Sushi Mori (Langley)

Meeting up with Bluebeard and Nikita always results in a good time.  Also, the fact I can travel into Langley where I can visit some of the lesser known restaurants in the GVRD is also a plus.  I'm sure they are rather confused with this as they prefer leaving Langley for more interesting eats.  For me, good food can be found anywhere if given the chance.  This is why when they suggested Sushi Mori across from Willowbrook Mall, I was game.  I've been to the Coquitlam location before (prior to the fire and now they rebuilt) and it was good.  Moreover, I thought the unique decor with all the cherry blossoms was something you won't find anywhere else.

Indeed, the Langley location continues the theme with the same decor, but we ended up sitting in a booth due to our large party size (had the kiddies with us).  We ended up ordering our own food and for us, we started with the Fried Gyoza.  Normally, I'm not a huge fan of the fried version due to the overly firm and generally greasy dumpling skin.  This was not the case here as it was rather delicate except for the crunchier top portion.  Inside, the pork and cabbage filling was airy and light while lightly seasoned.  We ended up with a very large order of Deluxe Assorted Tempura consisting of yam, broccoli, golden squash, ebi and tuna.  As you can see in the picture, the batter was pretty thin especially on the fish.  Hence, it was lightly crispy and not overly greasy.  My only wish would be that they didn't overcook the fish as it was a bit too firm.

We decided to order both the Assorted Sashimi as well as the Spicy Salmon Sashimi.  The kiddies tend to devour all of the fish anyways leaving Viv and I with the scraps, so we had to get our own order.  As evidenced in the picture, the hamachi was quite appealing in terms of colour.  It was also texturally on point being buttery and with impactful sweetness.  We weren't expecting that truthfully.  The rest of the bunch including Atlantic and sockeye salmon, albacore tuna and toro were more than acceptable.  As for the spicy salmon sashimi, most of the pieces were actually quality chunks unlike some other places that feature scraps and ends (which are typically less tender).  There was quite a bit of cucumber though (which acts as a filler).  It was not over-sauced so it was spicy and slightly sweet without being goopy.

My son did his usual with an assortment of Nigiri including tamago, tuna, salmon, chopped scallop and unagi.  These were decent being neatly prepared and sporting chewy sushi rice.  It was mildly seasoned where it could've used a bit more rice vinegar.  Toppings were good, specifically the buttery baby scallops with minimal mayo.  It is pretty much understood that Miku/Minami are the gold standard when it comes to aburi oshi in the GVRD, so it was a bit of a risk that we ordered the Aburi Salmon Battera.  Well, it is safe to say that Miku/Minami have nothing to worry about if we had to compare this version to theirs.  With that being said, the one here was actually decent with chewy rice and a substantial layer of buttery salmon on top.  The problem was the excess amount of sauce and overly thick slice of jalapeno.

One of the strangest rolls we've seen lately was the Lady Mango Roll as we really couldn't see anything other than mango, red beet and greens.  It looked more like a salad than anything else.  Knowing that fresh mango was not a reality considering it was Winter, it was no surprise what we got was frozen.  No matter, it was still sweet and tender.  Underneath, the roll sported prawn & yam tempura and avocado.  Not bad, but we should've ordered something else.  For our filler dish, we got the Chicken Yakisoba and it was pretty standard.  Plenty of chicken and veggies that pretty much outnumbered the noodles.  It was a bit on the milder side and there was definitely a bit too much moisture which detracted from the caramelization.  Overall, the food at Sushi Mori did the job and in some cases, was better than average.  However, some dishes could benefit from some refinement.

The Good:
- More than acceptable
- Love the decor
- Friendly service

The Bad:
- Some dishes could use some refinement

Le Crocodile

Here we are continuing on with my series of re-visiting some of the finest restaurants (and in most cases, most long-standing) in the city.  This time around, the food adventure brought me to one of the classics in Le Crocodile (which has been in business for over 30 years).  It was about time I returned as my last visit was nearly 10 years ago!  Coinciding with my birthday, we decided this would be the place I would celebrate my increasing age.  Unlike many of the new glitzier spots in Downtown, Le Crocodile still maintains an elegance that is evident from the decor to the service.  This is something to keep in mind as we often are enticed by the newest restaurants in town.

