Longtail Kitchen

Good affordable Thai food.  Sounds somewhat like an oxymoron eh?  Sometimes, we have inexpensive Thai food, yet it may not be actually that great.  Then we have good Thai food (authentic and somewhat authentic) that features miniscule portions for a pretty penny.  When Whipping Girl exclaimed we could get great Thai food for a reasonable price, it got me interested.  Normally, I generally ignore what she says...

She had recently visited Longtail Kitchen in New West and was chomping at the bit to get me to try it.  So much so, she drove and paid!  What a great deal for me!  Apparently associated with Maenam, but with a more reasonable price tag, I was looking forward to it. We started with the Chicken Satay first and it was pretty average.  The chicken exhibited a minimal amount of grilled appearance and flavour.  The meat was tender enough, especially for white meat, but was not that "hot" in temperature.  The peanut sauce on top was mildly sweet and only a bit nutty.  Next, the Fried Oysters were lightly fried with a slightly crispy exterior.  The oysters themselves were sweet and juicy.  What made the dish was the sweet and slightly spicy dip.

The best appie had to be the Fried Chicken Wings which reminded me of Phnom Penh in terms of texture.  They were airy crisp with hot juicy flesh on the inside.  The flavours were really apparent with a nice wok-toss with salt, pepper, fried onion and garlic.  Completing the flavours was the dipping sauce which was a nice balance of spice, tartness and sweetness. Unlike most of the Pad Thai dishes found in the GVRD, this one was bursting with tarmarind flavour.  So much so, it was super tart which suited us just fine. In addition to the tamarind, there was a slow rumble of spice.  The noodles were still chewy while there was just enough "sauce" to flavour the noodles without drowning them.  We weren't fond of the prawns though as they were overcooked and chewy.  

Lastly, we shared the Fresh Turmeric Curry of Ling Cod and Mussels.  We got a couple bowls of rice because the sauce couldn't be wasted.  It was creamy and aromatic from the coconut milk, lemongrass and galangal.  Again, there was a slow rumble from the spice that lingered.  The ling cod was a bit broken, yet was still moist.  As for the mussels, they were fat and plump.  Not bad, not bad at all.  Decent Thai Food for a reasonable price.  I'll be back.

The Good:
- Although not super spicy, the flavours were not weak
- Above average eats
- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:
- Reasonably-priced, but the portions are still small
- Not the most comfortable place to sit and linger

Fresgo Inn

The Fresgo Inn.  Ah, it brings back such good memories.  Greasy diner food served in large enough portions to make one forget they were pretty much plastered.  Yes, that was one of the late night options for the Downtown party crowd on Davie Street.  Sadly, that location closed awhile ago, leaving the Surrey spot the only place to get such eats.  I guess only inebriated Surrey party goers can experience such gut-busting delicacies now.

For me, I party like it's 1999.  As in I haven't partied much since 1999.  Hence, it was a lunch visit to Fresgo Inn this time around.  And much like last time, the Red Clam Chowder was pretty strange.  It was obviously thickened by a roux, but the whole thing separated in the chaffing tray.  Hence, there were little clumps of thickened broth within watery soup. On the positive side, there were lots of tender baby clams and veggies.  Flavourwise, it was pretty mild with just a bit of clam juice. One of their best deals is the Burger Special and Yodeling Girl had issues finishing it.  With 2 large beef patties, bacon, cheese and all the fixins', the burger was plain massive.  Although nothing outstanding, it was better than the average burger.  The fresh cut fries were a treat though being lightly crisp.

Consisting of 2 slices and 2 uniformly shaped scoops of mashed potatoes (interesting plating...), the Meatloaf was a substantial portion.  Although it was smothered in thick gravy, the entire dish was actually quite mild.  The gravy itself was less flavourful than it appeared as it provided moisture more than taste.  Soft and only slightly meaty, the meatloaf was moist.  I found the mash potatoes a bit too firm though.  Mrs. Spray Bottle ended up with the Clubhouse.  Yes, it was enormous too.  Stuffed with real turkey, crispy bacon and fresh fixin's this was a solid clubhouse.  Paired with the same house cut fries, there was not much complaining about the price due to the portion size.

