Copa Cafe (Coquitlam)

No, this is not a repeat. If you think you have seen a post on Copa Cafe earlier, you are not seeing things. However, this time, I brought the family out to the location in Coquitlam. Actually, Copa was not my original choice. I ended up here because Amorosa was full and it would be over 30 minutes before we would get a table. I have no problem with that; but my kids might. Not sure if the diners there would like to see 2 kids bouncing off the walls for 30 minutes. But honestly, when we leave a restaurant to avoid a lineup, we end up wasting the same amount of time going somewhere else. It could be that I just hate lineups! I dropped Viv off at Zeller's to return something, so I headed over to Copa first with my son. As I pulled up to the front of the restaurant, everyone at the window just had to look over and stare. Is it just me or Asian people like to stare for no apparent reason? It's just like how when they drive by my house and I'm outside, they have to stare at me. What? Do I have something on my face??? Wait, I'm Asian... I hope I don't stare... No, I just take photos of food and thus, people stare at me.

Seeing how we all ordered set menu items at the Vancouver location, I decided to order all Chinese dishes (well, at least HK-style interpreted dishes). For the kiddies, we started off with Scramble Eggs with Shrimp. This was not an auspicious start to the meal because the eggs were overcooked, watery and in many small pieces. At least the shrimp was cooked right and had the right texture. For good measure, we got the Spaghetti Bolognaise, just in case the kiddies didn't like the eggs. Not resembling an authentic bolognaise of any sort (that's HK-style cafe for you), it was linguine not spaghetti. No matter, the dish tasted fantastic! Lots of meat and cheese flavour and the noodles were not overly mushy. Since it was baked, it had a nice crust on top as well. I just wished they didn't serve it with a big bay leaf in the sauce. I was in the mood for some HK-style curry and selected the Curry Brisket. Although the sauce was flavourful with just a bit a hint of heat, the beef was not very tender. Curiously, this dish didn't come with rice.

The final dish is one of our favourites - Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice. It's definitely an acquired taste due to the pungent fish; but I gotta tell you, when it's done right... Fortunately, it was not only done right, the dish here at Copa was fanatastic. The rice was firm, there was lots of fish and chicken and the dish was well-seasoned. Pretty predictable meal here at Copa, food was generally good except for the scrambled eggs and the tough brisket. Despite being quite friendly, the servers seemed overworked. We couldn't seem to get their attention when we needed something. One server got bent out-of-shape when she spotted my son playing with the sugar packets. Only in a Chinese restaurant you will find employees scolding others' children.

The Good:
- Predictable food
- Comfortable and clean dining space
- Pretty good value

The Bad:
- Same with the other location, when you have such a diverse menu, some food may not turn out well

Clubhouse

Originally, I was supposed to join Bear, Judes and Miss Y at the our softball league's year end party at Nat Bailey Stadium. Imagine that, a full BBQ meal right down on the field while watching a Canadians game. However, Costanza needed help moving all his furniture downstairs for an upcoming renovation. Yes, I missed the party to help out a friend. It's karma I tell you. Do nice things and nice things will happen back to you. Just like how I got a meal at the Keg. Joining me in helping move incredibly bulky furniture, which included a chest freezer and large projection TV, down a winding staircase were Viv and Snake.
The first thing we had to move was a chest. I blurted out, "Hey, let's move Elaine's chest!" Elaine retorted that it was not a 3-person job. She just rolled her eyes and looked at me in disgust.

Once we finished moving everything, we were hungry and needed to grab some eats. Originally, Costanza suggested we go to Come Along. Uh... Come again? Where do Asian restaurants get their names? It's just like that restaurant that used to be on Renfrew called Fook Yue (it made it onto Leno) or Pho Bich Nga! But alas, checking my fellow blogger Jessica (Yum-O-Rama), it didn't seem Come Along was a good choice. Instead, we decided to try Menya. We arrived to find it closed. Okay, let's try again. How about The Clubhouse? Jessica (Yum-O-Rama) liked it, I'm gonna give it a try! Honestly, I've passed by the Clubhouse so many times I can't remember. But I never had tried the place. Upon entering, it reminded me of another Japanese restaurant - The Eatery. It's got that non-Asian vibe despite being a Japanese restaurant.

