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Whilst googling for "the best" Dim Sum restaurants in Vancouver, one of the ones to pop up was something that seemed unfamiliar to me - Excellent Dim Sum King Restaurant. I guess when you put in "best" into the search, "excellent" will be one of the search results. Well, I was indeed on the lookout for something new, so this would be a good place to check out with Goose on his annual visit back to Vancity from Seattle during Christmas time. Luckily I made a reservation because the the place was packed on a Monday (albeit days before Christmas). On a side note, they might want to acknowledge customers waiting at the door because no one did for the longest time.
Looking over the menu, prices seemed reasonable and the selection was decent. We began with the Sliced Beef Congee that arrived in a fairly large bowl for a small order. It was full of tender beef that was in large slices. As for the congee itself, it was somewhere in between being too watery and just right. Ultimately, it did the job and it was seasoned just enough without being salty. Next, we had the BBQ Pork Pastry. This as pretty good featuring flaky pastry that was nutty and texturally consistent throughout. I enjoyed how it was buttery without being completely greasy. Moreover, it wasn't overly sweet either, rather having a good balance with the savoury elements. BBQ pork was plentiful and lean too.
As usual, we had the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumplings) and Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumplings). Featuring medium-thick dumplings skin, the ha gau was decent in size. The dumpling skin was on the softer side with only a touch of rebound. Consisting of whole shrimp, the filling was good with a moist snap texture and enough seasoning such as sesame oil and white pepper. The ha gau was good, yet I considered the siu mai to be even better. They were the perfect texture where the combination of processed pork (with the fat) with pieces of pork, shrimp and mushroom created a meaty and moist bounciness. In terms of flavour, it was also point with the natural sweetness coming through accented by enough saltiness for balance.
We ended up with two rice noodle rolls including the shrimp as well as the beef. Starting with the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll, it was pretty typical with three rolls wrapped around medium-sized shrimp. Texturally, the shrimp were what you'd expect being cold-water crunchy. As for the rice noodle itself, it was medium-thickness where it was not dense texturally. Rather, it had a slight rebound giving way to softness. Now the shrimp rice noodle roll might've been typical, but the Beef and Cilantro was a bit different. Instead of 3 separate rolls, we had one continuous ribbon of rice noodles that was filled with sliced beef, cilantro and green onion. This gave a totally different texture where it was more buttery soft with filling in almost every bite. The beef was properly tenderized being tender with some rebound.
Onto the offal portion of the meal with the Beef Tendon & Tripe as well as the Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet). Even before we took our first bite, it was pretty obvious that the tripe appeared to be too soft. That it was as it didn't require much chewing. As much as we would've preferred more texture, the tripe was still okay as too soft is better than too chewy. The tendon was just as soft, which wasn't a huge deal as it hadn't all melted away. Flavours were good though being plenty garlicky with a hint of spice. Also garlicky, the chicken feet were fairly large and plump. The skin was fried just enough where it was still plump after steaming. Underneath, the cartilage and fat was tender. Not that it affected the overall eating experience, but the whole chicken feet were a bit mangled which wasn't visually appealing.
To ensure we were full, we headed onto some carbs (or filler dishes as sometimes described). First, the Sparerib Clay Pot Rice was completely loaded with meat. There was much more in the way of tender and bouncy spareribs than actual rice. As shown in the picture, most of the rib pieces were meaty rather than fat and cartilage. Underneath, the rice was fairly dry and nutty. Normally, this type of rice during Dim Sum service can be mushy since they don't really cook it properly in the clay pot. For the kiddies, we got a couple orders of the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice wrapped in lotus leaves). This was also quite good with a proper ratio of lean ground pork filling to sticky rice. I found the rice to be on the wetter side, but it was still chewy. Seasoning was on point where we got the meaty aroma and umaminess of the shiitake.
