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Normally, I'm not overly keen in doing multiple visits to the same restaurant, especially when I have sampled enough food to get a sense of the place. However, there are a few places that I really don't mind revisiting over and over again. One of them is EBO and the other is Mosaic. Ever since Chef Thomas Heinrich took over the reigns of the Hyatt Regency, boring hotel food has been taboo. Prior to that, eating at the Hyatt was as painful as watching motorists in Richmond navigate a traffic circle. Recently, Grace and I dined at Mosaic to sample their new Fall menu.
The meal began with the Roasted Chestnut Bisque with apple, mushrooms and spiced brandy cream. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of chestnuts, especially in Chinese cakes. However, this bisque wasn't that heavy, which "won" me over somewhat. The good amount of apple sticks was necessary in providing a touch of zip and crunch which cut through the heaviness. I wasn't able to get much of the brandy in the cream as the entire bisque was very mild. Next up was the Fall Salad with baby carrots, beets, frisee, endive, Tokyo turnips, fennel, squash puree, chive fluid gel and tangerine dressing. This was beautifully plated with appealing colours. Most of the components were crisp and crunchy. Dressed in a light and sweet tangerine vinaigrette, this was a refreshing and appetizing starter. Looking like a strange bloody puck, the Earth Apple Farms Roasted Beets was something out-of-the-box. The beet coloured puck was actually foam. It was ice cold, light and surprisingly refreshing. On the side, there was toasted pumpernickel soil, goat cheese, beets (with stalks) and sprouts with a beet vinaigrette. I found the beets to be firm while exhibiting an Earthy mild sweetness.
Onto some warm starters, we tried the Crispy Brussel Sprouts with Sloping Hill Farms heritage pork belly, quince jelly and 64 degree scotch egg. I really liked the fried brussel sprouts as they were aromatic and crunchy. The pork belly really helped in this regard. The quince jelly was super tart which was necessary to cut through the heaviness of the dish. I wasn't a huge fan of the egg as there was no layer of sausage (like a real scotch egg) to protect the white from becoming rubbery. The exterior was crispy though while the egg yolk was nicely runny. Our last appie was the Butter Poached Alaskan Crab with pickled mushrooms and leek puree. Strangely, the star of the plate was not the crab. Rather, it was the buttery and tart mushrooms which went well with the smooth puree. The crispy leeks provided a crunch as well. As for the crab, it was slightly dry, but benefited from the butter poaching.
Moving onto the mains, we had 2 fish offerings first. Beautifully seared, the Long Line BC Ling Cod was crispy on the outside while flaky and moist inside. It was accompanied by butter poached lobster pomme puree, roasted baby beets and beet jus. Despite being super smooth, buttery and rich, the pomme puree was not showing a whole lot of lobster love. The reduced beet jus was more than a bystander as it livened up the flavours with tartness. Equally moist and flaky, the Skuna Bay Craft Raised Salmon was served with Vialone Nano truffle risotto, Swiss chard and mushroom puree. Although the salmon and chard were executed flawlessly, the risotto was too soft and wet. It was Earthy though while the mushroom puree added an extra-shot.
Nearing the end of the meal, we were presented with a vegetarian dish - Grilled Curried Cauliflower Steak with baby carrots, dates and toasted pine nuts. Grace, having experience many home-cooked Indian meals, was not a huge fan of this. For me, the curry wasn't traditional and didn't show lots of developed flavours, but was not terrible either. Considering the venue, it was acceptable with a low rumble of spice. The cauliflower was firm while cooked all-the-way-through. Our lone red meat dish consisted of the Sous Vide Country Lamb encrusted with spiced walnuts accompanied by broccoli rabe, butternut squash, pumpkin and charred onion lamb jus. Although the lamb was prepared beautifully moist and tender, the walnut crust was wet and mushy. That destroyed what would've been a fantastic dish.
For dessert, I tried the Pumpkin Creme Brulee first. I thought the custard was executed beautifully where it was silky and rich. It wasn't too heavy on the pumpkin while it wasn't super sweet as well. The sugar topping just the right thickness where it was hard and torched evenly. Lastly, we had the Salted Chocolate Pear & White Chocolate Mousse with pears. This was a light and refreshing offering with only the slightest of sweetness. The port gelee on top added a nice bite. Overall, the menu fit the fall theme incorporating root veggies and a certain level of comfort. Not without a few flaws, the creations at Mosaic reflect the direction of Chef Thomas Heinrich.
