Plaza Premium Lounge (US Departures)

So back in December, we made the trek out to the Bay Area to visit relatives.  We ended up visiting the Plaza Premium Lounge in the US Departures terminal at YVR.  Being the holiday season, I could understand the increase in passengers at the airport and thus, more people visiting the lounge.  That was the case for us as we struggled to find seats in the relatively tightly-packed room.  We did end up getting a table near the end though, but even with that, there was not a lot of space for our carry-on luggage.

There was a selection of included alcoholic beverages but if you wanted something fancier, it was as surcharge.  Near the bar, we found some breads during breakfast and it changed to soups when it was lunch service.  They were not able to keep them filled though as one of them remained empty until we had left.  There was a hot and cold drinks station near the washrooms and they struggled to keep cups stocked for the soft-drinks.  I was not able to get a proper cup for soft drinks during the entire time there.  I had to resort to using coffee cups instead.

Next to the drinks, we found a refrigerated section that had some juices, iced tea, cold water and an array of salads, yogurt and mini-cakes. On top, there was an assortment of bundt cakes as well.  This section was fairly well-stocked and the salads were not bad.  I thought the quinoa was the best of the bunch.  The best way to describe the cakes was that they were serviceable.  Once again, we had no cups for the duration of our stay for the juices and water.

When we arrived, it was still breakfast service with a modest selection of items including French Toast, Pork Sausages, Vegetable Fitatta and Hashbrowns.  They were trying to refill the food as fast as they could but there were times when some chaffing trays were empty.  Nothing particularly good or bad about the food other than resembling a complimentary breakfast at a Marriott Residence Inn.

While we were eating, they did a changeover to lunch where the selection included Turkey, Veggies, Stuffing, Rainbow Tortellini and Yams.  This was a bit better than breakfast where the turkey was moist and yams were pretty tasty.  Veggies were predictably overdone and soggy while the stuffing was a bit on the denser side.  Tortellini was surprisingly not overdone, but a little lacking in flavour.

So after posting all the food, I'm going to post a picture of the washroom.  pretty basic, but mostly clean, except for the toilet itself.  It needed to be cleaned but really, there was not enough staff to handle that let alone provide some cups for the soft drinks and juices.  Overall, the Plaza Premium Lounge was anything but premium.  Rather, it was no better than a complimentary setup at a lower-branded Marriott.  That in itself is not worth the $55.80.  I had free passes from my credit card and even with that, I don't think it is worth wasting a pass on.

The Good:

- It is in a convenient location right after customs pre-clearance

The Bad:

- Food is meh

- Staff were trying their best, but things weren't being refilled fast enough

- No cups to be found for soft drinks or juice

- It is far too small for the amount of people using it

New Mandarin

After so many visits to New Mandarin, it has seemed like an eternity since our last meal.  I believe the most recent one was with family right in front of their massive screen.  This time around, we were invited to enjoy a multi-course dinner that would feature a few new unique items.  For those who have yet to visit New Mandarin, it is located in the T&T complex on Kingsway near Nanaimo.  It has been around since 2019 and since then, has earned a Michelin-Recommended designation.

For this meal, we had some new dishes along with some classics.  Something I've had before and have always enjoyed is the Roasted Pork Belly & BBQ Pork.  The use of fatty pork really helped move things in the right direction even before they cooked the meat!  This was especially true with the BBQ pork as it was succulent, juicy and of course fatty.  Hence, it was tender and flavourful.  The outside bark was sweet and caramelized.  As for the roast pork, the crackling was crispy and not hard.  The meat and fat ratio was about 50-50, where it was juicy and buttery tender. 

We continued on with another classic item in the Peking Duck served in 3 courses.  As usual, the first course consisted of the Peking Duck with steamed crepes.  It was also accompanied by julienned scallions and hoisin.  Not sure if the shrimp chips were served with it or not, but I enjoyed eating them.  LOL.  Anyways, the duck skin was appealing in colour and also crispy.  The fat underneath the skin was fairly rendered (also using the right type of duck).  The meat was moist and the crepes were thin with an nice elasticity.

The second course from the Peking Duck was the Shredded Duck Soup.  The base consommé had depth and real flavour to it.  It was starch-thickened just enough so it was silky with the right viscosity.  There was plenty of duck along with dried fish maw, woodear, Jinhua ham, egg white and flowering chives.  Lots of textures and complimentary flavours from these ingredients including crunch, meatiness and silkiness.

