The Crab King

August 3, 2012May 3, 2013Leave a comment

My foodie friends, Steph, Mica and I 🙂

So many crabs in the tank!

Crab Poutine

Seafood Spring Rolls

Deep Fried Mussels with Crunchy Fries – paprika spice, lemon

After watching a video of the construction of Crab King, hearing all the good comments about it, and even walking by a few times and always telling my friends we would try it next time, I finally tried it on a nice sunny day! Crab King is located on the boardwalk of Steveston Village, and is apparently supposed to be floating, but it wasn’t exactly “floating” as I had imagined. Crab King is also sort of a self serve place. You place your order at the front, and then you take a numbered sign with you to the table of your choice. Then, they bring the food to you.

Steph, Mica and I wanted to try a bit of everything, so we decided to share three plates. First up, the Crab Poutine we had all been talking about! It was basically a plate of fries topped with crab pieces and layered with cheese and gravy. Interestingly, the cheese wasn’t like the cheese curd that we usually see in poutines at New York Fries and such, but it was much more stringy and I actually preferred this much more. The amount of crab was also not too shabby, so it was definitely a good dish. Next up, we got the Seafood Spring Rolls. I couldn’t exactly taste the seafood in it, but I thought they tasted better than some of the Vietnamese spring rolls I’ve had. Not bad! And lastly, I wanted to try the Deep Fried Mussels, which came with what they called “Crunchy Fries”. We asked the cashier why they were called crunchy fries since they also had something on the menu just called normal fries, but he just laughed and said “to make it sound more special” or something along those lines. Interesting… Anyways, the mussels were pretty interesting since they were “deep fried”. They tasted pretty much the same as normal mussels, but were a little more crispy on the edges. The paprika gave it a nice flavour, and along with the lemon, had some zesty flavour to it. As for the fries, definitely not anything different than those normal fries. Tasted just like any other fries.

Crab King is definitely a nice place to grab some boardwalk food if you’re in Steveston Village, and is a great option other than the typical Pajos Fish and Chips that we often get. It’s got an amazing view by the water and is breezy on a nice summer day!

Manzo Itamae

August 1, 2012May 3, 2013Leave a comment

Takoyaki

Mentaiko Chaahan

I realized that I’ve been getting lazy with food blogging, and now my posts are all from weeks ago! Anyways, a few weeks ago, we had Michelle’s birthday dinner at Manzo Itamae. I’ve actually been here a few times, although I personally think it’s just average. I wasn’t too hungry that day since I ate not long beforehand, so I decided to share some food. We got the Takoyaki, which I thought was pretty good. It came with loads of that fish flake stuff, and the fillings inside weren’t crappy like some places. Mica suggested that I try the Mentaiko Chaahan, which is basically fried rice with marinated roe of pollock. It was quite interesting since I don’t think I’ve really had Japanese fried rice before. You could definitely taste the flavours of the mentaiko, which made the dish great. Service was however terrible with this dish. The takoyakis came promptly, but I swear I waited for almost an hour for my Mentaiko Chaahan to come. I know that we had a large group, so it would take longer, but the fact that everyone else’s food came, but not mine, was a disappointment. Most of my friends had finished their food by the time my fried rice came. So service this time was definitely a disappointment, but food was average as usual.

Mancakes Bakery

July 31, 2012May 3, 2013Leave a comment

Night 6 Pack

Buffalo Wing
Breakfast
Tequila Pineapple
Rum & Coke
Whiskey Lime
Chocolate Red Wine

Day 6 Pack

Buffalo Wing
Breakfast
Pink Peppercorn
Apple Brie
Bacon Chili Chocolate
King Kong

Steph knows I’m always up to try new food, and so for my birthday, she ordered some Mancakes! Two boxes…Day and Night. Definitely too much cake for my birthday this year! So what exactly are Mancakes? Well they were created by a few Vancouver guys who decided that cupcakes didn’t have to be all frilly and pretty with cute frosting decorations. They decided to create cupcakes with unique flavours that were catered to men. And although I’m not a guy, I definitely wanted to give these cakes a try! And yes, these bold cupcakes are not restricted for guys! I believe they only have 10 flavours currently, and they are packaged in either the Day or Night box. You have to buy the whole box, and you can order them online. They provide free shipping if you order 3 packs, and I believe there’s a small charge if you order less.

