Soul Robata & Izakaya

After finishing up a meal at Tomoya with my softball team, I had to rush over to Coquitlam. Rich Guy had a flight to catch since he was heading back to the Philippines. Yah, a pretty sad day for me once again since that would eliminate an anytime, anywhere eating partner. As expected, we didn't let this trip to Richmond go to waste. After he checked his bags in, we went for some eats. While driving down Westminster and waiting to turn left, we noticed a white Benz signaling right while in the left turn bay. Okay, maybe they want to get out of the left turn bay? Nope, they proceeded to make a left turn while signaling right. I guess they couldn't see out of their completely fogged up windows? Once we passed them, they also had their high beams on. Lemme reiterate. A white Benz signaling right while turning left with windows all fogged up and high beams on, driving at 30 km/h on #3 Road. And people give me a hard time when I express my displeasure at driving in Richmond... Need I give more evidence?

Anyways, we made our way to Soul Robata and Izakaya for a bite to eat prior to his boarding time. Yes, Izakaya again... It seems that is all we ever eat while in Richmond. Well, another reason for this is because I needed sometime lighter since this would be my 5th meal of the day. I'm sure this will make Mijune proud! The last time I was at Soul Izakaya, it was part of the Foodie Tour last summer. I was happy with the food and decided it was time for a full meal. Seeing how the Sashimi was quite impressive the last time I was here, we got 2 pcs each of flounder, shimiji, amberjack and geoduck. Every piece was fresh texturally and tastewise. We particularly liked the shimiji. Buttery while still retaining some texture, it was sweet beyond our expectations. I didn't even use much in the way of soy or wasabi. Despite being a relatively simple dish, Rich Guy loves Fukahire Kurage or otherwise known as jellyfish and shark's fin salad. Beyond the crunchy texture, the salad was well-seasoned exhibiting a great combination of vinegar, sweetness, saltiness and a hint of spice.

We weren't exactly in the mood for Tako Wasa; but seeing it was the special of the day, we went for it anyways. Must be the Chinese in us - can't pass up a deal... Well, it turned out to be a solid choice since it was pretty good. The tako was chewy as expected; yet not overly so. There was a nice kick and some acidity. This went well with the nori sheets provided. Personally, the same nori sheets don't work for me when it comes to Salmon Yukke. I much prefer it to be served with shrimp chips a la Guu. Something about the crispiness and the ability of being able to eat it without salmon squirting all over the place. Maybe with that in mind, we were not exactly raving about this offering. Nothing particularly wrong with it since the salmon was fresh and all. However, on mix with the quail's egg, scallions and oshinko slices, there was not much flavour to it. I know it is supposed to be subtle; but a little lemon would've gone a long way to brightening it up.

One dish we did rave about was the Gyu Sashi. Technically a beef carpaccio, what we got was essentially beef tataki. However, this was exactly how we liked it. Sliced thin and easy to chewy while maintaining a meat texture, we gobbled it up quickly. The ponzu dressing was perfect. A good combination of vinegary zing and saltiness. Add in the grated ginger and the whole thing was very appetizing. Last time at Koto Izakaya, Rich Guy got turned onto monkfish liver or ankimo, so it was a given we'd see what the Ankimo Sandwich was all about. Well, it consisted of 4 mini-sandwiches with monkfish liver. It sounded good on paper; yet it really didn't work in our opinion. The delicate liver got completely lost between the slices of bread. In fact, we couldn't even really taste it, which is a shame. It was not a bad offering per se. It was just not how we would eat monkfish liver.

Next up was a classic in the Ebi Mayo. Unlike some other iterations, there was not an obscene amount of mayo; rather, there was just enough. That was good since the very crunchy fried shrimp could shine on its own. Perfectly cooked as well, this was a solid version. Originally, we also wanted to try out the Gindara. Unfortunately, they were sold out and we settled on the Grilled Unagi. To many, unagi doesn't really elicit much excitement since it is a relatively common item in a Japanese restaurant. In fact, Ross from Friends popularized it as a state of mind... However, this was no ordinary unagi. It was fatty, tender and all around delicious. The darn thing practically melted in my mouth while the fatty skin was a delight to eat. There was just enough sauce too without drowning the darn thing.

