Vancouver – Cafe Salade De Fruits

August 20, 2019June 10, 2020 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

L and I finished shopping in South Granville. Before spending the afternoon at Granville Island, I suggested we have lunch at one of my old haunts – Café Salade De Fruits. I’ve been dining here since it first opened, back in the early 2000s. For this post, let’s listen to “Les Champs Elysees“ by Chantal Chamberland.

Located inside a French school, the atmosphere is cozy and quaint. The music is soothing yet energetic. The French speaking staff are professional and warm. The day I visited, I recognized one of the original chefs and owners – Antoine Bonard – in the kitchen.

patio

We sat on the patio. I wanted a light lunch, so we shared a regular order of Moules Frites ($19). I ordered a glass of La Vielille Ferme ($10.50) while L predictably ordered a sleeve of beer ($10).

mussle

The fries were cut thin and short, with a crackling of salty goodness. I encouraged L to fork his fries and let it saturate in the broth. Friggin delicious. The fries remained crispy despite its creamy bath.

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The temperature of the broth was steaming hot and remained so throughout our meal. The broth was rich and fragrant with what I thought could be wine, cream, butter, shallots and lemon.

bread

The baguette was just as excellent as the mussels and broth. The crust was crisp yet chewy. The bread tasted clean, with soft, springy tissues. I loved how beautifully the bread soaked up all the flavours in the broth. Our server saw that we finished all our bread and without any prompting, dropped off another serving.

sss

Despite how hot the broth was, each mussel remained soft and sweet until the very end. It’s hard to find a restaurant that can cook mussels properly. Too often, I find mussels are like rubbery bullets. You won’t find that here. This isn’t Salade de Fruits first rodeo.

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The regular order was like a magical never ending pot of mussels. We were stuffed. L raved our seafood lunch at Cafe Salade de Fruits. I’m pleased that some things don’t change. I hope this cafe is around as long as I keep coming.

Indian · Vancouver/Richmond

Vancouver – Rangoli

September 11, 2016February 2, 2019 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

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I met my friend Jaime at Rangoli for lunch. I’ve eaten at Rangoli a few times before and I found the food consistently delicious. I particularly enjoy the vegetarian dishes, which I think are tastier than the meat options.

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Jaime ordered a chai tea and I ordered a Jongleur beer from Strange Fellows Brewery ($7). I liked the spice and orange notes, which paired well with the curries we ordered.

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Jaime and I shared two dishes: Portobello Mushroom and Red Pepper Curry on Paneer ($17) and the Grilled Eggplant with Basmati risotto ($18).

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The paneer on the eggplant was subtle. I really liked the char taste of the grilled eggplant. The creamy coconut curry sauce was delicious. The toasted pumpkin seeds gave the dish a little crunch.

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Of the two dishes, the Portobello Curry was my favourite. The beet salad had a nice tartness to it and I loved the crunchy texture. The red peppers were sweet. The sauce creamy and spicy and went so well with the silky, meaty mushrooms.

The only thing I didn’t enjoy about our lunch was the service. Our server was curt to us from the beginning of the meal right up to the end. Though we were there for less than an hour, he made it clear that he wanted to turn the table, despite the fact I had beer left in my glass. I’m a fast eater and drinker too. Normally I wouldn’t make a big deal about this but isn’t this Vij’s restaurant? He is the king of hospitality. I would expect this service from a cash only, no frills Chinese restaurant, not a restaurant from Vij. In any case, the food is delicious. Hitting the Sauce gives the food at Rangoli two fat thumbs up.

Fusion · Indian · Vancouver/Richmond

Vij’s

June 23, 2015April 16, 2017 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

L and I met my buddy N and her new man friend, M, at Vij’s. L has never been to Vij’s before but he has heard me rave about the food and service often enough. My sister use to take me there when I was a student at SFU. I remember the first time I dined at Vij’s. I felt out of place until the owner introduced himself to us. He seem genuinely interested in our experience and made us giggle like school girls over his jokes. Now that’s a host.

We sat outside in the patio for about an hour and a half, drinking wine and snacking on complimentary hor d’oeuvres. My favourite appy was a vegetable pakora that tasted a lot like KFC chicken. I must have eaten at least five of those delicious fritters. By the time we sat down to eat, I was full.

L and I both ordered Wine Marinated Lamb Popsicles ($30), which come with endless rice and naan. I was the only one who dug into the carbs. N only nibbled on her vegetarian dish, her boyfriend was on the Paleo diet, and L only ate the lamb, ignoring the potatoes and spinach.

I love the taste of the lamb popsicles. I received five chops, each grilled with that heavenly charbroil taste. I though each chop had the perfect amount of fat, that type that squishes onto your tongue like hot juice. The yellow fenugreek sauce was rich and creamy. I made good use of the naan and rice to soak up the flavours of the dish.

Too bad Calgary doesn’t have a place like Vij’s. We could use a restaurant that turns hospitality into an art. Oh well, just more reason for us to visit my old hometown more often.