Kintaro Ramen

Free food and booze. This is a rarity these days. There is no free lunch in this world; except at Irashai Grill's open house today. They were opening their doors to promote their food and of course, the restaurant. I still think they should drop the sushi and go purely Izakaya. Their tapas are some of the best in town (at a price of course). But that's just me, what do I know? Well, I know how to chew. That's essentially what I have been doing non-stop for the last little while. Mind you, after the initial rush of food at 5:00pm sharp, the food came slowly. I don't think the kitchen was able to keep up with the mass of people milling around in the restaurant. Viv and I, joined by Vandelay and Donna Chang, decided that we had sampled our fair share and decided to kick it. I think we left at around 6:00 and the place was so packed, it was hard to move about. It's too bad really, I was really looking forward to meeting up with fellow bloggers Gigi (Ho Yummy) and Kevin (604Foodtography). Alas, I don't really like crowds (especially hungry mobs), so we headed to Kintaro Ramen as a follow-up to our appies at Irashai Grill.

We were expecting the usual lineup at Kintaro; but surprisingly, there was none! We were seated promptly at the counter. Being at the counter made giggly like a little schoolgirl, that's probably why I opted to order the Cheese Ramen. Apparently, on the menu it states that the "ladies just lo-o-ove it!". Er... sure... All the others were a bit boring and ordered the Miso Ramen. However, Vandelay did the "clog-your-arteries" full fat broth, full fat pork version. Yes, at Kintaro, you can choose how you like your broth (rich, medium or light) and fatty or lean pork. Watching the ramen chef make our noodles was pretty cool, especially when he skimmed off fat from the boiling pot of broth to specifically place in Vandelay's bowl. I was able to get a picture of the fatty pork before it was placed in the boiling broth. That was a lot of lard there!

I can honestly say that the broth at Kintaro had plenty of depth. Even Viv's light broth was plenty flavourful; however, it gets really good if you add pork fat. I chose the medium and you can really taste the pork flavour. Donna Chang noted that some people don't like the "porky" flavour here. For me, I think it's perfect, other than being a bit salty. It's slightly sweet, aromatic and rich. There was no shortage of al dente ramen noodles, pork, corn, bean sprouts, menma (bamboo shoots) and onion nestled in the broth. I actually got the lean pork and it had plenty of meat flavour; but Vandelay's fatty pork was outstanding. The slightly melted fat added another depth of pork flavour which only pork fat lovers could appreciate.

For my cheese ramen, the melted cheese (mozzarella and edam?) really worked. Every chopstick full of ramen was laced with stringy cheese. However, the abundance of cheese really made the bowl of noodles heavy and filling. It was difficult to finish at the very end. Throughout the meal, the service was solid. The servers kept checking with us and we never had an empty cup. The restaurant is really small, typical of Japanese noodle houses. You really do not want to stay long, especially right next to the boiling broth.

The Good:
- Big portions (pork is outstanding)
- Hearty & rustic broth
- Good service

The Bad:
- Small restaurant, not a place to linger
- Long lineups

Business Hours:
12:00pm - 11:00pm (Tues - Sun)

Asian Spice

*Restaurant is closed*

Having recently just dined on Southern Indian cuisine, I met up with Toolman today for some Chinese Indian cuisine at Asian Spice. This particular cuisine is popular in Calcutta where there is a substantial Chinese population. Many of these Chinese originated from Hakka and Canton. Essentially, the cuisine is unmistakeably Chinese with the addition of Indian spices. Hakka Masti and Green Lettuce are 2 other Chinese Indian restaurants along Scott Road. Much like all the other restaurants in the area, there are lunch specials at Asian Spice. For $6.50, you get a choice of entree, rice, and soup or pop. We decided to order 3 meals and share.

10 minutes into our meal, we were surrounded by L.A. Matheson students like a swarm of locusts. Apparently, they take advantage of the specials during their lunch hour. Mind you, they ate and left within 10 minutes. I've never seen people eat a plate of food that fast before. I had once called in to Asian Spice inquiring about their hours and the lady did warn me this happens every lunch hour. So the tip here is to not come here until after 11:45am. However, I didn't really have a choice since my lunch hour is at the same time.

