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)

Orto Artisan Pasta

It's been almost 9 whole years I've been trying to dine at Orto.  Even since they opened in 2017, I've received recommendations from friends about the place.  From its beautiful garden to their handmade pastas, this was apparently the new hot place to go in North Van.  Well, it is no longer new, but still a popular place amongst the locals and those willing to drive out to the North Shore.  We finally got the opportunity to hit them up since we were in nearby Downtown Vancouver.  Since we had an early reservation, we secured prime seating amongst the foliage in an almost private dining-esque table for 2.

Being neighbouring businesses and sharing the same ethos of artisanal eats, Orto serves Bad Dog Bread on their menu.  Of course we didn't hesitate to have some for our meal.  This came with 6 toasted slices accompanied by tapenade, EVOO and caramelized onion butter.  Bread was fantastic having a heartiness to it without being dense.  It had a nuttiness and went really well with the sweet butter.  Tapenade was great too having the classic briny saltiness of the olives.  We also got the Green Leaf Lettuce Salad as well and it was organic and fresh while being tossed in a tangy and bright vinaigrette.  It was topped with plenty of shaved parmesan.

Onto some appies, we went for one of the features of the night being the Calamari.  These were in generally little pieces which were coated in a uniformly crispy batter.  We thought it was properly seasoned and none too greasy.  The squid itself had a chew while still being tender.  Best part was the housemade tartar sauce.  It featured fresh mayo that was made with free-range eggs with a combination of dill, capers and onions.  Really bright and tangy with rich creaminess.

We also had the Mussels Poulette with a huge side of frites.  Sitting in a white wine and cream sauce, the plump honey mussels were cooked beautifully.  We found them buttery soft with the usual chew from the mantle while having an appealing sweet brininess.  The broth was a bit sweet and bright, but could've used just a bit more aromatics.  Really enjoyed the frites as they were super crispy while light and airy on the inside.  Despite the large portion, we dusted it off.

Onto our pastas, we went for the Spaghetti Carbonara.  Featuring firmly al dente pasta, there was some real texture with every bite.  Really well done since fresh pasta can be finicky to work with.  There was a real cheesy richness to the dish without having the egg curdle.  Plenty of lardons in the mix providing the fattiness as well as the saltiness for the dish.  It also provided a meaty texture intermittently between bites of pasta.  A final topping of parm on top provided extra nuttiness.

For some reason, the Squid Ink Spaghetti was a little less al dente than the carbonara.  It was quite possibly due to the residual moisture from the seafood at the bottom of the plate.  No matter, as that was where some of the brininess and bright wine flavour resided.  There was a good amount of garlickiness from the garlic and garlic scapes.  However, as a whole, the pasta was quite bland.  It was lacking in salt and could've used much more chili for some kick.  As for the scallops, they were buttery soft and cooked beautifully.  The prawns were also good being cooked first and added to the pasta after.  Nice meatiness to them.

In addition to our pastas, we added the Risotto with crab meat for good measure.  This was rather tasty with the definite sweet aromatics of lobster.  It quite possibly obscured the brininess of the crab, but we did get some hits of it with the bits and pieces of meat.  With the addition of mushrooms, we got another hit of umami and depth.  The rice itself was chewy and cooked right.

Despite being rather full and having to pack most of the pastas, we saved room for dessert.  We ended up with the Affogato and we were surprised it came with 2 scoops of gelato.  Combined with the espresso, there was an aromatic caramel flavour.  However, with so much gelato, it did dilute the coffee a bit.  No matter, we still enjoyed this and it was great on a hot day.

Our second dessert was the Cherry Pannacotta.  It was refreshing and light, but the pannacotta wasn't completely set.  I personally didn't mind it that much as I prefer that over an overly firm texture.  The cherry compote on top was only semi-sweet with some tartness.  Overall, the meal at Orto was mostly good with some things that could be better.  Service was fantastic and the garden setting elevates the experience.  Pricing is completely fair where it fairly accessible.

