Dessert Artisanaux

Although there are a decent amount of Chinese dessert spots in town, I feel there aren't that many that truly stand out.  I guess Snackshot would be one that is fairly memorable partly due to their unique-looking desserts (such as the Mahjong one).  There is Blackball, which I've been to many times before.  It is fine and I have no problem going there too.  One of the busier spots is Tina Cakes on Kingsway, which I've been to twice without blogging about it (not sure why I haven't), but there is a newer spot nearby called Dessert Artisanaux.  They are constantly busy and their stuff ain't cheap.  Well, I drop by 2 times and yes, I'll blog about it!

The thing to get here is the Mochi Pistachio Paste.  I've had this twice and it is so texturally pleasing due to the soft spoonable mochi.  It is super delicate and has a great mouth-feel.  Beyond that, the bright green pistachio paste is nutty, sweet and aromatic.  It compliments the mochi well since it is not overpowering.  It allows the natural sweetness of the mochi to come through.  Some chopped pistachios add some crunch and extra nuttiness.

They have a pretty solid Pomelo Mango Sago here.  It is lightly creamy, purposefully sweet and refreshing.  Now that gets kicked up a few notches with the Coconut Jelly Noodles and Mini Glutinous Rice Balls with Mango Pomelo Sago.  Yes, that is a mouthful, but when eaten, it is truly a mouthful!  Beyond the good parts of the basic version, this one has the creamy coconut jelly noodles.  This adds aromatics and more sweetness.

If you think that is a mouthful, try the Taro ball, Taro, Coconut Jelly Noodles,Sago,Peach Gum,Mini Glutinous Rice Balls with Coconut Milk.  Yah, this has everything but the kitchen sink and well, it is quite good mainly due to the creamy and nutty taro paste.  Combining it with the aromatic coconut noodles, we have a lot of flavours going on.  The chewiness of the mochi balls and peach gum add more texture and believe it or not, this isn't all that sweet either.

The Taro with Coconut Milk Black Glutinous Rice is also aromatic with the same creamy taro paste and sweet coconut milk.  We have chewy black glutinous rice that offers up its own sweetness and texture.  You can order anything in a takeout container if you wish, so you can take anything you don't finish home.  We did that because we order lots!  Overall, the desserts here are good and there are many choices on the menu.  Prices are on the higher side though, but as you can see, I have been here more than once.  That means, I will be coming back for more...

The Good:
- Lots of choice
- Above average
- Not too sweet

The Bad:
- A bit expensive
- Needs more servers
- Parking is a bit difficult at times

Big Way Hot Pot (New West)

Okay, I'm sure most of you have visited Big Way Hot Pot (or something similar) by now.  Unless you have been living under a rock, you would know that there has been an explosion of "build-your-own hot pot" restaurants in the Lower Mainland (and also other parts of North America).  You grab a bowl, pick your ingredients, get it weighed and pick a broth (or dry mix).  Food is brought to you when it has been cooked and when you are done eating, you can grab a to-go container.  Oh, and there is complimentary ice cream as well (with differing quality).  So I've been to the original Big Way location on Kingsway when it first opened.  Now I've made many visits to the large New West spot recently. 

As mentioned, this location at New West Station is large and spacious.  Situated in a former pub, it is a unique-looking dining room for hot pot (especially the crescent booth seating).  There is also much more space for the refrigerated display cases.  However, there is a bottleneck at the entrance and the start of the serve-yourself line.  You will find an tablet where you can put you name on a wait list.  Better yet, just do it online before you arrive.

After you grab your ingredients (you can save money, if you ease up on the meatballs, tofu and anything that has shells), you walk up to the till and have it weighed.  Pick your broth and take a number, it will be delivered to you shortly.  One of the more popular broth options is the Collagen Bone Broth.  This one is best for people who don't want anything too flavourful nor spicy.  It does have some meatiness and it is on the milder side.  I personally wouldn't pick this one though.

For me, the one to get is the Tomato Broth.  It isn't as concentrated as some of the competitors, but it does have the classic tangy sweetness.  It does taste like tomatoes and is properly seasoned in my opinion.  I find that this works well with meats as it is robust enough.  Furthermore, I like this broth with any noodles that will absorb a lot of moisture (such as dried noodles or instant noodles).  It takes on all of that flavour.  You can also have this in spicy and that is even more tasty.