Toolman and I ordered the Chili Prawns, Manchurian Beef and Singapore Fried Noodles. To start, we had the Hot & Sour Soup. This is one of the spiciest hot and sour soups I've ever had. Since I like spice, I really enjoyed it, despite the colour being a bright orange-red. Toolman took the entire meal to finish his, he thought it was a bit too spicy. The fried noodles were pretty standard, which is actually a good thing. It looked and tasted how it should be and that's an achievement for restaurants located out here. Overall, it was pretty mild with plenty of egg, shrimp, onions, cabbage and peppers. The beef dish was slightly disappointing. It was a bit bland and completely overwhelmed by the taste of cilantro. I'm not sure why restaurants use so much cilantro because it is very pungent. A little goes a long way. On the other hand, the chili prawns were fabulous. The sauce had just the right amount of heat. The prawns were big and cooked perfectly. The sauce went really well with the rice.

Toolman and I thought that the lunch specials were a an excellent value. Moreover, the dishes are a slight departure from the usual. Coupled this with good service, Asian Spice is a decent place to go for spicy food.


The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Flavours are bold
- Friendly service

The Bad:
- Flavours are bold (for those who like mild food)
- Invasion of high school students during lunch

Business Hours:
11:00am - 10:00pm (Mon - Thu)
11:00am - 10:30pm (Fri)
12:00pm - 10:30pm (Sat)
12:00pm - 10:00pm (Sun)

Mayuri Indian Cuisine

Butter Chicken, Palak Paneer, Tandoori Chicken and Aloo Gobi are some of the more recognizable dishes found in Indian restaurants in the GVRD. What many people do not know is that this is only a very small representation of Indian food. Many of the immigrants from Indian were from the Punjab, which is really a very small area in northern India. Consequently, the majority of Indian cuisine in the GVRD is reflective of the population. This is also very similar to Chinese cuisine where it is predominantly Cantonese food, since many of the early immigrants were from Hong Kong. Trying to find southern Indian cuisine is a bit of a challenge. It's out there; you just need to know where to look for it. Nikita emailed me a few days ago asking if I wanted to go for lunch at Mayuri. I've heard of this place before. It serves both northern and southern Indian cuisine. However, I only had eyes on the Dosas, a specifically southern food. Dosas are essentially crepes made with lentils and rice flour. They can be served plain or filled with practically anything.

Mayuri is located in a very odd place, right smack in the middle of a predominantly industrial complex. If Nikita hadn't invited me to go, I would not know it existed. We had a bit of a problem deciding on the many different dosas available. Alas, Nikita noticed that there as a platter on the last page which included a Masala Dosa, Vada (Savory Lentil Donut), Idli (Steamed Rice Cake) and Lentil Soup. We both ordered this not knowing how much food it really was. When the platter arrived, the dosa was quite large; however, one peek inside revealed that there was only a modest amount of potatoes and onions. We were supplied with 2 condiments which included a coconut chutney and red tomato chutney. The sauces seemed to balance each other out, one being smooth and the other being a tad spicy.

The dosa was nice and crispy; yet a tad too chewy. I broke off large sections and dipped it into the sauces. When I go closer to the filling, I began to eat it in one piece. The vada was excellent. It was very crispy, while being soft and warm on the inside. The idli was soft and fluffy; but Nikita and I were not too found of it, not because it wasn't good, but probably because we were on carb overload. The lentil soup was a nice balance of sweet, spicy and salty. The idli was a bit more bearable to eat once I dipped it into the soup. Balancing the entire meal was the Mango Lassi that I ordered. It's essentially a sweet drink made of mango pulp, yogurt and ice cream. I really enjoyed the drink, it was similar to a milkshake. I thought it was alright, could've had more taste other than sweet.

Seeing that time was a wasting, I really didn't get a chance to finish my dosa. Mind you, even if I did have time I wouldn't have finished it either. I'm not sure if it was the quantity or the fact that I was suffering from carb overload. Whatever the case, it was a decent, if not average meal; but honestly, I like northern Indian cuisine better.

