Dynasty Seafood Restaurant

December 6, 2017December 5, 2017Leave a comment

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Vegetarian Bean Curd Roll and Vegetarian Chinese Crispy Pork Belly

Dynasty Seafood Restaurant has won many awards over the years. I have no idea why I have not visited it until now! Located on Broadway and Willow, there is actually free parking below the restaurant. It looks like there is pay parking, but if you tell the hostess which stall you parked at, then you will not get towed or ticketed.

To start, we had some vegetarian appetizers including the Bean Curd Roll and Chinese Crispy Pork Belly. The Bean Curd Roll was quite typical and I wouldn’t say it was anything special. However, the Chinese Pork Belly was super interesting because it has the flavour and texture of real pork belly! I can’t figure what the fatty part is made of, but the meat portion is made of bean curd and the crispy skin seemed to be fried bread. I’ve never seen something like this before!

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Chicken in Soya Sauce (half)

Next up was the Chicken in Soya Sauce which we got half an order of. I believe you have to pre-order this dish. The chicken remained moist and the soy sauce was light and therefore not overly salty.

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Deep Fried Bean Curd Sheet Wrapped with Taro

The star of that night was the Deep Fried Bean Curd Sheet Wrapped with Taro which is another dish you need to pre-order. The bean curd is shaped like a Buddhist’s prayer beads. Inside each ball is filled with mashed taro. The bean curd itself is deep fried so its really crispy. It is then served with a sweet and sour tomato and cucumber salsa which really opens up your appetite.

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Salt and Pepper Deep Fried Tofu

An item off their regular menu was the Salt and Pepper Deep Fried Tofu. The tofu was extremely crispy on the outside which the inside still soft and smooth. We loved the peppery flavours of this dish and it wasn’t too spicy at all.

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Chiu Chow Double Sided Crispy Pan Fried Noodles

To finish our meal, we tried a really interesting dish that is not commonly found or well executed in Vancouver. This is the Chiu Chow Double Sided Crispy Pan Fried Noodles which is served with sugar and vinegar. The noodles are extermely crispy and you are supposed to drizzle vinegar and sprinkle sugar on top of the noodles. They also provide you with some chopped up chives to pair. I have never tried this dish before but I really enjoyed it! I especially loved putting sugar on it! A must try if you are adventurous!

Overall, we were quite impressed with Dynasty Seafood and I can see why they have won so many awards. I think one key reason is because the dishes are much more creative than typical traditional Cantonese dishes you find at other restaurants. The dishes are also well presented and the servers were all quite professional and attentive. The ambiance is right on and has the same feel as Kirin and Sea Harbour. Although the prices are much higher than other restaurants, this is definitely the spot you will want to bring guests that you want to impress. I can’t wait to come back to try their dim sum!

Pros:
– Creative and well-executed dishes
– Nice ambiance and good service for a Chinese restaurant

Cons:
– Dishes can be on the pricier side
– Many of the more interesting dishes require pre-ordering

Price Range: $20-40 per person

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

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

Assembli

June 20, 2017June 19, 2017Leave a comment

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

Last week, we were invited to check out the newly opened Assembli on Cambie between West 7th and 8th near Broadway station. The focus on two main items: pizzas and salads. What differentiates them is the fact that their pizzas and salads are one set price and you can add as many ingredients as you want. This means the customer doesn’t end up with an expensive meal at checkout, and also makes it easier for the staff as they don’t need to constantly keep track of what “additional” items you got. 11 inch pizzas are $12.99 and salads come in regular size for $10.99 and large for $12.99.

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The interior has high ceilings and a beautiful painting of Vancouver. There are enough seats for you to dine in, but because of how quick the assembly line is, you can also grab and go. They offer online ordering for pick up, but have also teamed up with some other delivery companies, like Foodora to deliver straight yo your place. While we were there, I couldn’t help but notice the constant in and out of the Foodora deliveries.

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If you choose to come in to make your pizza or salad, then you can see all the ingredients you can add through the glass shield.

