Royal Palace Seafood Restaurant

There are some Chinese restaurants that have been around forever and continue to exist with their original names.  However, that is the exception in the Lower Mainland rather than the rule.  I'm sure this phenomenon happens in other places, but I'm focusing on the musical chairs of changing names of Chinese restaurants locally.  One of which is the current Royal Palace Seafood Restaurant on Hastings.  It started off as the popular International (or Gwok Jai), then Dung Sing Chin, then Tung Sing Chin and finally Van Dragon, where it closed not too long ago.  Seeing how I've tried every iteration of this place, we went for a quick Dim Sum lunch recently.

Now, it took a little longer than we thought because we ended up waiting for a table even though there was no lineup.  There seemed to be a shortage of staff and we were not attended to for a bit and then we had to wait for our table to be cleaned.  Looking over the menu, we noticed that the prices were not exactly expensive, but it wasn't that cheap either.  When the Steamed Shao Mai with fish roe hit the table, it made sense why it was priced at $9.38.  Instead of the usual 4 dumplings, we found 5 of them (that were quite large).  They were good with a good mix of bouncy processed pork along with chunks of meat.  There was shrimp that were properly textured as well.  Seasoning was on point and overall, these were solid dumplings.

I was so excited about eating, I forgot to take a picture of the Shrimp Dumplings (Ha Gau), but luckily, it was in the background of the Rice Rolls with Crispy Bean Curd Skin and Fish Paste.  Once again, the ha gau came in a set of 5.  These were solid with medium-thick dumpling skin which had good elasticity.  Inside, the shrimp filling was meaty with a sweet snap.  Seasoning was a little light though, but we could taste was sesame oil.  It needed a bit more salt.  As for the rice roll, it was thin and delicate with some chew.  Inside, the filling was crispy and the fish paste had a nice rebound.

We also got the Seafood Congee for the kids and they enjoyed it.  We found exactly 2 each of the prawns, scallops and fish.  All of them were cooked properly where the fish was flaky and moist while the prawns were large and had a meaty snap.  The star of the show was the huge scallops which were buttery and sweet.  The congee base itself was very smooth with a medium viscosity.  It was seasoned enough where we didn't need to add anything (other than white pepper).

The kids wanted BBQ Pork Buns and well, whatever they want, they get...  Good choice though as these featured a fluffy bun that was lightly sweet and soft.  Inside, the BBQ pork filling was fairly lean with only some fatty pieces.  The glaze was typical sweet with some savoury elements.  We liked how there was enough of it that it helped flavour the rest of the bun.

For myself, I had to get the Beef Tripe & Tendon in Special Sauce.  Not being very descriptive, the special sauce was sweet with some garlickiness.  Both the tripe and tendon had soaked up the flavours from the braising.  However, they were cooked a bit too much where the tripe was rather soft while the tendon was bordering on melting.  However, with that being said, I much prefer this than these being chewy.

Another dish for me (mainly) was the Bean Curd Wraps with enoki mushroom.  Unlike many other versions I've had, the bean curd skin was actually rather chewy and somewhat hard.  Now you would think this is a negative, but in fact, it was rather appealing with a good mouth-feel.  The chewiness gave way to a juicy pork filling that was tender, yet at the same time exhibited a good meaty rebound.  It was mildly seasoned, but there was enough starch-thickened sauce to help things out.

Back to the kids, they had to get their favourite in the Deep Fried Garlic Spring Rolls.  Another solid offering where the outer wrapper was crunchy and easy on the grease.  It was wrapped somewhat tightly where it was full of shrimp.  The shrimp were cooked just enough (being juicy) where there was still a cold-water crunch.  They didn't ease up on the garlic as we could get a burst of flavour in each bite.

Lastly, we got the Rice Casserole with Spareribs and Chicken Feet.  We found the rice to be nicely dry and chewy.  Hence, even when topped with wet ingredients and doused with sweetened soy, it did not get soggy.  As you can see, there was quite a bit of spareribs on top.  They were tender while still having a chew.  Seasoning was mild, but it was enough.  The chicken foot (singular) was pretty good where the cartilage and fat underneath were tender.  We didn't end up having dessert as we were pretty full.  Portions were fair and the quality of food was overall good.  We would have no problem coming back in the future.

