Marché Mon Pitou

I'm sure you've heard me complain about the lack of brunch spots in the Lower Mainland.  Well, let me clarify my statement.  It isn't as if there aren't any places to grab brunch.  In fact, there are plenty of choices.  However, there is a lack of interesting options in my opinion, especially the ones that are quaint as well as sporting an interesting menu.  Well, that criteria seems to have been filled by a little place called Marché Mon Pitou beside Wicked Cafe.

We checked it out one morning and were delighted that we could actually make a reservation (most brunch spots don't take resos).   Starting with the basics, Le Mon Pitou featured 2 free-range eggs, double-smoked bacon, breakfast sausage, roasted fingerling potatoes, salad and toasted sourdough.  As you can see, the thick cut bacon was crisp, yet meaty at the same time.  Sausage was nicely seared where it was meaty and juicy.  Eggs were done perfectly over-easy while the potatoes were soft and squishy.  Overall, a solid plate of breakfast items.

I was a bit indifferent with the Coquilles St. Jacques as it was not a very big portion and to top it off, I had to really hunt for the little bits of scallop.  To be fair, the other components were quite good though.  I found the mornay sauce to be creamy and rich with good cheesiness.  This went well with the perfectly toasted sourdough.  It was crunchy on the outside, yet air and chewy on the inside.

The showstopper was the classic Croque Madame.  Let's talk about portion size first.  This thing was absolutely massive and more than enough for one person.  Beyond that, it was also very good with the same sourdough with a creamy béchamel on top with plenty of gruyère and ham in the middle.  Eggs were perfectly runny and the whole thing was just plain delicious.  Thank goodness for the salad on the side as it helped level the heaviness.

We ended off sweet with the Liège Waffles accompanied by vanilla bean mascarpone and fresh strawberries.  These were legit with an appealing chewiness with pops of sugariness.  The whipped mascarpone was creamy and aromatic while lightly sweet.  This was a fantastic end to a delicious brunch.  If you are looking for a special place to visit with great food to match, don't look any further than Marché Mon Pitou.  I will be returning for sure.

The Good:
- Quaint
- Solid eats
- Mostly well-portioned (and prepared well too)

The Bad:
- Tight seating inside (they have outdoor seating too)
- A bit pricey (but worth it in my opinion)

Mott 32 (Dinner Service)

It took me quite a long time before I went for Dim Sum at Mott 32, for a variety of reasons.  Then the pandemic hit and Mott 32 stopped operating.  That is why it took me until now to have dinner there (in addition to it not being the most cost-efficient place to eat).  I met up with the foodie fam to celebrate my birthday and why not go big?  In actuality, my birthday was 6 months prior, but due to Omnicron, things were postponed.  For those unfamiliar, Mott 32 is a high-end Cantonese restaurant that first opened up in Hong Kong in 2014.  Now they have locations in Vegas as well as the one here in Vancouver.

One of the things to have here is actually not on the dinner menu at all.  I've had the Hot & Sour Iberico Pork Shanghainese Soup Dumplings at their Dim Sum service before and indeed they are worth ordering.  Much like everything here at Mott 32, they are pricey, yet they are delicious.  Boasting a beautiful reddish orange colour, the dumpling skin was thin and delicate.  There was a slight elasticity which held them together when picked up; good mouth feel too.  Inside, the pork filling was tender and had a nice rebound texture.  The best part was the soup as it was classic hot and sour with an appetizing tanginess complimented by just enough kick.  Delicious.

So the real reason we were here is due to the Applewood Roasted Peking Duck.  Much like the versions found at Quan Ju De and Chang'An, it is priced around the $100.00 mark.  Unlike the ones we are familiar with at typical Chinese restaurants in town, there is only one course included (other courses are extra).  That one course is actually split into 2 with one portion consisting of some skin-only pieces with a side of sugar.   These pieces were crispy and the sugar accented the aromatic fattiness of the crispy skin.

