Arike Restaurant & Cocktail Bar

We are pretty lucky living in Vancouver with the temperate climate (especially in Canada) and quality of life (some more than others, but that is another story altogether).  Sure, that has some impact on our house prices, which makes us less lucky (unless you are selling and leaving...).  Another huge plus about living in Vancity is the bounty of ethnic food which is generally reasonably-priced.  Sure, some are creeping up there, but compared to other parts of the world, it still isn't expensive.  One thing that is sorely missing is non-Asian ethnic eats.  So when I found out that Arike out on Davie Street was dishing out Western African-inspired cuisine, I rounded up Grace to help me try out their wares.

We began with the Fried Habanero Corn Fritters stuffed with confit garlic and salted tomato.  These fluffy little bites were pleasantly crispy (and not greasy).  Inside, the sweetness of the corn came through as well as a touch of spice.  Little bursts of tang were afforded by the tomato.  As much as the Cassava Fries looked plenty pale, they were actually uniformly crunchy on the outside.  They were lightly salted and were tasty on their own.  However, the hot and sweet tomato dip was in-your-face tasty.  It combined tang, sweetness and saltiness into one bite.  Not to be outdone, the creamy cashew garlic mayo brought balance.

Since it was super thin, we were initially afraid that the Grilled Suya Beef Strip Loin would be dry and chewy.  This was completely not the case as it was moist, buttery and tender.  The meat itself was seasoned enough that it was nutty and aromatic.  However, the caramelized yogurt didn't hurt either as it was sweet and creamy.  The hits kept coming with the Spiced Goat Dumplings with sweet chili oil, aerated herb yogurt and fried onion.  I thought the dumpling wrapper was excellent being both delicate and al dente at the same time.  Wonderful mouthfeel and chew that gave way to a smooth and spiced goat filling.  Yes, the sweet chili oil was not only the focal point of the dish, it added complexity.

The Pulled Oxtail and Cured Pork Belly Flat Bread took awhile to come out, but it was certainly worth the wait.  Crunchy and with even leoparding, the crust was nutty and aromatic.  On top, the combination of meats provided a robustness while the cured tomato added bursts of tanginess.  This was complimented by the intense sweetness of the caramelized onions and the heat from the pickled habaneros.  For dessert, we really enjoyed the fluffy Pof Pofs.  They resembled Chinese egg puffs in texture with a delicately crispy exterior.  These were dressed with ginger honey and cinnamon sugar.  Yes, they were sweet, but that was the point.  I'm pretty sure you can feel my enthusiasm about the place.  I thought the food was tasty and unique.  Not sure why it isn't any busier.  Probably the location isn't that obvious from street level.  I encourage you to try it though!

The Good:
- Unique dishes
- Defined layers of flavours (not muddled)
- Reasonable-pricing

The Bad:
- Location is hidden and dark
- Could go more hardcore with the African dishes

Banquet @ Kirin (Starlight Casino)

For all of the Chinese restaurants around, there are some that I rarely revisit.  Not that they aren't any good, in fact many of them are near the top of the Chinese food chain in the Lower Mainland.  The real reason is that they are just not close to where I live and/or pretty consistent whereby things don't really change.  Hence, a revisit just means much of the same and a boring blog post.  This dinner service at Kirin was different though since it was a traditional Chinese banquet menu as it was for a wedding.  I guess this post might be handy for people wanting to book a wedding in the future?

Anyways, like most Chinese banquets, we began with the Appetizer Platter consisting of sliced beef shank, mock goose, smoked salmon, marinated jellyfish and roasted suckling pig.  I thought the crispy crackling was on point where it was firm while still being light.  The fat underneath was gelatinous and delicious.  Sliced thicker than usual, the beef shank was meatier in texture and I could definitely taste the braising liquid.  Jellyfish was appealingly chewy and well-seasoned.  Next, we had the Stir-Fried Scallops with black truffle, flowering chives and snap peas.  Gigantic in size, the scallops were perfectly prepared being tender and buttery with a touch of firmness.  They didn't overdo it with the black truffle which was important as scallops are delicate.  Snap peas were done right too being crunchy and sweet.

