Bacon Quest – the search for Vancouver’s undiscovered bacon.

Episode 6 – The Final Bacon

My journey to discover new and exciting bacon isn’t just the six week stint you’ve read in this newspaper, but a lifelong journey. Like anything, it has its ups and it has its downs.

I recall in 2007, there used to be a place in Yaletown called Lucky Diner. Lucky was the place for breakfast if you were in the area as, at the time, it was owned and operated by the experienced restaurateur, Sean Heather of the Irish Heather, and if there’s anything the Irish know, it’s breakfast. Well, that and potatoes but we’ll save that for another quest.

So, as the story goes, I’m experiencing Lucky Diner for the first time and I order breakfast from Mr. Heather’s sister, Roisin. Breakfast includes bacon or as they called it on the menu, ‘belly bacon,’ which is really why I ordered it in the first place. So breakfast finally arrived, I look down and am greeted with two strips of bacon.

Two freaking strips, I think to myself. What? They couldn’t spring for the third?

Then I started to analyze the situation a bit – I’m thinking to myself, do these people not like me?

Is Ms. Heather still angry with me for finding out the secret location of Salt before they launched? Am I going to taste bitter almonds next and wind up in an Eastside dumpster?

I bit my tongue and didn’t say a thing and am glad that I did. When I finally did try the belly bacon, it became immediately clear that this is bacon unlike any other – the bacon of the gods, tiny but so rich and salty that eating more than two strips would indubitably be a sin.

I found it, the holy grail of bacon, and I lived to tell about it.

Today when I spoke to Exec Chef Lee Humphries at the Irish Heather, he informs me that they still have access to such a treat. I’ll be there soon, I’m sure.

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Raj Taneja is part technologist, part entrepreneur, part social media thought leader and part foodie. He runs urbanmixer.com, publishes a miscellany of his musings at raj.jp.

Bacon Quest – the search for Vancouver’s undiscovered bacon.

Episode 5 – Drink your Bacon

The thought of drinking one’s meal is a foreign concept – I remember years ago when then Captain of the Canucks, Messier, anted up to the table at the Ken Bogas’ Yaletown hotspot Mangiamo (now Goldfish), jug of green liquid in hand, singing the praises of such a beverage.

I thought he was nuts.

In hindsight, regular consumption of this green beverage is probably the reason why Bogas, the Alpha-male I once looked up to, is sporting a new set of tits and goes by the name of ‘kaitlyn.’

Back to Messier, what type of crazy person drinks a jug of green stuff and calls it their breakfast?

Isn’t the consumption of food more than just the process of mastication?

It’s about sitting down at a table and  sharing , isn’t it? Sharing with friends, family, felines and even foes.

Well, a couple of days ago, the talented mixologist and self proclaimed bacon aficionado David Wolowidnyk from West restaurant demonstrated to me that breakfast could be both sipped and shared.

Upon hearing of his bacon-infused bourbon creations, I immediately challenged him to change my mindset, and in response what he created was the ‘All-day Breakfast;’ a bacon and egg flip comprised of Bulleit Bourbon infused with bacon, a whole egg, Cointreau, Angostura Orange bitters, orange juice and garnished with spiced-pear jelly on toast.

Everyone at the bar got a sip that day and we agreed, bacon, eggs, toast, OJ and bourbon is a great start to anyone’s day.

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Raj Taneja is part technologist, part entrepreneur, part social media thought leader and part foodie. He runs urbanmixer.com, publishes a miscellany of his musings at raj.jp.

Bacon Quest – the search for Vancouver’s undiscovered bacon.

Episode 4 – The Famous Bacon

In Vancouver, especially during times like film fest, you’ll likely meet someone famous.

Step onto the red carpet with a camera and it’s possible to make even Henry Winkler go “aaaay!”

In my days as a photojournalist, I’ve met a ton of famous people, but I’ve never met famous bacon before.

Or at least, I haven’t been alerted to the fact that I’d be meeting famous bacon… up until now.

At the suggestion of a friend, I learned that there was famous bacon that I could visit on the North Shore at this place called Tomahawk Barbeque.

Tomahawk, a restaurant that’s been in North Vancouver for over a bazillion years (since 1926 as the menu proclaims,) serves up bacon known as Yukon style bacon.

Famous in its own right, not because Bryan Adams was once a dishwasher there, but because it’s THAT good.; double smoked in an old European wood smokehouse setting, Yukon bacon is sold exclusively to the restaurant.

The result? Such menu items as the Yukon-style Bacon & Eggs featuring five generous slices of Yukon-style bacon, two country-style eggs served fried or scrambled, a heaping portion of golden-griddled hash brown potatoes, and two thick slices of Klondike toast, or the mixed grill that I enjoyed that day, nine generous slices of Yukon style bacon, two country fresh eggs, fried or scrambled, two slices of Klondike toast, ORGANIC hamburger patty, aged cheddar cheese, wiener, onions and fresh sautéed mushrooms, all on a 14″ platter.

