Lee Yuen

*Restaurant is permanently closed*

I've said it before and I'll say it again...  Considering the large Asian population in Surrey, it is a complete mystery that there are so few good Dim Sum spots around.  Actually, let's take it a step further and just say there is a lack of authentic and good Chinese restaurants period.  Lately, it has been moving in the right direction with Neptune, Chongqing and Happiness setting up shop in various parts of Surrey.  One might debate how good the aforementioned restaurants are on the Chinese food continuum, but let's just say it is a start.  However, for this food adventure, we visited an oldie in Lee Yuen near Guildford.  Sure, it ain't the sexiest restaurant, but prices are reasonable and it isn't merely a sweet & sour shop.

To start things off, we got the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll.  On appearances alone, the rice noodle roll looked legit.  Generally it was good with elasticity where the rice noodle was only a touch thick and doughy.  Inside, the ample amount of shrimp were large and had a nice meaty snap.  They were not seasoned enough though, but the sweetened soy did the flavouring.  Next, we had the Sliced Fish Congee which was as photogenic as popcorn ceiling.  However, it was decently thick and had a very mild taste.  We actually enjoyed this as many restaurants put far too much MSG into their congee.  There was a good amount of flaky fish which made the entire thing hearty.

After that, everything showed up including the Shrimp Spring Rolls.  These were on point with a crunchy while not dense exterior that was easy on the oil.  Inside, the shrimp filling was buttery with a moist snap.  It was well-seasoned too with plenty of garlicky goodness.  Since we got all of our steamed items altogether, it was hard to decide which one to tackle first.  For some inexplicable reason, I tried the Bean Curd Skin Roll before the ha gau.  It wasn't a bad decision though as the filling was loose with a good mix of veggies.  It kept things bright and light.  On the exterior, the fried bean curd skin was tender with a light chewiness.  

Okay, right after that, I got to the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumplings) and Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumplings).  As ha gau go, this one was pretty average at best.  The thick and doughy dumpling skin was pretty wet which created a strange texture.  Inside, the shrimp mixture was far too fatty and loose where the chunks of pork fat was too evident.  On the the positive side, the shrimp did taste good and had a nice texture.  As for the siu mai, it consisted of big and meaty chunks of pork.  There was an inconsistent bounce texture where some pieces were rather chewy but still ultimately tender.  Flavours were balanced including good hits of shrimp and shiitake mushroom.

Onto some offal action, we had the Steamed Tendon and Tripe.   This was a fair portion of tender chunks of tendon that retained their shape.  I would say they weren't overly soft, but my personal preference is for a bit of resistance anyways.  As for the tripe, they were soft with an appealing chewiness.  There was not too much gaminess which meant they were rinsed properly.  There was a good balance of flavours as well.   The same could be said about the Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet) where the sweet, salty and garlicky elements were in harmony with a touch of spice.  Texturally, the chicken feet were okay with tender skin and soft cartilage.  They weren't plump per se, but decent nonetheless.

Our last two items consisted of Steamed Pork Spareribs and Beef Meatballs.  The well-portioned spareribs exhibited the classic bounce texture where the meat was also tender.  It was still meaty though with a good chewiness.  There was more than enough seasoning and garlickiness to go around without being salty.  As for the meatballs, they were tender, but too soft.  In fact, I would go as far as saying they were mushy.  They did taste okay with a balanced salty and sweetness.  However, they overdid it with the cilantro as it was rather overpowering.  Overall, we enjoyed the Dim Sum service despite some obvious execution issues.  We realized that we were in Surrey and there are not many options, but for the price, Lee Yuen is serviceable.

The Good:
- Serviceable
- Well-priced
- Well-portioned

The Bad:
- Some items need work
- Service needs work
- The decor needs even more work

The Pokéman

What?  Another Poké shop?  Yes, when something is hot in Vancouver, it is more often than not we find restaurants opening up in bunches.  When I first heard of The Pokéman, I did a search and ended up with pages and pages of Pokemon.  So make sure you Google "Pokéman Vancouver".  I was actually invited to check out the place and so I went with Elaine and LJ.  With so many Poké shops in town, it is pretty obvious that a new spot needs to stand out in one way or another.  We were about to find out if The Pokéman could accomplish this feat.

I started with the Ponzu Salmon and this happened to be a good thing as it was the mildest of the 4 bowls we tried.  There was a choice of base including white rice, 8 grain salad or half and half.  On top, every one of them consisted of scallions, sweet onion, cucumber, seaweed salad, nori and super crunch (roasted almonds and puffed rice).  With this particular bowl, it added shibazuke, masago and pickled ginger in a pineapple ponzu dressing.  As mentioned, the flavours were subtle and I appreciated it wasn't salty.  Rather, I could taste in the individual ingredients including the aromatic nuttiness of the puffed rice.

