Takano Japanese Noodle Cafe

Pressed for time; yet needing to eat lunch, Pomegranate and I were on the lookout for food in Coquitlam. With some internet searching, it led us to a little known place on Westwood Street called Takano Japanese Noodle Cafe. Honestly, if we weren't looking for it, I would've driven right by. That would've led me straight to Hon's and seeing that, I'd probably make a u-turn back. Fortunately, I didn't have to make any illegal traffic maneuvers (I wasn't in Richmond after all...) and pulled right into the plaza parking lot. So what's so special about a noodle joint? How about ramen all the way out here in Coquitlam (and dangerously close to Poco). Yah, that doesn't roll off the tongue as much as ramen in Downtown Vancouver. We were very much far removed from the mecca of Japanese ramen in the GVRD. In fact, we were beyond Kawawa Ramen, Kenzo and Miki, which are considered far away ramen already.

What would possess us to potentially put ourselves at harm's way just to try some ramen? Simple, if we don't try it, we'll never know if it's good or not. Despite all the indications of "not". Immediately, we got the sense that this was not Japanese-operated. A quick eavesdropping of a conversation between the husband and wife indicated that they were Korean. But once again, I'm not judging the restaurant on ethnicity, it's all about the food. Incidentally, the menu is quite simple. There are only a few choices of ramen and a few more items, that's it. Nope, there isn't even Ajitama egg as an extra. No matter, simple is sometimes better.

Pomegranate went for the Shoyu Ramen and added a side of Gyoza (which were cooked nicely; but a tad soft all around) for $2.50. I opted for the Shio Ramen. The first thing that noticed was the size of the order. Lots of really al dente noodles lay beneath the large slices of chasui. Although the chasui was tender, I thought it could've been ever more tender (it was slightly bland too). But the biggest issue had to be the broth. Although it was piping hot, it was quite thin and bland. Lacking depth and richness, Pomegranate actually had to add extra shoyu. If I had to make a direct comparison to the many different ramen joints in the GVRD, Takano most closely resembles Shoryumen (except this is a real restaurant). So it's definitely no threat to the ramen big boys; but for Coquitlam, it's alright.

The Good:
- Good portions
- Friendly owner
- Decent for Coquitlam

The Bad:
- Chasiu could've been more tender
- Broth lacks body

Saigon Pho To Go & Deli

It always happens. While basking in the joy of being illness free for a whole year, I get sick for the second time in 2 months. I guess it's Murphy's Law... It's like every time I wash my car, a big bird decides to defecate on it. Or how my preciously sought-after parking spot in Richmond is ripped away from me like the last pack of toilet paper on sale at Stupidstore... However, unlike last time (stomach flu), I am mobile. No need for facilities within 15 feet. All I have is this nasty cough. Maybe that'll get me somewhere in a lineup at Aberdeen Centre, they'll think I have H1N1. Quick! Where are the face masks??? Kidding aside, it really stinks to be sick, especially when food needs to be eaten.

Needing to take my son for a doctor's appointment in the Fleetwood area, I decided that we had to stop for food first (of course we do). For me, I needed something soupy for my cough and something that my son might eat. So I decided to stop for pho. The first place that caught my fancy was a small little Vietnamese restaurant on 152nd near Fraser Hwy. While entering the parking lot, I was tempted by the AYCE Japanese/Korean place (Il Uk Jo) on the corner; but alas, with my son, it would be more like all-he-won't-eat. So off to Saigon Pho to Go next door.

We were greeted by the very friendly owner and despite the restaurant being relatively empty, my son decides to pick the table in the corner with the worst lighting possible. Oh well... I went for a large order of their "everything" Pho and plus an order of the Grilled Pork Vermicelli Bowl with spring rolls for my son (yah, I know he won't eat half of the stuff, I ended up taking it home). If you have a hard time making out the noodles in my pho, the reason for that is the enormous amount of tender meat. As for the noodles, they were a nice al dente texture. However, the broth itself was quite weak, bordering on bland. I could barely make out any distinctive flavours at all.

The Vermicelli Bowl was quite good. The pork skewer was cooked perfectly with a bit of charring. Plenty of flavours from the marinade. Although we both liked the spring rolls, I would've preferred the rice wrapper rather than the flour wrapper (to me, it's just more Vietnamese). For what it's worth, the food was pretty decent considering its location. Also the owner is quite a friendly guy.

