HiFive Chicken (Burnaby)

For such a big city, Vancouver's fried chicken game is relatively weak.  When you have to put an American fast food chain near the top of the list locally, it is a real indictment.  Now I don't hold anything against Church's Chicken because it is indeed juicy and well-brined, yet in other cities, it wouldn't even make their top 3.  I personally love Church's and do think it is a close second to my favourite - LA Chicken.  With the addition of Popeye's it makes things more interesting, especially with Juke, Win Win and Down Low in the mix as well.  One spot I haven't mentioned is the local chain of HiFive Chicken (2 locations as of this blog post).  I've had their chicken many times and consider it a worthy competitor to the aforementioned places.  Recently, I was invited to sample their menu along with Diana, Emily and Melody.

As much as they offer chicken, HiFive has a wide range of sides including their popular Potato Wedges and Fried Mac n' Cheese.  Unlike all of the other spots, HiFive does not offer a traditional French fry.  However, this is not a problem since their spiced potato wedges are really good.  When eaten fresh, they are crunchy and well-seasoned while sporting plenty of soft potatoey goodness inside.  I find them rather filling as well and are a meal in itself.  It is best to share them.  With a cheesy and well-salted filling, the bites don't really need the accompanying dipping sauce (although it goes well with a side of ketchup!).  As greasy as it can be, it really isn't while being crispy on the outside.  I also like how the batter is not thick either.

One new item I got to try is their Pepper Poppers and they are fairly large in size.  They feature a crunchy exterior giving way to a cooked pepper that still exhibits a light crunch.  Stuffed inside is seasoned cream cheese that isn't melted.  There is a medium level of spice to go with a nice tang and creaminess of the cheese.  Once again, the grease level is moderate.  I also never had their Onion Rings and these are somewhat similar to the breaded version found at A&W except with a less aggressive thickness to the batter.  Hence, there is definitely a firm crunch, but not heavy.  Easy on the grease again, the batter reveals tender onion that is completely cooked through.

Onto the chicken, they are one of the few places that offers up both Fried and Baked Chicken.  For their fried chicken, the original is very similar to Church's except being a bit darker and at times, crunchier.  The chicken is juicy and brined, but not as salty as Church's.  I prefer the spicy due to the extra pop of flavour.  I find that the spice level equal to the one at Church's but just uniquely different.  It doesn't have an initial bite, but the spice builds as you eat it.  As for the baked, the skin is well-rendered to the point where there is not much fat left.  At the same time, the meat maintains a certain amount of succulence.  Once again, the spicy is my choice and similar to the fried version, the heat shows up at the end.


For all the times I've visited HiFive, this is the first time I got to sample the burgers.  We had them all including the HiFive Chicken, Fried Chicken Mega, Homestyle Spicy Chicken and the Super Spicy Baked.  As much as the baked versions were "healthier" (depends on your definition of healthier...), the fried ones were our preference.  With the solid crunch and juicy white meat, the HiFive Chicken (spicy) was our favourite.  The large size of the chicken breast made it hearty and filling.  I also enjoyed the super spicy baked as well due to the heat.  The chicken was still moist despite the crunch on the outside.  Well, there you have it, a successful return visit to HiFive Chicken.  For the items we tried, they were good and definitely worthy of being in the conversation as one of the better fried chicken choices in town.

*All food and drink was complimentary*

The Good:
- Solid fried chicken
- Option of baked chicken
- Good sides

The Bad:
- Didn't get to try the chicken strips, but they weren't my favourite the last time, heard they are changing the recipe

M8

Funny how certain locations within the city are deathtraps for restaurants.  Case in point, the seemingly awesome waterfront spot along 1010 Beach Avenue sees a turnstile of restaurants coming and going.  The latest iteration, M8, features elevated Chinese/Asian food that "isn't fusion" according to the menu and website.  Featuring the same chef from the former Moma in Richmond, I was intrigued as to what we had in store at this location as well as the somewhat eclectic menu.  Joining me for this food adventure were Maggi, Joyce, Areta and David.

We set out on this meal with some of the smaller plates including the Crispy Chicken Skin sporting chili oil, salty egg yolk, mustard seeds and balsamic glaze.  I have to say right now that this dish has to be one of the "must try" items in the city.  Perfectly and uniformly crispy, the airy chicken skin was kissed with the salty umaminess of the egg yolk powder.  It was further amped by the balanced amount of chili oil, tangy mustard seeds and sweet glaze.  I could have easily eaten all of this myself and 2 more orders.  Next, the Beef Cheeks was also quite good being deep fried and then tossed in aged black vinegar, Sichuan peanuts and lotus root.  Beyond the lightly crispy coating, the beef cheeks were melt-in-our-mouths tender.  Although the sweet tanginess of the black vinegar wasn't everyone's cup of tea, I enjoyed it and thought some white rice on the side would've been great.

