La Conquistadora

Much like Kim, I find myself eating an inordinate amount of Mexican food despite the fact I'm not a big fan of the cuisine. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike Mexican food, it's just not my first choice. Although, it's tough to be anyone's first choice since there are not that many authentic Mexican restaurants in a sea of Asian establishments within the GVRD. That would probably explain a somewhat understated enthusiasm when I heard about La Conquistadora. Located on King George Highway near 104th, it is not much to look at outside. In fact, I driven by this place many a time without even noticing it. Well, it's hard to notice anything on King George Highway since there is store after store of similar facades. It's much like Kingsway, you really need to stop the car to find what you're looking for.

Well, I knew exactly how it looked like since I had tried to visit it on Monday (it was closed). Once we passed through the front door, it was surprising to see that it was a restaurant/store. It was nice to see that nothing on the shelves were labeled "Old el Paso". Rather, it was all authentic Mexican products, with a dash of El Salvadorian (the place is a Mexican/El Salvadorian restaurant). I made sure that Sexi Mexi joined us for this meal. She was my official "Authentic Mexican Food" police. The first thing she did was the "ordering in Spanish" test and the place passed with flying colours. She decided on the Tostada and it was alright. Taste-wise, it was subtle while the tostada was a bit thick for her liking.

Personally, I didn't want to eat anything I could get a Taco Bell, so I went for the Enchilada Mole. I find that there are not many places that serve a good mole in the GVRD; in fact, not many places serve mole in general (it takes awhile to make). Alright, by looking at the picture, you're wondering why I'm eating something that is smothered in a black sauce. Don't be alarmed, the mole has chocolate in it; thus I believe this is a Mole Pablano. I found the mole to be a bit sweet with an underlying heat. Honestly, I haven't had a whole lot of mole in my life; therefore, it's a bit hard to compare. Overall, I found the dish to be quite pleasant and a nice departure from the usual red or green sauce. The Soft Tacos were not too bad, except for the watery mess made by the pico de gallo. These are not as good as the ones from La Taqueria; but again, it is located in Downtown. Thus it is not fair to compare due to distance alone.

The Quesadilla served with rice and refried beans was nothing much to look at; yet was pretty good. Filled with a good amount of chicken with Monterey jack and cheddar cheeses, it was grilled up until it was a bit crispy. Sexi Mexi summed it up best. The food here at La Conquistadora may not be the best the Mexican food she's ever had; but it is indeed authentic. Furthermore, the prices are very reasonable and the staff are personable. With not much in the way of competition (other than Luna Loca), La Conquistadora is probably the place to go for Mexican food in Surrey.

The Good:
- Reasonable prices
- Authentic
- Friendly staff

The Bad:
- It's authentic, but there is better albeit much farther away
- Not much of a dining space, but it does the job

La Brasserie

What happens when you combine the delicate nature of French cuisine with the robust, meaty food of Germany? Well, to me at least, you get the best of both worlds. Originating from the Alsace-Lorraine region of France bordering Germany, this unique combination brings a bit more meat to the table, literally. La Brasserie offers a slice of Franco-German food in a quaint and cozy restaurant in the West End. Much like the name implies, there are wines, beers and comfort foods associated with brasseries. Tonight, Darina (Gratinee) set up a dinner with myself and Kim early on a Tuesday evening. They do not take reservations here and it is imperative you arrive early to ensure a seat.

While we were deciding what to order, Mijune (Follow Me Foodie) walks by along Davie. I would hazard a guess that she was on the way to eat something... Anyways, we put in our order and we started to set up our cameras with respective Speedlites. It's quite dark in La Brasserie, so a flash was necessary for good pictures. Kim softly predicted that it would only be a matter of time that someone would say something about the flashes... And our mad picture taking began with the bread which was accompanied by butter and a pork/chicken rillette. I did like the texture of the rillette. It was soft while still maintaining a meat texture. However, I would've preferred if it was more aggressively seasoned.

