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Once again, a food challenge brought me out to Ban Chok Dee in Langley. However, unlike the last time, I brought along an eating companion (Miss Y) who would assist me in eating more than merely one dish. As part of the Fried Chicken Challenge, my mission was to help find the best entry within the participating restaurants. Despite the significant trek out to Ban Chok Dee, my past experiences have been good. Besides, we made it a pit stop before we headed out to Castle Fun Park in Abby.
Not messing around, we were immediately served the aforementioned entry in the competition being the BCD Nahm Gai Tord. The cured chicken wings were fully penetrated by the marinade resulting in a flavourful garlicky and mildly salty flavour. Furthermore, the meat was fairly moist for a fully cooked wing. The exterior was nicely caramelized and slightly charred that emanated a smokiness. To top things off, the spicy ginger caramel sauce added the missing elements to balance everything off. Next, we were presented with an experimental dish being Chef Lopston's take on Tom Yum Soup. This version was pretty rich and full-bodied (a bit too thick). So much so, I ate it with rice. Coconutty, creamy with notable spice and tang, the fried dumplings (filled with shrimp) soaked up all the flavours.
With yet another new dish, we were treated to the Eggplant with shrimp and ground pork. One whiff and it was obvious the classic Thai flavours were employed including fish sauce, lemongrass, galangal and basil. I found the eggplant to be soft, but not mushy while the prawns were appealingly cold-water crunchy. There was a certain spiciness to the dish that gave it a kick but didn't overwhelm. Miss Y was debating as to which appie we were going to order. The solution? Get the Chok Dee Platter with Pork & Chicken Satay, Golden Wontons and Spring Rolls. Nicely charred and caramelized, the pork satay rocked while the chicken was lean but not dry. We found the spring rolls to be rather dense and lacking in flavour, but the acidic and sweet dip made up for it. Firmly crunchy, the wontons were pretty good with lean ground pork inside.
Onto our second soup, we had the Tom Kha Gai which was coconutty in terms of aroma. The thickness provided by the coconut milk was not overdone which meant the soup ate like a soup rather than a sauce. It was markedly spicy while not overly so. The lemongrass, galangal and fish sauce were all discernible with each spoonful. There was also a good amount of ingredients including plenty of sliced chicken breast. Moving along, we tackled our first entree with the Beef Penang Curry. I've had this before on my first ever visit to BDC and it was exactly how I remembered it (good consistency). Again, there was an immediate spiciness that wore off slightly to reveal the coconut milk, significant lemongrass content and galangal. This was pretty powerful, but when combined with rice, it was just right. There was a good amount of beef which was a touch chewy, but would be an incorrect preparation if tenderized.
Miss Y wanted a fish entree but not salmon as she had eaten lots of it recently. So that left the Five Spices Fish consisting of basa as the best option. Trying to not sound like a broken record, the dish was definitely spicy but not in a bad way. The crispy batter held up to the sauce and ingredients while the fish remained flaky and moist. Of note, this was not in reference to Chinese 5-spice, rather it was their own 5 different spices and flavourings. Of course we couldn't forget about the Pad Thai as I love the dish (as long as it is prepared properly). Spiked with tamarind, there was a balanced amount of tartness to go with the palm sugar and fish sauce. The whole dish was also spicy where the flavours were impactful and appealing. There was a good amount of wok heat where the sugar had caramelized with a certain smokiness. The large prawns were nicely cold-water crunchy and sweet. I would've liked to see less moisture though as well as a wedge of lime.
A little off the board, I decided to order from the Street Food section and selected the Cured Dry Pork Ribs which were presented with a side of sticky rice. Despite being pretty dark in colour, the ribs were not burnt, rather there was a certain savoury smokiness about them. With a touch of sweetness balanced by the tart dip, the meaty pieces of ribs were only a bit dry with an appealing chewiness. For dessert, we began with a relatively common dessert in the Fried Banana. To change things up a little, we went for green tea ice cream rather than coconut. Nothing much to say other than the banana was not too soft while the light batter was crispy. Overall, Miss Y and I enjoyed our meal except for the spring roll. I would say BDC is still a solid place for Thai in Langley.
