Chickadee Room

Since 2016, Juke has been frying up delicious fried chicken encased in its signature rice flour batter.  I've been here on several occasions, whether it be dine-in or take out.  I've always like their chicken and in fact, their chicken sandwich is pretty darn solid too.  Things have changed from the beginning though as the main dining room now houses The Chickadee Room.  It is open late and serves a wide variety of beverages and cocktails.  Yes, it also serves the menu from Juke Chicken!

Naturally, I have to talk about some of the drinks first because, well, it is a late night bar!  We tried both the Silly Goose and Masatakas Garden.  Consisting of Nikka Coffey Gin, Snap Pea Noilly Dry, Handa Go Junmai Sake, apple and shiso, the Masatakas Garden was a pretty strong cocktail.  I found the gin and sake coming on strong at first, but then we got some subtle floral notes at the end.  As for the Silly Goose, it was a bit fruitier due to the combination of grapefruit and lemon going with the El Jimador Reposado Tequila and Vida Mezcal.  With that being said, the alcohol did come through, but not in-your-face as much as the Masatakas Garden.

To go with our drinks we had a selection of bites including the Chicken & Waffles.  Those cheddar and jalapeno waffles were on point.  Fluffy while crispy on the outside, these were drizzled with smaltz and chipotle maple.  Yep, that was plenty silky and aromatic with a touch of spice and sweetness.  It came with 2 pieces of dark meat chicken and it was fantastic.  Batter was crispy with rendered skin and the meat was juicy.  This is exactly how I like my fried chicken!

We also had the combination of things that were all tasty.  This included the Corn on the Cob.  These were cooked just enough where each niblet still had some bite and burst out with juicy sweetness.  They were coated in schmaltz, lime, chili flakes and cilantro.  Due to this, there was so real creaminess that was a bit spicy and plenty tangy.  Those Nuoc Cham Ribs were money with fall-off-the-bone meat that had been crisped up on the outside.  It was glazed with a fish sauce that was briny, spicy and sweet.  The addition of peanuts, bird's eye chili, sesame seeds, green onion and cilantro really made this pop with layers of spicy, nuttiness and brightness.  We also had Mr. Clay's All Dressed Fries with spicy garlic mayo, house pickles, parm, and crunchy fried onions.  Unlike so other dirty fries out there, this was not completely doused with moisture.  Hence, the fries underneath were still crispy and not soggy.  I liked the crunch of the fried onions combined with the spice from the mayo.  Last item on the platter was their Chili Fried Chicken.  These were juicy like the regular chicken but with a medium spice on the outside.  It was flavourful and smoky but not tongue-burning.  The batter remained fairly crispy despite the saucing.

When we dug into the all white meat Chicken Nuggets, it reminded us of something.  Yes!  These were larger versions of the ones you'd find at Chick Fil-A!  The hand-cut breast meat was moist and tender while the batter was fairly thin and crunchy.  We sampled 3 different sauces including honey mustard, sriracha honey and chipotle maple.  My favourite was the honey mustard with real mustard seed.  It was tangy with a slight bite.  We got Juke's Famous Mac & Cheese and it was loaded with plenty of melted cheddar.  The top was a bit hard due to the baking but underneath, the tender, but firm noodles were coated with plenty of cheesiness.

Making sure we covered all of our bases, we tried their Sweet & Spicy Wings topped with sesame seeds, cilantro, green onion and Thai basil.  Loved these wings as the meat was moist and tender while the outside still had some crispiness.  The best part was the sauce as it was impactful with medium spice and a balancing amount of sweetness.  With the other elements, the wings definitely had a Southeast Asian flair.

Last but not least, we had to get some veggies right?  We had the Juke Salad with iceberg lettuce, onion, radish, tomato, cheddar & sunflower seeds in a Asian sesame dressing.  This was pretty much a green salad with the classic aromatic sweet & tangy sesame dressing.  However, with popcorn chicken added to it, this was more of a meal and the chicken itself was crunchy.  This would've been even better if we had more dressing to douse on the chicken.  Overall, we enjoyed our visit to The Chickadee Room.  Love the concept of a late-night bar with the Juke Chicken menu to compliment.  To us, it even appeared that the food has improved since our last visit.  Not that it wasn't already good before...

