Pho Don

Generally, when it's late (like past 1:00am), there are only a few places that are open outside of Downtown except Denny's and Knight & Day). However, near the corner of Hastings and Renfrew, there has always been an option for early morning eats.  Through its many iterations, we've seem to use it as a last resort.  Gone is Gourmet Castle and enter another Vietnamese joint called Pho Don.  This was our eating destination after Friday hockey.

As usual, I ended up sharing some items with various people at the table (which is a great strategy to sample more food!).  I tried the Salad Roll first and it was well- constructed being tightly wrapped but not overly so.  The shrimp had a nice meatiness while the vermicelli still had a chew.  I liked the dipping sauce as it was a good balance between peanut and hoisin.  As much as the Spring Roll was made with a wheat wrapper instead of rice, it was good though. It was hot, crunchy and not too greasy.  The filling was a little loose, but was nicely seasoned.  I also shared the Chicken Banh Mi and that was a bad decision.  The bread itself was okay being crunchy and only slightly dense, but the chicken was very strange.  It was sliced up, and wok-tossed with onions and a goopy sweet sauce that made the whole sandwich wet.  Furthermore, the carrots and daikon were not pickled enough (or not at all), hence, there was no acidity.

Doing my best impression of a pinch eater, I shared some of the BBQ Chicken Wings with Gordo because Emilicious couldn't eat anymore. These saucy wings were mostly moist and meaty.  The sauce itself was rather sweet with not much impact.  The chicken skin was decently rendered from the deep fry. For my main, I had the Bun Bo Hue that included 2 pieces of pig's feet (too bad there was no pork blood though).  I found the soup base to be mildly spicy with a nice aromatics, in particularly dried shrimp.  There was plenty of ingredients including tender brisket and flank.  This was a decent version in my opinion.  Emilicious ended up with the Pho and the broth was on the lighter side.  It was far from salty where it exhibited a mild sweetness from the daikon.  Meats were similar to my bowl of noodles where they were tender.

Gadget Girl and Polka King (gasp, he exists!) both had the Lemongrass Chicken with rice and spring roll.  The skinless piece of chicken was sufficiently tender with a modest amount of seasoning.  Gadget Girl was a bit indifferent with it, but in the end she thought it was decent.  And really, most of the stuff was alright, especially considering it was late night.  Staff were friendly too which is a definite plus.

The Good:
- Open late
- Nice staff
- Clean and renovated

The Bad:
- Decent, but nothing to set it apart
- Parking lot has the narrowest spots ever

Tasting Plates West 4th Edition

Walking food tours and Vancouver fall weather go together like sugarless gummy bears and bowels - a painful experience.  Curse those gummy bears!  However, for my invite to Vanfoodster's Tasting Plates West 4th Edition, the skies couldn't have been any bluer.  With a stroke of good luck, the weather cleared up despite a week of wet and coldness.  I met up with Miss Y, Grace, Alvin, Sean, Adrian & Jeremy, Amy and Diane for a whole lot of food along 4th Ave. which didn't included sugarless gummy bears...

We hightailed it to The BiBo as our first stop because they were doing a pizza making demonstration featuring their wood burning oven.  We were served 2 different pizzas including the Margherita and Ortolana.  The margherita, being the standard was simply tomato sauce, mozzarella and fresh basil.  Unlike the last time I was here, the crust was appreciably less wet and exhibited a nice chewiness.  The ortolana consisted of eggplant, zucchini and red pepper.  Naturally, it exhibited more moisture due to the ingredients. As a bonus, we had their Baked Pizza Bread with tomato sauce and fresh basil.  These were pillowy soft with just the right amount of tart sauce and Parm.
 
