Hearthstone Pizza

Despite a short dabble in scrap booking (yes, Viv had some influence), I've never truly enjoyed shopping at Michael's.  Sure, there are some random items that do catch my attention, but a usual visit would involve me rushing Viv to get outta the place.  On our last visit to the PoCo location, I noticed Hearthstone Pizza (as I parked right in front of it).  As much as I was curious, we left and I totally forgot about it.  It wasn't until a recent invite that brought me back out to my former stomping grounds.  Diana, Amy and myself decided to go together so that we could try more pizzas.

We opted to start with the basic large Margherita as a baseline.  It featured a tangy and fresh-tasting tomato sauce that was well-seasoned.  Mozzarella was generously applied while the entire thing was topped with fresh-sliced tomatoes, fresh basil, minced garlic and olive oil.  Okay, let's get one thing straight first - they do not serve Neapolitan-style pizza.  Rather, it is thin-crust artisan pizza.  With that in mind, they succeed in spades.  Crunchy, well-charred and well-seasoned, the crust was thin and consistent in texture throughout.  It held up to the wet ingredients confidently.  For our second pizza, we tried the Meat Lovers consisting of pepperoni, sausage and meatballs.  As expected this was much heartier and greasier due to the meats.  Furthermore, there was a bit of spice due to the pepperoni.

We moved onto 2 small pizzas that we customized to our own specifications.  The first one featured a white sauce base with chicken, bacon, mozzarella, blue cheese, artichoke, mushroom, spinach, roasted red peppers, pesto, garlic and olive oil.  This was money as the pungent blue cheese played off the herby pesto and salty bacon.  Packed with flavour and ingredients, the crust held up well once again.  Our last pizza featured tomato sauce, mozzarella, chicken, sun dried tomato, mushroom, artichoke and pesto.  This was also good, but lacked the impact of the first pizza (which we collaboratively created).  Overall, I enjoyed all the pizzas at Hearthstone.  Considering that a small is only $7.00 and a large is $9.00, you won't need to spend much either.

*Food was complimentary*

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Thin and crispy crust
- Unlimited toppings

The Bad:
- Not really a bad, but don't expect Neapolitan-style pizza because it isn't and they do not pretend to be either

Original Joe's (Robson)

"Chain restaurant", those 2 words can often elicit facial responses that are akin to smelling SBD (silent but deadly).  However, the chain restaurant scene in Vancouver is alive and well.  In fact, there are many that I don't mind eating at since they have upped their game.  Awhile back, I had visited the Cambie and Broadway location of Original Joe's after late night hockey.  We came away satisfied and we put OJ's in our back pocket for another visit one day.  Well, with an invite to their newly opened Robson location, I enlisted the help of Viv, Snake and Snake Charmer in our night of gluttony.

We ended up sampling at least one item from each section of the menu beginning with the Long Beach Fish Tacos comprised of blackened mahi mahi seared in a light chili lime sauce, avocado, lettuce, roma tomato, green onion, cilantro and chipotle sauce folded into lightly grilled flour tortillas.  At first, we were concerned with the bits of fish rather than a whole piece.  Our fears were abated since the fish was moist and flavourful with spice and acidity.  The soft tortilla was on point with a gentle crispiness.  Next up was the West Coast Chop with mixed greens, pea shoots, English cucumber, dried cranberries, candied almonds, avocado, chick peas and goat cheese; tossed in honey-dijon vinaigrette.  This was a fairly straight-forward salad that was spiked with sweet and plump cranberries, crispy chick peas and creamy goat cheese.  The dressing was really light with only a hint of sweetness and acidity.  We added a skewer of prawns that were cooked just enough so that they were cold-water crunchy.

Onto our 3rd appie, we tried the Calamari with jalapenos, slivered onions and bell peppers served with house made tzatziki.  Chewy while still tender, the squid was lightly battered and crispy.  It was easy on the grease while spiked with dry spices.  We felt there could've been a touch more salt in the batter though.  As for the tzatziki, it was creamy, yet light with subtle tartness.  Dressed with crumbled chorizo sausage, a blend of four cheeses, banana peppers, cracked pepper and drizzled with a roasted red pepper aioli, the Rustica Flat Bread was quite zesty.  The tart and well-seasoned tomato sauce combined with the spicy chorizo and aioli to form an impactful base of flavours that were further exacerbated by the banana peppers.  As for the crust, it was bready and soft.

