Momoyama

Seeing how I visited Minake recently and have only 2 more Japanese restaurants left in the area of the Newton Wave Pool, I decided to knock off another today. Since I've already been to the Scott Road location of Toyko Sushi Express already, the natural choice was Momoyama. Located in the plaza across the street from Minake, Momoyama is one of many restaurants which include C-Lovers, India Gate and Lee's Chicken (yay!). Yes, no need to head all the way to Abbotsford for Lee's Chicken anymore! This one is "relatively" closer. As a side note, this area is terrible for those wanting to turn left into a plaza. You just can't. Either you have to be lucky enough to be traveling in the right direction or you have to literally go around on a scenic drive to align yourself going the right direction! I think practically every time I've been in the area, I've made a U-Turn somewhere to get to my destination (well, not in front of the cop shop though!).

Fortunately, this plaza had a side entrance once I made a left, so no circling around this time! I ended up with the Deluxe Bento Box in order to try out a variety of items. Normally, most bento boxes include an Ebi Sunomono and there is very little difference between all of them. So imagine my utter shock when I was presented with the bowl you see in the picture. If the 10+ pieces of shrimp weren't enough, there was a sushi ebi to top it all off. Unfortunately, the vermicelli underneath was super soft and warm. Furthermore, it was sweet with very little tang, I had to use the lemon to make up for it. Although, I do give them kudos for the massive amount of ebi. Included in the combo was a full size Dynamite Roll. It was indeed large and topped with a large amount of tobiko. With very little rice on the outside and a large amount of surimi and a crunchy ebi tempura, the roll was not bad. I would've liked that the rice wasn't so gummy; but it wasn't too bad. The rice itself did have some flavour; yet ever so slightly.

The Sashimi consisted of salmon and tuna. The salmon was fine; but the tuna was not. Still frozen and icy, I ate one and left the other to thaw. Even leaving it to the last thing I ate, the tuna was still frozen. Imagine frozen and mushy at the same time. Not good. The Tempura was not much better. With globs of batter on the exterior of most pieces, I had to physically remove the batter to eat it. Otherwise, I got chunks of doughiness mixed in with slightly crunchy bits. The green bean was particularly confusing. Not sure how they got a glob of batter to adhere. It looked like a growth or something. On the topic of doughy, the Chicken Teriyaki was subpar. The flour coating was not crisp at all; rather, there were mushy parts abound. It was like eating pieces of chicken with unmixed roux attached to it. On the positive, there was plenty of tender chicken. Furthermore the sauce was not too overpowering.

This was one large combo! I didn't even include the 3 pieces of Nigiri... There were also 3 Gyozas! These confused me though. They were definitely not fried gyozas; however, they seem to try very hard to be fried. The wrapper was hard and dry from top to bottom. Although I did appreciate that it was thin. As for the filling, it was mealy and flavourless. Although the meat filling was cooked, it had the texture of uncooked pork. I'm okay as I write this, so it was cooked. I was barely able to finish all the components of this bento box. There was so much food. Considering that it cost exactly the same price as the combo I had at Minake, this was a much better value. Now, in terms of execution, there was a lot to be desired. I think there was an issue with every single item. Not a ringing endorsement... Yet, if you are looking for a decent value and food that is edible, Momoyama is still an option. You must remember that I've been to many Japanese restaurants and I may just being picky.

The Good:
- Good value
- Large portions

The Bad:
-Execution issues
-Limited service since there is only one server (friendly though)

Boudin Sourdough Bakery & Cafe (Fisherman's Wharf)

Although not really a recommended thing to do, sometimes it is fun to be the tourist. Well, I'm from Vancouver, so since I was in San Francisco, I would be a "tourist". However, I have family down here and have visited well over a dozen times. Thus, I feel more like a local than a tourist. So visiting places like Fisherman's Wharf is both a bit boring and predictable. For some reason or another, I have never tried clam chowder in a sour dough bowl on the Wharf before. Too touristy? Probably. Now, there are many places to get clam chowder down at the Wharf. I had some last time at the Pier Market and it was less than stellar. I know, I know... Tourist trap = mediocre food at high prices.