The bulk of the Peking Duck was hand-carved into slices of meat with the skin attached.  There was more than enough for the amount of steamed crepes provided.  All the usual condiments were provided including scallions, cucumber and a slurry of hoisin and sesame sauces.  If I had to compare, I thought this was good but lagged behind the versions I've had at Quan Ju De and Chang'an.  The skin on the meat-attached pieces were not as crispy as the aforementioned spots.  On the other hand, the meat was succulent and delicious.  Loved how they added a piece of parchment in between each crepe.  This meant nothing stuck together.  The crepes were moist and had good elasticity.

Originally, we wanted to order their famous BBQ pork, but it was sold out.  As an alternative, we had the Crispy Triple Cooked US Black Angus Short Rib.  This was really good where the meat was flawlessly prepared.  All the best things about short rib were present in this dish including the butteriness of the meat and all the strong natural flavours as well.  As much as the meat was succulent and tender, it still retained a meatiness which had a nice mouth-feel.  The exterior sported a nice bark which was both flavourful and had a beautiful contrasting texture.  I found the meat itself to be mildly seasoned, but the residual sauce did add a good balance of tang, sweetness, pepperiness and saltiness.

My favourite dish of the meal was the Signature Maine Lobster "Ma Po Tofu".  One wouldn't think lobster and ma po tofu would necessarily belong in the same sentence, but somehow, this worked.  Normally, ma po tofu employs ground pork, but in this case, it was buttery bouncy lobster meat.  Now this dish can be as spicy as one desires, but they nailed the heat level here so that the lobster could still stand out.  As for the tofu, it was silky and soft.  The skill of the chef ensured that each cube was still intact despite the cooking process.  I definitely got the spice and aroma from this dish without having my taste buds blasted with one note.

Here we are again, going for the classic Sweet & Sour Pork with aged black vinegar.  Now I said classic, yet there was nothing classic about this dish.  With the addition of aged black vinegar, there was much more depth to the dish.  Moreover, the tanginess was less sharp having a smoother finish.  There was enough of that sauce clinging onto each piece of pork which kept the dish from being too wet.  The pork itself was juicy and tender with a light crispy coating.  Interesting the the fresh pineapple was served raw on the dish.  I enjoyed it, yet would've preferred it cooked with the pork.

We needed to get some veggies into the meal and therefore, we ordered another table favourite - Braised Eggplant with minced pork & chili peppers.   This couldn't have been prepared any better.  Although some pieces were on the mushier side, the eggplant still had texture and most pieces were mostly discernible.  It was the flavours that really stood out.  There was such an intensity to the sweetness without being sugary and the dish was bordering on being salty without being salty.  That requires precision and skill which was on display in this dish.  In addition, the spice was on point giving the dish a bite without being overwhelming.  So much balance here.

Now we also ordered the 2nd course for the Peking Duck which was the Fried Duck Rice.  Somehow there was a mixup because we waited about 20 minutes from the last dish. We had to finally ask where our rice was.  Now for a restaurant of Mott32's class and especially at their price point, we expected a bit more made of the wait/lost order.  To be fair, the service was excellent up until that point.  So I have no complaints about that.   The rice itself was rather bland and in need of more seasoning.  However, the textures were all there.  It benefited from good wok hei where the rice was nutty and chewy where the grains were completely discernible.  Wished there was more duck in it though.

Not sure if the comped dessert was an apology of sorts for the rice (or because we were celebrating my birthday) as we were presented with the Steamed Sau Bao (aka Birthday Lotus Buns).  Very traditional dessert that features steamed white bun with a sweetened lotus paste filling.  The bun itself was fluffy and light while the filling was sweet and almost creamy.  It wasn't overly sweet though.  Overall, the meal was pleasant with a few outstanding dishes.  Considering the high cost of eating here, I'm not sure if it was necessarily worth it.  Service was pretty on point (except for the rice mixup) and the decor is modern. Yet, if I was spending that coin again, I'd go back to iDen & Quan Ju De instead.

