Golden Swan (ChineseBites Dinner)

Recently, I was approached by Raymond Chow about joining him and other bloggers for meals at Chinese restaurants in order to highlight signature dishes. The rationale behind this is that many Chinese establishments do not have a Net presence. In fact, many of them exclusively advertise in Chinese print media. In that sense, they are not reaching out to over half of the population (and those who don't read Chinese!). On his site, ChineseBites, he hopes to bring awareness to authentic Chinese cuisine to everyone. The initial intention was to pay for our meals (or at least part of) at the restaurants we eat at as a group. However, as expected, many of the restaurants decided to comp our dinners. Not really a surprise since this serves to promote each restaurant at their best (and of course we'd get good service... duh...). Therefore, I've personally decided that my posts about these dinners will not be a "review" per se (not linked to Urbanspoon), rather they will be about my experiences with these recommended dishes.

So first up was Golden Swan out on Victoria
Drive in Vancouver. They changed ownership last year with the owners of Golden Ocean buying them out. In addition to Raymond and myself, others at the dinner were Kevin, Rick, Alvin and Louisa. Like many Chinese set meals, we started off with the Golden Swan Appetizer Platter consisting of Smoked Salmon, Beef Shank, Shrimp, Mock Goose and Honey Garlic Spareribs. This was pretty typical and nothing was amiss. I did like the beef shank as the slices were thick, yet at the same time, the meat was moist with definite hits of five spice. Next up was a beautifully plated dish named Soft Tofu in Japanese Style. Huh? Yah, that's what I thought too. Something got lost in translation. Whatever the case, the dish consisted of delicately sliced silken tofu fanned carefully around the plate. At the centre, there was a stir-fried mix of edamame, corn, carrots, shiitake and preserved radish. The vegetarian mix was still crisp and vibrant while the silky sauce was mild. The one thing that kept this dish from boredom was the preserved radish. It provided crunch and saltiness.

Next was another nicely plated dish - Sauteed Geoduck and Scallops with Sweat Peas. Now this is usually a pretty common combination of ingredients, however, they added different herbs including lemongrass. Hence, the flavour profile was completely different. There was a certain aromaticness to go with the natural sweetness of the seafood and crunchy snap peas. One thing of note, there was no "Geoduck" in the dish, rather, they were sea cucumber innards. Moving along, the next dish to arrive was the Sauteed Beef Tenderloin with Chayote in Black Pepper Sauce. The chayote was still crunchy while cooked all the way through. With the addition of strawberries, it further accentuated the sweetness of the dish. Naturally, the sweetness was accented by the a mild amount of black pepper. The chunks of beef were tender, yet still meaty in texture. However, I found it to be rather salty.

Majestically golden brown, the House Special Salty Chicken was presented in a clay pot. This was cooked in a salt crust which was removed just before serving. I asked if they had quickly oil blanched the chicken first because of the crispy skin. Apparently they did not, so this was achieved via the baking process. The chicken was moist even with the white meat. I found it to be only moderately salty despite the salt crust. Next was definitely not a fan favourite at our table. The Egg White Custard with Almond Milk was a white blob of food which neither had enough flavour nor texture to maintain our interest. There were bits of Asian pear that only served to add to the overall sweetness of the dish. There wasn't enough crunch to alleviate the mushiness of the blob.

Elegantly plated was our next dish - Angel Hair with Tiger Prawn. The fried prawn was doused in a ketchup, sweet chili sauce and garlic concoction accompanied by some angel hair pasta. Yes, some fusion thing going on here. However, it was not anything dissimilar to items found at a Hong Kong style cafe. I found the sauce to be rather sweet with the prawn being cooked perfectly. Our last savoury dish was the Lobster, Scallops, Shrimp with Rice on Lotus Leaf. I've seen this dish many times before, however, not with shrimp and scallops. Me thinks that we got the royal treatment here (duh...). So everything was prepared carefully. The scallops and prawns were just cooked while the lobster was fried beautifully. The rice at the bottom soaked up some of the flavour from the seafood as well as the sauce. The addition of corn along with Chinese sausage, mushroom, tobiko and green onion added pop to the rice.

