Urban Thai

Way back when we used to live in Yaletown, it was rather convenient to dine out in Downtown Vancouver.  One of places we had visited on a number of occasions was Urban Thai Bistro.  They are no longer located in Yaletown and in fact, have opened up shop on Dunbar with a much smaller footprint.  I was invited to check the place out along with some other foodies.  The biggest takeaway from this meal was that the food is much improved upon the times I went in the past.

To kick things off, we were served the Chili Basil Chicken Wings.  Oh this was a great way to start the meal.  Each mid-wing was cooked beautifully with a nice lacquered exterior that was caramelized and aromatic.  Lots of sweetness and spice going on with the essence of fried basil.  Loved that the skin was properly rendered with a slight crispiness.  Beyond the skin, the meat underneath was juicy and well-marinated.

Sporting plenty of meat, the BBQ Pork Cheek Salad was probably my favourite dish of the meal.  It featured tender and fatty strips of pork cheek that exhibited the classic bounce texture.  Typically, this cut of meat can be a touch porky due to the fat content, but they were grilled enough that the fats were rendered and exhibited plenty of caramelization.  Combined with the tangy and sweet tamarind sauce, the salad ate with brightness.

Off to some noodle items, we tried the Prawn Laksa with fish balls, fried fish cake, tofu, egg, bean sprouts and egg noodles.  I thought this was quite solid with a fragrant broth that was slightly creamy and coconutty.  It did have a bit of brininess as well as enough spice for impact.  The noodles were al dente and plentiful.  The usual proteins were there and believe it or not, I appreciated the not overcooked egg (many places mess this up).

Our next noodle was the Beef Brisket Noodle Soup.  This was a comforting dish where the flavours were familiar.  The five spice broth was aromatic with licorice and meaty notes (from the brisket juices and fat).  It had the slight sweetness of daikon in the background as well.  As you can see, this was made with wide flat rice noodles, so in Cantonese, this is the classic Ngau Lam Hor Fun.  In addition to the fatty and tender brisket, there was also some beef meatballs.

Another delicious offering was the Matsaman Curry Rack of Lamb.  These meaty lamb lollipops were marinated perfectly where the meat was tender and moist.  They were seared just enough that they were cooked to medium and the outside was caramelized and slightly smoky.  The curry was sweet with only the slightest of heat.  It was a nice compliment to the mild-tasting lamb.  Served on the side was an extra amount of curry for rice.

Now if this next dish looks suspiciously like Hainanese Chicken, then you are partially correct.  This was actually Khao Mun Gai, which is the Thai version of this popular dish.  Made famous by the food stall in Portland, this one here sported the same chicken oil rice, deboned chicken and the gingery sweet soy condiment on the side.  This was a pretty generous portion (as with all of the food we had).

Probably the most visually impressive dish was the Jumbo XL Tiger Prawns with garlic sauce.  I kid you not, these prawns were the size of small lobster tails!  These were butterflied and fried expertly.  Barely cooked-through, the meat was tender, bouncy and juicy.  Aromatic with natural sweetness, the prawns were well-matched with the sweet garlic sauce that was quite impactful.  This dish was a real treat.

Lastly, we had the Pad Thai with chicken.  As stated on the menu, it is authentic and I can confirm that it was good.  The tamarind really came through with tang and sweetness.  There was good wok heat where the noodles maintained their chewy texture while still sauced but not wet.  Good caramelization and aromatics too.  This dish actually exemplified the food at Urban Thai.  It is much better than I had remembered and definitely one of the better Thai meals I've had recently, especially for the price.  I would classify Urban Thai as an affordable option considering the astronomical restaurant prices these days.  I will be back.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:

- On point eats

- Well-portioned

- Well-priced

The Bad:

- Dining room is considerably smaller than before, to keep your group small

Kovan

If one was looking for good and authentic Korean food in the Lower Mainland, it is usually a safe bet to hit up North Road along the Burnaby-Coquitlam border.  However, there are also random Korean restaurants strewn throughout the GVRD that are also quite good.  Now normally, I don't associate good Korean eats with the Langley, but with an invite with Jacqueline to try out Korean Korean Cuisine near Willowbrook Mall, I guess it was a good time to find out.

