2009-01-29 Dinner @ Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant

ADDRESS :  3711 No.3 Road, Richmond, BC

PHONE #   :  604-232-0816

This was our last and final visit to Sea Harbour.  We used to go quite often because of their roasted squabs - it's truly baby pigeons.  The restaurant has an upscale interior and china, however, their service was not up to the standards for the price you pay.  You know, we called once (one week ahead) to book for a table of 14 people (for CNY) and asked to have seven roasted squab, but they were only willing to give us three squabs.  We argued that even if each was cut in 4s, it was still not enough for 14 people.  The manager then told us that he will do us a favor and give us four birds.  After all the fuss, their reason not to give us so many was "we have to save some squabs just in case those walk-in customers wanted to ordered them."  OMG!!!  Anyways, on this day, the five of us managed to get three birds...haha!

Our Appetizer Platter - marinated beef, veggie duck, jelly fish, duck feet, and pork hock

Soup of the Day - pork bones and papaya - usually only the soup (liquid) is served in soup bowl.

Soup ingredients - pork bones and papaya.

Our favorite!!!  The best place for Roasted Squabs (baby pigeons)!!!  YUMMY!  Skin was so crispy, meat was so tender (and not so meaty like some other restaurants), and the flavor was good!

Oh yea...we also ordered Peking Duck...this was the first course...crispy skins!!!

Pancake Wraps for Peking Duck.

Soy-Sauce Pan-Fried Prawns

 

Some kind of Stir-Fried Sea Cucumber...I wanted to ordered a whole cucumber braised with abalone sauce but they did't have any...weird for a upscale Chinese restaurant...or TRYING to be...

Our second course of Peking Duck - XO Sauce Pan-Fried Duck.

Final dish for the night (since we didn't order any desserts) - Qin-San Tofu.

2009-01-07 Dim Sum @ Top Gun J&C Restaurant 尖東新派食館

ADDRESS :  #2020 - 8766 McKim Way, Richmond, BC (Excel Centre)

PHONE #   :  604-231-8006

Another visit @ Top Gun J&C...

My favorite XO Sauce of all places!

 

Uni Sashimi

 

Chopped Scallop Roll 

 

Chopped Scallop Hand Cone

 

Cold-Marinated Chicken Feet - sorry about the picture quality, I was just getting used to my camera.

 

Garlic Pan-Fried Pea Sprouts

 

Buddha Boy`s favorite and must-haves every time he goes - Deep-Fried Squid

 

Deep-Fried Smelt - this type of Smelt fish did not have the roes...I love the ones with eggs...it`s the best part of the dish!!!

 

Har-Gow - thin skin...GOOD!

 

Chiu-Chow Steamed Dumplings (also known as Chiu-Chow Fun-Go)

 

Chive & Shrimp Dumplings - cute presentation

 

Ying-Yang Sausage Rolls

 

Shumai - not big fan of any shumai at any place because I think it`s just a big chunk of meat...not for me.

 

Seafood Soup with Vermicelli

 

Japanese Egg Pudding - basically it`s creme caramel but Japanese-style.

2009-01-05 Dinner @ Dinesty 聚

ADDRESS :  8111 Ackroyd Road, Richmond, BC

PHONE #   :  604-303-7772

Dinesty has always been one of my favorite places to go.  Since I am retro-posting all my pictures on file.  I will do for this restaurant too!  This was the first time we started taking food pictures and I am glad I found it in one of my HD...lucky me!

 Anyhow, a little about Dinesty.  After I spoke to couple servers from this place, I found out that their xiaolongbao chefs were all from Taiwan (from Din-Tai-Fong & Dian-Sui-Lo).  Dinesty's owner hired these chefs (and helped them with visa and immigration of course) to come over and work in his restaurants.  As for their spouses (if they have any), the owner did the same and had their spouses worked as servers.

After placing your order, the sever will bring a list of items you ordered and stick it on the table.  As each dish arrives, the server will cross out the item delivered.  When all deliveries are done, the sever will then verify with you that all the items have arrived and then take away the list.  Efficient way of keeping track pending dishes...but it felt like a Cantonese dim sum restaurant...LOL!

I LOVE GINGER with my xiaolongbao!!!

Taiwanese Stir-Fried Vermicelli

Pan-Fried Pork Buns - one of my favorite dish at Dinesty.  It looked doughy but it's actually tasted very light and the pork inside has so much juicy flavors.  I sometimes prefer this over xiaolongbao.

Hot & Sour Soup - nicely done.  The soup was made quite authentically, they used black pepper for the "hot" instead of hot/spicy sauce...but to be more authentic, black pepper and vinegar should be provided on the side as they served the dish instead of adding them straight into the soup.

  Szechuan-Style Shredded Pork Stir-Fry - shredded lean pork, shredded black fungus, shredded bamboo shoots, green onion, garlic, Thai chili, ginger.  The dish was cooked in wine, vinegar and sugar so it tasted a bit hot and sour...add some soup stock then you have hot & sour soup!!!  LOL!

Drunken Chicken - juicy, tasty, lots of wine flavor but not over-powering.

My mother-in-law loves Crab Xiaolongbao, so we ordered this instead of the regular one.

Lion Heads - fist-sized ground pork meatballs braised with light soy sauce.  Great with rice.

Cashew Chicken - they actually made this correctly by using chicken breast meat.  Most 604 restaurants use dark meats (cheaper) when making this dish.  Come on people...it suppose to be breast meat!!!

2009-01-01 New Year's Brunch @ Herons

ADDRESS :  900 Canada Place Way, Vancouver, BC

PHONE #   :  604-691-1818

We went to Herons at Fairmont Waterfront for New Year's Day Brunch.  Compare it to the previous years at Pan Pacific, it has less selections but better quality food.  I don't have much to say about the place since it's a buffet...can't get my expectations up too high...LOL!

Took a picture of the Chocolate Fountain first since it was the first thing you see!

Breakfast Station...eggs benny, breakfast sausages, scrambled eggs, bacon, ham, hash browns, etc.

 Another Dessert Station. 

Hot Food Station - can't remember what's on this station...oh I see lamb popsicles...LOL!

Kids Station - the peanut butter and jelly sandwich was awesome!!! Plus, this is the only place where you can get chicken fingers and honey mustard sauce!!!

Appetizers/Cold Station...not as much selections as Pan Pacific.

 Appetizers/Cold Station...the King Crab legs were too salty.

 Appetizers/Cold Station...lots...and I mean LOTS of different pasta salads...a bit too much...