Tenen

Usually, when one spots a restaurant featured on Groupon, there are a few assumptions made - either it is new and trying to get the word out or they are not doing very well.  I'm sure there are other reasons too, but those are 2 of the most prevalent that I've seen.  So when I saw the Groupon for Tenan Restaurant in South Burnaby, I was mildly interested.  I just wasn't sure if it was worth a try.  However, at a recent wedding, someone at my table raved about the place and that prompted me to buy the Groupon.

I headed out with the family and kicked things off with the Traditional Meze Platter for 2.  Served attractively on a wooden plate (like an actual tree trunk one), there was more than enough for 2 people.  It included smoked pork loin, kulen, pork neck, katchkaval cheese, corn bread, ushtipci, kajmak and urnebes.  The best part of this was the fry bread as it was fluffy and light.  Eaten with the kajmak (cream cheese) and boom, it was all gone making us wanting for more.  Can't believe this was only $11.95.

Onto our mains, my son had the Pork Schnitzel with fries and coleslaw.  This gigantic hunk of pork was thick, yet at the same time, juicy and tender.  It was fried up crispy while not being greasy.  This was served with tartar sauce and lemon, where it was simple, but tasted great.  Underneath, the ample amount of fries were hot and crispy.  I can't imagine anyone finishing this and not feeling completely stuffed.  He gave it a try but came up short, only finishing 3/4 of it.  For my daughter, she had the Cabbage Rolls which were not the most attractive to look at.  However, they ate well with a tender cabbage exterior that still had some texture.  Inside, the pork filling was tender and mildly spiced.  I personally would've liked to see more sauce though.

Viv had one of their signature items being the Chicken Roulade stuffed with spinach and cheese while being wrapped with bacon.  I cannot stress enough how perfect the bacon was cooked as it adhered tightly to the chicken and was super crispy (no flabby bacon here).  This gave a salty smokiness to the otherwise mild-tasting chicken.  It was on the drier side, but was still good due to the cheesy filling.  For myself, I had the Serbian Signature BBQ with chevapi, chicken shish kebab, pork cutlet, chicken thigh, thick cut bacon and sausage with fries, kajmak and coleslaw.  Other than the pork cutlet and bacon, most of the other meats were rather dry.  However, I'm not surprised as most Eastern European meats I've encountered are not exactly juicy.  With that being said, I still enjoyed the plate as it was truly filling and hey, I love meat!  Now would I say the food was mind-blowing at Tenen?  Well no, but it was well-made and a good value with great service.  Let's just say I'll be back.

The Good:
- Large portions
- Well-priced
- Friendly service

The Bad:
- Meats a bit dry (but par for the course with Eastern European cuisine)
- Not a big place, must make a rez

Sulbing Cafe

Often, we see copy-cats quickly pounce on a popular trend in town.  For instance, the poke craze is probably the best example where there have been so many opening up, it is almost impossible to keep track of them.  However, it seems that the bingsoo train has been a bit slow in arriving at the station.  Snowy Village burst onto the scene and deserved all the kudos they received.  Yet, the copy-cats were not as many as one would think, especially with the popularity of the dessert.  Currently, my favourite is My Frosty out on Renfrew, but there is another one I haven't tried up until my recent visit to Arisu.  Located a few stores down, Sulbing was the perfect dessert after a filling Korean BBQ meal.

As per usual, we got my favourite in the Mango Cheese Bingsoo and also Girl Smiley's favourite being the Green Tea.  Similar to the current size at Jack Frost, the ones at Sulbing can be described as adequate.  Personally, I'm not all that offended by the smaller sizes since it is pretty hard to finish them in general.  I found the mango to be pretty tasty and sweet with fluffy semi-sweet snow underneath.  Little nuggets of cheesecake surrounded the ice cream.  Loved how they provided a side of condensed milk on the side to customize the sweetness.  With 2 scoops on ice cream on top and bits of mochi with red bean on the side, the green tea was pretty decent.  Again, the sweetness level was moderate, hence the green tea came through with a slight bitterness.  Usually, I'm not a fan of red bean, but with the mochi, it was good.

