Grand Dynasty Seafood Restaurant

As much as there is great Dim Sum to be found in the GVRD, it is amazing how few options we have in suburbs such as Surrey, Burnaby, New West and the Tri-Cities. It seem like the bulk of the places reside in Richmond and Vancouver. Not very convenient, let alone environmentally conscious with people driving great distances for Dim Sum. In the case of Richmond, I think there is a real risk of vehicular maiming too. In the case of Burnaby, we have one "upscale" Dim Sum joint in Fortune House at Metropolis. It's okay if you like waiting in line for over an hour, only to be seated in a can of sardines doubling as a dining room. Yes, Top Gun also serves up "better" Dim Sum at Crystal Mall; however, the lineup is just as large and let's not even get started on the circular parking lot from hell. Alternatively, there some smaller places such as Wah Lun and Yan's Garden. Reluctantly, I will also mention Po King, which is the equivalent of Chinese water torture. Yah, the food is respectable there. You just have to put up with being treated like an inmate at the Dim Sum Correctional Institute.

There is definitely plenty of room for another Dim Sum restaurant in Burnaby. Taking a page for the "build it and they will come" playbook, Grand Dynasty enters the scene. Situated within the Grand Villa Casino at the Delta Hotel, Grand Dynasty is definitely upscale. From the beautiful decor and attentive service to the "Downtown" prices, this place is unlike anything we've had in Burnaby up until now. Similar in concept to the Kirin attached to the Starlight Casino in New West, Grand Dynasty offers upscale Chinese food for the gambling clientele and beyond. The actual restaurant is not really that big. I can safely assume a banquet would involve catering into one of the large ballrooms. Honestly, I didn't even know that the place had opened up (only 5 days ago). My mom had tipped me off since she heard the ads on Chinese radio. Always anxious to try out new places, we headed there the next morning for Sunday Dim Sum with the family.

The restaurant itself is at the East end of the hotel where the adjacent parking lot is rather small and not user-friendly. Case-in-point, I ended up following a clueless driver into the full lot where all he ended up doing was stopping at the entrance and blocking traffic in and out of the place. And to think I thought Crystal Mall is frustrating. Not to worry though, there is plenty of parking across the street at the free spacious Casino lot. As mentioned, the restaurant itself is not very big; however, it is spaced out decently so it doesn't feel too cramped. As we were part way through our meal, a large lineup started to build.

We started with the Sui Mai which were good. A balanced amount of snappy shrimp and pork took care of the textural aspects of the dumpling while the mild amount of seasoning and shiitake made for a good tasting product. I liked the appearance of the dumpling, especially the ample amount of tobiko on top. The Haw Gow (or Shrimp Dumpling) were equally good. Modest in size; yet high in quality, the shrimp had the requisite snap while the dumpling skin walked the line between being soft or chewy. Not overseasoned either, we could definitely taste the sweetness of the shrimp. I liked the Pork Spareribs. They were tender with a bit of chew left while there was a good flavour from the garlic and peppers. Too bad there was so little of it. When it arrived, it looked as if half of the order was missing. Look, you can see the bottom of the plate! Not a good value at $4.95.

Much like the Shrimp Spring Rolls at Bing Sheng, they were plated with the rolls cut diagonally. I kinda like this presentation actually, even though it really isn't functional for dipping purposes. The spring rolls were crunchy and full of garlicky whole shrimp. Solid dish. As for the next one, I wasn't so sure about the concept. It was Black Chicken with Bamboo Pith and Dried Fish Maw. Hey, the bamboo pith and dried fish maw were good, excellent textural items. The wolfberries on top were both aesthetically pleasing and added a muted sweetness and a touch of bitterness. However, the chicken itself is not something I prefer to eat. You see, black chicken is quite tough and would be best used in soups. Predictably, the chicken here was not very tender, albeit it had a level of sweetness that I liked. I think this would've worked better with regular chicken.

Now for some dishes for the kiddies. We got the Baked BBQ Pork Bun for my son, not because he likes it particularly. Rather, this version had a sugary topping which he absolutely loves. So I got the BBQ pork, he got the bun. As for the bun, it was light, soft and of course sweet with the topping. I liked the BBQ pork, it had sweetness with depth and colour without being overly sweet. Consequently, the Steamed BBQ Pork Bun tasted just as good since it had the same filling. I did notice that there was not too much in the way of pork fat in either bun. I do realize pork fat is yummy. I just don't want it predominantly so. The steamed bun was slightly on the chewier side, I would've preferred it to be a more "loose". Not a big issue though.

