White Spot R+D Kitchen

Over the years, we've seen the metamorphosis of such restaurant chains like Joey and Cactus Club.  Formerly casual and family-orientated, these 2 places did not sport much in the way of gourmet eats.  In fact, I remember that Joey used to be Joey Tomatoes and Cactus Club had cows adorning the walls.  The sudden change in direction for these 2 chains happened many moons ago and they have been attracting a younger demographic.  Now it seems like White Spot wants to get into the action with their new R+D kitchen at The Amazing Brentwood.  We decided to check it out.

Now, the menu does have some specialized items only available at R+D, but much of it is still very White Spot including their signature burgers.  My parents stayed with the traditional and got some Dippin Chicken to start.  Nothing out-of-the-ordinary with this as it sported the usual chicken breast strips that were fried golden brown.  The coating was thin, yet crispy.  Inside, the chicken was tender and moist.  They chose the plum sauce as their dip.

For their main, they shared the 9oz NY Strip with roasted tomato onion adobo, rainbow carrots, roasted baby potatoes and crispy onions.  They asked for it to be prepared rare and it came exactly as such.  Although the sauce was pretty flavourful and spicy, my mom wasn't too fond of it.  Potatoes and carrots were nicely roasted but not overdone either.  Although advertised as 9 ounces, this appeared to be bigger.

My son went with the R+D House Wagyu Burger with aged white cheddar, hickory smoked bacon, arugula, tomato, pickle and mustard onion confit.  This burger was all classic White Spot except for the addition of arugula and the confit.  He found the bacon to be crispy while the confit to be sweet with a bite.  However, the most important part was not that great.  The burger patty was dry and not really discernible as Wagyu.

For myself, I decided on the Gochujang Fried Chicken Burger with Crispy chicken thigh, Gochujang sauce, savoy cabbage and mayo.  This was pretty solid with a juicy chicken thigh that was fried crunchy.  It stayed as such even though it was doused with gochujang sauce.  I know that gochujang has been overused as of late, but I enjoyed the sweetness and heat regardless.  Fries were a bit soggy though.

For my daughter, she went for the Tuffled Mushroom Pizza with cream sauce, seasonal roasted mushrooms, black truffle cheese, roasted garlic and arugula.  She instantly regretted ordering it after biting into the crust.  Honestly, if White Spot wants to compete with the big boys in the chain restaurant world, they need to up there game with the crust.  It was no better than the store-bought ready-to-bake variety.  It was not good.  On the plus side, the toppings were solid and flavours were earthy.

Viv opted for the Crispy Skin Arctic Char with rainbow carrots, roasted baby potatoes & basil hollandaise.  The skin was indeed crispy but you can clearly see that part of it was wrecked by either the cooking utensil or being stuck to the pan.  Not particularly appealing to look at.  Fish was a little overdone, but not by much.  It was well-seasoned.  Veggies were solid being cooked just enough.  

Of course my daughter wanted dessert, so we ordered the Triple Dark Chocolate S'mores Brownie consisting of Ghirardelli triple dark chocolate brownie, marshmallows, graham cracker crust & raspberry coulis.  The light brownie itself was rather sweet, but the tart coulis balanced it off.  I think the marshmallow was the culprit for the sweetness though.  Overall, this visit to White Spot R+D Kitchen was disappointing.  White Spot holds a special place in my heart as I grew up eating Pirate Paks and enjoying their classic dishes.  However, if they are trying to enter the crowded field of more premium chain eateries, they need to do much better than this.

The Good:
- Nice dining space
- Excellent service
- Menu has some new things and classic items

The Bad:
- That pizza crust is plain embarrassing when Pizza Garden in the adjacent food court does it way better
- Overall, the food needs to be better. It is as if they are trying without actually looking at what the competition is doing.

Fortune City Seafood Restaurant (Dim Sum Service)

Boy, we haven't been back to this place in quite some time.  Could it be the food isn't very good or could it be that the parking lot is prone to fist fights over parking spaces?  Maybe we just have too much choice in the GVRD?  Well, we were about to find out!  The real reason that we had Dim Sum at Fortune City is that we were meeting up with my in-laws.  Yes, that meant Dim Sum with my mother-in-law.  Guaranteed to be much screaming, yelling and all kinds of embarrassing behaviour for all to see in a public space...  sigh...

