24 Suns

Hoping to try something a bit more elevated while we were in Oceanside, we found out about 24 Suns.  This place is Michelin-recommended and features a mainly Chinese menu with some French influences.  There is also a tasting menu available that shows off the Chefs Nic Webber and Jacob Jordan's fine-dining training and time at Michelin 3-Star Addison in San Diego.

Our Asian gastronomical journey started with a small bite in the form of Shrimp Toast.  This was quite good where the shrimp mousse was light and airy with an appealing rebound texture.  Nice balance between sweet and salty while still having a natural shrimp brininess.  Unlike many versions of shrimp toast, this was not greasy, yet still was uniformly crispy on the bottom.  Nice start to the meal.

From the small bite, we moved onto a collection of snacks that included Hibiscus Jellyfish.  It was light and buttery with a bit of crunch.  Flavors were bright and lightly-seasoned.  Below and to the left, we found Chilled White Fungus with young bamboo.  This was a subtle dish that focused on textures.  The white fungus had a light crunch while the young bamboo mirrored that.  The brightness of the celery juice paired well.  Finally, the Oyster Yuba Salad featured the delicately chewy texture of tofu skin.  There was brininess, sweetness and a touch of spice from the Fresnos.

With an array of lively colors, the Yi Sangh or Prosperity Salad (also known as Lo Hei) featured trout belly and kanpachi alongside fruits and veggies.  There was some ikura, chia seeds and 3-year umeboshi.  When combined altogether, we had a wide range of flavors and textures.  Things were bright, sweet and a bit tangy as well as brininess with a bit of spicy bitterness too. 

Sitting in a fermented habanada butter sauce, we found two scallop and pork Siu Mai.  Since they used scallop rather than shrimp, the bounce texture was more subtle and softer.  I thought the dumpling was rather airy rather than dense, which made it extremely easy to eat.  With a dab of finger lime on top, it added the necessary tartness and citrus to the dish.  The star of the show was the sauce as it was sweet and aromatic without being too spicy.

Hitting all of the Chinese classics, we were served a version of the classic Turnip Cake.  This was a fairly large piece that was not a one-biter.  There was some shrimp in there to give it some body and meaty snap.  The texture of the turnip cake itself was somewhat soft with just a small bite.  This was battered and deep fried, which added a textural contrast.  On top, we found some briny XO sauce as well as some green garlic, celery tops, parsley and dill.  With all things combined, we got herbaceousness, bitterness, spice and brightness.  This went a long way in lightening things up from the deep fried turnip cake.

One dish we had that wasn't exactly Asian (but still had some influences) was the Lotus-wrapped Trout.  This was sous-vide where its appearance looked raw, but it was cooked.  Hence, the texture was super buttery and tender. It sat in a coconut fennel fumet which was full of natural fish sweetness and aromatics from the coconut.  Some Sichuan chili added just a slight kick at the end.

One of the most interesting dishes was the Claypot Chili Eggplant.  You can't see it in the picture, but believe me, the claypot was smoking hot.  Hence, the smokiness was definitely there.  Those eggplant-stuffed squash blossoms were full of spicy, saltiness, umaminess and tang.  On the side, we found Youtiao which were crunchy and topped with tuna sugar.  We didn't think it needed the sugar for this application though.

We were each served a mini-sized Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup.  This was pretty good with chewy noodles sitting in a flavorful broth that had umami and aromatics.  It wasn't salty which was good.  The best part of the dish was the large piece of super tender smoked short rib topped with chiu chow sauce.  Hence, we got a combination of smokiness, spice and garlickiness.

The most interestingly-plated dish was the Cigarette & Coffee.  Cleverly constructed, the "cigarette" was actually stuffed with coffee-braised duck.  These were crunchy whereas the duck was tender with smokiness and depth.  On the side, we found a duck jus latte that was intensely rich, tangy, sweet and spicy. There was some viscosity to go with the silkiness.  Loved the creativity with this one.

Our palate cleanser or pre-dessert was the the Mandarin Ice served in their cute little half rinds.  Totally refreshing and only lightly-sweet, the flavor was unmistakable Mandarin orange.  Really helped levelled things off from the full-flavoured and mostly spicy items we had so far.  Oh and these were sitting literally on ice that was set on the plate.