Another fan favourite for the kids is the Pan-Fried Rice Noodle Roll with Soya Sauce. Although the presentation of the dish left a lot to be desired, it was better than it looked. One of the reasons why the noodle rolls looked like they were falling apart was due to the delicate texture. The rice noodle rolls were very soft (in a good way though) with good colour and a nice caramelized soya flavour. Naturally, the Shrimp Rice Noodle Rolls were expected to be just as good and they were. The rice noodle was once again soft while not disintegrating on contact either. Curiously, instead of the typical 3 rolls, there were only 2. Although... there were 4 large, perfectly cooked crunchy shrimp inside. Usually, there are only 3. So by doing the math, we are only short by one shrimp despite missing on entire roll. However, it just didn't seem right with only 2 rolls.

Normally, Shark's Fin Dumpling is comprised mainly of pork and does not contain real shark's fin. The version here is made up completely of shrimp and chives topped off with tobiko and imitation shark's fin. An interesting take on a classic dumpling. Much like the haw gow, consisting of practically the same ingredients, the textures and flavours were good. Despite employing an ordering system with a checklist, there are times when special dishes roam around the dining room in hopes that someone will try them. My mom loves shrimp/prawns, so it was given that we would take a chance at the one that arrived at our table - Pan-Fried Prawns. Now don't laugh... These type of whole prawns with head on are deep fried and then wok-tossed with ketchup. Yes, ketchup. Of course there are other things that go into the sauce; but ketchup is the base. Don't knock it until you try it! I'm serious! The prawns here were cooked perfectly and the sauce was a nice balance of sweetness with a touch of tartness and savoury.

Moving along, the Pan-Fried Daikon Cake was nicely browned. It was mildly seasoned with most of the flavour provided by the dried shrimp and Chinese sausage. It was decently soft, although I would've preferred it to be smoother. Not a big deal breaker though. At first, when the Deep Fried Taro Dumplings arrived, they looked pretty good. And in fact, they were very crispy and hot. However, the filling of pork, mushrooms, Chinese sausage and shrimp were diced up into really small bits. Sure, it is supposed to be in small bits; but these were too small. The result was a gritty texture that was none-too-pleasing. I felt that there wasn't enough mashed taro either. Lastly, some parts of the dumpling were quite oily too.

Onto dessert, which is my kids favourite part of the meal. Naturally of course... So we started with the Thousand Layer Cake, which is not really all that many layers really. Normally, I really like this dessert because of the salted duck egg yolk. I like the texture and salty-sweetness of it. Yet, it turned out to be more custardy than anything. It wasn't too sweet, which I liked and there were pine nuts. I like pine nuts and it somehow sorta worked here. I saw the coconut and ate the coconut, I just didn't get a lot of coconut flavour. Despite all this, the cake was still decent for what it was. Predictably, my son didn't want any of it; yet curiously ate the Steamed Custard Bun willingly. Why curiously? Consider this. The custard bun here consists of the salted duck egg yolk. Yes, the same stuff that goes into the thousand layer cake. It's all in the head my boy! Anyways, what I didn't get in the cake, I got here in the bun. The salted duck egg yolk filling had it all. It was a bit greasy, a bit salty and a bit sweet. You gotta eat it to understand what I'm saying. It was good, lots of filling too. The bun was slightly chewy much like the BBQ pork bun. Not a big deal again.

Our last dessert was the Egg Tarts. For me, I am completely biased towards the flaky pastry-type. I absolutely despise the tart shell version. I find that it completely ruins the texture of the soft egg filling. So for me at least, I was happy with the egg tarts here. The flaky pastry was a tad sweet though. I found that it interfered with the egg custard itself. Not a big deal I suppose because the egg tart as a whole was quite good. In fact, I thought most of the food was solid due to the use of good ingredients and careful preparation. It better be though. The prices are extremely high for Burnaby. Normally, we wouldn't find these prices other than Downtown at places such as Imperial, Victoria and Kirin. I guess the prices reflect the level of service, decor and restaurant class as much as its location in the Delta Hotel. If you were looking for value, it would be best to move along. But if you want to pay handsomely for all the aforementioned characteristics, then Grand Dynasty is your place.

