[EVENT: insider peek] Cafe Nuba @ 146 East 3rd Ave

Nuba has opened it's third branch in Vancouver over at Mount Pleasant just off Main Street. As of this moment, they are open for lunch but will expand to dinner service by April 29. Perhaps just in time when they obtain their liquor license.

In the meatime, they have generously lent a hand in providing Yelp Vancouver for it's April Yelp Elite Event by providing a sneak peak, a venue and good food and drinks. (Note: I did mention that they were in the process of obtaining a liquor license for their restaurant, but Yelp has obtained a temporary liquor license for this specific event which was prominently displayed.)

The theme of Nuba's third installation, as explained on their website, is Third World roadside cafes of the 1970's. With the muted colours and groovy interior, they will transport their patrons back in time.

The bar with it's funky wallpaper has their menu written on a chalkboard.

I feel like I'm in a movie set. They really put attention to detail in relieving the past.

Yelp members who recently earned their Elite status got a chance to take home the retro Yelp metal lunch boxes complete with a thermos inside. Fun times.
 

The specialty drink for the night was the "One Love" which was a concoction of organic ingredients including strawberries, raspberries, agave and Schramm's vodka. They also had beer on tap - Blue Buck - provided by local craft producer Phillips Beer.

 
Once the Yelpers started pouring in, the party started and the food seemed never ending.

 

In the meantime, we took a tour inside their massive kitchen. And like any respectable restaurant that cares and follows food safety, we all had to don aprons and hair nets before even stepping in the area. Once inside, time to wash our hands.
 

First stop was the grilling section where skewers for the night were being prepared.

In the other section, we were presented with large chunks of dough which volunteers were made to knead.

You had to use the whole weight of your body in order to tackle with these ones and have them flattened.

Once flat, these were inserted into a dough slicer.

The shape of the dough at this stage looked like a really thick Chicago-style pizza crust.

The slicer would cut the dough into more manageable pieces like these.

These pieces would then be rolled into a ball so it can be further flattened.

The flattening will be done by another machine after which the flattened pieces would then be baked.

Until it emerges into yummy pita bread - all fresh and all baked in-house.

How can you not resist grabbing one when it's right in front of you resting at the cooling rack.

Back to the front of the restaurant, the Yelp Elite members definitely came out in full force to show their love for Nuba.

Here were the grilled meats and shrimp drizzled with Tahini sauce.

Here is their appie version for the baba ghanooj - roasted eggplant puree on slices of pita bread.

We had slices of their "Veggie" pita - avocado, carrots, taboulleh and labneh (far side). While cucumber slices topped with tzatziki is another refreshing delight.

For dessert, they presented us with pita topped with fig jam, mint and feta cheese.

Oh, and they did serve their famous crispy cauliflower aka Najib's Special - cauliflower tossed in lemon and sea salt and topped with tahini. This dish went out so fast I didn't bother snapping a photo at this point.

Thanks to the Nuba team who prepared hard for this event and definitely gave more than 100% to make it memorable.

[FOODIE: seafood] COAST RESTAURANT

I've always enjoyed the service tendered by the Glowbal Restaurant Group restaurants. Coast Restaurant is no exception.


COAST RESTAURANT
1054 Alberni St
Vancouver, BC V6E 1A3
Telephone: 604.685.5010
Hours: M-Th (11.30am-1am); Fri (11.30am-2am); Sat (4.30pm-2am); Sun (4.30pm-1am)


SNAPSHOT:
Food: 8/10
Service: 10/10

Ambiance: 9/10
Pricing: $$$$ (expect to fork out at least $50 per head)


Pros: Great quality of service that I've come to expect from the Glowbal Restaurant Group; Decent pricing; Good  ambiance

Cons: Taste and cooking quality varies


Overall Rating: 9/10

Ever since Coast Restaurant relocated from Yaletown to the business district, it's been getting much attention and the influx of patrons (locals and celebrities) isn't losing steam anytime soon.

I always make it a point to go early and even off-hours when I go to a place. That way the restaurant staff can focus their attention on the few patrons and you get to leave as soon as the crowd has built up and the noise level elevated. This is especially true if a restaurant is getting much attention. I'm not there to people-watch. I'm there to enjoy the food.

