Yang's Dumplings

I'm not a fan of lineups when it comes to anything.  However, there are times that I give in and actually wait for however long it is to get the payoff.  So when Yang's Dumplings opened up in Richmond, I was tempted to wait in line.  So would it be worth it for some Sang Jeen Bao (Pan Fried Pork Buns)?  This popular chain is from Shanghai and are famous for the aforementioned dish.  Ultimately, I decided to wait and return when there was no lineup.  That I did and got seated right away and in fact, the food came shockingly fast as well.

Despite literally only taking minutes from when we ordered for the Yang's Dumplings (Pan Fried Pork Buns) to arrive, they were quite good.  We could see them making these to order and pan-frying them continuously.  Hence, the immediacy of the dish being ready.   Unlike many other versions, the bun portion was thin and almost resembled a regular dumpling except for a touch of fluffiness.  The bottom of the bun (it was really the top) was super crispy and nutty.  Inside, there was considerable amount of soup that was only a touch greasy.  It was sweet and meaty with a bit of xiaoshing wine aroma.  The meat was tender and bouncy.  Really enjoyed this, but wished these were served hotter.  Since they are continuously pan-frying these, maybe our dish was possibly sitting for a bit.

We also went for with their other featured bun in the Shrimp Dumplings.  Sure, both the previous dish and this one are described as dumplings on the menu, but in reality, these are still buns in my opinion.  But as mentioned, their version is more like dumplings than the usual pan fried buns.  For the shrimp dumpling, it consisted of 3 whole shrimp hidden inside the thin layer of bun.  I found the shrimp to have a good rebound texture while being sweet.  There was a little less soup than the pork bun (maybe just less fat), but it was still tasty and full of umami.  Even though I liked this dumpling, I thought the pork version was superior in terms of impact and texture.

For our larger dishes, I went for their Signature Duck Vermicelli Soup.  The best part of that was the broth as it was slightly gelatinous and full of natural duck flavour.  Although the broth was seasoned, it wasn't heavy, thus it let the duck essence do the heavy lifting.  Other than the slippery vermicelli noodles, we found blood, gizzards, slices of duck and tofu puffs on top.  I thought the duck was fairly tender while the skin was a bit flabby.  Gizzards were on point with a certain chewiness without actually being tough.  The small cubes of blood had some bounce and that usual iron-finish.  Overall a solid, if not very subtle-tasting bowl of noodles.

On the other hand, the Diced Beef Hot & Sour Potato Starch Noodle Soup was much more bold in flavour.  With that being said, it wasn't overly spicy though.  The broth didn't have a considerable amount of depth but didn't taste like water either.  It helped that the little nuggets of beef (and the braising liquid) added the necessary meatiness for the bowl of noodles.  As for the noodles themselves, they were at their slippery best while being semi-soft.

One under-the-radar dish was the Mini-Pork Wontons in chicken broth.  Lightly sweet and not overly salty, the chicken broth was quite good.  Those mini-wontons featured delicate wrappers that were a bit soft.  Inside, the pork filling was rather tasty and definitely tender with some bounciness.  Sure, this wasn't a dish that would blow people away, but it was comforting and familiar.

Just to ensure we got something veggies into the meal, we opted for the Seasonal Vegetables.  This was actually blanched yau chow with some soy sauce.  Pretty simple dish, but at least the yau choy was cooked just right having a crunch left in the stalks while being cooked through.  Overall, the meal at Yang's was quite good and those pan-fried pork dumplings were on point.  I would come for those specifically, while the other dishes were average, but competent.

The Good:

- Those pan-fried pork dumplings

- Okay pricing

- Efficient system, get your food quickly

The Bad:

- Other items were average

Tanlu Grill

Cook-at-your-table Asian BBQ - we all seen it in one form or another in the Lower Mainland.  From the classic Korean BBQ to Japanese Yakiniku spots, there is no shortage of grilling your dinner restaurants.  However, most, if not all of these places feature propane-fuelled BBQ setups.  Nothing wrong with that, but on a recent visit to a charcoal grill in Richmond, I noticed that the intense head from the coals added more charring, caramelization and smokiness.  With that, I was excited to try out Tanlu Grill located in Central at Garden City also in Richmond.

