The Dancing Pig

To say Ladner isn't exactly the hotbed of food in the Lower Mainland is akin to saying that Chinese restaurant washrooms are dirty.  So whenever I'm out that way, it is a struggle to find something interesting to eat.  Whilst waiting for Hot Mama and VW-Girl (no, she doesn't have a TDI), Zamboni Guy and I took a stroll through the village and stumbled upon The Dancing Pig.  Formerly, the Boot & Sombrero and before that, the popular Uncle Hebert's, this seemed like an interesting enough place to grab lunch due to smell of smoky BBQ emanating from the front door.

Hot Mama didn't want to partake in any BBQ, so she decided to have the Chicken Lettuce Wraps instead.  I guess it is to keep her Hot Mama figure...  Anyways, for a whopping $13.99, all she got was a minuscule portion of dry pulled chicken hidden under buttermilk kale slaw and crispy rice noodles served with iceberg lettuce cups and garlic & ginger dipping sauce.  Not only was this not a fulfilling dish for the price, there was a general lack of impact other than the accompanying sauce.  There wasn't even enough filling to properly use up all of the large lettuce cups.

The rest of us did decided to try their BBQ and went for the Dancing Pig Feast.  It came with nearly all of the meats including Pulled Pork and Smoked Brisket.  Meaty while still moist, the pork was drenched with enough BBQ sauce for flavour and moisture.  It was rather sweet with a mild tang.  We didn't get much smoke essence though from the sauce nor meat.  As for the brisket, it was far too soft.  In fact, it was hard to pick it up without a chunk falling off.  Now on the positive side, it was moist and tender though.  There was a bit more smokiness to the meat than the pulled pork.

Prominently featured on the middle of the wood board, there were 2 half-racks each of the Baby Back Ribs and St. Louis Ribs.  The baby backs were soft with meat falling off-the-bone, yet it was lacking moisture.  Again, the sauce was rather mild and didn't really bring the ribs alive.  Predictably more meaty and chewy, the St. Louis side ribs were sufficiently tender.  It was a bit smokier than the baby backs which meant there was more impact.  We were universally unimpressed with the Half-Chicken as it was really dry (even the dark meat).  Although the skin was nicely rendered, it lacked flavour as well as the meat itself.  The side of chipotle cranberry BBQ sauce was bland and a unappetizing shade of pink.

Our sides included Fresh-Cut Fries, Kale Slaw and Corn Bread, which was served on our individual plates. I thought the fries were pretty solid being lightly crisp while maintaining plenty of potato texture inside.  Vibrant, crunchy and only lightly dressed with a touch of acidity, the kale slaw was my favourite item of the meal (which isn't saying a lot).  We disliked the corn bread as it was dense, too sweet and dry with not discernible textural contrast from the outside.  Now if you can take a wild guess (or not), you can ascertain that we weren't exactly thrilled with our meal at the Dancing Pig.  Too bad really as there is so much potential since there is not a whole lot of interesting eats nearby.

The Good:
- Something different for the area
- Comfortable and spacious seating
- Decent service

The Bad:
- Pricey for what you get
- Food needs major improvement

Kam Ding Seafood Restaurant

Since I live in Burnaby, one would assume that I would stay put for the convenience of it all.  Alas, I try to avoid some parts of Burnaby if I get the chance.  Despite the prevalence of food in and around Metrotown, my desire to actually head in that direction would be as low as spending an overnight at my mother-in-law's house.  Hence, when we wanted to do some causal Dim Sum, we went East towards Coquitlam instead.  In actuality, despite the being farther away, it takes the same amount of time for us to get to Coquitlam Town Centre as it is to get to Metrotown.

We ended up at spot we'd not visited in 4 years in Kam Ding Seafood Restaurant.  Since they still employ push carts, we practically got all of our food immediately.  Starting with the smallest Shrimp Spring Rolls I've ever laid eyes on, they were pretty mediocre.  The exterior was crispy, but the filling was mealy and lacking any real texture.  It was well-seasoned though.  With push carts, there are times when we order something that we normally wouldn't choose.  The Fried Bean Curd Skin Rolls was that dish.  It was crispy and slightly greasy with the same mealy filling.  Again, it wasn't lacking in flavour though with a noted sweetness.

