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There was a time when Sun Sui Wah was one of the go-to places for Chinese food, in particular, their renowned Roasted Squab (young pigeon for those who don't know, and no, it's not the ones you find in Downtown...). However, that was in the 90's and since then many other worthy restaurants have burst onto the scene. Some would even argue that a good number of these places serve better versions of SSW's signature dish in addition to regular menu items. With this in mind, we decided to check out their dinner service for an update of sorts.
To start things off, there was no doubt we'd have to get an order of Roasted Squab. These were deep-fried to an appealing rich golden hue. Lightly crispy with well-rendered skin, there was a sweet and smoky flavour. The meat itself was well-brined, yet surprisingly dry. However, it wasn't too salty where the natural squab gamy taste came through. It begs the question - is this still the best squab in town? Probably not, but that doesn't mean it wasn't good. Next we continued with crispy fowl in the 2 courses of Peking Duck. Sadly, the skin was not crispy at all despite its attractive appearance. On the positive side, the fat was of a manageable quantity while the meat was moist and nicely seasoned. We thought the accompanying crepes were a bit dry.
Continuing on the 2 course theme, we had the 2 courses of fish beginning with the Fish Soup with tofu and mustard greens. It was well-seasoned with plenty of fish essence but not in a fishy manner (if that makes sense), due to the nice deep-fry. The addition of ginger and white pepper helped in that sense as well as providing great depth-of-flavour. The other part of the fish course was Stir-Fried Fish with Yau Choy which featured buttery, flaky and moist fillets. The exterior was a touch gummy though (from the starch-coating for the quick oil-blanching). Vibrant in colour and crunchy in texture, the yau choy was a nice textural contrast to the soft fish. With a distinctive rice wine flavour and just enough seasoning, the dish was far from bland.
For our second course of Peking Duck, we had the Duck Lettuce Wrap which was the beneficiary of good wok heat where the flavours were caramelized. On the other hand, the result of this was the overcooking of the duck meat where it was ultimately dry and chewy. We did like the crunchy pickled turnip though as it added a certain liveliness to the dish. One minor complaint would be the really small lettuce cups as we could barely eat the wraps without something falling out. Moving onto other dishes, we had Beef with Oyster Sauce. One bite and yes, they were not shy with the salt (and/or oyster sauce). Tender with a some rebound, the beef was a tad greasy form the wok-fry. As a result, the flavours were caramelized though with a noticeable gingery hit.
From beef to pork, we ended up with the Peking Pork Chops. This was partly because Costanza's oldest son loves this dish and probably could eat it all if he was allowed to. Sigh... I can only dream that my son could do the same. He'd rather have Kraft dinner over this... Anyways, we found the pork chops too thin which in turn led to them being dry (despite being properly marinated). As for the sauce, it was the right silky consistency and balanced in flavour (equal tart and sweet). To change it up a bit, we tried the Szechuan Shrimp & Chicken Vermicelli Hot Pot. With an abundance of liquid, the vermicelli was far too soft where it dissolved pretty much on contact. However, the flavours were impactful with a noticeable lingering spice. We thought the proteins were on point with succulent chicken and shrimp with snap.
Our last 2 dishes satisfied the obligatory vegetable intake for the meal. First, we had the Sauteed Scallops with Broccoli. Buttery and soft while still retaining a mild chew, the scallops were wok-fried expertly. They were naturally sweet while being well-seasoned (yet not salty). As for the broccoli, it was crunchy and vibrant with only a mild amount of seasoning. Second, we had the Braised Tofu with Shanghai Bak Choy. Although shriveled in appearance, the tofu was still silky inside. Combined with the plump shiitake mushrooms and crunchy bak choy, this was texturally on point. The watered-down and starch-thickened oyster-based sauce was salty enough to counteract the moisture from the bak choy. So with our meal over, we discussed whether SSW has still got it or not. We agreed that the dinner was solid, yet not any better than many of the other Chinese restaurants in town. Considering the price point, SSW should no longer be at the top of the list.
