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As much as the return of these ChineseBites dinners and assorted other food adventures have been good, there is a certain level of anticipation for the "large Chinese restaurant multi-course meals". Why? Well, other than special occasions, it isn't often that I go for a Chinese meal that includes all of the usual proteins and a good amount of seafood. So the most recent ChineseBites extravaganza occurred at Shiang Garden where I enjoyed the company of Sean, Grace, Rick, Diana, Kirsty and Nancy.
Things got started with Prawn Salad with melon and sweet mayo served in a half papaya. The 2 large butterflied cold-water prawns exhibited a classic crunch and snap that was accented by just enough mayo. Normally, I hate mayo with prawns and fruit, but this one wasn't too bad. Also, I'm not a huge fan of papaya, but for some reason, the ripeness was appealing. Next up was Sauteed Mixed Seafood consisting of large scallops, prawns and sea cucumber innards. Completing the dish was snow peas, flowering chives and a garnish of sliced cucumber and orange. I felt the seafood was cooked nicely where the scallops were buttery while the prawns ate with a snap. As much as the sea cucumber innards were just barely done, they were a touch chewier than usual. The whole dish was lightly seasoned with a starch-thickened glaze.
From there, we moved onto the Tremella with Chicken & Crab Meat Soup. For those unfamiliar, tremella is a white fungus that has similar qualities as wood ear mushrooms except with a lighter crunch and with little-to-no flavour. Rather than using something like shark's fin or bird's nest, they were able to create a soup that possessed the same qualities (as in texture). The soup base was powerful with big hits of sweetness and salt. I found the thickness to be just right being silky while still "soupy". Next, we were presented with the Diced Beef Tenderloin with Honey & Pepper. Framed by a heart-shaped sliced cucumber garnish, the stir fry was flavourful. It had nice complimentary flavours from the sweet honey and the pepper. However, the beef itself was over-tenderized where it no longer had a meaty texture.
With our meat dish interlude out-of-the-way, we proceeded back to the seafood highway with the Steamed Spot Prawns with Garlic. I loved the presentation as the split-down-the-middle prawns were effectively seasoned by the minced garlic and scallions. However, this method resulted in meat that lost some of its trademark texture. On the other hand, the meat was sweet and unmistakeably spot prawn. Our next item was the Lobster with Salted Egg Yolk. Normally, this dish can go one of 2 ways - either it can be aromatic and flavourful or wet and sloppy. Thankfully this one was the former as the significant amount of salted egg yolk was cooked until nearly dry (while at the same time retaining some moisture). This resulted in rich saltiness that went well with the sweet lobster.
Back to another intermission, we had the Whole Chicken with Abalone Sauce. Looking very much like a soy chicken, this ate almost as such but with the aid of a side of abalone sauce. I decided to try both the white and dark meat to see if they were able to keep the whole chicken moist. That they did. Although the meat itself was lacking in inherent seasoning, one dunk into the sauce and there was enough saltiness and brininess to taste. Yes and back to the seafood, we tackled the BC Dungeness Crab with White Wine Sauce. Steaming crab can seem simple, but there is no way of hiding any mistakes with this cooking process. Well, they nailed it with fluffy crab flavoured with just enough wine to add a finish from the initial salty-sweetness.
From here, we went back to the red meat with Lamb Chop with Honey & Pepper. This dish looked impressive, yet we could've done without the nearly raw onion garnish. As for the lamb chops, they were meaty and super tender. Possibly too tender as they exhibited the same texture as the beef tenderloin. We would've liked to see more of a natural meatiness to go with the beautiful sweet and peppery glaze. Since a picture of a large piece of braised pork belly (Dong Bao Yuk) might not look impressive, I took a cut into it. While doing so, I noticed it was somewhat difficult to do, partly because of the blunt knife and partially since the meat portion of the belly was meaty rather than melt-in-my-mouth tender. Whatever the case, it was still sinfully buttery while lightly seasoned by the silky sweet sauce.
One last seafood offering was the En-Ping Style Whole Tilapia. Deboned into bite sized portions, the fish was soft and somewhat flaky (as tilapia tends to be on the mushier side naturally). With a bevy of scallions, peppers, green chilis and cilantro, there was enough complimentary flavours that added to the mild-tasting fish. In addition, the sweet soy added the necessary saltiness. Our one vegetarian item was the Buddha's Feast Cabbage Roll. Carefully plated, the cabbage rolls were filled with carrots, wood ear mushrooms and enoki. It was not subjected to over-cooking which kept the veggies crisp and vibrant. Flavours were rather mild due to these ingredients, but it was a nice break from all the meat dishes we had.
