Shoryumen

Not since the movie Tampopo has there been such a buzz about Japanese ramen (well, here at least). However, much like the movie, there is a level of artistry and skill when producing the broth. Sure, the noodles themselves have to be good and cooked al dente; but it's all about the soup. Bad soup = bad ramen. When I saw Jessica and Ben's post of Shoryumen out in the same parking lot as Tenku Bakudanyaki, I was very eager to give it a try. How eager? How about going there on my lunch break from North Delta all the way to Richmond and back within 50 minutes? Impossible? Ah, you don't know me very well. With food, the impossible becomes the very possible. Not many things stop me from eating. Well, except for a lineup or the owner-lady at Po Service (er... I mean Po King).

So I arrived just as they were opening up the ramen cart. Wait, lemme rephrase that: the one guy who runs the truck. Yup, he's busy making the noodles, taking orders, taking money and cleaning up. I was impressed. Since the Ton broth will not be available unti Feb 9th, I settled on the Aka, which is miso broth for $5.75. I added 4 toppings for another $3.00. The basic ramen includes seaweed, onions and cabbage/sprouts. I added wood ear mushrooms, miso egg, corn and pork. If you bring your own bowl (thus saving a styrofoam bowl), there is a 50 cent discount. I thought of bringing my own big bowl; but alas, I didn't. I haven't gotten to the level Ben is at yet (he brought his own plate to Tenku Bakudanyaki). The styrofoam bowl that I did receive was not any bigger than those Kimchi instant noodle bowls. But it was filled to the brim.

Of course, by virtue of being a cart, there is nowhere to sit. You stand and eat the noodles right there at the "bar". Since I was in a rush and there was no reason to linger, I downed my bowl in about 8 minutes. The fact that it was not really big helped me finish quickly. I liked the thin noodles, they were done al dente. The miso broth was quite decent. Lots of flavour and moderate depth. I would've preferred to try the ton broth. Maybe next time... The egg was okay, nothing wrong with it particularly; it's just that I would've preferred the Ajitama instead. The pork was the shredded cold variety and I had to soak it in the broth since it was cold. In some respects, I liked the bowl of ramen. It was enjoyable to eat. On the other hand, it was not cheap after I added the toppings. Not particularly the best value considering the portion size and location; but that didn't prevent me from liking it. Of course I can see this place doing quite well during the Olympics since it's practically a stones throw away from the speed skating oval. I'm sure many of the fans will prefer playing less than $10.00 for a decent meal rather than the overpriced concessions. For me, if I'm in the area again, I'd do it again.

And believe it or not, I visited it again in anticipation of trying the Ton broth to no avail (the day I posted this). They still didn't receive the ingredients from overseas. However, I got to try the Kuro Ramen (Shoyu). For my ramen today, I found it less flavourful and had less depth than the miso. There were 2 significant changes since last time. First, there is another person there taking orders, which frees up the original guy to concentrate on preparing the ramen. Second, the egg was similar to a soft poached egg. Third, the bowl is now significantly bigger. Now, they are eco-friendly being 100% biodegradable. Therefore, the portion size has increased as well. I would say there is more broth and toppings now. Not sure about any more noodles.

The Good:
- If you're conservative with the toppings, it's fairly cheap (now with bigger bowl)
- Noodles and broth are decent
- It's got that stange location, interesting concept attraction

The Bad:
- Portions are quite small
- If you go nuts with the toppings, it's actually pricey ($8.75)
- Well, you have to stand there or go to your car to eat it

Sha Lin Noodle House

*Closed due to fire*

I remember visiting Sha Lin when it first opened its doors in 1996. It was quite a novelty since you could watch your noodles being made. When I say being made, I mean hand-made noodles where the chef is pulling, twisting and stretching the dough. Not many places went through all the trouble back then. In fact, the only other place that I knew of was the Unicorn in Richmond (which is long gone). The neatness factor was elevated with the long spout tea pots where they "squirted" the tea into your cup. So, 14 years later, I have returned to try it again. Why so long? Well, there are so many good noodle houses in the GVRD, it takes awhile to redo places. With Taiwanese beef noodle, Japanese ramen and Vietnamese pho, the noodle landscape gets a bit crowded.