With that in mind, it didn't stop Kim and I from visiting Boudin Sourdough Bakery for their "famous" Clam Chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. Isn't everything world famous at tourist traps anyways? I'm sure even the corn dogs are world famous. Well, the clam chowder wasn't too bad. It was thick and had the requisite clam taste. Not a whole lot of clam meat though. As mentioned, it was thick; but not all that creamy though. It had a sweet onion flavour; yet missing the slight smoky savouriness from bacon (not sure if they even used any). The sourdough held up to the soup and was indeed sour and chewy. It did what it was suppose to do. Better than Pier Market; however, it is hardly a great clam chowder, just an acceptable one.

For variety purposes, we asked the person behind the counter to recommend a second item. The first thing she said was the pizza and that was good enough for us. We went for the Tomato, Garlic and Basil Sourdough Pizza since we like it simple when it comes to pizza. For a thin crust pizza, this wasn't too bad. Plenty of fresh toppings including a whole lot of tomatoes and garlic. I could really taste the garlic and in fact, it was probably a bit too raw. I prefer mine cooked more. Nice tang from the tomatoes and only a hint of basil. I liked the sourdough crust. It was not as thin as it could be; but crunchy and nicely browned nonetheless. It is what it is. The food is alright while the sourdough is pretty good. However, the place is still a tourist trap where food is priced on the higher side. Moreover, there is better food found elsewhere. Once again, it serves a purpose and you really can't deny that.

The Good:
- Sourdough bread is pretty good
- Great location and it's a neat place
- Serves its purpose well

The Bad:
- There is better elsewhere
- A bit pricey (forgivable considering the location)

Minake Sushi

For an area not synonymous with sushi, there are a whole lot of Japanese restaurants in the Newton area, specifically near the wave pool. Think of it, there is Akashi-Ya, Kyoto, Minake, Toyko Sushi Express, Sushi Line, Tokyo Ken and Momoyama within a 2 block radius of each other. Now quantity cannot be used as a substitute for quality. With that in mind, we have to be reasonable as well. Of course we aren't going to get the very best sushi out here and neither should we expect it. There could be the hidden gem or the odd out-of-the-way restaurant that could buck this trend; but believe me, this isn't the case since I've been to almost all of them. Yes, there are 3 that I haven't tried, one being Toyko Sushi Express (but I did try their other location), Momoyama and Minake. So without further ado, the next up in the Newton sushi experience is Minake...

Hidden behind the movie theatres within the same complex as Safeway, this little Japanese restaurant is pretty utilitarian. No fancy exterior, no trendy decor and no long sushi bar. It's functional, that's about it. Now, for such a minimalistic place, you'd expect the prices to be cheap. However, I found that wasn't so. In fact, it was getting a bit on the pricier end of things. It got me thinking the food better be good! For me, the only way to sample a wide variety of items was to order their largest combo being the Bento Box E. For a hefty $18.95, it included Miso Soup, Ebi Sunomono, Double Real Crab Dynamite Roll, 2 pcs Sashimi, 2 pcs of Nigiri, Tempura and Shrimp Kushi. Other than the Miso Soup, the meal started with an Ebi Sunomono. This was very well done. The vermicelli had a nice snap, temperature was right and flavourwise, it was tangy, tart and sweet. Textbook sunomono. The tuna and salmon Sashimi was pretty good with sweetness and fresh texture. The nigiri was fine; yet the fish to rice ratio was completely off. The piece of tuna atop the rice was so thin, it could pass off as carpaccio. The rice itself was a tad on the dry side.

As for the Real Crab Double Dynamite Roll, it was very large. They didn't skimp on the crab meat; but for me, I find that it usually gets lost. The roll itself was also fine; yet difficult to eat since it was both big and dry. Even with soy and wasabi, I was having a difficult time chewing and swallowing. Despite this, the roll itself was still acceptable. The ebi tempura was crispy and warm while the cucumber was fresh and crunchy. The Assorted Tempura was very crunchy. The Ebi was curiously shaped like something you'd find at a North American restaurant, it almost seemed butterflied. However, it ended up to be very good, so no harm, no foul. I liked how the tempura batter wasn't too thick.

