Kin Kao (Commerical Drive)

Seeing how Kin Kao Song has been selected in the Bib Gourmand category for both good quality and value, we decided to check out the original Kin Kao as well.  We thoroughly enjoyed Kin Kao Song when it first opened and had high hopes for the original location on Commercial Drive.  The place isn't really all that big and they do not take reservations.  Best to arrive at opening or later in the evening.  That we did and luckily avoided the dinner rush on a Friday night.

We were able to secure a larger table by promising to order a lot of food and that we did starting with the large order of the Chicken Wings marinated in fish sauce and tossed in cilantro, garlic, vinegar, black pepper and lime juice.  As you can imagine, the combination of ingredients created impactful South Asian flavours.  There was sweet, briny, salty, tangy and aromatics.  The skin was properly rendered, but the wings themselves were a touch dry.  We much prefer the split wings at Kin Kao Song.

On the topic of Chicken Skin, we got an order of that as well.  Okay, to be completely honest, I am okay with fried chicken skin on wings and fried chicken, but it has never been that appealing to me by itself.  If not properly rendered, it can be flabby.  Moreover, without meat attached to it, each bite gets a bit monotonous.  So I had a love-hate relationship with this version as some were completely rendered and some were flabby.  Yet, the side of fish sauce dip really helped make this better.

So this bowl of Tom Yum Goong was $22.00.  Now you might be wondering why is this fairly small bowl of soup this pricey?  Well, I would say this was more ingredients than actual soup.  We could barely get 2 small share bowls of liquid.  This was due to the considerable amount of large plump prawns and oyster mushrooms.  Now as for the broth, it was tangy and spicy with the usual hits of galangal, lemongrass, birds-eye chili, fish sauce and lime juice.

For our mains, we got quite a few of them including the Northeastern Style Steak featuring thinly sliced skirt steak tossed with shallots, mint leaves, cilantro, green lettuce, toasted ground rice, soy sauce, dry chili, lime juice and fish sauce.  Now with all of those impactful ingredients, the steak was super flavourful with spice, acidity, rich saltiness and of course aromatics.  However, the steak itself was sinewy and chewy.  To be fair, the pieces that didn't have the sinew was actually good.

My favourite dish of the night was the Panaeng Chicken Curry.  I found the curry to be creamy with the aroma of coconut milk.  However, it was balanced with a combination of spice, sweetness and brininess from the fish sauce.  Unlike many other versions, this was only curry and chicken, no other fillers.  Although the thin slices of white meat weren't exactly juicy, they were not dry either.  I could drink this curry.

Of course we had to get the veritable Pad Thai in vegetarian form with fried tofu.  This was just as good as the one we've had at Kin Kao Song where the noodles were chewy with a great mouth feel.  There was just enough sauce to keep things from clumpling, yet also supplying a sweet tanginess.  This was balanced by an appealing amount of spice.  Loved the big chunks of fried tofu as they were airy and light with a crispy chew on the outside.

To get our full fill of noodles we added the Pad See Ew for good measure.  I found this to be a good version of the dish.  It featured mung bean noodle sheets, which I much prefer over the use of flat rice noodles.  This gave a better chew and the noodles stayed intact.  I enjoyed the long strips of gai lan as they had a nice crunch and since they were thin, it was not hard to eat.  In terms of seasoning, it could've been more aggressive, yet the caramelization was decent.

Our last item was the Vegetable Stir Fry and believe it or not, it was one of my favourites!  Excellent wok caramelization where not much moisture was on the plate.  The oyster sauce really added depth and muted saltiness.  Loved the texture of the veggies and also the fried tofu.  Overall, this was a pleasant meal at Kin Kao on Commericial Drive, but we much prefer the now Michelin Bib Gourmand Kin Kao Song on Broadway.  Still a good meal though and worth checking out.

