Dragon Bowl New West

As mentioned in my Instagram post, dining out these days is an expensive proposition.  It seems like we have to get a second mortgage to afford groceries.  However, there are still some good value spots available including the newly-opened New West location of Dragon Bowl.  They offer up customizable bowls that can be had with rice or noodles and a choice of protein.  You can also choose a sauce as well as 3 complimentary side items.

To get a sense of the menu, we tried all the proteins including the Beef with spicy dragon sauce on brown rice with cucumber, shredded potato and cabbage.  We thought the firm brown rice was a good match with the tender beef because it was robust enough.  The spicy dragon sauce did have a kick, but wasn't anything too overbearing.  Loved the vibrant sides where the cabbage was crunchy, yet cooked through while the cucumber was not mushy.

Next up was the Lamb with black bean sauce on rice noodles with wood ear mushrooms, spicy cabbage and bean curd.  Similar in texture to the beef but naturally with the wonderful gaminess of lamb, this bowl ate appreciably different due to the rice noodles.  It was less robust than the brown rice and those noodles were slippery and light.  Furthermore the black bean sauce was more mild and had a gentle fermented saltiness.

To get a taste of all the proteins, we doubled-up with our last bow with both Pork & Chicken with dragon sauce, steamed egg noodles, cucumber and woodear mushrooms.  Although the rice noodles and brown rice were solid, the egg noodles would be my pick for the best carb.  They were al dente and soaked up all of the dragon sauce beautifully.  Flavours were fairly mild without any saltiness nor greasiness.  Truly comforting with home-cooked vibes.  The braised egg was quite flavourful with slight herbal notes.

Last bowl was the Jumbo Shrimp with curry sauce atop white rice with woodear mushrooms, Napa cabbage and shredded potato.  Of course the white rice was a good match for the mild and slightly sweet curry.  The shrimp were perfectly cooked exhibiting a meaty snap.  I found this to be the most impactful sauce as the others were quite mild, including the spicy dragon.  As you can see in the picture, the egg was completely penetrated by the braising liquid.

They also offer up a selection of bubble teas and slushes, so of course we got some to try too.  The one on the left is Honey Black Tea with grass jelly while the other is a Passionfruit Slush with coconut jelly.  Since I love fruity things, the passionfruit was my preference.  It was a touch icy, but lightly sweet (I chose 30% sugar) and a refreshing compliment to the savoury bowls.  Overall, we enjoyed the bowls as they were fulfilling and reasonably-priced.  Definitely felt comforting with a home-cooking feel.  Would definitely get these again.

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

The Good:

- Well-portioned

- Reasonably-priced

- Felt healthy

The Bad:

- Parking can be a little difficult in the area

Desi Turka

Most people would say that the best Indian food can be found in Surrey, in particular, along the Scott Road corridor.  I generally agree with this sentiment because I've had my fair share of solid Indian food on Scott Road.  It also helps that I work nearby and everyone keeps giving me suggestions as to their favourite restaurant.  However, if you look hard enough, there are equally good Indian spots littered all over the Lower Mainland.  It isn't much different than the proliferation of great Chinese restaurants.  One place I visited recently was with Jacqueline in Desi Turka in New West.

We started off with the Chicken Momos with mint and tamarind chutneys on the side.  These Indo-Tibetan dumplings were quite good and compared well to the ones I had at Katmandu Restaurant on Scott Road.  The dumpling wrapper was medium-thick with a nice delicate chew to them.  Inside, the chicken was moist and tender while nicely spiced.  I like dipping them into the tamarind chutney since I love sweet tanginess.

Arriving on a sizzling cast iron plate with an intoxicating aroma, the Tandoori Chicken was on point.  As you can see, there was plenty of exterior charring, which meant there was a smokiness to the dish.  The chicken itself was quite moist inside and the marinade did penetrate the meat.  The final touch was a light drizzle of butter sauce that added some added layer of flavour and texture to the already flavourful chicken.

Now we couldn't just have Tandoori Chicken with butter sauce without having the actual Butter Chicken itself right?  The Butter Chicken featured big chunks of breast meat, which were tender and moist.  In actuality, the chicken in butter chicken is tandoori chicken, so this dish and the previous are directly related.  I really enjoyed the butter sauce here as it was rich and creamy with just enough tomato tanginess.  We could definitely taste the spices.

