Coquitlam Archives - Page 2 of 7

In Coquitlam

Taco Bell Canada: Naked Chicken Chips and Chickstar Review

January 27, 2018

I love it when Taco Bell comes out with new items in Canada. They released the Naked Chicken Chip and Chickstar this January for a limited time only. My husband told me about it, so we drove to the closes Taco Bell, which was 40 minutes away from Downtown Vancouver. These items were released in the United States last year but now we finally have them in Canada.

We made sure to order a lot of food to make it worth the trip.

Naked Chicken Chips

This is boldly seasoned crispy chicken, served with a zesty nacho cheese sauce. The chicken is marinated white meat and has 6 pieces per order.

It’s decent, but since its thin, you’ll need a lot more food to get full. The nacho cheese sauce was comforting and reminded me of being a kid.

Chickstar

This has the same shape as their crunch wrap, but this has 3 pieces of the Naked Chicken Chips, spicy ranch sauce, shredded cheddar cheese, crisp lettuce and diced ripe tomatoes, all wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla. I much prefer the other crunch wraps as this seemed like a crispy chicken salad inside a tortilla.

Naked Chicken Chips Big Box or Chickstar Big Box

If you’re feeling hungry, you can order the Big box with either naked chicken chips or chickstar. For $9.69, you get a beef burrito, Doritos Locos Taco, fries supreme and a regular drink.

In Cafe

Beanery Coffeehouse & Eatery: Sandwiches, Pizza and Coffee in Coquitlam

January 2, 2018

Beanery Coffeehouse & Eatery is a local family-run business serving up, coffee, pizza, and sandwiches. They are located on Panorama Drive in Coquitlam hidden up in the Westwood Plateau residential area. I haven’t heard of them until they sent me a message to come check them out. Since I am in Burnaby, it wasn’t too far away to come here for lunch.

Interior

There is tons of parking space outside and also a few people walked to get here as there are houses everywhere. It’s a very family friendly space with a few games to keep kids entertained.

At our table, we found a box and inside it was a wooden puzzle. We also saw a tic tac toe game at another table too.

Pomme de Terre Pizza

This has thinly sliced Potatoes seasoned with garlic, Fresh Mozarella, Fresh Basil Leaves on Italian Herbs and Olive Oil base. I haven’t seen a of pizza’s topped with potatoes, but we surprisingly enjoyed it. We could taste that a lot of care went into this pizza and it shows.

The bottom of the pizza ha a nice golden brown colour and is pretty crispy.

The crust is also crispy and it’s the dough is nice an thin. Good ratio of toppings to dough too.

Spicy Mango Chicken Pizza

This has a Hot Sauce Base, Chicken, Parmesan, Mozza, Green Peppers, and Red Peppers. We wanted to try something that had meat and was spicy.

They use Mango Reaper by Admiral Hot Sauce and it really packs a punch. It used both Carolina Reapers and Ghost Peppers, so they aren’t kidding around.

There was lot of chicken on this pizza and the colours of the bell peppers kinda make it a bit festive.

Shaken Iced Tea and Lattes

They have a variety of shaken ice teas and also coffee using JJ Bean.

Final Thoughts

It’s a nice hidden gem in the area for those looking for locally crafted pizzas, sandwiches and drinks in Coquitlam. I like how to can find classic pizzas and some creative ones on the menu.

We Rate Beanery Coffeehouse & Eatery:

Address:
101-2591 Panorama Drive, Coquitlam

Website:
http://beanery.ca/

In Cajun/Creole

The Captain’s Boil: Now Open in Coquitlam

December 11, 2017

The Captain’s Boil is now open in Coquitlam serving up delicious Cajun seafood boil. This is their 4th location in British Columbia with a few more locations opening up in 2018 across Canada.

Interior

There’e a lot of seating for guests in small to large groups. It has a nice nautical theme inside with imagery of seafood, wooden walls and the blue fabric on the booth seats.

Seafood

To start, you pick the seafood you want, then the flavour of it:

Cajun
Garlic Sauce
Lemon Pepper
Captain’s Boil (Combination of all 3)

Then you pick the amount of heat you want with it:

Non-spicy
Mild
Medium
Fire

On the table, there was shrimp, clams, and mussels. There was also fries, cajun seafood rice, corn and broccoli.

There’s something fun about having food toss on the table and eating with your hands. You get a ‘hands on’ experience on getting down and dirty with your seafood. But don’t worry, you get bids so your clothes stay nice and clean.

