Morak Korean Fusion

Last hockey season, we ended up hitting up the ol' favourites for late night eats rather than searching for new spots.  Blame it partly on convenience and mostly on laziness.  Sometimes, I just want to eat and especially after ice hockey, I'm not in the mood to be a "food blogger".  Futhermore, it has only been mainly Lionel Hutz and Milhouse joining me for eats, which means keeping it local (ie. Burnaby/East Van only).  However, for this season, I've made it a personal goal to actually try new things.  Yah, imagine that...  So we headed over to Morak Korean Fusion which we've been trying to dine at for the last 2 years.

Of course, our meal started out with the included Banchan consisting of marinated bean sprouts, bulgogi and veggies, stewed potatoes and pickled spicy daikon.  We were surprised to see that they didn't included the usual kimchi, but it was not a problem as Lionel Hutz doesn't prefer the stuff.  Of the items we did get, the stewed potatoes were money being soft while not completely melting away.  They were sweet while not overly so.  I also enjoyed the daikon as it was crunchy, sweet and slightly spicy.  Onto our larger dishes, we began with the Dolset Bibimbap.  It came sizzling in a hot stone bowl with neatly prepared and properly textured ingredients.  I found the rice to be a little on the softer side and it didn't really crust up enough for my liking.  However, the whole thing still ate well.  I would've preferred to see a raw egg rather than a fried egg on top.

Going for another typical dish, we got the Japchae which was at its usual high cost of $22.00.  I know it is common to see it in the $16+ range, but this was pretty expensive for noodles.  It was done right though with slippery chewy noodles that weren't greasy.  In fact, they were able to keep them moist without the oil - perfect in my opinion.  There was enough ingredients, including tender well-seasoned beef, to keep each bite varied with texture.  Another positive was the usage of sugar as it was done with restraint.  A well-executed japchae, but an expensive one at that.  Talking about pricey, we also had the Bossam at $25.00.  Again, not totally surprising because most other Korean restaurants charge that much and more.  Besides, there was a good amount of tender, gelatinized pork belly on the plate.  We enjoyed how it was flavourful while the fat was not flabby.  It had a roasted quality to it despite not being baked.

Lastly, we had the Dakgangjeong (Sweet Crispy Chicken) which was also priced at $25.00.  Normally, that is not a big deal since the portion size is massive.  This one was medium-sized and yah, I still don't understand the pricing (that goes for most Korean restaurants).  However, the level of execution was good.  Each piece of chicken was crispy and full of garlic essence and flavour.  I also liked how they didn't overdress the chicken so that it was only a bit sweet.  Therefore, I didn't need a bowl of rice to down it.  Many places drown their chicken in too much sauce.  So I'm sure you get the gist of this post - good but expensive.  Not unique to Morak, but worth noting as you can eat anywhere for these prices.

The Good:
- Food executed quite well
- Service was good
- Open late

The Bad:
- Pricey
- Not particularly spacious

Brownies Chicken & Seafood

Brownies Chicken - now there is a name that hasn't been talked about in some time.  There used to be several locations in the GVRD back in the day, but one-by-one they all closed down.  It kinda mirrored what happened to Lee's Chicken and to a much smaller degree Juicy Chicken.  Heck, we even lost our only Popeye's in Coquitlam too (new one in PoCo soon!).  So yes, we have been left with Church's and KFC as the dominant fried chicken spots in town.  Of course we have LA Chicken and the newish Hi-5, but there is actually a Brownies Chicken out in Maple Ridge!  Run by an original franchise owner, they have updated the recipe while incorporating Rossdown chicken, Cavendish fries and Oceanwise fish onto the menu.

Amy, Diana and I ventured out to the Ridge to see how Brownies stacks up to the rest of the fried chicken competition in the Lower Mainland.  It was a given we would get the 6 Pack consisting of mixed chicken, medium fries and choice of medium salad or gravy (we chose the gravy).  Although more pricey than the aforementioned places, there was more than enough food for the price.  Large in size, the pieces of chicken sported rendered skin and a crunchy well-seasoned exterior batter.  I found the breast meat dry, but the dark meat was tender and moist.  If I had to compare, the chicken was similar to Lee's which is a cross between KFC and Church's.  On the side, the medium Fries was massive being crispy and spiked with Cajun spice.  I found the gravy to be thick and mild in flavour.