I wasn't a huge fan of the Crispy Pork Belly mainly because it was dry and not sinfully fatty.  Since we had 5 of us, I tried to cut the 2 generous slices of belly with a knife.  Unfortunately, all I accomplished by that was shredding the meat due to the dry texture.  This was really too bad as the pork belly was nicely seared and tasted great on its own (as well as with the accompanying pork jus).  We weren't too sure of the taro root puree on the bottom though as it didn't add much.  In fact, the pasty texture didn't really go in our opinion.  Actual chunks of stewed taro would've worked better (like the classic strewed pork belly and taro).  We got a bonus dish since the chef recognized me from my visit to Moma.  It turned out to be one of my favourites in the Shimeji Mushroom Tempura with burnt lemon aioli, warm kale salad and wakame.  This was a textural delight where the crunchy batter revealed tender, yet still firm mushrooms.

Our last small dish was the Smoked Lamb Belly with mint salsa verde and fennel carrots.  Texturally, this was better than the pork belly as it was tender and gelatinous.  The smoke flavour was definitely there, but we found a strong aftertaste which wasn't necessarily appealing.  Naturally, the mint salsa verde was a good compliment to the lamb.  We felt this was a pretty solid dish except for the aftertaste.

Onto our larger items, this is where it became fairly hit and miss.  I would say the Beef and Broccoli was a polarizing dish as many didn't like it.  We actually had 2 versions where the first one featured an overdone 8 oz ribeye steak (our server thought we wanted the steak well-done, huh???).  Anyways, the second steak was perfectly medium-rare and quite good.  Unfortunately, the broccoli in the second dish was far too salty unlike the first dish.  It was properly prepared in terms of texture though being crunchy while cooked through.  Hit and miss on the same plate was the Crispy Aged Duck Breast and Duck Leg Confit.  I really enjoyed the tender duck breast with crispy skin, but the duck leg was over fried being dry and not really all that appealing.  The dish was completed with soybean and preserved mustard greens.

Trying out 2 of their pastas, we had the Tagliatelle Bolognese and also the Tiger Prawn Bucatini.  Reminiscent of a "Ja Jeun Mein", the beef and pork ragu sported shiitake mushrooms and trio soy sauce.  Hence this tasted truly Asian, but mixed with a very non-Asian pasta.  Unlike some others, I didn't mind this dish even though it was missing something.  It could've used some form of acidity or spice to liven up the flat flavours.  However, I thought the pasta was perfect and the meaty ragu exhibited plenty of body and robustness.  Universally, we enjoyed the bucatini more as it was brighter and less heavy.  The pasta featured a shrimp and garlic chive pesto which was aromatic and herbaceous.  Once again, the pasta was perfect and the prawns were meaty with a sweet snap.  Overall, I didn't mind the food at M8, but the appies were definitely the highlight as opposed to the entrees.  Considering its location, M8 is a great place to grab a drink and some small bites while people watching from the patio.

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced considering its location (especially the appies)
- Good location for the Summer
- Some highlights

The Bad:
- Entrees weren't bad per se, but could use some tweaks
- A little confusing with some of the combos

Sushi TonTon

There are so many Japanese restaurants in the Lower Mainland, we often do not even notice new openings.  Unless they are of the higher end variety, some come and go without even a blip on the radar.  However, we can look to Instagram for help as somebody would've at least tried the place out and posted a pic or two.  Fortunately for me, initial invites help me keep up with the new spots as well.  This was totally the case when I was invited to try out Sushi TonTon on Cambie near King Edward.  Without the invite, I wouldn't have even known about the place.  In fact, it had replaced a previous Japanese restaurant that I wasn't aware of either!  In addition to this invite, I actually returned on my own several weeks later, this post will be an amalgamation of both visits.

