About
14 days in quarantine? Can't leave the place of quarantine, not even for groceries? First thing we think about is survival... food. With a busy work day, I don't normally eat much, but quality is everything. Probably will never be lucky enough to dine in a Thomas Keller venue, so learning to cook a Yelp-2.5 star quality meal consistently is important, or no one eats well.
Scoring guide
Meals during quarantine are ranked on an 1-9, NIH-based scale - (1) is superior, (9) is no bueno
A score of 3 or 4 (or less) is pretty good, definitely will order again, higher than 5 - needs various degrees of improvement.
14 days in quarantine? Can't leave the place of quarantine, not even for groceries? First thing we think about is survival... food. With a busy work day, I don't normally eat much, but quality is everything. Probably will never be lucky enough to dine in a Thomas Keller venue, so learning to cook a Yelp-2.5 star quality meal consistently is important, or no one eats well.
Scoring guide
Meals during quarantine are ranked on an 1-9, NIH-based scale - (1) is superior, (9) is no bueno
A score of 3 or 4 (or less) is pretty good, definitely will order again, higher than 5 - needs various degrees of improvement.
Fairmont Hotel, Vancouver
3 meals a day, ordered in - contactless delivery
A decent-sized menu is provided, with a good variety of choices. Will likely survive 3-day pre-quarantine quarantine on arrival.
A decent-sized menu is provided, with a good variety of choices. Will likely survive 3-day pre-quarantine quarantine on arrival.
15 March 2021
Breakfast
Overall - (4)
Granola bowl - (3)
Bonus - hard boiled egg, smashed potatoes - (4)
Reviewer's note - last meal at Fairmont. Next posts may be self-review, survival cooking in quarantine.
Granola bowl
Very excellent, see description below. Slightly lower score as needed more honey and yogurt this time.
Hard boiled egg, smashed potatoes
This was a bonus, asked for a boiled egg for protein. Egg yolk was chalky, slightly sulfurous, smashed potatoes had a nice crisp and crunch on the outside. Good soft (but not mushy) texture on the inside. Some oil would be an improvement on the potatoes.
Overall - (4)
Overall - (4)
Granola bowl - (3)
Bonus - hard boiled egg, smashed potatoes - (4)
Reviewer's note - last meal at Fairmont. Next posts may be self-review, survival cooking in quarantine.
Granola bowl
Very excellent, see description below. Slightly lower score as needed more honey and yogurt this time.
Hard boiled egg, smashed potatoes
This was a bonus, asked for a boiled egg for protein. Egg yolk was chalky, slightly sulfurous, smashed potatoes had a nice crisp and crunch on the outside. Good soft (but not mushy) texture on the inside. Some oil would be an improvement on the potatoes.
Overall - (4)
14 March 2021
Dinner
Overall - (5)
Calamari - (5)
Chicken wings (Korean bbq sauce) - (2)
Rossdown farms chicken breast - (7)
Calamari
Charred lemon, aoli. Was surprisingly crunchy, but largely flavorless and unremarkable. Aoli was okay, added lemon to the aoli to maintain crunch in the calamari. Texture was okay, not too rubbery. Overall, okay but not outstanding.
Chicken wings (Korean bbq sauce)
Chicken wings were well executed, crispy skin and juicy on the inside. Sauce was excellent, good heat, and nice complexity, good salt and sweetness with good garlic notes and slight tang. HIGHLY recommended.
Rossdown farms chicken breast
Roast potatoes, market vegetables, red wine jus. Potatoes were dry, but found one good fingerling with a crispy skin and pleasant soft interior. Vegetables were not overcooked, but underseasoned and unremarkable. Chicken was a downgrade from lunch, very dry. Red wine jus was a syrupy, confusingly bitter yet tasteless addition on the side, lacking salt or tartness. A side of the Korean bbq sauce would do better.
Overall - (5)
Overall - (5)
Calamari - (5)
Chicken wings (Korean bbq sauce) - (2)
Rossdown farms chicken breast - (7)
Calamari
Charred lemon, aoli. Was surprisingly crunchy, but largely flavorless and unremarkable. Aoli was okay, added lemon to the aoli to maintain crunch in the calamari. Texture was okay, not too rubbery. Overall, okay but not outstanding.
Chicken wings (Korean bbq sauce)
Chicken wings were well executed, crispy skin and juicy on the inside. Sauce was excellent, good heat, and nice complexity, good salt and sweetness with good garlic notes and slight tang. HIGHLY recommended.
