Two Beakers Archives - Page 5 of 12

In American

Bennigan’s in South Korea

December 7, 2013

Doing some research on where to eat in Korea, M wanted to go to Bennigan’s. It’s an American chain restaurant that serves up Irish and American food. After doing a debate of dining choices, I reluctantly agreed to come here for lunch. They serve Monte Cristo sandwiches here and M has been searching far and wide for this sandwich.

The restaurant is located on the third floor. There is also a Bennigan’s Kids on an alternative level for just kids. Adults can watch them from a monitor on the third floor and have their privacy.

This is what we came for.

Complimentary Bread arrived.

Sweet Pickles came as the side dish.

World Famous Monte Cristo (10,000 won) has honey wheat bread layered with tender ham, roasted turkey, Swiss and American cheeses. Batter-dipped, gently fried and coated with powdered sugar. Served with red raspberry preserves for dipping. Fries came on the side.

This dish was huge and very filling. It was hard for M to finish the whole thing.

Soup and pop combo (+ 4,000 won) can be added to your meal.

Chicken Quesadillas (10,000 won) has Garlic-marinated chicken with Colby and Monterrey Jack cheeses, flavorful spices and crispy fried onions folded in a flour tortilla.

It is served with salsa, guacamole, and a lime sour cream sauce. The quesadilla was decent.

Chicken Stir fry (10,000) is served on a hot skillet with rice, vegetables and chicken.

Sweet Potato Pan Cheese (10,000 won) is a very korean inspired dish since Koreans love sweet potato. You won’t find this in North America. You definitely want to share this because you’ll get sick of the taste quite quickly.

Overall, the food was ok, but the Monte Cristo is always the sinfully delicious item to get. The place was pretty busy during a Friday and with lots of families. The prices are comparable to the states. The menus here have english, so you won’t have any issues ordering.

If you want to explore Korean cuisine while you are traveling in Seoul, this is probably not the place you want to go. M and I went here because we don’t have one in Canada.

We Rate Bennigans:

Address:
3F, 94, Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Website:
http://www.bennigans.co.kr/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=3F,+94,+Nonhyeon-dong,+Gangnam-gu,+Seoul,+South+Korea&t=m&hnear=94+Nonhyeon-dong,+Gangnam-gu,+Seoul,+South+Korea+(334+Dosan-daero)&z=14″]

In Cafe

Tom’s Cat Cafe: Purr-fect Afternoon in Hongdae

December 2, 2013

Tom’s Cat Cafe in HongDae has the most cats compared to some of the other cat cafe’s in the area. About 33 cats to be exact. The cafe was opened by the owner to share his love of cats. M and his sister really wanted to go find a cat cafe to all the cute little cats.

There’s no official fee to enter, but you just need to purchase a drink.

Before you enter, you must change into slippers and sanitize your hands. You also put your purses in a bag to protect it from the cat hair and then playing with it.

You then have to review the rules of the cafe.

Don’t disturb the cat if it doesn’t want attention
Don’t pick up any cats

The drinks are 8,000 won.

I got a green tea latte. The drinks were ok, but what you are really coming into the cafe is to play with the cats.

The cats roam around everywhere, so you better not be afraid.

The cafe is surprisingly clean, but it does smell a bit like litter.

nom nom nom the cats get to eat too.

In the middle of the day, a few of them are just chilling and taking a nap.

Totally didn’t know cats could sit like that on benches. This one was a bit camera shy.

This little guy was cute.

M really got into playing with the cats.

It’s great when some of the cats come to you and wants some attention.

This was the crazy two colored eye cat.

Overall, the cafe is a great place to go if you love cats. The drinks are ok, but it’s more about the cats. If you spend an hour or so here, you’ll definitely be sneezing because of all the cat dander. I’m usually not allergic to cats, but coming here affecting my sinuses.

We Rate Tom’s Cat Cafe:

Address:
3F, 358-125, Seogyo-dong,
Mapo-gu, Seoul-si

Website:
http://www.tomscat.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=3F,+358-125,+Seogyo-dong,+Mapo-gu,+Seoul&t=m&hnear=358-125+Seogyo-dong,+Mapo-gu,+Seoul,+South+Korea+(26+Wausan-ro+21-gil)&z=15 “]

In Hongdae

Hello Kitty Cafe in Seoul, South Korea

November 30, 2013

Hongdae is filled with a variety of speciality cafes and independent shops. There was one place that sparked an interest and that place was the Hello Kitty Cafe. It’s big, pink and has a huge bow. It’s very popular among tourists, so you will see tons of people taking picture in front of it. Sometimes even in huge tourist groups.