The Good:
- Solid eats
- Okay service
- Fairly spacious when there isn't a wedding going on
The Bad:
- Expensive
- Good, but not great
Ah yes The Roc, we go way back don't we? From your very first location on Kingsway at King Ed to further up Kingsway near Knight, we've tracked you down. Then we found you all way down at Cambie at Marine only to be displaced by the Canada Line. You settled into your current spot on 41st at Main almost 2 years ago and have stayed there ever since. Yah, and you thought nomads moved around lots. Well, my admiration at your tenacity and determination to continue on keeps me coming back. Not the best Chinese food in town, but consistently one of the best values around.
Having visited them when they first settled in, we returned to try many more dishes than the last time. We began with 2 similarly flavoured items which were quite different in terms of the main ingredient. Starting with the vegetarian item, we had the Fried Tofu which was tossed in green onion, chili peppers, garlic, pepper and salt. This was well-done with crispy tofu that still had some silkiness inside. The wok toss yielded some flavour and impact, but it was not totally apparent either. As for the Fried Squid, it was tossed in the exact same manner, yet retained more of the spices. This was probably due to the exterior batter (and residual grease) that the flavour could adhere to. Lightly crispy on the outside (while a touch bready), the squid was tender with a slight bouncy chew.
Moseying onto some feet, we had both the Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet) and Duck Webs. Not sure why we were told by our grandparents that eating these things we'd run faster... Wouldn't we just gain wait and have high blood pressure from over consumption? That would slow us down!!! Anyways, we found the chicken feet to be properly prepared where the exterior skin stayed intact. Inside, the cartilage was soft while not melted down. These were nicely plump and well-seasoned with garlic and a good balance of savoury and sweet. Equally well-made were the duck webs as the they were buttery soft while not mushy. The slight rebound of the cartilage and fat underneath added to the overall texture. These were also properly seasoned such as the chicken feet.
With no tripe available, we went for the next best thing being the Steamed Beef Tendon. Interestingly, this was a contrast in textures with each individual piece all in the same dish. While one tendon would be super soft, there would be one that was almost crunchy. Mixed in between were some perfectly textured pieces. As for the colour, it was strangely pale, yet at the same time, it wasn't as if there wasn't any flavour either. I found it more sweet and garlicky than anything else. Onto something other than feet or tendon, we had the Bean Curd Skin Rolls. These were decent with a soft exterior skin that still maintain a chew. Inside, the pork filling was moist while not devoid of texture. The dish itself was mildly seasoned where there wasn't an overload of sauce.
As per usual, we had both the Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumpling) and Sui Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumpling). Due in part to it's large size where each dumpling was crammed up against each other, the dumplings were stuck together. Hence, when we picked up one, they fell apart. Also, the dumplings might've been over-steamed a tad too which resulted in a wetter skin. However, the texture was okay being chewy while slightly thick. Inside, the shrimp filling had a buttery snap where it was seasoned properly with a touch of sesame oil. As for the sui mai, they were mainly comprised of pork with little to no shrimp nor shiitake. Hence, there was a definite pork flavour which was only intermittently interrupted by some bursts of sweetness and savoury elements. Texturally, they were on point though having a good rebound.
We ended up with 3 types of Rice Noodle Rolls including shrimp, beef and BBQ pork. All 3 exhibited the same qualities in terms of the rice noodle. It was slightly thick, but really soft and somewhat wet. Inside, the shrimp filling was similar to the haw gow where it had a moist snap while purposefully seasoned. The beef was also quite good with a buttery rebound texture with just the right amount of onion. However, the BBQ pork rice noodle roll had green onions as well. In our minds, this was not necessary as it didn't add anything to the dish. Other than a colour contrast, the green onion wasn't there to kill any fishiness and since it was steamed (and not wok tossed), there was no real aromatics. They should've left it out.
Off to some carbs, we had the BBQ Pork Buns which were massive. So much so, they were sardined into the bamboo steamer where we had a hard time removing them. Once removed, the medium fluffy bun revealed plenty of lean slices of BBQ pork. There was only a modest amount of sweet glaze which meant the bun was on the drier side, but at the same time, it wasn't overly sweet either. When I first laid eyes on the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice), I was dismayed to only see 2 of them. Upon removing them from the steamer, it was quite obvious that I didn't realize that they were enormous and easily bigger than 3 mini versions. Inside, the rice was moist with plenty of glutinous texture while the amount of pork filling was sufficient providing the necessary flavours.
