skip to main |
skip to sidebar
I'm sure it is not lost upon many that the former Sammy J Peppers was not famous for their food. And to be blunt, the main draw was the waitresses... end story. Yes, I did eat at the place a few times with unimpressive results. Hence, the closure of several locations didn't really surprise many people. Recently, I was contacted by the rebranded Sammy J's (no more peppers) to try out their revamped menu that features what they like to call "casual food with attitude". Instead of heading to the closest location to me in Coquitlam, I made the hike out to South Surrey to check out their flagship.
To help me try as many items as possible, I enlisted the help of Costanza and Elaine (and Viv actually decided to join me for once). We were seated in a comfortable table complete with sofa-like seating. With windows abound in the quasi-solarium, it felt like we were sitting outside. We were started off with a stack of Baby Back Dry Ribs served with house-made BBQ sauce. These were meaty and crispy on the outside (with ample salt & pepper) while the meat was falling-off-the-bone moist. The BBQ sauce was a good compliment as it was spicy, sweet and almost tamarind-like with a noticeable tang. Next was the Twisted Tails which were essentially panko-crusted Atlantic lobster tails. We liked the breading as it was crispy while the lobster meat was buttery and sweet (originally, we were concerned the lobster would be overwhelmed, but it was not). These were served with a habanero cream which was purposely spicy.
Arriving on a sizzling cast iron plate, we sampled the Teppanyaki Steak Skillet consisting of 8 ounces of Certified Angus Beef tossed with braised cabbage & teriyaki sauce topped with scallions and sesame seeds. We found the dish to be overly saucy, yet we did like the cubes of medium-rare steak as it was tender with a bit of chew. The teriyaki sauce was on the saltier side (and the evaporation didn't help matters) though. Onto somewhat lighter fare, we sampled the Cabo Wabo Tacos with grilled fresh tortillas, slow-roasted pulled short rib, corn, black beans, cabbage, avocado, salsa fresca, habanero cream, cilantro & cheddar. As much as the ingredients suggested a flavour explosion, it was more mild in reality. We liked the grilled tortillas as they had a nice chewy texture while the short rib was very tender. One thing that we would've liked to see was more acidity to liven up the flavours. Moreover, I wasn't convinced that cheddar was necessarily the right choice of cheese as it was heavy.
Moving onto the mains, we had the New Orleans Combo Skillet featuring a 5 oz certified Angus steak, scallops, jumbo prawns & veggies in Cajun cream atop white cheddar mash with a drizzle of hot sauce. This came in a super sizzling hot cast iron plate where the Cajun cream began to separate. Hence, it looked and ate quite greasy. With that being said, the sauce was very good. It had a nice balance of savoury and spicy elements that did not overwhelm. The creamy mash soaked up the sauce which made it extra rich and even more flavourful (as it had plenty from the cheddar already). It almost resembled spicy cheese grits. The steak itself was tender and a nicely prepared medium-rare while the prawns had a good cold-water snap. The small scallops became somewhat rubbery from the hot plate though. Prior to this, we got a sample of their Cheeseburger Caesar. Yup, you're not seeing things, look a the picture, nothing more needs to be said.
Our next dish was the Tequila Habanero Meatloaf made with Angus beef, bacon & aged cheddar topped with tequila BBQ habanero sauce. It was served with the aforementioned mash, veggies and crispy onions. I found the meatloaf to be moist with plenty of meatiness as it wasn't overprocessed. There was definitely spice with equal amount of sweetness accented by a tequila finish. We thought the meatloaf could've been a slightly larger portion though. Although it was sporting a beautiful golden crust, the Pan Seared Alaskan Halibut was on the drier side. However, the ample amount of chipotle lime butter sauce helped the cause in terms of moisture and overall impact. The spice was noticeable and lingered beyond each bite. It did finish with a sweetness to balance it out.
Sporting 7 humungous cold-water prawns, the Seafood Linguine also featured scallops, grape tomatoes and lemon pepper tossed in a white wine garlic cream sauce. This was a complete 180 from the previous dishes as the flavour profile was really mild with only small hints of garlic and wine. The sauce was definitely creamy, but there was a bit too much of it. The star of the dish was prawns, as they had a buttery snap. Off to dessert, we were presented with the Red Velvet Cake. We liked the thin layer of sweet icing as there was just enough of it without overwhelming the entire slice. The cake itself was really moist, yet it was mostly due to the addition of more oil which made it almost banana-bread like in texture. Finally, we tried Reese's Peanut Butter Pie and that was freakin' fantastic. It was smooth and creamy while not reliant on sugar for flavour. Rather, it was nutty and aromatic with a wonderful chocolate crunch crust. Overall, we found the food to be an improvement compared to the past. With that being said, some dishes could benefit from a few tweaks as their pricing is on par with its direct competitors.
