Boardwalk Burgers, Fries & Shakes

So why am I out in Abby again?  No, it isn't for a concert and no, it isn't to meet up for dinner with Nikita and Bluebeard either.  Rather, I was invited to try out Boardwalk Burger, Fries and Shakes at their S. Fraser Way location.  Did I really drive all the way out there for burgers?  Hey, I've done that before, I've even gone as far as Chilliwack for a fried chicken sammie.  For me, I will travel for food and sometimes, the best things are not within Vancouver itself.

To get a taste of the menu, I went for the baseline with the Boardwalk Classic sporting cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and secret sauce.  This was a fairly substantial burger since the patty was large in diameter and thick.  I found it to be on the leaner side, yet still tender at the same time.  The brioche bun was a sturdier version where it held up the wet ingredients well.  I would've liked it toasted just a bit more to soften the interior.  Despite being a small detail to some, I thought the uniformly even piece of lettuce and ample tomato ensured that I would get some in every bite.  It also looked nice too.

Going with a fancier burger, I also tried the Mushroom Swiss with sautéed mushrooms, grilled onions and mayo.  This was a very good burger with the same thick patty topped with a mountain of fresh mushrooms.  They were laced with creamy mayo and melted cheese.  These classic ingredients combined together made for pungent flavour profile of cheese and earthy mushrooms.  Lots of moisture provided by the mayo and the whole thing ate really messy, but it was worth it.

Onto a different type of meat, I went for the Hawaiian Grilled Chicken with lettuce, tomatoes, pineapple, cheese and mayo.  Despite being rather thin, the chicken breast was still quite moist and tender.  It sported nice grill marks and had a bit of smokiness.  Once again, the lettuce and tomato were fresh.  The addition of pineapple added a tangy sweetness while the cheese added more body.

To complete the variety of burgers, I also had a fried version in the Spicy Crispy Chicken with lettuce, tomato, cheese and spicy mayo.  You know my love for fried chicken sammies, so I have a good handle on what is good and what is not.  Well, this one was definitely good.  The chicken was juicy and not overdone while the batter was uniformly crunchy.  I also enjoyed that this had a good kick and lived up to its name.

Onto the sides, I had the regular fries with my classic burger which could've been just a bit more crispy.  I also had the Bacon Cheddar Ranch as well as the Poutine.  I thought there was a good amount of crispy bacon with enough cheese for some ooey gooey texture.  I enjoyed the poutine more since it was pretty traditional.  It sported legit cheese curds topped with a rich gravy that wasn't too sweet.  Those Onion Rings were also good being the breaded type. They were crunchy with tender onion within.

Of course I couldn't forget about the various types of Milkshakes they had on the menu.  I went for something a bit different in the Strawberry Cheesecake Shake.  This was served in a clear-domed cup that held more shake than a flat lid would.  Also, I could see my shake.  This was one thick shake that was still quite drinkable.  I found it quite sweet, but it worked for this flavour.  I did get the cheesecake hit while adding some strawberry notes.

For dessert, I ironically had Cheesecake.  Well, it didn't look like much, but I found it quite good.  The texture was rich and thick with plenty of cream cheese flavour.  It was only purposefully sweet.  I also had the Lava Cake as well as the Brownie.  The lava cake was pretty typical with chocolate sponge encasing a molten centre.  However, the brownie was surprisingly good.  It was rich, chocolatey and just sweet enough.  Loved the crunch from the walnuts.  So for a fast-food concept, Boardwalk offers up quite the extensive menu.  They really nail it with the burgers, whether it be beef or chicken.  I do think the fries could be a bit crispier, but they are still good.  As for the desserts and milkshakes, I appreciate they are trying to offer more than the usual limited varieties at other places.  Overall, it was a great experience and I hope they expand closer to Vancouver!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post

The Good:
- Solid burgers
- Such a huge menu
- Lots of choices for shakes and dessert

The Bad:
- Fries were good, but could be crispier

Match Eatery & Public House (Delta)

Here I am at the Delta location Match Eatery & Public House again.  Sure this was in celebration of its 1st anniversary along with the Cascades Casino and Delta Hotels.  They have really injected a bit of excitement into sleepy Ladner with some pizazz and also delicious food.  I believe Match is one of the most underrated chain restaurants in the Lower Mainland.  It is reasonably-priced and way better than places such as White Spot and Boston Pizza.  That is why I spend my own money coming back over and over again.  However, I would never turn down an invite from them either!

