For our first night in Vancouver, L and I went our separate ways. He went on a bicycle and brewery tour with Moody and Cuz, while I took Beep Beep and N out for dinner. I’ve asked L before to set up N with his single friends, but he said she’ll eat them alive. When I told N, she agreed with L. Unlike me, she doesn’t like nice guys. In honour of N, let’s listen to “Bad Guy“ by Billie Eilish.
N recommended we dine at Lupo Restaurant & Vinoteca, an Italian restaurant in Yaletown. Beep Beep and N suggested that I pick all the dishes and wine. I chose a bottle of Burrowing Owl ($96, Cabernet Sauvignon 2016). I found the wine full-bodied, intense but still fresh enough to sip on a warm summer night.
We shared the Bufala Mozzarella ($20), Parmigiana Custard ($20), Ricotta Gnocchi ($28), Taglierini ($28), and an order of Focaccia Bread ($7.00). A server accidentally brought over a plate of Octopus Mosaic ($20). When he realized his mistake, he told us to enjoy the octopus appetizer on the house.
We all thought the burrata was excellent. The cheese was creamy and smooth. The tomatoes were ripe and sweet. The organic greens were crisp and the basil noticeably fragrant. This dish rivaled the caprese salad at Cotto Italian in Calgary.
I wasn’t as crazy about the Parmigiana Custard. The texture was smooth and rich, and I enjoyed the cheesy custard-like texture, but it didn’t stand out like the other dishes.
We all loved the focaccia bread – it was ultra light with a crusty, airy exterior. The toppings of cheese, olive oil, cooked tomatoes and mushrooms made it almost pizza-like. The texture and flavour of Lupo’s bread is far superior to my homemade focaccia. I would order this again.
If you are into tomatoes, you must order the ricotta gnocchi. The gnocchi was soft, warm and gooey. Beep Beep said she could taste the fresh tomatoes in the sauce. I liked the addition of the eggplant. This was Beep Beep’s favourite dish. N was tipsy at this point and didn’t comment on the food, except to say it was good.
My favourite dish was the linguini with wild mushrooms. I enjoyed the sensation of crunching into the delicate earthy mushrooms. I found the chili and garlic oil downright decadent. I would order this again.
N informed me that Lupo is one of her go-to restaurants because of the excellent food, professional service, and the fact it’s a hidden gem in Vancouver. I enjoyed the food and company immensely. Hitting the Sauce gives Lupo two fat thumbs up.
For our second No Man’s Dinner meetup, our supper club met at Bar Modern on Stephen Ave. L was initially hesitant to join our club due to a past negative experience. In 2012, I dragged him to a food event. We learned years later that one of the guests we met was charged for child luring and sexual touching of a minor. C came to L’s defense and said she doesn’t blame him, as she too would be jaded if she accidentally met a pedophile. For this post, let’s listen to “Heebie Jeebies” by The Bosell Sisters.
Bar Modern offers a daily happy hour menu from 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm. For six bucks, you can choose from house red or white wine, beer, highballs and some snacks. I detest house wine so I ordered a 5-ounce glass of Cabernet Sauvignon (Submission, Napa Valley $12.25). The wine was plummy and jammy, with a sweet vanilla aftertaste. I preferred my second glass of wine – a light and peppery Pinot Noir (Spy Valley, New Zealand $9.75).
Our server Jordan gave us a rundown of the menu. His mouth-watering description of the Modern Smash Burger ($19) sold us. L liked the ratio of meat to produce. The double patty was crispy on the outside and the meat melted in your mouth. L described the burger as a sophisticated Big Mac but with top quality ingredients.
I’d recommend you add bacon ($2) and upgrade the fries to truffle ($2). The bacon was crisp and arrived still glistening. Every element in the burger was excellent. Even the slice of tomato was a treat – so sweet it tasted like it was plucked from a garden.