*Note - this was an invited dinner where all food was comped except for gratuities
The Good:
- A different interpretation of some classics
- Again, not boring hotel food
- Love the play on colours and textures
The Bad:
- As with any large sample of food, there will be some things that don't work
Sometimes, the most excellent eating discoveries are by complete accident. Take Cinco de Mayo Mexican Grill for instance. I would have never visited this small lil' place in North Van if I hadn't got a recommendation from my service adviser at Jim Pattison Toyota (hey that's a free plug... Jimmy doesn't need a free plug does he?). She'd been bugging me to try the place out every time I brought my car in. Finally, I decided to hit up the place for their massive burritos.
I went for their regular sized Barbacoa de Res (shredded beef) Mediana Burrito with a whole wheat tortilla. The first thing that I noticed was the freshness of all of the ingredients including the vibrant guacamole and salsas. After stuffing it full of everything (including beef, corn & peppers, refried and black beans, rice and all the salsas), it looked like a chore just to eat it. With a squeeze of lime and a dash of habanero sauce, the burrito was fresh-tasting and full-flavoured. Suffice to say, I was full after that. I ended up taking an order for someone at the dealership and picked up the Burrito Ahogado. Known as a wet burrito, it was pretty much what I had except for the salsa on the outside and topped with cheese. Pretty big portion once again.
Lastly, I tried 2 of their Tacos including the Pollo en Achiote (chicken) and Carnitas Michoacana (pork). The chicken was a definite surprise as it was quite mild, moist and fragrant. Apparently it was a Mayan recipe using saffron. The pork was pretty good being tender and not dry. Hey what do you know? Real Mexican food in the most unlikeliest of places... Now I want to service my car more often.
The Good:
- Fresh ingredients
- Large portions
- Super friendly owners
The Bad:
- Limited menu (but could be a good too since they do what they do best)
*Restaurant is permanently closed*
While we were dining at Lucky Buffet, Viv noticed that they were related to Hong Kong Dim Sum, a restaurant she had passed by earlier while shopping. Yah, the kids and I were conveniently holed up at the hotel while she did her power shopping at Ross. I despise Ross and its crowds, clothes on the floor and long lineups. It was way more fun clearing jelly and the evil chocolate on Candy Crush while comfortably in bed. Did I just admit that?
So the next morning, we decided to do Dim Sum in Everett. No, it didn't really sound that promising, but hey, we just had Dim Sum 3 times in Florida, so our expectations were quite low. Located in an expansive former buffet hall, the dining space was super spacious, yet strange at the same time with booth seating mixed in with larger tables. We started with the Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet) which were extremely plump with a soft and gelatinous texture. The flavours were mild with a bit of garlic and some spice. Despite the lack of sauce, the Bean Curd Skin Rolls were soft inside and out. The pork filling could've stood for more chew while the wood ear mushrooms lacked crunch.
Onto the most important dishes of the meal, we had the Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumplings) and Sui Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumplings). Unfortunately and not unexpectedly the haw gow was not up to par. Exhibiting a meatiness rather than a snap, the shrimp filling was salty and overcooked. Hence, the dumpling skin was gummy and chewy while being a bit wet on the bottom. On the other hand, the sui mai was better The first thing that came to my mind was that it tasted like a typical sui mai with a meatiness accented by shiitake and seasoning (salt, sugar, white pepper, soy etc...). The texture was a bit soft though lacking the desired bounce and chewiness.
As per usual, we got the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice) for the kiddies. Numbering 2 per steamer, these were fairly large and stuffed full of ground pork filling. In the end, we felt there was probably too much pork and not enough rice. It could've stood for more shiitake mushroom. As for the sticky rice, it was soft and well-seasoned. Normally, my son gets excited when there are Shrimp Spring Rolls on the menu. However, it was a complete let down in this case. The shrimp filling was soft and mushy. Inexplicably, there was a significant amount of slimy cabbage mixed in with the shrimp. To top it all off, the exterior was greasy and not crunchy at all.
Moving on, we had the Steamed Spareribs. These suffered from over-marination where there was either too much baking soda and/or were marinated too long. Therefore, the texture was far too soft. Flavour-wise, we could get a white pepper hit as well as come garlic. For myself, I couldn't help myself and got the Tripe (as no Dim Sum is complete without offal). Although not exactly super soft, the tripe was still easy enough to chew. Some pieces were a little clunky though. It was a touch gamy, but the adequate amount of seasoning (mostly sweet with some garlic) helped mask it.
