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For all the great things to eat in Vancouver, it can be confusing for tourists that a plate of chicken wings can be spoke of so highly. For those who do not know what I'm talking about, I'm referring to the chicken wings at Phnom Penh. Something seemingly so simple, that should be easily replicated, consistently ranks as one of the best eats in town. For me, I love the wings and yes, I will agree with general consensus. But what happens when Phnom Penh is packed (which is a common occurrence)? Well, that is what happened to Whipping Girl recently and I suggested she head to Indochine as a back-up plan. Funny thing is - I've never been there! So to right a wrong, I offered it as our late night eats after Friday hockey.
Arriving around 10:30pm, the place was hopping with a youthful and boisterous crowd. With its modern decor and attractive staff, this could be considered the anti-thesis of Phnom Penh. To cut to the most important part, we'll go straight to the Garlic Butter Chicken Wings. Sure, there are other places in town that do this dish, but never replicating the ones found at Phnom Pehn. The version at Indochine was pretty good. The exterior was crisp while the meat was juicy and flavourful. It was not as heavy on the MSG as Phnom Penh, yet spicier. Of course, it came with the lemon & white pepper dip, which added a nice acidity. Not as good at Phnom Penh, but good nonetheless. Milhouse, being the health-
conscious person that he is, went for the Black Pepper Poutine to start. Consisting of ground beef, black pepper gravy, cheese curds and a fried egg atop fries, this was a heavy appetizer. I thought the gravy was pretty good with meatiness and pepperiness. The egg was nice textural addition to the dish, but I would've liked to see some cheese not completely melted. Furthermore, the fries were pretty dense and generic. Something more fresh-cut looking and texturally would've made this even better.
We also tried the Black Bean Escargots served with garlic toast. Honestly, I didn't get a whole 
lot of black bean flavour except for some saltiness. It was more buttery and garlicky like a typical Escargot Bourguignonne. However, this didn't really bother us as it was well-prepared and the crunchy garlic toast went well with the escargots. Mr. Blueberry went for the Lemongrass Chicken with Rice and it was served bone-in, which is typically more flavourful, yet more difficult to eat as well. The meat was moist though while flavourful from the marinade and good char. We also got the Lemongrass Pork Chop with Rice, which was more or less the same except with a thin small pork chop. We felt the meat could've been a bit more substantial. We appreciated the fried egg on both plates, but the one with the pork chop was done poorly.
Moving along with another Vietnamese specialty, the Luc Lac Beef was pretty decent as well. The
tender morsels of beef were bathed in an impactful garlic butter soy sauce which was on the saltier side. The side of tomato fried rice was atheistically-pleasing as well as pleasant tasting (had a nice chewy texture as well). Moving away from Vietnamese cuisine, we had the Coconut Red Curry with beef brisket. The dish was served piping hot consisting of tender chunks of beef brisket and moist potato cubes. However, the actual curry was thin and quite weak. There was very little coconut milk and spice. The flavours were flat and undeveloped. We didn't dislike the dish, but was the weakest of the bunch.
Trying to eat healthier and possibly show Milhouse a thing or two, Gadget Girl had the 
Mango & Avocado Salad. It was more or less a typical salad with a balsamic vinaigrette. It was fresh and pretty large in portion size. In fact, we were pretty pleased with most of the dishes in terms of taste, portion-size and price point. Considering the decor and type of service, we thought the prices were actually quite reasonable. The only thing that might bother some people is the boisterous and rowdy clientele during late night. In that case, go for lunch or an early dinner instead.
The Good:
- Decent eats
- Nice decor
- Reasonably-priced
The Bad:
- Gets a bit rowdy during late night
- Not really all that spacious, the servers do a pretty good job navigating it though
Here we are again. Recipe to Riches has returned for another season. As much as I was a little surprised at the winning recipe from last year, we must understand that it is a popularity contest. Furthermore, the product must be reproduced easily and be appealing for most people. Superstore is a business after all. They didn't get into sponsoring Recipe to Riches to lose money. So here is my take on the season 2 and the winning recipes from each week. I will offer my bold predictions as to the where each will rank and which one will win. Of course, what I think means absolutely nothing since the winner will not be chosen on taste 
alone. Week one saw an on-a-whim concoction by Jason Keary which consisted of random available ingredients. Although the Mini Cheesy Bees' Nest did not perform as well as the butterscotch tart, I was rooting for it to win because it was different. It appeared that Galen Weston agreed and anointed it the winner of week 1. The actual product was made into mini "tarts" and topped with a considerable dollop of raspberry coulis. I thought that the flavour profile of the nest was like cheesecake. The cream cheese was soft with a noticeable zing while the coulis only added to the "cheesecake" taste. I didn't get much of the mozza cheese on top as it was only modestly applied. I dunno, the excessive amount of coulis kinda destroyed this product.
