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Prior to our short trip to Portland, my parents wanted to do dinner somewhere nearby. We ended up going with Happy Valley located next to the new Mercedes dealership on Broadway. With a parking lot doubling as a used car dealership, I guess the place fits right in with its neighbours. We arrived just as they opened for dinner service, so we were able to score a pretty nice table. On a side note, the boss lady must be one of the most expressionless people I've come across. However, the male manager was quite pleasant.
Enough of the staff, now onto the food... If you have noticed, we often order the Peking Duck at Chinese restaurants. It is no coincidence since my kids, especially my son, loves the stuff. Go figure, he won't eat many regular things, but he won't say no to crispy skin! In this case, the skin was indeed crispy while the layer of fat was not too thick. We weren't that impressed with the crepes though as they were chewy and doughy. Next up was the second course being the Duck Lettuce Wrap. They didn't skimp out on the meat as the dish was filled with large chunks of duck. Combined with crunchy carrots, celery and water chestnuts atop fried mung bean noodle, there was a nice textural contrast. Although a bit salty, the dish did exhibit good wok heat.
Moving along, the next dish to arrive was the Dungeness Crab & Vermicelli Hot Pot. For a set price item, the crab itself was of a decent size and fresh. The meat was fluffy and sweet while the vermicelli benefited from enough seasoning. An impressive aspect of the dish was the properly moistened vermicelli was not soaked in broth or sauce. This way, it remained chewy and didn't disintegrate. For our one veggie item, we got the Gai Lan with beef (yes, this is the best way to eat veggies...). As shown in the picture, the gai lan was vibrant and cooked just enough so that it was still crunchy. As for the beef, it was generally tender, but some pieces were a touch chewy. Moreover, the dish was on the saltier side though.
Although a bit cliched, we got an order of the Sweet & Sour Pork. Despite its relation to Americanized Chinese food, we love the dish and this one here was decent. In large chunks, the pork was freshly fried where the exterior was crispy while the inside was juicy. There was just enough sauce to coat each piece, but flavourwise, it was rather sweet with very little tang. Sporting large meaty prawns rather than shrimp, the Yeung Chow Fried Rice was also quite good. The rice was dry and nutty while the abundance of ingredients including the aforementioned prawns added to the body of the dish. Unlike the previous dishes, more salt would've helped.
For dessert we were treated to an order of the Baked Tapioca Pudding. The best part of it was the sweet crispy topping, but that was about it. The rest of it was stiff and too dense. Furthermore, the dessert could've used more time in the oven as it was only warm rather than hot. Other than that, the other dishes were pretty darn solid (albeit salty) and well-portioned. Service was not bad except for the constantly frowning boss-lady.
The Good:
- Solid eats
- Fair portions
- Okay pricing considering everything
The Bad:
- Heavy on the salt
- Avoid the boss-lady
Here we go again, another popular Japanese chain setting up shop in Canada. This time, it is Pepper Lunch with its sizzling hot iron plate and signature pepper rice for your DIY enjoyment. I was intrigued and was expecting to visit the place once it opened. Well, that wasn't necessary as an impromptu tasting (with the help of Sean) was arranged by the owner since I was not at any of the preview events. Also thanks to Sean for the frontage pic, I forgot to take one!
After we settled in, I was persuaded to try their coffee (I was a bit apprehensive). Well, it was pretty smooth and aromatic. It wasn't particularly strong tasting though. As for the food, we were started off with the Salmon Pepper Rice. Even after fully cooking the salmon, it was still moist. The seared crispy bits were a nice contrast to the rest of the soft ingredients. Naturally, there was a generous sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper which had a strong impact on the dish. To finish the mix of ingredients, 2 different sauces were provided - sweet honey brown and garlic soy. For this application, I found the sweet honey brown a better fit with the delicate salmon.
Next up, we were presented with the Black Pepper Rice with sliced Angus beef and egg. The doneness of the beef was truly dependent on our own preferences. After tossing it around in the super hot plate, we could place the beef atop the rice to stop the cooking process. Then after a short delay, we mixed all of the ingredients together including the egg yolk. With this dish, the garlic soy seemed to go a bit better (but this is subjective). I found this concoction to be more filling due to the tender slices of beef and nuggets of cooked egg. Of note, this particular franchise sources their proteins locally which are higher in quality than the ones used in Asia.
