Yu Kee

Sometimes the casual Chinese meal gets lost with all the available options for eats, particularly after hockey or softball.  I mean, it is something one usually does with their family, not with their sports teams.  And really, it ain't exactly the sexiest choice out there...  Think of it, "team, good game today, let's go for a Chinese multi-course meal".  No, that doesn't really have a good ring to it.  But with growling tummies and playing at nearby Ross field, we ended up doing the Chinese meal thing at Yu Kee in the Killarney Market complex.

Just like what I said in the intro, we proceeded to go for the set multi-course meal starting with the Daily Soup. It consisted of dehydrated bak choy and pork bones with some dried dates.  It was pretty good since there was no shortage of ingredients and it wasn't over-salted either.  Our first dish was supposed to be the sweet & sour fish, but honestly we are not all that interested in the Cantonese version.  So we had the Fried Fish tossed in salt, pepper, garlic and chilis instead (and MSG of course).  This turned out to be very good with lightly crispy and moist basa fillets which were barely cooked through. There was just enough seasoning to give it a good spicy garlickiness.

Next, we had the Peking Pork Chops in a deep shade of red.  Even before taking a bite, we could smell the black vinegar.  Hence, there was a rich tartness which was balanced by an equal amount of sweetness.  The sauce was tight as it clung onto each piece of properly tenderized pork chop without creating a gloopy mess on the plate.  Bam Bam insisted we add another dish to our meal which was the Mongolian Beef. Their interpretation of the dish consisted of extra large pieces of tenderized beef which were bathed in a spicy and savoury sauce.  Once again, there was just enough it to coat each piece of meat, hence, there was no pool of moisture on the bottom of the plate.

With the need for green, and since most set meals included a veggie dish, we had the Gai Lan with Beef.  Who doesn't love some beef with their greens?  This was also well prepared with good wok heat.  The beef was nicely caramelized and tender while the gai lan was properly prepared where it exhibited a pleasing crunch.  We did find the beef a bit salty though.  The somewhat "lighter" dish of the bunch was the Silken Tofu topped with seafood.  Naturally, the tofu underneath was buttery soft.  The seafood on top was bathed in a starch-thickened sauce that was mild with some sweetness.  We found the seafood to be on point where the shrimp had a nice snap.

Our last dish was the Yeung Chow Fried Rice.  They had run out of BBQ items when we arrived, so the chicken you see in the rice was probably a substitution.  The fried rice exhibited enough wok heat where it was nutty and chewy.  I thought it was a bit on the drier side though.  Moreover, the rice wasn't aggressively seasoned.  Despite my rant about our softball team not going for a Chinese meal very often, this would be our 3rd already since we had previously visited Old Buddies and Yu Xiang Yuan.  I guess that will be our MO from now on?

The Good:
- Reasonable pricing
- Decent eats

The Bad:
- Owner lady was nice, but spent too much time chatting with her friends to notice us much
- A bit salty and greasy

Burger Burger

*Restaurant is now closed...  Darn*

Other than the expensive "gourmet" burger joints, it has increasingly difficult to find a cheap freshly-made burger with a side of equally fresh house-cut fries. Until we get an In n' Out, we are often stuck with a frozen patty accompanied by a fried Sysco product.  That got me thinking back to an ol' favourite in Burger Burger.  On my way there while I was pulling into the parking lot, my lowered car did a slow painful scrape which made me cringe as well as the pedestrian on the sidewalk.  Heck, the guy asking for change in front of the 7-11 cringed too.  I guess Viv was right after all?

