Lebanese dishes come three different ways at downtown eatery

Mia Stainsby
Sun

It’s hard to run a place that’s almost fast food (not quite) and offers really healthy and organic food. But at Nuba, they manage to do that.

“And we don’t own a microwave or a can opener,” says Jeremy Duckworth, chef and co-owner. “We use organic beans and grains and as much organic [ingredients] as we economically can.”

This is the second outlet. The first, at 322 West Hastings, is a much tighter squeeze than this one, which is still casual but newly renovated and brighter. The menu is identically Lebanese with recipes based on another owner’s grandmother’s food.

Of note, Victor Bouzide’s grandmother cooked some of these dishes at the Chicago World Fair in 1893 when she was 13.

Bouzide eventually ended up in Windsor, Ont. where he opened several restaurants, including La Mishwi, a Lebanese restaurant. That’s where he and Jeremy Duckworth met up. Duckworth is his Nuba partner and chef.

There are a few tables at Nuba but a lot of locals do takeout. Dishes are done up three different ways — as mezze (appetizer size), pita (stuffed in a pita with lettuce, tomato and tahini); or as an main dish (served with tabbouleh, salad, hummus, pita and brown rice or potatoes). Prices range from about $4.50 to $10.

The red lentil soup is porridgey thick and quite a hit. They soak and grind the chickpeas for the falafel and make their own pickles. “Najib’s Special” is crispy cauliflower enhanced with organic lemon, sea salt and tahini; kibbeh is like a freshly ground lamb burger with veggies, pine nuts and spices mixed in and cooked to barely done.

The only disappointment was the house salad, which was huge and fresh but the dressing, with lemon and sumac, was overly tart. I left most of it but was well sated with my falafel dinner of ample portion. Vegans and vegetarians will find lots to choose from.

– – –

NUBA

206 Seymour St., 778-371-3266. Open for lunch and dinner daily. (The Hastings Street branch is open from Monday to Friday only.)

© The Vancouver Sun 2007

Eastern European restaurant moves into a larger space, offering traditional, home-style cooking with Old World charm

Katya Holloway
Sun

This story begins far, far away in the mystical land of Transylvania. However, unlike Bram Stoker’s fictional fable, Dracula, this heart-warming tale doesn’t involve pale-skinned vampires in velvet capes.

Picture modern-day Romania. High school sweethearts Joanna and Nick are your average teenagers, plugging away at their homework and dreaming of a bright future.

The couple gets married, and at age 28, the Cruciats decide to leave Transylvania for a new life in Canada.

The family settled in Vancouver 11 years ago with the goal of starting their own restaurant, with culinary help from Joanna’s parents. After working away to set aside enough money, they opened a tiny eatery in Gastown three years ago called Transylvania Flavour Restaurant.

“It was our dream to open a restaurant,” says Joanna. “My father is a chef of 41 years and my mom is a pastry chef.

“Cooking has always been a big part of my family. If you ask any Eastern European, the solution to many problems is, ‘Eat something.’ “

Food is medicine, according to her culture, and the family has brought their traditional, home-style comfort food to their new location on West Broadway, which opened in June.

While the name Transylvania speaks of bloody fangs, garlic and Dracula-esque castles, this establishment has purposefully steered clear of kitsch vampire decorations, opting for a tasteful, sophisticated decor with an Old World feel. Think subtle elegance with red velvet drapery set against yellow walls, a deep red ceiling and gold-coloured picture frames.

“I didn’t want people to concentrate on the [Dracula] story but on the food,” Joanna explained later, jokingly adding: “We don’t cook with blood.”

Maybe not, but carnivores would be in their element here. The menu focuses on homemade cuisine passed down through the ages. It’s heavy on red meat-and-potatoes fare, with a vegetarian, trout and various chicken options also available.

Dishes include family recipes (cabbage rolls, sausages and borscht) and popular European dishes, such as chicken or pork schnitzels.

Given my mom’s Doukhobor background, perogies (vereniki to me) are a personal all-time favourite. I pounced on the Homemade Perogy Pillows appetizer ($10), which were filled with yam and cheese, topped with bacon bits, sour cream and a roasted red pepper-sauce drizzle. It was enough to stop my heart, but I happily munched on. The yam filling is a nice touch (as opposed to potato), although I would have liked more cheese in the filling. My dining partner, on the other hand, declared the pillows “perfect.”

We also ordered the Mini Meatballs ($8) with spiked Dijon & horseradish barbecue sauce. The homemade sauce was lovely and the meatballs weighty. Another popular dish here are the Mititei (Transylvanian sausages, $9), served with fries.

