Little Karp Seafood & Bar

Trying to find a restaurant that is not Chinese or Asian is sometimes a challenge in Richmond.  Sure, there are the usual chain restaurants and fast-food outlets, but really, it is quite limited.  Nestled amongst all of the great Asian restaurants along Alexandra Road (aka Food Street) is Little Karp Seafood & Bar.  Yes, there are Asian influences, but their menu is definitely not like the rest of the spots on the same street.  They offer brunch as well as a regular menu that has a wide range of dishes.

We came during brunch hours but ended up ordering lunch instead.  We kicked things off with a pair of soups including the Clam Chowder.  This was lightly creamy with bits of onion, carrot, celery and plump little clams.  I didn't find the broth particularly briny, but it was sweet with some savoury notes.  There was a rice cracker on top and a side of garlic herb toast.  One thing that could've been better was the temperature.  It wasn't very hot.

Now on the other hand, the Lobster Bisque with homemade wonton was definitely hot.  It was full of lobster essence and flavour with a sweet brininess.  I felt this was not has heavy (less cream) as other bisques I've had, which I prefer.  I also found that there was very little brandy-flavour as well, which was also fine as the soup ate more pure with the lobster shells coming through strong.  The lingcod wonton was really good with a delicate wrapper and a moist filling.  Loved the addition of corn as the little pops of sweetness was something different.

We went for an appie next in the Plum Chicken Wings.  These featured whole wings (drumette, flat and tip) deep fried until crispy.  I thought the skin was well-rendered as well.  The chicken meat was tender and moist, but not juicy.  Some might consider that a negative, but I thought it was consistent with a "Western" restaurant preparation.  As for the plum, I thought the glaze was more syrupy than actually tasting like plum.  Maybe some extra plum powder on top would've done the trick. 

We went for the Clams & Frites next (can also be had as Mussels or a mix).  This featured large clams that were buttery and just barely cooked through.  They were sweet and briny while completely seasoned by the broth consisting of garlic, celery, fennel, leeks, shallots and white wine.  Lots of great aromatics going on with enough salt for effect.  The frites were the Cavendish starch-covered variety and were perfectly crispy.

We were recommended to try the Truffle Wild Mushroom Risotto and it was more or less decent.  I thought there was a good amount of mushrooms that created lots of texture and woodsiness.  Combined with the truffle, it had the classic earthiness that combined well with the cheesiness.  The rice itself was not overdone retaining a bite.  However, it was somewhat dry and could've used a bit more moisture and/or cheese.

Lastly, we tried the Spaghetti Fruitti di Mare with mussels, clams and shrimp.  Really enjoyed this dish as it could be in any fine-dining establishment and not look out of place.  Beyond the fresh and well-prepared seafood, the pasta was al dente and coated with enough moisture so it wasn't clumpy, yet at the same time, not soggy either.  Nice garlickiness along with EVOO and some seafoodiness which made each bite delicious.  Overall, the food at Little Karp seemed to be carefully prepared with plenty of thoughtfulness.  It was generally tasty with a few things that could've been better.  Definitely a solid and different option along Alexandra Road in Richmond.

The Good:

- Carefully prepared food

- Honest service

- Something different in the area

The Bad:

- Tweaks to some dishes would've made something good even better

Lobsterfest @ Vancouver Fish Company

We all like a deal right?  Especially in this economy, more people are being very discreet with their spending.  Hence, for restaurants that usually serve more elevated cuisine, something has to stand out in order to attract potential customers.  Enter the classic 3-course meal that comes complete with an appetizer, main and dessert for one comprehensive price.  This is the case at the Vancouver Fish Company on Granville Island.  For a limited time, they have their Lobsterfest menu for $65.00 until October 31st.

As a bonus, even before the actual 3-course meal began, we were served an Amuse Bouche.  It consisted of a Honey Walnut Prawn with togarashi.  This recipe has been around since Chef and Managing Co-Owner Stephen Duyzer has been at the helm.  It featured a large lightly-battered and fried prawn that was glazed in honey mayo.  We found roasted walnuts, sesame and some togarashi.  Hence we had sweet nuttiness with just a smidge of spice.  Delicious bite to start.