We settled into one of the large tables in the middle which ended up to be quite comfortable for 2 families with kids. Costanza started off with a Mini-Unagi Don which was really quite small. They weren't kidding when they called it mini. Although the unagi was both plentiful and delicious, the rice was a bit dry. The same could be said about the Doug Roll which consisted of Scallop, Cucumber and BBQ Salmon Skin. However, the roll itself was pretty decent as Elaine remarked. Next up was the Nabeyaki Udon in an impressively large pot. Although aesthetically lacking, the broth was absolutely delicious. Costanza and I both agreed that it was one of the richest tasting udon broths we've had so far. It was a bit murky; but that was probably what was behind the depth of flavour.

At this point, Viv was notified that her original order of Chicken Katsu Curry was unavailable and she'd have to choose another dish. She opted for the Chicken Katsu Don. Why did I mention this specifically? Well, keep on reading and I'll let you know when she got her order. At this time, Costanza, being so impressed with the Nabeyaki Udon, ordered another one. While we were wondering how he would be able to finish a second udon, the Holy Beef Roll arrived. This "divine" roll is deep fried in a light tempura and served with a tasty dipping sauce. We were not exactly sure what it consisted of; but it was definitely sweet and a bit spicy. This roll was a winner, especially dipped into the special sauce. Halfway through the meal, Viv and I hadn't even gotten our orders; but they did bring Viv's Miso and Sunomono which was included with her donburi. I politely asked where was mine and then they brought mine out. The sunomono was excellent, but the miso soup was lukewarm. Finally, the Oyako Don, which I had ordered, arrived, a good hour after we had arrived at the restaurant. For some strange reason, the expediting of food was painfully slow. However, the wait was worth it because not only was the donburi quite large, it was packed with chicken and egg. I devoured every last grain of rice. It might've been that I was just hungry though.

We also ordered a Large Mixed Meat Okonomiyaki to share; but we were informed that the kitchen had made a mistake and made us a Large Seafood Okonomiyaki instead. The server gave us 2 options. We could take the seafood okonomiyaki for a discounted price or they could make us a brand new meat okonomiyaki. We ended up taking the seafood one because we didn't want to wait for the meat one. It ended up to be a good mistake since it was stuffed with plenty seafood. Soft and fluffy and not over-sauced, the seafood "pizza" was truly filling. It rested on a bed of yakisoba which we never even got around to eating. By now, everyone had finished their food; but Viv's katsu don had still not arrived. After we inquired about it with one of the servers, I noticed them frantically doing something in the kitchen. The server came back and informed us it would be 5 minutes more. What really happened was that they had forgotten about it. So roughly 1.5 hours after our meal began, Viv got her donburi. It was totally covered by a really big piece of perfectly fried chicken, Viv only finished half of it.

Overall, we all enjoyed most of the food at the Clubhouse. The flavours were rich and the portions were pretty good. The only thing that really stuck out like a sore thumb was the service. Despite being very friendly, it was absent-minded and lacked focus. Furthermore the food came out slower than a full-face shield Richmond driver trying to parallel park. Our entire meal from beginning to end took 2 hours. No matter, Elaine paid for the meal since we help her move her chest.

The Good:
- Flavours were rich and had depth
- Good portions
- Friendly service

The Bad:
- Incredibly slow expediting of food
- Service was lacking focus

Adonia Teahouse

Alright, it was inevitable, Sherman and I were both eating; but in 2 different places simultaneously. What to do? Of course Sherman had his trusty DSLR and was off to Hon's after playing hockey. What about me? Well, I was sucked into doing my very first entry into the blog. Armed with my trusty Canon SD630, I headed off to Adonia with my sister-in-law. Actually, we were planning to go to The Secret Garden; but it was completely packed. I had called Sherman to ask where we should eat in the Kerrisdale area. He was a bit too busy at the time taking off his goalie gear to be much help. He took the opportunity to sneak in, "you should get an iPhone" suggestion.