Sadly, I was not able to try all the different flavours, which was what I intended on doing! I left the cakes in the fridge and when I came home, many of them had been devoured by my parents already! They sure seemed to enjoy them! I did however get to try the Chocolate Red Wine, which probably was my favourite (well from the ones I tried). It came with a wine jelly, and the center of the cake had some nice chocolate filling. That was definitely a surprise, since I expected it to just be a full solid cupcake. Other than that, I also tried the Buffalo Wing, which I have to say was….quite interesting. This is their signature cupcake, which is why it’s in both the day and night pack. Honestly, I thought this bad boy was kind of weird. The cake itself was fine, but I didn’t like the flavour of the frosting. Even the bacon on top was fine, but something about the frosting’s flavour wasn’t satisfying. I also tried the Tequila Pineapple, which didn’t taste too special. It had a slight pineapple taste to it, but not strong in alcohol. Not too bad!

Overall, Mancakes are definitely worth a try. It’s something that I’ve never had before, and who would think that savoury cupcakes could taste great too!

Takifugu Japanese Dining

July 30, 2012May 3, 2013Leave a comment

Salmon Tororo-Ae – Atlantic Salmon with Grated Japanese Yam Potato

Assorted Oshinko – Assorted Japanese Pickles

Kawahaki Mirin Boshi – Grilled Dry Kawahaki Fish

Teba Shio Yaki – Grilled Chicken Wing with Salt

Fresh Clams

Niku Tataki – Seared AAA Beef Sliced with Special Sauce

Nabayaki Udon – Tempura Prawns, Chicken and Egg with udon in soup served in a Hot Pot

Kani Uni Roll (Fresh Sea Urchin with Real Crab) and Chopped Scallop Tobiko Roll

Long overdue, but a few weeks ago, it was my birthday! I went to Takifugu which is hidden in the inner corner of the same mall that West Lake moved to. The interior is really nice, and looks almost like it is fine dining, but when you look at the prices, it isn’t as expensive as you would think. It was also pretty quiet, with just one or two tables, but maybe because it was a weekday, and also because the location is quite hidden.

We ordered the Salmon Tororo-Ae to begin. I was so confused what the outer white stuff was for the longest time, until I looked at the menu again now, and realized that it was grated yam potato! I wasn’t even sure if I was supposed to eat it before, since it kind of just slid off the sashimi when I picked it up. Not bad, but I would probably stick with the typical salmon sashimi, without the potato around it. Steph got the Assorted Oshinko since she is always crazy for oshinko. I swear everytime I eat at a Japanese restaurant with her, she orders something to do with oshinko… But anyways, I never tried it, since I’m not a big fan of oshinko, but she told me that they were some interesting oshinko, and that she probably would prefer the typical yellow ones we see in sushi normally. Next up was the Kawahaki Mirin Boshi, which was basically grilled fish. It reminded me of those grilled squid I used to always get when I was little. It was chewy, and was accompanied with a nice mayo sauce. I wanted the Teba Shio Yaki, which were basically grilled chicken wings. I thought they were grilled very nicely, with a thin crispy layer of skin. They were also having some seasonal items, and so we got tried the Fresh Clams. They were juicy, but I found them a little tough. Not tough to the point that I couldn’t chew, but I’ve had more tender clams.I really wanted something like beef tataki, so I ordered the Niku Tataki. It was presented really nicely on a bowl on ice, and they were tiny little strips of meat. I’m not sure if I ordered the right thing, but what I really wanted was something like Guu’s Beef Tataki. It was decent, but it could’ve been more juicy, and the sauce wasn’t any special.We also got the Nabayaki Udon, which had a very flavourful soup, and was actually very delicious. Lastly we got some sushi rolls, and we got the Kani Uni Roll, as well as theChopped Scallop Roll. I have to say, I was kind of disappointed in them, as they weren’t presented as nicely as the other dishes. They were also just alright, and weren’t too impressive. I’ve definitely had better chopped scallop rolls elsewhere.

