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Restaurants open. Restaurants close. Some operate for an eternity while some last as long as a cup of coffee. There are name changes and changing of hands. Sometimes, a restaurant may relocate or close for awhile and reopen down the road. Now, how about a restaurant that has moved a total of 4 times, maintaining the same name and employees? That would be The Roc. A modest Chinese restaurant that began its existence on Kingsway at the terminus of King Edward. We would frequent it for Dim Sum as their prices were rock (pun?) bottom while the food was more than acceptable. Then they moved further East on Kingsway where Po Kong sits today. Then all of a sudden, we found them located at the corner of Cambie and Marine. They had to vacate shortly after because the building was slated for demolition to make way for a condo project. Now, they took over the location of the former Penny Pub on Main and 41st.
After a warm, but interesting visit to the Bloedel Conservatory, we made the short jaunt over to the current location of The Roc. Gone are the push carts and in with the ever-so-familiar order sheets. The first item to arrive was the Spring Rolls. This was a mostly veggie version with tiny bits of shrimp hiding within the predominantly celery and carrot filling. The overuse of celery made the roll taste a bit funny and too wet. Otherwise, the outside was crispy and not overly greasy. And as with most Dim Sum service, the dessert showed up next. The Egg Tarts were flaky and buttery (or lardy?) with a semi-sweet filling. For aesthetics, the tart shell could've used a bit more browning.
Up next was the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll, which was decent. We found the rice noodle beautifully constructed being thin, soft and retaining a slight elasticity. The whole shrimp filling was adequate and had a nice snap, but were devoid of any seasoning. With an attractive dusting of fish roe, the Sui Mai were big and meaty. There was little else other than lean pork in the filling which meant it was rather dense and stiff. Flavourwise, it was on the sweeter side in need of more savoury elements (maybe more shiitake?). Onto a kiddie favourite, we had the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice wrapped in Lotus Leaves). We found the rice to be a bit stiff, but the plethora of moist pork alleviated it somewhat.
As per my modus operandi (wooo... big words!), I went for the Honeycomb Tripe laced with a good amount of garlic and a touch of spice. I liked how it was flavourful without being overly salty. In addition, the tripe was soft (but not mushy) and not gamy tasting. Moving onto another must-have in my opinion was the Black Bean Spareribs. This was a fairly large portion with chewy (in a good way) ribs. We liked how there were very few cartilage pieces as well. The entire dish was garlicky with some spice, yet mild at the same time. There was very little black bean as the picture suggests.
For some reason or another, we ordered the BBQ Pork Buns (which we've done each of the last few times). We never seem to finish them and the kids are usually somewhat mildly interested. We found these to be stiff and dense. However, the filling was meaty (not fatty) and mixed in with a sweet glaze. Moving onto some Beef Meatballs, they were big and barely fit onto the plate. They had a nice meatiness to them with a slight bounce texture. There was a good balance of water chestnuts and green onion, yet the mix could've used a touch more fat.
The Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumplings) took forever to arrive and it appeared that they had given our order to another table. Interestingly, the lady who made the mistake was scolded right in front of us. Kinda awkward... Anyways, the dumplings were a touch oversteamed which made the rice flour wrapper wet. However, the whole shrimp filling had a good snap and exhibited a mild natural flavour. All-in-all, a very acceptable meal considering the reasonable prices. Although they have moved for the 3rd time, The Roc continues to offer up good value eats in a now cleaner environment.
The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Decent eats
- New and clean dining space
The Bad:
- Restaurant is really small, fills up quick
- Service is okay, but not the draw here for sure
A little over a year ago, there were a few food carts. Now, there are more than I can count. As much as I would like to try every single one of them, the current setup doesn't exactly make it easy. Many are essentially roaming carts, some have limited hours and some close before I even get to them. Originally, I was trying to finally visit Pig on the Street when to my horror, they were not at their usual spot on Howe. With Whipping Girl tagging along, she insisted we go to Mangal Kiss instead. Hey, I just blogged about that not-too-long-ago. No can do! She continued to whine much like the time we had to change from Boneta to Bistro Pastis. I stayed strong and suggested we head over to Mogu instead.
I decided to try the Pork Miso Katsu with a side of Chicken Karaage. I liked the pork cutlet as it was meaty while not being dry. It was fried until crispy while the red miso sauce added a rich saltiness to the sandwich. The wasabi-laced coleslaw added a brightness and crunch which lightened up the heaviness of the cutlet. The weak link had to be the bun though. It was too dense and big which overwhelmed the ingredients. The side of Chicken Karaage was so freakin' fantastic, Whipping Girl vacated our meal and acquired another small order! Why was it so good? First, the chunks of dark meat were thick, brined and coated with a light, yet effective batter. This ensured that all the juices were locked in while the outside stayed crispy. I've rarely come across chicken karaage so moist and juicy in my eating adventures. To finish it all off, it was drizzled with a sweet chili sauce that was just spicy enough to give the chicken some life.
Whipping girl had the Kobacha Korokke which was made with squash and accented by katsu sauce, lettuce and avocado. Again, the bun got in the way of an otherwise tasty sandwich. The squash korokke was sweet and crispy which was flavoured enough by the salty and sweet sauce. She liked the fresh avocados, but there wasn't enough of a textural contrast with the korokke. As her side, we selected the special of the day being the Sake Salmon Chowder. There was no mistaking the bacon content in this starchy chowder as it was the dominant flavour. There was very little salmon which made it pretty much an afterthought. The food was pretty good at Mogu, especially the chicken karaage. It almost made me forget I was looking for Pig on the Street...
