The Deluxe Chinese Restaurant

January 9, 2017January 8, 20172 Comments

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The Deluxe Chinese Restaurant opened up a few months ago in Richmond. It is located next to Yuan’s Shanghai Serendipity.

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The restaurant offers dim sum in the early mornings and lunch and switches to Cantonese cuisine for dinner service. What is more interesting is that they serve sushi and sashimi during dim sum service. Yes…that is a sushi bar behind the counter. Honestly, that made me question the food even more because who comes to a dim sum restaurant for sushi?

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The decor inside is definitely pretty nice, on par with the Yuan’s next door. They also have private rooms if you are hosting parties.

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Tea came in a fancy teapot along with a heater. However, because of all these appliances, we found it took up way too much space on the table.

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Shrimp Dumplings

We started off with the Shrimp Dumplings which were quite typical. Large shrimps inside but nothing out of the ordinary.

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Beef Rice Roll

The Beef Rice Roll came accompanied with two gai lans. The rice roll itself was quite thin and smooth.

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Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf

The Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf was a decent size with a variety of ingredients including minced pork, dried shrimp and egg yolk.

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Steamed Custard Bun

Next up were the Steamed Custard Buns. Not super pretty in appearance with the odd bumps here and there, but there was a good amount of filling and the bun itself was light and fluffy.

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Pork Shiu Mai

They offer truffle shiu mai here as well, but we opted for the regular Pork Shiu Mai as my mom doesn’t like the taste of truffle. These were quite large and the wrapper was thin.

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Taro Mushroom Bun

An interesting dish was the Taro Mushroom Bun. The bun itself is actually filled with taro and the outside is decorated with cocoa powder to imitate a mushroom.

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Is this cute or what? Even has the stem! The bun itself is nothing special but the appearance definitely won us over.

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Steamed Malaysian Sponge Cake

To finish our meal, we had the Steamed Malaysian Sponge Cake. This was a big portion but I found it to be a little too dense for my liking.

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Overall, we found The Deluxe Chinese Restaurant to be quite average for the price we were paying. The price is slightly higher than average, but the food was nothing too special. We also found the selection of food to be quite limited unless you want to venture into trying their sushi (which is quite expensive by the way). Not sure if I would return given the many options there are in Richmond.

Pros:
– Luxury ambiance
– Decent eats

Cons:
– Limited selection
– On the pricier side for the quality of food

Price Range: $15-20

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 2.5 Service: 3 Ambiance: 4 Parking: 2.5 Overall: 2.5

Bibo Pizza al Taglio

January 8, 2017Leave a comment

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NOTE: All food and beverages were complimentary, but all opinions are based on my own experience.

Last month, we checked out the newest Bibo Pizza location in Olympic Village called Bibo Pizza al Taglio. It’s a short walk from the Canada Line station and makes a great lunch or dinner spot for the offices and residential buildings nearby.

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The interior has a rustic charm to it with brick walls on one side and hand-painted tile walls on the other. I especially liked this painting which requires a closer to look to find everything all so Roman about it.

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The menu at this location is much smaller, and focusses on Roman style pizza compared to the Neapolitan pizzas we see at their other locations. I first tried Roman style pizza when I was in Rome and fell in love with it! Instead of the typical circular shape, Roman style pizza are usually rectangular and sliced into squares. They also feature some focaccia options and gourmet pizzas with ingredients I haven’t seen elsewhere.

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Aranciata, Chinotto

We started off with some beverages from the Italian brand Lurisia. These are sodas which are imported from Italy. The Aranciata is my favourite as it’s a delicious soda made from oranges from the bays of the Adriatic sea. Think Fanta but way better. The Chinotto is also a fruit similar to an orange and tastes sort of like cola but not as sweet. Both are great choices to get a taste of Italy!

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The pizzas here are sold by slice with the exception of the gourmet pizzas which require an order of 3 for $20. However, the owner said that the menu will be changing and he hopes to offer the gourmet pizzas by slices as well. The gourmet pizzas are also made to order and ready within 10 minutes.

