Boston Pizza

Alright, Emilicious gave me a hard time on Facebook about going to Boston Pizza. I really don't blame her. I don't usually visit Boston Pizza unless it's with my hockey team or with my family. You see, my former hockey team (yes, I'm no longer with them) is sponsored by the Brentwood Boston Pizza. Therefore, I had to go there in support of our sponsorship. There are times I have visited it with my family because admittedly, it is quite kid friendly. Well, not is all doom and gloom with BP since their pizzas are respectable. Not exactly authentic Italian thin crust pizzas; but BP never claims to be such. The real problem I have with BP are their pastas and some of their entrees. At regular price, you can practically eat anywhere else. Tonight, Coreymania, DB Hypno (click the link and you'll understand the nickname) and myself were at BP because it was part of a Whitecaps game and dinner deal. The deal was for 4 game tickets, 1 large pizza, 4 salads and 4 soft drinks at $20.00 per person. That is actually a pretty good value.

Honestly, I've never been much of a soccer (fine, English football) fan and probably never will. I'm all about the hockey! My last Whitecaps game
other than tonight was back in the old Empire Stadium! I'll admit that watching it live is a whole lot better than on TV. When I watch soccer on TV, it reminds me of the Simpsons episode when a game was played in Springfield. Whatever the case, I enjoyed the atmosphere and the Whitecaps ultimately won the game. After that, we headed off Boston Pizza for some food. Luckily for us, the salads (especially the Spinach Salad) at BP are decent. Plenty of toppings and being quite big, the salads were satisfying. Only complaint is that they should not toss the spinach in the dressing, it should be served on the side because it makes the spinach limp. As mentioned before, the pizzas are decent. We ended up with the Tropical Chicken which is a bit interesting because it substitutes Alfredo for tomato sauce. The tang is made up by the pineapple. The crust is not heavy nor oily at all.

We decided to get an order of their baked wings (they come fried as well) and since they are baked, they are still quite juicy and tender. They are not crisp like the fried ones; but they are a little healthier. On a side note, please do not get their Appy Platter, it was formerly known as the team platter. It is not worth the $20.00 because it is only sufficient if you were a team of 2 people. Mind you, their Cactus Cut Potatoes and Southwest Skins are respectable appies. Now we head into what's the matter with BP - their pastas. I do realize that they in no shape or form claim to be authentic. However, I've never had pasta so soggy in my life. They obviously have never heard of al dente before. I guess it's difficult to achieve that since the pasta is pre-made and merely reboiled. The sauces are pretty one-dimensional and bland, other than the Mama Meata which doesn't exist anymore.

Their "go-to" pasta is the Smokey Mountain Spaghetti and Meatballs for $17.75. Despite the fact I've eaten this on many occasions with my team before; this is probably the most overpriced item on the menu. Don't get me wrong, the size of this pasta is decent; however the overall execution is lacking. Pasta is mushy and the sauce is bland. Although, the meatballs are pretty decent. They're quite meaty and flavourful. I really could go on and on about the menu because I've tried practically everything; but I think you get the idea. The food is hit and miss. For the price, you would be better served going to White Spot. However, BP still remains a good option for sports teams, families and people who just want some pizza late into the night.

The Good:
- Pretty decent pizza
- Portions are good
- Open late

The Bad:
- Most of the food is iffy
- Overpriced pastas and entrees

Las Tortas

I was tipped off a week ago by TS (eating_club Vancouver) about a new sandwich shop that had opened up 2 stores down from Pied-a-Terre. Oh, this is no ordinary sandwich shop. Rather, it is one of the few places you can get an authentic Mexican torta. No, no, not the ones you can get at Duffin's Doughnuts. These ones are made by real Mexicans (as opposed to fake Mexicans???). Being a real fan of good sandwiches (re: Ba Le, Au Petit Cafe, La Grotta del Formaggio, La Charcuterie), I put it high on my list to visit (apparently Kim had it high on his list too!).

