good eat | janice leung

Bubble Tea & Noodles @ The One Restaurant 美味關係

2013-05-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

I had heard a lot about The One Restaurant 美味關係 but ever really had the chance to try it out since it's all the way in Burnaby. As appealing as their super tall bubble teas sound, I live in the land of bubble tea (I mean for the Vancouver area).

We weren't that hungry so we shared an appy and a dish. The One green onion egg roll ($3.75) was recommended on Foursquare as being cheap and delicious. Indeed it was quite reasonable for less than $4 and pretty good tasting. It was kind of like a really eggy crepe.

We opted for the fresh strawberry slush ($6.25), which is $0.75 more expensive than the regular non-fresh variation. They actually serve this with an extra glass, and it was definitely enough for the both of us to share. Although it looked pretty cool, the slush tasted more of sugar than strawberry, and I was mildly disappointed. The pearls were a bit undercooked as well.

We shared the Taiwanese style fried rice noodle (台式炒米粉, $9.50) as well. It was definitely a good idea to share since it was enough for the both of us, and I even had the leftovers for lunch the next day. the toppings weren't particularly exciting, but the vermicelli noodles were well separated and al dente. Price-wise, The One is a bit more expensive than the typical meal at Taiwanese restaurants but the portions are huge. Food-wise, not the most exciting but decent.

The One Restaurant 美味關係
5908 Kingsway
Burnaby, BC
(604) 569-1866

New York: Hidden Doors & Stormy Weather @ Angel's Share

2013-05-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Whilst in New York, one of the things I had to do was go to a speakeasy. Thankfully our friends there were knowledgeable and listed several for us to try, including Angel's Share.

This is what a real speakeasy looks like. Angel's Share is hidden away inside a Village Yokocho around the NYU district.

After heading up the stairs to the Japanese restaurant and making a left, a wooden door separates you from the speakeasy.

It's so classy. I really enjoy it.

We each had the stormy weather ($14), which Jason said was the drink to get. In it was: apple and cinnamon-infused rye whiskey, fresh lime juice, ginger flavoured wine, ground ginger, and ginger ale.
They even had a blurb about it in the menu. It's really cute: The fuji apple infused whiskey was conceived after many trials and experimentation. Served in a chilled bronze mug, we are proud to present this truly unique cocktail. This was a really interesting and delicious drink. It was pretty strong, but nicely balanced with the apple. The cinnamon part was a bit faint though.

I really enjoyed Angel's Share. I whined about going back for the rest of the week I was in New York, but

For your reference, this is a not-so-real "speakeasy" near our apartment in Hell's Kitchen. I mean, it says "speakeasy" in neon lights.

Angel's Share
8 Stuyvesant St
New York, NY
(212) 777-5415

Steak & Cake @ Black + Blue

2013-05-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Since it was Mama Leung's birthday and I had the $100 gift card from doing the Glowbal passport, I took her out to Black + Blue for some birthday steak.

Although it was a weekend, it was surprisingly busy. We ended up sitting upstairs, which had a nice view of the chandeliers hanging above the bar on the lower level.

For the amuse bouche, we had crab cakes. Not bad and reasonably sized, but it was a tad salty. Meh.

We shared the hot rock ($16), which are raw beef brochettes served with a hot Himalayan rock of sea salt to grill on. The pieces of meat were not bad, but it was really the meat grilling experience that made this dish more enjoyable. Although they were served with a sauce, the sea salt added enough flavour to it already.

It's really hard to make a burnt piece of meat attractive. I had the P.E.I. blue ribbon beef tenderloin (8oz, $39) cooked, well, black and blue -- charred on the outside and raw on the inside. I figured that the name of the restaurant meant that I should probably give this a shot. The outside was really quite burnt indeed, and I didn't find it too pleasant, which is totally not the restaurants fault. It was just a matter of personal preference that I didn't like the strong flavour of carcinogens.

However, the inside was really delicious and the steak itself was quite juicy and tender. Good stuff.

My mother had the P.E.I. Blue Ribbon New York Strip (12oz, $39) in medium rare, which was a bit more cooked than the blue part of my steak. This one was less tender but had more flavour to it.

The steaks are served by their lonesome on a large plate, and one has to add sides which cost extra. Since we weren't that hungry and already had starters (although no vegetables, but whatever), we didn't add them. The steaks are served with a trio of sauces: chimichurri, horseradish, and steak sauce. Although the chimichurri was good, we agreed the steaks tasted best by themselves.

We also shared 20 layer chocolate espresso cake ($12) which was very rich. I enjoyed it, though I found it a little more chocolatey than espresso-y. All in all a decent meal.

Black + Blue
1032 Alberni Street
Vancouver, BC
(604) 637-0777

Portuguese Beef Brisket & Rice @ Gold Stone Bakery Restaurant

2013-04-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

Since it was a fairly sunny day, our team speed walked to Chinatown, without any particular restaurant in mind. We ultimately decided on a HK style cafe, or cha chaan teng -- Gold Stone Bakery Restaurant 金石餐廳餅店.

As with most cha chaan tengs, the dishes come with a choice of coffee or tea. I chose to upgrade mine to an iced beverage for an extra $0.50. The cold milk tea was okay, at best. It was not that creamy nor did it have a strong tea taste. The size of the glass was pretty small as well compared to most cha chaan tengs. Disappoint.

