Manzo Japanese Restaurant (Itamae)

I love Izakayas. It is no secret if you read this blog often enough. As much as it isn't supposed to be a "meal", we often find it as such in Vancouver. For some odd reason, most of my Izakaya forays seem to include Vandelay and Rich Guy. To change it up, Miss Y graciously accompanied me to Manzo Itamae in Richmond. Hey, I don't mind this arrangement because Miss Y looks a whole lot better than Rich Guy and Vandelay (sorry guys...). As with any Chinese-operated Izakaya/Japanese restaurant, we need to go in with reasonable expectations. There will be certain liberties taken on certain dishes and the menu will included things normally not seen in an Izakaya. However, with that being said, Izakayas are already "different" than the ones we find in Japan anyways. Miss Y spent a significant amount of time in Japan and she basically echoed this sentiment. In fact, she doesn't believe that there are any Izakayas in Vancouver that can truly represent the real thing. Then again, we deserve the restaurants we have because they appeal to the taste of the locals.

For our meal, we started with the Ankimo (monkfish liver) which was served with the usual chili daikon radish and ponzu sauce. Often referred as the foie gras of the sea, this is probably the best way to describe the texture and taste of ankimo. It is more stiff and less buttery than foie. Furthermore, there is a definite seafood flavour as well. There was nothing amiss with the actual liver in our order, however, the ponzu was slightly too acidic. Next, we had the Salmon Sashimi Salad. This, to us, was pretty average. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't terrible, it was just "meh". The salmon was a touch soft while the dressing didn't offer up any impact. We probably would've enjoyed it more if there was a vinaigrette of some sort.

For me a visit to an Izakaya would not be complete without an order of Ebi Mayo. I liked how they did not use too much batter on the large shrimp. They were fried perfectly where the exterior was crisp while the meat still exhibited a snap. Therer appeared to be a chili mayo, but it was more sweet than anything. Another one of my favs is the Takoyaki or octopus' balls. Before the giggling starts, this was not really what you think. Rather, it is mix of batter with pieces of octopus formed into a ball and cooked in a specially made mold. Usually, it is topped with sweet mayo, unagi sauce and bonito flakes. In this case, the sauce appeared to be a sweet chili mayo concoction with lots of bonito flakes/shreds and ginger. Despite the colour, it wasn't spicy, rather it was mostly sweet and tangy. The takoyaki itself were fluffy and overall, it was enjoyable.

Other than the Ankimo, which was one of the featured items for Fridays, we had the other one being the Pork Ribs. These were some pretty meaty ribs with few bones. The meat was mostly tender except for a few parts. We would've liked to see more char (although there was some char in spots) since those were the most flavourful parts. We liked how there was a good amount of spice. An intriguing item on the menu was the Phyllo Duck Rolls. They arrived golden brown and steaming hot. I liked the disintegrating flaky phyllo on the outside because the opposite would be soggy undercooked phyllo. There was a decent amount of moist, tender duck inside with a bevy of veggies. I found the entire thing a touch bland and lacking in texture. If there was some crunch, it would be made more of an impact. With that being said, we didn't dislike this dish either.

Onto the fillers, we started with the Korean Shortrib Bibimbap served in a hot stone bowl. For me at least, this was a fail. First, the rice was extremely wet and even the hot stone bowl couldn't save it. In fact, a rice crust didn't even materialize. As for the shortrib, it was pretty bland with only a touch of sweetness. It was also wet, which only compounded the issues with the rice. We didn't end up finishing the rice and frankly, I really had no interest in eating any more of it in the first place. For our second starch-ladened dish, we had the Yaki Udon. Compared to the bibimbap, this was a roaring success. Well, relatively that is. I thought there was a good balance of flavours of savoury and sweet. With a proper amount of cabbage and carrots, there was a good crunch to go with the chewy udon noodles. Moreover, the fry pan or flat top was hot enough to produce some caramelization and kept the dish from being wet at the same time.

