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My visit to Angie's Malaysian out on Edmonds was inevitable. Well, naturally it was gonna happen since I love the cuisine. Rather, so many of my friends (mostly from Brunei) either know the owners personally and/or have already been there, I was being recommended frequently. So when Big D suggested we head there for lunch one day, it happened sooner than later. Once inside the little eatery, we were warmly greeted by people who really seemed to care about their customers.
We started things off with an order of the Roti Canai. When it hit the table, we were a little concerned with the lack of colour and blistering on the exterior of the roti. Indeed our concerns were realized when we found the roti to be on the doughier side without the classic contrast in textures. On the other hand, the curry dip was good being flavourful with a definite kick and background sweetness. Next up, the Curry Laksa was pretty good. We found the broth to have a balanced amount of coconut milk which ensured a certain level of aroma. With a squeeze of lime, there was also an appealing acidity accented by just enough heat and sweetness. One thing we would've liked to see was some shrimp and some more dried shrimp flavour in the broth.
Our last dish, the Mee Goreng, also happened to be our favourite. It was subjected to a good amount of stir-frying where there was carameliztion of flavours. We liked how there was a restrained amount of sweetness from the ketjap manis which enabled the spiciness to come to the forefront. With the good amount fried shallots, there was an extra layer of aromatics and crunch. The slippery noodles were toothsome while the ample amount of bbq pork added body to the dish. Of course, this was not enough food to get a sense of the place, so Big and I returned along with Slick for more dishes, including the Pulot Panggang which was sticky rice filled with sambal, dried shrimp and coconut. A touch dry, the sticky rice was definitely aromatic from the coconut milk, but was lacking in filling which resulted in a muted briny saltiness.
Next up, we tried the Hainanese Chicken featuring de-boned chicken thigh meat. Being such, the meat was soft and super moist. It was flavourful on its own with a mild soy essence. The skin was buttery while underneath lay a small amount of gelatin. One thing that could've been better was the rice as it wasn't particularly tasty on its own (despite the soy on the bottom of the plate). With a brief intermission from rice dishes, we had the Seria Kolomee with fish cake, BBQ pork, ground pork and fried shallots. We enjoyed the aromatic shallots as well as a hint of sesame oil. The noodles were slippery while still toothsome. We felt there was enough impact without being reliant on salt. I'm sure it would've been even better if we added the side of pickled peppers.
Putting Big D in charge of ordering means more food, so we also had the "national dish" of Malaysia - Nasi Lemak. Sadly, this was the weakest dish of the bunch. The rice was not particularly fragrant, in fact, it was rather dry. Furthermore, they ran out of chicken leg and substituted it with a chicken wing (they did inform us of this). Whatever the case, we thought they should've added another wing. The side of sambal sauce was a somewhat mild, but still aromatic. I wish there was more of it though. Moving onto a more fulfilling dish, the Curry Chicken was much better. This was a fairly large portion featuring tender nuggets of chicken bathed in an aromatic and mildly spicy curry. Overall, we enjoyed our 2 visits to Angie's. There is room for improvement, but considering the price point, Angie's is definitely an option for those seeking Malaysian (with Brunei influences) cuisine in the area.
The Good:
- Nice family-run operation
- Reasonably-priced
- Some pretty good dishes
The Bad:
- Some dishes are small in portion size
- Further refinement is needed
I have fond memories of the Raincity Grill as it was a Vancouver staple in English Bay since 1992. Viv and I enjoyed several meals in the past as well as her birthday brunch where we took over 1/3 of the restaurant. But that was then and this is now. The sad reality is that the location needed something brighter and more dynamic. Enter Beach Bay Cafe with plenty of natural light adorning the clean interior. This is a total 180 from the dark 80's look of Raincity.
I was able to try out the place with Sean (as his +1 for the Westend BIA Instagram takeover) on a nice Summer day which really helped highlight the awesome location right at English Bay. We began with the Chicken Liver Mousse on Toast. Smoky and charred, the toast was the first thing that hit my palate, but then the creamy and sweet mousse kicked in with the benefit of mildly tart cherries and a kiss from the chervil. I would've liked the toast to be slightly thinner though. Next up was the lightly pickled Mackerel with fava beans, mustard greens, crispy shallots and mint dressing. I found the fish to be buttery and nicely charred. It was pickled just enough with a sweet acidity that was accented by a sprinkle of sea salt. The crispy shallots added an aromatic crunch, but I wasn't sure of the fava beans because the chalkiness didn't do anything for the dish.
