Dinner @ Golden Swan

Alright, the last time we were at Golden Swan, it was for Dim Sum and to be honest, it was a disappointment. In fact, I was disappointed in being disappointed because Golden Swan was part of my childhood. You see, the restaurant known as Golden Swan began back on Nanaimo Street as Golden Phoenix. We'd go there for Dim Sum and dinner all the time when we lived in that neighbourhood. Yes, there is a Golden Phoenix there right now; but it's not the same Chinese name or ownership. The original owners of that restaurant opened a small one unit restaurant on Victoria called Golden Swan. Within the same little strip mall, there were a few other businesses including Baskin Robins. Slowly, but surely, they took over one unit at a time and finally it exists as we know it today. I've been a customer of Golden Swan for quite some time and it was nice to see we'd return for dinner tonight. It was my nephew's 1st birthday and we were going to have quite a feast tonight. I was seriously hoping that the meal would be better than the last time we visited.

Although this dinner was neither a wedding nor a baby one-month, the set menu remains pretty consistent. Thus, we started off with an Appetizer Platter which consisted of Honey Garlic Spareribs, Marinated Jellyfish, Pork Hock, Marinated Beef Shank and Fried Shrimp. Well, nothing much to complain about here. The spareribs were crisp with just the right amount of sauce while the fried shrimp were just cooked. The jellyfish was well-seasoned with sesame oil and soy while exhibiting the desirable crunchy-chewy texture.

The obligatory Crab Claws stuffed with minced shrimp were next. These were perfectly fried with a light crisp exterior with soft, moist shrimp.
Impressively presented, the Bird's Nest was actually full of snap peas while all the seafood rested on top. Despite this optical illusion, there was still plenty of shrimp, scallops (slightly overcooked) and squid. Our soup for the meal was 2 Types of Fish Maw Soup (fa gow & yew toh). Fish maw is the air bladder found in the body cavity and helps fish balance. Fa gow is the dried variety while yew toh is fried. In the picture, the darker strips are the fa gow. It's much more gelatinous and firm. There was no shortage of either fish maw, chicken within the luxurious; yet lightly seasoned broth.

Next up, as expected (these types of menus are pretty standard) was the Lobster in supreme broth. Supreme sauce is essentially an English name for "seun tong" or premium chicken stock (might be made with such items as dried scallops etc...). Well, nothing much to dislike here. The lobster was fried up nicely with sweet juicy meat and there was just the right amount of savory sauce. Sometimes you get a pool of sauce at the bottom; but there was just enough to coat each piece. If you've ever been to one of these meals, you'll know that the Crispy Fried Chicken is next. I find that this dish is actually quite hard to do right despite its simplicity. I've helped make this at my friend's restaurant and to ensure a crispy exterior while maintaining a juicy, moist interior is very difficult. This particular attempt here was pretty good. Most of the meat was still moist (the white meat was a tad dry) while the skin was crispy. We liked the shrimp chips as well since many restaurants are moving away from serving it with the crispy chicken.

One of the real treats of any Chinese "banquet"-type dinner is the Abalone with Shiitake Mushrooms. At first glance, abalone doesn't appear too look like much and flavour-wise, it's quite delicate. The thing about abalone is the texture. It's quite meaty and chewy; yet soft enough to eat at the same time. But honestly, another major reason that abalone is so treasured is that it's quite hard to attain. Hidden in the deepest parts of the ocean, people die to harvest them. So to some, abalone is nothing special. For me, I like it; but there are other things I'd eat before it. In this case, it was prepared correctly while the dried shiitake were stewed to the point of being quite tender without breaking apart.

Now to the fish dish. Sometimes, you'll see a whole steamed fish, maybe a fried fish (ugh!) and this time it was Steamed Sole with Virginia Ham and Shiitake Mushrooms. Since the ham is inherently quite salty, there wasn't a big need for a flavourful sauce. The thickened chicken stock sauce was quite light and the ham did its job on the delicate fish. A solid, if not unexciting dish. With any banquet-type menus, the 2 filler dishes come at the end. Normally, we have a noodle dish and a rice dish. And just like 90% of the time, we got the Fried Yee Mein with shiitake and flowering chives. Maybe lacking a bit in "wok hay", the noodles were still a bit chewy (which is a good thing) and only moderately seasoned with soy. Not too wet and not too dry, this was a pretty decent attempt. As for the other dish, we got Lucky Fried Rice, which is a variation of the Yeung Chow Fried Rice (Shrimp & BBQ Fried Rice), which added carrots and gailan stems. Visually appealing with plenty of crunchy shrimp and other ingredients, the rice was decent. A few clumps of rice here and there; but overall the rice was dry and lightly seasoned.

