Ki Sushi

Alright, I think for the very first time, my son actually decided where we were going to eat tonight. We asked him if what he wanted to eat and he insisted on udon noodles in soup. That pretty much narrowed down our choices; thus we headed off to Ki Sushi in New Westminster. I've been meaning to try the place out for awhile and since we needed udon, I guess this was as good as any time to try it out. When we arrived, the parking lot was completely full, so we had to circle around a bit until we found a spot on Columbia. We figured out why the parking lot was full when we entered the restaurant - there was a lineup. No matter, it didn't take long to get a seat. Fortunately for us, the table was fully enclosed into it's own little room. This was good since the kiddies could do there thing and not bother anyone. Also, I could take many pictures and no one would even notice. We overheard the servers chatting in Mandarin amongst themselves. So I guess this is not a Japanese-run restaurant? No matter, for me if the food is good, I don't give a damn who is making it.

The first thing I noticed about the menu were the prices - they are very reasonable. Taking a peak at what other people were eating, it also appears that the portions are good as well. This looked promising. Viv and I decided on the Dinner for 2 which included Assorted Sashimi, California Roll (6pcs), Kappa Maki (6pcs), Sushi (4pcs), Prawn & Vegetable Tempura, Oyster Motoyaki or Chawan Mushi, Kara-age, Sunomono, Miso Soup and Ice Cream for $34.95. We added a Vancouver Roll and also a Chicken Udon for the kiddies.

The sashimi and sushi arrived on one platter and they were quite good. Each slice of sashimi was fresh and quite large. We particularly like the wild sockeye salmon sashimi; it was deliciously sweet. I must mention that there was very little rice in every one of the rolls - a very good thing. The Tempura was also very good. It was perfectly fried and the batter was ever so light. It wasn't particularly oily either. The same goes with the boneless Chicken Karaage. Outside was not oily and very crispy; but the inside was tender and juicy. Included in the meal was a choice between Oyster Motoyaki and Chawan Mushi. We couldn't decide on either, so we had one of each. The motoyaki was a bit different than I am accustomed to. Rather than a whole oyster baked in sauce, it was diced-up oyster, mushrooms and spinach mixed in with sauce. For me, it was alright; but I wouldn't want to eat another. The mushi was very light and velvety. I really liked eating it and was a bit amused by the happy face created by the edamame beans and shrimp on top.

The Vancouver Roll was a bit of a disappointment. The roll itself was prawn tempura, avocado and masago on the inside. It was topped with more avocado and unagi with sauce on the outside. This is similar to a Dragon Roll found at other Japanese restaurants. Yet, compared to other places such as Toyotomi and Tomoya, the Vancouver roll here at Ki was not as good. It was generally flavourless and seemed a bit empty inside. Definitely not worth the $10.00 price tag. However, the meal in general was solid and I certainly enjoyed eating it. The portions were generally pretty good and the prices make Ki Sushi a good value. Service was generally quite attentive and friendly; if not a bit absent minded. It took us 3 tries to replace a dirty bowl. Not the best Japanese food I've ever had; yet still a solid choice in New West.

The Good:
- Reasonable prices
- Good portion size
- Pretty decent food

The Bad:
- Small parking lot, fills up quick

Pied-à-Terre

Wow, we haven't dined with M&M since Dine-Out at Hart House! No, we didn't go pick up some chicken wings, a flat of Sheppard's pie and apple blossoms from M&M on our way to Hart House. Rather, M&M are 2 friends of ours whose names happen to start with the letter M. Too bad they didn't name their kids M names. Otherwise they'd be mini-M&M's (lame joke, I know...). Tonight, we were all childless and decided to try out Pied-à-Terre on Cambie. There are so many of these small moderately-priced French bistros popping up all over the place. French food is becoming more accessible and affordable. We arrived promptly at 6:30, however, due to some extenuating circumstances, both M&M were late. We'll refer to the wife as Bubbly because she has enough energy to run a small town. Also, we'll refer to the husband as Chill because nothing ever seems to faze him. Bubbly was stuck on the Oak Street bridge for almost 20 minutes. Second, Chill was stuck behind some bike parade in downtown for about the same time. It was almost like fate was working against them for this meal. No matter, the staff at Pied-a-Terre were extremely understanding and professional about the matter. When Bubbly did arrive, she hijacked my camera and starting snapping photos like there was no tomorrow. She is an avid photographer and I have to give her credit for some of the pictures. She's definitely got an eye for the artistic flair. One thing I do know is she made me look normal for once, because she was taking more photos than I would normally. So that's how someone appears when they are madly snapping photos of food. No wonder people stare at me!

