Tsuki Sushi Bar

Poor planning.  That would be me on a Tuesday where we were supposed to catch a movie down at International Village.  With Viv rushing home so we could make our way down there, I didn't research any restaurants to grab a quick bite before the movie started.  So out the door we went and we had to figure it out on the fly.  We ended up heading over to Tsuki Sushi Bar next to Taishoken Ramen (both are part of the same company).  The sushi bar part of the name is indicative of the menu as it mostly focuses on the raw stuff.

As such, we started with the Assorted Sashimi consisting of Sockeye salmon, albacore tuna, hamachi, hotate and tako.  This didn't look like much for $19.00, but they didn't do much to spread things out on a bigger plate (so it was more compact-looking).  As evidenced in the picture, the fish was vibrant in colour with a nice sheen.  My favourite was the salmon as it was fairly sweet with a meatiness while still tender.  The scallop was good too being sweet, slightly briny and buttery.  Next, we had the Salmon Oshi (which we had to compare to Miku since it is the gold standard).  Although it wasn't as good as Miku, the oshi was still quite good.  The rice was a touch dry, but nicely chewy while the salmon was soft and the sauce was creamy and sweet with a touch of butteriness.

For our choice of roll, we had the Tatsu Roll consisting of imitation crab, cucumber, mayo and masago with unagi & avocado on top.  This was a neatly constructed roll where the rice wasn't too heavy.  The amount of ingredients and sauce were balanced so that it didn't become a goopy mess.  It ate very much like a dragon roll except with alternating pieces with unagi and avocado.  We moved onto a hot dish with the Gindara Saikyo (garlic miso marinated sablefish).  Visually, we would've liked to see more of a sear on the outside and in reality, the piece of fish was undercooked.  For the portions that were cooked through, they were buttery and flaky.  We enjoyed how it wasn't overmarinated where the flavour of the fish came through. For the items we tried, Tsuki Sushi Bar was more than serviceable.  Not sure about the value though.

The Good:
- Food is decent
- Friendly service

The Bad:
- Prices are just a smidgen higher than most

Harvest Community Foods

Clearly, the Chinatown we used to know in Vancouver doesn't really exist anymore.  Sure, we still have a few stores where the usual yells of "hey leng lui or gai lan ho peng" from the staff still exist.  However, we have seen the proliferation of non-Asian restaurants (or at the very least, fusion) within the boundaries of Chinatown.  Some call it gentrification, but for me at least, it is the inevitable transition since the epicentre of Chinese goods and food has shifted to Richmond.  One of the somewhat new spots is Harvest Community Foods that sits on the edge of Chinatown where it offers Asian-inspired noodles by Andrea Carlson of Burdock & Co.

We decided to check it out after Sunday hockey since we were playing at nearby Britannia.  For myself, I thought the Hazelnut Kale Gomae Salad sounded interesting and indeed it was.  The lightly blanched kale was tender yet still mildly crunchy.  On top the sesame dressing was not too sweet while aromatic at the same time.   The crunch from the hazelnuts provided a nice mouth feel.  I thought this was really good and I would order this again.  For my main, I had the Udon with sake kazu chicken, watercress and shiitake mushrooms.  Portion-size, this was on the smaller side, but the broth was pretty tasty in a clean and mild manner.  It was sweet with some miso-like saltiness.  However, I did have to add a copious amount of their house chili oil (which was not very spicy) to elevate the flavours.  I found the noodles to be appealingly textured being chewy and slippery.

Milhouse decided to try the Ramen with pork shoulder, candied bacon, egg and radish.  If one was expecting a thick pork broth, this is not what they serve here.  Rather, it is an assari broth that is clear and lightly seasoned with a touch of meatiness.  Milhouse found the noodles to be nicely al dente while the pork was tender.  The candied bacon was an odd addition, yet crispy and sweet (who doesn't like bacon?).  As much as the egg was not overdone, an actual ajitama egg would've been more appealing.  JuJu wasn't interested in the regular menu and went for their special being the Ramen Noodle with miso-pork gravy, ground pork, marinated egg, napa cabbage, nori and green onion.  It was like a watered down dan dan noodle, but not nutty.  It was lightly sweet with a light saltiness from the miso.  He had to dump copious amounts of chili oil to create a more impactful taste.

