Ramen Gojiro

May 8, 2016May 9, 2016Leave a comment

Seeing all the pictures of fried chicken on ramen on social media, I told S that this was a must try. Ramen Gojiro is part of the Menya Kouji group which also owns Ramen Butcher and Taishoken. Their newest ramen shop is located in the core of downtown featuring jiro-style ramen which means thick noodles and lots of toppings.

The interior is actually quite spacious and can fit quite a lot of diners. The kitchen is pretty much open so you can watch the action of the ramen chefs. Even though the space can fit around 20-30 people, there is always a line up! We arrived at around 5:30 and luckily were in the front of the line. By the time it was around 6pm, the line up was already very long.

The menu is quite simple. You can choose between fried chicken or chashu on your ramen. You can then choose to have their classic chicken and pork broth or the same broth with a spicy sauce. In addition, you can get the bakamori, which means you get more of everything. They also now offer tsukemen which are cold noodles in a separate hot broth you dip in.

Original Karaage

We were worried that having fried chicken on a hot broth would ruin the crispiness of the chicken, so we decided to order the Karaage on the side instead. You can choose to have this with a dipping sauce for $0.40 more, but we just got the original. These are big chunks of meat and are lightly battered so very crispy! They sure know how to make good fried chicken here.

Basic Chashu

S got the Basic Chashu and added an ajitama (soft boiled marinated egg). They will ask you if you want a fatty or lean broth, of which S chose the former. They will also ask you if you want garlic on top, which S got. The ramen noodles are quite thick (the size of spaghetti) and come loaded with bean sprouts. We were disappointed with the broth as we found it lacked flavour and depth. The chashu was also a miss for us as I found the meat very dry and the fatty parts did not have the melt in your mouth texture.

Spicy Chashu

For myself, I got the Spicy Chashu of which I found the broth to be slightly more rich and flavourful. I asked for mild spicy so this was the perfect amount of spice for me personally. The egg was decent, although I still prefer Marutama’s.

Overall, S and I were both not a fan of the thick noodles and all the bean sprouts but I know many enjoy this style of ramen. I don’t think we will be returning any time soon although we did enjoy their chicken karaage. Worth a try if you are interested in trying a new style of ramen or if you prefer thicker styles of ramen. Oh, and they offer you bibs to wear to avoid any splashing on your clothes!

Pros:
– Chicken karaage is moist inside and crispy on the outside
– Portions are pretty big, especially if you get the bakamori

Cons:
– Personally did not enjoy all the bean sprouts and thicker noodles
– Chashu was too dry and had too much fat

Price Range: $10-15/person

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

Food: 3 Service: 3.5 Ambiance: 3 Parking: 2.5 Overall: 3

Bubble Tea Shop

May 5, 2016May 5, 2016Leave a comment

The Bubble Tea Shop is tucked away underneath the Superstore parking lot in Richmond and opened up over a year ago. Since then, they have opened up a new location on Robson as well. Trying to get a spot at Snowy Village on a Friday night was pretty much impossible, so we decided to come here instead.

Parking is easy here (when people aren’t out and about doing groceries) and the shop itself is quite spacious. However, the decor is quite cheap and they were playing the most vulgar music even though there were children dining here… They also have a consignment area although I wonder how many people purchase items here.

Ferrero Rocher

S and I decided to share a drink and a dessert. We chose the Ferrero Rocher drink which was more like a slush and topped with whipped cream and a ferrero rocher ball. Frankly, we both found this to be just average as it was more icy than hazelnut flavour.

Super Matcha Bubble Waffle

I also wanted to try their bubble waffles which makes up most of their menu. We got the Super Matcha Bubble Waffle which comes with strawberries, a scoop of green tea ice cream, red bean, and icing sugar. The bubble waffle itself is also matcha flavoured but it was not very strong. With the heavy moist toppings on top, it really made the bubble waffle soggy and their bubble waffle in general isn’t very good. It tasted more like straight batter rather than having a chewy center. Strawberries were also sour so honestly the overall execution was underwhelming.