Arriving as a fairly generous portion, Kim started with the Steak Tartare. Visually, there were bits of onion and chives mixed in with the beef and egg yolk. Tastewise, it was quite mild. Maybe a bit too mild. Of course, it's never a good idea to upstage the star of the dish, which would be the beef; but a just a bit more seasoning would have elevated the impact of the tartare. Texturally, I thought it was buttery soft and delight to eat, especially with the very crunchy toasted baguette. For my starter, I chose the Poutine (which is more Belgian than anything; but whatever, I like it). Darina and I thought the cheese some "squeak" (but now have found out that in fact, they were not cheese curds thanks to Mijune). However, the rest of the poutine was a bit of a disappointment. The gravy was well-seasoned and peppery; however there was just too much of it! It overwhelmed the frites, making them quite soggy and thus hiding any truffle taste. Kim suggested we try the poutine at La Belle Patate. And you know I will!

For Kim's main, he chose one of the 2 dishes I was eying on the menu. In fact, we both were eying the same 2 items! Coincidence? So he ended up with the Braised Lamb Cheeks and for myself, the Suckling Pig. Probably the most visually appealing dish of the night, a good amount of lamb cheeks were topped with fried egg noodles resting atop colourful carrots, brussel sprouts and radicchio. I really enjoyed the gelatinous texture of the lamb and the luxuriousness of the rosemary jus. Kim mentioned that for some people, it would probably be too gamy; however we both like that strong flavour. The best part of any pig is the fat and the sucking pig had some pretty crispy skin - a good thing. However, I thought that that meat could've been a bit more moist, after all it is suckling pig. The sauerkraut was a nice tart (it was very tart, but I liked it) counterbalance to the rest of the dish. The schupfnudel was a bit too doughy for my liking.

Darina opted for the Mussels & Frites in a saffron, white wine and garlic sauce. At this point, we were asked to ease up on the flash. I totally understand this and we did stop (until after I took one more snapshot of the mussels). The mussels were plump and fresh while the sauce was aromatic and lightly flavourful. Interestingly, the frites were excellent being crispy and lightly potatoey. It was good that we got to try it without the gravy since the ones in my poutine did not hold up well to the moisture. Overall, Darina and I thought the meal was quite pleasant. We agreed that we'd give it another try. For once recently, Kim and I didn't agree. He was not overly impressed (while not disappointed either) with the entire meal and didn't see what the big deal is. I can see that. I was a bit on the fence as well; but ultimately, I thought it was decent enough at fairly reasonable prices for another visit.

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Portions are good

The Bad:
- Slight hit and miss with some items
- They don't take reservations

Yokohama

Let's see, all-u-can-eat Japanese buffet in Surrey... Only one I've seen up until now is Nordel Sushi. AAAAAHHHH!!!! Run!!!! I'd rather go to Sui Sha Ya instead of subjecting myself to substandard Japanese food at ridiculous prices. Now, I'm not a great connoisseur of AYCE, it's just that sometimes I'm curious, with a group or just plain stupid (see Kawawa). Today, it was out of pure curiosity. I had passed by Yokohama on my way to Golden Pizza and Sandwich and noticed the AYCE banner. For $12.95, I thought it was a pretty reasonable price for AYCE, especially out here in Surrey. So I convinced Sexi Mexi to join me on this food adventure into the heart of Whalley.

Normally, I like to be seated in a corner or near a window. This time, we were seated right in front of the sushi bar. There goes the chance at being discreet about my picture-taking! I'm very glad I had a dining partner, it always looks less creepy that way. Looking over the menu, the selection for the lunch AYCE seemed to be quite decent. Not only did it contain the usual dishes, there was sashimi (albeit with a limit). I decided to max out the limit not knowing that Sexi Mexi was not going to eat any. Doh! Well, she doesn't really like sashimi, so I ate it all. It was actually not bad. Despite the salmon being cut in an odd manner, it was fresh. Not exactly bad, I really didn't care for the tuna, it as just "alright" (being not too mushy).

We also got one each of the California Roll and Yam Roll. Again, not offensive while not being that inspiring as well. I guess I'm just a bit biased towards these rolls in general. I found the rice actually pretty decent with a bit of chewiness. However, I didn't detect much vinegar taste. The Vegetable Tempura was pretty decent with a light batter and served somewhat hot. You'll understand why I emphasize the temperature later... When it first arrived, the Tonkatsu looked a bit odd and frankly, quite scary. The colour of the sauce appeared more like caramel than anything. This could've passed as a dessert at the PNE. However, it tasted much more savory than it looked. Despite fried up nicely, the tonkatsu itself was served lukewarm. The same could be said about both the Beef and Chicken Teriyaki. In terms of taste and texture, they were pretty average. Nothing I would particularly order on its own; but for AYCE, it's acceptable. Again, it's a shame they were not very hot either. I know they're trying to be efficient and all; yet serving cold food is not very appetizing.