As I am writing this post, I must admit at being torn about Manzo. The prices are quite high if we compared it to other Izakayas. Furthermore, there are some which will cry foul that it is not a true "Japanese" run operation. Yet at the same time, most of the dishes were above average. In addition, we found the service to be top notch and attentive. They changed our dishes like 5 times! In the end, Manzo is an okay place to satisfy your Izakaya-cravings.

The Good:
- Spacious
- Good service
- Adequate parking lot

The Bad:
- Expensive
- For some, it lacks authenticity

Nu Greek (Gastown)

*Restaurant is closed*

Vandelay is always in the know. When I need a restaurant tip, he's the man. I often wonder why he doesn't write a food blog of his own. It would be pretty killer. For now, he remains a man of mystery, only joining me for the occasional meal. And after that "meal", we were walking back to my car in Gastown when he insisted that we stop by Nu Greek. Uh... dude, Nu Greek isn't anywhere near us. Well, shows how much I know. He motioned over to where the former So.Cial et Le Magasin sandwich shop used to be. It turns out that Harry Kambolis has set up a more comprehensive form of Nu Greek Street in Gastown (except with seats). Wait, "isn't that Harry himself at the counter and Chef Robert Clark as well", I thought to myself (see picture). You see, the reason behind it was that we had stumbled upon their soft opening week.

From their selections, I decided on 2 pitas with the Octopus being the most interesting. Unlike some of the other offerings, the octopus was not pre-cooked since it can become rubbery otherwise. Normally, one could walk out of the store within minutes of ordering. However, with the octopus, good things come to those who wait. If you've ever had octopus before, it can be rubbery. In this case, they did a great marination job and it came out tender as could be with a hint of lemon. With lots of red onion, tomato, lettuce, dill, thick tzatziki on an oregeno pita, it was definitely solid eats. Similarly to the pita wraps I tried at Nu Greek Street, the pita was the star of the show. It was thick, soft and served warm. With a dash of oregano, it only added to the multitude of flavours.

For good measure, I got a Chicken Souvlaki also instead of the lamb because Viv isn't a huge fan of it (I was bringing one home for her). Again, much like the one from their food cart, the chicken was nicely marinated and spiced. However, she found the meat to be on the drier side and a bit chewy (and little in quantity too). Despite this, the wrap was still good due to the aforementioned pita and fresh ingredients. Forgivable since it was their soft opening. When they work out all the kinks and officially open, Nu Greek in Gastown offers up a quick delicious bite for a reasonable price.

The Good:
- Reasonable pricing
- Quick eats, but unlike a food cart, there is a place to sit
- The pitas are indeed very good

The Bad:
- One pita may not be enough for someone who had a healthier appetite

Onyx Steakhouse & Lounge (White Rock)

*Restaurant is closed*

It is no secret that I love to eat. Duh. Furthermore, it is quite obvious that I can chow down on a considerable amount of food. Therefore, it would not be a stretch for me to order more than one or even two items for myself just for variety's sake. When Viv joins me for a meal, it helps lessen the need to eat more by myself. However, Viv doesn't really eat a lot anymore. Yes, there was one time at band camp... uh... er... I mean there was one time she devoured 4 dozen wings all by herself. That was then and this is now. So last time we were treated to a meal at Onyx in Port Moody, she was only able to eat a modest amount of food. Since I had a standing invitation to try the White Rock location, I needed to enlist a more prolific eater. Someone who could demolish as much food as I could and maybe more. The search for this person was an easy one - go get Mijune. Yes, she might look like a lightweight, but as her body of work illustrates, more often than not she eats considerably more than me. How she remains so thin is a mystery...