Another classic banquet dish was the Deep Fried Crab Claws stuffed with shrimp mousse.  These were decent in size and featured a thin crispy coating.  They were not greasy at all and were served piping hot.  Impressive as the kitchen would've been super busy pumping out dishes for the whole restaurant.  The shrimp mousse was bouncy and moist with a good balance between sweet and savoury.  One minor point is that they didn't provide us with any sauce (such as sweet and sour on the side).  For our soup, we were served the Fish Maw and Bird's Nest in lieu of shark's fin (which made us happy because we don't eat shark's fin anymore).  This was mild-tasting and medium thick with plenty of fish maw and a touch of bird's nest.

One dish we always look forward to is the Lobster with thickened consomme sauce.  When we were presented with our plate, it looked really good with dual lobsters sauced just enough that there wasn't any moisture at the bottom.  The lobster meat was perfect being bouncy and sweet.  Unlike many other places, the starch coating for the deep fry wasn't overly thick.  As for the seasoning, the dish was bordering on salty, but didn't go over.  Including all the greatest hits, the next dish was the Sliced Abalone and Dried Fish Maw with shiitake mushrooms and sauteed pea shoots.  As you can see, they did not drench the whole dish in watered-down starch-thicken oyster sauce.  There was just enough for effect with the tender slices of abalone and fish maw.  Although the pea shoots were a bit greasy, they were texturally on point with a crunch.

Presented with the traditional shrimp chips on top, the Crispy Chicken was served with both the head and tail.  Good luck in Chinese tradition!  The chicken itself featured well-rendered skin that was indeed crispy and golden in colour.  I tried the dark meat first and it was juicy while well-brined.  Next, I had a piece of the white meat and it was equally tender albeit not as juicy (which was expected).  Even the shrimp chips were crispy, an indication that they didn't fry these too far in advance.  They really went all out with this menu since we got a Steamed Rock Cod.  These days, rock cod on Chinese menus have gone the way of the dodo bird!  It was steamed properly where it was flaky and moist.  It was cooked just enough where the meat separated from the bone as well.  When fish is underdone, the meat will stick to the skeleton.

As per tradition, we were presented with the carbs at the end.  As with many of the dishes, the portions were divided evenly at a busing station and served to us individually.  We were presented with Fried Rice with dried scallop, corn and egg as well as Yee Mein with shiitake mushrooms and flowering chives.  Although lacking a bit in caramelization, the fried rice was still chewy and decently flavourful.  I would've liked to see more aggressive seasoning though.  It is hard to get fried rice right when the kitchen is wok-frying 25+ dishes.  Hence, the yee mein was a touch wet as well.  Texturally, it was fine having a nice elasticity.  Due to the moisture, the wok heat (or wok hei) was not evident.  Seasoning was fine though with enough soy and mushroom for umaminess.

Moving onto dessert, we had a sweet soup (you can see the splash of it on the lazy Susan...).  It was fine, but that never really excites me.  However, the plate of Deep Fried Glutinous Balls and Coconut Pudding was much more up my alley.  Crunchy with a fairly thin glutinous layer, the balls were aromatic and sweet from the ample lotus paste in the middle.  Much better than red bean in my opinion.  As for the coconut pudding, it was coloured green, but it didn't taste like matcha, so I assumed it was pandan.  It tasted like coconut though, especially with it on the outside.  Overall, this wedding menu was pretty traditional and prepared well.  Considering how busy the kitchen can be during banquet, the food was mostly on point and served hot.  One of the better ones I've had in recent memory.

The Good:
- Food was more or less prepared properly
- Fair portion sizes
- Decently spacious venue with lots of parking

The Bad:
- Service was fine, but one of the managers serving us was particularly careless rubbing an oily plate against my shirt and also rudely budging in to serve without prior warning or an "excuse me"
- Pricier than some other options

The Botanist

For all of the great restaurants we have in Vancouver, it might comes as a surprise one of the very best is located in the Fairmont Pacific Rim.  Yes, hotel restaurants have come a long way and many have become destinations for fine dining.  I've been to The Botanist before and came away impressed with the creativity and unique plating of their dishes.  So when it came time for my parents to celebrate their wedding anniversary, I gave them a few ideas including The Botanist.  It is a testament to how popular it is because we had a hard time getting a reservation!

