Red Star Seafood Restaurant

"Let's go for dinner at Red Star", exclaimed my parents out of nowhere. Okay, that may not sound much like a new idea since we all know that Red Star is one of the best Chinese restaurants in Vancouver. However, with my parents at least, this was somewhat of a shocking declaration. You see, they have been really good customers of Victoria Seafood Restaurant for many, many years. As such, they do not really deviate from the usual very often. Yet, with my constant praises regarding Red Star finally got to them. I do believe they are actually open to going to somewhere other than Victoria for dinner. No offense against Victoria. They do serve up some good Dim Sum (albeit expensive); but their dinner is not really up to snuff in relation to their prices. I think they realize this since they are now charging 20% for their food at the moment. Okay, enough about Victoria, onto Red Star.

Alright, lemme get this out of the way right now. For those who want to point out that I just did the Foodie Feast which featured Red Star, I do not expect any preferential treatment and do not want free food. In fact, I made a reservation not in my name. Hence, they didn't even know I was eating there until part way through. And yes, we paid for our meal; but they did give us 10% off. Also, some of the pictures are from a previous visit since they look much better (due to lighting, not the actual final product). So there, enough with the disclaimers... Onto the food! We started with the Peking Duck (2 courses). One thing that you'll immediately notice is the relatively thinner layer of fat with the Peking Duck. The reason for this is that the duck is specifically raised for Red Star. Hence, the skin will be more meaty; rather than fatty. Still not healthy; but a bit better nonetheless. The second course of Peking Duck was the Duck Lettuce Wrap. That's what they do with the rest of the duck meat once the skin has been carved. In some instances, some restaurants offer a third course consisting of a duck bone soup or a thick soup with duck meat. The lettuce wrap was prepared really well. The components stayed crunchy with no residual liquid at the bottom of the plate. A clear indication of enough wok heat (or wok hay).

One dish I wanted my parents to try was the Modern Fried Rice which employs wild rice rather than the standard white rice. Added into the mix are chicken, celery, egg, crab meat and compoy. This is no ordinary rice in terms of ingredients and price. What I like most about this fried rice is the texture. Unlike regular white rice, wild rice is chewier and does not clump up. This results in a drier fried rice that has plenty of texture. Add in the premium ingredients and there you have a CRA winning dish. My dad particularly liked it since it was "healthier". If any Chinese food can be considered healthier, I guess it is a bonus. So I guess it was fitting that our next dish was not exactly a low-calorie item. Typically, Peking Pork Chops are fatty and deep-fried. These were pretty much that; however, these were done properly. The pork was tenderized to the point it was very easy to chew while still retaining a meat texture. The sauce itself the right thickness where it clung to each pork chop without leaving a watery mess at the bottom of the plate. The flavour was well-balanced with a good combination of tart, savoury and sweet. A well-executed dish.

Duck skin and fried pork chops, not necessarily part of a low-calorie diet. Hence we got some fish. I guess it didn't hlep that it was fried as well. The Black Cod Hot Pot consisted of several large pieces of cod with whole garlic cloves, shiitake mushrooms and roast pork. The fish was cooked perfectly. It was moist, flaky and stay intact mostly when picked up. Just the right amount of starch-thickened sauce coated each piece. It was garlicky and rich. For our last dish, we got the Pea Shoots with sea cucumber, shiitake mushrooms and goose webs. The pea shoots were really fresh and high quality. They were cooked perfectly being tender while still having a crunch. I liked how there wasn't a pool of water at the bottom of the plate. This is a clear indication they did not water blanch it first. Furthermore, that also means there was good wok heat as well. The one thing that could've been better with this dish was the preparation of the webs and sea cucumber. I found them a smidgen underdone. Call it personal taste, I like them to be on the softer side. Other than that, the meal as a whole was very good. While we were there, the place was packed from start to finish. This is no coincidence. Compared to meals I've had recently at Kirin City Square and Victoria, there is no contest as to which one is better.

The Good:
- Properly executed food
- High-quality ingredients
- One of the few restaurants in this class to have their own in-house BBQ

The Bad:
- Expensive
- Really cramped seating

Thai Hang

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)

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

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