We came on weekday in the morning, so it wasn’t too busy. They open at 11am till midnight.

They have hot coffee, iced coffee, yogurt, cake and other hot beverages on their menu.

All their drinks are cute but the prices can be a bit expensive. Ranges from $3 to $5.

Many types of lattes with many types of characters on top. It’s made by sprinkling coco powder.

Yummy waffles shaped like Hello Kitty’s face.

Cakes with Hello Kitty’s face on it.

The shop has 2 floors and there are a bunch of seating areas.

Adjacent to the ordering counter is a bunch of loungy seats.

Huge Hello Kitty seats.

This area is a second area on the bottom floor.

The second floor is much brighter and open compared to downstairs. It’s better for large groups.

Every little girl’s fantasy.

When we ordered at the counter, they give you an electronic device with a number. When it begins buzzing, you know your order is ready. Just bring it up to the counter and grab your food and drinks.

Yogurt Ice Cream with Mango Syrup (4,500 won) M thought it was ok, but the mango syrup was artificial and very sweet.

Earl Grey Latte (4,500 won) had the cute hello kitty image on the top. The latte was very sweet and not very good.

We also had the Hello Kitty Mousse cake, but it was decent.

One thing you have to know about the cafe before ordering everything is that the food and drinks suck! The cafe is a great place to take photos and chill with friends, but you will probably not love the over-priced food. It’s still a great place to visit if you are in the Hongdae area. Lots to see in the area and

We Rate Hello Kitty Cafe:

Address:
358-112, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu,
Seoul, South Korea

Website:
hellokittycafe.co.kr

In Bar and Grill

Storm Crow Tavern: Board Games, Beer, and Burgers

November 16, 2013

M told me about Storm Crow Tavern and now it is the nerdiest bar in Vancouver. I totally had to tell my nerdy blogging buddies – Gastrofork, FoodQueen, and EatingWithKirby. We are secretly really big geeks inside.

The tavern is on Commercial Drive right beside Grandview Park.

There’s a giant cthulhu with a mini skull.

There are battle axes, swords and a bunch of memorabilia on all the walls. You definitely have a tavern feel when you get inside.

There are also lots of board games to use free of charge.

Guns!

Mead ($6.50) is an alcoholic beverage made of fermented honey and water. If you play video games, you know this drink pops up a lot.

The Wolverine ($9) has maple whiskey, butter schnapps, frothy cream in an adamantium mug and a stick of crunchy bacon. It sounded like a cool drink but it definitely wasn’t for me.

The Jack Burton ($5) Jack Daniels with Lager. Dee rolled the 20 sided dice and landed on number 3, which was this drink. We all wanted her to land on 20 to get the Critical Hit drink, but it wasn’t meant to be. I think she just wanted to roll the cool dice.

Chickpea Fries ($6) are huge fries made of chickpeas. It also came with vegan gravy. This was the best thing we had here. Definitely recommended

With our drinks in hand, we played a few rounds of Cards Against Humanity. I think it’s probably one of the most popular games here. It’s an easy game.

Crow Burger with gluten free bread ($9) has chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, dijon, mayo, and onion.

Thunder Burger ($8 + $3) is a storm burger with a few upgrades. It has a 6 oz beef patty with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, sun-dried tomato aioli, bbq honey sauce, smoked provolone cheese, and crispy bacon on a Portuguese bun. I chose to have salad on the side.

The burger was ok. Lots of bacon, but everything else was pretty mediocre.

Elvish Veggie Burger Supreme with Daiya vegan cheese ($8 + $2) has a patty made of chickpeas, lentils and rice. The burger also has roasted corn, black beans, tomatoes and a salsa verde and veganaise sauce.

Barbaric Beef Stew ($8) is a savage stew of roasted potatoes, yams, onions, carrots, butternut squash and beef covered in gravy. There is also garlic bread that comes with it. Looks pretty meh and from Dee’s expression, it didn’t seem very good.