Moving onto some meatier items, we tried the Wagyu Hamburger Steak served with pepper butter, black pepper and onion sauce. Nicely seared where it formed a caramelized and crispy crust, the hamburger steak was moist and flavourful from the included condiments, especially the sweet and salty onion sauce. Lastly, we tried the Ribeye Steak with mash potatoes and veggies. To illustrate the intense heat of the iron plate, this completely raw steak was cooked and seared by the residual heat. We prepared the Angus steak medium-rare and it was appreciably tender. Thanks to the dusting of black pepper and pepper butter, there was no absence of aroma and taste either. Overall, I enjoyed the food at Pepper Lunch and thought the quality was definitely there. As much as the prices were on the higher side, they do reflect the material costs.
*All food and beverages were comped*
The Good:
- Ingredients are of good quality
- Fun with your food
- Tasty sauces
The Bad:
- Can get a bit messy and you will smell like the food after
When Chewy Junior opened up shop in Gastown, it came on the heels of Beta5's ever-popular cream puffs. Upon closer inspection, Chewy Junior is not a copy-cat, rather, they have been a popular treat since 2007 internationally. Furthermore, although they look extremely similar, Chewy Junior employs a mochi-pastry hybrid shell. Hence, the name is only fitting where the overall texture is quite a bit chewier. Since I am a big fan of the Beta5 version, there was no doubt I had to see what its closest rival was offering up.
I ended up with a dozen cream puffs covering all 9 of their available flavours. It wasn't cheap where it rivaled the price of Beta5. The first thing I noticed was the trademark texture where the outside was slightly crispy while the rest of it was chewy. The first 3 we tried were the Strawberry Cheese, Blueberry Cheese and Neapolitan. With only mild hits of cream cheese with a touch of glazed fruit, these were not overly sweet. In fact, the custard filling wasn't too sweet either. Personally, that was ideal, but for some, it might be on the milder side. Even the Neapolitan, with the top completely covered in chocolate was pretty easy on the sugar. One thing that I didn't like was the consistency of the filling. It was quite runny and it splattered all-over-the-place with each bite.
The next trio was simply very chocolatey including the Chocolate Oreo Crunch, Chocolate Zebra and Double Chocolate Crunch. With each filled with a chocolate custard, there was no mistaking the predominant flavour. Yet, they continued the trend of being mildly sweet. I normally do not like overly chocolatey treats, but these were not bad. Onto the last 3, we had the Chocolate Almond Crunch, Almond Sweetheart and Matcha Nippon. Okay, for some reason or another, these were sweeter (except for the chocolate almond). Possibly the use of white chocolate might've been the culprit. Overall, I liked how they were mildly sweet. However, I wasn't a huge fan of the runny custard nor the chewier exterior. As much as many of us would like to compare it to Beta5, they are not really the same. With that being said, I do like Beta5 more.
The Good:
- Not overly sweet flavours
- An alternative to gourmet donuts
The Bad:
- Custard too runny
- Pricey
With the proliferation of coffee shops and cafes littering the whole of the GVRD, it is often difficult to find something different. Even if we ignore the big boys like Starbucks and Blenz (in addition to many other chains), there is still a jungle of shops to wade through. So how does a lil' new and understated cafe on Renfrew set itself apart? Why not serve hand-made pies made with local, natural and mostly organic ingredients along with Elysian coffee? Oh and on top of that, throw in a few with some Asian influences.
Upon closer inspection, Renfrew Cafe is co-owned by Tyler Russell, formerly of Cafe For Contemporary Art. In fact, co-owner Shun Taguchi is from Caffe Artigiano. So maybe this lil' place has some solid roots... Anyways, I was invited to try a few of their creations along with a Cappuccino. Nicely prepared and presented, this was smooth and aromatic. For my first Pie, I tried the Matcha Mochi Anko Pie with a flaky and light pastry crust dusted with matcha and confectioners sugar. Inside, there was a pillowy soft layer of mochi which enveloped a semi-sweet red bean filling. I felt the flavours were quite balanced where I got a bit of bitterness offset with just the right amount of sweetness.
Next, I had the good ol' Classic Appie Pie which featured a much softer crust due to the amount of moisture. However, the edges were still flaky and light. Inside, the large chunks of apple were tender while not mushy. They were tart with only the slightest amount of sweetness while accented by a purposeful amount of cinnamon. Doing things backwards, I sampled the Beef and Kimchi Pie last. Flatter and larger, the pie crust was crisper and a touch more dense. Inside, the beef was sufficiently tender while mixed with an equal amount of slightly crunchy kimchi. I personally would've liked to see more spice and more salt in this as it was on the milder side. Overall, I was quite intrigued by their pies. I liked them and wanted to try more, but alas, being there by myself, I could not pull off a Mijune. That means I have to return for some more...
