Dim Sum Palace

After watching Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, we wanted to grab some late dinner.  That wouldn't be a problem in the Theater District as there are plenty of places open late.  We ended up heading to Dim Sum Palace, only a couple of blocks from our hotel.  As its name suggests, they serve Dim Sum and in fact, it is all day!  Unlike some other all-day Dim Sum spots we've been to, this one maintains the same price all day.  It was quite busy and we were lucky to snag a table.  The service is rather efficient, with our water glasses never being empty.

To get a sense of the menu, we went for the Palace Dim Sum Platter consisting of 8 different dumplings.  These included Shrimp, Shrimp & Chive, Roast Duck, Pea Shoot, Veggie, Chicken, Pork & Chive and Shrimp with mayo.  The best of the bunch was the duck dumpling as the translucent wrapper was full of glutinous rice texture that was chewy in a good way.  Loved the duck too, tender and meaty.

 

Since the dumpling combo didn't include the Shrimp & Pork Siu Mai, we just had to get an order of it.  Although I would've preferred that the tobiko be placed on the siu mai after steaming, the dumplings ate well.  There was a buttery bounce texture to the pork and a snap to the shrimp.  A bit of brininess from the shrimp and tobiko added another layer of flavor to the pork filling.

 

Just by looking at the picture above, you will notice the ribbons of thin sheets of rice noodle.  Hence, the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll was on point.  The rice noodle was silky and delicate while still having a rebounding elasticity.  Inside, the large shrimp were the proper texture being meaty but having a rebound texture.  They were sweet and had a natural brininess. 

 

Looking abnormally plump, the Steamed Chicken Feet were a bit hit and miss.  I thought the outside layer of skin was not fried enough, and hence was too soft and almost flabby.  However, the totality of the chicken foot was texturally-pleasing.  The fat and cartilage underneath were tender while not melting away.  As mentioned, these were plump, which meant there was more to eat off the bone.  Flavor was quite good being sweet and savoury with just the slightest of spice.

 

Portion size-wise, the Steamed Honeycomb Tripe was pretty meager.  There should have been half more on the plate.  In terms of texture, these were on the chewier side and could've used a bit more time on the braise (prior to steaming).  Nice flavor for the dish as the tripe had been cleaned properly and hence, it wasn't gamy.  Good balance of sweet and savoury.

Despite looking rather pale, the Steamed Steamed Pork Spareribs with black olive sauce were on point.  Almost all of the pieces were meaty with very little fat and cartilage.  Texturally, there was the desired bounce to the meat while still being meaty and not over-tenderized.  The "sauce" was quite fatty (as in completely made of oil), but the spareribs did have enough seasoning in terms of saltiness.

 

Since we wanted some leftovers, we got the always filling BBQ Pork Buns.  As evidenced in the picture above, there was a good filling to bun ratio where we had more than enough meat.  The slices of BBQ pork were fairly lean with only a few fatty bits.  Filling was saucy, but that made for a more moist texture combined with the fluffy bun.  Naturally, it tasted sweet, but it was still balanced off by saltiness too.

 

I really should have taken a picture with the Roast Duck Spring Rolls cut, but I wanted to eat them hot and not mess around too much.  I enjoyed these as the filling was not the usual pork nor shrimp.  Rather, the shredded duck add plenty of body and texture while it tasty unmistakably "ducky".  These were wound somewhat tight, hence they stayed intact even after our first bites.  The outer wheat wrapper was crunchy and not too greasy.

 

Ending off our late night Dim Sum adventure, we went for the Coconut Pudding.  It was served in a plastic container rather than in squares.  So we ended up eating this with a spoon and it was pretty silky and smooth.  I thought it was lightly sweet and plenty aromatic.  With all things considered, we felt Dim Sum Palace offered up decent eats at reasonable prices.  Loved that they serve it all day, including late night.  Perfect for a bite after a show nearby.

The Good:

- Decent eats

- Okay pricing

- Open late

The Bad:

- Obviously better Dim Sum could be had in Flushing, but we have to consider the location

Toshi Sushi

If you can believe it, I've not been back to Toshi Sushi in 17 years!  This is despite the fact I walk past it on a regular basis since my hairdresser is nearby.  Finally, after getting my haircut, I decided that we pay them a visit.  Actually, it was my son's idea since he was in the mood for sushi...  So for those who do not know, Toshi was popularized in Vancouver by Mia Stainsby.  Even before that, the little sushi bar had lineups upon opening every night.  It became even more so after she mentioned she loved the place.  In 2026, the lineups still exist but maybe not as extreme since there are many more options to choose from.