The Good:
- Good portions
- Heavy on the meat in the pho
- Reasonable prices

The Bad:
- Pho broth is a bit weak

Kingston 11 Reggae Cafe

We are over 5300 kilometers geographically from the Caribbean. That doesn't bode well for Caribbean cuisine here in Vancouver. It will not take very long to visit each and every Caribbean restaurant in the GVRD. For me, I enjoy different cuisines, particularly the ones that are least represented. That's what prompted me to find Calypso in Surrey and the reason we ventured into North Vancouver. Located on lower Lonsdale, Kingston 11 serves up authentic Jamaican cuisine. Their menu is always in constant flux since they only use what ingredients are available at the time. For me, I was hoping they had oxtail and apparently, if you show up too late, they might run out and that's it.

Luckily for me, there was Stewed Oxtail and normally all dishes come with rice and salad. For some reason, there was no salad today. Didn't bother me, I'm all about the meat anyways, who cares about the greens?!?! I went for the large order which goes for $12.00. Not a bad deal since oxtail is not exactly cheap. Laced with peppers, tomatoes, carrots, onions and spices (which I really couldn't figure out), the stew was actually decently spicy. Not burning hot; but there was a nice underlying heat. The fall-off-the-bone meat was perfect being slightly gelatinous.

Viv wasn't too hungry and ended up with the small Stewed Chicken for $9.00. Predictably, the chicken was a bit dry; yet it was still quite moist. It exhibited the same underlying spiciness as the oxtail. It was slightly sweet with a hint of cloves. Again, this went well with the rice. Where we were sitting was not the best conditions for taking pictures. So I did what I've done in the past and got up with my plate, walked over to the window and took a picture. This obviously caught the attention of the one staff member there and he asked if we were from out-of-town. I said yes, from Burnaby. LOL... I just told him I like Jamaican food and have a keen interest. I made a comment about Calypso in Surrey and he exclaimed that they supplied their meat patties.

Nothing ground-breaking here; but the food was solid and to me, a good value. Usually, Jamaican food in Vancouver is not cheap. At $9.00 for a small and $12.00 for a large, I find it one of the better values in town. Furthermore, with meats such as oxtail and goat available, it is even a better value since the material costs are high.

The Good:
- Hey, the food tastes good
- Good value
- Relaxed atmosphere (wait, isn't anything related to Jamaica relaxed?)

The Bad:
- Menu is limited (but that makes it more focused)
- Being that most of the food are stews, it's already to go, it can sit around for awhile as a result

Gohan

*Restaurant is now closed*

If you don't live in the area, chances are you wouldn't know that Gohan even exists. Hidden within residential towers in Brentwood, it's not a restaurant that many people will randomly visit. Having driven by it many times myself, I was quite curious since it advertises to be a fusion Japanese restaurant. Now, fusion can mean one of two things. It can imply that the food is prepared in a way that incorporates different cuisines and ingredients. Or... it can just be an excuse to serve food which is neither good or authentic. So you can imagine my apprehension. However, after seeing Jessica's tweet about the place, I decided it was time to try it out. I had promised to give her a shout when I did; but today's visit was a bit random and there was not time to contact her (she forgave me though!).

Coming straight from the kiddie's music class, we were all quite hungry, especially since we didn't eat breakfast! Missing a meal... how tragic. I was lucky to get a parking space right in front. As I was inserting money into the meter, I noticed that it suddenly was not adding any more time. DOH! There is a 30 minute limit and I put in a Loonie too much! Arghhh... Honestly, how can 30 minutes be enough? Well, there is the Chinese in me taking over. What could've I done with that Loonie... It could buy me 2 samosas! Darn! Alright, getting over the sting of losing money, we got down to ordering. Viv set her sights on the Garlic Tuna Tataki to start. Unlike most other versions I've seen of this dish, the tuna arrived in big chunks on a long plate. Topped with a fried garlic chip and drizzled with vinaigrette, the tuna was a delight to eat. However, since they were in such big chunks, the tuna was a bit stiff. That detracted slightly from the texture.

Wanting to try a specialty roll, she also ordered the Deluxe Holiday Roll. It consisted of tamago, cucumber, imitation crab, scallop, avocado, ebi tempura, romaine lettuce and tobiko on the inside while smoked salmon, soy wrap and more tobiko resided on the outside. For $7.25, this was a very good deal. The roll was massive and Viv watched in disgust as I stuffed whole pieces in my mouth. Nothing really stood out in this roll other than the smoked salmon; yet it was pleasant to eat and I'd order it again just for the value.