So for those expecting a gourmet experience at Burger Burger, you best move along because the place is the epitome of a dive.  You would have better luck finding better ambiance in a Cactus Club washroom...  But with a deluxe burger combo (including fries and a can of pop) for $5.75, one cannot expect too much.  Peppermint and Bunny both decided to go for the more expensive combo ($7.75) in the Bacon Cheeseburger.  This featured crispy bacon with melted processed cheese over a handmade fresh beef patty.  It was nicely charred while still moist exhibiting a natural meat flavour.  The chewy bun was airy enough that it wasn't overly dense, yet stood up to the ingredients just fine.  The side of fresh-cut fries were crispy and not heavy on the grease (unlike last time).  Klutz ended up with the Teriyaki Burger and it was essentially the deluxe version with sauce slathered on top. Naturally it was sweet and a touch salty.

For myself, I tried their Bulgogi Burger since the couple that run the place are Korean (they must do it justice right?).  Once again, the patty was nicely browned while still moist.  It exhibited the sweetness associated with bulgogi as well as some savoury elements and spice.  For me, it worked.  While I was trying to finish off my food (which was plenty), I noticed that the people beside us were also having bowls of Wonton Soup.  Of course that made me curious and hence, I got a bowl for myself. So they can make a bulgogi marinade, but can they do Chinese food?  For starters, the smallish wontons were actually not bad.  The pork filling was mildly seasoned while being moist with a good rebound texture.  The broccoli and carrots were barely cooked where they maintained a crunch.  As for the soup, it was flavourful with garlic and black pepper (too much though as the soup was too peppery).

Trying to be different, Devo had the Chicken Cordon Bleu which featured breast meat with ham and processed Swiss.  With a nicely seared exterior, the chicken breast remained fairly moist.  With ham and processed cheese, the flavours were on the saltier side.  For the price we paid, our bellies were full without emptying our pockets. So this recent visit to Burger Burger reiterated what I've known all along - decent freshly-made eats at really good prices.  Just don't visit the washroom...

The Good:
- Cheap
- Freshly-made eats
- Friendly owner-lady

The Bad:
- Really divy
- Terrible washrooms

Dundas Fish & Chips

My comfort level with eating alone is akin to a suitor in a Katy Perry video (Dark Horse for those who don't know...  Wait, why am I watching Katy Perry videos???).  Hence, when I was sans company for lunch, I decided to pick an obscure dive that many might recognize but would never actually stop to eat at.  Yes, if you drive into Downtown via Dundas, you will be very familiar with Dundas Fish & Chips.  Heck, I must've passed by this place more than I've listened to "Never Gonna Give You Up"...  Er...  I mean "Who Do You Love" by YG.  Yes, that's it...

So naturally, I went for their fish n' chips, specifically the One-Piece Cod and Chips.  I know this is nitpicking, but I would've liked my tartar sauce on a separate plate (or something like that).  It was creamy and full of pickles and onions, yet needed more acidity.  As for the fish, it was super juicy and flaky.  The cod was on point, period.  The batter was definitely crunchy and minimally greasy, but it was a bit too hard (not enough baking soda?).  Although I could see the dill in the batter, there was practically no seasoning (but then again, there was tartar sauce).  The light and crispy fries were quite good, except there was very little potato texture left.  They were more like crisps.

I also tried their Sweet & Sour Pork with Fried Rice combo for the heck of it.  I liked the fried rice as it had considerable wok heat where the rice had a nuttiness while being chewy.  It was well-seasoned and the corn added a nice sweetness and crunch.  As for the sweet & sour pork, the pieces were very meaty, yet too dry and far too salty.  Hence, it totally overwhelmed the mild tasting sauce (which was mostly sweet).  So was it worth stopping to try the pace?  If good value is what you are craving, yes.

The Good:
- Cheap
- Food fits the price
- Friendly people

The Bad:
- Average eats

Milltown Bar & Grill

We haven't seen the likes of Inspector Gadget in 2 years.  Ever since he had his second child, he's been busy doing daddy duty and refraining from playing softball.  Pffft...  daddy duty...  what's that???  Viv, you know I'm kidding right?  Anyways, he showed up randomly to one of our Monday night games and proceeded to give me the heads up about Milltown Bar & Grill located in Richmond, but really, it's in Vancouver.  You see, the restaurant is right on Richmond Island that can only be accessed from Vancouver off of Granville Street, but due to the boundary lines, it is really in Richmond.  Funny, all the cars seemed to be parked straight in the parking lot...