On another visit, I decided to try their Spaghetti & Meatballs.  For under $10.00, I wasn't expecting much.  In reality, the plate of pasta was pretty mediocre since it was far from al dente and the sauce was pretty bland.  But dang, that was a big plate of food and the meatballs...  they were impressively monstrous. I found them decently soft, yet a bit bland.  Honestly, I really shouldn't do much complaining considering most items are $10.00 or less.  The portions are so massive, the BC Lions eat here after practice.  Enough said.

The Good:
- Massive portions for the price
- Not great food, but more than edible
- Lots of choice

The Bad:
- Hey, it's cafeteria food, won't impress some food snobs
- Place in need of a renovation

Westcoast Christmas Show & Marketplace

I've never been shy about traveling for food and things related to food despite the fact I have plenty to eat at home... (Rob Ford anyone?  What?).  Anyways, I was recently invited to check out the West Coast Christmas Show & Marketplace at the Abbotsford Tradex.  Abbotsford???  You spent how much gas and time for some measly free tickets?  Yes, I admit I gotta stop doing that, but hey, I wanted to check it out anyways so it was no harm, no foul.  Hence, on Friday, we bundled the kids up into the SUV and made the drive out.

The best way to describe the market would be a hybrid between EAT! and the PNE Showmart.  Therefore, you have the usual vendors selling knick knacks mixed in with food, a Christmas choir, cheese seminars and shows (featuring Anna Olson).  Nestled within the many craft and trinket stalls, I was able to spot some favourites including Kitchening & Co. featuring macarons made by Carly Wintschel.  Nearby, I was surprised to find La Chocolaterie with their fresh chocolates.  Normally, one would find them in the Izumiya Market in Richmond. 

Another familiar vendor was The Candy Meister, which I got to first sample at the YVRBloggers Hootup a month ago.  And yes, the candy tastes as good as it looks with appealing fruit flavours and not being overly reliant on just sweetness.  Nice people too.  I suggest you check them out.  Also, I found this interesting Brazilian-style cheese puffs called Pao de Queijo from Otimo.  I found them similar to cheese buns except more firm and flavourful.  I particularly liked the jalapeno version as there as a nice spicy kick.

At this point, my son was getting a bit antsy, but that was all relieved when we spotted the make n' take model building sponsored by One Stop Hobbies.  He decided on the Corvette Stingray (good choice) and we spent a good amount of time doing that. All-in-all, the West Coast Christmas Show was pretty much what we expected.  I think if one (who lived somewhat nearby) was into shopping and wanted to pick up some Christmas crafts and decorations, it would be worth the $6.00 admission fee.  However, for me at least, it would be a tough sell for anyone far way to make the trek out to Abbotsford.

The Good:
- Free parking
- Cheap admission (kids free)
- Something to do

The Bad:
- Not worth the drive if you are far away
- Could use more headliners and/or events

Pho Ha Long

For such a small place, Port Moody has an impressive diversity of eats.  These include Cake-Ya, Rehanah's Roti and Aroma.  Finally, we see the first Vietnamese joint open up in the former location of Flame Stone Grill. With little in the way of competition, it was probably an obvious addition to the culinary scene in PoMo.  Big D and I decided to check it out for lunch one day and surprisingly only ate 3 dishes (Big D can eat 3 by himself...).

As my bowl of Big D's Pho Bo Vien hit the table, we instantly knew it wasn't going to be enough food.  Predominantly comprised of broth with very little noodle and just enough meatballs, this was not really worth the money.  The broth itself was quite light with only the slightest meat flavour and a touch of sweetness.  The noodles were a bit soft while the meatballs were well Vietnamese meatballs. I ended up with the Bun Bo Hue and it was also a meager portion.  Hidden beneath the limited amount of meat was literally a handful of noodles.  Fortunately, the broth was decent though with a lemongrass hit and plenty of shrimp paste.  But again, this was a Bun Bo Hue in name only as there were many meats missing.