Compared to the Dim Sum lunch I had a year ago, this dinner was definitely more satisfying. Nothing stood out as being subpar while at the same time, it wasn't spectacular either. But then again, for a mid-level Chinese restaurant which is both spacious and relatively clean, it more than did the job. Maybe I need to revisit during Dim Sum to see if that awful visit was an aberration.

The Good:
- Properly seasoned food
- Good execution
- Good service this time around

The Bad:
- Pricing is on the higher side for this class of restaurant
- I know I say this a lot, but there really is no parking around

Il Uk Jo

Alright, I'll admit it. There once was a time that I feasted on all-you-can-eat joints. Yah, I was hungry and quality did not matter much. However, as time passed, it became apparent that this type of gorging was unhealthy and not very tasty. Mind you, there are some exceptions to the rule; but for the most part, we really do make compromises when we do a buffet. Naturally, there must be realistic expectations and trust me, I do go into an AYCE with minimal needs. Despite those minimalistic expectations, there are some places that just defy the point of a restaurant. You know, that place that you must travel to, spend money on and hopefully be an edible experience. If you've been reading this blog, you know that Kawawa would inevitably be mentioned. Yah, it's not a fine-dining experience nor is it even authentic Japanese food, so I should not complain right? That's what someone told me to do. Hello!?!? I'm paying well over $20.00 per person for unacceptable food. I don't care if I'm paying $2.00. If it ain't good, it ain't good. Okay, with that off my chest, I now bring you to the next candidate for worst AYCE in the GVRD. When you think that it can't get much worse than Kawawa, we have Il Uk Jo (or should I call it "Ill, Yuk, No!").

Proclaiming themselves as a Japanese and Korean buffet, I should've known better already. However, ever since I spotted the place quite a while ago and then being almost tempted to try it when I ate next door at Saigon Pho To Go, I finally did it. A few people had asked if I had tried it and were quite curious. Well, I think curiosity not only killed the cat, I probably would've done better eating it. So originally, Pomegranate and I were going to eat at another place; but due to certain events, it led us to Il Uk Jo. Either it was fate or someone wanted me to suffer today. Everything started alright as we got a good parking spot and were led to a nice semi-private booth. Unfortunately the place was devoid of natural light and I had to use the flash.

We had 2 choices for the AYCE lunch menu. There is the standard AYCE for $12.99 and the deluxe for $15.99 (or should I say "delux" like the misprint on the menu). We went for the deluxe since it included sashimi, sushi and prawn tempura. As with most Korean meals, we started with some Banchan which consisted of bean sprouts, stewed potatoes, kimchi and gomae (yah I know, that's Japanese, but I threw it in there anyways). Although it was a crunchy kimchi, I actually liked it, as with the other items. The gomae was a bit too sweet though. After that, this is where the roller coaster ride starts. Looking more like perogies than Gyozas, these pathetically oily things were terrible. Despite its deep-fried appearance, these are actually pan fried (in how much grease, I can only imagine). Pan-fried gyozas should not have the texture of fried wontons. Oh, it gets better (or worse should I say). The Tonkatsu sure looks alright in the picture; yet looks can be deceiving. The pork hidden within the crunchy breading had the texture of cartilage. Yes, it would've been okay if we were expecting cartilage... And don't even get me started on the sauce. Let's just say they make a great sweet & sour cartilage.

However, the Prawn Tempura was fantastic! Yah, you heard me right, it was excellent. Served hot and crispy, the prawn itself was sweet and cooked perfectly. Mind you, that was probably the eye of the storm passing through because the sushi was terrible. Okay, looking at the Dynamite Roll, it looks decent, right? Well, one bite into it and *crunch*. Oh, the prawn tempura must be crunchy, yes? Nope. Huh??? Look at the piece of avocado. It had the texture of an apple. For the love of... why put a severely unripe piece of avocado in the roll??? Were they looking for a textural contrast with the gummy rice, which was devoid of any flavour? No idea, but it sucked. Surely the rest of the sushi was better right? The picture sure looks decent! Yah, it does look okay eh? However, the rice, as mentioned, is just horrible. It was hard, gummy and dry all at the same time. Don't ask me how they accomplished that. As for the fish, the salmon was decent, while the tuna was not. I'm not sure if they were mimicking Lost because the Spicy Salmon and Tuna were in an alternate reality when spicy means sweet.