We finally did get one and we started off strong with 2 orders of the Pan-Seared Scallops (only 3 per dish).  These were cooked to perfection sporting uniform caramelization that gave way to a buttery and sweet tender centre.  The addition of XO sauce provided even more brininess as well as spice.  With different preparations of sunchoke (puree, fried, roasted and braised), the dish was not devoid of texture.  Providing some luxuriousness, we found a thin layer of lardo as well.  Light and refreshing, the Snow Crab Salad featured sliced Nashi pear and kohlrabi, puffed sturgeon and yuzu.  The subtle flavours and crunch of the pear and kohlrabi did not interfere with the delicate sweet snow crab.  There was actually a good amount of it underneath.  Also, the yuzu was the perfect compliment as it added brightness to the dish.

Other than the scallops, the other table favourite was the Hand-Cut Tagliatelle with foraged mushroom, mushroom soil and crispy piave.  From the visuals, the dish didn't look like much, but this was a dinner portion size that could've fed a lighter appetite.  Other than the al dente noodles, there was a good amount of mushrooms including texturally-appealing morels.  The addition of mushroom soil created an almost black truffle effect.  Although creamy, the pasta didn't eat as heavy as it appeared.  Our final small dish was the Bison Tongue with celeriac, mojo de ajo and kohlrabi.  First off, the thick-sliced tongue was tender while still meaty and rich.  Due to the fat content of tongue (and also the section of the tongue), it was buttery and aromatic being uniformly seared.  The mojo was garlicky, spicy and smooth while the kohlrabi was refreshing.  Loved the little celeriac balls underneath.

With the bigger plates, I decided on a dish I've had before in the Pan-Roasted Lamb Saddle.  However, this was prepared very differently than last time with hominy, carrots, black pepper jam and lamb belly.  The 2 thick-sliced medium-rare pieces of lamb were tender (although a touch chewy in spots) and mildly gamy.  Loved how the black pepper jam added just the right amount of umaminess and spice.  As much as I thought the hominy was too crunchy, I kept eating it and found that I liked it more as I ate it.  The little bonus piece of lamb belly was tender and meaty while sporting a kick.  My son went for his standby being the Dry-Aged Striploin with wild mushrooms, swiss chard, potato pavé and foie jus.  Also prepared perfectly medium-rare, the steak was tender, but not as tender as one might expect.  The star of the plate was the potato as it exhibited a beautiful balance of texture in between firm and delicate.  With a bevy of morels on the side, this was a simple but delicious dish.

My daughter went straight for the Olive Oil Poached Halibut.  In terms of presentation, they did their best with white-on-white by adding some kombu and micro-greens, but in my opinion, it needed something more (however, there was legumes and turnips underneath before the foam was served table side).  It ate almost like cod, which is a testament to the freshness and preparation of the fish.  Flavours were very mild with only a touch of acidity from the foam while the fish was allowed to stand on its own.  Good dish texturally, but lacking a bit of impact.  On the other hand, the Seared Sablefish was amazing.  Stunningly browned, the sablefish was flaky and fatty while seasoned just enough.  It was served with a bright asparagus sauce that remained in the background to the fish.  On the side, there was shaved asparagus with clams and buckwheat. 

My mom went all out and decided on the Butter Poached Lobster with shishito peppers, green mole and epazote.  She remarked that the shelled lobster almost looked like it was swimming in the mole, which seemed about right.  The lobster was beautifully textured with a light bounce and plenty of natural sweetness.  I wasn't completely convinced with the green mole combination as it didn't seem like right compliment to the delicate lobster.  It was good on its own though with umaminess and earthiness.  Viv mirrored my approach and ordered the 20-Day Dry-Aged Duck Breast.  Unlike the last time we had the duck here, this one was completely different.  Although it didn't look particularly moist nor tender, the duck breast was exactly that with crispy skin.  We felt it could've been rendered a bit more, but then again, the meat was beginning to cook through on the top.  Completing the dish was brown butter jus, wild mushrooms and seasonal vegetables.

Onto dessert, we shared 3 items including the Chocolate Porter Cake with barley crunch, root beer chantilly, chocolate ice cream and malt ganache.  Neatly plated, the dessert was not as sweet as it appeared.  The moist cake was chocolatey and complimented by the melty ice cream and the barley crunch.  As much as root beef chantilly sounded syrupy, it was rather light and only mildly sweet.  On the flipside, the Meyer Lemon Cake was actually sweeter despite sounding lighter.  There was more than enough tang within the moist cake for impact while the blueberry meringue was light and flavourful.  The best part of the plate was the charred corn ice cream as it was sweet and nutty.  It was further amped by the corn pop sand on the side.

