Jade Dynasty

Taking things for granted... That's a pretty normal phenomenon. We do that with our spouses, family, friends, pets, possessions and in Richmond, our safety. For me, it is Rich Guy. Generally, when he comes back from the Philippines, he is a consistant eating companion. Now that he is back for good, I haven't eaten with him for months. Yes, I have taken him for granted. So much so, he had to initiate a food adventure this time around! Actually, what he really wanted to do was to buy a Chinese Cheongsam for his daughter. On my suggestion, we headed to Chinatown to my go to place for Cheongsam (I have a go to place for this?!?!?) which is KK Boutique. Conveniently located across the street from our eating destination - Jade Dynasty.

From the outside, the place looked super-shady with the typical tacky yellow-red awning and pictures of various dishes. On the inside, it was surprisingly clean and spacious. Shockingly, their washroom was rather decent considering the restaurant's location. Like many Dim Sum services these days, we were presented with an order sheet. We proceeded to mark off 8 items to which our server reminded us that we ordered a lot of food. We acknowledged her concerns, but little did she know that we could actually do more! The first item to arrive was the Stuffed Eggplant. These could've been fried a touch less as the outer layer of shrimp and eggplant were getting dry and leathery. However, on the inside, the eggplant was fine while the shrimp was slightly chewy. We weren't impressed with the black bean sauce as it had more colour than taste.

Next came the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll which was very good. The rice noodle was soft and just a touch thick, yet exhibited a desirable elasticity which ensured that it didn't fall apart when picked up. There was plenty of medium-sized shrimp which had a good snap texture, however, they seemed to lack seasoning for some reason. I do realize there was sweet soy on the plate, but the shrimp needed to be seasoned as well. Okay, we did it again. We ordered Xiao Long Bao in a non-Shanghainese Dim Sum meal. So we had low expectations. Even with that, these XLBs were terrible. First of all, they were far too big. Stuffed inside the overly thick and doughy wrapper was some pretty chewy, sinewy, fatty meat. There was no soup to speak of as well. The only good thing was the good amount of ginger flavour. Serves us right for ordering these.

Thankfully, the Haw Gow was pretty good. The dumpling skin was a touch thick while still exhibiting a nice texture and elasticity. The whole shrimp inside was crunchy with little in the way of filler (which would explain why it was quite loose as well). The Sui Mai was even better in my opinion. Although being on the sweeter side, there was just the right amount of seasoning where we could still taste the pork, shrimp and shiitake, yet at the same time, not have one component overwhelm the other. The best thing of all though was bounce texture of the meat and the snap of the shrimp. This is what sui mai should be like. For some reason or another, we decided to get a large bowl of Chicken Congee as well. "Home-made looking" was probably the best way to describe it. It was very white and not really all that thick (probably more like watery). However, that was the only home-made part of it since it was very flavourful in an MSG kind of way. On the other hand, there was a significant ginger and onion presence also. Furthermore, it was loaded with large pieces of de-boned chicken leg meat which was moist and tender with all of the skin and fat removed.

Rich Guy and I had a difference of opinion when it came to the Pork Spareribs. He found them overly chewy and over-seasoned while I thought the shortcomings were not too significant. I did agree that the meat could've been tenderized a touch more and also they should have been less aggressive with the MSG. However, as a whole, the portion was pretty generous and most pieces were of the rib variety which meant less fat and cartilage. Also, I could really taste the mix of black bean, garlic and peppers which is not always the case with this dish. Lastly, and I mean really lastly (as it took awhile from the spareribs to this dish), the Panfried Daikon Radish Cake arrived. These were some pretty large cuts of radish cake as you can clearly see from the thickness and the fact they barely fit onto the plate. We found them a touch dense and slightly dry. However, the panfry was decent and they apparently didn't use much oil (which would be another explanation of it being dry as well). There was large chunks of daikon and plenty of Chinese sausage which added a nice flavour. I didn't even need to drench it into hot sauce. To our server's surprise, we had dusted off all of the food except 2 of the XLBs (for good reason). Despite the XLBs and some minor issues with the food, the Dim Sum was above-average at a fairly reasonable cost (considering the portion size). We wouldn't normally hit up Dim Sum in Chinatown since that would mean going to Floata (ew...), however Jade Dynasty is a viable option (especially ever since Kam Wai ceased their restaurant operations).