Viv and Bubbly both decided to have the Table D'hote which gave them a choice of appetizer, main and dessert for $31.00. Viv chose the Terrine Maison to start. She figures it was pork terrine with some bacon. She thought it was pretty good because it was well-seasoned. The sweet figs, horseradish cream and sour cornichons complimented the Terrine really well. Bubbly got the Fennel Cream Soup for her first course and it was luxurious in texture. There was only a slight fennel taste to the soup. I opted for the Steamed Mussels to start and it was a decent portion. Bathed in a white wine and onion broth, each mussel was opened and very sweet. I got extra bread to soak up every last bit of the
broth.

Viv went for the Coq au Vin as her main. The perfectly stewed chicken rested on a rich red wine sauce with carrots, peas, onion, lardons, and mashed potato. I tried some and the chicken was tender and the wine had penetrated nicely into the meat. Bubbly had the Onglet Steak & Frites with a Marchand du Vin sauce. The server gave the heads up that it was a hanger steak and it could be a bit tough. Normally, a hanger steak cannot be cooked past medium-rare and should be cut against the grain. I tried a piece of the steak and although it wasn't tender, it was not overly tough either. It definitely had plenty of flavour due to the cut of meat and the sauce.

Chill had the Rib Eye Steak & Frites with Marchand du Vin as well. His steak was cooked perfectly medium-rare and was predictably tender. The fries were very crispy and light. He was quite hungry and plowed through it. All I could get out of him was that it was "good". I was going to have the steak as well; but seeing that 2 people were already having steak, I went for the Muscovy Duck Confit with Cassoulet Beans. The duck leg was beautifully cooked with an extremely crispy skin. Normally, I'm not really into eating skin or fat of any kind; but I enjoyed every piece of the duck skin. The meat itself was melt-in-your mouth tender (due to being simmered in duck fat). It was a bit saltier than I would have liked; however, salt is an integral part of duck confit. However, eaten with the orange slices, it did balance the flavours. Although the beans were a side to the duck, I personally thought they were the star of the dish. The soft, haricot beans were prepared beautifully.

For dessert, Bubbly decided on the Chocolate Mousse and Viv got the Creme Caramel. Simply presented, the creme caramel was absolutely divine. It was silky smooth with a rich caramel finish. Viv remarked that there was a hint of orange as well. Bubbly thought that the mousse was the better of the 2 desserts and I will agree on that. At first, I didn't enjoy the mousse as much because I'm not really a big chocolate lover. However, the mousse was fluffy and full of chocolate flavour without being too sweet. Good food aside, the rest of the dining experience was very positive as well. The staff were quite efficient and very knowledgeable. The ambiance was cozy and warm, partly because the restaurant itself is quite small. Value-wise, it was very good. The prices were reasonable and the portions were more than adequate. Pied-a-Terre is another great bistro among many in the GVRD.

The Good:
- Generous portions
- Food is spot on
- Reasonably-priced
- Quaint
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- Make reservations, it's a small bistro, walk-in diners will not get a table

Guildford Station Pub

After an eventful and fun visit to La Charcuterie last week, Miss Y and Kc joined me again for some eats today. Boss Z and Lady Mustang also tagged along for this food adventure. We weren't going to travel all the way to Port Kells or Cloverdale this time for food; rather we only made it out to Guildford. The destination: Guildford Station Pub. Okay, before you make any assumptions or judgements, pub food can be really good! And in the case of Guildford Station, that seems to be the norm according to many Internet reviews.

At least from the outside, the pub looks quite inviting and clean. Inside, it is not different. This is a nice pub! I got pretty excited looking over the menu (yes, my life revolves around food). It appeared that other than the steaks, there was practically nothing over $9.00. That's the kind of pricing I like! In fact, the specials of the day were very well priced, especially the BBQ Ribs with coleslaw and roasted potatoes. With a beverage order, the ribs would only set you back $6.95! Although it was not a huge rack of side ribs (looked like it was cut vertically in half), it was more than enough for lunch. The ribs were tender without being mushy and the BBQ sauce was not Kraft-like (Kraft is generally very tart and vinegary without much in the way of smokiness).

