Pho Hoa Hong

Last time I visited Pho Tam out in Whalley, I noticed that there was another Pho restaurant a couple of stores down. I found it a bit strange since Pho Tam is probably one of the most solid Pho restaurants I've been to. Wouldn't it be hard to compete? It's like trying to open up a clothing store right next to Walmart. How can you compete with bigger, cheaper and better (well, that might be contentious; but you get the point)? For me, I just had to try it out. This time around, I just made sure I didn't circle too many times around the block. Apparently, the cops mistaken me for something else since I drive a black SUV.

Joining me for lunch today is Sexi Mexi. Yes, she is Mexican and she loves Pho! I wonder what would happen if we combined the 2 cuisines? How about refried bean pho??? Uh, maybe not. Well, I did order the Shrimp Salad Roll and it does resemble a burrito. Alright, I'm grasping at straws here. Although it was fresh and crisp, the salad roll would have benefited from more shrimp as you could see in the picture. As per usual, I got the Pho Tai, Nam, Gan, Sach, which is essentially the everything but the kitchen sink pho. Topped by a reasonable amount of tripe, flank, tendon and rare steak, the noodles were still a bit chewy (which is a good thing). However, I thought the broth was a tad on the weaker side. I did detect beef flavour with some spice; yet overall, it did not stand out. It wasn't bad; but Pho Tam is better.

One of the rare times, I got to see someone eating Chicken Pho. Sexi Mexi went for the chicken meatball pho and it did seem quite a bit lighter than my meat ladened bowl. I don't know about you; but I associate Pho with beef and this chicken thing seems a bit wrong to me. Noodles looked good though. And this brings up a good point. Everything was decent, if not pretty good. Yet, is that good enough when 2 stores down is Pho Tam, where you can get bigger and better value. Well, they both co-exist in the same strip mall, so I guess it's all good.

The Good:
- Inexpensive (like most Pho places)
- Decent bowl of pho

The Bad:
- Soup was a bit weak
- Lemon wedge instead of lime (I know, I'm being picky)

The Teahouse

To me, it was a bit perplexing to see the iconic Teahouse in Stanley Park renamed Sequoia a few years back. After all, there are many people who have fond memories of the Teahouse and a name change just didn't seem right. Fortunately, the decision was to revert back to the name we are familiar with. Of course, change can be good as well. Recently, Francois Gagnon, formerly of Blue Water and Cin Cin, has taken the reigns as Executive Chef at the Teahouse. Tonight, I was invited to give the Teahouse a try. I've been here when it was known by it's original name and while it was the Sequoia. This will be my first time back since reverting back to the Teahouse.

I arrived a little early and took a seat while waiting for my table to be setup. During that time, I sipped on a Candy Apple Martini. I was shown to my table and ironically, it was the same table I sat at last time I was here. Although, that time, I was dining with Viv. No Viv this time, it was just me, in a corner, snapping photos of my food. Thank goodness the staff knew exactly what I was doing. I don't know about you; but if I were a third party, I would be a bit disturbed at a guy sitting in the corner snapping photos of his carpaccio from many different angles. "He seems a bit lonely with his pounded raw meat..."

Before the carpaccio arrived, I was brought a amuse bouche in the form of a Dungeness Crab Tortellini with lobster reduction. The tortellini itself was al dente filled with fluffy crab meat. It appears this was a study in aromatics and natural sweetness since it was very lightly seasoned. The lobster reduction was rich while successfully taking a backseat to the crab. I enjoyed this very much and could have ate a whole plate of them. Appearing next was the plate of Beef Carpaccio, which in fact, I did take multiple pictures of... If you look at the picture, it seems to be a lot of things going on in one plate. You have the beautiful beef underneath truffle mayo, fried onions, pecorino romano, quail eggs and microgreens with a splash of olive oil. Combining all of the ingredients into one bite yields buttery soft beef combined with the saltiness of the cheese, smoothness of the mayo and crunchiness of the onions. A wide range of textures, flavours and aromatics are encompassed into every bite. Although I've had quail eggs with my carpaccio before, it seems a bit unnecessary since it doesn't add anything that isn't already present on the plate. It's quite possibly I much prefer the Japanese version of Yuke where it comprises of a raw quail egg atop raw beef. Chalk this up to personal preference.

