chinesebites Archives

In Shanghai

Shanghai Elan Restaurant: Signature Dishes

January 8, 2013

Foodology Disclaimer: I was invited by ChineseBites to try Shanghai Elan Restaurant’s dishes with a few other bloggers. The service is not representative of their usual service since they knew we were coming.

Shanghai Elan Restaurant is located in Crystal Mall. It takes the place of Pittsburg Cafe, which I’m glad closed down since they did have such horrible food. Crystal Mall probably has a poorly designed parkade since I like to avoid all life-forms there. People drive crazy and there is a good chance someone is gonna mess up your car.

Besides the craziness of the parking, I love Shanghai food and it’s never disappointed me. It’s a bit hard to find Shanghainese food in Burnaby, so I’m glad there’s something close by.

Cucumber & Jelly Fish with Sesame Oil was a good appetizer. The taste is very clean with the accent of the sesame oil. The texture of the jelly fish was a tad crunchy but not too strange. I quite liked this dish.

Shanghai Jelly Pork is a cold appetizer. It is arranged in a zigzag pattern and kinda reminded me of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude …but made of meat. The clear parts is just gelatine. It was delicious and you can’t go wrong with this dish.

Chicken with Spicy Sauce was a tad spicy but not too much. Th chicken was tender and cooked nicely.

Wild Vegetable with Diced Dried Bean Curd and Pine Nuts I think I was the only one at the table that loved this dish. It has a lot of salt and sesame oil, which I enjoyed the flavours of to enhance the dish.

Marinated Beef Wrapped with Pancake is very huge and seemed to be deep-fried and not pan-fried. The beef inside was very delicious and the portion is great.

Stir Fried Shrimps was simply boiled and seasoned. Very simple.

Shanghai Style Juicy Pork Buns was good. Nice broth and the skin was nice and thin. I love getting an order of these and teasing the first person to break their bun.

Braised Potato with Eggplant & Sweet Pepper was not my favorite dish. I really don’t like potatoes.

Shanghai Fried Rice Cake with Shredded Pork the dish was ok, but nothing crazy amazing.

Pan Fried Pork with Bean Sprouts in Crepes was interactive and fun. You would grab the wrappers and put some of the pork filling inside and wrap it up. The pork was tender and delicious.

Shanghai Fried Thick Noodle with Shredded Pork & Soy Sauce was good as well.

Sweet & Sour Rock Cod was really pretty when it arrived at the table. Whoever created this had a sense of humour. There is a boiled shrimp at the opening of its mouth. The whole dish was well executed and delicious.

Ham & Duck Soup with Fried Wonton was a yummy soup filled with lots of ingredients. Very nutritious indeed.

Rice Balls with Sesame Seed Paste Soup was a nice item to finish the meal. The little mochi balls in addition to the large rice balls with sesame inside.

Overall, the food was pretty good and there are tons of items on their menu to choose from. Even us food bloggers had a hard time deciding.

We Rate Shanghai Elan Restaurant:

Address:
1687-4500 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+Regional+District,+British+Columbia+V5H&t=m&z=16 “]

In Chinese

Cindy’s Palace: Signature Dishes

January 7, 2013

Foodology Disclaimer: I was invited by ChineseBites to try Cindy’s Palace’s signature dishes with a few other bloggers. The service is not representative of their usual service since they knew we were coming.

Cindy’s Palace is located on Nanaimo and 2nd and they invited a few bloggers to try their signature dishes. I’ve passed by several times when driving, but never thought too much about dining here. I actually don’t dine out at Chinese restaurants very often since I know I can get some at home. It was an adventure to see what else is out there.

The interior has many round tables and is busy on the weekend but week day is pretty empty.

Dim Sum Dishes:

Deep Fried Shrimp Cakes are filled with shrimp and breaded. It comes with 3 pieces and is one of their dim sum items. I don’t think it’s available during dinner time. It was packed full of shrimp and comes with 2 different sauces.

Pork Dumplings (Sui Mai) is very plump, so definitely filling and one of those items that are popular.

Shrimp Spring Roll with Wasabi comes with 6 pieces and loaded with shrimp inside. You couldn’t taste the wasabi, which was fine since it would have tasted weird. I really liked this item! Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Crispy Tofu Stuffed with Vegetables in Thai Sauce was not one of my favorite items. The combination of the Thai sauce and the crispy tofu tasted a bit strange.