Anyways, at least we could drown our sorrows in the food right?  Almost immediately after we submitted our order sheet, the Deep Fried Taro Dumplings arrived.  Well, we knew why it showed up so quickly.  It was cold.  I don't blame them for trying to be more efficient in having items ready, but something fried like this is most optimal when it is hot.  Otherwise, the textures are not crispy enough and the mashed taro won't be as creamy (it has lard in it).  So despite it being a good version, the temperature ruined it.

So the XO Daikon Pudding Cake did arrive hot, yet that didn't make this a good dish though.  Even though the colour each strip of pudding cake was nicely browned, it was not crispy at all.  In fact, they were completely oil-logged and ate very greasy (like our lips were covered in oil).  To make things worse, the XO flavour was pretty weak.  I think they skimped on the amount of XO here.  However, the texture of the pudding cake was silky and soft.

We always get the Pork Sparerib Rice because the kids love it.  Furthermore, it is a great way to stuff them full of rice so we can order less.  LOL...  Anyways, this was decent as the rice was not mushy, being a bit chewy and nutty.  On top, we found plenty of pork spareribs with a mix of rib pieces and some cartilage/fat.  Texturally, the ribs were good having a rebound texture.  They were nicely seasoned with enough saltiness and garlickiness.

Of course we ordered the Shrimp Spring Rolls since the kids cannot do without it.  These were pretty good with a tightly wrapped exterior that yielded a crunchy texture.  Fortunately for us, this was made-to-order and came out hot and crunchy (unlike the taro dumpling).  Inside, the whole shrimp filling was moist and sweet.  There was the classic snap texture from the shrimp.

Now the excellent shrimp texture did not translate over to the Stuffed Eggplant with black bean sauce.  These were probably fried too long as the shrimp mousse filling was rubbery and somewhat dry.  It was especially tough on the outside where the it was in direct contact with the hot oil.  Strangely, the eggplant was not overly mushy and had a nice bite on the outside.  As for the sauce, it was pretty bland and watered down.

I must say in all my time blogging, the Siu Mai (Steamed Pork & Shrimp Dumpling) here must be one of the worst I've ever had.  I can only remember one that was worse being the one from Grand Crystal which was all fat.  This one here featured pork that was chewy and sinewy. I could not chew through it and it was texturally very off-putting. Furthermore, the whole thing just tasted like plain pork.  It need better seasoning.

The same crappy pork was featured in the Bean Curd Skin Rolls.  My jaw was getting tired from chewy the tough pork.  Did they even try to tenderize it?  Hence, it totally diminished the excellent texture of the bean curd skin.  It had a nice chewiness but was super tender as well.  Moreover, the starch-thickened glaze on the outside was actually good as well being just enough and flavourful.  It is really too bad about the pork.

Not all was lost though as the Ha Gau (Steamed Shrimp Dumplings) were pretty decent.  These were medium-sized and featured a translucent dumpling skin that had a good elasticity without being too chewy.  I found the filling to be good with big pieces of shrimp.  Texturally, I think the shrimp was ever-so-slightly overdone, yet it wasn't too bad.  Hence, the shrimp still had a snap albeit not as juicy.  There was enough seasoning as well.

We were very aware that ordering Xiao Long Bao (Steamed Soup Dumplings) in a Cantonese restaurant would be sketch, so we had reasonable expectations.  So yes, the dumpling skin was on the thicker side, but there was a decent amount of sweet soup within.  However, since the dumplings were stuck together, all the soup leaked out when we moved them.  I thought the pork filling was not bad being tender and mild-tasting.

Of course we needed to get some offal (because I love it) in the form of Tendon & Tripe.  Now this was excellent.  The tendon was braised enough that it was super tender, yet without getting to the point it was melting away.  It took on all of the garlicky sweet flavours of the sauce.  As for the tripe, it was also perfect.  There was some chew left while being completely soft.  It also soaked up all of the delicious sauce.

Staying with the good dishes, the Phoenix Talons (Steamed Chicken Feet) were generally on point as well.  Sure, some parts had fallen off (such as the end part), but that didn't affect the eating enjoyment.  The skin was nicely textured with some bite while giving way to soft cartilage and fat underneath.  There was good spice along with equal amounts of sweetness and savouriness (as well as garlic).

The kids love their BBQ Pork Buns and we ended up getting that as well.  Fluffy and generally light, the bun was good while steamed just enough.  Loved the BBQ pork peaking out from the bun, made for great visuals and tempted us to eat them.  That we did and there was a good amount of filling inside.  Either they used lean pork or we got lucky because I didn't find a single piece of fat.  The glaze was balanced with sweetness and saltiness.

