The District

Although we play hockey every Friday in North Van, it would be a miracle that we actually ate there afterwards.  Could it be the lack of options?  Nope.  Were people afraid of wildlife in the area?  LOL no...  Maybe it was the fear of driving up hills?  Nah... Oh I know, it was the shock of not experiencing poorly parked cars and/or drivers that had the inability to shoulder check or use their blinkers (like in a place that is located South of Vancouver...).  No not really, but it sounds good though.  No matter the reason, it was up to me to suggest we head to the District for late night eats.

For me, I decided to begin my late night feasting on some Mushroom Soup which was more brothy than creamy.  It was thick though with some texture (not completely pureed), peppery notes, noticeably woodsy essence as well as fresh thyme.  It could've used a bit more salt though. Unfortunately, there was significantly-sized thyme twigs that diminished my eating enjoyment.  Emilicious ended up with the French Onion Soup where all of the components were there including the crouton and plenty of melted cheese.  There was a sweet onion hit, but once again, it could've used more salt.

Before my main, I shared the Steak Tartare with Emilicious.  As stated on the menu, it was prepared with steak tenderloin, quail's egg yolk and seasoning.  I found the meat to be smooth, melt-in-my-mouth consistency.  However, I would've liked to see more yolk for the amount of meat and a touch more bite.  Otherwise, it was good.  For myself, I tried their Blue Cheese and Bacon Mussels served with patat friet.  The modest portion of mussels were plump and buttery which were accented by a slight blue cheese sharpness.  I didn't really get a whole lot of bacon though and the amount of broth was far too minimal to be useful.  The side of patat friet was fantastic being crunchy and light.

Gordo went for the #13 Burger made with a tenderloin and sirloin patty, tapenade & caramelized white onion mayo.  The house-ground patty was thick and moist which was flavoured mildly by the accompaniments.  It came with a whack load of their fantastic fries which was more than I could say about the small cup that came with my mussels.  Sweet Tooth, who got burned at the now-closed 3 Lions by their pathetic beet salad went back to the well and ordered the Warm Beet Salad.  It was comprised of red and golden beets, sauteed red onion and spinach topped with a fried goat cheese ball, candied walnuts and a balsamic drizzle.  This was a substantial portion with well-textured beets.  There was a good balance of sweetness and acidity to the dish, but not enough salt.  The fried goat cheese was crispy and a nice compliment.

Milhouse opted for the Oven Roasted Chicken and Brie Sandwich with sun dried cranberry mayo and house-made tarragon & rosemary preserve.  He thought the chicken was sufficiently moist while the rest of the ingredients added both sweetness and aromatics.  But a bit more salt would've made the flavours more balanced.  So if you were paying attention...  Bueller, bueller, bueller...  You would have noticed that a pinch of salt here and there would've made the flavours sing.  Other than that, the food was decent enough.

The Good:
- Open late
- Nice vibe (not too quiet, not too loud)
- Decent service

The Bad:
- Food needs a touch more seasoning (ie. salt)
- A little on the pricier side

Noodle Canteen (New West)

"What's this?", I queried after spotting a flyer for Noodle Canteen in my junk mail.  Another fast food noodle joint in the same fashion as Noodle Box and Wok Box?  As much as I am indifferent towards the 2 aforementioned spots, they will never be a priority to revisit.  My issue isn't necessarily against the food as they don't really appeal to the authentic-seeking crowd anyways.  The main reason I'm indifferent is that I can just go down to any Asian joint and get better for cheaper.  But seeing that I want to try everything, I paid Noodle Canteen a visit anyways.

With 2 locations in the lower mainland, Noodle Canteen is a New Zealand chain of cooked-to-order fast Asian food.  As I made my way into the place, I was startled by the fact that the staff were Chinese (they spoke mainland Chinese).  Not that it really matters (because anyone can be trained to make any type of food), but it seemed to legitimize the place somewhat (strange but true).  Currently, they have a special (for dinner only) where their Hot Box is only $6.20.  Okay, before you get the wrong idea, the hot box doesn't involve smoking up in one's car. Rather, it is a fried egg noodle dish consisting of roast pork, chicken, beef and fresh veggies in a Thai chili sauce.  I opted for pretty hot and it did have a nice kick.  The still chewy noodles were the beneficiary of good wok heat where the flavours were caramelized.  Their other special is the Honey Chicken Noodle ($6.00) with egg noodles and veggies.  The noodles were pretty much the same without meat and spice.  The battered chicken on top was moist but overly sweet in my opinion.  With thick egg noodles, the Garlic Prawns was the mildest item we tried.  It actually bordered on bland.  On the other hand, the noodles were chewy and the large prawns had a nice snap.