After our meals, we thought a proper game of Jenga was in order. It’s quick and there really isn’t too much strategy that goes into it. I lost twice out of three rounds and I totally blame the uneven tables.

When the bill came, we also got a few magic cards. As I don’t play magic, I just took them home and gave them to M. He’s a big magic fan, so I’m sure he will make use out of these.

Overall, the food is very mediocre and the drinks can be a bit expensive depending on what you order. I wouldn’t come again for the food. I’d come here for a beer and play some board games.

We Rate Storm Crow Tavern:

Address:
1305 Commercial Dr
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.stormcrowtavern.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=1305+Commercial+Dr+Vancouver,+Bc&t=m&hnear=1305+Commercial+Dr,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5L+3X5&z=16″]

In Japanese

Gajokjung: Ramen in Pohang

November 14, 2013

Apparently, there is a ramen restaurant in Pohang, South Korea. M’s family was just craving a bowl of ramen and raved about this place. Gajokjung means Family Restaurant.

There’s parking in the front, but we just took a taxi here.

The lines can get quite long during peak hours and is difficult to get a spot. You definitely want to come early to grab a seat or wait till it dies down a bit.

Copy of the menu

There is complimentary cups of coffee available. It’s weak coffee, so it won’t give you that extra perk that you need in the morning. All the coffee is self-serve, so you can grab as much as you want.

Pork Tonkatsu (8,000 won) is one of their best sellers. It is extra crispy and delicate on the outside because of the panko crumbs. Highly recommended!

Combination Tonkatsu Special (9,500 won) comes with pumpkin, fish, pork and cheese filling. I got this to sample all their different kinds. All of them were great, but the best one is the pork.

Japanese Ramen Miso ramen (7,500 won) has a miso soup base, with seaweed, veggies, and a piece of pork belly.

All the ramen come with picked radish and kimchi on the side. You can get this refilled if you want more.

Koma Karashi Ramen (8,000) is their hot and spicy flavour.

There are 4 levels of spiciness you can choose from:

Mild
Sweat
Tear
Volcano
Crazy

I chose Sweat as I wanted to enjoy my meal and not regret any decisions. Crazy just sounded crazy.

Both the ramen fell a bit flat compared to the ramen that can be found in Vancouver. It was lacking the full body flavour in the broth and the fatty pieces of pork belly was not evident.

Buckwheat Noodles (8,000 won) has 2 clump so noodles. It was ok. Nothing special to it.

Overall, the food was ok. I’ve just been spoiled by all the great ramen from Vancouver. The best thing about this place was the tonkatsu. I would highly recommend eating all the tonkatsu you can. It’s really good!

We Rate Gajokjung:

Address:
1104-9 Duho-dong
Buk-gu, Pohang-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
South Korea

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=1104-9+Duho-dong+Buk-gu,+Pohang-si,+Gyeongsangbuk-do+South+Korea&hl=en&ll=36.063497,129.373755&spn=0.020433,0.041885&sll=36.065028,129.373208&sspn=0.040865,0.083771&hnear=1104-9+Duho-dong,+Buk-gu,+Pohang,+Gyeongsangbuk-do,+South+Korea+(6+Daegok-ro)&t=m&z=15″]

In Brunch

Milestone’s: Brunch at YVR Airport

October 21, 2013

On our way to Seoul, Korea at the YVR Airport, we saw they had a Milstone’s restaurant in the international terminal. We were looking for a place to go for breakfast and thought Milestone’s was a good option since they had eggs benedict on the menu.

Not the most delicious place at the airport, but it will have to do. Still better than Burger King.

There’s a bar if you need to grab a drink to settle the nerves before taking off.

The brunch menu is below.

Pineapple Juice came in a big cup and was needed to go with brunch.

Eggs Benedict ($10.99) is served on an english muffin with smoked ham, poached egg and hollandaise sauce. Roasted potatoes and some fruit on the side. Very simple but decent. Nothing very special either.

Overall, the food was ok, but the service was quite horrible. The servers were not very attentive and a lot of others were trying to stare one down to order or get the bill.

