Steve's Poke Bar

To be brutally honest, I've been actually turned off by the rush of poke spots opening all over the Lower Mainland.  There have been so many in seemingly random locations, I haven't and don't want to keep track.  Besides, most are not really poke at all.  In Hawaii, poke is a simple concoction of fish, sliced onion, soy, sesame oil and a few other ingredients here and there.  What we have in Vancouver and most of the mainland USA is a poke salad for lack of a better description.  I have no problem with that honestly because restaurants have to adapt to the local tastes in order to appeal to the most amount of customers.  Personally, I just don't have a keen interest in that, but I will eat it if the opportunity presents itself.  So with a Groupon in hand, I visited Steve's Poke Bar (which incidentally boasts authentic poke).

I ended up getting 3 customized bowls for the fam with regular sushi rice underneath.  The rice was rather warm, so transporting the cold fish on top with the lid covered did result in some temperature changes.  I recommend eating this on-site or at the very least as soon as possible.  Other than being authentic, one more thing sets Steve's apart from most of the other poke spots in town.  They provided all the sauces and condiments for one to customize for themselves.  For me, that is a real plus since you can really make it your own and if you wanted to add more flavour later, you can just walk on back up and add more (assuming you are eating in).

I found the fish quality at Steve's to be very good with a natural sweetness and essence that was fresh-tasting.  Textures were on point with buttery salmon with a bite and equally buttery tuna that was tender, yet not mushy.  I thought the spicy versions were balanced and provided enough spice for impact without overwhelming the delicate ingredients.  Mind you, one could make it spicier with the sauces provided.  With Steve's, one can technically have an authentic poke bowl (can also do that at other places as well) by just keeping it simple.  But if you must have a salad or more variety, they do have a variety of toppings as well.   As you can see, I did add a decent amount of toppings (as I've said, I don't mind this), however, you can do the authentic way too.  I rather enjoyed Steve's Poke Bar and will definitely go back.

The Good:
- Authentic, if you want
- Serve-yourself sauces and condiments
- On point fish

The Bad:
- Rice was a bit too warm
- This location is best for those who either go to SFU or live up there, parking is expensive

Snackshot

Okay, I'm sure you've seen it - mahjong tiles accompanied by money served on a platter.  Served on a platter?  Huh?  You see, it is a whimsical play on dessert with coconut and red bean pudding combined posing as mahjong tiles.  This dessert is found at Snackshot on Granville Street.  At first glance, it looks like the real deal, but alas, you are supposed to eat it.  I dismissed this as a gimmick and never actually gave another thought to try it.  Finally, I relented because we couldn't think of any other place to go for dessert.  The reason for this is we have either tried most of the other spots and/or there aren't enough dessert spots in town!

Okay, let's just get right to it.  The menu stated there is a limit of 15 of the Mahjong Dessert and we were able to snag it.  Possibly one of the most whimsical dessert presentations in town with coconut/red bean pudding doubling as mahjong tiles and edible rice paper money.  At first glance, the whole platter is a dead ringer for the real thing.  Looks are one thing, but how about the execution?  Well, I'm glad to report that the pudding was actually good.  Silky in texture being not too soft nor firm, the coconut pudding was aromatic without too much sweetness.  Not sure what the red bean sauce was for because we didn't really use it.  Another one of their signature items is their Dessert Tofu.  We decided on the black sesame version and it was also on point.  Silky and not watery, the tofu was in a beautiful shade of light black.  It was nutty and aromatic, but further amped by the side of brown sugar, simple syrup and black sesame sauce.

For no better reason that to try more items, we also added the Mango Trio (really a mango sago) with rice cake (little mochi bites).   This was also on point and a delight to eat.  The creamy, yet not too thick, "soup" was the right cool temperature with little pops of tapioca pearls, mango and mochi bites.  The one scoop of mango ice cream added more sweetness and creaminess, but wasn't overwhelming.  Lastly, we went for something savoury in the seemingly simple Curry Fish Tofu.  Yes, the large squares of fried fish tofu was pretty standard, but the curry was what set this apart.  Thick, a bit chunky and full-flavoured, the curry was spicy and impactful.  Definitely a good compliment to the mango trio.  So the stuff at Snackshot is pretty gimmicky (including the drinks with a bottle in it that we didn't try), but overall execution is strong.  Prices are a little high, but worth a try regardless.

The Good:
- Whimsical desserts
- Good service
- Solid stuff

The Bad:
- Expensive 

Saku

Last time I checked, there are over 600 Japanese restaurants in the Lower Mainland.  Of those, there are many that exclusively serve ramen and some that are classified as izakayas.  We have only a few that are authentically-Japanese owned and operated while even more rare are the ones that serve up Yoshoku cuisine.  So in general, most of the Japanese restaurants we have in town serve the usual greatest hits that include sushi, sashimi, teriyaki and donburi.  So it is truly surprising that we finally get Saku out on Robson Street that only does Tonkatsu.  Yep, we have Saboten in Richmond, but really, Saku is the only true restaurant that dedicates itself to Tonkatsu.

I ventured out there with the kids to see what the fuss was all about.  We just missed the lineup by arriving at store opening for lunch.  My son didn't stray far from the standard ordering the Hire Katsu Set featuring 2 deep fried pork fillets with a bowl of rice, cabbage, pickles, salt, sesame seeds and sauce.  This was a substantial amount of meat for one person considering the fact that all the sides were unlimited too.  The cutlet was perfectly fried being golden brown with an airy and crispy exterior.  Inside, it was light, tender and juicy.  My daughter went for the Cheese Katsu Set with the same accompaniments.   Now if you look at the picture, you will noticed that it was more about the cheese than the thin layer of pork surrounding it.  Hence it ate heavy, yet was super cheesy and tasty.  She loved grinding up the sesame seeds for full nutty flavour to go with the salt and tonkatsu sauce.

For myself, I had the Curry Hire Set and although the amount of curry looked alarming, it was the right amount.  This way, I could dunk the perfectly fried juicy cutlet into the thick flavourful curry for full effect.  It was a good balance of savoury and sweet with an impactful amount of rich curry.  There wasn't too much rice and that suited me fine as I could've gotten more anyways.  I loved how I could adjust the dressing on the side of cabbage as it was available on the table.  Just because I was curious, I added 2 Jumbo Prawns and 2 Scallops as well.  Also fried perfectly, these were crispy while still moist on the inside.  The scallops were large, buttery and soft while the prawns were meaty with a firm snap.  So all this food was indeed filling and tasty, but it wasn't cheap either.  With that in mind, I still think it wasn't completely overpriced given the quality and execution.  Also, it is located right on Robson Street.  Worth a try.

The Good:
- Perfectly fried tonkatsu
- Unlimited sides and rice
- Attentive service

The Bad:
- Ain't cheap
- Limited seating

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