Dinner Dishes:

Stewed Spareribs in Whole Pumpkin you really need to scrape at the pumpkin to get some of its flesh. The spare ribs were nice but I don’t think the pumpkin added much flavour to the overall taste. Just a nicer presentation.

Pork Toro with Vegetables in housed in a fried wonton-like shell. Not a bad dish at all, you have the tender slices of pork with the vegetables, the sauce it a tad spicy, but isn’t too much to create a fire in your mouth.

Pan Fried Vermicelli with Beef in Black Pepper Sauce has the pieces of fried vermicelli on top and the beef, black pepper sauce, and softer noodles on the bottom. The black pepper is a bit overwhelming.

Lamb & Fish in Hot Pot was kinda like a hazard waiting to happen. There are lots of bones, so it’s really not good for little kids. I had to be like a detective to pick out the bones from my fish. Nonetheless, the soup was very flavourful.

Cindy’s Special Fried Rice was decent. It’s a good item to have at the table since it will fill you up and you can’t go wrong with it.

Braised Pork Hock with Special Preserved Plum Sauce had lots of bone and fat, which I guess is normal for the pork hock. It’s not my favorite dish.

Steamed Chinese Melon with Vegetables was a good veggie dish for a Chinese meal. You always need a veggie dish for sure. I like how it’s served in the melon bowl.

Steamed Chicken with Mushrooms on Rice in Lotus Leaf, I didn’t enjoy this dish. It was a bit dry and the flavours didn’t really pop out.

Stir Fried Prawns with Special Tea Leaves has a cool presentation, kinda like a cornucopia, but with prawns and tea leaves. I enjoyed this dish. But then again, I enjoy most prawn dishes anyways. The tea leaves added a subtle flavour to the prawns but not a large amount.

Deep Fried Squid with Salt & Pepper was sub par, it really needed more salt, garlic and spice to enhance the flavour.

Baked Pumpkin Pastries tasted really weird as a dessert but did look cute.

Glutinous Rice Balls with Sesame Paste was crispy on the outside and had the gooey sesame paste on the inside. I did enjoy this item.

The dishes at Cindy’s Palace can be a hit or miss, but pretty good offerings for dim sum or dinner. It’s in a strange place, but not bad.

We Rate Cindy’s Palace:

Address:
1796 Nanaimo St
Vancouver, BC

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=1796+Nanaimo+St+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=1796+Nanaimo+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5N+5B9&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Chinese

Golden Ocean Seafood Restaurant: Signature Dishes

December 29, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: I was invited by ChineseBites to try Golden Ocean Seafood Restaurant’s signature dishes with a few other bloggers. The service is not representative of their usual service since they knew we were coming.

Golden Ocean Seafood Restaurant is located in Kerrisdale on West 41st street. They serve dim sum in the mornings and the usual dinner at night.

We were able to sample a few dishes from their dim sum menu and other dishes on their dinner menu. You usually won’t be able to have dim sum items at night, so keep that in mind when reading this review.

The interior has lots of seats and is typical of a Chinese restaurant.

Dim Sum Dishes:

Breaded Shrimp with Deep Fried Egg Plant comes with 3 pieces and has the eggplant on the bottom and shrimp paste on top. Its a staple dish of all that order dim sum. One of my favorites since I love all dishes with shrimp.

Breaded Shrimp with Deep Fried Tofu is another great item. The deep-fried tofu on the bottom was crunchy and paired well with the shrimp.

Steamed Shrimps & Fungus Dumpling is another must order item. I’m sure most people order this item when they go for dim sum.

Mini Egg Tarts was pretty average and nothing too special.

Egg Pastry with Dried Shredded Coconut was quite sweet and sticky, I didn’t really particularly like this item very much.

Deep Fried Green Tea Sticky Rice Ball with Sesame are vibrant green and didn’t taste very good.

On the inside, you can see the black sesame.

Dinner Dishes:

Honey Garlic Spareribs and Deep Fried Shrimp Balls was pretty good, the honey garlic spareribs were nicely flavoured and slightly sweet. The deep-fried shrimp balls was a strange combination, but they tasted good too.

Crab with Special House Sauce it also has noodles underneath that soak up the natural crab flavour. Delicious!

Deep Fried Duck Wrapped in Taro tasted alright and definitely had more taro than duck. it was crunchy on the outside and soft in the center.

Stir Fried Beef with Steamed Buns was delicious and the beef in the stir-fry was very tender. You grab the bun and put some of the beef inside.