For dessert, we were served 2 items including the Baked Durian Pastry and Osmanthus Flower Cake Pudding. For many, durian is both smelly and unappealing. I personally don't mind it and actually enjoy the pungent sweetness. This was exemplified with the flaky and buttery pastry filled with a good amount of sweet durian. As for the flower cake pudding, it was a light gelatin with an equally light taste. It was not sugary at all with a floral essence. This was a low-key finish to a feast that had its fair share of seafood. Overall, all of the proteins were properly executed in terms of the cooking process. There was some over-tenderization of the red meats though, but that is pretty common for Cantonese cuisine.
*All food, beverages and gratuities were complimentary*
The Good:
- Well-prepared proteins
- Proper wok heat for stir-fried dishes
- Well-seasoned
The Bad:
- Some meats were over-tenderized
There was a time when Memphis Blues was on constant meal rotation when we lived in Yaletown. Being super busy with work, we'd just be lazy and get takeout from their original Broadway location. With that, we've experienced the good, the bad and the ugly. You see, when meats are smoked/prepared ahead of time (because they have to be), there will be inconsistencies. Also, for those BBQ purists who would like to add the usual jeers and/or hurl insults at Memphis, please do so now. However, we live in Vancouver and really, there are not a whole lot of places to choose from. Hence, when Peppermint wanted BBQ, we visited the South Surrey location because there was really nothing else in the neighbourhood.
Of course the best way to experience Memphis Blues or any BBQ for all that matters is to get a platter. That we did with the Elvis Platter which included all the meats and sides. About those sides, the Fries were hot and crispy. Coleslaw, Potato Salad, BBQ Beans and Corn Bread rounded out the compliments. I dug into the smoked Pork Ribs first and they were actually decently moist with a nice flavourful bark. For those who are familiar with chain restaurant BBQ ribs, these were not par-boiled first hence they were predictably more dry. Also fatty and moist was the Smoked Brisket which also sported a smoky bark. Right beside it, there was the usual helping of Smoked Sausage which was juicy on the inside with a nice snap from the casing.
Moving around the platter, we found the mound of Pulled Pork doused with their house BBQ sauce. Smoky with mesquite, the sauce also exhibited an equal amount of sweetness from the molasses and some zing from the vinegar. Similar to the other items, the pork was actually moist even without the help of the BBQ sauce. Next to it, the Half Chicken was pretty decent where the dark meat was moist while the white meat was typically dry, but not overly so. The skin was nicely seasoned and well-rendered. Lastly, the Rib Ends were the driest meat of the bunch, but that was expected. For some inexplicable reason, we got a plate of Pulled Pork Poutine for kicks. Well, it essentially was what we had on our platter already except for the addition of shredded mozzarella. Okay, up until this visit, my previous trips to Memphis Blues had been mediocre at best. But somehow, due to dumb luck, timing (we were first for lunch) or possibly the care of the staff at this location, the food was relatively good.
The Good:
- Despite the increase in prices over the last 15 years, the platters are still a good value IMO
- This time around, the meats were on point
The Bad:
- Can be wildly inconsistent
For the last 3 years, I've been a judge for the Chili Cookoff at the Cascades Casino out in Langley. As of last year, Sean has been my judging buddy as we embark on a sometimes fiery trip down chili lane. Yup the ride back into town can be hazardous, but it has been okay up until this point. Before the endless supply of chili ran through our bodies, we had to get some other food for lunch right? Well, we ended up at Shiraz Grill for some Middle-Eastern and Italian food. What? Yes, that was our sentiment at first too.
Alas, it doesn't matter who makes your food or what type of fusion thing is going on, as long as it tastes good. With that firmly in mind, we started with the Spaghetti al Bolognese. Although slightly soft, the spaghetti was caressed by a meaty sauce that was full-flavoured without relying on salt. There was the sweetness of onions, the rich flavour of the slow cooked tomatoes and a noticeable cheesiness. Next up, we tried the Linguine alla Pescatore that featured a bevy of well-prepared seafood including prawns, mussels, squid and baby scallops. The significant amount of black olives ensured there was a salty wine-like finish after every bite. We found the pasta in this dish to be much more al dente.
Lastly, we had the Soltani Kebob featuring one skewer of sirloin and one skewer of ground lamb. Other than a few end pieces, the sirloin was fairly moist and sufficiently tender. There was a nice char that help bring out the spices including a background hint of cinnamon. As for the lamb, it was juicy and completely spiked with sweet onions. Other than the usual lamb gaminess and spices, the onion aftertaste lingered long after. So you know what? Despite our concerns, the food (both cuisines) was decent and dare we say, tasty? Yes, if we are ever out this way again, we wouldn't mind trying out more items.