For something different, we got the Chocolate Mint featuring chocolate brownie bites, Oreo bits and mint ice cream.  This was the sweetest bingsoo of the bunch due to the ingredients involved.  Not one that I would necessarily order for myself, but the kiddies devoured it.  Beyond the usual chocolate sugariness of the Oreos and brownies, the mint ice cream added a nice balance.  Overall, we were satisfied with the items we tried at Sulbing and wondered why there are so few bingsoo options along North Road (it's like K-Town after all).  

The Good:
- More than respectable bingsoo
- Lots of options
- Customizable sweetness with side of condensed milk

The Bad:
- Portions are smallish
- Parking in the complex sucks
- Tables are narrow and flimsy

Arisu Authentic Korean BBQ

Let's get this out of the way first - eating at most Korean restaurants is a pricey proposition.  Yes, I put "most" in there because making a blanket statement like that is neither accurate nor fair.  However, it is true that many Korean restaurants are not cheap where some prices are rather mind-boggling ($20 for a Japchae???).  On the other hand, I can understand why Korean BBQs can be higher priced due to the abundance of meat provided (depending on quality) and also what is included (such as Banchan, soup and rice etc...).  Now when we get a Korean BBQ that is both decent and well-priced, that is a winning formula in my books.  We headed over to Arisu Korean BBQ on North Road since this was the scoop on the place.

We ended up doing 2 of the BBQ combos which included the usual Banchan, rice, romaine lettuce and such.  Arisu Combo A consisted of sesame oil-marinated boneless kalbi short rib, marinated pork collar, pork jowl and bulgogi while Arisu Combo B featured sliced beef brisket, beef tongue, bulgogi and chicken bulgogi.  Although raw meat on a platter never looks like "enough", believe me, it was enough.  Naturally, the charred and caramelized short rib was a table favourite while the tender chicken was good too.  The beef brisket was a bit dry and chewy while the beef tongue was surprisingly tender with a bite.  Sliced thin, the beef bulgogi was tender and charred up nicely (when we turned up the burner).  Predictably, the pork jowl and collar were tender with a buttery bounciness.

Ensuring that we wouldn't go hungry and to provide some variety, we also had the Japchae and Dolset Bibimbap.  These were also quite good.  Sure, the Japchae was at its usual expensive self at $16.95 (less expensive than some other places though), but at the very least, the portion size was large.  Noodles were chewy, yet tender while mixed in with plenty of tender beef and crunchy veggies.  I liked how it wasn't greasy nor was it over-seasoned (as in too sweet).  As for the Bibimbap, the hot stone bowl wasn't hot enough to create a rice crust even though I had squished the rice onto the sides so that more surface area touched the stone.  It might've had to do with the rice being on the wetter side as well.  Despite this, it still ate well with a liberal squeeze of the gochujang.

Our last 2 items were the Gamjatang and Steamed Egg in Clay Pot.  As shown in the picture, the gamjatang arrived bubbling hot.  There was plenty of tender pork bones within while the broth itself was meaty and slightly spicy.  As excited we were about the steamed egg, it wasn't exactly what we were expecting.  With other versions we've had, the egg has been usually silky, barely done (or bordering on not done) and in a deep shade of yellow/orange.  This one was pretty pale and overdone.  Either they messed this one up or if this is usually how it is prepared, I would highly suggest you skip it.  Other than this, the rest of the meal was rather pleasant and reasonably-priced.  We got attentive service and are looking to return soon.

