EBO at the Delta

Fine dining and kids. Now those are two things that are normally not associated with each other. You'd have better luck not having someone steal your parking spot at Aberdeen Centre. In fact, you'd have a greater chance at finding a car parked correctly there than experiencing fine dining with your kids. It just seems like there are not many nice restaurants that truly accommodate kids. Who can blame them? The whole point of fine dining is to enjoy not only the food; but the ambiance as well. Screaming kids tossing mac 'n cheese at you is not what most people are looking for when celebrating an anniversary, birthday or engagement. What if I told you about a place that not only welcomes the little ones; yet also has an actual kid's menu? Wait, what if all children 6 and under ate free? Better yet, what if you call in the next 30 minutes, you get a free garlic peeler??? Okay, the deal ain't that sweet!

Seriously, it was a pleasant surprise to find a place that we could take the entire family and not worry about what the kiddies were going to eat. Besides, my son won't even eat the simplest of things, let alone foie gras! I originally tried to make a reservation for 6 via Opentable; but just like other times, I couldn't get one. So I had to call the restaurant directly for one. I'm thinking that each restaurant only reserves a certain amount of tables for Opentable bookings. When we did arrive, there were many tables that could accommodate a party of 6 and they were not occupied throughout our meal. The table we got was awesome. It was a large round table in a semi-private corner. Excellent, the kids could do whatever and no one would notice!

The menu here is not very extensive. In fact, it's downright small. Moreover, the prices may appear a bit high, particularly for a restaurant that is pretty far removed from the Downtown core. We ordered 2 appies to share - Crab Cakes and Prawns to Share. At first glance, the crab cakes didn't seem too interesting, especially since they were not very big. Once I cut into them, it was a different story. Chalk full of fluffy crab and cream cheese, these little morsels were pretty good. The accompanying chili aoili was a bit too standard; not that it wasn't good, it just wasn't all that creative. It tasted like a chili mayo you'd get at an Izakaya. Not necessarily a bad thing, I just thought something more interesting was in order. Consisting of 10 tiger prawns, the Prawns to Share were accompanied by roasted garlic infused drawn butter and thyme flat bread. The prawns themselves were quite ho-hum; yet with a squeeze of lemon and a quick dip into the butter, they were sure tasty. Not sure if it was worth the $23.00 though.

My mom and Viv weren't too hungry and got an appetizer each. My mom got the Chowder with spot prawns, crab, leeks, potatoes, corn, bacon and scallion oil. The soup itself was served table side with the liquid being poured over the seafood. Although the table side service was impressive, it really didn't add anything to the soup. However, the soup itself was creamy and full of seafood. Viv went for the Scallop and Spinach Salad. It consisted of 3 seared scallops over a bed of spinach and bacon dressed with a maple vinaigrette. The scallops were seared beautifully with a nice caramelization; however, they were a touch overcooked. One other issue was that the spinach that came into contact with the scallops were completely wilted.

For my main, I had the 12 oz Ribeye. It rested on perfectly cooked French beans topped with blue cheese butter accompanied by a side of garlic Parmesan fries. I asked for the steak to be cooked medium-rare and it came out exactly so. I like a good butter on top of my steak; but for some strange reason, the whole thing became quite greasy and messy. I did like the blue cheese, it gave the steak some really good flavour. As for the fries, they were crispy. Nothing more I can say about them. My dad opted for the Salmon with fingerling potatoes, French beans and bacon. Similar to the chowder, the lobster emulsion was served table side. The fish itself was prepared so that it would have a crispy skin while maintaining a moist interior. We thought this was a successful dish; however, I'm not sure if it needed all that sauce. The fish was a bit lost.

