Dhaliwal's Lounge

For the longest time, Asian cuisine, in particular Southern, has been seen as "inexpensive" and not worthy of fine-dining.  Slowly but surely, the tide is turning as we see more and more higher-end restaurants.  One of the newest is Dhaliwal's Lounge in the York Centre in Surrey.  Formerly Dhoom, Dhaliwal's Lounge is part of the Dhaliwal Group.  This new restaurant blends traditional Indian eats with fusion plates.  They also feature signature cocktails from their full-service bar.  I recently was invited to visit the place with Mijune.

Dining with Mijune always entails that we will destroy the menu and that we did starting with the Raj Kachori featuring a crispy fried shell, filled with potatoes, boiled moong dal, yogurts, spices, and chutneys.  I've had the smaller version of this before and for this one, there was just much more of everything.  Lots of textures at play with both crunchy and soft.  Due to the combination of chutneys and yogurt, we found tangy, sweet, spice, herbaceous and creamy.

Next, we had one of the more fusion offerings in the Barwa Paneer Arancini with crispy fried stuffed balls of paneer and dried fruit.  I wouldn't say this was exactly an arancini as there was no arboiro rice inside.  Rather it was more of a fried cheese ball.  With that being said, it was good though being crispy outside while the soft paneer was crumbled and soft.  There was a bit of sweetness provided by the dried fruit.

Staying with fried ball-like things, we were served the Brie and Chili-Stuffed Mushrooms.  These were firmly crunchy with a semi-thick outer breading.  Inside, the medium-sized mushrooms were juicy and with a slight bite.  They were stuffed with creamy brie as well as green chilis.  Hence, there was a bit of spice as well as that unmistakable flavour of barely cooked-through green chili pepper.  A drizzle of butter chicken sauce added creaminess.

One of the more under-the-radar dishes was the Angoori Tikki featuring royal cumin seed, almond, grape sauce, fresh herbs, chutneys, yogurt and chickpeas.  Naturally, this had some common flavours with the Raj Kachori but texturally it was quite different.  The soft potato had good mouth feel while the grapes were a surprise with bursts of sweetness.  Once again, we had the tang of the tamarind chutney to with the cooling of the yogurt and spice of the mint cilantro chutney.

Another successful fusion dish was the Mustard Scallops atop a potato cake and cucumber with dhaba curry sauce.  Nicely-plated, these large scallops were seared beautifully with good caramelization.  They were properly seasoned and tasted great on their own with natural sweetness.  The curry sauce offered up some spice as well as sweetness from the onions and tomatoes.  Only thing I would've liked to see was a thinner slice of cucumber.

One of my favourite appies in general is the Palak Patta Chaat.  It consists of individually battered and fried spinach leaves (yes, patience is needed when frying many leaves one-by-one!), onion, potato, peas, yogurt, green and red chutneys.  As with the Raj Kachori and Angoori Tikki, the flavours are somewhat along the same lines with tang, creaminess, sweetness and spice.  The star of the show has to be the crunchy spinach leaves.  Good texture to go with the other ingredients.

One of the best items we had, if not the best, was the Signature Chops.  These lamb rack chops were absolutely delicious.  They were moist and super tender due to the marinade.  Furthermore, the spices penetrated the meat with spice and the unmistakable aroma of toasted cumin seeds.  This was accompanied by methi aloo as well as some almond sauce on top.

Although it might sound a bit defaultish as an appie, both the Paneer and Chicken Lettuce Wraps were quite good.  Naturally, the chicken version was meatier and exhibited more depth, but the paneer still had texture and appealing spiciness.  Other than the filling, the most important item is the iceberg lettuce.  This was indeed fresh and properly dried.  I thought that possibly, they could've been cut into bigger cups though.

We also had another standard dish at most restaurants in the Chicken Wings.  These were oven-roasted where the meat was still tender and moist.  Even though they were not fried, the skin was fairly rendered albeit not crispy.  We decided to try two flavours including honey garlic and buffalo.  Aggressively-sauced, the honey garlic was intensely sweet and garlicky.  We found the buffalo wings to have noticeable heat while the amount of sauce was just right.