Week 2 was Savoury & Snacks where we saw Stephen Childs' Chiptole Chili Slams take home the $25,000. I was disappointed to see that they did not keep the polenta "cups". They gave way to a predictably more production-friendly "pie" or "pop" cornmeal shell. After baking them as per the instructions, I took some pictures where it look remarkably like a hybrid between a McCain's apple pie and a Pilsbury Pizza Pop. One bite and bam, that smoky chipotle kick settled in. I was ever-so-happy that they didn't wimp out in that respect. There was no mistaking this was chili. It was so flavourful, I forgot it was vegetarian. The pop from the sweet corn was a nice treat. With a thick consistency, the chili did not leak out nor did it soften the crisp cornmeal exterior. Despite the visuals, the shell was not dry and it didn't feel unhealthy. I really didn't mind this product. 
Week 3 saw a rich rendition of the typical brownie by Tracey Rigden. The Salt-Kissed Dulce de Leche Brownie was extremely decadent with its firm texture, substantial layer of chocolate fudge and caramel-like dulce de leche (which is derived from heating condensed milk slowly). It wasn't as sweet as it looked, but it wasn't tame either. I liked the combination of flavours and unlike caramel, the dulce de leche was not super sweet. The salt was good, but it seemed too salty to me, rather than amping the other flavours. In the end, I found myself going back for more even though I am not a real sweets guy. However, we found the amount of brownie and the cost a bit much for this product. This is my front-runner to win it all.
Probably the most flamboyant contestant would be thanks to Jackie Koh. I think I was more interested in watching her operate during Week 4's episode more than the recipe itself. And true to the product, her fiery persona was exeplified in her meatbsalls. The Triple "S" Korean Meatballs had an attractive reddish appearance that gave way to very moist meat. It was not hard to tell why the meat was moist though with the amount of fat that oozed out during baking and just merely sitting on the plate. One bite and the spice hit quickly and lingered. I wouldn't classify it as burning hot, but definitely surprising for a product found on a supermarket shelf. However, the most prominent flavour was sugar. Ack. Far too sweet and greasy. I wanted to like these, but they need a little work.
It was a matter of time when we saw our first fusion recipe being the Butter Chicken Lasagne. To think of it, I've seen butter chicken poutine, pizza and wraps. Why not in a lasagne? This was the brainchild of DJ Rick Matharu. If you think about it, butter chicken is merely a sauce with some chicken in it. Therefore, it is a versatile product which technically could be used to top pasta, mashed potatoes, vegetables and even other meats, such as steak. So to make it into a lasagne, it is not that crazy. As for taste, it truly did taste like a mild version of butter chicken. There was a decent amount of spice for a mainstream product. The chicken was decently tender (for being cooked for some long) while the ricotta, combined with the sauce, was a bit wet and pale-looking. Interestingly, I thought the best part of the lasagne was the mushrooms. Every little nugget 
emitted an Earthiness which was a little surprise. I enjoyed eating the lasagne, but it was a bit too saucy.
Week 6 saw something that didn't really resemble a Candy nor Chocolate win the $25,000. Don Harquail's Triple Nut Toffee looked more like a whole dessert rather than a bite. However, after one bite, I was overwhelmed by the massive amount of butter. The explosion of butteriness combined with the nuts and crunch from the graham cracker was a textural pleasing, yet curiously one note. I did enjoy the rich toffee sweetness, but it got pretty boring fast as I couldn't eat more than a couple of bites. Not bad, but not enough to win it all.
