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Depending on one's personal preference, the idea of quantity always trumps quality. Case in point, there are a few friends of mine who could care less about what other people think - value overrides perceived "superior" food. Hence, the lineup at Anton's will never cease to exist. Hey, I like good value too and yes, when I'm super hungry, a certain level of quantity would be nice. That brings us back to Stepho's and their lineup for large quantities at reasonable prices. I felt it was time for a revisit (after 5 years) with Milhouse and Kaiser Soze.
We began with the Calamari and let's just say it was disappointing. Visually, it looked great with big pieces sporting a golden brown batter. However, one bite and the squid was dry and chewy. It took quite the effort to eat it. On the other hand, the batter was light and crispy while being nicely seasoned. As for tzatziki, it was not thick enough for our tastes, yet it did have a good zip. For my main, I went for the Mousaka which was as large as I had remembered it. I liked how the layer of bechamel was thin, yet rather than being creamy and light, it was dense and doughy. For the filling, I liked the abundance of moist ground beef with tender slices of eggplant and potatoes. It was rather salty though with an oil slick on the bottom of the plate.
Kaiser Soze had the Roast Lamb which also arrived in a generous portion. Fatty and moist, the lamb was pretty much on point texturally. However, the predominant flavour was plain ol' salt. We couldn't even really make out anything else. I thought the rice was pretty good being chewy and mildly seasoned while the potatoes could've used a bit more roasting as they were a touch firm. The Greek salad was fresh, yet lacking in dressing. Milhouse ended up with the Steak & Mushroom Pita which was served with fries and salad. The steak itself was okay being somewhere between chewy and somewhat tender. It had a nice char which added a good smokiness. However, the mushrooms tasted like they threw the whole salt shaker at it. Too bad really since they were sauteed beautifully. So there we have it, our visit basically validated our prior sentiments - quantity over quality.
The Good:
- Large portions
- Acceptable food for the price (but it's getting up there)
The Bad:
- Using salt as the primary seasoning makes things taste the same
- Quantity over quality
Once again, there is another Japanese restaurant added to the growing list along East Hastings in Burnaby. Replacing the long gone #1 Chinese, Hiro Sushi was our destination after hockey. At first, Milhouse, Kaiser Soze, JuJu and Polka King (yes, he was allowed out of the house for hockey AND eats!) were concerned that Japanese food would be too "light" since they were famished. Well that would probably explain why we ordered way too much food including a really big one to start.
Since we were 5 hungry guys (no, not the burger place), the Party Tray B was our "appetizer". This was a fairly good value with 51 pieces for $32.00. It included one each of the California Roll, B.C. Roll, Tuna Roll, Dynamite Roll, Salmon Roll, Kappa Roll, House Special Roll and one Smoked Salmon Box Sushi. We felt the rolls were more or less okay. The rice was a bit dry and mild-tasting while the ingredients were okay, but unremarkable.
Milhouse and I decided to share 2 items beginning with the Assorted Tempura. Although it looked sun-burned, they ate better than they appeared. The batter was appealingly crunchy while the veggies were not overcooked. Secondly, we had the Assorted Sashimi which looked impressive for $12.95. The slices of tuna and salmon were easily double-to-triple the size of many other places. However, as I've said over and over again, size doesn't necessarily matter... uh... Anyways, in terms of quality, the sashimi was decent enough, but due to the thickness of the tuna and salmon, it was a bit difficult to chew.
On another visit with Viv, we shared the Black Dragon Roll made with spicy salmon, cucumber and deep fry prawn topped by unagi, avocado and tobiko. It was pretty large with a substantial amount of filling. There was a relatively thick layer of rice on the outside. We found the rice to be rather dry and lacking in flavour. Inside, the fried prawn was really crunchy with a bit too much batter. Overall, the roll was okay, but a bit roughly made. We also had some Nigiri (2 pcs each of Sockeye Salmon and Unagi with one each of the Hotate and Uni). Again, the rice was dry and not very sushi-rice like (even though they did use the correct rice). We liked the salmon and unagi while the scallop was a bit thin. Despite being completely butchered, the uni was fresh and sweet.
