Wing’n it Express

As long as I can remember, I love munching on chicken wings.  Whether it be on game nights at a pub or just a late night gathering during my University days, wings were a go to option.  Fond memories of cheap wings at the King's Head or John B, and even AYCE wings at Malone's!  Since then, we have found restaurants specifically offering up wings as their main menu item in a dizzying array of flavours.  One of the newest is Wing'n It with 30 locations across Canada.  We recently visited Wing'n It Express out in White Rock along 152nd to try out their wares.

We ended up trying out several flavours of their wings including the Roger Victor Whiskey.  At first, I was a bit concerned with the amount of sauce on each wing, but my worries were for naught as the flavour was on point.  Lots of sweet BBQ tang and some taco seasoning while having a mild spicy finish.  The wings were large and meaty with moist meat inside.  Being fairly rendered, the skin was not flabby.   From that we moved onto the Kamikazee which were touted as the hottest flavour they offered.  I guess this depends on your tolerance for spice.  I thought they had a kick, but were hardly 5-alam.  However, for Roanna and Eileen, they went straight for the water.  For me, I enjoyed that they were not scorching hot because I like to taste my food and not have my tongue burnt off.

Next set of wings featured the International and the Double Ugly.  For the former, we found that the Mach 1 base seasoning was mild (as it should be) and slightly sweet.  The addition of parmesan provided both saltiness and nuttiness while the Italian seasoning definitely gave it some aromatics.  As for the latter, it was aggressively sauced with ranch, dill and honey garlic.  As expected, this ate rather sweet but also had nice dill flavour.

The last set included Angels and Jet Stream.  Beyond the spicy kamikazee, I liked the Angles the best with its combination of ranch dressing and a coating of mango chipotle.  It was creamy that helped bring down the slight sweet heat of the dry mix.  As for the Jet Stream, it was a combo of BBQ and ranch.  So essentially, you didn't need to dip these wings as they were already dressed.

For those who don't want to only dine on wings, they also have a selection of handhelds including the 3 Sisters Burger.  This had the potential of being a great burger - soft bun, lots of meat and cheese.  However, the patties were of the cutlet variety, hence there was a lack of meat texture.  On the other hand, the Original Philly Cheesesteak was fantastic as it has the beautiful beef texture that was tender and well-seasoned.  This was actually very good.

We also went with some sides such as the Dusted Fries with garlic parmesan (14 flavours to choose from!) and the Onion Rings (these can be dusted too if you want).  Fries were pretty good being crispy and plenty potatoey.  Loved the dusting as I didn't need to dip them into anything!  The thick battered onion rings were crunchy and featured plenty of tender onion.

Probably the most surprising item of the meal was the Funnel Fries with ice cream chocolate drizzle.  So rather than a messy and greasy funnel cake, we had crispy funnel fries that were sweet and delicious.  They were seriously addictive with a soft, almost eggy interior to compliment the crunchy exterior.  Dipping them into the ice cream gave it some Wendy's Frosty and Fries vibes and that is a good thing.

They also have a selection of Milkshakes and we got the strawberry.  It was creamy and just thick enough, so that we could drink it through a straw easily.  We did find it sweet, but it wasn't crazy sweet, so that was good.  Our last item was the Ice Cream Sandwich that partial proceeds go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  It was pretty solid with 2 chewy and soft chocolate chip cookies with hard ice cream in the middle.  As the restaurant name suggests, the real draw here is the wings.  I thought the flavours we tried were impactful while the wings were large and juicy.  Sides were pretty good too.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post*

The Good:
- Meaty and moist wings
- Lots of impactful flavours
- Funnel fries!

The Bad:
- Maybe a bit too much sauce for some people
- Burger cutlet patty should be swapped out for a meatier version

 

Hula Poke (Yaletown)

With all of the Poke options these days, it is hard to differentiate between them.  Let's be honest here, most of them are not "authentic poke" anyways.  However, I'm not poke snob and am always open to interesting takes on how it is prepared.  One of the more creative spots is Hula Poke, with its many locations in town.  They offer up not only international flavours and ingredients, there are also hot options that are not necessarily poke at all.

