Dhaliwal's Lounge

Yes, I've been to Dhaliwal's Lounge a few times now and I believe they offer some really solid Indian eats for a reasonable price.  Really like their interior decor as well, especially the entrance with all the flowers.  I've been invited back to highlight some of their lunch specials that are under $14.00 each.  I don't know about you, but to find a complete meal for that price these days is rarer than Taylor Swift tickets. In addition, we had a few other dishes too because they are just so tasty!

So about those lunch specials, we had both the Non-Veg and Veg Platters. For the Non-Veg ($13.95), there is a choice of appie: Chicken Tikka, Seekh Kebab or Samosa Parcel.  For this one we had the Chicken Tikka and it was juicy and well-marinated.  Good spice and earthiness.  For the Entree, there is a choice between Butter Chicken, Dhaba Chicken Curry, Goat Curry or Chicken Tikka Masala.  We chose the Goat Curry and it had some strong fall spice flavours combined with tender morsels of goat.  Each platter also includes Dal Makhni (which was plenty buttery and smooth), Garlic Naan, Naan, Tandoori Roti, Rice and Gulab Jamun.  Wait, it gets even better as you also get a choice of Masala Chai, Pop or Sweet/Salted Lassi.  These are available Monday to Sunday from 12:00pm - 4:00pm dine-in only.

For the Vegetarian Platter ($12.95), there are choices of appie including Paneer Arancini, Samosa Parcel or Vegetarian Pakora.  We chose the Paneer Arancini for this meal and they were crispy with soft crumbled paneer in the middle.  For the entree, the choices are: Rara Paneer Masala, Shahi Malai Kofta, Palak Paneer, Methi Paneer or Shahi Paneer.  We chose Shahi Paneer for this plate and it was creamy with mild spiciness.  It was loaded with squishy paneer.  Naan was solid being blistered an crispy on the outside and soft & chewy on the inside.

Since Jackie had never been to Dhaliwal's before, we ordered some dishes off the regular menu including the Non-Veg Appetizer Platter consisting of Chicken Tikka, Lamb Chops, Fish Pakora, Malai Chicken Tikka and Sheekh Kebab.  Pretty solid array of food here with the lamb chops being my favourite.  Tender and well-charred, these were marinated perfectly with a smoky nuttiness.  Fish pakora were crispy and flaky while the malai chicken was saucy and really soft.  Sheekh kebab were also juicy and fully spiced.

We had a few items from the Happy Hour menu including the Desi-Style Nachos with chicken, black beans, jalapenos, banana peppers, olives, bell peppers, green onions and cheese.  So really, this was a pretty typical plate of nachos except with some Indian-spiced chicken.  In this way, the nachos ate much less "wet" than some of the other Indian versions I've had (that usually sports butter chicken on it).  Therefore, the chips were crunchy and could be dipped into the side of sour cream and salsa without falling apart.

Staying with appetizers, we tried one of their new dishes in the Szechuan Prawns featuring tiger prawns dressed in a sweet and spicy sauce, white wine, ginger and garlic.  This was a pleasant dish where the prawns were perfectly cooked.  They had a meaty snap with plenty of natural sweet prawn aroma.  As for the sauce, it was definitely garlicky and gingery with hits of spice and also sweetness.  I liked how they weren't overdressed.

Another new item we tried was the Honey & Orange Chicken with fresh orange, soya sauce, ginger, garlic and green onions.  Unlike the usual versions of orange chicken out there, this didn't feature aggressively-fried chicken.  Rather, these pieces of chicken sported a rather light batter.  The chicken itself was tender.  I found the sauce to be fairly sweet with only small amounts of tanginess.  Definitely tasted the ginger though.

