Saturday's Fish 'n Chips

*Restaurant is permanently closed*

Located in the now closed ABC Country Restaurant on Scott Road, we find yet another fish 'n chip joint. It's not far from Ocean Ave and Brit's Landing while being only a 10 minute drive to Mr. Pickwick's and Lighthouse Fresh & Tasty. So there is competition nearby. Hence, you would hope they offer up something that is either better or different. Let's just say that it is safe to assume that they are trying to be different. Why? Keep reading and looking at the pictures, you'll see what I mean. So as I entered the place, the first thing that came to mind was "sports bar", not necessarily a fish 'n chip place. I was greeted by a friendly chap who let me chose my table.

Looking over the menu, I was a bit confused. Fish 'n Chips. Check. Donairs. Huh? Okay, maybe I'll give that a shot one day; but I was here for the fish 'n chips. Ultimately, I went for the Halibut & Chips and it actually took awhile to arrive. When it did, the piece of fish was quite large; yet disturbingly shaped. Furthermore, what's going on with the fries? They're the same colour as the fish! Apparently, the fries were coated with the same batter as the fish. Alright, they advertise themselves to be "traditional" fish 'n chips. Unless I'm mistakened, I believe that the chips should not be coated with anything. Strangely enough, I actually enjoyed the crispy fries despite their appearance. Blasphemy for sure; however, if it works, it works. As for the fish, that was another story. The fish was really stiff and overcooked. It was way past moist. I give them kudos since it was a large piece; yet it doesn't help that it was cut way too thick. That probably directly impacted it being overcooked. The tartar sauce was not bad. Typical mayo with pickle bits. Not much in the way of mustard, if at all. It tasted a bit generic, so I'm not sure if they made their own or not.

I gotta admit, this was a really odd fish 'n chip experience. I'm not sure what to think really. It wasn't bad per se; yet surely wasn't great either. I can see that they are not truly a fish 'n chip joint. With superior fish 'n chips practically across the street at Ocean Ave, I personally wouldn't choose Saturday's. However, it looks like their target market is not really those looking for fish 'n chips alone. It is very much a sports bar that happens to serve fish 'n chips and donairs...

The Good:
- Decent portions
- Friendly staff
- Comfortable digs

The Bad:
- "Traditional" fish 'n chips? Really?
- Overcooked and strangely cut fish
- Battered fries, pretty good; but weird

Pajo's (Rocky Point)

On a beautiful Sunday in September (yes, this post has been waiting in the queue for awhile!), it looked to be a good idea to take advantage before it rained again. Hey, it rained all month already, we really needed to enjoy it before it really gets bad in the following months! Thus, we headed out to Rocky Point in Port Moody. Great place to let the kids run around and there is this nice water park and playground as well. Naturally, the water park is now closed since it is basically redundant with the rain and cold weather. Of course I wouldn't be only blogging about my kids going down a slide over and over again... I guess it can be interesting to some; but not for a food blog. The real reason we were here was to go for some Pajo's fish 'n chips. This location is somewhat forgotten since the Richmond ones get much more press and attention.

With the wet weather, the ground ended up to be a muddy mess. And you know mud + kids = pain. No matter how much I reminded my son not to get mud all over himself, he did. Fun. And even more fun was to find something he'd eat. I resisted the easy way out with the grilled cheese and ordered the Cod 'n Chips in hopes he'd eat it. Now, unlike my good experience at the Steveston location, the cod 'n chips were not very good this time around. My son was only eating the batter and avoiding the fish. I took a sample and honestly, I'd avoid the fish too. It was thin and subsequently overcooked. One particular portion was tough as shoe leather. Mind you, the batter was light and crisp though. The fries were okay, not as crisp as we would've liked.