My son, predictably, had the Grilled Cheese & Fries. Doesn't he ever get bored of grilled cheese? My daughter had the Mac 'n Cheese with a side of raw veggies and dip. Both meals included a choice of beverage and a dessert. My son had the chocolate brownie and my daughter had the chocolate chip cookie. Since they are both under
the age of 6, the meals were free. That's right, not only is there actually a kid's menu at EBO, it's free! Lemme help you do the math here. If you go to a chain restaurant such as Milestone's or Earl's, you would be paying roughly $20.00 per entree anyways. I'm comparing apples to oranges here because I know someone is going to point out that the burgers are under $15.00 each. If you ordered a steak or a salmon fillet, you will absolutely pay more than $20.00. At Milestone's, their kid's meals cost $10.00 and they don't even have one at Earl's. Thus, you will be paying roughly the same or even less at EBO depending on how many kids you bring to dinner.

Sure, the food wasn't perfect, it did have its flaws. But c'mon, what meal is perfect? Maybe the tasting menu at the French Laundry? If you have $240.00 to burn per person! Thus, for the equivalent price you'd have to pay at Earl's, Milestone's and the sort, you can have a good meal with your kids. Furthermore, the service we got was outstanding. Our server was friendly and sincere. But let me make one thing clear, if you don't have kids, then EBO become a little less attractive since the prices are not that cheap.

The Good:
- Kid-friendly and kids under 6 eat free
- Attentive, sincere service
- Really comfortable dining room

The Bad:
- Limited menu
- Dishes could've used a bit more refinement

Salt Tasting Room

It's really taken me a long time to finally pay Salt a visit. I keep thinking of it and I never get a chance to do it. Why? First of all, it is not exactly a place you would take your kids. Second, it's not a part of town I frequent all the time, especially the alleyways. Third, it's not exactly meant to fill you up. Aha! But today was the nearly perfect day! I was in between meals and I only had one kid with me. Better yet, I had the kid who would actually eat the stuff. Guess who that was? Yes, it was my daughter, she is game for any food. We were able to snag a spot on Cordova and made the short trek into Blood Alley in the pouring rain. With booster seat in one hand and daughter in the other, I was thinking this better be worth it! As I was attempting to take a picture of the front of the restaurant, a few individuals made some comments. As the flash went off, a voice from the shadows remarked, "was that lightning???" Another blurted out, "I hope you didn't get me in that picture!" Uh... Okay... Now why do I avoid the alleyways again?

Since it was 3:00pm in the afternoon, it was not busy at all. In fact, we were only the 2nd table there. This is good, we could eat in peace and quiet and my daughter could chuck food if she had to. But she's smarter than that, she'd eat it! Viv and I both each went for the $15.00 tasting platter. For each platter, we had a combination of 3 meats/cheeses and 3 condiments. I selected Mike's Corned Beef, Pork Cheek Headcheese, and Manchego Cheese. My 3 condiments included Guinness Mustard, Quince and Apricot Chutney. Included with our order was a nice selection of bread and crackers. The mustard was a natural fit with the melt-in-your mouth corned beef. My daughter ate quite a bit of it. My son doesn't know what he's missing! Honestly, I really couldn't tell the difference that they had used pork cheek for the headcheese other than a slight textural difference (it was less chewy). I'm not sure if I made the right decision to get quince as a condiment though, all I tasted was sweet. Surprisingly, the chutney brought sweetness to the sharp Manchego. Made from sheep's milk, Viv really didn't prefer the gaminess (but I do!).

Viv selected the Ash Camembert, Avaonlea Cheddar and Capicollo. Her condiments included Cipollini Onions, Piccalilli Relish and Piparres Peppers. Predictably, the Camembert was soft enough to spread and it was buttery smooth. The aged cheddar was quite flavourful with strong hints of nuttiness. The fatty capicollo was a bit spicy and went well with all the condiments. It brings up an interesting observation though. For Viv's condiment choices, it seemed that all of them went well with anything. Paired with some red wine, the "snack" was tasty, interactive and fun. We felt the $15.00 is a reasonable price for the tasting plate despite the fact it doesn't look like much. In this case, it is the sum of the parts that is more important that each individual item. Definitely something different in an interesting location.

