Fable Kitchen – Chef Trevor Bird

Happy Monday Fellow foodie friends,

I truly can’t believe that this blog has taken me so long to post!
I truly recommend that you get down to Fable Kitchen and try what is sure to be one of those happy shuddering culinary moments for you!

As I have mentioned before we are so very fortunate to have a culinary disneyland unfolding more and more each day in the Vancouver lower mainland. Trevor Bird – one of Top Chef Canada’s top competitors opened Fable in approx April 2012.

The restaurant is is the perfect size and laid out in a comfortable way for you to enjoy food and drinks with friends or co-workers as well as a nice romantic dinner with your love.
If you are fortunate enough to be able to sit at the “chefs wood” then you are in for a treat.
Whether you see Chef Trevor Bird or any of his team commanding the kitchen you will see the workings of a well oiled (olive probably) kitchen machine.
You will watch the Culinary magical fun unfold right in front of you. There is a definite order to what happens from the start right to when the plate is set to come to your waiting a eyes and taste buds. I saw every plate inspected and quality checked and siting for no longer than maybe a minute before it was lovingly delivered for your enjoyment.
I was lucky enough to visit Fable a few times and happily waited for the chefs wood.
First up, was “canned tuna“. Don’t be fooled or timid about what you see on the menu. Trust your waiter or chef recommendations, you won’t be disappointed.

Another fantastic appetizer was the halibut collar lettuce wrap
If they were out of collars, it was halibut cheeks up next. This magical twist on lettuce wraps was truly a culinary tantalizer of an appy!

Served with butter lettuce and a perfectly balanced sweet chili sauce (housemade of course) it was the perfect tasty start to our meal.

Next up was the Steak Frites
Triple cooked potatoes, mushroom, broccolini
for $24. It was perfectly cooked to order and melt in your mouth tender served over And unbelievably mouth tantalizing black Pepper Jam- (buy some to take home, you won’t regret it I promise) 

   

 

If the flavor a that just danced across our taste buds weren’t enough it was now time for desert! Yes desert but “must try” unique offering. 

S’mores –

Yes a campfire special but done Fable style with house made brownie and marshmallows- delectably and perfectly rich. 

Lemon Meringue pie- 

Also Fable style- a perfect balance of creamy lemon, crumble and toasted Mirengue. 

   
   A perfect end to a memorable meal.

Thank you Fable & Chef Trevor Bird for a great all around experience. 
My opinion is my own and Always a reflection of my own experience and tastes. It is always meant to share my true reflections and meant with respect.

You Gotta Try This! 

Cookina – BBQ Grilling Sheet

  

The days of BBQ or grilling are here and if you haven’t discovered the magical BBQ tool you need to search it out NOW! 

The Cookina BBQ reusable grilling sheet will change the way you feel about BBQing forever. 

Even if your a BBQ purist you can’t deny the fact that this sheet allows you to keep all of the perfect things that you love about BBQ- grill marks? YES. Stop all of the little pieces of food from falling through the grill ? YES. capture all of the sauce, fat or marinades from flaming up as it falls through to the flame ? YES Cook eggs, bacon, chicken with skin and no fall through or flame up? Yes! 

Your clean up will virtually be minimized to wiping down the peripheral splatter around the outside of your BBQ. Yes, your grills will be clean and you can enjoy BBQ without the nasty and time consuming clean up. 

   

   If you have a BBQ Master in your house then this is a perfect gift and a must have for your BBQ. 

I truly love my Cookina! 

Is it safe? I can’t speak professionally to this question other than say that I can’t find any compelling research saying anything other than it is.

A word from Dr. Weil 

Dr. Weil

Silicone is a synthetic rubber which contains bonded silicon – a natural element, abundant in sand and rock – and oxygen. Although I still prefer stainless cookware, silicone kitchen products seem to be everywhere these days. You can now get cheery, brightly colored cake pans, muffin tins, colanders, potholders, baking mats, ice cube trays, pastry brushes, spoons, cake pans, and even roasting pans made out of silicone. Sales of these products have mushroomed into the millions. The advantages of silicone include heat resistance, flexibility, the fact that it can go directly from the oven or microwave into the refrigerator or freezer and that it is generally easy to clean. Silicone containers are also environmentally friendly; the snap-on lids can eliminate the need for plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

Silicone appears to be safe. It is an inert material – nothing used in its manufacture will leach into foods. So far, no safety problems have been reported, but if you’re concerned, stick to silicone kitchen tools (such as spatulas) and avoid bakeware.

The opinions are my own and I in no way have been compensated by anyone nor has the Cookina company approved or edited my review. 

  

You Gotta Try This! 

Richmond Station – Chef Carl Heinrich

Richmond Station – Tornonto 

Happy Friday great foodie friends- 

My travels took me to Toronto which finally offered me the chance to try Richmond Station and meet Chef Heinrich – Top Chef Canada season 2 champ.

Richmond station is located in the heart of bustling Toronto across the street from the iconic and one of the oldest building in Canada The Hudsons Bay. 

  
The atmosphere is unpretentious and welcoming as if your sitting in between Chefs kitchen and a blend of  traditional but contemporary restaurant / eatery.

We opted for the Chefs Table as well as the Chefs tasting menu. 