The third course was another classic in the Duck Lettuce Wrap.  This came in a large portion packed with tender duck and crunchy veggies.  It sat atop fried vermicelli that added another level of crunchiness.  The dish was the beneficiary of a good wok toss with high heat.  The wok hei allowed for some smokiness and caramelization.  Nothing was overdone though, where the veggies were just cooked through.  Seasoning was on the milder side, but with hosin on the side, that wasn't a problem.  Loved the large pieces of iceberg lettuce, so we could successfully wrap everything.  Also enjoyed that the lettuce wasn't wet either.

Now for a brand new dish and what a dish that was!  We were served a couple servings of the Teriyaki Lobster.  Not sure why it went by that name because it was more like a Motoyaki Lobster or even a Chinese version of Lobster Thermidor.  These small lobsters were baked with a mayo cheese sauce on top that was like a motoyaki.  It as creamy and cheesy with a slight tanginess.  Lobster was cooked perfectly being moist and a bit bouncy.

Getting our veggies into the meal, we selected the Stir-Fried Pea Shoots with garlic.  We were warned that the pea shoots might be a little old, but it still turned out to be quite good.  Sure, there was a little more chew to them, but they were still tender.  The cook on them was just right being cooked through but not enough to make them mushy.  Hence, there was still a crunch to each leaf.  There was enough garlic and seasoning for impact while the dish wasn't too greasy.

We ended up with two fried rice dishes as we couldn't decide on one.  So we had both!  The first to arrive was the Fried Rice with Preserved Meat.  It was made with organic rice for an extra $10.00.  If you thought this rice was a gimmick, you would be mistakened.  The rice added a silky texture to the dish and was quite flavourful.  It also helped there was good wok hei and hence, a nuttier flavour and caramelization.  The cured meat added just enough saltiness as well as some chewy texture.

The next fried rice dish was the Fried Rice with Eel served in a casserole.  We also subbed organic rice into this dish.  This rice was a bit more moist with a tonne of eel in it.  This added not only a buttery texture, it provided a unique sweetness to the rice.  Once again, with the organic rice, there was a silkiness that seemed wet, but it really wasn't.  The rice was still chewy (in a good way).   I found this more like a hot pot rice than a fried rice (even though it wasn't cooked in the pot).

Onto dessert, we had some that are also featured on the Dim Sum menu.  These included the Osmanthus & Lychee Jelly and the Sweet Coconut Pudding Piggies.  I'm biased when it comes to these desserts and the Osmanthus jelly was right up my alley.  First of all, the jelly was not sweet at all.  Second, the texture was pretty firm, which worked for me as I could pick it up without it falling apart.  Nice sweetness from the lychee and wolfberries.  As for the piggies, they were firm versions of aromatic coconut pudding.  Not too sweet either.

One of the cutest desserts is their Chocolate Pudding Puppy Dog.  Personally, I think this was better to look at than to actually be eaten.  The pudding was a bit gummy.  It did taste okay though.  But everything was all good when the Baked Tapioca Pudding arrived.  Featuring a crunchy sugary crust (same found on a pineapple bun), the pudding itself was custardy and purposefully sweet.  There was also some lotus paste in the centre to add some more sweetness.  One of my favourite desserts from any type of cuisine!  This was a fine end to a solid meal at New Mandarin.  I find the food also well-portioned here and I can't help but notice the ever-improving service.  I based this off my previous 3 visits that were not comped.

 

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

 

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Well-portioned

- Improving service

 

The Bad:

- Dining room is still a bit cramped

 

New Fuji

Ever since my initial visit to New Fuji on West 1st, I've been meaning to go back.  Well, with Mijune back in town, it was that time!  For those who do not know, New Fuji belongs to the same group that brought us Kingyo, Raisu, Rajio and Takenaka. Hence, you know the food will be interesting and of course, delicious.   There is an obvious 80's theme going on at New Fuji with Japanese CD covers adorning the entranceway.   Prominently at the centre of the restaurant, we find a wall of glass bottles.  This all blends into the bustle of the grill where the chef pushes out many of their grilled and seared dishes.

