Tim Horton's

Tim Horton's??? Yes, don't laugh. I'm pretty sure most of you have been to Tim's already; but for comparison purposes, I decided to combine all my previous visits into one post on it. Besides, it has an almost iconic status in Canada. Who hasn't heard of a "Double Double", "Tim Bits" or something with maple glaze all over it? It's actually something that we can associate with Canadian culture. Well, it actually merged with Wendy's in 1995. So much for Canadiana. Fortunately, due to corporate tax legislation, Tim's became a Canadian company again in 2009.

As mentioned, I've been to Tim's many, many times and finally decided to do a post about it. Let's call it my duty as a Canadian to represent. Now, representing is one thing; but to give an honest opinion is another. That's being Canadian isn't it??? Well, I'm gonna say it and I hope it doesn't anger too many people - I really don't prefer Tim's donuts. There I said it. I don't hate them; yet I don't find the texture that appealing. I much prefer donuts from Top Pot or locally, Harmony. I find that Tim's donuts are a bit dense for my liking. However, I do not mind their Tim Bits. It's probably because they are smaller and bite size. With that being said, I recently tried the Krispy Kreme donut holes and they're better.

In terms of the food, I'm a bit indifferent. Their sandwiches are merely passable. The reason? I find their bread incredibly dense and tough to chew. Every time I take a bit into a Tim's sandwich, more filling slips out of the roll than into my mouth. It's a frustrating exercise. It's not the easiest sandwich to bite through. I'm not even sure if they are a good value to tell you the truth. Okay, sandwiches and donuts, I don't prefer; however, I really like their chili. Something about the meatiness and the thickness of the chili appeals to me. Again, I'm not a huge fan of the bread that comes with it. Haven't they heard of yeast???

For breaky, I don't mind their breakfast sandwiches. However, the egg inside looks a bit scary. Neither nuked or scrambled, they are uniform in shape and strange in texture. Whatever, it doesn't taste too bad. The B.E.L.T is a solid Bagel, Egg, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich that I find better than McD's. A side of baked hashbrowns is not bad either. A bit small; but probably better that we eat less of them anyways after a buttery biscuit, sausage, egg and cheese!

I'm not a big coffee drinker; but I know what I like and don't like. I don't like Starbucks coffee. It tastes burnt to me. However, I don't mind Tim's coffee. It's not as strong and boy, they have a lot of choice as well. The selection may not be as high-end as Starbucks, Blenz or Second Cup; yet it probably appeals to a different crowd anyways. I like the Double Double (2 x cream and 2 x sugar) because it tastes wimpy. That's right, I'm not a fan of black coffee and the more flavourings in it, the better. To coffee connoisseurs, I am
committing blasphemy; but hey, I like my coffee that way. Well, there you have it. I'm a bit indifferent towards Tim's. I hope that doesn't make me any less Canadian. Yet, I do play hockey, am indifferent towards all political parties, peace-loving, say "Thank You" and "Please" and continually end my sentences in "eh". That must count for something eh?

The Good:
- You really do feel more Canadian eating there
- A little of everything for somebody
- Decent coffee (assuming if you don't like it strong)

The Bad:
- Dense donuts, dense bread
- Sandwiches are a bit pricey for what you get

Dinner @ Bing Sheng

I've already been to Bing Sheng for Dim Sum a couple of times and I thought it would be a good idea to try out their dinner service. Tonight, we gathered up the kiddies and made our way out there. It's nice to see that they have replaced their awning. Let's just say the old one looked like it had been through a hurricane. It's funny how you see this happen sometimes. I guess going for the lowest priced awning company didn't work out for them! One thing I like about Bing Sheng is the decor. It's pretty decent for a restaurant of this class. Although, during Dim Sum, it is not as comfortable as it looks.