Onto 2 steamed items, we were a bit disappointed at the portion size where we could see the bottom of the plate.  In terms of execution, the Black Bean Spareribs were decent.  The meat was a touch dry, but exhibited the classic rebound texture.  We found it to be mildly seasoned with only a touch of saltiness.  As for the Honeycomb Tripe, it was not very good.  There was a noticeable gaminess that was probably the result of improper rinsing.  Texturally, the strips were meaty with a chew.  I much prefer a more buttery chewiness rather than this one as it felt almost dry.  Other than the gaminess, the dish was quite sweet.

For the kiddies, we got the Lo Mei Gai as per usual.  This consisted of 2 medium-sized portions rather than the 3 found at most places.  As such, there seemed to be more filling due to its size.  It was necessary as the rice itself was chewy with minimal moisture.  Flavours were mild though with natural pork sweetness.  Once again, we had part of our dessert with the Custard Buns midway through the meal since it was in the push cart.  The actual bun was medium density where it was slightly fluffy.  Inside, the custard was rather stiff and clumpy while easy on the sweetness.

Other than the spring rolls, my son loves the Donut Rice Noodle Roll just as much.  This particular version was okay.  Crunchy, yet dense, the donut really needed the sweet soy to soften it up.  As for the rice noodle, it was somewhat thick, however, it was really soft.  I would've liked a bit more resistance and elasticity though.  For Viv and myself, we had the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll.  It featured even thicker rice noodles, yet again, it was super soft.  Inside, there was a decent amount of shrimp filling which was not as mealy and mushy as the one found in the spring roll.  Although not salty, the filling was pretty flavourful.

Unfortunately, the most important dish of all was not properly executed.  With a unappealing and thick dumpling skin, the Haw Gow was impossible to eat as one piece.  The filling merely fell out of the crappy dumpling skin.  As mealy as the spring roll, the shrimp mixture did not exhibit any snap at all.  On the other hand, the Sui Mai was much better.  Although the pork was not exactly "bouncy", it was meaty and tender.  There was a good amount of shrimp and shiitake mushroom to accent the sweetness of the dumpling.

For our veggie item, we got apparently the large order of the Stir-Fried Pea Shoots.  Apparently because they didn't indicate that when we ordered.  It was so-so with slightly old pea shoots with chewy stems.  Yet, the most strange part was the starch-thickened oyster-based sauce.  It was "interesting".  For the actual dessert, my daughter had the Mango Pudding topped with evaporated milk.  It was light and jelly-like with artificial mango essence.  Pretty typical version which more or less did the job.  However, the Dim Sum service as a whole was mediocre at best.  Sure, it is cheaper than the other spots nearby, but I'd be happy to spend more money for better Dim Sum.

The Good:
- Relatively inexpensive but hardly great value
- Okay service with all things considered

The Bad:
- Mediocre at best
- Smallish portions

Joey

Due to the many different restaurant choices within the GVRD, we often forget about the chain restaurants in town.  Now say what you want about them, but there are some that serve up more-than-acceptable eats.  Sure, with the prices they charge, one could technically eat anywhere else, but as I've said over and over again, they do serve a purpose.  After Friday night hockey, Joey on Broadway served that purpose by offering a large venue with safe and varied eats.  Gadget Girl tends to stick with the safe bet and one can see why chain restaurants work rather well in the GVRD.

Once again, Milhouse, Sweet Tooth and I shared some eats including the Korean Fried Cauliflower.  Okay, we all know that Korean food can be sweet, but this was outright a diabetics nightmare.  It was so shockingly sweet that we didn't really want to eat it.  It was doused in so much syrupy sauce that the caulflower could've been steamed rather than fried.  Onto the Baja Fish Tacos, they weren't the most aesthetically-pleasing plate.  Despite this, the fried basa was crispy and buttery while properly seasoned.  Enveloped in a corn tortilla, the entire taco was mild tasting with guacamole and lime.