Going early for dinner, we were able to get a nice location. In this case, we were the first patrons to be brought upstairs and have a nice table at the second floor overlooking the ground level where we get to see the unique circular bar incorporating the fresh seafood.

Once we placed our orders, more utensils are brought in to match the dish.

While waiting for our food to arrive, I was able to get a sneak at the open part of the kitchen where I was beginning to salivate what they were preparing which tempted me to want to order even more.

With no one else dining on the second floor, it also gave me the opportunity look around and appreciate the dark ambient lighting without annoying other patrons who may mistake that I'm staring at them or looking at what they're eating.

If you've been dining at other Glowbal Restaurants, you know you can amass a collection of free teasers and samplers before your real appie arrives. They gave us a taste of their flat bread. By the way, Coast Restaurant does not offer a serving of bread which you would normally associate in dining places like these. I don't mind because I prefer to have each dish represent it's most basic mark-up cost rather than pad it even more to shoulder the cost of a bread basket and butter. Which means if you want bread, you may as well order their flat bread which ranges from $14 - $17 depending if you feel like having prawns, salmon or lobster on it. If you think a whole order is too much for the amount especially with the amount of dishes you've already ordered, then that's where the tear-apart coupon comes in.

Bear with me with this soup photo. It isn't photogenic, but it does look and taste better than what you're seeing right now. I have limited lighting on hand. I'm sure we've all had New England (cream base) $8.00 and Manhattan (tomato base) $8.00 chowder versions. So if you want soup, I would suggest trying their "Coast signature item" instead which is the Smoked Local Fish chowder $9.00 and incorporates cold smoked fish ingredients as well as honey mussels and bacon. It's a good twist to a classic New England chowder favourite.

I'm a calamari lover. I'll order it at any restaurant when I see it on their menu especially when I dine at an Italian or Chinese restaurant. If you serve calamari and you announce it as your specialty then be prepared to ensure it tastes better and unique. Another "Coast signature item" is their Buttermilk Battered Calamari ($13.00) which comes with a smoked garlic aioli dip.


I was so excited for this dish that I was only set up for disappointment. The delicate buttermilk batter did nothing for me and was just falling apart. I needed something hefty to stand up to the calamari. While the "smoked" aioli really just tasted like mayonnaise. I didn't taste the garlic nor any smoky flavour. The most disappointing aspect was the rubbery calamari itself which happens when it's over-cooked. Someone in the kitchen doesn't know how to cook calamari. It has to be cooked for a very short time over high heat. Maybe since I was one of the early dinner patrons, the oil wasn't hot enough that rather than flash deep frying the calamari, they left it longer to make up for the low heat. I don't know. It's still no excuse for calamari of this quality and for a restaurant which announces the dish to be one of it's specialty.


Good thing one of the restaurant manager checked up on our table and I told him about the rubbery calamari. I told him it was still edible but disappointing in quality because it was supposed to be a signature item. Another restaurant manager was called in to which I explained I'm not making a big deal of it and told him the same thing that it was edible, but for a signature item it shouldn't have been rubbery, but that they didn't have to do anything or remove it from our bill since I will munch on it. He insisted to please us and removed the calamari from our bill. This is why I appreciate dining at any of the GRG restaurants. They have people that take care of the overall dining aspect.

They call it "steamers" on their menu, but I refer to it as Moule Frites since that's exactly how they serve it. We chose The Classic Mussels ($17.00) with a simple broth of Chardonnay, garlic,  leeks and Italian parsley. I wanted to enjoy the taste of the mussels itself. This one did not disappoint. In fact it was everything I expected it to be.

Did you think I would forget to mention the "frites" portion? Never. I always have my french fries cooked well done for that excellent crispy texture to contrast against the soft, tender and juicy mussels. Do you see how well done my fries look? Yum!


I think they should offer an optional side of garlic baguettes so I can soak up the mussel broth like other restaurants are offering. Just saying.

Yes, it's too dark as the ambient light was changing. Can you guess? Sushi! In this case Eel & BBQ Salmon Roll $12.00. Another Coast signature dish and one that incorporated avocado and Sake BBQ sauce. Everything was soft and fresh down to the rice. I like how it was served on a slab of marble. Down to the presentation, it was indeed a classic fusion dish.

