The Hungry Tiger Grill Kitchen

When Tendon Kohaku suddenly closed recently at Madison Centre, it was a bit surprising, but also not unexpected, especially during these turbulent economic times.  However, it didn't take long for The Hungry Tiger Grill Kitchen to take over.  If you've ever heard of their sister restaurant, The Hungry Duck on West 4th, then you will know what they are all about.  Think rice bowls, that are overflowing with grilled meats.  We stopped by recently to check it out.

Included with every meal is their Salad Bar.  It isn't a comprehensive salad bar by any means, but it has the usual shredded cabbage and roasted sesame dressing.  Moreover, we found some julienned green onions as well as pickled daikon and carrots.  You can help yourself to more if you wanted to.  Not bad if you wanted some veggies.

We got a small appie to start in the form of the Truffle Fries.  These actually showed up at the end of our meal when we were about 75% finished.  They need to work on their food expediting.  It came with an inordinate amount of mayo and ketchup.  Far too much for the amount of fries, which was wasteful.  The fries themselves were of the crispy shoestring variety.  There was enough seasoning to provide saltiness, but the truffle was quite muted.

Onto their Signature Bowls, my daughter had the Classic Chicken Don in the large size ($21.50).  All bowls included the aforementioned salad bar, miso soup, seaweed and dipping sauce.  They weren't skimping on the chicken was there was two layers atop the chewy rice.  I would've liked to see more charring on the skin, but there was smokiness nonetheless.  Meat wasn't exactly juicy, but it wasn't dry either.

Viv went for the large Chicken Vermicelli for $23.50.  This was a bit different than the don, not only because the chicken sat atop rice vermicelli, but it also came with fish sauce.  So the flavour profile was different as the standard dipping sauce was more vinegary and of course not briny.  It came with some greens and more pickled veg.

For myself, I had the large Grilled Pork Curry Bowl for $21.50.  As you can see in the picture above, the slices of pork were charred quite evenly.  Therefore, the smokiness was strong and the edges were crispy.  The meat itself was a bit dry, but in a good way.  It went well with the vinegary dip.  The ample amount of curry was quite mild and a bit sweet.  Just the right amount to go with the chewy rice.

My son had the biggest bowl in the large Chicken & Beef Short Ribs for $26.50.  This was loaded with the same amount of chicken, but adding in an equal amount of tender short ribs.  They were well-marinated and also nicely charred.  The addition of an onsen egg added a silky texture to the rice.  I recommend adding it to your bowl if it didn't include it already for another $2.50.

We ended up ordering some of their Hakkaido Soft Serve for a very reasonable price of $2.99.  These were fairly creamy for using Hokkaido milk and were just sweet enough.  Naturally, the best part was the strong milkiness of the soft serve.  Loved the crispy waffle cone.  Overall, we thought Hungry Tiger was decent and they didn't skimp with the meat.  I wouldn't put this on the top of my list, but if someone wanted to go, I wouldn't object.

The Good:
- Generous with the meat
- Generally impactful smokiness from the grilling
- Inexpensive Hokkaido soft-serve

The Bad:
- Fries came at the very end of our meal, they need to work that out
- Service was actually quite good (despite the online reviews), but the tablet at our table died, so we couldn't flag someone down electronically

Burnt Orange Cafe + Bistro

When I noticed that Kazu Japanese on Hastings in North Burnaby was closing, it made me sad.  That was one of the few authentic spots in the area, but it was time for the owner to retire.  Well, when one door closes, another opens right?  The space has been taken over by the Burnt Orange Cafe + Bistro, which is a breakfast/brunch spot that has a Korean influence.  Seems like The Grey Olive has some competition now!  I ended up making 2 separate visits and had a variety of breakfast and lunch items.

On my first visit, we shared the Sweet Soy Garlic Chicken Wings to start.  This was a pretty large portion of equally big flats and drumettes.  The meat was juicy and nicely seasoned, but the batter was on the thicker side.  Hence there was a considerable crunchiness, but it was also heavy.  Fortunately, the skin was somewhat rendered and hence, there wasn't any flabbiness.  In terms of the seasoning, it was good with a balance between sweet garlickiness and saltiness.