I had ordered the "Portuguese sauce with beef brisket on rice" (葡汁牛腩飯) thinking it was the same thing as "Baked Portuguese beef brisket on rice" (焗葡國牛腩飯)... but no, not the same thing. Instead of the yellow curry and coconut based sauce, it was more of a stew -- kind of reminded me of Campbell's Chunky beef soup... a lot. There were also five pieces of macaroni pasta in it; not sure why, since it came with rice:

Overall, it was pretty salty though filling. For $8+, the meal was not the greatest. I could have had Campbell's Chunky Soup with rice for way cheaper if I wanted to. Sure, there was a bit more beef that is not as processed as the canned variety, but still. I should've opted for the baked pork chop rice that most of my coworkers did, but I really wanted to diversify. Boo.

Gold Stone Bakery Restaurant 金石餐廳餅店
139 Keefer St
Vancouver, BC
(604) 688-9328

Food & More Food @ Sura Korean Restaurant

2013-04-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Irene and I headed out to Sura Korean Restaurant on Robson during our lunch break since she raved about a $15 lunch set. I checked it out online and indeed there were very many dishes.

The Lunch Set Course SU ($15 per person) consists of nine dishes, as well as three side dishes, rice for two, and a Korean rice punch for dessert.

To start: the green salad and dong–chimi. The salad was fairly standard and not anything too special, though I did appreciate that it was a bit more decorative than what you would normally see at an Asian restaurant. The dong-chimi was something new that I haven't tried before. The internet tells me it is a "radish water kimchi" -- are you supposed to drink the water? I'm not sure, but apparently it can be used as a broth with noodles. I drank some of the cold liquid anyway, and it was pretty good. Tasted pretty much like kimchi.

The tang–pyungchae or mung bean starch jelly salad was one of my favourite dishes of the meal. It was a refreshing cold noodle dish and it kind of reminded me of the Chinese jellyfish dish, except with less crunch. Nicely seasoned and very interesting texture.

The grilled Atlantic croaker was alright; it had a really strong fishy taste to it and wasn't particularly crispy. The potato pancake wasn't really that delicious either and reminded me of hash browns, especially since there was a bit of gochujang on the side. Kind of like Bob's hashbrowns with sriracha.

The bulgogi was marinated pretty well, but as I find with most restaurants, the beef was a bit overcooked and tough.

The tang–sooyuk, or sweet, sour, and crispy pork was interesting. I haven't really seen this type of dish before, but then again, my knowledge of Korean dishes is limited. The exterior was not particularly crispy per say, but it kind of had that crunch that popcorn kind of has. The pieces were mostly batter rather than pork. The 3 kinds of side-dishes when we went were peanuts (or beans?), eggplant, and of course kimchi. That's pretty unique and different from the standard bean sprouts and daikon, which I appreciated.

The doenjang jjigae or Korean soybean paste soup was pretty good as well. Somehow I feel like no Korean meal is complete without a hot boiling soup, even on a summer's day. It's a bit different from the more common kimchi soup and not as spicy; also choked full of ingredients, but I tried to get to the soup more than the filler.

The bossam, a roasted pork, was pretty good as well and Irene's favourite. It was a bit on the greasy side, I thought, though the gochujang made it go down just a bit easier.

According to the menu, there was also supposed to be yam mousse, which we didn't seem to get. The Korean rice punch which we got as we were about to leave was decent. I had only a small sip of it and it was fairly light and refreshing. Overall, if having ten dishes for lunch for only $15 sounds good to you, check Sura out. I felt pretty much like Korean royalty that day and Sura offers some interesting dishes that you would not normally notice on a typical Korean menu.

Sura Korean Restaurant
1518 Robson St
Vancouver, BC
(604) 687-7872

Red Bean & Cream Korean Fish Waffles @ Five Loaves Two Fish

2013-04-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Since it was a rare occasion for me to drive up to SFU Burnaby, I decided to try out this waffle food cart located next to Hannam Market on North Road, seeing as it's quite a short drive from campus. I've heard about this cart quite a bit and tried coming here before, but it's actually closed on Sundays.

People call this the "mysterious Korean food cart that sells waffles" but actually, on the bottom left it does indeed have an English name: Five Loaves Two Fish -- a very familiar name! There was a "Five Bread Two Fish" at the Richmond Night Market last year, also a Korean vendor, but I'm not sure if they're associated with one another.

Although they offer sweet and vegetable pancakes, I came for the Korean fish waffles, which come in three varieties: red bean, vegetable, and cream. All items are $1 except for the red bean fish waffle.

The fish waffles are pretty cute and each the size of my hand. The exterior of the waffles were light and had a slight crispiness to them. They kind of reminded me of the che lun bing from Peanut's Bubble Tea in Richmond, but without the glutinous mochi part. The fish waffles here have a slight charred taste to them.

The filling for the cream one was also pretty much the same as the che lun bing -- both are this nice custard-like cream, which I have come to love so much. If I knew where I could buy this stuff on its own, I would just eat it everyday. In comparison though, the che lun bing are filled to the brim with custard, whereas there was some hollowness to the fish waffles. I'm pretty sure the volume of custard is the same, but there's something about a dessert that is filled to the brim that is so much more satisfying.

The red bean one was cheaper and pretty good! It's more of a mash of red beans rather than a fine purrée, which was fine by me. This fish seemed to be quite packed with red bean too, which was good. Overall, not a bad find in the Lougheed area, but I still prefer the mochi-ness of the che lun bings from Peanuts more. (And they're cheaper too!)