The Good:
- Some standout dishes
- Attentive service
- Modern decor

The Bad:
- That rice thing was not acceptable in a restaurant like this
- For this price, there is better

 

New Mandarin Seafood Restaurant (Dinner Service)

It's nice to see a bunch of people I haven't seen for awhile.  Due to the pandemic, I haven't done many group events, but with an invite to New Mandarin on Kingsway, it was a great way to enjoy good food and connect again with some foodies.  I've actually been to New Mandarin for both Dim Sum and dinner on several occasions (and quite recently too) and I consider it a solid place for Cantonese cuisine.  It also helps the place is fairly new, well-appointed and has free parking.

Unlike some tastings in the past at Chinese restaurants, we were able to select our dishes.  We started with the Appetizer Platter consisting of hokkigai, jellyfish, sliced beef shank, smoked salmon and salted egg yolk fried fish skin.  Nicely presented, the items on the plate were pretty much on point.  Medium in thickness, the beef shank was tender and moist with a meaty texture.  The braising liquid had penetrated into the meat and it was plenty flavourful.  Also well-marinated, the surf clams had their unmistakable chewy, yet tender texture.  However, I would've liked that they sliced them in half rather having them whole.  Exhibiting an appealing elasticity, the jellyfish was dressed in enough soy, sugar, white pepper and sesame oil for impactful flavours.  Not much to comment on the smoked salmon other than it was buttery soft with smoky saltiness.  Loved the fish skin as it was crunchy and full of salted egg yolk on the outside.

We chose a dish that is best shared in a larger group - Peking Duck in 3 courses.  The first course was the traditional sliced duck skin served with steamed crepes, scallions and hoisin sauce.  I thought the colour on the skin was nicely lacquered and appealing.  The skin itself was uniformly crispy with much of the fat rendered away.  There was also an inherent aromaticness with the skin and umaminess.  The crepes were thin and were easy to lift off one another.  Texturally, it was tender with some chewiness.  This was a solid version of Peking duck.

Our next course was the Duck Lettuce Wrap consisting of mixed diced veggies, duck meat and green onions.  This was wok-fried properly where the veggies were still crunchy while cooked through.  There was a balanced amount of duck in medium-sized pieces.  I found the seasoning to be on the milder side, but that was totally fine as it is typical to drizzle the lettuce wrap with hoisin.  As for the lettuce, it was cut into easy to wrap cups that could hold enough filling.  They were also devoid of moisture which meant it didn't water down the flavours. Third course of the Peking duck was the Duck Bone Soup (not pictured but you can see it in the background of the lobster image) with mustard greens and tofu.  This is a classic combination of ingredients that yield flavours that cover sweet, salty and slight bitterness.  The roasted duck bones offered up some smokiness and natural duck umaminess.  There was some complimentary seasoning that amplified the salty and sweet elements as well as a background touch of white pepper.  Loved how the soup wasn't oily as they skimmed the fat before serving.

Since we had to choose between crab and lobster, it was suggested that we order both.  Great idea!  So we decided on Dungeness Crab with Salted Egg Yolk and Rice Cakes.  Absolutely loved this dish as the crab was large and full of fluffy meat.  It was fried just enough so it didn't dry out.  There was a bevy of salted egg yolk slurry on the outside which added a nutty butteriness.  To top it off, the rice cakes were prepared beautifully where they were soft yet still offering up an appealing chewiness.

Moving onto the other crustacean, we had the Lobster with Consomme and E-Fu Noodles.  Much like the crab, the lobster was fried just right with the meat being fully cooked while exhibiting the classic sweet bounce texture.  The starch-thickened consomme (just enough of it to cling onto every piece) was light with only enough salty sweetness to flavour the noodles.  Usually, the noodles get quite mushy, yet these were perfect being still somewhat chewy.

Now we can eat all this meat without veggies right?  Well, not really as some of the group were not too enthused.  However, we did get a few including the 4 Seasons Green Beans.  This was well-prepared with deep fried beans that were wok-fried after.  Hence they were cooked all-the-way-through while still crunchy.  There was enough salty, sweet and slight spice to go with the ample tender ground pork strewn throughout.