So the thing to have here is their wings.  I think of all the chains out there, they have some of the best.  I also find them consistent as I've never had a bad batch.  We went ahead and ordered the Game Day Salt & Pepper Wings as well as the Hot Wings.  We wanted to have their awesome Nashville Wings, but they are only available on NFL game nights.  Just like all of the other times, the wings featured rendered crispy skin.  At the same time, the meat was still moist.  The hot wings did have a vinegary kick to them.

So we actually ordered the No Bib Dry Ribs after all our food had arrived, but I'll put them here since it is an appie.  Much like the wings, the dry ribs were uniformly crispy on the outside.  While on the inside, they were almost juicy and not chewy at all.  Loved that most pieces were rather meaty with only a bit of bone.  Also like the wings, the amount of salt & pepper was on point providing flavour without going overboard.

Normally, we would order a full-sized burger, but since we wanted to get some things we've never had before, it was the Twin Car Hop Burgers this time around.  It was an excellent decision as the patties were much larger than the soft & toasted buns.  Hence, the charred crispy edges of the meat was very noticeable.  These little burgers were very good and I would say they give the regular-sized ones a run for their money.  Patties were also meaty and not dry at all.

Continuing on with the smaller items, we had the Food Truck Blackened Halibut Tacos & Tots.  Although the halibut was cooked right being moist and not dry, it was a bit lacking in terms of blackening spices.  However, the side of pico de gallo helped things along with tangy spice.  This complimented the other ingredients, which included coleslaw, fresh avocado, honey-lime crema, pickled onion and cotija cheese.

Another item I've never had before is their pizzas, so we decided on the You Had Me At Pepperoni sporting double pepperoni, roasted garlic, pepperoncini peppers and mozzarella on a honey-sesame crust.  Oh wow.  Why did it take me so long to try this???  It was #)$*$)#$* good!  The crust was crunchy and aromatic while nicely sweet.  It worked really well with the pepperoni and the peppers.  One of the better chain restaurant pizzas I've had!

Originally, when I was invited to try out their Little Italy promotion, I really enjoyed their Garlic Shrimp Alfredo.  Naturally, I ordered this time around and it didn't disappoint.  The pasta was al dente and remained as such until the end.  It was tossed in just enough creamy alfredo sauce to coat the pasta without being too saucy.  The shrimp was definitely garlicky and buttery tender.

I've always been intrigued with the New York State of Mind on the menu and finally went for it.  Turns out that they know how to grill steaks too!  The 8z NY Steak was perfectly medium-rare.  Look at it!  Well-rested, the steak was juicy and flavourful while being tender.  It was also properly seasoned and sported some smokiness from the char.  It came with perfectly prepared veggies which were still firm.  Mashed potatoes were good too being well-seasoned.

Onto dessert, we shared the 4-Layer Chocolate Cake.  Oh this was good too!  The rich and chocolatey sponge cake was layered with equally rich chocolate butter cream which was purposefully sweet.  I didn't think we would eat all of it, but we did!  So as you can see, the food at Match is solid across the board and offers up something for everyone.  This is why I come here on my own coin in between invites from them.  I especially love this location in the Cascades Casino as it sits in a lovely and spacious dining room while being attached to the equally beautiful casino and Delta Hotel.  Congrats on their 1st anniversary!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post

The Good:
- Solid eats across the board
- Nice dining space
- Lots of parking

The Bad:
- Maybe the blackened halibut could've used more spice

The One BBQ Kitchen

For a city with so many Chinese restaurants, it is quite interesting that there aren't many more superb Chinese BBQs.  We all know the usual suspects, but the really good ones don't even number 10 in the GVRD.  So it is always nice to see new spots popping up, especially in the not-so-obvious-locations.  This would be the case of The One BBQ Kitchen out on Victoria Drive at 57th in Vancouver.  If you weren't paying attention, you might even drive right past it.  Alas, we didn't do that as we were invited to try out their wares.

