Local Public Eatery

Okay, this food adventure has been 3 years in the making.  Yes, I've had Local Public Eatery in my back pocket for late night eats, especially after those really late hockey games on Friday.  And really, 3 years is a long time!  Think of it, we didn't have the HST (actually, we don't have that anymore), Lindsay Lohan was drunk (wait, she still is...) and Luongo was the Canucks' goalie (oh yeah, he's still here).  Fine, nothing has changed.  One thing that did transpire was the fact everyone agreed to go visit the Local Public Eatery.  And despite the parking difficulties of the area, we all managed to find parking spots.  We even scored a few in their tiny parking lot!

Much like its parent company, Joey Restaurant Group, the menu at Local Public Eatery has a little bit of everything for everyone.  We started with the Baja Fish Tacos ($4.50) consisting of fried battered-fish, shredded lettuce and pico de gallo.  The fish was crunchy while there was a hint of spice from the diced jalapenos.  This was a decent taco, but we would've liked to see more fish. Next up were the Gyoza ($5.00) severed on sesame soy. We liked how there was a nice sear on the bottom of the dumpling, but since it was sitting on the plethora of sauce, it became a touch soggy (should've served it bottom up).  Despite this, these were pretty decent for a non-Japanese restaurant.  The dumpling skin was thin while the filling had a balance flavour and appealing texture.  Not that we didn't like the sesame soy sauce, but it could've benefited from some acidity.

We also shared the Fully Loaded Nachos with pulled chicken, beans, sour cream, avocado, Jack cheese, olives and jalapenos.  For $18.00, we found this far too expensive for the portion size.  There was actually nothing amiss with the product as the chicken was really moist and flavourful while the rest of the components were good as well.  Yet, there was not $18.00 worth of food here (taking into account for overhead, staff and all that jazz). Something that caught our eye was the Poutine ($4.00) with Quebec cheese curds and miso gravy.  At first, I was not that impressed with the gravy, but as I dug into it, the flavours were actually impactful with a mild saltiness. Couldn't really determine how good the cheese curds were because they had all been melted.  As for the fries, they were a bit too skinny.

In terms of the "bigger" dishes, the Mac n' Cheese ($12.00) with a mix of 4 cheese and panko crust was decent.  The sauce was definitely creamy and cheesy (in a somewhat processed cheese way).  The pasta was not too soft while the panko crust added a nice crunch.  We found the Tuna Club ($16.00) to be rather interesting as it was served on crunchy grilled bread.  Somewhat like a tuna melt except with lettuce, tomato, smoked bacon, avocado and cheddar, I found the bread to be so crunchy it overshadowed the soft, lightly seared tuna.  I personally would've liked to see softer bread.  Other than that, it was a good combination of ingredients.  Lastly, the Deluxe Burger ($15.00) with smoked bacon and aged cheddar was fantastic.  We liked the medium-rare hand made patty as it was moist and meaty.  The bun poppy/sesame seed bun was soft, yet crunchy due to being grilled.  Along with the smokey, crispy bacon and aged cheddar, this was a satisfying burger.  In the end, we were had few complaints with the food at Local Public Eatery.  Sure, there are elements of "chain restaurant" food, but it did the job for late night eats.

The Good:
- All around decent non-threatening eats
- We got good service
- Lively atmosphere (which was just the right decibel)

The Bad:
- Despite the parking lot, parking in the area sucks
- Late night specials were priced right, but some of the other items were not

Yolks Breakfast

*Yolks food truck is no longer in operation, there are 3 B&M locations*

My kids love breakfast, plain and simple.  They can eat it for lunch and dinner as well.  They would eat it in a house, maybe not with a mouse, here or there and anywhere.  Well, maybe not green eggs and ham, but you get the idea.  So I ended up delaying my visit to Yolks food truck until I could include the them.  On a warm and sunny spring day, we headed into Downtown for some egg action.  Being the popular food cart that it is, the lineup went slowly, but they were doing the best they could.  That gave me plenty of time to think about my order.  In the end, I couldn't help myself and got one of almost everything. 

The kiddies shared the Double-Smoked Bacon ($6.95) with one poached egg, aged white cheddar and arugula on a toasted English muffin.  As evidenced in the picture, the muffin was toasted crunchy with an appealing char.  The bacon was crispy while the egg was somewhat runny.  They loved the sandwich and dusted off their halves quickly.  But that was only an appetizer of sorts as my son quickly moved onto the Buttermilk Pancakes ($6.95) served with whipped cream and syrup. These mini-pancakes were super fluffy while still displaying a nice colour.  We liked how the syrup and whipped cream were served on the side. 