But the strangest thing of the entire meal was the Korean BBQ. All the beef and chicken (in its marinade) arrived on the grilling plate. So when placed on the burner (which was weaker than a hotplate), it essentially began boiling the meat in its own marinade. So, trying to prevent having a weird version of shabu shabu, we moved the meat onto the cooking surface (which was stone cold). As you can see, the result was essentially boiled meat that finished cooking on a lukewarm "BBQ". This has to be the most unsatisfying version of Korean BBQ I've ever had. We've had hot pot that is closer to BBQ than this (at Grand Honour).

Fortunately, the Chicken Karaage was quite juicy and flavourful. However, there was enough batter on these things to make Tammy Faye Baker's face look normal. I had to remove it so I could actually get to the meat. When the Motoyaki arrived, I was a bit confused at the serving vessel. Looking like French-Japanese fusion gone wrong, the various versions of motoyaki (oyster, mussel and fish) were actually quite decent. The tangy almost like "thousand islands" sauce with the fish was surprisingly good. In the same class as Kawawa, this unsatisfying meal was not to be unexpected considering the location. However, it had some extremely low points such as the sushi rice, pathetic Korean BBQ, gyozas and tonkatsu. Yes, there were some good items; but honestly, for the price we paid, it cannot be considered acceptable. Luckily for them, there is not much in the way of competition nearby.

The Good:
- Good selection of items on the AYCE menus
- For us at least, the service was decent
- It made me forget about Kawawa

The Bad:
- Other than a few decent items, overall food quality is poor
- Hot items were not really all that hot
- The Korean BBQ is a joke

Sunday Brunch @ Griffin's (Hotel Vancouver)

When it comes to Sunday brunch in Vancouver, the Pan Pacific (held at Cafe Pacifica) is the most elaborate and expensive hands down. However, other than the view and a few unique items, I don't consider it a good value. At $50.00 per person, it's downright crazy in my books. Thus, it's always good to look at other options. One of these options is Griffin's at the Hotel Vancouver. The last time I had the brunch, it was pretty decent in my books, especially for $39.00. Yes, that is not chump change; yet considering the location and what you get, it's good. Today, we celebrated a belated Mother's Day at Griffin's. One good thing about these Sunday brunch setups is that kiddies are welcome and there is no charge for those under 6 years of age. This is particularly good since my son won't eat anything but the cheapest of items such as the waffles and sausages. I wonder if he has any Chinese in him really... It's all about the seafood and meat for me!

So the food is separated into 4 sections for the buffet brunch. The Cold Food Station consists of breads, smoked herring, artichokes, mushrooms, bean salad, mixed greens, pasta salad, king crab, shrimp and scallops, cheeses and cold cuts. Personally, I'm only interested in a few things in this section, namely the crab, shrimp and scallops. I'm happy to report that all 3 were good, especially the large meaty scallops. The Hot Food Station consists of some standard breakfast items mixed in with some unique offerings. Of course the sausages, bacon, waffles and eggs benny are present (salmon benny too). Despite being served on a buffet line, the eggs benny was fantastic with a perfectly poached free range egg (runny yolk). The rest of the spread included veggie mix, 7-grain rice, pasta, roast potatoes, chicken, roast pork loin, herb roast leg of lamb, spring salmon, halibut, clam & mussels saute, chirizo & merguez sausage, crispy oysters and seafood chowder. Predictably, the fish were overcooked. I'm sure they were not prepared as such; but it's very hard to serve fish properly in this manner. As for the pork loin and lamb, both were a tad dry. However, I really enjoyed the mussels and clams (I'm all about the seafood!). As for the seafood chowder, it was more like fish soup than anything. It did taste quite good exhibiting natural sweetness of the sea.

Related to the hot food section; but in a station attached to the omelet bar is the Prime Rib. Under these circumstances, it is forgivable that the meat is not more rare. After all, there are some people who would not even touch it if it were dripping with bloody juices. For me, I like it medium-rare and the best they could do was medium. Despite this, the prime rib was absolutely fabulous. It practically melted in my mouth and didn't need much chewing. This, my friends was a beautiful piece of meat. As mentioned, the Omelet Bar resides right next to the carving station. I actually didn't try an omelet since I deem it as a filler and there wasn't anything special with the selection of ingredients. My dad did have one and it was made properly looking just cooked.

