Copper Chimney (January 27, 2006)

Two reviewers: ts and js [no reviews by csc and cw]

Appetizer:
Sagar se Crab melts, roast pepper reduction, Fraser valley greens

[js]
Very crabby, made with real crab meat and lots of it. Usually with crab melts, my concern is the actual crab content, but this one is all crab. The roast pepper reduction had a spicy kick to it that I liked. Can't remember or decipher the dressing right now on the salad (anybody?) Score: 8.5

[ts]
I tasted the above. It was very good.

Alu Chaat
Mint, tamarind, & yogurt sauce glazed potato patties, gorbanzo beans, chopped onions, tomatoes & crunchies

[ts]
Why do they call it a "patty"?? I assumed it would be patty-shaped and pan-fried, but it was basically a potato salad. Hence, I expected it to be a hot dish, but it was a cold one. I tried just the "potato patty" itself and found it to be bland. But then I wised up and realized, of course, that I should be mixing in the sauces with the potato cubes. They (sauces) were quite savory and had enough oomph in them to flavor the potato. (I don't remember what those "crunchies" could've been, though.)
8/10

Entree:
Sulaimani Lamb Chops
Herb, spice marinated Rack of Lamb cooked in Tandoor

[js]
Had a char that I liked but perhaps not spiced enough for my taste. Still I liked this (I would just ask them to spice it more the next time.) It came with a yogurt-cilantro(?) sauce which added some brightness to the lamb, but again, had it been spiced more, I would be in love. Score: 7.5

[ts]
I tried a chop. The "grilled" smell (in this case, the tandoor smell) was VERY nice. It's the same charcoal taste/aroma in the inihaw na baboy that we used to have in the Philippines (never again to be duplicated). Nice.

Malabari Fish Curry
Our exotic Coccum infused coconut Halibut curry

[ts]
This was CSC's dish. I tried this as well. I was deciding between this and the chicken. This was good, but I'm glad I got the chicken. Not too big a fan of coconut-based curries.

[js]
I tried Claire's fish curry and it was good. I am a fan of coconut-based curries! However, like my lamb, I would have liked it spiced more aggressively. Same comment for the chicken methi: more aggressive spicing is in order -- because we can handle it. LOL [Memories of the Maurya vindaloo -- "symphony of fire, my ass!" -- intrude here.]

Chicken Methi
Our house speciality Mild Garlic, Maze, fenugreek laced Chicken tikka

[ts]
This was nice! Served with basmati rice and assorted roasted vegetables. The rice was good... Basmati is all nice and thin; just a different experience altogether from "regular" rice. The vegetables were good as well. The chicken was good, sauce was good. I don't really even know what to say about the dish. It was just very satisfying.

We had to ask for spoons... finally could start "real" eating with the spoon and fork. =) I would've liked more rice to go with the curry, because the naan they gave us were too "crisp". Hence, my preference for the rice. On the other hand, I was happy to see that they were actually generous with the naan. Some places just give you 1 piece of naan, and charge you for extras! They gave us a big pile of naan at the onset.

Speaking of starches, their bread was VERY good! They actually warm the bread before serving -- HALLELUJAH! No need for man-hands. We kept asking them for bread refills because it was just gooooood.

chicken: 8.5/10

Dessert:
Orange Obsession Grand Marnier flavoured Orange Kulfi

[js]
I'm afraid gelato has ruined me for other ice cream, so I didn't much care for this one. After the recommendation of our server, it was a little bit of a disappointment. To be fair though, I didn't want to eat dessert after the day of eating I had as well, so I might be biased against the kulfi. Score: 5

[ts]
I tried this; didn't like it.

Mumbai Mithai Gramflour, Cardamom parcels

[ts]
I don't know why they call these parcels. It was OK. It consisted of tubes twisted around each other, and formed into a round... Something like that. It was SOOO orange in color, though. In any case, it wasn't my thing. Also, it was a little too sweet for me.

[js]
Mumbai Mithai: Christiana called this a "cruller" and the term seems apt. It's more like a cruller than a parcel. Another way to describe this would be that it's like a funnel cake.

Rasmalai
Poached cheese patties soaked in pistachio, almond, sweetened milk

[ts]
Again with the "patty" description! The "cheese" patty was unusual, because it didn't seem like cheese at all! Actually, even now I'm not sure if it *is* cheese! It was VERY (and I do mean VERY) "bouncy" in texture/consistency. The interior was just like the inside of bread: all holes and such. Anyway, this spongy "patty" absorbed the "sauce" pretty well. The sweetened milk was very nice. It was probably sweetened evaporated milk, with pistachios and almonds. (Evaporated milk is good, even by itself! hehe.) Even though the "patty" itself was tasteless and had a "bouncy" consistency, I didn't mind it that much. Besides, it was a great vehicle for the sauce.

So all in all, this dessert had a positive impression. Also, at least it was different, not the usual tartes, cakes, etc etc. 8/10

[js]
Is it just me then or does the Copper Chimney menu need a better writer? "Patty," "parcel" -- maybe he or she ran out of words.

