Mello

Surprisingly, the donut game in Vancouver is pretty underdeveloped.  Compared to Portland and even Seattle, we don't really have a good variety.  However, there is a new player in town that serves up brioche donuts that have some similarities to General Porpoise in Seattle (and also Blue Star in Portland).  I had visited Mello in the first few weeks of opening and came away somewhat disappointed.  However, I returned with Mijune a month later and their product definitely improved.  This post will be a combination of both visits.

Initially, I got a selection that included Lemon Curd, Vanilla, Chocolate, PB&J, Strawberries and Cream as well as a Cake Donut.  In terms of texture, the donuts were indeed soft and fluffy, but curiously dry.  Hence, it didn't fulfill the promise of a brioche donut.  I thought the lemon curd to be creamy and balanced in flavour.  Not too sweet and just tangy enough.  Nothing special about the vanilla and chocolate.  Texturally, it was like eating pudding and the flavours were pretty much on par for pudding.  Despite being the simple combination of peanut butter and jam, that was one of my favourite donuts as it was familiar-tasting and classic.  Surprisingly, the best donut of the bunch was the glazed cake donut.  Nice density balanced with a moist fluffiness.  Slightly crispy on the outside with just enough glaze.

With Mijune, we ended up with a similar selection except for the Tiramisu and Corn Flakes Cookie.  This time around, the brioche donut was not dry and it was even fluffier.  So much so, it started to deform on the bottom as it sat on the table.  No matter, we enjoyed it and I am glad they were able to tweak the recipe.  Tiramisu donut was pretty good but the cocoa powder blew everywhere after the first bite.  Was pretty funny as it ended up all over Mijune.  Although dry, the cookie was reminiscent of an almond cookie except with the extra crunch of corn flakes on top.  So I'm glad I got to try Mello again where it yielded better results.  Also, they are open during this Covid-19 pandemic, so you can still pick up a box.  I might just do that as well.

The Good:
- Fluffy and light
- Not too sweet
- Cake donut is good too

The Bad:
- Expensive
- Limited flavours randomly available

Nightingale

One of the last meals Mijune and I had before Covid-19 shutdown (and really, it was a good idea to not go out anyways...) was at the popular Nightingale restaurant from Chef David Hawksworth.  Recently, Chef Alan Tam (no, not the singer) took over the reigns from Chef Phil Scarphone.  Even though I've been here before (and countless times for Mijune), it seemed like a good opportunity to check out some of the classic dishes on the menu as well as a few changes from the new chef.  

Although we had each already had our own dinners, we ended up with 2nd dinner (pretty normal for Mijune). Starting off light, we had the delicious Seared Albacore Tuna with red kosho, radish, lime vinaigrette and fried onion furikake.  Although simple in theory, the flavours of the dish were far from that.  The bright sweetness of the fish was perfectly complimented by the acidity of the vinaigrette.  An extra component of refreshing bite came in the form of the koshu.  Staying on the same theme of lighter dishes, we had the Citrus Salad next.  This consisted of cashews, fresh herbs and bee pollen vinaigrette.  Lots of things going on here including the bitterness of the radicchio and tangy sweetness of the blood orange and grapefruit.  Herbs added a certain green taste that was complimented by the nuttiness of the buttery cashews.  I don't normally love salad, but I did love this one.

One of the most iconic dishes at Nightingale has to be the Buttermilk Fried Chicken with spiced Maple syrup, sumac and pickles.  There are some pretty good versions of fried chicken in the city, and this one stacks up well compared to Annalena and Downlow.  The best part is of course the chicken as it was juicy and tender with a crispy well-seasoned batter.  Sweet with extra layers of flavour, the syrup didn't detract from the crispiness.  It was beautifully balanced by the salty tang of the pickles.  Yummy.  Mijune insisted we order the Baked Sweet Potato with jalapeño, saddler's smoked bacon, crème fraîche and scallions.  Okay, she was right as this thing was friggin' addictive.  Sweet with depth and super soft, the potato was not only elevated by the smoky saltiness of the bacon, it provided the necessary crunch to balance the softness of the dish.  Bringing it all down was the dollop of crème fraîche. As if this wasn't enough, the peppers provided a kick too.