Alright, I really do not have time to be blogging about anything, let alone Sherman's obsessive food adventures. But, he really gave me no choice. We wandered around Kerrisdale in search of a place to eat when we stumbled upon Adonia. Completely empty, we were able to pick where ever we wanted to sit. It was interesting to see that the place was run by Asians. No matter, as Sherman says, it's not important who makes it, as long as it is good. We went in with an open mind. Originally, I sat facing the window which makes for very poor photos. I actually got my sis-in-law to switch seats with me for the sake of better photos. Geez, I pulled a Sherman there... Next, you'll find me moving tables and asking total strangers if I could take pictures of their food! Wait, I'll leave that up to Sherman. He has no shame.

Adonia is a quaint little English-style teahouse nestled in the heart of Kerrisdale. Adorned with floral wallpaper and wood paneling; it really has the decor to put you in the mood for high tea. It had a comfy and cozy feel as if I were invited into someone's house for tea. At $22.00 per person, it included choice of tea, Scones, Potato Salad with Shrimp and the traditional three-tiered platter. The platter included mini-sandwiches, hor d'oeuvres and desserts. As we sat waiting, the server set our table with antique teacups, saucers, spoons, sugar bowl, and creamer. I thought this added to the charm of the place. Interestingly, I noticed that the sugar spoon was actually a souvenir from Hell's Gate. The tea arrived first in individual glass teapots and came with a chafing bowl to keep it warm along with a bowl of sugar pellets and cream. I was a little disappointed to see that it wasn't an antique teapot. Anyway, onto the tea. I chose a mango tea and my sis-in-law chose an Earl Grey. I was afraid that the tea would be too fruity and overpowering, but it wasn't at all. It was perfect with just a hint of mango flavour. My sis-in-law noted that her Earl Grey wasn't as aromatic as others she has tried, but surprisingly when she had some, it was quite flavourful.

The first of the goodies to arrive were the two sweet and savory scones. The cheese scone had a nice and buttery texture and the raisin scone had a sugary and crunchy top to it. Next up was the three-tiered platter which we worked our way from the bottom up. On that note, no one came to explain anything or checked up on us other than the initial ordering, food service and final bill. On the bottom tier were cucumber sandwiches, ham sandwiches, egg salad and tuna salad sandwiches on mini cheese buns. The sandwiches were pretty standard. Although, the cucumber sandwiches were bland and were in need of a little salt and pepper. The middle tier had 3 different items. A baguette slice topped with green and red roasted peppers and shitake mushroom, salmon lox on a toasted whole wheat bread, and a puff pastry with salmon mousse. I was looking forward to eating the lox because it's one of my faves, but oh my goodness was the bread toasted beyond chewable! I ended up just eating the lox by itself. The puff pastry wasn't flaky and the mousse was not pronounced at all. There wasn't much of it and I had a hard time figuring out what it actually was at first. By the time we reached the top tier for desserts, I was getting a little full...more from the tea than the food! What I found odd was that on every tier there was two of everything, but on the top a few of the items came as singles. I didn't get to have every piece of dessert since I was getting full, but overall the sweets were again standard. What was nice about them was it wasn't too sugary. Finally at the end, we were served panna cotta and cookies. I enjoyed the panna cotta except for the sweet jam layer on top of it. As for the cookies, they could have been more creative than serving a walnut shortbread, a cranberry and walnut shortbread, and a cranberry and walnut cookie.