Personally, I wanted a good variety of items and usually a combo will do the trick. However, in most Japanese restaurants, the bento boxes or combinations seemed to be over-represented with California rolls, teriyaki chicken and the sort. Hey, those items are fine and dandy; but for me at least, they are too boring. I do realize that the rationale behind it - to cater to the masses. So imagine my surprise when the combos here offered a choice between a California roll or nigiri sushi. Furthermore, the choice between black cod, unagi, ginger pork or teriyaki chicken was a real surprise. Hey, I'm all over the black cod!

So all this choice can be found in the Deluxe Lunch Combo for $12.95. It includes the requisite miso Soup, green salad and rice with Tuna, Salmon and Tai Sashimi. I chose to go with the Ebi, Tuna and Salmon Nigiri and the Miso Black Cod. As you can see in the picture, the fish exhibits a nice fresh sheen and I even more happy to see wild salmon (not sure why the Tai was cut in big chunks though). Of course the nigiri was plenty fresh too and I found the sushi rice to be quite decent - slightly dry while still exhibiting good "bite". Normally, when we order miso black cod at any Japanese restaurant, it would cost at least $7.00 by itself. I thought the inclusion of this expensive fish as an excellent value. It was prepared perfect being moist, flaky and melt-in-your mouth goodness. I know it's just plain rice; but I need to mention it was also very good. One very minor issue. They used spring mix for the green salad which I find doesn't hold up well to the ginger salad dressing (regular iceberg mix would be better with more crunch).

Of course, for the kiddies, here comes the Tempura Udon once again. Although the tempura itself was crispy and only slightly oily, the inside portion of the batter was slightly gooey making it a tad heavy. As for the udon, it was not overcooked and the broth was flavourful without being salty. Honestly, I wasn't expecting anything on this visit to Gohan. However, we were pleasantly surprised at the level of execution and quality of the food. It isn't necessarily the cheapest option around (especially with Sushi Garden and Miki nearby); but for me at least, the extra cost is well worth it.

The Good:
- Quality ingredients
- Food mostly well-executed
- Friendly and attentive service (always had our tea refilled)

The Bad:
- Slightly more expensive than neighbouring Japanese restaurants
- Not sure where the Hawaiian fusion part fits in

Tsim Chai Noodles

After our Friday night hockey game at North Shore Ice Sports, Boss Woman suggests we go all the way out to Richmond for some eats. Uh... we're um... in North Vancouver! WTH? So let me get this straight. You want me to drive to Richmond from North Vancouver to grab some food? Alright, for someone who complains, whines and bitches about driving in Richmond, I sure go there a lot. Trust me, there are many people who have told me so. I admit it. I do go to Richmond a lot. I brave the traffic, "me first mentality" and parking space bandits for the food. I will do practically anything for good food. I even drive out to Langley and Abbotsford for good grub. Richmond is a hotbed of culinary delights, Chinese food in particular. If I avoided Richmond altogether, it would seriously be a shame. So here we go, once again, to Richmond. Initially, the destination was E-Canteen; but as we were driving down Westminster, I noticed Tsim Chai Noodles. Hey! Gary had pointed out to me that I was missing out on some good wontons from this place. Alright, since I was here anyways, let's do it! Luckily for me, Polka King, Lionel Hutz, Boss Woman and Milhouse were game for the venue change. And it only took us about 25 minutes to get there from North Van. Not bad.

If I hadn't already suspected it, walking into Tsim Chai reminded me of Congee Noodle King. Very similar type of restaurant specializing in wonton noodles, congee and at this time of night, da lang (late night Chinese tapas served with plain congee). So the signature item here of course are the wontons. And before we get into it, we need to understand what makes a good wonton. We also need to understand that there are different types and people have personal preferences. There are pork, pork & shrimp and shrimp wontons. For me at least, I prefer the latter two. Now with that established, a good wonton has 3 important criteria (I know there are more; but for all-intensive purposes, they simplifies it): a) size b) texture c) taste. Naturally, a large wonton, the better the value. However, a place like McNoodle has small wontons; yet the other 2 points make up for the lack of size. In terms of texture, a good wonton should have a resistance or "bite". It should not be mushy. If the shrimp inside is prepared properly (ie. run through cold water long enough -> cold-water shrimp), then there will be that "crunch". Lastly, the wonton should basically let the shrimp be the dominant flavour with a nice accent of sesame oil, white pepper, salt and sugar. Of course, if there is some pork in the wonton (actually all wontons have some sort of pork fat), this changes the flavour somewhat; but if there is just the right amount, it won't overwhelm the shrimp.