A new creation from Chef Tam was the Whipped Avocado with guajillo salsa consisting of pumpkin and sesame seeds, roasted garlic and olive oil.  Served on the side was deliciously charred and blistered za'atar flatbread.  Beyond the creamy and fresh avocado, the salsa was what made this dish (well, the bread was pretty awesome too).  It was smoky, nutty, aromatic and only the slightest hint of heat.  Yes, the smokiness of the bread as well as the nuttiness of the spice didn't hurt things either.  Trying to get more veggies into our meals, we had the Roasted Cauliflower with sultana raisins, cilantro, sunflower seeds and turmeric vinaigrette.  Not sure if this meant healthier, but it was indeed tasty.  Again, layers of flavour here including the smoky sweetness of the cauliflower, more sweetness from the sultanas and an earthiness from the vinaigrette.  We only wished that the cauliflower was a bit firmer.

Although Mijune wasn't too keen on the Triple Cooked Potato Wedges, I insisted on ordering them because I'm a sucker for fried potatoes.  Besides, more veggies right???  Well, these were served with a harissa aioli and seasoned simply with sea salt.  Being triple cooked, they were golden brown, crunchy and nutty.  They were crunchy as I expected with the fluffiness of potato inside.  This was achieved due to its physical thickness whereas frites would be crunchy with much less potatoness left.  I was curious about the Grilled Beef Shortribs and they turned out to be an Asian-inspired version complete with kohlrabi kimchi.  They were tender and fatty with cararmelized smokiness.  They were a little wet, but that meant that they were just not chewy.  They were simply garnished with sesame seeds and scallions.

Sweets began with the Sticky Toffee Pudding with candied pecans, boubon butterscotch and Maple ice Cream.  As this dessert can be very rich and sweet, the one we had was somewhat lighter.  Very buttery and aromatic with the deep rich sweetness of toffee.  Decadent.  Seemingly simple, the PB&J Ice Cream Sandwich was fantastic!  Sweet, but not too sweet and perfectly nutty, the ice cream was smooth while the amount of jam was just right.  Captured the essence of the flavour profile while cold and encased with crunchy, yet light cookie.  Delish.  I am so glad Mijune suggested we hit up Nightingale because it was even better than my initial visit.  Things change, chefs change.  Good to keep up with everything.  I hope when we can get back to eating out, that Nightingale is there too.

*There was a discount for the food

The Good:
- Their classic dishes are really good
- That ice cream sandwich...
- Okay pricing for the food quality

The Bad:
- Need to order quite a few dishes to get full
- Some seats upstairs aren't the best

Curry Lounge

Back in the day, I would make the occasional jaunt into White Rock/South Surrey to meet up with friends for some eats.  However, that would be mostly relegated to Marine Drive.  In the recent past and present, I have been heading out to the establishments littered around 32nd Avenue in South Surrey.  It started with spots like My Shanti and Sammy J's.  Then Famoso, S+L, Afghan Kitchen and Mink Chocolates.  Add in many of the big box stores and specialty shops at Morgan Crossing, we have a vibrant community that only continues to grow.  Prior to the Covid-19 shutdown of everything, I made my way out there again to try out Curry Lounge with Mijune and David.

From the outside, it didn't do the interior decor justice as it was clean, modern and classy.  Combined with typical Northern Indian dishes, the menu at Curry Lounge features more creative items from owner/chef Jatin Sharma.  Probably one of our favourite items was served first in the Mushroom Mumtaz.  These featured button mushrooms stuffed with cheese, veggies and spices cooked in a spinach sauce.  At first, I thought this was a chicken dish as it wasn't apparent these were mushrooms.  Beyond the creamy texture of the filling, the flavours were impactful and harmonious.  In addition to the earthiness of the mushrooms, we got an extra hit with the cumin.  With russet potatoes stuffed with minced chicken and cooked in kashmiri-style sauce, the Kashmiri Chicken Dum Aloo was also good.  The potato was firm, but still fully-cooked.  Moist and mild-tasting, the chicken filling was aromatic and nutty.  It tasted more impactful with the coriander chutney served on the side.

With plenty of tin foil over the bone, the Murg Chengezi was delicious.  It featured bone-in chicken clay-roasted then cooked in a Mughlai-style rich sauce.  The dark meat chicken was so moist and tender, that it literally needed very little effort to eat.  It was juicy due to the amount of sauce clinging to each piece.   About that sauce, it was creamy, nutty and earthy with a touch of spice. To further amp the flavour-quotient, there was a side of butter chicken sauce as well.  Looking like tubes of formed chicken meat, the Gulafi Chicken Seekh was one of the more subtle-tasting dishes of the meal.  It featured minced chicken with a blend of spices cooked in a clay oven.  Yet another Mughlai delicacy, these kebabs were moist and exhibited light garlic and ginger notes.  It was also very lightly spicy too.  Again, the side of chutney was needed to elevate the dish.

