Marble House Eatery

Okay, I'm a little late to the party here with my post on Marble House Eatery...  All the hype and social media posts were on full display many months ago, but I was too busy to make it out there.  So for those who do not know, Marble House Eatery took over Top Gun Hot Pot in Crystal Mall.  They still have a reasonably-priced AYCE hot pot while also retaining Dim Sum service during the daytime.  Furthermore, they have been advertising their BBQ duck, in particular, one to takeout for a discounted price of $20.00.

So we gathered up the family, including the grandparents, to check the place out.  As such we ordered plenty of food including the Steamed Chicken Feet in sweet bean sauce.  These were fairly large in size and plump.  They were fried and then braised properly where the skin was tender while the fat/cartilage underneath was soft.  The flavour was indeed sweet, but also balanced off with enough savouriness as well as ample diced garlic.

As always, we also got the Steamed Garlic Spare Ribs with black beans.  As evidenced clearly in the picture, most pieces were the desirable bone portions.  Hence, there was very little fat and cartilage.  The meat was the right texture having a rebound with natural meatiness.  Seasoning was on point with enough saltiness for impact while the black beans and garlic came through.

So we ended up selecting 2 different Steamed Rice Noodle Rolls including shrimp and Chinese donut.  Although the rice noodle was torn with the shrimp, it was delicate, thin and soft.  It could've used a bit more elasticity, but it was fine.  The shrimp was medium-sized and were cold-water crunchy.  As for the donut, it was not really all that crispy anymore, but it was not dense.  Decent amount of dried pork floss on top.

Now onto the most important dish in any Dim Sum service, we had the Ha Gau (Steamed Shrimp Dumplings).  These were on the smaller side and featured a medium-thick dumpling skin.  It was full of elasticity and ate much better than it appeared.  Inside, the shrimp filling was quite good being sweet with enough seasoning (including background sesame oil).  Texturally, the shrimp had a moist snap.

The other dish that is a standard in Dim Sum is the Truffle Pork & Shrimp Siu Mai.  Well, maybe not the truffle, as it is more of recent trend, but the dumpling itself is a classic.  These were quite good where there was an equal amount of shrimp and pork.  The pork itself had a nice rebound texture while the shrimp had a buttery snap.  There was minimal amount of pork fat, yet the dumpling was still tender and juicy.  Seasoning was mild, but the ample truffle was impactful.

Normally, I would order some form of tripe, but I noticed on the menu there was a Beef Offal Hot Pot.  Yes, of course I had to get that!  This consisted of honeycomb tripe, spleen, lung, tendon and brisket with daikon.  I found this to be a bit bland, but I guess dipping the offal into hot sauce or hot oil was expected anyways.  Things were tender where the tripe still had a bite.  Brisket was a bit chewy, even though it was cooked enough.

There was no doubt we'd get the Shrimp Spring Rolls since the kids love them.  These were pretty good with a crunchy exterior that wasn't overly greasy.  Inside, the shrimp filling was in large chunks that were buttery with a snap texture.  They were seasoned well where the saltiness balanced the sweetness.  I liked how the shrimp weren't packed too tight while still not falling apart either.

One of the things here is that they cook certain dishes table side.  One of which is the Beef & Fish Congee.  So the ingredients were raw, so it did actually cook in the congee itself.  It was a little unnerving watching it because the staff were pretty busy.  I really wanted to stir it myself as it looked to be cooking quite rapidly.  In the end, they finished it off and it was not bad.  I thought the thickness was there and the seasoning was a bit light.  Fish and beef were tender.

Another item heated up table side was the Beef Brisket Noodles.  Since the items in this dish were already cooked, this was all about heating it up.  I thought this way, the noodles were a little overdone.  Soup was piping hot, but needed a bit more seasoning in my opinion.  There was ample brisket hidden underneath the noodles, but similar to the offal hot pot, I found it to be on the chewier side.

So the Salted Fish & Chicken Hot Pot Rice was also prepared on the dining room floor as well, just not at our table.  It was also on a butane burner and came out hot.  There was somewhat of a socarrat stuck to the bottom of the pot that was nutty and crunchy.  The rest of the rice was dry enough to have some nuttiness of its own.  I thought there could've been more chicken on top though.  It was tender and the salted fish added all the flavour that was needed.

