Elia Pleasanton

Here we go with our biennial visit to the Bay Area once again.  Last year, we headed down to LA to get away from the rain, but it seems like the rain followed us to SFO this time around.  Once we landed, it was straight to an In-N-Out for a double double before heading over to Pleasanton to meetup with Cable Car Guy and Cable Car Girl.  Always a pleasure to dine with them and catch up!  They suggested that we try out Elia in Downtown Pleasanton.  Never been out there and wow, if there was some snow, Main Street would look like something straight out of a Hallmark movie!  

Anyways, we weren't there to scout out film locations, rather, we were going to eat!  That we did with some appies to start including the Kolokithokeftethes (or Zucchini Cakes).  At first, I thought they were crab cakes and in fact, when I bit into them, they were firmer than what I would associate with zucchini.  This would be the result of mixing it eggs and flour.  I liked the texture as it was not too wet, so that the outside would crisp up uniformly while the inside had some body.  This was served some garlic yogurt on the side.

Next, we had the Octapodaki or Grilled Spanish Octopus.  This was my favorite dish where the large tentacle was tender and meaty while having a bite.  It was grilled until there was a light char on the outside which afforded a rich and appealing smokiness.  There was enough seasoning for it to stand on its own, but the addition of some pickled potatoes, orange wedges, carrots and radish in a honey mustard dressing, there was crunch, brightness and sweetness to balance the dish.

One of the most interesting things we had was the deep fried Smelt with chipotle aioli.  Now if you are into Chinese cuisine, deep fried smelt aren't anything new.  However, I've never had such a dish at a Greek restaurant before.  Well, I have to say that this version was very much like the Chinese dish.  The smelt were full of roe and only lightly-battered.  They were crispy and beautifully salted.  The side of lemon and aioli complimented the smelt with acidity and some creaminess.

Plated much more intricately than I would've imagined, the Seabass Carpaccio was presented as a bouquet of flowers sitting in a mix of lemon, orange, garlic, olive oil and dill.   Although not completely "cooked" by the acid, this ate very much like a ceviche.  The firmness of the seabass along with the high acidity made it less of a carpaccio.  It was good though, as the fish was fresh and the marinade was extremely bright, tangy and appetizing.

Continuing on with the small plates, we had the Kounoupidi Tou Fornou (Roasted Cauliflower) with garlic-chili butter, pimenton, toasted almonds, fresh herbs and crumbled feta.  Really enjoyed this as there was a real oven-roasted appearance and taste to the dish.  Hence, each cauliflower floret was smoky and had a firm crunch despite being cooked through.  I thought the addition of feta really added some body to the dish and creaminess.

We also had the Keftedes featuring lamb & beef meatballs in tomato sauce and topped with tzatzki.  The meatballs were super moist and meaty with a noticeable gaminess.  Personally, I love that lamb flavor but I can see how some people might find it overpowering.  As for the tomato sauce, it was pretty bright and tangy with background sweetness but a bit one note.  The dollop of tzatzki added some creamy brightness to break up the heaviness of the meatballs.

Of course we couldn't do without the classic Kalamarakia featuring Monterey calamari with fried jalapenos and shallots.  I have to say these were some of the largest squid rings I've ever seen.  Despite this, they were not overly chewy.  Sure, they had a definite bite, but the rings were still tender and the batter was crispy while properly seasoned.  I thought the side of chipotle yogurt to be a refreshing change from the usual tzatziki.  It was light with a slight spiciness.

My favorite part of any Greek (or Mediterranean meal) is the lamb.  So when the Arnisia Paidakia hit the table, I was super excited.  These lamb rack chops were beautifully charred (without burning them) with a smoky caramelization.  These were properly marinated with hits of garlic, lemon and earthiness from the herbs.  Best of all, the lamb was cooked to medium where the meat was still juicy and plenty tender.  This came with some roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts, campari tomatoes and latholemono (drizzle of lemon EVOO).