The Ebi Kushi wasn't something I cared much for. With 2 really small shrimp and even smaller pieces of scallop, it was very much the afterthought of the box. Completely overcooked, dry and difficult to remove off the skewer, this should be removed from the combo. Well, that was probably the only bad thing about the combo. As a whole, the food was decent, if not on the pricier side. My order took quite a long time to arrive considering there was only one other table. It's probably a mom and pop operation. Nothing to write home about; but fine considering the location.

The Good:
- Friendly owner operator
- Decent food

The Bad:
- A bit pricey
- Curiously, some items were very skimpy

2nd Anniversary Draw Winner!

Okay, I didn't use Random.org because I had to pay. So I decided to use an alternate site. After painstakingly entering all the names in, I find out that I put it in the wrong box. Had to do it again! So without further ado, the winner of the $50.00 gift card is... Ada C.!!! Ada, please email me directly at admin@shermansfoodadventures.com and I'll have it mailed to you. Congrats to Ada and thanks for all that entered!

In-N-Out (Fisherman's Wharf)

For me, the best burger for the price has got to be In-N-Out. Only available in California, Utah, Arizona and Nevada, the thing that sets In-N-Out apart from the countless other fast food joints is their commitment to freshness. Nothing is pre-made, pre-cut (well, the tomatoes and lettuce I suppose) or frozen. The final product reaps the rewards of such dedication to quality. Sure, there are better burgers out there; but not at this price. It has been a full year since my last In-N-Out burger. In the meantime, I have yearned. The In-N-Out b"urge"r is something that is almost unbearable. So much so, I briefly considered making the 6-hour trek from Portland (back in August) to Redding for a taste.

I had originally planned to meet up with Greyelf for some XLB action after I arrived at SFO. But due to a flight delay and the usual other things we must do at the airport, I had to skip it. No matter, the backup plan was to tag along with Kim to the Wharf for that In-N-Out "urge". After arriving at our hotel on the corner of Geary & Jones, we hiked it a good 3 kms. Hey, it was a nice day and honestly, why not burn off some calories? This was only the beginning of 4 days of eating.

Kim and I ended up sharing 2 burgers and an order of fries. Starting with the basic in the Hamburger. It's nothing that will "wow" you; yet that is not the point of it all. The patty isn't exactly moist either. However, the freshness of the components make for a solid burger at a really low price. Of course a visit to In-N-Out is not complete without getting something "Animal Style". Thus, Kim got the Double-Double Animal Style. For those who have no clue what this is, it's the addition of pickles, extra spread, grilled onions, and mustard fried onto each meat patty. Yummy? Yes! Extra charge? Nope... See what I mean? In-N-Out is a good deal. The extra moisture and messiness from the additional ingredients help make the burger even better. As for the fries, they're pretty good - crisp, not too oily and starchy. Pretty fresh eats for prices that are better than McD's. That is what sets In-N-Out apart from all the rest. Too bad I don't live close to one. I guess it's all for the better. I don't want a whole new wardrobe that reads "XL".

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Fresh everything
- No charge Animal Style

The Bad:
- Good, but not outstanding (a bit too much hype sometimes)
- Locations only limited to California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada

Foodbuzz Street Food

So here am I again at the Foodbuzz Blogger's Festival. Unlike last time, I have company, namely Kim, Mijune and TS/JS representing Vancouver. After arriving in San Francisco, Kim and I already had some In-N-Out Burger as well as some eats from Boudin Bakery. We made a good decision to skip any more food so we could actually have an appetite for the Street Food event at Fort Mason. It didn't hurt that we walked more than 6 kms too! With so much walking under our belts, we decided to take the provided bus to the event. We met up with Mijune and TS/JS, who made their own way down to the event. The one thing that left a lasting impression from last year was the outstanding Porcetta sandwich from Roli Roti. And guess what was on the rotisserie at the entrance? You guessed it. That is what we hit first! I'm not sure if it qualifies as "healthier"; but the pork used in this sandwich has more meat than other variations. Thus, it has somewhat of a chew still intermingling with the melt-in-your-mouth fat. What completes the whole darn thing is the extremely crispy cracklings. The ciabatta-like bread does a good job holding everything in; however, it could be a bit softer. The accompanying fingerling potatoes roasted in the rendered pork fat drippings were soft and flavourful (not to mention glistening!).

