Raincity Grill

Being that Viv's birthday fell on a weekday, we decided to celebrate it at the Raincity Grill on Saturday. This is not the first time we've celebrated Viv's birthday here, we had a pretty large group quite a few years back for brunch. Hey, the place has a lot going for them. Being located near the corner of Denman and Davie, it's got a decent view. Pricing is reasonable for it's location and food is usually quite solid. Well, we put this to the test as we went to dinner without anyone but ourselves tonight. While cruising down Davie, we managed to get the last spot before the bus stop at Denman. The significance? Well, the area around here is filled with restaurants and to find a parking spot on a weekend is a challenge. Just park in the first spot you find, you'll probably won't find another.

We were greeted warmly by the staff upon arriving at the restaurant and seated promptly. I really liked our table since there was just enough light that I didn't have to use the flash. Although I am shameless in my photo-taking, I am a bit sheepish when I need to take pictures with my flash in a nicer restaurant. Next thing you know, I will be taking my dish into the washroom, so I can take a picture in private. You never know! I'm sure that'll get me some stares. Looking over the menus, I figured that the Prix Fixe ($48.00) menu was the best bet. I started with the Baynes Sound Scallops. They were nicely seared, resting on cauliflower, and still a little rare in the middle. Typically, overcooking scallops is a no-no and being a bit on the rare side is preferable. I enjoyed the side of Potato Pave, it had a nice caramelization on the surface.

Viv's a big fan of Japanese food and it was almost a given she'd opt for the Tuna Tataki. Beautifully presented on a large plate, the perfectly grilled tuna (even on all sides) had a nice texture. The addition of the pickled vegetables almost emulated the pickled ginger that normally accompanies sashimi. It provided a much needed textural contrast to the soft tuna. The small ponzu gelee bits were just enough to give another flavour dimension.

I had the Slow Roasted B.C. Spring Lamb. There was a predominant onion theme to the dish with caramelized onion rings, shallot confit, onion fondue and onion foam. The only thing not onion-like was the potato puree. Now don't get me wrong. I actually don't dislike onions. However, let's just say they do a number on me. With that being said, I ate nearly all the onions since they are an integral part of the dish. The lamb itself was super tender and the onions were vital to the flavour profile. On a side note, I'm not a big fan of foam. In this case, I really didn't taste any onion flavour in the foam. That was probably a good thing since any more onion and it would probably be too much of a good (?) thing.

Viv's dish, the Roasted Fraser Valley Cornish Game Hen, was presented beautifully with the honey-glazed white meat atop candied walnuts. The dark meat was served as a roll with the skin on the outside. Although some parts of the white meat were a bit dry, most of it was tender and juicy. The honey glaze combined with the candied walnuts provided a sweet flavour to the dish. Despite that, Viv didn't think it was too sweet. Too bad there was only a small streak of polenta since we both thought it was quite good.

We finished off the meal sharing the Chocolate Mousse. Included on the plate was caramelized walnuts, walnut ice cream and a chocolate crisp. Hidden underneath was raspberry powder which helped give a tart kick to the otherwise very sweet dessert. The crunchy walnuts and crisp were a welcomed textural contrast to the smooth mousse and ice cream. Yet another solid meal at the Raincity Grill. The service was consistent throughout the meal and our requests met promptly. It's nice to see a restaurant that lives up to it's prime location.

The Good:
- Reasonable prices considering the venue and quality of food
- Solid service
- Great location, even better during the daytime

The Bad:
- Unless you do valet, parking can be a bit difficult to find
- I know I'm nitpicking; but the rolls were a bit hard

Burgoo (Lonsdale)

