Inchin's Bamboo Garden

We are so fortunate in Vancouver to have such a variety of Asian cuisine.  In particular, we probably have the best Cantonese food in the world (I find it better here than Hong Kong!).  However, there are still certain Asian cuisines that are poorly represented.  One of which is Indo-Chinese food.  Now, before some of you start crying about fusion food, this is an actual thing.  There used to be a substantial Chinese population in Kolkata where we found the origins of said cuisine. 

One of the newer spots for that in town is Inchin's Bamboo Garden that sports 26 locations in North American including the newly opened Surrey-Fleetwood store.  We were invited to give the place a try and wow, they put a lot of effort into creating an inviting dine-space that combines both traditional and modern elements.  They also sport a cocktail menu that is both extensive and interesting.  We were able to sample a variety that were fruity and delicious.

Onto the food, we began with the Shrimp Pepper Salt which is reminiscent of the Cantonese dish that wok tosses fried shrimp in pepper, salt, chilis and onions.  This one featured a gluten-free batter that was crunchy.  There was enough hits of salt and pepper as well as the aromatics from the onions.  I would've liked to see more spice, but that was not the intention of this dish.

I was quite fond of the next dish, which happened to be vegetarian - Paneer Tacos.  Stuffed within a crispy shell, we found crumbled paneer. carrot. cabbage. mexican & goat cheese and sriracha ranch.  This resulted in layers of crunch including the shell and the julienned veggies.  In addition to that, there was the creaminess of the paneer to balance off the slight spice from the sriracha ranch.

Our last appie was the Steamed Momos topped with one of the 4 bottled sauces available at our table.  This one happened to be the garlic chili and it complemented the fully-stuffed momo's beautifully with some spice.  The chicken filling was rather mild, yet tender and juicy.  It needed that extra kick to make it flavourful.  I found the dumpling skin to be al dente with a medium thickness.

With the bigger plates, we were served the Black Pepper Beef with bell peppers, onion and crushed black pepper. This was kept warm with candles underneath the cast iron pan.  I found the flavour to be quite pleasant with the usual bite of black pepper and the sweetness from the onions.  It was rather saucy, so a bowl of rice was necessary.  Unlike the Cantonese version of the dish, the beef was not tenderized.  Therefore it had a natural chewiness.

From black pepper, we went to the Sweet & Sour Shrimp with mixed veggies, pineapple and strawberry.  Once again, this was very saucy and rice was necessary to compliment the dish.  The shrimp were quite large and were more in the prawn category.  They were cooked just enough where there was still a meaty snap texture.  There was also natural shrimp sweetness and aroma.  I found the sauce more sweet than sour though.

One of the sneakier dishes in terms of flavour was the Cauliflower Manchurian with cilantro, red onion, green chili and celery.  The deep fried cauliflower was on the softer side, but that meant it soaked up all of the rich flavours of the sauce.  It was bordering on salty, but once again, this should be eaten with rice.  There was depth to dish that included the combination of flavours from the other ingredients.

Another surprising item was the Chili Ginger Okra with ginger, soya sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, wine, sesame oil, chili oil, dried red chili and green onion.  First of all, the okra wasn't overly slimy, which I appreciated.  Secondly, the sauce was quite the combination of ingredients.  This resulted in a salty and mildly spicy broth that the okra soaked up.  In addition, the ginger added sharpness while the sesame oil provided aromatics.

You've heard me keep on saying that the dishes needed to be eaten with rice and viola, we had the Burnt Garlic Chili Fried Rice.  As described in its name, there was a bevy of golden fried garlic to go with the dried chili flakes.  The result was some extreme nuttiness to go with some spice.  By virtue of using basmati rice, there were no clumps while the rice was chewy and aromatic.

We also had the Hakka Noodles with thin eggless noodles, shredded vegetables, Napa cabbage and celery.  I really enjoyed these noodles as they had a beautiful chewy texture while still being delicate.  Furthermore, there was enough seasoning for impact.  Lastly, the combination of veggies, cabbage and celery added the necessary crunch as well as some brightness (also getting veggies into my diet).

Now these dishes were all fine and dandy, but we all felt the following ones were even better starting with the Sambal Lamb with onion, celery, chili, garlic and sambal.  Served similarly as the black pepper beef, the lamb was different as in the fact it was more caramelized due to the absence of sauce.  That heightened the flavours and spices even more so.  The lamb was tender and fatty while benefiting from the spice of the sambal.