The Good:

- That garden is fabulous

- Excellent service

- Generous portions

The Bad:

- A few things could be better

- If you are stuck sitting inside, it is unbearably warm during the Summer

Sun Sui Wah (Main Street)

Boy, here is a Cantonese classic - Sun Sui Wah on Main Street.  It first opened on Main Street in 1988 where Haiyi Seafood Restaurant operates currently.  However, due to their popularity, they moved into a larger location at 3888 Main Street in late 1995, where they still stand today.  They were known for their Squab and excellent Cantonese dishes.  Over time, there has been an increasing amount of capable competitors where some have definitely passed them by.  With that being said, I've had many great meals here and for the first time in years, we decided to pay them a visit, taking my father-in-law out for Father's Day.

As much as the set menus looked great, we didn't have enough people to go for a 10-course meal.  So we ended up doing a la carte.  On that note, they supplied us with menus that we couldn't order from.  Their reasoning?  It was for "advertising purposes".  Honestly, that was pretty weak.  Anyways, we went about getting an eclectic selection of dishes because my FIL can't exactly chew very well.  Hence, we ending up getting a 3lb Dungeness Crab in cream sauce with a yee mein base.  Normally here, we would go for wonton noodles since they hold up to the sauce better, but again, he can't chew it.  No matter, as the noodles weren't too soft and the crab was supremely fresh and meaty.   The meat was bouncy and sweet with classic crab brininess.  Cream sauce was flavourful and buttery.

I was betting that the beef would be marinated enough to be buttery soft in the Satay Beef Vermicelli Hot Pot.  After a few bites, it was indeed tenderized to the point where it was a bit spongy and ultimately tender.  At the same time, there was enough natural meat texture left so it wasn't too artificial.  There was a nice ratio of meat to vermicelli, so it was a fulfilling dish.  The vermicelli was still al dente, but not clumpy.  In terms of taste, the dish was well-seasoned.  Plenty of savouriness with a touch of spice and brininess.  I liked how the hot pot wasn't overly greasy too.

The very softest dish we ordered was the Salted Fish & Chicken with Soft Tofu Hot Pot.  Another solid offering where the saltiness from the fish (and the seasoning) was impactful bordering on salty without going over.  This definitely needed rice as a counterbalance.  We found the tofu super silky, but they were able to keep it from disintegrating during the cooking process.  Bits of chicken were tender and buttery while the amount of salted fish was generous.  Little hits of ginger helped keep things from being too heavy.

One dish that wasn't as soft was the Sweet & Sour Pork.  This was a pretty even mix of meat and pineapple, onions and peppers.  There was just enough sauce to coat each piece of pork, which helped keep things a bit crispy.  The meat itself was only a little fatty, yet still tender and bouncy.  Tangy and sweet, the sauce was quite good, but possibly it could've had just a bit more sourness. 

We ordered one vegetarian dish in the Braised Fried Tofu, Broccoli, Mushrooms and Morels.  This featured soft and almost fall-apart tofu that was was coated in a silky starch-thickened sauce that was just salty enough.  Despite using dried morels, it was still nice to have the earthiness and unique texture of the mushrooms.

We ended up getting the 2 courses of Ling Cod with the first dish being the Stir-Fried Yau Choy with Ling Cod Filets. We asked the vegetable to be cooked a bit longer so that my FIL could eat it.  So I can't really comment on the texture as a result.  However, it was well-seasoned and not overly greasy.  The fish itself a bit crumbly, but tender and fresh.

The second course was the Ling Cod & Tofu Hot Pot.  This was a large portion of the fish bones, belly, tail and fins that were coated in starch and deep fried.  Along with the deep fried tofu, it was finished off with a toss in starch-thickened sauce, onions, ginger and shredded pork.  Once again, the tofu was tender while the fish was buttery and flaky.  Sauce was a bit salty, but wasn't longing for flavour.  

