Colony Main Street

At times, I enjoy the peace and quiet of an empty restaurant, especially when in conversation with friends.  However, I don't mind the energetic vibe of the nightlife on the weekends.  Yes, I'm no longer in my 20's, but that doesn't mean I need to suddenly go for the early bird liver n' onions special either.  With that clearly not in my mind (the early bird special that is, but I do like liver...), I suggested we check out Colony on Main after Friday night hockey. Yup, as I expected, the ambiance was indeed lively, but at the very least, we could hear each other.

Despite Lionel Hutz doing his best impersonation of a hermit (as in not sharing), Milhouse, Sweet Tooth and I gladly split a few things including the Beer Battered Pickles with lemon dill yogurt dip.  Although we all agreed the ones at the Little District are better, these held their own.  The firm crunch of the breading was not greasy at all and it stayed adhered to each spear to the very last bite.  Inside, the pickle was fairly salty and tart which was offset by the creamy and mild yogurt.  Without hesitation, Milhouse went for the Arancini as he exclaimed that, "I want those balls!".  Filled with a fairly soft risotto and plenty of cheese, these sported a lightly crisp exterior.  The San Marzano tomato sauce and pesto oil added only minor hits of acidty and herbaceousness.  Our only wish was that they were served hotter temperature-wise.

Picking something from the flatbread section, we went for the Fig and Boursin with date paste, caramelized onions, smoked mozzarella, Boursin, mission figs and truffle arugula.  Despite the listed ingredients, the dominant taste was sweetness.  Somehow, the date paste, onions and figs were overwhelming which hid the smokiness of the cheese and even the truffle oil.  With that being said, we did like the crust as it was crunchy despite being on the denser side.  Our last share plate was the BBQ Onion Ring Burger consisting of a 7oz beef patty, BBQ sauce, crisp onion rings, pickles, lettuce, tomato and Parmesan aioli on a brioche bun.  We found the loose patty to be pretty dried out.  It was well-charred and full of natural meat flavour though.  Compounding the problem was the dry brioche bun. I would've liked to see more BBQ sauce as it would've added the necessary moisture.  On the side, we opted for the Stadium Fries with lemon pepper and sticky garlic chunks.  These were pretty good being crisp and living up to the menu description with loads of flavour.

Okay, Lionel Hutz didn't want to share, but ultimately he offered some of his Nachos with house made corn tortillas, smoked mozzarella, corn, black beans, pickled jalapeno & banana pepper, salsa verde, salsa roja and sour cream.  He added a side of pulled chicken as well.  We enjoyed the house made tortilla chips as they were fresh and crunchy with an appealing firmness.  There was no absence of melted cheese, but the other ingredients were sparse.  Both accompanying sauces were somewhat watery and too mild for our tastes. Judging from the items we tried, the food was definitely hit and miss.  There is potential here, if they can work out some of the details.

The Good:
- Energenic vibe
- Okay pricing
- Decent service

The Bad:
- Hit and miss food
- Portions aren't small, but not very big either

Big Smoke Burger

On Thursday, Big Smoke Burger kicked off their first Vancouver location with free burgers, fries and drink.  Suffice to say, almost everyone showed up (as early at 9:30am) and a Peach Arch-type lineup formed.  I briefly considered dropping by, but I really had better things to do then stand in line.  So I decided to pay them a visit a few days later after the lunch rush.  With limited seating, but with what seemed like a small army in the kitchen, the food was being pumped out within reasonable time.

Viv decided to try the 6-ounce Bacon Cheeseburger with a side of fries and drink. As you can clearly see with the cross-section of her burger, the thick patty was still a bit pink.  That meant the meat was moist with a tender chew.  It was subjected to a nice char which afforded a grilled smokiness to go with the smoked Canadian cheddar.  Keeping everything in was the soft and almost moist bun.  The side of fresh-cut fries were crunchy and a touch too firm.  Yet at the same time, they were still pretty good.  We decided to try out the Garlic Rosemary Dip and it was a good decision.  With an initial hit of aromatic rosemary giving way to garlic, this helped add moisture to the firm fries.