To increase our vegetable intake, I got a large order of the Coleslaw. With lots of raisin and crunchy cabbage and carrots, we enjoyed it. There was a nice tang and not too much mayo. However, I personally didn't like the addition of green onions (and not because I don't prefer them either). I found that it didn't add to the flavour profile of the coleslaw. Rather, it detracted from the familiar flavours. Viv and I decided to share a large order of the Halibut 'n Chips. The pieces here were slightly larger; thus the fish was still moist. It says a lot that the halibut was more moist than the cod (since cod is an oilier fish, but not cooked right this time). The tartar sauce was pretty solid with a some zing and tangy bits. Being from the same batch, the fries were not great this time. Somehow they were just limp and soft.

So, unlike my good experience at the Steveston location, the fish 'n chips at Pajo's this time around were pretty average at best. For the prices they charge, it'd better be, at the very least, acceptable. Sure, the draw here is not exclusively the food. The location, outdoor ambiance (on a nice day) and view all add to the experience. With that in mind, Go Fish has all of that and has better fish 'n chips (in my opinion). There is better or just as good to be found at places such as Austin Fish 'n Chips and Ocean Ave. However, the only view you get at those places are of cars driving by.

The Good:
- Location
- The "outdoor" gimmack
- Decent fish 'n chips... usually

The Bad:
- A bit pricey considering the venue
- Wasn't great this time around

Fortune Restaurant

*Restaurant is closed*

Upscale Dim Sum. That sounds almost like an oxymoron. Despite some items consisting of seafood (predominantly shrimp), Dim Sum can be quite reasonably-priced. In fact, more often than not, most Dim Sum joints offer dishes starting at around $3.50 (and some places at under $3.00). Then you have the more deluxe establishments such as Kirin, Victoria, Imperial, Red Star, Spicy Court, Fisherman's Terrace, Sea Harbour and the sort where you'd be lucky to find anything under $4.00. That begs the question: is it worth it? Depends on your needs. If you merely want good Dim Sum at reasonable prices, you can easily find it at Golden Phoenix, Western Lake, Happy Valley and the sort. Finally, if you really want it on the cheap, then places like Kam Wai and The Roc fit the bill for under $3.00 per dish. However, there are times when an expensive Dim Sum meal is in order. It could be a special event, merely be a splurge or somebody has money to burn.

The former was the case this time as we were taking Viv's dad out for a belated birthday meal. We've been to Fortune Restaurant before albeit for dinner. It was "okay" while still disappointing due to their high prices. And those prices continue into Dim Sum service. In fact, probably some of the highest prices for Dim Sum I've seen in the GVRD other than Imperial and Victoria. Despite these prices, Fortune Restaurant remains a very busy place due to its location. Lots of covered parking in Oakridge and the ample amount of clientele in the area are some reasons for its popularity. Luckily for us, we had made a reservation and we got a table right away. Too bad it was in the middle of the whole place, away from the window. Not wanting to use my flash, the pictures turned out quite poor. I need a new lens. Hint, hint Viv...

Predictably, we started with the Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumplings) and they were alright. The filling was decent with a good amount of crunchy shrimp. I didn't like the addition of bamboo shoots, I personally find it a contradiction to the shrimp. When not rinsed properly, the bamboo shoots overpower the delicate shrimp. It was the case here. Furthermore, the dumpling skin was oversteamed being soft and fell apart once we picked it up. Of course the next item would be the Sui Mai (Pork and Shrimp Dumpling). I'm sorry to say this was a complete fail. The whole darn thing was so loose, it didn't even make it to my bowl. Furthermore, the meat was over-
tenderized. No bounce from the pieces of pork, just mush. At least the shrimp was good and it did taste okay.

Generally, one of the most expensive Dim Sum items is the the Shark's Fin Dumpling in Soup. Hence, it'd better be good. This one was not. The dumpling itself was harder than a someone on Viagara. Even after several stabs at it, the thing didn't fall apart. There was far too much chewy pork and not enough gelatin and seafood. The chicken broth was also quite bland, not exhibiting any depth or luxuriousness. Generally, the soup should have an almost silkiness to it. On that note, the Shrimp & Chive Dumplings were a bit hit and miss. We liked the filling. As you can clearly see, there were large whole shrimp tucked inside. Nicely cooked too. However, the dumpling skin was very thick and gummy. I do realize due to the high tapioca content of this wrapper, it will be gummy; but it was far too thick. In terms of the Beef Rice Noodle Roll, the noodle was slightly on the chewier side; yet wasn't too thick. I would've preferred if it was served at a warmer temperature though (this probably contributed to the chewier noodle). Beef was tender and there was only a moderate amount of green onion.