The Good:
- More than adequate portions
- Friendly people
- Decent eats
The Bad:
- On the pricier side
- Cuisine confusion might scare some people
Sometimes, we just need to go back to the Chinese well. No, I'm not talking about the polluted water supply in China itself, rather I'm referring to plain ol' Chinese food for late night. Believe it or not, we have not went for "da lang" (Chinese late night) in quite some time. Consisting of smaller-sized dishes served with plain congee, da lang is both an economical way of late night feasting as well as being a way to sample more items. So with that in mind, Milhouse, Lionel Hutz, Bear and myself headed over to Rose Garden on Kingsway.
Not only have we not done da lang in years, the last time we were at Rose Garden, Polka King was still allowed out of the house. Yes, it has been that long! Things started off with 2 similar dishes except for the main protein. The Chili Salt Pork Chops arrived as a fairly large portion for the price (all dishes were $5.99 except for seasonal veggies, add $1.00). Lightly crispy and minimally greasy, the pork chops were tenderized and well-marinated. Hence, the chilis, salt, garlic and white pepper only enhanced the existing flavour. Next up was the Chili Salt Fish which shared the same elements as the previous dish. Also lightly battered, the fish (most likely basa) was soft, but not exactly flaky. The batter itself was well-salted, hence, the other ingredients were only complimentary.
Onto another dish with the exact same cooking process and seasoning, we had the Chili Salt Silverfish. Okay, first of all, we weren't being boring here. Chili salt goes real well with plain unseasoned congee, especially dunking in these little fried suckers. Second of all, these are not the same silverfish you find scurrying on your kitchen floor... Crunchy and salty, we did in fact dunk them into our congee. Moving away from chili salt, we had a relatively healthier dish with the Garlic Pea Shoots. Even though it was $6.99, this was a substantial amount of pea shoots for the price. In addition to size, these were stir-fried just right with good wok heat with little moisture on the plate. There was plenty of garlic to go with the ample seasoning.
With yet another veggie item, the Four Seasons Green Beans were decent. Oil-blanched just enough, the beans were crunchy while cooked all-the-way-through. There was a good amount of dried shrimp, onions, pickles and chilis which added the necessary array of flavours. Again, the wok heat was there which ensured that the dish was not watery and at the same time, caramelized the ingredients. Of course we couldn't ignore Milhouse's favourite dish, so we got the Sweet & Sour Pork. Not trying to sound repetitive, but this dish was pretty large for $5.99. The chunks of pork were large and meaty with a firm crispy batter. Although it appeared that they were re-fried, the pork was not dry. As for the sauce, it was more sweet than sour, but the dish as a whole was good.
Continuing with pork, we ordered the Jellied Pork Hock which was average at best. The meat itself was pretty dry and chewy while the skin was firmly gelatinized. In addition to the missing garlic vinegar dip, the pork hock was completely over-seasoned being quite salty. Our last dish was also enormous being the Spicy Wontons. Sadly, these were not spicy at all. In fact, the whole dish was lacking in impact with predominantly pork wontons soaked in a bland soy-chili oil mixture. It was really a shame that our meal ended off on 2 duds as the rest of it was quite solid and good value. I guess if one was to choose all of the right dishes, Rose Garden would be a really good inexpensive option for late night Chinese eats.
The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Large portions
- 6 of 8 dishes were good
The Bad:
- Place is in need of a reno
- Although mostly good, a bit hit and miss still
For the second straight week, we stepped out on the Drive after Sunday morning hockey. Why drive somewhere for eats when we could just stay nearby? Since it was car-free day, we could do the leisurely stroll up to a random restaurant. That we did with Five Elements Cafe, which serves up an eclectic mix of Vietnamese, Thai and house-made gelato. Being counter-service, we merely picked out table and proceeded up to order. For me, this was fine because I could get whatever I wanted myself such as more ice water and ultimately boxes for leftovers (without waiting an eternity for someone to do so).
We ended up sharing a plate of Chicken Wings as an appie. Served with a side of lemon pepper dip, this had similar flavours to the version at Phnom Penh, but ultimately completely different. The big, meaty wings were succulent while sporting a lightly crispy coating. These were good in their own way with a touch of spice and accented by the peppery acidic dip. For my main, I went for the Pho Dac Biet (or Mixed Meat on the menu). Overall, I thought the pho was serviceable but hardly memorable. The broth was fairly clean while a touch heavy on the sweetness. I could pick out the meatiness which was definitely there. The noodles were clumpy and a touch overdone while the meats were a fine except for the brisket. I found it chewy and dry.