One of which is Grilled Salmon Bowl atop coconut rice base, edamame, carrot, green onion, red peppers, sesame seeds and microgreens.  We got this in garlic sesame rather than the spicy miso option.  Due to the glaze, the salmon itself already had a sweet caramelized flavour.  It was fairly moist and flaky.  The coconut rice paired well with the salmon to create a tropical taste.  Add in all of the veggies on top, this felt like a complete meal that was healthy.

Even before we got to the fish, we had the Warm Chicken Bowl with grilled chicken, rice base, edamame, carrot, green onion, red peppers, sesame seeds and microgreens in spicy miso.  The fact it was warm rather than piping hot was key as the cold ingredients didn't start wilting.  The fresh crunch combined with the tender chicken provided a contrast in textures and temperature.  Also, the spicy miso provided the kick of flavour to an otherwise collection of mild ingredients.

Onto the poke, but with sweet potato rather than a protein, we added it to the Bahamian with coconut rice.  Believe it or not, I really enjoyed this despite the absence of fish or meat.  Exhibiting robustness, the sweet potato paired well with the tropical flavours of the coconut and pineapple.  Naturally, the coconut rice was aromatic and had a nice bite, so it also did well with the ingredients.  Due to that mix, this bowl ate on the sweeter side.

Staying in the Americas, we went for the Peruvian with salmon, tuna and all kale.  So this was more a poke salad with Peruvian marinade, ponzu dressing, edamame, green onion, red chili, avocado, sesame seeds, crispy onions, cilantro and kale.  This ate very bright due to the citrus flavours.  There was also a mild spice to it while the crunch from onions provided texture.  Due to the cilantro, a certain herbaceousness was maintained in each bite.

Honestly, the Thai with chicken and kelp noodles was not really a "poke bowl", but it was delicious nonetheless.  It had coconut Thai green curry, pineapple, carrot, red pepper, cilantro, green chilies, sesame seeds, pickled red onions, ponzu and kale. With the combination of ingredients, there was tropical taste to it with spice, creaminess, sweetness and acidity.  I thought the chicken went well while the kelp noodles were chewy and firm.

We moved onto some Korean flavours next with the Koko featuring spicy gochujang, carrot, white onion, avocado, cucumber, kimchi, furikake, sesame seeds, cilantro, miso ginger vinaigrette and kale.  We decided to get this with tofu and that paired well with the spiciness.  We chose traditional sushi rice for this bowl and it was hearty and chewy, standing up to the strong flavours. Loved the ginger notes which helped give a bit of a sharpness to compliment the sweet spice.

Lastly, we had the trusty ol' Yuzu with ginger sesame dressing, avocado, cucumber, edamame, carrot, furikake, sesame seeds, crispy onion and kale with sushi rice.  This was the most "usual"-tasting bowl and especially with salmon and tuna, it ate like one too.  Sure, there were other things in the mix that added texture and flavour but this was your classic sweet and tangy concoction with raw fish and chewy rice.  So this was another great visit to Hula Poke.  I feel they have actually improved over time.  Lots of flavours and ingredients to choose from that can satisfy a variety of tastes.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Many different flavours that are unique

- More than just typical poke

- A variety of proteins and vegetarian options

The Bad:

- Can upset the authentic poke crowd

- Parking can be tough to find

Miso Taco

With a name like Miso Taco, one would get the idea the place was some fusion between Japanese and Mexican.  Well, you would be completely right to assume that because the menu features a large section of tacos that have elements of Asian-inspiration.  Located in the old location of the Dark Side/The Union, it sports a fairly spacious industrial-looking dining space.  Love that they included a Street Fighter arcade game for us to practice our upper-cut skills.  We were invited to try out the food here and I can say that it was very interesting.