Needing some takeout today, I took the opportunity to head down to Las Tortas for a couple of sandwiches. The method of ordering is a bit unique; yet really simple. You merely take a paper bag (which has the menu on it) and select what you want to order by checking off the item. You put down any special requests, put your name on the top, check off if you are eating in or out and present it to the cashier. I only wish they had real Sharpies rather than Crayola felt markers because it was not easy to write with them. My "no onions" became scrunched up and looked more like "noinions". Whatever, the cashier figured it out.

I decided to try the Pierna or slow roasted pork thigh marinated in Mexican spices. Essentially a pulled pork sandwich, it included tomato, cabbage, pickled onions (I didn't get this), jalapenos, guacamole, refried beans, butter and mayo. This is all served on a grill toasted telera. For $2.00, I added their house fried potato chips. I got Viv the Carne Asada con Queso, which is marinated roast beef with Oaxaca cheese. Her sandwich included all the aforementioned toppings. Since all of their sandwiches are made-to-order and served hot, I had to wait for a little while. During this wait, I grabbed the window seat (of course I did). In the process, I had to squeeze in between another table that was occupied already. The lady seemed to wonder why I had to pick the seat right next to her when there were plenty of other open tables. So, I told her what I was doing and I wanted the best lighting possible for my pictures. It was a bit surreal, I was chatting to a total stranger about food all of a sudden. Well, that is actually a good thing. She mentioned that she had just read a post on Corner 23 and wonder if it was me. It could've been, but then again, many other bloggers have a post on Corner 23.

I finally got down to trying out the torta and it was quite an enjoyable sandwich. The bun was quite crunchy and the fillings were not the usual fare I'm used to. The pork was on the drier side; yet it was still moist. I especially liked the crisp cabbage which gave a nice freshness and crunch. Surprisingly, the sandwich did not have the "wow" factor I was looking for. What I essentially got was a solid sandwich with Mexican ingredients. Interestingly, the star of the show was the house-made potato chips. They were slightly thick cut; but fried up nicely. Crispy, not salty nor oily, these chips were money. For $2.00, they were worth every penny. When Viv finally got her chance at sandwich, much later since I actually ate at the restaurant first, she pretty much echoed my sentiments. A solid sandwich; but not OMG wonderful.

My sandwich came out to $8.50, while Viv's was $9.30. The Cubana tops out at $9.95. While not exactly cheap (since you can get these for $5.00 in L.A.), it is not incredibly expensive for a made-to-order hot sandwich. It may have not knocked my socks off; but I would eat it again.

The Good:
- Made-to-order and served hot
- A unique sandwich (at least up here in Vancouver)
- Wonderful freshly fried potato chips

The Bad:
- Not exactly cheap
- Could use a tad more filling
- Mostly takeout, not a lot of places to sit

Copa Cafe (Coquitlam)

No, this is not a repeat. If you think you have seen a post on Copa Cafe earlier, you are not seeing things. However, this time, I brought the family out to the location in Coquitlam. Actually, Copa was not my original choice. I ended up here because Amorosa was full and it would be over 30 minutes before we would get a table. I have no problem with that; but my kids might. Not sure if the diners there would like to see 2 kids bouncing off the walls for 30 minutes. But honestly, when we leave a restaurant to avoid a lineup, we end up wasting the same amount of time going somewhere else. It could be that I just hate lineups! I dropped Viv off at Zeller's to return something, so I headed over to Copa first with my son. As I pulled up to the front of the restaurant, everyone at the window just had to look over and stare. Is it just me or Asian people like to stare for no apparent reason? It's just like how when they drive by my house and I'm outside, they have to stare at me. What? Do I have something on my face??? Wait, I'm Asian... I hope I don't stare... No, I just take photos of food and thus, people stare at me.

