No. 1 Shanghai

We met up with Ben and Suanne from Chow Times today at No. 1 Shanghai restaurant in Richmond. It was the first time meeting up with them and I really have to say I enjoyed the company. It's nice to have another blogger with a family that we can meet up with! Despite the fact I have been eating non-stop for the last little while, I was quite hungry. I woke up pretty late today and had not eaten since I slept at 3:00am after Congee Noodle House. With the pleasantries out of the way, we got down to ordering.

I guess we kind of ordered randomly and ended up with a whole lot of food. Well, no problem, just more to take pictures of and more to blog about! Although... I did have camera envy, Ben has a very nice Canon DSLR. I really must go out and get one soon! We ordered so much, I actually had to take notes. I was getting confused as to what we ordered and what some of the items were! So here is the list of what we ordered: Xiao Long Bao (2), Szchewan Beef Noodle, Tan Tan Noodles, Shanghai Thick Noodles in Soup, Fried Pork Chop with Rice Cake (Neen Goh), 8 Treasures Spicy Noodle Soup, Pickled Vegetable and Pork with Rice, and Sticky Rice with Flavours (the flavour was most sweet red bean).

The Xiao Long Bao were quite juicy and had lots of meat flavour. However, the skin was ever-so-slightly thicker than the ones from Shanghai River and Shanghai Wonderful. The Szchewan noodles were okay, but the soup was curiously sweet and a bit thin. The broth was not as rich and full of meat flavour such as the one at #1 Beef Noodle House. However, the beef and the tendon were quite soft and flavourful. The Tan Tan noodles were quite good. It was a good balance of chili oil, peanut sauce, vinegar, sweet and salty. The noodles themselves were not overcooked and had some elasticity to them. The Shanghai noodles in soup were very good. The soup base had depth and the noodles were not mushy. The cabbage was still firm and the meat was not too fatty.

However, the pork chop with neen goh (rice cake) was not so good. It sure looked impressive, with big slices of neen goh buried beneath large pieces of fried pork chop. But, since the neen goh was in such large pieces, it was very chewy and hard to eat. In addition, it was difficult for the flavours to penetrate the large pieces of neen goh. The pork chop itself had way too much batter. There was more batter than pork chop. The 8 treasures noodle soup was a curious one. It arrived with the 8 treasures on a separate plate from the noodles. We spent some time figuring out what that dish was until we noticed that one of the bowl of noodles was quite lonely without any toppings whatsoever. I thought the 8 treasures were very good and supplied plenty of flavour to the plain noodles.

The pickled vegetables and pork with rice didn't do much for me. I guess it was a bit bland for my tastes. It wasn't bad, but it really lacked flavour. The sticky rice was an interesting dish. It arrived with a sweet glaze on top and was filled with sweet red bean, lotus root and gay jee (it's a red seed). The rice was very soft and slightly sweet. It was a pleasant dish to eat, but it was really a bundle of mush, so there was not much in the way of texture.

The meal as a whole was enjoyable. Nothing was really terrible, but nothing was all that memorable either. However, the prices were very reasonable. Moreover, the dining room itself is nicely decorated and modern. Even the washrooms were very clean and modern (think a la Cactus Club). The service was pretty good and efficient (despite what I read from other reviews). No. 1 Shanghai is not my first choice for Shanghainese Dim Sum, but it is a decent place to eat nonetheless.












The Good:
- Decent food at reasonable prices
- Comfortable dining room
- Good service

The Bad:
- Lack of parking
- Some other places have better food

No. 1 Shanghai
#120 - 4200 No. 3 Road
Richmond, B.C.
604-279-1728

Business Hours:
11:00am - 3:00pm, 5:00pm - 10:00pm (7 days a week)

Hi Genki

Vandelay has been bugging me to try this place called Hi Genki for awhile now. I've been pretty skeptical - a Japanese restaurant in an old folks home?!?!? Just the image of that conjures up thoughts of hospital food. Bleck! But I finally relented and decided to give it a go. Hi Genki is located in the Nekkei Home on Southoaks Crescent in Burnaby. When I say it's in the home, it is right smack-dab at the front entrance. I wasn't even sure if I was in the right place; but alas, Vandelay and Donna Chang were there waiting for a table.