Our first actual course was the Seafood Chowder with fresh seafood & clams, bacon, thyme and cream.  Compared to other cream chowders, this one was fairly light.  Not a bad thing as it was easy to eat and did not bog us down for the next course.  It was also mild in flavour as it wasn't salty.  I did get a bit of the bacon though and there was a good amount of fish.  It could've used a bit more clams to increase the brininess.

Now onto the main event, the 1lb Whole Nova Scotia Lobster!  Eye-balling it, I found it to be bigger than 1lb and Jackie's was even larger.  I would estimate mine as around 1.1lbs and the other closer to 1.4lbs.  It sat atop garlic roast potatoes and broccolini.  Things were cooked right with the lobster being bouncy and sweet while the broccolini having a crunch.  Instead of clarified butter, we found herb beurre blanc.  This was great as it provided more flavour than plain butter.

For dessert, we were served 2 of the available options (depending on the night).  First was the Berry Crumble and the second was a Tiramisu.  I thought the berries could've used a bit more starch to thicken the moisture, but it did taste great being just sweet enough and natural tasting.  The crumble on top was crunchy while the ice cream was creamy and not icy.  As for the tiramisu, it was an airy version with creamy marscapone and lightly-kissed lady-fingers.  It was not heavy and easy on the sugar.  It could've used a bit more espresso though.  Overall, the meal was solid and a good deal at $65.00, especially given the awesome location on Granville Island.

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

The Good:
- Solid deal with all things considered
- Lobster is bigger than one pound
- Great location

The Bad:
- Chowder could've used a bit more clam

Joso's

It is fine and dandy visiting some of the best restaurants in Toronto, in particular, the more recent ones.  However, we must not forget the classics as they helped shape the culinary scene.  One of which is Joso's in Yorkville.  They have been around since 1967 and was opened by Joso and his wife Angiolina.  It started off as a small cafe, but then transitioned into a spot that offered fresh and exotic seafood.  Now it is owned and operated by Leo and Shirley Spralja, who are the son and daughter-in-law of Joso.  We stopped by to check out the eclectic dining space and the freshest of seafood.

Really enjoyed the dining room as it was adorned with decor from years past.  Lots of ornate plates, sea-theme art and paintings of naked women (yah really).  Some would say things look tacky, but I loved it!  Before we even got down to ordering our food, they presented us with the Catches of the Day which included a selection of fish, shellfish and octopus.  Loved that we could pick what we wanted and have it prepared the way we wanted.

We did end up selecting the deep fried Calamari as well as some Grilled Prawns on the side.  Suffice to say, things were fresh and also prepared expertly.  The squid was tender with an appealingly chewy texture while coated in a properly-seasoned coating.  It was crispy without being greasy.  I really enjoyed pairing it with the fresh salsa.  Smoky and charred, the prawns were sweet and aromatic.  They were also still moist and had a nice snap texture.

We went for shellfish next with the Clams & Mussels Jadera.  This was also prepared well with all of the mollusks being open.  The mussels were buttery and intensely seafoody while the clams were tender and briny.  The classic tomato sauce with garlic, white wine and parsley was flavourful without being salty, allowing the natural sweetness of the shellfish to shine.  This was a simple but well-executed dish.

Since we were only a party of 2, we did not partake in the cuttlefish risotto (as it is for 4 people).  Rather, we went for the Spaghetti alla Sicilana instead.  With the nice black colour of sepia ink (aka cuttlefish), the pasta was the beneficiary of delicious umaminess.  There was also a good amount of garlic to further enhance the dish.  There was also a background seafoodiness that was not quite briny, but was pleasant.  The pasta itself was firmly al dente.

