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Near misses. No, we're not talking about driving, parking or walking down the street in Richmond. I'm referring to potential restaurant visits that never happened due to a variety of factors such as lineups, random closures and just not being hungry (yes, that happens). The last time I had planned to hit up Rajio with Miss Y, we were on our way back from my hockey game at UBC. However, we weren't really all-that-hungry because of stomach-stuffing bagels from Rosemary Rocksalt earlier in the evening. Fast forward a year later, we made the trek out to 10th and Alma, even though we were in North Van!
It worked out for Sweet Tooth as she is a resident of the neighbourhood and Milhouse didn't mind traveling for food. They foolishly let me do the ordering and dish 1 of 8 was the Black Olive Tuna Tataki. As evidenced in the picture, the albacore tuna was seared evenly while the inside was buttery and sweet. Tart, salty and aromatic, the kalamata olive garlic sauce was impactful as well as the ponzu jelly as it added an extra hit of saltiness. Continuing on with raw fish, we has the Sa-Sea-Mi Salad with bits of albacore tuna, tako, hamachi and tobiko atop romaine and dressed with a kalamata olive soya dressing. No complaints about the sashimi as it was plentiful and on point, but the copious amount of red onion was overpowering. On the other hand, the dressing was strong enough to be noticed with hits of saltiness, sweetness and tang.
Onto some deep-fried goodness, we went for the KFC! No, it wasn't Colonel Sanders, rather it was their version of chicken karaage battered with Komeko rice flour. In turn, this meant the outside was super crispy while being light. Inside, the chicken was succulent and well-seasoned with a balanced amount of salt and sweetness. Naturally, if I was given the responsibility of ordering, I was not going to get out of there without a dish of the "Y" Ebimayo with chili mayo. Okay, I wasn't a huge fan of this as the batter was too doughy and not crispy at all. I didn't even taste the cilantro in the batter. I didn't mind the mayo though as there was enough chili for effect.
Looking rather grand, the Yuzu n' Bonito Flake Dressed Deep-Fried Tofu was da bomb. This was full-flavoured with the plenty of fried bonito on the outside of the crispy tofu. The yuzu rind added a tart bitterness which balanced off the aggressive drizzle of sweet shoyu. Inside, the tofu was somewhat firm, but still exhibited a certain butteriness. Sweet, sticky and tart, the Black Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs were eerily similar to Chinese black vinegar ribs. However, this one was made with a balsamic reduction that emulated the flavour of black vinegar. I found the deep-fried finished ribs were a bit stringy and chewy, but the meat underneath was indeed fall-off-the-bone tender.
Nearing the end of our "snack" after hockey, we had a relatively smaller dish in the Tontoro (Grilled Pork Cheek). This was simply seasoned with toragashi and grilled until a beautiful bark formed. Hence, there was no absence of flavour and caramelization. Texturally, the meat was classic pork cheek being tender while maintaining a rebound and appealing chewiness. For our one larger item, we had the Kakuni Bibimbap Stone Bowl. This was a large amount of rice topped with green onions, stewed pork belly, savoury shrimp and peppery sweet soy. Due to the amount of rice, a proper crust did not form nor did the soy properly caramelize. Hence, the rice was pretty soft and not that aromatic.
For dessert, Sweet Tooth needed to be convinced to share the Fluffy Cheesecake with yuzu and wolfberries. Talking about not living up to one's nickname! Anyways, it turned out that it wasn't hard to finish the cake as it was classic Japanese-style. It was akin to sponge cake with a touch of cheesiness and light denseness. It wasn't very sweet, but still exhibited a baked cheese aroma. By now, we were actually full and this was not completely due to the fact I ordered 8 items. There are times when one can order even more dishes at an Izakaya and come away hungry. So this had a lot to do with the portion sizes as well.
The Good:
- Fairly large portions
- Reasonable prices
- Attentive service
The Bad:
- Like most izakayas, not the most comfortable to lounge around
Spending the last 2 days along at the Hotel Vancouver (for a conference), Viv finally made it down to give me some company. Sure, Miss Y was there for awhile too, but she left for Europe. I can't say that I'm not jealous of her!!! Whatever the case, it meant that I can go for a decent meal (without eating alone). Sure, I could've went with some other people, but for some reason, I was being anti-social. Besides, I really should have some good meals with the missus right??? We ended up at another restaurant from David Gunawan (Farmer's Apprentice and Grapes & Soda) in Royal Dinette.
We decided to start the meal with the Burrata with spaghetti squash, apple, sorrel, honey and grilled bread. Soft, creamy and buttery, the burrata was still fresh (being within the key 48-hour period). With the sweetness of honey, squash and apple, the dish was trending towards one side of the flavour balance. We would've liked to see a touch more acidity, but the sorrel did add a brightness to the dish. Next up was the Grilled Herring with potato vinaigrette, smoked roe and watercress. Buttery and firm, the herring was accented well by the acidic and well-seasoned vinaigrette. The firm, yet completely cooked-through potato cubes were texturally appealing. Furthermore, the smokiness and pop of the crunchy roe added both texture and a seafoodiness to the dish (in addition to the fishiness of the herring).