The Good:
- Above average eats
- Decent portions
- Okay service, but see below

The Bad:
- It wasn't as if service wasn't friendly, but there just wasn't enough of it (kind of the theme these days with all businesses)
- A little pricey, but portions reflect it

 

Dolar Shop (Burnaby)

It may be a surprise for many, but this is the first time I'm posting on the Dolar Shop.  It isn't as if I didn't have the opportunity to do so, especially since they opened a location in Burnaby at Station Square.  However, there are so many places to eat and frankly, so little time.  Well, we did finally make it with the whole family including my parents.  Unlike the Richmond location, the one in Burnaby is more compact and less opulent.  So if you desire a bit more space as well as nicer seating arrangements, then you should head out to their other location.  For me, I didn't want to drive that far and besides, they have covered parking at Station Square.

For those who do not know, diners choose their individual hot pot broths and do not share a big pot in the middle of the table.  They do, however, share the a la carte ingredients ordered by a tablet.  With that being said, they do have lunch specials that are individualized and also, if you are not one to share, you can order things for yourself only.  We ended up with the following soup bases: Black Truffle Mushroom, Pork Leg Bone, Tomato and Exquisite Silver Soup.  For myself and Viv, we had a half & half pot each in the Szechuan & Tomato and the Szechuan & Chicken.  We found the tomato as our favourite as it was super flavourful and tomatoey with depth.  The Szechuan had a kick with numbing spiciness.  Even though it was the most expensive at $16.99, the truffle mushroom was mostly mushroom forward.  The best deal was the exquisite silver soup because it included a side plate of chicken and tripe for $10.99.

Off to the good stuff, we had the Boneless Short Plate which was very fatty.  However, that is what made it super buttery and of course, tender and full of flavour.  Even though it was only AA beef, the meat still ate really well. Hands down, the most excellent dish we had was the Hand-Cut Prime Short Rib.  These were fairly thick-cut, but oh-so-buttery soft.  The marbling ensured the meat was tender and moist while providing plenty of beefy flavour.  We would've ordered another plate of these but we were looking for more variety.   At the end, we added the Wagyu Short Plate and that was also very good.  I would say it wasn't as buttery soft as the short rib, but it was quite close.  Again, plenty of fat to make it taste good too.

In terms of seafood, the Fresh Ling Cod Slices and Jumbo Scallops were top notch.  Served on a pile of ice, the ling cod was indeed super fresh and great quality.  When cooked in the broth, the fish generally stayed intact and came out buttery soft.  It was naturally sweet with the taste of the sea (with no fishiness).  Oh those scallops were a real treat as they were jumbo as described.  With just a quick cook in the boiling broth, they came out soft and tender.  They were super sweet and had the beautiful taste of scallop.  Near the end of the meal, we added The Dolar Shop Shrimp Pâté presented as a big ball in a small metal pot.  It was hand formed (with a spoon) into balls and placed directly into the broth.  These were fantastic with a wealth of shrimp flavour and texture. There was an appealing snap to go with the softer and springier mousse binding portions.

With the meats, we also added the Boneless Chicken Leg and the Kurobuta Pork Shoulder Collar.  Now don't scoff at these selections even though they aren't as sexy as the beef.  Due to the marinade, the chicken was soft and tender, even if it was overcooked.  It kept moist throughout, even the leaner portions of the thigh meat.  Furthermore, it was nicely seasoned as is, even without dipping it into sauce.  As for the pork shoulder, it was sliced thin and cooked up really quickly.  It was meatier in texture than any of the other meats, but was still soft and easy to chew.  We also got the Hand-Crafted Noodles that came in a plate of three.  These turned out in accordance to how much you cook them.  I like mine al dente, and I cooked them as such (with the eye test).  They were chewy and once again, tasted great due to the delicious tomato broth.