The final week saw a new category being condiments & dips. Personally, I would've liked to try the
hot sauce because I put that stuff on everything. However, I was intrigued with Cathy Ferguson's Montreal Deli Dip. As remarked on the show, the darn thing didn't look all that attractive. But I do like corned beef sandwiches, so I was anxious to try it out. I plunged a mini-Breton into it and it nearly broke. The dip was pretty thick when cold (due to the cream cheese). There was a tart, tangy, meaty and creamy thing going on with the dip. I gotta be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of it. I heated it up and it was slightly better with a runnier texture and the sugars were activated. But in the end, a rueben as a dip? Nope.
Now in terms of what I personally liked, this is how I would order them:
1. Salt-Kissed Dulce de Leche Brownie
2. Butter Chicken Lasagne
3. Chipotle Chili Slams
4. Triple Nut Toffee
5. Triple S Korean Meatballs
6. Mini Cheesy Bees' Nests
7. Montreal Deli Style Dip
Voting starts on December 5th and the finale will be aired on December 12th. Good luck to the contestants!
*Note - current owners have retired, place may not be open anymore*
In general, it is pretty hard to find a sub-$10.00 steak dinner these days, especially with The Brave Bull closing its doors. Other than either grilling it up yourself or dining on a baking-soda marinated "steak" in a Hong Kong-style cafe, you'd be hard pressed to spend less than a purple note. Thus, I developed a fascination with the big banner outside Gilmore Restaurant in Burnaby. For $8.95, one could dine on a 10 oz. sirloin steak dinner. Wow, how could I resist? Well, Viv wasn't that convinced. She loves bargains as much as the next person, but she was super skeptical. In fact, so much
so, she really didn't want to go. I appealed to her cheap Asian side and she reluctantly agreed. What awaited us when we walked into the place was totally surreal experience. Right in front of our faces was the ghost of diners-past - old carpeting, ripped vinyl booth seats and mood-lighting from the 70's.
But wait. The prices were completely reasonable and almost unbelievable. With barely anything over 10 bux as well as kid's meals falling below $5.00, my credit card could take a breather. I 
started with a Beef Barley Soup (included with my dinner) which arrived in an unattractive shade of pale brown. The starch-thickened soup was neither hot nor flavourful. It reminded me of oatmeal. And voila, my $8.95 10 oz Sirloin Steak Dinner with mash potatoes and corn. Before I dug into the steak, I was curious about what lurked underneath the pale and unappetizing gravy... Aiya! It was "mashed" hashbrowns! It was greasy, pasty and clumpy. Yuck. This was mash potatoes that Ron Jeremy would be proud of... Okay, let's focus on the steak then...
Hey, it was a pretty big piece of meat which was prepared somewhat medium-rare. It was not very tender as expected (for $8.95, what did I hope for?), yet it was edible. My jaw got a workout though.
Viv went for something more safe in the Burger with fries. The thing was huge consisting of a large beef patty, mushrooms, onions, bacon, cheese, lettuce and tomato. For what it's worth, the burger was decent considering the cost. The whole thing was hard to eat and fell apart though. 
We were a bit confused with the fries though. They looked crispy, but were actually luke warm and starchy. As for the kiddies, my daughter had the Fish & Chips. The tempura-battered pollack was quite greasy, yet crunchy. The fish was thick and cooked nicely being moist and flaky. We didn't like the tartar sauce though as it tasted like yellow mustard and mayo with some pickles. The fries were the same as the previous dish.
Okay, and cue the drumroll... My son had the... Grilled Cheese. Yah, boring. And it was a 
grilled cheese. Fries suck much like the other plates. Okay, I realize that Gilmore Restaurant is not a place to look for great eats. Rather, it is a mom n' pop operation that serves up food at a very reasonable price. However, I would personally spend more money on better food.
The Good:
- Cheap
- Friendly mom n' pop operation
The Bad:
- Food is not that great
- Place is run down and dirty
Doing a search online for a specific book on Chapters.ca showed there were only 2 copies available. And at only one location. Coquitlam? No. Surrey? Nope. Burnaby? Not a chance. It had to be in Richmond. For the love of... Is there someone purposefully messing with me? Sure seems like it. Therefore, I had to drag my sorry ass down #3 Rd to Chapters. After watching a Mercedes block the entire aisle in the parking lot because they felt like it, I parked in the first spot I saw. Grabbed the books and was outta there. And by virtue of being in Richmond, I had to stop 
for eats right? At least there was something to make the drive worthwhile.
