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Generally, Dim Sum on the Westside of Vancouver can be an expensive proposition (for example, Peninsula in Oakridge). No, you won't find $2.50 dishes nor push carts. Rather, you will usually see prices North of $4.00 per dish minimum and service that can sometimes be downright snooty. So when Tai Tung opened up on Granville Street, I was intrigued if they would stick to their East Van roots or assimilate into being another Westside Dim Sum establishment.
So after paying probably too much money for Fly Over Canada (my son loved it though), we headed over to Tai Tung because this was as close as we'd get to Marpole (really!). We started with the Beef Meatballs which exhibited a significant dried orange peel essence. There was a good mix of greens while the meat had a firm bounce. I'm not sure why they put a bunch of peppers underneath though as the flavour did not go at all. Next, we had the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll filled with smallish shrimp which were only mildly crunchy. When still hot, we found the rice noodle to be thick and sticky, but when it cooled down, it was better.
With a more pronounced snap, the shrimp in the Haw Gow were in large pieces. There was a noticeable sesame oil hit, however, that was about it as the dumpling was pretty bland. Furthermore, the dumpling skin was slightly thick and doughy. Okay, we actually ordered the Xiao Long Bao despite the usual low expectations considering it was Cantonese Dim Sum. To be frank, it was pretty average at best. The skin was doughy while the meat filling was soft and loose. There was some soup to be found, but it resembled and tasted like fat more than anything. Also, we weren't sure why they put green onion in the filling either. Again, I'll forgive them as they are not a Shanghainese joint.
With big pieces of crunchy shrimp (with plenty of flavour), the Sui Mai was on point. The pork was a mix between processed and whole pieces. It was somewhat firm with a bit of bounce. There was definitely more sweetness than savoury and for some odd reason, they used dried orange peel as a seasoning agent as well. At the very least, it wasn't offensive. We found the Bean Curd Skin Roll to be quite good with a nicely fried exterior where it was slightly chewy. The meat filling was a firm with plenty of crunchy shrimp. In terms of flavour, the filling was meaty while the sauce added savouriness and moisture.
For the kiddies, we had to get the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice). When we opened up the lotus leaf, we could see every grain of glutinous rice. That didn't mean it was dry though as it was sticky and moist. For once, we could actually taste the lotus leaf essence penetrating into the rice. The plethora of ingredients ensured there would be another layer of meaty goodness. And of course we had to get the Shrimp Spring Rolls as well since my son would have a fit otherwise. These were crunchy with only a modest amount of shrimp filling which had a nice snap while being well-seasoned. One thing we didn't like was the greasiness of the spring roll as the bottom was soaked.
Onto another kid favourite, we had the BBQ Pork Buns. Despite having a fluffy soft exterior, the pork filling was far too sweet. It was like eating candied pork (wait, that doesn't sound that bad in retrospect...). Although the pork was lean, we didn't like that it was chopped into little bits. On the other hand, the pieces of Pork Spareribs were a good mix of meat and bone portions. There was a meaty chew with some bounce texture where the overwhelming flavour was of pork with not much in the way of garlic nor peppers. Normally, I do not order the Chiu Chow Dumplings, but I wanted to change things up. They were not bad with a chewy dumpling skin that was still moist. The filling was pretty typical with peanuts, dried shrimp, pork, cilantro, pickled radish and water chestnut. We also got some Steamed Spongecake but the kids got to it before I could snap a photo. It was pretty fluffy with a rich brown sugar hit. That was a decent end to an acceptable Dim Sum service. Of course the prices were not exactly cheap as the bill came out to over $70.00 but again, we were on the Westside.
The Good:
- Fairly okay service
- Nicely appointed dining space
The Bad:
- Pricey
- Does the quality justify the price? You be the judge
It's the same deal every year - Costanza treats me to a birthday dinner and vice-versa. So this time, we went back to the well of sorts. We decided to try out Adesso Bistro situated on the former location of L'altro Buca which ironically was where we had Costanza's bday dinner a few years ago. After circling the neighbourhood for what seemed like an eternity (much like a Miley Cyrus music video), I decided to go for their $7.00 valet parking. Pretty reasonable if you ask me since meter parking ain't cheap either.