For myself, I went for their signature Big Smoke Burger with horseradish mayo, caramelized onions, smoked cheddar, tomato and lettuce.  The dominant flavours were the ample sweet onions and the bite from the mayo.  These 2 combined with the impactful smoked cheddar created layers of flavour.  I also added a Poutine on the side where the mild-tasting gravy helped soften up the fries.  In this case, this worked as the fries stood up to the wet ingredients including the cheese curds.  Overall, we enjoyed out burgers at Big Smoke because the meat was not overdone while the smokiness added big flavours.  In terms of price point, it was definitely not cheap as my combo cost $14.00.  But then again, one must pay for quality and the pricing is not too far from Fatburger and 5 Guys.

The Good:
- Patty cooked just enough
- Appealing smoky flavour
- Fresh ingredients

The Bad:
- Not cheap
- Fries a bit too firm

Sun Sui Wah

By default, Sun Sui Wah has been one of the premier Chinese restaurants for a very long time.  This was true even when they were located at their original location where Golden Harvest now occupies.  However, as time has passed, newer and better restaurants have arrived on the scene.  The question now is whether Sun Sui Wah has kept up with the competition.  As of our last dinner visit, that answer would be very contentious.  With that in mind, we decided to check out their Dim Sum service since the last time we went was back in 2011.  Begrudgingly, we invited my mother-in-law to join us on this food adventure.

Right off the bat, the Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumplings) arrived pretty quickly.  They were tightly made with an appealing skin that was chewy while not too thick.  On the other hand, the shrimp filling was subpar.  It consisted of smaller shrimp that didn't exhibit much snap.  Rather, it was meaty and bordering on bland.  As for the Sui Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumplings), they looked appealing, but unfortunately there was far too many chunks of fat that were chewy.  This destroyed the otherwise decent dumplings where the pork had a rebound texture.  In terms of seasoning, there was a good balance of savoury and sweet.

We weren't going to forget about the kiddies, so we got their favourite being the Garlic Shrimp Spring Rolls.  These were served piping hot and firmly crunchy.  With the right oil temperature and/or proper oil-drainage, the grease factor was low.  However, much like the haw gow, the shrimp filling was disappointing.  It lacked a buttery snap where it exhibited a firmer texture.  It did taste good though with enough garlic.  Also on the table was their second favourite dim sum item, Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice).  This was decent with plenty of filling consisting of moist pork with just enough starch-thickened sauce to flavour the sticky rice.  As such, the rice was on the wetter side though.

My son made sure to remind me to order the Donut Rice Noodle Roll as he could easily devour the whole thing himself.  Well, this was an adventure in frustration because he doesn't like the green onions in the rice noodle.  That meant I was picking it out while not being able to eat my own food.  Other than that, the rice noodle itself was quite nice with a soft texture while not being mushy.  The donut itself was too dense though and not crunchy at all.  Continuing with the disappointing shrimp, the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll would've been good if it weren't for the firm shrimp that didn't exhibit a cold-water snap.  My guess is the shrimp was not rinsed enough and/or it may have been overcooked.

My MIL (behaving up to this point) insisted on 2 dishes including the Black Pepper Beef Short Ribs and the Steamed Pumpkin Pudding.  With pieces of taro propping up the ribs, the dish looked quite large.  In reality, the portion of short ribs was generous.  I liked how they didn't over-marinate the meat so it was still chewy and meaty.  It was had a mild peppery hit to go with the ample salt content.  I wasn't a huge fan of the pumpkin pudding because it was far too sweet.  That was unfortunate as the texture of the pudding was smooth while not runny.  Furthermore, the pumpkin was appealingly soft where it wasn't overly so.  It was also sweet which added to the already sweet pudding.

One dish we regretted ordering was the Deep Fried Chicken Knees.  We were aghast when it hit the table.  It was in a deep shade of brown that was unappealing.  Furthermore, we could smell the oil even before we took a bite.  Now when I did take a bite, it was hard and tasted like old oil.  This was officially the worst version of this dish I've ever had.  To give them credit, they took it back and cancelled the dish from our bill.  Another disappointing item was the Sparerib and Pork Patty Hot Pot Rice.  There was actually nothing wrong with the rice as it was chewy and nutty.  Moreover, the minced pork patty was moist and flavourful.  But the spareribs were terrible.  Cut into oversized chunks, the pork was not tenderized properly where it was chewy and dry.

We continued down the road of disappointment with the Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet).  These featured broken skin and undercooked cartilage.  Therefore, the whole thing was tough to eat as nothing slid off easily.  Underneath, the cartilage and tendons were hard and stayed adhered to the bone.  One minor positive was that the dish was garlicky with a touch of spice.  To get some greens into our meal, we had the Stir-Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic.  Despite being greasy, the dish featured tender pea shoots that retained an appealing crunch.  There was plenty of garlic and the high wok heat ensured there wasn't a whole lot of moisture.

