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There are 3 things that really irk me: bad drivers, rude people and being stood up. Well, the first 2 cannot really be avoided in the GVRD. However, I could not avoid being stood up when Choobee texted that she could not accompanying me on my visit to Kilimanjaro for the Curry Challenge. For that, the only way I was going to forgive her was to be treated to a good meal. When she suggested Au Comptoir, I was all ready to forgive and forget. When she asked if JoJo could tag along, I was game - that meant more food!
Since the place doesn't take reservations, we ended up waiting for nearly an hour and half for a table to open up. I thought our server was efficient and friendly though (he kept checking in on us as we waited). As for the food, we didn't find the appetizers overly interesting, so we only ended up with one being the Oeufs Meurette. Consisting of runny free range eggs, shallot red wine sauce, bacon and black truffle baked in a mini-skillet, this was a pleasant way to start the meal. I personally love runny eggs, so this was nicely executed. However, we felt the flavours were not very pronounced (even with the crispy bacon and shaved truffle). Underneath, the shallot red wine sauce ate like a under-seasoned onion soup. We also got a side of Frites which were fresh cut and fried until lightly crispy. Properly seasoned, there was a good amount of potato goodness left in them.
We ended up ordering 4 entrees to make up for the lack of appetizers starting with the Bavette avec Pommes Dauphines (skirt steak, pommes dauphines and shallot-red wine sauce). We asked for medium-rare and the steak was closer to medium. Yet, it was still plenty tender with a meaty chew. We didn't get a whole lot of flavour though in terms of meat nor the sauce. It was essentially a mirror image of the sauce in our appetizer. We absolutely loved the pommes dauphines though as they were crispy while soft and plenty seasoned on the inside. Next up, we tried the Magret de Canard a L’Orange consisting of duck breast, fennel puree, endive, orange pieces and potato fondant. We thought the duck was tender and moist, yet sliced a bit too thick. Furthermore, the skin was not rendered enough nor crispy. Interestingly, the rich-hued sauce on the plate was ineffective in offering up any impactful flavours.
Onto the Faisan Roti et Son Pithivier (roasted pheasant, chestnut pithivier and coffee-roasted carrots), the star of the plate was the pithivier by far. This little flaky pastry was filled with pheasant dark meat and chestnut. The filling was moist, meaty and surprisingly not overly heavy. It was well-seasoned where the natural flavours really came through. As for the white meat, it was sufficiently moist with some parts of the skin being crispy. Once again, the sauce was not doing much other than sitting there. We felt the pheasant was seriously underseasoned. On the other hand, the Saumon A L’Unilateral (unilateral salmon, tagliatelle and tarragon beurre blanc) was bang on with all of its components. With crispy skin, the salmon was flaky and moist while the toothsome tagliatelle was bathed in a rich flavourful beurre blanc that caressed each noodle. Despite this dish, all the other proteins were universally under-seasoned (which was a shame because that could've made some of the dishes). Overall, the food wasn't bad, but the place needs a bit of time to iron out some of the finer details.
The Good:
- Decently executed proteins and sides (especially for a packed-house)
- Although hurried, the service was decent for us
- Lively atmosphere
The Bad:
- Under-seasoned proteins almost across the board
- Food expedition was slow (packed-house though)
- A bit loud for some
It's no secret, I like curry. I do. I like them, Sherm-I-am. And I would eat it in a car! And I would eat it in a bar. And I would eat it in a rink. And with a Robot. And in a sink. Heck, I'd even eat it in the Crystal Mall parking lot! Since that is completely true, it was a natural fit that I accepted the role of judge for the Vancouver Curry Challenge. However that meant I had to try 11 curries within a 3-week period. Curry Impossible? Absolutely not, but it could be more like toilet impossible...
So, I got off to a quick start by heading to the farthest location being Ban Chok Dee out in Langley. Their entry happened to be the Thai Shoo Shee Curry consisting of lightly battered cod on a lemongrass skewer, kale, zucchini and green beans with a rich and thick red curry base with fresh coconut, lime leaves and basil atop jasmine almond rice (with nuts and candied pineapple). I found the cod to be flaky and buttery with a light crisp batter. The curry itself was quite salty but the ample candied pineapple helped balance it out. My next visit was to Calabash with Viv (yes she exists!) to their Duck & Cover Curry. The plate included slow-cooked duck thigh confit simmered in a coconut pumpkin curry and a crisp duck drumstick served on Guyanese chow mein and seasonal veggies. I found the duck to be tender where the spices really came through with a lingering spice. To me it tasted like they combined jerk seasoning with cumin and coconut. To add some tartness to the dish, tamarind in the chewy chow mein was prominent.