The Good:
- A multitude of combinations to be had
- Interactive food which is high in quality
- It's unique

The Bad:
- Don't come here if you're hungry
- Interesting location

Kawawa Ramen

Talk about not learning from my own mistakes. If you recall my post on Kawawa Japanese Restaurant, I wasn't exactly thrilled with my meal. And that's putting it lightly. I'm often quite fair and almost too courteous to rip into a restaurant; but there was no way I could hold it in after the AYCE debacle. You'd think that in the eyes of Pavlov, I'd never return to anything remotely related to Kawawa. Well, you're wrong. I'm either a glutton for punishment or I really have a short memory because here I was at Kawawa Ramen. Right next door to the scene of one of the worst meals I've ever had. Kim had blogged about Kawawa Ramen and it seemed passable. Well, it couldn't get any worse, could it?

We were in the vicinity of Metrotown and we needed to eat. It was raining and parking underground seemed like a good idea. Everything seemed to point in the direction of Kawawa Ramen. As the elevator doors opened, I caught a glimpse of Kawawa Japanese and all the bad memories came flooding back. My first instinct was to run. Run really far away. Like all the way to Richmond. Wait, that's probably too extreme. I held onto my daughter tightly and briskly walked past Kawawa Japanese, trying not to look up. Breathing heavily and beading with sweat, I made it over to Kawawa Ramen. Dr. Phil would be impressed, I faced my fears and survived.

Alright, now it was time for me to see if they could somewhat redeem themselves. Viv ordered the Kimchi Ramen and a side of Gyoza. To absolutely no surprise, the gyozas sucked. If they had called them Chinese Potstickers, there may have been a chance that it would be believable. Again, another example of misinterpreting Japanese food. The gyoza skin was thicker than mochi. If that wasn't bad enough, it was soaked in enough grease that it would make a pubescent teenage boy's face look good. Epic fail! Oh no, is this what we were in for??? Noooooo!!! It's happening again! Nightmare on Kingsway, Part II! Instead of Freddy Krueger, I was just waiting for the "Ton-Can't-Chew" to come put me out of my misery.

Interrupting my panic attack, all 3 bowls of ramen arrived. Okay, I'll serve my kids the food first. They can be my official taste testers. We got them a bowl of Miso Ramen to share. Hmm... My daughter was a bit indifferent towards it, while my son didn't seem all that enthused. Wait, he hates everything. Oh alright, I need to try this for myself! With hands shaking and more beads of sweat running down the side of my face, I put chopstick to ramen and dove in. Getting ready to hork, I started to chew and... it wasn't too bad! At least in my bowl, the noodles were al dente. I actually ended up getting the Tongue Ramen. I know, I know, I love tongue, what can you say? Can never get enough tongue you know? Once again, I asked Viv if she wanted any tongue and she gave me another one of her famous dirty looks.

Although the ramen and tongue were good, the tonkotsu broth was not. It was quite weak and not overly hot. Kintaro Ramen need not worry. There is no comparison. Viv's Kimchi Ramen was quite average. She noted that it did not taste like kimchi; rather some lame attempt at pickled cabbage. She didn't like it. As for the pork, it was decent. Despite being quite bland, it was tender and had a good amount of fat. I also got the Golden Egg and it was actually quite good. However, the entire meal was a bit uneven. There were some really low points mixed in with a few decent parts. Not remotely close to being as bad as the restaurant next door, Kawawa Ramen is still the perfect example of mediocre Japanese food.

The Good:
- Prices are reasonable (for the venue and location)
- Food didn't suck (compared to next door)
- I survived

The Bad:
- Portions are a bit small
- Broth is a bit weak
- Gyozas should not be called as such

Pho Hoa Hong

Last time I visited Pho Tam out in Whalley, I noticed that there was another Pho restaurant a couple of stores down. I found it a bit strange since Pho Tam is probably one of the most solid Pho restaurants I've been to. Wouldn't it be hard to compete? It's like trying to open up a clothing store right next to Walmart. How can you compete with bigger, cheaper and better (well, that might be contentious; but you get the point)? For me, I just had to try it out. This time around, I just made sure I didn't circle too many times around the block. Apparently, the cops mistaken me for something else since I drive a black SUV.

