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Okay, if you live in the GVRD (and like Chinese food), it is pretty obvious Richmond is King. However, for a city that boasts such as large Asian population, it is as if there is a black hole of Chinese food in some of the burbs, most notably Surrey. Yes, there are lots of Chinese restaurants around, but unless you consider Combo #5 as Chinese food, there is not a lot to choose from. Not until now that is - enter Neptune Seafood Restaurant at Surrey Central. Being an almost carbon copy of the Richmond setup, they have their Wonton Noodle joint right next to it. Originally, we had made a reservation the night before, but somehow they never wrote it down. My dad was not exactly impressed and didn't hide his disappointment. Kudos to them for relenting and giving us a table almost immediately.
The first thing we noticed as we sat down was the incessant yelling and scolding of the staff by the manager. Sure, some of the servers were quite green, but not very professional to degrade them in front of us in our opinion. Also, they might want the check the spelling on chrysanthemum on the tea pot. Just sayin'. Anyways, the first dish we got was the Pork Spareribs. I found them slightly over-tenderized by baking soda. However, they did taste very good with lots of garlic. Next up was the BBQ Pork Buns which arrived in a really large steamer. We found the buns themselves light and fluffy. However, the pork filling was a bit stringy and dry. It could've been the luck of the draw though with the meat. In terms of flavour, it was mostly balanced between salty and sweet.
At $8.95, the Lobster Dumplings were definitely a splurge of some sorts, but we just needed to try it. It was actually a shrimp dumpling with a slice of lobster tail on top. We found the shrimp filling dense and lacking in snap while the lobster was decent. Interesting dish, but we'd probably not order it again. Moving onto a kiddie favourite, we had the Mini-Lo Mai Gai (sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves). Each one was further wrapped with parchment paper which kept things nice and tidy. As for the rice, it was moist and glutinous. The pork filling was fantastic where it was tender and really flavourful with lots of shiitake, dried scallop, Chinese sausage and salted egg yolk. Interestingly, there was no chicken.
The Brisket & Tendon Hot Pot with daikon was shockingly small for $8.95. Normally, most other places would be at least 1/2 larger in size. Despite the name of the dish, there was also a good amount of tripe, which ranged from soft to overly soft. The brisket was a bit chewy, but cooked long enough. However, some of the tendon could've used more time. Flavourwise, it was quite mild, except the tripe was a tad gamy. With an attractive amount of tobiko on top, the Sui Mai was completely saturated with baking soda. Not only was the meat too soft, I could taste the baking soda in every bite. Suffice to say, the dumpling was not that great. Too bad really since the shrimp was okay and the flavours I could make out beyond the baking soda were balanced.
Going for something a bit different, we had the Scallop and Pea Shoot Rice Noodle Roll. We liked the purposeful dish it was served in as the sweetened soy sauce was perfectly accessible. As for the roll itself, we found the rice noodle to be somewhat stiff. However, our order of plain rice noodles (not pictured) was soft and fluffy. The filling was pretty good with sweet scallops and tender pea shoots. Onto the most important dish of all, the Haw Gow, it was not bad. Within the slightly chewy dumpling skin, there was a mix of whole shrimp and mousse. It was sweet with discernible white pepper and sesame oil notes. The shrimp itself could've used a bit more cold-water rinsing to attain that classic snap.
Taking us by surprise, the Shrimp Spring Rolls were not wrapped in a wheat wrapper, rather, in rice noodles. This made the whole thing very light and crispy. However, it also made it quite oily since they were open-ended (which allowed the oil to seep through). Interestingly, the shrimp filling had much more snap than the dumplings. It may have been cooked less and/or be due to the cooking method. The Egg Tarts actually arrived earlier in the meal, as with most Dim Sum services. Yet, I left it to nearly the end to talk about it. Just seems more right! Anyways, the pastry was flaky and buttery while the filling was super light and barely sweet. Furthermore, we loved the aesthetically-pleasing browned edges too.
Lastly, we had the House Special Fried Noodles, which was pretty decent. The noodles were crispy while not greasy. There could have been more sauce though. The seafood was nicely done except the squid was a bit too chewy. Overall, this was an acceptable Dim Sum experience considering they are newly opened. The service still needs some refinement and the food expedition needs to be more efficient as some of the food was not hot enough. Given there is literally no comparable competition nearby, they will be consistently busy.