In addition to her half of the sandwich, my daughter practically ate a whole skewer of Lemon-Truffle Hashbrowns ($2.75).  We were literally fighting with her over these.  The smell of truffle oil was intoxicating while the considerable lemon hit really packed a wallop of flavour in every bite.  It also didn't hurt that they were fried beautifully crisp either.  Viv ended up with the Portobello Mushroom ($6.95) with one egg and Hollandaise on an English Muffin.  The Hollandaise was rich and creamy, however, Viv thought it could've used a touch more lemon.  Otherwise, the sandwich exhibited the same great qualities as the other one.

Last and surely not least, I had the Chicken & Waffles ($8.95) which was fantastic.  Sandwiched in between 2 fluffy waffles were crunchy fried boneless chicken pieces (both dark and white meat).  There was just enough syrup to add sweetness without being overwhelming.  We thought the gravy could've been more rich and impactful though.  Now, it is pretty obvious that we liked the food at Yolks.  But the best gauge is from the kiddies, as they finished their food in record time while praising the food as they ate.  Awesome.

The Good:
- As simple as breakfast can be, they made it interesting and good
- Friendly people
- Good flavours

The Bad:
- A little pricey, but worth it IMO
- Limited operating times in Downtown

Falconetti's Parallel 49 Cask Dinner

*Restaurant is closed* 

A few years ago, Falconetti's participated in the Foodie Feast with their house-made sausages.  And not too long after, they were featured on Triple-D's on the Food Network.  Remember what I said about signature dishes?  Well, they definitely exploited that fact.  Now, there was one problem - the rest of their culinary offerings were dubious at best.  So the reliance on a bunch of meat in tubes (some better than others) would not be the best strategy moving ahead.  Fast forward to the present and they have hired a new Executive Chef who has decided to take Falconetti's in a different direction.

Enter their Parallel 49 Cask Dinner ($65.00 taxes and gratuity inclusive), which featured 3 courses and a beer pairing with each.  I was invited by the manager to try it out with a guest (who happened to be Miss Y).  We started with the Parallel 49 "Lord of the Hops" Glazed Smoked Duck Breast. This was paired with an Parallel 49 Custom Cask Beer which was much less rich than the colour would suggest.  It went down smooth and easy.  The duck itself was smoky and sufficiently tender.  The skin needed to be rendered and more crispy.  It was served with a frisee and arugula salad with lemon & brown butter vinaigrette topped with a poached free range egg.  The egg could've been slightly more runny, but the salad was good nonetheless.

Next up was a House Spiced Confit Pork Loin served with a crispy potato cake and Parallel 49 "From East Van with Love" bacon mushroom ragout topped with crispy onions.  For a thick pork loin, it was decently moist and actually juicy in the middle.  We liked how there were developed flavours without being salty.  The star of the plate was the ragout which exhibited a rich saltiness along with the Earthy mushrooms.  The potato cake was indeed crispy and nicely browned. 

Lastly, we were served a hot Apple Turnover with cinnamon-spiced cream cheese and smoked maple Jameson caramel.  It was curiously served in a bowl, but it was explained that the changeover in culinary direction wasn't complete.  Therefore, the kitchen only consisted of a grill and there was a serious lack of plates. Serving vessel notwithstanding, the turnover was really good.  The pastry was flaky and crisp on the outside, while the apples maintained a bite with a good balance of sweet and tartness.  This was a pleasant end to a surprisingly decent meal at Flaconetti's.  If they could get a real kitchen in there, I'm curious what Chef Jamie Birtwistle & Chef Shaun Snelling are capable of.

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

The Good:
- Lots of strong booze
- Food is pretty decent considering the venue
- Upstairs space is comfortable

The Bad:
- The limitations of the kitchen does prevent more creative endevours (for now)
- $65.00 is not bad considering what is included, but it can be a touch lower

Main Choice Chinese Restaurant

It doesn't happen often, but it did this time - a restaurant had changed hands before my blog post could go up.  Oh well, the food was pretty "meh" anyways, so I wasn't surprised at the changeover. What about the post in the queue??? There was only one thing I could do...  Go back and try the food again!  Yes, I know this is serious dedication, yet did you expect any less???  Formerly Kei's Chili Kitchen, Main Choice does not look any different from the inside and in fact, the menu still has some of Kei's "specialties".  Maybe they just changed the name?  Whatever, I needed food anyways.

