Kam Do

So why is a Lo Poh Beng named as such? Literally translated, it means "wife cake". There are several stories which explain the origins of this pastry. I'm not about to go into them; but the stories essentially have the theme of love. The cake itself is a symbol of that love. The cake is comprised of flaky pastry (made with yummy lard) and filled with wintermelon almond paste. These cakes are readily available at most Chinese bakeries. However, the best Lo Poh Beng are apparently available at Kam Do Bakery in Richmond. Having just finished Dim Sum at Fisherman's Terrace, I thought it would be a great idea to go get some. I had to go get some cash first and on my way to the bank, I ran into a lady who was wearing a face mask. I guess some people are really afraid of the swine flu?

So after a not-so-short stop at the dollar store (so that's where you can get full-face visors!), we proceeded to Kam Do. In addition to being a bakery, it is a restaurant as well. There is a modest selection of buns and pastries. However, the most dominant item is indeed the Lo Poh Beng. Despite the other items looking less-than-appealing, I decided to get a variety for comparison's sake. Of course, I some Lo Poh Beng. I also got Pei Dan So, which is century duck egg nestled in sweet lotus paste encased in the same flaky pastry as the Lo Poh Beng. Moreover, I got the usual: Pineppple Buns, BBQ Pork Buns and Egg Tarts.

Honestly, the egg tarts are some of the ugliest ones I've ever seen. The tart shell is the hard type (rather than puff pastry) and I'm not particularly enamored to it. Mind you, the egg custard was pretty good (not too sweet). The buns looked a bit pale and the dough was a bit chewy. But honestly, the main attraction at Kam Do are the Lo Poh Beng. And I must say that they are some pretty fine Lo Poh Beng. The pastry is ever-so-light and flaky (despite the fact there must be copious amounts of lard!). The filling is equally light tasting. I must give props again to my favourite whipping girl JA for the heads up about the Lo Poh Beng. I think she told me months ago; but I never really like to linger in Richmond. This time I did linger and didn't come out worse for wear. Maybe Richmond is growing on me...

The Good:
- Excellent Lo Poh Beng
- Good quality boxes for your pastries (they actually close w/o using tape)
- Products with the same pastry as the Lo Poh Beng are also good

The Bad:
- Limited selection
- Other items are crappy

Kam Do Bakery
8391 Alexandra Road
Richmond, B.C.
604-231-9216

Little Tea House

Once again, I was at Metrotown running some errands. I really don't like the crowds and parking can be an issue sometimes. However, it's a good one-stop shop. I had to make a stop at Stupidstore (Superstore) to pick up some groceries. I was walking by the meat section and noticed that all the meat is now AAA. Well, I guess they finally had to get with the program, since all the other grocery stores carry AAA beef. But, I will still get my beef from Costco, or better yet, from a real butcher.

Once I had finished paying, Viv met up with me (she was shopping elsewhere in the mall) and we both stopped simultaneously in front of Little Tea House. We both had the bubble tea urge. Yes, it's a strange feeling, but suddenly, you feel like you want a drink you can chew... We usually don't get our bubble tea from here; however, it was for convenience sake. We decided on sharing a fresh mango slush with coconut jelly. Before I was finished taking the picture of the pearls and jellies, the drink was ready. That was lightning quick!

The slush was very mild, it didn't appear that they added any simple syrup to it. This is a good thing, since the coconut jelly and liquid is pretty sweet by itself. There was plenty of mango flavour (some fibres too). The drink was slightly icy; yet it was still quite smooth. Mixed with the coconut jelly, there was just the right amount of sweetness. We really hate super-sweet bubble teas. Although this is not our first choice for bubble tea, it was satisfying.

The Good:
- Not too sweet
- Service was lightning fast

The Bad:
- A tad icy
- Limited choices

Little Tea House
4700 Kingsway
Burnaby, B.C.
604-438-4787

Business Hours:
10:00am - 9:00pm (Mon - Fri)
9:30am - 9:00pm (Sat)
11:00am - 6:00pm (Sun)

Simba`s Grill

Viv and I needed to go run some errands at Metrotown, so we dropped the kiddies with the grandparents. But I was starving after playing floor hockey. I was originally thinking of going for some Vietnamese pho or wonton noodles. However, I'm not sure if that would've satisfy my hunger pains. I started flipping through the Entertainment book for some ideas. At first we were going to go for some Greek food; but I then noticed a lonely coupon sitting in a drawer Viv just cleaned out. Simba's Grill! I've been looking for that coupon for months. I originally ripped it out planning to use it; but we never ended up going. This was the perfect opportunity to go, since the kiddies probably wouldn't be too keen on African food. Hey, I'm up for African food! Well, I'm up for any kind of food actually...

