Song by Kin Kao

Here we go with another return visit to Song!  This is particularly significant because we ate here shortly after they reopened.  They were victims of a fire and were able to get up and running in just a month.  You will now notice that "Kin Kao" is prominently displayed above their doorway (paying homage to their original restaurant on Commercial Drive).  We had actually dined at Song earlier in the year, but I didn't blog about.  This time around, we had some pretty awesome new dishes and I really wanted to share!

I don't believe we've ever dined at Song and "not" have the Laab Wings.  These flats were split down the middle and hence were evenly deep fried.  The crispiness of the rendered skin was perfect while the meat was still moist and tender.  I really think everyone should prepare their wings like this!  Furthermore, the laab seasoning was more effective this way as more surface area was coated Hence, we got tangy, sweet, salty and spicy.  So addictive!

Probably the grandest-looking dish was the Papaya Salad with Soft-Shell Crab.  The salad itself was bright, fresh and texturally on-point.  With each bite, the crunch from the green papaya and carrots was pleasing.  Temperature was just right too.  There was a nice balance of sweetness, tanginess and spice which really tickled our tastebuds.  The soft shell crab was not merely for decoration as it added a light crunch and creamy briny-sweetness.

Another solid dish was the Thai Chili Tofu.  Sure, it didn't look like much, but I assure you, it was a textural and taste delight.  The core of the dish was the perfectly fried slices of tofu.  With the right firmness, the tofu was still soft and silky while holding up to the aggressive deep-fry.  It was crispy and robust which held up to the delicious garlicky and spicy sauce.  Some fried basil and bell peppers added aroma and sweetness as well.

One of the most simplest dishes we ordered was the Daily Vegetable Stirfry, which happened to be the Tong Choy or Stir Fried Water Spinach.  Unlike the Chinese version, this was not prepared with fermented tofu. Rather, we got some brininess from the addition of fish sauce as well as some small dried shrimp.  There was considerable wok hei which meant there was smokiness and intense caramelization.  We got some spice from the chili peppers too.  The water spinach still had crunchy stalks with tender leaves.

Another new dish that we've not had before was the Green Curry with Beef Shank.  Sure, we've had a green curry at Song in the past, but with the tender melt-in-our-mouths beef shank, it was a totally different experience.  There was much more body and robustness provided by the beef rather than chicken or fish.  For the curry itself, it was delicious as usual.  Lightly creamy and definitely briny, it had good spice.  To completely enjoy all of the sauce, multiple bowls of white rice would be ideal.

Of course we got the Pad Thai like we always do.  Moreover, we got it vegetarian-style as per usual.  Predictably, it was delicious as the balance between tamarind tanginess and palm sugar sweetness was on point.  Factor in the brininess saltiness of fish sauce and you have truly a wealth of flavours.  We couldn't forget about the wok hei either and the smokiness added depth.  Noodles were al dente and the dried baby shrimp on the top just added that something something to the dish.

Unexpectedly, the Kra Pao Beef arrived in big chunks of tender brisket rather than the ground up version.  Oh that was a nice surprise as the pieces of beef were so tender and had bits of tendon on them.  Texturally, they were an absolute delight.  Since they wok-fried the beef (that was already braised), it exhibited intense sweetness, smokiness and some spiciness.  The gai lan were vibrant and crunchy.

We had a really refreshing dessert in the Lod Chong Coconut Granita.  This was so light and refreshing with the sweetness of the corn being at the forefront.  But that gave way to the aromatic sweetness of coconut that worked well with the nutty and earthy sweet taro.  Really, the natural sweetness of the ingredients made this dish.  Overall, this was another delicious meal at Song.  I've never had a bad one here and it is no wonder they hold onto their Michelin Bib Gourmand year-after-year.

The Good:
- Impactful flavours
- Excellent wok hei
- Thoughtful execution

The Bad:
- It ain't cheap (I think they should be Michelin-Star rather than Bib Gourmand)
- Not the easiest place to find parking

Phở Anh Vu

It seems like there are more and more Northern-style Vietnamese restaurants opening up in the GVRD recently.  It all started with Mr. Red, which has sadly closed its doors.  However, they could be reopening at another location.  Crab Hot Lau, Hanoi Old Quarter and Chen Vietnamese are some examples of more well-known Northern Vietnamese restaurants.  Now we have a massive chain from back East setting up shop in Richmond.  Phở Anh Vu occupies the former location of Dragon Group and is now one of the largest Vietnamese restaurants in town.  We made 2 separate visits to try a variety of dishes.