Here we are on the North Shore again. Viv was with our daughter at her music class and I was stuck with the responsibility of taking our son to get a blood test. Yah, I got shafted on this one. There are not many kids, let alone adults, who enjoying having needles poked into their veins for the purposes of blood extraction. It's akin to being attacked by a vampire except it's behind the guise of friendly lab staff. We headed up to upper Lonsdale to do the inevitable. My son was getting a bit restless waiting for his turn and that would only be the beginning of an arduous experience. You see, his veins are not very visible; thus it is very difficult to poke a needle into the right place. The staff tried massaging his arm, putting a warm compress and the sort. This took 45 minutes. Finally, they poked him and missed the vein. It didn't help that he had moved his arm. Then, while the needle was still in his arm, they moved it around to try to find the vein. It looked painful! I gotta give it my son, other than a few whimpers, he toughed it out. If it were me, I'd be passed out on the floor. You'd think after that he'd want to run away faster than Tiger Woods in his Escalade. No, he let them do it again. This time on the top of his hand (which hurts more by the way). Finally after an hour, they got the 2 precious vials of blood. I was impressed at his resolve. I don't get it, he can put up with blood extraction; but can't even eat a freakin' hamburger... go figure.

After that, we were off to find food. A bit randomly, we went to Burgoo at the foot of Lonsdale near the Quay. Why not, it's cold and comfort food seemed like a good choice. Besides, there are items such as grilled cheese and mac 'n cheese on the menu. Things I know my son would eat. Since I've already had the Kentucky Burgoo and other stews at the Point Grey location, I decided to go for a soup and sandwich combo. I naturally chose the Gooey Cheese Grillers (guess for whom) and Pacific Chowder. Viv also had the combo and selected the Chicken Caesar Clubhouse and Straight Up Tomato soup. We got a Mac 'n Cheese and Burgoo Biscuits as well. Despite lots of seafood, I thought the chowder was a bit thin and bland. This was not the case last time when Boss Woman had it at Point Grey. Not sure if this was an off batch or not. I had to add salt and pepper to give the soup some resemblance of flavour. On the other hand, Viv's tomato soup (reminded me of the blood earlier) was plenty flavourful with the exception of being a tad too sweet. At least it wasn't too tart. We both liked her sandwich, after all it had bacon! It really did taste like a chicken Caesar with bacon on a bun.

The grilled cheese seemed to be a hit with the kiddies. They should've called it fried cheese since the bread was soaked in enough grease to make it translucent. As described in the menu, it was 2 Filone sandwiches with melted Mozzarella, Gruyere, Emmenthal and White Cheddar. The result is a very crunchy sandwich with a much more complex set of flavours than a regular grilled cheese. Think of it as a crouton sandwich with high-end cheese. The Mac 'n Cheese didn't look all that big being baked in a modest-sized ramekin. However, it was rich and cheesy. The white cheddar top was perfectly golden and gooey. It was probably the best part! We liked how there was plenty of cheese flavour without being salty. However, I would've preferred that the cheese sauce was a bit smoother, I found it a bit gritty. The Burgoo Biscuits were tasty as usual. Not as fluffy as I remember, it was still good with bits of chives throughout. Adding copious amounts of butter improved the experience. Nope, this food is not for those who calorie-count!

Another solid meal at Burgoo. It's simple, straight-up comfort food. Great for the cold weather we've been subjected to lately. For me personally, I was thrilled to see both of the kiddies eating the food. It appeared that my son forgot about his lab nightmare as well. Wow, not only did he survive that, he also ate lunch without much complaining! Miracles really do happen...

The Good:
- You won't go hungry after eating this comfort food
- They specialize in a certain type of food and don't stray far from it

The Bad:
- If you want more variety, it ain't here
- Prices are a bit high, even if it's a decent value

Pearl Fever

Every so often, I am reminded that owning a car is an expensive and money draining proposition. Unless it's a collectible, it's gonna depreciate until it's worthless. All the while, we keep pumping in money to maintain it and fix it. Today, it was a scheduled "B" maintenance for the SUV and it was gonna cost me a few hundred dollars. So I left it at the dealer and was picked up by Rich Guy for lunch. During lunch, I got a phone call from the dealership informing me that the service was actually going to more since it was a "B13". What that means is "you gotta pay more buddy". Great, now the service has not only doubled in cost, it will take longer than expected. Hey, I love to eat; but I ain't gonna eat for 3 hours.

So I went and got a haircut while Rich Guy went to visit his travel agent (for one of his famous going away trips again). We proceeded to head to the dealership and darn, the car wasn't ready! Fine, we decided to hit up a local Starbucks. You know what? We didn't find one. How come we see one on every block while driving here and can't find one when you need one? Alright, plan B. We passed by a Pearl Fever earlier on and decided to give it a go.

