L'altro Buca

*Restaurant is now closed*

It's a shame that I never had a chance to try Parkside before it was relaunched as L'altro Buca. It was only my list of places to visit. Well, with the current economic climate, it was probably for the better that the change was made. Much like Fuel being re-branded as Refuel, moderately priced fine-dining is in. It's places like Les Faux Bourgeois, Salade de Fruits, Pied-a-Terre and DB Bistro that thrive when more expensive places falter. Tonight, Viv and I joined by Costanza and Elaine, ventured into the West End to see how L'altro Buca stacks up to the rest.

Of course, when dining in the Downtown core, parking is always an issue unless you do valet. We were extra concerned about tonight since the West End is known for it's limited amount of parking. Imagine our surprise when we not only found parking, we parked right across the street from L'altro Buca. Apparently, there are around 6 free spaces across the street on Haro. Too bad for Costanza, he parked in the first metered spot he found on Denman. I made sure to razz him about that! We were dining particularly early tonight since I knew it would be less busy. The reason? So my flash would not bother the rest of the diners. As it turns out, we were the only ones there for most of our meal.

For my starter, I selected one of their daily features which happen to be 2 things I love: Pork Belly & Scallops. Beautifully presented, 3 perfectly seared Hokkaido scallops rested atop a crispy piece of pork belly. Salsa verde, lentils and frisee rounded out the dish. The salsa verde did its job providing aromatics and flavour. Believe this or not, I would've preferred a more fatty piece of pork belly. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious; but it was quite meaty. The whole beauty of pork belly is the fat! The lentils were cooked perfectly maintaining a slightly chewy texture and there was a nice tomato element that provided subtle flavour. As Viv predicted, Elaine went for the Gamberi, which is lemon, chili and garlic prawns. If this keeps up (at Bishop's), we can just order each others' dishes since it seems like we can guess correctly almost every time! To me, this was probably the most successful appetizer we sampled. 5 large prawns draped with a sauce consisting of butter, garlic, chili, lemon, plum tomatoes and scallions rested atop a very crunchy slice of grilled baguette. The prawns were perfectly cooked with a fresh "snap" texture. I felt that the sauce was predominantly garlic with chili and lemon in the background. Surprisingly, after all the prawns were all consumed, the crunchy bread held up to the sauce.

Viv and Costanza both had the Scallop Carpaccio with duck prosciutto with citrus and radish, arugula, frisee and fennel salad with truffle vinaigrette. Although the scallops were fresh and sweet, the star of the dish was the house-made duck prosciutto. It provided the necessary savoriness to the dish without being overly salty. Curiously, the salad was deconstructed with the orange segments acting more as a garnish. Although we could taste the citrus in the vinaigrette, it hid any evidence of truffle. For my main, I also went for the daily feature - the Veal Chop with sage and marsala reduction. Surrounded by extremely soft gnocchi, the large chop was quite tender. Completing the plate was spinach and zucchini which were laced with tomato, garlic and some spiciness. Predictably, the reduction was a tad bitter and tart. Being neither salty or sweet, it needed an extra dimension to flavour the meaty chop.

Costanza ordered the Tagliatelle Boscaiola which consisted of mushrooms, bacon, tomato, cream, brandy. I felt that the sauce was a tad on the salty side probably due to the bacon. However, it was quite light despite the inclusion of cream and brandy. The juicy mushrooms provided a nice woody aroma to the dish. Although the noodles were al dente and pretty much executed perfectly, I thought it was a bit doughy. Costanza didn't think so; thus it could just be me. For her meal, Elaine chose the Osso Buco. It consisted of a good portion of veal shank cooked in a tomato red wine sauce (with gremolata) resting on saffron risotto. Ever-so-tender, the red wine sauce penetrated the meat subtlety. Although the risotto held up well to the abundance of sauce on the place, it was not risotto-like at all; rather, it was too much like plain cooked "rice".

