Thai By Thai (Scott Road)

Okay, I must profess that I was too lazy to take an updated photo of Thai By Thai and am using my old one from 2014.  Now nothing on the outside has actually changed other than grand opening banner.  You may notice the banner advertising $7.50 lunch specials.  New flash, they are now like $15.00 and hey I don't blame the restaurant.  Things have gone up a lot due to inflation.  So essentially it has doubled in less than 10 years.  However, our paycheques have not followed suit!  Anyways, we returned to see if the food was still as good as we remembered.

Starting off the meal, we had the Thai Spring Rolls as well as the Vegetable Thai Salad Roll.  Nothing out of the ordinary here with crispy spring rolls with vibrant and crunchy veggies inside.  In terms of aesthetics, the rolls could've been fried more aggressively so it would be darker.  However, it didn't affect the texture or taste.  The salad roll was pretty basic and filled with rice noodles and veggies. The rice paper was soaked properly having an appealingly chewy, yet moist texture.

Another appie we had was the Thai Chicken Wings served with a spiced fish sauce.  These giant mid-wings (or flats) were super juicy and well-brined.  They were starch-coated and fried until they had a good colour and were lightly crunchy.  Due to the brine, the wings had good inherent flavour already, but it was even better after the soaking it with the spicy and garlicky fish sauce.

Of course we had to be defaultish and get the Pad Thai.  Well it was a huge portion that is a half size bigger than most other places.  Although this had plenty of tanginess from tamarind, I found it to be on the sweeter side.  Noodles were chewy, but a bit clumpy.  We asked for our dishes to be medium and this was more or less that.  Overall, this was a respectable Pad Thai and worth ordering.

Next we went with 2 curries including the Chicken Green Curry.  Again, this was a huge portion consisting of the usual ingredients including peppers and eggplant.  We found the green curry to be flavourful but would've enjoyed a bit more brininess.  It was aromatic and lightly creamy from the coconut milk. The best part was the chicken, it was shockingly tender and juicy (possibly from being tenderized).  Sure, it isn't traditionally tenderized, but hey, we liked it more than dry white meat.

We also went for the Beef Red Curry with peppers and bamboo shoots.  Again, this was creamy and fairly flavourful with some spiciness.  This one seemed to be richer than the green curry.  As you can see, this was the same portion size as the green curry, so you must order enough rice to compliment.  Similar to the chicken, the beef had been tenderized and it was tender and moist.  I didn't mind it as it still retained a meaty texture.  Some might argue against it, but I say get over it, it still ate really well.

Lastly, we got the Stir-Fried Mixed Vegetables.  Typically, this dish employs a mushroom "oyster" sauce, but there did not appear to be any in this one.  Despite that, the veggies were vibrant and crunchy while being completely seasoned.  There was a quite a bit of moisture at the bottom of the plate though.  Overall, the food at Thai By Thai was decent and well-portioned.  I've always thought it was one of the better Thai options along the Scott Road corridor (not that there is that much competition).  This most recent visit affirms this.  

The Good:
- Decent eats
- Good portions
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Love that there is a parking lot, but it is a bit tight to maneuver when full
- Some creative license over the food to make it more palatable to the area

Clove - The Art of Dining

If you haven't already noticed, Indian cuisine (particularly Punjabi) is fast becoming more refined and served in fancier digs. Much like the humble Cantonese restaurants of the 70 and 80's, we now find higher end establishments littering the dining landscape.  Of course prices go up with the territory, but we are finding superior service, modern spaces and elevated food.  One of the newer high-end Indian restaurants to hit the scene is Clove - The Art of Dining.  Jacqueline and I were invited to sample some of their wares.

There was a set menu for us that started with the Scallop & Shrimp with cauliflower alleppey, raw mango, sago crisps and curry leaf dust.  As you can see, this was nicely plated with bold colours. It ate quite well too with buttery and nicely seared scallops.  The puréed cauliflower was smooth and creamy with aromatics.  We loved the sago crisps as they were crunchy and light.  They were great to pick up the remaining alleppey.

