Sushi Aboard

There are times when I get sucked into gimmicks.  It isn't often, but since a dining experience isn't necessarily all about the food, I have been influenced by ambiance, decor, service, buffets and/or theatrics.  However, I was pretty much dead set against visiting Sushi Aboard since the "bullet train" serving apparatus reminded me of conveyor belt sushi (which I've also indulged in just for the heck of it).  I wasn't going to buy into the hype and continue eating at regular Japanese restaurants.  But Nikita wanted to try it and since I really like Nikita, I couldn't say no despite my personal biases.

Since the place is setup for bullet train delivery, there are only tables of 4 available.  Hence we had to sit separately.  There are screens at each table where you can see the menu and order.  We began with some Nigiri including Tamago, Tuna, Sockeye Salmon, Unagi, and Chopped Scallop. These were pretty decent, if not standard.  Nothing out of the ordinary, but the fish was fairly good quality.  The way it was presented was truly like conveyor belt sushi.

We moved onto some appies next with the Chicken Karaage and the Assorted Tempura.  We found the karaage to be good with juicy and tender leg meat.  The pieces were medium in size and were properly seasoned.  The coating was light and was crispy.  As for the tempura, it was mostly seafood (fish, scallop, shrimp and squid with one piece of sweet potato).  This was also good with a light crispy batter that was a tad greasy.

Onto some Sashimi, we ordered both the Atlantic Salmon and Albacore Tuna. They were served in 5 pieces each with the salmon including a piece of belly as well.  In terms of appearance, there wasn't anything amiss.  Texturally, they were as expected where the salmon was buttery and soft.  I found the slices of tuna a bit big (which is decent value), so it resulted in a slightly denser texture.  It was still fine though.

One of the best values on the menu was the Mini-Charashi Don for $7.55.  It featured chewy sushi rice topped with tuna, salmon, hokkigai, ebi and ika.  For our first roll, we got the Spicy Salmon Roll.  As simple as this was, I enjoyed this as the rice was at a minimum and the amount of salmon was generous.  The spicy sauce wasn't actually all that spicy, but it had a good amount of aromatic sesame oil.  I liked how they put the minimum amount of cucumber in it too.

So I'm not sure how we ended up with 2 of nearly the same roll in the Hot Crunchy Ebi Roll and the Popcorn Roll.  There were a few differences where the base roll for the first one was a dynamite roll topped with fried shrimp and fried sweet potato and the second was a Cali roll topped with fried baby scallops topped with fried yam.  Both were sweet due to the toppings and usually I'm not a fan of these types of rolls.  With that being said, they were fine and we ate them.

Our last 2 rolls consisted of the Hot Summer Roll and Melting Cheese Roll.  Once again, our ordering strategy was flawed as the first roll had similar components as the last 2 rolls with prawn tempura, cucumber and imitation crab inside with seared salmon and fried yam on top.  The melting cheese roll had the same base roll but was topped with mozzarella, cheese sauce and tobiko.  This was quite pungent and cheesy.  It didn't need any soy (much like all of the other rolls).  In the end, the food at Sushi Aboard was decent and we didn't mind it.  However, it is truly about the gimmack of the bullet train here.  We thought the prices were okay with all things considered, but we would've been happy with just going to any other Japanese restaurant.

The Good:
- If you like the novelty of the food being served via bullet train
- Friendly service
- Decent variety

The Bad:
- Decent, but nothing extraodinary
- Due to the setup (and it is totally understandable), only tables of 4 available

Hapa Izakaya

Returning to the series of restaurants I haven't visited for a long time, we made our way to Hapa Izakaya.  Yes, the place is far cry from its heyday when it sported 3 locations in Vancity and one in TO, however, they still operate the Yaletown spot as well as the one in Toronto.  Some might want to point out that Kingyo (and its affiliated restaurants), Guu and Black Rice are equal or better than Hapa.  That might be true, but for me, Hapa holds a place in my heart since there are so many memories as well as the fact they participated in the Foodie Feast that Mijune and I hosted in 2011. 

So off we went to see what has changed or stayed the same at Hapa since the last time I was at there.  We couldn't be any more classic than starting things off with the Ebi Mayo.  These were executed quite well with crunchy, yet light tempura encasing meaty prawns.  There was the natural sweetness and aromatics emanating from the fried prawns as well as a snap texture.  The moderate drizzle of tobanjan mayo was only lightly spicy.