We got an array of dishes, but of course let's dive into the included Banchan first.  Although the selection wasn't vast, what we got was solid.  They included marinated bean sprouts, seaweed, kimchi and stewed potatoes.  I found the crunch in the sprouts to be good while properly seasoned.  Same could be said about the seaweed, but a little less texture.  Kimchi was the more sour kind, but texturally it was good.  The best item was the potatoes as they were soft but not melting.  Loved the rich sweetness.

Onto the appies, we went for one of my favs in the Bossam featuring steamed pork belly, blanched Napa cabbage, pickled daikon and kimchi radish.  This was a good portion size and there was much more pork belly than cabbage.  I found the belly to be tender with just enough fat (which was not flabby).  The cabbage was still crunchy while the radish was flavorful and spicy.

Next we had another Korean classic in the Seafood Pancake.  I've had a few of these lately, and this has to be one of the better versions.  First of all, the exterior was crispy and light while not being overly greasy.  Secondly, the inside was not doughy not dense.  Lastly, it was filled with plenty of seafood and a balancing amount of green onion (some versions have far too much onion).

Continuing on with the greatest hits, we tried the LA Galbi next.  These marinated beef short ribs were nicely grilled where there was definitely caramelization while not being burnt.  There was an intense sweetness balanced by equal parts saltiness.  I found the meat to be typical short rib tender with an appealing chewiness.  These were rather saucy, hence being moist as well.

So we had something a bit different with the next item in the Beef Intestine Hot Pot with tofu, mushrooms, veggies and tripe.  Since it was served on a butane burner, it was bubbling hot and great to cooked the included udon noodles.  Despite the intestines and tripe, I didn't find the broth gamy.  It had a nice spice and sweetness.  Considering the amount of food involved, it was very reasonable for $38.00.

Another interesting item was the Osam Bokkeum for 2.  This consisted of squid, onions, yam noodles and sprouts served on a hot plate over a butane burner.  Once we were left with scraps and sauce, it was cooked with rice and left to form a socarrat on the bottom.  Loved the spiceiness of the sauce and the squid was perfectly chewy-tender.  As for the rice at the end, it soaked up all the flavour and it had nice crunchy bits stuck to the plate.  The melted cheese on top didn't hurt either.  If this is for 2 people, you have to be pretty hungry to finish it.

We ended things off with 2 noodle dishes including the ever-so-popular Jajangmyeon.  This was a large portion of slippery al dente noodles bathed in enough black bean sauce for effect.  I found the sauce to be rich and thick with a certain meatiness accented by plenty of sweet onion flavour.  It was a good version and more food than one person could eat.

Our last dish was the Spicy Cold Noodle featuring buckwheat noodles in an ice broth with hard-boiled egg, sliced brisket and of course, spicy red pepper paste.  Again, this was solid with chewy cold noodles and when mixed with everything, there was spice, sweetness and crunch.  So as you can see, the food at Kovan is definitely legit and well-portioned.  Considering the fair prices, I feel that there is good value here, especially if you order the larger share dishes.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Good portion sizes

- Hot pot and hot plate dishes are very large and good value

The Bad:

- Would like a larger selection of banchan

Lil' Jon Restaurant & Lounge

Gosh, we haven't met up with Lola and Scout since pre-Covid times.  You see, they live in Seattle and well, during the border shutdown, it was a bit difficult to head down South.  Yes, I have been across the border a few times since it opened up, but just didn't get a chance to meet for eats (hey that rhymes...).  Finally, we made plans to do so and they suggested a classic diner in Lil' Jon out near Factoria.  With vinyl booths and counter seating, I would say that this place has diner written all over it.

