Star Alliance Lounge LAX

Here is a tip - do not wait to book your plane tickets, especially to overseas destinations.  If you are hoping for the prices to drop, it is not likely to happen.  That was the case here when we were booking our flights to Japan.  Therefore, we ended up booking our flights that required us to connect out of LAX for our outbound flight.  We went with ANA again, much like last year, but instead of Business, we decided to check out their Premium Economy.  Other than not having lie-flat seats, fancy meals and dedicated service, their PE still includes priority check-in, boarding, luggage and lounge access.  Hence, we checked out the Star Alliance Lounge at LAX before our 11-hour journey.

Since this lounge serves all Star Alliance airlines, it can get a bit busy, but it is pretty decent in size with lots of seating.  There is a bar with comfortable chairs around it and beyond.  Behind this seating is the buffet area with table seating and some long high tops with power outlets.  Overall, a pretty large lounge that can handle the amount of passengers that use it.

Onto the food, there was a decent arrangement that started with a Chicken Wrap, Smoked Turkey and Caramelized Onion on a Pretzel Roll, Roasted Veggies on a Lavash Roll, Cucumber Salad and Mixed Greens.  Pretty typical stuff, but I thought the pretzel roll was quite nice with smokiness from the turkey and sweetness from the onions.  Salads were well-dressed and flavorful.  The chips in the picture above were found in the next section, along with some rolls, butter and whole fruit.

Onto the main dish of the buffet, we found Carolina Gold Glazed BBQ Chicken along with Roasted Garlic & Chive Potatoes, Garlic Herb Summer Squash and Baked Tortellini Alfredo.  Overall, these dishes did their job where the chicken was tender, but a bit sweet while the zucchini was a bit soft.  The pasta was also soft, but flavorful.  Potatoes were soft and creamy but still retained their structure.

Onto the desserts, we had some Cranberry & Carrot Cake, Fresh Fruit Salad, Cheesecake and a selection of Cheeses.  Not pictured, but at the end of the buffet, we found some crackers to go with the cheese.  The fruit was really good as all of it was ripe and sweet.  The carrot cake was moist but pretty sweet.  I liked the "Basque-like" cheesecake as it was fluffy and not overly heavy while being only mildly sweet.

The thing we were most interested in was the Noodle Bar.  It came with choice of broth and toppings.  My son decided to go for the chicken broth with pieces of chicken meat and hard-boiled egg.  No veggies for him!  Anyways, the broth was pretty bland and we surmised that he should've added some of the side seasonings.  Otherwise, it was a bowl of noodles, nothing very interesting about it.  I give them credit for offering it though.

In addition to the bar, we could help ourselves to the Soda Machine as well as wine, spirits and bottled beer.  Pretty decent selection and fully stocked.  This cannot be overstated as some lounges often neglect the soda machine where ice and syrups are out.  Washrooms were clean and spacious.  Another added bonus is the outdoor terrace where you can enjoy the sun and also watch planes takeoff and land.  Overall, the Star Alliance Lounge at LAX is above average, especially compared to many other lounges found in North America.  Only issue is that it is located pretty far from the terminal gates.

The Good:

- Large and spacious

- They keep food and beverages stocked

- Clean and modern

The Bad:

- Pretty far from the terminal gates

- Noodle bar was meh

Lucky Lily Asian Brasserie (YVR Domestic Terminal)

As much as YVR is lauded one of the best airports in North America and sometimes, the world, I thought their food options could be better.  Well, that has been changing in the past 10 years and now we see spots like Bubble Waffle Cafe, Pajo's, Salmon n' Bannock and Sal Y Limon among others.  Now we see the latest offering at YVR's Domestic Terminal in Lucky Lily Asian Brasserie by Top Chef Canada winner, Nicole Gomes.  This is not her first airport restaurant, as she has opened Wander Kitchen & Bar at Calgary International.  The menu is Pan-Asian and offers a wide-range of options to eat-in and for takeout.

