New Fuji

Ever since my initial visit to New Fuji on West 1st, I've been meaning to go back.  Well, with Mijune back in town, it was that time!  For those who do not know, New Fuji belongs to the same group that brought us Kingyo, Raisu, Rajio and Takenaka. Hence, you know the food will be interesting and of course, delicious.   There is an obvious 80's theme going on at New Fuji with Japanese CD covers adorning the entranceway.   Prominently at the centre of the restaurant, we find a wall of glass bottles.  This all blends into the bustle of the grill where the chef pushes out many of their grilled and seared dishes.

Just like the last time, I was happy to see the Tofu Cheese arrive at our table.  This seemingly simple dish (which really is a simple dish) is one of my favourites.  It features a house-blend cheese dip that is rich and creamy while beautifully sweetened with maple syrup.  With the addition of figs, this ate very much like a dessert.  There were some cheesecake vibes going on but creamier and silkier.  Once spread onto the buttered crostinis, we had a nice textural contrast as well as a temperature contrast.

Also like my first meal here, we had the Fulffy "Rare" Unagi Omelette.  What they mean by rare is that the eggs are a bit underdone, yet not raw.  It is a fine line between the two, but they managed to perfect this here.   The eggs were truly fluffy with some moisture to keep things even more "soft".  Mixed into this, we had a generous portion of buttery unagi.  Flavours were subtle, but it had the usual sweetness of unagi sauce as well as some brightness from the chives.

We continued on with the Truffle Corn Karaage that were lightly deep-fried and tossed in truffle butter sauce.  These corn ribs were really good where it was fried enough so that the flavours had caramelized and the outside was slightly crispy while the niblets were still juicy and sweet.  The truffle flavour was subtle but definitely there while the amount of salt was just right.  From this, we had the Dashi Butter Scallops.  These large and whole Hokkaido scallops were sweet and buttery with the wonderful textural contrast of the mantle and skirt.  That sweetened soy butter was so rich and full-of-depth, but was subtle enough to not overwhelm the scallops.

With another grilled item, we had the Whole Aged Mackerel marinated in a sweetened soy Japanese BBQ sauce.  Really loved just looking at the fish as it was large and in a beautiful shade of brown.  Since it was dry aged, the meat was firmer and less moist.  However, the flavours were more pronounced as a result.  Typical of mackerel, the fishiness definitely came through.  However, since the meat was a bit drier, it was quite pleasant and provided more depth-of-flavour.   The slice of lemon was more than garnish as it provided the brightness the fish needed.

I enjoyed their battera last time and was pleased to have all 3 of them for this meal.  This included Wagyu Long Yukhoe Pressed, Bluefin Negitoro Long Pressed and Salmon Kimchi Long Pressed Sushi.  If you look closely, there were 10 pieces in each pressed sushi.  Great for sharing and especially if you get all of them!  My favourite of the bunch was the bluefin where the buttery texture and sweetness of the fish was complimented by brightness of the green onion.  Extra texture and sweetness was provided by the chopped onions and apples.  That would be somewhat similar with the Wagyu as it also had the same compliments, except with the usual beefiness from the fat.  The crunch on top of both added a nice textural contrast.  Both also had shiso, which added some bright herbaceousness.  As for the salmon, it was both different and similar to the other 2 pressed sushi.  Sure, the seared Atlantic salmon still had a buttery texture like the others, but it was topped with chives, ikura and sweetened soy and yuzu-kosho mayo.  A good balance of salty, tangy and sweet.

One dish took awhile to come out was the Squid Ink Kamameshi Rice.  These take a bit longer  (about 30 mins) and should be ordered right away.  This featured a mix of prawns, scallops, squid legs, snow crab, clams, king oyster mushrooms, tomatoes, sliced onion on top of squid ink tomato rice.  On the side, we found chopped shiso, yuzu peels and parmesan that was folded into the rice tableside.  The result was a multitude of flavours and textures.  I found the rice a bit on the softer side, but when combined with all of the ingredients, it wasn't lacking in texture.  The yuzu peels really had a starring role as it stood out with a bitter tang.  It helped cut through the heaviness of the rice.  Loved the ample amount of well-prepared seafood, but they got a bit lost within the rice.