I left Viv's meal to the end since something interesting happened. Her dish, the Manzo which is a duo of grilled beef tenderloin and braised short rib was actually quite ordinary compared to the rest of the mains. The short rib was a bit stringy and not all that moist. However, the tenderloin was pretty good, it was quite "meaty". Despite appearing to be overly sauced (garlic & chili), most of it was soaked up by the items on the plate including the polenta. It was creamy, garlicky and plasticky. Plasticky??? Yes, there was a nice piece of plastic wrap awaiting inside as a surprise. We decided not to say anything about it since to us, it really wasn't a big deal. Hey, we're Chinese. We've had worse things in our food before. However, that's not what our server thought. He noticed it and had this expression of concern and horror on his face. He profusely apologized on the kitchen and restaurants' behalf.

Honestly, we weren't that upset (I'm sure other people would be and with good reason). But they felt so bad, they took Viv's meal off the bill and brought us all a really big plate of soft, warm Zeppoles for us to share. Plated on top of a bed of dulce de leche, the decadence quotient was elevated by the chocolate dip served on the side. Similar to the 1528 found at Dulcinea, this was smooth, silky, chocolaty and only semi-sweet. This was a very nice way to end an enjoyable meal. Pretty much everything was good and the service was excellent. They were able to turn a potentially bad situation into a positive which is a testament to their professionalism.

The Good:
- Reasonable pricing for the quality of food and location
- Decent portions for this type of restaurant
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- Some minor issues with the food
- Dining space feels a bit "old"

Safari Gourmet Pies

*Now closed*

For the longest time, I have heard about Safari Gourmet Pies. I discovered it while surfing the internet for possible restaurants to try. It was intriguing for a couple of reasons. First, it's in the oddest of locations. Surrounded by autobody shops and warehouses, you would not expect a meat pie here. Second, it's not your Swanson's meat pie (bleck!); rather, it's supposed to be "gourmet". I was extremely interested in trying it out. Finally, Foodosophy visited the place and blogged about it. Awesome! I can now put description to picture. It looked meaty and yummy to me! So, without further adieu, I made it a priority the next time I'd be in the area.

Almost by fluke, I needed to go to NCIX on Kingsway to pick up a few items. Thus, I'd be passing right by Beresford! I made a slight alteration to my route and stopped by to pick up a couple of pies. Occupying the same building as Out of Africa Trading Company, the actual store is quite non-descript on the outside and very minimalistic on the inside. To the left of the front counter, there are a few products for sale. Various pies sit in a small warming oven right on top of the counter. Again, with my limited knowledge of African food, I believe meat pies are Western and/or Southern African cuisine.

I had to ring a bell to get service. A small friendly Asian woman came out. I inquired what would be the best pie to try if I only got one. She confidently replied, "the Pepper Steak". Sold. I got one of those. Of course, you know I couldn't only get one... So for good measure, I picked up a Chicken and Mushroom as well. When I got back home, I tossed the items from NCIX on the floor and rushed to the kitchen. Yah, I know what is more important! Cutting the pies open, revealed big pieces of meat occupying most of the interior. The pepper steak lived up to its name and it is indeed good eats. The pie crust was not too thick and flaky on the top. I liked how the crust was not soggy at all on bottom. This is probably thanks to the thick, meaty filling. Despite being packed with big chunks of chicken and mushroom in a thick roux, the other pie was not as flavourful. I mean, I could taste chicken and a bit of the mushroom; yet it could've used some salt. For those who have milder tastes, this one would fit the bill.

Whatever the case, the one thing that sets these meat pies apart from the usual fare is the abundance of meat. Usually, with frozen generic pies or even the ones found in supermarket delis, they lack any substance. Furthermore, there are many different pies to choose here, from the exotic to the usual. Combine that with a thin, non-soggy crust, you have some good eats from an unusual location.