Heading up the block, we visited Romer's Burger Bar next. Admittedly, I was a bit apprehensive after my recent meal at the Kerr Street location.  Fortunately, the brioche bun used for both burgers was a bit more moist. I gave the Magic Mushroom with Angus beef, portobello, caramelized onions, Boursin and wild baby arugula a go first.  I've had this burger before and it was more or less the same.  The meat was neither moist nor dry while the mushrooms were plentiful and sauteed nicely.  Next up was the So-Cal Free Range Turkey with avocado, Soleggiatti tomatoes, red onion, organic watercress and chipotle aioli.  Naturally, the patty wasn't the juiciest, but it wasn't too dry either.  I liked the spicy kick of the aioli.

We ditched Alvin (he was still waiting for his food) and made our way to our next destination which was Las Margaritas. Gosh, I hadn't been there in ages due to a mediocre experience.  It started off nicely with the Tortilla Chips.  They were light and crispy, however, the overprocessed salsa was not my cup of tea.  We were served 3 items including the Cochinita Pibil Tostada, Chicken Taquito and Scallop Ceviche. (clockwise from the bottom right).  I liked the tostada but there was a bit too much lettuce for my tastes.  Despite that, it was crunchy and the roasted pork had an almost smoky quality to it while the pickled onions added the necessary acidity. The taquito was crisp and the addition of fresh guacamole was a welcomed buttery moisture (is that a legit description?  LOL).  With a nice buttery texture, the scallop ceviche was a little light on the acidity, but it did have a nice spice level.

Walking across the street, we went to Doner Kebab.  Presented on a lovely Royal Chinet plate, there was a selection of eats including Pita Bread, Tabouleh, Hummus and Falafel. Not that it is uncommon, but I would've liked my pita bread warmed up as it was cold and stiff.  That was partially alleviated by the smooth hummus.  I would've liked a bit more garlic and lemon though.  The falafel was fantastic as it was crunchy, hot and moist inside.  Miss Y wanted a palate cleanser, so we went to O5 Rare Tea Bar next. We were treated to Jamaican Candied Hibiscus Flower, Ghorka Kombucha Tea and a Premium Fresh Ground Matcha Shot.  Interesting in texture, the chewy flower was quite sweet.  With 3 choices of kombucha, I liked the Golden Curls the most as it had a pronounce fizz.  Matching its dark green hue, the matcha shot was rich and smooth.

Sauntering over to Jacksons Meats and Deli next door, we were presented with a really large Finnochio Sausage.  No, it didn't grow like Pinnochio's nose (er...), but it was meaty and licoricey from all the fennel.  I would've liked it grilled, however, I'm sure they prepared it this way due to the event.  It didn't stop there though.  We had 2 more samples including the Split Pea & Jackson's Irish Ham Soup and Braised Short Ribs.  I thought the soup was quite good with a understated richness.  It was smooth and mild where the ham added the necessary saltiness.  My favourite had to be the short ribs as it was fatty and soft.  The slow cooked meat was soaked in a impactful braising liquid which had depth and enough seasoning.

Waddling over to our last 2 stops, we ended up at Culprit Coffee Co first. Along with my Espresso Macchiato, there was a plate of gluten-free goodies including baguette with house-made Raspberry Chia Jam, White Chocolate and Honey Pecan Brittle Cookie with Maldon Sea Salt and a Chocolate Raspberry Financier.  Loved the jam, hated the baguette as it was "wet" textured.  The cookie was fantastic being crunchy and sweet with just the right amount of salt.  The financier was no slouch either as it was fairly moist and only semi-sweet.  Our last stop was the Guanaco Food Truck.  From their selection, I had the Chorizo Pupusa with Fried Cassava.  I really liked the cassava as it was super-fried, which was a good thing as it was crunchy.  The pupusa was not bad being soft and full of meat.  At this point, I was in a food coma, much like all the other Tasting Plates I've been to.  Sure, there were some things that were better than others, yet for the early bird price of $28.00 or $30.00 for 6 pack, it's a good value.

*All food and beverages were comped, but not gratuities*

The Good:
- If you get either the early bird or group pricing, it's a good value
- Lots of different things to try
- Good social event

The Bad:
- Weather dependent
- Some spots can be really packed or cannot handle the volume of customers
- If you do not buy the discounted tickets, well naturally it decreases the value.

