The great bear pub

Ohh the Great Bear pub... full of memories :)

I still remember when I was (sort of) underage and Jordan and I often visited there for their 25cents wings on Wednesdays.  Back then the place served up your standard pub fair from $6.25 stuffed potato skins to $9.95 steak dinners - the portions were huge, not necessarily for those with a refined taste buds but did the job to fill you up and the food was piping hot.

They changed quite a bit after their renovation as the place looks a lot brighter and cleaner now - but due to the location and the ambiance of the pub, it seems almost awkward to see that this place is trying to market itself as a more sophisticated and higher priced lounge rather than a bar. Anyways... 

Their wings are now 39 cents each and only on Wednesdays.  You must order a drink with the daily special and soft drinks are only refillable up to 2 glasses.  Jordan and I haven't been back for a long time because we have been doing this group work out session on Wednesdays with his personal trainer friend.  This time we went because I picked up a groupon, $10 for $20.

We arrived around 5pm - their appie hours!  All appetizers are $6 during 4pm to 6pm everyday.  Unfortunately the groupon was not valid for that offer but we were thinking about ordering entrees anyways... 

so we started off with 2 appetizers  

Calamari - $6 (or $9.95 regular) - lightly battered & spiced then served with tzatziki sauce & toasted garlic pita, chilli spiced or regular - 3.5/5

I can only assume that the regular size is larger than the appie hour size because if I were to be charged ~$10 for this portion at a pub, I'd be pretty upset.  

That been said, the calamari was crispy and lightly battered.  It was hot and the squid was quite tender.  The pita bread was fluffy and crispy on the outside; all the good signs of the dish been freshly prepared instead of just been heated up.

The tzatziki sauce was really nice with a hint of garlic and tangy yogurt that cut through the oily fried calamari pretty well.  I not only enjoyed dipping the calamaris into the tzatziki sauce but also dipping the pita bread into it. Yumm!!

One negative aspect (other than portion size) was that it was dusted with too much salt.  It ended up being way too salty unless you scraped some salt off the batter.  FYI, the shallot, didn't do much because the tzatziki sauce was so strong.

BC fish tacos - $6 ($9.95 regular) - Fresh halibut & wild salmon in a lime-cilantro marinade pan seared with fresh tomato & red onion, topped with crisp lettuce & chipotle sour cream - 3/5

This was a nice dish too being piping hot (indicating that it was freshly prepared).

The halibut and salmon were quite bland, I have had better seasoned fish before (fish taco from chronical tacos and cactus club cafe)

I truly hope the sauce on the side was not the same as the tzatziki sauce from the calamari dish... they did taste pretty similar.... anyways, other than that, I enjoyed the dish quite a bit :)

What can I say, I am a sucker for hot food :$

smokey mountain buffalo burger - $12.50 - 6oz of Canadian ground buffalo, flame grilled with apple smoked bacon, sauteed mushrooms, caranelized onions, cheddar cheese & smoky BBQ sauce on a toasted brioche bun - N/A

 I didn't get to try this burger as my own entree was quite large.  According to Jordan, the patty was quite dry.  The sweet potato fries was quite nice with a crispy exterior and tender interior. 

 

Perogies & Ukrainian sausage - $11.50 - Potato & cheese stuffed perogies & authentic garlic sausage grilled to perfection, served with sour cream & a fresh garden salad with your choice of dressin (2/5)

My entree was very standard and I am confident to say that almost everything on my plate was frozen/store bought items rather than made to order.  The only positive thing I am willing to say is that the food  was hot!!  Perogies tasted worse than the Cheemo perogies from Kelloggs and the garlic sausage was really really salty. 

Over all, our experience at the Great Bear pub was alright.  There was no surprise as the food items were just simple pub fairs executed pub style.  However, the items were made to order and that certainly served as a positive point.  We might be back for chicken wings on Wednesday!

Food - 3/5

Service - 2.5/5 - almost non-existent; no server

ambiance - N/A - pub

The Hog Shack

Hello southern style BBQ!!!

this meal sure made Jordan happy!

