Sura Korean Royal Cuisine

If you can believe it, I have not been back to the Downtown location of Sura since 2013!  For whatever reason, I have totally forgotten about the Sura Lunch Set Menu.  Back in 2013, it was only $20.00 for 12 small dishes along with 3 different banchan.  If you can imagine, that was a fantastic value, especially since it was tasty (and located in Downtown).  Fast forward to the present and they still have the lunch set, but it is $25.00 for the same amount of dishes and banchan.  So yes, it has gone up in price, but not by much (considering inflation).  Still a great deal in my books!  Jackie and I stopped by to try this out.

We were started off with the Daily Congee that seemed to have some minced beef in it.  Unlike the Chinese version, this was silkier and more cooked down.  It was thick, sweet and full of umami.  We had a selection of Banchan including a Mashed Potato Salad, Fried Fish Cake Strips and Kimchi.  We really enjoyed the potato salad as it was creamy and light with the natural flavour coming through with some sweetness.  The fried strips of fish cake were chewy in a good way while dressed in a sticky sweet glaze.  The kimchi was a touch on the tangier side with some spiciness.

Things started to arrive fast and furious, quickly filling up our table.  I decided to go for the Green Salad first as it seemed like the obvious choice amongst all the hot dishes.  It was nothing out-of-the-ordinary, but had fresh mesclun greens dressed in a tangy dressing.  Next, we had the Soy Bean Paste Soup that was somewhat bubbling in the cast iron bowl.  It was not bad with umaminess and some sweetness.  It was filled with various veggies.

A few smaller items arrived at the table and didn't look like a lot of food.  That is true, especially in comparison to the 2013 portions, but in reality, that was probably too much food.  Also, costs are high and I understand the need to give just enough food.  With that being said, I wished there was more of the Mung Bean Jelly because it was so good.  Slippery and soft textured, the jelly was lightly seasoned.  The Spicy Squid Salad was also fantastic with a good sweet spiciness with crunchy veggies.  However, it was pretty low on the squid content.

Onto some more robust dishes, we had the Herb Pork Belly aka Bossam.  This featured 4 slices of tender and fatty pork belly that had a nice aroma in itself.  But of course, it was even better after the addition of the spicy radish and wrapped in the pickled daikon.  Lots of crunch to contrast the soft belly.  The Kimchi Pancake was pretty tasty too with a certain sweet tangy spice.  It was fairly soft and airy with only the slightest of crispiness on the surface.

Some of the more filling plates included the Deep Fried Fish with sweet & sour sauce.  Sure it was basa, but it turned out flaky and moist with a crispy tempura batter encasing it.  The sauce was a nice balance of sweet & sour which went well with the fish.  As for the Sweet & Sour Pork, it was more sweet than sour, but still tasted good.  The pieces of pork were lean, hence being more on the drier side, yet they were still tender.  Some crunch was provided by the woodear, carrot and cucumber.

So the last 2 dishes were a bit bigger in the Japchae and the Spicy Sliced Pork.  Both were pretty solid with the japchae having a nice balance of sweet and savoury as well as some nuttiness.  The sliced pork was slightly spicy while completely seasoned.  The meat was soft and tender.  Naturally, this also went well with the rice.  In the end, we were stuffed and had a few pieces of food we couldn't finish.  Yes, the portions are smaller than in 2013, but there is ultimately enough food for 2 people.  For $25.00pp, it is a freaking steal, especially given its Downtown location on Robson.  Go check it out if you are in the area!

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

The Good:
- Amazing value
- Food is also good
- Lots of variety

The Bad:
- Sure, the portion size has shrunk, but you still get enough food
- Your table might now be big enough

Kosoo Cardero

The last time we were here at Kosoo Cardero, it was only myself and Jackie.  Now, there isn't anything inherently wrong with that since there are many dishes 2 people can share here.  However, we were sampling some pretty large items and yah, it was hard to finish, let alone actually having the appetite to try them all.  This time around, we had more people, which meant the food could be spread out a bit more.  Hey, the portions here are quite generous!  We also had a few new dishes too.

We began with the Fresh Seaweed Kimbap that was overstuffed with radish, egg, spinach and carrot.  I thought this was pretty solid with plenty of filling with only a thin layer of rice around it.  The rice itself had an appealing chewy consistency.  I also enjoyed the aromatics from the roasted sesame seeds.  In the background, you will notice the Banchan including bean sprouts, fish cake strips and kimchi.  The kimchi was rather tangy with some sweetness and spice.

