John 3:16 Malaysian Delights (Burnaby)

Way back in 2014, John 3:16 opened up shop in Richmond.  That was followed up by their short-lived North Vancouver location.  My first visit was to the one on Lonsdale and it was pretty good in my opinion.  Other locations followed including their newest in Burnaby.  Located underneath Oyama Sushi on Kingsway, the once quiet shaved ice spot is now busy with people enjoying the Malaysians eats.  We met up with Aussie as he was in town.

Whenever I'm grabbing Malaysian food, it is by default I order the Roti Canai.  For me, I'm looking for something flaky with discernible layers.  This one here was on point.  Beyond the crispy exterior, the inside of the roti was almost fluffy and plenty buttery.  The airiness of the roti allowed for it to be ripped apart easily by hand.  That texture had great mouth feel and by dipping it in the slightly spicy coconut curry, it was a delicious.  Oh, the side of sugar was great too as it provided a different experience than the curry alone.

The roti got us to an excellent start and the Chicken Satay didn't disappoint either.  Beautifully-charred, the exterior was also completely caramelized.  With the plenty of sugar in the marinade, it was activated from the grilling becoming super sweet and smoky.  There was the brightness of lemongrass coming through as well.  By using thigh meat, the chicken was super juicy.  The side of satay sauce was sweet and nutty.

Moving on from the appies, we went for a classic dish in the Beef Rendang.  By looking at the dish, you can see this was a saucier version (generally, there is no "sauce" in this dish), but we really didn't mind that.  The coconut milk was at the forefront offering up rich creaminess and aromatics.  Although the caramelization wasn't present in this dish, the sweetness of the palm sugar and coconut milk helped make this impactful.  The beef itself was super tender and not dry.

Another intensely aromatic and flavourful dish was the Assam Fish Curry.  This had all of the usual hits of spice, tang, sweet and umami with tender deep-fried filets of fish.  Of those flavours, the tanginess was the most apparent and it made things rather appetizing.  Since the fish had been fried first, it was cooked evenly where the skin soaked up a lot of the sauce.  The fish itself was buttery and soft while not falling apart.

Aussie's wife really loves prawns, so it was without hesitation we ordered the Nyonya Assam Prawns.  Having been fried, the prawns were completely edible including the shell.  As such, the natural prawn essence was present in smell and taste.  Tangy and sweet, the tamarind sauce clung onto each prawn providing a complimentary flavour to the meaty and briny meat.  Some crunchy veggies completed the stir fry.

As you might already know, there are many variations of Hainanese Chicken in SE Asia and the Malaysian one is a bit similar to the Thai version.  For this one, they employed the addictive ginger garlic sauce that really amped the impact.  The chicken itself was juicy and cooked perfectly.  On the side, the chicken oil rice was nutty, well-seasoned and appealingly chewy.  There was also the classic condiments of ginger scallion and sweet chili sauce on the side.

Going for a meat-centered dish, we had the Special BBQ Pork Ribs.  These were large and super meaty.  Prior to being BBQ'd, these were cooked to the point they were fall-off-the-bone tender.  Smoky and well-charred, the ribs had a bit of a crispy exterior and the sweet glaze was caramelized.  Intense flavours that made every bite a memorable one.  Really enjoyed these.

Of course we got veggies too in the form of Nyonya Eggplant and Stir-Fried Green Beans with Garlic Sauce.  Gotta say that the eggplant was excellent.  Each piece was tender and soft without being mushy.  There was definitely caramelization happening with a sweet smokiness.    As for the beans, they were flash fried first before the wok-toss.  Despite also exhibiting caramelization and sufficient seasoning, the beans themselves were a little soft.

In addition to all this food, we just had to get a fried noodle in the form of the Chow Kway Teow.  Super classic dish that was properly wok fried.  It was smoky and seared, creating umaminess and caramelization.  Add in the charred slices of lap cheong (cured pork sausage), the chewy rice noodles benefitted from the saltiness and rendered fat.  I would've liked more brininess to the dish though.  This was a solid version of the popular Malaysian dish.

Our final item was the Nasi Goreng with fried chicken.  Another winner as the wok hei (intense wok heat) was on point.  It created a smoky nuttiness where the chewy rice was well-seasoned.  The side of sambal ensured we could make this as spicy as wanted.  The piece of fried chicken thigh on top was super juicy, well-brined and sported a crunchy coating.  Overall, the food at John 3:16 is solid and tasty.  Sure, some dishes are prepared a bit differently than the traditional version, but that didn't lessen our enjoyment.

