Pokey Okey (Kingsway)

So I haven't done a poke post in quite some time.  To be honest, I don't really follow the coming and goings of poke joints since the explosion of such restaurants 5+ years ago.  There are just too many and most can be interchangeable with each other.  Sure, there are a few that stand out, so I do end up going back to them for the occasional meal.  One example of this is Pokey Okey.  I've actually been here a few times and even though I enjoy their bowls, I never got around to posting about it.  Well, I guess it was meant to be because they invited me to try some of their signature creations.  I gladly accepted as I was confident that I would enjoy their food.

They have 3 prominent bowls on the menu named after a colour.  The first is the Yellow Bowl with spicy salmon, scallop salad, seaweed salad, pineapple, sweet corn, purple cabbage, ramen egg, tempura flakes, seaweed flakes and Pokey Okey sauce.  Of the 3 colours, this one is the most mild-tasting even with the spicy salmon.  There was plenty of natural sweetness from the tender scallops to the pops from the corn and pineapple.  We chose a mix of white rice and spring mix and this was lighter than 100% rice.  It is worth mentioning that the ramen egg was perfect where it was runny while not being too salty.

Onto the Green Bowl, we got more impact from the combination of tuna, salmon, capelin roe, seaweed salad, purple cabbage, soybeans, imitation crab, wasabi peas, seaweed flakes and wasabi mayo.  Beyond the big chunks of fresh fish, the wasabi peas were the most prominent ingredient with its sharpness and crunch.  When the entirety of the bowl was combined, there was a lot going on including the crunch and sweetness from the seaweed salad as well as the briny pops from the roe.

If you wanted full-flavoured, then the Red Bowl would be your choice.  Seeing how this was comprised of spicy tuna, spicy salmon, flying fish roe, seaweed salad, kimchi radish, purple cabbage, fried onion, seaweed flakes and spicy mayo sauce, you can imagine the flavour.  However, beyond the obvious with the spice from the fish and sauce, the kimchi radish made this bowl.  It was spicy and tangy while the crunch added a wonderful texture to go with the soft ingredients.

Now ordering a predetermined bowl of ingredients is a convenient and easy way of going about things, yet, you have the option to build your own bowl too.  So that we did with the Torched Salmon Belly Bowl with extra salmon, purple cabbage, soybeans, imitation crab, cucumbers, fried onion, seaweed flakes, tempura flakes and flying fish roe, smokey teriyaki sauce and pokey okey sauce on white rice.  So the torched belly was fatty, delicate and smokey.  To up the smokiness even more, the smokey teriyaki is the sauce to get here.  Add in the crunch components and you have a very unique bowl.

Talking about unique, the one thing about Pokey Okey is that they are not only about poke.  At one time, they had a wonderful Unagi Bowl, but now in its place, they have a Coconut Truffle Udon.  I thought this was pretty good with just enough truffle for effect without going overboard.  I could definitely get the aromatics of the coconut in the creamy sauce.  Veggies added some brightness where the tomatoes burst with tang.  I would've liked the udon to be chewier, but it wasn't mushy either.

Another cooked item on the menu is the Beefy Bowl with braised beef, green onions, pickled ginger, seaweed flakes and rice topped with an onsen egg.  The generous amount of sliced beef on top was melt-in-my-mouth tender and well-seasoned.  We chose brown rice for this bowl since the ingredients were so hearty.  As you can see, the onsen egg was delicate and runny.  Mixed together, this was tasty where the pickled ginger added the brightness and tang to liven up the bowl.  So as you can see, there is more than poke here at Pokey Okey.  However, their poke is indeed solid with a few unique toppings.  I think their Yellow, Green and Red bowls are well thought-out and satisfy a variety of tastes.  Make sure you add some smokey teriyaki because it really adds depth-of-flavour.

*All bowls were complimentary*

The Good:
- Some non-poke items which are incidentally, good
- Good portion size even for a small
- That smokey teriyaki sauce

The Bad:
- No real dine-in option, purely takeout

 

Nonna's Cucina

My first experience with Nonna's Cucina was when I visited their food truck at the Holidays on the Block back in December.  I tried their Numero Uno Panini and came away impressed.  Fast forward to the present and they have opened their B&M store on Hastings at Templeton.  They have expanded their menu to include pastas.  I was invited along with Maggi and Joyce to have a taste of the menu.

