Hapa Izakaya (Kitsilano)

Have you ever looked at your call display and have gotten an out-of-area call? First knee jerk reaction would be telemarketer - ignore call. Well, for once I answered it. Turns out it was my cousin, Cable Car Guy (from San Fran) who was unexpectedly in town. Apparently, his wife, AZee had planned a surprise trip for their anniversary. In order to get a better rate, she chose the flight that connected through Edmonton. The surprise was ruined when she had to check both of them in online. He got a confirmation email stating that his flight to Edmonton had been confirmed. His first reaction was, "Edmonton??? I have a flight to Edmonton, why am I going to Edmonton?!?!" Talk about a shock to the system. They were staying at the Sutton Place Hotel and the first thing I had to ask was, "Did you have a Japadog yet (since it's right in front)?" Not only did they love Japadog, they went to Kintaro Ramen as well. My cousin knows how to eat! Naturally, we decided to meet for dinner; but the question was where? Since they are from San Francisco, there was no point to take them anywhere that had Westcoast cuisine. I consulted with Whipping Girl and Donna Chang and we all agreed that Izakaya would be the best choice. Although San Francisco has remarkable cuisine, there is a lack of really good Asian food available. San Francisco is like a second home to me and I have always lamented the state of Asian cuisine there. Rather than fight with the downtown crowd, we opted to visit Hapa Izakaya in Kits. It turned out to be a good choice since we parked right across from the restaurant and had no problem getting a table. Originally, they were concerned that people would be staring at them taking pictures of their food. I assure them that wouldn't be a problem while dining with me! This time, the pictures turned out better since we sat outside. Most Izakayas are really dark and taking good pictures is really difficult.

After ordering a large Asahi, we ended up with 9 dishes to share. The first to arrive was the Duck and Daikon Salad. Although the pieces of duck were pale and unappealing, it was actually quite good. The meat was tender (confit) and lightly seasoned. Combined with the crunchy daikon, it was a pleasant salad with good texture contrasts. We also tried a brand new dish, Salmon Risotto Croquettes. I really enjoyed the crispy balls of rice and salmon. It was a very delicate dish in terms of texture and flavours. Too bad they don't have Salmon Yukke, since it's one of my favourite dishes. Therefore, I settled on the Salmon Carpaccio with pesto sauce. Beautifully presented as a rose, the salmon slices exhibited a "lox-type" flavour and texture. Mixed with the pesto, there were many flavours at work; yet it did not overwhelm the salmon. The next dish was not as successful. The Unagi Tofu was a bit boring and bland. I realized that it was intended to be delicate with the silky tofu, but even the Unagi didn't provide much in the way of flavour for the dish.

I always order Ebi Mayo when I visit an Izakaya and this one didn't disappoint. It was just like the one at the Robson Hapa, with a light coating of spicy mayo around the perfectly fried shrimp. We could hear the next dish sizzling as it arrived in its hot stone bowl. Before the server could mash the Ishi-Yaki into a mush, I made a point of it to take a picture first. I was not as quick last time at the Robson Hapa because it was mashed up before I could get to it. The Ishi-Yaki was decent, maybe a little soft; but the really hot stone bowl created a rice crust that is probably the best part of the dish. We were having a hard time deciding whether to go for the Hapa Hot Wings or the Hapa Kamikaze Wings; so we ordered both. Both order of wings were cooked just enough, resulting in some very juicy wings. The Kamikaze wings were generously coated with a Sriracha-type sauce that gave them a serious kick. By no means were they suicide wings; but they were not for the faint of heart either. The last dish we ordered was the Cho Wagyu, which is essentially Kobe beef. It was served with a hot rock that we used to cooked the raw beef. This dish satisfies the novelty quotient; yet it was very enjoyable to eat as well. The buttery Wagyu beef was accompanied by Ponzu and fried garlic chips.