The Good:

- Flavourful

- Good wok hei

- Decent portion sizes

The Bad:

- Different interpretation of certain dishes (and could be considered not authentic), but still tasty if you don't care about that

Yang's Dumplings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Good:

- Those pan-fried pork dumplings

- Okay pricing

- Efficient system, get your food quickly

The Bad:

- Other items were average

Luxe Chinese Seafood Restaurant

It's been like more than 11 years ago since I last had Dim Sum at Luxe Chinese Seafood Restaurant in Langley.   Well, the picture of the front is from 2015 since I forgot to take an updated one...  Anyways, the reason we came back here is that Guy Smiley lives nearby and this was the closest Dim Sum spot.  From what I remember, the Dim Sum is decent, especially for Willowbrook.

So they did away with the push carts and now we have to order with the server.   The first dish to hit the table was the Deep Fried Taro Dumplings.  This was a good version where the exterior was crispy and only moderately greasy.  Beyond that, the mashed taro was silky and well-seasoned.  Nice use of lard (yes, they use lard) mixed into it.  The ground pork filling was tender and mildly saucy.

One of our favourite Dim Sum dishes is the Baked BBQ Pork Pastries.  Sure, there is some good ol' lard in there, but that is what makes it good!  This one was indeed that with flaky & buttery layers.  It had a nice colour from the egg wash on the top.  Beyond the aromatic and nutty pastry, the BBQ pork filling was delicious.  It was sweet & savoury with chunks of lean BBQ pork.

After the pastries, there was a flurry of steamer baskets arriving including the Ha Gau (Steamed Shrimp Dumplings).  These were large and plump but the dumpling skin was a bit chewy.  I guess that was a whole lot better than being wet and mushy though.  Inside, the shrimp filling was decent with a meaty bounce texture.  It was well-seasoned with a good balance of flavours including the aromatic sesame oil.

Of course one cannot have the Ha Gau without the Siu Mai (Steamed Pork & Shrimp Dumplings).  These were also rather large and stuffed full of bouncy sweet shrimp.  There was a good amount of it to compliment the chunks of pork.  I would've liked to see a bit more rebound with the pork as it was more on the meatier and dense side.  I liked how the tobiko on top was added after steaming and there was also some mushroom to provide earthy notes.

For those who don't know, I absolutely love offal and I was delighted we got both the Bible Tripe and Honeycomb Tripe.  Portion size on both were average compared to some others I've had lately.  Execution was pretty good as the bible tripe was soft with a tender chew.  Nice green onion and ginger notes.  The honeycomb tripe was pretty soft and didn't require much chewing.  Nice garlicky sweetness with a touch of spice.

One dish that could've been a bit better was the Steamed Chicken Feet.  The method here is to deep fry them first, then braise and finally steam.  I think theses were cooked a bit too long and hence, the skin was falling off in places.  However, being too soft is way better than being chewy.  The tendons and cartilage underneath were soft as well.  Flavour was good with garlic and spice.

I think the picture of the Beef Meatballs clearly shows how soft they were.  These were very fluffy and airy from the being in the mixer.  Naturally, the natural meat texture was non-existent, but that is the point of the dish though.  The combination of baking soda, starch and mixing create the fluffy meatballs.  These had a limited amount of greens, so it wasn't overwhelming.  If you like them airy, these would be your fancy.

One of the best dishes we had was the Steamed Pork Spareribs.  If you examine the picture above, you will notice most pieces were rib portions and short on the fatty ones.  The meat was marinated enough so that they were tenderized, yet still had a chew.  Nice rebound texture and the seasoning was on point with saltiness, garlickiness and spice.

For the kids, we got the Sticky Rice wrapped in lotus leaves. These were large and stuffed full of soft sticky rice.  Maybe there was a bit too much moisture as it was a tad mushy.  It didn't make or break the dish though as it was still tasty.  There was a plethora of ground pork that was sitting in a starch-thickened sauce.  That was enough to provide seasoning and meat into every bite.