Enlisting the help of Choobee, I traveled to Richmond and headed to the American Grille for their Thai Coconut Lamb Curry with chunks of lamb served with fig-
cranberry chutney, fresh cilantro and cumin raita, jasmine rice and grilled house made naan. We found the curry to have depth-of-flavour with the taste of cumin, sweet peppers and a mild peppery spice. The lamb was plentiful and succulent. As per usual with non-tandoor made naan, it was a bit stiff and bread-like. With my visit to the Broadway location of Bob Likes Thai Food, I dared to bring the kiddies. Not to worry, as I got them a Pad See Ew and left the curry to myself and Viv. That curry happened to be the Green Curry Chicken. Despite its plain description, the dish was constructed very differently than the typical version found in Vancouver. With chicken-stuffed portions of tender fried eggplant topped with hot chili peppers, this was purposefully spicy with the aromatics of coconut milk and saltiness of fish sauce.
Daring to do it all again with the kiddies, we visited Hai Phong Vietnamese Kitchen to try their Chicken Curry Noodle Soup. This consisted of boneless chicken and taro simmered in a light curry broth infused with lemongrass and coconut milk. Rather than the regular Pho accompaniments, it was served with vermicelli, bean sprouts, chives, Vietnamese coriander, white and green onions and finely sliced chilli peppers. The result was a sweet and fragrant broth that was mildly spiced (until we added the hot chili peppers). The abundance of moist chicken added body to the dish. Finally, Miss Y was able to make it to my visit to the Copper Chimney (it ain't right without an appearance by Miss Y!). In addition to a complete meal, we did not forget to try their entry being the Goa Spicy Pork Vindaloo served with basmati rice and garlic naan. Even with the use of the famed ghost pepper, the restrained spice level let us enjoy the dish as a whole. Don't get me wrong, it was spicy though with gradual heat with a slight tang. As for the pork, it had a nice rebound texture.
Whipping Girl had to be a stand-in for Choobee on my visit to Kilimanjaro because I got stood-up! Choobee better make it up to me! Anyways, we tried the Kuku Paka which consisted of coconut cream curry with East African spices, chicken, hard boiled eggs and potatoes. This was something we'd never had before and it was definitely a subtle-tasting dish. It was very creamy where the flavours penetrated the succulent pieces of chicken. The accompanying spicy carrots really helped amp the mild flavours. Seeing how I was running out-of-time before the challenge would end, Miss Y and I decided to hit up 3 places in one night staring with Showcase. There, we had the Braised Shortrib and Parsnip Curry made with authentic house made masala curry paste, red wine braised short rib and fall vegetables (with naan, raita and mango chutney on the side). I found the beef to be fork tender while a touch dry. It tasted more like a stew with traces of cumin and coriander. Rounding out the flavours was the tartness of the wine and the sweetness of the veggies.
After that we headed over to Morocco West for their Trio of Moroccan Curry. The dish was comprised of Lamb Curry with farro, Seafood Vermicelli Curry Puff and Masala Curry Scotch Egg. One thing was definitely clear with the lamb curry - it wasn't bland. The flavours really popped with the sweet peppers mixed in the firm farro. The curry itself was spicy and salty with a purposeful amount of acidity. I enjoyed the pieces of succulent lamb where the sauce really penetrated the meat. Already completely full, we dragged our butts to U & I Thai. With probably the "lightest" offering of the bunch, we sampled the Green Queen Curry consisting of halibut with coconut milk, green curry paste, fish sauce, spinach, red bell pepper, eggplant and Thai basil. We found the fish to be flaky and moist where it sat atop a wonderful mix of smashed peas, eggplant and spinach. Although the curry itself was pretty salty, the veggies along with the pomegranate seeds and drops of tamarind sauce helped balance the flavours.
My last place to visit was Abode Restaurant and I got Whipping Girl to make a return appearance (instead of the "stand-me-up" Choobee!). Among other dishes (we couldn't just eat one dish...), we did get to try their entry being the Moroccan Braised Lamb Shank in a light tomato-based sauce consisting of a house made blend of ginger, garlic, cumin, jalapenos, cinnamon, a mix of smoked paprikas and spices. This was served atop pomegranate dirty rice. The flavour profile was quite mild, yet when I took a big scoop of the veggies along with a piece of lamb, there was a good amount of tartness with a background spice. The lamb itself was moist throughout, including the exterior.
So in the end, the results of the judging went in favour of 2 restaurants that tied for first place:
1. Morocco West and U & I Thai
2. Ban Chok Dee
3. Bob Likes Thai Food
For the reader's choice:
1. U & I Thai
2. Ban Chok Dee
3. Morocco West.
The last time I was at Neighbour's, I had the most unfortunate luck that almost everyone at the table decided to order the same thing. Hence, it goes without saying that the variety of dishes was as good as the spelling in a Chinese Menu (fried pork bum anyone?). So when Pebbles suggested we head there after Monday night softball, I was all ears. With a table of 11, I was pretty sure there would be a better selection of food than last time, even though Chill decided to have essentially what he had last time! He's killing me here!