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Tasty cocktails
- Juicy fried chicken with a crunchy rice flour batter
- Nice vibe

The Bad:
- Place is tight except for 2 bigger tables, you might want to make a rez

Dumpling King (City Square)

For one reason or another, I've had my fair share of food from the City Square food court over the years.  There isn't a huge selection of eats, but most of the usual assortment of stalls are represented including a Bubble Waffle Cafe and A&W.  I've tried most of the spots and they are more or less acceptable.  This time around, I decided to deviate from the regular and test out Dumpling King.  This is one of the least busy stalls in the food court despite being one of the best values.  Everything is under $8.00, with the Xiao Long Bao coming in at $6.00.  I went for all 3 of their menu items to see whether they were good or not.

I started with the Xiao Long Bao (Steamed Soup Dumplings) and they were gigantic.  Easily 1/2 size bigger or more than the typical version. Unfortunately, these were not made-to-order, rather, already in a takeout container ready to go.  This might've had some effect on the top twirl of the dumpling skin as it was rather chewy and dense.  The rest was fairly thin and pliable.  Inside, the fatty pork was tender and juicy.  There was a considerable amount of soup, but it was greasy.  I could taste some sweetness and a touch of shaoxing wine.  It needed a bit more ginger in my opinion.  I really wished these were made-fresh and that the filling wasn't so fatty.

The Steamed Pork Dumplings had the same fatty pork filling and a considerable amount of soup too.  Predictably, it was equally greasy.  I guess using the same filling would be easier than making a different one for each dumpling.  As for the dumpling skin, it was decently thin and elastic for the centre portion of the dumpling.  Yet the pleats were hard and chewy.  This was possibly due to the fact that these were not made-to-order as well.

Lastly, I gave their Wonton Soup a shot as well.  The soup itself was quite pleasant being lightly salty and sweet.  There was some background seaweed flavour going on.  I wasn't a fan of the wontons as the pork filling was gritty and chewy.  This made each wonton dense and not pleasant in my opinion.  In general, the stuff at Dumpling King was so-so and not something I would go back for.  Maybe it has something to do with them not being made-to-order.  Considering the lack of staff, I can understand why they don't do this.  But I feel it compromises the quality of the product so negatively, it makes Dumpling King not relevant compared to some of the better food court XLB spots like R&H and Shanghai Dim Sum House.  Until they figure out a way to do that, it just can't compete.

The Good:
- Large dumplings with lots of soup
- Cheap
- It is ready right away (which is also a negative)

The Bad:
- Not made-to-order
- Parts of the XLBs and Steamed Dumplings are dense and chewy

 

Sen Pad Thai (Granville Island Public Market)

I've been a big supporter of Sen Pad Thai since they opened up on Granville Island in 2017.  Back then, they were not located in the Public Market, rather, they were in the Net Loft across the street.  From that very first visit, I was hooked on their wok-fry dishes as the caramelization and searing provided intense aroma.  I do believe they have one of the best versions of Pad Siew within the Lower Mainland.  So I didn't need much convincing to head over and do a sampling of their menu.

Part of Chef Angus An's restaurant group that includes Maenam, Longtail Kitchen, Fat Mao Noodles and partnership with Popina Canteen, Sen Pad Thai just continues the tradition of delicious and authentic food. We started with their Roti with curry dipping sauce.  This crispy flatbread was nicely browned while soft and chewy inside.  I would've like them to be a bit less dense, but they were still good.  That curry sauce was aromatic with some spice.  We also had the Crispy Thai Garlic Chicken Wings.  The rice flour batter was supremely crispy and held up even after dipping into the tamarind sauce.  Definite hits of garlic while the sweet & tangy tamarind helped brighten things up.  I would've liked to see the wings have a bit more salt to them though.