Moving onto our mid-course, we had 2 pastas including the Bucatini with white anchovy, lemon, garlic, broccoli, capers and scallop bottarga. Firm and chewy, the pasta was nicely seasoned which was further amped by the mild saltiness of the anchovy and surprisingly the non-salty capers. I thought the dish would be too salty, but this wasn't the case. The lemon combined with the capers brought the necessary tartness while the scallop bottarga an extra fishiness to the dish. Next, we had the Fettuccine with lamb ragu, picholine olives, apricot, mint, spinach and crushed almonds. As much as this could've been all about bold flavours, the dish was actually subtle and complex. The richness of the lightly tart ragu (with noted gaminess) gave way to the olives and then finished off with the sweetness of the apricot and brightness of the mint. Very good.
We shared one main being the Skate with clams, herb panisse, kale buds, olive and chicken blanquette. The lightly floured and pan-fried skate was beautifully prepared being buttery and flaky. It was rather salty though. We found the chicken blanquette underneath to be very rich, salty and buttery. Not sure if it went with the delicate and well-salted skate. As for the panisse, it was also very rich, dense and salty. We didn't really care for it as it just didn't add much to the dish other than weighing it down even more so. Loved the crispy chicken skin though (who doesn't love crispy chicken skin?).
For dessert, we had the Pistachio Tart with meyer lemon curd ice cream, dried plums and rosemary. The tart itself featured a firm crust with a nutty concoction that was fairly sweet and uninteresting. Other than the usual pistachio essence, the whole thing needed the tart dried plumps to bring out the flavours. Keeping things cool (literally) and tart, the ice cream ate more like a sorbet palate-cleasner. Overall, we enjoyed portions of our meal. The herring and pastas were very on point while the rest were definitely pedestrian. A hit and miss meal for us.
The Good:
- Fair portions
- Reasonable-pricing for Downtown
- Solid pastas
The Bad:
- Hit and miss
- Skate dish was a bit disappointing
Here we go... Another re-visit happening less than 3 years since the original one. However, if we look at it, 3 years is a pretty long time. Back then, "selfie" was just being added to the dictionary and the cronut (or frissant) was all the rage. So with that in mind, it was I who suggested a re-visit to Longtail Kitchen when Grace was wondering what to do for lunch. Besides, with mediocre visits to Freebird and Fat Mao, I was willing to see if Angus An could still produce good food...
We started with a few appies including their "ever-increasing in popularity" Famous Chicken Wings. If we were to compare these with Phnom Penh, they are neither better or worse as they are merely different. These featured a slightly thicker and crunchier exterior that was dusted with a concoction that featured plenty of sugar. This was counteracted by the tart (and also sweet) tamarind dip on the side. Inside, the chicken was still juicy and completely tender. Served with a nam jim dip, the Fried Oysters were even better than the wings in my opinion. Lightly battered and crispy while not greasy, the plump oysters were perfectly prepared. They were naturally sweet and briny while the "little-of-every-flavour" nam jim added spice, sweetness, tartness and saltiness.
Onto Mama Cheung's Laksa, I had really high expectations because it was relayed to me that this might be the best in the GVRD. I have to admit it was pretty darn good, but I still hold steadfast that the one at Manis is just as good (and spicier too). As for this one it was creamy with a good amount of coconut milk that was balanced off by an appealing seafoodiness, nuttiness and the aroma of the spices. The requisite ingredients were there including tofu puffs, shredded chicken, shrimp, fish balls and egg (which were well-made as well). The final touch of fried curry leaves and mint only helped heighten the already complex flavours even more so.
The complex flavours continued with the Chang Mai Curry Noodles with beef. For some reason or another, this version kicks the one at Fat Mao. The curry combined the aromatic and creaminess of the coconut milk with spice, spices, sweetness and the crunchy tang of the pickled mustard greens to create a flavour explosion. I liked how the egg noodles stood up to the moisture and how the crunchy noodles on top added more texture. However, the real star of the show was the tender and appealingly meaty slices of slow-cooked fatty beef.
With more carbs, we tried the Chinese Sausage Fried Rice topped with a fried egg and green onions. Although this was blessed with enough wok heat where the rice exhibited a sear and smokiness (and nuttiness too), the whole thing was dripping of grease. The bottom of the container was lined with a whole layer of oil. This was probably due to the melted fat from the lap cheung as well as the oil used to stir fry the dish. As such, it reduced our eating enjoyment somewhat. Yet, the aforementioned nuttiness of the rice as well as the ample lap cheung did ensure the dish tasted good.
