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Ah Choobee... Always trying to get me moving in directions that I would rather not. Okay, I'll explain. You see, Choobee, much like the people who believed the Earth was flat, thinks there is a vast wasteland East of Main Street. Hence, she primarily spends her time in either Richmond or the West side of Vancouver. So whenever there is a restaurant decision to be made, Surrey would be equivalent to the end of the Earth. Therefore, I wasn't one bit surprised when she went on and on about L'Opera Patisserie in Richmond. Oh great, get me to go to Richmond again eh? Oh fine, so we did and I ended up picking up a variety of treats.
When asked which box I would like for my dozen of Macarons, I was given the choice of a green or black box. To which replied, I would like the green as the other one reminds me of an early 90's dance group. Then that is where I broke out into song... "Strike it up, this band is gonna play my tune...". Choobee and the girl at the counter began to look at me like I was Randy Quaid. Anyways, the petit macarons were pretty good. The lightly crisp exterior gave way to a soft interior. I would've liked to see it slightly chewier, but it was okay nonetheless. Flavourwise, they were natural-tasting while being only purposefully sweet. The little surprises in the middle only added to the enjoyment. I initially planned on eating one of the 2 Croissants I bought, but my son loved it so much, he took the other half of mine. I don't blame him because it as flaky and crunchy with a light airy and buttery interior. This was a surprisingly good version.
As for the Double-Baked Almond Croissant, it was also quite good except being a bit "flat". The exterior was once again crispy and sweet with plenty of slivered almonds. Inside, it was predictably denser with a controlled sweetness. I thought this was good, but not as good as the butter croissant. I think the one at Thomas Haas is the one to beat. The Opera Cake, being the namesake of the place, lived up to expectations as it was good. The rich and silky dark chocolate on top revealed evenly distributed layers of hazelnut cream and cake which was aromatic, but hardly sweet. The flavours really came through without the intrusion of excess sugar that would have ruined the dessert otherwise.
Due to my daughter's love of macarons, I had to get the Princesse Malibu which featured 2 large macaron shells filled with vanilla bean custard, blackberries, peaches and almonds. To literally top it off, there was a lemon macaron on top. Of course this was difficult to eat, but my daughter happily ate it. I wrestled a bit away from her and it was a good combination of fruit, smooth custard and different textures. Well, I gotta admit I was impressed with the selection I brought home from L'Opera. Honestly, I wasn't expecting a whole lot, but these sweets were well-constructed and on point.
The Good:
- Carefully crafted
- Nice people
- Textures on point
The Bad:
- Pricey
- Not a particularly big place to eat in
How the heck did we end up in Surrey and dining at Sushi Zen? Yes, really, how did this happen? Hey, not that it was weird or something, but we really had no reason to travel so far for some lunch. Well, call it another epic fail on my part as we were actually trying to visit Malaysia Hut and they were randomly closed when they should've been open. Note to self - call the restaurant first to make sure... Oh whatever, I love eating in Surrey anyways...
For some odd reason, I hadn't eaten Takoyaki in quite some time, even though I've been to many Japanese restaurants and Izakayas. Well, my love for balls, specifically octopus balls, influenced my dish selection. These were pretty good being served hot and fluffy. They were sauced just enough with tonkatsu sauce and sweet mayo topped by a good helping of bonito flakes. I tried to offer them to the kids, but they were mesmerized by the curling bonito flakes and decided to pass. Next, we had something that I usually avoid as much as #3 Road on a Saturday afternoon - the Philadelphia Roll. For me, cream cheese doesn't do well with sushi, but my daughter happens to love cream cheese as well as smoked salmon. I gave the roll a try and the first thing that struck me was the immense flavour emanating from the sushi rice. It was sweet, vinegary and strangely mildly salty. As much as that was wrong, I somehow didn't mind it because the texture of the rice was bang on being chewy while not too wet nor dry.
Naturally, for my son, we ordered the Prawn Tempura because he will eat almost anything fried ("almost"). These were plated nicely where each prawn was buttery and cold-water crunchy. They were cooked just enough with a thin layer of tempura batter. I wouldn't say it was super crispy, but it wasn't soggy either. I thought that there was probably a touch too much seasoning though. Our next specialty roll was the Las Vegas Roll which was impressively large. Inside, there was a massive amount of yam tempura which made the roll quite heavy. The tuna and salmon were a bit lost in the mass of yam as well as the amount sweet chili. They could've eased up on the sauce. It ate okay though as there were many textures and flavours at play.
