Thai Hang

*Restaurant is closed*

Much like Chinese cuisine where there is a clear distinction between Dim Sum and dinner service, it is much of the same for a Vietnamese restaurant when we look at the typical Pho versus Bo 7 Mon. Most people are familiar with the bowl of rice noodles in beef broth; yet not so much with the "beef 7 ways". Normally served during Vietnamese weddings, this is only available at a select few restaurants in town. Other than Song Huong, there are other places that offer variations; but not the full 7 courses. Last time I was at Thai Hang, I enjoyed a good beef 7 ways meal. However, I've never tried the other regular Vietnamese dishes on the menu.

When Kaiser Soze suggested we go to one of his favourite Vietnamese restaurants after Sunday morning hockey, JuJu and I were game. The fact we were able to snag one of the last 2 tables indicated that he's not the only one that likes the place. Much like Pho Tam, there are lunch specials which give a choice of Pho and a starter. For myself, I went for the Spring Roll. First things first, the fact they used rice wrappers made for a more authentic spring roll. Secondly, it was fried up nicely without being too oily. And lastly, the filling was not too dense and had plenty of flavour even without the dip. JuJu also had a combo and went for the Salad Roll instead. These were pretty modest in size and loosely wrapped. Therefore, some of the filling fell out when it was dipped into the sauce. It was also a bit heavy on the lettuce, which may have contributed to the loose filling. Other than that, it was fine.

We all had Pho, so I'm not going to talk about 3 bowls that were basically the same. Kaiser Soze mentioned that Thai Hang's portions are generally some of the largest he's seen. I would agree that the portions are decent; but it doesn't hold a candle to Pho Tam. As for the meats, they were tender and plentiful. The noodles were prepared correctly while the soup was pretty good. It wasn't as flavourful as I would've liked. At the very least, it didn't seem like there was an overabundance of MSG. Now at this point, we were moderately satisfied; but not completely so. Well, Kaiser Soze was fine, he didn't want to eat anymore. However, JuJu and I could eat more. And so we did. We ending up splitting an order of Lemongrass Chicken on Rice. Now this was a generous portion of 2 deboned chicken legs atop broken rice. The chicken was very moist and juicy with a whole lot of flavour. We could definitely taste the marinade and it went well with the properly cooked rice. My only wish would be for a bit more charring. That was a great way to finish off a satisfying lunch. Not the best Vietnamese food we've ever had; yet it was universally above average and well-priced.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Decent portions
- Food is above average

The Bad:
- Seating is tight
- Service is hurried and sparse (but what do you expect...)

Brunch @ Fleuri (Sutton Place Hotel)

*Restaurant is closed*

Normally, I'm not one for crowds. Hey, call me anti-social; but it just stresses me out. That probably explains my aversion to lineups, public events and Richmond. So when it comes to stat holidays and special occasions, I would much rather celebrate it in peace and quiet or possibly delay for a week or so. That goes the same for Mother's Day. We were planning on going for Sunday brunch the week after; but at the last minute decided to do what corporate marketing machines want us to do - buy cards, gifts and eat expensive meals. Ah whatever, we only live once, let's just spend the money eh? So we booked Sunday brunch at The Sutton Place Hotel for Mother's Day. That would be for my mom and Viv (since she's a mom too!).

It's funny how we can spring for a $60.00 per person brunch; yet balked at paying for hotel parking. When I found out it was $8.00 an hour, my Chineseness took over. Heck no would I pay that! So I merely found street parking around the corner from Japadog for $6.00 for 2 hours. Ha! I showed them! The only problem was walking past Japadog twice... I wanted some. No, must... resist... Once past the lure of a Terimayo, we arrived at the entrance to Fleuri and there was already a lineup to get in. Argh! Darn lineups and crowds! Okay, breath slowly, don't hyperventilate. There's a lot of food, keep the appetite! Fortunately, I was able to attack the food with my camera before the mad rush. Unfortunately, I really didn't eat until after that and by then, it was a traffic jam. Darn #$*#)*# crowds! LOL...

Despite being Mother's Day, the spread was pretty much typical of the regular Sunday brunch offering. At the front, there was a "bread basket" of sorts which also had some fresh tortilla chips, croissants and Danishes. Behind it, there was an array of salads which included Gemelli Pasta with English Peas, Tomato & Basil Pesto, Golden Beet Salad with Crumbled Goat Cheese, New Potato Salad with Asparagus & Radish and Tomato & Herbed Bocconcini. Honestly, I didn't try any of these salads. With so many other choices, I decided to save myself. They did look fresh though. Within the same section, there was a good selection of cold platters consisting of Flaked Halibut and Trout with Chopped Strawberries, Smoked Salmon & Gravlax, Mussels with Lemon, Dill and Sausage-infused oil (?) in a Spoon, Melon & Prosciutto, Marinated Mushrooms, Cured & Smoked Meats and Grilled Antipasto Platter. We thought the mussels were the highlight. The little bite had a big hit of flavour with the lemon while some smokiness from the oil. As for the other items, they were pretty much what we expected from a brunch such as this. As for the halibut & trout, the strawberries on top was rather strange and didn't really compliment the fish. There really needed to be a savoury component to it.