Rossdown farms chicken breast
Roast potatoes, market vegetables, red wine jus. Potatoes were dry, but found one good fingerling with a crispy skin and pleasant soft interior. Vegetables were not overcooked, but underseasoned and unremarkable. Chicken was a downgrade from lunch, very dry. Red wine jus was a syrupy, confusingly bitter yet tasteless addition on the side, lacking salt or tartness. A side of the Korean bbq sauce would do better.
Overall - (5)
Lunch
Overall - (4)
Caesar salad with chicken - (4)
Seasonal fruit plate - (4)
Caesar salad
Focaccia croutons, fresh roasted garlic dressing. Good solid execution, fresh romaine, chicken still moist and lightly seared, good spice, dressed well; almost overdressed, but not to the point of sogginess. Croutons crunchy but still nondescript, a few more croutons desired. Romaine slightly sweet, good crunch, with light garlic notes and light parmesan accents. Boosted flavor by adding salt and pepper to a solid 4. Refreshing and satisfying.
Fruit plate
Pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, honeydew, cantaloupe. Fresh, improvement over yesterday. Honeydew and cantaloupe slightly on the bland and flavorless side.
Overall - (4)
Reviewer apologizes for not indulging in the "assorted cookies" or "chocolate brownie" lunch choices; cannot handle the excess sugar, and will need a palate cleanser for dinner.
Overall - (4)
Caesar salad with chicken - (4)
Seasonal fruit plate - (4)
Caesar salad
Focaccia croutons, fresh roasted garlic dressing. Good solid execution, fresh romaine, chicken still moist and lightly seared, good spice, dressed well; almost overdressed, but not to the point of sogginess. Croutons crunchy but still nondescript, a few more croutons desired. Romaine slightly sweet, good crunch, with light garlic notes and light parmesan accents. Boosted flavor by adding salt and pepper to a solid 4. Refreshing and satisfying.
Fruit plate
Pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, honeydew, cantaloupe. Fresh, improvement over yesterday. Honeydew and cantaloupe slightly on the bland and flavorless side.
Overall - (4)
Reviewer apologizes for not indulging in the "assorted cookies" or "chocolate brownie" lunch choices; cannot handle the excess sugar, and will need a palate cleanser for dinner.
Breakfast
Overall - (6)
Black forest omelette - (6)
Fresh coffee
Black forest omelette
Ham, mushrooms, onions, cheese, crispy potatoes and tomatoes. Omelette itself was poorly executed and rubbery. Onions could use carmelization, but overall edible. Smashed fingerlings - some potato bites were well seasoned, and perfectly crispy on the outside and soft inside. However the fingerlings were painfully inconsistent (there's a black bit by the eggs).
Overall - (6)
The score may have been pushed up with some tomatoes (which were missing).
Overall - (6)
Black forest omelette - (6)
Fresh coffee
Black forest omelette
Ham, mushrooms, onions, cheese, crispy potatoes and tomatoes. Omelette itself was poorly executed and rubbery. Onions could use carmelization, but overall edible. Smashed fingerlings - some potato bites were well seasoned, and perfectly crispy on the outside and soft inside. However the fingerlings were painfully inconsistent (there's a black bit by the eggs).
Overall - (6)
The score may have been pushed up with some tomatoes (which were missing).
13 March 2021
Dinner
Overall - (6)
Chicken wings (hot) - (5)
Classic shrimp cocktail - (4)
Crispy cauliflower - (8)
Wild mushroom soup - (6)
Chicken wings (hot)
Somewhat dry, not as crispy as yesterday (a common problem with sauce dredging). Good heat, salt/acid and tang needs better balance, heat primarily overpowers all other flavors (especially the weak acid and salt).
Classic shrimp cocktail
Smoked horseradish sauce, charred lemon. Best item this meal, shrimp had a plump and pleasantly fresh, springy (but cooked) texture, clean cold flavor. Horseradish a nice accent to the classic cocktail sauce, and charred lemon, although not particularly different from uncharred lemon, was thoughtful.
Crispy cauliflower
With tzatziki, spring onion (no spring onion in the box). Only able to eat 2 pieces - soggy, oily, mushy inside. Bland flavor, texture was too soft and unpleasant. Not recommended.