Next up, we had the kid favourite in the Shrimp Spring Rolls. These were slender and tightly-rolled where it helped create a firm crunch from the multiple layers of fried wrapper. Now there is a difference between firm and too hard. This one was perfect, riding the line between them. The filling consisted entirely of whole shrimp (or at least very big chunks) which meant the texture afforded a buttery snap with no airy mousse. Possibly the most impressive dish of the meal was the Steamed Beef Meatballs. Yes, no kidding! Sometimes, the meat that is processed and marinated with baking soda can be rather artificial in texture. However, this was the best of both worlds as it was light and bouncy yet still retaining significant bits of beef that was naturally textured. Moreover, there wasn't an overload of green onion nor cilantro to overpower the meat flavour.
As usual, we got the BBQ Pork Buns because the kiddies wanted them. We like them too, but they kinda fill us up needlessly when we can eat more variety! Anyways, these were pretty textbook with a fluffy bun with a moderate amount of filling. It featured lean BBQ pork and bathed in a semi-sweet glaze. We actually remembered to not order the Egg Tarts on the original sheet and hence, we had it for dessert (not arriving first). These were served warm with a buttery and flaky tart shell. Inside, the silky egg custard was balanced in terms of sweetness and aroma. This was a solid version of this dish. In fact, most of the food at the Dim Sum service was good and the pricing was reasonable too. Only thing that could've been better was the service as it was hard to flag anyone down (and there was no one to greet us at the door either).
The Good:
- Reasonably priced
- Dim Sum is solid
The Bad:
- Tight seating
- Service is extremely sparse
If you have paid close attention, I've been trying to revisit some of the most iconic restaurants in the city. Have I run out of new spots for my latest food adventure? No, there will always be the latest and greatest. Rather, I've been influenced heavily by Mijune as she has remarked that restaurants change chefs and menus frequently, so a post about a restaurant can be out-of-date as soon as less than a year. Now trying to eat at some of the most expensive places in town on a schedule every year might be hard on the wallet, so it isn't really all that practical. Let's just say that I'll try to hit them more often than I've done before. Sometimes, this is easier when there is an invite and this was the case when Mijune and I sampled the new menu from Chef Kai Leitner, who has been at Bishop's since August 2019.
To begin our feast (and it is always a feast when eating with Mijune), we had a rather large amuse bouche in the Chicken Croquette. It was lightly crispy on the outside and consistent temperature throughout. It was smooth and creamy on the inside with a cheesiness that was further enhanced by the spiced tomato sauce underneath. Stunningly plated, the Seafood Salad was a bounty of treats including diver scallops, side stripe prawns, kusshi oysters, mussels, clams, sea urchin and crab, dashi gelee, ocean and field greens. If there was ever a plate with all my favourite seafood items prepared expertly, this would be it. What brought everything together was the gelee as it was impactful enough to add a subtle sweet fishiness as well as a wine finish. It wasn't too strong as it let the natural sweetness of the seafood come through. The crab salad was texturally a delight and was probably a preview to the chilled whole dungeness crab on the menu.
Onto the Winter Squash & Okanagan Apples which was impressively presented and equally delicious. Appealingly charred, the squash was smoky and nutty with the natural sweetness completely activated. Interestingly, it was served cold and although this might've muted the flavours a touch, the resulting texture was spot on as it helped retain some firmness. The array of apples helped add crunch and tang. Although the warm walnut vinaigrette was the perfect compliment to the ingredients adding a nutty acidity, we would've liked to see more walnuts for textural purposes. Completing the dish was a topping of creamy goat's feta. Amongst the tasty dishes we'd had so far, believe it or not, the Bread was pretty good by itself despite its plain appearance. 2 slices were parmesan while the other 2 were rosemary (served with nori butter). Loved the crustiness of the exterior giving way to the fluffy insides.