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Margherita, Prosciutto e Funghi, and Diavola

We first got to sample their traditional pizzas which included the Margherita, Prosciutto e Funghi and Diavola. The Margherita is topped with DOP tomato sauce, bocconcini fior di latte and basil. DOP means that the tomato sauce is certified to be locally grown and packaged in Italy. The Prosciutto e Funghi is topped with DOP tomato sauce, bocconcini fior di latter, cooked ham and mushrooms. Lots of toppings but I found this one to be rather bland. My favourite was the Diavola which consisted of DOP tomato sauce, bocconcini fior di latte and spicy salami. I really liked the kick of spice!

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#2 – Shitake Mushrooms, Bresaola Cured Meat, Parmigiano Reggiano, Arugula

We also got to try their gourmet pizzas which are made with focaccia and therefore much more fluffy than the traditional. We chose #2 which is topped with shitake mushrooms, bresaola cured meat, parmigiano reggiano, arugula and lemon. Their gourmet pizzas are what I would come back for. I love the variety of toppings which you can’t find at most pizza restaurants, but they actually work! There were so many mushrooms and the salt from the cured meats balanced the flavours very well. I’d definitely order this again.

Overall, we were impressed with the new Bibo location and am excited that we now have Roman style pizza in Vancouver. The prices are slightly higher, especially for the gourmet pizzas, but you get what you pay for. The gourmet pizzas are what I’d definitely come back for.

Foodora: Food Delivery by Bike Launches in Vancouver

November 29, 2016Leave a comment

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NOTE: I was offered a voucher to try foodora for free, but all opinions are based on my own experience.

Have you ever gone home after work to only find nothing in your fridge or you’re just simply too exhausted from work to do any cooking? Then you do some searches and only find pizza, Chinese food and most of the time they don’t even do delivery. Third party food delivery services have been popping up all over Vancouver, and the newest to our city is foodora. Read on to find out how you can win a $30 voucher or claim a $10 voucher!

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Foodora started in Berlin, Germany and is already servicing Montreal and Toronto, and now Vancouver. What differentiates foodora the most from the other delivery services is that they can deliver to places other than your work and home. For example, foodora can deliver to English Bay or even Stanley Park. Currently, foodora can only deliver to the downtown core, but they are constantly expanding, so check back often if your location is not included yet. In addition, the choice of restaurants include everything from cold-pressed juices, poke, sushi, ramen, sandwiches, and even fine dining food like Bauhaus!

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Foodora contacted me to give the service a try and ordering was super easy! You can order from their website on your desktop or through their mobile app. Once you place your order, your meal can be delivered within 35 minutes. You can also pre-order like I did. You can then pay for your meal including any tips you would like to pay your driver online with credit card or PayPal. Another differentiation is that foodora delivers by bike and you are able to track your delivery status online and watch the bike go. These foodora bikers bike super fast by the way! I had a good time watching how quickly my food was being picked up and bypassing all the busy downtown traffic. My order arrived right on time which normally never happens with other food delivery services I’ve tried using cars. Eco-friendly and fast!

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Pork & Prawns Salad Roll

I was craving some Vietnamese food on this cold rainy day so ended up choosing a new restaurant, Little Saigon, in Yaletown to try. For our appetizer, we had the Pork & Prawns Salad Roll which featured vermicelli, lettuce, bean sprouts, pickled carrots, cucumber, basil, pork and prawns wrapped in rice paper served with a house made peanut sauce. The rice paper was thin and they didn’t cheap out on the filling.

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Saigon Special

For our entree, we had the Saigon Special which included grilled lean pork, pork patties, chicken patties, 4 tiger prawns and 2 spring rolls served atop vermicelli. We were super impressed that the food was still warm when it arrived and the portions were great. We especially liked the pork patties which were seasoned perfectly.