Shockingly, Kaiser Soze went vegetarian with the Ramen with Squash and Miso Broth, nori, scallion, radish and sesame.   This was the prettiest bowl with a bright yellow hue and it actually tasted quite rich for a non-meat broth.  It was sweet with the salty base of miso and it complimented the noodles with enough impact.  However, just like the rest of us, he had to dump all of the chili oil into the broth.  I guess that was intentional since they supplied each of us with their house-made chili oil so we could customize the spiciness.  However, the oil wasn't that impactful.  Whatever the case, the meal was pleasant, if not leaving us hungry for more food.

The Good:
- Light and healthy except for the bacon
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Small portions
- Flavours are too mild for us

Tin Tin Seafood Harbour

For the longest time, the once consistently good Sea Harbour Restaurant was located as a stand-alone restaurant across from Yoahan Centre on #3 Road in Richmond.  It even had its own parking lot, albeit usually overflowing and full.  However, it moved into its new home across from the River Rock Casino a few years ago and in my opinion, it has never been the same.  You see, Chef Tony He left and opened a brand new upscale Chinese restaurant nearby named aptly Chef Tony.  Now where Sea Harbour used to stand is Tin Tin Seafood Harbour.  Confused yet?  Whatever the case, we have heard good things about their Dim Sum service and since I have yet to hit all of the available Dim Sum spots in Richmond, it was Tin Tin's turn.

Although we had made reservations, we still had to wait around 20 minutes for our table.  They had warned us in advance and generally this is typical of more popular Chinese restaurants in town.  We kicked things off with dessert!  Yes, I did it again, I ordered Egg Tarts and it showed up first (should've ordered this on the second round).  These were just alright sporting firm and lightly sweet egg white custard.  We found the pastry shell to be flaky but dense in need of more butter or lard.  Transitioning into savoury, we had the BBQ Pork Buns which featured a sweet glaze (in an appealing dark red hue) with some saltiness.  We found the bun to be aromatic and airy while the pork was lean and tender with some hints of alcohol.

Finally into something that was full-on savoury, we had the Steamed Pork Spareribs.  Most pieces were meaty rib portions that were tender with a bite.  Loved that it wasn't over-tenderized so that the bounce-like texture remained.  The dish was well-seasoned and the hit of garlic was impactful.  From pork, we moved onto the Beef Meatballs.  These were buttery soft while retaining a meaty bounciness.  Mixed into the processed meat mousse was little bits of beef that added a natural texture and chewiness.  There was also a good balance of crunchy water chestnuts and bright green onions.

It really didn't matter what we were eating for our first few dishes as we always look forward to the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumplings) and Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumplings).  The ha gau were on point featuring chewy elastic skin that was just the right thickness.  Inside, the filling was predominantly whole meaty shrimp that exhibited a buttery snap with plenty of natural shrimp sweetness and essence.  There was minimal salt and a background hit of sesame oil.  Equally good, the siu mai were buttery and juicy.  The chunks of pork were bouncy and the shrimp had the same buttery snap as the ha gau.  A few bits of shiitake added some Earthiness to an already full-flavoured dumpling.

Normally, we find scrawny, unappealing Phoenix Talons at many Dim Sum services, but the one here was nearly perfect.  The texture of the skin was just right being chewy yet soft.  Since the chicken feet were plump, there was plenty of soft cartilage and fat underneath which wasn't too soft either.  The flavours were well-balanced between sweet, salty and slightly peppery.  There was also a bit garlic hit too.  With a touch less garlic, the Shrimp Spring Rolls were still plenty flavourful.  There was the natural sweetness and essence of shrimp (much like the dumplings) to go with the garlic.  They were served hot and crunchy with minimal grease.

We ended up with the usual 2 Rice Noodle Rolls including shrimp and salty donut (the second one mainly for my son).  These both featured thick and elastic rice noodle that was a touch dense but was texturally on point.  We found the large shrimp (oxymoron?) to be a bit firm where it didn't have the same buttery snap texture like the dumplings and spring rolls.  As for the donut, it was crunchy and fresh-tasting (not refried) while being easy on the oil.  For our carb filler, we got the Seafood Yee Mein Hot Pot.  It was a pretty good value for $11.00 where there was plenty of seafood that was not overcooked.  The noodles were chewy and slippery while mildly seasoned.  This dish was executed quite well.  Overall, we found the food to be well-made and well-portioned.  Lineups are crazy here, but for a reason.

