The One

The One Restaurant. Not to be confused with 2 other establishments in the GVRD with almost the same name, is the new snazzy venture by LSD (Lao Shan Dong). Located at the former location of Moore's, we have beef noodle where suits and ties were once displayed. Unlike most times after Friday hockey, it was only myself and Milhouse doing the late night food thing. However, 2 weeks later, practically the whole hockey team joined us for some late night eats. Apparently, they were amazed at my willingness to visit a restaurant twice in such a short period of time (much like when I went to Santouka twice).

So the first time I visited this place, Milhouse and I were greeted to a nice automated sliding glass door. Somehow, it felt like entering a retail store rather than a restaurant. But being that shiny, new electronic things always fascinate me, I love the door! The thing that immediately struck us as we entered was the sheer brightness. The decor is both colourful and "Vegas"-like. Add a couple of slot machines, poker tables and a whole lot of smoke, it would give The Venetian a run for its money. Well, Milhouse and I are not the gambling type, so we didn't stray far from the regular stuff. We shared the Spicy Wontons to start. If there was ever such a thing as al dente wontons, these would be it. The wonton skin was quite chewy (in a good way) and held up really well to the sauce. Too bad the sauce was more vinegary than spicy. A bit more chili oil would've really made the dish. We ordered one more appetizer and it ended up to be all mine. You see, it was the House Meat Platter which consists of beef shank, dried tofu, tripe and pig's ear. Milhouse is not a big fan of offal and despite the fact that 2 of the items were not, did not sway him into trying it. Although
texturally different, all 4 of the items were doused with the same sweet and salty sauce. I personally could've done with less since all I could taste was the sauce. Despite this, everything was good with the tripe still retaining some elasticity and the pig's ear was gelatinous.

Milhouse went for the standard Spicy Beef Noodle with Flank. For myself, I had the practically the same except with tendon added on. Very much like LSD, the broth had depth without being overly salty. We wished that it could've been slightly spicer; but it was flavourful enough. The ample amount of noodles were al dente and the plethora of mustard greens added both acidity and crunch. As expected, the flank was tender and the tendon was soft. Curiously, the broth was not as hot (temperature-wise) as we would've liked. Alright, so I made a return visit to The One a few weeks later with practically the entire hockey team. It wasn't necessarily my first choice; but it just happened to work out due to type of food, location and the fact it was still open. So in addition to Milhouse and I, we were graced with the presence of Boss Woman, Mr. Blueberry, Gadget Girl, Emilicious, Gordo and Ginseng.

I once again ordered the Spicy Beef Flank & Tendon Noodles while Milhouse had the Spicy Beef Flank Noodles. Yah, you would think I'd try something else. Not to worry, I ended up sharing 4, count'em 4 items with Boss Woman in addition to my noodles! We started with the Fried Squid Tentacles. Glistening with grease and oily enough to scare most people, the squid itself was quite tender and slightly chewy. We found that the batter was both a bit bland and not crispy enough. Next up was the Beef Onion Pancake Roll. Appearance-wise, it had all the elements of a good roll - nice browning on the outside, flakiness, decent amount of beef and hoisin and some scallions. However, one bite and it's obvious that the appearance of flakiness didn't mean it was so. Rather, it was very doughy and gummy. Tastewise, it was good due to the adequate amount of hoisin; but texturally, it was a flop. Trying to be a bit different than last time, instead of getting the meat platter, we went for the Mixed Meat consisting of tendon, shank and tripe. The whole thing was tossed in a spicy sauce. Well, I think it was more like chili oil rather than sauce which made the whole thing really greasy to eat. All the meats were prepared correctly being tender; yet still maintaining some "bite". But again, too much chili oil. And I thought there was too much sauce in the meat platter... Now our last dish was the Boiled Dumplings. Actually, we weren't expecting them to be last; but apparently, they left out our order. Ginseng and Emilicious had ordered the same dumplings and had received them first. When I asked the server why there was only one order, he remarked that we had only ordered one. I questioned him again and he insisted we ordered only one. That's all fine and dandy if that actually happened; but everyone heard and knew we had ordered these dumplings. For me, this is a huge annoyance with Chinese restaurants. Haven't they heard of the "customer is always right"? The whole charade didn't end until the manager overheard this and stepped in and apologized and quickly put in an order of dumplings. As for the dumplings themselves, they were worth the wait. With a slightly chewy skin and flavourful filling, these were a nice little bite. Almost everyone else had a Spicy Beef Noodle and agreed it was pretty good (could be spicier though was the consensus). For me, I did like the noodle too, but everything else is just quite average. But it sure is a good alternative to LSD since you can practically get the same stuff with no wait and more comfortable seating.

