Dinner @ Golden Lake

Seeing how we already tried out Golden Lake's Dim Sum service recently, we figured why not have dinner there as well. As mentioned many times over in this blog, Dim Sum and dinner are 2 mutually exclusive entities at Chinese restaurants. More often than not, there is a separate Dim Sum Chef from the dinnertime Executive Chef. Therefore, it would be best to experience both services to get a better feel of a restaurant. Of course that would take a bit of time in the GVRD considering there are so many Chinese restaurants that do both services! This time around, my parents joined us and that is usually a good thing since it means more food! Oh right, and yes, they are good company as well... LOL...

Rather than ordering from their set menu, we went ahead with random items starting with the Duck & Dried Fish Maw Soup. For those who are unfamiliar, fish maw is the fish air sac which has been either fried or dried. In this case, it was the dried variety which is more gelatinous and chewy compared to the airy and spongy fried type. In addition to the duck and fish maw, the soup consisted of wood ear mushroom, shiitake, bamboo shoots and ginger. Although conservatively seasoned, we felt the soup base had enough depth to provide flavour. Furthermore, the soup was not overthickened with starch, so it silky rather than goopy. For our first dish after the soup, we had the Fried Fish with Cream of Corn Sauce. If you are wondering where the sauce disappeared to, we actually asked for it to be served on the side. This way, the fish doesn't become a soggy mess. As illustrated in the picture, the amount of fish on the plate was substantial. It was prepared so that it was still moist and flaky while the outside was slightly crisp. It wasn't as crisp as we would've liked, yet at the same time, we appreciated the very thin layer of batter which meant more fish. As for the corn sauce, it was pretty standard since it does come from a can (albeit diluted, seasoned and starch-thickened).

When the Stir-fried Pea Shoots arrived, we were in awe. That had to be one of the largest mounds of peas shoots we've ever seen in a restaurant. This could've easily be split into 2 separate orders. Now portion size is one thing, execution is another. Thankfully, this fit the Chinese criteria of "peng yau leng" which means inexpensive while still good. The pea shoots were tender with a slight crunch, although a tad greasy. It was modestly seasoned with a hint of garlic. We would've liked to see more salt in this dish. With the kiddies present, we had to get a dish that they would eat. On cue, we got the Scrambled Eggs and Shrimp. This was once again a large plate of food consisting of fluffy eggs and a surprising amount of large crunchy shrimp. We light how the eggs were cooked just right without being greasy.

My personal favourite of the night had to be the Spicy Eggplant and Tofu Hot Pot. For me, the star of this dish had to be the fried silken tofu. It was soft and sweet. Although the garlicky meat sauce was on the sweeter side, I still enjoyed it, especially with rice. The eggplant could've stood to be cooked a little less since it was hard to pick up with our chopsticks without disintegrating. Our last dish was was the Chinese-style Beef Tenderloin. Now, for those who don't know, this dish is rarely made with actual tenderloin. Rather it usually consists of beef that has been tenderized (usually a combination of pounding and baking soda). This one could've been tenderized a bit more since it was on the chewier side. Furthermore, the pieces of beef were far too small. Convenient to eat, yet it results in a drier product. The sauce was good though, it was tangy with a hint of depth provided by Worcestershire sauce. Despite the last dish, the meal as a whole was above-average at reasonable prices. The portion size here is mind-boggling. With the recent renovations and attentive staff, I think Golden Lake is a solid choice for authentic Cantonese food in the area.

The Good:
- Large portions
- Generally well-executed food
- Attentive service

The Bad:
- Our last dish took awhile to arrive, the might still have some kinks since they have been opened for only a month
- Love the parking lot, yet also dislike it since it is so tight

Feast Van

I usually do not outwardly promote events on this blog, however, when there is a good cause involved I do make exceptions. I'd like to draw attention to Feast Van, which is an event being put on by Joe Chaput, proprietor of Au Petit Chavignol and Les Amis du Fromage. Together with the Strathcona Community Center's Backpack Food Program and 16 participating East Van restaurants,their goal is to take $1.00 from each prix fixe meal to fund their program that feeds 283 kids in Vancouver DTES each weekend. Better act fast because the event only runs until February 5th. You can learn more about the it here.