As we settled in and took a look at the menu, the manager gave us the green light to order whatever we wanted. Oh man, I could see Mijune's eyes light up. This was going to get ugly. And so it began... with 3 appies starting with the Onyx Famous Cheese Toast. Cut into long strips or fingers, the cheese toast was crunchy and surprisingly not very greasy. The melted cheese consisted of grana padano, asiago, Swiss, provolone and white cheddar. Although cheesy, it was a bit difficult to differentiate the flavours. In fact, a bit more greasiness and a touch more seasoning would've went a long way in providing more flavour impact. Next up was the Escargot with house-made gnocchi, mushrooms and demi-glace. I first dug into the large gnocchi and it was quite dense. I prefer dense gnocchi, but this was unfortunately too doughy for my tastes. I do give them kudos for making it in-house though. On the other hand, the escargots were good. They had a pleasant texture and the rich demi-glace coated each and every one. We would've preferred a bit more seasoning though. With a small crank of the salt mill, that was all it need to put it over-the-top. The enoki and button mushrooms along with the shallots in the demi-glace added a nice aroma. Our last appie was the Crab Cake with avocado creme fraiche and celeriac slaw. This was not a crab cake in the literal sense. Rather, it was deconstructed with the binding agent (bread crumbs) on the top and the "mayo" (which was the avocado creme faiche) on the bottom. Hence, there was no cooking per se in terms of pan frying. With this method, there was no crispy exterior other than the bread crumbs on top. However, this allowed the cake to be much lighter and highlight more of the crab. As such, I enjoyed the fluffy, sweet and savoury crab which was further spiked with flavour by the smooth avocado creme fraiche which exhibited a nice acidity. As for the slaw, it was crunchy with some tang.

Moving not the mains, we shared a 10oz Filet Mignon which was prepared perfectly. And when I say that, I mean it. Look at the picture, it was evenly grilled medium-rare. Furthermore, there was a nice char and crust on the outside. The steaks at Onyx are Black Angus Signature Reserve dry-aged a minimum of 40 days. From the last time at their PoMo location, the tenderness of the steak was evident. It was no different this time. The meat cut and chewed easily. Since beef tenderloin is not as flavourful as some other cuts of meat (like prime rib and striploin), the accompanying bacon mushroom demi-glace was a welcomed finishing touch. The rich demi-glace had body and was able to flavour all of the meat. And besides, bacon + filet mignon is always a great combination. As with all of their a la carte meat offerings, a large dill batter onion ring finished the plate. We also added a Lobster Tail for good measure (how could we not?) and it was done to perfection as well. Served with a side of melted butter on a chaffing dish, the lobster had a nice snap and the addition of some garlic on top only helped bring out the natural sweetness. To change it up a bit, we decided to give Baby Back Pork Ribs a try. We opted for the chipotle blueberry BBQ sauce with a side of the peach BBQ sauce. From the first bite, it was apparent that the ribs were not parboiled. Instead they were cooked from raw. Now this is a personal preference issue. I know many people who prefer that their ribs not be boiled first because it could lose flavour and texture. Alternatively, some like it fall-off-the-bone tender and don't really care about the supposed "blasphemous" boiling technique. For me, I don't mind the parboiling because I like it to fall-off-the-bone. With that being said, the ribs here were chewy, but not so much so it wasn't incredibly hard to eat. Meat aside, what I really liked was the BBQ sauce. Normally, blueberries lack acidity or punch to make for a good BBQ sauce base, but with the addition of chipotles, that was the one thing that brought it all together. The sticky, thick sauce had it all - sweet, savoury, spicy and tartness.

With all this food so far, we didn't need 5 sides right? Well, with Mijune, how could we not? First up was the Truffle Lobster Mac & Cheese. I had this at the PoMo location and there was one major discrepancy - much more lobster meat. Normally, this would not be a bad thing. However, most of it was claw meat (which has a spongy texture) and it really didn't add anything to the mac & cheese. It was completely understandable why the claw meat was used in the mac & cheese. After all, lobster is expensive, no one in their right mind would use exclusively the tail meat (unless the dish cost 3 times more). Otherwise, the mac & cheese was creamy and rich with only a modest hint of truffle. We had high hopes for the Bacon Almond Brussel Sprouts and ultimately it fell flat. Loved the bacon on top, it was smoky, crispy and just plain awesome. The brussel sprouts? Not so much. It was merely boiled where it lost all of its vibrant colour and texture. If the sprouts had been either cooked less or actually deep fried, we would be singing a different tune.

