Good Eat

When I was a little one, I would remember my parents taking me for Dim Sum every weekend.  It was a pricey proposition as there was not a lot of choices.  Fast forward to the present and now we have a wealth of Dim Sum joints in town.  It can still be an expensive meal if you pick the more upscale restaurants, but there are a few gems out there where you can actually get a deal.  One of them is Good Eat (no, not Janice) out in Richmond.  Most dishes are only $2.50!  Well, I just had to check this out for myself, even though it meant another adventure into the land of parking chaos.

On that note, the parking lot at Good Eat could only be described as challenging. Either drive a small car or carpool is my advice.  Onto the food... With just enough oyster sauce glaze, the Bean Curd Skin Roll was nicely constructed.  There was a good mix of bouncy ground pork, shiitake, mushrooms, carrots and celery, hence the textures were varied and not dense.  The bean curd skin itself was moist while retaining a bite.  Although a bit small in portion size, the Shrimp Stuffed Eggplant was also well-prepared.  It was served piping hot, yet not greasy.  The eggplant was moist while not mushy and it exhibited a slight crispiness on the outside.  The modest amount of shrimp mousse had a nice bouncy texture while being mildly seasoned.  As for the black bean sauce (which was mild), it was very starchy and really didn't adhere to the eggplant.

Being pale and not aesthetically-pleasing to look at, the Sui Mai were pretty average.  I felt that there was too much fat and chewy pieces which affected the overall texture.  There was a minimal amount of shrimp, but when we did get a piece, it did have a good snap.  Although we saw the shiitake mushrooms, it didn't add a whole lot of flavour.  The Haw Gow were pretty modest in size (but okay considering the price), but made up for it with execution.  The dumpling skin was moist yet retaining a chew.  It gave way to a shrimp filling which was crunchy and juicy.  It was not overseasoned where we got some natural shrimp flavour and a touch of sesame oil.

With an equally good shrimp filling, the Shrimp Spring Rolls were served hot and crunchy.  Again, they were modest in size, but we didn't mind as it was only $2.50!  The wheat wrapper was the right thickness which also didn't retain too much grease.  As for the Beef Meatballs, they were of a good size and exhibited a nice bounce-like texture without sacrificing some chewiness.  The amount of orange peel used in the mix was apparent giving a significant punch.  I liked how there was just enough greens to provide some colour and flavour without overwhelming.

The Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll was pretty meager with the ingredients as these were some of the tiniest shrimp we've ever seen this kind of dish.  Again, remember the price...  With that being said, the shrimp was the right texture.  As for the rice noodle, it was slightly thick, but it wasn't doughy nor chewy.  In a relatively big hot pot, the Sparerib Rice was pretty good.  The rice itself was dry and chewy, possibly a bit too dry (but the accompanying sweetened soy sauce helped alleviate this).  The spareribs were meaty rib segments being chewy while still tender.  The 2 phoenix talons were a bit undercooked where the cartilage underneath was chewy.  However, the fried skin was intact and moist.  One thing we would've liked to see was some residual sauce from the ribs seeping into the rice.

We thought the Lo Mei Gai (sticky rice) was very good as it was moist while not wet.  There was enough ingredients to provide both flavour and moisture to the rice.  Of note, there were only 2 lo mei gai, but they were of a good size.  Of course we had to get an order of offal in the Tripes and Tendons.  Unfortunately, or should I say fortunately, the rest of the table were not offal fans, hence it was all for me!  I found both items to be rather soft while there was plenty of sugar and garlic in the flavourings.  This dish was decent as with the rest of the meal.  Nothing mind-blowing, but considering the price and surprisingly clean premises, I'd gladly return for some Good Eat(s).

The Good:
- Really cheap
- Decent eats
- Clean

The Bad:
- They have a parking lot, it's an incredibly tight one at that
- Some of the dishes do reflect the low prices

Ossie's Deli & Meats

Ah Pt. Roberts, how I love thee.  A hacked-off portion of the Tsawwassen peninsula belonging to the USA which serves as a great place to ship things and to get gas.  Armed with my Nexus and reciepts (don't forget these!), I made my way over to pick up my latest purchases.  But wait, I couldn't do that without making a pitstop at Chill and Bubbly's place first.  Why?  Well, let's just say if I didn't drop off my photo gear, laptop and iPad, I would have a lot of explaining to do if I was searched.

