Chopsticks on Pho

Oh wow, it has been a long 12 years since I last set foot into Chopsticks on Pho out in Surrey.  Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the food there and at the time, they were doing something that wasn't quite trending yet.  You see, they were one of the few Vietnamese restaurants operating in a modern dining space as well as doing fusion cuisine.  I had my doubts about it since it really wasn't a thing yet.  They are still around today, so they must've been doing something right!  Well, the owners remembered me and decided to invite me back.

In addition to the food from the kitchen, they now produce their own artisan sauces that are all hand-made and jarred.  Some of these were used in the Tasting Platter consisting of one skewer each BBQ Nem Pork and the Satay Chicken, Grilled Garlic Prawns, Salad Roll and Crispy Pork Spring Roll.  Now if you look at the picture, you'll notice that the spring roll is missing.  Not sure what happened there, but it will make an appearance later on in another dish.  I really enjoyed the skewers as the meat was tender and full-flavoured due to the marinade and sauce.  The pork was tender with a nice rebound while exhibiting its usual smoky and sweet notes as well as some fish sauce.  The satay sauce for the chicken was sweet and nicely spiced.

Here is one dish where the spring roll makes an appearance...  in the Chef's Special Rolls.  As you can clearly see, the spring roll was encased within a salad roll.  Now the picture doesn't do this roll justice in representing its size.  I ate half of one and that was a lot.  First things first, the spring roll itself was large and stuffed with moist and seasoned pork filling with veggies and noodles.  The roll remained crispy despite being surrounded by a salad roll.  What really elevated these rolls was the dips on the side.  In particular, the satay sauce was out-of-this-world.

After this, we moved onto the BBQ Pork Banh Mi with all pickled veggies, jalapeno, cilantro and house aioli on a French baguette.  This featured an airy and light baguette that still had some bread texture left.  The outside was a bit crusty but didn't shatter completely upon the first bite.  Inside, the pork was moist and tender while having a pleasant natural flavour.  Good crunch from the ample pickled daikon and carrots as well as some acidity.  Peppers provided heat while the cilantro did its usual herbaceous thing.  This came with a bowl of broth that could be eaten as soup or used as a dip for the sandwich.  I personally wouldn't dip it because I love the crunch of the bread, but hey, you do you!

If you have followed me for awhile, you will know that if something is going to be vegetarian, it'd better be delicious for me to like it.  Well, their Pho Xao Tofu or veggie Pad Thai was something that I really enjoyed.  The ample amount of noodles were chewy with lots of elasticity.  They were bathed in a sweet and tangy sauce that was also briny and a touch spicy.  The addition of pickled veggies and the sprouts added crunch while the peanuts provided the aromatics.

A similar-looking dish was the Curry Basil Fried Rice with chicken.  Being a fried rice, this ate remarkably different though.  The chewy rice was fairly sauced, hence it was a touch moist instead of being dry.  The initial spoonful was definitely sweet and full of caramelized flavours.  The basil did come through while the curry was more in the background with an earthy spice.  I felt that with the squeeze of the lime wedges it really helped balance out the sweetness with acidity.

Moving back to the vegetarian side of the ledger, we had the Buddha Bowl which was presented much more like a platter.  It consisted of rice noodles topped with pressed tofu in a satay curry peanut sauce.  This was like liquid crack as it had elements of sweetness, spice, pepperiness and nuttiness.  The texture of the pressed tofu added body to the dish and I kept eating it.  We also found some crispy veggie spring rolls and a wealth of veggies with a vegan vinaigrette dressing.

So here we have the Crispy Pork Spring Roll make another appearance.  Since it was cut diagonally lengthwise, you can see how there was so much filling.   This came with the Chicken Satay (which was also in the Tasting Platter).  Really love that satay sauce with the coconut rice as the aromatics were off the hook.  Normally, this comes with vermicelli noodles, but since we've had that in other dishes, the rice was definitely a great canvas for the impactful sauce.

In addition to the Curry Basil Fried Rice, the other new dish on the menu is the Curry Beef Pho (this can be had with other proteins as well).  Piled up high, the rare beef was sliced thin and as it cooked in the hot broth, it turned out to be buttery tender.  About that broth, it started off sweet and clean but had a considerable kick at the end.  There was nuttiness and briny spice from the red curry.  Really delicious and a good alternative to the regular Pho.