One of the most surprising items was The Dolar Shop Mung Bean Noodles served as small sheets.  We liked them so much, we ordered them twice!  These cooked up relatively quickly and it was really dependent what texture we personally wanted.  So it could range from chewy (in a good way) to completely soft.  For me, I liked them chewy while soaked in the delicious broth.    Unlike some versions, the Fried Gluten was soft and cooked up fast.  I would've preferred them to be chewier.  Of course we had to get our veggies in the form of Napa Cabbage, Spinach and Taiwanese Cauliflower.  Oh, the Quail's Eggs were not veggies, but hey we like them.  Things were fresh and we particularly enjoyed the cauliflower the best due to the firm texture that had a nice crunch.

Of course we can't forget about the Sauce Bar, where you can make your custom sauce for your hot pot.  This was not as elaborate as some places, especially HaiDiLao and in fact, was a bit smaller than Liuyishou.  Despite this, it had all the necessary items including some kimchi, grapes and peanuts.  At the end of our meal, we were served Soft-Serve Ice Cream in waffle cones.  This was a sweet and cold finish to a boiling hot meal.  We could've had another cone if we wanted too!  In the end, our experience at the Dolar Shop was a good one where the quality and service were top-notch.  Prices reflected that fact though.  If I had to compare, I would say Liuyishou would be the better value pick, while HaiDiLao has a better sauce bar and more options.  You can't go wrong with any of them and I would say that the Dolar Shop has the premium individual hot pot thing all to their own.

The Good:
- Quality ingredients
- Excellent service
- Individual hot pots

The Bad:
- Sauce bar is a bit basic
- On the pricier side
- This location is more cramped and less opulent than the Richmond one

 

Liberte Cafe & Restaurant

Hidden restaurants tend to have a certain charm about them.  This is especially true when the food is good as well as the service.  Then for the people who find it first, they get to share this with everyone else, hence, the place is no longer a hidden gem nor a secret.  For Liberte Cafe & Restaurant, they have all of the aforementioned characteristics including the fact they serve Filipino-inspired cuisine.  That makes it even more interesting as they are not merely "another" cafe.

I came in for a quick bite and only tried 3 dishes, but it was enough to give me a good idea of the place.  We enjoyed the Honey-Truffle Fried Chicken with rice, however, the frozen veggies were limp and lifeless.  Beyond that, the fried chicken thighs were fantastic.  Crispy and light, the batter stayed as such even though it was drenched in sauce.  The dark meat was juicy while cooked through.  We really liked the sauce as it was just sweet enough with a restrained amount of truffle.

Next, we had the classic Tapsilog with sliced beef rib steak, garlic fried rice, sunny side eggs and veggies.  I thought this was quite good with tender strips of beef that retained a good chew.  There was a balanced amount of seasoning including sweet, tangy and savoury.  The side of vinegar dipping sauce brightened things up as usual.  Garlic rice was chewy and full of flavour.  Eggs were nicely runny and went well with the rice.

We liked the beef so much, it was the featured protein in the Signature Tapa Waffle.  Included with the beef was an ube waffle which was crispy and somewhat light.  The seasoned wedge fries were also crispy due to the starch coating.  It also came with a house salad which provided us with some more veggies.  Now even though we only had 3 dishes, they were good enough to warrant a repeat visit.  The place is definitely charming and serves up food that is not the usual.  Pricing is also quite reasonable.

The Good:
- Decent eats
- Well-priced
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Those frozen veggies (they might've changed that by now)
- Not a big place, better make a rez 

 

Song YVR

My initial visit to Song YVR (formerly known as Kin Kao Song) was fantastic.  Subsequently, they were recognized as Michelin Bib Gourmand and it was to no surprise.  For those who aren't familiar, Bib Gourmand refers to restaurants that good quality and value.  That pretty much sums up Song as the food is delicious and although not cheap, the pricing is fair for the quality.  We love this place so much, we had to make a return visit to try some more dishes.

However, we went back to the well with the Lemongrass Wings that were split then deep fried.  This way, there was much more of a uniform crispiness and since they cooked much faster, they didn't dry out.  Hence, the skin was well-rendered and crispy while the meat stayed juicy.  Beyond the aromatic lemongrass, the side dip was key in providing acidity, sweetness,  herbaceousness and a slight kick.