For our choice of fish, we went for the Branzino, simply grilled and served with lemon.  As you can see, it was beautifully charred with some portions of crispy skin.  It was nicely coated in olive oil and enough salt so that it would taste great with just a squeeze of lemon.  The fish itself was flaky and moist.  On the side, we had the Dalmatian Potato Salad.  Again, another simple dish, just done right.  Potatoes were soft and almost creamy, but not falling apart.  It was simply prepared with sweet onions and with a bit of salt and pepper.

Onto dessert, we went for the Housemade Tiramisu.  As much as I've had many versions of this, I felt that this one was quite solid.  The soaked ladyfingers were moist and the mascarpone cream was purposefully sweet.  This was a pretty light version of the dessert and it was the perfect ending to a great meal.  In the end, we thought the food at Joso's was well-prepared and not fussy.  It is actually rather simple, but that is what makes it good.  Fresh ingredients done right in a homey atmosphere with great service.

The Good:

- Lots of seafood options

- Not overly complex, but fresh ingredients done right

- Good service

The Bad:

- Wished they made smaller versions of the risotto, but I guess that is a lot of work for them

Edulis

Sitting at #2 on Canada's Best 100 restaurants for 2024, Edulis is also the recipient of a Michelin Star.  It is truly a destination restaurant tucked within a cozy bistro on Niagara in Toronto.  The Manager, Philip Shaw, welcomes and warmly guides you throughout the tasting menu that takes a journey though in-season seafood, vegetables and mushrooms.  Viv and I were fortunate enough to snag a reservation for this exquisite experience.

You must be quick when the resos are available and also need to prepay.  We had a 7:00pm reservation and began with the Snacks consisting of Edulis "Gilda Matrimonio" with Cantabrian anchovy, Valentine Radish with Liptauer cheese, Profiterole of Winter Parsnip & Black Truffle and Coppa di Testa of Mangalista Pork with Eggplant Sott'Olio.  A very nice introduction to the menu where we literally whet our appetites on the tangy and briny skewers with stuffed olives and anchovy.  Our favourite of the bunch was the profiteroles as the choux pastry was perfectly crispy with an airy centre.  The sweet parsnips were creamy and gave off foie mousse vibes.

 

As a supplement added at the table and not part of the original tasting menu, we had the Jamón Joselito for an extra $50.00.  This was well worth it though as each slice of ham was super buttery and richly salty, yet still a bit sweet as well.  On top, we found some Picos (Spanish bread sticks) that were a bit dense. This is the best ham in the world coming from a small company founded in 1868 and based in Guijuelo.  I would agree that this is one of the best I've had and would gladly have more!

Seemingly simple but complex in flavour, the Roscoff Onion Pannacotta was delightful with a rich creamy texture.   Mildly milky, the pannacotta served as a canvas for the sweet & earthy onions.   Although there was no curry to be found in this dish, there was a faint curry finish.   I loved the addition of crunch to the mix that added textural contrast.  Of course we couldn't forget about the generous dollop of Oscietra "Prestige" caviar.  That provides pops of salty brininess.

 

In between courses, we were served the Red Fife Bread with 84% fat cultured butter.  We went for the black truffle supplement and they went nuts with it on top of the butter.  The bread itself had a nice crunch with the crust while the inside had a heavy fermented flavour.  It was densely fluffy (if that makes sense).  We didn't go easy with the butter and that made all the difference in the world.  It was creamy and a bit gamy with lots of truffle woodsiness.    

One of our favourite courses was the Wild Red Sea Bream that was lightly cured and sandwiched in between sheets of kombu.   The slices of fish were supremely bright and naturally sweet with a kiss from the sea.  With Buddha hand citrus, we had all the acidity and fragrance the fish needed.  We had a bit of licorice finish from the fennel seed but also some slight brightness and bitterness from the cardoon.

Keeping the hits going, the Dungeness Crab was a beautiful dish where the main ingredient was allowed to shine.   Fluffy, briny and sweet, the crab sat in a sweet macadamia cream that featured crab butter.  It was full of umami and of course, crab flavour.  This made the flavour profile extremely crab-forward (which would've been the point).  We found some wild bears garlic finishing off the dish with delicate aromatics.