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Coconut Curry Chicken Stew

Last but not least, we had the Coconut Curry Chicken Stew. The stew was filled with large chunks of chicken, carrots, yams & potatoes and cooked in an exotic blend of herbs, spices and coconut milk. We got this with a side of baguette which was perfect for soaking the curry sauce. Extremely flavourful and wasn’t too spicy.

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Overall, we were extremely happy with the food at Little Saigon and have added it to our list of favourites for Vietnamese food. In addition, we really enjoyed how easy and efficient foodora was. We will definitely be using their service again when busy season hits and we are stuck at the office working overtime!

RECEIVE A $10 VOUCHER!

Use this referral code and download the foodora app to receive a $10 voucher towards your first order with foodora.

GIVEAWAY!

To celebrate foodora’s launch in Vancouver, I’ve collaborated with foodora to giveaway a $30 voucher to use on your next order. Check on my Instagram for details on how to enter. Contest ends December 2, 2016 11:59 pm PST.

Sushi Bar Maumi

November 1, 2016November 1, 20162 Comments

Extreme late post, but for my birthday this year, S took me to Sushi Bar Maumi for dinner. They are known for their fresh fish which is imported daily from Japan and what most believe is as authentic of a sushi bar in Japan as you can get in Vancouver. The restaurant seats only 10 people each time slot and you must reserve the specific time slot in advance. Because the restaurant is only run by the chef and one waitress, they only take reservations from 3-5:30pm. In fact, S said they were extremely strict on the phone stating that they don’t serve any alcohol, that you must order from their omakase menu, and that you better arrive a bit early because latecomers will be frowned upon. They only have 3 seatings: at 6pm, 7:30pm and 9pm.

Because the restaurant is very small and intimate, I tried to avoid taking too many interior pictures. Essentially, the chef stands in the middle and the seats form a half circle around him. Apparently, this is very different from what it was like a year ago, when you could order off the omakase menu. Now, the nigiris are served one piece at a time. However, we were surprised that all the fish is cut in advance. I guess this saves time so that the service can be done as quick as possible. At the same time, some may find this is not as authentic as what you would experience in Japan. However, for the price point compared to the ones in Japan, I can’t complain.

Fresh Kisu Tempura

Other than sushi, they do feature some soups and appetizers. We decided to try the Fresh Kisu Tempura, which comes with one silver whiting and three pieces of assorted vegetables. The batter wasn’t too thick but I thought this was quite expensive given how little and thin the vegetables were sliced. I would skip this next time and focus on the nigiri.

Flounder

When we visited, there were only two omakase menus to choose from. A 10 piece nigiri omakase for $45 and a 12 piece nigiri omakase for $60. The difference is that the more expensive menu comes with Bluefin tuna and Bafun Uni from Hokkaido. We decided to go for the latter to get the best experience. The fish change daily depending on what the chef believes is fresh, so you may get different items from what I experienced. In addition, the chef will ask you if you want wasabi inside or not. In Japan, most restaurants would have wasabi inside already, but I guess they are catering to the clientele in Vancouver. Our first item was the Flounder. I loved this as it was oily and melted in my mouth.

Amaebi (Spotted Prawn)

Next was the Amaebi (spotted prawn). I usually don’t like this as I find it quite slimy, and if not fresh, it can have a weird aftertaste. However, this was extremely fresh and sweet.

Fried Amaebi Heads

In Japan, they don’t waste any of their ingredients. This meant that the heads of the prawns were lightly fried. We looked around and everyone was eating the whole thing, so we did the same! I guess it’s like soft shell crab, but I honestly wasn’t very used to eating the shell.

Surume Ika (Flying Squid)

Next up was the Flying Squid, which was lightly brushed with soy sauce. I’m not usually a fan of squid for sushi because it can be too chewy sometimes, but this was actually very tender.

Bluefin Tuna

Because we paid for the more expensive option, our menu included the Bluefin Tuna. This was seriously the best part of my meal. The tuna literally melted in my mouth! I highly recommend trying this, but don’t eat too much since this type of tuna has been overfished!

