Grillzilla Bistro

Alright, I have to be pretty blunt about this...  When I first saw Grillzilla Bistro out on Victoria Drive at 49th, I was not particularly drawn to the place.  What the heck is with the name???  However, this is another case of never judge a book by its cover.  Situated in the old Victoria Restaurant (not to be confused with Victoria Seafood Restaurant in Royal Centre), Grillzilla dishes up brunch, lunch and dinner for reasonable prices.  I decided to check out the place for brunch despite the name.

We went for the Simplicity Benny as a baseline for their brunch instead of the usual meat and eggs (since that is boring).  Loved that that used thick-cut smoked bacon rather than back bacon.  The result was more depth-of-flavour and texture.  The poached eggs on top were done to our specifications (medium and runny).  The light dollop of Hollandaise (it was enough, trust me) was creamy with an appealing kick.  Could've used maybe a touch more acidity though.  Underneath the bacon was ripe avocado and the whole thing was topped with arugula.

Going for one of their fusion dishes in the Grillzilla Skillet that consisted of marinated thinly-sliced steak, 2 eggs, miso aioli, caramelized onions, mushrooms and herb-roasted potatoes.  This had bulgogi vibes all over and that was fantastic.  The meat was tender and full-flavoured from the marinade as well as the rich saltines of the aioli.  Onions were sweet while the mushrooms provided the usual woodsiness.  

Lastly, we tried the Classic Sandwich featuring a hand pressed beef patty, fried egg, bacon, meslun greens, tomato and spicy aioli on toasted brioche.  Wow, this was excellent where the beef was flavourful and moist.  Nicely charred on the outside which gave it plenty of aroma.  Once again, the bacon was thick and meaty while the bun was nice toasted.  This was delicious.  Even the hashbrowns were on point being evenly crispy.  After only trying 3 dishes, we were sold on the Grillzilla.  Weird name, but good food at super reasonable prices.  Will be back over and over again.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Inexpensive
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Small place, better get here early

Bun Cha Ca Hoang Yen

It has been so long since I've visited Bun Cha Ca Hoang Yen that they have moved into a newer and bigger location down the street.  So no, I do not have to lineup to get into their small and slightly run-down old location anymore.  Rather, the new spot is spacious, modern and clean.  So is the food as good as it used to be?  Well, I did end up going there for a quick visit and to go for their most popular dishes.

Of course we had the Chả Cá (Fried Marinated Fish Cake) and it was as good as I remembered it.  Their version is super fluffy and light while still have a nice rebound texture.  Lots of inherent flavour with the sweetness of fish and a slight bite of white pepper.  Unlike many other versions, the unique texture of this one makes it special.  The side of nước chấm provided a fish salty tanginess.

We also got the Cánh Gà Rang Muối (Salt & Pepper Wings) just to do a comparison with Phnom Penh.  Of course it is always difficult to find wings (of that type) that live up to those at PP, but these weren't bad.  The meat was juicy and flavourful while the outside was crispy.  The skin wasn't as rendered as I would've liked and the flavour was not as intense as the ones from PP.

I know, I know, we really should've ordered the dish that the restaurant is named after, but we couldn't resist getting the Bún Riêu (Special Crab Soup with Vermicelli).  This, to me, is one of the best in town and it was indeed delicious.  The soup base had a nice briny crab taste to it and was rather intense.  The noodles were slippery and al dente while there was plenty of ingredients to be found.

Although they are not know for their Phở, we got it anyways as a baseline of sorts.  Sure, I have been criticized in the past for not ordering the Bún Chả Cá Đặc Biệt, but that isn't what I wanted.  The Phở Dac Biệt was alright with a meaty broth (albeit a touch greasy).  It wasn't exactly clean-tasting, but had plenty of sweetness.  Maybe a bit heavy handed with the MSG tough.  Lots of ingredients and noodles were good.

Lastly, we had the Cơm Bò Nướng, Nem Nướng (Lemongrass Short Ribs and Minced Pork Patty with Rice) for good measure.  This was pretty good with chewy rice and meaty short ribs.  They were tender with a chew while being well-marinated.  Pork patty was nicely charred and on the sweeter side.  Overall, the food was quite good and well-portioned.  Loved the new location as it was much more spacious.  We will come back and have their other signature dishes next time.

