Pho Tam

The last time I was in Whalley looking for Pho T & A (no, not what you think!), I ended up at Pho Tam instead. Previously, the last time I was in Whalley (Tokachi), I passed a police cruiser driving on the other side of the street. He made a U-turn and then I was tailed for a good 5 blocks! Serves me right for having a black SUV and driving through Whalley? Do I look threatening? If I did get pulled over, I wonder what the officer would say if I told him that I wanted "Pho T & A"? I guess that would be Sherman's Jail Adventures. In there, I'd probably get Pho T & A alright... Mostly "A" though...

If Pho Tam wasn't packed, I would've tried it out. I don't know about you, but I hate lineups and I also hate circling for parking. This time, I was lucky that the place wasn't too busy and there plenty of parking. With my choice of any seat in the house, I went for the one near the window and in a corner. That way, they really can't see what I'm doing. Without even looking at the menu, there were a few specials that caught my eye. Special A was any choice of a large Pho with spring roll for $8.95 and Special B was any choice of a large Pho with salad roll for $9.25. I decided to go with the latter.

Before I even got to eat the Shrimp Salad Roll, I was already impressed. Big, fresh-looking shrimp halves resided under the thin rice wrapper. One dip into the thick peanut sauce and crunch! The roll was fresh with crunchy lettuce and sprouts surrounding the rice noodles. I know it is only a salad roll; but this one was good. If you know me by now, there is only one Pho I would choose - the one with the most stuff! I got the Phở Dặc Biệt which consists of well done beef, brisket, tendon and tripe. It is one of the biggest bowls of Pho I've had in the GVRD. The bowl was filled with rice noodles and topped with so much meat, I couldn't see the noodles! One sip of the broth, which was on the sweeter side, yielded a very beefy flavour. The noodles were just right and the meats were tender. For the price I paid, this was a bargain.

On a subsequent visit, I decided to go for the Special A which started with a Spring Roll. Unlike so many "Vietnamese" restaurants in the GVRD, they do not use wheat wrappers here. It totally baffles me why they don't use rice wrappers. It's not like rice wrappers are hard to find! I certainly hope it's not due to people who merely want wheat wrappers which force restaurants to do so. Anyways, I liked the spring roll. It was crunchy and packed full of flavourful pork, veggies and vermicelli. Going for something a bit different, I went for a large bowl of Bún Bò Huế. Once again, there was so much in the way of meat, I swear there was more than the amount of noodles. The combination of pork, Vietnamese ham, brisket and meatballs was awesome; but a chore to eat since there was so much of it. I liked the broth here, it was spicy while not overwhelming the rest of the ingredients. As always, the rice noodles are slippery suckers, they were not overcooked though.

I just can't get enough of this place and to prove it, I went back again with some friends and had the Grilled Shortribs on Rice. Much like all their other dishes, this was huge. Lots of tender, meaty ribs over chewy rice. There was a good char which helped heighten the flavours. I was really stuff after this. It's too bad that I don't live closer, I'd come here every week. Probably the best all around bowls of Pho I've had in awhile. I just have to remember to not circle the block more than a few times. Otherwise, the police will come after me.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Big bowl of Pho full of noodles and meat
- Quality ingredients and great tasting broth

The Bad:
- Very little parking available; but they do validate the adjacent pay lot
- Much like all Pho places, there is no ambiance whatsoever (who really cares?)

Uncle Willy's

Some of you might be wondering why the heck did I eat at Uncle Willy's. In fact, I'm sure some people didn't realize it was still in business. Well, there is only one location left and it's definitely changed hands. I think it's now run by a Korean family. Whatever the case, the reason we actually came here was that my son had just finished his floor hockey session at Bonsor. It's funny watching little kids follow the puck like an angry mob. We needed something fast, cheap and for the kiddies. Honestly, I haven't been here for over 18 years. You heard me right, it's been almost 2 decades! Another reason we came here was that Kim (I'm Only Here for the Food!) suggested that we all go there. I guess I spoiled that! Finally, from my post on Old Country Buffet, I had slagged Uncle Willy's (to my cousin's chagrin) and felt the need to go there myself to form a fair judgment. Boy, lemme tell you, when we walked in, it sure looked like we entered a time warp from 18 years ago. However, I neither felt 18 years younger and with kids-in-tow, reminded us of our real age. While we were eating, I remarked to Viv that we had never eaten here together until now. That's a good thing, I'm not sure that Viv would've appreciated me taking her to a buffet for a date. Mind you, she ate 4 dozen wings before, so I guess it wouldn't have been that much of stretch.

