Simple Albanian Lunch

When our cruise ship stopped for the day in Durres, we hired a local Albanian guide to take us around to Kruje and Tirana, the capital.  He took us to a family-run restaurant near downtown Tirana so we were treated to a home-cooked meal.  It was a simple Albanian lunch, well, lunch is the main Albanian meal so there is really nothing simple about it if you have to cook it.

What we had:

Simple salad of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and onions

Simple bread - but memorable because it was dense and crispy with great texture

Simple appetizer dip of tomatoes, eggplant and cheese but it's rather complex in taste and texture - I  love it, especially with the bread.  They gave us five bowls of these for eleven of us  - if we'd finished this, we probably wouldn't need anything else for lunch.

Simple vegetable soup with lots of veggies

Spinach and cheese phyllo - I know, it's Greek, it's Turkish, but it's also Albanian - it's a very common dish for this area of the world but hardly simple

  

And finally the meat dish - simply grilled.  I love the lamb but everybody else voted for the very tender chicken breast

The name of the restaurant, in case you are ever in Tirana...

Seafood in Croatia

We tried squid in three different Croatian towns, Hvar, Split and Dubrovnik - Hvar came out on top with the sweetest tasting.  We did not have an actual meal in Hvar, it was more like an afternoon snack, so it could have some bearing on our tastebuds.  The squid was grilled with very little oil and the tentacles were very crispy.  

Squid and risotto in Hvar

The lunch in Split was very interesting.  We were browsing menus along the waterfront tourist strip when we were approached by the waiter at one of the restaurants.  He proposed a custom menu for us and negotiated a price for the two fishes and squid that the four of us would like to try.  The emphasis was on "fresh" fish versus "frozen" - they were both on the menu and differently priced.  I have to give bonus points to the Croatian restauranteurs for their honesty.   Obviously we went for the "fresh" although these days with the expert fresh freeze techniques on fishing boats, could one really tell the difference?  It was also difficult to tell whether we got a good deal or not but we rather liked the waiter's personality, we were tired and hungry, so we sat down.   The fish and squid both turned out to be excellent.  

"Fresh" fish and squid in Split

In Dubrovnik, we were even more tired and hungry and practically sat down at the first place that we could - a narrow alley in the tourist strip.  Dubrovnik is so crowded with tourists these days that I'm sure anyone with a hole in the wall could make some money cooking fish for hungry tourists.  This particular hole seemed to be a family-run business but it didn't charge any less than the hotel-run restaurant in Split.  The food had a little more grease but still fresh and quite tasty.  I guess the proximity to the sea really helped.  While the food on board our cruise ship Azamara was excellent, you could count on anything we had to be frozen, well, "fresh" frozen.  We most certainly didn't have fish like this.

A week later in a Tuscany street market, the fishmonger identified for us the difference between the squid, calamari and octopus.  From that lesson, I would say that we had squid at all three Croatian towns.  We also had small fried fish in Dubrovnik - when we got to Cinque Terre in Tuscany, we found that they were anchovies - clearly quite different and tasted much better than the anchovies I tasted here in Canada, usually of the soggy variety and usually on pizza!  

Namu Gaji, an Encore

The number of full service restaurants in our area is mind-boggling.  We can eat out every day for a few years without going to the same restaurant twice, but we choose to go back to some places time and again because of their food and hospitality.  Namu Gaji is one such place.

A few months ago, we had an excellent okamase dinner there (see my 1/28/13 post “A Special Dinner at Namu Gaji“).  On our latest visit, we sat at one end of the communal table with two friends and ordered from the regular menu.  

The amuse-bouche, a piece of squid on a melon cube, was followed by Namu’s popular chicken and beef Korean “tacos”.  “Tacos” of course is a figure of speech.  They were chopped meat of chicken or beef short rib placed with kimchee salsa and remoulade over seasoned rice on toasted nori sheets instead of tortilla.  The flavor was Korean rather than Mexican.

Korean tacos

David, one of the owners, kindly sent us a salad of sugar snap and English peas, dragon tongue beans, avocado, and a cured yolk.  The raw vegetables cleansed our palate and prepared us for the rest of our dinner.

