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The dearth of Hong Kong-style cafes in Burnaby has always been perplexing to me. With a substantial Chinese population, it also is confounding that there are so few good Chinese restaurants in general. However, things are definitely changing with more choices for all forms of Asian cuisine opening up, especially near Metrotown. So back to the HK-style cafe, other than the Boss, there are not much to choose from in Burnaby. However, located in the old Black Dragon Sushi, Chef Corner offers up late night HK-style cafe favourites. We ended up checking it out one night after hockey.
I decided on the DIY Noodles with fish soup, brisket, pork cheek and lai fun. As much as the broth had flavour, it didn't taste like fish. In fact, it was rather salty lacking the natural sweetness from fish. The noodles were good though being slippery and al dente. I wasn't a huge fan of the brisket as each piece was dry and chewy (and salty). I loved the ample pork cheek though as it was buttery and slightly chewy. I also got the Baked Pork Chop on Rice which was a decent portion for a mini-meal. The rice was chewy and dry enough to stand up to the ample amount of sauce, which was slightly tangy, plenty sweet and cheesy. For the life of me, I'm not sure why people put half-raw onions underneath the pork chop. It was both too pungent and unappealing in texture. As for the pork chop, it was meaty and substantial. It wasn't super tender, but not chewy either.
Milhouse was a bit indecisive and eventually ordered the Beef and Tomato on Rice (I almost convinced him to order 2 things...). He found the beef to be tender while not over-marinated. Slightly tart and completely fresh tasting, the tomato sauce was well-balanced and not overly saucy. Again, the rice was chewy and somewhat dry, which worked well with the wet ingredients. Bear ended up with the Black Pepper Chicken Steak with rice and veggies. He found the chicken to be succulent and tender. It was doused in a peppery and salty sauce that had a nice consistency. We did taste some beef bouillon that gave off aftertaste though.
On another visit, Lionel Hutz had the classic Stir-Fried Flat Rice Noodle with Beef. It was characteristically greasy as the noodles need oil to keep it from sticking to the wok. Of course, high wok heat would help in this regard and the dish more or less exhibited that with caramelized flavours and colours. The noodles were on point texturally being soft while maintaining an elasticity while the beef was tender. For myself, I went for the Mixed Grill consisting of pork chop, chicken steak, ox-tongue, weiner, bacon, egg and fried chicken wing. This also came with spaghetti, soup, toast and a side of sauce (I went for the black pepper). I thought all of the meats were on point except for the chicken wing as the coating was too thick where the skin wasn't rendered. This was a substantial amount of food for one person.
Our third visit yielded the Malaysian Seafood Fried Rice and the Black Pepper Beef Fried Noodles. Although the rice was on the soft side, it was hardly wet. There was a decent amount of wok heat that resulted in correctly cooked shrimp and slightly caramelized pineapple. We liked how the lettuce was not limp and still retained a crunch. The dish was a little underseasoned though. As for the fried noodle, it was crunchy while not greasy. The black pepper sauce was somewhat different than the chicken steak where it tasted peppery and not as salty. The beef was properly tenderized being tender with a rebound.
For myself, I did the 2-item thing again starting with the Baked Spaghetti Bolognese. This was a generous portion of slightly soft noodles topped with a fairly well-balanced meat sauce. Naturally, this was classic HK-style where there was a slight star anise aftertaste. There was a good amount of cheese on top too. I also had the Beef Hot Pot which was fairly bland, but did sport a decent portion of tender thin-sliced beef. It was too bad the soup did not exhibit any developed flavours since the rest of the ingredients were on point. Overall, we thought the food at Chef Corner to be serviceable and reasonably-price. However, it can be a bit hit and miss. I guess that is good enough for late night and especially in Burnaby.
The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Serviceable eats
- Open late
The Bad:
- Service is sparse and slow
- Serviceable but can be hit and miss
Sometimes convenience and choice (in terms of what the kiddies are wanting to eat) trumps gourmet restaurants. Sure, we'd loved to eat at a fine dining spot complete with foie and black truffles, but if the kids are really feeling it, the whole experience would be a waste of time and money. Therefore, after visiting Niagara Falls and also getting drenched, we weren't going to dine at the tourist traps (posing as restaurants). Rather, we drove a few minutes out from the heart-of-town to Mandarin Buffet.