I went for something fruity and got the Passion Fruit BBT with coconut jelly. Rich Guy went for a regular Milk Tea. One sip and... woo wee... That's one sweet drink! I know the jelly adds sugar to it; but honestly it was too sweet. I tried to down most of it and I only ended up drinking half. It was well blended and had lots of flavour at least. Rich Guy's drink was much of the same. I didn't hate the drink, so I'll probably give them another try. At the very least, it helped lessen the sting of the bill when I picked up my car.

The Good:
- Blended well
- Lots of flavour
- Nice decor

The Bad:
- Too sweet!
- Wasn't cheap

Maenam

Often, when I go out for Thai food, I find myself in either a cramped hole-in-the wall joint or a slightly nicer place complete with Thai decor and smell of incense. Imagine a place that serves carefully prepared Thai food on tile plates and in an upscale, modern dining space. This restaurant is Maenam, formerly Gastropod. At first, I was a bit skeptical and waited for some preliminary thoughts about the place before I paid a visit. With a multitude of positive reviews, I knew that it was time. Once again, Rich Guy joined me for lunch. Doesn't this guy have anything better to do but eat? Wait, that's like me calling the kettle black...

Before we walked in, I got my first look at the renamed and rebooted version of Fuel - Refuel. I guess I'll need to give that a try sometime as well, now that their popular sous-vide fried chicken is available anytime. Okay, back to Maenam... Upon entering I was quite pleased with the decor. Simple, modern and inviting, I insisted on a window seat. Not sure if that would've been necessary since the whole place is amply lit. The lunch menu is simple with only a few items for appies and entrees. Prices are actually reasonable considering the location and decor. We decided to try several appies to start including: Chicken Satay, Crispy BC Golden Mantle Oysters and Thai Sausages (this is just crying out for a joke). Presented on tile plates, they were almost impossible to move and pick up. They looked nice; but in reality, not functional. Add to that the sticky table, and things were pretty much immobile, which aided in me spilling half of my soup. Plates aside, the satay were big slices of chicken breast which easily dwarf what we normally expect. They were pretty good being moist and the accompanying dip was just the right combination of sweet, spicy and nutty.

The fried oysters were perfectly cooked with a light tempura batter on the outside. By themselves, they weren't much to look at or anything else. But, combined with the slightly spicy, sweet and "fish saucy" dip, it was quite good. Okay, either we personally don't prefer the Thai sausages (insert joke here), or we just don't get it. Not that it was a bad dish per se; but we just didn't see what was so special about it. The sausage itself was meaty and dense with a nice chili kick to it. The sweet chili sauce was a nice counter balance to the salty and tart sausage. Maybe we just don't like sausages? Er...

We also shared a Muslim Oxtail Soup and boy did it have a lot of flavour. In addition to the spicy kick from the peppers, there was zing and aromatics with every spoonful. Nestled in all the greenery hid tender pieces of oxtail. Too bad I spilled most of the first bowl. I really enjoyed this soup. What's a visit to a Thai restaurant without some Pad Thai? I seem to order this every time and this version was pretty solid. I thought the noodles were a perfect consistency and there was no absence of large shrimp, tofu, egg, sprouts and green onions. There was a definite sweet tamarind flavour to the dish with a slightly spicy undertone. However, my tongue was burning due to the spicy Green Curry Halibut. In my haste of cleaning up my spilled soup, I neglected to take a picture of it! The horror! As mentioned, the green curry was quite spicy and a little sauce went a long way with the supplied bowl of rice. Thank goodness we got some Roti as well, that went well with the curry. I gotta say it was some of the best roti I've had. Crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside, it was light and easy to eat.

Overall, our meal at Maenam was enjoyable and the service was solid. Everything we ate resulted in flavour explosions bursting within our mouths. It could be a bit spicy for some people; but we personally like it a bit hot. The food itself was obviously made with care and presented tastefully on those troublesome tiles. If you take the food quality, service, location and ambiance into account, the prices are actually pretty reasonable.