Final Thoughts

It’s good to have the addition of The Captain’s Boil in the area as there isn’t anything similar in Coquitlam. It can definitely get busy, so go when it’s not peak time or try to get reservations.

Address:
1111 Ponderosa St, Coquitlam

Website: https://www.thecaptainsboil.com/

In Coquitlam

Kulinarya: Kamayan-style Dinner in Coquitlam

November 23, 2017

We heard that Kulinarya has a Kamayan-style dinner. What this mean is that there are no plates, no silverware, so you eat with your hands. This is by reservation only and needs to be placed days in advanced with payment made 48 hours before the reserved date. You also need a minimum of 6 adults, but luckily we had 8 in our party. It costs $25 per person between Tuesday and Thursday.

Interior

We arrived promptly at 7pm and all the food was ready on the table for us to indulge. A few of us arrived early but had to wait till closer to the time.

Kamayan-Style Dinner

This has steamed rice, lumpiang shanghai, longganisa, chopped onions, tomatoes, green onions, fried sweet potato, plantain banana, pork, beef, chicken, seafood, veggies, mangoes and halo-halo for dessert.

You can choose one of each category:

Pork: crispy pata, lechon kawali, or crispy binagoongan
Beef: kaldereta or kare-kare
Chicken: manok sa gata, adobo, or fried tamarind chicken
Veggies: pinakbet, or ginataang kalabasa
Seafood: tilapia, bangus fried or grilled, galunggong, or inihaw na pusit

Using our hands was a fun experience, but as soon as we got started, a few other asked for utensil as some items are oily. There is actually lots of food on the table and it was a scavenger hunt trying to find out what is what. My favourite items were the pork and longganisa.

Once everything was assembled on the table, it wasn’t as hot as we would have liked it to be. A few people at the table felt the chicken was dry. I understand why it’s not served when its ready for logistical reasons.

Halo Halo

At the end of the meal, we had halo halo, which I enjoyed as it has so many different ingredients inside. Super fun to eat and share.

Final Thoughts

Overall, good experience to have this once so I can say I had it in my life. I would rather have items off their regular dinner menu as it would be pipping hot and fresh compared to having it laid out of the table before arrival.

We Rate Kulinarya:

Website:
http://www.kulinarya.ca/

Address:
2922 Glen Dr, Coquitlam, BC

In Coquitlam

Polito’s Latin Café: Pupusas, Tacos, and Dessert in Coquitlam

November 22, 2017

Polito’s Latin Cafe in Coquitlam just opened a few months ago and has given the neighbourhood what it’s been lacking for a long time – latin flair. My friend Hilda brought Sherman and I here for dinner since she loves this place. I trust her recommendations as she has a pretty refined palate. I didn’t know what to expect when coming here since, but they have tacos, burritos, pupusas, quesadillas, a few specials, and dessert on the menu.

Interior

They can seat up to 60 people in the restaurant and can host large parties here. We came on a weekday, for the 3 of us, so it wasn’t that busy. They are busier on the weekends.

Drinks

Tamarind Juice, Horchata and Jamaica Juice are on the menu. They also have some unique drinks too that aren’t easy to find in Vancouver like Inca Cola, Guarana, Postobon Manzana, and a few other soft drinks.

Al Pastor Taco

This has pork, pineapple, cilantro and onions on top of 2 corn tortillas. A good solid taco.

Veggie Taco

This isn’t you regular veggie taco, it has fried plantain, black beans and cream.

Asada Taco

On this taco, there is shirt steak, cilantro and onions. A good simple taco thats pretty meaty.

Pollo Taco

This taco is topped with pulled chicken, cilantro, cream, and pico de gallo. This was my favourite of all the tacos as it has a good aroma and well spiced.

Pupusas

It’s really hard to find Pupusas in Vancouver and this is a El Salvadorian dish handmade thick corn tortilla filled with a filling. We got one of each since we wanted to try both.

Revuelta – Pork, beans, cheese, and sweet pepper
Queso – Cheese and Zuchinni

I gravitated towards the revuelta because the pork and beans added more flavour. It be delicious and not oily at all. The chef really puts hard effort in making sure he has the right cheese blend that works with the pupusas. You’re supposed to eat the pipusas with the slaw that has a nice kick to it.

Mar Y Tierra

This was one of the two specials they had today and it is a classic Latin American Surf n’ turf dish with marinated skirt steak, grilled prawns and served with latin-styled rice, black beans, pico de gallo and guacamole. We got the steak medium rare and it had great flavours but some parts of it was chewier than others.

