ANA Business Class (YVR-HND & HND-YVR)

For our trip to Japan, I decided early on that it was time to do a little splurge.  Therefore, I booked ANA Airlines business class from YVR to HND.  Sure, the setup is the older business class seats on the Boeing 787, unlike their new "The Room"  in their Boeing 777s.  But really, I wasn't complaining as having a business class seat to and from Tokyo is a treat for sure.  So along with the ticket, access to the Maple Leaf Lounge was included.  Furthermore, like any other business class ticket, there is dedicated check-in and priority boarding.  2 checked-in bags were included as was a carry-on.  At first, this was a total splurge, but little did we know, it was necessary as Viv broke her leg 10 days into our trip.

The business class cabin is configured as a 1-2-1 setup with the "A" or "K" designations being right at the window with the side table facing the aisle.  If you prefer to sit with someone and have some conversation, the middle seats have a retractable divider.  Obviously, the best seats are by the window and those are booked up first.  However, on my return flight, we changed our seats to the middle since I needed to be nearby in case Viv needed help.

On our outbound flight from YVR, I chose the Japanese meal which included an Amuse Bouche consisting of Smoked Salmon Canapé and Marinated Three Kinds of Mushrooms.  Unfortunately, the crostini underneath the salmon was a bit soft, but it was still fine as I love smoked salmon.  As for the mushrooms, they were a bit tangy.  They were pleasant enough.  A nice start to my meal.

We moved onto a variety of plates including Zensai (Appetizers).  These included Crab with marinated spinach, Grilled Chicken, Smoked Salmon Broccolini Roll, Simmered Octopus, Prawn and Tamago.  Nothing particularly amiss with this as things were as expected.  Textures were on point.  Also on the platter, we had the Jellied Eggplant and the Simmered Chicken & Vegetables.

For the main course, we were served the Grilled Sablefish with saikyo miso.  This included steamed rice, pickles and miso soup.  Pretty solid platter of food where the use of sablefish was a smart choice.  Being a fatty fish, it heated up without much degradation.  Hence it was buttery and had the fermented saltiness of miso.  It was served with some mushrooms and surprisingly, not overly mushy veggies. 

For dessert, we had a choice and I went for the Mango Cake.  It was not bad with a soft sponge cake base, mango mousse and topped with a mango gelatin.  Not too sweet and a refreshing way to end the meal.  So I got a bit peckish between this and my next meal, so I got the Kaoru Fukuoka Tonkotsu-style Ramen.  Don't let the appearance fool you, this was plant-based with a sesame paste broth.  I thought it was fantastic being rich and creamy.  The salt content was on point and the noodles were still chewy.  Delicious!

I decided after that, I would try to get some sleep.  After I woke up, I chose the Sautéed Herb Chicken with mushroom risotto.  I liked the colour on the chicken and it was ultimately rather juicy and tender.  However, the risotto was mushy (forgivable since we were on a plane).  Flavours were impactful enough.  This came with some bread and butter as well as some fresh fruit.

Viv kept the Japanese theme going with the Salt-Grilled Sockeye Salmon with steamed rice and some veggies.  Being a leaner fish, the sockeye salmon was not as moist as the sablefish.  Yet, it was not dry either.  There was enough salt that it wasn't bland.  On the side, there was Simmered Winter Melon with minced chicken sauce.  She also got their famed Corn Soup on the side and wow, so sweet and natural corn tasting!  A must order!

The dessert available during lunch was some Mario's Gelato.  Nice! On our return flight, we both chose the International Meal that also started with an Amuse Bouche.  This was a mix of 2 interesting items with the Gizzard, Cheese and Olive being the most controversial.  I personally love gizzard and this was tender.  Not sure that everyone agrees with me.  The other thing was a Nut & Chili Pie Stick.  It was a bit spicy and of course nutty.  Was okay...

Onto the main dish, we were served a Beef Fillet Steak with chasseur sauce, onion cream, parmesan risotto and seasonal vegetables.  Unfortunately, the steak was fully-cooked which meant it was not juicy (but was still tender).  This was partially alleviated by the chasseur sauce.  It had a nice viscosity with bits of mushroom and shallots.  It was on the salty side, but better than being bland.  Understandably, the risotto was mushy as we were having it on a plane and it was reheated.

