East is East - Chai Lounge

Once upon a time...  I decided to organize a blogger's dinner at East is East (Broadway location).  Back then, that was a relatively doable exercise as there were only a few truly active blogs.  If we were to do such a thing now, we'd need a rent a hall or something.  I came away from that dinner relatively pleased since the food was above-average and the price was right (yes, I realize I just named a TV show...).  3 years later, I got an invite to try out their recently relocated spot on Main.  Since I could bring a guest, I enlisted someone who was at that original blogger's dinner - Mijune.  Oh, and the fact she could eat a whole cow herself was another determining factor.  And this is not a joke, the "thing" to order at East is East is the Silk Route Feast which is essentially an all-you-can-eat menu for $25.00 per person.

We did end up ordering the Feast, but not before we noticed some interesting items unavailable on that particular menu.  Hence, we decided to start with a half-and-half order of their Mango Prawns and Prawns Masala. We found the mango prawns to be the better of the two with a rich, creamy sauce that exhibited a understated sweetness to start while finishing off with spice.  The prawns themselves had a nice snap and were cooked just right.  As for the prawns masala, they were bathed in a tomato sauce that only had a hint of tang while exhibiting a mild-to-medium level of spice.  The Vegetable Pate with hemp also caught our attention.  I was a bit skeptical at first because I am a full-blown "Meatatarian", however, it was much better than I thought it would be.  The texture and flavour could be best described as mushy processed meat (akin to that defunct canned pate from Puritan).  Now yes, that may not be a ringing endorsement, but in a strange kind of way, I didn't mind it.  I kept eating it, so I didn't dislike it right?

Now onto the Feast.  We had a choice of soup, salad and carbs for the meal.  We ended up with one each of the Mystic Soup and Squash Soup. One sip of the mystic soup and there was a definite lemongrass/ginger hit.  It was possibly too strong as it overwhelmed the creamy coconut and mild green curry flavours.  Interestingly, they used both button mushrooms and enoki.  As for the squash soup, it was more like lentil soup as the texture was more hearty than smooth.  It had this mulligatawny thing going on which made it complex in flavours.  For our salads, we tried the Tabouleh and Beet Salads. I found the tabouleh to be pretty good with vibrant ingredients and mildly dressed while the beet salad was sorta ho-hum.  The beets were a bit soft while the flavours were sweet but understated.

Now this is where the eating got serious as we started round one with 4 items.  I gave the Afghan Eggplant a go first.  It consisted of baked eggplant sauteed with herbs, tomato, onion and garlic topped off with yogurt.  I found the eggplant to be moist yet not a complete mush.  The flavours were a pleasing combination of tartness, spices and the cooling effect from the yogurt. When we originally ordered the Alu Gobi, they informed us that it was not ready just yet.  When it finally arrived, we gave it a try and it was indeed not ready.  Both the cauliflower and potato were too firm while the flavours did not mesh with the ingredients.  However, we got another order later and it was much better since it was given some time to cook down.  The ingredients were softer while the tang of the tomatoes really announced themselves as well as some spice.

Moving onto some meat dishes, we had the Lamb Pan Kebab roasted in ginger, onion, tomato, garlic and five spice curry.  This was my personal favourite as the lamb was only slightly gamy exhibiting a really nice char.  The meat was sufficiently tender and flavourful.  It was further amped by the smooth and creamy sauce that gave a hint of spice.  We also liked the Minced Beef Kebab with mushroom, green pepper, tomato and herbs. The formed beef kebabs were moist and soft, yet still meaty in texture.  Once again, there was a good char which naturally added some smokiness.  The mild lentils underneath were nice texturally as they still maintained a bite.

Our second round consisted of the 2 fish offerings from the menu.  The first was the Seasonal Fish which was Basa Thai Curry.  By flavours and appearance alone, it looked like a yellow curry.  It was creamy and had a nice kick.  The fish itself was cooked just right as it was flaky and moist.  However, the Wild Salmon was nothing but.  The darn piece of fish was cooked far beyond what it should been.  The meat was a dry, chewy mess which was neither appetizing nor really all that edible.  Too bad really since the flavours were quite nice.  There was supposed to be miso, but we could hardly pick it out, but the mix of red and green curry was quite nice as it had a nice kick to it.