I also ordered the Pacific Clam Chowder hoping to erase the paper mache version I got at Fresgo Inn. I must say this chowder was like a good Psychiatrist; it made me think happy thoughts. Although it wasn't exactly that thick, the chowder was still creamy with plenty of seafood flavour. I had to do a double take as to where I was eating this - a pub! Lady Mustang had the chowder too and she had quite the same reaction after her first spoonful. Despite a reputation of having good beef burgers, Boss Z goes ahead and orders a veggie burger??? She's not even a vegetarian! Well, regardless of that, she enjoyed her burger and yam fries.

Miss Y opted for the 2 piece Fish & Chips. I can never understand how she stays so thin. She really does eat the crappiest food sometimes. While I take a pass on the Krispy Kremes, she goes ahead and eats 4. I hate her and her metabolism. Anyways, the batter for the fish was probably the issue we had with the food. It was very thick and doughy. A definitely sub-par fried fish. I would stay away from this or any of the battered seafood items on the menu. Overall, we were quite satisfied with our visit to Guildford Station. It seems to have the winning formula of good eats, cheap prices, great ambiance and in this case - booze.

The Good:
- Prices are really good
- Most of the food is surprisingly good
- Really nice pub; clean and inviting

The Bad:
- Tables are a bit small
- Stay away from battered items

Vault

What in the world am I doing in Cloverdale you might ask? Well, the rodeo was a few weeks ago, so I'm certainly not here for that. I'm not heading down to the states, so that's outta the question. Maybe I was lost? No, no, that's reserved for Miss Y. I was in Cloverdale with a few of my colleagues to have lunch. Lunch? But is there anything good to eat out in Cloverdale other than the requisite bar? You might not think so, ah... but many people are mistaken. Hidden amongst the many shops in Cloverdale on 176th is the Vault. It is named as such because there is an actual vault at the back of the restaurant. We can only surmise that this location used to be a financial institution of some sort. And yes, inside the vault is a very private table.

Unfortunately for me, I couldn't get a window seat again! There was a big group that took over half of the restaurant. I was tempted to take the plates over to the entrance... Anyways, Ma got the Dry Ribs to start and it was a generous portion of meaty ribs. It was not over fried and had a good dusting of pepper and kosher salt. She also had the Ale Braised Short Rib Sandwich and it certainly looked appetizing. On top of the tender meat were fried onions which apparently made the dish. There was a complaint that the glaze was a bit sweet; but I guess it's personal preference.

Blondie had the Prawn, Scallop and Goat Cheese Salad. The dish itself had a bevy of seafood, strawberries and goat's cheese. I tried some of it and it was every so lightly dressed, which is a good thing. This way, I could actually discern different flavours in the salad. Although the scallops were large and had good colour from the sear; they were a bit chewy and possibly overcooked. The prawns on the other hand were perfectly prepared. Continuing on the seafood theme, I went for the Mixed Seafood Grill with Asian BBQ Glaze. In addition to the same prawns and scallops as the salad, I also got a piece of salmon. Surprisingly, the rice that accompanied the seafood was quite flavourful and beautifully cooked. The reason I mention this is that most times the rice is an afterthought. The salmon was soft and not overcooked. The prawns were cooked correctly; yet I had the same problem with the scallops, they were slightly overcooked and had a slight fishy taste. In terms of the hoisin glaze, it was pretty standard being quite sweet and not really having any other complex flavours present. Unfortunately, that is the flavour profile of hoisin sauce.

Ma was the only one at our table who went for dessert. Mind you, she chose NY Cheesecake and it was fabulous. It was a really large piece of baked cheesecake with an ultra thin crust. I tried it and it was ever-so-smooth and full of cream cheese flavour. It's definitely nice to get a baked hard cheesecake rather than the whipped ones. The depth of flavour and texture are just not the same. For being out in Cloverdale, which is hardly the mecca for fine dining, The Vault was not bad. If it were located in Downtown Vancouver, it might face stiff competition. The food in general was pretty decent. It's location works in their favour because there is not another restaurant like this close by.

