Hot Spot Buffet

As you already know by now, AYCE is a thing again.  In fact, they are coming up with different ways of doing things compared to the past.  Once upon a time, AYCE meant ordering off a checklist and waiting for staff to bring you the items or in most cases, the items did not arrive and/or you got the wrong items and also the incorrect amount.  Well, Hot Spot Buffet on Kingsway has solved that problem by offering most of the items available for Korean-style BBQ and hot pot as self-service (a la Bigway).  Hence, you can get exactly what you want and how much you want every time (keep in mind, if you waste food, it is $10.00 for every 100 grams).

So how much is this AYCE?  For the basic Korean BBQ, it is $24.99 for lunch & late night.  $35.99 for Korean BBQ and skewers for dinner and an extra $2.99 for hot pot.  We had both and it was a lot of food for 2 people.  Probably best to grab some friends and make it a group thing to try more items.  First and foremost, there is a Large Big Way-esque refrigerated display case with hot pot items on one side and BBQ items on the other.  Considering the reasonable pricing, the selection is quite good.

We got roughly everything in for our hot pots with Tender Beef, Basa, Chicken Thigh, Chicken Giblets, Cuttlefish, Beef Aorta, Crab Stick, Luncheon Meat, Quail's Egg and a variety of fish ball products.  As for non-meats, we had Tong Ho, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Wheat Gluten, Wood Ear, Corn, Konjac Noodle Bundles, Kelp, Wintermelon, Bean Curd Stick, Yam Noodles and Dried Instant Noodles.  There was more things available, but we didn't get them.  Nothing amiss with the items as things looked and ate fresh.  

On the bottom of the hot pot ingredients section, we found plates of meat including Lamb, Pork Shoulder, Pork Belly and Fatty Beef.  These cooked up quickly in our individual broths (Mala for me and Mushroom for Jackie).  I found my spicy broth to be mildly hot, but fairly flavourful.  The mushroom was better in our opinion since it was plenty mushroomy while well-seasoned so that it helped flavour the meats.

Onto the Korean BBQ portion of our meal, we got a selection from the display that included Thinly Sliced Beef (plain or marinated), Chicken Wings (different marinades), Chicken, Spicy Pork, Zucchini, Squash, Pork Shoulder (plain or marinated), Mushrooms, Marinated Shortribs and Shrimp.  The BBQ grill was relatively even and cooked things quickly on the high setting.  Need to pay attention as it could burn.  We thought the wings were great being well-marinated and juicy.  Shortribs were great too with a tender chew.  In fact, all the meats were quite good.

There was also a Self-Serve hot and cold food section near the front of the restaurant.  We helped ourselves to Shredded Potato Salad, Pork Ear & Cucumber, Edamame, Pickled Radish and Kimchi.  Across from it, we found some hot dishes in Fried Rice, Spicy Chicken, Sweet & Sour Pork and Shrimp & Fishballs.  Right next to that was a warming oven with Fried Glutinous Sesame Balls, Portuguese Tarts, Spring Rolls, Fried Chicken Skin and Chicken Wings.  Next to that, we had some Steamed Dumplings and Bao.  The food was okay but some of it was not hot enough, which diminished its appeal.  Wings were good though.  There was also some dessert and also a soda dispenser.  However, the diet cola ran out and was not refilled.

Of course there was a Sauce Bar with also some seasoning salts above.  Had all of the usual items to create your own custom dipping sauce for hot pot and Korean BBQ.  In addition to the pricing aforementioned pricing, there are also 2 more options including a Premium menu for $45.99 and a Tasting menu for $58.99.  As much as they add some really appealing items to each tier, the basic already includes so much.  I'd stick to that personally.  Overall, we felt the basic was a great value since it included essentially everything.  I do think that one should save their appetite for the hot pot and BBQ and skip the cooked food.  It was fine, but more of a filler than anything else.