Well, as a first high tea experience it was nice. It was definitely nothing to write home about, but I enjoyed being able to sit for a period of time chatting with my sis-in-law, and enjoying some bites of food. Although this experience has piqued my interest in trying out other teahouses to see how they compare. I'm sure there are better places for high tea out there (Secret Garden and Bacchus). In terms of service and quality of food, I find Adonia just average.

The Good:
- Quaint decor and china
- Tea was decent

The Bad:
- Average food
- Indifferent service, bordering on cold

Hon's (New West)

Being that this was the last session of ice hockey for the summer at Brit, some of us were gonna head out for eats afterwards. You know me, I am not passing up an opportunity to eat! At around exactly the same time, Viv was at Adonia doing tea with her sister-in-law. 2 blog entries at the same time! For some reason or another, people were having difficulty deciding where to eat. Finally, they all looked at me and figured I should have an idea or two. Taking into account that we had about 10 people including kids, I suggested Hon's. We chose the New West location because it was closest to where most of us lived. For me, Hon's is a part of my childhood. Back in the day, Hon's was one of the few places where you could get a decent bowl of wonton noodles, congee, whole fried yee mein clusters and of course, potstickers. I remember going to their first, and only location at the time, on Main Street in Chinatown. In fact, we once spotted Tiger Williams dining there, I got his autograph! From those humble beginnings, Hon's has grown to 6 locations including a fusion restaurant.

Almost everyone knows about Hon's, after all, it's synonymous with good portions at reasonable prices. But this begs the question, is Hon's necessarily the best considering it's popularity? Universally, I'm sure most people would say it is not the best; but you know what you are getting. It is a safe bet for most people, including those who are not necessarily that adventurous. Let's take the most basic item - the wonton. Although the wontons are perfectly fine at Hon's, it is far from the best in town. I would say that the wontons at Congee Noodle King, Congee Noodle House, Ho Yuen Kee, New Maple and McNoodle are superior in terms of the filling, size and taste. However, I must note that the aforementioned places serve all shrimp wontons. The one at Hon's is the mostly pork with shrimp. Then there is the matter of personal taste. I have some friends who don't like all shrimp wontons and actually prefer the pork with shrimp. Today, everyone had different variations of dishes that included wontons. There was a small Wonton Soup, Wonton & BBQ Pork Rice Flat Noodle, BBQ Duck and Wonton Noodles, and just plain Wonton Noodles.

Other than the wontons, there are 2 other components that can make or break wonton noodles - the soup and noodles. The soup at Hon's is actually pretty good, good depth of flavour and not too salty. The noodles have the right elasticity and are visually appealing. All-in-all, a solid bowl of wonton noodles, assuming you like the pork and shrimp type of wontons. The BBQ duck and pork were also very respectable, being quite meaty and juicy. Alright, a visit to Hon's is not complete without ordering Potstickers. These pan fried dumplings come in pork, chicken, beef or vegetarian fillings. Today, they only had pork. I'm sure there are better potstickers to be found; but I do like the ones from Hon's. In fact, I buy them frozen in a bag and make them at home. They have a relatively thin outer skin and just enough filling inside. When prepared correctly, you can eat quite a few of these. I actually prefer making them at home, because they seem to use way too much oil at the restaurant.

To be a little bit different, I ordered the BBQ Pork Lo Mein and Yeung Chow Fried Rice to share. Lo mein is essentially dry noodle usually mixed with some oyster sauce and sesame oil. In this case, they took dry to a whole new level. The noodles were so dry and devoid of any moisture that it was stuck in a clump. It had the texture of rubber bands. Even after adding copious amounts of the side soup, it still didn't change the texture. Add to the fact that it had no flavour whatsoever didn't help. At least the BBQ pork was tender and not fatty. The Yeung Chow Fried Rice or BBQ Pork and Shrimp Fried Rice was very good. Packed with crunchy shrimp, BBQ pork, egg and peas, the rice was well seasoned; yet not salty. Moreover, it wasn't oily and the rice itself was perfectly firm.