Steamed Tofu & Egg White with Diced Seafood & Meat was really good! It was delicious and best eaten with rice.

Dried Garlic & Enoki Mushrooms with Pea Tips was something I looked forward to because it was vegetables. I do love meat, but I also like vegetables more. With all Chinese meals, a dish of vegetables is a must.

Deep Fried Sole Fillet was crunchy and tasted ok. I never really liked deep fried fish since it really takes away from its delicate texture and flavour.

Baked Tapioca Pudding was ok, but not super amazing. On the inside, there is red bean paste.

Tofu Pudding comes in a cute container. The texture was a bit dense, but I didn’t mind at all, it just means it stays together a bit more when you’re scooping it up. I may just slightly have an addiction for tofu desserts. The tofu itself isn’t sweet, so you need to add some ginger syrup to it.

Overall, the food alright but nothing crazy amazing. Some dishes were outstanding and some were not very good. Nonetheless, it has always been a neighbourhood favorite for dim sum.

We Rate Golden Ocean Seafood Restaurant:

Address:
2046 W 41st Ave
Vancouver, BC

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=2046+W+41st+Ave+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=2046+W+41st+Ave,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6M+1Y8&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Chinese

Ken’s Chinese Restaurant: Signature Dishes

September 28, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: ChineseBites.com approached us to try a few signature dishes at Ken’s Chinese Restaurant. Although the meal was complimentary, the views and opinions expressed are entirely our own.

In early August, Foodology.ca headed out to Kingsway with the regular ChineseBites crew (Raymond, Sherman, Rick, Kevin, Janice and Romina) to try a few signature dishes at Ken’s Chinese Restaurant. The first dish our merry little crew dug into was the Lobster with Konyaku Hotpot. This was a great way to kick start the meal as we were all quite hungry and the lobster was cooked perfectly. I was not entirely sure why this warranted CRA recognition as I have had better lobster in Vancouver but the dish was still quite good. The lobster meat was very tender and flavorful and the portion was quite generous.

The second dish we dug into was Golden Dungeness Crab. This dish was interesting in that it is a standard fried crab dish but coated in an egg yolk coating. Personally, I prefer my crab prepared differently but this dish was actually pretty good. You could definitely taste the richness of the egg yolk along with a subtle saltiness which complimented the crab meat well.

The third dish we tried was a plate of Free Range Chicken. I really liked this dish as the chicken was very fresh and prepared very well. The skin was slightly rubbery but tasty and the actual white meat was very moist and delicious. I could have eaten this plain or with rice, served with a side of ginger. Note: We didn’t end up ordering any bowls of white rice as we ordered a lot of food already.

Our fourth dish is not something I usually order at a Chinese restaurant but still turned out quite delicious: Grilled Rack of Lamb w/ Black Pepper Sauce. I am a big fan of lamb so I ended up loving this dish, the meat was moist and well cooked with a beautiful grill top sear. The black pepper sauce was quite strong but went boldly with the strong red meat.

The fifth dish we tried was the Stewed Pork Hock w/ Peanuts. This is definitely something I could see my parents ordering as it was definitely very traditional home cooking. The dark soy definitely lent a deep, rich flavor profile to this dish and the long stew successfully made the meat tender. Due to the high heat, the peanuts were soft but not mushy which I appreciated.

The sixth dish we had was the Stewed Oxtail. I was excited to try this as I had just tried a delicious oxtail ramen the night before but was pretty disappointed with this dish. The meat was nowhere near as tender as I would have liked. Technically being a stew type dish. I definitely would have liked to see the meat falling off the bone. The included vegetables were also not that flavorful so overall, a pretty disappointing offering.

Thankfully, after the disappointing stew, our seventh dish was a delicious Stewed Pork Belly. When this dish first arrived at the table, I was a little concerned at the huge layer of fatty tissue but after taking my first bite, I was in love. The pork belly was prepared so perfectly that the cut literally dissolved on my tongue. The rich dark sauce was delicious and actually made me want to eat the accompanying broccoli. Overall, one of my favorite dishes of the evening and something I would definitely order again.

Our eighth dish was quite simply Ox Tongue. I cannot recall who ordered this but I very rarely eat this type of delicacy so was a little apprehensive. My first bite into my ox tongue made all my worries vanish as the meat was actually very good! I really dislike dishes like liver and was expecting the ox tongue to be of a similar consistency but it was much better. Again, the dark sauce helped a lot and seemingly goes well with anything served at Ken’s.

