Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle

I'm sure many of you have heard about the recent closure of Chef Hung's Richmond location after 17 years in business at Aberdeen Centre.  That means there are only two locations left at SFU and UBC.  If you've ever read any reviews about the UBC store, there are some real concerns about serious mismanagement.  I haven't been to this location for quite some time, so it was a bit surprising to see the place go downhill since my last visit.  Mercifully, they are now under new management that is committed to sharpening up their operations.  Jackie and dropped by to see for ourselves.

On the surface, things were operating as usual and there was a decent amount of business considering we were there at 3:00pm on a weekend.  Before we got to the noodles, we had some smaller items in the Braised Pork Hock, Deep Fried Chicken Nuggets and Marinated Egg.  Served in large pieces, the pork hock was the ideal texture.  The gelatinized skin as tender and underneath, the fat and tendon were buttery and soft.  Seasoning was mild, yet effective where the pork flavour wasn't too strong.  Rather, we had a good balance of salty and sweet.  Chicken Nuggets were also large while lightly coated.  They were crispy and well-seasoned with the classic salty-peppery vibes (and a touch of five-spice).  Inside, the dark meat was juicy.  As for the eggs, they were flavourful, but since they were fully done (typical for this type of egg), it was rubbery and had that grey ring.  Still good though!

Another trio of side dishes consisted of Boiled Broccoli, Cold Mixed Baby Cucumbers and Marinated Pig's Ear.  Even though we had broccoli in some of the dishes already, we felt more veggies wouldn't hurt.  They were cooked just right being still a bit crunchy.  Also crunchy, the cucumbers were refreshing and nicely marinated.  Really enjoyed the stacked, then sliced pig's ear as they were gelantious and had a light crunch from the cartilage.  Once again, the braising liquid added umaminess to the pig's ear and of course some sweetened soy vibes.

As you can see in the picture above, the Marinated Beef Roll was fairly large and completely stuffed.  The pancake itself was slightly crispy on its surfaces while the pastry had a bite.  It could've been a bit more flaky though. Inside, the ample sliced beef shank was a bit thick, yet still plenty tender.   I wished there was more hoisin though (but you can ask for more).  The matchstick cucumbers were fresh and added a bright crunch.

We got 2 of their Deep Fried Ginger Chicken Wings and they were the whole wing including the dummette and tip.  They were uniformly golden brown which also meant the skin was fairly crispy.  It was also rendered well, so there wasn't any flabby parts.  Loved the marinated meat as it was juicy, tender and slightly gelatinous.  As promised, there was a nice gingery hit as well.

Onto the dishes we were really here for - The Taiwanese Beef Noodles!  We had one each of the Award-Winning Beef Shank, Tendon & Tripe with Noodle in Soup and Champion Beef Shank with Noodle in Soup and .  These 2 bowls were very similar except for the former having thick noodles and the latter having thin noodles.  Naturally, the former had 2 extra items.  The soup itself was quite good with a solid beef presence.  It had depth-of-flavour and sweetness with just a subtle hint of spice.  Noodles were al dente with the thick noodles being extra chewy (in a good way).  I think the thin noodles picked up more of the soup flavour though.  Meats were tender with the tendon being soft and gelatinous.  Tripe was soft while retaining a mild chewiness.   I thought the beef shank was more tender than the brisket, but that was because of the braised connective tendons.

Moving onto 2 different types of beef noodle, we had the Champion Beef Brisket with Noodle in Clear Soup as well as the Champion Braised Beef with Noodle in Tomato Soup.  With the clear soup, it was certainly clean-tasting and naturally mild with some sweetness.  The brisket was a bit drier here, yet not too chewy.  We also found a few slices of tender beef that were quite delicious.  I have to say that the tomato soup was not as strong as I would've liked.  It definitely had the essence of tomato and we also found some fresh grape tomatoes too, but I wanted more tang.  The braised beef was fall-apart tender and had a rich braised flavour.

We had one more noodle that was similar to the first 2 but also somewhat different as well.  This was the Braised Beef Tendon & Shank with Noodle in Green Pepper Soup.  Despite not appearing to be any different, the soup was distinct.  There was definitely more spiciness (but not too strong) as well as a background numbing.  It was slightly tangy and a bit green tasting (despite the soup looking brown)

In addition to their large selection of beef noodles, they have rice bowls as well.  We ended up trying the Taiwanese-Style Deep Fried Chicken Cutlet and also the Deep Fried Pork Chop.  As you can see, both were similar except that the pork chop had some braised pork underneath.  This meant the rice was saucier and more robust from the rich meat flavours.  Both had a crispy coating and the typical Taiwanese seasoning of salt, white pepper and five spice.  Meats were juicy and tender, especially the thick dark meat chicken.  Overall, the food at Chef Hung was what I expected.  It was solid and considering the cost of food these days, reasonably-priced.  I like that they are trying to improve the service and overall experience because that was an issue with this location.