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Although you can customize your pizzas and salads, for those of you who cannot make decisions when there are an overwhelming amount of options, you can choose preset options. We were able to try some of these preset options at the tasting.

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O-Mega Brainiac

We started off trying some of their salads which were beautiful in colour. The O-Mega Brainiac came with mixed greens, quinoa, cucumber, cabbage, blueberries, beets, avocado salsa, walnuts, seed mix, and the goddess dressing. Normally, this salad comes with the glory dressing which is more of a tahini dressing. This was bright and great for the summer with the blueberries and avocado salsa.

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Sexy Hippie

One of my favourites was the Sexy Hippie which has brown rice, quinoa, roasted root veggies, celery, beets, parsley, walnuts, apple, and a honey dijon dressing. I think the honey dijon dressing was what got me as it was slightly acidic but sweet at the same time, making it very appetizing.

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Wild Cowboy

The Wild Cowboy reminded me of a deconstructed taco or burrito with all the fillings you would normally find in Mexican food. This had mixed greens, romaine, black beans, mixed bell peppers, roasted corn salsa, brown rice, cheddar, pico de gallo, and a southwest dressing. Ours also came with shredded chicken. Another favourite for me and I don’t even normally order salads!

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All Greek to Me

Onto the pizzas, these are just the right thickness. The crust is not as thin as flatbread, but not thick like the ones you get at Pizza Hut. Just the perfect thickness! The All Greek to Me pizza normally comes with genoa salami, goat feta, mozzarella, roasted red peppers, olives, olive oil tossed kale, artichoke, tomato sauce, and balsamic drizzle. Ours came without the salami but was already flavourful enough. This was my least favourite pizza as I’m not a fan of feta or olives. That’s exactly why the customization ability is perfect here!

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Smoke & Fire

Smoke and Fire features pepperoni, smoked cheddar, mozzarella, banana peppers, red onion, and a spicy tomato sauce. This is for those who love a bit of a kick. I actually really enjoyed this but would probably need a beer with it!

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Backyard BBQ

A colourful pizza was the Backyard BBQ which features herb-roasted chicken, mozzarella, cheddar cheese, red onion, bell peppers, cilantro, bbq sauce, yogurt drizzle, and an adobo sauce drizzle. The pizza is sweet from the onions and bbq sauce and would be great with the kids.

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Smooth Crimini Kale

Lastly, the Smooth Crimini Kale was my favourite. I love meat, but sometimes I actually crave vegetarian pizzas. This pizza has sautéed mushrooms, mozzarella, olive oil tossed kale, artichoke, red onion, and white sauce. All my favourite ingredients and you also feel super healthy eating it.

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Fiasco Gelato

Other than pizzas and salads, they also have a select few desserts, smoothies and gelato! Assembli carries the Fiasco brand gelato in their single serve cups. With so many flavours to choose from like Salted Caramel, Bourbon Vanilla, Dark Chocolate Sea Salt, and even dairy free sorbettos like Mango Pineapple, Strawberry Rhubarb, and Raspberry Lime, there is a flavour for everyone!

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Overall, Assembli offers fresh ingredients and the ability to customize at a flat price. Definitely a great spot to grab and go or sit down for a quick eat. I love how you can also make your meal really healthy or not so healthy depending on what you add to your pizza or salad. Plus, they have happy hour with drinks for $5 and salads and pizzas for $10!

Breakfast Table

December 18, 2016December 18, 2016Leave a comment

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The newest spot by the office opened and E and I could not be more happy as we are tired of eating at the same restaurants by now. Being a breakfast/brunch spot, that got us more excited! We decided to round up a bunch of the other guys at work to check Breakfast Table out.

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Hangry

A got the classic called Hangry which featured three eggs, two maple sausages, four bacon, hash browns, and toast. After A ordered this, most of the guys wanted this as well. It was definitely one of the menu items with larger portions for a good price. For those who want value and enjoy a classic breakfast, this is a great option.

