Cafe Gloucester

Having driven by Kintaro Ramen and witnessing the really long lineup, we tried to decide on an alternate place to eat. One place that came to mind was Cafe Gloucester, which is a Hong Kong-style cafe on Cambie near 18th. This place has been here for quite awhile and had closed briefly in 2007 because of the dreaded Canada-Line construction of the Skytrain. It's now apparently under new management and I wanted to check it out (I actually visited it last year, but I wasn't blogging yet). For those who are not familiar with Hong Kong-style cafes, it's basically a restaurant (western-like decor), that serves up Hong Kong versions of other ethnic foods. However, they do still serve up stir-fried Chinese noodles and rice dishes. I've been to Cafe Gloucester many times in the past and I do consider it one of the better Hong Kong-style cafes. It's in a nice location (lack of parking withstanding), the food is consistent, service is decent and it's clean/modern.

Upon our arrival, there was only a short wait for our table. However, I must give credit to the hostess, because some waitress was going to give our table up to a group that had arrived after us. The hostess immediately stopped the waitress and pointed out that we were first. That is refreshing, a Chinese restaurant that not only keeps to the list; but also is not afraid to correct a mistake.

The menu at Cafe Gloucester is a bit classier than other Hong Kong-style cafes in the GVRD. They even have a prime rib carving station at the front of the restaurant. However... the person carving the prime rib was butchering the poor thing. Looking over the menu, I chose the set meal, as I always do. Even though the set meals at these places are usually well over $10 (except for Alleluia), you do get good value. Similar to most other places, the set meals at Cafe Gloucester include soup (Russian borscht, cream soup, fish chowder or clam chowder), bread, 2 or 3 meats, one carb (rice, spaghetti, mashed potatoes, fries or baked potato), vegetables, sauce (black peppercorn, garlic, demi-glace, onion, mushroom or curry), coffee/tea and dessert. There is no one set price here at Cafe Gloucester; rather, it depends on which combination of meats you choose. I chose S7, which included Ox Tongue (yes, my favourite, you can never get enough tongue!), Rib Eye Steak and Fried Pork Chop. This particular combination cost $15.88. Viv wasn't that hungry so she was going to eat whatever else we ordered. Since my son likes noodles, we got the BBQ Duck Lai Fun. I got one more dish for good measure and decided on the Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice.

I chose the "Russian Borscht" for my soup and it was balanced; being tart but not too tart. I put Russian Borscht in quotations because an authentic borscht would be more red because of the beet content. This one had beets, but just like other Hong Kong-style borschts, it's closer to vegetable soup. My meal came on a sizzling hot plate and it kept everything hot, including the lemon wedge that I picked up without thinking... HOT! The tongue was tender and seared perfectly. The pork chop was very crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. I still laugh at the mayo that's served with any fried items in a Hong Kong-style cafe. But I guess Viv ended up doing the laughing... I used it for my pork chop. The rib eye steak was quite large; but was cooked all the way through. I did find it odd that the waitress never asked me how I wanted my steak done. However, the steak still retained its meatiness since they did not marinate it in baking soda. I liked the peppercorn sauce that came with my meal, it was loaded with peppercorns and was very flavourful.

The BBQ Duck Lai Fun was actually pretty good, considering the fact we were not at a noodle joint. The soup was light, the noodles were not overcooked (still had elasticity) and they gave us the duck leg (it was tender and not too salty). The fried rice was not bad, the rice was dry (which is good) and there was plenty of salted fish flavour. However, I wish they would put some lettuce in it, the rice was very plain without it. I prefer the one from The Boss. Lastly, my dessert was a piece of coffee pudding. Don't judge it by how it looks because it was quite good. Velvety texture and lots of real coffee taste. Although the service was hurried, it was always polite and attentive. So there it is, Cafe Gloucester is still a good place to get your Hong Kong Cafe fix, even after the whole Canada-Line mess.

