Akari (North Delta)

Early on in the life of this blog, I went on a mission to find good Japanese food out in North Delta. Turns out the mission would be a short one since there are only 5 along the Scott Road corridor. Minori was the first one and it turned out to be probably the best of the bunch. The second was Akari and my initial impressions were good. A subsequent visit (w/o my camera, the horror!) was much more average. Okay, now nearly a year later, it is time again to revisit Akari for some updated thoughts. Strangely, I was seated at the same table again, for the 3rd time! Is it a special table? Well, not for me... It's right in the middle of many other tables and yah people stare when I do my take-a-picture-of-my-green-salad routine (while looking quite happy which further makes me look strange).

Today, I figured that I would order something different and went for one of their combos which included a choice of specialty roll and one side dish (Miso Soup and Green Salad as well). As I was snapping photos of the Green Salad, the people beside me were whispering, "hey, that dude is taking a picture of his greens!". It was then that I proclaimed I was not Japanese, I just like taking pictures of my greens among other things. We had a good laugh. I'm sure they still thought I was wacko. As for the salad itself, it was green and the dressing was the typical vinegary sweet type. As part of the combo, I selected the Assorted Tempura as my side. Slightly thick on the batter, it was still crispy and did not get mushy after it cooled. Pretty good.

It didn't seem like that the amount of food in the combo would be enough to satisfy my appetite (which is apparently quite large...), so I added an Appetizer Sashimi. Not cut particularly nicely, the sashimi was alright. I liked the salmon more than the tuna. The salmon was slightly chewy while the tuna was quite bland. The size of the pieces were fair for the price. The second part of the combo was the Philadelphia Roll. I'm not really sure what possessed me to order it since I'm not a huge fan of cream cheese in sushi. I guess it looked the nicest in the pictures on the menu. When it arrived, I noticed that it wasn't the most carefully made roll; but it held together when I picked it up. The rice was on the drier side. It did exhibit some vinegary flavour though. As for the entire roll itself, the ingredients were fine, I just didn't like the cream cheese. If I don't think about my personal tastes for a moment, the roll was fine. Now, not merely satisfied after my revisit, I went again a few weeks later to make sure of my findings. So I had the same combo again with a different roll. This time I went for a more standard one being the Smoked Salmon Roll. It was a combination of smoked salmon, imitation crab, asparagus, ebi, avocado, cucumber and tobiko wrapped in nori. Despite the potency of smoked salmon, there was only enough to provide the necessary flavour without overwhelming the other components. I thought this was a solid roll except for the stringy asparagus. For the second half of the combo, I opted for the Gyoza. Normally, when one orders a lunch combo, it is usually a miniature version of the real thing; not so here. In addition to the 6pcs of sushi, I received a full order of gyoza. They were fried up on more than one side, which made for an interesting appearance; but in the end, it was not bad. The dumpling skin was thin and crisp while the filling was a good combination of veggies and meat which were not mushy. Only thing that I could fault on these was that they were a bit oily. By now, I was pretty much done and could not eat anymore. However, I was stupid enough to order a Tonkatsu-Don as well! It's that old Chinese saying of my eyes were wide while my pants are tight. I was only able to take a few scoops of this before I packed it in. For what it's worth, the rice was pretty good. It was chewy and not mushy nor dry while the tonkatsu was nicely fried up with a sweet mirin/soy mixture on top that seeped into the rice. The pickled ginger provided a nice zing to the otherwise sweet and savoury dish. For me, this was a solid don. So how does Akari fare after 4 tries? I feel that I'm confident enough to say that the food here is pretty decent. Sure, there are definitely better, especially in Vancouver. However, this is North Delta and that is pretty acceptable given its location. If anyone cares, I noticed that the staff, including the sushi chefs were speaking Japanese. Does it make for better Japanese food? Not necessarily; but it does make it seem authentic at least, if that matters to you.

The Good:
- Okay food
- Things seemed fresh
- Service is friendly

The Bad:
- A little pricey
- Food came out a bit slow

La Quercia Part 2

If you have noticed lately, I've been open to re-visiting restaurants. It was not like that before you know. Think of it, why would I blog about something over and over again? However, it makes sense. On a re-visit, there are different dishes to try as well as changes in the menu, chef or ownership. Furthermore, some restaurants have multiple locations. Not all are created equal. And probably the most important rationale is that I just happen to like the place and really want to eat there again! That is the case with La Quercia. When Costanza indicated that would be one of the places he'd like go for his birthday, I offered up very little resistance.