Onto dessert, Kevin was hoping for Baked Tapioca Pudding and his wishes came true. What really made this dessert was the excellent crunchy topping. Normally, the topping is thin, much like the one found atop a Pineapple Bun. This one was much thicker and had more impact. The tapioca pudding had a nice texture and the addition of lotus paste was nice. Surprisingly, the dessert wasn't too sweet which suited me just fine. Last and certainly not least was the Durian Rolls. That drew some reaction since durian can be quite pungent. If you've ever come across the actual fruit, it can quickly overwhelm. However, since it had been processed and baked into a flaky pastry, there was only flavour (which can be an acquired taste). It was definitely sweet with a certain fruit gaminess to it. I personally liked it. And on the topic of like, if I had to do my own signature dish choices, I would think that Soft Tofu and the Salty Chicken were the most interesting of the bunch. Nice meal thanks to ChineseBites. I look forward to our next meal.

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

Minami

If you have been to Miku, you are familiar with their Aburi Sushi which doesn't require soy nor wasabi. Their seared sushi with tasty sauces are flavourful enough on their own. Located in the former Goldfish, a new sister restaurant has opened up. Minami operates with a similar menu except for the addition of a few things (including noodles). With Yukon Gold back in town (and the fact I haven't seen him in 5 years), it was a good excuse to round up Rich Guy and Vandelay to meet him for some eats at Minami ( since I missed the media event a week earlier, I was craving Aburi Salmon Oshi).

We started with the Hamachi Carpaccio with citrus avocado sauce. The fish was buttery smooth and practically melted in our mouths. Although there were plenty flavouring agents, we could still taste the hamachi. Next was the Ebi Fritters consisting of white shrimp with spiced couscous, sweet chili aioli and soy balsamic reduction. The parsley batter was very crispy while being quite thick (possibly too much so). The shrimp had a good snap with lots of natural sweetness. I liked the sweet rich balsamic as it went well with the crunchy batter.

We weren't that thrilled with the Pork Gyoza with savoy cabbage, chili oil, soy, vinegar and lardons. For a filling made with poin loin and pork belly, it was dry and stiff. We were expecting moist and fluffy considering the addition of pork fat. On the other hand, the meat was tasty. When combined with the sauce, it covered all the bases: sweet, tart, spicy and savoury. Next up was the Aburi Carpaccio with organic 64° egg, asian pear, market greens, lotus root chips and jalapeño-garlic ponzu. The meat was super moist and tender. The sous-vide egg provided an almost buttery addition to the beef. The sauce added too much salt though.

Alright, all these dishes were fine and dandy, however, the main event arrived on a large platter. Starting from left to right, we had the Una-Kyu Roll, Pacific Roll, Aburi Salmon Oshi and Minami Roll. The Una-Kyu Roll consisted of BBQ fresh water eel tempura, cucumber, seven spice salt and unagi sauce. The crunch from the cucumber and eel tempura added plenty of texture in a normally "soft" roll. The unagi sauce was sweet, yet tempered by the salt. None of the flavourings overwhelmed the eel as we could still taste it. The Pacific Roll consisted of albacore tuna, jalapeño, cucumber, wrapped in shiso and yellowtail topped with cracked pepper and avocado sauce. It was light and refreshing with a hint of spice. There was a nice finish from the buttery avocado sauce. Onto what I was waiting for - the Aburi Salmon Oshi. Essentially pressed sushi with salmon topped by Miku sauce and jalapeño, this is their signature dish. The sushi rice had a nice texture and mild taste which was essentially a canvas for the nicely seared creamy sauce. One of my favourite things to eat in town.

Lastly, the Minami Roll was made up of Aburi short rib, spicy prawn, cucumber, wasabi and masatake. This was a flavourful mix of flavours and textures including the sweetness from the shrimp, aromatics from the sesame oil, crunch from the cucumber and the tender meatiness of the beef. I personally like the food at Miku/Minami even though it ain't cheap. So it begs the question: why not eat at a small sushi joint for much less? Well, if one needs to ask that question, then they are missing the point. You might as well declare you can eat yourself silly at McD's for $10.00 rather than spending your money on a tasting menu at West for $100.00. Those are 2 different things that should not be compared. I like Miku and Minami because the food is carefully prepared as well as tasting good. Service is attentive with great ambiance. Yes, that is all factored into the price. Oh, and let's not get into the "it's more authentic and better in Japan" argument. We're in Vancouver. I'm not going to fly to Japan to compare a restaurant.

