Beechwood Cafe

For all the times we have visited the City of Angels, we have never hiked up to the Hollywood sign.  I guess it just might be that we were always there during Summer and it would be uncomfortably hot to do so.  This time around, Viv and I were here not in the midst of July or August. The weather was just right.  We were able to snag a parking spot near the starting point of the hike and did the leisurely stroll up the mountain.  Very strange that part of it is someone's driveway...  After that, we were pretty hungry and did the touristy thing and stopped by Beechwood Cafe (apparently many people do this...).

After a 30-minute wait, we were seated and got started with the Housemade Spicy Buffalo Wings.  These didn't look it but they were actually pretty hot.  I personally love spicy food so this didn't make want to order milk, but it definitely had impact and left my lips tingling.  I found the batter to be pretty crispy (even with all the sauce) and the skin was fairly rendered.  As for the meat, it was moist and juicy.  I really liked these and should've gotten more in a different flavor!

We ended up sharing a few dishes including the Backyard BBQ Pizza with grilled chicken breast, cilantro, red onions, jalapenos, cheese blend, marinara and housemade BBQ sauce.  The crust was pretty thin and uniformly crispy.  Interestingly, this pizza featured both tomato sauce and BBQ sauce.  I actually liked that as it broke up the sweetness and added another layer of flavor.  The pieces of chicken were fairly tender while the onions provide sharpness and the cilantro did its herbaceous thing.

For myself, I took the advice of our server and ordered the Kimchi Chicken Burger.  I thought the addition of housemade kimchi was the key to this.  It was crunchy and had a fermented spice to it. Unlike other Korean-style chicken burgers out there, this wasn't drenched in gochujang.  Instead, there was only a modest amount of sauce.  Therefore, the chicken was still crispy and also plenty juicy.  Those fries on the side were pretty awesome, hot and crunchy.

From their breakfast menu and also acting like our dessert, we had the Classic French Toast with strawberries, fresh cream and maple syrup.  This was really good where the bread completely soaked so it was a bit eggy and almost custardy.  The outside was nutty from the pan-sear.  Overall, our meal at Beechwood Cafe was pleasant with some real highlights.  No wonder it is so busy and not only because of tourists.  Food is good and done right while the portions are generous.

The Good:
- Diverse and large menu
- Food prepared properly
- Service was great

The Bad:
- Super busy, prepare to wait
- Cramped seating arrangements

 

Langer's Deli

We've been trying to visit Langer's for quite some time.  However, every time we have been in L.A., it just hasn't happened.  This time around, it was only Viv and I, without the kids.  Hence, we did a bit more exploring into neighborhoods that may be a bit sketch.  To be fair, we didn't feel that we were in danger anytime, even though we had to walk 4 blocks to Langer's.  I guess we could've just parked in their lot and get validated, but like most times, it was full.

We didn't have to wait long as there wasn't much of a lineup on the day we went.  We were seated right by the door, which was interesting.  The first thing we had was the Matzo Ball Soup which was fantastic.  Really enjoyed the chicken broth as it was definitely chicken-flavored and the sweetness really came through.  I could also taste the mirepoix with the celery being prominent.  The matzo balls were ever-so-fluffy and texturally-pleasing.

So I know everyone will tell you to order #19 which is the a pastrami sandwich with coleslaw, Russian dressing and Swiss.  However, Viv didn't want that and heck she wasn't going to be a lemming.  So she just wanted a basic Hot Pastrami Sandwich on rye.  Well, there was nothing wrong with that choice as the meat was super tender and literally fell-apart.  It had a smoky saltiness to it that was accented by the fattiness of the meat.  Add a bit of mustard and it was delicious.  Bread was good too being a light rye that wasn't too soft either.

For myself, I went for the #12 as in the Mixed Delicatessen with Corned Beef, Pastrami and Beef Tongue.  This also came with 2 slices of rye bread, pickles, veggies and olives.  So essentially, I could make my own custom sandwich with the supplied meats.  But I just ate the meats and bread separately.  I thought the corned beef was buttery, tender and a balanced saltiness with pickling spice vibes.  As for the beef tongue, we had a similar flavor profile except since it was fattier, there was a silkiness to it.