We had a sampling of the menu that covered a wide-range of items including the Chicken Sesame Slaw.  Called "Sau See Gai" in Cantonese, this is a popular cold dish that has hand shredded chicken mixed with cabbage, celery, cucumber, pickled veggies, radish, cilantro and crispy wonton strips in a sesame soy dressing.  This was a good version where the freshness and crunch factor was high.  Chicken was tender and moist while the wonton strips countered that with a firm texture.

Next up, we had a new dish on the menu - Crispy Thai Wings.  This was the best item we tried for the meal.  Consisting of both flats and drumettes, these wings were indeed uniformly crispy.  The skin was properly rendered and nothing was flabby.  Inside, the meat was juicy and super tender.  We loved the size of the wings too as they were neither too small or large.  On the outside, the makrut lime salt added a delicious zing while dipping them into the black pepper lime dip added such brightness and a bit of bite.

We tried a super classic Sichuan dish in the Spicy Wontons.   These pork dumplings were sourced from a legit Chinatown supplier in Vancouver.  Featuring a thin wrapper, these wontons were cooked just right.  The wrapper was al dente, yet was tender enough to the chew.  Inside, the pork filling was moist and tender.  These were dressed in Sichuan peppercorns, chilli crisp and soy-garlic vinaigrette.  Nice combination of flavours, yet I could've done with more heat.  However, I'm sure they made these mild so it could appeal to all.

Our last appie was the Vietnamese Meatballs.  These house-made meatballs consisted of pork & jicama.  Hence, there was a noted bright crunch to go with the soft pork.  Underneath, we found an Asian tomato sauce that was tangy and sweet.  Another layer of sweetness came from the cooked-down onions.  Adding a bit of heat and zip, we found slices of pickled jalapeno.  I thought the addition of crispy onions was necessary since the meatballs were pretty soft.  The buttery toasted baguette provided even more crunch.

Although not listed as an appetizer, the Cold Sesame Noodles was another great dish to share with friends (one could eat it by themselves, but I recommend sharing it).  This was a good amount of chewy thin white wheat noodles sitting atop a creamy sesame sauce along with cucumber, peanuts, chili oil and scallions.  Upon tossing the noodles, it became apparent a bit more sauce would've helped in terms of texture and taste.  However, the parts of the noodles that had enough sauce was aromatic.  I think adding some of the chili crunch (upon request) would've put this dish over the top with even more texture and some smoky bite.

Since sharing one Karaage Burger would've been difficult, we were served 4 mini-versions instead.  Loved the sesame brioche bun as it was super soft and nutty.  Inside, we found a marinated chicken thigh which was juicy and completely crispy from the perfectly deep-fried coating.  We found some creamy melted havarti, crisp lettuce and spicy togarashi mayo that added everything we needed from texture, moisture and flavour.  Nice little bite.  The side of fries were crispy and had a hint of 5-spice.

We ended the savoury portion of the meal with the Bangkok Bowl.  Functionally, this was a solid red curry with mild spice, creamy aromatics and measured sweetness.  Veggies were not overdone and the rice was fragrant and chewy.  The one thing that could've been better was the chicken.  It appeared to be brined and precooked.  My guess is that it holds up better in the takeaway version from the adjacent market.  Totally understandable from a practical point-of-view.  However, the texture was not consistent with traditional chicken breast for Thai curries.

We moved onto dessert at this point and went with a HK-style cafe classic in the Hong Kong French Toast.  The method here consisted of 2 pieces of milk bread with peanut butter in the middle and coated with egg and then deep-fried.  This particular one was topped with condensed milk custard, sliced bananas and almonds. I thought it was pretty tasty with crispy edges and a soft interior texture.  I liked the contrast of salt and sweet, but would've like to see even more sweetness.  The other dessert was the Salted Lava Buns.  These were pretty textbook with a soft and fluffy bun.  Inside, the salted egg custard was plenty runny.  It was aromatic, sweet, salty and a bit nutty.  Overall, the food at Lucky Lily represents something different for the domestic traveler at YVR.   Sure, some purists might wonder about the modern takes on some classic dishes, but I believe the menu at Lucky Lilly is accessible to all for a reasonable price (given it is in the secured area of the airport).