The Good:
- Pies are full of meat
- Thin, flaky crust
- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:
- Out-of-the-way location
- It's strictly take and go

No. 9

OMG! What the heck was I thinking??? #9??? Am I getting that desperate for late night eats or what? I'm beginning to scratch the bottom of the barrel. Well, that's what Costanza and I were faced with at 1:30am. Once again, I was over at his place trying to rewire his home entertainment centre after some renovations. I helped Costanza mount his TV above the fireplace. To me at least, it seems like very little is holding up an item that is worth so many thousands of dollars. Let's hope it doesn't fall off! So we were thinking of places to go and not much came to mind. Well, he doesn't live too far from Richmond, so we decided on #9. I haven't been to this place in ages. Imagine that, not only was I going to a place I'd normally not visit, I'm going to Richmond! What's the worst that can happen? Bad drivers and bad food...

Well, since there are not many drivers this early in the morning, I neither got cut-off nor tailgated. Why can't it always be this pleasant??? Arriving in the Lansdowne parking lot littered with Bimmers and Benzes, I noticed a heavy police presence. Not sure if that was a coincidence or intended. Whatever the case, we parked and took our chances. You know what? For a weekday late night/early morning, there were a lot of people at this place. Don't people have to work or something? Wait, we were there too... Alright, it took us forever to figure out what to eat. The menu is absolutely enormous from the usual congee/noodles to hamburgers. For some inexplicable reason, we went for dinner items. Yah, greasy Chinese food, that'll make us feel real good at this time of night. And we weren't even drunk!

We started with the Spicy Green Beans and to our surprise, they were quite good. Full of flavour and slightly spicy, these perfectly "fried" green beans were still crisp. However, our enthusiasm was shut down faster than a restaurant after a health inspection when the Curry Brisket arrived. Looking quite sad, the curry tasted bland and the sauce was gooey. The sauce was thickened with too much corn or tapioca starch; thus it was nothing like curry (even for a Chinese version) should look or taste like. The beef was a bit chewy as well. The last dish, Orange Peel Beef, was disappointing. I realize there had to be a certain amount of sauce for the steamed buns, but there was so much of it, the table was getting sauced! Plus, the beef was none too tender as well. Flavourwise, it was acceptable. Just like every other time we've been here, the food is greasy and generally quite average. Well, at the very least, the portions are quite large, so you can stuff your face with lots of greasy food at 3:00am.

The Good:
- Open all the time
- Large portions

The Bad:
- Greasy
- Too many items on the menu to properly execute them all

Denny's x 2

Okay, I must admit that there have been some indiscretions lately... No no, not like Tiger Woods. ABC, Sui Sha Ya, Knight & Day and now Denny's. Those would be considered indiscretions by most food-loving people. However, there are 2 good reasons I am at Denny's today. First, for research and blog purposes. Second, being that it was my birthday, I decided to heck with it, I'm getting myself a free meal! With my picture ID in my pocket and a nervous stomach feeling queasy already, we made our way out to Denny's for breakfast. I have to admit one thing, I used to enjoy visiting Denny's at one point in my life - when I was too drunk to realize it... Now, it's only reserved for breakfast if anything else. Face it, everything on the menu at Denny's is a shade of brown. If it ain't deep-fried or pan-fried, it doesn't make the menu.

Rather than eating a breakfast, I decided on the Double Cheeseburger. Man, I didn't expect the burger to be that big. It was so tall that I had to remove one patty just to eat it. And you know what? It really wasn't too bad. It turns out that Denny's has recently changed how they make their burgers. Going from the frozen pre-made patties to a hand-made fresh patty, it has made a world of difference. It was thick and greasy. Yes, I would've used the word "juicy"; but it really wasn't. Each time I pressed down on the patty, the only thing that squeezed out was fat. Not the most appealing sight; yet it was moist and quite meaty tasting. The addition of real cheddar added to the greasy experience. However, this burger will shorten your lifespan. Although, I really didn't like the fries. Paler than Nicole Kidman, they were a bit undercooked and not crispy at all.