Coincidentally, they are currently participating in the Panini Challenge and presented us with their creation - Panino del Nonna.  It consisted of spezzatino, pancetta-onion marmelatta, burrata, pepperonata, and arugula on fresh ciabatta.  The stewed beef was the star of the sandwich where it was tender and full of rich flavours.  Since there was half a burrata in this sandwich, the creaminess really came through.  Loved the marmelatta with its sweet saltiness.  Additionally, the bread was crunchy, yet not dense.  Perfect to keep all the wet ingredients inside without becoming soggy.

Next, we had Nonna's Speciale with fig spread, sopressata, spicy capicollo, Genoa salami, fiore di latte, pepperonata, eggplant, tomato, dijon mayo and arugula on fresh ciabatta.  There was quite a bit going on in this sandwich where the amount of meat added texture as well as saltiness, spice and a bit of nuttiness.  Fig spread provided balancing sweetness while the cheese and tomatoes complimented the saltiness of the meats.

Consisting of 3 large meatballs, Nonna's Meatball Panino could easily satisfy most appetites.  Since the meatballs were slowly braised in Nonna's tomato sauce, they were supremely tender and moist.  We thought the meatballs themselves could've used a bit more salt, but the tangy tomato sauce, provolone and parmigiano added enough flavour to make up for it.  Again, the crusty ciabatta held things together well.

Now here is we got to the pastas and oh what a treat that was.  Chef Darrel Arnault has worked at Il Giardino, Tutto and Cincin, so it shouldn't have been a surprise that the Rigatoni with housemade Italian sausage & fennel ragu was on point.  The pasta was firmly al dente while bathed in a rich fennel forward ragu which also had balanced tang and sweetness.  The sausage was tender with a moist meatiness and was flavourful.

The Chitarra with sidestripe prawns, olives and crispy pancetta in a spicy tomato sauce had a puttanesca-arribbiata vibe going on and it was delicious.  Once again, the pasta was al dente and the sauce was impactful.  There was tang and spice as well as briny-saltiness from the olives.  The ample amount of buttery and meaty sidestripe prawns added a natural sweetness and aroma.  This was one of my favourites.

So now we get to some housemade pastas starting with the Pappardelle with peas & asparagus in a truffle cream sauce.  I found the pasta sheets to be tender with a delicate chew.  That truffle cream sauce was rich and full of subtle aroma that was just right.  The extra sprinkle of parmigiano on top added salt and nuttiness.  Asparagus and peas provided brightness and greens to break up the heaviness.

Their Herb Ricotta Gnocchi is also housemade and I gotta say they were also on point.  They were large, so fluffy and tender, yet at the same time, not mushy.  Instead of a regular pesto, the gnocchi were tossed in a pistachio pesto cream with zucchini, cherry tomato and fennel.  The hits of basil and garlic were intertwined with the bits of pistachio in the rich cream sauce.  This could've used a touch more salt, but overall, it was well-balanced.

We tried one last pasta in the Nonna's Baked Lasagna with classic bolognese.  This also featured fresh made-in-house pasta sheets in between tender meat and cheese.  I found the pasta to be tender while retaining some chewiness.  The bolognese was creamy and rich with balancing mild tomato tang.  This sat on a bed of tangy tomato sauce and EVOO drizzle.  

 

I was so impressed with the pastas that I actually got a bunch for takeout (on my own coin).  This was also a good way to test out the product as it was supposed to be served (since Nonna's is mainly a takeout operation).  Yes, the pastas did soften up a bit, but overall, it held up well and was still tasty when I got them home.  If you have been observant, you will notice that there is an order of the Pappardelle Bolognese (that we didn't have at the restaurant).  This featured the same delicate pasta sheets as the truffle cream version.  The bolognese was rich and meaty while creamy at the same time.  It featured deep flavours from the slow cook down and was aromatic at the same time.