Joining me for lunch today is Sexi Mexi. Yes, she is Mexican and she loves Pho! I wonder what would happen if we combined the 2 cuisines? How about refried bean pho??? Uh, maybe not. Well, I did order the Shrimp Salad Roll and it does resemble a burrito. Alright, I'm grasping at straws here. Although it was fresh and crisp, the salad roll would have benefited from more shrimp as you could see in the picture. As per usual, I got the Pho Tai, Nam, Gan, Sach, which is essentially the everything but the kitchen sink pho. Topped by a reasonable amount of tripe, flank, tendon and rare steak, the noodles were still a bit chewy (which is a good thing). However, I thought the broth was a tad on the weaker side. I did detect beef flavour with some spice; yet overall, it did not stand out. It wasn't bad; but Pho Tam is better.

One of the rare times, I got to see someone eating Chicken Pho. Sexi Mexi went for the chicken meatball pho and it did seem quite a bit lighter than my meat ladened bowl. I don't know about you; but I associate Pho with beef and this chicken thing seems a bit wrong to me. Noodles looked good though. And this brings up a good point. Everything was decent, if not pretty good. Yet, is that good enough when 2 stores down is Pho Tam, where you can get bigger and better value. Well, they both co-exist in the same strip mall, so I guess it's all good.

The Good:
- Inexpensive (like most Pho places)
- Decent bowl of pho

The Bad:
- Soup was a bit weak
- Lemon wedge instead of lime (I know, I'm being picky)

The Teahouse

To me, it was a bit perplexing to see the iconic Teahouse in Stanley Park renamed Sequoia a few years back. After all, there are many people who have fond memories of the Teahouse and a name change just didn't seem right. Fortunately, the decision was to revert back to the name we are familiar with. Of course, change can be good as well. Recently, Francois Gagnon, formerly of Blue Water and Cin Cin, has taken the reigns as Executive Chef at the Teahouse. Tonight, I was invited to give the Teahouse a try. I've been here when it was known by it's original name and while it was the Sequoia. This will be my first time back since reverting back to the Teahouse.

I arrived a little early and took a seat while waiting for my table to be setup. During that time, I sipped on a Candy Apple Martini. I was shown to my table and ironically, it was the same table I sat at last time I was here. Although, that time, I was dining with Viv. No Viv this time, it was just me, in a corner, snapping photos of my food. Thank goodness the staff knew exactly what I was doing. I don't know about you; but if I were a third party, I would be a bit disturbed at a guy sitting in the corner snapping photos of his carpaccio from many different angles. "He seems a bit lonely with his pounded raw meat..."

Before the carpaccio arrived, I was brought a amuse bouche in the form of a Dungeness Crab Tortellini with lobster reduction. The tortellini itself was al dente filled with fluffy crab meat. It appears this was a study in aromatics and natural sweetness since it was very lightly seasoned. The lobster reduction was rich while successfully taking a backseat to the crab. I enjoyed this very much and could have ate a whole plate of them. Appearing next was the plate of Beef Carpaccio, which in fact, I did take multiple pictures of... If you look at the picture, it seems to be a lot of things going on in one plate. You have the beautiful beef underneath truffle mayo, fried onions, pecorino romano, quail eggs and microgreens with a splash of olive oil. Combining all of the ingredients into one bite yields buttery soft beef combined with the saltiness of the cheese, smoothness of the mayo and crunchiness of the onions. A wide range of textures, flavours and aromatics are encompassed into every bite. Although I've had quail eggs with my carpaccio before, it seems a bit unnecessary since it doesn't add anything that isn't already present on the plate. It's quite possibly I much prefer the Japanese version of Yuke where it comprises of a raw quail egg atop raw beef. Chalk this up to personal preference.

