Fish Cafe

Now most people know about Fish Cafe as it has been around for quite some time.  However, I haven't been back since 2015, so I couldn't tell you if it is still good.  That prompted us to visit the place on a whim without reservations.  We were lucky to score a table especially since it was the weekend.  The place is small and cozy with super reasonable prices for fresh seafood.  As I've mentioned in many of my posts, the cost of food is through-the-roof these days and finding reasonably-priced places is becoming increasingly difficult.  I believe Fish Cafe is one of those spots.

To start off, we went for something simple in the small Salad and a side of Garlic Bread.  Normally, I do not talk about green salads, but this one was pretty solid with fresh greens and a bevy of seeds and sprouts.  That garlic bread didn't look like much, but it as done right.  Nicely toasted with colour, the bread was soft and warm while the exterior was crispy.  Plenty of garlicky butteriness to go around.

If you've never had the Grilled Calamari at Fish Cafe before, you are truly missing out.  This has to be one of the best dishes in the city.  Most other places that do grilled calamari often do not establish any charring or crunchy bits.  At Fish Cafe, they accomplish this expertly featuring tender squid complete with caramelization and crispy charred bits on the outside.  The result is a textural delight as well as intense flavours.  I suggest you give this a try even if this is the only dish you have here.

However, there is more than squid here that is good as evidenced by the wonderfully prepared Blackened Swordfish with rice and garlic butter.  This swordfish was prepared masterfully where it was moist and flaky.  The blackening spices were flavourful without being overpowering.  The key to this dish was the delicious garlic butter.  The fact it was not completed melted meant that we could "spread" it onto each piece of fish.  It was impactful where the creaminess of the butter added texture while the amount of garlic provided an extra jolt of something something.  I'm not a huge fan of their rice, but it wasn't bad being chewy and seasoned.

Also couldn't resist getting some Grilled Scallops accompanied by fries and also garlic butter.  Considering the price, this was a generous portion of perfectly prepared scallops.  They were well-charred while still being buttery and soft.  Naturally sweet, there wasn't a huge need for too much seasoning (it was seasoned though).  Of course, we dipped it into the addictive garlic butter.  If I were to choose a side, the crispy fries would be it.  Much better than the rice in my opinion.  There was plenty of potatoey goodness beyond the golden crisp exterior.

I originally wasn't going to get the Clam Chowder, but decided to do so anyways.  Instead of a bowl, I went for the cup.  However, they essentially used a bowl and filled it a little more than halfway.  I wouldn't say this was especially briny, but the clams were definitely there.  I found the viscosity to be on point without being too creamy.  Veggies were softened, but not to the point they were melting away.  Overall, it was a good chowder and really, the rest of the food was excellent.  Considering the reasonable prices here for seafood, I would say this is one of the better deals in the city.  I am already planning my return visit!

The Good:

- Well-prepared and fresh seafood

- Reasonable prices

- Friendly service

The Bad:

- Seating is tight

- Chef and staff interaction is cringe-worthy

 

Shawn's Chicken

If you haven't already noticed, the proliferation of KFC joints (Korean Fried Chicken) within the Lower Mainland has been exponential.  Hey, I'm not surprised because KFC is freakin' delicious.  However, there is an under-represented version of fried chicken - Chinese Fried Chicken.  Is that really a thing?  Well, kind of...  We have Taiwanese fried chicken where it is often served as nuggets with five spice and fried basil.  There is also a version that is pounded and is as big as your face.  But there is a new place in town that is not Taiwanese, but rather, it is called Shawn's Chicken.  It is actually Yongshun Fried Chicken out of Beijing that has some flavour elements that are similar to Taiwanese fried chicken, but is unique in its own right.  Jacqueline and I were invited to check it out.

We started with the 2-Piece Combo served with a choice of fries or yam fries and a soft drink.  For any of their fried chicken options, you can choose between original or spicy.  For this one, we had the original and it was flavourful as promised on the menu.  It was well-brined (in a broth) being super juicy and succulent.  There was a multitude of flavours, of which was definitely not like any other fried chicken out there.  It had some elements of Taiwanese fried chicken with some liquorice notes.  The accompanying fries were starch-coated (seems like Cavendish) and crispy.  You can also choose yam fries as well.