We got a Chicken Rice Hot Pot for the kiddies and this has to be one of the smallest versions we've ever seen. The picture doesn't really show how small it is. Imagine a regular rice bowl for one person and you'll get the size of it. Portion-size aside, the rice was not too bad with a nice chewy texture (good for adding the sweet soy to) and the chicken was tender and not too salty. The smallish portion size trend continued with the Black Bean Spareribs. When you can see portions of the dish where spareribs should be, that is never a good thing. To make matters worse, most of the pieces were not very meaty. Sure, that could just be bad luck; but that's what we got. Texture-wise, it was okay, a bit on the over-tenderized side though. I did like that it was only mildly seasoned, so it wasn't too salty. We could still taste the pork.

For me, it was quite confusing why the Daikon Radish Cake arrived stone cold. Since it comes directly from the kitchen, one would expect it to be served hot. Well, I'm sure the kitchen is busy and as such, this was probably fried up in advance. I don't blame them for this since it can take quite a long time to fry it up right. However, at the very least, reheat it by quickly frying it on both sides or even *gasp* nuke it. I don't mind. I just don't want cold food. Other than it being cold, it was okay though with a nice balance of flavours.

The Beef Tendon was a relatively large dish since it filled the small plate. By now, we were not expecting too much in the way of portion size. In fact, it was pretty decent. Walking the fine line between being too soft or too chewy, this was perfect. It was on the sweeter side; but all-in-all, a solid offering. On the other hand, the Beef Meatballs were not to my liking at all. These were a bit different than the typical beef meatballs found at most other Dim Sum restaurants. These were partially encased in the same wheat wrapper used in sui mai. No matter, that really didn't impact the dish too much. Yet, the one word I can describe these is mushy. Yes, these were some pretty mushy balls. And I hate mushy balls! Devoid of texture and frankly devoid of much meat flavour, these were a complete fail. Far too much baking soda and starch.

As for the Steamed Chicken Buns, they were quite wet. What I mean by that is the bun itself had spots that were completely drenched. Reason for this? Nothing inherently wrong with the steaming time or the bun itself; rather the final product suffered from being steamed in a metal steamer. Unlike a bamboo steamer which can both soak up moisture and is permeable, the metal one traps the moisture. It's a catch-22 since a metal steamer is more sanitary; yet not as effective. I guess one can't win... Other than the moisture, the buns themselves were fluffy and the chicken meat was tender while retaining some texture.

Lastly, we got the Egg Tarts. I have to admit that I'm biased when it comes to this dessert. I only like the flaky pastry-type, not like the ones here which are the hard tart shells. Somehow the texture is all wrong for me. Yes, it is a nice textural contrast to the sweet egg custard; but personally, I just like it all soft. So this wasn't bad per se, I just don't like these shells. Now personal opinion aside, we universally agreed that the Dim Sum at Fortune was not that great. Considering the price point, it made it even worse. Paying that kind of coin for mediocre Dim Sum does not cut it. Sure, the location is nice and the restaurant itself has an upscale feel to it. However, with Spicy Court kiddie-corner, there is no contest between the two. I guess the plethora of clientele with money to burn will keep this place in business.

