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At one point, meeting my mother-in-law for Dim Sum was akin to a full cavity search without lube. Hence, my care meter for such as experience was a negative number, if that is possible. We actually had gone to Golden Lake awhile back (before the Pelican disaster), but I decided not to write the post because of PTMS (post-traumatic MIL syndrome). However, with Popper and Poppette wanting to meet for Dim Sum at the very same Golden Lake, I found my inspiration to write a post after all.
We haven't been back to Golden Lake since it had just opened, so this was a great opportunity to see if it was still as good as we had remembered. They left the ordering up to me, which was a mistake on their part. All the food came at once and we had to resort to stacking. I gave the Haw Gow a try first where the thin, slightly chewy skin gave way to large pieces of crunchy buttery shrimp exhibiting plenty of sesame oil. In theory, the Sui Mai were very good since the meat was moist and bouncy while the shrimp had a sweet snap. However, there was far too much MSG which made the dumpling too flavourful.
Trying to dig through the mountain of food, I was able to sample the Spareribs with Crystal Noodles. This was a large portion served in a hot pot (hence more expensive too). The noodles were chewy while still moist while the garlicky and savoury sauce penetrated to the bottom of the pot. As for the spareribs, they were meaty with some chew (yet with not much bounce). The Fried Squid was both good and bad on one plate. As for the good, the squid itself was tender with some snap while the batter was nicely seasoned. The subsequent wok toss added some spice, however, most of the batter had slid off each piece.
Initially, I tried to pass the Fried Chicken Knees as nuggets to the kids. No dice, oh well, it was worth a shot right? These were really crunchy albeit greasy. There was far too much baking powder which made the batter overwhelm the small pieces of chicken knees. Furthermore, the wok toss of peppers and salt did not really adhere either. As much as I like different variations of certain dishes, I wasn't a huge fan of the seaweed in the Shrimp Spring Rolls. If I have to do extra chewing past the crunchy exterior, in my mind that lessens the enjoyment. Beyond that, the shrimp had a nice snap while the level of grease was quite high.
Moving on, I found the Bean Curd Skin Roll a touch firm, but still good though. The filling featured bouncy pork mixed with a good amount of mushrooms and shrimp which helped "loosen" the firmness somewhat. With just the right consistency, the sauce was flavourful without an over reliance on salt. With an equally impactful sauce, the Stuffed Eggplant was another successful dish. Normally, most black bean sauces are merely watered down atrocities, but this one tasted garlicky and savoury. As for the eggplant, it was fried nicely being tender and not mushy. The shrimp mousse had a nice bounce as well.
My son loved the Fried Taro Dumplings despite the inclusion of a Portuguese sauce. I personally like the regular kind but this was okay as the flavours were quite mild. The dumpling was fried properly and the taro was well-seasoned and soft. And of course we had to get the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice) for the kiddies. They liked it as it was definitely glutinous and moist (maybe a tad too moist). The plethora of ingredients ensured even more moisture and seasoning for the rice. I found it to be relatively mild-tasting though.
Our last 2 savoury dishes were the XO Fried Daikon Pudding and the Xiao Long Bao. For being fried, the cubes of daikon pudding were pretty soft while not particularly crispy. Despite that, the grease level was kept to a minimum and the wok toss did infuse some spice. As for the XLBs, they were respectable for a Cantonese restaurant. The skin was relatively thin while the filling was loose and mushy. Flavourwise, it tasted like a pork dumpling with a small amount of soup. For dessert, we had the Egg Tarts which were pretty good, if not really buttery (or lardy). The filling was rather light and only mildly sweet. In the end, most of the food was pretty good with a few issues here and there. Considering its location (where there is not a whole of other Dim Sum joints around), Golden Lake remains a decent option.
The Good:
- Decent Dim Sum for the area
- Lots of choice
- They have their own parking lot (albeit super tight)
The Bad:
- Not the most spacious of restaurants
- Not expensive, but not cheap either
Okay, for those who don't already know (which is not many), Thai House is a successful chain of restaurants in the GVRD. And I'm also sure you know that many people consider it the McDonald's of Thai food as well. Sure, the food is middle-of-the-road and safe for the general public, but really, that is the whole point. People forget that restaurants, much like other businesses, exist to make a profit. Hence, many restaurants appeal to the lowest common denominator. Since I've never blogged about the Thai House, I gathered up the family to go for their AYCE brunch at the Kits location.
Despite not being cheap at $17.00 per person, the AYCE brunch is a good way to sample many different dishes at a fixed cost. We've done the AYCE in the past and it is generally a good idea to have a bigger party. However, that didn't prevent Viv and I from ordering far too much food. We started with the Tom Yum Goong soup which was surprisingly decent. With large meaty shrimp and an array of flavours such as lemongrass, galangal and fish sauce, the soup had a mild spice. Next was the Fried Calamari which was pretty much more or less standard with a crunchy breading. The squid was sufficiently tender, but the dip was far too sweet.
