Warrior Grill

Sometimes, it really makes me wonder why some places can get away with charging a king's ransom for what is essentially a pauper's lunch.  Case-in-point - U-Grill.  This food court staple allows people to choose their own ingredients to be prepared on a flat top.  These ingredients are weighed and more often than not, your quick food court meal quickly becomes North of $15.00.  Therefore, they must be making a killing because there are many more similar joints that charge for the bowl (as much as you can stuff in it) for roughly $10.00.

Well, there's a new place in the Strawberry Hill shopping complex that boasts an all-u-can-stuff small bowl for $5.99 (includes steamed rice too).  Modeled after Mongolie-type grill restaurants, Warrior Grill offers up choices of meat (beef, pork, chicken & imitation crab), veggies and a myriad of sauces.  There is one major difference and it is with the grill itself.  It is a flat top, not a round Mongolie Grill.  For my first visit, I went for the large bowl ($8.99) and even with it conservatively stuffed, it was more than enough food where I found myself struggling to finish.  There is also a "warrior size" for $11.99 which is only meant for football linebackers.

The next time, I picked up a small bowl for Mrs. Spray Bottle and compared to my large bowl, it was still a decent amount of food which would satisfy most people (last picture, small on the left and large on the right).  Considering the grill they use, the food turns out pretty good with decent caramelization.  Moreover, they don't overcook the food either.  With so many sauces available, it is possible to have a different tasting stir fry with each visit.  Whatever the case, Warrior Grill is a hit in my books with fresh food and fresh cooking at reasonable prices.

The Good:
- Well-priced for the amount of food
- Made-to-order food is a plus
- Super friendly owners

The Bad:
- Could use a few more items such as different noodles and varied veggies

Quesada

It's nice to see that other people suffer the same affliction as I do.  No, I'm not talking about eating too much nor am I talking about incessantly taking pictures of my noodles either.  I am referring to the mindless purchase of Groupon-like deals.  At the time, they seem irresistible, hence the "how can I possibly lose?" mentality.  Well, Ginseng bought a few of them and had been bugging me to help her use them to no avail.  Finally, I relented and we headed up to SFU to try out Quesada.

Unlike my recent visit to Cinco de Mayo, Quesada is closer to Tex-Mex than authentic Mexican.  No matter since each of them have their own merits. Ginseng went for their Hard Tacos with chicken and steak complete with all the fixins'.  Everything was fresh, but the proteins were quite dry and relatively cold.  I went for the Soft Tacos and it was pretty much the same issue.  I went for one each of the fish (rubbery and cold) and steak (chewy and cold).  The one saving grace was their sauces which were indeed spicy as advertised.  The really nice owner passed on a super hot sauce (seen on the side) which was potent.

I also tried out their small Burrito with a whole wheat shell.  This was not bad as the ingredients were vibrant and crisp.  A dash of the hot sauce and the whole thing came alive.  And sounding like a broken record, the pork filling was not exactly warm.  Yet in the end, the place does the job, especially for hungry SFU students who want to fill up for a reasonable price.

The Good:
- Okay pricing
- Super friendly owner
- Hot sauce is hot

The Bad:
- Meats were cold

Knight & Day

This was my opportunity.  The chance to suggest a revisit to a restaurant that nobody wanted part of.  With only Lionel Hutz and Milhouse available for late night eats, I uttered the offensive words, "how about Knight & Day?".  Pure silence.  The utter shock and stunned expressions illustrated the prevailing sentiment.  Hey, I really wanted to eat it again just for kicks and to  get my fill of mystery meat covered by a brown sauce.

But before that desire for universal gravy over meat, I tried their Manhattan Clam Chowder first.  In a large overflowing bowl, I was treated to a heavily flour-thickened broth of watered-down tomato soup with ingredients here and there.  It was passable as a cafeteria-style soup with little-to-no clam taste.  I fulfilled my goal of gravy and meat with the Veal Cutlets with mash potatoes, veggies and garlic bread.  The relatively thick cutlets were meaty and surprisingly moist.  It was chewy in spots while the exterior was lightly crisp.  The gravy tasted exactly like it appeared being salty, thick and not very meaty.  The mash was lukewarm and actually had a potatoey texture.  Completing the dish was overcooked frozen veggies and a decently crispy garlic bread.

