Café Muse – Vancouver, BC

Café Muse
2305 41st Ave. W
Vancouver, BC
(604) 568-2948

First off, loved the name of this place.  And no I’m not a fan of the band.

My visit was on a dreary winter weekend morning – a perfect time to get a quick cup of hot coffee, something to nibble on and work on the laptop with free wi-fi as I killed some time before a meet up with a friend.  I wasn’t alone, as several others had the same idea, some even pulling out those dreaded computers with a piece of fruit as their logo.

With a wide open glass facing, the entrance area is nice and bright.  Towards the back are more tables but feels darker and enclosed.  Why people would want to sit there when you can be in natural light is beyond me.  Pleasant and boisterous welcome from the folks behind the counter, make this place feel pretty homey.

Settling in, I ordered from the pastry counter this almond croissant.  The barista mentioned that they were having some issues with some suppliers so their counter was not fully stocked, same thing was affecting their containers/cutlery as well.  It was a bit dry for my liking, especially the inside.  Plenty of almonds on the outside though.  And not too sweet. Not completely inedible, but nowhere close to the superb variety found here.

Unfortunately I was there too early as their soups weren’t ready.  I believe I saw some clam chowder and borscht among the options.  Again, a supplier issue raised its head, according to the person I spoke to.

Caffe Umbria, a roaster based out of Seattle is apparently their supplier, assuming from my scan of some printed matter I saw on the wall.  They had some packaged  whole bean product for sale as well for those interested.  My latte was okay, a touch on the lukewarm side though. I’m not overly fussy when it comes to coffee, I generally just require the slight pick up it gives me, though the effectiveness of caffeine is wearing thin these days from over drinking it.

With one or two solid cafés on this street, Café Muse probably won’t make the top of people’s lists, but sure beats the Starbucks outlets found on the same strip.  I guess it falls into that middle range for preference.

Uncle John’s – Crawfordsville, AR

Uncle John’s
5453 Main Street
Crawfordsville, AR  72327
(870) 823-5319

Heading to Memphis, there were a lot of different food experiences we wanted to try. Unfortunately, as on most trips, we had way more places to try than we had meals. For BBQ, there was a lot of debate: Central, Paynes, Interstate, Rendezvous, BBQ Shop, Neely’s.  Fried chicken lead to a similar debate. We knew what we wanted to try, and it was tough choosing one or two places to hit up. For catfish though, there was no question. We had to go to Uncle John’s.

Now, being no more knowledgeable of local geography than what i saw on a map, I had no idea that Arkansas was that close to Memphis. And while i’m not the biggest fan of checklist tourism, I do wish to visit all 50 states at some point, and this was an easy chance to knock one off. Crawfordsville AK is only roughly 30 minutes from downtown Memphis.

Uncle John’s is ostensibly an “Italian” restaurant, but they serve many Southern specialties as well. And on Friday’s, they have a catfish special that is regarded by many to be the best catfish they’ve had.

As we pulled up, everything screamed small town. There was a bench, complete with two suspicious locals who eyed us with trepidation as too many people emerged from a too small rental vehicle, quietly celebrating the end of our torturous ride. They were not impressed. I’m not sure I was that impressed either.

The exterior was a clean, nondescript building with a painting of what I can only assume is the proprietor. It was definitely a bit more modern than i was expecting.

As we enter, we are greeted with suspicious looks and cold stares. We ask for a table and are politely seated, without much more than a mumble. After a few moments, our server asks us what we are doing here. “We’re here to try the catfish! We hear it’s the best catfish around.”

*SMILE!*.

Nothing warms someone up like a compliment. And the gruff exterior melted into Noni’s welcome mat. Not only is this the best catfish ever, it’s also the best spaghetti, and the best ribs, and the best bread pudding. And, as far as i can tell, the best anything i’ll ever have ever. Maybe it’s a bit hyperbolic, but i love the enthusiasm.

A peek into the kitchen shows a pretty simple operation. The menu is mostly Italian, complimented with steak, ribs, and sandwiches.

Being the hungry boys we are, we order several slabs of ribs to share, and everyone orders catfish. We get hearty nods of approval. The proprietor comes over, and starts asking questions. And talking hunting. And food. And we swap stories. Legendary Southern hospitality.

The ribs arrive – mostly dry, though they’d been basted with sauce, not just dry rubbed. They are tender and flavourful. A sweet, tangy sauce that counters the spice of the rub. They are good ribs. Not Central BBQ, but i would never complain about eating these.