The Good:
- Food is pretty on point
- Well-portioned
- Nice decor

The Bad:
- Lineup is crazy (even reservations don't mean a whole lot)
- On the pricier side, but not too bad

Kissa Tanto

Sometimes, when a person suddenly comes into money and/or becomes famous, the little people are all but forgotten.  Well, I can't say that Mijune has fallen into that trap because she still talks to me!  She, of the Top Chef Canada fame, was in town recently (she's always traveling somewhere) and actually found time meet up for dinner (albeit 2nd dinner...).  Hey, I will take what I can get...  We decided to hit up one of the hottest spots in town being Kissa Tanto.  I've been here within the year, but it was a good enough reason for a revisit just for kicks (and to try dishes we didn't have the first time).

We started with Fried Stuff Olives presented in an appealing golden colour.  They weren't as crispy as they appeared though, but it wasn't a deal breaker.  They were stuffed with chili sausage which provided a robust flavour and spice to go with the saltiness.  These were tasty little bites to start the meal.  Next up was the Beet Salad consisting of stracciatella, artichokes, smoked maitake mushrooms and mesclun greens in a black garlic vinaigrette.  The salad was well-seasoned with a sweet and tangy brightness that was accented by an Earthiness.  Probably the most memorable component was the mushroom, but we could only find 2 small pieces.  There needed to be a "crunch" factor in our opinion since everything was soft.

The most visually-striking and interesting dishes we had was the Tonno Mantecato featuring toasted bruschetta topped with tobiko.  On the side was smoked potato mixed with confit albacore tuna and topped with furikake.  The aggressively charred edges of the bread was smoky, nutty and robust.  Combined with the tobiko, there was a crunchy and briny thing going on.  It was so good, the side of dense and mildly salty potato was not necessary.  Believe it or not, our most favourite dish of the night was the Legumes sporting scarlett runner, chickpeas and braised yuba in herbed butter.  This reminded us of Chinese Buddha's feast but not.  Due to the lemon and butter, there was a wealth of flavour and richness.  The textures of the ingredients provided for a fun chew.

Onto some larger items, we had the Clam Pasta with anchovies.  This was an attractive dish with fresh in-shell clams which provided a noticeable brininess that combined well with the spicy tomato sauce.  In terms of impact and flavour, this was an excellent tasting dish.  However, there was a sticky and greasy mouth-feel to it and that tempered our excitement.  As recommended, we ordered the Half Chicken with shio koji dipping sauce.  The breast portion was tender and meaty with fully rendered skin.  The herbed oil on top was rather mild-tasting.  However, the dip was pretty tasting being tangy and appealingly Earthy.  The roulade on the side was rather dry, but ultimately crispy.

Our first try at the Wagyu Lifter Steak didn't turn out right due to bad luck (one out of many sometimes ends up chewy).  So that was replaced with another and it was super tender and buttery.  The fermented cabbage was crunchy and tangy with a nice hit of sesame oil. We weren't convinced that the tangy and spicy calabrian chili sauce was that necessary as the shaved Parm on top added a beautiful nutty saltiness to the meat.  For dessert, we shared the Tiramisu (which I've had before) with whipped soy milk, plum wine and marscapone. Similar to last time, the tiramisu was airy and light. There was a lesser espresso than last but it was still there.  Overall, this return to Kissa Tanto yielded mixed results.  Portions of dishes were very good, but some elements didn't work or were not prepared properly.  With that being said, it was still an enjoyable meal.

The Good:
- Some surprising combination of ingredients
- Lively vibe

The Bad:
- Not everything works when you experiment
- Prices can get up there

The Canadian Brewhouse and Grill

After our foray into Richmond for some new Shanghainese eats at Z&Y located within The Central at Garden City, it time to change it up and do what softball teams do after the game...  No, it is generally not in search of Xiao Long Bao or Sweet and Sour Pork!  Yes, we actually headed to a sports bar for greasy eats to go with some beverages!  But surprisingly, we went back to the scene of the crime once again to The Central at Garden City.  Tucked off to the side facing the corner of Alderbridge and Garden City Road, there is actually a legit sports bar in The Canadian Brewhouse and Grill.

