Two Beakers Archives - Page 7 of 12

In Cafe

Big Thumb Restaurant: Two Thumbs Down For Pasta

July 26, 2012

One day we headed to Tuen Muen to go shopping at The Trend Plaza and got pretty hungry, so we went to the Big Thumb Restaurant. We didn’t know what to eat, but we were sure we didn’t want dim sum. This restaurant is located on the ground floor near a bunch of other restaurants.

Cold Milk and Coffee Mix (Yuen Yeung) is my favorite drink in Hong Kong besides milk tea. It gives you more of a coffee taste with an addition of more caffeine.

This was one of their special Summer drinks that they are offering. It’s too bad no one remember what it’s called, but my sister said it was very yummy.

Iced Lemon Tea was what my dad ordered with his meal.

Iced Red Bean and Coconut Drink seemed ok, but I am sure they could have given us more red beans.

Beef Brisket Curry comes was a good size portion and rice for one. It has a little bit of spice but not too much.

Pork Laksa comes with noodles, egg, sliced up pork steak and vegetables.

Seafood Laksa has tofu, egg, fish, shrimp, and vegetables. The seafood isn’t too impressive, but decent.

Ramen comes with imitation crab stick, corn, egg, seaweed, slices up pork cutlet and noodles in a pork broth.

Braised mushroom and clams in pasta was a horrible dish. It lacked flavour and had little to no flavour. I was expecting a little bit of sauce at least. Avoid this dish.

Overall, the food was ok, but nothing to rave about. The service was fine, but I was kinda annoyed how you aren’t supposed to take pictures, but I did anyways. hehehe. There are also lots of options besides this restaurant. Then entire mall has tons and tons of options.

We Rate the Big Thumb Restaurant:

Address:

Shop 8, G/F, The Trend Plaza, 2 Tuen Lung Street,
Tuen Mun, Hong Kong

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In Chinese

Hanami Japanese Restaurant: Dining on Dim Sum at YVR Airport

July 20, 2012

Hanami Japanese Restaurant is located right before you enter the security check for flights. They serve dim sum and Japanese food. Right before my flight to Hong Kong, my parents and I decided to have some dim sum since we went to the airport way too early.

We waited for a server to seat us at our table, but there was only one waitress on staff. There were two cooks at the sushi bar area, but they did not acknowledge our presence to help us get a seat. After an awkward long while, we just sat ourselves down. Off the bat, we were not impressed at all.

Tea! I’ll say this every time!

Deep Fried Mixed Meat Puff ($5) is not my favorite dim sum item. I always eat it, but I’m not a fan of the combination of the meat and the slightly sweet dough.

The inside has a decent amount of filling. It wasn’t anything too amazing.

Steamed Beef Rice Flour Rolls ($6) has the minced beef in the center surrounded by the rice flour. There are slits cut on top to allow flavour from the soy sauce to seep into the center, plus it’s makes for a good guide to divide this up when eating dim sum.

Bean Curd Rolls with Fish Paste and Greens ($5) was ok, but my parents both felt it was salty.

Pan Fried Eggplants Stuffed with Shrimp ($5) was very weird! It has the shrimp paste sandwiched between two slices of eggplant. It is also very oily, when you bite into it, a lot of oil comes out of it.

Steamed Scallops and Shrimp Dumpling ($5) was ok as well, nothing very special.

Deep Fried Shrimp Toast ($5) was very crunchy and had the slice of toast underneath and the shrimp mixture on top.

Steamed Spareribs in Black Bean Sauce ($5) was ok too, nothing very special.

Steamed Pork Dumpling with Shrimp ($5) didn’t look very appealing and the taste was ok.

Chilled Mango Pudding ($3.75) is always my little sisters favorite item. It is shaped like a heart and topped with evaporated milk.

Overall, the food was quite poor and way over priced. It’s what you get when you eat at the airport. I had some hope for this place, but our experience from beginning to end was very poor. We will probably not return.

We Rate Hanami Japanese Restaurant:

Address:
3211 Grant McConachie Way (Before Security, Int’l Level 3)

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In Back Bay

Au Bon Pain: It Came From Boston, Not Paris

June 11, 2012

Au Bon Pain is a chain of cafes that originated in Boston. The cafe can be found all around the world from Taiwan to Kuwait with over 250 locations. The idea came about at Faneuil Hall Marketplace in 1978, where founder Louis Kane wanted to bring fresh-baked goods to the people of Boston.