The ninth and tenth dishes of the evening were Four Seasons Green Beans and Salmon Roe Fried Rice. I just want to note here that by this point in the meal, I was beyond full. The heavy meat based meal definitely took its toll on my gastronomic prowess. I tried a couple green beans and a small bowl of fried rice but could not really fully enjoy either. From what I remember, the salmon roe rice was decent but not altogether flavorful. I believe the intent was for the rice to be somewhat bland to support the heavily flavored main dishes. The green beans were firm and you could definitely taste the garlic and shredded pork seasoning with every bite.

To wrap up with a few final thoughts, there was a lot of food served and other than one clear miss, the food really was very good. Our dinner definitely was dominated by meat entrees but it was clear that Ken’s can do a variety of dishes very well. On a return visit with a smaller group, I would definitely go for a few bowls of plain white rice and a couple meat dishes. The lobster and crab dishes were good but there are definitely better places for similar dishes but the meat dishes were definitely very strong.

Words of Wisdom:

Definitely go for the rich Pork Belly with a few bowls of white rice
Skip the Oxtail Stew but give the Grilled Rack of Lamp a try
Go with friends/family that love meat, you will not be disappointed

We Rate Ken’s Chinese Restaurant:

Address:
1097 Kingsway
Vancouver, BC, Canada
604-873-6338

Website:
http://www.kenschineserestaurant.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=1097+Kingsway+Vancouver,+BC,+Canada&hl=en&hnear=1097+Kingsway,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver+Regional+District,+British+Columbia+V5V+3C9&t=m&z=16 “]

In Chinese

Fatty Cow Hot Pot: Signature Dishes

August 19, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: ChineseBites.com approached us to have dinner at Fatty Cow Hot Pot. Although the meal was complimentary, the views and opinions expressed are entirely our own.

On July 19th, I headed back to Victoria Street along with Raymond, Sherman, Rick, Kevin, Janice and Romina to have dinner at Fatty Cow Hot Pot. Widely acknowledged as one of, if not THE best hot pot in the city, I was eager to compare Fatty Cow to some of the better Chinese hot pot experiences I have had around Vancouver and abroad.

From the outside, Fatty Cow looks like your typical humble Chinese restaurant, however, the interior is a much different story. Boasting a smart, modern aesthetic with Asian elemental flair, I was very surprised at how clean and attractive the entire area was. I am quite used to enjoying hot pot in some pretty run down dives so this beautiful seating area was a pleasant surprise.

Anyone that is familiar with how hot pot works knows that the most important aspect of the experience is the broth. Singularly used to cook the various ingredients, the foundation or base flavor set of the entire meal is dictated by the broth used. For this particular outing, we had two pots going with a home-style peanut satay broth and a Fatty Cow ‘Hot and Spicy’ broth. Both broths were quite strong but personally I loved the spicy variation better. Seemingly anything we put into the spicy pot came out tasting delicious from thin strips of meat to seafood and veggies. Those with delicate palettes or aversion to spicy food may find the spicy broth a bit too much but I thought it was just perfect.

One of my favorite dishes of the night was a plate piled high with deep fried fish skin. A very simple dish but delicious nevertheless. The skin was perfectly crispy and flavorful, almost like the prawn crackers served with Peking duck.

Throughout the evening, it was very apparent that all the ingredients were extremely fresh. In addition to the marvelous seafood, I also really enjoyed the plentiful plates of thinly sliced meat. When added to the spicy broth, the meat became infused with flavor and when cooked properly, came out extremely tender. I cannot recall how many plates of meat we ended up polishing off but it was definitely very delicious. Note: Be sure not to cook the meat for too long however, as they are quite thin and do not require that long in the boiling broth.

A rare miss of the evening came in the form of the diced cubes of beef. Unlike the thin strips that cooked quickly and were eaten even quicker, these cubes were extremely chewy and difficult to get through. I definitely recommend sticking with the plates of sliced beef over these cubes as diners may find the thick form factor a bit difficult to manage.

You can never have hot pot without some form of fish balls! All three varieties of this fan favorite were exceedingly fresh and tender. The fish balls were well formed and constructed with zero filler content which lead to exceptional taste and flavor infusion.

Although the guys at the table had ‘conveniently’ forgotten to order any vegetables, one of the ladies with us ordered this basket of beautifully fresh veggies. Just like everything else, the vegetables were very fresh and definitely were a nice respite from the heavy seafood/meat experience we were engaged in for about 1.5hrs.