Another favourite of mine is the Bean Curd Skin Rolls.  Happy to report the ones here were good.  The fried bean curd skin had a slightly chewy texture, yet was also tender.  Inside, the pork filling had a decent rebound, but was more meaty in texture.  Nice crunch from the veggies.  There was a bit of starch-thickened sauce, but not too much.  Maybe more oil than sauce (didn't mind that though).

For our choice of rice noodle roll, we went for the Beef Rice Noodle Roll.  As you can see in the picture above, they stuffed them full of whipped beef.  Texturally, the beef was light and airy like the beef meatballs.  As for the rice noodle itself, I would say it was quite thin yet a little on the firmer side.  There was still an appealing elasticity where the noodle didn't break on contact.

Surprisingly, my niece wanted the Deep Fried Squid Tentacles.  I guess it should've been obvious since she was getting in touch with her Taiwanese roots.  This dish was both good and bad.  The squid itself had an appealing chew and rebound.  However, the coating was a bit soggy in spots and was also rather uneven.  It did taste good though with a salty and garlicky spice.

We went for one of our go-to dishes in the XO Daikon Radish Cake.  However, I wasn't a huge fan of this.  For some reason, they wok-tossed the deep-fried cubes in a wet sauce (possibly soy sauce) and hence, the crispiness went away.  In fact, the texture was slimy and gummy, which was rather off-putting.  Normally, a wok-toss with just XO-sauce would've sufficed and since it is an oil-based sauce, it wouldn't have made the dish wet.

At the end, we got an order of the BBQ Pork Buns as well as the Egg Tarts.  Fluffy and light, the buns were texturally on point.  They were filled with the same lean BBQ pork found in the pastries.  As for the egg tarts, they were good.  The buttery and flaky puff pastry was fully-cooked through while the egg custard was silky and only semi-sweet.  Overall, the Dim Sum at Luxe is decent.  Sure, Richmond Dim Sum is better, but for Langley, Luxe continues to offer the best in the neighbourhood.

The Good:

- Solid Dim Sum for Langley

- Decent selection

- Fairly friendly service

The Bad:

- Not as good as ones found in Richmond, but great for Langley

Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle

I'm sure many of you have heard about the recent closure of Chef Hung's Richmond location after 17 years in business at Aberdeen Centre.  That means there are only two locations left at SFU and UBC.  If you've ever read any reviews about the UBC store, there are some real concerns about serious mismanagement.  I haven't been to this location for quite some time, so it was a bit surprising to see the place go downhill since my last visit.  Mercifully, they are now under new management that is committed to sharpening up their operations.  Jackie and dropped by to see for ourselves.

On the surface, things were operating as usual and there was a decent amount of business considering we were there at 3:00pm on a weekend.  Before we got to the noodles, we had some smaller items in the Braised Pork Hock, Deep Fried Chicken Nuggets and Marinated Egg.  Served in large pieces, the pork hock was the ideal texture.  The gelatinized skin as tender and underneath, the fat and tendon were buttery and soft.  Seasoning was mild, yet effective where the pork flavour wasn't too strong.  Rather, we had a good balance of salty and sweet.  Chicken Nuggets were also large while lightly coated.  They were crispy and well-seasoned with the classic salty-peppery vibes (and a touch of five-spice).  Inside, the dark meat was juicy.  As for the eggs, they were flavourful, but since they were fully done (typical for this type of egg), it was rubbery and had that grey ring.  Still good though!

Another trio of side dishes consisted of Boiled Broccoli, Cold Mixed Baby Cucumbers and Marinated Pig's Ear.  Even though we had broccoli in some of the dishes already, we felt more veggies wouldn't hurt.  They were cooked just right being still a bit crunchy.  Also crunchy, the cucumbers were refreshing and nicely marinated.  Really enjoyed the stacked, then sliced pig's ear as they were gelantious and had a light crunch from the cartilage.  Once again, the braising liquid added umaminess to the pig's ear and of course some sweetened soy vibes.

As you can see in the picture above, the Marinated Beef Roll was fairly large and completely stuffed.  The pancake itself was slightly crispy on its surfaces while the pastry had a bite.  It could've been a bit more flaky though. Inside, the ample sliced beef shank was a bit thick, yet still plenty tender.   I wished there was more hoisin though (but you can ask for more).  The matchstick cucumbers were fresh and added a bright crunch.