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

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Reasonable pricing

- Portions were fair too

The Bad:

- Decor is a bit worn

- Smaller location with limited seating

Din Tai Fung

So Vancouver finally gets their own Din Tai Fung...  Why is this so special?  Well, it all started with an oil shop in Taiwan that then transitioned into a small restaurant that had some really great Xiao Long Bao.  It became a bigger restaurant (that still stands today) and expanded globally.  Located right next to the Camana Hotel on Alberni, Din Tai Fung seems ready to take on the tourist crowd and also locals (who will brave Downtown traffic and find the few precious and expensive parking spots).  There is underground parking available as well.  We waited until the initial crowds had dissipated to check it out.

We've been to Din Tai Fung many times in the past, so we have a baseline for what to expect.  To start, we had the Cucumber Salad as well as the Seaweed & Bean Curd Salad.  Both were pretty small in size, but delicious.  Exhibiting a fresh crunch, the baby cucumbers were perfectly salted and accented by both sesame oil and chili oil.  As for the seaweed & bean curd salad, it was also well-seasoned with mild spice and a good balance between savoury and sweet.  Nice textures here.

We got one order each of their famous Kurobuta Pork XLBs and the Crab & Kurobuta Pork XLBs.  Both featured the classic thin dumpling skin with exactly 18 pleats.  This optimal method keeps all the soup inside while looking aesthetically-pleasing.  I am happy to report these were just as good as I remembered.  The skin was delicate with some elasticity.  The pork filling was moist and tender with a considerable amount of sweet and savoury soup that was not greasy.  Personally, I enjoyed the regular pork XLBs more than the crab.  It was just a bit too briny for my liking.

For our one veggie dish, we selected the stir-fried Spinach with Garlic.  Presented in the shape of the wok ladle, there was actually quite a bit of wilted spinach on the plate.  It was definitely soft, but not mushy.  Plenty of seasoning meant it tasted great.  Featuring the same spinach, the Stir Fried Rice Cakes with Chicken was also well-executed.  Possibly there could've been more searing on the rice cakes, but the dish did have wok hei.  It was nicely seasoned where it was a bit salty with some sweet elements.  The rice cakes were chewy, but not hard and the chicken was tender.

We moved onto a pair of noodle dishes next with the Braised Beef Noodle Soup and the Noodles with Minced Kurobuta Pork.  The beef noodle soup was legit with a meaty broth that had depth and was well-seasoned.  The large pieces of beef were almost melt-in-my-mouth tender with some tendon within.  It was also flavourful from the braise.  Noodles were al dente with a nice rebound.  As for the mixed noodles, the mince pork "sauce" was lacking moisture to combine with the chewy noodles.  With that being said, the pork itself was not dry and was full-flavoured being on the saltier side.

We went back to the dumpling well with the Shrimp & Kurobuta Pork Shao Mai and the Sticky Rice with Pork & Mushroom Shao Mai.  Yes, they looked like sea anemones and unlike the XLBs, the dumpling skin was much thicker and chewier.  With the same pork filling, the first shao mai had elements of the XLBs.  With carbs on carbs, the second shao mai was rather doughy and not really something I'd order again.  They did taste good though with some umaminess and mild saltiness.  I've had these before, but somehow I forgot I didn't like them! 

To get our fill of dumplings, we also got the Shrimp & Kurobuta Pork Potstickers as well as the Shrimp & Kurobuta Pork Spicy Wontons.  We really enjoyed both of these with the potstickers having a crispy skirt.  Subsequently, the bottom was crispy as well and the rest of the dumpling skin was medium thick and appealingly chewy.  Filling was juicy and tender.  As for the wontons, it had the same filling, so that was a good start.  They were quite large in size and held onto the chili oil sauce well.  It didn't eat as spicy as it looked, rather taking on some sweetness and smokiness.

We got our dumpling fix but couldn't resist and had the Chocolate & Mochi XLBs with a side of Sea Salt Cream.  Oh these were fantastic with a rich and sweet velvety chocolate centre.  The sea salt cream was the key to this as it added a balancing saltiness.  I would have these again in this combination.  Overall, the meal at Din Tai Fung was as expected.  It was satisfying and the XLBs were on point.  Service was fantastic being attentive and personable.  Prices are of course on the higher side and portions size are not very big.  Good for a visit once in awhile or to bring your out-of-town guests who don't have a Din Tai Fung.

