Happy Wednesday and Merry Christmas! Today was our company Christmas party, and it was a blast. We started the evening by spending a fun 90 minutes being kids again, playing all the best arcade games at The Rec Room!
After all that competitive energy, we took a leisurely stroll over to the JOEY Burrard location for dinner. This was my first time dining at JOEY, and I was so excited to see how they stack up against classic Vancouver spots like The Keg, Earls, and Cactus Club. (This is my third Christmas party with my current employer; we did Cactus Club first, The Keg last year, and now JOEY!)
I started with the Korean Fried Cauliflower, and honestly, my mind was blown. I was chatting and taking a few bites, and then it dawned on me: this is not chicken! I seriously had to bite into the middle to double-check that it was actually cauliflower. The flavor was spot-on, and the texture was shockingly like chicken.
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Korean Fried Cauliflower from JOEY Burrard Sweet & spicy Koren chili glaze, pickled fresnos, watermelon radish |
For my main dish, I went for the Herb Crush Salmon with truffle beurre blanc, preserved tomatoes, creamy mashed potatoes, and snap peas. I know, I'm that unusual person who orders salmon even when the restaurant is known for steak! While it was fresh and beautifully plated, it wasn't super flavorful. I have to say, The Keg's salmon dish still holds the top spot for me.
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Herb Crush Salmon from JOEY Burrard Truffle beurre blanc, preserved tomatoes, creamy mushroom potatoes, and snap peas |
To end the meal, I ordered the Warm Italian Donuts with vanilla mascarpone cream and lemon curd. They were pillowy soft and perfectly tart... but man, it was disappointing that they weren't actually warm.
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Warm Italian Donuts from JOEY Burrard Vanilla mascarpone cream and lemon curd |
Overall, it was a fun day of celebrating! Now, I know which of the big three has the best salmon.