The Good:
- Clean, modern dining room
- Food is consistent
- Service is good

The Bad:
- A bit pricier than other Hong Kong-style cafes
- Parking is hard to find
- Seating can be a bit tight

Cafe Gloucester
3338 Cambie Street
Vancouver, B.C.
604-873-3338

Cupcakes

Okay, I'll admit it, I really don't like cupcakes that much. No, I don't mean the store, but the actual cupcake itself. I'm not much of a dessert/sweets kinda guy. However, that doesn't mean I don't eat desserts or sweets. I do get into some grooves where I really like desserts; usually around Christmas time. Then you're probably asking, "Why are you writing about cupcakes then???" Well, we went to cupcakes because we promised my son some cupcakes (well, actually he wanted ice cream, but this was before dinner).

I was originally planning to go to Kintaro Ramen, that's why we were down on Denman in the first place. However, I noticed the "Anton-esque" lineup in front and decided to hightail it out of there. Not only did I not want to wait over 30 minutes for some ramen; I really don't think my son would appreciate being shoehorned into the small restaurant. So, before we choose a different dinner destination, we paid Cupcakes a visit first. The original Cupcakes store is now Qoola Yogurt+Fruit. The new Cupcakes store is a block west of the old location. I have to admit that the marketing of the product is impressive. The store itself is very inviting with the full glass front window and entrance. The displays are nice and pretty with the colourful cupcakes arranged on round cake stands. They've got a nice selection of regular-sized cupcakes and really cute mini-cupcakes.

To me, they look a lot better than they taste. However, I've had cupcakes before and to tell you the truth, I didn't mind them. Even for a non-sweets guy, I think the cupcake itself is quite moist and not too sweet. Even with the massive amount of icing on top doesn't really overwhelm me with sweetness. Don't get me wrong, it is sweet, but not as sweet as it looks. Of course my son likes them, he's a sweets guy. He could live on chocolate alone if he had a choice.

So what makes Cupcakes so special? Well, admittedly, they are pretty good. Are they $2.95 + tax good? That depends. If you really like your sweets or you love cupcakes, then it is worth it. But if you are a casual cupcake eater such as I, then it's probably not.

The Good:
- Very good looking cupcakes
- It's a novelty, great for gifts
- Interesting creations

The Bad:
- One dozen cupcakes = $29 (You can do a lot with $29)
- They look better than they taste (to me at least)

Cupcakes
1168 Denman Street
Vancouver, B.C.
604-974-1300
www.cupcakesonline.com

Business Hours:
10:00am - 9:00pm (Sun - Thu)
10:00am - 10:00pm (Fri & Sat)

Jellie D`s

After a filling meal at Mirch Masala, we headed next door to Jellie D's. I've driven by it on my way to and from work for the last 4 years. I was totally intrigued by this place since the "Jellie D's" sign is so appealing. Yes, I was attracted by the sign, it's kind of pathetic.

Anyways, upon entering, I was quite confused as to what this place was actually about. To the right, there is an eating area, which is not really all that confusing. But directly in front of me was a counter reminiscent of an old soda shop, complete with stools surrounding it. Okay... To my left, there was ice cream, directly behind that were the donuts. Looking at the menu board, I found everything from Fish n Chips to Fish Pakora. Then I found drinks that ranged from specialty coffees to bubble tea?!?!? Uh... Was I in a donut shop or an international food fair? This must be one of the strangest places I've been to. I still really do not know what to think.

Well, I came to try the donuts since the place is called Jellie D's. I really didn't want to be that adventurous and actually try the bubble tea... I didn't have any cash on me and had to use a credit card, I needed to spend $10 or more. So I got 1.5 dozen donuts (in the end, that would be 1.5 dozen donuts too much!) We just got a mix of everything. The donuts looked good; but in reality, they're not really that good. I mean they weren't terrible because they tasted fine, but the yeast donuts were quite heavy and dense. There was nothing fluffy about these donuts. Krispy Kreme, they're not. I often consider Tim Horton's donuts as being a bit heavy. Well, these ones make Tim's seem light. I think the next time I see pretty signage, I should just pass on by...