For our mains, we tried the Burnt Orange Burger with a thick beef patty, bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickles, double Swiss, chipotle aioli and an onion ring on brioche.  This was a pretty solid burger where the patty was charred while the meat was still moist.  If you look at the picture, you might be wondering where the cheese, bacon and pickle are hiding.  Well, there was cheese, it was just off to one side, but I think they left out the pickle and bacon?  It was still a good burger though as the brioche held everything together.

We also had the Mushroom Cream Rigatoni with sauteed mushrooms, mushroom-miso cream, asparagus, pecorino, bread crumbs and shaved parmesan.  If this sounds heavy to you, then you would be right.  This was indeed creamy and rich with lots of nuttiness and saltiness.  I thought the umami really came through with the mushrooms as well as with the miso.  The rigatoni was firmly al dente and held onto the cream sauce well.  There was also a piece of garlic sourdough toast that was quite good.

On my next visit, we did mainly breakfast items including the Burnt Orange Breakfast Plate.  This was loaded with 2 eggs, apple sausage, 2 slices of bacon, parmesan potatoes and 2 slices of cranberry sourdough toast.  Solid plate of food with the eggs being doing overeasy perfectly with a runny yolk.  The bacon strips were crispy and not flabby while the sausage was meaty, juicy and sweet.  Wasn't a fan of the potatoes as they were too squishy.  However, that cranberry sourdough was really good.

We also went for the Pulled Pork Benedict that also came with the parmesan potatoes.  Well, you know what I thought about the potatoes, so I will only hope they make them crispier next time.  As for the benedict, the amount of pulled pork was substantial.  Better yet, it was tender and nicely sauced.  Hence it was moist and had plenty of smoky and sweet BBQ flavour.  The poached egg was beautifully runny and the Hollandaise was creamy and well-seasoned.

Now saving the best for last, the best item I had here was the Blueberry Pancakes.  Just look at the picture.  There was so much fruit on top!  This meant each bite was fruity, tangy and sweet.  However, the pancakes themselves were super fluffy and relatively thick.  Everything soaked into them and I barely needed the maple syrup.  Overall, the food at the Burnt Orange was solid and served in large portions.  Those pancakes were my favourite and would gladly have them again.

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Large portions

- Nice service

The Bad:

- Hash browns could be crispier

- Seating is tight

The Gray Olive

If you don't already know, The Gray Olive out in North Burnaby has expanded.  They have taken over the insurance agency that was next door on the corner.  Hence, they have tripled their capacity and now are a full-service restaurant (rather than the counter service they had before).  I've actually been here somewhat recently and enjoyed the fact I didn't have to wait in line and also could have my order taken at my table.  The best thing of all is the food is still on point and there are even some new items on the menu.  I had a chance to try more dishes as we were invited to do so!

Things got off to a great start with the GO Breakfast Platter featuring 2 eggs, bacon, pork & leek sausage, chimichurri, tomatoes, toast and a side (cubed hashbrowns in this case).  So on the surface, preparing a plate of breakfast items doesn't seem overly complex.  However, to create an appealing plate is another matter.  They did that well here with thick cut and meaty bacon as well as a juicy and flavourful leek sausage.  The addition of bright chimichurri atop fresh grilled tomatoes made things a bit more brighter.

We can't forget about their Chicken & Waffle and as much as this version is pretty straightforward, it was executed properly.  The generous portion of fried chicken thighs were juicy and tender while having a uniformly crunchy batter.  The chicken itself and the batter were both properly seasoned.  As for the waffle, it was crispy on the outside while fairly airy on the inside.  On the side, we found creamy honey butter and maple syrup.

Staying with fried chicken, you know that the fried chicken thigh would be repurposed in some way.  Well, if your guess was a Fried Chicken Sandwich, then you would be right.  As you can see in the picture, there was more than enough chicken for every bite of the sandwich.  It sat in a soft, but toasted brioche bun with cabbage, pickles and dill aioli.  Side of fries were super crispy. Solid sammie, but I personally like the spicy version more for an extra $1.00.