So for the purely Indian dishes, they were absolutely delicious.  We had both the Chicken Butter Masala and the Saag Paneer.  The butter chicken was super rich and thick with a noted creaminess.  There was a mild tang from the tomato paste that didn't overwhelm.  As for the other curry, there was an ample amount of tender paneer hidden within the creamy spinach with the sweetness of onion and the sharpeness of ginger.

To go with these dishes, we naturally had to order the Naan as well as the Malaysian Paratha.  If I had to choose between the two, the naan was my favourite.  It was fluffy and light while exhibiting some chewiness.  Being a completely different type of bread, it was a bit unfair to compare between the two.  It wasn't as if I didn't enjoy the paratha as it was chewy and had some crispiness on the outside.  It is just the naan soaked up the sauces nicely.

For dessert, we were served an array of fried items including the Date Wontons with ice cream, Fried Ice Cream, Chocolate Spring Rolls and Rasmalai.  Now if you are familiar with Indian desserts, you will know that they are generally on the sweeter side.  These were no exception, especially the sweet dates in the crunchy wontons.  Nothing wrong with the desserts if you enjoy sweet things, but for me, I liked the rasmalai more because it was lighter and more refreshing especially after a filling meal.  Overall, I thought the food was good, especially the Indian dishes, fried rice and noodles.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:

- Beautiful decor and atmosphere

- Lots of choice on the menu ranging from Indian-Chinese to Indian to fusion

- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:

- For those trying to compare to Cantonese cuisine, it is not a good comparison as they are completely different cuisines

- Desserts were sweet, but that is how they are supposed to be

New Mandarin (Dim Sum Service)

I've actually been to New Mandarin many times for Dim Sum and in fact, for dinner as well.  A group of us were initially invited for dinner (and there is a blog post about it), but then the Executive Chef Tony Zhang asked us to come for Dim Sum as well. Well, I know that the Dim Sum service is solid at New Mandarin, so I didn't need much convincing to return.  We were here to try some new dishes along with the usual stuff.

Starting with the new dishes, we had the Deep Fried Fish Curd (more like a puff) tossed with salad dressing and wasabi sauce.  This was not as crispy as it appeared, but I'm pretty sure it was partly due to the incessant picture-taking delaying us trying the dish.  Due to the airy nature of the fish puff, each piece was very light.  Although it looked like there was plenty of mayo on top, it really wasn't.  Flavours were subtle and the wasabi was not strong.

Another new specialty dish was the Deep Fried Pork Jowl tossed with citron and honey.   We absolutely loved this because of the large sticks of pork jowl.  Texturally, it had all the usual elements of bouncy, juicy and succulence.  It was lightly coated and fried until crispy.  The ample amount of citrus rind helped balance the sweetness of the honey.  It provided some appealing bitterness and aromatics.

Continuing with the new dishes, we had the Clams with fish curd and bitter melon in Tom Yum soup.  This was a whole lot of strong flavours all in one pot.  I'm not a huge fan of bitter melon, but according to those who enjoy it, the dish was prepared well.  The Tom Yum broth did flavour the buttery clams which were all open and fresh.  For these fish puffs, they absorbed the broth and were tender and squishy while exhibiting the classic tang of Tom Yum.

Yet another dish featuring fish curd was the Seasonal Vegetable (in this case, yau choy) in soup.  I would say the yau choy was prepared perfectly being vibrant and crunchy while cooked all the way through.  Beyond the initial bite, the choy ate tender and soft.  It fully took on the flavour of the broth in a subtle manner.  Moreover, the fish puffs soaked up the sweet broth and were tender with some chew.

So the most striking dish was the Stir Fried Mushroom Fried Rice with squid ink.  Beyond the cool black colour, the rice itself was fried beautifully being in discernible grains that were chewy and nutty.  The dish was well-seasoned and the plethora of mushrooms meant there was both texture and umaminess.  Add in the veggies, there was some crunch and the fried egg on top provided both visuals and even more texture in a crispy chewy manner.

Onto the standard stuff, of course we had to order the Ha Gau (Steamed Shrimp Dumplings) because it is the one dish that defines a Dim Sum restaurant.  I am happy to report they were on point.  They were medium in size and featured a translucent wrapper that was chewy, yet tender.  Inside, the whole shrimp filling had a nice buttery snap that exhibited both natural sweetness as well as enough seasoning and aromatics (sesame oil and pork fat).