Both Polka King and myself had the Wonton Noodles, except I added Sui Gow in mine (they are similar except have a bit more pork with the addition of bamboo shoots and wood ear mushrooms). Right away, I found that the noodles were quite good with a nice chewy texture. The broth itself was a bit light bordering on bland. As for the star of the show, the wontons were very large. They rival the ones from Ho Yuen Kee in size. In terms of the filling, it was a combination of pork, pork fat and shrimp; yet predominantly shrimp (not sure why it says prawns on the menu, they're not very big prawns). I enjoyed the wontons; but to be honest, I much prefer the ones from Ho Yuen Kee and Congee Noodle King. It's quite possible I have a personal preference towards wontons that are almost 100% shrimp. Polka King echoed the same sentiments and proclaimed that Congee Noodle King is better.

Milhouse had the Preserved Egg & Salted Pork Congee. He was happy with the congee since it was pretty thick and had enough ingredients; yet once again, he stated that Congee Noodle King was better. We also shared a Salted Fish & Chicken Fried Rice. Alright, the rice was so bland, we had to put soya sauce on it. Honestly, the last time I had to put soya sauce on any Chinese food, I was probably 6 years old. Rice was not good. I also shared a Singapore-Style Fried Vermicelli with Boss Woman. This was pretty good. Not too oily with a definite curry kick, we liked it. She also ordered her favourite - Shrimp & Eggs. The dish itself was executed properly with slightly runny eggs with cold-water shrimp. She just wished the shrimp were bigger. Lionel Hutz went for the Eggplant with Chili & Garlic. This was also quite decent with a nice spicy kick. All-in-all, it was an okay meal. Nothing spectacular and nothing terrible. Decent wonton noodles; but in my mind at least, it doesn't measure up to Ho Yuen Kee, Congee Noodle King or Congee Noodle House.

The Good:
- Large menu
- Decent prices
- Open late

The Bad:
- Service was sparse (not rude though)
- Noodles were good; but not that good

The Tipper

Although breakfast can usually be easily made at home, I often find myself in a restaurant munching on scrambled eggs. It could be that I like to eat out... Duh... Hey, there are a multitude of reasons we go out for breakfast. Places like Bon's off Broadway are just plain cheap while brunching at the Pan Pacific can be seen as extravagant. Price, location and venue - whatever the reason may be, doing breakfast or brunch at a restaurant does have its charm. When my son declared he wanted breakfast for dinner the other night, I had promised to take him out for breakfast in the morning (generally when breakfast is eaten). However, back in my University days, breakfast was whenever we were hungry, especially when you could have it anytime at Denny's.

Seeing how there is a coupon in the Entertainment Book, it seemed like a good idea to give the Tipper a try even though some of their prices seemed a bit high. We decided to get one breakfast each with the kiddies sharing an order. For myself, I went for the Big Breakfast which includes 2 eggs, 2 sausages, 2 strips of bacon, 2 slices of toast, hashbrowns and 1 French toast. I though most of the items were prepared decently. The sunny side eggs were as such, the toast was crunchy, sausages not overcooked (despite the split-fry method, which I'm not a big fan of) and bacon crispy. I didn't like the hashbrowns, they were limp, oily and not crispy at all. Same with the French toast, it was sad looking being quite pale and possibly in need of a bit more egg.

Viv went for the most expensive breakfast on the menu which was Buffalo Joe's Special at $13.99. Resembling a scramble or hash, it consisted of a buffalo patty, eggs, peppers and mushrooms topped with chipotle ketchup and feta. Hashbrowns and toast rounded out the dish. The lean meat made for non-oily eats, which was a good thing. The chipotle ketchup gave a slight kick to the scramble; but personally, I would've liked even more heat (Tobasco anyone?). Although it was not bad, the price tag is dangerously close to fine dining breakfast options. The kiddies shared the Nutella French Toast. The concept for this dish was good; yet the execution was a bit lacking. Once again, the French toast was a bit plain. So the toppings should make the dish. However, there was a bit too much Nutella which really overwhelmed the strawberries. To be fair, this was still a decent breakfast; but at $11.89, a little pricey.

Once again, I'm torn. The breakfast as a whole was pleasant despite some issues. Moreover, the service was very friendly and welcoming. But I cannot get over the prices. Sure, we picked the 2 most expensive items on the menu; yet we still felt it didn't warrant the pricing considering the venue and location. I'm curious to see if lunch or dinner works out to be a better value because even with the Entertainment coupon, the bill came out to $33.00 without tip.