Since both of my kids like noodles, we brought the whole family out this time around. As expected, there was the usual lineup during a weekend lunch hour. Good thing that noodles are usually consumed pretty quickly; therefore, tables opened up regularly. Finally seated, we had to decide on a bowl of noodles. Alright, you might think that's an easy thing to do. Well, if you got 2 whole pages of choice, it takes awhile. There is no mistaking what their specialty is here! For me, I went for an ol' favourite, Ja Jeun Mein, which is essentially blanched noodles (cutting noodles in this case) with a fried meat sauce on top with julienned cucumbers. As expected, the noodles were al dente with a nice "bite" to them. However, the sauce was extremely disappointing. Not only was it bland, it was very greasy. Moreover, the pork was stringy and tough to chew. If it weren't for the perfect noodles, I would've not liked this dish at all.

Something I was not expecting, the Pork Dumplings were pretty darn good. When they arrived, they looked like any other boiled Chinese dumpling; but the filling was super tasty. The meat was moist and well seasoned. Dipped into a bit of vinegar, these rocked. It goes without saying, the dumpling skin was just as good as the noodles. For her order, Viv went for the Pushing Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables. It all sounded quite plain to me and in some sense it was. Yet, for a plain bowl of noodles, the chicken broth was quite flavourful. Enough so that it was enough to give the noodles some taste as well. Mind you, for some others, it could still be too plain (soy sauce anyone?). Of course, the noodles were good, chewy and soft all at the same time. However, much like the meat in my noodles, the chicken pretty tough. Strangely, there was the occasional soft piece mixed in with the chewy ones. Inexplicably, we ordered nearly the same bowl of noodles for the kiddies as well. The only difference was the noodles. Instead of pushing noodles, they got dragging noodles.

For those who have no clue what I'm talking about, there are 4 types of noodles here at Sha Lin. Pushing, Pulling, Dragging and Cutting. They merely describe the methods used to make the noodles from the same dough. Pushing are thicker noodles, Pulling and Dragging are thinner, while cutting are wider noodles "cut" directly from the dough into boiling water. These noodles are the star of the show (they make it right in front of your eyes) and the star of the menu. The rest of the food is below average. Service is hurried and basic, as with the decor. However, the food is cheap and plentiful. It's worth a visit just to see for yourself.

The Good:
- Outstanding noodles (texture and execution)
- It's cheap
- Good portions (for the price)

The Bad:
- Other components of the food are mediocre at best
- If you want refinement in your food, look elsewhere (it's pretty much like home-cooking)

db Bistro Moderne

*Restaurant is now closed*

Way back when, Costanza and I coined the term "Filet-O-Fish Meal" when we were left hungry and bewildered after eating at Feenies. The portion size was so pathetic, we figured that we needed to eat again to be satisfied. While stuffing the small piece of halibut in one fell swoop into our mouths, Costanza turns to me and asks, "do you want to go for a Filet-O-Fish after this?". Well, we never actually went back to Feenies, despite the food tasting quite good. Looks like we'll never go back to Feenies since it's now db Bistro Moderne. The new headliner is Daniel Boulud, who brings his style of French cuisine to Lumiere and db. We'd pegged this visit for quite awhile, all the way back in early December. Luck would have it, db would be added to one of the restaurants on Let's Go For Dinner. Now I could get $20.00 0ff! Sweet!

A couple of days before our meal, Ben had tweeted about his experience at db (including the discount). I replied to his tweet, indicating I was doing the same thing Saturday. The very next day, Chris Gonzales (GM of Lumiere and db) added me on Twitter. Coincidence? Well, this was quickly answered when Chris introduced himself once we settled into our table. I guess all the clues were there: my tweet, reservation under my name, DSLR with really large flash... Whatever the case, it really doesn't matter if they knew whether I was coming or not. When it comes to high quality food such as this, it speaks for itself. A mediocre restaurant cannot suddenly morph into a good one overnight.

