Oru - Fairmont Hotel Pacific Rim

(Picture taken from the VancouverSun.com)

My parents and I went to Oru Restaurant a couple of days ago, wanting to check out the new Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel. The design of the hotel and the restaurant was simplistic/minimalistic, but still quite comfortable. To the people who doesn't like the more modern designs, like my mom, the restaurant looks cold, and in her words, "a well designed canteen." I don't know if I agree entirely, but the place is definitely nothing romantic or formal by any standards. So don't try to bring your girlfriend there on a romantic date or anything, but it's a nice environment for a buddies/girls' night out.

Unfortunately, I'll have to report that the food was disappointingly average. The restaurant serves Pan Asian cuisine using local ingredients. Not a very interesting concept if you ask me. Although not with local ingredients, there are too many good Asian restaurants in town to compare to. Although, David Wong, the executive chef of the hotel and restaurant have won many awards in the past, the menu was disappointingly boring. Nothing really stood out screaming, "Order Me!!!"

My mom ordered Lettuce and Pineapple Salad with apple-miso vinaigrette, which was ok, to start and a Lobster Tom Kha Talay with coconut broth. Nothing special about the broth except it's like a mild version of the Tom Kha Gai with a lobster tail dumped in it. My dad had Palm and Grapefruit Salad with coconut vinaigrette, which tasted a little weird, and Nasi Goreng, Indonesian Fried Rice, with Shrimps, that tasted an average-I-can-get-better-elsewhere. I had a little better luck with the Pork Belly Gyoza and Roasted Duck Breast. Both were a little above average, but nothing special to talk about.

I haven't studied their wine list, but it looks decent from the quick glance, and many tables ordered wine, so I'm guessing if you're a drinker, Oru might be a nice place to go to. But then right down the grand staircase, which is going to be oh-so-perfect for weddings, is a very comfy looking lobby lounge. So if drinks is what I'm going for, I'd rather go there than the restaurant.

So all-in-all, I don't recommend going to the Oru Restaurant in the Fairmont Pacific Rim, but would definitely try out the lobby lounge. And if anyone is getting married and wants a grand staircase, this new Fairmont is where to go, because the Four Seasons got rid of theirs after the renovation a couple years ago. Shame on them... But I think the Yew Restaurant in the Four Seasons is much better though. The lobby lounge is also very comfy...

Speaking of the lobby lounge... no wonder I thought the one in the new Fairmont looks familiar. It has that fireplace closely resembling the one in the Four Seasons!!! Sneaky sneaky~~

Oru Restaurant Fairmont Pacific Rim 1038 Canada Place Vancouver, B.C. Tel: 604.695.5500

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Miku Restaurant

With Japanese food being my absolute favorite cuisine, it's only natural for me to go try pretty much everything new out there. I had the opportunity to dine at the Miku Restaurant a little while ago, and it was definitely one of the best sushi restaurants in the Downtown area.

Unlike the more traditional Japanese restaurants, Miku features the aburi sushi, which is nigiri sushi dipped in various sauces, then slightly seared. To be honest, as a Japanese food lover, I'm a little ashamed to say that I've never heard of this type of sushi prior to going to Miku. But nonetheless, the experience was more than a positive one.

So since it was the first time for us to try this type of sushi, we decided to order the Premium Aburi Sushi for $18, which has small a selection of different aburi sushi, to see what it's like. In addition, we also ordered a couple of the aburi rolls, which averages to be about $12 each. I must say though, although the food was all delicious, many of the rolls were similar to the ones present in the Premium Aburi Sushi dish. So, we did felt a redundancy. But then, it's our fault for ordering unwisely.

What I love the most about the aburi sushi in Miku is their sauces. It's not difficult to make sushi and then sear it, but it's difficult to make a different sauce to match each different fish and each different roll. And Miku does an excellent job at it. One thing though, just be be picky, it would be even better if the servers could warn the guest when they are ordering things of too similar taste. That would definitely avoid their guest getting "bored" if they weren't the best at picking out what to order.

Now talking about service, the people there were excellent people. Very nice, helpful and friendly. Unfortunately, the time when I went, they were understaffed, so there was a delay in service. But then I believe that they've hired more people, as I haven't been hearing anything bad about the restaurant from the other people who went there.