Continuing with lamb, we also had the Kokkinisto served with orzo, mizithra, diced veggies, romesco and jus.  This large lamb shank was braised just enough that the meat was super tender and gelatinous without all of the meat falling apart.  It was delicious due to the braising jus as well as the romesco.  There was so sweet garlicky tang going on that flavorful without being too strong with any one component.  Orzo on the side had a great al dente texture.

Other than a roasted lamb shoulder, my other favorite Greek dish is Moussaka.  Normally, I find versions that are heavy on the bechamel and low on the layers of eggplant and potato.  However, the one here was one of the most balanced I've had.  As you can see in the picture, there were defined layers of eggplant, meat, more eggplant, more meat, potatoes and then a proper amount of bechamel.  This all sat in a tangy tomato sauce.  Consisting of lamb & beef, the meat was tender with plenty of natural meatiness.  Eggplant and potato were tender without being mushy while the bechamel was creamy with the unmistakable taste of nutmeg.

With the Bucatini Astakos, we found a large lobster tail with garlic prawns with al dente pasta.  Due to the thickness of the bucatini, it was pretty chewy, but in a good mouth-feel kinda way.  It sat in a spicy urfa pepper lobster sauce that was almost like a creamy bisque.  It was definitely aromatic and briny, but also surprisingly with a lot of heat.  The lobster had a nice rebound texture while the prawns had a moist snap.

Of course we couldn't forget about the classic Kotopoulo Souvlaki right (Chicken Souvlaki)?  However, unlike most other places, the one here employed chicken thighs instead of breast.  Hence, there was much more meat flavor in addition to it being juicier.  There was a nice char on the outside, which made things smoky while the marinade ensured the meat was tender.   This came with vermicelli-bulgar, roasted almonds and arugula.

Going out with style, we had the Lavraki (Whole Mediterranean Sea Bass) with arugula, heirloom tomatoes, sumac red onions and roasted potato.  The fish was prepared well with the skin being mostly crispy while the meat was flaky and moist.  I think the fish could've been salted a bit more aggressively, but it wasn't bland either.  Some lemon really helped bring out the salt. In the end, we didn't end up ordering any desserts because we had our eye on Meadowlark Dairy just down the street.  So the fish was our last dish and it was a fine end to a really solid meal.  Proteins were cooked properly and dishes were composed.  This was a little more refined than the usual neighborhood Greek restaurant.  The prices reflect that too.

 

The Good:

- Well-prepared food

- More refined than other Greek restaurants

- Excellent service

 

The Bad:

- It does cost more to eat here, but the food quality did reflect that 

- Although there are parking lots nearby, it was difficult to find a space

 

Plaza Premium Lounge (US Departures)

So back in December, we made the trek out to the Bay Area to visit relatives.  We ended up visiting the Plaza Premium Lounge in the US Departures terminal at YVR.  Being the holiday season, I could understand the increase in passengers at the airport and thus, more people visiting the lounge.  That was the case for us as we struggled to find seats in the relatively tightly-packed room.  We did end up getting a table near the end though, but even with that, there was not a lot of space for our carry-on luggage.

There was a selection of included alcoholic beverages but if you wanted something fancier, it was as surcharge.  Near the bar, we found some breads during breakfast and it changed to soups when it was lunch service.  They were not able to keep them filled though as one of them remained empty until we had left.  There was a hot and cold drinks station near the washrooms and they struggled to keep cups stocked for the soft-drinks.  I was not able to get a proper cup for soft drinks during the entire time there.  I had to resort to using coffee cups instead.

Next to the drinks, we found a refrigerated section that had some juices, iced tea, cold water and an array of salads, yogurt and mini-cakes. On top, there was an assortment of bundt cakes as well.  This section was fairly well-stocked and the salads were not bad.  I thought the quinoa was the best of the bunch.  The best way to describe the cakes was that they were serviceable.  Once again, we had no cups for the duration of our stay for the juices and water.