Just like the last time, I was happy to see the Tofu Cheese arrive at our table.  This seemingly simple dish (which really is a simple dish) is one of my favourites.  It features a house-blend cheese dip that is rich and creamy while beautifully sweetened with maple syrup.  With the addition of figs, this ate very much like a dessert.  There were some cheesecake vibes going on but creamier and silkier.  Once spread onto the buttered crostinis, we had a nice textural contrast as well as a temperature contrast.

Also like my first meal here, we had the Fulffy "Rare" Unagi Omelette.  What they mean by rare is that the eggs are a bit underdone, yet not raw.  It is a fine line between the two, but they managed to perfect this here.   The eggs were truly fluffy with some moisture to keep things even more "soft".  Mixed into this, we had a generous portion of buttery unagi.  Flavours were subtle, but it had the usual sweetness of unagi sauce as well as some brightness from the chives.

We continued on with the Truffle Corn Karaage that were lightly deep-fried and tossed in truffle butter sauce.  These corn ribs were really good where it was fried enough so that the flavours had caramelized and the outside was slightly crispy while the niblets were still juicy and sweet.  The truffle flavour was subtle but definitely there while the amount of salt was just right.  From this, we had the Dashi Butter Scallops.  These large and whole Hokkaido scallops were sweet and buttery with the wonderful textural contrast of the mantle and skirt.  That sweetened soy butter was so rich and full-of-depth, but was subtle enough to not overwhelm the scallops.

With another grilled item, we had the Whole Aged Mackerel marinated in a sweetened soy Japanese BBQ sauce.  Really loved just looking at the fish as it was large and in a beautiful shade of brown.  Since it was dry aged, the meat was firmer and less moist.  However, the flavours were more pronounced as a result.  Typical of mackerel, the fishiness definitely came through.  However, since the meat was a bit drier, it was quite pleasant and provided more depth-of-flavour.   The slice of lemon was more than garnish as it provided the brightness the fish needed.

I enjoyed their battera last time and was pleased to have all 3 of them for this meal.  This included Wagyu Long Yukhoe Pressed, Bluefin Negitoro Long Pressed and Salmon Kimchi Long Pressed Sushi.  If you look closely, there were 10 pieces in each pressed sushi.  Great for sharing and especially if you get all of them!  My favourite of the bunch was the bluefin where the buttery texture and sweetness of the fish was complimented by brightness of the green onion.  Extra texture and sweetness was provided by the chopped onions and apples.  That would be somewhat similar with the Wagyu as it also had the same compliments, except with the usual beefiness from the fat.  The crunch on top of both added a nice textural contrast.  Both also had shiso, which added some bright herbaceousness.  As for the salmon, it was both different and similar to the other 2 pressed sushi.  Sure, the seared Atlantic salmon still had a buttery texture like the others, but it was topped with chives, ikura and sweetened soy and yuzu-kosho mayo.  A good balance of salty, tangy and sweet.

One dish took awhile to come out was the Squid Ink Kamameshi Rice.  These take a bit longer  (about 30 mins) and should be ordered right away.  This featured a mix of prawns, scallops, squid legs, snow crab, clams, king oyster mushrooms, tomatoes, sliced onion on top of squid ink tomato rice.  On the side, we found chopped shiso, yuzu peels and parmesan that was folded into the rice tableside.  The result was a multitude of flavours and textures.  I found the rice a bit on the softer side, but when combined with all of the ingredients, it wasn't lacking in texture.  The yuzu peels really had a starring role as it stood out with a bitter tang.  It helped cut through the heaviness of the rice.  Loved the ample amount of well-prepared seafood, but they got a bit lost within the rice.

On the menu, the udon section takes up an entire page.  Hence, we decided to order 3 dishes including the Spicy Wagyu Miso Egg Udon.  Arriving in a bowl that was probably 4 times the necessary size (it looked impressive though!), the slippery udon was al dente with a nice chew.  The dashi broth was mildly spicy and full of umami from the kara-miso.  Loved the silky egg added to the mix of minced wagyu beef and chives.

Extremely garlicky, the Snow Crab and Mentaiko Peperoncino Yakiudon was pretty rich and creamy.  It was also spicy with the addition of red chili pepper and some spicy cod roe on the top.  Also on top was some briny snow crab along with peppery arugula.  The arugula provided the necessary counterbalance to the rich sauce.  Really enjoyed the plethora of sliced garlic as it provided aroma and a bit of sharpness.  Somehow, I thought this would've went better with a pasta than udon, but of course that would've defeated the purpose of udon menu.

