Come Along

What's the place called again? Come Along? What??? Come again? That was my initial reaction when Costanza told me about this Chinese restaurant near his house. That was over a year ago and at first, I merely dismissed it. Believe me, I've actually been wanting to write a post on this place for along time. C'mon, check out the name! Easily misinterpreted and even more easily ridiculed, this was crying out for me to write about it. I guess by virtue of waiting for a whole year, I have certainly "come a-long". So seriously, Costanza suggested we do Dim Sum and since he really didn't want to travel far, we settled on Come Along. We were slightly delayed in arriving on time; but it appeared that Costanza came first... er... arrived first. We planned to meet up at 10:00am in order to avoid the crowds. With 2 sets of kids in tow, it was a good plan! I guess that is the price we have to pay for coming along... several years ago.

We ended up with a table in the corner which suited us fine. Kids could make as much noise as they wanted and no one would notice. Heck, it's Dim Sum. Everyone is loud. Come Along! As with many Dim Sum establishments these days, ordering is as easy as ticking off a checklist. Sure, the era of push-carts is coming to an end; but I really don't mind. This way, I don't have to wait for the beef balls to "come along" at the very end. I can have my beef balls right at the start! And hot beef balls at that! Sadly, we didn't order the beef balls. So we ended up to be ball-less, which would mean "come-up short" instead. Anyways, we started with the classic in the Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumplings). Simply, these were good. Packed with plenty whole crunchy shrimp and well-balanced in flavour, it's too bad we only ordered one steamer of these. We had to sacrifice some of it for the kids. The dumpling wrapper was on the chewier side; but that's a lot better than mushy. The Sui Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumpling) exhibited the desired texture of being slightly chewy while still tender to chew. The right amount of shrimp and shiitake mushroom added nice flavour. I'm not sure if there was too much MSG or not; but I was quite thirsty afterwards.

Something that is becoming increasingly common is the Fried Daikon Cake. Normally, it is pan-fried in squares. In this version, they are cut into strips and deep-fried. Sometimes they are in cubes at other places. With this preparation, the cake is uniformly crispy on the outside and generally soft on the inside (dependent on the quality of the cake). This one was pretty good and didn't seem too oily. Once again, it had good flavour with the daikon and Chinese sausage. But it was a tad salty... Come again? Next, we had the Pea Shoots & Shrimp Dumplings. Looking at the picture, it is obvious that the dumpling skin was thin, which is a good thing. Only slightly chewy and full of crunchy whole shrimp with pea shoots, this was yet another solid dish.

When the Fried Squid arrived, we were impressed at the size of the dish. It was absolutely overflowing with perfectly fried tentacles. Curiously, it was all tentacles. No real issue with me since I like them; yet I can see how someone might be turned off. In addition to being tender with some snap, the tentacles were well seasoned from the salty batter. Once again, despite being a fried item, it did not seem oily at all. Now for the requisite Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll. As always, this is one of the dishes a Dim Sum service is judged upon. This one passed with flying colours. The rice noodle itself was soft, not mushy and super thin. This is exactly how I like it. Furthermore, the large shrimp within the soft sheets of noodle were perfectly cooked and had a crunch.

With that in mind, the Pan Fried Rice Noodle Rolls were just as good. Exhibiting the same qualities as the steamed version, it was soft while retaining some chewiness. I particularly liked how they prepared the dish with care - from the pan-fry all the way to its plating. Every roll was uniformly cooked with a nice dark soy colour. The way it was plated actually resulted in more noodles since it is not haphazardly strewn all over the plate. Now onto some offal! Actually, that is the best part of Dim Sum in my opinion. Too bad not everyone shares that point of view. Thus, I do not always order it. Thankfully, Costanza is a fan and we decided to get both the Honeycomb Tripe and the Bible Tripe. Other than being a bit salty, the honeycomb tripe was tender with a little chew left. I liked the use of daikon underneath to soak up the flavour. The bible tripe was on the softer side and there was a goopy glob in the middle with bits and ends. Come Along? The sauce had too much starch; thus becoming too thick. This too was a bit on the saltier side. All of this was making me thirsty!

I really liked the Deep Fried Taro Dumplings. Much like the other fried items, it was not oily at all. In fact, there was no evidence of an oil slick on the bottom of the plate. This is a clear indication that it wasn't oily to begin with or they somehow soaked up the oil before serving it. They were crispy on the outside while the inside yielded soft taro with a flavourful ground pork filling. Whenever we get together with Costanza and family, we seem to order too much food. Well, this was no exception this time as it just kept going and going. Up next was the Mini Loh Mei Gai (or Sticky Rice wrapped in lotus leaves). Unlike recent mushy ones I've had lately, this one was soft; yet only soft enough. There was a slight bite to the rice still. Moreover, there was no shortage of ground pork and shiitake mushroom filling. Mixed together, there was moisture, flavour and some chewiness left in the sticky rice. Very well done.