Beyond the stir fries, one of their most prominent dishes is their Crispy Pork Belly.  They prepare it fresh on-site and is best first thing in the morning as the place opens.  It is served atop rice with a soft boiled egg, pickled mustard greens, anise sauce, and soy.  I dug into this first as I didn't want to let the pork belly sit.  Oh it was really good where the pork was fatty but with enough meat while the crackling was firmly crunchy.  I could just eat the pork belly by itself and call it a day!

My go to dish here when it comes to rice is the Khao Pad featuring fried rice with thai nam sausage, gai lan, onion and cherry tomato.  Immediately after opening up the box, I was hit with the caramelized aroma of the rice.  The nuttiness combined with the pungency of the fish sauce made this textbook fried rice.  Add in the cubes of pork sausage and this robust and filling.  Little pops of acidity was provided by the cooked down tomatoes.  Texturally, the rice was perfect with discernible grains and an appealing chewiness.

Of course we had to have their namesake right?  We got the Pad Thai Goong and it also came with a fried egg. This has always been a solid version of the dish with great wok hei (from a very hot wok) that creates searing on the noodles.  Hence, the smokiness was evident and the tanginess of the tamarind really dominated.  Some might find it sour, but I much prefer this over being overly sweet.  The noodles were texturally on point with a chewiness while the prawns were perfectly prepared.

It would be a crime not to order the Pad Siew here since I consider it one of the best in town.  The menu states that they use fresh rice noodle sheets, but I swear they are more like mung bean noodles.  Anyways, the texture of the noodles here were chewy and the ribbons helped create adhesion for the tender beef and seasoning.  Once again, the wok hei ensured that the noodles and flavours were caramelized with smokiness and sweetness.  The gai lan was subjected to that too and it was vibrant and crunchy.

For their Daily Curry, they were featuring a Chicken Curry.  It was aromatic, creamy from the coconut milk and definitely had a kick.  There was a plethora of tender dark meat chicken as well as Thai basil, green beans and peppers.  This was served with a side of rice.  Overall, the food at Sen Pad Thai satisfied as per usual.  Considering this is a food stall, the food can rival those of a full-service restaurant.  Prices are not cheap, but what is these days?  I still think it has some of the best wok hei in town and it shows in the stir-fries.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Excellent wok hei (high wok heat)
- One of the best, if not the best Pad Siew in town
- That crispy pork belly!

The Bad:
- Roti could be a bit less dense
- Not unique to Sen Pad Thai, but the market food court is crazy busy at peak times, finding a table is almost impossible  

$10 Eggs Benny @ Glowbal

Food is just so expensive these days...  That is something quite certain and almost as guaranteed as death & taxes.  It really doesn't matter what food we are talking about.  Whether it be a trip to Costco, Superstore, a casual restaurant or a fine-dining establishment, you might need to take out a loan to afford it!  However, there are some spots that are trying to offer deals to entice people to spend their hard-earned money.  One of which is Glowbal in Downtown, starting on August 3rd (and continuing until the end of September), where a selection of Eggs Benny are going for $10.00 each.  If you want to add a side, it will cost another $5.00.  So for the whole thing, it would be $15.00.  Finding anything under $20.00 is a win!

I was able to try out preview this menu as well as pairing it with some cocktails (won't talk about them here, but please check them out in my IG post!).  We started out with the Traditional Back Bacon where it was really back bacon and not ham.  To amp things up even more so, they added crispy bacon as well.  Served on top of a properly-toasted English muffin and featuring perfectly poached runny free-range eggs, these were quite good.  To top it off, literally, was a velvety and rich Hollandaise that was seasoned well.

The next two options were also pretty classic in the Smoked Salmon Benny and the Smashed Avocado & Kale.  As you can see in the picture, they weren't shy with the buttery smoked salmon.  Hence, the impact was definitely there from the smokiness and saltiness.  As for the smashed avocado & kale (Vegetarian option), it was predictably more mild-tasting with creamy avocado.  The kale had some bite but was ultimately tender.  Personally, this wouldn't be my choice of the lot, but I understand there has to be a non-meat option.