The Good:
- Nice location with covered parking
- Relatively nice restaurant
- Service was okay

The Bad:
- Food is sub-par
- Overpriced considering the quality of the food

Jethro's Fine Grub

*Restaurant is closed*

Since we took Guy Smiley out for his birthday last time, he wanted to return the favour. With so many choices of eats, you'd think it would be easy. Not so fast. Girl Smiley is expecting. Let me try this again. Girl Smiley can pop anytime now! Hence, we weren't going for anything such as AYCE sushi. Furthermore, with kiddies in tow, nothing too complicated either. With my son's skates getting a bit tight, we were needing to head out to Cheapskates anyways. So with Jethro's Fine Grub just around the corner, it was as good as anytime to finally try them out. This visit has been a long time coming. Originally, we were supposed to head there after golf in the summer; but the boys were so famished that they decided to eat at the first place they saw - which was Flamingo House. Although, this time around, we almost didn't get to eat there again. You see, there was a 1 hour wait for a table. The place is really small and probably can seat 26 people max.

No, we weren't going to leave despite my disdain for lineups. Instead, we walked up to Cheapskates and did our shopping first. Upon returning, we still had to wait about 20 minutes. They were able to turn a table for 4 around so that all 6 of us could fit. It was a tight squeeze; but the place has a certain charm to it that it really didn't matter. Although the prices are not exactly cheap, I think that they are more than fair considering its location. Looking around at the portion sizes, it actually made the prices look quite attractive. Girl Smiley decided on the standard 2 Eggs & Meat (choice of double smoked bacon, sausage, grilled chorizo or ham steak). She went for the ham steak and really, it was as large as a steak! Eggs were cooked perfectly while the hash browns were the boiled-first-then-pan-fried type. Good value for $8.00 considering the level of execution.

Viv ended up with the Crab Cake Benedict. Rather than bread, the crab cake itself was the base for the poached egg and Hollandaise sauce. We both agreed that the crab cake was both large and well-executed. Fluffy crab inside with a crispy exterior, these would've been fine on their own. Add perfectly poached eggs and a creamy Hollandaise, this breakfast rocked. Only thing I personally would've liked was more lemon in the sauce itself. Since no one was having an omelet, I had the Baked Potato Omelet. As the name suggests, there is hashbrowns, bacon, cheddar, sour cream and scallions (I omitted this). Well, nothing more to say than it is essentially a "baked potato" with all the fixins in an omelet. I like baked potatoes, especially with lotsa sour cream and bacon. This omelet delivered. Although, the egg itself could've been cooked a tad less. I also loved the fresh fruit and rye bread as well.

For my daughter, we ordered the Corned Beef Hash. Our server was concerned that she couldn't finish it and she was right. Little did she know that Viv and I would just eat more! Well, it really wasn't that large; but it would be enough for one person definitely. I stole the poached eggs and subsequently had enough cholesterol for the whole week in one meal. I gotta say that they really know how to poach eggs here. Perfect once again in terms of a runny yolk and aesthetically pleasing. We found the hash to be pretty good; yet nothing extraordinary. Hashbrowns were soft and just enough corn beef for flavour without being salty. It wasn't greasy either. Guy Smiley went for the Heuvos Rancheros. In one of the neatest looking versions of this dish, it was solid, if not a bit too refined. No matter, everything was fresh and well-executed.

Finally, for my son, he had the usual in the Short Stack Pancakes. Little did we know that meant 2 enormous pancakes that would rival the size of some dubs on a Range Rover. Well, it sure tasted better than dubs. Instead of brake dust, we find powered sugar. The pancakes were not dense nor rubbery. Pretty good. My son ate it, that makes me happy. In fact, we were all pretty happy. Jethro's has the winning formula of good eats, reasonable prices and good portions nestled within an eclectic atmosphere.

