skip to main |
skip to sidebar
As much as I rave about the Indian food in Surrey, I give very little attention to it in Vancouver. Well, that is partly due to my inherent biases. Many of the Indian restaurants outside of Surrey and Main Street cater to the general population. Hence, the spice level can be quite mild even when requesting "spicy". Hey, I get it. I've said it before numerous times - a restaurant is not in the business of appealing to a small percentage of diners. Rather, to turn a profit (and to stay in business), they must produce food that the locals want to eat. So for those who complain that "it's not authentic" or "this is a poor excuse for <insert cuisine> food", please keep in mind they are probably not catering to you.
And that's what I kept in the back of my mind when I joined Costanza and Elaine for eats at Raga out on Broadway. We started with an order of Samosas served with coriander and tamarind chutneys. These were fried up really crunchy while not greasy. The potato and pea filling was flavourful with a touch of spice. However, the chutneys were the star of the show. For our second appie, we had the Fish Pakora which were moist on the inside and slightly crisp on the outside. They were spicy with a good amount of salt as well. We liked how the batter was light in relation to the piece of fish.
Because Costanza is such a fan of Sienfeld (really, go figure...), we had to order the Mulligatawny Soup. For some reason or another, this was not like any version of Mulligatawny we've ever had. This one tasted predominantly of lemon and did not exhibit any thickness or classic flavours. It was essentially a thin, lemon soup with pieces of dry chicken. Suffice to say, we didn't like this version. No soup for us! Off to the mains, we had the classic Butter Chicken which was more tomatoey than creamy. Although we asked for medium, it was extremely mild, yet salty at the same time. The large chunks of chicken were very moist and overall, the butter chicken was decent with all things considered.
Next up was the Fish Korma which was smooth, nutty and mild. Although the fish was nicely prepared, the sauce was rather bland (yes I realize that it shouldn't be super-charged flavourful, but it was too mild even for what it is). It was a bit too creamy and heavy where we could only eat a little bit of it. Probably our favourite curry of the bunch was the Prawn Curry which had a good level of spice. There was also a pleasant tang as well as a wonderful zestiness. The prawns were a bit overcooked though being slightly rubbery. We realize that prawns are expensive, but this dish was mostly sauce with limited ingredients.
Our order of Naan was a little pale for the most part. There was some nice charring on some of the edges, but we would've liked a bit more uniformly. With that being said, the naan had a nice chewy texture. The accompanying side of basmati rice was prepared properly being chewy and on the drier side which was perfect for being sauced. Our last savoury dish was a half order of the Tandoori Chicken. Surprisingly, not only was the dark meat moist, the white meat was equally so. In addition to be well-marinated, the chicken exhibited a noticeable smokiness which was welcomed. A little more charring on the outside was one thing we would've liked to see.
We decided to share 3 desserts including the Rasmalai, Kheer and Kulfi Faluda. They were almost uniform in colour and appearance, they shared many characteristics. All three had milk, pistachios and almonds which made them milky sweet with a nutty accent. The Kulfi differed since there was a noticeable cardamom hit. Honestly, it was hard to have a lasting impression when all of them tasted roughly the same. Not their fault, we just happened to order them. In general, we found the food at Raga to be decent, considering it's located in Fairview (not exactly the hotbed of Indian food). I personally like Indian food in Surrey more, but then again, not everyone goes out to Surrey for food either. Moreover, the prices are on the higher side, but that is again a reflection of its location and operating costs.
The Good:
- Friendly people
- Acceptable eats for its location
- Comfy dining space
The Bad:
- Pricey
- Generally mild flavours but salty at the same time
While surfing around Facebook, I often look at pictures of food people post. Yes, that does not sound like much of a surprise. However, one thing that really caught my attention was the Mac n' Cheese Poutine that Sean posted from Smoke's Poutinerie. Sadly, his description wasn't exactly flattering (they used Kraft Dinner). Of course that didn't deter me from finding out for myself how bad it really is. So I met up with Vandelay at the Granville location. At first, we were impressed with the variety.
