Bag O' Crab (Federal Way)

The last time we visited Bag O' Crab, it was at the Kent location.  It was a pretty good experience with fresh seafood and impactfully spicy sauces.  I also found that the pricing for the set combos to be reasonable considering all that was included.  This time around, we travelled a bit further south to the Federal Way store located in a large strip mall.  As much as they are primarily a seafood boil restaurant, they have some other items to satisfy those who do not want to partake in the messy affair.

Before we got to the combos, we had a few things to start.  Unlike last time, we didn't go for the chowder and opted for the Gumbo instead.  Great decision as we enjoyed this much more.  It was thick and fairly flavourful.  There was spice from the sausage and plenty of impact from the peppers.  Naturally, it didn't compare to the stuff I've had in Louisiana, but it was fine for what it was.  We got the Cajun Fries as well and these were good.  Fries were plenty crispy with soft fluffy potato inside.  It was dusted with seasoned salt where it was a bit spicy, somewhat sweet and definitely savoury.

We got two orders of wings including the Mango Habanero and Lemon Pepper.  These were decently-sized flats with the drummettes being huge.   We much preferred the Mango Habanero as they featured barely any coating while the skin was properly rendered.  They were still slightly crispy despite the dousing of sauce.  It was a good mix of sweet and spicy where the spice could be considered medium.  As for the Lemon Pepper, the flavour was a bit muted and the coating a touch too thick.  The wings were crunchy though and the meat inside was plenty juicy.

Onto the combos, we had Combo #1 and chose 1lb mussels and 1lb head-on shrimp (you have a choice of 2 seafood options from mussels, clams, head-on shrimp and head-off shrimp).  Whatever we would've chosen, the combo included 2 pieces of corn, 2 potatoes and 4 slices of sausage.  For our sauce, we went for the Atomic in medium spice.  All the mussels were open and plenty plump.  The head-on shrimp were sweet and had a good meaty texture.  Loved the corn as it was still juicy and not overcooked.  Even though this was medium spice, the Atomic sauce had a good kick with lots of garlickiness.

We got Combo #3 with the Dungeness Crab option that also included a choice of shrimp.  For this one, we got 3/4lb of head-off shrimp.  It also included corn, potato and sausage.  We went mild with the sauce option here with the Garlic Butter.  The whole crab was really good as the meat filled all of the shell and was fluffy and fresh.  Too bad they scraped off all of the crab butter within the head shell (as it is our favorite!).  The shrimp was meaty with a bounce texture as compared to the denser texture of the head-on.  Since the sauce was mild, it was mainly garlicky while of course buttery.

The other option for Combo #3 is to have 1lb King Crab Legs and yes, we got that too.  We went for 1lb of the head-on shrimp this time around and had the Louisiana sauce in mild.  Even though it was not spicy, it still had a bite.  Plenty of garlic once again and there was some earthy notes.  The king crab legs were also full of meat and it was bouncy and briny.  Personally, I think the head-off shrimp is a better choice as they were easier to eat and the texture was more to my liking (more bouncy).  Potatoes were soft, but not melting while the sausage had a nice springy texture.

Our one main menu item that didn't have any seafood at all was the Beef Short Ribs served with rice and salad.  So don't sleep on this dish because it was actually quite good!  There was a wealth of short ribs that were well-marinated and tender (with a classic short rib chew).  I would've liked more char on these, but they were still good nonetheless.  Rice was properly textured and even the salad was decent.  I personally wouldn't go for this while at Bag O' Crab, but good for those who don't like seafood.

 

We ended off with some Tiramisu and it was more of a cake than the classic version.  Also unlike the authentic version, this had whipped cream, but it also made it lighter.  The ladyfingers could've used more moisture, but hey, this wasn't an Italian restaurant!  Yes, Bag O' Crab is a seafood boil and it does it well.  Prices are reasonable for what you get and the seafood is on point.  I like the Federal Way location more as it features more parking and the overall vibe of the mall is better.

