Basil Pasta Bar

Fresh off a visit to one of the best value pasta joints in the GVRD, it was only fitting to visit the other well-known cheap pasta option.  So from Jimocoe in Coquitlam, it brought myself, Milhouse and Sweet Tooth to Basil Pasta Bar in Downtown Vancouver.  Honestly, it was more of convenience than anything since we had just finished a late hockey game (the place is open until 2:00am).  Considering the place is located in Downtown, $7.95 for a plate of pasta is very reasonable.  But what about the food quality?  Of course that is what I'm talking about next...

I decided to go for 2 pastas partly due to the price and more importantly, for more variety.  I gave the Pesto Shrimp Linguine a go first and it was pretty creamy, yet a touch watery.  The pesto wasn't particularly strong where it remained in the background.  However, the fresh basil really came through.  As for the pasta, it was past al dente where it was more tender than toothsome.  Hidden underneath all the pasta, there was a decent amount of cold-water shrimp.  For my second pasta, I tried the Carbonara which featured a good amount of peas and bacon.  I found the flavours to be quite mild, but the ample bacon helped with the salt department.  It was creamy and rich.

Milhouse also had a creamy pasta in the Smoked Salmon Fettuccine.  Much l like the other pastas, there was an ample amount of ingredients including big pieces of salmon (which were rather salty).  Again, the pasta was past al dente where it was rather slippery.  Flavourwise, it was mild and creamy, but the salty salmon ended any blandness with each bite.  Sweet Tooth had the Gnocchi Bolognese which featured store-bought potato pasta which was a touch dense.  It also had that packaged aftertaste.  As for the sauce, it had a touch of acidity while being mostly seasoned correctly.  There was lots of fresh Parm on top.  Okay, much like my last post, let me make this clear - you won't find hand-made pasta  at Basil Pasta Bar.  But what you will find is decent made-to-order eats for a low price.  That works for me and apparently a whole lot of other people too.

The Good:
- Cheap
- Decent fresh made-to-order eats
- Friendly people

The Bad:
- Pasta past al dente
- Another small place, you may not find a seat

EI Furniture Warehouse

With the sting of the $32.00 plate of mini-sashimi at Sachi Sushi, we had to keep our costs in check.  But being in the heart of Whistler, trying to get get cheap eats is usually reserved for visits to the Golden Arch.  Other than fast food, the chances of keeping bills in your wallet are as good as not stepping on Lego in my living room.  They hurt!  Anyways, there was one option though where the food is all $4.95 smack dab in the middle of the Village.  With locations in Vancouver, EI Furniture Warehouse gives a cheap option amongst overpriced touristy restaurants.

For myself, I'm not sure if I actually saved any money because I ended up ordering more food.  I started with the Hot Wings with celery, carrots and ranch dip.  Considering the price, the portion of wings was okay.  They weren't particularly spicy due to the extremely light toss in hot sauce.  On the other hand, they weren't completely devoid of moisture, which meant the meat was not dried out.  For my main, I tried the Chang Mai Bowl with fat hoikken noodles, asian greens and veggies, pea shoots, spicy soy chili sauce and toasted almond slivers.  For me, the noodles resembled udon more than anything else.  They were nicely toothsome though.  As for the veggies, they were crisp and plentiful, but I didn't see any pea shoots.  I found the sauce to have a decent spice level, but it was more tart and sweet than anything else.  I added chicken for $2.25 which was not really a good value since there was very little of it.  Moreover, they were in little bits that were dry.

Chill went for a Mexican theme by going with the Hard Shell Tacos consisting of spiced beef, lettuce, cheddar, fresh salsa and sour cream.  We did some bartering where he traded me one taco for 3 chicken wings.  I found the taco to be soft in spots due to the moisture of the ingredients.  The beef was surprisingly moist and easy on the grease.  There was a decent amount of it where it didn't lack seasoning either, exhibiting some spice.  As if hard tacos weren't enough, he got an order of the Nachos for One as well.  These were baked with cheddar cheese, tomatoes and jalapenos served with salsa and sour cream on the side.  Even when considering the price, these nachos were severely lacking in toppings.  Hence, it was like eating plain chips.  They were lightly crispy though.  I found the salsa to be more like chunky tomato sauce as there wasn't much spice.