If you looked to the left of the Ha Gau, you would've noticed a green version of them topped with tobiko.  This was the Wasabi Scallop & Shrimp Dumplings.  As such, the green colour skin had a slight bite and bitterness to it.  Definitely something different and interesting.  Inside, by virtue of adding scallops to the mix, the filling had some softer elements in addition to the rebound texture of the shrimp.  In terms of flavour, there was a bit more sweetness.

Of course with the Ha Gau, you have to get the ying with the yang in the Siu Mai.  However, this was no ordinary version because it was the Quail Egg Siu Mai.  As such, the texture was a bit different beyond the pork filling.  In the middle the soft cooked quail egg was tender and creamy.  The pork outer layer was bouncy and juicy with plenty of seasoning while still natural-tasting.  I've had this in the past and I recommend you try it.

If you have ever tried the Hot & Sour Pork Soup Dumplings at Mott 32, you will recognize that the one at New Mandarin looks strangely familiar.  Now these are less than half the price but not half as good.  In fact, these were pretty solid with a medium-thick dumpling skin that was still delicate and al dente.  Inside, the pork filling was tender with plenty of soup that was indeed hot and sour.  I always order these when I have Dim Sum here.

Another core dish at most Dim Sum meals is the Rice Noodle Roll and we got a good variety including salty donut, prawn and beef.  All 3 plates were large in portion size and featured a delicate rice noodle that was soft with some elasticity.  I have to say the prawn version featured some of the largest and snappiest prawns I've ever had.  Good stuff.  The beef was tender and well-portioned with some cilantro mixed in.  As for the donut rice noodle roll, the donut was pretty crunchy and stayed as such even until the end.  There was an abnormal amount of pork floss on the top (which was fine by me).

Onto some Dim Sum staples including the Steamed Chicken Feet in special sauce.  Not sure where they got their chicken feet from, but they were extra large and plump.  The skin was fried just enough that it was robust and didn't break.  At the same time, it was soft and underneath, the fat and cartilage was all intact.  As for the special sauce, it was a sweet with hits of saltiness and a touch of spice.

One of my favourite things to order at Dim Sum is the Bean Curd Roll with prawn and pork.  I've had this one before and it was just as good as I had remembered.  It featured a perfectly fried bean curd skin wrap where it was chewy at first and then giving way to a delicate and tender interior.  The filling was a good mix of pork that had a rebound texture as well as crunchy shrimp.  Best of all, the starch thickened sauce was just enough to coat each roll.

Much to my dismay, there was not tripe nor mixed offal on the menu.  However, they did have the Beef Tendon in teriyaki sauce.  Again, this is a dish I've had before and I'm not sure if it is actually teriyaki sauce, but it was indeed sweet and soy elements.  As for the braised tendon, it was in large pieces and super tender.  Yet it wasn't so much that it had melted or could not hold its shape.  Hence, it was the perfect doneness.

Even though I wasn't dining with my kids, I'm still conditioned to order the Deep Fried Shrimp Spring Rolls with garlic.  Good thing I did because these were on point.  Wrapped tightly enough, the exterior exhibited a firm crunch while not being overly greasy.  Inside, the whole shrimp filling was moist with a buttery snap.  Plenty of seasoning and garlickiness too.

Over to something more decadent - the Abalone Pastry.  Featuring a whole baby abalone atop puff pastry, this is not something you will find at most Dim Sum joints.  Beyond the visuals, the pastry itself was quite good being flaky and extremely buttery (or lardy).  It was aromatic and texturally perfect.  The small abalone was tender with its classic chewiness.  The finishing element was the starch-thickened oyster sauce glaze on top.

Instead of the usual deep fried taro dumpling, we found the Deep Fried Mashed Taro Dumpling with Scallop and Tobiko.  Normally, these can be pretty greasy but they were able to minimize that.  Outside, it was light and crispy giving way to soft and creamy mashed taro.  Beyond that, the pork filling was tender with a hint of curry.  On top of the whole thing was a scallop that was still tender despite being deep fried.