We began with their Cánh Gà Chiên Nước Mắm Với Xôi or Fish Sauce Fried Chicken Wings with sticky rice.  Really good wings with rendered skin and a firmly crispy exterior.  This was still the case even though it was coated with a considerable amount of caramelized fish sauce.  About that sauce, it was richly sweet with the unmistakable funky brininess of fish sauce.  There was also the aromatics of garlic as well.  Within the wing, the meat was juicy and flavourful.  Really enjoyed the sticky rice on the side as it was moist and not dry while not being wet.

For those who don't already know, Northern-style Phở Dặc Biệt is lighter tasting and less rich than its Sourthern counterpart.  Also, it generally isn't served with sprouts and the sort (although since we are used to it here, they offer it).  Rather, there is the traditional pickled garlic condiment you would normally find at your table.  As expected, the Pho was definitely cleaner and less flavourful than the others found in town.  I did find it a bit too fatty for my liking, but it did add plenty of natural beef essence.  Although a bit more pricey than usual, the large portion size was considerable with lots of al dente noodles and tender meats.  Was nice to see they offered saw leaf herb on the side.

There was one dish on the menu that caught our attention, which was the Bún Chả Hà Nội Chả Giò or Ha Noi Style Vermicelli Noodles w/ Grilled Pork & Spring Rolls.  The only other place we have found this dish locally was at Cô Châu in New West.  That is sadly now closed and we were delighted that Phở Anh Vu has it on their menu.  We thought this version was very close to the Cô Châu dish.  The pork was beautifully grilled exhibiting caramelized flavours as well as smokiness.  It was tender and juicy while the fish sauce was mildly sweet with the usual brininess.  It went really well with the vermicelli noodles on the side as well as the variety of herbs.  The spring rolls were made with rice paper, hence, the outside was crispy and shattered upon every bite.  I found the filling to be a bit dense, but tender with some sweetness and slight pepperiness.

On other visit, we had the grilled pork again, since it was so good.  However, we added the Nem Cua Bể Hải Phòng or Square Crab Spring Roll (only available on weekends).  Of course we were going to compare this with the gold standard in the GVRD, Crab Hot Lau!  I thought it was pretty close with a shattering crispy outer shell while the pork filling was looser than the regular spring roll.  It was just as tender and moist.  There was a decent amount of fluffy and briny crab, but they supplemented it with prawns.  The dish came with lettuce (to wrap the spring roll), herbs and a big bowl of Nước Chấm.

We also had the Bún Bò Huế and opted not to have the Dặc Biệt version.  That one would have more of everything including the pork knuckle.  Instead, this one only had beef, sausage and pork blood.  I really enjoyed the broth as it was flavourful with hits of lemongrass, brininess and measured spice.  One of the better ones I've had lately.  Noodles were plentiful and at their chewy slippery best.  The ample amount of thinly sliced beef was super tender.  Overall, we quite enjoyed our 2 visits to Phở Anh Vu.  The food was well-prepared and presented in large portions.  Prices are indeed on the higher side, but the portion sizes made up for it.  Would come back.

The Good:

- Large portions

- Unique dishes (Northern)

- Good flavours (remember the Phở is lighter in the North)

The Bad:

- Prices are on the higher side

Little Karp Seafood & Bar

Trying to find a restaurant that is not Chinese or Asian is sometimes a challenge in Richmond.  Sure, there are the usual chain restaurants and fast-food outlets, but really, it is quite limited.  Nestled amongst all of the great Asian restaurants along Alexandra Road (aka Food Street) is Little Karp Seafood & Bar.  Yes, there are Asian influences, but their menu is definitely not like the rest of the spots on the same street.  They offer brunch as well as a regular menu that has a wide range of dishes.