I love Groupon, despite some inconvenience they have caused me due to their outdated computer systems....

anyways, I have picked up a groupon deal for the Hot Shack, and it is $10 for $20 at the Hog Shack.  I love barbequed meats, so I couldn't find a reason why I should pass on this deal!

John's Jurassic platter ($50, for 2 ppl) - choice of 4 sides with st. louis side ribs, dino bites, chicken quarters and pulled pork - with 4 sides - side ribs 3.5/5, dino bites 2.5/5, chicken quarters 2.5/5, pulled pork 3/5

Jordan and I were really excited about an authentic southern bbq cuisine!!  But as we were served, we got more and more disappointed.

First of all, our food was only lukewarm at best.  The chicken thigh (2.5/5) was cold and hard in the middle. And by the time I get to the beef ribs (2.5/5) the fat has already solidified and turned into a huge blob (which made it easy for me to pick out but at the same time hardened the whole protein).   The beef rib was not properly cut in the middle so Jordan and I struggled to split the two bones with the butter knife.  It was not very pretty!  I liked their BBQ sauce being tangy and really smokey and that the meats all had a really nice charring on the outside.  But being cold was a huge let down as fatty meats like these really don't taste good and it really negatively affected our dining experience (hence the 2.5 / 5 rating)

The side ribs (3.5/5) were really nicely done.  It is not the par-boiled type you get in places like Montanas so don't expect the woozing juice but it is still relatively juicy and fall of the bone tender.  Again, because it was a bit cold ours was a bit dry but I could tell that there are nice layers of fat and I can only assume that if it was eaten hot, it would have been a lot juicier and more tender!  I especially enjoyed the charred exterior.  Huge flavours!

The sauteed veggies were pretty good with tons of butter flavour and the yam fries were really good being crispy.  The corn breads were also quite cold by the time I get to mine and it was quite dry but when eaten with whipped butter it was quite delicious.

Baked beans was a bit too sweet and too salty for me although it had a nice smoky flavour.  I guess if I used it as side BBQ sauce it would have worked well.

 

Over all our experience at Hog Shack was merely a satisfactory (2.5 - 3/5) but we showed up around 5 when the dinner service just started (at 4:30pm) and they did not even have their servers yet.  The steveston village area was pretty quiet and it is understandable that they are unprepared for their first set of customers. 

We will make sure that we call for reservations next time and yes, we will be back and hope that we will be served hot!

Food - 2.5/5

Service - 3/5 - We were served by the manager, he tried his best but he still forgot to give us a bucket for bones

Ambiance 3/5 - typical diner looking decor with many TV screens on the walls 

Brunch at Verace pizzeria

assortment of flavoured olive oils - great for dipping your pizza crusts!!

Another brunch date with one of my bestest :)

I LOVE cafe nervosa from Toronto.  More specifically, the prociutto e rucola from cafe nervosa.  In my search of those neapolitan style pizzas ("style" because I don't exactly dig authenticity) in Vancouver, I have stumbled upon Verace pizzeria.  They've got their own stone oven and located just steps away from stadium Chinatown skytrain stationn, it was a perfect spot for our little brunch! 

Mista Insalate (Sm - $6.75, Lg - $12.75) - Mixed greens, artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes and roasted peppers tossed with balsamic vinaigrette, topped with pancetta crisp - 4/5

We arrived on a Thursday early afternoon around 1:30 pm and the place was pretty empty - only 2 tables were occupied and by the time we left the restaurant, it was completely empty.  After we were greeted and seated by the friendly server (who also appeared to be the manager), we asked for water and were given option of either still or sparkling - both for free!  Both Helen and I are not big fans of sparkling water so we opted for still but if you are a sparkling fan and have always hesitated to order in restaurants because some places can charge up to $6~$7 / 750mL, this is your chance! (my Cheap Chinese mind set is talking right now, anyhow...)

I already knew what I wanted to order and Helen made up her mind pretty quickly too.  We both wanted salad so we also decided to order a salad to start.

