E-Tea

Sometimes it's easier said than done when selecting a restaurant for late night eats.  Sure, there are actually a decent amount, especially in and around the Downtown core.  However, it is a crap shoot everywhere else.  Since it was only Milhouse, Bear and Lionel Hutz joining me for food, it meant we didn't need to head West (because all of us live either in Burnaby or East Van).  There was a brief thought about going to Golden Oscar, but since we still bore the scars of our last visit (it sucked), we decided to go kitty corner to E-Tea. 

We decided to share 2 items in the Chicken Nuggets and Deep-Fried Squid Tentacles.  Sporting a light and crispy coating, the chicken nuggets were fairly succulent and tender.  Although the skin remained attached, it was well-rendered and crunchy.  We thought the flavour was decent with enough salt and light pepperiness.  Universally, we weren't huge fans of the squid though as it was too chewy and somewhat fishy-tasting.  On the other hand, the batter on the outside was crunchy and not greasy.  It was a bit thick though and bready.

For myself, I had the Hand Pulled Beef Noodle Soup.  Okay, maybe I'm being picky here, but the noodles were too uniform to be hand pulled.  With that being said, they were decent being slippery and chewy.  As for the broth, it was pretty weak as it tasted more like something you'd find with instant noodles.  It was thin and had more MSG taste than beefiness.  There was a slight spice due to the hot paste on top.  I did like the beef shank though as it was super tender and moist.  Bear did the predictable and had the Chicken Steak with black pepper sauce.  The chicken was well-seared and succulent inside.  We found the sauce to have a nice silky consistency while being peppery and spicy due to the addition of red chili peppers.

Lionel Hutz ended up with the Thai Chicken Fried Rice that was glistening with oil.  Due to that, there was enough wok heat and chewiness.  Beyond the on point texture of the rice, as well as the tender pieces of chicken, we found the flavour to be similar to a pad Thai.  It was rather sweet with some savoury elements complimented by spice.  For Milhouse, it was all about the Sweet and Sour Fish with rice.  Good choice because the sauce was nicely thick and well-balanced.  There were impactful hits of sweet and tang to go with a touch of spice.  The fish was moist and flaky while sporting a crunchy exterior. 

Of course we didn't leave out the Bubble Tea out of the equation since the place is a BBT joint.  From left to right, we had the Mango, Milk Tea and Oreo.  I thought all of them were okay and for those who didn't ask for half-sweet, like me, the drinks were a bit on the sweet side.  I didn't think the flavours were overly memorable, but they weren't bland either.  Definitely an acceptable option for late night.  That pretty much sums up E-Tea as the food was alright except for the squid and noodles.  Prices were pretty cheap though, which would somewhat offset some of their shortcomings.

The Good:
- Cheap
- Serviceable for late night

The Bad:
- Food is so-so
- Drinks are so-so   

Chi Modern Vietnamese Kitchen

Sometimes, we find certain types of cuisine pigeon-holed as cheap simple food.  Well, that is partially due to the limited representation locally.  One of the most obvious examples is Vietnamese food.  Completely over-represented by Pho and even more specifically South Vietnam, we only get a snapshot of the culture and cuisine.  However, with the trend moving towards clean and specifically-built modern restaurants, we find Vietnamese food being more refined, diverse and of course more expensive than the typical Pho joint.  The newest one to hit the town is Chi Modern Vietnamese Kitchen run by former runner-up of Masterchef Vietnam, Chi Le.

Along with Nora, Sharon and Jacqueline, I was invited for a taste of their most popular items.  We got down to it with some appies including the Bo Tai Chanh (Beef Carpaccio) and Cha Gio Vit (Crispy Fresh Duck  Rolls).  Sliced semi-thin, the tender Snake River Wagyu beef was buttery and soft.  The garnishes of lime, onion, cilantro, roasted peanuts, red Thai chilis and crispy shallots added both aroma and naturally an Asian flavour to the dish. Despite incessant picture-taking, the crunch of the spring rolls didn't dissipate.  I liked how there was an initial and lingering herbaceousness from the first bite. There were plenty of sous-vide duck inside the roll which was fairly tender and appealingly gamy.

Although prepared expertly, the Ca Nuong (Chargrilled Eggplant) was one of the least impactful in terms of flavour.  It may have been possible that this was the intention as eggplant on its own is generally not flavourful.  There was a noticeable smokiness though that was accented by the roasted peanuts and light saltiness of the fish sauce..  The red chilis were not particularly noticeable, unless we intentionally picked one up with the piece of eggplant. Texturally, the eggplant was on point being soft yet not mushy.  At first, the Ga Kho To (Lemongrass Chicken Hot Pot) tasted overly sweet, but that was nicely balanced by the saltiness of the fish sauce and then subsequently by a lingering spice from the chilis.  I loved the use of the chewy and firm red rice as it stood up to the sauce well.

