Dija Mara

Continuing on with the theme of "we are not going to eat crap just because we are in a touristy area with a theme park", we ended up at a highly-rated spot in Dija Mara.  This place is also located in Oceanside and according to them, "we mix Southeast Asian flavors with Western flair and Japanese cooking techniques to create our unique, Balinese-Inspired menu".  That is quite the mouthful and sometimes a bit scary for some.  However, we are always game for interesting eats and are totally on board with fusion.

We began with a pretty basic dish in the Grilled Roti, but it was anything but basic.  Normally, we've had different rotis ranging from super crispy and layered to very hard and dense.  Thankfully, this was fluffy and light with a beautifully golden brown and crispy outer surface.  It came with two dips including the creamy and spicy lamb jus curry and the mildly aromatic vegan rendang sauce.

We also got the Chicken Thigh Skewers with mild spice.   These were grilled aggressively where the char was evident in its appearance and completely noticeable in taste.  That added depth-of-flavour and loads of smokiness.   Despite the char, the meat was juicy and buttery.   Lastly, the marinade penetrated the meat and we had some aromatics and savoriness going on.

One of the best dishes we had was the Charred Eggplant.  Served as large chunks, the lightly fried eggplant kept its integrity but was still tender and silky.   However the real star of the show was the intense flavors.  It started with the spicy sambal that had a briny pungency.   It was leveled off by the tangy and creamy lemon labneh.  Finishing off the dish was some crispy shallots on top.

Really enjoyed the Ayam Penyet (Fried Chicken) as the chicken leg was beautifully prepared.  In past versions, I've experienced dry meat but for this one, it was succulent and buttery.   Skin was completely rendered and crispy.   This came with aromatic coconut rice and that killer sambal which added plenty of heat.

Although I enjoyed the Mee Goreng, it was quite salty.  I have a high salt tolerance but for others, I can see that this would be over-seasoned.   For me, it had all of the flavors including spiciness, brininess and the sweetness from Kecup Manis.   Noodles were al dente and the addition of shredded short rib made things really hearty.

Last dish was the Short Rib Rendang.  This was a meaty dish in flavor and texture.  Got the aromatic sweetness from the coconut and the bright hits from the lemongrass and galangal.  Meat was tender with some chew to it.  Really delicious in my opinion.  In the end, we felt the food at Dija Mara to be an explosion of flavors and also a study in textures.  We thought that their fusion was successful and ultimately delicious.

The Good:

- Intensely flavorful food

- Lots of textures

- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:

- Some things were salty

Potluck Hawker Eatery

*Restaurant is now Street Hawker*

For a city that is so diverse with Asian cuisine, some of them are sorely underrepresented.   These include Malaysian, Indonesian and Filipino.  So why not open up a place that dishes up hawker-style street food representing those foods with also a dash of Thai for good measure.  Yes, we've seen this before with Manis in Surrey, but nothing like it in Vancouver, especially on the West side.  Also, with Chef Justin Cheung at the helm (of Longtail Kitchen fame) to bring it all together, it appears to be a recipe for success (especially at a reasonable price-point).  With that in mind, Mijune and I tried out the entire menu (yes, that is what Mijune does) to do a thorough assessment of the place.

Okay, we were served a few things before we got to the Salted Egg Yolk Fried Chicken Sando, however, this is THE thing to get here hands-down.  Consisting of a deep-fried chicken thigh dressed with salted egg yolk garlic butter nestled in grilled Fife Bakery milk bread, it was further amped with cereal crumb, green mango slaw and tamarind chili jam.  OMG.  I wasn't going to eat it all, but I had to.  It was my duty to honour such a delicious creation!  Buttery and lightly crispy, the fluffy milk bread was nicely contrasted by the crunchy salted egg yolk spiked chicken.  The chicken itself was supremely juicy and was complimented perfectly by the crunchy and tangy slaw as well as the sweet spiced tamarind jam.  Foodgasm at its best and only available from 3:00pm - 5:00pm during hawker hour.

The chicken sando can be had with their Malaysian Shaker Fries for $3.00 extra and they are worth every nickle (because the penny doesn't exist anymore...).  These were tossed with ample sugar, dried galangal powder, rice powder, salt, chili and fried curry leaves.  It was served with ketchup but I found it to go really well with their house-made sambal as well.  Although the fries themselves were of the frozen krinkle cut variety, they were fried perfectly crispy.  As such, it help up and stayed crispy throughout.  Loved the sweetness and extra layer of flavour provided by the sugar.