*All food was complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Excellent value

- Meats and veggies were vibrant and fresh

- Lots of choice, even for basic

The Bad:

- Cooked food and sides were only okay and the hot food wasn't hot enough

- Soda machine needed attention

Entrecôte Restaurant

A few years ago, while in Paris, we visited Le Relais de l'Entrecôte and its one dish menu - Steak Frites.  If you are still peqish after your initial portion, they come around and offer you more of both steak and frites.  There is also this green sauce that has a bit of everything in it - herbs, creaminess, bitterness, acidity and in this case, some chicken livers.  There are no reservations, so people line up and trust me, it fills up fast, even though there are 3 locations in Paris.  In fact, they have spots in other parts of the world as well.  But not in Vancouver.  That is where Entrecôte Restaurant comes into the picture.  Independently-owned, this spot in Gastown gives the same vibes and one menu item as the original.  Jackie and I stopped by to see what they were all about.

After we got our drink order in, we were presented with some sliced Baguette served with mustard.  We were informed that this is how they eat it in France.  Honestly, I did not see that was the case while I was in France, so this was new to me.  We asked for butter and they got us some.  Just like the original, our meal started with a Fresh Green Walnut Salad with house vinaigrette.  This was great as things were fresh while the walnuts were great.

Since half of the restaurant has a good deal of natural light, it can deceive your eyes as to the doneness of the steak.  We asked for medium-rare and yes, it was done correctly.  However, without my camera (which took the actual colour of the steak), to the naked eye, it looked well-done.  That is why steakhouses are dark, so you can see the actual cook on the steak.  I found the Steak to be quite tender and paired well with the green sauce.  It was creamy, herbeceous, a little bitter and having backround acidity.  Fries were pretty good but could've been crispier.  Overall, a decent plate of food.  You are welcome to ask for more fries and sauce, but unlike Paris, you can't ask for more steak.

Naturally, dessert is a la carte and we went for 2 of them including the majestically-plated Le Vacherin Framboise.  This featured meringue base topped by vanilla ice cream and then another meringue, then raspberry sorbet, another meringue with raspberry coulis poured on top.  We enjoyed the refreshing fruitiness of the dessert with the coulis adding tartness.  Nice compliment to a steak dinner.

We also tried the Profiteroles sporting choux pastry encasing vanilla ice cream.  This was drizzled with chocolate sauce and some sliced almonds.  Not a complex dessert, but a solid one nonetheless.  Choux pastry was crispy while not being overly dry.  Chocolate was sweet, but not crazy sweet.  Overall, the experience as a whole at Entrecôte was decent.  The steak frites weren't life-changing, but they did capture the Parisienne vibe.   Service was excellent and highly attentive.

The Good:

- Decent Steak Frites

- Excellent service

- Nice ambiance

The Bad:

- Steak Frites could be refined even further

- Maybe some butter should be offered with the baguette

Stackhouse Steak Sandwich (Gastown)

As you know from my previous post about Stackhouse Steak Sandwich, I really enjoyed them and appreciate how reasonably-priced they are.  I'm not the only one having that sentiment because now they have opened a second location in Gastown.  Setting up shop in the former Brathaus, the space offers a few counter seats and one table.  Their menu is pretty much the same as the original location but with the addition of breakfast sandwiches.  We came to try those as well as some classics.

So let's get right to those aforementioned breaky sammies right?  They have 4 to choose from including the ones pictured above - Steak & Egg and Steak, Bacon & Egg.  Okay, I first have to say that they made a good choice in bun.  They are using the Gold Bun by Dempsters.  Featuring soft brioche that won't disintegrate either, I found it the perfect vessel for the fillings.  With fluffy egg, tender steak, processed cheese and mayo, the sandwich wasn't complicated, but ate well.  The addition of bacon with steak made it a pretty filling sammie.

The other 2 available options for breakfast sandwiches include the Pulled Pork & Egg and the Bacon & Egg.  I found the pulled pork to be the most flavourful due to the sweet and slightly tangy BBQ sauce.  The pork itself was tender and moist without being overly saucy.  As for the bacon & egg, I actually preferred it over the one with steak.  Without the steak, it allowed the bacon to be the star and it was so meaty and lean already.  The sandwich didn't need more meat.