Surrey Food Bank

Having a food blog where I chronicle my daily eating adventures is an example of how lucky I am as an individual.  Unlike some of the less fortunate, I don't worry about my next meal or whether I have a place to sleep at night.  Instead, I eat some of the best food that Vancouver has to offer.  This post has been a long time coming because volunteering at the Surrey Food Bank has been an annual event for myself.  I truly believe we must remember the ones that aren't as lucky.  These people are just like you and me.  They hold down a job, have a family and are contributing members of society.  However, with the high cost of living in Greater Vancouver, there are times when a bit of support is needed.  In fact, many people are only a pay cheque or two away from needing assistance.

Being a non-profit, charitable organization, the Surrey Food Bank relies on donations of money and food to operate.  With no government funding, it can be quite challenging at times when demand is high.  Hence, we can all help by donating food, money and our time.  But food is only one component as there is a need for toiletries and most importantly diapers and baby formula.  Since there are no actual corporate donations for formula, the food bank must purchase a stockpile to service their clients. Again, as mentioned above, the clients of the Surrey Food Bank are regular folk who must provide proof of address (Surrey not including South Surrey/White Rock but with depots in Delta, Newton and Cloverdale) and proof of low-income.  With all the expenses such as rent, phone, transportation and clothing, there is generally not a whole lot left for food.

So what can you do to help out?  Simple, you can volunteer at the Surrey Food Bank, donate directly, do food/fund drives or third-party events.  Even the smallest donation can make a difference.  As we go about our busy lives, it is easy to forget those who are less fortunate than us.  I hope all of us can take a minute, remember how lucky we are and possibly do something to make a difference.

Dempster's DIY Sandwich Contest

Ah yes, the sad ol' sandwich.  I remember you.  Back in my Elementary years, I would be so hungry just before lunch hour to only take a look in my bag and see a...  ham and cheese sandwich.  How boring and ultimately not very tasty.  Dempster's intends to change that with the DIY Sandwich Contest.  For me, I'm putting in an entry that combines some of my favourite ingredients between 2 slices of bread.

If you don't know what the heck I'm talking about, check out this link on Youtube for a lesson on sandwich building. Or better yet, get some inspiration from Instagram or take a look on Twitter.  For myself, I wanted to an Asian take on the plain ol' sandwich.  I pickled some sliced cucumbers with vinegar and sugar, shredded some iceberg lettuce and made some srirracha sesame oil mayo with a side of hoisin sauce.  I sliced up some BBQ duck breast and roast pork (removed the crackling and chopped it up).  Put it altogether on Dempster's Signature Homestyle Sesame white bread.

Oh yeah, the fattiness of the pork and duck with the crunchiness of the cracklings were accented nicely by the acidity and sweetness from the cucumbers.  Add a bit of aromatics and spiciness from the mayo and the added sweetness from the hoisin, we had a tasty sandwich.  Not sure if it will win, but I ate the whole thing.  Why don't you try to make your own epic sandwich?

chowmenow.com - Feast for $5 on West 4th

To be honest, I wasn't really familiar with chowmenow.  Did it have anything to do with food or was it a questionable website?  Well, with an invite to attend their Feast for $5 on West 4th sitting in my mailbox, I took the plunge to finally check it out.  Interesting concept really if you think of it - looking for the best eats for $5 in Vancouver.  Somewhat challenging, yet doable in their books as evidenced by their extensive list of West 4th establishments each offering up $5 items.

With that, we set out to sample 4 of them and their wares on a food tour of West 4th.  We began our journey at Gypsy Rose for some crepes. With an awning that seemingly suggests years gone by, the place was quaint and bustling with activity from the brunch crowd.  We ended up sitting outside where we were served a few samples of 3 different crepes including Cinnamon Sugar, Nutella (not pictured) and Ham & Cheese.  I found the crepes to be sufficiently thin and light with a slight resistance.  Not particularly sweet, the cinnamon sugar was good while the Nutella tasted well, like Nutella.  The ham & cheese was more substantial with plenty of cheese.  

