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The good ol' Lonsdale Quay (pronounced "key" not "kway") has been a place we have visited on many occasions. It's got a killer view of Downtown Vancouver, even when it is raining (which is like half of the year at least). There are markets that sell produce and seafood and of course, places to eat. I'm pretty familiar with the food court, but there is so much more (including restaurants and now a brewery). I was contact recently to do a food tour of sorts to savour the fall flavours of the market.
Our first stop brought us to an ol' favourite of mine - The Soup Meister. Now, let me get this out of the way first... I do not believe this is the best soup I've ever had, but it is the best combination of quality, care, price and portion that I've come across in the GVRD. This time around, I chose the Italian Wedding Soup and unlike many of the versions out there, the meatballs were large and exhibited a natural meatiness while being lean. The soup itself was not overly salty and the veggies were not cooked to a mush.
Next up was the Green Leaf Brewing Company where we were served a flight consisting of Amber Lager, Lloyd's Lger, Pie Hole Pale Ale and Animal Farm IPA. For me personally, I enjoyed the first 2 lagers because they were clean and went down easy. These paired well with the sweet pizza and equally sweet salad. The other 2 were more hoppy and would've went better with something robust like fried chicken wings or a burger.
At the same time, we were served a slice of Turkey, Cranberry & Brie Pizza and Kale & Roasted Yam Salad from Bowen Island Pizza. I liked the crust as it was semi-thin, chewy and well-seasoned while not dense. The little pops of cranberry were welcomed. I found the salad a bit undressed, but that was a whole lot better than the reverse. I thought it was a pretty classic kale salad though. We headed over to Sharky's Chophouse next for a piece of sirloin steak and mash potatoes. Pretty solid medium-rare Sirloin Steak for myself being tender and well-rested. The mash was light and airy while nicely seasoned.
Strolling back towards the main entrance, we watched a demo at Olde World Confections on making Candied Almonds. We were served a batch made earlier (and allowed to cool) and these were crunchy from the candied exterior and the actual nut texture. Smoky and sweet, these were addictive. After that, we ended off with a glass of Reserve Riesling at Artisan Wine paired with a pear, blue cheese, and walnut cracker. Smooth and sweet, the riesling went well with the mild pear and sharpness of the blue cheese. This was the proverbial fitting end to a nice overview of the available eats at the Quay.
*All food and beverages were complimentary*
At first, we weren't planning on having any Dim Sum in TO. Think of it, we are from Vancouver where there is arguably the best Chinese (specifically Cantonese cuisine) in the world. However, I never want to be complacent, so I just had to head into Richmond Hill to try out one of the best in Dragon Boat Fusion. Love how the drivers here are so confused and terrible, just like in Richmond, B.C.. Also loved how the parking lot was a disaster with no parking spots available for the amount of customers. This led to people fighting for spaces and doing all kinds of dangerous maneuvers. Ah yes... #RichmondDrivers = #RichmondHillDrivers
After a 45-minute wait (at 1:00pm on a weekday), we finally snagged a table. Getting right down to the food, we had the Haw Gow complete with a whole head-on shrimp in their signature square steamer basket. Although a bit thick, the dumpling skin was okay being chewy with a slight rebound. I found the filling to be very good with a buttery snap and the essence of both shrimp and lobster. The Siu Mai were on point too with large bouncy shrimp mixed in with chunks of pork that were mostly exhibiting a rebound texture. The whole thing was spiked with dried scallop which added an aromatic brininess to an already well-seasoned dumpling.
For the kiddies, we got their obligatory Lo Mei Gai (sticky rice) which was dry on the outer portions, yet moist and glutinous in the middle. However, when mixed together, everything seemed okay especially with the generous amount of ground pork filling that featured dried scallop and a certain floral quality. Also for the kiddies, we got them their fave being the Donut Rice Noodle Roll. This was good as the donut stayed crunchy throughout while the rice noodle was soft and thin retaining a good elasticity. The large amount of bonito flakes on top made the entire dish more fishy than usual. Loved the warm bottle of sweeten soy provided on the side.