They also featured 2 desserts at the shop including the Cannoli from Cannoli King.  From that you would already know that the shells would be crunchy and light.  The fillings were made in-house though featured classic ricotta.  It was creamy and smooth with just enough sweetness.  These shattered beautifully when bitten into, but were held together by the ample ricotta filling.

Their other dessert item was the Cornetti filled with either lemon ricotta or Nutella.  Now if these look like croissants to you, then you aren't far off base.  The main difference is that cornettis employ eggs in the dough which makes them closer to brioche than the butter-forward dough of a croissant.  So therefore, beyond the crispy exterior, the inside was richer in texture.  I enjoyed the lemon ricotta filling the most due to the fact I'm biased towards the brightness of fruit.  In the end, I was rather impressed with the pastas where they could certainly be served in a Downtown establishment.  Prices are reasonable considering the quality of the product.  I will be back.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:

- Restaurant quality pastas

- Fully-loaded sandwiches with quality ingredients

- Reasonable-prices

The Bad:

- Only 3 seats for dine-in, because eating the pastas immediately would be optimal

Guu with Garlic

Sometimes going back to the classics is not such a bad thing.  Of course we generally are interested in the newest places, but we are always taking a chance with our hard-earned money because we really don't know if it will be good or meh.  So with Izakaya on my mind and meeting up with Sexy Mexi (she was in town and this was a little bit ago), we decided on something that was walking distance from where she was staying - Guu with Garlic (excuse the old stock photo, didn't want to take a new one...).  Yes, this is still one of my favs because it is reasonably-priced and consistent.  We were lucky to score a table pretty quickly.

We kicked off the festivities with the Garlic Soy Marinated Eggplant.  I thought the texture of the eggplant was just right as it was tender yet not mushy.  There was a good sponginess to it and it soaked up the garlic soy so it was full-flavoured.  However, it wasn't too salty nor too sweet.  The addition of garlic chips on top added an aromatic crunch while the green onions provided some brightness.

Continuing on with the cold dishes, we went for the Tuna Tataki as well with ponzu sauce.   Looking at the picture, you can tell that the albacore tuna was uniformly and lightly seared on the outside.  Hence the entirety of the tuna was still soft and raw.  It was fresh with a mild natural sweetness.  Dipping it into the ponzu on the plate added just enough salty tanginess.  This was also topped with garlic chips and green onions.

Now one of the underrated dishes in my opinion is the Chicken Nanban.  For those who aren't familiar, it is merely chicken karaage tossed in sour soy sauce and served with a side of tartar sauce.  Yes, I know tartar is usually a condiment for seafood, but it works here as the chicken merely replaces fish, but is still fried.  You get a salty sour thing going on, then the tartar adds a creamy sweet tanginess.

So probably one of the most predictable items we ordered was the Ebi Mayo.  It isn't a visit to an izakaya without ordering this right?  The shrimp was nicely textured being meaty with a snap while the tempura batter was crunchy and not too thick.  Loved how they didn't overdo it with the spicy mayo.  It was certainly there with its creamy spice, but it wasn't drowning the crunchy shrimp.  Oh and the shrimp chips were a nice bonus.

The largest item we got was the Miso Pork Cutlet with onsen egg, green onion and spicy miso sauce in a hot stone bowl.  I thought the pork cutlet itself was a little stiff, yet at the same time, it was tender.  The panko coating was crunchy and was a nice contrast to the soft egg and chewy rice.  Sizzling hot, the bowl helped from a socarrat on the bottom.  As for the miso sauce, it had a mild kick while exhibiting the usual fermented saltiness.

Not far behind in size (with the rice, the Tokujyo! Harami or grilled premium hanger steak was a beautiful medium rare (the most you should cook this anyways).  There was good flavour as hanger steaks usually have a good meatiness.  It was quite tender and moist.  This was pretty substantial for the $16.80 price tag.  It was finished off with a BBQ sauce which was sweet and salty with a touch of tang.  One of my favourite dishes of the meal.

Another favourite was the Tontoro just because it is one of my preferred cuts of pork.  The appealingly chewy and bouncy texture of the meat has such a beautiful mouth-feel.  Now it also has to be prepared correctly and the tontoro was nicely grilled with a noticeable char.  It was smoky on the outside and slightly crispy.  The texture was exactly how I described it and a simple ponzu was all it needed for seasoning.