Wild mushroom soup
BC mushrooms, scallion. Bland, added some salt to push the score from a 7 to a 6. Good blended texture, but weak flavor, lacks herb, acid and salt notes. Chunks of cooked mushroom would be nice, and a contrasting texture is needed (crackers, croutons). Scalllions were refreshing, did add a nice crisp counterpoint to the soup. Limited preferability over store bought.
Overall - (6)
Have a better sensibility with respect to the strengths of the kitchen, hopefully will eat better tomorrow night.
Overall - (6)
Chicken wings (hot) - (5)
Classic shrimp cocktail - (4)
Crispy cauliflower - (8)
Wild mushroom soup - (6)
Chicken wings (hot)
Somewhat dry, not as crispy as yesterday (a common problem with sauce dredging). Good heat, salt/acid and tang needs better balance, heat primarily overpowers all other flavors (especially the weak acid and salt).
Classic shrimp cocktail
Smoked horseradish sauce, charred lemon. Best item this meal, shrimp had a plump and pleasantly fresh, springy (but cooked) texture, clean cold flavor. Horseradish a nice accent to the classic cocktail sauce, and charred lemon, although not particularly different from uncharred lemon, was thoughtful.
Crispy cauliflower
With tzatziki, spring onion (no spring onion in the box). Only able to eat 2 pieces - soggy, oily, mushy inside. Bland flavor, texture was too soft and unpleasant. Not recommended.
Wild mushroom soup
BC mushrooms, scallion. Bland, added some salt to push the score from a 7 to a 6. Good blended texture, but weak flavor, lacks herb, acid and salt notes. Chunks of cooked mushroom would be nice, and a contrasting texture is needed (crackers, croutons). Scalllions were refreshing, did add a nice crisp counterpoint to the soup. Limited preferability over store bought.
Overall - (6)
Have a better sensibility with respect to the strengths of the kitchen, hopefully will eat better tomorrow night.
Lunch
Overall - (3)
Turkey Clubhouse, n=2 - (2)
Caesar salad - (4)
Fruit (dessert), n= 2 - (4)
Reviewer's note - fruit was missing from the initial order, not shown here. Wanted to test consistency here, so re-examining the Clubhouse/fruit.
Turkey Clubhouse
Fantastic execution again, extra point for consistency. Toasted quality of the sourdough is an improvement from previously; slight wilt on a romaine leaf, but the taste was still satisfying - crunchy salty, slightly juicy, refreshing veg, no overpowering condiments; no points deducted. Saddened I may need to explore other options, but would highly recommend the Clubhouse in quarantine at Fairmont. Panera, please take notes.
Additional comments - Clubhouse was too much to finish, so opened it up to finish veg and protein; found what appeared to be a red/purple spread, likely a cranberry aioli. Explains the good sweet, savory balance, was not overpowering, so required disassembly to notice.
Caesar salad
Refreshing, and crunchy with decent seasoning/dressing. Dressing was appropriate, not overdressed and parmesan although likely not fresh-shaved, was also decent. Croutons crunchy, but non-descript, could use some acid or other flavor notes. Added black pepper, nice accent to the salad.
Fruit plate
Strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, honeydew, canteloupe. Not particularly outstanding, but again, good palate cleaner to the heavier Clubhouse.
Some inconsistency to the fruit quality, but an excellent choice over heavier brownie or chocolate chip cookie choices.
Overall - (3), sad to say goodbye to the Clubhouse tomorrow.
Overall - (3)
Turkey Clubhouse, n=2 - (2)
Caesar salad - (4)
Fruit (dessert), n= 2 - (4)
Reviewer's note - fruit was missing from the initial order, not shown here. Wanted to test consistency here, so re-examining the Clubhouse/fruit.
Turkey Clubhouse
Fantastic execution again, extra point for consistency. Toasted quality of the sourdough is an improvement from previously; slight wilt on a romaine leaf, but the taste was still satisfying - crunchy salty, slightly juicy, refreshing veg, no overpowering condiments; no points deducted. Saddened I may need to explore other options, but would highly recommend the Clubhouse in quarantine at Fairmont. Panera, please take notes.
Additional comments - Clubhouse was too much to finish, so opened it up to finish veg and protein; found what appeared to be a red/purple spread, likely a cranberry aioli. Explains the good sweet, savory balance, was not overpowering, so required disassembly to notice.
Caesar salad
Refreshing, and crunchy with decent seasoning/dressing. Dressing was appropriate, not overdressed and parmesan although likely not fresh-shaved, was also decent. Croutons crunchy, but non-descript, could use some acid or other flavor notes. Added black pepper, nice accent to the salad.
