Pho Hoa (Burnaby)

*Restaurant is now closed*

Pho Hoa?  Really?  Isn't that the McD's of Pho?  Yes, we really had no choice as we missed the last call of the restaurant next door (Bistro 508).  Slightly defeated and uninspired, I relegated myself in eating average Vietnamese food.  But wait.  I hadn't tried the Bun Bo Hue here before.  Hence, it was a good opportunity to see how it fared against other versions in the city (I needed to pysch myself up...).

The one size for the Bun Bo Hue was rather small with very little noodles and meat.  As expected, there was no pork blood nor knuckle.  However, that is usually not a deal-breaker if the broth is good.  In this case, the broth wasn't exactly bland, but it wasn't aromatic (lack of shrimpiness) nor spicy either.  Definitely a run-of-the-mill version which does the job for late-night when there are no other choices.  As for the Pho, I give it to them that they are consistent.  It was middle-of-the-road where it lacked a real meatiness, yet it was decently flavourful with a certain sweetness and of course MSG.  The modest amount of meat was tender enough while the noodles were cooked right.

The Lemongrass Pork Chop Rice was again passable albeit with the thinnest pork chops I've seen.  Hence, they were pretty much completely dry.  They weren't lacking in flavour though as I did pick out lemongrass and a lot of salt. Lionel Hutz ended up with the Beef Stew with Vermicelli Noodles. He remarked that it was not as flavourful as the colour would suggest.  It was slightly aromatic while each piece of chicken was okay.  Yah, this was a pretty unexciting post to write, considering that Pho Hoa can be had almost anywhere (with variations of course).  However, one cannot deny that it is generally pretty predictable.  I guess it makes up for the mediocrity.

The Good:
- Predictable
- Open late
- Food comes out lightning fast

The Bad:
- Smallish portions
- Not the worst, but not great either
- This location needs some cleaning

Milestones (Coquitlam)

As a byproduct of attending the Tasting Menu event at Milestones awhile a back, we received $50.00 in gift cards. Hence, we figured it would be a good idea to pay a revisit to sample their new menu items as well as some classics. If there was ever a good example as to why chain restaurants do well in the GVRD, look no further than the Coquitlam location of Milestones.  The place was already packed at 5:30pm and we had to wait for almost 45 minutes for a table.

We started with the Phyllo Shrimp, much to the delight of my son.  By employing the crumbled phyllo as a batter, there was this "panko-like" effect going on.  Hence, the exterior was really crunchy, yet light at the same time.  They could've done a better job draining the oil as the bottom was quite greasy.  Inside, the shrimp was cooked just right exhibiting a buttery snap.  At first, I was concerned with the side of sweet chili sauce as it brought up memories of the bottled stuff, but it was actually good with a nice balance of sweet, tart and spicy.  As much as the Spinach & Artichoke Dip has been on the Milestones menu for 20+ years, it holds a special place in our hearts.  And really, it is not all about nostalgia either as it still stacks up to the best of them.  Creamy, cheesy and full of spinach with some artichoke, the dip was exactly how we remembered.  We like how it is not too dependent on mayo or the dreaded cream cheese.  The house-fried tortilla chips weren't bad either.

Viv decided to order one of their new menu items being the Chili-Crusted Tilapia.  I was a bit nervous since tilapia can be mushy and unappealing if prepared incorrectly.  And it can still be awful even if prepared correctly... Surprisingly, they could not have done a better job as it was moist, flaky and relatively firm.  The exterior rub was spicy and flavourful.  We liked how it was a relatively large portion as well.  For myself, I decided on the Lamb Shank and it was mostly fatty, tender and gelatinous.  Some parts were more firm, yet it wasn't hard to eat.  I found the braising liquid to be on the saltier side and with the addition of the creamy (and aggressively seasoned) gnocchi, there was too much salt.  I found the gnocchi a bit too starchy and soft when it was squashed by the lamb shank.  Otherwise, it was an acceptable dish.  

