Category

Korean

Category

NeNe Chicken is an international Korean Fried Chicken chain from South Korea. They are known as one of the top Korean Fried Chicken shops and it’s definitely a must try. There is a lot of anticipation for them to open in Vancouver and they’re definitely going to be very busy.

There are tons of Fried Chicken shops in Vancouver and I love having more options. As you can tell, Korean Fried Chicken is one of our favourite foods. NeNe Chicken has 7 types of Korean Fried Chicken, 5 burgers, and 6 sides to choose from. My husband loves it when there are boneless options on the menu. We were invited for a sneak peek before their soft opening launch.

Delivery and Takeout Options

A majority of their orders will be for takeout and delivery, so you can find them on Skip the Dishes, Door Dash, Uber Eats, or their own online ordering system.

Menu

Boneless Original Fried Chicken

We got half of the boneless original fried chicken and were surprised at how crisp the exterior was and the inside was very juicy. We also did wait to have some more pieces at home to see how it holds up on the ride home. After a 30 minute ride, it was still crispy. We were very impressed. My husband absolutely loved it. He still raves about it.

Boneless Soy Garlic Chicken

The other half we got was the boneless soy garlic chicken. I absolutely loved it. It had a good amount of garlic aroma with a hint of spice. One of the better soy garlic chickens I’ve had. Even with the addition of the sauce, the crispiness still held up very well.

French Fries

We got side of fries and we weren’t disappointed either. It’s a lot better when it’s fresh, but the little one didn’t mind at all.

Final Thoughts

We have had a lot of Korean Fried Chicken in the past and NeNe Chicken is definitely up there in our top 3. My husband and I don’t always agree on what is the best as that is always so objective. We still highly recommend trying out NeNe Chicken as it holds up very well for takeout. The chicken is very flavourful and juicy, plus the exterior still holds a nice crunch and doesn’t go soggy.

We can anticipate NeNe Fried Chicken being really busy once they open on April 21, 2021 for their soft opening.

Address:
1070 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC V5V 1N9

Website:
https://www.nenechicken.ca/

Chung Chun Rice Hot Dog is an global chain for the popular Korean street food – Korean rice dog. They have a wide range of deep-fried rice hot dogs that are stuffed with sausages, mozzarella, or other items surrounded by a rice batter.

They recently opened on the corner of Robson and Denman serving up these addictive hot dogs. There aren’t a lot of places doing this, so they have been very popular since their opening.

With Covid-19 pandemic, they have been offering take out options. When you get to the store, there is a line up to order and then another line up to wait for your order outside. They do a great job making sure everyone is socially distant and wearing masks.

Menu

The menu has 16 different items and so many hot dogs to choose from. There are different toppings you can add to it too like honey butter, sugar, ketchup, and mustard among many.

When you get your order, a lot of the hot dog will look very similar, so they colour coat the bottom so you can see which one is which.

Chung Chun Rice Hot Dog Taste Test

We ordered 5 different rice hot dogs – jumbo, double cheese, sausage tteok, Squid ink cheese hot dog, and ramen chip hot dog.

If you’re doing take out and have to drive a fair distance to go home and eat, make sure you don’t sauce up your hot dog with ketchup or mustard and it will make the exterior of the hot dog a bit soggy by the time you get home. I also make sure to keep the box open so condensation doesn’t build up in the box.

I actually prefer having not too much cheese in my hot dog, so we gravitate towards the jumbo, squid ink cheese dog, and the ramen chip hot dog as there was more hot dog. With the thicker rice batter, I felt that the sausage add a lot more flavour to the experience. When paired with ketchup and mustard, its great. It’s like a corn dog but with rice instead. With the double cheese hot dog, it was 2/3 cheese and then 1/3 sausage.

Reheating

If your hot dog does need to be reheated, I put mine in a toaster oven for a few minutes. Simple and you only need a few minutes. It will also help crisp up the outside too.

Final Thoughts

For the price and what you get, it’s solid. We ate 2 each and were super stuffed. We love all the ones that have lots of sausage like the jumbo, squid ink cheese dog, and the ramen chip hot dog.

Check out Chung Chun Rice Hot Dog if you love Korean street food.

Address:
1795 Robson St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://chungchunricedog.ca/

There’s a lot of small businesses popping up all over Instagram. I usually decline, but my friends highly recommended the different Food Affare dishes.

Leah of Food Affare is a Red Seal Certified Chef with up to date food safe certifications. All the dishes are created in her home, but I felt safe knowing she has extensive knowledge in the food industry. She started in the hotel industry specializing in Italian cuisine, but a few years ago, she took a step back to focus on balancing family life. She continued working as a chef in the school system, but itching to do something more her style.

With the pandemic, she got the chance to experiment with creating new dishes for friends and family. They nudged her to get Food Affare going and that how it was born.