The Good:
- It's a nice place with nice decor, attentive service and an air of class
- Solid food
- Lots of free parking

The Bad:
- Really pricey considering it's not in Downtown
- Smallish portions
- Not a big place, lineup for sure

Saturday's Fish 'n Chips

Located in the now closed ABC Country Restaurant on Scott Road, we find yet another fish 'n chip joint. It's not far from Ocean Ave and Brit's Landing while being only a 10 minute drive to Mr. Pickwick's and Lighthouse Fresh & Tasty. So there is competition nearby. Hence, you would hope they offer up something that is either better or different. Let's just say that it is safe to assume that they are trying to be different. Why? Keep reading and looking at the pictures, you'll see what I mean. So as I entered the place, the first thing that came to mind was "sports bar", not necessarily a fish 'n chip place. I was greeted by a friendly chap who let me chose my table.

Looking over the menu, I was a bit confused. Fish 'n Chips. Check. Donairs. Huh? Okay, maybe I'll give that a shot one day; but I was here for the fish 'n chips. Ultimately, I went for the Halibut & Chips and it actually took awhile to arrive. When it did, the piece of fish was quite large; yet disturbingly shaped. Furthermore, what's going on with the fries? They're the same colour as the fish! Apparently, the fries were coated with the same batter as the fish. Alright, they advertise themselves to be "traditional" fish 'n chips. Unless I'm mistakened, I believe that the chips should not be coated with anything. Strangely enough, I actually enjoyed the crispy fries despite their appearance. Blasphemy for sure; however, if it works, it works. As for the fish, that was another story. The fish was really stiff and overcooked. It was way past moist. I give them kudos since it was a large piece; yet it doesn't help that it was cut way too thick. That probably directly impacted it being overcooked. The tartar sauce was not bad. Typical mayo with pickle bits. Not much in the way of mustard, if at all. It tasted a bit generic, so I'm not sure if they made their own or not.

I gotta admit, this was a really odd fish 'n chip experience. I'm not sure what to think really. It wasn't bad per se; yet surely wasn't great either. I can see that they are not truly a fish 'n chip joint. With superior fish 'n chips practically across the street at Ocean Ave, I personally wouldn't choose Saturday's. However, it looks like their target market is not really those looking for fish 'n chips alone. It is very much a sports bar that happens to serve fish 'n chips and donairs...

The Good:
- Decent portions
- Friendly staff
- Comfortable digs

The Bad:
- "Traditional" fish 'n chips? Really?
- Overcooked and strangely cut fish
- Battered fries, pretty good; but weird

Pajo's (Rocky Point)

On a beautiful Sunday in September (yes, this post has been waiting in the queue for awhile!), it looked to be a good idea to take advantage before it rained again. Hey, it rained all month already, we really needed to enjoy it before it really gets bad in the following months! Thus, we headed out to Rocky Point in Port Moody. Great place to let the kids run around and there is this nice water park and playground as well. Naturally, the water park is now closed since it is basically redundant with the rain and cold weather. Of course I wouldn't be only blogging about my kids going down a slide over and over again... I guess it can be interesting to some; but not for a food blog. The real reason we were here was to go for some Pajo's fish 'n chips. This location is somewhat forgotten since the Richmond ones get much more press and attention.

With the wet weather, the ground ended up to be a muddy mess. And you know mud + kids = pain. No matter how much I reminded my son not to get mud all over himself, he did. Fun. And even more fun was to find something he'd eat. I resisted the easy way out with the grilled cheese and ordered the Cod 'n Chips in hopes he'd eat it. Now, unlike my good experience at the Steveston location, the cod 'n chips were not very good this time around. My son was only eating the batter and avoiding the fish. I took a sample and honestly, I'd avoid the fish too. It was thin and subsequently overcooked. One particular portion was tough as shoe leather. Mind you, the batter was light and crisp though. The fries were okay, not as crisp as we would've liked.