The restaurant was bustling with activity, it appears that a lot of people like to eat here. Right at the front near the cash register was a small table with all the specials of the day. That's right, the actual dishes (not some plastic interpretation) were displayed. This is one of the few times you get to see the food before ordering it. My initial impressions were that the portions of each dish were very generous. Furthermore, after looking over the menu, I was impressed that those portions were at reasonable prices. However, this shouldn't have been a revelation since Hi Genki is run by Fujiya, which is synonymous with value.

I continued to look at the menu and the Gindara Misoyaki caught my eye. For $8.95, you get miso-flavoured grilled black cod. I thought that was a fabulous deal since black cod is really expensive. When the dish arrived, I figured out why it was only $8.95. The pieces of black cod were actually the collar and fin bones. But, that was actually no problem to me because the most succulent part of the fish is near the bones in my opinion. However, for some others, this may be a total turn off. Rice, spring salad, konnyaku jelly, and a taro ball (that's what it tasted like, please correct me if I'm wrong) acommpanied the fish. Curiously, the salad dressing on top of the spring mix was Italian. First time I've ever had both spring mix and Italian dressing in a Japanese restaurant.

Vandelay ordered the Nabeyaki Udon, which came with a side of fried rice. I tried the udon and it was well... udon. It was no better or no worse than any other udons I've had everywhere else. Donna Chang (not her real name) ordered up some Japanese curry, specifically the Chicken Katsu Curry. Essentially, it's a breaded chicken cutlet over rice smothered with curry. Japanese curry is nothing like traditional Indian Curry, it's much sweeter and it's thickened with a roux. I tried some of it and it was indeed very mild and sweet. If you like that kind of curry, then it was pretty good.

We also got an order of Agedeshi Tofu and Korokke Teishoku (potato croquettes). The tofu were 2 big pieces topped with the usual grated daikon, green onion and bonito flakes. I liked the tofu, it was soft and not over-fried. The croquettes were coated with panko and it was fried perfectly. Nice colour and crispy on the outside, fluffy potato on the inside. We were also provided with a squeeze bottle of tonkatsu sauce for the croquettes. So what did I think of Hi Genki? Well, much like Fujiya, the food is not bad, but not great. Although I do think it is a very good value, since it has a good combination of decent food, good prices and generous portions.

The Good:
- Low prices
- Generous portions
- Free underground parking

The Bad:
- All the positive reviews create unrealistic expectations for the food

Hi Genki
6680 Southoaks Crescent
Burnaby, B.C.
604-777-0533
www.fujiya.ca

Business Hours:
11:30am - 3:00pm, 6:00pm - 8:30pm (Mon - Sun)

The Cannery

*The Cannery is now permanently closed*

The restaurant scene in Vancouver has come a long way since the 70's when there were very few fine dining establishments to choose from. Some that come to mind are: The Salmon House, Cloud 9, The Fish House (formerly the Beach House), and The Cannery. How times have changed. Since Expo 86, Vancouver has truly become an international city with a diverse culinary heartbeat. Newer fine dining restaurants such as West, Chambar and Blue Water have breathed new life into what was a stagnant culinary scene. However, places like The Cannery still have their appeal, even though much of the restaurant has not changed in the last 20 years.

I wasn't even born when it first opened in 1971, but I have frequented The Cannery on many occasions from my youth until now. Sadly, The Cannery is moving from its current location in late 2010. The lease is up with the Port Authority and due to security concerns, the location will not exist as a restaurant anymore. Making sure I don't miss out on the quaint location that the Cannery currently occupies, I paid a visit tonight with Viv. Again, I was lucky to have a prime seat upstairs right by the window. In addition to very nice views of Burrard Inlet, I had good lighting for my pictures. We were greeted iimmediately by the assistant waiter who filled our glasses. Our server arrived shortly after and took our drink order. I had an Apple Martini and it was so yummy (not too sweet, and not too sour)!

She came back and explained the featured dishes of the day. She gave us plenty of time to decide on what to order. Although I was tempted to order their very popular Salmon Wellington, I choose not to. I've had that dish too many times and after Moderne Burger for lunch, I wasn't in the mood for anything heavy. We decided to have the Seafood Platter appetizer for 2 to start. Viv chose to have the special, which was a Wild Atlantic Salmon Fillet with Prawns in a Roasted Tomato and Cumin sauce. I decided on the Red Snapper from the fresh sheet. After we placed our order, the famous lobster oil with balsamic vinegar and basket of bread arrived. The lobster oil at The Cannery is very aromatic and is a nice complement to the balsamic vinegar. My only complaint is that the bread always comes out stone-cold and hard. I really wish they would serve warm, softer bread with the lobster oil. That would be perfect!