Of course to go with the butter chicken, we had to get some carbs in the form of Pulao Rice, Garlic Naan and Butter Roti.  Rice was nicely prepared where it was nutty and chewy.  We loved the naan as it was blistered and crispy in parts while stiff soft and chewy in others.  Good amount of butter and garlic brushed on top.  As for the roti, it was crispy and nutty with even leoparding.  It was glistening with butter, just how we like it!

Going for a different protein, we decided to try the Bombay Fish Curry.  It was loaded with flaky and soft pieces of fish.  As for the curry, it was thick with a good amount of spice and spices.  We asked for hot and it did have a lingering heat even well after we finished eating it.  Could definitely taste the ginger and the sweetness of the onions.  Naturally, there was also the classic Indian flavours of cumin, coriander and cloves.

Lastly, we had to get a vegetarian dish into the meal and we did just that with the Palak Paneer.  The creamy spinach gravy was earthy from the cumin and cardamom while nutty and slightly sweet.  There was a plethora of squishy and delicate paneer nestled within.  Overall, we quite enjoyed our meal at Desi Turka and I would definitely say that it gives the Indian restaurants along Scott Road a run for their money.  Good option in New West.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Good spice level (we requested hot and it was indeed that)
- On point proteins

The Bad:
- Place is a bit small, so would fill up quickly

Co Chau

There is no shortage of Vietnamese restaurants in the GVRD and in fact, in most major cities.  However, it always seems to be the greatest hits of Southern Vietnamese cuisine featuring the same ol' dishes.  Nothing wrong with that really as it does the job for usually a reasonable price.  However, Co Chau out in New West goes a bit off the usual and offers up tasty Vietnamese that is interesting.  They also have the usual stuff too.

Hands down, the best thing we ate was the Deep Fried Chicken Wings with tamarind.  If you take a close look at the picture, these were some really big drumettes and mid-wings.  As a result, this really helped keep the meat moist and juicy.  The fact that they fried it just enough didn't hurt either.  However, the star of the dish was the sticky, sweet and tangy tamarind glaze.  The wings were intensely delicious with a bit of spice.  Skin was decently rendered as well.  These can be spoken in the same breath as some of the best wings in town.

I know it may not be a big thing with most people, but their Veggie Spring Rolls were properly constructed with rice paper rather than a wheat wrapper.  The texture was completely different being lightly crunchy with a slight chew rather than the shattering crunch of a wheat wrapper.  Inside, we found a combination of vibrant veggies as well as wood ear and aromatic taro.  This was so good, I didn't even want to try the pork version.

On the other hand, the Bun Bo Hue was one of the weaker items that we tried. There wasn't anything particularly wrong with it, yet it was one note with only the dominant flavour being the chilis that added some heat.  It was missing the usual fermented flavours of shrimp paste (did they use any or not enough?).  I did, however, get some lemongrass, that did make it aromatic.  Yet, once again, the chilis were most apparent.

Back to super yummy, the Banh Cuon was money.  As you can clearly see, the sheets of rice noodle were super thin and translucent.  Furthermore, there was plenty of elasticity that provided chewing enjoyment and great mouth feel.  Topped with fried shallots (could've used more), the whole thing was aromatic.  Sometimes the Vietnamese ham is sliced an served on the side, but this one featured it sitting in a fish sauce-based dip.  Perfect for saucing the rice noodle rolls.

Our last dish was also tasty in the Bun Cha Hanoi featuring charred pork sitting in a nuoc cham-style sauce.  Oh wow, this was a flavour explosion in my mouth.  The trick is to combine everything with the herbs and lettuce and then dip into the sauce for extra effect.  Therefore, you get the crunch of the lettuce, softness of the rice noodles, flavour from the herbs and sweet caramelization from the pork all in one bite!  Delicious!  This pretty much sums up the food at Co Chau, it is absolutely delicious and not just some ordinary Pho joint.  I recommend that you give it a try, there are many more dishes on the menu that I didn't get to!

