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Ah yes, the dependable lunch spot in the middle of nowhere. Generally located in industrial areas and/or technology complexes, this type of establishment caters to the clientele who look for an inexpensive, quick and dependable meal. Hence, there is very little expectation that the eats will be interesting or memorable. However, there have been some instances in the past where a dish had surprised me. So with that in mind, Emily and I stopped by Norland Grill (formerly Burger Time) in hopes of more than than ho hum food.
With both a few Korean and Japanese choices available, the menu was still pretty much predictable with breakfast, burgers, sandwiches and soup available. Trying to adhere to being different, we got the Teriyaki Chicken with rice as one of our selections. Consisting of chicken breast, this was a fairly healthy version where there wasn't much grease. It rested on a bed of veggies on a sizzling cast iron plate. As much as the chicken wasn't exactly juicy, it was still fairly moist for white meat. Flavours were mild due in part to the conservative drizzle of sauce. As much as it wasn't extraordinary, the Norland Burger was pretty solid. It sported a hand-formed beef patty, bacon, onion rings, cheese, lettuce and tomato. The patty wasn't overly dry while the bacon and onion rings were crispy. Sure, the side of fries were Cavendish from Costco, but they were prepared correctly.
On another visit, we had the Beef Dip and yah, it wasn't that impressive. Consisting of deli roast beef (and not much of it) and a beef bouillon dip, this was significantly worse than what I can make at home (and I'm not trying to brag...). At the very least, the bun was soft and appealing as well as the Cavendish fries. We also got the Bulgogi with rice and it was remarkably better than the beef dip. It featured sizzling marinated beef that nicely caramelized (as well with the onions). Hence there was quite a bit of sweetness, which meant the rice was essential. The beef was fairly tender while being meaty in texture. So yah, Norland Grill pretty much does what a lunch spot is expected to do. However, the Asian dishes weren't bad and we liked the people there too.
The Good:
- It does the job with 3 out of 4 dishes being fairly good
- Not overly expensive
- Nice people
The Bad:
- You need to have reasonable expectations
- Don't offer a beef dip if it is deli roast beef
Arriving early for my conference in Downtown Vancouver, I settled into my room at the Hotel Vancouver and immediately got the hunger pains. Being alone and with not much time to spare before my first session, I didn't have many options other than fast food. So on my quick stroll over to Granville Street, I noticed a food cart that merely served one dish - Pad Thai. Furthermore, there wasn't really a name I could see on the trailer other than "Traditional Thai Cuisine". Later on, I would discover that their actual name is Sauzzy Thai...
So with only one menu item, I ordered everything that was available including the Pad Thai with chicken and the Pad Thai with Prawns. Since the cart was run only by one lady (who was super friendly by-the-way), you'd better not be in a rush of any sort. After a fairly long wait (for a food truck/cart), I hurried back to my room to down the food. After mixing the ground peanuts, sugar, chili flakes, carrots and lime juice into the noodles, I found the flavours pretty sweet overall. I would've liked to see more tang. Texturally, the noodles were on point with an appealing chewiness while complimented by the crunchy carrots. As you can clearly see, the prawn version was exactly the same, but with 3 prawns on top. They were prepared properly by not being overcooked exhibiting a cold-water snap.
I also got their Thai Ice Tea which was really rich from the ample condensed milk. In fact, it was pretty thick as a result. I found the tea to be too sweet which overwhelmed any tea flavour that existed. I actually couldn't finish it since my pad thai(s) were already sweet. As much as the food was decent and the lady was super nice, I was only mildly content with the stuff I ordered at Sauzzy Thai. Prices weren't exactly cheap either.
The Good:
- Super nice lady
- On point textures
The Bad:
- Rather sweet
- Not that cheap
Recently, I did an XLB crawl in Richmond with Grace (for the 365 Days of Dining) and we ended things at R & H food stall in Landsdowne. Originally, I had planned to hit up R & H for a full meal of sorts after we were all done with the XLBs. I guess our eating prowess wasn't that of Mijune or Emily, hence, we called it quits after that. However, on another night, while I was in Richmond alone, it seemed like a good idea to hit up the place for some dinner. That I did all by myself, which worked out fine at the food court.
I began with an appie in the Beef Pancake Roll. It looked pretty appetizing with its flaky and browned exterior. Beyond that, the pancake was a touch doughy, yet soft and warm. It ate fairly dry since it wasn't greasy and the amount of hoisin was not significant. Hence, the flavours were mostly the slight smokiness from the exterior. Inside, there was a modest amount of thinly sliced shank. Interestingly, I found the Potstickers superior to the XLBs, by a long shot. They featured an adequately browned bottom that was somewhat crispy (but not greasy). Inside, the meat filling was rather green-onion dominated, but it still tasted good. There was a discernible amount of soup inside which was meaty and sweet. I liked how the dumpling skin was thin throughout and not doughy.