There we were greeted with a decent selection of eats that the kids could go nuts on. There was a fairly large salad section that I blew by. Interesting that they featured many prepared salads, but I couldn't find a simple green salad. I went straight for some Sushi and it was pretty pathetic. It consisted of mostly cooked items and the sushi was haphazardly prepared. But I'm sure they know their target market. Rice was dry too. As for my first actual plate of food, I went for the traditional Prime Rib with mashed potatoes, veggies and plenty of gravy. You know what? It was pretty darn good! The meat was buttery and soft while nicely seasoned. Veggies were good as well as the mash. Gravy was decent too.
After that, I hit the cooked food consisting of 2 whole sections. It featured an array of eats including North American Chinese favourites such as Lemon Chicken, General Tso's Chicken and Sweet and Sour Chicken Balls. Not particularly my favourite things to eat, but prepared nicely as the meat was tender and not overdone. The veggies, including green beans and broccoli were crunchy and vibrant while not over-seasoned. I thought the Curry Chicken was okay too with balance flavours while showing some creaminess accented by a touch of spice. The Maple Salmon was also on point being not too overdone.
They really laid it on thick with the Desserts as they dedicated 2 whole sections. That didn't include the hard ice cream freezer either. As plentiful as the desserts were, most were not particularly exciting. There was some warm bread pudding and various cheesecakes (which were decent). Otherwise, it was full of little items that one would find at a house pot luck or tea party. I did like the hard ice cream, but some of them were messed up beyond repair (ie. unintentionally mixed flavours). So there you have it, a buffet with a myriad of options. It was generally okay and did the job, but go in with reasonable expectations.
The Good:
- Fairly large selection
- Outstanding service
- Some items were good for a buffet
The Bad:
- Desserts were plentiful, but weak
- Hey, it's a buffet, some things with be average at best
Eight years old eh? That would put this blog in grade 4. Alright, letter grades! I digress. Anyways, it's been a blast for 8 years eating and eating and even more eating. Again, I'll try to keep this going as long as I can. Life is sure busy these days. I'll still keep to the schedule of updating every other day not because I do not have any content, it's just that I want more free time to do other things. I think I enough posts to last me until February... I will however sneak in a few posts here and there on off days, so it'll be around 20 posts a month. I thank everyone for reading and the encouragement. But if you are wanting to keep up to date on what I'm eating, visit my IG account @shermansfoodadventures. But for now, thanks again for the support and if you leave a comment, I'll put your name into a draw for a $100.00 GC for the restaurant of your choice. Draw will take place November 8th at 10:00pm.
Originally, Diana, Amy, Dee and I were going to meet up at Golden Szechuan where we would eat some spicy food and call it a night. Diana had a better idea. Why not combine a night out for dinner with an invited milk tea tasting? What better to sooth our numbed tongues than a cold milky beverage? As it turned out, the spicy food wasn't really all that spicy. That didn't prevent us from trying a bunch of bevvies as we made our way to the nearby Shake Shake Tea.
I gave the Oolong Tea a try first and I found the 100% sweetness to be very deceiving. I personally thought it was just right (as well as the others). Any less sugar and the drink would border on bland. The milkiness was evident, but not in a creamy fashion. As for the tea, it was definitely in the background though especially compared to the Jasmine Tea. Sporting the same light milkiness, the jasmine tea had a richer aroma that had an appealing faint bitter finish. The sweetness was exactly the same as the oolong being just right for us. I thought that the addition of grass jelly or pudding was the right compliment to these milk teas as the pearls were rather sweet.
Sweet would be the word to describe the Caramel Tea with pearls. First of all, the smoky rich sweetness of caramel was pretty strong and at the forefront. I thought it could've been dialed down a bit as it was amped up even further with the sweet pearls. Texturally, the pearls were on point being chewy, yet not too hard at the same time. Raising the sugar quotient was the Black Sugar with pearls. The use of black sugar meant the drink had a deep sweetness that didn't give us sugar shock, rather, the sweetness crept up gradually. Add in the sweet pearls and yes, it would've probably been better with grass jelly.
Onto some fruitier drinks, I tried the Lychee Yogurt on its own. This was refreshing and light with a certain tartness and only a mild thickness. I got it at 75% sweetness and that was perfect in my opinion. Adding coconut jelly would be a good match for this drink. The lychee flavour was pretty evident, but not overwhelming at the same time. Dee got the Super Mango Slush and it relied on natural sweetness rather than sugar. One sip and we could tell it had a mango pungency. However, we would've preferred it to be blended more aggressively as there were ice crystals. I guess you could ask for that when ordering.