Bandeja Polito’s

This is Polito’s take on a popular Columbian dish. It has chopped rib eye steak, beans, rice, fried egg, fried plantain, guacamole, and pico de gallo. Yet again, the steak was well seasoned with delicious flavours.

Chips, guac and pico de gallo

They made these just for us while we were here. Freshly fried tortilla chips with the guacamole and pico de gallo. Delicious!

Tres Leches

Holy smokes, this dessert was freaking fabulous. I don’t really like dessert, but this has changed my mind. It is sponge cake soaked in evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream. I would highly recommend getting this.

Flan

Another killer dessert that is pretty unique. It’s custard and caramelized cake with chocolate. It’s not too sweet, so I really liked it. Good combination with the cake under it. You have to get this dessert too.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was great to discover Polito’s Latin Cafe as there really aren’t a lot of these kinds of places around in the Lower Mainland that knock it out of the park. I really enjoyed it here and I love how it’s a family run business. I’ll definitely be back.

We Rate Polito’s Latin Cafe:

Address:
942 Westwood St, Coquitlam, BC

Website:
http://politoscafe.ca/

In Coquitlam

Ma Now Thai Kitchen: Thai Restaurant in Coquitlam

October 18, 2017

Ma Now Thai Kitchen is located in Coquitlam and a friend – Hilda suggested we come here for dinner as it’s one of their favourite places to get Thai cuisine. I can’t believe I haven’t been here yet, but then again, there are so many hidden gems in the city.

Interior

The interior was very clean, modern, and had a good amount of tables. We sat here for a while and the traffic on a weekday night can be busy.

Tea and Water

As we sat down, they have us a cup of hot tea and another cup of cold water. I love the look of the water cup!

Thai Iced Milk Tea

I ordered Thai Iced Milk Tea and I absolutely love it. One of my favourite drink to get at any Thai restaurant. Highly recommend it.

Chicken Satay

These are fire-grilled chicken on skewers served with house-peanut sauce and pickles. It was delicious and juicy.

Pad Thai with Chicken

The famous Thai stir-fried noodles has egg and tofu; topped with bean sprouts, peanuts, and a lime wedge. We got it medium spicy and it had a very nice amount of heat. When they say its medium, it really is medium.

Green Curry with Chicken

Green curry of Keaw Whan is a Thai classic coconut cream curry with vegetables and Thai basil. We added chicken to this and there is also rice on the side. We ordered this as mild, but it has a very faint hint of spice, which is actually really delicious.

Craving Cashew with Shrimp

This dish is also known as Pad Med Ma Muang. It has fresh vegetables, chili jam, and cashew nuts and is served with rice, but we got coconut rice instead.

Think Thoughts

The food here is pretty good and I was glad I was able to enjoy it with good friends. I love how mild has a hint of spice because thats how Thai food should really be enjoyed.

We Rate Ma Now Thai Kitchen:

Address:
2755 Lougheed Hwy #29, Port Coquitlam

Website:
https://manowthaikitchen.ca/

In Cafe

Saemaul: Rice Dessert Cafe in Coquitlam

September 8, 2017

Saemaul is a rice dessert cafe in Coquitlam. It is hidden away in a strange looking plaza. They specialize in rice-based desserts and I was pretty excited to give this place a try since they have more than just rice cake. My foodie friends invited me to tag along to take a few things off their menu.

Interior

The interior is simple with lots of tables and chairs. Since they are pretty new, this place wasn’t very busy on a weekday. It’s still a well kept secret.

Jolly Pong Shake

This sweet milky drink is topped with Jolly Pong rice puffs. It reminded us of milk and ice cream because of it’s thick-ish texture.

Injeolmi Snow Ice Flake

Injeolmi is essentially rice cake with roasted soybean flour. They also paired it with red bean in this snow ice flake. They also have other flavours too, so if you aren’t into injeolmi, there is chocolate, mango, strawberry, coffee and classic red bean.

Dipping Chocolate Fondue with Rice Cakes and Fruit

This cute interactive dessert has 2 different kinds of rice cake. One has different layers of colour like a rainbow and the other has more tough like regular rice cakes. Then you also have strawberries, kiwi and bananas.

Homemade Rice Flour Waffles

My favourite item of the night were these homemade rice flour waffles. It took them a long time to perfect the recipe but it’s is nothing I’ve ever had before. It’s super crisp and crunchy. I would definitely order this again.

Rice Cake Churros

The rice cakes are dusted with sugar and cinnamon. It was decent but you didn’t need this many churros to satisfy your cravings.