Overall, we were not too impressed with the desserts we tried at the Bubble Tea Shop. The drink was around $6 and the bubble waffle was almost $9. I much rather go to Bubble Queen for similar items which are more executed much better.

Pros:
– Large selection of deluxe bubble waffles and drinks
– Usually easy parking in the evenings

Cons:
– Items we tried were just average and not well-executed
– Ambiance and service is not that great

Price Range: $10/person

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

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

Bubble Waffle Cafe – ChineseBites Media Event

May 1, 2016May 1, 2016Leave a comment

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

Bubble Waffle opened a sit-in location in Kerrisdale and ChineseBites invited us to a media tasting.

The interior is rustic and the owner said he wanted to give a HK style feel to it. The prices here are a little higher than the food court stalls, but they are still affordable.

They even have a mural painted on the wall showcasing Hong Kong.

I sat with Instagrammers, Tina, Sharon, and Elaine. First up, we got to sample all the different soup bases. This was great since there are a few soups that I wouldn’t normally order, like the really spicy ones.

We then got to sample a selection of their Bubble Waffles.

They have a variety of flavours here, including original, chocolate, Oreo, cheesecake, matcha and cinnamon. These were okay, but not crispy enough.

My favourite was still the original although I found the cheesecake flavour surprisingly quite good. The cinnamon flavour was probably my least favourite.

Next up were some Taiwanese snacks. The Taiwanese Sausages were quite a hit at our table. They are a mix of sweet and savoury and have a firm texture.

My favourite snack was the Deep Fried Stinky Tofu. The outside was very crispy and the inside was piping hot. Along with the sweet and spicy sauce, this was delicious. A miss for some because of the fermented smell.

The Fish Siu Mai was quite typical and I found that it was soaked in too much soy sauce. I kind of wished it had a chili sauce on the side.

I enjoyed the Takoyaki quite a lot as these were filled with a generous amount of octopus bits and the inside wasn’t doughy like some I’ve tried.

The Taiwanese Chicken Nuggets were a hit as they were crispy with the chicken itself very moist. I loved the salt and pepper flavouring.

The Fried Shrimp Balls were a beautiful orange colour but I found them to be slightly bland. It needed a sauce to go with it.

Overall, Bubble Waffle Cafe has a great variety of snacks which you can order on its own or pay extra to add on as a side with your noodles.

The drinks came along and I got the HK Style Iced Milk Tea. Their milk teas are actually made with a blend of 5 different Sri Lankan teas. The tea also goes through a filter and is pulled, a common way of making milk teas in Hong Kong. Very silky smooth as a result.

Finally our noodles which we got to customize arrived! E got the Laksa soup base which is one of my usual orders. The soup is flavourful without being too spicy.

T got the Satay soup base which again is very flavourful. It almost tastes like you’re having hot pot!

For myself, I chose the Chiu Chow Style Minced Pork Fish Soup along with rice noodle, sliced beef, sliced beef brisket, fried shrimp ball and fish ball with shrimp. All noodles come with cabbage and bean curd. For some reason, my soup also came with corn.

Overall, Bubble Waffle is great when you’re craving hot noodles in soup on a rainy day. I also love the ability to customize everything from the soup to the toppings. You’ll be very full by the end of your meal for sure with the large portion sizes and affordable prices. A nice option to be able to eat at a location with a nicer ambiance compared to the food court now.

Ken’s Chinese Restaurant – ChineseBites Media Event

April 20, 2016Leave a comment

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

Last month, I was invited by ChineseBites to do a tasting at Ken’s Chinese Restaurant. The restaurant has been around for many years and serves traditional Chinese dishes as well as some HK style cafe dishes.

Fish Soup with Winter Melon & Dried Scallop 瑤柱冬瓜粒魚湯

Chinese dinners always start with soup, and we got to sample the Fish Soup with Winter Melon & Dried Scallop. Flavourful with lots of ingredients and great for a cold rainy night.