Lastly, we went for the Saikyo Miso Marinated Grilled Black Cod.  Yes, it was $26.00 (like most places), but was completely worth it.  The buttery flakiness of the fish was exactly the desired texture.  It was beautifully grilled so that there was caramelization and the miso really came through.  Another favourite of this visit.  Really, all of the food was solid and that is what we expected.  Guu still does it right and it is no wonder they are always busy.

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Generally reasonable pricing

- Decent selection

The Bad:

- Cramped seating but not many izakayas are spacious anyways

- Hard to get a table sometimes

Daisy Garden

Oh isn't this a blast from the past!  The original Daisy Garden burned to the ground 7 years ago and honestly, I didn't expect it to be resurrected.   This place is part of my childhood as I remembered my parents taking me regularly for wonton noodles, congee and BBQ meats.   So it is definitely with nostalgia that I suggested that we check the completely new space out with, you guessed it, my parents!  To complete the circle of life, it was my turn to bring my kids out to Daisy Garden.  Wonder if my kids will bring their kids?  Oh I am thinking too far into the future...

So dealing with the present, we were pleasantly surprised with the modern and inviting decor of the new Daisy Garden.  Their menu still had all the favourites including the Sui Kau Noodles and Wonton Noodles. We got them both and the broth was a bit disappointing.  It definitely had all of the aroma but had little depth and needed much more salt and shrimp shell flavour.  Noodles were good though being cooked properly with an appealing chewiness.  Although the wontons were on the smaller side, they were good consisting of mostly shrimp.  The texture was on point with a buttery snap.  As for the siu gau, the addition of wood ear mushroom provided more crunch and there was a bit more pork which made it meatier.

Of course, I had to get a bowl of Congee and decided on the pork liver and meat ball (although this also contained pork stomach and pork kidney as well).  I found the congee itself to be properly thick with a nice viscosity.  It was enough to coat a spoon but not too thick where it was pasty either.  There was a decent amount of meat where the liver was tender.  In terms of seasoning, I thought the congee was much more home-style where it was rather mild.  I really didn't mind that as we can always add more salt and white pepper.  We got a side of Salty Donut to go with the congee and it as money.  Light, airy and crunchy, it was none too greasy either.

To complete the trifecta of required eats at a restaurant like Daisy Garden, we got the Three BBQ Meat Combo Plate.  Our choices included BBQ Duck, BBQ Pork and Roast Pork (we asked for no wing for the BBQ duck where they honoured the request without extra charge).  I would say the BBQ duck was the best of the bunch with rendered crispy skin.  The meat was tender and well-seasoned as well.  The BBQ pork was a rather fatty piece, but that also meant the meat was tender and gelatinous.  It was also well-charred and nicely sauced with the classic sweet glaze.  We weren't that impressed with the roast pork as it was dry and rather bland.  On the other hand, the crackling was crunchy though.

Another fan favourite we ordered was the Pan Fried Rice Noodle with Sliced Beef.  Some people consider this dish as much of a measuring stick as any other in a Chinese restaurant.  So this version lacked a bit of colour, but that was mostly due to the conservative use of dark soy.  Otherwise, there was a enough wok heat to create caramelization and keeping the noodles in one piece without using an obscene amount of oil.  I would've liked to see more seasoning though as the dish ate a bit bland.  There was a good amount of tender sliced beef though and that helped add a bit more flavour.

Our one rice dish was the Curry Brisket and Tendon with white rice.  We rather enjoyed this one as the curry had a balanced amount of coconut milk that made it creamy without being overly heavy.  The actual curry flavour was a bit watered down, but not unusual for a Cantonese version.  Each piece of brisket was fairly tender and some where a bit fattier.  I found the tendon to be a bit too soft and some were almost melting into the curry.  So in the end, this was definitely a walk down memory lane and it was worth a visit just for the nostalgia.  I thought that the food was fine, if not a bit on the pricier end given the portion size.  Not my first choice for this type of food in town, yet also not a bad choice either if you were in the area.

