Hamono Sushi

While trying to decide on which Omakase we were going to try while in Portland, I briefly considered Nimblefish and Nodoguro, however after reading up on Reddit, we narrowed in on Hamono Sushi in Downtown Portland.  Besides the Omakase course, the one thing that makes Hamono unique is that they offer an AYCE menu once the Omakase has been served.  Yes, that is a strange concept, but something we were willing to try especially for their reasonable $110.00 price tag.  The place is pretty intimate with only 4 bar seats and around 7/8 tables.

We started with some small side dishes including a Potato Salad, Imitation Crab Salad and a Cucumber Salad.  As much as these were pretty simple and basic, I enjoyed them.  Potato salad was creamy and sweet with chunks of tender potato and shredded imitation crab.  The crab salad had a great bounce texture and the savoriness was tasty.  Cucumbers were crunchy, sweet and a bit tangy.  Appetizing.  As for the Miso Soup, it was mild and had a rich saltiness.  Loved the fresh snow crab hidden on the bottom.  It was fluffy and briny.

So our Omakase featured a large wooden board with 15 pieces of Nigiri and a fried shrimp head.  By looks alone, all of the fish had a nice sheen and things smelled right.  As much as the uni looked a bit dark in color (could be a male), it tasted fine.  My favorite bites from this was the A5 Wagyu, Bluefin Otoro, Hotate and King Salmon (with delicious chili crunch).  This was a nice plate of nigiri but they were a little overzealous with the scallions.  Maybe change it up with the condiments instead of using it 9 times.

Our last course before the AYCE portion of the meal was the Seafood Chawamushi.  This was very delicate and maybe a touch too watery.  However, it ate with a silky texture and mild dashi notes.  The prawn hidden underneath was still buttery with a meaty texture.  It was briny and sweet.  The piece of snow crab was fluffy, briny and also sweet.

Now that we were at the AYCE portion of the meal, we got some more Nigiri in the form of King Salmon and Hotate.  We asked that the salmon be served plain without the garlic crunch on top.  Turns out that it actually needed it as the salmon wasn't that flavorful on its own.  It was buttery soft though.  The hotate was large and soft with natural briny sweetness.  Just like I said before, it didn't need any of the green onions on top.

We got a few smaller bites in the Yellowtail Jalapeno and the Uni Toro Tartare.  Although not the most attractive thing, the hamachi was fresh, buttery and sweet.  Nice kick from the jalapeno.  As for the tartare, it featured buttery tuna belly that had a nice tinge of the sea along with pops of brininess from the ikura.  Once again, the color of the uni wasn't the best, but it did eat well adding a creamy sweetness.  It sat atop a fried tortilla chip that added crunch.

Even though I knew it would put me over the edge, I had to get one of their specialty rolls.  I went for the Bluefin Tuna Roll that had a tempura ebi in the middle with imitation crab and cucumber.  On top, there was bluefin akami, scallion, fried onion, eel and ponzu.  Yes, this was quite the hefty roll with warm sushi rice that was a touch soft but still had a chew.  I though this roll was good but was a bit too big.  Also, they overused scallions quite a bit here.

One of the best things we ate was their Grilled Beef Shortrib.  Unlike other AYCE spots, these were good quality (as in more meat than fat) being tender and meaty.  The marinade was great being sweet and savory while the char on them was on point.  Although the batter on the Tempura was a bit thick, it ate crispy and fairly light.  Things were cooked right including the buttery ebi, sweet potato and zucchini.  Surprisingly, there was a piece of snow crab leg (not imitation crab) in the mix.

There were a few options for dessert, but we were stuffed at this point, so we opted for the Mochi Ice Cream in the form of matcha, passionfruit and mango.  We particularly enjoyed the passionfruit as it was flavorful with a soft mochi exterior.  Overall, we rather enjoyed this meal.  However, we thought this would be better named "higher-end AYCE" rather than Omakase.  Sure, the nigiri portion was good quality and reasonably-priced for $110.00.  Yet, it didn't feel like most other Omakase meals we've had elsewhere (as in not in Portland).

The Good:
- Ingredients are high-quality
- Preparation is quite good
- Price is reasonable for what you get

The Bad:
- Not really Omakase, but rather high-end AYCE
- Overuse of scallions on almost everything

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

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

Kosoo (AYCE Korean BBQ)

It never fails.  When we asked my son what he wanted to eat for his birthday, his reply was like every other birthday: "Korean BBQ".  That would be a great choice as it is never a bad idea to go for Korean BBQ.  Well, unless you needed to go somewhere after and not smell like grilled meat...  Anyways, this time, we ended up at Kosoo in Coquitlam.  They have added AYCE to the menu and there are several tiers starting from $29.99.  We went for AYCE C (for $48.99) since it had different cuts of short rib, as well as scallops and shrimp.