We decided to share some appies as a table with the Vitello Tonnato arriving first. It consisted of thinly sliced chilled veal, tuna mayonnaise, crispy shallots and caper berries. With a nice "doneness", the veal was sufficiently moist. At first, I thought the dish was under-seasoned, but the combination of the smooth mayo, crispy aromatic shallots and most importantly, the salty and tart caper berries, there was a nice marriage of flavours. Next up was the Insalata di Carciofi consisting of crispy artichokes, romaine hearts, mixed leaves, cherry tomatoes and aged sherry vinaigrette. Lightly crispy, the artichokes were minimally greasy being delicately tender. What really hit our senses was the sherry vinaigrette as there was an appetizing acidity.
Next up was the Fritto Misto di Mare featuring crisp fried seafood, vegetables, lemon and parsley. For $12.00, we felt it was a good value. Moreover, the execution was almost flawless where the seafood was cooked just enough while exhibiting a light crispy batter. However, even with a squeeze of the lemon wedge, the dish could've stood for more seasoning. Our last appie was the Pizza Margherita made with tomato sauce, bocconcini, and fresh herbs. Well, by virtue of not being a Neapolitan pizzeria, this was acceptable. Naturally, there wasn't a whole lot of leoparding while the centre was a bit underdone. With all that being said, it was okay with a fresh-tasting tomato sauce and plenty of basil.
Onto the mains, Costanza had the Ragu di Cinghiale or tagliatelle with wild boar ragu, preserved lemon and crisp capers. We all agreed that this was a very well-executed pasta dish. It consisted of truly al dente tagliatelle with meaty and rich boar ragu (which was not overly wet nor salty) combined with the zip from the capers and tomato sauce. Elaine went for the Spaghettini con Frutti di Mare made with a light tomato sauce, prawns, clams and mussels. Due to the thin pasta, it was softer than the tagliatelle, but was far from soft. We could really taste the olive oil in the tomato sauce as well as what we figured was chili oil since there was a background spice. We thought the seafood was on point as well.
Viv decided on the Filetto di Maiale consisting of pork loin, pine nut, raisin, roasted garlic stuffing, Swiss chard, potato, roasted tomato and salsa verde. For such a thick piece of pork, they did a masterful job where it was moist and tender. With the combination of ingredients, there was this herbaceous sweet and aromatic thing going on. I thought the use of sundried tomatoes combined with the salsa verde added the necessary acidity as well. For myself, I had the classic Osso Buco di Vitello or veal osso buco, mushroom braising sauce and roasted tomato polenta. Although the veal was fork tender, I thought the meat could've been more moist. However, I guess that was what the ample amount of natural and woodsy tasting sauce was meant to do. I would've preferred a touch more salt, but that didn't make or break the dish.
For dessert, we shared the Tiramisu (coffee and marsala soaked sponge cake,
mascarpone mousse) and Limone (lemon and pistacchio semifreddo,
raspberry pate, fresh berries). After all the delicious food we had, the desserts fell short. We found the tiramisu dry with only minor hints of coffee and marsala. We did like the mascarpone though as it was rich and light at the same time (yes, go figure). As for the limone, we thought it was far too dense and wet. It didn't even resemble a semifreddo. We did like the sweet lemon while the tartness of the raspberry pate balanced the flavours out. Ignoring the desserts for a moment, the rest of the meal was very well-executed with only minor issues. Considering the price point, Adesso Bistro deserves many return visits.
The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Above average food
- Warm service
The Bad:
- The desserts we had didn't work for us
- Could use a bit more salt sometimes, but that can be easily rectified
- Go for the valet, you won't find parking
Chinese food here, there and everywhere - that would probably describe the Richmond food scene in a nutshell. Illegal car maneuvers here, there and everywhere as well, but that is another story. So imagine my surprise when Choobee asked me to meet her for lunch at Smokehouse Sandwich Company. Yes, this place probably sounds like something that would be located on Main Street or Commerical Drive, yet it is located in Richmond.