Ken’s Specialty Chicken 南軒走地雞

Ken’s Specialty Chicken was tender with a nice layer of jelly under the skin.

Lobster with Konnyaku in Hot Pot 芋絲龍蝦煲

One of their signature dishes is the Lobster with Konnyaku in Hot Pot. This was very flavourful with the lobster cooked just right and the konnyaku noodles soaking up the delicious broth. A must order!

Crab with Garlic & Spicy XO Sauce XO 金蒜炒蟹

We got to sample two of their signature crab dishes. The first was the Crab with Garlic & Spicy XO Sauce. The sauce is more of a dry sauce and great if you love spicy flavours. I could eat the whole dish if I didn’t have to share!

Golden Dungeness Crab 金沙蟹

The Golden Dungeness Crab was one of my favourites as I love crab or lobster that is coated with a salty egg yolk batter. Very flavourful but some found it to be too filling because of the egg yolk. I loved it though!

Braised Fatty Layer Pork 杭州東玻肉

The Braised Fatty Layer Pork seems like a must order at ChineseBites events, and this one didn’t disappoint. A good layer of fat to meat ratio but I did find that this one felt more oily than others I’ve had.

Pan Fried Chicken Fillet with Spicy Thai Sauce 泰汁煎雞扒

The Pan Fried Chicken Fillet with Spicy Thai Sauce was quite average for me as I didn’t find it too special. The chicken was quite tenderized, but nothing too special with the sauce as it tasted like store bought Thai sweet chili sauce.

Malaysian Style Fried Rice 馬拉臘味炒飯

I actually quite enjoyed the Malaysian Style Fried Rice as it had a bit of a kick to it. Good amount of ingredients in the rice.

Black Pepper Diced Beef Tenderloin 七彩黑椒牛柳粒

I was pleasantly surprised with the Black Pepper Diced Beef Tenderloin as I find that this dish can be easily overdone. This was however delicious with the beef extremely tender and cooked to a nice medium to medium rare. The colourful peppers also made the dish visually appetizing and tasted great.

Baked Seafood on Rice 焗海鮮飯

Lastly, we had the Baked Seafood on Rice. This was quite average with a nice layer of white cream sauce and melted cheese. Nothing too special compared to your typical HK style cafes.

Overall, there were some hits and misses, but I would highly recommend trying their crab and lobster dishes. A great casual Chinese restaurant for families but ambiance is rather dated. Reasonable prices and some great dishes though.

Firebird Cafe

March 21, 2016March 20, 2016Leave a comment

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

ChineseBites invited Naomi (Constant Cravings) and I along with our guests to sample some dishes from Firebird Cafe. Located in Continental Plaza, it took over Tasty Rice Noodles, which was short-lived in the original Deer Garden spot.

The interior looks exactly the same as Deer Garden and the menu is fairly similar.

They are famous for their customized noodle soups and have pretty much the same order sheets as Deer Garden and the previous Tasty Rice Noodles. All of us were not really feeling a noodle soup that night, so we skipped this.

A new addition is their custom sizzling grills as well as their custom steamed rice. For $13.95, you can choose two items for your custom sizzling grill. It comes with your a soup of the day, choice of a side (rice, spaghetti, fries, or mashed potatoes) and choice of a sauce (black pepper, mushroom, onion, garlic, and gravy). Coffee or tea is included with additional charges for cold or specialty drinks. Additional toppings are $3.95.

House Special Milk Tea with Grass Jelly, Taro Milk Tea with Pearls, Peach Green Tea with Pearls, Mango Slush with Coconut Jelly

We started off with an assortment of their specialty drinks. They were all pretty well made but don’t expect them to be as good as the ones from a specialty bubble tea shop.