The Good:
- Some unique dishes you won't find at a regular Pho joint
- Impactful flavours
- With inflation these days, the prices here are reasonable

The Bad:
- Service is friendly, but can be sparse
- Parking can be tricky in this area

Pho Chan

Ever since I can remember, I've loved going for Phở.   I also remember that it was a lot cheaper too.  But with everything, there are higher material costs, higher minimum wage and just plan inflation due to those factors and of course the cost of fuel.  So I completely understand the rising prices of restaurant food.  However, there are still a few places that are still on the less expensive end of the spectrum.  Take Pho Chan in New West for instance, their prices are still very reasonable being between $10.00 - $15.00 rather than the over $15.00 at most places.  Also, I really love the name of the place (hint: my last name...).

So I gathered up the fam and made my way out to McBride for some noodles.  Before that, we had a few appies including the Crispy Pork Spring Rolls.  If you notice in the picture, these were legit employing a rice paper wrapper.  Many places default to wheat wrappers and that is mostly due to convenience.  These were extremely crunchy and that made the difference in texture.  Inside, the filling consisted of tender pork, onions, carrot, vermicelli and wood ear mushrooms.

We also got the Prawn Salad Rolls, which were decent in size and wrapped tightly.  The rice wrapper was nicely hydrated, but still chewy and not wet.  Inside, there was a good deal of prawns that had been halved.  They had a good natural aroma and were meaty with a snap.  The iceberg lettuce was fresh and crispy while the addition of pickled carrot added more crunch.  The ample amount of peanut sauce on the side had just enough hoisin for sweetness.

For myself, I didn't actually go for Phở.  Instead, I had the Dry Egg Noodle with Seafood.  Reminiscent of the dry noodles at Phnom Penh, these were topped with fried cuttlefish balls and fish along with prawns, squid and imitation crab stick.  The egg noodles were perfectly al dente and dressed in a sweet soy.  I found the fried items a bit greasy though.  The ample amount of ingredients made this actually filling.

Viv went for the Rare Beef and Brisket Phở.  This was a fair portion for a large costing $12.50.  I believe this has to be one of the least expensive bowls of Phở in town (especially since it is decent).  I found the broth to be clean and on the lighter side.  Definitely could taste the sweetness and some background meatiness, but I would've liked a bit more punch.  Noodles were cooked perfectly and the meats were tender (and fairly ample).

My daughter ordered the Phở Ga and it was topped with some fried shallots.  As such, it was rather aromatic which compliment the sweet broth nicely.  Again, it was clean and on the lighter side.  Definitely not salty by any means.  Since the chicken was free range, it was a touch chewy (but to be expected). Once again, the noodles were al dente and not clumpy.  This was a small size and it was $12.00.

My son predictably went for his standby being the Grilled Lemongrass Chicken & Pork Chop on Rice (with a fried egg).  This was a huge portion for $13.50.  Also, it was very good with tender chicken and pork that was well-marinated.  There was caramelization and only a slight char.  Funny how there was more meat than rice on the plate.  So I guess you get the point here - the prices are reasonable and they don't skimp with the portion size.  Pho Chan is a good neighbourhood spot that won't break the bank.

The Good:
- Well-priced
- Fair portions
- Decent eats

The Bad:
- Broth could be more impactful

 

The Spud Shack

So I've been back to the Spud Shack on many occasions but never felt the need to blog about it again, but this time, I finally thought why not?  I mean, this is one of my favourite spots for house-cut fries with a variety of dips as well as their poutines.  Other than La Belle Patate, this is the place to get your hands on poutine in the GVRD.  They do have other things on the menu too and I will cover that in this post.  For those who don't drive, this is also quite convenient since it is located in the New West skytrain station.

Now the thing here is to get the Fries and really why would they be called the Spud Shack otherwise?  This time around, the fries were solid as usual being fluffy and light inside while crispy on the outside.  The dips we had were Roasted Garlic Mayo, Smoked Onion Mayo and Pamesan Mayo.  For me, I enjoyed the smoked onion mayo the most as it was sweet, aromatic and lightly smoky.  The roasted garlic was solid as it had strong garlic notes.  However, the parm mayo was quite salty due to the plethora of cheese.  Good for those who love parm!

Now their other prominent menu item is Poutine and lots of them.  We got The Original as well as Le Montreal (smoked meat, pickles and mustard).  As you can see, they use legit cheese curds and they were still intact being squeaky.  The gravy was salty enough to make an impact while also having a nice viscosity.  I personally love the smoked meat poutine as they don't skimp on the meat and pickles.  Add in the mustard and the whole thing wasn't too heavy.