Onto some mains, we had the Chicken Korma, Butter Chicken and Chicken Biryani.  As usual, the curries were on point with the korma being creamy with a background nuttiness and earthiness.  Butter chicken was balanced in terms of creaminess and tanginess.  Lots of spice and the chicken was tender.  As for the biryani, it featured fragrant and chewy basmati rice that had taken on all the flavours of the earthy and fall-type spices.  Lots of depth and also sweetness and spice.

Onto the sweets, we had a trio of items including the Gajar Ka Halwa, Rabri & Faluda with ice cream and a Chocolate Lava Cake.  I've always enjoyed the sweet spiced carrots with pistachio in the gajar ka halwa and this one was good.  Just sweet enough and aromatic.  Creamy and sweet, the fabri & faluda of course sported the classic noodles.  Lastly, the most non-Indian dessert was the lava cake and it was moist and sweet with molten chocolate throughout, not just in the middle.  So another solid meal at Dhaliwal's where we got to sample their lunch specials.  Such good value.  But the rest of their menu is great too and also well-priced.

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

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Nice dining space

- Lunch specials are an incredible value

The Bad:

- Love their cocktails, but a few are very strong though (well, unless you like strong, then it is good)

Hello Nori (The Amazing Brentwood)

I've been waiting a very long time for this.  It seemed like Hello Nori was never going to open their Brentwood location...  At first, we saw the signage go up and then it disappeared.  This was like 2 years ago.  My assumption was that they no longer were going to have a location in Burnaby.  As much as I love Hello Nori, I wasn't super enthused about driving into Downtown for my hand roll fix.  Lo and behold, the spot opened up all of a sudden!  I was both shocked and pleasantly-surprised.  Jackie and I went for a tasting a few days after their official opening.

In addition to their a la carte items, Hello Nori features 4, 5 and 6 roll set menus.  For those who haven't been, the hand rolls are constructed as you finish the last one, so it ensures the integrity of the crispy roasted seaweed as well as the warm rice and cold ingredients.  This combination results in a textural and temperature delight.  One must eat them immediately to experience optimal deliciousness.  But they aren't only hand rolls available.  They also have Sashimi that consists of Hamachi, Bluefin Tuna, King Salmon, Hokkaido Scallops, Tamago and diced sashimi.  It goes without saying that this looked beautiful with a nice sheen and vibrant colours.  It was also on point in terms of sweetness (quite impactful) and buttery texture.

Most people will go for the 6-hand roll set and it starts with the Toro (which is actually a Negitoro) with tuna belly and green onions.  I've always felt that their ingredient-to-rice ratio has been on point.  There is enough warm, seasoned chewy sushi rice to keep everything together while the amount of filling is substantial.  Hence, the hand rolls eat really well with this one sporting buttery soft tuna belly with fresh green onions.  Seasoning is spot on too with just enough to keep it from being plain.

Next hand roll is the Yellowtail (or Hamachi) that unsurprisingly is buttery and soft.  The natural sweetness of the fish comes through clearly.  The quality of the yellowtail is obvious with sweet hits of the sea accented by just a minimal amount of seasoning to enhance the natural flavours.  You can eat this without the aid of the soy on the side as well as the freshly-grated wasabi.  Yes, it is that naturally sweet that only a smattering of soy is necessary.

So one of the best hand rolls in the set is the Ora King Salmon.  I swear the salmon they use here is some of the sweetest natural-tasting fish around.  Not bad considering the price point.  If you've never had this type of fish before, you are truly missing out.  Beyond the taste, the fish itself is buttery soft and has a freshness about it (well as fresh as flash-frozen can get).  Once again, it is mildly-seasoned and does not need anything else really.

If having Ora King Salmon isn't a big enough treat, the hand roll with Hokkaido Scallop and tobiko is equally yummy.  The sweetness quotient of the scallops rivals that of the salmon where the conservative amount of mayo only helps accentuate the natural sweetness that already exists.  Already experiencing the sashimi itself, we know that this hand roll would be delicious.  Combine the buttery scallops with the mayo and crispy nori, this is even tastier.