We then tried the Spicy Chicken Wings which were actually the original version, but tossed in seasoning.   This featured a super crunchy exterior with rendered skin.  The meat was just as juicy and tender as the drum and thigh.  In terms of flavour, the meat itself tasted like the original, but the seasoning spice had considerable impact with heat, earthiness and slight numbing.  If I had to choose, I would definitely go with the spicy over the original.

The most dramatic item we had was the Axe Chicken which was a fried chicken leg that was as big as my face.  Again, it was well-brined with juices literally squirting out of the meat as I tore the drum from the thigh.  That batter was nicely-seasoned and firmly crunchy.  It stayed as such even as it sat for quite awhile.  Loved how they drain the chicken after it is fried in their special rack deep-fryers.  Hence, it wasn't greasy at all.

In addition to the usual soft drinks, they have 2 special beverages in the Lemonada and Plum Juice.  These are only $1.00 more than the price of a regular soft drink ($2.75), so I think they are worth it.  Unlike most fountain drink lemonades, this one here was so natural-tasting and didn't rely on the sugar for flavour.  The plum was surprisingly not too sweet and had a mild essence.  As you can see, the menu at Shawn's Chicken is completely focused only on fried chicken.  They do that well and the chicken is both juicy and well-marinated.  Batter is crispy where the spicy is the one to get (in my opinion).  Prices are on the higher side, but reflect the freshness and size of the product.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:

- Juicy and well-marinated chicken

- Crunchy batter with rendered skin

- Made-to-order

The Bad:

- On the higher end of the fried chicken price spectrum

Daan Go

If you are fan of Masterchef, I'm sure you know that David George and Christopher Siu are former winners of the show.  David George took season 2 (where Christopher finished 5) and went on to be the corporate chef for S+L for a few years.  Christopher Siu won season 7 being well-known for his precision and natural talent with desserts and pastries.  After his first appearance on the show in season 2, he finished his pharmacy degree and went on to open Daan Go Cake Lab.  He has expanded to 2 locations in Ontario and now he has ventured into the GVRD, specifically Richmond, with fellow season 2 competitor David George as a partner.  I was invited to do a sneak peek of the new store and all of the whimsical treats they offer.

Getting right to it, let's talk about a slice of cake (or phonetically in Cantonese: daan go).  We had the 3:15 consisting of HK milk tea mousse, coffee crémeux, evaporated milk crémeux & pineapple bun crumb.  Upon first bite, the promised flavours in the description came through brilliantly.  The tea was apparent with a creaminess that made way for the coffee.  I found the sweetness level to be purposeful without going overboard.  As for the sponge, it was fluffy and moist.

Onto their whimsical creations, we tried the Cheesecake Fromage with white chocolate, lime & passionfruit cheesecake and citrus ganache truffle mousse.  This was probably my favourite because it had a good amount of tanginess from the lime & passionfruit that was balanced by the right amount of sweetness.  Beyond the fruity tang, the actual cheese flavour was quite apparent, especially at the finish.  Texturally, I loved how light and creamy it ate.

Another delicious dessert was also one of the cutest in the Lucky Duck.  No, the bathtub was not edible (only thing that wasn't), but it did contain a tasty combination of lemon curd, pistachio cream, almond sponge and white chocolate mousse.  Once again, the balanced flavours made this a delight to eat.  There was a creamy tanginess accented by nutty aromatics.  Loved that the almond sponge had an appealing chew to it.

Could this dessert being any more intricate trying to look like a Ramen Bowl?  That is certainly Christopher's attention to detail.  Contained within the dark chocolate bowl, we found coffee jelly, milk chocolate mousse and caramelized pear.  Cleverly masquerading as the broth, the coffee jelly was quite mild.  I loved the caramelized pear as it was texturally appealing while lightly sweet.  Chocolate mousse was light and also not overly sweet.

Looking very much like a cactus complete with chocolate "dirt", the Firmi sported malted milk chocolate, dark chocolate mousse, salted caramel and chocolate almond sponge.  Similar to the ramen, the pot was edible as it was made of dark chocolate.  Once again, the sponge was firmer and was a nice contrast to the creamy mousse and malted milk chocolate.  This wasn't very sweet but the layer of salted caramel really stood out.

They also have a good selection of character Macarons that are super cute.  For my selection, we had mango, earl grey, pistachio, black sesame, matcha and HK milk tea.  Beyond the impactful and natural-tasting filling, the macaron itself was texturally pleasing.  From the initial shattering of the exterior to the soft and chewy interior, the macarons were really good.