Overall, Takifugu is a nice place to have dinner, with a variety of dishes to choose from. I like how they have a wide assortment of grilled items, similar to Zakkushi. I think their hidden location is the cause to their lack of customers.

Outpost Mini Donut Co.

July 25, 2012May 3, 2013Leave a comment

Vancouver weather has finally been more pleasant and a sunny day meant heading over to the Steveston Village for a walk. Everyone has been talking about these donuts at Outpost Mini Donu Co. for a while, but I never even noticed this donut shop although I walk past it almost every time I’m there. The interior is really cute and cozy, and you can see the making of donuts coming fresh out of the oven. I got half a dozen of a variety of donuts, including chocolate, vanilla, pink lemonade and cinnamon to name a few. Although they have all these flavours, my favourites are still the original cinnamon sugar coated donuts. Overall, great fresh donuts in a lovely area!

Jang Mo Jib (Burnaby)

July 24, 2012May 3, 2013Leave a comment

Complimentary Assorted Appetizers – Sweet Potato, Kimchi, Bean Sprouts, Spicy Radish

Dol Sot Bee Bim Bahb – Assorted preserved vegetables, beef, sauteed Kimchi, onions and fried egg served on rice in a hot stone bowl, served with homemade hot chili paste on the side

Jab Che – Stir-fried sweet potato noodle with assorted vegetables and beef cooked in a house special marinade sauce

Hae Mool Pah Jun – Assorted seafood pancake with green onions and egg, served with house special soy sauce to dip

Jing Uh Bool Go Gee – Korean Traditional stir-fried squid and vegetables in spicy house special BBQ sauce

After more than probably a year, Steph, Sharmaine, Chris and I finally got together to celebrate our HR paper…well not that we didn’t see each other again, but we kept saying we would get together for dinner to celebrate finishing HR class! And since we all lived in different parts of Vancouver, we had to figure our which would be the closest for all of us. And so we met in between, and ended up in Burnaby, and decided to go for Jang Mo Jib.

I’ve had Jang Mo Jib in Richmond, but never before elsewhere, so I was curious to see what the menu was like here. Sadly, from what I recall, the menu is pretty much the same. We had originally wanted Korean BBQ I think, but we didn’t see the little cooking area built on our table and were a bit confused, so we ended up just ordering some Korean dishes.

Jang Mo Jib always provides complimentary appetizers as our side dishes. This consists of Sweet Potatoes, Kimchi, Bean Sprouts, Spicy Radishes, and a bowl of Rice. I love their sweet potatoes, but to this day, I’m still not sure what kind of sauce it’s in. As for our first dish, we got the Dol Sot Bee Bim BahbDol. It’s basically like a stone bowl, with rice, and you mix all the veggies and eggs that are on top together. Interestingly though, it had an interesting taste to it that we were all aware of. Now that I look back on the menu, I think we ordered the wrong one! This one was a different Bee Bim Bahp from the traditional one, as it included sauteed kimchi in it, hence the unique flavour. I love Jab Che, so I chose to order that. Enormous portion! But I love the texture of those sweet potato noodles. Definitely a lot of carbs too! And then we also got that Hae Mool Pah Jun, which is the popular seafood pancake. It was filled with lots of squid and green onions, and was crispy at the top. And lastly, we decided to try the Jing Uh Bool Go Gee, which was stir-fried squid in a slightly spicy sauce. We found the squid a little tough, but it was still very delicious.

We went on a weekday, so it actually wasn’t too busy. We basically sat there till we were given the bill, since we were catching up and lost track of time. That was probably like 3 hours! So I guess it’s a nice place to sit around for on a weekday. But I hear that it gets really busy on the weekends, especially since it’s located very central, near Metrotown.