 

One sandwich that I've never tried before was the Cheesesteak Dip.  All the usual ingredients were there including shaved beef, sauteed peppers, onions, mushrooms and shredded cheese on a toasted baguette.  By itself, I thought it was already a substantial sandwich that had plenty of umami, sweetness and cheesiness.  However, when it was made into a beef dip, this added more saltiness and of course moisture to the crunchy baguette.  Personally I would've eaten it without the dip as the sandwich was great already with a nice crunch from the bread.

They also have a nice selection of Bennys and for myself, my favourite is the Crab Cake Benny.  Now if you have tried different versions of crab cakes, you will find this one a bit lacking in crab.  However, for me at least, it was still tasty since the texture was light and fluffy while being crispy on the outside.  Besides, this Benny costs as much as the other ones, so we wouldn't expect a jam-packed crab cake for that price.  These sat on top of a biscuit with red pepper relish and arugula.

Yes, that means the Pulled Pork Benny costs as much as the Crab Cake Benny.  But don't worry, they pile so much tender pulled pork on top, I believe you still get your money's worth.  For this version, everything sat on corn bread.  It was crispy with a fairly moist interior.  Good call on using that as the bread because it went really well with the pulled pork.  Eggs were soft-poached with a runny yolk while the Hollandaise was creamy, not overly heavy and well-seasoned.

Another favourite of mine is the French Toast made with slices of baguette.  These were soaked enough so that the texture became more like bread pudding.  Hence, there was this custardy, soft thing going on that was rather appealing.  Don't mistaken it for soggy though as it wasn't.  These were seared up nicely with a nutty flavour from the butter.  This was served with syrup and even more butter on the side.

Making sure we represent the whole menu, we got both of their daily soups including Mushroom and Tomato.  I thought the mushroom was tasty without being salty.  The earthiness did come through, not only from the mushrooms, but also from the thyme and rosemary.  Tomato soup was somewhat creamy and sweet, hence it took some of the harsh acidity out.  It was smooth and had great natural flavour.   The missing side to the GO platter was the cubed hashbrowns in this picture.  Last item was the Pancake and it was fairly fluffy and aromatic.  As for our beverages, I was the only one to select something hot in the Spanish Latte.   It was creamy and lightly sweet.  We also had the Thai Iced Tea, Cold Matcha Latte and the Thai Iced Ying Yang.  So, The Gray Olive has been around since 2017 and they have consistently put out quality and delicious food for breakfast & brunch (also some lunch items in the past).  It is nice to see things are still on the right path with more seats!  

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

The Good:

- Solid breakfast and brunch

- Well-portioned

- Now with more seats!

The Bad:

- Like with everything else and everywhere else, prices are creeping up there

 

Portobello

11 years ago, we dined at the Broadway location of Portobello.  Now, we have noticed that it had moved into the former spot of the Pear Tree on Hastings in Burnaby.  I filed that away in my mind so if we ever needed as place to grab some Italian eats, we would hit the place up.  Well, it was my mom's birthday and we didn't want to venture into Downtown, so yep, this was the place for us!

We ended up sharing a bunch of dishes starting with some starters including the Caesar Salad and the Burrata.  Dressed in a house-made dressing, the Caesar salad was fairly mild in flavour despite the rich anchovy colour.  It was plenty creamy with some aromatics and fresh crunch from the romaine.  Soft and creamy, there was a good amount of burrata atop the dressed arugula and fresh cherry tomatoes.

Onto our pasta course, we ordered 3 of them.  The most simple of the bunch was the Fusilli con Polpette.  This featured 2 humungous house-made ground prime rib meatballs sitting in a tomato sauce with shaved parmigiano.  There was enough filler to prevent the meat from being dense, yet at the same time, the beef texture was still prevalent.  The tomato sauce was bright and tangy, yet was a bit one-note.  The shaved parm did help in this regard.  As for the fusilli, it was al dente.