The Good:
- Delicious crab soup noodles
- Well-portioned
- Spacious location

The Bad:
- A bit heavy with the MSG
- Service can be sparse due to how busy it is

Kaneko Hannosuke (The Amazing Brentwood)

Here I am again at The Amazing Brentwood.  This time around, I was invited with Roanna, Jess and Eileen to try out Kaneko Hannosuke.  Now I've been here before and in fact, is one of my son's favourite things to eat.  This happens to be the only location of Kaneko Hannosuke since the Robson store has quietly closed.  To be honest, I was initially skeptical of tempura on rice as it just didn't seem like something I'd enjoy.  But after several meals later, I have concluded that I indeed like it and have come back a few times.  Unlike those individual visits, we decided to try the whole menu out at this tasting.

So let's start with the most basic version first in the Regular Tempura Bowl sporting mushroom, shrimp, kakiage, soft boiled egg, seaweed and green bean.  Underneath the tempura was a layer of rice that was about 1/2 deep from the top (as the plastic bowl inside the paper bowl doesn't go all the way to the bottom).  On the side, we found miso soup, tendon sauce and pickled ginger.  I can confirm that this is a sufficient amount of food as it was enough for me.  The sauce on the side ensures that the tempura doesn't get soggy and also you can control the seasoning for the dish.

For those who want some meat with their seafood, there is the Chicken Tempura Bowl with everything in the regular bowl except the mushrooms were subbed out in favour of chicken.  Hence, this was a bit more filling something was like chicken karaage but not (due to the batter).  Chicken was tender and juicy while the batter was crunchy, even with sauce poured over it.  The rice was nicely chewy where the fried soft-poached egg offered up some moisture. 

Continuing on filling, the Salmon Tempura Bowl had 2 pieces of fried salmon that were the same size as the chicken.  It wasn't as juicy per se, but it wasn't dry either.  Once again, the batter was aggressively crunchy on all of the ingredients (they actually stay crunchy even if you bring it home as takeout).  The sweet and salty sauce complimented the rice and tempura nicely.  I found it similar to tempura sauce, but with a bit more depth and flavour.

One of my favourites is the Sea Scallop Tempura Bowl where if you notice, the ingredients are the same except for one item.  These are the giant scallops in this case and they were cooked perfectly.  Being buttery with a rebound, these scallops were sweet and featured a taste of the sea.  Just like the other bowls, the tempura batter was not exactly thin, but it wasn't heavy either.

Another one of my preferred options, the Oyster Tempura Bowl that, you guessed it, replaces the scallops with 3 medium-sized oysters.  The oysters were fresh and fried up just right.  They were juicy and briny with a slight amount of chew from the mantle.  Due to the shape and indentations of the oyster, there was much more tempura batter on it and hence, it was even more crunchy.

For those who really love their shrimp, the Ebi Tempura Bowl is the one for them.  It not only includes the 2 shrimp tempura from the original ingredients, this bowl added 3 more to give it a total of 5 shrimp tempura.  This featured shrimp that had a meaty snap and plenty of sweet shrimpy aroma.  Batter was aggressive and hence the crunch was firm.  I put a bit more sauce on these to soften them up a touch.

Now onto the Special Tempura Bowl, this also included the same stuff but the main ingredient was subbed for white fish.  It was quite heavily battered, but once again, the crunch was not heavy.  I didn't have the appetite to try this one, but based on past visits, the fish does remain moist.  Also love the fried nori as it eats like a chip.  The mixed seafood tempura was mostly comprised of squid which was tender with a soft chew.

The granddaddy of them all is the Premium Tempura Bowl featuring a really large piece of conger eel.  As such, this was the most filling of all and worthy of the $19.95 price tag.  My teenage son gets full after eating this and in fact, I bought one of these (on my own coin) to take home because he wanted one.  Compared to the salmon and white fish, the eel was the most moist of them all.  So as you can see, the bowls are very similar except for one key ingredient.  Prices range from $16.95 to the aforementioned premium bowl at $19.95.  If you love tempura, this will suit your fancy.  I never thought I would like this, but after many visits, it has won me over.

*All bowls were complimentary except for the one I bought for my son... LOL*

The Good:
- Crunchy tempura that isn't greasy
- Is quite filling
- That sauce is nicely balanced and not salty

The Bad:
- Only location locally for now since the Robson one is gone (so only food court for now)
- May need more sauce than what is supplied

Neptune Palace Dim Sum Service (The Amazing Brentwood)

After a good dinner service at the newly-opened Neptune Palace at The Amazing Brentwood, we made plans to return for Dim Sum.  This is my M.O. when it comes to Cantonese restaurants because their dinner and Dim Sum chefs are usually not the same person.  Therefore, judging these restaurants solely on dinner or Dim Sum alone is not only not representative of the food in general, it is rather unfair as well.  So only week later, we returned on a busy Sunday morning for the Dim Sum rush.