While I was visiting Boston, I would constantly bump into this cafe. At first glance, I would not think it originated in Boston. After Ange bugged my to try something besides Starbucks, I decided to check it out.

The interior remind me of a cafeteria. It’s layout is a little bit strange for my liking, but it’s layout is supposed to resemble a marketplace. They have an assortment of baked goods, soups and a bunch of other items.

There is also a counter to order freshly made sandwiches, wraps and salads that can be highly customized.

As I was just needing a snack, I grabbed a cappuccino and a chocolate croissant.

Cappuccino was quite bad. It was very heavy and it seemed more like a latte instead. There was barely any foam and was not representative of the calories indicated on their menu.

Chocolate Croissant was a bit disappointing too. It didn’t have a flakey texture that a croissant is supposed to have. It has powdered sugar and a chocolate drizzle on top.

On the inside, the croissant has a bread-like consistency and hollow is the center. It was quite mediocre and nothing too special. You could tell it was sitting out for a while. It might be good to heat it up in their microwave for a few seconds.

Overall, Au Bon Pain is good if you want something quick and decent. It’s not good if you have high expectations. Service is also quite mediocre.

Words of Wisdom:

Complementary Wifi
Quick and fast

We Rate Au Bon Pain:

Address:
26 Park Plz
Boston, MA

Website:
http://www.aubonpain.com/

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In Niagara Falls

Boston Pizza: Nothing Else Good in Niagara Falls, ON

May 28, 2012

After roaming around Niagara Falls after the Maid of the Mist boat ride, CanuckGirl and I were quite hungry, so we walked around for a few blocks to find food. We found most of the places were very overpriced and were chain restaurants. Our tour guide even suggested a few places but…any place rated 17% was not a place for us.

Eventually we gave up and settled with Boston Pizza.

The interior is very open and seats lots of people. You can have the choice of sitting indoors of having patio seating.

We opted for patio seating, but it was still indoors and just has the windows up. You get a good view of the street.

Oven Roasted Salt & Pepper Wings ($9.29) were alright and we did enjoy getting the options of not having them deep-fried. CanuckGirl said the wings were tender but it wasn’t anything special.

Pepperoni and Feta Thin Crust Pizza ($13.29) has layers of pepperoni, sun-dried tomatoes, feta, cheddar, pizza mozzarella and green onion. The pizza was very oily and the green onions were chopped up very largely.

Overall, food was pretty meh. It’s something edible and we got full.

Words of Wisdom:

Service is decent
On the main road of food
Lunch can cost you around $15

We Rate Boston Pizza:

Address:
4960 Clifton Hill
Niagara Falls, ON

Website:
http://www.bostonpizza.com/

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In Cafe

Green Bean Cafe: Airport Food Sucks

May 17, 2012

Green Bean Cafe is located at the Domestic terminal of Vancouver Airport after you check-in and get scanned by security. There’s not much around to eat at the terminal besides this place.

Since I had a hunch that no meals will be served on our WestJet flight, I decided to get something quick. Plus, early flights aren’t fun, so I needed a coffee. This was what I could find.

They have drinks, sandwiches, and other little pastries. The prices and service

Medium Coffee ($1.70) was alright, nothing too special about it. Everyone else in line was also ordering coffee.

Butter Croissant was bearable, but was not fresh at all. The cashier just popped it into the microwave to heat up.

Overall, pretty subpar offerings from this Cafe. Since it is “airport” food, I wasn’t too surprised. If I had known there was a Starbucks a bit further, I should have gone there instead.

Words of Wisdom:

Nothing Special
Convenient just before your flight

We Rate Green Bean Cafe:

Address:
3211 Grant McConachie Way
Richmond, BC

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In Two Beakers

Subeez Cafe: Brunch Time

April 19, 2012

Subeez Cafe is located in Yaletown and they serve up brunch on the weekends. CanuckGirl and I went a few years ago and loved their brunch, so we decided to go back to have some more.

They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner too. They are best known for a light night place to chill and drink.

The interior is quite large and can hold up to 225 people! Its really great for really really large groups. When we went, it seemed like they were understaffed as the service was quite horrible. It took us a while to get water and it also took us a while to place our orders.

