E`s Up Dining

Last week, after eating some really good pasta at Pico Bello, I went over to Kennedy Heights to get some money from CIBC. As I was there, I noticed a tiny restaurant around the corner from Desi Junction. I noticed it for a few reasons. First, there was a blinking "open" sign in the front. Yes, I'm a sucker for shiny things. Second, it looked so odd, I was intrigued by it. I thought to myself, "Should I go try it???" Well, a few days ago, a fellow Foodbuzz member left a message for me to try E's Up. Okay, fine, I will try it today! I had to go to the CIBC to get some cash before I went to eat. Just as I was leaving, one of the bank's employees tried to sign me up for a Visa Infinite card. I told him I already had one; but that didn't really seem like a good enough answer to him. What do I have to do? Whip it out and show you? I really can't stand pushy people.

A bit flustered, I walked into E's Up Dining and was welcomed by a very friendly lady. Apparently, the restaurant is named after her. Yes, her name is "E". Her parents named the kids alphabetically. I would've hated it if I was named "P" for obvious reasons... Anyways, the special of the day was a Homemade Beef Dip with choice of pan fries, salad or vegetable soup for $5.00. Yes, it was $5.00! I chose the salad instead of the fries because I knew we were going to Red Robin tonight for my son's birthday. If you've ever looked at the Red Robin menu, everything is brown in colour (the deep fryer is their best friend). The salad was fresh and E drizzled some sun dried tomato dressing on top. It was pleasant to eat. The beef dip was very good, despite not impressing visually. There was real roast beef bathed in garlic butter nestled in a soft bun. Moreover, the au jus was made from scratch and it was fabulous. No powdered crap here.

E's Up Dining also does catering and in fact, they were catering for the mayor of Surrey. That was the reason why they had fresh roast beef. E explained that she normally doesn't make beef dip because the meat wouldn't sell fast enough (which would compromise freshness). I was impressed that everything they make at the restaurant is from scratch. It's definitely a pleasant surprise for a little non-descript place. If you are in the area, do not hesitate to try them out.

The Good:
- Good food made from scratch
- Very friendly owner and staff
- Inexpensive

The Bad:
- The outside hides what it looks like inside
- Limited menu (but I guess it's to keep things fresh)

E's Up Dining
11967 88th Avenue
Delta, B.C.
604-597-6616
www.allyourneedscatering.com

Business Hours:
8:00am - 4:00pm (Mon - Wed)
11:30am - 8:00pm (Thu & Fri)
10:30am - 3:00pm (Sat)

Original Tandoori Kitchen

My last Indian meal was a buffet (Mehfil) and we all know that buffets are not the best place to look for quality. However, I do realize that it cost me under $10 to get a filling and passable meal. Well, today, I was looking for quality. The Original Tandoori Kitchen has been around for awhile (especially the Vancouver location) and I figured it would be some good eats. Mind you, the Surrey location is in the same plaza as Bombay Se, which happens to be a great Indian restaurant in its own right. I've been meaning to try OTK for awhile now; but I always seem to get sidetracked. It's like my never-ending quest to try Splitz Grill to no avail. Today, I made an effort and finally visited OTK. Since my lunch hour is not really an hour long, I quickly parked the car and zipped into the restaurant. One good thing about going to lunch before noon is that the restaurant is usually empty. This is good for pictures and the food comes out quicker.

I really didn't feel like eating a big meal for lunch; but the dinner combination caught my eye. It included Butter Chicken, Lamb Curry, Tandoori Chicken, Palak Paneer, Dal, Raita, Rice, Naan and Galub Jamun. Yes, it turns out that I was going to eat a big meal for lunch. Great, I was going to be way too full and have bad breath too. Luckily I didn't have to wait long for my meal because there was lots of it and I had to scarf it down quick. The first item I tried was the Butter Chicken and it was pretty good. It was thick and there was not shortage of flavour. It was very similar to the one at Tasty Sweets, except it wasn't as salty. It did have a predominant tomato flavour though. The chicken was both plentiful and very tender. The Lamb Curry was rich in flavour. There was a pronounced ginger flavour with coriander and cloves. This was a nice contrast to the smooth butter chicken. The lamb was tender and delicious. The Palak Paneer was outstanding. There was a generous amount of paneer which were fluffy and soft. The spinach was flavoured generously with garlic, ginger with hints of coriander and cumin.