For the kiddies, I thought the Combination Noodles would be a good idea since it only consisted of egg noodles, prawn, beef, pork, chicken and veggies in oyster sauce.  Once again, the dish was very similar to the first 2 yet without spice.  I found the beef to be a little on the drier side though while the BBQ pork was pretty good.  Probably the best noodles of the bunch was the Hokkien Mee made with thick egg noodles, roast pork, shrimp, bean shoots, onion, bak choy and spring onion in dark soy and mild chili sauce.  Again with good wok heat, the flavours were intense (savoury and some sweet) with a touch of spice.  With a bevy of ingredients including the same meaty BBQ pork, snappy shrimp and crunchy veggies, it was full of textures and flavours.  As you can see, the thing that sets Noodle Canteen apart is that the food most resembles Asian food (in a no-nonsense and unsexy manner).  It may not be great food, but decent for a quick meal.

The Good:
- Large portions
- Good wok heat
- No-nonsense, made-to-order food

The Bad:
- By virtue of trying to represent so many different Asian cuisines, some things are lost in translation

Fish on Rice

Really?  Fish on Rice???  Yes, really.  There was a time when we would frequent Fish on Rice for the quantity, and of course not the quality.  We'd suffer through the bad service and the questionable washrooms just to get our fill of mediocre Japanese food.  I put a stop to that as I just couldn't eat bad sushi anymore.  However, for ol' times sake, Costanza and I decided to drop by for lunch, just to see what was going on at Poisson on Riz.  Of course, we ended up getting the AYCE menu.

  The first item to arrive was the Salmon Sashimi (which is limited to 6 slices per person for lunch). It was sliced as if they used a mandolin. Yet, to be fair, at least they offer sashimi at no extra charge.  The fish was slightly below average, being quite soft and mushy (although it tasted fine without any fishiness).  We got an assortment of rolls including Dynamite, House and California.  These were haphazardly constructed, especially the California Roll (as you can clearly see in the picture). The good thing was there wasn't a whole lot of rice.  That was doubly good because the rice was not very good.  It was dry and not really all that sticky. Suffice to say, there wasn't a whole lot of flavour going on either.  At least the filling was acceptable.   

Next was the Ebi Sunomono, which was surprisingly good for an AYCE.  The noodles were firm and chewy while the dressing was balanced between sweet and tart.  On the other hand, the Gomae was pretty typical for this type of menu consisting of a sweet, candy-like dressing.  The spinach was okay though being cooked just enough. Since Costanza is no fan of head, I mean Salmon Head, I ate it all by myself.  It was okay, grilled up with a nice char.  The meat was a little dry though.  We got a few pieces of Nigiri and the dry sushi rice didn't help things, but it was edible.  As for the Chicken Karaage, it was not very good.  The batter was fat too thick and mealy.  Despite the visuals, it wasn't all that crispy while the meat wasn't all that juicy either.

The Gyoza appeared to be fried up nicely, but in the end, it was all colour with no crispy texture.  The wrapper was thick and doughy while the filling was dense and lacking in flavour. Not particularly Japanese, the Shrimp Toast was a bit weird as it was coated with tempura batter and fried.  Hence, the bread became wet and unappealing.The shrimp was a bit slimy as well.  On the other hand, the Tempura was pretty good with a non-greasy and light batter.  The veggies were cooked just right.  The Agedashi Tofu was typical for an AYCE being pretty bare while sitting in a sweet dashi.  Despite being lean, the Tonkatsu was served crispy and hot.  The meat wasn't exactly moist, but it was sufficiently tender.

