Paradise Vegetarian Noodle

Vegetarian food. Not something that I necessarily crave. In fact, I usually do my best to avoid it. However, a little noodle shop in a shopping plaza straddling the Burnaby/New West border has always intrigued me. Rather, it is always in my line of sight when I head to work. Of course, it was calling out, "try me, try me". Oh alright, fine. I'm going to try this Vietnamese Vegetarian Pho place. Yup, you heard me right. A dish that is based on the antithesis of vegetarianism itself is the centerpiece of this restaurant. How the heck do you make pho without beef??? It's something I was going to find out...

From the outside, the place looks like a dive. However, on the inside, it is tastefully decorated and modern. I wasn't expecting that... The nice ladies that run the place are constantly working like bees churning out food and serving it. I'm not sure how they handle it when the place gets full. Anyways, I came to try the pho and I ordered a large bowl. I added a Stir-Fried Spicy Chicken for good measure. When the bowl of pho arrived, it certainly looked different from what you'd expect. The broth was extremely light in colour and instead of beef, there was imitation meat. I quickly tried the broth and it was sweet and fragrant (from the lemongrass). It surely lacked the depth of a traditional beef broth. However, it wasn't bad. The noodles were cooked perfectly and the "meat" was something you'd see at Bo Kong. Wasn't anything mind-shattering or life-altering; yet it was an enjoyable bowl of vegetarian noodles. Naturally, I like the real thing better; yet, I didn't dislike this one either.

While the pho was light in flavour, the Spicy Chicken was a kick in the pants. As you can see for yourself, it was stir-fried with peppers and chili flakes. Savory, sweet and spicy, this dish would be classified as "make you forget about meat". With the "chicken" being made with gluten, it was chewy and provided a nice texture. This would've went well with rice. So, during my meal here, I disclosed why I was taking pictures (they asked me why). Seeing this, the nice lady insisted on giving me 50% off. I pleaded for her not to do that to no avail. So just FYI that I paid only half.

The Good:
- Really nice staff
- Give them kudos for attempting vegetarian pho
- Clean, modern and comfy dining space

The Bad:
- As expected, the pho lacked depth (but good in its own way)
- Food takes a little while to arrive

Lolita's

Ah yes... Loud dance music, people dancing on the bar, lack of lighting and noisy chatter. Everything you'd find in a club or bar right? How about a restaurant? Much like Abigail's, Lolita's is a party disguising itself as a restaurant. Well, at least in the late weekend hours that is. In search of the elusive late night eats in the GVRD, Lionel Hutz, Milhouse and I ended up at this place because it is open 'til 2:00am. Funny thing too, while I was driving across the Lions Gate Bridge, I was listening to "Right Here (Human Nature Mix)" by SWV and reminiscing about my mid-20's. Oh how much I'd love to be transported back, even if it were only for a day! I guess my wish was partially granted as loud 80's music belted from the sound system as I walked in. It's like Back to the Future, I wanted to go back, but not that far back! Although everyone seemed to be partying like it was 1999 and didn't stop 'til they got enough.

Originally, Lionel Hutz was sitting against the wall on a banquette; however, he graciously switched seats with me explaining that I probably needed more room. As I found out, the darn heater was below me and it was quite hot. Furthermore, it appeared that it shielded me away partly from the rest of the people so that they would not notice I was taking pictures. Lionel Hutz gets a bit annoyed and embarrassed at my exploits. We hurried up and ordered since the waitress yelled out loudly, "last call, mother f**ckers!!!". That is a creative and interesting way to get people to order... Lionel decided on the Beef Taquitos which were filled with tender beef brisket. Pico de gallo was served on the side. He seemed to like them, they were crunchy and quite meaty.