Pretty much another predictable meal at Hon's. Nothing more, nothing less. In my youth, Hon's was THE place to go for this type of food; but with the influx of newer and better wonton noodle restaurants, it's hard to get overly enthusiastic about dining at Hon's. There is absolutely no major problem with eating here; in fact, it's not a bad choice. However, there are better places to go for the same price. Yet, Hon's will be one of those places permanently embedded in my childhood memories.

The Good:
- It's a safe and reliable place to eat
- Good portions
- Cheap prices

The Bad:
- Average wontons (personal preference)
- Some of their dishes are quite greasy
- Most of their food is neither bad nor good

Sushi Town (Coquitlam)

Knowing that I wouldn't be going out to eat until Sunday, I lobbied with Viv that we really should go out for dinner tonight. Reluctantly she agreed, with one condition - we eat Japanese. Having already been to the Sushi Town in Burnaby, we decided to try out their Coquitlam location. As with the Burnaby location, there was a substantial lineup when we arrived. The trick here is to put your name and party size on the whiteboard at the entrance. If you forget to do this, your name will never be called. One thing that struck me about the place was the completely mismatched light fixtures. They have an antique look to them and do not go with the rest of the restaurant. I guess these lights were on clearance? Surprisingly, the wait for a table lasted less than 10 minutes. Too bad we were seated in a corner with little light. I did what I could with the pictures.

If you have never been to Sushi Town before, you will be impressed with the portion sizes and prices. However, if you were expecting really high quality Japanese food, you might want to go elsewhere. The food is decent; but it's the value you come here for. We started with one of my favourites, Takoyaki. Soft and fluffy with nice bits of octopus, topped with just enough mayo, bonito flakes and sauce, the takoyaki delivered. Too bad my son didn't want to try it. He doesn't like "things' in this food. Honestly, what food doesn't have things? I guess that's why we ordered a Plain Udon for him. It's not something that I would ever order for myself! The udon was... well... plain, except for a tofu puff, 2 slices of fish cake and sliced button mushrooms. Yup, you guessed it, he only ate the udon. For good measure, we got an Assorted Tempura for the kids. Well, for my son, he'd only eat the tempura batter anyways. At least my daughter ate the carrot and yam. For some reason or another, the tempura was not as good as the Burnaby location. There was just too much tempura batter and some of the pieces were cold. Did they fry some items ahead of time?

While we were in line, I saw that the nigiri sushi looked pretty good, so when we decided to get a few pieces. We went for 2 pcs of Unagi, 2 pcs of Inari, 2pcs of Scallop, 2 pcs of Toro and 1 pc of Tamago. With a generous amount of unagi, toro, scallop and tamago, the nigiri was pretty good. I liked how the rice was the right consistency as well. At this point, the constant nose-blowing due to using too much wasabi led to a nose bleed. The lady sitting right next to us kept staring. C'mon, have you not seen someone have a nose bleed before? Let's just say she must be extremely bored to watch someone bleed profusely from their nose while eating sushi!

On the topic of bleeding, we also ordered a Red Roll which consisted of scallop and cucumber on the inside and spicy tuna on the outside. Aesthetically, this roll look like someone slapped mushy fish on top of an amateurish roll. Also, there seemed to be too much rice as well. Although it was fantastic value at $4.95, the roll was poorly made and was overpowered by the spicy tuna. For some strange reason, the Spicy Salmon arrived last. By that time, we were quite full. As you can see from the picture, there is a plethora of large chunks of salmon and cucumber tossed in a spicy sauce. Unlike some other establishments, most of the salmon here are not leftovers. This is an excellent value at $7.95. There was so much, we actually didn't end up finishing it.

Once again, a pretty decent meal at Sushi Town. Much like the Burnaby location, you get good portions at reasonable prices. In terms of taste, there isn't anything to write home about; but it is more than acceptable. However, both locations suffer from hurried and minimal service. It's not that they're not friendly; but all the servers seem to be running around all time with too much to do. Getting more tea or even paying your bill may take you awhile.