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Chicken Karaage Hash

J got the Chicken Karaage Hash which featured two eggs, potatoes, green onion, sesame seed, and korean sweet chilli sauce. J said the chicken seemed like they were baked, but the real problem was the vegetables and hash. They were quite under seasoned and the potatoes were not crispy enough.

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Coffee Crusted Pork Belly Hash

E got the Coffee Crusted Pork Belly Hash. The pork belly was crusted with milano bourbon coffee, and the dish came with two sunny side up eggs, seasonal vegetables, and hash. The coffee crusted pork belly was quite interesting but for those who don’t like coffee, they may find that the flavour tasted a little burnt. But for those who did enjoy coffee, they quite enjoyed this dish. However, again, the vegetables and hash were underwhelming.

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Breakfast Poutine

StevieD got the Breakfast Poutine with a poached egg, shaved havarti cheese, and chicken gravy. Pretty god but the price is quite steep for poutine at $14.

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Beef Bulgogi Hash

For myself, I got the Beef Bulgogi Hash which had two eggs, kimchi, green onion, king oyster mushroom, spinach, korean sweet chilli sauce, and hash. The beef was tender and I enjoyed the korean sauce as it wasn’t too spicy. I have to say they cook their eggs pretty spot on as my poached eggs were perfect with the yolk spilling out. However, again, the vegetables and hash were under seasoned.

Overall, we found that the main protein and eggs were cooked very well for each dish, but their sides definitely lacked. With prices that are around at least $14, you would want everything on the dish to be pretty good. That being said, not a bad place to check out on the Broadway area if you don’t want to wait in line at Yolks.

Pros:
– Eggs and proteins are on point
– Nice chill vibe and music for ambiance

Cons:
– Vegetables and potatoes are under seasoned

Price Range: $15-20

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

Food: 3 Service: 3 Ambiance: 3 Parking: 3 Overall: 3

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.

Storm Crow Alehouse

July 29, 2016July 28, 20162 Comments

Looking for a place to chill after work and have drinks (other than the typical Earls and Cactus) turned us to Storm Crow Alehouse which opened earlier this year on Broadway.

Long Island Iced Tea

What’s cool about this spot is that there is a whole wall of board games which you can borrow while enjoying your drink. They have all types of games from 2 player games to games for a large group. We started off with jenga along with some Long Island Iced Teas. They have a large selection of drinks, but I found their cocktails to be just okay. Perhaps stick to the beers.

Mount St. Nacho

Since we were quite hungry from work, StevieD and I shared the Mount St. Nacho. The nachos were topped with cheese, jalapeños, red onions, roasted corn and black beans, pico de gallo salsa and sour cream. We added pulled chicken for an extra $6 so the whole dish came to $26, which is not cheap at all. And frankly, the dish sucked. The chips were not crunchy and the chicken was dry. I expect a lot more if I pay this much, and we left disappointed. Probably some of the worst nachos I’ve had.

Hillbilly Style Chik’n & Waffles Dee-Lux

S got the Hillbilly Style Chik’n & Waffles Dee-Lux and these sucked too. This came with house-breaded chicken strips and waffles served with maple cream sauce and honey mustard. The chicken strips were so dry! And same with the waffles…

All in all, we were extremely disappointed with the food at Storm Crow. I’d suggest coming here just for the drinks and the board games, but grab dinner elsewhere. They do a treasure box thing when your receipt comes which goes along with their whole theme.

Pros:
– Fun board games
– Good place to chill with large groups

Cons:
– Skip the food
– Service isn’t too great

Price Range: $20-30

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

Food: 1.5 Service: 2 Ambiance: 3 Parking: 3 Overall: 2

Ouisi Bistro

July 18, 2016July 18, 2016Leave a comment

For our squad lunch, we decided to head down Granville and try a new restaurant. We ended up checking out Ouisi Bistro, which is one of the few Louisiana and Creole style restaurants in Vancouver.

The interior is dim with colourful walls and I think they have jazz nights sometimes. Seems like a cool place to grab a drink in the evening.

Corn Bread

We started off with Corn Bread which was soft and fluffy.