Five Loaves Two Fish Food Cart
4501 North Rd
Burnaby, BC

Salmon & Saba Aburi @ Sushi House

2013-04-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Since we wanted some sushi, I had a quick look online to find some sushi places in Richmond that we hadn't been to. Sushi House had been on my wishlist for a while, so finally we made it there for dinner.

Although it was a fairly small restaurant, it was actually quite packed that evening, so we sat at the counter. We got there just in time, since there was actually a line that quickly formed afterwards.

The tuna and salmon combo ($8.30) with salmon and tuna nigiri as well as rolls was the first to arrive. The quality of the fish was decent and seemed quite fresh. The rice balls underneath the nigiri were nicely formed and not too loosely packed.

Rarely do I see aburi sushi on the menu, so I really wanted to try out the salmon aburi (~$9). They were plain battera rolls with avocado in between and topped with salmon lightly torched and topped with masago, scallions, and sauce. I found the rice to salmon ratio to be a bit off -- the rice could have been half of what it actually was in height. And although it's pretty much comparing apples to oranges, I will have to draw a comparison to Minami, which was far better but also a bit more expensive at $14. This one just lacked the umami flavour that Minami's aburi had. I guess if I don't take the Minami experience into context, this aburi here was alright. I think I would probably opt for a nigiri instead just because the rice was so disproportionate.

The saba aburi (~$9) also had the same issue with the rice; too much rice! Otherwise, it was decent. I liked the salmon one more, but overall the meal was not bad. The prices are fairly good for what it is, and we were quite stuffed by the end of the meal. We could have probably had a cheaper meal if we skipped out on one of the aburis and still be satisfied.

Sushi House

#2182-3779 Sexsmith Rd.

Richmond, BC

(604) 233-1015

Glowbal Collection Stop #7: Trattoria

2013-04-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Ending off my Glowbal passport adventure with Kevin, we went to the farthest one from my office, Trattoria for their Tuesday pasta special. It was a pretty good idea since it's usually quite packed for dinner on Tuesdays, when they offer their pastas for $11 each.

Stop #7: Trattoria

I opted for the truffled spaghetti & signature meatballs with truffle cream, herbed ricotta (regularly $22.95) because I am a sucker for cream sauces and truffle flavoured things. The sauce was indeed quite creamy and truffle-y, which I enjoyed; and the meatballs were alright. As well, I liked the ricotta with the pasta, which I found to be perfectly cooked.

Oh, and our amuse bouche were meatballs -- maybe I shouldn't have opted for a pasta with more meatballs, but I didn't know! These ones here were a bit saucier, which I enjoyed.

Kevin wanted a lighter option, so he chose the garganelli herb roasted chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, peas, roasted chicken broth (regularly $17.95). This was really quite light, so light it was actually rather bland. I wasn't a fan, and I don't think he was either.

We ordered another one to share and ended up packing most of it; the occhi di lupo with lamb sausage, fava beans, eggplant, pine nuts, parmesan bread crumbs (regularly $16.95) was pretty good. The strong flavour of the lamb sausage and sauce was very welcoming, especially in contrast to Kevin's rather light pasta. The only negative thing about this was that it was a bit oily. You can see some of the oily coming out at the bottom of the photo, and more oil surfaced as the pasta cooled down. Still, it was pretty good. Overall, I'd definitely recommend trying out Trattoria on a Tuesday. Definitely a good deal.

More Glowbal Collection Passport Adventures:
Stops #1 & 2: Society & Black + Blue
Stop #3: Glowbal Grill
Stop #4: Fish Shack
Stop #5: Coast Restaurant
Stop #6: Italian Kitchen
Stop #7: Trattoria

Trattoria

Buffets & Casinos @ Gateway Grill in Starlight Casino

2013-04-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

Since my mother found a 2 for 1 coupon for the Gateway Grill buffet at Starlight Casino, I went with the fam to give it a try. It was approximately $16 per person regular price... so about $8 per person with the coupon! Not a bad deal.

The Gateway Grill seems to be more of a large lounge type thing with a stage and the majority of the tables facing the stage as well. It definitely felt a bit weird, since the buffet table was right in front of the stage. Food-wise, there was a limited selection and the spread was place on a long table with each dish on a metal tray heated with hot water underneath. Not the classiest, but the area isn't really intended for a buffet.

One of the more notable dishes was the salmon... which actually wasn't that notable. There were probably approximately ten dishes in total, including things such as rice, potatoes, salad. Basic filler stuff.

The spotlight was definitely the meat, which was at the end of the buffet line.

I'm more of a fan of roast beef in general, but the ham here was really a lot better. It just looked so good when it was being sliced too. A tad on the salty side, but hey, it's ham. It was still quite moist and juicy regardless.

You can't really see it from here because of the gravy, but the roast beef had quite a bit of fat and gristle in it. It might have just been the section of meat they were cutting from, but it was definitely not just my pieces since everyone else at our table had the same problem. The parts without the gristle were okay, but that was basically a third of the whole piece. The corn was a bit hard and stale, but it was probably one of the only other things I ate aside from the meat and lettuce.

There was also a selection of small cakes for dessert. They weren't anything fancy, really, but I guess it was an alright way to end a meal. Some of the chocolate ones weren't that bad considering it was a fairly cheap meal. For $8 per person, it was totally worth it. Would I go back again even if it was only $8? Probably not for a while. I'd definitely go back when I have a craving for ham and roast beef though. In that situation, that would be a pretty awesome deal.