Deep Fried Taiwanese Chicken Nuggets

For appies, we had the Deep Fried Taiwanese Chicken Nuggets which were surprisingly really good at a HK style type of cafe. Topped with loads of basil and lightly battered, these were extremely flavourful with the chicken remaining moist inside.

Custom Sizzling Grill

W got the Custom Sizzling Grill with Chicken Wings, Fish Fillet, Chicken Steak, Spaghetti and Mushroom Sauce. We were suprised how moist the grilled items remained. The grilled items were all very flavourful so the sauce was not really needed. I do find that for additional toppings, it can get a bit pricey.

Custom Sizzling Grill

S got the Custom Sizzling Grill as well but with Chicken Wings, Ribeye Steak, Chicken Steak, Fries and Black Pepper Sauce. I really enjoyed the ribeye steak as it was very tender. Veggies were rather bland, but again, all the meats were very flavourful.

Baked Pork Chop on Rice

For myself, I chose the Baked Pork Chop on Rice. This was a huge portion for under $10. The pork chop was moist and crispy, but I wish there was more sauce as I found myself left with lots of rice near the end.

Curry Boneless Chicken with Rice

N got the Curry Boneless Chicken with Rice which I really enjoyed! It was a lot spicier than most HK style curries. I liked the crispy potatoes and sauce!

Deep Fried Squid Tentacles

Lastly, we got the Deep Fried Squid Tentacles which took quite a while to arrive. We suspect that it was because they were taking the time to plate it so nicely… Anyways, they were slightly disappointing because the batter was slightly soggy. The squid itself was pretty good as it was chewy without being tough. They use a seaweed seasoning on top along with a sweet chili mayo, which is a little odd. This was just alright.

Overall, I quite enjoyed their baked dishes and custom sizzling grills. Portions are great for the price. Not a bad spot if you are looking for HK style cafe food.

8th Annual Chinese Restaurant Awards Ceremony

March 20, 2016Leave a comment

On March 2nd, 2016, we were invited to the 8th Annual Chinese Restaurant Awards (CRA) ceremony held at the River Rock Show Theatre.

The afternoon recognized the winners of the Critic’s Choice Signature Dish Awards and Social Media Choice Awards.

We were able to sample some of the winner’s dishes along with some drinks thanks to sponsors.

Each year, the CRA recognizes a Canadian food product-of-excellence that has incorporated into Chinese cuisine. This year’s winner is the B.C. Geoduck by Underwater Harvester’s Association.

We got to sample a dish using geoduck by the award winning Chef Sam Leung from Dynasty Seafood Restaurant. They presented to us a plate of B.C. Geoduck with Dungeness Crab Roe and Yuzi. This was creamy and the flavour and texture of the geoduck was right on.

Others who were present included the chefs from Peninsula Seafood Restaurant, including executive chef Yao Wei Guang and dim sum hed chef Keong Wong. Peninsula won the 2016 Diner’s Choice Awards for Best Fine Dining Restaurant.

They served us Chef’s Special Red-braised Pork which had just the right amount of fat to meat ratio. This was also extremely flavourful.

Memory Corner won Diner’s Choice Awards for the best Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice which we got to sample. Flavourful and fatty pork with a side of marinated hard boiled egg.

Saint Germain Bakery won Diner’s Choice Awards for best bakery shop and showcased a variety of their delectable cakes. Light and fluffy and not overly sweet.

Mission Hill Family Estate helped cover us for wines and we got to sample their Five Vineyards 2013 Chardonnay.

Hennessy showcased their Very Special Cognac.

K sampled the cognac with a mix of ginger ale.

Heineken was also at the event to cover the guests who wanted some beer.

Dawn Chubai from Breakfast Television, CityTV and William Ho Wood Kuen from Fairchild TV and Radio were the emcees for the afternoon and we got to congratulate all the winners of the recipients of the Critic’s Choice Signature Dish Awards and Social Media Choice Awards.

Another great year of delicious food and congratulations to all the chefs and restaurant winners!

