Sunday, May 09, 2010

May 8th - the Eatery Sushi and La Casa Gelato

We took some friends who are here visiting from Montreal with their kids.  They were house shopping today and asked that we take them for Sushi.  As it turns out the E, the dad is not a fan but his girls, though from a small suburb of Montreal are crazy for it.  It became competitive, like eating with a college student who has been told dinner is covered.

Eatery is a Kitsilano icon.  I mean Sushi in Vancouver can be a dime a dozen with a few stars and a few dogs.  What the Eatery has done to differentiate themselves is to have funky and unusual rolls.  The rice flavouring and rolling isn't classic or the best but the combinations are so fun that it that is why I come back.  The other thing that makes the Eatery unusual is its notariety for its terrible service and their sale of Panties modelled by the servers.  Yes. I am serious.  If you go to the bathroom, there are photos on the wall.  Our server tonight was alright but as ever a slow.  She also dropped half of one of our rolls but offered a replacement.  Funny, she acted as if the free replacement was a favour and not, as it should be, our due.  Well, the joint is mostly frequented by UBC students or the granola Kits set.  They laugh, shrug their Lululemon clad shoulders and order another beer.

Our friends loved the rolls we ordered.  The only disappoinment was the BC Roll.  It was the only real standard roll we ordered.  It is a crispy Salmon Skin roll but this was not crispy or the skin.  It was a tinned salmon roll.  Not good.

Bob Marley - Jammin' roll of Mango, Avocado topped with Cucumber + Tuna and Wasabi paste
Electric Banana - Eel & Avocado topped with Tempura Banana, would have worked better with a Green Banana, not ripe
Found Nemo - Tempura Crab, Avocado, Asparagus, wrapped with seared Salmon
S&S - Salmon on salmon! Avocado, Mango tempura bits topped w/ Smoked & raw Salmon
Volcano - Tuna, Scallops, Salmon and Avocado, tempura roll, on a lava bed of spicy Crab meat - Great roll!
Dragon - BBQ Eel wrapped over tempura Prawns, Avocado, Cucumber, topped with Mayo and Roe
Rainbow - Tuna, Salmon, Ebi wrapped outside Crab and Cucumber
BC - Salmon Skin roll
Captain Crunch - California with Unagi Mayo, tempura roll
2x4 Nigiri - Eel, Ebi, Tuna and Salmon
Zen Maki - Big roll! Crab, Tuna, Salmon, Prawn, Unagi, Scallop, Cucumber, Asparagus, Avocado, Roe - Great roll!
10 Vegetable Gyoza
Captain Crunch and Rainbow (the half she didn't drop:^P)
YUMMO Volcano Roll

Unagi Nigiri and Zen Maki


Cost: $$-$$$
Location: Kitsilano
Staff: famously slow
Decor: Japanese kindergarten crafts nightmare

the Eatery
3431 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC V6R 2B4
(604) 738-5298






The Eatery on Urbanspoon

After dinner, I suggested we take them to La Casa Gelato.  It was a bit of a haul from Kits but since their kids were with them, I thought it would be a nice preview into the city.  They had to get back to downtown anyway.
The place was packed and the cars kept coming.  Even then, I was able to have several samples.  All the Gelato is made on site with natural flavours.  I tried: Fennel, Spicy Mango, Death by Mango, Guinness, Coffee Crisp, and others.  I finally chose the German Chocolate Cake and Mint Chocolate Fudge. MMMM I paid for it later.  Curse that lactose!  I really like their Thai Basil but it was not there.  D got Plum and Jasmin and Chocolate Sambuca.  I did not care for the Plum but the Chocolate Sambuca was cool.  The kids surprisingly chose really standard flavours.  They really enjoyed the diversion and I got my quarterly gelato fix. MMMMM 

The downside of La Casa is clearly the lack of seating and its location.  It is in the middle of an industrial park and so loitering is not an option so you are forced to stand around the middle of the shop floor to avoid the customers trying flavours.  Thankfully, there is parking.  If there were somewhere to sit, I would up the rating.

Cost: $$
Location: Industrial and sorta out of the way but that does not stop the crowds
Staff: very Efficient
Downside: NO SEATING!
Upside: 218 Flavours! Hello!?  :^D
 
La Casa Gelato
1033 Venables St
Vancouver, BC V6A
(604) 251-3211



La Casa Gelato on Urbanspoon

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