City Food Magazine - Serving Up Some Cuban Libre on The Drive

FEATURES

A ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW WITH RAYNA SHUR

Age: 26
Occupation: Server at Havana on Commercial Drive
Background: “I grew up in Edmonton, finished high-school and worked at a coffee shop. At the time my passion was make-up artistry so I came to Vancouver and enrolled at Blanch MacDonald’s for an eight-month program, partly just to get out of Edmonton. Shortly after finishing the program, I realized that it [cosmetics] wasn’t the type of service that I wanted to be bringing to people. I knew I could be more myself in a non-superficial environment.�?

How long have you worked at Havana?
A year and two months.

How did you get the job?
I applied like every other person and I got a call back three weeks later. I’ll admit I had a friend who works the bar, so that helped a bit. We get dozens of resumes every week.

What’s it like working on the Drive? What kind of people do you meet?
It’s never boring that’s for sure, very casual and laid back but full of life at the same time. I see small town people, downtown yuppy types, business men, every type of person you could imagine walks the Drive at some point.�? ... (To continue reading: click the "People" tab at the top of this page)

Filed in PEOPLE/ Servers/Kitchen Staff

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DINE AND DASH

We were inquiring about the new menu at the new 90-seat Flo Tea Room at Granville and 64th and received this reply from manager Harmony Cheung:

"... We will be serving mainly two types of cuisine, Taiwanese and HK style. HK style incorporates more western type dishes such as salads, chowders, spaghetti bolognaise and steaks, while Taiwanese cuisine has beef noodles, hot pots, set meals, and small dishes such as seaweed, jellyfish, marinated egg and so on. Currently, there isn't a restaurant that combines the two types of cuisine in one menu so we are very excited to see the reaction from the customers, and of course, we hope that they will enjoy having a larger selection of dishes. It is not a fusion restaurant. On the menu, there will be a good selection of drinks such as bubble tea, fresh juices, flower teas, and also HK style drinks like HK coffee/tea, Ovaltine, lemon tea, etc. A dessert-like item on our menu that's great for the summer is shaved ice (think fluffy snowflakes) with flavours, such as strawberry, condensed milk, pearls, chocolate, etc.

Our decor and dishware will be modern but warm & inviting. Right now, we are concentrating on finishing up the menu, the hiring, and the dishware and are currently in the market to hire Chinese speaking hostesses. ... "

The new Shashuka Art Gallery and Eatery may be already open at 6555 and 6565 Fraser St. Having not visited yet we are not exactly clear on the concept but we hear there will be a juice bar, coffee counter, sandwiches and gelato ice cream involved. Doing a Garbo act, The management doesn't want to talk about it, however we understand the menu will specialize in international cuisine (European and Middle Eastern) with an emphasis on appetizers and salads. The word "Shashuka" itself is just one variation on the spelling for a spicy Israeli Sephardic dish of eggs and tomatoes, if that gives any clue.

Hockey Player Groupie alert: The sightings should be good at tonight's opening party for So.Cial at Le Magasin in Gastown. Two of the owners are former puck chasers.

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IN THE EASTER BASKET

Those famous Victorian Creams are now egg shaped and wrapped in pastel foil. If you purchase a certain flavour you can also help donate funds to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

Filed in DAILY NEWS/Easter Specials

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TODAY'S PRESS RELEASES

Le Gavroche introduces their new menus for Spring with Prix Fixe versions priced at $35 and $50

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FETCHED BY THE MEDIA DOG
(From today's NEWSSTAND)

Find all of the Local Ink filed in MEDIA/On the Newsstands this Week

THE OUTSIDE WORLD

If you were a fan of Kitchen Confidential, you'll want to read the new tell-all, Kitchen Con, when it's released next month. Author Trevor White, who's served some time as a restaurant critic, writes with great humor about the messy business of dining, which includes indifferent waiters, corrupt critics, and the "ill-tempered thug with a white toque." And here we thought those were all tired cliches. Nope.

Some of these April 1st postings are difficult to sort out from the April Fools jokes. Like this cocktail recipe by Heston Blumenthal that mixes wine with chocolate milk.

Could Americans be drinking their last cups of organic coffee?

The meanest pranks ever pulled in restaurant kitchens.

Why waste time learning to cook? The Institute for American Cooks (IAC) plans to build an annex off its New York City campus that will devote itself to teaching and developing chef celebrity itself —"how to get it, how to use it, how to make it work for you," (Yes, this one IS a joke, and it's a hilarious one too. The writer is Michael Ruhlman.)

Inside New York's ultra secret Bite Club.

Tips on training techniques from one man attempting to win the title of "World's best Sommelier" next year in Athens, Greece.

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WHO'S GOT IT - OUR BUZZ METER For April 4, 2007
(The most requested information on the site as measured by Google keyword counter)

PEOPLE:

1) Fiona Morrow (Media)
2) Seamus Havlin (Chef)
3) Quang Dang (Chef)
4) Rhys Pender (Media)
5) Thomas Haas (Chocolatier)

PLACES:

1) So.Cial at Le Magasin (Restaurant), Vancouver
2) Prima Taste (Restaurant), Vancouver
3) Majestic on Davie, Vancouver
4) O Thai (Restaurant), Vancouver
5) Italian Kitchen, (Restaurant), Vancouver

THINGS:

1) Goldhamster Chef's Knives
2) cooking classes with John Bishop
3) BC Wine and Oyster Festival
4) BC Private Liquor Stores
5) Parducci Pinot Noir

MOST INEXPLICABLE CONNECTION:

A gift of chickens

NUMBER OF COUNTRIES LOOKING IN: 90 MOST RECENT ADDITIION: Republic of Moldova

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