Beautifully seared on the outside, the Bo Luc Lac (Shaken AAA Beef Tenderloin) was tender and nicely caramelized.  The inherent flavours were mild with a bit of sweet saltiness.  However, with the side of salt, pepper and lime, it added the necessary acidity, salt and slight kick that elevated things.  Our consensus favourite dish by a mile was the Com Chien (Chi Fried Rice) with cured sausage, onion, runny egg and garlic-ginger crumble.  If there was perfection in fried rice texture, this would be it.  Each grain was chewy and nutty while caressed by the silky runny yolk.  The wealth of flavours were strong including initial caramelized sweetness and then giving way to the chewy saltiness of the sausage.  I could've eaten this all by myself.

Topped with a plethora of green onion, the Cha Ca La Vong (Black Cod Vermicelli) was a pleasant dish, but had a hard time following up the fabulous rice dish. Underneath the turmeric and galangal-encrusted buttery black cod, the chewy vermicelli was loose and not clumpy.  A dousing of the side fish sauce and there were plenty of salty sweet flavours at play.  Also bursting with impact were the Canh Ga Chien (Chicken Wings).  Dressed in a thick and syrupy sauce, there was an immediate tamarind tartness followed by a rich sweetness.  Mixed in was the usual garlic and ginger.  The only thing I would've liked to see was a crispier and more rendered skin.

As simple as the So Diep Song (Atlantic Sea Scallop) appeared, the flavours were clean and impactful.  The combination of lime, lemon, key lime and kalamansi juices made for a complex citrus hit that worked well with the buttery and sweet scallop.  There was a background heat provided by red Thai chilis infused into the dressing.  For dessert, we were served the Durian Rice Balls sitting in a simple syrup.  I found the glutinous rice shell to be soft and pillowy while the durian filling was pungently sweet, but not overbearing.  This was a fine way to end a meal that featured a wealth of impactful flavour and mostly on point execution.  It's nice to see that Vietnamese cuisine has been elevated and better represented within the GVRD.

*All food and beverages excluding gratuities were complimentary*

The Good:
- Strong and impactful flavours
- On point execution
- Lovely decor

The Bad:
- Sticker shock as prices are not cheap
- Skin on wings could've been more rendered
    

Taco Crawl Presented by Vanfoodster

Although the taco landscape of the GVRD has drastically improved over the past 10 years, there really aren't as many spots as I'd like to see.  Interestingly, crossing the border over to Bellingham yields some pretty good tacos.  I guess we really do have to run for the border?  I digress.  So when I looked at the lineup for the Taco Crawl (presented by Vanfoodster), it wasn't overly surprising to see some places "stretch" the definition of what a taco represents.  No matter to me... Those who put too much effort and stress into being the "authenticity police" often lose out on good food.

In reality, the South Indian Dosa Taco (at Dosa Hut) was not really a taco at all.  Call it a mini-dosa instead and everything is fine in the world.  I found the lentil crepe to be on point being super thin and light.  It was perfectly crispy where it held the ingredients in while not becoming soggy.  We much preferred the chicken over the vegetarian for obvious reasons, but the flavours were definitely more impactful.  There was a flavourful combination of spices including the usual cumin and curry.  The chicken was really moist and tender.  From there we made our way to Las Tortas where we were served both the Mexican Zucchini and Pulled Pork Taco.  I found the pulled pork to be a bit dry and on the milder side.  However, with the addition of the sauces, pickled onions and lime, things got more lively.

Again, the offering at TMix across the street loosely interpreted the definition of a taco.  In reality, it was a Bubble Waffle with a scoop of house-made ice cream on top.  We ended up with the Mango for one an Earl Grey for the other.  Very eggy and soft, the waffle lacked the crispiness and chewiness we often look for in a traditional Taiwanese bubble waffle.  However, with that being said, this one had its own charm being soft and fluffy.  The real star of the show was the ice cream as the flavours were impactful.  However, the ice cream itself could've been creamier.  We headed into Downtown next and hit up Patron Tacos & Cantina where we got one each of the Cochinita (Pork Butt) and Nopales (Cactus) Taco.  I really liked the cactus as it wasn't slimy and exhibited a nice texture (not mushy).  The pork was okay, but not particularly flavourful.  It was tender though.

The best taco we ate all night was from La Catrina.  It was the Res en Cascabel or braised beef cooked in cascabel chili sauce. The meat filling could've done without any other condiment and it was flavourful and lightly spicy (albeit a bit saucy).  The Papas Mexicanas (Potato) taco was more mild and had quite a bit of onion in it.  It was soft though.  It turned out that we saved the best for last, even though we didn't intentionally plan to do so.  As mentioned, I don't really care about what is a taco, but for those who really wanted all 5 stops to be about authentic tacos, this might've thrown them for a loop.