Menu

How to Order and Pick Up

You can contact them via Direct Message on Instagram or email foodaffare@gmail.com. Then you let them know your details, order, and pick up date.

They do require an e-transfer ahead of the pick up.

Their pick up is Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Richmond near No 5 Road and Steveston.

Mushroom Ravioli

It is on Buerre Noisette with blistered tomatoes, parmesan petals, reduced wine couli, fried capers and olive oil. It’s a pretty solid ravioli dish. Love love love the mushrooms.

Mentaiko Kimchi Udon

The dish has pork belly, onsen egg, and topped with Katsuboshi and scallions. That onsen egg was so good. It adds extra creaminess to the udon.

Slowly Simmered Classic Beef Bolognese

I really enjoyed this dish a lot. So classic but executed very well. It is topped with shaved Regianno in Rigatoni pasta al dente. Great portion size too.

If you have kids, this will be a smash hit with them. My little kid enjoyed it a lot.

Final Thoughts

I would recommend eating it right when you get home for maximum enjoyment when the dish is warm and doesn’t need to be reheated. We had 3 dishes and we enjoyed them a lot. You can tell she doesn’t cut corners at all. Everything is fresh and very flavourful.

The prices are very fair, so it’s you are close to No 5 and Steveston, definitely check them out.

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/foodaffare/

Cafe Hashtag is now open in Coquitlam right by the H Mart on North Road. Since they were under construction, that name has always got my attention. There are a lot of other cafes in the area, so competition is definitely high.

I was very curious how they would stand out from the rest. With Covid-19 pandemic, it’s really hard to open a business now. I decided to make the trip to pay them a visit on the first day of opening.

Interior

Because of social distancing, the furniture isn’t in their intended places. They have markers on the ground to direct customers to wait in line, order and pick up their items.

There are some table available for dining in, but I only saw one small group at the time I was here.

Menu

Latte

They have different sizes of lattes but I just went with a smaller 12oz. They use the beans roasted by C Market Coffee, which is also in Coquitlam.

It was a good latte and pairs well with their waffles.

Dalgona Milk Tea

If you want something more trendy, they have dalgona milk tea on the menu. There are pieces of dalgona toffee on top that dissolves into the drink slowly. The base is espresso and milk.

An interesting twist to the classic Dalgona coffee.

CroWaffle

This is their Croissant Waffle on a stick. It’s shaped like Taiwan or South Korea if you use your imagination. hahaha. It has buttery layers with some syrup and icing sugar to give it a bit of sweetness.

Final Thoughts

It’s good to have more options in town for coffee, but they definitely have a lot of competition. If you’re in the area, drop by Cafe Hashtag for some coffee and waffles.

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/hashtagvan/

Address:
329 North Road #530, Coquitlam

Nadri is another new restaurant open in Korea Town in the same plaza as Han Nam Supermarket. It is located right beside Maison Mori, a new Korean Bakery.

There are a lot of Korean fried chicken restaurants in the area, so we wanted to check it out to see how it compares.

Interior

The restaurant is located in a newer food court style area. So, there is only communal seating for the shops and restaurants in the area. 

Kids

There are high chairs and changing tables for toddlers if you need it.

Menu

Banchan

I love complimentary side dishes at Korean restaurants. There are bean sprouts, potatoes, mushrooms, and kimchi radish. Love it.

Steamed Half/Half Dumplings 반반만두

We wanted to get a good taste of their dumplings, so we got the dumplings in 2 favours – pork and kimchi. A good option and you get 4 pieces each. Both flavours were good and comes with a light soy sauce for dipping.

Gal Bi Tang 갈비탕

Gal Bi Tang is beef rib soup and it’s a very comforting dish. It has big chunks of beef on beef bones and a good amount of glass noodles. It even comes with a side of rice. It’s a very filling dish if you eat everything plus the banchan.

Half/Half Fried Chicken 반반

You can choose two different types of fried chicken on the menu. We went with bone-in original fried chicken (후라이드) and their snowing fried chicken. The snowing fried chicken (스노잉) is really a honey butter seasoning that they generously sprinkle over the fried chicken.

It also comes with pickled onion and pickled radish. This was nice as the pickles would help cut the oiliness of the chicken. Both were very crispy but I wasn’t a fan of the sweet and savoury flavours of the snowing fried chicken. The original fried chicken needed some more salt and pepper to it as I tasted more of the oil it was fried in.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I like the variety on the menu and the prices are very fair. Right now, there are a lot of grand opening sales for Nadri, so check those out especially on Tuesday to get a nice discount.

It seems to a hidden gem in the area as there were a decent amount of people dining here on a weekday. I thought the food was average and the fried chicken was a touch oily.

Address:
4501 North Rd Unit 111F, Burnaby, BC

Website:
https://nadri-korean-restaurant.business.site/

Maison Mori is the newest Korean-style Bakery to open on North Road in between Burnaby and Coquitlam. They are located on the bottom floor of the Han Nam Supermarket Plaza. 

