Reflect

Prior to completely revamping into Reflect Social Dining + Lounge, it was known as the Crystal Grille. Known for its excellent Sunday buffet brunch, the dinner service lagged behind. In fact, my parents are frequent customers of this restaurant. We must've been to the brunch at least a half dozen times and dinner a few times. For me at least, dinner was a bust. Unrefined, inconsistent execution and poor value, there is no wonder that we'd be the only table at times. Of course, with any restaurant attached to a major hotel (Hilton in this case), it can be hit and miss. Now fully renovated with a new menu, Reflect attempts to right the wrongs of the Crystal Grille. Now with new dedicated buffet stations for their brunch, that is a good start. Originally, I made a reservation here for my mom's birthday not knowing it would be Dine Out week. On a side note, I find that with all the prix fixe menus these days, it totally takes the shine out of Dine Out. No matter, I stuck with the plan since we were bringing the kiddies with us. You see, trying to find a fine dining environment that will tolerate kids and offer a specialized menu is like trying to find a clean sidewalk in Chinatown.

So we all ended up ordering from the Dine Out menu. There was actually a choice between $28.00 and $38.00 menus. Naturally, the better choices being from the more expensive one. Viv and my mom both had the $38.00 menu and started with the Smoked Duck Breast Salad with baby lettuce, lotus root chips and star anise vinaigrette. This sounded much better than what ended up on the plate. The duck did not look appetizing and neither did it do very well once they began to chew. It was quite tough and didn't exhibit much smoky flavour. The salad looked nice; but there was either too little dressing or it was just bland. I went for a favourite of mine - Frisee Salad with lardons, poached egg and vinaigrette. Starting with the positives, the poached egg was perfectly runny and the lardons were meaty and flavourful. However, the croutons were not crunchy at all; rather they were wet. More importantly, most of the frisee became wilted until they had no texture. Apparently the warm vinaigrette cooked it. Not good.

My dad started with the Steamed PEI Mussels with garlic, shallots, thyme and white wine. This was probably the best appetizer of the bunch with plump perfectly cooked mussels in a flavourful broth. Funny how there was no spoon provided to finish off the broth. I doubt that half piece of garlic bread? (not sure why that bread was used) would've sufficed. For my main, I decided on the Bistro Steak with caramelized onions, "traditional" pomme frites and merlot jus. I requested that my steak be done medium rare, closer to the rare side. What I ended up with was medium, closer to well done. However, it was still quite tender while the merlot jus was rich and full of flavour. The biggest issue I had with this dish was the supposedly "traditional" pomme frites. Not sure about you, but to me, real pomme frites don't have a starch coating which are obviously of the frozen variety. If I were eating them at home, they would remarkably resemble those from Costco.

Viv as always picked a tuna entree in the Sweet Ginger Glazed Albacore Tuna with shiitake-shemiji risotto, sesame spinach and wasabi tobiko butter sauce. This was actually a decent dish where the tuna was still rare in the middle with a light sauce. Didn't really taste the glaze though. A real surprise was the risotto. It was good with perfectly cooked rice an an earthy creaminess. We hated the spinach though, it was limp and bitter. Since my mom loves lamb, it was a given she'd chose Duo of Lamb which consisted of lamb navarin with sautéed mixed beans and grilled lamb sirloin with white bean puree topped with a merlot jus. Although this dish was okay, it had issues as well. First, the lamb sirloin was a bit tough (it could've been more rare). Second, the lamb navarin was extremely dry and overcooked. The only saving grace was the excellent merlot jus, which I had with my steak. The white bean puree was excellent while the mixed beans were not (plain and not tasty).

Trying to pick a healthier meal, my dad went for something quite boring with the Roasted Half-Chicken accompanied by Yukon mash potato and haricot vert. Predictably, it was ho-hum, although it was cooked perfectly being quite tender and juicy. The major problem with the dish was the lack of flavour. The chicken itself was not flavourful and the small amount of sauce didn't help. They should have either provided much more sauce (on the side) or marinade the chicken with stronger spices. Otherwise, the mash was creamy and the beans were cooked perfectly.

For dessert, my mom went with the Banana Vanilla Creme Brulee. As you can see in the picture, the top is sorely lacking colour. It could've stood for a bit more torching. However, it was still hard and nice to eat. The custard underneath was quite sweet while exhibiting a pretty silky texture. My dad went for the Creme Brulee Cheesecake and it was generally pretty good except for the brulee topping. We thought it was too gummy and sweet. I guess we can't knock it for being too sweet since it is made of sugar; but it should be at least crunchy right? Well, look closely, it wasn't. The cheesecake portion was excellent exhibiting a nice richness only achieved by being baked. Not too sweet and just the right consistency, it would have been great without the brulee. Viv went with the Belgium Dark Chocolate Mousse with cinnamon poached pear. We liked this mousse, it was light and only semi-sweet with some bitter aftertaste (which is good being dark chocolate).