Cooked in brown onion gravy, the Lahori Lamb Dum Pukt was another awesome dish.  Just by appearances alone, it had tasty written all-over-it.  Even before getting to the sauce, the rack-of-lamb chops were beautifully charred.  Hence there was a smokiness to go with the marinated flavour of the meat.  Oh and that gravy...  Aromatic, earthy and lightly spicy with caramelized sweetness, this not only elevated the lamb, it was perfect with rice and naan.  I kept going back to this over and over again.  On that note, I did pair it up with the Lamb Biryani.  Yes, plain basmati rice would've been more appropriate, but this worked well too.  This straight-up was excellent on its own with plenty of spice and natural lamb flavour.  The rice was nutty and chewy with the usual earthiness from the cumin and background sharpness from the ginger.  Each piece of lamb was buttery soft and well-seasoned.

We ended up adding a classic dish to our meal albeit done in a way that is not typical on North American menus.  The Indian-Style Butter Chicken had all of the best parts of the butter chicken we are familiar with including a rich creaminess accented by mild tomato and spices.  However, the most noticeable difference was the addition of cashews which made the concoction thicker and of course nuttier.  Lots of aromatics to go with the chunks of charred tandoori chicken.  Delicious!   We happened to be there as they were participating in the Curry Challenge, so we tried their creation - Mughlai Chicken Sensation (chicken breast stuffed with mince lamb, cashew , almond and raisins with a brown fried onion and cashew paste sauce).  Another winner here as the chicken was moist while beautifully charred on the outside from the clay oven.  Stuffing was nutty and sweet from the raisins with a touch of gaminess from the lamb.  Reminiscent of a korma, the sauce was creamy and aromatic from the cashew paste.  It had a rich caramelized sweetness from the onion as well.

We weren't done yet a this point, where we tried out a few more items including the Palak Corn.  Yes, most of us are familiar with palak paneer which features the rich spinach puree with garlic, ginger and spices as well as chunks of cheese.  This version was purely vegetarian and it was so tasty, I didn't miss the paneer.  Supremely creamy and full of depth, this was served pipping hot (the temperature really heightened the flavours).  Loved the pops of sweet corn to go with the earthy savouriness of the palak.  Moving onto another saucy creation, we had the Yellow Dal (lentils) cooked with onion, garlic and tomato.  Also served scorching hot, this really helped elevate the spices and level of spice.  As a result, the dish was full of impact and once again, the absence of meat wasn't an issue at all.

Of course Mijune was not satisfied, so we got one last savoury dish in the Chicken Tikka. Rather saucy, the pieces of chicken were tender and almost juicy.  Although there was obvious char, the resulting moisture (probably from the marinade) limited the smokiness and carmelization.  On the other hand, the amount of "sauce" on the outside also meant there was plenty of flavour.  Yet again, the side of chutney was welcomed as it added both brightness and spiciness.  On the side, we were serve Stuffed Spinach Naan, Garlic Naan and Tandoori Roti.  As much as the garlic naan was fluffy with appealing elasticity and leoparding, the real star of the show was the thin tandoori roti.  It was large, thin and pleasantly chewy (which means it was soft, but still retained a chew).  As for the stuffed naan, it was also good, but a bit more charring would've improved its appearance.

Onto the sweets, we were served Faluda Ice Cream, Gulab Jamun and Ras Malai.  Generally, Indian desserts are quite sweet and these were along those lines, but I enjoyed them anyways.  This could've been a result of two factors including the heavy meal we just consumed and also the desserts were sweet, but not crazy sweet.  Starting with the faluda, the ice cream was smooth while the rose syrup did make things sweeter.  As expected, the floral rose water helped sweeten the gulab jamun while the scoop of mango ice cream helped vary the flavours.  My favourite was the ras malai as it was simple and refreshing.  Yes, it was sweet and aromatic too as well as being creamy.  A nice finish to an epic meal that was full of creativity and well-executed proteins.  It is truly nice to see so many great food options in the area.  Kinda makes me want to be closer...

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Not just the regular
- Food served at the right temperature
- Modern dining space

The Bad:
- Maybe a bit far for most people
- Tables nearby could've been cleaned faster

Yokohama Teppanyaki

Okay, I've read the reviews.  Actually, I've even heard from first-hand experiences about the mediocre food at Yokohama Teppanyaki out in Steveston.  So what prompted me to drive all the way out there (from North Burnaby) to have a questionable meal?  LOL, yes, it was the cursed Groupon.  Hey why not, it was cheap (there was a further discount) and I've never tried it out.  I think Nora scolded me about going there.  I don't blame her, but we need to try the crappy stuff so we can appreciate the good things more right?  Don't take things for granted???  I guess we were about to find out!