We started with the Lobster & Shrimp Dumplings that consisted of 4 shrimp dumplings and one special shrimp dumpling in the middle with lobster on top.  Due to that special dumpling in the middle, all the other ones got stuck to it and hence, when picked up with chopsticks, the dumpling wrapper tore.  Despite this, the dumplings were good with a wrapper exhibiting elasticity.  Inside, the large pieces of shrimp were well-seasoned and exhibited good shrimpiness.  Texturally, the shrimp had a meaty snap.

Next, we had the Truffle Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumplings).  I like the trend with 5 dumplings being the standard rather than 4.  It is a much more versatile amount when it comes to multiples.  I digress.  The dumplings themselves were quite good. There was an even mix of tender bouncy pork with equally bouncy shrimp.  There was a bit of pork fat, which was fine as it added both flavour and helped bind everything.  Seasoning was on point and the whole thing didn't taste too porky.  Of course the dollop of truffle sauce added woodsiness.

As per usual, we got the kid's favourite in the Garlic Shrimp Spring Rolls.  They actually gave us a bonus order (as they messed up), but being the honest people that we are, we sent it back.  Curses for being honest!  Anyways, these were very good with a crunchy exterior.   Not too greasy either.  The filling was mostly big pieces of shrimp that were well-seasoned and had a snappy bite.

Food came out pretty fast at this point and our table got pretty crowded with food.  We anticipated this and split out order into 2 rounds.  So for some offal dishes, we had the Steamed Chicken Feet first.  Although one particular foot was mangled, the rest were decent in size and fairly plump.  All of the cartilage and fat underneath were soft, yet not melted away.  This was aggressively seasoned where it was sweet and salty.

Of course, offal isn't offall without Tripe and Tendon.  This dish was overloaded with it whereas some places give you meager amounts.  We found big strips of honeycomb tripe that was soft, yet still maintaining a bite.  Underneath, the large pieces of tendon were super tender while not completing melting away.  Both were sauced with starch-thickened glaze that was garlicky, sweet and savoury.

Very light on the greens (onion and cilantro), the Beef Meatballs were also quite good.  Although they were modest in size (cue the jokes...), the dish had 4 of them, so there was still a decent amount of meat. Texturally, they were a bit on the firmer side, but still had that whipped meat mousse bounce and airiness.  Typically with this dish, the meat is mildly seasoned and this was no exception.  That's completely alright as you need to dip it into Worcestershire sauce anyways.

One of the more disappointing dishes was the Steamed Black Bean Spare Ribs.  Now it was actually seasoned well with a garlicky saltiness.  Also, the good rib pieces exhibited that preferred meaty bounciness that you want in this dish.  So what is the problem right?  Well, most of it was cartilage pieces that had little-to-no-meat and also fatty pieces that were not edible.  So this could totally be back luck, but it wasn't great nonetheless.

Since we already ordered spare ribs, we decided to get the Cured Pork Belly and Sausage Clay Pot Rice instead.  The rice was surprisingly good with a nutty chewiness that indicated it was cooked in the clay pot itself (and long enough too).  We did laugh at the meager amount of sliced sausage though (they could've put a few more right?).  At least there was enough cured pork belly.  No matter, the rice was good and we ate it with the spare ribs.  LOL... 

For our requisite rice noodle roll, we ordered the Prawn Rice Noodle Roll with flowering chives.  Now this was stuffed full of large meaty prawns with 3 to a roll.  They were mildly seasoned where they still had the natural sweet aroma of prawns.  As for the rice noodle itself, I found this to be medium-thick, yet not heavy.  There was some elasticity to the noodle, although it was soft.

One of their grand opening specials on the Dim Sum menu is the Whole Lobster with Crystal Noodles.  Although it was a smaller lobster, we found it more than adequate for the price.  It was fresh and had a decent amount of bouncy and sweet meat.  However, the best part of the dish was indeed the crystal noodles as they were both plentiful and beautifully textured.  They were soft, yet exhibiting the classic chewiness.  This was bordering on salty, but it tasted great with the stir-fry of white and green onions as well as ginger.

To really make sure we were full, we also ordered the E-Fu with Black Truffle and Seafood (aka Yee Mein).  This was a huge portion served in a large pot.  The noodles were soft, yet still retained a bite while the amount of bay scallops, shrimp and fish was substantial.  They were barely cooked, which was perfect.  They also didn't skimp on the black truffle sauce as the whole thing was very earthy.  I'd order this again.

Onto dessert, we got 2 items including the Portuguese Tarts.  Exhibiting the classic blistered and charred top, these tarts were pretty good.  Although the puff pastry was not exactly like the Portuguese tarts that I'm used to (they were like regular egg tart shells), they were still good being buttery and flaky (fully cooked too).  In the middle, the filling was creamy and light while being purposefully sweet and aromatic.