To increase our vegetable intake, I got a large order of the Coleslaw. With lots of raisin and crunchy cabbage and carrots, we enjoyed it. There was a nice tang and not too much mayo. However, I personally didn't like the addition of green onions (and not because I don't prefer them either). I found that it didn't add to the flavour profile of the coleslaw. Rather, it detracted from the familiar flavours. Viv and I decided to share a large order of the Halibut 'n Chips. The pieces here were slightly larger; thus the fish was still moist. It says a lot that the halibut was more moist than the cod (since cod is an oilier fish, but not cooked right this time). The tartar sauce was pretty solid with a some zing and tangy bits. Being from the same batch, the fries were not great this time. Somehow they were just limp and soft.

So, unlike my good experience at the Steveston location, the fish 'n chips at Pajo's this time around were pretty average at best. For the prices they charge, it'd better be, at the very least, acceptable. Sure, the draw here is not exclusively the food. The location, outdoor ambiance (on a nice day) and view all add to the experience. With that in mind, Go Fish has all of that and has better fish 'n chips (in my opinion). There is better or just as good to be found at places such as Austin Fish 'n Chips and Ocean Ave. However, the only view you get at those places are of cars driving by.

The Good:
- Location
- The "outdoor" gimmack
- Decent fish 'n chips... usually

The Bad:
- A bit pricey considering the venue
- Wasn't great this time around

Fortune Restaurant

Upscale Dim Sum. That sounds almost like an oxymoron. Despite some items consisting of seafood (predominantly shrimp), Dim Sum can be quite reasonably-priced. In fact, more often than not, most Dim Sum joints offer dishes starting at around $3.50 (and some places at under $3.00). Then you have the more deluxe establishments such as Kirin, Victoria, Imperial, Red Star, Spicy Court, Fisherman's Terrace, Sea Harbour and the sort where you'd be lucky to find anything under $4.00. That begs the question: is it worth it? Depends on your needs. If you merely want good Dim Sum at reasonable prices, you can easily find it at Golden Phoenix, Western Lake, Happy Valley and the sort. Finally, if you really want it on the cheap, then places like Kam Wai and The Roc fit the bill for under $3.00 per dish. However, there are times when an expensive Dim Sum meal is in order. It could be a special event, merely be a splurge or somebody has money to burn.

The former was the case this time as we were taking Viv's dad out for a belated birthday meal. We've been to Fortune Restaurant before albeit for dinner. It was "okay" while still disappointing due to their high prices. And those prices continue into Dim Sum service. In fact, probably some of the highest prices for Dim Sum I've seen in the GVRD other than Imperial and Victoria. Despite these prices, Fortune Restaurant remains a very busy place due to its location. Lots of covered parking in Oakridge and the ample amount of clientele in the area are some reasons for its popularity. Luckily for us, we had made a reservation and we got a table right away. Too bad it was in the middle of the whole place, away from the window. Not wanting to use my flash, the pictures turned out quite poor. I need a new lens. Hint, hint Viv...

Predictably, we started with the Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumplings) and they were alright. The filling was decent with a good amount of crunchy shrimp. I didn't like the addition of bamboo shoots, I personally find it a contradiction to the shrimp. When not rinsed properly, the bamboo shoots overpower the delicate shrimp. It was the case here. Furthermore, the dumpling skin was oversteamed being soft and fell apart once we picked it up. Of course the next item would be the Sui Mai (Pork and Shrimp Dumpling). I'm sorry to say this was a complete fail. The whole darn thing was so loose, it didn't even make it to my bowl. Furthermore, the meat was over-
tenderized. No bounce from the pieces of pork, just mush. At least the shrimp was good and it did taste okay.

Generally, one of the most expensive Dim Sum items is the the Shark's Fin Dumpling in Soup. Hence, it'd better be good. This one was not. The dumpling itself was harder than a someone on Viagara. Even after several stabs at it, the thing didn't fall apart. There was far too much chewy pork and not enough gelatin and seafood. The chicken broth was also quite bland, not exhibiting any depth or luxuriousness. Generally, the soup should have an almost silkiness to it. On that note, the Shrimp & Chive Dumplings were a bit hit and miss. We liked the filling. As you can clearly see, there were large whole shrimp tucked inside. Nicely cooked too. However, the dumpling skin was very thick and gummy. I do realize due to the high tapioca content of this wrapper, it will be gummy; but it was far too thick. In terms of the Beef Rice Noodle Roll, the noodle was slightly on the chewier side; yet wasn't too thick. I would've preferred if it was served at a warmer temperature though (this probably contributed to the chewier noodle). Beef was tender and there was only a moderate amount of green onion.