Another fusion dish of sorts was the Pista and Coconut Crusted Salmon with malabar sauce.  I found the preparation of this dish to be quite good where the fish featured crispy seasoned skin.  The fish itself was flaky and moist.  Naturally, the sauce was a very important component of this dish and it came through with the creaminess of coconut milk, spice, earthiness and a touch of acidity.

The most grandoise thing we had was the Cornish Murg Musallam consisting of a whole Cornish game hen marinated in ginger-garlic paste, stuffed with mince chicken and rich cashew curry.  The hen was super tender including the breast.  It was also flavourful from the marinade as well as the creamy curry.  This was so much food, it would be hard for even two people to finish it if there were more dishes.

Onto some more main dishes, we were served the Goat Razala featuring a yogurt and masala curry.  I really enjoyed this as there was a plethora of meaty and tender goat.  For those who haven't had goat before, think of it as a bonier and slightly more lean form of lamb.  Hence, some pieces have that gelatinous texture you find with lamb.  In terms of flavour, this was on the spicier side which was fine by me.

Next up, we had the Kukkad Makhni aka Delhi-style butter chicken.  This was really rich and creamy with a nice balancing tomato tang.  It was muted though due to the richness of the curry due to the addition of cashews.  The big chunks of dark meat chicken was tender and meaty where it was flavourful from the original marinade.  Really enjoyed this as it also had a minor kick to it.

So possibly the richest dish we had was the Dal Bukhara where we could taste the copious amounts of ghee and cream used. It went well the naan we had, but yah, best to share this.  Also rather creamy, the Methi Malai Paneer featured crumbled paneer in a cashew cream sauce.  This was rather aromatic and had quite a bit of body and depth for a vegetarian dish.  I would say this would go well with some basmati rice. 

Continuing on with the vegetarian items, we had the Vegetable Manchurian as well as the Soya Bhuna Masala.  Sporting Chinese-type flavours, the Veg Manchurian featured carrot, cauliflower and bell peppers.  The combination of ginger, garlic, soya sauce and tomato sauce elicited a tangy saltiness.  As for the soya chaap, it was typical with a chewy meatiness while being smoky and bathed in a flavourful masala curry.

As mentioned, we had some starch in the form of the Bread Basket that included Garlic Naan, Tandoori Roti, Butter Naan, Choor Choor Naan and Missi Roti.  Loved the naan, in particular the Choor Choor.  It was chewy with elasticity while having a nicely blistered exterior.  We also had the Kulcha stuffed with potato and spices.  It was soft had the creaminess of potatoes.  As you can see, we had a tonne of food.  We enjoyed the presentation as well as the flavours and preparation.  Loved the dining room as well as the overall atmosphere.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Modern and inviting
- Solid eats
- Lots of beverages available including signature cocktails

The Bad:
- Can be viewed as pricey compared to typical Indian restaurants, but is more comparable to places like Tasty and Yellow Chili

Alley 16

If you really don't pay attention to the Northeast corner of Cambie & 16th, you might not have noticed Alley 16 (the newish Japanese BBQ restaurant).  I think this location used to be a hot pot place and naturally, the conversion to individual BBQ wasn't a stretch.  They have predominantly bar seating, but also have a few booths as well as a private room near the front of the place.  Decor is simple, but elegant.  Right at the front of the door, there is what looks like a ionizer to remove the BBQ smell from your clothes.

Yet, if that isn't enough, they also have a bank of lockers right behind it.  This way, you can store your jackets and also any other personal items that you do not want to desecrate with the smells from the individual BBQs.  However, I didn't notice too much in the way of smoke nor significant smelliness from the BBQ.  But they do take this seriously and I really appreciate not smelling like the restaurant when I leave.