We started out with the Snake Soup. Yes, you heard me right. Trust me, it tastes like chicken! No joke! Combined with wood ear mushrooms, lemon grass and fish maw, the broth was a bit on the bland side. It could've used more seasoning and colour. Overall, it was still decent and the table presentation on a chafing tray was nice. The next dish was a failure of epic proportions. It was supposed to be Fish and Roast Pork Hot Pot. What we got was more like mystery bones and salty pork. The little fish meat that clung to the bones were so overcooked, you would swear it was not fish. Think of the texture similar to overcooked pork tenderloin. We barely touched this dish.

Compounding the problem was the Pea Shoots with Bean Curd Stick and Gingko Nuts. Flavour wise it was fine; but look at the colour of the pea shoots! It was no longer bright green, rather it was paler than a Vancouverite after 3 months of winter. Predictably, it was overcooked and not really all that pleasant to eat. We did like the abundance of soft bean curd stick though. Finally, the 8 Treasures Braised Duck arrived and that would be the best dish of the meal. A tender boneless half duck hid beneath a bevy of shrimp, scallops, chicken, mushrooms, squid, BBQ pork, carrots and sui choy. Flavour wise, it could have used a bit more salt; otherwise, it was a dish we'd order again.

Now, when a restaurant boasts about a particular dish because it has some unique feature, it'd better deliver. The dish here is the Fish Intestines Egg Casserole. Yes, yes, I know, intestines, not really an attractive food to many people. Well, don't knock it until you try it. I guess I should eat my own words because I did try it and it wasn't very good. The reason? It was very fishy. I know, it comes from a fish; but really fresh intestines shouldn't be that fishy, it should be sweet. Every bite felt like I was licking a salmon from Granville Island Market. Bing Sheng boasts that they fly it in every Friday. Sorry, it wasn't good and to top it off, the egg was grossly overcooked, thus making it kinda stiff.

Overall, a pretty disappointing dinner. With high expectations, especially from their excellent Dim Sum, we were surprised that dinner was so poor. We do realize that usually there is a separate Dim Sum and Dinner chef. That could be the reason for the big discrepancy in execution between Dim Sum and Dinner. Furthermore, that probably accounts for the substantially fewer customers during dinner. One thing I have to mention is one of the managers seems to be quite forgetful. Everything we requested from him was acknowledged; yet he never followed through. This was 5 requests ranging from more tea to helping us pack up leftovers. I think we'll stick to Dim Sum when we visit Bing Sheng from now on.

The Good:
- Prices are reasonable
- Service is generally good (despite the forgetfulness)
- Dining room is nice

The Bad:
- Execution of food is poor
- When you can't get your signature dish right, there is a problem

Bee Kim Heng

A long time ago, in a city that never stops raining (guess which place I'm talking about?), I would visit this small store on Main near Broadway for some really good and fresh Singaporean-
style jerky. Unfortunately, this store and the others on the same block met an untimely fate due to a raging inferno. It's with great irony that just recently, the block across the street went up in flames too. I know this is a bit sick; but maybe it's a sign that a BBQ joint should open up in this area. So again, what's up with this beef and pork jerky? Well, the way they prepare it is by cooking it over a BBQ-type grill. The meat itself is
marinated in soy, sugar and spices. What you get is a nice smoky, rich tasting jerky. Moreover, it's quite fresh. They don't package it until you order it. Unlike the prepackaged jerky you'd find in stores, you can get as much or little as you want.

This place I speak of is Bee Kim Heng. Roughly 10 years ago, they relocated to it's current location on Fraser near King Edward. On my way back from Shiro, I decided to stop by and grab some beef jerky. No idea why I did this, it was a bit random. I guess you could call it a "knee-jerk reaction" or a "Jerky Call" (yikes, that sounds disgusting!). I gotta say that the store is quite basic, with a grill in the front and a counter with a till. Hey, it doesn't really matter if you're just in for some "quick jerky". Alright, I'll stop it with the jerky jokes! I just can't help it. Anyways, the jerky itself may not be the softest; but it's not particularly hard either. In fact, it's moist, sugary and most of all, not stale tasting. If you are a jerky fan, give it a try. It's probably some of the best jerky a person can enjoy by themselves! *snicker*