But we couldn't pay them a visit and not have a bowl of "The Works" Pho right???  With the same rare beef majestically on top of the other meats (brisket and beef meatballs), this was a hearty bowl of soup noodles.  The broth was very clean and did not have any muddled flavours.  In fact, it was sweet and meaty despite not looking as such.  There was some background daikon and star anise vibes.  Hidden underneath, there was a considerable amount of al dente rice noodles.

To compliment our savoury and spicy food, we got a couple of smoothies including the Aloe Avocado and Mango Tango.  Both were creamy and smooth while not too thick, so they were very drinkable.  Since I love mango, that was my favourite of the two.  They were on the sweeter side, but paired well with our food as it was almost like a palate-cleanser.  Onto dessert, we were served some Vietnamese Coffees that were so rich and flavourful.  The condensed milk really balanced it off with creamy sweetness.  The dessert was Deep Fried Dough Sticks with a sweet peanut dip.  These "yau tiao" were super light and airy with a crispy crunch.  Loved the dip as it was purposefully sweet with lots of peanut flavour.  In the end, it was so nice to be back at Chopsticks on Pho.  Glad to see that the owners are still doing well while continuing to innovate with their artisan sauces.  Sure, prices are a touch higher than most, but you are also getting both quality and quantity as well as a nice dining space.  I really should bring the fam out, even though it is a bit of a drive for me!

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

The Good:
- Great-tasting food
- Well-portioned
- Super nice people (I can say that because my first visit was on my own coin!)

The Bad:
- It does cost a bit more than most

Carioca Bowls

Initially, I was a bit apprehensive when we had Carioca Bowls on our schedule while visiting Portland.  Not that I want to eat burgers everyday, but healthy food and delicious aren't often mentioned in the same sentence.  However, I was about to find out that my fears were unwarranted as their bowls and smoothies were both appealing in appearance and delicious in taste.  How about that?  I could actually like some healthy bowls...

So before we got to those bowls, we tried all the available Superfood Smoothies including the Classic, Verde, Azul and Forza.  Despite 3 of them being a similar color, they were all unique in their own way.  I particularly enjoyed the verde due to the tropical fruitiness of mango and pineapple.  This was also true for the azul with blueberries and peaches, but it had another layer of sweetness from the dates.  With almond butter, this had a bit more body.  With the addition of peanut butter, both the classic and forza were thick and nutty while balanced off by the açai.

Off to the bowls, they all were comprised of one of the following bases: Rio (açai, strawberries, blueberries & banana), Ipa (açai, peanut butter,  blueberries, chia seeds & banana), Copa (açai, strawberries, blueberries, banana, lions mane & coconut milk) and Mar (açai & coconut sugar).  For their classic Carioca Bowl, it featured a Rio base with nut-free granola, sliced banana, strawberries & blueberies.  As you could expect, this was a fruity and refreshing concoction.  This ate fairly light and was blessed with natural sweetness from the fruit.  The Rio base was a carbon copy of the ingredients, hence, it matched really well.

With more body, due to the use of the Ipa base, the Ultra ate more heartily.  It was comprised of nut-free granola, sliced banana, strawberries, almond butter, dates and pumpkin seeds.  This was mainly a protein bowl and the heaviness of the base and ingredients made it filling.  Definitely not as light and fruity as the Carioca Bowl, but still had a bright component to balance off the richness of the peanut butter in the base and the almond butter.

Continuing on with more robust bowls, we had the Yogi consisting of both the Ipa and Copa bases, nut-free granola, sliced banana, strawberries, peanut butter, toasted coconut, cinnamon and coconut oil.   We already knew that the Ipa base was pretty robust, but with the addition of peanut butter, this was quite the meal, especially for breakfast.  However, if you wanted more than just fruit, this would be it.