Prior to our appies, we were served an amuse bouche consisting of a Mushroom Risotto Arancini.  Yes, this was not a French dish, but they do offer up French food with Westcoast influences (yes, I know this is Italian, but they also have pastas on the menu too...).  This was executed beautifully where the exterior featured a thin crumb coating that was firmly crispy and not greasy at all.  Inside, the risotto was somewhat tightly packed featuring rice that was still slightly chewy.  Plenty of mushroomy earthiness to go with some cheesiness as well.  Onto one of the featured appies of the night, we had the Octopus Salad featuring .  The octopus itself was tender while still being firm with an appealing chewiness.  Loved the combination of acidity and spice to the dish as it wasn't bland in the least.  There was varied textures including the crunch of the veggies which helped not only brighten the dish, it 

One our favourite appies was the Duo of Foie Gras Tasting featuring a foie gras terrine, foie gras créme brulée, ice wine gelée and toast.  On the surface, this looked simple, but that also meant that there was nowhere to hide if it wasn't executed properly.  This certainly was the case where the terrine was rich, dense and buttery smooth.  It was mild-tasting on its own, but when we added the gelée, all the flavours were activated where the sweetness of the ice wine brought out the natural sweetness of the terrine.  As for the créme brulée, it was airy like a mousse where the crunchy burnt sugar topping added a big hit of sweetness combined with smokiness.  We had yet another one of their daily features in the Crab Cake atop a spinach and garlic cream.  Crispy on the outside and full of fluffy crab on the inside, the crab cake was so delicate and cooked just enough.  That meant the crab was not overdone and kept the texture light.  Ever-so-subtle, the spinach and garlic cream underneath were aromatic and did not interfere with the crab.

The daily appetizers seemed so tasty by description, we got one more in the Truffled Pasta with lobster tail.  Once again, this looked to be ever-so-simple and indeed it was.  This was essentially tagliatelle tossed in olive oil and topped with shaved black truffle.  Just like I mentioned above, there is nowhere to hide with a dish like this.  With this being said, there wasn't any need for hiding as this was our favourite appie of the bunch where the flavours were focused and apparent.  The woodsiness of the truffle was definitely highlighted and the pasta was perfectly al dente.  Even the small lobster tail was expertly prepared being buttery, bouncy and sweet.  Our last starter was the Beef Tenderloin Steak Tartare.  Although the colour of the tartare was a little darker than I would've like to see, it ate better than it appeared.  I wouldn't say the meat was "buttery" as it was more robust than that, yet at the same time, it was definitely tender.  

With our larger dishes, my son predictably went for the Grilled Beef Tenderloin with peppercorn sauce.   He asked for it to be prepared medium-rare and it came out as such with even cooking on all sides and since it was properly rested, there was very little juice leaking out when cut.  The meat itself was beautiful as it was buttery soft with appealing meatiness.  As for the sauce, it was creamy with a nice balance between the brandy and bite from the peppercorns.  The side of veggies were perfectly prepared as they still had plenty of natural texture while cooked through.  My dad decided on the Grilled Sablefish with sweet pea velouté and quinoa râgout.  Even though sablefish can be very forgiving, it still is an achievement to cook it optimally.   This was achieved here as it was cooked through while being delicate, buttery and flaky.  Smooth and bright, the velouté was a good mild compliment to the sablefish.

For myself, I went for one of the featured dishes in the Beef Wellington with a side of asparagus topped by béarnaise.  Although the puff pastry on the outside was a little on the doughier side (forgivable since it needs to be prepared ahead of time), the exterior portion was crispy and light.  Inside, the beef tenderloin was exquisite.  I literally didn't chew more than 2 or 3 times as it was so buttery soft.  With that in mind, the meat still retained its natural texture so it wasn't mushy either.  There was a good amount of mushroom duxelle to add the usual rich woodsiness.  Unlike her usual MO, my daughter didn't go for fish and had the Roasted Fraser Valley Duck Breast with pan-seared foie gras and apple cider reduction.  As much as this didn't look like much in portion size, it actually was quite a bit of meat.  The duck breast was tender and appealingly gamy with rendered skin.  Loved the sweetness of the reduction in addition to the bits of apple.  Lastly, the seared foie was buttery and sported a light crispy sear on the outside.