One of the most impressive items I tried was the Assorted Sashimi (which I paid with my own coin) as it was majestically plated as well as looking supremely fresh.  It consisted of tuna, sockeye salmon, Atlantic salmon, salmon toro, tai, hokkigai, ebi, mackerel, hotate, spot prawn (with fried heads) and tako wasabi.  I know it is a very general statement to say that the sashimi was fresh while the textures and flavours were good, but it was all true here.  I wouldn't say it was on the same level the high end Japanese spots in town, yet at the same time I wouldn't hesitate to say it is on the upper limit of the mid-range spots.  Hence, the Tonton Tower was every bit as good as well.  On a bed of imitation crab, avocado and kanpyo mixed with herb oil, we found large slices of tuna and salmon with a dollop of tobiko on top.  Surrounding it was more herb oil with capers and fried garlic.  Other than the fish, the flavours were salty (maybe a tad too salty) and tangy.

Onto their Aburi Oshi, we tried all of them including Spicy Tuna, Ebi, Unagi, Saba, Hamachi and Salmon.  So I know the burning question is, "are they as good as Miku?".  Well, I would say no, but at the same time, they were fine in their own way in a Green Leaf-like manner.  I mean, they even resemble Green Leaf in appearance, except for the tuna and salmon.  I would say it is their own interpretation where they were indeed spicy, but probably a bit too saucy for me.  I liked the rice as it was chewy and had the right moisture content.  The torching on top could've been more aggressive in my opinion.  I've had the opportunity to try their Nigiri several times, so I didn't order it specifically the last time I visited the place.  However, Bear did and his selection included tobiko, tuna tataki, sockeye salmon, tuna and aburi Atlantic salmon.  Once again, the visuals say it all as the fish had a nice sheen and colours were appealing.  It ate well too with the same chewy rice.

One of the more surprising items I've tried was their Spicy Chicken Wings.  No, this wasn't their attempt at chicken karaage because that is on the menu as well (being boneless).  Rather, these were straight-up fried chicken wings tossed in a spicy and sweet glaze. These were fantastic with a crispy exterior with moderately rendered skin (wasn't flabby though) giving way to juicy (literally leaking out) meat.  As much as the wings weren't aggressively seasoned, the glaze was impactful and there was just enough of it to cling onto each wing without creating a pool of liquid on the bottom of the plate.  Interestingly, the Assorted Tempura consisting of 4 prawns, 3 yam, asparagus, zucchini and red pepper looked rather sad in the picture on the menu.  Thankfully, the actual dish was much better.  As evidenced in my picture, the batter was thin and crispy while easy on the grease.  The items were not overdone, therefore the textures were on point including the buttery prawns.

Remember when I said they don't hide the fact it is Korean-run?  Well, they even have a small section called "Tasty K-Food".  We can't have tasty K-food without some BBQ Short Ribs right?  These were money as each slice was meaty with just the right amount of fat.  There was a caramelized char on the outside that was heightened by the sweet and salty marinade.  Of course the fattiness of the meat added plenty of aroma and umaminess.  Good portion size too with only a tiny scoop of rice.  In actuality, we could've used more of it.  The same could be said about the Cheese Spicy Pork as there was much more meat than rice.  Again, the meat was caramelized and charred where there was a spicy smokiness.  With melted cheese on top, this was pretty rich where the large portion is best shared.

Continuing on the same theme, I had ordered the Ton Toro assuming they would serve the same portion size.  Well, they came through with 2 large sliced pieces of pork jowl and a tiny scoop of rice.  It's like they don't care if meat costs more than rice!  Good for us!  Unlike the previous 2 dishes, the ton toro could've been seared a bit more aggressively, but at the same time, ti was still good.  The meat was tender with the classic bouncy chewiness.  Even though there was much more rice in the Dolset Unagi Don, they didn't skimp on the eel as there was more than enough to cover the rice.  That meat each spoonful of rice had a good bite of sweet and smoky unagi.  By virtue of being in a hot stone bowl, a rice crust formed on the sides which made for a nutty crunch.

Onto some specialty rolls, we had the classic Dragon Roll with the usual California roll base consisting of crab meat, Japanese mayo and avocado, unagi and unagi sauce on top.  I would say this was pretty textbook as the base roll was constructed properly where it didn't fall apart nor was it too tight as well.  The rice was chewy and mildly seasoned.  There was a generous amount of buttery unagi on top with ripe avocado.  With a dynamite roll base consisting of real snow crab meat, avocado and double ebi tempura, the Queen Elizabeth Roll added tuna tataki, kanpyo, tobiko, green onion and ponzu sauce on top.  Normally, I find using any kind of real crab meat a waste since it gets lost in these types of specialty rolls.  However, I did get the natural texture which can never be imitated.  Since there was less sauce, it was more apparent as well.  This was a relatively light-tasting roll.