Chef Heinrich takes the time to great regulars and new diners alike and has almost a shy humble demeanor but extremely welcoming and friendly. You can definitely see that he has created a great team that are all bought in to his culture and demand for high quality and top notch ingredients.

The tasting menu started with Oysters on the half shell- 

   

 

The fresh oysters were served with fresh grated horseradish, lemon and housemade cocktail sauce, hot sauce and some sort of Apple vinegar type sauce that was unique and very tasty.

Next up was Charcuterie – a perfectly cured selection of housemade meats accompanied by preserves and pickled treats. Served with the charcuterie was housemade bread and a delectable mix of Oil and vinegar for dipping 

   
   
Next up was RADISH & PINENUT SALAD  

sliced lardo, bistro greens, pesto aioli, green goddess dressing. I have to admit that I don’t usually like radishes but when the magical talents of a culinary master transform ingredients to the next level I found myself wanting more! 

  

This fresh and lively salad was served with fresh grilled bread with lardon making the bread beyond tasty.

Next served was a perfect little bite of BULGOGI STEAK TARTARE  

Served on wonton chips with pear, ginger & radish.

  

Next we had Slow cooked Rock Fish- the fish was perfectly cooked and uniquely prepared Sous Vide served with pommes purée, mushrooms, summer sausage and red wine beef jus. 

   This dish was perfectly cooked and uniquely prepared. I have never thought of pairing beef jus with fish but I can tell you with all certainty that it worked gloriously! 

Our final dish for the savory portion of our tasting menu was Lamb done two ways and Beef short rib burger

   

 

The lamb was masterfully cooked and prepared in two different cuts. One was delecate and tender and the second cut was the belly and sinfully good. The lamb was served with a purée and accompanied with what also seemed like the red wine beef jus. 

Did I mention that we added the wine pairing ?  We did and the best part of it was that your taken on a sipping journey that is masterfully paired with your culinary journey.

To finish off the meal with had light sweet treat. Black Chocolate pudding and White Chocolate pudding. 

   

 

Served with fennel, coffee cake, mint jelly, pernod meringue, cocoa nib crumble, chocolate ice cream. 

A nice sweet treat to end a perfect tasting meal. 

Toronto is very similar to Vancouver when referring to how many fantastic new restaurants pepper the cities with unbelievably talented chefs. Chef Carl Heinrich and his team create a very comfortable spot to eat with friends, business dinners or just a great meal with your sweetie. The style of cooking makes me think of similar to a farm to table theory where you can tell Chef prides his creations by sourcing local quality ingredients as well as supporting the local wine industry. 

This eatery really is lead by a Top Chef Canada contestant – the winner in this case. No matter how high having accolade associated with your name is as well as  the perception and expectation of your customers may already be…. Richmond station shine through in my opinion. 

The passion from the culinary soul shines through as you see Carl coordinate and looks over every dish leaving the kitchen! 

   

     

You Gotta try This! 

Bella Gelateria – Vancouver

Happy Friday good foodie friends.

Have you tried Bella Gelateria yet? If not, you should. 

I love that Maestro James Coolridge and his dedicated staff all seem to strive to remind you of Days gone past and encourage us to taste, take a breath and enjoy flavors that are crafted from local ingredients and culinary wonderment to create that “culinary smile and eye squint” as you savor the notes dancing across your tongue. 

When you meet Maestro James and listen to the excitement when he talks about his creations you quickly realize his true passion and dedication to his art. 

  

Ever since Bella Gelateria  opened it has been lined out the door with happy customers just dreaming about their next delectable lick. 

They have 2 locations, their original cozy little spot near Coal Harbour and their new location in Yaletown with great views of the water. 

Coal Harbour is strictly Gelato and the Yaletown location boasts a tasty pizza and pasta menu along with some other creative Italian flavor goodies to sit and enjoy with a perfect sip of wine. 

Here you will find more Gelato flavors as well as the savory menu! 

     

The magic of their pizza comes from Bella (Maestro James) traveling to Naploli (Naples) in search of the best Pizza, finest techniques and best ingredients. Experimenting and refining to achieve the best quality and tastes coming out of their genuine pizza oven that bakes the pizza just right. A quote from Maestro James told me why his passion drives him to keep creating and refining perfect offerings that create smiles and repeat customers. “When I decided to serve pizza I had people ask me what I knew pizza being gelato maker, I decided that I would do it the right way and learn from the best in Naples. It not just about importing the finest ingredients from Italy but also having the right oven and the perfect balance of how much of each ingredient to use” (that is what I took from our chat and may not be perfectly verbatim but is close)

Did I mention that Maestro James has a few accolades / awards to his credit? Oh yes he does,  in fact: (an excerpt from a press release)

Coleridge’s creation “Noce Pecan e Sciroppo d’Acero Canadese” (Pecan and Canadian Maple Syrup) was awarded first prize by the technical panel, as the best among the 30 master gelato makers. In addition, more than 200,000 visitors attended the Festival and were given the opportunity to vote for the best gelato. The people voted for Coleridge’s gelato and he was awarded with the “people’s choice award” in the competition in Florence, Italy from May 23 to 27.

That’s right, world compatriot winner from the capital of Gelato officianidos as well as home to some of the finest Gelato in the world, Firenza 

  
Bella Gelateria is a special treat and a great experience.

Location: 1001 West Cordova, Vancouver

1089 Marinaside Crescent , Vancouver

You Gotta Try This!