So on the topic of spicy, there is the Signature Ma La Tang.  I've had this a few times and dependent on the time of day, it can be remarkably spicier or milder (you can also chose the spice level).  I think as the day goes on, the broth gets more concentrated?  Not sure, but there is some inconsistency.  When it is spicy, there is a real kick that lingers.  Underneath that spice, there is definitely some saltiness and sweetness.  I think this broth goes well with any of the sliced meats.  

Beyond the tomato broth, I also really enjoy their Miso Broth.  It is one of the more impactful soups where the saltiness does come through.  This goes really well with anything, but in particular tofu products.  It helps flavour them in a way that enhances the natural taste.  Noodles benefit from this broth as it adds the necessary seasoning.  Veggies do really well with this as well where it brings out the natural sweetness.

Finally, the most flavourful broth in my opinion is the Tom Yum Broth (with coconut).  It is super fragrant with a big hit of lemongrass as well as the galangal.  The coconut comes through with aromatics and the tanginess makes things super appetizing.  If you can imagine, this works well with both meat and seafood, but I find it compliments seafood the best.  The brininess pairs well with the Thai components of the broth.  Noodles do well too.

Of course, when you are done, complimentary Soft-Serve Ice Cream comes your way.  Depending on the day, you might find a vanilla, matcha or black sesame.  The picture here is the matcha.  This is not my favourite as it is quite gritty.  Tastes okay though, not too bitter.  The vanilla is the best in my opinion.  Now you won't confuse this with good soft serve such as Dairy Queen, but it is no extra charge.  So, is Big Way still the king of the hill after all of the copy cats have arrived?  I would say it is still one of the best and holds its own.  Other spots such as Datang may have more concentrated broths and at Jojo, lobster broth.  I do like this New West location as it has a parkade (paid though) and it is has lots of tables (and a view of the Fraser River).  

The Good:
- Spacious location
- Convenient, has parking and right at the Skytrain station
- Reliable eats

The Bad:
- Entrance is a bottleneck
- No validated parking

 

Mokran

Here we are with another Chinese Korean restaurant, Mokran in Langley (specifically Walnut Grove).  Just like the name suggests, the food is mainly Korean with Chinese influences.  Dishes such as Jajangmyeon, Tangsuyuk and Jjamppong are some common menu items that we find at these places.  When we arrived, the restaurant was super busy with a lineup for lunch.  Looking at the portion sizes, we could see why.  Combined with reasonable prices, they have 2 of the things needed for the trifecta of the perfect restaurant.  The last is factor is the actual food quality and taste.  Of course we did ordered a good selection to find out!

The first item we had was the Haemul Nurung Ji Tang served in a massive bowl.  This starch-thickened seafood hot pot was mild-tasting, but not lacking in flavour.  It had some depth, pepperiness and savouriness.  In addition, there was some base smokiness from the original stir-fry with the ingredients (before the broth was added and thickened).  The best part was the side of scorched rice that was super crispy and light.  Combined with the thick broth, these rice patties were super delicious.

The next dish to hit the table was huge plate of Tangsuyuk (Sweet & Sour Pork).  Each piece was fairly large, moist and tender.  Even the thinner slices of meat were not hard nor dry.  The batter was medium-thick and appealingly crunchy.  I liked how the starch batter was not gummy, such as other versions I've had.  As much as the batter does absorb quite a bit of oil, this didn't eat particularly greasy.  As for the sauce, it was on the tangier side, but that is my preference anyways.

Something along the same lines but very different was the Cream Saeu.  This was essentially battered and fried prawns in a creamy mayo sauce.  Even though the batter looked the same, this one uses corn starch while the Tangsuyuk uses potato starch.  Hence this one was a touch harder.  The shrimp itself was meaty with briny sweetness.  It sat on a bed of shrimp chips which began to absorb the tangy and sweet sauce.  Due to the heaviness of the mayo, this ate more robust too.

The most impressive-looking plate of the bunch was the Yangjangpi featuring stir fried onions and zucchini surrounded by julienned carrots, cucumber and beef shank, squid, shrimp and marinated jellyfish.  We also found some mung bean noodles on top.  When mixed together, this was quite the variety of textures and flavours.  There was some pretty smoky wok hei with the onion which added plenty of umami..  Loved the chewiness of the noodles too.

