The Good:
- Service was very friendly
- Prices were reasonable
- Fish was done properly
The Bad:
- Flavours need a bit of work
- Appetizers were small and not very good
- For the price, you can go to a better independent seafood restaurant
Just like a scene from the Twilight Zone, we were transported to an alternate reality where there were no Chinese people other than us in a Chinese restaurant. That's right, cue the music, we were the ONLY Chinese people at Szechuan Chongqing for the duration of our dinner. Well, the staff were Chinese; but they don't count. If this happened at any other Chinese restaurant in town, it would send most people running for the hills. After all, isn't Vancouver like 50% Asian? How can it be that there are NO Asians in a Chinese restaurant? Well, I'm exaggerating here because when I go eat "Chinese" food in Delta, it's quite often I am
the only Chinese person there. In fact, one time at Delta Wonton House, the server was downright in shock that a Chinese person walked into the place. The Chinese food was awful and well... the restaurant is now closed (I feel bad for them, but their food was not very good). Can it be that the food at Szechuan Chongqing is not actually catered towards Chinese people? I guess we'll have to see about that...
Dim Sum. I never got to try the Kingsway location before they changed hands to Big Lai Palace (which closed under suspicious circumstances). As the name suggests, the restaurant's main focus is Szechuan food, which is bold and spicy. However, my mom doesn't do spicy really well; thus we ordered mostly Cantonese dishes. I did make sure we got one spicy dish since this is what the restaurant is all about. We started off with a Cabbage Hot Pot with Assorted Meat and Seafood. Essentially, a hot pot with all the ingredients sitting in a broth. It's not the most exciting dish; but it was pleasant
to eat, if not a bit bland.
obviously not their specialty. It was overcooked and super salty. If there was such a thing as chicken jerky, this would be it. The best part of the dish were the shrimp chips.
this dish had a nice rich colour. The combination of orange peel, dark soy, chilies and lots of sugar resulted in an intense flavour. The beef had a good sear (most likely from deep-frying) which gave it a nice crisp exterior. The only criticism of this dish was that it was a bit too sweet and the slightly watery sauce.
It seems like every time I've tried to dine at Bombay Se, something happens and I never end up eating there. The first time, I met up with Herbie the Lovebug, Nikita and Bluebeard at the old smaller location (in the same plaza). Since it was such a small location, there was a big lineup and we headed somewhere else instead. The second time, I had a hockey game and it was only Viv who made it out there. When it moved over to it's bigger location on the 2nd floor of the same building, I really wanted to try it. However, it wasn't open for lunch! I'm only in North Delta during the day, so dinner was not really an
option. When I heard that they are now open for lunch, I was a happy man. In fact, they have a "buffet" of sorts for $10.99. It's not the traditional buffet where you go help yourself to warming trays of food. Rather, it's served exactly like a regular combination platter; but it's unlimited. Yup, you can request more of what you like and they will bring it to you. I personally think this is more hygienic and a fresher way of eating an all-you-can-eat.
ombay Se, I can't really compare with the new location. However, the new location is spacious, modern and very clean. In fact, I've noticed that most Indian restaurants I've visited are extremely clean. I wonder why Chinese restaurants cannot follow suit? I didn't need to look at the menu since I decided to get the unlimited lunch special. You can have it either in vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Guess which one I chose? Included on the platter was Butter Chicken, Goat Curry, Chickpea Curry, Aloo Gobi, Potato Pakora, Raita, Achar, Rice Pudding, Basmati Rice and Naan.
With tender pieces of chicken, the Butter Chicken was a bit spicy; however, the creaminess and tomato flavours were still discernible. This was the perfect sauce for the warm and soft naan. The Goat Curry was a bit weak; but the meat was tender. On the other hand, the Chickpea Curry had a bit of bite. The same could be said about the Aloo Gobi, the mixture of potatoes and cauliflower had a kick at the end. The Raita helped bring balance to the meal with the coolness of yogurt. From the sampling of these dishes, the food not bad; if not a bit standard. I've had better Indian food; yet with that being said, Bombay Se still brings together a combination of decent food and friendly service in an upscale environment.
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