Gator Bites

We shared a dish of the Gator Bites which according to their menu is genuine Louisiana alligator. It’s served with a spicy and hot Cajun tartar sauce and a side of croutons. The gator was more tough and chewy as expected but honestly, it can be easily thought of overcooked chicken. I really enjoyed the sauce though and I used the cornbread to soak it up.

Jambalaya

For myself, I got the Jambalya which was simmered with tomatoes, smoked ham, andouille and chorizo sausage and sautéed Gulf prawns. I haven’t had many jambalayas before, but the most recent one I’ve had was at Cactus and this is definitely way better. It tastes a lot more authentic for sure! I loved the smoky flavour and spices used but I found it to be too saucy based on the amount of rice given. Therefore, the dish ended up quite salty in my opinion.

Ale Marinated Chicken Thighs and Hot Smoked Duck Sausage Gumbo

The rest of my table got the Ale Marinated Chicken and Hot Smoked Duck Sausage Gumbo, another traditional Creole dish. It came in a tradiational dark roux and again they said there was too little rice to go with the thick sauce and therefore salty. They need to work on their ratio of rice to sauce otherwise the dish can be too salty.

Overall, Ouisi is a great spot and one of the few places in Vancouver you can try Creole and Cajun food. I don’t think I can have these dishes too often though as they are very heavy. Service was okay and prices were decent for the portions.

Pros:
– Lots of ingredients in the gumbo and jambalaya
– Reasonable prices for portions

Cons:
– Can be quite heavy and salty
– Too much sauce for the amount of rice

Price Range: $20/person

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

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

Purdy’s – Truffle-Making Class

February 29, 2016February 28, 2016Leave a comment

Over the weekend, S and I attended the truffle-making class at Purdy’s. The class is $50 per person and happens on select dates every month. Check on their website for dates and to sign up.

We chose the Granville location and it is really one of their retail stores, but they’ve turned their back room into a space to host their class.

We arrived a bit early so checked out their retail store, including the aweseome chocolate fountain while waiting.

Purdy’s actually began in Vancouver in 1907 and the first store was on Robson Street! We were then taken to the back office to begin our class led by our chocolatier, Mark.

The first hour was an introduction of Purdy’s history and how chocolate is made. We learned that chocolate begins with this huge cocoa pod and that most of the cocoa is from West Africa.

When you crack open the cocoa pod, there is some white flesh similar to lychee and these little cocoa beans.

Crack open these cocoa beans, and you will have cocoa nibs. We got to sample some of this and it was rather bitter and had a roasted flavour similar to coffee.

Cocoa nibs can go through a hydraulic press to be separated into cocoa powder and cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is commonly used in cosmetics and is great for making lotion.

We were then shown the chocolate flavour wheel and told to taste some chocolates and determine what type of flavour profiles we could taste. We were also taught to smell the chocolate first and take a bite of the chocolate instead of putting the whole piece in our mouth.

We started off with this medium roast 72% dark chocolate made with cocoa beans from Peru. I found this to have a slightly tart flavour with cherry tones.

Next was a dark roast 72% dark chocolate with beans from Ecuador. I quite enjoyed this one as the flavours lasted longer in my mouth and had a bitterness to it.

A new creation we got to sample was the Yuzu Jelly Ganache. I loved this one as I enjoy the citrus flavours of yuzu. Jelly in chocolate is always a plus!

After the hour of history and chocolate processes, we finally got to put our hands to work! They set up a station with various liqueurs and flavours we could add into our chocolate. There were also toppings that we could put on top of our chocolates.

They provide you with chocolate shot cups which are our base where we pipe our truffle filling into. We then mixed cream into already melted chocolate and whisked it up until smooth and consistent. We then added our flavours. I chose a hazelnut liqueur while S chose the raspberry flavour.

We then did some piping and here is our finished product! We each got to take home 21 truffles. You can pay an extra $30 to make another set.

Overall, we had a great time learning the history and process of making Purdy’s truffles. A great two hours of knowledge and fun and you get to take home the recipe to make at home. Great event for a date or just with friends! They also have a chocolate bark-making class available.