One of the stealthiest dishes was the Pomelo Salad topped with crispy shallots and shredded coconut.  Juicy and sweet with a touch of bitterness, the pomelo was a treat by itself.  However, the aromatic and crunch of the shallots and coconut acted as a perfect textural contrast.  Hints of lemongrass and lime leaves complimented the already tangy, sweet and slightly spicy dressing.  Completing the whole thing was some cashews.

One of the best things to have here is the Tom Yum Prawns Soup.  It is served in a hot pot that almost brought the soup to a boil.  I say almost because it didn't and the soup was a bit lukewarm.  Despite this, the flavours really popped.  Beyond the expected hot and sour notes, there was plenty of aromatics and bite from the galangal, lime leaves and lemongrass.  Umaminess and saltiness was evident from the shrimp paste as well.  This was more of a stew than soup as it sported large and meaty tiger prawns, young coconut and oyster mushrooms.

Jam-packed with large and fluffy chunks of crab meat, the Crab Fried Rice was truly a real treat.  Although the jasmine rice was just a touch soft, it was still the beneficiary of high BTUs, hence it was nutty with caramelized flavours.  The addition of shrimp paste provided impact in the form of a fermented and rich saltiness to go with some brininess.  This was a considerable portion, but then again, it was $40.00.

Another must-order at Song is the Pad Thai.  We added grilled pork jowl as our protein for an extra $5.00.  Featuring their house tamarind sauce, the dish was rich with tang and sweetness.  The rice noodles were chewy and not clumpy.  There was enough sauce for impact and lubrication.  Pressed tofu and pickled turnip made this a very legit Pad Thai with all of the necessary textures as well.

So one of their newest dishes is the Beef Short Rib Stir Fry with fresh turmeric, peppercorns, chili, garlic sauce, mushrooms, eggplant, green beans and peppers.  Once again, the wok fry was excellent as the flavours were caramelized and there was no moisture on the plate.  The short ribs were meaty and had some chew.  As for the veggies, they were vibrant with a bite and plenty of texture.

One of my favourite dishes was actually vegetarian in the Squash Stir Fry featuring kobacha and egg with a garlic and mushroom sauce.  The texture of the squash was appealing where it was firm, yet still tender.  The ample amount of fried egg provided a complimentary texture.  Best of all, the umaminess from the mushroom "oyster" sauce was sweet and full of depth.  Okay, I can't tell you enough how delicious the food at Song YVR is.  I highly recommend the place and it definitely deserves its Michelin Bib Gourmand status.  Sure, it is not cheap, but what is these days?  Might as well eat something that is guaranteed to be tasty.

The Good:
- Expert wok skills, things are caramelized without excess moisture
- Pronounced flavours
- Not your ordinary Thai restaurant

The Bad:
- Dishes average around $40.00 each, so it is pricey. Worth it in my opinion though.

Switch

I'm sure you've noticed that I've been trying to feature restaurants with good food at reasonable prices in the past few posts.  Well, this isn't by accident as the soaring price of food makes it expensive at the grocery store and even more so at a restaurant.  Hence, I've been personally searching for the best places to go for solid eats that won't break the bank.  Up next is Switch on Robson Street that is a restaurant, a bar and also a Karaoke spot.  Yes, this would be the last place you would think to find good food at value pricing.  Alas, it is and you really won't believe how inexpensive their lunch sets are!  Try $10.95...

So what do you get for $10.95?  Two examples include the Grilled Saba with rice, pickles and miso soup and the Spaghetti with mussels and cream sauce and a side salad.   Saba was good with a nicely grilled skin while the meat was moist and flaky.  It was properly salted as well. The spaghetti was al dente with a flavourful cream sauce.  There was also plenty of fresh mussels.  Now these weren't even the most impressive offerings.  They also have a lobster burger, hamburger steak and chicken karaage don.