Always a fan-favourite, we also ordered the Stir-Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic.  As you can see, this was a significant portion piled high on the plate.  As evidenced in the picture, the pea shoots were cooked just right where they were wilted but still had a vibrant crunch.  Nice colour on it too.  Good wok hei (hot wok) too as there was not much in the way of moisture at the bottom of the plate.  It also wasn't oil-logged and seasoning was on point.

One classic dish that seems to be on every Cantonese menu is the Black Truffle Chicken.  We got this and loved how it was presented in a chicken wicker basket.  Very cute.  The gelatinzed free-range chicken was tossed with black truffle sauce, pickled vegetable, red onion and cilantro.  Lots of flavour here including a good amount of truffle.  Loved the tang and crunch from the pickled veg.  The chicken itself was gelatinzed where the skin ate well.

Maybe a bit defaultish, we ended up with the Sweet & Sour Pork just because some of us have a soft spot for the dish.  This was loaded with red peppers, pineapple and cantaloupe as well as large chunks of pork belly.  Since the pork was so fatty, it was naturally tender and juicy.  I would've preferred a bit leaner, but then it would've have been so juicy though.  There was just enough sauce clinging onto each piece and it was balanced in flavour.

For dessert, we were treated to a bevy of them including Chocolate Pudding Puppy, Strawberry Pudding Bear, Coconut Pudding Piglets, Ginger Pudding Squares and Corn-Shaped Mango Pudding.  My favourites were the typical tasting desserts in the coconut and mango pudding.  Good texture on these and they weren't too sweet.  Even before the tasting, I already knew what to expect and it was another solid meal at New Mandarin.  A really good choice amongst the many Chinese restaurants in the GVRD.

*All food was complimentary*

The Good:
- Solid eats with proper preparation
- Well-portioned
- Reasonable pricing consider the decor and food quality

The Bad:
- Main dining room seating can be a bit tight
- Service observed from previous visits is friendly, yet can be sparse (might be due to staffing issues these days)

 

Mauna Sushi

So you might be wondering why I'm blogging about Mauna Sushi so soon after the last post...  Well, I really love the place and have actually been back 5 times since then.  Now why am I travelling to Surrey for sushi since I live in Burnaby?  Simple, the food is excellent and well-priced.  To refresh your memory, the chef/owner used to work at Minami and hence, all of the delicious aburi is served at Mauna for a more reasonable price.  Not to mention, their other menu items are rock solid as well.  Sure, the menu is somewhat limited and tends to appeal to the less adventurous diner, but I assure you the aburi is the star of the show.

With so many visits to include in this post, I'm going to try to condense as much as I can.  Now before we get to the aburi, their smaller "appetizer" dishes are really good too including the super tasty Chicken Karaage.  Rather unassuming, these little fried nuggets of leg meat are addictive.  The meat is super tender and juicy with a flavourful marinade.  It is salty, sweet and has a perfect amount of ginger.  There is a light coat of batter and  they are fried until crispy.  One of the best versions I've had in town!

Something that I do not usually get to order is the Takoyaki.  Not sure why because I personally love these little morsels of batter and octopus topped with takoyaki sauce, mayo, aonori and bonito flakes.  These here are solid.  I'm pretty sure they don't use a takoyaki mold, but that doesn't matter as they are lightly crispy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside with pieces of octopus.  There is just enough sauce and toppings on the outside to make an impact without creating a mess.

I've had their Assorted Tempura many times now and each time it has come out beautifully.  It consists of 2 pieces of yam and fresh shiitake as well as 3 pieces of green bean and ebi.  Although the amount of tempura batter may seem a bit much at first glance, it is crispy, light and easy on the grease.  The items themselves are cooked just right with the beans still being crunchy and the mushrooms being delicate and not overdone. With a light buttery snap, the ebi is on point while the yam is cooked through without going mushy.