Since Rich Guy had a flight to catch, we rushed the last item a bit and honestly, we wished we had more time to savour it. The Grilled Lamb Chips were friggin' fantastic. Rich Guy is not a huge fan of lamb; but he liked this. It was cooked perfectly with a medium-rare centre and none-too-gamy. It was super-tender, not requiring much effort to chew. What brought it all together was the perfect complimentary sauce. It was a sweet soy sauce with a nice gingery kick. There was no absence of flavour while it did not overwhelm the lamb at the same time. After that, we quickly left for the airport all the while being quite satisfied with our meal at Soul. We realize that it is not a true Japanese Izakaya much like Koto down the street. However, that shouldn't matter much when they can dish out some tasty food.

The Good:
- Some pretty good flavours
- Mostly well-executed
- Decent service

The Bad:
- Most items are reasonably-priced and some are quite expensive
- Need I repeat what I say about the parking along Alexandra?

Tomoya

With softball season looming, Miss Y decided that we should have a practice session. Sounded like a good idea to me, especially since I got a new glove that needed to be worked in. You see, I play first base and Silent Bob plays short. His throws the balls so hard, I don't need to "catch" it because the ball becomes permanently embedded into my glove. Therefore, I had no choice but to purchase an actual first baseman's glove to protect my picture-taking hand. Hey, that is important! So we were all ready to go for a Monday evening practice when good ol' rain got in the way. What to do now? Seeing how we already had set aside time, the only logical thing to do was go eat! One problem though. We met up at the field at 4:00pm. That's too early to eat... or was it... So it was decided that we'd go for a pre-dinner at Wings first! Wow, the team not only eats with me all the time, they are taking it seriously! After some wings and appies, we were originally set on Makoto. Another problem. They were closed. So we ended up at Tomoya instead. I've been here countless times; but I didn't mind, my pictures were crap and needed updating anyways.

Judes, Milhouse, Emilicious and I decided to share while Miss Y and Bear did their best Dr. 911 impression (which is to not share!). For those sharing, we started with a Wakame Salad. Topped with tobiko, the wakame had the desired crunch while the dressing wasn't short on flavour. They weren't shy with the rice wine vinegar which I personally don't mind. The toasted sesame provided some aromatics as per usual. While we were looking at the menu, a section caught our attention. Labeled as "Tapers", I'm sure they mean tapas. Don't people ever get someone to proof-read??? Tapers? Honestly. So... in the tapers section of the menu, we selected the Grilled Asparagus. Topped by what seemed like a wasabi mayo, this was alright. I mean the asparagus itself was grilled perfectly. It was cooked all the way through while still maintaining a bite. However, the sauce was far too mild to make any impact.

We also got a bunch of specialty rolls starting with the daily special which was the Flamingo. The inside consisted of salmon, spicy tuna, avocado and cucumber with hamachi on the outside. The entire roll was drizzled with wasabi mayo and mango sauce. In our opinion, this roll was not worth the regular price, which was around $13.00. The components were fine; but nothing set it apart. The rice was pretty average. It was slightly dry and mealy. Looking past that, it was a decent roll though, if not a bit on the sweeter side. Next up was the Phoenix Roll consisting of what is essentially a dynamite roll in the middle (ebi tempura, cucumber and avocado) with salmon, tuna, fukahire kurage and the same house sauces found on the previous items. This was a substantial roll that seemed to be a better value than the Flamingo. Ultimately, this was a pretty decent roll mostly due to the tasty and texturally appealing fukahire kurage topping.

Lastly, we got the Blossom Roll consisting of salmon, cucumber and tamago on the inside with smoked salmon on the outside. Wakame salad and ikura with the same house sauces finished the plate. The roll itself was not bad considering the ingredients were fresh; but the use of the same sauces made the flavours repetitive and boring. At least the wakame gave some variation in texture and taste though. From my previous visits here, it is clear that one of their signature items is the Black Sun. What is essentially a form of salmon yukke with black tobiko, this again was marred by the use of the same house sauces. Now if we ignored the sauces and merely ate the salmon mixed with the tobiko, it was mild and slightly sweet. The lemon wedge was a necessity as it helped liven up the flavours a bit. In the end, this would've been better if it was served like salmon yukke which usually is accompanied by an eating vessel (ie. nori, shrimp chips).