Our last item was the Budino featuring butterscotch pudding with chocolate ganache and cream.  Really enjoyed the silky and thick ganache which paired well with the sweet and buttery pudding.  The addition of black sesame really changed things up with nuttiness.  Loved that this was not very sweet, which was the nod to Asian desserts.  Overall, we thought 24 Suns was a fun and interesting meal.  Sure, you need to be good with the creative license they have over specific Chinese dishes in order to enjoy your meal.  I went in with an open mind and thought this was pretty solid.

The Good:

- A nice cache of courses

- Solid execution

- Excellent service

The Bad:

- If you are a stickler for what a dish should be, then you might not be the target audience

Dija Mara

Continuing on with the theme of "we are not going to eat crap just because we are in a touristy area with a theme park", we ended up at a highly-rated spot in Dija Mara.  This place is also located in Oceanside and according to them, "we mix Southeast Asian flavors with Western flair and Japanese cooking techniques to create our unique, Balinese-Inspired menu".  That is quite the mouthful and sometimes a bit scary for some.  However, we are always game for interesting eats and are totally on board with fusion.

We began with a pretty basic dish in the Grilled Roti, but it was anything but basic.  Normally, we've had different rotis ranging from super crispy and layered to very hard and dense.  Thankfully, this was fluffy and light with a beautifully golden brown and crispy outer surface.  It came with two dips including the creamy and spicy lamb jus curry and the mildly aromatic vegan rendang sauce.

We also got the Chicken Thigh Skewers with mild spice.   These were grilled aggressively where the char was evident in its appearance and completely noticeable in taste.  That added depth-of-flavour and loads of smokiness.   Despite the char, the meat was juicy and buttery.   Lastly, the marinade penetrated the meat and we had some aromatics and savoriness going on.

One of the best dishes we had was the Charred Eggplant.  Served as large chunks, the lightly fried eggplant kept its integrity but was still tender and silky.   However the real star of the show was the intense flavors.  It started with the spicy sambal that had a briny pungency.   It was leveled off by the tangy and creamy lemon labneh.  Finishing off the dish was some crispy shallots on top.

Really enjoyed the Ayam Penyet (Fried Chicken) as the chicken leg was beautifully prepared.  In past versions, I've experienced dry meat but for this one, it was succulent and buttery.   Skin was completely rendered and crispy.   This came with aromatic coconut rice and that killer sambal which added plenty of heat.

Although I enjoyed the Mee Goreng, it was quite salty.  I have a high salt tolerance but for others, I can see that this would be over-seasoned.   For me, it had all of the flavors including spiciness, brininess and the sweetness from Kecup Manis.   Noodles were al dente and the addition of shredded short rib made things really hearty.

Last dish was the Short Rib Rendang.  This was a meaty dish in flavor and texture.  Got the aromatic sweetness from the coconut and the bright hits from the lemongrass and galangal.  Meat was tender with some chew to it.  Really delicious in my opinion.  In the end, we felt the food at Dija Mara to be an explosion of flavors and also a study in textures.  We thought that their fusion was successful and ultimately delicious.

The Good:

- Intensely flavorful food

- Lots of textures

- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:

- Some things were salty

Campfire

So my kids are older now, hence theme parks and the sort are not really in the cards when it comes to travel.  However, the immature person that I am really enjoys theme parks.  Seeing how a friend of mine was travelling to both Legoland and Disneyland with her 5-year old, I volunteered to accompanying them.  Of course, we still had to eat and I had no interest in crappy food, especially out near Legoland.  That brought us to Campfire, which is kid-friendly, yet still dishes up tasty and composed dishes.  Yep, they cook everything over an open fire!  

Unlike many of the other Cornbreads I've had, the one here was super fluffy and crumbly.  It was a bit difficult to eat without the use of a spoon, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.   Loved the tanginess from the blood orange as well as the creaminess of the hibiscus butter.  Just a bit of bite from the pink peppercorn.  As you can see in the picture, there was a nice crispy crust on the outside.

We got two of the Ember Roasted Prawns which were perfectly executed.   The shell was crispy while smoky and charred.  Inside, the prawn was just cooked through being meaty and a bit bouncy.  It was naturally sweet and had all of the natural prawn aroma.  The sauce was the best part as it was sweet with great acidity and herbaceousness.

Beautifully plated with bright colors, the Ahi Tuna Crudo was delicious.  The fish itself was fresh with the taste of the sea as well as sweetness.  It was bright and also great texturally.   Once again, the sauce was the highlight.  Bright flavours once again with acidity.  The guava added some real tang and aroma.  Charred avocado was buttery and smoky.  That pepper was pretty spicy.