We got a Chicken Rice Hot Pot for the kiddies and this has to be one of the smallest versions we've ever seen. The picture doesn't really show how small it is. Imagine a regular rice bowl for one person and you'll get the size of it. Portion-size aside, the rice was not too bad with a nice chewy texture (good for adding the sweet soy to) and the chicken was tender and not too salty. The smallish portion size trend continued with the Black Bean Spareribs. When you can see portions of the dish where spareribs should be, that is never a good thing. To make matters worse, most of the pieces were not very meaty. Sure, that could just be bad luck; but that's what we got. Texture-wise, it was okay, a bit on the over-tenderized side though. I did like that it was only mildly seasoned, so it wasn't too salty. We could still taste the pork.

For me, it was quite confusing why the Daikon Radish Cake arrived stone cold. Since it comes directly from the kitchen, one would expect it to be served hot. Well, I'm sure the kitchen is busy and as such, this was probably fried up in advance. I don't blame them for this since it can take quite a long time to fry it up right. However, at the very least, reheat it by quickly frying it on both sides or even *gasp* nuke it. I don't mind. I just don't want cold food. Other than it being cold, it was okay though with a nice balance of flavours.

The Beef Tendon was a relatively large dish since it filled the small plate. By now, we were not expecting too much in the way of portion size. In fact, it was pretty decent. Walking the fine line between being too soft or too chewy, this was perfect. It was on the sweeter side; but all-in-all, a solid offering. On the other hand, the Beef Meatballs were not to my liking at all. These were a bit different than the typical beef meatballs found at most other Dim Sum restaurants. These were partially encased in the same wheat wrapper used in sui mai. No matter, that really didn't impact the dish too much. Yet, the one word I can describe these is mushy. Yes, these were some pretty mushy balls. And I hate mushy balls! Devoid of texture and frankly devoid of much meat flavour, these were a complete fail. Far too much baking soda and starch.

As for the Steamed Chicken Buns, they were quite wet. What I mean by that is the bun itself had spots that were completely drenched. Reason for this? Nothing inherently wrong with the steaming time or the bun itself; rather the final product suffered from being steamed in a metal steamer. Unlike a bamboo steamer which can both soak up moisture and is permeable, the metal one traps the moisture. It's a catch-22 since a metal steamer is more sanitary; yet not as effective. I guess one can't win... Other than the moisture, the buns themselves were fluffy and the chicken meat was tender while retaining some texture.

Lastly, we got the Egg Tarts. I have to admit that I'm biased when it comes to this dessert. I only like the flaky pastry-type, not like the ones here which are the hard tart shells. Somehow the texture is all wrong for me. Yes, it is a nice textural contrast to the sweet egg custard; but personally, I just like it all soft. So this wasn't bad per se, I just don't like these shells. Now personal opinion aside, we universally agreed that the Dim Sum at Fortune was not that great. Considering the price point, it made it even worse. Paying that kind of coin for mediocre Dim Sum does not cut it. Sure, the location is nice and the restaurant itself has an upscale feel to it. However, with Spicy Court kiddie-corner, there is no contest between the two. I guess the plethora of clientele with money to burn will keep this place in business.

The Good:
- Nice location with covered parking
- Relatively nice restaurant
- Service was okay

The Bad:
- Food is sub-par
- Overpriced considering the quality of the food

Jethro's Fine Grub

Since we took Guy Smiley out for his birthday last time, he wanted to return the favour. With so many choices of eats, you'd think it would be easy. Not so fast. Girl Smiley is expecting. Let me try this again. Girl Smiley can pop anytime now! Hence, we weren't going for anything such as AYCE sushi. Furthermore, with kiddies in tow, nothing too complicated either. With my son's skates getting a bit tight, we were needing to head out to Cheapskates anyways. So with Jethro's Fine Grub just around the corner, it was as good as anytime to finally try them out. This visit has been a long time coming. Originally, we were supposed to head there after golf in the summer; but the boys were so famished that they decided to eat at the first place they saw - which was Flamingo House. Although, this time around, we almost didn't get to eat there again. You see, there was a 1 hour wait for a table. The place is really small and probably can seat 26 people max.