Just for research purposes, we also got the 1-Piece Cod & Onion Rings (we subbed it because we already had fries with the chicken).  Compared to the chicken, this was rather pedestrian.  To be fair, the fish was actually quite good being firm and flaky, but it wasn't anything memorable.  That was definitely the case with the batter as it didn't differentiate itself from frozen fried fish.  As for the onion rings, they were pretty good with a crunchy batter and tender onion.  I personally enjoy the breaded type more, but this was still decent. Lastly, we got an order of the Cajun Popcorn Shrimp which was pretty typical featuring a seasoned crunchy batter.  The shrimp was buttery and had a cold-water snap.  Again, not bad, but not something I would order again.  If I had to sum up everything, I would use the White Spot analogy.  Their burgers aren't the best in town, but it is a childhood memory and is comforting.  Same could be said about Brownies. 

The Good:
- Large pieces of generally good fried chicken
- Crispy starch-coated Cavendish fries
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Rest of the menu is average

Sweets & Beans

All aboard the Bingsoo train!!!  Yes, that is right, yet another Korean Bingsoo joint.  I know it is not unique to Vancouver, but it just seems to me that we get into these trends so quickly (like poke).  The latest to join the party is Sweets & Beans Cafe located right underneath Oyama Sushi on Kingsway in Burnaby.  Now, unlike the rest of the Bingsoo spots in town, Sweets & Beans offers hot savoury food as well as brunch (and of course coffee too).  Hence the "cafe" in the name.  I originally checked it out in the Summer and once recently to try at least one of their non-sweet options.

My first visit was after a meal just above at Oyama Sushi.  We earmarked Sweets & Beans for dessert as we walked past it after parking our car.  This was still in the Summer, so we got both the Mango and Strawberry Bingsoo (in large).  Both were comparable to most of the other spots in town in terms of size and presentation.  Due to the overload of condensed milk and toppings, the whole thing was a mess with things leaking off the side.  I thought the mango was a touch less ripe, but it didn't matter to me since I like it a big tangy.  There was plenty of it since it was layered in the middle and bottom as well.  The strawberries were more ripe, hence it was sweeter.  Mind you, it could've been due to the melted ice cream too...  The snow itself was fluffy and light while not overly sweet.

For the kiddies, they wanted the Oreo Bingsoo which wasn't exactly photogenic.  Personally, I prefer the fruity bingsoo options over chocolate ones.  However, if you love Oreo, I can see the appeal.  This was loaded with Oreo cookie dust throughout.  Hence, with the bingsoo acting as the "creme filling", it ate pretty much like an Oreo, but less sweet.  On my second visit, we went for another non-fruit bingsoo in the Red Velvet.  This was loaded with firm and crunchy chocolate wafers (due to the cold bingsoo), dark chocolate shavings and cocoa powder.  Yes, this was certainly chocolatey and surprisingly not overly sweet.  The snow was super cold, so it was a bit dry to start.  It did start to melt, where it became softer.  On top, the 2 pieces of red velvet cake were a bit mealy, but moist and just sweet enough.

Onto one of their brunch items, we had the Maple French Toast with sweet berries, Maple syrup, raspberry sorbet, mint and fresh whipped cream.  Surprisingly, this was not as sweet as it sounded.  Some might want more syrup, but this was perfect in my opinion.  The toast itself was lightly crispy on the outside while soft on the inside.  I would've liked to see more egg soaked in as well as some sort of custard filling.  But it was still good for what it was.  Lastly, we tried their Chicken Wing Tower soaked in "marine" sauce.  I wasn't exactly sure what a marine sauce entailed, but it was a bit spicy and vinegary.  There was a dusting of spice which was definitely impactful but the meat itself needed more salt.  Although the exterior was crispy, I found the batter to be too dense while the skin wasn't fully rendered.  The meat was juicy though. In general, Sweets & Beans is a worthy addition to the bingsoo scene and offers up something different in brunch as well as more coffee options.

The Good:
- Competitive bingsoo
- Large space
- Brunch options

The Bad:
- I wasn't a fan of the wings

The Frying Pan

Well here is yet another, "I can't believe you haven't tried it" spots that I finally go around to.  Remember, some of these food trucks only operate on limited schedules at locations that I simply cannot access since I do not work in Downtown.  Hence, it is not as if I don't want to eat there, it is more like I have to find time to catch them when they are open.  That wasn't a problem this time around since I was on vacay anyways, so I grabbed Viv and my daughter and headed down to 505 Burrard for The Frying Pan's signature item.