The Good:
- Generous portions
- Low prices
- Food is fresh (high turnover)

The Bad:
- There is better Japanese food elsewhere (of course for more money)
- Always a lineup at peak times
- Service doesn't really exist

Belgian Fries

Little do people know, my absolute favourite food is the simple French fry. That's right, a unassuming sliver of spud trumps even the mighty lobster. You might be wondering why on earth I would prefer fried potatoes over everything else. Well, think of it. It's portable, easy to eat (I love finger food!) and is essentially a canvas for the addition of flavours and condiments. Not to mention, it's fried! Of course it is destined to be good! After reading Kevin's (604Foodtography) post, I was wanted to try it out for myself. It has taken me so long since then, the place has expanded and renovated.

Now you might think French fries are easy to make. Well, they are actually easy to make; but will they turn out right? Something so simple is not necessarily an easy thing to execute. What makes a good French fry? Well, it is indeed personal preference; but I like mine very crispy. Furthermore, it still needs to resemble a potato. Otherwise, what we have are potato crisps. At Belgian Fries, they double-fry their spuds. That's what makes them so crispy. Despite this double dose of oil, the fries do not seem greasy or overcooked.

Viv decided to be conservative and merely ordered a small cone of fries with chipotle mayo. Sometimes the simplest things are the best. The fries eaten on their own were indeed crispy with fluffy potato inside. Dipped into the mayo, it was pure pleasure, I could probably eat a whole large cone of these. For myself, I went all out and got the Montreal Smoked Meat Poutine. What you see in the picture is a medium. Imagine the size of the large! Atop the crispy fries lay a mound of cheese curds and no shortage of thinly-sliced smoked meat. A glistening gravy finished it off. I really enjoyed my unique poutine; but the combination of smoked meat and gravy made the entire dish a bit salty. Furthermore, I wish the cheese curds melted a bit more.

Other than my small complaints, Belgian Fries satisfied my craving for French fries. There were so many choices of poutine, I almost couldn't decide. In addition, they have burgers and fish n chips on the menu at a reasonable price. Although a bit on the pricey end for fries, the quality and quantity makes up for it.

The Good:
- Really crispy fries that still resemble a potato
- Many different choices of dips and poutines
- Lots of space to enjoy your fries

The Bad:
- If you don't love fries, it might be a bit pricey for you
- Healthy eating this is not

Ho Yuen Kee

My friend Nikita and Bluebeard really like their Asian food. If it were another life, Nikita would've been born Asian. When she declared that she wanted Peking Duck, we all decided to meet for dinner. Herbie the Lovebug chose the restaurant and made the reservation. He even reserved the Peking Duck. This is actually a good idea, because restaurants only prepare a certain amount per night. The destination was Ho Yuen Kee. Coincidentally, Holly (a loyal reader) left a comment recently tipping me off that there were some really good wontons to be found here. We decided to only bring my daughter to this meal since my son doesn't like anything other than chocolate and chips.

We were a bit late getting to the restaurant and everyone was already at the table waiting for us. The problem? Getting through the crowd of people at the front of the restaurant! For the life of me, I cannot understand people lining up at a Chinese restaurant. They don't move! It's like they have grown roots and are firmly planted to the oil-soaked carpet they are standing on. Would it be too much trouble to let someone through? Especially with a kid in tow? Anyways, this was further exemplified later, when a server was trying to bring food to a table and people who were leaving blocked her path. The server had to excuse herself 3 times before people moved. Is this Richmond? Do people walk like they drive? No wonder we get a bad reputation! It gets even better. Finally settling at our table, we brought our own booster and didn't need the existing high chair. I was carefully trying to remove it but the lady at the next table had pushed her chair so far back, it wedged it in. Now, while trying to unwedge it, she noticed me doing so; but did not move her chair. In fact, she seemed annoyed! Well, maybe it would've been easier for me if you didn't sit on the front end of your chair and pushed your chair in. No wonder I hate going to small Chinese restaurants.