Other than food and service I heard that they serve a very nice mojito too, but I haven't had the chance to try. But I definitely love their patio. On a nice day, they actually do get some sun, as opposed to some other restaurants in the Downtown area that has a patio but no sun shining on it. However, their ambiance was only ok though, chic, but nothing unforgettable.

I would definitely recommend anyone who likes sushi to give this excellent restaurant a try. After all, it did snatch the Best Formal Japanese Restaurant Bronze Prize after only a few months of their opening. If you don't mind a later dinner, I'd say go after 8PM. It's because the meter parkings are EXPENSIVE just outside of the building, but after 8PM, it's free!

Miku Restaurant #2 – 1055 West Hastings St (at the Guinness Tower) Vancouver, B.C. Tel: 604.568.3900

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Toratatsu Japanese Tapas Bistro

Walking down Denman Street one evening during the summer, I noticed a, relatively new, restaurant close to the intersection of Denman and Alberni. The restaurant was small with contemporary design and a lively atmosphere. I've always love Izakaya-type restaurants, and when I looked at their menu, I immediately knew I had to come try the place. Toratatsu Japanese Tapas Bistro is the relocation of Shiru-Bay Chopstick Cafe that was used to be in the Yaletown area. I've always loved Shiru-Bay's tapas, and have missed it much. I finally had the chance to go on Friday, and was overjoyed that they still serve my favorite dishes at the same high quality that I loved so much.

One of the good things about ordering at Toratatsu is that you don't necessarily have to be good at ordering to make sure you get the best dishes. They have a list of their most popular items, and all of them are great. My favorite had to be the Negitoro with Garlic Toast. I love Negitoro to begin with, but I've never imagined it with Garlic Toast until I had it in Shiru-Bay. It was great being able to have this dish again, and Toratatsu does even a better job at it than before.

Many of the tapas are quite innovative, and tasty at the same time. Their Cheese Tofu is definitely a dish I would call "weird but delicious." The dish is of cream mascarpone, mixed with a touch of honey, and served with baguette. It sure does look like tofu, but without the texture that a lot of Western people are not used to. The only thing about this dish is that, at Toratatsu, it's served with some strawberries on top, which overpowers the cheese tofu a little too much. If you eat it without the strawberries, it's much better tasting.

The other dishes that we've ordered that are excellent were Yakiniku Lettuce Wrap, which is like Korean barbecue pork served with a little bit of rice, kimchi, lettuce and korean hot sauce, and Sashimi Salad with a wasabi soy vinaigrette. The Foie Gras terrine with yuzu miso was ok, and the Musashi Roll was average. Of what we remember from Shiru-Bay, their sushi items are only average, so we probably won't be ordering them again next time we go. But otherwise, everything else is great.

Now one thing, which is not their fault, and I blame stupid Safeway for it, is that it's super difficult to find a parking spot in that area. I drove around and around for at least 15 minutes, and was only able to get a spot because we have a Handicapped sign for my father. I really hated Safeway for taking out that parking lot on Robson and Denman when they build the new Public Market thingy a couple years back. But again, that's really not the restaurant, or any restaurant in the area's fault.

Toratatsu Japanese Tapas Bistro 735 Denman St. Vancouver, B.C. Tel: 604.685.9399

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Tenhachi at Shaughnessy Village Hotel

One thing that's good about working the graveyard shift is that you get the opportunity to eat breakfast even if you're not a morning person. So one day, an hour before I finished my graveyard shift, I began craving for a traditional Japanese breakfast. I Googled it and finally found Tenhachi, located in the Shaughnessy Village Hotel. Seeing that it's only $7.50 for a breakfast combo, I decided to go straight after work. And man, was it awesome.

I've never thought that there's Japanese breakfast in Vancouver, but I guess we have pretty much everything here in Van City. Tenhachi features Japanese Home-Style Cooking, but where it's located can certainly throw you off the first time you go. Shaughnessy Village Hotel is a dumpy little hotel that looks like they should have been renovated 30-40 years ago. With mirror pillars and an old style receptions desk, I was certainly very confused when I first went in. It was also quite difficult to find a parking spot, as the area is mostly residential, most street parking requires a permit, but there are 3 parking spots hidden behind the hotel with a Tenhachi sign there.