With any of their lunch specials, Wonton Soup is included. For a complimentary soup, it was okay.  The wontons were of the all pork variety where the meat was soft in texture and mildly seasoned.  Of course the soup base was not exactly classic wonton soup, but at the very least, it was not something gross. The first of my 2 mains (yes, I really did get 2 lunches) was the Spicy Ginger Beef ($6.75).  It wasn't really all that spicy.  There was some elements of spice, but in the end, it was really just ginger beef with some peppers.  The beef itself was easy enough to eat being properly tenderized.  There was a good ginger hit, but the accompanying fried rice was somewhat dry.

 I also got one of their lunch combos which included Chicken Chow Mein, Sweet & Sour Pork and Almond Chicken ($8.75).  Yes, this is as far away from real Chinese food one could get, but I wanted to see how it was regardless.  The chow mein was okay being slightly dry but not greasy.  The sweet & sour pork was not all that crispy, yet the meat itself was moist.  It was mostly sweet with only a hint of sour.  As for the almond chicken, it was greasy as expected.  To be honest, I can never understand the popularity of this dish as the chicken itself doesn't really have that much flavour.  A dusting of slivered almonds doesn't do much. In the end, the food was okay and considering the low prices, is a lunch option for people in the area.

The Good:
- Cheap
- Good Portions

The Bad:
- Okay for a quick meal, but nothing amazing either

Wing Kee

As of late, Gordo and I have been frequenting some of the same places over and over again for late night eats after Thursday night hockey in Richmond.  Great for consistency, but horrible for blogging.  I don't know about you, I am just not that enthused about talking about the same restaurant multiple times in a month.  Hence, I did a bit of research and found out that Wing Kee is open until 3:00am.  Fantastic.  That was our eating adventure for the night...  er..  I mean morning.  Don't I have to work the next day???  Yah, but food takes precedence.

Arriving faster than seniors for an early bird special, the Sweet & Sour Pork ($4.95) was at our table less than 3 minutes after we ordered it.  Of course the pork was refried, but then again, it was not bad.  Each large piece was still moist inside while crunchy on the outside.  The sauce was a good balance between being sweet and sour.  The Honey Garlic Spareribs ($5.95) followed up shortly after.  They were equally crisp on the outside and probably too crisp on the inside as the meat was quite dry.  Furthermore, we found there was far too much sauce which was really sweet, yet with a nice garlic hit too.

We weren't that thrilled with the Wonton Noodles ($5.50)as the broth was quite cloudy and weak.  It could've been partially attributed to the overcooked "eggy" noodles which were texturally deficient.  The wontons were mostly pork, yet did the job with a slight bounce texture.  They were in need of more seasoning though.  I got an order of the Preserved Duck Egg and Salted Pork Congee ($5.25) as well.  It was not exactly what I was expecting as the pork looked like it had been through a food processor.  It wasn't exactly ground nor was it chopped.  It was mildly flavourful while exhibiting various bits of bone and cartilage.  The egg was diced up far too small to make any impact.  As for the congee itself, it was slightly thick but got watery as we ate it.  It was seasoned properly though.

Gordo was really insisting on more carbs, so he ordered 2 noodles including the Stir-Fried Yee Mein ($9.50).  It was watery and soggy which made it not enjoyable to eat.  I think they put far too much bean sprouts in it.  Interestingly, the flavours were okay though including a good hint of spiciness.  Lastly, we had the Soy-Fried Noodles ($7.50, forgot to take a picture aiya!) which were nicely done.  Plenty of wok heat and not overly greasy, the noodles had a nice chewy texture.  Flavourwise, it was just enough.  From our sample of food, we surmised that the da lang items as well as the wok-fried items were better than the traditional wonton noodles and congee.  But not much to complain about when a restaurant is open until 3am...

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Open until 3:00am
- Sparse but relatively friendly service

The Bad:
- Stick with the wok-fried items, other stuff, not so good
- Sparse service

New Spicy Chili

*Restaurant is closed*

"Recommend me a good Chinese restaurant", a friend of mine asked me one day.  "What type of Chinese food - Cantonese, Taiwanese, Szechuan, Chiu Chow or Hunan?", I queried.  She looked at me with bewilderment and a glazed-look.  Yes, much like most other types of cuisine, there are significant regional differences.  One misunderstood type of Chinese cuisine is Szechuan.  Sure, there are a few popular restaurants such as Szechuan Chongqing, but in reality, they cater to more mainstream tastes.  Hey, I'm not hating on Szechuan Chongqing.  They serve their clientele well.  However, when one wants the "real" thing, it gets a bit more complicated (as in being really spicy).