Next we had the Goan Salmon Fish Cakes coated with rava with pickled mooli and mango sriracha sauce.  Although looking rather pale on the outside, the fish cakes were crispy and not greasy.  Inside, the salmon was moist with some drier parts.  I thought that the sweetness of the salmon came through, but it did really need the sauce to add the necessary kick as well as moisture.

Onto the mains, we had the classic New Delhi Butter Chicken.  Since this was mainly comprised of roasted tomatoes, the tanginess was more muted while the creaminess was quite apparent.  The use of tandoori chicken thighs meant the meat was more tender and moist as well as exhibiting umaminess due to the fat content.  I thought this was a well-balanced butter chicken where the spices came through with a bit of heat.

 

We were presented with something I've had recently was the Bombay-Style Parsi Lamb Kheema.  I personally think these are the tastiest "sloppy Joe's" around.  The lamb kheema was tender, moist and full-flavoured with a touch of spice.  Loved the sunny side egg on top as it added another layer of silkiness.  Those buns were toasted just right to be soft the inside and firm on the outside.

So Jacqueline isn't much into lamb (hey, but I am!), so they supplied an alternate dish in the Kadhai Paneer.  This consisted of bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, roasted kadhai masala and fenugreek.  This was a savoury and spiced concoction that helped flavour the squishy paneer.  Lots of robust spiciness from the masala that helped make this a good compliment to the rice and naan.

About that Garlic Naan, it was good.  I found the pillowy soft texture was complimented by equal parts of elasticity.  On the outside, there was leoparding providing nuttiness and some crispiness.  It was brushed with ghee and littered with garlicky goodness.  We also got the Assorted Papad with 3 chutneys including chatpatta hummus, smoked tomato garlic, and mango chili.  These chutneys really complimented the crispy papadams.  I especially enjoyed the smoked tomato garlic as it was layered with flavours and aromatics.

Onto dessert, we had the Gulab Jamun Cheesecake.  Yes, you read it right, the really sweet doughball soaked in rose water has been combined with a cheesecake.  The result was a more balanced dessert with the sweetness from the gulab jamun making up for the mild-tasting cream cheese.  I really enjoyed the bite of cheesecake and a touch of the gulab jamun.  I found the crust to be nicely firm as well.  Overall, the food at Clove was good and plated nicely.  The dining space is gorgeous and fitting of a fine dining establishement.  This is another great addition to the higher-end Indian within the Surrey restaurant scene.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:

- Gorgeous dining space

- Solid eats

- Elevated experience

The Bad:

- Parking lot can get rather busy at times

Katsuya

My kids love to eat.  Duh, it goes without saying right?  Well, they have many favourites, possibly too many to list.  However, one thing they generally do not get enough of and also would never turn down is Katsu.  They have tried Saku, Daeji, Mr. Tonkatsu and Saboten, where so far, Saku has been their fav.  So when my parents wanted to go out for dinner, I suggested we do either the new Saku in Coquitlam or the nearby Katsuya.  I secretly wanted to do Katsuya as I've never been.  Good thing they chose that!

So we got some appies to start including the small order of Chicken Karaage with some wasabi mayo on the bottom of the plate.  This featured large pieces of chicken thigh which were super juicy and flavourful.  The batter was crunchy and stayed as such even after sitting for awhile.  I wasn't exactly sure I liked the wasabi mayo with this and would've preferred just some kewpie mayo and lemon instead. 

We also had the Tartar Shrimp that featured essentially shrimp tempura with a huge side of tartar sauce.  The shrimp itself was fried up nicely with a crunchy batter than wasn't overly greasy.  Inside, the shrimp had a nice buttery snap.  That tartar sauce was on the sweeter side with a bit of tang.  We thought it was good and didn't even end up using half of it.

Our last appie was the Cheese Crabmeat Croquettes smothered with the same sweet tartar sauce.  Okay, we weren't big fans of these as the copious amount of tartar sauce made them soggy.  Also, the potato, imitation crab and mozzarella filling was far too dense.  It was a real struggle to finish even one of these.  Maybe it would've been better if the sauce was served on the side?

For my choice, I went for the baseline in the Original Pork Loin served with refillable rice, salad and miso soup.  As you can see, the pork loin was fairly large.  It was also not flattened to the degree where it was too thin either.  Hence, it was moist and meaty with a crispy panko coating.  The sauce was tangy and sweet from the fruits and vegetables used to make it.