For our first large dish, the Blackened Salmon was uniformly prepared and attractive on the plate.  It consisted of seared wild Pacific Salmon rubbed with a blend of creole seasonings.  As much as its appearance promised big flavours, it was actually quite mild and subtle.  The fish itself was flaky and moist with a barely cooked centre.  The squeeze of lemon did liven things up a bit, but a bit more salt would've gone a long way.  For our sides, we chose the Quinoa Salad and Broccolini.  With slivered almonds and mint strewn throughout, the quinoa salad was a nice balance of textures and flavours.  As for the veg, it was vibrant and crunchy.  Onto something on the heavier side, we tried their Grilled Cheese Burger.  As much as I loathe the heaviness of grilled cheese incorporated into a burger, this one worked.  Instead of 2 complete grilled cheese sandwiches acting as the "bun", this one featured 2 thick slices of French bread that was garlic buttered with cheddar and Swiss on only one side.  Inside, there was a fresh ground chuck patty with peppered bacon, melted provolone, lettuce, tomato and crisp fried onions.  With all of the ingredients surrounding a well-charred patty, there was a whole lot of textures and messiness going on.  On the side, we had the Poutine and Coleslaw.  Featuring crispy fresh-cut fries and a thick salty gravy, the poutine was decent, but we wished that the cheese curds were squeaky.

Onto something with more fries, we had the Fish & Chips sporting a blonde lager battered wild North Atlantic haddock, tartar sauce and dill dip.  The fish was coated in a razor-thin batter that was intermittently crispy.  Inside, the fish was flaky while a bit dry.  We enjoyed both dips as the tartar sauce resembled a remoulade with spice and chunkiness.  The dill dip was also quite good spiked with plenty of flavour.  Again, the fresh cut fries were on point being crispy and fluffy at the same time.  As if we weren't full by now, we also had the Certified Angus Beef Dip.  This gigantic sandwich was blessed with a good amount of moist and tender beef aided by buttery sauteed mushrooms, Swiss cheese, caramelized onions and sharp horseradish mayo.  Although the au jus was pretty salty, it had to be because of the enormity of the sandwich.

Ending things off, we had something much lighter in the Pacific Rim Bowl consisting of chicken, prawns and steamed vegetables in an aromatic broth served with rice noodles.  I thought the broth had elements of different Asian soups including the tartness of a Tom Yum featuring the essence of lemongrass (but much more subtle).  The proteins were on point with tender chicken and crunchy prawns.  The veggies were quite overdone though while the noodles were al dente.  For dessert, we ended with the Dirt Pie comprised of chocolate and mocha ice cream separated by a layer of fudge brownie chunks and a crumbled cookie crust.  This was quite enjoyable with creamy ice cream intermittently interrupted rich gooey pieces of brownie. However, the caramel sauce was not really necessary as the whole thing was sweet enough.  Once finished, it occurred to me that the food as whole was better than expected (and the last time too).  Certainly does the job for a casual sports bar-type of chain restaurant.

*All food and beverages excluding gratuities were complimentary*

The Good:
- Large portions
- Fairly consistent execution on proteins
- Almost everything is made in-house

The Bad:
- Some proteins could've been more aggressively seasoned

Zeitoon

For people who have lived in the Lower Mainland for an extended period of time, it comes as no surprise that the best Chinese food is found in Richmond and the best Indian food sets up shop in Surrey.  Furthermore, the largest selection of Korean restaurants are located along North Road.  However, how many people realize that the go-to place for Persian eats is on the North Shore?  Well, I guess for some that is not surprising, but it is interesting to note that it is not as well known as the aforementioned eats.

Even armed with that knowledge, I've only ventured into North Van for one Persian dining experience.  With an invite to Zeitoon, that would make it 2 (I guess I should venture out to NV more).  Since I could only eat so much, Sean accompanied me on this food adventure. Things began with the Kashk Bademjan consisting of deep fried mashed eggplant, sauteed onions, garlic and fresh mint.  We really enjoyed this as the soft and silky eggplant was mildly sweet, but best of all, accented by the caramelized and candied onions on top.  Furthermore, the garlic really came through adding more aromatics as well as the background mint essence.

Onto our mains, we shared the Vaziri with one each of the boneless chicken and koobideh ground beef skewers.  This ate as good as it looked where the meats were grilled expertly.  With the chicken, the nicely seasoned breast meat was succulent exhibiting a mild savouriness interrupted by hints of acidity.  As good as that was, the koobideh was better with juicy and well-seasoned ground beef.  The meat was processed enough that it was super moist and soft while still retaining a meatiness.  The bits of onion were sweet and aromatic.  Next, we tackled the Lamb Shank slowly braised and served with with Baghali Polo (basmati rice, dill weed, lima beans).  Super moist and fork tender, the lamb was on point.  There was a depth-of-flavour that was not too gamy where the braising liquid exhibited light tomato and cumin.