Mr. Ed opted for the Braised Beef Spaghetti with fresh herbs, hint of cream and slow cooked braised beef.  As much as the pasta itself was fairly toothsome, the sauce was devoid of impact.  It was as if they didn't use any salt.  Hence, we could only taste a faint tomato flavour which was neither tart nor savoury.  The beef was tender though, yet it didn't have any impact as well.  Snake was smart and went with the ol' standby being the Works Burger made of premium Alberta beef, sauteed mushrooms, gravy, macho sauce, Swiss, lettuce and tomato on a brioche bun.  He substituted his fries with a side of Onion Rings.  Similar to all the other times we've had this burger, the meat wasn't exactly juicy, but it wasn't too dry either due to the ingredients and sauces.  The brioche bun was soft where it wasn't overly dry.  As you can ascertain, the food here is not great.  But for the price, how can one really complain?  ...especially in the heart of Whistler Village.

The Good:
- Cheap
- Edible

The Bad:
- So-so food
- Service was sloooow...

Burger Burger

*Restaurant is now closed...  Darn*

Other than the expensive "gourmet" burger joints, it has increasingly difficult to find a cheap freshly-made burger with a side of equally fresh house-cut fries. Until we get an In n' Out, we are often stuck with a frozen patty accompanied by a fried Sysco product.  That got me thinking back to an ol' favourite in Burger Burger.  On my way there while I was pulling into the parking lot, my lowered car did a slow painful scrape which made me cringe as well as the pedestrian on the sidewalk.  Heck, the guy asking for change in front of the 7-11 cringed too.  I guess Viv was right after all?

So for those expecting a gourmet experience at Burger Burger, you best move along because the place is the epitome of a dive.  You would have better luck finding better ambiance in a Cactus Club washroom...  But with a deluxe burger combo (including fries and a can of pop) for $5.75, one cannot expect too much.  Peppermint and Bunny both decided to go for the more expensive combo ($7.75) in the Bacon Cheeseburger.  This featured crispy bacon with melted processed cheese over a handmade fresh beef patty.  It was nicely charred while still moist exhibiting a natural meat flavour.  The chewy bun was airy enough that it wasn't overly dense, yet stood up to the ingredients just fine.  The side of fresh-cut fries were crispy and not heavy on the grease (unlike last time).  Klutz ended up with the Teriyaki Burger and it was essentially the deluxe version with sauce slathered on top. Naturally it was sweet and a touch salty.

For myself, I tried their Bulgogi Burger since the couple that run the place are Korean (they must do it justice right?).  Once again, the patty was nicely browned while still moist.  It exhibited the sweetness associated with bulgogi as well as some savoury elements and spice.  For me, it worked.  While I was trying to finish off my food (which was plenty), I noticed that the people beside us were also having bowls of Wonton Soup.  Of course that made me curious and hence, I got a bowl for myself. So they can make a bulgogi marinade, but can they do Chinese food?  For starters, the smallish wontons were actually not bad.  The pork filling was mildly seasoned while being moist with a good rebound texture.  The broccoli and carrots were barely cooked where they maintained a crunch.  As for the soup, it was flavourful with garlic and black pepper (too much though as the soup was too peppery).

Trying to be different, Devo had the Chicken Cordon Bleu which featured breast meat with ham and processed Swiss.  With a nicely seared exterior, the chicken breast remained fairly moist.  With ham and processed cheese, the flavours were on the saltier side.  For the price we paid, our bellies were full without emptying our pockets. So this recent visit to Burger Burger reiterated what I've known all along - decent freshly-made eats at really good prices.  Just don't visit the washroom...

