Goldie's Donuts & Bakery

It is surprising that for a food city like Vancouver, we do not have a wealth of donut shops.  Is it because we are super health conscious?  Or is it that we don't like donuts?  It surely cannot be the latter right?  I mean, we can name off the usual suspects such as Lee's, Mello and Lucky's.  Sure, there are more, but I won't list them all. Actually, we are going to lose Cartems...  Anyways, It just doesn't seem like there are enough in relation to other cities.  So it was with a lot of enthusiasm that we drove out to Horseshoe Bay to check out Goldie's Donuts & Bakery.

So for those who don't know, Goldie's is named after the owner's golden retriever.  There is even a large stuffed Goldie in the shop!  As for their wares, it is for all to see when you walk in.  They boast a variety of brioche donuts with many different fillings.  We started with a trio featuring Matcha Cream, Frosted Flakes Cereal Milk Cream and Strawberry Milkshake.  The donut itself was definitely fluffy and had a moist texture without being wet.  Pretty solid brioche if you ask me.  The fresh cream fillings were light and only semi-sweet.  I would've liked powdered sugar over granulated sugar personally but what do I know as other places have the same sugar on these donuts.

They also have a selection of baked good including the Infamous Korean Salt Bread, Strawberries & Cream Cronut, Blueberry Scone and Ham & Cheese Croissant.  The salt bread was like a soft dinner roll but with a noticeable saltiness.  We found the croissant pretty decent where it shattered and was buttery.  As for the scone, it was quite good with plenty of blueberries and blueberry jam on top.  Texturally, it was firm on the outside and fairly fluffy on the inside.  Cronut was crispy with fresh cream in the middle.  It was light and airy.

We got a few more filled donuts in the form of Mocha Tiramisu and Chocolate Cream.  These were the same cream-filled brioche donuts which were excellent.  I liked these even more so because they were coated with powdered sugar and cocoa powder.  Texturally, that appealed to me more than granulated sugar.  Both were good being just sweet enough.  There was also some special donuts in the form of Dubai Chocolate Donuts in Peanut Butter, Pistachio and Triple Chocolate.  I tried all of them and my favourite was the pistachio due to the nuttiness (also it is the original).  Loved the crunch within all of them from the knafeh and of course the rich layer of chocolate on the outside of the brioche donut.

Goldie's also has an array of specialty coffees that are just as appealing as the donuts.  We had a selection including Oreo Cream Mocha, Matcha Cream, Cream Latte, Almond Cream Mocha and Nutty Cloud.  All of them were purposefully sweet, aromatic and creamy.  However, my favourite was the Almond Cream as it was nutty, chocolatey and went down easy.  Oreo Cream Mocha was solid too since it wasn't as sweet as it sounded.  Definite Oreo vibes with the dark chocolate cookie taste without the sickingly sweet creme.  Overall, the things we tried at Goldie's was top-notch and made with care.  Baked goods and donuts are high-quality and so are the drinks.  Best of all, the location is prime with a beautiful view and quaint vibes.  If you are ever in Horseshoe Bay, give them a try!

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

The Good:

- Quality products that are carefully made

- Things are sweet, but not crazy sweet

- What nice location

The Bad:

- Parking might be a challenge on busy days

Drip Drip Coffeehouse

If you haven't noticed by now, I do not usually blog about coffee shops.  I'm not much of a coffee drinker and hence, I have never really focused on the never-ending coffee craze.  However, there are more and more places now that serve specialty coffees which are totally up my alley.  I tend to like fruitier cocktails and spirits, so it only makes sense that I'm more drawn to coffees that have unique flavors.  That brings me to Drip Drip Coffeehouse in Seattle.  They are a Vietnamese coffee spot that not only offers unique specialty coffees (and also the regular stuff too), but also Vietnamese treats to go with it.