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

The Good:

- Seafood had all the right textures

- Sauces were flavourful and could be spicy if you wanted it to be

- Reasonable pricing with all things considered

The Bad:

- The breaded wings were a bit too dense

- Tiramisu not really a tiramisu, but hey, it isn't an Italian restaurant

Burger Bender @ Match Eatery and Public House (Delta)

So here we are at Match Eatery and Public House to check out their annual Burger Bender.  Running until February 22nd, they are featuring 5 unique creations to compliment their fantastic burgers on their regular menu.  I've always enjoyed their burgers and sides, to the point that I've been here many times on my own coin.  Really love their wings and pizza as well.  So this time around, we stopped by for an early dinner so that we could take our time enjoying their burger lineup for Burger Bender 2026.

The first one we tackled was probably our favourite in the Bacon BBQ Ranch Hand.  You can clearly see what made this burger - the copious amount of bacon!  With a plethora of thick strips of glazed crispy bacon, the burger had this salty, sweet and smoky thing going on.  Texturally, the bacon added a crispy meatiness.  The 6oz smashed patty had crispy edges and was well-seared.  Providing even more crunch were some crispy onions while some pulled pork and BBQ sauce gave the burger some smokiness.  We paired this one with the regular fries and they were crispy with lots of potato goodness inside.

A fan favourite of year's past has been the French Onion Big Dipper.  This consisted of the same smashed burger patty topped with a crunchy breaded onion ring and 2 slices of melted Swiss cheese.  Along with caramelized onions, there was already a tonne of flavour, but the whole point of this burger was to dip it into the side of French onion soup.   About that soup, it was impactful and sweet without being overly salty.  It really complimented the cheese and onion where it felt like we were eating, not drinking, a French Onion Soup.  Beyond the burger, the side of curly fries were uniformly crunchy.

I found the Aloha Huli Huli Chicken a surprise as I'm usually not a chicken burger person.  This was quite enjoyable due to the aggressive char on the chicken breast.  It made things smoky with more depth (than what you might usually expect from a chicken breast).  Despite this char, the meat was still tender and almost juicy.  I would've liked more marinade on the chicken itself, but with teriyaki pulled pork and grilled fresh pineapple, there was no shortage of tangy, sweet and savoury elements.  We had the breaded onion rings with this burger and they were super crunchy.

The Mighty Mushroom could be seen as one of the underrated burgers on this menu.  I mean, mushroom burgers aren't necessarily anything out-of-the-ordinary.  However, with a generous amount of Boursin cheese spread, things got cheesy with herbaceous notes.  Add in the sautéed crimini mushrooms, and we had a wealth of woodsiness and butteriness.  Make no mistake, the burger ate heavy as a result, but the addition of Dijonnaise provided a bit of bright tanginess.  The side of chili fries was fantastic with the same crispy fries (that stayed crispy) topped with a meaty chili and lots of cheese.

Finally, the most "regular" burger was the Super Smash Burger featuring 3 smash patties with all the produce, burger sauce, caramelized onions and American cheese.  This hit the spot with thinner patties sporting crispier edges.  Combined with the cheese and sauce, we had some classic burger vibes going on.  We ended up with a Caesar Salad for the side and it was loaded with croutons, roasted garlic and bacon.   There are 2 featured Root Beer Floats on the Burger Bender menu with one classic and the other being boozy.  The combination of hard vanilla ice cream with a bubbly root beer brought back childhood memories.  In fact, the burgers offered this time around were reminiscent of past Burger Benders with creations you want to eat with sides that are just as good.  

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

The Good:

- Loaded and tasty burgers

- Equally great sides

- We ordered and paid for some wings because they are that good

The Bad:

- Wished they had a non-beef offering as well (like in the past), but they do have it on the regular menu though

Hansol

Having to take the car in for several recalls meant I was going to be stranded without a ride in Port Moody.  Luckily for me, Ipanemagirl was free and made the trek out to pick me up for lunch.  We ended up going to Hansol Korean just a few minutes away.  Now you might be wondering since we were going for Korean, why did we not head up to North Road...  Well, the ratings for Hansol are pretty good and we just wanted to take a chance at a place we've never been before. 