For my dessert, I had the Chocolate-Filled Soufflé which described on the menu as dense chocolate cake filled with chocolate ganache. Okay, either I've personally never had it this way before or a bundt-like cake can be considered a soufflé. Essentially, I got a rich chocolate mini-bundt cake filled with chocolate ganache in the middle. If that was the intention, then my error; but I've never had a cake like this served in this manner. Other than the application, the dessert itself was not bad. Quite decadent and sweet though (which is the intention). Alright, I have extremely mixed feelings about Reflect. I wanted to like it, I really do. After all, the former Crystal Grille was one of my parents regular places to eat (for brunch that is). For myself, I never really liked their dinner service and after the name change to Reflect, it hasn't changed my mind. It's not all bad, their brunch is probably one of the best values in town. However, for fine dining, the food here is too unrefined and full of execution issues. There were some highlights mixed in with plenty of problems. It's almost like they are trying to get there; but not quite. With so many fine dining options in Vancouver for the same cost and less, I find it hard to justify spending it at Reflect.

The Good:
- Comfortable dining room
- Attentive, polite service
- Good Sunday brunch

The Bad:
- Food is lacking in both refinement and complete execution
- Regular menu is pricey and competes with the best in town (and doesn't come close)

Cheers

Way back in my initial University days (I say that because I went back so many times!), Rich Guy and I would go out to eat occasionally. I guess things haven't changed now either; but we were always on the lookout for good eats. One time, while heading back to his house in West Van from SFU, we stopped by a little known place called Cheers in North Van. The only reason I knew about this place was thanks to Ann Garber. She had written a book on cheap eats in Vancouver and yup, we were slowly going through them. Aussie, Rich Guy and I stopped by for a quick dinner. The one thing that we will forever remember about that visit was the complimentary pitcher of beer offered by the manager. In hindsight, the manager was probably confused to see 3 young men visit his restaurant. Why? Well, let's just say we were not their target clientele. With the prices they charge, it is a magnet for seniors and families. Not exactly a trendy spot for 3 guys to pick up some women. Unless we were into older women...

Anyways, from that point on, despite our age disparity with the rest of the customer base, we kept on coming. We even brought friends and probably reduced the average age of the diners by half. Yah, the food ain't gourmet or really all that pretty to tell you the truth; but one look at the prices and portion sizes, you'd think it was the 80's. Wait, one look at the decor and furnishings and it's not a stretch to think you were back in the days of big hair, neon colours and leg warmers. Yup, Cheers is a restaurant from a different era (Funny how I reminisce about the 80's like it was a long time ago? Wait! It is a long time ago! Doh!), complete with a salad bar. Not since the days of The Sirloiner and Bonanza have we seen something like Cheers. From Wednesdays to Sundays, you can have the soup and salad bar included in your meal for an extra cost. Joining us for lunch were Wolvie and Italian Stallion. Luckily for him, Cheers does not serve tongue, tripe or anything ethnic. If you can recall, he has the gastronomical diversity of a yak.

Seeing that we were not confident as to what the kiddies would eat, the "choose any 3 appies for $13.00" seemed like a good bet. $13.00??? Yah, normally that'll only get you one appy at any of the many chain restaurants in town. We started with the Nachos with melted cheese, onions, olives and tomatoes served with sour cream, salsa and guacamole. A pretty standard attempt at nachos with plenty of cheese, served hot and crunchy. The only thing I'd change on this would be the chips themselves. It's personal preference; but I found the chips to be too thick. I'm not sure who their food supplier is; however, my guess would be Sysco (they supply many of the restaurants in town). Thus, the Chicken Strips looked like all the other chicken strips I've had. So, if that is the case, the only thing I can comment is the overall execution of the dish (ie. frying). They were fried correctly being crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Dipped into the generic honey mustard, it does what chicken strips do.

So assuming that the strips are the frozen premade type, then the Torpedo Shrimp would be the same. Panko-crusted and fried up nicely, I actually liked them. I particularly liked the cocktail sauce, it was more tomatoey rather than ketchup like. The only thing that bugged me about it was the overuse of tortilla chips as a garnish. Viv and Italian Stallion both had the Beef Dip to my dismay. I tried to talk Viv into a different entree to no avail. A decent beef dip with real roast beef while the fries were your generic frozen type. Wolvie had the Chicken Panini with lettuce, roasted peppers and provolone on ciabatta. The chicken was cooked perfectly and it was a pleasant sandwich. I decided on the Veal Cutlets which were real, not the ground type. Cooked perfectly with a crispy exterior, these were good despite the plain Jane gravy. And that pretty much sums up the food here at Cheers. Nothing great; yet very edible and generally predictable. For the prices they charge, that is good enough for me.

The Good:
- The prices are ridiculously cheap
- The food is actually alright
- Personable staff

The Bad:
- Although the food is alright, some dishes are definite misses (like their pasta)
- Despite being friendly, service gets sparse when busy.