Let's get right to the most visually stunning thing they have at Drip Drip - the Coffee Flight!  On the bottom, this was the Holiday Flight (which isn't available anymore) that consisted of Toffee, Cozy S'mores, Peppermint and Salted Caramel.  I hope they put some of these on the permanent menu as I enjoyed all of them!  The toffee was purposefully sweet with some smoky notes.  The s'mores had some nuttiness from the graham crackers and of course the sweetness of chocolate and marshmallow.  Peppermint was bright with the burst of cool mintiness.  Rich and salty sweet, the salted caramel went down smooth.  As for the regular Coffee Flight, it consisted of Coconut Ube, Matcha Pandan, Salted Egg Yolk and Roasted Sesame.  Loved the sweet aroma of the coconut and ube while the Matcha Pandan was aromatic and sweet with an appealing bitterness at the end.  Predictably, the Salted Egg Yolk was nutty and sweet.  Unmistakable essence there.  Lastly, the Roasted Sesame was nutty and classic sesame aroma.

We did go for the full versions as well with the Egg Coffee, Roasted Sesame and Coconut Avocado.  With a larger version, you have multiple sips or gulps which, if you can imagine, is a totally different experience.  So we were able to compare that with the duplicate in the Roasted Sesame.  With a larger amount of both the coffee and foam, we had more aroma and more nuttiness.  This in turn was plenty more impactful.  Get the flight, but be sure to get a full version of your favorite!  As for the Egg Coffee, it was subtle and creamy.  I found it lightly sweet too.  As for the Coconut Avocado, it was extra creamy due to the addition of buttery avocado and definitely aromatic.  The coconut milk helped in that respect.  Therefore, the coffee was less prominent in this one.

In addition to their drinks, there are some bites as well.  They have some fresh Steamed Bao sitting in a warming box ready to go.  We tried all three of them including The Combo, Char Siu and Vegetarian.  For me, it was all about The Combo (or called "Dai Bao" in some places).  It consisted of pork, woodear, cabbage and salted egg yolk.  The meat was super juicy and moist while being sweet and savory.  Nice crunch from the woodear while the egg yolk provided umaminess.  As for the bao, it was slightly on the denser side, but still plenty fluffy.  I also enjoyed the mushroom vegetarian bao with its immense umami flavor and butteriness of the mushrooms.  The Char Siu was decent, albeit a bit sweet.  The meat was not too fatty.

Also sitting in the display case at the counter, they had a selection of Pâté Chaud.  These flaky puff pastries were so buttery and texturally on point.  Even though they aren't diet food, the lightness of the pastry made them airy.  Inside, they were filled with tender ground pork.  I thought the filling was seasoned enough without being salty, so I could taste the natural meat flavor.  Highly recommend this to go with your drink!

If you wanted something a bit more like a lunch item, they have Banh Mi as well.  The 2 choices are the Vietnamese Ham and the Grilled Chicken.  Featuring airy and crunchy bread, these sandwiches were good!  They combined the pâté and mayo together which was pretty tasty!  Lots of umaminess and creaminess that added flavor and texture. There was the usual pickled veggies, peppers, cucumber and cilantro.  Unlike other versions, they added fried shallots which added both crunch and aroma.  All-in-all, this visit to Drip Drip afforded us delicious drinks and tasty bites.  No wonder they are so busy!  Best to come earlier or after the peak hours as space is limited.

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

The Good:
- Lots of different flavors of coffee
- They have coffee flights!
- Food is on point too

The Bad:
- Gets crowded during peak times

Mexicuban

In the past, if we stumbled upon a restaurant that meshed 2 different cuisines, we would run far away.  Fast forward to the present and with the proliferation of successful fusion cuisine, it has become more commonplace.  Hey, some of the most viral and delicious dishes have been the result of chefs experimenting with different flavors, sauces and cooking techniques.  Hence, we visited Mexicuban out in Renton with a completely open mind.  Upon entering the place, we were greeted with a rustic, yet modern decor.  Loved the inviting bar and also the beautiful mural on a wall at the side of the restaurant.

To start things off, we had some drinks first (that really got us in a good mood!).  We had the Margarita Flight with Burnt Orange, Mango Habanero, Mexican Mule and Coconut.  This was super refreshing with the mango being my favourite.  The heat of the habanero was nicely tempered by the mango and sweet syrups.  Coconut was aromatic and a bit creamy.  Again nice use of syrups here.  Burnt orange was the most refreshing with balanced sweetness and of course the taste of tequila.  Mexican mule naturally had Moscow Mule vibes with ginger beer and mint.