This mom 'n pop place isn't very large, but since we arrived at around opening, we were able to snag a table before the lunch rush.  Of course, with our meal, we were served some Banchan in the form of stewed potatoes, sprouts, tofu skins and kimchi.  These were good and served in a large portion (even though we could get refills).  Loved the spicy tofu skins with their appealing chewiness.  Potatoes were soft but not melting while not overly sweet.  Kimchi was not too tangy, it had good spice and sweetness.  Sprouts were crunchy and not wet with the aromatics of sesame oil.

We got some Yangyeom Wings because who doesn't like KFC (Korean Fried Chicken)???  Well these were really good with juicy wings with a thin layer of coating which was fried until crispy.  The skin was not flabby and the wings themselves were plump.  Unlike some places, there was just enough sauce coating these giving off a good balance of tangy, sweet and spicy.

Going for something a bit different in terms of soup, we had the Soondaeguk.  Yes, the blood sausage was lurking within the rich and mildly-spicy broth.  It was quite light and fluffy with the usual glass noodles inside.  With the addition of raw garlic and perilla seeds on top, we got sharpness as well as some slight liquorice notes.  Really enjoyed this hearty soup on a cold day.

Instead of the standard Bibimbap, we went for the Beef Tartare Bibimbap.  This was a very hot stone bowl as the rice underneath was already well on its way in forming a socarrat.  When mixed with some gochujang and the rest of the toppings (including the egg yolk), the bowl was able to maintain its heat and partially cook the beef and still form a beautiful crust.  Hence, things were a bit smoky and nutty while the beef was super tender and buttery.  Really good dish.

Last dish was the Japchae which was loaded with ingredients.  Lots of tender thin slices of beef and crunchy veggies.  The noodles had a nice chew to them while not being greasy nor overseasoned.  It was balanced and not too sweet.  Really aromatic from the sesame oil.  Good portion size too.  I got to say we really enjoyed this meal and it got me itching to try more of their dishes.  Glad we tried something different rather than defaulting to North Road.  If you are in the area, go give them a try.

The Good:

- Nice people

- Good portion sizes

- Solid eats

The Bad:

- Small place, seating will be tight

- Mom 'n pop operation, service will be sparse when they are busy

Gigi's

I used to live in Coquitlam during the 90's and let's just say it was a black hole when it came to great food.  Things began to improve in the early 2000's and things are heating up as we move into early 2026.  With the rapid development of the city and the addition of the Evergreen Line, there needs to be more services and restaurants to serve the population.  With that in mind, it was probably a good move by the Kitchen Table Group to open up Gigi's in the Tricity Pavilion on Christmas Way in Coquitlam.  The building is gorgeous and has its own parking lot.  It also houses a location of Nemesis.

We arrived shortly after happy hour and the place was hopping.  A few appies were in order including the Calamari Fritti.  I wanted to like this, but as you can see, it was pretty greasy.  Batter was crispy though and well-salted.  Maybe some of the pieces could've been bigger as well.  There was some fried herbs and fennel to compliment as well as a verde aioli, which was creamy and bright.

Moving into a lighter direction, we had the Albacore Tuna Crudo.  This was a competent dish with fresh slices of fish that was dressed in a chili vinaigrette.  I didn't think it was all that spicy, rather it was fruity and tangy due to the orange slices and caper berries.  We also found pickled onions, shaved fennel and fennel fronds.  Hence, there was added crunch, tartness and brightness.