Onto the food, we weren't super hungry, so we didn't indulge in some of their meat platters (maybe next time).  We did start with something small as an appie in the Tako Wasabi served with nori sheets.  Although not as deluxe as some of the other appies, this was quite good.  The flavours were on point with the sting of wasabi, sweet tangy crunch of the pickles and the sweetness of the octopus.

Onto the BBQ items, we had the Zhu Personal Set consisting of A5 Wagyu, short rib, rib finger, chuck flap, flank, pork jowl, shiso chicken, mushroom and zucchini.  This was the mid-priced set at $55.00 being sandwiched in between $38.00 and $88.00 sets.  The highlight of this set of course was the buttery and melt-in-our-mouths A5 Wagyu.  Beyond that, the pork jowl was bouncy and tender.  Short rib was fatty and delicious and the shiso chicken was tender with beautiful herbaceousness.

We tacked on the Alley Cut Boneless Short Rib as well.  This was a decently-sized piece of meat that was well-marbled and partially sliced.  It was cooked in one piece and later cut into smaller slices so that it could cook more evenly.  Once cooked, it was classic short rib with a strong beef flavour due to the fat.  With some charring, it was nutty and meaty.  There was a chew, but not enough to make it hard to eat. 

To get a bit more veggie into the meal, we also got the Corn, which was a great thing to grill.  The caramelization and char only helped bring out the natural sweetness of the corn.  It activated the sugars and it was delicious.  The personal BBQs were powerful enough to char the meats without burning them.  As mentioned, the smells were kept to a minimum and they have all kinds of methods to keep your clothes from being affected.  Very thoughtful.  Although we only got a taste of what Alley 16 is about, it was good enough for me to plan a return visit.  Those meat platters look epic and high quality too.

The Good:
- Quality ingredients
- Attentive service
- They do a good job keeping your clothes from smelling

The Bad:
- If you are a big eater, it can get pricey
- Not the best place for a big group

 

May Rice Roll & Congee

While I was picking up some takeout at Mr. Pho Do on Hastings near Willingdon, I noticed that May Rice Roll & Congee was finally open.  Formerly Hakkaku Ramen, it was in the process of its conversion when I first spotted it.  Finally, a place where I could get rice noodle rolls without making the trek into Richmond (a dedicated spot for it that is...).  I gathered up the fam including the grandparents to check out this basic-looking restaurant.  The menu is quite focused and simple, but it is no-frills and affordable.

We came here for dinner, so we couldn't take advantage of their congee and rice noodle roll special for $15.95 during breakfast hours.  No matter, we still got a couple bowls including the House Special Congee as well as the Sliced Fish Congee.  In terms of texture and viscosity, the congee was quite good.  The rice had been cooked down enough that the congee was silky and smooth.  It had a good thick consistency down to the last spoonful, yet without being too heavy.  It was lightly seasoned where it wasn't salty.  The fish congee did sport a good amount of flaky pieces of fish.  As for the other one, there was plenty of tender liver and kidney.  I didn't really like the shredded pork though as it was a bit chewy and dry.  As you can see in the background, we also had the Fried Chinese Donut and it was crispy with an airiness.  Great for dipping into the congee.

Onto the Rice Noodle Rolls, we selected the Shrimp & Bay Scallop and also the Beef.  Much like Hei Hei in Richmond, these rice noodle rolls were ribbon-like with ingredients folded in rather than the usual Cantonese Dim Sum version with cannelloni tubes.  Now these were not as good as Hei Hei due to the overall thickness of the rice noodle and the elasticity was muted.  With that being said, the rice noodles were still good being soft and slippery.  I felt there was a lack of ingredients for the scallop & shrimp roll, but they were prepared properly.  There was a decent amount of beef and it was generally tenderized enough.  Some pieces were a bit chewier.

We also got the Beef Brisket Rice Noodle Hot Pot as well for a bit of variety.  This featured rolled rice noodles topped with stewed brisket.  Naturally, the texture for these rice rolls were remarkably different than the ribbon rice noodles.  Since they were tightly wound, the bite was firm and the noodles were more dense.  They were good though being soft and not heavy.  I found the flavour of the brisket (and the braising liquid) to be really tasty where it totally seasoned the rice rolls.  However, the brisket needed to be cooked a bit longer as most pieces were on the chewier side.