*All food and beverage were comped*
The Good:
- Unique and generally appealing pies
- Yes, I was invited, but the people are friendly (in a natural manner)
The Bad:
- A bit on the expensive side
"Let's eat all the tacos! Oh and a few more items as well...", exclaimed Sean. Translation: let's do what Mijune does every meal... 3x a day... Okay, I may not be able to do that on a consistent basis, but once in a while, I'm game. The destination? The new Tacofino located off Blood Alley or at the back of the Burrito Bar off Cordova. From their humble beginnings as one food truck in Tofino, there seems to be no end to their expansion as we are now onto their 5th iteration in BC.
After entering off the infamous Blood Alley, we were seated to begin our session of gluttony. We started off with the Chicharones with yucca, crispy pork belly and slaw. Light, airy and crisp, the large pieces of chicharone were tossed in some spice. Also, tossed in the same spice mix, the accompanying pork belly was meaty and only slightly fatty. To balance things off, the slaw was refreshing, yet in need of acidity. I wasn't a huge fan of the fried yucca as it was too hard. Next, we sampled the Salmon Ceviche with chinook salmon, salmon skin chicharone, tomatillo, herb salad and chips. I found the ceviche to be acidic, bright and a touch too sweet. The collection of herbs added another layer of flavour. Firm while still tender, the salmon was able to stand up to the marinade.
When Sean said he would be aggressive with the menu, he wasn't kidding as we continued with more bites and we hadn't even gotten to the tacos yet! We continued on with the Oaxacan Corn Fritters with chili lime and cotija cheese. These were pretty firm where the exterior crunch was bordering on hard. Inside, the little nuggets of sweetness was provided by the niblets of corn. With a generous topping of cotija and chili, there was this spicy cheesy thing going on with a nice touch of tartness. Served majestically, the Glazed Beef Rib and Chilaquiles with lemon grass, habanero, kale and peanuts. The slightly grilled beef rib was succulent and super juicy. Texturally, it had a meaty chew where most of the meat directly around the bone was impossible to eat (typical of short ribs). The whole thing was aromatic from the peanuts and lemongrass.
Still not into the tacos, we had the Octopus Tostada with grilled pacific octopus, avocado-jalapeno crema and chili oil. I thought the octopus was prepared well where it was tender with a bit of residual chew. The creamy avocado was tangy where the chili oil added lingering heat. On the bottom, the crunch from the tostada was a good contrast texturally. Finally onto the tacos, we had their signature Fish Taco first. Consisting of a decently-size piece of Pacific cod topped with cabbage, chipotle mayo and salsa fresca, the whole thing was actually light and refreshing despite the crispy and flaky piece of fish. I guess the crunchy cabbage and vibrant salsa helped add a fresh brightness. I do believe this is still a very good fish taco and would gladly eat it over and over again.
Next, we tackled the Red Chorizo Taco with crispy kale, avocado-jalapeno crema and pickled onions. As expected, the crumbled chorizo was oily while dry meaty in texture. This spicy taco was fairly heavy due to the type of meat. Hence, it could've used a bit more of the pickled onion to cut the grease. As much as kale is overused in many dishes, it worked here providing a light crunch and background aromatics. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Crispy Chicken Taco (pickled vegetables, epazote chimichurri and buttermilk chili crema) was more mild with only the influence of the herbal garlickiness of the chimichurri and acidity of the pickled veggies. The chicken was indeed crispy where the meat was on the drier side. It was seasoned enough though.
We had heightened expectations for our next dish which was the Lamb Birria with herb salad, arbol chili, pickled nopales and preserved lemon zest. Apparently people have raved about this one. Unfortunately for us, this was a total bust. The shredded lamb was practically inedible since it was stringy and chewy. On the other hand, the nopales on top were tender and not very slimy. There was a good amount of acidity due to the ingredients involved. Our last item was the Steak Taco consisting of grilled skirt steak, pickled chayote and pineapple. Yes, we didn't really have all the tacos because we excluded the vegetarian options... Anyways, I found the steak to be sweet and spicy as well as being rather chewy. The pineapple was probably the main reason why the taco was so sweet. This one had a good balance of flavours, if only the steak was more tender. After destroying a good portion of the menu, I got the sense that the food was definitely interesting and generally good. Sure, there were a few hiccups, but that is normal with any restaurant.