We Rate Milestones YVR:

Location:
YVR Airport beside the “aquarium”

Website:
http://www.milestonesrestaurants.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=3211+Grant+McConachie+Way+Richmond,+BC&t=m&hnear=3211+Grant+McConachie+Way,+Richmond,+British+Columbia+V7B+1Y7&z=16 “]

In BBQ

O Grill Yakiniku: Setting Fire to the Grill

October 16, 2013

O Grill Yakiniku is located on Newton Street close to Kingsway. It’s a bit hidden, so you definitely need to rely on Google Maps to get here. They serve Taiwanese and Japanese food.

I came here with the lovely Chinesebites crew to check out what O Grill Yakiniku has to offer.

There are lots of booth seating but even with the vents it can still get a bit smokey inside. When we went, it was really cold and the heat of the grill didn’t help us keep warm either.

Chicken Karrage with fried basil. It was pretty good but did remind me more of Salt and Peppery Chicken.

Deep Fried Squid was good too. A bit oily, but still good. I’d still choose his over the salt and peppery chicken because of the texture of the squid.

Sweet Potato Balls with condensed milk and crushed nuts. Surprisingly a great item to order if you want to munch on something. It was like eating fried mochi balls.

Asparagus Salad was a strange thing to see here drizzled with a creamy sauce kinda like Thousand Island. I think it would have been better if it was just raw asparagus, so you can grill it.

Ground Pork on Rice was average, but could have used a touch of more sauce

Pork Jowl was severely frozen and didn’t look appetizing.

When the pork jowl hit the grill and started thawing, you can tell there was lot of fat content in these little babies. The sight was so beautiful. Sizzling on the grill and creating a lot of fire and smoke. It was quite fun.

When you have a grill right in front of your table, you know you need to get some meat on the grill and hear the sizzle.

They have 2 house sauces, so you can dunk your meat into them to have more flavour.

Premium Short Ribs looked so delicious and we couldn’t wait to get cooking.

The sight of deliciousness.

Beef Tongue was also quite frozen from the look of it. The tongue after it’s cooked is still a tad tough and bland.

Rib steak came in small cubes and it’s also frozen.

Garlic Prawns were deveined and tasted good after being grilled.

Spicy and Basil Chicken was good with the marinade, it certainly added flavour to it. Since it is chicken, you have cook it all the way or else you might get sick.

Mixed Mushrooms come hot to the table, so you don’t need to stick it on the grill. I love mushrooms, so I slurped up this dish.

Round 2 of more delicious meat!

Corn needed a bit of roasting before sinking your teeth into these kernels.

Pork Belly was a bit thin and cut into smaller pieces. This is essentially bacon.

Beef Toro is like the bacon of the cow.

Beef Finger is what is was called on the menu. We didn’t think cows really had fingers but it’s actually the meat between the ribs.

All the meat tasted fine, but since most of them didn’t have sauce that marinated it, it was a bit bland. So, you can dunk it in their house sauces or put on some salt and pepper to bring out the flavour.

One thing that sucked about the grills is that all the heat would be mainly in the centre, so it cooked the meat very unevenly. They recommended us to only cook a few pieces at a time, leaving us a little bit impatient since there was lot of meat to cook.

I much prefer the grills at places like Gyu Kaku.

Green Tea Ice Cream was the normal stuff.

Caramel ice cream with a caramel drizzle and some choco sticks.

Milky Pudding comes with your choice of red bean or strawberry sauce.

Egg Pudding was really good and satisfying at the end of the meal. Probably my favourite out of all the desserts.

Overall, I probably would not revisit this place again. A majority of the meat was frozen and the grill was very weak. Not very impressive at all. I might as well grill my meat at home and feel more comfortable.

They should really just thaw their meats and add more more marinade to bring out the flavours of the meat.

We Rate O Grill:

Address:
4992 Newton St
Burnaby, BC

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/OGrillYakiniku

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=4992+Newton+St+Burnaby,+BC&t=m&hnear=4992+Newton+St,+Burnaby,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5H&z=16″]

In Downtown

Gallery Cafe at the Vancouver Art Gallery

August 16, 2013

One of my favorite areas to eat Downtown is in the Art Gallery area during the summer. There is so much going on in the area with food carts, art installations, and shopping nearby.

My coworkers – HH, Button, and Magz decided to have lunch at the Art Gallery Café. I see it all the time but I have never dined here. They have a large outdoor patio with classical music playing.

You go indoors to order your meal. Kinda like a cafeteria style.

They have lots of drinks, even alcoholic ones.