Salad of peas, beans, avocado and egg yolk

We ordered a trio of meat dishes: chicken wings seasoned with Sichuan pepper, pickled dragon tongue beans, lime and a blue cheese sauce; bone-in suckling pig belly with roasted corn, Thai chili and perilla; Korean fried chicken tossed in a sweet and tangy sauce and sides of spicy slaw, pickled daikon, and a dashi gravy.

Chicken wings

Suckling pig belly

KFC (Korean Fried Chicken)

Our carb of the evening was supplied by okonomiyaki, shiitake dumplings, and gamja fries.  The Namu Gaji version of okonomiyaki, a Japanese-style savory “pancake” cooked on a grill, was topped with kimchee, oyster, yamaimo, cabbage, bonito flakes, and kewpie mayo (a Japanese brand mayo with egg yolk, vinegar, dashi powder, mustard and, yes, MSG as ingredients).  The potato fries (gamja means potato in Korean) with short ribs were doused with kewpie mayo, teriyaki sauce, gochujang (red chili paste), and kimchee relish.

Okonomiyaki

Gamja fries

 We ended our dinner with black sesame pudding, fresh strawberries, and whipped cream.  It was another memorable meal at Namu Gaji. 

Vegetarian dim sum

Vegetarian food has become so ubiquitous that vegetarian dim sum seems almost the logical evolutionary step.  A new place opened up in Markham recently - Wutai Vegetarian Restaurant (Chinese name Wu Tai Shan 五台山 the home of many Buddhist monasteries and temples in Shanxi, China).   I was surprised at both how little different the vegetarian dim sum seemed from regular dim sum and how different Wutai was from the old style vegetarian restaurants.  The latter usually offers faux chicken, faux duck, even faux bbq pork - all made from gluten and with the respective fake flavours.  The irony of course is that all these offerings of fake meat implies a lingering yearning for meat, a questionable commitment on the part of the vegetarian.  Wutai Vegetarian seems to serve vegetarian the authentic way - with lots of mushrooms, vegetables and soy (all my favourites).  It shouldn't be difficult with the abundance of these produce in the city.  

Of course, when you think about it,  dim sum has also evolved quite a bit from the old standards of bbq pork buns and shrimp dumplings.  In fact, many items on the contemporary dim sum menu are already vegetarian, especially in finer restaurants.  So it's really a small leap to do a strictly vegetarian menu. There is clearly motivation behind the extra effort - the restaurant is owned by the Cham Shan Buddhist Temple on Bayview.  What a great way to spread the word and make some money for the organization - tasty vegetarian food!  Decor is bright and airy with an abundance of chandeliers and golden lotus.

Below is a selection we tried from the 49 items on the dim sum menu (no doubt there is some symbolism in the number 49).  I found most of them tasty.  The bitter melon tempura was a tat oversalted and greasy but most of the items were well made and thoughtfully presented.

Cheese tarts served in neat wooden boxes

Bitter melon tempura

My favourite - crispy fried taro cakes with taro thinly shredded for a more intense flavour

Layered soy sheets - not too exciting

King mushrooms wrapped in bamboo fungus

Your standard turnip pudding cake without the dried sausages

Looking good are the fried sticky rice dumplings with peanuts inside.  This is available in regular restaurants and people who like these dumplings think that these are very good.  Personally, I don't like fried sticky rice - the rice soaks up all the grease when fried.

This too is available in regular restaurants - enoki mushrooms and cucumber in steamed rice rolls

Osmanthus flower cake - made with gelatin

Vegetarian lunch is well and good - but will I have a vegetarian dinner at this restaurant?  That remains to be seen.  I had a peak at its dinner menu - lots of mushrooms and vegetables, clearly healthy for you...

Still Delicious!

We paid a visit to what used to be Delicious Restaurant on Hwy 7 tonight and was pleasantly surprised to find that after a month of renovations and a total revamp, including a new name, White Orchid is still delicious!  But it really shouldn't come as a surprise as the chef is still the same Patrick Chuang and if anyone can cook, he can cook anything.  In this case, even though the menu has changed, the same expertise and care is applied to the new dishes.  It is a double bonus that the "old" favourites like HaiNan chicken are still there and still the best in town.  So it is now not just a Chinese restaurant, but a Malaysian Singaporean restaurant, making the menu all the more diverse.