Fruit plate
Strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, honeydew, canteloupe. Not particularly outstanding, but again, good palate cleaner to the heavier Clubhouse.
Some inconsistency to the fruit quality, but an excellent choice over heavier brownie or chocolate chip cookie choices.
Overall - (3), sad to say goodbye to the Clubhouse tomorrow.
Breakfast
Overall - (3)
Granola bowl - (2)
Coffee - (4)
bonus - apple and Coffee Crisp bar
Reviewer's note, sorry again about the images, decided to open the blog right after breakfast. Additional note, reviewer does not normally eat breakfast, will try to score accordingly on heavier items.
Granola bowl
Greek-style yogurt, local berry compote, fairmont honey. Not a technically challenging item, but extremely LIGHT and SATISFYING, which may generously skew the score. Crunch of the granola complements against the fresh fruit, and light sweetness of the honey. Berry compote also refreshing, also lightly sweet and complex, but softness plays a good counterpoint to the crunchy granola.
Coffee
Nice non-offensive light roast. High score due to good complement of a light coffee with a light granola breakfast.
Breakfast Overall - (3), hoping to revisit this breakfast again, but may need to explore the more complex breakfast items.
Overall - (3)
Granola bowl - (2)
Coffee - (4)
bonus - apple and Coffee Crisp bar
Reviewer's note, sorry again about the images, decided to open the blog right after breakfast. Additional note, reviewer does not normally eat breakfast, will try to score accordingly on heavier items.
Granola bowl
Greek-style yogurt, local berry compote, fairmont honey. Not a technically challenging item, but extremely LIGHT and SATISFYING, which may generously skew the score. Crunch of the granola complements against the fresh fruit, and light sweetness of the honey. Berry compote also refreshing, also lightly sweet and complex, but softness plays a good counterpoint to the crunchy granola.
Coffee
Nice non-offensive light roast. High score due to good complement of a light coffee with a light granola breakfast.
Breakfast Overall - (3), hoping to revisit this breakfast again, but may need to explore the more complex breakfast items.
12 March 2021
Reviewer's note - Sorry about the image quality, was not anticipating documenting a Blog. Will try to do better.
Lunch
Turkey Clubhouse (Main), Seasonal fruit plate (dessert)
Overall - (3)
Turkey Clubhouse - (3)
Fries (3)
Fruit (5)
Turkey clubhouse
Clubhouse was excellent, turkey meat was moist, good flavor, crisp fresh romaine, crispy bacon on decent sourdough. Meat and veg quality much better than commercial, and crunch, juice and salt balance were excellent. Fries were surprisingly good, well-seasoned, crunchy/crispy on the outside and soft but not too starchy on the inside.
Fruit
Pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, cantaloupe, honeydew. Fresh but not particularly outstanding, but decent palate cleanser and counterbalance to the salt and heavy lunch.
Lunch Overall - (3), Reviewer's note - did not eat all day and ate at 3pm.
Dinner
Overall (6)
Chicken wings (salt and pepper) - (4)
Variations of beets salad - (6)
Lamb Shank - (6)
Chicken wings
Good flavor, good crunch and crisp on the skin, no excessive grease, slightly on the salty side but was the protein that saved dinner.
Beets salad
Variety of beets with a goat cheese mousse, sunflower seeds, balsamic and local greens; good intention with a savory heavy mouse, with crunchy pine nuts (not sunflower seeds as advertised), and balsamic. Beets were pleasant, but execution overall did not produce anything remarkable, particularly as mixing a creamy goat cheese concoction into a crunchy salad seems to be strange rather than pleasing. Cheese crumbles or crisps makes more sense.
Lamb shank
Lamb shank with a pea-saffron risotto, pecorino romano, seasonal vegetables - disappointing. Lamb shank was tender and meat quality was okay, gravy was unremarkable. Risotto was not seasoned (saffron or pea? not one speck) and was less satisfying than a package of instant oatmeal or cream of wheat. Veg was nothing remarkable, and on the soft side.
Importantly, no cultery?! I washed and reused what I used for lunch. No points deducted for service.
Dinner Overall - (6), not very confident that more complex dishes will be executed well.
(Eyeing specifically the Bolognese)
Hopefully will not resort to chicken wing dinners for the next couple days.
In progress... please bear with us.