I was impressed at our servers' knowledge of the menu and the daily features. He explained everything in detail confidently. We started with an amuse bouche consisting of a small fried Beef Bourgignon morsel. And... it tasted exactly as such with rich beef, red wine and onions. Costanza decided to try one of the features, which was the Foie Gras with Figs. Being that it is foie gras, it was luxuriously rich and buttery. As expected, the sweet figs provided the necessary sweetness to help balance the richness. Only 2 crunchy croutons were provided as eating vessels for the foie gras. With such a large piece, 2 more croutons would've been better. In addition to the regular menu, there is an insert with cheeses and charcuteries. I decided on the Duck Pate consisting of the duck breast, giblets, foie gras and fig. Served on the side were cornichons, mushrooms, pickled daikon, beet and turnip (?) with whole grain mustard. I liked the variety of duck parts nestled within the pate. It afforded textural differences as well as differing levels of duck gaminess.

Viv went for something a tad lighter than our duck appetizers. She chose an Alsatian flat bread - the Tarte Flambee with Gruyere and smoked bacon. The flat bread was indeed crispy topped with a modest amount of cheese, onions and bacon. Illustrating how little cheese is needed to provide flavour, the flatbread was cheesy with only a hint of smoked bacon. Personally, I would've liked a bit more "punch" with the flavours; but at the same time, I realize the intention was balance. If having an appetizer for each of us wasn't enough, we were treated to the Tempura Spot Prawns compliments of Chef de Cuisine Stephane Istel. These mini spot prawns were fried perfectly with a light; yet crispy tempura batter. Being that spot prawns are very delicate and can be overcooked easily (resulting in a very tough, chewy product), I was amazed at how juicy and tender they were. Perfectly executed. Served on the side were 2 sauces green chili and mayo cocktail. The fan favourite was unanimously the green chili. A bit sweet and slightly spicy, it provided the necessary kick for this dish. The cocktail sauce was much too mild to be of any impact.

When it came to deciding on my main dish, there was little decision-making needed. All along, I have wanted to try the NY's Original db Burger. It's Daniel Boulud's burger creation featuring foie gras, black truffle and braised short rib encased in top sirlion. At first glance, it may not look like much, other than a fat burger seated between a modest Parmesan bun; but the real beauty is
when you look at the cross-section. Not quite cooked all the way through (which is how a burger should be like), the moist sirloin gives way to rich braised short rib, a touch of truffle and a small piece of foie gras. One bite reveals a complexity usually not associated with burgers. Meaty sirloin in the same bite as rich short rib, earthy truffle and/or with the buttery foie gras - heavenly! Yes, that's where you would end up if you ate this every day. Not for someone watching their caloric intake that's for sure. The frites served on the side were very crispy, each and every one of them.

Viv and Elaine both had the same appetizer and also the same entree! I was dismayed that they didn't pick something different since I wanted more variety. I think they're sick of my antics and did this to spite me... Oh well... So they both picked the Cassoulet de Toulouse which consists of duck confit, duck & pork sausage, gizzards, smoked bacon (big chunks of belly, yum!) atop a bed of tabais beans. The dish didn't look like much; yet as expected, it was filling due to the beans and the rich meats. I particularly liked the gizzard, they were moist while a bit chewy at the same time. The sausage was quite meaty and duck gamy which in my mind is perfectly flavourful. The pork belly was fatty with a smoky braised quality. Most of the beans retained their shape while being tender inside (I say "most" since some were softer).

Costanza went for one of the daily features: Loup de Mer, which is Seabass. It's salt crusted, baked and then filleted. Served on the side is a lemongrass beurre blanc. If it weren't for the colourful ratatouille of zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, tomato and caramelized onions, the dish would be all white. Personally, I would've liked a coloured or glass plate (being picky, I know...). The fish itself exhibited an almost Tilapia-type texture. The mildly sweet flesh was a little on the bland and dry side; however, the beurre blanc alleviated both issues. I would've liked to see a bit more salt flavour (which is strange since the fish is salt encrusted). However, there was one hiccup in the form of fish bones (about 3 of them) in the piece that I had. The fingerling potatoes were perfect while the ratatouille was a nice colour and flavour contrast to the plain fish.