*All food and drinks except for gratuities were comped*
The Good:
- Appeals to a more diverse clientele as opposed to before
- Sauces are impactful and spicy
- Wonderful open-space seating
The Bad:
- On the pricier side of the chain restaurants continuum
- Skillets are neat, but may cause havoc with some of the sauces
After a relatively light meal at Yo Ramen, Miss Y and I decided to grab some dessert. Yes, you heard me right, for dessert. I think the last time we had sweets in Downtown, she was over an hour late, leaving me to my scones and finger sandwiches at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. With that clearly in my various nightmares, I was happy that the timing was under my control as I was driving. And there I drove all way down Robson to Nero Belgian Waffle Bar. Luckily for us, we were early enough to score a table as a lineup quickly ensued (there are only like 6 tables).
We decided on the Dame Blanche and the Heaven. The Dame Blanche consisted of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and dark Belgian chocolate on our choice of a Brussels waffle. As advertised, the waffle was airy and light while super crispy. It wasn't incredibly sweet which was a good thing as the chocolate and ice cream made up for it. I would've liked to see more bitterness with the chocolate though. Miss Y liked how there was just enough of it.
Next, the Heaven was simply sliced strawberries and whipped cream. We selected the Liege waffle for this. It was effectively sweeter due to the sugar content with a nice chewy texture with pockets of crunch. This went well with the lighter and milder tasting ingredients. With the 2 waffles we tried, we were sufficiently impressed with the overall quality and execution. It was something that was memorable enough that warranted return visits.
The Good:
- Carefully prepared
- Waffles are on point
- Sweet but not overly sweet
The Bad:
- Dark chocolate could be more bitter and less sweet
- Can get pricey
Here we go with another coupon I purchased online on a whim. I figured that a little ol' ramen shop would be an easy place to visit due to it's casual nature. However, as with many of these deals, there was certain restrictions which made it more difficult. Since we couldn't use it for lunch nor weekends, it only meant we could go on a weekday night. Furthermore, with an 8:00pm sharp closing time, we'd have to get there early too. With the punctuality of Miss Y involved, that meant we missed it and had to go to Bin 941 instead. This time around, I made sure we made it in time...
The deal included an appetizer consisting of a Green Salad and Fried Gyozas. For something as simple as mixed greens, the "dressing" was somewhat of a surprise. A combination of onions, ginger and pineapple, it was sweet with a mild tartness. We didn't mind the gyozas either as they were crunchy while not oily. The filling was slightly dense with only a moderate amount of greens. Flavourwise, it was more meaty than anything else. We would've liked to have a dedicated dip rather than plain soy sauce (we did add chili oil though). Miss Y went for the Tonkotsu Ramen that also featured a few drops of chili oil. We actually didn't mind it but the soup itself did not have much depth, rather, it relied on salt. It wasn't creamy where the bone marrow would seep into the broth after an extensive boil.
For myself, I went for the Shio Ramen and it was a very light broth. It wasn't as salty as I would've imagined, but that was a good thing. The noodles were toothsome and remained so until the end. I wasn't a huge fan of the egg as it was a bit too salty (and I prefer soft yolk anyways). As for the chashu, it was lean and meaty. It wasn't particularly flavourful not overly tender either (but it wasn't chewy). Overall, we didn't dislike our meal, but it wasn't memorable either. With all the other ramen choices in town, I would rather try their Korean dishes instead.
The Good:
- Owner seems genuine
- Okay pricing
The Bad:
- Average eats
- As expected (from the menu), ramen is more Korean-style than Japanese
While we were dining at Black Dragon Sushi, I looked across the street at the London Drugs parking lot. You see, tucked within the parking lot is another Japanese restaurant called Kiku Sushi. That, was originally our dining destination before a couple of people had mentioned that they had changed up the kitchen staff. Alright, what the heck was I thinking? Has online reviews ever prevented me from trying a place and seeing for myself? No, not really. So within 2 days of eating at Black Dragon, we headed out to Kiku.
