The All-around Left Bank

751 Denman St, Vancouver, BC V6G 2L5 (604) 687-1418

http://leftbankvancouver.com  @leftbank.van

Words and pix: Stephanie Yuen

I was pretty upset upon hearing the news that one of my favourite French restaurants in town was no more. My disappointment turned to anticipation when I realized the restaurant decided to re-invent in order to enhance Vancouver’s market trend and food lovers’ savvy desires at large to the fullest. It had in fact undergone a renovation make-over and revamped remarakably.  Last month, Le Parisienne on Denmen Street morphed to become Left Bank, a modern French Bistro with a west coast twist.

The first thing I did when I walked into the door of Left Bank was to greet and congratulate owner John Blakeley on the restaurant’s fresh new look. Blakeley happened to be a veteran restaurateur who has long been regarded as the intuitive Frenchmen behind great French restaurants. It’s about time for Vancouver to establish its own mood of French cuisine without the heavy duty traditional bearing on the shoulder.

Contemporary, inviting, warm and unpretentious, Left Bank now opens its arms to all walks and generations of cuisine lovers, locals and visitors alike. With a wide-open style dining room, the restaurant is also a relaxing bar, a brunch café, a caterer, a cozy eatery that serves casual fare. Along with refined French cooking, there is live music patrons can swing to in their seats.

While authentic French cooking will always be the backbone of Left Bank, Chef Spencer Watts wittily blends Pacific west coast colours into his culinary palette. Albacore tuna cone combines aioli with nectary mango; sockeye salmon winks with lemongrass cream; raita (Indian yogurt salad) mellows the lamb tagine, brilliant pairings of French and Asian cuisine I say! What about the 5-spiced Duck Confit Tempura? The pungent Chinese five spices, crunchy tempura and classic duck confit all in one bite!

No, you don’t have to sit in to enjoy Left Bank’s newest creations, order in advance, come by and take out – to Stanley Park, to the beach, or even to a party!

What cocktail are you drinking this summer?

Words: Henry Yuen

Imagination and creativity are the backbones behind every new dish constructed by chefs, regardless of the cuisine and the local ingredients available. They often tweak the dishes to search for flavour uniqueness. This is no difference when it comes to creating smashing cocktails!

These days, an integral job of the bar mangers, or “Mixologist” or “Drink Directors”, is to create new cocktails by mixing and matching available ingredients. Sure they don’t mind following the exact recipes traditional cocktails since they are no brainers, but the urge to create some amazing drinks that provide that “wow” factor is the given chance to grasp that artistic instinct mixologists possess and the result is always yummy.

The bar program at Earls is one successful example judging by the number of cocktails on most tables, not to mention that they are now featuring $5 cocktails this whole summer (Sunday to Thursday) nights! Diners seem to embrace the starter drinks and cocktails are taking centre stage. Those colourful; delicious cocktails tend to liven up the atmosphere to another level. I tried and enjoyed the “Mad Hatter” very much. This drink belongs to the creative cocktail category and the creativity is well-presented by serving it in a teapot with dry ice inside. The “pot” of cocktail is delivered to our table with foggy smokes escaping the lid; more smoked accompanied the liquid emitted through the sprout when poured into the glass. It’s a delightful and mighty refreshing drink of Smirnoff Vodka, pear, black tea, lime leaf and coconut water;  how dramatic! The black tea adds a profound South East Asian mood to this cocktail. Interestingly, Mad Hatter is a good fit with the hot and fluffy BBQ buns served in a bamboo basket. They both get a 10 for visual effect and flavour from me for sure.

At Cactus Club Café, their 98 Days of Summer Cocktails program is in full swing. According to bar operation manager, Sam Zavari, “guest can enjoy these refreshing cocktails which include the Watermelon Margarita and the Sunset Soda throughout the summer”.  The focus of the  their cocktails is summer’s favourite flavours and this year the cocktails feature watermelon and peach. Summer, watermelon and juice-dripping fruits do go hand-in-hand teamwork to fight the heat, more so these days when the sun is scorching and our bodies particularly crave for watermelon. “Fresh watermelon is a summer staple and the ultimate refresher on hot summer days. The bartenders are juicing twice daily which ensures optimal freshness and flavour.” Other cocktail creations include the Sunset Soda which is made with Smirnoff Orange Vodka; and the Watermelon Margarita made with Cuervo Gold Tequila.