For me, I just had to get some offal and that we did in the Steamed Bible Tripe with ginger and scallions.  This was fairly straightforward and well-executed.  The tripe was tender while retaining a bite.  An ample amount of ginger helped add some kick to the mild flavours.  Not to be outdone, we also got the Honeycomb Tripe and Tendon as well.  I found the tendon to be on point where it was soft, yet not mushy.  The tripe was also soft while retaining some chew.  However, the whole plate was pretty gamy due to the tripe.  It could've been rinsed better and/or seasoned more aggressively.

For dessert, we smartly ordered the Egg Tarts after the fact (which ensured they didn't show up as an appetizer).  As such, we were able to eat them warm which helped highlight the flaky and buttery shell. In the middle, the egg custard was silky trending more towards the firm side.  It was just sweet enough without being overwhelming.  This was a decent end to a relatively unimpressive Dim Sum service, especially for the price point.  I'm not sure if Sun Sui Wah is resting on its laurels or what, but they'd better step it up in order to compete with the many better Dim Sum joints in town.

The Good:
- Spacious dining space
- Decent service

The Bad:
- Average Dim Sum
- Expensive

Bino's

Ah yes, I remember a time when I ate at Bino's...  Wait, do I really remember?  That was a heck of a long time ago!  But really, who can forget the classic round windows and horrific early 80's decor?  I'm sure the food wasn't that great, yet being a youngster, I'm pretty sure I didn't care.  With that in mind, I decided to drag my kids out to the last remaining location as well as a very skeptical Costanza and Elaine.  They weren't really impressed with my decision and how could I disagree???

I'm pretty sure the signage out in front was misleading except for the free parking because they are not open 24 hours and I wouldn't dare try a pancake there. On the flip side (is that punny?), we fed the kids their Cheeseburger special because one could get 2 for $10.99.  It was pretty much a basic frozen patty burger with a side of Sysco/GFS fries.  Nothing much to say about it other than it was edible and dirt cheap.  Costanza went for something similar in the Patty Melt and really, it was same thing with 2 slices of grilled white bread rather than a bun.  Much like the burger, the patty was not too dry (so somewhat of a positive).  The side of onion rings were the frozen variety as well.

For myself, I wanted something with a mystery all-purpose brown sauce.  Call it the Knight & Day effect...  So I had the Veal Cutlet with the aforementioned sauce with mashed potatoes and veggies.  The veal was pan fried until crispy while the meat was a bit dry.  The sauce was thick, floury and salty.  Mashed potatoes sucked, however, the veggies were surprisingly vibrant and not completely overdone.  Didn't understand the tomato and lettuce garnish though.  Viv and Elaine both had the Clubhouse because they thought it would be safe.  They were right.  It was pretty standard with plenty of deli turkey meat, crispy bacon, lettuce and tomato.  As you can see, the 80's called and wanted their diner food back.  Yet, it was completely edible, if not pretty much all frozen stuff.  I'm sure the prices will draw some people in still despite the completely worn carpet and ripped up vinyl booth seating.

The Good:
- Crazy cheap
- As much as it's not food I would eat, it's edible

The Bad:
- Place is worn and dirty
- Food is basic and not for food snobs

Kefi Greek Kouzina

That's it.  No more chicken strips, mac n' cheese or grilled cheese!  Not only are these items completely a cop-out and default in terms of kiddie eats, there are practically not worth blogging about (assuming they are not the gourmet versions).  Hence, we were going for Greek food tonight and no, the kids were not allowed to choose the chicken strips off the kid's menu.  Well, that wasn't much of a stretch for my daughter (as she is a budding foodie), but for my son, it would be definitely a struggle.

So, imagine my surprise as my son agreed to try the Calamari.  Arriving as an adequate portion size, the small pieces of squid were fried masterfully.  Light and crisp while not greasy at all, the batter adhered to the squid consistently.  I liked how they seasoned the batter where it tasted good on its own.  The squid itself was tender, but maintained an appealing chewiness  Personally, I would've preferred that the tzatziki was thicker, yet it was completely garlicky with a good hit of acidity.  As part of our adult meals, we were started with a choice of Greek or Caeser Salad.  These were quite large and appeared to be fresh and vibrant.  They ate as good as they looked with all the right textures and flavours.  I particularly liked how the Greek salad was lightly dressed.