Amy got the Wintermelon and it was a whole lot less sweeter than the one at Gong Cha. Flavours were less developed, but I enjoyed it anyways because I could get the natural flavours without being overwhelmed by sugar. This was at 100% sweetness too! Diana decided on the Peach Green Tea and I found this one super refreshing and light. Again, the 100% sweetness was on point where it didn't interfere with the peach and green tea flavours. It wasn't bitter at all where the green tea was more of an accent flavour than at the forefront.
We also tried their Jar Desserts that resembled parfaits. The Rocher Mousse did taste like a Ferraro Rocher being sweet and nutty. The cake portion was moist and not ovelry sweet. The mousse itself was creamy and light. On the other hand, the Caramel Banana Mousse was very sweet due to the banana bread. Although the mousse itself was not sugary, the banana bread dominated the flavour profile. A bit wet, the Matcha Granola Mousse was still my favourite. The crunch of the oats, almonds and pecans offered up textural contrast to the soft mousse and cake. I could taste the matcha, but it wasn't too strong. I liked these desserts, but they are pretty pricey at $12 - $13 dollars each. However, when paired with a beverage, the price of the drink costs only $3.00. About those drinks, I thought the sugar level was bang on, however, the tea flavour could've been more impactful.
*All drinks and desserts were complimentary*
The Good:
- Spot on sweetness at 100% level
- Decent fruit flavours
- Jar desserts are not too sweet
The Bad:
- Tea flavours could be stronger
- Jar desserts are pricey
Once there was a Knight & Day located on #3 Road. Then there wasn't a Knight & Day on #3 Road. I guess with all of the tasty options in Richmond and in particularly, on #3 Road, there was really no reason for Knight & Day to exist. Currently, in its place, we find Golden Szechuan, which happens to be one of the nicer (and more expensive) Szechuan restaurants in town. I had originally visited it awhile ago to try their pricey (but worth it) water-boiled fish. Naturally, I couldn't do a post about one dish, so I returned again with Dee, Amy and Diana for more variety.
However, let's get to one of the best versions of Szechuan Water-Boiled Fish in the GVRD. This was in fact, the Szechuan Water-Boiled Live Barramundi which was pretty darn expensive at $80.00. What it lacked in value, it made it up in quality as the slices of fish were buttery and soft. There was a natural sweetness that came through despite the spicy ingredients, we could taste the fish. Only mildly, there was a tongue-numbing experience to go with the rest of the ample seasoning. Plated like laundry, the Spicy Pork Belly hanging on bamboo was actually quite good. The thin and meaty slices were gelatinous and tender. Dunked into the chili oil soy underneath, we got saltiness, sweetness and of course a lingering kick.
On another visit, we went for some dumplings in the Boiled Pork and Cabbage Dumplings as well as the Spicy Wontons. I found the boiled dumplings to be pretty good with a moist well-balanced filling. The meat was soft with a bit of chew and the cooked crunch of cabbage. A bit doughy, the dumpling skin was cooked just enough. We all agreed that the Spicy Wontons were tastier due to the good amount of minced garlic on top. Combined with the green onions and mildly spicy, tangy and salty dressing, there were many impactful flavours to be found. The wonton itself featured a buttery wrapper encasing a tender and slightly bouncy pork filling.
Fairly large in size, the Mouth-Watering Chicken was more mild than it appeared. Despite that, it was pleasant with enough savoury elements to go with the chili oil. The chicken itself was free-range and hence, was lean and appealingly chewy. The skin was nicely gelatinzed while the meat was properly seasoned. Giving the impression that it was astronomically hot, the Boiling Beef was actually not. With that being said, there was a noticeable spiciness that didn't linger much. Most of the heat was centered around the bean sprouts rather than the tender slices of beef.
We also got 2 noodles in the Dan Dan Noodles and the Braised Beef Noodles. We opted for the dry version of the dan dan noodles since we didn't want anything goopy or too saucy. This was decent with starchy noodles that were a bit soft, yet sauced with a tasty concoction of ground pork, bean paste and chili oil. It was by no means super flavourful, but again, pleasant nonetheless. As for the braised beef, the noodles were more al dente while the soup was sweet and somewhat savoury. The sliced beef was thin and practically melted-in-my-mouth.
