The Handpulled Noodle

Sometimes, we just need to eat something closeby and convenient, even if it means sacrificing something awesome.  That doesn't mean we would merely grab a hot dog from a random food cart and call it a day (however, some hot dogs rule!).  Instead, we walked a few blocks to a quick-service spot called The Handpulled Noodle.  This would serve us well, since it was a fast meal just before watching a play nearby.

Ordering can be by 2 methods here - either by the self-service ordering screen or at the front counter.  However, they were so busy, there was really no one at the counter.  We ended up getting the Hot & Tangy Shrimp Wontons to start.  These looked plenty hot, but in reality, they were more tangy, sweet and a bit smoky.  Sure, there was spice, but it wasn't tongue-burning.  The wontons featured a semi-thick, yet delicate dumpling wrapper.  Inside, the shrimp filling had a nice rebound texture.

For our first noodle dish, we had the Herbal Beef Soup Noodles served with thick noodles.  We found the broth to be flavorful, yet lacking a bit of depth.  I didn't get a whole lot of meatiness to go with the mild spice.  As for the noodles, they were chewy in a good way and remained as such to the end.  The slices of beef shank were tender with a natural meatiness.

Of course we were going to get the Beijing Bolo (aka Zhajiang Mien) with the # 2 noodles (aka Biang Biang noodles).  This dish was all about the wide noodles with its robust and chewy texture.  I thought the meat sauce wasn't as savoury as I would've expected.  It was actually more sweet and almost nutty.  This wasn't spicy, so great for those who wanted something mild

Since we always struggle to get enough veggies when we were out-of-town, we got the Broccoli with garlic as a side.  This was fine as the broccoli was a little overdone, but definitely had lots of garlic.  Maybe a little lacking in the wok hei, but did the job nonetheless.  In fact, this meal did feed us and we were okay with it.  Nothing amazing and really, we don't think it was trying to be either.  They do need to have another ordering kiosk as the only one there doesn't do the job when there is a lineup.

The Good:

- Inexpensive

- Fresh handmade noodles have a good texture

The Bad:

- Food is only okay

- Ordering Kiosk is overwhelmed when there is a lineup   

Joe's Pizza

Walking back to our hotel after exiting the Times Square station, we were looking for some food to bring back to our room.  Lo and behold, a long lineup (for the slices) appeared in front of us on Broadway.  The place was Joe's Pizza, which to some, is a NYC favourite.  Is it a tourist trap?  We lined up to see for ourselves.  Of note, be sure to line up for the slices, not the "Pies Only" storefront (unless you wanted a whole pie).

We decided on 5 slices and really, there was only around 7 choices anyways.  Naturally, we got the baseline in the Fresh Mozzarella.  It featured a tangy tomato sauce that wasn't too acidic.  There was a smattering of mozzarella to give it some body.  However, it was the crust that was the best part of it.  In addition to be properly salted, the crust had a nuttiness to it and it was uniformly crispy on the crust and bottom.  It had a classic chewiness that had a good mouth-feel.  We also had the Pepperoni and it ate quite differently as it had a denser cheese and of course had some meaty and pepper slices of pepperoni.

Our favorite of the bunch was the Supreme sporting tomatoes, sausage and red onion.  This was the most robust slice as the combination of cheese and sausage provided heft in terms of each bite.  Lots of saltiness was from the different ingredients.  The addition of tomatoes provided some moisture while the onions afforded some sharpness and bite.

Something much less heavy and devoid of meat was their Caprese Pizza.  As the name suggests, it consisted of fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil.  The combination of ingredients meant things were light and a bit wet.  However, the crust was up to the challenge and held up, staying chewy and dry.

The last slice was the White with Fresh Spinach & Garlic.  With the absence of tomato sauce, we got much more the nuttiness from the crust.  Furthermore, the taste of the spinach and garlic was devoid of competing flavors.  Really simple, but delicious and uncluttered.  All-in-all, we found Joe's Pizza quite solid and definitely quenched our NYC thin-crust pizza cravings.  I'm sure we will find even better on our future NYC travels, but Joe's is a good choice despite its touristy location.

The Good:

- Crispy and chewy crust

- Not too many choices, which makes it easy to order

- Not a crazy amount of sauce, so the crust doesn't get soggy

The Bad:

- Um, the lineup, but it moves

Mama Katsu

From Legoland, we made our way to Disneyland and that is where our dining out stopped.  We spent most of our time eating at the park and also grabbed some fast food from Raising Canes and In-N-Out.  But I was able to squeeze a few meals in from Mama Katsu, which was on our way back to our hotel.  It was across the street on Harbor Drive and we walked by the place a few times a day. 

