Burger Heaven

When I first starting blogging, one of my earlier posts was on Burger Heaven. I remember it vividly because I used my Blackberry to take pictures and looking back, they sure looked horrible. At the time, they still offered 2-for-1 with an Entertainment coupon, but sadly, that is now gone. Oh well, I guess where there is success, discounts need not apply right? Burger Heaven has been high on my re-visit list for quite awhile, not only because of the crappy photos though. You see, I've always been intrigued with their Ernie's Mile High Burger. Consisting of 8 patties totaling 2.5 pounds of beef, cheese, mushrooms, bacon and sauce, this was something I needed to eat. Reminded me of the Everest Burger at Hilltop Diner in Langley... Where I had to get Mijune to share it with me since I'm hardly capable of a real Man vs. Food adventure. Hence, I enlisted the help of Miss Y for this eating adventure. This way, there would be no way she could order something ridiculous off the menu. She often orders the most whacked-out item from a place that specializes in anything but the thing she chooses. Case-in-point, she ordered the quiche from the Red Onion. Who eats a freakin' slice of quiche from a burger joint??? What's next? Lasagne at a Japanese restaurant? Wait... I did that...

So about that mile high burger... Pretty impressive I'd say. I queried Miss Y how it felt like to be part of the mile high club and all I heard were crickets... *Awkward* Anyways, the burger was extremely large and there was more than enough food for 4 people, let alone 2. Despite the ample charring on the surface of the patties, the meat was quite moist and a bit greasy (hence it was moist!). The meat was nicely seasoned and I really didn't notice the toppings because we had to deconstruct the thing to eat it. Once again, their famous Potato Wedges didn't disappoint. They were large, crispy and potatoey on the inside. Very good texture. As you may know already, having one item, even if it is insanely large doesn't do a restaurant justice. Therefore, I returned one day with my son after skating for lunch. This time, I had the Kangaroo Burger (which I've had in the past) and a side of Poutine. As expected, the kangaroo meat was on the drier side (leaner meat), yet not terribly so. The burger was still moist and combined with the toppings (beets, fried egg, cheddar, bacon, red onions, lettuce and tomato), it was a quite filling.

Looking at the Poutine, it shouldn't have worked in theory. The large wedge fries and the dark gravy would make some people shy away. However, I enjoyed it for what it was. It was extremely filling due to the large wedges and the abundance of melted cheese curds. Not a traditional poutine, but it never was advertised to be. My son took one look at the menu and only had eyes for the Grilled Cheese. *Sigh* He is definitely not a foodie in the making... Now, after I had left, I figured out they totally messed up the order. I was charged for a kid's meal when all I got was the grilled cheese and fries on a small plate. There should've been a drink and a sundae included. For the food my son got, that cost more than a regular order of grilled cheese. Wonder how they could make such a mistake and not notice. Whatever the case, it was made with real cheddar and a whole lot of butter. Translation - he liked it. And really, after these 2 revisits, I continue to like Burger Heaven. The burgers are unique (elk, kangaroo, lamb etc...), the service is good and the place has a certain charm.

The Good:
- Some unique options
- Solid burger
- Friendly service

The Bad:
- The bill could get up there depending what you order
- It's a small shack, you'd better not be shy

Dragon View Chinese Cuisine

For awhile there, I was trying to hit up all of the Dim Sum joints in Richmond. That stopped pretty quickly due to the lack of proximity. It is amazing I make it out to Richmond as much as I do already considering the distance, parking headaches and potential car damage that can be incurred. Alas, even those challenges cannot prevent me from gravitating towards the land of no shoulder checks and broken turn signals. The dearth of good Chinese food around where I live only adds more fuel to the fire. So with Viv out-of-town, I tagged along with my parents for Dim Sum at Dragon View in Richmond. Affiliated with Wah Wing in Coquitlam, I was curious to see if the food was any better due to its location.

Similar to many Chinese restaurants, a reservation for Dim Sum is akin to not having one at all. Despite arriving on time, we waited an hour for our "reservation". At the very least, we
scored a nice table in a corner, away from the mass confusion at the centre of the restaurant. And much like any other Dim Sum joint, there is no rhyme or reason to the expedition of dishes. Hence, we received the Egg Tarts first. These weren't too bad with a flaky crust and nicely texture filling. I found the filling to be rather sweet, but I guess that is not a huge problem considering the well-executed components. Feeling guilty about not getting enough greens lately, I got an order of the Stir-Fried Yui Choy. These were prepared properly being soft enough to chew while still retaining some crunch. Furthermore, the dish wasn't too greasy nor overseasoned either.