The tastiness continued with the PFC Chicken Wings dressed in fish caramel sauce.  To be frank, I thought the wings didn't look like much when it arrived, but looks were definitely deceiving.  Coated with rice flour, these wings were appealingly crispy and almost light in texture.  The crunch gave way to tender chicken where the juices were definitely flowing.  The sweet umaminess of fish caramel (pandan infused palm sugar, sesame and dried chili) really came through while a touch of spice kept things in balance.  Definitely addictive and immediately has become one of the best Asian-style wings in the city in my opinion.

One item that may have needed a bit more depth-of-flavour was Mama Cheung's Laksa.  Okay, I'm not here to insult anyone's mom as the broth was the ideal viscosity being rich and creamy.  There was also appealing aromatics as well as a touch of background spice.  What really could've elevated the dish, they already had in their kitchen - the house-made sambal.  The fermented shrimp paste as well as the added spice would've given the broth more depth and complexity.  We did add this after-the-fact and it greatly improved the flavours.  It could've been served on the side, but also should've been added to the broth at the beginning.  Oh, and that Thai Iced Tea in the background...  On point with just the right amount of sweetness.

Showing off some serious wok-skills, the Nasi Goreng featured discernible grains of chewy rice that were smoky and nutty.  Displaying a good amount of wok hei, the rice was also not very greasy (which meant they achieved the good wok fry without dousing it in too much oil).  Flavours were layered including caramelization, spice and umaminess.  Nestled within the rice, we found bits of seafood and large bouncy shrimp.  Literally topping it off was a fried egg that still sported a runny yolk.

Continuing with the wok, we thought the Char Kway Teow was even better than the already excellent Nasi Goreng.  Look at it, there were no broken noodles to speak of which meant a few things.  First, the noodles were fresh.  Second, the wok heat was high and the toss was on point where it cooked through the ingredients without destroying the noodles.  Once again, there was a good combination of sweet caramelization, aromatics from just the right amount of grease and savouriness from the combination of soy sauces.

Oh the eating kept going and one dish that looked and tasted familiar was a vegetarian take on the butter beef found at Phnom Penh with the Beet Carpaccio.  Flavours slightly different, but the usual spicy fish sauce & lime juice, chilies, shallots, fried shallots, mint, cilantro & fresh herbs were all there. Nice acidity provided by the lime juice.  I liked how the beets were sliced thin, yet at the same time, retained some meatiness in texture.  For me, I enjoyed it but since I'm more of a meat guy, I would've loved it with sliced tenderloin.  Personal preferences aside, I can understand that they have to offer some vegetarian options as well.

Another classic dish we had was the Roti Canai with caramelized onion curry dipping sauce.  As much as the roti itself was flaky and crisp with certain appealingly chewy portions, the star of the show was the dip. It was rich with the right thickness so that it would caress each piece of roti that was dipped into it.  Deeply sweet with a touch of spice and plenty of aromatics, I could've honestly taken a full cup of it.  This literally could go with anything and combined with their house-made sambal, one could make an old shoe taste good (quoting Mijune).  Although I'm not into eating old shoes...

Something off their Hawker Hour menu was the Fermented Red Bean Curd Fried Pork Ribs.  These were somewhat reminiscent of the ones you would find at Taiwanese restaurants such as Pearl Castle.  However, these were drier and more subtle in flavour.  These would be good with a beer or two since there was a muted saltiness combined with fermented umaminess.  I actually would've preferred them a bit more moist and less "dry ribs-like".  But the flavour was good.

Something less heavy and in fact, refreshing was the Burmese Shrimp Ceviche.  It featured
cucumber, cherry tomatoes & shrimp lightly pickled in fresh lime juice, fish sauce, chili and dried shrimp powder.  Depending on whether I got a slice of bird's eye chili or not, the impact varied.  Without it, the flavours were mild.  If I did get a chili, it was fairly potent and impactful.  Maybe a bit more lime juice and even more chilis would've been a good addition.  Otherwise, it was fine with crunchy fresh cucumber and delicate shrimp with a sweet snap.

Oh they left one of the most majestic dishes to the end in the Crispy Pata.  I've had quite a few versions at various Filipino restaurants and I have to say this one was legit.  Braised for 3 hours and dried overnight, it was deep fried perfectly with super crispy and air crackling with juicy tender meat underneath.  Sometimes, when pork fat is not prepared properly, it is flabby and not appealing to eat.  This one was so gelatinous and delicate, there was nothing but pure pleasure eating it.  The usual vinegary sweet soy on the side helped cut through the richness.