For a larger plate, we shared the Rotisserie Chicken with mashed potatoes and zucchini. As much as ordering chicken is akin to painting a wall white or ordering vanilla ice cream, this was pretty decent.  Both the dark and white meat were tender and juicy while bathed in a impactful gravy (thanks to the salty sun dried tomatoes).  For dessert, there was no hesitation in ordering the signature Baked Apple Pie.  More of a galette than an actual pie, the hand-folded pastry held in tender pieces of apple that were dressed with toasted almonds, caramel sauce and maple ice cream.

On another visit, I opted for the Steak Frites featuring a 5 oz. CAB sirloin with skinny fries, arugula salad and a random slice of tomato.  I found the steak to be perfectly medium-rare which in turn helped keep the meat moist and tender.  The herb butter added all the necessary flavour needed.  I wasn't fond of the salad though as it was super greasy.  The skinny fries were crispy and plentiful.  For dessert, we shared the Molten Lava Cake which was on point.  Beyond the crispy exterior, the cake was moist and rich with a mildly sugary dark chocolateness.  Although the scoop of ice cream can be easily ignored, this one was creamy and not overly sweet.

On another visit to the Burnaby Lougheed location, I decided to try the Pesto Shrimp Flatbread.  This was one saucy and flavourful concoction where no one could complain about it being bland.  There was definitely an abundance of pesto to go with the chipotle aioli, sundried tomatoes, cold water shrimp and fresh basil.  The resulting combination yielded spicy and zesty hits that were held together with a crispy flatbread that was soft and fluffy on the inside.  Looking rather impressive, the Bacon Cheddar Burger ate as good as it looked.  Also rather saucy, the burger featured a large meaty and moist patty, crispy bacon and fresh veggies on a toasted sesame bun.

Despite its name on the menu, the Bombay Butter Chicken was more like a hybrid between a curry and a chunky soup.  It was far too zesty and contained a mind-boggling amount of veggies.  In the end, it tasted fine as anything but a butter chicken dish.  Lionel Hutz had the Paella (not available at the Broadway location) with well-prepared seafood in a saffron-infused broth.  Hence, the rice was flavourful and chewy.  He found the abundance of seafood to be cooked properly. There was no crust at the bottom of the pan though.  So after 3 visits to Joey, it is pretty clear to us that it remains a decent choice for a chain restaurant.  Sure, some things are better than others, but it is a safe bet nonetheless.

The Good:
- Pretty consistent
- Menu is not overly complicated
- Decent service each time

The Bad:
- Do not expect authentic eats, it's a chain restaurant after all
- Can get pricey

Lotus, The Place for Pho Lovers

Originally, Vandelay and I were hoping to check out Daddy's Delight Pizza for some eats.  No, we didn't drive all the way to Richmond for some slice pizza.  We are nuts, but not completely out of our minds.  If there was the case, we would've rode up in a scooter (a la Dumb & Dumber) right in the middle of Richmond rush hour.  Despite the descriptive name, the place actually serves up Persian food, in particular, kebabs.  Well, it was a fail as the place was not open yet.  So as a consolation, we went across the street to Lotus for some Pho.

From the menu, the Butter Garlic Fried Chicken Wings sounded appetizing, so we gave it a go.  Unfortunately, the wings were lacking impact and overall flavour where all I could taste was a fading background garlickiness.   There needed to be more salt and yes, more garlic for these wings to taste good.  However, the wings themselves were fried crunchy with a relatively moist interior.  As for the Pho, it was a hearty portion, but the meats were somewhat meager, albeit tender.  The noodles were toothsome and plentiful, so it would be assumed the whole thing was good right?  Not really because the soup was far too sweet in our opinion.  Although clean-tasting, it wasn't balanced.

Lastly, we had the Bo Kho with a banh mi.  Although the broth was thin and trending towards the sweeter side, it did exhibit body and impact.  The chunks of brisket were on point being fatty, buttery and melt-in-our-mouths tender.  The baguette was nicely toasted being crusty outside and airy inside. This was the best dish of the 3 we tried.  Despite this, the other 2 were "alright" but, didn't encourage us to come back and try more dishes.  On the other hand, the stuff was decent enough for someone looking for a quick meal.

