Au pied de cochon is finally crossed off from my restaurant wishlist! I read too many good reviews and saw too many enticing pictures.
Au pied de cochon needs no introduction. Let’s just jump right in the dishes I ordered that night. I did not expect this coming…
Their bread is homemade. This bread was good, to the point that I think it was the only thing i ate the most for the evening. You will understand why shortly…
What’s funny is that I didn’t expect them to give us another one once we finished it! Somehow, I couldn’t stop myself from letting it go to waste! So… I went ahead and ate some more.
Fried Pork Rinds
I had some pork rinds. The first one was refreshing. The second was not so much. It got eventually a bit too salty.
Tomato Tartlet
Mr.Butter wanted something “fresh” and “light” to balance off the upcoming main dishes, so he wanted the tomato tartlet. It was anything but”fresh” and “light”. It was heavy. The cheese and butter were heavy. It felt like I was eating a very rich pizza.
Duck in a can
How could I miss the famous dish, Duck in a can? Of course, I couldn’t! I had to witness the awesomeness of this dish. I didn’t even need to taste it I could already feel it coming when the server opened the can and drop the content onto the dish. This is no joke. A big chuck of solid duck fats, swimming in a lake of oil. W-O-W. I did not believe it when the reviews said this dish is not for the ones with a faint of heart. I was a believer once I saw that monstrous size of fat sitting right in front of me. Mr.Butter took a decent bite of the fats. His words? Chewy. Sorry, I’m really not brave enough to eat that…But I did eat the duck and the puree of cauliflower with the foie gras, which were very tasty at the first bite. I thought I don’t like foie gras, but the foie gras served wasn’t as strong as the one I ate in Dolcetta & co.
After a few bites, my appetite was quickly disappearing. It was way too rich for me. I am not used to this kind of food. Even Mr.Butter, who enjoys heavy meals, couldn’t handle it. I was so glad that we shared the dish. Anyone sane cannot finish this by himself!
To lighten up my digestion, I had to eat quite a bit of the bread…I was so glad I had a glass of wine to tone it down as well.
Special of the day – Pork Shoulder
Mr.Butter ordered the pork shoulder, which was a special of the day. I don’t like pork shoulder in general, because in my culture, we use them for soups, and they usually taste very bland and I hate their texture too…So, I’m not the best to judge this dish. And, I couldn’t handle anymore of the richness. But to compare to the duck in a can, this dish was much more merciful. However, the taste itself reminds strongly of a Chinese dish, so I did not find it anything special.
We each took 2 bites and gave up. We couldn’t even order dessert because we couldn’t wait to take a walk outside. I was dying to have a salad.
This place is no joke. It’s filled with richness. If you are more like a light flavor eater, I don’t think you will enjoy this place. It was surely an experience for me. But I don’t think it’s a restaurant for me. Now, I really wander if I should even try out Cabane a sucre au pied de cochon.
SuWu had their grand opening recently. I almost skipped it because of personal obligations, but their menu looked too promising that I sidetracked a bit. What was on the menu that had such an impact? Mac N Cheese in a grilled cheese. Whaaat?! I couldn’t miss that! So there I was, highly anticipating for something great to happen!
I was entranced by the decor. Very current. And what is that? Hip…very laid back. I was greeted with wood materials, industrial lanterns, greeneries across the window; it was simply lovely.
Shortly after chosen to sit at the bar, alcoholic drinks were being served.
Wu-Tang
Wu-Tang:
Sake, lemon vodka, lime, lychee, grapes
I wouldn’t have known there was sake and lychee if I didn’t look at the menu. All that to say, I could taste the vodka and lime. As for grapes, I could see them…
It’s a pretty drink to look at. But as for the taste, it’s lacking.
Wu-Tang
At the bar, I could see many glasses filled with lychees ready to be used in drinks. I was profoundly confused because there was no sight of lychee in my drink… Lychee in Wu-Tang? I guess it did some ninja move and escaped from my drink.