Photo Credit: Loaf2go
I announced that L’s burger was one of the best I’ve tried in Calgary. Seashell said she is wary when people claim something they have eaten is the best, because what is that based on and how can you compare that to someone else’s experience? Someone at the table clarified that I said it was the best burger I had in Calgary. C said she needs to eat more burgers before she can decide. T was impressed the bun held up to all the juices and sauces in the burger. @pak_to_eating_yyc tried a bite of her boyfriend’s burger and wished she ordered that instead of the beef rib. All I know is that if we spent this much time talking about a god damn burger, it must be something special.
C enjoyed her New York Striploin Steak frites ($34). She thought the striploin was nicely cooked and simply seasoned. I tried a piece of C’s meat and I could tell the difference between Modern Steak’s beef and what L normally buys on sale from Safeway. The flavor of the steak and the juiciness was superior. @kimrobynyyc ordered the 7 oz Flat Iron ($29) and she thought it was yummy.
I ordered the Steak Tartare ($18). Lately, I’ve been on a steak tartare bender. The tartare was both tender yet chewy. I forgot to give C a piece to try.
C permitted Seashell to pick the next venue. I suggested that she pick whatever she liked – be it the Ship and Anchor or some other Calgary institution. She nodded and said she would need some time to think about it. I just hope Seashell picks a restaurant with a decent wine list. Otherwise I’ll be irritable and likely focus my negative energy on L.
Thanks to the members of No Man’s Dinner for the good company and fun. I’m looking forward to the next meet-up.
Beep Beep wanted to have a drink at Bar 54. She mentioned the bar was overpriced and touristy, but she wanted to see the rooftop view of Chrysler Building and of lower Manhattan. We toasted to her birthday with an Aperol Spritzer ($26) and a Rosolio Spritz ($26). The spritzer tasted gross and reminded me of cough medicine. Pro-tip – stick to wine. We much preferred our glass of Rodney Strong Knights Valley ($19) over the cocktails. After midnight, we decided to call it a night.
We were about to enter the subway when a dirty looking man peeped through the gate and started babbling in a high-pitched baby voice: “Nooo? Yesss! Nooo? Yesss!” Before I could stop myself, I responded “Noooo.” Subway Guy looked excited and repeated “Yesss?” I sternly shook my head and said firmly “No!” Since we hadn’t entered through the gate, he assumed we were looking for another train. He said if we went up the stairs and to the left, the other train would be there. I didn’t like his eagerness and the fact he wanted to continue our ‘conversation’ so we pretended to exit. When I heard him take off, we returned to wait for our train. There was another guy there who there who half-heartedly muttered, “Noooo? Yesss!” We ignored him. For this post, let’s listen to Trouble by Pink.
A minute before our train arrived, Subway Guy came back and told his friend he couldn’t find us. I pulled my large black hood over my head. Beep Beep whispered, “Your disguise sucks. You are not fooling anyone.” She was right because Subway Guy spotted me and said something that is so obscene, I will not repeat it. I’ve already said too much. My father reads my blog. Knowing Ludwig, he will tell on me to my mother. I know I’m going to get a flurry of emails from Boss Lady telling me to quit creating drama and getting into trouble. Sorry ma, old habits die hard.
On the way home, Beep Beep really had to pee. She ran ahead and then would stop, crouch down with her knees pressed together and bellow “Nooo?” Then she turned around to face me and coo, “Yesss!” I doubled over with laughter and couldn’t breathe or walk until she stopped mimicking the Subway Guy. Omigod, we are so immature.
The next morning, Beep Beep woke me up at 6:30 a.m. so we would to make it to Ellen’s Stardust Diner by 7:00 a.m. Ellen’s is known for its singing wait staff. Beep Beep ordered the Smoked Salmon Plate ($20). The cook forgot to put the cream cheese on the bagel. Our server was absent so she ate her bagel without any cream cheese.
I wasn’t feeling well, so I ordered a ginger ale and a Fresh Fruit Cup ($9). I found the assortment of cantaloupe, honeydew, grapes and pineapple incredibly fresh and sweet. Beep Beep took a bite and said it was normal fruit, I was just hung over. I ordered a latte ($6.50) that tasted like it come out of a vending machine from the 90s. Beep Beep said I should have just drank her latte, because she didn’t like it either.
