International Lobster Rolls

I love Lobster Rolls, full stop.  When I was travelling around the East Coast many years ago, I went nuts and had them whenever I could get my hands on some.  This included the popular chain Luke's Lobster as well as the famed Neptune Oyster in Boston with their buttered Connecticut-style roll.  Well, we are able to get some renditions in Vancouver, B.C., but they are pretty expensive and not particularly stuffed with enough lobster.  However, I think we might've found one of the better places along the West Coast in International Lobster Rolls in Seattle. 

Before I get to the Lobster Rolls, we had some smaller items including the Lobster Bisque.  This was quite a rich and creamy version with big pieces of claw meat.  They didn't skimp on the lobster and that helped with the overall lobster flavor as well as texture.  The bisque itself had plenty of lobster essence and sweetness.  My only wish would be it to be a little less thick.

We also had the Lobster & Crab Bombs that were bonded with cream cheese.  I'm normally not a huge cream cheese fan when it comes to anything like this, but I didn't mind these.  Definitely creamy and briny with a uniformly crispy exterior.   There was enough seafood in there for texture and flavor.  We found little fluffy nuggets of crab and bouncy pieces of lobster. Nice little bites.

The Crab Fries were a real treat as it was topped with a considerable amount of fluffy and sweet crab.  Crispy with soft potato filling, the fries themselves were infused with the crab flavor.  However, the trick here was to take a fry, dip it into the side of mayo and then pick up pieces of crab.  That one bite was delicious and addictive.  We got a non-seafood item in the Wings in both Butter Fish Sauce and Cajun Mango.  Wings were lightly coated and sported rendered skin.  Meat in the middle was tender, yet not overly juicy (worked well with the flavours here).  The butter fish sauce was salty, fishy (in a good way) and of course buttery.  Classic flavor.  Sweet and spicy, the Cajun Mango was actually my favorite.  It had a slow-rumbling kick.

What makes their lobster rolls different, among other things, is that they have unique international flavors for their lobster rolls.  However, to get a baseline, we went for the classic Connecticut Lobster Roll to start.  This featured a roll that was sturdy and not too soft which meant everything stayed together.  Also, unlike the split brioche bread found at Luke's, the lobster filling went from top to bottom evenly.  There was more then enough knuckle and claw meat to satisfy every bite into the roll.  As a binder, we had chopped body meat mixed in.  With only melted butter as the main condiment, the natural sweetness of the lobster came through.

Their best selling lobster roll is the Garlic Parmesan and after one bite, it was obvious as to why.  beyond the creaminess of the mayo, the hits of garlic and nutty parmesan helped give this roll considerable impact.  With that being said, the lobster still stood out with that unmistakable briny sweetness.  Furthermore, the texture was just right with a fluffy bounce and with the claw meat, some firmer parts.  Loved that there wasn't an excess of mayo in this, which could make it considerably more heavy.

Pairing truffle and lobster could be seen as a natural combo made in heaven.  That was the case with the Truffle Lobster Roll.  Also modestly tossed with mayo, the lobster mix was great to eat on its own where the aromatics and woodsiness of the truffle being impactful.  Once again, there was great consideration to the main ingredient.  Yes, the lobster essence was still completely on display but only complimented by the truffle.

Probably the most interesting roll was the Honey Walnut, reminiscent of the Chinese dish made with fried battered prawns.  It wasn't as if the creation wasn't tasty.  It was indeed that with the unmistakable sweetness of the honey mayo.  We just felt that it was less impactful than the others as it was a bit one note and the sweetness competed with the sweetness of the lobster.  Overall, the Lobster Rolls at International Lobster Rolls were fully stuffed and worth every penny.  Loved their firmer rolls that kept everything together while allowing more lobster to stuffed inside.  I would totally go back when I'm in Seattle.

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

The Good:

- Fully-stuffed lobster rolls

- Well-priced

- A wide selection of international flavors

The Bad:

- Parking in the area is difficult

- Loved the flavour of the lobster bisque but it could've been less thick

Match Eatery & Public House Delta (Game Day Wings)

You've probably heard me yammering on about how good the wings are at Match Eatery all the time.  Sure, you might chalk that up to me being invited to eat there every now and then.  Well, for those who read this blog often, they will know that I put my money where my mouth is!  I've dined just as many times at Match on my own coin because I genuinely like the place!  So when they invited me out to try their Game Day Wings menu, they didn't have to ask twice!!!

So you can get this menu on "NFL game days" as the name suggests.  We were here for a Sunday morning to catch the football action and to enjoy the wings!   The first one I'll discuss is a favourite of mine in the Nashville Hot Spiced.  Now, this time around, they toned down the spice with less dry rub.  For me, I would ask for more of it, but I get that they have to appeal to a wider audience.  So, if you eat it like I do, you will get some sweet heat to go with the pickles.  If you can take spice, highly recommend you ask for more rub!