Seeing how we all ordered set menu items at the Vancouver location, I decided to order all Chinese dishes (well, at least HK-style interpreted dishes). For the kiddies, we started off with Scramble Eggs with Shrimp. This was not an auspicious start to the meal because the eggs were overcooked, watery and in many small pieces. At least the shrimp was cooked right and had the right texture. For good measure, we got the Spaghetti Bolognaise, just in case the kiddies didn't like the eggs. Not resembling an authentic bolognaise of any sort (that's HK-style cafe for you), it was linguine not spaghetti. No matter, the dish tasted fantastic! Lots of meat and cheese flavour and the noodles were not overly mushy. Since it was baked, it had a nice crust on top as well. I just wished they didn't serve it with a big bay leaf in the sauce. I was in the mood for some HK-style curry and selected the Curry Brisket. Although the sauce was flavourful with just a bit a hint of heat, the beef was not very tender. Curiously, this dish didn't come with rice.

The final dish is one of our favourites - Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice. It's definitely an acquired taste due to the pungent fish; but I gotta tell you, when it's done right... Fortunately, it was not only done right, the dish here at Copa was fanatastic. The rice was firm, there was lots of fish and chicken and the dish was well-seasoned. Pretty predictable meal here at Copa, food was generally good except for the scrambled eggs and the tough brisket. Despite being quite friendly, the servers seemed overworked. We couldn't seem to get their attention when we needed something. One server got bent out-of-shape when she spotted my son playing with the sugar packets. Only in a Chinese restaurant you will find employees scolding others' children.

The Good:
- Predictable food
- Comfortable and clean dining space
- Pretty good value

The Bad:
- Same with the other location, when you have such a diverse menu, some food may not turn out well

Adonia Teahouse

Alright, it was inevitable, Sherman and I were both eating; but in 2 different places simultaneously. What to do? Of course Sherman had his trusty DSLR and was off to Hon's after playing hockey. What about me? Well, I was sucked into doing my very first entry into the blog. Armed with my trusty Canon SD630, I headed off to Adonia with my sister-in-law. Actually, we were planning to go to The Secret Garden; but it was completely packed. I had called Sherman to ask where we should eat in the Kerrisdale area. He was a bit too busy at the time taking off his goalie gear to be much help. He took the opportunity to sneak in, "you should get an iPhone" suggestion.

Alright, I really do not have time to be blogging about anything, let alone Sherman's obsessive food adventures. But, he really gave me no choice. We wandered around Kerrisdale in search of a place to eat when we stumbled upon Adonia. Completely empty, we were able to pick where ever we wanted to sit. It was interesting to see that the place was run by Asians. No matter, as Sherman says, it's not important who makes it, as long as it is good. We went in with an open mind. Originally, I sat facing the window which makes for very poor photos. I actually got my sis-in-law to switch seats with me for the sake of better photos. Geez, I pulled a Sherman there... Next, you'll find me moving tables and asking total strangers if I could take pictures of their food! Wait, I'll leave that up to Sherman. He has no shame.

Adonia is a quaint little English-style teahouse nestled in the heart of Kerrisdale. Adorned with floral wallpaper and wood paneling; it really has the decor to put you in the mood for high tea. It had a comfy and cozy feel as if I were invited into someone's house for tea. At $22.00 per person, it included choice of tea, Scones, Potato Salad with Shrimp and the traditional three-tiered platter. The platter included mini-sandwiches, hor d'oeuvres and desserts. As we sat waiting, the server set our table with antique teacups, saucers, spoons, sugar bowl, and creamer. I thought this added to the charm of the place. Interestingly, I noticed that the sugar spoon was actually a souvenir from Hell's Gate. The tea arrived first in individual glass teapots and came with a chafing bowl to keep it warm along with a bowl of sugar pellets and cream. I was a little disappointed to see that it wasn't an antique teapot. Anyway, onto the tea. I chose a mango tea and my sis-in-law chose an Earl Grey. I was afraid that the tea would be too fruity and overpowering, but it wasn't at all. It was perfect with just a hint of mango flavour. My sis-in-law noted that her Earl Grey wasn't as aromatic as others she has tried, but surprisingly when she had some, it was quite flavourful.