Another Dim Sum classic is the Steamed Beef Meatballs.  For those unfamiliar, the meat is whipped through either a food processor or mixer.  This adds air and in addition to the baking soda, makes the beef light and bouncy.  Well, these were exactly that and done right.  They might've been a touch pale though.  Loved they eased up on the greens and allowed the meat to stand on its own.

Lastly, we got an order each of the Salty Donut Rice Noodle Roll and the Prawn Rice Noodle Roll.  These were disappointing due to the fact the rice noodle sheet was stiff and had no elasticity.  Hence, they ate somewhat mealy and dense.  The prawn rice noodle roll was slightly better though.  Furthermore, the salty donut was stiff and dense.  At the very least, the prawns were large and had a meaty snap.  So as you can see, the meal as a whole was a disappointing.  Sure, some dishes were quite good, but when something wasn't, it was really bad. There is no excuse for that, especially in the Greater Vancouver area due to the intense competition and sophisticated diner's palates. They need to do better here.

The Good:
- Reasonable pricing
- Service was ok
- Parking available

The Bad:
- Food as a whole just not good enough for Vancouver
- Parking is available, but frustrating

 

88 Noodle House

My kids love Korean food.  In fact, we all do.  However, whenever we go out for Korean eats, it seems to cost a fortune.  I do realize if it is a Korean BBQ, the meats aren't exactly cheap, so it is understandable.  But please explain to me why a plate of Japchae is anywhere from $20.00 to $30.00?  I've made this dish at home many times and the ingredients aren't that costly.  Yet, I do understand there is a bit of prep involved.  So when I caught wind of 88 Noodle House, which is a relatively affordable spot for Korean noodles, I decided it was a place we had to try!

Now their signature item is the classic Korean Jajangmyeon or Black Bean Noodles.  This was only $11.00 and came in a huge portion.  We actually got one of their combos and ended up with 2 large bowls. The noodles could've been slightly less cooked, yet it was not a deal-breaker.  Topped with an ample amount of sauce, the flavours were definitely there albeit on the milder side.  However, the sweetness of the onions came through.  A solid bowl of Jajangmyeon.

With a dollop of the same black bean sauce on the side, the Egg Seafood Fried Rice was loaded with shrimp.  I found the rice to be on the softer side and lacking in caramelization.  However, it was still pleasant enough of a dish.  Hidden within, there were veggies, even more shrimp and pieces of squid. The ample amount of fluffy egg was texturally appealing.  The rice was mildly seasoned, but when mixed with the black bean sauce, it was much tastier.

The best dish hands-down was the Sweet Chili Chicken.  It might not show in the picture, but this was a huge portion albeit at $29.00 but that is par for the course.  Each large piece of dark meat chicken was super juicy and bursting with flavour.  There was just the right mix of heat and sweetness (also the right amount of sauce too).  Best of all, the chicken was still crispy despite being coated with glaze. 

Another large dish was the Sweet & Sour Pork with the sauce served on the side (as with most Korean restaurants).   Each strip of pork was super crunchy and not overly greasy.  However, the pork that they used was very lean and as a result, the meat was pretty dry and chewy.  Dousing it with the starch-thickened sauce definitely helped (letting it sit in the sauce for a bit).  About that sauce, it was more sweet than sour.

As if we didn't have enough meat already, we also had the Pork Cutlet with rice and cabbage salad.  This was also a large portion consisting of 2 cutlets.  They were crispy on the outside and fairly moist on the inside.  The pork was tender, yet retained a meaty texture.  I found the sauce on top to be sweet with a balancing amount of tanginess.  The side of rice was a little on the wet side much like the fried rice.

Lastly, we had the classic Japchae which was unsurprisingly $23.00.  At the very least, it was a large portion and they didn't skimp on the ingredients (including the beef).  This was quite good despite being on the greasier side.  Noodles had a good chew still and weren't clumpy while the ample beef was a touch on the firmer side.  Veggies were vibrant and they really loved their white onions.  In the end, we were stuffed and had plenty of leftovers.  Even though the prices for the larger dishes were in the mid $20.00 range, the portion size justified it.  As for the smaller items, the prices are very reasonable.  Therefore, given the portion size and decent quality of the food, 88 Noodle is actually a good value.  I would recommend this for a causal family meal.