Bear didn't want any rolls and instead went for the Chicken Yakisoba. Being Japanese, he was resigned to dining on mediocre food since Tomoya is not Japanese-run. And honestly, the yakisoba was exactly that. It was neither poor or good. It was your typical stir-fried noodles with slightly dry chicken on top doused by a sweet teriyaki glaze. Miss Y also did her own thing with the Tempura Don. By just looking at it, I thought to myself that it looked kinda dry. Yah, the rice was dry and it didn't help that they only provided a modest amount of tempura dip. She was expecting the rice to already be pre-sauced; but it wasn't. Thus, it wasn't really an enjoyable don for her. Furthermore, the tempura batter was too thick.

So, much like the previous times I've been here, the cooked food is something that is only passable. The consensus at the table was one of indifference. Therefore, this revisit was only so-so. Did their standards go downhill? Have my sushi tastes been refined? A little of both? Whatever the case, the main thing going for Tomoya is their good selection of well-priced specialty rolls.

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced specialty rolls
- Menu has a little of everything including "tapers"

The Bad:
- Mediocre cooked food
- Seating is cramped

Little Thailand

Do you ever drive by a restaurant and it looks so decrepit that it actually beckons for visit? Hey, think of it. If the place looks like crap on the outside, the food must be good. Otherwise, how does it survive? Well, there is this one place that is right on the main drag in Port Moody that has piqued my interest for some time. Sitting on top of a hill much like the house in Psycho, it has this almost hypnotic quality to it. It's like calling out, "come eat here, it's not really that bad...". Or maybe I am just waiting for Anthony Perkins to come out and yell out "mother"! So for me to visit a dive is not really a new thing. Sometimes, I wonder myself why I visit some places. It's like I'm asking for it. However, it is a real stretch for Rich Guy to visit such an establishment. I had to sell him on it since his frequency for visiting dives is as much as a car parked correctly in a parking spot in Richmond.

At first, when we met up outside and he did seem hesitant; but I assured him it would be better inside than out. Surprisingly, I was right (I totally guessed, just wanted to get him in there). The place is nicely appointed and inviting. Another twist to this eating adventure was the fact we were missing the Canucks game against the Hawks. Turns out it was a good decision since they got pummeled 5-0. Enough of that, onto the food... We started out with a large order of the Tom Yum Goong. This was quite flavourful while lacking depth all at the same time. There was no shortage of lemongrass, galangal, fish sauce and chilis complimenting the perfectly cooked prawns and mushrooms. However, the soup base itself was not flavourful. After the initial hit of flavours, it fell flat. Next, we had the Green Papaya Salad. This was very fresh and vibrant consisting of julienned carrots, green papaya, apples and green beans. Texturally, this was a winner with plenty of crunch. Flavour wise, we found it leaning towards the tart and fish saucy side and lacking a bit in sweetness. To be fair, it is nitpicking. The salad was solid nonetheless.

To go with the Green Curry, we got an order of the Coconut Rice. I know it's only rice; but we found it to be cooked perfectly. It had a nice chewy texture while being fluffy and fragrant. As for the Chicken Green Curry, let's just say it tasted better than it looked. With an obvious oil slick at the top and a rustic appearance, it was neither creamy nor watery. I've had many green curries where the coconut milk looks as if it has curdled and this was one of them. I think they might have cooked it at too high heat? Regardless of it's appearance, we found the curry to be not as flavourful as we would've liked. It could've stood to be both spicier and saltier (more fish sauce?).

On the other hand, we enjoyed the Chicken Pad Thai. It could've had more of a tamarind zing to it; but at the very least, it was not ketchupy. We found the rice noodles to be cooked perfectly as well as the other ingredients. However, we noticed that the pressed tofu and preserved turnip were missing from this version. This detracted slightly from what was probably the best dish of the meal. Interesting. Turns out the place wasn't as good as we had envisioned. Maybe we were expecting too much? Don't get me wrong. The food was alright. Yet, for the price we paid for our meal (which was $60.00), we didn't feel it was necessarily worth it. Too bad really, it had the "crappy-looking place in an odd location" going for it (or not).