Milhouse, Boss Woman, Bear and Hot Chocolate decided to share some eats with me including the dinner-sized Kalamari. This was a substantial plate of food where the rice chewy and not overly wet. It was mildly seasoned and could've used a touch more lemon. The Greek salad was fresh and nicely dressed with a good amount of acidity. The tzatziki was thick with a purposeful amount of cucumber and lemon. As for the squid, it was slightly chewy with a minimal amount of seasoned crispy batter. We also had the Roast Lamb which was mostly tender and moist. Of course, some exterior parts were more dry (but that was to be expected). It was well-seasoned with a nice garlic essence.
Since their pastas were on special for Mondays, we went for the Penne with meat sauce. I found the pasta to be sufficiently al dente while not being too chewy. The meat sauce seemed to be thickened with something that had the consistency of starch. Hence, it was a bit too thick. However, it did taste okay with a mild tomato flavour and the sweetness of onions. Lastly, we had a large Pizza that was half salami, Canadian bacon & pepperoni and half chicken, spinach, feta cheese & fresh garlic. For this type of pizza, I found the crust not too thick and crispy on the bottom. As you can see, the amount of toppings and cheese was generous. I liked the chicken side more as it had varying flavours from the ingredients.
Gengis had the Ribs a la Greka served with the same sides as the other mains. This was a rack of grilled ribs that had a chewy exterior but with fairly moist meat. The familiar Greek spices were evident. Not mentioned with the other plates was the roast potato which was pretty good with a soft fluffy interior. It was well-seasoned with a nice hit of lemon. Pebbles ended up with the Baked Lasagna which was covered in plenty of cheese. With a similar meat sauce as our penne, the flavours were mild with only a bit of tomato and beef. The noodles were not overly soft while the amount of cheese didn't make it greasy.
As mentioned, Chill had the AAA 7oz NY Steak with garlic butter mushrooms (which he had last time...). He remarked that his steak was prepared properly where it was tender and moist. I was able to sample the mushrooms and they were nicely sauteed with plenty of garlic and seasoning. Gyoza King, unable to order gyozas (thankfully because if there was gyozas on the menu...), had the Baked Ravioli. He generally liked it (as it resembled the baked lasagna somewhat). He thought that the portion size was curiously modest for the price (considering everything else was pretty large). It cost more than the lasagna and was appreciably smaller. Overall, most dishes were above average while portions were fair. Unfortunately, being featured on the Food Network may have heightened expectations. Ultimately, Neighbour's does a good job for this genre of restaurant.
The Good:
- Decent portions
- Friendly people
- Decent eats
The Bad:
- People might expect more based on being on the Food Network
- Prices are on the higher end
Ever since Polka King lost his polka bachelorhood, his sightings have been as rare as proper elevator etiquette at Crystal Mall. How does one get out of an elevator if you all rush in? I digress... Anyways, when he indicated that he and Polka Dot were able to join us for eats after hockey, I had to ensure that it would be a place that could suit mini-Polka Dot (yah, we've seen him even less since she was born). So we ended up a the old location of Los Compadres, which now stands another Japanese restaurant in North Burnaby. In fact, only a few steps from Yo Sushi.
Starting with the Assorted Sashimi, the portion size was pretty decent for the price ($12.95). It consisted of 2 pieces each of hamachi, hokkigai, tako, tuna, Atlantic salmon and Sockeye salmon. Everything seemed to be on point except I found the Sockeye a bit too soft for my liking. It didn't taste bad though. For our roll, Mihouse chose the Monkey's Tears which had cream cheese in it. Normally, I can't stand cream cheese in any maki sushi. However, it was masked by the plentiful ingredients. There was just a small ring of rice on the outside. It was seasoned, but strangely salty.
Ginseng insisted we try the Sushi Pizza and in reality, it was only a pizza in name only. I tried to pick it up with hand and it was an epic fail with things flying everywhere. Sitting atop the fried rice patty was imitation crab, either tuna or salmon and tobiko. I found the fried rice to have a firm crunch while the ample amount of imitation crab ensured some saltiness. The slices of fish were really large and were sauced with a somewhat spicy glaze. We also had the Oyako Don which was topped with fried pieces of chicken. They were a bit too dry for my tastes, yet were seasoned well. The rice was chewy and benefited from the seepage of sauce from the top.
Lastly, we had the Assorted Tempura which arrived in a darker shade of golden. Despite this, it wasn't overly greasy nor heavy. The batter was light and crispy while the veggies were not overdone. As for the ebi, they were buttery soft with some bite. Considering the pricing and the portion size, we were satisfied with our meal at Sushi UOmo. Although, we wouldn't necessarily drive from afar to eat at Sushi UOmo, it does do the job, especially for those in the neighbourhood. We found it better than the other place a few stores down.