By now we were plenty stuffed since the portions were quite good. A stark contrast to what we got at the former Feenie's. So we ended up sharing 2 desserts. If that weren't enough, they brought over a large cup of Madeleines. Soft, fluffy and only semi-sweet, these little morsels were fun to eat. We just kept popping them into our mouths, even though we were completely full! For our actual dessert, Viv and I split a Lemon Tart. The tart itself had a nice zing and was quite buttery. Served on the side was a raspberry sorbet which was not too sweet or tart. In fact, I found it quite smooth which is a good thing (considering there is no milk products). Costanza and Elaine shared a Spiced Apple Cake. It was served with a whiskey brown butter (which was served table side) and vanilla ice cream. We tried to figure out the spices in the cake and came up with cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and possibly cloves. We asked; but being a secret, we never could confirm it. The cake itself was quite moist and not overly sweet. A nice blend of flavours with the aforementioned spices (at least that's what we thought) gave the cake a nice aromatic touch. Further upping the ante was the whiskey brown butter. The whiskey provided a unique flavour to the a normally standard sauce.

Naturally, we enjoyed our meal at db Bistro. And why not? We were treated extremely well (since they knew I was there) and were provided with some "extras". Now, if you know me by now, that does not matter one bit. I observed the service at other tables, the other patrons were treated just as well as we were. Well, except for the visits from Stephane Istel and the gracious hospitality of Chris Gonzales. As for the food, it spoke for itself. It was generally spot on, except for the bones. Most importantly, we got our money's worth since the portions and food quality were very good. Add the $20.00 discount from my Let's Go For Dinner card, we left as very happy patrons.

The Good:
- Well executed food
- Good value (reasonable prices with good portions)
- Excellent service (observed at other tables)

The Bad:
- Fish bones (a no-no)

G-Men Ramen

Wow, almost everyone I know has been to G-Men Ramen. It has taken me that long to give it a try. No, it's not because of being located in Richmond. That has nothing to do with it. Honest! One reason is that Viv doesn't really like ramen all that much. Second, my son doesn't like ramen all that much. But I like ramen very much! So ultimately, it would be a solo jaunt for G-Men. Opened up by the people who operate Gyoza King, it has been so popular, there is usually a lineup. For me, I hate lineups. Thus, I made it a point to arrive as it opened. Now, I'm a big fan of tonkatsu broth and for some reason or another, they only have chicken broth during lunch time.

So I had no choice but to choose the Shoyu Ramen (in chicken broth). I added a side of Takoyaki and Onsen Egg. I must've only waited for 3 minutes and everything arrived. Normally, the Takoyaki at Gyoza King are very good; however, I found the ones here a bit mushy and not really all that hot. They tasted fine with plenty of bonito and just enough sauce; but honestly, these were not very good. I loved the Onsen Tamago, which is a soft poached egg in very low temperature water. So velvety and perfectly cooked, there was just enough shoyu for flavour without overwhelming the delicate egg. If they could put this in an eggs benedict...

The ramen itself was done al dente and had that "bite" we all look for in fresh noodles. The pork slices were fatty and tender; yet not all that tasty. Probably because it was sliced super thin. I did like the Ajitama (cooked egg with a golden centre), it was perfect. The shoyu chicken broth was quite oily and rich. Lacking the depth of a tonkatsu broth, the oil slick at the top helped give the soup some body. It was a bit on the salty side (maybe too much shoyu?); but at the very least it made up for the "lightness" associated with chicken broth. A solid bowl of ramen; however, I much prefer the tonkotsu broth, which is not available during lunch and vice versa. For me G-Men was alright. If I was in the area, I might stop by again; but if I had a choice, it would still be Menya, Benkei or Kintaro.

The Good:
- Excellently prepared noodles
- Flavourful broth (even though it was chicken)

The Bad:
- Only one type of broth available for lunch and dinner
- Cha sui is sliced super thin and a bit bland

Menya

Okay, what's the deal with ramen these days anyways? It seems a new one opens up every month. I'm not complaining! I like ramen. I even liked instant Nissan ramen and ate it quite often as a child. I have barely eaten much of it anymore ever since they put the nutritional facts on the package. The eye-popping cholesterol and saturated fat numbers scare the living daylights out of me! With those numbers, I might as well just grab some bacon and stuff it in my mouth. Yes, instant ramen is not very healthy and contain a plethora of chemicals. Hmm... This probably explains how I turned out... I digress. I know, I know, instant ramen and fresh ramen are not even comparable.