Next up was Tractor Foods where we were treated to a refreshing Lemonade to go with our 6 salads.  Starting from top left and clockwise, there was the Arugula with grilled pears, candied walnuts, blue cheese and lemon champagne vinaigrette; Roasted Red and Yellow Beets with green beans, pistachios, goat’s milk feta and walnut vinaigrette; Grilled Asparagus with broccoli, butternut squash, pecans, ricotta cheese and champagne vinaigrette and Kale with granny smith apples, julienned radicchio and white balsamic vinaigrette.  My favourite of these 4 was the kale salad.  There was a fresh crunch (while not chewy) from the kale where there was the right amount of acidity from the vinaigrette.  Although the beet salad is supposed to be one of their more popular salads, I much preferred the kale.  To me, the beet salad was like most other beet salads.

The next 2 salads were the Organic Quinoa with portobello mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, golden raisins, goat cheese, parsley, cilantro and white balsamic honey dressing; and the Organic Red Quinoa with arugula, dried apricots, pistachios and citrus vinaigrette.  In addition to the salads, we received 2 sample plates of sandwiches including Ham with European ham, emmental cheese, kale slaw, house made mustard on herb focaccia bread; Veggie with kale, roasted crescendo peppers, grilled zucchini, tomatoes, asiago cheese and pesto aioli; and Chicken with Rossdown Farms free run organic chicken breast, tomato, fennel, basil, provolone on cranberry bread.  I thought the sammies were solid with plenty of fresh ingredients. Lastly, we had the Double Chocolate and pistachio gluten-free cookies.  Other than being a bit more crunchy, I wouldn't have known these were gluten-free.

Heading over to the Noodle Box, we were served only one dish being the Spring Rolls.  Either this was the only $5.00 item on the menu or they knew we had a lot of food at Tractor already...  Anyways, these were crunchy and hot with a loose, yet moist meat filling.  Loved the dip as it was spicy and easy on the sugar.  Onto our last stop, we headed upstairs to Pepitas where we were started off with some tortilla chips and salsa.  The chips were light and crispy while the salsa was fresh with only a mild spice.  That served as a precursor to the larger Nachos with chicken, black beans and melted Jack cheese accompanied by guacamole, fresh cut salsa and sour cream.  Despite the large amount of toppings, the chips underneath retained their crunch.  I liked how there was plenty of melted cheese that did not produce a substantial amount of grease.

Now the nachos were a bonus of sorts because it was more than $5.00.  The same could be said about the Gambas al Ajillo (Prawns in sizzling garlic butter and served with bread) as it was $9.95.  They were good though with a nice meaty snap accented by a flavourful garlic butter.  Our last item was indeed under $5.00 being the
Papas Bravas (Fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce).  These reminded me of the ones at La Bodega (which is more Spanish Tapas).  They were fork tender while exhibiting a slight chewy exterior from the frying and subsequent toss in the mildly spicy tomato sauce.  In the end, I was not really sure the food tour was exactly representational of chowmenow and their $5.00 items, but it did give a taste.  Now, given the monetary restriction of $5.00, not everything can be a main dish nor that large.  However, it is nice to see there are cheaper options out there in a city full of expensive eats.

*All food and beverages were comped*

Blog Turns 5!

Honestly, I can't believe it.  Really!  5 years! (I originally posted 6 years...  see how tired I am...  that's my daughter's age! Thanks Steve B!)  What started out as nothing more than a little hobby taking pictures with my Blackberry (yes, I did have one), we now have a blog that has grown organically into an obsession.  I still do it in addition to my day job and I really don't make much money from the advertisements.  Hence, it was and will always be a personal blog about what I eat.  Once again, I'm not sure how long this will go, but I'll do it as long as I still enjoy it.  Thanks again for all my friends and family who have supported and eaten with me.  Also, I can't thank enough all the people who read my blog and leave thoughtful comments.  So once again, I'll have a draw for a $50.00 gift certificate.  If you want to enter, just leave a comment with your first initial and last name.  I will draw a winner in a week's time.