Is it just me or the portion size for the Negitoro incredibly small?  Well, to be fair, it was enough to spread onto all 4 slices of garlic toast.  Now before the haters want to point on that portion sizes at Izakayas are supposed to be small since these are snacks to be had with bevvies after work (and not for an actual meal), I know that...  I just wished there was more of it.  Now with all that being said, it was good though with spice and aromatics from the sesame gochujan.

Since I was wanting more tuna from the last dish, it was partially satisfied by the Ahi Tuna Tataki (yes I realize the last one was tuna belly and this wasn't, but hey, it was still tuna).  This was evenly seared on all sides and left nicely rare in the middle.  The tuna was meaty while still delicate.  This was accompanied by shiitake mushroom and ponzu topped with spicy grated daikon and garlic chips.  Nice combination of ingredients that added tang, saltiness, umaminess and sweetness.

Staying on the same theme, we ordered the AAA Beef Tataki with sesame chili sauce.  This was a good portion of thinly sliced rare beef that was evenly seared on the outside.  Despite the appearance of sinew (was actually fat), each piece was buttery while still retaining a tender meatiness.  We could taste the natural beef flavour due to the conservative amount of sauce on top.  The sauce was sweet and nutty with only a touch of spice.

If you are wondering why there is an Avocado Roll right next to the Smoky Salmon Oshi Sushi, it is because my brother-in-law's daughter wanted it.  What was important on this plate was the oshi that featured sockeye salmon, karashi aioli, shiso, garlic chips and sour cream.  Now this cannot really be compared to the one found at Miku because of the different composition.  So if we looked at it individually, it was decent.  The sushi rice was chewy and seasoned while the salmon was fresh.  I found the sauce to rather mild despite the promised sharpness of the karashi.  That was okay though as it allowed the salmon to stand out.

Compared to the negitoro, the Hokkaido Scallop Tartare was only marginally larger in portion size, but it made all the difference.  It was more than enough to compliment the thin wonton chips.  The tartare itself consisted of chopped scallops, karashi aioli, green onion and bacon bits.  I thought the seasoning was light enough to let the natural sweetness of the delicate scallops stand out.  Although the wonton chips were a bit too delicate for the wet tartare, at the very least, they didn't overwhelm the scallops.

Another classic item was the Chicken Karaage with soy ginger sauce.  These were large chunks of leg meat that was juicy and succulent.  I thought there was some good seasoning with the meat already, but the right amount of soy ginger sauce added both sweetness and brightness.  Even with the toss of moisture on the outside of the chicken karaage, the light batter was still crispy.

Usually, when you think gyoza, a dumpling with a wheat wrapper comes to mind.  However, at Hapa, they serve the Renkon Gyoza Tempura that consists of minced pork sandwiched between lotus root slices and then coated with tempura batter.  This makes the "gyoza" more substantial with a lotus root crunch to go with the light tempura on the outside.  Tender and moist, the pork filling was mildly seasoned, but the dip added all the saltiness and tang needed.

One of my daughter's favourite dishes is Gindara (aka Sablefish) and of course she always gets what she wants...  This one was marinated in a miso sake and was done so perfectly.  If marinated too long, the fish can break down becoming mushy and if not enough, it can be bland.  This one was flaky and buttery with the unmistakable fermented miso flavour.  It was also slightly charred and cooked just enough.

Normally, we don't order sashimi when we go for izakaya, but this time around we decided on the Sashimori featuring sockeye salmon, hamachi, ahi tuna, albacore tuna and hotate.  As you can see in the picture, the fish had a nice sheen and was fresh (as fresh as flash frozen can get).  I wouldn't say this is the best sashimi I've had, but I wasn't expecting that.  However, it was a cut above what you'd typically find at most neighbourhood Japanese restaurants.

We decided to also try their Salt & Pepper Wings despite the option of more interesting flavours.  I guess we are basic like that.  Well, these were large and were lightly coated.  The skin was mostly rendered, yet not dry.  We found the chicken to be nicely marinated where there was inherent flavour even with the salt and pepper.  With that in mind, there really wasn't much pepper or salt for all that matters.  They were still good though.

Another classic Hapa Izakaya dish is their Spicy Pork Ishiyaki served in a hot stone bowl.  They mixed it tableside, hence its appearance.  This was a combination of rice, spicy miso minced pork, garlic sprouts, egg, tomato and lettuce.  Now in terms of taste, there was spice, meatiness and aromatics, but the whole thing was a bit too wet.  Hence, there was no socarrat to be found at the bottom and sides of the bowl.