The Good:
- Freshly-made jerky
- Get as much or little as you want
- Flavourful, moist and delicious

The Bad:
- A bit too sweet for some people

Shiro

*Under new ownership*

For the second time this week, I took my daughter out for lunch. We visited a place I haven't been to in quite sometime - Shiro. Since she's only 2-years old, it's not as simple as it sounds. As mentioned in the Red Chilli post, there is a lot of baggage (literally) that accompanies her. Yet, that was not the most challenging thing I faced. Rather, with the extremely tight parking lot, I almost mashed my front rim along the curb. I'll refrain from parking in the lot next time. I value my rims very much! We were lucky to arrive early enough to have a choice between a table or the sushi bar. I choose the sushi bar since I didn't want to take up a big table between the both of us. Moreover, I just like watching the sushi chef at work.

Predictably, I started with the Wild Salmon Sashimi (I seem to do this every time at a Japanese restaurant). Not only was each slice glistening with freshness, it was sweet and delicious. It's hard to describe; but the salmon had the right "bounce" or elasticity when I bit into it. If you look at the dish, there is something strange. No, it doesn't say Kawawa on the plate; rather, the wasabi is of the freshly grated variety. Not many places offer this. I know Tojo's does; however, I'm not sure of many more places that do. All I can say is that the wasabi was hawt! A good thing really. Not that watered-down crap you'd find at impostor Japanese restaurants.

Alright, I think if you read this blog enough, you know what's next. Yes, the Nigiri. I promise that I'll mix it up a bit the next time I eat Japanese! I got one each of Tuna, Scallop, Unagi and Inari. Once again, the items were fresh and the rice was well made. No complaints here. I also got a combo which had a little of everything. It came with an Udon which my daughter liked. For me, Udon is nothing really all that exciting. This one was alright, the noodles were still chewy, while the broth was a bit weak. I thought the Tempura was pretty good. The batter was not too thick and it was crispy. I didn't get to try the prawn tempura because my daughter ate them both. You can see that she knows how to eat, unlike my son who eats nothing. I ate the rest of the veggie tempura and it was a bit on the oily side.

The combo also included one BC Roll and one Tekka Maki. I'm not a huge fan of tekka maki; but the fish was fresh. I wasn't a huge fan of the BC roll. This maybe a personal preference; but I felt that there was too much salmon (like that really should be a problem...). It was heavy to eat. A small plate of Broccoli Gomae accompanied the set meal and it was fantastic. The broccoli was still crisp while there were roasted sesame seeds which was quite aromatic. It's nice to see that it wasn't soaked with sesame dressing, typically found in unauthentic Japanese restaurants. I still remember the one I got at Sushi Garden which was disgusting.

So it was another successful meal with my daughter, who was both behaved and ate a good amount of food. It was a bit odd sitting with her at the sushi bar; but it was amusing at the same time. Luckily I arrived early because the place got packed pretty quickly and a lineup started to build as we were packing up to leave. The service was friendly and efficient, while the sushi came out pretty quickly. The cooked food took a bit more time since the small restaurant was quite busy. I really shouldn't complain because the food was good and if it requires more time, so be it.

The Good:
- Freshly grated wasabi
- Fresh and well-prepared sushi
- Friendly service

The Bad:
- It's cramped in there
- Parking lot is equally cramped

Red Chilli Szechuan

With Viv being busy with work, it was my duty to take our daughter to her music lessons. Granted, at only 2, her lessons are merely singing songs and randomly hitting musical instruments. Hey, they have to start somewhere! It's good I don't really have any shame left since we had to sing songs and the sort for this class. After it was over, I wasn't going to let an opportunity to eat pass me over. Well, I am on the North Shore and there are some pretty good eats, especially along Lonsdale. One place I have been eying for quite a long time has been the Red Chilli Szechuan restaurant.