The first of the goodies to arrive were the two sweet and savory scones. The cheese scone had a nice and buttery texture and the raisin scone had a sugary and crunchy top to it. Next up was the three-tiered platter which we worked our way from the bottom up. On that note, no one came to explain anything or checked up on us other than the initial ordering, food service and final bill. On the bottom tier were cucumber sandwiches, ham sandwiches, egg salad and tuna salad sandwiches on mini cheese buns. The sandwiches were pretty standard. Although, the cucumber sandwiches were bland and were in need of a little salt and pepper. The middle tier had 3 different items. A baguette slice topped with green and red roasted peppers and shiitake mushroom, salmon lox on a toasted whole wheat bread, and a puff pastry with salmon mousse. I was looking forward to eating the lox because it's one of my faves, but oh my goodness was the bread toasted beyond chewable! I ended up just eating the lox by itself. The puff pastry wasn't flaky and the mousse was not pronounced at all. There wasn't much of it and I had a hard time figuring out what it actually was at first. By the time we reached the top tier for desserts, I was getting a little full...more from the tea than the food! What I found odd was that on every tier there was two of everything, but on the top a few of the items came as singles. I didn't get to have every piece of dessert since I was getting full, but overall the sweets were again standard. What was nice about them was it wasn't too sugary. Finally at the end, we were served panna cotta and cookies. I enjoyed the panna cotta except for the sweet jam layer on top of it. As for the cookies, they could have been more creative than serving a walnut shortbread, a cranberry and walnut shortbread, and a cranberry and walnut cookie.

Well, as a first high tea experience it was nice. It was definitely nothing to write home about, but I enjoyed being able to sit for a period of time chatting with my sis-in-law, and enjoying some bites of food. Although this experience has piqued my interest in trying out other teahouses to see how they compare. I'm sure there are better places for high tea out there (Secret Garden and Bacchus). In terms of service and quality of food, I find Adonia just average.

The Good:
- Quaint decor and china
- Tea was decent

The Bad:
- Average food
- Indifferent service, bordering on cold

Hon's (New West)

Being that this was the last session of ice hockey for the summer at Brit, some of us were gonna head out for eats afterwards. You know me, I am not passing up an opportunity to eat! At around exactly the same time, Viv was at Adonia doing tea with her sister-in-law. 2 blog entries at the same time! For some reason or another, people were having difficulty deciding where to eat. Finally, they all looked at me and figured I should have an idea or two. Taking into account that we had about 10 people including kids, I suggested Hon's. We chose the New West location because it was closest to where most of us lived. For me, Hon's is a part of my childhood. Back in the day, Hon's was one of the few places where you could get a decent bowl of wonton noodles, congee, whole fried yee mein clusters and of course, potstickers. I remember going to their first, and only location at the time, on Main Street in Chinatown. In fact, we once spotted Tiger Williams dining there, I got his autograph! From those humble beginnings, Hon's has grown to 6 locations including a fusion restaurant.

Almost everyone knows about Hon's, after all, it's synonymous with good portions at reasonable prices. But this begs the question, is Hon's necessarily the best considering it's popularity? Universally, I'm sure most people would say it is not the best; but you know what you are getting. It is a safe bet for most people, including those who are not necessarily that adventurous. Let's take the most basic item - the wonton. Although the wontons are perfectly fine at Hon's, it is far from the best in town. I would say that the wontons at Congee Noodle King, Congee Noodle House, Ho Yuen Kee, New Maple and McNoodle are superior in terms of the filling, size and taste. However, I must note that the aforementioned places serve all shrimp wontons. The one at Hon's is the mostly pork with shrimp. Then there is the matter of personal taste. I have some friends who don't like all shrimp wontons and actually prefer the pork with shrimp. Today, everyone had different variations of dishes that included wontons. There was a small Wonton Soup, Wonton & BBQ Pork Rice Flat Noodle, BBQ Duck and Wonton Noodles, and just plain Wonton Noodles.