To get a sense of their BBQ, we went ahead and ordered all 3 versions of their BBQ Pork including Devil's Char Siu, First Cut Char Siu and the regular BBQ Pork.  Gotta say that all 3 were on point.  With that being said, the Devi's Char Siu was our favourite.  I guess it had a lot to do with it being pork belly as well as being prepared expertly.  There was balanced charring on the outside that ensured we'd get smokiness, caramelization and crispy bits.  That gave way to tender, yet not overly fatty, pieces of pork.  Loved the honey glaze as it was sticky and addictively delicious.  As for the First Cut Char Siu, it was much leaner, yet at the same time, was still moist and tender with a tasty bark.  It was firm on the outside with plenty of sweetness as well as balancing meaty savouriness.  Surprisingly, the plain ol' regular BBQ Pork was almost as good as the Devil's Char Siu.  It was fatty enough to provide a luxurious and soft texture, while not being flabby.  It was also charred nicely and coated with the honey glaze.

We went big and ordered the Whole BBQ Duck which was quite impressively plated.  It was large and well worth the $50.00 as the breast meat was substantial and meaty.  However, the thing that wowed us the most was the uniformly rendered skin.  It was not fatty underneath, even where it is usually quite fatty (ie. the breast).  Hence, they must've used the right breed of duck (with less fat) and also roasted it perfectly.  With crispy skin, it was a delight to eat in itself, but it also revealed tender and moist meat underneath as well.  The duck itself was also brined properly where the flavours penetrated into the meat.

Moving away from the BBQ items, we dove into some classic casual Cantonese dishes including the Sweet & Sour Pork.  Yes, it seems rather defaultish, especially all of us at this tasting were well-versed in traditional Chinese eats, but hey, we love Sweet & Sour Pork and do not pass off any judgements!  Well, it was a good move anyways as this plate of S&S Pork was very good.  The large chunks of pork were tender and moist without being super fatty.  The batter was medium-thick but was not doughy.  In fact, it still had a bit of crunch left despite being coated with sauce.  About that sauce, it was balanced with plenty of acidity and sweetness.

One of the most majestically-looking dishes was the Prawn in Soybean Paste with Vermicelli Hot Pot.  Butterflied and deep-fried, the prawns were meaty with a sweet snap.  Since it was fried in-the-shell, it was possible to eat it whole with a nice crunch on the outside.  There was a good amount of al dente and not clumpy mung bean vermicelli underneath that had soaked up all of the flavours including the fermented saltiness of the soybean paste.  Naturally, there was some background brininess as well.

We went for another hot pot dish in the Sizzling Chicken Hot Pot.  This was chock full of dark meat chicken that was just barely cooked-through.  Hence, the chicken was juicy with a meaty bounce texture.  It was also well-seasoned with equal parts of sweet and salty with some pepperiness and slight gingeriness.  This was almost prepared similarly like a Taiwanese 3-cup chicken without the same seasonings.

Of course we wanted to get some veggies into our diet, so we went for the Vegetable & Buddah's Feast featuring bak choy, lotus root, mushrooms, baby corn, carrot, wood ear, white cloud fungus and water chestnuts.  All of these ingredients were cooked properly where they retained their crunch and vibrancy.  Seasoning was mild, but that was welcomed as many of our dishes had plenty of bold flavours already.  Only thing I would've liked was the starch-thickened sauce (residual cooking moisture) wasn't so gooey.

Even though we didn't order any congee, we just had to get the Salt & Pepper Deep Fried Noodle Fish.  Sometimes this is identified on menus as "Silverfish" but I'm sure that doesn't sound as appetizing as noodle fish...  Anyways, these little fishies were actually quite large and battered up nicely where they were crunchy and light.  There was enough chilis, garlic, onion, salt and pepper to give these fish plenty of impact.  Would like to dunk these into plain congee next time!

Another classic Cantonese dish we had was the Stir-Fried Clams in Black Bean Sauce.  There was a good amount of manageable-sized clams that were all open.  Coated with just enough sauce, these clams were buttery and tender being cooked just right.  I think they might've water-blanched them first, hence, I didn't get any sand in my clams.  As for the sauce, it was properly thickened and had a balanced saltiness to go with the garlic.  Dish wasn't overly greasy either.

One of the most surprising dishes was the Kung Pao Chicken as it was actually spicy!  I can't tell you how many times I've had this dish and all I taste is sweet and maybe a bit of tanginess.  This had heat that lingered!  On first glance, the dish looked like some peppers with a tonne of roasted peanuts on top.  However, upon digging deeper, we found little nuggets of chicken that were super tender.  The veggies were still vibrant and crunchy too.