This also included a plate of Fries.  These krinkle-cut potatoes were fried until golden brown.  Beyond the aesthetics, they were hot and super crispy.  Inside, the steaming potato center was delicate and soft.  Really good fries.  In general, this was worth the visit, even if the area is a bit colorful.  Just mind your own business and you'll be fine.  I thought the pastrami was very good and brought back memories of Katz's except being more tender and less smoky.  Whatever the case, I enjoyed it and would come back again for more.

The Good:
- Super tender Pastrami
- Loved the light rye bread
- The fries are crispy

The Bad:
- Parking is validated but the lot gets full fast
- Neighborhood isn't pretty, but you'll be find during the day  

Funk Coffee X Crack-On

Not too long ago, I was able to experience the breakfast sammies from Crack-On food truck for the first time.  I ended up having the Crack Sandwich with their infamous thick-cut bacon.  Well, I got to say it was plenty delicious since that bacon was so meaty and hearty while being at its bacon-best with a smoky saltiness.  The rest of the components were on point which made this a satisfying start to the day.  So in addition to their food truck, their breakfast sammies are now available at Funk Coffee in Downtown.  Jacky and I went down early on a Saturday morning to check it out.

Sadly, they didn't have any bacon, so we had to have the Crack Sandwich with Maple sausage instead.  Well, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing as it was still very tasty.  In addition to the sausage, we found a runny yolk fried egg, havarti, candied jalapeno, tomato relish and lemon, garlic & thyme aioli on grilled sourdough.  I found the sausage nicely spiced and moist with an appealing sear.  The runny egg was still fluffy and not rubbery.  Probably the unsung hero in this sammie was the candied jalapeno with a sweet tangy spice.  Add in the extra sweet tang from the relish and creaminess of the aromatic aioli, this was a flavour party in each bite.

Now this was super delicious, but The Beast was equally so.  It featured the same aggressively-buttered crunchy sourdough bread encasing chopped beef patty, fried egg, cheddar, mozzarella, bacon jam, pickled red onions and the same aioli.  This was even more robust than the Crack Sandwich.  This was due to the beef that had much more texture and depth.  It was really meaty with some peppery notes.  With the addition of 2 cheeses, they were plenty hearty and rich.  The bacon jam afforded some tang and sweetness as well as the usual baconness.  Pickled red onions provided crunch and acidity.

So if we had pork and beef, the only one left would be chicken right?  Yep, we then tried the Kickin' Chicken with fried egg, Cajun chicken patty, Havarti, caramelized onions, tomato and the same aioli.  This was different than the other 2 sammies mostly due to the texture of the protein.  Unlike the heaviness of the pork and beef, the chicken was lighter.  It had some good spice and was still plenty juicy.  The caramelized onions added sweetness and some natural onion flavour.  With the tomato, runny egg, creamy havarti and aioli, the sammie ate a bit wet, but the crunchy sourdough held everything together.

Our last breakfast sandwich was a vegan option in the Plant in Love sporting vegan plant-based sausage, hash brown, vegan cheddar, pickled red onion and tomato relish.  Naturally, this ate even more differently than the previous 3 sandwiches.  The "sausage" actually had some meatiness to it, in a softer and looser manner.  It did taste good with sweetness and spice.  Lots of tang in this sandwich due to the other ingredients.  I think the firm crunch from the grilled sourdough helped make things more hearty.  Of course, the hashbrown in the middle added more body to the sammie.

About that Hashbrown, it was a small little thing that was freshly made and only lightly fried.  Hence, the potatoness of the filling was both evident in texture and flavour.  Just like the last time I had it, it was a bit greasy, but hey, it is a hashbrown!  Loved the Old Bay aioli on the side as it had some real spice.  For our drinks, we had the Yame 0-23 Matcha Latte and the Flat White Latte.  I felt these were not only great to look at, they were smooth and balanced.  The matcha had more impact as expected, but not in a bitter nor strong manner.  Better yet, the calm and expansive space really helped make the experience complete.  They also have a photo booth on site and it seems to be super fun to check it with your friends or by yourself!  Really cool stuff, great food and drinks.