With sliced pieces as thin as can be, the Lemongrass Chicken was a bit strange.  As expected, the thin meat was dry and lifeless, but it had a light char though.  There was a modest amount of flavour where it was slightly sweet. The accompanying Salad Roll was a bit too simple for our tastes consisting of only iceberg lettuce and shrimp.  The Spring Roll was decent though being crispy and made with rice paper. As you can probably ascertain, our meal here was pretty average.  Sure, it's PoMo, but we felt that the value was just not there and the food wasn't good enough to make up for it.

The Good:
- Spacious
- Good for them as there is not much in the way of competition nearby

The Bad:
- Meager portions
- Average eats

Portobello Ristorante

Ah yes, Portobello Ristorante.  I remember when you were located on West 4th.  With your wood-burning oven, we were graced with wonderful fresh bread to start our meal.  But one day, you were replaced by an Indian restaurant and ultimately another Italian-eatery called The BiBo.  Incidentally, there was this other restaurant named Portobello out on Broadway near Memphis Blues.  Was this you reincarnated?  That question remained unanswered until Elaine selected it as the destination for her birthday dinner (it is the same!).

We were started off with their popular freshly baked bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. There was nothing complex about the bread other than being warm, fresh and pillowy soft on the inside. Our first appie was the Calamari Pizzaiola with sauteed squid in tomato sauce, capers, olives, garlic and fresh herbs.  Tender while retaining some chew, the squid sat in a mild, fresh tasting tomato sauce.  There was a considerable salty kick from the capers and olives which was not necessarily counteracted by the sauce as it could've used more acidity.  However, that would be nit-picking as the dish was quite good.  Plated nicely in the centre of the plate was the Fungo Portobello Gratinato stuffed with garlic croutons and fresh herbs accented by a roasted red pepper sauce and balsamic reduction.  Being their signature appetizer, it succeeded in satisfying our expectations.  The properly cooked mushroom cap was soft while still firm enough to stand up to the crunchy surface of the stuffing.  There was good flavours going on and in particular the balsamic as it added both sweetness and some acidity.

Onto some pastas, we had the Linguine con Cozze Fresche with fresh mussels and garlic in a spicy tomato sauce.  Even though it was supposed to be spicy, we found the tomato sauce similar to the one in the calamari appie being mild and fresh tasting.  The linguine was a nice al dente while the mussels were large, plump and buttery soft.  I liked this more than the Salmone Affumicato with wild smoked salmon, fettuccine, leeks and fresh dill in a cream sauce.  For some reason or another, Viv and I felt the smoked salmon was super salty and overdone while Costanza thought otherwise.  Was it a different piece?  Anyways, the pasta was al dente while the sauce was indeed creamy and spiked with a nice amount of dill.

Onto our mains, we decided to share them all starting with the Cioppino di Mare consisting of halibut, mussels, calamari, clams and prawns in a white wine broth with garlic, tomato and fresh herbs.  Despite featuring seafood, this was a hearty dish with a bounty of properly cooked ingredients.  The light broth was sweet and seafoody tasting with a touch of tomato.  Continuing on with seafood, we had the Gamberi al Cognac featuring a dozen tiger prawns flambeed with cognac in a light rose sauce served with risotto.  The prawns were nicely prepared exhibiting a buttery snap.  They were caressed with a creamy sauce with a hint of cognac.  We found the risotto to be slightly overdone, but okay otherwise.

Onto some meat dishes, we tried the Ossobuco Classico which arrived as a very generous portion.  Braised in red wine with rosemary, carrots and celery, I found the dish to be slightly salty.  However, that didn't matter too much as the meat was fall-off-the-bone tender.  Naturally, the bone marrow was fatty and delicious.  Lastly, the Vitello al Marsala con Funghi was also a good portion of thin veal slices sauteed with mushrooms and a butter Marsala wine sauce. Although the meat was a bit chewy, it was still easy enough to eat.  I didn't particularly like the gummy texture of the flour coating on the veal though.  The sauce was rich and Earthy.  

Lastly, we were too full to have our own desserts, so we shared a Tiramisu.  We thought this version was very light and only semi-sweet.  There was a mild espresso kick to go with the soft lady fingers and creamy marscapone.  As a bonus, we were presented with some Meringues which were crunchy on the outside and sticky (with nuts) on the inside.  Overall, we were pretty please with our meals.  Portion sizes were fair and the food was above-average. We thought the service was more than acceptable as well.