To ensure we were full, we got the requisite filler dishes (in addition to the ishiyaki) with a couple of udons including the Mentaiko Udon with cod roe butter and shiso.  As much as we appreciated the presentation with red onion, tomato, green onion and nori on top, the actual flavours of the cod roe were somewhat obscured.  Sometimes keeping it simple (even though the dish might look plain), allows the main ingredients to shine.  As such, this was pleasant, but the usual sweet brininess was muted.

We also got the other udon on the menu being the Yaki Udon with veggies and chicken.  Again, simple would've been better in this case.  There was so much in the way of veggies and moisture that the whole dish ate wet and lacked any caramelization.  It wasn't as if it didn't taste good, there was enough balanced sweet and salty elements.  However, the udon was drowning in stuff and we would've preferred less of it.  So there you have it.  A comprehensive look at Hapa's menu and you know what?  It is pretty similar to what I had remembered.  For some, that might be a bit stale and boring.  However, I found it pleasant enough where Hapa is still in the mix of izakayas in Vancity.

The Good:
- Fairly solid eats
- Good service
- Fairly spacious seating compared to some other izakayas

The Bad:
- Some dishes, especially the larger ones, could've been simplified
- Lots of competition out there

Dynasty

I don't even remember the last time I've been to Dynasty on Broadway.  Seemingly always mentioned in the "best of Vancouver" lists when it comes to Chinese restaurants, I have never actually understood why.  I'm not saying the place isn't good, but there are just so many other places that are better.  Yes, I know this can all be subjective and that is partly why we decided to return for a visit when my cousin was visiting from out-of-town.  The other reason was that they were in the neighbourhood whilst exploring Vancouver, so its location worked for all of us.

Interestingly, they do not employ ordering checklists and one has to do the ol' skool of ordering with the service staff.  This seems very inefficient to me as our server seemed distracted when we were ordering.  In fact, he left part way through to only come back later to finish the order.  Our first dish was the Steamed Spareribs with pumpkin which came in a fairly large portion.  The majority of the pieces were meaty and not overly fatty.  Seasoning was good with enough black bean and garlic hits with a touch of spice.

Normally, there isn't much to say about Steamed Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf because they are all pretty standard.  With that being said, this version was quite good due to the amount of ingredients including salted egg yolk.  This added a nutty saltiness as well as a richness to the sticky rice.  Furthermore, the ground pork was tender and properly sauced so that there was both flavour and moisture.  The sticky rice itself was indeed sticky and had the right texture.

It isn't often that a version of Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumpling) is disappointing in the GVRD, but this one at Dynasty was not very good.  The main issue was the shrimp as it was overly soft and devoid of texture.  This was a shame as the pork was properly prepared exhibiting the classic bounce texture.  With the shrimp being so bad, the flavour profile of the dumpling was a little off where we didn't get the natural sweetness.  There was some shiitake that added texture and umaminess though.

Fortunately, the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumplings) was much better than the siu mai as the dumpling skin was thin and translucent.  Texturally, it was on point being delicate and tender while retaining a chewy elasticity.  Inside, the shrimp filling was full of whole shrimp which had the desired snap texture.  It was buttery and sweet with the unmistakable hint of aromatic and nutty sesame oil.

Onto some kid favourites, we got the Steamed BBQ Pork Buns.  Surprisingly, my cousin's kids didn't seem interested in them.  Well more for my kids!  These were pretty good with a soft fluffy bun that was just a touch on the drier side.  There was more than enough filling consisting of fairly lean BBQ pork sauced in a sweet sticky glaze.  It was balanced where the sweetness was counteracted by equal parts savouriness.

Another disappointing item was the Braised Beef Tendon with spicy sauce.  The tendons were not cooked enough so that they were not soft in any way.  I mean, we could still chew them, but that was not the desired texture.  Furthermore, the sauce was not that impactful as it was more sweet than actually spicy.  The texture of the tendon was partly the reason for the lack of flavour since the sauce could not penetrate it.

We did enjoy the Steamed Bean Curd Roll with shrimp, even though the shrimp was once again a bit soft.  I found the bean curd skin to be delicate while still offering up an appealing chewiness.  Inside, the pork filling was tender with some rebound texture.  The crunch from the wood ear mushrooms provided some contrast.  I thought the flavour was quite nice being just salty enough without going over.