As for my Spicy Beef Noodle Soup, it was more sesame-oil heavy than chili oil. Hence, the soup was aromatic from the oil, not from the inherent flavours of the broth. I found the broth to be okay, but hardly impactful. The noodles were soft, with a light chew akin to yee mein. The 3 meager pieces of beef were fatty and somewhat tender with some dry spots. Overall, the 4 items I tried at R & H were decent, if not unspectacular. Not that I didn't like the place, it just might be a victim of, "oh, it's in a food court and must be a hidden gem" way. So with reasonable expectations, you can get a good meal here.
The Good:
- Reasonable pricing
- Decent eats
The Bad:
- XLBs are not bad, but the skin needs some work
Hype. Fad. Lineup. These 3 things can generally mean either a place is really good or that people really have nothing better to do. Well, with lineups out-the-door and down the block, the recent opening of Ladurée has all the earmarks of being over-hyped. That was the experience I had with Payard in Vegas. I couldn't of had any worse macarons! I think my daughter stopped talking to me for a bit when I fed her a few! But alas, I gave in and braved the lineup due to the endless posts on IG. Lo and behold, we only waited 5 minutes! For that reason, we decided to sit in the small dining area and enjoyed the treats right away.
Of course we couldn't have a few macarons and call it a day right? So with the kiddies joining us for this food adventure, we started them off with a few finger sammies in the Smoked Salmon and Ham. As much as these can be as exciting as watching Coronation Street on CBC, the kids enjoyed them (especially since they had just ate lunch). The bread was soft and the amount of filling was more than adequate. Next up, we tried their Madeleine and Financier Cake. I liked the crispy edges that gave way to a semi-sweet and buttery cake. However, I found it a touch firm. As for the Financier, it also featured a crispy exterior that was more firm than the Madeleine. Texturally, it was firm with bits of almond and hits of nutty brown butter.
As for the Macarons, we went for a selection that included the Coffee, Pistachio, Rose Petal and Orange Blossom. I found the textures of the macarons depended on each flavour. All featured a crispy delicate exterior, however inside, some were appealingly chewy while others were completely soft. Of the 4 on the plate, my favourite was the coffee as it was purposefully sweet and aromatic. The pistachio was also aromatic and really had a natural essence. The next 3 consisted of Salted Caramel, Lemon and Marie Antoinette Tea. Loved the lemon as it captured the flavour of fresh lemons with only the right amount of tang balanced off with sweetness.
The final 3 were Chocolate, Raspberry and Vanilla. Richly chocolatey without being overly sweet, the chocolate macaron was just as good as the natural-tasting raspberry. It sported a mild tang and sweetness that was palate-pleasing. When I spotted the Lemon Cake on the menu, I ordered it without even blinking an eye. Good thing too as it was lemon-soaked being firm yet moist at the same time. It was sweet, but the natural lemon essence really came through. Overall, we found the macarons to be quite good and spot-on in terms of taste. Texturally, there were some inconsistencies though. As for the other items, they were okay, yet unspectacular.
The Good:
- On point flavours for the macarons
- Generally good texture
- Attentive service, once seated (was confusing to get seated though)
The Bad:
- Not unlike other shops, it can get pretty expensive
- Confusing manner they seat people (maybe have a number or name system?)
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Ah yes, the dependable lunch spot in the middle of nowhere. Generally located in industrial areas and/or technology complexes, this type of establishment caters to the clientele who look for an inexpensive, quick and dependable meal. Hence, there is very little expectation that the eats will be interesting or memorable. However, there have been some instances in the past where a dish had surprised me. So with that in mind, Emily and I stopped by Norland Grill (formerly Burger Time) in hopes of more than than ho hum food.
With both a few Korean and Japanese choices available, the menu was still pretty much predictable with breakfast, burgers, sandwiches and soup available. Trying to adhere to being different, we got the Teriyaki Chicken with rice as one of our selections. Consisting of chicken breast, this was a fairly healthy version where there wasn't much grease. It rested on a bed of veggies on a sizzling cast iron plate. As much as the chicken wasn't exactly juicy, it was still fairly moist for white meat. Flavours were mild due in part to the conservative drizzle of sauce. As much as it wasn't extraordinary, the Norland Burger was pretty solid. It sported a hand-formed beef patty, bacon, onion rings, cheese, lettuce and tomato. The patty wasn't overly dry while the bacon and onion rings were crispy. Sure, the side of fries were Cavendish from Costco, but they were prepared correctly.
On another visit, we had the Beef Dip and yah, it wasn't that impressive. Consisting of deli roast beef (and not much of it) and a beef bouillon dip, this was significantly worse than what I can make at home (and I'm not trying to brag...). At the very least, the bun was soft and appealing as well as the Cavendish fries. We also got the Bulgogi with rice and it was remarkably better than the beef dip. It featured sizzling marinated beef that nicely caramelized (as well with the onions). Hence there was quite a bit of sweetness, which meant the rice was essential. The beef was fairly tender while being meaty in texture. So yah, Norland Grill pretty much does what a lunch spot is expected to do. However, the Asian dishes weren't bad and we liked the people there too.