Our lone savoury treat was the Furikake Scroll Croissant.  This was a little different, but for me, I love the seaweedy and savoury flavour of furikake.  Hence, this was right up my alley with pointed seaweed notes.  The croissant itself shattered and featured soft insides.  It was buttery and aromatic.  Overall, the stuff at Daan Go is playful and appealing in appearance.  However, there is also plenty of substance behind the cuteness.  Flavours are impactful and delicious while the textures are also on par.  I think I've found a go-to spot for treats to bring to parties!

*Some of the items were complimentary (I paid for the half of them)*

The Good:

- Whimsical and cute

- Impactful flavours

- On point textures

The Bad:

- Maybe for the future, they could use some more savoury pastries

 

B&D Authentic Viet Cuisine

So here we are again, on the corner of Kingsway at Salisbury in Burnaby...  Why is this so significant you ask?  Well, the restaurant on this corner has changed so many times, I've lost count.  If someone can help me out, please fill in the missing restaurant...  Right now, it is B&D Vietnamese (and the subject of this blog post), and before that, we had (in descending order) Asian Cuisine by 18 Chefs, Queen's Cafe, Wonderful House, Private Home Cuisine and ???.    Okay back to B&D, we finally headed out there to give the place a try.

We stared with the Salt & Pepper Crunchy Wings with a side of pickles.  These were indeed crunchy as the skin was well-rendered and firm.  Since they fried these pretty aggressively, the meat was on the drier side, but not overly so.  The wings did have some flavour, but could've benefitted from more salt and pepper.  Loved the pickles on the side, they added nice crunch and tang.

Next, we had the Mini B&D Spring Rolls stuffed with ground pork, taro, carrot, jicama, wood-ear fungus and vermicelli.  These bite-sized springs rolls were fairly firm due to it being filled with plenty of ingredients and also being wrapped tightly.  Would've preferred rice paper, but these were still good with lots of texture (especially the taro).  They were a little light on the seasoning, but the side of fish sauce helped alleviate that.

Our last appie was the Papaya Salad with shredded unripe papaya, pickles, shallot, Vietnamese herbs and prawns.  This was a good version as the textural crunch from the unripe papaya was both appealing and bright.  Herbs added aroma while the pickles provided tanginess.  Add in the fish sauce and this was full of flavours including the usual fermented saltiness.  I personally like this salad to be on the spicier side and I wished there was that option.

Onto the mains, my daughter had a hard time deciding (as she usually does) and finally took our suggestion to try the Bò Kho (Beef Stew Noodles).  As you can see, there was no absence of beef shank which was super tender and flavourful.  The broth was aromatic and had good meatiness in addition to the seasonings.  The noodles were also prepared properly being al dente.

For my mom, she went for the Braised Duck Noodle featuring 6-hour braised duck leg, fresh coconut broth, shitake mushroom, sher-li-hon, red date and goji berry, served with egg noodles.  Although the broth was rich and full of depth, it could've used maybe a touch more salt.  Besides that, the duck leg was fall-off-the-bone tender while the egg noodles were appealingly chewy.

My dad had the B&D Special Pho with 18 hr simmered beef broth, rare beef sirloin, flank, tripe, tendon, and beef balls.  This was blessed with enough toppings to make this a fulfilling bowl of noodles.  The meats were tender, including the soft tendon.  As for the broth, it was not bad with sweetness and a background meatiness.  It was clean and pleasant.  Noodles were perfectly al dente.

My son went for the Grilled Pork Chop Rice featuring pork chop marinated for 24 hrs with our house sauce, green onion oil, and fried egg, served with cucumber, tomatoes and fish sauce.  This was a large portion of food with 2 nicely charred pork chops.  They were fairly tender with good marinated flavours.  Rice was dry and chewy, great for accepting the fish sauce as moisture and flavouring agent.

Viv and I waited a long time for our dish being the Lẩu Bò Đà Lạt (Da Lat Beef Hot Pot) featuring 24 hr simmered beef broth, beef flank, beef bones, beef tendon, taro, tofu, egg noodles, and veggies served with house special fermented tofu sauce.  This was more than enough food for both of us where the broth was flavourful with some lemongrass and meaty notes.   I found the brisket cubes in the broth to be a bit chewy while the tendon was soft.  Generally, this was satisfying but I would've been happy with my own bowl of Pho.  In the end, we found the food at B&D to be pleasant if not needed just a bit more seasoning.  Prices were completely fair for the portion sizes and the service was friendly.