So what does $12.95 get you? There's 2 soups and a fresh-looking salad bar. Moving along, you will find dinner rolls, corn, carrots, rice, mash potatoes, fries and gravy. After that, you get spaghetti & meatballs, pot roast, cabbage rolls, perogies and sausage. Then there is a condiments section and 2 lonely dishes - Sheppard's pie and a chicken stew. The carving station consists of roast beef and ham. Then at a totally different station there is rotisserie and fried chicken. Soft drinks and desserts hide behind the chicken station. At first, I was prevented from taking pictures of the food. This was one of the rare occasions I had to divulge what I was doing. I thought nothing of it because what were they going to do, give me more food? LOL... What did they think I was going to do? Steal recipe suggestions? Uh... No thanks...

In terms of the food, it is definitely a blast from the past. Nothing much has changed. The salads were pretty fresh, so that's a good start. Veggies are veggies and mash potatoes are mash potatoes. The spaghetti was passable, the pot roast was alright and what can I really say about perogies and sausage? I did think the roast beef was quite tender despite being fully cooked. I'm sure they did this to satisfy a wider audience. Truth be told, the fried chicken was pretty darn good. It was tender and crispy. Desserts and soft drinks are a bit weak though. But c'mon,
that's pretty good for $12.95 for dinner and $8.95 for lunch. Please understand that whatever you think of the food, remember how much you are paying. Of course you'll get the crowd that suggests that they wouldn't eat this even if they get paid for it. Fair enough, but I'm pretty sure Uncle Willy's is not targeting that particular customer. Obviously, Old Country Buffet in
Bellingham is bigger and better for the same price as Uncle Willy's. But there is nothing remotely similar to Uncle Willy's here in the GVRD. Well, it could be that the demand for such a place is just not there anymore. However, if you wanted to merely stuff your face (with this type of food) for a nominal price, there really isn't much competition.

The Good:
- It's cheap
- Food is replaced frequently
- No other place really does this type of buffet anymore

The Bad:
- Food is marginal (you get what you pay for!)
- Decor and interior is merely functional
- Desserts are weak

L.A. Chicken

What comes to mind when you think of fried chicken in the GVRD? KFC? If you enjoy overcooked and salty chicken. Church's? If you enjoy chicken that only tastes like salt (although I don't mind it). Chicken World? Bleck! Primetime? Let's not go there... Of course there are finer dining establishments with their own rendition of fried chicken; but it's really not all that cheap. What to do if you want fried chicken that is not any of the above? Well, we did have Popeye's until it closed down. Same with Lee's Chicken. How about LA Chicken? No, it's not a French restaurant specializing in Coq au Vin; rather it's LA as in the city. From the outside, it looks kinda sad. On the inside, it looks even sadder. How can a place that looks so crappy and run by minimal staff have good chicken? Well, think of their chicken as taking the best parts of the other places. Also, if it tastes similar to Lee's, it's because LA Chicken used to be Lee's.

The chicken is tender and juicy, much like Church's; yet the meat doesn't taste like it's been brined to death. The skin is a better version of KFC where it is more peppery than salty. It's also very crispy, not like KFC's "kept in the warmer until it's soggy" skin. Another bonus is that the chicken actually has meat on it. It makes KFC look like they're serving Cornish game hens. The fries are your typical frozen variety; but at least they are fried up quite crispy and not oily. The accompanying gravy looks more like mud with ants in it; yet, don't let looks deceive you. It is actually quite tasty, again, being quite peppery. Great for dipping the crispy fries and chicken meat into. Of course anyone from down South would laugh at our selection of fried chicken; but LA Chicken is probably the best of the bunch here in the GVRD.

The Good:
- Chicken is decent in size
- Not overcooked, still juicy and tender
- Batter is flavourful and peppery

The Bad:
- It's in Richmond (well, their only location)
- Don't expect it to be too fast, they fry it when you order it (which can be a good thing)

Wonton Noodles

*Restaurant is now closed*

Yes, you are not reading a misprint, this place is actually called Wonton Noodles. Not the most original name is it? It's along the same lines as Beefy Beef Noodle and Pizza Pizza. Honestly, we were not really in the mood to eat Chinese food tonight; but there is not much to choose from at 1:30am. Believe it or not, this place is open until 5:00am! There are not many places that are open that late (or early). Other than the craptastic places such as Top's, Knight & Day and Denny's, you'd be hard pressed to find grub at this time of morning. Well, there is Hamburger Mary's, which is pretty decent. By sheer coincidence, I've
recently eaten at On Lok, Penny, Koko and Wonton Noodles which are essentially within the same block. Not sure if that was done consciously or not. Joining me for this early morning snack was Polka King, Milhouse and Lionel Hutz. We arrived to a relatively empty restaurant (yah go figure, at 1:30am). However, while we were there, a constant stream of business kept coming in. Don't people have to sleep? Wait, why am I up? Alright, the last time I've been to Wonton Noodles was around 12 years ago - no joke! It was right after a night of clubbing. Yes, it's been THAT long! Naturally, I have no memory whatsoever of this place, except for the hideous looking plastic awning/cover at the front of the restaurant.