With another carb, we had the Pork Spare Rib Rice Hot Pot with even more chicken feet. Boy, we were gonna run even slower now! This was pretty good with chewy rice that was topped with meaty pieces of pork spare rib. The texture of the meat had a firm rebound that was still ultimately easy to chew. They were well-seasoned with a bit of garlic, but no black bean. And the carbs didn't end there either... We had the Singapore Fried Vermicelli next which looked harmless at first glance. With each bite though, the flavours became spicier and spicier. It wasn't super hot, but the heat definitely lingered. We liked the chewy texture of the noodles, but were disappointed by the lack of ingredients. For the shrimp we could find, they were cold-water crunchy.
You'd think we'd stop with the carbs right? Nope, we went ahead and got the Chicken Chow Mein as well with crunchy fried noodles. This was an okay dish and we should've known that from the start. I much prefer the house special or seafood chow mein personally. The noodles were crunchy to start, but the plethora of sauce ensured that they softened pretty quickly. The flavours were mild while the chicken was properly tenderized. We couldn't forget about the Shrimp Spring Rolls right? Although my son wasn't present, it is almost like a reflex action that I ordered it. Good thing too as they were good with a crunchy, non-greasy exterior with the same snap-textured shrimp that was well-seasoned.
Our final 2 dishes consisted of the Beef Meatballs and Potstickers. I found the meatballs to be over-tenderized where there was no actual meat texture left. They were almost fluffy and airy which didn't really work for us. Flavour-wise, it was mildly seasoned with a decent amount of green onion. As for the Potstickers, they were big and plump where the pork filling was pretty substantial. It was moist and soft while the exterior skin was not overly thick. It was greasy though. And at this point we got a gazillion take-out boxes because there was no way we could finish all the dishes we had ordered. On the positive side, it gave us a clear picture of their Dim Sum service - decent while not spectacular. For the price, we felt it was still a good value and definitely an option when you don't need anything fancy.
The Good:
- Fair pricing
- Good portions
- Decent eats
The Bad:
- Really small restaurant, it's packed and you will need to wait
- Nice people, but service is really sparse
When I first spotted Manna Sushi on 4th at Ontario, I found it an odd location for a Japanese restaurant as it was located within vacated office space in a mainly industrial area. Apparently, I was not paying attention as it is directly across the street from the massive South False Creek developments. Oh yah, maybe they did have a plan as potential clientele are only a flashing light intersection away. On that note, that meant I had to try the place out and it was the perfect solution when the kiddies yelled out the 2 words that made us come to a screeching halt, "I'm hungry"... (well, technically 3 words).
We were warmly greeted upon entering the place and promptly seated at a window seat (I was giddy inside). The meal started with a relatively small version of a Futomaki. The first thing I noticed was the somewhat dry rice that was lightly seasoned. If it had a bit more moisture, it would've been on point. Other than that, there was not much to say about it. Next up was the Assorted Sashimi served on a bed of shredded daikon and ice. Although the sashimi was fine, the knife work was a bit sloppy, especially with the slices of tako. I guess the fact it was really chewy affected the cuts as well. But if one wasn't too fussy about that, it was more than acceptable as a sashimi dish. My daughter dug into it willingly and it gave us hope there was a foodie in the making as my son is the anti-foodie.
With our one specialty roll, we chose the Volcano Roll served with a side of flaming alcohol. Kinda neat and it lasted for quite a long time. As for the roll itself, it was constructed with 2 ebi tempura, cucumber, avocado and imitation crab topped by spicy tuna, tobiko and a spicy sweet sauce. This flavourful concoction didn't need any soy or wasabi as there was plenty of sweet and spicy notes. Yet, it was probably a little too saucy since that is all we could taste. Again, the dry rice didn't really help matters. My son does have one favourite Japanese dish which is the Ebi Tempura (of course we had to order it). That's as foodie as he gets! This version was acceptable with a crispy batter encasing a buttery prawn. I had to hold my breath because they mixed in nori into the batter. My son didn't say anything to my relief...