Before we even ordered, we were presented with a selection of Banchan.  It included kimchi, fish cake, stewed potato, celery and pickled daikon.  We also found a green salad as well as romaine for wrapping the grilled meat.  The one item that was a bit different was the potatoes as it featured whole baby potatoes that were soft and coated with a sweet glaze.  They brought the flaming coals to our table and as you can see, it was ready for some grilling.  We appreciated that the exhaust was adjustable and really did a great job in preventing smoke from getting everywhere.

We ordered some meats to cook on the BBQ and the best of the bunch was the Royal Marinated Galbi.  Due to the intense heat from the coals, we had to keep a close eye on the meat as the sugars started to burn.  Once we got into a rhythm, the was completely caramelized and had an intense smokiness that created a flavour bomb of umami, meatiness and a sweet savouriness.  Moreover, the meat was super tender, yet still retained that classic short rib chew.

Going for another cut of beef, we chose the Sea Salt Marinated Beef Rib Fingers.  For those who don't know, this is the meat found in between the ribs.  Hence, they were rather fatty and are also meaty in texture.  When cooked on the charcoal grill, these seared up nicely due to the fat and hence, there was some smoky char.  There was enough marinade for the rib finger meat to stand on its own.  However, we had Tanlu House Dipping Trifecta at the table.  Also, we had bean paste, garlic and peppers to compliment the lettuce wrap.

One of the best values on the menu is the Pork Platter consisting of pork jowl, marinated pork shoulder, pork belly and pork sausage for $50.00.  The large slices of pork jowl were fatty and crisped up on the grill.  Despite not being marinated, the pork jowl was meaty and aromatic from the fat.  Pork belly was fatty, but rendered well on the grill and was delicious when wrapped in the romaine with the bean paste.  Due to the sugar content of the marinade, the pork shoulder had intense caramelization and smokiness.  It was also super tender and juicy.  As for the sausages, they had a nice snap while the meat was firm with a nice rebound texture.  They were sweet and full of umami.

We got some non-BBQ dishes to compliment our meal.  Served cold, the Beef Shank marinated in chili oil had a noted spiciness.  There was no shortage of thick slices of tender beef shank.  Normally, we would find thinner slices, but due to the robust nature of the chilis, the meat was able to stand up to the spice.  With slices of crunchy cucumber added to the mix, we had both texture and a refreshing bite to balance out the chilis.

Bubbling hot, the Dolset Bulgogi Bibimbap was plenty saucy.  As such, it didn't develop a socarrat (rice crust) despite the scorching hot stone bowl.  Despite that, the amount of sauce did not degrade the texture of the rice.  It was still chewy and was a good textural foil to the buttery soft beef.  With the sauce reducing in the hot bowl, it became intensely sweet with some balancing savouriness.  

When the plate of Japchae first arrived at our table, we were a little concerned with the excess moisture on the plate.  It may have been due to the ample mushrooms and spinach.  However, after a bit of time, most of the moisture was absorbed by the potato starch noodles and the dish wasn't any worse off.  The noodles were still al dente with a gelatinous chew while completely seasoned with an impactful sweetness.  Loved the crunch from the big pieces of woodear mushroom and the butteriness of the mushrooms.  Spinach was not overdone being still vibrant with an appealing colour.

At the end of our meal, we were presented with Marshmallows on skewers.  Yep, we were able to toast our marshmallows over the hot coals.  This was such a treat as it created a smoky and crispy crust that gave way to a melty and silky sweet centre.  Overall, we enjoyed out meal at Tanlu.  It cannot be overstated that the charcoal grill makes all the difference in the world.  The heat is more intense and it helps add depth through smokiness and caramelization.  Pro tip - do not over order on the meat as it is quite filling.  You can always order more as you go.