Okay, let's get back to the regular programming and focus on what has made them successful - the Stackhouse Steak Sandwich.  With beef prices these days, it is amazing they can keep this sandwich at $15.00.  They didn't skimp with the flat-iron steak here it was also cooked to around medium-rare, keeping it juicy and tender.  With some fried onions for texture and aroma as well as a generous helping of chimichurri, we had some real brightness as well.  

For those who want a softer bread experience, they could opt for the Beef Dip Sandwich.  This particular sammie consisted of tender and juicy beef brisket with, melted cheese, horseradish and fried onions.  That in itself could be a tasty concoction already, but with a side of beef jus, it allowed for the bread to soften up and absorb more meatiness.  Loved the crispy onions and wished there were even more as it provided texture to the softness after the sandwich was dipped.

The most unique item on their menu has to be the Steak Tartare Open Sandwich. Yes, this would probably best eaten in-store or as quickly as possible since it is raw.  I gotta say this has to be better than some restaurants, let alone a sandwich shop.  Diced into manageable pieces, the beef was tender and buttery.  It was made with classic accompaniments such as dijon, crushed capers, red onion and parsley.  It also featured a jammy sous-vide egg yolk.  Delicious on the bread, but even better on the ripple chips.

Of course they also have options for non-beef eaters with the Chicken Dip Sandwich.  As you can clearly see, they didn't cheap out on the nicely seasoned and sliced chicken breast.  There was enough for every fulfilling bite.  It was tender and moist while topped with melted cheese, horseradish and chicken skin crackling (some parsley too).  Just like the beef dip, this made for a great sandwich without the chicken jus, but for those who wanted something softer and saucier, the mild jus did just that.

If one didn't want beef nor chicken, there is also a BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich available.  Rest assured, behind all that fresh and crunchy cabbage, there was a good amount of tender and fully-sauced pulled pork.  Just like in the breaky sandwich, the BBQ sauce was sweet and slightly tangy.  The pulled pork and cabbage provided the necessary moisture to soften the bread.  Onion chips provided the crunch beyond the crust of the bread too.

We had a few of their sides as well just like the other location, they are full-service restaurant quality.  Check out the Caesar Salad and the 2 anchovies on top.  I can tell you that not many quick-service restaurants offer such a quality salad like this.  On the same theme, the French Onion Soup was also legit with charred melted cheese on top with a piece of baguette underneath and a rich onion broth.  Unlike many other versions, it was not salty, just natural sweetness of the onions.

One last item on the menu is the Chips & Dip.  We didn't order that since we had chips with all of our sammies already.  But we really wanted the Truffle Aioli, so we got that separately.  Make sure you get a side of that as it is so creamy with just enough truffle.  The chips are naked without it.  Overall, I enjoyed the food at Stackhouse as they put effort into the product and it shows.  Things taste good and the textures are on point.  Prices are reasonable too.  Now they have breakfast sandwiches too!

The Good:

- Inexpensive

- Beef is tender and cooked properly

- Legit sides

The Bad:

- It is probably a limitation of the kitchen, so the egg is microwaved.  It still eats well, but the shape is a bit odd.

Woomi Sushi

For the longest time, I never knew there was a food court in Royal Square Mall.  Now don't confuse this with Royal City Centre Mall on 6th Avenue.  This one is right on McBride and 8th Avenue.  From the outside, it looks like any other strip plaza mall where there is a big parking lot with stores facing it.  Therefore, it is hard to see that there is indeed a food court on the inside.  I've been there before, visiting IT Burger, but for this visit, it is to check out Woomi Sushi.  It has been visited by a few people on IG and it looked like a good value.

Even though we just returned from Japan, the kids went straight for the sashimi in the Chirashi Don as well as the Salmon & Tuna Don.  Yes, this was even more impressive in person than in the pictures.  The amount of well-portioned slices of fish were substantial and enough for all the chewy seasoned rice on the bottom.  We particularly enjoyed the buttery hamachi and no joke, the Atlantic salmon.  Temperature of the fish could've been colder as they were somewhat warm.

Viv wanted a bit more food than our lunch bentos, so we added the Salmon Salad.  By pictures alone, I don't have to convince you that the salad was overdressed.  I mean it did taste good with a spicy sweetness, but the greens were far too wet and lost most of its crunch.  We did find big slices of Atlantic salmon in there and in some sense, the amount of dressing did flavour the salmon.  However, maybe having the dressing on the side would be better, especially for takeout.