The Good:

- Nice people

- Fair portions

- Fair prices

The Bad:

- Maybe more impactful seasoning needed

- The wait for the hot pot was very long

Toast to Coast

It is nice to see more and more dedicated brunch spots opening up in the Lower Mainland.  For the longest time, it seemed like we only had several options that were neither chains nor hotel restaurants.  One of these newer spots is Toast to Coast out in Steveston.  Yes, it isn't the closest place for me to dine at, but hey, I travel for food!  The place is extremely small, so be sure to get there early.  Also, even if you do get there early (as we did), don't expect big spacious tables far apart from each other.  We did request a bigger table (with the promise that we would order enough food for 4 people), but were denied that opportunity.  Therefore, I only was able to get 3 dishes to fit at our table (and I didn't want to course it out either).

So we started with the Korean Eggs Benny that was served on perfectly prepared crustless toast.  Underneath the runny poached egg, there was tender and well-seasoned bulgolgi beef.  It was sweet and definitely added a Korean flavour to the dish.  The thick and rich Hollandaise was creamy with an appealing butteriness.  I would've liked a bit more acidity, but it was still fine as it was.  On the side, we found 2 hashblocks that were super crunchy.

Of course, when I saw the Eye Poppin' Good Burger (aka Chicken Burger) on the menu, I had to get it!  It featured a large piece of dark meat Korean fried chicken with coleslaw, sprouts and pickles.  This was a respectable chicken sammie with a nicely toasted soft bun and juicy fried chicken.  The batter was crunchy and well-seasoned.  The sandwich ate a bit sweet, but the coleslaw added some tang and crunch.

We also had the Waffles with powered sugar on top.  These were pretty decent with a somewhat crispy exterior giving way to a soft interior.  It was aromatic and lightly sweet.  Overall, the food at Toast to Coast was not bad, but one thing that bothered us was the price point.  The benny was $26.00 and the burger was $25.00.  I do realize that it is located in Steveston, but when their Korean Bowl is $30.00, we are talking about Downtown prices (maybe even more expensive than Downtown).  Personally, I would be happy heading down to Grillzilla Bistro on Victoria Drive for a lot less money.

The Good:
- Pretty tasty eats
- Good service
- Quaint location

The Bad:
- Expensive
- Very tight seating arrangements

Little Italy @ Match Public House (Delta)

Ever since my first visit to Match Public Eatery last year (yes, it took me that long to try it), I've liked the place.  I truly believe they have some of the best wings around and their burgers are consistently good.  However, I'm not going to talk about either of these things this time around (even though I did order them).  I was recently invited to try their Little Italy promotion that features a special menu with an appie, pastas and a dessert.  Naturally, I was here to try them all!

The featured appetizer on the Little Italy menu is the Cheesy Fried Ravoili served with house-made spicy marinara and alfredo dipping sauces.  These crunchy little pockets were tossed in garlic butter and the aroma and flavour would've been enough.  However, the dipping sauces were on point.  Balanced and not too tangy, the spicy marinara had some background sweetness as well as a kick.  The creamy alfredo had a nice aroma and cheesiness.

Off to the pastas, we tried the Garlic Shrimp Alfredo first.  This was quite good with al dente tagliatelle pasta bathed in a creamy alfredo that was further amped by the bounty of garlic butter shrimp.  Hence, there was no absence of impact from the sauce even though it was the mildest of the 4 pastas we had.  The shrimp varied in size from small to fairly large ones.  They were cold-water crunchy and buttery in texture.

Our next pasta was the Chicken Pesto Cavatappi with grilled chicken breast with pesto, oven-roasted artichokes, sundried tomatoes and pesto cream.  This was pretty rich and delicious with the herbaceousness of pesto and of course a touch nutty too.  The pasta was firmly al dente while the chicken was nicely charred.  Adding in sundried tomatoes and artichokes afforded some tanginess to break up the richness.