For my main, I selected the AAA Ribeye with wild mushrooms and fingerling potatoes (added 2 prawns as well). Nicely charred on the outside, the ribeye was perfectly medium-rare. I particularly liked demi-glace with the wild mushrooms. It was rich; yet understated so that the natural meat flavour remained the star of the show. The fingerling potatoes were firm while being fork tender at the same time - perfect execution. The only thing I would change are the prawns. Despite being cooked perfectly, there was a bit too much salt.

Finally, for dessert, I had the Molten Chocolate Cake. If you've ever tried the one at Morton's, this one is better. Piercing through the crisp exterior into the soft interior revealed a sinful gush of Grand Marnier chocolate ganache. I thought to myself, "I'll only take a bite". Guess what happened? One bite became the whole darn thing. Bad Sherman! I decided to call it a reverse chocolate souffle since that's what came to mind when I bit into it. I liked how the sweetest item on the plate was the vanilla ice cream since the chocolate was rich without being sugary. This was an very enjoyable meal. Of course when one doesn't have to pay for a meal, it's a bonus. However, I'll hold true to my belief that good food is good food, despite the fact they knew I was going to write an article about it or not. A bad restaurant doesn't suddenly become a good one overnight. Besides, I've been to the Teahouse before (albeit with a different executive chef) and I liked it. This visit has not changed my opinion.

The Good:
- Prices are quite reasonable considering the venue
- Portions are good (no Filet-O-Fish required afterwards)
- Service is excellent (based on previous visits, since this time doesn't count!)

The Bad:
- Serious lack of parking if the place gets full
- A bit hard to get to without a vehicle

Tim Horton's

Tim Horton's??? Yes, don't laugh. I'm pretty sure most of you have been to Tim's already; but for comparison purposes, I decided to combine all my previous visits into one post on it. Besides, it has an almost iconic status in Canada. Who hasn't heard of a "Double Double", "Tim Bits" or something with maple glaze all over it? It's actually something that we can associate with Canadian culture. Well, it actually merged with Wendy's in 1995. So much for Canadiana. Fortunately, due to corporate tax legislation, Tim's became a Canadian company again in 2009.

As mentioned, I've been to Tim's many, many times and finally decided to do a post about it. Let's call it my duty as a Canadian to represent. Now, representing is one thing; but to give an honest opinion is another. That's being Canadian isn't it??? Well, I'm gonna say it and I hope it doesn't anger too many people - I really don't prefer Tim's donuts. There I said it. I don't hate them; yet I don't find the texture that appealing. I much prefer donuts from Top Pot or locally, Harmony. I find that Tim's donuts are a bit dense for my liking. However, I do not mind their Tim Bits. It's probably because they are smaller and bite size. With that being said, I recently tried the Krispy Kreme donut holes and they're better.

In terms of the food, I'm a bit indifferent. Their sandwiches are merely passable. The reason? I find their bread incredibly dense and tough to chew. Every time I take a bit into a Tim's sandwich, more filling slips out of the roll than into my mouth. It's a frustrating exercise. It's not the easiest sandwich to bite through. I'm not even sure if they are a good value to tell you the truth. Okay, sandwiches and donuts, I don't prefer; however, I really like their chili. Something about the meatiness and the thickness of the chili appeals to me. Again, I'm not a huge fan of the bread that comes with it. Haven't they heard of yeast???

For breaky, I don't mind their breakfast sandwiches. However, the egg inside looks a bit scary. Neither nuked or scrambled, they are uniform in shape and strange in texture. Whatever, it doesn't taste too bad. The B.E.L.T is a solid Bagel, Egg, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich that I find better than McD's. A side of baked hashbrowns is not bad either. A bit small; but probably better that we eat less of them anyways after a buttery biscuit, sausage, egg and cheese!

I'm not a big coffee drinker; but I know what I like and don't like. I don't like Starbucks coffee. It tastes burnt to me. However, I don't mind Tim's coffee. It's not as strong and boy, they have a lot of choice as well. The selection may not be as high-end as Starbucks, Blenz or Second Cup; yet it probably appeals to a different crowd anyways. I like the Double Double (2 x cream and 2 x sugar) because it tastes wimpy. That's right, I'm not a fan of black coffee and the more flavourings in it, the better. To coffee connoisseurs, I am
committing blasphemy; but hey, I like my coffee that way. Well, there you have it. I'm a bit indifferent towards Tim's. I hope that doesn't make me any less Canadian. Yet, I do play hockey, am indifferent towards all political parties, peace-loving, say "Thank You" and "Please" and continually end my sentences in "eh". That must count for something eh?