The Dal was pretty good. The lentils were soft and there was plenty of garlic flavour. But, I'm not much of a lentil fan, so I wasn't too enthused about it. One thing that disappointed me was the Tandoori Chicken. It look and smelled really good; yet it was a bit dry. The fact it was so dry, I really didn't enjoy the flavours as much as if it was tender. It's too bad, since the restaurant is called the Original Tandoori Kitchen! Moreover, the naan was a bit average in my opinion. It was soft, yet a bit doughy. The naan at Desi Junction and Mirch Masala are better.

Regardless of the fact I ate like a madman, as the clock was ticking, I still had time to enjoy the flavours and spices. I think OTK had some really discernable flavours going on in their food. It's just too bad the Tandoori Chicken didn't live up to my expectations. No matter, it's still good Indian food.

The Good:
- Good flavours
- Meats were tender except for the Tandoori Chicken
- Restaurant was clean and spotless

The Bad:
- Tandoori Chicken was dry
- No lunch special = expensive dinner combination

Original Tandoori Kitchen
#2 - 7548 120th Street
Surrey, B.C.
604-592-8900
www.originaltandoori.ca

IHOP

We are taught from a very early age that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I totally agree with that; yet somehow, I'm never really all that hungry when I wake up. Yes, there are times I do not want to eat (gasp!). I'm also too lazy to actually spend time to cook something. Normally, it'll just be a granola bar in the car. If there are any leftovers from the night before, breakfast would be an improvisation. If you can name it, I've had it for breakfast: ribs, pizza, lobster, steak and pork chops to name a few. It's rare that I actually eat a real breakfast, let alone a complete one at that. There are not too many "unique" places to go for breakfast in North Delta. The last time I went for a unique breakfast was a Filipino one at Aquarius Cafe. But I almost got "arrested" for taking photos. Maybe they didn't want me to steal their secret recipes! Today, I decided to go for an ol' standby - IHOP (International House of Pancakes).

As their name implies, the pancakes are their signature item. I've had IHOP many times and in many different locations in North America. One thing I can say is that they're pretty consistent. Mind you, the reason for that are the pre-made recipes. That can be a criticism for a place like IHOP. But, you can say what you want about them, but they are a known quantity. Also, they are good for big groups of people. They do serve a purpose. Also, if you can overlook the fact they are a chain, some of them do have good food. It's too bad some of them are charging a bit too much and moving dangerously close to fine dining prices (ie. Milestone's, Earl's). Okay, enough of my ranting. Today, I was going to order the Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity; but the server informed me of their Strawberry Specials. Apparently it was cheaper to order that and I got more meat too.

The eggs, bacon, sausage and hash browns were what they were supposed to be. Mind you, I do appreciate that they don't burn the sausages and they actually have more meat than fat. I'm not a big fan of shredded hash browns, I wish they had the same option as Denny's where you can choose between shredded or cubed. My pancakes had a good amount of strawberry and whipped cream topping. I like IHOP's pancakes. They are soft and fluffy. However, they are not any better than the ones I have at Denny's or Whitespot. I know there maybe some people who will disagree with me and that's fine. It's all personal preference anyways. I've had better pancakes at some "finer" dining establishments; but you would be paying $10+ for a few pancakes. Not sure about you, but paying $15 for flour, baking soda, egg and milk is a bit much for me. Yes, it would be even cheaper just making them at home. My point is, if you do go out for pancakes, you don't have to spend a lot for good ones. IHOP does have good pancakes; but so do other places.

The Good:
- Good pancakes
- Fairly good ingredients
- You know what you are getting

The Bad:
- It's generic, nothing special here
- Pancakes are good at other places as well (for cheaper too)

IHOP
8170 120th Street
Surrey, B.C.
604-596-4994
www.ihop.com

Teawork

After any Dim Sum, I like to get something refreshing. It is usually in the form of some gelato, Slurpee, fruit smoothie or bubble tea. Today, it was going to be bubble tea. We were thinking of Bubble World; but I really wanted to try Teawork at the corner of Victoria & 41st. Every time I have driven by the place, I have wondered about it. Well, I finally made it out to try it. Teawork is actually a restaurant and bubble tea joint. I didn't come for the food, so I didn't try any. However, I looked at some of the food people were eating and a first glance, it didn't look all that good. Maybe it tastes better than it looks? Maybe I'll try it someday.