So we also got the Mojito Flight consisting of 4 different concoctions.  The first was the Cubano with its classic fizzy lime and mint infused flavors.  Next one was the Mango with the same elements but adding in some fruitiness and tang.  Being a bit smoother and having aromatic vibes, the Coconut was very tropical.  Lastly, the Passionfruit was similar to the mango except with the unmistakable floral and tart notes.

Onto the food, we were served the Pineapple Shrimp Fluffy Tacos first.  These deep fried tortillas were indeed airy and light.  Nice crispy exterior giving way to a soft and warm interior.  This made it extremely easy to eat and had a good mouth feel.  I liked how they weren't greasy either.  As for the topping, the shrimp had a buttery snap with sweetness from the ripe pineapple.  The side of hot sauce was smoky, sweet and mildly spicy.  Really nice compliment to the mild shrimp and sweetness of the pineapple.

Sticking with pineapple, we had the Jalapeno Pork Belly Toasts.  These were delicious with a crunchy toast base topped by a slice of tender and buttery pork belly, roasted pineapple, grilled jalapeno, cilantro and chipotle BBQ sauce.  This had everything including contrasting textures in the toast and soft pork belly and then complimentary sweetness from the pineapple with the spice from the BBQ sauce.  Great little 2 or 3 biters to start the meal.

We didn't stop there with some small handhelds as we moved onto the smaller version of El Yucateco.  These little sliders consisted of soft rolls encasing slow cooked pork, chipotle aioli and peppers.  These were rather messy and dripping with braising liquid, just the way I like it!  That meat the meat was super moist and the bread was also soft.  Sure, that is not much in the way of textural contrast, but it had nice mouth feel and the natural meatiness of the pork came through.

Let's continue with things served on slate with the Street Corn.  This happens to be one of my most favourite things to eat in the whole wide world.  Yes, cobs of corn on a stick.  The version here was really good with charred corn that was smoky and caramelized.  It was sweet and had pops of extra sweetness from the niblets.  On the outside, they were generously coated with chipotle aioli, lime, tajin, cotija and cilantro.  Lots of creaminess to go with acidity and some spice.  Delicious.

Okay, moving off of slate tile plates, we went to an actual deep dish with the Croquetas con Mole.  These crunchy pinko-breaded balls were filled with deep fried plantain and mozzarella.  These were on the denser side due to the all the plantain crammed into them.  I felt these were a little like Mofongo where the fried plantains are mashed, except formed into balls and deep fried some more.  The star of the dish was the mole as it was rich and smoky.  It had earthy notes as well as sweetness, tanginess and slight bitterness.  It hit all the flavors and went great with the plantain.

We moved onto bigger dishes from here starting with Cuban favorite being the Ropa Vieja.  This featured tender shredded beef in a light tomato sauce with the sweetness of onions, tanginess of green olives and the spice of jalapenos.  It was served on fluffy yellow rice with a base of black bean puree.  This was a comforting and home-style dish that was hearty.  To make it even more robust, we found fried plantain and yuca al mojo on the side.

More often than not, when I have a salmon dish at a non-seafood restaurant, it will be overcooked.  However, this was not the case here with the Huatulco Salmon.  It was flaky and moist while topped with a mole.  This one was somewhat similar to the one in the Coqueta dish except a bit sweeter and less spice.  I felt that the salmon was able to stand up to the sauce and when combined with the poblano rice, it helped balance out the bold flavors.

The most out-of-left-field dish was the Lasagna Alteca.  This was comprised of corn tortillas layered with shredded chicken and mozzarella topped with Mexican crema, cilantro and red onions..  It sat in a poblano pepper sauce with charred corn.  So in spirit it was a lasagna, but it ate very differently.  I found it more similar to a taco bake, but more sophisticated and definitely not Tex-Mex.   The chicken was moist and the tortillas were tender.  The thing that made the dish was the charred corn and the poblano sauce.  It was sweet from the corn but had a tanginess to it.  Kept things bright and light despite the heaviness of the dish.