Romarin Fries
After a while, Romarin fries were served. They were crispy. Perfect texture. a bit heavy handed on the salt.
Big Booty Ho & Brooklyn’s Finest
Big Booty Ho
Cachaca, cointreau, apricot brandy, banana, orange, pineapple
Very creamy in banana flavor. I enjoyed this very much.
Brooklyn’s Finest
mint, lemon, gin, vermouth, grapefruit, soda
Very citrus and acidic.
The alcohol content started to get into me…Well…that’s what happens when your stomach is empty! This is when my experience started going down. I asked the bartender if I could order food through him and he said that the kitchen is only open at 9pm. WHAT? Because the kitchen was busy preparing little bits and bites. Ok…I was never told about that. I was seriously starving when my previous meal was like 8 hours ago.
Roho Caliente & Thug Passion
Roho Caliente
Tequila, curacao, lime, soda, grapefruit
Not memorable..
Thug Passion
vodka, grand marnier, passion fruit, carrot
Even less memorable… I would suggest Big Booty Ho in all the drinks that we had.
It was getting more and more chilly with the door constantly opening. I wondered if they would build a better isolation in winter…
After it hit 9 pm, we finally ordered. The staff at the bar were incredibly busy. And there I saw a few more staff beside the bar standing there leisurely…
All I felt was the night got disorganised. I was so glad that I sat at the bar, because I don’t know how would I get service at the tables.
After a good 30 minutes, we got our food. Mind you, I wouldn’t have minded a 30 minutes wait if it wasn’t 9:30pm, I wasn’t starving,and the food was a bit more complicated to make. And ummm, the place isn’t that big either.
Lobster roll
So here is the lobster roll. I’ll admit it was tasty because of the spices they mixed with the lobster. The lobster itself was nothing compared to Cartel’s portion and freshness.
Grilled cheese of Mac N Cheese
This was the most awaiting item of the evening. Grilled cheese with Mac N Cheese. I took a bite. Admittedly, it was good, but I was having a hard time to tell if it was genuinely good or I was just starving that anything edible would be delicious. You know your late cravings after a whole night of partying? Well, this is how I felt, after a long day at work and had 3 drinks on an almost empty stomach, which was fed by a few fries about an hour and half ago.
What I could objectively tell is that it was very cheesy, but not overwhelming, and the macaroni missed its “al dente” composition.
In general, I really enjoyed my first hour experience. The environment was well set-up. But the service and the management have to be adjusted. I see great potential, but that goes the same for so many other places. Without proper service, people will not stay long. Their concept is a resto-bar that serves food until 2 am. But it worries me that they first marketed themselves so food oriented, because I honestly think their primary product is alcohol. I appreciate that their pricing is very affordable. However, I would not suggest to come here if it is food that you’re looking for.
And, it confuses me as well…what if people want to come to drink and eat and couldn’t find a table because it’s so packed? They wouldn’t have place to set their plates and eat. Then, they just have to settle with drinks instead? Doesn’t that defeat their purpose of having their kitchen open till 2am? Ok I’m just puzzled, because with the size it is and the crowd size it serves (assuming it is the same size as the evening I went), it just can’t handle the whole concept.
I’ll come back here to have a drink, not in the purpose to eat. The drinks aren’t fabulous, but the atmosphere makes up for it.
Last time I ate at Hakata Ramen was exactly a year ago. Maybe it’s because of the rainy and cold weather. Or maybe the food just got better. Hakata Ramen really surprised me this time. SO GOOD!
Green Apple Ice Crystal Fruit Smoothie
Although it was a cold evening, I had to get these ice crystal fruit smoothies! Last time, I had Taro and i loved it! This time I had the Green apple. Sweet and a hint of sourness. (Those that don’t know, unlike bubble teas, these crystals are in jelly substance and is liquid in the interior, so when you bite it, the liquid content bursts out!)I was so hungry that I slurped almost the whole drink at one go. And guess what, shortly, I was getting full… what a bad idea!