One of their new flavours is the Buffalo Blues featuring a hot sauce laced with real blue cheese.  Normally, the dip on the side is the blue cheese, but in this case, it was garlic ranch dip.  Hence, the blue cheese pungency was all in the real chunks of cheese.  The hot sauce itself was mild with some tanginess.  The wings themselves were not dry and the skin was completely rendered and crispy.  Instead of carrot and celery sticks, we found matchstick versions.

One of my favourites of this tasting was the What's the Dill Yo?  This featured crispy wings tossed in dill pickle seasoning.  Hence, the wings were tangy and mildly salty.  There was also some sweetness.  To drive the point home in terms of impact, we found sour dill pickles and dill pickle chips.  If that wasn't enough flavour bomb for us, we also dipped everything into the spicy dill dip.  This was like a chunky tartar sauce that had a kick.  Would love this on my fish sandwich!

The absolutely most tasty dish was the Rising Sun Togarashi with a soy drizzle that was both sweet, salty and tangy while accented by the aromatic sesame seeds.  This was perfectly complimented by the creamy and sweet nori-kewpie mayo.  This had some vibes related to a blast from the past in the Thai wings from Milestone's in their heyday.  Definitely a must order and it really does the Asian fusion justice in its flavour profile and execution. 

Last wing creation was the Stadium Nacho with wings tossed in taco seasoning and served with a nacho cheese sauce topped with salsa.  We also found some tortilla chips and pickled jalapenos.  So this was essentially nachos with some chicken.  However, this worked as a the flavour profile was cohesive.  I enjoyed dipping both the wings and chips into the nacho cheese.  The taco seasoning was definitely there but not enough to make things salty.

So if you see in the background, we also had a the Game Day Beer in the Gridiron 24oz Budweiser for a great price of $10.50!  You can have this as a Bud Light for the same price.  It was served ice cold and naturally went well with the wings.  I think it particularly paired best with the hot wings and taco wings.  For those who can't finish so much beer, there is an $8.00 option for a 16oz.  But honestly, go for the 24oz, it is a better deal!

We ended up ordering a few more items including the Blackened Chicken Sandwich with Jack cheese, crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion and house mayo.  This was fantastic as the chicken was truly blackened giving off nutty smokiness.  At the same time, the meat was still moist and tender.  Crispy bacon and melted cheese added texture and more flavour.  It was served on a perfectly toasted potato roll.  

We also had our usual in the Game, Set, Match... Burger with all the same fixin's as well as pickles on toasted brioche.  As per usual, the smashed beef patty was nicely seared while still moist and tender.  The bacon was crispy, so each bite wasn't a struggle (with flabby bacon).  Also, the texture was appealing.  The brioche bun was soft, but toasted enough to hold everything together.  We got the side of breaded onion rings and they were great!  

Since we were there during brunch, our dessert was the Sweet French Toast Bites.  We've had this dish before, but this time around, it was perfect!  The cubes of brioche were crispy on the outside (while not being greasy) and the inside was still soft and fluffy.  They tasted great on their own with aroma, but the side of Kentucky Bourbon Caramel Dip was money.  So rich and sweet.  Another tasty visit to Match and we overloaded on the wings.  Not a bad thing to happen to us!  Come for the games on the big screens and order the wings as well as some inexpensive beer!

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

The Good:

- New wing flavours are great, especially the Rising Sun and What's the Dill Yo?

- Great beer special for the 24oz

- The rest of the food is great too, especially the burgers

The Bad:

- Not really a bad, but you'll have to ask for more rub on the Nashville wings because the new version doesn't have enough

Phở Bắc Sup Shop

Meeting up with Lola and Scout in Seattle is always a treat.  If I haven't told the story before, we met them on an Alaskan cruise over 10 years ago.  I was excited to do cruise ship trivia, but could not find a seat at the bar.  However, Lola waived me over and asked if Viv and I wanted to join her and Scout to form a team.  We killed it at that session and subsequent ones on the the 7-day journey.  Since then, we meet up every now and then when we are in Seattle or when they come up to Vancouver!  This time, we met up at a Seattle favorite in Phở Bắc Sup Shop.  They dish up traditional Vietnamese eats with some modern touches as well as offering cocktails.

We started with some fried things including the Pho Fries featuring a dip made of pate pho gravy with minced brisket, herbs, pickled carrots, cilantro, jalapenos and fried shallots.  Oh man this was absolutely delicious.  The uamaminess was so intense with the liver aroma and the sweetness.  Fries were crispy and already good on their own.  We also had the Chinese Donuts that we ended up dipping into the broths of our noodle soups.  They were crispy and not overly dense.