*Partial credit for this meal*

The Good:
- Charcoal makes a big difference in terms of smokiness and caramelization
- Good quality meats
- Excellent exhaust

The Bad:
- A bit too much moisture in the rice and noodle dishes 

 

Mr. Bowl

We've all seen our share of hidden restaurants in the city including ones in alleys, interior walkways and even ones that don't have actual signage.  Now here is another that is found near UBC.  You would never know it was there unless you were actually in the know or were looking for it.  Once inside, the place is quite large and spacious, especially for a restaurant near a University.  Mr. Bowl, as the name implies serves up rice and noodle bowls with a variety of components. In addition, the menu is a collection of small snacks and larger Northern Chinese, Szechuan and Taiwanese dishes.

We began with the smaller items including the Fried Chicken Wings and the Fried Pork Cutlet.  Nice touch with them being served on a wire rack as it kept things crispy.  The wings were golden brown with crispy well-rendered skin.  The meat was nicely brined being juicy and well-seasoned.  As for the cutlet, it was crunchy despite sitting for a bit (while we took photos).  The pork was moist and tender.  It was served with a tangy sauce that was akin to BBQ sauce.

We had a few more small dishes in the Braised Wheat Gluten and Braised Pork Trotters.  The wheat gluten was more or less pretty standard where they were rehydrated and then braised in a sweet sauce.  Each piece was tender and fully soaked.  As for the pork trotters, they were also tender, but still had bite.  The skin beautifully gelatinized and flavourful from the braise.  The meat was also tender.

We also ordered a small bowl of Hot & Sour Soup.  Although served in the size of a rice bowl, the soup was packed with ingredients.  There was more of that than the actual soup!  The usual bamboo shoots, carrots, tofu, wood ear, pork and egg drop were all there providing texture.  The soup itself was balanced with a good spice level.  To go with our dishes, we had the Scallion Noodles and the Soup Noodles as well.  I would say that both of them weren't particularly flavourful, but again, we were pairing it with the dishes that did have plenty of flavour.  The noodles were al dente with a nice chewiness, especially the scallion noodles.

Onto the biggest item we had, the Pickled Fish Soup was massive where the slices of snakehead fish seemed endless.  They were cooked perfectly being buttery and soft with a slight bite.  The broth itself was pleasantly tangy with a touch of sweetness and spice.  In addition to the mustard greens, we also found some bean curd strips and luncheon meat (aka Spam).  Normally, I don't really drink the soup because it can be salty, but this was quite nice.

 

Another large dish was the Tomato Braised Beef Brisket with Chinese Fried Dough Stick.  We added another dough stick for good measure!  It was a good idea because the dough stick (Yau Tiao) was excellent.  Light and fluffy inside with just the right amount of chew while the outside was crispy and not overly greasy.  It was also perfectly salted.  As for the stew, it was tomatoey but in a sweet way where the sauce was relatively thick.  The beef was fatty and tender.

 

We ended up ordering the Sweet & Sour Pork Ribs and these were quite good except it was on the greasier side.  Despite that, the meaty rib pieces were tender with minimal fatty portions.  The ribs seemed to be stewed before they were deep fried and then wok-tossed in sauce.  Hence, it would explain the fall-apart texture.  On that note, the ribs had an inherent flavour already that was complimented by the sweet and sour sauce that had the unmistakable taste of black vinegar.

 

As much as it didn't look overly impressive at first glance, the 3-Cup Chicken was rather delicious.  It was aromatic, tangy and sweet.  The dark meat was moist and juicy.  There was enough wok hei for caramelization as well.  Deceptive in size, the Cumin Beef Fried Rice didn't look like a lot in its modest-sized bowl.  However, there was actually lots of perfectly wok fried rice.  Each chewy and nutty grain was discernible with aromatics from the caramelization and earthy cumin.  This was one of my favourite dishes!  In fact, the food here at Mr. Bowl was super surprising.  We thought they were merely a place for rice and noodle bowls (like Dragon Bowl), but they are much more than that.  It is a full-blown restaurant dishing up classic dishes that are both well-portioned and well-executed.

