Vancouver Eats 2013: Cin Cin, Meat and Bread, Big Lou's Butcher Shop and House Made Sandwiches, Vij's, Chewie's, Memphis Blues BBQ, Woodland Smoke, Abigail's Party, Blue Water Cafe

Cin Cin

On my last visit to Vancouver, I was somewhat underwhelmed by my experience at Cin Cin. This visit, for me was more enjoyable.

Good rolls with a crispy crust served with a green olive tapenade.

Salad of Vancouver Island octopus on Iberico chorizo with rhinegold potatoes, shaved fennel, orange and parsley 

Tuscan white bean soup broad beans, Tokyo Turnip, savoy cabbage and stinging nettles. A very good, highly satisfying, tasty soup.

Slow cooked white onion and garden veg soup with ciabatta croutons, salsa verde and olive oil. A very satisfying soup.

Giant pacific neon flying squid grilled over alder with chick peas, chili and watercress herb salad. The squid flavour was pleasing but not distinctive enough, however, the composition of the dish was satisfying.

Very tasty, properly cooked, alder grilled prawns, had a perfect texture.

Alder wood roasted Fraser Valley duck breast with broccolini, soffrito faro (a perfect complement), root veg and duck succo. A good dish for duck lovers.

House made tagliatelle with a "slow cooked" bolognese. Well made noodles but the sauce was rather bland and did not have a deep enough flavour of either the meat or the tomato base.

Meat and Bread

Meat and Bread is a fabulous sandwich shop, which I very highly recommend. I was rather amazed at the numbers of chefs from the surrounding neighbourhood, still in their kitchen whites, who were also enjoying their lunch at the outside tables. There are 2 locations and the sandwich menu can change daily.

 Slicing porchetta at the ordering counter.

 The presentation.

An exceptional sandwich of juicy and tender corned beef topped with sambal gherkin mayo, pickled cabbage and dijon mustard. A great combo all on a very good ciabatta bun with a crispy crust.

The porchetta sandwich. 

Big Lou's Butcher Shop and House Made Sandwiches

Big Lou's is another good sandwich shop where I went, specifically for their "long and slow" roasted crispy skinned porchetta sandwich which is topped with chimichurri sauce. DELICIOUS!

Vij's

Good Indian food that I found rather over hot/spicy. Even my daughter, used to the heat, found the food too hot/spicy. I would suggest that before you start your meal, if heat is a potential issue for you, to request your food prepared with very mild heat.

 Sprouted peas and lentils on crispy crackers with chutney.

Beet greens, garlic, ginger topped with strained yogurt and candied walnuts on naan.

Veg samosas with coconut chutney. 

Organic chicken breast and thigh in a clove, cardamom and yogurt curry with bell peppers and crispy shallots.

Wine marinated lamb "popsicles" with fenugreek cream curry on fennel mashed potatoes. 

 B.C. spot prawns in a coconut and fenugreek masala with wheat berry pilaf.

Dessert of frozen topped with pistachios and silver leaf.

Chewie's

A very good, crunchy breaded, un-greasy Fanny Bay oyster po-boy sandwich with lettuce tomato and pickle.

Memphis Blues BBQ

Slow smoked, pulled pork sandwich topped with BBQ sauce with cole slaw and baked beans sides. The kitchen overloaded the sandwich with a sauce that was overly sweet and overwhelmed the flavour of the pork, which was a bit dry and lacked any good prominent smokey flavours.

BBQ ribs, a bit dry and overcooked and smoked sliced brisket, again, a bit dry. 

Woodland Smoke

This smokehouse and commissary is worth the journey for a very good lunch.

A wonderfully moist and tasty house made/smoked Montreal style smoked meat sandwich. 

Smoked pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw. 

Abigail's Party

Buttermilk marinated fried organic chicken, freshly baked rosemary cheddar biscuits with wilted kale, and "proper" gravy on the side. Very moist chicken with a crunchy crust. 

Big Al's Pemberton Meadows Natural beef burger topped with applewood smoked cheddar, double smoked bacon, aioli, caramelized onions and lettuce, sided with poutine (Kennebec fries topped with cheese curds and dark chicken gravy).

Probably one of the most addictively good french fries that I have enjoyed anywhere, tasty and super crunchy, sided with aioli and ketchup.

A very good citrus passionfruit tart with puff pastry, candied zest, raspberry gastrique, elderflower chantilly and toasted hazelnuts. VERY good!

Blue water Cafe

A selection of local oysters: kusshi, royal miyagi, Sawmill Bay and beach angels, all new to me and quite wonderful.

Toro sashimi, good, reasonably fresh, but, not a great toro experience. The texture was this issue, so I would not reorder. 

Gulf Island swimming scallops , breaded with tomato, capers, relish, lemon butter and fresh thyme. Very good.

Fresh Alaskan king crab, legs steamed and body poached. Very expensive and worth every penny!!

Side of melted butted flavoured with sliced garlic, and potatoes.

Two desserts, on the left, granny smith apple, maple pecan tart streusel with yuzu foam and pumpkin sour cream gelato; yuzu cheesecake with roasted strawberry compote and raspberry coriander sorbeti. All worth it but, anticlimactic after that fabulous king crab!