Eggs Benny ($12) has soft poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, back bacon, english muffin, hash browns, west coast greens. They have changed their hash browns since the ones on the plate are more like fries.

Croque Madame ($14) has grilled brioche, gruyere and shinkenspeck and baked with mornay, topped with a fried egg, tomato jam and crispy onions. It is also served with west coast greens and hash browns. The hash browns were way too salty!

They definitely have a different version of Croque Madame at Subeez. The small sandwich and eggs were basically swimming in the cheese sauce. I would not order this again. It felt like cheese fondue rather than a sandwich.

Overall, we were both disappointed by the food and service compared to our last visit.

Words of Wisdom:

Items can be hit and miss
Horrible service
Can’t go wrong with any of the eggs benny’s

We rate Subeez:

Address:
891 Homer St
Vancouver, BC

Website: http://www.subeez.com/

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In Downtown

Bay Sushi Cafe: Quick and Fast Lunch

April 15, 2012

Another lunch with TaiwaneseGirl and we are slowly running out of Sushi restaurants downtown. Flo recommended Bay Sushi Cafe. Since it is super close to my office, I headed down for some lunch.

Bay Sushi Cafe sells rolls, bento boxes and even Korean food. I found that it was a bit strange that they were selling Korean food, but I saw people ordering it.

There are lots of space to sit, but it can get very busy during lunch hours. A lot of people were doing take out.

There is also self-serve tea and water available, but the cups are quite tiny.I guzzle tea like crazy, so multiple trips to the tea machine was needed.

Chicken Teriyaki and Sashimi Bento ($12.95) has miso soup, 3 salmon sashimi, 3 tuna sashimi, 2 gyozas, chicken teriyaki and a salad.

Miso Soup tasted quite average as most miso soup is made the same way.

Sashimi was tasted fresh, but its cut a bit differently than other places. It’s more long and thin.

Gyozas were quite mediocre and the sauce was already poured over them.

Chicken teriyaki sits over a bed of rice and tasted quite average too. Nothing amazing about it.

Overall, it’s not the most amazing bento boxes, but it will get you full. The wait for food isn’t too long, so if you need something quick and satisfying, then this is your place.

Words of Wisdom:

Order online and pick up to avoid the lunch rush
Pretty average
Japanese and Korean food available
A bit expensive depending on what you order

We Rate Bay Sushi Cafe:

Address:
678 Seymour St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.baysushicafe.com/

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In Downtown

Miyako Sushi: Soft Shell Crab of Disappointment

April 1, 2012

Miyako Sushi is located Downtown on Pender and brings in a large crowd during lunch time. They are proudly Japanese owned and you will see that in the front of the restaurant.

This place was very busy and the servers seems a bit “cold” and rude when we got a table.

Low Carb Box ($11.95) it come with sunomono, miso soup, dynamite roll, salmon & tuna sashimi, chicken teriyaki salad and fruit.

The sunomono was ok, but could be better as the noodle seemed like they were sitting there for a while. The sashimi tasted alright too, but MeatLover found a bone in her salmon. Thats a bit scary. The chicken teriyaki had so much oil that the whole salad was just very warm and slimy. The dynamite roll was good! The fruit…was super disappointing since it was just a piece of orange when the menu had grapes and apples.

The bento box will get you full, but the execution of the items could be better.

The miso soup was ok and nothing special.

Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab ($7.95) was so disappointing. This crab was very very tiny and not worth the money at all! It wasn’t very crunchy and the inside was very juicy, so when you bite into it, a lot of juice would come out. Avoid this at all costs!

Overall, the sushi is good but everything else is disappointing. Sure, they do use wild salmon rather than farmed salmon, but it wasn’t enough to love this restaurant. The items can be a hit and miss, but if you stick with a bento for lunch, you’ll be alright.

Words of Wisdom:

Misleading menu pictures
Good rolls
Can be a bit pricey compared to other restaurants in the area.
Some items poorly executed
poor service

We Rate Miyako Sushi:

Address:
829 West Pender St.
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://miyakosushi.ca/

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In Burnaby Cariboo-Lougheed

Mui Garden: Curry Beef Brisket

March 29, 2012

Mui Garden has 4 locations in the Lower Mainland and serve up Chinese food. M and I come here once in a while when we want to just get some cheap eats without traveling far. We like to be lazy like that.