If crab and sea Bream wasn't a seafood treat already, we had the Just Shucked Mahone Bay Scallops next.  These were lightly poached in dashi that firmed them up but left the scallop raw.   They were buttery and naturally sweet.  This sat atop fermented aji verde which was bright, herbaceous and slightly spicy.  We had some Ontario ginger and pickled ramps which added bite and tang.

Moving onto something a bit different and more robust, we had the Smoked Eel "Schnitzel".  We found a piece of eel that was coated in breading and fried until golden brown.  It was crispy and aromatic while the short-finned eel itself was firm (like it should be) and lightly sweet.  Underneath, we found some white asparagus sitting in a stinging nettle vichyssoise with mustard seed mignonette and red wine reduction.  This was a fairly mild dish overall.

The next course featured diced BC Spot Prawn Crudo in saucy bomba rice with Mangalista sobrassada spread.  I thought the saucy rice was the best part of this dish as it sported concentrated flavours of prawn shells.  It was super briny, aromatic and pleasingly salty.   There was some meaty spiciness from the sobrasada that provided depth.   However, the delicate spot prawn was lost in all of this.  The good news was that the texture was as still there.

Our last course was the Dry-Aged Mangalista Pork with hedgehog mushrooms, cabbage sausage, roasted apple, celeriac & mushroom puree and cider sauce.  The pork was absolutely delicious where it was barely cooked through.  Each piece was juicy and succulent with natural sweetness.   The mushrooms help add some woodiness and the apple and cider sauce provided sweetness and slight tang.  really enjoyed the roasted pork rib on the side.  Such succulent and well-seasoned meat!  

Onto dessert, we ordered 2 of them including Niagara Baby Gold Peaches sitting in vanilla crème Anglais and raspberry sauce.  This was a simple dish, but was truly a refreshing way to cleanse the palate after all those fabulous courses.  But the real dessert was the Dark Chocolate Layer Cake with Soma kokoa kamili chocolate, Niagara apricot preserves and hazelnut praline. Oh this cake was so rich and chocolatey while being only purposefully sweet.  This was lighter than it appeared and was super fluffy.  Loved the crunch from the pralines on top.  As you can see, this tasting menu was a lot of thoughtful and well-prepared dishes.  Really great experience, especially with the personable service we received from Philip.  We can see why it is ranked so high on Canada's Top 100 Restaurants.

 

The Good:

- Outstanding service

- Good use of fresh Canadian ingredients

- Delicious

 

The Bad:

- Super hard to get a reservation

- With all the supplements and wine, it can get pretty expensive 

Fusion Delight

Rounding up all the relatives for one meal, we ended up having a party of 16 people.  Now we all know that means only one thing...  We met for Chinese food!  One of my cousins suggested Fusion Delight out in San Leandro.  She had recently attended a wedding there and was impressed with the food and the spacious dining room.  As its name suggests, there are some fusion elements to their cuisine.  As you can see in the picture, it was pouring rain...  I guess we brought that to Cali from Vancouver in December...

We kicked things off with the BBQ Pork with honey BBQ sauce.  On looks alone, this was completely legit.  The bark was so charred and caramelized that we could smell it.  Of course, that meant not only an intense smokiness, there was nuttiness and impactful sweetness.  If that wasn't enough, they made sure of things by drizzling a good amount of the honey BBQ sauce on top.  It wasn't overly sweet since it was a mixture that included maltose.  The meat itself was a mix of lean and fatty portions, so it was juicy and tender.

Since all of the kiddies enjoy Peking Duck, we had no choice but to order it.  Turns out the adults loved it too!  the skin had an appealing rich mahogany hue while being crispy and low on the fat.  Beyond that, it was also aromatic and flavorful on its own.  Underneath, the meat was tender and juicy with a mild brine.  Rather than the usual steamed flour crepes, we found steamed bao instead.  These were fluffy and provided a nice contrast to the crispy skin.