Meeting with Louisa in Richmond, she raved about this small little spot tucked in the 4200 plaza on #3 Road.  I left the ordering to her as she picked 3 of their specialties including the Garlic Pork.  The fanned out fatty pork belly was super tender dressed with chili oil and of course garlic.  There certainly was a kick to the dish, but not as much as the visuals would suggest.  I'm okay with that because when something is too spicy, you can't really taste anything else. Continuing on the spicy train, we had the Spicy Chicken.  Once again, at first glance, the dish seemed to be "blow-your-socks-off hot".  But nope, it was only mildly spicy (at least for me), thus, I could taste the chicken.  Being the free range variety, it had a slight chew.  The skin was jelly-like while there was the requisite layer of gelatin underneath.

And here it is, one of their most popular dishes - The Spicy Fish Hot Pot.  In addition to chili oil, there were dried red chilis and Szechuan peppercorns.  Suffice to say, this had a good kick.  However, once again, it was not pain-inducing heat.  That I liked as there was still some tongue numbness, but I could taste and enjoy the delicately prepared fish.  This was made all-the-more enjoyable with 4 cold Yanjing beers (a great deal at $10.00). For me, this was a well-executed and authentic Szechuan meal.  I guess there is another reason to make the trek into traffic-hell central...

The Good:
- Spicy, but not so much you can't taste anything
- Carefully prepared
- Relatively comfortable dining space

The Bad:
- During more peak times, you may not find a parking spot as the lot is small and shared by other businesses
- May not be spicy enough for some, but you most certainly can ask for it

Chiffon Chinese Cuisine

*Restaurant is now closed* 

No food after late night hockey just seems like a foreign concept to me.  Much like traffic circles to most drivers in Vancouver. However, there are times when nobody wants to eat with me.  *sniff*  That was the case on a Saturday after a session of hockey at Richmond Ice.  What to do?  Call Mijune!  Yes, she is a reliable dining companion when one is needed.  Even though she was stuffed from her regular eating regiment, she saved a small crevice in her stomach for me...  After picking her up, we headed over to Chiffon, which is another Bubble Tea/Taiwanese joint in Richmond.  Hmm...  There seems to be quite a few of those around eh?

When the Fermented Pork arrived, we were a bit confused at the amount of batter.  And since they used pork belly, the whole thing was really fatty and honestly inedible.  Hey, we like pork belly, but not the way it was prepared here.  It was not melt-in-our-mouth soft, rather, it was on the chewier side.  And with the obscene amount of crunchy batter, the meat was lost anyways.  We did, on the other hand, enjoy the sweet and salty dip though (that didn't sound right did it???).  Fortunately the Crispy Chicken Nuggets were fantastic.  The meat was light and airy while the coating was crispy.  Furthermore, it was seasoned just enough with salt and five spice.  Loved the fried basil as well.  

The Spicy Beef Noodles lived up to its name where I coughed a few times because the soup had a real kick.  It didn't exhibit any real depth, but the spice level ensured a certain impact.  As for the sliced beef shank, it was both plentiful and tender.  I loved the meat as it required very little effort to eat.  The tendon portion was the best as it was gelatinous and melted in my mouth.  The noodles were good too, being al dente. Now, I attempted to visit the place again on a Thursday night at 12:15am.  Closing time as stated on the door was 1:00am (and the "open" sign was still flashing).  We were turned away saying they were closed.  I do understand there needs to be last call so they can clean up and actually close at 1:00am, but 45 minutes prior?  Of note, the service Mijune and I received was confused and not all that attentive either. 

But...  Begrudgingly, I returned again with Mijune to try their inexpensive Build-Your-Own-Noodle.  I went for tripe and fish in a spicy broth.  Yes, it really did have a kick and it was fine for what it was.  It's not Deer Garden, but whatever, it was late.  Again, the service was a bit cold, but not rude.  I dunno.  It's not like the service was that bad, yet they really could do better.  At the end of the day, the prices are good and the food is passable.  Still not high on my list of places to eat at since there are so many other good choices in Richmond.


The Good:
- Cheap
- Fairly comfortable digs
- Passable food

The Bad:
- Not sure about the service...
- Passable food