Next up, I had the Spicy Tuna with the same half and half base as well as the standard toppings.  Added to that was masago, nuts and pickled ginger with a spicy gomae dressing.  This was my favourite of the bunch since there was plenty of impact while not being overpowering with the spice level.  There was a aromatic nuttiness not only from the sesame dressing, but also the toasted nuts (that also added a pleasing firm crunch).  I found the white rice to be nicely chewy while the 8 grains was firm and meaty.  Personally, I could've done fine with just the white rice base, but I couldn't deny the nice contrast of the firm 8 grains

Equally spicy, the Salmon & Avocado Yukke was my second favourite which featured half and half base, avocado, nuts and kimchi with a Korean baby dressing.  This bowl was spicy in a different manner due to the addition of kimchi and accompanying Korean dressing.  It was more tangy with a sharper bite.  I liked how the flavours worked with each other including the smooth and creamy avocado, sweet salmon and aromatic toasted almonds.  Once again, the nuts provided a firm crunch as well as the crispy puffed rice.

The other non-spicy offering was the Kame-Hame-Ha Tuna with half and half, masago, mango and nuts in classic Aloha dressing along with the usual basic ingredients as the other poke bowls.  This was fruitier due to the mango and was naturally lighter and more refreshing.  But that didn't mean it was bland though as there was enough seasoning to flavour the rice and everything else.  We ended things off with a refreshing palate-cleanser in the Fresh Watermelon Lemonade.  Normally, I'm not a huge fan of watermelon anything, but since this was freshly juiced, the flavours were natural with equal amounts of tang and sweetness.  I dusted this off pretty quickly.  So did
The Pokéman do anything to stand out in the sea of Poké?  I believe so with the flavourful combinations that weren't over the top as well as the puffed rice and toasted nuts. 

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Complimentary flavours
- Enough toppings while not going over the top
- Love that lemonade

The Bad:
- For those who love an extravagant array of choices for toppings, this may not be it, but personally I enjoy a simpler product 

Cochon Butcher

So far, the weather in New Orleans was exactly as expected - hot, humid and some thunderstorms here and there.  We got a bit sunburned, drank lots of water, ate lots and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  Up until our brunch at Commander's Palace, the rain pretty much held off except for a brief one while we were at August.  However, we ended up spending our afternoon before our flight back home at Riverwalk since it was absolutely dumping.  This was no passing storm and really, we were lucky it came on our last day.  Prior to our flight, we decided to hit up something close to your hotel in Cochon Butcher.

We already had a wonderful dinner at Cochon next door, but at the butcher they are known for their sandwiches, in particular their version of the Muffaletta.  At first glance, the sandwich was medium in size, yet definitely generous with the meats.  I enjoyed that this was served warm with the oils of the meats activated giving off a salty aroma.  The bread was on point being toasted crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  There was just enough olive condiment to give the sandwich some zing and fermented saltiness.  This was pretty tasty in my books.

Viv ended up with something lighter in the Smoked Turkey with avocado, sprouts, tomatoes and mayo.  This was all served between 2 slices of aggressively toasted and charred whole wheat bread.  Hence, there was a smoky and nutty crunchy that gave way to soft ripe avocado and fresh veggies.  The star of the show was the turkey though as it was moist, tender and plentiful.  Best of all, the smokiness really came through.  After the initial bite, the smoke flavor was impactful and lingered to the end.  We liked how it was as advertised since some smoked meats are not that strong.  Despite this, we didn't find it overwhelming as we could still taste the sprouts.

Lastly, we shared the Marinated Brussels Sprouts which were also very good.  They were fried just enough to give them a meaty texture while retaining a bite.  They were aggressively tossed in a spicy, savory and almost meaty dressing.  All the flavors were heard as the seasoning got in between the leaves of the sprouts.  There was also a nice smokiness from the deep fry as well.  After it was all said and done, we could see why this place is so popular.  Too bad we didn't have the appetite to try more sammies!