One of the more premium options on the menu is the Pacific Crab Salad Benny.  In theory, this would've been the best one since there was a good amount of fluffy crab in the mix.  However, I wasn't a fan of the barely cooked through peppers as they were a bit too strong for the delicate crab.  I guess you can just merely pick it out, so not a big deal really.  I thought it went well with the runny (and appealingly dark orange) yolk and the creamy Hollandaise.  The moisture from the salad also helped soften the toasted muffin.

The final option and my personal favourite was the Braised Angus Beef Short Rib Benny.  This one was the most fulfilling as the rich beef short ribs were tender, full-flavoured and saucy.  This made for a robust and meaty concoction that was even more so with the richness of the egg and Hollandaise.  Also loved the mushrooms as it provided umaminess.  I'm not sure if you would even need a side with this option, especially if you do not have a big appetite. 

I felt the sides were similar to what you would find as options for a steak dinner.  This was so true with the Crispy Fries and Crispy Onion Rings.  I found the fries to be of the starch-covered variety, hence quite crispy on the outside and plenty potatoey in the middle.  As for the onion rings, they were battered and fried until golden brown.  Therefore, they were crunchy with completely cooked-through onion on the inside.  I liked how the batter wasn't too thick.

Predictably, there was also a Salad with balsamic vinaigrette.  Again, not something I would choose, but for someone who wanted a lighter side, this would be it.  My favourite of the bunch was the Crispy Fingerling Potatoes served with aioli.  These were smashed and fried until super crispy.  With that being said, the inside was still somewhat creamy and potatoey.  When dipped into the aioli, this was a dish I would just eat by itself.

Last option was the Truffle Parmesan Mac & Cheese.  Although this was the sexiest side on the menu, I found it to be rather much for a side to an Eggs Benny.  It was definitely truffley and cheesy, but also heavy.  Maybe share this with another person?  Or if you are really hungry, then order this.  Whatever the case, you really won't go hungry with these choices and if you have a bigger appetite, you still won't be hungry if you get both the shortrib benny and the mac & cheese.  You might have leftovers!  Great deal and served in a classy spot.  Nice to see some affordable options these days.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Inexpensive, even with a side added to the Benny
- Quality ingredients and properly-prepared
- All this in a nice dining space to boot

The Bad:
- Maybe take out the peppers from the crab salad?

 

Cherry's Food House

So if you haven't already heard, there has been some drama surrounding Cherry's Food House in Richmond.  Well, I'm not going to get into that with this post.  What I am going to focus on is the Korean Chinese food that they serve and what I thought of it.  I will reiterate that Cherry's dishes up Korean Chinese fusion cuisine, so I do not want to hear comments saying it isn't authentic.  That is not the point of the place.  Frankly, if the food tastes good, I am not inclined to slam a place for not being authentic, especially when they have already stated as such!  So without further delay, lets get into the food!

The main thing they wanted us to try was the Ginseng Chicken Soup.  This was served in a large pot atop a butane burner.  There was a whole small chicken prominently in the soup with dates, goji berries and of course ginseng. I really enjoyed this as the soup was so full of concentrated chicken flavour.  It was naturally sweet and exhibited the silkiness of the collagen-rich broth.  The ginseng was definitely there, but not too strong so that it was too herbal.  Highly-recommended.

Another must-order item here is their Seafood Pancake.  With most other places, you'd find a bunch of green onion and practically no seafood.  Not here.  In fact, there was so much imitation crab stick, the whole thing looked like an imitation crab pancake.  There was also other bits of seafood in there though and it was not super doughy either.  As you can see, the outside was crispy and the whole thing was really large.  Sure, there was green onion in there, but only a bit.

With the BBQ Beef Short Ribs, we finally saw the fusion part of the menu.  At first glance, the short ribs looked like any other version with nice grill marks and a sizzling aroma.  However, the meat had been tenderized, hence, the chewy meatiness of short rib was absent.  Instead, it was buttery tender except for the cartilage portion near the bone.  For some, that would be the wrong texture, but believe me, for others, it would be welcomed being easier to chew.  Personally, I didn't mind it as it was indeed a breeze to eat and the flavour was aromatic from the fat as well as the classic sweet saltiness.