The Good:
- Excellent XLBs as usual
- Other dishes are above average
- Service is fantastic

The Bad:
- Pricey for the portion size
- Parking in the area is expensive

Pearl House

I remember a long time ago (2013 in fact), I had visited Pearl House out on Sperling at Kingsway in Burnaby.  It was solid Taiwanese fare that was reasonably-priced.  Well, that location has closed permanently and now houses Singapore Hawker.  Now we find that Peal House has reopened on the West side of Vancouver where the Meet Up used to be located.  Jackie and I paid a visit to this new location and upon entry, it was pretty much the same setup as before (when it was Meet Up).  So it was fairly spacious and inviting.

Of course, the space is one thing, but the food needs to be good too right?  We began with a Taiwanese classic in the Deep Fried Chicken Nuggets.  These were pretty big pieces of thigh meat, which helped them keep juicy and tender.  They were also nice marinated so that the meat had a mild saltiness to it.  As for the batter, it was not too thick while being crunchy and not overly greasy.  There was also the usual slight pepperiness and fried basil to compliment.

Continuing on with the appetizers, we had the 3-item Marinated Combo with sliced pig ear, beef shank and eggs. I thought the items here were prepared quite well.  I was actually quite impressed with the marinated eggs as the egg yolk wasn't completely obliterated.  Notice that there was no ugly green ring around it.  The pig's ear was sliced thin and had plenty of flavour including a background hint of star anise.  Same with the beef shank, as it was also tender and moist.

Naturally, at any Taiwanese restaurant, one must order the beef noodle right?  We did that but opted for the Beef Shank & Noodle Soup.  I found the broth for this bowl to be a bit mild, yet not flavourless.  I could taste the meatiness, but at the same time, it was not as rich as the one found at Myst.  The noodles were plentiful and perfectly al dente.  The beef was fall apart tender and flavourful while the tendon were in large gelantinous tender pieces.

We went a bit off the board with our next dish with the Deep Fried Unagi Bento.  This was literally 2 fillets of eel that were breaded and deep-fried.  Honestly, I didn't enjoy this bowl as the best things about eel (being buttery and soft) was absent after the breading and deep-frying.  Furthermore, it really didn't go with the rice that well as it was dry without any sauce.  Hence, we just ate the eel.  This also came with some veggies and 2 slices of Taiwanese sausage.

Our last savoury item was the Deep Fried Chicken Thigh Curry featuring a large chicken thigh.  I'm sure they added the green onion for colour but that was far too much of it.  The pure taste of the curry was partially obscured by the green onion.  Too bad because the curry itself was excellent having a sweet earthiness where the viscosity was just right.  The rice was firm enough to receive the curry while the chicken was juicy and tender with only a thin layer of fried coating.

For dessert, we had the Snowy Mango Pomelo with a cheese mousse on top.  This was refreshing and fruity as expected.  I found the shaved ice to be nicely texture without big chunks.  It was completely flavoured with the mango syrup.  For our drinks, we selected the Roasted Oolong Milk Tea as well as the Passionfruit Slush.  I thought these were solid and not merely an afterthought.  The tea had a noticeable roasted nutty flavour while the slush was fruity and completely blended.  Overall, Pearl House is a solid place for Taiwanese eats, desserts and drinks.  Portions are generous while the pricing is reasonable (given how expensive things can be in this area).

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

The Good:
- Generous portions
- Solid eats
- Spacious dining room

The Bad:
- Some dishes could be tweaked

RedBeef Noodle Kitchen

So you'd think after 2 burgers, fries and poutine at Hundy, it would be enough to call it a night...  Nope, no can do.  Eating is a sport and eating more means winning!  So we made the short walk across the street (probably burned off 10 calories) to RedBeef Noodle Kitchen for 2nd dinner!  I've been meaning to try the place out for quite some time and even though we were already stuffed, we couldn't pass up the opportunity.  For those who have seen on IG, they are famous for their premium beef noodles, but that wasn't the only thing we ate.