Since there wasn't any beef tripe on the menu and the tendon was not very good, I was hoping that the Steamed Chicken Feet would make up for it.  That it did with tender deep fried and then braised skin.  A few portions were broken, but it wasn't a huge deal as the cartilage and fat underneath was still intact while still soft.  There was plenty of seasoning in this dish with salty sweet notes accented by garlic and chili flakes.

So if the Panfried Potstickers look rather sad in this picture, it was a proper representation of the final product.  We all hated these since the dumpling wrapper was thick, hard and frankly cold.  There was barely a good sear on the bottom of the dumplings, hence no crunch.  Inside, the pork filling was rather meager and lacking in seasoning.  It was also cold, like the rest of the dumpling.  Also, they could've done something with the plating too.

Even though the Pan-Fried Eggplant stuffed with fish paste was only average, the fact that the potstickers were so poor, we enjoyed this dish.  The fried eggplant was on the mushier side, but at least the exterior was firm enough to hold it together.  I personally like shrimp mousse rather than fish paste, yet this was okay.  It was not too dense and had a nice rebound texture.  The black bean sauce was rather weak and didn't provide much impact to the dish.

Of course we had to get the Deep Fried Shrimp Spring Rolls with taro as well (had to get 2 orders due to all the kids!).  These were good where the wrapper was crunchy and easy on the grease.  Ample in amount, the shrimp filling was well-seasoned and featured a nice bounce texture.  The addition of taro added some body and aromatics.  There was just enough of it where it didn't interfere with the shrimp.

We ordered a plate of the Yeung Chow Fried Rice and asked for the green onions to be omitted since the kids didn't want any.  Not sure if it was read wrong by the kitchen, but there was an abnormal amount of green onions...  Oh well.  The rice was decent, but lacked wok hei and hence wasn't nutty nor exhibited much caramelization.  Seasoning was too mild, so the rice didn't really taste like anything.  The lack of BBQ pork didn't help things either.

Luckily, we also got the Sweet & Sour Pork, which helped with the bland fried rice.  Now this was excellent.  Probably one of the better versions of this dish I've had in quite some time.  Each piece of pork was tender and moist with a crisp batter.  There was just enough sauce to coat each chunk (which is the right way to do it, not drown it).  We could taste the balance of flavours including sweet, tangy and a touch of saltiness.  Really good.

Off to the sweets, we had the Steamed Bun with salted egg yolk.  The bun was like the BBQ pork bun being soft with a touch of dryness.   Inside, the salted egg yolk filling was very runny, if not too runny.  I've made this at home before and personally I prefer it with a thicker viscosity.  It was pretty sweet, yet the aromatic nuttiness of the salted egg yolk did come through.

Just like we always do, we also had the Baked Egg Tarts.  I thought they were pretty solid featuring a flaky and buttery (more like lardy) tart shell which was lightly browned.  There was some nuttiness from the tart shell that made this aromatic.  The egg filling was silky and delicate where the sweetness level was moderate.  I felt that was well-balanced and overall done right.

We had one more dessert in the form of Steamed Sponge Cake.  By employing brown sugar (which seems to be the trend these days), the sponge had a deep sweetness that wasn't necessarily sugary.  Texturally, it was soft and airy which made it easy to eat.  Now in terms of the overall Dim Sum service, we felt it was hit and miss.  Considering its reputation, price point and class of Chinese restaurant, we expected more consistency.  I would say there are many choices for Dim Sum in town and they need to step it up to stand out.

The Good:
- Generally good service
- Nice dining space with natural light
- Validated parking (only 2 hours, be careful or you will get a ticket)

The Bad:
- Hit and miss food
- For this price range, it should've been more consistent

 

Chicko Chicken (Guildford)

I really do love KFC.  No, not the Kentucky version, rather Korean Fried Chicken.  It has something to do with the delicious flavours that are available and also the juiciness of the chicken itself.  Now if you haven't noticed, there has been a rush on these places as they seem to be popping up all over the place.  That included dedicated KFC joints as well as full-service restaurants dishing up KFC as well.  One of the more well-known takeout spots is Chicko Chicken, which boasts 14 locations in BC itself.  I finally made it out to the Guildford store to pick up some of the more popular flavours.

Of course, we had to order the Original to get a baseline as well as choosing the Cheese Snow (because who doesn't like cheese?).  Gotta say that the original was pretty solid with juicy chunks of boneless chicken.  It was nicely seasoned where the meat was tender and flavourful.  The batter was crunchy and also seasoned.  I found the cheese snow to be sweet with some saltiness.  There was no absence of cheese powder coating each piece.