For our desserts, we were serve the Cajeta-Filled Churros with ice cream on the side.  These were crunchy with a soft interior and just sweet enough.  The other dish was the Gorditas Dulces, which is a traditional dessert from Veracruz.  They weren't very sweet and had a certain appealing chew.  On the outside, it was crispy and the slight drizzle of chocolate was all that it needed.  Overall, the food at Mexicuban was presented nicely and was equally tasty.  Loved that they had some fusion going on, but not so much it went too far.  Flavors were still familiar and so were the textures.  Nice spot to get some friends together since they have plenty of drinks and live music at certain times.

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

The Good:
- Nice spot that is great for both groups and families
- Lots of choice on the menu
- Generous portions

The Bad:
- I did enjoy the flavors, but some dishes could use just a touch more impact

Secret Congee

All types of cuisines have their comfort foods.  For many Asian cultures, congee is the ultimate in comforting eats that is often served when someone is not feeling well or want to detox from fatty or fried foods.  It is a humble dish where it is essentially rice cooked down until it becomes a porridge.  Sometimes, in more expensive restaurants, it is elevated beyond the basic nature of its base ingredient.   Now Secret Congee in Seattle is not an expensive restaurant, however, it does reinterprets congee in an accessible manner.

We tried a good part of their menu including their baseline bowl (in my opinion) in the Chicken Congee.  So all of their congee have the same base (made with chicken bone broth) with only the toppings being different.  I have to say the congee was pretty good with a thick viscosity but not that it couldn't be eaten easily.  The seasoning was pretty mild with sweetness and a certain nutty aroma from the rice.  Add in the white pepper and a touch of soy, it was lightly flavorful.  It didn't get watery even until the last drop.  I understand that chicken breast is generally more popular than dark meat, however, I personally would've liked dark meat since it would've been more tender and less dry.

We move onto two seafood congees with the Wild Blue Crab and Wild Halibut.  These were predictably more subtle-tasting with the crab being the more flavorful of the two.  It had a sweet brininess as well as a fluffy texture.  I really liked the crab congee as it also incorporated fried garlic, white pepper and a touch of soy.  This provided just enough seasoning to compliment the ample amount of crab.  For the Halibut, it was maybe needing some more salt as the fish was very mild-tasting.  On that note, I could definitely taste the fish, which was probably what they were getting at.  The addition of fried garlic, wolfberries and the other toppings such as cilantro, ginger and scallions, did make up for the lack of seasoning on the fish.  I think a bit of chili oil would liven this bowl plenty (if you like spice that is).

Staying with the seafood theme, another favorite of mine was the Hokkaido Scallop Congee.  Look at all those large scallops complete with the mantle!  This was full of texture as a result with the buttery sweet scallops offering up some textural contrast with the chewy (in a good way) mantle.  This ensured there was a bite of scallop in each spoonful of congee. For this one, we found fried shallots to go with the ginger, green onion, white pepper and soy sauce.  It was a little more aromatic and sweet.

Hands down, my absolute favorite and probably will order again when I'm visiting Seattle, is the Thai Meatballs Congee.  So far, the chicken and seafood congee were good, but for something with more body and robust flavors, the meatballs did exactly that.  They were juicy and tender with a wealth of natural sweetness and meatiness.  They were also well-seasoned giving off aromatics, saltiness and some pepperiness.  This really kicked the congee up a notch.

But the most flavorful of all was the Spicy Tom Yum Shrimp Congee.  Yah, it still had the same base, but you would never have known it due to the addition of Tom Yum influence with spice, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal.  Add in the shrimp paste and we had some umami brininess.  The shrimp had a meaty snap texture and were naturally sweet and aromatic.  The cilantro blended in with the flavors really well and this one had both fried garlic and shallots.

To add a bit more oomph in some of the more mild congee offerings, you can get a side of Chopped Century Egg.  That made a big difference in the chicken congee with pungency as well as a rich savoriness.  Naturally, you can't have congee without Youtiao (Fried Salty Donut).  This was really good being crispy on the outside while fluffy and chewy with elasticity inside.  Great for dipping into the congee!  To add texture, we also had the Crispy Fried Vermicelli Noodles.  Lastly, we had the Soft-Boiled Egg which was more like an Onsen Egg which provided creamy custardy textures for the congee.  Overall, the congee here at Secret Congee is good and they appeal to a wide audience.  Ingredients are high-quality and they aren't skimpy with the portion-size.  This may not be your traditional congee, but that is not the point here.  I can see why they have a lineup at most times.  I would gladly be part of that lineup.

