Ba Le Deli & Sandwiches (Surrey)

I'm always game for some Banh Mi. For me at least, it's the perfect snack food. Not quite large enough to be a full-sized sub sandwich; yet not too small that there is no substance to it. Yes, I do get it for a meal occasionally. However, I usually get at least 2 to make sure I am full. It's been months since I've had one and when I saw Ben's post on Ba Le on Kingsway, the Banh Mi cravings came to the forefront. You know, the urge to have crumbs scattered all over you from the crusty baguette. The urge to have your tongue burn from the hot peppers. The urge to have pate and Vietnamese meats in one sandwich. Yes, those urges. If you've never had these urges, I "urge" you to try one for yourself.

One problem. Since I work in North Delta, the chances of me finding a Banh Mi are not good. A good samosa yes, Banh Mi no. Wait. There's the Surrey location of Ba Le! But that's all the way in Guildford! Hey, it's only a 15 minute drive to the Guildford T&T (where it is located). Fine, that's it, when I have a craving, I need to satisfy myself or I'll totally space out. Case in point. In both softball and hockey, my teams are constantly frustrated when I start thinking about food prematurely prior to a game ending. When that happens, they know that it's a lost cause. Might as well throw the game, Sherman is useless. So, not trying to be a useless zombie for the rest of the afternoon, I headed over to Guildford on a quest for my Banh Mi.

Well, either there was no traffic or I broke some speed laws because I made it out there in less than 15 minutes. The wait for the subs seemed to take longer. I ended up picking up 4 of them - 1 cold cut, 1 satay beef, 1 meatball and 1 grilled marinated pork. No, not all for me, I got some for Ma as well. Okay, either they didn't use fresh bread or something was amiss. Instead of the usually light, airy, crusty baguettes which Ba Le is known for, these were dense, chewy and hard. I'm hoping that this is a one time thing. It's too bad really since the meats and fillings were plentiful. I particularly liked the meatball sub the most. The cold cut was pretty standard with usual meats, pate, cucumber, pickled daikon and carrots, cilantro, hot peppers and fish sauce. Ma's satay beef was excellent, with plenty of meat, peanuts and the aforementioned fillings except for the pate.

The marinated grilled pork was probably my least favourite. I didn't mind the "jerky" type of texture and flavour of the pork, it was actually good. There just wasn't enough filling to overcook the dense bread. Once again, it's too bad the bread did not work out for me today. I'm sure that this is not the norm since I've rarely had a bad experience at any of the Ba Le locations. I'm just glad there is one in Surrey. Now only if they had one a bit closer, say... in North Delta...

The Good:
- A nice selection of different subs
- Inexpensive
- Decent amount of filling

The Bad:
- Bread was not good this time (chewy and dense)

Ozark's

Good ol' Southern BBQ - baby back ribs, brisket, pulled pork with all the fixins'. Well, hold that thought because there ain't much of that in these neck of the woods. Sure, there's Memphis Blues (which is probably the best of the lot), Migz, Dix, Burgers Etc and if you want to stretch the genre, Montana's. No, we're too far North for really good BBQ. But we do rule in the realm of Asian food. How about Korean BBQ, Chinese BBQ meats or even Tandoori? I know, I know, it's not the same thing. Thought I'd try... Well, other than the aforementioned establishments, there are others; but Ozark's has been on my radar for some time. One problem, it's in Langley. Well, it really isn't that big of an issue since I have been out to Abbotsford for pizza.