The Good:
- Aburi sushi, enough said
- Attentive service
- Nice ambiance and decor

The Bad:
- Yes, it is expensive, but consider where it is located and what you are getting
- Not a big deal for me, but Minami doesn't really offer anything different from Miku

Dim Sum @ Szechuan Chongqing (Broadway)

Here we go again... Dim Sum with the mother-in-law. It has become such a common occurrence, I've even started to enjoy her company. What??? Not! Well, it probably has more to do with me tuning out and daydreaming than anything else. Again, there was the usual requests to go to Tung Sing Chin once again. However, I suggested we head over to the Broadway location of Szechuan Chongqing instead. Wait a minute. Cantonese Dim Sum at a Szechuan joint? Are you mad? No, I'm not, but eventually sometime during the meal I would be (especially with MIL at the table). Actually, in the past, when we used to live in Downtown, Viv and I would frequent the place not only because it was half-decent, it was also inexpensive.

Well, that was then... Seems like inflation set in and the prices are roughly on par with other restaurants in this class. The one thing going for the place is the free parking spots at the back (albeit the few that there are). They still employ push carts here, as rare as it is these days. However, being such a small place, there are only like 2 carts maximum in action at one time. Hence, we practically got all of our items as quick as we sat down. Good for those who are hungry. Bad for me, where I had to get all my photos as quickly as possible. Since there was no real order to the food arriving at our table, I'll start talking about the most important item first - the Haw Gow (steamed shrimp dumplings). The dumpling skin was slightly on the chewier side, yet was thin enough where it wasn't doughy. The shrimp filling had a good bounce and crunch where it was very well-seasoned. It partially overwhelmed the natural sweetness of the shrimp though.

As always, we got the Sui Mai (pork & shrimp dumpling) to go along with the haw gow. These were smallish in size and were moist. The moistness was a blessing and a curse at the same time though. The dumpling ended up being a touch soft because of it. Despite this, the shrimp were nicely prepared where they exhibited a good crunch (which alleviated the softness of the meat somewhat). Once again, the dumpling was well-seasoned. One particular item that I seem to always order is the Bean Curd Skin Roll. Yes, it doesn't sound that appetizing and its wrinkly appearance may concern a few people. Hey, don't knock it until you try it! It is essentially pork filling encased in fried bean curd sheets. These rolls were somewhat loose with a filling consisting of ground pork, bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms and carrot. Overall, the roll had a good texture from the tender meat to the chewy (yet soft) bean curd skin. There was just enough oyster-based sauce to keep the rolls moist.

Another favourite of mine is the Steamed Blackbean Pork Spareribs. These were slightly over-tenderized where they were easy to chew, yet lacking in bite. The squash underneath the ribs was a mushy mess which was neither aesthetically-pleasing nor edible. The flavours were good with a good balance of savoury, sweet and a hint of spiciness. Now, this is where I would usually be talking about rice noodle rolls since my kiddies love them so much. However, they somehow got turned onto sticky rice. Then of course, we had to get the Lo Mei Gai (sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves). The rice itself was a little dry, yet it was moistened by the abundance of filling (which included ground pork, shiitake mushroom and dried shrimp). With no lack of ingredients, this made the entire thing flavourful while not salty either. Now just because we got the lo mei gai, that didn't mean we couldn't get the Soy-Fried Rice Noodle Rolls. Well, in the end, we were glad that we got both because the portion size of the rice noodle rolls had to be one of the smallest we've ever seen. I guess they made it up with quality as the noodles were soft and properly caramelized by a good pan-fry. They weren't that greasy and there was plenty of flavour.

Continuing on kiddie favourites, we got the Shrimp Spring Rolls as well. These arrived hot with very little to no grease at the bottom of the plate. These were obviously fried at the right temperature. The result was a crisp exterior which revealed lots of whole, crunchy shrimp. The only negative thing about the spring rolls was the overuse of salt, which completely masked the sweetness of the shrimp. Although this was not the end of the meal, it seems fitting to talk about the Mah Lai Goh or steamed sponge cake here since it is a kiddie favourite too. This came out steaming hot and very moist. Texture-wise, this was bang on. In terms of flavour, that was another story as they used far too much sugar. The kiddies loved it (duh... sugar), but I could barely eat a piece since it was so sweet.