The progression from seafood to squash was the perfect setup for the heavier Wild Boar and Cruciferous with confit boar belly, textures of cabbage, bacon pear vinaigrette and manchego cheese. Tender and meaty with literally melt-in-our-mouths belly, this couldn't have been executed any better. The bacon pear vinaigrette added the usual bacon essence combined with the subtle sweetness of the pear. Interestingly, we could see the manchego, but it was more of an added texture than layer of flavour. Propped up by rocks, the Razor Clams were served with mint and basil pesto, sunchokes and almond, essence of seaweed and chili. With a buttery rebound, the sweet clams were perfectly prepared. Although there was a host of complimentary ingredients, none of them overwhelmed the clams. In particular, the almond provided both crunch and aromatics. Loved the light hit of spice from the chili as well. Although, I would've liked to see a more muted seaweed salad underneath as the wakame was a little strong on the sesame oil.
One of my favourite dishes was the Crab Ravioli with clams, mussels, olives and tomato sauce. Although the pasta wasn't super thin, it was still thin enough being ever-so-delicate with an al dente chew. The crab filling was fluffy and sweet. The large honey mussels and manila clams couldn't have been more plump and tender while the tomato sauce was definitely in the background allowing the delicate seafood to do the heavy lifting. Continuing on in a similar theme, we were presented with the Sunchokes and Gnocchi with roasted sunchokes, watercress, parsley Parisian gnocchi and mustard. Although the gnocchi was a bit bigger than the typical Parisian-style, it was spot on in terms of texture sporting pâte à choux. This meant each nugget was fluffier and lighter than the traditional Northern Italian gnocchi. Although it was coloured a brilliant green from the parsley, it was not bitter nor tasted like parsley, which was probably the intent. Perfectly contrasting the soft pillows, we found crunchy roasted sunchoke chips. I'm sure you noticed the shaved black truffle on top, which did its earthy thing while the mustard seed added pops of tang to compliment the smooth sunchoke puree underneath.
Exquisitely-prepared, the Lamb Saddle and Carrots featured the most tender lamb I've had in quite some time. It looked so rare, that I originally mistakened it for the venison. It was accompanied by carrot cumin puree, flageolet beans, leeks, essence of sumac and lamb jus. Interestingly, the firm beans were the second best thing on the plate (after the lamb), as the bite was appealing and there was a sweet smokiness to them. Naturally, the sweet and Earthy carrot cumin puree complimented the lamb beautifully. Now about that Venison (and Pear), it was equally well-prepared. With such a lean cut of meat, it can be difficult for it to be tender. However, it was cooked just enough that the meat remained moist. Normally, we see vension paired with berries of some sort, but the use of pear with its subtle sweetness really worked (with both a pear glaze and also poached pear). Adding some saltiness, the bacon chestnuts worked together with the jus to balance off the pear.
Onto the sweets, we had something that didn't look like a dessert, but I assure you that the Bourbon & Sunchoke was not an appetizer. Yes, it sure looked like one with crispy sunchoke on top of bourbon ice cream. For me, this was really good since I'm not into super sweet anything. Although the ice cream itself was on the gummier side, it was smooth and lightly sweet. The crunch from the aromatic and earthy sunchoke not only brought texture, it really made this an easy-to-eat dessert (didn't need to worry about drinking water to balance off the sugar). Next, the Apple Fritter with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream was not what we expected. Rather than chunks of apples in batter, we found a whole apple ring battered and fried. This was actually really good and due to the addition of the other ingredients (including cinnamon sugar), it tasted exactly like apple pie.
The featured dessert for the night was a Raspberry Sorbet covered in chocolate dust and strawberries. As pretty as this plate appeared, sadly, the sorbet underneath the semi-sweet dust was pretty much all melted. It could've been partly our fault as we took some pictures before we dug in. Flavours were good though as there was a balance between the sweetness and tartness of the raspberries. From that, we had our favourite dessert of the night in the Chocolate Tart with dark chocolate ganache, chocolate cream and creme anglais. Everything about this was executed properly including the firm tart shell. Smooth, rich and not very sweet at all, the ganache featured a beautiful sheen and a good hit of chocolate with a minor bitter finish. On top, the chocolate cream was airy and light while also being only semi-sweet.
