Straight Outta Brooklyn NYC Pizzeria

As if eating a bowl of ramen, a side of Gyu Don, sharing some chashu and half of a ramen burger wasn't enough for lunch, Steve suggested we hit up Straight Outta Brooklyn NYC Pizzeria for kicks.  Honestly, if we were attempting to emulate a day in the life of Mijune, we would fail miserably.  We just don't have that type of pedigree or more accurately, that type of metabolism.  In fact, I think ours are probably the reverse.  Whatever the case, we each decided to try a different slice of pizza.

For myself, the White Pie was calling out to me with its combination of mozzarella, smoked provolone, grana padano, ricotta, garlic and oregano.  It turned out to be a good choice as there was a wealth of flavours despite its unassuming appearance.  There were definite hits of real minced garlic, saltiness and background smokiness from the provolone and the crust itself.  Vandelay had the standard being the Margherita. Being a simple concoction, the pizza was good with subtle flavours.  The tomato sauce was not particularly noticeable while the whole basil leaves added that classic taste.  I personally would've like to see them added after baking.

Steve had the Spicy! with capicollo and salami piccante.  This one did live up to its name with some heat from the toppings.  It wasn't too much in our faces to cause much of a problem, but it wasn't bland.  As for the crust, it was super thin (living up to its Brooklyn-style namesake) and crispy.  It was so crispy, that we could pick it up without needing to fold it.  There was a sufficient amount of browning underneath and on the edges for a bit of nuttiness.  With all things considered, I can see why Vandelay has this place on weekly lunch rotation.  For a reasonable price, one can get well-made thin-crust pizza that sets itself apart from all the other slice pizza joints.

The Good:
- Thin, crispy crust
- Impactful toppings
- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:
- Pretty much take out, not a whole lot of seats
- Limited ready-made selection (but can be good too to keep things simple)

Ramen Koika

I love burgers, I really do.  There is just something about meat in a bun with various things like cheese, bacon and mushrooms to make it even tastier.  However, in recent times, burgers have become gourmet and have even the very definition of a burger has been challenged.  We've seen the Korean-style "burgers" made with rice "buns" at Kobob (which I didn't mind), but the availability of a ramen burger at Ramen Koika piqued my interest.  I met up with Steve and Vandelay to check the place out.

Before we got to the burger, we naturally tried some actual ramen first.  For myself, I had the Black Garlic Ramen.  I found the broth to be fairly light-tasting and thin.  However, the addition of black garlic oil and toasted garlic amped the flavour quotient.  It was aromatic and subtly impactful.  I went for the "hard" noodles and they were toothsome as advertised, even while sitting in the broth until the end.  The thick slices of fatty chashu were a disappointment though as the texture did not match the visuals.  The meat was actually on the chewier side and slightly dry.  For my side, I had the Gyu Don which looked lifeless and pale.  Now this did had matching visuals and taste.  The rice was not sauced nearly enough while the meat was not particularly tasty nor appealing.  Large, barely cooked slivers of onions did not help the cause either.

Vandelay ended up with the King's Ramen (carrot, cabbage, mushroom, green onion, bean sprouts, shredded pork, seaweed, mamboo shoot and soft boiled egg) which featured a curiously cloudy chicken broth.  It was lightly sweet and savoury.  Being a chicken broth, we weren't expecting any flavour explosions, but with that in mind, it was still quite light.  Being cloudy, the broth wasn't particularly clean-tasting either.  The noodles were toothsome though while the egg was a touch overdone.  It had a soft centre, but was trending towards hard-boiled.  Steve decided on the Smoky Kara Spicy Miso Ramen with hard noodles as well.  It was somewhat thick with the unmistakable taste of miso.  It wasn't that salty though where there was a certain nuttiness and smokiness to the broth.  There was a definite lingering spice that wasn't overwhelming.

We also shared an order of the Delicious Chashu Pork Belly and it was pretty good.  Deep fried and completely fatty, this was a sinful treat.  The meat was curiously more tender in this application.  The deep-fry helped caramelize the fat and meat which resulted in some pretty rich flavours.  Now onto the Chashu Burger, let's just say ramen noodles should remain in broth.  The "bun" was super dense and mealy. I couldn't actually get it down because the texture was so unappealing.  Similar to my ramen, the chashu was meaty and fatty.  I thought the teriyaki sauce and mayo was a natural combination which was fine.  But that ramen bun really did suck.  As for the other items, they were decent, but not extraordinary.  Definitely serviceable if in the area though.