I went for 2 items with the first being the Sopa de Tortilla. It consisted of roasted tomatoes, chicken, pascilla cheese and avocado with grilled cornbread on the side. I thought the soup was pretty good with plenty of tomato flavour and a bit of spice. I also had the Turkey Tostada. It sure looked impressive, stacked high with black beans on the bottom and turkey bathed in an apricot & pinenut mole on top. Pico de gallo and pickled cabbage completed the dish. It was quite enjoyable to eat; however, I couldn't help thinking that it was a one note tostada. What I mean is that it was a bit too sweet and not enough spice. Don't get me wrong, I liked it; but I just wish
there were more flavours at play.

Milhouse went for Lolita's Tacos - Pulled Anchiote Chicken with salsa verde & crema and Ground Beef & Chorizo with pomegranate demi-glace. Again, they looked quite majestic piled high with toppings and meat. That made it quite hard to eat as well. He made it clear that the chicken was much better than the beef (which was flavourless in his opinion). We all thought this was expensive for $16.75. In fact, the prices seem rather high for this type of food, despite being quite decent. I was impressed by their interpretation of Mexican food; however, it might offend the "authentic" police. It's alright for late night eats; but I'm not sure if I'd choose it as my dinner destination.

The Good:
- It's open late
- Energetic vibe
- Unique interpretation of Mexican food

The Bad:
- Extremely cramped seating arrangements
- Pricey

Golden Pizza & Sandwich

With a name like that, you'd expect to find someone tossing dough around and the smell of pepperoni in the air. Imagine the shock on someone's face when they come in expecting a large Hawaiian and ended up with a large Pho instead? Somehow pepperoni cannot be substituted for rare beef and fatty brisket. The old store apparently was a pizza shop. However, the new owners turned it into Vietnamese restaurant and did not change the name. What a hoot! Well, at the very least, I knew what I was getting into when I visited it today. In fact, all of the clientele knew exactly what they were doing there since they were all Vietnamese. That's a good sign. I really enjoy restaurants like that since it's an indication of authenticity. The server seemed almost taken aback when I walked in. I don't look anything close to being Vietnamese. She asked if it was my first time visiting the place. Most of the patrons seemed like regulars. She was very nice and even handed me a copy of the Province. I really didn't need it since it interferes with my eating and photo-taking.

I ended up getting the Special Pho. Curiously, there is no choice in bowl size. For good measure, I decided to try their Meatball Banh Mi. I just love how food comes out lightning fast at Vietnamese restaurants. Especially in this case since Whalley isn't exactly that close to my work. This way, it leaves more time for me to eat without trying to scoff down a whole meal in order to make it back to work in time. To me, the pho looked almost like home cooking. What I mean by that is the meat appeared to be hand cut and not very uniform in size. I enjoyed the soup, it was flavourful, not too salty and just a small amount of fat. The noodles were cooked all the way through without being soft.

The Meatball Banh Mi was also pretty good. The bread was light and crunchy. The meatball filling was tasty with bits of onion and everything seemed fresh. I only wished that the julienned daikon and carrot had a bit more flavour. Otherwise, pretty good banh mi out here in Surrey. I guess at least this fulfilled the "sandwiches" portion of the restaurant name. I only hope on one calls this place and tries to place an order for a large meat pizza. They will be in for a very big surprise.

The Good:
- It's inexpensive
- Food is pretty solid
- Staff is nice

The Bad:
- They gotta change the name of the place
- It would be nice to have different sizes of Pho

Calypso

If one was to seeking Jamaican food in the GVRD, it would seem logical to migrate over to Commercial Drive. However, what if you were in Surrey? How about if you were in an industrial area where all you'd normally find are auto repair shops and warehouses? In that case, the chances of finding a good Jamaican Patty is as good as Tiger Woods keeping his pants on. Well, to my utter surprise, I found one on Yelp! with only one review. Normally, I don't really trust any restaurant with only one review. After all, some of them are written by the owners themselves! But this didn't seem to be the case. In fact, I was so intrigued, I had to go visit it almost immediately. Woah, why the hurry? Honestly? Being out here in North Delta/Surrey, there are a plethora of really good Indian restaurants. No offense, but I'm a bit butter chicken'd out. Hey, if there is something different, I'm all over it!