Hotategai (Scallop)

Onto another favourite and must order of mine at all sushi restaurants is the Scallop nigiri. I love a good fresh scallop, and this was perfect with a subtle sweetness of the sea. Apparently, this is fresh from Hokkaido. I love it paired with the wasabi underneath.

Buri (Japanese Amberjack)

An unfamiliar fish to me was the Japanese Amberjack. To be honest, I am not very adventurous with my sashimi and usually stick to the typical tuna, salmon, and scallops. I was suprised that the Japanese Amberjack was more of a deep red as I always thought it was more of light pink flesh colour. However, paired with the light soy sauce, it was delicious.

Aji (Japanese Horse Mackarel)

I’m usually not a fan of Japanese Horse Mackarel because I find that it can be quite fishy sometimes. However, this was very fresh and along with the ginger and green onion, it complemented the fish very well.

Big Eye Tuna

Another favourite of mine was the Big Eye Tuna which is a cut from the red tuna. It was brushed with soy sauce so it was glistening! This is not the melt in your mouth type of cut, but I actually really enjoyed it. You get more texture from this.

Kanpachi (Greater Amberjack)

I’ve never had Kanpachi, so this surprised me. It was very fatty and high in oil content and therefore melted in my mouth. So creamy!

Bafun Uni (Sea Urchin)

I love Uni! Not something for everyone because S tried it for her first time and absolutely hated it. I can see why as it does have a strong sea flavour and can taste funny for first-timers. However, I loved how it was paired with wasabi to bring the sea flavour out. The bafun uni comes from Hokkaido which is the most prized due to the kelp and clean water that they feed on. Absolutely delicious!

Saba (Mackarel)

Similar to the aji, the Saba came without the garnishes and was also not as tender. It was meatier and had more of a chew.

Anago (Saltwater Eel)

To finish our omakase, we had the Saltwater Eel, which had a more delicate texture than your typical unagi. It was my first time trying this, and although I usually dislike unagi, I fell in love with anago! The chef torched the eel slightly and therefore the eel just melted in my mouth! A great way to end the meal!

Overall, S and I were very impressed with the quality of sushi at Sushi Bar Maumi. I definitely cannot afford to come here all the time, but it is a nice treat once in a while if you want to experience what a Japanese omakase would be like. Keep in mind that there is a time limit, so it’s not a place to stay long and chat after and your conversations should be kept quiet. Also, after your omakase, they present you with a menu with all the nigiris you can order (many of which are not on the omakase). Each piece is quite expensive but you can try many fish that you might not be able to find elsewhere.

Pros:
– Fresh cuts of fish and skilled chef
– Focuses on high quality nigiri

Cons:
– Wished we could watch the chef cut the fish in front of us!
– Can get quite pricey

Price Range: $45-60

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 5 Service: 4 Ambiance: 3.5 Parking: 3 Overall: 4

Maille Flavour Studio: Make Your Own Mustard

September 10, 2016September 10, 2016Leave a comment

NOTE: All food and beverages were complimentary, but all opinions are based on my own experience.

Last month, I was invited to the Maille Flavour Studio at the Columbia StrEAT Food Truck Fest. La Maison Maille has been around for amount 300 years now and originated in Marseille, France. They have boutiques around the world including London and New York, but unfortunately not in Vancouver. You can find select items in Loblaws or Urban Fare though.

Other than their classic dijon mustard, they also carry cornichons and flavoured mustard. The flavoured mustards are great for pairing with pretzels and crackers. Some of the flavours include Parmesan Cheese and Basil, Blue Cheese, Pesto and Arugula, and Mango and Thai Spices.

Peach Chutney Glazed Waffles with Honey Mustard Fried Chicken

When I think of mustard, I automatically think of hot dogs. But after attending the Maille event, I was amazed at all the recipes that mustard can be incorporated in. First up was these bite sized Peach Chutney Glazed Waffles with Maille Honey Mustard Fried Chicken. I loved how the honey mustard came in the little pipettes and you squeezed the mustard into the chicken as you pull it out.