My daughter predictably had Brick Cheese Katsu in Gold & Silver (Cheddar & Mozzarella).  She absolutely loves cheese and she got her fix here with ooey gooey goodness.  Of course the outer layer of pork had been pounded thin and it was more about the cheese.  She happily ground her own sesame seeds and added it to the rice.  However, she wasn't sure that that tangy BBQ sauce was a good match for the cheese katsu.

My son loves Terimayo Japadogs, so I guess he thought the Terri Mayo Katsu would have all of the same flavours.  That it did with a sweet and tangy teriyaki sauce, a bevy of bonito flakes and mayo.  His pork loin katsu was exactly like mine being moist and tender while still having a meatiness.  The panko was crunchy and not overly greasy.  Possibly this may have needed some grilled onions to add some moisture to the dish as well as staying true to the terimayo flavour.

My parents weren't super hungry and ended up sharing the Mushroom Cream Chicken Katsu.  By virtue of being a flattened chicken breast, this was lighter and a little less moist.  However, with the considerable amount of creamy mushroom goodness on the plate, it alleviated any dryness issues.  It was definitely mushroomy and thick.  Overall, we enjoyed our meal at Katsuya except for the croquettes.  Portions were large and of course the rice, salad and miso soup were refillable.  Definitely an option for katsu.

The Good:
- Large portions
- Decent eats
- Service was pretty good (as opposed to the online reviews)

The Bad:
- Those croquettes...
- Parking in the lot is difficult when busy

Burger Crush

So I finally made it out to Burger Crush located in the spot that use to house Johnny Rockets (really too bad as I actually liked the place).  They are originally from Victoria and offer up a simplified burger experience.  No bells & whistles according to their website, only burgers, fries and milkshakes (also some tofu nuggets...).  This is not the first burger chain to make its way into the Lower Mainland from Victoria, Bin 4 was the first.  

So I wandered into Downtown since I was already getting my hair cut nearby.  My son was with me and he didn't object to some burger and fries.  Usually, I'm a "more meat" kinda guy, but I went for the Single Cheeseburger as a baseline.  Well, I have to say that it was substantial enough that I really didn't need to make it a double.  The beef patty was thick and juicy with a good char on the outside.  It tasted beefy and combined with the LTOP, cheese and burger sauce, it was messy, but good.  The brioche bun was on point being robust enough to keep things together without being dense.

For a growing boy, my son really didn't think twice and had the Double Cheeseburger with all of the same fixin's but of course with 2 patties. Okay, this was really substantial and although he dusted it off, he did admit it was filling and he didn't need a third patty.  One of the biggest differences between this and the single was the bun-to-meat ratio.  He noticed the bun less than I did and it didn't keep everything in as successfully.  Hey not a bad thing because burgers are supposed to be messy!

Onto the sides, he had the single order of French Fries.  This was quite a lot of thin crispy fries and it could easily be shared amongst 2 people with smaller appetites.  As mentioned, they were crispy with potato texture left inside.  They were properly salted where he didn't even need ketchup. I would say that they were solid, but personally I still love McD's the best.

For myself, I went for the Crush Fries with fried onions, cheese and Crush sauce.  Okay, if these remind you of In-N-Out Animal Style, you would be correct.  I felt they were very similar, even down to the type of fries (albeit these were crispier and better than regular In-N-Out fries).  There was a lot of onions, but that was a good thing as it added sweetness.  My son thought these were better than the plain fries.  We also tried their Vegan Nuggets made out of firm tofu.  Honestly, I did not like these.  They were rather dense and pretty bland, but crispy.  I felt that if they seasoned the tofu more, it would've been better.  We got all the dips including Hot Crush, Sweet Crush, Herb Crush and Original Crush.  I thought the hot one had the most impact, but still, that didn't save these nuggets.

For his beverage, my son had the Chocolate Milkshake (that could be made vegan too).  He thought that it was pretty sweet and actually quite runny.  It wasn't necessarily a bad thing as it was easy to slurp.  However, it wasn't as creamy as he wanted it to be.  Overall, we thought the burgers at Burger Crush were on point with well-prepared patties, fresh produce and an excellent bun.  Fries were okay while the vegan nuggets were not good.  We'd come back for the burgers.