Their signature dish is the whole head of Broccoli that was aggressively roasted on the open fire.  As such, the florets were crispy and light while also smoky.  Interesting texture which became more appealing with each bite.  Sounding like a broken record, that chermoula was so vibrant and tangy.   Underneath, the hummus was buttery and flavorful.  Loved the crunch from the peanuts.

Off to the larger dishes, the Steelhead Trout was served in a large portion.  Although the skin was perfectly crispy and well-salted, the fish itself was slightly over.  Difficult to regulate the temperature over an open fire...  No matter, as the miso and black garlic provided all the umaminess the plate needed.  Such rich fermented flavors to go with the wild mushrooms.  

Loved the tender, yet meaty nuggets of Octopus.  Nice smokiness and caramelization.  The Spanish chorizo added a smoked paprika hit while also being meaty and a bit spicy.  Underneath, we found some smoked celery root puree which was smooth and well, smoky.  Some basil chimichurri added some brightness while the grapefruit segments added acidity.

Originally, we weren't going to order any dessert, but we witnessed the table beside us ordering the Yes, we have S'mores and well, we followed suit.  As you can see, this was DIY where we found a pile of hot coals with graham crackers, chocolate and a large marshmallow.  Yes, the 5-year old really enjoyed making his own s'mores!  Overall, we quite enjoyed our meal at Campfire where the vibes were lively.  Great place for parents to grab some elevated eats with their kids or anyone else for all that matters.

The Good:

- Elevated eats

- Kid-friendly with a kid's menu

- Nice vibes

The Bad:

- Cooking with an unregulated open flame can lead to some things overcooking

Father's Day Brunch @ Coast Langley City Hotel & Convention Centre

After going to The Victor in the The Parq hotel for Mother's Day, we decided to go for something out of Downtown Vancouver for Father's Day.  We went back to the well and headed out into Langley to The Coast Hotel for their bunch buffet.  I've been here a few times before and for special occasions, the cost is a bit higher, but the selection increases as well.  Normally, the brunch goes for $44.95 for adults, but for Father's Day, it was $68.00.

They hold the brunch in their ballroom and in the centre we found a Charcuterie Board, Salads and Seafood (Clams, Mussels & Cocktail Shrimp).  The meat and cheese board was pretty fruitful while the grilled veggies was one of my favourites.  As for the seafood, the clams were buttery while the mussels were plump.  The cocktail shrimp were quite large (yes, an oxymoron) and cold-water crunchy.

Some of the food stations spilled outside of the ballroom including Dim Sum and Sushi.  We found cute bunny Custard Buns, Shrimp Dumplings and Sticky Rice (wrapped in lotus leaves) in steamers.  These were actually quite decent.  The selection of sushi was sufficient and it was more or less acceptable given this was a buffet.  Of course it would never be confused with sushi found at a good Japanese restaurant.  There was also 2 Soups available: Seafood Chowder & Beef Chili.  Both were good with the chowder being creamy and loaded with seafood.

Naturally, there was also a Breakfast Station with all the usual items including Hashbrowns, Scrambled Eggs, Sausages (Pork & also Turkey), Bacon, Corned Beef Hash and Black Bean & Corn Hash.  Nothing out of the ordinary here with things being solid.  Eggs were still fluffy and not overdone.  Bacon was meaty and crispy.  Loved the soft poached eggs atop the corned beef hash.

They have a made-to-order Eggs Benedict Station that features 4 versions.  These included Mushroom, Cajun Shrimp, Smoked Salmon and Honey Ham.  For a buffet, these turned out to be more-than-acceptable.  The English muffin was lightly-toasted, so it was still a bit soft.  Eggs were poached to our liking and we chose runny.  On top, the Hollandaise was decent being silky and buttery.  On the opposite side of this station was made-to-order omelettes, but we didn't get any of them. 

Adjacent to the eggs benny was the Carvery.  It consisted of sausages, ribs, Ham, Smoked Brisket, Prime Rib and Angus Beef.  Ribs were actually quite good being tender and meaty.  Brisket didn't look very promising at first, but it was quite moist, even for the flat.  It was decently flavourful with some smokiness.  As for the prime rib, it was tender and medium-rare.

The last section consisted of random dishes that included Spring Rolls, Fried Shrimp, Burnt Ends and Crispy Pork Belly.  Moving on from that, we found Grilled Lamb T-Bone and Lobster Mac n' Cheese as well as Basil Fried Rice, Roast Potatoes and Whipped Potato Gratin.  I didn't actually get to eat everything here, but ironically, the one thing that I really enjoyed, the Sablefish & Salmon, I didn't get a picture of it.  The fish was not overcooked being buttery and soft. 