Of course we had to end things off on a sweet note where we tried the Roti with condensed milk and blueberry compote.  Taking the already flaky and crispy roti and topping it with sweetness made it something completely different than the savoury version.  It was not more of a flaky pancake of sorts.  Hard to describe, but trust me, it was yummy.  That was a common theme with the food we tried as the majority were on point and just utterly delicious.  That sando is going to be elicit long lines in the future.  Quote me on that.  If you are craving something different, in particular, SE Asian eats, go check out Potluck Hawker Eatery.  You won't be disappointed.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:

- Impactful flavours and properly prepared eats

- Reasonable pricing

- That Fried Chicken Sando!

The Bad:

- Could've upped the impact of some dishes (laksa and ceviche)

- Small place, limitations with how much food they can put out at one time

Queens Cafe (Asian Cuisine by Eighteen Chefs)

*Restaurant is closed*

The corner of Kingsway and Salisbury in Burnaby is a deathtrap for restaurants.  I can't even count the different establishments that has graced that corner, only to close down in favour of a new venture.  It's not like there isn't any foot traffic, as it is across the street from Highgate.  Furthermore, Nao Sushi and Anatoli's Gate are literally on the same block where they have survived for over a decade.  Now, we find the Vancouver outpost of the Singaporean chain Eighteen Chefs taking over the spot, yet with a curious name.  Due to bureaucratic red tape, they weren't able to secure the name Eighteen Chefs (as of yet) and decided to open under the old name of Queen's Cafe "Asian Cuisine by Eighteen Chefs" rather than not be in business while waiting for the approval.

We dropped by in the opening week to check it out along with Guy and Girl Smiley.  One of the first dishes that caught our attention was the Salted Egg Yolk Fries.  Sadly, it wasn't what we expected as they merely poured a very wet salted egg yolk sauce on top of generic soggy fries.  Don't get me wrong, the sauce tasted great with the unmistakable saltiness from the creamy and luxurious salted egg yolk, but the amount of moisture killed the texture.  This would've been much better if the fries were super crunchy and coated with dry salted egg yolk.  One of the more surprising dishes was the Chicken Skewer with Truffle Curly Noodles.  This was not an overly complex dish but the chicken was both plentiful and super juicy with a smoky char.  They used a lot of rosemary which added a layer of earthiness.  Although the noodles appeared to be of the instant variety, they were al dente and coated with enough black truffle paste that it was woodsy enough without being too much.

Onto 2 HK-style cafe type dishes, we had the Spaghetti Bolognese as well as the Baked Pork Chop Rice.  By virtue of not being baked, the spaghetti was lacking in  body and aroma.  Even with the generous amount of meat sauce, the noodles ate plain and probably needed to be salted more when it was being boiled.  I thought the sauce was decent with lots of tender nuggets of beef, but the flavour was somewhat one note and lacking in the usual combination of sweet, savoury, tangy and a hint of star anise like the usual Asian-version.  The addition of arugula was a bit strange too.  On the other hand, the pork chop rice was excellent.  Underneath, the fried rice base was nutty and dry, which was the perfect compliment to the balanced tomato sauce topped with plenty of ooey gooey cheese.  Best of all, the large panko-crusted pork chop was moist and tender with a crunchy coating.

Sporting the same pork cutlet, the Nasi Lemak consisting of the usual ingredients including rice, crispy anchovies, cucumber, peanuts, fried egg and sambal.  Nothing particularly amiss with this other than us choosing the pork cutlet over the chicken.  Oh and yes, there is a fried egg rather than a boiled egg.  For me, I'm not a stickler for complete authenticity and this was still fine when everything was mixed together.  Again, the pork cutlet was the star as it was large, crispy and completely tender.  Served with roti, the Curry Chicken was fairly large in portion size.  About that roti, it was more like baked puffed pastry rather than the usual doughier roti found in Malaysian cuisine.  With that being said, it was texturally a delight and really was delicious when dipped into the creamy coconutty curry.  It had a nice viscosity and had a touch of spice.  The large chunks of bone-in leg were tender and not overdone.