All the item are in the display case to order. Everything is premade and reheated up, so it won’t be as fresh as you think.

Spinach, mushroom and brie Quiche ($8.25) comes with a house salad. It was pretty good and a nice size for someone who isn’t too hungry.

Rare Ahi Tuna ($10.25) on crunchy raw slaw with hemp hearts & sesame seeds, and oriental dressing. It’s pretty basic and isn’t anything amazing.

Chicken, broccoli & smoked applewood cheddar Quiche ($8.25) comes with a house salad as well. Decent quiche as well.

Another dish which I don’t remember what it was, but here’s a picture.

Overall, the food is pretty average, but its just nice to sit outdoors in the summer on the patio with the music playing. Depending where you are sitting, you can have a nice view of Howe and Robson street.

We Rate Gallery Cafe:

Address:
750 Hornby St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.thegallerycafe.ca/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=750+Hornby+St,+Vancouver,+BC+V6Z+2H7&sll=49.891235,-97.15369000000001&sspn=45.72347923378347,88.1395350118194&t=m&dg=opt&hnear=750+Hornby+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6Z+2H7&z=16″]

In Buffet

The Buffet at the River Rock

July 22, 2013

The Buffet at the River Rock Casino is located on the second floor of the building. Every night of the week they have “themed nights” where they feature certain types of food. My mom loves buffets, so she was just itching to come here.

We came here on a Thursday night and the theme was Memphis BBQ Night. They feature ribs, fried catfish, pulled pork and pies.

Dinner begins at 5pm and costs $24.95 for adults, $21.95 for seniors , and $12.50 for kids. You pay for the buffet before being seated.

There are 260 seats in the restaurant, so you can go in really large groups if you like.

The buffet isn’t very large when you go inside. I thought there would be more choices…but there really wasn’t.

There’s a salad bar in the middle with lots of greens to choose from and the toppings to go on your salad. Everything was pretty typical and not too exciting.

There’s also a section of Chinese food… from wonton soup to deep-fried tofu.

Another section made more heartier items to choose from like curry beans, noodles, etc.

The popular items for the night – BBQ ribs, BBQ chicken, and pulled pork was in another section under heat lamps and being served by staff.

The dessert section had fruits with fondue.

It also had other sweeter items to go with the fondue.

Of course there was cake too. A few varieties of cake but a lot of them looked really sweet.

The pop and juice are self-serve but alternatively the waitress can grab you a drink at your table. There’s also coffee, tea and water that you can ask for. The servers are very nice and attentive.

There is an ice cream machine and you can create your own cones. The machine can make vanilla and chocolate…or ever a twist cone!! This machine is a favourite among kids.

A lot of the food here was ok, but the featured items of the night like the ribs and BBQ chicken were very juicy and flavourful.

The beef brisket and the deep-fried catfish were alright as well. The brisket was pretty dry on its own, so you really need that gravy.

I had an addiction for the mushrooms and their chicken. The wonton soup was alright.

The desserts were ok, but the only item that I genuinely liked was the cheesecake.

Overall, I felt underwhelmed about the variety of food here. The quality was ok but I wasn’t very impressed. For $25, I might as well eat a meal somewhere else. I probably wouldn’t return again. Our buffets in Vancouver can’t really compare to the ones in the united states.

We Rate The Buffet at the River Rock:

Address:
8811 River Rd
Richmond, BC

Website:
http://www.riverrock.com/dining/the-buffet.aspx

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=8811+River+Rd,+Richmond,+BC&sll=49.2399859,-122.95816940000002&sspn=0.1721632379598321,0.3516140337636478&t=m&dg=opt&hnear=8811+River+Rd,+Richmond,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia&z=16″]

In Canadian

PHAT: Smoked Meat Sandwiches in Yaletown

June 15, 2013

PHAT is a sports bar and restaurant that is located in Yaletown and specializes in Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwiches. PHAT stands for Pretty Hot and Tasty. It’s a very strange name for a restaurant, but we were very curious about this restaurant after seeing the ‘sandwich head’ around Yaletown skytrain station.

Hot Montreal Smoked Meat on Marble Rye (PHAT Size $9.99) the meat is flown in from Montreal and the sandwich is served with Mustard & Kosher Dill Pickle. The slices of smoked meat were very thin. The sandwich was ok, but it still didn’t exactly compare to the ones in Montreal even though the smoked meat is sourced from there. I still miss the smoked meat sandwiches from Schwartz.