We were able to snag a table for 2 at around 5:00pm and soon after, it was full and there was the usual lineup.  So what makes Toshi "special"?  First of all, the place is Japanese-run and authentic.  Now, that may not mean anything, but they do a good job in being a true sushi bar with the freshest of ingredients.   We began with the Assorted Sashimi consisting of hamachi, sockeye salmon, albacore tuna, butterfish and hotate.  Presented in manageable slices (not giant ones), these had a nice sheen and smelled fresh.  Texturally, the hamachi was buttery while the albacore was soft but not mushy.  Salmon had a firmness to it and was super sweet.  Butterfish was slightly seared and firm, but had a tenderness to it.  Scallops were buttery and delicate.  Really great plate of sashimi.

Next, we had the Kaisen Roll stuffed with ahi tuna, tuna, Atlantic salmon, sockeye salmon, oshinko and cucumber.  Fully-loaded but not gigantic, the pieces were also manageable by either being a one-biter or two-biter.  The layer of sushi rice was balanced in quantity while the texture was on point with a firmness that wasn't too hard or dry.  Much like the sashimi, the fish quality was high with natural flavours that only required just a touch of wasabi and soy.  Crunch was added by the cucumber and the lightly pickled oshinko.

We went for a selection of Nigiri off their regular menu and featured menu.  The Tamago was only okay for me as I would've liked to see more discernible layering.  Flavours were great though with a natural sweet egginess.  Loved the Unagi Shirayaki as the grilled eel had a firm butteriness.  It was topped with a shiso miso which was both rich in fermented saltiness and herbacousness.  Buttery and sweet, the King Salmon was a real treat.  Unlike the Atlantic and sockeye, this was more delicate and flavourful.  Lastly, we had the Bluefin Otoro and of course it melted in our mouths.  A bit of a chew on one side of the cut, but great nonetheless.  Had a bright taste of the sea.

We debated over ordering the assorted tempura or just the Sweet Potato Tempura.  The latter won out since we both love sweet potato!  This was good with fairly thin slices of sweet potato that were not cumbersome to eat.  However, at the same time, there a robust texture that was tender and soft.  The tempura batter was medium-thick being crispy and not greasy.

Last item was the Chicken Karaage which featured large pieces of leg meat.  With the skin on, it added extra fat, and hence added flavour.  The skin was fully rendered and crispy.  Chicken meat itself was juicy and slightly gelatinous.  Super tender and fully-seasoned.  Overall, I felt this visit to Toshi was solid and satisfying.  Despite the increase in competition, I believe it is still a great place to get authentic sushi at a reasonable price.

The Good:

- Authentic and well-made food

- Excellent service

- Does one thing and does it well

The Bad:

- Super cramped inside and you will probably have to wait for a table

Wadaya

We weren't going to eat out the night before our flight, but alas, one last meal before leaving the Bay Area!  We met up with one our cousins for some Mazemen at Wadaya.  For those who are unfamiliar, Mazemen is soupless ramen with an array of toppings.  But similar to other spots like this, Wadaya also has the traditional soup ramen as well.  We got that as well as some other things they had.

Those other things included the Chicken Karaage.  I wasn't sold on the sauce on the chicken as I prefer it to be plain (well, with some marinade though) and then dip it into the mayo.  With that being said, the chicken was juicy with a crispy exterior.  It was rather mild-tasting, so I guess the sweet sauce was somewhat necessary. 

Going with a few more appies, we also had the Ikageso or deep-fried squid tentacles as well as the Takoyaki.  Those squid tentacles were juicy and plump with a tender bounciness.  Medium thickness on the batter, which was thin in some spots but a bit heavy in others.  Nicely seasoned though.  The takoyaki were fluffy and light with some pieces of chewy octopus on the inside.