Our last dessert was actually a combination of 2 paying homage to the Tortoise & the Hare with the BBQ Pork Tortoise Buns and Coconut Pudding Bunnies (Year of the Rabbit reference?).  The buns were good being light and fluffy with a crispy sugary topping.  The BBQ pork was lean and coated in a sweet glaze.  The coconut pudding was on the firmer side, but was just sweet enough.  Overall, we found the Dim Sum at Neptune Palace to be good.  However, the dining room is far too small and they put us at one of the "temporary" tables at the front.  These tables did not exist during dinner service on our previous visit.  Hence, it wasn't that comfortable with people nudging by throughout our meal.  So I guess your experience will highly depend on your luck with whichever table you are seated at.  For a Michelin-recommended spot, this is not optimal.

The Good:
- Generally solid eats
- Despite being busy, service was quite good
- Satisfies a need in the area (as in no place like this nearby)

The Bad:
- Dining room is far too small for the amount of tables they squeeze into it for Dim Sum

Neptune Palace (The Amazing Brentwood)

It seems like there is some form of Neptune restaurant almost every mall in the Lower Mainland.  Whether it be Neptune Wonton, Neptune Seafood Restaurant or the higher-end Neptune Palace, this is the largest chain of Chinese restaurants locally.  So I've been to practically all of them and of course when they opened up a Neptune Palace at The Amazing Brentwood, I was there with bells on...  (because I live near there).  Finally!  A nicer Cantonese restaurant in the neighbourhood.

So the place isn't all that big, so I could imagine Dim Sum being overly packed.  We came for dinner first during their soft opening.  Hence, their menu was rather basic, but we made due.  We began with the Fish Maw & Crab Meat Soup which has to be one of the best we've had in quite some time.  First of all, the fish maw was good quality and prepared properly where it was silky and soft while not completely melted away.  Secondly, there was so much crab leg meat, it seemed like there was a whole crab in the soup.  It was good crab meat too being springy and fluffy.  As for the soup base, it was flavourful with depth and the viscosity was bang on.

Although it is generally thought of as a basic dish, we absolutely love Sweet & Sour Pork.  In fact, we like to judge restaurants on their execution as we feel it is something they should nail.  This they did with large chunks of pork belly which had a nice rebound and fattiness.  Hence, the meat was juicy and tender.  The sauce was a bit on the sweeter side, but the tanginess was definitely evident.  Moreover, there was just enough of it.

Off to some seafood, we got the Wok Fried Scallops and Prawns with snap peas and celery.  As illustrated in the picture, you can see the beautifully plump scallops and butterflied prawns.  They were prepared perfectly where the scallops were slightly rare while the prawns had a sweet snap.  Seasoning was a bit mild, but that was fine for this dish.  The veggies were crunchy and vibrant.

Since the choices were so limited, we went for a ol' standby being the Crispy Fried Chicken complete with classic shrimp chips.  This was also prepared nicely with crispy well-rendered skin.  The chicken itself was brined, so that the meat was juicy while completely seasoned.  Hence, the breast meat was not dry all and subsequently, the dark meat was super juicy and flavourful.

We went big with a meaty 3lb Crab prepared with cream sauce and on a bed of wonton noodles.  This live crab was really good as it was meaty with lots of bouncy and briny sweet leg and body meat.  The cream sauce was thickened just enough and had the rich taste of butter.  We opted for 2 bundles of wonton noodles and it was perfect for the amount of sauce.  Furthermore, it was cooked just enough that it was still al dente.

Lastly, we got the Yeung Chow Fried Rice with the usual BBQ pork, egg and suprisingly large shrimp rather than the smaller ones.  This had enough wok heat where the rice was nutty and dry.  The dish was properly seasoned and there was more than enough ingredients.  Overall, the meal was quite good and much better than any other Neptune I've been too.  Pricing is on the higher end though.  I think Neptune Palace is a good addition o the North Burnaby and they do not have much immediate competition nearby except for Grand Dynasty on the other side of the highway.

The Good:
- Above-average eats
- Excellent service
- Decent portion size

The Bad:
- Dining room is rather small
- Pricing is on the higher end

Burger Bender @ Match Eatery & Public House (Delta)

Last year, I visited the Queensborough Match Eatery and tried every option (including sides) in their Burger Bender menu.  All the burgers were really good and I absolutely loved the one with the house-made donuts.  Well, Burger Bender is back and with a few new options including some ol' favourites.  Since I've not visited the newly opened Math Eatery & Public House in the Cascades Casino out in Ladner, I selected that location when I was invited out to try all the burgers.