Hot Montreal Smoked Meat on Marble Rye (Skinny Size $7.99). The size between the Skinny and the PHAT size was about the same. Not really sure how much of a different there really was.

My friend designed herself a tuna melt sandwich ($8.49). She thought it was ok.

Overall, the food was passable, but it wasn’t anything spectacular. It has a good location, a heated patio and lots of TV screens if you want to watch the game.

We rate PHAT:

Address:
1055 Mainland St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.phatdeli.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=1055+Mainland+St+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=1055+Mainland+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6B+1A9&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Brunch

The Waterfront: Breakfast in Gibsons, BC

June 3, 2013

We were heading to the Sunshine Coast and as we left the Langdale Ferry terminal, we decided to make a stop at Gibson for a few hours before continuing on our journey. I’ve never been outside of the Lower Mainland in BC, which is very odd since I was born here. Perhaps I may have forgotten, but it was good to get away for the weekend and explore some new places.

The only way to get here is by Ferry from Horseshoe Bay and it takes about 40 minutes. Gibson is a small coastal community of about 4,200 people.

There wasn’t too much to do but we did stop by Gibson’s landing to have lunch and explore. We mostly stayed by the ocean to take some pictures and oddly enough play a lot of rock, paper, scissors.

The Waterfront was where we went for lunch. We came here because we saw they have a delicious sounding breakfast menu. We couldn’t say no to breakfast.

The interior has a nice view of the harbour if you happen to sit by the window.

Coffee ($2.50) was something that was needed on any trip. It’s refillable too.

Corned Beef Hash ($12.60) also has tomatoes, peppers, onions, mushrooms, 2 poached eggs, and sprinkled with cheese. I found this dish to have more potatoes than corned beef. It was a hearty item to order but it did have a lot of excess oil.

Small Breakfast ($9.90) comes with 2 eggs, toast, hashbrowns and your choice of wither 3 strips of bacon, 3 sausages, or 2 slices of ham. CoffeeAddict chose the sausages. It was decent, but not the best breakfast.

Reuben ($11.95) comes on grilled rye bread with sauerkraut, mozzarella, and Dijon mustard. It also comes with your choice of salad, fries or soup.

Overall, the food as ok, but the service was a bit frazzled and slow at times. The prices are a bit high compared to what you would find in Vancouver.

We Rate The Waterfront:

Address:
440 Marine Drive
Gibsons, BC

Website:
http://www.waterfrontgibsons.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=440+Marine+Drive+Gibsons,+BC&hnear=440+Marine+Dr,+Gibsons,+Sunshine+Coast,+British+Columbia+V0N+1V9&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Japanese

Yo Sushi: I Had a Feeling

May 27, 2013

Since Yo Sushi opened up on Hastings, I was always curious to see how their sushi would be. It resides in the old Bombay Behl. It is completely different inside and has lots of booth seating. The first thing I noticed when I went inside was a foosball table and a mini air hockey table. Pretty cool to have if you’re young at heart or dining with kids.

I came with M on a weekday night and this place was completely empty. There were a few takeout orders but besides that, we basically had the restaurant to ourselves, I had a feeling something wasn’t right. Yo Sushi was voted by Burnaby Now as the best sushi restaurant in Burnaby, but its something I have to strongly disagree with.

We sat down they gave us tea. When we proceeded to order our food, we asked the waitress what was something good on the menu that we must try. She told us that she hasn’t tried anything on the menu. This seemed a bit odd, so I rephrased to as her what is popular on the menu.

Red Dragon Roll ($9.95) has prawn tempura, crab meat, cucumber, and then it’s topped with spicy tuna, bread crumbs, and a spicy sauce. The roll had way too much sauce. It really drowned out most of the taste of the roll. The roll itself was poorly put together and the temperature was very strange. The roll and the spicy tuna on top were slightly warm.

Hawaiian Passion Roll ($9.95) has pineapple, avocado, and mango wrapped in soy bean paper. It sounded unique and we thought it would be an adventurous roll to order. We were very wrong. In short, fruit should not be in sushi.