We also gave the Hainanese Chicken a go and it was acceptable.  However, there were a few glaring issues.  First of all, we got the wing and very little else, so there was barely any meat to go with the rice.  Second, it was if they used a butter knife to chopped the chicken as there were bone fragments everywhere.  Taste-wise, it was pretty good and the chicken oil rice was nutty and chewy.  Loved the chili sauce as it was legit spicy rather than just sweet.  We waited forever for our Spring Chicken & Striploin Steak Platter.  Turned out it was not worth it because the steak came out rare when we asked for medium-rare.  They even argued with us!  We know what medium-rare looks like!  As for the chicken, it was fairly moist with rendered fried skin.  Too bad it was completely bland.  The side of signature heart-attack rice was nutty and chewy, but not as flavourful as we expected (even though it is cooked with rendered fat drippings).  Overall, there were some highlights to go with some duds.  They just opened, so it is fair to give them some time to work out all the kinks.

The Good:
- Portions sizes are generally large
- Proteins were cooked right except for the steak
- Reasonable pricing for what you get

The Bad:
- Service was non-existent, didn't even cutlery for the longest time.  Also, arguing with customers when something is clearly wrong is a huge no-no
- Some dishes need further refinement

Manis Pan-Asian Eatery

*Restaurant is closed*

To be honest, I've been stuck in a rut lately.  So much eating and most of it has been mediocre and uninspiring.  In fact, it has been so bleh, I've considered taking a hiatus.  Well, that was only for a fleeting moment as my latest food adventure brought me right back.  It socked me in the face like a white Mercedes stealing my parking spot.  Surprising to say the least as this meal started out as innocent curiousity when I checked out Manis Pan-Asian Eatery in the heart of Whalley.  I enjoyed my meal so much, I invited Steve and Ned Flanders to join me on a return visit the very next day.

So this post will be an amalgamation of the 2 visits.  In both meals, I had the Roti Canai which was seriously (like really seriously) on point.  It was flaky and crispy on the outside, while the cooked-through interior was soft, yet chewy.  The whole thing wasn't greasy at all, yet still moist.  We went for the curry chicken dip and although it was mild-tasting in terms of seasoning, that didn't mean it didn't have impact.  Although a bit more salt and thicker consistency would've been nice.  There was a noticeable spice level though.  We also had the Chicken Satay which featured a good-sized portion of meat.  Sporting a nice char and enough marinade, these were smoky and sweet with a touch of spice.  The accompanying peanut sauce added even more sweetness.

For the meal I had by myself, the Singaporean Laksa was an explosion of flavours.  I will boldly state that this is the best Laksa I've had in the GVRD.  Yes, I said it and will stand by it.  The broth was aromatic with an initial spiciness which was impactful without being overwhelming.  Then the coconut milk came through with a rich silkiness, then finishing off with a pungent seafood hit.  All of these worked in harmony without conflict.   Next up, I tried the Beef Nasi Lemak (Malaysia rendang beef curry, coconut rice, egg, pickled vegetables, peanuts, anchovy sambal) which was also excellent.  The tender and moist chunks of beef were nestled in a combination of flavours which were revealed in layers including ginger, lemongrass, spiciness from the chili and of course coconut milk.  The sprinkle of toasted coconut on top only served add yet another aromatic hit.

With Ned and Steve, we sampled some more items including the Pulut Panggang (glutinous rice filled with dried shrimps and spices, and wrapped in banana leaf).  Related to the Chinese "jong", this Malay version boasted some bold flavours including the pungent saltiness of the dried shrimp, aromatics of the shallots and spice of the chilis.  Now onto an Indonesian dish, we tried the Babi Kechap consisting of pork belly braised in kechap manis (sweet soy) served with seasonal vegetables and coconut rice. We agreed that this was our favourite dish of this visit (better than the Laksa in their opinion).  With a melt-in-our-mouths quality, the pork belly was definitely sweet and salty.  There was considerable depth where the sauce finished with the tartness of tamarind.  At first I thought the sauce was too salty, but combined with the rice, it was just right.

Lastly, we had the Nasi Goreng (Indonesian style fried rice with tomato, onion, egg, Chinese greens, fried shallots and green onion) which was beautifully presented with cute shrimp chips.  This one was unlike any other version I've had before as it was pretty heavy with the kechap manis.  Hence, it was a deep shade of brown while being sweet and salty (with a touch of purposeful spice).  The flavours were heightened due to the good wok heat.  Although a minor complaint, I would've liked to see freshly fried shrimp chips as the ones on the plate were hard and not crispy.  But really, there wasn't a whole lot of complaining because the food is just plain solid at Manis.  Definitely a hidden gem, but I suspect not for long...

The Good:
- Wonderful people, super-friendly
- Just plain good food
- Modern and clean restaurant

The Bad:
- On the pricier side
- Menu is a bit all over the place, but we stuck with the Malay and Indonesian fare