At our table, there was a placard that featured a Lobster Deluxe Sashimi ($37.95) with a $2.00 option for a Lobster Udon Soup course. That seemed like a good deal and indeed it was. In addition to the lobster tail, there was salmon, tuna, tai and hokkigai with 3 mini octopus. The sashimi was decent with proper textures where the lobster was sweet, but a bit soft. Once we were done with the boat, they took the head and claws to make the udon broth. Although they didn't have a lot of time to squeeze more flavour out of the lobster shells, the soup was still pretty sweet and tasty. Obviously, they used seasoning as a substitute. We had the option to add even more udon, but we were pretty full at this point (the udon actually came last).
Another item off the placard was the Tuna Oil Tataki. Consisting of 11 large slices of tuna which were dressed with ponzu, ginger, green onion and scalding hot oil, this was not bad. The pieces of tuna were only slightly cooked on the outside while still raw on the inside. There was a nice balance of flavours with some acidity and natural sweetness. However, we would've liked to see more grated ginger and salt. Next, we had the Assorted Tempura with a variety of veggies and 3 prawns. The batter was really crispy and relatively light. It was not overly greasy while everything was cooked just right.
We ended up with 2 specialty rolls starting with the Pink Roll made with salmon and avocado on the inside and smoked salmon on the outside. This was an extremely mild tasting concoction that was a bit heavy on the rice. And about that rice, it was on the firmer side and packed slightly too tight. It also could've used a bit more seasoning. Next, we had the Kiku Roll consisting of ebi tempura and cucumber on the inside with unagi and avocado on the outside. Again, it was a bit rice heavy which diluted the flavours and textures. For once, I would've preferred more sauce.
Since I love the dish, I decided to order the Tiger Mayo (like ebi mayo). Unfortunately, this was terrible as the scrawny prawns were completely overcooked. Hence, they were rubbery and not very appealing. I think the major issue here was the lack of batter which would've kept the prawns moist and providing a nice crunch on the outside. It was a good thing that the Ebi Gyoza was significantly better. The shrimp were large and meaty while the pork filling had an interesting spiciness. It didn't taste like a typical gyoza, but we didn't mind. Moreover, the dumpling skin was not heavy and was the beneficiary of a nice pan fry.
Lastly, we had the Katsu Don which was a large portion with big slices of pork cutlet, egg and vermicelli. There was no shortage of flavour penetrating the rice, but there was too much of it as the whole bowl was wet and mushy (also far too sweet). As for the pork cultet, it was dry and chewy. Overall, there were some definite hits and equal amount of misses. Despite some issues, we liked the lobster sashimi and accompanying udon for its value but everything else was rather ordinary. In fact, the tiger mayo and katsu don were quite weak. If I had to compare, Black Dragon across the street is more consistent.
The Good:
- Okay pricing for what you get (except the tiger mayo)
- Despite the reviews, the service we got was good
- Lobster sashimi and udon a pretty decent value
The Bad:
- Some dishes were total misses
- Sushi could do with a bit less rice
Generally, I hate owing people money or meals that they have treated. I much prefer to give than receive. Therefore, after Guy Smiley pulled the Chinese maneuver of claiming to go to the washroom, but actually heading over to pay the bill at the front counter last time at Cho Sun, I was a bit miffed. I had to treat him back! We were planning on trying Kiku in the London Drugs complex on Kingsway, but a recent change left me apprehensive. So, off across the street to Black Dragon Sushi we went.
We started with an order of Kappa Maki and California Roll. This was mostly for Little Smiley as she is not into more adventurous items as of yet. These were neatly constructed with lots of ripe avocado. Although the rice was decently chewy with a proper amount of moisture, it was incredibly bland. The Oyako Don arrived as a huge portion in a large bowl. There was so much chicken, it was hard to get to the rice underneath. About that rice, I found it a bit too dry where the sauce did not penetrate beyond the vermicelli directly underneath the chicken. Consequently, all the flavour came from the chicken. With being said, the rice was still decent as there wasn't a whole bunch of other ingredients (like some other non-authentic versions).