One of my favourite Dim Sum dishes is the Bean Curd Skin Roll.  The one here was everything that I like about it.  First of all, the fried bean curd skin was chewy, yet tender at the same time.  Second, the filling was full of succulent and bouncy pork.  Lastly, the sauce was thick enough to adhere to the rolls (didn't get watered down by the steaming).  The flavour was just salty enough for impact.  Didn't matter though, I dipped it into Worcestershire.

Interestingly, the Beef Meatballs were in a certain shade of bright brown rather than the usual dull grey colour.  Maybe they used more dark soy?  Anyways, that didn't change the flavour much as it was still mild with a touch of sweetness.  Texturally, the meatballs were buttery soft with some firmness.  I liked how they didn't add too much green onion, so it wasn't overwhelming.

Onto dessert, we had the Egg Tarts as well as the Steamed Sponge Cake.  I found the egg tarts to be "okay".  The filling was good being silky, yet a bit too sweet.  However, the shell was a bit pale looking.  It was still flaky, but could've done with more colour.  Sponge cake was soft and fluffy while being only semi-sweet.  This was the better of the 2 desserts.  In the end, the Dim Sum was quite good with a few things that could've been better.  Service was friendly even though they were running around (probably hard to get a enough staff).  I would come back.

The Good:
- Decent Dim Sum
- Spacious seating
- Novelty of things cooked at your table

The Bad:
- Some refinement needed in particular dishes

Daisy Garden

Oh isn't this a blast from the past!  The original Daisy Garden burned to the ground 7 years ago and honestly, I didn't expect it to be resurrected.   This place is part of my childhood as I remembered my parents taking me regularly for wonton noodles, congee and BBQ meats.   So it is definitely with nostalgia that I suggested that we check the completely new space out with, you guessed it, my parents!  To complete the circle of life, it was my turn to bring my kids out to Daisy Garden.  Wonder if my kids will bring their kids?  Oh I am thinking too far into the future...

So dealing with the present, we were pleasantly surprised with the modern and inviting decor of the new Daisy Garden.  Their menu still had all the favourites including the Sui Kau Noodles and Wonton Noodles. We got them both and the broth was a bit disappointing.  It definitely had all of the aroma but had little depth and needed much more salt and shrimp shell flavour.  Noodles were good though being cooked properly with an appealing chewiness.  Although the wontons were on the smaller side, they were good consisting of mostly shrimp.  The texture was on point with a buttery snap.  As for the siu gau, the addition of wood ear mushroom provided more crunch and there was a bit more pork which made it meatier.

Of course, I had to get a bowl of Congee and decided on the pork liver and meat ball (although this also contained pork stomach and pork kidney as well).  I found the congee itself to be properly thick with a nice viscosity.  It was enough to coat a spoon but not too thick where it was pasty either.  There was a decent amount of meat where the liver was tender.  In terms of seasoning, I thought the congee was much more home-style where it was rather mild.  I really didn't mind that as we can always add more salt and white pepper.  We got a side of Salty Donut to go with the congee and it as money.  Light, airy and crunchy, it was none too greasy either.

To complete the trifecta of required eats at a restaurant like Daisy Garden, we got the Three BBQ Meat Combo Plate.  Our choices included BBQ Duck, BBQ Pork and Roast Pork (we asked for no wing for the BBQ duck where they honoured the request without extra charge).  I would say the BBQ duck was the best of the bunch with rendered crispy skin.  The meat was tender and well-seasoned as well.  The BBQ pork was a rather fatty piece, but that also meant the meat was tender and gelatinous.  It was also well-charred and nicely sauced with the classic sweet glaze.  We weren't that impressed with the roast pork as it was dry and rather bland.  On the other hand, the crackling was crunchy though.

Another fan favourite we ordered was the Pan Fried Rice Noodle with Sliced Beef.  Some people consider this dish as much of a measuring stick as any other in a Chinese restaurant.  So this version lacked a bit of colour, but that was mostly due to the conservative use of dark soy.  Otherwise, there was a enough wok heat to create caramelization and keeping the noodles in one piece without using an obscene amount of oil.  I would've liked to see more seasoning though as the dish ate a bit bland.  There was a good amount of tender sliced beef though and that helped add a bit more flavour.