Even though the Fried Rice seemed like a boring choice off the menu, we picked it so we could experience more wok hei.  Although it is hard to tell from the picture, the rice was indeed subjected to high wok heat.  Hence, the rice was nutty and smoky.  Furthermore, each grain of rice was discernible without being clumpy.  The texture was on point with a chewiness and certain dryness.  Hidden inside, we found buttery shrimp and fluffy egg.  On the side, there was some black bean sauce and cabbage salad.

On the topic of black bean sauce, we did order the Jajangmyeon as well.  This is such a staple for these types of restaurants and this version didn't disappoint.  First of all, there was a wealth of chewy noodles covered with a thick and rich sauce.  It was lightly sweet from the onions and had only a mild saltiness from the black beans.  Plenty of umaminess though where it completely flavoured the noodles.  We kept eating this and it didn't seem like we put a dent into it.

Our other noodle option was the Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup.  Once again, there was no shortage of chewy noodles within the spicy broth.  Yes, it was noticeably spice with sweet and briny notes.  The seafood was mainly squid and shrimp which were cooked properly.  Overall, we really enjoyed the food at Mokran.  It was flavourful and things were prepared the way it should be.  Good wok hei with anything that was stir-fried.  However, the biggest draw is the portion sizes.  They are absolutely huge.  You will totally get your money's worth here.

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

The Good:
- Huge, and I mean HUGE portions
- Delicious
- Well-priced for what you get

The Bad:
- Super busy, be prepared to wait
- Seating can be tight depending where you sit

Jojo Hot Pot

I'm sure most of you have either visited or heard of Big Way Hot Pot where you grab your own ingredients and are charged by weight.  There are a variety of broths available including some spicy ones.  Well, that concept took off and now we are beginning to see the competitors roll into the party.  I've tried Datang out in Richmond and now it is time to check out Jojo Hot Pot, in particular, the West Van location.  This is actually a rebrand of Grandma Liu Hot Pot.  Jess and I made our way to Ambleside where we found Jojo Hot Pot right on Marine Drive with its upstairs dining room.

Similar to all of the other build-your-own hot pot places, there was a selection of veggies, meats, fish meatballs, seafood, bean curd products and noodles.  Things definitely looked fresh and clean.  However, their labelling could improve as some items were not where they should have been.  I know what everything is, but for those who don't, it can be confusing.  If you look at my pot of raw ingredients, I put all of the veggies underneath and loaded up with lean pork belly, snakehead fish slices, fried bean curd, quail eggs, bean curd ribbons, lobster ball, razor clams, half-lobster, abalone and dried noodles (non-fried).  If you can believe it, this was only $37.00 even though it was quite heavy. 

I went for the Jojo Broth which was pork bone-based.  This was pretty impactful with a meaty umaminess.  It was bordering on salty, but I thought that was necessary to keep the flavour while dealing with the excess moisture from the components (such as the veggies and meat).  As for the ingredients, they cooked it nicely as the spinach was not mushy while the seafood retained their optimal texture.  Of course the broth took on some of the natural sweetness and brininess.

Jess had the Lobster Broth and yes, it tasted exactly how I would've imagined it to be.  Fragrant, briny, sweet and lobstery, this had depth and helped flavour all of the other components.  Oddly enough, she didn't pile on as many things as I did, but still ended up to be roughly the same amount as me.  I think it was the fact she had corn and a bunch of fish ball products, which are some of the heaviest things available.  Whatever the case, she still enjoyed it and the broth was excellent.

We had one more option at the table and it was the Miso Broth.  I thought this was quite impactful with the rich saltiness of the miso being front and centre.  Now it wasn't salty though.  The fermented flavour was dominant and it helped season all of the components.  That was especially true with the wide noodles.  Sure, you could dunk everything into the custom dip you make at the sauce bar, but things would be flavourful on its own.

On the topic of the Sauce Bar, it was simple but had all of the necessary items to create your custom dip.  We also had some of their drinks including the Passion Fruit Tea and Cloud Milk Tea.  I really liked the passion fruit tea because it was light and refreshing.  Perfect compliment to the hot pot.  The cloud milk tea was good too being just sweet enough while being creamy with nice tea flavour.  I liked it by itself, but probably not with my hot pot.  In the end, Jojo hot pot was solid with flavourful broths including lobster.  This is a great alternative to Big Way.

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

The Good:

- Flavourful broths

- They have lobster broth!