So similar to many other Teppanyaki joints, we were seated at a 4-sided station that had 2 grills.  Being a party of 2, we were with another group of 4.  So be prepared to be a bit social.  Otherwise, make a reservation of 8 and you will be will all friends.  So before we got to the cooked food, we were served a plate consisting of Miso Soup, Green Salad and Edamame.  There is not much to comment on this other than the miso soup was your standard offering from a non-Authentic Japanese restaurant.  The green salad was fresh and the dressing was a bit bland.  Edamame was well, edamame.  Next, we were presented with a plate that sported on Onigiri and 2 pieces of Sushi which appeared to be a form of BC Roll (we were never told what it was).  These were okay, nothing special. I found the rice in the roll to be too soft while the onigiri was better. 

Interestingly, for the teppanyaki, we were started with the Veggies and Fried Rice before the proteins.  Usually, it goes the other way around.  Not a man of many words, our chef was nice and tried his hardest.  That was about it as the entertainment value was below average.  A mix of zucchini, sprouts and mushrooms, our veggies were well-seasoned and had enough caramelization.  For some, this might've been a bit too salty, yet that is probably where the fried rice came into play.  The rice was pretty good where it was chewy and aromatic from the flattop fry.  Since there was a good amount of butter and seasoning used, it was blessed with plenty of flavour on its own.

Onto the meats of the meal, we were served a portion of Striploin with garlic.  With all things considered, the quality of the steak was actually quite good.  It was moist and tender despite the slight overcook (we would've preferred medium-rare, it was closer to medium).  Again, the chef was not shy with the butter and seasoning, so it did taste good.  It didn't look like a lot of steak (especially all cut up), but it was sufficient.  Our last 2 proteins consisted of Shrimp and Basa.  Not particularly large, the 3 shrimp were good but not very satisfying.  I wish we have at least 2 more.  There was a buttery snap and once again, very well-seasoned.  As for the basa, the fish is one of most inexpensive on the market, but at the same time, I don't particularly mind it.  It was soft and flaky (as it tends to be, very forgiving) while once again, aggressively seasoned.

For dessert, we were given the option between Green Tea or Mango Ice Cream.  We got one of each and well, they were pretty standard.  At the very least, they were creamy and not icy.  So at the end of it, I would say the Teppanyaki experience at Yokohama was exactly as expected - average at best.  Now with that in mind, it wasn't terrible either.  But given that Yokohama is located in Steveston, I wouldn't drive all the way there unless you live nearby and bought a Groupon.  However, this needs to be said - with the mediocre choices for Teppanyaki in the GVRD, it isn't as if there are many better ones too.

The Good:
- Inexpensive if you have a Groupon (which seems to be an ongoing offer)
- Decent service
- Acceptable food

The Bad:
- Meh experience all-around
- Low entertainment value

Livia Forno e Vino

When Livia first opened, I was quite aware that they had some killer bread and other baked goods.  Further more, I also knew that they had a breakfast and lunch menu that I was interested in trying.  However, watching Mijune's IG stories, I noticed that they were suddenly doing a dinner service featuring their house-made pastas.  Well, that really piqued my interest.  When Viv suggested we go out for date-night, that was the perfect segue for us to try it out.  Just a tip, there was no mention of reservations available on their website, but indeed you can make one (well, when this Covid-19 thing has passed).

We tried to emulate Mijune (of course we couldn't completely get there) by ordering as much as we could handle beginning with the Vitello Tonnato.  As you can clearly see, this was well-portioned and carefully plated.  Supremely thin, the slices of medium veal were moist and barely needed any effort to chew.  On top, the tuna mayo was creamy and fishy (in a good way) while salty enough to flavour all of the meat.  The capers added more salt and a touch of tang.  We really loved our next dish in the Clams all'Arrabbiata featuring Baynes Sound Manila clams, tomato and chili.  Usually, I loved any pasta in an arrabbiata sauce, so this was going to be a win even if it was mediocre.  Now this was far from that as it was outstanding!  All the clams were open being buttery and just barely cooked-through.  They were briny and sweet while the arrabbiata was tangy and spicy.  To top it all off, we were served a side of Livia's famous sourdough.