Two of the dishes we were served were special order and not part of the regular hot pot price. First, a Fatty Cow Giant Scallop served on a half shell! This scallop was simply massive and many of us at the table were gawking at the size of each serving. Although it cost extra, it definitely was worth it in my opinion as the scallop meat was delicious and the sheer size was amazing. I will definitely order this again on a return visit.

The second special dish we were given was lobster! Now, lobster can be quite expensive which is why it is understandable that this is not part of the normal hot pot package. The lobster was very fresh and sweet and really made for a luxurious hot pot. I sometimes order crab with hot pot but two entire lobsters is very uncommon. I think we were all very appreciative of the special offering at the tail end of the meal as it really capped the meal off nicely.

To wrap up with a few final thoughts, there are many hot pot restaurants in Vancouver but very few of them are actually any good. As iterated earlier, the keys to a good hot pot experience are 1) amazing broth and 2) fresh ingredients. It is clear after this dining experience that Fatty Cow has both in spades. I was personally very impressed with the aesthetic appeal and overall cleanliness of the interior as well as the very high quality of fresh seafood and other produce. After this experience, I have no reservations about stating that Fatty Cow may be the best hot pot establishment in the lower mainland. I will definitely be back soon with either family or friends, especially once Vancouver starts getting cold again.

Words of Wisdom:

Go with the spicy broth, your taste buds will thank you
The diced beef cubes were a bit tough, definitely go with the thinner slice sets
Enjoy with larger parties, hot pot is a social event!

We Rate Fatty Cow Hot Pot Restaurant:

Address:
5108 Victoria Dr.
Vancouver, BC, Canada
(604) 568-6630

Website:

http://www.fattycowhotpot.com/

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In Japanese

Kibo Restaurant and Lounge: New Restaurant in Yaletown

August 13, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: We were approached by the owner of Kibo Restaurant & Lounge to preview a few dishes. Although the meal was complimentary, the views and opinions expressed are entirely our own.

On July 26th, Foodology.ca was invited out to Yaletown along with Raymond, Sherman, Rick, Kevin, Janice, Romina and Grace to have dinner at Kibo Restaurant and Lounge. As a new addition to the Yaletown area, we were eager to see how Kibo intended to approach Japanese fusion cuisine and at what level of quality.

To start the meal off, we were served negitoro on thinly toasted pieces of bread. The fatty tuna with chopped green onion was fresh and went well with the toasted bread. A nice start to the meal.

The first main dish of the evening was the Kibo Sashimi Platter. Served on a bed of crushed ice with distinct sauces for each fish type, I found the cuts of sashimi quite fresh and inherently flavorful. As a bit of a sashimi purist however, I would have liked to see the actual sauces served separately but overall a pretty good offering.

The next two dishes that came together were the Kibo Salad and Beef Carpaccio. The salad was very fresh and quite sweet with a generous allotment of mango. Salad lovers will love the fresh greens which are complimented well by fresh cuts of tuna, salmon and creamy avocado. I felt the sauce was applied a little too liberally but wasn’t that bad in small portions.

The beef carpaccio was served with a cheese based, wasabi dressing that received mixed feelings from me. I enjoyed the subtle hit of the wasabi with each bite but the cheese component kind of threw me. The beef itself was sliced nicely and tasted wonderful but the sauce may have been better if it had been kept slightly more simple.

The chikuwa cheese dish looked amazing but ended up just tasting alright. The fish cake was quite tender but the actual batter was not as crispy as I would have liked. Again, the addition of cheese to this dish was slightly puzzling to me as it did not really strengthen the overall dish.

One of the most visually stunning dishes of the evening had to be the plate of Assorted Nigiri Sushi. Unfortunately, due to the large group I was in, I only got to taste 1/2 of one piece of nigiri so I cannot competently review this dish in its entirety. The 1/2 piece of tuna sushi I tried was nice but I will have to return to Kibo in the future to properly review this entire dish.

The next two hot kitchen items that followed the sushi plate were both very good. To be quite honest, you can rarely go wrong with short ribs and bacon wrapped ebi. The ribs were tender and very tasty and same for the shrimp skewers. The bacon itself was not that crispy but quite fatty which really infused the ebi with that smoky, bacon flavor. Overall, two very good kitchen items to order along with sushi.