Something a bit different was the Steamed Oatmeal Bun with sweetened salted egg yolk.  By virtue of using oats in the bun itself, the texture was more robust and although oats do not have a lot of inherent taste, it was obvious that they were there.  As for the filling, this was not the runny egg yolk filling version.  Rather, this was more of a custard and honestly, it is way easier and less messy to eat.  It was only lightly sweet.

So we had a few more interesting desserts coming up with a polarizing ingredient (spoiler alert - durian).  So before that, we got one of the most classic Dim Sum items in the Baked Egg Custard Tarts.  I've also had these many times before and they do a good job here.  The flaky puff pastry shell was baked enough that it was light and buttery.  The egg filling was light and silky while being just sweet enough.

As promised, here are the Durian Glutinous Rice Balls.  I have to say the quality of the think layer of mochi has to be one of the best I've had lately.  It was so soft and pliable, definitely a good mouth feel for every bite.  Personally, I tolerate durian in conservative quantities and there was just enough encased in fresh whipped cream.  Hence, there was the usual pungency and sweetness, but not too much that it was overwhelming.

Continuing with durian, we pre-ordered (you can't just order this on a whim) the Baked Tapioca Pudding with durian and sweet crunchy topping.  Oh this was so delicious with its buttery and sweet topping.  Underneath, there was a layer of durian that provided just enough flavour.  The tapioca pudding was not too sweet and had a good consistency.  Overall, the Dim Sum at New Mandarin didn't disappoint.  For me at least, I've been here many times and I can confidently say that the food is consistent.  Many people feel the same as the place was bustling even for a weekday.

*All food was complimentary*

The Good:
- Solid Dim Sum
- Nicely appointing dining space
- Free parking

The Bad:
- Free parking, but it gets full fast
- Maybe too much fish curd in their new dishes?

Co Chau

There is no shortage of Vietnamese restaurants in the GVRD and in fact, in most major cities.  However, it always seems to be the greatest hits of Southern Vietnamese cuisine featuring the same ol' dishes.  Nothing wrong with that really as it does the job for usually a reasonable price.  However, Co Chau out in New West goes a bit off the usual and offers up tasty Vietnamese that is interesting.  They also have the usual stuff too.

Hands down, the best thing we ate was the Deep Fried Chicken Wings with tamarind.  If you take a close look at the picture, these were some really big drumettes and mid-wings.  As a result, this really helped keep the meat moist and juicy.  The fact that they fried it just enough didn't hurt either.  However, the star of the dish was the sticky, sweet and tangy tamarind glaze.  The wings were intensely delicious with a bit of spice.  Skin was decently rendered as well.  These can be spoken in the same breath as some of the best wings in town.

I know it may not be a big thing with most people, but their Veggie Spring Rolls were properly constructed with rice paper rather than a wheat wrapper.  The texture was completely different being lightly crunchy with a slight chew rather than the shattering crunch of a wheat wrapper.  Inside, we found a combination of vibrant veggies as well as wood ear and aromatic taro.  This was so good, I didn't even want to try the pork version.

On the other hand, the Bun Bo Hue was one of the weaker items that we tried. There wasn't anything particularly wrong with it, yet it was one note with only the dominant flavour being the chilis that added some heat.  It was missing the usual fermented flavours of shrimp paste (did they use any or not enough?).  I did, however, get some lemongrass, that did make it aromatic.  Yet, once again, the chilis were most apparent.

Back to super yummy, the Banh Cuon was money.  As you can clearly see, the sheets of rice noodle were super thin and translucent.  Furthermore, there was plenty of elasticity that provided chewing enjoyment and great mouth feel.  Topped with fried shallots (could've used more), the whole thing was aromatic.  Sometimes the Vietnamese ham is sliced an served on the side, but this one featured it sitting in a fish sauce-based dip.  Perfect for saucing the rice noodle rolls.

Our last dish was also tasty in the Bun Cha Hanoi featuring charred pork sitting in a nuoc cham-style sauce.  Oh wow, this was a flavour explosion in my mouth.  The trick is to combine everything with the herbs and lettuce and then dip into the sauce for extra effect.  Therefore, you get the crunch of the lettuce, softness of the rice noodles, flavour from the herbs and sweet caramelization from the pork all in one bite!  Delicious!  This pretty much sums up the food at Co Chau, it is absolutely delicious and not just some ordinary Pho joint.  I recommend that you give it a try, there are many more dishes on the menu that I didn't get to!