Gyoza
Decided to try their Gyoza. Not really the taste I like…I just cannot accept any dumpling flavor other than what I am accustomed to…which is home made dumplings with Shanghai influence! The gyozas here have very thin layer of dough. I usually like a bit thicker layer so it could be more crispy.
Hakata style crispy chicken ramen
I was so sceptical when Mr.Butter ordered the fried chicken. Oh was I so wrong! He made such a wonderful choice! The chicken was just lovely.So nicely fried. It had a hint of sweet and sourness from the tiny little sauce. It was just perfectly well balanced. The frying wasn’t heavy at all. I really loved and appreciated that the chicken came on a side dish, so they won’t soak in the ramen and become all soggy! I actually preferred this over my ramen, but Mr.Butter actually preferred mine. Talk about subjectivity when it comes to food!
Tenderous Ribs ramen
Yes, I ordered the tenderous ribs ramen again! I enjoyed it too much last time I visited Hakata ramen. But amusingly, the opposite happened. I didn’t like the ribs as much. It was missing something. It didn’t taste the same, or it just wasn’t as tenderous…or simply the Hakata chicken just had me. I cannot answer why I didn’t like it as much.
I must mention that the ramen itself was very delicious. It was bouncy!
Waffle with sesame ice cream
I was so happy that I actually ordered the waffles this time around! I couldn’t made a better decision! It was heaven!!! The combination of the waffles and the so tasteful sesame ice cream. HMMMMM! I had to resist so hard to refrain from ordering another one… The waffle was belgian style, which is more dense and less fluffy. However, this pairing with the sesame ice cream could not be better. Its dense nature prevents becoming soggy by the ice cream! Hardly noticeable, the waffle has a slight crunchiness on the outer layer.
Hakata Ramen. I will see you again.
Zuuchini
I just don’t understand. Why is La Banquise’s poutine so popular? I can name 2 other places right off the bat that serve much better poutine than La Banquise. This is the third time I come to try La Banquise and it hasn’t fascinated me once.
The only reason I can come up with is that it opens 24hrs and one of the first (if not, the first) to come up with more than one type of poutines. Therefore, it has the first mover effect.
La Mart
The fries are so normal. Totally comparable to La Belle Province. Alright, maybe a grade better, just because it’s not as greasy as La Belle Province. Now, the sauce. So mediocre. The cheese isn’t even squeaky. Boo. and all those fancy toppings do nothing to make it better.
It is NOT the best poutine in Quebec. NO. N-O.
SQUEAL IN DELIGHT!!!
I finally got my hands on Point G’s macarons! How can I not be in excitement seeing all these colorful delicacy!
Their packaging is full of cuteness and playfulness! I like it very much! It gives justification to how much I paid for…lol so I can feel better consciously…not really.
The hardest part is to choose the flavors among all of them! I just stared at them blankly and mesmerized but how pretty they all look…sigh. Macarons, why do you drive me so crazy.
Look at these beauties!! Aren’t they stunning?!
Point G really made their macarons in perfect texture! I think so far, their texture is the best. However…the taste is another story…
Flavors:
Fleur d’oranger: Actually did not taste orange. More like floral. a sweet flower. Did not like it very much.
Lime-Basil: It was weird. The fact that the basil was quite strong. I am not used to this.
Pistache Grille: One of the best one I chose probably because I am more used to this flavor. I can taste the richness of the pistachio.
Choco-passion: Very chocolate.
Choco-sesame: Even more chocolate. not for me
One was sort of have tip “burnt” over, which i completely forgot what was the flavor…
Blackcurrant: very fruity and sweet!
Raspberry-rosemary: Tasted similar to blackcurrant
Poppy flower: Very floral! a bit artificial floral taste.
Lychee: MY FAVORITE! This one is a must have!
Although the texture is great, the taste is left something to be desired. Maybe they are just too unique and fancy for me… I think I am more accustomed to traditional flavors. But hey! I am not complaining as they are offering quite varieties and always offering something new to the table that just make me want to try more of their creations!
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