For my main, I went for the Roast Lamb with lemon potatoes and rice.  I felt this was a fair portion for the price.  Other than a few dry portions on the outside, the rest of the lamb was succulent, fatty and well-seasoned.  The lamb was marinated enough where the salt, Dijon mustard, spices and garlic penetrated the entire piece of meat.  For me, I love lemon and the potatoes had plenty of it as well as a firm, yet delicate texture.  I found the rice to be moist and chewy at the same time while lightly seasoned.  It was rather greasy though.  Viv decided on the Mediterranean Chicken with the same sides.  We thought that chicken was fairly moist considering it was the breast meat.  It was stuffed with feta, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach while finished with a retsina cream sauce.  The flavour profile was dominated by the tart and salty sundried tomatoes which was a good thing as the rest of the ingredients were quite mild.

My daughter went for the Chicken Souvlaki with lemon potatoes (kid's portion).  Taking after me, she loves lemon (so much so, she eats it plain sometimes), so she enjoyed the potatoes very much.  As for the souvlaki, it was nicely grilled with a golden exterior.  It was also well-marinated where the meat didn't need any condiments.  However, the meat was rather dry.  Taking one step at a time, we didn't force my son to order a Mousaka or anything.  Rather, he went for the safe Fettuccine Alfredo which was big enough to feed an adult.  The pasta was still toothsome while the sauce was definitely creamy with obvious hits of nutmeg.  It was on the peppery side though.  Overall, we enjoyed our experience at Kefi. The service we received was pretty good while the food was better than many reviews I've read.

The Good:
- Decent eats
- Extensive menu
- Kid-friendly and comfortable

The Bad:
- On the pricier side
- Modest portions

Double One

"Oh I'll eventually get to that restaurant", I often say to myself.  Well, it has taken me over 7 years to visit Double One on Hastings in Burnaby.  Could it be that it just doesn't look all that sexy from the outside (well, it ain't much on the inside either)?  Not sure, but every time, I would just go somewhere else.  The day finally came when my parents wanted to go out for dinner, specifically Chinese food.  Not wanting to eat away further at my kid's college fund (like the pun?), I suggested we just eat at a mom n' pop place (which would be Double One).

We opted for the build-your-own-dinner for 4 that included a bonus dish, soup and dessert.  Strangely, if we wanted rice, it was an extra charge (we didn't get rice).  So the bonus dish was the half Free-Range Chicken.  Fairly succulent for such lean meat, the chicken was brined aggressively.  Hence, it was pretty salty on its own.  The skin was nicely gelatinized though.  Next, we had the Gai Lan with Assorted Seafood.  Although not plated neatly, the dish itself was decent.  The big gai lan stalks were vibrant and crunchy while laced with a good amount of garlic.  On top, the squid, basa, shrimp were all on point.  One thing I would've liked to see was better wok heat as there was a noticeable pool of water on the plate.

Onto 2 similar dishes except for the proteins, we ordered both the Peking Pork Chops and the Beef Tenderloin.  Laced with a considerable amount of goupy sweet sauce, the pork chops were tender with a rebound texture.  They may have been crispy at one point, but the ample sauce just made the exterior a bit mushy.  The dish was decent, but could've been even better with more acidity.  As for the Beef Tenderloin, we all know that it wasn't really that cut of meat.  Rather, it was properly tenderized cut of beef that retained a portion of its natural texture.  Again, there was too much sauce and it was pretty sweet.  More Worchestershire sauce would've balanced out the flavours.

For the second time in a day, I had the Fish & Tofu Hot Pot.  Despite appearing to be pretty legit, the fish was sadly super salty.  It was flaky and moist though.  Another issue was the firm tofu.  When fried, it just ate too heavy.  Lastly, it didn't seem like the clay pot was really all that hot as there was no sizzle (as evidenced by the barely cooked sui choy underneath).  Also for the second time, I had the House Special Noodles.  This one was not crispy enough as the bottom portion of the noodles was soft and greasy.  Hence, when kissed by the ample sauce, the noodles just became dense and wet.  Flavours were balanced though and the seafood on top was equal to the previous gai lan dish.  Overall, the food was serviceable, if not just barely above average.  However, given the lack of choices in the area and the reasonable prices, Double One is an option.

The Good:
- Large portions
- Reasonably-priced
- Serviceable eats

The Bad:
- Hurried service
- Don't expect ambiance