Nikita and Bluebeard (fine residents of Langley) were up to trying this place out and I had planned to meet up with them. Kim joined us as well since Ozark's was on his "to try" list as well. Driving out to Langley was a breeze, no traffic really. I'd passed by Ozark's quite a few times in the past and for some strange reason, I was doubting my own memory. Thinking I had passed the place, I decided to make a U-turn on Fraser Hwy. Turns out that I made the U-turn right in front of Ozark's! If I had only looked to my right... Finally arriving at the place, I was so excited to see their "all-you-can-eat" ribs sign that I walked right into a planter. How embarrassing, I got charley-horsed by a stationary object. Originally, I was worried that my son would have nothing to eat since it is a BBQ joint. The chances of him eating ribs are as good as me becoming vegetarian. To our surprise, they had a kid's menu that included... grilled cheese... We have been saved! With his choice of food out of the way, Kim and I devised out strategy. Strategy? Yes, we made sure that most of the meats were well represented at the table. Thus, after seeing that Nikta had selected the Side Ribs and Baby Backs for Bluebeard, Kim went for the Brisket Plate while I had the Beef Ribs. To make sure of things, Kim and I split a Pulled Pork Sandwich. Viv had ordered the same thing; but that would've been hard to share with us. Yes, Kim and I are dedicated to our craft.

I actually refrained from the AYCE since I was meeting up with Costanza and Elaine for dinner later in the evening. Well, it turns out that the AYCE special was not necessary since the plate of 6 big beef bones was more than enough, especially for lunch. The consensus was that these ribs were pretty good. These were cooked until most of the fat had been rendered from the meat, resulting in a tender product. Flavour wise, there was only slight hints of sweet and saltiness. But there was no need for extra BBQ sauce. We liked that the meat was not overly charred, so that all of the it was edible. The 3 sides to my dish were all pretty decent as well. The coleslaw was pretty standard, quite similar to the one you'd find at KFC. Not really all that tart, it was crunchy and a bit creamy. The baked beans were soft while still retaining their shape. They were slightly sweet with strong onion flavour. The baked potato was alright, it was still slightly firm.

If that was the best dish of the meal, Nikita's side ribs must've been the worst. Dry, hard and lacking any real taste, these were not good. We realize that authentic Southern BBQ is based on cooking the meats from a raw state at a low heat over a long period of time. Thus, it will never be "juicy" per se. Well, call it personal preference, we weren't all that impressed by them. Fortunately, Bluebeard's baby backs were a bit more tender and moist. It was probably due to the baby backs having more meat and a bit more fat on them. With that being said, there was a lack of flavour and they weren't exactly moist. The pulled pork sandwich was another example of dry meat. It was a bit stringy and needed copious amounts of sauce. To be fair, it was probably their intention not to douse it with too much BBQ sauce since it's a lot easier to adjust it if had very little sauce on it as opposed to arriving drenched. On that note, the BBQ sauce itself was slightly smokey and predominantly sweet. The side of fries, to me at least, were good and bad. On one hand, they were nicely seasoned; yet on the other, they were not crispy at all. At least they were quite potatoey.

Finally, Kim's brisket plate was alright. I liked that the brisket was not overly charred since it only takes away from the edible portions of meat. It was fairly tender and with a nice dousing of BBQ sauce, I didn't mind it. The side of mash potatoes was actually quite good with big hits of garlic. Now feeling quite bloated from all the meat, Kim and I decided to go for the Fried Cheesecake. Yes, we are indeed gluttons for punishment. Similar to the one found at Dulcinea, the cheesecake is wrapped in a tortilla and then deep-fried. French vanilla ice cream is served on the side. Unexpectedly, the dessert worked quite well. The tortilla was crispy without being oily and the ice cream went well with it. We thought possibly there could've been more cream cheese flavour. This was a nice treat to end off the meal. It's too bad that most of the meats were quite dry and lacking in flavour. With that being said, the beef ribs were very good while the brisket and pulled pork were alright. They just needed more sauce. In my mind, Ozark's is passable. Nothing really all that special; although the side ribs were not very good. Probably okay if you live in the area (and if Memphis Blues is closed); but certainly not worth the drive if you're not.

The Good:

- Reasonable prices

- Generally good portions

- Attentive service

The Bad:

- If you don't like dry meat...