I got the Smoked Meat Peppercorn Poutine. When I popped the top off the take out box, I was hugely disappointed to see several slices of deli smoked meat staring at me. So instead of a smoky meatiness, all I got was slimy, wet and salty slices of meat. That was really too bad since the gravy was actually quite good. It was thick, rich and peppery. There was a proper amount which caressed each cheese curd evenly. As for the cheese curds, they were good and squeaky. We found the fries to be a shade too dark and dense.
As for Vandelay, he got the Steak Peppercorn Poutine as well. We didn't plan on having the same gravy, but the counter person got confused with our order (I originally wanted the Montreal Poutine). Hence, the only thing different about his order was the meat, which was not bad. It was tender and moist, but seemed a bit distant from the entire poutine. It was kinda plain and really needed something to tie it into the entire dish. Well Sean was right. For a place that specializes in poutine, they use far too many pre-packaged ingredients where the overall product is sub-par.
The Good:
- Lots of variety
- Cheese curds are good
The Bad:
- Over-reliance on pre-packaged ingredients
- Fries are overcooked and dense
If one was ever in Richmond... They might want to take transit... Kidding aside, if one was in Richmond, there would never be a problem finding a HK-style cafe. There are so many to choose from. However, when one leaves Richmond (where they could get back into their car), the choices become thin, especially outside of Vancouver. Moving even further East, it gets downright pathetic in terms of choices for HK-style cafes. Consider Coquitlam, where there is a large Asian population, and you'll find less than a handful of them. I've already been to Copa and it was "okay", so that meant I had to visit the other one, being Westwood Cafe.
I met up with Rich Guy, since he lives in Coquitlam, to find out if there were any good eats to be found there. Well, it didn't start off great with the Borscht. It was very pale and not very flavourful. It was lacking in tartness and overall impact. This was part of his 2-item meal consisting of Chicken Steak and Fried Fish Filet. The chicken steak was fried up crispy on the outside while dry and chewy on the inside. This could've benefited from a slight dusting of flour or starch. The fried fish was good though with a crispy exterior while being moist inside. The mushroom sauce was mild and did the job.
I went for the Baked Spaghetti Bolognese and it wasn't particularly attractive where the meat sauce was dry and very dark. After a quick taste, it was in fact crumbly and dry. It was particularly sweet with little in the way of any tomato and no carrots. We shared one more item being the Salted Fish & Chicken Fried Rice. It was not too greasy where each grain of rice was discernible and chewy. The good wok heat ensured a nuttiness and no excess moisture. There was no absence of saltiness to the dish from the combination of the fish and seasoning. However, this was probably the only complete dish we had. Everything else was pretty disappointing. Oh well, back to Richmond we come...
The Good:
- Friendly people
- Lots of choice
- Not much competition for them
The Bad:
- Below average food
- Decor is a bit tired
When a hidden gem never makes it past being "hidden", often it ends up closing. That's what happened to my favourite place for freshly fried falafels... Ben Laila didn't last very long, but in its short existence, there was a loyal following. Now, rising from the ashes, Mega Donair has set up shop. For me, many of the donair joints in town are roughly the same, offering the same items at the same reasonable prices. But there is something that sets Mega Donair apart - they make their own Pita Bread to order. That's right, much like fresh pizza dough, they flatten it out and grill it on the flat top when you order. You can't get anymore fresher than that.
That wonderful chewy bread went with my Combo Plate consisting of lamb and chicken. It included a salad, humus and rice. There was an option to supersize it, but the regular size was more than enough food. The humus was smooth and complimented the fresh bread. I found the lamb moist while the chicken a touch dry, yet was somewhat alleviated by the good amount of garlicky tzatziki. I got a Beef Donair as well since the place is named Mega Donair. Well, it was certainly large in size with plenty of tender meat and fresh ingredients. Again, the fresh bread really made the difference as it did not have that "stale" quality like the packaged stuff.
Lastly, I got a few Falafels just for the heck of it (since the last place had the best falafels). They were fried fresh which ensured their crunchiness. However, I found them rather dense and lacking in flavour. The dousing of sauces helped in that regard though. Whatever the case, the fact they make their bread to order is a real plus. I hope this place survives longer than the last one.
