Simba"s Grill

*Restaurant has moved to 3300 Boundary Road*

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

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

*Location is closed*

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

Nando's Chicken

Time to fire up the grill! It's BBQ season! I guess it isn't much of a big deal in places such as the Southern US; but it is for us in the GVRD. Actually, I've already barbecued a dozen times already, even during our chilly spring. I have barbecued ribs, pork chops, strip loin, burgers, salmon and chicken. Mmmm. BBQ chicken... The thought of BBQ chicken made my mouth water. Hold on! But I was at work, how am I going to satisfy the BBQ chicken urge. If you know me, when I start thinking about food, it won't go away!

Searching for BBQ chicken (can't believe I'm on a BBQ chicken quest), it led me to Nando's at Strawberry Hill. This is not the first time I've been to Nando's; but I haven't been in quite awhile. I took this opportunity to use my Entertainment coupon. I don't even know why I get the book, I always forget to use it! Don't get the wrong idea, I didn't get 2-for-1 to eat all by myself. Actually I could if I were really hungry; but instead I split it with a co-worker.

So what exactly is Nando's? Well, it's essentially African-inspired Portuguese BBQ chicken. If you check out their website, you can read all about it's history. The Peri-Peri hot sauces used at Nando's comes from African Birds Eye Chili and it has been said to be an aphrodisiac. Hmmm... I'll leave it at that. Anyways, I went for the Double-Leg meal and chose the Spiced Rice as my side. Since I was on my lunch break, I decided to go for medium heat for my Peri-Peri chicken. I didn't want to have a fire in my stomach for the afternoon.

Some of you might be wondering what is so special about Nando's chicken. After all, how hard is it to barbecue some chicken? Well, it's not really how they barbecue their chicken that sets them apart. Rather, it's all in the sauce. The fresh (never frozen) chicken is marinaded in the Peri-Peri sauce for 24 hours and then barbecued. As you can imagine, the chicken is quite flavourful and spicy (you can choose the level of heat). I've had the spiciest version once and it's actually quite hot.

I personally like Nando's chicken, it's generally quite tender and never lacking in spice. The only thing that keeps me from going more often is the price. It's actually quite pricey for this class of restaurant. Moreover, for the expert barbecuers out there, you can probably make a pretty mean BBQ chicken at home too.

The Good:
- It's a BBQ chicken place and the chicken is good
- Lots of spice and heat
- Peri-Peri sauce is good stuff

The Bad:
- Pricey

Nando's
#144 - 12101 72nd Avenue
Surrey, B.C.
604-502-8010
www.nandoscanada.com

Brunch @ Horizons

*Restaurant is closed*

So where can you get 221% of your cholesterol intake for the day in one meal? McD's? KFC? Krispy Kreme? Probably... Well, there are a lot of places you can do that. Today, DT and I went to get our weekly fill of cholesterol in the form of Horizon's omelette bar. For $18, you can have as many omelettes as you want. Yes, that's right, you can get all-you-can-eat cholesterol that can probably last you for the month. Wait, there's more! You have a choice of shrimp, chirizo, smoked salmon, bacon, ham, red onions, mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes and cheese to increase the cholesterol levels in the omelette. Oh and did I mention they fry up the omelette in a generous amount of clarified butter?

Vandelay and Donna Chang came along for the brunch; but didn't have the omelette bar. I guess they are conscious about their cholesterol. Wait, scratch that. They love LA Fried Chicken, I think that's just as bad. So, we met up at Horizons on a glorious Sunday morning. The main attraction of Horizons is the view, and on a sunny day, it's hard to beat. The Salmon House on the Hill has probably a better view and also has the same omelette bar. Both restaurants belong to the same restaurant group, including Aqua Riva.

We were seated right at the window and the view was spectacular, too bad there are a few trees in the way. Ensure that you make a reservation ahead of time to guarantee a window seat. Sitting in the middle of the restaurant is not quite the same. As you know DT and I had the omelette bar. Of course it would be good manners to wait for Vandelay and Donna to get their food first before we attacked the omelette bar. But, we have no manners, so we went to get our cholesterol. Up at the omelette bar, there is a selection of freshly-baked pastries and fresh fruit. I guess the fruit helps lessen the guilt? I particularly like the savory cheese and chive scones. After filling up your plate full of pastries made with butter, you can choose the ingredients for your omelettes. You can watch the ingredients sizzle in butter while the chef creates your custom omelette. There is one caveat though. Don't expect the omelette to be cooked to perfection. The chef is usually too busy making 3 omelettes at a time to make it perfectly fluffy. I find that the eggs are always cooked a bit too much. With that being said, it's still pretty good eats.