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

The Good:

- Delicious and filling breaky sammies

- Equally great beverages

- Nice expansive space

The Bad:

- Lots of space, but more seats needed?  Maybe they are limited to that many due to regulations?  When the weather is nice, there is plenty of seating outside though.

- Too bad no bacon on the menu (was it only this time?)

The Boss Cafe

When we originally set up the visits to some of Buddy Valastro's restaurants in Vegas, it was suggested we try all of them.  Well, that wasn't our original plan, but sure why not?  Glad we did because the stuff from Jersey Eats and PizzaCake were pretty solid and great for a casual meal.  Of course we couldn't forget about the wonderful Sunday brunch at Buddy V's Ristorante in the Venetian.  Now with only one left, we went deep into the Linq Hotel to find the counter service Boss Cafe.  Their specialties include half-pound pizza squares, delicious sandwiches and baked goods.

We went straight for the sammies first that were served on house-made focaccia and fresh hand-stretched mozza.  My absolute favorite was the Jersey Roast Beef that was packed with glistening melt-in-my-mouth herb-crusted roast beef.  This sandwich was so juicy and messy that we could not eat it without getting it all over ourselves.  This came with a choice of hot or sweet peppers and also a tonne of garlic butter.  The peppers added so much tanginess that it somehow cut through the richness of the fatty beef.  We couldn't forget about the creamy and stringy mozza too!  I could eat this everyday, but really shouldn't...

Another solid sammie was the Turkey PLT that consisted of roasted turkey, pancetta, roasted tomato spread, arugula, mozza and herbed mayo.  Not as messy as the roast beef, the turkey was still plenty fulfilling.  The meat was lean, but still tender and moist.  Lots of impact from the salty pancetta as well as the tanginess from the tomato spread.  That thick layer of mozza added so much texture to the sammie that was the perfect compliment to the crispy exterior of the focaccia.  There was some sweet peppers there to cut down on the saltiness of the pancetta.

Our final 2 sammies were Lisa's Caprese and The Soprano.  Both featured a thicc layer of their fresh mozza that was a delight to chomp down on.  The creaminess combined with the extra stringiness (due to the thickness) was texture heaven.  These shared similarities, but ultimately, the Soprano was much more robust due to the addition of meat in the form of prosciutto and peppered salami with smoked pecorino and basil pesto.  To kick it up a few notches, it had some hot and sweet peppers as well.  The Caprese was much more mild with sweet peppers, tomatoes, basil, balsamic, arugula and olive oil.

As for the 1/2lb Pizza Squares, we had a few including Margherita, Peppe and Italiano.  The crust on these was crunchy and fairly firm.  They held onto the toppings very well and didn't fall apart.  Being the most basic of the 3, the Margherita was plenty cheesy from the fresh mozza and tangy from the ample tomato sauce.  Absolutely loved the Peppe with both cup and char pepperoni.  Lots of impact in terms of pepperiness and saltiness as well as crispy cups.  The Italiano was the most zesty with the combination of pepperoni, sausage, sweet and hot peppers and basil.  Lots of saltiness, spice and sweetness.

So we had some sweets to end the meal including the Tiramisu Slice and Lobster Tail Pastry.  Quite large and only semi-sweet, the tiramisu sported light and airy cake, creamy mascarpone and a mild hit of espresso.  The layered lobster tail was supremely crunchy and shattered all-over-the-place.  Inside, the lightly sweet custard was on point.  We also had 2 Pastry Pockets with one being Creme Brulee and the other, Cherry Cheesecake.  These were like turnovers and featured crispy layers of pastry topped with sugar.  The filling was on the sweeter side though, but did not lack flavor.  Sure, the Boss Cafe isn't particularly sexy compared to say, Buffy V's, but for a quick and delicious meal (that won't break the bank), it certainly fits the bill.