Onto something everyone liked, including the kiddies, was the Fried Chicken Wings. Consistent with many other Asian versions, these were big in size and super juicy. With a nice contrasting crunchy exterior, these were executed really well. The accompanying sauce was a good combination of tart, sweet and some spice. Another kiddie favourite was the Pad See-Iw (rice noodles with beef, egg and broccoli). Although the noodles were a touch soft, the dish wasn't bad. There was a good amount of tender beef and crisp veggies. With only a light kiss of soy, the noodles were mild tasting, which worked for the kiddies.
For the adults, we had the Pad Thai. It is no secret that tamarind is not used in their version of the dish, instead giving way to ketchup and sweet chili sauce. Now, that is a bone of contention for the authenticity police. For me, I understand the reason as not everyone likes tamarind (I have quite a few friends who don't). Personally, I prefer the tamarind (and spicier) version, but this one was alright for what it's worth. The noodles were still chewy while the usual ingredients such as pressed tofu, shrimp, pickled turnip, peanuts and bean sprouts were present. Onto the Chicken Lettuce Wrap, I found that there was caramelization due to the high wok heat, yet the flavours were muted in general. The veggies were still vibrant while the pieces of lettuce were trimmed neatly.
Moving onto some curries, we had the Chicken Green Curry and Beef Red Curry. We found the green curry to taste remarkably like the Thai House packaged sauces. I guess this statement could be interpreted 2 ways. Either it can be considered as consistency across the board or formula chain restaurant food. Whatever the case, it was fine for what it was. It was on the creamier side with mild flavours and only a smidgen of heat. The same could be said about the red curry as well. Personally, I prefer my red curries to be less thick and creamy with much more spice. Yet then again, they are appealing to a wider audience.
We liked the Green Beans with Chicken in Chiang Mai Sauce as there was a caramelization of flavours and a nice dryness to the dish. Hence, the beans were vibrant and crunchy while the chicken was flavourful. On a side note, I've only seen this version of green beans served at the Thai House, so I'm not even sure what "Chiang Mai Sauce" truly represents. Whatever the case, it had a good combination of spice, salt and palm sugar. Lastly, we had the Thai Garlic Pork that was more sweet and salty rather than garlicky. The pork was moist and soaked with flavour, but in the end, it was just too sweet.
To end off the meal, we got a few scoops of Mango and Coconut Ice Cream. For an AYCE, the inclusion of ice cream was a definite treat. Now if we look at the price, $17.95 is pretty steep for lunch, no matter how much you eat. Yet, Thai food in general has never been necessarily that inexpensive either. For what Thai House is about, the food was fine. Was it super-authentic Thai? Well no, but their target market does not necessarily want tamarind nor mind-blowing spiciness. Rather, the food we ate was safe, accessible and generally pretty good (if you take everything into consideration). Sometimes, hating something due to the fear of others judging you is not a good enough reason.
The Good:
- Safe Thai food
- Lots of choice
- Attentive service
The Bad:
- Not "Thai" enough for some people
- Artistic interpretations in some dishes
There are somethings in the world that truly perplex me. Actually, that would make a lot of things - I suppose like why does Rob Ford have so much to eat at home? Or why are there stop signs in Richmond when spike strips would probably be more effective? Well, something I constantly wonder is how some restaurants stay in business despite being mediocre. There is a simple answer to this, but I'll leave it for the end of this post.
Meeting up with Grace, we decided to try a restaurant I had frequented in the past. While I was doing an IT program in Downtown (over 10 years ago), we would have lunch often at Oysi Oysi. So I guess it was long enough for a re-visit right? We decided to try the Beef Hot Pot which was served on a chaffing tray. The dashi broth was on the sweeter side with full flavour (maybe a bit too much). The thin slices of beef were sufficiently tender while the Napa cabbage was still somewhat crunchy. I found the vermicelli to be too soft though. We also got 1/2 doz. Oysters on the half-shell. These were kept live in the fish tank in the front, hence, they were naturally sweet and fresh-tasting.
To round out the meal, we shared Combo A which included some pretty thin slices of Sashimi. Although the portion size was meager, the fish was acceptable where it still had a fresh sheen. I wasn't a huge fan of the Tempura though as the batter was far too thick and doughy. In fact, it really wasn't all that crispy in spots due to it. Furthermore, I found the temperature to be lukewarm. As for the Chicken Teriyaki, it was decent with a really crispy and rendered skin while the meat was a bit on the dry side. The teriyaki sauce was pretty typical, but at least it wasn't over-used. For the items we had, nothing was particularly great, yet neither was anything terrible either. Hence, it proves that middle-of-the-road restaurants succeed in Vancouver, especially when location is on their side.
The Good:
- Relatively comfortable seating
- Convenient for the lunch crowd
The Bad:
- Average "Japanese" food
While I was milling around before the Foodtograhy tour, I contemplated about picking of some goodies to bring home. I think the contemplation lasted about 5 seconds. Of course I would buy some items to try... duh... I was so committed, that I had to run back to the car with the goodies as quick as I could. After all, I didn't want to hold up the tour! Once home, I had no choice but to share with the kiddies as they love this kind of stuff. Me thinks, I should've bought more...