The Good:
- You really do feel more Canadian eating there
- A little of everything for somebody
- Decent coffee (assuming if you don't like it strong)

The Bad:
- Dense donuts, dense bread
- Sandwiches are a bit pricey for what you get

Dinner @ Bing Sheng

I've already been to Bing Sheng for Dim Sum a couple of times and I thought it would be a good idea to try out their dinner service. Tonight, we gathered up the kiddies and made our way out there. It's nice to see that they have replaced their awning. Let's just say the old one looked like it had been through a hurricane. It's funny how you see this happen sometimes. I guess going for the lowest priced awning company didn't work out for them! One thing I like about Bing Sheng is the decor. It's pretty decent for a restaurant of this class. Although, during Dim Sum, it is not as comfortable as it looks.

We started out with the Snake Soup. Yes, you heard me right. Trust me, it tastes like chicken! No joke! Combined with wood ear mushrooms, lemon grass and fish maw, the broth was a bit on the bland side. It could've used more seasoning and colour. Overall, it was still decent and the table presentation on a chafing tray was nice. The next dish was a failure of epic proportions. It was supposed to be Fish and Roast Pork Hot Pot. What we got was more like mystery bones and salty pork. The little fish meat that clung to the bones were so overcooked, you would swear it was not fish. Think of the texture similar to overcooked pork tenderloin. We barely touched this dish.

Compounding the problem was the Pea Shoots with Bean Curd Stick and Gingko Nuts. Flavour wise it was fine; but look at the colour of the pea shoots! It was no longer bright green, rather it was paler than a Vancouverite after 3 months of winter. Predictably, it was overcooked and not really all that pleasant to eat. We did like the abundance of soft bean curd stick though. Finally, the 8 Treasures Braised Duck arrived and that would be the best dish of the meal. A tender boneless half duck hid beneath a bevy of shrimp, scallops, chicken, mushrooms, squid, BBQ pork, carrots and sui choy. Flavour wise, it could have used a bit more salt; otherwise, it was a dish we'd order again.

Now, when a restaurant boasts about a particular dish because it has some unique feature, it'd better deliver. The dish here is the Fish Intestines Egg Casserole. Yes, yes, I know, intestines, not really an attractive food to many people. Well, don't knock it until you try it. I guess I should eat my own words because I did try it and it wasn't very good. The reason? It was very fishy. I know, it comes from a fish; but really fresh intestines shouldn't be that fishy, it should be sweet. Every bite felt like I was licking a salmon from Granville Island Market. Bing Sheng boasts that they fly it in every Friday. Sorry, it wasn't good and to top it off, the egg was grossly overcooked, thus making it kinda stiff.

Overall, a pretty disappointing dinner. With high expectations, especially from their excellent Dim Sum, we were surprised that dinner was so poor. We do realize that usually there is a separate Dim Sum and Dinner chef. That could be the reason for the big discrepancy in execution between Dim Sum and Dinner. Furthermore, that probably accounts for the substantially fewer customers during dinner. One thing I have to mention is one of the managers seems to be quite forgetful. Everything we requested from him was acknowledged; yet he never followed through. This was 5 requests ranging from more tea to helping us pack up leftovers. I think we'll stick to Dim Sum when we visit Bing Sheng from now on.

The Good:
- Prices are reasonable
- Service is generally good (despite the forgetfulness)
- Dining room is nice

The Bad:
- Execution of food is poor
- When you can't get your signature dish right, there is a problem

Bee Kim Heng

A long time ago, in a city that never stops raining (guess which place I'm talking about?), I would visit this small store on Main near Broadway for some really good and fresh Singaporean-
style jerky. Unfortunately, this store and the others on the same block met an untimely fate due to a raging inferno. It's with great irony that just recently, the block across the street went up in flames too. I know this is a bit sick; but maybe it's a sign that a BBQ joint should open up in this area. So again, what's up with this beef and pork jerky? Well, the way they prepare it is by cooking it over a BBQ-type grill. The meat itself is
marinated in soy, sugar and spices. What you get is a nice smoky, rich tasting jerky. Moreover, it's quite fresh. They don't package it until you order it. Unlike the prepackaged jerky you'd find in stores, you can get as much or little as you want.