Rice Roll Cakes

There was the matcha rice roll cake and strawberry rice roll cake. You can tell it’s made of rice flour as the texture was more dense.

Red Bean Mochi

This was good! It’s delicious when it’s made fresh. It has a pillowy soft texture with the red bean hiding inside.

Rice Cheese Cake

I enjoyed this dessert too. It has a rice flour crust and I didn’t notice it too much. I just kept eating it and would order this again.

Overall, some desserts were a hit and miss, but there are definitely a few gems like the waffles.

We Rate Saemaul Cafe:

Address:
B-901 Lougheed Highway, Coquitlam

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

In Chinese

Neptune Chinese Kitchen at Hard Casino in Coquitlam

August 15, 2017

Neptune Chinese Kitchen recently opened at Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam. There are currently 12 restaurants under the Neptune Restaurant Group. You’ll notice they have expanded quite quickly in the last few years. You’ll find an array of Chinese dishes here from dim sum, noodles, to their seafood specialties.

Interior

The interior is newly renovated and much brighter than the restaurant that was here previously. It’s a large space and can fit small to large groups here.

Dim Sum

Pork Sui Mai with Fish Roe

This comes with 4 pieces to a steamer. The sui mai is a mix of shrimp and pork. This was ok, but I felt it was missing something.

Shrimp Spring Roll

The shrimp spring roll has 5 pieces cut in half. It is deep-fried until golden brown. Pretty standard.

Shrimp Dumpling

Shrimp dumplings had a good bounce to them. You should ask them for some hot sauce to go with it. Our dumplings seemed like it was steamed a bit too long, so the skin separated from the dumpling.

Creamy Egg Yolk Custard Bun

So delicious! If you’re here for dim sum, you should order this. Sweet and creamy.

Lunch and Dinner

Minced Fish and Pumpkin Congee

Congee definitely hits the spot and it’s my sort of comfort food. They have 13 kinds of congee. I’ve never had minced fish and pumpkin in congee, but it was good.

Chilled Spicy Shrimp

The shrimp were delicious and was a good start to the meal as an appetizer. A good amount of spice that isn’t too spicy at all.

Wonton Noodle in Soup

A simple items to get for lunch if it’s just for 1. You get 5 wontons and some broccoli with the noodles. and broth.

Curry Seafood Chow Mein

The curry sauce and the seafood was good but the noodles oddly looked red under all of that. The sauce is a tad sweet.

Steam Lobster with Sticky Rice in a Bamboo Steamer

Always a good dish and it’s weird to see the lobster stares at you. The sticky rice sits on the bottom on the steamer wrapped in leaves. Then the delicious lobster is on top.

Yang Chow Fried Rice

A good classic fried rice dish that has a bit of everything. Can’t go wrong with this.

Crab with Salty Egg

I really enjoyed this dish. The salty egg on the outside of the shell was so addictive that I wanted to lick it all off. The crab was cooked well and the meat was naturally sweet.

Sticky Rice on Crispy Chicken

This was a well liked dished among the table. The skin was beautifully rendered so it was crispy and not fatty at all. A lot of prep went into this to really debone a chicken to create this. I would definitely order this again.

Neptune Signature Ribs

A good portion of the ribs that are saucy and sweet.

Final Thoughts

Overall, some items were average but it’s still a good addition to the neighbourhood as there needs to be more Chinese restaurants. Whether you come here for dim sum, lunch or dinner, you don’t have to travel too far.

We Rate Neptune Chinese Restaurant:

Address:
2080 United Boulevard, Coquitlam

Website:
http://www.neptunechinesekitchen.com/

In Coquitlam

Taco Bell Canada: Naked Chicken Chalupa

March 11, 2017

Taco Bell Canada just introduced the Naked Chicken Chalupa. It was available in the United States, but are slowly removing it from their stores.

Luckily, Canadians can still enjoy it for a limited time. The closest Taco Bell to Vancouver is one in Coquitlam, so it is a fair ways away from the city.

The Naked Chicken Chalupa has deep-fried chicken breaded and tossed with seasoning as the shell. Inside, there is shredded lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese and sauce. It has a nice spicy kick to it, which I enjoyed.

Every bite was very enjoyable. M couldn’t part with the naked chicken chalupa, so he decided to get another one. If you do pass by a Taco Bell, I would highly recommend the Naked Chicken Chalupa.

Website: https://www.tacobell.ca/en

In Cafe

Black Milk Water: Coffee Shop in Coquitlam

March 5, 2017

Black Milk Water Coffee and Dessert is a new cafe that opened up on North Road between Burnaby and Coquitlam. This cafe is located on the bottom floor hidden in the left corner of the plaza.