We started out strong with my favourite dish, the Sizzling Cheese & Sautéed Mushrooms (with Teriyaki Beef added).  This ooey gooey concoction was so cheesy and savoury that it ate well by itself.  But like the Jack-in-the-Box commercial, "your hands would be covered with meat & cheese!".  Hence, the side of grilled tortillas were the perfect vessel to pick up the tender salty sweet nuggets of beef and the stringy cheese.  Delicious.

So another full-on dish was the Kimchi Fries with refried beans, shredded cheese, kimchi, red onions and cilantro.  We added chicken karaage for good measure.  As you can clearly see, this dish needed to be shared because it would be much even for 2 people.  Due to the amount of ingredients on top, the fries were not really all that crispy anymore.  However, we considered it a quasi-poutine where the fries only served as a blank canvas for all of the other ingredients to flavour.  That it did with spice, tang and sharpness.  Large and fried perfectly, the chicken was tender and juicy.  A choice of dip was offered as part of this dish and I will discuss that later in the post.

The one dish that may need some retooling is the Tempura Enoki.  We thought it sounded good but alas, the fact that enoki mushrooms are so delicate with thin stems meant that frying them wouldn't work.  So despite the tempura batter being crispy and really appealing, the mushroom part of the equation really didn't exist.  Maybe using more robust mushrooms would be better?  Like Shimeji?  Due to the lack of mushroom, this dish also ate very greasy since it was all batter.

So onto the sauces I was talking about earlier...  From top left and clockwise, we had the Diego's Salsa, Macho Chili Oil, Green, Chunky Green Salsa, Avocado Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Smoked Pepper Salsa.  My favourite by far was the chili oil as it had a real kick with a rich smokiness.  As much as this was spicy, it wasn't painful either.  The smoked pepper was also very good due to the fact it had depth and balanced spice.

We moved onto the namesake of this restaurant in the Miso Taco.  This featured deep fried cod with coleslaw, green onions, bonito, cilantro and miso dressing.  This was quite good with flaky fish with a light and crispy tempura batter.  I found the miso dressing to have a rich savouriness without being salty.  To amp this taco beyond its mild flavours, I decided to add some of the smoked salsa.  Added depth and spice.

Onto another seafood taco, we had the Ebi Fried Taco with shredded cabbage, pickled red onion, chopped cilantro and secret sauce.  That sauce was a bit creamy and had a ebi mayo sort of vibe to it. As mentioned, they work hard in incorporating Asian-influence to the Mexican-themed dishes.  This worked well since the shrimp were meaty with a snap while coated with a crispy batter.  The cabbage added some fresh crunch while the abundance of cilantro did its herbaceous thing.

Next, we had the Attako on Taco that featured greens, secret sauce, fried octopus, chamoy, bonito flakes & green onions.  Personally, I would've named this a Tako Taco, but whatever...  LOL...  Anyways, this had some elements of takoyaki with the tangy sauce as well as bonito and of course octopus.  Just like a takoyaki, the octopus was on the chewier side, but only a bit.  Greens worked here as it helped lighten things up.

Birria Tacos are all the rage these days and they had a version of it in the Birria-Dilla with 2 flour tortillas housing melted cheese, birria, onions and cilantro with the usual dipping sauce (braising liquid) on the side.  For all the birria tacos I've had, these had to have been one of the least fatty.  You see, they typically dip the tacos into the fat of the braising liquid and then proceed to seared them on the flattop.  These were not oil-soaked, which would anger some people, due to the lack of richness and umami, but for me, that was fine.  The meat in the middle was tender and flavourful while completely coated with cheese.

On the menu, the Pozole Udon sounded interesting with its combination of mushroom broth, pozole, egg, nori, radish, cilantro and green onion.  We added some birria as well.  As much as the udon was nicely prepared and the broth was clean, the bowl needed a bit more oomph.  It ate a bit too mild and dare I say, healthy.  Maybe this is what they were aiming for?  For us, a bit more salt would've done wonders.