Great Han Mongolian BBQ

I often wonder how places like U-Grill can get away with the prices they charge. Every visit results in excess of $10.00. And most of the time, it creeps up to $15.00! I guess the fact you do not know how much you are paying until they weigh it, makes it extremely dangerous if one was very hungry. It's sneaky. It almost looks like a buffet, but not. And if you are too aggressive with the meats, watch out! Therefore, it suddenly makes the Mongolian grill-type restaurants look like a fantastic value. For under $7.00, one could load their bowl with as much of anything they want, including meats. Same customization and practically the same cooking technique. Generally, an all-u-can-eat option runs around $11.00 or so. However, you gotta be crazy hungry to take advantage of that.

The notion of value brought us to Great Han Mongolian BBQ. Their lunch special for one bowl runs for $6.59 and the AYCE option goes for $11.95. Both include soup, salad and a bowl of rice. The deal here is to take a large bowl and cram as much as you can manage. The best strategy is to actually put the veggies and noodles on the bottom. That way, the meat can weigh down the lighter items and they in turn won't fall out of the bowl. However, it is easier said than done because they put the meats first (in this case, there was Pork, Lamb, Beef and Chicken) and when there is a line, it is not possible. Well, it is possible, but that would involve being pretty rude (and I'm not even going into detail where they could possibly happen...). Just think of a place where lineups are are ignored as well as any other orderly conduct...

So if one was to do the lineup in the proper order, we would find various noodles and veggies next. I was a little disappointed that mushrooms weren't part of the selection. However, the veggies did seem fresh despite the mess caused by previous customers. After the veggies, the sauce bar was next consisting of many familiar Asian flavours such as black bean, teriyaki and peanut sauce. Around the corner, 3 more flavour shots welcomed us in the form of sesame oil, curry and hot chili oil. I would advise people to be quite liberal with the sauces because a lot of it is lost in the cooking process. And yes, the next step was cooking. The round grill was pretty hot and only after a few swipes, the food was ready to go. Despite this, when the place gets busy, you'll have to be patient. Since I was last in line, by the time I got my food, the first few people were completely finished eating.

Once I got my bowl, the food was more than enough for lunch. Some of the others thought about the AYCE option but gave up when they finished their first bowl. I found that they add too much moisture when they are cooking the food here. Hence, my food was too wet. Furthermore, the meats, particularly the beef, was tough and chewy. I guess for $6.59, there shouldn't be too much complaining going on especially if the food is several notches above edible. However, in comparison to several other places I've had Mongolian-type grilled food, the execution and meat quality is a step below. With that being said, if one was in the area and merely wanted to fill their tummies for the same amount of money as a fast food joint, yet eating infinitely healthier stuff, then Great Han would be an option.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Relatively healthier than equivalent priced fast food

The Bad:
- Meat quality is average, particularly the beef
- Cooking method here uses a bit too much water

Matoi Sushi

Fate would have it, after my father-in-law's 70th birthday, it was my dad's 70th as well. And of course it called for more eating! He really didn't want anything big and in fact, wanted something a bit more healthy. So we gathered up the immediate family (which would be me, Viv and the kids) and planned on trying out Osamu Sushi in Coquitlam. Widely regarded as one of the best Japanese restaurants in the Tri-Cities area, it seems that every time we try to eat there, something gets in the way. This time, they were booked up solid and no tables were available until late. With kids in tow, that wasn't an option. So onto plan B, we went to another popular Coquitlam Japanese restaurant - Matoi Sushi (which is Japanese owned and operated).

Located in the same plaza as Hon's and White Spot, there is ample parking for those who care (I do!). Seeing how it was my dad's birthday, we decided to get the Chef's Special Sashimi combo which boasted many different types of fish including hamachi, tai, tuna and skipjack tuna among others. As you can clearly see, the sashimi had a nice sheen and looked fresh (of course as fresh as previously frozen fish can get). In general, nothing tasted amiss and in fact, tasted very good. The preparation was spot on while the textures pleasant. Next up were 2 maki rolls: Dynamite and Real Crab California. Honestly, I actually prefer imitation crab meat over the real thing when it comes to sushi. It just has more flavour. Sure, it is not as valuable as real crab meat, but that is not the point. One thing I will concede is that real crab meat has a much more pleasing fluffy texture. As for the sushi rice, I thought it had a pretty good consistency. Moreover, it exhibited nice hits of vinegar and sugar.