I wasn't really all that hungry and only went for the Wonton Soup. I ask for the exclusion of green onions and guess what it arrived with? Yup, green onions. I always wonder if servers or kitchen staff even give a crap about special requests. Anyways, the broth was quite rich and flavourful. I only hoped it wasn't because of MSG. Although the wontons were not really all that big; they were full of shrimp. Not the best wontons I've ever had; but for 2:00am in the morning, they were solid and better than On Lok and Penny. Polka King had the Shrimp & Scramble Eggs (Boss Woman's favourite, too bad she wasn't here!). It really didn't look all that good since the shrimp were paler than boiled chicken. However, it seemed to be cooked correctly and Polka King indicated that it tasted better than it looked. For some inexplicable reason, Lionel Hutz ordered the Buhdda's Feast which is essentially a plate of stir-fried veggies. Well, it was a plate of veggies that have been stir-fried... Moving on, Milhouse got the biggest meal, in the form of the Black Bean Beef Fried Noodles. He declared that only half would be eaten and the rest for lunch tomorrow. Naturally, he finished the whole darn thing. When we say fried, the noodles are indeed deep fried and then topped with a black bean sauce with beef, onions and peppers. The dish looked quite appetizing and Milhouse concurred by finishing it off. As Todd Bertuzzi once stated, "it is what it is", and Wonton Noodles is exactly that. Not somewhere I would visit regularly; but if it's 2:00am in the morning, it fits the bill.

The Good:
- Open really late (or is it early?)
- Food is passable
- Inexpensive

The Bad:
- Food is only passable
- Don't expect too much service

Los Compadres

Much like Kim (I'm Only Here for the Food!), I'm a bit indifferent towards Mexican food. Let me rephrase that, I'm indifferent towards the Mexican cuisine that we are exposed to in the GVRD. Maybe it's the aftermath of eating beans and onions that clouds my judgment. But, let's just not go there... Naturally, we are not getting the full picture of Mexican cuisine, especially since the Mexican population here is quite small. One of these days, I need to eat real Mexican food in Mexico itself. Yes, that will be a REAL food adventure! Also, Rick Bayless' take on Mexican food intrigues me as well; but that would mean I'd need to visit Chicago and shell out some $$$.

Essentially, there is a total lack of real Mexican food around in the GVRD. Dona Cata is an authentic place and I find their food to be quite good, despite my indifference. Much like how Manchu Wok is to Chinese food, "Taco Hell" and "Taco No-Time" is to Mexican food. After you eat there, you really must run for the border or washroom. While driving down Hastings the other day, I noticed the Anton's lineup (which I still cannot understand). A restaurant 3 stores down caught my eye. It was a Mexican restaurant that had just opened up. I didn't catch the name; but it had the dishes we most associated with Mexican food listed on the awning. Well, why not, lemme try this place, it's a bit different than my wonton noodle adventures of late.

The place was quite casual and at first glance, I didn't know whether I should go up to the counter to order or have a seat. Eventually, we were seated by a really nice gentleman who I figured must be the owner. We decided to share 2 Beef Soft Tacos to start. I decided to go for a Torta Sandwich and Viv went for the Chicken Quesadilla. The tacos did have a lot of toppings; but the beef was quite dry. Despite the oiliness of the ones at Dona Cata, they were much better. Apparently, they ran out of the big torta buns; but I was offered 2 smaller sandwiches for the same price. That seemed like a very fair offer, so I got one pork and one chicken. I preferred the pork torta since the meat was quite tender and the sauce was flavourful. It was mostly sweet with very little heat. The chicken torta was decent; but the flavours seemed very familiar to me. What I mean by that is the flavours were pretty standard, such as tomato, cheese and refried beans. The quesadilla was a bit bland; but the supplied Pico de Gallo gave it some flavour, otherwise it was forgettable.

Once again, I went away from a Mexican meal longing for more. Is it that I just don't find the food all that interesting (especially the selection we have here)? Other than Dona Cata, I've never actually been all that excited about Mexican food. With that being said, Los Compadres was not bad and if you are in the mood for Mexican, it's worth a visit.