As we were munching on our bread, the seafood platter arrived. The platter was full of plump mussels (10), crab claws (6), oysters (2), shrimp (10), tiger prawns (4), scallops (2) and candied salmon (2). There were 2 dipping sauces, one was a sherry vinaigrette and the other was sun dried tomato. The sherry vinaigrette was quite tart and it didn't seem to go with any of the delicate seafood. However, the sun dried tomato was light and we used that primarily as our dipping sauce. The seafood was cooked perfectly. We could taste the natural sweetness of each and every piece. After we finished our appetizer, there was very little wait time before our entrees arrived. The salmon had really good natural flavour; however, the roasted tomato and cumin sauce didn't have any bite. A request for some lemon wedges did the trick, suddenly the flavours came alive with the acidity. It cut through the creaminess of the sauce. The red snapper was cooked perfectly, it was flaky and very fresh. I chose the lemon butter sauce and it was good; but again, it lacked lemon flavour. I guess it's a personal preference, but we like a bit of acidity with our fish. A quick squeeze of a lemon wedge did the trick, affording the butter sauce a kick.

After finishing our entrees, the server asked if she needed to twist our arms in terms of dessert. I replied. "no arm twisting needed". Come on, it's me, I ate a large burger and a mountain of fries only 5 hours ago, I can eat dessert! Viv chose something light and had the Sorbet Selection and I had the Classic Pavlova. The sorbet was excellent, the natural flavours of the fruit (lemon, raspberry and mango) were prominent. The flavours were not overwhelmed by an excessive use of sugar. In the case of the mango and raspberry sorbets, they were so smooth, you'd think it was gelato. My Pavlova (essentially a baked meringue) was crunchy, light and sweet. It was complimented by the fresh cream and fruit. However, the presentation was a bit odd, when I first looked at it, it resembled a strange looking animal. Luckily it didn't taste like one. Once again, Viv and I had a good meal at The Cannery. This is pretty much what we get each time we visit and that's what makes it a solid choice for a nice dinner. The menu hasn't changed much in the last 20 years and it really shouldn't. The Cannery has been around for a long time and it has been successful - why fix something that isn't broken?

The Good:
- Consistent food and service
- Nice view (for now, before they move)
- Cozy, quaint dining room

The Bad:
- Not much in the way of innovation with their menu
- It's nit-picking, but the bread needs to improve

The Cannery
2205 Commissioner Street
Vancouver, B.C.
604-254-9606
www.canneryseafood.com

Uncle Fatih`s Pizza

I have to give credit to Kevin, who writes 604Foodtography, for my visit to Uncle Fatih's. I never even knew the place existed, despite the fact I drive by it quite often. I guess I'm either really focused as to where I am going or I don't really pay attention to small pizza slice shops. Well, from the outside, Uncle Fatih's does seem quite unassuming. Anyways, I was off to play late night ice hockey tonight at Britannia and I thought that it wouldn't be too much of a detour to visit Uncle Fatih's. So after the game, I quickly got out of my gear and showered. I arrived at Uncle Fatih's at around 1:20am.

Luckily for me, they were just bringing out a pizza hot out of the oven. That particular pizza was the Ground Beef and Blue Cheese Pizza and it was awesome! The crust was crisp on the bottom and not oily. Yet, it was soft and fluffy underneath the cheese. I would say it's similar to the crust at Me n Ed's; but the crust is not crunchy throughout. There was only an adequate amount of cheese on the pizza. However, it really didn't need anymore since there was lots of ground beef on top. The blue cheese was applied to the pizza after it has been taken out of the oven. I would've actually liked even more blue cheese dressing on my pizza, I love blue cheese! The second slice was Mushroom and Bacon Pizza and I didn't like this one as much. It was not as flavourful and the crust was not as crispy. I think the reason for the discrepancy between the pizza slices was that the 2nd slice had been sitting around for awhile. I guess if you want a really good slice of pizza, you have to wait for a fresh one.

The 2 slices with a can of pop came out to $4 including tax, not bad for the quality of pizza. I chatted up the older gentleman behind the counter and asked him exactly how "Fatih" is pronounced. He said that it's difficult for English speakers to pronounce it because the sound comes from deep in the throat. So it's not "Fatty's", "Fatea's", or "Fateef's"; rather, it's "Faa- te" (with the "te" being real short, almost halting). Not only did I not know how to pronounce it, at first glance, I thought it was Uncle Faith's. Well, I guess I had "faith" in Uncle Fatih's pizza, because I went at 1:20am on a Thursday morning to try the pizza!