Since the special of the night was the Dry Ribs (for $5.95), we went ahead and got 2 orders for the table. Unlike many places which only served the salt & pepper variety, we could choose any of their wing flavours.  Hence, in addition to the aforementioned salt & pepper, we also got the honey hot.  Due to the moisture of the sauce, the honey hot ribs were more moist and definitely more flavourful with an appealing sweetness to go with a good amount of heat.  As for the S&P, it was pretty typical and of course drier.  We went for another appy in the Face-Off Fried Pickles served with house-made tzatziki.  These were decent with juicy tart spears coated with a medium thick breading.  They were crunchy and the creamy tzatziki was fairly garlicky.

Since we were sharing anyways, we got a Meatza Pizza on thin crust.  Okay, this was more like piles of ham and pepperoni topped with bacon, ground beef and sausage.  The layer of meat was 2 times the thickness of the crust!  About that crust, it was crunchy and held up to all of the ingredients.  Due to the amount of meat, the pizza ate a bit salty and a touch greasy.  However, the tangy tomato sauce did help out in that regard.  Something that caught our eye was the Miss Vickie's Salt & Vinegar Fish & Chips.  Yes, they used crushed chips to batter the 2 pieces of cod!  As a result, the outer crust was fairly firm and crunchy.  Furthermore, there was an inherent salty tanginess.  The fish itself was a bit overdone though and the fries were pretty pedestrian.  The creamy tartar sauce was quite nice though.

Okay, we couldn't resist and ordered The Rita Challenge even though no one was actually going to tackle a six-patty beast of a burger with bacon, cheese, fried onions and mushrooms  on a brioche bun.  We ended up sharing it and surprisingly, it wasn't merely a gimmick.  The thick and meaty patties were well-seasoned and almost juicy.  They were subjected to a smoky char and with the melted cheese between each, we enjoyed them.  I was able to reform a single burger with the soft brioche bun (that didn't really hold up to the amount of meat and moisture including the Brewhouse secret sauce, think Mac sauce).  We could see that a regular burger with all of the ingredients would actually be pretty good.  If one was to take the challenge, they would eat this for free if finished within an hour.

Now that wasn't the only part of the challenge though as one would have to finish a large Poutine on the side too!  For me, this was so-so as the fries were too dense for my liking and not nearly crispy enough.  The melted mozzarella should've been cheese curds instead since the texture was not right.  As much as the thick gravy was the right consistency and did taste okay, there was the taste of flour that was a bit overwhelming.  On a return visit, we had high hopes for the Nachos, but it ultimately was a disaster.  We found the chips so hard, it almost had a stale quality to it.  It wasn't stale because it didn't smell of it, but I almost chipped a tooth trying to eat them.  We also thought there could've been more cheese and less veggies.  The chunky guacamole was pretty tasty and the salsa was rather spicy.

Since we had a thin crust pizza last time, we wanted to give the regular crust a go with the large Greek Pizza.  Maybe it might have to do with my personal biases, but I didn't enjoy this pizza.  There wasn't a shortage of toppings which included tender chicken, feta, onions, olives, tomatoes and tzatziki.  But that was partly the problem as the pizza ate wet and raw since the veggies were not cooked through.  The crust was fine though being more robust than the thin version.  One dish we didn't get to last time was the Short Rib Shepherd's Pie, so we got that too.  It was decent with tender shredded short rib bathed in a flavourful and thick gravy.  Loved the pop of the sweet peas.  It was topped with a thick layer of somewhat dense mashed potatoes.

I wasn't a huge fan of the regular poutine we had last time, but was slightly happier with the Montreal Smoked Meat Poutine.  We only got a small order (should've had a large) and it consisted of fries, cheese, diced pickles, smoked meat and a side of mustard.  I'm still on the fence with the gravy as it was a bit floury in flavour, but the fries were better and the pickles somehow worked.  Surprisingly, the mustard really made the dish with a tangy sharpness.  After these 2 visits to the Canadian Brewhouse and Grill, it showed us that there are some good dishes to be found within the enormous menu.  However, with restaurants of this ilk, there are a fair share of misses too.  If you stick to the tried and true items, your experience could be a good one.