Love the new spot as it is modern, yet not overdone.  The casino itself is beautiful with plenty of parking.  Onto the burgers, we dug into one of the new creations in the Mighty Mushroom.  This huge burger sported a 6oz chuck smash patty, sauteed crimini and button mushrooms, Boursin, dijonaise, lettuce, tomato and onion on brioche.  Suffice to say, this was pretty messy and plenty flavourful with the cheesiness of Boursin and the plethora of mushrooms.  On the side, we had the Dirty Fries topped with Cajun butter, chip dip, hot sauce, parmesan and bacon.  Lots going on here including spice, tanginess, sweet, salty, smoky and cheesy.

My personal favourite was the French Onion Big Dipper that featured a side of French onion soup.  Beyond the already delicious combination of beef patty, onion ring, double Swiss, caramelized onions, arugula and dijonnaise on a toasted brioche bun, the trick was to dip it into the soup.  One might think that that's just too much onion for one burger, but it was just right.  The sweetness of the caramelized onions were nicely complimented by the mild saltiness of the soup (that had slivered onions in it as well).  Add in the crunchy and slightly more sharp onion, we found layers of onion flavour.  On the side, there was a Caesar Salad that had plenty of parmesan and a house-made creamy dressing.

Also featured on the previous Burger Bender menu, the BBQ Ranch Hand is one monster of a burger with a steak spice beef patty, pulled pork, fried onion ring, cheddar cheese, coleslaw and spicy BBQ sauce on a pretzel bun.  This was bold and full-flavoured with spice, tang and sweetness.  Naturally, will 2 types of meat, it was also quite filling.  Love the use of a pretzel bun as it stood up well to the rest of the ingredients.  The side for this burger was the Hand-Cut Fries.  These were crispy with plenty of potato goodness inside.

Onto something without beef, the Filet-O-Crispy Fish featured a beer-battered haddock filet that was twice the size of the bun.  The batter was crispy and light while the fish was flaky and moist.  Being a brioche bun, it was soft enough to not impede the delicate texture of the fish.  Add in the shredded lettuce, tartar sauce, Old Bay mayo, pickles and coleslaw this was a much more deluxe version of a similarly named sandwich.  Plus there was much more fish!  On the side, the breaded Onion Rings were crunchy where the onion was not mushy. 

So of course we also found the Nashville Hot Chicken on the menu too.  It sported a double-breaded chicken thigh with coleslaw and pickles on a soft potato roll.  As you can see in the picture, the chicken was legit dipped into spiced oil (like it should be, rather than merely drizzled with sauce).  I could taste the spices, but could've done with more heat.  I would suggest you ask for spicier (if you can handle it that is).  The chicken was super juicy and moist while having a crunchy exterior.  Bun was a perfect match for this sandwich as it was soft with some density unlike a brioche.  Crunchy coleslaw with a sweet tang completed this sammie.  This came with a side salad that was full of different veggies and featured raisins as well. 

Now onto something with no meat at all in the Veg Head.  This consisted of a wild rice and black bean patty with avocado, red onion, Jack cheese, spouts, lettuce, tomato and house mayo on a multi-grain bun.  To be honest, I normally do not order veggie burgers, but this one wasn't bad.  The patty was not as dense as I expected and it had a bite even though it was made of beans.  I thought the choice of bun was good as it added more body and density to the burger.  The side for this was the Tater Tots and really, who doesn't like crunchy tater tots?

The last burger was sneakily one of the best being the Green Goddess.  This featured a grilled chicken breast with avocado, goat's cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickled red onion, sprout and green goddess dressing on a multi-grain bun.  If you wanted something a bit lighter and "healthier", this would be your best bet.  However, it was also delicious with a slightly smoky (from the grill) chicken breast that was still moist.  Lots of impact came from the creamy goat's cheese where the richness was cut by the pickled red onion.  This came with crispy Curly Fries which was great to dip into the side of ketchup, but also the creamy dip that came with the onion rings.  So as you can see, the burgers at Match during their Burger Bender event are not only creative, but quite large.  You need to bring your appetite and maybe a bunch of friends to try them all.  My personal favourites were the French Onion Big Dipper and Mighty Mushroom.  The others were good too, but these 2 new offerings on the menu are real winners.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Beautiful location (nothing like this in the area too)
- Burgers are huge and well-priced
- Lots of parking

The Bad:
- A little hard to get to during rush-hour
- Nashville Hot Chicken could've been spicier (but I understand that they need to keep it approachable for everyone)