Sorry for sounding like a broken record; but the Agedashi Tofu was not really hot as well. If it were hot, I'm sure it would have been a whole lot better since the tofu itself was quite good. On the flip side, the Chicken Karaage came out piping hot. Too bad they fried it until it resembled Magda from There's Something About Mary. Dark, dry and hard, these wings were a complete disaster. It could give "Ton-
Can't-Chew" a run for its money. It's a bit ironic that the one hot item turned out to be the worst.

Well, my second Surrey Japanese AYCE adventure was not really all that good. However, it was better than Nordel Sushi (but that is not saying a whole lot). I guess for the price and the location, it fills a void. If the food was served hot, it might've made a difference; however, the food was not really that good, even for AYCE.

The Good:
- Price is pretty decent for the selection you get (especially out in Surrey)
- Service is friendly
- Food comes out lightning quick (well, not really good in this case)

The Bad:
- Most of the food is pre-made and cold
- Overall food execution is average at best

Al Basha

Yes it's Wednesday and yes it's late night hockey time. It also means early morning eats on a Thursday. The flavour of the day happens to be Middle Eastern at Al Basha out on Broadway in Kitsilano. Yah, I realize that is far from home at 2:00am; but I am a dedicated foodie. Of course, this week-after-week exercise of playing late night hockey and eating is turning me into a very sleepy foodie too. I seriously hope I don't fall asleep eating Pho one day. That could be one hilarious and messy scene! It's interesting to see so many people out this early in this neighbourhood. We assumed that many were University students. To think of it, I was out this early all the time during University. I guess not having early morning classes helped.

For some reason or another, I was quite famished. Polka King was rather taken aback when I ordered both the Chicken Shawarma Plate and a Beef Donair. He, being not as hungry, opted for only a Falafel Donair. I was extremely disappointed in him. One measly donair and vegetarian to boot! Alright, I actually don't mind vegetarian food, so I take it back... Anyways, when we finally got our orders, I initially regretted ordering all that food since the Shawarma plate was huge! No matter, I was up for the challenge. I dug into chicken and rice ladened with yogurt and hot sauce... Wow! This was some tasty stuff! Garlicky, yogurty and spicy, I couldn't stop eating it. I did take some bites of the pita bread and humus while I was enjoying the chicken. That was pretty good too, although more zing would've been nice.

As for the donairs, mine was pretty good. Wrapped in a soft pita, there was a good amount of tasty beef glazed with the same sauces. Polka King's was much of the same, except substitute falafels for the beef. Other than being open late, the food at Al Basha is pretty good and cheap. Moreover, the owner is quite friendly and more than generous with the portions. Add into the fact that it is located in a pretty nice neighbourhood, rather than the usual seedy hole-in-the-wall downtown locations, you have a great place to grab some cheap eats early in the morning.

The Good:
- It's cheap
- Food is tasty and plentiful
- Not a seedy location

The Bad:
- It's kinda far from everything else
- Tables were a bit sticky

Shang Noodle House

Well, other than the casino patrons, there is not really a whole lot of walk-ins to Shang Noodle House. Located within the same complex as the Starlight Casino, it is definitely a place people drive to visit. The only reason the whole family decided to make the trek over here for noodles was that we needed to visit Walmart. Yes, we're a whole lot closer to the Lougheed Walmart; but honestly, that location is a zoo (not to mention no parking). It's probably the only big box store that can make Stupidstore look better. In general, I'm a bit skeptical about restaurants that don't seem to have a defined identity in terms of ethnicity (North American food withstanding). So is this a Japanese ramen place? Chinese noodles? Something else??? Usually, it results in food being lost in translation or typically, it just ain't authentic. Well, I don't really care about authentic, as long as it tastes good...