Alright, I finally made it over to Menya after many attempts, including a Sunday (they are closed). I was able to convince Pomegranate to join me despite the fact both of us had already ate dinner. Thank goodness the portions are not very large. We just treated it as a "snack" or a "second dinner" if we were Merry and Pippin. We were seated next to a couple where one person was doing a demonstration of their iPhone. Seeing this, Pomegranate started to do the same with his. Wow, it can be a phone and a leveler at the same time! I'm sold!

Seeing that I could add Gyozas and a Takikomi Rice Ball for an extra $3.40, I did the expected... A bit small, fluffy and served hot, the gyozas were pretty good. As for my Nagahama Ramen (pork bone soup), it was honestly quite small. I wasn't that hungry this time, so it was not an issue. But I can see how this would not be enough for me (at least) if it were an actual meal. Small is one thing; but in terms of overall execution, I thought it was a success. The noodles were al dente with the "bite" and chewiness we expect with a perfectly cooked ramen. Unlike what others have lamented, I did not find the tonkotsu broth salty at all. It had depth and a silky richness only reserved for slow cooked broth over a long period of time. I could taste and feel the bone marrow that had dissolved into the soup. The fatty cha shu was moist, soft and melted in my mouth.

Pomegranate opted for the Shoyu Ramen. Although there is supposed to be dashi in the shoyu broth, Pomegranate thought it was a bit fishy. For me personally, I would welcome more bonito flavour; but I guess it's a personal preference. The rice ball (consisting of kelp, carrots, tofu skin and soy) was nice texturally being a tad chewy; but personally, I thought it was bland. Compared to Kintaro or even Benkei, the portions at Menya are quite small. However, I did like the noodles and the broth was rich and flavourful. Service is basic while being very polite. Despite the portion size, I'd gladly return for another bowl of ramen.

The Good:
- Rich, velvety tonkotsu broth
- Perfectly cooked noodles
- Polite service

The Bad:
- Portion size is small
- Not the most comfortable place to sit (you wouldn't linger anyways)

Tom & Jerry's

*Note - Everything on the menu is under $10.00 now and kids eat free*

"Where???" "You want to go where to eat?" That was Viv's response when I suggested we go to Tom & Jerry's for dinner tonight. "Aren't there better options than that???" She really didn't seem enthused about my dinner destination. Hey, I was driving and I was determined to eat at T&J's. Whoa, wait a minute, why the rush to go there? Admittedly, the first reason involved a little coupon from the Entertainment Book. Second, I drive past that place all the time and I keep daring myself to eat there again. Again? You've eaten there before? Yes, when I was working at the PNE (eons ago), I ate there once with some friends. To tell you the truth, I had very little recollection of the food. For some, T&J fits into the same class as a Knight & Day or even an ABC. But, hold it right there. I think we're getting ahead of ourselves. Let's see how the meal went first...

Billing itself as a family restaurant, immediately, one can ascertain that there will not be gourmet eats here. However, one look at the menu and there is a level of sticker shock. Other than the sandwiches and burgers, most entrees hover around the $15.00 mark or more. Again, we'll have to see how the food stacks up to the price. The adult meals may seem a bit pricey; yet the kids meals are quite affordable being roughly $5.00 to $8.00 (without beverage). Of course my son chose his favourite - the Grilled Cheese with Fries. At $4.99, this was a pretty decent price especially since the sandwich was made with lots of real cheddar. For my meal, I went for the 10oz Baseball Sirloin served with mash potatoes and veggies. You know what? When it arrived, I was pleasantly surprised at how colourful and fresh looking the veggies appeared. This is complete night & day compared to Knight & Day (feeble attempt at humour there). In addition, the mash potatoes were made of real potatoes! As for the steak, it was exactly how I like it, medium rare while closer to rare. It was moist, tender and juicy. It's really too bad the onion gravy on top completely negated the natural meat flavour. With that being said, I did like the sauce, it was quite tasty while not being salty.