*All food and beverages excluding gratuities were complimentary*
The Good:
- Generally well-prepared food
- Asked for spicy and got spicy
- Fairly large menu
The Bad:
- Wasn't a fan of the spring roll
- Not really a negative, but be sure to ask for spicy if you want impact of flavours
*Restaurant is closed*
Random eats. Yes, as much as I'm all for food adventures, sometimes it can result in washroom adventures afterwards. So generally, we tend to research before visiting. However, we didn't such a thing as we headed out to Edmonds. After checking out the available restaurant nearby, we settled on Lui's Chinese a few blocks North. This location has been an ever-changing rotation of restaurants since I could remember. We just hoped it wouldn't be a rotation of washroom breaks...
We ended up getting our own dishes and sharing one. For myself, I had the Seafood Fried Noodles. This was a huge portion with properly fried noodles that were crunchy but not greasy at all. On top, there was just enough starch-thickened sauce to soften the middle portion of the noodles while ensuring the rest retained its texture. There was a bevy of ingredients that were not overcooked. JuJu went for the Scrambled Eggs and Beef on Rice that featured a silky starch-thickened sauce that was balanced. The ample slices of beef were tenderized enough so it was easy to chew while not losing any meat texture.
Milhouse went for the Tomato & Beef on Rice which arrived looking more like a sweet & sour sauce. Well, it had the sweet part down pat where the starch-thickened sauce was thick and as mentioned sweet. We would've liked to see more tartness and actual natural tomato flavour that is often associated with this dish. Predictably, the beef, just like the one in JuJu's order, was tender while having a meaty chew. Kaiser Soze decided on the Hot & Sour Soup Noodles. While the wonton-type noodles were chewy and cooked just right, the soup base itself was a bit out-of-balance with lots of vinegar, but not enough spice to match.
For our shared plate, we had the Fish & Tofu Hot Pot. This was exhibited flawless execution as the fillets of basa were moist and flaky with only a thin layer of batter. The tofu was silky and slightly crisp on the outside. The sauce was well-balanced and not overly salty. As much as there were definite flaws in certain dishes, the food as a whole was decent enough to warrant another visit for dinner sometime. Best of all, we walked out as healthy as we walked in. Random food adventure was fairly successful.
The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Decent value
The Bad:
- Some flavours could be more balanced
- We didn't like the frosted glass, was kinda dark inside
*Restaurant is closed*
As one of the restaurants participating in the Fried Chicken Challenge, I decided to bring the whole family out for a complete meal rather than going it alone. This was as good as any time to revisit U & I Thai since my last post was over 2 years ago. Besides, the only way my kids could expand their repertoire of cuisines is to avoid eating at White Spot all the time. Well, my daughter doesn't have much of a problem there, but my son still would order Mac n' Cheese every time if he had his choice.
We did start with something we knew he'd like in the Jumbo Prawns in a Blanket (Goong Hom Pas). With smallish prawns wrapped in crispy yellow noodles, the dish looked impressive. Well, the noodles were rather crunchy while not showing any ill effects from the deep-fry (lack of grease). However, the prawns were rubbery since the noodles didn't provide enough of a coating to protect it from the hot oil. As for the featured dish for the Fried Chicken Challenge, the Pacific Green featured Thai-style fried chicken with snowpeas, spinach, basil, ginger bean thread noodles and coconut milk. The processed meat exhibited a rebound texture with some brightness from the ingredients. I found it lacking a bit of moisture and overall impact. However, the sweet dip did help alleviate the problem to a degree.
