A Feast Fit for All Food Lovers

This is a MAN's dinner (but fit for ladies too). Master BBQ-er chef MR treated us during the Xmas holidays for a meat n' carbs kind of meal. Just the way the Phans like it. :) The steak was done just right for me, a super-juicy-medium-rare with the trimmings all in tact. I'm hoping for an invite back soon to re-live this gloriously carnivorous moment.

Our 'sides' included take-out from his favorite Indian restaurant, Dhoom. A creamy, rich butter chicken, perfectly toasted naan and aromatic basmati rice. Who wouldn't want to indulge in these ethnic 'sides'?

On the right, we have our third meat of the evening, my momma's famous marinated ribs. Much like her spring rolls, this recipe for success is kept safe in the Phan vault . Those who are fortunate enough to steal a taste are lucky. And lucky enough for MR, he got to savor a freezer full of them!

He also let us sample his secret recipe for roasted potatoes. Although, I will disclose that his 'secret recipe' consists of printing off a recipe online and using ONLY the ingredients he has in the house! Best trick in the book, I suppose. LOL. Give it a whirl sometime guys, and let me know how it goes!

And last but NEVER least, President's Choice lychee pop! This stuff is AMAZING. So amazing, he gifts 24 cans of this stuff to me every Christmas! Super refreshing carbonated soda with a lychee kick. The perfect marriage to one hell of a meaty night.

Rootin' for Rangoli's

My fellow foodie companions CS, SC and I love to try out new restaurants and foods every time we get together. It's a must. I've been to the world renowned Vij's but had never been to their petite better-known-for-lunch spot Rangoli's. Although I still love Vij's 10x more, Rangoli's delivered with just as much flavor, selection, amazing service and good portions. My scrumptious lamb in cumin and light cream curry above with rice and naan (my two favorite carbs).

SC's tamarind and yogurt marinated chicken was bursting with flavor at every bite, also paired with a sprouts salad.

I remember my first experience at Vij's. A line up of people in the cold with Vij's staff walking around with trays of fresh chai and pakoras to warm their insides while they dreamt of the meal they were about to have. We luckily came at 5pm and got to sit down right away but were still served the freebies. This is my favorite warm chai of all time (and people who know me, know I despise warm drinks).

Last but not least, CS had the spicy pulled pork on sauteed greens which was nicely done with sour cream chutney on the side. The tastes were magnificent this lunch!

And of course, CS is the queen of knowing exactly which dishes to order from her insider knowledge of rave reviews. So, she insisted that we try their rice pudding with almonds and cardamom and boy did this dish ace my taste test of meeting her standards of the best rice pudding around. mMmm, I can't wait to come back!

Chicken 65 at House of Dosas. A Hidden Gem, Indeed.

Damn. This is one freaking good chicken dish. Chicken 65 from House of Dosas. Legend tells it that this tender meat is marinated for 65 days, in a combination of irresistible sweet, salty and spicy herbs. Then served with a tangy ketchup-like sauce, this tiny ball of goodness is sure to set your mouth on a fiery path to pure food heaven satisfaction. I strongly urge you to give this dish a whirl as it's a Phan fave! AND, to top it off, RW introduced this to me who, if you remember, also termed my food blog, Phancouver.

Another Phan fave of mine is their Mango Lassi. I've had it at a few other places but this one trumps them all. Mango perfection blended with yogurt and other secretive spices to create a mouthful of soothing smoothie to calm my palate during a spicy Indian meal. Those who know me, know that I can't take spice but I will suffer the pain to endure the wonderful taste of the Chicken 65.

So my friends and I gathered at House of Dosas on a Monday evening, forgetting that on Mondays, their dosas are 5 dollars and the wait is super long! Plus, there is a DJ spinning some Jamaican-Indian infused songs so it's a pretty bumpin' place to be. I hope the picture does the dosa justice as they are long and intimidating. But don't be afraid. These Indian crepes are quite airy and filled with a curry to your liking as you can see below with my table eye's view.

It's too bad that I really don't remember the names of anything we ordered but I know that they were all delicious! I think I had tastes of similar dishes to eggplant curry, paneer, chicken and beef madras galore. Portions are generous and flavor is a plenty. Side dishes include rice, naan, pampa dam and tiny bowls of yogurt, coconut and other interesting accompaniments. Plus if you really enjoy cricket, that's all they play on their TVs!

Oh and I almost forgot to mention, I also saw a mouse here. :( Although that did freak a few of my friends out, that won't deter me from coming back!

Cooking with Korma

mmMMmm, I love homemade lunches. While I am still trying to hone my cooking skills, sauce in a jar works for me! I tried out a korma (cream and coconut) sauce from one of my daily strolls to Urban Fare, and added chicken and sweet potato to it (as you can see simmering nicely in the pan above). And of course, smothered over my staple, Uncle Ben's Rice mixed with some yellow peppers and zucchini. A perfect lunch to split and dine with salad.

Always and Forever a Pig at Heart ... Even at Work!

Let me tell you about the night where I almost passed out at dinner because the beef short rib was SO delicious. It was at the new Vancouver Convention Centre for the Life Sciences BC Awards Gala and when the entree was served, I was in food heaven. Talk about love at first bite - literally. I love my beef extremely tender and the fattier the better (I know that may gross some people out). It just soaks up the juice so well!! I couldn't stop talking about this dish to everyone that night. I was obsessed with the flavor. Honestly, it was so amazing that I would pay big bucks to eat it again. If you ever get the chance, DO IT UP at VCC.

I must say that 1 perk from my job is that I get to try foods at hotels, convention centres or events that I wouldn't normally get the opportunity to. It's strange when I pull out my camera to take a shot, but I just have to sneak at least 1 to remember the goodness. Above, we got to dine at the Image Group luncheon provided at the TOPS show, also at the Vancouver Convention Centre. It was all you can eat featuring mustard crusted lamb and sesame coated salmon. Yum! I don't know what it is, but free bread and butter is always so satisfying.

This recent Indian Food Coma was had on Friday with a few of the gals from work. We took a short stroll to Salam Bombay on Thurlow street and gabbed over fresh naan bread, butter chicken, tandoori chicken, seafood curry, lamb curry, saag paneer and my favorite, eggplant dip. All you can eat for $15.00 - what a steal!