For dessert, I selected the Cheese and Pistachio Mousse.  Definitely a composed dish and I expected it to be considering it was curated from L'ecrin Ginza.  Beyond the clean presentation, the mousse itself was super light and creamy.  The pistachio portion was in the middle and it was aromatic and nutty.  Such a subtle dessert as the sweetness was reserved, but it didn't negatively impact the overall flavour.

Prior to landing at YVR, we were served one last meal and I selected the Greenland Halibut with soy-based sauce.  It came with a vinegared appie with octopus.  The fish was plenty soft and buttery while lightly-seasoned.  It came with tamago and lotus root.  Overall, I thought the food was quite good on both flights considering the price point.  Service was truly excellent in terms of attentiveness and professionalism.  The business class seats were the older style, but still comfortable and enough room even for my 6'1 frame.  When set to the lie-flat setting, I found the airflow to be insufficient and I was sweating.  No need for the blanket.  Washrooms were fine but not very big.  In the end, it was a good experience and I would do it again.  Hopefully, we will get the new business class cabins like the flights originating out of NYC in the future.

The Good:
- Excellent service, from the airport counter to the cabin crew
- Food isn't perfect, but pretty good
- ANA lounge is also good

The Bad:
- Older business class product, so needs an upgrade to compete
- Airflow isn't the best in lie-flat configuration, gets rather warm

Maple Leaf Lounge International Departures YVR

The last time I posted on a lounge at YVR, it was the Plaza Premium for US Departures.  Not mincing words, I would say it was sub-par.  But that was expected as the domestic and US-departure lounges are generally average at best.  This time around, I was heading to the Maple Leaf Lounge in the International Departures terminal at YVR.  Being in ANA business class, we were able to access the Maple Leaf Lounge since they are in the same Star Alliance as Air Canada.  It was conveniently located just past security and the entrance was inviting and open.

There was no wait and we were able to enter right away.  The space was fairly large with lots of views of the tarmac from the floor-to-ceiling windows.  There were a decent number of lounge seating near the windows as well as bar seating.  We ended up sitting away from the window as all of those spots were already occupied.  I must say there was a lack of space between the bar seats (at the right and left sides of the bar) and the divider.  Tight squeeze especially if someone has their luggage beside them.

The food selection was acceptable with some Spring Rolls, Onion Rings and Sauteed Veggies.  Right beside it, we found a small salad bar.  I though the spring rolls were fine being crispy with a good amount of veggies inside.  Onion rings were the typical frozen battered variety.  The sauteed veggies were actually quite good being firm and not overcooked.  Salad options were pretty typical, but everything looked fresh and replenished frequently.

The other section of the food selections featured a "made-to-order" BBQ Pork Bao and Roasted Cauliflower.  Naturally, this was a far cry from the actual made-to-order dishes at lounges in Asia, but hey, they do have that in the new Plaza Premium First Lounge (which I have yet to try).  I thought the bao was decent where the pork was tender and nicely marbled.  Didn't try the cauliflower though.  Adjacent to that, we found 3 chaffing trays with Korean Potatoes, Lemon Butter Sole and Rice.  The sole was not bad being soft and mildly seasoned.  Potatoes were crispy and sweet while the rice was fairly fluffy.

In addition to the actual bar, there was a selection of beers-on-tap that one could just pour for themselves.  Next to it was a soda pop machine with Coca-Cola products.  Adjacent to that was a Lavazza coffee machine.  Naturally, we found a selection of teas as well next to it.  Attached to the first buffet island, there was also congee and a Wild Mushroom Bisque.  I went for the bisque and although it was a bit salty, the mushroom flavour was there.

Inevitably, I must talk about the washrooms...  They were spotless and seemed to be attended to on a regular basis.  The lounge was about 75% full and the washrooms still looked like the pictures above.  No trash and pools of water anywhere.  As for the toilets, they were also clean and a great place to do your business before the flight.  Showers were available too and like most lounges, you need to check with the front desk for a waitlist.

To end this blog post and also ending our visit to the Maple Leaf Lounge, we had some dessert in the form of a variety of cookies.  These were pretty good with a crunchy exterior and a somewhat soft chewy interior.  They were rather sweet though.  On the topic of sweet, they had some classic Nanaimo Bars on the bottom tray too.  Representing something local!  Overall, the Maple Leaf Lounge was decent, but not particularly memorable.  It did the job and wasn't chaotic.  