Finally, for dessert, we had the Elote Cake as well as the Kinako Mochi & Churros.  These were fine sweets to end the meal.  The cake was moist and aromatic with a crisped exterior.  Loved the natural sweetness of the corn as well as the addition of strawberry quince yuzu compote brightened things up with a sweet tang.  As for the churros, they were crispy and light while the grilled mochi added a nice chew.  The kinako powder did its nutty thing much like Korean injeomi.  Overall, we thought the meal was definitely different with some real highlights.  The enoki mushrooms and udon could use some refinement, but the tacos, sizzling cheese and sauces were quite good.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post*

The Good:
- Nice vibe and there is street fighter!
- Some real highlights such as the sizzling cheese, tacos and sauces
- Okay pricing

The Bad:
- Some dishes may need to be rethought
- Parking is a bit hard to find sometimes

The Blarney Stone

 

Oh here is an ol' favourite, all the way back to my University days!  I remember the live music, but not really anything about the food.  Well, the food wasn't really the draw here, but more recently, they have began to focus on that by revamping the menu.  As such, we were invited to try some of those new dishes and to see for ourselves if The Blarney Stone can be known for its food in addition to its reputation in being a fun place for some beverages.

So of course we had a few pints of Guinness, but also something related in the Jameson-Glazed Wings.  These were really good with a delicious whiskey glaze which was not too boozy, but at the same time, we could taste it.  It was well-balanced due to the good amount of sweetness.  As for the wings, they were fried enough so that the skin was crispy and rendered.  Inside, the meat was juicy and tender.

I loved the play on words with the Shephard's Fries where the ingredients of a shepherd's pie topped the "potato" of the dish.  This was super addictive and paid homage to the classic poutine, but with a Guinness gravy, potted beef and legit cheese curds.  Loved the taste of the meat mixture as there was depth and plenty of savouriness.  Despite the wet ingredients, the fries were still crispy on the edges.

The fries were pretty solid, but the Irish Hand Pies were off the hook!  The beautifully browned puff pastry was crispy on the outside, but buttery and layered on the inside.  About the inside, the filling consisted of 63 Acres beef, peas, mashed potatoes and potted beef onion gravy.  So you can imagine a pot pie but in your hand!  The rich beef flavour was evident as well as the sweetness from the onions. 

The most-appealing-to-look-at-dish was the Crispy Fishwich Sliders.  The large piece of fried haddock was flaky and moist while the beer-batter was crunchy and airy. Adding in American cheese and tartar sauce, this had serious Filet-O-Fish vibes.  However, this was more interesting with a crunchy and tangy slaw on the bottom.  Furthermore, the bun was soft, but benefited from a nice toasting.

Our last appie was the Roast Beef Sliders with potted beef and horseradish mayo on the same toasted brioche bun.  There was some real au jus on the side for dipping.  So instead of packet jus, this was actual roast beef drippings.  Hence, there was plenty of meatiness and less saltiness.  The shredded roast beef was fairly tender and had plenty of meat texture.  Loved the horseradish cream as it had just enough bite.

Onto the mains, we had the classic Bangers & Mash featuring Spolombo sausages, roasted root veggies, mashed potato and Guinness & onion gravy.  As simple as this dish appeared, it was actually very delicious.  First off, the sausages had a nice sear on the outside while beyond the snap casing, the meat was lean and well-seasoned.  The mash was super smooth and that gravy was so rich and flavourful.  Lastly, the veggies were barely cooked through, retaining a fresh crunch.

Continuing on with the comfort food, we had the Irish Stew with slow-cooked lamb, potato, celery, carrot and onion.  This was a hearty and rich stew that was natural-tasting without too much salt.  It was still flavourful from the sweetness of the veggies as well as the unmistakable taste of lamb.  About that lamb, it was super tender and plentiful.  The side of garlic toast was so crunchy and buttery.