We started with the Croissant and it was indeed flaky and crisp on the outside. Although buttery, I would've liked it a touch more airy inside. Regardless of this, it was a pretty solid croissant. I still happen to like the one from Faubourg and Chez Christophe more (Beaucoup makes a good one too, but I didn't have a good experience last time). Naturally, the Chocolate Croissant was equally crisp and in fact, crispier. The interior was exactly like the regular croissant. Hence, the chocolate got a bit lost within the density. Again, a good offering nonetheless.
Continuing on the topic of dense, I found the Savoury Cheese Scone to be on the heavier side. I did like the exterior as there was a light crunch and saltiness. However, there were pockets of saltiness here and there which were a bit too much. Fortunately, there was not an overabundance of cheese, which lessened the effect. The herbs including green onion added a nice background flavour though. The kids fought over the Bacon Twist as it was lightly crispy with plenty of buttery goodness. Adding to the mix was a strip of bacon which added both saltiness and chew.
As for the Cinnamon Bun, it was also appealingly firm on the outer ring of bread while soft on the inner portion. Naturally, it was sweeter and stickier as it got closer to the middle and bottom. Although plenty sweet, I found it not sickeningly so. Furthermore, the cinnamon was not overwhelming. My favourite of the bunch was the Brownie as it was just dense enough to give a rich chocolaty texture without resembling fudge. Hence, it was closer to a heavy cake. It was topped with salted caramel that made up for the mild sweetness.
Since I was there for the food tour, I also got to try the Praline Mini Tartlet and Lemon Meringue Tartlet. I liked the firmness of the tart shells as it held up to the fillings. The lemon curd was both mildly sweet and tart. I found the chocolate and the hazelnut in the praline tart to be appealing and balanced. It wasn't too sweet while I could get the aroma of the nuts. So from the diverse array of goods we tried at Cadeaux, nothing was particularly outstanding (except the kids loved the bacon twist), however, everything was more than acceptable.
The Good:
- Above average
- Simple, yet modern space
The Bad:
- Being where it is located doesn't mean it costs any less
- Limited seating
Up until recently, I believed that Lin Chinese Cuisine had the best Shanghainese food on the Westside of Vancouver. Well, that is no longer true as my latest visit yielded less-than-impressive eats. And there was The Place and its wonderful Xiao Long Bao which has become less-than-wonderful. Okay, now what? Where can we get decent Shanghainese West of Main Street? Well, apparently Ramen House could be it. Ramen house? Japanese? Nope, Ramen (as in Lai Mein) in the Chinese sense of the word. We ended up traveling to the Westside from our hockey game in North Van to give it a shot.
The first item to hit the table was the Hot & Sour Soup. Although it was on the paler side, the flavour was there in the form of vinegar and spiciness predominantly from white pepper. I would've personally preferred chili oil and/or actually chili flakes, however, the soup was far from bland. Texturally, there was the usual wood ear mushroom and bamboo shoots along with cold-water shrimp and interesting imitation crab meat. Of note, there was a bit too much salt. Next up was the Xiao Long Bao which were freshly made prior to steaming. These featured a relatively thin dumpling skin all the way to the top swirl. This was both good and bad since it meant that it broke quite easily. Inside, the ground pork was soft and not gritty while there was plenty of soup. I didn't notice much in the way of ginger nor xiaoshing wine though, rather, the soup tasted quite meaty.
Onto our favourite dish, the Dan Dan Noodles (which are also made in house) were laced with an aesthetically-pleasing sauce. The noodles themselves were chewy, yet somewhat sticky. The combination of roasted peanuts, chili oil, a touch of soy, chili paste and an ever small dab of sesame paste was fantastic being flavourful with only a purposeful amount of spice. Next, we had the Shanghai Fried Rice Cake. At first, the appearance was unsettling as it was pale and looked like it lacked wok heat. It was partially true, but it was not devoid of flavour. However, I would've liked to see more dark soy. The rice cakes were soft while maintaining their hallmark chewiness. There was a good amount of Napa cabbage, but not much spinach. The slivers of pork were tender and not fatty.
We also tried the Wine Chicken which was a pretty large portion for $7.99. Although it was practically swimming in wine sauce, it was rather weak. There was a very mild xiaoshing wine hit and it really didn't penetrate the chicken meat very much. As for the chicken itself, it was pretty moist, including the white meat. I liked the chicken skin as it was gelatinous while exhibiting a layer of gelatin underneath. Lastly, we has the Eggplant with Chili Sauce. It was stir-fried with slivered pork, wood ear mushrooms and bamboo shoots. The eggplant was on the softer side while the other ingredients added crunch. There was a good spice level from the chili oil, yet there was a touch too much salt once again. Ultimately, despite its shortcomings, Ramen House does the trick in terms of Shanghainese food on the Westside.
The Good:
- Decent, especially for the Westside
- XLB's are respectable and freshly made
- Good service
The Bad:
- A bit heavy with the grease and salt
- Some items are a little pricey
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