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Above-average
- We got great service

The Bad:
- That egg...
- Parking lot sucks

Ramen Gaoh

As mentioned in my Ramen Raijin post, the ramen scene in Burnaby is getting serious.  What was only a few joints including Kamamarui, Kawawa and Hakkaku at one point, I didn't think I'd ever see the day with so many options.  Located within a stone's throw from Hakkaku, Ramen Goah has set up shop in the old Papa John's pizza location on Hastings at Willingdon.  Unlike many of the ramen joints in the GVRD, Ramen Goah offers up a signature ramen with 2 versions of miso (and a veggie one too).  We ended up checking it out on a weekday (where it was still very busy).

Another feature they have on their menu is their variety of Gyoza.  We ended up with a regular order as a combo to the ramen and also their Truffle Parmesan.  The gyoza itself was tender with a juicy pork filling.  Thin and lightly chewy, the dumpling skin had a nice mouth feel and bite.  As you can see, there was an aggressive sear on the bottom which was good for texture and flavour.  As much as the cheesy gyoza was interesting and flavourful, we much preferred the regular one.  Their Chicken Karaage was both good and bad on one plate.  We liked how the chicken thigh meat was juicy (like really running juices juicy), tender and seasoned.  Furthermore, the batter was crispy and decently light.  However, each piece was far too large which meant oil retention was high and the practicality of eating it was low.

For myself, I went for their featured Scorpion Ramen with spicy ground pork, chashu and gai lan.  I ended up with spice level 2 and numbness 2.  I thought the whole thing wasn't as spicy as I would've thought.  Maybe I needed 3 and 3?  Whatever the case, it was still pleasing to eat with the rich, almost creamy and spicy broth.  The noodles were al dente while the chashu was sufficiently fatty and tender.  To get to the ground pork, I had to drink quite a bit of the soup which was okay, but it was rather rich for me to finish it.  My son decided on the Red Miso broth and although it was advertised as more flavourful than the milder White Miso broth, it really wasn't.  There was the usual deep flavour that we find with red miso, but it wasn't as impactful as we would've hoped.  Despite this, it wasn't as if it was not good.  It was.

That leads into Viv's bowl of White Miso Ramen which was only slightly milder and more subtle than the red miso. It was lightly creamy where the noodles were al dente and the chashu was a meaty tender.  The egg was on point with a runny yolk.  I thought the miso ramens were good, but not exceptional.  Their real draw is the Scorpion Ramen as well as their gyozas.  A nice addition to the Burnaby North hood.

The Good:
- Spicy Scorpion Ramen
- Gyoza
- Okay pricing

The Bad:
- Miso ramen okay, but not exceptional
- Karaage good, but too big in size

Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba

What?  Another ramen joint???  Yes, this is yet again another blog post on a new ramen restaurant opening up in Downtown Vancouver.  But wait a minute.  There are a few things different about this place.  First of all, it isn't located on and around Robson Street.  Second, it features a spacious dining space with an indoor waiting area (no lining up outside in the cold!).  Third and more importantly, it serves up mazesoba or translated as "mixed noodle" without soup.  Yes, they still have the regular soup ramen, but their calling card is the mazesoba and their Hokkaido creme cone.  Although I hate lining up for anything, we decided to do so and try out this soupless ramen...

After a 35-minute wait, we proceeded to order 2 each of the mazesoba and regular soup ramen.  Viv went for the Niku Mazesoba featuring made in-house multi-grain soba, slow-braised chashu, spicy minced pork, raw egg yolk, green onion, seaweed flakes, chives, minced garlic and ground saba fish.  As much as I wanted to write this off as a gimmick or fad, this combination of ingredients with the al dente soba was truly delicious.  There was a certain spiciness combined with the meatiness of the pork as well as the unmistakeable flavour of nori.  The silkiness of the egg yolk made for a creamy and silky texture as well.  She decided to make hers a combo by adding a 3-piece order of Chicken Karaage with spicy mayo.  Although the karaage looked appealing being golden brown, the batter was doughy and undercooked on the inside.  It was lightly crispy on the outside, but the doughiness killed the dish.  The chicken was juicy and tender though.