If you have kids, then you'll know that eating out with a 2-year old requires moving the entire house with you. With diaper bag, portable booster, cooler bag and my camera on one shoulder/arm, and daughter in the other, I stumbled into the restaurant. I guess it's not often a dad takes his young daughter out for lunch because the staff and patrons were all giving me the smiles. Luckily for me, she was well-behaved and I had enough play items in the diaper bag to keep her occupied.

In addition to the food I was planning to eat, I had to pick up a few items for Viv as well. When I started to list off the items, it began to concern the server. I assure her it was not all for me; but I was gonna try them all! We started off with the Cold Shredded Chicken with Peanut and Garlic Sauce. The chicken was perfectly tender and a bit gelatinous; but the plethora of chicken skin turned me off. Believe me, the chicken skin was good, there was just too much of it. The flavourful dressing gave a nice aromatic sweet and nuttiness to the dish. I got the Meat Tan Tan Noodles for myself and I'm not even sure that would be the right name for the dish. To me, it resembled Ja Jeun Mein (Spicy Meat Sauce Noodles). Whatever the case, I really like it. The noodles were al dente and the meat sauce had depth and was slightly spicy with plenty of meat.

For Viv, I got a Szechuan Beef Noodle to go. I also got the non-spicy Beef Noodle as well since it would probably be too much for my daughter. Again, the noodles were cooked perfectly, although the broth was a bit weak. There was a decent amount of tender beef and spinach. The Szechuan version is essentially the same with a spicy broth. Admittedly, I really didn't order some of the spicier ssignature items which one would associate with a Szechuan restaurant. That's partly due to my eating partner, a 2-year old! Thus, this probably was my mistake in ordering the Xiao Long Bao. Yes, it is a Shanghainese dish, not a Szechuan dish. Predictably, they were not that great. The dumpling skin was too thick and there was not that much in the way of soup within. Despite this, I was quite pleased with my meal here and it definitely deserves a second look on my part. I'll probably come for dinner and get some Orange Peal Beef and Spicy Prawns. Oh, and since I had to add leftovers to the amount of items I needed to take to my car, the manager actually helped me take everything out. What a nice guy.

The Good:
- The food I tried was pretty good
- It's clean

The Bad:
- Prices seem a bit high
- Place is small

Poco Ocean

*Restaurant is closed*

I haven't been to Poco Ocean since my days in Coquitlam and that was over 10 years ago. At the last blogger's meal, we "pressured" Jenny (My Secret Eden) into organizing a dinner. She was raving about her meal at Poco Ocean and sensing an opportunity to shirk responsibility, Kim and I threw the organizing torch over to her. She graciously took the reigns. However, either people were busy or they just didn't want to drive out to Coquitlam, there were only 5 of us including Jenny, R, Anita, Kim and myself. So why Coquitlam and particularly this restaurant? Well, legend has it that the Governor of Hong Kong's former chef runs the place. Thus, you know the food should be of a certain quality, even if the place is modest in size and appearance.

Honestly, I'm not sure why people always complain that Coquitlam is far away. C'mon, if you lived in L.A., a 1/2 hour drive is nothing. Well, at least those were the complaints I got when I lived in Coquitlam. Maybe they just didn't want to see me! That explains everything... Anyways, Kim picked me up along the way and I became his personal GPS again. Too bad I can't replicate the voice, "in... 400 metres, make a right... at the fork...". We were a little late arriving and it probably put a scare into Jenny. Imagine, a blogger's dinner with only one blogger! That would be my nightmare. Well, maybe not, probably eating again at Kawawa would be scarier! We had to rely on Jenny to do the ordering because she is the only one who can read Chinese. You see, there is a daily menu up on the wall that is purely written in Chinese only. Sure, there is an English menu; but all you'd find in that is Sweet 'n Sour Pork and Lemon Chicken. We wanted the real Chinese food!