We tried one of their new dishes in the Prime Rib which was plated with the bone.  The meat itself was sliced into medium thick pieces that were against the grain.  Most of the meat was prepared to medium and was buttery tender.  This was served with an egg yolk which we dipped the meat into.  It added a silkiness to each bite, which was already savoury and full of umami due to the soy glaze.  We also found a refreshing scallion salad on the side.

Continuing with new items, we had the Cream Sauce Gnocchi with potato, perilla, bacon and jalapeno pickle.  Other than the addition of perilla, this would pass as a non-Korean dish anywhere else.  As such, there was a a mild herbaceousness to the dish that was dominated more by the salty and smoky bacon.  The gnocchi were medium-firm with a minor pillowiness.  With the addition of pickled jalapeno, there was so needed acidity and spice.

With another dish that we've never had before, we tried the Manila Clams Pasta.  At first glance, this looked at home on an Italian restaurant menu, but alas, this had a fusion component of Korean sake.  This in itself added a brightness that had some sweetness.  That complimented the brininess of the clams beautifully.  We also found the more conventional components such as garlic, olive oil and crushed red pepper flakes.  The linguine itself was nicely al dente.

Onto another noodle dish, we had the Truffle Japechae.  We've already had this before and it is an interesting take on the classic dish.  It featured the same potato starch noodles as the traditional dish, but is dressed in a rich black truffle sauce that is definitely earthy, but not overwhelming.  There was the usual sweetness and soy elements.  On the sides, we found beef dduk galbi (shortrib patties) that were meaty, sweet and nutty.

Staying with the truffle theme, we had the Truffle Cream Tteok-Bokki.  This was an enormous amount of cream sauce that was rich, nutty and of course earthy.  This went so well with a bowl of white rice as it soaked up all of the creaminess.  As you can see in the picture, there was no shortage of fish cake sheets to go with the rice cakes.  Both were chewy (in a good way) and provided plenty of texture to go with the cream sauce.

We moved to some bigger plates (as if the others weren't big enough already).  The Cheese Dakgalibi was served in the classic UFO cast iron plate with the chicken in the middle and surrounded by melting cheese and corn.  This was delicious (a little sweet, a little savoury and a touch of spice) and although we didn't finish off the remainder with rice (basically stir fry with the scraps in the middle), we did eat with a bowl of rice.  This was the best way to do it and also to enjoy the corn cheese while we were at it.

Another interpretation of an existing dish was the Beef Sukiyaki presented atop a butane burner.  I think the pan they used was a paella pan because I have the same one!  LOL.  Anyways, this had all of the usual components including thinly-sliced beef, various veggies and mushroom in the sukiyaki broth.  It cooked slowly at our table and our served tended to it at the start and at the finish.  The result was some tender slices of beef that had taken on the sweet saltiness of the broth while the veggies did the same, but even more so.

 

The meatiest dish of the meal was the Galbi Jjim featuring large braised short ribs with onion and plenty of melted cheese.  As mentioned earlier, Kosoo has some really large dishes that are best shared.  This is one of them and even with several people, we couldn't finish it.  The fall-off-the-bone meat was super tender and moist with rich flavours.  The sweetness of the onions really came through.  As you can see, the food at Kosoo Cardero is perfect for sharing since many items come in big portions.  So bring your friends and family because not only is the food unique and delicious, it can be a great value when shared.

 

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

 

The Good:

- Large portions

- Interesting mix of dishes from classic Korean to outright North American

- Good eats

 

The Bad:

- Food can be rather heavy, so even sharing, you may not finish (not really a bad thing right?)

  

Italian Kitchen (Happy Hour)

Here we go with another fabulous deal that allows you to go out to eat while on a budget.  We all know things are crazy expensive right now.  Eating out is such a luxury whether it be fine-dining (especially so) or even casual spots.  However, at Italian Kitchen, you can visit them during Happy Hour from 3:00pm - 6:00pm everyday and have a delicious meal for a reasonable price.  Considering they are located in Downtown and their Happy Hour menu features 11 food items and 19 drink specials, it makes the deal even better.  Jackie and I were invited to try it out on a lovely May evening.

To start things off, we had the Mushroom Arancini as a amuse bouche of sorts.  It is listed on the Happy Hour menu at $3.00 per piece or $12.00 for 3 of them.  I've had these before and they are pretty solid.  Inside, we found aborio rice that was still a bit chewy while bathed in an earthy mushroom cream.  There was also the usual cheesiness while the outside was light and crispy.  A little dollop of truffle aioli added a bit more woodiness to the bite.

