Los Compadres

Much like Kim (I'm Only Here for the Food!), I'm a bit indifferent towards Mexican food. Let me rephrase that, I'm indifferent towards the Mexican cuisine that we are exposed to in the GVRD. Maybe it's the aftermath of eating beans and onions that clouds my judgment. But, let's just not go there... Naturally, we are not getting the full picture of Mexican cuisine, especially since the Mexican population here is quite small. One of these days, I need to eat real Mexican food in Mexico itself. Yes, that will be a REAL food adventure! Also, Rick Bayless' take on Mexican food intrigues me as well; but that would mean I'd need to visit Chicago and shell out some $$$.

Essentially, there is a total lack of real Mexican food around in the GVRD. Dona Cata is an authentic place and I find their food to be quite good, despite my indifference. Much like how Manchu Wok is to Chinese food, "Taco Hell" and "Taco No-Time" is to Mexican food. After you eat there, you really must run for the border or washroom. While driving down Hastings the other day, I noticed the Anton's lineup (which I still cannot understand). A restaurant 3 stores down caught my eye. It was a Mexican restaurant that had just opened up. I didn't catch the name; but it had the dishes we most associated with Mexican food listed on the awning. Well, why not, lemme try this place, it's a bit different than my wonton noodle adventures of late.

The place was quite casual and at first glance, I didn't know whether I should go up to the counter to order or have a seat. Eventually, we were seated by a really nice gentleman who I figured must be the owner. We decided to share 2 Beef Soft Tacos to start. I decided to go for a Torta Sandwich and Viv went for the Chicken Quesadilla. The tacos did have a lot of toppings; but the beef was quite dry. Despite the oiliness of the ones at Dona Cata, they were much better. Apparently, they ran out of the big torta buns; but I was offered 2 smaller sandwiches for the same price. That seemed like a very fair offer, so I got one pork and one chicken. I preferred the pork torta since the meat was quite tender and the sauce was flavourful. It was mostly sweet with very little heat. The chicken torta was decent; but the flavours seemed very familiar to me. What I mean by that is the flavours were pretty standard, such as tomato, cheese and refried beans. The quesadilla was a bit bland; but the supplied Pico de Gallo gave it some flavour, otherwise it was forgettable.

Once again, I went away from a Mexican meal longing for more. Is it that I just don't find the food all that interesting (especially the selection we have here)? Other than Dona Cata, I've never actually been all that excited about Mexican food. With that being said, Los Compadres was not bad and if you are in the mood for Mexican, it's worth a visit.

The Good:
- Friendly service
- Inexpensive
- Food was decent

The Bad:
- Nothing ground-breaking, just your standard North American Mexican fare

Mr. Pickwick's

Alright, after 2 tries with no success, you'd think I would give up trying to eat at Mr. Pickwick's right? You don't know me very well do you? Even after suffering through some pretty bad fried chicken at Chicken World, I returned to the shopping plaza at 96th and 128th for some Fish n Chips. Alas! Mr. Pickwick's was indeed open today! With such anticipation and expectations, this was probably doomed for failure. However, the other 2 locations in Vancouver are generally rated quite highly and reviews have been positive. I parked my car (facing Chicken World...) and made my way into the restaurant. Adorned with nautical art and artifacts, the restaurant tries to look like a typical fish n chip joint; but I didn't come for the decor. As an added bonus, the very fish n chips I wanted to try was offered as a lunch special for $6.95.

Pretty good price for a 2 piece fish n chip meal. Since the type of fish was not in the title or description, I could only guess what it was. I decided to add some Clam Chowder and Popcorn Shrimp to try out. I got the clam chowder first and boy was it watery for a chowder! They should have called it Cream of Clam. Actually, it wasn't even creamy enough to be called cream. In addition, there wasn't much in the way of ingredients as well. Taste wise, it lacked the richness often associated with a New England type chowder. I did not detect much bacon or clam flavour. This was a disappointing way to start my meal. The only good thing about the chowder was the dried parsley flakes, only because they added colour to the picture. The popcorn shrimp was alright. It was your typical breaded shrimp served with cocktail sauce. Not horrible; but nothing special. I did think that the cocktail sauce needed more horseradish. Now for the main event, the fish n chips. The one I have been attempting to try for the last 3 weeks to no avail. It surely looked impressive when it arrived with 2 large pieces atop fresh cut chips.

Unfortunately, there was more batter than fish. The batter was so thick, I had to discard more than half of it. I just couldn't eat it! It was more doughy than crispy. Honestly, it was truly disappointing. The fish n chips at Ocean Ave and the Dock House are infinitely better than the one I had here. Even the chips were not very crispy. I found the odd crunchy one; but most were just soft. I did like the tartar sauce though. I feel a bit bad for being so harsh on the food since the service was very good. The couple who run the place are ever-so-friendly and kind; however, the food wasn't very good. The bottom line is that I didn't like the fish and chips despite the nice people who run it.