For dessert, we got what the kiddies always look forward to - the Egg Tarts! Right away, I have a bias towards the ones made with flaky pastry (which this one did) rather than a tart shell. Somehow, the hard tart shells spoiled the entire dessert for me since it is supposed to be silky smooth with a buttery flaky crust. Although these ones were not exactly served hot, they were still very good. I really wished that they had not brought these as our first dish (yes, I left it to the end of this post because it just seems right). Somehow, Chinese restaurants do not understand the concept of food expediting in correct order (well, the high-end ones know this...). I digress. Anyways, the tarts were exactly how I like them and it was a fitting end to a surprisingly great Dim Sum meal (in lieu of the indifferent reviews of the place). Price-wise, I found it to be quite reasonable for the amount of food we got. As expected, service is very sparse due to the "mad house" otherwise known as Dim Sum. However, the service was courteous and responsive to our requests. As we left, the lineup was getting long, so it's best to arrive before 11:00am to avoid that. Not sure about dinner; but as for Dim Sum, I'll definitely "come again".

The Good:
- Solid Dim Sum
- Reasonably-priced
- Large portions

The Bad:
- Not uncommon to these types of restaurants; but the seating is a bit tight
- Service is hurried, still courteous though
- Long lineups

Phố Hoàng Tung

It seems you can find a Vietnamese Pho joint anywhere. On a major street, Downtown (a few), in the burbs, a dark corner and of course in strip malls. Much like the beloved sushi restaurant, there always seems to be a small family-run Vietnamese restaurant tucked in a corner somewhere. To keep costs down, many of these establishments are remnants of former restaurants (which are usually never remodeled or renovated). Thus, we see Vietnamese food served in a dining room that looks strangely Italian or Greek. Hey, how else can you get full for well under $10.00 otherwise? Then you have the type that occupy a small hole-the-wall where the only decor consists of dollar store art. Phố Hoàng Tung fits this description to a T. Hey, I don't really mind. If the food tastes good and it's cheap, that's good enough for me.

This place is obviously a family-run operation with the son as the lone person server. He seemed quite interested in my picture-taking. I just said I like taking photos of food. Well, it's true! LOL... So we started with the Salad Roll and they were pretty large. Maybe a bit too large. You see, there was so much in the way of sprouts and lettuce, the shrimp and giò lụa were completely lost. But then again, when dipped into the peanut sauce, it gets lost anyways... so don't mind me... We also tried out the Cold Cut Banh Mi and this wasn't bad. On the positive side of the ledger, the roll was crunchy and a bit chewy. Yet, the pickled veggies were bland albeit crunchy. Lack of pate did not help the relatively blandness of the sandwich.

Like always, I went for the Special Pho with every practically every meat possible. For a large bowl, there didn't appear to be much in the way of noodles, meat or soup for all that matter. I had to ask for more soup! However, in the end, it was an okay amount. I found the broth to be on the sweeter side while the noodles were cooked properly. Meats, as little as I got were tender. Viv had the the Chicken Skewer & Spring Roll Vermicelli Bowl. Curiously, there was very little vermicelli. For something so inexpensive, it would be easy to add a bit more to give the dish an appearance of value. Despite this, the chicken wasn't bad and I must give them props for using rice wrappers for the spring rolls, although they lacked filling.

Okay, there is nothing majorly wrong with the food here. In fact, it's not bad really. Sure, we had way better Vietnamese food elsewhere; but there is nothing in the way of competition nearby. Pho Hoa is a good drive up the hill to Austin and it is really nothing to write home about either. So despite the smallish portions and somewhat average food, this place is still a viable option for those who work nearby or those on their way to catch a flick at Silvercity.

The Good:
- Friendly family-run joint
- Okay eats

The Bad:
- Smallish portions

Sun Gong

*Restaurant is now closed*

After a long staff meeting, I was ready to crawl into my bed and sleep. After all, I still hadn't recovered from 3 days of late night hockey. However, I still had to pick up Pomegranate and make the long drive home in traffic. Seeing how we were both tired and not wanting to cook dinner, take out seemed to be a good idea. Driving along, we considered sushi; but really, it's best eaten right away. That is when Pomegranate remembered that Sun Gong was on the way home. Hey, this place is a dive, in the true essence of the word. The place is strictly take-out and let's just say that the outside does not prepare you for what you'll find on the inside. With a milk crate doubling as a washroom trash can, a pink kid's bike parked right next to the toilet and a plastic takeout container doubling as a cash register, you'd think we were in another country. Nope, we're in Coquitlam and if first impressions were important, I'd really never ever consider visiting the place. Rather, I tend to eat anything and have a place in my heart for dives like Sun Gong. It's a mom & pop operation where you'll find good prices, huge portions and decent Chinese/part North American Chinese fare.