For my main, I selected the AAA Ribeye with wild mushrooms and fingerling potatoes (added 2 prawns as well). Nicely charred on the outside, the ribeye was perfectly medium-rare. I particularly liked demi-glace with the wild mushrooms. It was rich; yet understated so that the natural meat flavour remained the star of the show. The fingerling potatoes were firm while being fork tender at the same time - perfect execution. The only thing I would change are the prawns. Despite being cooked perfectly, there was a bit too much salt.

Finally, for dessert, I had the Molten Chocolate Cake. If you've ever tried the one at Morton's, this one is better. Piercing through the crisp exterior into the soft interior revealed a sinful gush of Grand Marnier chocolate ganache. I thought to myself, "I'll only take a bite". Guess what happened? One bite became the whole darn thing. Bad Sherman! I decided to call it a reverse chocolate souffle since that's what came to mind when I bit into it. I liked how the sweetest item on the plate was the vanilla ice cream since the chocolate was rich without being sugary. This was an very enjoyable meal. Of course when one doesn't have to pay for a meal, it's a bonus. However, I'll hold true to my belief that good food is good food, despite the fact they knew I was going to write an article about it or not. A bad restaurant doesn't suddenly become a good one overnight. Besides, I've been to the Teahouse before (albeit with a different executive chef) and I liked it. This visit has not changed my opinion.

The Good:
- Prices are quite reasonable considering the venue
- Portions are good (no Filet-O-Fish required afterwards)
- Service is excellent (based on previous visits, since this time doesn't count!)

The Bad:
- Serious lack of parking if the place gets full
- A bit hard to get to without a vehicle

Tim Horton's

Tim Horton's??? Yes, don't laugh. I'm pretty sure most of you have been to Tim's already; but for comparison purposes, I decided to combine all my previous visits into one post on it. Besides, it has an almost iconic status in Canada. Who hasn't heard of a "Double Double", "Tim Bits" or something with maple glaze all over it? It's actually something that we can associate with Canadian culture. Well, it actually merged with Wendy's in 1995. So much for Canadiana. Fortunately, due to corporate tax legislation, Tim's became a Canadian company again in 2009.

As mentioned, I've been to Tim's many, many times and finally decided to do a post about it. Let's call it my duty as a Canadian to represent. Now, representing is one thing; but to give an honest opinion is another. That's being Canadian isn't it??? Well, I'm gonna say it and I hope it doesn't anger too many people - I really don't prefer Tim's donuts. There I said it. I don't hate them; yet I don't find the texture that appealing. I much prefer donuts from Top Pot or locally, Harmony. I find that Tim's donuts are a bit dense for my liking. However, I do not mind their Tim Bits. It's probably because they are smaller and bite size. With that being said, I recently tried the Krispy Kreme donut holes and they're better.

In terms of the food, I'm a bit indifferent. Their sandwiches are merely passable. The reason? I find their bread incredibly dense and tough to chew. Every time I take a bit into a Tim's sandwich, more filling slips out of the roll than into my mouth. It's a frustrating exercise. It's not the easiest sandwich to bite through. I'm not even sure if they are a good value to tell you the truth. Okay, sandwiches and donuts, I don't prefer; however, I really like their chili. Something about the meatiness and the thickness of the chili appeals to me. Again, I'm not a huge fan of the bread that comes with it. Haven't they heard of yeast???

For breaky, I don't mind their breakfast sandwiches. However, the egg inside looks a bit scary. Neither nuked or scrambled, they are uniform in shape and strange in texture. Whatever, it doesn't taste too bad. The B.E.L.T is a solid Bagel, Egg, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich that I find better than McD's. A side of baked hashbrowns is not bad either. A bit small; but probably better that we eat less of them anyways after a buttery biscuit, sausage, egg and cheese!