Other than the wontons, there are 2 other components that can make or break wonton noodles - the soup and noodles. The soup at Hon's is actually pretty good, good depth of flavour and not too salty. The noodles have the right elasticity and are visually appealing. All-in-all, a solid bowl of wonton noodles, assuming you like the pork and shrimp type of wontons. The BBQ duck and pork were also very respectable, being quite meaty and juicy. Alright, a visit to Hon's is not complete without ordering Potstickers. These pan fried dumplings come in pork, chicken, beef or vegetarian fillings. Today, they only had pork. I'm sure there are better potstickers to be found; but I do like the ones from Hon's. In fact, I buy them frozen in a bag and make them at home. They have a relatively thin outer skin and just enough filling inside. When prepared correctly, you can eat quite a few of these. I actually prefer making them at home, because they seem to use way too much oil at the restaurant.

To be a little bit different, I ordered the BBQ Pork Lo Mein and Yeung Chow Fried Rice to share. Lo mein is essentially dry noodle usually mixed with some oyster sauce and sesame oil. In this case, they took dry to a whole new level. The noodles were so dry and devoid of any moisture that it was stuck in a clump. It had the texture of rubber bands. Even after adding copious amounts of the side soup, it still didn't change the texture. Add to the fact that it had no flavour whatsoever didn't help. At least the BBQ pork was tender and not fatty. The Yeung Chow Fried Rice or BBQ Pork and Shrimp Fried Rice was very good. Packed with crunchy shrimp, BBQ pork, egg and peas, the rice was well seasoned; yet not salty. Moreover, it wasn't oily and the rice itself was perfectly firm.

Pretty much another predictable meal at Hon's. Nothing more, nothing less. In my youth, Hon's was THE place to go for this type of food; but with the influx of newer and better wonton noodle restaurants, it's hard to get overly enthusiastic about dining at Hon's. There is absolutely no major problem with eating here; in fact, it's not a bad choice. However, there are better places to go for the same price. Yet, Hon's will be one of those places permanently embedded in my childhood memories.

The Good:
- It's a safe and reliable place to eat
- Good portions
- Cheap prices

The Bad:
- Average wontons (personal preference)
- Some of their dishes are quite greasy
- Most of their food is neither bad nor good

Sushi Town (Coquitlam)

Knowing that I wouldn't be going out to eat until Sunday, I lobbied with Viv that we really should go out for dinner tonight. Reluctantly she agreed, with one condition - we eat Japanese. Having already been to the Sushi Town in Burnaby, we decided to try out their Coquitlam location. As with the Burnaby location, there was a substantial lineup when we arrived. The trick here is to put your name and party size on the whiteboard at the entrance. If you forget to do this, your name will never be called. One thing that struck me about the place was the completely mismatched light fixtures. They have an antique look to them and do not go with the rest of the restaurant. I guess these lights were on clearance? Surprisingly, the wait for a table lasted less than 10 minutes. Too bad we were seated in a corner with little light. I did what I could with the pictures.

If you have never been to Sushi Town before, you will be impressed with the portion sizes and prices. However, if you were expecting really high quality Japanese food, you might want to go elsewhere. The food is decent; but it's the value you come here for. We started with one of my favourites, Takoyaki. Soft and fluffy with nice bits of octopus, topped with just enough mayo, bonito flakes and sauce, the takoyaki delivered. Too bad my son didn't want to try it. He doesn't like "things' in this food. Honestly, what food doesn't have things? I guess that's why we ordered a Plain Udon for him. It's not something that I would ever order for myself! The udon was... well... plain, except for a tofu puff, 2 slices of fish cake and sliced button mushrooms. Yup, you guessed it, he only ate the udon. For good measure, we got an Assorted Tempura for the kids. Well, for my son, he'd only eat the tempura batter anyways. At least my daughter ate the carrot and yam. For some reason or another, the tempura was not as good as the Burnaby location. There was just too much tempura batter and some of the pieces were cold. Did they fry some items ahead of time?

