2011-10-30 Nightmarket @ Osaka Supermarket 大阪超級市場

3700 No.3 Road, Richmond, BC

604-276-8808

 

With an unsatisfactory experience at Boiling Point, CW suggested to check out T&T's newest offering, "Night Market Delights 夜市美食" @ Osaka Supermarket in Yoahan Centre.  I really wanted the Pig Blood Cake 豬血糕, but, accordingly to the deli lady, for some weird reasons, they have not yet received the shipment...grrr...

First thing that caught Buddha Boy's attention was the Taiwanese Pork Burger 刈包 (or 割包).  Bun was light and fluffy with good amount of cilantro and peanut powder (thank goodness...it's not candied peanut powder).  The pork belly had the "soy-marinated" look, but it did not taste like one.  The meat was bland and lacked flavoring.  The meat was tender, but was a fail.

The Tianjin Style Pancake 天津煎餅果子 was simply a doughy egg roll filled with opted item from their on-site menu.  We opted for Taiwanese sausage 台式香腸.  With ample amount of sausage slices, the use of hoisin sauce really added a nice sweetness to the overall package.  FYI, in China, the sauce they use is sweet-flour paste 甜麵醬, not hoisin sauce 海鮮醬, the two are similar but are different.

2011-10-30 Dinner @ Boiling Point 沸點

#130 - 4800 No.3 Road, Richmond, BC

604-284-5168

 

CW, Buddha Boy and I took advantage of anniversary special and went for an early dinner on the last day of the promotion.  We arrived at about 5:30pm and there were a few available tables.  About five minutes after we sat down, the waiting line started.

We've been to this restaurant a few times before (see post 2010-12-04 Lunch @ Boiling Point 沸點, 2011-01-19 Lunch @ Boiling Point 沸點 and 2011-05-21 Lunch @ Boiling Point 沸點) and normally, for every pot purchased, a stamp can be collected on the point card (buy ten get one free).  Due to the promotion, no stamps were given at the end of the meal.

The anniversary special was a three-for-two deal, or buy two get one free.  The promotion applied to all pots and drinks.  Honestly, we weren't too pleased when we're told that all three drinks must be the same...but oh well, we couldn't be too picky since it's discounted.  We asked for half-sweetened Kumquat Lemon Green Tea 金橘檸檬綠茶, unfortunately, whomever made the drinks didn't take the note seriously.

Buddha Boy had the medium spicy Korean Kimchi Hot Soup 韓式泡菜鍋 (left).  Soup was bland and under-salted.  Kimchi was not the greatest quality.  Buddha Boy was not satisfied.  CW ordered the flaming spicy House Special Hot Soup 招牌臭臭鍋 (right).  As you can see, it's not "flaming spicy"...not even close.  CW was quite disappointed.

I had my usual flaming spicy House Special Hot Soup 招牌臭臭鍋.  Okay, not sure if it's just me, but comparing to my first, second and third visits, I've noticed significant changes in quality and quantity.  First of all, the size of stinky tofu was much smaller.  Next, I only found one slice of pork in my pot...yes...ONE!  It was a long piece so maybe it can be considered two...but still, it was sad.  Moreover, my pot had too much soup and too little ingredients.  Yup, I was not satisfied...Buddha Girl's not happy.

2011-10-27 Quick Visit @ Loon Sung Food Service 瀧孫食品

1668 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC

604-876-2288

I admit, I can be quite a bitch when it comes to northern Chinese food, especially with Northeastern Sour Cabbage 東北酸白菜 or dumplings (or any related "flour-based" food, such as noodles, buns, etc.).  This place on Kingsway (near King Edward) was referred by CW, it's her favorite frozen dim sum shop.

My first visit was on a Wednesday, right after my Chinese herbal doctor, but unfortunately, I went on the only day that the shop closes for business.  I returned the very next day and found myself shopping crazily in this little store.  Just a friendly advice...do not go grocery shopping when you're hungry!!!  Hahahahaha!

The first thing on the menu (on the wall) that caught my attention was the Taiwanese Style Pastry 台灣燒餅, five in a bag for $4.00.  Unfortunately, we still have not yet touch the pack.  :p

A pack of fifty Pork & Chive Dumpling 韭菜豬肉餃 was $9.50...not bad of a deal.  While these had a good presence of chive, the filling was very salty and had a strong taste of soy sauce.  The dumpling wraps (skin) were extremely thick and doughy.  Thankfully I only cooked five and gave the rest to CW.

 
CW raved about their house special, the Dumpling 三鮮餃...yup, that's exactly how it's listed on their menu..."Dumpling".  The filling consisted of pork, shrimp and cabbage.  The strong ginger overpowered everything.  Just like the chive dumplings, the wraps were thick and doughy.  Again, I only cooked five to try and gave the rest to CW.

I pan-fried some Vegetarian Dumpling 素菜餃 on a veggie day.  With a simple mix of bak-choy 青江菜, shitake mushrooms 冬菇 and black fungus 黑木耳, the filling was flavorful, but was not salty (a lot more edible than the meat dumplings).  The dumpling wraps were, again, thick and doughy.  Yup, you guessed it...after pan-frying eighteen dumplings, CW took home the rest.