Probably my favourite udon of the bunch was the Chili Rose Carbonara Yakiudon.  This was also creamy and cheesy with plenty of parmesan, mozzarella and egg yolk, but the addition of red chili pepper, Korean chili pepper and spicy bean paste, there were layers of spice.  In that sense, it didn't eat as heavy as it appeared.  Arugula on top provided some freshness to the dish and the ample prawns provided some snap texture to go with the chewy udon noodles.

We ended up getting 2 mocktails in Peach Passion Mojito and  Watermelon Gin & Tonic (without the gin of course).  Both were refreshing a nice compliment to the heavy rice and udon dishes.  For dessert, we had a trio of them including the Ichigo Cake Daifuku, Tiramisu Parfait alle Fragole and the Strawberry Molten Chocolate Cake.  I've had 2 of these desserts before and if you have noticed, there is a strawberry theme to the menu.  I loved the delicate and appealing chewiness of the mochi blanket atop the light sponge cake with a strawberry and sweet red bean paste.    The tiramisu was so light and mildly sweet.  There was some crunch added to the mix with cocoa cookie crumbles to go with the smooth mascarpone.  The layer of tart strawberry sauce provided the tang to liven up the dessert.  Lastly, the chocolate cake was rich, yet moist with a molten centre.  The addition of freeze-dried strawberries provided a light crunch while the strawberry ice cream on top cooled things down with sweet creaminess.  Overall, this second visit to New Fuji confirmed that the food is both interesting and delicious.  Love the vibe and 80's music playing in the background!

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

The Good:
- Interesting food
- Some real winners on the menu such as the pressed sushi and udon
- Nice vibe incluidng 80's music

The Bad:
- Sure, I said it was pricey in the last post, but what isn't these days?
- The squid ink rice was good, but maybe the seafood gets lost?

 

TV Dinner Market & Cafe

Boy, haven't met up with Mijune in awhile, she is always travelling!  So before we headed to our dinner destination, we made a pit stop at TV Dinner Market & Cafe for a quick pre-dinner bite (and to catch up).  For those who aren't familiar, TV Dinner Market & Cafe is a quaint little spot on West 3rd at Burrard that offers a variety of ready-to-heat meals from some of the best vendors in the city.  In addition to that, they also have sandwiches (breakfast and lunch), cookies and coffee for those who want a quick meal to go or dine-in.  

Despite having dinner plans already, we couldn't resist ordering lots including a few breakfast sammies.  The Brisket Breakfast Sandwich featured a soft brioche bun with an over easy egg, beef brisket, pickled onion, garlic aioli and aged cheddar.  Sure, this was "only" a breakfast sandwich, but believe me, it was fantastic.  House-made and practically melted in my mouth, the brisket was meaty while not all that fatty.  Hence, it was even more impressive that it was so tender and soft.  The free-range egg was so perfect being custardy and runny.  Crunch and acidity were provided by the pickled onions.

As much as the brisket breakfast sammie was delicious and textually-pleasing, the Longanisa Breakfast Sandwich was even better.  The sweet and meaty patty was tender and nicely grilled.  I think the silky custardy texture of the egg yolk went even better with the Longanisa.  Some meats just go better with runny eggs right?  This had the same aged cheddar, soft brioche bun and garlic aioli, but instead of pickled onions, we found caramelized ones.  Although you might think that sweet on sweet may have not worked, I thought it did.  It was a different kind of sweetness from the onions, it had more richness and some smokiness.

For ours sandwiches, we had a couple where I tried the Rueben first.  This was a classic combination of house-made corned beef and sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and thousand islands dressing on Point Grey Bread.  Again not rocket science, but another well-constructed sandwich with quality ingredients.  The bread was beautifully toasted while the corned beef was buttery and meaty with restrained saltiness.  The sauerkraut added some crunch with a balancing tanginess.  Those house-made chips were super light and nutty.

We also had the Bulgogi Cheesesteak which was packed with thick-sliced sirloin, gochujang mayo, provolone and sauteed kimchi/onions/peppers.  As you can imagine, this was one robust and zesty-tasting sandwich.  We had the meatiness of the bulgogi that had sweetness while complimented by the creamy spice and tang from the mayo.  Add in the extra tang, spice and aromatics from the veggies and kimchi, there was a lot going on.  This all sat on a grilled tellara bun that held up to all of the ingredients and provided a firm crunchiness.