When I first laid eyes on the Bacon Creamed Corn, I was perplexed. Where was the cream? Looking closely, there was only a modest amount of fresh cream. Definitely not what I was expecting, yet it was probably my favourite side. The corn niblets had a nice snap which let out a burst of sweetness which was balanced nicely by the good amount of bacon. As I took more bites, I could understand the lack of cream. Too much would've made this particular version too heavy. I liked how I could keep eating it without feeling too bloated. From one creamed item to another, we had the Panko Almond Creamed Spinach. This was my second favourite side of our meal. The spinach was not mushy and still had a considerable amount of texture. This was the key since spinach can easily be overcooked and become a big pile of goop. Unlike the corn, the creamed spinach was indeed very creamy. If they added more cheese, this would've made a good dip. Our last side was the Organic Yam Gratin which was predictably heavy. We thought it resembled more like scalloped yams (because the crust on top wasn't all that prevalent nor cheesy), yet that didn't mean it wasn't any good though. The yams were soft, sweet and laced with creamy richness.

Believe it or not, we almost dusted off all of our dishes (except a small portion of the mac 'n cheese and yams, while we didn't really touch the brussel sprouts). Of course we had to share 3 desserts too right? Blame Mijune. We tried the Apple Crisp first and again, they really should have named it differently (much like a few items we had). Maybe an apple pie of some sort would've been more appropriate because there was nothing crispy about this. Again, that wasn't a huge deal since I liked the dessert despite the name. The apples were plentiful, tender and nicely textured. The whole thing wasn't too sweet and hey who doesn't like a big scoop of ice cream on top (was a bit icy though). Next up was the same 2 desserts I tried at the PoMo location. I swear the Chocolate Sticky Toffee Pudding was even sweeter this time around. I realize that toffee is mostly sugar, but I couldn't have more than a few fork-fulls of it. There was nothing inherently wrong texturally or conceptually about the dessert other than the stinging sweetness. Lastly and mercifully (because I was so full), we had the Creme Brulee Trio consisting of Bailey's, Tahitian Vanilla Bean and Dark Chocolate. The torched sugar crust was a touch thicker than the one I had in PoMo, while the custard was pretty much the same. A touch on the denser side, the custards were not overly sweet with the chocolate being my favourite. It reminded me a of a rich thick version of chocolate mousse. The Bailey's was spiked pretty aggressively which I didn't mind while Mijune wasn't a fan of it. Cheap drunk... Overall, I would say that the meal was mostly good with a few duds (brussel sprouts and the gnocchi). However, with the shear amount of items we had (thanks Mijune...), the batting percentage was pretty good and that is all we can really ask for.

The Good:
- Pricing is alright if compared to restaurants of the same genre
- Our steak was done perfectly, which is important for a steakhouse

The Bad:
- Maybe some of the menu items should have different names to reflect the actual product
- I find the pricing reasonable, but for some, it is probably considered pricey

Green Bamboo

Karl loves his Asian food. He really does. Probably more than me. I think he is really Asian but ended up German by mistake... Heck, he even traveled all the way to Vietnam for a bowl of Pho. Well, not just for that, but you get the idea. Hence, when he ranted and raved about Green Bamboo and their wonderful Pho, it meant that I had no choice but to try it. Originally, we were supposed to meet up there for lunch, but he couldn't make it. Undeterred, I did not change my plans and went there anyways. I was able to recruit the eating abilities of Big D to ensure there would be more variety. Oh, and he is good company too... When Karl said the place is small, that would be an understatement. Essentially organized as an L-shape, the dining space boasts 8 tables at the most. If you don't want to wait, come early. For some odd reason, I made the bad decision and parked in the Crystal Mall parkade and let's just say it took me 10 minutes to get out after lunch. *sigh*

When Big D finally arrived, I found out he had parked on Willingdon and opted to pay for parking rather than navigate Crystal Mall. A smart man I tell ya. Not only being smart, he has a healthy appetite too. Thus, we had 2 appetizers beginning with the Spring Rolls. At first, I was wondering about the relatively high price on the menu, but once these hit the table, it became understandable. They were really big and could be considered a meal in-itself. Definitely brownie points for using a rice flour wrapper too. Although the filling was tasty, the meat was a touch too mushy for me. Big D read on Urbanspoon that the Dumplings were fantastic here (they have Chinese food too), so he wanted to try them out. I don't know about them really. We were indifferent. Sure, the dumpling skin was not too thick and perfectly cooked. However, the chive and shrimp filling was lacking texture and body.