The Good:
- Cheap
- Freshly-made eats
- Friendly owner-lady

The Bad:
- Really divy
- Terrible washrooms

L.A. Grill

While surfing the internet, like I usually do, I stumbled upon a coupon for LA Grill in Richmond.  Not that I was itching to visit the place (think X-Site), but for $28.00, I could get two 3-course meals.  Yes, the Asian in me took over and I looked at the bottom line rather than what I was getting myself into.  I'm actually quite familiar with LA Grill and its rock-bottom pricing and large portions.  But with that, something has to give and that would mean food quality.  Whatever the case, I invited Whipping Girl to come join me on my adventure deep into Richmond.

Unlike many other restaurants, our server gladly accepted the coupon and offered up some really great service throughout the meal. As per the coupon, we both started with the Clam Chowder.  This monstrous bowl was a meal in itself packed with tender red potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, clams, shrimp and a whack load of bacon. So much so, the flavour profile was predominantly bacon (in terms of flavour and fattiness).  Whatever the case, the soup was creamy, flavourful and overall decent.  Next up, I had the Chicken Caesar while Whipping girl had the Shrimp Caesar.  The romaine lettuce was crisp and fresh, however, the dressing was quite weak as we didn't get any hits of anything.  The baby shrimp were fine, but the chicken tenders were quite dry and bland.

Seeing how we didn't want to be limited as what we could eat, we added 2 additional appies starting with the Calamari.  These tender squid rings were very easy to eat while maintaining a slight chew.  Despite being light, the batter was only crispy in parts while some portions were a touch soft.  We weren't even sure what the accompanying dip represented as it had absolutely no taste.  Next, we tried the Salt & Pepper Wings.  These were unmistakable as we could see and taste the seasoning.  We liked how they did not wimp out here.  Furthermore, these were lightly crispy where there was still moisture inside.  Hence, rather than being super dry and crunchy, they were soft and juicy.

Onto our entrees, we picked the most expensive stuff (darn that Asian in us!).  Whipping Girl had the Steak and Shrimp.  Despite being a touch uneven, the steak was prepared medium-rare as requested.  Moreover, it had a nice char as well as being properly seasoned.  Best of all, it was tender and juicy.  As for the shrimp, they had a light snap while being very garlicky.  We didn't like the garlic bread though as it was not toasted enough.  Now for myself, I had the Salmon and Shrimp.  I'll be blunt here - the salmon sucked.  It was already dead to begin with, why did they have to kill it again?  It was woefully overcooked (and too quickly/hot, hence the coagulated protein), bland and dry.  Yet in the end, we accepted the food for what it was.  It's not gourmet, nor is it even far removed from home-cooking.  But it serves to feed people at a very reasonable cost.

The Good:
- Cheap
- Good service
- Decent decor

The Bad:
- Underwhelming eats
- Cheap, but the larger plates are not

The Famous Warehouse

"Gangster shot at the Sheraton Wall Centre" was the headline in the newspaper. Oh that's just great. One day later, we were supposed to attend a conference there. Well, I guess after that, it would probably be the safest hotel out there due to the attention it received. I knew one thing was for sure: we weren't going to eat at the hotel restaurant! Despite this, I heard the food is to die for... Sorry, bad joke. Where we did end up eating lunch, which was The Famous Warehouse,
should've been a crime within itself. Everything on the menu is only $4.95. Seems like an unreal steal of a deal eh? Makes you think of the Ikea commercial where the lady thinks she got something cheaper than it really was. "Start the car!"

The most popular item it seems is their burgers, so there was no choice to what I would order despite 2 other burgers at the table (apparently they weren't going to share!). I chose the Mushroom Jack Burger consisting of premium Alberta beef, tomato, lettuce, pickle, sauteed mushrooms, gravy, macho sauce and Monterey jack on a brioche bun. Considering the price, this was a decent burger. I found the beef rather juicy for being cooked all-the-way-through. It was nicely seasoned as well. I liked how they didn't skimp on the ingredients despite the low cost. Hence, it was a solid burger that had good textures and flavours. Only thing I would've liked was a more moist bun. Seeing how everyone was already having their peppered fries, I substituted mine for the Warehouse Poutine. Unfortunately, mine was a little bit cold by the time it arrived. For a non-traditional poutine (see the cheese), it was okay. The gravy had enough flavour while the fries were a touch limp. I think if they omitted the pepper, the poutine would've been better since that is all I could taste.