The Good:
- It's inexpensive, especially the lunch special
- Very nice couple that run the place

The Bad:
- They close randomly from time-to-time
- The batter was thicker than paper mache
- Clam Chowder was thin and bland

Penny Restaurant

Another Wednesday, another session of late night hockey. That also means an early morning snack. Yes, I'll gladly give up sleep for some eats. Since we already went to On Lok last time, Polka King and I decided to give Penny Restaurant a go. In fact, it's only a store down from On Lok. Funny thing is that I've driven by Penny so many times and have never eaten there. Much like On Lok, it's been here for what it seems like forever. Furthermore, it has the same type of ambiance and decor as well. If you like how Chinese restaurants looked like in the 70's and 80's, then this is the right ambiance for you.

Similar to last time, I ordered a Wonton & Sui Gow Noodles and congee. Not really in the offal mood, I went for the ever popular Preserved Duck Egg and Salted Pork Congee. Right off the bat, I have to say the wonton noodles here are not very good. First, the wontons and sui gow were practically all pork. I do understand that some people prefer no shrimp in their dumplings; but I am not one of them. In addition, I found that they were quite bland as well. The noodles were alright; but not al dente. At least the wonton broth was not bad. The congee was lacking in both ingredients and thickness. After a few spoonfuls, the congee became a bit watery. I also need to add salt since it was really quite bland.

Polka King didn't do well with the sui gows last time at On Lok. I seemed to have come through unscathed. Therefore, he opted for one of his favourite dish, Beef with Fried Rice Noodles (Gon Chow Ngow Hor). It was a decent portion for the price; yet it was quite oily and the noodles were overdone. When you overcook flat rice noodles it becomes quite mushy. On the other hand, the dish itself was decently seasoned. It appears the food (at least the things we tried) at Penny does not measure up to On Lok or any other decent wonton noodle restaurant. It wasn't horrible; but there are indeed better options nearby. This is also taking consideration of it's late closing time as well.

The Good:
- Open late
- It's cheap
- Portions ain't bad

The Bad:
- Food is not as good as the immediate competition
- Congee and wontons need more flavour
- It's a dive

Triple O's

How did I end up at Triple O's today you might ask (or maybe not)? Well, I was in another grease mood today and intended to go to Mr. Pickwick's. Yes, the very same place I tried to visit last week and sadly ended up at Chicken World. It was closed again today! Argh... So I tried to visit another place I had in mind - Tony's Pizza & Pasta. It was empty when I arrived and no one came out to acknowledge I was there for 5 minutes. I gave up and tried to go to Fiji's Exotic Cuisine which was... you guessed it, closed (even though it should be open)! For goodness sake, how hard is it to find a place to eat! Now with very little time left, I settled for Triple O's. Honestly, it's not such a bad consolation to eat here. After all, I love White Spot burgers even though they are not very big, the meat isn't that juicy and there is enough mayo to make a batch of potato salad. For those who didn't grow up on White Spot, I can see indifference about the food. In fact, my friend who works at White Spot says that tourists who dine there are confused at the portion sizes and the food in general. Again, you need to know about it to get it. Just look at the hugely successful Triple O's location in Asia.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, I went for the Original Burger Combo with Cheese. While I was waiting for my food, I thought that these Triple O's locations in Chevron gas stations are quite interesting. I guess it's convenient and probably a good rental agreement. Whatever the case, much like Harvey's, the location is weird; but the food is good. Again, it's not the biggest or juiciest burger out there; but it's got this "je ne se quois" quality about them. I especially like the soft hamburger bun. It makes it easy to eat and the copious amount of mayo helps the whole thing slide down into your stomach. The fries themselves are quite average, not being all that crispy. However, get a side of Triple O as a dip and they rock. For those who are wondering what Triple O sauce is all about, it is merely red relish with a creamy mayo.

While I was eating my lunch, I was staring right at a poster advertising the Sunny Start. It happens to be the breakfast sandwich that is uniquely White Spot. The sandwich itself is not that unique. It's essentially a fried egg, bacon, processed cheese and Triple O sauce in between a hamburger bun. But this simple sandwich definitely hits the "spot". I remember when I was younger, I could down 3 of these easily. Now, I can barely eat one without feeling a bit bloated. Nothing like a lot of grease to start your day! Triple O's is not somewhere I usually visit; yet it really satisfied my White Spot cravings without needing to go to the restaurant itself. As an added bonus, I filled my car with gas at the same time.