Since I was not wanting to delay my escape from Richmond, I stopped at Pho 78 for some quick grub. I started with the Shrimp Salad Roll. It was a fairly standard offering which was not tightly wrapped. That was okay though because it stayed intact while I was eating it. The shrimp had a nice bite and the lettuce was crunchy. I would've liked some basil in it though. Next, I had the Pho Dac Biet (which is the everything 
Pho). The broth was fairly standard with decent balance. It was neither outstanding nor was it bad either. I wouldn't have a problem eating it again. The noodles were properly prepared being slightly chewy. As for the meats, they were also decent and tender. The portion size could've been a touch larger, yet it wasn't too little either. Standard Pho. Not a bad thing really. As for the Grilled and Shredded Pork on rice, it was far from standard. In fact, I found the pork chop to be too thin, which led to it being dry and chewy. It did have good flavour though. The egg 
was over-fried, which made the yolk completely cooked and the whites chewy. I wasn't a huge fan of this dish.
There wasn't anything inherently bad about the food that I tried at Pho 78 (pork chop withstanding), yet there wasn't anything that was memorable as well. I can't definitely say I wouldn't return, however, Pho 78 fits smack dab in the middle of all of the other Vietnamese restaurants in town.
The Good:
- Decent portions
- Okay Pho
- It's pretty clean
The Bad:
- Pretty average eats
Funny how something old becomes new again. Take bell-bottom jeans. One would think they disappeared with the 8-track in the late 70's and early 80's. Nope, I have a pair of bell-bottom jeans that I wear regularly. The same could be said about cars, in particular, the Beatle and more recently, the Fiat 500. How about the Salisbury Steak? Uh... Yah, that hasn't come back in full force yet... Another phenomenon is High-Tea (or afternoon tea) and no, I don't do it that often. Despite its rebirth, especially 
with the younger folk, it has suddenly become trendy to drink tea with little sweet and savoury treats. As mentioned, it is not my cup of tea (sorry for the pun), but there have been times I've been sucked into going. Miss Y coerced me into joining her at Applewood and once again, I promised to meet her at the Hotel Vancouver for some raised pinky tea sipping.
If it weren't uncomfortable enough for myself doing afternoon tea, imagine Miss Y being an
hour late. That's right. I garnered the sympathy of practically all the staff when they noticed I was sitting there all alone for an hour with my tea (which was getting cold...). Better yet, she told me to order first which meant me+tea+food = creepy guy all alone taking pictures of a smoked salmon pinwheel.... I'm not sure if it was Miss Y's intention of making me squirm. With her finally present, we got down to the food. We started with the bottom tier first which consisted of a Smoked Salmon Pinwheel, Cucumber Sandwich, Ham & Cheese Croissant and a Mango Curry Chicken Canape. Nothing was bad per se, but nothing really stood out either. The Mango Chicken Curry was quite mild and there really wasn't any mango flavour.
Onto desserts, it included fresh-made Scones, Black Current Mousse in a chocolate cup, Opera Cake and Lemon Tarts. Again, nothing really out-of-
the-ordinary. I did enjoy the lemon tart (as I always do) since the curd was tangy and smooth. The tart shell was buttery and a bit soft though. The scones were fresh and the Devonshire cream was nice. But there was something missing about the whole thing. Maybe I expect more out of the Hotel Vancouver. It is *the* place where most would think to get the best high-tea. It almost seemed like they mailed it in rather than stepping it up a notch.
The Good:
- Attentive service (especially for me all alone)
- There is a certain level of elegance
The Bad:
- Food a bit ordinary
- Expensive
If you think back to my Mochikas post (assuming you have read my blog since then), I mentioned that the "diversity" of food in Vancouver is somewhat misleading. There really is no such thing when every other restaurant is Asian. Hey, I don't personally have a problem with that because I love Asian food. However, as much as we are hailed for our cuisine, it is pretty one-dimensional. So when I got an invite to try out Vancouver's newest addition to the Peruvian restaurant scene (which is not a large one), they didn't have to ask twice. Viv and I were expecting to try a few items and call it a day, but they sent out dish after dish until we couldn't eat no more. I can honestly say that we got a good gauge of the food and a food coma as well.