The Good:
- Reasonable prices
- Eclectic, funky atmosphere
- Great service

The Bad:
- A bit far for most people other than the locals

Business Hours:
11:00am - 2:00pm, 5:00pm - 9:30pm (Mon - Thu)
11:00am - 2:00pm, 5:00pm - 10:30pm (Fri)
5:00pm - 10:30pm (Sat)
5:00pm - 9:30pm (Sun)

Twisted Fork

My day started at 8:00am and didn't end until 5:30pm with a meeting in Ladner. Yes, call me a wimp, I'm not used to this type of schedule! I had made arrangements to meet up with Whipping Girl and TS from [eating_club Vancouver] for dinner after my meeting. Now, if you ever tried driving in from Ladner into downtown during rush hour, you'll understand my utter frustration. When 5 lanes of highway traffic must merge into 1 lane, mass chaos and congestion erupts. After I got through the tunnel, I had to navigate Vancouver traffic to get to downtown. Most people want to escape downtown during this time. Of course I was doing the complete opposite and got stuck on the Burrard street bridge. What was I doing on the Burrard street bridge when our destination was on Granville??? You see, Whipping Girl did not want to walk to the restaurant. Thus, I had to fight through Burrard all the way to Dunsmuir to pick her up. Upon picking her up, I had to navigate through traffic back to Granville and Helmcken. That detour took over 30 minutes. When we arrived, we tried to get the only window seat; but it was taken by a large group. Now if we were on time...

Well, I hold no ill feelings towards Whipping Girl because she is a good dining partner and those are not easy to find! Together with TS, we decided to share 2 pounds of the mussels to start. On Tuesdays, 1 pound of mussels is only $8. Another special was their 3 course meal for $25.00. TS and I were all over that. TS ordered the Prawns and the Pan-Seared BC Halibut. I went for the Snails and the Beef Bourguignon. Whipping girl decided on the Cured BC Duck Breast. We actually all decided to share everything so we could get a taste of every dish.

The Mussels arrived with frites on top and that probably contributed to them being soggy. They tasted fine, especially dipped into the tomato herb cream; yet they lacked crispiness. The mussels themselves were sweet and not a single one was unopened (although they weren't that plump). Luckily we got complimentary rolls since we used them to mop up any remaining cream at the bottom. One note about the dinner rolls, they are quite dense, one is more than enough. Up next were the Grilled Prawns with chipotle, thyme, garlic & fresh melon salsa. The prawns were cooked nicely retaining it's crunch when bitten into. Eaten with the melon, the sweetness of the melon and prawn was quite refreshing. I would have have liked a bit of acidity like lime juice to further enhance the flavours.

The Garlic Snails were prepared with leek, mushrooms, caramelized shallots, tomato basil sauce, fresh arugula. There was an impressive quantity of snails on the plate. As we kept eating them, there always seemed to be more. Personally, I'm not a big fan of snails and tomato sauce. I prefer them in a simple butter and garlic sauce. That way I can enjoy their flavour and texture without anything overpowering. I find the acidity in tomato sauce a poor compliment to the tender snails. It's also the same with frog legs, I really don't like them with tomato sauce, only butter and garlic. With that being said, the dish wasn't horrible, in fact, I enjoyed eating them despite the fact I don't prefer them.

While we were waiting for our mains to show up, we realized that the big group ended up moving to a table in the back. I was so choked that the one window seat was never used! Argh! Anyways, the Beef Bourguignon was very rich in red wine flavour. It was prepared very well since it had the richness of the red wine and shallots; but did not have much in the way of bitterness. Although the beef had been cooked for a long time in the sauce, it was curiously dry. We hypothesized that the cut of meat might have been too lean. Regardless of that, the dish itself was quite good.

The Cured BC Duck with ratatouille, potato puree and cherry chutney was impressively presented on the plate. The duck itself was quite salty due to the curing. However, if combined with the chutney and ratatouille, it helped cut the saltiness and became more balanced. With that being said, we probably would have all preferred the duck confit instead. TS' Halibut came with ratatouille, artichoke puree, baby carrots and corn relish. The halibut itself was ever-so slightly overcooked; yet was still quite good. Combined with the relish and ratatouille, the sweetness from the corn and peppers really complimented the halibut. One nit-picking observation was that the asparagus was overcooked, although the green beans and carrots were excellent.