From past experiences, they have some decent food here and we’ve had some bad foor here. It’s always good to know what are the better items to avoid the horrible ones.

Sauces at your table. Its kinda gross how all the amounts in these jars are quite low.

Tea! Gotta love tea and gotta have tea everywhere I go.

Curry Beef Brisket ($10.50) is something that M always orders. It’s more Hong Kong Cafe – Style rather than what you would find in an Indian restaurant.

It has a good taste and it’s quite large! This is off the regular menu, but there is also a lunch set that you can get too.

Wonton Noodle Soup ($5.50) was very disgusting. It was quite salty or had lots of MSG. The wontons seemed pre-made or something that you can get frozen at T&T. Definitely avoid from here.

Overall, I would still say the dishes are a hit and miss. You can’t go wrong with the curry beef brisket.

Words of Wisdom:

Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce and Curry Beef Brisket
Great for large groups
Cash or Debt
Hit or miss food
Free parking
Decent prices

We Rate Mui Garden:

Address:
4327 North Rd
Burnaby, BC V3N

Website:
http://www.muigarden.com/

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In Chinese

Po King Seafood Restaurant: $158 Set Menu of Disappointment

March 18, 2012

My parents wanted to have a dinner with the whole family and they decided to choose Po King Seafood Restaurant. My parents usually come here for dim sum and love the portions, quality and price.

I was always quite skeptical about this restaurant because it has horrible reviews and several health violations.

Even though it was King Crab season, this place was pretty empty. My parents don’t like King Crab, so we decided to get the ‘Dinner for 5’ that costs $158.

It comes with:

Shark’s Fin & Chicken in Superior Stock (5 pots)
Peking duck
Braised Live Lobster
Sauteed Diced Duck served with lettuce
Steamed chicken with ginger sauce
Steamed fish and vegetables
Prawn and duck fried rice with abalone sauce
Dessert

Tea! I must have tea with everything I eat!

Shark’s Fin & Chicken in Superior Stock was ok, but I didn’t know if it’s real or fake. But my parents told me it was real but of cheap quality.

If it is real, I would be quite disappointed at this restaurant. With all the buzz going around with the ethics behind shark finning, I am very sad that people still continue to serve this. Especially in Vancouver, when we are into sustainable ingredients.

Nonetheless, I really felt really bad consuming this, but I did. Since there wasn’t a lot of tables in the restaurant…the managers did seem like they were staring at us. The taste was alright, but I had to add a bit of red vinegar to make it to my liking. Nothing was special about it and the fin tasted like mushrooms.

In the future, I will probably refrain from ordering any shark fin… real or fake.

Peking Duck Wraps comes with some hoisin sauce, spring onions, and pancake wraps. It’s presented like this so you can do it yourself and put it together. Just take a little bit of everything and it should look like this.

I thought it tasted ok, but not amazing. My parents were very disappointed by the duck and questioned if it was even freshly made today. They suspected it was just reheated and served. The meat wasn’t moist at all.

Braised Live Lobster looked great, but the texture was way off. The meat was very chewy and tough.

Sauteed Diced Duck served with lettuce. You are given a pile of lettuce leaves.

You then take a few scoops of the diced duck and put it on the lettuce.

Then you will get this! Wrap it up so none of the filling falls out and then munch away. This was good and I love the crunch of the lettuce to go with the savory filling.

Steamed chicken with Ginger Sauce was addictive with the ginger sauce!

Prawn and duck fried rice with abalone sauce was alright. Nothing amazing, but decent.

Steamed fish and vegetables was good but I really didn’t like the deep fried fish. Other than that, everything else was pretty solid.

Green Bean Soup was alright as well.

Overall, the food was decent, but we didn’t like how some of the items did not seem fresh. My parents were disappointed by the overall quality and they are usually passive about everything. It makes me a bit sad to see them sad over a meal since food is supposed to make people happy. Safe to say, we will probably never return here for dinner.