Moving away from kid favourites, we had the Phoenix Talons (or chicken feet). Yah, that will be the day when my son would eat this... Anyways, despite the appearance of sauce atop the chicken feet, there wasn't really all that much on the plate. Hence, they were slightly dry. That didn't mean it was a total loss. Rather, they were fried nicely where the skin and gelatin underneath stayed intact. The dish was not devoid of flavour either as there was plenty of black bean, garlic and chili flakes. Onto another adult-only item was the Steamed Beef Tripe. Normally, these need to be rinse vigorously over an extended period of time. Otherwise, the gaminess of the tripe cannot be masked by any form of seasoning. In this case, we could definitely taste the gaminess. Despite this, the dish was predominantly sweet where it could've used more salt and some spice. Flavour issues aside, the texture of the tripe was perfect though. It straddled the fine line of being tender while retaining a chew.

Lastly, we had the Stuffed Eggplant with shrimp mousse. It came out hot and crisp with moist eggplant and "bouncy" shrimp filling. Again, the oil must've been the right temp because the eggplant was not greasy. The little sauce that was provided was flavourful enough for the amount of eggplant on the plate. Hey, it ain't the best Dim Sum we've ever had, but it was not bad considering it is a Szechuan joint. Prices are not as cheap as they used to be, yet it isn't incredibly unreasonable either. The place does the job considering there are only a few other Dim Sum joints nearby.

The Good:
- Okay eats considering everything
- Service is pretty decent
- Free parking at the back (only a few though)

The Bad:
- Prices have crept up over the years
- Limited selection of items

Two Chefs Richmond

The Sandwich Tree. That's essentially what most people (stuck in areas with few restaurants) are left with as a lunch option in the not-too-distant past. For those who are unfamiliar, the place served up sandwiches that could easily be replicated at home for a premium price. With better choices for food, this chain (and many more like it) are fading fast. The bottom line is people demand more - fresher, more refined and tastier. The people behind Two Chefs & a Table recognize this desire for better lunchtime eats and have opened up shop in a predominantly industrial area in Richmond.

Seeing how Choobee (formerly TS from eatingclub Vancouver) and her sis were in Richmond, it seemed like a great idea to meet up for lunch at Two Chefs Richmond. Located on Viking Way, one needs to drive into a complex to find the place. It operates as both a takeout joint and a full-service restaurant. The humble exterior of the place hides a chic interior decor which is atypical of a lunch hour spot. We decided to sit on the patio at the back since it was a nice day. With a bit of strategic ordering (no duplicates), we decided on 4 dishes to share amongst the 3 of us staring with the Meat Hook Chili with Duck Fat Tater Tots. Due to the use of duck fat, the tater tots were super crunchy and rich. Definitely an indulgence. The relatively mild chili was full of meat and beans ( meat was moist while beans had a nice texture). It had depth of flavour, yet could've benefited from just a touch more spice.

Next up was the Pulled Pork Sandwich consisting of house-smoked pork, apple BBQ sauce and Granny Smith slaw. The sandwich was messy, as it should be, with a tangy and sweet BBQ sauce. The pork was both plentiful and moist. As much as the apple in the slaw made it more interesting, it could've used a touch more zing. The bun was soft, yet still held everything together. As for the fries, they were crisp and above-average. Seeing how they had a selection of burgers, we decided to try the Butcher Burger. The house-made patty had a good char which added a nice smokiness to the meat. However, the meat was woefully overcooked (which was weird since the patty was pretty thick). It was not devoid of flavour though. Once again, we liked the soft bun.

Last and not-in-the-least, we had the Chicken & Waffles. It seems that this is becoming the "in" dish at the moment (seems like pulled pork is just a common item now). Resting atop a crispy, yet airy waffle was 2 large pieces of nicely fried chicken (leg and breast). The house made waffle was garnished with maple syrup, vanilla butter and pecans. The chicken was relatively moist with a perfectly crisp exterior. It didn't seem too greasy. One thing we would've liked to see was more seasoning used on the chicken. However, when all the components were eaten in one bite, there was a good mix of salty and sweet as well as different textures. Overall, we agreed that the food was above-average and well-priced (most dishes are around $10 - $12). Definitely something interesting in a place where one would not expect it.

The Good:
- Interesting food where you would normally find hot dogs
- Pretty nice digs
- Well-priced

The Bad:
- Due to its location, it is only open for lunch
- Flavours could stand to be more bold

Dai Jang Kum

There we were, mulling around after our Monday night softball game. "Where are we going to eat?", pipes up Bear. Luckily, I had a list of varied options. I began naming each one followed by a short description. No one seemed all that interested in any of them. Until... I mentioned Dai Jang Kum... That drew giggles and smiles from everyone especially Milhouse. He emphasized the last word in the name... And for those who are unfamiliar, "Dai" in Chinese means big and "Jang" sounds similar to excellent (a la Wayne's World). If you put it altogether... well, you get the picture... Wait, maybe you don't want that picture! Without even knowing anything about the place, I found myself heading to Dai Jang Kum because everyone wanted to see what I would do with it as a post. Oh man... Reminds me of Zakkushi and Come Along.