Our one rice dish was the Curry Brisket and Tendon with white rice.  We rather enjoyed this one as the curry had a balanced amount of coconut milk that made it creamy without being overly heavy.  The actual curry flavour was a bit watered down, but not unusual for a Cantonese version.  Each piece of brisket was fairly tender and some where a bit fattier.  I found the tendon to be a bit too soft and some were almost melting into the curry.  So in the end, this was definitely a walk down memory lane and it was worth a visit just for the nostalgia.  I thought that the food was fine, if not a bit on the pricier end given the portion size.  Not my first choice for this type of food in town, yet also not a bad choice either if you were in the area.

The Good:
- It has got that nostalgic factor for many people
- Nice welcoming decor
- Decent eats

The Bad:
- Just a smidge on the more pricier side compare to competitors
- Food is decent, but there is better

SY Farm Market

After a hiatus in my goal to try all the Chinese BBQ joints in the Lower Mainland, I made an impromptu stop at SY Farm Market on Hastings.  When I say impromptu, I really mean it as in "make a last minute lane change and turn onto a side street".  No, I didn't cause an accident nor cut-off anyone in the process.  Now on the other hand, next time I'm in Richmond, I will do the opposite because when in Rome...  Now back to the Chinese BBQ, the random stop was because I didn't have anything to cook for dinner and this was the best way to make it simple.

I picked up some BBQ Pork which was mostly lean with some fatty portions.  I found the meat to be slightly dry due to the cut of meat.  It was still sufficiently tender though.  Unlike the one found at HK BBQ Master (which I always use as a baseline comparison), this one was not charred enough nor was balanced in flavour.  It was more salty than sweet.  Overall, a serviceable portion of BBQ Pork, but not memorable.  I also got half a Soy Sauce Chicken and it was fantastic.  The skin was in a beautiful dark soy hue while the meat was moist and juicy (even the white meat).  I found that the soy cooking liquid had penetrated the meat, hence, it was flavourful on its own.  The size of the chicken was rather substantial as well.

Since I was going to use a portion of the BBQ Duck for stir-fried noodles, I decided to get a whole one.  The skin was nicely rendered and crispy while sporting a decent roasted hue.  Both the breast and thigh meat were succulent and well-seasoned.  Furthermore, I found that the duck was quite meaty since there was a substantial amount of meat after deboning.  On another visit, I picked up the soy chicken again and also the Roast Pork.  The meat was a tad on the drier side while being pretty salty.  The crackling was decent being a firm crunch.  So after trying out the main proteins, I will definitely come back for the soy sauce chicken and BBQ duck.  Not so sure with the BBQ pork or roast pork though.

The Good:
- Reasonably priced
- Really good soy sauce chicken

The Bad:
- Pork products are average

China World Supermarket

Sometimes, the best dining ideas come from reader suggestions.  Frequent commenter LotusRapper gave me the heads up about China World Supermarket in Richmond, where he found inexpensive Chinese BBQ.  At first, I wasn't sure if he was being serious or trying to con me into heading into Richmond to experience traffic purgatory and equally mind-numbing crowds in a supermarket complete with chaotic long lineups.  Well, all of that was true when I headed into the city of courtesy cars, but I will travel for food (even if it means stress).

I was lucky to secure a spot in the parking lot and headed into the market.  Let's just say the market itself was nothing to look at and neither was the BBQ stand.  However, the guy was friendly enough and I proceeded to get a whole BBQ Duck (only half shown in the picture) for $11.99.  Although it looked like the duck had an uneven tan, the skin itself was nicely rendered.  The meat was quite juicy and not overly salty.  The Roast Pork was on the lower end of the Chinese BBQ continuum as it was a touch dry and chewy.  The crackling was crunchy, but not in an airy way, more like a harder texture.

I also got a BBQ Pork on Rice and it was a decent portion for $3.60.  The piece of pork was a leaner piece, hence it wasn't overly juicy.  It was still moist enough though with a decent bark where the marinade penetrated through the meat. It was more savoury than sweet and could've used more glaze.  Overall, the BBQ items were passable and very well-priced.  Not sure if I'd drive back to get it, but if I need a quick cheap lunch, it would be okay.

The Good:
- Cheap
- Decent portions for the price (rice box)
- Person at the counter was nice

The Bad:
- Average
- Could they make something like a lineup in Richmond anymore chaotic?  Yes, I guess they can...