Lu Lu Cafe

Despite my close proximity to the North Road area of Burquitlam, I have yet to fully explore all the restaurants that line the street. Tonight, we were racking our brains trying to figure out what to eat. Since we were going out as a family, the food needed to appeal to the kids. Wait, I mean my son. So that eliminates 75% of the food out there. Thus, we went for the ever so prevalent Chinese food. Hey, there is a Chinese restaurant of some sort every couple of blocks. It's almost like a rule of something here in the GVRD. So, we decided to try out Lu Lu Cafe, which happens to be on North Road. I vaguely remember eating here before; but it was a different restaurant. If I don't recall, then I guess it wasn't worth remembering then! As we arrived, I noticed that Sushi California was going through a major renovation. Maybe they'll renovate their service too. Yah I know, that was cheap.

One thing that struck me about the menu was the prices. Most items are roughly $10.00, which is quite reasonable in my opinion. To satisfy the kiddies, we got the Stir-Fried Shrimp and Eggs. As you can see in the picture, the portion size is pretty large with lots of egg and big juicy shrimp. The shrimp were cooked perfectly with a good crunch. It's too bad that the egg was slightly overdone and not really all that smooth. It was also a tad on the salty side too. To add some veggies into our diet, we went for an ol' standby in the Gai Lan with Beef. This dish was pretty solid with crunchy stalks and tender beef. I particularly liked how the beef was seasoned with just enough oyster and soy sauce to give good colour and flavour.

Next up was a dish that I normally do not order; but for some reason or another it caught me eye. Now for some people, they would rather avoid it. The Tofu, Chicken and Salted Fish Hot Pot is not for everyone because the salted fish is quite pungent. For me, it's delicious and provides a distinct flavour, especially in a dish that is predominantly consisting of tofu. This particular version was decent with large pieces of soft tofu. I would have preferred it to be a bit more salty. The Xiao Long Bao was something that I wasn't intending on ordering; but Viv wanted to try it. I normally stay away from it unless it's at an actual Shanghainese restaurant because it's never done right otherwise. Predictably, these were just okay. Surprisingly, there was a decent amount of juice inside each bun; but the dumpling skin was far too thick. Texturally, it was not a pleasant chew.

Despite the average XLB, the rest of the meal was quite decent with good portions. I thought the prices were extremely reasonable considering the quality and overall execution of the food. Moreover, the service was actually quite attentive and friendly. Our server was actually a Mandarin speaker; but managed to understand my Cantonese when we ordered. The fact that she got the "no onions" part was extra impressive.

The Good:
- Reasonably priced
- Good portions
- Decent service

The Bad:
- Seating is a bit cramped
- Parking lot is woefully insufficient for the number of stores

NFA Dinner (No Fixed Address)

With dining out getting more and more expensive, it's only natural that underground restaurants would come to the forefront. Tack on the impending HST and it's only a matter of time that there will be more of them. Tonight, I joined Jonathan, Drea, Anita, Victoria, Frank, Melody, Jessica & Mark and TS/JS for a dinner at a "secret" location. Steve of NFA (No Fixed Address) contacted Jonathan about a blogger's dinner at a reduced rate. Normally, the cost per person for a 6-course dinner (excluding beverages) would cost $50.00.

Normally, one would contact Steve via email and a location would be setup for a private meal. The place we dined at tonight is best suited for 8 - 10 guests. We had 12 and it was a bit tight. The table was set up complete with the requisite flatware and wine glasses. Diners are responsible for their own beverages. After a short while of chatting and mingling, we were presented with our appetizer - Thai Beef Salad. Steve put his own stamp on this by adding a sweet corn fritter on the bottom. The more standard items such as cilantro, mint, lemongrass, fish sauce and sweet chili sauce were all there and worked in perfect harmony. I liked the fried garlic chips on top. It added both aromatics and texture. But the star of this dish had to be the perfectly cooked beef. It was buttery tender and was the key component to this well balanced appetizer.

Next up was the Trio of Scallops presented on a long platter. The first one was pan-seared with miso dressing topped by leek and apple. The scallop was perfectly seared. The combination of the miso and the sweetness of the apples really enhanced the scallop. We thought the best variation on the plate was the scallop with caper raisin emulsion. It was topped off by a piece of caramelized cauliflower reminiscent of Nuba. It was the perfect little bite that once again let the natural sweetness of the scallop shine. The last item on the plate was scallop ceviche with ginger, avocado and radish. It was pretty good with a nice zing.