El Barrio

*Now X-Site*

Boy, it's quite difficult to find an authentic mole in the GVRD. No, not the buggers who dig up your lawn. I'm talking about a Mexican mole which can be prepared with as much as 20+ ingredients that sometimes includes chocolate. Unfortunately, I haven't been to Mexico to actually try an authentic mole. I just have to go by what I eat and what Sexi Mexi had explained to me. The last time I had a mole was at La Conquistadora and it was alright. What I really wanted was a Oaxacan Mole, much like the one Rick Bayless incessantly reminds us how long it took him to master. While perusing Urbanspoon, I noticed El Barrio had the very Oaxacan Mole I was seeking.

I was able to convince Pomegranate to join me for this meal. Partly because I needed a dining partner and more importantly, he spent some time in Central America (thus, some knowledge of the food). We started off with the Bison Tacos prepared medium rare. As you can see in the picture, they were indeed a perfect medium rare. Since Bison is quite lean, it is imperative not to overcook it. Otherwise, you'll be chewing for awhile. The soft tortillas were slightly charred giving a smoky quality to them. In this case, you'll either like it or not. For me, it adds flavour and I liked it. Served on the side was a Salsa Roja (or red sauce). Interestingly, people in North America associate "salsa" with everything that is like the stuff you find in a jar of El Paso. However, salsa merely means sauce.

As for my Pollo En Mole (which is a free-range chicken breast smothered in an Oaxacan mole), it was served with refried beans and cactus. I have to admit that the chicken itself was dry. Not totally surprising since free-range chicken is quite lean. However, the sauce made up for it. The mole was quite mild with an underlying spice and nuttiness. Since there are so many ingredients in the mole, it was quite complex, if not very understated. While my dish was mild, Pomegranate's Torta Ahogada was simply a flavour explosion. Savory, spicy and sweet all at the same time, this is described as a Mexican "sloppy Joe" in the menu. A pretty accurate description. However, the side salad was horrid, way too much dressing. From the 3 items we tried here, it showed us that El Barrio offers something a little bit different. In terms of liking it or not, that'll be up to personal tastes. Pomegranate and I were pretty satisfied; however, for some, the prices could be a bit high.

The Good:
- Unique flavours
- Unique menu items
- It's definitely not North American Mexican/Latin food

The Bad:
- Some items are quite pricey

Kushi Box

During the Olympics, we paid a visit to the heart of the action on Robson Street. I don't know if we were trying to play heroes or just tempting fate; but we brought both kiddies with us. Turns out that it wasn't that bad. It also helped that the weather was so warm for the Olympics. Of course it got crappy and cold once it ended. While we were there, we visited Viet Sub. 2 stores down, I noticed Kushi Box and it really looked interesting with its BBQ'd items. I took exterior shots in hopes of returning later that day once we took in some of the sights and sounds. Alas, it was not meant to be. The kiddies were getting tired and my plans for eating looks as good as Ron Popeil's GLH Formula 9.

Today, we headed Downtown for the Vancouver International Car Show via Skytrain. Normally, we'd drive; but my son really wanted to try out rapid transit. I gotta say, he was pretty darn excited. Give him a few years, he'll be less enthusiastic... Prior to catching the Skytrain back home, we headed up Robson to give Kushi Box a go. Naturally, we made a pit stop at McD's for a grilled cheese... With son happy, we went about ordering at Kushi Box. I have to give it to them, the pictures on the menu board do look very enticing and big. It's too bad the actual product is not remotely close to meeting those expectations.

I decided to go for their Mega Box which includes Teriyaki chicken, Tsukune, Uzura Maki on rice w/ nori, mayo & half boiled egg. I also got a Combo B which added choice of 2 kushi (Yakitori & P-Toro in this case) and pop or miso soup. For fast food, it's nice to try something different from the usual. In this case, Kushi Box does succeed in being unique. Honestly, I liked both the yakitori and p-toro. I liked the yakitori for its charred flavour and the p-toro for its tender pork (albeit a bit salty). Viv got the Teriyaki Box and added a Combo A which included Chicken Karaage & pop or miso soup. We found the karaage to be quite subpar. Since they were the size of popcorn chicken, they turned out to be dry.

As for my mega box, I was disappointed by the portion size. On top of what seemed to be very little rice, rested all of the aforementioned items. While not being incredibly impressive, everything was quite decent. I especially liked the uzura maki (quail eggs), every bite exploded with yolk (that's why I love quail eggs). I thought everything went well with barely cooked egg mixed with the properly cooked rice. But I finished it quite quickly and looked longingly at my son's grilled cheese. He didn't let me have any. Viv had the same sentiments. Although the teriyaki chicken was properly cooked with the right amount of sauce (more sauce is provided in a small container), it wasn't anything special. Just like me, Viv finished it in no time. To be fair, Kushi Box is not the type of food that is meant to blow people away. With that in mind, I generally liked the food here; but for the price I ultimately paid, there just wasn't enough of it.

The Good:
- Charcoal BBQ'd Kushi
- "Healthier" fast food?
- It's different

The Bad:
- Not good value in my opinion
- It's completely takeout, a few seats outside (not really a bad, since they are a takeout operation)

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