When we finally got down to ordering, we decided on a few dishes and soup to complement the 2-course Peking Duck. We started off with a Fish Maw and Crab Meat Soup. I guess Nikita and Bluebeard were not aware of what exactly was fish maw. After I explained it was the air bladder that had been fried, then boiled, she gave a strange face. I exclaimed that at least it only contained air! The soup itself was very lightly seasoned chicken broth. There were some pieces of crab meat; but a whole lot of fish maw. I would've preferred if the fish maw was cooked a bit longer because it was not very soft.

After the soup, the 2 courses of the Peking Duck arrived. First up was the crispy skin with steamed flour crepes. The skin was indeed crispy and although the crepes were soft, they were a bit thick. We were impressed with the amount of duck meat in the Lettuce Wrap. Usually some places short change you on the amount of duck meat and add lots of filler. As you can see in the picture, there are large chunks of duck meat with only a modest amount of crispy wonton pieces, onion, water chestnut and peppers. This dish was a winner. Now, the next dish was supposed to be Peking Pork Chops. Instead, we got Sweet and Sour Spareribs. We complained that we had received the wrong dish; however, the manager came over and explained that when we ordered "Ging Doh Gwut", it means Sweet and Sour Spareribs. Uh... in our entire lives, none of us at the table had ever received Sweet and Sour Spareribs when we ordered "Ging Doh Gwut". In fact, the Chinese name for Sweet and Sour Spareribs is "Seun Teem Pai Gwut". Furthermore, if it really was correct, the sauce would've been a Peking sauce which is more robust with the addition of Worschester sauce. The best analogy I could come up for this situation is if you ordered a "Filet" at a steakhouse. Of course, they would understand that you had ordered a Filet Mignon. In the situation at Ho Yuen Kee, it was the equivalent of giving us a Sirloin instead. The manager either had lost his marbles or was doing a very poor job in trying to cover up a mistake. We were not impressed.

The next dish was Gai Lan with Beef. Practically covered with tender well-seasoned beef, the gai lan (Chinese broccoli) was crisp and cooked just right. Not shown in the picture were many half pieces of straw mushrooms. Bluebeard was not really sure what they were; but questioned why they looked like "uncircumcised" mushrooms. Honestly, I've never looked at straw mushrooms in that light. Now, I will never look at straw mushrooms in the same manner again! Next dish was Scrambled Eggs with Shrimp. We substituted the green onions for flowering chives instead. The manager was so proud that they got this right, he made it clear to us. You gotta love Chinese restaurant attitude! Last dish was the Satay Beef with Vermicelli. Again, lots of beef and good flavour. But the vermicelli was too soft and mushy.

For dessert we got Sweet Green Pea Soup. Trust me, it tastes better than it sounds or looks. To satisfy my wonton curiosity, I ordered a wonton soup to go. 20 minutes pass, remind waitress, no soup. 40 minutes pass, remind waitress, no soup. Are they like peeling the shrimp and making the wontons back there??? After a third try, we finally got it and THEY actually seemed annoyed. WTF? Well, Holly was right though, the extremely large wontons were packed with crunchy shrimp. Probably the best I've had in the GVRD so far. Despite this, we were quite annoyed at the service from this place. It's like they really couldn't give a rat's ass about the customer. Not only did the manager try to cover up a mistake, they did not even apologize for our 40 minute wait for wontons. Therefore, I'm not sure if I would go back and suffer more abuse. I realize Chinese restaurants can be this way; but all I want is basic service with no attitude.

The Good:
- Pretty decent food
- Excellent wontons
- Food comes out fast (except for wonton soup!)

The Bad:
- Arguing with customers
- Not admitting that they are wrong
- Tight table arrangements