The level of care put into preparing the cooked food is apparent and it is best illustrated by the Gyoza.  By appearances alone, the dumplings are good due to the even browning on the bottom.  This in turn means that it is crispy and nicely caramelized.  We find the dumpling skin to be thin and full of elasticity.  Inside, the pork and cabbage filling is well-seasoned while the texture is juicy and tender.

One of the most surprising dishes is the Miso Tofu Salad.  To be blunt, it doesn't look very attractive and in certain aspects, it appears to be unappetizing.  Now don't let that fool you.  The tofu crumble on top has a feta-cheese-like texture and there is plenty of umaminess to it.  Dressed in a sweet and tangy vinaigrette, the spring mix underneath is super delicious.  I highly recommend this.

Staying with the cooked food, the Chicken Katsu Don features a perfectly fried chicken cutlet.  It is coated with crispy panko that is, once again, not too greasy.  Inside, the dark chicken meat is succulent and moist.  It is marinated and seasoned enough on its own that it tastes great without anything added.  Underneath, the rice is dry enough that it isn't soggy, yet at the same time being moist.

Moving to the raw stuff, their selection of sashimi is pretty basic, but it is intentional.  They do not want to stock things that people will not order.  Hence, we have tried almost all of the options in the Atlantic Salmon, Albacore Tuna and Wild Salmon Sashimi.  The slices are fair in size being not too small and not ridiculously large.  Freshness is apparent where there is a nice sheen and things smell right.  Texturally, the tuna is buttery soft without being mushy and the Atlantic salmon is buttery with a bite.  The wild salmon is firmer but still delicate.

If one wanted something more flavourful from the start without needing to dip into any soy, there is the Spicy Tuna Sashimi (also available with salmon).  Unlike some other versions, there is just enough sauce in this one, so it isn't drowning.  The buttery chunks of tuna are coated in a spicy sauce that has a kick, but isn't overwhelming.  There is a background fermented flavour to it that adds depth and umaminess.

Like always, we always in some Nigiri as well.  We've had the chopped scallop, unagi, tamago, salmon and tuna before, but in this picture, it is all salmon and tuna toro..  If you are looking for insanely large pieces, then look elsewhere.  This is more about quality than oversized food.  With that being said, these are not small by any means.  The buttery toro for both types of fish are soft and fatty.    Rice is proportionate to the toppings and is texturally on point being chewy while still delicate.

One particular nigiri that needs to be highlighted is the Tamago.  I'm sure you are wondering why I'm drawing attention to egg sushi...  Well, if you look at the picture, you will notice that it is made the traditional way with proper layering.  Some sushi restaurants serve a solid piece of egg that is just poured into a mold.  This exemplifies the effort and attention to detail the chef puts into his food.  The egg is fluffy and slightly sweet from the mirin.

All of this is delicious, but the real star of the show is the aburi sushi!  The most popular and well-known of the bunch is the Aburi Salmon Oshi featuring wild salmon, aburi sauce and jalapeno.  Now you might expect me to say something like it is just as good as Miku/Minami, but let me say this is better since there is more salmon.  All of the other components are on point as well including the chewy sushi rice, thinly-sliced jalapeno (some places cut it way too thick) and the creamy, yet not greasy aburi sauce.  Equally tasty is the Ebi Aburi Oshi with perfectly cooked prawn and a bright lime spiked sauce on top.  As for the Saba Aburi Oshi, there is a more fish-forward flavour due to the mackerel.  It is also firmer.  The most under-the-radar aburi oshi is the Hotate as the sauce is indeed creamy, yet has a nice finishing kick.

There is one boxed sushi that is not torched.  The Hoki Poke Box (interesting name) consists of sushi rice topped with real crab meat, tuna and avocado.  This is a must order if you have already had a few of the previous aburi oshis.  It is almost like a palate cleanser of sorts that is a nice break from the heavy sauces.  This one is more a study of textures rather than strong flavours.  The fluffy crab, buttery tuna and soft avocado have a good combined mouth-feel.