Unlike the last time, the Twice-Cooked Pork was very good. The slices were thinner and had an appetizing chewiness. It wasn't dry though, which made it even more appealing. There was plenty of wok heat to go around creating a smoky caramelization to go with the chili oil. The garlic scapes were crunchy, vibrant and a touch spicy. Now "a touch spicy" was not exactly what we were looking for. That would be the theme of the meal as the food was well-prepared, but the spice level was rather tame considering the authentic Szechuan cuisine served here. With that being said, the meal was still pleasant, albeit pricey.
*Partially paid for by Tourism Richmond by gift card*
The Good:
- Nice spacious dining space with high ceilings
- Generally attentive service
- Food is carefully prepared
The Bad:
- Dishes were not as spicy and impactful as we would've liked
- Pricey
Posts
The dearth of Hong Kong-style cafes in Burnaby has always been perplexing to me. With a substantial Chinese population, it also is confounding that there are so few good Chinese restaurants in general. However, things are definitely changing with more choices for all forms of Asian cuisine opening up, especially near Metrotown. So back to the HK-style cafe, other than the Boss, there are not much to choose from in Burnaby. However, located in the old Black Dragon Sushi, Chef Corner offers up late night HK-style cafe favourites. We ended up checking it out one night after hockey. 
I decided on the DIY Noodles with fish soup, brisket, pork cheek and lai fun. As much as the broth had flavour, it didn't taste like fish. In fact, it was rather salty lacking the natural sweetness from fish. The noodles were good though being slippery and al dente. I wasn't a huge fan of the brisket as each piece was dry and chewy (and salty). I loved the ample pork cheek though as it was buttery and slightly chewy. I also got the Baked Pork Chop on Rice which was a decent portion for a mini-meal. The rice was chewy and dry enough to stand up to the ample amount of sauce, which was slightly tangy, plenty sweet and cheesy. For the life of me, I'm not sure why people put half-raw onions underneath the pork chop. It was both too pungent and unappealing in texture. As for the pork chop, it was meaty and substantial. It wasn't super tender, but not chewy either.
Milhouse was a bit indecisive and eventually ordered the Beef and Tomato on Rice (I almost convinced him to order 2 things...). He found the beef to be tender while not over-marinated. Slightly tart and completely fresh tasting, the tomato sauce was well-balanced and not overly saucy. Again, the rice was chewy and somewhat dry, which worked well with the wet ingredients. Bear ended up with the Black Pepper Chicken Steak with rice and veggies. He found the chicken to be succulent and tender. It was doused in a peppery and salty sauce that had a nice consistency. We did taste some beef bouillon that gave off aftertaste though.
On another visit, Lionel Hutz had the classic Stir-Fried Flat Rice Noodle with Beef. It was characteristically greasy as the noodles need oil to keep it from sticking to the wok. Of course, high wok heat would help in this regard and the dish more or less exhibited that with caramelized flavours and colours. The noodles were on point texturally being soft while maintaining an elasticity while the beef was tender. For myself, I went for the Mixed Grill consisting of pork chop, chicken steak, ox-tongue, weiner, bacon, egg and fried chicken wing. This also came with spaghetti, soup, toast and a side of sauce (I went for the black pepper). I thought all of the meats were on point except for the chicken wing as the coating was too thick where the skin wasn't rendered. This was a substantial amount of food for one person. 
Our third visit yielded the Malaysian Seafood Fried Rice and the Black Pepper Beef Fried Noodles. Although the rice was on the soft side, it was hardly wet. There was a decent amount of wok heat that resulted in correctly cooked shrimp and slightly caramelized pineapple. We liked how the lettuce was not limp and still retained a crunch. The dish was a little underseasoned though. As for the fried noodle, it was crunchy while not greasy. The black pepper sauce was somewhat different than the chicken steak where it tasted peppery and not as salty. The beef was properly tenderized being tender with a rebound.
For myself, I did the 2-item thing again starting with the Baked Spaghetti Bolognese. This was a generous portion of slightly soft noodles topped with a fairly well-balanced meat sauce. Naturally, this was classic HK-style where there was a slight star anise aftertaste. There was a good amount of cheese on top too. I also had the Beef Hot Pot which was fairly bland, but did sport a decent portion of tender thin-sliced beef. It was too bad the soup did not exhibit any developed flavours since the rest of the ingredients were on point. Overall, we thought the food at Chef Corner to be serviceable and reasonably-price. However, it can be a bit hit and miss. I guess that is good enough for late night and especially in Burnaby.
