Thai By Thai (Scott Road)

Okay, I must profess that I was too lazy to take an updated photo of Thai By Thai and am using my old one from 2014.  Now nothing on the outside has actually changed other than grand opening banner.  You may notice the banner advertising $7.50 lunch specials.  New flash, they are now like $15.00 and hey I don't blame the restaurant.  Things have gone up a lot due to inflation.  So essentially it has doubled in less than 10 years.  However, our paycheques have not followed suit!  Anyways, we returned to see if the food was still as good as we remembered.

Starting off the meal, we had the Thai Spring Rolls as well as the Vegetable Thai Salad Roll.  Nothing out of the ordinary here with crispy spring rolls with vibrant and crunchy veggies inside.  In terms of aesthetics, the rolls could've been fried more aggressively so it would be darker.  However, it didn't affect the texture or taste.  The salad roll was pretty basic and filled with rice noodles and veggies. The rice paper was soaked properly having an appealingly chewy, yet moist texture.

Another appie we had was the Thai Chicken Wings served with a spiced fish sauce.  These giant mid-wings (or flats) were super juicy and well-brined.  They were starch-coated and fried until they had a good colour and were lightly crunchy.  Due to the brine, the wings had good inherent flavour already, but it was even better after the soaking it with the spicy and garlicky fish sauce.

Of course we had to be defaultish and get the Pad Thai.  Well it was a huge portion that is a half size bigger than most other places.  Although this had plenty of tanginess from tamarind, I found it to be on the sweeter side.  Noodles were chewy, but a bit clumpy.  We asked for our dishes to be medium and this was more or less that.  Overall, this was a respectable Pad Thai and worth ordering.

Next we went with 2 curries including the Chicken Green Curry.  Again, this was a huge portion consisting of the usual ingredients including peppers and eggplant.  We found the green curry to be flavourful but would've enjoyed a bit more brininess.  It was aromatic and lightly creamy from the coconut milk. The best part was the chicken, it was shockingly tender and juicy (possibly from being tenderized).  Sure, it isn't traditionally tenderized, but hey, we liked it more than dry white meat.

We also went for the Beef Red Curry with peppers and bamboo shoots.  Again, this was creamy and fairly flavourful with some spiciness.  This one seemed to be richer than the green curry.  As you can see, this was the same portion size as the green curry, so you must order enough rice to compliment.  Similar to the chicken, the beef had been tenderized and it was tender and moist.  I didn't mind it as it still retained a meaty texture.  Some might argue against it, but I say get over it, it still ate really well.

Lastly, we got the Stir-Fried Mixed Vegetables.  Typically, this dish employs a mushroom "oyster" sauce, but there did not appear to be any in this one.  Despite that, the veggies were vibrant and crunchy while being completely seasoned.  There was a quite a bit of moisture at the bottom of the plate though.  Overall, the food at Thai By Thai was decent and well-portioned.  I've always thought it was one of the better Thai options along the Scott Road corridor (not that there is that much competition).  This most recent visit affirms this.  

The Good:
- Decent eats
- Good portions
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Love that there is a parking lot, but it is a bit tight to maneuver when full
- Some creative license over the food to make it more palatable to the area

Spice Club Indian Cuisine

It seems like there are a whole lot of new Indian Restaurants (predominantly Punjabi cuisine) opening up these days.  There are a couple of things they have in common though.  Firstly, they are located in Surrey in and around Scott Road.  This is no surprise as Scott Road is the Indian equivalent to #3 Road in Richmond (in terms of Chinese food) and North Road in Coquitlam (in terms of Korean food).  Secondly, they are much more bougie with beautiful decor and usually a fancy bar.  One of the newest is Spice Club Indian Cuisine, you guessed it, on Scott Road at 96th.  This used to be the location of Mehfil Indian Buffet, which closed many years ago.

We were invited to try the place out and for our first starter, it was definitely fusion with the Indian-style Nachos.  To be honest, I wasn't expecting very much from this, but it completely blew me away.  The bed of tortilla chips were evenly topped with ooey gooey melted cheese, crispy papdi, spicy paneer, beans, onion-tomato salsa, yogurt, cilantro chutney and sweet chutney.  The combination of cheese, spice, sweetness and creaminess was addictive and we dusted this off quickly.  We could've done with another order but there was more food to come.  Texturally, the chips were crunchy while the amount of toppings made every chip fulfilling.