Moving onto the last two hand rolls in the 6-roll set, we find the only two that feature cooked ingredients.  The first of which is the Snow Crab with delicate and fluffy crab that is mixed with just enough sweet mayo.  The contrast between the chewy and warm sushi rice with the soft snow crab creates a deluxe version of a California roll without the avocado.  Unlike the imitation crab in a Cali roll, this one here is so pure in sweetness and slight brininess.  Delicious.

Save the best for last right?  The 6th roll in the set is the Truffle Lobster.  They are not playing around here as the chunks of lobster are large and not the scraps.  It has the usual bouncy texture while being sweet and slightly briny.  With a bit of truffle mayo, this is so luxurious and expensive-tasting.  The truffle isn't overwhelming as it only compliments the natural flavours of the lobster.  Again, the warm rice and crisp nori makes this a textural delight.

There are a la carte items on the menu too including the Blue Fin Tuna hand roll.  Knowing that the slices of blue fin in the sashimi plate are already buttery and super sweet, it is only an expectation that it will be the same in the hand roll.  That it is and it is also the beneficiary of being marinated offering up the slightest in complimentary flavours.  To literally top it off, they freshly grind roasted sesame seeds to offer up some nuttiness.

Oh let's get even more bougie with the featured hand roll of the day with the A5 Wagyu and Hokkaido Uni!  Before they roll this up, the Wagyu is torched along with petrified Japanese oak to give it a unique smokiness.  Tack on a good amount of Hokkaido uni and you get the creaminess to go with the fatty meatiness.  Slight smoky notes come through too.  Since the Wagyu is so buttery soft, the roll can be eaten without fear of it sliding out.

Other than the handrolls and sashimi, there is also an option to add some Aburi Oshi in the form of salmon and ebi.  They are very much like the ones you will find at Miku/Minami and they eat as such.  The sushi rice is chewy and lightly seasoned with just enough mayo on top for moisture and flavour.  They do not feel greasy and are a nice addition to any hand-roll set.  All-in-all, Hello Nori is one of my go to spots in the city since they offer up fresh ingredients, on point execution and in my mind, reasonable pricing.  I'm so glad they opened up in my hood!

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

The Good:
- Fresh quality ingredients
- On point execution
- Their cocktails are pretty yummy too

The Bad:
- As with the other location, not a place where you sit for long (food comes out fast and it is bar seating)

Kosoo Korean BBQ

I remember visiting the original Kosoo in Downtown pre-pandemic where it was pretty tasty.  However, I've not returned there since.  It has been so long, that they have opened up 2 more locations (that sport unique menus different from one another) with a BBQ spot in Coquitlam.  Jackie and I were invited to try out the place that I believe used to be a hot pot restaurant.  They do have underground parking, but it is not free and beware, the online system is a bit messed up.  Best to park on the street!

To begin, we were served a selection of Banchan as well as the usual lettuce, peppers, garlic and bean paste for wrapping the BBQ meats. We found the usual items such as bean sprouts, stewed potatoes and kimchi, but also some rarely seen ones in the anchovy and sweet shredded squid.  Those were fantastic with appealingly chewy textures.  In addition, we had pickled daikon, seaweed salad, garlic stems, omelette, tofu skins and onion salad.

We tried 2 of their soups including the Soybean Jjigae and Sagol Haejangguk.  These came out bubbling hot and stayed as such even after our incessant picture-taking.  My favourite of the 2 was the sagol haejangguk as it had much more depth and spiciness.  It was loaded with tender chunks of beef brisket which also made things heartier and robust.  Hey, not that the soybean jjigae was bad though.  It was just milder with some fermented soybean flavour.  Still lots of soft tofu and meat.

Their Seafood Pancake was loaded with green onion (as you can see), but it was quite good due to the crispiness on both sides.  It was also rather thin, which made the middle of the pancake less doughy and wet.  It was almost like eating a crunchy crust from a pizza.  However, with the amount of seafood, there was the natural sweetness as well as the chewiness of the squid.  The green onion did its green onion thing, but it was less dominating due to the aggressive cook on the pancake.