As much as you can enjoy the nigiri sushi as they are, you can also opt for the Aburi Nigiri.  Here we have the Tuna Toro and Salmon Toro (belly meat) topped with aburi sauce and torched.  The torching affects the nigiri in 2 ways.  First, it caramelizes the sauce and adds a smokiness.  Secondly and most importantly, it activates the fats in the belly meat and it becomes super buttery and the resulting aroma is delicious.

We can't forget about Mauna's Aburi Tart comprised of sushi rice, avocado, seasoned tuna, wild salmon, aburi sauce, baby scallops and ebi.  This is best shared since it may not look that big, but it is quite filling.  The flavours in this work in harmony with the sweetness of the fish complimented by sesame oil and the aburi sauce on top.  Creamy avocado adds another layer of texture that works well with the buttery tuna.  This is a must order.

Onto some rolls, the most popular is the Explosion Roll which is like the Miku Roll consisting of imitation crab, cucumber and tuna on the inside with a mess of torched tobiko on the outside topped with aburi sauce.  The tobiko on the outside gives the roll a nice crunch with pops of the sea.  With soft tuna and imitation crab on the inside, it is a nice textural contrast.  Of course the aburi sauce is the literal cherry on top with smoky creaminess.

The second most popular roll is the Hawaiian with prawn tempura, avocado and cucumber on the inside.  This is topped with spicy tuna and spicy mayo as well as tempura bits.  I can see why this is ordered by so many customers.  It is essentially a dynamite roll, which makes it rather familiar and safe.  However, the buttery and spicy tuna on top adds a kick and plenty of impact to an otherwise mild-tasting roll.

Another Miku-inspired item is the Red Seal Roll consisting of a base California roll topped with red tuna and house-special Nikirri onion sauce and black pepper.  Once again, the roll itself is a California roll, yet the topping of red tuna adds some meatiness.  The real star of the show is the marinated onions as they are crunchy, sharp, sweet and purposefully salty.  In front of it is the Tiger Roll that is has a California roll as its base with the addition of prawn tempura.  On top, there is tiger prawn with kabayaki sauce, special spicy sauce and sesame seeds.  This is rather saucy, yet it is more sweet and slightly spicy than salty.  Lots of meaty prawn texture as well as prawn aroma.

Possibly the largest roll of the bunch is the Spider Roll.  Sporting 10 big pieces, it is stuffed with fried soft shell crab, avocado and deep fried green beans.  Compared to the other rolls, it certainly doesn't look as impressive, yet it is good in its own right.  Since there is so much soft-shell crab, there is a crispy texture giving way to softness.  Love the creamy avocado and the crunch of the beans.

Something that is a bit more usual is the Dragon Roll with a dynamite roll base adding avocado, unagi and tobiko on the outside.  This is a pleasing sushi roll that most people are familiar with.  There is just enough rice on the outside, so it isn't dense.  The combination of unagi and sauce as well as the dynamite roll makes this full of sweetness and some crunch.  So there you have it, a comprehensive look at the menu at Mauna Sushi.  Yes, it is your prototypical neighbourhood sushi restaurant and in reality, the menu is rather basic.  However, if you dive into the specialty items (marked by a blue check mark on the menu), you will come away with food that is served in higher-end spots in town.  I've been here 7 times total and the count will just keep going up.

The Good:

- The specialty items are impressive

- Well-priced

- Super nice people

The Bad:

- Limited menu (exotic items just don't move in this neighbourhood)

Prince Seafood Restaurant

I know that I've blogged about Prince many times in the past, but just like everything in this world, things change.  As such, it is nice to update every now and then.  In this case, the last time I had Dim Sum here was pre-pandemic.  So it has been seemingly years ago I've been here.  Wait, it has been years ago!  We gathered everyone together for this visit including the Mother-in-Law.  Fortunately, Prince is usually pretty busy and the ambient noise tends to drown her out.  