Onto the Mazeman, where Viv went with the baseline in the Tokyo consisting of spicy minced pork, poached egg, scallions, chives, minced garlic, fish umami and seaweed flakes.  This was very similar to Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba (which is a chain out of Japan).  When mixed together, the chewy noodles took all of the flavours and textures of the ingredients. Hence, there was spice, umami, brininess and brightness.  The egg yolk helped bind everything together with silkiness.  We also had the Curry which was similar to the Tokyo except it replaced the chives with kale and added curry powder.  Naturally, this had an earthier and slightly spicier flavor profile while the firm kale added another layer of texture.

The most interesting bowl was the Cheese Mazesoba with melted Monterey Jack.  All of the other ingredients were basically the same as the Tokyo.  Hence, the umaminess and also the brightness was all present.  With the addition of cheese, there was a heaviness to the noodles as well as the usual butteriness.  Some tang was there and it helped mute the spice from the pork.

For myself, I went totally opposite of everyone else with the California Tonkotsu.  In comparison to the many bowls of tonkotsu ramen I've had around the world, this was pretty competent.  I found the chicken and pork broth to be silky from the collagen and fat while not overly salty.  The noodles were firm while the chashu was a little too fatty, but was tender.  Egg was custardy in the middle and nicely seasoned.

Finally, we ended off with some desserts including the Yuzu Cheesecake and both of the Vanilla and Boba Mochi Ice Cream.  Although looking a bit stiff, the cheesecake was decently creamy and smooth.  It had a nice floral tang to it.  The mochi ice cream was pretty typical with the outside being chewy mochi with ice cream in the middle.  In the end, we were satisfied with our meal at Wadaya.  It isn't going to set the culinary world on fire, but the food is solid and well-priced.  Great for a casual meal with family and/or friends.

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Well-priced

- Service was efficient

The Bad:

- Appies were fine but not the highlight

The Library Square Pub

The Library Square Pub has been around since 1995 and at one point, was part of the Donnelly Group and subsequent Freehouse Collective.  They are now an independent outfit and still offer up a killer location for those wanting to grab a bite before or after events at the nearby stadiums and theatres.  We were there recently for the Superbowl party and watched the Seahawks capture their second Vince Lombardi trophy.  Atmosphere was electric and the food was reasonably-priced.  This time around, we were here for their Sunday specials, in particular, their Steak & Lobster for only $25.00.  Yes, you read that right.  Steak & Fries are only $13.00!

Let's get right to the point of this blog post - the Steak & Lobster!  So just because it costs only $25.00, we weren't getting something crappy.  Resting on a bed of crispy Cavendish fries, we found a 6oz NY steak prepared medium-rare.  It was actually quite tender despite the low price tag.  On top, there was a decent sized broiled lobster tail.  The meat was bouncy and sweet.  Pretty good with all things considered.

Now if you want to get a bit more spendy, for $30.00 you get a 6oz NY Steak with Lobster and Snow Crab Legs.  Things were the same with the steak but it was topped with some caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms.  That in itself added more umami to each bite of steak.  The snow crab was pretty typical where the meat was briny with sweetness.  

We tried other items from the Sunday Feature Menu including the Fresh Shucked Oysters.  These local Pa'aje oysters are famed by the Tla'amin Nation in the waters of Okeover Inlet.  Rather than being briny, these had a subtle melon finish.  There was still sweetness and they were fresh.  We didn't find any shell fragments and the oyster shells themselves were presented nicely.  This came with mignonette and creamy horseradish.

Served in a toasted bread bowl, the Seafood Chowder was thick and rich.  It started off a bit more brothy, but then settled into a denser viscosity since it started to soak into the bread.  Not a bad thing though as we tore off the bread and it was delicious.  The chowder itself had some brininess to got with appealing sweetness.  Lots of chunky ingredients and this was definitely filling.

Staying with the seafood theme of the menu, there was also the 1/2 lb of Mussels in a chorizo & white wine sauce.  Really enjoyed this as the mussels were plump and cooked just enough.  That broth was so packed with flavour that was part spicy, a little sweet and plenty garlicky.  Those grape tomatoes provided some brightness and tang.

We got 2 cheesy dishes in the Baked Smoked Oysters and the Escargots.  Both were served with crostinis and that was critical because we definitely needed something to balance out the richness.  For the smoked oysters, they were the typical ones you would find in a can (hence the serving vessel), but were topped with a inordinate amount of cheese.  As for the escargots, they were their usual bouncy-textured self while spiked with a lot of cheese and garlic.  Very aromatic and yah, needed that bread.

