Little Beetle

As much as there has been a number of brunch-focused spots opening up around the Lower Mainland, nothing has really captured my imagination.  In fact, with my most recent visit to Coast to Toast, I experienced sticker-shock as to what brunch costs these days.  Yes, we have ol' standbys like Red Wagon, Yolks and Egg & Co, but I just need something that would stir my soul.  Well, I have found that place.  One caveat...  It is in Chilliwack.  Yes, this cute lil' store out in the Wack has a brunch that I'm considering returning for, even though it is over an hour drive away!

Beyond the cute farmhouse-inspired decor, there is a tranquil outdoor dining space.  We ending up enjoying the fresh air and soothing instrumental music.  Our first dish was the Brekkie Croffle with house-baked croissant waffle, avocado, thick bacon, hashbrowns, 2 poached organic eggs, Hollandaise and maple butter.  Oh gawd, this couldn't have been prepared any more perfectly!  The croffle was crispy and super flaky and buttery.  That bacon was thicc while beautifully seared and caramelized.  Eggs were runny and delicate while the cubes of potatoes were crispy, well-seasoned and fluffy inside.

Equally delicious, the Fried Chicken Benny featured 2 buttermilk fried chicken thighs, 2 organic runny poached eggs on lightly-toasted English muffins topped with Hollandaise.  Since the fried chicken was already crispy (in an airy way), the softer English muffin worked.  Otherwise, it would've crunchy on crunchy.  The chicken thigh was juicy while nicely seasoned.  That Hollandaise was rich and creamy with mild acidity.  Crispy and well-seasoned, the potato wedges were soft and fluffy inside.  Even the salad was was on point with fresh organic greens with a sweet acidic vinaigrette, shaved parm and a slice of fig.

Our last dish was something sweet in the Maple Butter French Toast topped with house-made moscato berry compote and accompanied by whipped cream, banana, warm maple butter and farmer's sausage.  The thick-cut French toast was completely soaked through, hence it was almost like bread pudding inside with a soft eggy texture.  Outside, it was well-seared and aromatic.  Sweetness and moisture was added by the compote while the big scoop of whipped cream added cool creaminess.  That maple butter added another layer of sweetness and flavour.  Loved the sausage as it was meaty while juicy with a good amount of herbs.  Absolutely loved the brunch here and especially appreciated the sincere service and gratitude from the family-run business.  We could really tell they cared about their customers, food quality and cleanliness of the restaurant.

The Good:
- Well-prepared and tasty food
- Generous portions
- Lovely people

The Bad:
- Well, far for everyone other than people who live in Abby and the Wack 

Pho Galaxy

There we were, driving home from Kelowna on our last leg of our 3-week road trip.  Amazingly, we weren't that tired nor were we sick on one another.  However, one thing that was for certain - we needed food badly (a la Gauntlet, if you are old enough to know this reference).  Not just any type of food that is, we wanted Asian food, specifically something soupy or noodley (is that a word???).  One quick search for Pho in Chilliwack (as we were driving by) resulted in Pho Galaxy.  I vaguely remembered my cousin raving about the place, so we quickly entered it into the GPS.  Now, I also returned for another visit shortly after with Mijune because she wanted to see for herself if it was as good as people have indicated.

So we essentially had the same dishes that I had the first time including the Phở Dặc Biệt.  As you can see on the side, not only was there the usual sprouts, peppers and lime, we also found saw leaf herb.  This is rare to find and relatively expensive.  Back to the pho, the broth wasn't in-your-face impactful.  Rather, it was subtle and clean.  There were notes of sweetness, meatiness and background star anise at the very end.  Meats were good, however the noodles were a bit overdone.  Now the real star of the meal was the Bún Bò Huế due to the incredible broth.  This one was in-your-face with a balanced spiciness to go with equal amounts of fermented shrimpiness.  So aromatic and full of depth.  I wish they had included pork blood and knuckle to make it completely legit, but this was good nonetheless.  Make sure you ask for the thicker lai fun as they default to regular rice noodles if you don't specify.

Trying to get a few different items from my last meal and to also take their recommendations, we got the Deep Fried Squid as well as the House Special Chow Mein.  I'm going to get right to the point about these 2 dishes - they were okay, but hardly something I would drive out to Chilliwack for.  The batter on the squid was a bit too thick for my liking and it wasn't as crunchy as it appeared.  Furthermore, it wasn't seasoned enough.  Mind you, there was a sweet and sour dip served on the side.  The squid itself was tender with an appealing chew.  Despite what I said, the chow mein was still decent and prepared properly.  Noodles were crunchy and there was no shortage of ingredients on top.  I thought the dish was on the milder side, but that wouldn't stop someone from adding vinegar and/or hot sauce.

We had to get a rice dish to make the meal complete, so we also took their recommendation and got the Lemongrass Chicken and Pork Chop on Rice (we added a fried egg too).  Clearly seen in the picture, the meats were aggressively charred and hence there was a caramelized smokiness to go with the ample brine.  I thought the meats were trending to the drier side, but they were still tender.  Rice was prepared right being fluffy while still chewy and not wet. So after 2 visits to Pho Galaxy, it begs the question, is it worth it to drive all the way out to Chilliwack?  Well, if it is for the Bún Bò Huế, specifically the awesome broth, then yes, I would drive out for it.  However, if that doesn't matter to you much, then no, you can stay in town for equally good Pho (like Pho Tam in Surrey).

