Mr. Red Cafe

Steve, who helps run the Canadian Festival of Chili and BBQ each year in Langley, was the first person to alert me to this new little Vietnamese joint on Hastings called Mr. Red.  I'm not really sure why they are named that way but my guess is either someone is called Red or that it refers to the Red River Delta in Vietnam.  Whatever the case, you won't merely find the cookie-cutter menus you see at most other Vietnamese restaurants in town.  The menu has a Northern influence, much like the more extensive one at Mui Ngo Gai.

However, before we could meet up there, JuJu, Kaiser Soze and Milhouse decided it was best we try the place out after Sunday hockey first.  We ended up sharing a few appies including the Phở Cuốn (rice noodle roll) filled with stir-fried beef and basil.  These featured soft, yet chewy rice noodle encasing beef that was meaty where it wasn't chewy.  The basil really came through as it added a nice aroma and flavour.  We also had the Fried Chicken Wings which were tossed in honey and topped with sriraccha.  The wings weren't exactly moist, but they weren't dry either.  They were sweet with a slight kick.

Milhouse had the Xôi Xéo Pâté & Gà (sticky rice) and it was freakin' fantastic.  With a moist while not wet chewy texture, the rice was topped with soft mung bean, pate, chicken, dried squid and fried shallots.  This was a textural and flavour delight, particularly topped with the pickled daikon and carrot (as well as a splash of the pickling juice from the peppers and garlic at the table).  Kaiser Soze had the Bánh Mì Bò Kho (beef stew with baguette) which featured large pieces of shank.  It was tender where it was not too soft either.  The stewing liquid had depth and was plenty flavourful with just a hint of spice and the essence of star anise.  The crusty bread was perfect for dipping.

JuJu and I decided to share the Bánh Mì Pâté and it was a great decision.  Loaded with impactful pate (the most I've seen in a banh mi) and drops of Maggi, this was a flavourful sandwich.  The bread itself was on point too being light and crusty.  There was enough of the other ingredients such as the pickled veggies and cucumber to add some brightness.   For my main, I tried the Bún Gà Dặc Biệt (special combination of vermicelli, chicken, pork balls and dried mushroom in soup).  I found the broth to be well-seasoned without being salty.  The noodles were a touch soft while the amount of chicken was not really enough.  The meatballs were nice though being meaty.  For me, there was far too much cilantro and onions.

JuJu had the Stewing Beef Noodle Soup and much like my bowl, it was plenty flavourful.  However, the chunks of beef were disturbingly fatty with very little meat.   He ended up leaving most of it in the bowl as he couldn't eat it. On other visit, I met up with Sean and Steve (finally).  We ordered everything to share including a bunch of appies.  We got the Bánh Bột Lọc Lá Chuối (tapioca dumplings wrapped in banana leaves) first and they were definitely bouncy and a bit chewy.  I liked the filling as there was larger chunks of meat that tasted appealingly good with a balance of sweetness and savoury.

In addition to some repeated dishes from last time, we also tried the Bún Bò Huế and Phở Bò Viên.  Although the bun bo hue didn't look at that flavourful, one sip of the broth and that was not the case.  There was a good spice level with a hint of aromatics.  I would've liked to see more lemongrass though.  The meats were sliced thin and tender while the chunks of pork blood as well as pork knuckle (albeit removed from the bone) was a nice surprise.  As for the Pho, I found the broth to be clean and straightforward.  That meant the flavours were not out-of-balance, rather I got the meatiness as well as the usual ingredients such as onion, sugar and a touch of anise.

Lastly, we had the Crab Spring Rolls which were super crunchy with a thin layer of rice paper wrapper.  It was obviously freshly made since the texture was on point as well as taking some time to show up at our table.  Inside, the filling was on the softer side but did have a nice sweetness accented by fish sauce.  This was a nice finish to 2 really impressive visits to Mr. Red.  I strongly urge people to try the place out because the food is carefully prepared and a bit different than the usual.

The Good:
- Something different than the usual
- Lovely people
- Overall above-average eats

The Bad:
- Not very big and kinda warm inside
- Despite advertised on the menu, I never got the fried donut that is suppose to come with each bowl of noodles

Kim Son

Sometimes, eating is stripped down to its main purpose - a means of subsistence.  Instead of going for the "best" or at the very least "popular" eats, I find myself going for something convenient.  That was the case when I found myself down at International Village and in need of nutrition.  Looking around the uninspired array of options, I settled on the ol' standby being Vietnamese.  Hey, it is usually the right combination of ample food and low prices.  In actuality, I've tried Kim Son before, but I really had no recollection.  Was that a bad sign?  Only one way to find out...

I decided to try their Special House Pho which didn't look like much served in a takeout plastic bowl. Ah, but looks can be deceiving...  In reality, the darn thing was stuffed full of noodles and tender slices of meat.  However, the whole thing fell flat because the broth tasted like they used a whole tub of star anise.  It was far too liquorice-tasting and the fact they didn't skim the grease made it even worse.  Naturally, I ordered a second item in the Lemongrass Chicken with rice.  Okay, this one was quite evidently large with a massive pile of chicken atop fluffy chewy rice.  With a nice char and equally good flavours, the chicken was unfortunately very dry and chewy.

While we were nearby at Taishoken Ramen, JuJu and I decided to pay Kim Son a visit for some takeout (good for me since 2 dishes is not a good representation). Regrettably, I went for the Salad Roll which was not very good.  The rice paper wrapper was a bit too chewy and the shrimp were not properly de-veined. Furthermore, there was only rice noodles and iceberg lettuce to go with the shrimp.  As for the dipping sauce, it was as if they forgot to add anything but hoisin.  I also got the Grilled Pork and Spring Rolls with rice noodles.  The processed patty was sweet and a bit rubbery, but better than the chicken at least.  I wasn't a fan of the spring rolls as they were dense and hard.  There was more wrapper than filling.  As you can clearly understand, the food at Kim Son serves a purpose - to fill one's belly.  In terms of actual good food, well, not so much.

The Good:
- Large portions
- Cheap

The Bad:
- Food isn't very good

Kam Wah Wonton House

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

Cielos Tapas & Oyster Bar

*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)

Private Home Chinese Cuisine

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

Park Here Seafood Restaurant

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