The Dessert Station is somewhat of a signature feature at Griffin's. It is offered during regular dinner hours as a dessert option. For a buffet, the desserts did look quite appealing. The spread included fruit flan, cheesecake, chocolate torte, rice pudding, creme caramel, white and dark chocolate mousse, profiteroles, fruit tart, berry calfoutis, apple pie, English trifle and fresh fruit. I tried to sample as many items as possible and on the whole, everything was quite good. For a buffet setting, the desserts were both varied and consistent. Also included with the brunch was juice, coffee and tea. Service throughout our meal was attentive and unobtrusive. Much like our last visit to Griffin's for brunch, this time was no different. A solid experience at a reasonable price, considering the venue, location and quality of food.

The Good:
- Generally, the food quality is good
- Good service
- Desserts station is better than most

The Bad:
- Some of the proteins were overcooked (excusable for this type of meal)
- Maybe not as "classy" as some other places
- Omelet station could use more higher end ingredients

Brado

Generally, I'm a pretty busy person as it is. When it gets to the weekend, it's not really a time to relax; rather, it is merely an extension of the week. In fact, there are times that I need some weekdays to recover from the weekend. Chalk that up to activities with the kiddies and sports. So when I got a message from Jessica about a mid-afternoon meet-up with former Vancouver resident, now New York-based blogger Phyllis (Me Hungry!), I really had to see if I could squeeze that in. C'mon, who am I kidding? Pass up an eating opportunity, especially with other foodies? It's like me refusing free samples at Costco. Ah yes... Sunday brunch at Costco... It's a cornucopia of little treats! Anyways, Phyllis had the idea to try out Brado's Poutine Pizza out on the Drive. That sounded quite interesting.

I showed up a bit early so that I could take some exterior shots of restaurants I had visited in the past. Why? Because I wanted better pictures! Yah, chalk that up to my OCDness... Finally meeting up at Brado with Jessica, Mark, Phyllis and Kris, we were wondering if Kim would show up. Of course he would. And bearing treats from Cake-Ya! This... was not going to be a low-cal afternoon! Now, the actual "restaurant" itself is a bit strange. The actual store is shared by another business that really has nothing to do with Brado specifically. With limited seating, we essentially took all the tables. Phyllis and Kris were generous enough to treat us to the Poutine Pizza. As the name implies, it's a pizza with lots of cheese, gravy and fries. For me, the actual taste of the pizza wasn't bad per se. It resembled eating poutine on top of pizza dough. But therein lies the problem. We have starch on top of starch. Not really my thing. I thought the crust could've been lighter considering the heaviness of the toppings.

With that in mind, I had try their actual poutine. Thus, I got the large Smoked Meat Poutine. When I got back to the table and informed everyone of this, I got looks of shock. Apparently, their large is extremely large. So large, it makes Belgian Fries largest size look like a small. No matter really, I was going to share it with everyone anyways. Besides, it wasn't that expensive at around $8.00. Yah, when I did get it, it was freakin' huge. I'm not sure even in my finest hour (or worst) that I could finish it myself. As we dug into the poutine, I noticed that there was quite a lot of cheese curds (although most of it had melted). Thus, I couldn't necessarily get the squeak I was looking for. I did like the gravy, it was on the salty side; but it was hot and thick. As for the fries, I personally couldn't stand them. They were of the generic frozen variety. Call me a fry snob; however, I would much prefer fresh cut potatoes that are double-fried. With all that being said, the owner is a charismatic guy who cares about his business. I think with some tweaks with the pizza and the poutine, it can be much better.

The Good:
- Huge portions
- Inexpensive
- Owner cares about his business

The Bad:
- For a place that serves poutine, the fries need to be a whole lot better
- Poutine pizza sounds good, but in reality, it is too heavy on the carbs
- Not a place to linger

Boulangerie la Parisienne

To be completely honest, I'm not really into sweets. Well, it's not that I don't like sweet things, I just prefer finger food more than anything (such as appetizers). Thus, I am never one to save room for dessert or a sweet drink after a meal. Unlike Mijune, who has a 2nd stomach reserved for desserts, I tend to subliminally avoid pastries. However, this time around, as I was leaving Bistro Sakana, I had the sudden urge to walk over to Boulangerie la Paisienne. Consider it reminiscing about ol' times. I used to live within a stone's throw from here; but haven't been back since I moved 5 years ago.

I only wanted to get a few items; but call it the power of suggestion or just plain lack of self-control, I ended up with almost a dozen. Seeing how Mijune not particularly liking the items she tried on her visit, I went for a different selection. One of the first things that caught my attention was the Tiramisu. It was pretty mild being not too sweet. However, I thought the whole thing was rather bland in general. I didn't think that there was enough sweetness or espresso flavour. With that being said, the texture was silky smooth and the lady fingers were not dry.