To follow the above two meat dishes came 4 or 5 different specialty sushi rolls. These were intentionally ordered to showcase Kibo’s creativity with the traditional sushi format. First up was the Hamilton Roll which is basically a standard dynamite roll with slices of sashimi on top. I really like dynamite rolls and prawn tempura/sashimi in general so this roll was an easy favorite for me.

The next roll was the Volcano Roll which was probably the most visually/texturally unique roll of the evening. The fairly traditional roll was deep-fried and then sliced which cased the entire outer surface in a crispy, tempura type shell. The actual layer was not as crispy as I thought it would be but still a very interesting take on a sushi roll.

The third roll we tried was the Caterpillar Roll which again was basically a dynamite roll but with avocado and unagi on top. This roll definitely felt very luxurious with the creamy avocado and super tender unagi. I actually really liked this roll regardless of its bizarre name.

The fourth roll we tried was the Philadelphia Roll. As you may have guessed, this roll is named as such because it has cream cheese inside. For the sushi purists out there, this is definitely one of the more progressive fusion rolls out there. Similar to the salmon cream cheese roll at Kamei Royale, you will either love or hate this roll. I thought it was ok but generally I am not a fan of cheese in sushi.

The fifth and final roll of the night was the aptly named Mango Roll. Essentially a dynamite roll with mango, this roll was pleasantly sweet but the mango unfortunately made the rice a little bit soggy. An interesting roll but one I would not order again. Many of Kibo’s specialty rolls seem to simply be standard rolls with something on top which was a little disappointing to me. For a professed Japanese Fusion restaurant, I would have liked to see significantly more innovation in the menu.

At this point in the meal, there was a small lull in service so I actually thought the dinner was over. Amazingly enough, not only was the meal not over but there were 4 more dishes to be had! I was quite full at this point in the evening so this may have impacted my desire to eat further. That said, I really enjoyed the Grilled Sablefish and Kibo Beef dishes. The Sablefish was very tender and flaky and prepared very simply on a bed of vegetables. The beef was very moist and flavorful, infused with a great sauce. Unfortunately I found the Australian Rack of Lamb to be dry and generally unappetizing. We were all a little baffled why this was being served at Kibo as it didn’t seem very good or Asian in any way.

The last dish of the evening turned out to be one of the best dishes of the evening! Served in a traditional Japanese tea pot, the Kibo Seafood Dobin was a beautiful pure, clean broth infused with a variety of fish, mussels, clams etc. Somebody remarked that the broth would make for an amazing hot pot and I have to agree. Although I was only able to sample a small cup, the broth was simply amazing and refreshing. A fantastic end to a very long and generously endowed meal.

To wrap up with a few final thoughts, I was quite tough on Kibo in the above review but I genuinely did enjoy the experience. As the establishment is so new, I felt obligated to be brutally honest so that they can continue to refine their menu and get better as they find their identity in the Yaletown area. So close to the much heralded Aburi giant Minami, Kibo definitely has their work cut out for them even though their prices are markedly more affordable. I enjoyed many of the dishes I tried and can definitely see potential and room to improve in many others.

Words of Wisdom:

For hot dishes, you can not go wrong with the short ribs and bacon wrapped ebi
A large assortment of sushi rolls but many are hit and miss
Seafood dobin is amazing and a must try!

We Rate Kibo Restaurant & Lounge:

Address:
1261 Hamilton St.
Vancouver, BC, Canada
V6B 5P6

Website:
http://kibolounge.com/

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In Chinese

Golden Swan Restaurant: Signature Dishes

July 22, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: ChineseBites.com approached us to try a few signature dishes at Golden Swan. Although the meal was complimentary, the views and opinions expressed are entirely our own.

Last week, I headed out to Victoria Street along with Sherman, Rick and Kevin to try a few signature dishes at the Golden Swan Restaurant. The first dish we tried was the Golden Swan Appetizer Platter (五福拼盤). A very common offering, this opening dish was quite well done. The prawns, bean curd wrapped mushrooms and meats were tasty and definitely whet the appetite for the subsequent dishes. Portion wise, this dish is good for 5-6 diners. For larger parties ie 8-10, you will probably want to order two. Great presentation and good base flavors, a very familiar and welcome start to dinner.

The second dish was the Soft Tofu in Japanese Style (千頁滑豆腐). First off, the name was a little confusing as we were not quite sure what the Japanese element was but that aside, a pleasant dish. The tofu was very soft and well complimented by the sauce and diced vegetables. I think this dish would go very well with a few bowls of white rice. Vegetarians will definitely want to consider this as a light entrée over the meat platter above.