Continuing on with the Mijune diet (emphasis on "die"), we had the Palak Paneer.  This was pretty good and admittedly, better than some Indian restaurants I've been to.  The whole thing was super smooth and creamy.  It was quite mild, yet the texturally on-point morsels of cheese highlighted the entire dish. The last time I had the Mango Butternut Squash (at the Broadway location), I was in the minority when I stated I liked it.  Most people, including Mijune, thought it had the texture of baby food.  Well, I can't disagree with that, but the flavours really hit a homerun for me.  The combination of squash, mango, coconut milk, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and curry leaves created a flavour explosion.  The flavours of tart, sweet, spice and savoury were all there, especially the tang from the mangoes. 

Something not found on their online menu, the Okra, was an interesting dish.  It was a combination of okra and potatoes in a spicy and tangy tomato sauce.  The okra was predictably slimy, yet not overly so.  It still had somewhat of a bite.  The dish was pleasant enough, but somehow, these flavours seemed a bit redundant.  And on the topic of re-occurring flavours, the Eastern Ratatouille seemed to echo that sentiment.  It was a combination of zucchini, lentils, potatoes, eggplant and garlic sauteed in herbs & spices.  So naturally, we had the tang of the tomato with a mild combination of spices.  Either we were getting really full (which was true) and/or we were experiencing familiar flavour fatigue.

Onto another common Indian dish, we had the Chickpeas (or Channa Masala) in an onion and tomato sauce with herbs & spices.  I found the chickpeas to be on the softer side, but they still maintained their shape and were not mushy.  The usual spices were there such as coriander and cumin which of course were found in some of the other dishes we had as well.  And these spices were repeated in the Chicken Masala as well except with a creamy twist.  In this respect, the flavours were similar yet different at the same time.  The creaminess really complimented the moist chicken as well as the decent level of spice.

Now, as we were preparing for dessert, Mijune noticed that we missed one of the available dishes.  There was only one way to alleviate this problem...  Get an order of it!  So our last savoury item was the Peas & Cheese with potato mixed in with a creamy, slightly spicy sauce.  This was pretty straight-foward with soft peas and equally soft cheese.  The whole thing was thick and rich, perfect with rice and/or naan, which we didn't have any left!  But while we were eating our meal, there was no shortage of Boulani, Naan, Afghan Rice and Basmati Rice. I know this may be blasphemous for me to say this, but I really liked the boulani.  So much so, it was better than most, if not, all of the Afghan restaurants I've been to.  Chalk it up to personal preference, but I found it to be the right thickness and crisp, light texture with just enough filling.

Now onto dessert.  We shared 2 of them including the recommended vegan Chocolate Pudding.  Predictably, the pudding wasn't exactly smooth.  Rather, it was a bit grainy.  Yet, at the same time, it wasn't bad either having a rich dark chocolate flavour.  The plethora of strawberries and cherries in a sweet syrup watered down the dessert somewhat.  As for the Eastern Ecstasy, it was hands-down our favourite of the two.  It consisted of rice pudding, ice cream, a warm galub jamun sprinkled with rosewater, pisatchios and cardamom.  The rice pudding itself had a nice texture, but lacked flavour.  However, the ice cream more than made up for it, including the always sweet galub jamun. This dessert had a kulfi flavour to it, especially with the pistachios and cardamom. 

Yes, we really did eat all this food and we left little to waste too.  Call it the hazards when eating with Mijune...  In the end, we thought the food was consistent enough to be considered good.  Considering one orders the feast and can actually eat a lot, it is a fantastic value.  East is East succeeds in being a safe, reasonably-priced restaurant for those who want to venture past regular Western fare in favour of more exotic offerings.  