We ended up one each of the Prawn & Yam Tempura and Prawn Tempura. The fact that my son could finish a whole order by himself prompted us into ordering double. We found the batter to be a little excessive, but overall, the tempura was crunchy and not overly greasy. However, as it sat, some pieces became somewhat more dense inside. For $20.95, the Deluxe Assorted Sashimi ended up to be a fairly good value. With a large platter consisting of tai, sockeye salmon, ebi, tako, Atlantic salmon, tuna, toro, hokkigai and salmon belly, we were pretty satisfied. Nothing seemed amiss while some items were quite good especially the salmon belly and toro.
In terms of specialty rolls, we decided to order the Black Dragon Roll considering the restaurant name. Costing a whopping $12.95, we weren't sure why it was so expensive. Don't get me wrong, we did enjoy the roll consisting of ebi tempura and cucumber with unagi and tobiko on the outside. Tempura was still crunchy while the unagi was soft and nicely sauced. The reason we thought it was pricey due to the comparison with the Asahi Roll consisting of fried oyster with spicy tuna on the outside. It was only $7.95. Furthermore, all of us agreed that this was one of the highlights as we could really taste the oyster and it was crispy. Furthermore, the spicy tuna was indeed spicy offering a lingering kick.
For the kiddies, we got an order of the Nabeyaki Udon which was buoyed by a whack load of shredded Napa cabbage underneath the noodles. We could've done without that. Beyond the cabbage, there was a good amount of ingredients including tender chicken, ebi tempura and raw egg. The soup was more of a chicken-tasting broth rather than dashi. Lastly, we had the Ebi Gyoza, which was pretty good. The large ebi inside was meaty and naturally sweet while the pork was tender and moist. With a good sear, the dumpling skin was crispy and light. In the end, we felt that Black Dragon Sushi was pretty good (especially for a Chinese-run Japanese restaurant) - decent food at reasonable prices.
The Good:
- Decent eats
- Good portions
- Reasonable-pricing
The Bad:
- Pretty decent service (except for one person who seemed a bit grumpy)
- Of course it may not satisfy those who are authentic-seeking food snobs
Generally, when certain menu items are in the actual restaurant name, one would expect them to be good. For instance, there are some Chinese restaurants that put "Wonton House" in their name, but ultimately, their wontons suck more than a Dyson vacuum. Just because you serve wontons, doesn't mean you should proudly advertise them... However, in past history, Congee Noodle House has lived up to its namesake. We've done a couple of visits and I decided that another post was in order.
To get a sense of their BBQ meat, we decided to get the 3 BBQ Items on Rice. Going with the big 3 (Roast Pork, BBQ Pork and BBQ Duck), there was a decent amount to go with the big plate of rice. I found the roast pork to be meaty, but lacking in flavour. Furthermore, the most important part, the crackling, was not crunchy at all. The BBQ pork wasn't bad, yet it was a leaner piece which meant it was more dry. With only saltiness, the bark could've used more sweetness to balance the flavours. We did like the BBQ duck though as it was moist (even though it was the breast meat) and natural tasting. We also got an order of the Sweet & Sour Pork for variety. The big chunks of pork were indeed crispy, but since they were re-fried, the meat was somewhat chewy. As for the sauce, it was more sweet than sour.
Okay, now we couldn't visit the place without ordering a bowl of Preserved Egg & Salted Pork Congee could we? It was pretty thick with big chunks of preserved egg with shredded salty pork. There was no absence of flavour (thanks to the MSG) while the congee became watery at the end. And of course we got an order of their other signature item being the Wonton Noodles. With chewy noodles exhibiting a nice elasticity, this was legit. The soup was a touch salty, but it couldn't be accused of being bland. It had the classic flavours including shrimp shells. As for the wontons, they were of a nice size and contained plenty of crunchy shrimp with bouncy pork. Flavours were apparent without being salty. We could really get the sesame oil and white pepper hits.
For variety, we also got an order of the Fried Noodle with Beef in Black Bean Sauce. This was a large portion of mostly crispy noodles and a mound of tender slices of beef, onions and peppers. There was enough black bean sauce for both flavour and moisture. It is a real challenge for the noodles to be devoid of grease (since they are deep fried), but these were a touch too oily. To round out the available options on the menu, we had the Yeung Chow Fried Rice complete with plump crunchy shrimp and lean cubes of BBQ pork. The rice was dry and chewy benefiting from good wok heat. Flavours were mild though as there could've been more salt. Once again, Congee Noodle House came through and offered up solid eats.
The Good:
- Solid eats
- Reasonable pricing
- Good portions
The Bad:
- Quick service, but too busy to do much else
- BBQ items are so-so
Posts