We came during brunch hours but ended up ordering lunch instead.  We kicked things off with a pair of soups including the Clam Chowder.  This was lightly creamy with bits of onion, carrot, celery and plump little clams.  I didn't find the broth particularly briny, but it was sweet with some savoury notes.  There was a rice cracker on top and a side of garlic herb toast.  One thing that could've been better was the temperature.  It wasn't very hot.

Now on the other hand, the Lobster Bisque with homemade wonton was definitely hot.  It was full of lobster essence and flavour with a sweet brininess.  I felt this was not has heavy (less cream) as other bisques I've had, which I prefer.  I also found that there was very little brandy-flavour as well, which was also fine as the soup ate more pure with the lobster shells coming through strong.  The lingcod wonton was really good with a delicate wrapper and a moist filling.  Loved the addition of corn as the little pops of sweetness was something different.

We went for an appie next in the Plum Chicken Wings.  These featured whole wings (drumette, flat and tip) deep fried until crispy.  I thought the skin was well-rendered as well.  The chicken meat was tender and moist, but not juicy.  Some might consider that a negative, but I thought it was consistent with a "Western" restaurant preparation.  As for the plum, I thought the glaze was more syrupy than actually tasting like plum.  Maybe some extra plum powder on top would've done the trick. 

We went for the Clams & Frites next (can also be had as Mussels or a mix).  This featured large clams that were buttery and just barely cooked through.  They were sweet and briny while completely seasoned by the broth consisting of garlic, celery, fennel, leeks, shallots and white wine.  Lots of great aromatics going on with enough salt for effect.  The frites were the Cavendish starch-covered variety and were perfectly crispy.

We were recommended to try the Truffle Wild Mushroom Risotto and it was more or less decent.  I thought there was a good amount of mushrooms that created lots of texture and woodsiness.  Combined with the truffle, it had the classic earthiness that combined well with the cheesiness.  The rice itself was not overdone retaining a bite.  However, it was somewhat dry and could've used a bit more moisture and/or cheese.

Lastly, we tried the Spaghetti Fruitti di Mare with mussels, clams and shrimp.  Really enjoyed this dish as it could be in any fine-dining establishment and not look out of place.  Beyond the fresh and well-prepared seafood, the pasta was al dente and coated with enough moisture so it wasn't clumpy, yet at the same time, not soggy either.  Nice garlickiness along with EVOO and some seafoodiness which made each bite delicious.  Overall, the food at Little Karp seemed to be carefully prepared with plenty of thoughtfulness.  It was generally tasty with a few things that could've been better.  Definitely a solid and different option along Alexandra Road in Richmond.

The Good:

- Carefully prepared food

- Honest service

- Something different in the area

The Bad:

- Tweaks to some dishes would've made something good even better

Soi Ram

You have probably heard me go on and on about how good the Portland Thai food scene is compared to what we have here in Vancouver.  Well, that doesn't mean we don't have good Thai food at all.  In fact, some of my favourites include Song, Siam Le Bien, Zab Zaab and Silom.  Interestingly, there is one highly-rated Thai spot in Ladner called Soi Ram.  Since we were already in South Richmond, we decided to check the place out for lunch.

On their lunch menu, they have the option to make it a complete meal with an appetizer and beverage.  We did just that with the Thai Iced Tea and the Rambuttri Temple.  We could get the iced tea with cream or lime.  As you can see, we went for the lime and that somewhat mitigated the sweetness.  With that being said, it was still sweet.  The Rambuttri Temple was a mix of mango juice, ginger ale and grenadine.  This was refreshing and tropical-tasting.

As for the choice of appies, we had both including the House Salad and Maa Joy Spring Roll.  Lots of fresh ingredients in the salad including crunchy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes and crisp greens.  The side of Maa Joy house dressing was creamy with equal parts tangy, sweet and a bit umami.  The real star was the spring roll as it was thicc!  It was loaded with vermicelli and veggies where the textures were crunchy and firm.  Loved the crunch of the wrapper and then the non-mushy texture of the filling.  Really good!

