Over the weekend, my wife booked us a caviar tasting at the International House of Caviar (IHOC). On the day of, I asked her the cost and she said it was FREE. I was skeptical. Here was my experience.
We arrived at an industrial complex in Burnaby. Upon entry I saw tins of caviar on display along with the price board.
The gentleman at the counter, Bahzad, laid out assorted caviar on the table and said that while most tastings at other venues gave only a small taste, we would be able to keep all the tins!
Here were my notes:
- most of the caviar was Italian except the Northern Divine which was local and which I have had many times
- Siberian/Italian Sturgeon – had a fishy taste; my least favorite
- Italian Sevruga – buttery and my favorite
- Northern Divine – pretty good but had more of a neutral taste; my fourth favorite
- Oscietra – tasted like bread, my second favorite
- Beluga – neutral taste – my third favorite
Although I have done caviar tastings in the past, this was the first time I have done it in a non-social setting so I could focus on taking notes and thinking through each bite. The service was fantastic. The shop also deals in other goods like truffle salt, high end soy sauces, truffles etc. We ended up buying a few tins of various items and will definitely be back. As for the tasting, we got to take home whatever was not finished, and as promised, it was free! Check out their online store.