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For those who wonder why I've been doing so many re-visits in the past year, it is not because I've run out of restaurants to visit. On the contrary, the main reason is that my initial thoughts 5 years ago may be not only outdated, but honestly, may have been less sophisticated. Furthermore, some of those older pictures are downright horrible. So next up on my list of revisits was Kam Wah Wonton House on Scott Road. Yes, it isn't the most sexy of places, but it was convenient.
I ended up starting with the same bowl of Wonton Soup as I had the last time. Hey, it is a "wonton house" after all. Well, these were no different than before being comprised of fairly moist pork. I think a side of hot sauce would be almost mandatory especially since the soup itself was quite bland. For some variety, I chose a Combo which included Beef Chop Suey, Chicken Chow Mein and Sweet & Sour Pork. This was a large amount of food which was remarkably better than before. The veggies were crisp while the beef was tender. With large meaty pieces, the sweet & sour pork was more on the sweet side, but was flavourful nonetheless. As for the chow mein, it was a bit wet from the other items, but was still chewy and seasoned enough.
I returned the same week to try out 2 regular menu items starting with the Singapore Fried Rice Noodles. Again, it was a massive portion that was also well-made. With good wok heat, the dish was dry and not-at-all greasy. There was plenty of curry as well as other seasoning which made the dish impactful. Hidden within the mound of noodles was a balance amount of lean BBQ pork, crunchy shrimp and veggies. Lastly, I had the Broccoli Beef and although it was rather saucy, the dish was good. Vibrant and crunchy, the broccoli was mixed with a good amount of the same tender beef as the chop suey. Although it won't ever be considered as great Chinese food, my 2 recent visits to Kam Wah proved that they have changed for the better.
The Good:
- Decent eats
- Cheap
- Nice people
The Bad:
- Since it is only a mom n' pop operation, food and service can be slow during peak times
- Meh wontons
*Restaurant is now closed*
For 5 long years, I've been promising Pops that I would make an effort to eat at Giraffe in White Rock. But my promises have been empty - as hollow as a honest politician. Wait, is that an oxymoron? Anyways, it was finally the time. We organized a day that Mrs. Spraybottle, Hot Mama and I would meet up with Pops at Giraffe. Like the Ross Rifle (google it if you don't know), our plans ended before it began as Giraffe wasn't open for lunch. Seeing that there are more restaurants on Marine Drive than all of a small town, we walked down to nearby Cielos for some tapas.
We started with the Calamari tossed in house spice with Parmesan shred, a lemon wedge and garlic peppercorn aioli. At first, it looked like an enormous portion, but it was significantly bouyed by the ample greens underneath. The squid was tender with a somewhat firm batter which was crispy and nicely spiced. Although the aioli was pleasant enough, I would've liked to see even more peppercorn and garlic. Next up, we tried the Macadamia Scallops with bacon jam and citrus fennel slaw. With a crunchy, nutty exterior, the scallops themselves were a touch past perfect. They were not rubbery though maintaining their natural sweetness. Although the fennel slaw was a bit underwhelming (needed more acidity), the bacon jam was fantastic adding both a rich sweetness and of course the saltiness of bacon.
Onto some bigger plates, we had the Tenderloin Poutine with cheese curds and wild mushroom demi. It was well-portioned with lots of crispy fries which were not overly greasy. There was no shortage of moist and tender braised tenderloin atop the fries. However, the main draw here was the impactful wild mushroom demi-glace. It had body with a pleasing red-wine hit as well as the Earthiness of the mushrooms. Since it was properly reduced, the demi coated the fries without making them too soggy. The cheese curds were mostly melted so we couldn't tell if they were squeaky or not. Bubbling hot, the Lobster Thermidor Tortellini (with Atlantic lobster, herb cheese tortellini, roast garlic, sherry cream and herb bread) was quite flavourful. From the garlic to the herb cheese, there was no shortage of impactful elements to ensure that the dish wasn't bland. It was a bit watery though.
Lastly, we tried the Australian Lamb Pops with fenugreek curry sauce and fry bread. Somewhat similar to Vij's, the lamb pops were tender and peppery. The curry sauce was mild with the familiar flavours including the nuttiness of the fenugreek. With the ample amount of sauce at the bottom of the bowl, we could've used a few more pieces of fry bread to soak it up. From the items we tried, Cielos offered up decent eats along Marine Drive in White Rock. Seeing how many of the restaurants are merely average (relying on their location only), Cielos is not a bad choice.