We couldn't come to a pub without having some drinks right?  From left-to-right, we had the Sangria, Cocktail Tower and a Caesar with prawns and a crab claw.  Naturally, the cocktail tower would be best shared and it consisted of fruity flavours mixed with tequila.  Loved the sangria as it was refreshing but still had enough wine in it.  Caesar was at its tomatoey and briny best with the bite from Vodka.

We ended things off with their rendition of PNE Mini-Donuts.  Hey, I've worked at the actual stand at the PNE and in comparison, these were pretty darn good.  With the sugar and cinnamon crusted onto each soft and fluffy donut, these were legit.  A side of dulce de leche dip added even more sweetness.  As you can see, the food here on the Sunday Feature Menu at The Library Square is both affordable with more-than-acceptable eats.  You really can't beat that.  I would recommend that you try it out for yourself.

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

The Good:

- Incredible pricing

- Good food quality for that price point

- Generous portion sizes

The Bad:

- It can get busy, due to the pricing, so you need to be patient

Bag O' Crab (Federal Way)

The last time we visited Bag O' Crab, it was at the Kent location.  It was a pretty good experience with fresh seafood and impactfully spicy sauces.  I also found that the pricing for the set combos to be reasonable considering all that was included.  This time around, we travelled a bit further south to the Federal Way store located in a large strip mall.  As much as they are primarily a seafood boil restaurant, they have some other items to satisfy those who do not want to partake in the messy affair.

Before we got to the combos, we had a few things to start.  Unlike last time, we didn't go for the chowder and opted for the Gumbo instead.  Great decision as we enjoyed this much more.  It was thick and fairly flavourful.  There was spice from the sausage and plenty of impact from the peppers.  Naturally, it didn't compare to the stuff I've had in Louisiana, but it was fine for what it was.  We got the Cajun Fries as well and these were good.  Fries were plenty crispy with soft fluffy potato inside.  It was dusted with seasoned salt where it was a bit spicy, somewhat sweet and definitely savoury.

We got two orders of wings including the Mango Habanero and Lemon Pepper.  These were decently-sized flats with the drummettes being huge.   We much preferred the Mango Habanero as they featured barely any coating while the skin was properly rendered.  They were still slightly crispy despite the dousing of sauce.  It was a good mix of sweet and spicy where the spice could be considered medium.  As for the Lemon Pepper, the flavour was a bit muted and the coating a touch too thick.  The wings were crunchy though and the meat inside was plenty juicy.

Onto the combos, we had Combo #1 and chose 1lb mussels and 1lb head-on shrimp (you have a choice of 2 seafood options from mussels, clams, head-on shrimp and head-off shrimp).  Whatever we would've chosen, the combo included 2 pieces of corn, 2 potatoes and 4 slices of sausage.  For our sauce, we went for the Atomic in medium spice.  All the mussels were open and plenty plump.  The head-on shrimp were sweet and had a good meaty texture.  Loved the corn as it was still juicy and not overcooked.  Even though this was medium spice, the Atomic sauce had a good kick with lots of garlickiness.

We got Combo #3 with the Dungeness Crab option that also included a choice of shrimp.  For this one, we got 3/4lb of head-off shrimp.  It also included corn, potato and sausage.  We went mild with the sauce option here with the Garlic Butter.  The whole crab was really good as the meat filled all of the shell and was fluffy and fresh.  Too bad they scraped off all of the crab butter within the head shell (as it is our favorite!).  The shrimp was meaty with a bounce texture as compared to the denser texture of the head-on.  Since the sauce was mild, it was mainly garlicky while of course buttery.

The other option for Combo #3 is to have 1lb King Crab Legs and yes, we got that too.  We went for 1lb of the head-on shrimp this time around and had the Louisiana sauce in mild.  Even though it was not spicy, it still had a bite.  Plenty of garlic once again and there was some earthy notes.  The king crab legs were also full of meat and it was bouncy and briny.  Personally, I think the head-off shrimp is a better choice as they were easier to eat and the texture was more to my liking (more bouncy).  Potatoes were soft, but not melting while the sausage had a nice springy texture.

Our one main menu item that didn't have any seafood at all was the Beef Short Ribs served with rice and salad.  So don't sleep on this dish because it was actually quite good!  There was a wealth of short ribs that were well-marinated and tender (with a classic short rib chew).  I would've liked more char on these, but they were still good nonetheless.  Rice was properly textured and even the salad was decent.  I personally wouldn't go for this while at Bag O' Crab, but good for those who don't like seafood.