The Good:
- Good portions
- Reasonable prices
- Decent eats

The Bad:
- Always a wait for a table
- Tight dining space

Charm Modern Thai

*This restaurant is now closed*

Let's face it. Much like anything these days, restaurants are changing with the times. As much as the basic restaurant can do the job in terms of offering up good eats, it is lacking in all other areas. For example, why must we have the latest technology such as the iPhone 4 or a nicer car when we can get by with a classic Motorola brick-of-a-phone and a Pinto? Simple, because we have wants that are not necessarily needs. That has been the case for quite awhile since the dawn of consumerism. Hence, I find it quite troubling that people merely write off things that are deemed frivolous for nothing more than being "trendy" or "modern". Take Bao Bei for instance. Yes, it is not your typical Chinese restaurant; but it is not trying to be so. With that in mind, there are some decent eats there that go along with their awesome drinks. Even Terracotta has some okay dishes as well despite some flops. Hey, no restaurant can be perfect you know. There is a lot that goes into operating a restaurant! And that gets into the topic of exactly what is the target clientele of a particular establishment. The bottom line of any business is to make money. Plain and simple. So they will cater to its core customers. Take East Side Mario's for instance. Their "Italian" food is dumbed down to be a safe place for those who are not as adventurous. In fact, they have introduced some more classic dishes in the past to no avail. Thus, they end up keeping the items which sell and ditching the ones that do not.

With all this in mind, restaurants in Yaletown can never be judged solely on their food. C'mon, let's get real here. Yaletown is trendy. Yaletown is expensive. Yaletown is about style. My point? If you don't like this, then don't eat there. Plenty of other places in the GVRD. Now, the food still needs to be at the very least decent since a restaurant is a place where one eats... By merely providing style without edible food is not good for the longevity of any restaurant (Society is an example). I'll be honest though, for the reasons provided, I have hesitated to try Charm since Thai food is expensive enough without being located in Yaletown. However, I got invited to give Charm a try and I figured why not? So I ended up going on a regular Tuesday night dinner service (with them knowing I was there of course). And yes, here is my usual disclaimer... Sure they invited me; but once again, a restaurant can only be as good as it can be and can be only as bad as it can be as well. And of course, you know I'm gonna give you my honest opinion.

We started off the meal with the Green Papaya Salad. The colours were vibrant and the ingredients exhibited a very fresh crunch. Unlike some other versions of this salad, the flavours were bold. Lots of fish sauce and a bit of spice, it was amazingly balanced. Viv thought that there was a good mix of salty, sweet, tart and spice. The roasted peanuts added a nice aroma and extra crunch to the dish. Now for one of their signature items - The Duck Sticks. As advertised, these were awesome. Of course anything put into a spring roll is not exactly rocket science. However, these spring rolls had a pronounced duck flavour. That put it over the top because being crunchy isn't uncommon for a spring roll; yet having a pleasing duck taste makes it special. Presented on the same plate was the Tiger Prawn Satay. These were barely cooked and I mean barely. It appeared they were marinated in a peanut/curry satay sauce. They were served with Thai-style garlic toast, Thai peanut sauce and cucumber chutney. The prawns were so tasty, there was really no need for the peanut sauce. Somewhat of a strange combination, the cucumber chutney atop the garlic toast worked. However, we would've preferred more tartness from the chutney.

Next up, we had the Tom Yum Goong with perfectly cooked prawns. The broth was very flavourful with big hits of lemongrass, fish sauce, cilantro and galangal. Despite some bold flavours including some spice, it was well-balanced. For our first main, the Pineapple Braised Short Ribs, we found the red curry to be quite good. A good balance of coconut milk, spice and sweetness from the pineapple. Personally, I would've liked it spicier; but again, restaurants usually cater to the masses. Curiously, the short ribs were a bit dry; despite being tender. Our next dish was something that we didn't prefer. I have to give them props for something as creative as Green Tea Chicken; but we found the green tea coating very overpowering. There wasn't anything inherently wrong with the orange and ginger glaze, there was just too much of it. The side of veggies were prepared perfectly being crunchy and not overseasoned.

Our last entree was the Coconut Cream Scallops. The scallops were nicely grilled and barely cooked inside exhibiting a slight smoky aroma. Curiously, 2 of the scallops had a bit of chewiness around the edges. Possibly a bit uneven flame? The coconut cream sauce and veggies underneath let the scallops do all the talking. No need to overwhelm such a delicate and naturally sweet item. As for our desserts, we started with a Vanilla Bean Tapioca which was not sweet at all which is a good thing. We could see the vanilla bean; but couldn't taste much of it. Lastly, we had the Deep Fried Banana with vanilla sauce. Once again, anything stuffed into a spring roll will have a good chance at succeeding. This was not different. The banana was very ripe; hence it tasted good on its own and we could barely detect the chocolate and coconut.