Ma had the Mama T's Crunchy Mac 'n Cheese (is that ironic?). Boy this was a large portion for the price (notice the trend?). Arriving with 2 large pieces of focaccia, this was a concoction of cheddar, mozzarella, alfredo, cornflakes, thyme and a Parmesan crust. This was decently cheesy with a nice contrast of textures. Once again, not bad for $4.95! Another item at the table was the Crispy Chicken Caesar Wrap. This was stuffed with fried chicken strips, crisp romaine, maple bacon, Parmesan cheese within a red tortilla. Although a wrap is hardly something to rave about, it was indeed solid. The chicken was moist and crispy at the same time while there was just enough dressing. Didn't hurt that there was crispy bacon either. All of us were pretty satisfied with our meals and that was not taking into account of the cost either. Of course when you start adding extras and ordering booze, the price starts to climb. Yet, if you stay conservative, eating at the Famous Warehouse could cost you about the same as going to McD's.

The Good:
- Cheap (everything is $4.95)
- Food is more than acceptable (even when not looking at the prices)
- The service we got was good

The Bad:
- If you start adding extras or like to booze it up, it is no longer that cheap

Top King's

Places like Panda Express and Manchu Wok are often ridiculed for their unauthentic take on Chinese food. Yah, that is a fair assessment. After all, the last time I visited a Panda Express, the staff were all non-Asian and in fact, I was the only Asian eating there. Usually, that is a sign to leave... But honestly, the food is alright if you have the right attitude. For some, it might be accepting mediocre North American Chinese food. Now fortunately, since we live in the GVRD, there are better options for Chinese take out. Kent's Kitchen is a prime example where the food is getting a whole lot closer to real Chinese food. There is T&T as well; but personally, it would not be my first choice.

Now if you live in Surrey, specifically Whalley, you have Top King's. Directly across from the Surrey Central Skytrain station, the place not only serves up take-out Chinese food, there is Pizza as well. If that hasn't scared you off, please continue reading... I suppose they are trying to be all things to everyone, much like a politician. And similarly, everything is a bit greasy. At the very least, they don't try to rob you of your hard earned money since 3 items with rice will only set you back $6.00 (including tax, well not the HST...).

For me, I was not in the mood for pizza and neither were Hot Mama and Ma. Thus, we all got combos with a choice of 3 items with rice. Honestly, some items look better than others. I can see that someone who is less familiar with the food could make some questionable choices. I thought that the standard North American Chinese food to be quite solid, such as the Sweet n Sour Pork, Sesame Chicken and BBQ Pork. For myself, I went for some Fried Squid, BBQ Pork and Fish & Tofu. The nice man behind the counter was adding some random items to each plate as a "bonus". We really appreciated that; but the one thing I didn't want, Beef & Tomatoes, he gave me a honking scoop. Oh well...

In general, the food is acceptable for the price and given its location. Definitely something to consider if you wanted a quick take out of Chinese food for lunch or dinner. Nothing that will necessarily impress (and some dishes might even disappoint); but with reasonable expectations, it does the job.

The Good:
- Cheap
- Lots of variety, including pizza...
- Friendly staff

The Bad:
- Greasy
- Some items may not cut it

X-Site Grill & Bistro

What's up with X-Site Grill & Bistro? Everytime I drive by the place, I see their specials proudly advertised with a large banner across the front. So what's the big deal you might ask? How about daily specials that are around $6.00? WTH? Yeah, that's what I was thinking. That's pretty darn cheap. You know when a deal seems too good to be true... Tonight, Viv and I decided to finally try this place and figure out if they were for real. One things for sure, for a Thursday night, they're pretty busy. Inside, there was definitely the strangest mix of patrons you'll ever see. Young University students mixed in with older Asian folk, all in one restaurant.