Then comes the reason for the visit. Catfish. Served only on Friday’s, they come on a styrofoam plate with slaw, pickles, dipping sauce and a choice of side. Usually it’s fries. I got onion rings. They were pretty average.

The catfish is perfectly breaded in cornmeal, and fried to perfection. Crisp, light outside, with a moist, perfectly tender inside. Honestly, I didn’t imagine catfish could taste this good. It tasted so….clean.  I polish off the plate in seconds. This was the best catfish i’d ever had.

As the server comes back to take our dessert order, I half jokingly suggest that the only thing I want for dessert is more catfish. She laughs, and asks if I’d like some more. I immediately beg for more – it was divine. She heads to the kitchen and comes back with another plate for me. Everyone else looks on in envy. She catches their stares, and asks if anyone else would like some more. A lot of hands hit the air.

Even though we all put back a second helping of catfish, we order a few desserts to share. We’re assured the bread pudding is legendary, and that the brownie is a favorite with the ladies, so we go with those. After all, we hadn’t been led astray yet.

The bread pudding was… legendary. Moist, custardy, but not too wet. A sweet bourbon sauce, this was butter incarnate. And it was delicious. It deserves all the acclaim it gets. I don’t even bother with the brownie, but the two guys that put it out of its misery enjoy it immensely.

So what can I say about Uncle John’s that I haven’t said already? Well, we didnt try any of the Italian food, though they guarantee us it’s excellent. The catfish was by far the best order of catfish i’ve ever had, and the bread pudding might rank up there as well. The food, all around, was solid, the hospitality, Southern. These were genuine, kind, considerate people who seemed to really enjoy the fact that a group of Canadians had made the trek to Crawfordsville to try their catfish. We just enjoyed the fact that they served great food at great prices, and treated us like we were one of their own. I have no higher praise for a restaurant than that.

Hi Genki – Burnaby, BC

Hi Genki
6680 Southoaks Crescent
Burnaby, BC
(604) 777-0533

定食

Teishoku.  Often referred to as ’set meals’, although not always strictly following that definition in Japanese eateries.  Originally, the collection of several dishes in a combination, priced to be lower than if one was to order them individually, is often thought of as the reason this particular genre developed in dining out lingo.  The basic tray generally includes a bowl of steamed white rice, miso shiru (miso soup), a tsukemono (pickled vegetable) of some kind, and a main dish (be it grilled, raw, fried, stewed, noodles, etc.) of some kind.  To me, it reminds me of student cafeterias or lunch time hangouts for the white collar crowd where I had these many a time in Japan.

So it was no surprise that at Hi Genki which was essentially the dining area, very much cafeteria-like except there was table service, of a senior citizens home next to the Nikkei Place (home of the the National Nikkei Museum & Heritage Centre) the menu was lined with several teishoku offerings.  I’d been forewarned that the clientele there could be more of the gray hair crowd but to our surprise it was mostly filled with young people, lots of couples in fact.  None of whom appeared to be there visiting any aging relatives.  A virtual full house, couldn’t be bad, could it?

At the same time though, hesitation filled my mind.  After all, it was not a “proper” restaurant.  But the homey, comfort food dishes on a special menu page reminded me that perhaps this was a silver lining.  Things that I am not apt to cook at home intrigued me to possibly try, but in the end, we decided to go with some off the teishoku menu.

The shiromi (white fish, listed as cod) sakana (fish) and ebi fry (deep fried breaded prawns) teishoku.  I’m not sure where to start.  But first of all, it was seemingly cooked in some really hot oil and perhaps too long, as it was darker and crispier than should be.  The panko almost acting like sharp blades cutting the inside of my mouth as I took some bites.  If you’ve ever purchased any processed, frozen product in a Japanese supermarket made by one of the big food manufacturers, you’ll know what I’m talking about but the main items on my plate looked like it came off a factory production line.  Even the fish seemed somehow “artificial” in appearance and taste.  Not saying this was inedible, but that it was far from the home cooking I was hoping for.

The trend continued with my dining companion’s choice of the korokke (potato/onion croquettes) teishoku.  Again, just too perfectly even and formed patties.  Machine-made appearance.  The side salad again a dried out afterthought.  Not much more to say on this.