I enjoyed the confetti that fluttered down from the ceiling. Some of the wait staff differed in charisma, but I enjoyed listening to them sing. A staffer came come out and gave a long story about how hard the staff worked to both sing and bring your food, so donations for their singing classes would be appreciated. The suggested additional tip was $20 bucks.
Before we left for the airport, we stopped by Union Square Farmer’s Market, Little Italy and Chinatown. Beep Beep wanted us to try the Cheong Fun Cart. After using Google maps, I found it. Beep Beep asked a waiting customer if this was the famous Cheong Fun Cart. I knew the lady Beep Beep asked had no clue. I looked up the cart on Yelp to confirm the pictures of the cart and location. The lady said no, we needed to go to a cart that was ten minutes away. I told Beep Beep this was the right cart and showed her the matching pictures I found.
Beep Beep freaked out because there was only a small slit through the metal cart where the vendor’s face would pop out to ask you what you wanted. The elderly woman working there was tiny, and it looked like there was enough room for her and her husband. I requested two small cheong funs ($1.50), one with pork and the other with chicken and an egg (50 cents). I added green onions and requested no cilantro.
Oh my goodness. If you are into the texture and subtle flavours of Chinese dim sum, you’ll love these silky pools of noodles. The noodles are made fresh for you, and it was everything I was craving. Steaming hot, soft with little specks of meat and sauce to give it the right amount of savoury, salty flavour. Next time I’d omit the egg as I found texture of the yolk too dry. I would also add hot sauce. Since Beep Beep and I were sharing, I didn’t add any.
Cheong Fun Cart was one of our favourite eats in New York. When Beep Beep complained again about the work conditions, I informed her that the woman working in the cart was the owner, so it was her decision. If she wanted to unionize, she could. Besides, after only three days in the Big Apple, I too would want to be enclosed in a metal container to protect me from being spat on, hustled or spoken to in an indecent manner.
I told Beep Beep that for her birthday dinner, she could choose any Michelin star restaurant she fancied. Based on my friend Soup’s recommendation, I suggested Daniel. Beep Beep said she prefers value and wanted to dine at Ivan Orkin’s restaurant instead. We watched his episode on Chef’s Table twice before. For this post, let’s listen to something from Orkin’s music to slurp ramen to.
As we walked along Clinton St., Beep Beep observed the neighbourhood has a real fuck you attitude. I was about to ask her to elaborate when we overheard a guy say to his friend, “And then I was like – fuck you – you can’t do that.” One block later, I saw another indicator that residents don’t beat around the bush.
The restaurant itself was low key, packed with customers clearly happy to eat there. The decor is minimal and clean, with comic book like illustrations on the wall. Service was industrious, polite and attentive. I asked our server what beverage he would recommend with our meal. He said that nothing goes better with ramen than a cold beer. For something easy sipping and light, he suggested Jack’s Abby Post Shift Pilsner ($8).
Beep Beep and I started off with an order of the Curry Flower ($11). The cauliflower was still crisp, tossed in a light, buttery curry sauce. The bite size pieces were topped with bonito flakes, green onions, and crunchy pickled ginger.
I finished my beer and wanted to try a sake. I asked for something that was dry, smooth and fragrant. Our server recommended Miyuzakura Panda Cup (Junmai, $14). Bonus, it’s like getting two drinks for the price of one! Look at the size of the tumbler.
Beep Beep ordered Chicken Paitan with an egg ($22). I ordered the Triple Pork Triple Garlic Mazemen, plus an egg ($18). I wanted to try the mazemen because my brother Narc is a huge fan of Strictly Dumpling, who recommended the brothless ramen. Maybe Strictly Dumpling should stick to critiquing dumplings, because I much preferred Beep Beep’s paitan over the mazemen.
Paitan means white and creamy soup. The generous portion of noodles were chewy and had a great mouth feel to it. The chicken broth was rich tasting but light on the tongue. The flavours were soft and unique but still familiar. The broth reminded me of Thanksgiving, but with more intense, lingering flavours. I’d order this the next time I visit.