One of my personal favourite starter dishes is the Fish Pakora and the version here was exactly how I like it.  The fairly big chunks of fish were moist and flaky.  They were coated with a well-seasoned batter that was light and crispy.  There was enough seasoning that these could be eaten by themselves without any other condiments (however, it did come with green chutney).  The flavours were a bit spicy, some earthiness and sweetness.

Another really good dish was the Chicken Momos that were deep-fried and served with red chili chutney and tomato chutney.  I really enjoyed these as the dumpling skin was fairly thin and lightly crispy with an appealing elasticity.  Inside, the chicken filling was savoury and somewhat zesty.  It had some spice and sweetness while the texture was moist and tender while being a bit loose.  Loved dipping this into the tomato chutney as it was creamy, sweet and aromatic.  The red chili chutney had more spice and was also tangy with some sweetness.

We had 2 more starters in the Golgappa and the Butter Chicken Poutine.  Served on a long metal plate, the puri were ready for us to puncture a hole into.  We filled it with the side of potato and chickpeas first and then poured in the theeka pani and khatta meetha pani.  I personally love the khatta meetha pani due to the use of sweet and tangy tamarind extract.  However, the mintiness of the theeka pani was good too.  As for the butter chicken poutine, it featured starch-covered fries (appeared to be Cavandish) that were crispy and held up well with the creamy butter chicken sauce.  I found the sauce quite balanced with equal parts creaminess, tanginess and sweetness.

Since we couldn't decide on which item we wanted from the tandoor, we had the Tandoori Mix Platter as well as the Tandoori Prawns for good measure.  The mix included chicken tikka, tandoori chicken, seekh kabab and tandoori fish.  I thought this was well-prepared with large pieces of meat that were nicely-charred and flavourful from the marinade.  The chicken was tender and moist while the fish was flaky.  The seekh kabab was also moist with plenty of flavour including the usual earthiness from the cumin.  As for the prawns they were meaty with a snap texture while lightly charred on the outside.

We then ordered a good mix of mains that included some vegetarian items including the Eggplant Bharta.  I don't get to order this enough, but it is one of my favourite dishes as I love eggplant.  This one was prepared well with tender cooked-down eggplant that was tasty with the sweetness of onion, tang from tomato and a background smokiness.  Of course we also got ginger and garlic notes as well as a touch of spice.  Jess decided to order the Dal Makni and honestly I have a love-hate relationship with this dish.  I love the buttery creaminess of the sauce (due to the use of butter, cream and ghee) as it goes wonderfully with garlic naan.  However, it is so rich and sinful.  This one here was all that and was delicious.  It had background spice and earthiness as well as the natural sweetness.  The lentils were tender and delicate without being too soft.

We also had the classic Palak Paneer and this was textbook.  It featured tender cubes of paneer bathed in a smooth spinach sauce that had the usual garlicky gingery notes as well as some spice and sweetness.  Sticking with the same main ingredient, we went for the Paneer Tikka Masala as well.  However, this was completely different not only because of the sauce, but since the paneer was cut up into bigger pieces, the texture was firmer with more body.  In terms of the sauce, it was tangy with good spice and a touch of smokiness.  Even though it was rich in its own way, it had bright flavours.

Onto the non-veg, we had the classic Butter Chicken with a pat of melting butter on top for good measure.  Since we already had this with the poutine, we had an idea of how it tasted already.  However, since we were eating this with naan and rice, it ate completely differently.  With more of the sauce, I could see that it was even more flavourful than in the poutine.  It really was balanced with plenty of creaminess, tanginess and sweetness.  There was a touch of spice and of course the earthiness of cumin as well as gingery notes.  They used chicken thighs here and it was tender and in large chunks.

If it were me, I would've ordered a lot more lamb, but we only had one in the Lamb Curry.  This featured fairly tender cubes of lamb where some were a touch dry.  The curry itself was pretty concentrated with strong fall spice notes such as cloves, cardamom and cinnamon.  Hence, this had considerable body and earthiness.  There was also a cooked-down tomatoness to the curry where it was not sharp tangy, but tangy with depth.  I believe that this was reduced to the point where the salt content was a bit higher than the rest of the curries we had.  It wasn't a huge problem since we were eating it with naan and rice.

One of the table favourites was the Coconut Chicken that featured chicken breast that had been fried first.  Hence, the chicken was still plenty tender and moist even though it was sitting in a hot (temperature-wise) coconut sauce.  About that sauce, it was aromatic due to the coconut but it also featured honey, lime juice, garlic, ginger and asian sweet chilli sauce.  Therefore, it had many different layers of flavour including sweet, tangy and some spice.  Yet all of this was muted due to the creaminess of the dish.  Went well with rice.