As mentioned by Jenny and Wendy there are a number of set meals which include noodles, appy and a drink for $9.50. Viv decided on Special B which included the Spicy Beef Ramen with a side of pan-fried Radish Cake and Passion Fruit juice. All I can say is that the ramen was "interesting". Not like any ramen you'd find at Kintaro or Benkei, it was more like Chinese noodles in a spicy broth. There was plenty of beef and overall, it wasn't horrible. I'm sure they are using the Japanese word "ramen" in place of "lai mein". It's been argued that the origins of ramen come for the Chinese lai mein. The radish cake was alright. It really needed a bit more frying. For the kiddies, I got them a Japanese BBQ Pork Udon in a miso broth. I already knew about the onion rings from Jenny's post, so I wasn't exactly shocked when the bowl of udon arrived. However, who puts a crunchy onion ring in soup? Soggy, disgusting and inedible, the onion ring should be served on the side or not in it at all. Furthermore, the boiled egg was so overcooked, it exhibited more dark rings than a dirty toilet. But I did like the pork, it was tender and had good flavour. The miso broth was decent as well. With a few tweaks, this bowl of udon would've been alright.

For myself, I went for something that wasn't soup based - the Stir-Fried Shanghainese "Ramen" with pork and mushrooms. Rather than using the traditional thick Shanghainese noodles, they used the thin variety and that suited me fine. When I make this dish at home, I much prefer the thin noodles, it's easier to eat. I am happy to report that this dish was a winner. It had good colour, "wok hay" and flavour. The noodles were soft while still being chewy and the veggies were crisp.
We also had an order of Spring Rolls and they were awful. One bite and there was oil dripping everywhere. These were fried at the wrong temperature because they were completely oil-logged. Frankly, it was really gross. You know what, I'm not exactly sure what I can say about this place. It was alright with some decent points combined with some pretty low points. Value-wise, it was not bad considering the decor, cleanliness and quantity of food. However, it's not someplace I'm aching to make a return visit.

The Good:
- Decent value
- It's very clean and modern
- Friendly service

The Bad:
- Description on menu may not translate well compare to the actual dish
- Although the service was friendly, it was a bit sparse

Bishop's

You know those White Spot commercials? C'mon, the ones with some well-known local chefs such as Rob Feenie, Umberto Menghi, Melissa Craig and John Bishop. Yup, they're corny. But it does certainly get our attention. For those who are unfamiliar with John Bishop, he's been around for quite awhile. In fact, he once worked for Umberto before opening his own restaurant in 1985. Located in Kitsilano, Bishop's has been one of the top restaurants in Vancouver ever since. Uniquely Westcoast with influences from around the world, Bishop's is fine dining without the pretension. The last time we visited Bishop's, we were impressed with his sincerity and warm hospitality. Naturally, as much as it is wonderful and all, it does come at a price. $100.00 per person is what you would be looking at for a complete meal. The menu is simple; yet focused. The result? More attention is paid to the limited amount of dishes available. Furthermore, this usually lends itself to fresher ingredients.

Tonight, Costanza and Elaine were treating since we paid for our last meal together at Cioppino's. Once we were seated, John Bishop greeted us as he usually does with his guests. This may seem like a small gesture; but it is nice when you see the proprietor care about his business and patrons. We started off with an amuse bouche in the form of Gougeres filled with Gruyere and Sunchoke Puree. Served warm, these little morsels were bit earthy and completely delicious. For my appy, I went for the Pici Pasta with prosciutto Bianco, anchovy & radicchio, Meyer lemon and garlic. The pasta was al dente and held up well to the rest of the ingredients. There was a nice balance of flavours at work here including the bitterness of the radicchio, the understated saltiness of the prosciutto and anchovy. The lemon provided an ever-so-subtle tang to even out the flavours. I thought the sauce was luxurious and earthy. The crisp broccoli provided a nice textural contrast.

Predictably, Viv had the Albacore Tuna Carpaccio. I think she likes raw fish... Anyways, it was beautifully presented with thin slices topped cured wild plum gelee, pickled shiitake and preserved burdock root. The combination of ingredients provided a subtle flavour which did not overwhelm the delicate tuna. The burdock root did provide some interesting texture to an otherwise "soft" dish. Elaine picked the dish I was originally intending on ordering (Dungeness Crab Fritters); but due to variety for blogging purposes, I went for the Pici Pasta. When it originally arrived, it came all by it's lonesome without the other 3 appies. We were a bit confused since that is not the normal service protocol. Just as I snapped a photo of it, the same server who placed it on the table, took it back in a haste without warning and explanation. We figured that he brought it to the wrong table. Interesting service technique. It didn't really bother us per se, we did have a good chuckle; but for patrons expecting flawless service, this would be a no-no. When Elaine got her actual order of fritters, they sure looked appetizing. Resting on a bed of kimchi and a splash of miso reduction of the plate, these fried morsels were fluffy, naturally sweet and full of crab flavour. We're not sure if this was the intention; but the house-made kimchi was a bit bland. If it were just kimchi, it would be a fail; yet if it was prepared to not upstage the delicate crab, then it was a success.