Also for the kiddies, we got an order of the Chicken Don. When it arrived, it was obvious they didn't skimp on the chicken as we couldn't even see the rice. The chicken was aggressively torched which showed in the extensive charring on the top. That afforded a significant smokiness that actually went well with the rice and teriyaki sauce as it added depth of flavour. The chicken itself was sufficiently moist with somewhat fatty skin attached. I thought the rice was also on point with a chewy consistency aided by noticeable seasoning. Lastly, we had the Assorted Sashimi that featured Atlantic salmon, tuna, tako, hotate, hokkigai and mackerel. Nothing was amiss as the fish had a nice sheen and fresh taste. However, the pieces of tuna were not defrosted enough where it was hard and really cold. Despite being a backup plan of sorts, Sushi Zen did the trick for a reasonable price. Naturally, it wasn't super authentic, as well as some over-reliance on sauce. But it is okay for the neighbourhood.
The Good:
- Fairly large portions
- Reasonably-priced
- Nice staff
The Bad:
- Too much sauce
- Somewhat too much seasoning as well
Finding late night eats in Vancouver, specifically in Downtown, is not really a difficult task. However, as we move out further into the burbs, it gets a bit more complicated. After another late night league game on Friday (when has 11:45pm become an acceptable "prime time" slot???), we wanted to stay East of Boundary. Hence, we ended up at Jang Mo Jib on Kingsway in Burnaby. Occupying an old location of Knight & Day, the place wasn't exactly at the top of our list, but there weren't a whole lot of options at 1:30am that didn't involve a drive-thru.
Milhouse and I decided to begin with the Hae Mool Soon Doo Boo (Spicy Seafood Soft Tofu Stew) that arrived bubbling hot. We ask for medium spicy and it was more or less so. The tofu was silky while the amount of seafood was pretty minimal. Yet, in terms of total ingredients, there was much more of it than broth, which we liked. As for the broth it was, as mentioned, slightly spicy with a balanced amount of saltiness. For myself, I had the Jzol Myun or Korean extra chewy cold noodle with vegetables and boiled egg, served with hot chilli paste on the side. The noodles were indeed toothsome while the toppings were fresh and crisp. Naturally, the overall flavour depended on how much gochujang was added (I used alot!).
Milhouse ended up with something that was somewhat similar in taste to the tofu soup in the Dda Ro Gook Bahb (beef stew, radish, green onion and vegetable in spicy hot beef broth served with rice). Of course it wasn't exactly the same, but it was equally spicy while saltier. That was fine though as it was to go with plain rice anyways. He wasn't particularly happy with the beef as it was quite chewy. Lionel Hutz decided on something milder with the Gahl Bee Tahng or beef short rib meat with sweet potato noodle and egg swirl in clear beef broth served with rice. Usually, this is served with salt so one could adjust the flavour. However, it was not needed here as it was plenty salty on its own. Again, the beef could've been more tender.
Naturally, we were served some Banchan to go along with our dishes. These included kimchi, sprouts, stewed potatoes and spicy radish. These were okay, but not really all that tasty. The sprouts and potatoes were rather bland while the kimchi was okay, but could've been spicier. Not surprisingly, we returned a month later due to another late game and the potatoes were actually too hard. This time around, Milhouse decided to go for the Dolsot Bibimbap (assorted preserved vegetables, beef, sautéed Kimchi, onions and fried egg served on rice in a hot stone bowl, served with homemade hot chilli paste on the side). This came sizzling hot where the chewy rice was able to form a crust. We thought that a completely raw egg would've been better than the sunny side as provided.
I went big and had the Jap Che (stir-fry sweet potato noodle with assorted vegetables and beef cooked in a house special marinade sauce). I thought that there was far too much slivered onion in the mix and indeed it was. We figured there was almost a small onion used for the dish. On the positive side, the noodles were toothsome and well-seasoned. Maybe a bit too salty though with plenty of sesame oil. I would've liked to see more beef though. Groundskeeper Willy opted for the Go Dung Uh Goo Wee or grilled Norwegian mackerel which was surprisingly good despite the fishy aroma. It was flaky and completely crispy on the outside. It was nicely seasoned where it didn't interfere with natural flavours.