I'm glad I had a chance to visit the Kits Hapa and overall the experience was good. In my opinion, the food was not as flavourful compared to the Robson location. With that being said, it wasn't like the food was terrible either. The one major difference that I noticed was probably the ambiance. I found that the vibe at the Kits location a bit more subdued and quiet. Probably has something to do with the neighbourhood. Service was generally pretty attentive except with a few gaps in between. The "scenery" was more or less the same as the Robson location. In relation to other Izakayas, I still prefer Gyoza King; but only in terms of the food. Hapa still gets style points on the ambiance and bigger dining space.

The Good:
- Trendy and comfortable (for an Izakaya)
- Good selection of items
- Generally solid eats

The Bad:
- Food maybe slightly better at the Robson location
- Doesn't have the same vibe as the Robson location

Mario's Kitchen

Ah. the water slide, a current of rushing water underneath your posterior; more fun than you can ever have with a bidet. Today, the whole family made the trek out to Splashdown Park out in Tsawwassen. My son seemed very excited to go; but after a few assisted runs down the kiddie slides, he decided it was time to go home. No way buddy, we didn't pay $15 for you to half-heartedly go down a few slides and call it a day. So we gave him his Nintendo DS and we ended up going on some runs. I've never been a big fan of water slides; but the inner tube river run was very fun. Too bad I accidentally elbowed Chill M's daughter in the head while going down that run. She didn't seem a bit worse for wear. Viv went down the blue slides and she said that they were slow and in fact she stopped dead in her tracks a few times. Gee, doesn't sound like that much fun. I could have been playing hockey instead since I was missing it for the water slides. No matter, family time is more important.

Since we don't make it out to Tsawwassen very often, I suggested we grab some late lunch at a favourite of mine - Mario's Kitchen. Luckily for us, we arrived well past lunch hour and snagged the only table that could accommodate 4 adults and 5 kids. Suffice to say, the restaurant is very kid friendly; from the kid's menu and crayons to the Popsicles or giant cookie for dessert. Once again, Bubbly M hijacked my camera and I am obliged to credit her with some of the photos. The kiddies ended up ordering the usual, pizza and chicken strips. Bubbly M ordered the Tuscan Linguine and it was pretty good. I've had the pasta here in the past and although it isn't spectacular, it's more than acceptable. Her pasta was al dente and the sauce was seasoned adequately. I had originally ordered the BBQ Glazed Half-Chicken; but what I really ended up with was BBQ Glazed Chicken Breasts. I really had no problem with it since the chicken was cooked perfectly tender and the sauce was quite good. However, I would've appreciated that they had asked me beforehand. The rice on the side was terrible, undercooked and bland. Viv and Chill M had the Cajun Chicken Cheddar Sandwich. Not much to say about a sandwich, but apparently the chicken was tender and well seasoned.

Since there were 5 kids, it took awhile to get out of the restaurant. Finally we made it outside and I had to open my big mouth and compliment Bubbly M's new Pumas. She went ahead and told Viv to join her at the shoe store which was having a sale. Great, now we have to wait for 2 women shoe shopping. What did I do to deserve this? Oh right, I complimented someone on their new shoes... Luckily it didn't take too long and we were on our way. Since we were sort of in the neighbourhood, I dropped by Danny's Market for another Screamer. At least the visit to Splashdown was not all for naught.

The Good:
- Reasonably priced
- Good portions
- Decent food

The Bad:
- Food came out a bit slow (maybe because we arrived well past lunch?)

Saffron

Despite many opportunities to do so, I've never gotten around to trying Saffron. Part of the reason is that my son would probably balk at eating Indian food. Another reason is that we end up going somewhere else because Saffron was never our plan "A". One more reason is an odd one. The first time I ever heard of Saffron was when Costanza and I picked up some pizza from essentially the same restaurant; divided only by a 3/4 wall. Surely a restaurant that doubles as a pizza joint can't have good Indian food right??? Today, I had my chance and I dragged Rich Guy with me to sample the lunch buffet.