Arriving in purposeful serving vessels, the Oyster Motoyaki were quite heavy. Of course the mayonnaise based sauce would be greasy and rich, but this one was almost egg custard-like.  With that being said, it did taste okay and the oyster was of a good size.  And about those serving vessels, they are a lot more hygienic than reusing shells.  The Beef Short Ribs were a surprise, not only because they were pretty good, but because they arrived in the number as requested.  I can't tell you how many times we have ordered stuff elsewhere to only get half.  Anyways, the ribs were tender and charred nicely.  It was on the sweeter side, but good nonetheless.

Heading into our last 2 items, we had both the Beef and Chicken Teriyaki.  Not to sound boring, but the beef was pretty typical of AYCE being a bit dry, but easy to chew.  I liked how it wasn't oversauced.  The chicken was fried up moist and tender, but the skin was not crispy at all.  Of note, the wood planks underneath the cast iron plates looked like they needed replacing.  Moreover, Costanza almost puked after visiting the gross washrooms.  But if cleanliness is not an issue, the food was passable (except for the sashimi) considering the price.  Remember this is AYCE and thus, can only be compared to other AYCE (NOT legit Japanese restaurants). As for the service, unlike past visits, it was acceptable.

The Good:
- AYCE menu had a good selection for the price
- For what we had, the cooked items were passable
- We didn't get yelled at or ignored, so service was okay

The Bad:
- Washrooms are horrid
- Raw stuff below average
- Can never confuse AYCE with good Japanese food

Zako's Deli

*Restaurant now closed*

For something seemingly so "Canadian", it is pretty difficult to find places to get good Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwiches in the GVRD.  Sure, there is Dunn's in Downtown, but if you really think of it, there are not a whole lot of other choices, unless you want to head out to Estrella's in Langley (remember, I'm talking about the real thing, not some supermarket deli smoked meat...).  There is one that I knew of and finally got a chance to try - the place is Zako's Deli.

For some odd reason, I got the Steamers which were 2 hot dogs with coleslaw on top.  Yes, since my eating companion was already having the smoked meat sammie, I had to try some thing different. Well...  these were 2 hot dogs...  Since they were called steamers, I was a little confused why the bun was not steamed (or steamed poorly).  Not sure what I was thinking...  Anyways, I also had the Poutine which was a bit disappointing as the cheese curds had no squeak to speak of.  The fries were okay but not a crispy as I would've liked.  The gravy was thick and mild. 

You didn't think I'd try Zako's without a Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich right?  I got one to go and really, the meat was just alright.  I found it almost too tender where there was a lack of meatiness.  It did taste okay though with the usual brining spices without being too salty.  Overall, I thought the everything was okay but nothing I'd rush back to revisit.

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Friendly owner and staff

The Bad:
- Stuff is okay, but there is better (such as Estrella's and La Belle Patate)
- Better get takeout, it's a small place

E2 Cafe

Trick or treating in a mall, seems like all the rage in the last few years.  Well, it is guaranteed to be dry and the chances of tainted candy are small - pretty much a parent's dream come true.  Well, we once again braved the hoards at Lougheed Mall.  But wait, this was only round 1...  We headed into the neighbourhood for round 2 later.  But not before we headed across the street from the mall for eats at E2 Cafe.  Formerly Lulu Cafe, E2 is a typical Hong Kong-style cafe.  Unfortunately they are located in a parking lot that is about 20 parking spots short.

With both of our orders, it came with a bowl of soup.  I decided on the Cream of Mushroom while Viv had the Borscht.  The cream soup was pretty typical being floury thick rather than creamy.  It did taste okay though with a balance of flavours.  There was only a few slices of mushroom to be found though.  Despite being overly sweet, the borscht (Chinese bastardized version that is) exhibited depth, body and plenty of tomato flavour.  Furthermore, it was not devoid of ingredients.  The kids ended up sharing a Build-Your-Own-Noodle - udon in original fish broth with ham and fish tofu (in addition to the standard ingredients such as shredded Napa cabbage, mushroom and bean curd skin).  The broth wasn't exactly silky nor exhibiting body, however, it was not bland either.  The noodles were still chewy and not much to say about the toppings as they were store-bought (like all other places).

