturday night and going to brunch on a sunny Sunday morning. I love eggs Benny!

The Boathouse never fails to keep me going back. I've been to the Kits Beach and Downtown venues numerous times for both lunch and dinner, but this time it was my first going to Port Moody for brunch. I love how each restaurant is facing the water, the Boathouse concept is too delightful!

Mr. F ordered - Lobster Grilled Cheese Benny - golden grilled cheese with chunks of lobster meat, topped with poached eggs, fresh hollandaise & a drizzle of basil oil

I ordered - Prime Rib Hash - Kennebec potatoes, onions, red pepper, edamame, red wine demi, topped with two poached eggs & fresh hollandaise. Served toasted olive bread.
Menu found here

AMBIANCE | As with all The Boathouse restaurants, you really cannot go wrong with the ambiance - eating Seafood in front of the sea (or lake). Pictures say a million words, there are 4 posted. It's really quite the expected beauty.

    

FOOD | My Prime Rib Hash was really just a normal stir fry of all the ingredients mixed equally. I loved the cheese curds and prime rib with a slight Asian blend of edamame and sauteed onions. Lobster grilled cheese was also a pleasant - thick chunks of lobster squashed in between rich, thick cheese. The eggs Benedict were slow cooked to a firm egg white and gooey oozy egg yolk. Absolutely GOLDEN! Both dishes had neither difficulty and nor elaboration, but it tasted amazing. 

Overall, The Boathouse was never meant to be "fine dining", but its always as nice casual place for simple, good food.

2770 Esplanade Ave
Port Moody, BC(604) 931-5300

Lunch Munch - MODAVIE - OLD MONTREAL

A panorama of flowered cobblestone streets, veined brick walls, mixed with smiles full of steak and gravy - Montreal is truly a perfect harmony of classic Parisian romance and relaxed Canadian informality.

During my 3 month stay in Toronto, I wanted to explore the East coast and hence, I picked Quebec as one of my destinations. Despite the 6 hour drive, I honestly could not be more happy with my choice of venue and travel buddy. Our trip was a total of three days, to which we dedicated one full day and a half browsing Old Montreal. To be honest, there were so many beautiful restaurants in every block I couldn't remember my way around the town, let alone remember the restaurant choices. Each diner roamed with the smell of garlic and cheese, together with a rainbow of tourists, it was rather overwhelming. Pleasantly overwhelming that is, you will never experience anything like this in homie Vancity. There's something about strolling through this city that leaves a warm feeling I've never felt in Vancouver - maybe it's the sense of craving poutine, maybe it's the sight of the sun reflecting in the sea, or maybe it's just the joy of R&R I haven't had in a while. With all, Montreal is definitely a place I will return to.

Now I normally don't write this much, it's a FOOD blog not a talk-about-yourself-jibberish blog. But really, I just had to document Montreal, at least for the whole world to see...

Mr. F and I were down to decide between Steak Frites and Modavie for lunch. Both on opposite corners, both specializing in different foods - steak and lamb, respectively. Modavie has a little stamp on their menu quoting "Lamb, our Speciality". Mr. F loves lamb - everything from Asian hot pot lamb chops to the classic herb rack of lamb, so the decision was obvious. 

Mr. F ordered the Rack of Lamb - with goat cheese, Dijon mustard and sesame

I ordered the Endive & Apple Salad - with Roquefort and walnut oil vinaigrette

Menu found here: http://www.modavie.com/Menus05/menu%20VM.pdf

       

DISHES | Mr. F loved the rack of lamb, and naturally I snitched a few bites from him. I actually don't have much to critique about the lamb - it was the same as I expected. I had high expectations for a restaurant claiming "lamb, our speciality", and I certainly was not disappointed. I didn't taste much of the Dijon mustard, which wasn't too big of a deal, because the blend of herbs and spices topped with sesame were already sufficient. In terms of the lamb being gamey, I'd say the lamb was cooked to a medium rare perfection - tender yet not gamey. Should be majority accepted... that said...

The goat cheese for my apple salad was incredibly gamey. But sooo good! It literally melts in your mouth! But I normally don't mind it being gamey anyways (perhaps because I'm born in the year on the lamb?), and thought the goat was a perfect addition to my simple salad. The cook cleverly toned down the already mild vinaigrette, allowing the strong goat cheese to be the main focus of the dish. The sweet apples and hints of walnuts together with the fresh greens acted as a light companion to the fabulous cheese. I really enjoyed the salad. A perfect portion for lunch.

AMBIENCE | We sat in the corner of the restaurant with wide wooden windows alluring a soft breeze. I have a soft spot for old school Mary Jane romance - paintings, wood, copper and cobblestone mixed with white table clothes and country flowers. Yup, just like pretty much every girl in the world, I loved the interior of this restaurant. The ceiling and walls were actually painted water stains and burnt brick residue to add to its mature aura. The old bar in the middle and wall of wines was very comfortable and inviting. It is such a nice break from the usual contemporary lounge-y feel of bling metropolitan cities. I love this authentic European feel thats only a few provinces away.

Would I try Modavie again? Mr. F and I both agree - Yes. The same dishes? Probably not. Given lamb is their specialty, next time I would try lamb again, but opt for another seasoning technique. Don't get me wrong, the rack of lamb was utterly amazing - but nothing completely outside the box. The apple salad was gorgeous - but I do scope more interesting dishes on the menu. 
To try next time? Dinner. Absolutely. Had I known there would be live Jazz during dinner, I would have waited the one hour lineup.

While there are many food choices on the strips of Old Montreal, Modavie is definitely a comfortable and light restaurant to enjoy the classic life of the French Canadian fusion.

1 Rue Saint Paul Ouest

Montreal, QC

H2Y 1Y6, Canada(514) 287-9582