The Good:
- Diverse menu
- Decent service
- Serviceable ramen

The Bad:
- Ramen bun is no good
- Limited tables

Big Chef

Sometimes, I take for granted how many great Chinese restaurants there are in Richmond. So much so, I stop looking for new ones to try. In fact, with so many plazas and strip malls, many of them can be easily overlooked.  On the other hand, it could very well be my aversion to the automobile equivalent of musical chairs in the many chaotic parking lots.  However, with an invite to try out Big Chef courtesy of the Chinese Restaurant Awards, I guess it was time to play bumper cars in the parking lot (well, at least not the spots in front due to the pails).

To begin, we were served a monstrous plate of Pan Fried Dungenss Crab with Salted Egg Yolk and sliced rice cake.  Unlike the wetter version found at Ken's Chinese, this one featured a light dusting of fully cooked and mostly dry salted egg yolk.  Hence, it was more aromatic and impactful.  I liked how it was muted in terms of the saltiness which meant the crab meat was able to be heard.  Next, we had a much lighter dish in the Sauteed Broccoli with garlic.  They weren't shy with the minced garlic as it was obvious to the eye and taste.  This dish demonstrated appropriate wok heat where there was no moisture at the bottom of the plate while the broccoli was still crunchy, yet cooked all-the-way-through.

Onto another meatless dish was the Deep Fried Salt & Pepper Tofu which were tossed in a good amount of fried garlic, chilis, salt and pepper.  Hence, there was ample impact while not being over-seasoned.  Texturally, the tofu triangles were firmly crispy on the outside while soft and moist on the inside.  With just enough sauce clinging onto each piece, the Honey Garlic Spareribs were on point.  Despite the crisp exterior, the meat underneath had a juicy rebound texture.  Furthermore, the rib portions were meaty, easy on the fat and cartilage.  We found the sauce to be on the sweeter side (due to the plethora of honey) with plenty of garlic notes.

Exhibiting a textbook stir-fry, the Pan Fried Hotos Rhizome and Mushrooms with Beef Tenderloin was the beneficiary of high wok heat.  In addition to the caramelization of the ingredients, the beef was seared nicely with a slight smokiness.  On top of that, the veggies retained both their vibrant colour and texture.  The addition of pineapple balanced off the ample soy in the dish.   Onto our obligatory sweet & sour dish, but not the usual pork version.  Rather, we had the Sweet & Sour Sole.  These were a good size and fried up until firmly crunchy.  There may have been a touch too much batter as the fish kind of got lost.  Despite this, the nicely balanced sauce clung onto each piece with the right amount viscosity.

Lastly, we had the Vegetarian Fried Rice which contained almost as much vegetables as rice (yes, we had a vegetarian at our table, hence the 3 veggie dishes).  Well, despite the absence of meat, the rice was still hearty due to the ingredients (including mushroom).  Chewy and well-seasoned, the rice was not affected by the amount of veggies due to the high wok heat once again.  For the dishes we sampled, it was pretty clear that they didn't have any problems with proper wok heat as everything had a certain dryness and caramelization.  Maybe I'll be back to try their late night (as they are open until 2:00am).  By then, hopefully the parking lot will be less busy.

*All food and gratuities were comped*

The Good:
- Excellent wok heat
- Comfortable dining space

The Bad:
- That parking lot

Yumi's Frozen Yogurt

Our original plan after downing pizza, ribs and poutine at Big Daddy's was to go for a second course of poutine at Big Reds Poutine truck only a few blocks away.  Of course we experienced an epic fail because the truck wasn't there!  Ultimately, it was a blessing in disguise as we would've been overloaded with fries and gravy as a result (is that necessarily a bad thing?).  Our backup plan was to return to the Valley Fair Mall for some refreshing froyo at Yumi's, a couple of doors down from Big Daddy's.

Looking like a clone of Menchies, but on a smaller scale, we had no expectations for Yumi's. Even with the in mind, we were pleasantly surprised with the pricing as none of our creations cost over $5.00.  I decided to try the Berry Cheesecake with strawberries, raspberries and kiwi.  I found the froyo to be creamy and smooth with only a purposeful amount of sweetness.  Although masked partly by the natural tartness of the yogurt, I still got some background cream cheese flavour.  The fruit was pretty ripe and sweet, but the raspberries looked a little overripe. Bam Bam got inspired by the Peanut Butter Cup froyo and loaded it up with Reese Pieces, mini peanut butter cups and peanut butter cup chunks.  One taste and it was pretty clear why he chose that flavour.  It was creamy and powerfully peanut buttery while not being sickingly sweet.  Of course it worked really well with his chosen toppings.