The Good:
- It's something a bit different
- Inexpensive

The Bad:
- Weird location
- Food is pretty average
- Lack of staff

Business Hours:
11:00am - 9:30pm (7 days a week)

Gulberg Tandoor & Donair

I often wonder why some restaurants do not get it. Why do they charge ridiculous prices for very little food. Yes, food quality is a consideration; however, you really want to go away feeling satisfied and full. And honestly, I'm not even talking about fine dining. That's another topic altogether. I had a discussion with Milhouse the other day and he explained that all he wants is not to be hungry after a meal. He's not looking to be stuffed; rather, just no longing for more. It brings me back to the Filet-O-Fish meal example. If I have to go get a Filet-O-Fish meal after I have already eaten, then I have not been satisfied. Today, I went to a place that truly personifies good portions, good quality and reasonable prices. That, my friends, is the winning formula for success. Again, for those who are confusing my rant with finer establishments, particularly in prime locations (ie. downtown), I am not referring them here.

On a recommendation from KDee, I travelled a fair distance to the Kwantlan College campus in Surrey. Across the street is Gulberg Tandoor & Donair. You might be asking why I drove so far to get a donair. Honestly, I was asking myself the same question. To my surprise, this was not a regular donair shop. Rather, the restaurant itself was quite spacious and the menu had more items than I expected. Yes, donairs were on the menu; but there was quite the variety. On the outside of the building, it advertises souvlaki and there is actually a picture of a burger on the awning. This is one diverse place. Multiculturalism at work here.

Since I was short on time, I had to get the items to go. I ordered the Chicken Tikka, which includes a chicken leg and salad. This was a tremendous deal at $3.99. I also ordered the large Chicken Donair for $5.99. It wasn't until I got back that I realized there was so much food for under $10.00. The donair was massive, packed with enough chicken for 2 donairs. Moreover, there were plenty of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce shoehorned into the donair. What I did next made it hard for me to eat the donair - I opened it up in the middle to take a picture. Oh well, the sacrifices I make for pictures! The one thing I can say about the donair is freshness. You could tell the ingredients were good quality and fresh. That would be the same for the chicken tikka. The salad was essentially the same tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce from the donair. The chicken was tender and flavourful without being salty.

The reason for all this talk of freshness is that Gulberg is not only a restaurant, it's a market right next door. Therefore, all their produce and meats are sourced in-house. I'm sure this also helps lower the cost as well. I really wish restaurants would clue in that volume can be a money-maker; rather than charging more in the hopes of taking in more profit. Moreover, this way, the food stays fresh since the turnover is high. Ultimately, Gulberg qualifies as another hidden gem where you can find good, fresh eats at very reasonable prices.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Food is both plentiful and good
- Everything is fresh

The Bad:
- Identity problem, what kind of restaurant is this?

Business Hours:
11:00am - 9:00pm (7 days a week)

EAT! Vancouver 2009

Honestly, I really wasn't planning to attend EAT! Vancouver this year. I am not a big fan of crowds, lineups and noise. However, seeing that Kevin had written up a nice post about it, I decided to go. Moreover, it seemed like everyone was going - was it foodie peer pressure??? Actually I was quite famished since I really didn't eat lunch and had just finished playing hockey. I guess it was a good thing to go somewhere that was solely based on everything food.

Viv and I were lucky to get a parking spot right on Expo Blvd and we took in the nice weather as we strolled up to BC Place. Upon entering, we were overwhelmed by smoke. Naturally, we knew it was from one of the vendors cooking food. Later, we found out it was the Izakaya booth (there was lots of smoke coming from them!), and a really long lineup waiting for their food. As I mentioned, I hate lineups and didn't bother with them. The first thing we did see was the mushroom scones from the All Seasons Mushrooms booth. I've never had mushroom scones; but they were really yummy. A nice "earthy" taste to them. Pushing our way through the crowds, we ended up in front of Ace Curries. They specialize in prepackaged curry mixes that can easily be prepared at home. I tried both of their samples (Butter Chicken and Channa Masala) and I was impressed with the taste and consistency of the sauces. Compared to another exhibit, Gourmantra, Ace Curries was definitely better. The sauces at Gourmantra were watery and bland.