Looking over the menu, I was a bit taken aback by the prices. Either everything was missing a "1" in front of it or they really were serious about charging what is essentially McDonald's prices for a real sit-down restaurant. Again, can this be too good to be true? To find out, we first started with a Calamari to share. At $6.00, this was a formidable portion of large squid rings. They were tender and the batter was crisp while not being oily. Only criticism is that since they were so large, it's a bit hard to eat. By virtue ofordering a beverage, Viv was able to order the daily special which happen to be the Grilled Salmon for $6.00 (it's Sirloin Steak on Mondays!). Not the most aesthetically pleasing piece of salmon, it was still cooked right being moist and tender. To fill out the plate, there was a massive salad, rice, garlic toast and boiled potatoes with sour cream. Nothing to write home about; but this was a complete meal for the price of a Japadog!

For me, I went for the Mushroom Burger. Also for $6.00, I got a homemade patty topped with mushrooms with salad and boiled potatoes on the side. Nothing extraordinary with the burger; yet again, it was solid. I particularly liked the soft bun, it makes the whole thing easy to eat. I found that the use of boiled potatoes with sour cream an interesting departure from the usual French fries. I actually liked them. So including Viv's drink, our meal came out to $20.00 plus tip and tax. Okay, the food wasn't outstanding; yet for the price, what do you expect?

The Good:
- Incredibly cheap
- Food is decent, if not boring
- Service is friendly, when you can get their attention

The Bad:
- It's pub food, don't expect any more, any less
- The open seating plan is a bit strange
- Service is slightly sparse

Burger Burger

*Restaurant is closed*

Although Vancouver is not known for its great burger joints, I have had some decent ones lately. But it seems that good burgers come at a price. It appears that gourmet burgers will set you back $10 or more these days. However, I heard about this place in New Westminster that serves up pretty decent burgers at bargain prices. This place is Burger Burger. Yes, the name is not very original. It's like calling a Japanese restaurant "Sushi Sushi" or a Chinese restaurant "MSG MSG". Let's get this out of the way first. Burger Burger is a dive. Yes, it's got no ambiance and the only decor you'll find here is a lonely white framed print on the wall. Yet, there must be some compromises when you can get a 2-topping burger, home-cut fries and a soda for $5.69. Yes, this is not a typo, it's a complete meal for under $6. You would be hard pressed to even get that price at McDonald's.

I went for the Mushroom Cheeseburger (4 oz.) and picked out a Coke Zero. Yes, that is my futile attempt to make this meal a bit more calorie and fat friendly. After I put in my order and paid at the front counter, I took a seat to soak in the ambiance. Thank goodness my food showed up quickly, because the ambiance was probably soaking me in. When the burger and fries arrived, something felt familiar with it. Large irregular thin patty? Special sauce looks like Thousand Islands? Soft fluffy bun? Place run by a Korean couple? Wait a minute! This seems a lot like a Wally Burger! Yes, the same Wally's that used to be a Kingsway institution. Sadly, it closed down a while ago. Could it be? Wally's reincarnated here in New West? (*edit* it's not Wally's, they have actually reopened at Cates Park).

One bite into the burger and I was pleasantly surprised. Although the meat was thin, it was moist. The bun was soft and so easy to eat. There were plenty of freshly sauteed mushrooms smothered by a slice of processed cheese. Even though the burger would not compare with Moderne Burger, Vera's, Fatburger or Burger Heaven, it still held it's own. For the price I paid, it was a really good burger. Moreover, the fries were fantastic. The fresh cut fries (I saw the bucket of them) are very similar to those you find at Moderne Burger. Probably not as good; yet again, for the price, I'm not complaining. If you are ever out in New West, I'm seriously encouraging you to try Burger Burger. It's not Burger Heaven, but for more than half the price, it's definitely a very good value.

The Good:
- Burgers and fries are surprisingly good
- Very friendly couple that runs the place
- Excellent value

The Bad:
- It's a dive, but what do you expect when you pay so little?
- Have an option for real cheese as a surcharge

Burger Burger
340 6th Street
New Westminster
604-525-4229