The Good:
- Decent eats
- Large portion sizes
- Reasonable pricing considering the quality and portions

The Bad:
- Either the A/C is broken or they don't have A/C, the dining space was very warm. They did offer us a fan which helped though

Lu Lu Kitchen

As I've mentioned over and over again, it always seems like Vancouver goes through phases of food crazes.  I'm sure this happens in other places as well, but since I live here, I get to witness the over-saturation of things when they become popular.  However, I've been wrong before about fads because bubble tea seems completely overdone yet it still seems to be going strong after all these decades.  One trend that has been around for a bit is the BBQ skewer.  We find dedicated restaurants as well as food stalls at the Richmond Night Market.  Originally, we were about to head into Richmond, but noticed there is finally one near my house. We decided to check it out with Nikita and Bluebeard.

Getting right to it, we had the Chicken Heart and Pork Rib.  I liked how they only require a minimum of 5 skewers for most of their items.  Some places require 10 and it greatly reduces the variety for small groups.  We found the chicken hearts to be cooked just enough so they were still juicy.  There was considerable heat to go with some sweetness.  The pork rib was mostly cartilage, yet there was a decent amount of meat as well.  Nice crispiness on the exterior.  Mild spice on this one with plenty of cumin.

Now the first 2 skewers we had were pretty solid, but the one that surprised us the most was the Chicken.  Yes, possibly the most boring item we ordered was also the most flavourful.  Also, they didn't skimp with the meat either.  These chunks of dark meat were marinated aggressively where they were sweet with caramelization from the grilling.  There was only a light char that added some smokiness.  

This is where the skewers started to arrive fast and furious (in a green Eclipse with Axis wheels no less! LOL).  Anyways, the next 2 skewers consisted of Lamb and Beef.  To differentiate, they put the lamb on longer skewers.  For me, the seasoning was very similar for both where there was some heat.  However, the lamb seemed to have a bit more cumin (like it should as it compliments the meat well).  In terms of texture, the lamb was fattier and hence more tender.

Our last 2 skewers were the Bean Curd Skin and Shrimp.  I really appreciated that the shrimp were deshelled.  This made it less messy to eat and frankly, for the marinate/spices to penetrate easily.  The shrimp were good having a snap texture.  I'm thinking that the bean curd skin could've been less chewy if they hydrated it more or grilled it less.  With that being said, it still had the appealing chewiness and was nicely spiced.

We got some sides as well including Cucumbers, Mung Bean Noodles, Eggplant and Green Beans.  I thought the cucumbers were good being crunchy and fresh.  Plenty of garlic to go with it too.  The mung bean noodles were their usual chewy slippery texture, but the sesame dressing was too thin making it rather messy to eat.  We loved the eggplant as it was full-flavoured and tender.  However, we hated the green beans because they were old and stringy.  But green beans withstanding, the rest of the food was generally decent and well-priced.  A good neighbourhood alternative to driving all the way to Kingsway or Richmond for skewers.

The Good:
- A reasonable minimum on skewers
- Well-priced
- Not skimpy on the portion size

The Bad:
- Some skewers could use more spice
- Those beans were not so good

 

Notch (Hotel Vancouver Sunday Brunch)

Back in 2017, we made it out to try Notch8's Mother's Day Brunch in the Hotel Vancouver.  Of course it was extravagant since it was a special event.  We haven't been back to Notch8 since then due to many reasons including the biggest - the pandemic.  Well, it wasn't as if they were running the brunch anyways.  Fast forward to the present and we decided to hit up the brunch buffet that they serve every Sunday.  Naturally it is costs less than Mother's Day and subsequently, the offerings are more simplified.

As such, there was a much smaller footprint for the buffet where the dessert room (in the chess room) has been eliminated.  Those desserts are housed in cabinets adjacent to the carving station.  So we find a modest selection of salads including quinoa, Greek pasta, noodle, spring mix, arugula and romaine.  The fruit included cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple, watermelon, orange, grapefruit and prunes.  There was also a small variety of meats and cheeses.

Right next to this station, we found warm banana pudding along with some baked goods.  These included various danish, 2 types of croissant, chocolate pastries and muffins. I didn't actually try any of these because they would've filled me up before I even got to the main dishes.  However, my son did try the croissant and it was flaky and buttery.  It didn't shatter quite like the ones at French patisseries in town, but they were still decent.