Onto some fillers, we got both the Chicken Yakisoba and Katsu Don. Arriving on a sizzling cast iron plate, the yakisoba was lacking in moisture, but not completely dried out. We liked the pieces of chicken as they were succulent. The veggies were done right being crisp and vibrant. Overall, the dish could've used more seasoning and moisture. By appearances alone, the katsu don looked good. If we focus solely on the pork cutlet, it was crispy and a touch chewy, but not dry. The rice was not glutinous enough while being dry. As much as the entire dish wasn't lacking in flavour, it was far too sweet. From what I could gather, both visits to Hiro yielded passable eats at very reasonable prices (in large portions). However, the quality and authenticity is definitely lacking. So don't have high expectations.
The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Large portions
The Bad:
- Unrefined with sub-par sushi rice
- Service is sparse
Ah yes, technology... It makes our life easier and provides many hours of novelty for kids and adults alike. But when it fails, it's like being stuck on a public washroom toilet without any toilet paper. Literally, one would be sh*t-out-of-luck... literally... Well, imagine the horror when I stuck my SD card into the card reader, only to be graced with a warning that the data was corrupt. After some messing around, I was able to salvage most of the photos, except for 4 from my visit to Maji Restaurant. That meant I had to go back and eat the same dishes all over again...
But let me start with my original visit with Milhouse and JuJu with the pictures that were not erased. This included the Spicy Garlic Pork that was tender with a bite. It was definitely spicy, garlicky and a bit sweet. There was good crunch from the wood ear mushrooms which helped add some texture. We weren't so fond of the Minced Shrimp Lettuce Wrap as it was as bland as it looked. Other than a bit of garlic, there really needed to be something to brighten up the dish such as more salt and/or some acidity. The shrimp itself was meaty and overcooked. To compound the issues, the fried mung bean noodles were super greasy.
On my return visit with Mijune (sorry Milhouse and JuJu, she's better company... LOL), I decided to makeup those lost pictures by ordering those exact 2 dishes. The Kimchi Fried Rice was exactly the same with a huge mount of moist, yet still somewhat chewy rice. It was loaded with ingredients including a good amount of meat and kimchi. It wasn't spicy per se, but there was a tangy zipiness. As for the Taiwanese Style Stir Fried Oil Noodles, they were softer than last time. It wasn't as toothsome as I would've liked as they were quite wet. There was decent amount of seasoning that took it beyond being bland.
We decided to try 2 more dishes including the Garlic Eggplant which was prepared hot (it used to be cold). The eggplant was nicely textured where it was soft, but still had some bite left. It was bathed in a spicy, garlicky and generally impactful sauce. Since we were both sick, we got the Sesame-Oil Chicken Soup which was full of big pieces of chicken leg. It was juicy and succulent where it was cooked just enough. The broth itself was effectively salty where there was plenty of flavour without being over-seasoned. The sesame-oil was not overly strong though.
Lastly and actually from the first visit (I forgot to talk about it and am too lazy to re-edit this post...), we also had the Fried Chicken Wings. These were crispy with a well-rendered skin. The batter was well-seasoned, yet interestingly, the meat itself had not flavour. It was juicy and tender though. From my 2 visits to Maji, both the food and service were more than acceptable. Considering the reasonable pricing in relation to the portion sizes, I would be open to a 3rd visit.
The Good:
- Above-average eats
- Decent value
- Decent service
The Bad:
- Parking sucks
- Both times, the expedition of food included wide time gaps
To say that I rarely eat out in the Dunbar area of Vancouver is an understatement. Even though I have the occasional softball game out there, it hasn't meant a bounty of restaurant visits. Long ago, I did have a friend who lived out there and I did frequent the neighbourhood, but that was in my teens where blogging only consisted of a pen and paper. But for once, I was stuck around the UBC area and in need of eats. So I drove down Dunbar and stopped at the first sushi place I spotted which was Wild Sushi.