So we head over to Edmonds at 4:00pm for dinner. Yes, we were the only ones there at 4:00pm. Well, less people to stare at me when I'm busily snapping away with my camera! We were greeted by the server and she informed us of the daily special, which was a Fish Red Curry on Saffron Rice. Viv thought that sounded good and decided to go with it. One look of the menu and it's quite simple. You essentially have grilled meat on the first page and then curries on the second. Since Viv was having curry already, I went for the Grilled Beef Skewers. We also went for the Grilled Chicken Livers to start.

Arriving the same time as our chicken livers was a plate of condiments. There was sour cream, coconut slivers, hot sauce and tamarind sauce. You can experiment with different combinations with your food. I found that the hot sauce with sour cream worked really well together on meat. The chicken livers had really good colour and charring. However, they were not overcooked. They were still moist on the inside. This was supposed to be our appetizer, but it was really large and all livers! We were kind of full after this.

The fish curry was quite the dish. There was massive amount of long grain saffron rice accompanying the 2 large fish fillets (we think it was Tilapia). Viv asked for the curry to medium and it was indeed very mild. One good thing about it being so mild was that it didn't overpower the delicate flavours of the fish. I found that using the coconut and tamarind on the fish worked the best.

The grilled beef skewers came on an equally large plate of rice. Viv and I agreed that it would be hard for one person to eat all that rice. It was equivalent to around 3 large bowls. Moreover, there 5 skewers of beef; also more than enough for one person. The beef was quite charred; but I didn't mind it, it added a lot of flavour. However, you might want to eat some broccoli after this, since it's carcinogen-heaven. Again, sour cream and hot sauce were good compliments to the charred beef. Viv also had the naan to go with her curry. Too bad the curry was not served separately from the rice because she couldn't dip the naan into the curry very much. Mind you, the naan was pretty good. It was very light and the generous amount of butter made it taste good on its own.

We enjoyed our visit to Simba's. Although it is considered a fusion restaurant (not everything is really African), it still felt like an African experience. The decor was unique and the African music playing in the background really adds to the overall experience. One particular song had the phrase "Hakuna Matata", made famous by the movie The Lion King. I guess it's appropriate since the restaurant is named Simba! And we really didn't have any worries (that's what hakuna matata means), good service, good food, big portions and reasonable prices!

The Good:
- Something a little bit different
- Big portions
- Cool decor

The Bad:
- Limited menu items
- Really small restaurant

Simba's Grill
7413 Edmonds Street
Burnaby, B.C.
604-525-8904
www.simbasgrill.com

Business Hours:
11:30am - 2:00pm, 5:00pm - 9:00pm (Tue - Fri)
1:00pm - 9:30pm (Sat & Sun)

Crave

Viv and I both had to get haircuts today. Last time I got a haircut, I was considering going to Splitz Grill since it is fairly close to my salon. However, I changed my mind and went to Moderne Burger instead. This time, I was also thinking of going to Splitz Grill to try their burgers; but alas, there was a change of plan again. Driving up Main street, on my way to get some cash from the bank, I spotted Crave bistro. Hmmm... This is a fairly popular restaurant and since I'm in the neighbourhood - oh why not? Well, maybe some day I'll actually end up going to Splitz!

It was pretty busy at Crave, even though it was well past lunch hour. We were lucky to get a table; however it was inside. Since it was a nice and sunny day, the back patio was packed. Looking over the menu, the prices were extremely reasonable. It's nice to see good food for reasonable prices these days! We decided to start with the Ahi Tuna Tempura Roll. Although Crave is not a Japanese restaurant, the roll was done quite well. The tuna was fresh and there was only a very thin layer of tempura batter on the outside of the roll. It was served with ponzu and it was just enough flavour for the delicate roll. Only complaint is that the rice was a bit mushy. Viv had the Shorty Rigatoni and it was a winner. The rigatoni was done al dente (more on the chewy side) and they were not shy on the amount of shredded short rib. There must've been more meat than pasta (Viv actually thought there should have been more pasta). You can't see it in the picture, but trust me, the meat is all under that pasta! Flavours were good, the sauce was sweeter than tart. Moreover, there was just enough sauce to coat everything.