Delicious BBQ (Crystal Mall)

As mush as one can get Chinese BBQ from a number of places including T&T, most fall within the average.  To get really good Chinese BBQ, there are only a few places that are worth the drive.  For me, HK BBQ Master is worth the obstacle course, otherwise known as #3 Road (Parker Place BBQ across the street is respectable as well).  Hopewell in Vancouver (in the T&T complex) is no slouch either while Delicious BBQ in Crystal Mall is also worth a visit.  Ironically, all 3 require one to exhibit extreme patience and to risk their car's health.  I decided to grab a few items from Delicious since I was in the mall already.

I dug into the Roast Pork first and it was texturally on point.  By virtue of being pork belly, it was fatty and moist.  There was a definite roast pork essence, yet I felt they could've been a bit more aggressive with the seasoning.  On the other hand, this was easily alleviated with hoisin sauce.  As for the crackling, it was light and crisp without being too crunchy.  A solid roast pork indeed.  Next, I sampled the BBQ Duck.  For half a duck, the styrofoam box was bursting at the seems.  This was one large and meaty duck.  Hence, the breast meat was substantial where it was moist and tender.  I liked how it was seasoned enough that I could taste it without being overly salty.  The skin was aesthetically-pleasing and somewhat rendered where it was edible without having a big chunk of fat in my mouth.

The best of the three was the BBQ Pork.  I chose to have the half-fat portion since that is the only way to eat BBQ pork (in my opinion).  Therefore, it was super moist and fatty.  In fact, the meat was practically melt-in-my-mouth tender where the bark provided a nice chewiness and flavour.  I found the marinade to be on the saltier side (could've used more sweetness), but it was fine and one would be eating it with rice anyways. On another visit, I got half of the Free-Range Soy Chicken.  As expected, the meat was lean.  That meant the chicken was on the drier chewier side.  In terms of the soy, I found that the sauce had penetrated the meat making it slightly salty.  This was not bad, but the BBQ items were better.  Once again, HK BBQ Master is still tops in my books, but in Burnaby, Delicious is more than acceptable.

The Good:
- Best Chinese BBQ in Burnaby
- Moist meats

The Bad:
- They try to up sell too much and the lady gives attitude if you don't bite
- That parking lot...

Hopewell BBQ

For the longest time, in an act of sheer convenience, I would get my Chinese BBQ from T&T (specifically the Renfrew & 1st location).  Not the worst stuff one could get, but certainly there is much better for sometimes less money.  This time around, I found a parking spot on Renfrew (which meant I didn't have to suffer the parking hell downstairs), meaning I would walk right past Hopewell BBQ.  Having tried their stuff before, I decided to finally blog about it and thus, staying away from the T&T BBQ. 

Their Roast Pork has some similarities to HK BBQ Master as they only use the pork belly and ribs rather than the entire pig.  This way, the employment of this meat ensures more flavour, fattier and moist meat and the most important thing of all, a better crackling.  However, we found the crackling to be quite different than HK BBQ Master.  Rather than a light and airy crunchiness, we got a more firm crunch.  As for the meat, it was juicy, nicely seasoned and dripping with fat - wonderful. The BBQ Duck had a nice hue with a well-rendered skin.  The meat itself was really moist including the breast.  It wasn't overseasoned, but it wasn't lacking in flavour either from the star anise and five spice.

The piece of BBQ Pork we got was on the leaner side so it wasn't exactly fatty and moist.  However, it wasn't dry either and had a decent bark with a slight sweetness.This one pales in comparison to HK BBQ Master as there was a lack of charring on the outside and lack of intense flavours.  However, with all thing considered, the stuff at Hopewell is definitely above-average and one of the better ones in Vancouver.

The Good:
- Above average BBQ
- Okay pricing

The Bad:
- Bad parking lot

Kam Gok Yuen

Way back when, Chinatown was the place to be.  It was the only place where you could buy groceries, eat Dim Sum and wonton noodles. Oh how times have changed. Most younger folk would rather flock to Richmond instead.  With that in mind, Milhouse and I decided to take a stroll down memory lane (sans the spitting) after Sunday hockey.  We decided to check out a classic being Kam Gok Yuen.  Now this is a place we haven't been to in over 20 years!