The Good:
- Personable service
- Generally carefully prepared food
- It's got an interesting vibe

The Bad:
- Pricey for what you get
- Some food execution issues

The Salmon House on the Hill

Gosh, this place really brings back memories. Since I could remember, we would frequent the Salmon House on the Hill for eats. Yah, imagine me, a little kid munching on goodies enjoying the spectacular views. How lucky was I! I can only imagine this was one of the many influences that has led to my obsession with food. Fast forward many years later and guess where I took Viv on our first date? Yup, you guessed it. With probably one of the nicest views in the GVRD, why not? Sure, the food ain't the main attraction; but the view, it's breath-taking. Of course Fraiche further up the hill boasts a similar view with better food. Today, we decided to kick it ol' skool since my aunt and uncle were in town visiting from Hong Kong. They actually were long-time residents in Vancouver until a few years ago when a job opportunity came knocking. So to relive the past, we decided to take him out to the Salmon House for some brunch (and a bit of reminiscing). Grandpa, Grandma and the kiddies were also dining on my coin. I wonder if this will help spark my son's gastronomical engine? Yah right. He's more interested in my iPhone than Alderwood grilled salmon.

Since it was a fairly large order, the food took a bit of time to arrive. Unfortunately, the server dropped 2 dishes on the floor and one of them happened to be mine. I really felt bad for her, it was freak thing and I don't blame her. But that ultimately meant that I had to wait to eat. No matter, I just took my time taking pictures of others' food. I'm normally the last one to eat anyways since pictures of food are more important! Well... and that people will starting giving me glares when they are anxiously await to eat! So for my mom, she went for the Seafood Crepes. There was plenty of shrimp, scallops and fish; however, my mom thought all the pieces were quite small. She did like the crepe itself, thin and not chewy.

My aunt ordered a the classic Folkstone Eggs Benedict. It's nice to see that all of the normal components were there such as the toasted English muffin, Canadian back bacon and soft poached egg. Too many times, restaurants take the shortcut and we end up with Black Forest ham. The eggs were poached perfectly with fully cooked whites and a runny yolk. She remarked that the Hollandaise was quite good with a nice balance of flavours. However, just like the crepes, the hashbrowns were squishy and soft. My uncle decided on a the simple Traditional Breakfast which included 2 eggs, bacon, Sloping Hills pork sausage, toast and hash browns. I don't know about you, but the over easy egg looks pretty overcooked here. Not sure if that was the intended result; but I don't like my eggs fried like that. My daughter actually had the kid's version of this breakfast and I got to try it all since it was almost as large as the regular version (she can't finish that!). I really enjoyed the meaty and lean pork sausage. It is a nice departure from the greasy links we normally are accustomed with.

Viv decided on one of the items on the featured menu - the Salmon & Dill Omelet. If you look at the omelet, there is no mistaking that there is dill. Consequently, there was no absence of dill flavour. However, as you can see in the picture, the omelet appears to be quite "dry". Although there is a marscapone component to this dish, in reality, there was only a small dollop in the middle. Thus, the rest of the omelet was sorely lacking moisture, especially with the somewhat dry salmon. If the omelet had more "sauce", it would've worked out much better. On a side note, they really like that fruit skewers since all of our dishes had it. Not a complaint because it was quite fresh, just a bit repetitive. After a short wait, our remade dishes arrived. My dad had the Alderwood Grilled Salmon. Beautifully presented atop a potato salad, the salmon was cooked perfectly (we should be expecting that since it's in the restaurant name!).

I wasn't feeling all that creative and went for the Shrimp & Pancetta Sandwich. Well, what can I say, it was a pretty solid sandwich. With a good amount of shrimp, avocado, greens, pancetta and bruschetta "topping". There wasn't anything amazing about this sandwich; but it was good nonetheless. And honestly, this pretty much sums up the experience at the Salmon House. Food won't blow your socks off while it is generally decent. What really sets the place apart is the location and the killer view. Sometimes that is an important criteria when entertaining people from out-of-town or when trying to impress someone. With that being said, Fraiche is nearby and shares an equally nice view.

The Good:
- Million-dollar view (well, more like 2+ mil since that's the housing prices nearby)
- It's got character
- Spacious dining room

The Bad:
- Food (albeit decent) is not the main draw here
- The place could benefit from some renovations