Before we got to the noodles, we had the an order of the Salt & Peppery Chicken which was well-portioned.  This was very good with large chunks of dark meat that was juicy and tender.  On the outside, the batter was thin and crispy.  It was also impactful with the right amount of saltiness and spice.  Moreover, the dish wasn't overly greasy either.  Although it looked more like a garnish, the fried string beans were also texturally on point with a crunch.  Sporting a large slice of braised pork belly, the Taiwanese Pork Bun was just as good.  Even though the mantou sat there while we took photos, it remained soft and fluffy.  Inside, the pork belly was tender and meaty with only a bit of fat.  The classic combination of peanuts and sugar was spot on and provided a nice balance with the spicy pickled mustard greens.

Off to the noodles, of course we had their signature Premium Beef Noodles with soup served table-side.  The raw slices of beef cooked in the hot broth.  They were absolutely heavenly with a buttery texture that only sported a bit of meaty chewiness.  Underneath, the noodles were appealingly al dente while soaking up the flavourful broth.  Some have remarked that the soup wasn't flavourful enough, but to me, it was meaty and full of depth.  The pepperiness was just right where it was noticeable without being too strong.  We also got the Beef Noodle Trio with braised beef shank, tripe and tendon.  The broth here tasted the same except with the tangy punch of the pickled mustard greens.  Noodles were just as good while the beef practically melted in our mouths.  Tripe had a tender chewiness whereas the tendon was a bit too soft.

Lastly, we had the Beef Potstickers which didn't resemble the typical shape of the Taiwanese version.  One bite and yes, the dumpling wrapper was fairly thin and appealingly chewy, but the beef filling was far too fatty.  In fact, there was liquid fat leaking out.  Not a great mouth-feel.  They did taste good (maybe because of the fat) with an aromatic meatiness.  Overall, we were quite happy with the food at RedBeef especially the premium beef noodles.  Service was actually quite good.  We didn't like the beef dumplings, but that was the only negative of the meal.

The Good:
- Legit premium beef noodles
- Their regular noodles are good too
- Service was decent

The Bad:
- Prices are a bit higher, but okay given the location and quality
- Beef dumplings were not good

Rhinofish Noodle Bar

When Rhinofish Noodle Bar first opened in Chinatown a year and a half ago, I was invited to try the place out.  Well, I never did make it out there due to my busy schedule.  Now with that being said, there was another reason I wasn't super-motivated to head out there as well.  Based on the comments of some fellow foodie-friends, the place had some work to do still.  Although there was some positive elements, there was equal concerns over the beef broth in the Taiwanese Beef Noodle.  So I just didn't end up going until recently (more than one visit).

Of course, the aforementioned Taiwanese Beef Noodle was at the forefront.  So much so, we ordered 3 bowls.   Upon hitting the table, we liked how it was plated where the ample amount of pickled mustard greens were piled high.   The individual components of the bowl were actually very good.  We found the noodles to be perfectly al dente with a rebound that resulted in an appealing chew.  Ample in portion, the beef was tender and gelatinous where the light seared added a nice bark that resulted in an extra layer of texture.  Onto the soup, it was definitely different than most of the other versions in town.  There seem to be a wine essence and finish which was pretty pronounced.  The meatiness and salt content of the soup was acceptable but definitely could've been more strong.  For myself, I went for the Zhang Ji Mein that was topped with a plethora of finely julienned carrot and cucumber.  There was also more than enough meat sauce with pressed tofu.  Although there was a noticeable garlickiness and slight spice, the meat sauce needed more punch.  Possibly a bit more chilis and more salt.  However, that was easily rectified by the side of hot sauce.  As with the previous noodles, these were perfectly al dente.

For our sides, we tried their Chicken Nuggets with nanjing sauce.  At first glance, they appeared to be dry and over-fried.  However, that was not the case at all.  The crunchy exterior gave way to truly succulent and juicy dark meat.  Each nugget was spiced enough that we could taste the five-spice without it being too licorice-focused.  On the side, the dip was lightly tangy and sweet.  We also ordered a couple of the Bao stuffed with pork belly, mustard greens and ground peanut.  This was classic Taiwanese and ate really well.  The bao was soft while the pork belly was just fatty enough where it nearly melted in our mouths while retaining a meatiness.  There was a nice balance of ingredients where the combination of sweet, savoury and tangy was on point.  Overall, the food was actually decent.  However, the TBN could've had more depth and impact.

The Good:
- Clean and modern
- A few appealing modern modifications
- Good service

The Bad:
- TBN could be more flavourful
- Prices are not cheap

Myst Asian Fusion

Earlier in the year, a new Taiwanese joint opened up in the former location of Lester's (for those old enough to remember...).  I wasn't able to attend the ChineseBites tasting which yielded mixed reviews, yet I was still intrigued.  Due to the fact, it is open late, it automatically became a late night destination after hockey.  To get a sense of the large menu, this post is an amalgamation of 3 visits.  In fact, I've been here 5 times and I've gotten a clear sense of the place.  One thing is for sure, it gets pretty busy at times since there is a general lack of competition nearby other than The One.