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

The Good:
- That Jersey Roast Beef!
- That fresh mozza!
- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:
- It is counter-service, so just a quick meal with no fanfare (if you wanted fanfare that is)
- Drinks are so-so

Chakura Tea Cafe

Now after a filling and delicious brunch at The Wooden Spoon, Jackie and I made our way down the street to a cute lil' Japanese spot going by the name of Chakura Tea Cafe.  In addition to hot and cold beverages, they feature some cakes and treats as well as a selection of hot items.  For all of the Japanese restaurants we have in the GVRD, we don't have many that serve the things that Chakura offer, let alone one in South Surrey/White Rock.

Getting right to it, we were first served the Pork Katsu Bowl.  This was a healthy portion of perfectly cooked rice that was chewy but not dry topped with a salad and a thick pork cutlet.  It was coated with panko and fried just enough that it was crunchy on the outside while still moist and juicy on the inside.  Don't be alarmed with the modest drizzle of tonkatsu sauce on the top because there was a side of it to make it more saucy to your heart's content!

Next, we had the Spicy Chicken Karaage Bowl with the same chewy short grain rice.  Yep, we had the same fresh salad with greens, tomatoes and edamame.  The dressing was typical Japanese being sweet, tangy and slightly salty.  Onto the chicken, they were in large chunks of dark meat with a crispy coating.  Like the pork katsu, the chicken was juicy and dressed with a sweet and tangy sauce that did have a noticeable kick.

Staying with the same protein, we had the Curry Chicken Karaage.  Unlike the other 2 items, this was served on a plate (so that the curry didn't drench everything).  Of course the chicken karaage was the same as the previous dish, but with the curry, this ate very differently.  The curry softened up the outside of the chicken more so and provided an aromatic and subtle flavour.  In typical Japanese fashion, the curry was not spicy and trended towards the sweeter side.  However, I found this one to be not as sweet.  Nice viscosity where it sauced the rice without making it soggy.

For those who aren't into the fried meats, the next bowl might be your fancy.  We had the Shrimp & Avocado Poké Bowl that was significantly lighter than the previous dishes.  In addition to the same rice and salad, we found fresh avocado, wakame salad and of course sautéed shrimp.  They were cooked just right where they had a buttery snap.  The seasoning was sufficient to seasoned the shrimp but more sauce was need for the rice.

Another use of the pork katsu was for the Pork Katsu Sando that featured a substantial amount of cabbage.  I do believe that there was a bit too much of it and it obscured the pork.  I would've also liked the bread to be toasted a bit less as it become a bit hard.  However, the pork was just as good as the first bowl we had where it was juicy with a crunchy exterior.  I believe with a few tweaks, this sando would be really good.

Same could be said about the Egg Salad Croissant.  It was quite good and would've been perfect except for one detail.  They used processed cheese in it that made the entire thing salty.  However, I did mention that to them and I believe that will be changed.  As for the croissant, it was crispy and buttery.  The egg salad was creamy with enough seasoning.  Fresh greens completed this sandwich.

Of course we had to also try all of their Roll Cakes including the blueberry, chocolate, mango and strawberry.  These were super light and airy where eating one wouldn't be very hard to do.  However, I thought they were a little on the dry side, but the fresh cream did help alleviate that problem.  I found the sweetness to be on point where it was just right.

Lastly, we also tried some of their drinks including the Hojicha Pearl Milk Tea.  This was good with balanced sweetness while being a bit smoky and aromatic.  Nice creaminess too while the pearls were perfectly textured being chewy, yet soft.  Overall, the food at Chakura was pretty solid and in significant portions.  I think the roll cakes could use a bit of work, otherwise, definitely a great place to grab some lunch and a drink.