My daughter had the kids' Grilled Salmon and it was grilled beautifully with an attractive cris cross char.  The meat was moist and just cooked.  It was a decent portion for the price ($8.95 including choice of beverage and dessert).  As much as my daughter enjoyed the plain jasmine rice, it seemed to be begging for some sort of sauce.  But then again, what do I know?  I guess kids like plain rice.  My son decided on the Mini-Burgers with curly fries.  Nothing particularly interesting nor wrong with this dish.  He ate them with little fanfare.  Probably just the luck of the draw, he got more little pieces of fries rather than actually curly ones.  For dessert, they were served a scoop of vanilla Gelato and Chocolate Cookie.  Again, nothing out of the ordinary, it did the job.

Seeing how we only sampled a small selection of dishes, we returned a few weeks later with my parents to round out this post.  We started with the artichoke dip again and in addition, tried a new appie being the Chorizo Mozzarella Fritters.  These crunchy panko-coated balls of joy were filled with stringy mozzarella, chorizo, garlic and parsley.  I found them to be pleasing, yet heavy as an appie.  Despite not reading the actual description of the dish, it was pretty apparent that the aioli was smoky paprika as the flavour was strong and unmistakable.  My daughter had the same kids' meal while my son chose the Chicken Fingers and Fries this time around.  These were very crunchy with a thick breading which helped keep the juices inside.  Unlike last time, there were actually curly fries on the plate.  I thought they could've been crispier.

For myself, I had the American Burger with aged cheddar and double-smoked crispy bacon.  Unlike the many times in the past, the burger patty was dry and dense.  It was meaty tasting though while being well-seasoned.  Adding to the dense patty was the relatively heavy bun.  I did like the side of Yam Frites though as they were really crispy and surprisingly airy.  They stayed crispy to the very end which was impressive as most yam fries start to soften as time passes.  The accompanying chipotle aioli was slightly spicy with a nice zip.  Viv actually ordered the 3-course meal from the seasonal menu for $40.00 (which included the fritters) and chose the Halibut with Smoked Tomato Sugo as her main. Although the substantial piece of halibut was fresh, it was slightly overcooked.  But that was nowhere near the doneness of the quinoa underneath.  It was totally destroyed being a complete mush and underseasoned.   The smoky tomato sauce was a tad too spicy where it overwhelmed the fish.  On the other hand, when combined with the rest of the ingredients, it was less so.

My parents went for the classics with the Portobello Mushroom Chicken and Slow-Roasted AAA Prime Rib (Small Cut).  As much as the mushroom chicken has been on the menu forever, it was still exactly how we remembered it.  With a rich, creamy and garlicky sauce, it was a nice compliment to the relatively al dente capellini.  The chicken breasts were a touch overdone, but still not incredibly dry either.  The prime rib was a proper medium rare and tender as per usual.  It came with all the fixins including mashed potatoes (potatoey with chunks) topped with crispy onions and vibrant veggies. No one saved room for dessert except for Viv and the kids.  

The kids had their gelato again while Viv had her 3rd course being the Carrot Cake featuring 3-layers doused with cream cheese icing and a side of citrus slaw.  Personally, I found it moist with a nice hit of nutmeg.  However, the whole thing was far too sweet for my tastes.  So after the 2 visits and a wide selection of new dishes and old classics, it appears Milestone's is still using a relatively tried and true formula with a few new bolder dishes.  Hence, the old stuff is quite predictable while the new dishes can be a little hit and miss.  Portions are still good, but the prices tread dangerously into fine dining territory.