As I was leaving, I mentioned to Bubbly that I was heading over to Ossie's Deli (on a recommendation from a reader) for some lunch.  She left Chill with the kids to join me for some sandwiches (sounds familiar...).  Anyways, I decided to have something different and went for their Schnitzel Oscar "Burger" with shrimp, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions and cheese. For a sandwich consisting of premade main ingredients, it was pretty enjoyable.  The pounded pork schnitzel was a bit dry (but not tough) and naturally lacking a bit in crispiness while the shrimp were typical.  However, combined together on a soft, yet not dense bun, it was solid sandwich considering the venue and price point ($6.75).  On the side, I had a bowl of Split Pea Soup ($4.25) which was pleasingly hot (temperature-wise).  It was smooth with little bits of onion, peas, ham and carrots.  It was very mild in flavour where I could taste some of the individual components.

Bubbly had what she usually orders at Ossie's being the Chicken Burger.  It was constructed of 2 breaded chicken breasts with melted cheddar and veggies.  Again, for premade ingredients, the chicken was more than acceptable and not dry.  I decided to grab one more item to go being the Rueben. It was made with the usual ingredients including corned beef, sauerkraut and mustard.  Again, nothing life-changing, but solid nonetheless with crunchy bread, plenty of Dijon and a decent amount of ingredients.  As you can clearly ascertain, Ossie's is a humble little deli in Tsawwassen.  They serve up honest food for a reasonable price.  Works for me.

The Good:
- Honest people
- Honest food

The Bad:
- It's good, but won't light your world on fire (but it wasn't meant to)
- Can get rather busy, so you'll have to be patient

The Meatery

Sometimes I wonder how people get their driver's licenses...  Oh right, I forgot there was that under-the-table business in Richmond.  Explains a lot right?  Anyways, there we were waiting in traffic along Edgemont Blvd in North Van when suddenly, a car decides to back up from their space.  Since it was bumper-to-bumper traffic, there was obviously a car in the way.  But no, she kept backing up and when her car was millimeters from hitting the other car, I laid on my horn preventing what would be a sure accident.  Did she not clearly see the car in her rear view?  Geez.  Anyways, the reason why Sean and I were in Edgemont Village was to hit up The Meatery.

Affiliated with Pig on the Street, The Meatery serves up gourmet sammies at lunch while offering tapas and brews at night.  We decided to share 4 half sandwiches beginning with the Short Rib braised with hoisin & ginger accompanied by pickled cabbage, guacamole and cilantro.  We found the meat stringy and a bit chewy.  However, it wasn't difficult to eat by any stretch of the imagination.  It was predominantly sweet with depth and body.  The crunch from the cabbage was welcomed as well as the fresh chunky guacamole.  Next up was the Jerk Pulled Pork with mango & avocado salsa and chiptole mayo.  It was also stringy and dry.  There was only a mild spice from the pork itself, but the mayo was able to add a touch of heat.

The best sandwich we had was the Roasted Pork with spicy Italian sausage, artichoke aioli, crackling and pesto. It was tender exhibiting a wonderful roasted aroma.  I found the crackling to be quite salty, but it did add lots of flavour.  With the addition of sausage, we got a huge hit of fennel.  The salsa verde was a good compliment as added brightness and some acidity.  Our last sammie was the Bacon Wrapped Turkey Thigh with sausage stuffing, applewood cheddar, chutney and apple slaw. I though it was pretty good.  The large chunks of turkey were a touch dry (but not any more dry than the usual turkey).  The chutney consisting of caramelized onions and raisin was thick and sweet which went well with the apple coleslaw. And what isn't better with bacon?

Not to be outdone, we also tried the Sausage Roll with stout mustard.  It was very meaty and not too greasy.  The meat was soft with natural texture and strong peppery notes.  The pastry was flaky and buttery on the outside, but on the inside, it was a bit soft and mushy.  In the end, we barely finished our food as these half sandwiches were stuffed full of ingredients. Some of the meats could've been more moist, but overall, these were still good sandwiches.

The Good:
- Chock-full of stuff
- Nice flavours
- Friendly staff

The Bad:
- Some meats are dry

Wonderful Buffet

"Bike Sale at Toy's R Us" read the ad insert in the community newspaper.  Great, our son needed a new bike anyways.  Well, upon further inspection, the sale was pretty mediocre at best (like most sales at TRU).  Therefore, we made an improptu trip down to the Bellingham Walmart to purchase the aforementioned bike.  Now this was at 5:00pm and of course we needed to eat dinner first!  Armed without my DSLR, I had to resort to Viv's G15.

Since we were heading to Walmart, we ended up going across the street to Wonderful Buffet.  Our only hope was it would be better than our last buffet experience at the nearby Super Buffet. We started with the Sushi and it was "okay" considering the circumstances.  The sushi rice, as expected, was a bit dry and sticky at the same time.  However, the individual components were acceptable. Some of the nigiri was rice heavy, especially the unagi which was sliced razor thin.  The Salads were pretty standard with a few interesting selections such as marinated squid and snow crab legs.  Nothing outstanding, but edible nonetheless.