On the menu, the udon section takes up an entire page.  Hence, we decided to order 3 dishes including the Spicy Wagyu Miso Egg Udon.  Arriving in a bowl that was probably 4 times the necessary size (it looked impressive though!), the slippery udon was al dente with a nice chew.  The dashi broth was mildly spicy and full of umami from the kara-miso.  Loved the silky egg added to the mix of minced wagyu beef and chives.

Extremely garlicky, the Snow Crab and Mentaiko Peperoncino Yakiudon was pretty rich and creamy.  It was also spicy with the addition of red chili pepper and some spicy cod roe on the top.  Also on top was some briny snow crab along with peppery arugula.  The arugula provided the necessary counterbalance to the rich sauce.  Really enjoyed the plethora of sliced garlic as it provided aroma and a bit of sharpness.  Somehow, I thought this would've went better with a pasta than udon, but of course that would've defeated the purpose of udon menu.

Probably my favourite udon of the bunch was the Chili Rose Carbonara Yakiudon.  This was also creamy and cheesy with plenty of parmesan, mozzarella and egg yolk, but the addition of red chili pepper, Korean chili pepper and spicy bean paste, there were layers of spice.  In that sense, it didn't eat as heavy as it appeared.  Arugula on top provided some freshness to the dish and the ample prawns provided some snap texture to go with the chewy udon noodles.

We ended up getting 2 mocktails in Peach Passion Mojito and  Watermelon Gin & Tonic (without the gin of course).  Both were refreshing a nice compliment to the heavy rice and udon dishes.  For dessert, we had a trio of them including the Ichigo Cake Daifuku, Tiramisu Parfait alle Fragole and the Strawberry Molten Chocolate Cake.  I've had 2 of these desserts before and if you have noticed, there is a strawberry theme to the menu.  I loved the delicate and appealing chewiness of the mochi blanket atop the light sponge cake with a strawberry and sweet red bean paste.    The tiramisu was so light and mildly sweet.  There was some crunch added to the mix with cocoa cookie crumbles to go with the smooth mascarpone.  The layer of tart strawberry sauce provided the tang to liven up the dessert.  Lastly, the chocolate cake was rich, yet moist with a molten centre.  The addition of freeze-dried strawberries provided a light crunch while the strawberry ice cream on top cooled things down with sweet creaminess.  Overall, this second visit to New Fuji confirmed that the food is both interesting and delicious.  Love the vibe and 80's music playing in the background!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Interesting food
- Some real winners on the menu such as the pressed sushi and udon
- Nice vibe incluidng 80's music

The Bad:
- Sure, I said it was pricey in the last post, but what isn't these days?
- The squid ink rice was good, but maybe the seafood gets lost?

 

TV Dinner Market & Cafe

Boy, haven't met up with Mijune in awhile, she is always travelling!  So before we headed to our dinner destination, we made a pit stop at TV Dinner Market & Cafe for a quick pre-dinner bite (and to catch up).  For those who aren't familiar, TV Dinner Market & Cafe is a quaint little spot on West 3rd at Burrard that offers a variety of ready-to-heat meals from some of the best vendors in the city.  In addition to that, they also have sandwiches (breakfast and lunch), cookies and coffee for those who want a quick meal to go or dine-in.  

Despite having dinner plans already, we couldn't resist ordering lots including a few breakfast sammies.  The Brisket Breakfast Sandwich featured a soft brioche bun with an over easy egg, beef brisket, pickled onion, garlic aioli and aged cheddar.  Sure, this was "only" a breakfast sandwich, but believe me, it was fantastic.  House-made and practically melted in my mouth, the brisket was meaty while not all that fatty.  Hence, it was even more impressive that it was so tender and soft.  The free-range egg was so perfect being custardy and runny.  Crunch and acidity were provided by the pickled onions.