The Good:
- Fresh, made-to-order bread
- Good portions
- Nice people
The Bad:
- If it matters, food takes a bit longer due to the freshly-made bread (worth it IMO)
Phnom Penh??? Hasn't this joint been blogged about by a gazillion people??? Well not that many, but you get the idea. No, Phnom Penh is not exactly a hidden gem anymore. Go back 15 years and include their long gone Broadway location, it was a somewhat hidden gem then. I remember Rich Guy and I would go there all the time for their Luc Lac Beef and Chicken Wings. Heck, we still do that. Things just don't change, except for our age. Yikes! Well, seeing how I haven't blogged about the place in nearly 5 years, we decided to hit up the place after Monday night softball.
Okay, let's cut to the chase. We were here mainly for their famous Fried Chicken Wings. These crispy pieces of joy were wok tossed with onions, garlic, chilies, pepper, MSG and salt. Served on the side was the necessary and highly effective lemon white pepper dip. Another one of their most popular dishes is the Butter Beef. Now personally, I find it not bad, but not exactly outstanding either. The reason for this is the beef itself. I find it overly chewy for a nearly rare application. However, the seasoning rocked in my opinion. It was a good combination of salty, sweet, tart and herbal (from the cilantro). On the other hand, I found that there was just a touch too much of it on the plate, but I can see cilantro lovers disagreeing with me.
We had another classic item being the Dry Noodles. It consisted of flat egg noodles with shrimp, ground pork, pork slices, liver, dried shrimp, fried onions, cilantro and green onions bathed in a sweet and salty soy concoction. Mixed together, all the different textures and flavours created a symphony in my mouth. Yes, other places offer the same dish, but Phnom Penh does it best. Going off the board, we decided to give the Fried Rice Cake (Bot Chien) a try. This was a simple stir-fry of fried rice cake cubes, egg and green onion. Naturally, the rice cake cubes were dense, but they had a pleasant chew. The side of sweet chili soy added the necessary flavour as the dish itself was quite mild.
Back to the the classics, we had the Oyster Pancake. It had a nice exterior crispiness which gave way to a starchy "oystery" (I realize that is not a word...) interior. This was a good dish, but paled in comparison to one of their most popular items (chicken wings withstanding) being the Luc Lac Beef (or Filet of Beef with fried egg). Just something about the way they prepare it, it just works. From the tender slices of beef to the rich, flavourful sauce, I could eat this over and over again (wait, I do!). And really, we were happy to do a return visit. Sure, some people may not get why this is one of the most popular restaurants in Vancouver. But we do.
The Good:
- Chicken wings!
- Relatively inexpensive considering everything
- Lots of choice
The Bad:
- Service is okay, but not stellar either
- Pick the favourites, other dishes are pretty average
- Super busy
If my memory serves me correctly, the Pumphouse Pub in Richmond has never been known for its food. It was an ol' skool pub serving its faithful patrons booze with some food on the side. Therefore, I've never been inclined to stop and go eat there. It's like that ugly Hawaiian shirt in your closet that exists, but is never worn. Hey! I don't have any Hawaiian shirts... Okay fine I do. Don't judge me. Anyways, I recently got an invite to check out the renovated Pumphouse (now part of the Kooner Hospitality Group) that aims to offer more than the usual pub experience. In fact, it was for their Collaboration Long Table Dinner featuring Master Sushi Chef Shunji Yamamoto from Guu and Chef Daniela Iaci - yes something completely unexpected for a pub. And naturally, a craft beer pairing for each of the 5 courses as well.