A lot of excellent cafes and restaurants have been opening up in Korea Town, so it’s definitely worth a visit to this area as you could spend a whole day eating. 

Chef Kim and Chef Jeon always dreamed of having a bakery in Canada where their knowledge of French and Japanese baking techniques can blend with traditional Korean pastries.

Our family loves Korean Bakeries, so we had to check this place out. 

Interior

The bakery is located in a newer food court style area. So, there is only communal seating for the shops and restaurants in the area. 

Kids

There are high chairs and changing tables for toddlers if you need it.

Menu

The menu does change seasonally and different batches of baked good are prepared at set times throughout the day. You can call them to pre-order items that you want. Or come when the items come fresh out of the oven. 

It looked like they had a good amount of pre-orders. We didn’t preorder as we didn’t know what would be good. We wanted to eat with our eyes first. 

Milk Cream Bun

The milk cream bun was really good. It was filled with a nice sweet vanilla cream and the bun was so soft. Highly recommended. This was definitely my favourite item of the items we bought.

Marble Bread

The marble bread is beautiful with the two colours swirled together. It isn’t sweet, so this taste like a regular slice of bread with very subtle hints of cocoa.

Sweet Potato Cube

Another one of my favourites that I highly recommend. The sweet potato is delicious and it’s a great item to pair for baked goods.

Chocolate Ganache Cube

The chocolate ganache cube is also nice. It’s half way between a cake and bread. It’s not too sweet either and it’s great for those who love chocolate.

Honey Toast

The honey toast was hard and sticks to your teeth. I wasn’t a fan of this.

Injeolmi Cream Bun

This bun is filled with cream and red bean and the outside of the bun has a coating of Injeolmi powder. I didn’t like it because there was so much Injeolmi powder that it got really messy to eat and my mouth got dry from all the powder. It wasn’t very sweet on the inside either.

Mochi Mochi Bread

This bread sounds really good. How can you say no to a bread named mochi mochi? It was just like a regular loaf of bread but I guess made out of rice flour.

Final Thoughts

They have a wide range of baked goods and it’s been very popular since they opened. My favourite items were the ones that were more on the sweet side instead of bread. I would get the Milk Cream Bun. Sweet Potato Cube, and the Chocolate Ganache Cube again.

It’s a great addition to the neighbourhood and they seem to be selling out of everything quickly. I would highly recommend calling ahead of time to reserve you pastries so you don’t leave disappointed.

It is also cash only if you order $10 or under. If it’s over $10, you can use card.

Address:
4501 North Rd #111G, Burnaby, BC

Website:
https://maison-mori.business.site/

Katsuya is a chain out of Toronto that specializes in Japanese Pork Cutlet. A lot of these katsu restaurants have been popping up all over Metro Vancouver. They have 5 locations in total, 4 in Toronto and then 1 in Coquitlam.

They have an extensive menu of katsu with different cuts of pork and a wide range of sauce combinations. We didn’t want to drive all the way to Downtown Vancouver for our go to spot, so we decided to check out Katsuya for lunch.

Interior

The space is quite large but at peak times, it’s pretty busy for lunch and dinner. We came right at 12pm and there were still a few spots left. By 12:40, the place had a little bit of a wait.

Kids

We were surprised they are very kid friendly. There are high chairs for kids and in the women’s washroom, there is a very nice changing table.

Pickles

You get some pickled spicy cabbage before the meal begins.

Miso Soup

The miso soup arrives before the meal too. It was decent miso soup, but nothing too interesting. It is unlimited, so if you want more, you need to flag a server down. When its busy, it might take a little while too.

Cheese Crabmeat Croquette

We started off by sharing the cheese crabmeat croquette which comes with a good amount of pieces and the size is quite large. Each croquette is stuffed with cheese and is dripping with sauce. It looks quite nice.

When it arrives at the table, it’s really crispy and piping hot. It was good but I was looking for a bit more cheese inside.

Carbonara Katsu

We got the carbonara katsu with pork tender. They drench the katsu with their special carbonara sauce made to order using fresh cream, shrimp, squid, bacon, and vegetables. It’s a different take on the classic katsu with curry.

The carbonara was ok, but was a bit odd to have so much seafood in the sauce. We would have preferred a good simple cheesy carbonara sauce without the seafood.

The katsu is large and filled us up so quickly that we could barely finish it. There is unlimited miso soup and cabbage on the side. The dish was good, but it is pricy.

Brick Cheese Katsu

The Brick Cheese Katsu is stuffed with premium brick mozzarella cheese which is wrapped inside with pork loin. There are only a limited quality available per day. When it comes out, the brick cheese is warm. It still has a cheesy pull to it when you bite into it, but it cools down quickly.