They also have some burgers on the menu including the Effin' Good Burger with prime rib patty, smoked onion mayo, BBQ sauce, bacon, tomato jam, lettuce, pickle and Monterey jack cheese.  I've had this burger many times and it ranges from being juicy to a touch dry.  However, it is always nicely charred and fulfilling.  The chopped bacon adds smoky saltiness while the tomato jam adds sweet tanginess.  Overall a solid burger.

The other burger is the J.W. Wimpy Burger with 2 hand pressed beef & pork patties, double aged white cheddar slices, grilled onions and special Tuesday burger sauce.  Yes, this had Popeye's vibe written all over it (not the fried chicken chain, the cartoon) and I would gladly pay you on a Tuesday for a burger today!  This was good where the patties were juicy due to the addition of pork.  That white cheddar really came through as it was substantial.  This was packed with flavour.

Lastly, we had the 1 piece Cod & Chips with a side of tartar sauce.  So yes, the colour of the batter was rather dark.  That really wasn't the issue as it was crunchy and tasted fine.  Yet, it was on the greasier side.  The fish was perfect though, flaky and moist.  They really didn't skimp on the fries and the tartar was not only good with the fish (I recommend that you dip your fries into it as well).   So yah, the food at The Spud Shack is pretty straightforward and I personally enjoy it.  I actually crave the fries and wish I made it out more often.  Great place to grab a quick bite before a movie at the Landmark Theatres.

The Good:
- Solid fries with dips
- Burgers are good too
- Many varieties of poutine

The Bad:
- Limited seating  

Match Eatery & Public House (New Westminster)

Now back to another restaurant that I've never visited before - Match Eatery & Public House.  Okay, before you leave me comments indicating that it is another chain restaurant and there is good reason I haven't visited it yet, please be aware that I happened to like some chain restaurants.  Just because a spot isn't a hidden gem or small bistro doesn't make it immediately a place that we should avoid.  Besides, I'm not a food snob.  Anyways, the reason I finally made it out to Match was due to their limited time Burger Bender menu.

As such, I decided to try all of the burgers and sides starting with the Sunny Side Luther featuring a 6oz griddled smash patty, American cheese, smoked crispy bacon and fried egg in between 2 house-made maple-bacon glazed donuts with breaded onion rings. I liked this as the donuts were light while holding up to the ingredients. Just sweet enough to balance the saltiness.  The strips of bacon were super crispy and that fried egg...  perfect.  On the side, the onion rings were large, crunchy and not greasy.

Stabbed with a steak knife, the BBQ Ranch Hand featured a 6oz charbroiled steak spice chuck burger, cheddar, coleslaw, onion ring, pulled pork and spicy BBQ sauce on a pretzel bun with a side of poutine. Meaty, thick and not over done, the patty was nicely charred. The slightly crunchy exterior gave way to tender meat.  A good amount of pulled pork lay on top of the melted cheddar.  There was an aggressive crunch from the onion ring and further crunch from the slaw.  As for the poutine, it sported plenty cheese curds and thick gravy atop potatoey fries. 

Onto our next burger, we had the Food Truck Double Down with 2 x 3oz patties (appeared to be a 6oz patty in this case?), American cheese, caramelized onion, lettuce, tomato, pickles and special sauce on a soft potato roll with a side of  dirty fries. This was a pretty classic burger that was meaty and featured all the usual ingredients.  I thought the caramelized onion stood out with its sweetness.  The saltiness of the American cheese provided flavour while the special sauce also added to the classic burger taste. The dirty fries were thin and crispy and the loads of bacon and sauce on top made sure we didn't need any further condiments.

I loved the fact they included a Nashville Hot Chicken because if you don't know already, I'm still trying to find the best fried chicken sammie (check out my IG account dedicated to it!).  This included a double breaded spicy chicken breast, pickles and coleslaw with a side of hand-cut fries. I found the chicken to be moist with a crunchy breading.  Spice was mild and personally, I could've done spicier. The bun was soft and tangy coleslaw was creamy and crunchy. The fresh-cut fries were crispy with plenty of potatoey goodness inside.