Interior

The interior has an industrial look to it with the cement, steel and wood textures. Lots of seats and the space is quite open.

It wasn’t too busy here, so it was easy to find a seat in the middle of the day on a weekend.

Matcha Frapp

Matcha Frapps come in a plastic cup, but if you want it in a glass jar, you can ask them ahead of time.

The matcha frapp was good and a great treat. Very cold, but it is a bit icy once you drink most of the liquid.

Duo Cups

They have these duo cups where you can have 2 different iced coffees. I had a iced vanilla latte and mocha. When you need 2 boosts of caffeine, this is for you.

Cappuccino

The cappuccino hit the spot and it’s made with Timbertrain coffee beans. A taste of the downtown coffee shop in the subburbs.

Final Thoughts

It’s a pretty solid coffee shop, but their dessert selection could be a bit larger. With other desserts and coffee shops in the same plaza, there’s definitely some competition. I find that most coffee shops are super crowded on the weekends, so if you are looking for an alternative, this might be the place for you.

We Rate Black Milk Water:

Address:
4501 N Road, Burnaby

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

In Coquitlam

Smoking Pig: Korean Food in Coquitlam

February 24, 2017

Smoking Pig is a new restaurant that opened up in Coquitlam and it’s opened by the people who created Ramengers. I came here with the family for lunch. The parking is limited as there are only a few spots out front.

They have Korean comfort food like stews, soup, rice bowls, and smoked pork.

Interior

The interior is very simple, but it is decorated with comic books and cases of figurines. The look is a bit confusing as its hard to tell if it’s a family restaurant or a restaurant for younger people.

The menu is very cute as there are piggies drawn for each dish.

Side Dishes – Banchan

Before the dishes we ordered arrived, a few side dishes arrived to munch on. There was pickled radish and cabbage with a light sauce.

Pork & Rice Soup – dwaeji-gukbap

Pork soup with chives, green onions, and pork meat. This is one of the features dishes.

Pork Backbone Stew – Gamja-tang

Spicy pork backbone soup with meat, potato, cabbage, green onion, and perilla seeds.

Boneless Fried Chicken

You can either choose fried spicy chicken or fried soy chicken. We went with the fried soy chicken with half a chicken. You can also get a whole chicken too.

It was crisp and and covered in the delicious soy sauce.

Fried Dumpling

Fried dumpling comes with 6 pieces and is served with a sweet sauce. The fried dumplings were a bit mediocre.

Final Thoughts

The soups and stews were very delicious and comforting. When I went there, they were short staffed, so a few other items on their menu were unavailable. There were a few hits and misses, but they have opened quite recently, so they have some kinks to work out.

We rate the Smoking Pig:

Address:
1043 Brunette Ave, Coquitlam

Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/smkpig

In BBQ

Arisu: Korean BBQ in Coquitlam

December 24, 2016

Arisu is a Korean BBQ place in Coquitlam. I came here with a few friends on the weekend to hang out and find a new place to try out.

As a Korean restaurant, they have a variety of items besides BBQ.

Interior

A majority of the seating is booth seating. Tables all have grills and ventilation over top.

Our booth had a TV playing music videos. There was also a button where you can call the servers without looking around to flag them down. It makes the service a lot better, so they don’ have to read your mind.

Drinks

A Korean restaurant isn’t complete without a good drink menu. They have beer, soju, sake and other alcohol. I went with a beer as usual.

Banchan

Banchan are complimentary side dishes that arrive with the meal. We had 4 in total.

One of them features zucchini with onion, and carrots. Served cold and tasted good.

The next one had seaweed and had a nice pickled taste to it.

Kimchi is a staple and a good way to see if the restaurant can make a good basic kimchi. It was ok, but I like mine a bite more crunchy and sour.

Last, we got some shredded cabbage with a light dressing. It balanced very well with the grilled meat that we ordered.

Jok Bal

Jok Bal is steamed soy marinated pork hocks. The serving size was very generous, but the quality was lacking. It was tough and didn’t seem very fresh.

The dish came with lettuce wraps and some sauces to eat with it.

Steamed Egg in a Hot Clay Pot

Steamed Egg in a Hot Clay Pot looked pretty awesome but was a bit bland. It definitely needed a bit more salt and pepper.

BBQ Meats

Boneless Kalbi Short Ribs are beautifully marbled, but the biggest fault to their BBQ meats is the grill and the overly attentive service.