I gave the entire Blueberry Tart to my daughter though (well, not before taking a bite). The blueberries were really fresh and I enjoyed the semi-sweet custard. However, I wasn't that big of a fan of the crust. It was a bit hard and not as buttery as others I've had lately. That would be the same for the Lemon Tart as well. If I wasn't a sucker for lemon tarts, I probably would've never chose this one based on its appearance. I know, I know, many lemon tarts look this way and its all in the taste and texture. Yet, this time around, the looks said it all. The same hard flavourless crust gave way to a lemon filling that I can only describe as unrefined. Unlike the lemon tart from Thomas Haas and the lemon pastry from Bakery Nouveau, this filling was quite pedestrian.

The last item I'm going to write about is the Napolean. I didn't get to try this one because I gave it to my mom. She really loves this particular dessert and since I'm indifferent towards desserts... My mom has had many Napoleans and her favourite is still from Bon Ton. This particular one was very disappointing. The mille feuille was far too sweet and she thought it was almost like eating candy. Furthermore, the pastry was dry and hard to eat. Okay, I have to admit that this visit changed my feelings about this place. Nothing was horrid; but there was something off about everything we had. If one wasn't picky, I'm sure that the pastries here would do the job. However, if one was looking for better, just venture further into downtown visit La Boulangerie attached to the Sutton Hotel or Boulangerie Cho Pain.

The Good:
- Great location in Yaletown
- A decent selection of goods

The Bad:
- Pricey
- Average pastries

Bistro Sakana

It's interesting that we have varied expectations for food based on location. Normally, we put up with generally inferior food in the burbs since competition isn't necessarily an issue. In the more extreme cases, we might need to put up with crap because that is all there is. Reminds me of the time my parents took me on a road trip and we passed through Roseburg, Or. Apparently we visited the "best" Chinese restaurant in town. To our complete horror, "chow mein" translated into those prepackaged crunchy orange-coloured noodles you'd find in the Asian section at Safeway. Ugh... Fortunately, when we deal with Vancouver's Downtown core, it becomes a whole new ball of wax. Much like the triangle of ramen near Robson and Denman, there are certain expectations and intense competition. If we look at Japanese food in general, Downtown is the hub of Izakayas and higher end sushi joints. Of course, there are good Japanese restaurants all throughout Vancouver; but once again, if they're in Downtown, they'd better be good.

And that brings me to Bistro Sakana. Japanese food in Yaletown, which essentially means, food at premium prices. At the very least, Pomegranate and I were here for lunch, which tempers the cost. Looking over the menu, the prices weren't as scary as first thought. Lunch specials hovered around the $10.00 mark with large regular items around $15.00. Pomegranate decided to go for the Deluxe Sushi Combo for $17.00. When it arrived, it looked like something that would normally go for $10.00 or less at most other sushi joints. Consisting of a partial California roll, dynamite roll, salmon and tuna maki and 2 pieces each of tuna and salmon nigiri, it sounded like a lot in the menu. Realistically, there wasn't much. With that being said, the sushi was pretty bang on. Everything was fresh and the sushi rice was pretty good. It could've been a bit drier; but not a huge problem.

For myself, I went for their Lunch Bento Box which included sashimi, tempura, teriyaki chicken and California roll. Not bad for $12.00. Once again, the sashimi was fresh; albeit in pretty small slices. I thought the tempura was both executed perfectly and consisted of quality ingredients. It just seemed to be made with care, which translated into a nice crispy eat. As for the teriyaki chicken, I appreciate the use of white meat. I really do. However, for me at least, it never translates into a good chicken teriyaki. More often than not, the chicken is dry and since it has less fat, doesn't have the depth of flavour as dark meat. In this case, they tried to make as moist as it could be; but all I got was out of it was dry chicken with sauce. Despite this, we thought the food overall was quite good, if not a bit boring. We did enjoy the ambiance, being Yaletown and all. Great place to grab a bite and do some people watching. And that usually comes at a premium.