First to arrive was the Insalate Mista.  It was a HUGE salad with plethora of fresh butter and romaine lettuce, red and yellow peppers and cherry tomatoes.  The zesty and savoury pickled artichoke heart went nice with the crunchy leaves and the garlicky and tangy vinaigrette. I liked the idea of using pancetta crisp instead of crispy bacon because this version was less oily (possibly because it was dried then salt cured).  Over all it was a zesty salad but was really refreshing.  We both enjoyed it very much.                                                                                 

Prosciutto e Rucola - $17.25 - Plum tomato sauce, fior di latte mozzarella topped with prosciutto, fresh arugula, grana padano and evoo - 3/5

      Next up was my prosciutto e rucola.  When I was presented with the dish, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of arugula they piled up on to this pizza since arugula is one of my favourite green leafy veggies!  I just love its peppery, nutty flavour. (who am I kidding, what leafy veggies do I NOT like....?)  The crust looked great with the leoparding and it held up to the moisture from the sauce and everything else above.

After I dug in, indeed the crust was light yet chewy.  The sauce was more tangy than zesty, possibly due to the nature of the plum tomatoes (or added sugar during the sauce making) but when combined with the savoury prosciutto and nutty arugula, the flavours were well balanced and the tanginess really cut through the richness from the fat of prosciutto pieces as well as the creamy mozzarella and grana padano cheeses. 

However, I was not very happy with the prosciutto.  It could have been that we went on a bad day and that particular batch of prosciutto happened to be made from a pig with extremely stringy fat or they use lower quality prosciutto ( I really REALLY hope it's the former) - the prosciutto pieces were SO stringy and tough to chew that I had to spit most of it out, it was almost inedible.  Sadly, this place was not comparable to Cafe Nervosa's Prosciutto e Rucola.  Not just because of its rubber like prosciutto, but also the flavour.  I guess it's not always "more the better" even when it comes to veggies!  I found the flavour of arugula over powering everything else on that pizza and, please... use Parmigiano-Reggiano instead of grana padano?... It really would make a difference!

Funghi - $17.50 - Mushroom cream, cipollini balsamic onions, mixed crimini, portabella, and oyster mushrooms.  Topped with oregano, grana padano and evoo - 4.5/5

Our last pizza was Funghi, Helen's order.  

What a surprise!  This pizza was literally a flavour explosion of earthy crimini and portabella mushrooms.  The mushroom cream was garlicky and the balsamic cipollini onions were sweet and savoury and slightly tangy.  The slight bitterness of oregano was perfect to balance out all the creamy, earthy, richness of the toppings.  - 0.5 point for grana padano instead of  Parmigiano-Reggiano.  For the price of this pizza, it shouldn't be a problem to use parmigiano instead!  The flavour is richer and more complex!  

The flavoured olive oils were wonderful to dip the pizza crust.  I actually liked the garlic one the most!  The original was not bad either, but I just couldn't pick up too much red chili pepper from the chili pepper one so... that was my least favourite. 

Over all, we both enjoyed our dining experience here and we'd definitely come back for more yummies!!  (just no more prosciutto e rucola)

Final Verdict:

Food - 3.5/5

Service - 4/5 - friendly and tentative service!

Ambiance - 3.5/5 - depends on the occasion, not exactly a romantic spot (located right beside T&T supermarket so you tell me....? but still quite nice/ spacious)

Tips:

Pick up your "groupon now" deal ($10 for $20) before you head in!!

Dinner at Glowbal Satay and Grills - an make up valentine dinner :)

Being our 8th valentines day spent together, Jordan and I (more like my sole decision since Jordan was only notified last minute aka night of 13th) have decided not to mingle with the rest of the couples on the day of Valentine's because, well, first of all, it is going to be very crowded (and I cannot emphasize enough how much I hate crowd) and second, it is just not that cost efficient.  As you might have already noticed, the places that offer valentine "specials" are usually at premium prices.  Hey, I am willing to spend money when it comes to tasty food; but I am not willing to pay for "the occasion" (okay, most of the times, of course)  Much like the Xmas eve dinner or the New Year's eve dinners served at restaurants, Valentine's day dinner special is another meal special that I'd like to avoid at all cost.