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

The Good:

- Pricing is fair considering where it is located

- Something different

- Nice spot to hang out before your flight

The Bad:

- Not sure about the precooked chicken in the curry, but it is understandable from a functional standpoint

Charoen Krung Thai Noodle House

Is it just me or are there more and more Thai restaurants opening up these days?  Are we finally going to catch up with Portland's Thai food game?  Well, let's not put the cart in front of the horse now okay?  We still have ways to go...  However, in the GVRD, we've seen a rash of authentic Northeastern (E-Sarn) and also Central Thai restaurants popping up.  Many, if not most, are really good an have elevated the choices for Thai food.  One of the newest is Charoen Krung Thai Noodle House on East Hastings.  They feature a mainly Central Thai street food menu with the rarely seen Boat Noodles.  We didn't order that this time, but we did get a good amount of food nonetheless.

To start, we had the Deep Fried Wonton with Quail Egg.  Instead of the 6 you see in the picture, there should've been 7 wontons (they served it to us shortly after).  Really enjoyed these as the outside was crunchy and light.  Inside, the quail egg was not overdone.  The whites were not rubbery and the yolk was creamy with no dark ring.  Served on the side was some Thai sweet chili sauce.  Sure, a bit defaultish, but it went well with the wontons.

Initially, we were planning on ordering the assorted appetizer but seeing how there was only one wing of each flavour, we wanted more than that.  Hence, we got a full serving of the Classic Chicken Wings in Thai fish sauce.  Although I usually detest coated wings, these were actually pretty good.  Crispy on the outside while succulent on the inside, these wings were also flavourful with hits of brininess.  Skin wasn't completely rendered due to the coating, but I didn't mind it in this case.

If you blindfolded me and didn't tell me what I was eating, the Pad Thai would've been a really great stir-fried noodle.  The rice noodles were chewy and not clumpy while the wok hei was evident.  I definitely got aromas and the mild hit of funkiness of the fish sauce.  However, the dish was lacking the tang and sourness of tamarind as well as enough palm sugar to balance.  Noodles were slightly greasy, but then again, you can't stir fry rice noodles without it.   One minor detail was the little bits of tofu.  I personally like firmer pressed tofu than the soft fried cubes that were in the mix.  Overall a good dish, but needed much more tamarind and even some heat.

On the other hand, the Pad See Ew was excellent.  It had a definite hit of Maggi sauce which added both depth and umami.  There was noticeable wok hei where things were smoky and caramelized.  The crystal noodles were chewy and full of elasticity while not being clumpy.  Big chunks of fried tofu were delicate inside.  Vibrant and green, the gai lan was crunchy, yet cooked all-the-way through.  One of the better versions I've had of late.

Chicken Green Curry was flavourful and had impactful heat even at medium spicy.  It had the right viscosity neither being too thin or thick.  Aromatic with a touch of brininess as well as herbaceousness.   Normally, non-tenderized chicken breast is used in Thai cuisine.  Hence it tends to be a bit drier and chewier.  This version employed tenderized chicken breast.  In a vacuum, I thought this was great as the meat was bouncy.  I didn't mind it at all.  But for some purists, this would not be authentic.

We ended up getting both of their available desserts as we couldn't make up our minds.  The first one was a bit confusing due to its presentation.  Initially, we thought the Kanom Tuay (Pandan Coconut Pudding) was served in 2s but those upside down bowls were also full of pudding, hence we had four servings!  Good thing too as it was aromatic, lightly sweet and really great with the salted coconut cream (served on the side).

We also had the Mango Sticky Rice that was beautifully green from the pandan.  It was texturally on point too with a moist chewiness that wasn't mushy.  It was sweet and aromatic from the salted coconut cream.  Although not in season, whatever mango they sourced was sweet and juicy.  Overall, the food at Charoen Krung was generally delicious and well-portioned.  If I had to nitpick, the Pad Thai needed much more tamarind, palm sugar and spice.  Furthermore, despite me liking the tenderized chicken in the green curry, for others, that could be a no-no.  I'd still go back though to try the boat noodles.