For some carbs, we ordered the Seafood Fried Rice which was pretty jacked with shrimp and bay scallops.  These were cooked beautifully maintaining some bounce and butteriness.  The rice itself was seasoned enough, yet still allowed for complimenting the bold flavours of some of the dishes.  I wished that the rice was a bit more dry though as it was on the softer side.

Seemingly a side order that was destined to not be talked about, the bowl of Lai Fun was the talk of the table!  Usually, when we get Lai Fun anywhere, it is soft and breaks on contact.  Not here though as each strand was al dente with a bouncy chewiness.  Such wonderful mouth feel and it stayed that way despite sitting in broth.  The broth itself appeared to be the BBQ duck bone broth.  I would eat this plain!  But we ended up dunking some BBQ duck into it and we had our small bowls of BBQ Duck Lai Fun!  Overall, the food at The One BBQ Kitchen was quite impressive, especially the BBQ.  Prices are fair and the portions are medium-sized.  Definitely a good place for a casual meal with the fam.

*This post features complimentary food

The Good:
- Excellent BBQ
- Solid eats
- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:
- Portion sizes are fine, but on the smaller side

Cascade Room

I haven't been back to The Cascade Room in quite some time.  So long in fact, that they have taken their fantastic polenta fries off the menu!  Yes, I was very sad, but change is good sometimes and we did try to focus on the items that would make it to their new menu (which is due to be out real soon).  But the place is also known for their bevvies too and we weren't going to not sample some of those too!  Yah, it was a little early to drink, but it is late night somewhere in the world right???

So we got a few drinks to sample including the Gimme That Sweet, Sweet Heat, Smoke & Lace and That's Amaro!  These couldn't have been anymore different, but great for us since there was clear delineation between them.  The GTSSH was sweet and fruity with some bite while the S&L was rich, dark and smoky.  The featured cocktail, That's Amaro!, was actually light and somewhat fruity despite bitterness from the amaro.  Nicely balanced drink.

Onto the eats, we started with the Seared Scallops and Prawns with Italian couscous, sauce vierge and chive beurre blanc.  This was a nice way to begin the meal as the scallops were buttery and a bit rare in the middle.  Perfectly prepared and naturally sweet.  The prawns were also cooked properly exhibiting a meaty snap while being super sweet and mildly seasoned.  Couscous had a nice texture while the crunch of the veggies provided nice contrast.  It could've used a bit more salt though.

We also got the 1/2 Pound Mussels in a cherry wheat beer broth sporting cherry chorizo.  Absolutely loved this combo as the fruitiness of the cherry helped temper the spice from the chorizo as well as somehow accentuating the meatiness.  The broth was light, aromatic and somewhat spicy.  The mussels were all open and featured a buttery texture.  Naturally, there was the usual brininess that was welcomed.

I'm so glad we ordered the Free-Range Chicken Wings because they were not only fantastic, they were some of the largest wings I've ever seen.   Not only were they large, the preparation was on point.  Each piece was crunchy on the outside while the meat was juicy (with literal juices running down my fingers).  We chose spiced soy glaze and it was tasty with equal parts of sweetness and saltiness.  Excellent wings, would eat again gladly!

Continuing on with the small plates, we had the Grilled Steak Skewers as well.  These were glazed with Guinness and drizzled with chimichurri aioli.  Nice intermittent charring on the beef which gave it some smokiness.  I could really taste the Guinness as well as the other seasoning in the brine while the aioli provided creaminess and a bit of brightness.  The beef itself was tender while still having a natural meaty texture.

Onto some bigger dishes, we had the Grilled Yellowfin Tuna Steak atop crispy potato & zucchini rosti and watercress arugula sauce with grilled asparagus and frisee salad.  As you can clearly see, the tuna only lightly kissed the grill and remained rare.  This was perfect as the fish was tender and moist while having grill marks on the outside.  The sauce was bright with some bitterness while the asparagus was barely cooked through.

Seeing there was a Fried Spicy Chicken Sandwich on the menu, I just had to get it.  Turned out to be a good choice as the fried chicken thigh was juicy and tender.  The batter was fairly light, but still crunchy.  I thought the spice was somewhere between mild and medium.  This would appeal to a wide range of tastes.  The whole thing was completed with butter lettuce, pickle and jalapeno ranch.  Bun was not too heavy, but could've been toasted just a touch more.