We ended up with 2 combos and 2 a la carte dishes starting with the Chicken Green Curry.  This was rich from the coconut cream where it was aromatic and lightly sweet.  Good hits of lemongrass and galangal, but I could've used a bit more fish sauce for that brininess.  There was a wealth of tender chicken, non-stinky bamboo shoots, eggplant, red pepper and Thai basil.  It was quite the portion size, especially for lunch.  Honestly, this was enough curry for 3 bowls of rice!

We had to get the veritable Pad Thai, also with chicken.  Loved that they had a good amount of pressed tofu since I love the texture!  My only wish would be some preserved radish for that salty crunch.  With that being said, this Pad Thai was still very good.  The noodles were perfectly chewy and not clumpy.  Tangy and sweet, the amount of tamarind and palm sugar was on point.  Best of all, the wok hei provided caramelization and smokiness.

We went off-menu for the Pad See Ew as it wasn't available on the lunch menu.  Thank goodness we ordered this as it was fantastic.  Once again, the wok hei afforded noticeable searing on the noodles which gave smoky vibes and aromatics.  Since the seasoning for this dish isn't complex, wok hei is vital to create layers of flavour.  Noodles were perfectly chewy and not clumped together while the gai lan was still vibrant and crunchy.  Good balance of sweet, savoury and slight brininess.

Our last dish was the Pad Kra Pao Muu Bowl.  Not trying to sound like a broken record, but this was also subject to the intense heat of the wok resulting in great wok hei.  The result was totally caramelized and super flavourful minced pork and pork belly.  It was bordering on salty without being so.  This came with rice and a perfectly fried egg.  In the end, this was a surprise!  A somewhat random food adventure lead us to some really legit Thai food with excellent wok hei.  Little hidden gem in Ladner!

The Good:

- The wok hei!

- Well-priced

- Legit flavours

The Bad:

- Lunch menu is a bit limited, but understandable

- Pork cracklings were the bagged variety, would've like to see freshly made if possible

café de A

Since I was picking up my car from DRX down on Hammersmith Way, I felt it was an opportunity to try out the new Hong Kong-style cafe that replaced Danny's Wonton in Ironwood Plaza.  I actually made 2 visits here since both times, there was only 2 of us.  Coincidentally, the second visit was when I dropped by DRX once again for their 10th anniversary car meet.  I guess this is where I'll eat from now on if I have to go to DRX!

The one thing I want to discuss right off the bat is the service.  When they aren't busy, it is proficient and decent.  Some servers are friendlier than others though.  But once it gets busy, then you will be lucky to flag anyone down.  That was the case for both visits.  Onto the food, we started with a choice of soup and for myself, I had the Cream of Ham & Corn with a side of garlic toast.  This was pretty typical, but good nonetheless.  It was semi-thick with the sweetness of milk and of course the corn.

For our first dish, we had the classic Baked Pork Chop Rice.  It was a decent portion where the fried rice base was dry (in a good way) and nutty.  It was the perfect recipient for the tomato sauce.  I found it to be rather mild-tasting in need of a bit more tanginess.  Possibly a bit more tomato paste in conjunction with ketchup would do the trick.  The viscosity was on point and the smattering of real shredded cheese was welcomed.  The pork chop itself was thick and tender while not being dry.

We also had another usual HK-style dish in the Baked Portuguese Chicken Rice.  This was quite good as the sauce also had the desired viscosity where it was just thick enough without being goopy.  It was creamy and aromatic from the coconut cream/milk and had that hint of curry.  Nice sweetness that was not over-the-top.  The pieces of chicken were tender while the potatoes were deep-fried first which prevented them from falling apart.

They also have Chinese BBQ available and we got the 3-Item Platter with BBQ Duck, BBQ Pork and Roast Pork.  Gotta say this was all legit.  By virtue of being the pork belly, the roast pork, was juicy, buttery and tender.  It was nicely dry brined where the salt penetrated the meat while the crackling was crispy and light.  The BBQ duck had a nice lacquer colour with crispy skin.  The meat was moist and tender where the star anise brine was present.  Lastly, the BBQ pork was also good being sweet and savoury with a moist texture.

On my next visit, I had to go for another typical HK-style cafe dish in the Spaghetti Bolognese.  This was decent with al dente pasta topped with enough meat sauce to coat.  It was thick and rich with a mild tang and meaty notes.  I could get the natural sweetness of the onions as well.  Once again, the melted real shredded cheese added nuttiness and of course, stringiness.  