There are 5 different Japanese breakfast combos offered, Salted Salmon, Natto (Japanese Fermented Soy Beans), Grated Daikon with Whitebait, Grated Yam, and Cold Tofu. All are served with rice, miso soup, Japanese pickles, and various side dishes, which, I believe, is slightly different every time or during different times of the year. For those who are more conservative eaters or are just not used to traditional Japanese food, other than say sushi and tempura, the safest bet would be to start off with the Salted Salmon combo. Otherwise, the Cold Tofu combo would also be a good choice. The other two, however, are definitely more for the experienced or adventurous eaters.

Breakfast is served everyday from 7 AM - 12 PM, so if you think a full on Japanese breakfast is too big for you in the morning, you can consider trying it for an early lunch or something. The combo is quite filling, and considering it's price, it's just one of the best things. I'll definitely be going back for more. I'll be trying the Cold Tofu combo next.

Tenhachi 1125 W. 12th St. at Shaughnessy Village Hotel Vancouver, B.C. Tel: 604.742.0234

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Azia

Somehow my dad heard about the Azia Restaurant in Downtown, and he's been wanting to go ever since. I never expected it to be very good, and it wasn't. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't worth going back to. I mean, what can you ask for when a restaurant serves Chinese, Japanese, Malaysian and Thai cuisine all at once? If a business is just everywhere trying to do everything at the same time, it's just impossible to be good at it.

We ordered a variety of items including sushi, Peking Duck Spring Rolls, Satay, Ebi Mayo, Velvet Cream of Corn Soup, and Hokkien Mee (stir fried noodles). The only dish that was relatively good was the Ebi Mayo, but still, it was nothing compared to the ones you can get in Japanese izakaya restaurants. The spring rolls were super oily, evident of the oil not being hot enough, and they didn't try to get rid of the oil after cooking it. The soup was ok, but it's easy to get the same result with instant soup. The Hokkien Mee was nothing like it's supposed to be, and tasted simply like stir fried noodles with soya sauce, plus some seafood.

Portions are small considering the quality and the pricing. Appetizers are anywhere from $3.95 - $9.95, curry dishes averages at about $13, rice and noodle dishes at about $12, and seafood dishes are even higher.

I won't recommend this restaurant unless your party can't decide on what to eat and would like to have a variety of different things on the menu. As much as the ambiance was good, and the service was average, the food and price really didn't make up for it. I know I certainly won't be going back.

Azia Restaurant 990 Smithe St. Vancouver, B.C. Tel: 604.682.8622

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Kintaro Ramen

If you like good ramen with homemade noodles, tasty soup base and fatty Japanese BBQ pork, Kintaro Ramen on Denman Street in West End, Downtown Vancouver is definitely restaurant you should not miss.

All their ramen noodles are of a decent size, and are around $7-10 per a bowl. The main choices on the menu would be the kind of soup base desired. There are Shoyu, Shio and Miso Ramen. All their soups are made of pork bone stock and are all delicious, but my personal favorite is the Miso Ramen. After you chose the soup base type, you'd need to choose whether you would like a rich, medium, or light soup. I suggest doing medium for first-timers, as the rich soup, although very good, is very heavy. You'll also have to choose whether you would like lean or fat BBQ Pork. And this entirely depends on your preference. Personally, I like to order the fat BBQ Pork and just take the fat out when eating. It's just that the meat is tastier that way.

In addition to the 3 main ramen bowls, Kintaro Ramen also sells other types of ramen. I was told Cheese Ramen is excellent, and I am a sucker for the Cold Ramen that is available only in the summer months. The latter has a vinegary sauce to it, and does not come in soup form. But it's definitely a great option when it's available. In fact, during the summer months, I only order the Cold Ramen, because I know I can always order the soup ramen bowls in the winter.

Now Kintaro Ramen is almost always full of people, and if you go on a weekend, it's guaranteed that you will have to wait for a seat. They're just a very small restaurant, and they do not take reservations. But people are generally very good about it, and will leave as soon as they finish. On the occasion that they don't, just glare at them until they feel uncomfortable, and they'll get the heck out of there.

If you can't eat pork for any reason, there is no point of going to this restaurant as almost everything has pork in it. Even the Vegetarian Ramen isn't completely vegetarian, because the soup base is still made with pork bones. Your only bet is probably Cold Ramen, and make sure to tell them to not put the pork in.

So Kintaro Ramen is definitely a great place to go if you want to grab some good ramen at a reasonable price. But just make sure you bring some cash with you, because they only accept cash or debit.

Kintaro Ramen 788 Denman St. Vancouver, B.C. Tel: 604.682.7568

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