Dark Helmet went for a trio of flavours including the aforementioned Peanut Butter, Cookie Monster and Fat-Free Chocolate.  He simply added shaved almonds to complete his treat.  As smooth as the rest, we were surprised with the fat-free chocolate.  Keeping with the theme as the other flavours, the sugar content was conservative. Well, I guess we were meant to miss Big Reds, because we would've have returned to try Yumi's otherwise.  What a surprise that the froyo was on point and the cost was reasonable.

The Good:
- Smooth, purposefully sweet froyo
- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:
- Limited fruit options

Big Daddy's Pizza, BBQ & Poutine

There once was a place on Dundas that served up pulled pork, wings and ribs to go with their fabulous pizza.  Located right next to the McD's, Big Daddy's was a hidden gem of sorts and definitely under-appreciated.  Then one day, it was gone, just like the Pepper Roast right beside it.  However, Big Daddy's didn't go way of the dodo, rather, it merely relocated to Maple Ridge in the Valley Fair Mall.  Now, would I make a special trip out to try it out?  Sorta, we were in the neighbourhood already at the Meadows batting cage.

Being mainly a pizza joint first and foremost, we tried the Caveman Buffet with BBQ sirloin steak, pepperoni, salami, smoked farmers sausage, smoked ham and smoked ground beef.  This monstrosity had toppings all the way to the edge of the crust (of which was crispy on the bottom and soft throughout).  Marginally greasy (from the cheese) and appealingly smoky throughout, the pizza screamed out flavour without relying on the salt content.  This was all thanks to the meats being smoked in-house (except for the pepperoni).  Next up, we had the Smoked Wings with Cajun Sunshine sauce.  These wings were pretty large while sporting a mild smoke.  Naturally, the meat was on the drier side, but the ample amount of tangy and spicy sauce kept things moist.  We found the side of baked beans to be texturally more akin to refried beans while being pretty sweet and loaded with bacon.

We then moved onto their poutines starting with the Chili Cheese Fries with smokehouse beef chili, cheese curds and fries.  We would've preferred fresh cut fries rather than the frozen variety, but these were still very crispy and did the trick.  There was a generous amount of meaty and spicy chili as well as ample kidney beans and plump corn niblets.  Underneath, all the cheese curds were completely melted.  We also tried their Pulled Pork Poutine with 18-hour smoked pork, gravy, cheese curds and fries.  We enjoyed the tender and smoky pulled pork, but we could've done with a bit less gravy as it took away from the wonderful meat.  For me at least, I would've been happy with just pulled pork, cheese curds and fries without any gravy.

To round out our selection of eats, we got a Full Rack of Hickory Smoked Ribs with Kansas City BBQ sauce.  For those unfamiliar real BBQ and smoked meat, there is no parboiling allowed.  Hence, the ribs here sported a deep smoke with tender, yet more drier meat.  Naturally, the meat was sauced after-the-fact.  I enjoyed the natural flavour of the meat in addition to the tangy and spicy BBQ sauce.  Being a pizza joint, this would be not possible, but these ribs would've been amped even further by a quick kiss on a BBQ.  Not surprisingly, the highlight was the pizza (because it is mainly a pizza joint first).  We had to fight for the last slice!  Interestingly, we were looking for something a bit different and original in Maple Ridge...  I guess we found it.

The Good:
- Large portions
- Meats smoked in-house
- Impactful sauces made in-house

The Bad:
- With inherent limitations, the preparation of the fries and ribs could've been better if this was a full service restaurant

Angel Cake Cafe

Out of nowhere, much like a luxury SUV running a stop sign, the softball season hit us unexpectedly.  We were in no way, shape (unless round counts) or form ready to play, but we gave it a go anyways.  Gosh, I was so unprepared to play, I forgot to wear my jock! Let's just say I was a bit uneasy pitching...  We ended up winning partly because the team we faced was new and didn't really understand all the rules.  Hey, we'll take it!  Afterwards, I was so rattled from playing without protecting my jewels, we ended up doing a re-visit to Angel Cafe.

All of our meals included choice of soup (but only Borscht was available) and drink.  Being a Hong Kong-style cafe, we knew the "borscht" would not resemble anything like the actual soup.  With that in mind, I thought it was pretty good in terms of flavour where it reminded me of the ol' Campbells oxtail soup.  Too bad there wasn't any ingredients to speak of.  For his main, Bear decided on the Mix n' Match Meal with a chicken steak and pork chop accompanied by black pepper sauce. Milhouse one upped him and had 3 items including something called chicken Gordon, fried fish filet and beef steak.  Despite being quite pricey ($13.95 for 2 and $16.95 for 5), the portion size was fair.  I found all of the proteins to be cooked just right and yah, the chicken Gordon was similar to a Cordon Bleu (did they do a misprint?).  The black pepper sauce was thick and impactful with loads of peppery hit.