The Good:
- Crust is very light and not oily
- Decent amount of toppings
- Good value

The Bad:
- Pizzas could use a bit more cheese
- Very small shop - you pay, get pizza, leave

Uncle Fatih's Pizza
1685 East Broadway
Vancouver, B.C.
604-707-0744
www.unclefatihspizza.com

Business Hours:
10:30am - 2:30am (Mon - Thur)
10:30am - 3:00am (Fri & Sat)
10:30am - 1:00am (Sun)

Kent`s Kitchen

"Pop quiz hotshot: you're hungry and you only have $4.50 on you, what do you do, what do you do?" Despite my lame attempt to parody the movie Speed, what do you do when you only have $4.50 in change and you're starving? You could go to McDonald's, Burger King or Wendy's; I suppose... But what if you wanted more food or just didn't want a burger? Well, Kent's Kitchen is your answer. $4.50 will buy you steamed rice with 2 items. At a quick glace, you'd think it was a Manchu Wok or something similar. Well, it's not a Manchu Wok. It's pretty authentic Chinese food with authentic ingredients. If you see things like pig's feet and tripe, you're talking authentic.

I'm not saying that places like Manchu Wok are terrible (well, some people think it's inedible), I actually don't mind the occasional food fair offerings. The same goes for Kent's Kitchen, an occasional visit is fine, don't eat it every day. Otherwise, it would be the equivalent of a Chinese "Super-Size Me" movie. You would never find the portions that Kent's Kitchen offers at a food fare. The staff here make sure they cram food into every inch of the Styrofoam or tin containers. On a side note, please do yourself a favour and avoid T & T's version of Kent's Kitchen. The food doesn't even come close in taste and execution.

In addition to their set meals, you can get small and large orders of any of the entrees. Depending on what you order, it's $3.00 - $6.25 for a small and $4.00 - $11.50 for a large. Realistically, a small is enough food to equal a dish of food. However, if you wanted more, a large is plenty of food. As for the entrees, I personally like the Salt & Chili Prawns, Beef & Broccoli, Spicy Beef and the Honey Garlic Spareribs. There is also Chinese BBQ items - BBQ Pork, BBQ Duck, Roast Pork, Roast Chicken and Soy Chicken.

This is really a good place to pick up some food on your way home from work. However, there is constantly a crazy lineup for service here, so remember to take a number. So... what's the catch? Food is authentic, cheap and tasty; there must be a downside right??? Well, as with most stir-fried and fried Chinese food, Kent's offerings can be greasy and salty. Healthy eating it is not! Moreover, if you expecting gourmet Chinese food here, you will not find it. But, for the occasional Chinese food fix at very low prices, you can't beat Kent's.

The Good:
- Cheap and tastes good
- Lots of selection
- Big portions

The Bad:
- Greasy, salty and MSG!
- Crazy busy
- Terrible parking lot

Kent's Kitchen
5659 Victoria Drive
Vancouver, B.C.
604-321-8666

Pho Hong

Boy, was I ever tired. Playing 4 games of hockey in 3 days will do that to you. After finishing up an early morning session, I was STARVING. All I could think about was food (well, that's what I always think about anyways...). Got home and Viv didn't really feel like going out to eat. I threw a little tantrum and insisted that we do. Guess who won? However, there was one condition, it had to be fast. I thought to myself and decided on Pho (pronounced "pheu"). Well, there was this one Pho place I'd been wanting to try for awhile. It was suggested by one of my hockey buddies; but he suggested it while he was concussed while I was driving him home from the hospital. So, I was a little apprehensive if he was in the right frame of mind when he recommended Pho Hong to me. Besides, the outside of the place looked nothing like a Pho restaurant. Wait, barely any Pho places look like Pho places! Many of them have taken over former restaurants which could range from Greek to Indian. I think in the case of Pho Hong, it was an Italian restaurant?