One booth that attracted my attention was Boylan beverages. They had unique naturally flavoured and cane sugar sweetened soft drinks. I tried the ginger ale and it was very good. The use of natural ginger really gave it a kick. Further up ahead, we spotted a really nice display of oils. Turns out, it was John Spenger's of Napa Valley Bistro Blends. We tried a few of the offerings and we came away very impressed. The ones that stood out were Truffle Oil, 18-Year Old Raspberry Balsamic, Garlic Parmesan and Chardonnay & Roasted Garlic Marinade. I particularly loved the 18-year old raspberry. It was so rich and sweet, I can see why people drizzle it on ice cream. We were actually intending to buy some of the oils; however, we got sidetracked. We later found out you can order them from the Internet.

Wandering further into the crowds, we spotted some smoked rockfish on a cold platter. The fish was delicious. It was sweet and smoky with a bit of chewiness to it. I can definitely see this on a bagel with cream cheese in place of smoked salmon. The rockfish is produced by a local company - Ocean Amber. Now onto the Consulate General of Indonesia, which apparently was Kevin's and Kim's favourite exhibit for a variety of reasons. They were serving Nasi Tumpeng which is essentially a cone of rice served with various dishes. Today, it consisted of a chicken wing, a liver & potato curry, egg and veggies. The dish looked much better than it tasted. It wasn't bad, but due to the circumstances, it was cold and mostly bland. I'm sure in a more ideal situation, it would be much better. It was quite comical with our order because the girl forming the cone of rice did an epic fail when the cone came out halfway and collapsed on the plate. Fortunately the second time it worked well. However, that must be a tough gig since it looks like a lot of effort for each rice cone. Imagine that for the entire day!

Seeing that we were still a bit hungry, we picked up a few sheets of tickets and tried some of the Bite exhibitors. While I getting more tickets, Viv got some prawns with sweet chili sauce and a mango drink from Aththi. The prawns were pretty good and the mango drink was refreshing. After that, we headed over to the Dona Cata booth and grabbed a couple of tacos. One was pulled pork and the other chicken. I was squeezing hot sauce on the tacos and it seemed to jam on some seeds. As I was still squeezing, Viv pulled the plate away. Yes, that's when the bottle became unclogged. Well, at least the carpet was the same colour as the sauce. I really liked the tacos, the meat was tender and the flour tortillas were soft. I can only imagine how good they would be at the actual restaurant.

We used nearly the rest of the tickets at Jamaican Jerk. These guys were a hoot. Very friendly and working the crowd. I was only going to get a Jamaican beef patty; but somehow came out of it with a Jamaican deep dish pizza. It was certainly interesting. I think it would be best that I sampled a full size one to make a better judgement of the food. After we briskly ate the food (there were very few places to sit), we headed back to Aquastar to try some of the food. The Aquastar booth was actually promoting sustainable seafood. Yet, they seemed to have wonderful looking food too. They had seafood curries, fried prawns and whole King Crab legs. We passed on the crab legs because it seemed difficult to eat under the prevailing conditions. We opted for the vermicelli wrapped fried prawns. These babies were awesome. The fried noodle gave a really nice crunch on the outside of the prawn.

By then we were getting a bit tired of all the lineups and people, so we tried to see what we could get for our 4 remaining tickets. Apparently there was very little choice except for the Japanese Izakaya or the kebabs at Ashaiana. Seeing that there was a 30 minute lineup at the Izakaya, we headed over to Ashaiana. We ended up choosing one pork and one chicken kebab. However, looking at the picture, why was one of them a drumstick? Either they gave us the wrong one or the chicken drumstick was a kebab??? Anyways, the pork one was very tender and packed with onions. The chicken drumstick was a bit overdone; but it did have lots of flavour.