I had the Pulled Pork and Slaw Sandwich. Yes, I have no respect for the Swine Flu that's been going around. Besides, it has nothing to do with pork itself anyways! The pulled pork was extremely tender and the coleslaw gave the sandwich a bit of texture and zing. The sauce itself for the pulled pork was a bit sweet; yet it went well with the sandwich. Only complaint was that the bread was a bit soggy on the bottom. However, I did think that since the bread was soft, it made the sandwich easier to eat. I can't stand sandwiches on hard bread, it's so hard to chew! The fries are worth mentioning since they were very good. Quite crispy on the outside; yet still potato texture and flavour on the inside. They were very similar to the ones at Salade de Fruits. I got the garlic mayo on the side and that was a nice compliment to the fries (I don't like ketchup with my fries). We thought the service was very good at Crave. It was efficient and friendly. Moreover, we enjoyed the quaintness of the restaurant; it's definitely worth checking out.

The Good:
- Food is tasty
- Service is good
- Prices are reasonable
- Portions are good

The Bad:
- It is tight in there, you feel like canned fish
- Parking can be hard to come by during the day

Crave
3941 Main Street
Vancouver, B.C.
604-872-3633
www.craverestaurants.com

Pho Dat Phu

*Restaurant is now closed*

Alright, I'll admit it. I only decided to go try this place because I thought the name was interesting. I guess Pho Shizzle would be a funnier name. But, I guess the best of them all was the iconic Pho Bich Nga on Victoria and Kingsway in Vancouver. Too bad it has long since closed. Actually if you pronounce Pho correctly, it's more like "pheu". In addition to the name, there are really not that many Vietnamese restaurants in North Delta. Actually, Pho Dat Phu is on the Surrey side of Scott Road. I've been getting my Pho phix, er... I mean fix at Stanley Restaurant up until now. So is Pho Dat Phu a serious contender?

Well, first of all, the restaurant itself is nothing much to look at, inside or out; however, not many Pho places are. Typically, you go in and order; then get your food in less than 5 minutes later. I finished my meal so quickly, I got back to work with 15 minutes to spare! Like I always do, I ordered the Pho with everything including tripe and tendon. Much like some other places, there is a special where you can add 2 spring rolls and pay an inclusive price of $8.50. The spring rolls were crispy and not oily at all; however, they were not very hot. The Pho itself wasn't bad. The soup was quite light and not too salty. There was an adequate amount of noodles and meat as well. The plate of bean sprouts was missing a few items though, namely the basil and the hot peppers. I found this very strange for a Pho place. Other than that, the meal was pretty good. The lady who served me (appears to be the owner) was very friendly and seemed to have a rapport with repeat customers. Will I return to try some of the other dishes? Pho sure!

The Good:
- It looks like Pho, it tastes like Pho
- Reasonable prices
- Friendly owner

The Bad:
- No basil and peppers???

Pho Dat Phu
9544 120th Street
Surrey, B.C.
604-581-0122

Business Hours:
10:00am - 9:00pm (Mon - Sat)
10:00am - 8:00pm (Sun)

Harvey`s

So what can you find at some Home Depots in the GVRD? The newest Kohler facets? The latest Ralph Lauren paint colours? The new Weber stainless grills? Well, you probably will find these things; but you will also find the only locations of Harvey's in the lower mainland of Vancouver. Other than the YVR (Vancouver airport) location, Home Depots are the only home to Harvey's here. Some of you might wonder what is Harvey's, since it is mostly an Eastern Canada thing. I often wonder if the popularity of some places are due to their limited availability. This phenomena happened when Krispy Kreme was only available in the states. Everyone was flocking down to Burlington to pick up boxes of fried sweet dough. I was one of those people who would drive down there to do Krispy Kreme runs. I would show up at the border with 12 boxes of donuts. Imagine the border guard trying to understand that I just drove 45 minutes into the US to get donuts. Now that I have a Krispy Kreme within 5 minutes from where I work, I no longer eat them.

Does Harvey's benefit from this same phenomenon where you can only get their burgers when you decide to go buy some fertilizer or a compressor? It depends. I used to eat at Harvey's quite a bit when I was renovating our old house. It was so convenient and since I was at Home Depot anyways... I do a return visit to Harvey's in order to get a unbiased opinion about their food. Currently, there is this new Angus Mushroom Melt; but I really didn't want to eat that after I looked at the nutrition facts. Yes, after having the omelette bar at Horizon's, I was not going to take another cholesterol hit so soon. Rather, I went for the original burger with no cheese. Moreover, this way, I could taste the meat on it's own. I only went for a regular fries and a Diet Coke. One advantage Harvey's has over places like McDonald's and Wendy's is that they flame-broil their burgers. Yes, Burger King also does that; but don't get me started about the Whopper (ewww...).