I personally thought the Esmeralda Cremeaux was the best looking and tasting dessert.  It consisted of apricot sorbet, cocoa tuile, nib brittle and pistachio sponge.  Lots going on here, but the 2 things that stood out were the sweet sorbet and the crunchy brittle.  Add in the fluffy and nutty sponge cake and there was textures galore.  Now I couldn't forget about the awesome house-baked Fougasse Bread right (this was served at the start of the meal)?  Full of seeds and shaped like a leaf, the attention to detail at The Botanist even trickles down to their complimentary bread with whipped butter.  This time around, it was baked a bit past what we would've liked, but it was still nutty and delicious.  As you can ascertain, the meal as a whole was delicious complete with stunning plating.  Unlike our first visit, there were a few issues here and there, but they were slammed due to a few large parties.  I know it isn't an excuse, but that needs to be acknowledged.

The Good:
- Stunning plating
- On point execution of proteins
- Attentive service

The Bad:
- Meats not as tender as expected
- Long waits between courses (but the restaurant was at capacity on Friday night)

Noodle Paradise

For those who live in and around North Burnaby, Jane's was a cheap spot for a basic breakfast on Hastings.  The food was never gourmet and frankly, one could probably make it at home.  However, the prices were cheap and the people were friendly, so with a pocketful of change, one could fill up without breaking the bank.  Well, Jane's hasn't been around for a little while, slowly replaced by what is now known as Noodle Paradise.  Accenting the predominantly Thai menu, we still find a separate menu dishing out the classic breakfast and diner food that Jane's was known for.  Only thing gone is the North Americanized Chinese food.

JuJu, Milhouse and I decided to check the place out after Sunday morning hockey.  We went for mostly their Thai dishes including the Chicken Wings.  These were fried up perfectly with crispy skin that was mostly rendered.  The meat was moist and tender albeit not actually juicy.  It was dressed in a sauce that tasted like a combination of fish sauce, Thai sweet chili and lemongrass.  We thought the wings were pretty good!  Up next was something out of their regular menu being the Heights Burger consisting of Canadian Angus beef, cheddar, onion rings, lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, mustard and house mayo.  Although there was nothing wrong with the burger, it was surely nothing interesting.  The meat was somewhere between dry and moist and the rest of the ingredients were fine.  Fries were generic, but crispy.

Back to the Thai food, we had the classic Pad Thai with prawns.  This was rather saucy, yet at the same time sweet and tangy from the tamarind.  We would've liked to see a drier noodle with a bit more caramelization.  Also, the sweetness could've been dialed down a bit.  Beyond that, the noodles were still chewy despite the moisture level.  This was legit, just could've used some tweaks.  We were rather indifferent with the Stir Fried Beef Noodle as it was pretty wet where the noodles fell apart on contact.  Furthermore, the beef wasn't exactly tender either.  We realize that in Thai cooking, they don't tenderize it like Chinese cuisine, but this was too tough for our liking. In general, the dish itself lacked impact.

Lastly, we went for the Chiang Mai Khao Soi that featured the classic curry broth with egg noodles, pickled mustard greens, red onion and chicken.  This was aromatic while very mild-tasting.  Compared to other versions I've had, this one was decent, yet not as impactful.  I thought the noodles were perfectly al dente and soaked up the curry nicely.  I could get the tang from the mustard greens as well as aromatic coconut milk.  The problem was the spice level, as it was non-existent.  Maybe I should've asked for it to be spicier?  So as much as the food was mostly average, I am willing to give them another try because there are a few items I still need to try.  People are truly nice and you can tell they are trying their best.

The Good:
- Reasonable pricing
- Nice people
- Diverse menu

The Bad:
- Diverse menu?
- Flavours are a bit wet
- Noodles are a bit too saucy

Lee Garden (Surrey)

At one point in time, over 5 years ago, the Dim Sum scene along Scott Road was pretty sad.  Other than Lotus and defunct Yummy Wonton House, there was much more in the way of chain restaurants and Indian food.  However, with the addition of Chongqing and Happiness, we found legit Cantonese Dim Sum (yes, I know Chongqing is Szechuan, but they serve Cantonese Dim Sum) in the ol' wasteland between Surrey and North Delta.  I actually thought Happiness could give Richmond restaurants a run for their money.  Well, they have been swallowed up by Lee Garden (the original location is in Burnaby).  I've visited after the name change and honestly, nothing seems to have changed.  Finally, I got around to writing a post about the place.