The Good:
- Friendly service
- Inexpensive
- Food was decent

The Bad:
- Nothing ground-breaking, just your standard North American Mexican fare

Mr. Pickwick's

Alright, after 2 tries with no success, you'd think I would give up trying to eat at Mr. Pickwick's right? You don't know me very well do you? Even after suffering through some pretty bad fried chicken at Chicken World, I returned to the shopping plaza at 96th and 128th for some Fish n Chips. Alas! Mr. Pickwick's was indeed open today! With such anticipation and expectations, this was probably doomed for failure. However, the other 2 locations in Vancouver are generally rated quite highly and reviews have been positive. I parked my car (facing Chicken World...) and made my way into the restaurant. Adorned with nautical art and artifacts, the restaurant tries to look like a typical fish n chip joint; but I didn't come for the decor. As an added bonus, the very fish n chips I wanted to try was offered as a lunch special for $6.95.

Pretty good price for a 2 piece fish n chip meal. Since the type of fish was not in the title or description, I could only guess what it was. I decided to add some Clam Chowder and Popcorn Shrimp to try out. I got the clam chowder first and boy was it watery for a chowder! They should have called it Cream of Clam. Actually, it wasn't even creamy enough to be called cream. In addition, there wasn't much in the way of ingredients as well. Taste wise, it lacked the richness often associated with a New England type chowder. I did not detect much bacon or clam flavour. This was a disappointing way to start my meal. The only good thing about the chowder was the dried parsley flakes, only because they added colour to the picture. The popcorn shrimp was alright. It was your typical breaded shrimp served with cocktail sauce. Not horrible; but nothing special. I did think that the cocktail sauce needed more horseradish. Now for the main event, the fish n chips. The one I have been attempting to try for the last 3 weeks to no avail. It surely looked impressive when it arrived with 2 large pieces atop fresh cut chips.

Unfortunately, there was more batter than fish. The batter was so thick, I had to discard more than half of it. I just couldn't eat it! It was more doughy than crispy. Honestly, it was truly disappointing. The fish n chips at Ocean Ave and the Dock House are infinitely better than the one I had here. Even the chips were not very crispy. I found the odd crunchy one; but most were just soft. I did like the tartar sauce though. I feel a bit bad for being so harsh on the food since the service was very good. The couple who run the place are ever-so-friendly and kind; however, the food wasn't very good. The bottom line is that I didn't like the fish and chips despite the nice people who run it.

The Good:
- It's inexpensive, especially the lunch special
- Very nice couple that run the place

The Bad:
- They close randomly from time-to-time
- The batter was thicker than paper mache
- Clam Chowder was thin and bland

Penny Restaurant

Another Wednesday, another session of late night hockey. That also means an early morning snack. Yes, I'll gladly give up sleep for some eats. Since we already went to On Lok last time, Polka King and I decided to give Penny Restaurant a go. In fact, it's only a store down from On Lok. Funny thing is that I've driven by Penny so many times and have never eaten there. Much like On Lok, it's been here for what it seems like forever. Furthermore, it has the same type of ambiance and decor as well. If you like how Chinese restaurants looked like in the 70's and 80's, then this is the right ambiance for you.

Similar to last time, I ordered a Wonton & Sui Gow Noodles and congee. Not really in the offal mood, I went for the ever popular Preserved Duck Egg and Salted Pork Congee. Right off the bat, I have to say the wonton noodles here are not very good. First, the wontons and sui gow were practically all pork. I do understand that some people prefer no shrimp in their dumplings; but I am not one of them. In addition, I found that they were quite bland as well. The noodles were alright; but not al dente. At least the wonton broth was not bad. The congee was lacking in both ingredients and thickness. After a few spoonfuls, the congee became a bit watery. I also need to add salt since it was really quite bland.

Polka King didn't do well with the sui gows last time at On Lok. I seemed to have come through unscathed. Therefore, he opted for one of his favourite dish, Beef with Fried Rice Noodles (Gon Chow Ngow Hor). It was a decent portion for the price; yet it was quite oily and the noodles were overdone. When you overcook flat rice noodles it becomes quite mushy. On the other hand, the dish itself was decently seasoned. It appears the food (at least the things we tried) at Penny does not measure up to On Lok or any other decent wonton noodle restaurant. It wasn't horrible; but there are indeed better options nearby. This is also taking consideration of it's late closing time as well.

The Good:
- Open late
- It's cheap
- Portions ain't bad

The Bad:
- Food is not as good as the immediate competition
- Congee and wontons need more flavour
- It's a dive