March | April 2013 by EAT Magazine

EAT Magazine March-April 2013_Victoria_48_Layout 1 2/27/13 11:25 AM Page 15

vancouver

The Union 219 Union St. | 604.568.3230 | www.theunionvancouver.ca Union Street used to be nothing more than the dingy side street next to the Georgia Street Viaduct, home to a Jimi Hendrix museum and not much else. These days, it’s become a brightly-lit strip of artsy retail spaces, local, sustainable grocers and a few top-notch dining spots. Anchoring the street on one end is The Union, a restaurant-bar from the same good folks who brought us Habit Lounge and The Cascade Room. Although the ambiance is that of a dark, slightly dingy speakeasy that’s been given a quick facelift, the food is as colourful and varied as a farmer’s market at the height of summer—and it’s all locally or sustainably sourced. The eclectic mix of South and East Asian dishes are held together by a solid cocktail, wine and craft brew list, not to mention some stellar banga (“jar” in Filipino). The latter are listed only as numbers, rather than by name. Banga number one was a refreshing mix of gin, lemongrass, rambutan, ginger, Thai basil, lime and sugar. At $10 per jar, it might seem a little steep, until you factor in that each is a double, in every sense of the word. Another winner was the number three, a deeper blend of bourbon, mirin, calamansi, orange peel and ginger beer. For designated drivers, or those on the wagon, the hooch-free options are almost better than the boozey versions. The Typhoon Jimi ($5) is a breezy concoction of carbonated jasmine tea, honey ginger syrup, kaffir lime and fresh ginger. I started with the kalbi beef short ribs ($12) with piquant cabbage slaw. The bone-in slices of rib were fork-tender, although they weren’t tested too much, as the fingers quickly took over. I sided it with some housemade naan bread and raita for a full meal deal. Spice flows freely here, as with the crispy pork belly bahn mi ($8) that comes with generous lashings of sriracha aioli and jalapenos, as well as daikon, pickled carrot, cucumber and cilantro. My dessert, a coconut milk panna cotta with pineapple salsa, was one of the best versions I’ve had in a goodly while. We’ll see if the chai chocolate pot I’ll have on my next visit can beat it. BY ANYA LEVYKH

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Beaucoup Bakery 2150 Fir St. | 604.732.4222 | www.beaucoupbakery.com In these carb-free, gluten-free, sugar-free times, Jackie Ellis has managed to get people excited about bread and pastry again. This former designer-turned-pastry chef has taken her passion for home baking, combined with her French pastry training, and created Beaucoup Bakery, an homage to childhood treats and French classics. For such a tiny, L-shaped space hidden on a side street off a side street, it can get awfully busy awfully fast. With less than 12 seats to its name, most orders are take away, and snagging a table is more of a feat than getting front-row seats to the Canucks. Judging by all the satisfied faces, however, no one seems to mind. With some 49th Parallel dark roast in hand, people seem content to mill around, sampling one sweet after another. I’m a firm believer in “no dessert until you’ve eaten something healthy,” so I started with a plain croissant. Croissants are, to my mind, the finest test of a baker’s skill. The complexity off butter to flour ratios, beating to folding, makes for a unique masterpiece with every batch. Ellis’ creation is a subtle testament to a mille-feuille, with a rolled crust in which you can count the tiny layers like the rings of a tree. The crust gives way to a buttery softness that lacks grease but holds incredible texture. In a word, delicious. The chaussons aux pommes are another must-try. These simply apple pie pockets are held together with more light pastry, and dusted with sugar to balance the still-tart apples. As for the childhood desserts, my jaw dropped in anticipatory delight when I beheld the peanut butter sandwich cookies, monstrous fist-sized rounds of nutty chew held together with a silky smooth and perfectly salted peanut butter cream. It’s every child’s dream come to life, as my own offspring’s moans of delight reminded me. Paired with the housemade salted hot chocolate, which was not too salty, not too sweet, it could easily become a daily habit. Carb-shmarb. BY ANYA LEVYKH