The Good:
- Fair portions
- Attentive service (especially with the buttons at the table)
- Burgers are good

The Bad:
- Really hit and miss though
- Not particularly cheap

Yah Yah Ya Ramen (Robson Street)

2 years ago, when I first visited Yah Yah Ya Ramen in Richmond, I came away satisfied.  I went back shortly after and it I was once again happy with the results.  The broth was more mild due to the combination of shoyu and tonkotsu broths (Yokohama-style) which meant it was less heavy and completely drinkable.  Over the years of eating many types of Japanese ramen, it is beginning to be my preference.  No offense to places like The Ramen Butcher, because taste in food is purely subjective, but overly fatty and rich broths are not my #1 choice.  I was recently invited to reacquaint myself with Yah Yah Ya at their new location on Robson by Steph (picture credit Foodology).

We were started off with their original Shoyu Ramen with chashu, spinach, nori and egg.  As expected, the soup base was on the lighter side, yet not devoid of meatiness.  It had a noted rich pork essence, just without the greasy heaviness.  For me I enjoyed the drinkability of the soup although I personally could've used a bit more saltiness.  The chashu was thin, fatty and melted in my mouth while exhibiting an appealing porkiness.  I found the egg to be nicely runny and mildly seasoned.  As for the noodles, they were al dente and had a great mouth-feel.  For many, they much preferred the Black Tonkotsu Ramen featuring black garlic oil.  This in itself added an Earthy punch that was both subtle and impactful at the same time.  Hence, the broth was also a bit more rich and flavourful.  I liked this one due to this, but for some reason, I liked the original shoyu more for its simplicity.

When the Gyoza hit the table, I was impressed with the uniform and attractive sear on the bottom of the dumplings.  A few bites and it was indeed lightly crispy and nutty while the rest of the dumpling skin was tender with a bite.  I found the filing to be juicy and moist while being mildly seasoned.  I would've preferred a bit more meatiness though as the pork was almost too soft.  It was served with a soy vinegar dip that was nicely balanced with an tasty tang.  One could customize this with the chili oil found at each table.  We moved onto a bowl of noodles devoid of broth in the Mazesoba.  On top of chewy ramen noodles, we found a mixture of ground pork that was nicely spiced where the heat lingered beyond the last bite.  The raw egg yolk on top added a silkiness to the mixture.  There was also bean sprouts, nori, bamboo shoots and green onion.

Since it was one of the hottest days of the year so far, it was nice to dig into some cold noodles in the Abura Soba.  We had one each of the spicy and non-spicy.  The spicy version featured a good amount of pungent kimchi which emanated a strong fermented odor.  When mixed with the rest of the ingredients (chashu, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts and egg), it was flavourful, spicy and refreshing.  As for the non-spicy version, it consisted nearly of the same ingredients minus the kimchi.  Hence, it was much more mild and in fact, a little on the bland side.  With that being said, one could adjust the flavour with the various condiments found at the table.  With that being said, it was refreshing and still tasty with a noted sesame oil hit.  I found the temperature (quite cold) to be perfect where the noodles were firm and chewy.

Last but not least, we also sampled 2 dons including the Negi Chashu Don.  This was pretty loaded with tender shredded chasu that was aggressively seasoned.  It was rather salty with a background sweetness.  However, when mixed with the chewy rice, the flavours balanced off a bit.  We also had the Salmon Don featuring a large filet atop the same chewy rice.  I found the fish to be slightly too done for my tastes, but hardly dry.  It was mildly seasoned with a balance of salty and sweet elements.   Overall, I thought the ramen at Yah Yah Ya to be good in terms of key elements including broth, meat and noodles.  For me, I prefer less heavy broths and this satisfied that criteria.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good: 
- Despite being lighter, the soup base was still meaty
- Ability to customize
- Reasonable pricing for the portion size

The Bad:
- For those who want a richer broth, this is not it
- Gyoza filling could be more robust