Our favourite appetizer was the Wagyu Beef Tartare.  This featured Australian Wagyu, which I find less fatty (from past experiences).  That was a good thing though as unrendered fat can be rather chewy.  This tartare was not chewy, instead it was silky and buttery.  It was dressed with black garlic mayo and topped with parmigiano reggiano, grainy dijon and shaved black truffle.  This added earthiness, umami, nuttiness and tang.  Nice balance here as it wasn't heavy nor too tart.  Smartly, this was served with the popular cacio e pepe chips that inspired the Miss Vickie's version.

We had one item from the Burrata Bar being the Pistachio Pesto.  Since the burrata is served within 48 hours after being hand-crafted in Puglia, it is pretty much as fresh as it can get (unless you fly to Italy).  Beyond the firm, but thin exterior, the creamy and stringy goodness of the fresh cheese was evident.  No watery mess inside!  That pesto was on point with an herbaceous nuttiness complimented by saltiness of the parm.  We found some extra EVOO on the side and house-made foccacia.

When the Mortadella Pizza arrived, it sported extensive charring and leoparding.  Now there is a growing movement that is moving way from this as Neapolitan-style pizza should only have a few spots.  For me personally, I'm still all for the charring as it creates crispiness and nuttiness.  The dough was well-seasoned and appealingly chewy.  There was plenty of mortadella on top drizzled with pesto, crushed pistachios and pecorino.  Underneath, we had a sauce bianco (white sauce) which was nutty and lightly creamy.  Of course, there was some fior di latte as well.

Onto the pasta course, we had three of them including Alla Vodka.  This employed sedani rigati which held onto the vodka sauce well.  About that sauce, it was quite good with a tomatoey richness that was velvety and balanced.  The amount of vodka used was conservative and it was cooked down properly.  Hence, there was a hint of it, but it stayed in the background.

My favourite of the bunch was the Luigi's Bolognese with rigatoni.  To some, this may be a bit defaultish, but don't sleep on this as it was plenty delicious.  The bolognese was made with veal, beef and pork which made it plenty meaty.  It was creamy enough to take the bite off the tomato and there was natural sweetness.  Along with some parm and al dente pasta, this was a solid dish.

The most interesting pasta we had the Ragu Bianco sporting shredded braised beef cheek.  The ample amount of beef cheek was gelatinous and super tender.  It also had a nice beefiness to it.  Moreover, the creaminess of the sauce created a velvety texture.  With a bit of parm, there was some nutty cheesiness.  The most unfortunate thing was that the campanelle was rather soft.

We had the 16oz Ribeye Steak as our main.  We asked for it to be prepared medium-rare and as you can see, it was spot on.  It was also properly rested with no juices leaking all over the plate.  As such, each slice was tender and moist while mildly-seasoned (with porcini).  There was a decent sear on the outside and it was even on both sides of the steak.

To go with our ribeye, we had the Kale Caesar.  As much as the kale can be poofy in a pile, this was still a rather large portion of salad.  Properly trimmed without the spine, the kale was tender with some chewiness.  It was lightly dressed in an anchovy and caper dressing which was slightly briny with a balanced saltiness.  It was further enhanced by the parm and crunchy pangrattato as well as the focaccia croutons.

We ended up with two desserts including the light and refreshing Roasted Pistachio Panna Cotta with a tangy raspberry coulis and a biscotti crumble on top as well as dark chocolate shavings.  The pannacotta itself was creamy and not overly gelatinized.  It was mildly sweet with some nuttiness.  With a hit of tangy raspberry and crunchy biscotti, there was balance and texture.

The other dessert was the Classic Tiramisu.  Unlike other versions I've had lately (including in Italy), this one was on the heavier side.  Thick and cheesy, the mascarpone cream was nice by itself, but in a tiramisu, it was too dense.  That didn't make the tiramisu bad though as the lady fingers were soaked with just enough espresso.  The dessert wasn't overly sweet either.  However, due to the richness, this was thankfully shared among the 5 of us.  Overall, our experience at Gigi's was decent with a beautiful dining space with fairly good service.  Food was generally good with a few things that could use further refinement.  Pretty nice for Coquitlam, but probably not on the level of Downtown quality.