The Good:
- Flavourful (and spicy) food
- Reasonable prices considering everything
- Nice dining space

The Bad:
- What's with those tile plates?

Duffin's Donuts

"Oh really? That place?" is what Polka King remarked when I revealed my intentions for grub after our Wednesday night hockey. "Isn't it like on Main & 33rd?" Nope, Duffin's has been at it's current location for awhile now and it has always intrigued me. Sure, I've been to their old location eons ago and I have barely even a vague recollection of the food. I mention food because in addition to donuts, there is an eclectic mix of everything under the sun. Where else can you get donuts, Chinese food, noodle soup, bubble tea, ice cream, coffee, fried chicken, breakfast and Mexican torta subs? That's right folks, what you have here is a food fair, all under one roof. Best of all, this can all be had 24 hours a day! To be honest, I drive by it all the time and I don't even give it a second look. But once again, at 2:00am in the morning on a Thursday, there is little choice.

To us, it felt like we were going on a field trip, much like when we were younger. You know, to a place that is a bit mysterious and intriguing. Well, when we entered the place, it sure looked like something we had seen in our field trips in our youth. Whereas newer hip places have updated decor with organized displays and lighting, Duffin's kicks it ol' school with fixed cushionless booth seating. Wait, there's more! How about a long counter of displays that have nothing to do with each other and "warming" lamps from Ikea? Oh, you gotta be impressed with the 24 flavours of soft-serve or the several varieties of torta subs. The plethora of choice confused Polka King and he spent a good deal of time deciding. While he was figuring it all out, I went for a few pieces of fried chicken, a Buttermilk Lemon Donut and a Grilled Beef Torta Sub.

I walked on over to a seat in the corner to take my pictures. Hey, at this hour and the clientele at the place, they truly might've wondered WTH I was doing. I've heard that the fried chicken here is good; but to me, it was barely passable. I blame it on the fact it was probably sitting there for awhile because the chicken was not all that juicy or tender. Flavour wise, it wasn't bad, particularly the spicy one. Again, people have raved about the tortas here and I didn't feel quite the same. It wasn't terrible; but there was very little meat and the whole thing was just underwhelming. Gimme one from Las Tortas over this anytime. I didn't mind the donut, it was cakey, sweet and yummy. I was practically finished before Polka King received his breakfast which consisted of 2 eggs, sausages and toast. To me at least it didn't look all that appetizing. Could it be the foam plate? Or maybe the sausages looked oilier than a pan pizza at Pizza Hut? Not sure; but Polka King ate it all. He didn't hate it; yet didn't like it either. You're probably thinking I dislike Duffin's. On the contrary, I don't. Hey, I'm not gonna do any weekly runs to the place; but it serves a purpose. It's 24 hours of mediocre food in a mediocre environment. Nothing more, nothing less.

The Good:
- It's cheap
- Open 24 hours
- Diverse selection of food

The Bad:
- Food is mediocre at best
- You don't want to hang out here too long

On On Wonton House

How desperate was I tonight? Well, when looking for somewhere to eat after my son's ice skating and floor hockey sessions, we wanted something fast and cheap. How about going to On On Wonton House? What's wrong with that you may ask? Let's just say that I've never been here before despite it existing at it's location on Kingsway since I can remember. It looks the same on the outside and inside from the 70's. We walk in and... hmm... only a handful of Chinese customers in a sea of non-Chinese customers. Not a good sign. Alright, I guess sometimes we shouldn't judge a book by it's cover.

Whenever I visit a supposed "wonton house", I'm always a bit more picky. If they dare to put a food item in their restaurant name, it'd better be darn good. It's akin to calling themselves a steakhouse and having utility grade meat. Of course many of the "wonton houses" in the GVRD were leftovers from a different era. Now, wontons without shrimp or being completely comprised of pork are essentially seen as inferior wontons. Chalk this up to the influx of updated Cantonese cuisine from Hong Kong. Therefore, the wontons here at On On can be classified as mediocre. Comprised mainly of pork, these could pass for 1980's wontons. At least the soup wasn't half bad. Naturally, I ordered a congee. This time, I had the Liver and Kidney Congee. It was offal. LOL... Sorry, a poor attempt at humour. Honestly, it was pretty awful. First, it was a bit watery. Second, it was more bland than plain congee. Third, the liver and kidney were so horribly overcooked, it was like eating shoe leather. I guess for some people, that might be a good alternative to offal anyways.

