Happy Sunday! My husband and I watched Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part
One with my sister and her boyfriend at Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver.
Afterwards, we decided to grab an early dinner at nearby Earls Kitchen + Bar
Test Kitchen.
My sister, husband, and I got items from the test menu to try new things they
offer. Her boyfriend went for the non-test menu, which is a great decision.
The test menu is there for a reason.
The test menu items are unique to the test location, and I'll give honest
feedback here.
Yuzu Calamari
For our appetizer, we ordered Yuzu Calamari. It's usually rich, fried calamari
with unique yuzu aioli and togarashi dipping sauce. After a few bites, I asked
hubby if he tasted anything different with this dish. He told me about the
dip, so I focused on analyzing it. Annoyingly, I get no citrusy
profile, and since my spice tolerance is relatively high, the supposedly spicy
togarashi is not enough.
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Yuzu Calamari from Earls Test Kitchen
Yuzu aioli, togarashi, fresh cucumber, jalapeño
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I'll happily order the calamari again, but I don't think the yuzu-ness came
through.
Truffled Parmesan Chicken
For our main course, hubby and I shared the Truffled Parmesan Chicken and
Roast Beef Sandwich.
I had high expectations for the Truffled Parmesan Chicken because it comes
with mushroom risotto. Unfortunately, I did not taste any truffle flavour; the
chicken's exterior was slightly burnt while the interior was dry as the
dessert Tom Cruise was horseback riding through in the movie.
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Truffled Parmesan Chicken from Earls Test Kitchen
Mushroom risotto, arugula, lemon oil, watermelon radish
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The risotto was on the dryer side, too. A third cup of broth and allowing it
to be absorbed by the supposed arborio rice. Again, it's not something I'll
order again.
Roast Beef Sandwich
It's one of the better foods we tried today. The shaved beef was tender, the
grilled sourdough was perfectly buttered, and the arugula added its distinct
flavour profile.
However, I am uncertain if I like the horseradish cream. The horseradish
intensity and kick were too strong for my liking.
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Roast Beef Sandwich from Earls Test Kitchen
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I wonder if I will order this again. The roast beef I had from Blue Hat Cafe
at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts is definitely better.
Prime Striploin
My sister ordered the prime striploin with garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal
vegetables. She said the crispy onions on top of the mashed potatoes were
good, while the seasonal vegetables were excellent. The meat was unevenly
cooked - some sections were perfect medium while others were well done. This
is the same experience we had the last time we visited
Earls.
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Prime Striploin from Earls Test Kitchen
Garlic mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables.
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Key Lime Pie
Finally! Something absolutely excellent from the test menu: the key lime pie.
I thought they would give us a slice of key lime pie, but we received what
looked like a 5-inch pie, which we shared. It was a perfect balance of sweet
and tart. Please bring this to all your locations.
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Key Lime Pie from Earls Test Kitchen
Toasted coconut, chantilly cream, graham crumble, lime
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After dinner, we strolled across Burrard Bridge. We went left to South
Granville while my sister and her boyfriend went right to Kitsilano.