As if a BBQ for 2 wasn't enough for us, we were served the Rose Chicken Galbi Platter.  Yep, this gives Sooda vibes for sure, but the platter was placed on top of a portable burner.  It worked, but it really wasn't that stable, so be careful when scooping the rice!  I think since we had the BBQ as well, they couldn't use the centre induction burner for this purpose.  About that rice, when combined with the cheese corn, egg roll and stir-fried chicken, it created a very hearty and cheesy concoction.  Definitely something to be shared with like 4 people, not 2.  

So for the Kosoo Combo C for 2, it not only included the banchan and pancake, it featured Beef Short Rib, Marinated Short Rib and Marinated Pork Galbi.  This was a very generous amount of premium well-marbled meats.  They cooked up aromatically and due to the fact, had a nice sear.  Meats were tender and so flavourful.  I particularly liked the short rib as it was pure and took on the sesame oil salt condiment well.  Wrapping it up in romaine with bean paste was pretty tasty too!

Last item in the combo was the Butter Mushrooms and yah, they were not playing around when they said butter.  These tender mushrooms soaked up all the butter and let me say they were sinfully tasty.  So overall, the food at Kosoo Korean BBQ was very good.  The meat quality as definitely there as well as the excellent selection of banchan.  I liked how there were some less seen options.  I liked how they also offered the rice platters, but when you are having BBQ at the same time, it comes atop a portable burner (not the best setup).  However, that is a small detail as the BBQ would be something I come back for.

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

The Good:

- Quality meats

- Nice selection of banchan, even some less seen options

- The rest of the non-BBQ dishes were solid too

The Bad:

- The attached parking lot is not free, but the real problem is the parking app doesn't confirm whether you paid or not, hence it will charge you multiple times if you keep trying

Wildlight Kitchen & Bar

I've been hearing good things about the newish Wildlight Kitchen & Bar but in reality, it has been a bit of a struggle to get out there.  It isn't exactly close to where I live.  In fact, I live much closer to SFU than to UBC.  Hence, it took a special occasion to make the special trip - my birthday!  I was super excited to try Chef Warren Chow's take on Westcoast cuisine employing local ingredients.  Just be aware, if you park underground, they are very strict with the 2 hour limit.  We got a ticket!

Onto the food, we started off big with the Wildlight Pescatarian Charcuterie Board.  This attractive-looking creation consisted of housemade salmon pastrami, beet cured ling cod, marinated Salt Spring Island mussels, smoked albacore tataki, cod rillette, pickled sea asparagus, warm olives, rye, poppadom and nori crackers.  This was unique due to the absence of red meat and also that this wasn't merely a spread of raw fish.  Loved the salmon pastrami as it was buttery soft with the peppery sweet and earthy notes of pastrami.  That rillette went well with the crunchy nori crackers and the ling cod had a beautiful purple hue.  Oh and it was nicely textured too.

Continuing on with more fish, we also had the Tuna Tartare with albacore tuna, spicy cucumber, avocado, ponzu & citrus vinaigrette, ikura, coriander and nori rice crackers.  This was pretty good too in terms of taste as the brightness of the vinagrette was there.  I would've liked more of it though.  The chunks of tuna and avocado were a bit too large as they slid off the crackers and it was hard to eat.  But really, there is an easy fix to that.

Easily, our favourite appie of the bunch was the Wildlight Chicken Wings with shishito, garlic, charred lime and nuoc cham caramel.  Being really large whole wings, the amount of meat was substantial.  Also, with a perfect deep fry, the exterior was crispy and rendered while the meat was super juicy.  To top it off, the flavours were fabulous with briny sweetness as well as balancing acidity from the lime.  I would eat these again and again.