For the kiddies, we got the Chicken Satay because we knew it was safe and they would eat it. By virtue of employing white meat, the satay skewers were a touch dry. The flavours were mild, but there was evidence of coconut milk and the faintest amount of spice. I enjoyed the aromatic peanut sauce as it was neither too sweet nor salty. It was rich and smooth. Next, the obligatory Pad Thai was rather saucy (hence the noodles were soft) and full of ingredients. Although it was prepared with tamarind, we felt there wasn't enough of it as the tang was in the background rather than in our faces. However, the bits of pickled turnip helped in that regard as well as the squeeze of lime.
Onto 2 dishes that were mainly for the adults, we got the Duck Red Curry with lychee. We asked for it to be mild (just in case the kids wanted some) and it was as such. Lightly creamy, coconutty with sweetness and a touch of spice, this was an appealing curry. We would've liked to see more tender pieces of duck though (as it was hard to find). Rich and creamy, the Chicken Green Curry was rather spicy for mild (but that was okay with us). There was a hint of seafoodiness to go with the good balance of saltiness and sweetness. Interestingly, the side of coconut rice was rather small for the generous amount of curry. Much like our previous visit to U & I Thai, our conclusion remains the same - acceptable food with generous portions.
*2 appies were comped*
The Good:
- Well-portioned
- Comfortable environment
The Bad:
- Flavours could be more bold (and we're not talking about the spice level)
- Things were generally overdone
*Location is closed*
It's not often that I immediately blog about a restaurant visit for the next day's post. One particular scenario would be incredible eats that I must tell everyone about such as AnnaLena in yesterday's post. The other reason would be something so hideous and gross that I had to tell everyone to avoid, such as today's post on Deacon's Corner (Kits location). Yes, I'm giving you the conclusion before even the actual post, but trust me, you aren't missing much (but please read on anyways!).
Okay, the reason we were at Deacon's Corner was due to a Groupon. Thanks goodness because if I had paid full price, I would've been even more choked. Anyways, my son went for the Classic Cheeseburger with house-cut fries. Well, the fries were decent but could've been crispier and less oil-logged. As for the burger, the bun was toasted up nicely, but the meat patty was woefully dry. Since my son doesn't eat anything green in colour, we removed them. Viv ate the veggies and remarked that the mayo tasted funny (more on that later). We also got a cup of Chili which was more smoky than spicy. In fact, it was too smoky where the rest of the flavours were hidden. The whole thing needed salt too.
Okay, here is where things started to go downhill faster than VW stocks. I went for the Southern Fried Chicken featuring 3 chicken breasts. Okay, the chicken itself was decently moist, but also very bland. The coating was plain terrible. It was thick and doughy with a marzipan quality to it. It didn't taste like anything and merely slid off the chicken on contact. It was pretty gross since the inside was undercooked too. Even the gravy was terrible tasting more like raw flour. To top it all off, the coleslaw tasted like dirty bathwater... Why? Because the mayo had gone bad which validated Viv's comment. Her Jambalaya was equally disgusting as it was a mushy mess of stuff that didn't taste anything like a jambalaya. It was overly tart and bland. Even the sausage was sour. The side of "garlic" bread tasted like plain butter.
If we didn't think things could get worse, my daughter's Pan-Fried Salmon featured low-quality pink salmon that was obliterated. It was so woefully overcooked, that it would be jealous of canned tuna. Oh, that wasn't just it, the darn thing didn't even taste like anything. Even the side veggies (which was cooked correctly) were drenched in enough butter for Kramer to slather himself in (the turkey episode...). Gawd, the mash potatoes sucked too with far too much butter. OMG. What a #foodadventurefail! Normally, I'm pretty fair to restaurants because there are so many variables. But this was just an awful meal. Did they not try their own food before they put it on the menu? I'm glad this post is up so soon because if they continue serving this stuff, they won't last long.
The Good:
- Service was decent
- Cool decor
The Bad:
- Food is terrible
- Expensive for terrible food
Posts
Once again, a food challenge brought me out to Ban Chok Dee in Langley. However, unlike the last time, I brought along an eating companion (Miss Y) who would assist me in eating more than merely one dish. As part of the Fried Chicken Challenge, my mission was to help find the best entry within the participating restaurants. Despite the significant trek out to Ban Chok Dee, my past experiences have been good. Besides, we made it a pit stop before we headed out to Castle Fun Park in Abby.
