Richmond Station

Of all the places we were planning to eat at while in TO, there was one high on the list - Richmond Station.  Co-owned by Top Chef winner Carl Heinrich, the place has great reviews and personal recommendations from friends.  The actual deal-breaker was not actually on the aforementioned reason.  Rather, it was that there were things on the menu our kids were interested in eating.  Yes, when traveling with kiddies, tasting menus and the such are not very practical.  "Dad!  I don't want to eat this foie gras...".

We were able to secure a reservation and enjoyed a private car ride courtesy of our stay at the Park Hyatt all the way to the restaurant (so that is how the rich live...).  To begin our meal, we went for one the kiddies would love in the Crispy Polenta Fries.  These were a hit since the contrast in textures was on point.  Super crunchy on the outside while soft and pillowy on the inside, these were well-seasoned and cheesy.  The truffled aioli was not super pungent which was good as it didn't overwhelm.  For the adults, we shared the Duck Liver Pate served on pretzel toast with apricot chutney and maldon.  Smooth, airy and creamy, the pate was well-seasoned with a balanced amount of duckiness, sweetness and cognac.  The maldon helped round out the flavours as well as the sweet chutney.  The only thing I would've liked to see was a crispier toast.

For my main, I had the Pan-Seared Skate Wing which was prepared as well as one could hope for.  It was buttery and soft while sporting a crispy exterior.  It was also properly seasoned while complimented beautifully by the tart and creamy Hollandaise.  Underneath, the aggressively crispy potatoes held up to the moisture while the squash rode the line between soft and firm.  Completing the plate was a salsa featuring red onion which was just pungent enough without being too sharp.  Viv also had fish in the featured dish being the Roasted Wild Spring Salmon.  This was also expertly prepared with crispy skin while flaky and moist.  It sat on a bed of sweet corn and bacon chowder graced with smaller pieces of crunchy potato.  For me, I love the pop of fresh corn and the saltiness of the bacon.  I would've liked to see the chowder even richer (but that is just me).  The crunch from the potatoes was a nice textural contrast to the rest of the dish.  On top, there was a celery salad and garlic scape.

For my son, it was all about the Stn. Burger with lettuce, beet chutney and aged cheddar on a milk bun accompanied by rosemary fries and dill pickle.  Since they grind their meat to order, we were able to get it medium-rare (yes my kids were taught to not eat anything well-done).  The result was an extremely juicy and meaty-tasting burger.  We thought the soft milk bun was the right texture to stand up to the moisture while not being too dense.  The sweetness of the beet chutney worked well with the pickled onions in our opinion.  My daughter ended up with the Scallop Capellini with red pepper rouille, fennel, bacon, parmigiano, cherry tomato and pea shoot salad.  Loved this pasta as it was fresh and sauced just enough with a tangy creaminess accented by salty fatty bacon and the crunch from the fennel.  The cherry tomato provided pops of tartness and the large amount of buttery scallops made this a fulfilling dish.  As you can ascertain, we enjoyed out meal at Richmond Station which was reasonably-priced to boot.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Not skimpy on the portion size
- Attentive, yet relaxed service

The Bad:
- We liked the focused menu, but for some a little bit more variety might be preferred
- Food is not light, but we liked it    

Taste of Lonsdale Quay (Savour Fall Flavours)

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* 

Dragon Boat Fusion

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  

Chef Corner

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  

Mandarin Buffet Restaurant

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   

I've made it to 8 years...

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.