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If one hears the name "Flamingo", there is not much confusion as to what it refers to. Well, I guess some might think it is a plastic pink bird on someones lawn, but really, it is one of the oldest and longest standing Chinese restaurants in Vancity. The Flamingo House occupied the corner of Cambie and 59th since 1974, but with the rising property values, it was only a matter of time someone would redevelop it into a condo or something (especially with the Canada Line nearby). So they ended up moving into a significantly smaller location on Marine Drive which used to be Kedah House.
Costanza and I (with our families) decided to check out the new location for Dim Sum. I was curious how they would operate in such a confined space and really, the place was as cramped as I envisioned. No matter, we got right down to the food as we decided to get both the Deep Fried Dumpling and Baked BBQ Pork Buns from a roving server. Not really all that crispy and a bit dense, the glutinous rice exterior of the fried dumpling was a tad thick. We universally could not remove the bottom of the BBQ pork bun from the paper as it was stuck on solid being wet. It was not that appealing. The rest of the bun was fairly fluffy while the filing was sweet and full of lean pork.
Onto the must-haves, we had the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumpling) and Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumpling). I found the dumpling wrapper on the ha gau to be on the thicker and floury side. However, it was still tender with a light chewiness. Inside, the shrimp filling was on point with featuring large pieces exhibiting a buttery snap. There was only a touch of seasoning which allowed the natural flavours to come through. As for the siu mai, they were quite good sporting a definite meatiness that still had some rebound. There was a wealth of umaminess from the shiitake, shrimp and natural pork flavours.
Presented in a ol' skool fashion, the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice) was not separated into 3 minis, rather it was the traditional large version wrapped in lotus leaves. I find that the texture of the glutinous rice remains more moist when prepared in this manner. This was the case here and the good amount of ground pork filling, chicken and cured sausage added to both the moisture and flavour. Continuing with carbs, the Sparerib Rice was also quite good. We found the rice to be chewy and nutty while not greasy. The ribs on top were full-flavoured and garlicky. Texturally, they were on the softer side but still retained some chew.
Our obligatory offal dish was the Steamed Beef Tripe and Tendons. Visually, it didn't look that great due to the pale shade and the seemingly stiff pieces of tendon. However, it definitely ate better than it appeared. The tripe was soft while still being chewy. On the other hand, it was a touch gamy. The tendon was just right being tender, yet still gelatinous and not melted. Sporting inconsistent pieces, the Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet) were good and bad. The first one I ate was good where it was plump with softened cartilage. The second one was a bit scrawny with crunchier cartilage. Flavours were on point though being balanced.
Costanza's youngest son loves Potstickers. So much so, he can eat a whole order himself. Yes, we got 2 orders of those and they were the overstuffed variety. There was much more filling than dumpling skin, which was both a positive and negative. Naturally, the positive was that the potsticker was substantial and meaty (with a good amount of veggies too). However, I found the dumpling to be rather dense and heavy. With just the right amount of pork filling, the Bean Curd Skin Rolls were on point. The rolls were somewhat loose, but as I said, I don't like the dense fillings. Hence, it ate a lot lighter than it appeared. The bean curd skin was appealingly chewy and moist.
Something not found on many Dim Sum menus these days is the classic Shrimp Toast. Sure, I fully realize that deep-frying toast means plenty of grease, but there is something so tasty about this dish that I conveniently forget. This particular one was good with crispy toast and bouncy sweet shrimp mousse. The addition of sesame seeds on top added more crunch and aromatics. One of the best dishes was the Deep Fried Squid, as unlike the toast, it was not greasy at all. The thin layer of seasoned batter was crispy and light while the squid was tender with a nice rebound texture.
For dessert, we got both the Lychee & Wolfberry Gelatin and Egg Tarts. Despite being a large portion, the gelatin was terrible. It was super dense and gritty. It was lightly sweet and had the essence of lychee. But the texture ruined the dish. As for the egg tarts, they featured a puff pastry shell which was a bit dense as well. Even the filling was on the thicker side. It was only lightly sweet though. As you can see, the food in the pictures are pretty ol' skool. For me, it is pretty familiar but for some it may not have the appeal of some of the newer more progressive restaurants. Whatever the case, Flamingo House still does the job for a reasonable price.
The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Kinda low-key (compared to the bigger places)
- Fairly attentive service
The Bad:
- Somewhat ol' skool (but can be a plus too)
- Not particularly spacious
Coming off a recent visit to Myst, I was mildly satisfied with my meal. Although it wasn't a priority to revisit the place immediately, I was curious about several items they had including their shaved ice. So when Viv queried where we should go for dinner, I suggested we give it a go. Upon arriving, our plan was kiboshed due to the excessively long lineup out the door. I guess social media promotion really works as it received heavy play in the past month. Well we weren't going to stand in line, so we ended up walking up the street to Chuanxi Plain Hot pot, where Posh used to be located.
We decided to go for half and half broth consisting of Butter Spicy Soup and Nutritious Soup. We asked for medium spicy and even at that, the broth was pretty potent. I wouldn't say it hurt to eat it nor did it burn my mouth, it was just impactful. I thought the spice level increased as we ate our meal. As for the nutritious broth, it was very mild and only had a mild sweetness and umaminess. Over at their sauce bar, all of the regular items were there including soy, sesame oil, vinegar, chili oil, garlic, sesame seeds, oyster sauce, satay sauce and chilis as well as some interesting ones such as msg, chicken bouillon and ground Szechaun peppercorns. Off to the side, there was some pickles too.