Onto the hot food, we had a decent selection of Chinese Food consisting of Fried Rice, Chow Mein, Green Beans, Mushrooms, Fried Squid, Mongolian Beef, Stir Fried Shrimp, Sweet & Sour Pork, Honey Shrimp, Pepper Chicken, Broccoli, Clams, Shanghai Bak Chow, Stir Fried Chicken, Potstickers and Fried Potatoes.  Nothing was particularly offensive nor memorable here, however, that would probably be a success for a buffet.  One section over, we had a interesting mix of stuff including Soups (Egg Drop, Wonton and Hot & Sour), Chicken Strips, Fish Balls, Spring Rolls, Teriyaki Chicken, Fried Chicken, Fried Wontons, Roast Duck, Fried Buns, Fried Butterflied Shrimp, Garlic Bread and Roast Beef.  The soups were forgettable while the fried shrimp were quite good.  The roast beef was overdone, but still tender enough to eat.

Right next to the sushi was a random section that featured Steamed Buns, Sui Mai, Sole, Crawfish, Oyster Motoyaki, Stuffed Mushrooms, Salmon and Teriyaki Chicken (again?).  The highlight here (and probably the entire buffet) was the oysters.  They were real oysters on the half-shell (still attached) which were prepared nicely.  Onto the Desserts, there was Bananas with Strawberry Sauce (ew...), Strawberry Jello, Cream Puffs, Mocha Cake, Cream Roll, Fruit and Soft Serve Ice Cream. The draw here was the cherries and the decent soft-serve (albeit wet).  Overall, the buffet did the job with little fanfare.  Sure, the food ain't awesome, but we never expected it to be.  At the very least, Wonderful is better than the other Asian buffets in Bellingham.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Food is replaced often
- Clean

The Bad:
- As with most buffets, food is average
- Buffet area is a bit tight

Judas Goat Taberna

I can't believe it.  The day had come.  Viv and I were heading to the NKTOB/B2M/98° concert.  How on Earth did I get into this predicament? Not only was I going to be in the minority among 10,000 screaming women, I had to wait in line to get in all by myself - the lone male there.  Why was I in line all by myself?  Well, I had to drop off my camera in my car first because we couldn't go to the concert without eating beforehand!  We ended up going to Judas Goat in nearby Gastown. 

Although it was a bit early for dinner tapas, we made it work with some Sangria ($9.00).  Nothing like a little booze to start off the meal.  The first item to arrive the White Anchovies with Salsa Verde ($5.00).  Typically, anchovies are super salty, so it can be easily overwhelming.  However, in this case, the salsa verde was bold enough to counteract the saltiness with nice acidity, spice and garlic.  We would've liked to see the bread toasted a bit more though.  Next up was the Albacore Tuna Ceviche ($8.00) with lime, cilantro, coconut milk and crispy onions.  We really liked this as there was ample lime juice which made the dish appetizing.  The cilantro and coconut added great aroma and flavour.  As for the crispy onions, they were really crunchy which afforded a nice textural contrast to the soft tuna.

Arriving stuffed with saffron risotto, the Salt Spring Mussels ($5.00) exhibited a literal taste of the sea.  The cheesy, yet firm risotto absorbed all of the mussel juice and when combined with the impactful saffron, it was super flavourful.  The biggest plate in terms of ingredients was the Chorizo, Octopus & Olives Stew ($9.00).  There was enough olives to last a week (for me at least because Viv doesn't really eat olives).  The various olives were plump, salty and added great flavour to the dish.  The little morsels of octopus were very tender with only a slight chew.  As for the chorizo, we found them to be a bit hard. I liked soaking up the flavourful broth with the accompanying bread.

Onto the Israeli Cous Cous ($8.00) with cauliflower and preserved lemon, we found the accompanying greens to be oversalted.  However, when combined with the ample amount of charred soft cauliflower, roasted garlic cloves, olive oil, slivered almonds and preserved lemon, the flavours began to balance out.  The cous cous itself was firm, yet soft enough at the same time.  As if I didn't have enough pork fat for one day (went to Tuc for lunch), we had the Pork Belly & Bacon Lollipops ($9.00) as well.  These were cubed pork belly on skewers served with bacon fat powder and what we believed was a caramelized onion and balsamic jam.  Having a good balance of fat and meat, the pork belly exhibited a beautiful gelatinous fat underneath the firm rind.  The jam provided the necessary tart and sweetness for the porkiness of the belly.

