604: Au Comptoir (Vancouver)

So I had a theme for my birthday this year. Since I can't travel to Paris, I decided to bring Paris to me. I did a lot of research before selecting this restaurant. I also called several times to make sure that they will have the Mille Feuille. But man there are so many obstacles. First I could hardly understand their English on the phone, but that means that this restaurant is operated by French people and you know this is authentic! There's also a ban on indoor dining, but I had a good feeling that by June they will remove the restriction, and I was right. The worker there told me that they don't take reservations, and they only sell Mille Feuille on Fridays. So I purposely planned a day off on Friday to celebrate with a friend.

When I got there, the first thing I noticed was the limited patio dining tables outside their restaurant facing a busy street. While we were waiting for our table, the buses would occasionally make a stop to offload passengers right in front of the restaurant. With the traffic and noise, I definitely wouldn't want to eat outside. Luckily, we didn't have to wait too long to be seated. The inside of the restaurant was quite fancy with a cocktail bar on one side and seating booths on the other side with large mirrors hanging above it.

As soon as I settled down, I asked the waiter if I could reserve a piece of mille feuille. In a heavy French-English accent, the waiter said that they do not have that. I was devastated... but when I peered over my right shoulder, I saw a tall dessert showcase right next to our table with at least a dozen mille feuille in it. I then figured that the waiter did not understand my poor French...

When the waiter returned, we ordered the braised lamb and a duck leg confit for the main, and then I pointed at the mille feuille from the showcase to reserve a piece.

The duck leg was seared to perfection. The skin was crispy while the meat is leathery with a palatable chew. The texture of the meat isn't moist and tender, but a drier texture that resembles a bit like jerky strips with parts of the edge being crusty. The deep flavor and the fibery texture only tell me that this duck leg has been cured with salt and seasoning before submerging the leg in duck fat. This also explains why the duck skin was extra crispy too. In the process of curing, it draws out the moisture from the meat which enhances the flavor. The skin is also dehydrated which yields to a crispier skin when it's cooked and baste with its own rendered fat. I have full respect for the chef who prepared this using the traditional French cooking technique rather than cutting corners using sous vide, a widely used method in restaurants these days to save time. It's not the same. Sous vide results in a soft and tender texture but you will never have the same enhanced meaty flavor without curing it. The duck sauce added an extra touch to this dish with the perfect amount of condiments that did not rob away the flavor of the duck meat. With just one bite, it tells a story about the cooking techniques and the preparation behind this meal.

With the braised lamb, frankly, I wasn't as impressed as the duck leg. It was ultra gamey, and even for a lamb lover myself, the pungent smell was a teeny bit overwhelming. So I wouldn't recommend it for the general crowd. However, the texture of the meat was fall off the bone tender.

The mille feuille was the highlight of my meal. I do love my sweets and mille feuille is one of my favorite desserts, so I'm probably a little bias. I liked the strong vanilla fragrance in the smooth custard, and the puff pastry was somewhat flakey and crispy. The puff pastry is a bit greasy though and it tasted like the packaged ones I buy from Trader Joes. So I had some marks docked off for the pastry layers as it's nothing out of the ordinary. I prefer the puff pastry from Foret Noire, but I really like the custard from this restaurant. If only I can combine them together...

The lemon tart was also excellent. It had the perfect tang with the sweet. The lemon flavor really stood out and I liked the crust holding the lemon curd. It's more like a shortbread type of crust instead of a flaky one. It's harder but it crumbles in your mouth. I can't comment on the merguine decorated nicely on top, as I generally am not a fan of it. It's usually too sweet for me (and for my friend too) so we scraped it off.

Overall, everything was executed perfectly and you could tell a lot of careful planning and preparation were involved. What a great place to fine dine during lunch or brunch! I would want to come back to try out their breakfast or dinner menu in the future.

📍 Location: Here

Menu: Breakfast || Brunch || Lunch || Dinner || Dessert

💵 Price: $ 25 - $35 pp for lunch (excluding 🍷🍰) || $40 - $60 pp for dinner (excluding 🍷🍰)

🤤Taste: 4.5 / 5

🕯Atmosphere: 4.5

🪑Seating: 4

📈 Price Performance ratio: 4.8 / 5

Retention Rate: 100%

ℙ𝕣𝕠𝕤:

🍴 excellent service

🍴carries a lot of classic French dishes

🍴 the confit duck leg was seared to perfection using real cooking techniques and not sous vide.

🍴the lamb meat was fall off the bone tender

🍴has amazing desserts

🍴I love the custard from the mille feuille. It has a strong vanilla fragrance

🍴The lemon tart has the perfect balance of tangy and sweet. The crust resembles a shortbread cookie. It's buttery and it crumbles with a bite (not the flaky kind)

ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕤:

🍴 the braised lamb was really gamey which I'm okay with. I think it would be too much for the general crowd

🍴Don't take reservations

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:

🍴love everything about this place. Especially the Mille Feuille 😍

🍴 they only carry the Mille Feuille on Fridays

🍴 can't comment on the merguine. I scraped it off from the lemon tart (I don't like merguine in general cause it's usually too sweet)

604 Joyee's Fave: Texas Smoke BBQ (Langley)

If you have been following me for a while, you probably have noticed a few things from my posts:

1. I eat a lot of Persian food (I like it so much that one of my followers ended up asking our mutual friend if I'm Persian)

2. I love Southern BBQ's

3. and I am extremely fond of Northern Chinese food

So when I saw their instagram post from Texas Smoke BBQ, I knew I had to go there and try it out.