Big D ended up with the Beef Rice Noodle Soup with Tomato Beef Stew. This was pretty flavourful being on the sweeter side. We suspected that there was a good amount of MSG used in this and it was confirmed later by our incredible need for a Big Gulp. There was lots of tender brisket, although the copious amount of fat probably helped. Overall, this was pretty good. For myself, I had no choice but to order the Pho Dac Biet (because that would be like going to a burger joint and not ordering a burger... oh like Miss Y!). Much like the soup that Big D had, this one was flavourful and was pretty balanced. However, it could've stood to have more meat flavour. The noodles were still chewy while the meats were decent in portion size and tender as well. Not bad, but not as good as Pho Tam. I know comparing Green Bamboo to a place that is all the way out in Whalley is not exactly locationally sound. Hence, I would say that it is pretty good considering the other options nearby.

The Good:
- Inexpensive (well, like many other Vietnamese joints)
- Decent portions

The Bad:
- Super cramped inside
- For us, the MSG was pretty heavy-handed

Between Two Buns

*Restaurant is now closed*

Viv says I have selective hearing, much like many other men on this Earth (I might add). I admit that certain catch phrases or words deserve my full attention. After all, there must be something interesting within the long-winded story she is often trying to tell me. Therefore, "between two buns" was what I picked out from Mijune's constant yakking during dinner the other night. Say what? What's between two buns? Italian sausage? Keilbasa? Lap cheun? All I got were dirty looks from Mijune and Viv. Yikes, that's a bit uncomfortable. Hey, I have a one-track mind! Wait, I have a male mind, don't hate me. What she was really referring to was a new sandwich shop out in Yaletown named Between Two Buns. Oh okay, that makes sense - a play on words I see.

Since I had to meet up with Snake Eyes for lunch anyways, we (actually it was me...) decided to hit up the new sandwich joint. We ended up sharing 3 sandwiches and a Poutine. The poutine was made with Kennebec potatoes which resulted in some crispy fresh cut fries. So far so good. The gravy wasn't salty per se, but it did get a sodium kick from the random bacon bits. It was smoky and meaty as per its description on the menu. We felt there was enough of the thick gravy for the amount of fries. As for the cheese curds, they were fantastic. The first sandwich we tried was the Cheeky (another play on words...) which was a combination of braised pork cheek, smoked Emmental cheese, coleslaw and caramelized bacon aioli. This was our favourite sandwich of the 3 we had. There was a medley of flavours which kissed our taste buds in layers. First it was the meat, then the coleslaw and finally finished with the smoky cheese. The only thing that would've put this over the top would be more acidity from the coleslaw.

Next up was the Jerk It (yes, my mind was in the gutter when I saw this...), which consisted of jerk chicken, crispy yam and coleslaw. We liked the crispy yam as it provided a nice crunch and sweetness to the sandwich. However, the jerk chicken (as moist as it was) did not have much impact. There were spices, but they were muted with no kick. Moreover, we didn't understand why there was coleslaw, it really didn't go with the rest of the ingredients. Our last sandwich was the Strip'n (again, our minds were in the gutter) which had AAA striploin, red pepper, onion, crispy mushrooms and horseradish & bluecheese aioli. This had all the components of a great sandwich: tender beef, crispy Earthy mushrooms and in theory, a great tasting sauce. However, the flavours were once again mild. A sprinkle of salt and a stronger aioli would've made this sandwich rock. In the end, we both felt this place has potential and we would gladly return to try their upcoming shortrib (which they featured before) and fish sandwiches. There are some really good ideas and with a few tweaks, I think we'll have a winner.