While we were in line, I saw that the nigiri sushi looked pretty good, so when we decided to get a few pieces. We went for 2 pcs of Unagi, 2 pcs of Inari, 2pcs of Scallop, 2 pcs of Toro and 1 pc of Tamago. With a generous amount of unagi, toro, scallop and tamago, the nigiri was pretty good. I liked how the rice was the right consistency as well. At this point, the constant nose-blowing due to using too much wasabi led to a nose bleed. The lady sitting right next to us kept staring. C'mon, have you not seen someone have a nose bleed before? Let's just say she must be extremely bored to watch someone bleed profusely from their nose while eating sushi!

On the topic of bleeding, we also ordered a Red Roll which consisted of scallop and cucumber on the inside and spicy tuna on the outside. Aesthetically, this roll look like someone slapped mushy fish on top of an amateurish roll. Also, there seemed to be too much rice as well. Although it was fantastic value at $4.95, the roll was poorly made and was overpowered by the spicy tuna. For some strange reason, the Spicy Salmon arrived last. By that time, we were quite full. As you can see from the picture, there is a plethora of large chunks of salmon and cucumber tossed in a spicy sauce. Unlike some other establishments, most of the salmon here are not leftovers. This is an excellent value at $7.95. There was so much, we actually didn't end up finishing it.

Once again, a pretty decent meal at Sushi Town. Much like the Burnaby location, you get good portions at reasonable prices. In terms of taste, there isn't anything to write home about; but it is more than acceptable. However, both locations suffer from hurried and minimal service. It's not that they're not friendly; but all the servers seem to be running around all time with too much to do. Getting more tea or even paying your bill may take you awhile.

The Good:
- Generous portions
- Low prices
- Food is fresh (high turnover)

The Bad:
- There is better Japanese food elsewhere (of course for more money)
- Always a lineup at peak times
- Service doesn't really exist

Belgian Fries

Little do people know, my absolute favourite food is the simple French fry. That's right, a unassuming sliver of spud trumps even the mighty lobster. You might be wondering why on earth I would prefer fried potatoes over everything else. Well, think of it. It's portable, easy to eat (I love finger food!) and is essentially a canvas for the addition of flavours and condiments. Not to mention, it's fried! Of course it is destined to be good! After reading Kevin's (604Foodtography) post, I was wanted to try it out for myself. It has taken me so long since then, the place has expanded and renovated.

Now you might think French fries are easy to make. Well, they are actually easy to make; but will they turn out right? Something so simple is not necessarily an easy thing to execute. What makes a good French fry? Well, it is indeed personal preference; but I like mine very crispy. Furthermore, it still needs to resemble a potato. Otherwise, what we have are potato crisps. At Belgian Fries, they double-fry their spuds. That's what makes them so crispy. Despite this double dose of oil, the fries do not seem greasy or overcooked.

Viv decided to be conservative and merely ordered a small cone of fries with chipotle mayo. Sometimes the simplest things are the best. The fries eaten on their own were indeed crispy with fluffy potato inside. Dipped into the mayo, it was pure pleasure, I could probably eat a whole large cone of these. For myself, I went all out and got the Montreal Smoked Meat Poutine. What you see in the picture is a medium. Imagine the size of the large! Atop the crispy fries lay a mound of cheese curds and no shortage of thinly-sliced smoked meat. A glistening gravy finished it off. I really enjoyed my unique poutine; but the combination of smoked meat and gravy made the entire dish a bit salty. Furthermore, I wish the cheese curds melted a bit more.

Other than my small complaints, Belgian Fries satisfied my craving for French fries. There were so many choices of poutine, I almost couldn't decide. In addition, they have burgers and fish n chips on the menu at a reasonable price. Although a bit on the pricey end for fries, the quality and quantity makes up for it.

The Good:
- Really crispy fries that still resemble a potato
- Many different choices of dips and poutines
- Lots of space to enjoy your fries

The Bad:
- If you don't love fries, it might be a bit pricey for you
- Healthy eating this is not