Strategically, I planned my day around Langley area yesterday so I could visit their food truck.

Everything about this food truck just made me so happy - the smoke emitting from their smoker, the pitmaster dividing up the brisket, and the country music playing in the background. As I was waiting in line, I went up to the pitmaster, who I later learned his name was Nathan, and he threw me a tiny sample. I ate it as if Covid didn't exist, and it was super tender!

I told him that I drove all the way here to try out their BBQ and I've gone around different places trying out Southern BBQs in the lower mainland. As I was making conversations with Nathan, I learned that everything was pretty much sold out already. I wanted to cry. I wanted their pulled pork but it was sold out. I wanted cornbread and it was also all sold out. That really says a lot when you're in a remote area and everything's sold out so quickly. At least they still have some briskets! The cashier advised me to come early next time as they quickly sell out everything on a daily basis. I arrived at 4:30 and their closing hour is 5, and she recommended that I should come before 2 pm next time. As I was pulling out my credit card to pay, another worker there, which I later learned his name was Shane, threw in some BBQ sausages into my box and said, "here are some sausages for you to try".

"Why, that's so kind of you guys!"

There are also some picnic tables and benches in the area and being a food enthusiast, I just couldn't wait to try it out. As I was settling down, Shane walked over and put down another box onto my table and said, "Here's our secret stash for you. There's some pulled pork and some brisket burnt ends."

I wanted to cry in joy. "God bless you!"

Anyway, let's talk about food (the whole reason why I was there). Meat tastes best when you put in the time to cook it slowly under low heat. I don't know the science behind it, but from experience, this slow cooking process increases the flavour and makes it extra tender. Bottom line, patience is the key.

Now of course, the cut of meat is also important. If there's not enough fat on the meat, no matter how long you cook it for, it will still end up being dry. One of the reason why I love Southern BBQ is because it really challenges the culinary skills of a pitmaster, and the end product displays it so honestly. Even if you drench it with BBQ sauce in an attempt to "moisten" a piece of dry meat, you still can't get away from it. Now I don't know a whole lot about the art and science behind Southern BBQ, but it's something I want to eventually learn from my friend. For now, I'm just giving you my review as a picky eater. Here are my thoughts on their BBQ meats & salad:

• The Beef Brisket - (a.) It's tender and it's juicy mainly because it has the perfect amount of fat on it, but it doesn't leave your mouth greasy (b.) they have smoked it long enough and has this really smokey flavour to it. I can tell you that they didn't use liquid smoke! (c.) they've added enough salt to it to bring out the brisket flavour. (d.) it's seasoned well and I didn't even need to add BBQ sauce to it. It tastes so good as is!!!!! The meat itself has a rich meatiness flavour and combined with the smokiness and the perfect seasoning made this an amazing BBQ brisket.

• The Brisket Burnt Ends - this is my first time trying brisket burnt ends, and I was excited because I know most people favor the burnt ends since it's crispier and more flavourful from the char. However, I prefer the regular beef briskets because it's more tender. In terms of the crispiness, I can't tell the difference between the two, but regardless, it's still soft and delicious.

• Sausage - (a.) They're smokey and succulent (b.) when you bite through the crispy skin, it bursts out flavourful juice that doesn't leave you thirsty afterward. (c.) I also like that it's not too salty

• Pulled Pork - this is my favorite. (a.) I think they've used Pork butt for their pulled pork, which has a higher fat content that would result in a tender cut of meat with lots of juice melted from the fat through the slow cooking process (b.) I liked that it wasn't greasy either (c.) it's really tender and it just slides down your throat. It doesn't exactly melt in your mouth, but if it does melt in your mouth, it would mean it's super fatty, greasy, and leave you super filling afterward. So it's just perfect.

• Coleslaw - I don't have a lot to say about salads cause it's a salad. But my two cents is that (a.) it could be just a teeny bit tangier. (b.) I like that it's not drenched in salad dressing so it's healthier.

Now I've been to a few renowned Southern BBQ restaurants in the lower mainland including: Smokes and Bones from North Vancouver, Hog Shack from Richmond, Memphis Blue in Downtown, and Porkmafia from Delta (which is another BBQ food truck). My favorite is Smokes and Bones and then followed by Hog Shack.

Before I give you my conclusion, I just want to emphasize that this is NOT a sponsored post.

See my receipt for payment proof. But yah, I believe this is my new favorite now. I will go back to try their ribs and cornbread. For now, the best cornbread I've had was from Hog Shack, but I hope that Texas Smoke BBQ could win my heart. I also note that they don't offer smoked beans which is a bummer :(

So stay tuned for my second update, which will be very soon! I already planned on bringing some of my friends to try them out in the next week or two!