For myself, I had the Sushi & Sashimi Bento Box that included a green salad, spicy tuna roll and assorted tempura.  Both boxes also had miso soup on the side.  I thought the sashimi was bright and fresh with a nice sheen.  Tempura was quite crispy despite the batter being just a tad thick.  It wasn't greasy though and the items were cooked right.  Spicy tuna roll was mildly spicy with buttery pieces of tuna inside.

Viv ended up with the Teriyaki Beef Bento Box that also included assorted tempura, California roll and green salad.  At first, we found the beef to be salty from the teriyaki sauce, but when mixed with the veggies and rice, it was fine.  The beef was plentiful and tender.   Overall, we found Woomi Sushi to be a really good value.  Portions were rather generous and the overall quality of the food to be better than what you would expect out of a food court.

The Good:

- Well-priced

- Generous portions

- Nice people

The Bad:

- The salad should not be tossed, dressing on the side would be better for takeout

- Temperature of the sashimi could be just a tad cooler

Pho Binh Minh 2

Looking for some quick lunch eats and not breaking the bank, we decided to try Pho Binh Minh out near Surrey Central Mall.  This is actually their second location to the existing one in Langley.  The place is your typical Vietnamese (Central and Southern cuisine here) where it is light on the decor and ambiance, but great on your bank account and according to some, totally delicious.  Well, that was all we needed as we gathered the troops and headed out to Surrey. 

We began with some typical starters in the Salad Rolls and Spring Rolls.  As you can see, the salad rolls were quite large and plump from all the components inside.  However, the rolls were not dense though as they didn't wrap them tight.  The rice paper on the outside was hydrated just enough, so that it was still chewy and not wrinkly.  As for the spring rolls, they were crispy with a moist filling of pork and veggies.  There was enough seasoning for them to be eaten without the nuoc cham, but of course we dipped it into the sauce!

Bookworm (yes, he lives!) went for something pretty basic in the Pho with rare beef.  The broth was quite clean and definitely on the milder side in terms of discernible spices.  It wasn't light like Northern Vietnamese pho since it did have spices as opposed to no spices.  There was some appealing sweetness and a tinge of daikon.  Meats were tender and noodles were plentiful and al dente.  Very respectable bowl of pho though.

Seeing how much meat they stacked on top of Ipanemagirl's Vermicelli Bowl and considering that it cost only $17.99, I would say it was a good deal.  The slices of grilled pork were well-marinated and also evenly charred.  Meat was caramelized and tender.  The pork patty was its typical bouncy texture while being sweet.  This also came with a spring roll.  She wasn't able to finish the whole bowl.

For myself, I had the Lemongrass Chicken with rice and a fried egg.  This came with 2 deboned chicken legs that were also nicely marinated.  Hence, the meat was juicy and full-flavoured with sweetness and fish sauce saltiness.  I would've liked just a bit more char on the chicken skin which would have also rendered the fat more so.  Otherwise, this was another solid dish.

When we were done eating, the nice lady sent us a complimentary plate of a large Bánh Cam without filling.  Despite that, it was still slightly sweet from the glutinous rice and aromatic from the fried sesame seeds.  It wasn't greasy either, so it didn't end our meal on a heavy note.  In fact, we thought the food at Pho Binh Minh was rather solid and well-priced.  The one employee at the front of the house was super-nice, but sometimes stretched when there were more tables though.

The Good:

- Inexpensive

- Good portion size

- Solid eats

The Bad:

- Service is dependent on how busy the restaurant is, but the person we had was super nice!

Les Faux Bourgeois

Gosh, the last time I visited Les Faux Bourgeois must've been like 13 years ago!  I haven't blogged about it for 16 years...  Well, things have definitely changed since then as it was closed for a bit before reopening in early July.  There has been an ownership change as well as Chef Brent Thornton taking over the reigns of not only Les Faux, but also overseeing the entire Gaia House Hospitality Group (Selene Aegean, Nammos and AMA Raw Bar).  Mijune and I decided to check out what's up at Les Faux since the change.