Viv went the pasta route and ordered the Fresh Fettuccine with lobster and grilled tiger prawns, brunoise of vegetables, olive oil and fresh basil.  Attractively green, the dish was surprisingly flavourful and impactful.  If we had to describe the flavours, it would be that the dish tasted like the colour - fresh, bright and herbaceous.  The pasta itself was a touch thick, but plenty chewy (in a good way).  Meaty with a firm snap, the tiger prawns were perfect as well as the fluffy and moist chunks of lobster meat.  My mom stayed on a similar note and had the Grilled Tiger Prawns and Sea Scallops served over angel hair pasta with fresh mussel “velouté”.  Once again, the prawns were beautifully prepared, but the scallops were even better being buttery and sweet with a caramelized sear on the outside.  We found the velouté to be creamy and rich with a kiss from the sea.  The angel hair was a great compliment to the ingredients as it was light where it was completely coated by the sauce.

Of course we cannot forget the classic Shoestring Frites that are served at every meal (complimentary) at Le Croc.  As seen in the picture, we were given 2 of these plates and that was a good thing.  You see, the kids devoured one of them while my mom ate the second.  We were able to scrounge some and they were crispy and light as they have always been.  Prior to our desserts, we had a palate cleanser in the form of Pear Sorbet drizzled with pear brandy.  Don't worry, the kiddos didn't get any of the brandy!  As for the sorbet itself, it was just sweet enough and had the unmistakable aroma of pear.  It was smooth and creamy despite the lack of any dairy products.  We actually preferred the non-boozy version, but with that being said, it did add a real kick.

We weren't really going to have many desserts since we had a cake at home to cut, but we went ahead with 4 of them anyways starting with the Sun Burnt Lemon Tart with passion fruit sorbet.  Impactfully tangy, the lemon tart wasn't as smooth as we would've liked, but that didn't detract from the flavour.   Firm, but with some give, the tart shell was buttery and tasty on its own.  As if the lemon curd wasn't tangy enough on its own, the passion fruit sorbet added some refreshing tartness as well.  With the same flavour profile, we had one of the featured desserts in the Passion Fruit Créme Brulée.  Creamy and appealingly tart, the passion fruit really came through.  Perfectly caramelized on the top, the bits of sugar added bursts of sweetness to balance the tang.

Our last 2 desserts had a chocolate theme going on (and yes, we didn't order the souffle, but no one wanted it either).  My son basically devoured the Profiteroles filled with vanilla ice cream topped with hot Belgian chocolate.  As you can clearly see, there was a significant amount of creamy smooth dark chocolate on top.  It didn't eat very sweet, where it let the smooth ice cream do the heavy lifting.  The choux pastry was airy and light with firm enough exterior to hold up to the chocolate and ice cream.  My favourite of the bunch was the Warm Soft Chocolate Cake with orange reduction & nougatine ice cream.  With an almost lava cake texture, the chocolate cake was moist without being liquidy.  It was semi-sweet and the orange reduction underneath wasn't too strong.  I loved the crunch from the ice cream on top as it provided some texture to the dish.

Now we couldn't end the meal without another Le Croc classic!  Yes, we did get the Chocolate Crocodiles in both dark and milk. Interestingly and not surprisingly, the kiddies went straight for the dark chocolate because they prefer it being not as sweet with a bitter finish.  Hmm...  I think their palates are becoming more refined...  Anyways, this was an excellent finish to a beautiful meal.  Professional service within a classy dining room.  Le Crocodile continues to excel as one of the premier dining destinations in Vancouver.

The Good:
- Professional service
- Consistent preparation
- Adequate portions

The Bad:
- Pricey
- May not be sexy compared to the newer spots (but I personally do not care)

Yue Restaurant

Awhile back when I was still involved with the Chinese Restaurant Awards, I was introduced to a relatively low-key (yet classy) restaurant called Yue.   I was so impressed with the food, I went back several times and it never disappointed.  They had won for the best Ha Gau (Steamed Shrimp Dumplings) in 2015, so there was definitely some pedigree.  They have since moved from that location further up Alexandra to where Vivacity used to set up shop.  I've had their Dim Sum service again at the new location and it was still just as good.  Therefore, I didn't need much convincing for an invite to try it again recently.