The Good:
- The lady helping us was very friendly
- It's got a nice sign outside
- I like the name Jellie D's

The Bad:
- A donut shop that serves fish n chips and bubble tea
- Donuts are quite dense
- Ice cream didn't look that appealing

Jellie D's
9535 120th Street
Delta, B.C.
604-583-3196

Business Hours:
8:00am - 8:00pm (Mon, Wed - Fri)
8:00am - 7:00pm (Tue)
8:00am - 5:00pm (Sat)
9:00am - 1:00pm (Sun)

Mirch Masala

In my quest to find the best Indian restaurant in North Delta, it brought me to Mirch Masala. It was recommended by MD who is Indian and has been to most of the Indian restaurants in North Delta. MD, along with Tash joined me in grabbing some lunch at Mirch Masala today. There are several Indian restaurants nearby, they include Mahek, Mehfil and Desi Junction. I've been to Mahek and Desi Junction and both are quite decent; however, neither of which has wowed me. I might try Mehfil one day, but it's a buffet and I'm not sure about the quality (you know I will try it anyways).

Looking over the menu at Mirch Masala, I was thinking about having their lunch specials (which are similar to those at Mahek and Desi Junction), but MD suggested we just order off the menu. She's been here before and I'm not about to question her. So we decided to get the Butter Chicken, Lamb Vindaloo, Chicken Tikka, Chili Paneer, Butter Naan and Garlic Basil Naan. I can honestly say the Butter Chicken here is better than Mahek, Desi Junction and Bombay Palki. Why? Well, unlike the others, I could differentiate the tomato flavour from the cream. I'm not saying the others were not good; in fact, they were. It's just that the butter chicken at Mirch Masala had more prominent flavours. It was also very smooth and not too runny. One thing I didn't like about the butter chicken was that there were very few pieces of chicken. The Lamb Vindaloo was a bit spicier than others I've had in the past. Moreover, since it was spicier, I could not differentiate the other spices as much (cumin, tamarind, ginger and vinegar). However, the pieces of lamb were very tender and delicious. The Chili Paneer was very good. The cheese cubes had a very nice texture, they were fluffy and soft. MD said that it was cooked perfectly. Sometimes when you overcook it, it becomes hard. It was a bit spicy too, but it was balanced.

The Chicken Tikka, which is essentially boneless Tandoori Chicken, was served sizzling on a hot plate. The smell was so intoxicating, I could've been happy without eating it. But you know me, I'm going to eat it! The chicken was so tender, despite the fact it looked really well done on the outside. I added some yogurt/cilantro sauce and it really made it taste even better. The naan was fabulous. It was actually a bit thicker than I'm used to, but at the same time, it was soft and fluffy. However, I like the garlic basil naan at Desi Junction more because it had much more garlic flavour. You could see big chunks of garlic on that one, but the one at Mirch Masala didn't seem to have any.

The dining room at Mirch Masala certainly doesn't look like an Indian restaurant because this location has changed a few times. It looks like it was a European restaurant before. But, no matter what it was before, it's nice and clean; complete with a fireplace. Moreover, the staff were friendly and attentive. I enjoyed my visit to Mirch Masala and I can confidently say it's better than Mahek, Desi Junction and Bombay Palki.

The Good:
- Food tastes great
- Decent portions
- Clean and comfortable surroundings

The Bad:
- Lack of meat in their curries
- A bit pricier than some other places

Mirch Masala
9545 120th Street
Delta, B.C.
604-588-7795

Business Hours:
11:00am - 10:30pm (Sun - Thu)
11:00am - 11:00pm (Fri & Sat)

La Casa Gelato

La Casa Gelato has been a Vancouver institution since it moved from Commercial Drive to its current location in 1994. Once they moved to Venables, it has been the scene of endless streams of people lining up to get their gelato and sorbetto. It's especially insane when warmer weather hits. If you drive by during the daytime, it is not uncommon to see the whole sidewalk on Glen Drive filled with people eating gelato. The parking lots are usually filled to capacity and the gelato "showroom" is packed with anxious people. They are at the PNE every year and they are just as popular there as well.