Before I could even finish stuffing my face with the fabulous sandwich, Mijune and Kim made a beeline to the next stand where we found some fusion food. A Korean Taco of sorts from Namu, there was rice, beef, tomatoes, green onions and spicy mayo on 2 pieces of nori. Reminiscent of the ones you'd find at the Roaming Dragon in Vancouver, these were a bit difficult to eat due to the chewy nori. Getting past that, they weren't bad. Nothing mind-blowing; but decent. Then we hastily moved over to Tacolicious for one each of their Shortrib Taco and Roast Pork Tacos. Much like last year, the shortib taco was quite good. Tender and moist with cilantro, onion and a squeeze of lime, what's not to like? I much prefer this one over the pork. For some reason or another, there was one at 4505 Meats. So far, we'd avoided any lineups; but this time lining up was well worth it. Served on a heavenly butter bun was a Pork Loin brined in jalapeno pickling liquid crusted with cornmeal sandwiched in a butter bun. Served on the side were the fabulous Chicharrones that we had last year. If the porchetta sandwich was the best; then this was a close second or even first, depending on who you ask. For me, it was all about the bun. I have a personal love for soft buns... er... and this one was melt-in-your-mouth soft. Possibly a bit too soft for the sandwich; but I didn't mind. Good contrast between the crunchy pork loin and beans. Unlike some other versions of chicharrones, these ones are more like puffs and that suits me fine. Lightly dusted with seasoning, these were addictive.

Okay, there was much more food to talk about; but frankly, it wasn't really to my liking and really, I'd much rather just talk about the ones I did like. Of course there was dessert in the form of ice cream and once again, Mission Minis. However, I was far too full to eat anymore. Once again, thanks to Foodbuzz for putting together such a fun opening event to the 2010 Foodbuzz Blogger's Festival. It is with regret that I most likely won't be attending next year's event since Foodbuzz's Featured Publisher's terms have changed (which are no longer beneficial for Canadian bloggers).

Hen Long Market

If you have been reading this blog lately, you will notice that I've been eating quite a few Banh Mi. Hey, I absolutely love the Vietnamese sandwich. The combination of a French roll with possible ingredients such as pate, Vietnamese ham, Vietnamese headcheese, cucumbers, pickled daikon/carrots, butter-mayo, fish sauce, cilantro, green onion and hot peppers really work together. Moving away from the classic Banh Mi, we also have variations which include meatball, roast pork, satay meat and chicken. Now, there are many places to get this sandwich all over Vancouver. Not a difficult thing to find really. However, as we go further into the burbs, not only is it more elusive, it can be downright nasty. So far in Surrey, I've tried a few; but have yet to be impressed. Next up is Hen Long Market. I have known about it for quite some time; however, it is not exactly a convenient place for me to visit. Screw it, I'll just make time to go, even if it meant using all my lunch hour just to pick it up.

Now Hen Long is actually an Asian market kicking it ol' school if compared to T & T. They re in the process of building a new modern market next door. So stay tuned... For now, you got your dry goods, meat, bakery, BBQ and Banh Mi counter. There are only 5 different subs to choose from including the classic Special (or cold cut). Consisting of pate, Vietnamese ham and headcheese, pickled daikon/carrots, cilantro, green onion and butter mayo, this is as good of a Banh Mi that I've had. Very similar to Ba Le before they started baking their own bread. The bread here is crispy on the outside and soft/airy on the inside. I also got the Vietnamese Ham and it was basically the same with just ham and no other meat. This was the cheapest at $3.00.

For curiosity sake, I got the BBQ Pork as well. And it was basically a Banh Mi with Chinese BBQ pork. Although it was an okay sandwich, I personally didn't prefer it. Something about BBQ pork and Banh Mi don't mix. The pork was very sweet and savoury and it did not work with the rest of the ingredients, essentially overwhelming everything. Lastly, I got a Roast Pork. If you guessed Chinese roast pork, you are right. Actually, I liked this sandwich. Imagine fatty roast pork with pieces of cracklings strewn throughout combined with the usual condiments. I guess they can be considered a Vietnamese-Chinese version of the porcetta? Well, for $3.50, that's a pretty good deal on a fairly filling sandwich.