The Good:
- The inside is actually quite nice and comfortable
- The service we got was good (albeit we were the only ones there)

The Bad:
- Food is only alright
- The price can get up there

Pho Tau Bay

It is a well-known fact that there are plenty of places to get Pho in Vancouver. Just drive down Kingsway. There seems to be a Vietnamese restaurant every couple of blocks. Kinda reminds me of ABC stores in Honolulu. Now, it may not be a known fact for those who live outside of Surrey that there is a significant Pho presence here as well. Situated in and around Surrey Central and Guildford, there actually great Pho joints. Pho Tam, in particular, is one of my personal favs. However, according to many Pho Tau Bay makes a pretty mean Pho as well. Seeing how it was pouring and cold, a steaming hot bowl of Pho sounded pretty darn good. On my way out there, I passed by another favourite - the Surrey location of Song Huong. That place is pretty sketch from the outside and inside. But it's got nothing on Pho Tau Bay. Boy, it really ain't anything to look at and when I tried to rest my back on the banquette, it almost fell off. Okay, who really cares anyways, we're only here for the food right? That was an homage to Kim...

Being the hungry man that I am (hey that rhymes!), I got 2 items starting with the Pho Dac Biet. It arrived steaming hot and smelling fragrant. One sip of the soup and bam! I was hit with flavour like a Ford Fiesta in a collision with a luxury SUV driven by some clueless idiot. Alright, there is something wrong here. There are no naturally occurring ingredients that can make soup taste that flavourful and sweet. My hunch was MSG. After my meal, it was confirmed by my sudden desire to visit the 7-11 next door for a really large Big Gulp. Soup aside, there wasn't a whole lot of noodles for a large bowl. The meat was tender enough; yet it was only modest in quantity. I give them high marks for the inclusion of saw leaf herb with the sprouts. Thank goodness I ordered a Grilled Chicken and Spring Roll on Broken Rice as well! I gotta say that this was a well-made rice dish. The broken rice had a pleasant texture which was both a bit chewy and soft at the same time. The chicken was fantastic. With a nice char and extremely juicy, the chicken was seasoned properly. A slight sprinkle of sweet fish sauce and the whole dish sang. I really liked it. However, I found the use of wheat wrapper for the spring roll to be disappointing. The spring roll itself was fine. I just question how hard is it to use a rice wrapper instead? That aside and the MSG thing, I rather enjoyed the food at Pho Tau Bay. Not as good as I expected (especially from the rave reviews); yet still does the job.

The Good:
- Flavourful food
- Reasonably-priced (as with many Vietnamese restaurants)

The Bad:
- Soup base is good; but woah... the MSG!
- Inside is in need of renos (if that matters to you)

The New Angus Burger at McDonald's

A month ago, McDonald's sent me 3 vouchers to try their new Angus burgers. Well, it really wasn't necessary since I was going to try them anyways. Besides, they were 50% off during that particular week. So off I went to the Scott Road location near 86th for some 1/3rd pound action. I ended up picking up the Mushroom Swiss for myself and Bacon & Cheese for Hot Mama. Okay, I have to be completely blunt here. I did not like the burger. I like a nice crust on my burger patties; but this was was downright overcooked. Essentially, I had a pathetically dry 1/3rd pound of meat sandwiched in between a dense bun.

Okay, maybe this was a one-off. Maybe the person making them was a pimpled-teen wanting to just finish their shift. Hence, I visited the Hastings and Gamma location for a retry. Nope. That was another unmitigated disaster. Another set of dry patties and equally dry cold buns. I really couldn't believe how unappealing they were. Furthermore, they messed up my order of 3 burgers. I wanted one of each and I got one Deluxe, one Mushroom Swiss and a third one that looked like half a Mushroom Swiss and half of a Deluxe. WTF? I went as far as emailing the PR rep and notifying her that I really didn't like them (and be prepared for a not-so-glorifying post). However, after speaking with several people who have also had the burger, I was convinced to give it a try once again. Fine.

After paying for 2 tries, I used the coupon for the third time. I decided to go to a different location, being the Brentwood location in Burnaby. Finally. This time around, the experience was a complete 180. The meat patties were still not juicy; yet at least they were not dry. I got plenty of meat flavour and unlike the Quarter Pounder, I found it less salty (possibly because there is more meat?). The bun was warm and soft while the mushrooms were Earthy and delicious. So what can I conclude about the new Angus 1/3 Pounders? It is a solid fast food burger, if you can find a location that makes it right. Oh, on a side note, I really like McDonald's fries. I don't care what people say.