Currently, they are up to 218 flavours available in-store at any time. There's even durian! They have to put a cover on it, so it doesn't contaminate the other flavours. I've had La Casa many times in the past and their selection is massive, it's very hard to decide on a flavour. However, you are allowed to sample a few before making that difficult decision. Just remember to go pay first, they will give you a coloured chip that indicates what you ordered. Just pass it onto the servers and they will get your gelato/sorbetto.

There were way too many people in La Casa for me to take my sweet time to decide and try different flavours. I had ordered the 3 scoop cup, if I took my time, it would've been awhile. Therefore, I went straight to the sorbetto and picked out Kiwi and Orange-Pineapple. Knowing that La Casa has 218 flavours on site, I just asked my server if they had any cheesecake flavours, low and behold, they had several. I just picked the standard Strawberry Cheesecake. With a large cup in hand, I left the madhouse and went to share with Viv. From my previous visits, I've always thought that La Casa had the largest selection; but not necessarily the best tasting gelato. This visit confirms my previous suspicions. The Kiwi was bitter and overly tart. There needed to be much more sugar in it. However, the Orange-Pineapple was bang on with a good balance of tart and sweet. Moreover, we thought the texture of the sorbetto was quite creamy (even though it has no cream). The Strawberry Cheesecake was a bit of a disappointment. There was barely any cheesecake flavour. The gelato was a bit bland. However, the strawberry flavour wasn't too sweet, which was good. Moreover, the texture was creamy and not icy. Unlike ice cream, gelato does not get its texture from fat; rather it is the richness achieved from limited the air in the churning process.

I know that many people swear by La Casa Gelato and I don't blame them. There is a massive selection of flavours and the gelato/sorbetto are pretty good. However, the sheer number of flavours are a detriment as well. I believe that it's very hard to nail all the flavours at one time and this is the case at La Casa. By no means is it bad, I actually like it. However, I think the flavours at Amato (Mario's), Vivo and Mondo are better.

The Good:
- Massive selection
- Gelato/Sorbetto have a decent consistency
- Freshly made waffle cones

The Bad:
- No comfortable place to sit
- It's a madhouse (on warm days)

La Casa Gelato
1033 Venables Street
Vancouver, B.C.
604-251-3211
www.lacasagelato.com

Business Hours:
11:00am - 11:00pm (7 days a week)

New Town Bakery

The Chinese bakery. It is a staple of the Vancouver food scene. Sure, it ain't sexy and quite often dive-like. However, the lure of BBQ pork buns for less than $1.00 (well, most places) usually seals the deal. I have to give props to Whipping Girl (see Morton's), for reminding me about New Town Bakery. In my previous post about Pine House, I originally left out New Town. It's probably out of sight, out of mind for me. I haven't been there since I was a lot younger. I've been on a steady diet of Maxim Bakery products instead. Yah I know, shame on me. Maxim was once the king of the hill; but with so many better choices, it can only be seen as the McD's of the Chinese bakery world.