Good. In fact, really good Banh Mi. It's not only good for Surrey, it's good for all of the GVRD. Definitely gives Ba Le and Tung Hing a run for its money. Prices are pretty standard compared to other places. Not really encouraging people to make the trek out here for it necessarily; but if you live nearby or are in the neighbourhood, it's definitely worth checking out.

The Good:
- Probably the best Banh Mi in Surrey (so far...)
- Generous with the fillings

The Bad:
- For now, it's an odd location within a tight supermarket
- Parking is a bit lacking during peak times

Master Hung BBQ

In what would only be a breather in my 20 hour day, Vandelay and I headed to Richmond for some eats. You see, my day started off at 7:00am and was not going to end until 3:00am the next morning. A full day of work, then off to Tsawwassen for a hockey pool and immediately afterwards, a hockey game in North Vancouver. There was really no reason we should have stopped in Richmond for food. After all, Bubbly was preparing some pasta for all the poolies at the draft. Yet, when Vandelay indicated that he wanted to carpool and would be available for some eats, I knew what I had to do. Although it took me on the scenic route from North Delta back to Vancouver and on to Richmond, I could not pass up an eating opportunity. The question was where to eat? No shortage of good food in Richmond. No shortage of bad drivers either. It is indeed a catch-22. Good food in lieu of hazards to ones' vehicle. Well, we ended up traveling to a relatively calmer location on Garden City and Blundell for a quick bite at Master Hung.

Not to be confused with Chef Hung, this restaurant is known for its excellent BBQ items. Of course, the first order of business is to try those items out. We got the 3-Item BBQ Platter consisting of BBQ Duck, Roasted Pork and BBQ Pork. Luckily, we got the duck breast. Hence, it was meaty and easy to eat. The flesh was moist and the fat mostly rendered. Furthermore, I could taste the duck as it was not over-seasoned with salt. Very well executed BBQ duck, no complaints here. Although the roast pork arrived pretty much cold, it was still very pleasant to eat. The skin was crispy without being chewy and there was a good fat-to-meat ratio. The meat was very tender and moist while also not over-seasoned as well. I could definitely taste the roasted pork. This was executed much better than many larger restaurants. And with the BBQ Pork, you guessed it, was also very tender and moist. The exterior had a nice glaze with some charring. There was also a good mix of fat and meat as well.

To compliment our meat dish, we got an order of Wonton Noodles. The noodles were decent with a nice bounce and chewiness. The broth exhibited nice balance between salty and sweet while providing some depth as well. I'm a bit biased towards all-shrimp wontons, so I'm usually pretty critical of pork & shrimp wontons. However, in this case, I was okay with the ones here. I liked how the pork was slightly chewy while still moist. The wontons were well-seasoned too. One minor issue. I asked for no green onions and as you can see, they did it anyways. The green onions showed up in our bowl of Liver Congee as well. Is it just me or Chinese restaurants forget or simply don't give a damn about special requests? Anyways, the congee base itself was slightly thin and bland. It wasn't exactly watery; but it definitely lacked depth. It resembled home-cooked congee more than a restaurant-type version. The liver was cooked perfectly and in fact, was probably marinated in baking soda. It had a pronounced "bounce" texture, not the grittiness we normally associate with liver. Both Vandelay and I thought the food was pretty solid, especially the BBQ items. Naturally that would be an expectation since it is in the name. If it weren't located so far away, I'd probably come here for the BBQ alone. And I'm not saying this to avoid Richmond. The traffic in this area is much less apparent.