- Fresh ingredients

The Bad:

- This particular location has limited space, especially in the ingredients line

Fusion Delight

Rounding up all the relatives for one meal, we ended up having a party of 16 people.  Now we all know that means only one thing...  We met for Chinese food!  One of my cousins suggested Fusion Delight out in San Leandro.  She had recently attended a wedding there and was impressed with the food and the spacious dining room.  As its name suggests, there are some fusion elements to their cuisine.  As you can see in the picture, it was pouring rain...  I guess we brought that to Cali from Vancouver in December...

We kicked things off with the BBQ Pork with honey BBQ sauce.  On looks alone, this was completely legit.  The bark was so charred and caramelized that we could smell it.  Of course, that meant not only an intense smokiness, there was nuttiness and impactful sweetness.  If that wasn't enough, they made sure of things by drizzling a good amount of the honey BBQ sauce on top.  It wasn't overly sweet since it was a mixture that included maltose.  The meat itself was a mix of lean and fatty portions, so it was juicy and tender.

Since all of the kiddies enjoy Peking Duck, we had no choice but to order it.  Turns out the adults loved it too!  the skin had an appealing rich mahogany hue while being crispy and low on the fat.  Beyond that, it was also aromatic and flavorful on its own.  Underneath, the meat was tender and juicy with a mild brine.  Rather than the usual steamed flour crepes, we found steamed bao instead.  These were fluffy and provided a nice contrast to the crispy skin.

One of the most expensive items we had was the half of a Suckling Pig for $158.00.  I guess it was worth it because it was a significant portion and at first glance, it looked to be roasted beautifully.  That it was when we bit into the crispy crackling.  It was so light that it broke apart on contact.  Really great texture and aromatic.  As for the meat underneath, it had a balanced amount of fat where it helped keep things moist and provided natural flavor.

Keeping the meats coming, we had the Braised Short Ribs.  These were majestically plated with the meat sliced off the bone and presented on the bone.  With the meat being fatty in the first place, it was a good start in terms of the flavor and juiciness department.  Combined with a proper braise, the meat was fall-apart tender.  To literally top things off, a sweet, garlicky and sticky glaze was poured over the meat.  Really delicious and highly-recommended.

To get the obligatory veggies into the meal, we had a pair of dishes in the Stir-Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic and the Stir-Fried Yau Choy with Garlic.  As you can imagine, the flavor profile of both dishes was very similar.  There was enough seasoning in both so that the veggies has some salty sweetness to them as well as the aroma of seared garlic.  Naturally, the pea shoots had a different texture with tender leaves with a crunch.  The yau choy had a slightly more robust texture with more moisture.

One item we ordered sounded great even before we got it.  The Salted Egg Yolk Chicken Wings also looked great when it hit the table too.  Many times, this dish has all the promise, only to fall down flat due to a variety of factors.  Those didn't happen there as the amount of salted egg yolk sauce was enough to properly coat each wing and to provide that unmistakable salty, nutty and aromatic flavor.  Futhermore, the skin was crispy and slightly rendered while the meat inside was juicy and also seasoned.

Continuing the same theme, we also had the Whole Garlic Fried Chicken.  This was a variation of the classic Cantonese dish where a whole brined chicken is deep fried until crispy while the meat is still juicy.  The brine on the chicken is the key as it not only flavors the meat, it keeps it from drying out.  This was exactly the case here with rendered crispy skin with an added element of fried garlic as well.  A nice and simple twist of a common menu item.

So far, we hadn't tried any seafood, but that all changed when the huge piece of French Baked Sea Bass Fillet arrived at our table.  The picture doesn't do it justice as it was massive.  It was also perfectly cooked despite being so thick.  The meat was flaky and buttery with plenty of moisture.  On the outside, it was seared and slightly charred.  Hence, there was a good contrast of textures and flavors.  The outside was smoky and somewhat sweet.

So we got back on the meat wagon with the Peking Pork Chops.  Yep, this was the for the kids too and hey it was pretty solid.  Each pork chop had enough meat so that it was still tender with moisture while the outside had some crispiness.  As you can see, there was just enough sauce to coat each piece without leaving a goopy messy on the plate.  The sauce was balanced being tangy and sweet with some smokiness.  Only wished there wasn't an oil slick on the plate.

