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Let me tell you a story, as brief as it may be... There once was a restaurant that my in-laws loved, they held it in high esteem, it was above all. Alas, it wasn't really all that delicious, in fact, it was because they were tight with the chef. I kept my mouth shut and opinions only shared with Viv. Besides, when the Mother-in-Law is happy, that means I am happy and the rest of the Universe is at peace. Why tempt fate right? It's as sweet as enjoying your surfing experience on a tablet without constantly pressing the wrong link and/or option because your browser didn't fully load. What? Does this only happen to me?
So this restaurant was initially named Dung Sing Chin, but they soon realized that anything with "dung" in the name, especially an establishment that serves food, is not good news. It became Tung Sing Chin shortly afterwards. Well, the place is now closed which means I no longer have to suffer through another meal there. Replaced by Van Dragon, nothing seems to have changed visually, but we headed there for Dim Sum anyways. We began with the Gwei Fei Bao (Baked Sweet BBQ Pork Buns) which were a fail in our opinion. Loaded with enough raw onions to make us cry, the flavour profile was far too sharp and raw tasting. Hence, even the soft sweet bun and plethora of lean BBQ Pork couldn't save the dish. Onto the Beef Meatballs, these were appreciably better with a light soft bounce texture. Mildly seasoned, there was just enough green onion.
Up next, we had the Dried Scallop & Shrimp with Pea Shoots in Broth at the urging of my daughter. At least one kid eats their greens willingly! This was a fairly generous portion consisting of tender leaves that still retained a light crunch. Although this was a mild-tasting dish, the ample dried scallop and shrimp on top helped add a briny saltiness. Now for my son's request which was a total 180 from the previous dish. Hey, let's not eat our greens, but get some Fried Shrimp Spring Rolls instead. *Shakes head* Well, whatever, at least he actually eats a type of seafood (albeit fried). These were good though being crunchy, yet greasy. The shrimp filling was loose with a meaty texture with plenty of garlic. I think he ate half the dish and no, he didn't touch the pea shoots.
Normally, my son doesn't really partake in our love for rice noodle rolls due to the various unpreferred fillings (but he eats shrimp spring rolls? go figure...). But he was all over the Donut Rice Noodle Roll though. Yes, fried = likey. As shown in the picture, the rice noodle itself was rather thick and a bit dense. However, it wasn't too bad, so no harm, no foul. Inside, the donut was light and very crispy. We also got the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll which looked like they attempted to do some creative plating with the shrimp. Alas, that was not the case as it was the result of a poorly wrapped roll (actually it was completely broken). As for the shrimp, they were lacking a complete snap texture. Instead, they were more buttery and moist. Without the sweetened soy, the shrimp were completely bland. Completing the trifecta, we had the Beef Rice Noodle Roll (not pictured) which sported a much thinner noodle while the beef had a good rebound texture.
Onto the usual Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumplings) and Sui Mai (Pork and Shrimp Dumplings, we got a few of them since we had a large table. Honestly, I could just eat haw gow alone and be happy. Wait, isn't there an ol' skool song about that? ♪ Geem Sa Duy Suzie... ♪ Anyways, we found the haw gow to be rather mild-tasting bordering on bland. The filling consisted of meaty whole shrimp that had a light moist snap texture. We weren't fans of the dumpling skin as it was thick and too wet. As for the Sui Mai, they were not that appealing to look at and in fact, weren't all that great either. Texturally, they were loose and lacked cohesion, hence its broken appearance. Soft, mushy and almost spongy, the pork filling didn't exhibit any rebound. Tastewise, it was mildly seasoned where the natural pork flavour dominated.
Continuing with the dumplings, we also tried the Scallop & Shrimp Dumplings which arrived in their typical threesome (no, there is no sexual connotation here!). Similarly to the haw gow, the shrimp filling was not particularly flavourful. Texturally, there was some snap, but not that apparent. The dumpling skin could've been thinner, but at least it wasn't wet. Although a bit small, the scallop on top was okay being buttery soft. Curiously, with a thinner skin, the Shrimp & Chive Dumplings not surprisingly featured the same characteristics as the other 2 shrimp-based dumplings. As shown in the picture, the thinner skin did suffer breakage though. With the addition of chives, the shrimp filling did benefit with an injection of flavour, but it still wasn't overly impactful. Its texture did not deviate from the rest having only a modest snap.
