After seeing many pictures of her creations on Instagram, I finally met Keiko-san and tried her cute creations: the cutest and softest Mini cream filled bread which you can order through her website, she also sells her products at Farmers Market or Special events.
Geng Shi Ji is part of a restaurant group based in Hunan, China. Located at Union Square (Capstan Way in Richmond), service is available in Mandarin and English, our server was very courteous. I asked for recommendations when I was making reservations, we ordered in advance the most popular dish is the Clay Pot Chicken with Pig Trotters; we enjoyed the dish with their Shanghai vegetable rice, the fried tofu was very crispy and overall the seasoning were spot on. I was advised their menu changes according to seasonality and availability.
Attended the event with my food buddy Doc Rita at Gourmet Warehouse: A photo opportunity and a quick chat (1 minute) with Nigella when she signed her cookbook (still gushing …)
New Tea house from Taiwan: I’ve tried their Xin Yi Green Plum Green Tea and really like the combination: It is tart and sweet mixed in a flavorful green tea. Have yet to try their specialty drinks. I figure green tea is good for you (OO)
A little HOMECOOKING: Kaeshi for Shiso Plum Duck Udon
Kaeshi is the salt sweet sauce which is added as flavoring to noodle soup stock, mostly eaten with soba noodles.
I adapted the kaeshi recipe from Japanese soul Cooking (by Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat): 2 cups of soy sauce, 1/2 cup mirin and 2 to 2.5 Tablespoons sugar. (I have reduced the sugar from the original recipe which calls for 3 Tablespoons; I used Oshawa’s Nama shoyu (unpasteurized soy sauce), Eden’s mirin (no additives) and cane sugar).
My Shiso Plum Duck Breast Udon is a twist on Kamo Nanban soba, combined with my old duck breast recipe . The kaeshi was prepared the sauce 48 hours before, dashi base was made in the morning on the day; I also used the kaeshi to marinade the duck breast (kaeshi, plus green onion, shiso plums) for 24 hours, before pan searing them on my cast iron pan. The basic soup stock was skimmed and strained before I added the kaeshi, I then added King mushroom and Korean Singo pear for natural sweetness (that’s why I reduced the sugar in the kaeshi), bring it to a boil and adjust to low heat and let it simmer. The udon and garnishes (leek and radish shoots) prepared separately; The ratio is 6 cups of dashi to 1/4 cup of kaeshi for flavoring; I will post the detail recipe very soon.
Kaeshi: kept in sealed bottle (i used it up within the week – great for soup base and also as marinade!
Another Birthday bash ( at AutoStrada Osteria(4811 Main Street, Vancouver, BC): small plates great for sharing, walk in only.
Duck Sagne e Pezzi : duck and anchovy ragu, with sagne e pezzi (broken lasagne in pieces)…who would have thought duck and anchovy would go so well together?
Beets, apple, gorgonzola, walnuts and balsamic dressing..refreshing
Small plates for sharing, cozy atmosphere; they use in-season atypical ingredients (for example fiddle heads) from Farmer’s market and prepare in traditional Japanese cooking methods; taste and flavors are very clean and subtle, a really wonderful first visit!
Mixed Seasonal Vegetable Tempura – Batter was light and crispyDashi Maki – soft and flavorfulTakigomi Gohan – Staub Rice Pot with clams and fiddleheads : Japanese “aji”Kohralbi Kimpira and mushroom with seaweed
Being Sentimental: I always thought we had the most beautiful cherry blossom tree at work; this is the last Hanami photo taken from my old office window….This April has been a very busy month filled with long working hours, farewell gatherings and birthday celebrations..
I am simply overwhelmed with gratitude and joy..
A big thank you to my ex-colleagues and friends for all your well wishes and support…I am at loss for words..
This month’s posting is short and
For now I will let my pictures do most of the “talking”…
As I prepare to enter another phase in my life…look forward to sharing more with all of you…
and you can catch me on Ms. Deborah Moore’s show on April 26 AM 1470 1030am sharp (OO) Something New : Pre-opening dinner at Botanist restaurant, Fairmont Pacific Hotel
I knew I was in for a special treat when my dear foodie friend Ms. Moto invited us to a sneak preview dinner and to celebrate my birthday, at the Botanist, one of the most highly anticipated restaurant opening in 2017. Thank you so much for the special invitation and birthday celebration! Here’s a snapshot of our dinner, detailed post coming later.