In a roundabout kind of way, we got more vegetables in the form of Wok Fried Pork Cheeks and Chives.  As you can see, this included both chives and flowering chives.  Hence there was a different in texture and taste.  These were still crunchy and vibrant from the high heat wok hei.  Good aroma and no residual moisture on the plate.  As for the sliced pork cheek, there was caramelization and proper amount of seasoning.  It had the usual bouncy tender texture.

To end things off, we had the Classic Special Fried Rice.  This rice had a little bit of everything including seafood, cured sausage, egg, tobiko and green onion.  There was good wok hei where the rice was nutty and chewy (in a good way).  Lots of aroma and enough seasoning.  In the end, we thought the meal was pretty good, especially for the portion sizes and price.  Service is a bit hit and miss since the place is super busy.  Also a bonus is the large parking lot, you will probably find a space.

The Good:

- Large portions

- Decent eats

- Reasonable-pricing

The Bad:

- Service is hit and miss

Malatown

So I'm sure you are now well-versed with the build-your-own-hot-pot joints that are popping up all over North America.  The trend started in Australia and now you can find these places in most major cities.  Back home in Vancouver, we have Big Way Hot Pot as well as some copy cats (mind you Big Way is a copy cat too), but since we were in the Bay Area, the place to be is Malatown.  As its name suggests, they do have spicy Mala broth (Szechuan) as well as many other choices.

We made 2 trips to 2 different Malatown locations including Union City and Milpitas.  The picture of the front and the self-serve areas are from the Milpitas location.  For me, I think the older Union City location is more cramped (even though they seem the same size) and this time around, didn't have the broth options that the Milpitas store had.  The parking situation seem to be roughly the same with Milpitas having possibly a few more spots available.

Before I discuss the broth options, there is a trick to keep the cost down since they weigh the items that you choose.  Try to stay away from wet things like many of the meatballs, things with shells, tofu and udon.  Thinly sliced meats, leafy greens and dried noodles are the lightest options.  Being the most popular choice, the Beef Bone Broth Base is mild, meaty and great for those who do not want spicy or anything too strong.  Perfect for adding your favourite meats and noodles.  There is a good salt level to the broth too.

Their second most popular soup base is the Szechaun Spicy Soup Base, which by the way, is in their namesake aka Mala spice.  As such, this broth is full of impact with Szechuan peppercorns.  The numbing and spiciness from the broth is extra hot if you ask for the spiciest level.  This goes real well with sliced meats, tofu skins, tripe and mushrooms.  If you do add noodles to this mix, beware, it soaks up the soup and it gets pretty spicy.  Be prepared to blow your nose often.

Their 3rd most popular broth is the Chicken Broth Base.  It is just as mild as the beef, yet has more sweetness and is super clean.  Definitely can taste the chicken in there and goes really well with any noodles you choose.  If you enjoy having seafood in your hot pot, this is probably the broth to go for as it doesn't overwhelm anything and the sweetness from the seafood is able to stand out.  Veggies go well with this too as it impact the natural flavours.

One of my personal favorites is the Tomato Flavored Broth, which happens to be their vegan option.  Interestingly, the one at Union City is much more impactful, tangy and full-flavored than the one we had at Milpitas.  However, it might have to do with the fact we visited Union City at dinner and Milpitas for lunch.  It might've been reduced by the time we at at Union City.  This broth goes well with anything really and provides plenty of tangy sweetness where you would not need any sauces.

One of exclusive broths that we can only find in Milpitas is the Sukiyaki Nabe.  This has all of the great things about Sukiyaki including sweetness and saltiness.  Hence, adding sliced beef or pork with noodles and some veggies is the way to emulate a true Sukiyaki experience.  In the picture, you can see that this was the case here with only some fish tofu and quail eggs to compliment.  Yep, this would be my son's hot pot as he enjoys Sukiyaki!

Another exclusive broth to Milpitas is the Chicken & Fish Maw Broth.  Not sure how much fish maw they used, but you do get some silkiness and aromatics from the broth.  In addition, you get all of the good things in the chicken broth as well.  So good for seafood and any noodle you choose.  In the end, both locations of Malatown do the job and is satisfying.  Pricing is fair and if you are smart with your choices, it can be downright cheap.  Just beware it gets busy, so go early or get on the waitlist.

The Good:

- Tasty broths (especially so in Union City)

- Can be inexpensive (if you are smart)

- Fresh ingredients

The Bad:

- Can be expensive if you are not careful with your choices

- Super busy