Also spilling outside of the ballroom, we found a decent Dessert spread.  We found a variety of small bites, cakes, chocolate fountain and mini-desserts.  My favourite was the Calamnsi Tart as it was bright and featured a firm buttery crust.  Loved the Mango Sago Pannacotta.  Tasted like the actual thing but being a bit custardy.  Right behind the dessert station, we found 3 juices including Cranberry, Orange and Apple.  Even further back, there was a small station for kids that included chicken nuggets.  Yes, this brunch buffet was not without choice and for the money, totally worth it.  If you are in the area or want to go for a Sunday drive, you will be pleasantly-surprised.

The Good:
- Lots of variety
- Generally well-prepared eats
- Well-priced

The Bad:
- Not the fanciest setting, but it doesn't matter to me

Moj Masti

We all know that there are plenty of Indian restaurants in town that offer a buffet of some sort.  They vary very much in selection and of course quality.  I've had some good ones recently and I feel that they were a good value.  Many of them are around $20.00 for the dinner buffet.  Of course we have the granddaddy of them all in Tandoori Flame which boasts up to 150 items.  However, that comes with a cost ranging from $37.00 to $43.00 for dinner.  What if one wanted a comprehensive Indian buffet that serves 50 different items, but only for $23.00?  Well, that would be Moj Masti out on King George Highway.  We dropped by to see how it stacks up to the other choices in town.

One look at the buffet section of the restaurant and it was pretty clear they were nearly offering their whole menu.  Starting with the Appies, we found a whole bunch of fried things like Paneer Bites, Samosas, Spring Rolls, Dahi Kebab, Paneer Sticks, Soya Chaap, Jalapeno Poppers, Paneer Tikka and Soya Chaap Manchurian.  My favourites of the bunch included the crispy spring rolls, the texturally appealing soya chaap (according to me, because I like them) and the samosas with a crunchy exterior and soft fluffy potato filling.  However, the paneer was on the firmer side and it was tough to eat more than a few pieces.

Moving over one section, we found Vegetable Soup, Vegetarian Noodles, Pasta, Sarson Ka Saag, Lahari Cholay, Kadi, Dal Makhani and Paneer Makhani. Despite not looking appetizing, the pasta was quite tasty.  It had a butter chicken-esque sauce and it was rich and flavourful.  The  vegetarian theme of this section didn't dilute the flavours nor the impact.

The last section had the meat curries including Goat Curry, Lamb Curry, Butter Chicken, Kadai Chicken, Fish Pakora, Chicken Soup, Chicken Tikka and Tandoori Chicken.  I thought the goat was delicious with an earthy notes and rich meaty tones.  The meat itself was gelatinous and super tender.  Lamb curry was on the same wavelength.  The dark meat chicken was juicy and well-marinated, but could've used more charring.

Also included with the buffet was made-to-order Naan.  We got both the regular and garlic versions.  Despite not having an aggressive char from the tandoor, the naan was still quite good.  it was crispy and nutty with a soft chewy interior.  We also had some drinks including the Masti Pacific Breeze, Masti Mock Mango Martini and Mango Shake (wasn't sure of the first drink).  I really liked the shake as it was a mango lassi but more creamy.

Moving onto the sweets, they had an attended Pani Puri station where they help prepare the classic street food, but also can combine the chickpeas from the buffet to make Channa Puri.  Right next to this station was a selection of random cookies and even mini-donuts.  Nothing particularly mind-blowing, but something for the kiddies.  For me it was all about the puri and that tangy tamarind and herbaceous coriander leaf water.

In addition to the aforementioned sweets, there was also Kheer and Custard.  I enjoyed these as the sweetness was balanced and hence, both were rather refreshing.  The bits of fruit in the custard added natural sweetness.  They also had a Chai machine and I chose to try the Ginger Chai.  It was also just sweet enough and plenty aromatic with a slight gingery finish.  Overall, the buffet at Moj Masti is a good value with lots of variety for everyone.  It is tough to find affordable, yet tasty eats these days, so it is nice to see that some of these places still exist.

The Good:

- Reasonably-priced

- Relatively good eats

- Lots of selection for the price

The Bad:

- Food could've been turned over a bit more (some items were near empty)