Our last dish was my personal favourite being the Fesenjoon Stew consisting of chicken breast in a sauce of walnuts and pomegranate.  I am a sucker for anything tart and acidic, hence, this dish had me at pomegranate.  Sweet and tart, the sauce was appetizing and super impactful.  It went perfectly with the chewy rice.  As much as chicken breast can be rather stringy in a stew, it was not in this case.  Although we only sampled 4 dishes, it left us wanting to try more in the future.  The food was prepared with care where textures and flavours were on point.

*Food excluding gratuities were complimentary*

The Good:
- Well-prepared proteins
- Impactful flavours
- Well-portioned

The Bad:
- A tad more pricey than other places

Krause Berry Farm

Labour Day marks the end of Summer (even though it isn't technically over) and the start of school.  It also means that there are no more holidays for the kiddies until Christmas, the beginning of rainy days (for the next 6 months) and saying goodbye to delicious berries (unless you pay for the imported stuff).  To celebrate, or more appropriately mourn the loss, we headed over to Krause Berry Farm for some lunch and berry pie.

Of all the savoury items available, my daughter wasn't interested in any of them.  Rather, she only had her eye on the Waffle with strawberries and whipped cream.  Freshly made, the waffle was lightly crispy while fluffy throughout.  It was topped with a considerable amount of freshly-sliced strawberries and only a light drizzle of syrup which kept the sweetness to a minimum.  For myself, it was all about the Corn on the Cob because it always reminds me of how I "stalked" Viv (get it?) at the PNE, always buying corn on the cob from her in hopes of asking her out.  This one was pretty good with niblets that burst with sweetness.

I regretted getting the Corn Chowder though as it was thin and overly sweet.  There should've been much more salt to balance it out.  As mentioned, the consistency of the broth was not quite right for a chowder.  I would've much preferred that they thickened it more.  Moving away from the sweet things, we had their Grilled Panini with tomato, pesto and cheese.  This featured crunchy bread with a thick slice of fresh tomato and effectively aromatic pesto.  By virtue of being a vegetarian sammie, I think there needed to be more salt to elevate the impact.  The panini was quite bland and wet (from the tomato) as a result.

My son went for the Moo Melt which was essentially a grilled cheese on multigrain bread.  Since it was prepared on a panini press, the sandwich was not greasy and relatively dry.  On the other hand, the moisture was provided by the cheddar as there was a good amount of it.  Something that was both savoury and sweet was the Corn Pizza.  Overloaded with niblets, cheese and a piece of artichoke heart, the slice of pizza was more like a slice of pie.  The whole thing was rather substantial and yup pretty sweet from all the corn.  The crust was more bread-like than crispy though.

We also tried their Fresh-Cut Farm Fries which took a bit of time to fry up.  Sadly, these were not crispy at all.  Instead, they were limp, wet and rather dense.  They appeared to be made with russet potatoes and fried only once.  Whatever the case, they were fresh and we accepted their limpness.  We ended up finishing them. But what we were really here for was the Berry Custard Pie that featured enough strawberries and raspberries for 3 normal-sized pies.  Sitting atop a firmly crispy crust, the thick and sweet custard gave way to fresh tart berries.  As much as there was a seemingly excess amount of glaze on top, it was not sweet at all.  Personally, I don't like overly sweet desserts and this hit the spot.  Possibly it might be a bit too mild-tasting for some.  Overall, I would say the highlights rested on anything with berries in it.  Not surprising for a berry farm.

The Good:
- Great place for families
- Lots of products to choose from
- Fresh berries (duh)

The Bad:
- Non-berry items were mediocre

Masa Japanese

After a "value" Japanese meal at Sushi Garden the night before, you'd think we wouldn't do it again for the 2nd straight day right?  Well, if you've been reading this blog for the past few years, expect the unexpected - like the time I went to Denny's twice in one day for 2 different birthday meals.  Yes, that was a very unfoodie-like thing to do, but I'm Chinese and cannot forget what my parents taught me - eat the proteins first and leave those mashed potatoes alone at the buffet!  You get the idea...

