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Considering how deeply I love breakfast, it’s surprising that this was one of the first times I can remember ever poaching an egg. It was a little more difficult than anticipated but I think I’ve got the hang of it now.
This recipe was inspired by the leftover ribeye steak I had sitting in my fridge and the prime rib hash at Hub Restaurant and Lounge, one of our favourite dishes at one of our favourite local spots for a weekend brunch.
Despite struggling with how the heck to poach an egg (it seemed to spread tentacles once dropped into the water), it was pretty easy to whip up and was super duper delicious.
Ingredients
Serves 2
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup leftover roasted or boiled potatoes, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- piece of leftover steak, thinly sliced
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
Instructions
- In large frying pan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat.
- Add potatoes, onion and garlic, stirring often, and cook for about 5 minutes or until potatoes are hot and onions are translucent.
- Meanwhile, in small saucepan, bring about 3 cups of water to boil.
- Bring water to simmer and add vinegar.
- One by one, crack eggs into small bowl and slide into water.
- Using two spoons, carefully collect any tentacles of egg white straying from the yolk and shape the mass into a ball.
- Reduce heat to low and cook for about 3 minutes or until whites are set and yolks are to your liking.
- Remove eggs from saucepan and transfer to paper towel-lined plate.
- While eggs are cooking, add ketchup to potato mixture, stirring well to combine.
- Add steak to potato mixture, cooking just until heated through.
- Serve immediately.
2928 West 4th Avenue
I don’t normally leave my neighbourhood to go out for dinner unless it’s a special occasion but Jolly’s Indian Bistro is definitely worth the drive from Yaletown to Kitsilano (I know it’s not far but if you knew how rarely I leave my ‘hood you’d realize this is kind of a big deal).
We were first enticed to make the trip to Jolly’s after purchasing a Living Social voucher and we couldn’t get over how reasonably priced the food was when we sat down to look at the menu.
The first time we went we both had the Meat Thali, $19.95, which includes a glass of beer, a samosa on a bed of chickpea masala, a green salad with mango dressing, lamb Rogenjosh, butter chicken, Malabari chicken, naan bread, and rice pudding. All that food plus a beer for under $20? Wow!
You might expect the food to be mediocre at this price but it’s some of the best Indian we’ve ever had (and I make it my business to try every naan bread and butter chicken that I come across). I can nearly count the number of times on one hand that my reserved husband has looked at me with wide eyes in disbelief over how good the food we’re eating is.
Dinner at Jolly’s inspires wide-eyed disbelief in my husband. It’s that good. On our last visit there we decided to try a couple of different things but mostly stuck with what we’d already had because we’d been dreaming about it since the last time we went (and I tend to always order the same thing at a restaurant once I’ve found something I really like).
Jolly’s has been busy every time we’ve gone so I haven’t had a chance to speak to the owner because, as our server told us, he’s also the chef (and his name is Jolly). Read the story of this hands-on chef and owner on “The Story” tab of Jolly’s website.
Potato and pea samosa with chickpeas and chutney, $3.95
We had to get the samosa appetizer again because it was so delicious. The chickpea curry is so flavourful and the samosa has the perfect amount of crisp on the outside with tender potatoes and peas inside.
Tandoori chicken, $8.95.
I have never had chicken turn out this succulent in my kitchen, it was so fresh.
Butter chicken (left), $15.95, and Malabari chicken (right), $15.95. Entrees come with green salad, Indian basmati rice and naan bread.
I know this is a bold statement but I think that Jolly’s has the best butter chicken I’ve tried. It’s crazy good, as are the gigantic naan bread and Malabari chicken.
Banana split with caramelized banana and ginger ice cream, $3.95.
You must try this dessert. I scraped up every last morsel with my spoon and came very close to licking my plate.
Hub, 1165 Mainland Street
Hub is one of my favourite places to go for a weekend breakfast. The staff are friendly and prompt, the patio gets the morning sun, and their food is reasonably priced and really good. The prime rib hash is an absolute must-try, my husband gets it every time we go and I always steal a few bites. I can also vouch for the deliciousness of the raisin bread French toast and the shrimp and crab Benny.
BBQues, 1043 Mainland Street
BBQues is a great place for a casual dinner, and unless it’s freezing or pouring with rain I like to sit on their nice little patio. We usually get the same thing every time we go: a pitcher of beer to share, the cheeseburger with green salad and roasted potatoes (pictured above) from the $10 menu for me, and the chicken and rib combo with macaroni and cheese and cornbread for my husband. I dare say it’s one of the best burgers I’ve ever had, so juicy and flavourful, and the ribs are really good too.
Falafel Maison, 516 Robson Street
I love shawarma, tabouleh and hummus, and Falafel Maison’s are really tasty, not too greasy and nice and cheap.
Viet Sub, 520 Robson Street
My BFF who just moved here from Edmonton got me hooked on this place. My two favourite items on the Viet Sub menu are the BBQ bun and rare beef noodle soup.
My husband and I recently attended the summer launch patio party at Dockside Restaurant in the Granville Island Hotel. Their newly renovated waterfront patio is absolutely gorgeous and the food is amazing – the lovely view of False Creek doesn’t hurt either.
The renovation was a lengthy and carefully considered project, as owner Diamond Karim shared with us, from the double-glazed fireplaces that act as a heat shield while still preserving the view, to the huge, heated cabana that arrived in pieces and was welded together and painted onsite, and the elegant striped curtains made from durable, weather-resistant marine fabric.
I’ve really begun to shed my Alberta-girl palate and have been jumping on every chance to try BC’s amazing seafood. Before moving out west, my exposure to shrimp was limited to the frozen, round trays we’d thaw for Christmas and I’d only tried mussels once.
Judging by the company, the food was pretty fantastic even for Vancouver standards, as I was not alone in swooning over the king crab legs, shrimp and mussels. I never imagined that I’d like mussels, they were delicious. I also had two (or was it three) delectable creme brulees for dessert.
Dockside has an in-house brewery, and although I didn’t actually try any of the beer (I got distracted by the bubbly) the beautiful vintage-eque labels definitely have me intrigued, and the next time the sun peaks out from behind the clouds I plan on heading back to do some sampling. Plus, I’m really keen on brunch and I’ve heard their Sunday brunch is great and even has live jazz and blues.
Image: Sheryl English
Located in Vancouver’s Fairview neighbourhood, The Afghan Horsemen is the first Afghani restaurant in Canada and has been serving delectable Middle Eastern cuisine for over 36 years. Stop by on a Friday or Saturday night and you’ll also be treated to a belly dancing performance.
The main dining room at The Afghan Horsemen. Image: The Afghan Horsemen
On either side of the main dining room are two beautiful rooms, called the Afghan Rooms, where you are asked to remove your shoes (so make sure to wear nice socks or touch up your pedicure – I learned the hard way, eek) and dine from a bed of pillows.
One of the Afghan Rooms at The Afghan Horsemen. Image: The Afghan Horsemen
They offer vegetarian dishes but I went straight for the Horsemen’s Special Platter ($47.95, serves two). To start: humus, sabzi mast (spinach and yogurt dip), salata (mixed onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers and mint flakes with homemade cilantro dressing) with feta cheese, and whole wheat pita bread. The main: chicken shish kebab, lamb shish kebab, lamb shoulder, baked rice, baked eggplant, dolmah (cabbage roll), pakawra (batter fried potatoes), and chaka (sour cream and yogurt dip).
The Horsemen’s Special Platter. Image: The Afghan Horsemen
The verdict: every dish was amazing — my favourite was the baked eggplant — and the cozy, colourful decor and exotic ambiance made the experience memorable and definitely repeatable.
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