The consensus favourite as voted by the kids was the boneless Soy Garlic.  Although I also enjoyed the spicier flavours (next paragraph down), the soy garlic was quite good too.  Building on the same good things about the original, there was a sweet glaze that did have a good amount of garlickiness.  There was just enough sauce on the outside of each piece for effect without being too sticky and wet.

For me, the best flavour was the Buldak as it was slightly sweet, but also rather spicy.  The kick was noticeable but not painful, so it was enjoyable.  For those who wanted something milder, the Yangyeom did it's sweet and tangy thing with only a touch of spice from the gochujang.  We got these flavours with the bone-in and that was a good idea, where the bigger pieces of meat stood up to the stronger flavorus.  Overall, Chicko Chicken was pretty solid and I would order from them again.  I thought it was on the pricier end of the KFC spectrum, but then again, it is mostly meat

The Good:
- Many locations
- Online ordering, so it was easy to just go pick up
- Buldak had good spice

The Bad:
- On the pricier end, but most KFC joints are around there
- Cheese was a bit sweet for me  

Oca Pastificio

The last time I had visited Oca Pastificio was back when they first opened before the pandemic.  We absolutely loved the place as they served the freshest pasta.  In fact, pastificio means "pasta factory" and they indeed make your pasta to order (as in making the actual pasta itself).  Can't get any fresher than that!  Fresh is one thing, but execution is another.  They nail that too with expertly hand-made pasta that I would say is best in town.  So I was more than happy to do a return visit with Steph and Ceci.

Once again, we went for the Tasting Menu at $70.00 per person.  I could be wrong, but it seems to me that ordering a la carte with 3 people might've been more cost efficient?  Well, I didn't mind because we could try nearly all of the available pastas on the menu.  But before that, we started with some Cured Meats consisting of Cinghiale, Soppresssata, Speck and Salami with pickled eggplant and cucumber.  A nice way to start the meal with a nice variety of different flavours and textures.

Next, we had the Beef Tongue Salad with celery root and pickled raisins dressed with an apple horseradish vinaigrette.  This was my type of salad as the beef tongue was tender and full of umaminess.   The greens were crisp where the celery rooted added extra crunch.  Those raisins provided pops of sweetness and tang which was appetizing.  Moreover, the dressing was lightly acidic, sweet and a bit sharp.

Onto our first pasta, the Rotolo was stunning and filled with 2 types of roasted squash and rested on a base of smoked caciocavallo cheese.  The result was a subtle smokiness that Steph immediately picked up.  It complimented the sweet squash well.  As for the pasta itself, the texture was so appealingly al dente with a firm chew but still gave way without being too hard.  There was a certain robust delicateness about it.

We moved onto the Spaghetti with mussels, saffron and bottarga next.  This was nicely plated with height which made for a good picture!  As for the pasta itself, the texture was appealingly chewy while still being delicate.  You really have to try the pasta here yourself to experience the mouthfeel.  This was aromatic with some brininess from the mussels.  There was a background sweetness to go with the extra seafoodiness from the bottarga.

Bathed in a beautiful red tomato sauce with basil, the Orecchiette was also a textural delight. This was topped with a generous amount of burrata which made things creamy and aromatic.  Although the orecchiette appeared to be thicker than other versions I've had, it didn't eat heavy.  Rather, it was had the same resistance as the other pastas offering up a chew.  The sauce was bright and mildly tangy with the bonus of fresh basil.

Probably my favourite of the meal was the Pappardelle with duck ragu, parmesan and pistachio.  Oh wow, this was so delicious!  Somewhat similar to the rotolo, the pappardelle was firmly al dente, but with a more tender texture overall.  It was bathed in a rich duck ragu which was aromatic and meaty.  It was flavourful on its own where the silky ragu coated each ribbon of pasta.  The parm on top added more nutty saltiness.

We ended things off with the Vanilla Semifreddo with caramelized almond and shaved chocolate.  I found this to be creamy and light while only mildly sweet.  There was some nuttiness to go with the aromatics of the vanilla.  This was just enough dessert to end off another fabulous meal at Oca Pastificio.  Honestly, I can't rave enough about the pasta here.  Nothing is perfect in this world, but this comes pretty close.  If you want to visit, be sure to arrive before opening to secure a table, they do not take resos.

The Good:

- Excellent house-made-to-order pasta

- Sauces/seasoning are on point and never drown the pasta

- Efficient and friendly service

The Bad:

- They do not take reservations, so you will have to come early or be prepared to wait

- Small dining space