Not noted as a heavy drinker, Mijune joined me on this food adventure anyways (yes, she's a cheap drunk). We started with the Portobello & Oyster Mushroom Tempura with an Italian spicy roasted tomato sauce and a yuzu citrus ponzu aioli. Possibly due to not being served immediately, the portobello mushroom was not crispy. As for the sauces, both were good with the aioli being fresh and light while the tomato having a rich full-bodied flavour with a spicy finish. This was paired with an Elysian Savant IPA which helped cut the grease. Next was the Korean-Style Spicy Beef Tartare with arugula salad and horseradish creme fraiche topped with onions and capers. The beef was aesthetically-pleasing while being tender and buttery. The kimichi spices were a bit of a surprise, but worked offering up a good spice level. This was paired with an Elysian Superfuzz Blood Orange Pale Ale which was fruity and light. Not sure if this was the best choice for this dish, but I liked it nonetheless.
Moving along, we were curious with the Mac-n-Motoyaki consisting of roasted kabocha pumpkin puree with motoyaki sauce, sauteed shrimp and cauliflower. This was actually a pretty good combination of flavours. The motoyaki was greasy (but then it should be) and rich and went well with the snappy shrimp and crisp cauliflower. However, I found the macaroni a bit disconnected with the sauce (which was mostly sweet). I liked the Elysian Immortal IPA since it helped lighten up the greasiness. Chef Shunji prepared the Aburi Sushi in front of us which was a treat. As expected, the sushi rice was well made with a nice chewiness and balanced flavour. This was our favourite item of the meal and wished to have more of it. We found the Odin Frey'as Gold Kolsh Style Ale to be crisp and clean which went nicely with the sushi.
The sushi was accompanied by an Uni Risotto finished with soy sauce and crispy prosciutto. Well, there is no sugar-coating this one, it was not prepared properly. The risotto was clumpy and pasty which wasted such a wonderful ingredient such as uni (and yes, they forgot the prosciutto which was served on the side). Lastly, we finished off with the Japanese-Style Coffee Jelly with cold-pressed 49th Parallel coffee with marscapone mousse and stout reduction. I found that the sweet marscapone was essential in balancing out the bitterness of the coffee jelly. However, as Mijune stated, this dessert would've benefited from some cake (as a complimentary texture). The Alameda Black Bear Stout was surprisingly light and did not overwhelm the dessert. Overall, I have to give the Kooner Hospitality Group credit for trying to elevate dining experiences at their restaurants. This particular meal was interesting and a good value ($50.00 with beer). Despite some execution issues, it has me intrigued about the next Long Table Dinner.
The Good:
- Good value considered 5 beers!
- Can't be criticized for being boring
The Bad:
- The portions in this particular meal were small
- Some execution issues
Most people assume chain restaurants and Langley go hand-in-hand like Canadians and the Bellingham Costco. Hey, check out 200th Street, there is practically every chain restaurant represented. And let's not forget the only BC location of the Olive Garden. However, for those who know, there are some gems to be found here if you look hard enough. Estrella's and Hilltop Cafe are good examples of that. So when Bluebeard (a fine resident of Langley) saw a Groupon for Ban Chok Dee Thai, he wondered if we wanted to join him and Nikita for dinner. That we did and planned to watch a movie at Colossus as well.
Before any of our dishes arrived, we were presented with some complimentary Shrimp Chips and spicy peanut dipping sauce. These were slightly spicy and of course crunchy. For our actual appies, we started with the Chok Dee Lime Leaves Wrap. We all loved this dish as there were many layers of flavour starting with the sweetness of palm sugar, lime and basil then a hit of spice, finishing off with the roasted cashews. There was a nice contrast between the crunchy veggies and the moist chicken. Next up, we had the Chicken Satay which were made with lean breast meat. Suffice to say, they were a bit dry. It did have a good char though and was properly seasoned.
Onto some mains, we tried the Pad Thai, which was mostly sweet in need of more tang. The chicken could've stood to be less chewy as well. We liked how it wasn't wet nor too dry and also it wasn't the ketchupy type either. Overall, it was still pretty good. As for the Beef Penang Curry, it was not our favourite. There was nothing particularly wrong with the flavours per se. There was a fishy, salty, sweet and spicy thing going on and it went well with our rice. The biggest issue was the beef - it was dry and hard. It took considerable effort to chew. We realize that Thai cooking doesn't employ a tenderizer to the meat, but maybe they should've used a more tender cut.