When we arrived, it was still breakfast service with a modest selection of items including French Toast, Pork Sausages, Vegetable Fitatta and Hashbrowns.  They were trying to refill the food as fast as they could but there were times when some chaffing trays were empty.  Nothing particularly good or bad about the food other than resembling a complimentary breakfast at a Marriott Residence Inn.

While we were eating, they did a changeover to lunch where the selection included Turkey, Veggies, Stuffing, Rainbow Tortellini and Yams.  This was a bit better than breakfast where the turkey was moist and yams were pretty tasty.  Veggies were predictably overdone and soggy while the stuffing was a bit on the denser side.  Tortellini was surprisingly not overdone, but a little lacking in flavour.

So after posting all the food, I'm going to post a picture of the washroom.  pretty basic, but mostly clean, except for the toilet itself.  It needed to be cleaned but really, there was not enough staff to handle that let alone provide some cups for the soft drinks and juices.  Overall, the Plaza Premium Lounge was anything but premium.  Rather, it was no better than a complimentary setup at a lower-branded Marriott.  That in itself is not worth the $55.80.  I had free passes from my credit card and even with that, I don't think it is worth wasting a pass on.

The Good:

- It is in a convenient location right after customs pre-clearance

The Bad:

- Food is meh

- Staff were trying their best, but things weren't being refilled fast enough

- No cups to be found for soft drinks or juice

- It is far too small for the amount of people using it

Coastal Cravings

Piggybacking off my last post on Yummy BBQ, we have another cheap eats to blog about...  Coastal Cravings, located near the boundary of upper and lower Lonsdale offers up delicious brunch for well under $20.00 per dish.  In fact, most are around $15.00!  Not only are the prices attractive, the portion size is also generous and as mentioned, the food is actually good.  I don't know much about Coastal Cravings, but they did replace the Garage Grill.  Not sure if they have any affiliation with the former Fresh Cravings that was in North Delta.  Whatever the case, Jackie and I sampled their wares on snowy February day.

Although our first dish was nothing really sexy on paper, The Signature Smash Avocado Toast ended up to be more than just avocado and toast.  Sure, it did have those components with fresh creamy avocado and a nicely toasted Savour sourdough bread.  However, there was also 2 perfectly poached eggs on top with sauteed mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and blueberries.  With runny egg yolks, it made the toast much more fulfilling and more than just avocado toast.

Another seemingly simple item was the Sunrise Croissant Sandwich.  Being one of the least expensive items on the menu at $11.99, it was still pretty substantial.  As you can see, they overstuffed the croissant with fresh guacamole, lettuce and perfectly-prepared soft scrambled eggs.  I can tell you that this was really a study in texture with the fluffy eggs and creamy avocado having a great mouth-feel.  The toasted croissant was able to hold things together.

One of the more interesting dishes was the Waygu Omelette for $15.99.  Not sure if I prefer ground wagyu anything (including burgers), but for this omelette, it was okay.  The meat was pretty tender was moist.  However, I really couldn't tell you if it was Wagyu or not (that is why I don't like ground Wagyu).  I mean it did taste beefier, which would be an indication there was more fat.  I did like the addition of mushrooms as it provided some complimentary flavours.

My favourite dish was the Chicken & Waffle where they essentially made it into a quasi-Eggs Benny.   The mini-waffles were thick with a crunchy exterior and soft chewy interior.  On top, we found Thai Fried Chicken and I did notice some spice to it.  The chicken was juicy and the batter was crunchy while not being overly greasy.  On top, we found runny poached eggs with a dollop of Hollandaise on top.  I found the Hollandaise to be creamy with proper seasoning.

So we actually got a Benny for our last dish in the Bacon Eggs Benny served on a classic toasted English muffin.  There was a good amount of crispy and meaty bacon topped with the same runny poached egg.  I liked how the muffin was toasted enough that it wasn't doughy.  Egg yolk was perfectly runny while there was a sufficient amount of Hollandaise.  Hashbrowns were crispy, well-seasoned and fully.  Overall, the food at Coastal Cravings is quite good and well-priced.  A really good combination given the uncertain economic times we are experiencing.  