I revisited the Chinatown location on my way home from downtown. There are 3 other locations on Cambie, Richmond and Surrey. The outside of New Town is definitely old school; no fancy or trendy decor here. Also, the buns and pastries have a traditional old school look to them as well. What I noticed right away was that the buns and pastries were larger than most other places. Thus, the price is a bit higher too. Naturally, I was afflicted by the usual "order too much" syndrome again. I think I got like 18 buns and pastries. I got the Bor Lor Bao (pineapple bun), Gai May Bao (cocktail bun), both Baked and Steamed Char Sui Bao (BBQ pork bun) and Dan Tat (egg tart). The really large egg tart was steaming hot and I ate one right away. The crust was flaky and thin, while the egg filling was semi-sweet and very light. This is one of the best egg tarts I've had lately. The cocktail bun was the full-size type, unlike the mini ones that exist at most of the other Chinese bakeries in the GVRD. The bun itself has a slightly chewy consistency, which reminds me of my youth (man, that sounds like a line from the original Iron Chef!). The filling was sweet coconut goodness! The BBQ pork bun had adequate filling and again, the bun was slightly chewy. I thought the baked BBQ pork tasted quite good, it was not too sweet like many other places; in fact, it has a bit of savory taste to it. The steamed BBQ pork bun had the same filling; but encased in a fluffy steamed bun. The pineapple bun (even though there is no pineapple in it, the top just looks like a pineapple) was very good, the topping was a bit crusty and not soft (I hate mushy pineapple buns). It was crumble-all-over-the-place goodness.

On a return visit, I got some of their famous Apple Tarts. Flaky, not too sweet and filled with apple bits, these are a must eat. Another fan favourite is the Dai Bao (or big bun) which has an interesting mix of pork, veggies, salted duck egg yolk and ham. It's big as the name implies and very filling. Despite the fact you are paying a bit more at New Town, it is well worth it. The size and taste of the products are superior to many of the new bakeries around. Visiting New Town Bakery is like visiting an old friend; you're always happy to see them, it's familiar and it brings back good memories.

The Good:

- Buns and pastries are large

- Everything looks and tastes the part

- It has that old school feel to it

The Bad:

- A bit more expensive than other bakeries

- Not a huge selection when compared to other bakeries

New Town Bakery

158 East Pender Street

Vancouver, B.C.

604-681-1828

Business Hours:

6:30am - 8:30pm (Thu - Tue)

6:30am - 7:00pm (Wed)

Green Leaf Natural Food

Don't let the "Natural Food" part confused you into thinking this is a natural food restaurant. It's not. The only food you'll find here are curry fish balls, instant noodles, chicken wings and toast - a bachelor's feast! Most people don't come here for the food; rather, they come for the bubble tea. I've been frequenting this place for a long time, over 10 years! However, it appears that they have not updated the place for that long as well. I have to be honest, this is one of the most run-down looking bubble tea shops in the GVRD. If you look in the dictionary under minimalistic, you'd probably find a picture of Green Leaf in there. The chairs seemed to have been reupholstered; but it looks like that layer of upholstery has had it. The only decor you'll find in here are the video game and vending machines. Fortunately for them, most people purchase a bubble tea and then go on their merry way.

This is one of the few bubble tea places that uses fresh fruit in their bubble teas (thus the natural foods). Moreover, there is ice cream bubble tea, cheesecake bubble tea and GASP... durian bubble tea! I think you would need a gas mask to drink that one. Anyways, their selection is vast and their prices are reasonable. But how does it taste? Well, I must've went on an off day because my Pineapple-Orange bubble tea with coconut jelly was not very good. It was not very cold and it was slimy. There could be several reasons for this. First, they were quite busy. Second, there might have been a bit too much jelly in my drink; thus making it slimy. Viv's bubble tea was not much better. She had the regular Milk Tea bubble tea and it was warm. The tea was probably just made and was steaming hot. No amount of ice could cool it down. This was a bit disappointing, because the drinks here are normally quite good. Let's just chalk this up to a bad day.

So, based on my previous visits, I would say check out Green Leaf. But based on my current visit, I would say if you want to play on the safe side, go to Bubble World, Pearl Drops or Dragonball.

The Good:
- Very creative bubble teas
- Fresh fruit

The Bad:
- A hole-in-the wall bubble tea joint
- This visit was not good

Green Leaf Natural Food
5756 Fraser Street
Vancouver, B.C.
604-327-8766