2012-09-29 Lunch @ Cotto Enoteca Pizzeria

6011 Hastings Street, Burnaby, BC

604-299-8002

Despite the minor glitch, Buddha Boy and I enjoyed our previous experience at this north Burnaby pizzeria located on Hastings Street.  This time, prior to our visit, I emailed Alex Tung in advance to acknowledge our visit so we can claim the promised gift card as an apologetic gesture for what happened previously (see post 2012-09-16 Lunch @ Cotto Enoteca Pizzeria).

Our server, who was aware of our visit, had a great personality and attitude.  She was attentive, informative and friendly.  That being said, there was one glitch...complimentary bread and dip was not served.  Yes...that light crisp bread with that delicious truffle oil bean dip...mmm...yum.  While this was a very minor miss (and it did not ruin our experience at all), it should still be noted.

Knowing that MomJ loves calamari, Buddha Boy and I already decided, even before arriving at the restaurant, that we needed two orders of Calamari Fritto to share.  Just like our previous visit, the light-battered squid had a nice delicate crunch.  The two plates were consumed quite quickly.

Since the kids ordered deep-fried, MomJ went with Prosciutto e Melone (prosciutto di parma, compressed melon, marinated roma tomato, extra virgin olive oil).  Not exactly what we expected but the arugula complimented the dish nicely.  The prosciutto was crisp, but the quality was not the greatest.

The word "truffle" made an easy decision for MomJ as she browse through the pasta options.  The Linguine Boscaiola (ground Pemberton Meadows beef, mushroom & root vegetable sofrito, Grana Pandano, truffle crema) had a strong truffle fragrance with a light hint of sweetness that lingered in the throat.  The noodles were a bit softer than preference but acceptable.

Tagging along behind MomJ, Buddha Boy, the diabetic meatatarian, also ordered a pasta (BAD!!!).  Comparing to her own plate, MomJ didn't quite enjoy Taliatelle Bolognese (ground Pemberton Meadows beef, Sloping Hill pancetta, traditional ragu, Parmigiano-Raggiano).  Buddha Boy thought the noodles were fine (al-dente) but the whole package needed more meat...didn't I mention that he's a meatatarian?

With roasted mushrooms, goat cheese, fonduta, caramelized onions and chives, our first pizza was Pizza Funghi.  At first, not being fans of goat cheese, MomJ and I weren't too sure about this pizza combo...but we were quickly proven wrong.  The goat cheese was mild and did not overpower other characters.  The chives and caramelized onions acted well to enhance the earthiness of mushrooms.  This was my favorite.

Pizza Carne (Two Rivers guanciale, Sloping Hill pancetta, sopressata, coppa, Grana Pandano, San Marzano tomato) didn't quite catch our hearts.  The cured meats were nicely crisped, but were also salty.  The sauce was a bit too tart.

With cold smoked steelhead salmon, fonduta, crispy capers, 63° egg, basil and hollandaise sauce, our third pizza was Buddha Boy's favorite, Pizza Salmone.  I thought the pizza was fine but MomJ thought the paring of salty smoked salmon and salty capers made the pizza unbearable.  Buddha Boy loved the runny egg yolk but not so much for me...my silk stomach just simply could not handle it.

Yes...three diners, three appetizers, two pastas and three pizzas...well, are you surprised?  After all, this is FOOD FOR BUDDHA, a food blog written by a chubby (or fat?) couple who are considered obese on doctors' charts.  After two satisfying visits to Cotto Enoteca Pizzeria, I'm still craving for more!!!  Mmm...that beautifully blistered pizza and that delicious calamari...yes...I want more!!!

2012-09-27 Dinner @ Hog Shack Cook House

#160 - 3900 Bayview Street, Richmond, BC

604-272-7264

While there are a few others in town, I usually think of Memphis Blues BBQ House whenever I crave for smoke meats.  A place like Hog Shack Cook House is quite a drive from home, but with a Groupon voucher soon expiring, we had to make a trip.

