The weather cleared today just enough so that I could see that there might be mountains around Vancouver. I did have a chance to view the city from the heights.
In the evening I had the pleasure of going out for some Chinese food with a group of nine people from the parish involved in Una Voce.
We had many small courses but here are just a few of the selections.
We started with some roast pork and jelly fish in sesame oil.
Another of the courses was a dried scallop in melon with broccoli and seaweed.
Another course involved geoduck, prawns, mushrooms, peas and a little chicken.
A large amount of sticky rice came… always welcome. In the background you can see some roasted squab.
What gathering would be complete without fish! We didn’t have to fight over the heads, however.
Steamed Rock Cod.
There were other courses, lobster, and abalone, and soups, and sweets. Each person was able to have a little of every item.
I’d post more but I am tired and have a long day tomorrow.
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Fathers, seems that you had a Chinese banquet….looks delicious! Hope you also get to try the dim-sum.
Where in Vancouver is this Chinese food restaurant? I think I was there, 8 years ago.
Jelly fish? Geoducks?
I’m afraid I’d have had to take the vegetarian platter!
Father:
My wife and I aren’t Vancouver locals, though we do travel up there quite a bit. When we do, we really enjoy the experience at Hon’s House of Noodles on Robson. It may not provide the culinary delight you experienced last night, but it’s definitely a fun, tasty meal!
This was at Kirin Mandarin Restaurant in downtown Vancouver.
Looks fanTAStic Father. An rare and adventurous meal! I’m jealous :-). I hope you ate enough to last you through your leaner months.
Apparently a “geoduck” is a clam.
I was feeling quite hungry till I saw those pictures! I prefer “safe” Chinese food, and usually avoid dishes that look like road kill. But each to his own. [Rather insulting to a great culture.]
Geoducks (pronounced gooeyducks). See details at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoduck.
It’s not native to Asia, but apparently it’s got some cult-food status there.
It has a 146 year life expectancy, if not served for dinner!
Looks like you had quite a banquet, Father Z!
Like the fish, shrimp and chicken-don’t know if I’d risk eating the seaweed or jellyfish. But, to each his own….
Did you have any opera in the background?
“Safe” Chinese food?…chow mein, egg foo young, shrimp with lobster sauce, etc. (i.e. the so called Chinese food in the USA). Being of Chinese ancestry, I grew up on “real” Chinese food. When we moved to the USA, we could not recognize most of the “safe” Chinese food in most restaurants. What Father Z dined on were delicacies usually reserved for special occasions (weddings, birthdays, etc.) or for very special guests.
frere wilfrid: wow that was an exceedingly harsh shot at Asian cuisine. “Looks like roadkill”? Un-called for and ignorant. Your post would suggest that you lack tact or perhaps it is the anonymity of the internet that you post such an insulting comment. As for “safe” Chinese cuisine? Do you mean stick sweet “sweet and sour chicken?” fortune cookies? then go to Panda Express but I assure you will find no such things in all of Asia…
Like the poster above said, Fr. Z had a very fine meal fit for special occasions…it was probably expensive too! 9 course meals like that don’t come cheap.
Fr. Z, how utterly decadent of you! I’m envious!
Pertinacious: I want to make something clear. I was taken as a guest to this restaurant. I had actually suggested some place much simpler, but this is where the group of people chose to go.
Father Z,
Your hosts must have been so delighted and blessed by your visit. I am glad they took you to Kirin. A special guest deserved a special meal.
Just wonder if the soup was perhaps either “swallow nest” or “shark fin.”……regardless, I am sure everything was “hang hao”
dimsum: It was Shark’s Fin soup, and quite tasty!
Father Z, Ahh! I had the feeling I’d be either of those. Swallow’s nest soup is served to special guests……shark’s fin to “very very special” ones.
The name “swallow’s nest” soup certainly sounds better than “dried bird salivary excretion” soup, which is a more accurate description.
Mike Morrow..so does “steak tartare” for grounded raw cow’s flesh, “blue cheese” for smelly cheese with mould or “escargot” for cooked land snails
cua: Did you have any opera in the background?
No! Sadly, there was none.
But considering the fact that some of the people at the table were having their culinary horizons expanded in a rather dramatic way that evening, it was perhaps for the best that we left out the Chinese opera.
OOH! Shark fin soup! How was it?!?!?!? (One of these days, I’ve got to splurge and try it…)