Also prominently featured at the counter is Cookies by John.  Of course we had to get the Monster Cookie as well as the Chai-Spiced Zucchini Loaf.  That monster cookie was pretty good with a crispy exterior and a soft chewy interior.  It was sweet, but purposeful and that brownie on top was chewy and chocolatey.  However, the best thing was the zucchini bread.  It was touted as looking like a "6" but tasting like a "10".  I would agree with that as it was super moist and fluffy with measured sweetness and fall spices.  Would definitely have this again.  In fact, everything we had was pretty solid, so I would have everything again if I was nearby.

The Good:
- Many of the components are made in-house
- Simple done right
- Also many take-away meals available

The Bad:
- Parking is hard to find if you drove
- Fairly limited dine-in menu, but keep things simple right?

 

Red Burrito (Cambie)

Wow, this is a Vancouver classic isn't it?  I'm sure all of you are familiar with The Red Burrito that graces the corner of Commercial Drive and 1st Ave.  They have been there since 2006 and have kept to their mission simple, offer quality food at reasonable prices.  To be honest, I haven't been there for quite some time, despite the fact I drive by it all the time on my way home.  Well, it was time we got reacquainted with an invite to try out their Cambie Street location.  It is a small counter service outfit that is great for a quick meal or take-out.

Of course, we need to get their most popular item on the menu with the Red Burrito.  This thing is huge with a choice of red, white or whole wheat tortilla.  If you want to be authentic, you chose the red one of course!  It is filled with rice, beans, choice of meat (or meat substitute), an array of veggies and choice of salsa.  This one has chicken with all the veggies (including onions, cilantro, cabbage, lettuce etc...) and tomatillo salsa.  Looking at the picture, see how they completely load it up and it is a plenty filling.  The chicken is moist with enough seasoning.  If you want a "drowned burrito", you can go for the Burrito Ahogado.  This is essentially a Red Burrito with extra hot tomato salsa, cheese, and sour cream.  Instead of chicken, we had beef with this.

There are six different meat/veggie options for all of their burritos, bowls and Tacos.  What better way to get a sense of all of them?  The available choices include spicy beef, grilled chicken, tinga chicken, pasilla pork, vegan meat and vegetarian.  If you want your tacos to be traditional, they only top them with onion and cilantro.  However, you can have all the veggies on top too if you want it that way.  They aren't shy about loading them up with meat either.  I find that all of their meats are generally moist and tender.  My favourite of the bunch is the spicy beef as well as the pasilla pork.

So another item that features much of the same items, but without the tortilla, is the Burrito Bowl.   Despite the same ingredients (with spicy beef this time), the bowl eats different than the burrito.  Obviously without the tortilla, it is more rice and meat focused.  Personally, I prefer this as it is easier to manage.  Also large and containing lots of meat, their Tamale Ahogado iw plenty hearty and delicious.  I find the masa to be a bit on the firmer side with a considerable amount of tender and spiced meat in the middle.  It is topped with all the sauces and sour cream.

One of the more under-the-radar items is the Nachos with queso, pork, sour cream, onions and cilantro.  What really makes this dish is the crispy and fresh tortilla chips.  Also the cheese and meat add the necessary flavour and body.  These same crispy tortillas make the Tortilla Soup quite good too.  It has a tangy spiciness to it with melted cheese and crunchy fried tortilla pieces.  There is also a bright cilantro hit too.

Lastly, how about a few drinks in the Horchata, Jamaica and Cherry Blossom Horchata.  I think the horchata is purposefully sweet and aromatic with cinnamon notes.  The Jamaica is tangy and fruity from the hibiscus while only mildly sweet.  As for the last item in the picture, it is a Cherry Blossom Rice Pudding.  This is floral and pretty sweet with firm rice.  A nice end to a delicious sampling of their food!  I have forgotten how good the meats are at Red Burrito and they are definitely the star of the dishes.  You can't go wrong with any of them in the burrito, bowls, tacos and nachos!

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

The Good:

- Moist and flavourful meats

- Loaded burritos, tacos and bowls

- Affordable

The Bad:

- Limited seating, so better for take out