Sushi S Japanese Restaurant

There once was a Japanese restaurant named Hibiki.  There were several things working against it.  First, it was located in the same plaza as #1 Beef Noodle House.  Hence, parking was non-existent.  Second, turning into the plaza was a challenge.  Third and most importantly, the food sucked.  Imagine an order of salmon sashimi where the cuts were akin to using a steak knife and merely cutting sections into a fillet.  Fast forward to the "new" Hibiki and it didn't survive very long either.  Finally, with a name change, things might be looking up for Sushi S.

Gordo, Gadget Girl and I decided to check the place out for ourselves and to our shock, we all got parking in the plaza.  Things were indeed looking up...  With new decor and more staff, everything looked promising.  We started with an order each of the Ebi Sunomono.  They were of a good size topped with 2 large ebi.  The noodles were still somewhat toothsome while the dressing was sweet with only a modest tartness.  Next up was the order of Salmon, Wild Salmon and Tuna Sashimi.  Although not masterfully prepared, it was definitely miles ahead of the previous place.  In fact, all the fish was pretty decent, especially the tuna as it was somewhat firm and tasted fresh (as fresh as frozen can get).  

Continuing on, we got the Gyoza which was fried up a golden brown.  And I mean it was pretty fried up, where it soaked up a substantial amount of grease.  However, it was crispy on the outside (practically the whole thing, which was not really right) with a moist filling which was a good balance of pork and veggies. Next up was the Black Dragon Roll which consisted of dynamite roll in the middle with unagi, tobiko and avocado on the outside.  We liked how there was a minimal amount of rice which was chewy and more than acceptable.  The spiciness of the roll was a welcomed as it afforded plenty of flavour.

For our starch, we had the Seafood Udon which was almost like a Nabeyaki Udon, however without the egg.  It was full of ingredients which were more or less properly prepared.  The noodles were still chewy while the broth was light and mostly sweet.  Lastly, we shared the Assorted Tempura which was fried up crispy.  The batter wasn't heavy per se, yet it wasn't exactly light either.  Didn't really matter though as it was not greasy and ate well. At the end of the meal, we were pretty satisfied with the food.  For me, it was substantially better than the former Hibiki.  How about that, make better food and people will come.  Simple concept eh?

The Good:
- Decent eats
- Okay service
- Decent portions

The Bad:
- A little pricey
- Parking still sucks

EBO (Lunch Menu)

Let me get this out there before I continue with this post - I love EBO.  Yes, I'm biased.  There I said it.  Why you might ask?  Well, first of all, the food is good.  Second, the dining space is both spacious and comfortable. Third, they are extremely kid-friendly despite being located near a casino.  Oh and lastly, it is located somewhat near where I live, so I really don't have to travel to eat there.  So why has it taken me so long to eat there again?  That's a good question.  Maybe I should visit the place more often!  

Now for this lunch visit, it was with the in-laws (and yes, with my Mother-in-Law...). Maybe a visit to a non-Dim Sum environment, where it is quiet and classy, she might actually behave...  At least that was my hope...  Anyways, she started with a Caesar Salad with bacon crumbs, garlic & caper dressing and Grana Padano. It was pretty good with crunchy romaine and plenty of cheese.  However, it was a tad over-dressed which made some parts soggy.  My Father-in-Law went for the Seafood Chowder which was served table side.  The pieces of seafood were well-prepared with the proper textures while the creamy soup was a touch salty.

While we were seated, Executive Chef Dan Craig spotted us and proceeded to treat our table with 2 complimentary items.  First up was the Local Mussels with leeks, tomato, saffron, gelderman bacon and grilled bread. The mussels were buttery and just cooked while the broth had body in the form of salty bacon and the essence of saffron.  The grilled bread was not just a bystander as it was crunchy and helped soak up the flavourful broth.  Next was the Lobster Custard that was an item they were planning to put on the regular menu.  It was light, silky and full of lobster flavour.  I liked how it wasn't salty where it let the natural flavours do the talking.  The 2 pieces of lobster on top were buttery and prepared just right.

For their mains, my in-laws both had the 6 oz Angus Sirloin with garlic and Parmesan frites, toasted garlic filone, seasonal mushrooms and horseradish.  Both were prepared a nice medium-rare, however, my MIL claimed hers was more tender than my FIL's steak. For the kiddies, they both had the Chicken Strips & Fries (kids under 6 eat free with adult meal) that was part of the kid's meals which include a drink and dessert. With house-made chicken strips consisting of breast meat and panko breading, these were a step above the generic kind.  They were crunchy and still moist in the middle.