Presented on a large platter, there was a generous portion of freshly sliced meats including Supreme Beef, Sliced Short Rib, Lamb and Pork Belly. By visuals alone, the meat looked to be appealing and of good quality. In reality, it was very good with tender thin slices of pork belly that had a good ratio of meat-to-fat. I found the lamb equally good where it was only slightly less buttery than the pork belly. Both types of beef were soft and tender with a nice meaty texture. The side of Tendon looked good being formed into a mold and sliced, but when boiled, it broke apart pretty easily as it was far too soft. We would've liked to see it more firm in texture. On another plate, we found a mound of stuff that included Honeycomb Tripe, Bible Tripe, Pork Intestine, Squid Meatballs and Sliced Basa.
Of course we had to get some Veggies too (right?). We chose watercress, enoki mushroom, oyster mushroom, wintermelon and some tofu puffs. There wasn't anything amiss with these and in fact, the watercress was pretty fresh. Liked how everything was cleaned properly too. When we were done, it was clear why Viv and I do not go for hot pot very often since we were stuffed. Best to get a few more friends next time. I wouldn't hesitate to return to Chaunxi as it was pretty good in my books.
The Good:
- Impactful broth
- Fairly good ingredients
- Lots of sauces
The Bad:
- They need to do a better job cleaning the tables
- A little hard to flag someone down
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
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
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
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
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If one hears the name "Flamingo", there is not much confusion as to what it refers to. Well, I guess some might think it is a plastic pink bird on someones lawn, but really, it is one of the oldest and longest standing Chinese restaurants in Vancity. The Flamingo House occupied the corner of Cambie and 59th since 1974, but with the rising property values, it was only a matter of time someone would redevelop it into a condo or something (especially with the Canada Line nearby). So they ended up moving into a significantly smaller location on Marine Drive which used to be Kedah House.
Costanza and I (with our families) decided to check out the new location for Dim Sum. I was curious how they would operate in such a confined space and really, the place was as cramped as I envisioned. No matter, we got right down to the food as we decided to get both the Deep Fried Dumpling and Baked BBQ Pork Buns from a roving server. Not really all that crispy and a bit dense, the glutinous rice exterior of the fried dumpling was a tad thick. We universally could not remove the bottom of the BBQ pork bun from the paper as it was stuck on solid being wet. It was not that appealing. The rest of the bun was fairly fluffy while the filing was sweet and full of lean pork.
Onto the must-haves, we had the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumpling) and Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumpling). I found the dumpling wrapper on the ha gau to be on the thicker and floury side. However, it was still tender with a light chewiness. Inside, the shrimp filling was on point with featuring large pieces exhibiting a buttery snap. There was only a touch of seasoning which allowed the natural flavours to come through. As for the siu mai, they were quite good sporting a definite meatiness that still had some rebound. There was a wealth of umaminess from the shiitake, shrimp and natural pork flavours.
Presented in a ol' skool fashion, the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice) was not separated into 3 minis, rather it was the traditional large version wrapped in lotus leaves. I find that the texture of the glutinous rice remains more moist when prepared in this manner. This was the case here and the good amount of ground pork filling, chicken and cured sausage added to both the moisture and flavour. Continuing with carbs, the Sparerib Rice was also quite good. We found the rice to be chewy and nutty while not greasy. The ribs on top were full-flavoured and garlicky. Texturally, they were on the softer side but still retained some chew.
Our obligatory offal dish was the Steamed Beef Tripe and Tendons. Visually, it didn't look that great due to the pale shade and the seemingly stiff pieces of tendon. However, it definitely ate better than it appeared. The tripe was soft while still being chewy. On the other hand, it was a touch gamy. The tendon was just right being tender, yet still gelatinous and not melted. Sporting inconsistent pieces, the Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet) were good and bad. The first one I ate was good where it was plump with softened cartilage. The second one was a bit scrawny with crunchier cartilage. Flavours were on point though being balanced.
Costanza's youngest son loves Potstickers. So much so, he can eat a whole order himself. Yes, we got 2 orders of those and they were the overstuffed variety. There was much more filling than dumpling skin, which was both a positive and negative. Naturally, the positive was that the potsticker was substantial and meaty (with a good amount of veggies too). However, I found the dumpling to be rather dense and heavy. With just the right amount of pork filling, the Bean Curd Skin Rolls were on point. The rolls were somewhat loose, but as I said, I don't like the dense fillings. Hence, it ate a lot lighter than it appeared. The bean curd skin was appealingly chewy and moist.
Something not found on many Dim Sum menus these days is the classic Shrimp Toast. Sure, I fully realize that deep-frying toast means plenty of grease, but there is something so tasty about this dish that I conveniently forget. This particular one was good with crispy toast and bouncy sweet shrimp mousse. The addition of sesame seeds on top added more crunch and aromatics. One of the best dishes was the Deep Fried Squid, as unlike the toast, it was not greasy at all. The thin layer of seasoned batter was crispy and light while the squid was tender with a nice rebound texture.
For dessert, we got both the Lychee & Wolfberry Gelatin and Egg Tarts. Despite being a large portion, the gelatin was terrible. It was super dense and gritty. It was lightly sweet and had the essence of lychee. But the texture ruined the dish. As for the egg tarts, they featured a puff pastry shell which was a bit dense as well. Even the filling was on the thicker side. It was only lightly sweet though. As you can see, the food in the pictures are pretty ol' skool. For me, it is pretty familiar but for some it may not have the appeal of some of the newer more progressive restaurants. Whatever the case, Flamingo House still does the job for a reasonable price.