I was pleasantly surprised at the reasonable pricing given that food costs are out-of-control these days.  Taking advantage of that, I went for T-bone steak, that came with a choice of soup or salad to start.  I went for the Cream of Potato Soup and it was a hearty with lots of tender potato cubes.  I found it having the right viscosity being thick, but not so much that I couldn't drink it.  Flavor was mild, but was well-seasoned.

Behold, my 16oz Choice T-Bone Steak.  I asked for it to be prepared medium-rare and it came exactly like that.  Of course the tenderloin portion of the steak was a touch more rare, but that was expected and frankly, welcomed.  I found the seasoning to be spot on as it was flavorful on its own.  I found the meat to be quite tender.  The side of mashed potatoes were smooth and velvety while the brown gravy wasn't too salty.

As for Viv, she went for the Bacon Cheeseburger with 1/3 lbs patty, shredded lettuce, tomato, pickle, American cheese and bacon.  This looked impressive, but ultimately was quite average.  Despite sporting a large meaty patty, it was dry and somewhat chewy.  However, the bacon was crispy and the produce was fresh.  On the side, the fries were not bad being crispy with plenty of potato texture inside.

My son decided on his favorite with the French Dip featuring thinly-sliced roast beef on a French roll with au jus on the side.  The best thing to describe the roast beef is that it resembled Arby's.  So if you are familiar, the roast beef at Arby's is marinated to the point where it is very tender and almost ham-like.  Now I'm not saying this was necessarily a bad thing here if you enjoy that texture.  Just be aware it wasn't very meaty.

My daughter had the Turkey Melt with roast turkey breast, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo on grilled sourdough.  I thought this was fairly standard and definitely serviceable.  I liked how they didn't slather the bread with a stick of butter.  Hence it wasn't overly greasy and oil-soaked.  It was still crunchy though.  Nice balance of ingredients and it ate rather moist inside.

Scout went for one of the classics here in the Chicken Fried Steak featuring breaded cube steak topped with country gravy.  He has had this before and enjoys it partially due to the gravy.  It has a nice consistency where it is creamy while not being too greasy nor floury.  As for the steak itself, the coating is crispy while the meat is moist and tender.  This was also served with a side of mixed veggies.

We ended things off with a few orders of their pie.  Although they are frozen pies, we found them to be more than acceptable.  Of the ones we ordered, I enjoyed the Cherry Pie (pictured above) the most as it had a nice tangy sweetness.  The crust was not exactly flaky, but it had a nice firmness to it.  We also had the peach, which was just sweet enough, however, the chocolate cream pie was too sweet for me.  Overall, Lil' Jon is a no fuss, ol' school diner that serves up predictable eats.  There are a few gems such as the T-Bone Steak and Chicken Fried Steak, but the other items were pretty average.  Yet, for the reasonable prices they charge, I think you will be satisfied (especially if you pick the right items).

The Good:
- Well-priced
- Surprising food if you pick the right dishes
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- Pick the wrong dishes, and they are pretty average

BittyFish Sushi

Sometimes...  I choose where we dine, not necessarily on what is best, rather what we feel like and the novelty of it all.  While we were out in Lynnwood, we needed to get some eats as it was already past lunch time.  Sure, I could've been more creative and chosen something good and unique.  Instead, we went for something that we hadn't had for a long time - conveyor-belt sushi.  The place was BittyFish located right in Alderwood.  We went in with reasonable expectations and honestly, we were just hungry.

For those unfamiliar, conveyor-belt sushi is serve yourself from a conveyor-belt snaking its way around to each table.  All the plates on the belt at BittyFish are the same price at $3.69.  Other menu items vary in price.  We had a few things first including the Gyoza and Cucumber Salad.  Although sporting rather thick dumpling skin, the gyoza were fine and did the job.  Cucumber salad was crunchy and fresh but totally devoid of seasoning.  We got something from the menu in the Chicken Karaage for $7.00.  Chicken was juicy and tender, but each piece was greasy.