The Good:
- Okay pricing
- Decent portions
- Low-key ambiance
The Bad:
- Some liberties taken on authenticity (but that didn't bother us)
- Some items took awhile (tempura arrived a good 10 minutes after our last dish)
On our way back from Whistler, we had this plan to stop in Squamish for some eats at The Campfire Grill. Too bad so sad... as the place was closed unexpectedly! How many times has this happened to me!?!?!? Since we were hungry and I was too lazy to get back into the car and drive, we walked up Cleveland Ave to another local favourite, being Chef Big D's. Fortunately for us, the wait wasn't too bad and we were seated pretty quickly by the friendly staff (and a window seat no less! Yay!).
For myself, I wanted something other than brunch, so I went for Chef Big D's Burger with bacon, cheddar, lettuce tomato, pickle and a fried egg added for good measure. As simple as the burger appeared, it was fairly good with a meaty patty that was neither dry nor juicy. It was somewhere in between which was ultimately satisfying. I found the bun airy enough while still standing up to the ingredients. With crispy bacon and a nicely runny egg, this was a well-made burger without much fanfare.
On the side, I decided to have the Beef Vegetable Soup rather than fries. Hey, after all the continuous eating, it was about time I went for something lighter... Wait, there was bacon, cheese and a fried egg in my burger... Oh well, it's all about balance right? Turns out I should've went for the fries as the soup was pretty disappointing. There was only a modest amount of ingredients in the soup. Yet, the broth itself was the biggest issue as it was pretty bland. Viv wasn't very hungry so she shared (with our daughter) the Berry Pancakes (blueberry underneath the strawberry on top) with sausage. The pancakes were fairly fluffy while the amount of fruit made them good on their own. Although the chicken sausage was meaty and sweet, it was burnt on one side.
My son had the Kid's Breakfast which looked quite sparse on a large plate. In fact, it looked like some interesting piece of art. I think they should've used a smaller plate so that the amount of food would appear to be sufficient. It was pretty standard stuff and he dusted off quickly. Okay, as you can tell, the stuff at Chef Big D's is definitely fine for a bite to eat. However, I'm a little confused as to all the rave reviews. We didn't come away feeling we got our money's worth. Don't get me wrong, we were fine with the food, it just didn't wow us.
The Good:
- Homey atmosphere
- Okay eats
The Bad:
- Not sure about the value
Sometimes, I wonder if Bubbly is on drugs... She is ever-so-happy and buzzes around like she's high on sugar. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining as she is an awesome person and her antics are truly entertaining. But then again, her restaurant suggestions border on bizarre. With Chill and I having just finished a round at Pemberton Golf Course, she thought it would be a great idea to meet at the Whistler Golf Course for dinner. Huh? Okay... She insisted that it would be a great place to hang out. And so we did...
We started with an order of Nachos and when it hit the table, we were shocked at the size. This could've easily fed a golf foursome. Sure, we had four adults, but we didn't even put a dent into it as more than half was left on the plate at the end. As a dish, it was pretty typical with crunchy chips topped with cheese, tomatoes, peppers and something different in black beans. I thought that the guacamole could've used more lime as it was a bit bland. The salsa was sweet with little impact. For Bubbly, she had the Salt & Pepper Wings with chipotle ranch. The wings were super crispy to the point where it was crunchy with well-rendered skin. Inside, it wasn't juicy, but hardly dry either. With a smooth start and a spicy finish, the chipotle ranch definitely had impact.
For myself, I had the Poached Prawn Wrap with waffle fries. This was another enormous portion where the wrap was stuffed with buttery soft prawns (more like shrimp). Mixed with a copious amount of mayo with a slight kick and red onions, there was some zip to an otherwise mild wrap. They could've used less mayo though as it was quite wet. The large waffle fries were super crunchy and slightly spicy. Viv went for the Half Turkey Sandwich with a bowl of Salmon Corn Chowder. The sandwich itself was nothing special, but it did the job. However, the chowder was light and more soup-like than creamy, but it tasted creamy though. The sweet pop of the corn added the necessary impact while the salmon was moist.
For the kiddies, half of them went for the Chicken Strips and fries (yam fries in the picture and the other half had the Grilled Cheese and fries. Well, these were as generic as these type of kid's meals could get. Other than the multigrain toast and the use of white cheddar, these could be found on any other kid's menu. They were nicely executed though and easy on the grease (despite the inherent cooking methods used). Well, chalk this up to another family-friendly meal that didn't necessarily yield anything interesting. On the other hand, it did do the job and we did have a relaxing time looking over the 18th green. Yet at the end, we were quite cold...
The Good:
- Low-key relaxing place
- Kid-friendly
The Bad:
- It is generally "just because" food
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