Lin Chinese Cuisine and Tea House – ChineseBites Media Event

December 27, 2015Leave a comment

NOTE: As part of the ChineseBites media event, all food and beverages were free, but all opinions are based on my own experience.

Lin Chinese Cuisine and Tea House is just a few blocks down from my office on West Broadway and we usually order take out here during busy season. From my previous experience, it wasn’t exactly the greatest, so I was curious to see what there was to offer during the ChineseBites media event.

The restaurant was bustling when we arrived around 6:30pm and had a good amount of traffic the whole time. Ambiance is quite average.

Marinated Gluten Curds 美味烤麩

We started off with some cold appetizers. First up were the Marinated Gluten Curds. These were served cold and consisted of bean curds and black fungus. The flavours were quite good and not overly salty.

Smoked Fish 美味熏魚

Another appetizer was the Smoked Fish. This again was very flavourful and I liked how it was still relatively moist inside.

Shanghai Vegetables with Pressed Tofu 馬蘭頭

The last cold appetizer was the Shanghai Vegetables with Pressed Tofu. The server told us that this is a very popular Shanghainese dish. I thought this would go quite well with rice.

Xiao Long Bao 小籠湯包

Next up were the table’s favourite Xiao Long Bao. You can watch the chef make these fresh behind the glass. These were rather small and left us wanting more. Soup was delicious and the wrapper was thin.

Chef’s Special Supreme Hotpot Soup 全家福

The Chef’s Special Supreme Hot Pot Soup is apparently a great dish to eat with your whole family since each ingredient has a meaning of the family being united and together. The pot was filled with huge meatballs which were extremely juicy, as well as potstickers, noodles, and various other dumpling like items. Great to have during the cold winter season.

Green Onion Halibut 蔥烤銀鱈魚

The Green Onion Halibut had a delicious sauce. The only complaint I had were the amount of bones in it since I’m not fond of picking the bones out in my fish. Otherwise, a very tasty dish.

Braised Pork Ribs 無錫排骨

Another favourite was the Braised Pork Ribs which is in a sugary syrup sauce. If you love sweet dishes, this is great for you. It didn’t taste very healthy but the meat was so tender it just fell off the bones. Yum!

Honey Prawns 蜜汁大蝦

My favourite of the night were the Honey Prawns. Again, this is a rather sweet dish, but I loved it. The prawns were huge ad lightly battered and then deep fried. They were then covered generously in a honey sauce.

Tea Smoked Duck 樟茶鴨

The Tea Smoked Duck was served with little Chinese buns on the side. However, since the duck still had bones in it, it was rather hard to eat along with the buns. As well, I found the duck to be on the salty side. Still, the skin was crispy.

Shanghai Vegetable Rice Cake 齊菜年糕

A filling dish was the Shanghai Vegetable Rice Cake. I believe the veggies were the same that was used in the cold appetizer. The rice cakes had a nice chew but were still very soft. Quite good.

Shanghai Spicy Tofu Hot Pot with Seafood 上海辣子豆腐煲

Another favourite of mine was the Shanghai Spicy Tofu Hot Pot with Seafood. This actually reminded me of a Sze Chuan dish instead. The prawns were large and the soup was flavourful with some heat. I could eat this with rice all day.

Eight Treasure Sweet Sticky Rice 八寶飯

To wrap up our dinner, we were served the Eight Treasure Sweet Sticky Rice, which seems to be the given dessert at any Shanghainese retaurant. It was filled with red bean paste and various candied items (apparently 8 items). It was alright, but I found it rather sweet and I guess I’m just not a fan of this dish in general.

Overall, I was quite impressed with the items I tried at Lin Chinese Cuisine this time around. I didn’t know the chef is Shanghainese, so apparently their top items are actually the Shanghainese dishes. I feel like I’ve been getting the more Cantonese style dishes here which do not seem to live up to the prior. Will definitely be giving these items another try again during my busy season coming up!