Okay, the item to get here is their Spicy Chicken Sandwich.  At first glance, it looked eerily similar to the one found at Down Low Chicken Shack, but I assure you, they are not the same.  One is Nashville hot chicken and the other is a Korean fusion version.  The one I tried at The Frying Pan was good in its own way.  I found the large chicken breast to be super moist and juicy while the uniformly crunchy batter stayed adhered to the meat.  It wasn't as spicy as it looked being more tangy and savoury.  Nicely toasted, the bun kept everything inside without falling apart.  We also decided to get the other sandwich in the Chicken Cheese and since it wasn't saucy, the crunch was even more pronounced.  The ample melted cheese really came through in terms of texture and taste.  Just like the spicy sandwich, the crunchy pickles added a nice texture and tang.

We also got the Chicken Teriyaki Bowl with rice and egg.  This was neatly arranged and also carefully executed.  The fried chicken was pretty much the same as the one found in the sandwich.  Therefore, it was thick, moist and crispy on the outside.  However, without the benefit of the bun and sauce, the chicken ate rather plain.  With that being said, the caramelized onions added a nice sweetness.  Presented as a fairly large portion, the Bulgogi Fries were good. The starch-coated fries were golden brown and uniformly crispy.  These were the perfect vessels for the ample amount of tender, well-seasoned beef on top.  This was a meal in itself and in my mind, the second best thing to get from this food truck.  In fact, all of the food was well-executed and I wouldn't hesitate to eat it all again.

The Good:
- Well-executed eats
- Friendly people
- Food is filling

The Bad:
- I personally could do spicier, but I guess one could ask for it specifically

Colony (Northwoods)

"If you build it, they will come".  You may recognize this from Field of Dreams starring Kevin Costner (well assuming you are a movie buff or aren't a millennial...).  This phrase holds true when it comes to restaurants and other services.  Now you might think that I'm referring to these aforementioned businesses, but I'm actually talking about the condos and high rises that have sprouted up on the North Shore close to the 2nd Narrows Bridge.  You build those and the businesses will follow suit.  That is a bonus when restaurants show up.  Selfishly, it benefits me as it is close by to where I play hockey on Friday nights!  So I was naturally intrigued when we were recently invited to check out the newly opened Colony Northwoods.

As the Loaded Tater Tots arrived, Diana grabbed it immediately and we started chowing down.  As much as these were deep fried until golden and crispy, they were not overly greasy.  Loved how the inside still retained a soft potato texture.  These remained crispy despite the drizzle of chipotle mayo, plethora of banana peppers, green onion, jalapenos, pico de gallo and sour cream.  As you can imagine, there was a "nacho" like quality to this dish that was accented by the creamy spiced mayo.  Heading completely off to the other side of the food spectrum, we had the Rainbow Glory Bowl consisting of quinoa, spinach, fried tofu, cucumber, beets, carrots, pumpkin seeds, almonds and tahini dressing.  Yes, the ingredients were indeed fresh and full of textures, but the dressing is what made the salad.  It was nutty, aromatic, sweet and lightly tangy.  This didn't look filling, but it was so packed, there was still plenty after we took our own servings.

Although they were serving hot wings, Diana asked for their Lemon Pepper.  What a great idea as these were on point.  Medium in size, the wings featured crispy skin that was properly rendered.  This, combined with the tender and nearly juicy meat on the inside, meant that the wing ate well.  They weren't messing around as the wings were aggressively coated with a tonne of black pepper.  Therefore, the pepperiness was at the forefront.  However, there was an equal amount of tang from the lemon juice which added a touch of "Phnom Penh-ness".  Very tasty and I would totally order these again.  Next, 4 cute little Corn Dogs were presented in a slanted bowl and accompanied by dijon and ketchup.  The fairly thin layer of batter was lightly crunchy and spiked with herbs.  Inside, the Nathan's weiner was juicy and flavourful.  I enjoyed dipping it into the dijon more than the ketchup as it added a vinegary sharpness to balance off the saltiness.