No, we weren't going to leave despite my disdain for lineups. Instead, we walked up to Cheapskates and did our shopping first. Upon returning, we still had to wait about 20 minutes. They were able to turn a table for 4 around so that all 6 of us could fit. It was a tight squeeze; but the place has a certain charm to it that it really didn't matter. Although the prices are not exactly cheap, I think that they are more than fair considering its location. Looking around at the portion sizes, it actually made the prices look quite attractive. Girl Smiley decided on the standard 2 Eggs & Meat (choice of double smoked bacon, sausage, grilled chorizo or ham steak). She went for the ham steak and really, it was as large as a steak! Eggs were cooked perfectly while the hash browns were the boiled-first-then-pan-fried type. Good value for $8.00 considering the level of execution.

Viv ended up with the Crab Cake Benedict. Rather than bread, the crab cake itself was the base for the poached egg and Hollandaise sauce. We both agreed that the crab cake was both large and well-executed. Fluffy crab inside with a crispy exterior, these would've been fine on their own. Add perfectly poached eggs and a creamy Hollandaise, this breakfast rocked. Only thing I personally would've liked was more lemon in the sauce itself. Since no one was having an omelet, I had the Baked Potato Omelet. As the name suggests, there is hashbrowns, bacon, cheddar, sour cream and scallions (I omitted this). Well, nothing more to say than it is essentially a "baked potato" with all the fixins in an omelet. I like baked potatoes, especially with lotsa sour cream and bacon. This omelet delivered. Although, the egg itself could've been cooked a tad less. I also loved the fresh fruit and rye bread as well.

For my daughter, we ordered the Corned Beef Hash. Our server was concerned that she couldn't finish it and she was right. Little did she know that Viv and I would just eat more! Well, it really wasn't that large; but it would be enough for one person definitely. I stole the poached eggs and subsequently had enough cholesterol for the whole week in one meal. I gotta say that they really know how to poach eggs here. Perfect once again in terms of a runny yolk and aesthetically pleasing. We found the hash to be pretty good; yet nothing extraordinary. Hashbrowns were soft and just enough corn beef for flavour without being salty. It wasn't greasy either. Guy Smiley went for the Heuvos Rancheros. In one of the neatest looking versions of this dish, it was solid, if not a bit too refined. No matter, everything was fresh and well-executed.

Finally, for my son, he had the usual in the Short Stack Pancakes. Little did we know that meant 2 enormous pancakes that would rival the size of some dubs on a Range Rover. Well, it sure tasted better than dubs. Instead of brake dust, we find powered sugar. The pancakes were not dense nor rubbery. Pretty good. My son ate it, that makes me happy. In fact, we were all pretty happy. Jethro's has the winning formula of good eats, reasonable prices and good portions nestled within an eclectic atmosphere.

The Good:
- Good portions
- Reasonable prices
- Decent eats

The Bad:
- Always a wait for a table
- Tight dining space

Charm Modern Thai

*This restaurant is now closed*

Let's face it. Much like anything these days, restaurants are changing with the times. As much as the basic restaurant can do the job in terms of offering up good eats, it is lacking in all other areas. For example, why must we have the latest technology such as the iPhone 4 or a nicer car when we can get by with a classic Motorola brick-of-a-phone and a Pinto? Simple, because we have wants that are not necessarily needs. That has been the case for quite awhile since the dawn of consumerism. Hence, I find it quite troubling that people merely write off things that are deemed frivolous for nothing more than being "trendy" or "modern". Take Bao Bei for instance. Yes, it is not your typical Chinese restaurant; but it is not trying to be so. With that in mind, there are some decent eats there that go along with their awesome drinks. Even Terracotta has some okay dishes as well despite some flops. Hey, no restaurant can be perfect you know. There is a lot that goes into operating a restaurant! And that gets into the topic of exactly what is the target clientele of a particular establishment. The bottom line of any business is to make money. Plain and simple. So they will cater to its core customers. Take East Side Mario's for instance. Their "Italian" food is dumbed down to be a safe place for those who are not as adventurous. In fact, they have introduced some more classic dishes in the past to no avail. Thus, they end up keeping the items which sell and ditching the ones that do not.