Another important indicator of good Dim Sum is the rice noodle roll. Thus, we got an order of the BBQ Pork Noodle Roll (since we had already established that the shrimp was no good already). The rice noodle itself was somewhat firm which didn't make or break the dish. It was thin enough that it wasn't too heavy. The BBQ pork was lean, yet the addition of onion was a bit strange as it totally dominated the flavour profile. With the same meat filling, we had the BBQ Pork Pineapple Buns. These were actually pretty good with a soft dough and a slightly sweet filling. The top was sweet and crumbly.
Lastly, we had the Egg Tarts where the shell was flaky yet quite dry. The filling was silky and not too sweet, but had this strange aftertaste. At the very least, with push carts, we were able to eat these last. All-in-all, this was an acceptable Dim Sum service given its location. Naturally, it would be unfair to compare this with Vancouver regardless of its proximity. It does the job for the locals and in a pinch, gives the option of Dim Sum in Everett.
The Good:
- Really spacious
- Acceptable given its location
- Service was okay
The Bad:
- Although we shouldn't compare with Vancouver, it must be noted that the stuff is pretty average
- Large dining space stretches out the staff
Buffets and the United States. They seem to go hand-in-hand. As a result, I fall under the spell and make my way to the nearest one whenever I'm there. Or maybe it is merely the fact I'm out of town and there is no one to catch me being a pig. Yes, that's it. I won't be embarrassed or make excuses for my attraction to mediocre food served in large chaffing trays where people hoard all the good stuff. Wait, then why am I blogging about it? Doh...
So, let me size up the situation. We were staying in Everett for the Labour Day weekend and like a moth to a flame, I was attracted to the nearest buffet - which happened to be Lucky Buffet. Yet another Asian-theme all-you-can-eat, the place was plain massive with a wide range of eats. On a really large sushi boat, there was peel n' eat shrimp, oysters on the half-shell and some salad. Nearby, there was a sushi bar with various rolls and side dishes (including kimchi, seaweed salad, tofu, marinated egg and squid. I found the sushi rolls to be sub par with bland dry gummy rice while the sides were even worse. The kimchi was particularly awful being pale and salty.
After that, there were 6 full hot buffet stations that featured almost everything one could think of. These included crab, fried shrimp, sole, crawfish, scallops, Kiwi mussels, salmon, clams, honey shrimp, Chinese BBQ ribs, fried rice, fried noodle, Chinese dishes, pork hock, fried plantains, soups, Dim Sum, BBQ ribs, pizza, corn, garlic bread, snails, stuffed mushrooms and a bunch of fried items. Yes, if you think this was an eclectic array of eats, I did too. Nothing particularly stood out as good but most things were edible. I didn't think the crab was particularly fresh, but the clams were plump though. For me, most of the food was either too bland or too sweet (mostly the Chinese food).
Thankfully, they had a Mongolian grill section where you could choose your veggies, meats and noodles. It was freshly prepared with choice of sauces. Despite the beef being a bit chewy (and being overdone), the plate of food was piping hot and fresh. Right next door to the grill was as much pop as one could drink. Moreover, there was a choice of 8 different hard ice creams. And it didn't stop there, as there was a whole section dedicated to desserts consisting of fruit, jello, cookies and cake. No, nothing was made in house (well, except for the fruit gelatin) and hence, I really didn't eat any other than the fruit. However, to be fair, the whole point of Lucky Buffet is to fill one up for a relatively reasonable price. That it did and the kids seem to enjoy themselves. I would say the food was pretty average overall, but nothing was exactly inedible either.
The Good:
- Holy selection Batman!
- Spacious
- Food was refilled promptly
The Bad:
- Average eats
- A bit chaotic
- Collection of dirty plates was slow
Having just returned from a 3-week vacation in Florida, my son was tired and not really all that interested in leaving town again. However, with school starting up, he needed new clothes and in particular new shoes. Despite the noticeable holes on the bottom, he flatly refused to head down to the States for some shopping. After some convincing and the threat of leaving him at home (of course we wouldn't do that...), he reluctantly joined us. So off we went down to Seattle (actually Everett) for a one nights stay. Of course we couldn't shop without nutrition, so we stopped by Ivar's at Mukilteo Landing.
We started with the Pacific Northwest Steamer with clams and mussels in a Thai red curry coconut lime broth. Both shellfish were prepared very well where the mussels were plump and buttery. The broth had a definitive kick while bordering on salty (but that was needed to flavour the seafood). We liked the aromatics, yet would've liked to see a bit more lime. For myself, I got a bowl of their Dungeness Crab Bisque made with crab & lobster stock, cream, sherry, corn, tomatoes, sour cream and crab meat. Although rich and creamy, the ample amount of tomato helped add a tang and helped cut through the heaviness. I really liked the fluffy crab meat and the pop of the sweet corn as it added both texture and another layer of flavour.