The Good:
- Nice and classy dining space
- Food has potential (if they iron out the kinks)
- Service was decent considering they just opened, but the manager should take a chill pill
The Bad:
- Manager is fare too abusive to his staff (in front of customers)
- Pricey
- They are new, kinks have not been worked out yet
For the longest time, the hotel restaurant was not someone would consider a "destination" for good eats. Yup, it only existed to feed their clientele who were not brave enough to venture out in search of food. Yet, times are changing and we are beginning to see some fine establishments in hotels. Up until recently, the Hyatt Regency did not exactly set the Vancouver culinary landscape on fire. However, with a change in direction under the guidance of Chef Thomas Heinrich, it appears they are taking some risks. I was able to experience this first hand with an invite to the Chef's Table Dinner along with Alvin, Sean, Diana, Dee, Grace, Janice, Kev and Billy.
In addition to the fact that Chef Heinrich personally prepared the meal himself, it was served at a table located right in the kitchen itself. Taking advantage of the banquet kitchen, the only meal prepared there that night was for us, while we watched. The first course was Oysters with pickled onions in an Escabeche foam. The sweet oysters were accented by a tart and spicy notes which didn't overwhelm. A nice start. The next course was actually sitting on the table and we didn't even know it. Unbeknownst to us, the potted plants were actually Chef Heinrich's version of a Crudité consisting of avocado & buttermilk mousse topped by pumpernickel crumbs with wild celery and baby carrots. Yes, whimsical hotel food, thanks to Chef Heinrich. I really liked the crunch of the crumbs as it contrasted the smooth and creamy mousse underneath. However, this was far too much for me to finish. I had 8 more courses!
From potted food to a more conventional plating, we had the Argentinian Red Shrimp with Wagyu Beef, wasabi chips, wasabi foam and freshly grated wasabi atop a kalamansi gelee. With a texture similar to BC spot prawns, the red shrimp was delicate and sweet. The thin slice of beef practically melted in my mouth and was nice accented by the different applications of wasabi. Completing the flavour profile was the sweet and tart kalamansi gelee. As if we were watching Top Chef, the next dish was presented on a mirrored plate. It consisted of Peas prepared with 3 different techniques pea ravioli (via spherification), isomalt encapsulated pea oil and pea powder (and freshly shucked peas as well) served atop Chinese black garlic. I really liked the ravioli as there was a pop of natural pea sweetness in each bite. The salty and bitter black garlic puree was a nice counterbalance to the sweetness.
As much as there was nicely seared Halibut featured on our next plate, the main ingredient was actually Artichokes. Again, there were 4 preparations including a relish, confit, puree and a cream that was sandwiched in a coconut and squid ink whoopie pie of sorts (was described as a macaron though). I really liked the chewy "cookie" as it exhibited a nice toasted coconut essence. The halibut itself was seared well while the flesh was flaky, moist and well-seasoned. Up next was Bacon 3 Ways consisting of bacon-wrapped salmon with citrus caviar, bacon discs, bacon relish and bacon fat powder atop a fava bean puree. Although the bacon was crispy and smoky, the salmon was still moist while not being overwhelmed. The citrus caviar provided some nice acidity. With all this bacon, I found the smooth fava bean puree unnecessarily salty though. The bacon discs looked light, but were actually hard to chew.
Looking more like a Taiwanese potsticker, the Duck Confit Ravioli atop stinging nettle puree and crispy leaves was served with apple-brined duck and a Maple vanilla gastrique. The ravioli was al dente and filled with tender, meaty duck confit. The drizzle of egg on top added a silky texture. As exemplified in the picture, the duck was rare-to-medium-rare, which allowed the meat to be buttery soft with a only a slight chew. The skin was somewhat crispy with an acceptable amount of fat. As if we didn't have enough food already, we were presented with an Australian Lamb Tenderloin with fiddlehead ferns, pickled ramps and morels with black truffle. For me, the lamb was as perfectly-prepared as possible. It was medium-rare and moist with a nicely browned exterior. With both black truffle and morels, there was a predictable Earthiness which went well with the meat. The pickled ramps added a "kimchi-ness" to the dish.