Seemingly simple and moving in a completely different direction, we had both the Beef Sukiyaki and Tara Nabe Hot Pot (only black cod pictured here).  These were full of ingredients including enough of both proteins.  At first, I couldn't find any fish, but after some digging, there was a plethora of tender black cod.  The broth was light and sweet.  As for the beef, it was sliced thin where it was tender.  The broth was more robust and more savoury.   It is fitting that the last dish was the Kimchi Mentaiko Udon as it embodies Sushi TonTon where both Korean and Japanese flavours meet.  This exhibited the classic fishiness of the cod roe as well as the bonito flakes with chewy udon.  However, with the addition of bacon and kimchi, we got tangy spice and smoky saltiness.  Lots of flavours going on here, but it worked.  That pretty much sums up Sushi TonTon where the Japanese food is well-portioned and solid while the same could be said about the Korean dishes.  Then when they are "fused", the results are just as good.  A solid option for mid-range Japanese restaurant with Korean influences.

*Some dishes were complimentary, where I made a return visit on my own coin*

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Large portions
- Well-priced

The Bad:
- Most fusion items worked for me, except for the crab dip

El Santo

It isn't often I do repeat visits to restaurants so close together, but that is what I did with El Santo in New West.  After a delicious lunch, I went back shortly after from an equally yummy brunch.  I thought it was all fine and dandy for awhile until Mijune suggested I join her for a dinner tasting.  Well, of course a tasting would be enticing since I wouldn't need to dole out any of my own coin, so that was an easy decision for me to make (especially since I enjoyed my previous 2 visits).  Also to be fair, I do agree that more than one visit to a restaurant is only fair since so many variables are at play.  Only problem is...  I'm not made of money.  LOL.

Anyways, getting down to the food, we started with something I've had before in the Trio of Guacamoles featuring tomatillo & citrus, mango and chicharrón served with house made tortilla chips.  I actually thought this was better than the first time as the guacamole had more impact.  They were smooth and fresh where the spice was most evident with the chicharrón.  My favourite continued to be the mango as it was sweet and tropical.  The best part of this dish was the outstandingly crispy and light chips.  Although it was topped with brunch items, I had tried the Pan de Elote (skillet cornbread with jalapeño jelly) before and this was just as good.  It featured crispy firm edges that gave way to a soft and fluffy interior.  There was a muted amount of sweetness that was nicely complimented by the mildly spicy jelly.  If you have a chance, try this at brunch topped with braised short rib, egg and chipotle Hollandaise.

Sporting the same crispy tortilla chips, the Ceviche de Camaron featured white prawn, roasted tomato, red wine vinegar, avocado, ancho and arbol.  The flavours here were balanced and mildly impactful.  That was not a bad thing since white prawn is delicate where overwhelming strong flavours would negate its existence in the dish.  There was enough acidity to keep things bright and the good amount of avocado made things more robust. The one dish that I had to have was the El Santo Huevo or their version of a Scotch egg.  It consisted of a masa-battered soft boiled egg, house made chorizo and habanero apple jam.  Unfortunately, this time around, it wasn't fried long enough (or the batter was too thick).  Therefore, the outside was not crispy nor aromatic.  Inside, the egg was still money while the chorizo was meaty and delicious.

As you can tell, there is some fusion going on with the menu at El Santo, so it was no surprise to find Croquetas de Jabali with wild boar, braised red cabbage, pickled blueberries, fermented basil crisps and corn jus.  Beyond the crispy fried exterior, I found the wild boar inside to be very tender, yet almost mushy.  I thought the red cabbage was impactful while the blueberries weren't as pickled as I would've liked as the acidity would've livened up the meaty croquettes.  Going with an Italian/Mexican mix, we were presented with the Noquis con Epazote with gnocchi, white bean puree, epazote pesto and black bean sprouts.  Texturally, the gnocchi was on the firmer side but the aggressive sear on the outside added a nice crispiness as well as nuttiness.   Due to the addition of epazote, the flavour profile was definitely herbal with an aftertaste, but it also acted like a balancing agent to the effects of the white bean.