Final Thoughts

A lot of people will wonder, how does this compare to Saku in Vancouver. It’s different and Katsuya is a bit fusion and has fun with their sauce combinations. I find the quality of katsu at Saku is higher but portions to be a bit smaller. Katsuya is much superior than Daeji.

Also, even though the miso soup and cabbage is unlimited, you need to ask. They won’t take the initiative to ask you if you would like more.

If you don’t want to travel far for katsu, Katsuya is a good option in Coquitlam. There are still lots of items on the menu we didn’t try.

Address:
555 Clarke Rd #8, Coquitlam, BC 

Website:
https://katsuya.ca/

Kosoo Korean Cuisine has launched some new features this fall – Lunch boxes, Gugsu, and Sundubu. I love seasonal menus as the ingredients are in season and generally fit the weather. As it is becoming colder and rainy in Vancouver, we are craving more comforting dishes.

Menu

Lunch Boxes

We love a good lunch box where there are so many different items in the meal. There are a few different restaurants that do lunch boxes but this one a pretty nice one for Downtown Vancouver. The prices of the lunch boxes vary depending on the meat option you choose.

There are 5 options:

  • Bulgogi
  • LA Galbi
  • Pork Galbi
  • Bossam
  • Gochujang Pork Belly

The box has 6 different side dishes with mushroom salad, daily soup and Korean Yogurt. The side dishes are usually kimchi with bean sprouts, egg omelette, 2 kinds of pancakes, takoyaki and dduk galbi. All very great side dishes.

Lunch box with bulgogi
Lunch box with LA Galbi

The LA Galbi was the favourite of the two as it was more meaty. It has nice Korean BBQ flavours marinated throughout. The bulgogi wasn’t as plentiful as it was mixed with onions.

Nonetheless, we still enjoyed the fun concept of the lunch boxes as there is so many different tastes and textures in the side dishes. The soup that accompanied it was seaweed soup, but it does change.

Kosoo Gugsu

This is noodle in broth with a slight kick of spice. There are a lot of noodles in this big bowl, as well as veggies, minced meat and seaweed. We did feel like the noodles were a bit on the soft side and we of preferred it a bit firmer. Nonetheless, if you are really hungry, this dish will fill you up.

You can also turn this in to a combo by adding a side of BBQ for a few extra dollars

Jjangppong Sundubu

If you love spicy noodes, then the Jjangppong Sundubu might be for you. We did ask for less spicy, but it was still very spicy. The portions are huge and it came with a huge fried fish in it. Do not that the fish does have bones, so it’s a bit hard to eat.

BBQ Combo

There are a few BBQ combo options you can add to your noodles:

  • Chicken
  • Pork
  • LA Galbi

Definitely tender and full of flavour from the different marinades. A good addition to the noodles.

Chicken BBQ
Pork Combo

Final Thoughts

Glad that the Fall is here since it’s the best time for soupy noodles and BBQ meats. If you’re at Kosoo, definitely check out this fall menu in addition to their regular items.

Website:
http://www.kosoorestaurant.ca/

Address:
832 Cardero St, Vancouver, BC

Living in Vancouver, how can you not love seafood? There are over 615 sushi restaurants in Vancouver according to the Vancouver Sun. One of the most popular cuisines in Vancouver is Japanese and items like fresh sashimi, sushi rolls, and dons are what local and visitors can’t get enough of. We are very fortunate to be located right by the Pacific Ocean and have fresh seafood come in as well as imported goods as we have one of the biggest ports in Vancouver.

There are a lot of Japanese restaurants that have a Korean twist on their menu that differentiates them from others. Of course they have the popular items but use some Korean influenced ingredients which creates a new niche of Japanese cuisine. Somewhat like a low key Korean-Japanese fusion that people talk about but don’t really promote.

Ton Ton Sushi on Cambie Street is a great example. We were invited to check our a few of their signature dishes.

Interior

There are tables for small to large groups. Given the area, there were families dining here as well and lots of rooms for strollers to get between the seats. These are the little things I look for nowadays as I’ve become a parent.

Menu

Drunken Asari Sakamushi

This is sake-steamed clams and they are pretty good. The sake’s alcohol content is burned off as it cooks, which leaves a delicious both that pairs with the clams.

Crab Dip

This has mixed real snow crab and imitation crab with mayo and then baked with cheddar cheese. Was a bit strange and didn’t like this.

Takoyaki

Takoyaki is octopus pieces battered and cooked into a ball shape. It’s a classic Japanese street food and it’s pretty enjoyable. It is topped with katsu sauce, mayo and bonito flakes.

As there are multiple pieces, it’s a good item to share among the table.

Ebi Fry

Deep fried tempura shrimp with a dip is good to start the meal and share if you have a group. Crisp on the outside and delicious sweet shrimp inside.

Ton Ton Tower

Ton Ton Tower is made of a base of crab meat and then topped with salmon and tuna sashimi, as well as tobiko. Around the dish are garlic chips, capers and olive oil.