The Good:
- Interesting ingredients such as the crispy yam and crispy mushroom
- Fair pricing since sandwiches at Quizno's and Subway are not cheap either (I'd rather have the ones here)

The Bad:
- Flavours are muted, need more impact
- Need a few tweaks with the ingredient combinations

Cartems Donuterie

*Restaurant is closed*

$3.00 for a freakin' donut? Say what? Are you kidding me? What's next, a Chinese "yau ja gwai" for $5.00??? Hey, we can like have different flavours of yau ja gwai! Like one with a passion fruit glaze... or maybe not... Anyways, when I found out about Cartems Donuterie was charging $15.00 for half-a-dozen donuts (yes, that is half-a-dozen and $30.00 for a full dozen), I almost lost my appetite. Well, not really, I never lose my appetite... Ultimately, I put it on the back burner due to my unwillingness to pay that much for fried dough. Well, I gave in. People were just saying too many good things about it. I broke down and headed over to the corner of Hastings and Carrall for some gourmet donuts. Hastings and Carrall??? Like kitty-corner to Pigeon Park? Yup, that is right. These better be damn good donuts. As I was getting out of my car, I noticed a well-dressed, mature gentleman with box of donuts in hand getting into his Bentley. Wow, these donuts must be good for a dude in a Bentley to venture into the Downtown Eastside.

As I was getting my order, the sights and sounds of the neighbourhood could not be mistakened. The constant yelling from some random lady was deafening. The fact I was buying $3.00 donuts when there were people outside who wouldn't even fathom having that much in spare change was paradoxical. Made me want to head back to the Salvation Army Habourlight a few blocks down. However, that is another story for another post. Back to the donuts... I got a half-dozen consisting of a few different choices. I tried the Classic with vanilla bean glaze to start as a baseline of sorts. Instantly, I could tell why these donuts are so expensive. The texture was consistent and appealing. From the crisp exterior all the way into the moist semi-sweet interior, this felt like a special donut. However, the glaze was still quite sweet which was tempered somewhat by its conservative deployment. Only one side of the donut got the glaze treatment. Of course I had to get their very popular Maple Bourbon which is a version of the "bacon + donut" craze started by Voodoo Donut in Portland. Unlike the maple bacon bar, the one here is a cake donut with a maple bourbon glaze and only intermittent sprinkles of crispy bacon. Hence, the bacon-ness was somewhat muted, yet at the same time complimented the heavier cake donut since a whole slice of bacon would've been overkill.

A different donut of sorts was the Vegan Chocolate which was tagged as "no animals in here" donut. With texture similar to a bundt cake, this moist "donut" (which was more like a piece of moist chocolate cake) had a rich flavour. It was not overly sweet, rather it oozed chocolateness with depth. I was surprised at the moistness and real chocolate flavour. A similar donut in terms of texture was a gluten-free donut - the Berry Tea (thanks to Sean for GF info). Again, it resembled a bundt cake yet more moist. It was mild in flavour and there was just enough glaze for flavour. I could pick out the fruit from the sugar which is not always the case with many of donuts. Also, it was good on its own despite being gluten-free. The one donut which really illustrated the beautiful textures was the Cinnamon & Sugar. Since there was no glaze or anything to compromise the fried dough, there was an appealing crunch that gave way to the soft cake interior. Once again, there was just enough sugar on the outside for taste, but it was not overwhelming. My son said it best as he thought the crunch made the donut resemble a churro.


Now for my favourite of the whole lot - the Sweet Heat. Essentially a chocolate donut with a light sprinkle of sugar along with chili flakes, this had it all. The rich chocolate cake was moist and reserved in sweetness. There was only a light amount of spice combined with the mild sugar hit. I could've eaten many more of these and I would pay the money to buy them. Am I crazy? Well, maybe. But believe me, these donuts are legit. You won't confuse them with Tim Horton's or Duffin's. It is all about how you approach it. Think of them as "pastries" rather than donuts and it'll seem more reasonable. For myself, I'll gladly eat my words and the donuts as well.

The Good:
- You can really taste the different quality makes (hey, isn't that Schneider's?)
- Interesting flavours
- Cool staff

The Bad:
- Still expensive even though I think they're worth it
- As for this location, it's colourful