When Sean mentioned we should really try the Summer Vegetable Salad, I thought he had lost his mind. Well, I guess my mind was permanently lost (if it weren't already) because this was a fine salad. Consisting of snap peas, radish, carrots, yellow zucchini and lettuce with an oyster emulsion, everything was fresh and vibrant to the eye as well as to the palate. The sweet crunch of the veggies was accented well by the silky and subtle emulsion. There was an appealing crunch from the crisps where there was a lingering bacon aftertaste. On the topic of aftertaste, the Risotto exhibited a strong vinegar taste from start to finish. Somehow, there was too much cider vinegar in the crab custard which essentially ruined the dish. Too bad really as the rest of it was quite good including the firm Carolina gold rice and crispy chicken skin.
Onto the mains, we shared the Grilled Pork Chop with charred kohlrabi, English peas and blackberry sauce. The chop was well-executed being just done with a touch of pink. Rich and sweet, the blackberry sauce did go well with the moist pork, but maybe some salt or more wine finish would've provided more balance. The next dish, Black Cod a la Plancha with green tomatoes, grilled cabbage and zucchini, was my favourite of the meal. As much as black cod is a forgiving protein, this one was masterfully prepared. It was buttery and flaky with a delicately crisp exterior. In addition to being well-seasoned, the fish was the beneficiary of acidity provided by the pickled green tomatoes and the tartness from the sprinkle of sumac.
For dessert, we tried both the Pistachio Cake and Lime Tequila Semifreddo. Too bad the piece of pistachio cake was so small because it was fantastic. Aromatic, lightly sweet and balanced in texture (not too soft, not too firm), it was complimented by the grassy sorrel sorbet on top. Raspberries and white chocolate namelaka rounded out the dish. As for the semifreddo, it was smooth and soft, yet it retained its shape to the very last piece. It was mildly sweet with enough tequila for effect but not overwhelming. I personally would've liked to see more lime though. Other items on the plate included fig leaf cream, angel food cake, graham crumble and blueberries. These 2 refreshing and light desserts ended off a relatively good meal. Sure, the risotto was unfortunate, but 7 out of 8 is a good batting average.
*All food and beverages excluding gratuities were complimentary*
The Good:
- Outstanding location (for people watching and the view of English Bay)
- Bright, modern and minimalistic interior
- Above-average eats
The Bad:
- A few more refinements are needed
The day before, I had visited Copa Cafe in Vancouver for the first time in nearly 6 years. So you'd think that plenty of time would have to pass before I make my next visit right? Well, how about hitting up Copa Cafe in Coquitlam the very next day? Well, it wasn't because I was super excited about my meal that I had to have it all over again within 24 hours. Rather, I went for dinner at Copa Coquitlam somewhat recently, but in my mind I didn't try enough dishes. So we needed to return to complete this post!
We went for the ol' standby with the Baked Pork Chop on Rice. Alright, let me get this out of the way first... I don't mind cooked onions, but I'm not particularly fond of raw ones especially if it is not integral to the dish (ie. authentic tacos). So when I found barely cooked white onions underneath the pork chop, I had to pick them out (for the kiddies as well). Without any type of caramelization nor seasoning, the onions only served to add a sharp taste that detracted from the already mild sauce. With that being said, the pork chop itself was fried up with a light breading and was tender to the chew. Next up, we had the Linguine Bolognese which was a backup plan of sorts if the kiddies rejected the pork chop rice. We found the pasta to be on the softer side without visiting mushville. As for the HK-style cafe interpretation of bolognese, this one featured sweet (cooked!) onions, carrots and tender ground beef all in a sweet and thick tomato-based sauce.
For myself, I went big with the B+B+B Meal where I chose Fried Sole, Steak and Ox Tongue with a side of linguine and mushroom cream sauce. We thought most of the proteins were well-executed as the fish was crispy and flaky while the ox tongue was fatty and moist. However, the steak was well-done and very chewy. As for the mushroom sauce, it was thick but really bland. It lacked any discernible flavours. I decided to upgrade my included soup with the Lobster Bisque topped by a puff pastry lid. The soup was a little thin, but not lacking in lobster shell essence. It was certainly there in full-force with plenty of help from the lobster shells. Although it was bordering on salty, it wasn't quite there yet. The small nuggets of meat were still bouncy in texture.