Sweetheart Roll ($11.95) has cucumber, prawn, and tuna wrapped with salmon. It is also topped off with a maraschino cherry. Cute concept but it was nasty. All the raw items were slightly warm and it was a very basic roll that has been shaped into a heart. Not worth the price.

Magic Sushi Pizza ($10.95) has crispy rice on the bottom topped with onions, crab meat, scallops, tuna, salmon, and tai with a special sauce. It looked beautiful when it came out, but the crispy rice on the bottom was more stale and hard as a rock. The sashimi on top was also slightly warm.

By this point of the meal, we were pretty disappointed. Having spent $49.45 on these 4 items that were well below average. The service was sparse even though we were the only customers. The staff mostly congregated near the sushi chefs to chat. There is definitely lots of opportunity for the restaurant to grow, but the quality wasn’t there.

We Rate Yo Sushi:

Address:
4266 Hastings St.
Burnaby, BC

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=4266+Hastings+St.+Burnaby,+BC&hnear=4266+Hastings+St,+Burnaby,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5C+2J7&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In American

Reel Mac and Cheese: Comfort Food On Wheels

May 22, 2013

The list of new food trucks was revealed a few weeks ago and I just had my eyes on the Reel Mac and Cheese Truck. When I saw them open, my coworkers and I just had to go. It was a nice sunny day, so why not. I’ve always had a soft spot for childhood comfort food. Growing up with Kraft dinner…you know you either loved it or hated it. I loved it as a kid, but as I grew older, it just didn’t satisfy anymore.

The Reel Mac and Cheese Food Truck has movie inspired menu items. The mac and cheese is all made by scratch. The menu has 7 items can be customized with some additional add ons.

The Main Event ($7) is a blend of 5 cheeses, with butter, whole milk, spices and of course the elbow macaroni. It is then topped with crispy onions. The portion size was a good size, but my coworker was underwhelmed by the mac and cheese. It didn’t taste anything special but she did love the crispy onions for the added texture.

The Main Event ($7) with Kevin Bacon’s Bacon (+$2). I can’t say no to bacon, so I had to add it on. It also had the fried onions on top. Once you add the bacon on top, it does get quite expensive and there isn’t too much of it either.

Run Fatboy Run ($6) is deep-fried Mac and Cheese balls. It comes with 3 pieces. They are quite big, so its best splitting with a few others.

Once you open it up, its nice and gooey inside with the crispy exterior. We actually liked this item more than the mac and cheese dishes.

Overall, it was an OK food truck. It has a nice concept that brings people back to their childhood, but the mac and cheese could be more rich and cheesy.

We Rate Reel Mac & Cheese:

Location (can vary):
600 Hamilton Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.reelmacandcheese.com

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=600+Hamilton+Street+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=600+Hamilton+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6B+2R4&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In lunch

Patron Tacos & Cantina: Lunch Time

May 21, 2013

Patron Tacos & Cantina is located on Robson street at Cambie Street. The interior is like a Mexican restaurant with a sports bar. There are tons of TVs everywhere, so no matter which seat you have, you can be in the vicinity of a TV. It seems like it would be great to view games.

My coworkers and I came to have some lunch as we saw their lunch specials looked good.

They have a pretty cool chandelier too.

Complimentary Chips and Salsa arrived at the table. The chips were awesome and you could tell they were made in house. The salsa was a bit watery and lacked any spicy taste or heartiness. I like my salsa chunky.

Tortilla Soup came with the lunch combos. It’s deliciously cheesey with chunks of avocado and crunchy tortilla bits inside. You should probably get this soup if you’re here for lunch!

Tacos ($12) comes with 2 Tacos of your choice. My coworker chose the battered fish and the carnitas. It also comes with soup or salad. She felt a bit underwhelmed by this dish.

Tostadas was also part of one of the lunch items. It came with a side of rice and refried beans. I also chose the side of tortilla soup. The tortilla on the bottom of the tostadas was nice and crispy and all the items that layed on top were just delicious. The rice and the refried beans were ok.

Torta is like a sandwich made with a Mexican bun. It is served with a side of criss-cross fries. This will definitely bring you back to your childhood. On the inside, there is chipotle mayo, refried beans, cheese, tomato, lettuce, jalapeños, avocado, and onion. I’m not sure which torta he chose, but he said he enjoyed it and there was a lot of meat inside.