The Good:
- Fresh ingredients
- Carefully prepared food
- Courteous and unobtrusive service

The Bad:
- Pricey, especially at dinner
- Portions are quite small
- The place is quite small (hence the "bistro" in the name)

Ho Do Szechuan

It's interesting how so many restaurants exist within a small little block near the Surrey Central skytrain station. Pho Tam, New Town, Pho Hoa Hong, Top King's, Cucina Manila and Ho Do Szechuan all reside in essentially the same complex. To top it all off, there are only around 15 parking spaces for all of them! It seems that I'm slowly working my way through. Little did I realize, Ho Do actually serves Dim Sum. Now, Dim Sum and Surrey go together like Jessica Simpson and a textbook. Yah, it usually isn't a pretty combination. There are 2 decent places along Scott Road in Yummy Wonton and Lotus; but they are technically in North Delta.

As I picked up Toolman for our Dim Sum lunch, he looked a bit nervous when I suggested my intentions. Dim Sum in Whalley? Well, we won't know the answer to that if we don't try right? I must give it to him, he was game. However, there was a slight concern on my part since Ho Do is a Szechuan restaurant. For those who are unfamiliar with different Chinese cuisine, the Dim Sum that is most popular in the GVRD is specifically Cantonese (however, Shanghainese Dim Sum is quite prevalent as well). Thus, a Szechuan joint serving Cantonese Dim Sum could be a recipe for disaster. Yet, Szechuan Chongquing on Broadway in Vancouver is an example that would suggest otherwise.

For a split second, I almost ditched the Dim Sum idea since the lunch specials start at the rock bottom price of $3.95. Alas, I reverted back to my original mission (testing out Dim Sum in Surrey). We started with the staples of Dim Sum - Haw Gow (shrimp dumpling) & Sui Mai (pork & shrimp dumpling). The shrimp dumplings were alright. The shrimp filling was a tad loose; yet the shrimp itself was crunchy and tasty. However, the dumpling skin was a bit chewy. As for the sui mai, I was not a big fan of them. Usually, we look for pork with a bit of "bite"; but in this case, it was just plain tough. Flavourwise, there wasn't enough seasoning which in turn led to the dumpling tasting too "porky".

On the flipside, the Fried Squid was quite good. I guess it was predictable that they'd do this dish right. With flavours that are more familiar with Szechuan cooking, the perfectly fried squid was laced with chilis, garlic and salt. The only thing that would've made this dish a home run would be a slightly lighter batter. For me, I don't really get to eat sticky rice very often. So, whenever I get the chance I order it. In this case, it was the Loh Mei Gai (sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves). Usually within the sticky rice, there is ground pork and shiitake mushrooms in a gelatinous sauce with lap cheun (Chinese sausage) and a piece of chicken (which "gai" represents). In this case, there was no chicken and the rice was subpar. It was dry and hard, even the filling couldn't save it. This was a real miss.

The next dish was totally my own fault. I decided to order a Shanghainese specialty during a Cantonese Dim Sum meal in a Szechuan restaurant. It's akin to ordering BBQ ribs during a Japanese meal in a Ukrainian restaurant. It will ultimately result in an epic fail. And guess what? Yup, these Xiao Long Baos were an epic fail on massive scale. First, the dumpling skin was as impenetrable as a kevlar vest. Second, the meat was stiffer than Ron Jeremy. Lastly and most importantly, these XLBs were bone dry. Not even a drop of juice. To add insult to injury, they were not even served with vinegar. Serves me right for ordering it.

At the very least, the Black Bean Spareribs were acceptable. I know, my expectations proceeded to move down a sliding scale by this point. There was a good amount of garlic and black bean which gave the ribs good flavour. However, the meaty pieces were on the chewier side and a bit difficult to eat. One dish that did not resemble its description in the menu was the Fish Maw & Chicken. I'm sure the Chinese description was right on the money; but the English version did not state the ingredients would be wrapped in bean curd sheets. Hey, I'm all for bean curd sheets, it was just a bit unexpected. I thought they had brought out the wrong order since it resembles another dish - Seen Jook Gune. In fact, this looked and ultimately tasted very similar to if except for the filling. Rather than pork, we got a small piece melted fish maw (fried fish air bladder) and overcooked chicken. I know, not a ringing endorsement.

Last but not least, we got the Char Sui Bao (BBQ pork bun) as ordered by Toolman (in his broken Cantonese). These were actually quite good. The bun itself was soft and fluffy. The BBQ pork filling was plentiful and flavourful without being too sweet. But honestly, the Dim Sum was not very good. I know we shouldn't expect too much considering the location and type of restaurant. In fact, I really should return and try what they specialize in, which is Szechuan cuisine. But for now, my hunt for decent Dim Sum in Surrey continues...

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Quite a few lunch options
- Service was decent

The Bad:
- Dim Sum is subpar
- Once again, there limited parking here