I'm not a big coffee drinker; but I know what I like and don't like. I don't like Starbucks coffee. It tastes burnt to me. However, I don't mind Tim's coffee. It's not as strong and boy, they have a lot of choice as well. The selection may not be as high-end as Starbucks, Blenz or Second Cup; yet it probably appeals to a different crowd anyways. I like the Double Double (2 x cream and 2 x sugar) because it tastes wimpy. That's right, I'm not a fan of black coffee and the more flavourings in it, the better. To coffee connoisseurs, I am
committing blasphemy; but hey, I like my coffee that way. Well, there you have it. I'm a bit indifferent towards Tim's. I hope that doesn't make me any less Canadian. Yet, I do play hockey, am indifferent towards all political parties, peace-loving, say "Thank You" and "Please" and continually end my sentences in "eh". That must count for something eh?

The Good:
- You really do feel more Canadian eating there
- A little of everything for somebody
- Decent coffee (assuming if you don't like it strong)

The Bad:
- Dense donuts, dense bread
- Sandwiches are a bit pricey for what you get

Dinner @ Bing Sheng

I've already been to Bing Sheng for Dim Sum a couple of times and I thought it would be a good idea to try out their dinner service. Tonight, we gathered up the kiddies and made our way out there. It's nice to see that they have replaced their awning. Let's just say the old one looked like it had been through a hurricane. It's funny how you see this happen sometimes. I guess going for the lowest priced awning company didn't work out for them! One thing I like about Bing Sheng is the decor. It's pretty decent for a restaurant of this class. Although, during Dim Sum, it is not as comfortable as it looks.

We started out with the Snake Soup. Yes, you heard me right. Trust me, it tastes like chicken! No joke! Combined with wood ear mushrooms, lemon grass and fish maw, the broth was a bit on the bland side. It could've used more seasoning and colour. Overall, it was still decent and the table presentation on a chafing tray was nice. The next dish was a failure of epic proportions. It was supposed to be Fish and Roast Pork Hot Pot. What we got was more like mystery bones and salty pork. The little fish meat that clung to the bones were so overcooked, you would swear it was not fish. Think of the texture similar to overcooked pork tenderloin. We barely touched this dish.

Compounding the problem was the Pea Shoots with Bean Curd Stick and Gingko Nuts. Flavour wise it was fine; but look at the colour of the pea shoots! It was no longer bright green, rather it was paler than a Vancouverite after 3 months of winter. Predictably, it was overcooked and not really all that pleasant to eat. We did like the abundance of soft bean curd stick though. Finally, the 8 Treasures Braised Duck arrived and that would be the best dish of the meal. A tender boneless half duck hid beneath a bevy of shrimp, scallops, chicken, mushrooms, squid, BBQ pork, carrots and sui choy. Flavour wise, it could have used a bit more salt; otherwise, it was a dish we'd order again.

Now, when a restaurant boasts about a particular dish because it has some unique feature, it'd better deliver. The dish here is the Fish Intestines Egg Casserole. Yes, yes, I know, intestines, not really an attractive food to many people. Well, don't knock it until you try it. I guess I should eat my own words because I did try it and it wasn't very good. The reason? It was very fishy. I know, it comes from a fish; but really fresh intestines shouldn't be that fishy, it should be sweet. Every bite felt like I was licking a salmon from Granville Island Market. Bing Sheng boasts that they fly it in every Friday. Sorry, it wasn't good and to top it off, the egg was grossly overcooked, thus making it kinda stiff.

Overall, a pretty disappointing dinner. With high expectations, especially from their excellent Dim Sum, we were surprised that dinner was so poor. We do realize that usually there is a separate Dim Sum and Dinner chef. That could be the reason for the big discrepancy in execution between Dim Sum and Dinner. Furthermore, that probably accounts for the substantially fewer customers during dinner. One thing I have to mention is one of the managers seems to be quite forgetful. Everything we requested from him was acknowledged; yet he never followed through. This was 5 requests ranging from more tea to helping us pack up leftovers. I think we'll stick to Dim Sum when we visit Bing Sheng from now on.

The Good:
- Prices are reasonable
- Service is generally good (despite the forgetfulness)
- Dining room is nice

The Bad:
- Execution of food is poor
- When you can't get your signature dish right, there is a problem