I also got an order of the Chicken Pad Thai which arrived in a strange yellow hue complete with the "shouldn't be there" Shanghai bak choy. The abundance of veggies led to a wetter Pad Thai that didn't taste anything like a Pad Thai. It was rather sweet with a touch of spice, yet it lacked tang and caramelization from adequate wok heat. I found the big pieces of breast meat to be sufficiently moist considering its leanness. Milhouse did not want to eat a whole Garlic Pork Banh Mi by himself, so I offered to share it with him. Cold and not toasted, the bread was dense and chewy. Inside, the pickled carrots and daikon were impactful with enough acidity. The garlic pork was sweet and quite flavourful.
Milhouse wanted something lighter for his entree, so he selected the Chicken Stir-Fry with Rice. Although the veggies were cooked properly being vibrant and still crisp, the dish itself suffered from a lack of seasoning. Sure, there was a bit of garlic and sweetness, but overall, it was too watery. Kaiser Soze went for the Thai Chicken Clay Pot which was served in a ceramic bowl (not really a hot pot). This starch-thicken concoction was really sweet with a touch of spice (yellow curry). We would've preferred to see a creamier version than the goopy one we see in the picture. It was acceptable but hardly memorable. Overall, we didn't dislike the food at Five Elements, but was hardly impressed either.
The Good:
- Large portions
- Vietnamese fare was okay
The Bad:
- Thai food was strange
- No A/C, quite warm inside
Whenever we are in need of eats late into the night (and sometimes next morning), Taiwanese fare has increasingly become the ol' standby. You see, whenever we are out-of-ideas or just too lazy to look anything up, we can rely on the "generally open late" Taiwanese joint. Well, that was exactly what happened when we hit up T2A3 East Restaurant. Yes, not the easiest name to remember, unlike the previous tenant - Beefy Beef. Yup, a Taiwanese restaurant replacing another Taiwanese restaurant.
So naturally, we had all of the greatest hits including the Chicken Nuggets. These were juicy inside while lightly crispy on the outside. There was no shortage of seasoning including the very noticeable 5-spice. One thing I would've liked to see was the removal of the chicken skin as it wasn't rendered completely. Next up was the 3-Cup Chicken which ate better than it looked. Each piece of meat was succulent and juicy. On the other hand, the flavours were not in balance. I found the dish to be on the sweeter side missing the trademark wine/vinegary hit. There was plenty of ginger though, which added a touch of sharpness, but overall, the chicken was lacking in flavour.
Of course we had to the the Beef Noodle as well and it was acceptable. I much prefer the one from Beefy Beef as this one was a little underwhelming. With that being said, the broth wasn't devoid of salt. The problem was the lack of meat essence. On the positive side, the noodles were chewy while the beef shank was tender and seasoned. We also had the Garlic Pork featuring thin slices of pork belly served with a sweet, garlicky and vinegary sauce. We didn't mind this dish as the pork was soft and slightly gelatinized. The accompanying sauce hit all the flavour notes albeit being a touch too sweet.
One dish we could've done without was the Beef Roll since the pancake was quite thick and doughy. To compound the problem was the slight greasiness due to the absorption of too much oil by the pancake. On the other hand, the sliced beef was tender and moderately sauced with hoisin. Lastly, we tried the Lamb Fried Noodles, which were okay, if not a touch wet. We didn't get much in the way of lamb flavour though. Texturally, the noodles were chewy while adequately seasoned with a balance of sweet and savoury. As evidenced in the pictures, the dishes we had were on the smaller side (even though it is common with Taiwanese cuisine). Most items were decent, but at the same time, nothing that would make us return quickly.
The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Open late
The Bad:
- Hit and miss
- Modest portions
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As much as the return of these ChineseBites dinners and assorted other food adventures have been good, there is a certain level of anticipation for the "large Chinese restaurant multi-course meals". Why? Well, other than special occasions, it isn't often that I go for a Chinese meal that includes all of the usual proteins and a good amount of seafood. So the most recent ChineseBites extravaganza occurred at Shiang Garden where I enjoyed the company of Sean, Grace, Rick, Diana, Kirsty and Nancy.