With a play on words, the Filet O' Crispy Fish sported hand-dipped beer battered Atlantic haddock, tartar sauce, slaw, butter lettuce, Old Bay mayo, dill pickles and lemon on brioche with Caesar salad. The large piece of fish was flaky and moist. I found the tempura batter to be fairly thin where it was crunchy and cooked through.  I quite enjoyed this sandwich.  On the side, the Caesar was dressed just enough and also had a drizzle of sweet balsamic glaze.  

Possibly the most surprising burger was the Grilled Chicken Goddess.  I was drawn to the other offerings first, but in reality I really enjoyed this one.  It featured a fire-grilled chicken breast with sliced avocado, goat's cheese, butter lettuce, tomato, sprouts, pickled red onion and green goddess dressing on multi-grain bun with yam fries. The chicken was nicely charred and smoky but still moist.  There was a wealth of flavours and textures. Yam fries were fried perfectly being crispy while not dry.

We decided to try a few more items including the Salt & Pepper Wings with carrot and celery sticks as well as blue cheese dressing.  Since Match is essentially a sports bar, this is one dish that needed to be good.  Well, I'm happy to report that they were excellent.  The skin was nicely rendered and crispy while the meat was juicy.  There was enough seasoning for the wings to stand on their own.

Since it was pasta night, we ended up ordering a few including the Mushroom Pesto Rigatoni with pumpkin seed arugula pesto, cremini mushrooms and red pepper topped with caramelized onions, goat's cheese and parmesan. This large portion sported al dente rigatoni bathed in a mild-tasting pesto.  I got the pepperiness of the arugula, but since we got the parm and goat's cheese on the side, the flavour profile changed when they were added.  More creaminess and saltiness was evident and that was probably the intention of the dish.

We also got the Ultimate Mac & Cheese with cheesy mac sauce, pulled pork, bacon and slow roasted grape tomatoes topped with bread crumbs and crispy onions.  This was definitely cheesy as the cheese was quite visible.  It could've been a bit smoother, but the lack of filler meant it tasted quite good.  The choice of Cavatappi pasta was perfect as it was al dente and held onto the sauce well.  Of course, the addition of bacon and pulled pork made this more of a meal.

For dessert, we had the Sticky Toffee Pudding with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.  This was super sweet but honestly, that is what sticky toffee pudding is all about.  The whole thing was ooey gooey and full of smoky deep toffee flavour.  The side of ice cream wasn't just for show, it was creamy and of course went well with the pudding.  Overall, we quite enjoyed the meal at Match.  The burgers were solid and the other items were pretty good.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- All around solid food given its venue
- Large portions
- Large dining space with big TVs (for sports)

The Bad:
- Possibly some needed renos

Thai New West

7 years ago I had visited Thai New West and came away with a fairly good meal.  Now that was only a few dishes and I always thought I should go back for a more in-depth post.  However, just like with everything else, that was pushed aside due to so many of restaurants I wanted to visit in the meantime.  Conveniently, Mijune was invited to try the place out and I joined her to help eat all of the food.  Mind you, she really doesn't need my help.  She could've finished it all by herself anyways... 

Well, at the very least, I was there to enjoy a meal with good company.  We weren't straying far from the classics as the first two dishes to arrive were the Green Papaya Salad and Chicken Satay.  Sporting the desired crunch, we found the salad to be fresh and well-constructed with green papaya, garlic, carrot, chilli, tomato, green bean, peanuts and fresh lime.  The best part was the balanced flavours including the heat from the chilis as well as the usual fish sauce and accompanying sweetness.  Neatly plated with peanut sauce and cucumber relish (as well as some shrimp chips), the chicken satay were moist and tender (almost juicy).  They were aromatic and properly seasoned.  There could've been a more aggressive char, but then again, that might've dried the chicken out.

We continued on with our favourite appie of the night being the Larb with ground chicken, chilli, roasted rice, onions, herbs and fresh lime.  Unlike some other versions I've had lately, this one was moist, yet not wet.  Sometimes the meat gets dried out, but this one was perfect.  Flavours were also very apparent with a bright acidity complimenting a noted spiciness and brininess from the fish sauce.  So much so, my nose was runny from the experience (which was a good thing!).  The next dish was a little more simple in the Crispy Tiger Prawns.  These large prawns were wrapped like a spring roll. As a result, it kept the prawns moist and maintained their texture with a meaty snap.  The wrapper on the outside was aggressively crunchy which was a nice contrast.