 

We ended off with some Tiramisu and it was more of a cake than the classic version.  Also unlike the authentic version, this had whipped cream, but it also made it lighter.  The ladyfingers could've used more moisture, but hey, this wasn't an Italian restaurant!  Yes, Bag O' Crab is a seafood boil and it does it well.  Prices are reasonable for what you get and the seafood is on point.  I like the Federal Way location more as it features more parking and the overall vibe of the mall is better.

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

The Good:

- Seafood had all the right textures

- Sauces were flavourful and could be spicy if you wanted it to be

- Reasonable pricing with all things considered

The Bad:

- The breaded wings were a bit too dense

- Tiramisu not really a tiramisu, but hey, it isn't an Italian restaurant

Toyokan Bowl

I've always been a fan of the Kingyo Group of restaurants in Vancouver (they have spots in Seattle and Toronto as well) that include Raisu, Rajio, New Fuji, Takenaka, Kingyo, Toyokan Plaza and Toyokan Bowl.  This formerly included Suika, before the fire closed it for the time being (or maybe forever?).  Now their newest pair of restaurants include Toyokan Plaza and Toyokan Bowl.  For this visit, Steph and I focused on the restaurant found upstairs in Toyokan Bowl.

Before we got to the main event, we began with some small plates such as the Ika Yuzu.  Since the ika was marinated in soy sauce, it gave the appearance of jellyfish.  However, it was pure ika with its unmistakable chewiness and sweetness.  We also found some brininess in the form of herring roe and this was all served with crisp cucumber slices.

We also had the Aromatic Sea Bream marinated with a Yamagata-style dashi.  With the finely chopped veggies, the sea bream took on the sweetness and herbaceousness of the ingredients.  It retained its firm texture, yet wasn't chewy.  This was all brought together with a light soy-broth which was definitely there but not the dominant flavour.

We got a double-dose of duck with the Shio Koji Duck Carpaccio as well as the Duck Soba (which was an add-on to one our bowls).  Although the layer of fat could've been a little less flabby, the duck itself was tender and full-flavoured.  The carpaccio was sweet and a bit spicy while the udon was nicely chewy with an almost smoky dashi.  Duck was more natural-tasting due to the lack of dressing.

Now for the stuff we were mainly here for... The first to arrive was the Bluefin Otoro and Hokkaido Uni Box.  In between we found some house-marinated ikura as well.  This was pretty good with buttery slices of otoro that melted in my mouth.  It was fresh-tasting with the essence of the sea.  As for the uni, it was also good without any bad pieces.  They were custardy and naturally sweet.  The rice underneath was chewy and served only as a thin-layer.

Going into something more heavy, we had the Miyazaki A5 Wagyu Box.  Marinated in shio-koji and then sous-vide, this beef was melt-in-our-mouths worthy.  It was finished off with house-made Japanese steak sauce and seaweed sauce.  If this wasn't luxurious and silky enough, there was an onsen egg on the side.  This all sat on a thin layer of chewy sushi rice and when mixed with the egg, there was custardy textures to go with the buttery beef.  Of course we got a mouthful of umami from the beef and sauces as well.

We left the best for last in The Emperor which only could be described as a chirashi don on steroids.  What we had here was all 3 cuts of bluefin (otoro, chutoro and akami), salmon, hamachi, seabream, hotate, datemaki, bluefin tartare, lobster, uni and spot prawn.  Oh yah, this was a lot and things had a nice sheen and flavours were clean.  The uni slid off and was a bit unsightly, but things ate well and there was more than enough to go with the sushi rice.  Yah, this was $70.00 but with all things considered, I do not think this was unreasonable.  In the end, we enjoyed the food at Toyokan Bowl and thought the pricing was in-line with what we got.  Sure, it is on the higher end, but we weren't eating California Rolls here!  Do I think this is the best in town?  No, I've had better quality ingredients, but that was only at higher end Japanese restaurants offering pricey Omakase.

The Good:

- Bougie bowls

- Reasonable pricing considering what you are eating

- Eclectic bowling theme

The Bad:

- Service was friendly, but trying to flag someone down after ordering was difficult