For the kiddies, we got an order of the Fook Chow Fried Rice. As the picture suggests, there was no absence of ingredients on top. Lots of tender chicken, mushrooms and crisp beans and carrots. However, the one thing that made this dish a partial fail was the really dry and hard fried rice base. We believe it was done beforehand and left out too long. In actuality, this is a common practice to make a big batch of fried rice, so no real surprise. It just shouldn't have been so dry to begin with and left out to dry out even more. Yet another kid favourite, the Shrimp Spring Rolls arrived next. With the addition of seaweed, this made for an interesting version. In some ways, it added some flavour to the roll. Yet on the other hand, it completely changed the normally crunchy texture. When we typically chew through a spring roll, we get an immediate crunch followed by a softer filling. In this case, the crunch gave way to a layer of extreme chewiness that halted our eating enjoyment as we struggled to get through it. On the positive side, the shrimp filling had a nice sweet nap. In the end, we could've done without the seaweed.

Onto my son's favourite dish, the Soy-Fried Rice Noodle Rolls. How much does he like this? He can have this for breakfast, lunch and dinner all in one day... Talk about the anti-Atkins diet. These were a bit stiff and dense for our liking. For those rice noodle roll aficionados, you might question why the rolls look "soft", even though my experience was the opposite. Yes, some rolls began to fall apart, particularly in the front of the picture. Let me assure you that it was not soft, rather, it was just prepared haphazardly. Now due to the different cooking method (actually, it would be the second stage of cooking rice noodles since they have to be steamed as a sheet to begin with), the Beef Rice Noodle Roll was much softer. The meat filling was plentiful and not gritty. We would've preferred less green onion though, it was overwhelming.

Of all the dishes, it was a bit surprising that the Bean Curd Skin Roll was my favourite. Generally, there are more "sexier" choices than this as the best item at Dim Sum. However, I really liked the texture of the bean curd skin since it was still chewy while soft at the same time. The filling really benefited from the addition of large chunks of shrimp, which added a nice snap to the moist pork. I also liked that there was not a big glop of sauce on top and underneath the rolls. That, to me is not really all that appealing. Now, the connection with Wah Wing didn't really sink in until we got the Sui Mai. These were exactly the same as the ones I had a there and unfortunately, they were not any better. By looks alone, they look awesome with a big cold-water shrimp and tobiko on top. However, the dumpling looks way better than it tastes. It was like they forgot to season it or something. Furthermore, the pork was far too chewy and did not exhibit that "bounce" texture achieved with proper tenderizing (strange since the pork in the bean curd roll was fine...).

Of course when we have Sui Mai, there is also the other Dim Sum staple - Haw Gow (or steamed shrimp dumplings). I'm sure if you look at the picture, it is quite obvious one of the dumplings had a boo-boo. Aesthetically unpleasing and really a no-no, luckily it was not an indication of how the dumplings really were. The skin was slightly sticky while the filling was pretty good. Lots of snap and crunch combined with the natural sweetness of shrimp, it was almost forgivable for the damaged-looking dumpling. Almost. For us, another must order is the Steamed Black Bean Spareribs. We usually like it on rice, but it seems that more and more Dim Sum restaurants do not offer it. I guess it would be too much of a filler and people would end up ordering less? Could be... Well these were pretty good. The meat was tenderized properly exhibiting a slight chew which was still tender. Lots of garlic and seasoning, in particular, the chili flakes which added another layer of flavour. As you can also readily see in the picture, the pieces were meaty with very little fat or cartilage.

For our last dish, it was predictably offal. Hey, for myself Dim Sum is not complete without innards of some sort. In this case, we had the Beef Tendon and Tripe. This was a large portion of soft tendon and tender tripe. Some of the tendon was a touch too soft, yet not overly so. The tripe was a perfect balance of tender while still having a slight chew. The dish was predominantly sweet with plenty of garlic. So, by virtue of being affiliated with Wah Wing, I can't help but make comparisons. The good news is that Dragon View was better than Wah Wing. The bad news is that it was a bit uneven. Considering it is located in Richmond, there is plenty of competition nearby and I'm not sure if I would personally pass up any one of the following: Sea Harbour, Fisherman's Terrace, Rainflower, Sun Sui Wah, Red Star or Kirin, to eat Dragon View. However, they are very busy and continued to be so throughout our meal. Hence, they must be doing something right because they are not hurting for business.