Costanza had dessert (or breakfast) for his appy in the form of the Brioche French Toast. It was a bit amusing that we all predicted he'd order this. You see, he likes to be a bit daring and different. This was the most unique appetizer on the menu and low and behold, he selected it. If you look at the picture, the plate has a lot going on. Resting on hazelnut paste and caramelized fig compote, the soft French toast was topped with forest mushrooms and Montana cheese. The toast itself was quite "eggy" and soft. Any crispiness would've been canceled out by the various sauces on the plate. Despite the sweet properties of this dish, it was able to be a bit savoury and earthy due to the mushrooms and cheese, giving it a certain umami-ness.


Just like at the Raincity Grill, I had lamb again. This time, in the form of Seared Lamb Loin and Braised Shoulder resting on a black elderberry jus. Parsnip potato cake with Swiss chard and cauliflower and blue cheese gratin completed the rest of the dish. The lion was quite tender and flavourful (Viv calls it gamy...); however, I personally would've liked it to be a bit more rare. The braised shoulder meat underneath was super soft with good hits of onion. Viv thought this was even more gamy. Pffft... Lamb is great, she doesn't know what she's missing! I really enjoyed the cauliflower, it was cooked while still being crunchy. There was no shortage of flavour from the blue cheese (which I also love, Viv thinks it's smelly...). The elderberry jus was fantastic. Rich; yet light with subtle tartness at the same time (don't ask me how).

Viv and Costanza both had the Thiessan Farms Squab to my dismay. No, I don't hate squab. It's the fact that I had less to blog about! Yes, I should let it go. I'm glad they put up with me in general! Rounding out the dish was a chanterelle mushroom puree, rosemary roasted baby beets, leeks and pomme anna. The beautifully (just barely) cooked squab was serenaded by a delicious coronation grape jus. The slightly sweet sauce was a great compliment to the robust squab. This was probably the best dish of the meal. That is a great segue to the consensus most disappointing dish of the night. Elaine opted for the Grilled Sloping Hill Pork Chop with apricot jus. This was accompanied by a dried apricot and almond tart, turnips and baby kale. The flavour profile of this dish was predominantly and predictably sweet. Yet, that wasn't really necessary a bad thing since sweet goes well with pork. The problem was that the pork chop itself was quite bland and a tad tough. We realize that pork should be cooked through for safety reasons; but it was a bit too cooked. Not a terrible dish; yet it didn't hold up to the others.

For dessert, Costanza went for the most "intriguing" selection in the form of Pumpkin Bread Pudding with ginger maple ice cream and caramel sauce. The crispy exterior gave way to a soft, fluffy interior. The bread pudding wasn't sweet itself, but the ice cream and caramel more than made up for it. The pumpkin and light ginger notes were not apparent at first; but were evident at the end. My choice was the Brown Butter Almond Cake with candied pear, rosemary caramel and marscapone. The cake was pleasant; but nothing really special. I did like the candied pear with the caramel sauce. It provided all the flavour needed for the dessert. Wasn't sure of the marscapone, it didn't add anything, I would've preferred some ice cream. Viv and Elaine both had the Espresso Panna Cotta with chocolate sorbet and chocolate sables. Not exactly visually appealing (some red in the form of strawberries or raspberries would've helped), it did tast good. There was a predominant dark chocolate flavour while the espresso took a back seat. The panna cotta itself was a perfect consistency.

Prior to our desserts arriving, our server presented me with a pear personally carved by John Bishop himself. Not sure why I deserved that, maybe the DSLR? Whatever the case, John Bishop is a sincere and gracious host. The food is solid and the service (other than that one incident) is excellent. Combine that with a cozy room that doesn't exude pretentiousness, you have one of Vancouver's best restaurants.