For my main, I had the Fresh Alaska Halibut and Chips. As much as halibut is expensive, the portion size was a bit small for the price. However, whatever was lost in quantity was made up with quality. The halibut was really fresh and sported a really thin layer of crisp breading. The fish was slightly overdone, but it did not make or break the dish. I really enjoyed the tartar sauce as it was creamy and flavourful from the bits of onion and tart pickles. Although the fries were crisp and not greasy, I found them slightly generic. Viv went for the half Classic Mulkiteo Crab & Shrimp Melt with a cup of Ivar's Famous Clam Chowder. The hollowed out open-faced sandwich was topped with dungeness crab, snow crab, Oregon bay shrimp and Tillamook cheddar. It was a pretty heavy concotion which could've benefited from a bit more seafood. As for the soup, it was typical Ivar's being creamy and full of ingredients exhibiting a taste of the sea. There was considerable sweetness from the onions and smokiness from the bacon. As usual, my son had the Grilled Cheese... Pffft...
My daughter stayed with the seafood theme (I know she's my kid for sure) and had the kid's Grilled Coho Salmon with Yukon gold mash potatoes and green beans. Despite being a nice piece of salmon, it was overcooked and dry. It did taste good though being properly seasoned. The beans were vibrant and crunchy while the mash was very potatoey rather than creamy. In addition to the great service, we enjoyed the ambiance and great view of the waterfront location. Food was okay (with the exception of the overcooked fish), yet the prices were on the higher side.
The Good:
- Exceptional service
- Great ambiance and view
The Bad:
- Fish a bit overcooked
- Slightly pricey
Just a quick note that B. Wong won the draw! Please email me at admin@shermansfoodadventures.com. Congrats!
It goes without saying I love to eat. Yet there was a time when I had a ferocious appetite. Yes, even more so than now... In my teens, I could down 4 Big Macs easily or even a whole Church's 10 piece. When it came to Asian food, I remember dusting off a plate of rice, noodle and a whole dinner combo at The Boss to the shock of my parents and their poor pocketbook... Gosh, thankfully my kids don't eat that much yet... So to do a bit of reminiscing. JuJu and Kaiser Soze joined my for a visit to The Boss after our last Sunday hockey of the year.
In an attempt to relive my youth, I decided to tackle a lunch combo and another dish. I started off with a bowl of "Borscht" and a roll (I chose a mini-pineapple bun). The use of "borscht" is a loose association when dining at a Hong Kong-style cafe. Don't expect beets nor sour cream, instead think vegetable soup. And that it was being hearty with lots of veggies and a very mild tomato broth. For my main, I had a choice between 2 items and I ultimately went for the Baked Seafood Rice because my Chineseness prescribed that I pick the best value item. On that note, why did I park in front and use pay parking when I could've gotten free parking from the parkade? Did I lose my mind? I digress... Anyways, the fried rice base was topped with plenty of well- prepared seafood including fish, shrimp, scallops and squid. Being more goopy then creamy, the starch-thickened sauce was mild and did the job in providing moisture.
My second dish was the Fried Vermicelli with Duck and Pickled Vegetable. Interestingly, the plate of food was noticeably bigger in portion compared to the Metrotown location. It exhibited good wok heat where there was caramelization of flavours. There was an adequate amount of duck meat, but it was a bit light on the pickled veg and soy. Hence, the flavours were too mild bordering on bland. Not to be outdone, JuJu had 2 dishes as well starting with the Fried Satay Rice Noodle with Beef. A little on the greasy side, the plate of noodles was also a good portion consisting of tender beef and just cooked peppers. The flavours were good with the sweetness of pineapple and the slight spice from the thick sauce. However, we detected a bit of curry which may or may not have been intentional. Don't get me wrong, we liked the taste, but we were just not sure it was a mistake (leftover flavours from the previous dish in the wok, or it was supposed to have curry in it).
Ironically, his second dish was Chicken Curry with Rice. The dark hue of the sauce gave intentions of spiciness and bold flavours. Alas, it was actually quite mild with a certain level of sweetness. It had a good consistency and an appealing taste. The chunks of chicken were surprisingly moist while the fried potatoes did they job. Kaiser Soze ended up with the Baked Ox-Tongue on Rice. He offered some of his tongue and I bit. Uh. It was moist with a bit of chew and was bathed in a tomato sauce which exhibited more tomato paste than ketchup. Therefore, it wasn't as sweet with more of a tang. Remarkably, The Boss has not changed much from years past. The menu items are all still there and tasting very much like they did before.