Vandelay had the Eggs Benny and it was pretty good. The eggs were poached perfectly with the whites cooked and the yolks runny. It rested on a piece of Black Forrest ham and focaccia bread with a Bearnaise sauce on top. The home fried potatoes were not as crispy as they looked; however, they tasted very good. Lots of natural potato taste. Donna Chang had the blueberry pancakes. They were fluffy and full of blueberries. It was accompanied by honey sweetened whipped cream and syrup.

Service was pretty good, we were never left with an empty glass and finished plates were removed promptly. However, there were a few times where the service wasn't as good. On a previous visit for brunch, many of the servers were chatting it up at the bar and seemed like they forgot to check on their tables. I've been to Horizons many times before, for dinner and brunch. Food is decent; but you'll never confuse it with newer upscale restaurants in downtown.

Much like The Cannery, the food is a bit more conservative; yet if you accept it for what it is, it's more than acceptable. If you are looking for cutting edge fine dining, you might be disappointed. However, most of these other restaurants do not reside on the side of a mountain. The location of Horizons is a huge plus. Right now, there is a 3-course special for $29.95, this is cheaper than eating at Milestone's. Sure, the food may not wow you, but it's not exactly terrible either. I do think that their regular prices are not reflective of the food; but their special pricing makes up for that. Oh, and for the record, DT and I had 442% of our daily intake of cholesterol.

The Good:
- Outstanding view
- Plenty of parking
- Comfortable and spacious dining room

The Bad:
- At regular price, the food may not be up to par
- Service is hit and miss

Horizons
100 Centennial Way
Burnaby, B.C.
604-299-1155
www.horizonsrestaurant.com

White Spot (North Road)

White Spot? You might be wondering why I chose such a conservative, unadventurous place for dinner. Well, if you read my previous post on Aquarius Bakery & Cafe, you will know that it was certainly an adventure, in more ways than one. I know that I wouldn't be hassled at White Spot for taking any pictures, even if it is close to Cumpari's and Anna's (I had picture-taking problems there too). Besides, I had my whole family with me, I wouldn't want to be "arrested" (see Aquarius again) for taking pictures of food?!?!

White Spot has been a favourite of mine since I was a little kid (can you say Pirate Pack?) going to the Oakridge location when the Oakridge Centre was an outdoor mall! Yes, an outdoor mall... in Vancouver. Go figure... Rain! Hello? I also went to the original Granville location before it burnt down. Hmmm... Am I feeling old??? Anyways, now that I'm in Burnaby, I go to either the North Road or the Lougheed and Gilmore location. I'm not particularly enamored to either of them, but they are close to me. When I go to White Spot, it's usually for their burgers. Yes I know, they are not very big, there is waaaay too much mayo on them and the patties are kind of thin (even the Bigger Better ones). Well, for some strange reason, it reminds me of my youth (damn, I'm using that cheesy Iron Chef line again). There are very few things in British Columbia that have the appeal of a White Spot burger. It's messy; yet satisfying. Even their Triple-O sauce is not a really big deal; after all it's just hamburger relish. I personally wouldn't rate it against places like Moderne, Vera's, Hamburger Heaven, Fatburger and Burgers Etc. It's not the same type of burger. There's a certain "je ne sais quoi" quality to the food.

Now that I have completely confused you with my pathetic explanation as to why I like White Spot burgers, let me continue my rambling... The fries that come with the burger are really not even all that crispy, but I like them. Think of Moderne Burger fries, but soggier. They're really good with a side of Triple-O. Yes, it's heart attack on a plate. Viv always looks at me in disgust as I slather each fry with mayo and relish. Add a Classic Plate or have the Grill & Greens and you get treated to Zoo Sticks. Fried zucchini and ranch dip never tasted so good. Maybe get some Dippin' Chicken or a clam chowder for a starter. Too bad they got rid of the fried mushrooms - those were good! Instead of having a burger, there are the ol' standbys, the CBC (no not the TV station), Chicken Broccoli and Cheese or the Turkey Dinner. Don't go for the spot size, the regular size is more than enough. However, every time I go, some of my turkey slices are nuked beyond edibility.

Now here I come to rain on the foodie nostalgia. White Spot has gone through a few changes over the years which included the interior decor and the menu. They began doing theme features that celebrated different cultures and more recently; local celebrity chefs. In my opinion, do yourself a favour and avoid these dishes. They are not very good. Usually, they cost $15 or more and are not executed well. If you want Thai food, go to a Thai restaurant, not White Spot. If I'm going to spend $15+ for a meal, I'm going somewhere more authentic and not a chain restaurant. However, if you want a really messy, not overly big burger that is still reasonably-priced, White Spot is the place.

The Good:
- You know what you are getting
- Still one of the least expensive chain restaurants
- Good for families

The Bad:
- Hit and miss theme menus
- Expensive theme menus
- Why do they microwave their turkey?

White Spot
4075 North Road
Burnaby, B.C.
604-421-4620
whitespot.com