Viv's dish was the baked Lasagna with a Caesar Salad to start. For what its worth, the romaine was fresh and crisp while there was just enough salad dressing. Nothing really special about the dressing mind you; but it did the job. The lasagna itself was massive. Initially, it didn't seem all that much; however, if you take into account the depth of the dish, it was quite substantial. Curiously, the sauce had bits of carrot and meat which made it resemble a Bolognese sauce except it was still very tomatoey. With that, it was tart and frankly quite one-dimensional. Again, it did the job. The lasagna noodles were surprisingly al dente. No small feat since it was sitting in sauce. This was all finished with a good amount of cheese on top.

We were in complete amazement that the food was decent. Of course, decent for this type of family restaurant that is. Compared to other places such as ABC, Knight & Day and Denny's, I felt the food was better. I wouldn't say better in terms of the raw materials necessarily; but definitely in the execution. The steak was cooked perfectly, as were the veggies and so was Viv's pasta. Nothing tasted extraordinary; yet everything was pleasant enough to eat. The service was pretty friendly as well. Who would've thunk? I was ready to press "Do Not Like" on Urbanspoon. Now, I'm bordering on actually hitting "I like". Well, maybe not yet. I'll have to give it another try first...

The Good:
- Execution of food was spot on
- Personable service
- Good portions

The Bad:
- Prices are a bit high (but made up by the portion size)
- Interior might need an update

The Elbow Room

Once again, I'm in Downtown attending a conference. Time to learn something new or to expand my horizons. Nah, not really... It's the perfect opportunity to eat! With so many great restaurants within walking distance, I was as giddy as I could possibly get. Cunningly, I rounded up some of my co-workers to join me in some culinary delights. We decided (well, more like I decided) on visiting an old favourite of mine when I used to live in downtown. The place is The Elbow Room, which is part diner and part improv. With your plate of food, there is generally a large side of abuse and humour. Patrick and Brian have been operating this Vancouver favourite since 1983 when it was located at 720 Jervis Street. They moved to its current location in 1996 and have been giving patrons "attitude" ever since.

As evidenced by the pictures of various celebrities on the wall, The Elbow Room is more than your regular diner. People come here for the shtick. But what about the food? Well, I decided to have brunch "My Way". No, I did not break into song like ol' Blue Eyes; although it does seem like I get my way when it comes to the picture taking. Everyone knows by now that if they dare touch their food before a picture is taken... Anyways, My Way is an an omelet with baby shrimp, bacon, avocado, Camembert and feta cheese. Cranberry toast was served on the side. If you were expecting a French omelet, you can stop reading now. As mentioned, this is a diner. Predictably, the eggs were a bit overcooked. It's really too bad the cheese did not get a chance to melt much. Ultimately, the omelet was still good; but it would've been better if the cheese had melted and adhered to all of the other components.

Pomegranate went for the Monte Cristo (Two slices of bread dipped in egg, with turkey and black forest ham, smothered in mozza cheese and grilled to perfection), which is not necessarily the healthiest sandwich; but when done right is pretty darn good. This one was not bad. Ma ended up with the Boss Burger (Mushrooms, bacon, a fried egg and cheddar cheese). She liked how the patty was moist while being cooked all the way through. L-Pete also had a burger and pretty much echoed the same sentiment. However, the side of hash browns didn't garner the same enthusiasm. A bit small, and not really that cooked, it was an afterthought.

Hot Mama had the House Salad and it looked quite substantial. Loaded with red leaf lettuce, diced black forest ham, green and red peppers, mushrooms, tomato, sliced avocado, boiled egg, and feta cheese, she enjoyed it very much. But then again, for me at least, a salad is a salad. What can I say, I love meat! Now, the Elbow Room has decent (not great) food. You can do much better for the same price at a number of places in Yaletown, such as Provence Marinaside (especially for brunch) albeit a different type of restaurant. This brings up an interesting point. The food is okay; yet the portions aren't exactly humongous. At the prices they charge, you'd expect it to be. But people who focus on that alone are missing the point. There are so many restaurants these days that can be complete clones of each other and no one would notice any differences. In a sea of boring, the Elbow Room provides an eatery with character and owners that care (despite their insults). That's what makes the Elbow Room unique and a place where people don't mind being called "honey".

The Good:
- It's got character
- It's got 2 characters in Brian and Patrick
- Fun shtick

The Bad:
- A bit pricey
- Portions could be a bit bigger