The Good:
- Awesome chicken karaage
- Really friendly people
- Carefully prepared eats
The Bad:
- The dense bun has to go
Double DD what??? Yah, I'm not going any further with my thoughts about what was my initial reaction upon hearing about Double DD Pizza. My co-worker raved about the Greek food there and about the great value as well. Okay, I filed that into my subconscious to be used the next time I was out near 4th and Alma - which is never... Fast forward 8 months and Choobee reiterates the same sentiment about the place. Geez. Okay, okay, I'll make the effort for some Double DD action... ahem... So after Monday night softball, I queried who wanted to head out there for eats. I think I heard crickets. Hence, Milhouse was the only person who was game because I drove him. Yes, he was my food hostage. We met up with Choobee to hopefully put a dent into the menu.
Arriving hot and crunchy, the Calamari was a generous portion of tender squid which still maintained a nice chew. The batter was well-seasoned and not greasy at all. The thick Tzatziki was a nice compliment, but I would've preferred just a touch more impact (such as more garlic and lemon). For $7.50, the Prawn and Mushroom Salad was large and prepared beautifully. Although the toppings were pan-fried first, they did not wilt the rest of the greens excessively. Rather, it provided both flavour and substance to the salad. The prawns had a nice snap while the mushrooms were just right. Furthermore, the salad was not overdressed with vinaigrette which didn't degrade its texture.
The Roast Lamb was a massive portion which was also done nicely. From the bone out, the meat was not overly fatty, yet enough fat to provide flavour and keep the meat moist. Again, it was well-seasoned and had a nice roasted essence. The accompanying rice was flavourful and only slightly wet. I really loved the roast potatoes as they were packed full of lemon flavour. They were on the drier side, but that didn't make or break them. Considering they used breast meat, the Chicken Souvlaki was still juicy and tender. It had a nice char and was properly marinated with the usual Greek spices.
We tried a small Pizza consisting of pepperoni, mushroom, green peppers and anchovies. For this type of pizza, it was solid. The crust was crunchy, yet giving way to a soft interior. There was just enough mild tomato sauce and plenty of cheese. Naturally, with anchovies, there was no lack of saltiness. In the end, we were stuffed because the portion sizes were generous. Furthermore, we were completely satisfied with the food because it was good and prepared with care. This is definitely a place worth driving out to visit.
The Good:
- Well-prepared food
- Good portions
- Friendly people
The Bad:
- Unless you live in the area, it's slightly far, but worth it IMO
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
Posts
Restaurants open. Restaurants close. Some operate for an eternity while some last as long as a cup of coffee. There are name changes and changing of hands. Sometimes, a restaurant may relocate or close for awhile and reopen down the road. Now, how about a restaurant that has moved a total of 4 times, maintaining the same name and employees? That would be The Roc. A modest Chinese restaurant that began its existence on Kingsway at the terminus of King Edward. We would frequent it for Dim Sum as their prices were rock (pun?) bottom while the food was more than acceptable. Then they moved further East on Kingsway where Po Kong sits today. Then all of a sudden, we found them located at the corner of Cambie and Marine. They had to vacate shortly after because the building was slated for demolition to make way for a condo project. Now, they took over the location of the former Penny Pub on Main and 41st.
After a warm, but interesting visit to the Bloedel Conservatory, we made the short jaunt over to the current location of The Roc. Gone are the push carts and in with the ever-so-familiar order sheets. The first item to arrive was the Spring Rolls. This was a mostly veggie version with tiny bits of shrimp hiding within the predominantly celery and carrot filling. The overuse of celery made the roll taste a bit funny and too wet. Otherwise, the outside was crispy and not overly greasy. And as with most Dim Sum service, the dessert showed up next. The Egg Tarts were flaky and buttery (or lardy?) with a semi-sweet filling. For aesthetics, the tart shell could've used a bit more browning.
Up next was the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll, which was decent. We found the rice noodle beautifully constructed being thin, soft and retaining a slight elasticity. The whole shrimp filling was adequate and had a nice snap, but were devoid of any seasoning. With an attractive dusting of fish roe, the Sui Mai were big and meaty. There was little else other than lean pork in the filling which meant it was rather dense and stiff. Flavourwise, it was on the sweeter side in need of more savoury elements (maybe more shiitake?). Onto a kiddie favourite, we had the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice wrapped in Lotus Leaves). We found the rice to be a bit stiff, but the plethora of moist pork alleviated it somewhat.
As per my modus operandi (wooo... big words!), I went for the Honeycomb Tripe laced with a good amount of garlic and a touch of spice. I liked how it was flavourful without being overly salty. In addition, the tripe was soft (but not mushy) and not gamy tasting. Moving onto another must-have in my opinion was the Black Bean Spareribs. This was a fairly large portion with chewy (in a good way) ribs. We liked how there were very few cartilage pieces as well. The entire dish was garlicky with some spice, yet mild at the same time. There was very little black bean as the picture suggests.
For some reason or another, we ordered the BBQ Pork Buns (which we've done each of the last few times). We never seem to finish them and the kids are usually somewhat mildly interested. We found these to be stiff and dense. However, the filling was meaty (not fatty) and mixed in with a sweet glaze. Moving onto some Beef Meatballs, they were big and barely fit onto the plate. They had a nice meatiness to them with a slight bounce texture. There was a good balance of water chestnuts and green onion, yet the mix could've used a touch more fat.
The Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumplings) took forever to arrive and it appeared that they had given our order to another table. Interestingly, the lady who made the mistake was scolded right in front of us. Kinda awkward... Anyways, the dumplings were a touch oversteamed which made the rice flour wrapper wet. However, the whole shrimp filling had a good snap and exhibited a mild natural flavour. All-in-all, a very acceptable meal considering the reasonable prices. Although they have moved for the 3rd time, The Roc continues to offer up good value eats in a now cleaner environment.