We ended up meeting Mashmallow at Masa Japanese which replaced Kaneda and before that, Fish on Rice. Looking over the menu, it appeared that "value" might've been the theme.  Well, the Real Crab Salad wasn't exactly cheap nor big in portion size, yet it did feature a decent amount of fluffy crab and a whole lot of mesclun greens.  The dressing was sweet and appeared to contain plenty of pureed apple.  Presented neatly, the Assorted Sashimi consisted of sockeye salmon, Atlantic salmon, albacore tuna, ika, tako and tai (with and without skin).  This was actually pretty good with attractive slices of fish that were fresh with the right textures.  Flavours were mild though.

Next, we had the Gindara Kama BBQ that was served on a hot stone plate.  In actuality, the stone was not hot and only started getting warm after we finished (with a small tea candle underneath).  As much as the skin exhibited a sear, the meat did not benefit from it.  Rather, it had a steamed quality with very little flavour.  With that being said, it was still buttery soft and fatty.  The Appetizer Tempura was generally okay featuring a medium layer of batter that was mostly crispy with a touch of grease, especially with the golden squash and yam.  I actually had to remove the batter as it slid off quite readily.  However, the batter on the ebi was fine.

Our one maki sushi was the Unagi Tempura Roll with cucumber, avocado, imitation crab and tobiko.  We found the roll to be carefully made where it was rolled tightly without being too dense.  Hence, we could pick it up without things falling out.  The thin layer of sushi rice was decent in texture riding the line between chewy while not dry.  It could've used more seasoning though.  Shockingly large in portion size, the Chicken Katsu featured 2 panko-breaded chicken cutlets.  They exterior was fried a golden-brown where it was firmly crunchy.  Inside, the chicken was a touch dry, but not overly so. Overall, we thought the meal was decent considering the price point and portion size.  We agreed it was a step up from Sushi Garden/Sushi Town without the cost.

The Good:
- Decent prices
- Decent portions
- Overall decent

The Bad:
- What's with those table trays?  Made it difficult to share

Sushi Garden (Lougheed)

It is a common occurrence that places such as Sushi Garden and the sort suffer the "foodie hate" due to their value-orientated menu.  Yes, it ain't authentic and yes, it is certainly not the most carefully prepared sushi.  However, what one gets is plenty of food for a low price.  Seeing how we aren't all millionaires (wait, I guess if you own a house in Vancouver, you are one on paper...), we can't be dining at Sushi Hachi everyday.  So with that in mind, we met up with Wolvie and Italian Stallion for some value Japanese. 

We started with the Assorted Sashimi with amaebi, hokkagai, tako, tai, salmon and tuna.  Although a bit thick, the slices of tuna and salmon were actually not bad.  In fact, if one didn't analyze everything with a connoisseurs' palate, it was more than acceptable.  When one visits Sushi Garden, it is almost a given that there will be an order of Spicy Salmon Sashimi on the table (assuming one eats raw fish).  Comprised of bite sized chunks, the salmon was dressed in a mildly spicy and sweet sauce.  Mixed in were crunchy cucumbers and scallions.  As much as it was difficult to taste the actual salmon, it was at the very least soft with a bite.

Next up, we had the Tropical Dynamite Roll with pineapple, mango and salmon to go along with the usual filling of ebi tempura and imitation crab meat.  Although the roll wasn't particularly constructed with care, it did stay together as it was wound tight.  The sushi rice was actually decent in texture albeit a touch dry.  It was rather bland though.  We went with a hot roll next in the Chee-Chi with baked chicken and mozzarella cheese.  Naturally, this ate a bit heavy and wasn't really a "sushi roll".  Rather, it was merely chicken rice and cheese in bite-sized pieces.  At least my son ate this as there was nothing raw inside.

He did enjoy the Assorted Tempura though.  Well at least the ebi, not the veggies (since he hates anything that is not a protein nor carb).  A little on the greasy side, the tempura batter was crunchy and cooked all-the-way-through.  It did start getting a bit soft as it sat for awhile.  That was not a problem for the aggressively fried Chicken Katsu as it featured a firmly crunchy panko coating.  The meat was not as juicy as it could've been, but it was hardly dry either.  Wolvie originally wanted the dinner portion, but ultimately got the appie size (which would've been accompanied by a side of rice).  As we were finishing up, there was a lineup out the door with people anxiously waiting for a table.  This further reinforces the fact that good value matters, especially when eating out can get pretty expensive.

The Good:
- Large portions
- Food is okay for the low price

The Bad:
- A rushed experience
- Food quality can vary