The Good:
- Loaded big sandwiches
- Well-priced
- On point meats

The Bad:
- Can get busy and seats will be at a premium

Commander's Palace

On our last day in New Orleans, we had reservations for the Jazz Brunch at Commander's Palace.  This was no small thing as this was yet another one of my bucket-list items.  Commander's Palace has so much history in the Garden District in NOLA and was briefly closed after Hurricane Katrina.  After renovations, it reopened in 2006 and has continued to serve haute cuisine complete with their legendary service.  We ended up taking the St. Charles street car to Washington and took the short 2 block walk down.  Upon entering, we were warmly greeted by the professional staff.  They do not fool around here as there is a dress code (do not attempt to wear shorts or t-shirts here!).

For those unfamiliar with the menu, the entree price includes both appetizer and dessert.  In my opinion, that makes their prices actually quite reasonable with all things considered.  I decided to start with one of their classic items in the Turtle Soup featuring veal fond and crushed lemon finished table side with a splash of sherry.  This reminded me of oxtail soups of years past where the rich meat flavour of the fond hit my palate strongly where the flavor lingered.  Of course the uncooked sherry was sweet and announced itself confidently.  There was a balancing tanginess and a good amount of pepperiness.  Viv decided on the Seafood Gumbo which was rich and Earthy.  The natural juices of the seafood seeped into the gumbo and there was an appealing sweet brininess.  We found the viscosity to be on point while the seafood was on point in terms of textures.

For her main, she had the Louisiana Shrimp & Romesco Rice featuring marinated white shrimp, popcorn rice, Romesco, asparagus, tomatoes, Parmesan, sweet corn & compressed basil oil.  The cook on the shrimp was perfect being buttery with a light snap.  It was mildly sweet and aromatic.  We absolutely loved the garlickiness of the Romesco as well as the nuttiness.  The rice was full-flavored as a result and the fresh corn off the cob provided bursts of sweetness.  Tart and plump, the tomatoes added the necessary zip to the dish.  Upon the recommendation of our server, I had the Sugar Cane Lacquered South Texas Quail stuffed with charred chili & popcorn rice boudin.  The quail couldn't have been prepared any better.  It was moist and tender with well-rendered skin.  I found the boudin to be peppery and smoky with savory depth.  Finally, that sugar cane glaze was money.  It provided a sweet balance to the rest of the flavors.

For dessert, Viv had the Commander's Palace standard in the Creole Bread Pudding Soufflé.  This sported a large meringue top that was airy and lightly sweet.  Underneath, the rich and creamy bread pudding was very sweet with hits of cinnamon and nutmeg.  It was finished off table side with a warm whiskey sauce that was mildly sweet.  That was a good thing as the bread pudding itself was a bit too sweet for us.  However, I can definitely see many people liking this due to the wonderful texture and flavor.  For myself, I had the Spiced Peach & Bourbon Gâteau featuring a rich brown butter cake, cane syrup poached peaches, peach coulis, and Chantilly whipped cream.  This arrived warm and aromatic.  The bourbon soaked cake was moist where the hit of cinnamon was strong.  I thought the poached peaches were tender and delicious.  So was Commander's Palace worth the visit?  For me, yes.  It met my expectations in terms of food and service.  A must-do when in NOLA.

The Good:
- Exquisite service
- Solid eats
- Love the jazz!

The Bad:
- Things can be on the sweeter side for some dishes

Pêche Seafood Grill

By the 4th day in New Orleans, we were already into a full food coma.  Viv was beginning to really feel it and didn't want to eat anymore.  However, she toughed it out like a champ by matching me bite-for-bite.  After going for some po' boys at Parkway for a late lunch, we were still rather full when we had to fulfill our dinner reservation at Pêche Seafood Grill.  I sold Viv on the place as a perfect solution to the heavy eating so far.  I strategically made the reservation for our 2nd-to-last day for a place that puts an emphasis on seafood, in particular, fish.

For our first appetizer, we didn't start with fish though.  Rather, we had the Steak Tartare with oyster aioli.  This was served atop crunchy toast that was nutty and smoky.  The beef was buttery and tender while sauced in a briny creamy aioli.  The crunch from the celery not only added the necessary texture, it also provided a brightness to counteract the richness.  The sprinkle of spice on top was noticeable with each bite but wasn't over-the-top.  We could've used a bit more acidity though.  We both thought the Crab & Jalapeno Capellini was utterly delicious.  It sported buttery noodles and almost an equal amount of sweet fluffy crab.  This in itself added a natural essence that was intoxicating that didn't need too much other seasoning.  There was a balancing sweetness as well as aromatics from fresh basil and onions.