The Good:

- Beautiful space

- Good service

- Decent eats, especially for Coquitlam

The Bad:

- Some more refinements needed with some dishes

HAAN Korean BBQ (AYCE)

I've been to Haan Korean BBQ in the past and it was a good experience.  Now, they have something that is a bit different.  They are doing AYCE (All-You-Can-Eat), yet not in the conventional way.  Instead of a big menu with multiple items for over $50.00, they have simplified it to either "Beef" or "Pork" AYCE with only 2 meat choices for each one.  On Tuesdays, it is the Beef AYCE for only $30.99 and on Wednesdays, it is the Pork AYCE for $29.99.  These included side dishes and a few other items.  Pretty good value if you don't need too much variety.

With either choice of AYCE menus, it included Banchan, Kimchi Pancake, Rice and Lettuce for wrapping the meat.  For our side dishes, we had Potato Salad, Kimchi, Marinated Daikon and Pickled Daikon.  I particularly enjoyed the creamy potato salad and I gladly ordered more of it.  The pancake was pretty flat, but had a nice crunch and kimchi flavour.

Also included was the Bean Paste Soup served bubbling in a ttukbaegi (Korean Stone Bowl).  It was pretty good with cubes of soft tofu in a broth that was flavourful and slightly spicy.  We had the sweetness from the onions that helped balance the spice from the peppers.  Once again, since it was AYCE, we ordered a few more of these.  Great for a cold day!

For the Beef AYCE, there were two choices of meat including the Fatty Beef and Beef Bulgogi.  The bulgogi was my favourite as it charred up well on the grill due to the sugar content of the marinade.  It was tender and didn't need much in the way of extra sauce (which was provided).  As for the fatty beef, it was also tender, and yes, I dipped it into the sauces (Bean Paste, Korean BBQ Sauce and Sesame Oil with Salt).  The meal also included Seasoned Mung Bean Sprouts as well.

I personally preferred the Pork AYCE where it included Pork Belly and Marinated Pork Shoulder.  Naturally, the fatty pork belly was tender and charred up nicely on the grill.  As for the pork shoulder, it had a smoky crust due to the sugars in the marinade as well as the marbling of fat.  For me, I would choose this on Wednesdays, not only because of the meat, but also it is also a dollar cheaper.

Now, some of you might lament the lack of meat options but in reality, how many choices do you need?  Normally, you would only choose a few to re-order anyways.  Sure, there isn't Galbi here, but it is also not $50.00 either.  Considering basic combos for one person run in the high $20.00 range, then this AYCE is well worth it if you are hungry.

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

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Has everything you need for a complete meal
- Pork was good quality and tender

The Bad:
- For those who like variety, this isn't it

An Indian Affair (Willoughby)

We all know that Greater Vancouver is famous of its Chinese food (in particular Cantonese cuisine).  However, it is becoming a hotbed of Indian cuisine as well.  Now it isn't as if this was suddenly the case as there has been a long-standing Indian community (particularly Punjabi) in the GVRD.  Yet, there has been an explosion of nicer, higher-end Indian restaurants opening up all over the place.  Many sport elegant decor complete with a full-service bar and elevated dishes.  One of the newest is actually a 2nd location of An Indian Affair in Willowbrook.  We made our way out to Willoughby Town Centre to check it out.

Before we got to the food, we had quite the fun experience with their cocktails (and mocktails).  We had the flaming Tikki Baba as well as a Zero Proof Kiss My Lips.  Featuring a flaming half-lime, this drink sure had the theatrics.  Yet, at the same time, it was went down super-easy and hence, dangerous!  The guava and lime made this tropical and sweet, hiding the Old Monk rum pretty well.  Served in an equally interesting vessel, Kiss My Lips was fruity and refreshing.  Loved the hanging serving vessel with the opening for a straw!