What I enjoy most about having the BBQ grill at the table is that you cook it yourself. Since it was a quite night at the restaurant, the meat was flipped for us by multiple servers.

Also, the BBQ Grill is quite weak and due to the thin metal threads of the grill, it cooked very slowly and let the meat cook in a weird way.

Beef Tongue was thin and the slices looked very nice. Nice cut of meat, but we still had similar problems with the grill and the servers flipping it for us.

I totally understand why they would flip it for us to ensure that it’s cooked well, but the young server that we had didn’t seem to know what he was doing.

Overall, we found more misses with their food. Their cuts of meat are really nice but everything else wasn’t able to help cook the meat to its full potential. With other BBQ restaurants in the area, they have tough competition. Also, even though they have ventilation above the grills, you will leave the restaurant smelling like meat. It’s a common occurrence with other BBQ restaurants too, so don’t wear your favourite clothes here. I really wanted to like this place, but my friends and I were disappointed.

We rate Arisu Korean BBQ:

Address:
4501 North Rd #203, Burnaby, BC

In Christmas

100,000 Lights at Lafarge Lake: Free Winter Light Display in Coquitlam

December 22, 2016

Coquitlam’s Lights at Lafarge Winter Lights Display is one of the largest free outdoor light events in the Lower Mainland, and this season’s spectacle will be even bigger and brighter than ever before.

More than 100,000 twinkling lights illuminate Lafarge Lake this holiday season in a magical outdoor display that’s sure to delight visitors of all ages.

The lights display can be viewed seven days a week from dusk until 11 p.m. until Jan. 22.

We came at 7pm on a weekday and it was pretty busy with lots of families viewing the lights. With the opening of the Evergreen Line, it’s super easy to hop on the skytrain and the station is literally a few meters away.

There is parking, but it can be hard to find spots at peak hours. If you can make the trek out to Coquitlam, it’s definitely worth it.

They have different events throughout the evenings and during the holidays. When we were here, there was live music and a lantern making workshop.

The huge display wraps around Lafarge Lake on a 1.2km loop through 10 different themed zones.

Overall, I really enjoyed walking around the lake after dinner. Although it was a bit cold, we made sure to wear extra layers and boots to keep warm.

Website: http://www.coquitlam.ca/parks-recreation-and-culture/parks-and-trails/park-spark.aspx

In Coquitlam

Chicken Holic: Fried Chicken in Coquitlam

November 15, 2016

Chicken Holic is a new Fried Chicken shop in Coquitlam on Austin Road. We passed by and Chicken Holic caught our eye so we took the chance and decided to grab some food here after our first dinner.

They specialize in Korean fried chicken and have a few other dishes on their menu. I love going to unknown restaurants to discover those hidden gems around town.

Interior

The interior is very basic. A few tables and a counter to order. We did see people do take out but not too many eating in, which worked out for us as we had a large group.

Boneless Fried Chicken

Small Crispy Boneless Chicken was a must as it is the most classic item to order here. You can see how well they fry the chicken as it is crisp on the outside and the inside is still very moist. When I’m at a Korean Fried Chicken shop, I ordered this as I prefer chicken without sauce.

Small Soy Garlic Boneless Fried Chicken and Small Sweet & Chili Boneless Fried Chicken were combined in one larger plate. People around the table enjoyed these 2 flavours as there is more taste and dimension to these. Of the 2 favours, the soy garlic inched out ahead.

Deep Fried Dumplings are filled with veggies. 6 pieces to an order, so there is 2 orders in this basket. These were super crisp on the outside and the filling was delicious.

Side Dishes and Sauce

We got pickled radishes as a side dish to go with all the fried chicken that we ordered. It was nice to have to break up the fatty taste.

They also gave us honey mustard sauce and BBQ sauce to dip the fried chicken into.

Final Thoughts

I was pleasantly surprised by Chicken Holic. This hole in the wall has some good Korean Fried Chicken.

We Rate Chicken Holic:

Address:
1104 Austin Avenue, Coquitlam, BC

In Coquitlam

Ta Bom: Korean BBQ in Coquitlam

November 10, 2016

Ta Bom serves up Korean cuisine, but what they are known for is their Hot Plate items with egg, cheese and corn. The line up was ok at 5 pm, but once it got to 5:30, there was a long lineup out the door.

I’ve heard that lines could be anywhere from 30 mins to 1 hour. So, the group of us made sure we got here early to avoid any lines.

Side Dishes

Before the meal, they provide their customers with banchan, which are complimentary side dishes. There were potatoes, kimchi and bean sprouts.