Things came fast and furious since they knew it would make for a great flat lay (for IG).  That also meant I had to act fast with my picture-taking (and hopefully get to eat!).  The first thing I did try was the Fried Squab presented in a "bird cage" type of serving tray.  Very cleaver if you ask me.  As you can tell by the rich brownish red hue, the skin was crispy, nutty and fairly well-rendered.  The meat itself was tender and moist while being well-seasoned  I sampled the Baked BBQ Pork Bun next and they were warm and fluffy where there was still some elasticity to the dough.  On top, the crisp sugar topping was sweet enough and stayed adhered to the bun even after cutting it in half.  Inside, the lean BBQ pork filling was a nice balance between sweet and savoury.

Okay, let's get right to it before it got cold (I took a dumpling from the tray underneath, so it was still hot), I attacked the award-winning Steamed Prawn Dumpling (Ha Gau).  Although there are many versions in town that are just as good, there is no denying that this one is indeed one of the best.  Beyond the al dente exterior wrapper (that had a nice elasticity), the delicate prawn within was sweet with discernible sesame oil and white pepper notes.  Texturally, there was a moist snap that was nearly perfect.  Now the Steamed Pork Dumpling with Crab Roe (Siu Mai) (pork & shrimp dumpling) was no slouch either.  Also served as set of 5, these consisted of nearly as much shrimp as pork.  Hence, the texture was buttery with both the bounce from the shrimp as well as the properly tenderized and marinated pork.  There was a lightness to the dumpling without feeling loose while the seasoning was spot on.

Onto the Rice Noodle Rolls, we had 3 versions including 3 kinds of mushroom, beef and BBQ pork & corn.  Unlike the usual preparation of 3 separate rolls, they were presented as a continuous sheet of noodle with ingredients strewn throughout.  I quite like this method as the texture of the noodle tends to be less dense even though it is scrunched up together.  I enjoyed all 3 of them and really liked the addition of corn with the BBQ pork as it provided both texture and sweetness.  The beef was tender and buttery while still retaining some meatiness.   The same could be said about the Steamed Spare Ribs with Pumpkin as they were buttery and bouncy while still meaty at the same time.  Perfect texture for this dish.  There was a mix of rib portions and some cartilage, but there wasn't too much fat (which was a good thing).  Overall, the flavour was on the milder side but there was definitely black bean (as we could see it too).

Next, I went back to the dumplings with the Steamed Prawn and Spinach.  Normally, spinach dumplings feature a much darker green colour, yet the light translucent one they had here was very attractive.  Seeing the filling inside just made it more appetizing.  This also meant the dumpling skin was thin enough too being chewy and tender at the same time.  The filling was delicate with sweet bouncy prawn and tender spinach (that was not soggy nor soaked with too much moisture).  Evenly browned, the slices of Pan Fried Turnip Cake were on the firmer side, but still far from dense.  I particularly liked the balanced amount of cured sausage, dried shrimp and dried scallop within the cake.  This provided layers of brininess and aroma.  There was also a good amount of shredded daikon that was tender and not overly wet.

We were served another award-winning dish (for 2017) in the Singing Beef Brisket and Rice Rolls Hot Pot.  One might wonder why this version might be better than any other in the GVRD.  There is no need to wonder since the star of the dish was the brisket itself.  The meat was buttery and tender where each piece was similarly sized.  Flavours were good without an over-reliance on salt (soy in this case).  The rice noodles underneath were seared enough and weren't overly greasy either.  One of the more interesting dishes had to the Pork Hock with Maggi Sauce.  It might be assumed the dish would be heavy and really fatty.  Well, yes, there was skin and fat since it is a pork hock, but it ate a lot lighter than one would expect.  Buttery and tender, the skin was lightly crispy and completely seasoned by the umaminess of the Maggi.