The Good:
- Decent eats
- Okay pricing
- Surprisingly clean considering where it is located

The Bad:
- Some issues here and there regarding the food (but nothing is perfect anyways)
- Parking can be a headache

Brioche

Last time when Whipping Girl and I went for lunch at the Greedy Pig, we had actually considered picking up some items from Brioche as we walked by. In fact, we even went in with the intention of doing so. However, common sense prevailed and we decided to not eat anymore. What? Not eat more food? What is wrong with me? Well, we just had shared 3 sandwiches a soup at the Greedy Pig... I know, maybe I'm off my game or something. Stop eating, how crazy is that??? Well, we were determined to return someday, especially considering it is one of Whipping Girl's regular lunch time options. So on a rainy Vancouver day (wait, isn't that any day?), we headed over there for some grub.

Luckily we were early because the places gets packed quickly. Being a small restaurant, that would also mean a lack of seating too (there is a secret dining area in the back though). This is further complicated by the fact one orders from the counter first and then has to look for a table. As we ate our lunch, there were many who left not wanting to wait for a seat. For some odd reason, we both ended up with vegetarian items. What? First, we had stopped eating last time after the Greedy Pig and now we abstained from meat? What has the world come to??? What's next? The Maple Leafs winning the Stanley Cup? Wait, that's going a bit too far. So back to the food. Whipping Girl started with a Salad consisting of mesclun greens, cucumber, tomato and feta. Now for me, a salad is usually a salad unless there is some interesting ingredient. Well, the ingredients were fresh and typical, but the dressing was very tasty. It was like an Italian dressing but not. There was a good combination of spices and acidity which even made me like it.

For her main, she had the Spinach, Feta, Mushroom and Mozzarella Pizza. It's pretty obvious from the picture that there was a good amount of cheese on top which in turn made the pizza quite tasty (in addition to the other toppings and zesty tomato sauce). The crust was a bit different as it resembled soft focaccia bread. For myself, I decided to start with one of their featured soups being the Crab & Shrimp Bisque. This was not as rich and creamy as I would've liked. In fact, it was tart and in a way, like a creamy tomato soup. The shellfish aroma and essence was very slight, overwhelmed by the acidity. I did enjoy the fact it was not salty though (which some bisques can be).

As aforementioned, I had a vegetarian dish being the Eggplant Parmigiana. Although the portion size seemed rather small, it was rich and filling. The eggplant was nicely textured where it retained some integrity despite being soft. There was just enough tart tomato sauce where it didn't become a soggy mess, however, the whole thing was quite salty. By virtue of using Parmesan, that would be a given, but this was a bit too much. To counteract the sodium, we got 2 desserts to go (because there was a burgeoning lineup). The Tiramisu was not really sweet nor was there a tonne of distinguishing flavours. With that being said, I didn't mind it either. The mildness suited me just fine as with slightly stiffer texture. The second dessert was the Pear Torte which was laced with big slices of tender aromatic pear. Only semi-sweet and quite dense, this was a pretty heavy dessert. Strangely, even though there was nothing that appealing about it, I kept picking at it and eventually finished it.

While I though the food from Brioche was pretty decent, it left me somewhat confused. More than a few people have raved about the place, yet my experience was pretty average, if not slightly above average. Maybe I need a larger sample size to more adequately make up my mind about the place. I'm game for a revisit and maybe I'll try a few more items just for good measure. I'm sure Whipping Girl will be more than happy to join me.

The Good:
- Food is decent
- Service is friendly
- Nice vibe

The Bad:
- Lack of seating (although there is another dining area in the back)
- Not sure if I had high expectations, but I was expecting more?