Viv ended up with the Short Rib Pho that featured three bones!  These were so tender as the meat fell off the bone.  There was some delicious meatiness to them and that was filling enough.  But there was still al dente noodles and the broth was fairly clean with the star anise coming through.  We felt maybe the broth was a touch on the lighter side where they didn't overdo it with the salt and rock sugar.  However, there was enough natural flavors from the beef bones already.

For myself, I went for the BBH (or Bun Bo Hue) also sporting a beef rib. This was much more impactful due to the spiciness of the broth.  I wouldn't say it was super spicy, but it definitely lingered.  There was also a bit of brininess and sweetness to the broth.  It cam complete with pork blood cubes and shrimp meatballs.  These meatballs were excellent with a fluffy bounciness to them while being naturally sweet.  The lai fun was slippery and cooked just right.

For Lola, she had the Pho Tron Prawns & Veggies.  This consisted of turmeric noodles tossed in an OG Pho Bac sauce, fried shallots, peanuts and a side of broth.  Those yellow ribbons were the highlight of the dish as they were chewy (in a good way).  Some real earthiness to them and plenty of impact from the sauce.  There was an intoxicating mix of sweet, tangy and briny.  When all mixed together, the prawns and veggies (which were properly cooked) benefited from the awesome sauce too.

For Scout, he went for the Pho Tron with Beef.  This came with the same turmeric ribbons and accompaniments.  There is no soup in this picture because the thought it would be a better shot...  Anyways, the main difference in the protein really changed the dish.  The well-marinated and tender beef provided more punch and depth with salty brininess to already compliment the existing sauce. Overall, we enjoyed the food at Phở Bắc Sup Shop where things were just tweaked enough to create some excitement to the dishes without being completely unfocused.  Loved the industrial vibe of the place and we had some great cocktails too.

The Good:
- Simple and industrial, the dining space worked
- Food was delicious
- Well-planned tweaks to the dishes

The Bad:
- That must be one of the worst parking lots ever
- Gets pretty busy, you might have to wait

Buddy's Jersey Eats

So I've been to Vegas quite a few times, but each time, it has either been with my guy friends or with my family.  I'm sure you know what a guys trip to Vegas would look like and what a family trip to Vegas would entail.  Both are great, but they limit what I truly want to experience in Vegas.  So imagine my excitement when we planned a foodies trip down to Sin City!  Yep, Roanna, Jacqueline, Eileen and I traveled down for some fun and most importantly, to eat!  Finally, 4 people with the same goal and none of that other stupid stuff that costs me too much money... 

Our first top was Buddy's Jersey Eats located in The Linq along the Promenade.  It is a quick counter-service joint specializing in hot dogs (Jersey Rippers), chicken sandweeeches, waffle fries and wings.  They are open late (like to 4:00am) and is a great spot for a casual bite that is not a chain restaurant.  We sampled almost the entire menu with the Wings coming up first.  We had the Buffalo and the Dry Rub.  Loved that these wings were quite large and were still juicy inside.  The skin was well-rendered and crispy.  I actually preferred the lemon dry rub as it was flavourful and tangy while the skin was crisp.  Buffalo was good too, especially dipped into the blue cheese dressing.

We can't forget about the Hoboken Chicken Wings either and heck, the Hoboken Chicken Sandweeech.  These were totally different than the Buffalo and Alfredo.  This was all about the spice and tang which added a considerable impact to the chicken.  For the wings, it was a bit less apparent since they were tossed and topped with the peppers.  For the burger, it was right in there, so you got a burst of everything with each bite.  Of note, I would've liked to see the bun toasted (or toasted more) as it was a bit stiff.

Onto the other sammies, it continued a familiar theme with the Buffalo Chicken Sandweeech as well as the Alfredo Chicken Sandweeech.  Consisting of the same crispy chicken patty (with moist chicken meat), the buffalo was similar to the wings with a tangy spice cooled down with the blue cheese dressing.  The Alfredo was predictably creamy and cheesy with the same delicious chunks of meaty bacon.

Onto the Waffle Fries, we had the Disco and the Alfredo.  The fries themselves were crunchy but with some potatoey goodness left inside.  With the gravy on top of the disco fries, the waffle fries ate a bit softer, but were still crispy.   Lots of salty goodness here along with plenty of cheesiness.  A bit like a poutine.  I liked the Alfredo more due to the considerable amount of that same meaty bacon.  They were in large cubes that had much more meat than fat.  Hence, they were a nice little snack that I could pick off and go with my beverage.