Since I have been craving for a really good piece of steak, I chose Glowbal satay and Grills for our Valentine's destination.  Okay, I know I know... I am NOT out of my mind and I am well aware of the ratings of Glowbal group.  But I really didn't want to settle with somewhere safe like Gotham's!  It would be so much more exciting to have a nice meal at a place that carries a mixed, bipolar reviews than a place with a lot of hype and a lot of mediocre to positive reviews, right?  I even thought about trying black+blue.... just because they carry some really nice meats but eventually got scared off by their really, REALLY negative reviews on urbanspoon.. but anyway

Satay appitizers from front - lamb shish kebob, kobe meatballs, and braised short rib, served with thai slaw and two sauces (ginger white soy and chinese mustard) - sorry for the blurry picture

Another photo of the appetizer plate without the flash - I am so sorry for the photo quality as the place was quite dark

We didn't order much appetizers because we knew from the beginning that it was going to be a heavier meal (lots of good tasty protein + fat!) so we started with their famous kobe beef meatballs with tomato fondue, a lamb shish kebab and braised beef short rib with truffle aioli. Of course the latter two were simply because I like lamb and beef short ribs :D

First thing on the appetizers - I should have ordered 2 orders each of the shish kebobs and short ribs because they were really tiny!  I basically had a bite of each of the lamb shish kebob and short ribs so I cannot guarantee the accuracy of my reviews but here is how I thought abut them:

 lamb shish kebob: very nicely seasoned with a hint of cumin.  The yogurt sauce on the top was quite nice not only being the factor that holds all the flavours together but also cut through some of the greasiness from the lamb.  The kebob was not gamy at all and the meat was fairly tender although leaning towards "dry".  I liked the charring a lot and my only complaint is that it was a little too small.... I am sure it would have tasted way better with the sauces provided (chinese mustard!)

Kobe beef meatballs with tomato fondue - Okay, you can't exactly call it a fondue if the cheese base is not exactly carefully blended with different types of cheeses and wines... just like you can't call a hotpot a "hotpot" if all they use for the soup base is water!  That was the case here - what you call a tomato fondue, it was merely a tomato sauce topped with some firm cheese (Asiago or parmesan? I am so sorry I can't seem to recall....)  The meatballs were excellent!  One of the juiciest and meatiest I have ever tasted in Van :)  It was nicely flavored too, just enough salt to taste the natural sweetness from the meats.  The tomato + cheese sauce didn't overwhelm the flavour of the meatballs but rather, added another layer of depth (perhaps from the cheese?) to the meatball.  Jordan particularly enjoyed this dish and he even mentioned that he'd come back for it and order 10 of the meatballs instead of a steak.... I guess it is a better deal at $32.50 for 10 meatballs than an 8oz tenderloin steak... haha,,, :P

The braised short ribs - they were just average braised short ribs.  I couldn't detect much truffle in the aioli (which, btw I should have picked up since truffles should be pungent.)  The meat was a bit stringy but, what can I expect at the size of that short ribs?

 My drink - Whistler honey lager - also arrived together with the appetizers.  I liked it!!  I think I am falling in love with the BC honey lager brew!! although i was never a big fan of beer but... these two has gotten me hooked!!

24oz porter house!! - $49.95

10oz Tenderloin - $36.95

I wanted something tender and juicy so I asked our waiter what his recommendations were and how he'd recommend to cook the meat but he simply recommended the tenderloin at medium rare.  I don't know.  Call me nit picking.  I didn't like how he recommended something so, "safe" and "predictable".  I felt bad turning down his recommendation so I ordered as he recommended and wondered if rare was or was not an option.... anyway... Both of our steaks came out on a piece of wooden chopping board, I really liked the presentation especially with our large chunks of meats!  It added that primitive feel to an otherwise elegant dining ambiance.  What can I say?  I am a sucker for gaps!!  I got exactly what I was expecting (medium rare) and it was surely tender and juicy!  So juicy that in fact, a lot of the juice leaked through my cutting board on to the paper table cloth underneath (wait, does that mean my meat wasn't actually rested well enough? anyone?)