Onto a tomato sauce-based pasta, we tried the Pappardelle with Italian Sausage Ragu.  These slippery ribbons of pasta were also al dente, yet a bit more tender.  We didn't mind that as it had good mouth-feel.  The sausage ragu was meaty and appealingly tomatoey.  There was also a background fennel finish due to the sausage. The addition of Boursin added a cheesy creaminess to the dish.  

Our last pasta was the most typical of the bunch being Nonna's Spaghettini & Meatballs.  I actually snuck a few strands of this first so I didn't get to it last. Yes, the pasta was al dente but due to it being thin, it became softer a bit later (eat it right away!).  The San Marzano tomato sauce was balanced with a good mix of tanginess and sweetness.  Adding in a parmesan cream helped cut the tomatoness of the dish.  To my surprise, we found 8 meatballs!  Even though they were small, the meat was juicy and tender while completely flavourful.

For dessert, we had the ginormous Tiramisu Cake.  So when they say cake, they really meant it.  Instead of lady fingers, we found moist and not-too-sweet coffee soaked sponge layered with mascarpone cream.  It was purposefully sweet with mild coffee notes.  The cream wasn't too heavy where the cake was fairly light.  Overall, the Little Italy menu at Match is delicious and they mean business with legit ingredients.  Prices are reasonable and portions are healthy.

The Good:

- Well-executed dishes

- Reasonably-priced

- Well-portioned

The Bad:

- Possibly another option for appetizer and dessert?

Szechuan Delicious

Quite awhile ago, I had visited the original location of Szechuan Delicious out on #3 Road across from Richmond Centre.  I remember vividly the excellent Szechuan Boiled Fish and looked forward to having it again.  Well, I never made it back out there.  In fact, they have already relocated to the former Shanghai Morning spot right next to Claypot Hot Pot & BBQ.  Considering the high price of eating out these days, it was a complete shock to see rock-bottom prices on their menu.

Their Szechuan Boiled Fish was only $19.95 and the portion size was quite generous.  This was very good with tender slices of what I figured was ling cod in a mildly spicy oil broth.  There was a touch of smokiness accented by numbing heat of the Szechuan peppercorns.  As hot as the dried red chilis appeared, we all know they are not really that spicy.  Underneath, there was some bean sprouts, but really, this was mostly fish.

Another classic Szechuan dish is the Mouth-Watering Chicken.  Yes, that is a literal translation of the dish.  This was also quite good with tender pieces of chicken.  They used dark meat pieces with nicely gelatinized skin.  As for the mix of chili oil, black vinegar and soy, it was balanced where the spice was not overpowering where the rest of the flavours came through.  Of course there was some numbing from the peppercorns and nuttiness from the sesame seeds.

Another typical dish at any Szechuan restaurant is the Deep Fried Chicken with Dry Chili Peppers (aka Mala Chicken).  Again, do not assume this dish is super spicy due to the peppers.  There is a kick for sure, but the numbing of the peppercorns are more impactful than the dry chilis.  In this version, I found it a bit underseasoned, while the dish was a bit of earthy due to the cumin.  I found the pieces of chicken a bit dry as well (drier than usual).

We got a couple of noodle dishes starting with the Tan Tan Noodle.  So judging by the picture, this didn't look like much, but it ate a lot better than its appearance.  There was a good sauce-to-noodle ratio.  The noodle itself was al dente but soft enough to chew.  It was clumpy, but of course, after mixing it with the sauce, it was slippery.  As for the sauce, it was nutty and aromatic.  There was a medium spice level and it had enough savouriness accented by sweetness.

The other noodle dish was the Spicy Cold Noodle.  Naturally, this had a similar flavour profile to the mouth-watering chicken except we thought that there was more vinegar.  Hence, this was tangier and ate somewhat lighter due to this.  Again, there was a certain smoky chili oil background flavour to go with the savouriness and slight sweetness.  The noodles were cold enough and had a nice chew to them.

We decided to get some veggies for our last dish which was the Cabbage with Chili Peppers.  Yes, this was a humble dish, but done right.  The cabbage was cooked through, yet still had a nice crunch to it.  It was mildly seasoned where it wasn't too salty nor sweet, but some spice did come through.  Overall, the food at Szechuan Delicious is solid and shockingly low-priced.  Considering the food quality as well as the decent portion sizes, I would say this is a top choice for cheap eats in the city.

The Good:

- Decent eats

- Low prices

- Fair portion sizes

The Bad:

- Places is a bit run-down

- Note: cash only