The Good:

- Impactful flavours

- Proper wok hei (high wok heat)

- Attentive service

The Bad:

- Not a bad per se, but Kin Kao Song is better in my opinion

- Parking is a little tricky in the area

Claudio's

Around 10 years ago, I had visited a non-descript Italian restaurant in an equally plain-looking strip mall on Dawson Street near Brentwood.  The place was Pasta Amore and it has recently become the victim of redevelopment.  However, the story lives on with the opening of Claudio's roughly across the street in the SOLO district along Lougheed at Willingdon.  Claudio's pays homage to the man himself, Claudio Magagnin, who ran Pasta Amore since 2000.  Now the next generation has taken the tradition and modernized it, complete in a snazzy new spot.

We ended up heading over to Claudio's with my entire family including my parents.  Just like family, we were graced with the same great service as was at Pasta Amore.  With an updated menu, we started with the Ahi Tuna Carpaccio with birds-eye chili, capers and lemon.  This was a light and appetizing starter with plenty of acidity and tanginess.  Buttery and soft, the tuna was contrasted nicely by the thin crisps.  The addition of chilis gave the dish a notable kick.

Although a bit defaultish, the Caesar Salad was actually really good.  Featuring fresh and crisp romaine hearts, there was a nice crunch to each bite.  As much as the house made pane fritto was a bit chewy in the middle, it was welcomed as there was variation of texture.  Now the salad was a bit over-dressed, but that wasn't a huge issue as the dressing was impactful.  It was creamy with lots of nuttiness and saltiness. Could've used just a bit more acidity. 

Our last antipasti was the Pumpkin Arancini served as a trio.  At first, we were a bit concerned that they were using pumpkin.  It often can be rather strong and overwhelm most dishes.  However, this was not the case as the aborio rice was sweet with only background fall flavours.  There was also the usual cheesiness which added body and aroma.  We found the rice mostly al dente while the outside was crispy and light.

Onto the pastas, we thought the Pesto Gnocchi was on point.  These were large and super pillowy soft.  They were delicate, yet didn't disintegrate.  Featuring a pesto cream, the whole thing was pretty rich.  It was a good thing we were sharing the plate.  Due to the amount of cream added, the impact of the pesto was somewhat muted, but it was still definitely there with an aromatic nuttiness.

We weren't super impressed with the Pappardelle Manzo Brasato featuring braised beef belly and red wine.  It was actually surprising that the stringy meat in the dish was beef belly.  We couldn't understand how it could be chewy and dry.  As for the sauce, it was quite bland and lacking flavour all around.  It needed, among other things, salt.  Fortunately, the pasta was perfectly al dente though.

The best pasta of the bunch was the Tagliatelle Nere with clams, crab meat, mussels, prawns, lemon butter, chili and parsley.  Beyond the perfectly al dente pasta, the abundance of shellfish was a real treat.  They were cooked perfectly with buttery plump clams and mussels as well as cold-water prawns.  Best of all, the pasta actually tasted briny like the sea.  Sometimes, seafood pastas do not taste like seafood.  This one did with plenty of crab meat as well.

For our pizza, we had the Boscaiola with tomato sauce, mushroom and sausage.  This hand-stretched pizza featured nutty leoparding and a crispy crust.  However, the middle was a bit softer than usual (even though it is supposed to be tender).  It could've been partially due to the amount of toppings (especially the water-releasing mushrooms).  Despite that, the pizza ate well and the dough was seasoned enough.

For our mains, we shared the 20oz Bone-in Ribeye with red wine jus and arugula.  We asked for it to be prepared medium-rare and it couldn't have been any more perfect.  It was evenly grilled on both sides with the middle being juicy and tender.  I wouldn't say this was the most tender ribeye we've had, but it was more than acceptable.  The side of red wine jus added the necessary flavour to the beautifully cooked meat.

Seemingly a simple dish, we thought the Chicken Parmigiana was excellent.  Paying homage to the dish we had at Pasta Amore 10 years ago, this one was even better.  We found the chicken breast to be juicy and tender with a crunchy breading on the outside.  Tangy tomato sauce and melted fior di latte ensured that there was tanginess and stringy cheese with every bite.  This was a good version of this dish.