As per usual, my daughter had her own personal appie in the Smoked Sablefish Chowder that also had surf clams, dungeness crab, scallops and double-smoked bacon drizzled with chive oil. Oh man, this was really delicious as the creaminess of the broth was definitely there without being heavy.  It was loaded with seafood with buttery and smoky sablefish and the aforementioned components.  All were cooked perfectly and the bacon really provided depth.

I was rather hungry so I opted for the Steak Frites featuring a hanger steak cooked to medium-rare (only way to do it with this cut!).  I found it sufficiently tender with a bit of chewiness while providing plenty of beefiness.  It was topped with a creamy peppercorn sauce that had a bite.  The mushrooms and kale added some vegetable to the mix as well as more flavours (including the bright chimichurri).  The side of truffle & pecorino fries were supremely crunchy and were further enhanced by the smoked onion mayo.

Viv had the Miso Koji Sablefish that was marinated in white miso and subsequently torched.  This not only lead to an amazing glazed appearance, it also caramelized the fish with a salty, smoky and sweet taste.  Also, the fish was super buttery.  Underneath, there was soba noodles, glazed baby bok choy and edamame in a dashi consomme.  The rest of the plate was mild-tasting and that worked well because of the delicate fish.

My daughter had the Seared Hokkaido Scallops with lobster & truffle risotto, preserved lemon, paprika oil and squid ink tuile.  In terms of execution, this plate was as perfect as it could get.  The risotto spread evenly and had an al dente texture.  Lots of aroma from the lobster stock as well as the woodsiness from the truffle oil.  Definitely a good call on the preserved lemon as it brought some concentrated brightness.  As you can see, the scallops were seared beautifully.  They were slightly rare in the middle.  Really good dish.

It was absolutely no surprise that my son went for The Wildlight Burger, but it was also the right call.  It was fantastic with a thick and juicy dry-aged Two Rivers patty.  The meat itself was nicely seasoned but the melted aged white cheddar certainly didn't hurt either.  Nice sharp nuttiness.  Add in some thick-cut bacon and fried onions, he thought that provided crunch and smoky saltiness.  To balance it off, the tomato jam gave a sweet tanginess.  Oh and the same smoked onion aioli from my dish afforded some depth of flavour.

Possibly the most pedestrian of all our dishes was the Seafood Fettuccine in a tomato dill sauce (could be had with white wine cream as well).  The sauce was tangy and dill forward, but things were a bit clumpy.  I found the pasta to be a bit too al dente.  But there was a plethora of perfectly-prepared seafood including  smoked salmon, littleneck clams, prawns and Salt Spring Island mussels with shishito peppers, cherry tomatoes and Grana Padano.

My mom decided on the Aged Fraser Valley Duck Breast with confit leg croquette, carrot puree, dijon spaetzle, orange marmalade glazed vegetables, pickled chanterelles and duck jus.  Being cooked to medium, the duck breast was still moist and tender.  Skin was fairly well-rendered but was not that crispy.  Loved the buttery and seared spaetzle underneath as well as the sweet just cooked-through veggies.  The duck jus was gelatinous and was packed with umaminess.  The little croquette featured moist duck confit while coated with a crispy coating.

For dessert, we shared a Lemon Tart and a Pink Guava Cheesecake.  We only got 2 desserts since we had a Trafiq cake waiting at home!  But these 2 desserts were rather impressive as the tart was on point.  The tart shell was buttery and firm, shattering when we dug in.  The lemon curd was appealingly tangy and just sweet enough.  However, we were more impressed with the guava cheesecake as it had all of the sweet aromatics associated with guava.  It was also super smooth and light akin to a Jello cheesecake, but of course infinitely better.  The deconstructed nature of the dessert made for better presentation as well as letting us enjoy the toasted almond crumble by itself.  It was nutty and not too sweet while not encased in butter.  Overall, we quite enjoyed our meal at Wildlight.  The food was well-prepared and delicious.  Service was also solid and we enjoyed the dining space.