For myself, I went for 3 items (yes, I temporarily became Mijune, but without the dress and red high heels...) including the Stir-Fried Vermicelli with Preserved Vegetable and Pork.  Loaded with tender strips of pork, crunchy peppers and tart "ja choy", there were plenty of flavours and textures going on.  There was ample wok heat that both provided carmelization and dry chewy noodles.  I enjoyed this dish very much.  Next, I had the classic Baked Pork Chop Rice that arrived in a pretty large deep dish plate.  Underneath the pork chop and ample sauce, the fried rice was somewhere between dry and moist.  I found the sauce to be quite impactful with a nice balance between tart, sweet and savoury.  As for the big pork chop, it was succulent with plenty of meat texture and a thin layer of breading.

My third dish was brought on by the power of suggestion as I noticed someone eating it at a nearby table.  The Sweet & Sour Pork looked really good and in reality, it was solid.  Each well-sized piece of pork was juicy and tender with a minimal layer of batter.  These were definitely fried fresh, unlike many other places that re-fry pre-prepared pork.  What brought the whole dish together was the significantly tart and equally sweet sauce.  There was no shortage of punch in this dish.  Boss Woman ended up with the House Special Noodles which was also enjoyable.  The crispy fried noodles were a touch greasy, yet on the other hand, benefited from a proper amount of starch-thickened sauce.  There was ample seasoning as well as a good amount of texture from the bean sprouts, carrots, pork and cold-water shrimp.

Judes went for the Steak with Mushroom Sauce that featured not one, but two steaks along with the aforementioned sauce, vibrant veggies and rice.  The steak itself was fully cooked, but at the same time, was tender.  Despite being flavourful and silky, the sauce didn't sit well with her afterwards for some reason or another.  With that being said, all of the dishes we had were solid and well-portioned.  That itself made up for the high-prices and sparse service.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Large portions

The Bad:
- Pricey
- Sparse service

Chubby Lamb Hot Pot

Normally, hot pot is best experienced during the colder months of the year.  However, with A/C, it really doesn't matter.  Furthermore, what do people do over in Asia, where many places are hot year round?  So it wasn't a surprise that we decided to go for hot pot after our Monday softball game.  We headed off to Richmond (second time for me in one day!) and ended up at Chubby Lamb on Alexandra Road (aka as restaurant row or land of poorly driven and parked luxury automobiles).

At $22.50 (not including broth), the pricing for AYCE was reasonable for the selection of items available.  We ended up with the Pork Bone Broth which was full of meaty bones, apple slices and wolf berries.  Although on bit on the saltier side, we appreciated that they actually made an effort to justify the $8.00 charge.  Our first selection of items included Watercress, Lotus Root, Fried Taro, Bible Tripe and Squid Tentacles.  These were good where the tripe was properly rinsed and tenderized.  Our order of assorted Meatballs including shrimp, beef, lobster and fish was okay, but hardly impressive.  These were not freshly prepared and were not distinctive from the store bought variety.

Onto some meats, we got Sliced Pork, Lamb, Sirloin and Fatty Beef.  We found the pork and lamb to be tender with enough fatty portions.  However, the sirloin did not cook well in the broth.  It disintegrated into little pieces which were difficult to retrieve from the broth.  Even for the ones we managed to catch, they were dry and a bit chewy.  On the other hand, the fatty beef did live up to exceptions being soft and tender.  Onto some other plates, we had Shrimp, Dumplings, Wontons, Instant Ramen, Enoki Mushrooms, Quail Eggs, Potato Starch Noodles and Fish Tofu.  Nothing really amiss here, where everything met expectations.

Rounding everything, we got some Oysters, Fried Gluten, Tofu Puffs, Konjac Noodles, Bean Curd Skin and Pork Cheek.  We thought the oysters were pretty fresh and plump.  As much as it is generally a standard item for hot pot, the bean curd skin was nicely wrapped and had a balanced texture between chewy and soft.  Overall, Chubby Lamb met our expectations while the pricing was reasonable.  We've had better hot pot in town, however, we came away satisfied.

The Good:
- Okay pricing
- The broth we had was pretty good
- Fairly decent service (but lack of emotion though)

The Bad:
- See above (servers were nice but robotic)
- Decent ingredients, but there is better