One of my favourite dishes was the Crunchy Chicken Sandwich with house pickled red onion, arugula and herb mayo.  Sure, the white meat wasn't exactly juicy, but it wasn't dry either (maybe the edges, but that is understandable).  I found the coating to be well-seasoned and crunchy while still airy and light.  The right amount of herbed mayo added both moisture and another layer of flavour while the pickled onion took care of the acidity.  This was completed by a soft toasted bun.  Staying on the same theme, the CJ Burger was pretty solid.  It wasn't anything crazy consisting of aged cheddar, butter lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles and burger sauce, but there wasn't anything to complain about.  The charred patty was fairly moist while the rest of the ingredients were fresh.  On the side, we found house-cut fries which were on point.  These were crunchy with a soft potato centre.

Onto some larger dishes with a full rack of Danish Baby Back Ribs with house made BBQ sauce.  To be frank, I'm never a fan of ribs at restaurants that are not true BBQ houses.  Maybe it has something to do with my trip to Texas...  However, this one here featured a unique BBQ sauce that set it apart from most chain restaurants.  It was very tangy from the apple cider vinegar and not extremely sweet.  The ribs themselves were not par-cooked to death, which meant they retained a meaty chewiness.  They were still tender though, so it wasn't difficult to eat.  All-in-all, a respectable version from a non-BBQ joint.  When the Salmon Cobb Salad arrived, I was a skeptical.  The salmon looked overdone and dry.  Yet, I was wrong.  It was actually moist and flaky while well-seasoned.  That was a good thing as the goddess dressing was on the milder side albeit creamy.  

We had a few bonus dishes (ordered by the table) in the Dry Fried Squid with sambel oelek, green onions, green beans and chili garlic sauce.  This featured pronounced flavours that were spicy, salty and aromatic.  The squid itself was tender and lightly battered.  There was a bit too much grease though when they wok (or pan) tossed it.  Ending off the meal, we had Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches.  Nothing particularly complex here, but they were nice little bites nonetheless.  The macarons themselves featured a crispy shell that gave with to a chewy centre.  So as you can see, the food here at Colony is not particularly fancy.  It isn't meant to be, rather it is accessible, well-priced and solid.  Good place to enjoy the atmosphere and dining space while grabbing a drink and some eats.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced compared to other chains
- Nice dining space
- Solid

The Bad:
- Limited menu in terms of larger dishes
- Parking lot is rather tight

Doppio Zero Pizza

When Hilda suggested we meet up for dinner in Coquitlam, I was more than happy to join in.  Most times, there isn't enough exposure of spots located outside of Vancouver proper.  Besides, the place she suggested was only a 15-minute drive for Diana and myself.  However, we were surprised that Doppio Zero Pizza was located near the Chevron on Como Lake at Porier.  To the best of our knowledge, we never noticed any restaurants at that location.  Well, apparently they tore down the corner market and built a brand new building that houses a few businesses including Doppio.

Since we were there on a Wednesday, most of their appies were 50% off and all of their thin-crust pizzas were $15.00.  As such, we got 3 appies including the Polpette di Carne al Pomodoro.  The dish consisted of 4 medium-sized meatballs, which in my opinion works much better than 2 gigantic ones.  This way, the texture was more consistent from outside to the middle being meaty and tender with little filler.  I found the deep-red marinara sauce to be good with a bright tang balanced off by background sweetness and depth.  Now the Arancini Sicilani did not follow the same idea as it consisted of 2 large balls with the usual aborio rice in addition to bolognese and mozzarella.  Here, we found them to be crispy, but not the same temperature throughout.  In one of them, the cheese had not even melted.  Furthermore, the rice was on the mushier side.

Our last appie was the Marrow Crostini Bruschetta sporting bone marrow, pickled shallots and cannellini bean salad.  This was texturally on point with crunchy bread that held up to the wet ingredients.  We didn't notice the bone marrow too much, where more was needed for its richness.  The shallots were a natural compliment as it provided the acidity and brightness to balance off dish.  What brought it all together was the bean salad as it was full of umami while the texture of the beans were just right (being tender with firmness).