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

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Well-priced

- Good portion size

The Bad:

- Limited staffing, so service can be slow

Yummy BBQ

You have probably heard me go on and on about the cost of food these days.  Believe me, I am acutely aware how lucky I am that I can afford to eat out.  Even with that, I have noticed the high cost of food, whether it be buying groceries or visiting a restaurant.  I mean, it is almost impossible to find a meal for under $10.00 that doesn't involve something burger and fries (even that is hard to find).  Enter Yummy BBQ located in the Central at Garden City shopping complex.  They are the newest entry into the Chinese BBQ game and they offer specials that are just a smidge under $10.00.  I recently checked it out with Lesley.

To get a sense of all the available meats, we strategically ordered something a bit different from each other.  The first combo consisted of BBQ Duck and Roast Pork on Rice.  I thought the duck was quite good where the skin was rendered and had crispy parts.  It was in an appealing shade of golden mahogany.  As for the meat, it was tender (both the breast and the leg meat) with the dark meat benefitting from the brine more than the breast.  

The next combo featured Roast Pork and Soy Chicken on Rice.  The cuts of roast pork for all the combos we had were on the leaner side with not a lot of fat.  Despite this, the meat was still moist and tender.  However, the lack of fat did mean it wasn't as succulent.  The brine on the meat was sufficient and the crackling was crispy and light.  As for the soy chicken, it had lacquered skin that was flavourful without being salty.  The meat was juicy and mild-tasting.  The scallion ginger condiment was mostly scallion though.  Could've used more ginger, but I do realize that it would be more costly to make.

For my combo, I went for 3 meats including Roast Pork, BBQ Pork and BBQ Duck (the duck was underneath the pork).  The BBQ pork was a mix of lean portions with some fattier pieces.  As expected, the ones with more fat had a softer buttery chew to them.  I thought the flavour was a bit lacking other than the bark.  Even with that, I would've liked some extra dextrose/honey glaze on the outside and/or drizzled over the pork.

I also got their Daily Soup which was Pork & Lotus Root.  It had some depth which meant it had been cooked for a length of time.  The meat was fall-apart tender while the lotus root had softened.  There was enough seasoning in the soup too.  Also in the picture, you will notice that we had tea.  We could serve ourselves to that as well as napkins and chopsticks.  In general, the stuff at Yummy BBQ is above average and very well-priced.  Really can't go wrong for $10.00 or so.  Not sure how long the promos run for, but this is the place to get a filling and tasty meal on the cheap.

The Good:
- Above average
- Well-portioned
- Cheap

The Bad:
- If you want to eat-in, there are literally only 4 tables
- Parking in the complex sucks

Petrichor Social Restaurant & Bar

When I heard that Jules Bistro was closing at the end of 2023, it marked the end of its run in Gastown since 2007.  I had made a visit way back 2010 and then again in 2022, which would almost bookend their years in existence.   Not long after it closed, a new French restaurant, Petrichor, opened up in March 2024 in its place.  French native chef/owner Luc Duval offers up a slice of Southern French cuisine in a remodelled dining space that is inviting and quaint.

We arrived in time for happy hour and decided to get some cocktails for only $10.00.  Yes, that is correct, any of their cocktails are only $10.00 during happy hour!  We had From Mexico with Love and the Grenoble Sour.  I liked both but preferred the former as it had more pop in the form of lime, blueberry syrup and ginger beer.   The sour was much more subtle and the sweetness of pineapple juice.  

Also, we went for the Crab Croquettes for $15.00, also on the happy hour menu.  This came in a trio of crab cakes that were topped with saffron aioli and sat on a bed of spring mix.  These crab cakes were on the lighter side with an airiness inside.  Hence, it wasn't exactly packed with crab, but especially for the price, there was a sufficient amount that was fluffy.  Outside was uniformly crispy and the aromatics from the aioli was impactful.