On another visit, I decided to continue the lobster theme by ordering the Lobster Linguine. Similar in flavour as the bisque but watered down somewhat, the dish was very large in portion size. I found the pasta far too soft and it only got softer with the amount of sauce. Furthermore, the amount of pasta helped dilute the impact of the sauce (even though there was plenty of it). Initially, Viv was apprehensive in ordering the Curry Beef Brisket with rice. The reason for this is that this dish is often too mild at HK-style cafes. Well, not in this case. It was pretty spicy and with a drizzle of chili oil on top, it was even more so. Although presented in little chunks, the brisket was tender and fatty.
A rather surprising dish was the half-Hainanese Chicken. Copa Cafe would not seem like the right place to order such an item, but it was decent. First of all, they must've used a chicken on steroids because it was meaty and as you can see in the picture, filled up the plate. Second, it was poached properly where the meat was moist and the skin had gelatinized. Despite some issues here and there, the meals we had at Copa Coquitlam were decent. Considering the lack of competition in the area, they don't have to worry about an empty restaurant. Compared to the Vancouver location, we felt that Coquitlam seemed to be a bit better (despite online reviews indicating the reverse).
The Good:
- Large portions
- Efficient service
- Fair pricing
The Bad:
- Not outstanding, but good for the area
- Efficient service, but a little hurried
"I want to eat Asian", boldly stated by Chill after our softball game. At that point I wasn't sure if he was referring to food or something more along the lines of Rob Ford... Whatever the case, we had to figure out where to go that would help us beat the heat (ie. cold drinks in an A/C environment). So off we went to Copa Cafe on Cambie since it seemed to fit all of our individual requirements. This revisit of sorts has been delayed for a few years since Copa struggled with some inconsistencies. We were hoping they had worked everything out.
Much to the delight of Boss Woman, we shared a bunch of dishes amongst a few of us. Of course her selection was as obvious as a bike lane in Downtown. Yes, she selected the Scrambled Eggs and Shrimp on Rice Noodles. This was pretty good with flat rice noodles that were only mildly greasy and nicely kissed by a hot wok. On top, the starch-thickened scrambled egg sauce was silky while being well-seasoned. The decent amount of shrimp were meaty and only slightly overdone. For myself, I chose the HK-Style Cafe classic - Linguine Bolognese. Well, usually it is with spaghetti, but they like to use linguine here for some reason. I found the pasta to be a bit too soft, but it wasn't mushy either. The sauce was pretty dry for some reason and did not coat all the noodles sufficiently. It was meaty though with the classic sweet onion taste accented by star anise and melted cheese.
Bear decided on another classic being the Baked Pork Chop Rice. Now this one was saucy where the rice was adequately coated. I particularly liked the pieces of tart tomato as it livened up the usually pretty mild watered-down ketchup-based sauce. As for the pork chop, it was firm yet tender while coated with a thin layer of breading. I liked how it wasn't mushy. The rice was nicely wok-fried where it didn't get too wet with the sauce. Milhouse went off the board somewhat and ordered the Baked Grouper Florentine Style. Even though there was ample mild cream sauce on top, I felt it wasn't enough for the rice as it remained rather dry. The fish was good though being flaky and moist.
Judes decided to go for the Assorted Meat Chow Mein which was the weakest dish we had by far. The noodles were super crispy (which was actually a good thing), but there was way too little sauce to make an impact. Hence, the whole dish was dry despite the ample amount of BBQ pork, chicken, sprouts and veggies. The lack of sauce also meant the dish didn't exhibit any real flavour either. To ensure our eating satisfaction, I suggested we add the B+B Combo consisting of chicken steak and fried cod filet with black pepper sauce. This was nicely done with a succulent deboned chicken leg that was nicely crisped up. The fish was breaded lightly and fried until golden brown while sporting a moist interior. Peppery and salty, the sauce was impactful.