Onto dessert, we were served Strawberries 4 Ways including honey green strawberries, strawberry chips, pistachio-strawberry glass and strawberry vanilla streusel with cardamom-sour ice cream. The green strawberries were my favourite as they had a nice crunch as well as a welcomed tartness. The ice cream was smooth and light tasting which was a prelude to the next heavier offering - Chocolate 3 Ways. There was dehydrated chocolate, a 30 second chocolate cake and a chocolate fondant bar atop streusel with blood orange reduction and white chocolate ice cream. I loved the textural contrast between the fondant and streusel while the flavours were not overbearingly sweet. I found the cake to be slightly dry though. Yet, that was one of the rare criticisms as this meal was impressive in its execution and creativity. This was not only an interesting and delicious meal for a hotel, it was great in general. I am thoroughly impressed with Chef Heinrich where he has firmly taken the reigns of the Hyatt Regency's culinary direction.
It was a cold and rainy day... I dunno, I'm not even sure if it was rainy, I just ran out of sentence starters! LOL... Blogging practically everyday since late 2008 can do that to someone! Anyways, what I do know is that I met up with Rock Guy for some Westernized Chinese food in Surrey one cold winter's day. The restaurant of choice was Lido, which I'm not completely sure if it was related to the now closed Lido Buffet a few blocks away. I definitely know it has not relation to the Lido in Richmond (where you will find some of the best Pineapple Buns in town).
Seeing how the lunch specials would be the best bet to get a sense of the menu, we got one each. Both started off with a bowl of 
Wonton Soup, which was actually not bad. Naturally, we weren't going to find the all-shrimp variety, but for being all-pork, it was more than passable. The meat was moist with a bit of chew while the soup was okay since it wasn't some chicken bouillon broth. For my main, I went for the Sweet & Sour Pork with Broccoli Beef. The pork was not as crispy as it appeared, yet at the very least, the meat was not dry. The radioactive sauce was mostly sweet with very little sour. As for the broccoli, it was still crisp and vibrant while the meager amount of sliced beef was tender.
Rock Guy decided on the Chicken Chow Mein with Almond Chicken. The chow mein was pretty typical where it wasn't soggy nor too salty. The chicken was fried crispy and only moderately greasy. As you can see, the food is indeed passable, but nothing to write home about. Okay for a quick inexpensive lunch or takeout, but not high on my list for a return visit either.
The Good:
- Cheap
- Passable food
The Bad:
- Passable Food
- Don't expect real Chinese food here
There once was a time where I played hockey every Saturday night at Richmond Ice. The group was a good bunch of guys (and sometimes gals) who would eat out afterwards. There was one problem though... They loved to eat at only one place - Alleluia. Hey, I personally didn't mind it because the food was decent, well-priced and the staff were friendly. But for blogging purposes, it was not the best arrangement. Due to my busy schedule, I drifted away from this group and lost my full-time spot. Fast forward to the present and I am once again playing at Richmond Ice every Saturday with a different group, ironically at the rink beside the former group. Hence, nearly 4 years later, I joined them for late night eats at... you guessed it, Alleluia. I dragged Gordo with me since he has been my de facto eating companion on Saturday nights (or should it be Sunday mornings...).
As with my previous visits to Alleluia, I went for the 3 Item Meal which started with a choice of soup. I had the Cream of Ham & Corn which was a typical HK-style cafe starch-thickened concoction. It was a bit lukewarm, mild in flavour and a reasonable thickness. As for my 3 items, I had the Chicken Steak, Ox Tongue and Rib-Eye Steak. It came with mixed veggies and spaghetti (or rice), with a choice of sauce, which was black pepper in this case. I found the chicken steak to be pan-fried nicely where the dark meat was moist and juicy while the exterior was crispy. The ox tongue was soft while maintaining a bite. As for the rib-eye, it was pale, chewy and not very good. The black pepper sauce was good though, having a good consistency and a nice peppery hit. Gordo had the Rice Noodles with Brisket and as the visuals would suggest, there was a lot of meat (which was decently tender. The soup wasn't anything to write home about while the noodles were not mushy.