Sumptuous to say the least and definitely worthy of stardom.

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Raj Taneja is part technologist, part entrepreneur, part social media thought leader and part foodie. He runs urbanmixer.com, publishes a miscellany of his musings at raj.jp.

Bacon Quest – the search for Vancouver’s undiscovered bacon.

Episode 3 – Bacon vs. Bacon

In the past couple of weeks, we’ve discussed the finer points of one of the greatest inventions known to man, bacon.

Sadly though, although it’s a simple food, it’s up to the cook to really make it outstanding.

My favourite method of bacon preparation is to pan fry extra-thick cut pieces straight out of the package on medium heat, flipping when necessary until crispy and brown then finally resting the little strips of happiness between paper towels.

I’ve heard of such atrocities as flash frying bacon – typically used in restaurants to boost their efficiency.

In my books, that ain’t bacon and I could rant and rave about the process, but today as Thanksgiving has just finished, our eyes turn to the less fortunate.

That’s right, our Hebrew, Halal and Pescetarian friends.

The Vegans and the Vegetarians, we can’t help you yet, but get this: a fellow that goes by the name Alan Axler, proprietor of the Springfield Smoked Fish Company in Massachusetts has come up with BREKFISH, salmon bacon that isn’t that far from the real deal.

So good that it’s Orthodox Union Kosher and Ifanca Halal certified.

Upon receiving my sample, I put it to the ultimate test and prepared it side by side with regular bacon.

BREKFISH plays well with other foods – a BLT or maybe even wrapping scallops.

On its own, you can still tell the difference but again, with its similarity to real bacon, it has the power to heal millions and can ultimately bring peace on earth.

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Raj Taneja is part technologist, part entrepreneur, part social media thought leader and part foodie. He runs urbanmixer.com, publishes a miscellany of his musings at raj.jp.

Bacon Quest – the search for Vancouver’s undiscovered bacon.

Episode 2 – Porkbelly Beer House

Can you keep a secret? Well the Koreans certainly can. For years I lamented at the possibility that while there were dozens of great steak houses to choose from, nobody had ever decided to venture in creating a restaurant that celebrates bacon. Was I ever wrong! In fact, at the time of writing this article, I’m on the phone to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and putting my money where the meat is. As soon as the word’s out, the price of pork belly futures are on a rocketship to the moon.

Here’s the backstory: while stumbling through the West End one night, a beautiful scent filled the air, but to which cooked meat it belonged I had no idea. I investigated and what I found was a discovery more monumental than what conspiracy theorists call the New World Order. I observed a pair of Korean men perched on the patio of a restaurant cooking strips of what appeared to be bacon on a portable gas-powered grill. It turned out to be love at first sight and her name was ‘Samgyeopsal’. The restaurant was aptly named ‘Porkbelly Beer House’ and as the owner explained, uncured strips of pork belly, cut in quarter-inch slices are put on a gas-powered griddle and cooked. The customers at the restaurant cook their own meat and then eat directly from the grill, usually wrapping the delicacy in lettuce stuffed with a soybean paste, kimchi (Korean pickles), fresh garlic slices and green chilli. Since that fateful day, we’ve come together on many occasions and I’ve enjoyed my forbidden love. Now that the word is out, I’m keeping my eye on those futures.

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Raj Taneja is part technologist, part entrepreneur, part social media thought leader and part foodie. He runs urbanmixer.com, publishes a miscellany of his musings at raj.jp and is probably the least qualified person in the world to ask for financial or investment advice.

Bacon Quest – the search for Vancouver’s undiscovered bacon.

Episode 1 – DB Bistro Moderne

To those that are allowed to even indulge, bacon is a many-splendored food. Doug Larson is quoted as saying “life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.” Who are we to argue? That guy was an Olympic medalist!

In the upcoming six week adventure, we’re going to go for the gold and discover what only few mortals have ever dared – we’ll take you to places where the bacon’s even more special than it already is (if that’s even possible.)

So where to start? Unlike fine purveyors of steak, the thought of a ‘bacon house’ is only a dream. Being thought of mostly as a breakfast food, the mind immediately shifts to Vancouver’s myriad of breakfast places. There’s omletteries, waffle shops and even an International House of Pancakes but nothing that immediately screams out bacon. One place though, is what I’d call THE place for brunch, DB Bistro Moderne in Kitsilano. If anything bumping into the Chef de Cuisine Stephane Istel on his day off was a sign. The fact that he was donning a t-shirt that says ‘lardons give me hardons,’ sealed the deal, so I put him to the test and what I got was completely amazing. Two types of bacon sliced thick, the regular kind we’re all familiar with prepared sous-vide, and a Chinese-inspired variety, roasted, spiced, dipped in brine and braised. Both types made for a magical dining experience and a good start to the Bacon Quest.

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Raj Taneja is part technologist, part entrepreneur, part social media guru and part foodie. He runs urbanmixer.com and publishes a miscellany of his musings at raj.jp.