You just know that since there was beef tripe on the menu, I would go for the Radish Beef Offal.  This could be had over rice noodles like the aforementioned brisket hot pot as well.  I found this to also be quite good.  Once again, the stewing liquid was flavourful and full of depth.  It wasn't salty though.  The tripe was tender with a bite while the spleen was soft and not melting away.  There was also beef aorta which was on the softer side, but at least it wasn't chewy. The daikon was cooked through, yet still had texture.

Changing it up even more, we had the Spicy Wontons which were more bite-sized than typical wontons.  I thought they were fine with a good rebound texture and juicy filling.  As for the sauce, there was the usual chili oil that offered up some spice, but I also appreciated some numbing from the Szechuan peppercorns.  There was enough savoury elements to balance off the spice.  I would've liked even more heat personally.

Lastly, we had the Stir Fried Soy Sauce Chow Mein which was good.  Unlike many versions, this was not dry and had a decent amount of moisture while not being too greasy.  It was on the saltier side though, but not enough to be an issue.  The noodles still had a good chew while being cooked through.  Overall, the food at May Rice Noodle & Congee was acceptable and moderately-priced.  You can find better in Richmond, but since this is North Burnaby, it does the job.

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

The Bad:
- Compared to Richmond, it isn't as good, but once again, this is North Burnaby

Smitty's Oyster House

At one point in my life (like before I was 20), I wasn't a really fan of oysters - raw or cooked.  However, as I ate more and more of them, I started to like oysters in all forms.  So going for happy hour oysters is a real thing for me and due to the recent social media hype about Smitty's (has been on my list for awhile), we decided to hit them up precisely for their happy hour (and the oysters).  If this location looks familiar to you, it used to the the Five Point...

So here we go with a dozen of Sunseeker Oysters complete with all the condiments including grated horseradish, lemon wedges, vinaigrette, cocktail sauce, hot sauce and habenaro hot sauce.  I've had Sunseekers before and they are somewhat similar to kushis except for being slightly larger with a more pronounced pouch.  In terms of flavour, they are a bit more briny in my opinion but equally sweet.  These were fresh and shucked perfectly with no shell fragments.

We also got the happy hour Salt Spring Island Mussels in a white wine, garlic, shallots, lemon and thyme butter.  This also came with frites on top and aioli.  Being SSI mussels, these were plump and decently large.  They were cooked beautifully being delicate and still juicy.  Nice brininess and natural sweetness accented by the properly cooked-down white wine broth.  I would've liked a bit more salt in the broth, but it wasn't a deal-breaker.  Crispy frites too.

Everything was served on a platter (they tend to do that here) and here we see the Crab Cakes as well as the Seared Scallops.  Although the crab cakes were filled with mostly crab with little filler, they were quite dense.  Even the breading was dense and heavy.  I did like the flavour though as it was full of crab essence and sweetness.  As for the scallops, they were good with a nice sear while still being tender.  They were well-seasoned and the pea puree was a nice compliment.  I also enjoyed the smokiness of the bacon with the crunchy cabbage.

Lastly, we had the Sablefish Risotto with lemon, broccolini and mushrooms.  Featuring crispy skin, the sablefish was beautifully buttery and moist.  It was properly seasoned too.  Underneath, the risotto was cheesy and perfectly cooked.  It was a tad on the clumpier side (as it didn't spread), but it was still good.  Overall, the food was quite acceptable at Smitty's and the oysters were yum.  I would come back.