The Good:
- Excellent burgers with thick moist patties
- Simple menu that makes it easy to order

The Bad:
- Not a fan of those nuggets

Chongqing (Surrey)

Since Chongqing on Scott Road is near my work, I've been there many many times since it opened almost a decade ago.  However, I haven't blogged about it since 2016 and hey, it is always good to get an update.  I'm sure things have changed since then!  Sorry, I used an old pic of the front because I was too lazy to cross the street...  Anyways, nothing outwardly has changed but they do have rice noodle rolls on the menu now (they didn't before).

On the note about the Rice Noodle Roll, we did order the shrimp version and it came out fully-stuffed.  Usually, there are empty pockets of just rice noodle, but this one has shrimp in almost every bite.  Hence, it ate very hearty and was quite the good value.  Texturally, the shrimp had a good meaty snap and was well-seasoned.  As for the rice noodle, it was on the medium-thick side but was not dense and still had some elasticity.

Sticking with shrimp, we had the usual Ha Gau (Steamed Shrimp Dumpling) which featured a fairly thin dumpling skin.  It was rather wet, so it was a touch soft.  However, there was still elasticity and some chew to them.  Inside, the shrimp filling was quite good.  It was very moist (hence the wet dumpling) and had a nice sweetness.  In terms of texture, the shrimp had a buttery snap and was rather light.

So of course we had to get the ying with the yang in the Siu Mai (Steamed Pork & Shrimp Dumpling) as well.  These were also solid with a moist buttery texture.  The pork was classic bouncy with equally rebound textured shrimp.  Dumplings were also well-seasoned so it didn't taste "porky".  On top, there was a dollop of raw tobiko which made it more appealing.

If we didn't get enough shrimp already, we also had the Shrimp Spring Rolls.  As you can see, they added a layer of nori in between the shrimp and the wheat wrapper.  This enabled the wrapper to be extra crispy because the nori sealed the moisture in.  Also, the slight seaweed flavour added extra umami.  As for the shrimp filling, there was lots of it and the sweet buttery snap was definitely there.

Normally, the Deep Fried Taro Dumplings look like footballs, but some places add a swan's head to create a "bird".  Well, they are cute and sure why not have something more aesthetically-pleasing right?  However, those head/neck things were not tasty.  On the other hand, the dumplings themselves were good with soft creamy mashed taro (love that lard!) with a tender and properly seasoned pork filling.

One of my favourite dishes is the Bean Curd Skin Rolls.  They consist of a fried bean curd sheet outer wrap with a ground pork filling.  I found the one here to be good with a chewy bean curd skin while the filling featured pork that had a good rebound.  It was mixed with some veggies and the filling was not too heavy.  The starch-thickened and watered-down oyster sauce provided enough flavour, but the peppers on top added a weird aftertaste.

So we got the usual BBQ Pork Buns just because it is something we always order?   I got lazy and didn't open one up for the picture, but you can see the filling peaking through.  It was good with lean BBQ pork that was not too saucy.  However, there was still the usual sweet elements with a bit of savouriness.  The bun itself was soft and fluffy and stayed as such even after sitting around.

One of the best dishes of the meal was the Steamed Pork Spareribs.  As you can see, there was a bevy of meaty rib pieces (with minimal fat) that were overflowing out of the sauce plate.  The rib pieces were tender with a rebound chew.  Seasoning was on point with enough salty garlickiness without going overboard.  There was pumpkin underneath to soak up all the flavours.

Yep, another favourite of ours is the XO Daikon Radish Cake and this was done right.  Each cube was fried enough to be crispy on the outside while the inside was soft without falling apart.  Beyond the inherent seasoning in the radish cake, the amount of XO in the wok-fry was sufficient to add both spice and brininess.  They did this without making the dish greasy, even though the pieces were deep fried. 

We got the Singapore Fried Noodles as a larger dish and indeed it was overflowing on the plate.  There was a sufficient amount of ingredients to be found including peppers, onions, BBQ pork and shrimp.  This was wok-fried properly as the noodles were chewy and not clumped together.  There was caramelization of flavours and the curry provided some spice.  Veggies were still vibrant and crisp.