My favourite part of the meal was when we hit the tacos.  We tried them all including the one I've tried before in the Pescado with beer-battered BC ling cod, avocado lime crema, shredded cabbage, tomato, scallion and salsa verde.  Like last time, the fish was flaky, fresh and moist with a crispy thin batter on the outside.  The rest of the ingredients were fresh and vibrant providing both moisture and crunch.  The bright salsa verde on the side was a good compliment to the taco as well as the lime wedges.  For our one vegetarian taco, we had the Verduras (fried cauliflower) with sikil pak and mango salsa.  Even though there wasn't any meat, the meaty cauliflower was quite good with a crispy batter.  Although there was a wealth of flavour to the dish, it was too sweet for me (and the addition of the mango salsa didn't help)

One of the more interesting tacos was the Tuetano or bone marrow with poblano, caramelized onion, confit garlic and salsa verde.  My first thought was that the bone marrow would simply melt away on the hot cast iron plate.  Well part of it did indeed melt, but the pieces of buttery marrow that did remain were sinfully delicious.  The whole garlic cloves really added a beautiful aromatic flavour as well the sweet onions.  I thought the bright salsa verde helped cut through the heaviness of the bone marrow, but only a bit.  Since I've had their Barbacoa de Cachete before, I knew the braised beef cheek would be good.  That it was being tender and moist while accompanied by onion, cilantro and marinated chilis.  Although there was some background spice, it was mostly savoury with some sweet notes from the onion.

Our last taco was the Pollo al Carbon with adobo marinated Farmcrest chicken, onion, cilantro and habanero salsa.  On the surface, it looked like any other grilled chicken breast, but there was the hint of tang from the adobo.  It was nicely charred with noted smokiness.  Since chicken isn't the most exciting protein, it was nice to see the addition of habanero salsa for just a touch of heat.  From here, we moved on the larger dishes with the Pescaito Frito consisting of fried BC ocean perch, mezcal chipotle glaze, green rice and tortillas.  In terms of aesthetics, the whole fish looked grand.  It was fried up crispy where the meat was tender and moist except for the edges where it was drier.  I thought the sauce was too sweet, where it emulated a sweet n' sour rather than something that should've had spice.  As much as I appreciated the amount of rice on the plate, there was too much of it.

One of the more interesting dishes was the Salmon con Mole al Sarten with BC Sockeye salmon, carrot and garlic mole, pickled carrot salsa, radish, refried beets, sauteed greens and rice.  Okay, nothing out-of-the-ordinary with the salmon, it featured crispy well-seasoned skin with a moist centre and more dry edges.  Rather, the refried beets was the curveball of the dish.  Yes, I've never had something like that before and it was actually quite good with a soft texture and caramelized sweet flavour.  There was some background spice as well.  I thought the mole was decent with a smokiness accented by sweetness.  Rounding out the meats, we had the Lomo de Cerdo Asado or roast Berkshire pork loin with brown butter & jicama puree, grilled scallion, roast carrot, paprika cured egg yolk, arbol and mint salsa.  The pork itself was fairly tender and moist only in the middle as the edges were a bit dry.  Wasn't really feeling the puree as it was aromatic and nutty, but lacking some punch.  

Moving onto dessert, we had them all (of course we did) including the Capirotada (house made bread pudding, cascabel hot chocolate and candied walnuts).  This was pretty good with soft chunks of bread that was nicely spiced and not overly sweet.  Although there was a large pool of hot chocolate on the plate, it wasn't too sweet either, so the entire dish looked heavy, but didn't eat like it.  Nicely plated in a paper cone, the Churros were crunchy and hot.  However, they were a bit underdone in the middle and the amount of cinnamon sugar was excessive.  If these 2 things were corrected, the churros would've been some of the best I've had (sounds strange how I said that, but it is true).

Our last actual dessert (before the complimentary marshmallows) was the Horchata Gelato.  I really give it to them that they are making things in-house because it is a lot more work.  Flavourwise, this wasn't too sweet and plenty aromatic from the cinnamon but the texture was inconsistent with plenty of ice crystals strewn throughout.  Much like every other time I've been to El Santo, we were presented with house-made Marshmallows which were pillowy soft and a real treat to end the meal (even if you didn't order dessert).  So from my 3 visits to El Santo, it appears to me that the strength of their menu lies within the more traditional Mexican fair.  These include the appies, tacos and tortas.  I also enjoyed their brunch items as well.  Once again, El Santo proves to be a little slice of Downtown Vancouver in the heart of New West.  Come for beverages and order the aforementioned dishes and you'll have a good time.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Downtown vibe in New West
- Solid traditional Mexican dishes
- Extensive bar

The Bad:
- Some of the more fusion items are hit and miss
- Inconsistent deep fry on the eggs