The Charlatan

"Never give up, never surrender". That was the line from the Star Trek spoof Galaxy Quest. For those who haven't watched it, I suggest you do. Now that line from the movie pretty much sums up my hockey team's resolve. You see, when we fail to eat at a restaurant for a variety of reasons, we try, try again. This was such the case with The Charlatan. About a month ago, the place was packed and we had no hope in the world in getting a seat for 7 people. So we ended up going across the street to Sake Maki instead. This time around, we only have 4 and we were heading out much later, which increased our chances. We did get seated right away, however it was around the bar area where the tables were more fit for 2 than 4. Definitely cozy and really, easier to share (which suited me just fine). However, I'm not sure why I got stuck with Gordo beside me while Milhouse got Emilicious...

We did end up starting with something to share in the Salt & Pepper Wings. With exactly 12 pieces, it was easy to divvy up among 4 people. These wings were pretty meaty and were not too dry. I wouldn't classify them as juicy, but much better than most places. The skin was crisp and nicely rendered from the frying. The salt and pepper was a touch uneven where some wings were more flavourful than others. Yet, that is understandable since it is hard to adhere to a non-sauced surface. We liked how the order of wings included a side of blue cheese dressing and veggie sticks (they also brought us a side of hot sauce as well). Since the late night menu features a variety of burgers, we all decided on a different one each and share. The Pulled Pork Burger caught my eye and it arrived majestically with a house-made beef patty, pulled pork, jalapenos and red cabbage slaw on a brioche bun. Although the jalapenos basically overwhelmed everything else, I personally didn't mind it. For a change, I could say my burger had lots of flavour. However, the tang from the pickle, red cabbage and jalapenos were a touch overkill with the acidity. The beef patty itself was on the drier side, but the rest of the ingredients made up for it. I found the pulled pork to be moist with a sweet BBQ sauce. Now the best part of this burger as with all of the other ones was the awesome brioche bun. It was soft, not dry and was strong enough to stand up to the ingredients. One of the better brioche buns I've had with a burger in some time. The side of fresh-cut fries was massive and quite good. They were crispy and thin without losing its "potatoness".

I had initially substituted the fries for a Poutine (which they forgot), so I actually ended up with a double order of fries. Okay, I'll put myself out there and say that this poutine was pretty good. First of all, it started with the right base being the fresh-cut fries. Too many places get lazy and use generic frozen fries which essentially ruins the dish regardless of the gravy and cheese curds. And on the topic of gravy and cheese curds, they were solid here. The gravy was thick while not being clumpy and it provided just enough flavour without being salty. To top it off, the cheese curds were fantastic. With only a few melted, we could get that desired "squeak". One of the better poutines we've had in awhile. Emilicious ended up with The Charlie which consisted of BBQ sauce, caramelized onions and Danish blue cheese. I was indifferent with this one because the sweetness of the BBQ sauce and onions really didn't let the sharpness of the blue cheese come through.

Milhouse went for the Lamb Burger with tzatziki, goat's cheese and roasted red pepper. This wasn't bad where the lamb was not that gamy while the tzatziki and goat's cheese made it rich and creamy. Lastly, Gordo had the Bacon Cheeseburger with smoked white cheddar and thick cut bacon. I really liked this one because the bacon was fried until it was super crispy. Combined with the smoky cheddar, this apparently simple burger worked. Despite the dry patties, somehow, we still liked our burgers as well as the fries. It ain't gourmet food, but for late night eats, The Charlatan came through.

The Good:
- It's lively and noisy (in a good way)
- Despite the dry burger patties, the burgers were on the whole pretty good
- The service we got was good

The Bad:
- Depending on your seat, it can be cramped
- We liked the burgers but the patties could've been cooked just a touch less

Full House

*Restaurant is now closed*

My mom reads the Chinese newspaper religiously. Even when she is away on vacation, we have to pick up paper so she won't miss any issues. As such, she often scans the gazillion restaurant advertisements for potential family eats. This time around, she spotted Full House Chinese which had just opened up on Cambie next to New Town Bakery. Some of the set meals (at a discounted price) caught her fancy and suggested we give it try. You know me, I would rarely pass up an eating opportunity, let alone when someone else is paying. However, it was a game night for the Canucks. Food or hockey on TV? Wow, that's like choosing between bacon and tripe. Both are so good! For me at least... Well, not to fear, they actually had the game on at the restaurant to both my surprise and delight.