As we pulled up the restaurant, it looked like Dark Helmet came first... er... Anyways, I reached for my camera to take a picture of the front (as I always do). For the first time ever, Milhouse took a picture as well. I guess he really wanted to remember Dai Jang Kum! We had a fairly large group of 9 and they put us in a room. This way, I guess we could enjoy in privacy... While perusing the large menu, I came across #23. Uh... Combo Special "Kum" (that is exactly how it is written too!). Really? Must they make it that easy?. Wow, $100.00. Must be some special stuff eh? Okay, before we get into that combo, the obligatory Banchan arrived consisting of stewed potatoes, seaweed, fish cake, pickled radish, bean sprouts, kimchi and daikon. "Look! there is Dai Jang Kum on all of the plates!", exclaimed Bam Bam. Uh... Pebbles was not impressed. Anyways, this was a varied selection which was above-average. The BBQ Meats (Short Ribs, Beef, Chicken and Pork), which was part of our combo, were quite bland and really needed more marinade. Other than that, they were okay.

After we started grilling the meats, everything came at us faster than we could eat them (this is what I said to the group and all they could do was laugh uncontrollably...). Presented on a long plate were the Gunmandu (panfried dumplings or in this case, deep fried). They were crispy and glistening with oil. The filling was moist and not-gritty. The accompanying sauce was quite sweet though. The Haemul Pajeon (Seafood Pancake) arrived on a plate rather than the usual cast iron pan. It was somewhat doughy, yet was crisp on both sides. We liked that it wasn't overly greasy, but there was a serious lack of seafood. Instead, there was a copious amount of green onion. Maybe it should've been called a green onion pancake instead. Up next was a large plate of Japchae (Sweet Potato Noodles). The noodles were wet and a bit too soft. Again, there was an obvious lack of ingredients as I could barely see any beef, mushrooms and veggies. One thing we did like was the balance as it wasn't too sweet.

We ended up with 2 orders of the Dolsot Bibimbap (Hot Stone Bowl Rice) and Boss Woman was not able to steal the egg this time around (see Jang Mo Jib). Well, she could've stole it, but it was raw (since it was the stone bowl version) and I'm pretty sure she didn't want a raw egg yolk! Although there wasn't anything inherently wrong with the ingredients, there was one issue. The rice never formed a crust at the bottom of the bowl. Either the rice was too wet or the bowl wasn't heated enough (or both). Disregarding that, it was alright. Dark Helmet suggested we go for the Ddeokbokki (Spicy Rice Cake) and it was a good call. It was a large plate of 3 Types of rice cake, veggies and a boiled egg in a sweet spicy sauce. There was a good kick which was not overbearing. Moreover, there was just enough sauce to coat everything rather than pooling up at the bottom of the plate. The rice cake were nicely textured riding the fine line between chewy and soft.

Interestingly, we got our 2 orders of soup at the end of our meal. This probably had something to do with the preparation time. First up was the Gamjatang (Pork Bone Soup). Since no one seemed that interested in the pork bone, I took one for myself. I tried to offer my bone to Milhouse, but he just chose to conveniently look away... Well, the meat was tender while the soup was quite mild. It was not as rich as I would've liked as it was slightly thin. The very last item that hit the table was the Soondubu Jjigae (Seafood Tofu Soup) that came with our Combo Special "Kum". This was a pretty large serving considering it was only a combo meant for 4 people. It was spicy, yet not too much so while being quite flavourful (MSG?). It was full of soft tofu and only had a modest amount of shrimp and mussels. I preferred this soup over the pork bone.

For roughly $23.00 per person including taxes and tip, this is pretty standard pricing for a Korean restaurant. We probably could've dusted off a few more dishes if we had to order again. In terms of the food, on the hole, er... sorry, I mean whole, was pretty average. However, it did the job for a relatively reasonable price. The service we got was pretty decent, which is an achievement in an Asian restaurant, let alone a Korean one. So it begs the question: would we "kum" again? Well, that would be depend on our mood.

The Good:
- The service we got was not bad
- The washrooms were clean
- Passable

The Bad:
- Passable
- A little stingy on the ingredients