Steak, Coleslaw and Honey Mustard Sliders

Another favourite was the Steak, Coleslaw and Honey Mustard Slider topped with a cornichon.

Smoked salmon and mustard also pairs very well!

Vanilla and Maille Mustard Poached Pear

Wait, dessert and mustard? Yes, apparently you can use mustard in sweets! Served in verrine with bourbon mascarpone mousse and a pommery mustard praline topping, these were a delicious treat!

Okay, so mustard can be used to make desserts, but what about cocktails? Yes! This was definitely a huge surprise for us.

Le Moutarde

K loved the mustard cocktail called Le Moutarde. Slightly sweet with a shot of Vodka, this got us curious what was in it. The following is the recipe to make Le Moutard:

2 tsps. liquid cane sugar
1/2 oz lemon juice
1 oz white cranberry juice
4 cucumber pieces
1 tsp. Maille à l’estragon mustard
1 oz lemon flavoured Vodka Absolut
ice

You can find more recipes for cocktails and other dishes on their website!

Halfway through the event, mustard sommelier Harry Lalousis showed us how to make a mustard vinaigrette perfect for salads. He knows everything about mustard and I’m amazed at all the recipes he’s made with mustard!

Then we got to the fun part! We got to make our own mustard! At the event, the public was able to do this for $2 which is a pretty good deal!

The stations are set up with a variety of ingredients that pair well with mustard including fruits and herbs.

Everyone gets their own mortar and pestle.

For my mustard, I decided to add rosemary and lemon juice. You really have to grind up the rosemary leaves!

You can then choose to add either the Old Style Grainy Mustard or the smooth Dijon Mustard.

I decided to go with the grainy mustard since I love this paired with meats and cheese on a charcuterie board.

Mixed it up a bit and there you have it! My own creation of mustard! K made a raspberry infused one and it was surprisingly very good as well. We’ve already been using our mustard with our dishes including pairing it with our rack of lamb. Delicious!

Overall, it was lots of fun learning all about mustard and the ways you can incorporate it in your dishes. You won’t want to go back to the generic brands after you try this gourmet brand of mustard, Maille!

Bob Likes Thai Food

September 6, 2016September 6, 2016Leave a comment

NOTE: All food and beverages were complimentary, but all opinions are based on my own experience.

Thanks to Jacqueline, I was invited along with a few other foodies to a tasting at Bob Likes Thai Food. The restaurant is located on Broadway and Granville, and I’ve actually been there quite a few times for their lunch menu since it’s close to my work place.

The interior is colourful but it definitely cannot fit too many diners. It can get quite cramped but all the times I’ve visited during lunch hasn’t been too bad in terms of getting a seat. Probably because of the large variety of Thai/Malay restaurants in the area.

Lychee Mimosa

We started off with a variety of drinks to try. The first was a Lychee Mimosa which I really enjoyed! With a mix of sparkling cava and lychee juice, this was a light and refreshing drink.

Mai Tai

For those who want a non-alcoholic drink, there is the colourful virgin Mai Tai. Tasted like a delicious orange punch.

Iced Thai Milk Tea, Iced Thai Lime Tea

A favourite among the group was the Iced Thai Milk Tea. Creamy and strong in tea flavour, this will give you a little wake me up. The Iced Thai Lime Tea is similar but without the milk and instead is flavoured with lime. I wasn’t a fan of this one as I didn’t like the lime and tea flavour mixed together.

Thai Mojito

The Thai Mojito is another option if you want alcohol in your drink.

Kar Tong Tong with Mango Salad

The first appetizer was the Kar Tong Tong with Mango Salad. The whole dish is edible with the little tarts made with flour and filled with corn, carrots, peas, mangoes, cashews, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. These bite size appies are fun to eat and delicious.

Bacon Wrapped Lychee

I’ve had bacon wrapped scallops, but Bacon Wrapped Lychee is something new! Surprisingly it worked. The sweetness of the lychee with the salty and smoky bacon complemented each other quite well!