I've noticed the trend that spring rolls are getting smaller and smaller.  I guess they didn't get the memo here as the Deep Fried Shrimp and Cheese Spring Rolls were absolutely massive.  Easily a half size bigger than most, the crispy rolls were stuffed with plenty of whole shrimp and shrimp paste.  Since the filling was substantial, the roll ate more robust and heavy.  I didn't notice the cheese as much though.  Wrapped in pan fried bean curd skin, the Pan Fried Sticky Rice with Dried Seafood was deceptive in its appearance.  We all guessed there would be meat in the middle, so it was a total surprise when we found sticky rice instead.  I really enjoyed this as the rice was dry enough without being hard.  The aromatics and umami saltiness of the dried seafood (shrimp and scallop), provided the necessary seasoning. 

We ended up trying some of the Chinese New Year dinner specialties as well including Yue's Appetizer Platter consisting of hokkigai, smoked salmon, sliced beef shank, baby octopus and jellyfish.  The most interesting part of the platter had to be the diced jellyfish.  That's right.  Rather than in strands, the jellyfish was in quasi-cubes.  Therefore, it was a bit easier to chew, yet more buttery soft with a light rebound.  Majestically plated, the Braised Dried Oysters and Dried Black Moss is something you'd find at many CNY dinners.  This one featured large dried oysters that were rehydrated and braised to the point where they were super tender.  They were the proverbial umami bomb with plenty of brininess as well.  I wasn't so sure about the lettuce as it bled too mush moisture onto the plate.

Another bonus item was the Pork Rib in Special Spicy Sauce.  This gigantic bone was dressed in enough chili oil and spices to scare most people off.  In reality, it wasn't spicy at all.  Rather, there was a pronounced nuttiness to go with only a touch of heat.  Moreover, since the rib was not spicy itself (possibly not braised in the spices and oil), I could taste the meat.  It was tender and practically fell-off-the-bone without being mushy.  Personally, I could've taken it a whole lot spicier, but I can see how the way the dish was prepared could appeal to a wider audience.  When I first laid eyes on the Pan Fried Vermicelli with Beef and Bitter Melon with black bean sauce, I was not wanting to eat it.  You see, I'm not a huge fan of bitter melon.  On the flip side, I needed to try it for the purposes of this blog post.  Turns out it was a lot better than I expected.  They prepared it so masterfully that the bitter melon was subtle and the black bean sauce was impactful enough to balance the bitterness.  Moreover, the beef was super tender and the crispy vermicelli provided a nice crunch.

From here, we moved onto the sweets.  The first one I tried was the Steamed Egg Yolk Bun.  Maggi wanted me to do an action shot and as I pulled the soft bun apart, the sweetened salted egg yolk centre proceeded to run out quickly.  Yes, I would've liked it to be a thicker viscosity, but this was also due to the amount of filling.  It kept coming!  Um...  Anyways, it was purposefully sweet and slightly nutty.  Very tasty.  Next, I sampled both the Peach Resin Cake (the white one) and the Lychee & Sweet Olive Jello.  Shaped like a typical mango pudding, the resin cake was somewhat like a pannacotta except not as creamy.  It was lightly sweet with bits of white fungus posing as "bird's nest".  I found the lychee jello to be light and just sweet enough with the unmistakable aroma of lychee.  Texturally, it wasn't too firm which made it very easy to eat.

Our last 2 desserts were somewhat similar in the Baked Egg Tart with Milk Puff Pastry and the Baked Durian Tart.  Resembling a Portuguese tart, these were aromatic, creamy and purposefully sweet.  Loved the nuttiness from the buttery puff pastry.  It was nicely browned where it crispy and light.  As for the Durian Tarts, they were merely the same egg tarts topped with durian paste.  As such, the same qualities existed except with the addition of the pungency of the sweet durian.  These were a great finish to an expectedly solid Dim Sum service.  Once again, Yue didn't disappoint and there were some new dishes I'd never tried before.  I guess I need to do a dinner service post soon too as it appears that that would be good as well!

*Food was complimentary*

The Good:
- Consistent food quality
- Nice dining space
- Solid service (as observed in previous visits)

The Bad:
- Like any other Richmond restaurant, parking can be limited