The Good:
- Decent eats
- Killer location
- Attentive service
The Bad:
- Pricey
- Super small tables on the patio (all the room they got though)
What's in a name anyways? Well, if it is an Asian restaurant, particularly a Chinese one, sometimes things get lost in translation. Take the long gone "Fook Yue" restaurant once located on Renfrew Street. It even made it onto Leno! Imagine the staff answering the phone: "Good evening, Fook Yue!". Anyways, I pondered what was the Chinese name for Private Home Chinese Cuisine out on Kingsway. Unfortunately, there was no story to be told here as the Chinese characters cryptically means "a bit of Dim Sum". Then what's with the private home? Isn't one's home private anyways???
With Viv out-of-town (went to Harrison Hot Springs without me, I guess I deserved it...), I gathered up the kids and met my parents at Private Home for lunch. We had the Hot & Sour Soup first and it was pretty darn spicy. So much so, we couldn't even taste the sour part of the soup. The broth itself was a bit thin, in need of more depth while there was a serious lack of ingredients as well. For our next dish, we tried the Drunken Chicken which was soft and moist. The skin was not particularly appetizing while the thin layer of gelatin underneath was missing. Furthermore, there was a lack of xiaoshing wine flavour.
One dish that did not lack impact was the Sliced Pork with Garlic Chili Sauce. It was covered with a spicy and garlicky sauce that was also a bit salty. We didn't mind that too much as that only meant the fatty pork would be amped with flavour. The pork itself was gelatinous, thinly slice and fatty. When the bamboo steamer with the Xiao Long Bao hit the table, it looked legit. In fact, it was, where the thin skin was firm and a bit chewy on top. Inside, there was a plethora of soup which was sweet with a definite ginger and xiaoshing wine hit. The meat pork filling was moist, yet a bit chewy. Overall, these were pretty good XLBs.
Why stop there with the dumplings right? We continued on and had the Potstickers next. These were fried up golden on the bottom, but other than that crispy portion, the rest of the dumpling skin was overly chewy. We enjoyed the moist and well-seasoned pork filling though where it had a slight rebound texture. Onto more carbs, we had the Sticky Rice Dumplings. Encased in a super thin and slightly chewy dumpling skin, the sticky rice was a bit on the wet side, yet it was still fine. I found the flavour to be rather one-note though as it was mostly sweet.
For the kiddies, they really wanted something to wrap in a crepe, so we got the Shredded Pork Beijing Style with pancakes. The shredded pork (more like julienned) was cooked just enough and marinated so it was tender with a nice rebound texture albeit quite greasy. Due to the hoisin sauce, the overall flavour was sweet. The crepes were pretty good being not overly dry. Lastly, we added the Shanghai Fried Thick Noodles which arrived in a light shade of brown. This impacted the flavour as it wasn't really apparent, although there was sufficient wok heat. We found the noodles were a touch soft and the amount of veggies overwhelming. In the end, we enjoyed our meal despite the deficiencies with almost every dish. Like they say, nothing can be perfect.
The Good:
- Decent portions
- Good XLBs
- Decent service
The Bad:
- Just something a bit off with each dish
I really had to do a double-take when I noticed a new restaurant situated where Kam Wah Loong used to stand: "Park Here". Yes, the restaurant is named after a parking space. If they had opened up in Richmond, there would be a car driving through the front door by now. Wait, I mean diagonally through the entrance of the business next door... I sense that they did the translation a bit too phonetically as it should be really "Bak Hei". Ironically, there are very few spots at the back and there really isn't a whole lot of parking nearby. They should've named themselves "Park Around Here Somewhere if You're Lucky".
Well, Goose as well as myself were able to snag parking spots relatively nearby, so we didn't "park there". We parked "nearly there". Anyways, with all the kiddies in tow, we got a diverse selection of food including the Pea Shoots with Wolfberries. This was executed well with tender pea shoots that still had a light crunch. Although it was served in broth, there was still enough seasoning to taste. Next, we had the XO Daikon Cake. These were fried up with a nice caramelized exterior. Inside, the cake was soft while still firm enough to keep its shape. The predominant flavour was of dried shrimp because there was some inside and also the whole dish was tossed in it. There was only the slightest amount of spice which was good for the kiddies, but I would've liked to see more.