Gai Hor Bai Toey

The Gai Hor Bai Toey is marinated chicken with Thai herbs, coriander root, white peppercorn, wrapped with pandan leaf and served with their housemade sesame soy sauce. This reminded me of the Malaysian dish I had in Singapore. So flavourful and would pair well with rice.

Koong Prah

The Koong Prah is perfect for the summer, featuring prawns with lemongrass, roasted rice, lime leaves, tomatoes, basil, cashew nuts, and organic greens tossed in lime juice, fish sauce and palm sugar.

Pompano in Wok

The Pompano in Wok features a whole golden pompano, fresh peppercorn, Thai basil, chili, fish sauce, palm sugar, and tamarind. The fish was moist and slightly spicy due to the chili.

Steamed Fish Bangkok Style

Another impressive dish was the Steamed Fish cooked Bangkok Style. The fish was topped with shallots, Laotian coriander, basil, chili, fish sauce, palm sugar, tamarind, lime, pickled plum, and pickled garlic.

Prawns in Pineapple Curry

I really enjoyed the Prawns in Pineapple Curry as large prawns in a red coconut curry filled the pineapple shell. Pair it with rice, and this tropical curry will not disappoint you!

Pad Thai

Last but not least was the Pad Thai. I usually get this for lunch, so it was a familiar dish. This classic dish features fried rice noodles with prawns, smoked tofu, peanuts, egg, bean sprouts and chives. I find that the Pad Thai here is slightly more sweet and isn’t very spicy. I’d like a little more kick to it.

Coconut Pudding

For dessert, the Coconut Pudding was visually appealing but I found it to be a little too gritty. It is made with fresh coconut, palm sugar, coconut water, and caramelized coconut.

Fresh Coconut

You can also get a full Fresh Coconut with the pulp scraped out. So refreshing for the summer!

Overall, Bob Likes Thai was consistent with the previous visits I had. I normally get their curries during lunch (they have great lunch deals too!) and they are always great. However, they also have many seafood dishes during dinner such as the ones we tried that night. I find the flavours to be more mild but I think you can ask to have it more spicy.

Chef’s Plate

September 5, 2016September 5, 2016Leave a comment

NOTE: The two meals were sent by Chef’s Plate for free but all opinions are based on my own experience.

Don’t you hate it when you buy too many groceries because everything comes in bulk and you end up wasting all of it since you simply don’t have enough time to cook? I remembered that happening to me all the time when I lived alone in Spain. That’s when Chef’s Plate comes in handy! On their website, you can select the receipes you want each week (which changes every week), and Chef’s Plate will deliver you all the ingredients you need in a refrigerated box. The ingredients are already portioned exactly as you need for each recipe so nothing goes to waste and you don’t need to measure anything. Plus, the refrigerated box comes with ice packs to ensure your food is still fresh when you get home.

Your box will also come with colourful detailed recipe cards. I love the step by step instruction with pictures so you won’t mess up any steps! All recipes are categorized as easy, medium or hard when you select it on the website and most of them can be cooked in no more than 30 minutes.

Since I was cooking for a family of 4 that night, we decided to go all out and cook both recipes, since we were given 2 recipes with each recipe portioned for 2 people. The first recipe was the Steak and Chili Roasted Potatoes. I really liked how all the ingredients were portioned and were even labeled so if you have never used an ingredient before, you’ll still be able to identify it.

The meats were all locally sourced too which is always a plus!

And this was our finished product! Looks pretty good for someone who barely ever cooks right? My family was surprised how fresh the steak was too! The recipe uses flat iron steak which is a cheaper cut, so the meat was obviously a little chewier, but we were still surprised by the quality and how you could really taste the beef.

The corn was also absolutely delicious with a lime crema topped with Monterey Jack cheese. A little tangy from the lime but the cheese really made the corn creamy. The corn itself was also very sweet! As for the potatoes, they were seasoned with chili powder and is a recipe I look forward to making again!