So I put the address into my GPS and off I went. Alright, while I was driving there, I was thinking to myself, "there is no way that a restaurant can be out here!" The area is completely industrial and the likelihood of finding a restaurant was not good. I did what the GPS told me to do and ended up in an industrial park full of various types of businesses. I circled around and didn't see any restaurant. At the point of almost giving up, I saw it out of the corner of my eye. Just like my Lee's post, I really can "see restaurants". Walking into the place, I was a bit taken aback that there were only 2 tables. Yes, that's right, two! I waited a few seconds and a jovial Asian man named Frank comes out and speaks to me in a Jamaican accent. Taking a moment to soak it all in, I decided to order a Beef Patty and Stewed Ox Tail.

Flaky, authentic and darn hot (temperature wise), this really hit the spot. I really liked the meat filling, it was a bit spicy and moist. I could've eaten 3 more of these if it were not for the Ox Tail. And oh what a big plate of ox tail! Red beans and rice were served on the side with spinners. You see those long dumplings on the plate? Well, those are spinners. They are dumplings made by "spinning" the dough with both hands to form the long cylindrical shape. Hey, they're simple; yet very delicious. Although looking quite doughy, they were actually quite tender. The same could be said about the bounty of ox tail, they were super tender and modestly seasoned. To kick it up a notch (I can't believe I said that), I sampled the Habanero sauce. Bam! It was hawt! Alright, no more Emeril. While munching on the ox tail, Frank chatted with me about food and such. He suggested that I come back for the Cow's Foot. Hey, I'm game and I returned a couple days later.

Knowing how big the portions are here, I did not order a patty this time. Served once again with red beans and rice, the portion of cow's foot was quite large. Soft, gelatinous, rich and damn good, I could've eaten more of this if it weren't so filling. Mixed in were tendons and tripe. This is definitely out-of-the-ordinary. I like it! While devouring this tasty dish, Frank offered me a traditional Jamaican holiday treat - Spiced Fruit Bun with Processed Cheese. Think of it as fruit cake that is more like bread with a slice of Velveeta in between. A strange combination but pretty good. I couldn't even taste the cheese honestly.

During this visit, Frank suggested I try the Escoveitch Fish on my next visit. However, I needed to pre-order it. I suppose this would ensure that they could acquire a fresher product. Essentially a whole seasoned Tilapia deep fried, this reminded me of the Moiara that Kim had at El Inka Deli. The aggressively seasoned fish was fluffy and moist beneath its crisp peppery exterior. It was so good that I had to confirm with Frank that it was indeed Tilapia. Usually, I'm not the biggest fan of this fish, I find it a bit mushy. Topped with escoveitch pickles (onions, carrots and habaneros), the dish was kicked up quite a few notches. This is not a bland dish! Served on the side were Festivals. No, there wasn't a party going on here; rather, they are slightly sweet cornmeal fritters which remind me of The Reef's Johnny Cakes. I liked how the crisp (yet not oily) exterior gave way to a soft and sweet inside. Not as fluffy as Johnny Cakes; but still enjoyable to eat.

What a hidden gem in the oddest of places. Well, the reason behind this is that Calypso is more of a supplier of food to other restaurants such as Jamaican Pizza Jerk. Therefore, the restaurant part of the operation is not its primary focus. But, I don't mind since I can get some tasty Jamaican food in the middle of nowhere.

The Good:
- It's something different in a sea of curry
- Large portions
- Owners are just wonderful people

The Bad:
- You'd better dine alone or only with just one other person
- Food ain't cheap (but worth it in my opinion)

24/7 Thai

With a name that could easily describe a Tiger Woods Asian vacation (I should stop with the TW jokes...), I wasn't expecting too much from 24/7 Thai. After all, how can one get good Thai food at 2:00am in the morning? Actually, it used to be open 24/7; but I can only assume that Thai food ain't too popular between 4:00am to 9:00am. For Polka King and myself, it was something a bit different in terms of late night eats. After all, we've been doing the wonton noodle thing quite often and honestly, it's quite boring. Located in the same plaza as 7-11 on the corner of Oak & Broadway, this little Thai restaurant doesn't look too promising from the outside. Inside, it's quite minimalistic other than random attempts at decor. Naturally, at 2:00am in the morning, there is only one server (which actually didn't seem like enough).

