On Lok

On Lok?  Really? Wow, that is really kickin' it ol' skool...  I guess late night hockey calls for really late night eats and On Lok was the destination for the night (or should I say early morning?).  We had not been back for 3 years or so.  I wondered if our tastes have changed in the meantime or would we still crave On Lok like we did before.  I guess with a big group of us, it was about time to find out...  Well, one thing was for sure, nothing had changed in terms of decor - looked exactly the same as it did 20+ years ago.

For myself, I went for the basics including the Wonton Noodle.  I gotta say this was one ol' skool (much like the place itself) version of the dish.  The broth was okay but not exactly aromatic.  It was more along the lines of mildly salty without any distinguishing flavours.  The noodles were good though being toothsome.  I wasn't a huge fan of the wontons (and I didn't even bother finishing them).  They were mainly pork with a few small shrimp here and there.  I found the pork to be rather chewy and lifeless while the taste was a little bland.  My next item was the Preserved Egg and Salted Pork Congee.  This was much better with a thick rice broth that only began to get watery at the end.  It was mildly seasoned where it was easy on the MSG.  There was plenty of preserved egg and appealingly chewy strands of mildly salty pork.

Milhouse went for his standby being the Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice.  We thought this was well-executed where the rice was chewy and nutty.  The beneficiary of good wok heat, the rest of the dish was dry.  Hence the flavours were caramelized which went well with the ample amount of impactful salted fish.  The one thing we didn't like was the greasiness of the dish.  Unfortunately, Groundskeeper Willy didn't have much luck with his Squid Chow Mein.  He found the squid to be noticeably fishy which turned him off.  Texture was okay, but there was a bit too much sauce which made the noodles quite soft.  Although there was plenty of sauce, he didn't think it tasted particularly flavourful though.

Emilicious had her go-to dish which was the Ma Po Tofu on Rice.  I was able to sample some and it was indeed very good.  The steamed rice underneath was appropriately dry and chewy, which ensured it didn't get soggy from the sauce.  About that sauce, it was a fine balance between sweet, salty and spicy.  The tender nuggets of tofu held up to the cooking process while the meat was tender.  Gordo went for the Curry Beef on Rice which was a bit hit and miss.  The curry sauce was fine where it was sweet and salty with plenty of curry flavour.  However, the brisket was dry and lifeless.  The veggies were good though with lots of crunch.

The same brisket afflicted Lionel Hutz's Brisket Fried Rice Noodle. Yes, the same brisket (all from the same pool of meat, just used in different dishes) was dry and chewy.  Too bad really as the noodle was done quite well.  There was plenty of wok heat where caramelization occurred which went hand-in-hand with the right amount of soy.  Sweet Tooth, with no desserts to choose from, settled for the Fried Tofu.  This was a fairly straightforward dish with crispy tofu triangles laced in salt, garlic and chilis.  It wasn't particularly evenly distributed though as some pieces were really salty while others were completely bland.  This dish effectively summed up our most recent experience at On Lok - okay for late night eats, but not really a top choice when there are so many better Chinese restaurants around.

The Good:
- Large portions
- Okay pricing
- Open late

The Bad:
- Hit and miss food
- Divy decor from the 70's

Pearl Castle

Here we go with the chain restaurant debate again - the restaurant in question in this round is Pearl Castle.  For me, I have enjoyed my late-night forays at the Richmond location as the food has always been consistent.  I did get to visit their short-lived store out in PoCo which was alright while the newly opened one in Old Orchard Mall is next on my list.  In between, I grabbed some eats at their Surrey Central location smack dab in the T&T Supermarket.  Now back to the chain restaurant thing...  As much as some would like to believe all locations are created equal, that is a pretty dangerous assumption (as this visit will illustrate).

So we started with the Chicken Nuggets which were prepared quite nicely.  We found the outer crispy coating was seasoned enough with a salty five spice thing going on.  It wasn't particularly peppery though.  Inside, the chunks of dark meat were moist without the abundance of chicken skin.  Next up, the Squid Tentacles were frankly terrible.  Okay, let me backtrack a bit.  The batter itself was fried crispy and was easy on the grease.  Moreover, similarly to the chicken nuggets, there was enough seasoning as well.  The real problem with the dish was with the squid itself.  We found it extremely chewy and hard to eat.  In fact, it had a texture akin to overcooked octopus (which is almost inedible).