While we were heading there, Pomegranate looked up the phone number on Urbanspoon. He did all the ordering and when we got there, the lady exclaimed that "your friend is Chinese!" I guess she was surprised since I ordered all the typical North American Chinese favourites. If good prices and good portions aren't enough, there is free Wonton Soup for orders over $25.00. Okay, all pork wontons have never been my favourite; however, these ones were actually quite good. The meat was not gritty and had a nice "rebound" texture to it. The addition of water chestnuts added a nice crunch. The soup itself was pretty light and was not really memorable.

Now for our dishes starting with the Broccoli Beef. With lots of garlic and a nice dark soy colour, the beef was tender and well-seasoned. I liked how the beef wasn't over-tenderized; thus exhibiting a bit of chew. The broccoli was perfectly cooked with a nice crunch. The BBQ Pork and Shrimp Fried Rice had a good amount of cold water shrimp; but could've used a bit more BBQ pork. The rice was slightly chewy and dry (maybe slightly too dry). Texturally, the rice was ultimately fine while it probably could've stood for a bit more salt. For the kiddies, I got the Chicken Chow Mein. The owner-lady was nice enough to give us a call back immediately to make sure if I wanted the deep-fried version or the "wet" version. I went for the wet version for the kiddies' sake. This was an okay chow mein with lots of chicken and cabbage. Again, it could've used a bit more soy; but nothing inherently bad about it either. With that being said, the noodles were on the softer side.

Our last dish was completely different than the others where it was not only flavourful, it was a flavour explosion. The Ginger Beef was laced with a gingery/vinegary sauce that really needed a side of rice. It's too bad there was too much sauce. Rather than thin strands of unidentifiable crisps, the beef was actually in large pieces with some chew. For what it's worth, the food at Sun Gong is cheap, plentiful and decent. Sure, it won't be my first option for Chinese food; but if I'm in a pinch and needed something quick and won't hurt my bottom line, it does the job.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Large portions
- Honest, nice owners

The Bad:
- Not going to set the Chinese culinary scene on fire
- Inside looks like hell; but really doesn't matter since it's take out...

Sango

It's been over 10 years ago since I've lived in Coquitlam. It is very different since then, with many residential developments sprouting up. The area around Ioco Road and Guildford Way has changed dramatically. Once a vast area of nothingness, now rests Newport Village. I swear, if you put this complex in Downtown, it would fit right in. Modern, trendy and full of services, I can see why this place is so popular. So where you find services, you'll also find restaurants. However, many if not all of them are hidden from the street. Last time I was in the area, Pomegranate and I paid a visit to St. James's Well. Pretty decent eats. I wouldn't have even known it had existed if no one told me about it.

This would be the same for Sango. Located in the development kitty-corner to Newport Village, it is completely hidden from plain view. You need to drive into Brew Lane towards the Thrifty Foods to find it. Both Polka King and Rich Guy have eaten here, resulting in 2 thumbs up. In that case, it was a matter of time that I made my way out to give it a try. And that I did, with the family and meeting up with Rich Guy once again. Does this guy do anything but eat? Wait. That would be me as well. Nevermind. Now, the thing that worried me about the place is the "fusion" part. I'm not against it per se. It's just that fusion usually implies "more expensive" and possibly "not very good". But I'm always game about giving everything a chance.

Walking into the place, it sure had style and one look at the menu - yup, it's somewhat pricey. All that remains is whether the food stacks up or not. We decided to try a few of their specialty rolls starting with the Hot Night. Essentially a dynamite roll with spicy braised tuna on top, this was pretty pedestrian. The rice was decent having some bite (a bit bland though); but the roll was not as flavourful as I would've hoped. The Red Dragon was the prototypical blank canvas (California Roll) with something on top. The something was a combination of tuna, unagi and avocado with a spicy sour sauce. I found this one much more flavourful and interesting. Some nice flavours going on with the tuna, unagi and the sauce. For nothing more than plain curiosity or stupidity, we got an Blazing Unagi Roll for $15.95! Turns out it was nothing more than a California Roll with unagi on top plated on aluminum foil. Only the plate underneath it was set ablaze. Don't get me wrong, it was actually a good roll with a large piece of unagi on top. Just incredibly pricey.