Hot Plate

They have 6 different varieties to choose from:

Dak-galbi – Stir-fried spicy chicken
Bulgogi – beef bulgogi
Pork- bulgogi
Jeyuk-bokkeum – Stir-fried spicy pork
Jukkumi-bokkeum – stir-fried spicy small octopus
Jukkumi-Jeyuk-bokkeum – Stir Fried Spicy small octopus and pork

They all come with the side of egg and corn. You can add the extra cheese from $5 more.

You need to order a minimum 2 portions for these hot plates, but since we had 6 people, we just ordered 2 portions of the stir Fried Spicy small octopus & pork and 2 portions of the beef bulgogi.

Jukkumi-Jeyuk-bokkeum

Jukkumi-Jeyuk-bokkeum has stir-fried spicy small octopus and pork. We made sure to order the extra cheese.

As the gas stove starts, make sure to stir the items on the grill so it cooks evenly. The little octopus look really cute. This dish is delicious but it is spicy, so if you can’t handle spice, you may not want to order this.

They come over and cut the octopus into bite size pieces so you don’t have to have a hard time chewing it.

Once you’re done eating, make sure you leave the sauce so you can order the rice for $3 extra and they mix it into the sauce and bits left over.

Beef Bulgogi

We also got Beef Bulgogi as a non-spicy option. It was nice to have this with the other spicy dish to balance it all out. Good flavours and cheese was so gooey and addictive.

I would highly recommend Ta Bom for something a bit different than the other Korean restaurants in the area. There are no reservations, so come early.

We Rate Ta Bom:

Address:
1046 Austin Avenue, Coquitlam

In Cafe

Cup Full Dessert Cafe in Coquitlam

September 23, 2016

Cup Full Dessert is located in the food court at Henderson Mall in Coquitlam. They serve up a few different desserts, cakes and drinks. If you’re a fan of Soft Peaks, they serve up their delicious soft-serve ice cream. If you live in the suburbs, you can now get Soft Peaks without driving all the way downtown.

Drinks

Cappuccino is what I needed in the early afternoon. They even put a cute little bird on top. They use their own blend of espresso beans in all their drinks.

Coffee Float is super nice and strong. It even has Soft Peaks soft serve ice cream inside.

Grape Fresh Fruit drink is so good! You can tell they only use real grapes are their natural sweetness really shines through.

Grapefruit Fresh Fruit drink was great as well, but I still preferred the grape version.

Full Cup Shaved Ice

Green Tea has the shaved ice and green tea in different layers.

It is topped with red beans, almonds, and sponge cake and some more green tea.

Red Bean has the shaved ice, red bean, more shaved ice and then topped with more red beans, almonds and whipped cream.

Mango was my favourite of all of them. You really can’t go wrong with the fresh mango taste and the shaved ice.

Soft Serve

Mudslide has the Soft Peaks soft serve ice cream with chocolate syrup and crushed up Tim Tam Cookies. Great for chocolate lovers. One of my favourite items here.

Roll Cakes

Chocolate Banana Roll Cake is made by Cake Ya, a Japanese bakery about 10 minutes away. The cakes were decent, but I much prefer going to the store to get my roll cakes fresher.

Because these have been in the fridge a bit longer, its not as fresh.

Strawberry Roll Cake I had similar feelings too. This would be an item I get from Cake Ya all the time too.

Matcha and Red Bean Roll Cake was ok too, but I wished there was a bit more whipped cream inside.

Overall, the desserts are decent. I will definitely come back for the drinks and the Mudslide again.

We Rate Cup Full Dessert Cafe:

Address:
#2079-1163 Pinetree way Coquitlam, BC

In Coquitlam

Ajuker: Korean Fried Chicken

July 16, 2016

Ajuker Fried Chicken has been a hidden gem in Coquitlam for quite some time now. Its pretty hidden and only those who dare to walk in.

They stay open till 2am on most nights and is very popular among students in the area. I came here a lot when I was in University and I still come here once in a while for some beer and chicken.

Drinks

The drink of choice here is beer. We usually get whatever is on special.

Complimentary Items

When you order beer, peanuts and a spicy tofu broth arrives at the table. Usually when dining in Korean restaurants or bars, they give you a few complimentary items as “service”.

Chicken

Fried Chicken has the bone in and covered in their secret batter and its fried till its super crispy. It’s so good and flavourful! I consider it better than Church’s Chicken.

Fried Chicken with Sweet Soy Sauce is the crispy pieces of fried chicken covered in a sweet soy-based sauce. If you thought the original was good, this is even better.