Gateway Grill
350 Gifford St
New Westminster, BC
(604) 777-2946

Sashimi & Rainbow Rolls @ Jumbo Sushi

2013-04-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Since it was a nice sunny day, I kind of wanted some sashimi. I don't know why, but I connect good weather with raw fish. I wandered to Jumbo Sushi across from Richmond Centre, since I heard it was fairly cheap and decent.

Service was a bit weird here. I walked in and there were two men working behind the counter, some patrons waiting near the counter, and another patron sitting at a table eating. I wasn't sure if it was one of those cafeteria or food court style where one is to order at the counter first before sitting, or if I was supposed to be served. One of the men greeted me, but didn't really call for any action so I awkwardly waited around for a few seconds, sat at a table, realized I wouldn't be served and got my own menu from the front. No one came either, so I went back to the counter and ordered and was told to pay later. I honestly don't mind a food-court style restaurant, just that some direction would be nice.

Anyway, sashimi craving meant half an order of salmon sashimi (~$4.50) had to be ordered. The pieces reminded me of the ones from Sushi California -- farmed again, but hey this time, I didn't allude it to Banzai as much. The salmon was seemingly fresh, and in fairly large pieces. Not bad.

I also ordered a rainbow roll ($5.50) to be fancy -- it's essentially a california roll topped with various sashimi. Once again, it was alright and with the sashimi, it was just enough for a meal. Overall, not a bad experience at Jumbo Sushi, though service was mildly awkward and disappointing.

Jumbo Sushi
6648 No 3 Road
Richmond, BC
(604) 273-5689

Glowbal Collection Stop #6: Italian Kitchen

2013-04-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Continuing with the Glowbal Group lunches to complete the Glowbal passport:

Stop #6: Italian Kitchen

I joined Kevin and Shelley for lunch on a Friday afternoon, yet again for the $10 burger and brew special. I suggested Italian Kitchen over the other Glowbal restaurants since we already had burgers two weeks in a row. IK offered their chicken parmesan sandwich with herb breaded chicken breast, fior di latte, roasted chili mayo for their Friday special.

Mmm focaccia. I quite enjoyed the sandwich, and it was probably up there with the Glowbal Grill burger. With the mozzarella and roasted chilli mayo combined with the breaded chicken breast, the end result was a pretty good sandwich gently caressed by two soft pieces of focaccia. Yum.

What made this meal even better was that it came with pumpkin soup as well as the beer (of which we all opted for the GIB winter ale). The viscosity of it was quite thick and tasted quite sweet as well. Not bad, but I prefer other soups over pumpkin soups. Nonetheless, a good meal for only $10. Definitely a steal.

More Glowbal Collection Passport Adventures:
Stops #1 & 2: Society & Black + Blue
Stop #3: Glowbal Grill
Stop #4: Fish Shack
Stop #5: Coast Restaurant
Stop #6: Italian Kitchen
Stop #7: Trattoria

Italian Kitchen

Banh Mi & Pho @ Viet Sub Vietnamese Cuisine

2013-04-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

In search of a cheap meal during my lunch break, I found myself at Robson Street's Viet Sub Vietnamese Cuisine, which is actually one of the top restaurants on Urbanspoon. It does seem to be quite popular during lunch time, with many patrons opting to do take out.

On the first occasion, I tried the BBQ Sub with pork, beef, chicken and meatball ($4.25). This seemed to be the most "deluxe" of the banh mis, since it was a whopping 50 cents extra! I liked the bread, which was lightly toasted, though I actually didn't love the sauce that came with this. It was slightly sweet and kind of reminded me of teriyaki. Still, everything else was decent, and I vowed to come back again to try some other banh mis.

On the second occasion, after a brisk walk, I was fairly cold and decided to splurge a little and get pho instead. The special beef noodle soup with rare beef, beef ball, and well-done beef ($6.45) was pretty good. A fair bit smaller than the usual pho I'm used to, but a respectable amount. I was still satiated after, and there's no need for extra carbs anyway. The soup was pleasant, and I didn't find myself that thirsty after the meal. Just mildly, but MSG tastes good... so I'm okay with that. I was disappointed that the bowl was served in a styrofoam bowl -- regardless of whether it's "for here" or "to go", it seems disposable plateware and cutlery was the only option.

Since I only had two usable photos... I came back again for the sake of this blog. The deep fried pork sub ($4.25) was pretty good, and I definitely liked it more than the BBQ one for sure. The pork kind of reminded me of tonkotsu, with it's slightly crunchy exterior and fairly lean meat-interior. Along with the perfectly toasted baguette, pickled veggies, and cilantro, this was definitely a good meal for less than $5 in the downtown area. (Especially when some establishments close by are charging like $7+ for banh mis that are not so good.) I'll definitely be back to try some more of the different banh mis.

Viet Sub Vietnamese Cuisine
520 Robson St
Vancouver, BC
(604) 569-3340

Glowbal Collection Stop #5: Coast Restaurant

2013-03-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

The Glowbal Collection adventure continues:

Stop #5: Coast Restaurant

I joined Tiff at Coast for lunch on a weekday since they had some fairly decent lunch deals. For our amuse bouche we each got a small salmon tartare. Since it was quite tiny, I don't really remember it, but I recall it was decent.