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

The Good:

- Unique for the area

- Good portions

- Well-prepared hot food

The Bad:

- Roll cakes could be more moist

Earl of Sandwich (Langley)

In Canada, we are left out in the cold when it comes to popular chain restaurants.  Sure, there is a Cheesecake Factory out in Ontario, but we are not usually privy to nice things (especially in B.C.).  We are still waiting for In-N-Out, which might take awhile since they have only made it up to Keizer, Oregon so far.  However, we have finally scored our first location of Earl of Sandwich in Langley, specifically out in Willoughby.  That's right, a fan favourite found in such places like Downtown Disney and Vegas, we now have one here!

I was given a sneak peak many weeks ago and came away impressed.  It is exactly like the ones in the US, partially due to the fact they source the ingredients from down South. Before we got to the sammies, we had a cup of Tomato Soup and a Caprese Salad.  Loved the soup as it was creamy enough that it took the edge off the tanginess.  It was nicely spiced and the croutons on top added crunch.  As much as I don't really like talking about salads, this one was pretty substantial due to the amount of cheese on top.

Off to the sandwiches, my personal favourite is the Holiday Turkey with a complete meal in a sandwich.  Yes, there was tender turkey, spiced stuffing, cranberry sauce and the delicious gravy.  Think Friends and the "Moistmaker".  The flavourful gravy soaked into the bread and things were just so saucy and pillowy soft.  I would've liked just a bit more cranberry sauce to give it a bit more sweet tang, but this was still exactly how I remembered it.

Another one that we tried (but I've never had before) was the Cuban featuring the usual ingredients including carnitas, ham, Swiss, pickles & Cuban mustard sauce.  So yeah, other than the bread, all of the components were there.  Hence it had great flavour and texture.  Was it like a Cuban I've had in Miami?  Well no, but for what it was worth, I enjoyed it.

I ended up paying for a few sammies to take home for the kiddos (since they love EOS too...).  I got the Italian since we've had it before and there was a good amount of meat in this one.  It consisted of salami, capicola, ham, pepperoni, mozzarella, Roma tomato, Italian seasoning & dressing.  Other than the spice and saltiness from the meats, we had zesty tang from the dressing.  This was plenty filling.

Staying with lots of meat, I also got the Canonballs! with meatballs, mozzarella, Italian seasoning & marinara sauce.  Moist and meaty, the meatballs were plentiful in this sandwich.  The soft bread enveloped all of the wet ingredients and kept things tight.  Lots of tanginess and melted cheesy goodness.  In addition to the seasoning within the meatballs, the Italian seasoning provided more oregano goodness.

For those who want to cut down on their carbs, there are wraps instead.  Personally, I love the soft bread, but the wraps are solid too.  This fully-loaded Cobb Wrap sported greens, grilled chicken, bacon, cheddar, Roma tomato, cucumber, cranberries and ranch dressing.  This was fresh and crunchy due to the greens and plenty saucy from the dressing.  Lots of chicken and bacon for meatiness and salt content.  So as you can see, the sammies look identical to the ones found in the states.  In fact, they taste the same in my opinion.  Therefore, it is nice to have the option of satisfying my Earl of Sandwich cravings nearby rather than heading South to get it.  Now let's hope we can get an In-N-Out here in the future!

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

The Good:
- Just like the stuff you find in the States
- No absence of filling
- That soft bread

The Bad:
- I don't find it particularly expensive, but hungrier appetites might need more than one sammie
- Parking in the complex is tough to find at times

Tanaka PDX

After some healthy and delicious eats from Carioca Bowls, we made our way over to Tanaka PDX located in Downtown Portland.  Upon walking into the place, we were greeted with a spacious dining room with communal seating and high ceilings as well as floor to ceiling windows.  As for the menu, they feature a variety of Japanese fare including those viral fruit sandwiches as well as a host of katsu sammies as well.

As much as the plight of Portland's downtown has been in the news, the area around Tanaka was fine.  We got straight to the Sandos including Chicken with yuzu egg salad, Spicy Fish and Toasted Egg Salad.  With toasted milk bread, the texture was more robust, but it helped hold all of the ingredients inside.  Mind you, the creamy egg salad did leak out from the sides (but that was expected).  Loved the addition of yuzu as it really lightened up the salad.  The spicy katsu sauce really added kick to the crispy fish.

