Khob Khun Thai

During these really strange times, I have concentrated on cooking at home and spending time with the fam.  I haven't been really going out until recently.  Even with that, I'm pretty selective of who I meet with and where.  Prior to my actual first dine-in experience, we had met up with Bluebeard and Nikita at Blue Mountain Park for some outdoor take-out dinner.  Seeing how Khob Khun Thai was just around the corner, it was as good as anytime to finally try the place it.  It had been on my radar for quite some time and we had originally pegged it as a dining destination before heading to Silvercity one night.  Well that won't happen anytime soon, so this was our opportunity.

We weren't sure as to their spice level so instead of going all-the-way to 5, we went just a notch below with 4.  Judging how much heat there was in the Pad Thai Goong, it was plenty in our opinion.  There was an initial smack to our faces with spice and then it continued and lingered throughout our meal.  I thought the pad thai was a little dry, but plenty chewy in texture.  This might've been the fact we did takeout and it sat in the box a for bit where the moisture was soaked up.  As mentioned there was heat that also went along with some sweetness and tang.  Prawns were perfectly cooked with a meaty snap.

Just as spicy, if not more, the Pla Pad Prik Keag (Crispy Fish Belly) was tangy and sweet.  Again, I'm sure the fish would've been crispier and less moisture-logged if we had eaten it in the restaurant fresh.  Despite this, I enjoyed this with the rice for 2 that we ordered (it was so generous in size, it was more like rice for 4).  The fish itself was a touch on the drier side, yet with such a thin piece of belly, it would've been difficult to keep tender.  Besides, it was supposed to be crispy anyways, not flaky.

With a touch less heat due to the coconut milk, the Chicken Green Curry was full of tender meat, peppers, green beans, eggplant and bamboo shoots.  It was a bit thin in consistency, however, it didn't lack flavour.  I would've liked a touch more fermented shrimp essence, but the spice and aromatics did still come through.  As mentioned, the generous amount of properly prepared ingredients made this hearty.  There was more than enough curry to compliment the giant box of coconut rice on the side.

For the kiddies, they can handle spice, but not to the level we are used to, so we ended getting them the Pad See Ew.  There was about an even 50-50 split between flat rice noodles and ingredients (including tender beef, crunchy gai lan and egg).  Hence, it ate hearty with varying textures.  I thought the noodles were nicely prepared with an appealing chewiness.  There was evidence of caramelization and I liked how it wasn't overly greasy.  It was balanced between sweet and salty, but for me at least, I would've added hot sauce to it (to be fair, we asked for mild).

Also for the kiddies, we got an order of Khao Man Gai which is essentially a version of Hainanese chicken.  Similar to the one you would find in Portland (Nong's Khao Man Gai), this one featured a side of the sweet garlicky ginger sauce that naturally went well with the chicken and rice.  There was ample amount of tender chicken to go with an equally large portion of chewy rice.  I would've liked more sauce since the dish itself wasn't exactly flavourful on its own (and it generally isn't).  Next time, I'm going to double up on that sauce.

For dessert, we went for the classic Mango with Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice.  As you can see in the picture, the sticky rice wasn't exactly the most attractive thing as it was pretty mushed up.  However, it tasted great being aromatic and just sweet enough.  I can understand why the rice was like that as I'm sure it isn't a big seller.  So it probably wasn't prepared fresh (would've taken too long anyways).  Mango was tangy and ripe though.  Overall, we enjoyed the food from Khob Khun Thai despite some of the critiques.  Understandably, the dine-in experience would be superior and we are more than willing to do that in the future.