Lastly, we had the Cottage Pie with 63 Acres ground beef, mixed veggies, buttered mashed potatoes and house-made tomato gravy.  Oh this hit the spot!  The tomato gravy was rich and had a muted tanginess.  The meatiness of the mixture was evident while the creamy mashed potatoes enveloped the ground beef like a warm hug.  The comfort food here at The Blarney Stone was on point and very reasonably-priced.  I would come back in a heartbeat for the eats, brews and of course, the live music!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post*

The Good:
- Solid comfort food
- Reasonable pricing
- Still has that Blarney Stone vibe

The Bad:
- Parking isn't the easiest to find nearby
- Neighbourhood is a bit sketchy

Earl of Sandwich (Langley)

In Canada, we are left out in the cold when it comes to popular chain restaurants.  Sure, there is a Cheesecake Factory out in Ontario, but we are not usually privy to nice things (especially in B.C.).  We are still waiting for In-N-Out, which might take awhile since they have only made it up to Keizer, Oregon so far.  However, we have finally scored our first location of Earl of Sandwich in Langley, specifically out in Willoughby.  That's right, a fan favourite found in such places like Downtown Disney and Vegas, we now have one here!

I was given a sneak peak many weeks ago and came away impressed.  It is exactly like the ones in the US, partially due to the fact they source the ingredients from down South. Before we got to the sammies, we had a cup of Tomato Soup and a Caprese Salad.  Loved the soup as it was creamy enough that it took the edge off the tanginess.  It was nicely spiced and the croutons on top added crunch.  As much as I don't really like talking about salads, this one was pretty substantial due to the amount of cheese on top.

Off to the sandwiches, my personal favourite is the Holiday Turkey with a complete meal in a sandwich.  Yes, there was tender turkey, spiced stuffing, cranberry sauce and the delicious gravy.  Think Friends and the "Moistmaker".  The flavourful gravy soaked into the bread and things were just so saucy and pillowy soft.  I would've liked just a bit more cranberry sauce to give it a bit more sweet tang, but this was still exactly how I remembered it.

Another one that we tried (but I've never had before) was the Cuban featuring the usual ingredients including carnitas, ham, Swiss, pickles & Cuban mustard sauce.  So yeah, other than the bread, all of the components were there.  Hence it had great flavour and texture.  Was it like a Cuban I've had in Miami?  Well no, but for what it was worth, I enjoyed it.

I ended up paying for a few sammies to take home for the kiddos (since they love EOS too...).  I got the Italian since we've had it before and there was a good amount of meat in this one.  It consisted of salami, capicola, ham, pepperoni, mozzarella, Roma tomato, Italian seasoning & dressing.  Other than the spice and saltiness from the meats, we had zesty tang from the dressing.  This was plenty filling.

Staying with lots of meat, I also got the Canonballs! with meatballs, mozzarella, Italian seasoning & marinara sauce.  Moist and meaty, the meatballs were plentiful in this sandwich.  The soft bread enveloped all of the wet ingredients and kept things tight.  Lots of tanginess and melted cheesy goodness.  In addition to the seasoning within the meatballs, the Italian seasoning provided more oregano goodness.

For those who want to cut down on their carbs, there are wraps instead.  Personally, I love the soft bread, but the wraps are solid too.  This fully-loaded Cobb Wrap sported greens, grilled chicken, bacon, cheddar, Roma tomato, cucumber, cranberries and ranch dressing.  This was fresh and crunchy due to the greens and plenty saucy from the dressing.  Lots of chicken and bacon for meatiness and salt content.  So as you can see, the sammies look identical to the ones found in the states.  In fact, they taste the same in my opinion.  Therefore, it is nice to have the option of satisfying my Earl of Sandwich cravings nearby rather than heading South to get it.  Now let's hope we can get an In-N-Out here in the future!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Just like the stuff you find in the States
- No absence of filling
- That soft bread

The Bad:
- I don't find it particularly expensive, but hungrier appetites might need more than one sammie
- Parking in the complex is tough to find at times