We ended up doing the Premium Tasting Menu for $105.00pp which includes roughly 5 courses shared between the people participating.  They started us off with some Brioche and Foie Gras with cherries.  Loved the crispy exterior of the brioche giving way to a fluffy interior.  We could pull-apart each bun into 3 separate pieces, which was perfect for accepting the buttery foie gras to form a delicious bite.  Naturally, the sweet and slightly tangy cherry was a perfect compliment.

Next up was the Rotating Ice Plate that featured (for this night at least) 2 BeauSoleil oysters and 2 Sunseekers along with 2 Cherry Stone Clams and Mussels Escabeche.  This reminded me slightly of the Ice Box from Penny in NYC.  Loved the oysters, they were fresh and shucked properly.  The BeauSoleils were sweet and clean while the Sunseekers were brinier but still sweet.  Those clams were a flavour bomb since they were dressed in a brine from the bar, topped with olive and anchovy.  Those plump and buttery mussels were sweet and benefitted from the tanginess and smokiness of the escabeche.  

The Tartare de Boeuf was served as a pretty large portion along with house-made chips.  We loved the chips as they were light and crispy, however, something a bit sturdier would've held up better to the tartare.  With that being said, this was a delicious dish with a heaping portion of tender diced beef that was buttery, yet meaty.  The whole thing was dressed classically with shallots, chives, parsley, cornichons, capers and egg yolk.  On top we found some grated mimolette cheese which added some background sharp nuttiness.

The most stealthily delicious item for the entire meal was the Oeuf Mayonaisse.  This featured a halved lightly boiled egg topped with a brown anchovy mayo, brined olive and kefir.  It was finished off with marinated white anchovy and sturgeon caviar.  Once we got past the soft egg, we to the full hit of the brininess from the mayo.  Beyond that, the anchovy added another layer of brininess and then the caviar did its briny and salty thing.  So much flavour in one to two bites.  Delicious. 

Since we had the Premium tasting menu, we were served the dry-aged PEI Blue Dot Striploin with garlic scapes and padrón pepper.  Sauce au poivre was served tableside.  This was a substantial portion of meat that looked like 10 to 12oz to me.  It was prepared a perfect medium-rare cooked evenly on both sides.  There was a substantial smokiness to the charred exterior and it was seasoned well too.  Steak was succulent and tender.  Sauce was flavourful enough without masking the natural essence of the meat.

The side of Heston-Style Fries were the sexiest thing I've seen, in terms of food, lately.  These thick-cut fries were triple-cooked perfection (made famous by Heston Blumenthal).  Outside, they were so universally crispy while revealing soft and fluffy potato which melted in my mouth.  The addition of dehydrated chicken skin salt added an umami punch as well as some texture.  On the side, we found some creamy and slightly tangy dijonnaise. 

To go with all this indulgence, we were served something that offered balance in the Salade de Tomate with heirloom tomatoes, peaches, anchoïade, bleu d'Auvergne and steak spice.  Loved the sweetness of the tomatoes combined with a contrasting sweetness from the peaches.  Talking about contrast, the salty brininess of the anchoïade and the sharpness of the blue cheese helped compliment the sweetness of the other components.  The use of steak spice was restrained, so that it didn't overwhelm the tomatoes.

Finally, we had a massive Apple Fritter in a St. Leger maple whiskey glaze.  On top, we found some old cheddar from France.  To top it off, we found a large slice of smoky brie.  Although a bit dense, the fritter was just sweet enough with aromatics.  The addition of cheese really worked here with the cheddar having some sharpness while the brie acted almost like a cream of some sort.  It provided creaminess as well as smokiness.  Overall, the meal at this current iteration of Les Faux Bourgeois was a good one.  In keeping with its original ethos of delivering well-portioned and delicious food at a reasonable price, they definitely succeeded here.  I would recommend having the tasting menu as it gives a great overview of the menu.  However, if you just want a casual drop-in dinner, then the Steak Frites for $38.00 is a good bet.

*All food was complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Ample portions

- Well-priced

- Delicious

The Bad:

- You most certainly can drop-in, but reservations are needed as it was packed, on a Monday night...