I wish I was more well travelled. I have only been to a handful of places internationally and have so many more I want to visit on the bucket list.
So when a little slice of another country comes to Vancouver, I take every opportunity to drink it in, and in this case that is literally.
This is the Laowai X Penicillin collaboration Popup for one night only.
For those unfamiliar Laowai is one of Vancouver’s original hidden bars, located at the back of a small dumpling shop in Chinatown. Those looking to gain access through the freezer door, need only to order “number 7” on their list of available dumplings to order. (There is no physical number 7 listed).
Inside, you are transported to the “glamour of a 1920s Prohibition-style watering hole, paired with a modern cocktail experience”. (As taken from the press release)
And on this eve of Halloween, Laowai hosted Hong Kong’s critically acclaimed Penicillin at Laowai x Penicillin. The latter is hailed as a world-class watering hole and listed at #71 by the World’s Best Bars. Penicillin’s husband-and-wife team of Agung and Laura Prabowo have travelled to Vancouver to produce an evening of cocktail magic alongside Laowai Chef Phong Vo’s street-bites inspired menu. And we were here to capture all the excitement.
There are 4 cocktails on menu, and due to their limited supply, each person could only try one of each, as a smaller serving. This was due to restrictions placed for crossing borders with this much alcohol.
And truly these were all one of a kind cocktails, and some of the best I have ever tried. Self described as experimental by our hosts, using cooking techniques and gadgets to concoct what drank more like a meal than a beverage.
The Original was my favourite and a strong start. Waste shell vodka, Spiced cherry tomato, Salted coconut cordial, Clear lemon, and Oyster leaf. Beautifully crafted and balanced of all the possible taste types: salty, sweet, sour, bitter, umami, fatty, and spicy. You are advised to sip and bite the leaf, sip and bite the leaf, always repeating. Doing so helped to reset the palate and have the cocktail hitting you fresh. The taste is like a tangy tomato, drinkable summer salad. I noted a dull chilli and fish sauce flavour to start, and a sweet to neutral note to end on. Simply inspiring of what cocktails can be.
The Hot, Flat, & Crowded is the sweetest of all the 4 available cocktails. Mango-curd Gin, Salted burnt batter Flor De Cana Rum, Grilled purple cabbage cream soda, and Vitamin C. This was totally unexpected. Salty and sweet with the familiar taste of salted plum. Interestingly, the boiled cabbage comes through and melds well with this sweeter creamy in the mouth drink.
The Apple-pulp cider is like a grown up apple cider with depth and levels from the spices and added fruit juice. Not just one tone concentrated sweet apple like other ciders. Full bodied with Pink Guava Gin, Apple Pulp, Spiced honey, and Pineapple rind. It is commendable on how they found such a good use of fruit scraps.
My second favourite drink of the night is the Third Culture Kids with Miso-buttered Gin, Sesame Flor De Cana Rum, Green banana sherry, and Pandan-vermouth. I loved its unique chartreuse hue. Upon first sip you notice how nutty the cocktail is from the sesame. You also get an in the mouth butteriness from the gin. This one has layers to it, the more you peel back, the more you drink, the more your appreciate what you had before you.
All the drinks were so memorable and distinct that they were able to stand alone. Although at 2oz each, eating is advised for balance. Luckily Laowai serves dumplings and small plates from Blnd Tiger’s kitchen and menu.
We would have majority of their dumplings, at 6 units per serving. Doing so unaware that they had updated their offerings, and that there was a back side to the one page menu presented before us. A substantial list that included a noodle dish, deep fried squid, wok fried pork, curry, and even leafy green Chinese choy to be shared at the table in small plates.
Overall the dumplings provided a nice small bite, and the savoury notes in each cocktail paired well with them. However, it is clear the cocktails are the stars here. They standout and by comparison had the plates feeling bland. I could have used more seasoning, a side of soy and some oyster sauce to dip the dumplings into. Although that may also be because of my background and what I know homemade Chinese style dumplings to be. As well as I cannot help but to compare these to what my family has made from scratch, and those from my favourite go-to restaurants for similar dumplings.
These here were modernized, Westernized, and dolled up. Offering a great accompaniment for the setting, in consideration of the area and the demographic that frequents the lounge.
The Chicken & Chive dumplings are based off of Fijian dumplings. They are filled with shredded chicken thigh meat and all six dumplings are dressed in a sweet and sour soy, topped with sesame seeds, fried shallots, chili oil, chives, and cilantro. I liked the look of these tri-pointed dumplings and the chew of their wrapper. Although I could have used more salt as mentioned above, but it helped to load up on the toppings.
The Bison Momos are inspired by Tibetan style dumplings, stuffed with Two Rivers ground bison in a turmeric dumpling wrap, dressed in a peppercorn soy with house-made sepen. “Sepen” is a Tibetan hot sauce made with chillies and I didn’t taste much of it or the peppercorn in the would be salty soy. Sadly I found it tastes similar to the chicken above it not for the smokier more flavourful vision meat. I was looking to inject some more saltiness in to this dish as well.
The Zhong Dumplings are inspired by Sichuan pork dumplings with a Sichuan chili oil and house-made aromatic soy. They are shaped like large and flattened perogies. The filling was fulsome and tasty, but the dough could have used more chew to it.
The Cumin Lamb Dumplings have their origins in Xinjiang. A distinct flavour with Two Rivers lamb, toasted cumin, and peppercorn soy. Out of the lot, this is yhe one with the right amount of fragrant and salty seasoning to pair with cocktails.
Sadly the Shepherd’s Purse Jaozi from Shanghai did not cut it for my guest and a few others I spoke with. The filling of Spinach, mushroom, tofu, and water chestnut was a decent assembly for a vegetarian dumpling, but the wrap was already falling apart when the plate hit the table. A fragile fumbly state made only worse with the pool of dumpling sauce it sat in. A mushy and ashy dumpling that was my least favourite.
Despite our average attitude surrounding the dumplings, we still ate majority of them, and as such only had room to try one of the other Asian fusion items on the backside of the menu.
This is the Crispy Duck Shaobing from Shanxi. 5 spice smoked duck, cucumber, sesame shaobing, Sichuan peppercorn salt, and honey hoisin. It is essentially a fried dough pita pocket stuffed with plenty of dry and gently seasoned meat clumps. The 5 spice was barely a whisper and I could have used a sweet and salty hoisin sauce and some more cucumber for freshness. Though I did like the contrast of textures in this.
Overall this popup was an experience I am glad I could to be a part of. An easy way to journey to Hong Kong through drinks. Drinks that I have never had anything like, and I know all others cannot compare to. Truthfully I don’t know if I can enjoy regular cocktails again.
For those who have missed this one night only opportunity and the ability to sample from one of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, you can check out one of the following feature Laowai x… pop-up partnerships to come instead.
Laowai at Hope & Sesame (Guanzhou)
#74 | World’s 50 Best Bars
November 26
Laowai at Foxglove (Hong Kong)
November 30
LaoWai aka BLND TGER Dumplings
251 East Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 176
“Ask for the Number 7”
laowai.ca
penicillinbar.com