Another dish for the kiddies was the Oyako Don which was very non-traditional version with a tonne of veggies on top. I really didn't mind the veggies, but the pool of water underneath the rice only ensured its mushiness. Flavourwise, I found it somewhat bland due to the water content. As for the chicken, it was plentiful and relatively tender, but hardly moist. Lastly, we ordered the Chicken Karaage which resembled chicken katsu more than anything else. Disregarding what the dish really was, we didn't mind it. The breading was appealingly crunchy while the brined chicken was succulent and tasty. It was served with the same sauce as the Volcano Roll. Overall, Manna Sushi slots right into the massive group of middling Japanese restaurants in the GVRD.
The Good:
- Friendly service
- Okay pricing
- Spacious and comfortable seating
The Bad:
- Average eats
After surviving a seemingly endless supply of food at the previous 2 brunch crawls as part of the Dine Out Vancouver Festival, I made it to the last one on Commercial. The skies decided to open up resulting in an endless supply of rain for the day as well. But that didn't damper our spirits as Miss Y and I attempted to gobble up everything that was thrown our way. Well, at least we tried to. After all, we are not in the same league as Mijune... We can only aspire to be such proficient eaters...
Anyways, we began at the registration location which was Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria. We were given an option to choose 2 of 3 half personal-sized pizzas. Miss Y opted for the Margherita (campania tomato sauce, fior di latte, fresh basil and EVOO) and Cavoletti (oven-roasted brussel sprouts, proscuitto crisps, fior di latte, gorgonzola cheese, dates, walnuts, drizzle of honey). Unlike my previous visits to this particular location, the crust was appreciably more crispy. However, I would've still liked to see more leoparding. We liked the Cavoletti as it offered up a variety of flavours such as the saltiness of the proscuitto, sweetness of the dates and sharpness of the gorgonzola. In addition to the Cavoletti, I decided to revisit the Korean BBQ Pork Pizza (I had it at the Morgan Crossing location). Consisting of slow roasted spiced pork, Korean BBQ sauce, fior di latte, green onion, cheddar cheese and hoisin sauce. As much as the flavour profile was quite sweet, there was considerable impact.
After Famoso, we decided to hit up Turks Coffee Lounge which was only a block away. Upon entering, we were greeted by a sample Lemon Square from The Lemon Square (ain't that a coincidence...) . This little bite was quite the surprise as it had a purposeful amount of sweetness tempered by just enough lemon tartness without being too sour. Texturally, it was smooth, including the ample crust. This was accompanied by a choice of a Butter Espresso or Velvet Cortado. We had one each and thought they were smooth and aromatic without any sharpness. From this point, we decided to drive all the way down to the Southern terminus of the Drive to Bakery Sate. Hey, one must have a game-plan to keep ahead of the crowd. Here we were treated to a box consisting of a Macaroon, Cheddar Scone and Butter Croissant. Although appealingly chewy, the macaroon was a bit too sweet for our tastes. The scone was cheesy while a little dry. Our favourite was the croissant as it was flaky and crispy with a moist butter centre.
Heading back North on The Drive, we hit up 2 neighbouring restaurants starting with Lear Faye. In addition to coffee, we had the East Van Benny and Smok'n Benny. With the first one, it was made up of a poached egg, wilted greens, pico de gallo and avocado Hollandaise on rosti. I found this to be quite rich due to the Hollandaise as it was extra creamy due to the fatty avocado. What it lacked in acidity was made up by the pico de gallo. As for the second benny, it was a combination of poached egg, pulled pork, wilted greens and chipotle Hollandaise on rosti. Naturally, this one had more of a spicy kick as well as a rich meatiness from the tender pulled pork. After this, we walked next door to the Jamjar where we were presented with a plate consisting of Mint Labneh, Foole, Manoushet Zaatar and Hummus. Of the items on the plate, my favourite was the manoushet zaatar since it almost ate like a dessert with a mild sweetness accented by thyme, oregano & sesame. The hummus was smooth, yet I would've liked to see some acidity.