Anyways, I was here for the bubble tea and I decided on a Pink Guava Slush with coconut jelly. Yes, I don't usually get tapioca pearls with my bubble tea because I don't particularly like them. To some people, it seems like a big contradiction since I like bubble tea; but don't like the pearls. Oh well, each to their own? Even before I got my drink, I noticed that there were no fresh fruit bubble teas available. However, they did have fresh fruit juice on the menu. So I was bracing for the worst since I'm not a huge fan of powdered slushes. It turns out I needed more than a brace; rather a full-fledged parachute. The drink was horrible. First, it tasted like candy. Second, it was very icy. Either they didn't blend it long enough or the blender wasn't capable of blending it smooth. Viv said the drink reminded her of those slushies you find in the Showmart during the PNE.

Once again, I was attracted to a place due to it's nice exterior and attractive name. This happened to me at Jellie D's a month ago. I should have listened to Vandelay when he told me that Teaworks was nothing special. I usually listen to him because he is quite knowledgeable. Serves me right for ignoring his advice. Speaking of which, it was eery to see Vandelay turning left onto 41st as I was leaving Teaworks. Coincidence?

The Good:
- It looks pretty on the outside
- I like the name Teaworks (or is it Tea Work?)

The Bad:
- Bubble tea was a disaster
- Food didn't look all that good

Teawork
5695 Victoria Drive
Vancouver, B.C.
778-371-9831

Business Hours:
11:30am - 12:30am (Sun - Thu)
11:30am - 1:00am (Fri & Sat)

The District

It was our last game of the season and we were able to tie the game with less than 30 seconds on the clock. However, we ultimately lost the game in a shootout. It was disappointing to lose; but the good news is that we could go eat afterwards! There weren't many options because it was midnight and late night dining in the GVRD is limited. For a fleeting moment, I considered On Lok; but it was quickly shot down by Milhouse. He said that the questionable cleanliness concerned him. Well, I was in total agreement there. Finally, I remembered that The District Social House is open until 1:ooam. Since we were on the North Shore already, it seemed to be a good idea.

So we quickly left the rink and headed over to Lonsdale Quay (The District is at the foot of Lonsdale). I actually passed right by the restaurant since it was so dark. Milhouse was following me and was thoroughly perplexed why I did 2 consecutive U-turns. Since it was nearing closing, we were able to get a table right away. The original concept of The District was that it would be a place for people to connect, while enjoying good food. However, no one seemed interesting in connecting when we were there. Maybe it wasn't that type of crowd that night.

Whatever the crowd is, the dining space at The District is small, cozy and warm. However, they are in the process of expanding into the adjacent building. The warm and cozy feeling got kind of lost in the unnecessary loud music. We even had problems ordering because the server couldn't hear us and we could hear her. Regardless of that, she was very friendly and attentive. Boss Woman had the Crab & Shrimp Cakes and she was moderately pleased with them. They were good; but nothing really set them apart. The accompanying pea shoot salad was really good though. Polka King had the Indonesian Chicken Satay and he said they were quite tough due to overcooking. Moreover, they were a bit bland, even with the dipping sauce.

Milhouse and Lionel Hutz had the The No. 13 Burger and although the meat was moist, it was salty. The fries were also very salty, mind you, they were very crispy and pleasant to eat. I decided to go for the Mussels & Fries. There are 2 choices as to how the mussels are prepared. The District style is a savory tomato broth with chirizo and peppers. I choose the French style which is a white wine broth with garlic, onion, thyme, leeks and cream. I really liked the dish, the flavours were very delicate and didn't overpower the natural sweetness of the mussels. I could taste all of the aforementioned ingredients in a balanced state. There was a choice of grilled bread or frites with the mussels. I should've ordered the bread, for 2 reasons. First, the bread would've been perfect for soaking up the delicious broth. Second, the fries (as mentioned before) were super salty.

Despite the overall lack of enthusiasm from the group regarding the food, I still enjoyed my visit to The District. The overall concept of the restaurant in terms of style and ambiance is a winner. Actually, the only issue I had with my particular dish was the salty fries (which could easily be rectified). It is too bad that some of the other dishes were not as well received. My personal belief is that The District deserves a second look on my part.