The second recipe was the Pork Steamed Buns. As you can see, Chef’s Plate has a variety of different cuisines, from Asian, Mexican to American flavours. It’s got something for everyone and that includes vegetarians.

Although the recipe card said to just steam the buns over boiling water and a colander, we have a steamer, so we turned this on instead and got it done very quickly. You can definitely adapt to the recipe card, but the recipe can be done with a very basic kitchen. Salt and pepper would be the only additional ingredients you need to have.

And here was the finished product! Everyone agreed that the buns were so soft and fluffy! They were filled with a savoury pork filling that was seasoned with ginger and Korean black bean sauce so definitely had the Asian flavours. Alongside was a side of pickled radishes and cucumber to open your appetite.

Overall, my family was very impressed with the quality of the ingredients and the recipes from Chef’s Plate. I think this is great for those who want to learn how to cook or have small families and don’t have a lot of time to cook or buy groceries because of work.

If you’re interested in giving Chef’s Plate a try, use the promo code #EVERYDAYISAFOODDAY or use this link to get 3 FREE plates on your first order! That’s over $30 of savings!

21 Nautical Miles – ChineseBites Media Event

September 4, 2016September 4, 2016Leave a comment

NOTE: All food and beverages were complimentary, but all opinions are based on my own personal experience.

Seafood boils have been exploding in Vancouver and appears to be the new trend. I guess that means we don’t need to go down to Seattle for Crab Pot! A few weeks ago, I was invited by ChineseBites to attend a tasting at 21 Nautical Miles in Yaletown.

The restaurant took over the previous tenant, Society, so the decor is still somewhat similar with high ceilings. High tables and chairs with a bar feel is what I would describe the restaurant. I do find that the decor is slightly odd for the type of food we’re eating, but we are in Yaletown.

At the entrance though, you get the Asian decor with modernized paintings and cute chairs. As you can tell, the restaurant features seafood boils with Asian flavours.

We started off with a 3 litre tower of beer. Definitely reminded me of the times when we had this in Spain, but I haven’t seen this anywhere in Vancouver yet. Great to share across the table! They also have wine and pretty much any other drink you want since they have a large bar.

Seafood Party: Garlic Butter

And then the Seafood Party started! The seafood boils come in a metal bowl and are dumped onto your table which has been covered with parchment paper. Each diner will have a mallet and wooden board so you can smash open your crab. You’ll also get plastic gloves and a bib so you can get as messy as you want! There is a two person minimum order and it’ll cost you $38.95 per person. This will get you BC Dungeness crab, selva tiger prawns, blue mussels, clams, corn and potato. If you want to get fancy like we did, you can also add on Alaskan king crab, lobster tail, and snow crab. There are also four flavours to choose from, and pictured here is the Garlic Butter. This is perfect for those who can’t eat spicy and is really the only option since the other three are all spicy. This was a crowd pleaser since you really can’t go wrong with garlic butter flavoured anything!

Seafood Party: Black Pepper

Moving on to something a little spicy was the Black Pepper flavour. This flavour reminded me of the late night clams you get at Cantonese restaurants. The Alaskan king crab was delicious by the way. Normally, I don’t really care for king crab because I find that our BC Dungeness crabs are quite meaty already, but man, these were juicy! I highly recommend splurging a little to get the king crab here! One leg is plenty to share with your guests.

Seafood Party: Xi’an Spicy

Another level up in terms of spice gets you the Xi’an Spicy. With red chili peppers giving that extra kick, I actually really enjoyed this as it had a depth of flavour and wasn’t just plain spicy and numbing. Oh and the tiny lobster tails were juicy and delicious.

Seafood Party: House Special Spicy (5/5 Spice Level)

Then onto the spiciest you can get is the House Special Spicy. We had ours at 5/5 spice level, but you can choose how spicy you want when you order. Many of our group couldn’t take spice so this was a struggle, but I actually didn’t find it as spicy as I had though. I didn’t mind a few pieces in between the other flavours, but I thought that this was more of just plain numbing and spicy rather than having any additional flavour. If you like spicy, I would suggest the Xi’an Spicy instead since it has more flavour. And to be honest, I found the snow crab to be just average as they have long legs but the abundance of meat is very little. I like my crabs with lots of meat!