Other than the original Carioca Bowl, my favourite of the bunch was the Pollinator with a Mar base, nut-free granola, sliced banana, kiwi, raspberries, bee pollen and honey.  This was definitely up my alley due to the fruity tang of the raspberries and kiwis.  The mar base provided some more bright fruitiness while the bee pollen added some floral sweetness.  Of course the crunch from the granola added some texture.

The Rose City Bowl was something a bit different as it featured a Rio base with hemp granola, sliced banana, strawberries, raspberries, Honey Mamas chocolate pieces, and Jem nut butter drizzle.  Yah, this was quite the creation with hits of fruit, sweetness from the chocolate crunch and richness of the nut butter.  This was yet another filling creation that would satisfy even the biggest appetites.

In addition to their smoothies and bowls, we also tried their Avocado Toast as well as the Brazilian Cheese Bread.  As you can see in the picture, this was a very different avocado toast.  It contained vegan sauce and hemp seeds.  Hence it had an earthy and nutty thing going on.  Possibly a bit of fermented taste to it too.  It was not lacking in flavor.  As for the cheese bread, the regular ones were just like how I like them - cheesy & chewy.  The vegan version was a bit more dense and had a slightly saltier taste.  Overall, I really did enjoy the bowls and smoothies, mostly due to the fresh fruit and the delicious bases.  This turned out to be the thing we needed to cleanse ourselves for the next batch of upcoming restaurants.

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

The Good:

- Fresh quality ingredients

- More healthy than most other meals

- It actually tastes good!

The Bad:

- Some of the more protein-focused items are rather heavy, but it is par for the course

Bamboo World Kitchen (Granville Street)

It goes without saying that eating healthier is a good plan when one normally dines on an abnormal amount of rich foods.  So with that in mind, I did not hesitate to accept an invite to try the newly opened Bamboo World Kitchen in South Granville.  Not only do they want the customer to be served healthier options, they are committed to be as sustainable as possible with local organic ingredients and Oceanwise seafood.  Furthermore, their packaging is plant-based and even their countertops are made from recycled chopsticks.  Now that is commendable, but honestly, we need to see if the food can pass the taste test too right?

So getting right to it, we sampled their Dim Sum items first including Bamboo Gyoza, Prawn Dumpling and Bean Curd Rolls.  So I gotta tell you, these were pretty legit.  The gyoza was vegetarian with a combination of cabbage, carrots and shiitake which was tender and moist.  I found the wrapper to be thin and al dente in texture.  There was enough flavour on its own due to the white pepper, five spice and black truffle oil, however, the side of citrus soy helped brighten up the flavour profile.  So if you are wondering how the prawn dumplings turned out, I'm glad to report that they were really good.  The dumpling skin was medium thickness but tender with a slight chewiness.  Inside, the buttery shrimp did that sweet snap thing with the unmistakable hint of sesame oil and white pepper.  There was a chili lime sauce that predictably added tang and spice, but I much preferred dipping it into the Royal Bamboo Sauce that came with the bean curd rolls (think of it as a hot sauce with tang and sweetness).  About those bean curd rolls, they decided to make them semi-crispy rather than the traditional soft version we find at Chinese restaurants.  I thought it was a good decision as it was less messy to eat and it had an airy crispy texture encasing bamboo shoots, carrots, wood ear and mung bean vermicelli.

Off to their main part of the menu where any of their creations could be had in a wrap or a bowl.  We decided to give their Bangkok Bowl a try that consisted of organic tofu (+$2.00) marinated rice noodle, tomato, cucumber, pickled carrot, romaine lettuce, cilantro, scallions, coconut curry sauce and royal bamboo sauce.  I thought that the ingredients were fresh and appealing while the sauces combined to offer up all of the flavours including spice, tang, sweet, savoury and even a touch of bitterness.  The noodles were soft due to being marinated and I personally would've preferred a chewier version.  However, Jacqueline's parents tried the bowls too and they liked the texture of the noodles.  So each to their own.