The Good:
- Some unique dishes you won't find at a regular Pho joint
- Impactful flavours
- With inflation these days, the prices here are reasonable

The Bad:
- Service is friendly, but can be sparse
- Parking can be tricky in this area

Dinesty Dumpling House (Gilbert Road)

Sometimes ol' favourites are forgotten when we are distracted by all of the newer and shiner restaurants that are available.  However, it is always good to remember the standbys.  You know, the places where it is a given that you'll find good familiar food that you've always enjoyed.  One of these places is Dinesty, with its XLBs and mix of Taiwanese and Shanghainese dishes.  I've been to every location except for the one near the Olympic Oval in Richmond.  With an invite in hand, it was as good as any time to revisit an ol' friend dressed in new digs on Gilbert Road.

I've actually seen this location before when I was picking up some drinks from the adjacent Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea (more on that later).  I consider this the most appealingly appointed one as the decor is modern and the tables are spaced well-apart.  Of course, the thing to get here is the Steamed Pork Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao).  These featured a medium-thick dumpling skin that was delicate with some elasticity.  Inside, the tender and slightly loose pork filling was blessed with a good amount of sweet meaty soup.  Solid XLBs.

One thing I never order, but I got to try this time was the Steamed Green Vegetable & Egg Dumplings.  Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed these more than the XLBs!  No joke!  The dumpling wrapper in this one was similar (naturally) to the XLBs but stretched a bit thinner.  Nice elasticity to the dough which meat the dumplings ate well.  Inside, the tender vegetable filling still had a vibrant texture.  Loved the fluffiness of the filling.

One of my favourite dishes at Dinesty is the Camphor & Tea-Smoked Duck (Chinese Restaurant Award Winner).  This one did not disappoint.  As you can see, this was not a small scrawny duck.  Plenty of smoky tender and moist meat encased in smoky relatively rendered duck skin.  Beyond the breast meat, the skin on the dark meat was crispy.  We deboned the meat and slipped it into the soft mantau buns.

One dish that flew under the radar in terms of appearance was the Crispy Fried Squid.  Instead of the classic Taiwanese chicken nuggets, we got squid nuggets instead.  Good call because these were freakin' good!  The exterior was supremely crunchy (and not greasy) with plenty of seasoning.  The big chunks of squid within were tender with an appealing chewiness.  Very addictive.

To get our one veggie item into our meal, we had the Spicy String Green Beans with Minced Pork.  This dish featured the usual flash fried green beans wok-tossed with chilis, garlic, ginger, pine nuts and minced pork.  I found the beans tender with a slight crunch while the pork to be plentiful (hidden within) and tender.  There was plenty of seasoning as well as a slight kick.

Another dish I probably wouldn't have ordered myself was the Basa Fillet topped with egg whites and soy bean powder.  Turns out it was good and I would probably order it next time.  The ample fillets of fish were delicate and moist.  Loved the egg whites and the soy bean powder as they provided layers of texture.  Completing the dish was some crunchy veggies that added brightness and contrasting texture to the fish.

A classic dish was the Simmer Chicken with basil in triple sauce (aka 3 Cup Chicken).  Loved the flavours in this dish as they were pronounced and impactful.  Generally, this is called 3 cup chicken for its 3 main ingredients - rice wine, soy and sesame oil.  The balance of sweetness with tang and aromatics was perfect.  Furthermore, the pieces of chicken were juicy and tender.  Loved the viscosity of the sauce too as it clung onto each piece of chicken beautifully.

To go with this, we added the XO Sauce & Diced Beef Fried Rice.  Of course white rice would've been more optimal, but why go for boring?  The fried rice was far from boring featuring discernible grains of nutty and chewy rice.  Seasoning was aggressive in a good way where the rice was full of caramelization and umaminess (from the XO).  Beef was not overly tenderized, hence exhibiting a natural meaty texture.  Good caramelization on that too.  To go with the food, we were able to order drinks from Yifang and they were delivered by robot to our table.  A bit novel yes, but convenient and better than drinking just tea.  So once again, Dinesty came through with predictable food at a reasonable price.  It is still a solid choice for this type of cuisine.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Predictable food that is good
- Reasonably-priced
- Nice dining space for this location

The Bad:
- Wish the parking was not only limited to 1.5 hours (should be at least 2)