Off to the 3 available pastas, we had the Agnolotti alla Piemontese stuffed with veal and rainbow chard.  These were supremely al dente, possibly a bit too much so in my opinion.  However, that wasn't a deal-breaker since we loved the chewiness.  Inside, the veal was full-flavoured and the reduced braising jus was silky, meaty and nicely spiked with black pepper.  If I had to compare, I would give Oca Pastificio across the street the slight edge in terms of the agnolotti.  Next up, the Orecchiette con Rapini e Salsiccia was fantastic.  Great texture on the thumbed pasta with a chew that had rebound.  Best of all, the combination of rapini, fennel sausage and chili was impactful.  We got hits of the fattiness from the sausage as well as the licorice taste from the fennel.  Brightness from the rapini and then a hit of spice from the chili.  Really good.

Our last pasta was purely vegetarian, but happened to be my favourite too!  Considering I loved the squash agnolotti at Oca Pastificio as well makes me wonder if there is some vegetarian in me!!!  The delicious Tagliolini ai Finferli was graced with chanterelle mushrooms, white wine and parmigiano.  That meant it was full of earthiness and nutty saltiness while balanced by the crisp white wine.  Just enough moisture graced each al dente noodle so it didn't clump together.  Simple but well-executed.

We tried both desserts starting with the Orange Blossom Semifreddo with sesame crunch and blood orange.  This lived up to its namesake by being floral and lightly sweet.  We found the semifreddo not completely set so it was rather soft.  However, it wasn't a huge deal as it was light and fruity (just how I like it).  With that being said, the Chocolate Nemesis Cake with rum and chestnut cream was the better of the two.  It was rich and chocolaty while being light and fluffy in texture.  Not sure if the figs really went with this cake, but the cream was aromatic and light. Overall, we really enjoyed our dinner at Livia.  There is no doubt we will be back and hope everything is good with Livia after the restrictions have been lifted due to Covid-19.

The Good:
- Well-prepared food
- Super kind service
- Quaint

The Bad:
- Small, some seats are tight (but it makes it more personal and quaint IMO
- Super nice people, but we weren't checked on enough

Afuri Ramen & Dumpling

I've seen the hype.  I've heard the hype.  So what's the deal with Afuri Ramen & Dumpling?  They have opened up a location in Richmond in the old Dazzling Cafe spot and IG was littered with posts.  In actuality, this hasn't been the first time I've heard of Afuri.  I was passing by Portland last year and it was on my list.  I just didn't get around to trying it.  After working off the calories before we consumed them at the Olympic Oval, Jacqueline and I made our way over to the newish Afuri Ramen to see and taste for ourselves.

To ensure we tried all of the good stuff, we went for their signature Yuzu Shoyu Ramen with chashu, frisee and nori.  I am a great supporter in change and innovation, so a lighter and tangier ramen broth was welcomed.  However, I found this to be much too shallow in terms of impact and depth.  Hence, there was a lack of umaminess.   Furthermore, the fruity tang was not something that worked for me in a ramen.  The seared pork chashu was good though where it was smoky and melted-in-my-mouth.  Even better, the egg was perfectly runny and seasoned.  Trying to go for something more typical, we had the Tonkotsu Shio Ramen next and it featured some black garlic oil as well.  That we got, but the pork flavour was fairly weak.  It was intentional, yet again, it wasn't our cup of tea.  The ramen was far too light and didn't exhibit the usual silkiness as well as depth.

Moving onto another section on the menu, we selected the Karaage Gohan.  The first thing that we noticed was the soggy rice that was texturally off.  Honestly, how do you mess the rice up?  This setup the dish for failure as every bite was wet with poor mouth feel.  As much as the chicken karaage was crispy on the outside and juicy inside, there was just not enough of it.  Hence, we ran out of it pretty quickly and was left with rice and veggies. This dish was a definite miss.  On the other hand, the Soft-Shell Crab Bun was fantastic.  Easily the best thing we had (which wasn't very hard to to do honestly), the crab was large and fried perfectly.  It was crispy and well-seasoned while the inside was fluffy.  Loved the spice and crunch of the veggies it provided lots of textures to compliment the soft mantou.  It held together and the whole thing ate beautifully.

Our last dish was the Buta Gyoza that sported a considerable skirt.  However, that didn't translate to any crispiness.  In fact, the bottom of the gyoza was doughy.  Actually, the whole thing was surprisingly doughy with very little elasticity.  I wonder if they overcooked them and despite the sear underneath, it wasn't able to be rescued?  Not sure, whatever the case, this was meh.  Realistically, the only thing we enjoyed was the bun and seeing the overall cost of the meal, we are not planning on returning when there are so many other good ramen spots in town.

The Good:
- Spacious dining space (rare for a ramen joint)
- Okay service
- Fairly varied menu

The Bad:
- Ramen broths are light by design, but it doesn't mean we have to like them
- Rice was wet
- Gyoza were doughy