For myself, I chose the Mentaiko Cream with house-made multi-grain soba, spinach, slow braised chashu, minced garlic, gound saba fish, seaweed flakes, raw egg yolk and spicy cod roe (I omitted the green onions).  This one was similar-tasting except with a more pronounced fishiness from the roe combined with the saba.  For some, the brininess could be a bit much (Viv preferred hers over mine), but I personally loved it and this was right up my alley.  Again, the egg yolk helped everything adhere to each strand of chewy soba.  To add even more punch, I used the provided vinegar and chili flakes at the table.  This added a kick as well as some tang.  After I was done, the remaining sauce was not to be wasted.  One could as for a bowl of rice (at no extra charge) to mix into it.  Imagine how tasty that was!  Yes, I enjoyed that as much as the noodles.

For the kiddies, they didn't stray far from their favourites and stuck with the traditional soup ramen.  My son had the Tonkotsu Ramen with wood ear mushroom, chashu and soft yolk egg (he also omitted the green onions).  As you can see in the picture, the soup was pretty cloudy.  In fact, it was downright creamy and porky.  I personally prefer my broth to be more on the lighter side, but this was still fairly tasty and impactful.  There was an ample amount of tender thin noodles (could've been more al dente) hidden within the broth.  Although the chashu was fatty, it was more on the meaty side (but was not chewy).  My daughter had the Tomato Tonkotsu with chashu, wood ear mushroom, corn, green onion, tomatoes and soft yolk egg.  This was essentially the same broth, but with tomato added.  Hence, it was aromatic and lightly tomatoey.  We preferred this over the regular tonkotsu.

To end the meal, it was our intention to try the Hokkaido Crème Cone, but they ran out, so we were stuck with the Hokkaido Crème Cup.  This was pretty rich and creamy with plenty of milk flavour.  In fact, it was so strong, my daughter didn't want to eat any.  Well, more for me then!  I liked it because it wasn't too sweet while being quite aromatic.  Good, but not something that I would necessarily order again.  So in the end, there was enough to differentiate Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba from the rest of the bunch.  Good thing too as many are merely blending into the scene.

The Good:
- Tasty mazesoba
- Spacious restaurant
- Quite a bit of choice

The Bad:
- Expensive
- Soup ramen is fine, but stick with the mazesoba

El Santo

To me, it seems like the 'burbs are seriously benefiting from the mass exodus of families from Vancouver proper.  Well, the rise in real estate prices across the board isn't what I'm referring to either.  I'm not even sure that is a "benefit" per se, maybe a curse perhaps?  Okay, other than that, increased traffic and housing density, the actual "good" change is the opening of interesting and "better" restaurants in their neighbourhoods.  As the demand increases for anything other than chain restaurants and mom n' pop shops, we find places like El Santo setting up in the former restaurant wasteland of New Westminster.

Located near the swank Piva in the Anvil Centre, El Santo offers up Mexican eats in a modern and hipsterish restaurant.  We started the festivities (they do have live music on the weekends) with the made-to-order Guacamole Trio featuring tomatillo & citrus, mango and chicharron.  Of the three, I thought enjoyed the mango the most due to the tropical-taste as well as the sweetness.  There was some spice with the chicharron while the citrus guacamole could've used a bit more impact..  Neatly presented, the Ceviche de Atun consisted of BC albacore tuna charred citrus, red onion, avocado brûlée, radish, cilantro and chips.  This wasn't complicated in terms of flavour, but it was good nonetheless.  The natural and subtle tuna flavour was at the forefront accented by a touch of acidity and sharpness from the red onion.  Personally, I could've used a bit more punch, but that might've overwhelmed the delicate tuna.