The first time we stopped by to pick up some food, we got the Original Kimbap.  Not only did I get it the first time, I got it again on the second visit!  Well first off, it was quite good where there was more filling than rice.  Definitely fulfilling and great for taking it into Disneyland.  Acts as a great snack or even a meal.  I thought the components were well-prepared (textures how they should be) and there was enough flavor to eat without any condiments.

So of course I got the Pork Katsu and it was a large portion of 2 cutlets, 2 fried gyoza, rice, slaw and katsu sauce.  Fried until uniformly crispy, the pork katsu was also tender and not dry.  Naturally, it paired well with the tangy and sweet katsu sauce.  I only wished there was more of it.  Dumplings were pretty typical, but did feature a thin wrapper and a fairly juicy filling.

Picked up a second dish for good measure in the Chicken Yakitori.  This came with rice, tempura prawns, gyoza and slaw.  Since they used chicken thigh meat, it turned out to be jucy and quite flavorful.  There was a light char on them which added some smokiness.  There was enough sauce to flavor each skewer, but probably not enough for all the rice.  I suggest you ask for a bit more.  Prawn tempura were only okay since the batter was a bit thick.

On another visit, I went for the Fish Katsu and it was also a pretty large portion.  Each piece was crunchy while featuring flaky and moist fish.  This came with tartar sauce, slaw, rice, fried gyoza and ebi tempura.  As a whole, this was quite a bit of food and definitely was enough for me.  I found this one to be considerably more greasy than the pork katsu.

For good measure, I decided I needed to get some Spam Musubi as well. This would serve me well in the moment and also be a great snack for later.  This was solid as the layer of chewy rice was actually modest in size.  Therefore, the seared Spam had much more effect.  Overall, the food at Mama Katsu was solid and served in large portions.  Great for a quick meal to take back to your hotel after a day at Disneyland.

The Good:

- Big portions

- Solid eats

- Well-priced

The Bad:

- There maybe a wait at times

- Can be greasy

Tram Cream Coffee 5

After constant urging from my cousin, we finally relented and visited Tram Cream Coffee 5 in Newark (California).  This is one of their newest locations and it happened to be conveniently located near our hotel.  As their name suggests, they specialize in cream coffee, specifically Vietnamese cream coffee.  We did 2 visits to the place in order to get a decent variety.

To get a baseline, I had to order the Cream Coffee from their signature series.  This particular cup was a small and believe me, that was more than enough for me.  That Vietnamese coffee was predictably strong, intense and rich.  It wasn't as bitter as other versions I've had while it did have a slight chocolaty finish.  Of course the coffee was balanced off by sweetness provided by the cream.  Naturally, it diluted the strength of the coffee with the cream itself too.

We also had something from their Creamliner series in the Sesame Cream Coffee.  In addition to the sesame cream, we found Vietnamese coffee and also whole milk.  This itself made the coffee less of the focal point.  Rather, we got the full brunt of the nutty and aromatic black sesame (when mixed that is) and also the cool creaminess of the milk.  Coffee only added a bit of aroma to the drink.

On another visit, we had the Tiramisu from their signature series.  Of all the ones we tried, this was probably the sweetest of the bunch.  Due to the sweet cream, it more than balanced off the strong Vietnamese coffee.  I'm not sure if I necessarily got Tiramisu vibes from this drink.  However, it was creamy and sweet, which is great for those who want less bitter coffee notes.

The best drink in my opinion was the Creamy Hanoi from the signature series.  This was super creamy and with the addition of egg cream, it was richer and thicker.  I thought this was the best balance of the rich coffee and cream.  With some grass jelly, this added another layer of texture and a different bitterness.  In general, the drinks at Tram are solid and there are plenty of options.  Lots of locations for you to check them out!

The Good:

- Vietnamese coffee is impactful without being overly strong

- Lots of options including more coffee-forward to more creamy drinks

- Lots of locations

The Bad:

- Can be a bit sweet

B&D Authentic Viet Cuisine

So here we are again, on the corner of Kingsway at Salisbury in Burnaby...  Why is this so significant you ask?  Well, the restaurant on this corner has changed so many times, I've lost count.  If someone can help me out, please fill in the missing restaurant...  Right now, it is B&D Vietnamese (and the subject of this blog post), and before that, we had (in descending order) Asian Cuisine by 18 Chefs, Queen's Cafe, Wonderful House, Private Home Cuisine and ???.    Okay back to B&D, we finally headed out there to give the place a try.

