Speed's Neighbourhood Pub

Sometimes pubs get a bad rap.  Sure, many of them serve the main purpose of offering beverages without much regard for food.  Then there is the gastropub that attempts to fuse inebriation with elevated pub fare.  Yet, if one was under the influence, wouldn't most food taste good?  I mean, if everyone suddenly became 100% more attractive, what does that say about one's judgement in general after several drinks?  Kickin' it ol' skool, Zamboni Guy and Princess Leia joined me in a visit to Speed's Neighbourhood Pub in Ladner.

When I say ol' skool, try to imagine somewhere Billy Joel would play the Piano Man complete with the same type of clientele including the old man making love to his tonic & gin... If you don't get that reference, Youtube it...  Hey, that was before my time too!  Anyways, Zamboni Guy ended up with the BBQ Burger complete with sauce, crispy bacon and lotsa pickles.  It was a fairly average offering where the meat wasn't too dry. Although we applaud them for doing house-cut fries. They were not crispy enough though.  Princess Leia had the ever-exciting Chicken Wrap.  And as such, it was pretty standard.  At least the chicken was still moist while the veggies fresh.

For myself, I had the 2 PC Halibut & Chips.  For halibut, it was mighty flaky and moist.  It was almost cod-like.  I found the batter to be someone moist (with an infusion of dill), yet crispy enough on the outside.  Again, the fries were fresh-cut, but not particularly crunchy.  It could've stood for a double-fry job.  Okay, remember when I mentioned the gastropub?  Well Speed's ain't it.  You'll probably need to down a few for the food to be considered tasty.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Friendly enough service

The Bad:
- So-so food
- Decor needs a refresh

Zipang Sushi

With my ongoing mission to revisit restaurants, it brought Grace and I to Zipang Sushi out on Main Street.  After attending We Day at Rogers Arena, we were both hungry and deaf from all the cheering and yelling.  Nice to see such positive enthusiasm from so many youth though! Since I had already devoured a burger and fries, we felt sushi would be the best bet for an early dinner.

Delicate and crisp, the Assorted Tempura was ultimately affected by the amount of oil on the bottom of the plate.  Therefore, the top pieces were good being cooked just enough while coated with some of the thinnest batter I've seen.  The same couldn't be said about the carrot which was unfortunately the recipient of the oil slick - it was soft and greasy.  Attractive in colour and exhibiting a nice sheen, the well-prepared Assorted Sashimi was really good.  I particularly like the hamachi as it was sweet and mild-flavoured, rather than being fishy (as it sometimes can be).

For our maki sushi, we had the East Meets West and the S.S.S. Roll.  As the name implies, the EMW roll consisted of unagi and avocado with prosciutto on the outside (should've been named East Meets Italy).  The rice itself was decently seasoned while a touch gummy and dense.  Ingredients were good, yet the prosciutto was a little weak.  As for the S.S.S. roll, it consisted of shrimp, scallop and salmon. Nothing particularly exciting about the roll, but it was solid nonetheless.  With quality ingredients, it was pleasant to eat.  Lastly, we had the Sake Kama which was grilled up nicely.  Of course the meat around the fins was buttery and soft while the collar was more cooked.  Much like my last visit (which was a long time ago), Zipang Sushi delivered in freshness, presentation and taste.

The Good:
- Delicately prepared food
- Friendly service

The Bad:
- A tad more pricey than "value" joints
- Limited seating

Sushi Royal House

Awhile back, we had visited Bentei Sushi out in North Burnaby and came away thinking, "what the heck was that???".  Then Viv had tried out their Grandview Hwy location (without me???) and it was pretty much the same.  Now that location has become Sushi Royal House, but with Bentei Sushi still plastered on the windows and on their receipts.  In fact, on this visit, Viv noticed it was the same sushi chef.  Merely a name change?  I guess we'd have to see...

If it wasn't obvious before, with a continuous feed of Hyuna on the flat screen TV, the place is Korean-run. Still can't listen to her version of Gangnam Style (wait, I can't stand the song in general!).  Anyways, we started with the Starry Night Roll consisting of avocado, tempura shrimp, imitation crab with spicy tuna on top.  We found the roll to be a bit haphazardly prepared with things falling out and a bit messy looking.  The rice was on the harder side with very little flavour.  That was somewhat alleviated by the spicy tuna and drizzle of 2 sauces.  Next up was the Prawn Tempura, which was fried up crispy.  It was mild on the grease with a relatively thin batter.  I found the ebi to be more meaty than cold-water crunchy.