As we only have a hour lunch, the service here is quite slow and inefficient. A few simple things did take a long time like beer, soup and the bill.

We Rate Patron Tacos & Cantina:

Address:
265 Robson St.
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.patrontc.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=265+Robson+St.+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=265+Robson+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6B+2A8&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Cafe

Ali Shan Restaurant: Meal Under $10

March 31, 2013

Ali Shan Restaurant is a Taiwanese Restaurant located in Crystal Mall. I was in the area with my coworker and we wanted some lunch before heading back to the office, so we went to Ali Shan for a quick bite.

All items either come with daily soup or cold tea. We chose the tea as we wanted something refreshing. It was good and it was sweetened.

Braised Pork Belly with Red Fermented Sauce ($7.20) comes with egg on rice, pickled vegetables and a side dish.

Beef Hotpot ($6.90) was inexpensive, but the hotpot broth was rather bland. Even though it is a good deal and has lots of items packed into the pot, it’s not the most delicious thing I’ve eaten. It’s decent for the price.

Overall, I wasn’t too impressed with this place but the price is good if you want an inexpensive lunch. The service is alright, but it does take a bit of time for the food to arrive at the table. There are a lot of other options in the area too. They are cash only.

We Rate Ali Shan Restaurant:

Address:
4500 Kingsway
Burnaby, BC

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=4500+Kingsway+Burnaby,+BC&hnear=4500+Kingsway,+Burnaby,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5H&gl=ca&t=m&z=14″]

In Deli

Apple Deli: It’s Like Your Kitchen

February 25, 2013

Apple Deli is right under Main Skytrain station. They sell simple soups, sandwiches and salads. On my first day of work, people warned me not to come here. Did I listen to them? I don’t think so, it made me more curious. How bad can a sandwich really be? It’s just slices of bread with filler.

The inside has lots of seats and there were a few group of people inside having lunch as well.

I just wanted a sandwich, so I looked at the menu and chose the Avocado and Bacon sandwich.

Avocado and Bacon Sandwich ($5.90) It’s nothing fancy, but it’s like a sandwich you can make at home.

They load it up with a ton of alfalfa spouts, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and mayo. The ingredients were very fresh, but the bacon and the guacamole were quite minimal. Nonetheless, I still felt healthier eating this that eating at any other restaurant…probably because most of it was vegetables.

You won’t find anything fancy or creative here, but it’s decent. Imagine it like your kitchen, but having to pay for your food.

We Rate Apple Deli:

Address:
189 Terminal Ave
Vancouver, BC

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=189+Terminal+Ave+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=189+Terminal+Ave,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6A+4G3&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Chinese

Wu Fung Dessert: Specializes in Chicken Wings

February 13, 2013

Wu Fung Dessert doesn’t specialize in dessert, by they are quite famous for their Fried Chicken Wings. I’ve had them about 7 years ago and remembered they were quite tasty. I have a secret addiction to fried chicken, so I couldn’t leave the Adberdeen Food Court without grabbing a few wings for my friends to try out too.

There was a line up for them and the wait was quite long. It’s freshly made to order, so that why it takes a bit of time.

The chicken wings are lightly floured and deep-fried until golden brown and crispy. The inside was super hot and juicy. You should eat these right away (without burning yourself) as you don’t want the crust to get soggy.

I have to admit, the chicken wings were ok, but not the best I’ve had. I still prefer Church’s Chicken or the wings from Phnom Penh.

We Rate Wu Fung Dessert:

Address:
4151 Hazelbridge Way
Richmond, BC

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=4151+Hazelbridge+Way+Richmond,+BC&hnear=4151+Hazelbridge+Way,+Richmond,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6X+0A4&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Chinese

Lung Kee Congee Noodles: At the Aberdeen Food Court

February 12, 2013

Lung Kee Congee Noodles is located in the Aberdeen Food Court. I had no idea where or what to eat for dinner, so I walked around and around the food court.

Looking at the menu, the prices seemed good and I was craving for some beef brisket.

Beef Tendon + Brisket on Rice with Cold Milk Tea

This box was huge! It was pretty heavy since they packed it full of rice. The quality was OK, but not fantastic. I probably would not order it again. You can find much better beef brisket elsewhere.

We Rate Lung Kee Congee Noodles:

Address:
4151 Hazelbridge Way
Richmond, BC