Bear, Milhouse and I decided to share the Black & Bleu Poutine consisting of fresh-cut fries, blue cheese, cheese curds and chilli oil melted under house-made gravy.  In an attractive shade of golden brown, the fries were on point being crispy while maintaining their potato texture.  The gravy had a nice consistency while being only mildly flavourful.  Exhibiting its trademark sharpness, the blue cheese crumble was the most dominant item on the plate.  We felt there should've been more chili oil as it was non-existent, as well the modest amount of cheese curds.  I got a large order of Salt & Pepper Wings to start and they were crunchy with a well-rendered skin.  The meat was on the drier side though (probably intentional due to the type of wings).  However, Dark Helmet's hot wings were much juicier.

For my main, I had the Port Side Beef Dip made with slow-roasted sirloin beef, white cheddar and onion strings in a house-made baguette accompanied by au jus.  Although the plentiful amount of beef was dry, it wasn't difficult to chew.  There was plenty of melted cheese and just a touch of crispy onions.  I found the baguette to be slightly dense, but it softened easily when dipped into the "just salty enough" au jus.  I decided to get half fries and half Caesar because it made me feel better that I had some greens on my plate.  Bear went for the Monday special being the Milltown Burger & beer for $10.95.  Constructed with a house-made all-beef patty with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and house-made burger sauce (served on the side here), he thought it was lacking in moisture.  Even with the house sauce (served on the side here), the well-charred patty was too dry.

Chill opted for 2 items beginning with a bowl of the Manhattan Seafood Chowder.  This was a fairly thick concoction that was as tomatoey as it appeared.  It wasn't particularly tart nor seafood tasting, but he enjoyed it nonetheless since there was a bevy of ingredients.  Next, he had the Starboard Halibut Tacos with lightly blackened halibut, crisp coleslaw, avocado crème and black bean salsa wrapped in a soft tortilla shell.  As stiff as the tortilla shell appeared, it was actually warm and soft.  The fish was not overcooked while the sauce added only the slightest hint of spice.  Overall, it met his expectations.

In addition to the poutine we shared, Milhouse went for the Mariner Halibut Burger with Cajun rub, avocado cream and peach salsa.  He opted for a side Caesar which, like mine, was pretty standard except the dressing could've been more evenly distributed.  As for the burger itself, the fish was well-charred but dry.  He remarked that with all the promise of flavour, it was pretty bland.  Boss Woman ended up with the 1 piece Cod & Chips served with tartar sauce and coleslaw.  The fish itself was flaky and moist with a medium-thick tempura batter.  It was crispy albeit on the greasier side.  The tartar sauce was creamy with only a slight tartness while the coleslaw was crunchy and mild-tasting.

Judes had the Pesto Chicken Sandwich with grilled chicken, fresh avocado, sundried tomatoes, smoked Gouda cheese and pesto on freshly baked foccacia bread.  She thought the foccacia was fresh and soft. However, the sandwich began to fall apart midway and was lacking seasoning. The chicken was therefore quite bland albeit tender and moist.  Yet, it was just missing something. She enjoyed the fresh avocado but would've liked to see something like a guacamole (for the purposes of more impact). Gyoza King seeing there was no gyozas on the menu opted for the Butter Chicken.  Uh...  Yah, well that wasn't a great decision as the flavours were rather flat.  It was indeed creamy, but there was a lack of tomato tang and also some of the usual spices (or at least they were muted).  Furthermore, the naan wasn't really naan, but we weren't expecting that either.