Not knowing that we could not do the larger "alla famigla" meal for an early seating, we were a bit disappointed when attempting to order it. Mind you, the smaller "alla famigla" meal is no slouch either. It's more than enough food to go around. For those unfamiliar with their "alla famigla" dinner, it is a meal consisting of several courses (typically 5 for the smaller and 9 for the larger) served on one platter to share. For tonight's meal, we started with a Carne Salada with artichoke hearts and shaved piave cheese. Brined for 3 weeks in spices, garlic and juniper berries, the veal was buttery with a smidgen of meat texture. The slight gaminess of the piave combined with the saltiness of the artichokes complimented the mild veal quite well. Next up was an Endive Salad with a bagna cauda dressing consisting of anchovies, garlic and olive oil. The salad was fresh and crisp. It stood up well to the salty dressing. We particularly liked the duck fat croutons, they were rich and crunchy.

Last time, we had a Parmesan cheese souffle, this time around, it was an Eggplant Sformato which is a twice-baked eggplant souffle. Eggplant is a fussy thing to prepare. Overcook it and it'll be mush. Undercook it and you'll be eating Styrofoam. I'm happy to report that the thin eggplant slices were perfect. They encased a fluffy concoction which was creamy and smooth. As rich as it was, it was light at the same time with a nice salt kick at the end, finished off with a touch of Castella di Ama olive oil. Probably the most memorable dish of the night had to be the Ravioli of Porchetta, potato, ricotta and Parmesan with sage butter. Inside the perfectly al dente fresh pasta was a pronounced taste of roast pork. The potato and ricotta helped bring the whole thing together texturally. I didn't get a whole lot of sage; but that worked for me since I don't prefer too much sage anyways.

Our next pasta dish was Garganelli Pasta with shredded duck, sauteed leeks and a touch of cream. Once again, the pasta was fresh and al dente. Since fresh pasta cooks so fast, it is quite the feat to get it al dente without being raw-like. This was perfect. With the sauteed leeks, there was a certain level of herbiness. The duck was super tender and had a nice flavour. Another successful pasta dish. Our server proclaimed that he felt bad for denying us the 9 course meal, so he presented us with another pasta - Bottarga or linguine with red mullet roe, olive oil and garlic. This was a very simple pasta with clean flavours. And that flavour was very fishy due to the sun-dried roe. For me, I didn't mind it because the pasta was again al dente (quite al dente actually) and there was little in the way of any other competing flavours. I know this is a bad comparison; but the cod roe udon found at many Izakaya restaurants is the opposite of this pasta. This one is relatively dry while the udon is wet. Somehow the wet, slimy texture combined with the fishiness of roe doesn't work for me personally. I digress...

For our last course before dessert, we were presented with a Flat-Iron Steak topped by arugula, Parmesan, pine nuts and balsamic vinaigrette. Cooked medium-rare, the large portion of steak was mostly tender except for certain sections. Those certain sections were actually quite chewy due to the nature of the meat. No harm, no foul, that is not the restaurants' fault. After all, they executed the steak perfectly. The balsamic vinaigrette was an excellent compliment to the meaty steak. In a sense, it had certain qualities that made it similar to beef tataki. That familiar taste made it exceptionally delicious. The combination of arugula, pine nuts and Parmesan made for a nice salad to go with the steak.

Finally. We made it to dessert. With that, we were presented with a plate of 3 items consisting of a Carrot Cake, Flourless Chocolate Cake with chestnuts and Apple Raisin Strudel. Of the 3, my favourite had to be the carrot cake. It was not heavy at all nor very sweet. The cream cheese frosting was also not too heavy. It was sweet though and was the necessary compliment to the mild tasting cake. The chocolate cake was not bad. It was somewhat dense due to the lack of flour and the addition of chestnuts. I'm not a huge fan of chestnuts so my opinion is probably biased. I did like that the cake was not sweet and had all the nice qualities of dark chocolate. As for the strudel, I wasn't a huge fan. It was curiously dry despite the "wet" filling. Flavour-wise, it was somewhat bland and uninspired. On the flip side, the Sabayon with grapefruit was a veritable flavour explosion. An attention-getting tartness balanced by an equal amount of sweetness, we couldn't get enough of this. Combined with a desirable texture, this was the highlight of the desserts. And that was a fitting end to another fabulous meal. Once again, La Quercia offered up a dinner that was both delicious and interesting at a very reasonable price. Service is top-notch and the room is cozy. We really can't wait to return to try the 9-course alla famigla dinner. Just have to remember to book a time after the main dinner rush.