The Good:
- Although exotic sounding, the food is a good introduction for most people
- Feast is a good value
- Food is above-average

The Bad:
- Some artistic interpretation with a few dishes, it might offend those authenticity snobs

Thai's Saigon Bistro

Initially, when we had visited Gilmore Restaurant a few months ago, we weren't aware that it was set to close a few weeks later.  That probably explained why the food was gawd-awful and completely unappetizing.  I guess restaurants of that ilk are slowly (or quickly) being squeezed out by more modern joints.  Shortly after its official closure, I received an email from its new owners who were planning to open a Vietnamese restaurant at that location.  I was pretty pleased with this development as the selection of Vietnamese food in North Burnaby can only be described as limited.  And since my schedule is limited as well, they were nice enough to include Viv and kids too.

On this invited visited, we were able to order a wide range of food starting with the Spring Rolls. I really liked how they used rice wrappers, however, it was slightly dry (although crunchy).  Not surprising as rice wrappers dry out very quickly.  On the other hand, the filling was moist and flavourful, particularly from the sweet onions.  Our first bowl of noodles (because we had many) was the Bun Bo Hue.  I would've preferred some pork's blood and knuckle, but there was enough brisket and ham to make up for it.  While being meaty, the brisket could've stood to be a touch more tender.  Although we didn't get any lemongrass hints, the flavours were full-bodied and rich.  There was some spiciness to accent the strong soup base.

Next up was the Pho Dac Biet which featured a sweet and aromatic broth.  It was on the lighter side, yet that also meant little to no-MSG.  The noodles were nicely al dente while the meats were pretty much similar to the brisket in the Bun Bo Hue (could be a touch more tender).  The last of our noodles was the Mi Dac Biet which tried to replicate the one found at Phnom Penh.  In terms of appearance and ingredients, it pretty much did that.  The egg noodles were the desired chewiness, yet could've benefited from more sauce for flavour and texture (yet there was some nice aromatics from the fried onions).  As for the ingredients, the shrimp had a nice snap while the squid was just barely cooked which ensured that it wouldn't be tough.  The fried shrimp "wonton" was an interesting addition to the noodles.

Predictably, we ordered the Lemongrass Chicken on Rice with a fried egg. The rice itself was chewy with just the right amount of moisture while the fried egg had a nice runny yolk.  The chicken was tender, juicy and flavourful which could've been charred just a bit more.  Other than that, this was a solid plate of food. Lastly, I couldn't resist trying their Banh Mi Dac Biet, even though we were bursting at the seams.  For a non-banh mi joint, this was a pretty good.  The airy bread was toasted and crunchy while the ingredients (including cucumber, pepper, cilantro and pickled daikon and carrots) were solid.  We loved that there was enough pate, butter-mayo and Maggi sauce that ensured there was moisture and flavour.  Moreover, there was no absence of meat. To end things off, we had the Che Ba Mau consisting of coconut cream with ice, pandan jelly, red and green beans.  This was a sweet ending to a satisfying meal.  Overall, we thought this was above-average Vietnamese especially considering the competition, or lack of, nearby.

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

The Good:
- Nicely renovated and clean, including the washrooms
- Decent eats
- Price points are reasonable

The Bad:
- A few things here and there could be better, but nothing is perfect
- Pho broth could use more depth

Tanpopo

Sometimes, there are those meals that leave such a lasting impression, it makes me want to return the very next day.  Conversely, certain meals are either so bad or mediocre, I do my best to avoid ever revisiting.  Well,15 years ago, Tanpopo didn't exactly scare me off, yet it didn't elicit any great memories either.  So I guess it was about time for another go at it.  Again, AYCE Japanese would never be my first choice in quality eats, however, we had a large group and admittedly, AYCE was a good option.  Think of if: controlled costs, as much as we could eat and there was a variety of items.  Yes, AYCE and chain restaurants are really good for large groups - they really do serve a purpose!

For lunch, there are 2 menus available, one with sashimi and one without (difference of about $3.00).  We went for the former.  Arriving first were the "appetizers" consisting of Ebi Sunomono, Gomae, Ohitashi and Agedashi Tofu.  The sunomono was actually pretty decent with cold-water shrimp and a dressing that was balanced in terms of vinegar and sugar.  The noodles were chewy and served properly chilled. The gomae was lightly dressed while the spinach was nicely textured (not mushy nor too chewy).  I kinda preferred the ohitashi more as it less sauced. The agedashi tofu was your typical AYCE version (plain).  Moving along, we had the Fried "Scallops" (imitation) which were pretty much fried imitation scallops...  The Gyoza were pretty weak as the bottom was not pan-fried enough while being greasy.  The Tempura was equally greasy where the batter was not all that crispy.  Although the Ika Karaage was crunchy, there was far too much salt in the batter.

