Review: The Reef (Main Street, Vancouver, BC)

It was an unbelievably sunny weekend here in Vancouver, and we decided last minute to go out to eat. After all, who wants to cook in patio weather? Not me. I slipped on a pair of flip flops and we headed out to Main street for some cocktails and eats.



It's been a while since I've been to The Reef - I think the last time was to the Commercial Drive location with the other M, and the time before that was with S before she moved to Montreal. That was a long time ago.

Food was still great. As I was explaining to M, it's a niche market. No other place in Vancouver offers island-inspired food with tasty cocktails with patio seating and live DJ.



We shared a plate of Jerk Chicken Wings and a pitcher of Juiced Rum Punch. For entrees, I had the Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin; M had the ribs. The food wasn't as great as previous times - the tenderloin was slightly overdone, and I had to ask for our (complimentary) johnny cakes. I'd still come back for drinks alone - the ipanema caprinha is their "house cocktail", and the johnny cakes with sweet butter are a perfect lazy summer day snack!

The bill for two people with drinks came to just $60. Definitely reasonable as a starting point to a night out.



The Reef (Main Street)

4172 Main Street [map]

Vancouver BC

Phone: (604) 874-5375

His and Hers Bentos

Another lunchtime favourite: bentos!

Although I don't have the skill or the craft to make elaborate, tasty and healthy bentos, I couldn't help but snap a photo of the lunches I packed for today for the beau and myself.



We have some lovely spicy, sweet and fragrant Carribean chicken drumsticks, herb-buttered mushrooms sauteed with onions and garlic, russet and red potato frites, topped with some creamy avocado. His and hers bentos? Well obviously the man has the triple helping of drumsticks on the left, while I have the two smaller boxes of food on the right.

This was a fairly cheap meal, considering we picked up the drumsticks at $0.99 / lb at Sunrise Market this weekend. We also picked up a pair of lovely avocados for $0.69/each. I snatched them up as I'd read that the price of avocadoes was going to soar this year. I'd also seen them advertised at chain supermarkets at the "sale" price of upwards of $1.25 each! So when I saw them at only 69 cents at Sunrise, I had to get them.

Have a good day everyone! It is the dawn of a new era - Obama was sworn in this morning and I listened to it at work.

Change is good.

More foodie photos at my flickr photoset, Food Glorious Food!

Lunchtime & Recipe: Jerk Chicken!

Happy New Year everyone!

Welcome to the new blog. 'Tis the food blog that I should have started eons ago. I'm just now moving some old entries over here, and hopefully it should be updated somewhat regularly since I do cook several times a week, and eat at new restaurants now and then.

For lunch today? Jerk chicken!



I grew to love Jerk chicken after trying it a couple times at Carribean festivals, Jamaican restaurants, but noticed that not one really satisfied all the quadrants of salty, sweet, spicy, and umami for me.

Thus, this recipe was born. We tried it once while camping as well, and used the marinade on chicken as well as salmon - it was SO good.

Ingredients
-2 T soy sauce
-2 T molasses
-1/4 cup lime juice
-1 T ginger, grated or finely chopped
-2-5 cloves of garlic, minced
-1/2 onion, finely chopped
-2-8 chilis or jalapenos, your choice - I used 6 chilis for mine
-1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
-1/4 t nutmeg
-1/2 t cinnamon
-1/2 t allspice

-6 to 8 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in

Method
In a bag or large glass container, mix together the marinade ingredients.

Marinate your chicken in the marinade overnight, turning occasionally. I use chicken thighs because they are forgiving, and because they have so much flavour! Plus they're cheap. :)

Grilling is the way to go, but since my barbeque is out of commission, I took it indoors and panfried the thighs in batches for about 2-3 minutes on each side on medium heat, then transferred them to a foil-lined pan where they mingled with each other in a 375ºF oven. By the time I removed them 25 minutes later, they were happy little fellows.

Jerk chicken. Spicy, sweet, finger-licking good! Served over brown rice with thyme-buttered vegetables, M enjoyed every last piece.