For Viv and myself, we shared 2 dishes including the BFC Crispy Chicken Po' Boy made with buttermilk fried organic Fraser Valley chicken thigh, Gelderman Farms smoked bacon, coleslaw, Swiss and spicy mayo. I really liked this sandwich as the chicken thigh was still moist while being super crunchy.  The thick bacon had a hard crunch (which was good) and smokiness which added nice flavour to the already tasty chicken and spicy mayo.  Moreover, the bread was toasted nicely while being soft at the same time.  We also had the BBQ Beef Sandwich consisting of marinated sliced grilled Angus beef, grilled onions, house Kim Chi and tangy mayo on a brioche bun. The meat itself was easy to chew while exhibiting a nice smoky char. It was on the saltier side though.  The kim chi offered up some spice and crunch while the onions were sweet.  I really liked the brioche bun because it was not dry, but it did struggle with the moisture. As part of the kid's meals, my kids got a Brownie and Chocolate Chip Cookie each.  This further high-lights the hidden kid-friendliness of EBO, even though it looks pretty swank inside.  Combined with good food, you can see why I am biased.

The Good:
- Well-prepared eats
- Nice interior
- Kid-friendly

The Bad:
- A little pricey (but equivalent to chain restaurants)

Ma Dang Goul

Every Sunday, JuJu keeps suggesting that we should go for Korean food after hockey.  We listen, acknowledge it and then proceed to eat something else.  Finally, the day had arrived.  We were all prepared to go get some Korean grub...  but JuJu went golfing instead.  Should we have waited until the following week for him to return?  Nope.  Kaiser Soze, Milhouse and I decided to go without him to a lil' place called Ma Dang Goul out on Denman.  Serves him right for playing golf instead of hockey.

Being a mom n' pop operation, it was pretty packed and the limited amount of staff struggled to keep up with all the customers. Yet, they were doing their very best, especially with all the dishes they had to serve up, including the usual Banchan consisting of stewed potatoes, seaweed, salad, kimchi and mung bean jelly. As evidenced in the picture, the stuff looked legit and was as such too.  Our first dish was the Japchae that was neatly prepared with a good balance of ingredients including peppers, spinach, mushrooms, onions and beef.  The noodles were chewy and kissed with a nice hit of sesame oil.  We found the flavours to be quite even as well with just the right amount of sweetness.

We then got something we don't usually order at a Korean restaurant being the O Jung Uh Tuigim (Tempura Squid).  It was extremely crunchy, yet not in a heavy way.  The batter was light and none too greasy.  The squid itself was slightly chewy that gave way to mostly tender meat.  Strangely, I really liked this simple dish.  Next up was the Yang Nyum Tong Dak (Spicy Sauce Fried Chicken).  This was pretty saucy which meant the crispy fried chicken softened a bit too much in spots.  However, the flavours were pretty good being spicy, sweet and a bit of tang.  I've had better versions of this dish, yet in the end, this was still decent.

As always, we got an order of the Dolset Bibimbap.  This was served in a searing hot stone bowl (which it should be) which meant that there was a good rice crust even after mixing up all of the ingredients.  I thought the rice had a nice consistency as well as all of the ingredients. In particularly, the shiitake offered up some really good flavour.  However, I would've liked to see a raw egg instead of a fried one.  For our soup, we tried the Tteokguk (Rice Cake Soup). The broth was silky and had a mild richness to it.  I would've liked to see some sesame oil though. The rice cake was soft while maintaining a chew. I liked the strands of flavourful beef in the soup as it added both texture and body.

Lastly, we tried the Yachae Jeon (Veggie Pancake) which was not our favourite.  Sure, it wasn't supposed to be a seafood pancake, but somehow it was a bit too wet and lifeless for our tastes.  However, this was probably the only sub-par dish we had.  Most were prepared carefully and enjoyable to eat.  Sure, it was a little warm in there and the service was hurried and sparse, but we'd go back nonetheless.

The Good:
- Well-prepared eats
- Good Banchan (if that matters to you)

The Bad:
- Pricey for the type of establishment
- Lack of servers

The Templeton

There I was, ready to take the frontal shot of The Templeton.  Camera in hand, I flipped the switch and proceeded to take the picture.  Oh no, I forgot to replace the memory card!  No matter, I went into my bag to get my spare SD card.  The horror...  I had no SD cards.  Now what do I do?  It was too dark to use my phone, so I briefly considered heading over to the nearest Shoppers.  But wait...  Apu had a spare SD card.  Uh...  At that point, I didn't know whether to be super thankful or really weary of someone having a spare SD card in their pocket.