I ordered the wrap box, with shrimp wrap, tuna sashimi, new england clam chowder ($13.95). The chowder seemed a bit different from the one I had for dinner here previously, without the bacon bits. Regardless, I did enjoy the soup which was quite hearty.

The shrimp wrap was pretty good as well. There was definitely a generous amount of shrimp, each cooked quite well and still crunchy. The wrap overall was a bit on the lighter side though, and I think the addition of some julienne apple would have made it even better. Regardless, it was quite filling and delicious.

Tiff had the oyster box, which included the oyster po' boy, caesar salad, and fries ($13.95). We went halfsies on the sandwich and wrap, so I also had some of the po' boy. This was pretty good too, with a lightly breaded oyster that was still mildly crispy. At less than $15 for both these options, I thought Coast had some pretty well-priced lunch options that were good and well-priced.

More Glowbal Collection Passport Adventures:
Stops #1 & 2: Society & Black + Blue
Stop #3: Glowbal Grill
Stop #4: Fish Shack
Stop #5: Coast Restaurant
Stop #6: Italian Kitchen
Stop #7: Trattoria

Coast Restaurant

Beef Noodles & Beef Rolls @ Wang's Taiwan Beef Noodle House 王記台灣牛肉麵

2013-03-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

I've driven past Wang's Taiwan Beef Noodle House countless times and have been meaning to try it out since it's purportedly one of the best Taiwanese beef noodle places in the Lower Mainland. Finally I decided to drive out from my rock that is Richmond and cross the bridge for a bowl of noodles.

I had the spicy beef noodle ($7.75, small), which was quite good, but surprisingly quite spicy (although not too spicy). I opted for the thick cut noodles and was mildly disappointed that they did not have my favourite knife shaved noodles -- they're hard to find! There was a generous amount of braised beef, which was quite soft and flavourful. The soup was fragrant with peppercorns, though I realize I should have opted for the "original" beef noodle, since I couldn't really fully appreciate the beef soup.

I sampled a bit of the beef noodle ($6.75, small) which was really good, with the different flavours of Chinese spices. The thin noodles, in my opinion, are not as fun as the thick ones, but that's a matter of personal preference.

We also got an order of beef roll ($5.75) to share. The pancake exterior was definitely not as good as that of Peaceful's, since it was thinner and less flaky. The beef though, was good and flavourful. There was a good amount of hoisin sauce -- not too much, as some places tend to serve them. Overall, I still like Peaceful's more though.

The beef noodles here are definitely perfect for a hearty and satisfying meal. Both the soup and beef are good, and they serve up one of the more flavourful types of Taiwanese beef noodle.

Wang's Taiwan Beef Noodle House 王記台灣牛肉麵
8390 Granville St
Vancouver, BC
(604) 266-7966

Glowbal Collection Stop #4: Fish Shack

2013-03-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

More Glowbal restaurants so I can complete my passport and get that $100 gift card. Check out Stop #1 and #2 on Society and Black + Blue, as well as Stop #3 on Glowbal Grill.

Stop #4: The Fish Shack

I've always wanted to try the brunch at The Fish Shack after just missing it last time around, and this was a perfect opportunity to get off my lazy Richmond ass and do so. Hello, $9.50 menu!

Redeeming the stub from the brochure that comes with the bill again, we got some small chowders as our amuse bouche. Served in cute little rolls, this wasn't particularly seafood-y but it was pretty creamy.

We both had the bennys and traded halves. Food friendship! The dungeness crab benny ($9.50) was a-okay. I was kind of unenthused by it since the crab had a rather mild flavour, but I realize that that's kind of how it's supposed to be.

The salmon pesto benny ($9.50), on the other hand, was definitely flavourful and good. Pesto is always delicious, and it was fragrant and went well with the mix of hollandaise sauce and ooey gooey egg yolk. Yum. One thing that was mildly disappointing was that the english muffin was not toasted, which I would have preferred over a plain one.

And to top it off, we tweeted our fish number and got free cake with caramel topping again. Somehow this turned into a 3-course brunch because we're just fancy like that. It was definitely a decent experience because of the free food and since there were no long lines (I'm looking at you, Medina.) Someone once asked me where they could find good, decently-priced brunch for a large party and no lines. I'd tell them The Fish Shack now. To sweeten the deal, it's definitely a good alternative if you have some of those stubs lying around and if you can tweet.

More Glowbal Collection Passport Adventures:
Stops #1 & 2: Society & Black + Blue
Stop #3: Glowbal Grill
Stop #4: Fish Shack
Stop #5: Coast Restaurant
Stop #6: Italian Kitchen
Stop #7: Trattoria

The Fish Shack

Glowbal Collection Stop #3: Glowbal Grill

2013-03-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

So because of the Glowbal Passport, as I explained in Part 1, I've basically been eating exclusively at Glowbal restaurants for the past two weeks and planned all my meals around the different specials they had because I am a poor student. The Glowbal Collection adventure continues:

Stop #3: Burger + Brew Friday @ Glowbal Grill

Back to Yaletown for a burger on Friday. Okay, why wouldn't you go to Glowbal Grill for a burger on Friday? The prime rib burger is normally $16, but it's $10 on Fridays and includes a beer. This time, we even had a choice of different GIB beers (whereas Society just gave us Coronas). Choosing is good.