Inexplicably, the Steamed Beef Meatballs came last.  They were fairly large and sat in broth.  They were a bit firmer than what I personally would've liked, but that didn't make or break the dish.  The whipped meat was still tender and of course was bouncy.  They kept the greens to a minimum so it didn't overwhelm the flavour profile.  So as you can tell, the Dim Sum service was solid.  Yes, Chongqing is mainly a Szechuan spot, but they manage to do proper Cantonese Dim Sum. Pretty good given its location and good all around for GVRD.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Reasonable-pricing
- Spacious dining room

The Bad:
- Parking lot is a bonus, but the spaces are super narrow

Bánh Mì Très Bon (White Rock)

How far will I travel for food?  Well I guess since I do go as far as overseas, I guess it is limitless.  However, on a daily basis, I've headed out to Chilliwack a few times for eats and that would be considered far.  So when I had an invite to to try out the new location of Bánh Mì Très Bon in White Rock, it didn't take much convincing.  Besides, it is always nice to dine with Roanna and Eileen.  Beyond the difference in location, there are also unique dishes that are exclusive to White Rock.

One of which is the Caramel Fish Sauce Brussels Sprouts with lap cheong, scallions and crispy shallots.  This was so impactful and delicious that I really wanted the whole dish to myself.  Those sprouts were prepared perfectly where they had a crunch and life left in them.  At the same time, they were cooked through and completely dressed in a briny, salty and sweet sauce.  The fat from the lap cheong added an aromatic meatiness to the whole dish.

The other White Rock exclusive item is the Duck Confit Bao with scallions, jalapenos, cilantro and pickled carrots & daikon.  I enjoyed these as the bao was fluffy and light while stuffed with enough shredded duck breast confit for maximum meatiness.  Hence, these were filling with hits of duck, spice, tang and aromatics.  There was the option of adding hoisin and sriracha if one wanted either sweet and/or spicy.

Onto another sandwich, we had the Bánh Mì Poulet Gà with lemongrass chicken, cucumbers, jalapenos, sriracha, cilantro, pickled carrots & daikon and Maggi sauce.  Unlike some other spots in town, the baguette here was more crunchy on the outside and it didn't shatter.  The bun itself was a bit chewy, but not too dense.  The chicken was nicely charred and had good flavour.  The rest of the classic ingredients afforded a familiar taste.

So one of my favourite items was the Buttery Salt & Pepper Squid seasoned with smoked paprika, red chili, jalapeno and lime.  They aggressively battered the squid and the result was a firm crunchiness.  The tentacles were the classic rebound chewiness while still tender.  Nice wok-toss on the squid were the combination of spice, tang and smokiness came through.

Another classic dish that I'm glad they served us was the Butter Garlic Chicken Wings.  Beautifully crunchy, the skin was mostly rendered.  I did get some butter and garlic from the outside, but I could've done with a bit more.  Inside, the meat was juicy and tender enough inherent flavours that I didn't really need the sweet chili dip on the side.  A squeeze of the lemon wedge was more than enough for me.

So one of the most understated dishes visually was the Green Papaya Salad.  However, it was more about textures than appearances here.  This consisted of shredded green papaya, beef jerky, carrots, roasted peanuts, fresh basil, sriracha drizzle and soy sauce dressing.  This was solid with bright crunchiness with hits of spice, tang, saltiness and nuttiness.  With the soy dressing on the side, it allowed us to customize the saltiness.

Lastly, we had the Savoury Mini-Crepes with shrimp, onion and crispy shallots.  Soft and fluffy while crispy along the edges and bottom, these little crepes were delicious.  Add in the crunch from the shrimp and aromatics from the shallots and onions, this was a nice little bite.  We also had some fish sauce served on the side to add some briny saltiness.  Overall, the food was solid at Bánh Mì Très Bon at their new location.  Love the decor and the ambiance too.  A nice addition to the neighbourhood close by to Chez Christophe and the Wooden Spoon.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Beautiful space
- Solid eats
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Parking is a little hard to find