I ordered the 3-Item Meal consisting of beef steak, ox tongue and fried basa filet.  For my starch, I selected spaghetti and my choice of sauce was black pepper.  I wasn't a huge fan of the steak as it was completely cooked.  On the other hand, the tongue was moist and tender (mmm...  tender...).  The star of the plate was the fried basa as the fish was flaky and soft while the breading was really crunchy and not greasy.  This was fried as well as one could expect.  As for the black pepper sauce, I liked it (despite being a bit too thick).  There was plenty of spice and garlic within the thick sauce.   Viv decided on the Baked Pork Chop Rice which was an impressively large portion.  Although it was doused in sauce, the pork chop was juicy and still super crispy.  As for the sauce, it was mild with only a bit of tang (from the diluted ketchup).  The rice was pretty good as it was wok fried and retained a good chew. 

As part of our meals, we had a choice of drink.  Viv had the Mango Milk Tea with coconut jelly.  Yikes, if we had known that it would be that sweet, we should've jacked her dad's insulin stash.  This was not very good.  I went for the Iced Tea (w/o sugar thankfully) and it did the job.  And really, E2 essentially did the job and was a decent value.  Sure, there is better to be found in Richmond.  Yet, we were very far from Richmond (thank goodness...).  Service wasn't bad per se, but not overly enthusiastic either.

The Good:
- Large portions
- For what we had, the food was decent

The Bad:
- They are cursed with a crappy parking lot
- Too much sugar in their bubble tea

West Restaurant + Bar

By virtue of having a blog, there have been some interesting requests I've received over the years.  They range from promising me increased traffic to invitations to try a smartphone for 30 days for the purposes of taking food pictures (why do I need a phone for 30 days when I already have a phone???).  Anyways, one request was to drive Lincoln MKZ for a couple of days and have dinner on them.  What's the catch?  Well, I guess it meant I was merging food with cars in a post.  Seeing how I love cars as much as I love food, I am going to post a more comprehensive review of the Lincoln MKZ on a separate site (a bit later).  But for now, let's just say I was completely surprised by the car.  For me, I always associated Lincoln with an older, more conservative demographic.  In fact, I've driven the old town car many times as part of a wedding party (not particularly impressed).  But the MKZ is nothing like that.  With big 19" optional wheels, a minimal wheel gap and modern styling, this Lincoln has younger buyers in mind.  I was supplied with the hybrid version of the car and it was thrifty on gas and heavy on the luxuries.  Let's just say I didn't expect to be won over by a Lincoln.

Onto where we drove this Lincoln to dinner - West Restaurant & Bar.  Viv and I have been meaning to do a return visit for 5 years because our initial meal was not representational of the restaurant.  We had originally gone there for Dine Out, but really, that was not a fair assessment of the place.  Hence this time around, she had the Sea Tasting Menu while I had the Land Tasting Menu complete with wine pairings.  To start off, we were presented with 3 types of bread accompanied by butter and olive oil.  Of note, the olive oil was very flavourful.  Next was an amuse bouche consisting of a Crab Croquette with Meyer lemon emulsion.  The little ball was full of natural crab flavour albeit salty (accented by the emulsion though).  The exterior was really crunchy which gave way to a mix of fluffy and chewiness. 

Viv's first course was the Langley Organic Trout which was lightly charred until crispy and smoky.  The flesh was slightly rare and super moist.  Accenting the dish was creme fraiche, cucumber balls, red onion, dill and potato crisps.  This was paired with Taittinger "Brut Reserve" which was light, fruity and refreshing.  To start the land tasting menu, I had the Beef Tartare seasoned with sweet onion and soy, sesame and shallots.  Nori and nori crisps provided the crunch to go with the smoothness of the meat.  I thought the tartare was expertly seasoned with a good ratio of savoury and acidity.  A glass of Adami Prosecco "Bosco di Gica" added a crisp bite to accent the dish.