We stared with the Salt & Pepper Crunchy Wings with a side of pickles.  These were indeed crunchy as the skin was well-rendered and firm.  Since they fried these pretty aggressively, the meat was on the drier side, but not overly so.  The wings did have some flavour, but could've benefitted from more salt and pepper.  Loved the pickles on the side, they added nice crunch and tang.

Next, we had the Mini B&D Spring Rolls stuffed with ground pork, taro, carrot, jicama, wood-ear fungus and vermicelli.  These bite-sized springs rolls were fairly firm due to it being filled with plenty of ingredients and also being wrapped tightly.  Would've preferred rice paper, but these were still good with lots of texture (especially the taro).  They were a little light on the seasoning, but the side of fish sauce helped alleviate that.

Our last appie was the Papaya Salad with shredded unripe papaya, pickles, shallot, Vietnamese herbs and prawns.  This was a good version as the textural crunch from the unripe papaya was both appealing and bright.  Herbs added aroma while the pickles provided tanginess.  Add in the fish sauce and this was full of flavours including the usual fermented saltiness.  I personally like this salad to be on the spicier side and I wished there was that option.

Onto the mains, my daughter had a hard time deciding (as she usually does) and finally took our suggestion to try the Bò Kho (Beef Stew Noodles).  As you can see, there was no absence of beef shank which was super tender and flavourful.  The broth was aromatic and had good meatiness in addition to the seasonings.  The noodles were also prepared properly being al dente.

For my mom, she went for the Braised Duck Noodle featuring 6-hour braised duck leg, fresh coconut broth, shitake mushroom, sher-li-hon, red date and goji berry, served with egg noodles.  Although the broth was rich and full of depth, it could've used maybe a touch more salt.  Besides that, the duck leg was fall-off-the-bone tender while the egg noodles were appealingly chewy.

My dad had the B&D Special Pho with 18 hr simmered beef broth, rare beef sirloin, flank, tripe, tendon, and beef balls.  This was blessed with enough toppings to make this a fulfilling bowl of noodles.  The meats were tender, including the soft tendon.  As for the broth, it was not bad with sweetness and a background meatiness.  It was clean and pleasant.  Noodles were perfectly al dente.

My son went for the Grilled Pork Chop Rice featuring pork chop marinated for 24 hrs with our house sauce, green onion oil, and fried egg, served with cucumber, tomatoes and fish sauce.  This was a large portion of food with 2 nicely charred pork chops.  They were fairly tender with good marinated flavours.  Rice was dry and chewy, great for accepting the fish sauce as moisture and flavouring agent.

Viv and I waited a long time for our dish being the Lẩu Bò Đà Lạt (Da Lat Beef Hot Pot) featuring 24 hr simmered beef broth, beef flank, beef bones, beef tendon, taro, tofu, egg noodles, and veggies served with house special fermented tofu sauce.  This was more than enough food for both of us where the broth was flavourful with some lemongrass and meaty notes.   I found the brisket cubes in the broth to be a bit chewy while the tendon was soft.  Generally, this was satisfying but I would've been happy with my own bowl of Pho.  In the end, we found the food at B&D to be pleasant if not needed just a bit more seasoning.  Prices were completely fair for the portion sizes and the service was friendly.

The Good:

- Nice people

- Fair portions

- Fair prices

The Bad:

- Maybe more impactful seasoning needed

- The wait for the hot pot was very long

Life Of Pie

Here we are, 3 years later,  doing a similar road trip from 2019.  Little did we know that that would be that last trip we'd take up until now.  So our first leg took us through Portland, but we only stopped for lunch.  Since it was our first day, we had the energy to make it all the way to Ashland for our first pit stop.  Upon a friend's recommendation, we stopped at Life of Pie (nice take on the name of the movie) for some Neapolitan style pizza.

Before that, we got some greens into our meal (at least the adults) with the Kale & Arugula Salad.  This was dressed with a honey-lemon vinaigrette and tossed with toasted breadcrumbs.  On top, there was a some freshly grated parm.  I found the dressing sweet with plenty of acidity.  There was brightness to go with the pepperiness of the arugula.  Loved the crunch from the breadcrumbs as it added texture to each bite.  Finally, the parm did its nutty salty thing.

For the kids, they scoffed at the greens and started things off with the Fried Ravioli filled with mozzarella.  These were very tasty and well-prepared.  Each ravioli was crunchy, but not so much so that they were tough.  In fact, they were light, crispy and nicely spiced.  Inside, there was plenty of stringy mozzarella.  I thought the marinara was tangy and light, but it would've been better if they didn't serve it cold.