Last item was the Yeung Chow Fried Rice consisting of egg fried rice, BBQ pork, shrimp and gai lang stems.  Nutty and dry, this rice was textbook execution where it was nicely salty and not greasy with discernible grains of chewy rice.  Overall, the meal at Sun Sui Wah was above average and we were satisfied.  Too bad we didn't get to try some of their signature items due to being selective with our dishes.   Prices have definitely gone up in the last 10 years, but that is true across the board.  With that being said, there are other places that I can get roughly the same quality for less money.

The Good:

- Decent eats

- Large portion size

- Despite being busy, the service was quite good

The Bad:

- Prices are on the higher side

- Not sure why we got menus that we couldn't order from

The Hungry Tiger Grill Kitchen

When Tendon Kohaku suddenly closed recently at Madison Centre, it was a bit surprising, but also not unexpected, especially during these turbulent economic times.  However, it didn't take long for The Hungry Tiger Grill Kitchen to take over.  If you've ever heard of their sister restaurant, The Hungry Duck on West 4th, then you will know what they are all about.  Think rice bowls, that are overflowing with grilled meats.  We stopped by recently to check it out.

Included with every meal is their Salad Bar.  It isn't a comprehensive salad bar by any means, but it has the usual shredded cabbage and roasted sesame dressing.  Moreover, we found some julienned green onions as well as pickled daikon and carrots.  You can help yourself to more if you wanted to.  Not bad if you wanted some veggies.

We got a small appie to start in the form of the Truffle Fries.  These actually showed up at the end of our meal when we were about 75% finished.  They need to work on their food expediting.  It came with an inordinate amount of mayo and ketchup.  Far too much for the amount of fries, which was wasteful.  The fries themselves were of the crispy shoestring variety.  There was enough seasoning to provide saltiness, but the truffle was quite muted.

Onto their Signature Bowls, my daughter had the Classic Chicken Don in the large size ($21.50).  All bowls included the aforementioned salad bar, miso soup, seaweed and dipping sauce.  They weren't skimping on the chicken was there was two layers atop the chewy rice.  I would've liked to see more charring on the skin, but there was smokiness nonetheless.  Meat wasn't exactly juicy, but it wasn't dry either.

Viv went for the large Chicken Vermicelli for $23.50.  This was a bit different than the don, not only because the chicken sat atop rice vermicelli, but it also came with fish sauce.  So the flavour profile was different as the standard dipping sauce was more vinegary and of course not briny.  It came with some greens and more pickled veg.

For myself, I had the large Grilled Pork Curry Bowl for $21.50.  As you can see in the picture above, the slices of pork were charred quite evenly.  Therefore, the smokiness was strong and the edges were crispy.  The meat itself was a bit dry, but in a good way.  It went well with the vinegary dip.  The ample amount of curry was quite mild and a bit sweet.  Just the right amount to go with the chewy rice.

My son had the biggest bowl in the large Chicken & Beef Short Ribs for $26.50.  This was loaded with the same amount of chicken, but adding in an equal amount of tender short ribs.  They were well-marinated and also nicely charred.  The addition of an onsen egg added a silky texture to the rice.  I recommend adding it to your bowl if it didn't include it already for another $2.50.

We ended up ordering some of their Hakkaido Soft Serve for a very reasonable price of $2.99.  These were fairly creamy for using Hokkaido milk and were just sweet enough.  Naturally, the best part was the strong milkiness of the soft serve.  Loved the crispy waffle cone.  Overall, we thought Hungry Tiger was decent and they didn't skimp with the meat.  I wouldn't put this on the top of my list, but if someone wanted to go, I wouldn't object.

The Good:
- Generous with the meat
- Generally impactful smokiness from the grilling
- Inexpensive Hokkaido soft-serve

The Bad:
- Fries came at the very end of our meal, they need to work that out
- Service was actually quite good (despite the online reviews), but the tablet at our table died, so we couldn't flag someone down electronically