Although not mind-blowing, most of the food was pretty good. As much as it is advertised to be modern Thai, most of the items on the menu are quite traditional cooked by actual Thai chefs. As for some of their more adventurous creations, I guess it comes down to personal preference. To be honest, it was better than I expected. Of course, we need to take into account that Charm is one of many restaurants in Yaletown that share the same model. That is, to fit into the Yaletown scene with progressive food and a little pizazz. Hey, I get it, I really do. I lived in Yaletown for 6 years after all. Of course, if you wanted Thai food for cheaper, it definitely can be found elsewhere. That is not rocket science. But if we take Charm for what it is, their target clientele and where it is located, it is a good place for drinks, appies and certain dishes.

The Good:
- Not as expensive as you would think (especially with an Entertainment coupon)
- As with most Yaletown eateries, dining space is nice
- Some pleasant surprises

The Bad:
- Some dishes are better than others (which is pretty normal for any restaurant)
- If you're not really into the Yaletown scene

Sanpachi

*Restaurant is closed*

There has never been a time where Japanese ramen has been so accessible. Of course there was ramen available at many Japanese restaurants before; but let's be honest, none of them were really all that good. And don't even get started on instant ramen. That doesn't count. However, I practically grew up on Nissan noodles with a side of Spam and fried egg. Yum! That was before I discovered I'd be better off munching on a Quarter Pounder with Cheese if I were to take into account the nutritional information. I digress. Located in "ramen central" around Robson Street, Sanpachi is the newest kid on the block and replaces the former Royal Thai. Much like Santouka, Sanpachi originates out of Japan and this particular location is its first in Canada. I was wanting to try the place out last Friday, so I called up Kim. Turns out he had already visited the place 3 times in one week! Luckily it is ramen, not something like... brains! So, a week later, I was able to recruit Krazi to join me for some Ramen.

Much like the other ramen joints around, there are the usual choices such as shio, tonkotsu, shoyu and miso. Seeing that, Krazi went for something a bit different in the Negi-Ramen in a miso broth. Topped with onions and leeks, there was a definite herbiness to the overall flavour profile. The ramen was still chewy despite sitting in the broth while I took photos. We thought the miso was a bit salty with some spiciness. Thin slices of chashu and bamboo shoots completed the dish. For myself I went for a combo which included a side of Nori-Mayo. As the name suggests, there is both dried seaweed and mayo. It was essentially sushi rice with a mayo/pork mixture within a piece of nori. This was actually good, despite my initial reservations. I liked the chewy rice with the meaty pork and smooth mayo. A few slices of oshinko accented the dish.

For the other part of the combo, I selected the Tonkotsu Ramen. The first thing I noticed was the dark oil drizzled on top. Upon further investigation, it turned out to be black garlic oil. It added a certain depth and bitterness to the already flavourful broth. I found the broth a bit salty; yet not disturbingly so. There was a definite rich pork taste which is a few notches below Santuoka in my opinion. Bamboo shoots, nori, chashu, green onions and a slice of fish cake rounded out the bowl. The chashu was good being soft and moist, too bad there wasn't enough of it. For my one extra, I added an Ajitama Egg (strangely named Yummy Egg on the menu). It was cooked properly with a runny centre. At first, I was concerned I wouldn't be full; but with the thicker noodles, I ended up quite satisfied. Definitely good flavours with proper execution. Sanpachi is a fine addition to the ramen corridor (aka Robson); yet it doesn't manage to unseat Santouka as my personal favourite.

The Good:
- Flavourful broth
- Chewy thick noodles (if you like that)
- Some interesting options

The Bad:
- Much like many other ramen joints, it's small resulting in waits
- Broth could be too salty for some
- Not exactly cheap but it is inline with other ramen shops