The Good:
- It's a substantial burger
- Lots of meat flavour

The Bad:
- It's kinda pricey
- Consistency from location-to-location is not there yet

EBO Restaurant Revisited

Generally, taking kids along to a fine-dining establishment is akin to going for a spin in the Crystal Mall parking lot. Both are equally painful and might involve a lot of crying. So with that in mind, it is challenge to bring the whole family out for a nice dinner. After all, if the grandparents are at the same meal, who takes care of the kids? So what we are ultimately left with are certain chain restaurants. However, those places charge essentially the same price as many of the so called "fine dining" spots. So what do we have if we eliminate the chain restaurants? Simple. Those restaurants found in hotels. These "need-to-be-there" establishments are meant to merely offer safe, mediocre food for weary travelers who may or may not have children. Wait a second. That could be a thing of the past. It is increasingly clear that hotel restaurants are realizing that stigma is not very conducive in attracting the locals. Hence, we see hotel restaurants investing in talented chefs and allowing them to be creative. We can definitely see this at The Apron and more recently at H5O on my visit to Portland. Another place that certainly has potential is EBO at the Delta Burnaby Hotel. We had a good meal here over a year ago. The food was surprising and the kids were not only welcomed, they ate for free!

Remembering that fact, we all decided to head out for a return visit with the whole family. Apparently, it was food blogger/writer night as Vanfoodster and Alfie Lau (Burnaby Now) were both in the house as well. Seeing how many of the available items were not conducive for sharing, we settled for the Calamari as described on the menu - Crisp Lemon Fried Squid, Fresh Coriander and Chili Dip, Scallions. I'm not trying to diss fried calamari; however, for me at least, it seems like a relatively common menu item. As such, it didn't necessarily elicit any "wows". Don't get me wrong, it was still a very solid dish. The squid was a pleasing texture that had a snap while being easy to chew. The crisp lemon & peppery exterior was also very appetizing. I found the chili dip a bit weak though. It was neither spicy nor that flavourful. Our second appie was a "retry" of the Crab Cakes (Bonito Crusted Belle River Rock Crab, Chili Bean Aioli, Cabbage Slaw, Sweet Soya). We had them the last time we were here. They were good; but the one thing I remembered about them was a comment left by a reader indicating that they looked more like "balls" than cakes. Well, I'm happy to report they looked very much like cakes this time around. We liked how much crab there was in each cake. Not too much filler here. We definitely could taste the natural sweetness of the crab; yet it was slightly on the drier side (need more filler?). The Asian influences with the sauce and slaw really complimented the crab cakes and didn't overwhelm.

Normally, I'm not a huge fan of ordering chicken in a restaurant. There are several reasons for this including the most important - the chicken in Canada is bland. Due to the regulations we have here, the chicken loses much of it's natural flavour from processing. Do you ever noticed that our chicken is paler than the ones you can get almost everywhere else? Anyways, our server talked me into trying the Roast Chicken (Twice Cooked Free-Range Breast, Pancetta and Spinach Risotto, Fresh Lemon and Herbs). You know what? That wasn't a bad decision. Once again, it wasn't a wow dish per se; but it was very, very good. The chicken breast was juicy and moist with an appealing crisp exterior. Unlike many chicken dishes out there, this was properly seasoned. Every bite had flavour (and not of the salty kind either). As for the risotto, it was creamy and bursting with flavour thanks to the pancetta. It was just a smidgen past al dente.