Our selection nigiri included Atlantic Salmon, Mackerel, Tuna, Tuna Toro and Tamago.  The salmon was okay being soft and fresh, but it was sliced pretty thin.  Mackerel was pretty typical.  Albacore tuna was a bit stiff and not as buttery soft as I would've liked.  Interestingly, we grabbed another tuna and it looked and ate more like toro (but wasn't labelled as such).  Nothing much to say about the tamago as it was the usual easy-made kind.

Our next selection of nigiri consisted of Coho Salmon, Hotate, Seared Salmon and Seared Tuna. Although sliced rather haphazardly, the coho salmon was quite good.  It was meaty with a natural sweetness.  Also cut rather oddly, the hotate was soft and sweet.  We thought the seared salmon to be okay with some sauce on top.  Would've liked to see some charring.  As for the seared tuna, it was pretty plain looking and needed something on top to give it color and flavor.

Onto the rolls, we had the Red Dragon Roll, Double Pepper Roll, Crunchy Crab Roll and Double Shrimp Roll.  Of these, I thought the red dragon was good due to the spicy tuna on top.  Also liked the double pepper as it had spicy crab salad with seared salmon on top.  The other 2 were okay, but I found the double shrimp to be lacking in flavour.  The crunchy crab did sport some crispy shallots on top.  All of them had pretty mushy sushi rice, which made them heavy.

Our last rolls were the Spider Roll, Philly Roll and Kinshi Roll.  We also got some Inari as well.  Spider roll was typical where the softshell crab wasn't exactly crispy anymore due to being on the conveyor.  Philly roll wasn't bad, had cream cheese, smoked salmon and avocado.  I didn't mind the Kinshi as it sported tuna salad, crabstick and cucumber in a egg wrap.  Again, the rice made things rather heavy though.  Overall, the sushi at BittyFish was "ok".  It did what it was supposed to do for a reasonable price.  Naturally, we could've had better, more authentic sushi in Seattle, but then that is a totally different experience altogether.  Can't compare.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Good service
- Serviceable food

The Bad:
- Well, it ain't great sushi, but that isn't the point
- Some items were unavailable and we had to order them (but that isn't necessarily a bad thing)

Shaburina

It was almost exactly one year to the day that I had last dined at Shaburina in Redmond (more like Bellevue).  So why am I blogging about it again?  Also, why did I revisit a restaurant, especially one out-of-town?  Well, we really enjoyed out last visit and just like Mr. BBQ out in Fullerton, we just had to go back.  Featuring all-you-can-eat Shabu Shabu, there are 3 options for dinner: Buffet Bar Only ($30.00), House Course ($39.00) or Premium Course ($55.00).  We went for the mid-priced option (like last time).

Included in the price is your choice of broth including original Kombu, Sukiyaki, Creamy Vegetable, Spicy Miso or the broth of the day (Mala).  I went for the Spicy Miso and yes it did have a kick, especially when it began to cook down.  I would say the spiciness did overshadow the fermented taste of miso.  Viv tried the Mala and it was less spicy and had more of a smokiness.  The kids had the Sukiyaki and Kombu where they were naturally mild compared to the spicy choices.  They weren't too salty which was good.

Similar to many hot pot-like places these days, there is a Sauce bar.  Here, you can create your own signature dipping sauce to compliment your food.  There are many options including Jingisukan, Chef's Special (looked like a sesame soy), Ponzu, Rotating Sauce (looked like a spicy vinegar) Sweet Chili, Goma Tare and various bottled items such as vinegar, sesame oil, sriraccha, chili oil and soy.  Of course, we find things like cilantro, green onion, fried garlic, fresh garlic and chili peppers as well.

Onto the meats, we actually asked for less to start because the last time, we had all 4 options per person and it was a bit too much.  They included Beef Shortplate, Beef Chuck, Pork Shoulder and Pork Belly.  I guess we were hungry this time since we got 6 sets of 4 when we were done.  We loved the shortplate as it was fatty and tender while the pork belly was just as fatty.  Overall, the meats were good.