Normally, I'm not really that a big fan of all-you-can-eat Indian food because it sits around too long and the Naan gets really gross if not eaten right away. To my surprise, the Naan here is not available at the buffet; rather, they bring it to you fresh and hot. That alone, already improved the chances that I would like the buffet. Available items in the buffet included: Vegetable Pakora, Chicken Kabobs, Tandoori Chicken, Vegetable Biryani, Eggplant & Peas, Yogurt Curry, Paneer Makhani, Kadhai Chicken, Mushroom Makhani, Butter Chicken, Curry Beef, Gulab Jamun and Kheer. Everything appeared fresh since there was a steady stream of diners in the restaurant. Turnover of the food was quick.

I particularly liked the Mushroom Makhani, it was so rich and smooth from the coconut milk. The Tandoori Chicken was perfectly cooked. It was mildly flavoured and was extremely tender. The Butter Chicken was a bit runny; yet it was flavourful without being too salty. There was a good balance between tomato and creaminess. Although the Beef Curry was rich in flavour and thickness, I was not that impressed with the ground meatballs. It didn't help that the meatballs were very loose, resulting in a strange looking mess that resembled an Indian version of Bolognese. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the buffet was decent. It's still not the way I would like to eat Indian food; but I really didn't mind the one at Saffron. Add into that the service was friendly and the restaurant was super clean, Saffron was better than I thought. However, I still prefer the Indian food in Surrey/North Delta, particularly at Mirch Masala.

The Good:
- Place is super clean and welcoming
- Service was friendly and attentive
- Inexpensive buffet

The Bad:
- Regular menu is a bit pricey

Old Bavaria Haus

Got a call from Wolvie today and boy did she have a story to tell. Apparently, her relatively new cabinets came crashing down last night. Suffice to say, it was a shock and the kitchen is a complete mess. It appears that whoever installed the cabinets only mounted them to one stud. It's amazing they stayed up for as long as they did. Luckily no one was in the kitchen at the time, otherwise, someone would have been seriously hurt. Well, her misfortune became my treasure since there was no way she and her hubby could eat at home. I suggested that we could all go out for dinner! In fact, go out for something a bit different. How about for some Schnitzel?

Schnitzel? Where can one find really good Schnitzel in the GVRD. After all, it ain't the hotbed of Austrian cuisine. Yes, believe it or not, Schnitzel is really an Austrian dish, even though it's often only associated with Germany. Mind you, it's eaten in Germany as well, which leads us to the Old Bavaria Haus in New West. Directly across from La Rustica and La Spaghetteria, the Old Bavaria Haus has resided in a century old home for as long as I can remember. When we walked through the entrance of the restaurant, we were greeted by a warm and a bit musty smelling dining room. It certainly has got character. We were seated right next to a couple who were snapping photos at a furious rate. I'm not sure if it was a fellow blogger or was it just a couple who liked to take photos. For once, I felt like everybody was looking at someone else rather than me.

Our server was very friendly and explained the special which was a Schnitzel with Asparagus and Bearnaise Sauce. Viv and Wolvie both went for the special which included a salad to start as well. Italian Stallion has the Zigeuner Schnitzel topped off with peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and cheese. I opted for my favourite, Schnitzel Champignon which was topped with sauteed mushrooms and Bearnaise sauce.

I know it's hard to get excited about a piece of fried meat; but honestly, the pan fried pork (info thanks to Jenny) was fabulous. So utterly crispy and buttery topped with even more fatty goodness. What's not to like? Well, there was one thing we didn't like - the salt. Although the pan-fried potatoes were good, boy did they overdo it on the salt. Thank goodness I got a mug of Warsteiner to wash it all down. The Schnitzel itself was topped by a generous amount of mushrooms and just the right amount of sauce. It is way too common to find places who put so much sauce, that you cannot even see the food underneath it. There was more than enough food on the plate to satisfy my appetite and we found the prices to be very reasonable. Adding to the value were the Entertainment coupons we applied to the final bill.