The Good:
- Food area replenished quickly
- All the spaces I observed were clean and kept clean
- Generally enough seating

The Bad:
- Just a typical lounge

Hủ Tiếu Mom Vietnamese

Here were are with another new Vietnamese restaurant taking over a former one.  Pho Extreme Xe Lua on Broadway is no more and now we have Hủ Tiếu Mom Vietnamese.  If you know, the name refers to the dry noodle dish that you might know from Phnom Penh.  I should've guessed there was an incoming restaurant at this location because when I dined at Pho Extreme in the Summer, it looked like a bare-bones operation with half of the dining room open and the food was meh.  Well, we got to try this new place and yes, the dish of its namesake too.

Going for some basics, we had some appies in the form of the Chicken Salad Roll and Spring Roll.  These were pretty typical except the chicken salad roll had cilantro in it, which made it more flavourful.  I'm personally not a fan of cilantro, but I can see how this would really provide more herbaceousness.  Nice crunch with the veggies too.  As for the spring rolls, they were crispy and the filing was not mushy.  Pretty solid.

 

Continuing with another appie, we had the Fried Chicken Wings.  These were all flats (or "mid-wings").  As you can see, they were fried golden brown with a thin coating of starch/flour.  They were rather mild-tasting and could've used just a touch more marinade, but it didn't make or break the dish.  Inside, the meat was juicy and had a silky texture.  There was a bit of lettuce and pickled veggies on the plate as well.

 

Okay, we couldn't make a visit here without trying its namesake right?  Yes, we had the Hủ Tiếu in its dry noodle form (it can be had with soup too).  If you've ever been to Phnom Penh (the restaurant) before, you will recognize this.  Atop rice noodles (can be egg noodles too), we found liver, squid, shrimp and pork slices.  The whole thing was dressed in a sweet soy sauce.  Mixed together, this thing sang with sweet salty brininess, aromatic fried shallots and the meatiness of the liver.

 

Of course we had to get their soup version of Hủ Tiếu which was also called House Special Noodle Soup on the menu.  So we essentially got the same ingredients as the dry version except with the addition of quail's eggs in a hot broth.  About that broth, it was clear and clean with a background meatiness and a touch of brininess.  Nice balance of sweet and savoury.  Beyond the tender slices of lean pork, the liver was not overdone and hence, it was still springy.  Good texture on the prawns too.

 

We also got the Bún Bò Huế and it was more or less decent.  The broth had hits of lemongrass, but could've been somewhat stronger.  But the brininess was definitely there and it helped make the broth bolder.  There was some spice, but it was generally mild.  There was no absence of meat as you can see in the picture, however, there was no pork blood nor pork knuckle.  Not a necessity, since many restaurants do not have it either.

 

Moving onto some rice dishes, we had the Beef Rib with Rice as well as the Lemongrass Pork and Meatloaf with Rice.  Served atop broken rice (which was nicely texture being chewy and somewhat dry), there was ample meat on top.  However, the short ribs were sliced rather thin and hence it was more crispy than meaty.  The pork was really good being tender and well-marinated.  There was sufficient char on them too.  The pork meatloaf was a bit stiff, yet was meaty and full of umami.  Overall, the food at Hủ Tiếu Mom Vietnamese is competent presented in good portions at reasonable prices.  I like how they focus on Hủ Tiếu, which is not usually featured at most Vietnamese restaurants.

 

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

 

The Good:

- Large portions

- Reasonable prices

- A bit unique with its focus on Hủ Tiếu

 

The Bad:

- I thought the shortrib was sliced too thin

 

C|Prime Modern Italian Steak and Wine

Haven't been back to C|Prime in the Century Plaza Hotel for quite some time.  I remember when it was Roy's Steakhouse (that closed 20 years ago), that my parents would frequent back in the day.  Yep, they brought me along and I was that little kid who was getting his fill of steak.  I guess not much has changed as I still like my fill of steak!  Recently, I returned with Jackie to try out some dishes.