When we finally got her attention, I ordered the Shrimp Pad Thai and Prawn Red Curry. When the pad thai arrived, I immediately noticed they used a rice noodle that was a bit thinner than what I'm normally used to. Despite this, they managed to cook it perfectly so it was still chewy. I thought it was flavourful with plenty of tamarind flavour. I only wished it had a bit more spice since I found it a bit too sweet. The red curry was acceptable. It had a mild amount of spice (well, for me at least) and plenty of prawns. Other prominent flavours were coconut milk and Thai basil. Too bad I didn't order any rice! I was too full from the noodles to eat any rice. I ended up packing up nearly the whole thing. Polka King wasn't all that hungry and decided to try the Chicken Satay. The skewers were meaty; yet lacked any real flavour. The satay dip was quite sweet with lots of peanuts. Ultimately, the dish ended up just being sweet or bland if ate without the dip.

Well, this is not exactly great Thai food; but it wasn't bad either. Again, at 2:00am in the morning, we really had not much to complain about. Well, there was only one server and she had to do everything. That made it difficult to make any requests or even get the bill. Understandable that they didn't have much more staff present, after all, most people are sleeping at this time, not munching on Thai food. Well, unless you're Tiger, apparently sleeping has a different meaning.

The Good:
- Open almost all the time (just like Tiger's mistresses)
- Food is passable for late night eats (you can do much better during regular hours)
- Inexpensive

The Bad:
- Not much in the way of service
- Uh... some of the dishes don't seem like Thai food (like Pho!)

Dae Bak Bon Ga

*Location now closed*

While lunching at Maenam, Rich Guy and I noticed a new Korean restaurant across the street. We really couldn't make out the name or remember to tell you the truth. Not really thinking about it, we filed it into our subconscious for the next time we ate. Rich Guy was actually leaving for a couple of months (for real this time) and this was like another one of his famous "going away" meals. Joining us were Viv and Whipping Girl. For tonight, we were originally thinking of visiting Octopus Garden; but we weren't in the mood to spend $100.00 per person. Furthermore, I'm sure my daughter wouldn't be able to appreciate the food there. Thus, we changed our plans and decided to give Dae Bak Bon Ga a go. Apparently the original location is on Robson and the AYCE BBQ or Shabu Shabu is only available there. Undeterred by that fact, we decided to get both the BBQ and Shabu Shabu for 2 people anyways. We added a Dolset Bibimbab and Japche for good measure.

Prior to the Banchan, we were presented with 2 complimentary appetizers. The first being a thin slice of radish topped with meat, shrimp and veggies. We all thought this was bland and uninteresting. The second one was a veggie pancake and it was alright; but we'd prefer if it was actually hot. I guess we shouldn't complain much since they were free. For me, it seems like I get excited about the Banchan more than the actual meal sometimes. I'm really not sure why since they are quite simple. Included in this set was kimchi, seaweed, potatoes, sprouts, green salad and cabbage. They were all carefully prepared and I had to fight off Whipping Girl, so that I'd actually get some to eat. But I was getting all excited for nothing since you can usually get a refill of banchan at most Korean restaurants.