From fried rice to fried noodle, we got the Pad See Ew. Normally, I like my noodles to be more firm, especially rice noodles. But this was a touch too chewy for my liking. In terms of overall execution, this was subjected to a enough wok heat to caramelize the flavours. With that being said, the dish was pretty sweet though. The ample veggies and egg did helped even out the sweetness somewhat (and especially the moisture from the greens).
For our one veggie item, we go the Gai Lan with Pork Belly. We enjoyed how they used fresh and quality gai lan where it was vibrant and crunchy without any excess chew. That was also a direct result of just enough cooking in the wok. On the other hand, there was far too much moisture at the bottom of the container. I guess they must've added a tonne of seasoning as the gai lan was still salty and very sweet. As for the pork belly, it was very fatty, so it didn't do it for me. I would've liked to see at least some streaks of meat. With that being said, we were willing to overlook the issues because the food in general rocked. Hence, there maybe another revisit in the near future...
The Good:
- Impactful and complex flavours
- Good use of wok heat
- Reasonably-priced
The Bad:
- A bit sweet
- Some dishes had either too much moisture and/or grease
Posts
Near misses. No, we're not talking about driving, parking or walking down the street in Richmond. I'm referring to potential restaurant visits that never happened due to a variety of factors such as lineups, random closures and just not being hungry (yes, that happens). The last time I had planned to hit up Rajio with Miss Y, we were on our way back from my hockey game at UBC. However, we weren't really all-that-hungry because of stomach-stuffing bagels from Rosemary Rocksalt earlier in the evening. Fast forward a year later, we made the trek out to 10th and Alma, even though we were in North Van!
It worked out for Sweet Tooth as she is a resident of the neighbourhood and Milhouse didn't mind traveling for food. They foolishly let me do the ordering and dish 1 of 8 was the Black Olive Tuna Tataki. As evidenced in the picture, the albacore tuna was seared evenly while the inside was buttery and sweet. Tart, salty and aromatic, the kalamata olive garlic sauce was impactful as well as the ponzu jelly as it added an extra hit of saltiness. Continuing on with raw fish, we has the Sa-Sea-Mi Salad with bits of albacore tuna, tako, hamachi and tobiko atop romaine and dressed with a kalamata olive soya dressing. No complaints about the sashimi as it was plentiful and on point, but the copious amount of red onion was overpowering. On the other hand, the dressing was strong enough to be noticed with hits of saltiness, sweetness and tang.
Onto some deep-fried goodness, we went for the KFC! No, it wasn't Colonel Sanders, rather it was their version of chicken karaage battered with Komeko rice flour. In turn, this meant the outside was super crispy while being light. Inside, the chicken was succulent and well-seasoned with a balanced amount of salt and sweetness. Naturally, if I was given the responsibility of ordering, I was not going to get out of there without a dish of the "Y" Ebimayo with chili mayo. Okay, I wasn't a huge fan of this as the batter was too doughy and not crispy at all. I didn't even taste the cilantro in the batter. I didn't mind the mayo though as there was enough chili for effect.
Looking rather grand, the Yuzu n' Bonito Flake Dressed Deep-Fried Tofu was da bomb. This was full-flavoured with the plenty of fried bonito on the outside of the crispy tofu. The yuzu rind added a tart bitterness which balanced off the aggressive drizzle of sweet shoyu. Inside, the tofu was somewhat firm, but still exhibited a certain butteriness. Sweet, sticky and tart, the Black Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs were eerily similar to Chinese black vinegar ribs. However, this one was made with a balsamic reduction that emulated the flavour of black vinegar. I found the deep-fried finished ribs were a bit stringy and chewy, but the meat underneath was indeed fall-off-the-bone tender.
Nearing the end of our "snack" after hockey, we had a relatively smaller dish in the Tontoro (Grilled Pork Cheek). This was simply seasoned with toragashi and grilled until a beautiful bark formed. Hence, there was no absence of flavour and caramelization. Texturally, the meat was classic pork cheek being tender while maintaining a rebound and appealing chewiness. For our one larger item, we had the Kakuni Bibimbap Stone Bowl. This was a large amount of rice topped with green onions, stewed pork belly, savoury shrimp and peppery sweet soy. Due to the amount of rice, a proper crust did not form nor did the soy properly caramelize. Hence, the rice was pretty soft and not that aromatic.
For dessert, Sweet Tooth needed to be convinced to share the Fluffy Cheesecake with yuzu and wolfberries. Talking about not living up to one's nickname! Anyways, it turned out that it wasn't hard to finish the cake as it was classic Japanese-style. It was akin to sponge cake with a touch of cheesiness and light denseness. It wasn't very sweet, but still exhibited a baked cheese aroma. By now, we were actually full and this was not completely due to the fact I ordered 8 items. There are times when one can order even more dishes at an Izakaya and come away hungry. So this had a lot to do with the portion sizes as well.