As much as the brisket breakfast sammie was delicious and textually-pleasing, the Longanisa Breakfast Sandwich was even better.  The sweet and meaty patty was tender and nicely grilled.  I think the silky custardy texture of the egg yolk went even better with the Longanisa.  Some meats just go better with runny eggs right?  This had the same aged cheddar, soft brioche bun and garlic aioli, but instead of pickled onions, we found caramelized ones.  Although you might think that sweet on sweet may have not worked, I thought it did.  It was a different kind of sweetness from the onions, it had more richness and some smokiness.

For ours sandwiches, we had a couple where I tried the Rueben first.  This was a classic combination of house-made corned beef and sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and thousand islands dressing on Point Grey Bread.  Again not rocket science, but another well-constructed sandwich with quality ingredients.  The bread was beautifully toasted while the corned beef was buttery and meaty with restrained saltiness.  The sauerkraut added some crunch with a balancing tanginess.  Those house-made chips were super light and nutty.

We also had the Bulgogi Cheesesteak which was packed with thick-sliced sirloin, gochujang mayo, provolone and sauteed kimchi/onions/peppers.  As you can imagine, this was one robust and zesty-tasting sandwich.  We had the meatiness of the bulgogi that had sweetness while complimented by the creamy spice and tang from the mayo.  Add in the extra tang, spice and aromatics from the veggies and kimchi, there was a lot going on.  This all sat on a grilled tellara bun that held up to all of the ingredients and provided a firm crunchiness.

Also prominently featured at the counter is Cookies by John.  Of course we had to get the Monster Cookie as well as the Chai-Spiced Zucchini Loaf.  That monster cookie was pretty good with a crispy exterior and a soft chewy interior.  It was sweet, but purposeful and that brownie on top was chewy and chocolatey.  However, the best thing was the zucchini bread.  It was touted as looking like a "6" but tasting like a "10".  I would agree with that as it was super moist and fluffy with measured sweetness and fall spices.  Would definitely have this again.  In fact, everything we had was pretty solid, so I would have everything again if I was nearby.

The Good:
- Many of the components are made in-house
- Simple done right
- Also many take-away meals available

The Bad:
- Parking is hard to find if you drove
- Fairly limited dine-in menu, but keep things simple right?

 

Pasta Timo

If you know me, I really love hidden gems.  You know, the restaurants that are tucked away somewhere, offering good food at reasonable prices.  Pasta Timo located in Fraser heights in a small strip mall would be considered such a place with affordable pasta dishes as well as a new brunch menu.  The place seemed really familiar even though I'd never even heard of it before.  Jackie and I were invited to stop by and try the place out, where it suddenly hit me...  The place was giving me Jimico vibes!  However, at the same time, it is very different as well when look at location, availability of parking and less of a focus on Korean fusion.

Before I talk about the pastas, I'll get to the brunch items first.  I wasn't expecting much from the brunch menu, but all things changed when the Dutch Baby arrived at our table.  This was quite good where the pancake was crispy and nutty with a fairly fluffy interior.  On top, we found sunny side eggs, fresh avocado and crispy lean bacon.  Naturally, the runny egg yolks were perfect for dipping the pieces of pancake we ripped off with our hands!

If their "Eggs in Purgatory" looks remarkably similar to a Shakshouka, you would be mostly right.  The spicy tomato sauce was missing a few components and spices to make it a true Shakshouka, but it ate much the same.  The poached eggs were perfectly runny, so it was great for dipping the buttery garlic bread.  The sauce was indeed spicy and plenty tangy.  It was appetizing and really gave the dish some brightness.