Words of Wisdom:

Free parking on side
Mediocre service
Decent food, but freshness can be questioned
Busy for dimsum, empty for dinner

We Rate Po King Seafood Restaurant:

Address:

5665 Kingsway
Burnaby, BC V5H

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In Filipino

Little Ongpin Restaurant: Filipino Food in Richmond

March 13, 2012

Little Ongpin Restaurant serves up Filipino – Chinese cuisine. It’s located in Richmond on No. 5 Road. I came here with M and Scarface for a Balut eating contest. I was in the contest but I didn’t win.

Before the contest, M, Scarface and I order some dishes. Since I have zero clue about Filipino food, Scarface did all the ordering.

Java Rice is essentially garlic rice. It tasted good and went well with the food, but it was intensely oily. At the bottom, there was a lot of oil.

Pork Sisig is marinated meat on a hot plate. What I found strange was that the hot plate wasn’t actually very hot. Scarface said the dish wasn’t very good and isn’t how it is in the Philippines.

Beef Salpicao is like stir fried garlic beef. The meat wasn’t very tender at all but the flavour was ok.

Pork and tofu was completely different that what we were expecting. Usually it would be pork meat instead of the pig skin. All of us didn’t like the dish.

Overall, M, Scarface and I were disappointed with the meal despite the great reviews online. Maybe we ordered the wrong dishes, but it wasn’t for us. It was a busy night at the restaurant, so perhaps that’s where the quality declined a bit.

Words of Wisdom:

Lots of spaces in parking lot
Decent prices
Good lunch deals
They don’t serve beer 🙁
Dishes are hit or miss

We Rate Little Ongpin Restaurant:

Address:
4093 No 5 Road
Richmond, BC

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In Lynnwood

Red Lobster: 4 course meal for $15

February 15, 2012

It has taken me two trips to Lynnwood to figure out where Red Lobster is located. The first time, my GPS led me to a residential area and I gave up. I didn’t want to use data on my phone cause…you know…I’m asian and I hate being charged for unnecessary things I don’t need.

Red Lobster is a chain seafood restaurant in the United States. They specialize in seafood and usually draw in large crowds on the weekends. We saw that they were having a $15 4-course meal, so TaiwaneseGirl, CanuckGirl and I decided to try it out. It’s a good price and it didn’t seem like it could go wrong. In the 4-course meal it gave you a few choices below.

Soup

New England Clam Chowder
Creamy Potato Bacon Soup

Salad

Fresh Garden Salad
Fresh Caesar Salad.

Entree

Grilled Honey-BBQ Shrimp Skewers
Garlic Alfredo Shrimp-and-Scallop Pasta
Garlic-Herb Shrimp and Chicken
Cajun Chicken Linguini Alfredo
Wood-Grilled Fresh Tilapia
Parrot Isle Jumbo Coconut Shrimp
Hand-Breaded Shrimp

Dessert

Triple-Chocolate Brownie á la Mode
Apple Crostada with Caramel Drizzle

When we arrived, there was already a line forming. We had to wait about 30 minutes to be seated. For others, they would have to wait over 1 hr to be seated. It’s always good to make reservations to avoid these long waits on weekends.

The whole interior looked like a boat!

Look Lobsters!

They even give your these taser-like devices that signal you when your table is called.

The dining area was very wooden as well. I guess that works with the theme of the restaurant.

New England Clam Chowder was alright. It had minimal clams and wasn’t very amazing.

Cheddar Biscuits are unlimited!! It was very fluffy on the inside and you can tell there was lots of butter to make these. Despite that, it was hands down very good biscuits!

Fresh Caesar Salad was alright as well.

Fresh Garden Salad had the addition of tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. I had a balsamic vinegar dressing on top.

Garlic Alfredo Shrimp-and-Scallop Pasta is probably the best entree out of the seven choices. TaiwaneseGirl and CanuckGirl did enjoy it, but it wasn’t the most amazing pasta they have had. It had a good amount of sauce, scallops and shrimp.

Parrot Isle Jumbo Coconut Shrimp is just gross! Stay away from this at all times. I really don’t know how this is even considered an entree. It was overly sweet and it really ruined the taste of the shrimp. How is this even somewhat healthy?

Apple Crostada with Caramel Drizzle was alright as well said CanuckGirl. It really could have used a side of vanilla ice cream.

Triple-Chocolate Brownie á la Mode was good! The brownie was warm and super moist with the side of vanilla ice cream. It’s not too sweet and it was a good end to the meal.