Salmon Sashimi

Very fresh and delicious. The prices are very fair here too.

Ame Ebi

The ame ebi, which are shrimp known for their sweet taste.

Unagi Hot Stone Stowl

This has a base of rice, BBQ unagi kizami nori, tamago and it’s served in a hot stone bowl. This is one of the more expensive items on the menu, but it is filling and easily shared.

Kimchi Mentaiko Udon

This has pan-fried udon with cod roe, kimchi and bacon, green onion, and bonito fish flakes. This was pretty tasty and the creaminess of the sauce went well with the acidity of the kimchi.

Tara Nabe

This has black cod, tofu and mushroom in soup. Very hearty dish and served in a boiling hot pot. It’s really great on a cold winters day.

Dragon Roll

The dragon roll is like a California roll but topped with unagi, avocado, sesame seeds and sauce. They even presented it like a dragon too.

Oshi Sushi

There are many varieties of Oshi Sushi, which are pressed nigiri on the menu – Ebi, Salmon, Spicy Tuna, Saba, Hamachi, Unagi, etc.

Final Thoughts

Ton Ton Sushi is a solid restaurant in the area for Japanese food with a hint of Korean influence in their dishes. The prices are solid and it’s a good place for families to enjoy lunch or dinner if you’re close by the area.

Website:
4018 Cambie St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://sushitonton.com/

Black Rice Izakaya is always innovating their menu and trying to use the freshest produce for the season. As it is now Summer, they’ve launched some new items to pair with the beautiful hot Vancouver weather.

We were invited to check out a few of these dishes.

Miso Ceviche

The miso ceviche is served with taro chips. It was a delicious dish that was fresh and light. The crisp texture of the taro chips paired well with the acidity of the ceviche.

Soy Chicken Karaage

This is Korean fried chicken and you can request it at different spice levels. We got mild and there was only a little spark of spice, so that was good for those who can’t handle spicy. The chicken is deep fried twice and its crisp and tastes great.

Ika Feast

The ika is cooked two ways – grilled and fried. The deep fried ika was delicious, which is essentially calamari. The grilled ika was very plump and grilled quite well so its tender with good depth of flavour. The sauces that accompany this dish was great to dunk into.

Spicy Cold Sashimi Soup

Spicy cold sashimi soup is Mul-hoi in Korean. It was served with sea bass today, but it can depend on Chef’s choice sashimi – The sea bass was so good as it was fresh and sweet. The soup base does have a kick of spice to it.

Pad Thai Yaki Soba

This is their version of Pad Thai and Yaki Soba combination. It leans more towards a Pad Thai, but with soba noodles. It was good but we still prefer the chew of Pad Thai noodles.

Final Thoughts

The new dishes as part of their Sumer menu is asian fusion for sure which is reminiscent of their other dishes on the menu. The dishes were food and worth a try and the sashimi is very fresh.

Address:
782 Cambie St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.blackrice.ca/

Masita Korean Restaurant on Kingsway in Burnaby is serving up traditional Korean cuisine in this space. Masita translates to ‘yummy’ in Korean. They have been around for a few years but I haven’t made a visit until now for lunch. I heard they have good lunch sets that are very affordable.

There are a few parking stall out front, but can get all full during peak lunch and dinner times.

Interior

There are lots of tables for small to large groups. It’s very family friendly during the day and can get more rowdy at night. I was lugging around my daughter in her infant car seat and they were kind enough to seat us at a booth where she could rest peacefully as we ate.

Menu

Complimentary Banchan

Banchan are Korean side dishes that come complimentary with a meal. It’s kind of expected from Korean restaurant to provide these free of charge.

We got marinated potatoes, seaweed and kimchi. They tasted very homemade, so that was delicious.

BBQ Combo

This combo comes with Beef BBQ, rice, and your choice of beef or seafood hot pot. It is available for a limited time and is only available until 3pm.

For $15, you do get quite a bit of food and it’s great for someone that is very hungry. You get the most value out of this combo. The beef BBQ was tender and full of flavour. The hot pot has a nice kick of spice and a decent amount of seafood inside.

Gamja-Tang Hot Pot Meal

This has boiling hot pork back bone soup and a bowl of rice. You can order this non-spicy upon request. I got it with spice and it wasn’t too spicy at all. A good amount to really enhance the flavours. The pork bones were full of meat and tender. I really liked it.

Masita Fried Chicken

This are bits of deep-fried chicken with a sweet chili sauce on the side. The taste was ok and I was expecting pieces of drumsticks and thighs but it was more like boneless chicken pieces deep-fried in a panko-like crust.

Final Thoughts

Their lunch combos are definitely worth it and I would come back again for it because you get quite a bit of food.