Dark Helmet unexpectedly ordered a salad.  Thankfully it was Dry Dock Salad featuring Thai marinated steak, red grapes, roasted red peppers, cucumbers, crisp onion strings and smoked Gouda cheese on mixed greens with a Dijon mustard vinaigrette and a peppercorn ranch drizzle.   He found the individual ingredients to be decent especially the grapes as they added a refreshing element.  The steak was tender and flavourful, but he found the salad overdressed where it muddled up the flavours.  Not to be outdone, he also got the Loaded Barge Nachos consisting of house-made lime salted tortilla chips, tomatoes, jalapenos, olives, green onions and mixed cheese with house-made black been salsa, sour cream and guacamole.  This was pretty good with plenty of toppings and crispy fresh chips.

Lastly, Bear couldn't end a meal without dessert, so he got the Peach Cobbler with vanilla ice cream.  This was fairly sweet with tender peach slices.  It was a bit on the mushier side, but decent nonetheless.  Overall, from the wide range of items we tried, the food is passable at a reasonable price.  The location is indeed interesting with one side with the view of planes taking off and the other with the view of the marina.  Milltown has the potential to be a great patio to hang out for some drinks and eats (if they can make a few tweaks).

The Good:
- Interesting, but ultimately great patio location
- We got attentive service
- Inexpensive

The Bad:
- Food needs some work
- We didn't mind, but the roar of the planes can get loud

My Shanti

Every morning, it is a ritual that I check all of my email accounts - work, personal and blog email.  Naturally, I quickly delete those asking me to invest in a timeshare or to enlarge my privates.  Then I look through all the media releases for new restaurants and of course, restaurant invites.  One particular email caught my immediate attention - it was an invite to tour Vij's production facility and to a lunch at My Shanti, his new restaurant in South Surrey.  I don't ever remember Vikram Vij doing any of these events before.  So of course, I jumped at the chance, consequently, enjoying my meal with fellow attendees Sean and BCFoodieBlogger.

Before we even entered the restaurant, there was no mistaking the building as it was sparkling silver with a glare that needed sunglasses.  Inside, the purple-reddish interior was ornate, yet wreaked havoc with our pictures (I did the best that I could to remove the purple tinge).  Anyways, we were started off with the Udiapuri chaat with eggplant, spinach and sweet potato.  This dish was an exploration in textures with starchy, leafy and crunchy.  There was a good lingering heat that complimented the apparent spices.  Next up, we had Bombay’s Chattpatti Squid served atop appam.  Buttery soft and tender, the squid still maintained a meatiness and chew.  The masala was spicy in layers, ultimately finishing off with a lingering punch.

Onto another round of appies, we tried the Goan Oyster Pakoras with with spicy green chili crème fraîche.  One bite and there was no doubting the taste of the sea without being fishy.  The oysters were buttery and coated with a light crispy batter.  I found it to be quite greasy though.  The chili crème fraîche was creamy with a slight tang as well as spice.  Next, we were served Chhatra Sagar’s Baby Eggplants with mango powder & chillies.  These cute little eggplants were tender while staying intact.  Again, there was a noticeable spice level accented by a tart zestiness.  Although not in the description, there was the taste of tamarind.

With one last "appie", we had the Mysorian Vegetable Thoran topped with grated roasted coconut.  Consisting of jackfruit and shredded veggies, the soft mixture was sweet and spicy.  The toasted spices added aromatics as well as the crunchy coconut topping.  Moving onto the mains, we were presented with Calcutta’s Panch Phoran Steamed Fish atop a "very mustard gravy".  Although tilapia can often be mushy and devoid of texture, the one here was flaky and moist.  Underneath, the sauce had a noticeable tang and once again, a purposeful amount of spice which added flavour without overwhelming the fish.

Moving on, we tried the Hydrabadi Chicken Biryani served with 3 mistresses.  No, don't be alarmed, we weren't up to some debauchery, rather they were sides of cashew gravy, kachum­ber and raita.  The rice itself was fluffy with a crust on the sides of the clay pot.  There was a slight cinnamon aroma that was addictively fragrant.  I particularly liked the cashew gravy as it was sweet and nutty.  As part of the kitchen tour, we were served fresh Naan from the tandoor.  Fluffy and light on one hand and chewy and slightly crisp on the other, these were very good (and much better than the ones I've had a Vij's in the past).