The BBQ Pork & Shrimp Fried Rice was actually pretty good despite being bland as well. Lots of cold water shrimp and non-fatty pieces of BBQ pork were nestled in the firm rice. At this point I was wondering if they were conserving salt or assuming that the customers were going to douse their food with soy sauce. The blandness continued with the Beef & Vegetable with Flat Rice Noodles. There is colour in the sauce; but it was sorely lacking any type of flavour whatsoever. Furthermore, the beef was quite chewy, probably due to a lack of baking soda. The dish wasn't bad per se, it was just meh...

At least the very last dish was decent. The Tofu & Fish Hot Pot arrived sizzling hot. If you look closely at the picture, you can see the bubbling sauce. With no filler on the bottom (such as bak choy), there was plenty of crunchy; yet tender pieces of fish and soft tofu. Still not exactly salty, it had some resemblance of taste. I'm sure you have already guessed that I wasn't exactly thrilled with the food here. However, they still have their customers, which is probably due to their low prices. For me at least, I'm willing to pay more for better tasting food.

The Good:
- It's extremely cheap
- Portion sizes are good
- Staff was pretty friendly

The Bad:
- They don't like to use salt
- Decor is in a time-warp (if you care that is)
- Food is generally below average

Five Corners Cafe

What a great idea. Let's drive all the way out to White Rock on one of the wettest days of the year for some breakfast! While driving on the freeway and all you see is a wall of water; it's pretty much a bad idea to be driving in the first place. Moreover, if stepping out of the car meant being soaked from head to toe; it's another indication that staying inside would've been more prudent. But it's eating and that is the most important thing here. Not many things can stop me from eating. Even the stomach flu didn't faze me. I was defiant and ate McDonald's, Viva Sue Pizza and Beard Papa's despite my attachment to the ceramic god. Rain! Pfft... Bring it on!

So why White Rock? Well, I've heard of this little diner called the Five Corners Cafe. It's been there for awhile; but it's under new ownership. I thought that I needed to give it a try. Besides, there is a severe lack of real diners in the GVRD. Escaping the monsoon, otherwise known as Vancouver fall weather, we were greeted by pictures of Clark Gable, Katherine Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. This is definitely a quaint little diner out in White Rock. The staff are indeed friendly and made us feel quite comfortable.

Despite the clock showing a few ticks after 10:00am, I decided to go for one of their "famous" burgers. Naturally, I would choose the biggest, most expensive one being the Roger Burger. Stacked high on a toasted bun, there were Jalapenos, mushrooms, bacon, cheese, a fried egg that essentially dwarfed the homemade patty. Look at the picture, that's not even with the top part of the bun (which includes lettuce, tomato and onion). I found that the patty was not that juicy; but overall the burger was tasty. For $10.00, this was a very good value. Think of the Royal Red at Red Robin on steroids. As for the fries, they were crispy; but were a bit generic.

Sexi Mexi had the Farmers Hash and it was massive. Underneath the perfectly fried sunny side eggs were sausage, tomato, mushroom, green onion, peppers and pan fries served with a side of toast. As you can see in the picture, nothing is overcooked. No mushiness here. Ma had the Classic Breakfast which is essentially 2 eggs, choice of meat, pan fries, toast and coffee. It was fantastic. How so? Well, for one the eggs was cooked perfectly, the bacon was crispy,
potatoes evenly cooked and the toast, crunchy. Trust me, there are places that can't get this right. We were pretty happy with our meals at Five Corners. It's not often you find a place that not only embraces the diner concept, it actually lives it. It's not the best food we've ever eaten and it's certainly not the best burger I've ever had; but the venue, price and portion size help make this a great place to grab some diner food while in White Rock.

The Good:
- Good portions
- Inexpensive
- Great service

The Bad:
- It's quite small, not good for big groups