The same Chinese Korean fusion was present in the Bossam as well.  Normally, the pork belly is boiled in a brine that has elements such as ginger, onion, garlic, soybean paste and believe it or not coffee.  The reason you do not taste the coffee is that all of these elements are supposed to be subtle.  In this version here, it seemed to taste more like a Chinese "lo siu" where there are elements of sweetened soy and other aromatics.  Again, that didn't bother me because I'm Chinese and these flavours were familiar.  I merely wrapped the tender pieces of pork belly in the cabbage leaf and all of the other condiments.  Tasted great in my opinion.

The next fusion dish, Sweet & Sour Pork, was something I really enjoyed.  I'm sure you are all familiar with the Korean version of Tangsuyuk where the batter is potato starch and the sauce is filled with fruit.  Then there is the Northern Chinese-style where the pork is sliced into thin pieces and coated with corn starch (or tapioca starch).  Both versions do not contain ketchup nor hawthorne.  So the one here at Cherry's is more akin to the Northern Chinese-style but has elements of the Korean version as well.  The pork was tender and the batter was super crispy.  The sauce was tangy and sweet.

We tried 2 of their cold noodles including the Cold Noodles with soup and the Spicy Cold Noodles.  The buckwheat noodles were chewy and appealing while sitting in a cold broth.  The flavour was a bit different that I am used to but it was still savoury with some sweetness.  Maybe it needed some more acidity?  It did have some chicken meatballs which was different.  As for the spicy cold noodles, they were chewy and mixed with a good amount of gochujang-based sauce.  Plenty of spice, tang and sweetness.

We weren't done with noodles as we also had the Jajangmyeon.  I guess a Korean Chinese fusion restaurant makes sense as this is the Korean version of the Chinese Ja Jeun Mein.  It is basically cooked noodles topped with a stir-fried sauce.  For the Chinese version, it is usually a meat sauce made of pork, sweet soybean paste and sometimes onion and/or pressed tofu.  Julienned cucumbers are served atop the sauce.  The Korean version is a black bean sauce with onions, chunjang and pork.  Well, as you can see, this is a pretty legit Korean version, but with cucumbers and a fried egg.  So definitely fusion but also pretty authentic too.  This was good.  I definitely enjoyed the chewy noodles and the rich sauce with the sweetness of cooked down onions.

We had another hot pot on a butane burner with the Sliced Beef Hot Pot.  I think this was pretty much a fusion of Korean and Japanese where the broth was akin to Sukiyaki with its sweet soy flavour.  This turned out to be one of my favourites as the beef was super fatty and tender.  It soaked up all of the broth and the veggies did so too.  Overall, the food at Cherry's is quite tasty and if you accept the fusion part of it, then there should be no complaining about authenticity.  Portions are really generous and the pricing is reasonable.  I can see why the place was packed when we were there.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Large portions
- Reasonably-priced
- Some pretty tasty dishes

The Bad:
- Well, this will upset the authenticity police (well too bad for them)
- The place gets slammed at peak times and they have a hard time attending to all the tables

The Lodge Steakhouse

"Did you want to try The Lodge Steakhouse in Langley?" asked Nikita one day.  I was totally game as I love venturing into the burbs for food.  I wondered where it was located and she replied, "It is above an ice rink and curling facility".  That totally confused me because I equate restaurants above or attached to an ice rink as mostly a pub or a bar.  However, when we arrived, the steakhouse was nicely appointed and had class.  Super interesting location where they share the washrooms with the actual bar on the other side of the building.  A bit too bright for a steakhouse (as it is hard to see the doneness of the steak), but a nice change from the usually dark dining rooms.

Service was great and we got things started with a few appies including the Beef Carpaccio and the Tuna Stack.  The plating with the carpaccio left a bit to be desired, but ultimately, they were both very good!  The beef carpaccio featured peppercorn and all spice-crusted tenderloin, arugula, grana padano, olive oil and spicy mayo.  Despite the massive amount of mayo, the beef carpaccio ate well with tender thin slices of beef that were a bit peppery.  The mayo added moisture and a bit of spice.  As for the tuna stack. the large chunks of ahi tuna were fresh and buttery.  The togarashi spiced wasabi aioli and yuzu vinaigrette completely flavoured this dish including the buttery and ripe avocado.  Loved the crispy tapioca crisps that went with this.