I was happy to see that they offered nearly the same Banchan as their a la carte menu.  We found pickled daikon, sprouts, stewed potatoes, kimchi, corn salad, quail's eggs and fried fish cake (in addition to the usual garlic, peppers and bean paste).  Only thing missing from prior visits was the anchovies and dried shredded squid.  Mind you, it could just be rotating daily items as well.  All were good and of course, refillable.  We also got a spring mix salad too.

We ordered the sides that came with the AYCE in the form of Fried Mandoo (Yangneom, Soy Garlic & Original), Japchae and Kimchi Pancake.  We thought the dumplings were good with a crispy thin exterior with juicy and tender meat inside.  The japchae was decent with a nice chewy texture while mildly-seasoned.  There was some fish cake mixed into it.  The kimchi pancake was fine, but was a bit doughy and thin.

One of the more surprising dishes we had was the Cheese Fries.  Those fries were pretty crispy and totally covered in cheese.  They were tasty on their own and if we weren't so full, we would've ordered more of them.  Included in the meal was both the Cold Noodles and Spicy Cold Noodles.  Sure, these were missing the egg and possibly meat, but whatever, we had enough food already.  Otherwise, they were solid with chewy bouncy noodles.

Of course we have to talk about why we were here in the first place...  The meat!  For our first order, we loaded up on Shrimp, Beef Short Rib, Beef Tongue, Beef Rib Finger, Chicken, Marinated Beef Short Rib, Marinated Beef Rib Finger, LA Galbi, Scallops and Mushroom.  We felt the meat quality was not any different than a la carte.  Nicely marbled, the short rib was tender while the marinated galbi was equally good.  Even the notoriously chewy beef tongue was nicely textured.  Although the scallops were thinly sliced, they were great and came with plenty of butter.

Round 2 of meat consisted of Pork Belly, Pork Jowl, Marinated Pork Shoulder and Marinated Chicken.  We added more scallops and mushroom for good measure.  Nothing amiss with these meats either with the pork belly being at its fatty best.  Pork jowl came in large slices and were buttery and bouncy.  We weren't shy about getting more scallops too.  However, to ensure they sear up nicely, we could only cook a few at a time, otherwise, the moisture leaking out of each scallop made it boil in its own juices.  Other than that, the AYCE at Kosoo was solid, well-priced and featured quality ingredients.  I will be back!

The Good:

- Pretty good quality meats for AYCE

- Although hurried, service was solid

- Lots of tiers of AYCE for everyone

The Bad:

- Some cold spots on the grill, so have to move meats around to ensure searing

- Scallops have too much moisture and are hard to sear

HAAN Korean BBQ (AYCE)

I've been to Haan Korean BBQ in the past and it was a good experience.  Now, they have something that is a bit different.  They are doing AYCE (All-You-Can-Eat), yet not in the conventional way.  Instead of a big menu with multiple items for over $50.00, they have simplified it to either "Beef" or "Pork" AYCE with only 2 meat choices for each one.  On Tuesdays, it is the Beef AYCE for only $30.99 and on Wednesdays, it is the Pork AYCE for $29.99.  These included side dishes and a few other items.  Pretty good value if you don't need too much variety.

With either choice of AYCE menus, it included Banchan, Kimchi Pancake, Rice and Lettuce for wrapping the meat.  For our side dishes, we had Potato Salad, Kimchi, Marinated Daikon and Pickled Daikon.  I particularly enjoyed the creamy potato salad and I gladly ordered more of it.  The pancake was pretty flat, but had a nice crunch and kimchi flavour.

Also included was the Bean Paste Soup served bubbling in a ttukbaegi (Korean Stone Bowl).  It was pretty good with cubes of soft tofu in a broth that was flavourful and slightly spicy.  We had the sweetness from the onions that helped balance the spice from the peppers.  Once again, since it was AYCE, we ordered a few more of these.  Great for a cold day!

For the Beef AYCE, there were two choices of meat including the Fatty Beef and Beef Bulgogi.  The bulgogi was my favourite as it charred up well on the grill due to the sugar content of the marinade.  It was tender and didn't need much in the way of extra sauce (which was provided).  As for the fatty beef, it was also tender, and yes, I dipped it into the sauces (Bean Paste, Korean BBQ Sauce and Sesame Oil with Salt).  The meal also included Seasoned Mung Bean Sprouts as well.

I personally preferred the Pork AYCE where it included Pork Belly and Marinated Pork Shoulder.  Naturally, the fatty pork belly was tender and charred up nicely on the grill.  As for the pork shoulder, it had a smoky crust due to the sugars in the marinade as well as the marbling of fat.  For me, I would choose this on Wednesdays, not only because of the meat, but also it is also a dollar cheaper.

Now, some of you might lament the lack of meat options but in reality, how many choices do you need?  Normally, you would only choose a few to re-order anyways.  Sure, there isn't Galbi here, but it is also not $50.00 either.  Considering basic combos for one person run in the high $20.00 range, then this AYCE is well worth it if you are hungry.

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

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Has everything you need for a complete meal
- Pork was good quality and tender

The Bad:
- For those who like variety, this isn't it