On a subsequent visit with Gordo and Emilicious, I decided to try the Spaghetti Bolognese. For those who are not familiar with HK-style food, this is their rendition of the dish. Yes, it contains meat and diced carrots, onions and tomatoes, but that is where the similarities with the Italian dish end. This one was passable with slightly soggy noodles and a sauce that was more tomatoey with hits of star anise. I found it a bit too meaty and saucy which essentially drowned the pasta. Seeing how I was famished (and when am I not), I added a Ham and Egg Sandwich as well. I found the bread not as soft as I would've liked and the skimpy amount of filling didn't help things. Since the sandwich and spaghetti were essentially the same price, I found the ham & egg to be not worth the money.
Emilicious decided on a dish which I am not a fan of being the Bitter Melon and Beef on Rice. She thought it was decent with a good amount of ingredients on top of the rice. The beef was mostly tender with some chewy parts while the bitter melon was still a bit crunchy. The flavours, other than the melon itself, were mild. Gordo spotted the Pan-Fried Udon with Soy as we walked in which made him want to order it. He was happy with the decision as the noodles were still chewy while there was enough seasoning. It was a tad greasy though. Overall, Alleluia did the job (both times) with predictability and at a low price. Sure, there are better HK-style cafes out there, but Alleluia surely satisfies the value criteria, especially for late night eats.
The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Decent food
- Decent service
The Bad:
- There is better, but will probably cost you more
- For those who have never been, it is hidden from the street
I'm not sure why Costanza and I go to the Vancouver International Car Show every year. It's not like we were in the market for a car. We had both just recently bought new cars. Is it that we were wanting to look a the new Smart Car? No, that wouldn't fit our lifestyles... I'm not sure if I could fit my goalie bag in there anyways. And besides, I couldn't put big rims on it either. Really, it is probably we had nothing better to do. In fact, my only reason for going was that we'd be eating afterwards! Funny how I didn't really have anywhere in mind though. I left it up to him and he suggested Crave. Hey why not, I haven't been back there for quite some time...
We started with their popular Short Rib Poutine with a side of truffle mayo. This was a fairly large portion with plenty of short
rib on top. The fries were crispy, even though they were drenched in a good amount of moisture - perfect for dipping into the flavourful mayo. That was in addition to the already truffle-infused fries with a balanced amount of Parmesan. What really stood out was the moist, tender shreds of short rib. They were meaty and full of natural flavour rather than being overseasoned. When we ordered the Popcorn Shrimp, we weren't expecting much, but to our surprise, it was a huge portion of buttery cold water shrimp encased in a paper thin crispy coating. It was slightly greasy, but good
nonetheless. The accompanying sweet chili mayo was quite mild and very creamy. It could've stood to be a bit more impactful.
For our mains, I went with my standby being the Slow Braised Lamb Shank served with whipped potatoes, roasted root vegetables and fresh veggies. I found the large lamb shank to be prepared beautifully with a nice roasted exterior giving way to super moist and tender meat. It exhibited a gelatinous richness that we associate with well-prepared lamb shank. Although the braising liquid was not devoid of flavour, I would've preferred a bit more body. Costanza ended up with more 
shortrib in the Shorty Rigatoni. Viv and I had this the last time we were here and it was just as good as I remembered it. With al dente pasta and a plethora of the same meaty shredded short rib, this was a hearty offering. Lots of natural meat flavour as well as a balanced tomato ragout. Once again, Crave didn't disappoint. For the prices they charge and the food quality, I really wish people would skip the chain restaurants.
The Good:
- Okay pricing
- Good portions
- Good food
The Bad:
- Super small with tight seating (although there is a patio when the weather is nice)
Could this be a new fad or trend? Legit Xiao Long Bao in Downtown Vancouver??? If we even just look back a year ago, there was no such thing. A decent XLB in Downtown Vancouver was as rare as a sunny day in December. But that all changed with the opening of Shanghai Xiao Long Bao on Richards Street. Now, the restaurant that boasts one of the best in town has opened up shop on lower Robson. Ironically, Dinesty is not really a true Shanghainese joint. Rather, it is a Taiwanese restaurant with Shanghainese and Szechuan dishes. Yes, that cuisine-confusion could spell trouble, but they seem to pull it off. Well, that is true for the Richmond location. Therefore, Whipping Girl, Rich Guy and I set out to see if the Robson location stacks up.