First thing I noticed while pulling up to the place, the parking lot was almost full. When I entered the restaurant, it confirmed my suspicions, it's one busy place! I rarely see a Vietnamese restaurant this full! Luckily for us, there were some seats left, in fact, we were seated at a both near the window. As you know, I like sitting near the window, more light = better pictures! Speaking of pictures, please admire the photo of the faux grape vines intertwined with purple lights. I guess they put their own spin on the leftover Italian(?) decor. Anyways, I really didn't need to look at the menu closely since I had already made up my mind as to what I was going to eat. I always have the Pho that has everything - beef brisket, beef flank, beef tendon, and beef bible tripe. In Pho Hong's case, this was #10. All of the Pho's were one price, $6.50 for a small and $7.00 for a large (GST included). We also ordered some fried spring rolls.

Before I could finished laughing about the decor, the food came out! I was so hungry, I almost forgot to take a picture. That's why you see the bean sprouts on top of the noodles. That's too bad, since you cannot see how pale looking everthing was. The soup was very light, probably the lightest Vietnamese beef broth I've ever seen. It tasted very light as well. This can be a positive or negative. The positive is that there is no MSG in it (thanks David!), the negative is that it tasted really bland (I guess this wouldn't be an issue if you used a lot of sriracha hot sauce). The meat was also pale in colour and very fatty. So you're thinking that the Pho wasn't good right? No, it was actually pleasant to eat, the portions were generous and it was very middle of the road. The spring roll was good, being crunchy and hot. I noticed that most people were very happy with their food, whether it be a Pho or a rice dish. I guess the reason the place is so busy is the good portions for the price. I'm not saying the food wasn't good, it's just that I've had better.

The Good:
- Large portions at good prices
- Quick service
- Lots of parking

The Bad:
- Pho is a bit bland
- As with a lot of Pho places, restaurant in need of a makeover

Pho Hong
5975 Kingsway
Burnaby, B.C.
604-454-9727

Business Hours:
10:30am - 10:00pm (7 days a week)

Joeys

I know, I know, Joey's is a chain restaurant. But when you've just finished a late hockey game and you're looking for eats at midnight, you don't have many choices. It's even more difficult when you are trying to avoid late-night Asian joints in the GVRD. When I was in NYC, I never had this problem; everything was open! You're probably wondering what is so special about Joey's. Well, personally, I think Joey's is a pretty decent chain restaurant. I've been going to Joey's since it was known as Joey Tomato's (in fact, the name Joey Tomato's was in use for awhile after they totally changed their decor and menu).

For those who never went to Joey Tomato's, it was nothing like the modern, trendy, club-like place it is today. Back in the 90's, it resembled something like East Side Mario's, where you would find jars of olives, pickles, pasta and checkered tiles on the wall. Yes, think family restaurant. How times have changed. But one thing has remained constant, their baked whole mini-apple pie. It is by far the best apple pie dessert, at least from a chain restaurant. It comes with a scoop of maple ice cream as well. Other than that, the menu has completely changed from what it was before. Like East Side Mario's, the original Joey Tomato's menu was dominated by pasta. Now, the menu is definitely more international, with influences from Asia and the Mediterranean.

I've been to Joey's quite a lot in the past and I've tried almost everything. I can honestly say most of it is good; but stay away from the Rotisserie Chicken, it's dry and a bit flavourless. Also, the Ahi Tuna Club can be good, as long as you instruct them to not overcook it. If you don't tell them, the fish will resemble canned tuna on a bun. Moreover, do not have their Miso Ramen Bowls, it's not that they're not good; but for $15, you can get a better one at a Japanese restaurant for half that price. The burgers are decent at Joey's; however, they don't can't compete with other burger joints and The Burger at Cactus Club is better. I do like their skinny fries though, they're quite crispy and they do give you lots. The pastas at Joey's are pretty good too, but just like Earl's and Milestone's, they are overpriced for the amount you get. You'd be better off going to a real Italian pasta bar. For some strange reason, I actually like the lettuce wraps at Joey's, the portion is decent for $10 and it tastes pretty good. As we are running out of places to go for late-nite in the GVRD, I think Joey's isn't a bad choice. You get a good selection of food and it tastes pretty decent too.

The Good:
- Comfy, upscale decor
- Food is generally pretty good
- Open late (well, at least this location)

The Bad:
- Being a chain restaurant, things might be a bit generic
- Some items are overpriced (ie. Ramen, Pasta)
- Parking is an issue at all of their locations

Joey's
1424 West Broadway
Vancouver, B.C.
604-732-5639
www.joeysmedgrill.com

Business Hours:
11:00am - 12:00am (Sun - Wed)
11:00am - 2:00am (Thu - Sat)