I'm not sure who ordered the Egg Tarts but as expected, they came out first.  Everyone knows that you order it afterwards since the kitchen will send out things that are ready first...  Anyways, dessert before the savoury items, why not?  Well, not a bad start as they sported a flaky shell that was buttery (more like lardy) and nutty.  The egg filling was silky and light.  It was purposefully sweet with an aromatic finish.

Keeping the kiddos happy, the Deep Fried Prawn Spring Rolls arrived next.  The trend is to cut them diagonally these days and these were no exception.  It revealed that there were whole pieces of shrimp that were buttery with a light snap texture.  The addition of processed cheese created a certain amount of saltiness.  I wasn't sold on this combination, but the kids didn't mind.  As for the wrapper, it was crunchy and mildly greasy.

We moved onto the Ha Gau (Steamed Shrimp Dumplings) and they were medium-sized.  Although the dumpling skin was a touch thick, it wasn't tough nor too chewy.  There was good elasticity.  Inside, the whole shrimp filling was a bit loose, but that was because there was no shrimp mousse nor small pieces to keep bind it.  Texturally, it was on point with a moist snap where the natural sweetness came through with a touch of sesame oil.

I thought the Siu Mai (Steamed Pork & Shrimp Dumpling) to be quite good.  It was a 75/25 ratio of shrimp to pork.  Again, the whole shrimp had the same qualities of the aforementioned dishes with shrimp.  Hence, the texture of the dumpling was full of snap and it wasn't dense at all.  For the small amount of pork, it was meaty with a nice rebound.  My only wish would be a little less pork fat as it was chewy and I had to spit it out.  Dumpling was well-seasoned without being salty.

We hadn't ordered the Stir-Fried Radish Cake in Spicy XO Sauce for some time, so when we saw it on the menu, it was a no-brainer.  This version was only "okay" in my opinion.  The large cubes were not crispy at all and the overall density of the pudding was on the firmer side.  I found that the stir-fry was a bit greasy (I understand XO is oil-based, but this was greasier than usual).  There was decent XO brininess with some spice, yet it could've been more impactful.

Onto some Rice Noodle Rolls, we had both the shrimp and the BBQ pork.  Just slightly on the thicker side, the rice noodles were definitely soft with a bit of density.  I would've liked to see more elasticity though.  In terms of filling, the shrimp were large (oxymoron I know...) with the desired meaty snap texture.   The BBQ pork was a good mix of lean and fattier pieces, but I'm not sure why they added so much cilantro.  It definitely took over the flavour profile and that is all that I tasted.

So normally I would order only one type of tripe, but someone else marked off the Sliced Beef Tripe with XO Sauce (Bible Tripe) while I marked down the Beef Stomach & Tendon with Chu Hou Sauce (Honeycomb Tripe).  Hey, I ain't complaining about that!   I really enjoyed the tripe as it was soft while retaining some bite.  It had completely soaked up the sweet garlicky braising liquid.  Underneath, there was some soft taro that also benefited from the sauce.  Equally as good, the bible tripe had a rebound texture that was initially chewy, but gave way to softness.  It was also completely seasoned with the spicy XO sauce.

So the MIL loves Steamed Chicken Feet with Hoisin Sauce and of course we got that too (no, that didn't prevent her from being her loud obnoxious self...  I wish...)  Anyways, this featured larger-than-usual chicken feet that were quite plump.  Except for one of them (which was completely destroyed), they were mostly intact.  The skin was tender, yet still retaining a chew.  Underneath, the fat and cartilage was tender but not melted away.  This was plenty garlicky and well-seasoned.

One dish we normally do not order is the Deep Fried Fish Skin with Salted Egg Yolk.  Not because we don't love this, but not many restaurants offer it.  So consider this a freshly-made version of the infamous Irvin's fried fish skin.  These were uniformly crunchy while coated with a decent amount of salted egg yolk.  As such, there was the nutty salty aromatics that makes this delicious.  These were a bit greasy though due to the salted egg yolk slurry on the fish skin.