The Good:

- Good wok hei

- Well-portioned

- Excellent service

The Bad:

- Pad Thai needed much more seasoning

- Tenderized chicken could be a deal-breaker for some, I didn't mind it though

Bentall Centre BX1 Food Court

The food court.  You know, a collection of food stalls that are located in malls where one would usually find: a Chinese combo spot, chain-burger joint, Japanese teppanyaki, KFC, Tim Horton's and the sort...  Well, thankfully, this has been gradually evolving as tastes have changed and people are generally looking for more interesting eats.  The Bentall Centre food court features 5 different stalls that offer more than the usual and they are definitely not some big corporate chain.  I was invited recently to try them all.

One of the most recognizable names is Zab Bite Thai Express.  Yes, it is run by the same people as the Michelin-Recommended spot on Fraser Street.  We were able to try some of Northerneastern Thai cuisine including their fabulous Pad See Ew.  This had plenty of wok hei with smokiness and caramelization.  Crystal noodles were full of elasticity and weren't overly clumpy.  We also tried the Tofu Green Curry.  Fragrant, sweet and briny, the mild green curry had a velvety viscosity.  I found the rice dry enough to accept the curry while retaining a chewiness.  The fried tofu was crispy and held up to the moisture of the curry.

Right next door, we found the almost viral Four-Bite Burger operated by the same people behind Bovine Rice Bowls.  These little sliders featured a smash patty that was crispy with a beautiful maillard.  Finely slivered onions were grilled into the smash patty adding sweetness and texture.  These were delicious with the addition of processed cheese and burger sauce.  Buns were soft too with good structure.  We got to try the Chicken Strips too and they were pretty typical, but were fried until crunchy with moist breast meat inside.  This was served with crispy curly fries and honey mustard.

Over at Little Seoul, we were got some pictures of their bento boxes.  We sampled a few of their wares including Beef Bulgogi, Spicy Pork, Mandu and Tteokbokki.  The pictures do not completely represent what we tried, but this is what you would get if you order a set.  I thought the tteokbokki were fantastic.  Texturally, they had a nice chew, but gave way to softness.  Mandu were great too with a thin skin that was crispy and coated with a gochujang sauce.  Inside, the filling was moist and tender.  We had the beef and pork in a bibimbap format and they ate really well.  The meats were tender and full-flavoured.

Also run by the same people (who operate the Frying Pan), we have Tori.  It features everything from Tori Paitan Ramen to Chicken Karaage.  We got to try Pork Katsu and Chicken Karaage.  I thought the karaage was juicy with a crispy batter on the outside.  It was mildly-seasoned and probably needed the side of mayo.  As for the pork katsu, it was rather lean meat, but was still moist and juicy.  Batter was lightly crispy.

The last food stall at the other end of the food court is Indish (which has a food truck too).  They feature a pan-Indian menu including the 2 things we tried.  I really enjoyed the Vegan Channa Kebab Kathi Roll.  Loved the flaky and crispy paratha and the crunchy vibrant slaw.  The vegan channa had a crispy exterior and a semi-dense tender interior.  It was nicely spiced with earthy notes.  Humungous in size, the Samosa was flaky and crispy with a tender and spiced potato filling.  On top, there was an earthy and spicy chickpea masala along with kachumber slaw, mint and tamarind chutney.  To say this was a flavour explosion would be an understatement.  Really great for anybody, but great for vegetarians too, much like the Kathi roll.

Running until November 13th, they will be running a Lunch Club Series where guests can pick up their lunch from one of the five food stalls and join a themed-activity based on the day.  On Tuesdays, there is casual drop-in Mahjong in a format that is welcoming to all experience levels.  Love the addition of all these activities to engage customers at the BX1 Food Court.  However, for me, it is all about the food.  It is much more interesting than the usual stuff we find in most food courts.  Definitely satisfying and something that fits into the tastes of the ever refining appetites of Vancouver foodies.  I might just have to find a way to come back when I'm on holidays because it is only open weekdays during lunch hours.