Our last starter was the traditional Tom Yum Goong with lemon grass, mushrooms, onion, tomatoes, kaffir and tamarind juice.  Not overly complex but sometimes hard to balance, this was indeed spot on.  We could definitely get all the notes of sour, tangy, spicy, salty (briny from the fish sauce) and sweetness.  The best part was that there were many layers of tanginess from the lime and tamarind as well as the tomatoes.  Lots of large prawns which were meaty as well.  What followed next was my absolute favourite dish of the night - the Pad Kee Mao or Drunken Noodles.  This was a veritable flavour explosion with pops of sweetness, spice and aromatics.  The noodles rode the fine line between being chewy and soft which was just right.  Most importantly, the wok heat was high enough to caramelize the sugars from the ingredients to provide maximum impact.

Onto two curries, we started with the ever-popular Chicken Green Curry.  What struck me when it first arrived was the portion size.  Normally, Thai curries are served in very small bowls because there doesn't have to be a lot to flavour plenty of rice.  However, I was not complaining as more means leftovers!  Well, not in this case...  LOL.  Anyways, it was pretty textbook being creamy and coconutty with the essence of green curry.  Mild undertones of seafoodiness as well as some spiceiness.  Chicken was both plentiful and tender.  Now the Salmon Gaeng Penang was something that I wasn't expecting.  Usually, this comes with beef, but I wasn't complaining as the salmon was perfectly prepared.  It was just barely cooked through which meant it was flaky and moist.  The penang curry was sweet and aromatic with less spice than the green curry.

For our next dish, Pad Bai Horapa, it went well with rice (like the previous two dishes) due to the combination of garlic, fresh chilli, onion, mushroom, basil leaves & bell pepper as well as palm sugar.  The sweetness and aromatics along some spice made it plenty powerful on its own.  Therefore, rice was definitely needed.  This one was made with tiger prawns and it totally went well with the flavours due to its natural sweetness and meaty snap texture.  Due to the use of palm sugar, sometimes Thai dishes taste similar but they do exhibit differences such as the Pad Ped with Beef.  It sported chilli, garlic, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, onions, basil & bell pepper.  The main difference, other than the protein, was the addition of bamboo shoots which added an obvious aroma as well as texture. I would've liked the beef to be a little more tender, but it wasn't chewy though.

Okay, here is a dish I had to have - Pad Thai with Prawns.  No, it wasn't because it is one of the most well-known Thai dishes around either.  To be frank, this was one of the items I wasn't as fond of the last time I visited.  Well, I'm happy to report that it was better this time.  Noodles were chewy and the whole dish was the beneficiary of enough wok heat so that there was not an over-abundance of moisture.  Furthermore, there was a nice balance between sweet, tangy and spice.  The prawns were as good as the other dishes and all of the usual ingredients were there.  Now completely stuffed, we moved onto dessert where we began with the Sticky Rice and Mango.  Another classic dish which happens to be one of my favourites.  This one did not disappoint with soft, yet chewy sweet sticky rice.  Nice and aromatic from the coconut milk.  Beautifully balanced by the tangy and sweet mango.

Of course we had to continue with more desserts (I guess the worst-kept secret with Mijune right?).  We had a delicious Black Rice Pudding consisting of black sticky rice, taro, longan, coconut meat and fresh coconut cream.  This happens to be the Chef's mom's secret recipe.  Well, it is a fine recipe as it was aromatic, not too sweet and texturally a real treat!   Another appealing dessert was the Saku or tapioca pudding with banana and sweet coconut cream.  Very similar to other Asian desserts with the light pops from the tapioca pearls.  Again, aromatic and creamy with only enough sugar for impact.  We actually had on more dessert in the Fried Banana, but I really didn't have much to say about it other than it was crispy and delicious.  That pretty much sums up our meal at Thai New West.  Very solid eats in large portion sizes.  A good choice for the area!

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Impactful flavours
- Well-portioned
- Good spice level

The Bad:
- A touch sweet with some dishes