Continuing on with another popular Taiwanese dish, we had the 3 Cup Chicken.  Consisting of chopped up chicken thighs, the meat was tender and moist.  Flavourwise, we thought it had the right balance of sweet, tart and savoury.  Unlike other versions of this dish, it wasn't swimming in grease nor served in a hot pot.  To compliment it, we got a plate of the Kimchi Fried Rice (yah, it should've been plain white rice, but we wanted something with more kick).  Indeed, the rice did have a notable spiciness that wasn't overwhelming at all.  There was decent wok heat which ensured caramelization of flavours.  We liked how there was a good amount of kimchi and julienned pork.

Despite looking quite plain, the Spicy Wontons were decent.  Beneath the tender wrapper, there was a mix of pork and shrimp that was cooked just enough that their ideal textures were maintained (pork had a rebound while the shrimp had a slight snap).  Even with the considerable amount of chili oil at the bottom of the plate, the wontons were not overly spicy.  Lastly, we ended off with a complete failure - the Beef Noodles.  Boy was this a pathetic attempt.  First of all, the soup was pale-looking and greasy.  Second, we rather would've been happier with instant soup base rather than this bland, oily and generally unappetizing mess.  Third, the chunks of beef were not really all that tender nor succulent.  We hated this bowl of noodles and apparently, the table next to us did too as they left it untouched.

Of course we couldn't get out of there without getting some Bubble Teas right?  Peppermint and Hales decided to go for Green Apple Slush and Strawberry Milk Slush respectively.  These were okay being blended until smooth.  They were pretty sweet though with the typical candy-like flavours.  Overall, the highs were not enough to make up for the squid and the beef noodles.  Those 2 dishes were so bad, it was almost unbelievable for a Tawianese restaurant.  It is akin to a steakhouse serving tough overcooked striploin and dry baked potatoes.  Not acceptable.  Let's see how long this location lasts if they don't get their act together.

The Good:
- Some okay dishes
- Convenient location

The Bad:
- When the dishes fail, they explode with collateral damage
- Decent service, but with one server at the time, it was not very attentive

Yu Kee

Consider it a ritual or at the very least something that provides comfort after being out-of-town.  Is it sleeping in your own bed?  Nope.  Showering in your own shower? Not that either.  Sitting on your own toilet seat???  Yes, the throne...  but not that.  The most important thing and the first to occur is visiting a Chinese restaurant for some wonton noodles and congee.  So even though it was only a 2-day absence, Whipping Girl and Miss Y both agreed this had to happen.

Strangely, this is the 3rd time blogging about the place, but there is a good reason.  First time, I only got their BBQ to go and second time, we had their set meal dinner. Yet, we never tried their "casual" dishes including the Wonton Noodles and Congee.  Well, this was as good as any time to try those aforementioned dishes.  Well, it turns out that it was generally a non-event as the wontons were quite average.  They were the pork variety with the obligatory shrimp inside.  Yes, I am biased when it comes to wontons (I like the shrimp ones more), but even considering these for what they were, I wasn't overly fond of the texture as it was chewy rather being moist and bouncy.  Noodles were okay, but could've been chewier while the soup was rather bland.  I got a Salty Donut to go with my congee and it was okay.  It was crispy and fairly light.

I ended up with the classic being the Preserved Egg and Salted Pork Congee which arrived full of ingredients.  There was no shortage of egg and relatively tender slivers of salted pork.  As for the congee base itself, I found it to be sufficiently thick, yet trending towards watery.  It was seasoned enough where there was a savouriness, but not to the point where it tasted like MSG.  Miss Y decided on her comfort item being the Brisket & Tendon Noodles in Soup.  Since there was the addition of the residual braising liquid in the soup, it tasted a bit more rich.  Noodles were the same, but slightly chewier.  I found the tendons to be soft while not melting away and the brisket was quite tender and moist.  She actually wanted brisket only, but it wasn't possible as they had braised both items together.

Our last dish was the Salted Fish & Chicken Fried Rice.  I wasn't particularly fond of this dish as there seemed to be a disconnect with all of the ingredients.  Usually, the salted fish combined with tender pieces of chicken offers up a balance of sweet and salty, but somehow everything was separate in taste.  The rice was not dry enough either as it was too moist (lacking in wok heat too).  Overall, we were mildly okay with our meal but weren't chomping at the bit to return (for these items that is).  Whatever the case, it did hit the spot though and I guess in that sense, it served its purpose.