The Good:

- Well-portioned

- Super nice owners

- Spicy enough

The Bad:

- Limited seating and now with Covid restrictions, even less

- Sticky rice was a bit mushy

Glowbal

Although I've had some takeout and even a semi-dining out experience at McArthur Glen, Viv and I haven't really gone to a restaurant for the true dine-in experience since mid-March.  We finally took the plunge at Glowbal due to a variety of factors.  First off, we had purchased the gift card bonus back in April and needed to use it.  Secondly, the outdoor dining at the front of the restaurant appeared to be a really safe place during these Covid times.  That it was with plexiglass dividers (even for the already separated booths) and all of the other usual Covid protocols.  We even noticed that the manager doubled checked each table after it was cleaned by staff.  We felt assured.

Onto the food, we started with their feature of the day which was the Dungeness Crab Cakes coated with a quinoa crust accompanied by arugula and fennel salad, pineapple salsa and lemon tarragon aioli.  These were full of crab and very little filler.  The outside was firmly crispy due to the use of 2 different types of quinoa.  Very subtle flavours in the crab cake itself where the salsa helped with the acidity and sweetness.  With that being said, a bit more acidity would've amped the flavours even more so.

Instead of ordering only one pasta (as another appie), we decided to go big with the Pasta Platter to Share consisting of Glowbal’s Spaghetti & signature meatballs, short rib pappardelle, rigatoni pomodoro and
tiger prawn pappardelle.  To say this was a whole lot of food would be an understatement.  One of the best values in town in my opinion at $45.00.  Moreover, we found it to be pretty solid too with moist and meatballs with truffled spaghetti.  Big slices of tender short rib nestled within the al dente pappardelle and flavourful braising jus.  Our favourite was the spicy and tangy rigatoni.  Creamy and rich, the prawn pappardelle was topped with fried capers and tangy roasted tomatoes which cut through the heaviness.  Best of all, the prawns were gigantic and perfectly textured.

Of course we didn't end our meal there (as evidenced in the background) as we also had the Pan-Roasted Halibut with lemon, capers, homemade gnocchi and brown butter foam.  Unfortunately, all the components of the dish were excellent except for the halibut itself.  Despite the beautiful sear on the outside, the fish itself was dry and overdone.  Too bad because the veggies were expertly prepared being vibrant while coated with a nutty brown butter.  The gnocchi were on the firmer side, yet at the same time had a good mouth-feel.

Now I've had the burgers at Glowbal before, so I was pretty sure we would enjoy the Ultimate Burger with a 9 oz beef patty, braised shortrib, mushrooms, double smoked bacon, fried mac n’ cheese, onion rings, truffle aioli, beefsteak tomato, lettuce, dill pickle, fries and side caesar salad.  This monstrosity was a bit hard to eat, but it was all worth it.  The large patty was meaty and moist while the brioche bun held it together (despite getting a bit soft on the bottom).  Individual components were good where the short rib was tender, bacon was thick and rendered.  Crispy onion ring and loved the cubes of fried mac n' cheese on top.  Another solid deal at $22.00.

We saved a little room for dessert and had the classic Zeppole al Cioccolato with hazelnuts, vanilla crème anglaise and amaretti biscuit.  I've had these Italian-style donuts on many occasions and these were good as usual.  A bit crispy on the outside and plenty fluffy on the inside, the semi-sweet molten chocolate centre was a nice contrast to the sweet
crème anglaise.  Very addictive and hard to eat just one.  However, that is what we did as there was another dessert!

The featured dessert of the night was the Lavender Pot de Crème with fresh berries and sugar tuile.  Wow this was really rich and creamy.  Viv thought it was bit too thick, but for me, it was prefect.  Otherwise, if it was light, it would resemble a pannacotta.  This was not that and the spoon would've easily stayed put if I stuck it down the centre.  It was aromatic and floral while only purposefully sweet.  The fresh berries were a simple and nice compliment adding more sweetness and tang.   In the end, we tried to pull a "Mijune" but was ultimately unsuccessful.  Where is she when you need her to finish the food???  Anyways, the meal at Glowbal was good and pricing was fair with all things considered.  Best of all, the Covid protocol was solid and we felt safe dining there.

