Comfort Food 2 - Dan Japanese Restaurant

Sometimes you just need to go to a restaurant that you know what you are getting, a place that you are comfortable and familiar with. We tried to go to Dan one night, but they were full and we ended up at DB Bistro... not a night to remember... So, we had to make our way back to Dan the next day. And as usual, such a satisfying experience.

The first thing you will notice when you walk in is the coziness of the place. If you are seated by somebody with a warm, friendly smile, there's a good chance that it's Ken's (chef and owner) wife, Tomoko.

Don't expect Dan to have a large selection on the menu. Like an old Chinese saying, it's the quality that counts, not the quantity. I recommend ordering the daily specials off the hand written paper menu. Chef-owner Ken uses the freshest ingredients to create his daily specials, sometimes traditional, sometimes with a European twist. The dishes are mostly small tapas style for sharing. Dan won't have a lot of sashimi or sushi selections either, but expect the freshest and tastiest choices. On their regular menu, we love their chawanmushi. I challenge you to find a better chawanmushi in town.

After the meal, we always exchanges stories with Ken and Tomoko about the new restaurants that we have visited. Everytime, Ken jokes that we don't go back often enough. Come to think of it, I can't think of a restaurant that we have re-visited more than Dan. It's definitely nice to find a place like home.

Comfort Food - Pourhouse

November was miserable, and we hardly saw any sun at all in Vancouver. Bu and I figured it's a good time to try Pourhouse one late afternoon on a Saturday since the place shouldn't be packed like the Friday and Saturday evenings.

We stepped out of the wet, chilly, and depressing weather and walked into the 1930s. Like Snoopy described it, it felt like you walked into a modern day speakeasy. Don't expect to meet Al Capone, but expect to be amazed by Jay Jones' cocktails. They have a short cocktail list and we started with a Gold Fashioned. Wow! Simply amazing is all I can say! I didn't realize until later that the big, chunky ice actually melts slower in the drinks, keeping the drinks from watering out. If you don't like what's on the list, throw them a couple descriptions and let the bartender's imagination run wild. We tried "fruity", "girlie", and "gin", and we got an amazing Pisco Sour.

The food on the menu are basic. It's like something that you would have at home. I had the Sloppy Joe, and Bu had the Crispy Cheese with House Roasted Tomato Soup. Although a bit heavy, but the comfort food is definitely the antidote for this depressing weather.

Sometimes, instead of dressing-up and going to a fancy restaurant and having fancy wine, you just need to find a place that's warm and cozy, order a cocktail, have some comfort food, and snuggle comfortably into one of its booths.