Trying to get a variety of proteins, we had the Masala Fish cooked with coriander seeds, cloves, nutmeg, cassia, cardamom and spices.  This had a surprising amount of spiciness, but that was completely welcomed due to the mildness of the protein.  The fish itself was in large chunks like the pakora.  It was equally flaky and moist.  With all of the spices listed on the menu description, the cloves and nutmeg came through giving the dish a fall-type flavour profile.  Of course, the coriander added the usual earthiness while the onions provided sweetness.

For our carbs, we had Cumin Basmati Rice as well as Green Pea Pulao Rice (not pictured).  They were nicely textured and mild, perfect for being the blank canvas.  However, we also wanted a flavoured rice in the form of the Prawn Biryani.  This was also texturally on point with a dry chewiness, yet at the same time having enough moisture.  It was flavourful with a touch of heat and benefited from the slight brininess of the prawns.  Once again, due to the ingredients, there was a fall-type earthiness to the dish as well as some nuttiness.

For our breads, we got both the Butter Naan and the Garlic Naan.  These were fluffy on the inside with a nice chew with elasticity.  On the outside, it was crispy and nutty with plenty of butteriness.  Although not evident on the topside of the naan, the bottom (portion that is slapped on the surface of the tandoor) was beautifully charred.  As for the garlic naan, there was plenty of fresh garlic to give it delicious aromatics.

Onto dessert, we chose the Gajar Halwa, Kulfi Bar and the Cheesecake Trio (more on that later).  Absolutely loved the warm shredded carrots of the gajar halwa.  They were texturally appealing (cooked-down, but not mushy) and was purposefully sweet with cardamom notes.  As for the kulfi bar and ice cream, it was pretty sweet, but had the classic flavours of cardamom and pistachios.

 

Our last dessert was the Cheesecake Trio consisting of Chocolate, Mango Lassi and Red Velvet.  I loved the mango lassi the most as I have a bias towards fruitier things.  However, this was just sweet enough and tasted like its namesake.  The chocolate was quite rich, but smooth and also just sweet enough.  Red velvet featured some cake at the bottom underneath a semi-rich cheesecake cream with 2 cubes of cheesecake on top.  As you can see, we tried a boatload of dishes and it was a delight to see nearly all of them were on point with a few surprises.  I really didn't think the nachos would work, but I loved them.  The curries were on point as well as the starches.  Solid eats, good portions and reasonable prices considering the whole package.  Spice Club Indian Cuisine is another excellent addition to the food scene on Scott Road.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Nice decor

- Reasonable pricing

The Bad:

- A few items were a bit salty, but they go with starches anyways

Guacamole Mexican Grill

*Restaurant has moved to 10671A King George Blvd*

Mexican food in the Lower Mainland can be a bit hit and miss.  After all, it isn't the hotbed of that particular cuisine in general.  Yes, it has a hard time comparing to food in Mexico, San Diego, L.A. and even in Washington State for all that matters.  But that is all irrelevant since we are talking about the GVRD.  So when I got an invite from Craig to try out Guacamole Mexican Grill, I was intrigued, especially since it replaced one of my past favourites in Taqueria Jalisco in Whalley.

So the picture you see of the restaurant is actually not its location anymore.  They have now moved to 10671A King George Blvd to a bigger and more accessible spot.  Before we got to our food, we were presented with some complimentary house-made Tortilla Chips with freshly mixed guacamole.  Predictably, these chips were fresh and crunchy.  Not greasy and very light in density.  As for the guac, it was bright featuring fresh and ripe avocados mixed with tomato and onions.  Good start to the meal.

Up next, we had something that is completely a thing these days - Birria Tacos.  If you haven't had them before, I highly recommend that you do.  These tacos were stuffed with slow-cooked beef, then soaked in the fat at the top of the stew and deep fried.  This is served with stewing liquid on the side as a dip. I thought these were on point with tender fall-apart beef that was soaked with a multitude of flavours.  The tortilla shells were crunchy and full of impact form the fat.

So I'm sure you probably either had or have seen a Torta before but the problem with Vancouver is that it was probably not very good.  Well, the one here reminded me of the ones I've had in the Mission District in San Francisco.  Sandwiched within crusty French bread, we chose al pastor to go with mayo, avocado, tomatoes, onions and cheese.  Beyond the excellent bread, the pork was so tender and full of flavour and a hint of heat from the spices and a touch of sweetness from the pineapple.