The Good:
- Generous portions
- Unique dining experience
- Friendly service

The Bad:
- Food was a bit salty
- With the nature of the food, it can be a bit heavy

Claypot Restaurant

Stormy skies and cold weather threatened our softball game tonight. However, without a call from Boss Woman regarding the cancellation of the game, I knew we were going to play rain or shine. Best of all, we would ultimately head for some grub after the game. Instantly, the wheels began turning in my head: what would be a good thing to eat tonight? Well, since it wasn't exactly warm, the idea of hot pot immediately came to mind. Yes, I've been known to have hot pot in the heat of summer; but this time, it would be more appropriate since it was cold. I bounced the idea off Milhouse and he seemed to be all for it. We headed off to the game and I began devising a plan in my head to convince my teammates into boiling their own food after the game.

Now about that game... It really wasn't all that memorable since we played very poorly and lost decisively. However, the game will probably be remembered for one incident. There were 2 guys kicking a soccer ball right behind our team "dugout". During the game, one of the kicks landed the ball right into our team bench. Okay, alright, he apologized, no harm, no foul. Not much longer, he does it again! It almost hit Milhouse this time and he threw the ball back in disgust. Then, with our whole team at the bench, the ball comes roaring in for 3rd time barely missing a few heads. That was it! The guy was apologetic again; but honestly, 3 times??? We all sort of lost it and even the more patient people on our team freaked out. The 2 guys weren't even going to move after the 3rd incident! We had to make them stop! Where do these people come from? In fact, I was one of the people who totally lost it and then subsequently went to bat and hit a home run. At my next time up at the plate, my team tried to get me mad again; but it really didn't work, I hit a pop fly...

After the game, I was successful in convincing the whole team to do all-you-can-eat hot pot at Claypot Restaurant (aka Sa Bo) in Richmond. I promised that I would not force anyone to eat any offal, even though that is the best part of hot pot! This place used to be called Sun Tung Kee; but now the English name is more of a literal translation of the Chinese name. We used to go here quite a lot during our University days and boy did we eat! This is the first time back in awhile and honestly, they need to do some renovations. Everything is looking a bit tired and old. We arrived a little after 9:00pm and were pleasantly surprised to see a late-night AYCE for $13.95 (flavoured soup extra charge). The whole reason why we were late going to dinner was a result of Miss Y being late to the game; thus pushing the start time of the game to 7:00pm. She cheerfully took the credit for us making the late-night AYCE. So now we are praising her for being late??? Sheesh!

The main difference between the late night and regular AYCE is the absence of seafood. We were quite hungry and didn't mind that at all (regular AYCE is $18.95). However, if you want anything other than clear broth, it'll cost you $7.00. Yet, $7.00 spread over 8 people was insignificant. Pop was very cheap at 2 for $1. Mind you, I'm sure they would love you to drink as much pop as possible to bloat your stomach. We ordered a whole bunch of items on the checklist and they placed all the dishes behind us on metal carts. Some of the more notable items were the Sliced AAA Beef, Lamb, Fish Balls, Squid Balls, Beef Meatballs, Fried Taro Slices and Fish Tofu. All of the aforementioned items were fresh and pleasant to eat. We did order udon, but we never got a chance to eat it on our end because Miss Y hogged all of it. Furthermore, she was doing epic fail upon epic fail in terms of dropping food all over the place. We can't take her anywhere (well, except for La Charcuterie).

Let's be honest, hot pot is not rocket science. The most important things to consider are: freshness, variety, cleanliness, service and value. Claypot nails most of the aforementioned criteria. If I were to nit-pick, the service could be a bit less indifferent. It was generally quite acceptable; but most of the staff seemed quite expressionless. Moreover, some of the tables are showing quite a bit of wear, it's time to resurface them. If these things bother you, then for a little bit more, you could go to Top Gun Hot Pot. Other than that, Claypot is a pretty good value.