With some of the same toppings, we had the Jersey Rippers (aka Hot Dogs).  Naturally, I gravitated to the Alfredo due to that awesome bacon.  I think that the bacon not only added the usual smoky saltiness to the dog, but the textural aspect was even more impactful.  It gave the hot dog more body and made it more fulfilling.  Not to mention the cheesy creaminess made this a rich concoction  Now the Hoboken ripper was even more flavourful due to the spicy tanginess.

We ended off strong with the Italian Donuts and they were served hot out-of-the-fryer being crispy with a warm soft interior.  It was dusted in powdered sugar and drizzled with nutella.  Pretty delicious way to end the meal.  Overall, the food at Jersey Eats is not complicated.  They have a few options with similar toppings/flavors.  However, the food is prepared properly and I found it impactful and yummy.  Prices are reasonable for the strip and it is a great place to grab a quick bite whether it be for lunch or late into the night (or early morning).

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

The Good:

- Has a focused menu and does it right

- Food is flavorful

- Reasonable pricing

The Bad:

- Limited seating

- A few repetitive flavors

 

Wing’n it Express

As long as I can remember, I love munching on chicken wings.  Whether it be on game nights at a pub or just a late night gathering during my University days, wings were a go to option.  Fond memories of cheap wings at the King's Head or John B, and even AYCE wings at Malone's!  Since then, we have found restaurants specifically offering up wings as their main menu item in a dizzying array of flavours.  One of the newest is Wing'n It with 30 locations across Canada.  We recently visited Wing'n It Express out in White Rock along 152nd to try out their wares.

We ended up trying out several flavours of their wings including the Roger Victor Whiskey.  At first, I was a bit concerned with the amount of sauce on each wing, but my worries were for naught as the flavour was on point.  Lots of sweet BBQ tang and some taco seasoning while having a mild spicy finish.  The wings were large and meaty with moist meat inside.  Being fairly rendered, the skin was not flabby.   From that we moved onto the Kamikazee which were touted as the hottest flavour they offered.  I guess this depends on your tolerance for spice.  I thought they had a kick, but were hardly 5-alam.  However, for Roanna and Eileen, they went straight for the water.  For me, I enjoyed that they were not scorching hot because I like to taste my food and not have my tongue burnt off.

Next set of wings featured the International and the Double Ugly.  For the former, we found that the Mach 1 base seasoning was mild (as it should be) and slightly sweet.  The addition of parmesan provided both saltiness and nuttiness while the Italian seasoning definitely gave it some aromatics.  As for the latter, it was aggressively sauced with ranch, dill and honey garlic.  As expected, this ate rather sweet but also had nice dill flavour.

The last set included Angels and Jet Stream.  Beyond the spicy kamikazee, I liked the Angles the best with its combination of ranch dressing and a coating of mango chipotle.  It was creamy that helped bring down the slight sweet heat of the dry mix.  As for the Jet Stream, it was a combo of BBQ and ranch.  So essentially, you didn't need to dip these wings as they were already dressed.

For those who don't want to only dine on wings, they also have a selection of handhelds including the 3 Sisters Burger.  This had the potential of being a great burger - soft bun, lots of meat and cheese.  However, the patties were of the cutlet variety, hence there was a lack of meat texture.  On the other hand, the Original Philly Cheesesteak was fantastic as it has the beautiful beef texture that was tender and well-seasoned.  This was actually very good.

We also went with some sides such as the Dusted Fries with garlic parmesan (14 flavours to choose from!) and the Onion Rings (these can be dusted too if you want).  Fries were pretty good being crispy and plenty potatoey.  Loved the dusting as I didn't need to dip them into anything!  The thick battered onion rings were crunchy and featured plenty of tender onion.

Probably the most surprising item of the meal was the Funnel Fries with ice cream chocolate drizzle.  So rather than a messy and greasy funnel cake, we had crispy funnel fries that were sweet and delicious.  They were seriously addictive with a soft, almost eggy interior to compliment the crunchy exterior.  Dipping them into the ice cream gave it some Wendy's Frosty and Fries vibes and that is a good thing.

They also have a selection of Milkshakes and we got the strawberry.  It was creamy and just thick enough, so that we could drink it through a straw easily.  We did find it sweet, but it wasn't crazy sweet, so that was good.  Our last item was the Ice Cream Sandwich that partial proceeds go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  It was pretty solid with 2 chewy and soft chocolate chip cookies with hard ice cream in the middle.  As the restaurant name suggests, the real draw here is the wings.  I thought the flavours we tried were impactful while the wings were large and juicy.  Sides were pretty good too.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post*

The Good:
- Meaty and moist wings
- Lots of impactful flavours
- Funnel fries!

The Bad:
- Maybe a bit too much sauce for some people
- Burger cutlet patty should be swapped out for a meatier version