The Good:
- That Bún Bò Huế broth
- They go saw leaf herb
- Super nice people

The Bad:
- Pho is good, but not mind-blowing
- It is far for those who do not live in Chilliwack or Abbotsford

Airport Coffee Shop

I'm sure there is little disagreement that Chilliwack is not the hotbed of good eats.  Sure, there are places to eat and some can be quite good, but nothing quickly comes to mind...  except for one.  Of all places, the Airport Coffee Shop is well-known for their pies.  Having just left Harrison Hot Springs and fresh off a wonderful tour of Hofstede's, I thought that it was as good as any time to pay the place a visit.  Sure, it was 3:30pm in the afternoon, but anytime is a good time for food right?

Miss Y and I weren't exactly hungry, but I insisted we share some food to go with our pie.  First up was the Mushroom Burger which was blessed with fresh and aesthetically-pleasing toppings.  We liked how the mushrooms were not cooked to death either.  Surprisingly, it was a good burger with a soft bun and a moist hand-made patty.  Next, we tried the Rueben with fries.  For a grilled sandwich, we would've preferred to see it crunchier, but it didn't make or break the dish. The corned beef was a little dry but the sauerkraut and cheese helped alleviate it somewhat.  Despite being the generic type, the crinkle-cut fries were super crispy.

Now for the main event, the reason why we were here - the pie! I gave the Bing Cherry a go first and I was impressed at the tempered level of sweetness.  Within the flaky crust, there was a plethora of cherries.  Of course we couldn't bypass the standard, being the Apple Pie a la Mode!  Again, the crust was flaky, yet a touch dense.  It was probably due to the moisture with the apples as it became doughy on the inside.  We did like the tender slices of apple though and once again, the pie was not too sweet.  Hey, nothing mind-blowing here, but solid eats with all things considered.  We loved the honest friendly service too.

The Good:
- Seemed like genuine service
- Okay pricing
- Pies are solid

The Bad:
- Dunno if I would drive out to Chilliwack especially for it, but good to try if in the area

Yukiya

Having missed the buffet breakfast at the Terrace Cafe at the resort, we were a bit unprepared as to other eating options.  We decided to take a stroll outside to see what we could find.  In the end, we didn't walk very far as we stopped at the first place we saw being Yukiya.  Sushi at Harrison Hot Springs?  Yah, a bit daring, but we wanted something lighter to eat.  Upon sitting down, we were served by the owner (?) who was almost overly-friendly.  One look at the menu and we were shocked to see prices which were easily double what we would normally expect.

Whatever, we were hungry and Miss Y was treating...  LOL... I decided to go for the Teriyaki Chicken and Sashimi Bento.  Despite sliced quite thin, the salmon, tai and tuna sashimi were acceptable given where we were.  I found the salmon to be a touch soft, but nothing was fishy.  I wasn't a huge fan of the chicken as it was cut up into small pieces and subsequently overcooked while mixed with far too much sauce.  As for the gyoza, they were not fried up crispy, hence the dumpling skin was a touch doughy.  The filling was okay though with a good mix of meat and cabbage.  Miss Y had the Tempura Udon which was served with a substantial amount of vegetables on top.  Although not typical of an authentic udon, she welcomed it as she needed her veggies.  The udon was a bit soft while the soup was not bad being balanced.  The accompanying tempura was actually pretty good with a thin layer of batter.  It was fried up light and crispy.

As a bonus, the friendly owner presented us with a plate of California Roll.  We found the rice to be subpar as it was hard and pretty bland.  On the other hand, the ingredients were alright including the ripe avocado.  We were pretty indifferent about our meal and really didn't have any expectations.  Given that it is located right on the lake, it has location on its side.  But the prices are far too high for the quality of food.

The Good:
- Super friendly owner
- Acceptable food with all things considered

The Bad:
- Food quality does not justify the prices
- Not the most wonderful of ambiances

Hofstede's Country Barn

The original plan for our second day at Harrison Hot Springs was to check out the Lakeside Cafe for their buffet breakfast.  However, we were too busy relaxing in the hot tub to make it before the breakfast ended.  We ended up going on the self-guided Circle Farm Tour but due to many places not being open during the middle of the week, we only ended up at 2 places.  The first was Farmhouse Cheese, which we had sampled the day before with our "welcome" cheese & fruit plate.  We weren't able to get a tour though.  Undeterred, we headed into Chilliwack to visit Hofstede's Country Barn.

Initially, we were a bit skeptical about a grocery store being on the tour.  However, after over an hour with owner, Richard, we fell in love with his place.  Little did we know that Hofstede's is not an ordinary grocery store.  In direct contrast to the big box stores, Hofstede's focuses primarily on local produce and unique products.  Some of which are non-spray meaning that they are pesticide- free. We were able to sample various fruits and veggies that really showcased what Hofstede's is about.  Personally, I've never seen produce that nice in a big box store.  Sure, prices are higher, but worth it in my opinion.

As for the dry goods, there were items I've never seen before.  Many are local, but a lot are imported from Europe.  Think of Hofstede's as a more rustic down-to-Earth Capers or Whole Foods.  There is even an in-house coffee shop that features house-made soups and sandwiches.  We didn't get to sample any since we were still full from lunch, but next time I'm in Chilliwack...  And hey, if you're out in Chilliwack, it's worth giving them a look.

The Good:
- Quality, local produce
- Friendly staff
- Rare, hard-to-find imported dry goods

The Bad:
- Costs more 
- With some of the non-spray produce, it degrades really fast