Our favourite pasta of the bunch was not really a pasta, but a risotto.  The Risotto di Mare was a large portion of aborio rice, prawns and halibut.  We thought the rice was perfectly prepared as it was cooked through while still retaining a bite.  The combination of white wine, butter and cream was on point where it made the risotto rich without being too heavy.  Beyond the on point seasoning, the natural sweetness and brininess of the halibut and prawns came through in the background.

We also had the Agnolotti di Ricotta in a rose sauce.  These were not made in-house, but rather imported from Italy.  Well, these were legit as the thin pasta was firm, yet still tender to the bite.  Inside, the creamy ricotto and spinach were dry enough to not impact the integrity of the agnolotti.  Hence, they stayed together even after being cut in half and covered in sauce.  About that sauce, it was nicely balanced with a creamy and subtle tanginess.

So for our Primi, we also ordered 3 dishes including the Cioppino di Mare with clams, mussels, prawns, halibut and squid in a fish stock with white wine, garlic, fresh herbs and light tomato sauce.  This was quite the pleasant dish where the broth was definitely the star of the show.  It was naturally sweet and plenty "seafoody" with a spicy tanginess.  The seafood was perfectly cooked with buttery mussels and clams as well as delicately bouncy pieces of squid.

We really enjoyed the Ossobuco Classico where the large veal shank was so tender and rich with flavour.  It was fork-tender with the flavours of the wine and root vegetables coming through.  That was also evident with the braising liquid that melded perfectly with the al dente and creamy risotto on the side.  When combined, the richness of the risotto and the jus created a delicious bite.  Even better with a piece of the tender veal.

Staying with veal, we had the Piccata al Limone.  This featured several thin slices of veal that were lightly floured, sautéed in butter, white wine and lemon juice.  They were tender while mildly-seasoned.  The lemon did come through, offering up a certain brightness to break up the heaviness of the buttery.  I found the veggies on the side to be perfectly prepared where they retained a crunch.

For dessert, we had the Raspberry-Rhubarb Cobbler and the Tiramisu.  We felt the cobbler was quite good in terms of flavour and texture.  Nice tanginess and balanced sweetness from the fruit while the topping was not too thick nor dense.  As for the tiramisu, the mascarpone cream was light and just sweet enough.  Ladyfingers were properly soaked and we got that espresso hit.   So this meal at Portobello was exactly what we thought it would be.  It's not the sexiest Italian food in town, but is generally solid.   Love the new space in the ol' Pear Tree and the service was fantastic.

The Good:

- Generally solid food

- Excellent service

- Nice dining space

The Bad:

- Thought the tomato sauce pasta was a bit one-note

Mumbaiyaa

Sometimes, food gets repetitive.  Yah it is definitely #firstworldproblems and given the economic climate at the moment, the fact I get to eat delicious food is a blessing in itself.  So take what I'm saying in context.  I'm always looking for interesting eats and when I try another new Indian restaurant, the food can be absolutely wonderful, but it can be the same-o same-o.  However, when we checked out Mumbaiyaa out on Hastings in Burnaby, there were signs that it would be different.  First of all, it is vegetarian and primarily a chaat house.  Second, they are located in Burnaby!  In my hood!  So I was pretty excited for my visit.

Looking over the menu, the predominant items were the Indian Pav (butter rolls).  The Butter Vada Pav featured spicy and soft potato that was battered and fried until golden brown.  I found the layers of texture appealing with pillowy soft buns with a crispy potato patty in between with delicate potato inside.  Then you had the intoxicating flavours of garlic and then green chutney.  This was so flavourful and aromatic that you didn't notice there was no meat!

Now that was good, but the real star was the Cheese Burst Vada Pav.  This was essentially a butter vada pav with the addition of a cheesy filling in between the layers of spicy garlic potato within the crispy batter.  The same delicious green chutney was there as well.  As much as this was almost the same as the butter vada pav, this was more robust with the ooey gooey cheese and also it somewhat cooled the spice to a degree.  I could eat a tonne of these!

Looking very similar to the butter vada pav, the Thecha Vada Pav was different for one particular detail - lots of green chilies and cilantro.  This made the whole thing very green and remarkably unique in flavour.  Much more spice and also very green-tasting with the cilantro and also the green chutney.  For me, it was still all about the cheese vada pav for me as it was more subtle.