The Good:
- Properly shucked fresh oysters
- Proteins cooked right
- The service we got was on point

The Bad:
- On the pricier side, but what isn't these days
- Crab cakes were dense

Fritz European Fry House

I can't even remember the last time I visited Fritz European Fry House.  Sure, there is an old blog post about it, but that wasn't the last time I ate there.  It isn't as if I don't want to re-visit the place, because I I like their frites (or fries, whatever you want to call them).  I'm pretty sure it is under different ownership by now too.  The main reason I haven't been back is that I do not live in Downtown anymore and frankly, there is not much space in there to eat the frites and/or poutine fresh.  I personally do not like eating my poutine while walking nor do I want to take it somewhere far where it will get cold and extra soggy.  However, I was staying within a block away due to a conference and it was the perfect opportunity to pick up a late night snack and have it still piping hot in my hotel room.

So yes, I got myself a medium-sized Bacon Poutine.  I gotta say, this was one fine poutine with plenty of crispy frites topped with a considerable amount of cheese curds.  Throw in a boatload of crumbled bacon and thick gravy, this was a decadent and sinful treat.  I thought the gravy had a nice consistency and was plenty flavourful.  The melted cheese curds were stringy and was evident in each bite.  I didn't remember it to be this good, but am glad I got to have it again.

Of course I also had to get some Frites and I went big with the large size.  Yah, that was a huge cone of some crispy frites that were full of potato goodness inside.  The best thing about these frites was that they were not too thin where they would merely be crisps and not too thick where it would be too dense. Seeing that this was less than 5 minutes from the time I received them, they were still hot and fresh. 

Naturally, I wasn't about to dip these into ketchup (nothing wrong with though), so I went for a couple of dips including Garlic Lovers and Chipotle Mayo.  Being the classic accompaniment, the garlic aioli was creamy and aromatic.  This is my personal fav.  However, the chipotle mayo was pretty good too with some heat and smokiness.  Now this post is a bit short, but since they only have these 2 menu items (poutine can have different toppings though) and no hot dogs available at the moment, this is all I could order.  This is also all I could eat too!  Still good to me and if I have the chance to eat it again, I will!

The Good:
- Solid frites
- Equally good poutine
- Open late

The Bad:
- Nowhere to eat them other than walking around, which is okay for the frites on a nice day 

 

Menya Itto

I was hoping to visit Menya Itto when it first opened but really, I'm not all that into lining up for food these days.  So I let the initial hype die down and waited for a weekday before heading down to try the place.  The location on Robson Street (formerly Ramen Koika) happens to be their first Canadian location.  They are known for their Tsukemen, or dipping noodles, yet they also feature a good selection of soup ramen as well.

Of course we had to get their signature item in the Menya Itto Chashu Tsukemen with shiso infused crunchy textured chicken balls, pork belly chashu and thick housemade noodles.  This also included a pot of clear broth to dilute the remaining dipping soup once we were done.  As for the noodles, they were perfectly al dente with a pleasing chew.  The signature broth was silky with plenty of collagen.  It was flavourful with meaty depth.

We also tried the Classic Noko Gyokai Ramen with the spicy option. This was not quite Ramen Danbo, but still pretty solid.  The chicken broth was silky and creamy, yet not so much that it was too heavy.  The spice came through, but we could've done even spicier.  Juicy and tender, the two slices of chicken chashu was some of the best I've ever had.  The thin noodles were still chewy while cooked through.  Also added the Ajitsuke Tamago and it was excellent having a custardy yolk while being nicely flavoured without being salty.

We went big with the last dish in the Lobster Ramen with a full lobster tail, nori, half ramen egg, menna, corn and chashu.  I thought the broth was excellent almost akin to a lobster bisque (without the cream of course).  It was rich and had all of the appealing aroma and essence of lobster.  The lobster tail was perfectly cooked having a moist rebound and sweetness.  The slice of chashu was super tender and required no chewing.  Overall, the ramen dishes we tried at Menya Itto were solid with the lobster ramen really standing out.  There is a lot of competition for you ramen dollar in Vancity, so I would say there are plenty of other places to try at this price point.  However, Menya Itto belongs in that conversation.

The Good:
- Rich silky broth that isn't too heavy
- On point noodles
- Spacious

The Bad:
- A little on the pricier end, but on par with many other places in Downtown