Once again, I get the call to play on a rare Saturday night at Richmond Ice (otherwise known as RICE). With this group, the good news is that they always eat out afterwards. The bad news is it's Alleluia or bust. Hey, I like the place; but honestly... every time??? They're killing me here! This would've been the 5th straight time for me. Finally, I decided to speak up. I begged that we go somewhere else. I've been a good boy. I've played along each and every time without complaining. Don't I deserve something different? Fortunately, they gave in and decided to go to Silver Tower instead. Either it was my whining or the threat of writing them off the blog that they accommodated my wishes. LOL... So Silver Tower is not exactly foreign to us. In fact, this was our usual spot after Saturday hockey before they decided to make Alleluia the default. Since then, there have been extensive renovations to the place. Rather than looking like a wonton noodle shop, it now resembles the "Pearl Castle" look. Much like Alleluia, Silver Tower is a Hong-Kong style cafe. For those who are unfamiliar, think Chinese restaurant with Hong Kong interpretations of various international cuisine. Only at these places where you will find an Oscar Meyer (if you are lucky) in place of a sausage and spaghetti topped off with a Heinz-based sauce (also if you are lucky). If you haven't been grossed out yet, please continue reading.
For the first time in ages, I picked up Goose for hockey tonight. Since he's moved to Seattle, we haven't played hockey together much, let alone sharing a ride. Once again, riding in my car means only one thing - kidnapped for food! He ended up with the Curry Brisket with Rice. As with most Chinese curries, this one was more sweet than spicy. There was a hint of heat; but not very much. Solid Chinese-style yellow curry with tender brisket and soft potatoes. For myself, I always go for broke at a Hong Kong-style cafe. Nothing but the 3-Item Meal with spaghetti or rice, veggies, soup and drink. Similarly priced at $9.95 just like Alleluia. Predictably, I went for the Tongue, Short Ribs and Chicken Steak. The chicken steak (deboned chicken leg) was very juicy and well-seasoned. I wasn't a big fan of the beef short ribs though, it had very little meat and was chewy. On the other hand, the tongue was perfect. Soft, moist and lightly salted, I offered it to everyone. For some strange reason, I got many strange stares. What? What's wrong with me sharing my tongue??? Miss Soda gleefully accepted it and enjoyed it very much! I knew she'd like my tongue! Uh...
Anyways, she ended up sharing the Yeung Chow Fried Rice (BBQ Pork & Shrimp Fried Rice) with Mr. Vain and it was pretty decent as well. Not as good as last time (they were here last week); but still lots of ingredients and chewy rice. Crazy Goalie (no, that's not me) had the Singapore Fried Vermicelli and I got to try some. The noodles were al dente with lots of shrimp, BBQ pork, peppers, onions, bean sprouts and egg. The best thing about the dish was the minimal use of oil. This dish is usually very oily. Now don't laugh; but someone actually ordered the Laksa here. Now, with reasonable expectations, this laksa wasn't too bad. Sure, it was not really all that spicy and honestly, I didn't even know what type it was. It looked to be a curry laksa; yet there was no coconut flavour. Once again, we should not expect too much out of a Malaysian dish served in a Hong Kong-style cafe. Regardless of its authenticity (and there are many unauthentic items at a Hong Kong-style cafe anyways), there was a fair amount of ingredients and it was edible.
Max Power went for the Brisket & Rice Noodles in Soup. He remarked that the soup was very flavourful and the noodles still had a slightly chewy texture. The brisket was quite tender. Chunkylover73 went for the Club Macaroni in Soup. For those who don't know, it is frozen veggies, ham and a fried egg with macaroni in soup. I know, I know. Some people will wonder why we would pay for such an easy dish. I think I make this at home sometimes... Yet, that is the beauty of a Hong Kong-style cafe. Despite its simplicity, it was done properly. Once again, a flavourful broth with not-too-soft macaroni. That is the minimal expectations of this bowl of food. Well, the food was generally what we expected it to be and then some. Considering this was well past 1:00am, our expectations were not really high. Silver Tower gave us decent eats at a reasonable price with included refillable beverages. What else could we ask for?
The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Decent food
- Clean
The Bad:
- Located right next to Matsuyama, the parking lot is insufficient
SIlver Tower
Posted by
Sherman Chan
on Thursday, March 31, 2011
Labels:
Hong Kong-Style Cafe,
Late Night,
Richmond
7 comments:
Silver Tower is still my go-to place for those HK style pick 3 item type deals. Can never go wrong with minute steak, chicken fillet and a cutlet porkchop on blackpepper sauce! Comparatively, I find the quality of the meat better than places like Alleluia. Just my opinion though.
On a side note, parking isn't too big of an issue on Alexandra if you find the "secret spot" ;)
*Gag* Ugh...I'm sorry Sherman, but the picture of the Club Macaroni in Soup made me puke a little...that's the worst thing ever offered in a HK-Style cafe in my opinion ;P
Are you sure the HK Pick 3 item type deal is still 9.95 at this place?
I was at Alleluia last week and its now 10.50 but with refills on drinks. Do this place have drink refills ?
No takers for Kam do across the street?
Jer, you are right, better than Alleluia in terms of food quality. I just can't convince the boys to join me there!
Wendy, I agree. Why order that??? LOL...
Oh, they raised the price at Alleluia? I didn't even notice. LOL...
Chanman, Kam Do next time? I hope...
Silver Tower is still my go-to place for those HK style pick 3 item type deals. Can never go wrong with minute steak, chicken fillet and a cutlet porkchop on blackpepper sauce! Comparatively, I find the quality of the meat better than places like Alleluia. Just my opinion though.
I agree. The meats and quality are better here. Tell that to my hockey buddies!
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