Ma had the Lumberjack Slam which included an obscene amount of food: 2 eggs, 2 sausages, 2 bacon strips, ham, toast, hash browns and pancakes. The appearance of more bacon on her plate of food was a result of somebody else not wanting theirs. Well, there is not much to complain about in terms of quantity of food and honestly it is fine - if you want the cholesterol for the week in one plate that is. And this brings up the main point of Denny's. It is definitely not a place you expect great food. In fact, some might argue it's the antithesis of good food. However, the prices (at least for breakfast) are reasonable for the amount of food you do get.

Now after my free meal (well, if someone else eats too and you gotta order 2 drinks), you'd think I had satisfied my Denny's quota for the year. Wrong! My birthday only comes once a year and I ain't gonna waste it! So after waiting for Viv to get home from work, I had already planned my second visit to a different location. That's right folks. I went to Denny's again, for dinner! I told you I had a few indiscretions. It's like Tiger visiting one of his mistresses more than once in a day. For my second free meal, I decided to start with a Half-Sampler Platter which features all of their fried starters. How about some fried cheese sticks, onion rings and chicken strips? All representing a different shade of brown, these cholesterol morsels weren't half bad. Well, the cheese sticks were gross once they cooled down. I just ate the cheese in the middle. Feeling a bit guilty from eating Denny's food all day, I went for one of the few healthier items on their menu. It wasn't hard spotting it since it was in a different shade - the Lemon Pepper Tilapia. Surprisingly, the fish was cooked perfectly being soft and flaky. There was good lemon zing and the side of string beans and corn were not overcooked. Not gourmet eats by any stretch of the imagination; yet this dish cost $13.99! For that price, I'd eat somewhere else.

Viv also had a dish that can be considered "healthy" in the Cranberry Pecan Salad. Her initial response to the dish was "WTH is this?" Yah, it looked like a pile of spring mix with stuff thrown on top. Yes, there was chicken, but little in the way of cranberries or pecans. Furthermore the "balsamic" dressing was more like a sweet slurry. I know, I know, we shouldn't come to expect much out of Denny's. Another reason I visited Denny's twice in one day was merely born out of mischievousness. I thought it would be a funny post if I did. Well, I'm not sure if it was all that funny. Maybe my stomach might consider it a cruel practical joke. Definitely unhealthy. Funny? That's up to you.

The Good:
- It was sorta free
- Lots of food for the money
- Breakfast is not bad
- If you like food from the deep-fryer

The Bad:
- Makes me appreciate places like White Spot
- Greeeeeasy
- Some items are not all that cheap

Empire Garden

Tonight, we were going to go for some Chinese food. Okay, that doesn't sound overly exciting or interesting really. How about Chinese food in Langley? Langley??? Alright, it is well known that I try to avoid Richmond as much as I like to avoid stepping in doggie doo; but go out to Langely for Chinese food? Now that's a bit odd. Well, I felt a bit strange really. Admittedly, Langley is not exactly the hotbed of Chinese cuisine. My concern was that the food might be a bit too "North Americanized". Well, that does bring up an interesting thought. Maybe North American Chinese food is what people want and that is probably what they'll get. We were meeting up with Nikita and Bluebeard at Empire Garden near Colossus to really see if real Chinese food exists out in Walnut Grove.