The Good:
- Decent eats
- Nice vibe
- Considerably larger menu than the other locations
The Bad:
- Not exactly expensive, but not exactly cheap either
- Generally good flavours including purposeful acidity, but I personally would've liked more spice, but then again, that is what the accompanying sauces are for
Sometimes, I get so caught up with new restaurants, I forget about the long-standing ones. Case in point, I have never blogged about Bridges Restaurant, even though I've been there many moons ago. It could very well be its location being somewhat of a "tourist trap" affecting my desire to eat there. But just because it is located within a famous Vancouver tourist attraction doesn't necessarily mean it cannot serve good food. Well, that was what we were going to find out in this food adventure (aided by a Travelzoo voucher).
We ended up with 3 appies to sharing starting with the Fraser Valley Duck Confit with crispy polenta, blood orange & burnt honey marmalade. Sporting a crispy and almost airy skin, it was unfortunate the duck meat itself was mostly chewy and dry. It wasn't salty though where the duck essence really came through. We found the marmalade to be aromatic and slightly tart. Next up was the Roasted Pork Belly with herbed farro, pickled huckleberries and chanterelles. We weren't overly enthused with this dish as the slices of belly were chewy with a hard exterior. Despite this, the meat was aromatic and plenty fatty (which was the best part). The chewy (in a good way) farro was nicely seasoned by the abundance of herbs. Tart and acidic, the huckleberries lightened things up a bit.
Our last appie was the Tiger Prawn Cakes served with a lobster curry emulsion. Within the crunchy crumb coating, the shrimp were sweet and exhibited a mild snap. We found these to be rather small where some of the moisture was lost due to the size. As for the dip, it was very mild with only hints of curry. We didn't even notice much of the lobster essence as it was lost in the sauce. For my main, I went for the Paella with clams, mussels, chorizo, scallops, prawns atop saffron rice. As much as this wasn't really a paella due to being served on a plate without the benefit of a rice crust, I found it rather tasty. The saffron hit my taste buds as well as my olfactory system (what's with this scientific term???). The rice was chewy while still being bathed in some moisture. There was a decent amount of seafood which was prepared properly.
Viv opted for the Short Ribs & Tagliatelle with toasted walnuts, lemon, sage & grana padano. Graced with a good amount of tender shredded short rib, the pasta was filling despite its modest portion size. The noodles were toothsome and bathed in a creamy and herbal (mostly sage) sauce that had just a touch of acidity. Extra layers of flavour were provided by the nuttiness of the walnuts and saltiness of the grana padano. My mom thought she should go big with her entree and decided on the Fresh Nova Scotia Lobster with braised leeks, parsnip purée & drawn butter. We were rather confused why this was served with parsnip purée. Don't get me wrong, it was smooth and wonderfully seasoned, but it didn't really go. As for the lobster, it was a touch overdone where the tail meat was on the chewier side. It was super sweet and tasty though.
My dad had the Roasted Sablefish with udon noodles, fried eggplant, roasted almonds and miso sake broth. Seared until golden brown and with crispy skin, the sablefish meat was flaky and buttery (also well-seasoned). Underneath, the broth was on the saltier side, yet still had a nice Earthiness thanks to the mushrooms. We didn't notice much of the sake though. For dessert, we shared 3 of them, but in reality only had one because the kids high-jacked the others. So the adults shared the Baked Cheesecake with sour cherry compote. This was money as it was creamy while not overly dense. It was not too sweet either where we really got a good amount of cream cheese aroma. Although the tart cherries was a nice compliment, the actual cheesecake itself could've used a touch of tang.
For my daughter, she was all over the House-Made Sorbetto including lemon, mango and strawberry. We found the sorbetto to be smooth and almost creamy (yah, with just ice...). The flavours were purposeful and natural with only a touch of sugar. My son ate most of the S'mores Stack with torched house-made marshmallow and custard atop a graham cracker crust. Remarkably, this was not really all the sweet despite appearing so. The fluffy marshmallow was nicely caramelized on top emitting a certain smokiness. These desserts were a nice finish to a hit and miss dinner. As much as there were some enjoyable items in our meal, the regular prices are too high if the food cannot be consistent across the board.
The Good:
- Nice place, nice view
- Excellent service
- Desserts were good
The Bad:
- Hit and miss dishes
- Expensive
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