Next up was the Slow Cooked Fennel Pork Belly. This, apparently is NFA's signature dish and... it delivered. The piece of pork belly was cooked perfectly with tender flesh and sinfully delicious pork skin. I particularly liked the gelatinous and fatty layer directly under the skin. It rested on a rather dry serving of mash potatoes; however, the roasted garlic on top made up for it. Served on the side was Serrano ham and endives drizzled with a thyme vinaigrette. As a palate cleanser, we were served a spoon of Grapefruit Sorbet with Sliced Candied Ginger and Campari. This was a nice tart interlude before the next dish. Alright, I completely forgot to take a picture of the Sake Marinated Sablefish with Cantonese Vegetable Sauce because it looked strange. I thank Victoria for letting me use her picture (her fish also mushy like mine) Well, the piece of fish that I got was quite small compared to Mark's (his was perfect though) and it didn't look like sablefish. Rather, it beared a striking resemblance to pureed baby food. To be fair, we were informed that some pieces may have broken down due to the marinade and enzymes. Yet, I've never had a piece of sablefish with this type of texture before. Honestly, I didn't enjoy it. However, I did like the Chinese flavours of this dish. It was served on bak choy and topped with mui choy. Served on the side was a wonderful coconut cilantro sweet potato cake coated with panko.

Finally, we were served a Dark Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Coulis for dessert. Apparently, the mousse was prepared with no egg or cream, so that it would be lighter. I'm not so sure about that since it was still quite decadent. I particularly liked the hazelnut praline on top, it added a nice sweet crunch. I wasn't a huge fan of the coulis because it had seeds in it. It tasted fine; but I didn't like the texture. By this time, I was bursting at the seams. Even if I had paid the actual cost of $50.00, it would've been well worth it. Most of the food was spot on (except for the sablefish) and definitely restaurant quality. I can definitely see this type of "restaurant" becoming more prevalent and popular. It serves as both a viable option and alternative to dining at a real B&M restaurant.

The Good:
- Excellent value
- Food is prepared with care
- A neat experience

The Bad:
- As in my case, you can't send back your dish (sablefish)

Cafe D'Lite

Hainanese Chicken, an often misunderstood dish since the name implies an origin within China; yet it is a dish associated with Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia as well. Widely considered the national dish of Singapore, there are a few variations of Hainanese Chicken among the different areas. However, the basic items are constant such as the poached chicken and chicken oil rice. The trick to make the chicken tender and juicy is to never let the water boil. Moreover, the proper technique to make chicken oil rice is, as in the description, to use the leftover chicken oil to stir fry the rice before cooking it in the leftover chicken broth. Many places cheat and do not use this process, resulting in a mushy and non-aromatic rice. So far, it's been difficult to find the perfect Hainanese Chicken; but Prata Man does a pretty good version (I'm not sure about their other dishes though... a bit substandard). You can find other variations at Mui Garden (free range, it's chewier), Banana Leaf, Tropika and Hawker's Delight.

Today, on our way to the women's ice hockey game between China and Finland, Viv and I stopped by Cafe D'Lite to give their Hainanese Chicken a try. I decided to order the large single order since it looked so pretty in the picture. You see, it's a formed bowl of rice surrounded by boneless pieces of dark meat. I'm happy that it was boneless since that is the correct way of serving it. Too many a time, there are bones, which is a no-no. The chicken, in my mind, was pretty good. Tender, juicy and with a light drizzle of sweet soy, this would give Prata Man a run for its money. However, and this is a big however, the rice was terrible. Consisting of mainly broken rice, it was mushy and dry and the same time (not sure how that can be). Furthermore, it was flavourless and lacked the oil gloss that makes the chicken rice taste and look good. That in itself spoiled the dish for me.