We got 2 of their Deep Fried Ginger Chicken Wings and they were the whole wing including the dummette and tip.  They were uniformly golden brown which also meant the skin was fairly crispy.  It was also rendered well, so there wasn't any flabby parts.  Loved the marinated meat as it was juicy, tender and slightly gelatinous.  As promised, there was a nice gingery hit as well.

Onto the dishes we were really here for - The Taiwanese Beef Noodles!  We had one each of the Award-Winning Beef Shank, Tendon & Tripe with Noodle in Soup and Champion Beef Shank with Noodle in Soup and .  These 2 bowls were very similar except for the former having thick noodles and the latter having thin noodles.  Naturally, the former had 2 extra items.  The soup itself was quite good with a solid beef presence.  It had depth-of-flavour and sweetness with just a subtle hint of spice.  Noodles were al dente with the thick noodles being extra chewy (in a good way).  I think the thin noodles picked up more of the soup flavour though.  Meats were tender with the tendon being soft and gelatinous.  Tripe was soft while retaining a mild chewiness.   I thought the beef shank was more tender than the brisket, but that was because of the braised connective tendons.

Moving onto 2 different types of beef noodle, we had the Champion Beef Brisket with Noodle in Clear Soup as well as the Champion Braised Beef with Noodle in Tomato Soup.  With the clear soup, it was certainly clean-tasting and naturally mild with some sweetness.  The brisket was a bit drier here, yet not too chewy.  We also found a few slices of tender beef that were quite delicious.  I have to say that the tomato soup was not as strong as I would've liked.  It definitely had the essence of tomato and we also found some fresh grape tomatoes too, but I wanted more tang.  The braised beef was fall-apart tender and had a rich braised flavour.

We had one more noodle that was similar to the first 2 but also somewhat different as well.  This was the Braised Beef Tendon & Shank with Noodle in Green Pepper Soup.  Despite not appearing to be any different, the soup was distinct.  There was definitely more spiciness (but not too strong) as well as a background numbing.  It was slightly tangy and a bit green tasting (despite the soup looking brown)

In addition to their large selection of beef noodles, they have rice bowls as well.  We ended up trying the Taiwanese-Style Deep Fried Chicken Cutlet and also the Deep Fried Pork Chop.  As you can see, both were similar except that the pork chop had some braised pork underneath.  This meant the rice was saucier and more robust from the rich meat flavours.  Both had a crispy coating and the typical Taiwanese seasoning of salt, white pepper and five spice.  Meats were juicy and tender, especially the thick dark meat chicken.  Overall, the food at Chef Hung was what I expected.  It was solid and considering the cost of food these days, reasonably-priced.  I like that they are trying to improve the service and overall experience because that was an issue with this location.

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

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Reasonable pricing

- Portions were fair too

The Bad:

- Decor is a bit worn

- Smaller location with limited seating

Mauna

As often as I visit Mauna out in Surrey, I don't think I've posted about them in quite some time.  Ironically, prior to this visit, I had eaten then 5 times in the last few months!  Anyways, this post will mostly focus on their new meal sets as well as some new maki sushi rolls.  Of course, I had to get some of the classics as well!  For those who not familiar with Mauna, the chef used to work at Minami and his menu features quality renditions of Aburi Oshi and many other delicious dishes at prices that are truly affordable.

In this economy, it is not easy to find food that features quality ingredients for reasonable prices.  However, their Set Menus for $28.95 include a bounty of dishes that reflect many of the best items on the regular menu.  With a bounty of dishes, the Botan Set includes 6 pcs Sashimi, Chicken Karaage, Miso Tofu Salad, Fried Brussels Sprouts, 3 pcs Aburi Nigiri, 2 pcs Oshi Bites, Mini Poke and Miso Soup.  Yes, the amount of food shown in the picture is an accurate representation.  This is more than enough for one person and worth every penny of the $28.95.  All of their set menus include the same sides, but only rotate 2 of the mains.  In this one, the Chicken Karaage and 6 pcs of Sashimi are the unique dishes.  I've always love the karaage here as it has a flavourful marinade with a nice hit of ginger.  Chicken is tender and juicy too.  Sashimi is fresh and presented in generously-sized slices.