Things got started with Prawn Salad with melon and sweet mayo served in a half papaya. The 2 large butterflied cold-water prawns exhibited a classic crunch and snap that was accented by just enough mayo. Normally, I hate mayo with prawns and fruit, but this one wasn't too bad. Also, I'm not a huge fan of papaya, but for some reason, the ripeness was appealing. Next up was Sauteed Mixed Seafood consisting of large scallops, prawns and sea cucumber innards. Completing the dish was snow peas, flowering chives and a garnish of sliced cucumber and orange. I felt the seafood was cooked nicely where the scallops were buttery while the prawns ate with a snap. As much as the sea cucumber innards were just barely done, they were a touch chewier than usual. The whole dish was lightly seasoned with a starch-thickened glaze.
From there, we moved onto the Tremella with Chicken & Crab Meat Soup. For those unfamiliar, tremella is a white fungus that has similar qualities as wood ear mushrooms except with a lighter crunch and with little-to-no flavour. Rather than using something like shark's fin or bird's nest, they were able to create a soup that possessed the same qualities (as in texture). The soup base was powerful with big hits of sweetness and salt. I found the thickness to be just right being silky while still "soupy". Next, we were presented with the Diced Beef Tenderloin with Honey & Pepper. Framed by a heart-shaped sliced cucumber garnish, the stir fry was flavourful. It had nice complimentary flavours from the sweet honey and the pepper. However, the beef itself was over-tenderized where it no longer had a meaty texture.
With our meat dish interlude out-of-the-way, we proceeded back to the seafood highway with the Steamed Spot Prawns with Garlic. I loved the presentation as the split-down-the-middle prawns were effectively seasoned by the minced garlic and scallions. However, this method resulted in meat that lost some of its trademark texture. On the other hand, the meat was sweet and unmistakeably spot prawn. Our next item was the Lobster with Salted Egg Yolk. Normally, this dish can go one of 2 ways - either it can be aromatic and flavourful or wet and sloppy. Thankfully this one was the former as the significant amount of salted egg yolk was cooked until nearly dry (while at the same time retaining some moisture). This resulted in rich saltiness that went well with the sweet lobster.
Back to another intermission, we had the Whole Chicken with Abalone Sauce. Looking very much like a soy chicken, this ate almost as such but with the aid of a side of abalone sauce. I decided to try both the white and dark meat to see if they were able to keep the whole chicken moist. That they did. Although the meat itself was lacking in inherent seasoning, one dunk into the sauce and there was enough saltiness and brininess to taste. Yes and back to the seafood, we tackled the BC Dungeness Crab with White Wine Sauce. Steaming crab can seem simple, but there is no way of hiding any mistakes with this cooking process. Well, they nailed it with fluffy crab flavoured with just enough wine to add a finish from the initial salty-sweetness.
From here, we went back to the red meat with Lamb Chop with Honey & Pepper. This dish looked impressive, yet we could've done without the nearly raw onion garnish. As for the lamb chops, they were meaty and super tender. Possibly too tender as they exhibited the same texture as the beef tenderloin. We would've liked to see more of a natural meatiness to go with the beautiful sweet and peppery glaze. Since a picture of a large piece of braised pork belly (Dong Bao Yuk) might not look impressive, I took a cut into it. While doing so, I noticed it was somewhat difficult to do, partly because of the blunt knife and partially since the meat portion of the belly was meaty rather than melt-in-my-mouth tender. Whatever the case, it was still sinfully buttery while lightly seasoned by the silky sweet sauce.
One last seafood offering was the En-Ping Style Whole Tilapia. Deboned into bite sized portions, the fish was soft and somewhat flaky (as tilapia tends to be on the mushier side naturally). With a bevy of scallions, peppers, green chilis and cilantro, there was enough complimentary flavours that added to the mild-tasting fish. In addition, the sweet soy added the necessary saltiness. Our one vegetarian item was the Buddha's Feast Cabbage Roll. Carefully plated, the cabbage rolls were filled with carrots, wood ear mushrooms and enoki. It was not subjected to over-cooking which kept the veggies crisp and vibrant. Flavours were rather mild due to these ingredients, but it was a nice break from all the meat dishes we had.
For dessert, we were served 2 items including the Baked Durian Pastry and Osmanthus Flower Cake Pudding. For many, durian is both smelly and unappealing. I personally don't mind it and actually enjoy the pungent sweetness. This was exemplified with the flaky and buttery pastry filled with a good amount of sweet durian. As for the flower cake pudding, it was a light gelatin with an equally light taste. It was not sugary at all with a floral essence. This was a low-key finish to a feast that had its fair share of seafood. Overall, all of the proteins were properly executed in terms of the cooking process. There was some over-tenderization of the red meats though, but that is pretty common for Cantonese cuisine.