Now for an item in the "fusion" section - the Italian Red Snapper. It's sliced thin and drowned (or drewned as stated in the menu) in EVOO and balsamic vinegar with green onions and fried garlic slices. I can't deny that this was not bad; however, I much prefer the one from Sushiyama. Somehow the flavours were a bit muted and it could've used much more garlic. Naturally, at any Japanese restaurant, it would be a good idea to try the sashimi. Hence, we ordered the Assorted Sashimi consisting of salmon, ika with ebi, tai, tuna tataki and wild salmon. Once again, I have to say it was pretty good. Nicely cut and presented, it was both fresh and texturally pleasant. The only thing we didn't like was the portion size, it was quite small.

By default, we got the Tempura Udon for the kiddies. Not something I would choose to order; but that's what the kiddies want and that's what they'll get. I found the udon noodles to be on the softer side. Just a bit though. As for the broth, it was very flavourful. Maybe too flavourful. It was intensely sweet with a touch of saltiness. I was extremely thirsty after dinner. Not completely sure as to the cause; but you can make your own conclusions. The tempura consisted of only 3 pieces - one each of ebi, carrot and sweet potato. It was sure crispy; but the batter was too thick. I really couldn't believe the udon set us back $11.00. For that price, I could go to Chef Hung or Hakkaido Ramen Santouka for a bowl of noodles. At this point, we were not completely full and decided to tack on 2 appies. The first one was the Chicken Yakitori. Nothing particularly interesting with it considering it is 2 skewers of chicken meat with teriyaki sauce. However, it was decently tender and not too salty despite the abundance of sauce. Secondly, we got the Takoyaki. Normally, these are pan-grilled in a takoyaki mold; yet many places do the quick way by deep-frying them. As expected, these were deep fried. Decently fluffy inside and slightly crispy outside, I didn't mind them. I thought there was just enough unagi sauce and mayo for flavour while I could've used more bonito.

If I had to sum up Sango in one word, it would be expensive. The food itself wasn't bad considering the location. Nothing spectacular; yet nothing horrible either. The ambiance and decor are quite pleasing while the service can be a bit slow (although it wasn't rude as some people have remarked). However, I can't get over the pricing. It is dangerously close to Miku prices and Sango is no Miku. Furthermore, it is not located in Downtown, so I'm not exactly sure where the premium pricing comes from. At the very least, the fusion part doesn't necessarily detract from the final product. Unfortunately it does reaffirm the stigma of a fusion restaurant - $$$.

The Good:
- Some interesting items
- Food is okay considering the location
- Pleasing decor

The Bad:
- Expensive
- Food is alright but does not justify the cost
- Service is a bit slow

Chez Meme Baguette Bistro

Despite located quite conveniently close to where I live, Chez Meme Baguette Bistro has eluded my culinary adventures. How so? Well, the fact it is only open Monday to Friday 8:00am - 3:00pm puts it smack dab in the middle of the working day. As much as it doesn't seem like it, I do have a day job! Hence, it has been difficult to try the place out. So, to take advantage of the Christmas holidays, I dragged the whole family including the grandparents out to Hastings at Gilmore. Hey, I know they serve up delicious baguettes; however, they have breakfast and some French entrees as well. I want to try it all! Now initially, my parents had arrived first and snapped up a window seat. Too bad it was near the door and every time someone opened it, the temperature dropped significantly. So we had to move... to a table with no natural light. *GASP* What about my pictures? Well, you see the result. Sub par. *SOB*

The cold air from the door can be attributed to the fact the restaurant is very small. Getting a table is a challenge since it is busy all the time. As we begin to look at the food, it is quite clear why they are successful. For the kiddies, we got the 2 Egg Breakfast to share. It may be a simple dish; but these were some of the best scrambled eggs we've had. Fluffy and just barely cooked, this requires skill. The toasted baguette was nice, the kids loved it. It included 3 meaty breakfast sausages and a pile of sauteed potatoes. If you were expecting hashbrowns, these were not it. Good in its own ways though. Think boiled potatoes that are lightly pan fried. For $6.50, this was a large plate of food which was made with care. Much better than any chain restaurant out there. My dad also had a breakfast plate in the Baguette Willy, consisting of a toasted baguette with ham and scrambled eggs topped with cheese sauce. At first, I was seriously concerned about the sauce. It looked like nacho dip. Silly me. I must've forgotten I was in in a French bistro. They wouldn't serve anything like that! In actuality, the sauce was quite mild and cheesy (not salty at all). It went well with all the components with the ham providing the necessary saltiness. Once again, the fluffy scrambled eggs made the dish.