The Good:

- They take the Covid protocols seriously

- Good value with all things considered

- Excellent service

The Bad:

- Halibut was overcooked

Food Folk Eatery (McArthur Glen)

Okay, so this is my first post in a long time and in fact, my first time "eating out" since mid-March.  I was invited to try out 3 of the food options located in the Food Folk Eatery at McArthur Glen.  Many of you are already familiar with Hula Poke and Chachi's Sandwiches, however this is the first location of Dirtbelly in the GVRD.  Originally from Calgary, Dirtbelly offers up fresh salads loaded with greens and grains. In fact, this is the first time that all 3 of them are in one food hall within BC.  Worked for me as I could try them all and outside in the fresh air as well!

Since I've never had Dirtybelly before, I quickly dug into their Jerk Warm Bowl consisting of savoury rice, kale, red pepper, spiced pineapple, yam, cilantro, green onion, coconut flakes, Thai green chilis and jerk coconut crema.  So you know how when something is advertised as spicy and it isn't?  Well, not this one.  My mouth was on fire from the green chilis. This was strangely satisifying with firm chewy rice that was aromatic and of course spicy.  Lots of different textures and flavours at play here.

I added a simple Fieldberry Salad to represent the salad portion of their menu.  Sure, there were many other more elaborate choices, but the combination of spinach, romaine, carrot, cranberries, blueberries, almonds, pumpkin seeds, feta and 1/2 avocado in a raspberry poppyseed vinaigrette sounded light and refreshing.  That it was and it was not overdressed.  A good combination of sweet and tanginess combined with the pops of blueberry and sweetness from the dried cranberries.

Onto some creations from Hula Poke, we tried the Tiki first.  This continued the spiciness with a bevy of red chilis accompanying togarashi sauce, cucumber, green onion, edamame, crispy onion, black sesame, cilantro, kale and tuna atop coconut rice.  Yes, my mouth was still on fire from the Jerk, now it really needed some of the drinks served on the side.  Unlike almost all of the other poke spots in town, Hula offers the choice between traditional sushi rice or a blend of jasmine and basmati rice.  With this bowl, we had the coconut rice and it was much lighter and fluffier.

Again, to get something that was less spicy, we also tried the Yuzu with ginger sesame, avocado, cucumber, edamame, carrot, furikake, black sesame, crispy onion, kale and salmon.  They weren't shy about dressing the poke and the potency of flavours were a result.  A good combination of sweet, tangy and savoury.  I thought the fluffy rice was a good match to the dressing and the generous topping of kale.  Much like the Tiki, the fish was in large chunks and appealingly textured.

For our sandwiches at Chachi's we began with the Chili Chicken with sweet chili sauce, jalapeno, cilantro, cucumber, spicy mayo and red onion.  This was essentially crispy chicken strips doused in a sweet glaze and placed within ciabatta.  Solid sandwich, but the addition of jalapeno up the spiciness.  Lots of flavour from the cilantro and onion as well.  Yes, this was fine and dandy, yet my favourite sammie at Chachi's was the last thing we had.

The Pork with Mac is the sandwich to get at Chachi's in my opinion.  I've had it a few times in the past and it consists of sweet pulled pork, sweet chili BBQ sauce and mac n' cheese.  This was predictably messy where the pork was tender and saucy.  I would've preferred the noodles to be a bit more al dente, but the cheese really helped compliment the sweet BBQ sauce.  Best of all, the aggressively toasted ciabatta easily stayed intact to hold all that sauciness inside.  Overall, I already knew that Hula Poke and Chachi's were going to be good.  What surprised me was the warm bowl from Dirtbelly.  Super tasty and filling (and there wasn't any meat!).  Nice to see some new choices at McArthur Glen.

*All food and beverages were complimentary

The Good:

- 3 completely different food choices all in one place

- Lots of choice

- Spicy means spicy

The Bad:

- Could use a bit more seating when it gets busy, but you can just eat in the mall too

Let's take a pause...