Awkwardly and not really all that appealingly plated, the Assorted Sashimi was pretty average.  The tuna was really cold and a touch icy while the salmon was pretty bland.  Nothing was terrible yet it wasn't exactly a joy to eat either.  I guess the "flat" presentation didn't help matters either.  As for our filler items, the Oyako Don was a pretty typical non-authentic version packed with various veggies.  This essentially doomed the rice as it added far too much moisture where the rice became super soggy.  Moreover, it was pretty flavourless and the really chewy chicken didn't help matters.

Lastly, the Beef Yakisoba was decent.  Although it was lacking in overall flavour, the dish wasn't greasy and the noodles were still chewy (they were stuck together though).  The thin slices of beef were on the drier side. In the end, we didn't hate our meal, yet weren't all that enthused either.  Considering our total bill was North of $60.00 (with tax and tip), one could eat at many better Japanese restaurants (or better value Korean-run spots such as Sushi Town and Sushi Garden).  Therefore, it is not much of a surprise that the place was not busy on a Saturday.

The Good:
- Friendly server
- Lots of Korean pop music

The Bad:
- Not great value
- Food isn't good enough to compete

Sun Yee

*Restaurant is now closed*

Sometimes, there is no other way to describe things but to be rather blunt.  And no, I'm not going to rant and rave about Richmond...  Although it is rather fun...  Instead, there are restaurants that are not very sexy.  Sun Yee would fit that description with its "easily ignored" yellow awning, drab interior and 70's washrooms.  Yet, sometimes we have to look at substance instead of glitz.  Hence, this is where we met up with Costanza, Elaine and all the kiddies for dinner one night.

In actuality, Gordo and I had visited the place once after hockey, but due to the limited amount of dishes we had, I never blogged about it. Well, we didn't have this problem this time around as we ended up with the "choose your dishes" Dinner for 6 which included soup, bonus tilapia, rice and dessert.  To begin, we were presented with the Daily Soup which was Herbal Chicken Feet.  Yes, it looked more like a crime scene from Chicken Run, but I did like silkiness of the soup despite being bland.  Our first dish was the Honey Peach Prawns which were drenched in a sweet mayo glaze.  The prawns had a nice snap and were still crisp on the outside.  Not sure about the peach as I'm not a huge fan of cooked fruit.

Next, we had the Peking Pork Chops which were thick and juicy.  They were properly tenderized being soft while maintaining a bite.  However, the batter was too thick and became gummy when contacted with the sauce.  The sauce itself was too sweet and the barely cooked onions didn't benefit the dish.  Instead of getting an extra hit of sweetness and aromatics, all we got was raw onion taste.  Bubbling and sizzling, the Satay Beef & Vermicelli Hot Pot was flavourful with only a hint of spice.  Due to the amount of liquid, the vermicelli ultimately became quite soft.  As for the beef (where there was lots of it), it was also soft where it was over-tenderized.

Moving along, we got the Broccoli and Beef.  Much like the aforementioned hot pot, the beef was also pretty soft.  However, it was probably cooked a touch less which meant there was some chew left.  The broccoli was vibrant and still crunchy.  Although the dish wasn't exactly lacking in flavour, it could've benefited from some garlic.  As part of the meal, we were presented with a complimentary Steamed Tilapia.  As much as I'm not a fan of that particular fish, they did a relatively good job preparing it.  Normally, tilapia has the texture of overcooked mushy fish, but in this case, it was somewhat flaky while the belly portion was fatty and just cooked.