This place I speak of is Bee Kim Heng. Roughly 10 years ago, they relocated to it's current location on Fraser near King Edward. On my way back from Shiro, I decided to stop by and grab some beef jerky. No idea why I did this, it was a bit random. I guess you could call it a "knee-jerk reaction" or a "Jerky Call" (yikes, that sounds disgusting!). I gotta say that the store is quite basic, with a grill in the front and a counter with a till. Hey, it doesn't really matter if you're just in for some "quick jerky". Alright, I'll stop it with the jerky jokes! I just can't help it. Anyways, the jerky itself may not be the softest; but it's not particularly hard either. In fact, it's moist, sugary and most of all, not stale tasting. If you are a jerky fan, give it a try. It's probably some of the best jerky a person can enjoy by themselves! *snicker*

The Good:
- Freshly-made jerky
- Get as much or little as you want
- Flavourful, moist and delicious

The Bad:
- A bit too sweet for some people

Shiro

*Under new ownership*

For the second time this week, I took my daughter out for lunch. We visited a place I haven't been to in quite sometime - Shiro. Since she's only 2-years old, it's not as simple as it sounds. As mentioned in the Red Chilli post, there is a lot of baggage (literally) that accompanies her. Yet, that was not the most challenging thing I faced. Rather, with the extremely tight parking lot, I almost mashed my front rim along the curb. I'll refrain from parking in the lot next time. I value my rims very much! We were lucky to arrive early enough to have a choice between a table or the sushi bar. I choose the sushi bar since I didn't want to take up a big table between the both of us. Moreover, I just like watching the sushi chef at work.

Predictably, I started with the Wild Salmon Sashimi (I seem to do this every time at a Japanese restaurant). Not only was each slice glistening with freshness, it was sweet and delicious. It's hard to describe; but the salmon had the right "bounce" or elasticity when I bit into it. If you look at the dish, there is something strange. No, it doesn't say Kawawa on the plate; rather, the wasabi is of the freshly grated variety. Not many places offer this. I know Tojo's does; however, I'm not sure of many more places that do. All I can say is that the wasabi was hawt! A good thing really. Not that watered-down crap you'd find at impostor Japanese restaurants.

Alright, I think if you read this blog enough, you know what's next. Yes, the Nigiri. I promise that I'll mix it up a bit the next time I eat Japanese! I got one each of Tuna, Scallop, Unagi and Inari. Once again, the items were fresh and the rice was well made. No complaints here. I also got a combo which had a little of everything. It came with an Udon which my daughter liked. For me, Udon is nothing really all that exciting. This one was alright, the noodles were still chewy, while the broth was a bit weak. I thought the Tempura was pretty good. The batter was not too thick and it was crispy. I didn't get to try the prawn tempura because my daughter ate them both. You can see that she knows how to eat, unlike my son who eats nothing. I ate the rest of the veggie tempura and it was a bit on the oily side.

The combo also included one BC Roll and one Tekka Maki. I'm not a huge fan of tekka maki; but the fish was fresh. I wasn't a huge fan of the BC roll. This maybe a personal preference; but I felt that there was too much salmon (like that really should be a problem...). It was heavy to eat. A small plate of Broccoli Gomae accompanied the set meal and it was fantastic. The broccoli was still crisp while there were roasted sesame seeds which was quite aromatic. It's nice to see that it wasn't soaked with sesame dressing, typically found in unauthentic Japanese restaurants. I still remember the one I got at Sushi Garden which was disgusting.

So it was another successful meal with my daughter, who was both behaved and ate a good amount of food. It was a bit odd sitting with her at the sushi bar; but it was amusing at the same time. Luckily I arrived early because the place got packed pretty quickly and a lineup started to build as we were packing up to leave. The service was friendly and efficient, while the sushi came out pretty quickly. The cooked food took a bit more time since the small restaurant was quite busy. I really shouldn't complain because the food was good and if it requires more time, so be it.

The Good:
- Freshly grated wasabi
- Fresh and well-prepared sushi
- Friendly service

The Bad:
- It's cramped in there
- Parking lot is equally cramped

Guu with Garlic

Rich Guy was supposed to be leaving on Thursday; but extended his stay for another 2 weeks. This seems to be a reoccurring theme. That's why we quit throwing him going away parties. He would leave, then come back, leave, comeback and so on. Soon he had a stash of going away gifts and many free dinners. We were wondering if he just doing it for all the freebies. No wonder he is a Rich Guy! Tonight, Vandelay and I took him out to celebrate his birthday since he is rarely here on the date itself. At least we think it's his birthday... Rich Guy likes Izakaya; so we headed off to Guu with Garlic. Much like the other locations (with the exception of Aberdeen), it's small and very busy. We ended up waiting for about half an hour. The table we got was a small table for 2. That really wasn't the problem; rather, we had to sit on the floor. I haven't sat this much cross-legged on the floor since Elementary.