Recommend bites to make the cocktail sipping more enjoyable are fresh seafood, light and uplifting such as Rob Feenie signature ceviche with Ocean Wise Lois Lake steelhead and sustainably harvested prawns. There are always the ever popular Tuna Tataki and Fish Tacos – good excuses to go grab a table and cocktail drinks.

The “Super Drinks” and Crafted Slush at Joey have been gaining momentum as the full-blown west coast sun decides to stay on.  Take the Stiff Lemonade for instance, made with Pearl Vodka, fresh lemon-lime slush and limoncello liqueur, is the great escape under the hot sun. The Blueberry Mojito, with muddled blueberries, fresh lime juice and the must  — mint leaves is so fruity and inviting, it tingles away the summer heat like a garden breeze.  Sip this with the Japanese dumplings served with hot mustards, you would end up ordering more of each.

 

 

Premium Sake – Warm or cold?

Words: Henry Yuen   Pix: S. Yuen

I am a novice when it comes to Sake but do enjoy a vial or two of chilled ones with Japanese food. I also find warm Sake and hotpot go quite well together, especially in cold evenings. I like my Sake warmed since hot was how it was served to me back when and somehow became a habitual thing. However, according to Sake experts, warming the Sake is not the proper way to appreciate Sake, especially for premium grade!

Applying too much heat will likely destroy the delicacy of Sake,  but when served slightly chilled, the flavour and charm of the wine will express fully; more so for Premium Sake whose flavour is so complex. “Certain Premium Sake is brilliant at room temperature but slightly chilled is the norm. If you must warm up your Sake, just consume regular Sake” states Ken Watai , President of Jizake Japan Canada, a well-established Premium Sake Importer in BC. “Traditionally, only lower quality Sake is served warm to mask the insipidity so it could still be desirable to some consumers.” He added. “If you insist to warm up your Sake, do so by immersing the vial of Sake in a container of warm water that is way below the boiling point.  Never heat Sake up in the microwave.” Ken advised.

Like wine, pairing food with Premium Sake is an uprising trend. A recent Premium Sake pairing tasting at Kamei Royale organized by Mr. Watai and Kamei’s very own Sake Sommelier and Executive Director Shingo Masuda showcased the why and how important these advices were in order to embrace the delicate yet luscious Premium Sake. This tasting event turned extraordinary with the presence of a visiting true Sake expert – the Sake Master Kazunori Sato of Yamatogawa Sake Brewery who is behind a gold-award winning Sake that we were lucky enough to taste that evening.

 

Five crisp-coloured wines were poured into different sake glasses and served with modern Japanese fares.

The Junmai Ginjo Muroka Nama Sake has subtle fruit flavour with a clean and soft finish. The flaky Teriyaki Yellowtail steak with its sweetness complements this Sake very well. Next up was the Kissho Zuiyo Ginjo Sake, slightly dry on entry but gentle on the finish, this pairs perfectly with the dense yet soft scallop. Karakuchi Junmai Yauemon is bold and attention grabbing. If you like your Sake not chilled; this wine is awesome in room temperature or even lightly warmed. The enticing flavour of the smoked salmon marinade tuned in nicely with the boldness of this Karakuchi.

The four time Gold Award winner (A huge honour in Japan’s Premium Sake world) Daiginjo Yaemon, an exquisitely balanced, full flavour profile that lingers and seduces is served. With beautiful aroma and layers of flavours that keep on surfacing, this wine does exemplify what Premium Sake is all about. Black sesame tuna tataki with ponzu gelee brings out the sweetness and complexity of this Sake. Changing pace and the naturally soft, unfiltered Sake with a clear and sweet note – Nigori Northern Light is served. A shy yet engaging aroma brings out the crispy sensation the chef created the prawn okura tempura the chefs created to pair with the Northern Light.

According to Ken, the rice grains used to make Sake is the same throughout Japan; the difference is the water, the fermentation process and the skilled hands and experiences of the Sake Master. Water source makes a significant difference in the basic form and texture of the Sake; the traditional fermentation process each Sake house adopts and applies dictates the flavour and character profile of the Sake.

Compared to other alcoholic beverages, Sake is definitely more delicate, gentle and caressing. Instead of drinking Sake in a party-like and raucous environment, I prefer to sip mine with a different mood in a quieter, more relaxing temperament to fully enjoy the premium sake moment.