Next, we had the House Brioche served with brown butter for $12.00.  This featured a whole brioche charred on the grill.  It had a lightly crisp exterior with some nutty smokiness from the char.  On the inside, it was super fluffy and steaming warm.  Presented as streaks on the plate, the whipped butter was super creamy and amplified in terms of tasting like butter.  Naturally, being brown butter, it was nutty and sweet.  There was minimal salt added to it, which meant the aforementioned flavours were more pronounced.

Onto the regular items, we decided to go for the Coquilles St. Jacques for $38.50.  Plated with 3 whole scallops on the shell, it was dressed in its classic bechamel with carrots, leeks and bread crumbs.  There was some piped potato puree on the perimeter of the shell.  I thought this was prepared quite nicely as the scallop was plump and still bouncy.  It was super sweet and had a concentrated scallop flavour where the brininess really came through.  The bechamel was creamy with sweetness from the veggies, but could've used more salt.  On the side, there was a salad and grilled herb brioche.

We also decided on the Creamy Sausage Ragu Pappardelle with sage, dijon mustard and confit onion-infused cream.  This was also quite good with al dente ribbons of pasta that were not clumpy.  There was enough cream sauce to keep things fluid without drowning the pasta at the same time.  Flavours were rather subtle with the meatiness of the sausage being the dominant texture and taste.  I could get a bit of the sweet onion as well as the background with the earthy herbal taste of sage.  

Lastly, we shared the 32 oz. Dry Aged Bone-in Ribeye.  We asked for this to be prepared medium (since my dining partner prefers it this way).  It came out more-or-less medium with some medium-rare portions (that I personally prefer).  The meat was nicely crusted and just salted enough.  The meat was full of umami and a bit of mustiness due to the dry aging.  Great flavour and super tender.  It didn't look like a lot, but we didn't finish it.

 

We had a choice of 2 sides to go with the steak as well as a herb butter.  Our choice of sides included the Pommes Dauphine and the Roasted Butternut Squash.  Those crispy little potato pillows were so delicious.  Beautifully salted, they were like a little snack.  The roasted butternut squash was caramelized and sweet.  They were soft, but not mushy.  Overall, we enjoyed the meal at Petrichor and it did bring me back to Southern France.  Only thing missing was a version of socca!  The place is cute and the happy hour is a good value.  Would come back.

The Good:

- Cute and quaint

- Solid eats

- Happy hour is a good value, especially the cocktails

The Bad:

- Some dishes could use more salt

Chef Tian's

Originally, the plan was to hit up Max Wonton House for some Chinese comfort eats.  Seeing how they only take cash, I had to make a quick pit stop at the bank.  This brought me to the Central at Garden City shopping complex.  After snagging a parking spot, I looked over and thought that maybe we should just head over to Chef Tian's instead.  I've always wanted to check out their gigantic salty donut as well as their other signature dishes.  Situated in the former location of Z & Y Shanghai, Chef Tian features Hunan cuisine (which is rarely found in the GVRD).

Of course we were here for more than the salty donut, and hence, we began with an interesting dish I've never had before - Stir Fried Egg with Vinegar.  Honestly, we were both interested and a bit apprehensive at the same time.  Turns out that it was a great decision to give it a go because the eggs were super fluffy and silky.  Also, the most important part was that the dark vinegar was definitely there but not so much that the dish was sour.  It was nicely balanced in terms of sweetness and savouriness with only a hint of vinegar.  The addition of chili peppers gave the dish a slight kick.

For some people, they might be laughing at me for ordering the Sweet & Sour Pork.  Yes, we were at a Hunan restaurant, so maybe I shouldn't order it right?  Well, they do have their own version of it and I'm pretty sure they adapted this one for the masses.  However, it was unique in its own way though.  The pork came in strips and was coated with a lighter starch batter that was crispy and airy.  As for the sauce, it was pretty red, but had a nice viscosity where the balance of sweet and sour was quite nice.  The pork itself wasn't too fatty and was tender.