You think I'd skip dessert? No, sir. Here's their Warm Apple Turnover $8.00 with spiced apple cider and dolce de leche. Definitely a winner.

I enjoyed how it was presented on a small cast iron dish which kept it warm.

Oh, you thought I was done with dessert? How can you resist wanting to try out a Molten Banana Coconut Cake $8.00 that needed a ten-minute bake time? You get caramelized bananas and a side of coconut crème anglaise.

Make no mistake. This is a soufflé. To best enjoy, I break apart the soft centre and pour the warm sauce so the cake is sweet and moist. Together, this was pure dessert bliss.


I will be back.

[FOODIE: Filipino] Little Ongpin

Ah...back to my roots. Something I had to succumb to after watching Anthony Bourdain's confess to his obsession for pork. I suddenly had to get my pork fat fixation.


Little Ongpin4093 No. 5 RoadRichmond, BC V6X 2T9
Telephone: 604.278.4667
Hours: Lunch and Dinner

SNAPSHOT:
Food: 8/10

Service: 10/10
Ambiance: 6/10
Pricing: $$ (average $15 per head)

Pros: Filipino comfort food; Decent selection, serving and taste.
Cons: No frills cafeteria-style dining typical of small Filipino restaurants

Overall Rating: 7/10

This is a Filipino-Chinese restaurant, that serves Filipino comfort food. By the way, Ongpin is a popular place in the Philippines which is similar to having a "Chinatown." This is where you can find good, cheap, and tasty food. Almost every city I've been to where Filipinos reside, there is sure to be a restaurant called "Little Ongpin."

If the menu itself is any indication, this is a no-frills dining in a cafeteria-style setting. I do love how there are lots of photos to help you identify and salivate over the food selections that they serve.

If you arrive early enough before the prime hours, you will have a decent selection of seats. Otherwise, most Filipinos will start flocking in by 7pm onwards and I heard there can be a line. So it's best to arrive early and have the full attention of the servers especially to answer your questions should you be unfamiliar with the food.

Our table had typical Asian condiments like soy sauce and fish sauce as well as salt and pepper. The moment you sit down, your server will hand you over a pitcher of iced water for your table. Yup, just like home.

First order of business is to have a big order of garlic fried rice. Garlic bits that are fried until dark brown...okay, burned!...but the flavour texture over white rice will just make you eat more. There are other fried rice selections, but this is the one I most gravitate towards.

Sisig, enough said. Kidding. These are fried pork cheeks served on a sizzling cast-iron plate. The pork cheeks are further seasoned typically with soy sauce and mayonnaise. There also is a small red chili and a slice of lemon to squeeze over the food similar to when you have Fried Calamari.


At home this is best eaten as a snack over ice cold beer. In fact before sipping our beer and while the plate is extremely hot, we pour over a good amount of the local beer to give a depth of flavour (think: beer-battered onion rings). The alcohol will burn out, but the profile is still evident.

This is what I do with the red chili. I squeeze to rapture the skin and pour over some good 'ol soy sauce. However, most people will find the dish salty enough. In this case, a good amount of rice per spoonful bites will neutralize the taste. Do season according to your liking.

To continue with my pork craving. How about some Lechon Kawali. This is pork belly that's  been boiled until tender and then deep fried until the skin is blistered and crispy. This is cholesterol at it's best. Your heart won't thank you, that's for sure.

To complement the taste, you are served a side dipping sauce made by combining mainly pork liver, pepper, vinegar and brown sugar. Don't make that face. You're not a real foodie until you've tried this. It's best eaten with any crispy fried food. The most popular maker of this sauce is a brand called Mang Tomas. If there was an English branded counterpart it would be called Mister Thomas.

As a reward, don't leave without trying the Filipino version of an ice shaved dessert. This is called Halo-Halo - quite literally "to mix". That's because, just like a Taiwanese shaved ice, you have a bunch of Filipino native preserved fruits and desserts (coconut, jackfruit, palm, yam, custard, evaporated milk, and a scoop of ice cream) in a bowl of shaved course-textured ice. Definitely something to have on a very hot day as a snack or to sooth your tongue from the most often very tasty and sometimes salty food that's typical of Filipino cuisine.


Of all the Filipino restaurants I've tried in Metro Vancouver (and I'm not expert), this is the most I've enjoyed in terms of price, size, and service.