A classic meal-ender at Bishop's is the iconic Sliced Apple (I had a pear last time). Great knife skills and best of all, very refreshing from the tang and crunch of the fresh fruit. However, this was not the last thing we had. Mijune wanted to have it all (like she always does) and we used what little room we had in our stomachs to try the Almond and Sea Salt Ice Cream. On top of the ice cream there was a almond espuma, toasted almond, fleur de sel and olive oil. Due to the salt content and the restrained use of sugar, this didn't really eat like a dessert. In actuality, we paired it with the chocolate tart and it was delicious! Loved the crunch of the almonds and the creaminess of the espuma. Ice cream was similar to the bourbon we had first where it was on the gummier side rather than being creamy.
To completely finish the meal, we were presented with Petite Fours consisting of chocolate truffles and fruit jellies. Also, we had some Popcorn on the side as well. From the dishes we tried, it is apparent that Chef Leitner is attempting to modernize the menu at Bishop's while still paying homage to tradition. I've always held Bishop's in high regard for John Bishop's attention to detail and hospitality. His restaurant is one of the true iconic fine-dining institutions in Vancouver. There is nothing here to gloss over what is important - exquisitely-crafted food, dining room filled with class and top-notch service. Yes, there are flashier spots out there that may satisfy a different demographic, but what gets lost is the actual food.
*All food and beverages were complimentary*
The Good:
- Careful execution of proteins
- Restaurant is all class
- Restrained sweetness for the desserts
The Bad:
- Some ingredients repeated often
- Ice cream texture could've been firmer
Inaccessible Dim Sum - where most typical diners cannot afford to visit often. It all started with Mott 32 where we found high-end Dim Sum complete with non-traditional Michelin-Star quality service and accompanying dining space. Then we found places like Ampersand and Blossom where fusion Dim Sum was served in modern digs without the old surly wait staff that could care less if you existed. Well now we have something that meshes new and old together without bastardizing traditional Dim Sum nor asking for your first-born to dine there. The name is Little Bird and this is within the same family that runs the iconic Flamingo House restaurant. So at the very least, we know that the eats will be legit. We essentially find traditional Dim Sum served in a non-traditional setting.
The main draw for me was that I could eat this for dinner, so I rounded up the fam and made the drive out to Kits. We decided to try an array of dishes including the usual Ha Gau and Siu Mai. Now you will noticed that they served the dumplings in threes rather than fours mostly to keep the costs down as the location isn't cheap and neither is the modern. Moreover, the wait staff are young, courteous and efficient - that means they cost more too. In terms of execution, the shrimp dumpings were indeed good featuring a semi-thick wrapper that had some elasticity. Inside, the whole shrimp and shrimp paste filling was moist, airy and of course bouncy. It was mildly flavoured with the unmistakeable hint of sesame oil. As for the pork & shrimp dumplings, they were on the firmer side consisting of the classic combination of processed pork, chunks of pork, shrimp and shiitake mushroom. So all of the usual flavours were there, yet at the same time, the dumpling was not salty.
Interestingly, most Dim Sum spots do not offer Shrimp Toast anymore, but they had it here at Little Bird! There was no doubt we had to order this. I'm happy to report that it was no mistake as each piece featured crunchy toast bottoms that were only somewhat soaked with oil (hard to not be when you throw bread into a deep-fryer) which makes it so tasty! On top, the shrimp mousse was perfectly moist and springy with the natural sweetness coming through. If you haven't tried this before, I recommend this as a must order. Staying on with the deep fried, we had the Deep Fried Wontons that were stuffed with a filling that was like the ha gau. As such, it was just as bouncy and miost. Once again, the seasoning was mild where the natural flavours came through. As evidenced in the picture, the outside was crispy and completely browned affording a noticeable nuttiness.
On the flip side, their Spring Rolls were of the traditional variety consisting of pork, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, dried shrimp and bamboo shoots. It is true that I'm much more used to the all-shrimp variety that is more common on menus these days. However, this version was really good and brought back memories of my childhood (wait, I used to go to Flamingo House as a kid... makes sense...). Firmly crunchy on the outside and served steaming hot, these were on point with a varied textured filling. One of the more surprising dishes offered on the menu would have been the Deep Fried Chicken Knuckles. I surely didn't mind as each piece was large and meaty with the unmistakable crunch from the cartilage. Try it, don't be scared! The only thing I would've liked to see was a bit more spice and saltiness, but then again, we could get hot sauce on the side.