Not sure of the name though because the menu didn't seem to be very "wild" nor was the decor. Well, I wasn't keen on any surprises, so just simple sushi suited me fine. And with that, I began things with the Assorted Sashimi which was good and bad on one plate. The sockeye salmon and tuna were pretty good exhibiting a nice sheen and fresh taste. However, the tako and tai were not defrosted correctly where they were spongy and full of moisture. Next up, I had the Rainbow Roll consisting of a California roll topped with salmon, tuna, ebi and avocado. It was drizzled with mayo and some sweet droplets. Hence, the flavours were a bit too sweet (but the dunk in soy helped matters). The mild-tasting rice had a nice consistency though with a sticky chew.
Despite dining all-by-my-lonesome, I went for both the Yakisoba with beef and Katsu Don as well (don't worry, I didn't eat it all in one sitting...). Arriving on a super hot sizzling cast iron plate, the yakisoba was pretty good. I liked how the noodles weren't swimming in sauce which meant they were still chewy and not over-seasoned. However, I wouldn't liked to see a bit of acidity though as the flavours were flat. The ample amount of sliced beef was moist and tender. As for the katsu don, it was topped with a large pork cutlet that was slightly crisp on the edges. Inside, it was tender and not dried out. Although the rice was nicely chewy, it could've benefited from more sauce.
Lastly, I sampled their Appetizer Tempura that included 2 ebi, 2 pcs of sweet potato and one pc of golden squash. Despite being really crunchy, the tempura batter was far too thick. Hence, I had to remove some of it. Other than that, the veggies and ebi were not overdone. Overall, I was okay with the food at Wild Sushi despite some of the issues (such as the spongy sashimi and over-battered tempura). I found the prices to be reasonable and the service to be friendly enough.
The Good:
- Reasonable-pricing
- Depending on what you order, it can be pretty decent
The Bad:
- Some issues with specific dishes
As much as Phnom Penh is synonymous with Cambodian food in Vancouver, there are, in fact, other places where one can get similar eats including those famed chicken wings (albeit usually not as good). After Sunday morning hockey, Milhouse, Kaiser Soze, JuJu and myself decided to hit up Angkor for some Cambodian eats in hopes of finding an alternative to the always busy aforementioned Phnom Penh (and the fact it has been blogged to death!).
For myself, I ended up getting the Phnom Penh Dry Rice Noodles which was pretty good. Topped with the usual seafood and meats including shrimp, liver, sliced pork and ground pork, it was also sauced with a sweet soy. When mixed together with the chewy noodles and side of blanched sprouts, it was a good balance between savoury and sweet. The noodles were a bit clumpy though. The accompanying pork bone soup was sweet with a good amount of melt-in-my-mouth meat. Milhouse had the Angkor Beef Stew Noodles which looked quite appetizing. Sampling the soup and it was indeed flavourful and somewhat aromatic. There was depth and a sweet meatiness. As for the meat itself, it was fatty and tender while the noodles were al dente.
Kaiser Soze had the Phnom Penh Rice Noodle Soup in a sweet, flavourful broth. Obviously aided by MSG, there was depth which helped flavour the noodles. The meats were tender and abundant while the large pork bone was a treat. JuJu wanted to be different, so he went with the Chhar Kropus & Rice. The prawns had a meaty snap while being bathed in a garlicky and onion spiked stir-fry. The rice itself was dry enough to absorb the moisture without getting too soft. As tasty as it was, JuJu was left a bit hungry due to the modest portion size.
No matter though as we got a large order of the Deep Fried Chicken Wings to share. Served with 2 large bowls of lemon pepper dip, this was trending towards the Phnom Penh version. Yet, it was not as good. Although lightly crisp on the outside, the skin was not a rendered nor was the wings themselves that flavourful. Inside, the meat was juicy though. Although not without faults, Angkor offered up eats that satisfied. Furthermore, the prices were very reasonable.