Arriving on a huge dish, the Spicy Diced Chicken was one of the best we've ever had.  Not only was there a good portion of crispy nuggets of chicken, we found crispy rice as well.  That was a textural delight that was crunchy and airy that took on all of the appealingly spicy saltiness of the dish.  As for the chicken, beyond the crispy exterior, the meat was actually juicy and completely seasoned.  The brine on them was on point while the outer seasoning was salty, spicy and slightly smoky.

Probably our 2nd favourite dish was the Feiteng Fish featuring slices of grouper in a spicy oil broth.  This was similar to the Szechuan spicy boiled fish, but without any broth (just oil).  This was a huge portion of delicate and flaky slices of fish.  They were buttery soft and naturally sweet.  The spicy properties of the oil from the dried peppers and the Szechuan peppercorns were soaked up by the fish and it was a impactful without being completely overwhelming.  Underneath, there was bean sprouts, Taiwanese cauliflower and seaweed.

Even our one vegetable dish was outstanding.  The Baby Napa Cabbage with Vermicelli and Garlic was super tasty.  Each leaf was perfectly steamed being completely soft, but not mushy.  The delicate texture had a great mouth feel and the abundance of garlic and chilies on top permeated through.  However, the best part of the dish was the mung bean noodles.  They had soaked up all of the flavourful goodness and the natural sweetness of the cabbage.  In addition, they were on point texturally having a slight chewiness.

We ended up getting one noodle dish in the Braised Beef Noodle Soup.  This didn't look like anything special, but believe me, it was good!  There was an overload of al dente noodles sitting a clean and flavourful broth that had concentrated meatiness as well as hits of star anise.  In fact, there was so much noodle, I think we needed more soup!  The cubes of beef finger meat was super tender with only a marginal amount of fat.

 

Finally, the dish I was waiting for - the gigantic Salty Donut!  Served hanging from a hook (so that it stays crunchy), it was cut table side.  This has to be one of the best versions I've had.  Beyond the crunchiness of the outside, the inside was fluffy and appealingly chewy with a nice elasticity.  It was also well-salted where I could just eat this without anything to dip it into.  So yes, I came to Chef Tian's for this donut, but discovered that their other dishes are just as appealing and well-portioned.  I will definitely come back, not just for the donut!

 

The Good:

- Excellent salty donut

- Other dishes are delicious too

- Well-portioned

- Good service

 

The Bad:

- Menu isn't the most descriptive, confusing for people who do not know the dishes

- Finding parking is not easy 

New Mandarin

After so many visits to New Mandarin, it has seemed like an eternity since our last meal.  I believe the most recent one was with family right in front of their massive screen.  This time around, we were invited to enjoy a multi-course dinner that would feature a few new unique items.  For those who have yet to visit New Mandarin, it is located in the T&T complex on Kingsway near Nanaimo.  It has been around since 2019 and since then, has earned a Michelin-Recommended designation.

For this meal, we had some new dishes along with some classics.  Something I've had before and have always enjoyed is the Roasted Pork Belly & BBQ Pork.  The use of fatty pork really helped move things in the right direction even before they cooked the meat!  This was especially true with the BBQ pork as it was succulent, juicy and of course fatty.  Hence, it was tender and flavourful.  The outside bark was sweet and caramelized.  As for the roast pork, the crackling was crispy and not hard.  The meat and fat ratio was about 50-50, where it was juicy and buttery tender. 

We continued on with another classic item in the Peking Duck served in 3 courses.  As usual, the first course consisted of the Peking Duck with steamed crepes.  It was also accompanied by julienned scallions and hoisin.  Not sure if the shrimp chips were served with it or not, but I enjoyed eating them.  LOL.  Anyways, the duck skin was appealing in colour and also crispy.  The fat underneath the skin was fairly rendered (also using the right type of duck).  The meat was moist and the crepes were thin with an nice elasticity.