We started off with a showstopper in the Osso e Manzo (Bone Marrow Beef Tartare).  With filet mignon tartare on top, the huge bone marrow was really over-the-top.  It served its purpose though by being a serving vessel for the tender and buttery tartare.  Of course there was fatty bone marrow underneath all that, which only helped make the dish more sinful and buttery.  Soaked with butter, the side of toasted bread was the perfect crispy texture to compliment the bone marrow and tartare.  I do think the bone marrow and tartare did clash a bit and I'd rather have them separately.  Both were good though.

Next, we had the Risotto Nero which featured a grilled 1/2 lobster.  However, the thing that made this dish sing was the lobster bisque reduction.  Our senses of both smell and taste were blasted with the concentrated lobster essence.  It helped flavour the risotto completely and made us wanting our next spoonful of risotto.  Thick but evenly spread on the plate, the risotto was cooked right with chewy rice that exuded the beautiful colour of squid ink.

The main event was the Angus Reserve Bone-in Ribeye prepared medium-rare.  This was a bit closer to rare, which kept the meat moist, but possibly less tender.  With that being said, the steak was sufficiently tender and had good natural beef flavour.  It was served with a silky and gelatinous demi-glace which was flavourful with a pleasant saltiness and umami.  It was also properly rested as there was minimal juices on the plate.

On the side, we had two dishes including the Truffle Mac & Cheese as well as the Foraged Mushrooms.  Typically, I find mac & cheese at most steakhouses to be highly disappointing.  This one bucked the trend by being cheesy and properly sauced, so that it wasn't dry.  There was plenty of truffle flavour (with real black truffle too) and seasoning.  Toasted crumbs on top added a nice crunch while the noodles were not mushy.  As for the mushrooms, they were texturally on point while completely seasoned.  

For desert, we had the Tiramisu, which was presented in a showy manner.  Once the clear cylindrical container was removed, it revealed plenty of mascarpone cream.  This ate quite well with moist espresso-soaked lady fingers and sweet mascarpone.  Although this looked rather wet, it didn't eat as such.  Overall, this was a solid meal and there was some pizazz to go with it. 

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

The Good:

- Nice decor and atmosphere

- The items we had some flair

- Some really good dishes

The Bad:

- Steak was prepared properly but could've been a bit more tender

Milestones Coquitlam Test Kitchen

There was a time that Milestone's was the place to be.  For those who remember (or are that old), we couldn't get enough of those Thai Drumettes, Spinach & Artichoke Dip, Portobello Mushroom Chicken, Burger with curly fries and of course their Prime Rib.  Yes, they were the sh*t and were already onto the "elevated chain restaurant" path, even before Cactus Club and Joey Tomato's (now known as Joey) pivoted from casual eats to a bit higher-end.  However, somewhere down the road, they were passed by the aforementioned chains as well as Earl's.  Now they have totally remodelled their Coquitlam location and added "Test Kitchen" to their name.  As with most test kitchens, the menu consists of items that are not available at any other location.   They are "test" dishes to see if they work with the customers.  We decided to try the place out to see if good things were cooking at Milestone's these days.

We arrived in time for Happy Hour and got their 3 for $39.00 deal, where we could pick any 3 appetizers from the ones listed.  Our favourite was easily the Calamari.  It featured large strips of squid that were quite tender with just the slightest of chew.  On the outside, there was a crispy and well-seasoned batter.  We found 2 different sauces on the side.  I thought the preserved lemon aioli was the one that complimented the calamari the best.  It was tangy and creamy while allowing the squid to stand out.  The other sauce consisted of spiced andouille sausage & tomato ragu.  Nice tang and spice, but better on a meatball.

On the topic of meatballs, we also had the Moroccan Meatballs.  These were fairly large in size and slightly dense.  However, the meatball itself was moist and naturally meaty.  There was enough filler in there to keep things tender without compromising the natural beef texture.  Since these were advertised at Moroccan, the spices offered up earthiness with the cumin and classic fall flavours with cloves.  The accompanying spiced tomato and pepper sauce was tasty being tangy and sweet with a bit of heat.  However, we really could've done with much more of it.  There was also crispy focaccia on the side.

Our last appie was the Sweet Chili Chicken Bites with crispy wonton strips, cucumber, green onion and sesame seeds.  As expected, the flavour profile of this dish was rather defaultish due to the use of sweet chili sauce.  Nothing particularly wrong with the dish as the chunks of breast meat were not dry and the batter was still crispy despite the dousing of sauce.  The sauce was typical being thick like a glaze and having mostly sweetness with just a touch of heat.  I think the addition of wonton strips and fresh cucumber helped with the texture and also provide some freshness.