The Good:
- With the classics, it's predictable
- Large portions
- Decent service

The Bad:
- Expensive (yet consistent with other chain restaurants in this class)
- Mostly aggressive seasoning

Wah Lun

At times, when I ponder (and I do ponder sometimes), it appears that I closely follow Rafiki's (Lion King for those who don't know) mantra of "look beyond what you see" when it comes to restaurants.  It's almost like I ignore what is right in front of me, much like the drivers in the Crystal Mall parking lot. Hence, it has taken me a good 3 years to have Dim Sum at Wah Lun again, despite being only a short 5 minute drive from my house.  If memory serves me correctly, the food was pretty good last time, but the service...  not so much (I think they were looking beyond what they could see).

I guess this visit was a good gauge to see if they stepped up the service or not.  Again, we ordered too much starting with the Special Baked BBQ Pork Buns.  These were soft and pillowy with a sugary top. The BBQ pork was lean while dressed in a sweet sauce.  The slivers of onions were too raw which took away from the flavour. These were similar to the ones I had at Grand Dynasty.  Next up was the Stuffed Eggplant with Dace Shrimp Puree which was soft, yet slightly crisp.  The puree was bouncy while relatively bland.  The "black bean" sauce didn't help matters as it had no black bean flavour to speak of nor any real saltiness.

Onto the most important part of the meal, according to the kids, was the Garlic Prawn Spring Rolls. These were lightly crisp and minimal on the grease.  The prawn filling had a good snap while seasoned by plenty of garlic (yet lacking in salt). I had to wrestle one away from them because they didn't have any intention in sharing.  Now that was their most important dish, for Viv and I, it was the Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumpling). These were large and filled with big pieces of shrimp exhibiting snap and moisture.  However, there was very little seasoning much like the previous 2 dishes. The skin was chewy and a touch thick.

Another kid's favourite was the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice).  It was soft and slightly wet.  This was probably a result of the good amount of ground pork filling.  Again, everything was there and the textures were mostly on point, but it sorely needed more salt, soy or whatever to flavour it.  Something that didn't lack in anything was the Beef Rice Noodle Roll.  It was soft with a contrasting elasticity.  There was a plethora of tender beef with a slight bounce. With a balanced amount of greens and sweet soy, the rice noodle roll was just plain good.  But then again, it was probably the beneficiary of the added soy sauce.

Continuing on the same theme, we had the Beef Meatballs next. With a similar mix, there was just the right amount of greens.  Furthermore, the texture was just right being bouncy and airy.  However, it was not a flavourful as the rice noodle roll due to the absence of soy sauce.  Also relatively bland, the Sui Mai were large and light in texture.  Considering that, the dumplings were airy and loose.  In fact, the pork was more fatty and mousse-like rather than meaty.  It was as if they put the blender on max, which eliminated any meat texture.

Onto some offal, we had the Five Spiced Beef Tripe.  The evenly sliced pieces were soft with some chew.  There was a tinge of gaminess which was not completely masked by the five spice.  Continuing on with the same theme, the flavours were mild with only the smallest hint of spice.  As for the Chicken Claws with Satay Sauce, it was not exactly a well-executed dish.  Each claw was bony and dry with crunchy cartilage.  They were not plump and moist at all.  And yes, there was a general absence of flavour despite the colour of the claws and the promise of satay sauce.

Our last dish was the Steamed Spareribs with Pumpkin.  Really, I should've just pressed the repeat button and this post would've written itself because the ribs were flavourless.  It was as if they didn't put any seasoning in the marinade.  But then again, they were soft with a slight chew, so they did do some sort of marinade.  Whatever the case, it was really unfortunate about the seasoning issues because the food was not bad.  And to top it off, the service was more than acceptable.

The Good:
- Reasonable pricing
- Textures were mostly right
- Service we got was decent

The Bad:
- Lack of seasoning

Ming Kee Kitchen

Call me crazy or whatever you want to call me... (I'm sure people do).  But I have this lingering hope that I will find good Chinese food at small little takeout joints.  That hope is quickly becoming more like a delusion than anything else.  Yet, I trek on, calling them to place my set meal dinner orders which include the veritable spring rolls, wonton soup and fortune cookies for a reasonable price.  This time around, it was Ming Kee Kitchen out on Canada Way.