We were then served some dinner appies including Kusshi Oysters for $1.50 each.  These were properly shucked with no shell fragments.  I really enjoyed these as they were fresh, sweet and briny.  We also had the Tuna Tartare featuring both bluefin and yellowfin tuna as well as avocado and green onion.  This was fresh and properly seasoned, but the chunks of fish could've been smaller.  There was also a chef's special that wasn't on the menu that appeared to be some form of Teriyaki Beef on meslun greens and an onsen egg.  The beef was sliced thin and was tender.  The silky egg added some nice creaminess.

Another set of appies arrived consisting of Ankimo, Fried Oysters and Silky Tofu.  The thick slices of ankimo were on point with a creamy, yet firm texture.  It had the requisite taste of the sea with sweetness.  Those fried oysters were money being perfectly fried with a crispy panko coating.  It was served with kewpie mayo.  Served cold, the delicate tofu appeared to be sitting in a dashi-soy sauce.  Once again, not on the menu.

Onto 2 dishes that would be found on most fine dining menus, we had the Beef Tartare and the Escargots.  Even though the beef was cut pretty thick, the AAA tenderloin was buttery soft.  Beyond the quail's egg yolk on top, the tartare was dressed with wasabi cream and capers.  The result was a flavour profile akin to a tako wasabi with a sharp bite and the tangy saltiness of the pickles.  As for the escargots, they were prepared more traditionally with herb butter and grana padano.  These were tender and full of salty buttery garlickiness.

I guess the next dish didn't look all that interesting other than the fact it had romaine lettuce (super hard to find and really expensive right now!).  However, the Mentaiko Caesar was unlike any other version I've had.  The dressing sported pollack roe and mullet bottarga where it provided an appealing fishiness.  The grilled prawns had a meaty snap texture while tasting naturally sweet.  We were also served the Assorted Sashimi consisting of ebi, Atlantic salmon, sockeye salmon, hotate and tuna.  As evidenced in the picture, things were fresh with a nice sheen.  

One of the weaker items was the Spaghetti with lobster cream sauce and mullet bottarga.  Although al dente, the pasta was pretty bland as the lobster essence did not come through.  The 3 pieces of seafood consisting of prawn, squid and scallop were perfectly prepared.  The Braised Short Rib was also an off-menu item and it should be on the menu.  It was fantastic.  The meat was super tender and moist.  It benefited from the red wine braising sauce where flavours were rich and full of depth.  Some vibrant and crunchy sauteed veggies were served on the side.

After we were all full, we made our way to the one of the larger Karaoke Rooms where we enjoyed singing some popular songs while being served some dessert.  This included the Yuzu Cheesecake and also the Matcha Tiramisu.  I appreciated that the cheesecake was not some factory-bought version.  It was creamy and rich with a refreshing tanginess.  I liked how there was no crust.  As for the tiramisu, it was creamy and light while only a little sweet.  The matcha came through and was not overpowering.  Overall, I found the food at Switch to be quite good and well-priced (especially the lunch menu).  The place is stylish and has a club-like bar that serves up tasty cocktails.  I can see this as a great venue to grab some reasonably-priced eats before or after some karaoke.  Moreover, this place would be great for special events and celebrations.

*All food, drinks and karaoke was complimentary*

The Good:

- Decent eats

- Reasonably-priced (with the lunch menu being actually cheap)

- Nice decor and sexy bar

- You also have karaoke

The Bad:

- Wished that the karaoke songs had some background images or videos rather than just lyrics

Hanai Vancouver

So one of the newer restaurants on Commercial Drive isn't really all that new.  Hanai, which takes over the spot Ugly Dumpling used to reside, started out as a food stand, then a takeout spot.  So moving into a brick & mortar location is a huge step forward for owners Tess Bevernage and Thomas Robillard.  Vancouver is blessed with a variety of cuisines, but Hawaiian isn't well-represented (unless you include the countless poke shops...).  For me, I love Hawaiian food and I finally made it out to Hanai for their well-priced Ohana Menu for $60.00 per person.