Rounding out the 3 course meal were the desserts. I went with the Lavender Creme Brulee and TS opted for the Profiteroles with Hazelnut Ice Cream. We peer pressured Whipping Girl into getting the Chocolate Terrine so we could try it. She folded like a deck of cards or maybe she just felt guilty in getting me to pick her up. Again, we shared the desserts. We thought that the creme brulee was a little on the light side and could have stood to be a bit more luxurious. Yet, it was still very good and TS enjoyed cracking the burnt sugar on top. The profiteroles were a bit hard to eat since the choux pastry was a bit stiff, possibly from the cold hazelnut ice cream (which was divine). The terrine was quite large and beautifully presented. The chocolate was decadent and the layer of coulis running through it gave a nice fruity contrast to the dish. The sorbet added some much needed lightness to the rich chocolate.

After we finished our meal, we were stuffed and I wasn't even remotely thinking of having a Filet-o-Fish. Overall, the food was pretty good and at these prices, it was downright excellent. The Twisted Fork is a little gem hidden among XXX shops along Granville. It is an area in transition; but with restaurants like the Twisted Fork, it definitely helps change the landscape.

The Good:
- Outstanding value
- Food is both plentiful and delicious
- Service was friendly and casual

The Bad:
- Small restaurant, it can fill up fast
- The location is still in a seedy area, but it's changing

Cactus Club Cafe

I originally thought a bunch of us were going to eat lunch at the one20 today, so a couple of us made our way down there to find out nobody was there. Due to a lack of communication, there was no lunch planned. Despite the fact I like one20, we decided to head over to Cactus Club instead. To tell you the truth, I really do like Cactus Club. Yes, some people will point out that Cactus Club is expensive and a chain restaurant. That's is pretty much true; however, there are some good eats here. I still remember back in University, we would frequent 2 of the first few locations near Metrotown and on Robson. Their first location (North Van) opened in 1988. Much like it's competitors, Cactus Club has gone through come changes and has gone a bit more upscale.

Since the addition of Rob Feenie as a food designer, there have been some changes to the menu. Today, all 3 of us chose a Rob Feenie creation and in doing so, paid accordingly. Blondie had the Spinach Salad with Italian prosciutto, goat cheese, balsamic figs, candied pecans and sherry vinaigrette. She really enjoyed the salad; but did remark that the prosciutto's saltiness overwhelmed some flavours. My esteemed colleague, L-Pete, had The Burger which consisted of aged cheddar cheese, cured bacon, sautéed mushrooms and red pepper relish. This is a very large burger and he really liked it. I've had the opportunity to try The Burger as well and it is indeed very good. It's juicy, has more than enough toppings and the relish is pretty tasty. For my meal, I ordered the Prawn & Scallop Spaghettini. It wasn't a particularly large portion of pasta; yet it was enough. The roasted tomato sauce was light and fresh tasting. The seafood was cooked just right and the pasta was al dente.

Honestly, no complaints here about the food, it was consistently good. Only real concern was probably the price because it wasn't cheap. However, if you can get past the "chain restaurant" stigma, the food is actually quite decent. With that being said, yes it is true you can practically eat anywhere for those prices. I guess it would be a personal choice as to where you want to spend your money.

The Good:
- No surprises
- Fun atmosphere
- Good place for varied tastes or big groups

The Bad:
- Pricey (along the same lines as Milestone's, Earl's and Joey's)

Fish on Rice

Alright, I normally do not re-write an entire post; but I am going to do it in this case. I originally posted Fish on Rice back in November 2008. I used to enjoy going to Fish on Rice; in fact, I went there 3 times in 2 weeks once! However, either I'm getting my picky or possibly I was just plain wrong in my first assessment of Fish on Rice. Whatever the case, this visit proved to me once and for all that all-you-can-eat Japanese food is typically not a good choice unless you are very hungry. Well, today I was very hungry since at Greek Day, all I had to eat were desserts. We actually arrived at Fish on Rice during their happy hour ($13.95); but I really wanted more selection and went with the full dinner menu ($21.95). One positive thing I can say about Fish on Rice is that their dinner menu does have a good selection and it is less expensive than most of it's competition (for the same selection of food). Of course, we parked at the Old Orchard parking lot beside Fish on Rice. I'm sure one of these days they'll starting towing people who park there for Earl's and Fish on Rice.