Onto the food, we got the Palak Patta Chaat to kick things off.  I've had this many times before, but this has to be one of the best versions.  The crispy chickpea flour-battered spinach leaves were crispy and light.  This was topped with sweet yogurt, tangy tamarind chutney and mint sauce.  The combination of flavours were a little of everything and very appetizing.

I was super happy about the next dish as Chicken 65 is one of my favourites.  If you are wondering about the name, the dish was created in 1965 at Hotel Buhari.  This particular one was a tasty with meaty pieces of chicken that were doused in an earthy sauce that was slightly spicy and tangy.  The chicken itself was not dry and had a firm exterior.

Up next, we had the Mixed Grill Affair consisting of lamb chops, tandoori prawns, tandoori chicken, chicken tikka and tandoori fish.  Nice char on the each item that was smoky, yet not burnt at the same time.  Lamb was succulent and well-spiced while the chicken was tender and juicy.  Prawns were meaty with lots of aromatics.  The fish was tender and flaky.

So Bubble Cosmo and Paan Affair were both smoke shows, but in different ways.  For the Bubble Cosmo, it was revealed as the cloche was lifted, with smoke filling the air.  Due to the dry ice, the Paan Affair kept smoking as we were enjoying the drink.  Due to the passionfruit, it was tropical and sweet, but tequila was still lurking in the background.  The Bubble Cosmo wasn't as strong as other Cosmopolitans I've had due to the balanced amount of cranberry juice.

The Affair Malai (Coconut Prawn Curry) was served in a whole coconut.  Not the best to see in a picture, yet I assure you, it was plenty tasty.  Aromatic and creamy from the coconut milk (and cream), the gravy was also nicely spiced with some earthiness and slight spice.  The prawns were juicy with a meaty snap.  Best of all, the young coconut meat added another layer of texture and bright sweetness.

We added some more dishes including the Chicken Tikka Masala and Goat Curry.  Unlike Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala is more robust and spiced.  That it was with tender chicken with an earthiness and balancing tanginess.  As for the Goat Curry, it had classic fall spice flavours with cloves and cardamom.  There was the usually earthiness from the cumin and some gingery notes.  The goat itself was tender and gelatinous.

Out last entree was the classic Palak Paneer.  With house-made paneer, this benefitted from the soft and appealingly squishy cubes of cheese.  They were bathed in a rich spinach gravy that was balanced with gingery notes.  It had equal parts sweetness, savouriness and earthiness.  We had some Garlic Naan to go with the curries and it was fantastic.  Well charred and blistered on the outside, without being burnt, the naan was nutty and crispy.  Inside it was soft and fluffy.  There was plenty of garlic as well as ghee and salt.  Hence, it ate very well even without being dipped into the sauces.

The fireworks continued with our cocktails with the Kambakht Ishq.  It was served surrounded by a cindering steel wool.  The drink itself consisted of smoky mezcal, aperol and lime with cherry infusion.  The  Lycheeni had layers of pretty colours and was fruity and of course, lychee-forward.  It came in a pretty glass with a built-in straw, but was a bit unstable.  Be careful when moving it!

We ended off our meal with desserts that were not the usual.  Rather, we had the Mango Cheesecake and the Paan-e-Bahar.  Fluffy and light, the mango cheesecake was semi-sweet with only the slightest of cheeseiness.  As for the Paan-e-Bahar, it was a total surprise.  Again, it was also not super sweet while being plenty herbal-tasting.  The sponge cake was light and fluffy.  In the end, we were quite impressed with the food, drinks and overall vibe of An Indian Affair.  There are many nicer Indian restaurants in the GVRD these days, but this one seemed to put it altogether for a reasonable price.  One doesn't need to have a special reason to dine at An Indian Affair because their prices are less than most chain restaurants.

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

The Good:

- Well-prepared eats

- Reasonable prices

- Showstopping drinks that actually taste good

The Bad:

- Parking in Willoughby Town Centre can be difficult at times