The most stunning item of the meal had to be the El Santo Huevo sporting a masa battered soft-boiled egg, house-made chorizo and habanero apple jam.  Essentially their version of a Scotch egg, this was perfectly prepared.  As you can see, the egg yolk was deliciously runny while the egg white was delicate.  The thin layer of chorizo was meaty and slightly spicy (could've used a thicker layer of it though).  It was encased in a crispy masa crust.  I didn't even use much of the jam since it tasted good on its own.  For our choice of Tacos, we chose the Pescado sporting beer battered BC ling cod, avocado lime crema, shredded cabbage, tomato, scallion and salsa verde.  Yes, this was essentially a fish taco, but it was a good fish taco.  The tortilla was tender with a chew while the fish was crispy and flaky.  With a squirt of lime, there was a nice acidity to go with the rest of the fresh ingredients.

Ending off things, we shared the Torta de Cachete with a side of Papas Mexicanas.  This was my favourite item other than the egg.  Normally, I'm disappointed with the bread in most tortas because they tend to be overly dense.  This one was completely different being almost banh mi like.  It was nicely toasted, airy and super crunchy.  Inside, the tender and moist beef cheek was accompanied by crunchy cabbage, tomato, avocado and peppers.  On the side, the potatoes were beautifully fried and tossed with poblanos, caramelized onions and confit garlic.  This was an aromatic accompaniment to an awesome sandwich.  I would've liked to see a touch more salt to amp the flavours up even more so.  However, in general, the food was good at El Santo and the vibe just as nice.  A great addition to the New West food scene.

The Good:
- Proteins were on point
- Carefully prepared eats
- Nice spot to hang out for an evening out

The Bad:
- Food needed just a touch more salt

Sapporo Kitchen

From my time working in Ladner, I was able to try most of the restaurants in the area.  Although it will never be a culinary destination, some of the spots did the job and really, what else would one expect?  Yes, it was home to a hidden gem in La Belle Auberge, but that sadly shuttered its doors over 5 years ago.  Recently, we have seen the restaurant scene change a bit with the addition of Il Posto in the old Dancing Pig location.  However, there is another spot that has quietly operated under the radar in Sapporo Kitchen.  I know, I know, Ladner needs another Japanese restaurant like Richmond needs more new drivers.  However, it is nice to see a trendier Japanese spot in the village with a modern menu.

With anything modern and Japanese these days, it is all about the aburi.  As such, I went for their Taste of Aburi consisting of salmon, hamachi, toro, tuna, hotate and amaebi.  Okay, if you look at the presentation and execution, this would look more at home in a Downtown Vancouver Japanese restaurant, but really, this was Ladner.  Although it would never be confused for Miku or Minami, this was quite good.  Fish quality was fairly impressive with noted natural flavours without being fishy.  The sushi rice was nicely textured with a pleasant chewiness.  For those who are wondering, yes, I did get the spot prawn head deep fried.

Of course that wouldn't be enough for my lunch, so I decided on the Leo Set for good measure.  Oh man, this was quite a bit of food sporting 10pcs sashimi, chicken teriyaki, 4pcs california roll, ebi sunomono, tempura and miso soup.  Once again, I was treated to carefully prepared sashimi which included albacore tuna, sockeye salmon, tai, hokkigai and tako.  I found the tempura to be also executed on point with a light crispiness while easy on the grease.  Well-charred and tender, the chicken teriyaki was non-offensive with just the right amount of sauce.  Not much to say about the sunomono and Cali roll because they were textbook, but ultimately good as well.

Also on the table, Halfie had the Saba Set consisting of a generous piece of mackerel which was surprisingly moist considering the usual texture of the fish.  It was simply prepared and went well with the usual bowl of rice.  On the side, she chose the Takoyaki which was too doughy and dense for her liking.  However, that was the only blemish to a surprisingly solid Japanese meal out in Ladner.  Glad to see that the restaurants are finally catching up to the rest of the Lower Mainland in terms of quality, presentation and overall modern concept.

The Good:
- Well-prepared eats
- Great service
- Good modern-traditional hybrid decor

The Bad:
- A little pricey