Sorry girlfriend (CW), I voted "Don't like it" on urbanspoon.  I would be okay if the dumpling wraps were thick and doughy and QQQQQQQQQQ...but these were horrible...they were thick and doughy and tough to chew...not acceptable.  Not sure about the quality of other stuff on their menu, but I don't think I would return and waste anymore money here.

2011-10-26 Lunch @ BT Cafe 大母子茶餐廳

920 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC

604-872-3368

On my way home from the Chinese herbal doctor, the awning of this restaurant caught my attention..."魚湯米線" (literally, "fish soup rice thread", commonly known as fish soup noodles)...interesting...and since my stomach was growling, I quickly parked and hunted for food!!!  This little cafe was almost full when I arrived.  I was lucky to snap one of the last two tables in the restaurant.

"Noodles Combos At Your Choice 魚湯米線百搭餐"...ok...Chinese restaurant really have some weird ways of "explaining" their menus...hahahaha!  According to the menu, I had Vermicelli 米線 in Parsley & Century Eggs Fish Soup 芫茜皮蛋湯 (it's actually cilantro, not parsley) with Vietnamese Ham 越南扎肉 and Pork Intestine 豬腸.

Honestly, with its location and size, I really wasn't expecting much with the fish soup base...but I was quickly proven wrong.  The strong fish fragrance in the soup broth shocked me, I must say, I enjoyed this more than the famous Deer Garden Signatures.  It was rich, yet light with hints of sweet aftertaste.  The soy-marinated pork bung was stewed to the right texture with no overpowering flavors (such as strong tastes of dried orange peels or other funky Chinese herbs).  Nothing special about the store-bought Vietnamese ham.

With my order of fish soup noodles, I was eligible for one $1.50 side item.  I opted for Pan Fried Chicken Fillet 香煎雞扒.  Not much flavor but the chicken was crisp and moist.

Just like all other restaurant that offers similar noodle combos, a cup of hot tea or coffee was included.  I asked for a HK-Style Milk Tea 港式奶茶.  Not the greatest tea...too much milk and too little tea.  Overall, I enjoyed my experience here.  The restaurant was small, but it was clean and bright.  Service was much more pleasant than many similar cafes.  Since it's in our neighborhood, I do plan to return with Buddha Boy to try other menu items.

2011-10-21 Lunch @ Seahorse Cafe 海馬茶餐廳

2141 Kingsway,Vancouver, BC

604-436-9070

After grocery shopping, I was hungry.  Since I had some time to kill before my haircut appointment, I dropped by this few-months-old HK-style cafe in our neighborhood.  I couldn't help but scratching my head thinking about the current Chinese food trend in Vancouver..."mix & match noodle combos"...they're EVERYWHERE!!!  It's basically an upscale way of selling cart-noodles 車仔麵...hahahaha!

The restaurant was bright, clean and tidy...and very orange!  I visited at about 3pm and other than myself, there was only another table of three students (I know because they were talking about their professor and the project...hahahaha).

Yup, you guessed it!  I had a mix & match Combo Noodle.  I had Udon 烏冬 in Pork Bone Soup Base 豬骨濃湯 (not so much the pork broth fragrance) with Marinated Pork Intestine 滷水大腸 (tasted weird), Fish Ball 魚蛋 (more like sliced fish cake) and Sweets Chicken Wing 瑞士雞翼 (yes, it was sweet...weird).  Well, the menu, just like Cattle Cafe, did not state what else will be in the bowl.  When it arrived, I was not happy to see all that napa cabbage.  Moreover, this looked depressing...don't you think?

Not sure what's the maximum for side orders (with the Combo Noodles) but I only took advantage of one $1.50 item...I know...so not me!!!  Hahahaha!  The Pan Pried Pork Choy with Maggi Sauce 美極豬扒 (no, I did not misspell, I copied word for word from their menu...I guess they were too lazy to do spell check) was a lot more enjoyable than their mix & match soup noodles.  The pork chop didn't have much Maggi taste, but was at least tender.

My soup noodle combo came with a drink, I asked for the HK Milk Tea 港式奶茶.  This was perhaps one of the worst I have ever had.  Was that even tea?  Or was it just hot water with milk and sugar?  Wait...was it milk?  Or was it that powder crap?  Yes, I'm a bitch.

2011-10-19 Lunch @ Bubble World 大頭仔

#1136 - 8328 Capstan Way, Richmond, BC

604-232-5222

After my usual Wednesday morning Chinese herbal doctor, I drove into Richmond to pick up the refilled cartridges.  I then met up with Daisy at her shop for lunch at Bubble World...she loves this place.  Hahahaha!

I ordered the Pork Thick Soup with Noodle 台式肉羹麵, simply, pork nuggets in soup.  The soup was thick, almost a bit too thick, but acceptable.  The soup ingredients were julienne cuts vegetables, which was the proper way of preparing and presenting the dish.  Flavor was quite similar to the one in Taiwan except lacking a little black vinegar.  Now, the meat...horrendous!  I'm not sure if they were too cheap to coat the meat with fish paste or they're just simply lazy...the meat was a major fail.

