Monthly Archives: November 2013

Kum Ki Wa

Kum Ki Wa on UrbanspoonWe happen to be in the neighbourhood and saw this village mall so we decided to check it out for food. We came across Kum Ki Wa, and decided to try it out.

It was 3pm on a weekend, and it was pretty bare, except for 2 tables that was occupied by customers. It had funky designed chairs – not the chair itself was funky, but just the fabric that was used. The walls were painted nicely with a touch of modern decor.

I ordered the #8 Japtanbob $9.99 which was rice covered with seafood and vegetables in thick sauce. My company ordered the #12 Bulgogi $10.99. Although the description nor the photo indicated that it came with rice, he was very happy to see that it did when the food arrived.

The portions were fairly big. For the price, I thought it was a really good deal, especially with all the seafood that was in it. It had a lot of shiitake, which is a delicacy, but I don’t like them…so my company ate them instead. The plate that my food came in was chipped all around as if it had gone through a garburator instead of the dishwasher. That was a a bit disappointing…

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Easy and simple menu – I like that :)

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Simple decor, funky fabric covered chairs

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The banchan (complimentary side dishes) were really odd. Raw onions with sauce…and takuwan (in Japanese – which is picked daikon/radish). The takuwan was ok. You usually eat them with white rice or onigiri (rice balls). But I’ve never seen chopped raw onions served like this. To save our breath, we didn’t eat any of the onions.

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2 plates of banchan – raw onions and takuwan

During the wait and eating, we were trying to connect to the internet on our phones, but we were unable to connect. We thought it was because there weren’t much cell towers in the area, but when we got out, we had connections, so not sure if it has anything to do with the building, or it was just a coincidence. However, if there is no connection, it’s not a place where you can come in with your laptop and work online…

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Japtanbob $9.99

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Bulgogi $10.99 – comes with rice!

The restaurant was clean, service was good and prompt. The portions and taste was great. It looks like a family run business. Once all the other customers were gone except us, they sat around one table, Mom, Dad, young guy who takes the orders and serve, and a little girl. I’d go back if it weren’t so far from home!

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Caché Bistro & Lounge

Caché Bistro & Lounge on UrbanspoonAnother Groupon special for 50% off. I’m sure glad I bought it – it’s on my new love list :) . Located in the trendy parts of Yaletown, it’s not an area where I usually go to when it comes to dining. Most of them are on the pricier side, and requires an attire that is more than your normal tshirt and jeans.

I had phoned in on a Friday to make reservations, but unfortunately, they were all booked. So the following week, I phoned on Thursday to make a reservation for Friday at 7pm. When we arrived, it was close to full. The red walls and unique decor was eye-catching. We were both dressed up, but the table next to us were in their jeans, runners and jogging jacket. We weren’t surprised that they were using their Groupon afterward…but we didn’t come in attire like that! They lacked manner and drove my company crazy.

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We ordered the Bison Carpaccio (Porchini crusted bison, crispy fried leeks, truffle ailo, pecorino), Seared Scallop $24 and Alsatian Peach Tart, made with fresh BC peaches and blueberries. $9 for dessert. My company ordered Coke Zero while I asked for water.

We waited for a while for the drinks. Much longer then elsewhere. Drinks shouldn’t take this long…it doesn’t take much to prepare. When they finally came, the server apologized that they didn’t have Coke Zero and brought Diet Coke instead. Bummer.

My first time trying out Bison…and raw meat! But I was pleasantly surprised. It was delicious! It was super rich in taste. There isn’t that much, so we savoured every piece as we shared the dish. Since the flavour was strong, we asked for some bread. Not sure if they forgot…or we missed something…as later on, we saw other tables receive bread…did we have to order a specific dish to get them?

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Anyways, when we almost gave up on the bread coming, it finally arrived and were able to enjoy the rest of the Carpaccio. My company was very impressed and told the server about it, and said that he should tell the chef for an excellent job. I agreed. And it’s not everyday that a German gives praise to anyone. LOL.

My seared scallop. I LOVE THIS DISH!! I immediately fell in love with it. The scallops were large and juicy. The zuchinni was just cooked to the right point. Not squicsy and sloppy, but not raw. The quiona and the mixture was excellent. The right amount of saltiness, which went very well with the scallops.  I will definitely be back again to try this dish! :D

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Seared Scallop $24

The dessert was very good. The pie wasn’t anything spectacular, but the frozen blueberries went well with the hot pie. The mixture of the temperature in your mouth was exciting. My company didn’t like the dried up lime, lemon and orange which were almost like pine needles in your mouth. But I really liked the strong zest flavour. It gave the subtle peach tart a punch.

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Although there were delays with the drink and bread, the food exceeded both of our expectations. We were both really happy with the food, and will sure come back again!

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Le Crocodile

Le Crocodile on UrbanspoonWe went on a Friday evening, and it was full house. We didn’t have reservation, but we were able to get a table pretty quickly.
The doorman, or doormen, as there were two of them were friendly, and so was the hostess.

The restaurant is fancy, fine dining. I felt a little underdressed as I wasn’t aware that we would be heading out to such a fancy restaurant. However, as I scanned the customers, it seemed like there were those who were dressed fancy, but also those were more on the casual side. So I relaxed. The interior is nice, and the noise level can get a bit high, so you might want to opt for the patio which is heated, or enjoy the natural warmth during the summer season.

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We were looking at the menu, confused, as I was not very familiar with French cuisine. All the servers seemed French, all with accents. When our server came, he explained the specials of the day. I am not sure how servers remember such a long list. He told us 4 appetizers and 2 main. It was hard to remember what was what.

We ordered one appetizer – Fresh Foie Gras $28.95
Main – Halibut $39.95
Main – Caribou $41.95

This is by far our most expensive bill. We were shocked to find the appetizer was so expensive. I didn’t even like it too much. I wasn’t much fan of the raw and strong taste of it. I was also not used to the squishy texture of it. The huge deep fried rings were incredibly hard to eat with the forks. Pretty dish, but not easy to eat. The scallop on top however, were excellent.

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Fresh Foie Gras $28.95

The halibut came with pasta in a rich creamy sauce. The halibut was really juicy and soft. Excellent! The mini tomatoes were dangerous! hehe. They squirted out like crazy if you weren’t too careful! It may seem like a small dish, but it was quite filling for me. After eating the appetizer, I could barely finish my halibut dish.

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Halibut $39.95

We didn’t order any desserts, but we got a small complimentary pie. It was nice and hot. Tasted really good, although my company didn’t like it at all.

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At the end we received the bill with 2 crocodile chocolates. One milk chocolate, and the other dark. I chose dark. It was pretty good, though not sure if it was good as the chocolates that my company made :)

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Overall, it was good presentation, great service and good food. I wasn’t happy with the appetizer, but perhaps it’s because I’m not used to food like them…

The prices seemed a bit extreme for what was prepared. I can understand the caribou being so expensive, but not sure if I agree with the other two dishes. But after eating ‘student’ meals for a few years some years back, it’s nice to see the other side of the spectrum.

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