As for the Sashimi, there was a choice of Pacific and Atlantic Salmon, Tuna, Hokkigai, Tai, Spicy Salmon & Tuna and Beef Tataki.  We had all of it other than the spicy option.  I found both types of salmon pretty good considering it was AYCE, yet the tuna was far too mushy (in a bad way).  The hokkigai and tai were okay while the beef tataki was terrible.  From the colour to the texture, it was all wrong. It was pale-looking and didn't have much flavour as it lacked dressing.  Onto the Maki Sushi, we had a variety of rolls including California, Dynamite, Spicy Tuna, Salmon, BC and Asparagus.  I found the rice to be quite dry and pretty bland.  However, it was acceptable for this application.  Hence, the rolls were not bad per se.  Onto some more cooked items, we had the Tonkatsu, Oyster Motoyaki, Chicken and Beef Teriyaki.  The tonkatsu was really crispy and somewhat moist.  We liked how the sauce was served on the side rather than drenching the entire cutlet.  On the smallish side, the oyster motoyaki was alright, although slightly dry.  I found the chicken teriyaki better than its beef counterpart since it was moist and juicy with a crisp exterior.  The beef was dry and stringy.  The modest amount of sauce ensured neither were too salty nor sweet.

In terms of AYCE Japanese, Tanpopo seems to slots in as slightly above-average.  Prices are decent considering it is located in Downtown and the food was acceptable with few, if any, inedible items (maybe the beef tataki).  The service we received was not bad as our orders were mostly correct and expedited quickly.  It's possible that it won't take another 15 years to return... But then again, I wouldn't put money on it...

The Good:
- Okay eats for an AYCE
- Decent pricing
- Decent service

The Bad:
- Hey, it's on Denman, parking sucks
- It's AYCE, never can confuse it with great Japanese food

Himalayan Peak

"We're running outta options!", exclaimed Big D as we were figuring out what to eat for lunch.  Yah, it's true, we have been demolishing many of the restaurants in and around the North Road corridor.  Hence, his idea was to head up to SFU for eats.  Um...  Really?  On a day that was spiting wet snow???  If you are familiar with SFU, it is its own weather system up there.  So off we went up the hill to...  yes, encounter heavy snow.  I guess it was ironic that we'd be hitting up Himalayan Peak for some Indian buffet.  With the substantial development atop Burnaby Mountain, there are more dining options unlike when I was studying there.  All we had were the cafeteria services and Triple O's (and yes, I opted for latter more often than not).

Now with more people choosing SFU as a place to live, restaurants and services have opened up accordingly.  Located just below Nester's, Himalayan Peak lives up to its namesake except at a significantly lower elevation.  We decided to go for their lunch buffet since it would allow us to try a wide range of items.  We attacked the buffet once it was ready to go.  In addition to the obligatory salad bar, there was decent selection of hot dishes including Channa Masala, Soya & Peas Curry, Zucchini, Fish Curry and Butter Chicken.  The highlight for me was the Tomato Fish Curry as it had an appetizing tang with big chunks of moist fish.  The Butter Chicken was a bit salty and could've been more creamy. I inquired about this with our server and just like I thought, the buffet butter chicken is different from the a la carte version. You must remember that a buffet is never fully representational of a restaurant's full menu.  More often than not, buffet items are prepared a bit differently.  This way, it can stand up to sitting around in a chaffing tray.  

The Zucchini was a pleasant soft texture and quite a bit lacking in flavour. I guess it was a good way to get some veggies into the meal though.  Continuing on the vegetarian theme, the Channa Masala was also very mild.  Well, there was one more non-meat item which was the Soya & Peas Curry.  Essentially vegetarian "meat", it was and interesting texture...  Flavours were light, while the peas added a natural sweetness.  For me, I thought the Naan was more like a crisp bread, which was serviceable because it would be dipped into sauce anyways.  Lastly, I tried the Kheer, which was sweet, but not overly so.  This was a nice way to end a relatively decent (for up at SFU) meal.  Sure, the food caters to the local clientele, so it might offend people looking for true Indian eats, but can you blame a restaurant for doing so?