Next, we moved onto the Olive Ascolane which consisted of beef-stuffed olives coated with the same crispy breading as the arancini.  For me, I love olives, so anything olive-related would be tasty in my books.  However, even Jackie found these delightful since the strong olive brine was nicely balanced by the generous amount of tender beef.  Hence, the flavour of the olive was present, but just enough to make the little bite impactful without being salty.

One of the more surprising items was the Zeppole Prosciutto Cotto & Formaggio.  At first, we were a bit skeptical at fried dough balls sitting in a tomato fondue.  However, these were really good being fluffy with a good mouth feel.  They were filled with fontina and prosciutto, which provided saltiness and cheesiness.  Combined with the silky tomato fondue we had some light tang and sweetness.

Probably the best deal in the happy hour menu (in my mind), was the Wagyu Beef Carpaccio.  It was well-executed and was ultimately tasty.  Presented on a large platter, there was a good amount of tender slices of buttery beef.  We could taste the natural beef flavour as well as the drops of mustard aioli.  Nice creaminess with a slight tangy bite from the mustard where the crunch from the crispy shallots and fried capers provided aromatics and some more saltiness.  Plenty of arugula to brighten things up while the parm was nutty.  To compliment, the garlic toast was like a crouton being super crunchy, buttery and airy,

Another showstoper was the Bruschetta Trio with Macerated Heirloom Tomatoes and Pesto, Mortadella, Burrata and Pistachios & Roasted Mushrooms, Ricotta and Pine Nuts.  This was $15.00 for 3 and $6.00 for 1.  Really loved the toasted crostinis as they were appealingly crunchy while being light at the same time.  It stood up to the wet ingredients, and stayed as such even after our picture-taking.  My favourite was the tomatoes and pesto where the combination of brightness, tart and sweetness really came through.  I loved how the pesto was not completely blended as it had real texture and impactful herbaceousness.  The mortadella was meaty as expected but the creaminess of the burrata added a cold creaminess.  The mushrooms were earthy and not squishy (on the drier side, but good for this application) while the ricotta added all the creamy moisture that was needed.

With a combination of calamari, prawns, salmon, cod and shishito peppers, the Fritto Misto came in a pretty large portion.  I found that the salmon and cod to be perfectly fried where they were delicate and super moist.  The batter was thin and crispy while not being greasy.  I found the prawns to have the desirable snap texture with a completely edible shell at the tip of the tail. The calamari was slightly on the chewier side, but when dipped into the calabrian chili aioli, it was still quite good.

Of course we had to get their ever popular Baked Meatballs and we had 3 pieces for $11.00 (it is $4.00 for 1).  Initial impressions, you wouldn't think these would be anything special, but upon digging in, they were tender, light and moist.  Due to their size, the meatballs were able to retain quite a bit of juiciness where the texture was also rather light while still meaty.  There was enough seasoning for the meatballs to stand on their own, but the combination of cheeses on top allowed for extra salty nuttiness.  The tomato sauce helped provided some tangy brightness.

Another delicious small plate was the Ravioli Fritti.  These large fried raviolis were crunchy on the outside without being too firm.  There was a certain lightness to it, yet it still had a robust texture.  Inside, there was a good amount of braised beef and mozzarella that helped vary both the flavours and texture of each bite.  The beef was tender with natural meat flavour while the cheese provided the some stretchiness.  On the side, we found a parmesan fondue which was creamy, rich and nutty.

One dish we were a bit indifferent about was the Mozzarella Fritta.  These were essentially mozzarella bites that were fried in a herb breading.  Nothing wrong with the breading as it was crunchy and flavourful.  The issue was the size of each bite as they were far too small for the mozzarella to have any impact.  All I got was crunchy breading.  If these were just a bit bigger, I would've had more cheese in each bite.  The rest of the dish with the fior di latte, basil aioli and tomato fondue were good providing creamy tanginess.

Lastly, we had the Garlic Prawns that were quite large.  The picture doesn't do it justice, but believe me, they were super plump.  It really helped that they were sauteed properly as the texture was meaty, but had a buttery sweet snap.  The meat was light and not dense.  In terms of the garlic butter, it was nutty with lots of garlickiness that was aromatic and not too sharp.  There was also spot-on seasoning where it complimented the natural flavour of the prawns.