However, picking tenderloin means sacrificing the meat flavour to trade for tenderness and that was exactly the case with my steak.  After I had a bite of Jordan's porterhouse cut - it became evident that his steak was a lot more flavourful than mine!  If you are a fan of the huge beefy flavour (slight sweetness and creeminess from the fat and that tiny bit of gaminess distinctive to beef) and you don't mind a bit of chewing then I'd totally recommend the striploin or T-bone or porterhouse over tenderloin or filet mignon!  

 Because my steak was not very flavourful, I really got to test out the sauces.  I was very surprised with hollandaise sauce as I am more accustomed to see hollandaise on eggsbenny... breakfast items or just on eggs!!  So imagine my surprise when I found out that the two actually worked together!  The creamy and buttery hollandaise sauce was perfect for a piece of tenderloin that lacks fat.  Loved it!  As for my second favourite, it was the chimichurri sauce.  I didn't even bother trying the bbq sauce but now I am regretting!! The horseradish sauce was my least favourite as it really just overpowered my tender and delicate tasting tenderloin.

Jordan's porterhouse was really flavvourful and when he asked for rare, well, only the strip loin side was rare... the tenderloin was (as expected) a bit overdone at medium rare. Both sides tho however were very flavourful and even his tenderloin tasted better than mine!! (I guess mine must have been the filet mignon cut or somewhere close to that, anyway)  He noted that he really enjoyed his steak.  But when I tried his, I came across a huge chunk of connective tissue that was really tough.  I am sorry to ruin everyone's appetite here but I had to spit out the chunk because it was just impossible to chew.  Otherwise it was a flavourful piece of steak that we both enjoyed :)

The sides:

poutine + 4 sauces for the steaks - chimichurri sauce, hollandaise sauce, bbq sauce and a horseradish sauce

brussel sprouts - $6.50 - capers, lemon, parmasan

The two sides we ordered were really delicious!  I really enjoyed the brussel sprouts as that nuttiness from brussel sprouts and the burnt flavour really worked together!  The crispy texture worked perfectly with the creamy, tart, and nutty flavour along with the bitterness that came from the burnt pieces.  I somehow had a feeling that this dish came from an accidental failure dish where the chef was maybe preparing for a roasted brussel sprouts and ended up over roasting it but realized that the burnt brussel sprouts actually tasted fantastic with the burnt and decided to keep it!! hmm my overly imaginative imaginations... lol :P

Our second side dish was a simple poutine.  I really liked it because first of all, they kept their promise and used the real cheese curds; and second, the gravy (I believe it was chicken gravy?) was highly enjoyable with a prominent umami and a bit of sweetness coming from chicken fat.  The gravy was so good that I don't even remember how the fries actually tasted like... I am pretty sure they were nicely fried with a bit of crunch and wasn't too soggy although dumped in gravy!

Over all, Jordan and I enjoyed our meal here and being a carnivor as Jordan is, he had absolutely no complaint with the meal other than that huge vein found in his steak and, although I didn't have much problem with my steak, I just hoped that my waiter could have been a little more knowledgeable and informative.  I just wanted a good piece of steak that's been cooked perfectly!!! anyone with any suggestions.. please leave a msg and let me know! your help is much appreciated!!!!

another photo of porter house - huge!!!! and really flavourful :))

Food - 3.5/5

service - 4/5 - (excellent service from the managers of the restaurant, weird how the servers were only carrying out dishes but minimal services :$)

ambiance - 4/5 - I booked my reservation on opentable with a special request for the maitre D' asking for a quiet table and we were seated at one of the most quiet tables in the restaunrat!  Very impressed with their attention to details and will definitely return for other special occasions!   Maybe next time to their brunch menus as those are what seem to be more popular so far!