Heading into the homestretch, we had the Brisket Meatballs ($8.00) with rustic tomato sauce.  The star of this dish was definitely the tomato sauce as it was tart and plenty peppery accented by fresh basil.  The sprinkle of goat cheese added some flavourful gaminess to the entire dish.  As for the meatballs, they were lean and and a bit dry with little filler. Our last dish was a new creation being the Salmon Sausage ($10.00) with salmon & lobster bisque. The sausage was more like a salmon mousse with a bit of texture.  It was mild and naturally sweet accented by herbs.  The bisque was salty with a noticeable lobster essence which added another layer of flavour to the mild sausage.  It was suggested we eat the sausage with bread and that was a good idea since it provided texture to a basically mushy concoction. Overall, this return visit to Judas Goat was enjoyable with decent eats.  Nothing spectacular, but nothing horrible either.  Definitely an interesting little place in Blood Alley.

The Good:
- Interesting location which is quaint with unintentional free entertainment
- Decent little bites
- We got good service

The Bad:
- A little tight with the seating
- Can get pricey if you order lots

Romer's Burger Bar (Kerr Street)

I've heard the complaints before...  "Why is he blogging about another chain restaurant, how many times do I have to read about White Spot and Cactus Club???".  Sure, there is some merit to that but really, not all locations of the same restaurant group are the same.  Grouping them into one post would be both unfair to the restaurant chain and potential customers alike.  Hence, I will continue to blog about different chain restaurant locations.  Furthermore, it also gives me a chance to try different items from the menu as well.  With that in mind, we headed the Kerr Street location of Romer's Burger Bar after Monday nite softball.

I've been to this location once before, but never have actually sat down to eat.  It is located near the water within the new River District development.  The location, building and patio are great selling points, however with that, comes the plethora of mosquitos and bugs which put a damper on things.  In terms of food, I started with the Crispy Wild Baja Shrimp ($11.75)  The shrimp were dusted lightly and were fried just right.  The meat had a nice snap while the whole thing was quite spicy.  Add in the chipotle dip and there was a significant lingering sting on my tongue.  For my burger, I went for the Port & Stilton ($10.25) which consisted of freshly ground Angus beef, port-braised onions, sharp Stilton and thyme leaves on a brioche bun.  For some reason or another, the brioche was quite dry (unlike the last time at the Kits location).  However, the beef was quite moist and meaty despite being cooked all-the-way-through.  The onions added a nice crunch and acidity while the Stilton was sharp as advertised.  I liked the flavour profile of the burger, as well as the meat, but the dry bun didn't do it for me.

I ended up sharing a The Best Damn Short Rib Poutine ($10.00) with Milhouse and Judes.  It was chock full of squeaky cheese curds which were still intact.  They started off quite cold and stiff though, yet warmed up after a few minutes.  The crispy and potatoey fries were drenched in a meaty gravy which was mild on the sodium.  Although the braised short rib was moist and soft, there was not enough of it.  Since I was super hungry, I decided to add an order of Fresh Chopped Garlic & Sea Salt Fries ($5.25) for myself.  Well, not only that, but Bam Bam's order was so intoxicating in terms of smell, I had no choice.  And yes, the fries were fantastic as they were super crispy and aromatic.  The plethora of fresh garlic tossed in not only added aroma, it made the fries legitimately garlicky.  Bam Bam had the Chorizodor ($12.75) which combined chorizo-spiced beef & pork patty with cheddar, pepper jack, Boursin, tomato, onion, avocado and diablo sauce.  Despite the large amount of seemingly flavour-packed ingredients, he didn't find it all that impactful.  Combined with the dry bun and the modest amount of meat to veggie ratio, the burger was lacking in his opinion.

Judes ended up with the So-Cal Free Range Turkey Burger ($10.50) which included avocado, Soleggiatti tomatoes, red onions, organic watercress and chipotle aioli. To her surprise, the burger had a significant spice level.  She is not a huge fan of spice, but for me, that would've been perfect.  As for the turkey, it was sufficiently moist (for the type of meat).  Ranger (making a cameo appearance) decided on the Spicy Jamaican Jerk Chicken ($11.75)  The meat itself was well-seared and pretty juicy.  However, the flavours were quite muted.  For a jerk chicken, it was bordering on bland. Once again, the amount of produce in the burger seemed to overwhelm the meat.

Hot Chocolate went for the Wickedly Deadly Cheeseburger ($11.75) consisting of 5 cheeses and Russian tarragon dressing.  With the combination of cheeses, there was a little of everything including savoury, spicy and smoked elements.  Rounding out the food, Milhouse had the Man's Man Burger ($12.25).  It included thick applewood bacon, amber ale cheddar, onion strings, smoked alder wood salts, tomato and whole grain mustard.  He generally liked his burger since there was ample ingredients that provided both texture and flavours.  However, the dry bun annoyed him a bit.  And this brings me back to my original point - not all locations of chain restaurants are made equal.  As much as I like Romer's, there was just something a bit off with this one.

The Good:
- Choice of interesting burgers
- Great waterfront location
- Really good house-cut fries

The Bad:
- A little pricey
- Kits location is better for some reason
- The mosquitos are an annoyance