The Good:
- Interesting food
- Well-executed
- Good value

The Bad:
- Room is cozy, maybe a bit too cozy
- You can only do the 9-course meal with late seatings (which is totally understandable)

Vancouver's 1st Annual Foodie Feast

I have been a busy man as of late. For those who are wondering why I have been MIA, I am pleased to announce that:

Follow Me Foodie, Sherman’s Food Adventures and Urbanspoon are proud to introduce the Vancouver’s 1^st Annual Foodie Feast to be held at District 319. All net proceeds from the event will benefit the Vancouver Food Bank. We will be taking non-perishable and cash donations at the door.

We invite you foodies to sample food from 10 stations. Mijune and I have been honoured to hand-pick the 10 restaurants and even help them determine which menu items will be featured. The menu items we’ve selected and tried will showcase the best food for you to experience. All items will be Follow Me Foodie and Sherman’s Food Adventures APPROVED. Among the 10 restaurants represented include Bella Gelateria, El Barrio, Falconetti’s, Hapa Izakaya, La Belle Auberge, Mochikas, One Planet Catering and Red Star Seafood.

Along with our title sponsors, Bella Gelateria, Four Seasons Vancouver and Urbanspoon, there will be over $2000 worth of prizes to be won. As we finalize the details, there will be further posts updating the complete menu, restaurant selections and other goodies! If you or your company is interested in sponsoring the event for a good cause please contact either myself or Mijune.

Tickets are limited to only 250 and are available on Eventbrite: http://vancouverfoodiefeast.eventbrite.com. At only $30 per person and $55 per couple, these will sell out quickly. Ensure your participation in this fabulous event!

The Red Wagon

I'm not an extremely squeamish person. Hey, I love offal and really enjoy the sight of it in restaurants and a butcher shop. However, one thing that totally gets me is blood work. You see, I needed to get a blood test and well, it requires the extraction of blood from moi. I put on a brave face; yet it is all for show. Inside, I am a tortured soul. Actually, the wait in line is probably equally torturous! Well, this time around, it was quick. I was in and out within 10 minutes. That was great. Now I was super hungry! I had fasted for over 14 hours with hockey in between. I quickly called up Rich Guy and wondered if he wanted to join me for breakfast. He was really in the mood for eggs benny and suddenly, The Red Wagon came to mind. The brainchild of Brad Miller, formerly of Au Petit Chavignol, Bistro Pastis and West, this unassuming little diner offers more than it appears.

We were originally seated at an inside table with little natural light. I stalked the table near the window and once they began to pay, I snatched it. Anything for my pictures! So Rich Guy got his fix with the Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict. With perfectly poached eggs and a relatively light Hollandaise sauce with a good lemon zing. Rich Guy probably said it best: "the eggs benny is better than some fancier places". And he has been to many fancy places to quantify this statement. For me, I had 2 items that were a must-try. One of which were the Pulled Pork Pancakes. With 3 thick; yet fluffy pancakes and tender pulled pork sandwiched in between then doused with butter and syrup, these were frickin' awesome. I've had something similar at Deacon's Corner before; but this version is definitely better. It could've used a bit more sauce and less syrup (or served on the side); however, for what we got, it was delicious and I couldn't stop eating it.

Now I mentioned that I had 2 dishes in mind... Well, instead of trying to decide, I got them both. I also ordered the Crispy Pork Belly which came with two eggs, home fries, griddled tomatoes, salsa verde, hollandaise and toast. The star of this plate was of course the pork belly. It was excellent. Completely melt-in-your-mouth meat and fat with a slightly crisp exterior, this was a sin worth committing. The only thing I would change are the potatoes, they could've been more crispy. So after loading up on a gazillion calories, we were stuffed and satisfied. I guess my starvation made me order too much... Well, that's my usual MO anyways. As for the Red Wagon, it ain't much to look at; but for the breakfast items we tried, it was very good at a reasonable price. Service was friendly and efficient for the one person working the room. Breakfast is only one portion of the menu here since they serve lunch as well. Lots of interesting items to try there as well. I will be back to try those dishes and a side of those pancakes too!

The Good:
- Solid food
- Inexpensive
- A good divey atmosphere

The Bad:
- Artery-clogging diner food (I don't mind though!)
- As you can imagine, it'll be really busy during peak hours

Falconetti's

Really. What is so special about sausages? It's a tube of mystery meat that is usually stuffed inside a bun of some sort. Hardly something to get really excited about. However, much like many other basic foods like the sandwich and burger, the modest meat in tube is gaining recognition. Okay, lemme clarify one thing first. A sausage does not necessarily equal a wiener. Especially at Falconetti's, if one dares to refer to their house-made sausages as wieners, the patrons might be offended. Mijune and I were on a mission tonight - to find out what the fuss is about these sausages. In fact, Mijune wanted a lot of sausage... Um... For me, I guess this was a sausage fest that could not be avoided. For the record, we were partially comped for this meal.