As for mains, the duck breast in apricot jus on potato-leek latke with glazed beets ($22) came highly recommended, and I’d order this again. The apricot reduction added a burst of tang to the baked duck, topped with the added texture of fried onions. The latke was delicious and although slightly greasy, wasn’t overly stodgy.

The grilled lamb chops in port infused demi-glace with mashed potatoes and seared fennel ($22) was cooked to perfection. Both mains came with the same pairing of veggies: carrots, asparagus, beets and green beans.

For dessert, try the flourless chocolate cake ($7), which packs a huge flavour punch in a rich, dense slice. Another curious option is the Transylvanian doughnuts called Papanash, which come with sour cream and house berry jam ($7).

The drinks menu includes cocktails, draft and imported beer (mostly $5) and a selection of Hungarian, German and French wines.

Transylvania Flavour Restaurant brings new blood to this corner of West Broadway and Arbutus. Stick your neck out and give it a try — if you dare.

– – –

TRANSYLVANIA FLAVOUR RESTAURANT

2120 W. Broadway, 604-730-0880

Open Tuesday to Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m.; closed Mondays, www.transylvaniaflavour.com

Overall: 3 1/2

Food: 4

Ambience: 3 1/2

Service: 5

Price: $$

Restaurant visits are conducted anonymously and interviews are done by phone. Restaurants are rated out of five stars.

© The Vancouver Sun 2007

Eatery affordable, and offers a complex Pad Thai

Mark Laba
Province

BAAN WASANA

Where: 2143 West 41st Ave., Vancouver

Payment/reservations: Major credit cards, 778-371-8971

Drinks: Fully licensed

Hours: Lunch, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; dinner, 5 p.m.-10 p.m.

– – –

There’s an old Thai proverb that says “At high tide, fish eat ants; at low tide, ants eat fish. And there’s an old food-reviewer proverb that states, hell high or low tide, I’ll eat both and finish it with a plate of pig’s knuckles smothered in goose liver and woodchuck fat.

I decided to put the proverb to rest and just go out and eat at this little hidden gem up on the swanky stretch of Kerrisdale. It’s a soothing room painted Thai-chili red with black-and-gold accents and all manner of art and artifacts to set the mood for an exotic journey.

The Law, who tends to be a high roller when it comes to the choice of restaurants she frequents, had her usual look of disdain as I steered her and Peaches into this place. That look gave way to pleasure as she wolfed down an appetizer order of khiaw krob ($4.95), eight deep-fried wontons with small bulbous pockets of pork in the centre. Peaches and I managed to nab a few and the slightly sweet and pleasingly pungent dipping sauce was excellent.

We also hit the spring rolls stuffed with cabbage, carrot, bean sprouts and glass noodles ($4.95). I’m always amazed at spring-roll ingredient listings because, no matter what you read, none of that stuff is discernable inside. Nevertheless this version delivered all the flavours, and the wrapping was as crisp as the crease in Elvis’s Las Vegas-years jumpsuit.

The chicken satay ($7.95) was also inspiring, with a seemingly built-in peanut sauce coating done during the grilling that had a light touch but deep-reaching tastes.

“I’m impressed,” The Law said. “Normally I don’t eat in places where there isn’t at least 20 pieces of cutlery per person.”

“And yet I’ve seen you gobble up Costco hotdogs like they were the last wieners on the planet,” I replied.

Next up was a flurry of dishes that comprised the main event. Gai pad prig khing, a chicken dish with curry paste, long green beans and red and green peppers ($9.25) was a sultry affair and as colourful as it was delicious. Beef Pad Ped ($9.25) was equally tasty, a bit more subdued with bamboo shoots and kaffir lime but the bit of chili lurked just nearby like a tropical storm looming on the horizon. My only beef was I thought there wasn’t enough beef on the plate.

A note of the Pad Thai noodles here ($9.95); Pad Thai being a ubiquitous dish that has lost its currency in many places as it’s just slapped together inconsiderately. On first glance, these noodles appeared unassuming and even lacked that odd, red, ketchup-like tinge that so many versions are imbued with. But on first bite, the complexity of the spicing rose to the forefront.

We finished with a wonderful Masamun curry ($9.25) chock-full of chicken and potatoes, soothed by coconut milk currents and the deep rich colour of a burnished golden Buddha. And, at these prices, I’ll be able to afford this meal for lifetimes to come, even if I can’t find an ATM in my next incarnation.

THE BOTTOM LINE: More bang for your Bangkok buck.

RATINGS: Food: B+l Service: B+; Atmosphere: B+

© The Vancouver Province 2007