We also got a Beef Laksa and it looked pretty good. Yah, oil slick at the top is normal. I thought noodles were done right and the broth itself was decent, maybe lacking a bit of coconut flavour. It wasn't as spicy as I would've liked it; but it's my bad for not specifying. Honestly, except for the rice, I thought the meal was solid and I'll probably return. However, I hope this was an off day for the rice because it was not very good at all.

The Good:
- Properly prepared Hainanese Chicken
- Reasonable prices considering the location

The Bad:
- Terrible chicken rice (maybe only this time?)

Me-n-Ed's Pizza Parlor (Coquitlam)

I'm not even sure why I give my son the choice of restaurants. While we were cruising along in the car, I asked him what he wanted to eat and the first thing he comes up with is "pizza". Hey, I have no problem with pizza; but I'm not so inclined to eat it for an early lunch on a Sunday. But he kept insisting that we go eat pizza. Alright, why deny the kid when he normally is excited about food as Indiana Jones is happy to see snakes. Since we were in Coquitlam already, we went to Me-n-Ed's. Another motivation to go there was due to the Entertainment coupon. Honestly, without it, I would probably not even consider going there. Hey, it's not that I don't like the food; rather, I find it a bit expensive for what you get. Personally, I can eat half a large easily. In fact, Viv can eat half a large easily. Wait, thats not too hard to believe. She did finish 4 dozen wings by herself once...

So here we are again... at Me-n-Ed's. We were the only table for the longest time. It figures. I'm sure this is not the most popular place to eat on a Sunday morning. Also, with all the Olympic activities going on, there were not many diners here during lunch. Viv and I decided to share a large pizza with shrimp, capicolla, ham, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, sausage, mushrooms, chicken and anchovies (on my half). Hold on, what's with all those toppings??? Yah, if you did this at most other pizza joints, you'd be looking at a pretty big bill. Yes, the bill at Me-n-Ed's is not light either; but at the very least, any amount of toppings over 4 counts as the same. So pile it on!

If you've never had a pizza here before, the "crust" is what makes it unique. Resembling more like a very large cracker, the crust is crunchy and quite thin. Thus, you could easily eat quite a few slices. I personally like the crust despite its apparent "crispy" spin. And since there is really no side crust, you can eat the whole darn slice without wasting it or dipping it into some ranch dressing. Since my son has as much chance eating anchovies as Lady GaGa wearing something normal, we got the kiddies a mini pizza. Apparently they like the pizza here too and that in itself is another reason I like it...

The Good:
- If you like a really thin, crunchy crust
- Unlimited toppings
- Family friendly

The Bad:
- Expensive
- If you don't like a really thin, crunchy crust

Kyoto Sushi

When something is said to be "Best in...", it almost results in the kiss of death. People go in with high expectations and inevitably will be disappointed. So when I heard that Kyoto Sushi happens to be one of the best in Surrey, I was quite skeptical. Mind you, expectations should be tempered as you move farther away from Vancouver. Usually, the best of the GVRD are typically found in Vancouver; but there are the occasional gems that buck the trend (ie. Ah-Beetz). So, the last time I attempted to try Kyoto Sushi, I ended up at Tokyo Ken's since I was unwilling to make a U-turn. Well, I should've made that U-turn because Tokyo Ken was a bit underwhelming. I still ended up heading into the parking lot of Tokyo Ken's to do my U-turn because if I did on the actual street, it would've been right in front of the police station. I'm assuming that would have not been a smart move.

I was the first customer to arrive and hogged a prime seat at the window as usual. I originally planned to use the Entertainment coupon which stated that "for those who prefer 25% off any sushi or sashimi or combination dinner". From my understanding, that should be usable even for a single diner. Apparently not. I was too much in a rush to argue about it and accepted their explanation (which was it only applies for 2 people). Anyways, I did end up getting a dinner box which consisted of tempura, dynamite roll, chicken teriyaki and 4pcs nigiri. I tried the tempura first before it cooled down. It was very crispy and fried perfectly. Not oily at all, I really enjoyed it. The nigiri was also quite good. In addition to the 2 pieces of salmon, I was suprised to get toro (tuna belly). Both were quite fresh devoid of mushiness or fishiness. The sushi rice was decent as well being firm while not being dry.