The Good:
- Okay pricing for the buffet considering the location
- Friendly staff
- Comfortable digs

The Bad:
- Food is catered for the locals (and who could blame them?)
- Parking will be an issue (pay parking going into effect), but most customers are already there

Cattle Cafe (Vancouver)

Ever since the success of their Richmond location, Cattle Cafe has expanded into Burnaby (twice), opened up a hot pot joint and now have taken over the old Dae Rae Oak in Vancouver. For those familiar with the location, it is rather small and odd-shaped.  Hence, don't be surprised at the haphazard seating arrangements that wreak havoc for the wait staff and customers trying to get in and out of their seats.  Not much unlike a typical day in Richmond traffic...  So after Friday hockey, we headed over for some HK-style cafe action.  However, I never did a post about it.  You see, my pictures turned out pretty bad, and furthermore, the Canucks were ousted by the LA Kings that night.  Yes, it was bad news all around, but I had to return and do it again. And once again, I was still not convinced the pictures turned out right and the Canucks were still not playing (something to do with a lockout!).

To start off my meal, I selected a Hot Horlicks for my included beverage.  On a side note, I can never get over the name "horlicks".  I cannot seem to order it with a straight face.  "Hey, I'd like a hot Horlicks please! Make it a large!".  How about, "Mmm...  This hot Horlicks makes me feel all warm inside...".  I digress.  Anyways, I went for one of their specialties, which was the "build-your-own-noodle" being the Sweet Potato Noodles in Fish Broth (with fish and tendon).  Compared to Deer Garden Signatures, I found the broth to be lighter with less depth.  However, it was still pleasant and hit the spot for a cold night.  The noodles were chewy and plentiful while the fish moist and the tendon was soft.  Since a bowl of fish noodles seemed a bit "unsatisfying" as a meal, I got a side of XO Daikon Pudding Cake to share with Emilicious. Besides, she balked at sharing the hot Horlicks with me.  So...  The fried cubes of daikon cake were nicely textured riding the fine line between being soft and stiff.  As for the XO sauce, it was surprisingly spicy and really did add a good seafoody spice to the dish.

Milhouse, once again, was not very hungry, so he settled for the Beef Brisket Hot Pot which included rice, some side dishes and of course, a really big pot of food! I tried some of the relatively lean brisket and it was sufficiently tender with a decent amount of chew left.  It was somewhat spicy and there was enough seasoning in the broth.  For her own order, Emilicious had the Beef Brisket with Rice Noodles. By virtue of using the same brisket (albeit a different sauce), the meat was decent.  The rice noodles were not overcooked while the gai lan was still vibrant.  She was happy with the bowl of noodles.  On the topic of noodles, Gordo had the Sliced Beef and Hand Squeezed Fish Noodles in Satay Soup (which I had last time).  The significance of the dish is the picture in the menu.  You see, the noodles are made with fish mousse which is piped into boiling water from a pasty bag.  The picture in the menu...  well...  leaves a lot to the imagination...  LOL...  I found the soup to be really salty the last time I tried it and Gordo pretty much echoed the same sentiments.  However, much like me, he still enjoyed the bowl of soft, fluffy noodles with tender morsels of beef.

Lastly, for reference purposes, Milhouse had the Baked Seafood & European Wieners in Cream Sauce with Fried Rice the last time we were here.  Well, it was strange to look at (due to the European wieners, but it is a HK-style cafe...), but ultimately it was creamy in a starchy way with lots of moist Basa.  Still not sure about the wieners though...  Again, Cattle Cafe did the job for late night eats.  I've had better, yet, the food is pretty predictable, inexpensive and well-portioned.

The Good:
- Predictable
- Decent portions for the price
- Above average food

The Bad:
- Not only exclusive to this location, the seating arrangements are tight and somewhat uncomfortable
- Parking lot for this location only good for really narrow cars
- Really awkward for the staff to serve you here (they try though)