For a fast-food joint, the burgers at Harvey's are pretty decent. In addition to being flame-broiled, the burgers are pretty simple along with the modest toppings. However, the toppings are proudly displayed in metal mixing bowls for you choose from. This is a Harvey's novelty since you can see your burger being made from start to finish. I like the fries from Harvey's as well. They are simple; yet crispy and plenty of potato-goodness. I guess this sums it up best about Harvey's - it's no non-sense burgers and fries that are pretty good for fast food.

The Good:
- Flame-broiled burgers
- You can get exactly what you want on your burger
- It's not McDonald's or the sort

The Bad:
- Only at Home Depot
- Being fast food, it doesn't compare to real burger joints

Harvey's
7350 120th Street
Surrey, B.C.
604-590-1353
www.harveys.ca

The Reef

The return of good weather in the GVRD also signals the start of softball season. Our team had it's first game today and we were a bit short. We did have enough players to field a team, but barely enough. We did our best, but lost 16-11. Uncharacteristically I had 2 home runs and 7 RBIs. I think the rest of the team was wondering why I don't do that more often. Well, I'm not sure if I can do it more often! LOL... After the game, we decided to go for something a bit different than our usual Asian-inspired meals. So off we headed to The Reef on Main street in Vancouver. There are actually 2 more locations on
Commercial Drive and in Victoria.

The Reef serves up Caribbean food in a casual atmosphere with plenty of loud music. 4 other members of my team joined me in this food adventure, giving me much more to talk about! We started off with the complimentary Johnny Cakes. They're essentially fried dough balls. Strange that such a simple thing can taste so good. After that we shared some Plantain Chips with Jerk Mayo. The chips were a bit under-fried, but the spicy jerk mayo made the dish a real winner. The starchiness of the plantain was given a real kick and smoothness from the mayo.

Judes had the Island Thyme Chicken which is marinated in coconut milk and slow cooked in Jamaican thyme. I tried the chicken and my first impression led me to believe it was overcooked. However, this is a result of slow-cooking it. Admittedly, it was a bit dry (it was the breast meat); yet with the hits of coconut and thyme, it tasted great.

I had the Maracus Bay Mahi Mahi which is pan-seared in lime and curry served on a bed of coconut rice. The star of the dish was actually the apple and cho cho (chayote) slaw. The crunchiness and tartness of the slaw really added a nice texture contrast between the soft fish and rice. The fish itself was a bit overcooked; yet it was still moist. I think they were a bit heavy with the lime because the fish became very tart, especially combined with the slaw. Fortunately, the smooth coconut rice brought the flavours down a level and everything seemed to work well once you got a little of everything in one bite.

Lionel Hutz had the Molassy Ribs which have been "loved" by chipotle and brown sugar. I tried this too and it was pretty spicy and rich. The meat was tender, yet not mushy. I thought the ribs were okay, but with such bold flavours, I really didn't taste much else. Lionel Hutz made a point to say that the coleslaw was sour. We weren't sure if it was supposed to taste that way or not. Boss Woman had the Curry Chicken and she didn't really like it. To me, it looked okay, and the mango chutney looked appetizing. However, she said the chicken was dry since they shredded it into the curry. I think it's supposed to be made this way; but I guess it wasn't the type of curry that she normally likes. Hey, you can't really argue with personal tastes.

Milhouse had the Jerk Salmon and it looked like it was a bit overcooked. Well, with anything in jerk spices, it'll always looked overcooked. However, the salmon looked cooked all the way through and if it was like my Mahi Mahi, then it might've been dry. Alas, Milhouse seemed like he enjoyed it, so I'm going to assume it was okay.

The Reef is definitely a distinctive place. The atmosphere was funky and decor was run-down
trendy. Moreover, the food is not something you can find readily in the GVRD. There were some issues with the food; but overall, I liked the flavours. To me, the food may have been overcooked; however, it could be that I'm used to and prefer just barely cooked meats. Despite this, I still enjoyed eating at The Reef.

The Good:
- Funky atmosphere
- Bold flavours
- Something a little bit different

The Bad:
- Overcooked food?
- Sometimes flavours were too bold, overpowered the dish

The Reef
4172 Main Street
Vancouver, B.C.
604-874-5375
www.thereefrestaurant.com