Hyoga

Even since I started blogging in 2008, I've been fortunate to meet some really cool people who share the same passions.  To think of it, none of it wouldn't have happened if I didn't commit myself to taking pictures of everything I eat!  Recently, I was contacted by Ricky Shetty, who runs the blog daddyblogger.ca.  Essentially, he documents the trials and tribulations of being a dad.  Very cool, since most blogs out there are mommy-run and related.  Good to see a dad in action!  Anyways, he wanted to meet up as a form of networking and since he mentioned lunch, I was game. I suggested we try Hyoga on Kingsway because it is one of the rare Japanese joints that is run by actual Japanese people.

We got a few things to share starting with the Assorted Sashimi. Although small in portion size, it made it up in quality and presentation.  We liked how it was served atop an ice ring, which kept the slices cool as we ate. It consisted of 2 pieces each of hamachi, ika, hokkigai, salmon and tuna.  The nice sheen and neutral smell indicated freshness (as fresh as flash frozen fish can get).  Next up was the Fire Red Dragon Roll consisting of unagi tempura and cucumber on the inside with smoked salmon, avocado on the outside finished off with a spicy mayo concoction.  The roll wasn't exactly large in size, yet again, it was constructed with care.  I found the sushi rice to have a nice chewy texture with a hint of vinegar and sweetness.  There was just enough crunch from the unagi for a textural contrast.  However, there was far too little unagi to make any impact.  

Lastly, we shared the Pork Okonomiyaki which was large and quite thick.  Hence, it was on the denser side and slightly lacking in moisture.  However, it was panfried well with plenty of body and meatiness.  I would've liked to see some pickled ginger to go with this though.  From the items we tried, it was pretty clear that the food was legit (Ricky lived in Japan for a year).  Give it a try when you're in the area.

The Good:
- Real Japanese food (for those who care)
- Food made carefully
- Friendly people

The Bad:
- Some items are a little pricey
- Super small restaurant 

Pho Sunrise

It's no secret that I love Pho.  Heck, I love Vietnamese food in general.  And what's not to like?  Usually plentiful tasty food at low prices.  Therefore, it is a regular cuisine of choice while I'm with friends, family and alone.  In fact, it is one of my go-to destinations when I'm dining all-by-myself (think Eric Carmen).  Yes, the casualness and relative affordability are determining factors.  Now, good Vietnamese food is not really all that hard to find in Vancouver and Surrey, but not so much everywhere else (especially out further in the burbs).  Hence, I was intrigued with Pho Sunrise as it is located in a mall complex in White Rock.  Yah, Pho and White Rock doesn't roll off the tongue that much, but hey, gotta try to know right?

To get a good handle on the food, I decided on 3 items to the utter shock of the waitress. I explained that I was very hungry (which was true).  I started with one each of the Spring and Salad Rolls ($5.25).  Despite the use of a wheat wrapper, the spring roll was actually quite good.  It was crisp, hot and packed full of moist pork.  I liked the sweetness of the onions and the slight hint of fish sauce. As for the salad roll, the rice wrapper was a pleasing texture of chewy while soft.  On the inside, there was there was sprouts, lettuce, vermicelli, ham and shrimp.  Nothing was amiss, but I would've liked to see some basil.  The dipping sauce was sweet while lacking in peanut flavour.

My first entree was the Pho Dac Biet (Small $6.95) which was chock full of meat and chewy noodles.  I found the steak to be slightly chewy due to some gristle while the brisket and tendon were tender.  The broth was light and mostly sweet.  I liked the modest use of MSG, but in the end, it was in need of more depth. Lastly, I got the Lemongrass Chicken and Fried Egg on Rice ($9.50).  The rice itself was a bit clumpy and dry, but the runny egg yolk did help its cause.  The chicken exhibited a nice char and smokiness while being slightly dry.  It did have a good lemongrass hit though.  Believe it or not, I almost finished all the food to the bewilderment of the waitress.  It was not bad considering the location of the restaurant.

The Good:
- Super friendly staff
- Decent pricing given its location
- Clean and modern

The Bad:
- Pho broth on the lighter side

Winner of Lay's Do Us A Flavour Contest

Just a quick note.  Since the original winner of the Lay's Do Us A Flavour contest did not claim their prize.  I drew a new winner and it is Jodelene W!  Please email me at admin@shermansfoodadventures.com to claim your prize!  Congrats!

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

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

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