The Good:
- Items are fresh
- Good selection for AYCE
- Reasonably priced

The Bad:
- Place is a bit worn out
- Service is indifferent
- Parking lot is insufficient at peak times

Lee's Donuts

While we were enjoying some soup from the Stock Market, my son really didn't want anything to do with it. However, the mere mention of a chocolate donut from Lee's reinvigorated his appetite. For those who are not familiar with Lee's Donuts, it's been a staple at Granville Island for as long as I can remember. They still make donuts the traditional way, where they have substance to them (unlike Krispy Kreme). The only other donut that I personally think resembles Lee's are Top Pot out of Seattle. It's another one of those things I had as a kid and now my own kids are enjoying it as well. I really wonder if they will ever enjoy Beef Tongue like I do? Maybe if I hide it in a jelly donut?

I only decided to get a half-dozen since Lee's donuts are quite filling compared to those of Krispy Kreme. I ended up getting one of each: Chocolate, Double Chocolate, Dutch Chocolate, Mango-filled, Jelly-filled and Sprinkles. The chocolate cake donuts are actually not that dense. The slightly crisp exterior encapsulates the soft cake interior. The yeast jelly-filled donuts have just the right amount of chewiness combined with the sweet filling. However, I find that the donuts are not extremely sweet such as the ones from Krispy Kreme. However, I like Krispy Kreme donuts in their own right. They are much lighter and I could probably eat 3 just like that. In fact, Miss Y once ate 4 Krispy Kremes in one sitting; to my utter disgust and shock. It's a bit difficult to eat 4 Lee's donuts in one sitting (unless you're Miss Y); but it's a real treat to have one nonetheless.


The Good:
- Freshly made
- Textures in both cake and yeast donuts are perfect
- Good flavour without being too sweet

The Bad:
- If you swear by Krispy Kreme donuts, these might be too dense for you

The Stock Market

Why on earth do I choose to have hot soup on a warm summer day? It reminds of the time I had Yogen Fruz while lining up with Costanza on Boxing Day. Better yet, we once had hot pot at Costanza's house in August. It really shows what lengths we go through to enjoy our favourite foods! Much like last time at the Soup Meister, I did it again today at the Stock Market on Granville Island. When we used to live in downtown, we'd visit Granville Island more often. Now that we are in the burbs and especially with kids, it's quite the effort to make it down there. Of course visiting Granville Island on a weekend in the summer is like crossing the Port Mann during rush hour. I made it to the parking lot near Bridges and someone was just leaving, I assumed that the space was mine; but some dude gets out of a car (that had just parked in an illegal spot) and essentially acted like a human shield while that car backed into the spot. WTH? I wasn't even in Richmond! Anyways, Karma was the great equalizer since another spot opened up and I got it (which was wider and had a longer time limit).

We were able to snag a table in the eating area outside of the market; however it was out in the open without cover. The significance of that? Well, let's just say that most of Granville Island also acts as a bird's washroom. You never know when you'll get a nasty surprise on your food and/or your clothing. I ended up getting a large Smoked Salmon Chowder and a small Chicken Noodle Soup. We didn't want to go overboard with the soup because our plan was to hit Lee's Donuts afterwards. The chowder was actually quite filling. The broth was overwhelmed with ingredients; it could give Chunky Soup a run for it's money. The same could be said about the chicken noodle, it was a mini-meal. Despite this, we much prefer the chicken noodle at the Soup Meister. The one here was a bit bland and had a strange aftertaste. Despite that, we've had the soup at the Stock Market many times and it's good eating. Not sure if it's such a good idea on a warm and sunny day; but we neither broke a sweat or got dive bombed...

The Good:
- Lotsa ingredients in the soup
- It's fresh
- Soups are consistently good

The Bad:
- Some people might balk at paying almost $7.00 for a bowl of soup