We were presented with a few of their most popular sausages to start. Fortunately or unfortunately, we began with the Polish sausage. You see, this was the best one we had hands down. Either that can be seen as a great start or something that ruined us for anything else. The beef sausage itself was very meaty and lean. Despite being lean, it was juicy and tender. Tasting quite mild, it went well with the sauerkraut, onions and grainy mustard. The bun was served toasted and warm. It was soft while still being able to stand up to the ingredients. Sure, it's a sausage in a bun; but it was a very good sausage in a bun. For no other reason that we just were curious, we wanted to try the Asian Thai Chicken. With familiar flavours and a chunky chicken sausage, this was a very predictable offering. It was a harmonious blend of coconut, curry, lime & ginger with asian veggies, sesame oil & hoisin. Nothing wrong with it at all and in fact it was quite good. But we're Asian and well, it tastes Asian.

As for the Chaurice, Mijune really didn't care for it. A combination of Cajun style chorizo with diced tomatoes, red onion, house & hot sauce, the whole thing left our tongues stinging. I personally didn't dislike it; although it was mostly a one-note flavour. For us, we weren't huge fans; but those who like it hot may love it, so it's all up to personal tastes. Besides, I liked the texture of the sausage itself. It was moist and only a little bit greasy and really spicy. What we should have done was try the Hot Italian first as our mouths were on fire. So we ate the rest of it later and got a true sense of the combination of Parmesan, tomatoes, onions and house sauce. This was our second favourite after the Polish. The sausage was a bit chunky with plenty of texture and only a moderate amount of spice. I loved the addition of shredded Parmesan since it added a salty/pungent flavour that complimented the spice. As if that wasn't enough sausage, Mijune indicated she'd like to sample the Honey Brat. Yes, she likes her sausages with lots of sauce... Comprised of somewhat caramelized onions and a honey mustard sauce, this was predictably sweet. However, it wasn't as sweet as one might think. We didn't get a whole lot of honey mustard flavour, which to me was not necessarily a bad thing. That would probably overwhelm the brat. Instead, the savouriness of the brat could stand out against the sweet ingredients. With that being said, this would worked even better if the onions were caramelized a bit more to give some extra smokiness and rich flavour.

At this point, I was so full, I was going to burst. But not Mijune. She asked for more sausage! Er... Yet it wasn't meat in a bun. Rather, try sausage in a Quesadilla. We selected the Polish sausage as the meat in this dish. Normally, for us, a quesadilla is a quesadilla. Not really all that exciting. This one was not an ordinary quesadilla. Filled with 2 cheeses, onions, sausage and then grilled and pan-fried, this was a messy, flavourful concoction. The house-made tomatillo sauce was the necessary tang that helped cut through the richness of the ingredients. We really liked this dish. So how did the sausages fare? Very well. We could definitely taste the quality and care that went into making these sausages. Good flavour and texture. Of course there are some that worked better than others; but that is always the case and due to personal preferences. These are definitely not your run-of-the-mill sausages. They are higher-class will you, just like the gourmet burgers and sandwiches that are all the craze. In fact, one could buy these gourmet sausages from the soon-to-be open meat shop next door.

The Good:
- Very good house-made sausages
- Reasonably-priced
- Funky ambiance

The Bad:
- When the live band is playing, it's really loud (but if you like that, then it's a good!)
- Didn't try the other items, so the jury is still out on that

Arturo's Mexico To Go

With the mini-explosion of food carts in Vancouver, it has been somewhat of a challenge to hit all of them. First we had the slow roll out, with some still not yet up and running. Second, they are scattered around everywhere and unless you work in Downtown, they are not exactly easy to get to (especially finding parking!). Another issue is tracking them down in general. Some have closed up shop completely (Chinese Skewer King) or even moved locations (Eli's Serious Sausage). However, I must admit that my visit to Arthur's Mexico to Go has not been due to any of the aforementioned issues. It is no secret that Mexican food is not exactly my first choice of cuisine. I am in no way saying that Mexican food cannot be good. With the stagnant variety of Mexican fare in Vancouver, it makes it very hard for me to like it. I might actually have to risk my health and eat a authentic eateries in Mexico to alleviate this problem. Or maybe I can just spend lots of money and visit Rick Bayless' Frontera Grill in Chicago. So, in lieu of those ambitious adventures, for the time being I'll have to settle for what we got. Hey, as TS (from Eating Club Vancouver) states, "we deserve the restaurants that we get".