The dishes were ok, but nothing amazing. I am glad I didn’t have to pay more than $15 for this meal because most of it kinda sucked. We probably should have gotten lobsters, but the special was just at such a good price.

Words of Wisdom:

Very busy on weekends
Lots of rear parking
Make reservations
Avoid anything with coconuts and shrimp

We Rate Red Lobster:

Address:
4231 196th St SW
Lynnwood, WA 98036
Website:
http://www.redlobster.com

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In Coquitlam

Garden Fresh Express: Salad Bar in Coquitlam Center

February 9, 2012

I clearly had a week where I totally thought I needed to eat healthier, so I kept going to salad bars. M and I went to Coquitlam Center Mall just to go to the food court for lunch. We were trying to be somewhat cheap too. Students like us are cheap and poor. As M had Arbys, I decided to head to Garden Fresh Express to make myself a salad. It was $1.60ish per 100g.

Its a good alternative if you wanted something decently healthy.

Looking at this, I probably fail at making salads. I definitely needed more greens, but all the other stuff there was so tempting. Everything at the bar looked fresh, so I wasn’t afraid to consume anything.

Words of Wisdom:

Lots of parking
Ok price if you don’t get heavy items

Address:
2702 – 2929 Barnet Hwy
Coquitlam, BC V3B

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In Downtown

Insalata: Salad Bar in Pacific Center

February 2, 2012

I am notorious for not bringing my lunch to work since I always like to sleep for an extra few minutes. Since I feel like I’ve eaten like a slob lately, I thought I should go get something somewhat healthy. Insalata at Pacific Center seemed like a decent quick option.

It’s a self-serve salad bar where you pay for the weight of you food. I think it is around $1.60 for 100g. They actually have a good amount of items to choose from. Theres veggies, pasta, meat and fruits.

I always manage to get around $10 worth of food. I know, I know, I could probably make this for way way cheaper at home. Very true, but I am lazy. For those people who are busy and on-the-go, it’s a good alternative to get some fruits and veggies into your diet.

The fruits and veggies look quite fresh. Seeing that there are tons of people who come here everyday for lunch, you know the food isn’t sitting there for days before being consumed.

Words of Wisdom:

Easy access from Granville Skytrain
Quick and fast for lunch
Fresh Fruits and veggies
Around $10

We Rate Insalata:

Address:
609 Granville St
Vancouver, BC V6C

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In Coquitlam

I Love Sushi: No Love Was Found Here

February 1, 2012

I Love Sushi is located on Schoolhouse near the Coquitlam Silvercity Theatre. This restaurant has a really cute name and thats why I initially wanted to go here. The first time we went, we arrived 30 minutes before they closed, but they would not serve us since they were only doing take-out orders. Understandable, but we were still not happy. M and I came back weeks later since I’m running out of places to try in Coquitlam.

I Love Sushi sells the usual items you would find in a Japanese restaurant.

The menu is here!

Edamame Beans (Complementary) everyone gets these at their table. They were alright, but its on the small side.

Philadelphia Roll B ($7.88) has fresh salmon, cream cheese, avocado, and cucumber. It was pretty good. I always love the creamy texture with the avocado and salmon. Yum.

Caterpillar Roll ($7.88) has unagi, cucumber, and topped with whole avocado. The avocado seemed a bit unripe and stiff, so it would fall off the roll when you pick it up. It still tasted alright, but it was missing something.

Soft Shell Crab Karaage ($6.95) is deep fried soft shell crab. It also tasted a bit average since the fried batter was not as crisp as it could be. It also tasted a bit bland, but thats why the sauce works well with this dish.

Overall, the sushi rolls were alright, but nothing amazing. M was quite disappointed as well by the price and quality of the food. I probably would not return since there are a few other sushi places that opened up in the area. Nonetheless, it is still a neighbourhood favorite for people who live in the area. You may have had a different experience than me.

Words of Wisdom:

A tad expensive for what you get
Not a lot of variety in their combos
Mediocre Service
Good before or after the movies
Free parking in front

We Rate I Love Sushi:

Address:
#3, 228 Schoolhouse Street
Coquitlam, BC
Website:
http://www.ilovesushi2009.com/

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In American

Ricky’s All Day Grill: Where the Utensils are Dirty

January 19, 2012

Ricky’s All Day Grill has a location in City Central Mall in Surrey. After class, a few of us got really hungry, so we came here to chow down.