I actually returned with a friend sometime later and had the Salt Spring Island Mussels as well as the Strawberry Pecan Salad.  Plump and cooked perfectly, the mussels were bathed in a heavy cream broth with white wine, garlic and thyme.  Many places these days do not use cream and the broth ends up being quite thin.  This one adhered to each mussel which meant all of the great flavours were front and centre.  Loved the airy grilled bread on the side.  It was light and soaked up the broth beautifully.  As for the salad, the picture only represents a half-portion as we split it into 2 plates.  It was bright and fresh with ripe strawberries and tangy vinaigrette.

For both meals here, we had the 12oz Ribeye that included vegetables and a choice of side.  As stated on the menu, this steak would be charred and that is truly was.  Excellent grill marks and smokiness all around.  Inside, it was perfectly medium-rare and juicy exhibiting classic ribeye meatiness.  It was also well seasoned and topped with a compound butter.  We added peppercorn sauce on the side and it was creamy with of course, peppery notes.  We had the Truffle Mac n' Cheese as a side and although it was plenty cheesy with truffle, it ate quite dry and needed some form of bechamel to keep things creamy.

During the first visit, we tried both the 10oz New York Striploin and 8oz Tenderloin as well.  Despite both being tender in their own way (the striploin had more chew while the tenderloin was buttery soft), the flavours and overall textures were not as good as the ribeye.  The charring and seasoning were just as impactful though.  We had Mashed Potatoes for both and it was excellent.  It was potatoey while smooth and creamy with plenty of seasoning.  The veggies were still crunchy, yet cooked all the way through.

Even though the Lobster Spaghetti rings in at $55.00, I knew I just had to order it.  Good choice really because the lobster bisque-like sauce was aromatic, briny and sweet.  Hidden within, there was a wealth of moist bouncy pieces of lobster (and it wasn't just claw meat either).  The pasta itself could've been more al dente, but it was still delicate and buttery.  The same grilled bread was perfect for soaking up the residual sauce.

Despite looking like a well-composed fine-dining dish, the Sea Scallop Risotto was a complete miss.  First of all, the well-seared scallops were totally overdone.  Texturally, they were chewy and dense.  Probably some of the worst seared scallops I've had in quite some time.  As for the risotto, it didn't fare much better.  I found it overcooked and a bit too saucy.  It did taste good though with enough seasoning and cheesiness.

As much as we regretted ordering the scallops, the Brown Butter Sablefish totally flipped the narrative.  It was expertly-prepared being buttery and flaky while sporting somewhat crispy skin and enough salt.  However, the charred and sauteed asparagus, baby potatoes, grape tomatoes, edamame and mushrooms were no slouch either.  Exhibiting smokiness and being well-seasoned, the veggies were not overdone either.  That bourbon maple brown butter was super delicious and complimented the dish with a sweet nutty butteriness.  Of note, they actually delivered our dish to the wrong table, but instead of serving us that particular dish, they cooked up a new one (very professional).

In addition to the truffle mac n' cheese and the mash potatoes, we tried 2 more sides in the Broccolini and the Truffle Fries.  As you can see, the broccolini was still vibrant and had a nice crunch.  It was well-salted.  The fries were quite good (I've had them twice already) being crispy with lots of potato creaminess in the middle.  Just enough truffle oil added to the mix too.  This was also well-salted.  In both visits, we didn't opt for any dessert because the options were pretty standard.  Who knows, maybe we are missing out.  Overall, the food at The Lodge is above-average.  Sure, some things could be better, but there are more things good than bad.  Pricing is fair and things are well-portioned.  I would be open to coming back for a third visit.

The Good:
- Well-charred and cooked steaks
- Well-portioned
- Service is friendly

The Bad:
- That sea scallop risotto was not good
- Mac n' Cheese was too dry