On my first visit with Milhouse and Lionale Hutz, we shared the Fried Basket consisting of chicken nuggets, fish cake and Taiwanese sausage accompanied by fried green beans and shrimp chips.  Surprisingly, the best part of the basket was the green beans.  They were oil blanched just a touch where they retained their firm texture.  Futhermore, they were well-seasoned.  Next best thing was the chicken nuggets as they featured rendered and crispy skin while only lightly seasoned and not overdone with the 5-Spice.  The sausage was pretty typical while the fish cake was not nearly crispy enough.  For my drink, I tried the Lychee Slush 1/3rd sweet.  This was far too icy and chunky for my liking as it was hard to "drink".  It was lightly flavourful due to the sugar level.

For my main, I had the Mini-Lamb Hot Pot which included a bowl of rice, cucumbers and marinated gluten.  I found the broth for the hot pot pretty flavourful, yet salty at the same time.  It had a hint of lamb gaminess while plenty of sweetness as well.  The lamb was fairly tender with gelatinzed skin.  There was also tofu and Napa cabbage in the mix.  Milhouse went for the Stir-Fried Noodles with Beef that did its best impersonation of a "gon chow ngau ho".  Rather than flat rice noodles, we found hand pulled noodles normally used in beef noodle soup.  They were chewy and well-seasoned with dark soy.  The dish was rather wet though and the ample slices of beef were too chewy.

Lionel Hutz had the Stir-Fried Rice Cake with pickled snow cabbage and pork.  This was pretty decent with chewy slices of rice cake and tender slivers of pork.  Although there appeared to be enough flavouring agents, the dish was rather mild-tasting.  He had to resort to soy sauce for impact.  On another visit, I decided to give their Beef, Tendon and Tripe Noodles a shot.  I found the thick and wide noodles to be on point being firmly al dente while cooked through.  Although the broth was flavourful, it was pretty gamy from the tripe.  I personally didn't mind it, but Viv thought it was overpowering.  The tripe itself was tender with a bite while the beef was super tender and melted in my mouth.  The tendon was also on point being soft with some texture.

We also had an other of the Potstickers which were fried up nicely golden brown on the bottom.  It was lightly crispy while the dumpling skin was a chewy medium thickness.  Inside, the meat filling was juicy and flavourful.  It was succulent and tender with just enough greens to compliment the meat.  After hockey once again, Bear, Milhouse, Lionel Hutz and myself hit up Myst for late night eats.  Bear wasn't particularly hungry and went for the Beef Green Onion Pancake Roll.  By looks alone, it looked thick and doughy.  It ate exactly how it appeared with a decent amount of thinly sliced 5-spiced beef in the middle.  It could've used more hoisin though as it was pretty bland.

I had 2 items starting with the Xiao Long Bao.  Okay, before you start throwing fruit and knives at me, I realize that Myst is a Taiwanese restaurant and XLBs would probably not be their specialty (but some Taiwanese spots do a good job).  Well, this was not one of them as the dumpling skin was thick albeit tender.  Inside, there was barely any soup which wasn't a surprise.  The meat filling was good though being tender and plump.  Next was a plate consisting of Beef Tendon, Pork Intestine and Beef Tripe.  This was the second time having this dish and it was more than acceptable.  I found the tendon a bit firm, but not hard to eat.  The intestine was fatty and not too gamy while the tripe was also on the firmer side, but not hard to chew.

For my beverage, I went for the Mango Slush which was missing the usual "eyes".  This type of inconsistency was actually normal since I've had this drink 3 times and it has been different every time.  Smooth and slushy, this was good however, the last 2 times, it was icy and and frankly terrible.  Lastly, Milhouse had the Kimchi Fried Rice that was quite good.  Although the rice was on the softer side, it was subjected to enough wok heat to create caramelization.  There was a noted spiciness balanced with enough sweet and savoury elements.  Overall, after so many visits to Myst, it is clear that there are some decent eats to be found.  However, the consistency is just not there.  My slush drinks have come out differently every time while even the chicken nuggets have ranged from crispy to completely oil-logged.  They really need to work things out.

The Good:
- Lots of choice
- Open late
- If you are lucky, some good eats

The Bad:
- Super inconsistent
- Service can range from good to terrible