To get a sense of what things would be like in a wrap, we had the Bombay in a flour tortilla (also can opt for a sundried tomato or spinach tortilla as well).  This wrap contained organic local chicken (+$4.00), bamboo brown rice, red onion, cucumber, marinated chickpea, mango chutney, grape tomato, spinach and cilantro with a curry yogurt sauce.  Of course this ate very differently than a bowl where I was able to get almost every ingredient in one bite.  Therefore, I got the meatiness of the tender chicken, crunch from the greens and firmness of the chickpeas.  In terms of flavour, the curry yogurt was tangy with unmistakable Indian spices.  This was tempered by the sweetness of the chutney.  In my opinion, the wrap would be my choice.

Too add even more greens to our order, we also had the Bamboo Forest (which is more of a salad) with Oceanwise shrimp (+3.00), mixed greens, marinated rice noodles, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, edamame, mint, basil, cilantro, scallions, cashews, black sesame seeds, radish, sweet chili sauce and citrus soy vinagrette.  I really loved this bowl as the shrimp was perfectly prepared and once again, the ingredients were fresh and vibrant.  Lots of crunch from the veggies and a soft nuttiness from the cashews.  The combination of sauces added tang, saltiness and a minor touch of spice.

I feel that their Smoothies were their most stealthily awesome item on the menu.  We ended up trying the Raspberry (raspberries, banana, dates, vanilla extract and almond milk) and Blueberry Maple (blueberries, maple syrup, banana, dates, vanilla extract and almond milk).  These could also be had with soy milk if desired.  We finished these aggressively as they were smooth, fruity and smooth with just enough sweetness.  A really nice compliment to our mains and dim sum without feeling heavy or overfilling.

We saved a bit of room for dessert and had the Vegan Coconut Panna Cotta topped with cherry compote and toasted coconut.  Being a vegan version, there was no gelatin in this and hence it was more akin to yogurt in texture.  It tasted great with a mild sweetness complimented by the semi-sweet compote.  Texture and aroma was provided by the toasted coconut.  So you know what?  I guess it sounds clichéd to say this, but we really did feel good after eating this meal.  Nothing was heavy, yet still satisfying and full-of-flavour.  Bamboo World is a good option for those who need to grab lunch everyday but want to avoid the usual fast foods.  Looks like people agree with this sentiment as they are opening up their second location on Broadway close to VGH shortly.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Fresh local sustainable ingredients and plant-based packaging
- Flavours from around the world
- Reasonable pricing considering the quality of ingredients

The Bad:
- For me, the rice noodles could've been chewier, but then again, other people liked it  

T-Go Tea

I've talked ad nauseam about how businesses have to set themselves apart when there is far too much competition in the marketplace.  If one just does the same and expects people to remember them, then that is really a stretch.  So let's talk bubble tea.  Merely dismissed as a fad earlier on, this seemingly simple drink is here to stay.  You'd think with all of the various options available, there wouldn't be anymore opening up.  But it seems like a new one, whether it be a chain or independent, throw their hats into the ring monthly.  Remember when I said one must stand out amongst the trees?  Well, T-Go Tea offers up quality individual bagged premium teas to create a consistent product.  They even have Teapresso machines to further refine the product.

I was recently invited to sample some of their new flavours including the Honey Aloe Green Tea.  As expected, the aloe added a floral quality that was pronounced but was balanced off by the sweetness of honey and the slight bitterness of the green tea.  All of the flavours seemed harmonious rather than one being stronger than the other.  On that note, the sugar content was just about right.  Right beside it in the picture was something completely different being the purple-coloured Diamond Purple Rice with cubes of milk (which are supposed to represent the diamonds).  This was lighter than it appeared with purple rice hence the slight nuttiness.  Of course it was also milky and lightly sweet.

One of the more surprising drinks was the Sea Salt Assam Black Tea (left drink in the picture).  The intensity of the sweetness was actually enhanced by the salt (in a salted caramel like manner).  Hence, there was caramel-like finish that was smooth, rich and full-of-depth.  The drink was creamy and silky. Since they use individual tea bags with a press at T-Go, I'm not sure if it was psychological or not, but the tea flavour in the Toasted Oolong Tea Latte was pronounced with a nice finish.  I guess the fact they toasted it added a certain nuttiness as well. There was an option to use fresh milk hence this one was mildly milky.  That let the tea stand on its own.