The Good:

- Well-prepared food

- Excellent service

- Nice dining space

The Bad:

- 2-hours free parking may not be enough for some people

- Location is a bit far for most people

ChiuChow Seafood Restaurant

"Oh another Chinese restaurant", is a phrase I hear often when we see "another Chinese restaurant" open up in the GVRD.  Well, the people who say and think this aren't completely wrong because there are indeed an overwhelming amount of Chinese restaurants.  However, if we dive deeper into what "type" of Chinese restaurant it is, then it becomes a bit more clear.  So where Regal Mansion used to stand, it has now been replaced by ChiuChow Seafood Restaurant.  For those who aren't familiar, Chiu Chow is a specific cuisine in China.  It is famous for using a braising broth that gets replenished but never replaced.  They braise many different items in this broth including the most popular - Chiu Chow Duck.

We were here to try that dish as well as many others.  So we went ahead and ordered Chiu Chow Marinated Meat Platter consisting of pork belly, pig's ear, pig intestine, fried tofu and egg.  As you can see, this didn't include the duck.  I really think they should have an option on the menu that includes the duck (just charge more).  Anyways, there wasn't anything inherently bad about this dish, but I found the braising stock to be a little light in flavour.  Sure, I got the usual soy, sugar and some elements of shaoxing wine, yet the spices didn't come through as much as I would've liked.  Still, the components of the dish were texturally on point though and I did appreciate the egg wasn't overdone.

Instead of duck, we ended up with the Marinated Goose atop more marinated deep-fried tofu.  Again, I would say this was "alright".  The goose was a bit on the dry side, but still sufficiently tender.  Loved the buttery soft tofu on the bottom.  However, the goose itself was flavoured like the previous dish (predictably).  Hence, it tasted okay, but hardly anything to rave about.  At least we could dunk it into the white vinegar and garlic on the side for more impact.

 

At least the marinated meats and tofu were decent, the Stir-Fried Beef & Gai Lan was not very good.  The major issue was that the gai lan was completely overcooked.  It was soft and lifeless without its signature crunch and vibrancy.  On the bright side, the beef was tenderized enough, yet at the same time, was in little bits rather than big slices.  As much as there was plenty of satay sauce, it wasn't particularly flavourful.

 

Now the absolute worst dish of the bunch as the Steamed Flathead Mullet with Salted Lemon.  Sure, we knew this was not a fresh fish and also that mullets are usually firmer in texture.  However, this fish was so tough, we couldn't chew it.  My daughter took one bite and refused to eat anymore.  I took one bite and refused to eat anymore!  It also was very fishy-tasting and the preserved lemon didn't help even though it was good on its own.  The only good thing about the dish was the milt on the side.  Interestingly, one of the managers saw that the fish was barely eaten proceeded to clear off the table and didn't even ask us why.  Oh well...

Let's get into the good news about the meal with the Roasted Chicken with Glutinous Rice (1/2 portion).  This was excellent with crispy, well-rendered fried skin.  Underneath, the chicken meat was juicy and tender.  On the very bottom layer, the glutinous rice was soft, yet still appealingly chewy.  The seasoning on this dish was on point and it didn't even require the accompanying sauce on the side.

Another solid dish was the Pork Ribs in Chiu Chow Plum Sauce.  On looks alone, this looked super delicious.  Well, it really was delicious as the sauce was tangy and sweet.  Not only was the plum flavour prominent, the use of black vinegar added even more impact.  Also, there was just enough sauce to coat each piece, so the dish wasn't too goopy.  Finally, the ribs were fried beautifully with a uniformly crispy exterior while the meat was tender with a bouncy chew.