One of the most expensive items we had was the half of a Suckling Pig for $158.00.  I guess it was worth it because it was a significant portion and at first glance, it looked to be roasted beautifully.  That it was when we bit into the crispy crackling.  It was so light that it broke apart on contact.  Really great texture and aromatic.  As for the meat underneath, it had a balanced amount of fat where it helped keep things moist and provided natural flavor.

Keeping the meats coming, we had the Braised Short Ribs.  These were majestically plated with the meat sliced off the bone and presented on the bone.  With the meat being fatty in the first place, it was a good start in terms of the flavor and juiciness department.  Combined with a proper braise, the meat was fall-apart tender.  To literally top things off, a sweet, garlicky and sticky glaze was poured over the meat.  Really delicious and highly-recommended.

To get the obligatory veggies into the meal, we had a pair of dishes in the Stir-Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic and the Stir-Fried Yau Choy with Garlic.  As you can imagine, the flavor profile of both dishes was very similar.  There was enough seasoning in both so that the veggies has some salty sweetness to them as well as the aroma of seared garlic.  Naturally, the pea shoots had a different texture with tender leaves with a crunch.  The yau choy had a slightly more robust texture with more moisture.

One item we ordered sounded great even before we got it.  The Salted Egg Yolk Chicken Wings also looked great when it hit the table too.  Many times, this dish has all the promise, only to fall down flat due to a variety of factors.  Those didn't happen there as the amount of salted egg yolk sauce was enough to properly coat each wing and to provide that unmistakable salty, nutty and aromatic flavor.  Futhermore, the skin was crispy and slightly rendered while the meat inside was juicy and also seasoned.

Continuing the same theme, we also had the Whole Garlic Fried Chicken.  This was a variation of the classic Cantonese dish where a whole brined chicken is deep fried until crispy while the meat is still juicy.  The brine on the chicken is the key as it not only flavors the meat, it keeps it from drying out.  This was exactly the case here with rendered crispy skin with an added element of fried garlic as well.  A nice and simple twist of a common menu item.

So far, we hadn't tried any seafood, but that all changed when the huge piece of French Baked Sea Bass Fillet arrived at our table.  The picture doesn't do it justice as it was massive.  It was also perfectly cooked despite being so thick.  The meat was flaky and buttery with plenty of moisture.  On the outside, it was seared and slightly charred.  Hence, there was a good contrast of textures and flavors.  The outside was smoky and somewhat sweet.

So we got back on the meat wagon with the Peking Pork Chops.  Yep, this was the for the kids too and hey it was pretty solid.  Each pork chop had enough meat so that it was still tender with moisture while the outside had some crispiness.  As you can see, there was just enough sauce to coat each piece without leaving a goopy messy on the plate.  The sauce was balanced being tangy and sweet with some smokiness.  Only wished there wasn't an oil slick on the plate.

In a roundabout kind of way, we got more vegetables in the form of Wok Fried Pork Cheeks and Chives.  As you can see, this included both chives and flowering chives.  Hence there was a different in texture and taste.  These were still crunchy and vibrant from the high heat wok hei.  Good aroma and no residual moisture on the plate.  As for the sliced pork cheek, there was caramelization and proper amount of seasoning.  It had the usual bouncy tender texture.

To end things off, we had the Classic Special Fried Rice.  This rice had a little bit of everything including seafood, cured sausage, egg, tobiko and green onion.  There was good wok hei where the rice was nutty and chewy (in a good way).  Lots of aroma and enough seasoning.  In the end, we thought the meal was pretty good, especially for the portion sizes and price.  Service is a bit hit and miss since the place is super busy.  Also a bonus is the large parking lot, you will probably find a space.