With 2 orders of rice noodle rolls, we should've actually gotten 5 because the kids totally destroyed the Donut Rice Noodle Roll. I was able to wrestle one away where I discovered why they liked it so much. The salty donut inside was crunchy and airy which went well with the equally light rice noodle. The kids were particularly happy that they omitted putting green onions into the dish too. The Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll was also the beneficiary of the soft rice noodle. Although decent in size, the whole shrimp had a moist meaty texture rather than a snap. The shrimp were mildly seasoned where only a bit of sweet soy was necessary.
And continuing on with satisfying the kiddies, we got the Lo Mei Gai (sticky rice) and the Shrimp Spring Rolls. Well, the adults liked these dishes too, but the kids ate most of it. I found the sticky rice to be rather firm and dry, hence, it wasn't that glutinous either. However, there was large pieces of pork mixed with shiitake mushroom and salted egg yolk which helped alleviate the dryness. As for the spring rolls, they were crunchy and easy on the grease. The shrimp filling was well-seasoned and garlicky with some sweetness. Texturally, it mirrored the haw gow where the shrimp had only a light snap (more on that later).
Onto some dishes for more mature tastes (or little foodies in the making), we had the Phoenix Talons and Bean Curd Skin Rolls. The phoenix talons (really chicken feet) featured a moist exterior skin which was flavoured with a sweet and salty sauce that exhibited a slight hint of the peppers on top. Underneath the skin, the cartilage was a bit too firm and crunchy. With a bit of enoki on top, the bean curd skin rolls were sitting in a fairly goopy sauce which was not overly salty. The exterior was appealing chewy while the pork filling had a good rebound texture. Interestingly, I found that there was this weird aftertaste that wasn't particularly pleasant. Was it the frying oil?
Moving onto something more substantial, we had the Sparerib Rice Hot Pot. Interestingly, the phoenix talons here were more garlicky. As for the spareribs, they were meaty with a good bounce texture. There was enough black bean and garlic to make an impact. I thought they did a good job with the rice as it was dry and chewy, which meant it didn't go mushy from the ingredients on top. Looking like tanned Pac-Mans (after being cut), the Beef Meatballs exhibited the classic bounce texture (which in reality is not natural). There was a good amount of greens and water chestnuts which afforded a slight crunch.
Moving along, we had the staples of Dim Sum being the Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumplings) and Sui Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumplings). As mentioned with the spring rolls, the shrimp filling had only a very mild snap. In the haw gow (since it was steamed), the shrimp was more wet and buttery. Flavourwise, it was a little bland in need of more sesame oil and white pepper. The dumpling skin was on point though being thin and slightly chewy. With an even mix of shrimp and shiitake mushroom, the sui mai were well-seasoned and not one-note in taste. Moreover, the texture was just right with a good mix between meaty and bouncy.
For dessert, we had the Mango Pudding and Egg Tarts. As with many versions of this "pudding", it was more of a mango jello texturally. In terms of taste, there was a packaged mango essence while being very easy on the sugar. The egg tarts took awhile because they were baked fresh. Flaky yet a bit dense, the tart shell was buttery (probably lard) while the egg custard was quite thin and only semi-sweet. Overall, we found the food at Park Here to be pretty good for the price. The place ain't fancy, but does the job when the Dim Sum urges hit. Furthermore, there will be a story to tell about the time you ate at a place named after a parking lot.
The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Decent Dim Sum
- Good portions
The Bad:
- Service is a bit sparse (like most other Chinese restaurants of this type)
- Despite the name, parking around the neighbourhood is limited
As much as I'm always on the lookout for good food, convenience often trumps everything else. This is particularly true when we're with the kiddies, as they become annoying little monsters when their stomachs start growling. However, this time around, it was only Viv and myself. We had to go for the closest restaurant to our intended destination because not only did we not have a lot of time on our hands, it was mainly due to the fact we spent too much time looking for parking. Yes, we just had to get that "free" parking spot...
We ended up walking up to Broadway and randomly trying out Sake Cafe since they were open early. Viv decided to go for their "choose any 3 items" meal for $8.95. It included Green Salad and Miso Soup. Not much to say about either, but the dressing was gingery and sweet. Looking rather pale and plain, the Gyoza were more like steamed dumplings. The bottom was only slightly seared and provided no colour nor texture. On the positive side, the dumpling themselves were not bad. With a filling of mostly veggies, the meat was still there being moist and only a bit chewy. The dumpling skin was super thin while still slightly chewy. I suppose the kitchen wasn't in midday form as we arrived prior to 11:00am.