For the as long as I can remember, I wasn't super fond of the pan fried version of the daikon cake.  Not that it couldn't be delicious, in fact, when done right it goes really well with some hot sauce.  However, the more modern version being the Stir-Fried Daikon Cake with XO Sauce is more appealing to me.  This one here was nearly perfect where each cube was crispy and easy on the grease.  Also, the texture was soft, but still had some firmness.  There was a nice background spice and brininess from the XO sauce.  I felt it could've used a touch more though.  One dish that was a little lacking was the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice) as the rice was a bit on the drier side.  It wasn't due to the lack of pork filling though as it was nearly 50/50 with the rice.  Hence, the flavour profile was that of natural tasting pork.

Onto the staples of Dim Sum, we had the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumplings) and Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumplings).  Large in size, the ha gau were pretty good despite being stuck together (forgivable since they were too big to keep apart).  I found the dumpling skin to be medium thick with an appealing elasticity.  Some parts were a bit wet, but with a few minutes of sitting out, it tightened up.  Inside, the shrimp filling was on point with large chunks mixed with some mousse.  There was a moist snap to go with the seasoning where the sesame oil and natural shrimp flavour coming through.  They actually forgot about the tobiko on top of the siu mai, but that didn't matter.  They were good as well being of a good size.  The pork was fairly processed and hence had a light bouncy texture.  There was enough shrimp and shiitake to add both flavour and texture.

Onto the offal part of the meal, we had the Steamed Beef Tendon & Tripe in Chu Hou Sauce.  Again, this was a generous portion of large chunks of tendon and tripe.  Texturally, I thought the tripe was on point with a soft chewiness.  As for the tendon, it was on the firmer side, but still soft.  However, the tripe was far too gamy and could've used more rinsing.  The gaminess was so strong, it affected the tendon as well.  Too bad really as the seasoning was impactful with a sweet and savouy garlickiness.  It was debated whether we would order the Phoenix Talons (Steamed Chicken Feet) because it wasn't a "preferred" item.  Heck, I got it anyways!  Well, it was pretty good with medium-sized feet that featured soft fried skin.  Underneath, the fat and cartilage was cooked through being soft and appealing.  I thought the flavours were very similar to the tripe except without the gaminess.

Looking rather pale, the Steamed Bean Curd Skin Rolls stuffed with pork and veggies was pretty average.  I found that since they didn't fry the bean curd skin, the texture was too soft.  Not to mention, it was also not appealing to look at and didn't have that fried nutty flavour either.  Inside, the pork filling was loose, yet tender.  The sauce was very mild and almost not there.  Hence, I needed to dunk these into Worcestershire sauce for impact. I guess the bean curd skin rolls weren't as pale as the bright white BBQ Pork Buns.  Mind you, the buns should be that colour.  They were fluffy like they appeared while being moist at the same time. Inside, the lean pork filling was plentiful and sauced in a sweet and savoury glaze.  Pretty textbook in my opinion.

We can't go for Dim Sum and not order any Rice Noodle Rolls.  So we not only got the shrimp, we also go the BBQ pork rice noodle rolls (only shrimp pictured).  These were also done right with a medium thick noodle that was soft with some elasticity.  There was more than enough shrimp and BBQ pork for both rolls.  I found the shrimp to be cold-water crunchy with sweetness while the BBQ pork was lean.  Moving onto a different type of roll, we had the Garlic Shrimp Spring Rolls.  As illustrated in the picture, the filling consisted of whole shrimp that were meaty with a garlicky snap.  There was not a whole lot of shrimp mousse in these rolls.  The outside wrapper was crunchy and hot while easy on the grease.

Onto dessert, we went for the good ol' Egg Tarts which were a pale such as the bean curd skin rolls.  Yes, the egg custard filling was a touch pale (and semi-sweet), but the puff pastry was truly without colour.  This was because they didn't bake it enough and/or not at high enough heat.  Therefore, the shell was as flaky as it could've been and furthermore, some parts were gummy.  Despite the egg tarts and a few other items, the Dim Sum at this location of Lee Garden is solid and respectable for anywhere in the Lower Mainland.  Not sure what difference there is over the restaurant here before though (Happiness).

The Good:
- Solid Dim Sum
- Fairly good service
- Decent selection

The Bad:
- A little pricey