I didn't end up getting any tripe this time, but I did substitute it with Beef Tendon. So everything was offal in the world... (sorry, this was a very bad pun). This consisted of consistently large pieces of tendon which were generally soft, yet some pieces were a bit more firm. The dish was sweet with some savoury notes. A similar tasting dish was the Ox Tail which was also sweet and fatty. The large pieces of ox tail could've used more cooking time as they were not really that soft. Rather, the meat was on the chewier side while still gelatinous and fatty.
Also exhibiting the same flavour profile except with the addition of more garlic and black beans, the Phoenix Talons (chicken feet) were completely on point and delicious. Each claw was plump and buttery with attached skin. Underneath, the cartilage was soft, yet not melted. We thought the flavours were very appealing and impactful. Unfortunately, the Spring Rolls were terrible. Served cold and not crunchy at all, the textures did not work. In fact, the filling didn't either as the overwhelming amount of cilantro killed everything else inside.
Another so-so item was the Steamed Pork Spareribs on rice noodles. Nothing wrong with the noodles nor with the seasoning. We liked the pepperiness as well as the salty black bean because the rice noodles were the beneficiary of such flavours. However, the spareribs were completely over-tenderized where there was no meat texture left. The meat merely disintegrated with one chew. For dessert, we shared the Thousand Layer Cake which was excellent. Pillowy soft while still retaining a resistance, the cake was layered with duck yolk custard which was just sweet enough while being spiked with coconut. So how did this one Dim Sum meal compare to Vancity? I would say it was pretty comparable and the price point was reasonable as well.
The Good:
- Above average eats
- Reasonable-pricing
- Decent service
The Bad:
- Wait is rather long (good for them I suppose)
- Decent service, but still hard to flag someone down
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
Posts
The good ol' Lonsdale Quay (pronounced "key" not "kway") has been a place we have visited on many occasions. It's got a killer view of Downtown Vancouver, even when it is raining (which is like half of the year at least). There are markets that sell produce and seafood and of course, places to eat. I'm pretty familiar with the food court, but there is so much more (including restaurants and now a brewery). I was contact recently to do a food tour of sorts to savour the fall flavours of the market. 
Our first stop brought us to an ol' favourite of mine - The Soup Meister. Now, let me get this out of the way first... I do not believe this is the best soup I've ever had, but it is the best combination of quality, care, price and portion that I've come across in the GVRD. This time around, I chose the Italian Wedding Soup and unlike many of the versions out there, the meatballs were large and exhibited a natural meatiness while being lean. The soup itself was not overly salty and the veggies were not cooked to a mush. 
Next up was the Green Leaf Brewing Company where we were served a flight consisting of Amber Lager, Lloyd's Lger, Pie Hole Pale Ale and Animal Farm IPA. For me personally, I enjoyed the first 2 lagers because they were clean and went down easy. These paired well with the sweet pizza and equally sweet salad. The other 2 were more hoppy and would've went better with something robust like fried chicken wings or a burger.
At the same time, we were served a slice of Turkey, Cranberry & Brie Pizza and Kale & Roasted Yam Salad from Bowen Island Pizza. I liked the crust as it was semi-thin, chewy and well-seasoned while not dense. The little pops of cranberry were welcomed. I found the salad a bit undressed, but that was a whole lot better than the reverse. I thought it was a pretty classic kale salad though. We headed over to Sharky's Chophouse next for a piece of sirloin steak and mash potatoes. Pretty solid medium-rare Sirloin Steak for myself being tender and well-rested. The mash was light and airy while nicely seasoned. 
Strolling back towards the main entrance, we watched a demo at Olde World Confections on making Candied Almonds. We were served a batch made earlier (and allowed to cool) and these were crunchy from the candied exterior and the actual nut texture. Smoky and sweet, these were addictive. After that, we ended off with a glass of Reserve Riesling at Artisan Wine paired with a pear, blue cheese, and walnut cracker. Smooth and sweet, the riesling went well with the mild pear and sharpness of the blue cheese. This was the proverbial fitting end to a nice overview of the available eats at the Quay.