For her main, Viv had the Baked Drum with saffron and tomato.  Unlike the one we had at Emeril's, this version was more subtle.  It featured moist and flaky drum that was beautifully seared and seasoned.  The sauce was very acidic and tangy where the spice level didn't overwhelm the fish.  Due to the strong sauce, we thought the saffron was not impactful.  On the other hand, the sweet and buttery peas were really good and offered up a interlude from the tanginess.  However, the well-charred bread (which stood up well to the sauce) was a nice vessel to dip with.  I decided on the Jumbo Shrimp with chili glaze and butter beans.  The shrimp were meaty and sweet with a strong natural flavor.  The sauce was tart and well-seasoned with a balanced spiciness.  I was addicted to the sweet pop of the charred corn, spice from the peppers and the smokiness of the bacon.  As for the butter bean cake, it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside (but not overly dense).

We also got a side of Field Pea Salad with cucumber & chilis for good measure.  This was made with black-eyed peas that were firm, yet still completely tender.  They were dressed in a tangy vinaigrette that was light and creamy.  The crunch of the cucumbers and red onions kept things bright and fresh.  For dessert, we shared the Blackberry Layer Cake with lime cream cheese.  This was dense, but not overly sweet.  Lime essence was mild, but still present.  There was quite a bit of blackberry seeds which was not appealing, but nothing you can do due to the fruit.  Loved the side of honeycomb as it was crispy and sweet.  Overall, we enjoyed our meal at Pêche as it offered more seafood options as well.

The Good:
- Nice flavours
- Well executed proteins
- Friendly service

The Bad:
- Can get pricey if you order more since the portions are not very big

Parkway Bakery & Tarven

After a delicious and overstuffed oyster po' boy at Mahony's, we were left wanting more.  Although there are many choices for po' boys in New Orleans, we had to narrow it down to 2 places since we were only in Nola for 5 days.  Yes, I realize Mijune ate like every po' boy she could find while she was there IN ONE DAY, but I'm no Mijune.  Hence, Viv and I decided to hit up one of the more popular and oldest spots in Parkway Bakery & Tavern.  We ended up taking Uber after days of walking and walking (and taking the streetcar, which was fun).

Since we were not there on a Monday nor Wednesday, there was no oyster po' boy.  No matter, we decided to go for one of their most popular in the Shrimp Po' Boy dressed.  They weren't shy in stuffing this thing full of perfectly fried shrimp.  These were large, buttery and exhibited a cold-water snap.  The breading on the outside was not as heavy as it looked and was crispy and easy on the grease.  There was more than enough flavor to eat on its own, but a bit of hot sauce really livened it up.  I enjoyed the roll more here at Parkway than Mahony's since it was easier to get through.  Furthermore, the mix of mayo and lettuce did not fall out as easily as the one at Mahony's.  

Viv went for the other popular sandwich here in the Roast Beef Po' Boy dressed.  Didn't matter how we tried to eat it, because everything just kinda squirted out.  There was so much roast beef in this thing, it became something we needed to eat with a fork.  The shredded beef had the consistency of a pot roast where it was tender and almost melted in our mouths without any chewing.  It was bathed in a rich and flavorful gravy that was just salty enough.  Loved the contrast between the soft and saucy beef with the light and crusty roll.  Although everything came out, the roll itself stayed together and did not disintegrate.

For our sides, we had the Fries and Deep Fried Pickles.  Crispy and in a medium size, the fries retained plenty of potato texture inside.  Most, if not all were uniforming crunchy on the outside.  They weren't overly oil and were lightly salted.  The deep fried pickle slices were also quite good.  The breading was the same as the shrimp and was crunchy with plenty of flavor on its own.  Although this didn't look like a tremendous amount of food for 2 people, we didn't finish.  Maybe it was all the days of eating prior or possibly it was just too much food.  Whatever the case, Parkway does the po' boy justice and not for a lot of money either.

The Good:
- Overstuffed and solid po' boys
- Inexpensive
- Food comes out quick

The Bad:
- Lots of seating, but most of it is on the outside where it is plenty hot
- For those without a car, it isn't easily reachable by transit

Blog Turns 9!

So here we are 9 years later...  I honestly can't believe it is still going since this was a hobby from the very beginning.  As you might've already noticed, after the Summer, I once again reverted to posting every other day.  Life is just too busy and I do want to spend more time with the family.  Also, I do want to leave some money for the kids one day! LOL...  Let's see if I can keep it going and reach a decade!  But for now, I'll just keep eating and giving my thoughts about it.  So once again, I'm holding a draw for a $100.00 gift card to a restaurant of your choice.  Just leave your first name and last initial in a comment and I'll randomly select a winner in a couple of weeks!