Lionel Hutz, to my surprise, went for the Hulk Burger.  He wanted to relive his youth, but I cautioned that he was not all that young anymore, despite his crotch rocket and Nissan Skyline.  But he went ahead anyways with the monstrosity consisting of a beef patty, fried egg, bacon, cheese and a really large sausage (was he making a statement?).  He remarked it was actually okay with a not-too-dry patty and well-made ingredients.  He went for the onion rings but was given fries at first.  I swiped one and it was very starchy and only lightly crispy.  As for the Onion Rings, they were hot and crunchy in a flour-battered kind-of-way.  The chipotle dip was actually quite good with some spice.

Milhouse decided on the safest dish being the Trucker's Breakfast.  You can't screw up breakfast right?  Well... The large pancakes were dense and doughy.  The rest was pretty typical though.  He couldn't finish it and our server insisted he take the pancakes home to his chagrin.  I think he fed it to the local raccoon.  Anyways, with my twisted fantasy come true, we were treated to exactly what we expected - mediocre food served in the very same decor from 20+ years ago.

The Good:
- Large portions
- Open 24 hours
- Our server was nice

The Bad:
- Food only an inebriated person at 2:00am would enjoy
- Decor needs a reset (much like the Canucks?)
- Not as cheap as you would think

Edible Canada at the Market

Often more than not, finding a kid-friendly restaurant where the adults can enjoy a unique (as in something that doesn't involve Triple-O sauce or an onion ring tower) meal is as challenging as a traffic circle in Vancouver (that upside down triangle means Y-I-E-L-D).  Sure, there are the hotel spots, but very few nicer restaurants offer an actual kid's menu.  However, to our surprise, Edible Canada at the Market not only offers one, the prices are actually reasonable.  Hence, Edible Canada was our destination for my dad's birthday.

Exactly how it should be, the kid's meals arrived first.  I commend them for that since many restaurants do not make such allocations for kids.  My daughter had the Fish & Chips with duck fat fries.  For the price, this was not only an ample portion, it was good too.  The fish was flaky and super moist while the batter was crunchy with minimal grease.  As for the fries, they were crispy and aromatic from the duck fat.  My son, the ever-adventurous eater (yah right), had the Grilled Cheese and fries.  Made with white cheddar, it was a good grilled cheese being nicely browned on both sides.  They weren't shy with the butter nor the cheese as it was quite rich.  He exclaimed that he liked it, but he loved the fries even more so.

For myself, I had their 3-course menu starting with the Quinoa & Beet Salad.  I found the field greens to be slightly overdressed, yet in the end, it wasn't devoid of flavour.  With the quinoa mixed in, I found the texture to be quite odd while the beets seemed to be an afterthought on the plate.  The crumble of goat cheese was a nice compliment though as it added a certain cool creaminess that was balanced by the balsamic reduction.  For my next course, I had the Pacific Fish Cake with ginger and green onion accompanied by chili aioli.  I found the breading to be decently crispy while the inside to be a bit too mushy for my tastes.  It was like mashed potatoes.  I did appreciate the considerable lemon hit as well as the tart and spicy aioli.

Viv also had the 3-course meal and started with the Spiced Butternut Squash Soup with Maple creme fraiche, sage and toasted pumpkin seeds.  We found the soup to be smooth while mild in flavour.  There was a hint of sweetness from the creme fraiche and herbiness from the sage.  The star of the dish as the crunchy pumpkin seeds as they added some wonderful texture.  Next, she had the Bison and Bacon Meatballs with curly kale, parsnip puree and tomato gravy topped with Allegretto cheese.  As expected, the meatballs were on the chewy and dry side due to the lean bison.  It was meaty though where the fresh and tomatoey (while not tart) sauce was enough to flavour the dish.