For good measure, we got the OMG Pepperoni Pizza and it was loaded with toppings.  There was so much cheese and pepperoni on it that the crust couldn't stand up to it.  So beyond the crispy edges, the middle of the pizza was really soft.  Definitely a fork and knifer or if you so please, folded over.  This really tasted good though as the sauce was sufficient with an appealing sweet tanginess.  The amount of provolone and mozzarella made things stringy and cheesy.  Yes, the amount of pepperoni was generous which added salt and of course pepperiness.

Onto the mains, my daughter had the classic Portobello Mushroom Chicken.  It has changed a bit in terms of overall presentation and execution, but it remains as one of their best dishes.  Instead of capellini, they use fettuccine now which is a better choice.  I found that the thin strands of the original pasta got soft quickly while the fettuccine here was al dente.  Employing a basil pesto cream sauce rather than the mushroom cream sauce is a solid evolution.  Still plenty creamy, but now with some brightness, it is plenty tasty.  Of course, we can't forget about the chicken, still tender and juicy.

My son went for the other original item in the 1989 Burger.  It was a substantial burger back then and it isn't any different now.  Thick, juicy and nicely charred, the burger patty was as good as I had remembered.  It was one of my go-to items at Milestone's and I'm glad they kept it around.  It had smoked bacon and cheddar on a soft sesame egg bun.  However, the one thing that did change was the omission of the curly fries.  I loved those and miss them!  My son opted for the sweet potato fries, and they were fairly crispy.

Viv had one of the test kitchen items in the Seafood Risotto.  Generally, I've had very few good risottos in my lifetime, so I wasn't expecting much from this one.  Alas, the rice was overdone, but as a dish, it was not bad. The risotto didn't spread on the plate well, but it was still creamy and flavourful.  It might have bordered on being salty, but no one could complain it was bland.  There was a wealth of seafood present including bay scallops and shrimp with a half lobster on top.  We also found caramelized onions and leeks which provided sweetness and some brightness.  But the most defining ingredient was the lobster tomato broth which made things taste like a lobster bisque.  Quite tasty.

For myself, I continued the seafood theme with the Lobster Frites.  Featuring 2 split whole lobster tails and a pile of fries, this was quite appealing at first glance.  The charred lobster tails were prepared perfectly with juicy and bouncy meat.  It was barely cooked through retaining much of the natural sweetness and aroma.  They were basted some roasted garlic & herb butter which was also well-salted.  I enjoyed the fries as well since they were uniformly crispy.  They came with the classic watercress dip.

My mom went for her standby being the Steak Frites.  We asked for medium-rare and it came out as such.  The steak was sufficiently tender with a decent char and proper seasoning.  We found the demi-glace rather salty as well and being maybe a bit too thick.  It did have plenty of flavour as a result which meant the steak was not lacking flavour.  As for the fries, they were exactly like the ones on my plate and hence, they were pretty good.  

For dessert, we shared 2 of them including the Colossal Chocolate Cake.  Bringing back quasi-memories of the one I had at Claim Jumper, this was 6 layers tall and plenty chocolatey. I found the cake itself to be moist and not particularly sweet.  In between, the chocolate ganache was flavourful and purposefully sweet.  I found it plenty rich, but not heavy.  This cake was good and although we were full, we dusted it off.  I think the restrained sweetness and rich dark chocolate flavour made this cake.  Would definitely eat this again.

The other dessert was the Pistachio & White Chocolate Crème Brûlée.  Although it looked big, the plate was pretty shallow.  That was actually a good thing as a crème brûlée shouldn't be deep.  Hence, there was just enough creamy and lightly sweet custard underneath.  It was a bit nutty, but not too strong with pistachio.  The sugar topping shattered beautifully and provided the sweetness for the dessert.  Overall, Milestones Test Kitchen is not bad.  Sure, there could be some improvements made with most of the dishes, but compared to say...  the defunct White Spot R&D, it is miles ahead.  Now hopefully they bring back the Thai Drumettes!

The Good:

- Ample portions

- Not bad

- Excellent service

The Bad:

- Salt levels are a bit high

- Not bad, but could use further refinement