Last dish was the Pan-Fried Scallop & Salted Duck Yolk Prawns.  This was a fairly on point dish featuring stir-fried snap peas, celery and carrots that were crunchy, yet cooked through.  Seasoning on that was balanced and flavourful.  The ample amount of scallops were buttery soft while the prawns were fried perfectly and coated with an aromatic and nutty duck yolk sauce.  So overall, this was quite the hit and miss meal.  Yet at the same time, considering the price point and class of restaurant, we were expecting a bit more.  It is sad though since we don't have a lot of options for Chiu Chow cuisine here in Vancouver.

The Good:

- When a dish was good, it was really good

- Service was decent

- Nice dining space

The Bad:

- When the dish was bad, it was really bad

- Service was decent, but the manager did not care if we didn't even touch the fish (and didn't pack it to go)

Nadri Korean Cuisine & Fried Chicken

It has been quite some time since I last visited Nadri tucked away near the Hannam Market on the Burnaby side of North Road.  It is technically a food stall in a very quiet food court, but in reality, it is a restaurant because there is plenty of seating and also there is full-service.  Whatever the case, they really do dish up excellent Korean eats in big portions while doing it for very reasonable prices.  A truly hidden gem that is both a gem and actually hidden!  You might miss it on your first try finding it!

Well, I knew where it was and met up with 3 other foodies for a tasting (Jess, Eileen and Joyce).  Of course we had to start with their well-known house-made Half & Half Dumplings (Pork and Kimchi).  As you can clearly see, the dumpling skin was thin with some translucency.  There was elasticity to the dough, but the dumplings did get stuck to the silicon mat though.  For me, I loved both dumplings, but the kimchi stood out due to the slight spice and tanginess.

Staying with the classics, we also had the Half & Half KFC featuring Snowing and Sweet & Spicy Korean fried chicken.  Unlike the last time I was here, the chicken was boneless.  The picture doesn't do the portion size justice as it was massive!  Loved the crispy batter that was definitely there without being too heavy.  The chicken itself was succulent.  There was no shortage of seasoning as the snowing was completely coated with powdered cheese.  I found the sweet and spicy to be nicely balanced and not too sweet.

If we thought the KFC was a large portion, the Pork Tangsuyook overwhelmed us with a mountain of perfectly fried meat.  The lean pork was still juicy and was coated with starch that was crispy with some appealingly glutinous parts.  Of course the tangsuyook wouldn't be complete without the sweet & sour sauce right?  Well, it was served on the side, as usual, to maintain the crispy integrity of the pork.  The sauce was excellent with the right viscosity (so it adhered to each piece) and being tangy forward with balancing sweetness.

Typically, Jajangmyeon features noodles topped with a black bean onion sauce where you would need to mix the dish yourself.  However, we were served a stir-fried version in the House Special Black Bean Noodles.  There are a few differences other than being pre-mixed.  There was quite the amount seafood added to the mix while I found there was a bit of spice.  Furthermore, this portion size was pretty large.  In the end, this was delicious where the noodles were chewy and the sauce was flavourful being sweet and briny with some spice.

Staying a bit on the same flavour profile, we had the Seafood Fried Rice that sported a considerable amount of black bean sauce on the side.  Hence, we got the same vibes as the last dish except with fried rice.  About that rice, it was moist, yet still dry at the same time.  Good wok fry that made things aromatic.  Lots of seafood hidden within and when mixed with the black bean sauce, we got plenty of moisture, sweetness from the onions and overall savouriness.

Lastly, we had the Galbi Champong Noodles featuring their Instafamous big beef bones (can find this at Kang's too!).  Noodles in this were plentiful and chewy while the spicy seafood broth was briny with a bite.  But really, it was all about the fall-off-the-bone beef that was rich and tender.  Good compliment to the soup and noodles.  As you can see, the food looks fantastic at Nadri.  Yes it also tastes good with all the right textures and flavours.  To top it off, the portions are large and the prices are not expensive.  

*All food was complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Delicious
- Inexpensive
- Large portions

The Bad:
- Not the sexiest of places, but you come for the food right?
- A bit hard to find