Also tried their Clubhouse Sandwich and it as fully-loaded with bacon, fried egg, ham, chicken steak, cheese, lettuce and tomato.  Of course it was served on toasted crustless white bread.  Things were prepared properly with crispy bacon and juicy chicken.  The Cavendish fries in the middle were fried perfectly until crispy.  Overall, the food at café de A is competent with a few real stars (BBQ and the Clubhouse).  Would come back if I'm going to DRX.  However, the service does give me pause.  Not that they are rude or anything, but it just gets difficult to flag someone down when it gets busy.  That delays getting things packed and the bill.  I think for their benefit, they might want to get people out the door more quickly too as they do have lineups starting around 11:00am.

The Good:
- Competent food with some highlights
- Lots of parking (unlike many other Richmond restaurants)
- Fair portion sizes

The Bad:
- Service is fine when not busy, but when it is busy, it is hard to get any

i-Cafe Express (City Square)

For the longest time, i-Cafe resided upstairs on the Southwest corner of Broadway and Heather.  If you have been around for awhile, you will remember that location was Jukebox Johnny's in the 80's.  Now we find i-Cafe as a food court stall in City Square right beside Dumpling King.  They are now known as i-Cafe Express and I really do think this concept lowers the overhead with less staff and of course, less retail space.  They have most of their favourites on the menu while offering a slightly lower price point.  I was able to take out once and eat in another time for this blog post.  

On my first visit, I took home some of the Hong Kong-Style Cafe essentials including the veritable Baked Pork Chop Rice.  This was a decent portion consisting of the necessary fried rice base topped with a good amount of fried pork chop on top.  The pork was tender and meaty without too much fat.  The abundance of sauce was quite textbook being thick from the roux and exhibiting a balance of tanginess and sweetness.  This was a competent version of the dish.

Another classic dish that needs to be included is the Spaghetti Bolognese.  Depending on the version, it can get pretty close to the Italian dish.  This one here was certainly meaty and was the beneficiary of the sweetness from the onions.  Lots of depth and richness from the creaminess added to the sauce.  There was enough of it too that it coated all of the al dente spaghetti in the tin container.

So the Curry Beef Brisket may not be as vital as the previous 2 dishes when assessing a HK-Style Cafe, but it is a menu staple nonetheless.  This one was actually decently spicy with a good amount of earthy curry hit.  The coconut milk/cream provided plenty of creaminess and aromatics.  The beef itself was quite tender and so were the potatoes.  The side of rice was a generous portion.

On another visit, I actually sat down to eat and went with 2 dishes.  The first was the Laksa that was stuffed to the top of the plastic bowl with bouncy noodles and coconutty broth.  I wished it had more spice and brininess as it was aromatic but bland.  However, the plethora of components made up for it as I was eating for awhile to actually make a dent.  I liked the little details were there such as the soft-boiled egg (not cooked to oblivion).

I originally wasn't going to finish my second item in the Chow Kway Teow, but it was so good, i finished it too!  It was a good sized portion that was the beneficiary of solid wok hei.  Hence, there was smokiness and caramelization.  The noodles were nicely chewy while not clumping together.  Seasoning was adequate being a bit spicy, a bit earthy and plenty savoury.  They didn't skimp with the ingredients too.  Solid dish.  Overall, the food at i-Cafe was like it was before - solid and dependable.  I like the concept of them being in a food court as it lowers their operating costs and hence, the prices are reasonable.

The Good:

- Dependable decent HK-Style cuisine

- Reasonable pricing

- Decent portion size

The Bad:

- Well, being in a food court, you lose the restaurant experience, but you would find something like this at Aberdeen Centre as well

- The Laksa could be more flavourful

Lucia on Main

Awhile back, I was getting my hair cut at my hairdresser when I looked across the street to see that Smitty's had closed.  A few more visits to my hairdresser and I noticed that it was being replaced by an Italian restaurant called Lucia.  Taking a closer look at what it is all about, the place seeks to be unpretentious and welcoming while Chef Zach Steele combines traditional Italian with Westcoast influences.  This sounded like the place to go when the hockey crew wanted to meet up for a Monday dinner.