The Good:
- As a patron, you feel welcome and comfortable
- Generally, the food is prepared with precision and attention to detail
- Focused menu

The Bad:
- Well, the dining experience comes at a price (may not be worth it for some)
- The ambiance was a bit noisy
- Service is excellent, but that one incident was very strange

Nor Boo Korean

In our never ending quest to try out all the late night eats in the GVRD, Lionel Hutz proposed we head out to Nor Boo on Robson tonight. Once again, our hockey game started at the early time of 10:15pm. It seems that "prime time" ice is getting later and later. When I used to organize late night pickup hockey, 10:15pm was considered "cheap ice". I guess even ice time has suffered from inflation. Anyways, Milhouse, Boss Woman, Lionel and myself made our way to downtown for some late night Korean. Kim (I'm Only Here for the Food!) had blogged about Nor Boo before and I had my reservations about the place. But, I went in with an open mind to see for myself. Luck would have it, the place was dark. Much like all the other late night places, I resort to using my flash. One of these days, someone is gonna say something to me about that, I'm sure of it.

First off, trying to flag down a server is harder than finding a parking spot at Yoahan Centre. Is it just me or there is never good service to be found at Korean restaurants? Is it a cultural thing or something? Is it some kind of alternate reality where unfriendly service is better? It sure seems like it to me. Once we got our order in, we waited. Not too long later, everything came, well, almost. I'll get back to that later... So for me, it was a frustrating exercise in trying to get a picture of everything while dishes were arriving on our way-too-small table. Thank goodness that Lionel has given up fighting me and now is a nice little assistant when it comes to my pictures. We started with the Banchan which included bean sprouts, kimchi, potatoes and pasta salad. Pasta salad??? Looking like it was purchased at the Safeway down the block, I personally didn't like it. For me at least, I've never had that. And even if it was supposed to be part of the complimentary Banchan, it was flavourless and mushy.

The first dish to arrive was the Bibimbab. You'll notice that we didn't get the Dolset Bibimbab and we'd learn to regret it. Why? Well, for one, it was kinda cold and two, it was soggy. The hot stone bowl would've help alleviate both problems. At the very least, Boss Woman didn't hijack the egg this time. I gave her the evil eye when it arrived. While the Bibimbab was a bit of a disappointment, the Seafood Pancake was a complete flop. It was sorely lacking in seafood and was stiffer than Ron Jeremy. Sorry for the analogy, first thing that came to mind (ewww... that shouldn't be the first thing that comes to mind!). Anyways, it was just plain terrible.

When the Seafood Japchae initially arrived, I was quite impressed with the bounty of seafood. If you look at the picture, you'll see mussels, scallops, whole shrimp and squid. It's really too bad that the noodles were quite wet and a bit soft. It did taste pretty good though, no fishy taste from any of the ingredients. We thought the BBQ Short Ribs were a fantastic value. For a fraction of the price that Jang Mo Jib charges, we got a large plate of these babies. They were flavourful, meaty and oily (they're always oily). We particularly liked the addition of onions and mushrooms, it definitely added a different flavour dimension to the standard sweet soy we're normally familiar with. Continuing on with "popular items you'd order at a Korean restaurant" was the Spicy Pork Bone Soup. For me, it had just enough spice and the fall-off-the-bone meat was buttery soft and delicious. Boss Woman remarked that the soup had a sour aftertaste and there seemed to be one. However, the sourness was probably due to the chili peppers.

Now, remember when I mentioned that most of our dishes arrived? Well, one didn't make it. It was the Steamed Shrimp Dumplings. Apparently it was left off the bill and to her credit, the server did apologize. They were quite disappointing though, the dumpling skin was tough and the filling flavourless. When we attempted to get more napkins and tea, it was like trying to flag down a cab in NYC (they just whiz by you). And when I attempted to get the bill, one server just stared at me like I was a lunatic and she just walked away without saying a word to me. Would it of hurt her to nod her head or something? To me at least, I thought the food was sub par at Norboo. However, I did find the prices and portions to be quite good. But I can't get over how bad the service can be at Korean restaurants. It's an exercise in frustration where it tests your patience and resolve.

The Good:
- Reasonable prices
- Lots of choice
- Open late

The Bad:
- Food execution is lacking
- Service is lacking
- English is lacking