The seafood table was limited to 4 main items including Tuna Tartare, Prawns, Baby Shrimp Salad and a selection of salmon (Gravlax, Candied Salmon and Smoked Salmon).  As much as this was not a huge selection, the quality was high though.  The tuna was buttery and fresh while lightly seasoned.  There was some acidity present.  Prawns were cold-water crunchy and also marinated.  The star of the show was the trio of salmon.  Both the gravlax and smoked salmon were buttery and flavourful.  Loved the candied salmon, it was such a treat being intensely sweet with an appealing chew.

Onto the mains, we found the usual breakfast items like thick-cut Bacon, Chicken Sausage, Potatoes, Eggs and Eggs Benedict.  Complimenting these, there was a pasta as well as veggies.  At the carving station, we found a Striploin Roast and a Lamb Roast.  I thought the striploin was overdone, hence being a bit dry.  The lamb was fantastic though being succulent and juicy.  Too bad they didn't toast the English muffin as it was cold and mealy.  The rest of the Eggs Benny was good though with runny egg and creamy Hollandaise.

I also gave the Omelette Station a go and asked for baby shrimp, ham and cheese.  The chef was busy preparing omelettes for others so I went back to my table and waited for mine.  It took no more than 10 minutes and it was delivered by the chef himself.  Egg was nice and fluffy but there was an extra ingredient I didn't ask for (which was red & green peppers).  Honest mistake and it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the omelette.

I didn't end up getting all of the desserts as the selection was quite good.  I decided on the Peach Flan, Cheesecake, Fruit Tart and Crème Brûlée.  I missed out on things like cookies, brownies and several other cakes.  I think other than the seafood, this is where the buffet shone.  Each dessert would've been good on its own as if we ordered them separately after a meal.  I particularly enjoyed the flan.  Overall, the brunch was pleasant with few surprises.  For $60.00 per person, I would say the selection could've been better, yet at the same time, most things were prepared properly.  Furthermore, being at the Hotel Vancouver in Downtown, you would expect to pay that or even more.

The Good:
- Nice setting
- Most food was prepared properly
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- Once it got busier, they struggled to keep food stocked

NeNe Chicken

I first tried NeNe Chicken way back when they opened their first location on Kingsway in April 2021.  The KFC was awesome and that prompted me to return a few more times including their new location on Davie.  However for some reason or another, I didn't blog about any of these experiences.  Fast forward to the present and I still am a NeNe chicken fan, so on my last visit, I decided to finally write up a post.  For those who are unfamiliar, NeNe chicken is a chain out of South Korea and they are actually imported special deep-fryers to ensure that their KFC fries up perfectly.

Of course we have to start this post in talking about the Original flavour.  We ended up getting a half and half order with the other being the Snowing Cheese.  Both were boneless, which makes it much easier to eat.  Every time I've had these boneless little dark meat nuggets, they have been juicy and tender.  Moreover, the skin is completely rendered and crunchy.  I find the chicken itself has plenty of inherent flavour of its own.  The snow cheese adds a cheesy sweetness that coats the entire piece of fried chicken.  The kids love it.

The fan favourite flavour has to be the Soy Garlic.  Hence, we decided on a full boneless order of that particular flavour.  Once again, each nugget of chicken was crispy with well-rendered skin.  It was coated in just enough glaze that the whole thing wasn't dripping with sauce.  About that glaze, it was sweet, sticky and garlicky with a touch of ginger.  Each order also included a cup of pickled daikon.

Off to the spicy versions, I got the bone-in half and half of the Hot Bling and Swicy.  I gotta say the hot bling did live up to its name by having a kick with some sweetness.  As for the swicy, it was more sweet than spicy, but still had some heat due to the chilis.  Since these were bone-in, it included some white meat.  Of course it wasn't as juicy, but it wasn't dry either.  So did I notice more flavour with the bone-in?  Possibly, especially for the drumstick.  However, I would go for boneless for the convenience and seemingly more meat.

On previous visits, I've tried all of their chicken sandwiches including the Hawaiian Terri Burger, Hot Bling Burger, Twin Cheese Burger and Yes Burger.  My favourite is the hot bling due to the spiciness.  They use fried chicken thigh here and it is juicy and crispy.  I consider all of them to be pretty solid.  In fact, the chicken at NeNe is excellent and for me, consistent.  Wait times can be a little long due to the process involved and existing orders.  Best to do an online pickup order to avoid that.  Not the cheapest option out there, but worth the money IMO.

The Good:
- Juicy fried KFC
- Consistent
- Burgers are good too

The Bad:
- Wait times can be long
- On the pricier side