Our last savoury dish was Banglore’s Goat Curry with cassava.  After my initial taste, the spiciness was quite apparent.  Again, it wasn't "burn-my-tongue-off" hot, rather, it merely added another layer of flavour where the other spices such as coriander and cumin came through.  The goat itself was tender while the cassava added a starchy texture.  We ended off the meal with 2 desserts consisting of the Almond & Pistachio Fudge atop coconut cream and Almond Macarons.  The soft and slightly grainy fudge was not as sweet as it looked.  The real star of the plate was the aromatic coconut cream.  As for the macarons (made of cashews, rather than almond), they were rather chalky and not really my cup of tea.  Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed the tasting at My Shanti.  Kudos to Vikram Vij, for boldly bringing his food to South Surrey.

*All food and gratuities were comped*

The Good:
- Interesting and tasty offerings
- Nice spot offering something different in terms of food and decor

The Bad:
- Pricey
- Modest portion sizes

Gusto di Quattro

Gadget Girl hates to drive for food.  Wait, rephrase that, she hates driving to unfamiliar destinations. Hence, I was somewhat nervous when I watched her circle for a parking spot along Lower Lonsdale.  I swear there was steam coming out of her ears as she drove by.  I was even more afraid when our original restaurant of choice, Fishworks, was completely full.  Fortunately, Emilicious made the executive decision to eat at nearby Gusto di Quattro instead.  My life was spared!  Besides, we knew the food would be good since it is the North Van location of the popular Q4.

At first, only Emilicious and I were sharing a salad to start our meal.  However, with a little coercion, I was able to get Milhouse to join in as well.  So we ended up splitting 2 salads beginning with the Wild Arugula with shaved Parmesan, fresh lemon, EVOO, balsamic reduction & crispy onions.  This was a well-thought out concoction which hit a collection of flavours and textures. Crispy and sweet, the onions added the necessary crunch while the lemon and balsamic reduction provided both acidity and sweetness.  All of these components combined nicely with the peppery arugula and salty Parm.  Our next salad was the Fresh Burrata Cheese consisting of chorizo, grilled asparagus, tomatoes, arugula and balsamic reduction.  The creamy cheese was amped by the salty and spicy chorizo (which was crisped up).  With both acidity and sweetness from the tomatoes and balsamic, this was another fine marriage of flavours.

We also decided to share 3 pastas including the Fusilli con Rucola consisting of shaved beef, wild mushrooms, truffle porcini cream and Parmesan cheese.  This was a rich, creamy and extremely Earthy dish where I could smell the truffle oil from afar.  Combined with the different mushrooms, it made it extra woodsy.  For me, I liked it, but I can see how it could be overwhelming for some people (as it was quite greasy).  I enjoyed the toothsome fusilli as well as the tender mushrooms and equally moist beef.  Next, we had the Spaghetti con Polpette with house-made pork & beef meatballs simmered in red wine & tomato sauce and finished with fresh herbs.  Again, the pasta was a firm al dente while the meatballs were moist, somewhat loose and exhibiting plenty of depth of flavour.  What really brought everything together was the fantastic chunky tomato sauce that was tart with a smidgen of sweetness.

Lastly, we shared the Linguine di Mare with rock shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams & fresh fish, tomatoes, garlic, chili & herbs.  This was the most subtle-tasting of the 3 with only mild hints of garlic and chili.  There was plenty of seafood though consisting of plump scallops, flaky fish and crunchy shrimp. Personally, I would've liked to see more salt added to this dish.  However, as a whole, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal despite the premium pricing.  Quoting Milhouse, "it is okay to spend money on good food".

The Good:
- Attentive service
- Spot-on execution
- Adequate portions

The Bad:
- Pricey
- Seating is quite tight