The Good:
- Decent-sized portions
- Okay pricing

The Bad:
- Food is okay, but there is better
- Crazy lineup where reservations don't really matter (but that is normal with Chinese restaurants)

Announcement

Huh? Where is the post for today??? Yup, that's what some of you might be wondering. Don't worry, I'm still eating. But, after 3+ years of posting everyday, I've decided to only blog on the weekdays from now on. It was a good run. But something had to give. See you right here again Monday!

Pearl Urban Bistro

As much as I get around the Lower Mainland, specifically for eats, there are still areas I don't frequent. One particular place is White Rock. No, there are no fears of bad drivers nor bad eats. Rather, it is just plain too far from where I live. I envy those who live nearby, there are many restaurants to choose from on Marine Drive. Speaking of which, one of my colleagues happens to live in the area and frequents many of those establishments. On many occasions, he has mentioned Pearl Urban Bistro. At first, he was not that impressed, but according to him, it has significantly improved. Coincidentally, the owner of Pearl Urban Bistro contacted me recently about the possibility paying the place a visit. So with Viv and I having to be out in those parts anyways, we figured might as well kill 2 birds with one stone.

We were greeted by the manager, Gina, who gave us the option of either ordering from the menu or dine on the chef's choices. We chose the latter and were presented with an amuse bouche to start. Served in an espresso cup, the Roasted Carrot & Brie Soup with creme fraiche was aesthetically appealing and steaming hot. We sampled the smooth puree and it was texturally pleasing and exhibited only a mild amount of cheesiness (mind you brie isn't exactly that flavourful though). We got a hint of tomato (possibly tomato paste) and a good amount of natural carrot sweetness. I think if there was a touch more salt, it would've heightened the flavours even more so. We were presented with our appetizers next consisting of the Crab Spring Rolls and Flamed Prawns. The Crab Spring Rolls came plated with a cut roll resting precariously on top of 2 uncut rolls. This was a real challenge for our server since it was a tough balancing act. Within the crispy wrapper, there was rock crab meat, fennel, red pepper and carrot. A streak of lemon garlic aioli and salsa verde completed the plate. These were pretty good with the crunch of the veggies complimenting the texture of the fluffy crab. We enjoyed the flavourful aioli, yet didn't get much out of the salsa verde.

Our second appie was the Flamed Prawns presented in a sizzling cast iron pan which was lit on fire (with the help of sambuca) tableside. Although we were impressed with the presentation, the actual dish itself could've been less sweet. The roasted garlic butter sauce was somewhat muted due to the sugar content. Now that's not to say the dish was bad per se. C'mon, there are prawns at play here! I loved the red peppers, which went really well with the sweet prawns. For our main, Viv and I had the same dish being the Pemberton Striploin with Morel Risotto topped with a demi-glace accompanied by beets, carrots and kale. As you can see, the steak was thick and cooked to a medium-rare. Furthermore, the steak was cooked evenly and was super tender. There was a good char on the exterior and it was obvious the steak had rested properly (no juices flowing out when cut). As for the risotto underneath, it was a pretty good attempt, considering Pearl is not an Italian restaurant. The rice still had a bite (a touch more cooked than I personally like it though) and it was creamy and cheesy. Loved the morels, they added another layer of texture and flavour.

For dessert, we were presented with the 2 selections. The Chocolate Pate was accompanied by mascerated cherries, hazelnut praline and creme fraiche. The pate was smooth with some sugar granules. I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but I didn't mind it since it added some texture. Flavourwise, it was sure chocolaty and sweet. The tart cherries were necessary to cut the heaviness of the dessert. Lastly, we had the Vanilla Creme Brulee which had a relatively thick torched sugar topping. As such, the dessert was quite sweet. When we only sampled the custard underneath, it was actually not that sweet by itself. The real vanilla bean added a nice flavour. Alright, I have to admit that these invited dinners are somewhat of a catch-22 for me. If I am too enthusiastic, it would appear I've been "bought". On the other hand, if I am too critical, it might seem like I'm "reaching" for negatives to look legit. So there is never a way I can win. Hence, the only thing going for me in these cases is the body of work on this blog. What I am going to say about Pearl Urban Bistro is that the food as a whole was decent. It is a better option than many of the chain restaurants out there. As much as there were good components to each dish, there also could be some more refinement as well. I can't comment on the service since they knew we were there. However, I did like the decor and ambiance. Very cozy and classy.

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

The Good:
- Nice ambiance and cozy dining room
- Food is decent
- Of course, by virtue of being on the strip, the environment is fantastic

The Bad:
- The food could use some refinement
- Prices are consistent with the strip (which is not cheap)

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