The Good:

- Large portions

- Decent eats

- Reasonable-pricing

The Bad:

- Service is hit and miss

Chef Tian's

Originally, the plan was to hit up Max Wonton House for some Chinese comfort eats.  Seeing how they only take cash, I had to make a quick pit stop at the bank.  This brought me to the Central at Garden City shopping complex.  After snagging a parking spot, I looked over and thought that maybe we should just head over to Chef Tian's instead.  I've always wanted to check out their gigantic salty donut as well as their other signature dishes.  Situated in the former location of Z & Y Shanghai, Chef Tian features Hunan cuisine (which is rarely found in the GVRD).

Of course we were here for more than the salty donut, and hence, we began with an interesting dish I've never had before - Stir Fried Egg with Vinegar.  Honestly, we were both interested and a bit apprehensive at the same time.  Turns out that it was a great decision to give it a go because the eggs were super fluffy and silky.  Also, the most important part was that the dark vinegar was definitely there but not so much that the dish was sour.  It was nicely balanced in terms of sweetness and savouriness with only a hint of vinegar.  The addition of chili peppers gave the dish a slight kick.

For some people, they might be laughing at me for ordering the Sweet & Sour Pork.  Yes, we were at a Hunan restaurant, so maybe I shouldn't order it right?  Well, they do have their own version of it and I'm pretty sure they adapted this one for the masses.  However, it was unique in its own way though.  The pork came in strips and was coated with a lighter starch batter that was crispy and airy.  As for the sauce, it was pretty red, but had a nice viscosity where the balance of sweet and sour was quite nice.  The pork itself wasn't too fatty and was tender.

Arriving on a huge dish, the Spicy Diced Chicken was one of the best we've ever had.  Not only was there a good portion of crispy nuggets of chicken, we found crispy rice as well.  That was a textural delight that was crunchy and airy that took on all of the appealingly spicy saltiness of the dish.  As for the chicken, beyond the crispy exterior, the meat was actually juicy and completely seasoned.  The brine on them was on point while the outer seasoning was salty, spicy and slightly smoky.

Probably our 2nd favourite dish was the Feiteng Fish featuring slices of grouper in a spicy oil broth.  This was similar to the Szechuan spicy boiled fish, but without any broth (just oil).  This was a huge portion of delicate and flaky slices of fish.  They were buttery soft and naturally sweet.  The spicy properties of the oil from the dried peppers and the Szechuan peppercorns were soaked up by the fish and it was a impactful without being completely overwhelming.  Underneath, there was bean sprouts, Taiwanese cauliflower and seaweed.

Even our one vegetable dish was outstanding.  The Baby Napa Cabbage with Vermicelli and Garlic was super tasty.  Each leaf was perfectly steamed being completely soft, but not mushy.  The delicate texture had a great mouth feel and the abundance of garlic and chilies on top permeated through.  However, the best part of the dish was the mung bean noodles.  They had soaked up all of the flavourful goodness and the natural sweetness of the cabbage.  In addition, they were on point texturally having a slight chewiness.

We ended up getting one noodle dish in the Braised Beef Noodle Soup.  This didn't look like anything special, but believe me, it was good!  There was an overload of al dente noodles sitting a clean and flavourful broth that had concentrated meatiness as well as hits of star anise.  In fact, there was so much noodle, I think we needed more soup!  The cubes of beef finger meat was super tender with only a marginal amount of fat.

 

Finally, the dish I was waiting for - the gigantic Salty Donut!  Served hanging from a hook (so that it stays crunchy), it was cut table side.  This has to be one of the best versions I've had.  Beyond the crunchiness of the outside, the inside was fluffy and appealingly chewy with a nice elasticity.  It was also well-salted where I could just eat this without anything to dip it into.  So yes, I came to Chef Tian's for this donut, but discovered that their other dishes are just as appealing and well-portioned.  I will definitely come back, not just for the donut!

 

The Good:

- Excellent salty donut

- Other dishes are delicious too

- Well-portioned

- Good service

 

The Bad:

- Menu isn't the most descriptive, confusing for people who do not know the dishes

- Finding parking is not easy