We made a point of trying something new on the menu - roti and curry chicken.  The roti are the best ever - I've never tasted them so crisp and light.  The curry chicken is tender and just the right amount of curry flavour.

The Pad Thai, another new dish here, is perfectly al dente and the flavour just right.  I hate the sugary sweet ketchupy red sauce often used by some Asian fusion chains on noodles that are usually too soft. I made a point of using the pad thai dish as the test piece with which to rate an Asian fusion restaurant and very few passed.

And to my utter relief, the Hai Nan chicken is still the best in town.  You wouldn't find a more tender yet firm and tasty white-cut chicken anywhere else in the GTA.   What made this now "Asian fusion" restaurant different from all those other ones out there is that they still serve good old Chinese greens, tossed in ginger and wine.  That little dash of wine made all the difference to the greens. You wouldn't find anything other than "salads" at other Asian fusions.

Dinner finished with a lovely dessert - coconut tapioca with fruit.  The perfect end to a perfect meal.

Chef Patrick Chuang said he is still game to do "private room dinners" for customers.  So this renovation is certainly a bonus.

There Are Very Few Restaurants Like Canlis Anymore

There are very few restaurants like Canlis anymore.  It is old school in every way from the Mid-20^th Century Modern architecture to the formal service to the food and drink menu.  Everything comes together beautifully to give its diners a fine dining experience from a bygone era.

Canlis, now in the hands of the third generation, was opened in 1950 as a high end seafood and charbroiled steak house with a staff of Japanese ladies in kimonos and fresh orchids flown in daily from Hawaii.  Since then, its interior has been renovated three times.  These days the inside is cedar, stone and glass, in complete harmony with the time-honored architecture.  Spacious tables with perfectly smooth and crisp white tablecloths are kept reasonably apart for privacy (the waiters steam iron the tablecloths after they lay them on the tables).  The walls of slanted windows offer a grand view of the lake below and the city skyline in the far.  ‘Updated retro’ food -- classic dishes with current cooking techniques and presentation styles -- has replaced steaks long ago.

Arufa & M arrived early for their 6:45 reservation.  They were shown to the bar, and soon informed by a maitre’d that their table would be available on time.  They were amused as there were a couple of open tables nearby.  At 6:45, they were seated at one of them.  Why the wait, they wondered; could that be a way for Canlis to manage the kitchen workflow?

Their dinner began with a trio of amuse-bouche – a croquette encasing a soft egg yolk, a cornet of salmon foam and wasabi tobiko, and a tiny tart topped with a bit of morel – followed by their first course of foie gras and steak tartare.  The foie gras was plated with blanched celery and leaves, tiny pickled red onion rings, cherry puree and clear Sauternes gel.  On top of the torchon were candied pistachios and celery powder that melted in the mouth.  The accompaniment of a thick slice of cocoa brioche toast was delicious but very crumbly, making it a mess to eat.

Foie gras

The steak tartare was made with raw local Wagyu tenderloin in the original Canlis’ recipe.  Instead of the typical meat patty, the chopped meat was formed into two ‘quenelles’ and decorated with edible flowers.  Interestingly, the meat was not mixed with egg or strong seasoning.  Instead, it had a refreshingly clean, mild flavor.

Steak tartare

The second courses were the ‘Peter Canlis Prawns’ and pan seared halibut.  Five large prawns, sautéed in dry vermouth, garlic and lime, were perfectly cooked.  They looked plain with just a pale-colored sauce drizzled over them, but their taste had made up for the lack of decoration. 

"Peter Canlis' prawns

The halibut was served with cauliflower, quinoa and taggiasca olives.

Halibut

One of the meat courses was a roasted dry aged Muscovy duck.  The whole duck (for two) was presented to the table before craving in the kitchen.  The breast was halved, sliced and plated with rillettes of leg meat, orange marmalade, green fennel puree and pearl onion brulee.  The duck was cooked well to near perfection.  There was very little fat under the crispy skin, and the medium rare meat was tender.     