Of course we didn't have all this food without some beverages right?  We ended up trying the Alba di Amalfi,  Sogno Ross, Fizzy Amore and Negroni all Fragola.  I know it is easy to say I loved them all, but I really did.  Good portion size on the cocktails too!  Overall, the happy hour at Italian Kitchen is happy hour done right.  The menu is big enough that one can have an entire meal just on these dishes alone.  They didn't skimp on the portion size nor the quality.  It is a really affordable way to dine out right before a movie at Scotiabank Theatres or a show at the Orpheum.  Hey, it is great just to go for no reason at all and enjoy the patio on a sunny day!

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

The Good:
- Well-priced
- The dishes are appealing and well-portioned
- Love the patio

The Bad:
- The Mozzarella Fritta was my least favourite dish

H2 Kitchen & Bar (Sunday Supper)

It has been a minute since I've last visited H2 Kitchen & Bar nestled within the Westin Bayshore hotel.  They've gone through a few iterations with the current setup being a casual dining spot with a BBQ focus.  I've had that a few times now and it has been pretty solid, especially for a hotel restaurant (that are usually not known for thinking out-of-the-box).  This time around, we were here for their Sunday Supper Series and to have a few of their other items on the menu.  This is not the first time I've tried their Sunday Supper, as they used to have a family-style menu.  Now they feature a 3-course meal for only $43.00!

For the first course, there is an option of either the Caesar Salad or Chicken Corn Chowder.  We went for the chowder because I've also had that before and it was great!  Topped with a piece of puffed pastry, the large bowl was packed with delicate corn niblets that burst with intense sweetness and tender pulp.  There was a wealth of chicken that was moist and tender.  As for the broth itself, the viscosity was on the thinner side, but fine by us since it wasn't overly heavy.  It was sweet, a bit creamy and spot-on with the salt content.

The featured plate for the Sunday Supper was the Cherry Cola Braised Short Rib with celeriac polenta, pickled gem tomato and charred broccolini.  Compared to some of the past featured mains, this was one of the more appealing offerings.  The large piece of boneless short rib was for tender and succulent.  A bit sweet and full of umami, it really took on the flavours of the braise.  Rich and creamy, the polenta had some aggressive seasoning (which was good).  Broccolini was vibrant with a fresh crunch.

For dessert, we had the Roasted Apple Cheesecake with shortbread crust, roasted apples, oat crumble, vanilla ice cream and brandy snap.  This was a pretty dense cheesecake and we weren't surprised as it was New York style.  Plenty of baked cream cheese flavor with balanced sweetness.  Loved the roasted apple on top as it added a sweet fruitiness.  It was mixed with oat crumble which added texture as well as nuttiness.  The vanilla ice cream wasn't completely necessary, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Of course we didn't just have the Sunday Supper and call it a day...  We also had some other dishes including the Firecracker Shrimp.  This was more about the crunchy batter (must've had rice flour) than anything else.  It held up to the sweet, tangy and spicy sauce nicely.  The Buffalo Wings were okay, but really needed more sauce.  The meat was moist and the batter was still crispy, but there was a lack of moisture and flavour to the dish.

With a bevy of legit cheese curds, the Waffle Fries Poutine was pretty good.  First off, the waffle fries were crispy while still maintaining a soft potato texture.  They topped it with a balanced gravy that wasn't too salty, but had enough flavour though.  Just like it should be, the cheese curds weren't completely melted, so we go that squeak.  Not pictured was the side of brisket, that should've been on top of the poutine.  When we added it, there was much more body and layers of meatiness.

From the Happy Hour menu, we selected the Fish Taco as well as the Burnt End Sliders.  The fish taco was pretty solid where the piece of flaky fish was rather large and coated with a crispy batter.  The usual condiments were there.  Really loved the sliders where the meat was tender but had candied bark that was smoky and sweet.  A slice of pickle helped add some acidity while the Hawaiian buns were soft and sweet.

So we couldn't not order something from their BBQ menu right?  I've had their larger combo platters before, but we had to get something smaller since we had so much food already.  Therefore, we settled on the CAB Smoked Brisket with mac & cheese and market vegetables.  This plate was generous with 2 thick slices of brisket.  Although it looked dry at first, the meat was decently moist and completely fork tender.  We chose the O.G. H2 BBQ Sauce and it was smoky, sweet and tangy.  Veggies were still crunchy while cooked through.  Mac was al dente with lots of real cheese, but we would've liked to see more cheese sauce for moisture.