First and foremost, I hope everyone is doing well during these uncertain times.  I have friends that are either out-of-work or have taken pay cuts.  I really feel for all the people that have been affected by Covid-19, in terms of health and economically.  Although I do have a few posts that I can still throw up on the blog, I've decided to take a break for the time being.  I have been cooking lots and have been considering whether to activate a domain that I've been paying for since 2011.  It is www.shermanscookingadventures.com and I might very well start posting on it.  It currently redirects to this site.  However, I will start posting again when I feel that it is the right time.  The people in the restaurant industry work hard and I wish them the very best.  Naturally, I would also like to acknowledge everyone who is out there doing their job and keeping people healthy and stocked with supplies.  For now, follow me on Instagram: @shermansfoodadventures  Take care everyone!

Thai New West

7 years ago I had visited Thai New West and came away with a fairly good meal.  Now that was only a few dishes and I always thought I should go back for a more in-depth post.  However, just like with everything else, that was pushed aside due to so many of restaurants I wanted to visit in the meantime.  Conveniently, Mijune was invited to try the place out and I joined her to help eat all of the food.  Mind you, she really doesn't need my help.  She could've finished it all by herself anyways... 

Well, at the very least, I was there to enjoy a meal with good company.  We weren't straying far from the classics as the first two dishes to arrive were the Green Papaya Salad and Chicken Satay.  Sporting the desired crunch, we found the salad to be fresh and well-constructed with green papaya, garlic, carrot, chilli, tomato, green bean, peanuts and fresh lime.  The best part was the balanced flavours including the heat from the chilis as well as the usual fish sauce and accompanying sweetness.  Neatly plated with peanut sauce and cucumber relish (as well as some shrimp chips), the chicken satay were moist and tender (almost juicy).  They were aromatic and properly seasoned.  There could've been a more aggressive char, but then again, that might've dried the chicken out.

We continued on with our favourite appie of the night being the Larb with ground chicken, chilli, roasted rice, onions, herbs and fresh lime.  Unlike some other versions I've had lately, this one was moist, yet not wet.  Sometimes the meat gets dried out, but this one was perfect.  Flavours were also very apparent with a bright acidity complimenting a noted spiciness and brininess from the fish sauce.  So much so, my nose was runny from the experience (which was a good thing!).  The next dish was a little more simple in the Crispy Tiger Prawns.  These large prawns were wrapped like a spring roll. As a result, it kept the prawns moist and maintained their texture with a meaty snap.  The wrapper on the outside was aggressively crunchy which was a nice contrast.

Our last starter was the traditional Tom Yum Goong with lemon grass, mushrooms, onion, tomatoes, kaffir and tamarind juice.  Not overly complex but sometimes hard to balance, this was indeed spot on.  We could definitely get all the notes of sour, tangy, spicy, salty (briny from the fish sauce) and sweetness.  The best part was that there were many layers of tanginess from the lime and tamarind as well as the tomatoes.  Lots of large prawns which were meaty as well.  What followed next was my absolute favourite dish of the night - the Pad Kee Mao or Drunken Noodles.  This was a veritable flavour explosion with pops of sweetness, spice and aromatics.  The noodles rode the fine line between being chewy and soft which was just right.  Most importantly, the wok heat was high enough to caramelize the sugars from the ingredients to provide maximum impact.

Onto two curries, we started with the ever-popular Chicken Green Curry.  What struck me when it first arrived was the portion size.  Normally, Thai curries are served in very small bowls because there doesn't have to be a lot to flavour plenty of rice.  However, I was not complaining as more means leftovers!  Well, not in this case...  LOL.  Anyways, it was pretty textbook being creamy and coconutty with the essence of green curry.  Mild undertones of seafoodiness as well as some spiceiness.  Chicken was both plentiful and tender.  Now the Salmon Gaeng Penang was something that I wasn't expecting.  Usually, this comes with beef, but I wasn't complaining as the salmon was perfectly prepared.  It was just barely cooked through which meant it was flaky and moist.  The penang curry was sweet and aromatic with less spice than the green curry.