In Japan, Izakayas are not normally a place where you'd eat dinner because it is mostly intended for drinks and small bites after work. It's a similar to how we find big plates of pasta for one person here whereas in Italy, they would share it. Let's just say that food gets interpreted differently here for the local market. Thus, to actually get full off of Izakaya food, we ordered 11 dishes to share. Normally, in a place such as Kingyo and Hapa, you'd be looking at quite the hefty bill afterwards. However, at Guu, the prices are more reasonable and the portions are decent. Gyoza King, which is a block away is quite similar in pricing as well; but they are super busy and the wait for a table might take even longer.

We started with the Fakahire Kurage (Shark's Fin Salad) which is essentially faux shark's fin (vermicelli) and jellyfish marinated in a sweet
sesame dressing. Basically, this dish is an examination in textures rather than flavour since shark's fin and jellyfish do not have much taste on their own. A bit chewy and crunchy, it was lightly seasoned; a great way to start off the meal. Also, you will only find this dish at Guu with Garlic, the other Guus do not serve it. The Kimchi Udon was next and I was a bit apprehensive since I did not enjoy a similar dish at Hapa. The addition of cod roe made that particular dish a bit fishy and slimy. This time around, it was better here at Guu; but still not my favourite. At least the udon were not slimy in this instance. Next up was the Gindara (Black Cod) which is marinated in miso, grilled and topped with mayo. The fish was buttery soft and had just enough flavour that it did not overwhelm the fish. I didn't think the mayo added much to the dish since black cod itself is an oily fish.

One of my favs is Takoyaki and naturally I had to order it. Fluffy on the inside with pieces of tender octopus and slightly crisp on the outside. There was just enough sauce and mayo with bonito flakes and nori. Another favourite that I ordered was the Ebi Mayo. The shrimp were plump and fried up nicely with a huge pool of mayo on the bottom. I'm glad it was not on the top. I like some mayo; but not so much that you cannot even see the ebi. Rich Guy ordered both the Salmon and Beef Carpaccios. I originally wanted a Beef Yuke; but I didn't see it on the menu. Didn't matter anyways, Rich Guy did not want raw beef and raw eggs together. The salmon carpaccio was good, the fish was fresh and the light soy dressing didn't detract from natural sweetness. I liked the plum dressing for the beef carpaccio, it added nice sweetness to the tender slices of meat.

We also got the Okonomi Yaki, which in this
case was a seafood and veggie pancake. It's pan fried and dressed in a tonkatsu sauce with wasabi mayo. This was a pretty standard version. I would've preferred that it was a bit fluffier; but it tasted good nonetheless. At this stage, we had a bit more room left in our appetites and ordered 3 more dishes. Vandelay really wanted the Buta No Kakuni or stewed pork belly with egg. This is not a dish if you were watching your weight. Yet, there is nothing better than tender pork belly. This reminded me of the Chinese version which is accompanied by pickled mustard greens. The stewing liquid helped bring a sweetness and richness to the belly. The soft boiled egg was a nice treat at the end. Although, it was a bit difficult to share. Imagine splitting a runny egg amongst 3 people. I've seen deep fried chicken knees before; but this is the first time I've ever ordered Deep Fried Chicken Cartilage. It consisted of deep fried breast bone cartilage and was served with roasted salt. It was indeed interesting; but didn't really encourage me to order it ever again. The last dish was the Unagi Meshi or eel rice with cucumber, egg topped with a kabayaki sauce (which is basically unagi sauce).
The rice was firm, the unagi plentiful and the cucumber gave a nice crunch.

Once again, another solid meal at Guu. So far, it seems that this location is the better compared to the Richmond and Thurlow locations. I have yet to try the Gastown one; but you know I will! As for my legs, they were numb after sitting in an awkward position all through the meal. However, I was pretty pleased with the food and the incessant yelling of orders from the wait staff (it's how they do it here). For me, that erases all thoughts of pain.

The Good:
- Reasonable prices
- A good selection of items (that are different at every location of Guu)
- Not incredibly dark like other Izakayas (but I'm sure some like it dark)

The Bad:
- As with many Izakayas, not the most comfortable seating arrangements
- Long lines, unless you have a reservation