Of course we ran into rush hour traffic on our approach to the Port Mann. Luckily for me, having the whole family with me meant that I could take the carpool lane. I was surprised to be smooth sailing across the bridge until we hit Johnson Hill and instant stop... Yup, traffic jam. It never fails in the GVRD. When you think you are in the clear, a traffic jam appears to make your day. Of course that made us a bit late for our dinner and that is never a good thing. Any time taken away from my eating is a tragedy in itself. To prevent any more tragedies, we had called earlier in the day to reserve a Peking Duck. You see, Peking Ducks need to be prepared well in advance for dinner service. If they happen to run out, they can't instantly make one for you. It requires a process of "blowing up the duck" and having the skin dry out for roasting. If you don't do that, you'd merely end up with BBQ Duck.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that our duck
was being prepared table side. Each crispy piece of skin made a delicious crunching sound when pared off of the carcass. The crisp skin had a nice rich colour and it really was a good Peking Duck. It's a bit unfortunate that the steamed flour crepes were not exactly hot. When ordering Peking Duck, depending on the restaurant, there are either 2 or 3 courses. At Empire, it was 3. The second course consisted of using some of the duck meat for a Lettuce Wrap. A large mound of diced duck meat, carrots, onion and rutabaga rested on a bed of fried bean thread noodles. Combined with the fresh lettuce and hoisin sauce, this was another solid dish. The third duck course, Thick Duck Meat Soup was a slight miss. There was plenty of duck, bamboo shoots, shiitake, carrots and tofu in the soup; but it was really bland. Furthermore, it really need much more colour. With a bit of tweaking, this soup would've been good.

We were informed that the live lobsters were on special and since I drove all the way out to Langley for Chinese food, I was going to eat in style. No Lemon Chicken or Spring Rolls for me! We chose to have the lobster prepared in a ginger and onion sauce. To our delight, it was cooked perfectly. The lobster meat was fully cooked while still exhibiting a bit of chewiness. The sauce was a bit goupy; but tasted good without being too salty. To satisfy our veggie quotient, we got the Stir-Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic. This was another successful dish since the pea shoots were fresh and not overcooked. There was just enough salt and plenty of garlic flavour. I'm amazed how many restaurants mess up this dish by over-cooking the pea shoots.

Alright, the last dish was a bit of a cop out. We ordered the Sweet & Sour Spareribs. I know, I know, it's not a dish actual Chinese people normally order; but hey, we needed to try out a Western-friendly dish for research purposes. In fact, Nikita pointed out that they ordered the usual North American Chinese dishes here and they were woefully disappointing. They much preferred the unauthentic restaurant across the street for that stuff. More on that later... As for the spareribs, they were a bit over-fried and had too much flour on them. Furthermore, the sauce was weak, not much in the way of sweet or sour. I didn't like this dish and ironically, it happened to be the least "Chinese" dish of the bunch.

And this brings up an interesting point. I found that the authentic Chinese dishes to be more than acceptable. Now for the one "Western-friendly" dish, it was another matter. So, I'm thinking that a restaurant that specializes in North American Chinese food would probably do a better job in the "sweet 'n sour" category than an actual Chinese restaurant. Therefore, if you want authentic Chinese eats, Empire Garden is good for Langley. However, if you merely want a combo #5, then go across the street to Chan's Palace.

The Good:
- It's authentic
- Surprisingly nice decor inside
- Friendly service (for a Chinese restaurant)

The Bad:
- Service was sparse when it got busy
- Their take on North American Chinese food is weak

Gotham

Bishop's, Cin Cin, Blue Water, Cioppino's, Lumiere, Bacchus and West are some of the restaurants that come to mind when considering the most expensive places to eat in the GVRD. They all have differing justifications for their pricing and exclusivity. One restaurant I left off the list is Gotham. The flagship of David Aisenstat's restaurant empire (which includes Hy's and The Keg), is indeed one of the most priciest places in town. However, the question always comes up, "is it worth the $$$$?" Hey, I love a good steak and I'm willing to pay for it. Case in point, before the Vancouver Morton's shut down for good, I thought the meal was worth the money despite not really living up to the "fine dining" moniker. And that brings up an interesting argument. Is Gotham really a fine dining restaurant? Price-wise and image-wise, it sure seems like it. Ultimately, its true persona is a high end steakhouse serving the only Canada Prime Beef.