For a Monday, the place was hopping and was definitely inviting and we never felt pressured to rush through our dinner.  We decided to do our meal "alla famiglia" with a selection of dishes including the Sourdough Focaccia with a delicious butter.  Honestly, we weren't paying attention to what the creamy butter was, but it was fantastic on the appealingly chewy bread with a beautiful crust.

We really enjoyed the Polenta Fritters as they were a whole lot lighter than most other versions I've had.  Encased in seasoned bread crumbs, the polenta was creamy and well-seasoned without being dense.  They were crunchy on the outside and topped with grana padano.  Underneath, we found a tasty pesto aioli that was creamy and well-blended.  Hence, we got nuttiness as well as herbaceousness.

Probably the most popular appie we had was the Calabrian Cheese Dip served with house-made flat bread.  Honestly, we could've put this dip on shoe leather and it would've tasted good.  It was creamy, appealingly salty and cheesy.  However, it was not merely one note as we could pick out the tangy nuttiness of the manchego.  The fluffy bread was the perfect match for this dip.  But again, we put that on other things at the table too!

We decided to order a couple of pizzas including the Capicola and the Wild Mushrooms.  As you can see, the pizzas weren't exactly traditional Neapolitan, but it worked for us just fine.  It was thin, uniformly crispy and had a shattering crunchiness.  I enjoyed the properly salted dough as well as the chewiness of the crust.  With a combination of spicy capicola, roasted peppers and confit garlic, there was not absence of impact.  As for the mushrooms, it was more subtle but still there was plenty of woodsiness and earthy truffle.  I enjoyed the simplicity of this pizza more.

Moving onto the pastas, we tried all of them starting with the Fregola Sarda.  The sweet pops from the charred corn was a nice counterbalance to the salty pancetta. There was rich cheesiness provided by the ricotta salata as well as from the cheese on top.  The little fregola pasta was delicate but still had texture.  Not to be forgotten, the charred zucchini was tender but not mushy.  It had some natural sweetness with a bit of bitterness from the skin.

The best pasta according to everyone hands down was the Spinach & Mascarpone Tortelli.  These precious little pockets contained a considerable amount of filling which was creamy but not runny.  The pasta itself was thin and still fairly al dente (especially for a fresh pasta).  This was all tossed in brown butter, which was nutty and seasoned just enough.  Adding some cheesy saltiness, we had some grana padano on top.

We had some differing opinions about the Lumache with Italian sausage in a vodka sauce.  Some thought it was salty while others thought it was fine.  For me, there were pockets of saltiness, especially from the sausage, but not enough to be "too salty".  The pasta itself was tender and just a bit past al dente.  I loved the vodka sauce as it was creamy with a mild tanginess.

Other than the tortelli, the Bucatini Bolognese was also really good.  Featuring fresh bucatini, there was a more gentle texture than the dry version.  It was tossed in a hearty bolognese that was rich and meaty with a background creaminess.  It was plenty savoury with a balancing sweetness as well.  The generous amount of grana padano provided plenty of nuttiness.  I would come back for this dish alone.

We only ordered one meat dish in the Squid that was grilled and served with salmoriglio.  The exterior of the squid was quite nice being nicely charred and appealingly chewy.  However, the inside was rather soft and mushy.  It would've been better that they butterflied the squid and grilled it for a more uniformed preparation.  As for the salmoriglio, it was a nice compliment to the squid being tangy and bright.

For good measure, we added some sides including the Broccolini and the Potatoes.  We really enjoyed the perfectly prepared broccolini as it was crunchy but cooked all the way through.  Nice char that offered smokiness and caramelization.  We didn't enjoy the potatoes that much as they were not crispy and quite dry.  As much as there was plenty of cheese and herbs on top, it didn't season the potaotoes effectively.  Overall, our meal at Lucia was good and we thought the pricing was completely reasonable.  Service was great and we never felt rushed.  Would come back.

The Good:

- Generally tasty food

- Reasonable prices

- Nice vibe

The Bad:

- Those potatoes were not very good

- I didn't think so, but many at the table thought some things were salty