This came with a side of Poutine (upgraded from regular fries).  Portion size was pretty good for a side and it consisted of house-cut fries which were perfect for use in a poutine.  Crispy but plenty of potato texture ready for the gravy.  About that gravy, it was plenty flavourful bordering on salty, but not salty since it helped flavour the fries and legit cheese curds.  A pretty solid version of poutine with quality ingredients. 

Lastly, we had the Cascade Grass-Fed Beef Burger with all of the add-ons including sauteed mushrooms, bacon and smoked cheddar.  Yes, it also had butter lettuce, tomato and red onion as well as roasted red pepper and mustard relish.  Hence, it was pretty substantial and ate really well.  The patty was lean and sported a crispy exterior, but was still ultimately moist inside.  Overall, this visit to the Cascade Room was solid like it has always been.  Drinks are the draw here, but the accompanying food is equally solid and reasonably-priced.

*This post features complimentary food and drinks

The Good:

- Cocktail program is solid

- Equally solid eats

- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:

- Oh no!  No more polenta fries!

- Would maybe go with a toasted brioche bun isntead?

Kang's Kitchen

Awhile back, I had visited Nadri tucked away in a deserted food court beside Hannam Market on the Burnaby side of North Road.  I was completely shocked at the excellent homemade comfort food they served.  Now they have expanded by opening up Kang's Kitchen on the Coquitlam side of North Road right beside H-Mart.  There is a theme here...  Anyways, we were invited to try the place out on a busy Sunday.

So the first dish to arrive was their Clam Kalguksoo.  This arrived steaming hot (as pictured) with a bevy of hand-pulled noodles.  These noodles were al dente with good elasticity.  The broth was mild, yet still flavourful with a hint of brininess from the clams.  I could've used more clam flavour, but then they would've needed to add more of clams and it would no longer be $13.99!  About those clams, they were buttery and cooked perfectly.

For good measure, we also got the Beef Rib Kalguksoo that curiously came with only one rib despite the picture showing two.  Maybe an error?  Whatever the case, it was just as good as the clam version with the same chewy hand-pulled noodles.  The broth was quite similar to the previous dish but maybe, just maybe a bit more meatiness.  The beef rib was delicious though being tender and fatty.

Next, we had 2 hotplates including the Spicy Squid & Pork Belly.  This was a pretty large portion with lots of ingredients.  The sliced pork belly was fried up so that it was firm, but still tender.  I particularly liked the squid, especially the tentacles.  They had an appealing chewiness that gave way to an ultimately tender texture.  Lots of flavour here, but only a bit of spice.  Balanced sweetness too.

The next skillet was the Cheese Bul-Dak featuring onions, chicken and cheese.  This was plenty hearty and zesty.  The ample amount of chicken was succulent while the spice and sweetness of the sauce helped provide impact.  Let's not forget the rice cakes nestled within.  They were soft with a nice chew.  They also soaked up some of the flavours of the sauce.  Finally, we couldn't forget about the stringy cheese on top.

We decided to go classic with the next dish in the Seafood Pancake.  This is quite the staple in many Korean restaurants, but the difference here was both the execution and amount of seafood.  As you can see, the pancake was the beneficiary of a hard sear hence being crunchy and nutty on the outside.  Inside, it was fluffy and loaded with seafood and only a balanced amount of green onion.

Continuing on with defaultish dishes, we had the Dolset Bibimbap.  As you can see, they did not skimp on the ingredients that included carrot, shiitake, sprouts, spinach, daikon, beef, egg yolk and nori.  When mixed together, I swear there was more ingredients than rice.  The rice itself was just wet enough so it could crisp up on the sides of the hot stone bowl (remember to smush it against the sides!).

Lastly and possibly my favourite dish of the meal, we had the Chicken Tangsooyuk.  These massive pieces of deep-fried chicken thighs were super juicy.  Moreover, the starch coating on the outside was super crispy and light.  Unlike some other versions, it wasn't overly greasy.  The side of sweet & sour was the right viscosity (to coat each piece) and balanced.  In the end, we all agreed that the food at Kang's was top-notch served in large portions at reasonable prices.  We especially enjoyed the hand-pulled noodles.

*This post features complimentary dishes

The Good:

- Excellent hand-pulled noodles

- Large portions

- Delicious

The Bad:

- That parking lot...

- Table legs are very close to the seats