The restaurant wasn't big and felt a bit cramped.  Or maybe because we're plus sizes so everything felt more cramped for us?

For appetizer, Buddha Girl and I shared an order of Kalamari.  While not great, these weren't all that bad either.  The squid didn't have that crunch texture and the coating was not crisp.  After having a similar dish at Cotto Enoteca Pizzeria (see post 2012-09-16 Lunch @ Cotto Enoteca Pizzeria), it's just simply incomparable.

One thing that I found strange about their menu was that it doesn't offer a "pick and choose" option to create your own combo of meats (unless you order side orders).  That being said, I should have asked if I could do so on my own.  Anyhow, picking off the menu, we ended up with two orders of pulled pork.  My Smoked Lover's Combo came with pulled pork, beef brisket, texas toast and two sides (opted for coleslaw and yam fries).  Both meats were done well, even better than my last experience to Memphis Blues BBQ House.  The pork was moist and nicely shredded, however, it could use a bit more smoke.  The beef brisket, by far the star on my plate, was tender, flavorful and fatty...just the way I like it (if you want more lean, then Memphis is a better option).

Buddha Girl's Pigasus's Combo had side ribs, pulled pork and two sides (opted for sauteed vegetables and corn bread).  My wife felt that our friend, Little Lee makes way better pulled pork at home.  Though it was good, but I'd have to agree with Buddha Girl that the pulled pork here needed more smoke and depth.  The ribs, on the other hand, were better than our friend's (sorry Little Lee).  The ribs were tender yet full of texture, and most importantly, the meat did not limp off the bones.

We're not really the type for smoke meats all too often, but with a load of gift cards (promotional gifts), I'm sure that we'd return whenever the craving hits.

2012-09-25 Zinger @ KFC

2190 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC

604-664-7000

Until October 7th, 2012, KFC Canada's Facebook page has a free Zinger promotion (with a drink purchase).  So what's the difference between this year and last year?  This year, a purchase of "any flavour/variety and size" of "any Pepsi fountain drink" gets you the deal, whereas last year, a purchase of "any 32oz PepsiCo beverage" was required.  Simply speaking, no "large" pop requirement this year...wow...BIG difference...

With a Facebook coupon, the cheap Buddha Girl, me, visited the KFC in our hood and purchased a regular-sized drink to get the free Zinger.

The actual product never resembles the advertised product...hahaha!  Was I that hungry?  Cuz I actually thought the burger was not bad.  The chicken was not dry, but not juicy either.  The sauce was not spicy, well, at least for me.  The bun had some burnt spots.

Thanks to Anna and Miranda on Twitter, who came to rescue (on Twitter) when Buddha Dog fainted.  Earlier in the day, we took our son to the nearest recommended clinic (Vancouver Animal Wellness Hospital) and did some tests.  On our way out, Buddha Boy spotted this and couldn't resist...for Buddha Dog, of course.  Yup, like father like son...both love bacon...hahahaha!

2012-09-22 Birthday Dinner @ Chez Buddha

DadT's western calendar birthday landed on a Tuesday, but since it's a weekday and everyone had to work, we ended up celebrating it on the Saturday, which happened to be his lunar calendar birthday.

 
Using my Tatung Rice Cooker 大同電鍋, I made a simple but delicious soup using cucumber, carrots, spareribs, pork bones, ginger and Chinese herbs.

From the fryer, Buddha Boy made Deep-Fried Chicken Cutlet 炸雞腿排 and Deep-Fried Tempura 炸甜不辣.

DadT wanted to try Buddha Boy's version of Taiwanese-Style Pork Sauce on Rice 魯肉飯...his secret recipe...hehehehe!

Pickled daikon is commonly use to serve with pork sauce on rice, mainly because it's cheap and easy to make.  Since I cannot have any daikon due to my herbal medication, using the white part of a watermelon (after removing the fruit and the skin), I made Pickled Watermelon Rind 涼拌西瓜皮.