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

The Good:
- Not skimpy with the high-quality ingredients
- Congee base has a nice viscosity and flavor
- Accessible for all (no scary ingredients except for the additional preserved egg)

The Bad:
- Small location and it gets busy! Might need to wait for a seat and it will be cramped

The Screen Door

It has been a long time since I've been back to The Screen Door.  In fact, count it 10 years ago that I dine on their Southern cuisine at their Burnside location.  It isn't as if I didn't want to go back, but since I'm only in Portland infrequently, there are just too many great places to dine at while I'm there.  Well, here I am back at the Burnside location to sample their wares once again.  Unlike last time, I wasn't sitting outside (which was nice btw) since it was rather cold (in Winter).

We started with a classic in the Crispy Fried Oysters dredged in cornmeal and served with housemade tartar sauce.  These were excellent with a uniformly crunchy exterior that was not heavy nor greasy.  It was properly seasoned as is, but the light tartar helped add creaminess, tanginess and brightness from the dill.  As for the oysters themselves, they were buttery and briny while just barely cooked through.  The juiciness was a nice contrast from the little nuggets of crunch from the cornmeal.

Of course we couldn't forget about their Chicken & Waffles right?  We opted for the 2 piece (breasts) that sat atop a sweet potato waffle.  Sporting little crunchy bits strewn throughout the exterior of the tender and juicy chicken breasts, the fried chicken was delicious.  It was texturally on point inside and out while properly seasoned as well.  As for the waffle, it was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  It was naturally sweet and also aromatic.

Another Screen Door classic is their Lowcountry Shrimp & Grits.  This featured plump and buttery shrimp that were completely seasoned by the rich meaty garlicky tomato sauce. The smokiness and richness oft he bacon really came through. This sat atop creamy cheddar grits that were smooth and the proper consistency (not too runny or thick).  To make it extra silky, we had 2 over-medium eggs as well.  On the side, we found a large buttermilk biscuit served with some jam.  This was buttery and crispy on the outside with a fluffy and slightly salty inside.

One of the more surprising items we had was the Fried Catfish Sandwich.  Thinking that we would be treated to some muddy flavors, we were delighted with the flaky sweetness of the moist catfish.  It was coated in cornmeal, which was crispy and not heavy.  It was served on a griddled bun that was crispy and held up to the wet ingredients well.  The sandwich was finished with a crunchy and bright lemon slaw, dill pickles and house hot sauce mayo.  Good combination of spice, tang, sweetness and saltiness.  Fries on the side were solid too being crispy with soft potato goodness inside.

One of the more basic (if you can actually call this basic) compared to the rest of the dishes was the Cajun Scramble.  This was a combination of andouille sausage, Cajun spices, onion & bell peppers and pepper jack cheese.  Yep, there was some heat from the spices and the sausage while the sweetness from the veggies provided some balance.  I would've liked the eggs to be a bit more fluffy though.  This also came with cheddar grits and a buttermilk biscuit.

The last dish I dug into was our de facto dessert in the Bananas Foster French Toast.  The griddled brioche was soaked in vanilla custard and hence, it was soft like bread pudding.  Nice caramelization on the outside, but further enhanced by the rum-flamed caramelized bananas as it added another layer of sweetness and aromatics.  The dish was finished off with cinnamon & whipped cream.

We also had a couple of cocktails in the Kentucky Bird and the Morning Mule.  Both were refreshing and a good relief from the heaviness of the food.  I thought the Kentucky bird had some great tang and sweetness.  We were also provided with a selection of sauces including the Tartar, Creole Honey Mustard, Parmesan Aioli and Buttermilk Herb Dressing.  I thought the aioli went well with the fries while I strangely liked dipping the fried chicken into the herb dressing.  Honey mustard was also great with the chicken.  Overall, the food at the Screen Door was great as usual.  If you are looking for some Southern eats served in big portions, this is the place to find it.  Maybe next time it won't take me that long to do a repeat visit!