Beyond the cheese vada pav, our next favourite item was the Ulta Vada Pav.  This was huge bun was stuffed full of spicy potato masala and then coated with besan batter.  This was deep-fried until golden brown and crispy.  Oh this was absolutely delicious and had the same qualities of the previous vada pavs, but with the crunch on the outside and all of the soft textures on the inside.  This was plenty spicy as well.

Other than vada pavs, we had both the Pani Puri and Sev Puri.  With the former, the hollow crispy shells were filled with tender potatoes, a pomegranate seed and some spicy tangy water and sweet chutney.  A nice crispy one-biter that packed a lot of flavour.  As for the latter, we found a crispy puri topped with potatoes, onions, tomatoes and chutneys with thin gram flour noodles on top.  Also a one-biter, but maybe with a spoon or fork.  Flavours were a bit more complex here due to the sharp onion and fresh tomatoes.  More crispiness with this one.

Moving onto something a bit different, but featuring a side of fluffy baked kulcha, the Chhole Kulcha featured a chick pea curry that had a surprising meatiness and depth.  Slightly sweet and almost smoky with spiciness that continued to elevate and really hits at the end.  For me, the super soft kulcha was the best part as it was light as a cloud and soaked up the delicious and spicy curry like it was supposed to.

Featuring 3 soft buttered pav, the Pav Bhaji was another delicious curry that was the beneficiary of really soft bread. The cooked-down vegetables were spicy and slightly sweet with plenty of umaminess.  The curry was smooth and and impactful.  It could've been fine with naan or even rice, but the addictively soft buns complimented the curry much like the chhole kulcha.  Eating the buns by themselves would've been awesome, but pair it with a tasty curry, well that makes it more awesome!

Our one rice dish was the Tawa Pulao with basmati, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers, peas, pav bhaji masala and coriander leaves.  This was a fully-loaded rice that was rather saucy.  Lots of flavour from the sweet onions and bell peppers.  There was spice to this and also plenty of impact from the coriander.   Since the rice was already cooked, the texture was a bit softer.

As for the sweets, we had an Oreo Milkshake during the meal and Falooda for dessert (Rabdi & Rose).  The milkshake was creamy and smooth being a drinkable viscosity.  It was sweet, but not overwhelmingly so.  As for the falooda, they were sweet, yet balanced.  Lots of bouncy vermicelli hidden within the milky concoction with ice cream on top.  At the end of our meal, I was really glad that we made it out to Mumbaiyaa.  Nice to try some new things and also some familiar ones.  What a nice addition to the neighbourhood as we do not have anything like it nearby.  The stuff is so tasty and fulfilling, you won't miss the meat!

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

The Good:

- Lots of flavour and spiciness

- Reasonable pricing

- Super nice owner

The Bad:

- I mean, if you want meat, but for me I didn't miss it

- A little carb heavy, but it is vegetarian though

Hello Nori (The Amazing Brentwood)

I've been waiting a very long time for this.  It seemed like Hello Nori was never going to open their Brentwood location...  At first, we saw the signage go up and then it disappeared.  This was like 2 years ago.  My assumption was that they no longer were going to have a location in Burnaby.  As much as I love Hello Nori, I wasn't super enthused about driving into Downtown for my hand roll fix.  Lo and behold, the spot opened up all of a sudden!  I was both shocked and pleasantly-surprised.  Jackie and I went for a tasting a few days after their official opening.

In addition to their a la carte items, Hello Nori features 4, 5 and 6 roll set menus.  For those who haven't been, the hand rolls are constructed as you finish the last one, so it ensures the integrity of the crispy roasted seaweed as well as the warm rice and cold ingredients.  This combination results in a textural and temperature delight.  One must eat them immediately to experience optimal deliciousness.  But they aren't only hand rolls available.  They also have Sashimi that consists of Hamachi, Bluefin Tuna, King Salmon, Hokkaido Scallops, Tamago and diced sashimi.  It goes without saying that this looked beautiful with a nice sheen and vibrant colours.  It was also on point in terms of sweetness (quite impactful) and buttery texture.