We ended up with 2 pastas where the Tagliatelle al Funghi e Manzo really stood out.  Al dente while tender, the tagliatelle was bathed in a rich oily sauce (in a good way) that featured the earthiness of mushrooms including morels.  Of course, the robust oxtail added both meatiness and umaminess.  To top it off, the truffle oil added another layer of earthiness that was just right and not overwhelming.  On the other hand, the Spaghetti Carbonara was not as successful.  It is true that the egg yolk really came through with a creaminess and surprisingly strong flavour.  However, the dish itself lacked punch as there was not enough pancetta (although the pieces we got were crispy and smoky) nor discernible amounts of pecorino romano and black pepper.  It was too bad as the pasta and egg were on point, there just wasn't enough flavour.

For our 2 pizzas, both were very good but the Carne e Tartufo really stood out.  It sported fior di latte, salami, pancetta, sausage, ham, onions, mushrooms and truffle oil.  The combination of ingredients produced a flavour profile that was meaty, sweet and earthy.  Although one might think that this would've been a salty mix, it really wasn't.  It was aromatic and impactful.  With so many toppings, the thin crust was predictably soft in the middle, but it was totally forgivable as the other pizza was able to highlight the crust as it should've been.  Consisting only of fior di latte, speck, scamorza and zucchini, the crust on the Affumicata was crispy, well-charred and chewy.  It was smoky with enough seasoning while the cheese and speck added some saltiness.  Loved how the zucchini did not create any soggy portions on the crust.  Overall, Doppio is a welcomed addition to the area since there is nothing like it.  Dishes were a bit hit and miss, but I'm willing to go back for another round.

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced, especially for happy hour
- Nice leoparding on pizza crust
- Trendy casual space

The Bad:
- A bit hit and miss

Il Posto

There was a time when I worked out in Ladner and had the opportunity to try most of the restaurants in the neighbourhood.  Let's just say there were a few gems to be found, but in general, the food scene was pretty weak.  However, Chef Terry Pichor and his partner, Julie Marcopoulos have opened up Il Posto where many restaurants have failed since Uncle Herbert's closed up shop over 10 years ago.  If Julie's last name rings a bell, she is the daughter of the original owner of Mario's, which has been a Tsawwassen institution for many years.  We ended up checking out Il Posto on our way to T-Mills one Saturday night.

Immediately, the spiffy new renos were noticeable and refreshing.  We ended up sitting in the front near a window which was comfortable and relaxing.  Before we got to the mains, we began with a Caesar Salad sporting focaccia croutons, parmesan and double-smoked bacon.  Lightly dressed, the salad at first wasn't very impactful, however, the bacon really came through since the smokiness and saltiness was at the forefront.  It also helped that there was plenty of it as well.  Rather than being crunchy, the bacon was meaty, which actually worked for us in the salad.  We had one more appie in the Meatballs with pecorino and toasted focaccia.  These were on point being meaty, moist and not full of filler.  They were nicely seasoned and spiced, but the tangy tomato sauce added a nice acidic and bright punch.  Loved the ample amount of fresh basil on top as well.

We ended up trying 2 of their pizzas including the Carbonara with béchamel, double smoked bacon, black pepper and egg.  Due to the minimal amount of wet ingredients, the razor thin crust on this pizza was crunchy from edge to nearly the centre (where the egg soften it up).  Although not charred, the crust was nicely browned adding aromatics.  We would've liked to see the dough seasoned a touch more, but the toppings added the necessary saltiness.  We thought the egg was perfectly runny and creamy.  Our other pizza was the Brooklyn consisting of tomato sauce, roasted garlic, mozzarella, grana padano, pepperoni and fennel sausage.  Now the crust on this one was much more fragile due to the ingredients on top.  We found the tomato sauce to be tangy and well-seasoned (like the sauce from the meatballs).  Combined with the meats, the pizza was zesty and robust.

For our pasta, we chose the Spaghetti Bolognese with aged parmigiano reggiano and garlic oil.  Compared to many of the newer pasta joints in the GVRD, the portion size on this was pretty large.  We found the pasta to be right at al dente with a pleasant chew.  As for the bolognese, it was meaty with mild hits of sweetness.  Personally, I could've used a bit more depth and richness, but there nothing majorly wrong with the dish.  Overall, we were quite satisfied with the food at Il Posto.  It might have hard time when compared to the heavy weights in town, but for Delta specifically Ladner, it serves up solid eats at a reasonable price.

The Good:
- Solid, especially for its location
- Fair pricing
- Fair portions

The Bad:
- May have a tough time competing against spots in Vancouver (but it isn't in Vancouver...)