The Good:
- Decent service
- Okay eats

The Bad:
- A touch pricey
- Flavours could be more balanced

Lao Shan Dong

At one point in time, Lao Shan Dong (or affectionately known as LSD) was one of the best places for Taiwanese Beef Noodle (or TBN) in town.  That was 2009 and the competition was lacking.  Seeing how I've had many different versions since then, it was about time I returned to see how their TBN stacks up to the rest.  One of the reasons it took us so long to do a re-visit was due to LSD's hours.  At one point, they closed as early as 8:00pm (thankfully open until 11:00pm on Fridays now).  Not the most friendly of times for late night eats.

Prior to the noodle dishes, we had the Marinated Assorted Meat Platter that included tripe, pig's ear and beef shank.  Texturally, I liked the tripe as it was appealingly chewy with only a slight resistance.  Sliced thin, the beef shank was a touch dry, yet ultimately tender.  It was also nicely spiced.  As for the pig's ear, it was too soft in my opinion as there was no bite.  Another but important detail was that they didn't over do it with the drizzle of sauce.  I also got the Marinated Cucumbers which were refreshingly crunchy and lightly seasoned.  I would've liked to see more tang, but it was still good nonetheless.

So of course we got the Beef Flank Noodle with the usual mustard greens, green onion and beef.  We chose the large order and it was indeed a good portion size with plenty of noodles.  The soup was nicely spiced exhibiting a mild meatiness accented by the sour mustard greens and chili oil.  Thick and toothsome, the noodles stayed firm right until the end.  However, the beef was disappointing as it ranged from dry and chewy to somewhat acceptable.  To change things up, we also had the Noodles with Meat Sauce.  This was another massive portion of chewy noodles.  Unfortunately, there wasn't enough impactful sauce to match it.  Hence, the flavours were extremely mild and there were intermittent bits of beef to go with barely coated noodles.  Overall, the food at LSD is still decent, but hardly can be seen as the best anymore.

The Good:
- Decent eats
- Large portions

The Bad:
- No longer the best

Akane Japanese

As much as we go about our daily lives like things have always been, we never do realize how busy we really are.  Case in point, I had a whole week to drop off some books for Nikita, but somehow I just didn't get to it.  With the weekend upon us, I was not going to be anywhere close to Langley for the book drop off. Yet, with a pending kid's birthday party on the weekend at Rock Guy's place in Surrey, we thought we could kill 2 birds with one "rock" (get it?) by dropping off the books afterwards.  Of course, it also gave me the opportunity to try out Akane Japanese since it was dinner time.

As per usual, for the kiddies, we got one of their favs being the Chicken Karaage.  Comprised of medium-sized nuggets, the fried chicken was moist and succulent graced with a light crispy batter.  This would've been on point if they had seasoned the meat as it was pretty bland.  My daughter was eyeing the Assorted Sashimi as I was taking pictures.  She really wanted to dig into the sockeye salmon and I could see why.  It was buttery and naturally sweet.  The remaining pieces of Atlantic salmon, toro, tuna, ebi and tuna tataki were vibrant and texturally on point as well.  However, the knife skills were a bit lacking, especially with the tuna.

Moving onto some rolls, we got the Red Dragon with spicy tuna in the middle topped with unagi and avocado.  Despite the obscene amount of sauce on top, the roll didn't eat particularly wet nor too sweet.  It was a bit sloppy though where it could've been rolled more tightly.  On the other hand, the Futomaki was prepared more carefully with a relatively thin layer of sushi rice and a uniformly distributed filling.  The texture of the rice was actually rather appealing with a chewiness that was well-hydrated without being wet.  It was lightly sweet to the taste.

For my son, he is all about the Chicken Teriyaki these days (instead of udon), so we got him the combo that included Tempura.  We liked how they were conservative with the sweet teriyaki, but not so much with the thin piece of chicken.  It was rather dry as a result.  The side of tempura was decent though with a crispy exterior and properly cooked interior.  Looking a little dry, the Beef Yakisoba was not bad despite the abundance of bell peppers.  The noodles were well-seasoned and chewy while the entire dish was easy on the grease.   Interestingly, we ended up finishing all of the food, which was a good sign.  It was ultimately decent Japanese eats in Walnut Grove.

The Good:
- Decent eats
- Friendly people

The Bad:
- A little pricey
- Only a family run joint, service can be sparse when busy