The Good:
- It has got that nostalgic factor for many people
- Nice welcoming decor
- Decent eats

The Bad:
- Just a smidge on the more pricier side compare to competitors
- Food is decent, but there is better

Neptune Palace

If it seems like there is always a Neptune Chinese restaurant around the corner; you are not imagining things.  It all started off as one combo restaurant in Richmond featuring a formal Chinese restaurant on one side and on the other, a wonton noodle spot.  Now we see both versions in places nearly everywhere.  One of their latest ventures is Neptune Palace, which is their most high-end offering to this date.  It took the spot formerly occupied by Pennisula, right within the Marine Gateway complex.

We ordered lots of food since we had everyone here including the in-laws (yes, had to listen to my Mother-in-Law yak throughout the meal...).  The first dish to hit the table was the Beef Tripe & Tendon in chiu hou sauce.  Being served in a bowl rather than a plate meant it was a fairly large portion.  I found the tripe to be maybe a touch too soft, but ultimately tender.  The tendon was generally soft except for a few pieces.  The dish ate a bit sweet, but it was not overseasoned.

Also served in a ceramic pot/bowl, the Bean Curd Wraps with enoki mushroom were a bit flat-looking and on the smaller side.  However, they were pretty good with a chewy (in a good way) bean curd skin wrapper.  It was drier (which was texturally appealing) and gave way to a pork and shrimp filling that was tightly packed and firm.  As such, the whole roll was not particularly light to eat.  It did taste good though with a starch-thicken sauce that was balanced and stayed thick even after steaming.

The same pork mixture seemed to have found its way into the Truffle Siu Mai Dumpling as the whole thing was heavy and dense.  Instead of a buttery and moist snap texture, I found the filling to be a touch dry and a bit chewy.  With that being said, it wasn't as if the dumpling was terrible.  The meat was still tender enough where there was some pork fat to keep things less dense.  As for the seasoning, I found it to be rather mild with the ample truffle sauce on top really coming through.

Of course, we also got the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumplings) which were medium-sized with a slightly translucent wrapper.  I thought these were some of the best-looking ha gau I've recently seen as the pleats and the overall shape of the dumpling were uniform.  In terms of execution, the dumplings were good where the wrapper had a tender elasticity.  Inside, the whole shrimp filling was on point with a sweet buttery snap.  Seasoning was subtle with natural shrimp sweetness.

We ended up ordering the Fish Filet Congee since the kids really wanted it (again, they are most important...).   Now I understand that Neptune Palace is a higher-end Chinese restaurant, but this congee was a bit overpriced at $15.00.  There was only a modest amount of flaky fish within the congee (and being Basa, it isn't an expensive fish).  I found the congee itself to be a bit too thick, but I guess better than being watery.  It was mildly seasoned and had more of a home-style taste than the usual MSG restaurant version.

Although it never seems like a lot of food for the money, I always get the Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet in special sauce).  Trust me, the cost is mostly in the preparation because I've made this dish before and there are a few steps involved.  Now this version was decent albeit the ends of the feet were falling off (a sign of overcooking it or being too rough in handling them in the cooking process).  Whatever the case, the skin was tender and there was still soft cartilage and fat underneath.  This was garlicky and sweet with a bit of the dice peppers coming through.

Another dish the kids wanted was the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice with minced pork wrapped in lotus leaf).  There was three of them, which is pretty standard, yet they were quite large in size.  Inside, the rice was a touch on the drier side which made some parts more firm and crumbly.  There was a good amount of pork hidden within the rice, but it was also a bit dry as well due to the lack of starch-thicken sauce.  Completing the filling was some salted egg yolk and Chinese sausage.

Well, guess why we ordered the Char Siu Bao (Steamed BBQ Pork Buns)?  Yes, my son wanted them (the kids get everything they want...).   Not a bad choice really since the bun itself was fluffy and fairly light.  It remained that way even after it had cooled down and sat for a bit.  Inside, the BBQ pork filling was fairly lean with only a few fattier parts.  The glaze was thick and definitely on the sweeter side.  There was a bit more bun than filling.