Overall, the seafood boils are great with the seafood being quite fresh although many of the spicier flavours will cover any freshness. If you really want to taste the seafood flavours, I’d recommend getting the Garlic Butter. I also wish there was some bread to soak up all the flavours. The seafood boils are OceanWise by the way, so always a plus!

Seafood Party: Wok Fried Spicy

Next up was the Wok Fried Spicy, a dry seafood dish which featured crab and spot prawns. These had a nice kick but the flavours really came from the outside crumbs covering the shell as the inside is not seasoned.

Kung Fu Soup

To clean our palettes, we tried the Kung Fu Soup which is an abalone flavoured soup with goji berries. Served in a beautiful tea pot and cup, the soup was light but full-bodied. I loved this and highly recommend ending your meal with this to calm your palette!

Stone Cooked Scrambled Eggs

Other than seafood boils, they have some other dishes on the menu including this very interesting Stone Cooked Scrambled Eggs. The staff brings over a very hot pot with hot stones inside. They then pour a blend of eggs, shrimp, and green onions in the pot and cover the pot. Because of the hot pot and stones, the eggs get cooked. It’s fun to watch but the stones are not very practical because you have to scoop them out before eating the egg.

Grilled Oysters

They also have Grilled Oysters which are filled with lots of garlic. I found these to be slightly too salty and you could barely taste the oysters.

Chicken Wings

The Chicken Wings are flavoured with preserved plum but tasted like peanut butter to me. Very crispy on the outside but the salty and sweet flavour threw me off a bit.

Beef and Lamb Skewers

The Beef and Lamb Skewers are flavoured with cumin spices and brings an Asian flavour. I found the beef (top) to be quite dry, so I did prefer the lamb (bottom) much more.

Sichuan Style Boiled Fish

A new dish that the chef let us try was the Sichuan Style Boiled Fish. This is served with flat glass noodles and tofu. The tofu really soaked up the spicy sauce, while the glass noodles did the opposite. I think a different type of noodles would have worked better and the noodles were also too hard for my liking. This was made with a 5/5 spice level, but it can be customized for milder tastes. This was mostly numbing so I wish there was another dimension of flavour to it.

Crawfish Tower

Then came the Crawfish Tower which was a crowd pleaser with everyone trying to get the perfect shot with the liquid nitrogen smoke. However, I’m not a huge fan of crawfish just because I find that it’s a lot of work to get so little meat!

The flavours were the same as the seafood boils, including garlic butter, black pepper, Xi’an spicy, house special spicy (spice level 5/5).

Blue Crab in Chef’s Special Sauce

As if we did not have enough seafood, the chef brought us the Blue Crab in Chef’s Special Sauce. This turned out to be a favourite with the dish featuring blue crab, chicken wings, chicken feet, and potatoes in a special chef’s secret recipe from his Xi’an hometown. I find that there isn’t much meat in blue crab, but this sauce was tasty!

Mango Thousand Layer Mille Crepe

To finish off our large meal, we had the Mango Thousand Layer Mille Crepe. These are super popular these days, and even my sisters has been obsessed at making them. This was quite good with a nice layer of mango jelly in the centre. They told us it was directly imported from Taiwan but my sister actually found this at Price Smart when she was looking for crepe cakes to taste test. She’s pretty sure it’s the same one because of the special layer of mango jely in the centre. As well, when I ate it, it was slightly frozen so it seemed like it was frozen and then defrosted. So I guess you could still say it’s imported from Taiwan… It was still good but not even close to the ones at Lady M!

Overall, 21 Nautical Miles definitely is a great place to visit if you want to try seafood boils with Asian flavours. The prices are not cheap, but you also get a fancier ambiance.