One last dish was the Portuguese Chicken on rice in a hot stone bowl. As much as there was seemingly a good amount of sauce on top, the dish was crying out for moisture. The rice ended up to be dry (due to the hot stone bowl), which was actually appealing, but without enough sauce, it was hard to eat. Furthermore, there was a complete lack of flavour such as the classic coconut milk and sweetness. At the very least, the chicken was moist. As part of B+B combo, we also had a bowl of Borscht on the table. Yes, it is the HK-style cafe version, but it was decent with lots of bold acidity and bite. It was also loaded with ingredients. Overall, we thought the food was okay, but not in the same league as Gloucester down the street. Portions and pricing were good though, especially being mini-meals (which included a bevy).
The Good:
- Decent portions
- Well-priced
- Comfortable seating
The Bad:
- Average eats
- Dishes were dry
- Service was sparse
There is no doubt in my mind if there was a Menchie's located closer to my house, my daughter would beg me to go every day. She practically lives on the stuff. On the other hand, my son has been a bystander on every visit. You couldn't pay him enough to eat froyo. But with the introduction of the Oreo Cookie flavour, there was hope. You see, his treat of choice is Oreos. So if one combines a preferred food item to a non-preferred food item, there is the possibility of acceptance. We raced to the nearest Menchie's to test this theory out.
So without further ado, we pounced on the Oreo Cookie froyo and he proceeded to top it off with even more Oreos in the form of bits and a whole cookie. Marshmallows, white chocolate chips and Reese Pieces were thrown in for good measure. Just like the old commercials with Life cereal... "he likes it, he likes it!!!". Yes, he ate it willingly, success! Personally, I thought it was rather sweet, but what do I know, the kiddies seemed to love it. My daughter was allowed to make her own which helps explain why it wasn't exactly photogenic. She went for the Blueberry with assorted sour candies, marshmallows and chocolate chips on top as well some waffle pieces. I usually dislike anything blueberry flavoured because it just doesn't have much impact. Well, this one wasn't bad and not overly sweet either.
For #MenchiesMyWay creation, I went for a combo of Peach Sorbet and Mango froyo with fresh strawberries, pineapple, mochi, popping pearls and a fuzzy peach gummy (my daughter's idea). I liked the mango as it was creamy and purposefully sweet. As expected, the peach sorbet was sweeter and really didn't taste too much like real peach. I liked how it wasn't icy though, even for a sorbet. Now here comes the good part, for a chance to win a Menchie's Summer VIP Pass (with 7 complimentary visits to any Menchie's across Canada), follow these 2 steps:
- Follow @Menchies_CA and @sherman38 on Twitter and/or Instagram
- Tweet/share an image of your own Menchie's creation with the hashtag #MenchiesMyWay: "Name of your creation" @Menchies_CA @sherman38
Deadline for entry is July 27th at midnight. I will select the winning entry based on presentation and an awesome name for your creation. Good Luck!
*2 of the 3 froyos were complimentary for this post*
The Good:
- Plenty of choice for froyo and toppings
- Smooth and not tart
The Bad:
- Some flavours are quite sweet (but the kids seem to like these the best...)
- Can get pricey if you pile it on
Menchie's
146 Brew St, Port Moody
(604) 492-0707
Unlike Lower Lonsdale, Hastings in Burnaby and even tiny Ladner, there aren't a whole lot of Japanese restaurants in North Delta. To further compound the problem, the ones that are located in North Delta are nothing to write home about. Without much competition, Minori has become the default "best" of a sorry bunch year after year. However, a new competitor has opened up shop in the ol' Gawa Sushi location, which incidentally is across the street from the aforementioned Minori.
For my first visit, I decided to get a taste of everything with the Sushi & Sashimi Box. This was a substantial amount of food consisting of tempura, sashimi (salmon, tuna, tai, ebi and tuna tataki), rice, sunomono salad, nigiri and chicken teriyaki. I thought the sashimi was quite good including the appealing sockeye salmon. The tempura was on the greasier side, yet crispy. Interestingly, the chicken teriyaki was made of white meat, but they managed to keep it moist. On my next visit with Bookworm, he had the same box which looked exactly the same (consistency I guess). I started with the Ebi Mayo Salad which was not very good. The greens were overdressed with an extremely oily dressing. Chewy and overcooked, the ebi were not coated with enough batter. The chili mayo was quite nice though.