Presented nicely in a basket (on a plate), the Stir Fried Daikon Cake with spicy XO sauce was in a decent portion size.  The stir fry included the usual bean spouts but they also added crunchy fried potato sticks.  Texturally, the cubes of daikon cake were on the softer side and didn't have much of a crispy exterior.  Rather, it was rather oil-logged and greasy to eat.  I really didn't mind the softness of the cake as it was appealing, but there needed to be a crunch on the outside for balance.  The XO was quite good though offering up a noted spiciness.

We ended up with 2 types of rice flour rolls including the Jumbo Prawn & Yellow Chives as well as the Crispy Bean Sheets & Fish Paste.  I thought the rice noodle itself was a bit on the softer side while lacking a bit of elasticity.  It wasn't bad by any means and could be considered above average.  The shrimp were quite good being large and exhibiting the appealing buttery snap texture.  They were also properly seasoned and were well-complimented by the chives.  As for the bean curd sheets, they were fried aggressively crispy that they stayed as such even being wrapped in hot noodle sheets.  The shrimp paste was too dense though which made each piece rather heavy.

Similar to some other dishes so far, the Beef Meatballs with pea shoots in broth were served in a ceramic mini-pot.  Since they were sitting in broth, the meatballs were not dry and had a decent bounce texture.  They were a bit firmer than I would've liked, but they were not too dense either.  I found the flavour profile to be rather mild since the seasoning was light and the amount of green onion was minimal.  I did like the broth though as it was clean and took on the flavours of the pea shoots.

One dish we haven't ordered in awhile is the Eggplant with Shrimp Paste in black bean sauce.  It was a good thing we ordered this one because it was executed very well.  More often than not, the fried eggplant gets a bit mushy in the middle, but this one still had some texture left.  Also, the outside was slightly crispy while the shrimp paste had the desired bouncy texture.  It was also seasoned enough albeit on the sweeter side.  The black bean sauce was thick and was mildly salty with some garlickiness.

Another kid favourite is the Deep Fried Shrimp Spring Rolls, which were served in a basket rather than a plate.  I guess this is what you get as fancier presentation.  Well, these were indeed good, so the elevated price could be justified ($8.00).  Also, we got 4 rolls rather than the typical 3, so really it wasn't anymore expensive.  Beyond the hot and crunchy wrapper, the ample amount of buttery shrimp were well-seasoned.  The texture was similar to the ha gau where it had a cold-water snap.  

Our other fried item was the Fried Taro Dumplings with BBQ duck meat.  Normally, these football-shaped mashed taro dumplings are filled with ground pork.  However, with the use of BBQ duck meat with the skin, there was a meatier texture as well as a different aroma.  We quite liked these as the mash taro was airy and light while the outside was crispy.  As much as these can be very greasy (since they are deep fried and there is also lard in the mashed taro), they weren't overly so.  

For one of our larger dishes, we ended up ordering the Chicken & Mushroom Hot Pot Rice.  This took awhile to arrive and that was a good thing as they cooked the rice in the claypot.  Hence, the rice was drier and nuttier with a lightest hint of a rice crust.  The ample chicken thigh meat on top was juicy and tender.  Seasoning was on the milder side, but with a side of sweetened soy, that wasn't really an issue.

Onto dessert, we decided on the Hong Kong Style Egg Custard Tarts and the Steamed Creamy Egg Yolk Custard Buns.  The egg tarts were money with a deliciously buttery (or lardy) and flaky tart shell.  We found the custard to be silky and only semi-sweet.  As for the custard buns, the filling was ample, yet a touch watery (even for this type of bun).  It was just sweet enough with the unmistakable hit of salted egg yolk.  Overall, the Dim Sum at Neptune Palace was decent, yet maybe pricey for the execution.  There is so much competition out there these days and even the slightest missteps can make the difference.  Service was pretty good if not quite sparse, but I will give that a pass because hiring staff these days is difficult.

The Good:
- Spacious and well-appointed dining space
- Generally decent food
- Validated parking

The Bad:
- Decent food, but should be better given the price
- Validated parking, but not enough spaces for such a big restaurant (most people will end up paying for parking)