The Good:
- Decent portions
- Decent service
- Above average food

The Bad:
- A bit heavy with the salt
- Tables and seating are pretty tight

King Do

There are certain things in the universe that make me ponder.  No, I'm not the second coming of Ilya Bryzgalov.  But there are things that really make me go hmmm... (C+C Music Factory reference there, if you even know what that is).  One such thing is the lack of good Chinese restaurants in Surrey, in particular Dim Sum service.  Yes, my concerns are trivial in the grand scheme of mankind, but they are important to me!  With that in mind, we headed over to King Do in Whalley to see what kind of Dim Sum we'd find.

We arrived early on a Sunday so we wouldn't need to worry about the crowds and to secure a parking spot.  Both were accomplished and really, the restaurant wasn't even busy by the time we left (around Noon).  With our first dish, by virtue of the picture alone, one would think it was fried smelt.  In actuality, it was Fried Bombay Duck Fish.  These were crispy and light being airy inside.  With minimal grease and plenty of spice and garlic from the wok toss, these were really good.  The Shrimp Spring Rolls were not bad either with a hard crunchiness.  With a meatiness rather than a cold water snap, the shrimp filling was nicely seasoned.

The Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet) were not as successful. Scrawny and dry, there was a general lack of gelatin and soft cartilage underneath the over-fried skin.  Despite the plethora of garlic and hint of orange peel, it was almost devoid of other seasoning.  Continuing on the mediocre, the Bean Curd Skin Roll could be best described as boring.  Although the bean curd itself was soft with some chew, the pork filling was lacking other ingredients.  That didn't help matters as the pork itself was dense and somewhat chewy.  Furthermore, there was only mild seasoning as well.

Heading into the "meat" of the meal, we had the standards, Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumpling) and Sui Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumpling).  Overlooking the slightly chewy skin (it was not too thick though), the shrimp filling had a relatively nice buttery snap.  However, the shrimp was not packed tightly.  As a result, it fell out after a bite.  Once again, there was a lack of seasoning.  As for the sui mai, the pork filling was soft with a slight chew.  There was no bounce texture nor was there any shiitake mushroom or shrimp (at least we didn't see any).  This was surprisingly seasoned nicely with a good balance of savouriness and sweetness.

As always, we got the Lo Mei Gai for the kiddies. We found the glutinous rice to be a little firm (hence the full grains being discernible in the picture), but not particularly hard at the same time.  The pork filling was quite flavourful with the addition of dried scallop.  Continuing on with another Dim Sum staple, we had the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll.  The rice noodle was buttery soft with whole pieces of shrimp inside.  Being more meaty than having a snap, the shrimp was accented by pea shoots.  Normally, I'm not a huge fan of any greens in my rice noodle rolls, but this was okay because there was just enough while retaining a slight crunch.

Despite the addition of pea shoots in the rice noodle roll, that would not be enough for my daughter, so we got an order of the Stir-Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic.  Although the dish was on the greasier side, the pea shoots were cooked fairly well being wilted yet crunchy.  However, there were some chewier pieces strewn throughout.  With a strange aftertaste, the Steamed Black Bean Spareribs were actually quite good.  Not sure what caused the aftertaste, but the initial flavour was garlicky and a good saltiness from the black beans.  The meaty ribs were chewy with a slight bounce indicating proper tenderization.  Of note, there were very few fatty cartilage pieces.

Of course I had to get some form of offal, so we had the Bible Tripe. The tripe was not bad with a chewy crunch.  There was plenty of ginger, yet it was a bit bland..  Lastly, we tried the Mango Pudding prepared in mini-fish moulds. Being pretty typical, these were more like artificial mango jello rather than actual mango pudding. Considering the few competitors nearby (Neptune, Rickshaw and Ho Do), King Do did the job in terms of Dim Sum.  Sure, there were some seasoning issues, but in the end, we didn't dislike our food. We found the owner and wait staff to be fairly friendly too.

The Good:
- Decent for its location
- Staff are pretty nice (if not limited in numbers)
- Okay portions

The Bad:
- Inconsistent seasoning
- Limited actual Dim Sum offerings (there are other related dishes though)
- Food took awhile to arrive