We then dragged out much heavier bodies over to Stateside Craft from some heavy eats in the Corn Bread Waffles (with fresh blueberries, whipped cream and one strip of bacon) and Braised Brisket Corn Hash (with slow beer braised brisket sauteed with corn, onions and roasted red potatoes topped with applewood smoked cheddar, peppercorn sauce and poached egg. We found the waffle to be crunchy and a bit heavy. The side of bourbon maple syrup was a nice compliment as well as the perfectly crisp strip of smoky bacon. As for the hash, we thought the brisket was sufficiently moist except for a few end pieces. With a nicely poached egg, this was a mild-tasting hash the could've benefited from even more kick. Our last stop was at Federico's Supper Club where we were served a plate that included Terrina di Cioccolato, Rigatoni alla Gricia and Fritelle di Baccala. The best item on the plate by far was the chocolate terrine with berry compote. It was silky, slightly bitter and only semi-sweet. We found the cod fritter on mint pesto and roasted red pepper to be mealy and dry while the rigatoni with smoked pork cheeks, pancetta, pecorino romano and black pepper to be toothsome and full of flavour from the salty ingredients. The pasta was nicely toothsome as well. At this point, we actually had to pack one of the servings to go as we were stuff. Definitely far too much food for a 4-hour window. Not that we were complaining...
Back in my early University days, I would visit Rich Guy in West Van quite often. We often spent our time figuring out what new modification we'd do to our cars. Actually, I don't think I got over that phase... Anyways, at other times, we were trying to one-up each other in Mario Kart. Yes, those were the days... Then out-of-the-blue, he whipped out an odd contraption that required manual cranking to create shaved ice from a whole block. We watched him go through the motions as the block of ice flew off into the corner every now and then. With a pile of shaved ice, he put in in a tall glass along with many different ingredients including coconut milk, palm seeds, different coloured jellies and palm sugar. Suffice to say, I enjoyed this "Cendol" very much and went on to enjoy all the Southeast Asian versions.
Other than sampling them in actual restaurants and some Banh Mi joints, there aren't a whole lot of places that serve them as their featured item. However, the new opened Chè-Licious Desserts & Snacks on Denman offers up the Vietnamese version (Chè - hence their name) along with some Banh Mi on the side. With no further delay, let me get to the Chè... We tried both the Special (Pandan jelly, agar jelly, pom pearls, toddy palm, jackfruit, longan, coconut milk) and So Fruity (Lychee, longan, jackfruit, mango jelly, palm seed, coconut milk). Although initially very sweet, it got progressively better as the ice melted. In fact, we thought the desserts/drinks were nicely balanced. As evidenced in the picture, they were not shy with the ingredients. We had 2 each of the Rollin Classic and Pork Bomb salad rolls. With a chewy rice paper and fresh ingredients, these were decent. We did find the dip a bit on the sweeter side with a dominant hoisin flavour.
Onto the Banh Mi, we had the Saigon Signature consisting of cold cut meats, BBQ pork, pork floss, pate, pickled daikon and carrots, house-made mayo, cucumber and cilantro. Stuffed with a generous portion of meaty BBQ pork, Vietnamese ham and pork belly (although not enough pork belly for the entire sandwich), this was hearty and filling. The pate was sufficient and peppery while the pickled veggies had enough acidity to balance off the flavours. As for the bread, it was light and crusty. A very decent Banh Mi if you ask me. I would've liked to add a few drops of Maggi, but my son didn't like that idea... Next, I tried the Heo Yeah! made with crispy skin roasted pork, pate and the same accompaniments. Fatty and succulent with bits of crackling, this was another solid sandwich. The addition of pate was necessary to add another flavour component.
We had something a bit different in the Seoul Savoury consisting of Kalbi beef, kimchi and seaweed strips. Interestingly, we liked this sammie the best as it was full of tender and well-seasoned beef. There was some spice to go with the tang of the daikon and carrots. It really did taste like a Korean-inspired Banh Mi without going too far. Lastly, we tried the Ducking Good with roasted duck, ginger, scallion and hoisin sauce. This one had all the classic elements of a Peking duck warp with the addition of the classic Banh Mi condiments. Hence, it tasted as such. We would've liked to see crispier rendered skin, but that may have been hard to do if the duck wasn't made in-house. Overall, we enjoyed our visit to Chè-Licious even though there might be a slight sticker shock for some people. However, one must consider their location and the types of ingredients they use. Furthermore, the stuff we had was good and I personally prefer it over DD Mau in Yaletown.
The Good:
- Decent Banh Mi, especially for Downtown
- Not many places like this offering Chè (or some variation) in this format
The Bad:
- Price still might turn some people off, but okay with all things considered
- Not a whole lot of seats
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