The second course from the Peking Duck was the Shredded Duck Soup.  The base consommé had depth and real flavour to it.  It was starch-thickened just enough so it was silky with the right viscosity.  There was plenty of duck along with dried fish maw, woodear, Jinhua ham, egg white and flowering chives.  Lots of textures and complimentary flavours from these ingredients including crunch, meatiness and silkiness.

The third course was another classic in the Duck Lettuce Wrap.  This came in a large portion packed with tender duck and crunchy veggies.  It sat atop fried vermicelli that added another level of crunchiness.  The dish was the beneficiary of a good wok toss with high heat.  The wok hei allowed for some smokiness and caramelization.  Nothing was overdone though, where the veggies were just cooked through.  Seasoning was on the milder side, but with hosin on the side, that wasn't a problem.  Loved the large pieces of iceberg lettuce, so we could successfully wrap everything.  Also enjoyed that the lettuce wasn't wet either.

Now for a brand new dish and what a dish that was!  We were served a couple servings of the Teriyaki Lobster.  Not sure why it went by that name because it was more like a Motoyaki Lobster or even a Chinese version of Lobster Thermidor.  These small lobsters were baked with a mayo cheese sauce on top that was like a motoyaki.  It as creamy and cheesy with a slight tanginess.  Lobster was cooked perfectly being moist and a bit bouncy.

Getting our veggies into the meal, we selected the Stir-Fried Pea Shoots with garlic.  We were warned that the pea shoots might be a little old, but it still turned out to be quite good.  Sure, there was a little more chew to them, but they were still tender.  The cook on them was just right being cooked through but not enough to make them mushy.  Hence, there was still a crunch to each leaf.  There was enough garlic and seasoning for impact while the dish wasn't too greasy.

We ended up with two fried rice dishes as we couldn't decide on one.  So we had both!  The first to arrive was the Fried Rice with Preserved Meat.  It was made with organic rice for an extra $10.00.  If you thought this rice was a gimmick, you would be mistakened.  The rice added a silky texture to the dish and was quite flavourful.  It also helped there was good wok hei and hence, a nuttier flavour and caramelization.  The cured meat added just enough saltiness as well as some chewy texture.

The next fried rice dish was the Fried Rice with Eel served in a casserole.  We also subbed organic rice into this dish.  This rice was a bit more moist with a tonne of eel in it.  This added not only a buttery texture, it provided a unique sweetness to the rice.  Once again, with the organic rice, there was a silkiness that seemed wet, but it really wasn't.  The rice was still chewy (in a good way).   I found this more like a hot pot rice than a fried rice (even though it wasn't cooked in the pot).

Onto dessert, we had some that are also featured on the Dim Sum menu.  These included the Osmanthus & Lychee Jelly and the Sweet Coconut Pudding Piggies.  I'm biased when it comes to these desserts and the Osmanthus jelly was right up my alley.  First of all, the jelly was not sweet at all.  Second, the texture was pretty firm, which worked for me as I could pick it up without it falling apart.  Nice sweetness from the lychee and wolfberries.  As for the piggies, they were firm versions of aromatic coconut pudding.  Not too sweet either.

One of the cutest desserts is their Chocolate Pudding Puppy Dog.  Personally, I think this was better to look at than to actually be eaten.  The pudding was a bit gummy.  It did taste okay though.  But everything was all good when the Baked Tapioca Pudding arrived.  Featuring a crunchy sugary crust (same found on a pineapple bun), the pudding itself was custardy and purposefully sweet.  There was also some lotus paste in the centre to add some more sweetness.  One of my favourite desserts from any type of cuisine!  This was a fine end to a solid meal at New Mandarin.  I find the food also well-portioned here and I can't help but notice the ever-improving service.  I based this off my previous 3 visits that were not comped.

 

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

 

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Well-portioned

- Improving service

 

The Bad:

- Dining room is still a bit cramped