Immediately, Rich Guy was scouring the menu for Garlic Pork. We did find their version being the Streaky Pork with Garlic Sauce. No, there was no pig nudity, rather, I think they were referring to the use of pork belly. Unfortunately, we found the slices to be too thick which negated the usual pork belly texture. However, the sauce was fantastic being really garlicky, vinegary and sweet. Next up was the Marinated Beef with Soy Sauce Wrapped in Pancake. These were not bad with a somewhat flaky pancake (it was a bit gummy. The sliced beef shank was easy to chew while there was a complimentary amount of cucumber and green onion.
And then it arrived - the one defining item - Xiao Long Bao. These were respectable as the dumpling skin was thin and exhibited an appealing soft elasticity. The meat was sufficiently moist with a touch of grittiness. There was ample soup which was sweet, yet a little weak with the ginger. For some reason or another, I prefer the ones from the Richmond location more. Paying homage to this "Din Tai Fung"-type of experience, we had the Shrimp Sui Mai (very similar to the one at DTF). However, unlike DTF, these had no soup whatsoever - only ground pork and green onion. We liked the mild sweet flavour with the brightness of the greens, but the lack of moisture made it a touch dry to eat.
Moving along, we had the Noodle Soup with Beef and Tendon. The soup base was light and only mildly flavourful. The noodles were nicely prepared retaining some chew. As for the meat, it was gelatinous and tender. Saving the best for last, we had the Tea-Smoked Duck served with steamed buns. This dish was friggin' fantastic. The duck was moist and smoky while the skin was crispy and nicely rendered. One of the better versions I've had as of late. Although not the perfect meal (and what is?), we were satisfied with our visit to Dinesty on Robson. It is nice to see legitimate Chinese eats in the Downtown core.
The Good:
- Generally well-made food
- Decent service
- Surprisingly spacious dining space (wouldn't have guessed from the outside)
The Bad:
- Pretty busy, the servers are nice, but hard to get a hold of
- As with most restaurants, you need to pick the right dishes
Sometimes, it can be quite the chore to find kid's activities that we haven't done over and over again. Therefore, we try to hit spots we haven't been before (with the kids). For whatever reason, we decided to visit the Capilano River Hatchery in March. Yes, that was really not the best time to visit the place as there are no salmon spawning and frankly, it was a bit nippy outside too. As you can imagine, the visit was short and lacking in entertainment value. I think the rainbow from the mist from the raging river was the highlight of the visit. So underwhelmed and a bit frozen from our outdoor adventure, we decided to hit up Pho Japolo at the foot of Capilano Road and Marine Drive.
Ah yes, this place has gone through several restaurants and not once has the decor remarkably changed. Oh well, we were here for the food only right? Interestingly, the Lemongrass Chicken on Rice arrived first with a bounty of meat atop some rice. As you can see in the picture, there was more chicken than rice. However, the chicken was dry and hard. At the very least, it was flavourful in a sweet kind of way and charred nicely. Trying to change it up a bit, I decided to try the Cambodian Dry Noodles. For a non-Phnom Penh Version, this was pretty good. The noodles were still chewy and doused with just the right amount of sauce (which was a good balance of salty and sweet). The ample amount of ingredients were well-prepared as well.
Onto something they would like to call a Banh Mi. I say this because this was the worst version I've had in quite some time. Yes, I realize they are not a Banh Mi joint, but still, they are a Vietnamese restaurant. The bread was super dense and rock hard while the meats were sliced too thick being difficult to chew. Furthermore, there was too much butter-mayo and not enough pate or fish sauce (or Maggi). Lastly and strangely, the Pho Dac Biet showed up at the very end of the meal. It was okay with tender meats and a sweet broth that was a bit heavy with the MSG. After it was all said and done, it wasn't like we were displeased with our meal, but we were certainly not that satisfied. Consider this an average experience at best.