As mentioned, we went for their set meal for 4 and added an extra dish for the heck of it. We began with the Fish Maw & Crabmeat Soup which was pretty average at best. The fish maw was not soft enough. So much so, it could've passed for pork rinds. Furthermore, Viv thought that the flavour was a touch stale. I didn't think so, but there was certainly a strong fish maw
taste. In terms of the crab meat, we really needed to look hard to find any. But the worst thing of all with the soup was the considerable amount of MSG. The darn soup was so flavourful, it was a dead giveaway that they used too much sodium. Next was the Chef's Special Free Range Chicken which was not bad. There was a decent amount of meat for a generally lean type of chicken. As expected, the meat was on the chewy side, yet not so much that it wasn't easily eaten. The skin was gelatin-like, however, there wasn't any gelatin underneath it. There was a drizzle of wok salt oil on top for flavour and we did appreciate the grated ginger and green onion on the side (which was mostly ginger).

The item we most looked forward to was the Lobster and Vermicelli with Ginger and Green Onion Hot Pot. The whole thing was presented in a large and deep hot pot which housed a modest-sized lobster and a lot of flavourful vermicelli. Although on the drier side, I liked the vermicelli since it was not soaked in sauce and still retained a nice chewiness. It was also seasoned just enough so it didn't suffer the fate of the other dishes. Our extra dish was the Fish and Tofu Hot Pot which arrived sizzling hot. It certainly looked good with large pieces of fried basa and tofu. It had a rich colour and the sauce appeared thick and flavourful. And yes, the sauce was flavourful... with a considerable amount of salt and MSG. When I took a bite into the fish, it was moist and flaky, yet wow... the sodium stung my tongue. I have a high tolerance for salt, but this was far too much. It was too bad really because the fish was cooked right and so was the silky tofu.

Included in the set meal was the Shrimp & BBQ Pork Fried Rice, which we requested to be prepared without green onions. I must give them props for doing so, which they substituted lettuce instead. As for the rice itself, that was a different matter. It was clumpy and many of the grains were broken. Furthermore, it was slightly bland (which was good since everything else was salty). There was no absence of lean BBQ pork and shrimp which made up for the subpar rice. With the Sauteed 3 Kinds of Seafood & Veggies, the MSG/salt monster reared its ugly head once more. When I put one of the basa filets in my mouth, the sodium literally killed my tastebuds. I couldn't taste anything else. Was there a sale on MSG and salt or something? As for the positives, the fish was cooked perfectly as with the squid. The shrimp, however, was a touch soft and didn't have much of a snap to it. The celery and snap peas were good though, vibrant and crunchy.

For our last dish, we had something familiar with a twist. Normally, fried pork chops are accompanied by some sweet and sour sauce. This version was the Pork Chops in Lemon Sauce. Unfortunately, this dish was a fail. First of all, the pork was not tenderized properly, so it was dry and mealy. Secondly, the batter didn't adhere properly and ended up clumping up becoming gummy. Lastly, the sauce had no impact. It was more floral than anything. No zing or zip. Somewhat surprisingly, we were not presented with the standard sweet red bean soup. Rather, we got a Sweet Yam & Ginger Soup with wolfberries. Don't get me wrong here, it wasn't anything mind-blowing, but it was at the very least different and was a much needed counterbalance to the salt content of the entire meal. As you can clearly ascertain, the saltiness of our dinner left a bad taste in our mouths - literally. I was wanting a Super Big Gulp so badly while we were eating! Now I wouldn't classify the food as horrible, yet it was certainly not appealing either. I suppose this would be the type of place for those wanting decent value and don't mind a ton of MSG and salt. For us, it was more of a been there done that, not interested in coming back type of experience.

The Good:
- Fair pricing
- Good portions
- Free parking at the back

The Bad:
- MSG/salt overload
- Food was greasy
- Although service wasn't bad, it was very sparse

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)

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