Address:
6516 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC

Green Leaf Cafe opened their second location in Burnaby and it’s good they finally opened right by Lougheed Mall so there are more food options in the area. They are a Japanese and Korean fusion restaurant that takes the best of both cuisines. I came here with the family for lunch to check it out.

Interior

The space is large and it can get quite busy on weekends, so a reservation is best to ensure your whole party gets seated with no waits.

Menu

Crispy Chicken Karaage

The chicken is deep-fried and seasoned with a soy garlic sauce and served with a garlic mayo. It comes in 5, 10 or 15 pieces in an order. It was really delicious, well seasoned and also very moist inside.

Grilled Miso Mackerel

It has the grilled mackerel with a housemade miso sauce on top of grilled onions and served with rice on the side. It was average and all the sauces clashed with the natural saltiness of the mackerel.

Aburi Tuna Salad

In this big salad is flame seared tuna, greens, garlic chips, and yuzu ponzu dressing. Good and refreshing.

Salmon Oshi

Salmon Oshi is quite popular here. There are double layers of Atlantic salmon, oshi sauce and topped with a Jalapeno. The sauce is flame seared so it give it a nice texture and flavour. What I found with their version is that the rice is quite oily, so it falls apart easily.

Scallop Oshi

The Scallop Oshi has scallop, fish eggs, oishi sauce and topped with cracked pepper. I felt the same feeling about these too. It was just too oily and also fell apart.

Tornado Omelette

The tornado rice is beautiful. It has a sweet and savoury demiglace sauce or you can choose the Jalapeno creamy sauce. It looked beautiful, but it was average as it was just rice and eggs.

Uni Bibimbab

This has mushrooms, onions, fresh local sea urchin, house-made seasoned seaweed sauce on top of rice. It looked nice but it was ok.

Mentaiko Creamy Linguine

This has linguine covered in a Jalapeno creamy cod roe sauce with prawns. It is also topped with more cod roe on top. Pretty good tasting.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was a good

Address:
9604 Cameron St, Burnaby, BC 

Website:
https://www.greenleafcafebc.ca/

Nothing says comfort food like tacos and fried chicken. Milssam Tacorea brings another iteration of Korean-Mexican fusion to the city. This time in the heart of Yaletown at 1130 Mainland Street. The spot is cozy with a big fire pit up front, a selection of booth, regular table and communal table seats and a projector for hockey games.

Sister restaurant to Damso Korean Restaurant and Mr. Osmad Souffle Cheesecake in the West End, Milssam brings favorites from both, like the cheesecake that gives Uncle Tetsu’s a run for their money, while creating new dishes for taco lovers.

Tacos

My favorite taco of theirs, pictured in the middle above, is the cauliflower one. Taking inspiration from the classic Korean saucy noodle dish jjajangmyeon, the taco features warm and crunchy fried cauliflower, corn, avocado flavored with black bean mole sauce with pickled onions and greens. Unlike the usual chocolate mole, black bean mole has a salty richness that packs this taco with flavor.

The namesake taco, the Milssam Taco, was so popular at Damso that it sparked the creation of Milssam Tacorea itself. Beef belly, onion, lettuce and gochujang vin in a soft steam bun shell. The gochujang is mild with just enough of a sweet kick to linger delightfully on your lips.

Their seafood ceviche taco is a refreshing addition to the meal. Marinated shrimp and snapper, avocado, shallots and soy vin. The meat is tangy and sweet and the shell stayed crisp even though it was on the table for some time for pictures. The layering was well thought out to keep those conditions.

Makuli and rum “majito”

Milssam also has Korean-Mexican fusion drinks like a makuli and rum “majito” pictured above, Songria (soju and sangria) and Shikhae Horchata (horchata with malt, pictured below).  Makuli, rum, mint, lime and soda are a fantastic combination. The idea of the soda threw me off when I read the menu but I highly recommend giving it a try.

Shikhae Horchata

This wouldn’t be a taco place without Jarritos but in fusion cuisine fashion they’ve also imported the Korean 7-Up, Chilsung Cider.

KFC, Korean friend chicken

Their KFC, Korean friend chicken is exactly what you would expect from a good Korean bar. Glad Yaletown finally has an option for this.

Cheesecake

Seems a little confusing why a souffle cheesecake is on the menu at a Korean taco place but when you have a bite, you’ll ask no questions and only be glad that it’s there instead of halfway across town. I prefer it with the strawberry compote, but I have a sweet tooth. Light, fluffy, freshly made in 30 minutes. So, if you plan to have one, order it when you order your food. Just as good as Uncle Tetsu’s without the lineup. I’m not sure this photo shows off the size of the cake, but I’ll tell you that it can generously serve 4 after the fried chicken.

Address:
1130 Mainland St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://milssam-tacorea.business.site/

Kosoo Resaurant is serving up their Kosoo Set Course for $15 per person. There’s not a lot of options where you can get such a diverse amount of dishes for just $15. We were excited to give this set course a try to see if it’s worth the price.