The Good:
- Fairly decent portions
- Some good dishes
The Bad:
- Some bad dishes
- Decor could use an update
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Okay, if you live in the GVRD (and like Chinese food), it is pretty obvious Richmond is King. However, for a city that boasts such as large Asian population, it is as if there is a black hole of Chinese food in some of the burbs, most notably Surrey. Yes, there are lots of Chinese restaurants around, but unless you consider Combo #5 as Chinese food, there is not a lot to choose from. Not until now that is - enter Neptune Seafood Restaurant at Surrey Central. Being an almost carbon copy of the Richmond setup, they have their Wonton Noodle joint right next to it. Originally, we had made a reservation the night before, but somehow they never wrote it down. My dad was not exactly impressed and didn't hide his disappointment. Kudos to them for relenting and giving us a table almost immediately. 
The first thing we noticed as we sat down was the incessant yelling and scolding of the staff by the manager. Sure, some of the servers were quite green, but not very professional to degrade them in front of us in our opinion. Also, they might want the check the spelling on chrysanthemum on the tea pot. Just sayin'. Anyways, the first dish we got was the Pork Spareribs. I found them slightly over-tenderized by baking soda. However, they did taste very good with lots of garlic. Next up was the BBQ Pork Buns which arrived in a really large steamer. We found the buns themselves light and fluffy. However, the pork filling was a bit stringy and dry. It could've been the luck of the draw though with the meat. In terms of flavour, it was mostly balanced between salty and sweet.
At $8.95, the Lobster Dumplings were definitely a splurge of some sorts, but we just needed to try it. It was actually a shrimp dumpling with a slice of lobster tail on top. We found the shrimp filling dense and lacking in snap while the lobster was decent. Interesting dish, but we'd probably not order it again. Moving onto a kiddie favourite, we had the Mini-Lo Mai Gai (sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves). Each one was further wrapped with parchment paper which kept things nice and tidy. As for the rice, it was moist and glutinous. The pork filling was fantastic where it was tender and really flavourful with lots of shiitake, dried scallop, Chinese sausage and salted egg yolk. Interestingly, there was no chicken.
The Brisket & Tendon Hot Pot with daikon was shockingly small for $8.95. Normally, most other places would be at least 1/2 larger in size. Despite the name of the dish, there was also a good amount of tripe, which ranged from soft to overly soft. The brisket was a bit chewy, but cooked long enough. However, some of the tendon could've used more time. Flavourwise, it was quite mild, except the tripe was a tad gamy. With an attractive amount of tobiko on top, the Sui Mai was completely saturated with baking soda. Not only was the meat too soft, I could taste the baking soda in every bite. Suffice to say, the dumpling was not that great. Too bad really since the shrimp was okay and the flavours I could make out beyond the baking soda were balanced.
Going for something a bit different, we had the Scallop and Pea Shoot Rice Noodle Roll. We liked the purposeful dish it was served in as the sweetened soy sauce was perfectly accessible. As for the roll itself, we found the rice noodle to be somewhat stiff. However, our order of plain rice noodles (not pictured) was soft and fluffy. The filling was pretty good with sweet scallops and tender pea shoots. Onto the most important dish of all, the Haw Gow, it was not bad. Within the slightly chewy dumpling skin, there was a mix of whole shrimp and mousse. It was sweet with discernible white pepper and sesame oil notes. The shrimp itself could've used a bit more cold-water rinsing to attain that classic snap.
Taking us by surprise, the Shrimp Spring Rolls were not wrapped in a wheat wrapper, rather, in rice noodles. This made the whole thing very light and crispy. However, it also made it quite oily since they were open-ended (which allowed the oil to seep through). Interestingly, the shrimp filling had much more snap than the dumplings. It may have been cooked less and/or be due to the cooking method. The Egg Tarts actually arrived earlier in the meal, as with most Dim Sum services. Yet, I left it to nearly the end to talk about it. Just seems more right! Anyways, the pastry was flaky and buttery while the filling was super light and barely sweet. Furthermore, we loved the aesthetically-pleasing browned edges too.
Lastly, we had the House Special Fried Noodles, which was pretty decent. The noodles were crispy while not greasy. There could have been more sauce though. The seafood was nicely done except the squid was a bit too chewy. Overall, this was an acceptable Dim Sum experience considering they are newly opened. The service still needs some refinement and the food expedition needs to be more efficient as some of the food was not hot enough. Given there is literally no comparable competition nearby, they will be consistently busy.