Viv and I decided to take the baguette portion of the meal. She went for the Bourguignon and my word... Look at it. All meat, no filler. Consisting of tender short rib, caramelized onions and horseradish, this was good. There was a great combination of flavours, in particular the contrast of red wine with the sweetness of the onions. Beautiful. For myself, I predictably had the Jarret consisting of lamb shank, roasted garlic jam and grainy dijon. Once again, the baguette was stuffed with tender meat, no filler! I loved the baguette, it was a great combination of gamy lamb, sweet jam and some bite from the mustard. I opted for the Soup du Jour as my side which happened to be Cauliflower, Thyme and Truffle Oil. The soup was very mild with only a small hint of thyme and earthiness from the truffle oil. This is best to be enjoyed on its own since the lamb baguette was so flavourful. My only request would be that the soup be served hot. It was only lukewarm.

Lastly, my mom had the Duck Confit with orange sauce. Normally, an orange sauce can turn out to be too sweet or even "marmaladey". Not so here, the sauce had the nice essence of orange (rind and all); yet had a strong element of savouriness which gave it good balance. The duck itself was very good. Most of the meat was fall off the bone tender. There was a requisite gaminess of duck which went well with the orange sauce. Lastly, the skin was rendered nicely with very little in the way of duck fat. It wasn't crispy due to the sauce; but it was good in its own ways. In fact, everything was good. What a pleasant surprise for North Burnaby. Solid French food for extremely reasonable prices. Couple that with honest service from the proprietors, you can get any better than that. Too bad it is not open more often.

The Good:
- Really solid eats
- Good portions
- Reasonable prices

The Bad:
- Although friendly, service is strained due to the limited staff
- It's a small place, waits are common

The Bombay

Just a mere 10 hours since we last ate together, I met up with Rich Guy for lunch. Previously, we were doing late night eats at Lucy's Eastside Diner. This time around, it is The Bombay in Coquitlam. Arguably the best Indian restaurant in Coquitlam, it has been on my wish list for awhile. Mind you, it is easy to the "best" when you are the only Indian restaurant in Coquitlam! Hey, I have high expectations coming into this one. After all, I work near the best Indian restaurants in the GVRD.

Normally, I'm a pretty punctual person. Actually, I think it's genetic. Both of my kids were born on their due dates. Talk about punctual! Anyways, due to circumstances beyond my control (road work), I was a full 30 minutes late meeting Rich Guy. He ended up visiting XS Cargo in the meantime. I hope he didn't end up buying some useless junk there. I've had my share of good and bad experiences there. I digress. Anyways, is it just me or are Indian restaurants surprisingly clean? This one is no different. Even the washrooms are exemplary. Try to find that in a Chinese restaurant! Again, I digress. So we were seated by the only staff member at the front of the house... I mention this because he really seemed overworked for the amount of customers in the restaurant (and it was only 1/3 full!). Imagine if it were full! This probably contributed to the long wait between ordering and getting our food.

Now when we finally did get our food, it was quite a lot of it. You see, with Indian food, there are times where there is a whole lot of sauce and very little meat. Not here. In my Lamb Vindaloo, there was enough meat to for 2 portions. Furthermore, it was very flavourful and quite spicy for "medium" (just the way I like it). Rich Guy has been here many times in the past and said that "spicy" is insanely hot. The lamb itself was in big tender chunks. Rich Guy had the classic Butter Chicken and once again, there was plenty of tender pieces of meat. This particular version was a bit more tomatoey than creamy. Nonetheless, it was still very flavourful and smooth. It went well with the wonderful Naan. It had the desired chewy/stretchiness on the outside which gave way to a soft warm inside. Perfect for soaking up the abundance of sauce. Of course we also had Basmati Rice for the curries as well. It was a bit clumpy and hard, not the best looking rice; but it did the job when soaked with the flavourful sauces.

Finally, we got an half order of Tandoori Chicken to share. Probably not a good idea since there was more than enough food already... It arrived sizzling on a hot plate and it smelled wonderful. It also tasted alright with hits of various spices; but the chicken was very dry. That was true for the dark meat as well. In fact, the white meat was quite stringy. Not the highlight of the meal by any stretch of the imagination. But honestly, that was the only real glitch in an otherwise delicious and filling lunch. I was quite surprised at the quality and portion size of the dishes. Although the service was sparse and slow due to the lack of staff, the one server was friendly and tried the best he could. I guess since there is no competition nearby, the prices are on the higher side. With that being said, the portions balance it to a degree. Definitely good enough to compare with the restaurants in Surrey.

The Good:
- Large portions
- Food looks and tastes like it should
- Very clean

The Bad:
- Not cheap
- Lack of staff