One of the largest items on the menu was the Sticky Rice served as one portion wrapped in lotus leaves. Very traditional as we normally find 3 mini versions at most places now. There are advantages with the larger version as it usually stays more moist and in this case, can be stuffed with 2 drummettes and a large piece of cured sausage (insert joke here...). Indeed the sticky rice was moist and still appealingly chewy with plenty of ground pork and shiitake. One of the more relatively expensive items on the menu was the BBQ Pork Bun for $3.00 each. Granted these buns were actually rather large (also insert joke here) as it took up most of the steamer all by itself. In terms of execution, the bun was good where it was fluffy and light while retaining some resistance. The lean BBQ pork filling was on the sweeter side yet not overly so.
Another table favourite had to be the Scallop Taro Puff. Normally, these are served in a football-like shape, but this one had an open top covered by a scallop. The scallop itself was delicate and buttery while caramelized on the outside. Light and crispy, the exterior was not overly greasy (as some versions tend to be). Just underneath, the medium-thick layer of mashed taro was airy and smooth. Inside, the ground pork and shiitake was fairly light and mildly-seasoned. Although the Pork Spareribs were full-flavoured from the plethora of minced garlic, the dish itself was a bit sloppy. There was far too much moisture and grease which made things goopy. With that being said, the rib portions were tender while still retaining a bite. Furthermore, the dish wasn't oversalted which meant that the garlic and natural flavours of the pork come through.
Onto 2 pan-fried items, we had the Pot Stickers as well as the Shanghai Pork Bun. We enjoyed the semi-thin dumpling wrapper of the pot stickers as they were easy to eat as well as having a mouth-pleasing elasticity. Inside, the pork filling was tender and moist. It wasn't very dense either and had just enough cabbage. Once again, the seasoning was on the milder side and we were beginning to suspect that this was intentional considering that many of the clientele would be sensitive if there was too much sodium or MSG in the food. As for the Shanghai Pork Bun, it was an actual bun like the BBQ Pork Bun where it was fluffy and light. That made it a lot less cumbersome to eat like many other versions of this dish. On the other hand, it also was more wet as it absorbed the moisture from the moist filling as well as the oil in the pan.
We settled on 2 items for dessert beginning with the Egg Tarts. These were pretty textbook featuring a buttery and flaky puff pastry shell. The browning on it was a bit uneven, but the ultimate edibility and texture was not compromised. We found the silky egg custard centre to be aromatic and purposefully sweet. My son wanted the Steamed Sponge Cake and it arrived in 3 separate portions rather than the tall single version. This was also good where the cake was airy and light while having a sweet aroma. The cake itself was just sweet enough, but there was a side of condensed milk for those with a sweeter tooth. So as you can see, we tried a good chunk of the menu and most items were good. For all of the places that are offering overpriced fusion Dim Sum, it is nice to see a place reasonably-priced (with all things taken into account) authentic Dim Sum in a non-traditional space (and area for all that matters).
The Good:
- Authentic Dim Sum
- Attentive service
- Reasonable-pricing with all things considered
The Bad:
- Most items could've used more seasoning, but it might have been intentional
- Not a big restaurant, keep your party small
- Might offend some traditionalists, but that is not the target demographic
The corner of Kingsway and Salisbury in Burnaby is a deathtrap for restaurants. I can't even count the different establishments that has graced that corner, only to close down in favour of a new venture. It's not like there isn't any foot traffic, as it is across the street from Highgate. Furthermore, Nao Sushi and Anatoli's Gate are literally on the same block where they have survived for over a decade. Now, we find the Vancouver outpost of the Singaporean chain Eighteen Chefs taking over the spot, yet with a curious name. Due to bureaucratic red tape, they weren't able to secure the name Eighteen Chefs (as of yet) and decided to open under the old name of Queen's Cafe "Asian Cuisine by Eighteen Chefs" rather than not be in business while waiting for the approval.