There were many more booths that we missed, including the wine exhibits. We just didn't feel like staying for that. Again, I really didn't want to go in the first place; however, it was not too bad, overall we had a good time. But I can't get over the fact that it resembled the PNE Showmart in many ways, complete with the Sham-Wow booth. One minor gripe were the goodie bags they handed out at the entrance. They were black and if you held onto them long enough, they turned your hand black as well. Viv didn't like that since she was holding the bags. She was also quite miffed at having to carry such a heavy bag with a Mott's Clamato in it. She really doesn't like Mott's Clamato. Lastly, there was this lady trying to sell me some biscotti by trying to trick me. She asked if I wanted to "try" them. I said sure, she replied "8 dollars". I said I wanted to try them, not buy them. She replied "oh we don't have any samples". This definitely reminded me of the PNE Showmart!

The Good:
- Lots to see, lots to do
- Lots of samples
- Some interesting products

The Bad:
- Lots of people
- Lots of lineups
- Looks and feels like the PNE Showmart

EAT! Vancouver
BC Place Stadium
www.eat-vancouver.com

Mistral French Bistro

*Restaurant is now closed*

Normally, when I go out for fine dining, there are certain expressions and adjectives I use to describe my meal. There are the usual comments such as it was delicious, elegant or Filet-O-Fish meal. Wait a minute, Filet-O-Fish as in the McDonald's sandwich? Correct. When I get a plate of food that has the portion size only fit for a 5-year old, it becomes a Filet-O-Fish meal. I am so hungry afterwords, I need to go grab a Filet-O-Fish at the McDonald's drive-thru! One time, I had a halibut dish at Fennie's and it was literally a piece of fish the size of a saltine cracker resting on a dollop of cauliflower puree. I think I needed 2 Filet-O-Fishes to satisfy my hunger. However, this trend may be reversing itself with the help of some reasonably-priced and portioned French bistros bursting onto the Vancouver restaurant scene. Les Faux Bourgeois and Salade de Fruits are perfect examples of these bistros. Today, we were in the UBC area and decided to go try another one of these French bistros - Mistral. Currently, Mistral has 4 set menus for lunch which range from $19 - $24. All of them include choice of appetizer, entree and dessert. You would be hard-pressed to spend that amount of money at Milestone's or Earl's for that amount of food.

Upon entering the restaurant, we were impressed with the quaint and cozy dining space. The warm colours and the tasteful decor really helped set the mood and atmosphere. The wait staff were extremely friendly and professional. We were never left with an empty glass and they were attentive to our requests. We really didn't have to look at the menu since we had our hearts set on the set menu. I choose the French Tradition which included a Salade Frisee aux Lardons, Steak Frites and Creme Caramel. Miss Y had the Provence Menu which included an Assortment of Provencal Appetizers, Braised Lamb Shoulder Stew and Chocolate Mousse.

Miss Y's appetizer was comprised of an Olive Tapenade, Creamed Cod Puree and Garlic Anchovy dip. This was served with croutons, celery and beets. The tapenade was quite flavourful and it went well with the complimentary bread. The cod puree was quite light tasting and textured. As expected, the anchovy dip was salty and went best with the croutons. The Salade Frisee was comprised of a poached egg, bacon and croutons on a bed of Frisee. I thought this salad was well executed. The frisee was fresh and crisp with just the right amount of vinaigrette. However, the egg was poached a bit too long, resulting in very little runny egg yolk for the salad.

The lamb stew had a very pronounced red wine flavour which was rich and deep flavoured. Despite this, it was not overwhelming and each individual ingredient stood out on it's own. Although the lamb was tender, I thought some pieces were a bit dry. My steak frites was excellent. The AAA rib eye steak was cooked a perfect medium rare. The tender meat was bathed in a beautiful creamy peppercorn sauce. Despite the abundance of peppercorns, the sauce was not overpowering; rather it complimented the flavour of the meat. I could tell that the steak was the star of the show and the sauce only provided enough flavour to enhance it.

The chocolate mousse was really rich, in both texture and taste. The dark chocolate flavour was apparent in each creamy spoonful. This was an extremely decadent mousse which was deep in chocolate flavour without being too sweet. The creme caramel was equally decadent. The deep sweetness of the caramel perfectly flavoured the rich egg and cream custard.