Unluckily for us, we got a true table for 2 and it is not really that sufficient for AYCE. After a few dishes, our table was really full. I went ahead and ordered a bunch of food from the checklist and waited anxiously. I was super hungry! Played hockey in the morning and practically no food all day! That is probably what possessed me to return to Fish on Rice for the first time in 6 months. I'm not sure if the workers are disgruntled or they have been trained to be zombies because the service was robotic and expressionless. Even after I said out loud "thank you" to many of the servers, none of them acknowledged it. Would they have preferred plain rudeness instead??? You'd think that after all the negative reviews of the bad service at Fish on Rice, they would actually care to do something about it? Anyways, the first couple of things we got were Miso Soup, Ebi Sunomono and Green Salad. Really nothing special about these dishes, although they were pretty small. I know it's AYCE, but I ate the Sunomono in one bite. The Beef Tataki was decent enough, meat was sliced thin, sauce was decent and it was not chewy. Tuna Tataki was alright, a bit bland since the dressing was barely there. We only decided to get Salmon Sashimi and some Surf Clam. Again, both were alright, but the salmon was sliced poorly with the belly still attached and presented on the dish all curled up. Oyster Motoyaki was actually quite decent. It was hot and there was a large oyster nestled in the baked mayo. The Beef Short Ribs, Beef Teriyaki and Tonkatsu (we didn't even order it) were pretty standard. They didn't offend; but didn't stand out either. We only ordered 3 rolls: Spider, Spicy Scallop and Spicy Salmon. The spider roll was alright; but the other 2 were awful. They tasted okay, but the rolls were messy and loose. The worst dish of all was the Prawn Tempura. First, the tempura batter was thicker than paper mache, it was truly disgusting. Second, the dipping sauce was luke warm and tasteless. Third and most importantly, the shrimp were NOT deveined. In fact, these shrimp must've been constipated because they had the largest, blackest, most disgusting veins I've ever seen. Lastly, the Black Cod was a bit bland and unevenly cooked; yet it was edible and at least I got it.

Ah yes, the black cod controversy. Before this visit, every other time (at least 15), we have either not received our order of black cod or have received it last and with half the pieces we requested. Imagine my surprise when the black cod arrived in the middle of our meal this time! However, sadly it was only half of what I ordered again. On my second round, I accidentally marked off Tuna Tataki rather than Beef Tataki. When it arrived, I told the waitress that I didn't order Tuna Tataki. The female manager comes up to me, shows me the original checklist and showed me arrogantly that I had made a mistake. Okay yes, that's true and it's my bad. However, did she need to do that? Besides, someone else for sure would order tuna tataki, give it to them. Whatever, I didn't want to argue, I just took the tataki and ate it. As I was eating it, 3 separate orders of food arrived at our table that we never ordered. So should I in turn go up to the same female manager and show her the checklist and point to the fact I didn't order those 3 dishes??? Not to mention, we got a tonkatsu that I never ordered either!

So on this most recent visit, I have to sadly say that I was horribly mistakened to even say I actually liked this place. With the combination of awful service, mediocre food and questionable business practices, I will not be coming back. With that being said, Fish on Rice is still better than some of the other AYCE Japanese joints out there. That statement alone is an indication of how sad some of these AYCE places really are. If you must go to an AYCE place, then I think Ninkazu is probably the best of the bunch. Of course AYCE has a place and time, especially for big groups of big eaters; but really, if you want good Japanese food (assuming you are not starving), go to a non-AYCE place. You will probably end up spending the same amount or even less for much higher quality food.

The Good:
- Good selection
- A bit cheaper than most the competition for the same selection
- There's sashimi on the lunch menu (albeit limited to 6pcs per person)

The Bad:
- Service is god awful, they don't seem to care that you are spending $22.00 for this
- Some of the food is not very good
- Restaurant needs a cleaning