 

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

 

The Good:

- On point food

- Large portions

- Reasonably-priced

 

The Bad:

- Location is not obvious, hope the word spreads

- Drinks are so-so 

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 

Zhengxin Chicken Steak

I don't think there is a more universally loved dish as fried chicken.  Almost every culture has their own version and for all that I've tried, they have all been awesome.  So we are all familiar with Southern Fried Chicken and more recently, the ever popular KFC (Korean Fried Chicken).  However, one type of fried chicken that is gaining traction, especially locally, is Chinese-style fried chicken.  Now, I'm not talking about the Cantonese-style crispy chicken.  Rather, it is the Northern Chinese one that incorporates a savoury seasoning that usually includes Szechuan peppercorns.  The first location of Zhengzin Chicken Steak (out of China) has set up shop in Burnaby on Kingsway near Metrotown.

To get a full rundown of the menu, we ended up with both of their Combos for Two including the Double Package A consisting of a Spicy Chicken Steak, Spicy Chicken Leg Burger, 6 Hot Wings, Fries and 2 drinks.  This was a fantastic value at only $36.95.  The wings were crispy while sporting juicy meat inside.  It was mildly spiced while seasoned completely.  Chicken steak was cut up for us and it was fairly tender with also a slight spiciness.  As for the burger, the deboned chicken leg was succulent and juicy.  It was also mildly spicy with some tingle on our tastebuds.  The bun was really thin and almost not there.  It was like a jiang beng but fluffier.

The Double Package B featured even more food with the Hawaiian Grilled Burger, Spicy Chicken Burger, Boneless Chicken Strips, 6 Orleans Wings, Fries and 2 drinks.  I thought the thin bun did not stand up to the wet ingredients of the Hawaiian burger very well.  However, the chicken was fantastic though being super juicy.  The addition of pineapple did give it plenty of sweetness and tang.  The chicken strips were very crunchy and a touch dry.  However, they were well-seasoned with the usual spices such as 5-spice, cumin and Szechuan peppercorns.  The Orleans wings were quite different as they were grilled.  Hence, they were a little less juicy, but still plenty tender.  Skin was fairly well-rendered and slightly sweet.  Fries were great being hot, crispy and plenty potatoey inside.

Last item was the Deep Fried Chicken Legs.  These were split down the middle and fried aggressively.  Hence, the outside was super crispy and the meat was on the drier side.  However, that worked as the texture was remarkably different than the juicy wings and leg in the burgers.  It helped concentrate the spices more so with its fall flavours having an earthy, licorice and spicy notes.  Overall, the fried chicken at Zhengxin was great with many different options that were unique in their own way.  Naturally, the seasoning is typical of Chinese fried chicken with its earthy, sweet and fall flavours.  Pricing is reasonable where the combos being a steal in my opinion.  Great for both take out and dine-in.

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

The Good:
- Solid fried chicken that is a different than the local version
- Large portions
- Combos are a great deal

The Bad:
- Some items are not exactly juicy, but they work in their own way
- The thin bun doesn't stand up to wet ingredients  

The Fishman

After my initial visit to The Fishman back in 2022, I really wanted to go back.  For a place that almost exclusively features fresh (mostly live) seafood, the prices are surprisingly reasonable.  Couple that with expert execution and just outright deliciousness, you can see why they are always busy.  This time around, I am incorporating 2 recent visits into one blog post.  I got to sample a few more items this time and you know what?  I love The Fishman even more so now!

On my first return visit, we started with the Jumbo Prawns.  These could be had in 2 different preparations - Sichuan or Salted Egg Yolk.   We chose the former and they were fantastic.  When they said jumbo, they weren't lying.  These giant prawns were deep fried perfectly where the shell was crispy and edible while the meat had a firm snap.  They were naturally sweet and a bit briny but the Sichaun peppercorns added numbing spice.  There was some earthiness to the dish from the use of cumin.