To see the list of winners for the Chinese Restaurant Awards’ 2016 Diners’ Choice Awards which was released earlier, check out Vancity Buzz’s article.

Winners of the Critics’ Choice Signature Dish Awards – Metro Vancouver

SALT AND PEPPER CRUSTED DUNGENESS CRAB

Landmark Hotpot House
4023 Cambie Street, Vancouver (604) 872-2868

SABLEFISH WITH SHREDDED PORK, LUFFA, PICKLED VEGETABLES IN CONGEE SOUP

Dynasty Seafood restaurant
#108-777 West Broadway, Vancouver (604) 876-8388

STEAMED EGG WITH CLAMS

Shroom Restaurant
6555 Fraser Street, Vancouver (604) 568-7797

CHEF TONY’S SPECIAL CHARCOAL GRILLED DUCK

Chef Tony Seafood Restaurant
#101-4600 No.3 Road, Richmond (604) 279-0083

CHICKEN WITH STICKY RICE IN CLAYPOT

Golden Eats Seafood Restaurant
2141 Kingsway, Vancouver (604) 336-3389

LAMB HOTPOT

The Jade Seafood Restaurant
8511 Alexandra Road, Richmond (604) 249-0082

LAMB IN SOUP

Old Xian’s Food
#2010-8580 Alexandra Road, Richmond (604) 370-3888

BRAISED WINTER MELON WITH VEGETABLE AND MUSHROOM

Dynasty Seafood restaurant
#108-777 West Broadway, Vancouver (604) 876-8388

TOFU SKIN WRAPPED MUSHROOMS WITH VEGETABLES

Hoitong Chinese Seafood Restaurant
#155-8191 Westminster Hwy, Richmond (604) 276-9229

DURIAN EGGTART

Yue Delicacy Restaurant
8077 Alexandra Road, Richmond (604) 233-1219

Winners of the Social Media Choice Awards – Metro Vancouver

BEST SICHUAN WATER-BOILED FISH

Tian Shi Fu Restaurant
8151 Alexandra Road, Richmond (604) 273-3388

BEST TAIWANESE BRAISED PORK RICE

Corner 23
4008 Cambie Street, Vancouver (604) 879-8815

BEST HONG KONG-STYLE ROAST DUCK

Parker Place (Aberdeen) Meat & B.B.Q.
#1020-4380 No.3 Road, Richmond (604) 233-1138

BEST SHANGHAI-STYLE DRUNKEN CHICKEN

Top Shanghai Cuisine Restaurant
#120-5880 No.3 Road, Richmond (604) 278-8790

BEST MANGO SAGO WITH POMELO/GRAPEFRUIT

Doolami Dessert
8030 Granville Street, Vancouver (778) 737-7123

BiBo Restaurant -Media Launch

March 12, 2016Leave a comment

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

Last month, I was invited by Peak Communicators to attend the official launch of Bibo Restaurant at Richmond’s McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Mall. They had their soft opening back in October last year, but the official launch was on February 29, 2016. This is now their second location, with the first in Kitsilano.

During the media launch, we were greeted by the owners Andrea and his wife and business partner, Michela. As native Italians, the owners are passionate about creating an authentic atmosphere at the restaurant that mirrors traditional Italian values, heritage, and ambiance.

The interior is bright and modern with long tables for communal type seating.

At the end of the restaurant is a large bar and we were able to sample a variety of drinks.

The Cortese Gavi di Gavi DOCG is a distinguished white wine produced in a very small region surrounding the little town of Gavi. It has a medium body and notes of limes. This wine is exclusive to BiBo.

All other wines are carefully selected and sourced by the owners to ensure it’s consistent with the authentic Italian ambiance and complimentary to the traditional Italian dishes.

We also got to sample some of their Italian sodas which I fancied. These are are imported from Italy and are great for both children and adults.

They had set up a buffet style event for us to showcase some of their best menu items. On one side were a selection of meats.