*All food excluding beverages and gratuities were complimentary*

MagiCream

Magi-what?  Yep, that was the confounded response to Areta's invite for a tasting at MagiCream.  Upon further investigation, it turns out that MagiCream is yet another entry into the liquid-nitrogen crafted ice cream in Vancity.  However, unlike Lik and Mister, the prices are lower and the portions are bigger for the money.  Furthermore, parking is ample and their equipment is more heavy-duty and safer as the liquid nitrogen is piped into the mixers directly instead of being poured in.

Since there were 9 of us present, we went for 9 different creations including my personal favourite, Strawberry Ice Cream with cheesecake bites.  Normally, strawberry ice cream can range from bland to overly sweet.  However, this one was full-flavoured and did not exhibit that "candy-like" strawberry taste.  Instead, it tasted like the fruit with a balanced amount of sweetness.  The cheesecake bites were pretty standard, but worked well with the ice cream.  The most visually attractive creation was the Coffee with cookie dough and multi-coloured mochi.  Despite being on top of really cold ice cream, the mochi didn't harden up too much.  Underneath, the coffee flavour was also very impactful while not being bitter nor too strong.  The creaminess of the ice cream resulted in a somewhat HK-Style taste being sweet and thick.  I thought this one could've used a bit less sugar.

The Chocolate Ice Cream with brownie bites and chocolate sauce ate even richer than the others.  Thick and marginally sweet with the bitterness of dark chocolate, this was luxurious and surprisingly on point.  The addition of the brownie bites and sauce did make for some sweeter spoonfuls though. The palate-cleanser of the bunch was the Mango Sorbet with mango and lychee jelly.  At first, the little crumbles of sorbet seemed a bit dry and lifeless.  But one large scoop from the bottom revealed a thick and rich natural-tasting creamy sorbet.  The jelly on top added some more sweetness that probably wasn't necessary, but the textures were nice though. 

Along the same lines as the coffee, the Milk Tea with pearls and mango jelly was pretty flavourful.  I could definitely make out the tea where the finish was slightly aromatic and appealingly bitter.  It really did taste like milk tea with all the fixin's. One of the most impactful flavours was Ovaltine with crushed walnuts.  For me, it was like eating a frozen Ovaltine beverage.  I really liked how the flavours so far tasted exactly what it should be.  The ice cream was hard and creamy where it took awhile to actually start melting.  The richness of the ice cream was evident as it dissolved slowly in my mouth.  For this one, I found it to be quite a bit sweeter, but it worked.

Another winner for me was the Root Beer Ice Cream with gummy bears.  Sure, it wasn't a hit with everyone, but for me it embodied what root beer is about.  There was a light carbonation to go with the classic root beer taste while being mildly sweet.  As expected, the gummy bears became pretty hard due to the cold ice cream. Another pretty creation to look at, but not particularly easy to eat was the Caramel Popcorn.  Underneath the popcorn was a super sweet salted caramel that tasted like it had butterscotch mixed into it.  I liked the texture, much like the others, but it was too sweet for me personally.

Lastly, the most surprising ice cream was the Black Sesame with coconut and Reese's peanut butter cup.  The ice cream itself reminded me of the filling found in the Chinese mochi balls.  It was nutty and sweet while being creamy like the others.  Adding another layer of sweet nuttiness was the peanut butter cup.  Personally, I would've added plain mochi as the only topping to emulate those aforementioned mochi balls. Overall, I truly enjoyed the liquid nitrogen ice cream here.  The price was palatable for me personally and the flavours were impactful.

*All ice cream was complimentary*

The Good:
- Not cheap, but less expensive than the others
- Creamy and rich
- Lots of options for toppings

The Bad:
- As mentioned, it is cheaper, but it isn't an inexpensive treat either
- Keep the toppings to a minimum as some counteract the ice cream      

Gabi & Jules

Once upon a time, the only thing worth driving out for in Port Moody was the awesome rotis from Rehannah's (Don't say Rosa's because I find it meh...).  Then there was Cake-Ya and a few more in and around Newport Village.  Oh and let's not forget Rocky Point Ice Cream...  With more and more people moving out to the once sleepy (and still is in some ways) PoMo, we are beginning to see some life in the culinary scene.  The newest is Gabi & Jules featuring their awesome pies (yes, I gave away the verdict, but they are very good!).

Before I got to the pies, I did begrudgingly (because I really wanted some pie!) tried some of their sammies including the Pollo Capra Wrap.  Well, I have to admit this was pretty good with layers of flavour including the sweet onion marmalade and mildly pungent goat cheese.  Nestled within were tender and moist nuggets of roast chicken and arugula.  Exhibiting impactful flavours from the saltiness of the prosciutto cotto, the Mont Blanc Sandwich suffered from an overly dense and hard bun.  Too bad really as the tart Dijon and Swiss cheese added both extra flavour and textures.