Tonight, we were going to find out what the fuss is about . Does it stack up to the very best in town or is it a category all by itself? We ended up parking in the Bay parkade and it turns out that it would've been cheaper to do valet (which is a reasonable $7.00). Well, I did want to do valet... but guess who didn't? Anyway, we were greeted and seated expeditiously. The maître d’ honoured our request for a relatively quiet table and seated us upstairs. This way, I could use my flash and bother as few people as possible. There is no way possible to take good photos otherwise since Gotham is quite dark inside. It's actually quite surprising that requests made over Opentable are sometimes overlooked by the restaurant.

Our server introduced himself immediately and proceeded to get our beverages. He explained the menu and the exclusive prime meats they serve. We decided not to have appetizers since our meals were bound to be quite filling. I did not even consider anything else on the menu since I already had the 24oz Porterhouse in my sights. Viv opted for the Petit Filet while mom had the 16oz Prime Rib. Dad had the Salmon Filet since a huge chunk of meat is a bit high in cholesterol for him. We got 3 sides to share which included Aspargus, Lyonaisse Potatoes and Cauliflower Gratin. We started with their house-made onion loaf which is served hot from the oven. It was pretty good with a nice chewy "oniony" exterior while the bread was soft. Although it was only a half loaf, we didn't ask for more since we'd only be spoiling our appetite for the meat!

Practically taking up the whole plate, my 24oz Porterhouse didn't look as intimidating as it originally sounded. To many, a porterhouse appears to be a good ol' T-Bone steak which is tenderloin on one side and strip loin on the other. However, a porterhouse has a much larger tenderloin portion. I asked for it to be prepared medium-rare and it was pretty much so, except it was creeping towards medium. Despite this, the meat was extremely moist, especially the tenderloin portion (naturally). It was melt-in your-mouth tender. What I noticed right away was the delicious beef flavour due to the extensive marbling of the meat. I do believe this is one of the best steaks I've ever had. Well, for $52.95, it'd better be!

Viv's Petit Filet was cooked a perfectly medium-rare and had nice exterior charring. Again, her steak was buttery soft and flavourful. As expected, the meat rested properly and very little juices were wasted. My mom's 16oz Prime Rib was truly a big piece of meat. Double the thickness you'd normally see anywhere else, there were pockets of fat all around the meat. Yum! She also asked for it to be medium rare and for the most part it was. Meaty, well-seasoned and again, flavouful (due to the high fat content), this was a very nice slice of prime rib. It was so big, she could only finish half of it. I tried to help her a bit; but I just ate a 24oz porterhouse!

Naturally, the Premium Salmon Filet was a bit of a disappointment. We expected as much. After all, Gotham is a steakhouse. My dad asked for it to be cooked medium and it come out cooked all-the-way through. Don't get me wrong, it was a nice piece of salmon. He still enjoyed eating it; however, he's had much better. As for the sides, the Cauliflower Gratin was pretty average. The cauliflower itself was perfectly firm while being cooked through; however, we found the sauce a bit bland and not really all that hot. It was still pleasant to eat. It just needed more cheese flavour and a bit of salt. The Potatoes Lyonnaise were pretty good. Each slice of potato was completely cooked while still retaining their shape and integrity. A strong caramelized onion presence upped the ante in terms of flavour and aroma. Just barely cooked, maintaining it's colour and texture, the asparagus were well seasoned and buttered. Nothing really more to say about them.

We were all quite stuffed and didn't have room for dessert except for Viv. She decided on the Creme Brulee. I gave it a try and personally, I thought it was a bit too sweet due to the relatively thick layer of hard caramel. I'm sure there are people out there who probably like this; but for me, it was just a bit too much. It totally overwhelmed the custard filling, which by the way was quite velvety. So, with our meal over, I began to mull over whether it was worth it or not. Of course, there is the sticker shock of the menu; however, if you examine it more carefully, it's not as overpriced as you might think. Consider the size of the prime rib (16oz) @ $39.95. A 10oz prime rib (AAA) at Milestone's is roughly $23.00. So if you take into account the meat at Gotham is superior (Canada Prime) and it's 6oz bigger, it's really not that pricey. The Gotham steak is $2.50/oz, while Milestone's is $2.30/oz. Factor in the different level of service and ambiance, you can see it isn't as outrageous as it may appear. Of course you still have to add the sides, so it's not really a direct comparison; yet you couldn't anyways with the different quality of meat. For me, I'm generally happy visiting the Keg regularly for my steak cravings. However, if you have a brown note burning a hole in your pocket, want to impress someone, won the lottery or just visiting from out-of-town, you can get one heck-of-a-steak here.