Having visited the place several times already, Choobee took over the ordering. We ended up sharing 4 sandwiches (yes, we pulled a Mijune) as well as some crisps. We gave their signature sammie a try first being the Samson consisting of coffee crushed, strawberry glazed beef brisket with butter leaf lettuce, red bell peppers and aioli. I liked the sweet, smoky bark that was an appealing chewy texture. The crunch of the sweet peppers combined with the aioli added the necessary moisture. However, the sammie could've used even bolder flavours. Next, we tried the Wilbur consisting of cumin spiced pulled pork with coleslaw. For me, I found the pork far too dry and stringy. It was smoky though and the cumin was unmistakable. I did like the crunch from the mild coleslaw though.
Heading onto our 3rd sammie, we had the Sarah made up of tamarind chicken with Asian slaw, sesame ginger oil and aioli. As much as there was tamarind, the dominant flavours were sesame and ginger as well as the garlicky aioli. Combined with the tart slaw, this was obviously Asian-tasting. I would've liked to see much more tamarind zip. Lastly, we had the Jackie consisting of a sweet pork & 5-spice sausage with pickle Asian slaw & aioli. Once though the nice snap of the casing, the meat was moist and somewhat chunky. Naturally, it was sweet with the kick of 5-spice, in particular the star anise and fennel. I liked this "sandwich" but there could've been something more such as arugula or watercress to add some peppery-bitterness to counteract the sweetness. Of note, all of their sandwiches features Cobs bread.
As mentioned, we had a side of Crisps as well. These razor-thin potatoes slices were super airy and as the name states - crispy. These were a good compliment to the sandwiches. And about those sammies, they were generally pretty good. One thing we would've liked to see was more bold flavours. Also, the portion size was somewhat small as we dusted off the 4 sammies with relative ease (basically 2 per person). Otherwise, Smokehouse Sandwich Co. is a nice departure from the regular in Richmond.
The Good:
- It's not Asian food in Richmond
- Interesting combos
- Nice people
The Bad:
- Could use bolder flavours
- Could be slightly larger in size
Boy, I haven't had eats with Vandelay for a very long time. Seems like he is always busy with the kids. Wait, why am I not busy? Hmm... Viv better not be reading this! Anyways, we decided to meet up at The Railway Club for some barley sandwiches. As I attempted to take a picture of the front, it appeared that I would have to stand right in the bike lane to get a wide enough shot. Finally, the bike lane was put to good use!
We decided to share 2 items starting with the Rueben accompanied by a Creamy Vegetable Soup. The sandwich was pretty typical with corned beef, melted cheese and sauerkraut. The exterior was crispy while the meat inside was on the drier side. I felt the whole thing could've used more meat, yet the inclusion of hot mustard really amped the flavours. As for the soup, it was more watery than creamy, but there was a decent amount of veggies. Flavourwise, it was pretty mild.
Our second item was the Derailer Burger with a house-made patty, blue cheese, bacon and the usual stuff on a soft bun. I liked how the bun was moist and airy, but they "stabilized" it by placing the burger in a sandwich press for a touch. The patty itself was not juicy, yet was not too dry either. The burger was saucy and messy. Love the Cajun Wedges as they were crunchy with a touch of spice. Although far from great food, the stuff we had at the Railway Club filled our tummies without offending.
The Good:
- Relatively inexpensive
- Acceptable food given the venue
The Bad:
- Yes, it's got some history, but the interior looks dated
- Strange quasi-counter service that isn't really apparent unless you ask
"You gotta try these Choy Yok Bao (Pork & Veggie Bun)", exclaimed my mom with much enthusiasm. I nodded to acknowledge her, but I'm not a huge fan of big buns filled with meat (wait, that doesn't sound right...). She kept bugging me and I never got around to trying them. Well Viv did and she thought they were not bad. So while I was in Chinatown, I ended up visiting Sun Fresh Bakery myself to get some meaty buns...