Moving onto some cooked items, we had the obligatory Deluxe Assorted Tempura which featured a fried whole spot prawn. Impressive-looking while not exactly easy to eat though. I found the batter to be slightly excessive which became more of an issue when the tempura cooled down. On the inside, it was no longer crispy. However, when eaten right away, there were no problems. Since we already had tempura, it was a bit repetitive to order the Ebi Mayo. I did it anyways because it happens to be one of my favourite dishes. I could eat so many of these accompanied by a cool beer! I wasn't totally convinced with this version though. The ebi were coated with far too much tempura batter. It reminded me of something I'd get at a Chinese buffet. Too bad really since the ebi had a nice snappy texture and the chili mayo was nicely flavoured.

Finally breaking the yakiudon streak, the kiddies agreed on a Oyako Don rather than fried noodles. Thank goodness! Guess who usually ends up finishing the noodles when they change their mind? Just call me the trash can... This was a fairly decent portion consisting of moist chicken with egg. We felt that there was just the right amount of "sauce" which penetrated all the way to the chewy rice. It was on the sweeter side and could've benefited from a bit more soy or less sugar or mirin. Then for no apparent reason other than for diversity, we also had the Teriyaki Beef. Little did we know it was not served a la carte and also came with rice. Don't you hate it when that happens? If we had known, we would've ordered something else. No matter, it was not bad, if not a touch dry. On the positive side, it was not doused with an obscene amount of syrupy sauce. In that respect, this was actually not too bad.

Not sure what possessed me to order the Oden other than pure curiousity. You see, oden is merely a collection of boiled items such daikon, fish cake and eggs in a soy and dashi broth. Nope, nothing too exciting or bursting with flavour either. Mind you, I like Chinese hot pot and there are some similarities... Well, there was not much to say about the oden really. The broth was very light, seemingly missing the soy. The daikon was cooked nicely being soft while not falling apart. The fish cake was not bad, but one of the fish balls had a weird texture. With most odens, this was served with a side of Japanese mustard which added the necessary kick to the mild ingredients. On the topic of mild, Japanese food is generally pretty balanced. So it comes as no surprised that the Grilled Eggplant was delicate. Much like the one I had at Miko Sushi, this one was soft, yet not mushy and very lightly seasoned. Not particularly my cup of tea, yet I could appreciate the effort it took to prepare eggplant in a way that it borders on mush while not being so.

Although not perfect (and what is really), our meal at Matoi was actually pretty good. I would say it gives Fuji Sushi a run for its money when comparing one authentic Japanese restaurant to another in Coquitlam. We thought the slightly higher prices were fair for the portion and quality of food. Furthermore, the service was quite good. They made sure we had enough tea and always came by to clear our plates. The place was busy throughout our meal, so I guess that is at the very least, a good indication.

The Good:
- Pretty good eats
- Pretty good service
- Japanese operated, if that matters to you

The Bad:
- Slightly higher prices (worth it in my opinion)

Saboten

We've all heard the expression, "do one thing and do it well". When it comes to restaurants, that may be the kiss of death if no one wants to eat that one thing. It can be further complicated by totally messing up the one thing they were supposed to specialize in (ie. don't have wonton in your restaurant name if they suck). The newest addition to the Vancouver food scene is Saboten, which does Tonkatsu (fried pork chop) and really doesn't deviate much from it. They have over 500 locations worldwide and the newest addition in Aberdeen is actually an "express" version. Originally, I was invited to the media event, but I couldn't make it. So I did the next best thing and visited the place a couple of days after on my own. Well, not really on my own because JuJu tagged along. On a side note, his nickname means "small pig" in Cantonese. Wouldn't this be cannibalism???

Located in the former Strawberry Cones stall, the place was busy. Looks like the curious were getting their tonkatsu fix. JuJu decided to try their Loin Katsu Don, which included a miso soup and tsukemono. For the price, we both agreed that the portion size was bordering on being expensive, but just barely. As for the tonkatsu itself, boy was it super moist. The darn thing was almost airy (if you can call a pork chop airy). There was a good amount of dashi, mirin, soy mixture which was leaning towards the sweeter side. It penetrated all the way into the rice which made the whole bowl flavourful. JuJu dusted it off pretty quick and was actually still hungry afterwards (not a stretch for him though). For myself, I knew better and got 2 items starting with the Tenderloin Katsu Curry. It also came with a miso soup and tsukemono, as well as shredded cabbage. I loved the light crispiness of the coating combined with the tender and airy meat. It was like eating something other than pork (in a good way). The curry was predictably mild and slightly sweet. I liked how it wasn't too sweet like some other Japanese curries. There was quite a bit of white onion which added another level of flavour.