My dad also had the squash soup and followed it up with the Wild Mushroom Croquettes.  These were made with goat cheese and served with a Romesco sauce.  As evidenced in the picture, the croquettes were fried up light and crispy.  Interestingly, we were searching for goat cheese and mushroom as the flavours were very muted.  We liked the Romesco sauce though as it was mildly peppery with some nuttiness.  For his main, he had the Lois Lake Steelhead Filet with Canadian grain medley, harvest vegetables, herb beurre blanc and fennel puree.  With a beautifully seared crispy skin and moist flesh, the salmon was prepared beautifully.  It was only lightly seasoned where it was enough for flavour without overwhelming the fish.  The veggies underneath were still crisp and vibrant.

My mom went for the regular menu and began with the West Coast Clam Chowder.  It was enhanced by double-smoked bacon and candied salmon which added a certain smoky-sweetness.  Combined with a creamy and slightly seafoody broth, this was a solid interpretation of chowder.  Onto her main, she opted for the Heritage Angus Steak Frites where the steak was sous-vide medium rare and served with peppercorn jus, salsa verde and duck fat fries.  The steak was super moist and required little chewing.  Both the jus and salsa verde were quite mild and did not interfere with the natural meat flavour.  And as mentioned before, the duck fat fries were fantastic.

The award for dud of the meal, it would be Viv's Fraser Valley Pork Chop (served with buttercup squash puree, harvest vegetables, apple jus and mustard crumb).  Although it was served slightly pink in the middle, Viv had to work her jaw muscles to break down the meat.  It was in dire need of a brine (for flavour and texture) or something.  We noticed a lady at the next table making a weird face when she took her first bite.  Fail in every sense of the word.  Onto my dish, I tried the Duo of Elk with medium-rare medallion, braised leg and spatzle, harvest vegetables and juniper jus. I loved the medallion as it had a flavourful bark and was remarkably tender for game while the jus added a nice red wine hint.  I was not as enthused with the braised leg as it was pretty dry and stringy. Not sure if mixing it an equally dry spatzle was a good textural idea.

Lastly, we shared 2 desserts including the Molasses & Ginger Cake and Campfire S'mores.  Resembling a sticky toffee cake, but with bits of candied ginger, the cake was not as sweet as it looked.  We found it be moist with a considerable ginger hit.  The salted caramel sauce was a nice compliment as it added even more moisture to the mild chocolate, molasses & ginger cake.  Oh and the pumpkin ice cream made it even more rich!  With their interpretation of s'mores with a bed of melted dark chocolate, torched marshmallows and graham cracker crumble on top, they were able to elevate it to another level.  We liked it for its simplicity. In conclusion, the meal as a whole was acceptable except for a few duds.  Considering the wide range of dishes we sampled, it is impossible for any restaurant to be perfect.  Therefore, if you choose the right dishes, Edible Canada is an option on Granville Island.

The Good:
- 3-course menu is a decent value
- Kid-friendly complete with great kid's meals
- Service we got was fine

The Bad:
- Regular dinner menu is pricey
- Food is okay, but can be better
- Seats are not particularly comfortable

BETA5 Chocolates

As much as it seems like I blog about everything, I actually leave many eating adventures out.  Case in point, I've had BETA5 treats countless times without actually putting it into text and pictures.  Finally, the day had come.  I actually went on my own (not a food tour, event nor someone bringing it to a party) and got myself a healthy (ironic description) amount of their cream puffs and some chocolate-covered cherries.  Also, I'll throw in some chocolates I've had in the past to make this post complete.

Okay, the whole point of the visit was for their Cream Puffs (which my daughter loves...  as with macarons...  expensive tastes!).  Starting from the top left and clockwise, I got one each of the Vanilla, Coconut & Passionfruit (actually got 2 because I love them), 85% Dark Chocolate & Caramel, Blueberry Yuzu, Milk Chocolate S'More, Black Forest, Salted Caramel and Milk Chocolate Praline.  They're not cheap at $4.50 each (9 for $35.00), but for me at least, they are well worth it.  Why?  Well, if they are eaten fresh, the puff themselves are light and crispy on the outside.  Furthermore, I find their flavours to be on point and not crazy sweet.  One of my favourites is the Salted Caramel as it has just enough salt to enhance the rich sweetness. I tried the Vanilla and it was a little mild custardy with cream. The 85% Dark Chocolate was as we expected with a rich chocolatey hit with only mild sweetness. For me, my absolute favourite is the Coconut & Passionfruit as it has a good balance of flavours where it blends sweetness with a nice tart zing.