Another example was the Tempura being soggy and greasy. The batter was quite dense and it was only intermittently crispy. Either the oil wasn't hot enough or the batter didn't really get a chance to cook through. Again, I'm not sure if this was due to poor cooking technique or the fact we were there before everything was ready to go for lunch (ie. oil temp). Viv's last dish of the set meal was the Teriyaki Chicken with rice. The chicken itself was tender and juicy while the skin was not really all that rendered being quite pale. There was an adequate amount of sauce on top of the fluffy rice. We weren't bothered by the rice even though I'm sure some purists would want the chewier version.
We also had the Big Roll consisting of chopped scallop, cucumber and tempura bits on the inside with unagi and avocado on the outside. We found the rice to be a bit soft with only a slight hint of sugar and rice wine vinegar. As a whole, the roll was pleasant enough to eat with plenty of ingredients while being conservatively sauced. Our last dish was the Assorted Sashimi which was a respectable portion for $14.95. Everything looked like it should have and nothing was particularly out-of-the-ordinary. I appreciated the large slices of fish (especially the tuna), but they were probably too large as it was texturally too dense. As much as there were issues with some dishes, Sake Cafe does the job for people in the area for a reasonable price.
The Good:
- Reasonable pricing
- Decent portions
The Bad:
- Some items were ordinary
Say what you want about the Keg, I personally don't mind the place. Sure, it is a chain restaurant and yes, it won't set the culinary world on fire. However, it does the job in terms of my steak-craving and it isn't remarkably-expensive with all things considered. And best of all, it is kid-friendly. Seeing how I haven't been to the place in quite some time (and that I had some GCs), we decided to have dinner at the Granville Island location. This place does bring back memories though as we would have large parties during University. Ah the memories... and why was I eating at chain restaurants all the time? The shame...
Now onto the food... After the obligatory sourdough bread, we had some appies beginning with the Calamari. Although it was plenty crispy, I thought the coating was too bready and dense. The squid itself was soft and tender retaining a slight chew. Of the 2 accompanying dips, I preferred the garlic ginger sauce as it had a nice sesame aroma. Next up was the Crab Cakes made of Atlantic and Dungeness lump crab meat served with dill caper mayo. These were fluffy and moist with only a minimal amount of filler. The exterior was crispy and brown while not particularly greasy. We didn't prefer the mayo as it resembled tartar sauce too much. The cakes were good on their own with a squeeze of lemon.
We also got an order of the Garlic Cheese Toast which featured a thick layer of gooey cheese blend. Naturally, this was greasy from all the cheese and garlic butter. We found the bread to be crunchy and a touch dense, but decent nonetheless. Seeing that they had a Dungeness Crab Mac & Cheese on the featured menu, we got an order hoping the kids would try it. My daughter was game but my son continued on with his wonderful chicken strips... As you can see, there was plenty of fluffy crab on top. We found the noodles to be somewhat toothsome while the sauce was more floury rather than cheesy. It was cheesy-tasting though rather than salty.
Onto our mains, I had the Peppercorn New York Steak with mashed potatoes and green beans. This was prepared medium-rare as requested, hence it was tender and moist. There was a significant peppercorn crust which made the exterior firm and peppery. The sauce itself was thick and sweet. As for the mash, it was somewhat chunky with red potato skin for even more texture. My mom had her go-to dish being the Prime Rib which was also medium-rare. Although a bit dried out in appearance, the meat was sufficiently soft and easy to chew. Her twice-baked potato was also a little dry while the side of mushrooms were small but flavourful.
My dad ended up with the Chicken Oscar that looked rather appetizing with a bevy of seafood and Hollandaise on top. Only a bit past done, the shrimp and scallops were nicely caramelized while the sauce was creamy yet mild. Sadly, the chicken itself was dry and lifeless. Viv went for the Mustard Salmon and predictably, it wasn't very good. The fish was overcooked (and probably cooked too quickly, hence there was far too much albumin on the exterior of the fish. On the other hand, the salmon itself had a nice natural flavour. Too bad the overly tart mustard sauce was overwhelming. Overall, The Keg met expectations in terms of their steaks and equally disappointed (as expected too) with the chicken and salmon.
The Good:
- Steaks are generally on point
- Decent service
- Kid-friendly (if you have kids...)
The Bad:
- Non-steak items are subpar
- A little pricey
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