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

The Good:

- Quality food

- Lots of choice amongst the 5 vendors

- Portions are enough for most people

The Bad:

- Only open weekdays for lunch (but makes sense because on the weekends, no one would be in the offices

Nom House Vietnamese Kitchen

We are all pretty familiar with Vietnamese cuisine when it comes to rice and noodle bowls.  However, most of the time, it requires sitting down at a full-service restaurant.  With Nom House in Seattle (another location in Issaquah), it is a quick service concept where you can order specific bowls or create your own.  Rounding out the menu, we find Banh Mi and salads.  If you are thinking that the concept is fairly healthy, you are right, even their egg rolls are not deep fried!

About those Pork Egg Rolls...  They were pretty large and nicely browned in the oven.  I would say they were mostly crunchy with some softer spots.  That would be the byproduct of baking them rather than frying.  Hence, they were also not greasy at all.  Inside, the cabbage and carrot filling was a bit on the softer side, but the pork did provide texture and body.  This came with a sweet chili dipping sauce.

We ended up trying 3 of their Bacos (Bao + Tacos) with 3 different fillings.  There was Top Sirloin, Pork Belly and Tofu.  I liked how the bao were thin, so that it wasn't overly carby.  Rather, with the amount of filling that also included pickled carrots, cucumber, jalapenos, cilantro, fried garlic, fried shallots, nom nom sauce and sesame soy, the whole thing ate with a lot of flavor and texture. I liked the pork belly the most as it was buttery soft. 

Instead of creating our own bowls, we merely tried their signature items including the Nom Combo consisting of grilled sirloin, lemongrass chicken and all the veggies/sauces atop rice and salad.  Definitely on the healthish part of the quick-service eats spectrum.  As with the baco, the sirloin was tender with plenty of natural meatiness.  Chicken was moist and soft with a mild lemongrass kick.  Veggies were fresh and that nom nom sauce was creamy with plenty of herbaceousness.

Another signature item is the Pork Duo with pork belly and grilled pork with all of the same accompaniments as the nom combo except with the addition of a fried egg.  Pork belly was soft and buttery while the grilled pork had some smokiness and was mildly-seasoned with sweetness.  Since there was pork belly and egg present, this ate more robustly and had silkiness provided by the pork fat and the egg yolk.  The salad and veggies helped offset that to a degree.

We moved onto some of their specials including the Mini-Me & Salad as well as their Nom Special Banh Mi.  Loaded with cilantro (a lot of it!), pickled carrots, cucumber, jalapeno, nom nom sauce and house mayo, the banh mis were not devoid of filling.  Add the choice of meat (steak in the mini), then the sandwich was filling.  Bread was good too being crusty with a soft and chewy interior.  Personally, I would've lightened up on the cilantro, but that's just me...  The Nom Special Banh Mi was fully-stuffed with pork belly and grilled pork with 2 fried eggs.  That was definitely enough for one person due to the amount of protein.  Runny eggs added more moisture and some velvety texture.

Lastly, we had one of their Vermicelli Bowls with grilled sirloin.  This was not much different than the other bowls, except sub rice vermicelli for the rice.  Due to that, it did eat a bit lighter and it needed some sauce to go with it as a result.  On the topic of sauces, one is included with your order.  Choices include Nom Nom, Spicy Soy Sesame, Fish Lime Vinaigrette and Sesame Soy.  For the vermicelli, the fish lime vinaigrette was recommended and yes, that would be my choice too with brightness, saltiness and tang.  Otherwise, if I was having rice, I would go for the spicy soy sesame.  Nice kick to go with the aromatic saltiness.  So overall, the food at Nom House trends towards the healthier side without sacrificing flavor.  Definitely a modern take on Southern Vietnamese cuisine, but a good one.  Great for a quick lunch that won't break the bank or make you feel bloated.