For my next dish, I went for the Awesome Roll, which appeared to be decently constructed. It was comprised of spicy chopped scallop, tobiko and cucumber topped with fried snapper and more tobiko. Each piece stayed together, yet at the same time, the rice was a touch on the drier side. Although there was a good amount of sauce, it wasn't overwhelming. Since I was in the area, I decided to give Todai one more visit. I chose the Chicken Karaage as my starter and it arrived piping hot. So hot, that I burnt my lip! It was made with breast meat with barely any batter. Hence, the exterior was more chewy than crispy. Inside, the meat was decently moist for white meat. It was mildly seasoned where the lemon wedge was necessary. I would've liked some sweet mayo to add both moisture and extra flavour.
My last item was the Katsu Don featuring a large tonkatsu on top of an omelet and rice. I felt this dish was well-executed and portioned. The tonkatsu was meaty while still tender with an appealingly crunchy breading. It was topped with enough tangy tonkatsu sauce to flavour the rice as well. About that rice, it was on the drier side, but that was okay as I prefer that over mushy. Although not the most amazing Japanese food I've ever had, Todai is far and away better than the joint it replaced. In terms of value and quality, Todai is worthy of a visit.
The Good:
- Well-portioned dishes
- Decent eats
- Friendly service
The Bad:
- I found the rice a bit dry for my tastes
- Some of the fried items (ebi mayo and chicken karaage) could've used more batter
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My visit to Angie's Malaysian out on Edmonds was inevitable. Well, naturally it was gonna happen since I love the cuisine. Rather, so many of my friends (mostly from Brunei) either know the owners personally and/or have already been there, I was being recommended frequently. So when Big D suggested we head there for lunch one day, it happened sooner than later. Once inside the little eatery, we were warmly greeted by people who really seemed to care about their customers.
We started things off with an order of the Roti Canai. When it hit the table, we were a little concerned with the lack of colour and blistering on the exterior of the roti. Indeed our concerns were realized when we found the roti to be on the doughier side without the classic contrast in textures. On the other hand, the curry dip was good being flavourful with a definite kick and background sweetness. Next up, the Curry Laksa was pretty good. We found the broth to have a balanced amount of coconut milk which ensured a certain level of aroma. With a squeeze of lime, there was also an appealing acidity accented by just enough heat and sweetness. One thing we would've liked to see was some shrimp and some more dried shrimp flavour in the broth. 
Our last dish, the Mee Goreng, also happened to be our favourite. It was subjected to a good amount of stir-frying where there was carameliztion of flavours. We liked how there was a restrained amount of sweetness from the ketjap manis which enabled the spiciness to come to the forefront. With the good amount fried shallots, there was an extra layer of aromatics and crunch. The slippery noodles were toothsome while the ample amount of bbq pork added body to the dish. Of course, this was not enough food to get a sense of the place, so Big and I returned along with Slick for more dishes, including the Pulot Panggang which was sticky rice filled with sambal, dried shrimp and coconut. A touch dry, the sticky rice was definitely aromatic from the coconut milk, but was lacking in filling which resulted in a muted briny saltiness.
Next up, we tried the Hainanese Chicken featuring de-boned chicken thigh meat. Being such, the meat was soft and super moist. It was flavourful on its own with a mild soy essence. The skin was buttery while underneath lay a small amount of gelatin. One thing that could've been better was the rice as it wasn't particularly tasty on its own (despite the soy on the bottom of the plate). With a brief intermission from rice dishes, we had the Seria Kolomee with fish cake, BBQ pork, ground pork and fried shallots. We enjoyed the aromatic shallots as well as a hint of sesame oil. The noodles were slippery while still toothsome. We felt there was enough impact without being reliant on salt. I'm sure it would've been even better if we added the side of pickled peppers.
Putting Big D in charge of ordering means more food, so we also had the "national dish" of Malaysia - Nasi Lemak. Sadly, this was the weakest dish of the bunch. The rice was not particularly fragrant, in fact, it was rather dry. Furthermore, they ran out of chicken leg and substituted it with a chicken wing (they did inform us of this). Whatever the case, we thought they should've added another wing. The side of sambal sauce was a somewhat mild, but still aromatic. I wish there was more of it though. Moving onto a more fulfilling dish, the Curry Chicken was much better. This was a fairly large portion featuring tender nuggets of chicken bathed in an aromatic and mildly spicy curry. Overall, we enjoyed our 2 visits to Angie's. There is room for improvement, but considering the price point, Angie's is definitely an option for those seeking Malaysian (with Brunei influences) cuisine in the area.