My mom ended up with the Bacon-Wrapped Scallops served atop Risotto with Lobster Reduction. To some, this would sound like an item easily purchased from M & M; however, the way they prepared it here was anything but. Consisting of 4 giant scallops wrapped into a "steak", it was cooked together. That resulted in the bacon having less affect on the scallops. Otherwise, the saltiness of the bacon could overwhelm the delicate scallops. As you can clearly see in the picture, there was a significant sear on the scallops and the bacon for all that matter. With such caramelization, there was a pronounced smokey flavour and resulting salty-sweet thing going on. This was perfect though since I can't stand chewy undercooked bacon. Moreover, the scallops were barely cooked on the inside which was the best of both worlds. As with the risotto in my dish, the one here was creamy and just a tad overdone. My dad had the Sablefish with Linguine Nero, Smoked Sockeye Salmon, Green Peas, Cauliflower &
Horseradish Velouté. He raved about how well the fish was prepared. I took a sample and it was very good. The crispiness of the exterior was an excellent contrast to the buttery flesh. I really liked the squid ink linguine because it was both al dente and interesting to look at. Yes, I admit it, black pasta has a certain visual appeal to it. We found the horseradish veloute to be very mild, which did not interfere with the delicate protein. The smoked salmon provided the saltiness for the dish.

During the Foodie Feast, Viv didn't get a chance to try the signature Tuna (Rare Rice-Crusted Albacore Tuna Steak, Avocado Purée, Asparagus with Serrano Ham, Chili Gastrique) from the EBO table. Thus, she had no choice but to order it this time around. Whimsically plated, the food on the plate is more substantial than it looks. I've had it before and it was more than enough food for me. What really makes the dish is the protein. The tuna could not be prepared more perfectly. Rare in the middle with only a narrow ring of cooked crispiness, it is a textural delight. The avocado puree does not compete with the delicate tuna; rather, it is merely there to compliment. Add in saltiness of the Serrano ham and crunchy asparagus, you have a wonderful plate of food. Their best dish here by far.

Now why were we here in the first place? Oh yeah, the kids! My daughter had the Penne Pasta with a side of fries. Well, it was slightly pass al dente pasta with tomato sauce. I'm sure they cooked it a bit more for the kiddies. She seemed to like it. For my son, once again he had the Grilled Cheese. And yes, it's a grilled cheese. I have nothing more to say about that. Then came dessert. Yes really, a lot of dessert actually. Originally, Viv was the only one having dessert (and the kids, their meals included dessert); but Chef Dan Craig was generous enough to offer up desserts for everyone. My son had the Chocolate Brownie and if you notice, his dessert was plated like an adult serving. I love how they don't merely dump a dessert on the plate for the kids. They actually put effort into it. For my daughter, she just had strawberry yogurt (it looked nice though!). For the adults, we started with the Pistachio & Chocolate Creme Brulee. This was really good. Pistachios and anything sweet just seem to go really well. The salty, nuttiness of the pistachios both accented and heighten the sweetness of the custard (which was silky and not overly sweet). Only thing I would've liked was a bit more torching with the sugar crust.

Next, we had the Classic New York Cheesecake with Chocolate Garnish, Cassis Fruit Pate & Mango Ice Cream. This was a well-prepared baked cheesecake. Not too dense nor sweet, it was not a burden to eat. The texture was silky smooth and we liked the side of mango ice cream which was a refreshing change of pace to the cheesecake. As described, the Cherry Financier Cake sounded great; however, this was probably our least favourite. Nothing inherently terrible about it really, it just didn't fit our fancy. The cake itself was not too sweet and the burst of cherries inside was a nice treat. We weren't that fond of the texture which was on the denser side. Hey, that is probably the right texture too. Chalk it up to personal preference. For Viv, she didn't see the connection between the orange goat cheese yogurt with the rest of the items. I wasn't sure myself; but I liked it though.

For our last dessert, we got the adult version of the Warm Chocolate Brownie with Tower of Peanut Butter Ice Cream, Hot Chocolate Sauce,
Roasted Chocolate Marshmallow & Peanut Brittle. The star of this dessert was the ice cream. It was smooth, peanutty and surprisingly not incredibly sweet. Again, we thought the whimsical plating to be a plus. So there we have it. Another solid meal here at EBO. I really shouldn't say EBO is good for a hotel restaurant because it is actually good compared to many other restaurants in general. The prices can be considered expensive for Burnaby; but as the ol' adage goes: you get what you pay for. And what you get here is quality food that is carefully prepared served up in a classy environment that is kid-friendly (where the kids eat free). I'm sure that is attractive to families that are aching for a good meal, which really costs the same as visiting Cactus Club (and yes, that means Cactus Club is not cheap either...).

The Good:
- Well-executed dishes
- Lovely decor
- Kid-friendly

The Bad:
- Not cheap; but it's fair pricing