We dropped by in the opening week to check it out along with Guy and Girl Smiley. One of the first dishes that caught our attention was the Salted Egg Yolk Fries. Sadly, it wasn't what we expected as they merely poured a very wet salted egg yolk sauce on top of generic soggy fries. Don't get me wrong, the sauce tasted great with the unmistakable saltiness from the creamy and luxurious salted egg yolk, but the amount of moisture killed the texture. This would've been much better if the fries were super crunchy and coated with dry salted egg yolk. One of the more surprising dishes was the Chicken Skewer with Truffle Curly Noodles. This was not an overly complex dish but the chicken was both plentiful and super juicy with a smoky char. They used a lot of rosemary which added a layer of earthiness. Although the noodles appeared to be of the instant variety, they were al dente and coated with enough black truffle paste that it was woodsy enough without being too much.
Onto 2 HK-style cafe type dishes, we had the Spaghetti Bolognese as well as the Baked Pork Chop Rice. By virtue of not being baked, the spaghetti was lacking in body and aroma. Even with the generous amount of meat sauce, the noodles ate plain and probably needed to be salted more when it was being boiled. I thought the sauce was decent with lots of tender nuggets of beef, but the flavour was somewhat one note and lacking in the usual combination of sweet, savoury, tangy and a hint of star anise like the usual Asian-version. The addition of arugula was a bit strange too. On the other hand, the pork chop rice was excellent. Underneath, the fried rice base was nutty and dry, which was the perfect compliment to the balanced tomato sauce topped with plenty of ooey gooey cheese. Best of all, the large panko-crusted pork chop was moist and tender with a crunchy coating.
Sporting the same pork cutlet, the Nasi Lemak consisting of the usual ingredients including rice, crispy anchovies, cucumber, peanuts, fried egg and sambal. Nothing particularly amiss with this other than us choosing the pork cutlet over the chicken. Oh and yes, there is a fried egg rather than a boiled egg. For me, I'm not a stickler for complete authenticity and this was still fine when everything was mixed together. Again, the pork cutlet was the star as it was large, crispy and completely tender. Served with roti, the Curry Chicken was fairly large in portion size. About that roti, it was more like baked puffed pastry rather than the usual doughier roti found in Malaysian cuisine. With that being said, it was texturally a delight and really was delicious when dipped into the creamy coconutty curry. It had a nice viscosity and had a touch of spice. The large chunks of bone-in leg were tender and not overdone.
We also gave the Hainanese Chicken a go and it was acceptable. However, there were a few glaring issues. First of all, we got the wing and very little else, so there was barely any meat to go with the rice. Second, it was if they used a butter knife to chopped the chicken as there were bone fragments everywhere. Taste-wise, it was pretty good and the chicken oil rice was nutty and chewy. Loved the chili sauce as it was legit spicy rather than just sweet. We waited forever for our Spring Chicken & Striploin Steak Platter. Turned out it was not worth it because the steak came out rare when we asked for medium-rare. They even argued with us! We know what medium-rare looks like! As for the chicken, it was fairly moist with rendered fried skin. Too bad it was completely bland. The side of signature heart-attack rice was nutty and chewy, but not as flavourful as we expected (even though it is cooked with rendered fat drippings). Overall, there were some highlights to go with some duds. They just opened, so it is fair to give them some time to work out all the kinks.
The Good:
- Portions sizes are generally large
- Proteins were cooked right except for the steak
- Reasonable pricing for what you get
The Bad:
- Service was non-existent, didn't even cutlery for the longest time. Also, arguing with customers when something is clearly wrong is a huge no-no
- Some dishes need further refinement
Here we go with yet another restaurant in the burbs. This time around Grace and I ventured out to New West for some Italian eats at the newly-opened Artusi on 6th Street. If you are thinking that I've been eating a lot of Italian food lately, you would be correct. This hasn't been intentional, although I do in fact love Italian food, rather there are just a coincidental amount of new Italian restaurants opening up lately. What makes it even more interesting is that most of them have been out of the city of Vancouver itself. That makes me happy because the burbs deserve good food too!