The Good:
- Reasonably priced
- Okay service
- Decent portions

The Bad:
- Set dinner and BBQ was good, these dishes were pretty average
- Super tight seating arrangements (same with the parking lot)

Japonessa

Planning.  Yes, when I head out-of-town, I like to plan out everything so we don't leave anything to chance.  Hence, when I saw an Amazon Local coupon for Japonessa, I saw the opportunity to save some money while we were down in Seattle for Black Friday.  Since we had been shopping for most of the day, our dinner ended up to be around 9:00pm which was fine as Japonessa's business seemed to pick up as it got later.  Yes, the place is definitely a late-night hot spot.  Sorta strange I didn't play hockey first before eating here...

Since the ordering was left to me, I made sure we had enough to eat (like I always do...). Appearing larger and rounder than it should be, the Takoyaki were not exactly served hot.  Lukewarm and mealy inside, these tasted fine, but were texturally unappealing.  I did like the addition of pickled ginger as it brightened up the mild flavors.  Furthermore, the minimal amount of mayo and unagi sauce kept things from getting too saucy and wet.  Next up, the Kobachi Dumplings were really good.  The dumpling skin was tender and thin which meant that the delicate pureed filling wasn't lost.  It was fairly sweet, but the savory sauce helped balance things out.

We also got the Soup Udon to share and it was a decent portion of noodles, runny egg, fish cake, king crab, chicken and asparagus.  In terms of the ingredients, they were prepared nicely with the crab being fluffy and chicken being sufficiently tender (of which, it wasn't merely boiled, rather it was charred). However, the dashi was too sweet and salty.  As much as it wasn't a huge deal, the mold-formed egg was a bit amateurish.  Moving onto the plate of Tempura, we found the batter to be too thick where it wasn't too crispy.  Beyond the outside layer, the batter was actually dense and gummy.  On the other hand, the veggies and ebi were not overcooked.

Looking quite legit, the Ahi Tuna Tartare with balsamic soy vinegar, yuzu citrus allio and served with taro chips was texturally on point with soft, yet not mushy fish.  However, it was not diced consistently as there was one really large piece that didn't even appeared to be cut.  Flavorwise, it was too sweet where the tuna wasn't even able to be heard.  On that note, the Sashimi Salad was a study in what not to do with delicate ingredients.  There was so much dressing, that the greens were limp and the fish was overwhelmed.  Also the addition of red onion was a mystery as it was far too strong for the ingredients.

We really liked the Hama Kama though as it was charred extensively where the smokiness really came through.  Most of the fish was still moist and buttery while purposefully seasoned.  For our one Roll, the Orange Crush (snow crab, shibazuke, cucumber, cilantro, topped w/ sockeye and white king salmon drizzled w/ coconut mango glaze) was pretty large with only a minimal amount of rice.  We felt the rice was a tad soft and underseasoned though.  Yet, the roll was decent with the nice hit of acidity from the pickles. At the end, we were pretty stuff from the shear amount of food.  In terms of satisfaction, we were disappointed.  Most items were lacking and not prepared with care.  Considering the regular prices and inconsistency of the food, it is a complete mystery why the place is rated at 95% on Urbanspoon.

The Good:
- Attentive service
- Open late
- Decent portions

The Bad:
- Food not prepared carefully
- Below-average eats
- Pricey

Lola

As much as anything promoted (yes, that is the correct word) on the Food Network is generally over-hyped and sketch (see Triple D's), there are some things that are worth trying.  One particular thing that has been stuck in my mind for the last 5 years has been the donuts at Lola as recommended by Giada de Laurentiis.  Yah, I realize her almost unbelievable "foodgasm" when she ate them, but hey, I couldn't tell if she was faking it or not...  So finally, I had the opportunity to sort fact from fiction when Miss Y, Whipping Girl and myself made it out to Lola after a night (or morning) of Black Friday shopping.

Before we could get to dessert, we had a meal to eat and it began with an array of Spreads (served with griddled pita) including Kalamata-Fig, Tzatziki, Cauliflower-Anchovy, Fava Skordalia Garlic, Roasted Sweet Red Pepper and Kopanisti Pistachio & Mavrodaphne. This was a fun and interactive appetizer that got our appetites going with a wealth of different and impactful flavors.  We particularly liked the Kalamata-Fig as it was easy on the salt where the fig added both texture and balance.  The wine-like finish was particularly appealing.  Thick and creamy, the Kopanisti Pistachio was aromatic and purposefully salty.  The drizzle of Mavrodaphne added a vinegar-like finish.  Hummus-like, the Fava Skordalia was smooth and subtle with the aromatics of garlic.  We also liked the Cauliflower as the anchovy really came through without being overwhelming.  Our least favorite was the red pepper as it was not as impactful as it looked.