Upon finishing our meal, we couldn't believe the quality, quantity and presentation of the food for the price. I was impressed at Mistral's delicate presentation and execution of its dishes. Moreover, the ambiance was unmistakably French. It is definitely a cut above Les Faux Bourgeios and Salade de Fruits. As for my Filet-O-Fish, I will take a rain check for that this time, I was too full to even eat a fish stick.

The Good:
- Carefully prepared food
- Good portions at reasonable prices
- Beautifully decorated dining space
- Friendly and attentive staff

The Bad:
- Parking is a bit hard to find
- I didn't have room for a Filet-O-Fish afterwords (what can I say, I love Filet-O-Fish!)

Mistral French Bistro
2585 West Broadway
Vancouver, B.C.
604-733-0046
www.mistralbistro.ca

Ikea

Ah Ikea, a great place to get some build-it-yourself furniture at reasonable prices. In fact, there is a lot of Ikea furniture in my house right now. It looks pretty good and it didn't cost me an arm and a leg! However, don't ever try to move it, most of it won't survive. Unfortunately, the value of Ikea furniture is a result of low density particle board with veneers held together by glue and funny-looking screws. So tonight, the whole family heads out to Ikea in search for food. Wait. Food? What about the furniture? Well, we actually went to Ikea to eat at the cafeteria. Isn't that the home of the $1.00 breakfast? Why yes it is! Honestly, if it weren't $1.00, I probably would take a pass. I really didn't like it. However, I've never eaten dinner at Ikea. Ever.

As we arrived at the Coquitlam store, we decided to park at the upper level parking lot. Upon entering, we passed by the fast food stand and the smell of fresh cinnamon buns filled the air. I usually get a hot dog on my way out of Ikea. Was this a precursor to later eats? Stay tuned. We headed up to the cafeteria and took a look at the specials. This month, they had a Chicken and Rib special for $10.00. Viv seemed to have her heart set on that one. So, I decided to get the Swedish Meatball Combo which included a salad and drink for $6.50 Yes, you read that right $6.50! For the kiddies, we got some Mac n Cheese which included a drink as well. That was only $2.00. You can definitely see the prices are very reasonable, it is probably in hopes that someone would end up buying a Lack shelf or Malm bedside table.

Prices aside, the food ain't bad. The Swedish meatballs were good. There was enough seasoning and they were moist. The lingonberry sauce was a nice sweet compliment to the meatballs. I've never thought of putting a fruit jelly on meatballs before. Viv's meal was pretty decent as well. The short rib was super tender and wasn't over seasoned. Plenty of meat flavour here. The chicken leg was a bit overcooked; but Viv just ended up using my leftover gravy to moisten the chicken meat. The kiddies seemed to enjoy the mac n cheese. I took some bites of it despite the protest from my son. Noodles were very soft and it was indeed cheesy, if not a bit doughy. Hey, it was 2 bucks! Our total bill with tax came to under $20. With all the money I had leftover, I was in the mood to spend more at Ikea. I bet that's music to their ears... However, I didn't go buy a chest of drawers or an end table. Rather, I revisited the fast food stand on my way out.

That's right, I picked up a hot dog for 50 cents and a cinnamon bun for $1.40. You really can't get better than that. For the price of parking in downtown for 6 minutes, I got a hot dog. Well, I'm not going to talk about it much, it's ground up "you don't want to know" nestled in a bun. Enough said. However, the cinnamon bun was pretty good. It's definitely not as buttery or moist as CinnZeo; but it held it's own. Plenty of cinnamon taste and just enough sweetness. The kids seem to really like it. Duh, of course they did. I let Viv eat most of it since I already had dinner and a hot dog.

I was pleasantly surprised at my dinner at Ikea. It wasn't bad. For the price I paid, I don't think I could've expected much more. So, the next time I need to get a chest of drawers, I'll take a side of meatballs (and maybe a hot dog too) to go with it.

The Good:
- Cheap!
- Food ain't bad
- You can eat and leave with a chest of drawers in the same trip

The Bad:
- Food was lukewarm
- You can eat and leave with a chest of drawers in the same trip

Ikea Restaurant
1000 Lougheed Highway
Coquitlam, B.C.
604-636-1000
ikea.ca