Since we were pretty full by now, we only had a few desserts including the Tiramisu.  The kids had the Gelato (which was a great deal at $3.00 per order).  As for the tiramisu, it was quite good with moist, properly soaked lady fingers with balanced espresso hits throughout.  They were enveloped by creamy mascarpone that was just sweet enough.  So in the end, we though the meal was quite good especially considering we were in the burbs.  Can it compare to the best in town?  Well, no, but considering the price and the portion sizes, I'd say it was fair and an option in the neighbourhood.

The Good:
- Cozy, modern space
- Excellent service
- More than acceptable eats

The Bad:
- Parking is not free and actually expensive for the area
- The braised beef belly pasta was actually not good

 

Kim Jong Grillin'

Here we are, the very last meal on our 3-week road trip that had taken us from Vancouver to San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Vegas, Portland and all points in between.  Being exhausted and frankly tired of eating out, we merely picked up some take-out from Kim Jong Grillin'.  I've been meaning to hit up this place for awhile and in fact, wanted to do so on our way down.  But it ended up to be our last meal on our way up.

Since we arrived rather late in the day (we were driving from Bend and stopping at Painted Hills along the way...), there wasn't any chicken left.  Hence we went for the Bulgogi that was served with rice, kimchi, sesame sprouts and daikon banchan.  This was absolutely huge with a pile of marinated beef that was smoky and flavorful.  However, since the strips were rather thick, it wasn't as tender as we would've liked.  However it was still very good with lots of banchan underneath.

We also got the Galbi with the same accompaniments as the Bulgogi.  As much as this didn't look full as the Bulgogi, there was still more than enough food to satisfy a hungry adult.  As evidenced in the picture, the beef short ribs were nicely charred.  Hence, there was caramelization and smokiness.  Meat was fatty and tender in a chewy way (if that makes sense).  The kimchi underneath was tangy and spicy, but need some fermented shrimp for more impact.

Since they only had enough Spicy Pork to only offer us a Bibim Box, we took it.  With half the amount of meat, these sport the same banchan and rice as the previous boxes.  However, they add scorched japchae and fried egg drizzled with gochujang.  Loved the charred spicy pork.  It was so tender and spicy.  Add in the silky egg yolk and the japchae, there was much more variation of flavors and textures.

Due to the limited options, we went for a duplicate of sorts with the Bulgogi Bibim Box.  This also featured the same items as the previous box.  With less beef, I actually enjoyed this Bulgogi more than the full order.  Again, the different textures of the banchan with the japchae provided a variety of flavors.  Overall, we thought Kim Jong Grillin' was good and provided excellent value.  Each box was heavy and packed with food.  Not bad for a food truck.

The Good:
- Great value
- Decent eats
- Flavorful

The Bad:
- Beef could've been more tender and/or sliced thinner

 

900 Wall

For the many times we've been to Oregon, we've never actually ventured out to Bend.  Well, on our way back up to Vancouver, we decided to bypass I-5 and head through Central Oregon instead.  It was also a good opportunity to check out Painted Hills and to drive along I-84 hugging the Columbia River.  Arriving in Bend, it resembled Kelowna, BC.  A centrally located medium-sized community with lots of character and of course, places to eat.  We had existing reservations at 900 Wall, which is incidentally their address as well.

To get our greens for the meal, we began with the Kale Salad that was more than just greens.  It featured bits of salami, pickled onions, olives, tomatoes and pecorino atop charred bread with ricotta.  As you can imagine, this was one hearty salad.  Whenever you add meat, it suddenly has extra body and umaminess.  But it didn't end there, the bread offered up crunch and nuttiness while cooled down with creamy ricotta.  Add in the tangy tomatoes and acidic onions, this was one impactful salad.  In the background, you'll noticed we got a couple orders of the Deviled Eggs in both mild and spicy.  I love how these are making a comeback.  These featured tender egg whites with creamy egg yolks.  I preferred the spicy as it did offer a kick that made them very appetizing.

Next, we had the Roaring Springs Ranch Beef Carpaccio with truffle oil, parmesan, fried capers, grainy mustard and arugula.  With paper-thin slices of beef, the carpaccio essentially melted-in-our-mouths.  Absolutely no chewing necessary.  Flavors were restrained where it allowed the beef to be the star.  Only a background hint of truffle oil and the salty nuttiness of the parm provided some compliment to the beef.  Loved the crispy toasts that were placed on top.