Lastly, Lionel Hutz had the Goon Mahn Doo (pan-fried Korean style beef and pork mix dumplings served with house special soy sauce) which were beautifully crispy. They were properly fried until golden brown. He found the filling to be pretty average though being loose and a touch gritty. Overall, we were okay with the food on both visits. Interestingly, I remember going to the original Jang Mo Jib on Kingsway across from Dai Tung. I swear it was better back then or maybe I'm imagining things? Whatever the case, JMJ did the trick, especially when we really didn't have a whole lot of other choices.
The Good:
- Open real late
- Okay pricing for the smaller items
- Acceptable food given the circumstances
The Bad:
- Service is a bit sparse, even for late-night
- Food is okay for late-night, but there is better during regular hours
On our way to Chill's house for his annual hockey pool (yes, this was several months ago), Costanza, Vandelay and I decided to grab some quick eats along the way. Along the way meant we would have to meet up in Richmond... during rush hour... Nice, this is what we do for food??? Well, Costanza was smart because he wasn't driving. Wait, why did he make me drive??? Either he is a complete jerk or the smartest person of the bunch. To make it real quick, we stopped by Tai Hing Congee & Noodle House near Richmond Centre.
We got the Fisherman's Congee first consisting of julienned fish cake, pork rinds, dried squid, peanuts and lettuce. The broth was sufficiently thick and moderately seasoned. It remained thick until the last spoonful, but we were thinking there was some thickening agent involved. As shown in the picture, there was enough ingredients where every spoonful had something. I wasn't a huge fan of the wontons in the Wonton Noodle since they were small and featured chewy dry pork. The small amount of shrimp was cold-water crunchy though. But that wasn't enough to save them. I guess it is a personal bias of mine as I am more fond of the modern wontons where there is more shrimp. As for the noodles, they were a touch soft and eggy, but okay nonetheless. The soup was also quite light with only minor hints of salt.
We also got the Lo Mein with Brisket (Dry Noodles) that featured a good amount of sufficiently moist and fatty beef. Taste-wise, we found the brisket to be lightly seasoned while the noodles were indeed dry and chewy. On the side, we had some plain Steamed Rice Noodle Rolls and Gai Lan with oyster sauce. The rolls were bordering between soft and stiff. Hence, they were not overly dense nor buttery as a result. In the end, they did the trick. We liked the gai lan as the stalks remained crunchy while the colour was a vibrant dark green. They cooked this just right. As you can ascertain, the food at Tai Hing is neither complex nor sexy. But it does do the job at very reasonable prices in a typical mom n' pop fashion.
The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Food is okay for what it is
The Bad:
- Ol' skool eats, don't expect refinement
- Really small tables
To say that the ski season has been an utter disaster would be an understatement of epic proportions much like saying the Seahawks gave away the Superbowl. So what we are left with are bare and rocky mountain peaks in our supposed "Winter" (I guess Al Gore was onto something...). But there is one way to get some frosty peaks in Vancouver - at the newly opened Soft Peaks in Gastown. No, that doesn't solve the crappy ski season, but at the very least, one can drown their sorrows in premium soft-serve made with organic Avalon milk.
I ended up visiting the place 2 times with the first being comped and the second on my own dime (hey, kinda hard to write a blog post with only 2 items...). On our first go-around, we tried the Mudslide and Sunrise in California, both in the large size. Topped with Tim Tam flakes and chocolate syrup (and on the bottom as well), the Mudslide was chocolaty in a milky sweet manner. Now the sweetness didn't actually come from the soft serve. In fact, it was bordering on bland. But that is the beauty of Soft Peaks. With already a bevy of sweet ingredients, there is no need for an overly sweet ice cream. About that soft serve, it was creamy, rich and had a fairly dense consistency. With a sweet and sour yuzu marmalade, the Sunrise was "lighter" in a tangy sweet manner. The marmalade was pretty sweet, but again, the neutral-tasting soft-serve did not add to the sugar content.
Returning the very next day, we encountered a lineup that went down the block. This is an example of successful social media. After 45 minutes, we received our order of their signature item being the Honeycomb Peak and the Asian-inspired Green Forest, both in small. Simply accented by a large piece of local honeycomb and drizzled with honey, the Honeycomb Peak allowed the soft-serve to shine on its own with only a touch of sweetness. However, the honeycomb was super sweet and sticky (since it was chilled by the ice cream). The Green Forest consisted of sweet red bean, condensed milk and organic matcha powder. Naturally, it had some elements of a Chinese "hong dau sa", where it was pretty sweet due to the condensed milk. There was some aromatics from the matcha powder, but the condensed milk did overwhelm everything.