Next we had the Wok Fry Clams with Black Bean Sauce that also came in a pretty large portion.  Although there were a few unopened clams, most were opened and cooked well.  We didn't notice much sand either.  The clams were buttery with an appealing chewiness.  There was plenty of sauce, so we could spoon it out with the shells.  I thought the viscosity was on point.  As for flavour, there was enough fermented saltiness and garlic.  However, a bit more spice would've made it perfect.

For our larger dish, we selected from the fresh sheet and had the Live Boston Lobster with black truffle cream sauce and yee mein.   This was indeed a generous portion as there was plenty of yee mein.  It was perfectly cooked as it wasn't overly soft (despite it naturally being on the softer side).  The black truffle sauce was earthy and creamy but I wasn't sure it necessarily went with the lobster.  I felt it was delicious on its own, but ultimately overshadowed the sweet lobster meat.

To get some balance in our meal, we got the Stir-Fried Crown Daisy with red fermented tofu and Thai chili.  This was absolutely delicious as it made me go for seconds, thirds and fourths.  You see, I'm normally not a fan of crown daisy due to its pungency.  However, the liberal use of Nam Yu (red fermented tofu) helped balance the natural taste of the vegetable.  It was also cooked properly where it was completely wilted but still had crunch in the stalks.

Normally, the Sea Scallops come in an order of 4, but they only had 3 left.  Well, we weren't going to let that small detail from ordering it!  Turns out that it was a great move since they were so good.  Each scallop was large and super sweet.  They were buttery and had the contrasting chewy mantle surrounding it.   As expected, there was vermicelli underneath to soak up the natural juices.  On top, we found plenty of garlic and scallion that offered up aromatics and pungency.  Some sweet seafood soy helped flavour the dish.

On the next visit, we went for something similar to the scallops and went for the fresh sheet again with the Irish Razor Clams.  These were steamed in the same manner as the sea scallops.  Hence, the flavour profile had the sweet saltiness of the seafood sauce, the brightness of the green onion and pungency of the garlic.  I felt the sweetness of the razor clams to be equal to the scallops but maybe with more brininess.  Vermicelli was al dente and super delicious.  Clams were buttery with some bite.

We went big with the Spicy Fish Hot Pot with the ling cod option.  This was a massive bowl of food as it took up like one quarter of our table.  It was filled to the brim with tender and buttery slices of ling cod.  The fish was supremely fresh, sweet and had a taste of the sea.  It was sitting in a fairly spicy broth, but it was balanced as we could still taste the fish.  There was some Sichuan peppercorns in there for some numbing effect. We found some glass noodles, sprouts and tofu as well.

We also got a lobster for this meal as well with the Salted Egg Yolk Whole Lobster with sliced rice cakes.  Although the lobster was fried perfectly with a crispy starch exterior and bouncy and sweet meat, the salted egg yolk was a bit too dry and crumbly.  Don't get me wrong, it was still delicious with the nutty salted egg taste.  In fact, there was many discernible pieces of salted egg yolk.  However, it wasn't a sauce per se and didn't season everything equally.  This was due to the fact they used hard salted egg yolks.  Normally, this dish employs soft, almost watery salted egg yolks to create a sauce.

Going away from seafood, we went for some BBQ Skewers in chicken hearts, pork intestine and chicken knees.  I thought these were well-prepared too.  The chicken hearts were still juicy despite the charring on the outside.  They were well-seasoned with some spice, saltiness and earthiness.  Same could be said about the chicken knees as they had a nice crunch while still being moist.  The intestines were a bit more dry, but still had a moist interior to contrast the slight crispiness of the exterior.  I didn't find them particularly gamy as the seasoning did help mask it.  So these 2 revisits to The Fishman only helped validate what I already knew - they dish up fresh seafood in a delicious manner.  Considering the portion sizes and the quality of the seafood, I find the prices reasonable.  If you haven't checked them out, I recommend that you do!

The Good:

- Fresh seafood

- Delicious

- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:

- That parking lot is woefully insufficient

- Super busy at peak times, make sure you have a reservation

- Salted egg yolk should use liquid yolks not hard yolks