Most people will go for the 6-hand roll set and it starts with the Toro (which is actually a Negitoro) with tuna belly and green onions.  I've always felt that their ingredient-to-rice ratio has been on point.  There is enough warm, seasoned chewy sushi rice to keep everything together while the amount of filling is substantial.  Hence, the hand rolls eat really well with this one sporting buttery soft tuna belly with fresh green onions.  Seasoning is spot on too with just enough to keep it from being plain.

Next hand roll is the Yellowtail (or Hamachi) that unsurprisingly is buttery and soft.  The natural sweetness of the fish comes through clearly.  The quality of the yellowtail is obvious with sweet hits of the sea accented by just a minimal amount of seasoning to enhance the natural flavours.  You can eat this without the aid of the soy on the side as well as the freshly-grated wasabi.  Yes, it is that naturally sweet that only a smattering of soy is necessary.

So one of the best hand rolls in the set is the Ora King Salmon.  I swear the salmon they use here is some of the sweetest natural-tasting fish around.  Not bad considering the price point.  If you've never had this type of fish before, you are truly missing out.  Beyond the taste, the fish itself is buttery soft and has a freshness about it (well as fresh as flash-frozen can get).  Once again, it is mildly-seasoned and does not need anything else really.

If having Ora King Salmon isn't a big enough treat, the hand roll with Hokkaido Scallop and tobiko is equally yummy.  The sweetness quotient of the scallops rivals that of the salmon where the conservative amount of mayo only helps accentuate the natural sweetness that already exists.  Already experiencing the sashimi itself, we know that this hand roll would be delicious.  Combine the buttery scallops with the mayo and crispy nori, this is even tastier.

Moving onto the last two hand rolls in the 6-roll set, we find the only two that feature cooked ingredients.  The first of which is the Snow Crab with delicate and fluffy crab that is mixed with just enough sweet mayo.  The contrast between the chewy and warm sushi rice with the soft snow crab creates a deluxe version of a California roll without the avocado.  Unlike the imitation crab in a Cali roll, this one here is so pure in sweetness and slight brininess.  Delicious.

Save the best for last right?  The 6th roll in the set is the Truffle Lobster.  They are not playing around here as the chunks of lobster are large and not the scraps.  It has the usual bouncy texture while being sweet and slightly briny.  With a bit of truffle mayo, this is so luxurious and expensive-tasting.  The truffle isn't overwhelming as it only compliments the natural flavours of the lobster.  Again, the warm rice and crisp nori makes this a textural delight.

There are a la carte items on the menu too including the Blue Fin Tuna hand roll.  Knowing that the slices of blue fin in the sashimi plate are already buttery and super sweet, it is only an expectation that it will be the same in the hand roll.  That it is and it is also the beneficiary of being marinated offering up the slightest in complimentary flavours.  To literally top it off, they freshly grind roasted sesame seeds to offer up some nuttiness.

Oh let's get even more bougie with the featured hand roll of the day with the A5 Wagyu and Hokkaido Uni!  Before they roll this up, the Wagyu is torched along with petrified Japanese oak to give it a unique smokiness.  Tack on a good amount of Hokkaido uni and you get the creaminess to go with the fatty meatiness.  Slight smoky notes come through too.  Since the Wagyu is so buttery soft, the roll can be eaten without fear of it sliding out.

Other than the handrolls and sashimi, there is also an option to add some Aburi Oshi in the form of salmon and ebi.  They are very much like the ones you will find at Miku/Minami and they eat as such.  The sushi rice is chewy and lightly seasoned with just enough mayo on top for moisture and flavour.  They do not feel greasy and are a nice addition to any hand-roll set.  All-in-all, Hello Nori is one of my go to spots in the city since they offer up fresh ingredients, on point execution and in my mind, reasonable pricing.  I'm so glad they opened up in my hood!

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

The Good:
- Fresh quality ingredients
- On point execution
- Their cocktails are pretty yummy too

The Bad:
- As with the other location, not a place where you sit for long (food comes out fast and it is bar seating)