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

The Good:
- Well-prepared Southern eats
- Large portions
- Lively atmosphere

The Bad:
- Well, of course this type of food is heavy, order a cocktail or beverage to wash it down

Kurrywala Indian Restaurant

Sometimes, I cut through New West on my way home and go up 6th and onto Edmonds.  Therefore, I must have drive past Kurrywala many times over without ever thinking of stopping to eat there.  All I know is that it used to be Big 6 diner and I enjoyed their burgers.  Well, we finally made it out there since they wanted us to check out their buffet as well as some a la carte items.  More on the buffet later, but I'll start with the regular menu first!

Arriving on an extremely hot sizzling cast iron plate, the Tandoori Prawns were excellent being charred, but not burnt.  The smokiness really came through while the marinate ensured that each prawn was spiced and had some heat.  They were cooked perfectly where the meat was still juicy.  Even though the plate was super hot, the prawns were perfectly placed atop onions to ensure they didn't overcook.

Nicely plated on a long plate, the Fish Pakora came in huge pieces.  The fish they used was basa and personally, I didn't mind it.  Naturally, most people would prefer a cod of some kind, but that would make the dish ultra-expensive.  Back to the fish, the pieces were lightly coated and fried until crispy.  The fish was buttery soft and  there was a nice earthiness to the batter.  Served on the side, we found tartar sauce, which went well with the pakora.  Some people would prefer a chutney and I'm sure you could substitute. 

We tried the Vegetarian Momos, partly due to the fact they were out of the meat ones.  No matter as the dumpling skin was really good.  Being house-made and never frozen, it meant the skin was moist and not dry.  It had a nice chew to it, but ultimately was tender.  Inside, the fresh veggies offered up natural sweetness and that fresh crunch which would never be found in a frozen dumpling.  Really solid and I didn't miss the meat at all here.

We tried an array of curries including the Smoked Butter Chicken was creamy and mildly tangy with noticeable depth.  It wasn't just that it was smoky, but the richness of the flavour created a lingering effect.  The chicken was tender and moist where it had taken on the impact of the sauce. The Palak Paneer was noticeably darker in colour and as a result was also quite a bit more layered.  Rather than being one-note with just onion and ginger, this had a stronger earthiness and background sweetness. The Coconut Chicken was creamy, yet not heavy.  It was definitely aromatic and purposefully sweet. Surprisingly, I really liked the Mushroom Curry.  The problem with mushrooms is that they make most things soggy due to their moisture content.  It wasn't like this here where the flavours were still full of depth and spice.

For our carbs, we had the Garlic Naan first and it was a pretty fluffy version of the flatbread.  Most of it was pillowy soft while other parts had a nice elasticity.  On the bottom, it was slightly crispy.  There was enough ghee and garlic for impact.  We also had the Keema Kulcha featuring soft and fluffy bread while paired with a chicken curry and of course, butter.  I joyfully applied the butter generously on the bread while dipping it into the rich gravy.

Sure, usually we would get some basmati rice to pair with all of our curries and naan, but to make it more interesting, we selected the Chicken Biryani instead.  This featured some perfectly-prepared rice which was chewy, nutty and dry enough that it wasn't clumpy.  It had taken on all of the wonderful sweetness of the chicken as well as the spices.  This gave it a bit of heat as well as some earthy notes.

We also tried their buffet and we loaded up our dish with rice and a selection of curries including Goat Curry, Chicken Curry, Yellow Dal Tadka, Rajma and Makhni Paneer.  On the next plate, we had Samosas, Pasta Salad, Green Salad and Raita.  They also had Gulab Jamun, but didn't get any.  Obviously, the a-la-carte dishes we had were superior to the buffet, but the curries were still good and if you are hungry, it is a good value.  I enjoyed the goat curry and paneer the most.  Overall, the food at Kurrywala is delicious with good portions and fair pricing.  I prefer ordering off the regular menu than the buffet though.

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

The Good:

- Large portions

- Generally on point execution

- Well-priced buffet

The Bad:

- Buffet could use a few more appies