Onto the mains, we shared the Marinated Beets with pea shoots, fennel and skordalia underneath.  Miss Y thought we needed some veggies to supplement our diets...  Pffft...  Anyways, the beets were firm and not overly sweet.  I would've liked to see more Earthiness from the beets though.  The salad of pea shoots and fennel on top was particularly acidic which was just the right tonic for the otherwise mild flavours.  Moving away from the veggies, we headed to my selection, which happened to be the Lola Lamb Burger with Lola ketchup and chickpea fries.  We requested it be prepared medium-rare and it come out exactly as such.  Hence, the meat was super moist and succulent.  We liked how the meat was not overprocessed where it retained a natural meatiness.  It was well-seasoned while not being particularly gamy (probably because it was lean).  I would've liked a bit more char though.  Since they were short 2 chickpea fries, we were served a combination of that and regular fries.  The chickpea fries were dense, lightly crisp and well-seasoned.

Our other meat dish consisted of the Berkshire Pork Kebabs marinated in honey and harissa.  The fully cooked pork was sufficiently moist with a rebound-like texture.  We found the marinade to be dominated by the honey where the harissa only came through at the end.  However, that didn't mean we didn't like it.  We liked the impact of the flavors which penetrated the meat.  Furthermore, the accompanying tzatziki was excellent consisting of defined tastes from the garlic, cucumber and ample lemon juice.  Finally, we made it to the Made-to-Order Donuts with cinnamon sugar and served with vanilla marscapone and cranberry jam.  Succumbing to the hype like a crazed groupie, I had multiple foodgasms as I bit into the pillowy soft bundles of joy.  They were further jacked with the thick and creamy mascapone that was nicely paired with the sweet and slightly tart cranberry. Fine, I'll have to admit it.  The donuts were worth the visit as well as the rest of the food.  Looks like I'll be back.

The Good:
- Interesting and well-prepared eats
- Love those donuts
- Easy-going service

The Bad:
- A little pricey
- Limited lunch menu

Black Angus (Lynnwood)

Another year and yes, another Black Friday...  It's been 2 years since I have participated in the post-apocalyptic display of mass consumerism all crammed into a 2-day frenzy.  This time around, I enlisted the help of Miss Y and Whipping Girl to help me wade through the craziness.  No, there was no Costanza this time around.  Sorry bud, Miss Y and Whipping Girl are much better looking than you!  Finding deals and places open on a Thanksgiving (for shopping) is not a problem on Black Friday, but getting a bite to eat that doesn't involve a drive-thru is another matter.  Alas, the chain restaurant (Black Angus in particular) came to the rescue...

Normally, I don't really talk about restaurant bread unless it is something that is more unique than white bread.  Yes, this was the case here as we were served a Molasses Loaf that somewhat resembled the honey-oat at Subway.  We weren't planning on eating it much, but ended up dusting 2 of them off.  Was it because we were hungry after wading through the crowds at Target or was it really that good?  Honestly, we weren't really sure...  Since the portions at the table next to us looked rather large, we decided to share 2 entrees.  Each came with 2 sides and I was excited to try the Wedge Salad.  When it arrived, it looked like a plain ol' green salad.  At first, we though they made a mistake, but after a taste, it indeed has the blue cheese dressing (that was supposed to come with wedge salad).  Our question was: why call it a wedge salad when we didn't get a wedge of iceberg lettuce???

Okay, onto the mains, the sizzling cast iron pan of our Rib-Eye arrived first.  It was served on a bed of caramelized onions which were the beneficiary of the super hot pan.  Hence, they were sweet and yes, caramelized.  However, the steak itself was super-bland.  We understand that there is no need to over-seasoned a good cut of beef, but usually, rib-eye should be flavorful to stand up on its own.  It didn't do that in this case.  On the other hand, it was relatively tender (for that cut of meat).  It was served with onion rings (with the other side being the salad.  We enjoyed the crunchy onion rings but really, there wasn't much of it.  Those pictures on the menu are deceiving!