P.S - my hair smelled like smoke afterward and that should bother me, but I'm just so happy that they're using real barbeque techniques to cook their meats, which truly reflects what Nathan commented earlier in our conversation, "we don't cut corners."

And one thing they forgot to mention is that the pitmaster has cooked these with love. You can taste it. As I always say, the best ingredient is to cook with love. I can tell that Nathan is passionate about what he does. Did I mention that he quitted his job last year and built his BBQ food truck during COVID? So please, go out there and support these guys if you are out there. It's not easy running a business, especially during COVID season.

📍Location: 23823 72 Avenue, Langley Hours: Thursday to Sunday 12 - 5 PM

💵 Price: $16 - $20 per meal

🤤Taste: 4.9 / 5

🕯Atmosphere: 5 / 5

🪑Seating: 2.5 / 5

📈 Price Performance ratio: 5 / 5

Retention Rate: 200%

ℙ𝕣𝕠𝕤:

🍖 SMOKEY

🍖 Beef brisket: perfect fat to meat ratio = succulent and tender brisket

🍖 pulled pork is my fave - smokey, soft, tender, and flavourful

🍖 Sausage - crispy skin with overflowing juice (that doesn’t leave you thirsty afterward)

🍖 not a fan of country music BUT the country music playing in the background makes you feel like you’re in the countryside! Hence giving it 5/5 for atmosphere. And ofc watching the smoke emitting from the food truck also plays a role

ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕤:

🥗 coleslaw could be tangier but who cares about salads 🤷🏻‍♀️ but I do appreciate that it’s not drenched in salad dressing so it’s healthier

💆🏻‍♀️ my hair smells like smoke afterward BUT that’s when you know their stuff is 🅻🅴🅶🅸🆃

🍖 No smoked beans offered 🍖 Sells out quickly

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:

🍖𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩

🍖 I came here to try their pulled pork but it was sold out. So was their cornbread. Everything else was sold out other than the brisket which says a lot!

🍖 was nearly in tears but Nathan, the pitmaster, heard I drove all the way here and gave me some extra sausage. When I sat down, Shane walked over and gave me another box and said, “here is our secret stash of pulled pork and brisket end bits” HOW KIND IS THAT?! 😭

🍖 I went to several renowned BBQ restaurants all over the lower mainland and this has just booted smokes and bones from my favorite to 🥈. Now @texassmokebbqtruck is my fave

604: Banh Mi Bar (New Westminster)

Finally, I had a Banh Mi that doesn’t just fill the belly but satisfies me 🥰. Even my friend who’s born and raised in Vietnam gave a thumbs up. The bread had the right crunch and it doesn’t hurt your mouth; the inside is soft and chewy. They are also very generous with the meat and the pate. Apparently, this place also adds the red meat and a special sauce, while most restaurants just add in soy sauce and call it a day. So delicious 💕

Update: Came here again to satisfy the Banh Mi addiction. I'm not sure if the quality has changed because of Covid, or if I've had so many Banh Mis now and I have set a higher standards for my Viet subs. I had to go back to the photos and compare, but clearly they've cut down on the cold cut this time! They also seemed to have cut down on the pate as well *Insert angry face*. With all the cheaping out, I would still say it's still a good Banh Mi but the rank has drastically came down, and now I would prefer Obanhmi and Bonjour Banh Mi for a cold cut Sub.

As for their best seller grilled pork sub, I like that their marinade more than the majority of the Banh Mi bars I've tried, but it still requires a deeper flavour. For that I would prefer Lotus in Richmond over theirs.

Update 2: Okay, I came here for the THIRD time because I really wanted to be wrong about my second review. I even added extra money for extra pate this time and I can confidently say that they have officially cheaped out on all their ingredients. I'm not sure if the add on options are new but if it was, that explains why they have cut down on the filling. They want more $$. If you request for any extra meat, it's $1.50 more. If you want to add extra mayo, pate or sauce, it's an extra $0.50. This time I requested for extra pate, and I would still say that it's still not as good as the first time. I was really impressed with all the extras they had including their house special sauce, generous mayo, thick cuts of meat and meat ball, but now it's like any ordinary cold cut sub with the regulars. The special sauce is missing and they shaved off the cold cut meat.

I think it's fair that I'm demoting their rank now after giving them a few tries, and neither would I make a special trip for their sandwiches. SAD!

You would have been ranked as #1 in my Banh Mi Hunt but now you barely made it to my list.

Let's do a picture comparison for fun:

The left side is my Banh Mi from my first visit, and the right is from the last visit. CAN YOU EVEN SEE THE COLD CUTS FROM THE RIGHT SIDE?! You can see a lot of pate from the right though, but that's cause I added money for it.

📍 Location: New Westminster

💵 Price: $6.75 + tax

Extra meat (+) $1.5

Extra Mayo, sauce or pate (+) $0.50

🤤Taste: Dropped from 4.8 to 4.4 :(

📈 Price Performance ratio: dropped from 4.8 to 4.2 /5

Retention Rate: 100% if in the area

🕯Atmosphere: NA

🪑Seating: NA