For under $8 a plate, I could accept it for what it was.  Easy and basic food, enough to fill you up quantity-wise.  I could see the appeal to young people and for the families I saw there dining out like it was a true restaurant.  The seniors no doubt were also happy with the pricing given they were all probably on fixed incomes.  I wouldn’t brand this as a never-to-visit-place, but just say that there are much stronger (albeit pricier) options for delicious teishoku in the Vancouver-area.

Central BBQ – Memphis, TN

Central BBQ – Central Avenue Location
2249 Central Ave.
Memphis,TN 38104
(901) 272-9377

Every Southern State (and sorry purists, I include Texas in the South – well, when it comes to BBQ anyway) believes their version of BBQ is the best. In travelling from State to State, I’ve come to recognize that the differences are not as great as they would have you believe. Yes, there are very fine differences in flavours, sauces, and ingredients, but most people would have a difficult time discerning these. These days, there has been so much cross-pollination of ideas and accessibility of ingredients, that i find BBQ is more about style, skill, and choice.

The greatest differences in BBQ come down to two key things: wet or dry, and choice of ingredient. While many people claim that Memphis-style BBQ is about wet (sauce) BBQ and pork, I found wet and dry preparations of ribs in most establishments. And while they also  serve mostly pork, there was some beef, and  there was a lot of  poultry (chicken, turkey) as well. Choice of wood, temperature, time, rub, I don’t feel there is  ”regional” exclusivity any longer. I’ve even seen mesquite, traditional Texas smoking wood,  used in Memphis BBQ preparations.

So the question meat lovers need to ask is not “which state has the best BBQ”, but which establishment serves the best BBQ that they prefer.  Central BBQ is one place in Memphis trying to stake their claim.

Central BBQ has two locations in Memphis, but I was reassured by locals that the original location on Central Ave was the one to go to. As we pull up, we see a smoke shack in the back, billowing smoke into the atmosphere, a fragrant, delicious smell. Our appetites are immediately whetted.

In the several trips we made back to Central BBQ, there was pretty much always a lineup. It speaks well of the popularity of their offering. But popular is one thing, and good is another.

When you finally get inside, there’s a counter with several servers waiting to take your order. Many choices are definitely Memphis-specific – while you have traditional Southern favorites like ribs, pulled pork, BBQ Chicken, you also have BBQ Nachos, BBQ Spaghetti, Turkey, and other more regional choices.

Orders are taken quickly and professionally, at which point you’re shuttled off to their small dining room. It’s a scramble for seats, but you have a while to wait for your order anyway. Things move at an orderly pace – people leave when they finish, while coincides well with the pace of the food arriving.

At this point my friend’s made a specific request that I give a shout out to the beer at Central BBQ. They carry the local Ghost River Brewery beer on tap, at the time I remember a Pale Ale and a Brown Ale. While the Pale Ale itself is very good, it is also the coldest beer we have ever had. On a warm day, this is honestly one of the most refreshing beers I’ve ever had. While the memories of pulled pork and ribs may fade for some of them, no one will ever forget the icy pull of the Glacial Pale Ale.

While our meat choices are pretty much exclusively slabs (ribs), we order a variety of appetizers to try. First out is the homemade potato chips – deep fried potato products are definitely my weakness. These are mostly well fried and seasoned with a seasoning salt/BBQ style seasoning, they are pretty good. Not the best chips I’ve ever had, but they aren’t going to offend anyone either.

The second appetizer was a Memphis specialty I had never tried – BBQ Nachos. Covered in pulled pork, cheese (shredded and sauce), jalapeno, seasoning, and served wet, these were amazing. Definitely not for the calorie conscious, but forget that diet for a day and give them a try.

The crisp corn chips provide a nice stable base for the mounds of pulled pork, cheese, jalapeno, and seasoning. The pulled pork is excellent – smoky, rich, with a great wet sauce – slightly sweet and tangy, with a good body to it. I can’t say enough – these nachos were great. Mostly due to the quality of the pulled pork, balanced with a nice sauce.

For myself however, the highlight of any BBQ meal are the slabs. The ribs. At Central BBQ, this is no exception.

We order ours dry – meaning smoked, without being covered in sauce. There are a wide variety of their homemade BBQ sauces available at the condiment station, and we try them all, but nothing gives us a better taste and understanding of the meat, the preparation, and the rub like a dry slab.

These ribs are awesome. Moist, pink, a great balanced rub chock full of flavour, a touch of nice char, these were awesome ribs.  As good as any ribs i’ve had anywhere. In this case, less is more.