We ended up sharing 3 items beginning with the BBQ Pork and Duck Rice.  It was of a decent portion with plenty of meat.  We found the BBQ pork to be quite good where it exhibited that almost jerky-like exterior which was sweet and firm.  It gave way to a soft, yet meaty interior.  The BBQ duck was rather salty, but it had a nice texture where it was tender and a bit chewy at the same time.  The rice was nicely sauced with the braising liquid from the duck.

Next up was the Wonton Noodle. Consisting of pork and shrimp, the modestly-sized wontons were okay.  The shrimp had a nice snap, yet the pork was a bit too soft for my liking.  Flavourwise, it was sweet with a nice sesame oil hit.  I found the noodles to be slightly past al dente where it was not chewy anymore.  The soup was really mild and bordering on bland.  The Preserved Egg and Salted Pork Congee was pretty good despite being thickened with starch.  It was silky and thick with just enough salt.  There was plenty of preserved egg and nicely-sized pieces of real salted pork. So with basic sample of the food at Kam Gok Yuen, we found it to be fine considering its ol' skool roots.  Nothing fancy, but it does the job.

The Good:
- Okay eats
- Ol' skool for sure

The Bad:
- Okay eats, but of course there is more progressive stuff elsewhere

Friend's BBQ

Not too long ago, I noticed that Mui Garden along North Road had closed.  That was somewhat of a surprise since they are quite well-known for their Curry Brisket and Free-Range Chicken.  On a personal level, I never thought those 2 items would qualify as a "must eat" in Vancouver, but they did have their die-hard followers nonetheless.  Anyways, Friend's BBQ Restaurant has replaced it and we decided to give their "pick your own meal" for 4 a try (and one additional item as well).  Included in the meal was soup, plain rice or fried rice and dessert ($53.95).  One thing I noticed on the menu was that each additional a la carte item was a surprisingly high $14.50.  The soup of the day was Carrot Soup (regular and green).  It was quite mild tasting with only 2 small pieces of pork.

The first dish to arrive was the BBQ Plate which featured BBQ pork, roast pork and BBQ duck.  Despite the visuals, the duck and the pork were a bit pale and not particularly appetizing to look at.  However, the pork crackling was crunchy and airy.  On the other hand, the pork was a touch dry.  I found the BBQ duck a bit salty (although we were given the thigh) while the BBQ pork had a nice flavourful bark and was moist. The Shrimp and Eggs was a nicely prepared dish where the eggs were barely cooked and silky.  As for the shrimp, they were crunchy and of a decent size.  There was a proper amount of salt in this dish.

Our additional item was the Shredded Duck Vermicelli, which arrived with no duck.  We had to send it back.  When we did get to eat it, the noodles were still chewy despite the moisture.  It was an acceptable dish, yet needed more salt and possibly a touch of spice.  As an observation, they didn't seem particularly fazed with the error.  More on that later...  For our veggie dish, we selected an item that carried a $3.00 surcharge being the Stir Fried Pea Tips.  The pea tips were a little "old", which made them a less tender and a touch stringy.  They were prepared nicely though with good wok heat (no pool of water at the bottom of the place) and plenty of garlic.

Onto a meat dish, the Peking Pork Chops were in a radioactive shade of red.  We found the pork far too thin which made them dry and chewy.  As for the sauce, it was too neutral to have any impact.  There was not enough tang nor savouriness.  The colour was deceivingly flavourful.  Okay, the BBQ Pork Fried Rice arrived almost an hour after we had ordered.  What ultimately happened was a comedy of errors and lack of care by the staff.  Not only did we have to remind them we were waiting for it (as we already finished practically all of our dishes), they gave it to another table when it was ready.  Then when it finally arrived, there were green onions in it despite our constant nagging to exclude it.  We felt that they didn't really care we waited an hour for fried rice and naturally nothing was done with the bill.  I realize this is a Chinese restaurant, but I'm done with that excuse.  If the food was spectacular or a good value, I would entertain the notion of letting the mistake(s) go, but neither was the case here.

The Good:
- Only Chinese BBQ in the area (and it's alright)
- Some okay dishes

The Bad:
- Parking lot sucks
- Service is okay, but doesn't take proper responsibility with mistakes
- Food is average and priced too high