Interior

There are a good amount of tables inside for small to large groups. If you’re in a large group, it’s best to make a reservation in advance for big groups.

Kosoo Set Menu

The best deal on their menu is their lunch course set for minimum 2 people. It’s a lot of food, but for $15 per person, it’s very good. It comes with:

  • Tuna Tataki
  • Mushroom salad
  • Ball trio
  • Kosoo Taco
  • Japchae
  • Dduk Galbi
  • 24 hour pork belly, miso marinated pork belly with salad and pickle
  • Mackerel
  • Korean Miso Soup
  • Kimchi
  • Matcha Creme Brûlée

11 dishes for $30 isn’t bad at all.  You get to try a variety of food with a diverse taste profile. Some items on the menu may change based on availability and seasonality.

Kimchi

Kimchi is a staple in Korean cuisines and you usually find it on the dining table. It is a spicy fermented cabbage that tastes sour and spicy.

24 hour Pork Belly and Dduk Galbi

On the left is the miso marinated pork belly with corn, jalapeno and pickle on top. Very tasty but would have been better it if was more tender.

On the right is the Dduk Galbi, which is traditional Korean oven roasted sweet ground beef with a house dressing, pickled onion and jalapeños. This tasted good but was a bit sweet.

Tuna Tataki and Ball Trio

Lightly seared tuna is paired with a sesame dressing and green onions. The ball trio were nicely fried, with a nice kick of spice to it.

Japchae

Japchae is a classic Korean dish made with stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables. It was delicious.

Korean Miso Soup

Korean Miso Soup is made with soybean paste, with mixed veggies, tofu, and beef. It had a good comforting depth of flavour but was borderline salty.

Mushroom salad

The mushroom salad is made of a bed of greens, cherry tomatoes, 3 kinds of mushrooms, feta cheese and a balsamic dressing. A refreshing dish to go with the rest of the meal and it was good.

Kosoo Taco

This has beef with a sweet & spicy sauce, lettuce, and onion on a French crêpe as the soft taco shell. Oddly enough, this was good and kinda tasted like a Big Mac.

Grilled Mackerel

The mackerel is salted and then grilled. Not too fishy and has a good amount of fish fat to it.

Matcha Creme Brûlée

The meal ends with a Matcha Creme Brûlée served in a ceramic dish with a cute spoon.

Final Thoughts

Overall the set was worth it for $15 per person and some dishes were a hit and miss, but mostly still very positive. If you’re looking for a lunch set like this, we recommend making your way down here to Kosoo to get a taste of their Korean and French fusion dishes.

Address:
832 Cardero Street, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.kosoorestaurant.ca/

Gong Cha opened the newest location in the Joyce area on Tyne Street across from Safeway. The other locations are in Downtown Vancouver by the Vancouver Public Library and in Richmond. It’s good that it’s finally a little bit closer to Burnaby.

During their grand opening weekend, we went to get $2 bubble tea with milk foam as that was their promotion. Since we live close by, we knew we should come here early before they open at 12pm.

Interior

The interior is a decent size with a few tables to sit and enjoy the drinks. Most people did take out as it was really busy on opening day with line ups out the door. If you come here at non-peak times, you should be able to get a spot.

Green Tea with Milk Foam

I went with the green tea with milk foam for my drink with 50% sweetness and 30% ice. I want to be able to taste the tea without it being masked by the sweetness of too much sugar. The milk foam is a bit salty which is a nice balance surprisingly.

It was good and I enjoyed it.

Black Tea with Milk Foam

The black tea with milk foam was the most popular of the series from what I saw other people ordering. The above has pearls and is 30% sweet.

This one is regular sweetness and ice levels for the black tea with milk foam. When it comes to the combination of sugar and ice levels, its all based off personal preference.

Final Thoughts

It’s good to have more bubble tea options in the area especially Gong Cha, which is well known for their drinks all around the world. We only had the milk foam series, but they have more to offer that just that. There is classic milk tea to fruity drinks.

Address:
5712 Tyne St, Vancouver BC

Website:
http://gongchacanada.com/

Kosoo Resaurant is a fusion restaurant using typical Korean and Japanese ingredients with French cooking techniques. A very interesting flavour combination but can work well together. The restaurant is located by Cardero and Robson Street in the West End of Downtown Vancouver. They are open for lunch and dinner.

Interior

There are a good amount of tables inside for small to large groups. If you’re in a large group, its best to make a reservation in advance for big groups.

Kosoo Set Menu

The best deal on their menu is their lunch course set for minimum 2 people. It’s a lot of food, but for $15 per person, it’s very good. It comes with:

  • Oyster
  • Mushroom salad
  • Bibimbob balls
  • Kosoo Taco
  • Japchae
  • Sweet and spicy assorted sashimi salad
  • 24 hour pork belly, miso marinated pork belly with salad and pickle
  • Mackerel
  • Beef Soy Bean Paste Soup
  • Kimchi
  • Matcha Creme Brûlée

Caprese

This beautiful dish has tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and a bed of pesto sauce. Very good way to start off the meal, but isn’t what you would normally think would be on the menu.