We started with the Honey Garlic Chicken wings and don't get these confused with the ones you'd find in a pub. These babies were not battered, crisp, hot and had only enough sauce to flavour them. A bit sweet, a tad savory and garlicky, this was a nice way to start the meal. Up next was a very large Braised Pork Hock. It was pretty tender with a fatty; yet delicious skin. The oyster-based sauce was not too salty and the dish was quite pleasant to eat. The next dish was probably the star of the meal - Three Cup Chicken. A little salty, a little sweet and a bit tart, the pieces of chicken were very tender and I wanted to eat more of it (that's a indication that it's good). The dish was further enhanced by the serving vessel which was a sizzling hot pot.

Served on a sizzling hot plate, the Silky Tofu with Scallops and Mushrooms was both hit and miss. I really liked the soft fried tofu while I disliked the fishy tasting scallops. In fact, the taste of the scallops ruined this dish. I realize that Poco Ocean is a small restaurant and it would be fiscally impossible to acquire fresh scallops every day. However, if it ain't fresh and it detracts from the overall flavour profile of a dish, do not serve it. In fact, this dish would've been fine without them. The Stir Fried Green Beans with Snow Cabbage and Mushrooms was an interesting dish. I've never seen this combination before. It was not bad; but nothing about it stood out. I think the beans might've been oil blanched a bit too long as well.

The last dish was the Fish and Tofu Hot Pot. Usually a staple of any Chinese restaurant's menu, this one was a really good version of the dish. The fish was meaty while soft. Moreover, there was just enough batter, meaning there was more fish to eat. The tofu, like the other dish, was soft and fried perfectly. Flavour wise, the dish had plenty of garlic flavour. A tad salty; but it's a whole lot better than being bland. Went well with the rice though.

Overall, a pretty good meal. I generally liked all the dishes other than the one with the fishy scallops. Compared to a recent meal at another Chinese restaurant, I can really tell the difference between the two. No comparison. Of course no meal is perfect and this one is no exception. With that being said, it was solid and I enjoyed it (especially with the good company).

The Good:
- Food is well-seasoned
- Textures were spot on
- Some interesting dishes you won't find on any other menu

The Bad:
- A bit pricey
- Service is a bit slow, due to it being a family-run restaurant with limited staff
- It's closed intermittently

2001 Flavours Pizza

I finally made it out to 2001 Flavours Pizza. Normally, I'm not in downtown and I took the opportunity that we were nearby to pay it a visit. Honestly, we were not hungry after 4 tacos each from La Taqueria. But I had promised Kim (I'm Only Here for the Food!) that I was going to try it and compare it with my personal favourite: Uncle Fatih's. Luckily for me, Vandelay tagged along since I did not have any cash on me. He seems to always have cash on him, I guess his money management is a lot better than mine.

The place was rather busy when we arrived; but I was still able to snag a window seat. Mind you, with windows on 2 sides of the restaurant, lighting was not going to be an issue. For once, it could be too much light! To give the place a fair shake, we decided to go for the 2 special pizzas rather than the regular choices. We got one each of the Spinach, Artichoke, Sundried Tomatoes & Feta Cheese and the Black Forest Ham, Tomatoes & Swiss Cheese. My first impressions were that the slices are not devoid of toppings. In fact, the pizza slices were a bit heavy. The crust itself was thin and not oily at all.

We both agreed that the ham pizza was better, partly because we are not vegetarians. The salty ham gave the pizza more of a robust flavour. However, the spinach pizza was overloaded with toppings to the point where you couldn't fold it. I'm sure someone else would like it, we just didn't prefer it. We liked the dry, thin crust; but it was a bit too chewy for us. We'd prefer if it had a bit more give. Of course after trying Ah-Beetz, I am a bit biased. On the note of being biased, I still prefer the crispy light crust from Uncle Fatih's. With that being said, the pizza here at 2001 is still pretty solid in my books.

The Good:
- Ample toppings
- Crust is thin and not oily
- Inexpensive

The Bad:
- Gets a bit busy during lunch hours
- With the large amount of toppings, it gets a bit messy