The Buffet Bar consists of 2 sections including the predominantly vegetable and vegetarian-focused portion.  In addition to leafy greens, potato, tomato, squash and corn, we also find quail's eggs, tofu puffs, wood ear mushrooms, tofu and vegetarian wontons.  Everything here is fresh, well-organized and always refilled.

At the other side of the bar, we find an array of items including imitation crab stick, meatballs, Spam, shrimp, clams, baby octopus, bay scallops and various noodles including instant ramen, udon, mung bean noodles and egg noodles.  I believe this is a rather generous assortment of items that compliment the meats well, especially for the price.

At the end of the meal, we were served a Soft-Serve Ice Cream Cone to go.  Last time, the machine was broken, so we weren't able to try this.  I would say the ice cream was moderately creamy with a strong taste of vanilla.  It was the perfect thing to cool things down from the boiling soup (especially the spicy ones).  Overall, it was a delicious return visit to Shaburina and it won't be our last.  Prices are reasonable for the quality of food while the service is top-notch.

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Good quality
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- Even though we got a bigger table this time, it is still a bit tight for space to put your plates, sauces and drinks

Donburi Station

Way back, a few years  before the pandemic, we had tried out Fremont Bowl in Seattle.  Located in the Fremont (hence the name), this lil' Japanese donburi joint offered up large bowls with lots of toppings at a reasonable price.  Furthermore, those toppings were not only plentiful, they were good quality and delicious.  A recipe for success right?  Well, they've opened 2 more locations under the Donburi Station name.  I've been to the one in Bellevue before, but this time around, I'm going to blog about it.

Before we got to the donburis, I decided to get some greens into my meal (even though it was mostly iceberg lettuce).  This happened to be the Seafood Salad topped with ebi, imitation crab meat and masago.  On the side, there was some ginger vinaigrette.  This was a fairly large portion of salad and in fact, quite a bit of creamy imitation crab.  Hence, this ate rather hearty and there was enough ingredients for the lettuce, tomato and cucumber.

For my son, it was without a doubt he would order the Chirashi Don consisting of tuna tataki, Atlantic salmon, unagi, ebi, akami, negitoro and escolar (in lieu of hamachi this time).  As you can see, this was a hearty portion of fresh fish atop a large bowl of sushi rice.  This is no different than the one we've had at Fremont Bowl.  I've had this recently myself back in January and I can attest that it more than enough food for one person.

For myself, I went for something cooked in the Mixed Katsu Donburi with both chicken katsu and tonkatsu. Now one piece of katsu would've been sufficient, but with 2 of them, I was plenty satisfied.  Of course the chicken was more juicy and tender, but the pork was also decently moist.  On the outside, the panko was fried until golden brown and crunchy.  On side, there was some tangy and sweet tonkatsu sauce.

Viv ended up with the Volcano Donburi sporting spicy salmon, spicy imitation crab salad and masago.  Again, they weren't shy with the ingredients.  Hence each bite of chewy sushi rice was evenly balanced by the texture of salmon and imitation crab.  I wouldn't say this was exactly spicy, but with Japanese food, spicy is an accent flavour that doesn't overwhelm a dish.  That it did here with just a slight bite with the sweetness of the other ingredients.

My daughter ordered the Aburi Sake Don with sea salt and yuzu koshu.  This was lightly-torched hence no charring, but then again, there was no "sauce" to caramelize either.  Beyond the initial firmness of the salmon, the inside was buttery and soft.  The whole thing was rather mild-tasting except for the slight tanginess of the yuzu.  As you can see, Donburi Station serves the same favourites as Fremont Bowl, but with much more available parking.  A good spot for lunch if you are in the area.

The Good:
- Generous amount of toppings
- Tasty
- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:
- Not the biggest place, so might be packed during peak times

Jinya Ramen Bar (The Amazing Brentwood)

There was a time when I considered Jinya as one of more pricier spots for Ramen in the city.  How times have changed because most places are on par or even more expensive.  I guess the rising prices of food has caught up to Ramen as well.  Initially, we weren't planning on visiting Jinya anytime soon as there are many more other places I'd rather hit up first.  However, we wanted something quick and close by, so off we went to The Amazing Brentwood to hit up their newest location.