The Good:
- Practically the same good LSD noodles
- Comfortable digs
- Open late

The Bad:
- Other than the noodles, everything else is quite average
- Service is decent; but why argue with a customer?

Q4 Ristorante

*Restaurant has moved to 2563 W Broadway*

Today I had a plan. A plan that would be decisive and benefit many. Much thought and research went into this plan. And what was this about? Eating naturally! So many a time we would stand around after softball, looking dumbfounded trying to decided where to eat. Often, people look to me for guidance. However, I'm never one to make long lists of restaurants we should eat at... until now. I took the time and did the legwork and made 4 pages of potential eats ranging from the exotic to the regular. You see, with so many different tastes, a variety is necessary. After all, Silent Bob's aversion to exotic Asian cuisine is quite apparent when he needs a lesson every time we suggest something in Richmond. Who knows, he probably thinks Dim Sum is a mathematically-challenged individual. Another part of my plan was to finally take advantage of our willingness to dine out on a Monday night. Surely there must be a deal to be had somewhere. 2 places that immediately came to mind were Q4 (formerly Quattro) and Pinky's. Yah I know, if you are familiar with both establishments, it really shouldn't be any contest. On Monday nights, Q4 has their $10.00 pasta (it has gone up to $12.00) special while Pinky's (now since closed) entire menu is 50% off (or so we thought).

Apparently, after deciding to give Pinky's a try (despite better judgement), we found out upon arrival that the 50% special no longer exists. Fine, it probably was an omen anyways. We headed a bit further down the street to Q4. There was one little problem though... We were not really appropriately dressed nor smelling the best after softball. Miss Y proclaimed that one could dine anywhere in Vancouver in sweats. Well, she maybe more comfortable with our attire than I was. Call me self-conscious; but my track pants and Nikes were really out of place here. Maybe if I did the whole track suit thing and had an Italian accent, I could've gotten away with the being a Soprano. Anyways, I have to credit the staff. Generally, they didn't even care how we were dressed and it was friendly throughout the night.

Other than myself, everyone else had water since they were quite thirsty after softball. With the excellent complimentary bread with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, it very much resembled the Friend's episode where they were so shocked at the prices, they only had water and bread... Yah, poorly dressed, reeking of sweat, eating complimentary bread and drinking water. You'd think they'd kick us out. Nope, they were good, they get props for that! So when we got down to ordering, Boss Woman and I got greedy and picked out 2 pastas each. That's right, we got 2. For my first pasta, I went for the Pasta di Nonno (housemade pasta of the day) which was rigatoni with short rib, corn, parmigiano reggiano and cream. With extremely al dente rigatoni and loads of big, tender nuggets of short rib, this pasta plain rocked. There was just enough cream to basically coat the items on the plate with sweetness provided by the corn. My second pasta was the Fusilli Con Rucola which consisted of handmade fusilli with shaved beef tenderloin, arugula, fresh tomato and parmigiano reggiano. Not as al dente as the rigatoni (was expected since it's smaller), there was a nice lightness to this pasta as opposed to the cream of the rigatoni. The fresh tomato provided tartness, with some good bitterness from the arugula.