The one breakfast item that integrated pasta was the Spaghetti Omelette.  This was pretty straightforward with an aggressively seared omelette with al dente spaghetti inside.  We also found bacon, mushroom and garlic within the mix that added salty earthiness.  There was also a considerable amount of parmesan on top that added even more saltiness along with nuttiness.  This came with a pumpkin soup and it was fantastic.  It was velvety, sweet and a bit earthy.

The most interesting brunch item was the Italian Breakfast Bread Bowl.  Yep, this was a toasted bread bowl stuffed with Italian sausage, peppers, mushrooms, garlic and onions while topped with a thick layer of melted mozzarella.  This was one hearty dish where each quarter was pretty filling.  It had a bit of pizza vibes except with a much thicker crust.  I'm not sure if someone could finish this by themselves.

Moving onto the regular menu, we decided to go for some greens in the Cobb Salad.  Yah, this was more of a meal than an actual salad with loads of chicken, bacon, avocado, tomatoes, dried cherries and an egg in a creamy gorgonzola dressing.  Really enjoyed this as every bite had something interesting.  Although not typical, the dried cherries really made the salad.  Nice bursts of sweet tang to break up some of the heaviness.

We continued with some appies including the Meatballs consisting of both beef and pork.  I found these meatballs to be on the firmer and denser side.  However, they were not hard per se.  I sensed that there wasn't a whole lot of filler, which meant the texture was plenty meaty.  Flavours were nice and the tomato sauce was appealingly tangy.  The dusting of parm on top added some other complimentary flavours.

The Calamari Fritti was another appie we tried and I thought it was pretty textbook.  The squid was tender, but still had a pleasant chew.  The light dusting of flour was crispy and properly seasoned.  Dish was also none-too-greasy.  On the side, there was a small amount of salad, which made things healthier?  Anyways, the tzatziki was quite good being medium-thick while having some brightness from the lemon.

We started with their most popular pasta being the Linguine ai Frutti di Mare Piccante.  This was a generous portion of pasta with also plenty of seafood (clams, mussels, shrimp and bay scallops).  Yes, the sauce was indeed spicy with equal parts of tanginess and sweetness.  Really balanced and appetizing.  The seafood flavour was able to be in the background with some brininess.  Pasta was al dente where the sauce clung on beautifully.

Somewhat on the same track, we had the Risotto ai Frutti di Mare.  Sure, the combination of clams, mussels, shrimp and bay scallops was the same, but since this was a risotto, things did taste differently (also not spicy either).  The tanginess was much more mild and the brininess and sweetness of the seafood stood up more so.  I found the rice to be a bit past al dente though (I did take a scoop right after I took this picture).

We also had the Baked Penne al Forno with salsiccia, bacon, mushrooms and chili peppers in tomato sauce.  Like the breakfast bread bowl, this was also topped with a thick layer of melted mozzarella cheese.  Once again, this was super hearty and really good for what it was.  The penne was still al dente while the sauce was zesty and a touch spicy.  Lots of great flavours from the bacon and salsicciaa.

Lastly, we tried their Chicken Parmesan with a side of spaghetti.  This was a pretty straight-forward preparation of the dish.  The chicken was tender and moist while coated in a medium-thick breading while coated with tangy tomato sauce and lots of melted cheese.  It was accompanied by some spaghetti with the same tomato sauce as well as a small side salad of mesclun greens and peppers.  Overall, we found the food at Pasta Timo to be good with some Jimoco Pasta vibes.  That is a compliment though as the portions are good and the food is solid.  I actually thought the brunch was even better and definitely worth checking out if you are in the area.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Good for what it is

- Large portions

- Reasonable pricing

The Bad:

- Not really a bad, but the food is more American Italian

The Gray Olive

If you don't already know, The Gray Olive out in North Burnaby has expanded.  They have taken over the insurance agency that was next door on the corner.  Hence, they have tripled their capacity and now are a full-service restaurant (rather than the counter service they had before).  I've actually been here somewhat recently and enjoyed the fact I didn't have to wait in line and also could have my order taken at my table.  The best thing of all is the food is still on point and there are even some new items on the menu.  I had a chance to try more dishes as we were invited to do so!