Anyways, these pictures are brought to you by dumb luck thanks to Apu.  So as mentioned, we were at The Templeton which does its very best to emulate the authentic diner experience complete with requisite counter seating and soda fountains.  With that, Milhouse and Gordo decided to try out their Milkshakes including the root beer and Creamsicle.  I tried the Creamsicle which was smooth and very light.  Emilicious had the same one and remarked it was lacking in orange flavour and we concurred.  But then again, it wasn't too sweet either (which is a good thing).  For Gordo's main, he had the Grilled Cheese with tomatoes and red onions. The edges of the bread were crispy and went well with the ooey gooey gruyère cheese.  However, the thick slices of tomato made the rest of the sandwich wet which was not great texturally.

For myself, I had the BBB Burger which consisted of organic beef, bacon, cheese and BBQ sauce.  This was a really large concoction which was hard to put into my mouth.  I found the beef patty to be cooked all the way through and a little dry.  The rest of the ingredients seemed to help matters though.  The bun was of the standard sesame variety.  I would've liked to see something lighter.  As for the side of fresh-cut fries, they were fantastic.  They were fried beautifully crisp and were light and fluffy on the inside.  Apu and Milhouse both had the BLT with 3 slices of toast.  Nothing amiss here with crunchy toasted bread, crispy bacon and fresh produce.  They both had the Spicy Creamy Tomato Soup on the side.  Milhouse thought that it was overly tart and spicy and would've liked to see more balance in the form of sweetness.

Groundskeeper Willy ended up with the Fish & Chips which he really liked.  The large pieces of fish were flaky and moist while the batter was crispy.  He didn't find anything greasy at all. For once, there was enough creamy tartar sauce for the entire dish (some places skimp).  As you can clearly see, there was nothing particularly wild about the food.  It did the job with some highlights.  However, the place is a reminder of yesteryear which makes the food taste better on ambiance and service alone.

The Good:
- Ol' skool diner ambiance
- Friendly service
- Outstanding fries

The Bad:
- Keep your party small
- Interesting walk to the washroom through the kitchen

Dinesty (Richmond)

After a relatively good meal at the new Dinesty on Robson, it inspired me to do a return visit to their original Richmond location.  But I kept putting it off because I'd much rather visit a new restaurant.  Yet I relented when Pebbles didn't want to eat Japanese for the second straight week after softball.  So we headed back to the well with pretty much the same crew as our original visit in 2009.  Naturally, I got cut off almost immediately after entering Richmond off the Oak Street Bridge which served as a part of the "Welcome to Richmond" festivities...

Due to our large party, we had to sit at 2 different tables.  Dark Helmet felt hurt that I shunned him away in favour of sitting with Miss Y and Judes.  Hey!  They're more attractive...  and eat less than him...  Anyways, we started with the Stir-Fried Rice Cake as per Miss Y's suggestion.  Interestingly, some pieces were soft and chewy while others were just plain hard.  The pickled veggies provided crunch and a level of brightness to the dish while the shredded pork was chewy in parts.  On the topic of shredded pork, we had the Shredded Pork with Hoisin Sauce (served with pancake wrappers).  The dish was blessed with good wok heat offering up a rich colour and equally rich flavour being sweet and savoury.  However, the pork was sliced too thick and it was a bit too chewy in spots.  Hence, it was a bit difficult to eat as it fell out of the dry pancake each time.

Arriving fast and furious, we had the Cream of Corn with Chicken Soup.  Huh? Yah really.  Miss Y was at it again with her strange ordering ritual.  Well, the soup turned out to be pretty good with a silk "thick-enough" starchy texture.  There was a good amount of chicken, egg and corn so that it wasn't thin.  However, I didn't know whether I wanted to eat the soup or pour it on top of some fried fish...  Okay, next was the main reason why we were here in the first place - the Xiao Long Bao.  Wait, isn't Dinesty technically a Taiwainese restaurant???  Well yes, but they do offer up good Shanghainese stuff as well.  Now, I put myself out on a limb to declare these the best in town... so are they still?  Honestly, I'm not sure anymore.  The hallmark thin dumpling skin was still there, as well as the moist meat.  However, the soup was a bit meager while the flavour was mostly sweet with little in the way of any other flavours.