The fact that we returned to Central BBQ several more times, and even took a slab to go for friends out-of-state, I think speaks clearly of our appreciation for the quality of their BBQ. Forget about comparisons to brisket from Texas, Missouri ribs, or what they’re doing over in Arkansas. On their own merits, Central BBQ serves up a phenomenal dry slab. This is a must visit for anyone in the area who appreciates meat, because no matter your preference in style and ingredient, you’ll have great BBQ at Central BBQ in Memphis.

Arcade Restaurant – Memphis, TN

Arcade Restaurant
540 South Main Street
Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 526-5757

Food Network. Tourist destination. Foodies declare a “must visit”. It seems every town has one or two of these. Either featured on “Diner’s, Drive-In’s, and Dive’s”, or some other equally “Middle America” kind of show, it is usually an old institution that is still “doing it the old way”, and everyone loves the nostalgia. In Memphis, you have the Peabody Hotel, and you have Arcade Restaurant.

The claim to fame for Arcade Restaurant is that they are the oldest restaurant in Memphis. Located in downtown Memphis, a neighbourhood currently undergoing some “gentrification”, they even claim Elvis as a former regular customer. Considering some of the stories you hear about downtown, Arcade Restaurant resides in a fairly nice part of downtown.

The interior is all old school – I half expected to see Elvis sitting somewhere eating deep fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches after walking inside. This preserved interior has been the set for many Hollywood films. And they proudly state it. I actually kind of like it. While it doesn’t match my usual preferences for decor, it has character. LOTS of character.

Walking in on a late Sunday morning, the place is busy. While there is a lot of seating available, the place is crowded and we manage to get in during a lull. A line up forms literally minutes after we are seated.

This is when the experience starts to go south. We flip through the menus, and decide what we wish to order. We wait….and wait, when a server finally arrives to take our order. A little long, but based on how busy it is, something we consider reasonable. We place our orders, and watch food come out of the kitchen to see what we would be expecting.

One person starts to get quite hungry. We caution patience. I think they were hungover, which resulted in some grumpiness. And we wait. And wait. And wait. We make polite inquiries about our food, and we’re told that it’s coming right up. Our original server is no where to be seen. And we wait. And wait. And wait. Now im normally a pretty patient guy, but after watching tables that had been seated after us (and granted, ordered before we had) finish their meals and leave, we inquired about our order again. Another server flags down our original server, who says they’ll check.

They show up with 4 plates of cold food. Ice cold. We try a bite. It’s inedible. We flag down our server again, and mention that the food is cold. She goes to talk to the manager, comes back and offers us a fraction off our check, or they will remake the order, but “that could take quite a while.”

While a fraction may seem appealing to someone as value driven as myself, I kindly request they remake the order as I came to try this famous, well regarded food, and would like them to be able to put their best foot forward. 20 minutes later, the order arrives. With inaccuracies. We decide to keep our mouths shut and eat.

Country Fried steak with poached eggs, gravy, and biscuits. Steak is rock hard, over fried, and bland. The gravy is ok, but lacks the pepper punch of a good white gravy. The poached eggs – i could’ve done better in a microwave. The biscuits are fairly firm. This plate was a complete fail.

The ham steak and hash was a bit better. Hash was undercooked to the point of having some raw potato taste still. The ham itself had been cured, smoked, and then pan fried. It was extremely salty, but was decent. Toast was not memorable.

Other orders of eggs, bacon, and some sides like grits are all not very good. I’m a bit surprised, as being given a second opportunity to make the meal right, they didnt care enough to put much attention into it. We even ordered an extra side of deep fried peanut butter and banana sandwich. It arrived luke warm, was decent for a couple bites, then collapsed into a congealed mess.

From end to end, it took over 2 hours. I have to say, service aside, the food was average to below average. I’d come to expect a lot more, based on the quality of other establishments i had eaten at already in Memphis, and the reputation of the Arcade Restaurant. Once you factor in the service, well, to be honest, it falls into the bottom 5 service experiences i’ve ever had, and therefore, I heartily suggest you pass on this establishment. We were unfailingly polite, and patient to no end. And to be given a choice of “a fraction of your bill” or “i guess we can remake it, but it”ll take a while”, it was almost like they didn’t want to remake it. Like they didn’t care. And that hordes of tourists were going to walk through their door no matter what we thought. And they will. But hopefully no one who reads Foodosophy will. Consider yourself warned.