The burger had all the fixin's you would want: pancetta, an over easy egg, cheddar, and grainy mustard mayo. Definitely a winner. I'd come back for this next month (when I'm supposed to be saving money...) if I have the chance.

Oh yeah, since we had one of those stubs from the brochures that's included with the bill, we got a free amuse bouche... this mysterious chicken thing that kind of tasted like hummus. It wasn't bad, but I wasn't a fan.

More Glowbal Collection Passport Adventures:
Stops #1 & 2: Society & Black + Blue
Stop #3: Glowbal Grill
Stop #4: Fish Shack
Stop #5: Coast Restaurant
Stop #6: Italian Kitchen
Stop #7: Trattoria

Glowbal Grill

Glowbal Collection: Society & Black + Blue

2013-03-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Although I had been trying to save up money and eating out less, somehow I got reeled into doing the Glowbal Passport. (Kevin was the instigator.) Lame -- I'll start saving next month. Basically, if you go to every single Glowbal restaurant and order an entree, you get a $100 gift card in return as well as a chance to win a vacation. Luckily I work downtown, so we managed to take advantage of the many lunch specials Glowbal offer.

Stop #1: Burger + Brew Friday @ Society Dining Lounge

I had blogged about this before: the "Society burger" with ground kobe beef, normally goes for $13, but on Fridays it's $10 with a beer. However, this time it was totally different, and unfortunately a lot worse than last time. Last time we were offered a choice of cocktail or Stanley Park amber; this time, no one asked what we wanted and we were served Coronas. Meh.

Okay, I realize last time was better because I had added bacon, but regardless, this was served on a boring bun and the patty itself was a bit overcooked. Kevin had ordered it sans-bun, and it looked even more depressing. Since the other Glowbal restaurants are now offering the burger + brew special, might as well avoid Society from now on.

Stop #2: Beef Dip Wednesday @ Black + Blue

I had also blogged about this $10 beef dip before... womp womp (which is why I combined the two restaurants into one post). This time was just as good as last time though! Yay! For $10, this was some good stuff. It's not that easy finding a restaurant around that area and be full for that price. Not to mention that you'd feel pretty classy having lunch at Black + Blue.

More Glowbal Collection Passport Adventures:
Stops #1 & 2: Society & Black + Blue
Stop #3: Glowbal Grill
Stop #4: Fish Shack
Stop #5: Coast Restaurant
Stop #6: Italian Kitchen
Stop #7: Trattoria

Society Dining Lounge / Black + Blue

Chicken & Barbacoa @ Chipotle Mexican Grill

2013-03-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

So, finally a post on Chipotle! I'm kind of late on the wagon, but this is actually a compilation post of a few visits. Honestly, Chipotle wasn't life-changing the first few two times, but last time I went it was really, really good.

Although it seems most people opt for the burritos, my favourite thing to get out of the six item menu would be the burrito bowl, which is essentially the burrito without a wrap. I like these more because it's just easier and not as messy eating out of a bowl with a fork The chicken is a favourite for many people, and I never had a bad experience with it. It's usually quite moist and has a mix of dark and white meat. I also really enjoy the barbacoa, which is a shredded braised beef. It's really flavourful and delicious. I tend to get half of each meats.

This one here looks more like a bit of a mess to begin with because I ordered it online and hence it was packed to go. Ordering online was probably the best idea ever because you get to skip the massive line-ups:

If you want your burrito fresh(er), you can always wait in line and ask for toppings as you go.

However, by ordering online, you can unashamedly put all the toppings and salsas on it, only with the half and half meats. The corn salsa is my favourite thing to add, along with the guacamole, which is sadly and extra $2.21. With all the toppings, I'm pretty sure my burrito bowl weighed at least four pounds. I honestly didn't eat dinner that evening.

The first time I had the burrito, I honestly expected more, but I didn't really realize that there were so many options and toppings to be added. Even with just the corn salsa, it would have been so much better. The meld of flavours along with the meat just makes it so good. Of course, with all this customization, I'd consider Chipotle as a higher end fast food restaurant. The meal can go up $15 with the addition of guacamole and a pop, and extra meat costs a bit more. However, it is definitely filling!

Chipotle Mexican Grill
818 Howe St.
Vancouver, BC
(604) 683-6394

London Fogs & Lemon Tarts @ Rocanini

2013-03-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

One thing that I've noticed Richmond lacks is independently owned cafés. There are bubble tea cafés a plenty, but there are really no coffee shops. The only one that comes to mind is Rocanini, which is located all the way in Steveston. I find myself here sometimes, whenever I'm bored of Starbucks and need a change of environment for when I'm studying.

Yes, I'm a non-coffee drinker, and I go to coffee shops to study. The smell of coffee is actually quite welcoming, but I refuse to drink that stuff. On this occasion, I ordered a hot chocolate. Oh hey look latte art. I honestly want to learn how to do this, but I guess I'd have to start drinking coffee. The beverage here was okay; not as sweet as that of Starbucks' and quite smooth.

Despite what you would think this is, this was not a lemer tart, but a lemon tart. I believe the pastries here are outsourced from a local baker. I love lemon custard, and so this was quite good. The tart shell was a bit hard to poke at, but it served as a decent vehicle to transport the custard into my mouth.