The Good:
- It's got style and ambiance
- Cozy dining space
- Good service

The Bad:
- Price is a tad high (mind you it costs about the same as Milestone's)
- Restaurant is narrow and cramped (it's expanding soon)

The District
13 Lonsdale Avenue
North Vancouver, B.C.
778-338-4938
www.thedistrictsocial.com

Kaplan`s

I'll take the line from Iron Chef and use it in my description of Kaplan's - "it reminds me of my youth". I used to live 2 blocks away where I spent my school years in Oakridge. As a kid, I would go there myself to have a corned beef sandwich or maybe a matzo ball soup. Yes, that was me, a little Chinese kid enjoying some Jewish food. Well, I was in the neighbourhood today and decided to get a couple of sandwiches for takeout. I went for the classic Corned Beef Sandwich and Viv ordered the Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich.

Much has changed at Kaplan's since I was young, it's been through a few renovations and owners. The new owner is from New York and claims to bring the NYC deli experience to Vancouver. I've been to NYC myself and have enjoyed their monstrous meat sandwiches. Does Kaplan's measure up? Well, although the corned beef is quite good, I have had better. My corned beef sandwich was really not all that large even though it cost me $10.50. Although the "Woody Allen" at Carnegie Deli in NYC is $18.00USD, it's at least 3 times larger than the one I had at Kaplan's. If you look at the picture, I'm not kidding about the discrepancy in size (sorry for the quality, it's not a digital picture).

Although the sandwiches at Kaplan's do not really compare to the ones we've had in NYC, they are still pretty good. The meat is tender and not overly salty. I actually like their caraway rye bread, it's not as hard as a traditional rye bread. With that being said, the lack of competition and choice in the GVRD, there is really nothing much to compare with.

The Good:
- Corned beef is pretty good
- The caraway rye compliments the meat

The Bad:
- A tad expensive for what you get
- Not the full NYC experience they claim to be

Kaplan's
5775 Oak Street
Vancouver, B.C.
604-263-2625
www.kaplans.ca

Burger Burger

Although Vancouver is not known for its great burger joints, I have had some decent ones lately. But it seems that good burgers come at a price. It appears that gourmet burgers will set you back $10 or more these days. However, I heard about this place in New Westminster that serves up pretty decent burgers at bargain prices. This place is Burger Burger. Yes, the name is not very original. It's like calling a Japanese restaurant "Sushi Sushi" or a Chinese restaurant "MSG MSG". Let's get this out of the way first. Burger Burger is a dive. Yes, it's got no ambiance and the only decor you'll find here is a lonely white framed print on the wall. Yet, there must be some compromises when you can get a 2-topping burger, home-cut fries and a soda for $5.69. Yes, this is not a typo, it's a complete meal for under $6. You would be hard pressed to even get that price at McDonald's.

I went for the Mushroom Cheeseburger (4 oz.) and picked out a Coke Zero. Yes, that is my futile attempt to make this meal a bit more calorie and fat friendly. After I put in my order and paid at the front counter, I took a seat to soak in the ambiance. Thank goodness my food showed up quickly, because the ambiance was probably soaking me in. When the burger and fries arrived, something felt familiar with it. Large irregular thin patty? Special sauce looks like Thousand Islands? Soft fluffy bun? Place run by a Korean couple? Wait a minute! This seems a lot like a Wally Burger! Yes, the same Wally's that used to be a Kingsway institution. Sadly, it closed down a while ago. Could it be? Wally's reincarnated here in New West? (*edit* it's not Wally's, they have actually reopened at Cates Park).

One bite into the burger and I was pleasantly surprised. Although the meat was thin, it was moist. The bun was soft and so easy to eat. There were plenty of freshly sauteed mushrooms smothered by a slice of processed cheese. Even though the burger would not compare with Moderne Burger, Vera's, Fatburger or Burger Heaven, it still held it's own. For the price I paid, it was a really good burger. Moreover, the fries were fantastic. The fresh cut fries (I saw the bucket of them) are very similar to those you find at Moderne Burger. Probably not as good; yet again, for the price, I'm not complaining. If you are ever out in New West, I'm seriously encouraging you to try Burger Burger. It's not Burger Heaven, but for more than half the price, it's definitely a very good value.

The Good:
- Burgers and fries are surprisingly good
- Very friendly couple that runs the place
- Excellent value

The Bad:
- It's a dive, but what do you expect when you pay so little?
- Have an option for real cheese as a surcharge

Burger Burger
340 6th Street
New Westminster
604-525-4229