Looking enormous with 2 crispy strips of bacon, the Whiskey BBQ Burger was delicious.  The well-seared beef patty was crispy and smoky on the outside while still being fairly moist on the inside.  The aged cheddar provided some smokiness while the bacon did the same as well as adding some crunch.  A few tempura-battered onion rings provided even more crunch.  This was all sandwiched in a toasted brioche bun.

We ended up with the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich as well since I wanted to reminisce about my fried chicken sandwich IG account (that I no longer update due to bad cholesterol...  LOL).  This was a serviceable version with a generous amount of juicy chicken coated in a crunchy batter.  We found the heat level to be rather mild though.  Bun was soft with crispy surface areas while the slaw was crunchy and fresh.

We ended up ordering 2 drinks including the Gin in the Garden and the Fig & Strawberry Spritz.  Really enjoyed the first drink as it was refreshing and light with floral notes.  The second was a mocktail and was also floral with some tang.  We added a second dessert in the Banana Pudding Jar.  Despite my reservations about anything banana for dessert, this was actually fantastic.  Much better than the cheesecake.  Purposefully sweet and aromatic custard with fresh bananas.  This was yet another solid meal at H2 Kitchen & Bar where the food is much more casual than fine dining.  As you can probably tell, the dishes are comforting and generous in portion size.  Great for a date but also for the family as well.  The Sunday Supper deal is particularly a great value.

 

*Partial comp on the food and beverages for this blog post*

 

The Good:

- Sunday Supper 3-course meal is a great value

- Considering the portion size, it is a good value

- Nice dining space

 

The Bad:

- Wings were so-so

- Cheesecake a little too dense

Taco Nori (Burrard Skytrain Station)

When I first laid eyes on Taco Nori (at the Richmond Night Market), I was immediately drawn to the fully stuffed Japanese tacos.  By employing a tempura fried nori shell and using sushi rice as a base, this was essentially a sushi roll re-imagined.  The great thing about the sushi taco is that it is a portable hand-held meal or snack (depending how many you have) for those on the go. I feel that their new location (just across from their food cart spot) is perfect for those on their way to and from the Skytrain station.

We sampled all of their available options including the California and the Spicy Tuna.  Before they stuff the tacos full of the main ingredient, they sauce the sushi rice with spicy mayo or wasabi mayo adding julienned cucumber and soy sauce mix with green onions and sesame seeds on top.  With a considerable amount of fluffy imitation crab salad with some tobiko, I really enjoy the California taco.  It is like a fried California roll but with much more stuff.  As for the Spicy Tuna, it is filled with meaty pieces of bright-tasting ahi tuna.  It is mildly spicy, allowing the natural sweetness of the fish come through.  I particularly like the soy sauce mix they use as it is full of umami without being too salty.

My favourite of the whole bunch is the Mango Paradise featuring Atlantic salmon, avocado, mango and imitation crab.  This has everything where the mango really brings things to life with a tangy sweetness.  You might laugh, but the addition of imitation crab make this complete since it adds the classic fluffy texture and unmistakable sweet brininess.  Next to it is the popular Spicy Salmon nori taco.  There are buttery pieces of Atlantic salmon dressed in sweet and salty soy with some kick.

There is a little of everything for everyone including vegetarians as the Avocucumber features the same rice base with extra cucumber and sliced avocado.  Personally, this wouldn't be my choice, but it does well with lots of creamy avocado.  Right beside it is something more up my alley in the Ahi Tuna. I really like this as the soy sauce mixture goes particularly well with the tuna.  The umami from the soy brings out the brightness and the sweetness in the tuna.

Back to another vegetarian offering in the Wakame with avocado hiding beneath it.  In all honesty, I would actually order this.  I personally love wakame salad with its sweet tanginess.  The crunch provides a nice mouth-feel that offsets the soft avocado. Another one I would consider is the Chopped Scallop with mayo and masago.  These little bay scallops are sweet and buttery while laced with enough mayo to bind them together.  The masago adds some pops of brininess.

Last but not least, the classic Salmon is another taco I wouldn't hesitate to order.  Besides, it is the standard where most people will find it approachable.  Nice buttery nuggets of salmon with the same delicious sweet, tangy and salty sauce mix.  I really enjoy the concept and think it is another way to enjoy a sushi roll/poke bowl hybrid in a handheld format.  Nice textures and flavours make it appealing and delicious.  Now, until the end of May 2025, if you show them the Instagram reel from my account, you will receive 10% off your order!

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

The Good:

- Portable deliciousness

- Nice texture on the tempura-fried nori shell

- They don't skimp on the filling

The Bad:

- Shell can be a bit greasy, so make sure you have napkins