Not messing around, we were immediately served the aforementioned entry in the competition being the BCD Nahm Gai Tord. The cured chicken wings were fully penetrated by the marinade resulting in a flavourful garlicky and mildly salty flavour. Furthermore, the meat was fairly moist for a fully cooked wing. The exterior was nicely caramelized and slightly charred that emanated a smokiness. To top things off, the spicy ginger caramel sauce added the missing elements to balance everything off. Next, we were presented with an experimental dish being Chef Lopston's take on Tom Yum Soup. This version was pretty rich and full-bodied (a bit too thick). So much so, I ate it with rice. Coconutty, creamy with notable spice and tang, the fried dumplings (filled with shrimp) soaked up all the flavours.
With yet another new dish, we were treated to the Eggplant with shrimp and ground pork. One whiff and it was obvious the classic Thai flavours were employed including fish sauce, lemongrass, galangal and basil. I found the eggplant to be soft, but not mushy while the prawns were appealingly cold-water crunchy. There was a certain spiciness to the dish that gave it a kick but didn't overwhelm. Miss Y was debating as to which appie we were going to order. The solution? Get the Chok Dee Platter with Pork & Chicken Satay, Golden Wontons and Spring Rolls. Nicely charred and caramelized, the pork satay rocked while the chicken was lean but not dry. We found the spring rolls to be rather dense and lacking in flavour, but the acidic and sweet dip made up for it. Firmly crunchy, the wontons were pretty good with lean ground pork inside.
Onto our second soup, we had the Tom Kha Gai which was coconutty in terms of aroma. The thickness provided by the coconut milk was not overdone which meant the soup ate like a soup rather than a sauce. It was markedly spicy while not overly so. The lemongrass, galangal and fish sauce were all discernible with each spoonful. There was also a good amount of ingredients including plenty of sliced chicken breast. Moving along, we tackled our first entree with the Beef Penang Curry. I've had this before on my first ever visit to BDC and it was exactly how I remembered it (good consistency). Again, there was an immediate spiciness that wore off slightly to reveal the coconut milk, significant lemongrass content and galangal. This was pretty powerful, but when combined with rice, it was just right. There was a good amount of beef which was a touch chewy, but would be an incorrect preparation if tenderized.
Miss Y wanted a fish entree but not salmon as she had eaten lots of it recently. So that left the Five Spices Fish consisting of basa as the best option. Trying to not sound like a broken record, the dish was definitely spicy but not in a bad way. The crispy batter held up to the sauce and ingredients while the fish remained flaky and moist. Of note, this was not in reference to Chinese 5-spice, rather it was their own 5 different spices and flavourings. Of course we couldn't forget about the Pad Thai as I love the dish (as long as it is prepared properly). Spiked with tamarind, there was a balanced amount of tartness to go with the palm sugar and fish sauce. The whole dish was also spicy where the flavours were impactful and appealing. There was a good amount of wok heat where the sugar had caramelized with a certain smokiness. The large prawns were nicely cold-water crunchy and sweet. I would've liked to see less moisture though as well as a wedge of lime.
A little off the board, I decided to order from the Street Food section and selected the Cured Dry Pork Ribs which were presented with a side of sticky rice. Despite being pretty dark in colour, the ribs were not burnt, rather there was a certain savoury smokiness about them. With a touch of sweetness balanced by the tart dip, the meaty pieces of ribs were only a bit dry with an appealing chewiness. For dessert, we began with a relatively common dessert in the Fried Banana. To change things up a little, we went for green tea ice cream rather than coconut. Nothing much to say other than the banana was not too soft while the light batter was crispy. Overall, Miss Y and I enjoyed our meal except for the spring roll. I would say BDC is still a solid place for Thai in Langley.