Lastly, we shared the Full Rack of Ribs with a loaded potato and green beans. For par-boiled ribs, these weren't bad as they still retained a meatiness (without being wet nor dry).  There was a decent amount of charring which added a smokiness.  Personally, I thought the BBQ sauce could've been smokier as it was rather sweet. I wasn't a huge fan of the potato though as it was rather dry.  Also, it didn't live up to being loaded as there could've been more topping (which would've made up for the dryness too).Although a bit greasy, the beans were still crunchy and vibrantly green (with the goodness of bacon!).

For dessert, we had the White Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake since I was out-voted (I wanted to just leave...).  Well, I guess I was wrong a the cheesecake was solid with a creaminess that was not overly sweet.  It wasn't too firm, not too soft which is exactly how  like it.  With the items we did try, we felt that somehow the meal was lacking even though nothing was particularly amiss.  I guess being a chain restaurant, Black Angus did what it was supposed to do, especially on a holiday.  Not something I'm aching to return to, but whatever, we got fed when most other places were closed.

The Good:
- Large portions (except for the puny onion rings)
- Friendly service (that we received)

The Bad:
- Pricing can get up there
- Food is okay, but nothing to write home about

Western Lake

Okay, I'll admit it - the last few times dining with the mother-in-law has been reasonably enjoyable.  *Gasp* Could it be???  Yes, hell has frozen over; traffic rules are being obeyed in Richmond and Government is not wasting our tax dollars.  Therefore, it was with as little hesitation as there will ever be when we decided to take her out for her birthday.  With the choice of restaurants left up to her, I was cringing and reserving myself in dining once again at Tung Sing Chin (ew...).  But surprise, surprise, she picked on of my favs being Western Lake.  Am I going to win Lotto Max now too?


For only 4 adults and 2 kids, we went a bit overboard with the food thanks to me.  Serves them right leaving me in charge of ordering.  But then again, I was paying...  Arriving in record time, the Peking Duck and Duck Lettuce Wrap were served almost simultaneously.  As evidenced in the picture, the duck skin was fried a deliciously-looking golden hue.  It was crispy and the fat was manually removed underneath.  We found the crepes to be moist and nicely chewy.  As for the lettuce wrap, the mixture was a bit wet, but still exhibited a nice crunch.  With a generous amount of tender duck, the dish was well-seasoned.

While we were even barely into the Peking duck, the Fish Maw & Crab Meat Soup arrived.  This was chock full of soft, yet not mushy, pieces of fish maw.  There was a modest amount of crab.  When we spotted some, it was fluffy and not overcooked.  The broth itself was silky and not overly thick.  It was well-seasoned with plenty of depth.  As I was just digging into the soup, our 3lb Lobster in consume sauce with noodles was crammed onto the lazy Susan.  This was well-prepared where it was fried just enough that the meat was still juicy and bouncy.  I liked how there was a minimal amount of starch coating as well.  The sauce was a little on the salty side though.

We hadn't even touched the lobster when the Scrambled Eggs and Prawns was set onto the already overloaded lazy Susan.  When I finally got to the dish, the eggs were really fluffy with an appealing amount of moisture.  They were barely cooked being silky and well-seasoned.  The large prawns were on point with a wet snap.  By the time the Stir Fried Pea Shoots with garlic arrived. we had to resort to piling stuff on top of the soup at the side of the table.  This was a fairly large portion of well-prepared pea shoots.  Most of the leaves were tender with a slight crunch, but some were somewhat tough.  The dish was garlicky and well-salted, yet quite greasy.

Some people were still stuck on the lettuce wrap dish when Steamed Black Cod with black bean sauce was forcibly-wedged onto the lazy Susan.  This was the most disappointing dish of the meal as the thin slices of fish were overcooked.  Hence, it did not have its signature butteriness.  Furthermore, the tofu underneath should've been silken because it was not particularly soft either.  Lastly, we had the 1/2 Crispy Chicken.  It was fried a golden brown with crispy skin all around.  The meat was far too dry and salty though. This was the end of a fast & furious meal in an equally busy restaurant.  The food was a bit hit and miss, with really good ones and equally poor ones.  We didn't particularly like the expedition of dishes because we got all of them within 20 minutes.

The Good:
- Some good dishes
- Good portions
- Well-priced for the quantity

The Bad:
- Cramped and super busy
- Food comes out far too quickly
- Hit and miss this time