Things got off to a great start with the GO Breakfast Platter featuring 2 eggs, bacon, pork & leek sausage, chimichurri, tomatoes, toast and a side (cubed hashbrowns in this case).  So on the surface, preparing a plate of breakfast items doesn't seem overly complex.  However, to create an appealing plate is another matter.  They did that well here with thick cut and meaty bacon as well as a juicy and flavourful leek sausage.  The addition of bright chimichurri atop fresh grilled tomatoes made things a bit more brighter.

We can't forget about their Chicken & Waffle and as much as this version is pretty straightforward, it was executed properly.  The generous portion of fried chicken thighs were juicy and tender while having a uniformly crunchy batter.  The chicken itself and the batter were both properly seasoned.  As for the waffle, it was crispy on the outside while fairly airy on the inside.  On the side, we found creamy honey butter and maple syrup.

Staying with fried chicken, you know that the fried chicken thigh would be repurposed in some way.  Well, if your guess was a Fried Chicken Sandwich, then you would be right.  As you can see in the picture, there was more than enough chicken for every bite of the sandwich.  It sat in a soft, but toasted brioche bun with cabbage, pickles and dill aioli.  Side of fries were super crispy. Solid sammie, but I personally like the spicy version more for an extra $1.00.

 

One sandwich that I've never tried before was the Cheesesteak Dip.  All the usual ingredients were there including shaved beef, sauteed peppers, onions, mushrooms and shredded cheese on a toasted baguette.  By itself, I thought it was already a substantial sandwich that had plenty of umami, sweetness and cheesiness.  However, when it was made into a beef dip, this added more saltiness and of course moisture to the crunchy baguette.  Personally I would've eaten it without the dip as the sandwich was great already with a nice crunch from the bread.

They also have a nice selection of Bennys and for myself, my favourite is the Crab Cake Benny.  Now if you have tried different versions of crab cakes, you will find this one a bit lacking in crab.  However, for me at least, it was still tasty since the texture was light and fluffy while being crispy on the outside.  Besides, this Benny costs as much as the other ones, so we wouldn't expect a jam-packed crab cake for that price.  These sat on top of a biscuit with red pepper relish and arugula.

Yes, that means the Pulled Pork Benny costs as much as the Crab Cake Benny.  But don't worry, they pile so much tender pulled pork on top, I believe you still get your money's worth.  For this version, everything sat on corn bread.  It was crispy with a fairly moist interior.  Good call on using that as the bread because it went really well with the pulled pork.  Eggs were soft-poached with a runny yolk while the Hollandaise was creamy, not overly heavy and well-seasoned.

Another favourite of mine is the French Toast made with slices of baguette.  These were soaked enough so that the texture became more like bread pudding.  Hence, there was this custardy, soft thing going on that was rather appealing.  Don't mistaken it for soggy though as it wasn't.  These were seared up nicely with a nutty flavour from the butter.  This was served with syrup and even more butter on the side.

Making sure we represent the whole menu, we got both of their daily soups including Mushroom and Tomato.  I thought the mushroom was tasty without being salty.  The earthiness did come through, not only from the mushrooms, but also from the thyme and rosemary.  Tomato soup was somewhat creamy and sweet, hence it took some of the harsh acidity out.  It was smooth and had great natural flavour.   The missing side to the GO platter was the cubed hashbrowns in this picture.  Last item was the Pancake and it was fairly fluffy and aromatic.  As for our beverages, I was the only one to select something hot in the Spanish Latte.   It was creamy and lightly sweet.  We also had the Thai Iced Tea, Cold Matcha Latte and the Thai Iced Ying Yang.  So, The Gray Olive has been around since 2017 and they have consistently put out quality and delicious food for breakfast & brunch (also some lunch items in the past).  It is nice to see things are still on the right path with more seats!  