Heading off to my favourite part of Dim Sum, we got a few dishes of offal. The first one was the Steamed Five Spiced Beef Tripe. In an attractive shade of rich brown topped with red and green peppers, the tripe was chewy with a soft finish. We felt there needed to much more seasoning as the gaminess of the tripe dominated the flavour profile (and a better rinse too). Next, we couldn't figure out why they called the next dish Braised Beef Tendon in Brown Sauce. Uh... what the heck is brown sauce? Is it the same as the one found in the spice aisle under Clubhouse sauces? Well, we concluded it was a mix of soy, oyster sauce, sugar and some chili flakes (among other ingredients). Hence the flavours were familiar, impactful and a touch spicy. As for the tendon itself, it was a bit too soft where it lacked any form of chew.
Continuing on with the stuff my son would never eat, we had the Phoenix Talons next (Chicken Claws with Satay Sauce). Although not exactly plump, the chicken feet were not bad. With intact skin that was fairly moist while not overcooked, it soaked up enough of the satay sauce where we could really taste it. Underneath the skin, the cartilage was soft and easily eaten. With the Steamed Pork Spareribs with Pumpkin, it appeared that they really liked to garnish their dishes with red and green peppers... Just sayin'. Anyways, this was a large portion of chewy ribs exhibiting the desired rebound texture. Each piece was meaty with some fat, however, we felt they were a bit too large (clumsy to eat). There was no absence of garlic and salty black bean goodness where the seasoning penetrated the meat.
Not topped with any peppers of any kind, the Bean Curd Warp with Oyster Sauce was not warped in any manner (they really need to get someone to proof read the menu). We were hoping to be transported to another dimension! Beyond that disappointment, we found this dish to be mediocre with an overly soft filling. We did like that it was mildly seasoned with more sweetness than saltiness. The bean curd skin itself was only lightly chewy where it trended towards soft and moist instead. One dish we did enjoy was the Pan Fried Radish Cake with Spicy XO Sauce. These were actually deep fried then wok tossed in XO sauce after-the-fact. Each cube was lightly crispy, yet quite greasy. Inside, they were soft with the unmistakable taste of daikon. There was sufficient XO sauce as these were pretty spicy.
For the kiddies, we determined that a couple of filler dishes would ensure they get their fill. Encased in bamboo leaves, the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice) contained a 50-50 split in terms of ground pork filling and sticky rice. Therefore, the rice was quite moist, yet still glutinous. This also meant that each bite was meaty with plenty of flavour from the starch-thickened sauce. We felt that the Chicken & Chinese Sausage Rice Hot Pot looked better than it ate. There was a substantial amount of chicken on top of the chewy rice (which was a bit too dry). However, the chicken was far too dry where the white meat was too chewy. They used free-range chicken here and that probably explained the texture though. Yet, that wasn't the only problem as the chicken was also far too salty.
Moving into the homestretch, we tried the Stuffed Eggplant with Dace Shrimp Puree. We found the fried eggplant to be a bit soft, yet it wasn't overly mushy. The mousse filling was firm enough to exhibit an appealing rebound texture. Its natural sweetness was aided by a good amount of seasoning. Good thing too as the black bean sauce was really bland. Lastly, we miraculously finished with the Egg Tarts. Actually, we just ordered them last (why we don't do this more often is beyond me). These featured relatively flaky shells that were a touch doughy on the bottom. The egg custard was not overly sweet where it was silky and light. Now after all this amount of food, could we determine if this was better than its predecessor? Well, we did come back for Dim Sum a second time with my in-laws and no, the Dim Sum wasn't better or worse than before. However, we did notice an improvement in service though. Now we only have to see if there are any differences in the dinner service (which will be posted tomorrow!).
The Good:
- Friendly service for a Chinese restaurant
- Passable Dim Sum
The Bad:
- Well, it's just passable Dim Sum
- Nice they have a parking lot, too bad no one knows how to park in it
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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
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
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)
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
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
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