[ts]
All in all, this was a very satisfying experience. (We checked out their regular non-Dine-Out menu, and it had mostly "white" food! Kinda weird.)

We were all pretty full -- so good thing there was no Chocoholic Buffet afterwards! =D

(Haha, yes, we were actually planning to go to a Chocoholic Buffet after the dinner!)

[js]
It is a little strange that Copper Chimney doesn't offer these East Indian menu items on their regular menu. There, it's all striploins and standard Western restaurant fare. Which means then we don't really return to the place.

[ts]
And that's - that's - that's all, folks.

Cin Cin Ristorante (January 26, 2006)

http://www.cincin.net/cincin

Two reviewers: ts and js

BREAD
[js]
Worth a mention: the green olive tapenade they served with the bread was very, very good.

[ts]
The dinner rolls were OK. They weren't heated. (Why is nobody warming up bread anymore?!!) One had to use MAN-HANDS force to break the rolls apart. As JS mentioned, the tapenade was good. We also asked for balsamic vinegar and olive oil for the bread.

Of course, in keeping w eatingclub tradition, I had the MOST EXPENSIVE DINNER once again. I opted to order from their a la carte menu (instead of the Dine-Out prix fixe). Reasons to follow.

Appetizer:
HEARTS OF ROMAINE SALAD. CRISP PANCETTA, GRANA PADANO, CAESAR VINAIGRETTE

[js]
The caesar vinaigrette was very lemon-y, which I liked, because of the tartness. Didn't care much for the crisp pancetta because it wasn't that crispy at all. It was more paper-like, onion-skin paperlike. The cheese, the cheese, the cheese I love. If there's anything I can complain about, it was I felt that my salad was overdressed. I liked it a little dryer and not that drenched. Score: 8.5

[ts]
I tasted this. I don't think I got to taste all the components of the dish, but I must agree that the dressing was very nice. I really liked the tartness.

SEPPIE ALLA SICILIANA $14.50
GRILLED SQUID ‘SICILIAN LIFEGUARD STYLE’ RICH TOMATO SAUCE WITH CHORIZO, CAPERS, GARLIC, RAISINS CHILLI AND YOUNG LETTUCES

[ts]
(What I actually ordered.) As you can see, just this appetizer alone was $14.50!!!

Anyway, this was pretty good. Although, when the dish was placed in front of me, it sort of smelled "fishy." But eating it was fine. I'm a fan of chorizo, so I was happy with that. The "young lettuces" were actually also very nice. The squid itself was "ok." (Although, good that it was cooked just right; not tough at all.) 7/10

Entree:
WOOD OVEN ROASTED STEELHEAD TROUT. CRUSHED POTATO, SPINACH, SAUCE VIERGE

[js]
This was an excellent dish: trout was delicate and perfectly cooked, with a little bit of crust on the bottom. The potato and spinach dressing was also good: again, with the combination of soft and crunchy (the potatos were crushed and crusty). The virgin sauce, with tomatoes and parsley, added the bright notes to the dish. Score: 9

POLLO $32.50
FREE RANGE CHICKEN, DIJON RUBBED AND BAKED UNDER CLAY BRICKS, BRAISED RAPINI, MASHED POTATO, DRAGONCELLO SAUCE

[ts]
The reason I chose items a la carte: a former Bishop's co-worker who used to work at CinCin raved about this chicken. (She was a kitchen person, fyi.) So since it came highly recommended from a "chef" or cook, I thought I should give it a try, seeing as we don't know if we would be back at CinCin... or at least, back anytime soon. When I decided to get the chicken, I was actually WORRIED that the dish may be too much, because I assumed that it was a WHOLE chicken. Why, you ask. Look at the price! Besides, what's so special about a piece of breast being baked under clay bricks that would warrant $30 (if not the size)!?

The chicken was actually quite good. (Although, it wasn't a whole chicken as I thought.) But basically it tasted like fried chicken (the skin was very crisp and tasty). Mashed potato tasted like mashed potatoes. I've never had rapini (broccoli rabe) before, so this was a nice way to try it. My God, it's a little bitter (understatement). But I believe my threshold for bitterness has increased... must be getting old. ;)

All in all, the chicken dish was good, but not spectacular. And charging $32.50 is highway robbery!

6.5/10 (considering VALUE for the price)

Dessert:
PEAR TART. VANILLA ICE CREAM, CARAMEL SAUCE

[js]
I'm a sucker for tart or any kind of pastry with fruit and ice cream, so I liked this as well. I probably would have liked the pears to be softer/more cooked and the ice cream creamier. Score: 7.5

HAZELNUT CRÈME BRULEE $12.50
SERVED WITH CHESTNUT GELATO AND HAZELNUT FINANCIER

[ts]
The dessert = $12.50!!!
(You now understand the horror that was my food bill. I also had pineapple juice too!)

This was nice. You have to make a special effort to ruin creme brulee. 7.5/10

[ts]
It *was* a nice meal, but nothing spectacular. And for the price (at least, of *my* meal), it's kind of not worth it. (The dine-out prix fixe would be "worth it.")