The Good:
- Cheap
- Decent eats
- Good service
The Bad:
- Modest portions
While we were on our way to hit up Venice Garden after late night hockey, I noticed that there was a new Vietnamese joint on the corner of 2nd and Renfrew. It suddenly donned on me that I should give Steve (from the Chili Cookoff) a call to try the place out. Just like the time at Mr. Red, he is always game for new eats and in particular, the ethnic variety. Well, it was apparently meant to be as I received an email the day after suggesting that we meetup at Pho Ngon (which was the same place I had in mind!).
Onto the food, as much as I make a big deal about the spring roll wrappers, I have begun to accept the use of wheat wrappers. Why? Well, they are much easier to deal with as they don't dry out like the rice wrappers. So with that in mind, the Spring Rolls here were decent with a crispy exterior that was easy on the grease and a filling that was filled with moist pork that was adequately seasoned. We also didn't mind the Banh Mi Dac Biet where the baguette was crusty and only a touch dense. There was enough meat to make an impact while the amount of pate could've been increased. Also, an extra splash of fish sauce or Maggi would've brought the flavours alive.
As for our mains, we tried the Pho Ga first. The broth was clean and light with only a minor saltiness. I didn't get a whole lot of chicken flavour but it wasn't bland either where there was a noticeable sweetness. The noodles were a touch soft, but not overly so. The modest amount of chicken meat was sufficiently moist with gelatin-like skin attached. We also had the Pho Tai Nam Bo Vien where the broth was a bit murky and did not have the cleanest of flavours. However, there was indeed flavour in the form of a light meatiness accented by sweetness. There was something missing as the broth didn't have a whole lot of impact. The noodles were slippery and a bit past al dente while the meats were sliced thin and tender.
Lastly, we had the Banh Bao Dac Biet filled with wood ear mushrooms, vermicelli and egg. We found the bun itself to be a touch dense and not as fluffy as we would've liked. It was still okay though. The filling was quite nice and mildly seasoned. Overall, we found the food a bit lacking at Pho Ngon. Definitely serviceable, but considering the vast amount of other Vietnamese restaurants, it doesn't do enough to stand out.
The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Friendly people
The Bad:
- Mediocre food
- Smallish portions
As if dining on buttery Hollandaise, a croissant and plenty of brie wasn't enough to send our fat intake of the day shooting Northwards of 100%, our plan for lunch wasn't going to help the cause. After picking up Whipping Girl's TV, we headed over to Bayou on Bay for some good ol' Southern cooking. With Viv out-of-the-picture for this trip to Bellingham, I could satisfy my craving for country fried steak with creamy gravy. This way, she wouldn't suffer the aftermath... Whipping Girl would! Hey, I was helping her pick up a TV! She'd have to accept the collateral damage.
After perusing the menu, it was quite obvious that our caloric intake for the day would be blown (if it hadn't already happened at breaky). We started with the Fried Okra which were prepared in manageable bite size pieces. They were crispy while not crunchy with a "thick-enough" breading. These were golden brown and not greasy at all. The okra itself was soft with a slight bite while exhibiting a slight sliminess (but that's normal). The plate of Yam Fries were really good because not only were they crispy on the outside, they were soft and moist on the inside. A light toss in pepper and salt added a simple, yet effective impact.
For our mains, we began with the Shrimp & Grits featuring a really rich, creamy sauce spiked with bacon. There was probably a tad too much sauce as the dish felt really heavy. Furthermore the grits themselves were a bit dense and clumpy. As for the shrimp, they were nicely prepared having a wonderful sweet snap. The aforementioned Country Fried Steak was crunchy with a nicely peppery coating. The meat was pretty dry, but flavorful. The sausage gravy was thick and full of meat. It was really rich while not being particularly flavourful except for the taste of fat. Yup, after we were done, we felt heavier than a tour bus full of football players. There might possibly have been a pit stop afterwards...
The Good:
- Inexpensive
- They do not shy away from making the food as rich as possible
The Bad:
- Yes, we realize the food is supposed to be heavy, but it was actually too heavy
- Okay, but not great
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