For our next dish, Pad Bai Horapa, it went well with rice (like the previous two dishes) due to the combination of garlic, fresh chilli, onion, mushroom, basil leaves & bell pepper as well as palm sugar.  The sweetness and aromatics along some spice made it plenty powerful on its own.  Therefore, rice was definitely needed.  This one was made with tiger prawns and it totally went well with the flavours due to its natural sweetness and meaty snap texture.  Due to the use of palm sugar, sometimes Thai dishes taste similar but they do exhibit differences such as the Pad Ped with Beef.  It sported chilli, garlic, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, onions, basil & bell pepper.  The main difference, other than the protein, was the addition of bamboo shoots which added an obvious aroma as well as texture. I would've liked the beef to be a little more tender, but it wasn't chewy though.

Okay, here is a dish I had to have - Pad Thai with Prawns.  No, it wasn't because it is one of the most well-known Thai dishes around either.  To be frank, this was one of the items I wasn't as fond of the last time I visited.  Well, I'm happy to report that it was better this time.  Noodles were chewy and the whole dish was the beneficiary of enough wok heat so that there was not an over-abundance of moisture.  Furthermore, there was a nice balance between sweet, tangy and spice.  The prawns were as good as the other dishes and all of the usual ingredients were there.  Now completely stuffed, we moved onto dessert where we began with the Sticky Rice and Mango.  Another classic dish which happens to be one of my favourites.  This one did not disappoint with soft, yet chewy sweet sticky rice.  Nice and aromatic from the coconut milk.  Beautifully balanced by the tangy and sweet mango.

Of course we had to continue with more desserts (I guess the worst-kept secret with Mijune right?).  We had a delicious Black Rice Pudding consisting of black sticky rice, taro, longan, coconut meat and fresh coconut cream.  This happens to be the Chef's mom's secret recipe.  Well, it is a fine recipe as it was aromatic, not too sweet and texturally a real treat!   Another appealing dessert was the Saku or tapioca pudding with banana and sweet coconut cream.  Very similar to other Asian desserts with the light pops from the tapioca pearls.  Again, aromatic and creamy with only enough sugar for impact.  We actually had on more dessert in the Fried Banana, but I really didn't have much to say about it other than it was crispy and delicious.  That pretty much sums up our meal at Thai New West.  Very solid eats in large portion sizes.  A good choice for the area!

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Impactful flavours
- Well-portioned
- Good spice level

The Bad:
- A touch sweet with some dishes

Hanoi Old Quarter

My very last meal eating out at a restaurant before the shutdowns was with Jacqueline at Hanoi Old Quarter.  For those who are unaware, they are part of the same group as the ever-so-popular Mr. Red Cafe.  Hence, the menu at Hanoi Old Quarter serves up some of the same goodies with a Northern Vietnamese flair.  This location used to be Happy Man Restaurant which was a HK-style cafe.  Some subtle renovations have given it a Vietnamese look but the overall layout stayed the same meaning seating is on the tighter side.  Loved how the staff were so welcoming and pleasant throughout our meal.

Getting to the food, we had the outstanding Crab Spring Rolls.  Exactly like the ones you'd find at Mr. Red, these were bursting with filling including a generous amount of fluffy crab.  Beyond that, there was also a good mix of sweetness, brininess and umami elements.  This was all encased in a legit thin and crispy rice paper wrapper.  One of the best things to eat in town period.  Next up, we had the Banh Cuon with minced pork with a side of Vietnamese ham.  These rice noodle rolls were super thin and buttery soft.  At the same time, there was a pleasing elasticity to them.  Loved the moisture content as it was just enough without being wet, and not overly dry either.   There could've been a touch more pork and wood ear mushroom, but that wasn't a huge deal. This was topped with aromatic and crispy fried shallots.