Although the Steamed Pork Patty with Salted Fish is often considered a home-style dish, I generally do not hesitate to order it in a restaurant.  The effort it takes to hand-mince the meat is a real turn-off, so I let someone else do the work!  I liked this version as the pork was moist, loose and not overly fatty.  There was just enough salted fish for flavour while it wasn't stingingly saltly.  Surrounded by shrimp chips, the Crispy Chicken featured a nicely coloured crispy skin.  The meat was a little on the drier side, yet was not completely chewy either.  There was a general lack of seasoning which meant the side of wok salt was necessary.  Suffice to say, we didn't even finish half of the food we ordered, partially due to our silliness, yet mostly because of the portion size.   As unsexy as it is, Sun Yee serves up okay food for a good price.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Large portions
- Acceptable

The Bad:
- Acceptable, but not great
- Decor and washrooms have seen better days (but that's not what you are paying for)

Martini's

Like an old friend who we haven't seen in some time, Martini's can sometimes be lost in the options of late night eats.  There was a time where we'd visit the place weekly as it was still open after our late night activities.  So in an attempt to relive my youth, I suggested to my hockey team that we visit that ol' friend after our game.  My "reliving" was quickly halted as I was almost too tired to eat.  That never happened 10 years ago!

Milhouse and Lionel Hutz ended up agreeing to share a few items with me starting with the Chicken Tenders.  Yes, you read it correctly.  Normally, this dish is reserved for the kiddies, but it looked so good at the table next to us, we gave it a shot.  With a super crunchy panko-coating and relatively moist white meat, these were as good as they looked.  On the other hand, the plain ol' Miracle Whip-like dip sucked.  Well-known for their Whole Wheat Pizza, we were obliged to order one being the chorizo, sundried tomato and salami.  Naturally, the crust was firmer and slightly dry.  It was crunchy though and the abundance of toppings ensured it was flavourful.  We found the tomato sauce to be quite mild though.

For some odd reason, we ordered the Burger and it was pretty average.  The patty was absolutely obliterated by the cooking process.  It was dry and chewy.  Milhouse thought that the rest of the ingredients did help masked the dryness to a degree.  As for the fries, they were pretty typical.  They were crispy though. Ginger opted for the Pulled Pork Tacos and for a non-Mexican joint, they did a decent job.  I wouldn't say the pork was particularly flavourful, but it was moist (a touch greasy) and we were glad they didn't use a hard taco.  Furthermore, the condiments of cilantro, diced onions and lime offered up some authenticity (if that matters to you).

Emilicious wanted to share an order of the Mussels with someone and naturally I volunteered.  These were pretty solid with plump just cooked mussels.  Of note, all of them were open.  The classic white wine broth with garlic and shallots was flavourful and properly reduced.  With Sweet Tooth in attendance, it was only natural that some desserts hit the table.  We weren't sure if the Cheesecake was made in-house or not, yet whatever the case, it was super rich and creamy.  It wasn't overly sweet, but then again, the strawberry sauce was.  She also shared a slice of Apple Pie a la mode and I thought it was pretty decent.  Packed with big chunks of tender apples, I found the flavours to be muted with a touch of cinnamon.  The crust was pretty flaky in spots and naturally more moist in the middle.

On another visit, Milhouse and I shared the Baked Spaghetti & Meatballs and Veal Parmesan. Sadly, the spaghetti was practically stone cold as they probably only melted the cheese without actually heating up the dish.  Otherwise, it was okay with a mild tomato sauce and lean firm meatballs.  With a large meaty veal cutlet, our second dish was a generous portion.  Everyone was a bit confused with the ham on top, but if my memory serves me right, they eat it this way in Australia.  Anyways, Emilicious thought the tomato sauce (including the side of linguine) was very "Chef Boyardee-like".  Well, I wouldn't go as far as that, but it was closer to that than being zesty and/or tart. That pretty much summed up our experience here as the food is mostly middle-of-the-road.  Hence, Martini's continues to do what they've been doing since 1973 - decent eats for the late night crowd at a reasonable price.

The Good:
- Decent eats
- Okay service
- Open late

The Bad:
- Even though it is decent, it can be hit and miss with some items

La Mezcaleria

At one point, when locations of Taco Bell and Taco Time had outnumbered true Mexican restaurants, it exemplified the sad state of the cuisine in Vancouver.  Fortunately, those days seemed to be in the rear-view mirror, much like a car tailgating along #3 Road. With the increasing number of "as-authentic-as-can-be for Vancouver" joints opening up, we no longer have to accept tatar tots as Mexi-fries.  One of the newest places is La Mezcaleria on Commercial, brought to you by the same people as La Taqueria.