The Good:
- Decent portions
- Decent eats across the board
- Food comes out quick
The Bad:
- Service is pretty basic
- Can be quite busy
Posts
Normally, I'm not overly keen in doing multiple visits to the same restaurant, especially when I have sampled enough food to get a sense of the place. However, there are a few places that I really don't mind revisiting over and over again. One of them is EBO and the other is Mosaic. Ever since Chef Thomas Heinrich took over the reigns of the Hyatt Regency, boring hotel food has been taboo. Prior to that, eating at the Hyatt was as painful as watching motorists in Richmond navigate a traffic circle. Recently, Grace and I dined at Mosaic to sample their new Fall menu.
The meal began with the Roasted Chestnut Bisque with apple, mushrooms and spiced brandy cream. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of chestnuts, especially in Chinese cakes. However, this bisque wasn't that heavy, which "won" me over somewhat. The good amount of apple sticks was necessary in providing a touch of zip and crunch which cut through the heaviness. I wasn't able to get much of the brandy in the cream as the entire bisque was very mild. Next up was the Fall Salad with baby carrots, beets, frisee, endive, Tokyo turnips, fennel, squash puree, chive fluid gel and tangerine dressing. This was beautifully plated with appealing colours. Most of the components were crisp and crunchy. Dressed in a light and sweet tangerine vinaigrette, this was a refreshing and appetizing starter. Looking like a strange bloody puck, the Earth Apple Farms Roasted Beets was something out-of-the-box. The beet coloured puck was actually foam. It was ice cold, light and surprisingly refreshing. On the side, there was toasted pumpernickel soil, goat cheese, beets (with stalks) and sprouts with a beet vinaigrette. I found the beets to be firm while exhibiting an Earthy mild sweetness.
Onto some warm starters, we tried the Crispy Brussel Sprouts with Sloping Hill Farms heritage pork belly, quince jelly and 64 degree scotch egg. I really liked the fried brussel sprouts as they were aromatic and crunchy. The pork belly really helped in this regard. The quince jelly was super tart which was necessary to cut through the heaviness of the dish. I wasn't a huge fan of the egg as there was no layer of sausage (like a real scotch egg) to protect the white from becoming rubbery. The exterior was crispy though while the egg yolk was nicely runny. Our last appie was the Butter Poached Alaskan Crab with pickled mushrooms and leek puree. Strangely, the star of the plate was not the crab. Rather, it was the buttery and tart mushrooms which went well with the smooth puree. The crispy leeks provided a crunch as well. As for the crab, it was slightly dry, but benefited from the butter poaching.
Moving onto the mains, we had 2 fish offerings first. Beautifully seared, the Long Line BC Ling Cod was crispy on the outside while flaky and moist inside. It was accompanied by butter poached lobster pomme puree, roasted baby beets and beet jus. Despite being super smooth, buttery and rich, the pomme puree was not showing a whole lot of lobster love. The reduced beet jus was more than a bystander as it livened up the flavours with tartness. Equally moist and flaky, the Skuna Bay Craft Raised Salmon was served with Vialone Nano truffle risotto, Swiss chard and mushroom puree. Although the salmon and chard were executed flawlessly, the risotto was too soft and wet. It was Earthy though while the mushroom puree added an extra-shot.
Nearing the end of the meal, we were presented with a vegetarian dish - Grilled Curried Cauliflower Steak with baby carrots, dates and toasted pine nuts. Grace, having experience many home-cooked Indian meals, was not a huge fan of this. For me, the curry wasn't traditional and didn't show lots of developed flavours, but was not terrible either. Considering the venue, it was acceptable with a low rumble of spice. The cauliflower was firm while cooked all-the-way-through. Our lone red meat dish consisted of the Sous Vide Country Lamb encrusted with spiced walnuts accompanied by broccoli rabe, butternut squash, pumpkin and charred onion lamb jus. Although the lamb was prepared beautifully moist and tender, the walnut crust was wet and mushy. That destroyed what would've been a fantastic dish.
For dessert, I tried the Pumpkin Creme Brulee first. I thought the custard was executed beautifully where it was silky and rich. It wasn't too heavy on the pumpkin while it wasn't super sweet as well. The sugar topping just the right thickness where it was hard and torched evenly. Lastly, we had the Salted Chocolate Pear & White Chocolate Mousse with pears. This was a light and refreshing offering with only the slightest of sweetness. The port gelee on top added a nice bite. Overall, the menu fit the fall theme incorporating root veggies and a certain level of comfort. Not without a few flaws, the creations at Mosaic reflect the direction of Chef Thomas Heinrich.
