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Okay admit it. It's easy to give AYCE joints a hard time. Think of it, with their quantity before quality stigma and the most obvious criticism of all - the food just ain't going to compare with a regular sit-down meal. Fair enough. Heck, I prescribe to that argument as well! However, I find it far too easy to jump on the negativity band-wagon as it is much easier to criticize than to hand out compliments. In fact, there are many more negative words in the dictionary than positive ones! Despite not being a huge fan of AYCE Japanese food, the lure of $1.00 per child with every paying adult at Kingsway Sushi couldn't be ignored. Since we hadn't been to the place in 4 years, we went in with an open mind.
Although I don't usually comment on Edamame because there is very little to talk about, I would like to mention that these were as hard as little pebbles. It was not easy for the kids to eat them. Furthermore, they were not seasoned in any fashion. The Spinach Gomae was okay with tender pieces (albeit big) of spinach dressed in the typical sweet sesame dressing. Viv didn't like the Kimchi because it was more salty than spicy. As for the Ebi Sunomono, it was also alright with a balanced sweet and tangy dressing with chewy noodles. And the Green Salad was well, a green salad with some ginger-carrot dressing. Moving onto the Sashimi, we had Sockeye Salmon, Tuna, Hokkigai, Makaeral and Geoduck. For an AYCE, we thought everything was decent with the right textures and fresh appearance. Of course the knife skills were not exactly neat, but whatever, we were not going to care about that here.
It was unfortunate that the Beef Short Ribs were stone cold because they were decently tender with some chewy parts. We liked how they weren't over-marinaded, hence we could still taste the meat. The thin slices of Black Cod were fine texturally, but the marinade was far too strong and overpowered the delicate flesh. They were also pretty cold. Hygienically-speaking, it was nice to see them use tart tins rather than re-using shells with the Oyster Motoyaki. The small pieces of oyster were fine while the sauce was more clumpy than creamy. The Fried Fish as actually quite good since it was served hot and crunchy. The flesh itself was moist and flaky. As much as it is billed as Fried Scallops on the menu, we all know that it was really fried pollack. Considering this, it was decent being hot and crispy.
Onto my son's favourite, the Ebi Tempura was less than impressive. The batter was laid on thicker than makeup on Christina Aguilera. Hence, it was doughy and not all that crispy. The fact it was on the lukewarm side didn't help matters. Furthermore, the shrimp was soft and lacking any texture. Something interesting on the menu was the "Sundaes". Of course, being curious, we got one each of the Lobster, Scallop and Shrimp. In reality, these were plain sushi rolls topped with various ingredients. Not sure why it qualified as a "sundae". Anyways, they weren't bad since there was a good topping-to-sushi rice ratio. The scallop with lychee was the best of the bunch.
Next up, the Beef Tataki was decent whereby the slices were thin and nicely raw with only small ring of sear. The dressing was tangy enough. I was surprised with the Popcorn Oysters as they were crunchy while moist inside. I didn't like the Fried Smelt though as it was cold and not crispy. The Chicken Karaage was plenty crunchy though, albeit a touch overdone. The only roll sushi that we ordered was the Cheezy Roll with processed cheese. Yah, I didn't really like that either. The rice was more like regular than sushi rice. We found the Gyozas acceptable with a thin crispy skin while the filling was a decent mix of pork and veggies. The Chicken Teriyaki was pretty typical to this type of AYCE, but the NY Steak Skewer was strange as the meat had been tenderized to the point it was bouncy rather than chewy. Lastly, we tried the desserts including once each Coconut, Mango and Baked Tapioca Pudding. Pretty standard stuff, but at least there was selection. In the end, this visit pretty much validates the quantity over quality argument. However, it was more than edible, so I'll give them that.
The Good:
- Although not great, it's okay for AYCE
- Lots of choice
- Service was surprisingly decent
The Bad:
- Most hot items were lukewarm
- It won't be mistaken for real Japanese food
Generally, I can be a pretty poor listener at times. I end up tuning out whatever someone is saying until key words are used. This was the case with Whipping Girl as she was yammering about her usual exploits. I did my best to give a few head nods and answer with generic phrases to give the impression I was interested. As I was just about to doze off, I heard "reasonably-priced French food" at Absinthe Bistro on Commercial. She was raving about the place (that I've been wanting to visit anyways) and kept bugging me to go. So I finally made a reservation for 4 including the likes of Darina and Ned Flanders.
Everything about Absinthe is simple, from the basic yet warm dining space to the focused 9 item menu (3 appies, entrees, desserts each). As such, we tried everything starting with my Creamy Carrot Cumin Soup. I've had many carrot soups, but they were able to elevate it where I wanted to lick the bowl. It was super smooth and creamy with lots of body. The cumin definitely announced itself, including a certain level of spice. Next, Whipping Girl had the Salmon Tartare with Asian flavours and wakame. This came as advertised with a predominant sesame oil hit that was a natural accompaniment to the crunchy wakame and buttery soft salmon. I liked how the seasoning did not inhibit the natural sweetness of the fish.
Both Darina and Ned Flanders had the Wagyu Beef Carpaccio dressed with mustard, capers and fleur de sel. Being rare Wagyu beef, it wasn't exactly super moist (fats were not activated from cooking), hence there was a slight chew. However, the flavours were purposeful and impactful. The saltiness combined with the mustard and natural beef flavour was fantastic. For her main, Darina had the Pan-Seared Scallops with sauteed spinach, beurre blanc sauce and potato puree. Seared a beautiful golden brown, the large scallops were barely done. Hence, they were buttery soft with nice caramelized flavours that accented the natural sweetness. The delicate beurre blanc did not interfere with star of the dish.
Whipping Girl had the Coq of Vin which featured a chicken leg with mushrooms, carrots, potato puree and a beautiful demi. The chicken itself was sufficiently moist since it was the dark meat. What really brought the dish together was the Earthiness of the mushrooms combined with the full-bodied demi. Ned Flanders and I decided on the Slow Braised Lamb Shank in a red wine tomato sauce with parsnip puree. Before we even got to the meat, the beautiful sauce won us over. It was tart without being too acidic and really showcased the red wine essence. It was super impactful where it didn't rely too heavily on salt. Naturally, this only helped make the sufficiently tender and gelatinous lamb taste even better. Of note, I enjoyed the Earthy parsnip puree on the side.
For dessert, we ended sharing 3 beginning with the Classic French Vanilla Creme Brulee. Although the burnt surface was not hard, it didn't detract from the strong flavours. The creamy custard livened our taste buds with fresh vanilla bean and caramel. We all agreed that this was one of the more powerful versions of this dessert as each bite had impact. Next, I tried the Molten Chocolate Lava Cake with house-made vanilla bean Ice Cream. Another solid dessert as it featured a soft cake that revealed a semi-sweet molten core. The whole thing had a nice dark chocolate flavour without relying on much sugar. Moreover, the smooth ice cream didn't hurt things either.
Lastly, we tried the Lemon Tart with house-made vanilla bean ice cream. We were not sure if they had baked the tart shell as long as they did on purpose or not. Whatever the case, it was extremely firm and nutty (due to the browning). I liked the crunchiness as it was a nice compliment to the smooth and creamy lemon custard. I found it not overly tangy while being just sweet enough. Okay, so Whipping Girl is right. I guess listening to her one in awhile might yield positive results. As for Absinthe, there is no doubt in my mind that it is a must-try in Vancouver if we take price, portion size and quality of food into account.
The Good:
- Focused menu
- Reasonably-priced
- Purposeful and impactful flavours
The Bad:
- Super small, make a rez
- For those who want more selection...
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
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