Not satisfied with only one item, I also got the Tenderloin Katsu Sandwich. I knew I needed it since the orders being picked up didn't look particularly large. With the same fantastic cutlet as the previous 2 items sandwiched in between soft white bread, it was good. Loved the grainy mustard which added a distinguishing flavour. However, this was gobbled up quickly and honestly, I looked longingly at the other food stands in search for more food. That pretty much sums it up though. The tonkatsu is indeed fantastic, but there is just not enough of it. A heavier eater might need 2 meals just to get full.

The Good:
- Fantastic crispy and light tonkatsu
- They do only one thing and do it right

The Bad:
- The stuff is too light... can't get full
- I wouldn't say it is necessarily expensive, but it ain't cheap either (for what you get)

Chun Hing

After attending the Chinese Restaurant Awards in Richmond, I was about to head home for dinner. Wait. I had not planned on cooking and I was too tired to go out to eat (shocking, I know). So there I was. In the land of endless Chinese food. What to do? Duh. Rhetorical question. So I headed over to the nearest spot that I could get Chinese takeout. I pulled into the Yaohan parking lot with immense trepidation because fighting through traffic and parking was not something I was looking forward to. Imagine my surprise when not only did I find a parking spot right away, people stopped for me as I crossed the street. When I waved a black Mercedes by, they actually gave a "thanks". Huh? I am in Richmond right?

From the many choices within the Yaohan food court, I decided to go with a place that I've tried before, which was Chun Hing. With food piled high and a 4 for 3 special, it seemed like a good bet. The Honey Garlic Chicken was the most impressively stacked item (is this an unintentional pun???), so I decided to give it a try. Turns out that it was all drumsticks cut into two. They were fried up crisp while being juicy and moist inside. There was lots of sweet honey flavour without a gooey mess. Being Chinese doesn't prevent me from eating the so-called "North American" items, so I went ahead with the Sweet & Sour Pork. At the very least, this was not the North American radioactive-coloured version. As you can see, the pieces of pork were meaty and easy on the batter. There was just enough sauce that it didn't turn it into sweet & sour sauce with pork. I would've preferred more zing since the sauce was predominantly sweet. Furthermore, despite our disdain for fillers, this dish would've benefited from more pineapple and peppers.

For my obligatory offal selection, I got the Brisket, Tendon and Daikon Stew. I really liked this one. The brisket was super moist exhibiting none of the stringiness sometimes found in these stews. The tendon was perfectly soft while not falling apart. I loved how I could taste the flavours of the soy and star anise without a huge amount of saltiness. Moreover, the daikon was nicely cooked where it still had texture. To up the veggie content, I went for the Stir-Fried Eggplant. In actuality, it looked more like an eggplant hot pot without the hot pot. We weren't a hug fan of this dish. It was a tad too mushy (and that is taking into account that it was eggplant and had been sitting around for awhile) and was a little mild in the seasoning department. I mean, there was enough sodium, yet little in distinguishing flavours. Lastly, much like any eggplant dish, it was quite greasy (maybe even more greasy than usual as evidenced by the oil slick at the bottom of the plate).

Lastly, to go with all the food, I got an order of their Fried Rice. It was pretty plain with some egg and frozen veggies. I would say the rice had a decent chewy texture but it lacked some of the nutty caramelization typically found in a commercial wok-prepared dish. I liked how it wasn't greasy though. As a whole, the food was a fantastic value, considering the amount they crammed into each container. Was the food outstanding? Well no, but with reasonable expectations for a food stand, this did the job for dinner that didn't empty out my wallet.

The Good:
- Good portions
- Well-priced

The Bad:
- Food is a bit hit and miss
- Like anything in Richmond, parking is always unpredictable

Dine Out @ C Restaurant

At this stage in my gastronomical adventures, I'm not a huge fan of Dine Out. No, I'm not being a food snob or anything. It's just that I've had some pretty underwhelming experiences in the past.
The main problem is that some restaurants choose to meet the price points by offering food that is not truly representative of their regular menu. Hence, it does not give a clear overall picture which then in turns defeats the purpose of Dine Out in the first place. I find the whole event becoming watered-down. Now, that is not to say that there are no diamonds in the rough to be found. Seeing how I eat enough as it is, I wasn't planning to do Dine Out this year. However, I was contacted by C Restaurant to try their Dine Out menu. Okay, I was conflicted. First, do I go back on my original plan and actually do a Dine Out meal? And secondly, the rating for C Restaurant on Urbanspoon can be only described as horrible. What to do? A little more information gathering led me to the conclusion that C would be worth trying since they traditionally have good Dine Out menus and the rating on Urbanspoon is a bit misleading. Furthermore, Chef Robert Clark is back in the kitchen since Lee Humphries is away for a few weeks.