The Good:
- Really high quality meat
- Generally excellent execution (of the meat)
- Attentive service

The Bad:
- It's quite expensive
- Don't expect the usual fine dining, it's a steakhouse
- As expected, non-steak items could be better

Han Ju

Last minute Christmas shopping. Words that strike fear into many; yet afflicts so many shoppers at this time of year. A few years back, I would manage to finish my shopping months ahead of time via internet shopping. Yup, I used to scour Redflagdeals and Slickdeals daily to score the best deals. By the time December hit, I was sitting pretty. Being totally consumed by this blog, I totally forget about shopping, let along searching for deals. Therefore, Viv and I had to pay a visit to Metrotown. Now, since we were out, we needed to find a place for a quick bite. Much like the rest of the fall and winter, it has been dreary, rainy and cold. Perfect for something a bit hot and steamy (get your head outta the gutter!).

A Taiwanese Korean hot pot restaurant which resides on the outside of Crystal Mall facing Willingdon seem to fit the bill. I know, it sounds strange, but if you can get over the strange fusion of 2 different cuisines, it's alright. As you know, my love for the Crystal Mall parking lot is somewhere between pulling nose hairs and trying to squeeze out a difficult pimple. Therefore, we parked at Metrotown and walked over in the wet and cold. Yup, I'll do that to avoid that lot, otherwise known as parking purgatory. Imagine going around and around, surrounded by people who are clueless about parking with only one way out. If that's not hell, I'm not sure what is! By the time we arrived at Han Ju, it was still early and we were able to nab a seat. Good thing too, a lineup began to build soon after. Why is that you may ask?

For starters, the food here is cheap. You can eat well here for under $10.00. In fact, with $5.00 and spare change, you'll have enough. I went for their specialty which is the hot pot. Like any value-loving Chinese person, I selected the Seafood and Tofu Hot Pot. Hidden within the spicy broth was a modest amount of seafood with cellophane noodles. It was mostly broth; yet, I don't expect much for the price I paid. A bit spicy and steaming hot, that hit the spot. Again, nothing spectacular; however, for the price... I also added 3 side dishes to my meal: Beef Shank, Seaweed and Marinated Hot Cucumbers. Honestly, I wasn't exactly thrilled with the sides. The beef shank was a bit chewy and not really all that flavourful despite the sauce. The cucumbers were a bit soggy; thus lacking any real crunch. I did like the spiciness of them though. Probably the best of the bunch was the seaweed. It had a nice chewy texture which wasn't too hard to eat.

Viv opted for Korean Style BBQ Beef on Rice. The darn thing was huge, with lots of beef, spicy tofu and veggies completely covering the rice. The beef was quite tender and modestly seasoned while the rice was still a bit firm. For $6.95, there's not much to complain about. Like most Taiwanese restaurants, bubble tea was available. Viv decided to try one and it was a bit on the sweet side. The pearls were the right texture bordering on chewy while being soft. Not bad, but it's best to visit an actual BBT place instead. Nothing all that special about the food here really. However, it's definitely more than acceptable. Yah, it's not authentic Korean food and yes, it's mixed in with some Taiwanese. That really didn't bother me in this instance. For the rock bottom prices they charge, I can see myself returning for a quick bite to eat.

The Good:
- Cheap!
- Food is decent

The Bad:
- Quite cramped
- Gets quite busy, you'll need to lineup