Heck, since I got almost all of the flavours (except for Banana Cream), I sampled the rest including the Black Forrest.  This one was predictably sweeter due to the cherry glaze and icing on top.  Not bad, but not my favourite.  The Milk Chocolate S'More was more creamy than smores-like as there was only a modest amount of toasted marshmallow on top.  I didn't mind it though as it wasn't sickeningly sweet.  Another one in the "meh" category (at least for me) was the Milk Chocolate Praline as it was heavy and sweeter than the rest as there was crunchy praline on top and a chunk of chocolate ganache atop a brownie-like cake.  Pretty heavy.  However, the last one, being the Blueberry Yuzu, did bring things back to the lighter side.  By virtue of the yuzu, the cream was tart and citrusy.  

While I was waiting for my order to be filled, I sampled their Sun-dried Okanagan Cherry Pebbles coated with 63% dark chocolate and dusted with cocoa powder.  These were good with large, sweet dried cherries covered with rich dark chocolate.  Previously, I was able to sample their award-winning Chocolates that included Imperial Stout, Caramelized Banana, Coconut-Lime, Olive Oil, Early Grey, Espresso, Jasmine Tea, Nikka Whiskey, Lemon Verbena, Crispy Prailine, 72% Dark and Tobacco.  Definitely interesting flavours and honestly, I'm not going to talk about them all in depth.  However, I can say that the flavours were purposeful and identifiable while the chocolate themselves were high quality.  The sheen, aroma and silkiness after the initial firm bite made these legit.  Very good chocolates.  And there are even more products beyond what I sampled.  I suggest you pay them a visit to see for yourself.

The Good:
- Owners obviously care immensely about their product
- Purposeful flavours
- Just plain awesome

The Bad:
- Quality and awesomeness comes at a price
- Interesting, yet awkward location

Bun Cha Ca Hoang Yen

Suddenly out of the blue, Miss Y texted indicating she wanted to go out for eats.  I pondered for a few seconds...  Okay!  I'm not even sure why I spent any time thinking about it. Pretty lady and potentially good food - how can I say no?  So interestingly, we didn't have a destination in mind and we literally drove down Kingsway from Edmonds all the way to Fraser Street.  Nope, nothing interested us until we found Bun Cha Ca Hoang Yen.

Naturally, we started with the Cha Ca which was accompanied by rice noodles, veggies and pickled daikon/carrots.  I liked the texture of the fish cakes as they were soft while exhibiting a bouncy chew.  Loved the flavours too as I could really taste the herbs.  Arriving in a broth that could be only described as muddy or rustic, the Pho Dac Biet tasted better than it looked.  There was a meatiness to it where the MSG was not the most prominent flavour (but it was there though).  I wasn't able to pick out any of the usual flavours such as anise, charred onion and ginger.  The noodles were al dente and the meats were plentiful and really tender.

Being ambitious, we also had the Lemongrass Chicken and Fried Egg with Rice.  The thick deboned thigh was super juicy with big hits of lemongrass.  There was a good char, yet the skin was not rendered enough being quite fatty.  Although we had enough food already, I couldn't help ordering the Grilled Black Cod.  I had to do a double-take when I noticed it was only $9.95.  For the price, we got a big black cod steak that was fried beautifully.  It was fatty, moist and flaky.  The skin was crispy and a textural delight.  Overall, we enjoyed our meal except for the lackluster pho broth.  Good eats at the always reasonable pricing of this type of Vietnamese restaurant.

The Good:
- Well made eats
- Common to this type of restaurant, reasonably-priced

The Bad:
- Pho broth a bit murky and one-dimensional in flavour