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

The Good:

- On the healthier side

- Impactful flavors

- Decent value

The Bad:

- Due to being baked, the egg rolls are not as crunchy as I would've liked, but they are healthier

Billiard Hoang

I've been wanting to check out Billiard Hoang for many years now.  However, it just never worked out every time we've been in Seattle.  It wasn't only because we couldn't fit it into our schedule.  Rather, the place gets pretty busy during dinner time.  To combat this, we arrived at 5:00pm on a Sunday.  In turn, we had our pick of seats and also there was plenty of parking.  Our plan was to order lots, and then after our meal, play some pool!

We ordered a few appetizers including the Duck Salad.  With a bed of greens including herbs, cabbage, onion and pickled carrot & daikon, there was no shortage of crunch, tang and aromatics.  On top, there was a chopped duck leg which was super tender with the classic gelatinous texture.  It was well-salted where the meat was flavorful without being too salty.

Next we tried something I don't see very often - Roasted Quails.  These had some passing similarity to roasted squab, but just smaller.  Seasoning was supplied by some five-spice, soy and sugar.  There was a beautiful lacquered appearance where the skin was rendered and flavorful.  We found the meat to be succulent where we picked all of it clean from the bones.  This came with a salt & pepper lime sauce that helped brighten things up.

Those first 2 appies were solid, but we were really here for the Fish Sauce Chicken Wings!  Sporting only the flats, the wings were aggressively fried.  It resulted in fully-rendered skin that was crispy with no flabby portions.  This also meant the rest of the wing was a bit drier than expected.  However, that didn't result in overly dry meat though.  It just wasn't as juicy as other Asian-style wings I've had.  These were tossed in a fish sauce glaze that was sweet, salty and plenty briny.

For me, I have to order a Banh Mi whenever it is available.  Generally, ordering it at a full-service Vietnamese restaurant can be hit or miss though (I like dedicated Banh Mi shops more).  The one here was a hit since they loaded up with meats.  Hence, it was fulfilling and increased the flavor quotient.  That was further elevated by the generous portion of pâté and buttery mayo.  It added moisture and creaminess.  The bread itself was airy and crunchy on the outside.

Off to the bigger plates, we went for the Bò Lúc Lắc or Shaking Beef.  At first glance, this was not any different than most versions of this dish.  However, the smells emanating from the wok fry was pretty fragrant and exhibiting wok hei.  Our noses were correct as one taste of the beef and there was caramelization as well as umami from the fish sauce.  The beef itself was super tender and juicy.  Veggies were still crisp and vibrant.

Onto the requisite Phở Đặc Biệt, we found the broth to be a bit murky-looking, but it was fairly clean to the taste.  Flavors were definitely there with strong star anise and the sweetness of daikon as well as charred onion.  Cinnamon came through too.  With that being said, the broth was not overly salty though.  Noodles were plentiful and al dente.  They didn't skimp with the meats either as there was enough to go around with every bite.

We also got the Bún Riêu and it has to be one of the best we've had in awhile.  The tomato-based broth was rich and silky with moderate tang.  Crab brininess was apparent too and some sweetness a well.  Nice aroma from the soup.  Those meatballs were fluffy and light with plenty of brininess and only limited porkiness (which is a good thing in my mind).  Noodles were slippery and not overdone.

Out last item was the Mì Thập Cẩm or dry noodles with BBQ pork, shrimp, fish ball, imitation crab and squid.  Pretty solid version here with al dente noodles mixed with sweetened soy along with plenty of toppings.  When we were done eating, we sauntered over to the pool tables and played a few games.  Yes, a Vietnamese restaurant in a pool hall seems strange, but Billiard Hoang deserves all of their accolades.  Food is delicious, well-portioned and decently-priced.  The people there were super-friendly too.  Would come back!

The Good:

- Delicious eats

- Large portions

- Nice people

The Bad:

- Can get busy and you might have to wait, parking lot can fill up too