The Good:
- Excellent BBQ items
- Friendly proprietors
- Good portions

The Bad:
- As with most places in Richmond, limited parking spots

The Buffet @ River Rock Casino

Sounding like a broken record or merely just a shoddy CD player made in China, I seem to chime the same tune over and over again. "A buffet is never the best option to experience good food". Really, it isn't; but I seem to visit one every now and then. Of course, some are done for blog purposes like Kisha Poppo and Sui Sha Ya. Others are just out of plain stupidity such as Kawawa. Then we have others that remind me of my childhood (see: Royal Fork and Uncle Willy's). Yup, none of the aforementioned restaurants are on anybody's culinary radar. Maybe for quantity only. Even with tempered expectations, it is still very hard to "like" buffet food unless the ingredients are top quality such as seafood (especially served cold since it cannot further cook and become like rubber). In the GVRD, we find very few of these types of buffets other than the Sunday brunch variety such as The Hotel Vancouver, Pan Pacific, Waterfront, Sutton Place and Metrotown Hilton. Yes, we can certainly get seafood at these places; yet at a cost of $30.00+. With that in mind, I finally made it out to The Buffet at the River Rock Casino. With so few non-Asian buffet options in the GVRD, we can now look to the casinos.

Much like any other casino buffet, the layout of the restaurant is designed for that purpose. On an adjacent wall to the entrance, we find the Hot Food stations. At the very start, there is a mix of items which included Candied Yams, Garlic Mash Potatoes, Corn on the Cob, Broccoli, Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Shanghai Bok Choy, Pesto Penne, Rigatoni in a Cream Sauce, BBQ Ribs, 5-Spice Chicken, Braised Brisket and Basa with an Orange-Tarragon Cream. Believe it or not, the most memorable item from this section was the mashed potatoes. Yup, not exactly a ringing endorsement of the food; but the potatoes were very creamy and garlicky. Predictably, the pastas were overcooked (sitting there in the sauce); yet the pesto was quite nice. Ribs were okay, quite tender while not really being all that BBQ'd. Brisket was not good, very dry and bland. Basa was decent, still moist and tender while the sauce was quite mild. Directly after this selection of food came the Roast Beef. We found the beef to be quite chewy and lacking flavour. I guess we shouldn't expect a better cut of meat considering it was lunch?

Since the River Rock is in Richmond, there was a large Chinese Food section. Too bad it really wasn't all that good though. There were 2 soups consisting of Hot 'n Sour and Cream of Corn. Both were forgettable. Then there were Potstickers, Steamed Chicken Legs, Spring Rolls, Sesame Balls, Stir-Fried Beef, Orange Chicken, Soy Rice Noodles, Ma-Poh Tofu, Fried Rice, Gai Lan and freshly made Onion Pancakes. Everything, as expected, was overcooked. Beef was tough, chicken was dry and veggies soft. I guess we can't blame them since it is a buffet. But I've had better Chinese at Panda Express. No joke! Reason being is the food we got here was both unappetizing to look at and poorly executed. When the thought of "I can do better than that" creeps in, then there is a problem.

We skipped the Salad Bar and went for the hot food first. We returned later to discover the usual stuff. You know, Spring Mix, Potato Salad, Pasta Salad, Coleslaw, Bean Salad, Thai Noodle Salad, Pig's Ear... Pig's Ear?!?!? Yes, and add to that Seaweed Salad and Marinated Tripe too. Definitely a Chinese influence for sure. The rest of my table (who were non-Asian) stared at me in disgust as I gleefully chewed my tripe and pig's ear. I even dangled it in front of them to make my point. Yah I know, I'm immature... Anyways, all of the items in the salad bar seemed and tasted fresh. The Dessert section followed the theme of Chinese items integrated into more common sweets. Smack dab in the middle of it all is a Chocolate Fondue with various fruits and marshmallows. It was not really all that memorable since the chocolate was quite sweet and rather runny. Therefore, the chocolate never really adhered to the fruit. It looked more like fruit with chocolate sauce on the bottom of the plate.

As for the other items, there was Bread Pudding, Cheesecake, Strawberry Flan, Cream Puffs, Various Petit Fours, Cheesecake, Creme Caramel, Apple Strudel, Chocolate Brownie, Lo Poh Beng, Cream Swirl Cake, Lychee Jelly, Moon Cake and Sticky Rice Balls with Red Bean. Okay desserts in general; but nothing extraordinary, which pretty much sums up this buffet. Mostly subpar with a few highlights. Certainly not worth $16.95; but okay when discounted (20% off for a group 10 or more).

The Good:
- Nice digs
- A good variety of food
- Good service

The Bad:
- Food is pretty ordinary
- Layout for the buffet is scattered and cramped for the hot food section