Moving away from the sammies, I went right for the pies when they became available.  I had the Strawberry Ginger Peach first which was full of flavour.  There was no sissy amount of ginger as it was apparent with a slightly spicy bite.  However, it wasn't overwhelming since the tart and plump strawberries stood out as well as the tender slices of sweet peaches.  As a whole, the filling wasn't too sugary.  The scoop of Rocky Point Ice Cream provided a nice balance as well as creaminess to the pie.  Next up was the Blackberry Apple Pie which featured a nice tartness from the blackberries.  The apple slices were tender and mildly sweet.  I liked how the crust stayed firm and crunchy from top to bottom.  It wasn't overly buttery which I personally prefer.

Tying the Strawberry Ginger Peach as my favourite was the Traditional Apple since it was full of tender slices that were not inundated with too much sugar (much like the other pies).  However, that didn't mean there wasn't any impact though as there was a slight kick of cinnamon as well as a touch of tartness.  Again, the firmly crunchy crust added a textural contrast that was just right. One of the more mildly-flavoured pies was the Blueberry Nectarine as it was neither tart nor sweet.  I liked the nectarine slices as they were tender while still maintaining a bite, but the pie lacked impact.  It really needed a scoop of ice cream to add the necessary sweetness.

On the other hand, the Raspberry Rhubarb was plenty tart all around.  I like tangy-flavoured food, so this was appealing with large chunks of rhubarb mixed in with lots of raspberries.  Again, the crust stayed crispy and flaky despite the wet ingredients.  I realize some might want more butteriness, but for me, the drier crust ensured that there would be no soggy parts.  I'm definitely returning for some more pie and a scoop of Rocky Point ice cream on the side!

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Excellent firmly crispy crust
- Not too sweet
- Pretty hip, especially for PoMo

The Bad:
- Some might want a butterier crust, but not me
- For me it was sweet enough, but I can see it may not be for some   

Lamb Hot Pot

Continuing on with our visits to restaurants participating in Chopstick Fest (think Dine-Out Chinese-style), we ended up at Lamb Hot Pot.  Not to be confused with similarly-named establishments in Richmond, this place really does live up to its namesake.  Let's just say if you are a fan of everything lamb, this is your kinda place.  For me, it was heaven since I love lamb!  Now if you are not a fan, well to be honest, you might want to move along because the pungency of lamb hits you like a hammer once you walk in the door.

Right on cue, we were presented with a giant and grandiose Hot Pot filled to the brim with lamb bones.  These included lamb ribs, neck, knee and tail bones.  One side was regular broth and the other was spicy.  I really enjoyed the bones as they consisted of tender, yet gelatinous and chewy pieces of lamb meat. Some of the meat could've been a bit more tender, but I didn't really care personally.  The spicy broth was pretty potent as it definitely had an initial kick that lingered far past the initial taste.  As for our Sauces, we could help ourselves near the front counter.  We could customize from a selection that included soy, chili oil, vinegar, peanut sauce, sesame oil among others.

Onto the ingredients, there was an option for lamb brain, but no one seemed overly interested.  Hence, we went for the safe things including Beef, Tofu, Enoki Mushroom, Tiger Prawns, Fish, Napa Cabbage and Sliced Potato.  The well-marbled beef was nicely thin and cooked quickly.  It was buttery and tender where it was even better dunked into the spicy broth.  There was nothing amiss with the tiger prawns as they were large and had a meaty snap.  I found the fish a challenge to keep in one piece within the broth, but the fillets were soft and flaky nonetheless.

One of the more surprising items was the Baked Meat Pastries.  The flaky exterior was light and buttery exhibiting an aromatic brown hue.  Inside, the meat was succulent and moist while aggressively seasoned, yet not salty.  We were also served the radish pastries which were similar but with shredded daikon inside.  I liked the meat ones more.  Interestingly, we were served some Cold Appies next which included Cucumber, Pig's Ear and Marinated Bean Curd Skin.  Nothing particularly wrong with these dish as the cucumber was vibrant and crunchy while the pig's ear was tender with a nice rebound texture.

The last item to arrive was the Lamb Neck Meat.  For me, this was on point with tender, yet still meaty pieces of lamb neck that were nicely seasoned with a balance of savoury and sweet notes.  I would've been happy with just a plate of this for myself.  On that note, if you were paying attention, this place is a lamb-lover's paradise.  Therefore, I enjoyed my meal.  Now if you aren't, then it gets a bit more complicated because it is rather difficult to avoid coming into contact with something lamb here.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- If you like lamb, this is your place
- The spicy broth was flavourful with just the right heat level
- Quality ingredients

The Bad:
- Well, if you don't like lamb...
- A little pricey