Onto a larger dish, we had the Mar y Teirra, which is essentially surf and turf consisting of marinated grilled steak and seasoned prawns with rice, refried beans, salad and guacamole.  Since this was a thin steak, it was predictably prepared medium.  No problemo since it was still tender and had a good char.  As for the prawns, they were perfectly cooked being meaty with a snap texture.  They were flavourful and sweet.

We also tried the Burrito Banado with rice, beans, cheese and carnitas topped with green salsa and sour cream.  This was absolutely massive and completely stuffed with meat.  Hence, it ate well with tender and moist slow-cooked pork.  Beyond that, the best part of the burrito was the green salsa as it was bright and super flavourful.  It really brought the burrito to life and actually made it less heavy.

Not that it would be my first choice from all the items on the menu at Guacamole Mexican Grill, but we ended up trying the Nacho Deluxe with beef, beans, cheese, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, jalapeños and crema.  Turns out that I shouldn't be so judgemental because it was actually quite good.  Well, the housemade tortilla chips made for a good base and since the beef was as good as the other shredded beef dishes we had, then we had something that was delicious.

For dessert, we had the classic Churros with dulce de leche.  These were pretty solid being fried until crispy and light in the middle.  This was a nice finish to a good meal.  Before they moved locations, I would've classified Guacamole Mexican Grill as a hidden gem.  I guess it can still be a gem, but it isn't hidden anymore since it is right on King George Highway.  If you are in the are, I suggest you give it a try for some freshly-made Mexican served in big portions at reasonable prices.

*All food was complimentary*

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Good portions

- Reasonable prices

The Bad:

- I was going to say the location, but since they moved, I'm not sure anymore

Super Pho VN

Without even looking at 90% of the menus at GVRD Vietnamese restaurants, one could probably guess the contents.  Let's see, there would be the usual appetizers like spring rolls and salad rolls, a beef pho section, some rice dishes, maybe vermicelli bowls and possibly banh mi. Other than a few unique spots that serve up both Northern and Southern Vietnamese cuisine, it's the same old, same old. However, Super Pho VN on the Surrey/Delta border serves up the usual fare plus some Cambodian-type dishes as well as a whole section dedicated to Pho Ga (chicken).  I recently received an invite to try them out and so off we went...

We started with the Raw Beef in Lemon Juice topped with basil and fried shallots.  Thinly sliced while exhibiting a mild chew, the meat was moist and tender.  The ample amount of lemon juice added both brightness and liveliness to the dish.  Naturally, the basil and shallots provided aromatics as well as texture.  Next up was the Deep Fried Chicken Wings with Garlic Butter.  Similar to the ones found at Phnom Penh, these were lightly crispy (almost airy) with juicy meat on the inside.  They were well-seasoned including the requisite toss in garlic and butter (and of course a touch of MSG).  I have to say these were really good where the only thing missing was the lemon pepper.

Onto bigger items, we tried the Curry Chicken with Rice.  With a definite coconut milk essence and accompanying aromatics thanks to lemongrass and ginger, the curry itself was mild and not spicy.  As evidenced in the picture, there was plenty of sauce to soak up the rice.  Personally, I would go for the bread instead of rice to soak it all up.  As for the chicken, the drumsticks were cooked just right being moist and succulent.  With the Phở Đặc Biệt, it was full of ingredients including meatballs, tripe, 2 large chunks of tendon soft slices of rare beef steak and flank.  We found the broth to be clean with some meatiness as well as a noticeable hint of star anise.  I liked that it wasn't overly sweet.  The noodles were nicely al dente and not clumpy.

With enough meat for 2 dishes, the Grilled Lemongrass Chicken on Rice was well-prepared.  The de-boned leg meat was juicy and well-seasoned with a golden rendered skin.  I liked how the rice underneath was chewy and nutty (not mushy and wet) where it was able to withstand the moisture from the chicken and nước chấm.  Lastly, the Bánh mì Thịt featured a good amount of sweet pork sausage, Vietnamese ham, pickled veggies, lettuce, cucumber and sauteed green onions.  This particular version was a little different than I am used to, but at the same time, it was full of flavour that hit tart, salty and sweet notes.  Although the baguette was toasted and crusty, the inside was a bit dense.  Overall, from the items we tried, the food was good.  The large menu may require additional visits since I still need to try the pancake, pho ga, Cambodian-style dry noodles and green papaya salad.  That itself is already a selling point because we normally do not see such variety, especially in the 'burbs.

*All food excluding gratuities was comped*

The Good:
- Diverse menu
- Good eats
- Large portions

The Bad:
- Too much to choose from? (that's a joke btw)
- Baguette for the banh mi could be less dense