The third dish was the Sauteed Geoduck and Scallops with Sweet Peas (帶子象拔蚌炒蜜磄). For those not familiar with Geoduck, this dish will definitely be an interesting experience. The geoduck was tender but a little rubbery. That said, the highlight of the plate was definitely the large scallops and fresh sweet peas. Again, with a bowl of white rice, the tofu dish above and this seafood offering could be a light dinner unto themselves. Even though I am not a huge fan of geoduck in general, the scallops and vegetables were prepared well.

The fourth dish was the Sauteed Beef Tenderloin with Chayote in Black Pepper Sauce (黑椒合掌瓜炒牛柳粒). I felt the pan tossed beef was decent though I would have liked to see the beef a little bit more tender. The black pepper sauce was good and definitely appreciated as the prominent flavor profile as chayote tends to be rather bland. Personally, I could have done without the pieces of strawberry as they were served somewhat mushy and the sweetness was not really complimentary to the overall dish.

The fifth dish was a deep ceramic pot of House Special Salty Chicken (秘製鹽焗雞). This turned out to be one of my favorite dishes of the evening. The chicken was salty, tender and very clean. There was absolutely no oil residue which left the skin very crisp and crackling. The serving size was quite large and easily accommodated the six of us at the table. With a bowl of noodles or rice, this chicken can very competently stand as a primary entrée.

The sixth dish was an Egg white custard w/Almond milk (天鵝杏汁炒奶). Unfortunately, this dish was by definitely a “miss” in terms of taste and presentation. The white custard was extremely bland and not very appetizing. Visually, the dish was not very engaging so I ended up only taking a small spoonful to try. Although technically it did not taste that bad, I personally would not order this again. I strongly feel a dominant ingredient needs to be added to give this dish some semblance of flavor and structure.

The seventh dish was Angel Hair with Tiger Prawn (天使干燒大売蝦). This dish was an interesting ‘fusion’ attempt, combining the very popular Italian pasta ‘Capelli d’angelo’ or Angel Hair pasta with a very popular sambal prawn component. Overall, this dish was simple but very appetizing. The excess sauce from the prawn went very well with the pasta and almost made for an Asian spaghetti of sorts. I would have liked to see the prawn sauce with a bit of heat but to be fair, it was quite good as it was.

The eight dish was a large bamboo steamer of Lobster, Scallops, Shrimp with Rice on Lotus Leaf (荷香珍珠海龍皇). This large seafood dish was very generous, packed full of lobster, scallops, shrink and rice. Flavor wise, it was pretty good though the rice was a slightly dry/hard for me. Overall, the seafood was prepared very well and the portion was quite dense. A good signature or showcase dish for those wanting a bit of everything.

The ninth dish was actually one of two desserts we received, a Baked Tapioca Pudding (西米焗布甸). Those familiar with Asian cuisine will definitely recognize this dessert dish as it is very common in any Chinese restaurant. Having eaten this baked pudding dish literally hundreds of times, I can say this is definitely one of the better offerings in Vancouver. The pudding inside is not overly sweet and the top crust being slightly thicker than normal, almost like an almond cookie. Although I was quite full from the meal, I actually reached for seconds of this great dessert. A very pleasant end to a good meal.

The tenth and final dish of the evening was a plate of Durian Rolls (飄香榴連酥). For anyone familiar with what durian is, I do not think I need to say that there are few ‘fruits’ in this world more polarizing. Honestly speaking, you either love it or you hate it. Due to the very strong smell and thick, almost meat like texture of the fruit, durian is not exactly a universally embraced dessert ingredient. That said, I personally love durian and found these rolls to be pretty great. The actual flavor of the durian is not overpowering but it is definitely present. The pastry is flaky and fresh and with the durian infusion, is a very unique pastry you have to try at least once.

To wrap up with a few final thoughts, I felt the evening was a fairly strong showing by Golden Swan. Although there were one or two misses, the majority of the signature dishes we tried were quite good. With good presentation and simple, traditional seafood dishes, eating at Golden Swan will definitely feel like a very familiar experience to those well versed in Chinese cuisine. For those just starting out and wanting to learn more, I think this restaurant is a pretty safe choice for a solid orientation. I didn’t find anything startlingly innovative or new but for the food they do make, they do it quite well.

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