A bagel that just recently emerged from a hot brick oven, slices of smoked wild sockeye salmon and some plain cream cheese. That seemed like a nice way to start a market brunch… The bagel was superb, that extra 5-10% of added brilliance probably simply the result of being so recently baked. The cream cheese a foil for the intensely orange wild smoked salmon. Mrs. MM and I had one bagel each. I ate the extra pieces of salmon with my fingers. Yum.
This small package of smoked salmon was roughly $8, plus the bagels, so this set us back just $6 per person. A very reasonably priced starter… :)
If we were heading back to Manila from Vancouver, I would have brought home a kilo or more of smoked salmon!
Just minutes earlier, we watched this man at “Siegel’s” expertly place the bagels on really long narrow wooden paddles and into a hot brick oven. Then when they were ready, he deftly scooped them up, pulled them out of the oven and tossed them all at once into a stainless bin. Kitchen performance art for those who choose to see it that way. Plain bagels were $1 or so each if I recall correctly.
For our “main course” we had some plain and olive rolls, also freshly baked at Terra Breads, along with 100 grams each of thinly sliced jamon iberico chorizo or sausage, and a wild boar sausage, both from Oyama. Both were excellent, and while the characteristic and delicious fattiness of the jamon iberico was classic (just look at the sheen on those babies), I actually marginally enjoyed the subtle and extremely mild flavor of the paler wild boar sausage.
We couldn’t finish all of this sausage, and we took it home with some rolls for a midnight snack or breakfast the next day.
The Terra Breads stall was a visual and olfactory delight. There is just something about the smell of freshly baked bread that is seriously enchanting. Gosh we could have gone further and purchased a couple of kinds of cheese. Some olives, prepared salads, etc. But we just had some fruit to round off the market brunch… we knew there was more food coming later in the day!
The mustardy yellow paint on the walls, the freshly baked bread and the sunlight hitting the shop made for a beautiful sight.
We were sorely tempted by the pastries, cookies and sweets but we had to keep some space to try many of the other things Vancouver had to offer food wise. Look at those belgian chocolate brownies!
21 Responses
Your stories with pictures to boot make me feel like I am there in person and enjoying all the things that you are seeing and tasting as well. You are a good storyteller and a real foodie.
Bagel, cream cheese and smoke salmon with capers. This will be my breakfast tomorrow. Thanks!
To all the Canadian-based readers and Canadians around the world, Happy Thanksgiving! So smart to have your holiday in October, can’t imagine a New England Thanksgiving in a snow drift a couple of hundred years ago…
one word: yummy! :)
love all the food….so yummy!
MM, am i dreaming or not? i’ve seen at Midnight Mercato’s layout for October 8 that ZUBUCHON be at Stall 49…. i will brave the rain and traffic for this.
Sophie, it’s an authorized re-seller. In other words they buy from us in Cebu and re-sell the Zubuchon here at Mercato. Zubuchon does not operate the stall, but we do sell them our lechons and chicharon… so while it won’t be hot and as crisp anymore, it should taste the same. Please let me know how your purchase was… thanks. :)
really MM? thanks for this comment, at least i can taste a part of this famous zubuchon ;)
i had those bagelss, when i was there! yummy!
Hi MM – great posts, as usual.
Noticed that locations are no longer indicated…
Hi, MM. Your brunch looked very tempting and delish. That smoked salmon looked so good. I can’t help thinking how Mrs. MM keep her slim figure.
Thanks MM. It ‘s gonna be a busy weekend for most of us with preparations, dinner invites et all,going on. We have 3 Thanksgiving dinners to attend to beginning with the first one tonight.
My sister is also hosting for our big family tomorrow and she’s getting a whole lechon at a local Chinese BBQ meat store in Vancouver. It’s nothing close to the ones we have there. If we can just ship that Zubuchon here…( I just closed my eyes and recalled the Bourdain show.. .) maybe when I’m in Manila… :-)
MM I hope the authorized dealer will carry Zubuchon products until December (and beyond) so we (Manila-based followers and foodies) will have easy access to your yummy treats. I am so thrilled. I live very close to Mercato so I can have zubuchon as soon as I get home in a month’s time (before my family’s trip to Cebu to gorge on freshly cooked zubuchon and more)!
MM, thanks for documenting your visit with us. Your photos are just great!
Munching on Terra Breads and deli by the water is my idea of a perfect breakfast. Your post is a good reminder to do that soon.
We are having a traditional Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow instead of Monday so I am, today, busy preparing the main event. Sides, dessert and drinks to be provided by the kids. I remember your mentioning to us how effortlessly Sister can prepare a large feast for a huge gathering. How I wish I had her energy and skill.
I just had gravlax (just cured salmon since it’s made at home) with cream cheese on my pandesal yesterday morning :D I love it with imported cream cheese, which is more sour than salty but still creamy. Heaven :)
That looks like a very good bagel! Look at how crunchy the outside is but seems soft inside. *drool* I’ve been looking for good bagel in Manila but can’t find one like this and the ones in NY. :(
MM, your posts on Granville Island reminded me of fond memories of my visit to Vancouver. Looking at the bagel salmon cream cheese sandwich makes me hungry now!
the brownies got me drooling 0_0
hi MM, i have always wondered if smoked salmons are ready to eat/serve or do you need to cook it first? i’m always tempted to pick a back of smoked salmon from the fish section of a grocer here in Singapore, but I don’t know how to prepare it.
Yummy pictures! but I guess this is not from your DSLR…….but your G12.
It was a busy Thanksgiving weekend; enjoyable nonetheless!
Both Oyama and Terra Breads are personal favourites at Granville Island along with our very own Armando’s (meat shop). Next time, you should try Terra’s grape bread.
As usual, lovely pictures to whet one’s appetite.