Last time I had visited Dim Sum Express (which is right around the corner from Arturo's), I briefly entertained the thought of having a second lunch from Arturo's'; but I wisely did not. Such self-control! Anyways, this time around I was hungry and went for 3 items starting with the Tortilla Soup. With a combination of avocado, beans, cheese and crisp tortillas, this would have been great if the tortillas were served on the side. I tried the soup immediately; but there was little crispiness left. Despite this, the soup base itself was good with some spice and tomato. For no reason other than to have some variety, I ordered one each of the Tacotino and Burrito. For the tacotino, I went for beef and asked for it to be spicy. For me, I didn't find it spicy. Rather, I found it tart from all the onions and peppers. I really didn't taste anything else. It was partly the same for the burrito as well. I went for chicken and depending where I bit into, the same overwhelming tartness from the onions and peppers took over. If I bit somewhere else, the burrito was actually quite good. Everything was vibrant and fresh. Next time, I think I'll just ask for less grilled onions and peppers. Overall, the food was not bad. It's just probably not my favourite type of cuisine. Thus, I would try it again if I'm in the area; but I am not necessarily rushing back.

The Good:
- Ingredients are fresh
- No absence of flavour

The Bad:
- For me, the flavours were not balanced
- A little pricey

Beautiful Island

Awhile ago, Jenny had blogged about this small Taiwanese bubble tea restaurant out on Imperial called Beautiful Island. From her post, it didn't inspire me to visit the place anytime soon. However, the place is open late and you know I like to eat out after hockey. So... it suddenly reappeared on my radar, especially since there are not a whole lot of places to eat in Burnaby after midnight. From what I can recall, there is The One, Potter's Garden, Au Wing Kee, #1 Beef Noodle, Bubble World, Curry King and of course the chain restaurants. Chill used to be one option; but it has since closed down. If you read my post about it, you'll see why that happened. One problem with Beautiful Island. I wasn't sure when they actually closed. Easy, just call them. Yah, that would be ideal if they actually had a number listed! The number on Urbanspoon is wrong and there seems to be no other form of documentation on the internet about this place. I really didn't want to randomly visit the place to find out it is closed.

Yet, that is what we did. No choice. We wanted to eat, it was late and we wanted to head to Burnaby. Luck would have it, it was open. Open until 1:00am on Friday and 2:00am on Saturday. Oh and I still don't have the right phone number because they don't have a take out menu. I usually get the info that way. I didn't write down their phone number. Epic fail of sorts. The reason we chose Beautiful Island is because Apu, Gordo and myself reside in Burnaby. Thus, Milhouse and Boss Woman were the token Vancouver residents. When we arrived, there was only one other table. Maybe it was late? Maybe they don't have a working phone number listed??? Sorry, that just bugs me!

Boss Woman really likes to share food as a means to try more than one dish. Hey, so do I! Perfect! Hence, we shared 3 items starting with the Marinated Combo consisting of Beef Shank, Pig's Ear and Chicken Giblets. This would've been really good if the sauce actually tasted like anything. For some reason or another, the sauce was bland despite the rich colour. Therefore, the meat was flavourless. Where the meats were bland, the Salty Peppery Chicken Nuggets were a flavour explosion. As the name suggests, it was salty and peppery; but in good balance. I liked the moist chicken that still had a light crunch. This was very good. Surprisingly, the best dish, in our opinion, was the Shrimp Fried Noodles. The noodles were al dente and none-too-oily. Lots of crunchy cabbage and carrots with large butterflied shrimp (should be called prawns) made for a solid fried noodle dish.

Now we wouldn't visit this type of restaurant without trying the Beef Noodle would we? Well, I made sure that everyone knew this... Milhouse and Gordo both got an order to try. First off, the noodles were al dente and the broth actually had some kick to it. However, as Milhouse remarked, "the soup is flavourful; but I can still taste the water". Thus, the soup lacked any real depth. The meat was actually quite dry and slightly chewy. Not a bad beef noodle, just not a good one. Apu went for one of their set meals which includes 3 mini-side dishes (pickled cabbage, green beans and a severely overcooked boiled egg). His main dish was Stir-Fried Cabbage and Pressed Tofu. Although the plating was not the prettiest, the dish was not bad. The cabbage was still crisp and there was no absence of flavour or spiciness. Hey, I gotta agree with Jenny here. The food ain't bad; but it isn't memorable as well. Good for late night, not sure about other times.

The Good:
- Open late
- Drinks were not bad
- Pricing is okay

The Bad:
- Food is pretty average
- Service is not really that attentive