Since the kids love charcuterie, we went for the Oregon Board featuring chicken liver pate, Olympic Provisions salami, Jack cheese, quince, figs, mustard, apples and pickles.  Good mix of items where the salami did its best impression of saucisson.  Pate was very rustic in texture where it was chunky rather than smooth.  Love the accompaniments where the sweetness of the quince and fig balanced off the saltiness of the salami.

To get something from each menu category, we ordered the stone oven Italian Sausage pizza.  The hand-stretched sourdough crust was really good with chewy tang and nuttiness.  With a bit of leoparding, the crust was universally crispy, even at the center. I wished there was a bit more tangy tomato sauce though.  There wasn't a shortage of cheese though.  Loved the meaty sausage that wasn't too fatty.  This was a good pizza.

After all these appies, we decided to go for only 2 larger dishes including the Duck Confit with farro, cherry mostarda and pistchio butter.  This was a well-composed dish with classic complimentary flavors.  The duck leg was moist and tender with enough saltiness while the skin was properly rendered.  Of course the tangy cherries went well with the duck.  Pistachio butter added a creamy nuttiness.

Our other large dish was the Double R Ranch Teres Major prepared medium-rare.  This lean cut was actually really juicy and super tender.  Lots of good meat flavor as well.  It was complimented by black pepper parmesan butter as well as a small amount of red wine mushroom sauce.  Plenty of luxurious texture and aroma going on here.  The considerable amount of fries were fresh cut and crispy.  We really enjoyed this dish.

We even got the Grilled Corn because it was in another section of the menu (had to get one item from each!).   Although the corn could've used more uniform charring, it was still supremely delicious.  Each niblet had a sweet pop and it didn't hurt that there was ricotta salata and pickled jalapeno aioli either.  These added creaminess as well as a tangy spiciness.  Reminded me of street corn.  I actually ate the whole thing myself.

Onto dessert, we shared the Powdered Sugar Beignets with 3 sauces including bittersweet chocolate, raspberry and vanilla mousse.  Normally, I'm not a fan of beignets outside of New Orleans, but these were pretty good.  They were crispy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside with air pockets.  I loved dunking them into the raspberry sauce because it was tangy and sweet.  As you can tell, we enjoyed our meal at 900 Wall and can see why Bend is such a dining destination.  I hope to be back sometime soon since there are many more places to check out.  Maybe when I visit Crater Lake in the future...

The Good:
- Well-prepared eats
- Excellent service
- Relatively reasonable prices

The Bad:
- Parking is a real challenge in that part of town 

 

Mel's Diner

Welcome to one of the most irrelevant and uninteresting posts you will ever read on this blog.  Maybe I'm exaggerating, but really, unless you are passing by Beatty, Nevada, this post will never apply to you.  However, if you are indeed driving through Beatty and in need of some eats, then for the 1% of you, it isn't irrelevant after all.  So we belong to that 1% because it was on our way to Mammoth Lakes from Vegas.  Trust me, there is literally nothing along the freeway until you get to Beatty.

We made the stop for a late lunch and made the cutoff before they closed at 1:00pm.  That is correct, you won't even be able to eat here if you arrive later!  For myself, I chose the Fish & Chips that featured both potato salad and fries.  I thought the fish was fine considering it was frozen.  It was crispy while flaky and moist inside.  Fries were pretty basic, but were crispy.  Not a fan of the potato salad as the potatoes were rather crunchy.

For my son, he went for one of his favorites in the Bacon Double Cheeseburger.  This was a solid diner burger featuring 2 well-seared beef patties which were still somewhat moist.  The two slices of bacon were fairly lean and prepared crispy.  No brioche bun here as we got the classic sesame version.  It did the job though, holding in all of the ingredients without falling apart.  Overall, a decent burger and no complaints.