Others invited to the meal were Melody, Joyce, Diana, Stephanie and Alvin (who I have to credit for the picture of the restaurant). We started with an Amuse Bouche which included (from right to left) Smoked Salmon Cannelloni stuffed with goat cheese topped with creme fraiche and preserved lemon, Seared Tuna, Spot Prawn, Quail's Egg topped with truffle aioli and crispy bacon and Golden Beet. My favourite had to be the quail's egg (since I love eggs!) because it was poached perfectly with a runny yolk. Furthermore, the truffle aioli and bacon combined put a mouthful of flavours in one little bite. Our first official course was the North Arm Farms Beet Panzanella Salad served with harissa dressing and shaved ricotto salata. I really liked the beets as they were soft while still retaining some firmness. Loved the harissa dressing as it added an ethnic taste to the salad. I wasn't particularly fond of the croutons as they had a fairly hard, yet not crunchy texture. The Dine Out menu at C Restaurant has a few supplemental courses if one wishes to add for an extra charge. One of these is the Sauteed Spot Prawns with kale, chilli, lime and romesco sauce.
This was a nice plate of food consisting of perfectly cooked spot prawns, just barely-cooked kale and a flavourful sauce. The romesco exhibited its classic nutty texture and with this version had a real acidity to it. A nice counterbalance to the sweet prawns (if used sparingly).

Next up was the second course consisting of Seared Albacore Tuna with Winter minestrone, Parmesan pistou and crisp basil. As evidenced in the picture, the tuna was seared ever-so-lightly and served mostly rare. That allowed the natural sweetness of the tuna to shine as well as keeping the texture light. The sprinkle of salt really intensified the delicate tuna. I thought the minestrone underneath was done nicely with some crunch and tartness. The droplets of basil added some herbal qualities to the dish. Our third course, the Seared Lake Babine Salmon continued on with the fish theme. It was served on a bed of squash puree and topped with an almond tapenade. The fish was beautifully prepared being moist, sweet and slightly rare in the middle. Loved the even sear on the outside. The squash puree was smooth and mild while it intermingled with the cubes of squash and firm brussel sprouts. The real surprise of the dish was the almond tapenade on top. It provided both texture and acidity.

The optional supplement for the salmon was the Roasted Beef Tenderloin. It was served with a walnut polenta, tarragon butter and confit of portabello mushrooms. I absolutely loved the demi-glace as it was silky and luxurious. The tenderloin was meaty and exhibited a deep roasted flavour. I really wish this was a bigger portion. Lastly, for dessert, we were served a Spiced Chocolate Pudding with vanilla Chantilly and caramel puffed rice. I liked their spin on the pudding with the Asian spices. It almost felt like there was five-spice in the pudding (well, not really but you get the idea). The crunch of the sweet puffed rice added the necessary texture to the smooth pudding. And as a final treat, a plate of Lemon Poppyseed Biscotti with a side of candied ginger arrived at our table. These were crunchy and we could not mistake what they were made of - buttery and a good lemon hit. Loved the candied ginger on the side.

I gotta admit that this Dine Out meal was a whole lot better than I expected it to be (and it is not because it was comped either). I can't comment on the service (as much as it was good) because it was a media dinner. However, if one was to start adding the supplemental dishes, the cost of the meal would go North of $70.00 in a hurry. Furthermore, if one was to look at the basic $38.00 menu without additions, it is predominantly comprised of fish and would leave individuals with bigger appetites longing for more food. Now, that is not to say that the $38.00 menu is not a good value. Considering the raw materials, the venue and the fact Robert Clarke is cooking in the kitchen, it is quite reasonable. This is fine dining folks, not a buffet. That is probably why I don't get too excited about Dine Out these days. Considering the quality of food I got at C Restaurant, I'd definitely return and would much rather order off their regular menu gladly paying the extra cost for more food.

*Note: This was an invited dinner where all food was comped*

The Good:
- Good execution with the proteins
- The basic Dine Out menu is reasonably-priced with all factors considering
- Nice location

The Bad:
- The supplements are enticing and will bump up the bill significantly (but that is a personal choice, no one is forcing you to do this)
- If we look at just the basic Dine Out meal, it may not satisfy big eaters