GUSTO Casting Call

Got an e-mail today from Canada-based GUSTO Worldwide Media -- There's a casting call! Here's the blurb:

CALLING ALL TALENTED COOKS!
Gusto Worldwide Media is thrilled to be moving forward with a number of original cooking series and are looking for Canada’s next culinary superstars. Whether you’re a professional chef, inspired home cook or a passionate foodie, it’s time to show off your skills and personality! Gusto Worldwide Media will be producing shows non-stop throughout 2017 and are in search of all kinds of talent in a variety of categories: bakers, globally inspired cooks and/or a fun personality who could host a dinner-party show.

We want to hear from you if:

• You’re a foodie.
• You know how to cook. Like really, really cook.
• You have a BIG, fun personality.
• You specialize in global cuisine (e.g. Korean, Cantonese, Szechuan, Greek, Caribbean, Lebanese, Moroccan, Turkish, etc.).
• Baking is your life.

Culinary hopefuls are encouraged to submit a one- to two-minute video via the form below. Don’t worry about the production, lighting or editing; just set up your phone in the kitchen, hit record and prove that you’re the best at what you do! Tell us about your background, your passion and why you would make the best Gusto star, why you’re the right person to make kimchee simple or baklava achievable.

This is an opportunity of a lifetime; don’t miss out! But hurry, because this casting call will close on December 17, 2016.

Motomachi Shokudo - Bamboo-Charcoal Dark Miso Ramen

Accepted an impromptu invitation today to try Motomachi Shokudo. They have a variety of soup bases, including an intriguing Bamboo-Charcoal.

You get a pretty big bowl with lots of soup, so the volume you get is sort of comparable to a big bowl of pho. Pork tender but not melt-in-your-mouth tender. Still, overall, you get a rich and tasty soup, a generous amount of pork,and some interesting flavours to mix it up, including a tender boiled egg and seaweed.

As for the bamboo-charcoal, it definitely made the broth charcoal black, but in flavour I didn't get anything too special. Might be a nostalgia thing.

For $1.10 extra you can get extra noodle, and there's definitely enough soup to support more noodle. The soup alone will be filling but you could always super-size for $1.10.

Pretty small and cozy spot. We got in just at 6pm on a Friday and close to 7pm it still hadn't filled to any sort of lineup so for small parties a walk-in to the communal table is probably doable.

Free Telus WiFi from somewhere nearby, signal strong enough to connect.

CASH OR DEBIT ONLY and they gave us each a coupon for gyoza, half-size kimuchi, or 2 ramen toppings, with an order of ramen on our next visit.

FAIL at Earls Restaurant Kingsway

The menu at Earls on Kingsway near Metrotown has changed since I was last there about a year ago and I still can't get a decent meal there.

Vegetarian Burger ($13) Brown rice and mushroom vegetarian patty, aged cheddar, sauteed onions, vine ripened tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, mayonnaise, and mustard on a freshly baked brioche bun.

• Tender bun was the only good thing here.
• Patty tasted like salt. It was salty. No other flavour. Total waste of time especially for $13.
• TIP: Unless you want your burger to taste like pickle, remove the pickle right away.
• TIP: Might also want to try distributing the onion more evenly inside if it's not too caked into the cheese.

Pot of Tea ($3.75)

Service was also fail.
At the time I placed my order, I asked for the hot water in my teapot to be topped up. The server did not take my pot. Neither did they take my pot when my order came. I honestly don't remember our table being checked on until the server came to clear our dishes and in the meantime I couldn't spot them more than twice and couldn't make eye contact more than once. When they cleared my dish I again asked for my teapot to be topped up. Still no action. Ironically they came back to ask our table if we wanted drinks or water. Still no one took my teapot. I gave up and just asked for the bill.