We also had the classic Pork Katsu Sando with cabbage slaw as well as the Breakfast Sando with egg, cheese and bacon.  Being slightly thinner than the chicken, the pork cutlet was more firm, yet was uniformly more crunchy due to the meat-to-panko ratio.  Loved the crunchy and bright slaw.  As for the breaky sando, it was pretty standard and had a nice runny egg with plenty of meat.

As good as the sandos were, I was pretty impressed with the Chicken Katsu Nuggets with a variety of dips including Karashi Honey Mustard,  Tanaka Katsu,  Shishito Ranch, Spicy Tanaka Katsu & Curry Aioli. I found the panko coating to be crispy and not greasy.  The meat was moist, but the real draw here was the dips.  I particularly enjoyed the spicy BBQ as it had a real kick to go with the sweetness and tang.

 

We also had a Miso Caesar Salad as well as some Fries with curry aioli.  With the addition of miso, the salad did have that rich fermented saltiness.  Hence it had a little something something that made it interesting.  As for the fries, they were crispy with soft potato goodness inside.  The side of curry aioli was creamy with only a mild hint of spice and sweetness.

As the defacto dessert due to their fruitiness, the Fruit Sandos featured strawberry, orange and kiwi.  With airy whipped cream and fresh fruit, these ate very much like a dessert, especially with bread that masqueraded as sponge cake.  These were a fine finish to a delicious meal that wasn't very complicated, but executed well.  These could be classified as unique eats that won't break the bank.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post*

The Good:

- Fully-stuffed and delicious sandos

- Reasonably-priced

- Spacious dining room

 

The Bad:

- Can get busy and seats are at a premium

- Parking is a bit difficult to find 

I Porci Comodi

So for those who aren't aware, the month of August is when many businesses in Europe, including restaurants, close up shop and go on vacation.  Great for them, but when we are looking for places to eat, it complicates things.  This is especially frustrating when they do not post anywhere online that they are closed and also when Google doesn't have the updated information.  This was the case when we were roaming the streets of Pisa in search for lunch.  We finally settled on sandwiches (again) since I Porci Comodi was open and we were done walking around.

Turned out to be a blessing in disguise as this worked out to be a cheap lunch as well as being tasty.  For my sammie, I selected the 18 and I'm Happy Please consisting of thinly-sliced porchetta, eggplant, green sauce and EVOO.  Similarly to the sandwich we had in Florence, the bread was crunchy and firm.  It did hold up to the ingredients quite well.  The fatty pork was super tender and aromatic.  Green sauce was bright with herbs while the eggplant provided some moisture.

Viv decided on vegetarian with Corinna's Sandwich with fresh tomato, eggplant, stracchino, green sauce and EVOO.  Naturally, without meat in this sammie, the whole thing depended on the cheese to provide some body.  That it did with a creamy freshness and plenty of moisture.  Tomatoes were indeed fresh and flavourful while the eggplant was "meaty" in texture.  With the same green sauce, the sammie was bright and flavourful.

My son had the Prosciutto Crudo Toscano with aged pecorino cheese and truffle sauce.  Once again, the sauce made all the difference as it provided moisture as well as plenty of earthiness and creaminess.  The prosciutto was at its salty best and offering a chewy meatiness.  Let's not forget about the thick slices of cheese as they were pungent with salty nuttiness.

Staying with the same theme, my daugther had the Prosciutto Crudo Toscana with aged pecorino cheese, honey, walnuts and EVOO.  As expected, the honey was the perfect foil for the salty prosciutto.  This sammie had the salty sweet thing going on and due to the addition of walnuts, it also had crunch and nuttiness.  Of course the cheese provided another layer of salty nuttiness as well.  In the end, we were just happy to have some food in our tummies after walking around for awhile.  We enjoyed the sammies, but thought the ones in Florence were a bit better.  But overall, solid and inexpensive.

The Good:

- Inexpensive

- Nice flavour combos

- Nice people

The Bad:

- Would've liked just a bit more meat in the sammies