Onto the pies, we started with the classic Margherita with mozzarella, marinara and fresh basil.  Having the basic baseline pizza is always a good idea to get a true taste of the sauce as well as how the crust is meant to be.  This was very good with a nicely leoparded bottom where the dough was adequately seasoned and nutty.  I found the crust to be uniformly crispy giving way to a tender center.  Nice chewiness beyond the crunch too.  As expected, the torn basil on top was added afterwards and provided a bright herbaceous flavour.

Onto something that was much more zesty, we had the Fennel Sausage with Mama Lil's Peppers.  This pizza featured even more leoparding which meant there was additional smokiness.  The most dominant flavor was the sweet, tangy and slightly spicy peppers.  There was no mild moments with each bite.  However, I could still taste the fennel and the meatiness of the sausage.  Nice stringy mozzarella and tangy marinara rounded things out.

Our last pizza was different in the Seasonal Mushrooms with pecorino romano and a truffle EVOO base.  Without an actual sauce on the pizza, this ate much more crunchy with even the center being as such.  Didn't mind it one bit as the nuttiness went well with the truffle and earthiness of the ample mushrooms.  This was probably our favourite of the 3 we ordered.  However, I don't think you can go wrong with any of the choices as the dough is great with proper seasoning as well as leoparding.  Prices are reasonable too.  If you are in Portland, go check it out!

The Good:
- Well-priced
- Good dough and subsequent crust
- Simple, focused menu

The Bad:
- Maybe heat up the sauce for the fried raviolis

 

Jimmy's Lunch Box

This post is a long time coming.  No, it isn't because I was anxious to visit Jimmy's Lunch Box.  Rather, I went there awhile ago but never got around to posting it.  No matter, nothing has changed and that is pretty much the nature of the restaurant.  It is a consistent place with good portions and very reasonable prices.  There is a particular Korean influence to the joint and it shows in the menu.  We ended up in Maple Ridge because we were at Wild Play and needed some eats nearby.  Turns out that we weren't the only ones because there was a lineup out the door.

So about that Korean-influence...  We had the Bulgogi Skillet with 2 poached eggs, beef bulgogi, onion, mushroom and cheese on hashbrowns and sourdough toast.  So this was rather hearty with lots of tender thinly sliced beef.  It was mildly seasoned where it was sweet and savoury.  Hashbrowns were shredded and still crispy while the poached eggs were runny as evidenced in the picture.  Overall this was more than enough food and quite good.

Something a bit more usual was the Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict with avocado, tomato and feta cheese.  Not sure if my son omitted some of these items since he isn't one for veggies...  But it was overall a solid benny with runny poached eggs and nicely toasted English Muffin.  Hollandaise was a bit mild in flavour, but it did the job.  The side of hashbrowns were golden brown and crispy.

Now something that was not usual was the Open-Faced Smoked Salmon Sandwich.  Yah, it sure didn't look like a sandwich, rather it was more like a salad.  This featured a poached egg, balsamic drizzle and feta atop smoked salmon and spring mix.  Then underneath this, we had tomato, avocado and basil pesto on sourdough.  It was definitely a fork & knifer and ate like a salad.  Nothing usual where it was pleasant enough with complimentary ingredients.

So for myself, I had the Crispy Chicken Burger with lettuce, tomato, red onion, mayo and honey mustard. Essentially, this was constructed out of 2 big chicken strips.  Pretty standard stuff, but the chicken was tender and the batter really crunchy.  Produce was super fresh and appealing in texture while the bun was nicely toasted and soft.  Nothing particularly interesting about this burger, yet it was non-offensive either.

For the side, I chose their famed Wonton Soup.  Huh?  Wonton soup???  But this is a diner...  and a Korean-run diner.  Hey don't judge because this was one solid wonton soup, albeit the pork variety.  First of all, the wontons were delicate and full of tender well-seasoned pork.  Secondly, the broth was super flavourful with lots of sesame oil.  Lastly, this was a huge bowl for a side to the burger.

Just for kicks. I also tried their Cheeseburger with a side of fries.  Once again, it had all the produce and it was fresh.  The beef patty was moist while nicely seared.  Again, nothing Earth-shattering, but it was a solid burger.  Fries were starch-coated and crispy.  Good value for $11.95.  Now this pretty much encapsulates what JLB is all about.  Nothing that will blow you away, but it is solid diner food that is well-priced.  Wonderful people running the place to boot.

The Good:
- Well-priced
- Solid diner food
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Maybe could've done a house-made fried chicken patty instead 

 

Bamboo World Kitchen (Granville Street)

*Restaurant is closed*

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