Onto some bigger dishes, we had the Beef Stew in Clay Pot served with a baguette.   Although it didn't look very big, there was plenty of tender beef slices nestled within the flavourful stewing liquid. Along with a hint of curry, the onions and five spice really came through.  I personally love it with bread rather than noodles, so I like how this is the way they serve it.  Lastly, we tried the Vermicelli Noodle Soup with egg, chicken, prawn, ham and herbs.  As you can see, this was a bevy of ingredients that totally hid the noodles.  Very filling bowl of noodles despite the "light" ingredients.  The broth itself was clean and sweet with some of the flavours from the ingredients blending in.  I found the noodles to be perfect being slippery with a chew.  Although there could be a variety of meals as my last before I stopped going out (this was mid-March), this was both satisfying and delicious.

The Good:
- Love those crab spring rolls
- Nice people
- Different than the usual Southern Vietnamese spots in town

The Bad:
- Seating is tight

Burnaby Mountain Clubhouse Lunch

For those who know, the Burnaby Mountain Clubhouse is one of the hidden gems nestled within North Burnaby.  Is it because they serve the best food in the city?  Well, I wouldn't go that far, but let's just say they dish up good food at very reasonable prices.  In fact, their 3-course meals have been legendary offering up striploin and lobster for around $35.00.  It is even cheaper during Dine-Out.  We've been here countless times including brunch/lunch.  I've never blogged about lunch, so I decided to take same pics this time around.

For myself, I went big with the 8 oz. Grilled Steak Frites featuring parmesan-truffle scented fries and au jus.  I found the steak to be bigger than the advertised size and prepared perfectly medium-rare.  However, the au jus was curiously thick like a hybrid between gravy and demi-glace.  Fries were pretty generic, but they were crispy and tasted good.  Nothing particularly wrong with the dish, but for a similar price, I'd go for the Cactus Club version instead.  My son didn't explore the menu very much and went straight for the Applewood Smoked Bacon Cheeseburger with fries.  Although it wasn't anymore interesting to look at than any other burger, the components were solid.  Patty was well-seared and not dry.  Bacon was crispy, veggies were fresh and the brioche bun was soft and nicely toasted.

One of the more interesting options was the Lobster Panini for only $19.00.  If you look at the sandwich, there was plenty of lobster combined with Swiss arugula, tomato and lemon aioli.  This ate really well as each bite featured big chunks of lobster (rather than shredded bits).  Therefore, we could really taste the salty sweetness of the bouncy meat.  The arugula added a bitter bite while the aioli was creamy and lightly tangy.  My daughter decided on the Truffle-Scented Mushroom Grilled Cheese featuring portobello and cremini mushrooms.  Again, the sammie was stuffed with ingredients.  Unfortunately, as you can clearly see, the middle was also full of unmelted Swiss and parmesan.  It didn't kill the dish, but it wasn't particularly great with mouth feel.  That also meant the bread should've been toasted longer too.

Two of the more standard items were the California Chicken Club and the Wild Salmon Burger.  With the same ingredients as the burger, the chicken club also sported guacamole.  Nothing special, but okay nonetheless.  The chicken breast could've been a touch juicier though.  As for the salmon burger, the salmon was fairly flaky and was accompanied by coleslaw and tartar sauce.  It was a generous piece of fish as it went beyond the borders of the bun.  Overall, we thought the food was decent, but not any better than the various chain restaurants within the same price point.  They do have location on their side as the dining space is large and the greenery outside is nice especially on a sunny day.  For the best deal, you can't go wrong with the 3-course dinner menu.

The Good:
- Nice setting
- Competitive pricing
- 3-course dinner menu is a steal

The Bad:
- Lunch menu is okay, but not any better than anyone else