Next up on the sea tasting menu was the Albacore Tuna with octopus chorizo, black olive puree, green onion, puree, golden Yukon potatoes and potato crisps.  As evidenced in the picture, the tuna was seared slightly exhibiting a smoky aroma.  The star of the plate was the octopus chorizo as they were tender, spicy and salty (in a good way).  The glass of Laughing Stock Pinot Gris 2011 was a nice sweet fruity contrast to the saltiness of the dish.  My second course was the Twice Cooked Foie Gras with toasted Agassiz hazelnuts, green strawberries, green strawberry jam, chocolate ganache and brioche.  The significantly-sized portion of foie was smooth, swet and rich with a slight seasoning of 5-spice on the outside.  The tart jam and strawberries added the necessary tartness to cut through the richness.  Serving the same purpose, the Pfaffenheim Gewurztraminer 2011 added some refreshing mild fuity notes with a strong finish.

Moving on, Viv had the Diver Caught Scallops glazed with Maple jelly accompanied by celeriac puree, celeriac and caramelized onions. The large buttery scallop was seared a golden brown with a slight exterior crispiness which was sweet and smoky.  The celeriac added a background Earthiness.  Paired with this dish was Grunderloch "Fritz's" Riesling 2011 that was sweet and floral.  For myself, I had the espelette glazed Thiessen Farm Quail with potato and herb rosti, chevre, vanilla honey gelee and lavender pearls.  Being a beneficiary of a lovely brine, the quail was moist and flavourful.  The skin was nicely rendered displaying a light crispiness. Both the gelee and pearls were so mild as well as the chevre, hence, the quail stood on its own.  The full-bodied glass of Hartford Court "Land's Edge" Pinot Noir 2006 with cherry notes was a nice match with the quail.

Heading into the homestretch, Viv had the Line Caught Ling Cod with chorizo "bacon", Helmer potatoes, heirloom carrots, green onion puree and a crab vinaigrette. Essentially, the ling cod couldn't have been prepared any better as it was flaky and moist highlighted by a super crispy skin.  It rested upon a really tasty crab vinaigrette with large fluffy chunks of crab.  The chorizo bacon added both crunch and that extra oomph to an otherwise delicate dish. Appropriately, this was paired with a light and fruity Laroche "La Chantrerie" 1er Cru Chablis 2011.  My last savoury dish was the Yarrow Meadows Duck consisting of confit leg cabbage roll atop financier cake and seared duck breast.  This was done in a "Peking"-style with a hoisin-based sauce in addition to a coronation grape jus.  The duck breast was peppery, nicely roasted and minimally fatty while the cabbage roll was tart with well-seasoned and moist duck.  This was paired with Ken Wright Cellars Pinot Noir 2010, which to me, was a bit weak.

As a palate cleanser, we were presented with a Blueberry Sorbet with a slice of quince. This was really sweet featuring concentrated flavours.  We were pretty surprised as blueberry is normally quite mild.  The quince added some tang to go with the sweetness.  For dessert, Viv had the Spiced Squash Cheesecake with a banana base, chocolate ganache and orange squash sorbet.  This was a remarkably light cheesecake that was easy on the sweetness.  The orange sorbet and sauce added brightness and citrus while the crunchy bits afforded textural contrast.  A glass of Chateau d'armajan Sauternes 2006 had tempered sweetness.  For myself, I had the Almond Blancmange consisting of apple oat cake, pomegranate fruit salad and earl grey sorbet.  The syrup-soaked cake was a bit dense for my liking (but it was made with oat...), yet it wasn't too sweet.  The side of panna cotta was smooth and creamy where it was topped with Turkish cotton candy and accented by apple cranberry coulis.  This was paired with Quail's Gate Late Harvest Optima 2011 which was just sweet enough that it didn't interfere with the dessert.

Unlike my previous visit to West (which was not really all that representational), we finally got the real deal.  The food was intricately prepared and beautifully plated.  We found the wine pairings to be thoughtful and mostly spot-on.  Combined with an attractive dining space with attentive service to match, there was much to like about our meal at West.  Again, thanks to Lincoln for picking up the tab for this meal.

*All food and tips were comped by Lincoln Canada*

The Good:
- Intricately prepared dishes
- Nice dining space
- Attentive service

The Bad:
- Well, it doesn't come cheap