After some complimentary bread, we got going with some appetizers including the Bagna Cauda featuring an array of fresh veggies, bread and the dip consisting of EVOO, anchovy and roasted garlic. If I had to compare to the one I had at Savio Volpe, this was actually saltier and fishier. For me, I enjoyed the pronounced flavours especially when paired with the plain veggies and bread. However, it was not subjected to the amount of emulsion like the one at Savio Volpe, which meant it was greasier and the flavours needed to be mixed around for full effect. Next up was the Vitel Tonne (aka Vitello Tonnato, that featured thicker-than-usual slices of medium veal. This meant that the meat ate much more robust with extra body. Since the veal was prepared perfectly, it remained tender and moist. On top, the tuna caper sauce was creamy, salty and fishy (in a good way).
Onto our pastas, we tried the Tagliatelle alla Papalina first and sadly, it was our least favourite item of our meal. It consisted of prosciutto crudo, free range egg cream and 24 month-aged Parmigiano, which sounded great on paper. In practice, the pasta was overdone and the "sauce" was far too heavy and goopy. The pasta could've done with half the amount of moisture (that probably helped it overcook too). We couldn't even get through 1/4th of it. On a positive note, it did taste good though with the nuttiness of the aged parm. We much preferred the Pici al Chinghiale sporting wild board and pecorino. Unlike the tagliatelle, the pici was al dente and did not soften from the ragu. It was creamy and rich, but the addition of tomato helped cut the heaviness. The ample morsels of boar was tender and gave the pasta an appealing meatiness.
Our favourite pasta of the night was the Calamarata Profumo di Mare with squid, clams, prawns, peppers, tomato and wine. First of all, the pasta was firmly al dente and was the perfect vessel to hold onto the tangy and seafoody tomato sauce. About that seafood, it was prepared just right without being overdone. We probably liked this the most because it was not as heavy as the previous 2 offerings. Onto dessert, we had the Tiramisu al Limon which essentially replaced the espresso with limoncello and added lemon to the marscapone. The result was a tangy and refreshing version of a tiramisu. I thought the thick marscapone did its best impression of a lemon cheesecake while the soaked ladyfingers were a bit too wet. If they lessened the limoncello, this would've been perfect. Overall, the food at Artusi was decent especially taking into account its location. Give it some time and we hope to see some improvements.
The Good:
- Okay pricing
- Friendly service
- Some twists with menu items
The Bad:
- Some refinement is needed
Posts
Whilst googling for "the best" Dim Sum restaurants in Vancouver, one of the ones to pop up was something that seemed unfamiliar to me - Excellent Dim Sum King Restaurant. I guess when you put in "best" into the search, "excellent" will be one of the search results. Well, I was indeed on the lookout for something new, so this would be a good place to check out with Goose on his annual visit back to Vancity from Seattle during Christmas time. Luckily I made a reservation because the the place was packed on a Monday (albeit days before Christmas). On a side note, they might want to acknowledge customers waiting at the door because no one did for the longest time.
Looking over the menu, prices seemed reasonable and the selection was decent. We began with the Sliced Beef Congee that arrived in a fairly large bowl for a small order. It was full of tender beef that was in large slices. As for the congee itself, it was somewhere in between being too watery and just right. Ultimately, it did the job and it was seasoned just enough without being salty. Next, we had the BBQ Pork Pastry. This as pretty good featuring flaky pastry that was nutty and texturally consistent throughout. I enjoyed how it was buttery without being completely greasy. Moreover, it wasn't overly sweet either, rather having a good balance with the savoury elements. BBQ pork was plentiful and lean too.