The next 2 included the Honey Plum Tea.     and Oreo Cookie Blizzard Smoothie. As for the honey plum tea, it wasn't overly sweet, so the light tang and bitterness was able to come to the forefront.  It was slightly aromatic and lightly floral.  The pearls in both drinks were appealingly chewy with a nice mouth-feel with a touch of sweetness.  Yes, the Oreo smoothie wasn't going to win any diet beverage awards, but it was good nonetheless.  It was creamy with the distinct taste of Oreo cookies.  Surprisingly, it wasn't crazy sweet nor too rich.  Hence, one could drink this with a little less guilt?

Onto the last 2 drinks, we had the Avocado Goodness Smoothie and Sweet Peaches Smoothie.  Naturally, they were presented rather attractively without their lids, but hey, it made a good picture right?  Well, truth be told, they drank as good as they photographed.  The avocado was actually made with almond milk, so those who have lactose-intolerances can rejoice.  It was pretty creamy like ice cream and not notably sweet.  There was a slight almond milk aftertaste though.  The sweet peach was refreshing as expected and lightly floral.  It tasted like peach and was blended smooth (as a smoothie should be).  Overall, I enjoyed the drinks at T-Go Tea where they have done a good job at being a bit more unique than the regular.

*All beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Individual tea bags ensure consistency and flavour
- Easy on the sugar
- Some unique flavours and many options

The Bad:
- Not much to critique about the product, but the parking situation can be difficult at peak hours
- Not much seating

Hangry Health Bar

The chances of finding me hanging out at a juice and/or health bar are directly correlated to media invites.  Yes, I'm not much of the health nut and I went into this invite like many others of the same genre - with trepidation.  It's not like I don't like juice though, I just don't seek it.  The interesting thing about Hangry Health Bar is that not only do they serve up some nutritious eats, Commodity Juicery sets up shop there as well.  We got a wide range of items to try including juices, smoothies, rice bowls and smoothie bowls.

Packed with pineapple, mango, cantaloupe, banana, turmeric, ginger, dates, coconut, & apple juice, the Coco Loco smoothie bowl was loaded with flavour.  If you can imagine, the combination of fruit added natural sweetness and the topping of goji berries, sunflower seeds, coconut flakes and chia seeds and almonds provided both textures and several more layers of tastes.  As much as I'm not into the health food thing, I enjoyed eating this and went back for more helpings.

We then moved onto sampling Commodity juices with the Sunrise, Sweet Greens, Mighty Greens, Orange Roots, Feel the Beet, Matcha Milk and Purple Puppy. For me, my favourites were the lighter juices including the Sunrise sporting the sweetness and tang of grapefruit with a hint of mint.  I also enjoyed the Orange Roots where the layers of flavour from the apple, carrot, lemon and turmeric was sweet and aromatic.  The one odd duck from this selection was the Matcha Milk which was creamy and milky with cashews, almond and maple syrup.

The other major item on the menu were the Hangry Bowls including the Marley, El Loco, Bangkok, Wild West and Hawaiian.  I thought the Bangkok with tofu was the most impactful as the spicy peanut added lots of crunch and lingering heat.  There was also a balancing sweetness.  Also rather spicy was the Marley with chicken.  The jerk sauce had oomph while the crunch from the cucumbers added texture and brightness.  I guess spicy was the theme as the El Loco with chicken featured a creamy and spicy chipotle sauce.  The freshness of the salsa lightened things up.

We ended off with some Signature Smoothies in the Tropical Storm, Strawburst and Very Berry.  Consisting of pineapple, mango, cantaloupe and banana, there were layers of fruit in addition to the aromatic coconut in the Tropical Storm.   I thought the Strawburst was similar to many strawberry banana smoothies I've had, but with a twist of cinnamon (just enough though).  Again, the Very Berry seemed like a typical offering, yet it was spiked with lemon and ginger which added a touch of bite.  These were some refreshing treats to end off the tasting which was a whole lot better than I was expecting.  As much as these were fairly healthy bevvies and rice bowls, there was no absence of impactful flavours.

The Good:
- Things tasted good and not in a mild manner
- Lots of choice
- They aren't afraid of adding spice to their rice bowls

The Bad:
- I guess some might find it pricey, but the ingredients aren't cheap