Buddha Boy's first try of Mushu Fried Noodles 木削炒麵 (left) was not too successful.  Everything was widely and thickly cut, mis-interpreted the "木削" feel.  Taste was a bit bland.  Another Buddha Boy's first try was Sakura Shrimp & Taiwanese Cabbage Stir Fry 櫻花蝦炒高麗菜 (right).  This was a delicious dish, but it was a over-salted.

Again, another first try for Buddha Boy.  After a quick deep-fry of used Chinese tea leaves, Buddha Boy tossed it with marinated chicken and made a stir-fry.  While DadT, Octopus and I thought this was fine, Buddha Boy thought the tea flavor was too strong and needed to be more mellow.

Knowing it's DadT's birthday, Daisy showered us with a Fresh Mango Cake 鮮芒果蛋糕 from Yan Bakery 名谷餅廊.  The cake was light and fluffy.  The mango was fresh and sweet.  And if you noticed, the cake was not coated with a sugar glaze finish, which was good for diabetics like DadT and Buddha Boy.  Ever since Daisy bought me a cake last year on my birthday from this cake house (see post 2011-02-03 Lunar New Year's Day Dinner @ Golden Fortune), I've fell in love with it. This bakery does nothing but cakes, mostly wedding cakes, and for larger orders, delivery is possible (delivered by owner/baker).  THANK YOU DAISY!!!

2012-09-21 Snacks @ Richmond Night Market

8351 River Road, Richmond, BC

604-244-8448

After two visits to the Summer Night Market this year, which was located at Richmond Night Market's original Vulcan Way location, Buddha Boy and I took DadT for a stroll at the new Richmond Night Market, located next to River Rock Casino Resort on River Road location.

Because we had to drop off Octopus (who's working for a friend at the market) and some inventory for the night, we were lucky enough to get in, for free, before the public entrance opened...hehehehe...we were "helping" with setup...hahahaha!

We strolled around the food area first, of course, to scout out what's available.  Knowing that DadT loves pork hock, we made our first stop at Original Oktoberfest Style for an order of Roasted Pork Hock.  The meat was a bit bland but the skin...OMG...that skin...was so crispy and crunchy!  Back then, at the Vancouver Christmas Market, the hock wasn't cheap.  Now, at the Richmond Night Market, the hock is still not cheap.  Buddha Boy's order of XXL Bratwurst with Sauerkraut was meh, meh, meh...simply speaking, don't waste your money.

XIANburger 肉夾饃 (aka. "Chinese Hamburger") and Terracotta Noodles 西安涼皮 (aka. "Chinese Cold Noodle") caught DadT's attention.  The burger had a soft and warm bun with a good amount of well marinated pork.  The al-dente mung bean noodles were mix with a lightly sweetened sesame paste, cucumber, bean sprouts and "homemade special sauce".  The stall is run by the current owners of Sunny Spot Cafe on Main Street in Vancouver.

Buddha Boy wandered off and came back with Kick Ass Rice, Chicken Skewers and Pork Skewers from Le Tigre Cuisine.  I didn't like the rice...the "fresh herbs" overpowered everything.  It was so overwhelming that I felt like throwing up.  The chicken skewers were tender, but bland.  The pork belly skewers had a nice crisp texture but the mayo killed the package.

As we were strolling, I heard someone calling my name.  It turned out to be the Filipino family that runs Garden City Kebab Grill, my favorite place, locally, for tofu dessert (taho).  Yes, it's not hard to remember a fat Chinese couple who eats a lot and takes a lot of pictures...wahahahahaha!  Interesting that after introducing MomJ and Mrs. Little Lee to the tofu dessert from this place, they refuse to go back to Excellent Tofu & Snack 好好豆品專門店...LOL!!!  Thank you to the wonderful couple (sorry didn't quite catch their name) who showered us with samples of their delicious BBQ pork skewers.  We were told that these BBQ pork skewers are not listed on the store menu, so if you want to try some after the night market ends, make sure you call the store and order in advance.

Last, but never the least, a picture of Octopus posing for the camera...LOL!!!  If you still haven't "pay" it a visit, the last day for the Richmond Night Market this year will be on Monday, October 8th.