My first course: Asparagus Cauliflower Kohlrabi Chorizo charred OctopusMy hubby couldn’t stop raving about this dish: zucchini radish grilled apple escabeche honey glazed pork belly.
Masayoshi Revisited : One year Later…Memorable Omakase Birthday Dinner
One year ago I celebrated my birthday at Masayoshi; I have chosen to return this year…To sum up the experience…
Dear Chef Masayoshi and crew at Masayoshi: the experience is more than words can described; I am so glad I have chosen to return to your restaurant to celebrate my birthday and the beginning of another chapter of my life. Thank you very much for another truly memorable experience; this made my day extra special!
It’s almost the end of April and we are trying a New hotpot place: Hot pot Palace in Richmond (168-7911 Alderbridge Way, Richmond, BC)
Ending a busy work week with a nicely paced Friday night almost 3 hour hotspot experience..I really enjoyed the zousui in the end.
Two different types of soup: Pork Bone and Szechuan spicy pot, There was 4 of us and we ordered 4 different set menu to share: (Matsusaka Pork Cheek + Belly, House Special Seafood Platter, Wagyu Chuck and Angus BeefZousui: Rice Porridge cooked by our server, using the remaining soup, added egg and green onion : this was my favourite and soup was packed with lots of flavour
System reboot, old hangs and new experience: Garden City Hotpot,and Juicery & Co…and WHITE CAPS!
Local Rose: Grapefruit, Rosemary, Apple and Burdock – great for digestion!Do you know Garden City Hotpot (McKim Way, Richmond, BC) serve some very tasty Cantonese dim sum at lunch? They change their menu quite often and this “Fish noodle” was one fine noodle dish!Exploring something new: First time to a soccer game in my life – Whistecaps and it was on the Loud and Crazy southside! Thank you VG for the wonderful birthday present
A special message to my ex-colleagues: Truly grateful for your friendship and memories; keep in touch on Facebook and my blog!
As the holiday season is quickly approaching, we all tend to shift our already busy schedules into complete overdrive.
I yearn for slower pace to rest, and crave comfort foods and quiet times to reflect.
This November I stay put at home in Vancouver, taking my time to try new recipes, going around my favourite city to see what it has to offer.
Follow me on Instagram (@mygoldenapron) for updates (OO) ; tune in on November 30th 1030am sharp on Fairchild 1470 Ms. Deborah Moore’s program, we will be chatting about food and much more…
Official store opening: Ai and Om: Thank you very much!
At the end of October I was invited to the official grand opening of “Ai and Om”, the amazing artisan knife store located in Vancouver Chinatown, a big thank you to Chef and owner Douglas Chan and Ms. Katharine Manson for the invite! After I talked about my “beloved” nakiri knife on the radio show, I have received emails inquiring about their products and sharpening services/classes, please contact them directly at info@aiandomknives.com, or better yet, pay them a visit (129 East Pender Street, Vancouver, BC).
Chef Sato’s humble restaurant has been operating in Richmond for 5 years, hidden at the corner of Sexmith Road and Bridgeport (very close to Costco). It is a very small operation (limited seating and the two times I went he’s the only one working) so the wait could be long but worthwhile to try this delicate, clean and flavorful broth, which is very different from all other choices available in Vancouver. I had the spicy clam ramen (he calls it “larmen”) which came in the right hot temperature, perfect for a cold winter day. There is also a limited supply: 20 bowls for lunch and dinner every day. Save room for the gyoza; my hubby had the katsu curry (fried pork chop with Japanese curry) and it was very tasty also. Chef Sato is very serious about his craft, he talked about it so passionately and it clearly shows in his food. Bravo for his dedication, as a home cook, I am inspired to work harder to hone my skills.
Shibuyatei: 2971 Sexsmith Road, Richmond, BC (corner of Sexsmith and Bridgeport Road, parking on the street).
Spicy Clam Ramen (Larmen – Chef Sato calls it on menu) – Clean tasting shoyu based broth, no msg…perfect “hot” temperature…perfect for a cold winter day
Japanese inspired Vegetarian cafe: Workshop Vegetarian
Pictures of this quaint cafe are popping up on Instagram constantly, I had to drive out to North Vancouver (296 Pemberton Avenue (at Marine Drive) to see what it is all about ! Their motto is serving healthy vegetarian dishes, with vegan options available. We shared three things from their menu: the smashed avocado toast on their house baked organic natural yeast bread, organic “nama” shoyu ramen and the Kyoto style udon: My favourite is the toast, the noodle soups are very clean tasting and flavorful, I didn’t have room to try their baked goods so we will go back for another visit sometime!