I returned once again with Sean to try the Salty Himalayan in both versions - chocolate and caramel. Since the salt was sprinkled on top, the initial bites were pretty strong. Interestingly, we thought that the salt worked better with the chocolate rather than the caramel (Sean takes credit for this one). So, after these 3 visits, it is pretty to clear to me that their soft-serve is on point in terms of texture and taste (not too sweet). As for the toppings, they are purely subjective. The only thing that gives me pause is the price as it ain't cheap. But one must consider they are located in Downtown and are using organic Avalon milk and other quality ingredients.
*2 of the 6 items were comped*
The Good:
- Not-too-sweet rich and creamy soft-serve
- They kept it simple with the ingredients, which is a good thing
- Friendly staff
The Bad:
- Pricey (but consider the location and cost of the ingredients)
- No customization, yet that would slow down the already long line
When one has limited cash in their wallet and not a whole lot of time to spare, it may seem like one has to hit the usual spots. Those usually involve some form of drive-thru and/or the phrase, "did you want fries with that?". For me, that can be an option, but really, the standard fall-back is Vietnamese food. Seemingly prepared just as fast and costing just as much, one could dine on food that may not necessarily come out of a deep-fryer (except for the spring rolls of course). On our way out of Bellevue, we stopped at Pho Tai for some quick eats.
We began with the Salad Roll which arrived with a strangely colored exterior. It was almost if the rice wrapper was beginning to go opaque. One bite and it made more sense as it was a bit gummy and dense. Was it sitting around too long? Despite this, the roll itself was alright with meaty shrimp and crisp greens including some basil. The dip was nicely balanced between the hoisin and peanut sauce. Going for something other than Pho, we had the Bo Kho with bread. This was rather mild-tasting and thin while not completely devoid of impact either. It was somewhat fragrant and only purposefully salty and sweet. There wasn't as much meat flavor as we would've hoped. However, the generous portion of beef shank was succulent and moist.
Of course we still had the Pho Dac Biet because it would've been wrong otherwise. It was a decent portion with plenty of meats atop al dente noodles. The broth itself was clean but overly sugary. Hence, there was no balance, which meant that any meat flavor or savoriness was masked. Lastly, we had the Lemongrass Chicken & Spring Roll with Rice. Sliced into pieces and stir-fried, the chicken was rather saucy, yet dry at the same time. It was really sweet and somewhat caramelized. However, we weren't huge fans of it though. The spring roll was somewhat an afterthought as the filling was rather bland and somewhat dry. Despite this and some other issues, we were still okay after it was all said and done. It didn't cost us much and did the job. But then again, there are better choices for Vietnamese food though.
The Good:
- Large portions
- Fairly extensive menu including non-Vietnamese food (not sure if that is a good?)
The Bad:
- Food is so-so
- Food came out rather slow
Okay, it was the dead of Winter and temperatures were hovering around freezing. Yes, this was over a month ago, when global warming didn't take over... So what did you think my daughter was craving? Hot Pot? BBQ? A hot chocolate perhaps? No, it wasn't going to be that easy and predictable. Rather, she wanted her go-to treat - froyo. Well, at the very least, we were able to get an online coupon for Red Mango because most people don't eat cold desserts when it's cold, except for the little princess...
We ended up at the Redmond Town Center location due in part it was the closest to the Dough Zone, where we just had dinner. With a similar setup as many of the other froyo chains out there, we had 8 choices of flavors including vanilla bean, slam dunk, Caribbean coconut, milk chocolate, spiced pumkin, original, blackberry and white peach. As for the toppings, everything was neat and orderly. However, the variety definitely paled in comparison to a place like Menchies. Yet, by the same token, everything looked fresh and well-stocked.
I decided on the Blackberry with an array of toppings including Twix, kiwi, Mandarin slices, mochi, dark chocolate raspberry mini truffle cups and passion fruit pearls. The first bite yielded a stingingly sweet fruity flavor that was further enhanced by the other sweet ingredients. In actuality, my daughter's White Peach was even more sweet in a candy-like manner. Of course, the addition of gummy bears didn't help. They were fresh and soft though. In terms of texture, the 2 froyos were somewhat creamy with a slightly icy finish. In the end, for the price we paid (at a discount), we were okay with what we had. However, my personal preference would be Menchie's.
The Good:
- Fresh toppings
- Neat and clean
The Bad:
- We found it too sweet
- Not as smooth as we would've liked
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