I told Beep Beep to pull the noodles up with her chopsticks so I could take a food shot. She didn’t understand until I showed her by pulling my noodles high above the bowl. I learn this trick from the young kids I hang with at my office.
The pork in my bowl was tender. The noodles were springy and thick, coated in a salty sauce that reminded me of smoked oysters. The egg was so creamy it could pass as a dessert. Tasty, but the chicken paitan was more unique and satisfying to eat. There was something addicting and unexpected in that chicken broth. It’s been a week since I ate there and I’m still thinking about the paitan.
The episodes I enjoyed most on Chef’s Table are the ones that I can afford to eat at. Ivan Ramen was the real deal for me and I had zero guilt when I paid off my credit card last week. Next up, Beep Beep and I ended her birthday festivities at Bar 54 – the tallest rooftop bar in Manhattan.
On the way to Café China, Beep Beep and I walked through High Line, a public park built on a historic freight rail line above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. Still buzzing from the excitement of the morning’s revelation, we marveled at the odds of us being on Wendy’s show when she announced she is living in a sober house. For this post, let’s listen to to “The Message”by Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five.
Beep Beep picked Café China because of its Michelin star and it’s inexpensive. She doesn’t like spicy food so I had a feeling this wouldn’t be her favourite restaurant. Café China only takes reservations for parties of four or larger.
When we arrived, we put our name on the list. We waited about 20 minutes. Beep Beep was irritated because customers who showed up after us got in sooner. There is seating at the counter and the moment someone was finished, the other waiting customers would request to sit there. I need to be more aggressive in New York.
Once we were seated, service was prompt. We ordered cold herbal tea – Wong Lo Kat ($3), a detoxifying beverage. I found the tea too sweet but Beep Beep said it refreshing.
We picked two of the most popular dishes – the Braised Fish Filet with Tofu ($13) and the Spicy Cumin Lamb ($16). Beep Beep asked for no cilantro so I could eat the food. I should have asked for less spice, because Beep Beep found the food too fiery. Our lunch specials included white or brown rice and a choice of hot and sour soup or a spring roll.
The lamb was juicy and tender. The cumin seasoning was strong and rich from the spicy oil. I can handle my spice and I could feel my cheeks flushing from the heat. Poor Beep Beep was not enjoying her lunch.
The fish was soft and blended in with the crumbled pieces of tofu. I liked the the topping of peanuts, which gave the dish some needed texture. I didn’t find the fish hot at all but Beep Beep said it burned her mouth.
The piece of spearmint gum we received at the end of our meal was much appreciated. After eating most of the cumin lamb, my breath needed some help.
If you like spicy northern Chinese food, Cafe China is worth a visit. The ingredients were top notch and the food was more skillfully cooked than what I can get back in Calgary.
After our meal, we walked through the Upper East Side of Manhattan and then cut across Central Park to the Upper West Side to Milk Bar on Columbus.
Beep Beep wanted to try the crack cake at Milk Bar Bakery because she watched Christina Tosi on Chef’s Table. When the employee learned it was Beep Beep’s birthday, she gave her complimentary birthday truffles.
We took subway back to our hotel in Tribeca to change for the evening. Beep Beep told me how she loves taking the subway in New York because it’s convenient, cheap and gets you around the entire city. She even loves the dirty grittiness of the subway and the grinding noises of the trains on the track.
When we walked to our exit, I heard the sound of someone clearing their throat and then spitting. I felt droplets all over my hair. I turned around to see a tall homeless man with red eyes walking towards me, his arms extended and waving. Beep Beep pushed me forward and told me to keep walking.
Gee Beep Beep – you weren’t exaggerating when you said New York’s subway is gritty. In 2008, I surveyed residents and businesses in the Downtown Eastside, which includes the notorious East Hastings St. Not once did I feel threatened, nor did anyone spit or hustle money out of me. Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.
Hitting the Sauce 