Now the one platter that sat majestically above everything else was full of Clams, Mussels, Shrimp and Crab Claws. Doing what my parents taught me, I attacked this first. Salads. Pfffft... It's all about the seafood baby! I found all of the items to be prepared nicely except for the crab claws. Okay, lemme rephrase that. There was nothing wrong with the preparation per se; but the claws had this odd texture only reserved for previously frozen crab. Too bad really. Would've been nice to have Dungeness Crab legs instead. Moving along to the hot food station, I found the token Dim Sum tray. Ah yes. Something that must have reasonable expectations. So there was Sui Mai, Haw Gow and Ebi Gyoza. I thought the sui mai was somewhat passable since the pork was a little bit chewy while still tenderized. Unfortunately, the darn thing was too loose and fell apart. Furthermore the shrimp was overcooked. The haw gow was well, not very good. The shrimp inside consisted of some good bits mixed in with some not so good bits. Also, there was far too much sesame oil. The dumpling skin was the worst part. It was thick and crumbled on contact. The ebi gyoza was alright. At least the dumpling skin was done right and the shrimp inside was passable. The meat filling was a bit gritty though.

The next tray consisted of a Trio of Fish in Buerre Blanc. Surprisingly, the salmon and halibut were moist. This is a very difficult thing to regulate in a buffet setting. I found the buerre blanc to quite mild. It did not overwhelm the fish; yet it didn't really flavour it either. I wasn't all that fond of the smoked mackerel though, it was tough and I could barely chew it. Moving along once again, I found the one of my favs - Sliced Lamb Shoulder. Normally, I'm a bit hesitant with pre-sliced meat sitting around in a warming tray. It tends to dry out. In this case, it was heading in that direction. However, I still found the meat to be tender and well-seasoned.

The obligatory pasta dish consisted of Crab & Squash Tortellini with Orange Bisque Reduction. Unless we were mistakened, we didn't detect any orange in the sauce. Either there was none or it was not very prevalent. No matter really because the sauce couldn't save this poorly made tortellini. The pasta itself was quite thick and the filling was not very good. The crab was super dry despite the presence of sweet squash. After this, there were the usual breakfast items such as waffles, pancakes, sausages and bacon. Nothing much to say about these other than the Eggs Benedict. As you can see in the picture, the piece of Canadian back bacon was so thin, it started to curl. I think either less cooking time or a thicker cut would've at least been more visually appealing. The egg itself was poached perfectly - fully cooked with a runny yolk. The Hollandaise sauce had a nice consistency; but could've used more lemon.

Turning my attention away from the regular breakfast items (no, I didn't have any), I tried the Roasted Chicken. Sitting in its own drippings, the meat was actually still decently tender and flavourful. I'm not a huge fan of chicken at a fine dining restaurant nor brunch; but this did the job for those who want something safe. Right next to the chicken was a trio of sides consisting of Polenta with Olives, Potato Pavé and Mashed Potato Rosettes. I love polenta and this one was actually quite good. I especially loved the little nuggets of olives which added a salty kick. The potato pavé was pretty standard while the rosettes were very dry. But enough with the vegetarian stuff, I quickly moved onto the carving station which consisted of Prime Rib, Baked Ham and Turkey Breast. For me, it's all about the prime rib. I bypassed the other 2 meats and went straight for the roast. And what a delicious roast it was. It was super tender and well-seasoned. With a splash of au jus and a side of horseradish, I was in meat bliss. I would've preferred it to be a bit less done; but they need to appeal to everyone.

Now I'm not really a sweets person, if you don't know already... However, with the large selection of Desserts, I had no choice but to try some. With that being said, I think my 3-year old daughter had almost as much as me. There was a wide range of sweets including petit fours, several types of cheesecake, bread pudding, creme caramel, chocolate mousse and profiteroles. My favourite of the bunch was the creme caramel. It was silky and rich with the smoky sweetness of the burnt sugar. It was also cooked properly exhibiting no air bubbles. For the other items I did try, I didn't think anything was amiss and they really seem to know their chocolate here. Well, they do have a chocolate buffet available as well. In essence, this is a pretty comparable buffet to that of the Pan Pacific, Waterfront, Hotel Vancouver and the Burnaby Hilton. As with any brunch buffet, there are highlights as well as flops. It is very hard to control the consistency and quality in a buffet setting. In all honesty, there is very little separating the aforementioned hotel brunch buffets. It all comes down to personal preference and pricing. For me, I still like the one at Griffin's; but in terms of dining space, the Pan Pacific has the nicest view.

The Good:
- Good selection of items
- Service is above-average
- Excellent prime-rib and seafood

The Bad:
- The buffet area is far too cramped
- Dining room is not well-lit, hence it doesn't feel like Sunday morning brunch

Soul Robata & Izakaya

*Restaurant is closed permanently*

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

*Restaurant is closed*

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

*Restaurant is closed*

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)