The Good:
- You can get some White Spot favourites quick
- If you grew up on it, it's a treat
- You can fill up your car and eat at the same time

The Bad:
- It's not cheap
- Not the best, but you have to understand it

Hachi Hana

Despite enjoying a nice meal at Koko a few days prior, we needed more quality Japanese food to erase the nightmare of a meal at Kawawa. I think it'll take me awhile before I recover psychologically from that meal. I wonder if there is such thing as a food shrink? Being that we were already on the North Shore, we headed up to upper Lonsdale in search of Hachi Hana. Interestingly, I already knew what the front of the restaurant already looked like since I looked it up on Google Street View. I must say this is a handy tool; yet creepy at the same time. I looked up some friends' houses and boy, I felt almost stalkerish. We got there at 11:45am and the door was open, so we strolled in. Apparently they were not open even though it said they opened at 11:30am. It seems that they changed their opening hour to 12:00pm. So instead of waiting in the pouring rain, we waited in the car. This sushi better be worth the wait and trouble!!! I was so tempted to go next door to the new location of Tamarind Hill and the other Japanese restaurant - Kokoro.

When we finally made it in there, I was surprised how small the place was. There is a table at the front that seats 2 people; but barely. The table we were at wasn't anymore spacious. It was tough to get into my seat since the table next to us was less only a foot away. However, I needed to sit there, it was the only one near the window! Looking over the menu, I noticed that the prices were quite reasonable, especially the bento boxes. Viv decided on the most expensive box which included green salad, tempura, dynamite roll, 4pcs nigiri and 4 pcs sashimi. I went for a Unagi Cone, Spicy Prawn Cone and 1/2 of a Futomaki. We got the requisite Chicken Udon for the kiddies.

Viv's bento box arrived first and the sashimi looked and tasted quite fresh. No mushy fish here. I actually removed the Dynamite Roll from the box to take a picture of it. I tried to take it in the box, but all I could see was rice and sesame seeds. Unacceptable! The roll was pretty good, rice was the right consistency being soft with whole grains while not being mushy. Despite what you see in the picture, the tempura was not not over-battered. It was crispy, hot and perfectly fried. We liked the addition of a green bean since we don't often get this.

My 2 sushi cones arrived next and they were filled with plenty of ingredients. First of all, they looked nice and secondly they tasted quite good. I found that the Spicy Dynamite Cone was really not all that hot; rather, it was more sweet than anything. It didn't detract from the cone itself; but if you were looking for spicy, this is not it. The Unagi Cone was stuffed full of unagi, pickled ginger and crunchy cucumber. It was a nice contrast of textures and flavours, with the ginger giving a nice kick. I also got 1/2 of a Futomaki Roll and this one was rolled tightly and full of ingredients once again. I emphasize the "tightly" because if not done right, the thing falls apart since it's so large. As you can see in the picture, lots of imitation crab, tomago, oshinko, cucumbers and shiitake mushrooms. I liked that there was not too much rice in their rolls either.

The kiddies split a Chicken Udon and well, it was an udon. The soup base was quite flavourful; however, I found the udon a bit on the soft side. Actually the kids like it soft, so it all worked out. Another solid Japanese meal! How about that? My faith has now been restored! I think the
meals at Koko and Hachi Hana have exorcised the demons of Kawawa. The sun is shining again, the grass is green, birds are singing and people are driving safely in Richmond (okay, let's not get carried away here). Bottom line, the food was fresh and prepared properly. Prices were reasonable and the service was friendly. The place might be small and unassuming; but I'd eat here again.

The Good:
- Food is fresh and prepared properly
- Prices are reasonable
- Service is friendly

The Bad:
- Seating is a bit tight
- Not good for big groups

Beaver Tails

Fried dough, if you think about it, is not really all that interesting. However, it's what you put on that piece of dough that changes everything. Just look at the simple donut. Another is the fry bread or Bannock. Every time I visit the PNE, I go straight towards Whale Tails for this sinful treat. When I was younger, I remembered it at Elephant Ears. Whatever the name it goes by, it's darn good. Well, I didn't want to wait until next August for another fill. With my daughter and Viv at music class on the North Shore, I took my son over to Lonsdale Quay for some Beaver Tails.

As luck would have it, rain was absolutely pouring down on us as we walked over to the market. We were lucky to get a free spot right at the foot of Lonsdale; yet we were still drenched walking that short distance. Gotta love that North Shore weather! Once inside we headed over to Beaver Tails and I knew that the Garlic Butter & Cheese was the way to go. Not really because I wanted to eat that one, I knew that was the only one my son might eat. So the nice lady made a nice fresh fry bread and piled on a whole lot of cheese. She then placed it in the toaster over for it to melt.