Moving along, we had the Chicken Green Curry which was generous in portion size. The curry was definitely coconutty with balanced flavours. Despite this, we would've liked to see just a bit more punch with the flavours. We asked for medium and it was not overly spicy. Lastly, we had the Cashew Chicken and this was not devoid of flavour. There was a good mix of sweet and savoury while the dish exhibited a good wok fry. This was a nice end to a relatively enjoyable meal. The food was generally pretty good while our surroundings comfortable with attentive service (even though we had a Groupon too).
The Good:
- Solid eats
- Clean and comfortable environment
- Decent service
The Bad:
- Some of the proteins could've been less dry and chewy
Posts
As much as I rave about the Indian food in Surrey, I give very little attention to it in Vancouver. Well, that is partly due to my inherent biases. Many of the Indian restaurants outside of Surrey and Main Street cater to the general population. Hence, the spice level can be quite mild even when requesting "spicy". Hey, I get it. I've said it before numerous times - a restaurant is not in the business of appealing to a small percentage of diners. Rather, to turn a profit (and to stay in business), they must produce food that the locals want to eat. So for those who complain that "it's not authentic" or "this is a poor excuse for <insert cuisine> food", please keep in mind they are probably not catering to you. 
And that's what I kept in the back of my mind when I joined Costanza and Elaine for eats at Raga out on Broadway. We started with an order of Samosas served with coriander and tamarind chutneys. These were fried up really crunchy while not greasy. The potato and pea filling was flavourful with a touch of spice. However, the chutneys were the star of the show. For our second appie, we had the Fish Pakora which were moist on the inside and slightly crisp on the outside. They were spicy with a good amount of salt as well. We liked how the batter was light in relation to the piece of fish.
Because Costanza is such a fan of Sienfeld (really, go figure...), we had to order the Mulligatawny Soup. For some reason or another, this was not like any version of Mulligatawny we've ever had. This one tasted predominantly of lemon and did not exhibit any thickness or classic flavours. It was essentially a thin, lemon soup with pieces of dry chicken. Suffice to say, we didn't like this version. No soup for us! Off to the mains, we had the classic Butter Chicken which was more tomatoey than creamy. Although we asked for medium, it was extremely mild, yet salty at the same time. The large chunks of chicken were very moist and overall, the butter chicken was decent with all things considered.
Next up was the Fish Korma which was smooth, nutty and mild. Although the fish was nicely prepared, the sauce was rather bland (yes I realize that it shouldn't be super-charged flavourful, but it was too mild even for what it is). It was a bit too creamy and heavy where we could only eat a little bit of it. Probably our favourite curry of the bunch was the Prawn Curry which had a good level of spice. There was also a pleasant tang as well as a wonderful zestiness. The prawns were a bit overcooked though being slightly rubbery. We realize that prawns are expensive, but this dish was mostly sauce with limited ingredients.
Our order of Naan was a little pale for the most part. There was some nice charring on some of the edges, but we would've liked a bit more uniformly. With that being said, the naan had a nice chewy texture. The accompanying side of basmati rice was prepared properly being chewy and on the drier side which was perfect for being sauced. Our last savoury dish was a half order of the Tandoori Chicken. Surprisingly, not only was the dark meat moist, the white meat was equally so. In addition to be well-marinated, the chicken exhibited a noticeable smokiness which was welcomed. A little more charring on the outside was one thing we would've liked to see.
We decided to share 3 desserts including the Rasmalai, Kheer and Kulfi Faluda. They were almost uniform in colour and appearance, they shared many characteristics. All three had milk, pistachios and almonds which made them milky sweet with a nutty accent. The Kulfi differed since there was a noticeable cardamom hit. Honestly, it was hard to have a lasting impression when all of them tasted roughly the same. Not their fault, we just happened to order them. In general, we found the food at Raga to be decent, considering it's located in Fairview (not exactly the hotbed of Indian food). I personally like Indian food in Surrey more, but then again, not everyone goes out to Surrey for food either. Moreover, the prices are on the higher side, but that is again a reflection of its location and operating costs.