As mentioned in my previous posts, the cost of eating out is through the roof these days.  Hey, I don't blame the restaurants as they need to cover their expenses.  So this family-style menu is a great deal in my books.  We started things off with the some soft bread with a delicious Tall Shadows Ube Buns & Limu Butter.  The buns were only lightly kissed with ube and were super-soft.  However, the star of the show was the butter.  It was so filled with umami and the taste of the sea, we wished there was more!  We would've eaten with a spoon...

Our next course consisted of 4 dishes including Whole Pig Pork Terrine with pickles, Crispy Smelt, Curry Dashi Squash and Purple Yams. Starting with the terrine, it was made with various parts of a whole pig, hence the different textures and flavours were pronounced.  Very meaty, a bit porky and definitely tender.  It was served with pickles and some gochujang.  Absolutely loved the crispy smelt as they were delicate and deliciously fishy.  Kewpie mayo was served with it.  The delicate sweetness of the squash was accented by a mild hint of curry while the naturally sweet purple yam benefited from the nuttiness of the sesame seeds.

In between the aforementioned course and the next, we were served the Cheesy Rice Cakes with gochujang and mozzarella.  Personally, I would've liked it with a some more kick, but this still had most of what makes this dish good.  Namely, the rice cakes were soft and tender while retaining a chew.  Also, the flavours of the dish included spice, sweetness and tanginess.  Lastly, can't hurt with all that ooey gooey cheese on top.

Onto yet another multi-dish course, we had the Potato Salad, Roasted Beet Salad and Manila Clams.  Featuring sieglinde potatoes, smoked bonito and kewpie mayo, the potato salad was chunky with some firmness.  It was creamy with a bit of smoky fishiness.  It was topped with a ramen egg.  I really enjoyed the beet salad where the beets were firm, yet tender.  Nice sweet earthiness complimented by the nutty and sweet sesame dressing.  The purple daikon and pickled wakame added even more texture to the salad as well as acidity from the wakame.  The best of the three was the Manila clams in a ginger & lemongrass broth complimented by cured Chinese sausage (Lap Cheong) and chili.  These little clams were buttery soft and briny.  I thought the saltiness from the sausage and the chili added depth and impact to the otherwise mild fragrant broth.

Okay, onto the literally the meat of the meal, we had the Huli Huli Chicken, Cropthorne Farm Carrots, Furikake Rice, Perilla Leaves and Two Rivers Pork Chop.  Now if the chicken looks suspiciously like Chinese soy chicken, you aren't far off since this was indeed cooked with sweet shoyu.  It was perfectly prepared where the meat (including the beast) was super moist and juicy.  On the side, there was a finadene sauce which added tang, sharpness and spice.  Equally moist and juicy, the bone-in pork chop was topped with an umami-packed fermented black bean butter sauce.  It was balanced where the butter tempered the saltiness of the black beans.  Not to be outdone, the roasted carrots were cooked through, yet still had a firm crunch.  They were naturally sweet and a bit earthy.  On top, there was a extensively briny XO sauce.  To compliment all the meats and full-bodied flavours, we had some furikake rice with a side of braised perilla leaves.  The leaves were great to wrap things with and had a nice herbaceous hit.

Finally, we got to our last course which was dessert.  We were served both the Banana Melt (consisting of banana cake, brown sugar coconut, Filipino cheese and fior di latte gelato) and Rouie's Guinatan (mochi, banana, ube and coconut milk).  We found the banana cake a touch dry, but it was still aromatic and just semi-sweet.  The cheese on top added an "it" factor to the dessert in terms of texture and savouriness.  A scoop of gelato from next door (Dolce Amore) helped add moisture to the cake.  Of the two, I loved Rouie's Guinatan the most as it was so creamy and aromatic from the coconut milk.  Those hand-made mochi balls were so soft and appealing.  This was just sweet enough and I could've had a few of them for myself.  Overall, this was a really good meal at a reasonable price.  There was more than enough food for all of us and we even had leftovers.  Proteins were cooked perfectly and the sides were equally delicious.  We will be back.

The Good:
- Well-prepared proteins
- Reasonable-pricing and generous portions
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- Seating is a bit tight due to the size of the restaurant