O Grill Yakiniku

With a name like ChineseBites, you'd think all of our meals would be of the Chinese variety.  True, many have been, but there was an exception.  Now make that 2 exceptions as we made our way to O Grill Yakiniku.  Honestly, I wasn't even sure how to categorize the place as the menu featured items that were Korean, Japanese and Chinese.  Whatever the case, most of the stuff would be grilled anyways, so I concluded it to be a catch-all Asian BBQ.

There I met up with the regulars including Alvin, Grace, Amy, Diana and Janice. The first thing I noticed about the place was the temperature.  It was freakin' colder than one of Viv's stares when I insult her mother.  We understood that the restaurant could get pretty warm due to the BBQs, but really, we were never warm ever during our meal.  At the very least, it was somewhat alleviated by the pot of Chicken Soup at our disposal.  It was hot, natural-tasting and not sodium-ladened.   We got a few appies to start including the Chicken Nuggets, Fried Squid Tentacles, Sweet Potato Flour Balls and Mushrooms.  I found the nuggets to be crunchy, firm and seasoned with wok salt.  The squid was a bit chewy with only a mild amount of salt.  The exterior was crunchy with a touch of grease. The sweet potato balls were glutinous and sweet with a light crunch.  The mushrooms were buttery and really not all that interesting. Before starting up the BBQ, we were presented with the Ground Pork on Rice which featured a few slices of oshinko.  Told you the food here was "Asian".  The rice was nicely textured being chewy and slightly glutinous.  The meat was somewhat moist, but otherwise pretty bland.

After firing up the BBQ (which too a few attempts), we were served the Premium Short Ribs sliced super thin.  This way, it cooked really quickly.  With Alvin doing the grilling (the rare times he cooks), it turned out really well being moist and flavourful from the fat. Next up was a selection including Corn, Beef Finger (meat between the ribs), Beef Toro and Pork Belly.  The beef finger was pretty good being tender and meaty.  It had a pronounced beef flavour as well.  Curiously, the beef toro was tough and chewy despite being only lightly kissed on the grill.  On the other hand, the belly was fatty and moist.  Our second round of items included Rib Steak, Pork Jowl, Beef Tongue, Spicy Chicken & Basil Chicken.  The small nuggets of rib steak were not bad being well-marbled.  As per usual, the pork cheek was bouncy in texture with enough fat to provide flavour once grilled.  The beef tongue was sliced a bit thin and cooked up quickly.  Since there were raw and were not pre-cooked, they ended up to be a bit chewy with lots of meat resistance.  The duo of chicken was pretty good where the spicy version was tender and mild.  The basil chicken was unmistakable with a big herbal hit.

We also got a few Prawns and they were more or less standard rinsed frozen prawns.  They did have a nice meaty snap though.  Surprisingly, we were treated to 4 different types of dessert including a Custard with Strawberry Sauce, a Coconut Ice Cream, Almond Pudding and Mochi.  The custard was somewhat like a softer panna cotta.  The ice cream was ice cream, but give them kudos for dressing it up.  Although it looked like creme caramel, the flower shaped pudding was almond.  The only dessert worth talking about was the mochi.  It was fantastic after being grilled and dipped into the condensed milk - slightly crisp on the outside and ooey gooey on the inside.  As a whole, I was mostly indifferent.  Not that anything was particularly bad, but nothing really stood out either.  It was okay and in the words of Forrest Gump, "that's all I have to say about that...".

*All food and beverages were comped*

The Good:
- Diversity
- Meats were mostly okay
- Well-ventilated (albeit cold)

The Bad:
- It was cold
- Okay experience, but not overly impressive either
- Too many cuisines in one place?