where jess ate

Happy new year, everyone! 2012 was a fantastic year and having eaten some amazing dishes, I thought I’d share with you the best dishes I’ve eaten this past year…

Here they are in chronological order:

Spicy Squid from Grand Electric
(Grand Electric)
Rings of tender squid covered in a sweet, tangy and delicious sauce. All served on top of a fried tortilla. A must-order at Grand Electric!

 

The Bone Marrow from Parts and Labour
(Parts and Labour)
One of the best bone marrow dishes I’ve had! One order comes with two large bones topped with bacon onion jam. What’s not to love?

 

Trout Niçoise from Marben
(Marben)
The trout was moist and just melted in my mouth. Sitting on a bed of greens, tomatoes, olives, pickled ramps and served with an anchovy dressing, each component of this light summer dish was impeccable. I just hope they bring it back next summer!

 

Seared Scallops from Les Faux Bourgeois
(Les Faux Bourgeois – Vancouver, BC)
Four enormous and perfectly seared scallops from Qualicum beach. Served on potatoes, bacon, Brussels sprout leaves and a delicious corn sauce. Absolute perfection! Too bad it was one of the daily specials…

 

Fish Tacos from Tacofino
(Tacofino – Vancouver Island, BC)
Both the fish and tuna tacos from the Tacofino truck in Vancouver Island were some of the best fish tacos I’ve had. The fish taco was my favourite – a piece of cod with a light, crisp batter, topped with some fresh salsa and drizzled with a bit of chipotle mayo.

 

Ike’s Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings from Pok Pok
(Pok Pok – Portland OR)
It’s easy to see why these wings are one of the most popular items at Portland’s Pok Pok. Tossed in caramelized fish sauce and garlic, one order of this comes with six wonderfully sweet and sticky wings. Finger-licking good!

 

Lava Lake Lamb Leg Roast from Beast (Portland)
(Beast – Portland OR)
One of the best lamb dishes I’ve ever had was from Beast in Portland – the third course of a five-course tasting menu which changes weekly. This course came with two pieces of perfectly cooked lamb which sat in a thin layer of mint and pickled onion sauce. The eggplant, tomato and sheeps cheese tian which sat underneath the lamb was equally delicious. A really stellar dish!

 

Elvis with Marshmallow Doughnut from Glory Hole
(Glory Hole Doughnuts)
With marshmallow, peanut butter cream cheese icing and bacon & banana chips (and at $4.50 a pop), this certainly isn’t your average doughnut!

 

Parsley Root Soup from the Grove
(The Grove)
The soup had a sweet flavour with a bit of saltiness from some bacon (which never hurts) and a nice crunch from the addictive pieces of fried bread. With plump pieces of snails at the bottom of the bowl, this was an incredible bowl of soup and a dish that can’t be missed at the Grove!

 

Liver & Onions from the Black Hoof
(Black Hoof)
With so many fantastic dishes at the Black Hoof, the Liver & Onions dish was a surprising favourite for me. Served in the form of a mousse/pate, it was accompanied by some cipollini onions and earthy hen of the woods mushrooms. Eaten with some bread, this dish knocked it out of the park.

 

There you have it – the best dishes I tried in 2012. Wishing you all another great year filled with good eats!