With all this in mind, restaurants in Yaletown can never be judged solely on their food. C'mon, let's get real here. Yaletown is trendy. Yaletown is expensive. Yaletown is about style. My point? If you don't like this, then don't eat there. Plenty of other places in the GVRD. Now, the food still needs to be at the very least decent since a restaurant is a place where one eats... By merely providing style without edible food is not good for the longevity of any restaurant (Society is an example). I'll be honest though, for the reasons provided, I have hesitated to try Charm since Thai food is expensive enough without being located in Yaletown. However, I got invited to give Charm a try and I figured why not? So I ended up going on a regular Tuesday night dinner service (with them knowing I was there of course). And yes, here is my usual disclaimer... Sure they invited me; but once again, a restaurant can only be as good as it can be and can be only as bad as it can be as well. And of course, you know I'm gonna give you my honest opinion.

We started off the meal with the Green Papaya Salad. The colours were vibrant and the ingredients exhibited a very fresh crunch. Unlike some other versions of this salad, the flavours were bold. Lots of fish sauce and a bit of spice, it was amazingly balanced. Viv thought that there was a good mix of salty, sweet, tart and spice. The roasted peanuts added a nice aroma and extra crunch to the dish. Now for one of their signature items - The Duck Sticks. As advertised, these were awesome. Of course anything put into a spring roll is not exactly rocket science. However, these spring rolls had a pronounced duck flavour. That put it over the top because being crunchy isn't uncommon for a spring roll; yet having a pleasing duck taste makes it special. Presented on the same plate was the Tiger Prawn Satay. These were barely cooked and I mean barely. It appeared they were marinated in a peanut/curry satay sauce. They were served with Thai-style garlic toast, Thai peanut sauce and cucumber chutney. The prawns were so tasty, there was really no need for the peanut sauce. Somewhat of a strange combination, the cucumber chutney atop the garlic toast worked. However, we would've preferred more tartness from the chutney.

Next up, we had the Tom Yum Goong with perfectly cooked prawns. The broth was very flavourful with big hits of lemongrass, fish sauce, cilantro and galangal. Despite some bold flavours including some spice, it was well-balanced. For our first main, the Pineapple Braised Short Ribs, we found the red curry to be quite good. A good balance of coconut milk, spice and sweetness from the pineapple. Personally, I would've liked it spicier; but again, restaurants usually cater to the masses. Curiously, the short ribs were a bit dry; despite being tender. Our next dish was something that we didn't prefer. I have to give them props for something as creative as Green Tea Chicken; but we found the green tea coating very overpowering. There wasn't anything inherently wrong with the orange and ginger glaze, there was just too much of it. The side of veggies were prepared perfectly being crunchy and not overseasoned.

Our last entree was the Coconut Cream Scallops. The scallops were nicely grilled and barely cooked inside exhibiting a slight smoky aroma. Curiously, 2 of the scallops had a bit of chewiness around the edges. Possibly a bit uneven flame? The coconut cream sauce and veggies underneath let the scallops do all the talking. No need to overwhelm such a delicate and naturally sweet item. As for our desserts, we started with a Vanilla Bean Tapioca which was not sweet at all which is a good thing. We could see the vanilla bean; but couldn't taste much of it. Lastly, we had the Deep Fried Banana with vanilla sauce. Once again, anything stuffed into a spring roll will have a good chance at succeeding. This was not different. The banana was very ripe; hence it tasted good on its own and we could barely detect the chocolate and coconut.

Although not mind-blowing, most of the food was pretty good. As much as it is advertised to be modern Thai, most of the items on the menu are quite traditional cooked by actual Thai chefs. As for some of their more adventurous creations, I guess it comes down to personal preference. To be honest, it was better than I expected. Of course, we need to take into account that Charm is one of many restaurants in Yaletown that share the same model. That is, to fit into the Yaletown scene with progressive food and a little pizazz. Hey, I get it, I really do. I lived in Yaletown for 6 years after all. Of course, if you wanted Thai food for cheaper, it definitely can be found elsewhere. That is not rocket science. But if we take Charm for what it is, their target clientele and where it is located, it is a good place for drinks, appies and certain dishes.

The Good:
- Not as expensive as you would think (especially with an Entertainment coupon)
- As with most Yaletown eateries, dining space is nice
- Some pleasant surprises

The Bad:
- Some dishes are better than others (which is pretty normal for any restaurant)
- If you're not really into the Yaletown scene