I usually get the london fog here, not the hot chocolate. It's one of the best in town (I mean, I'm comparing one of the only independently operated coffee shops to chains here), with a rich earl grey tea taste and smooth microfoam. The one above doesn't look as attractive as the hot chocolate, but microfoam was still good. There are baristas here that are a bit more competent than others though, so results may vary. The other time, Camille got a chai tea latte and it looked like this -- a bit of a fail in terms of latte art, but still tasty. Overall, I like Rocanini since it's quite a large open space, though it may be difficult to find a table on a sunny day.

Photo: Camille Wong

Rocanini
#115-3900 Moncton St, Steveston
Richmond, BC
(604) 284-5126

Aquafresh Hotdogs & Buffalo Wing Cupcakes from Gordon Oliver

2013-03-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

If you've been following me on Twitter and Instagram lately (if you don't, do it now), you'll probably have noticed I've been trying to do quite a bit more cooking at home lately. I'm not one of those people that like to cook regularly, but rather, try a recipe once to see if I am actually capable of doing it.

Cue: Gordon Oliver.

I was approached for a sponsored post to promote him, but it seemed like kind of a joke. Perusing his recipes page, there are dishes such as "aquafresh hotdog" and "salmon chocolate cake"... but then again buffalo wing cupcakes actually sound like something I would try, not gonna lie.

But apparently, he's going to be on CTV for a cooking segment this Thursday, March 14th at 7:27PM on CTV. I'm definitely interested in tuning in to find out more about these interesting concoctions, and hey, maybe I'll actually post some of my own cooking experiences using his recipes. Until then, I'll be following him @GordonOliverCA to see what he's going to be cooking up next.

More: Gordon Oliver

Snow Mountains & Char Siu Baos @ The Jade Seafood Restaurant 玉庭軒海鮮酒家

2013-03-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

The other day, I joined some family friends for some dim sum at The Jade Seafood Restaurant 玉庭軒海鮮酒家. Since there were so many people, it was a good chance to try a large variety of dim sum!

My favourite dish was the stir fried radish cake with XO sauce. Although I do usually like this dish, it was especially good here with all the fried garlic bits and fragrant XO sauce. It was also served in a crispy fried wonton wrapper bowl. The radish cake itself didn't have too much radish in it and rather more flour but still with a good radish flavour. Good stuff.

Usually whenever I have dim sum with my family, we order many small dishes, so we seldom order carb-heavy dishes. This was a good opportunity to try the shredded pork with crispy noodles. I liked how the sauce, full of pork slivers and bean sprouts, was served separately from the noodles, ensuring that the sauce would not make the noodles soggy. Overall a good dish.

This has to be the first time I've seen shrimp dumplings served with a prawn on top. I didn't have the prawn, but the dumpling itself was fairly large and good. Interesting fact: as a child I only liked the wrapper of these dumplings.

Two dim sum dishes that were a bit different than the usual variety included the century egg with ginger and shrimp as well as the "snow mountain" char siu bun. I'm not usually a fan of the latter, but they did a good job, with it's thin and slightly crispy layer and generous amount of shrimp. The buns were also good, with an outer layer reminiscent of "Mexican buns" that Chinese bakeries offer -- which itself is not unlike the pineapple bun. Rather this variation is more sugary and less flakey. This was an interesting take on the traditional char siu bun.

The sa yong or Chinese doughnut was not bad too, though it was disappointing that it was the first dish to come. Desserts coming before everything else seems to be a thing with Chinese restaurants. I also rarely have the chance to try silver needle noodles or "rat noodles", which are shorter than the typical Chinese noodle. I didn't particularly enjoy these noodles, but they weren't bad.

There were also way too many other dishes that we've had... and many of which I didn't even have a chance to try because I was full from sampling the other ones! Overall, it was a very good dim sum meal and one of the better ones I've had in a while. Jade Seafood Restaurant is considered to be one of the more "high end" dim sum places in Richmond, but since my dining companions didn't really eat much, the price was decent... for me.

The Jade Seafood Restaurant 玉庭軒海鮮酒家
8511 Alexandra Rd
Richmond, BC
(604) 249-0082

Bibimbap & Japchae @ Hanok Korean Restaurant

2013-03-07T00:00:00.001-08:00

The other day, I was passing by Alderbridge when I had noticed a sign directing attention to a new Korean place that had opened on Alexandra Road. It wasn't until I noticed @CrispyLechon's tweet showing off his $8.99 lunch did it really move to the top of my to-eat list.

As a part of the lunch set, I ordered the bibimbap since it was a cold and rainy day. This was the usual bibimbap with all the fixings, which were actually quite generous. I liked the sweetness of the mushrooms and actually surprisingly enjoyed the spinach. The topping-to-rice ratio was perfect, without too little or too much topping (as seen below). Definitely a dish that was solid and nicely done here.

Aside from the bibimbap, they also have the usual suspects -- the banchan, including kimchi, potato, and seaweed. More on that later. I found the miso soup to be a nice touch, and it was actually pretty good. Oh, and what's that? Is that something else behind the banchan?

Yep, for $8.99 you get not one, but two dishes! And we're throwing in the banchan and miso soup for free! The lunch menu has 10 options for their "main" entree and 5 options for something on the side. I chose the japchae, which was alright. I don't really love japchae to begin with though every I know does, so maybe that's why I ordered it. Once again, there was a nice amount of toppings on it.