Tartare Sampler

The sampler comes with beef, tuna and salmon tartare. A good way to taste all three tartares on the menu. I really enjoyed it.

Toro Sashimi

Toro is the deliciously fatty portion of the tuna belly. It’s rich fat content gives it a melt in your mouth texture. The toro is wrapped up in a rose. Just unravel it and eat it with some wasabi and soy sauce.

Gomae

This dish has sauteed spinach sitting a top of a sesame seed dressing. It’s a little bit Japanese and a little bit Korean.

Spicy Tuna Roll

On the base is a California roll topped with seared tuna and jalapeños drizzled with spicy mayo and their secret sauce.

Unagi Roll

This also has a base of California roll but has variations of eel (unagi) and avocado.

For both the rolls, I thought it was ok. Nothing special, but if you’re here and craving sushi, you have options here.

Cheese Chicken Galbi

This is one of their signature dishes and it’s quite popular. It has chicken galbi in the centre with veggies. On the side, there is corn with yam puree and mozzarella cheese.

Tomato Mussel Stew

It has fresh mussels in a broth of Korean spices, prawns and other aromatics. I didn’t really like the taste of the dish as it was salty, fishy and sour all at the same time.

Gambas

This dish has extra virgin olive oil, garlic mussels and prawns. Mussels were on the small side.

Spicy Popeye Gyoza

The crispy gyozas have a spinach cream cheese and prawn inside the crispy wrap.

Drinks

There is beer, wine, cake, soju, and other spirits on the menu. They have recently added Sangria to their menu. They have a Red Wine Bloody Berry and White Wine Fresh Citrus sangrias.

Good for a hot Summer’s day. Fruity, refreshing and sweet.

Final Thoughts

Overall, a unique concept that fuses a variety of cuisines but is predominantly Korean. Their best dishes are those signature dishes like the cheese chicken galbi.

Address:
832 Cardero Street, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.kosoorestaurant.ca/

Sulmida is a Korean dessert cafe specializing in bingsu or better known as shaved ice. They have other locations in Burnaby and Richmond. This particular one is in Vancouver on the West End on Denman Street close to Robson.

I came here on a weekday with some friends after dinner.

Interior

The space is pretty large compared to other locations, so there are plenty of tables to enjoy your dessert and drinks.

Choco Brownie Bingsu

In the bowl, it is filled with layers of sweet milky shaved ice and the chocolate mixture. Then topped with vanilla ice cream, brownies, and the choco ‘soil’.

Mango Banana Bingsu

As mangoes are in season now, this is very popular, It has mango puree, mango chunks, banana, almonds, and vanilla ice cream.

Green Tea Bingsu

All of the bingu are so cute with the addition of the almond bunny ears. This green tea version has red bean right under the vanilla ice cream.

Final Thoughts

All the bingsu were good, but it took them a very long time for them to be created. Our drinks that we ordered took a long time too.

We Rate Sulmida

Address:
780 Denman Street, Vancouver, BC

Jasmine Club Chinese Restaurant in Coquitlam serves up Korean Chinese cuisine. Three popular dishes are Jajangmyeon – noodles with a thick sweet bean sauce, Jjamppong – spicy noodle soup, and Tangsuyuk – sweet and sour pork dish.

We came here for dinner since M really craved some jajangmyeon.

Interior

The space was pretty busy for a weekend evening and the tables filled up very quickly. For large groups, its best to have reservations.

Banchan – Complimentary Side Dishes

Banchan are small side dishes that come complimentary with the meal. There is pickled daikon and picked carrots and cabbage. It was good to nibble on throughout the meal.

Mandu – Fried Dumplings

There are about 8 pieces that come in an order. It’s so delicious and deep-fried till a golden brown on the outside. The inside is very savoury and yummy.

Tangsuyuk – Sweet Sour Crispy Pork

This is very different than the usual sweet and sour pork. The pork is covered in potato starch, thus the pale coating around it. There are a lot of veggies like wood ear mushrooms, carrots, cucumbers, onions, peppers, and maraschino cherries.

Jjajang bokkeumbap – Fried Rice with Black Bean Sauce

This is what I ordered. I really like the fried rice with the black bean sauce. It was good, but I wished they gave a little bit more black bean sauce

Jajangmyeon

There is a lot of black bean sauce with the noodles. Mix it all together and slurp up all the noodles.

Final Thoughts

Jasmine Club Chinese restaurant has some pretty good Korean Chinese food, but it is pricey compared to what you would normally pay in Korea.

We Rate Jasmine Club Chinese Restaurant

Address:
1001B Austin Avenue, Coquitlam, BC