Both Judes and Boss Woman had the Linguine Frutti di Mare which consists of fresh tomatoes, white wine, peperoncino and seafood. Also with al dente pasta, the flavours were clean. The fresh tomatoes and herbs combined with the perfectly prepared seafood made for an enjoyable eat. The peperoncino helped add a slight kick; but not so much to actually classify it as spicy. Boss Woman's second pasta was the Fettucine Ghiotone which consists of minced chicken, cream and brandy. As you can see in the picture, there is nearly as much chicken as pasta. This, along with the brandy cream, made for a rich and hearty pasta (even thought it was chicken). Once again, the fettucine was al dente.

Milhouse had only one pasta and he regretted that decision. Not that one wasn't enough, it's just that he can always eat more. He looked longingly at our second pastas... His only pasta was the Penne Salsicce with chorizo and portobello in a tomato ragout. His pasta was al dente and very flavourful with a nice tangy bite. Ingredients were fresh and there was an underlying spiciness from the sausage. Bear had a slight problem ordering since he has a few food allergies and settled on the Fettuccine Tartufate which consisted of wild mushrooms, pesto cream and parmigiano reggiano. However, he isn't a big fan of funghi, so he ended up picking it out. I'm not sure what type of bear he is since some bears eat mushrooms and some do not. Anyways, he asked for his pasta to be prepared extra al dente and it came out so in a creamy pesto which was actually quite light tasting. Bear was very happy with the amount of sauce since the pasta was not drowning in it. Miss Y went for the Penne Arrabiatta. It is a spicy mixture of pancetta, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes and peperconico. Unlike the rest of us, her penne was a bit past al dente and a tad salty (probably due to the pancetta). She really enjoyed the fresh crushed tomatoes; but thought that the pasta could've been spicier. She was generally happy with the value since it was only $10.00 and in a very nice restaurant to boot.

Being that I was pretty stuffed from my 2 pastas, I decided to share a dessert with Miss Y. We decided on the Ciliege Filate or sour cherries and marscapone cream sandwiched between layers of crunchy, sweet phyllo. We were both impressed with the balance and contrast of flavours - sourness of the cherries with the sweet crunch of the phyllo and smoothness of the marscapone. Milhouse went for the Chocolate Brownie. It was quite sweet, rich and chocolaty. He liked it; however, it was nothing that floored him. Judes ended up with probably the best dessert of the night with the Tiramisu. Before she even took a bite, we were all staring at it longingly. Not your run-of-the-mill tiramisu found at most places, this was a flavour explosion. With a decadent creaminess, there was strong rum and coffee hits. There was no denying that this was an actual tiramisu. Bear was debating on the which dessert to choose and I was quite happy he decided on the Creme Brulee. Why? Because with that decision, we covered all of the desserts for the night! Yah, I have a one-track mind... A nice hard sugar topping revealed a semi-sweet, velvetly custard. One spoonful and it was enough to exude a vanilla essence which smelled and tasted very good. Bear, being the dessert fiend that he is, thought this was done very well. We also felt that at roughly $8.00 each, the desserts were reasonably-priced for the level of refinement and execution.

As a group, we were very pleased with the pastas and desserts at Q4. Personally, this is the type of pasta that I absolutely love. Pefectly al dente pasta with just enough sophisticatedly prepared sauces in the proper portion size. It is practically the antithesis of the pastas offered at places such as Anton's and Amorosa. No offense to those places since they have their fans, I'm just not into the big plates of soft pasta covered with enough sauce to drink. Considering that the ambiance and service at Q4 emanates class and refinement, $12.00 for any of their pastas on Monday and Tuesday nights is an absolute steal. We were further impressed with the expertly crafted desserts.

The Good:
- Food is prepared with care and precision
- Nice ambiance
- Quality ingredients
- $12.00 for all pastas on Monday and Tuesday!

The Bad:
- Normally, it's pricey to eat here (but is worth it for the food execution)
- Although service was generally friendly, it was slow in spots

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