The banchan was good too. I actually thought the kimchi was perfect -- it wasn't to sour, nor was it all chopped up and floating in liquid. Better than most of the other Korean places I've visited lately. The potatoes were standard, but I actually surprisingly enjoyed the seaweed. I usually find the taste fishy, but it was nicely marinated here. The texture wasn't too slimy either. Overall, Hanok is a definite winner for me -- two of these sets are probably enough for three people, and I already cannot wait to come back here. The service was pretty decent too, and they actually asked if I wanted refills on the side dishes. How kind of them!

Hanok Korean Restaurant
100 – 8400 Alexandra Rd
Richmond, BC
(604) 278-3180

Chicken Curry & Butter Chicken @ India Abroad

2013-03-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

Since I had been craving some butter chicken, Bo suggested trying India Abroad at the International Food Court on Hornby near our offices. Seemed like a better alternative than the place behind my office that sells both pizza and butter chicken (though I should still try that, I think).

Apparently you can go for a "half-and-half" -- two halves of two different curries for the price of one! I opted for the chicken curry and butter chicken (~$9) which was served on top of rice. The spicier chicken curry was chunkier as well, and though it was decent, I liked the butter chicken more. Maybe because I just really need to get my butter chicken fix. The sauce was smooth, but I would've liked it to be a bit creamier. I got quite a generous amount of sauce, which was good. The chicken pieces were small and not too dry. With the sauce, it was okay.

There were other types of curry offered, including masala chicken and beef vindaloo. The curries change around on a day to day basis, but I should think butter chicken is a staple.

India Abroad definitely had the longest line out of all the food court stands. After the line, it's a quick solution for lunch since one simply picks a sauce to be added to rice. Prices are decent since it is a fairly filling meal for under $10. I was really hungry that day and still wanted more butter chicken afterwards though, not gonna lie.

India Abroad
2 - 530 Hornby Street
Vancouver, BC
(604) 684-6047

Sashimi & More Sashimi @ Sushi California

2013-03-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

Venturing out to the Coquitlam area since we were visiting my cousin, the family went to Sushi California conveniently located on North Road. I have heard amazing things about this place countless times, and I was mildly excited. Since we got here relatively early, there were tons of parking spots. However, I've heard that parking here can be a pain -- beware!

The deluxe assorted sashimi ($19) came with eight different types of fish, including tuna, salmon, yellow tail, hamachi, octopus, surf clam, scallop, and prawn. First things first -- these pieces of fish were huge, probably nearly the length of half a chopstick. I didn't love the sashimi to be honest. Sure they were large chunks of fish and seemingly fresh, but it reminded me of my high school days when I went to Banzai for lunch way too often. Regardless, the fish here was well thawed out, and there was really nothing wrong with them.

The salmon here was definitely better than my high school comparison, but I still found them to be not as flavourful as wild salmon. I also found a piece of tendon in one of them! Lame. Regardless, they were alright pieces of fish.

We also ordered a wide variety of rolls, including the spicy chopped scallop and dynamite roll. They were both alright, although they could have been a bit more nicely packed since they fell apart quite easily. I'm not huge on "spicy chopped" anything, or rolls actually, so I didn't love either of these

We also ordered some toro nigiri ($1.35 each). This was good! Although still rather large, since it was on top of rice, the fish was thinner and a bit easier to tackle compared to the sashimi. The rice was a bit crumbly, though sadly. The seafood udon was pretty good too. I sampled only the broth and noodles, both of which were not bad. The noodles weren't that chewy, unfortunately, but still weren't the weird sour variety. Sushi California offers some very reasonable prices and large portions, making it a favourite with locals in the area. However, personally, I didn't love it because the sizes reminded me of high school so much. Don't get me wrong -- the food was okay (don't expect top-notch, but still decent) -- I'm just weird like that.

Sushi California
501 North Rd
Coquitlam, BC V3J
(604) 931-8284

Jumbo Rice & Wings @ Phnom Penh 金邊小館

2013-03-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

Prior to heading to Alibi Room, Jeff and I headed to Phnom Penh for some dinner. I've been here a few times since my last post, but it was mainly for wings and butter beef. This time wasn't that different, but we did order something else:

We shared the Phnom Penh jumbo rice with bbq pork chops, shredded pork, ham, and egg on rice ($10.95). A platter of rice with meat? Yes, please. We were too busy with the wings to poke the egg yolk though and by the time we got to it, it had sadly cooked even more from the heat. I really liked the shredded pork, which is different from that of the Chinese variety. Slight crispy and I guess "hairy"... I liked it. Pork chops are always a "meh" for me -- in this case, the exterior was nicely marinated, and although they weren't tough, I found them slightly dry. Nothing some fish sauce couldn't fix though. The ham was decent, and I liked that they were actually slightly thicker than normal.

The Phnom Penh deep fried wings here were good today! Jeff proclaimed that they were better than Indochine's, and yeah, I'd have to agree. They're easier on the sugar and MSG here. I found that there were a lot of chicken wing tips here though. I would've preferred to see them attached to the wing just because it seems to serve even less purpose detached and served.

The butter beef was pretty good, although I have to admit it wasn't as good as the first time I had it. Still pretty decent and nicely seasoned with the sweet soy sauce though. We were quite full after this dinner, though I felt less disgusting and didn't suffer from the MSG as much as I had the first time around. Maybe the rice, which was lighter on the seasoning, soaked it up. It was definitely a good choice for carbs. Or maybe it was because of the beer from Alibi that quenched my thirst.

Phnom Penh 金邊小館
244 E Georgia St
Vancouver, BC
(604) 682-5777