The meal didn't start off well since they forgot to omit the green onions out of the Shrimp Fried Rice.  We were quite annoyed when picking out the little bits for the kids.  Other than that snafu, the rice itself was chewy and somewhat moist.  The wok heat was okay where there was some caramelization of flavours.  The large cold-water shrimp were a nice touch.  I tried my best to stay away from the set menus as they were loaded up with North American Chinese food, so I decided to try the Peking Pork Chops.  This was a poor attempt where the pork chops were chewy and not properly tenderized.  Furthermore, the batter slid off each piece becoming a clumpy mess.  As for the sauce, it was okay with the typical sweet & sour thing going on, but it was lacking overall impact.

The Braised Fish & Tofu was equally disappointing with thin and mushy pieces of fish.  I'm not exactly sure what type of fish they used as it was obliterated by the cooking process.  My best guess is sole, but if that was indeed true, that would be the wrong fish to use in this dish (because it is too delicate and thin).  Flavourwise, it was pretty bland due to the plethora of fresh veggies (which watered down everything).   The best dish of the meal was the Broccoli & Beef.  The broccoli was vibrant in colour and crunchy in texture while being well-seasoned.  Although the beef was the typical tenderized version you would find at most Chinese restaurants, it was still easy to chewy with a meatiness to it.

For my son, we had to get an order of the Fried Prawns.  These were pretty typical with a thick tempura batter.  It was too thick though since it was rather doughy inside and only slightly crispy outside.  The shrimp was of a decent size where it was more meaty than exhibiting snap.  I found them quite greasy, but the tangy sweet & sour sauce helped alleviate it.  Since I had spent $49.00, we got a bonus dish being the Honey Garlic Chicken. Er...  I should've refused this dish as it was not good at all.  The pathetically small pieces of chicken were dry and overly inundated with batter.  The sauce was a bit watery and was mostly sweet with very little garlic flavour. We didn't end up eating much of this dish. As you can probably guess, the food was pretty "meh", even for this type of joint.  Despite this, my search continues...

The Good:
- Okay pricing
- Pretty friendly over the phone (yah, I know I'm stretching here)

The Bad:
- Portions are modest
- Overall, food is "meh"
- Awkward location

Speed's Neighbourhood Pub

Sometimes pubs get a bad rap.  Sure, many of them serve the main purpose of offering beverages without much regard for food.  Then there is the gastropub that attempts to fuse inebriation with elevated pub fare.  Yet, if one was under the influence, wouldn't most food taste good?  I mean, if everyone suddenly became 100% more attractive, what does that say about one's judgement in general after several drinks?  Kickin' it ol' skool, Zamboni Guy and Princess Leia joined me in a visit to Speed's Neighbourhood Pub in Ladner.

When I say ol' skool, try to imagine somewhere Billy Joel would play the Piano Man complete with the same type of clientele including the old man making love to his tonic & gin... If you don't get that reference, Youtube it...  Hey, that was before my time too!  Anyways, Zamboni Guy ended up with the BBQ Burger complete with sauce, crispy bacon and lotsa pickles.  It was a fairly average offering where the meat wasn't too dry. Although we applaud them for doing house-cut fries. They were not crispy enough though.  Princess Leia had the ever-exciting Chicken Wrap.  And as such, it was pretty standard.  At least the chicken was still moist while the veggies fresh.

For myself, I had the 2 PC Halibut & Chips.  For halibut, it was mighty flaky and moist.  It was almost cod-like.  I found the batter to be someone moist (with an infusion of dill), yet crispy enough on the outside.  Again, the fries were fresh-cut, but not particularly crunchy.  It could've stood for a double-fry job.  Okay, remember when I mentioned the gastropub?  Well Speed's ain't it.  You'll probably need to down a few for the food to be considered tasty.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Friendly enough service

The Bad:
- So-so food
- Decor needs a refresh