Smashed Avocado on organic natural yeast bread: the texture of the bread reminded me of foccacia, the smash has a hint of tartness which I enjoyed a lot!Nama Ramen: Mushroom broth with hint of truffle shallot oilKyoto style udon with tofu, mushroom and egg – light and clean tasting broth
Pizzette Lunch at Famoso Neopolitan Pizzeria on Commercial Drive
Once in a while I do love to have pizza our favourite is Zachary’s at Oak and 16th); we have walked by Famoso (1380 Commercial Drive (at Kitchener))many times and it is always very busy! Finally last Saturday we got in for lunch. I had absolutely no idea this is actually a chain across Canada (I always root for the independents) and I was pleasantly surprised! My hubby and I both ordered our own pizzette (7 inch small pizza) lunch which comes with either soup or salad, and I added a tomato bisque, cold rainy day calls for soup! I love thin crusted pizzas which is not too heavily loaded, theirs is just perfect to my liking; and the tomato soup, served with a spoonful of ricotta cheese was rustic and hearty. Service was upbeat and friendly, we now know another good place in one of our favourite neighbourhoods.
Mushroom pizzette!Tomato bisque – Hearty and Satisfying!
Comfort Foods at Home: Old recipes and new experiment (recipes coming soon: vegetarian friendly)
Cooking and Resting Lots at home…
My sources in Vancouver: Seafood City (Granville Island), Artisan Sake Maker at Granville Island (Osake), Vancouver Farmers Market (now Winter Market at Nat bailey is on), Fujiya Japanese food store (Clark Drive), Vancouver Island Salt Company (sea salt available at various locations), Bread Affair (bakery at Granville Island, also available at grocery stores).
Japanese Corn Potage: this no dairy recipe is still one of my favourites (recipe published March 2014 – check the archives) to make once in a while.
Roasted Butternut squash red miso shimeji napa cabbage udon – a keeper for winter!
New experiment: Roasted Butternut squash miso soup with shimeji mushroom and napa cabbage udon (new recipe coming) – it takes a little time but worthwhile! I used the turkey carcass to make the base stock (bonito flake/kombu dashi or just kombu dashi (for vegetarians) work just as well), roasted the butternut squash, sauteed the onions, added to stock and pureed to make the soup. Add little olive oil and the red miso paste to soup pot, add and sauteed shimeji mushrooms and cabbage, then add soup to pot. Udon cooked separately and put in bowls, ladle soup to serve, garnish with green onions.
When Japanese meets Italian: Roasted asparagus soup with homemade anchovy croutons and there is no dairy? A couple spoonful of Japanese rice (other than potato) will do the trick and give the creaminess which we all love. Inspiration came from recipe by Joy Manning on Food and Wine and Basho Cafe (another of my favourite in Vancouver); I made this vegetarian (kombu based dashi) except the croutons which I used anchovies as flavouring (sourdough bread seasoned with seasalt, olive oil), this pureed soup is creamy in texture yet light, perfect for light supper or lunch.
Last but not least…..Snapper Hot Pot Rice: snapper bones used to make stock (roasted bones, daikon, green onion, sake kasu, bonito flake/kombu dashi, small pork shank – at least 1 1/2 hours) then strained set aside, fish filet (by the fishmonger, my favourite Seafood City) and pin bones removed (I did myself at home), Japanese Haiga rice used for this dish, cleaned and soaked for 30 minutes prior to cooking. Seasoning (shiro shoyu/mirin/sake 3/2/1 ratio) added to rice in nabe and stir evenly, I added enoki mushroom (one thin layer) then the kombu (from stock making), slices of lemon), medium heat to cook rice stove top. Around the 9 minute mark, check the liquid (make sure it’s not all dried out) and add the fish filet on top, and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes until it’s done, the fish will remain very moist and tender. Remove from heat, remove kombu, lemon slices, flake the fish and serve with mitsuba (Japanese parsley), grated lemon zest and a touch of sansho (Japanese ground pepper), and a drizzle of homemade ponzu (dashi/soy/sake/mirin and lemon juice).
Voila! Snapper Nabe RiceFish flaked and served with chopped Japanese parsley, grated lemon zest and sansho ground pepper
My Golden Apron 