Bio boasts a selection of fresh and natural ingredients sourced from Italy, including many of these cheese.

Olive oil is imported from Tuscany and Campania, and Porcini mushrooms from Piedmont. The olives and artichokes are from Michela’s uncle who owns a farm in Salerno.

I asked the servers to give me a sample of everything. This included the Coppa Piacentina, which is a seasoned meat left to age for at least six weeks.

So many choices of fresh meats and cheese, so a perfect place to get a charcuterie board along with a glass of wine.

Risotto Balls were Crispy on the outside and gooey in the inside.

There were also a selection of polenta bites. They also offer gluten-free and vegetarian options.

We then got to watch the pizza chefs in action. BiBo’s pizza chefs are all from Napoli and have trained at the Neapolitan Pizza School. All pizza crusts are hand-stretched and baked in a wood0fired oven and topped with the highest quality ingredients.

This was the Butternut Squash Pizza. I liked the sweetness of the squash along with the salty meat. The crust is definitely really light and crispy. This is what you call thin crust! Usually I’m not a fan of eating the crust, but this was really good.

They have a good variety of choices including this Spicy Chorizo as well as classics like the Margherita.

Lastly, we got to sample some of their pastas, including this meat ravioli and risotto.

Overall, a great new addition to Richmond’s vast choices of restaurants. Perfect to stop by after a day of shopping at the outlet. BiBo’s owners also announced that they will be opening its third location in the Olympic Village district this summer!

In celebration of the grand opening, BiBo is offering promotions at its new Richmond location only. This includes discounts on all bottles of Italian wines exclusive to the restaurant every Tuesday and Wednesday. As well, there is a special Pizza and Beer for $18 every Monday until May 30, 2016.

Shiny Tea

March 5, 2016March 5, 2016Leave a comment

Shiny Tea opened up shortly after the new addition to Aberdeen Centre, called Aberdeen Square, finished renovations. It’s actually really close to the Canada Line skytrain connector. I heard a lot about their tiny white pearls so I finally decided to come check it out.

On a Sunday afternoon around 4pm, this place was PACKED. This is a take away only location and the lineup to order was massive. There were also tons of people waiting for their drinks when we arrived.

They have an extensive list of drinks and many choices if you enjoy tea flavours. They claim that they are authorized by the inventor of Taiwanese’s tapioca milk tea. Prices are around the same as Chatime and they offer large and medium sizes.

Panda Milk Tea

We both got the Panda Milk Tea as it features a mix of small white pearls and regular sized black pearls. You are able to customize your drink by sugar and ice level, just like Chatime. We went for 50% sugar level and found that it was barely sweet, whereas if we got 50% at Chatime, it would still be very sweet. I would suggest getting 25% less sugar then if you want your drink to still be a little sweet. We found that the small white pearls were really just sago which you find when you order mango sago desserts. Therefore, I didn’t find it that special. Plus, they are so small so I found that I swallowed them without chewing which probably isn’t very good for you… Anyways, their milk tea is quite smooth and you can smell the brew of tea all around the surroundings. Still, I think I prefer Chatime’s roasted milk tea, but Shiny Tea is pretty good if you want bubble tea and you’re near Aberdeen. Overall, we waited 10 minutes in line to order and another 20 minutes for our drinks.

Pros:
– Great choice of tea flavoured drinks
– Choice of small and big pearls
– Able to customize sugar and ice level

Cons:
– Long waits to order and receive drink

Price Range: $5/person

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

Food: 3.5 Service: 3 Ambiance: N/A Parking: 2.5 Overall: 3.5

Every Day is a Food Day

Category: Location

Ramen Gojiro

Bubble Tea Shop

Bubble Waffle Cafe – ChineseBites Media Event

Ken’s Chinese Restaurant – ChineseBites Media Event

Firebird Cafe

8th Annual Chinese Restaurant Awards Ceremony

BiBo Restaurant -Media Launch

Shiny Tea