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Solid breakfast and brunch

- Well-portioned

- Now with more seats!

The Bad:

- Like with everything else and everywhere else, prices are creeping up there

 

Combine Cafe & Bar

For those who are not in the know, Surrey Central has become (or already is) a bustling and modern community that is on an upward trajectory.  Sure, there are still remnants of the old Whalley that has yet to be redeveloped, but the place is attracting people and businesses alike.  So it wasn't surprising to see a beautiful restaurant in Combine Cafe & Bar open up shop along King George Hwy near Fraser Hwy.  It is actually right across from the King George Skytrain station and dishes up food that is both sustainable and locally-sourced.

Jackie and I were invited to try the place out and we were impressed with what they have done with the space as it is inviting with lots of natural light.  We started with the some drinks including the Wine Flight and also a mocktail in the Cosmo.  The appetizer menu is fairly simple and at first, we were not interested in ordering the Baked Focaccia.  Well, thank goodness they recommended it because the bread was super fluffy and soft with a slightly crispy exterior.  The addition of tomatoes and peppers on the top afforded some moisture and pops of sweet tanginess.  They finished it off with some herbed butter and that just helped amp up the aromatics and butteriness.

Next, we had the Oysters Rockefeller that were a bit different than the traditional version.  It still had a creamy butter sauce, but had far more melted cheese on it.  In a sense, that helped lock in the moisture of the oyster and they turned out to be juicy and soft.  Lots of natural brininess from the fresh oysters.  There could've been a bit more sauce, but otherwise, this was a serviceable version.

We ended up building-our-own Charcuterie Board with cured salmon, smoked duck, gouda, chili jam, toasted almonds and pickled vegetables.  They did a fine job in arranging the items on the board where it looked appetizing.  I particularly enjoyed the cured salmon as they were in large slices and the texture was buttery.  Nice sweetness accented by just a bit of saltiness.  The smoked duck was good too being tender with a quick sear from the torch.  Not a fan of the pickled vegetables as I would've preferred distinguishable pieces rather than a blitz through the food processor.  Almonds were fantastic with a sweet crunch.

Onto the mains, we had the Chilean Chicken with chorizo, white wine cream sauce, mashed potatoes and roasted root vegetables.  I thought it was artfully plated with well-prepared components.  The root veggies were cooked through, yet still had a firmness to them.  They were intensely sweet from the caramelization.  The swaft of mashed potatoes was smooth and creamy.  Wished there was more of it though!  Chorizo was seared, hence it amplified the salty spice.  There was some smokiness too.  The chicken itself was a bit hit and miss.  The interior of the chicken leg was tender and moist, but the outer parts were a bit dry.

For the Oyster Cream Pasta, we added Teriyaki Salmon so that it would have some more protein.  We found the spaghetti to be perfectly al dente and bathed in a minimal amount of cream sauce.  I thought that was okay, but the promise of oyster sweet and brininess wasn't really there.  I mean, the pasta was solid and it did have enough seasoning, just needed more oysters or oyster liquour.   I would be fine paying more money for more oysters in the dish.  As for the salmon we added, it was not dry, but not moist either, somewhere in between.  The sauce was tasty though and the amount of it helped keep the salmon from being dry.

For dessert, we had the Ooops! Ice Cream which was more playful than anything else.  Consisting of vanilla bean ice cream with a waffle cone inverted on top, the dish also had berry compote, poached pear and cookie crumbs.  So was this something I would normally order?  Well no, but I enjoyed it all the same.  The ice cream was rich and creamy while the cone was crispy and aromatic.  The compote and pear added some bright fruitiness and the crumbs provided more texture.  In general, Combine Cafe & Bar is a stylish place where you can enjoy drinks with friends.  The food is quite serviceable but some further refinement is needed for them to be competitive with similar restaurants.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Wonderful space

- Serviceable eats

- On the right track

The Bad:

- Food needs further refinement