So what's this fuss about the Pork & Veggie Bun (Napa cabbage in this case) anyways? There was a lineup where everyone seemed to be ordering it. I got some fresh from the steamer and boy were they massive. For $1.25, one could get full from just one (or maybe two if you're hungry). Although I liked the soft fluffy bun, the filling was very greasy. It made the inside overly moist and soggy. Naturally, this meant the meat filling was super moist and flavourful with mildy crunchy bits of cabbage. Since I couldn't just buy one item, I got some Dai Bao, literally translated as "big bun" as well. I liked this one more as the filling was more lean consisting of ham, egg yolk, green onion and pork.
For the heck of it, I also got the Pineapple Bun (no pineapples in it, just looks like one). I found the dough to be on the denser drier side, which I wasn't fond of. The topping was crispy and sweet though. Lastly, we tried the Taro Root Pudding which was a total disappointment. It was dense with hard chunks of taro (where it should be soft). It was also rather bland as well. As much as there is hype surrounding the Pork & Veggie Bun, I found it only average and very greasy. I guess the low price and large portion size makes it a steal. For me, I'll just stick with the Dai Bao and even with that, I'd get the one from New Town instead.
The Good:
- Large steamed buns
- Cheap
- Friendly people
The Bad:
- Their signature bun is too greasy
- Pastry dough is too dense IMO
- Taro pudding not very good
Way back in 2009, I was invited to my very first media dinner at Irashai Grill (now Aki Japanese). That is where I met Joyce of Vanfoodies (an under-rated blog in my opinion) for the first time. From then on, we had seen each other at various events but to never actually sit down and have a meal together. With a pending invite to try the Taiwanese tasting menu at Mosaic, the time had finally arrived. And yes, Mosaic again... Hey, it hasn't let me down before, so it was really a no-brainier.
The menu was inspired by Chef Heinrich's recent visit to Taiwan. We started with the Fish Ball with Scallion & Pork Dust "Soup". This featured fish balls made of ling cod, scallop, ground pork and ginger with dried shrimp & porcini puree. I found the overly ample amount of broth to be on the saltier side with a definite ginger hit. The puree smeared on one side of the bowl was aromatic and Earthy which added another layer of flavour. As for the fish balls, I found them a bit softer than I would've liked but that was a result
of the chosen ingredients. I could really taste the natural sweetness as well as more hints of ginger. I thought the wine pairing of the Gray Monk Riesling as a necessity where the sweetness brought balance. Next up was the Hakka Tea Crusted Line Caught Ling Cod with ginger peanut mochi, green onion puree and lemon vinegar fluid gel. This was an overall balanced dish that resembled Japanese more than Taiwanese. As Joyce remarked, the crust was more matcha-tasting than anything else. I found the fish to be flaky and moist with a nice crisp exterior. When combined with all of the ingredients, there was a little of everything including the necessary acidity from the gel.
My favourite dish of the night had to be the 5-Spiced Braised Pork Belly with daikon, baby leeks and fried lotus root chips. I found the pork belly to be expertly prepared as the meat was moist while the fat exhibited a gelatinous texture (which was pleasant to eat). The reduced braising liquid was silky and full of flavour. Naturally, with the use of 5-spice, the licorice and cinnamon flavours really came through which was a nice compliment to the belly. Finally, we had a Taiwanese classic being the Pineapple Cake with kiwi puree and pineapple
chip. There was supposed to be a scoop of sesame ice cream, but it was served before being plated. I thought they did a good job with the cake as the exterior was crumbly and buttery. As for the inside, the pineapple was not overly sweet and had a nice candied texture. Interesting, both Joyce and I thought the kiwi puree was the beneficiary of some plum (since it was so sweet and tangy), but it was only kiwi. Overall, I thought Chef Heinrich did a pretty good job with the Taiwanese-inspired menu as 3 out of the 4 dishes were on the money.
*Note - this was an invited dinner where all food was comped except for gratuities
The Good:
- Once again, it is nice to see something different (especially from a hotel restaurant)
- Nicely executed proteins
- With wine pairings for $65.00, it remains a good value
The Bad:
- The broth was a bit salty for my tastes
- For the authenticity police, it might call for an arrest, but this menu was inspired by Taiwanese food (not supposed to be Taiwanese food)
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