We started off with 2
beverages. The Chicha Morada was purple in colour due to the use of purple corn. It was sweet as a result and the pineapple juice only added to it. It had a cider-type of flavour from the use of cinnamon and cloves. The Chicha De Joar (not pictured) was intensely sweet due to the fermented corn. Despite the sweetness, we could really taste the alcohol content as well. As for the food, we had one each of the Tamal Criollo and Tamal Verde. The Tamal Criollo was full-flavoured with a touch of spice. It was a bit zesty too benefiting from the hot peppers. The texture was slightly gritty, but by no means hard nor dry. On the other hand, the Tamal Verde was milder with a herby hit
(from the cilantro). Both were served with roast pork which was also full-flavoured and a bit salty. However, when combined with the pickled spicy onions and a bit of the tamale, it was a tasty bite.
Next up was some Anticuchos or skewered beef hearts. It was served with half of a boiled potato (which seemed to be seasoned and roasted as well) and green onions topped by hot sauce. The beef heart itself was slightly chewy and seasoned aggressively. The potato was fantastic as it was crisp on the outside, while soft on the inside without being mushy. A dab of the onions and hot sauce with the beef heart really amped the flavours. Arriving buried beneath a whackload of marinated red onions was the Cocktail de Ceviche. It consisted of raw fish marinated in lime juice, peppers and the aforementioned onions. There was cooked corn and toasted corn served on top. We found the cubes of fish to be of a good size. 
They were bouncy, tart (but just enough) and not fishy at all.
A familiar dish showed up next being the Papa a la Huancaina or boiled potatoes topped with a sauce of spicy cheese, hot peppers and milk. I've had this a few times and locally, at El Inka Deli. This particular version was quite pleasant with soft potatoes that still retained their shape and a cheesy sauce. Viv thought it was on the saltier side, but I enjoyed the good amount of flavour, especially when the potatoes were essentially a blank canvas. Originally, when we were perusing the menu, we really didn't give the Pollo a la Brasa a second thought. I realize it is a popular Peruvian dish, but roast chicken didn't really seem as interesting as some other items. Thank goodness we left the ordering up to them. The roast chicken leg was freakin' fantastic! As you can clearly see in the picture, the meat was plump and juicy. There was a lot 
of flavour due to the excellent marinade. Yet what really stood out was the chicken skin. It was completely rendered resulting in a crispy texture which also highlighted the exterior seasoning.
Our favourite dish of the entire meal was the Causa Rellena de Camarones. This was essentially an elaborate potato salad, yet it was a very tasty potato salad. It consisted of shrimp, peppers, onions, peas, carrots and mayonnaise sandwiched in between layers of mashed potato seasoned with lime juice and yellow hot pepper. Unlike the potato salad found at the family BBQ (unless it is a freakin' gourmet version), this one had heightened flavours (due to the lime juice and peppers) as well as a few different textures (like the pop of the peas, snap of the sweet shrimp and the crunch of the peppers). Moving along, as we were beginning to throw in the towel, we had the Ceviche de Pollo. This was spicy stewed 
chicken with onions marinated in lime and spices. This one I have to say was not one of our favourites. There was nothing wrong with the flavours as there was a bit of spice, a good lime bite and some sweetness. However, the chicken thigh was pretty tough on the most part. That made it a bit difficult to eat.
On the other hand, the Aji de Gallina was a much better chicken dish. It consisted of shredded chicken in a Peruvian yellow hot pepper sauce with ground walnuts and Parmesan cheese. This was packed with flavour with the saltiness from the cheese, spice from the peppers (but not overly spicy) and creaminess from the evaporated milk. It went really well with the rice. Okay, we were bound to get an Empanada somewhere during this meal and yes, it did show up. This baked pastry consisted of beef and onions. There was a sweet glaze on the flaky pastry which added to the already 
sweet filling. Hence, the wedge of lime was necessary to provide some balance to the flavours. Next was the Seco de Res Con Frijoles or stewed beef with cilantro, onions, potatoes and red peppers. We found the beef to be rather dry and chewy, however, the flavours were interesting (especially the cilantro as I shockingly didn't mind it). I liked the pop of the large sweet peas, as well as the soft beans on the side.