Due to a mix-up on the first visit, I was ultimately treated to 2 meals with Miss Y as my trusty eating companion. So I'll merely bunch everything into one post.  We started with the Pacific Snapper Ceviche consisting of tomato, lime, red onion, serrano peppers and cilantro with a side of freshly-fried tortilla chips.  We found the fish tender while still firm.  There was a good amount of lime as well as a low rumble of heat. Ultimately, it was light and refreshing.  At first, we were wanting some more seasoning, but the salt on the crunchy chips provided that balance.  Accompanied by the same chips, our side of Guacamole with ripe avocado, lime, cilantro, onions, jalapeno and tomato was good.  Since it was made-to-order, everything was vibrant and fresh.  I liked how it wasn't over mixed where there was still some chunkiness. I would've liked to see more acidity though (but there was a wedge of lime).

Of course we couldn't eat at a place named La Mezcaleria without trying the Mezcal Flight. I'm not too familiar with Mezcal, so don't expect an in-depth analysis. What I do know is that Mezcal and Tequila are both made from the agave plant, yet with Mezcal, it is roasted (which imparts a smokier flavour). So from left to right, I had Mezcal from Coyoacan, Espadin and lastly an Aged Mezcal.  It was served with spiced orange wedges, sangrita and lime.  You're not supposed to "shoot" the drinks, rather, it is best to sip with alternating samples from the sangrita and lime.  I quite liked experimenting to create different flavours.  Probably the most interesting dish we tried was the Queso Fundido with chorizo.  Essentially a cheese fondue, it was served in a volcanic rock molcajete and accompanied by soft tortillas.  Suffice to say, this was extremely cheesy and stringy.  And yes, by the visuals, it was pretty greasy too with the moist and flavourful chorizo.

Onto some other mains, we had the Pirillada consisting of grilled short-ribs marinated in a home-made pasilla chili sauce, chorizo, nopalitos, toreado peppers and green onions.  The moist and flavourful short ribs exhibited a nice char and was quite mild, salty and slightly sweet.  Miss Y remarked it tasted like somewhat like a smokier Korean short ribs.  The side of nopalitos (or cactus) was remarkably not slimy and had a nice hit of lime and spice.  We liked the meaty and mildly spicy chorizo on the side.  We also sampled the Chicken Enchilada topped with red tomato salsa, onion, cream and Mexican cheese.  The star of the dish was the wonderful roja as it was slightly smoky, zesty and layered with flavour.  It started off sweet and ended with a low rumble of spice.  The chicken itself was moist and lightly seasoned.

Saving the best for last, we really enjoyed the Tostadas de Pato made with duck confit, guava, fruit mole sauce, chayote and radish.  These were very good with a crunch from both the corn tortilla and veggies.  The duck itself was smoky, sweet and mildly spicy.  It was suggested we eat them by hand, but there was so much stuff on top, it was pretty difficult.  The fruit mole added a nice creaminess which brightened up the flavours.  And of course we had to try some Tacos (since they are the same people as La Taqueria).  From left to right, we had the Lengua (tongue), Carnitas (pork confit), Asada (flank steak) and Cachete (beef cheeks).  The tongue was moist and fatty while the carnitas was tender with depth and nicely accented by the pickled onions.  The asada was smoky with caramelized flavours.  Lastly, the beef cheek was also moist exhibiting natural flavours from the braise.

For dessert, we shared the Flan which was made with condensed and evaporated milk, hence the dulce de leche-type consistency and sweetness.  Although it was on the denser side, we enjoyed it nonetheless for its richness and controlled sweetness.  Even the caramel on the bottom wasn't stingingly sweet, rather, it was smoky and a touch bitter.  Overall, for all the dishes we tried, the meal(s) were good. The thing we noticed the most was the freshness of all the ingredients (which never hurts).  And also, if you are a fan of Mezcal, there is probably no other place in Vancouver that can rival La Mezcaleria.

*Note - this was an invited dinner where all food was comped except for a 2 items and gratuities

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Fresh ingredients
- Well-executed proteins

The Bad:
- Room is cozy, but that also means a bit cramped too