Another item we are seeing less and less of on Dim Sum menus is the Deep Fried Squid Tentacles in Spicy Salt.  These are found more often at the Richmond Night Market and Taiwanese restaurants.  Interestingly, this was more akin to the Taiwanese version as it was all tentacles (rather than just squid) and lightly dusted with 5-spice powder.  I found the tentacles slightly on the chewier side, but it wasn't too bad.  They were crispy and well-seasoned if not a touch greasy.

As if we didn't have enough offal in the meal already, I spotted the Beef Brisket & Tendon with Thick Rice Noodles (these were actually thick mung bean noodles).  Both the tendon and brisket were tender completely soaking up the braising liquid.  However, the liquid was far too runny to actually flavour the noodles in any fashion.  Hence they were bland.  Texturally, the noodles were chewy and springy in a firm manner.  Just the way they ought to be.

This was not the end of the bigger items as we also got the large size of the Seafood Congee.  Now you can't really see it, but there was a considerable amount of fish, scallops and prawns hidden within the thick congee.  They were all prepared properly maintaining their desired cooked textures.  The congee itself was a little on the milder side, but we added white pepper to it.  We liked the addition of dried scallop on top, it added some aroma.

One dish I would've never considered ordering, but am glad that someone did, was the Silky Tofu Stuffed with Shrimp Paste.  This was a rather large portion that really should only be ordered if you have enough people.  We found the silky tofu to be as such, but with a delicately crisp exterior.  The generous amount of shrimp paste on top was bouncy and sweet.  we could've done without the sweet chili sauce on top, but it wasn't offensive.

Interestingly, their version of Deep Fried Minced Pork & Shrimp Glutinous Dumplings arrived in yellow and green.  They didn't eat much differently than the usual version (which is light golden brown).  I found the exterior glutinous rice to be just a tad too thick.  Hence, the dumplings weren't as crunchy as it could've been.  It also made them denser.  Inside, the filling was moist with little nuggets of pork and shrimp.

Onto a Dim Sum staple: Steamed Angus Beef Meatballs.  Well, the Angus beef part of it isn't typical though.  Not sure if it mattered since the meat typically gets aerated through a food processor or stand-up mixer.  This was prepared right as the meat was super light and airy with an appealing spongy texture.  Seasoning was mild, but we could taste the meat as well as some of the green onions.

Since we are on Dim Sum staples, let's do one more in the Steamed Spareribs in Garlic Sauce.  I really enjoyed this dish as its preparation was almost flawless.  First of all, the rib pieces were meaty and on the bone.  Not much in the way of cartilage and fat here.  Texturally, the meat had a good rebound while being tender at the same time.  Loved there wasn't a pool of oil at the bottom either.  Seasoning was on point with garlic and just enough salt.

Not that we didn't have enough carbs already, yet the kids always enjoy the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Wild Rice Wrap).  The addition of wild rice added a really nice bite to a usually soft and mushy product.  Not to say that the sticky rice was mushy though.  It was soft with a glutinous chewiness.  Inside, the dried scallop and pork filling was plentiful and well-seasoned.  It was in good proportion to the rice where every bite was balanced.

Lastly, we had both the Steamed BBQ Pork Buns and the Steamed Egg Yolk Buns.  Sorry, not sexy shots of the insides of the buns this time...  The texture of the bun was light and fluffy while still retaining a chew.  Inside the BBQ pork was fairly lean and glazed in a sweet sauce.  As for the salted egg yolk filling, this was less runny than most and that was fine by us as it was easier to eat.  It was sweet and aromatic.  So overall, the Dim Sum at Prince was pretty solid across the board, considering the variety that we ordered.  Pricing is on par with most places in the same class.  We found the service to be decent but a bit sparse (hard to find servers these days, so we aren't pinning that on them).

The Good:
- Solid Dim Sum
- We got our reservation on time
- Service was okay with all things considered

The Bad:
- Even though we are giving them pass on the service, it did take long to get items we requested
- Parking lot is a disaster