As we were running out of space at the table, the Tea Smoked Duck arrived.  Seeing how the one I had at the Robson location rocked, I wanted to see if it was equally good here.  Relatively speaking, it was pretty much that.  The duck was meaty and juicy while the skin was lightly crispy.  I would say the one we had last time was crispier where the fat was more rendered.  There was a light smokiness to the duck as well as a balanced amount of salt.  The accompanying buns were fluffy and light (until they got cold).  The winner of the worst dish of the meal award went to the Noodles with Home-Made Meat Sauce.  The thick noodles were woefully overcooked where they lacked chewiness and were really sticky.  The meat sauce had no impact (possibly with the aid of the soft noodles) where it was bordering on bland.

Now, as I was busy with the food at our table, I get a tap on the shoulder from Pebbles asking if I wanted to try their dishes.  Would I?!?  Duh.  Served in a large glass bowl, the Ancient Boil Chili Fish did its best impression of the Szechuan Chili Fish Hot Pot.  This was about 1/5 of the spice level of the true Szechuan dish with very few chilis and no Szechuan peppercorns.  With that being said, it did taste good with some spice to go along with the moist fish.  Okay, how about a Taiwanese dish at a Taiwanese restaurant?  A novel idea eh?  Sadly, the Simmer Chicken with Basil in 3 Spice Sauce (or better known as 3 Cup Chicken) was actually disappointing.  Despite the rich hue and sizzling sounds from the hot pot, the flavours were one note (or one cup) being predominantly sweet with barely any wine flavour.  The chicken was really moist and juicy, but was bland, even with the sauce.

The last dish that we had at our table was the Taiwanese version of Potstickers (which are narrow and long in shape).  These were good with a crispy browned underside.  The skin was relatively thin and nicely chewy while the filling was moist, tender and with just enough greens.  This was a good finish to a inconsistent meal.  Don't get me wrong, we still enjoyed the food, but it wasn't as good as we had remembered.  It even got me thinking I might need to crown a new XLB champion in town...

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced for the amount and quality of food
- Still good XLBs
- Food comes out fast and hot

The Bad:
- Not as good as I had remembered?
- Food comes out maybe too fast

Cattle Cafe (Edmonds)

This post has been a long time coming.  Why?  Well, I've been to this location of Cattle Cafe like 4 times in the past year and never bothered to blog about it.  Call it a combination of factors such as: I didn't bring my camera, I ordered the same dish and lastly, I've blogged about 2 of their other locations already.  However, much like I've stated before, not all locations of chain restaurants are made equal.  It is unfair to the restaurant and potential customers that I would group all of them into one post.  Hence, I finally decided to blog about it after a visit with the family.

We got a couple of items to start including the XO Daikon Cake ($4.99).  I order this every time because they do a pretty good job of it.  This time was no exception as the cubes of daikon cake were fried up lightly crispy on the outside while still being soft and light on the inside.  There was a decent amount of daikon flavour with medium-sized slivers strewn throughout each piece.  What makes this dish is the balanced spiciness of the XO sauce that the daikon cake is wok-tossed in - spicy, dried shrimpiness and savoury.  Unfortunately, the Fried Squid Tentacles ($4.99) were a bust in my opinion.  They were more doughy than crispy as the batter was not light enough.  Furthermore, each tentacle was very chewy, rather than the desired snap texture.

For my main, I had the Laksa Mini-Hot Pot ($9.99) served with rice and condiments.  I found the broth to have a decent coconut milk essence while exhibiting a medium spice level.  Naturally, it was not a true laksa as it was rather thin and mild, but it was not bad considering the venue.  There was a good amount of ingredients including basa, shrimp, squid, imitation crab, napa cabbage, enoki and king mushroom.  Viv had the Szechuan Beef and it was on the saltier side.  However, it was meant to be eaten with plain rice, so it was okay in that respect.  It was very lightly spicy (which was disappointing to her) and definitely could've used more kick.  As for the beef, it was tenderized a bit too much as it was tender without much meatiness to it.

My parents decided to share the Half Seafood and Pork Chop Baked Rice. As evidenced in the picture, there was no absence of sauce.  The pork chop was sufficiently tender with a smooth (not tangy) and mild sauce.  The cream sauce was more floury than creamy and mild.  We also tried the Imitation Shark's Fin Soup which was "okay".  It was more thick than silky and it was little bland.  I did like the plethora of vermicelli, meat and mushrooms though.  For the kiddies, they shared the Fried Pork Cutlet and Fries.  We found the pork to be rather dry, but it was not chewy.  It was super crispy though and not greasy.  The side of starch-coated fries were light and crunchy. In the end, we were satisfied with our meals, considering the portion size and price.  Nothing particularly amazing, yet it was consistent with other locations of Cattle Cafe.  That is probably the whole point.

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Decent portions
- Lots of choice

The Bad:
- Food is not bad, but not outstanding either
- Service is a bit slow