As usual, we had the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumplings) and Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumplings). Featuring medium-thick dumplings skin, the ha gau was decent in size. The dumpling skin was on the softer side with only a touch of rebound. Consisting of whole shrimp, the filling was good with a moist snap texture and enough seasoning such as sesame oil and white pepper. The ha gau was good, yet I considered the siu mai to be even better. They were the perfect texture where the combination of processed pork (with the fat) with pieces of pork, shrimp and mushroom created a meaty and moist bounciness. In terms of flavour, it was also point with the natural sweetness coming through accented by enough saltiness for balance.
We ended up with two rice noodle rolls including the shrimp as well as the beef. Starting with the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll, it was pretty typical with three rolls wrapped around medium-sized shrimp. Texturally, the shrimp were what you'd expect being cold-water crunchy. As for the rice noodle itself, it was medium-thickness where it was not dense texturally. Rather, it had a slight rebound giving way to softness. Now the shrimp rice noodle roll might've been typical, but the Beef and Cilantro was a bit different. Instead of 3 separate rolls, we had one continuous ribbon of rice noodles that was filled with sliced beef, cilantro and green onion. This gave a totally different texture where it was more buttery soft with filling in almost every bite. The beef was properly tenderized being tender with some rebound.
Onto the offal portion of the meal with the Beef Tendon & Tripe as well as the Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet). Even before we took our first bite, it was pretty obvious that the tripe appeared to be too soft. That it was as it didn't require much chewing. As much as we would've preferred more texture, the tripe was still okay as too soft is better than too chewy. The tendon was just as soft, which wasn't a huge deal as it hadn't all melted away. Flavours were good though being plenty garlicky with a hint of spice. Also garlicky, the chicken feet were fairly large and plump. The skin was fried just enough where it was still plump after steaming. Underneath, the cartilage and fat was tender. Not that it affected the overall eating experience, but the whole chicken feet were a bit mangled which wasn't visually appealing.
To ensure we were full, we headed onto some carbs (or filler dishes as sometimes described). First, the Sparerib Clay Pot Rice was completely loaded with meat. There was much more in the way of tender and bouncy spareribs than actual rice. As shown in the picture, most of the rib pieces were meaty rather than fat and cartilage. Underneath, the rice was fairly dry and nutty. Normally, this type of rice during Dim Sum service can be mushy since they don't really cook it properly in the clay pot. For the kiddies, we got a couple orders of the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice wrapped in lotus leaves). This was also quite good with a proper ratio of lean ground pork filling to sticky rice. I found the rice to be on the wetter side, but it was still chewy. Seasoning was on point where we got the meaty aroma and umaminess of the shiitake.
Next up, we had the kid favourite in the Shrimp Spring Rolls. These were slender and tightly-rolled where it helped create a firm crunch from the multiple layers of fried wrapper. Now there is a difference between firm and too hard. This one was perfect, riding the line between them. The filling consisted entirely of whole shrimp (or at least very big chunks) which meant the texture afforded a buttery snap with no airy mousse. Possibly the most impressive dish of the meal was the Steamed Beef Meatballs. Yes, no kidding! Sometimes, the meat that is processed and marinated with baking soda can be rather artificial in texture. However, this was the best of both worlds as it was light and bouncy yet still retaining significant bits of beef that was naturally textured. Moreover, there wasn't an overload of green onion nor cilantro to overpower the meat flavour.
As usual, we got the BBQ Pork Buns because the kiddies wanted them. We like them too, but they kinda fill us up needlessly when we can eat more variety! Anyways, these were pretty textbook with a fluffy bun with a moderate amount of filling. It featured lean BBQ pork and bathed in a semi-sweet glaze. We actually remembered to not order the Egg Tarts on the original sheet and hence, we had it for dessert (not arriving first). These were served warm with a buttery and flaky tart shell. Inside, the silky egg custard was balanced in terms of sweetness and aroma. This was a solid version of this dish. In fact, most of the food at the Dim Sum service was good and the pricing was reasonable too. Only thing that could've been better was the service as it was hard to flag anyone down (and there was no one to greet us at the door either).