For our last savoury dish, we had the Lomo Saltado de Carne. This could be considered a fusion dish of sorts with elements of Asian flavours, in particular the use of vinegar. Hence the tangy hits with the steak, onions, tomatoes and peppers. The flavours
were fine here as well, but once again, the beef was pretty tough. Lastly, we were presented with Alfajores and Lucuma Gelato. Alfajores are shortbread cookies with dulce de leche filling. These were sweet but not stingingly so. We loved the creamy filling. As for the lucuma gelato, it was definitely different. The texture was dense and mealy, yet sweet at the same time (because the lucuma fruit has a dry flesh). This was sweet, if not, educational way to end a really long meal. It is important to note the portion sizes were reduced so we could sample more food. But in the end, we were too full to walk. Overall, there were some really good dishes which would require a return visit.
The Good:
- Lots of choice on the menu
- Some good flavours (albeit a bit mild)
- Something different
The Bad:
- Some meats (other than the really good Pollo a la Brasa) were dry
- Parking in the area is a challenge
Posts
For all the great things to eat in Vancouver, it can be confusing for tourists that a plate of chicken wings can be spoke of so highly. For those who do not know what I'm talking about, I'm referring to the chicken wings at Phnom Penh. Something seemingly so simple, that should be easily replicated, consistently ranks as one of the best eats in town. For me, I love the wings and yes, I will agree with general consensus. But what happens when Phnom Penh is packed (which is a common occurrence)? Well, that is what happened to Whipping Girl recently and I suggested she head to Indochine as a back-up plan. Funny thing is - I've never been there! So to right a wrong, I offered it as our late night eats after Friday hockey.
Arriving around 10:30pm, the place was hopping with a youthful and boisterous crowd. With its modern decor and attractive staff, this could be considered the anti-thesis of Phnom Penh. To cut to the most important part, we'll go straight to the Garlic Butter Chicken Wings. Sure, there are other places in town that do this dish, but never replicating the ones found at Phnom Pehn. The version at Indochine was pretty good. The exterior was crisp while the meat was juicy and flavourful. It was not as heavy on the MSG as Phnom Penh, yet spicier. Of course, it came with the lemon & white pepper dip, which added a nice acidity. Not as good at Phnom Penh, but good nonetheless. Milhouse, being the health-
conscious person that he is, went for the Black Pepper Poutine to start. Consisting of ground beef, black pepper gravy, cheese curds and a fried egg atop fries, this was a heavy appetizer. I thought the gravy was pretty good with meatiness and pepperiness. The egg was nice textural addition to the dish, but I would've liked to see some cheese not completely melted. Furthermore, the fries were pretty dense and generic. Something more fresh-cut looking and texturally would've made this even better.
lot of black bean flavour except for some saltiness. It was more buttery and garlicky like a typical Escargot Bourguignonne. However, this didn't really bother us as it was well-prepared and the crunchy garlic toast went well with the escargots. Mr. Blueberry went for the Lemongrass Chicken with Rice and it was served bone-in, which is typically more flavourful, yet more difficult to eat as well. The meat was moist though while flavourful from the marinade and good char. We also got the Lemongrass Pork Chop with Rice, which was more or less the same except with a thin small pork chop. We felt the meat could've been a bit more substantial. We appreciated the fried egg on both plates, but the one with the pork chop was done poorly. 
tender morsels of beef were bathed in an impactful garlic butter soy sauce which was on the saltier side. The side of tomato fried rice was atheistically-pleasing as well as pleasant tasting (had a nice chewy texture as well). Moving away from Vietnamese cuisine, we had the Coconut Red Curry with beef brisket. The dish was served piping hot consisting of tender chunks of beef brisket and moist potato cubes. However, the actual curry was thin and quite weak. There was very little coconut milk and spice. The flavours were flat and undeveloped. We didn't dislike the dish, but was the weakest of the bunch. 
Mango & Avocado Salad. It was more or less a typical salad with a balsamic vinaigrette. It was fresh and pretty large in portion size. In fact, we were pretty pleased with most of the dishes in terms of taste, portion-size and price point. Considering the decor and type of service, we thought the prices were actually quite reasonable. The only thing that might bother some people is the boisterous and rowdy clientele during late night. In that case, go for lunch or an early dinner instead.