Sizzling hot, the Dolset Bibimbab arrived with lots of daikon, carrot, zucchini, beef, shiitake topped with a raw egg. I quickly mixed in the kochujang with the rest of the ingredients. The darn thing was so hot, I almost burnt myself passing the bowl over to Rich Guy. Don't get me wrong, that is fantastic since it formed a really nice crust on the bottom (which is the yummiest parts). However, even without the hot stone bowl, the rice itself was a nice chewy consistency while still be soft. Predictably (for me at least), we got the Japchae. I guess it's the standard rice and noodles when we go for Korean. Served hot, the Japchae was excellent. The noodles were the right consistency, veggies were not soggy and overall the dish was not greasy. Too bad it was such a small portion. If you look on the plate, it doesn't seem to fill it out much. Mind you, the price is roughly $5.00 cheaper than places such as Hanwoori, Jang Mo Jib and Insadong.

Furiously, the items for our Shabu Shabu and BBQ arrived, quickly filling our table. The staff actually had to move another table on to the end of ours to put all of the items. For the hot pot, we were provided with 3 sauces - chili, soy and sesame. On one plate was thinly-sliced beef atop oyster mushrooms. Whole shrimp, squid, greenlip mussels and blue crab occupied the second plate. The last plate consisted of soba noodles, Shanghai bak choy, Napa cabbage and yams. Everything was fresh which made for a pleasant hot pot. While Whipping Girl and I tended to the hot pot, Viv and Rich Guy did the grilling duties on the BBQ. On a large platter, there was short ribs, spicy pork, beef and chicken. Cooked on the built-in BBQ unit, the meats were good (when not burnt by Rich Guy). Yah, Rich Guy doesn't cook and this further encourages him not too...

At the end we were stuffed and very satisfied with our meal. The food was well executed and the raw meats were fresh and plentiful. Being a new restaurant, it is both clean and roomy. However, the most important thing we noticed was the attentive and friendly service. For a Korean restaurant, that is no small feat. Even without those useless chime buttons (cuz no one ever seems to answer it anyways), we got everything that we requested and the staff actually checked on us every now and then. A solid dining experience.

The Good:
- The food is made with care
- Decent value
- Great service

The Bad:
- They need to work on the temp control, first it was boiling in the place, then freezing
- As with any Korean BBQ, your clothes smell afterwards

Hang Lee Wok

Manchu Wok, Flaming Wok and Panda Express. Probably the antithesis of authentic Chinese food; yet ultimately usually the most popular food stand at any food fair. Is it that people do not know what real Chinese food looks and taste like? Maybe they don't really care for real Chinese food. Possibly the quantity of food for the money is considered good value. Maybe people are attracted by the grease and neon coloured sauces. Whatever the case, the Chinese food stand is a staple at every food fair where the only decision is whether to order a 3 or 4 item combo with rice or noodles. For me at least, I can tolerate Westernized Chinese food. I believe that whatever we eat, it has to be prefaced with a dose of real expectations. So, I know not to expect much while dining on this type of food. However, even with that being said, if the food just plain stinks, well... it really doesn't matter what it is.

Seeing how there is little else in North Delta for me to try, I headed over to Scottsdale Mall and visited their modest food fair. When I say modest, I'm talking about 3 food stands. So, there really isn't much in the way of options. That would probably explain the lineup at Hang Lee Wok. Much like the others, you have your rice, noodles, sweet and sour meats, BBQ Pork, stir fried veggies, spring rolls and other fried items. I went for the full meal deal and opted for the 4 item meal. I got Fried Rice, Sweet n Sour Pork, Sesame Chicken and Stir Fried Veggies. After paying, I attempted to pick up the styrofoam container and it was heavier than Tiger Wood's sinking career. It was so heavy, I almost dropped the darn thing on the floor.

Now, being good value is one thing; but the food wasn't very good, even for Westernized Chinese food. The meats were fried to the point where it was hard and dry. The sauces were predictably greasy and radioactive in colour. I did like the vegetables as they still retained their colour and crunch. The fried rice was... well, prepared fried rice. For what it is, it's a good value considering the quantity of food you get. However, I wasn't exactly thrilled with textures or taste. I wasn't even close to finishing it and probably it was a good thing.

The Good:
- Huge portions
- Good value

The Bad:
- Food was not really that good
- High on the grease factor