Before we got to the ramen, we started off with some appies including 10 pieces of the Crispy Chicken.  These were some ginormous chunks of chicken!  It appeared that most of the pieces were deboned drumsticks.  They were indeed crispy with a uniformly textured exterior that was not greasy.  The meat itself was succulent and juicy.  It was properly marinated and seasoned with garlic pepper but the side of ponzu dipping sauce as well as the slices of lemon added some punch.

We also got the Salmon Poke Tacos as well as the Jinya Bun.  Loved the crispy wonton shells for these small little tacos as they provided a perfect textural contrast to the soft fish.  As for the fish, the salmon was buttery soft and lightly seasoned.  I thought that it could've been more flavourful, but the lime did help the cause.  There was possibly too much onion as it became the dominant flavour.  The bun was quite good being soft and staying so even sitting around for awhile.  The fatty piece of chashu was fatty and tender.

For my choice of ramen, I decided on the Jinya Tonkotsu Original 2010 with pork chashu, spinach, seasoned egg, nori and extra thick noodles. This was a pretty rich broth with a silkiness due to the fat content as well as the collagen.  I found it flavourful with umaminess and a mushroomy finish.  To be honest, I generally do not like overly heavy ramen broths, but this was okay as long as I didn't drink a lot of it.  The noodles were firmly al dente and stayed as such until the last strand.  I found the pork chashu to be fattier than usual and since it was thick-sliced, it was sure not diet food.  Overall, this was still good.

For my son, he went for the Jinya Tonkotsu Black with pork chashu, kikurage, nori, seasoned egg, garlic chips, garlic oil, fried onion and spicy sauce (he opted for no spice though) with thin noodles.  Although his ramen featured pork broth as well, it was lighter with less saltiness than my tonkotsu original 2010.  Now that didn't mean it wasn't flavourful as it is was the beneficiary of the fermented taste of the garlic oil as well as the aromatics from the garlic chips and fried onion.  As with all of our ramen eggs, they were a touch past custardy and were a little light on the marinade.

Going even lighter, my daughter had the Yuzu Shio Delight with a chicken & pork clear broth, pork chashu, green onion, spinach, seasoned egg and nori.  This was fragrant and a bit floral while having only the slightest of meatiness.  For those who don't want the heaviness of a pork broth (especially the Tonkotsu Original), this would be for you.  Served with al dente thin noodles, this also helped keep things from being heavy.  I liked how the yuzu was restrained as it didn't make the broth too citrusy.  I'm not sure if the pork chashu was a good match for this broth.  Maybe chicken would've been better.

My parents also joined us for this meal and they split a Jinya Chicken Ramen with chicken chashu, spinach and fried onion.  I found this to have more body than the Yuzu Shio Delight as it wasn't a clear broth.  However, at the same time, it wasn't nearly as rich and heavy as the pork broth.  The cloudiness of the chicken broth added plenty of body still with natural sweetness.  Naturally, with no fat, the chicken chashu was not as tender as the pork, but it was hardly dry either.

Viv went for the Spicy Chicken Ramen with chicken chashu, spinach, spicy bean sprouts and green onion.  She chose spicy as the heat level and it was definitely that.  It wasn't too spicy so that we could still taste the sweetness of the broth.  Overall, we thought that this visit to Jinya was good and much better than we had expected.  Cost for ramen these days have crept up there, but Jinya has always been expensive, so I guess they are now on par.  With so many choices for ramen in the Lower Mainland, I still wouldn't choose Jinya over places such as Danbo, Hakkaido Ramen Santouka and Maruhachi though.

The Good:
- Decent ramen
- Excellent service
- Modern and spacious

The Bad:
- On the pricier side, but normal now