Hehehe!  I got Daisy addicted to this Pan Fried Egg Roll with Corn 玉米蛋餅...it's a must order every time she visits!  The corn really added crunch and sweetness to the pancake roll.  A Taiwanese thick soy was served on the side to dip.

The Fried Rice Noodle with Meat Sauce 台式炒米粉 was just so so.  The vermicelli was too wet and the flavors did not all blend together.

Daisy ordered a Salty Pepper Chicken Knee 鹽酥雞膝, something that was marked as "new" on the menu.  These were basically like the ones you'll get at Cantonese-style noodle houses, except these were seasoned like Taiwanese salty crispy chicken.

I ordered a House Special Sandwich 總匯三明治 to-go for Buddha Boy.  Sorry hunny...it's nothing like the ones at the breakfast stalls in Taiwan...but it's still overall pretty yummy!!!  Hahahahaha!

2011-10-18 Dinner @ Sasaya Restaurant 全州豆腐鍋

7538 Royal Oak Avenue, Burnaby, BC

604-433-3652

We met up with CW and MukMuk-D for a quick dinner.  Ten days after our first visit (see post 2011-10-08 Lunch @ Sasaya Restaurant 全州豆腐鍋), we're here again...mainly because MukMuk-D only lives a few blocks away.

Of course, with a satisfying experience last time, Buddha Boy just had to have his Crispy Seasoned Diced Chicken 炸鹽酥雞塊, except this time, presentation was not the prettiest, and the dish had very minimal basil.  Buddha Boy also ordered the Deep Fried Fish Cake 炸甜不辣 to start...nothing special, just stored-bought then cut to deep fry.

CW has been raving about the Deep Fried Squid 炸魷魚鬚 for quite a while so it made sense to give it a try...well, it's good, but it's not the best I've had.  The tentacles were deep-fried to a nice texture, crunchy with a slight chewiness.  CW also ordered the Deep Fried Vegetarian Oyster 素炸蚵仔酥...um...why?  It's not our veggie day!!!  Hahaha!  But honestly, these weren't too bad...think of it as very firm breaded tofu balls seasoned just like crispy chicken...hahahaha!

CW ordered the Seafood Kim-Chi Hot Pot 韓式泡菜鍋 as her main, "bold" spicy, of course.  The soup was very flavorful, but it was not spicy for us at all.  Sorry, didn't pay attention to what types of seafood were in the pot.

MukMuk-D ordered Curry Chicken Meal 咖哩雞燴飯.  CW and I were quite surprised when the dish arrived...it's not common to see this type of creamy curry in Taiwan, or in Taiwanese restaurants.  Don't get us wrong, there's no such thing as "classic curry" in Taiwan, but due to history influence, the common curry style in Taiwan is very similar to Japanese curry.  Anyways, back to the dish.  While the chicken was tender, it lacked flavor, even when drenched in all that curry sauce.  The sauce was bland...it really need salt.

Buddha Boy had the BBQ Pork & Mini Seafood Hot Pot 韓式烤肉鍋.  I thought this was a good deal for $8.95, which also included a bowl of rice.  Buddha Boy thought the seafood soup was very light...almost too light that it was missing something...something like a "broth" fragrance.  The pork was simply marinated and seasoned, nothing spectacular, just something that went well with rice.

I had the Taiwanese Sausage Meal 台式香腸飯.  Okay...the sausage really tasted familiar...could it be from the same supplier where I get my smoked ducks?  I wonder?!?!?  My combo meal came with two sides, a bowl of house soup (in this case, some kind of herbal soup) and a bowl of white rice...not bad for $7.95.

2011-10-18 Lunch @ Guu Original

838 Thurlow Street, Vancouver, BC

604-685-8817

 

Buddha Girl decided to come downtown and join me for lunch.  With so many choices, we settled on Guu on Thurlow.  Guu has some good deep fried food  at reasonable prices.

We both ordered a lunch box, so we had two bowls of Miso Soup.  These were pretty basic, not too salty, not too strong.  In addition to our orders, I added a side of Karaage.  These were marinated well, but was only warm, which lost the crispness.  Considering that our lunch orders were all deep fry and this showed up less than two minutes after we ordered and ten minutes before our lunch boxes arrived...I bet this order was made previously by mistake and sat there until someone wanted it.  I've ordered chicken karaage here before and it's pretty decent when it's fresh, just not this time.

I had the Assorted Deep-Fried, which came with chicken karaage (these were FRESH), pork tenderloin cutlet and coquette.  All pretty standard stuff.  Well marinated, properly executed, no complaints.  All items were crispy, hot and satisfying.

Buddha Girl's not really into deep-fried food as much as I do, so I was quite surprised when she ordered the special of the day, Deep-Fried Saba.  She really enjoyed this.  The fish was moist and tender, it was well seasoned, lightly battered and nicely fried.  Buddha Girl and I enjoyed our lunch date, more so with satisfying food.  (For a big eater like me, I ended up visiting Triple O's across the street for a burger...I think I missed breakfast that day.)