Today I was back at Main Street Brewing’s taproom for Rosie’s BBQ & Catering’s latest limited release menu. In time for the two weeks of Chinese New Year they are introducing an asian inspired food menu with barbecue baos, ribs marinated in Chinese spices, and even a collaboration with local dumpling purveyors Dicky’s Dumps.
You can dine in and enjoy the following with Main Street Brewing’s beer, but I recommed grabbing it to go to add to your new year feasting. A causal and approachable collection of meat and sides available until February 9th, 2025; and at Parkside Brewery in Port Moody on February 1st and 7th.
I really like how Rosie’s has leaned into their new kitchen space at Main Street and are already planning new items for the upcoming Super Bowl Sunday weekend to follow this.
The menu features Rosie’s bbq meats in their traditional smoking techniques, so for those already famialr with their food truck and catering they know exactly what to expect. I just wish they offered more condiments and sauces that Chinese cuisine is known for. The flavours are but whispers here, where as Asian sauces and seasonings are known for being punchier and bold. So although the application was present, the flavour just didn’t quite land for me. However, this did serve as an introduction for the brewery’s regular clientele and did pair better with their line of beers and regular menu offerings of approachable and casual sandwiches and savoury bakes.
They have four different types of barbecue baos, meat or tofu in a white dough bun with vegetables. Three buns to an order. I got one of each as a sampler.
The Smoked duck sausage was my favourite and incredibly tasty. Rosie’s smoked duck sausage on steamed bun with hoisin, fresh cucumbers, and scallions. This had a good amount of sauce and flavour. It reminded me of Chinese style sausages, but for less hard and sweeter with a bbq pork sort of honey glaze. I would have liked a dumpling pairing with more duck sausages like the ones below.
The 4am smoked brisket is a Rosie staple. Rosie’s smoked 63 acres brisket on steamed bun with red onion, hoisin and toasted peanuts. I enjoyed the assembly, but wanted more of the toppings to unify bbq and bun. More sauce for added moisture and more red onion for freshness. The peanut was a welcomed addition and unexpected, so I would have loved more of it to taste the flavour and appreciate the crunch. Perhaps with some chilli for an accompanying heat and familiar profile.
The Smoked chicken breast was bland by comparison. Rosie’s smoked chicken breast on steamed bun with julienned watermelon radish and a ginger-scallion oil. I appreciated their wanting to play on Hainanese chicken with softened chicken meat and the iconic sauce, but I wanted more of it and maybe some cucumber for freshness and to round out the bun more. I did find the side of slaw a nice additional filling here.
The plant-based option is their Smoked tofu. I like it in their banh mi, but found I wanted more slices sandwiched in between the plain bun here. Rosie’s smoked tofu on steamed bun with house-made pickles, toasted pumpkin seeds, cilantro, and sweet & spicy sauce. Once again the main feature had a good quality smoke to it, wonderful as is, but in need of more sauce and toppings to have it popping within the bun.
The Smoked Lamb Ribs with Xinjiang spices was done intentionally dry to allow the flavour of the smoke and spices to shine. Smoked lamb from Little Butcher in Port Moody. Rosie purchases the end cuts of their ribs and rub it with cumin, sand ginger, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, and chilis & toasted sesame seed.
Fatty lamb meat that was easy to pry from bone, each given a warming spice rub, then another once it comes out of the cooker. As is I felt like it needed a side, so was happy to have it with the noodle salad for a more complete plate. As is I would have liked it lick your fingers clean saucy or to have a dip to self sauce with.
The Crunchy Asian Slaw is available as is, but I would recommend to have it as a side. It is available accompanying dumplings, but honestly I preferred it with the barbecue meat and would have likes it as a side to the ribs and some of the duck sausage. Much like you see with any bbq and slaw combo, a fresh element to have in between meatier bite. Shredded red and green cabbage, fresh pea shoots, shredded carrots and cucumbers, with crispy rice noodles, house-made pickles, and watermelon radish; all dressed in a sesame-soy vinaigrette.
Similarly, the Noodle salad served better as a side to Rosie’s BBQ than a main all its own. Vietnamese noodle salad, tossed with fish sauce & lime dressing, shredded carrots & cucumber, Thai basil, cilantro and red peppers. This was refreshing and light, familiarly fragrant, and tangy slurpable. Great as a pause from smokey and meaty bites.
If you order the Dumps & Noodle Salad and/or Dumps and Slaw it comes with three handmade pork & chive dumplings by Dicky’s Dumps, each dressed in Rosie’s housemade chili crunch.
The Rosie’s team is still tweaking this recipe and hopes to bottle and sell their chili crunch at local farmer’s markets in the future.
You can also have five pork & chive dumplings with brisket & chili. Steamed hand-made pork and chive dumplings, chopped smoked brisket, green onions & house-made chili crunch. I found the subtle smoked brisket overshadowed by the dumpling and would have liked to see them as a filling within the dumpling, for a true collaboration instead. Similarly the duck sausage as a dumpling filling would have been aces.
In short, this is another option to consider for your Lunar New Year Eating.
Main Street Brewing Co.
261 E 7th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5T OB8
(604) 336-7711
mainstreetbeer.ca