They have a lot of items on their menu, so you might be able to find something that will fill your food cravings.

The first thing we noticed was that the utensils were really really dirty! So, we asked for new ones.

The second sets were also quite dirty! We didn’t bother asking for another set of utensils since if they can’t get it right the 2nd time, we didn’t have high hopes that it would be any cleaner. I think they just didn’t dry properly.

I’m sure this happens at most restaurants, but it’s still kinda gross. Best to grab a cup of water and start cleaning your utensils….Asian style.

Classic double egger has 2 eggs, shredded hash browns, toast with chorizo sausage. M liked the sausage, but other than that, everything else was decent.

Classic Benny with shaved ham has 2 poached eggs and ham on English muffins, topped with hollandaise. It also has shredded hash browns and fruit. InsecureGirl thought it was OK too, but not very good.

“R” Signature BLTC Salad comes with bacon, 3 cheeses, tomatoes, green onions and chicken strips with Dijon ranch dressing. It also comes with bread. I really didn’t like the salad. The chicken was dry and the salad didn’t seem very fresh.

Overall, the food was passable but nothing I would come back to. It’s still quite popular with students at the SFU campus.

Words of Wisdom:

Lots of Parking at the mall outside Ricky’s
Mediocre service
Dirty utensils
Prices slightly expensive for what you get

We Rate Ricky’s All Day Grill:
Address:
10153 King George Hwy
Surrey, BC
Website:
http://www.rickys-restaurants.com/

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In Japanese

Sushi Izumi: Food Court Sushi

January 15, 2012

Hello Internet! RomanJ here with another review. Today we check out the Sushi Izumi in the Metrotown food court. During the holidays I spent a lot of time in the mall shopping for gifts. To satisfy my sushi craving without having to leave the mall, I tried Sushi Izumi, which is right besides Nando’s Chicken. Sushi Izumi has a big selection of combos, rolls and dons to choose from.

I ordered the Maki Combo ($7.75), which consists of a Salmon Roll, a California Roll and a Tuna Roll with avocado. In addition to the combo, I also ordered a Salmon Sashimi ($6.95).

The Maki Combo: Salmon Roll, California roll and the Tuna roll we’re okay to begin when I started eating. As I started to devour the rolls, I notice that the sushi rice has a slight pale taste to it, affecting each roll with every bit leaving me not to enjoy my rolls.

The Salmon Sashimi was surprisingly adequate, it was not too cold or too warm and it wasn’t thawed out. I enjoyed the Salmon Sashimi over the rolls.

Overall, I would probably not go here for the sushi rolls and the best item on the menu from what I have tasted is the Sashimi.

Words of Advice

Don’t get the rolls
Always ask for more soy sauce (2 packs isn’t enough)
Busy during peak hours

We Rate Sushi Izumi:

Address:

4820 Kingsway
Burnaby, BC V5H

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In Japanese

Kenzo Japanese Noodle House: A Little Dash of Korean

January 7, 2012

Kenzo Japanese Noodle House is located in South Burnaby and I’ve always heard great things about their noodles. Since there was nothing else to do, I decided to go have a bowl of ramen with M to waste some time.

There are large booths and smaller tables inside the restaurant. When we walked in, we knew right away that this place was Korean owned. They even have buzzers on the table to signal the servers, so you don’t need to wave them down.

We found that even with the buzzers, the service was still mediocre.

No surprise, I love tea. The tea tastes like the Korean tea that you get at Korean restaurants.

Gyoza ($5.95) it comes in 6 pieces with ponzu sauce and it was pretty good. Good amount of pork inside.

Ji Su Men ($8.95) is ramen with sliced chicken. M hated this so much. It barely had any chicken and it tasted like a bowl of Korean noodles. Since he’s Korean, he didn’t expect the ramen to taste so Korean.

Don Ko Chi ($7.95) is made with pork bone soup with slices of pork. It was a decent size and the broth was very very good. I’m not sure why they named this dish – Don Ko Chi, but I think a better name is Tonkatsu.

The pork was slightly tough but still had a good amount of flavour.

Overall, I think a few dishes are a hit and a miss. Do remember that most of the dishes here have a bit of a Korean influence. You aren’t getting 100% authentic Japanese Ramen.

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