While most of the Dynamite Roll was good, such as the rice and the crispy double prawn tempura, the avocado was terrible. Mushy, practically disintegrating on its own, they should have not used it at all. Despite everything good about the roll, it was destroyed by the bad avocado. One surprising part of the box was the Gyoza. Not only did it exhibit good colour due to the pan-frying, it was fluffy and juicy. Yes, it was juicy. Normally only reserved for Xiao Long Baos, the hot juice from the tasty gyozas was a treat.

As for the chicken teriyaki, it was pretty much like other one you'd find at most Japanese restaurants. However, with that being said, it was much juicer and larger than the one I had at Tokyo Ken's. As with most places, there was too much sweet teriyaki glaze, it's akin to eating liquid candy. Once again, I have to use the modified gauge or expectations when it comes to Japanese food out of Vancouver. Kyoto is decent given it's location.

The Good:
- Food is decent
- Service is friendly
- Reasonably priced

The Bad:
- A bit difficult to get to unless you're traveling East on 72nd
- Confusion with the Entertainment coupon

Burgoo (Main)

Okay, now I've officially visited every location of Burgoo. I wasn't really planning on eating at the Main Street location today; but when I asked my son what he wanted to eat, he emphatically proclaimed "grilled cheese!" Of course, we were not intending to eat grilled cheese in any form. In fact, we were on our way for some noodles (another favourite of his). This was roughly a block away, so I immediately had to take a left onto 15th Ave. The last time we tried to eat at this location, there was an hour wait despite being only 5:00pm. We were lucky today as we got seated right away. I noticed that they have added an "extension" to the front of the restaurant. The extension is merely a tented area with heaters. No matter, the place is so darn small, it's necessary. It'll probably be outdoor seating in the summer.

Unlike some other restaurants of the ilk, Burgoo is relatively family friendly with high chairs and crayons. Sure, it's a bit dark and cramped; but it works. Compare it to a popular chain restaurant such as Earl's, at the very least, Burgoo tries to accommodate families. So... the whole point we were here was due to the "grilled cheese" and of course we ordered it. For $2.00 more, you can make it a soup and sandwich combo. In my opinion, this is worth it (assuming you like soup, but why would you come to Burgoo if you didn't?) since it is a fairly large bowl of soup. So we ultimately got the Gooey Cheese Grillers with Sunset Corn and Chicken Soup.

I've tried the corn and chicken soup at the Pt. Grey location before; but Viv hadn't. She really liked it since there were many flavours at work. She thought the chipotle and cumin almost made the soup taste a bit curry-like which worked well with the sweet corn and crema fresca (which is quite similar to creme fraiche). Compared to the cheese grillers from the North Vancouver location, these ones were less fried. Still crispy, the bread was not completely doused in oil; thus there was some bread-like qualities left. Again, the cheese was ooey and gooey.

This time around, I went for the Lamb Tagine which is served in a traditional tagine slaoui. Served with couscous, the stew consists of lamb, apricots, olives, carrots, chickpeas, celery, onions, zucchini and turnips. The stew itself was not too gamy since there was actually very few pieces of lamb. Furthermore, the apricots and carrots added a sweetness to the dish. Viv had the Pot Roast served with mashed potatoes. With the same root vegetables as my dish, the pot roast was a bit stringy. Much like my dish, it was on the sweeter side which was pleasant. This was an "okay" pot roast. Another solid meal at Burgoo once again. However, after 3 visits, I've noticed that there is not really that much meat in their stews. Not a huge problem if you are having a sandwich or soup; but since they are known for their stews... they might want to add a bit more meat.

The Good:
- Classic comfort foods (stews, soups, grilled cheese and mac 'n cheese)
- Solid service
- Decent value depending what you order

The Bad:
- Where's the meat?
- As with all locations, seating is a bit cramped
- Can get expensive depending what you order