So we made our way to a table and I started eating it. I gave a small piece to my son and he devoured it. Then he proceeded to tell me to stop eating it and to share it with him. Truth be told, he ended up eating over 2/3rds of it! Trust me, that is an accomplishment in itself for him. Only problem is that I can't really bring him for a Beaver Tails all the time. It was probably for the best anyways, I don't think it would be a good idea for me to eat too much of it all by myself. Now I gotta see if I can make some at home since I rarely see my son so enthused about any kind of food.

The Good:
- Man it's a tasty treat!
- They weren't shy about piling on the toppings
- They pat down the thing after frying (to make it slightly more healthy?)

The Bad:
- Heart attack food
- It's not a light snack

Koko Japanese

After a horrific "Japanese" meal (if I can even categorize it as Japanese) at Kawawa a couple of weeks ago, I was looking for some "real" Japanese food. It also happened to be my dad's birthday and honestly, I wasn't going to take him out for crappy Japanese food. Besides, he already told me specifically, "No all-you-can-eat!". It seems almost randomly, we decided on Koko. Actually, I spotted it from across the street while I was leaving On Lok on Thursday morning. Koko has been around for a really long time. In fact, it was one of the oldest Japanese restaurants in town. With seemingly an endless supply of Japanese restaurants, I never think of going here. I know my mom has been here a long time ago; but I'm not too certain I've even eaten there myself.

Although the sushi chef is Japanese, the rest of the staff are Chinese, since I overhead them speaking Cantonese. The importance of a good sushi chef is never more apparent if you have ever had crappy Japanese food before. You will know the difference between authentic vs. impostor. It's having properly cooked and mixed sushi rice, correctly rolled sushi (which won't fall apart) and perfectly cut sashimi. None of which I experienced at Kawawa (yes, I still have flashbacks). We started off with a green salad and it was spring mix with a nice light dressing. Nothing much to talk about other than we got some greens in the meal? I got a Gomae assuming it would be good and yes it was! Unlike some "Japanese" restaurants, the gomae here was not bathed in with a ridiculous amount of overly salty or sweet sesame dressing. Rather, it was lightly dressed while still being extremely flavourful. We could taste the aromatic flavours of sesame which is much better than plain saltiness. We followed that up with a small order of Ebi Tempura. As the picture shows, the tempura batter was quite crispy and not oily. It may not be apparent in the picture; but it was light as well. Something as simple as frying up tempura is not easily executed like you would think.

So that we could sample a nice selection of sashimi, we got the Assorted Platter. Beautifully present, the sashimi was both fresh and cut perfectly. The highlights of this dish were the wild salmon and geoduck. Although the portion size on this was not big; the quality made up for it in spades. I ask you, would you rather have quality or a large quantity of mushy, poorly cut fish? At least for me, I choose the former. My mom loves dynamite roll, so we naturally had to get an order of it. According to her, this was the best dynamite roll she's ever had. The ebi was so meaty, it had "lobster-like" qualities. It was rolled up nice and tightly. While we were enjoying it, we regretted not getting the larger version so we could eat more of it.

I'm not a huge fan of Fried Gyoza; but Viv seems to like it and that was one of the dishes she chose. I normally do not like it because it's not served that hot and crispy (especially at AYCE joints). Well, this one was not only hot and crispy, there was lots of them. A total of 10 were on the plate. I must've had 5 to myself and I don't even really like the stuff! I liked how they were not that greasy and the filling was not too dense. As always, I got a couple of pieces of Nigiri - 2pcs Tamago, 2pcs Tai, 2 pcs Unagi, 1pc Tako and 2 pcs Inari. Again, the sushi rice was the perfect texture between being fully cooked while still a bit firm. Everything was fresh tasting and presented beautifully. Except, I found the tamago a bit "rough" looking and a tad overcooked.

Something that we don't see a whole lot on Japanese menus (especially non-authentic joints) is Pressed Sushi. It is essentially sushi which is pressed into a block-shape mold and comes out as a long rectangular piece. We got the Ebi Pressed Sushi which had pickles in the middle. Since it has been pressed, the sushi itself is a bit denser than regular rolled-sushi. This was probably the least favourite of all the dishes we ordered. It was nothing against the pressed sushi per se; rather it was a bit plain. I gotta say that it's very nice to have a decent Japanese meal. One that is authentically prepared and presented. It's really sad that so many "Japanese" restaurants in the GVRD butcher the food so badly. Thank goodness these places still exist. Although the food wasn't outstanding, it was pretty good. In terms of value, I think that you'll find that it's a bit more expensive than most places and the portion sizes are a tad smaller. I'm not about to come here every week; but I will return when I experience the next "Japanese" food horror show.

The Good:
- Food that looks and taste like Japanese food
- Qualified sushi chef
- It's not Kawawa

The Bad:
- A tad pricey
- Portions are not very big