The duck on a tray

The duck on a plate

Another meat course was two grilled lamb chops with braised lamb croquette, fried leeks and piquillo pepper marmalade.

Lamb chops

Both Arufa & M had Grand Marnier soufflé with orange zest and crème Anglaise for dessert.  Afterwards, their waiter brought them two kinds of macaroons with coffee, and each a parting gift of chocolate bar in a box.      

Grand Marnier souffle, creme Anglaise

Arufa and M were very satisfied with their dinner.  Their concern that the restaurant might be riding on its past glory was unfounded.  The professional and nonintrusive service at Canlis was almost impeccable.  There were a couple of minor hiccups that were quickly rectified.  They were also impressed by the valet system (there is no self parking).  The friendly valets did not hand them a claim ticket, and yet their car was waiting outside the door for them before they walked out of the door.

Canlis prides itself as a swanky restaurant.  It reminds its guests during reservation that there is a dress code, meaning no casual attires and a jacket for men.  But that is more a request than a requirement, as the restaurant recognizes that nowadays many people do not care to dress appropriately for an elegant meal.  Sadly time has changed, even for an institution like Canlis. 

the Walrus and the Carpenter: an Oyster Bar & More

In his book Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll told the story of the Walrus and the Carpenter.  “O Oysters, come and walk with us!” the Walrus said.  And they were followed by four young oysters, and four other, and yet another, and more, and more, and more.  All was well until the Walrus proclaimed that

                “Now if you are ready, Oysters dear,

     We can begin to feed.”

…..

“I weep for you,” the Walrus said:

     “I deeply sympathize.”

With sobs and tears he sorted out

     Those of the largest size,

Holding his pocket-handkerchief

     Before his streaming eyes.

 “O Oysters,” said the Carpenter,

     “You've had a pleasant run!

Shall we be trotting home again?”

     But answer came there none —

And this was scarcely odd, because

     They'd eaten every one.

So it is most appropriate that one of the best oyster bar calls itself by that name, the Walrus & the Carpenter.

For the first timers, W&C can be hard to find.  It is hidden in the back of a renovated century old brick building in an industrial area that is under redevelopment. The front of the building is occupied by a different restaurant and a bike shop cum café, both without visible signs.  Painted on the wall above them are faded letterings “KOLSTRAND MFG CO.” and “MARINE HARDWARE”.  Only when one looks carefully would one see the small white cloud-shaped sign over a glass building door by the bike shop.  Walk past the door, down a long corridor to the metal wall sculptures at the end, turn left, and there it is.

Look up, there's the sign

The metal wall sculpture by the door

It is understandable why some people mistake W&C for a restaurant.  Its small menu offers small plates of seafood, meat, soup, salad, cheese and dessert besides raw oysters.  But the owner-chef insists that it is a bar and as such, W&C does not accept reservation.  

Arufa and M arrived before the opening time (4 pm) and there was already a long line at the door.  They were pleased to get a table on the back porch.  It was a mild-weather sunny afternoon, perfect for al fresco snacks and drinks.  They ordered four kinds of raw local oysters, deep fried oysters with cilantro aioli, cured halibut, steak tartare, lardo, vodka on rocks and Pouilly Fume.  

The raw oysters were impeccable.  The ones from Samish Bay were particularly sweet and at the same time briny as the ocean.  The batter of the deep fried oysters had just the right amount of corn meal to make it crunchy but not hard; the oysters within were plump, creamy and flavorful.

Fried oysters, cilantro aioli

The steak tartare was traditional.  The chopped meat patty looked pretty with an egg yolk on top, but it became soggy after the two were mixed.  It was also a bit salty because of the salt crystals on the yolk.  

Steak tartare

The lardo was not what they expected.  Instead of pure solid fat, the thin ribbons were more like Italian smoked pancetta.  Pistachios and pickled blueberries provided a nice visual impact but not much more.

Lardo and garnishes

Arufa and M thoroughly enjoyed the food and drinks even if the meat plates were not as successful as the oysters and fish.  W&C’s casual space was inviting.  Its loud and festive music befits a bar.  They would like to stay longer but W&C was hardly a place for lingering when tables around them turned quickly and the crowd at the door growing in size.  They just had to plan for another visit to eat through the W&C menu.