For Viv, she had the Patty Melt with cheese and onions.  As you can see in the picture, the beef patty was rather moist and not all that fatty.  Pretty impressive for a small little diner in the middle of nowhere.  Bread was seared until crispy and brown on the flattop.  Nice crunch that contrasted the soft meat.  The addition of onions added some sweet sharpness while the amount of melted cheese was perfect.

The best item we had was the Clubhouse with turkey, bacon and ham. This triple-decker was chock full of meats as well as 2 types of cheeses and fresh lettuce and tomato.  Nothing complex, but this was huge and well-constructed.  Even the toast was perfectly crispy.  So as you can see, the food here is typical diner food.  Yet, it was good diner food at a very reasonable price.  Considering there isn't much to choose from along the route we were traveling on, it was a pretty satisfying lunch.

The Good:
- Solid diner food
- Cheap
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Lots of flies
- The washrooms are not the best

 

Buffet at The Wynn

Okay, before you give me grief about spending $65.00USD per person on a buffet, let me explain.  I realize that you can get a proper sit-down composed dinner for that price, yet when in Vegas, people do irrational things.  Furthermore, it is more for the experience than getting your money's worth (hmm like most irrational experiences in Vegas???).  Besides, I really wanted to compare with the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesar's.  Here is a tip though - if you do not want to lineup for possibly hours, go do an online reservation first.

Now, the first thing I hit was not the salad or appetizers, I went straight for the Seafood.  Selection was rather basic with Snow Crab Legs, Stone Crab Claws, Clams, Mussels and Baby Scallops/Shrimp Mix.  I thought the clams and mussels were good, however, the crab was rather disappointing.  Being snow crab, I wasn't expecting much, but it was a bit watery and not that meaty.  Crab claws were worse as the meat was a bit dry and bland.

I did grab a Salad and Clam Chowder though.  Thank goodness my parents weren't there, they might've shook their heads in disappointment...  Anyways, other than the chowder, there was Minestrone, Organic Vegetable and Chicken Noodle Soup.  Although it wasn't a huge salad bar, the veggies were very fresh and neatly kept.  I found the clam chowder to be quite rich with lots of ingredients and a smoky bacon flavor.  Nothing special, but fine.

Onto the Meats, we found Rotisserie Chicken, Roasted Turkey, Pork Loin, Pulled Pork Sliders, Honey Glazed Ham, Breakfast Sausage, Beef Short Ribs, Polish Sausage, Baron of Beef, BBQ Beef Brisket and BBQ Pork Ribs.  I did try the brisket and it was a bit chewy and bland.  The pork ribs were softer with a sweet BBQ sauce.  Viv had the short rib and it was Maui-style.  I loaded up on the veggies (trying to be healthy) and they were perfectly cooked.  Pretty hard to do for a buffet, but the veggies had bite and weren't soggy.

One thing that I thought that was really lackluster was the Sushi.  Not only was the selection poor, nothing looked particularly great.  One bite and yah, the sushi rice was a bit gummy.  I prefer the sushi at the Bacchanal hands-down.  There was also a selection Dim Sum next to the sushi and that was mediocre too.  Someone was raving about the Shrimp Siu Mai, but they must've never had good Dim Sum before...  It was mushy.  Tried the Tonkotsu Ramen and it was meh.  Broth was actually decent with a meaty saltiness.  However, the chashu was dry and chewy.  Didn't like the addition of sprouts either.

Onto the Desserts, I found the selection decent but smaller than the Bacchanal.  In addition to little treats, there was a gourmet crepe station, a rotating wheel of gelato & sorbetto and soft-serve ice cream with toppings.  For the items I did try, they were fine, but not particularly memorable.  I did like the sugar-free cheesecake as it was rich and tasted quite good even without sugar.  For those who are vegan, there was a whole section devoted to those desserts.  Overall, we were not that impressed with The Buffet at the Wynn.  It pales in comparison to the Bacchanal and for me personally, I like the Wicked Spoon the most.  I agree, that the money spent could go towards a proper meal instead, but for those who want selection and endless food, it is still fun to experience a Vegas buffet.  Just maybe not this one.

The Good:
- Pretty atrium
- Great service

The Bad:
- Mediocre food
- Selection smaller than Bacchanal