Fried Chicken in sweet and spicy sauce was the original chicken tossed in their house-made sauce. This was good too but I usually don’t like chicken drenched in sauce.

Grilled boneless chicken with cheese comes sizzling hot when it arrives at the table. It was ok, but not as good as the deep fried chicken.

Other dishes

Buttered corn and cheese is pretty awesome as an additional item. You can’t go wrong with this dish.

Seafood pancake is pretty meh here. I wouldn’t get it again.

Overall, the chicken is awesome here and the prices are very good. I would highly recommend this place.

We Rate Ajuker Fried Chicken:

Address:
101-508 Clarke Road, Coquitlam

In Cafe

Choco Coo Cafe: Dessert Shop in Coquitlam

March 11, 2016

Choco Coo is a Belgium chocolate and French dessert shop in Coquitlam right by Sushi California. I came here earlier in the afternoon to grab a drink but it was completely filled by people studying. Everyone looked pretty cozy, so it would have been a 1 hour+ wait for a table to open up. Also, the parking in the little plaza is crazy.

So, I returned later in the evening at around 9pm. It was about a 20 minute wait till a table opened up, but that was ok because I was determined to come here.

The space is very nice and hip. Lovely textures of wood and greenery.

Also, of course a chalkboard. They even have a happy hour special if you come between 1 – 4pm. A dessert and hot chocolate/ice teas are $8.95. Also 2 dessert and 2 hot chocolate/iced teas are $16.95.

You save a few bucks which is nice.

There are lots of cakes to choose from.

I started with an iced milk tea. I find that a good indicator of a café is if they can master a decent milk tea.The first few sips, I felt that it was lacking much flavour like it had too much milk or water.

I do like that it’s served in a double walled Bodum cup, so it stays cold for longer.

They have a bunch of hot or iced teas on their menu. Most of their teas are from TWG Tea.

Fresh Strawberry Cake looks beautiful with the layers of whipped cream, strawberries, and sponge cake. We thought the cake was ok as the sponge cake was a tad dry.

Mont Blanc looks like a person waving its arms around. It has pureed, sweetened chestnuts topped with powdered sugar and hazelnuts. In the centre, there is a piece of cake inside. The dessert was ok.

Overall, it’s nice to have this new cafe in the area as there aren’t too many hip cafes in the area. Plus, Koreans love cafes and coffee. With the teas and cake we ordered, we didn’t really enjoy it as much.

It’s pretty busy here and turnover isn’t very high. So, there may be a wait.

We Rate Choco Coo Cafe:

Address:
501 North Road, Metro Vancouver, Coquitlam

Website:
http://www.chococoo.ca/

Coquitlam

Naked Chicken Chips

Chickstar

Naked Chicken Chips Big Box or Chickstar Big Box

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Menu

Pomme de Terre Pizza

Spicy Mango Chicken Pizza

Shaken Iced Tea and Lattes

Final Thoughts

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Seafood

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Kamayan-Style Dinner

Halo Halo

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Drinks

Al Pastor Taco

Veggie Taco

Asada Taco

Pollo Taco

Pupusas

Mar Y Tierra

Bandeja Polito’s

Chips, guac and pico de gallo

Tres Leches

Flan

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Tea and Water

Thai Iced Milk Tea

Chicken Satay

Pad Thai with Chicken

Green Curry with Chicken

Craving Cashew with Shrimp

Think Thoughts

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Menu

Jolly Pong Shake

Injeolmi Snow Ice Flake

Dipping Chocolate Fondue with Rice Cakes and Fruit

Homemade Rice Flour Waffles

Rice Cake Churros

Rice Roll Cakes

Red Bean Mochi

Rice Cheese Cake

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Dim Sum

Pork Sui Mai with Fish Roe

Shrimp Spring Roll

Shrimp Dumpling

Creamy Egg Yolk Custard Bun

Lunch and Dinner

Minced Fish and Pumpkin Congee

Chilled Spicy Shrimp

Wonton Noodle in Soup

Curry Seafood Chow Mein

Steam Lobster with Sticky Rice in a Bamboo Steamer

Yang Chow Fried Rice

Crab with Salty Egg

Sticky Rice on Crispy Chicken

Neptune Signature Ribs

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Matcha Frapp

Duo Cups

Cappuccino

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Side Dishes – Banchan

Pork & Rice Soup – dwaeji-gukbap

Pork Backbone Stew – Gamja-tang

Boneless Fried Chicken

Fried Dumpling

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Drinks