For the Momiji Set, everything is the same except we find a Mini-Chirashi Don and Ika Maruyaki replacing the aforementioned karaage and sashimi.  If you were feeling a little bit more hungry and also wanted more rice, this is the set for you as the chirashi don is essentially the sashimi, but with rice added.  As for the squid, it is grilled beautifully and is completely tender with a nice rebound texture.  

The Sakura Set features Kaisen Soba and 3 pieces of Ebi Fritter in place of the other main items.  As much as I enjoy the seafood with the chewy soba noodles and the crispiness of the ebi fritters, I feel this is the least amount of food in comparison to the 3 set menus.  But I understand the combination as it features much less raw items than the other sets.  Good for those who want cooked food in their combos.

Before I get to the classics, I will discuss the "newer" specialty rolls including the Medford Roll.  It doesn't have anything to do with the town in Oregon, so no reference to the mountains even though there is a mountain of deep fried baby scallops on top of a what is essentially an oversized dynamite roll.  Yes, you will normally find this type of roll at a Korean-run Japanese restaurant.  For the record, I don't mind these types of rolls, it just depends on my mood.

Another large specialty roll is the Hinderer Roll consisting of a deep fried "dynamite-like" roll with a mound of spicy sashimi in the middle.  Since the roll is fried, the centre is slightly warm and has a softer texture.  Outside, the tempura batter is crispy and not greasy.  As for the spicy tuna sashimi, it is slightly sweet with a bite.  Crunchy cucumbers add some texture to this.  For $19.95, this is a considerable amount of food.

So this is the "New" Galaxy Roll and I guess the new part is the crumbled wasabi peas on top.  It adds a crunch that has a mild bite to go with the spicy prawn, hotate and red tuna in the middle while hamachi wrapped around the top.  The roll is almost juicy and eats a bit wet, but the peas do add a textural contrast.  To top it off, we there is some spicy powder for more heat.

Striking in its appearance from the fried lotus root chip on top, the Wataru Roll features real crab, hotate and asparagus in the centre with tuna tartare, slightly seared red tuna and nikiri on the top.  The fluffiness and moisture of the real crab meat is unmistakable while the tuna does the heavy lifting with texture and the spice from the tartare.  It is a bit awkward to get the full lotus root chip in every bite, but when you do, it is crispy and airy.

Onto some classics, we cannot forget about the big daddy of the bunch in the Explosion Roll.  With a good amount of imitation crab, spicy tuna and cucumber, the whole thing is wrapped with tobiko and topped with torched aburi sauce.  Fantastic pops from the tobiko and smoky sweetness from the aburi sauce.  Secondary layers of buttery soft and spicy tuna give this roll extra impact.

We cannot forget about their other "must order" item in the Mauna's Aburi Tart.  Sporting with sushi rice, ripe avocado, spicy tuna, sockeye salmon and seared aburi sauce, this has all of the best things in one package.  Buttery and flavourful with hits of spice and sesame oil, the spicy tuna anchors the dish but gives way to the creamy smokiness of the aburi sauce.  It has a little bit of tang that helps keeps things from being heavy.  Love this dish.

A visit to Mauna isn't complete without ordering their Aburi Oshi.  Two of my favourites are the Wild Salmon Oshi and the Ebi Oshi.  Comparing it to the pioneer of these dishes (Miku/Minami), these ones here at Mauna have more content (as in fish and components) to go with the sushi rice.  Aburi sauce is creamy and tangy without being greasy.  The lime zest on the ebi oshi really adds brightness.

We also go for the Saba Oshi and Hotate Oshi.  If you are a fan of the briny fishiness of mackerel, then the Saba Oshi is for you.  It has just a touch of miso aburi sauce on it.  On the other hand, the scallop oshi has quite a bit of sauce that is slightly spicy.  Since scallop is buttery and sweet yet subtle, the sauce adds some impact.  However, it doesn't overwhelm the delicate scallop though.  The texture of the sushi rice is more on the moist side with an appealing chewiness.  In the end, a visit to Mauna is always a treat since the food is great and affordable.  Definitely a surprise given its location.  Now with the meal sets, there is a wider selection of dishes to share if you have a smaller party.

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

The Good:

- New meal sets offer a great variety of their best items

- Large portions at a reasonable price

- The classic aburi oshi is excellent and much less expensive than other places

The Bad:

- Being a small neighbourhood restaurant, the place gets slammed at times, so you'll have to be patient