Loving Hut

July 24, 2012May 3, 2013Leave a comment

Crispy Chick’n Burger

I’ve been interning in downtown these days, and finally met up with Andrew to grab lunch since we actually worked pretty close together! He brought me to Loving Hut, which is located just across the street from the Yaletown Canada Line Station, and in front of the Yaletown Roundhouse Community Centre. Loving Hut actually serves vegan burgers, but I honestly had no idea while I was lining up, until Andrew told me. And even when I took the bite, I still had no idea! I had the Crispy Chick’n Burger and the sauce, which was chipotle mayo was really delicious! It was a bit spicy, but something that I could handle. If I hadn’t known beforehand that the chicken was vegan, I probably would have finished the whole burger thinking I had ate real chicken. But since I knew, I took the bite of chicken more carefully, trying to taste it. It tasted like some sort of soy product I think. But honestly, I think the burger tasted better than some real chicken burgers I’ve had. Definitely a must try, and I would love to try the Grilled Mushroom Cheese Burger next time! They don’t operate everyday, and only during lunch hours I believe, so make sure to check beforehand.

Phnom Penh

July 18, 2012May 3, 20131 Comment

Mango Moo Moo Shake

Iced Rainbow Drink

Butter Beef

Special Combo A – Deep Fried Spring Roll, Vietnamese BBQ Beef Brochette, Prawn Supreme on Sugar Cane

Filet Beef on Rice with Egg

Phnom Penh Rice Noodle (no broth)

Phnom Penh Curry Chicken Hot Pot

Phnom Penh Deep Fried Chicken Wings

I cannot tell you how excited I was to finally try Phnom Penh. It’s been on my wishlist ever since I heard it was one of the top restaurants in Vancouver on Urbanspoon. The only thing really stopping me was where it was located. It’s in the Chinatown neighborhood, which can be a little sketchy at night, but luckily, Phnom Penh is located in a smaller street. The street is mostly small groceries, and is actually pretty quiet, other than the line ups at Phnom Penh.

Phnom Penh doesn’t take reservations unless you have a table of 6, but luckily, we got our seat quite quick. We did however have to share a table with another group of 4, but it wasn’t too awkward as it was a long rectangular table.

We decided to grab some drinks, and I got the Iced Rainbow Drink. Honestly, I’m not a big fan of the drink since I don’t like bits of red beans in my food, but my mom said it was the drink for Vietnamese cuisine so she wanted to take a sip from it. It was alright, and I liked the green jelly bits in it. Next up, we got the Butter Beef. This is one of their most popular dishes, and it was really good! It is basically half cooked meat, topped with a lot of cilantro and a special sauce. I really dislike cilantro, so I picked it all out, but the meat was still really good. I loved the sauce and the meat was not tough at all. We also got the Special Combo A, which included Deep Fried Spring Rolls, a Vietnamese BBQ Beef Brochette, and a Prawn Supreme on Sugar Cane. They were all very delicious and I especially liked the Beef Brochette. The beef was extremely tender and flavourful. We also got the Filet Beef on Rice with Egg, which seemed pretty typical, but their sauce was quite distinct. It had an interesting taste that I cannot describe! Next, we got the Phnom Penh Rice Noodle (no broth). I found it a little dry, but I guess it’s supposed to be like that since it said no broth! They have one with broth too, so maybe that one is better. It also had a very unique flavour again. I think the sauce had garlic or something, but I’m not quite sure. This one was just alright. We also wanted to try their curry, so we got the Phnom Penh Curry Chicken Hot Pot. I really enjoyed the curry, but I found it quite different from the usual Vietnamese curry I get back in Richmond. The curry wasn’t as thick, but rather very thin and was perfect to pour onto vermicelli to add some flavour. They also didn’t use potatoes, but instead yams, which was an interesting change to the usual. And lastly, we got the famous Phnom Penh Deep Fried Chicken Wings. People tell me they’re the best wings around, but maybe because I had such high expectations for them, they didn’t really live up to my expectations. They were still really delicious and I loved the dipping sauce that came with it. I have to say my favourite wings around the town are these, and the ones at Wo Fung Dessert in Aberdeen Mall.

Overall, Phnom Penh lived up to their high ranking on Urbanspoon. They definitely have great food. I’m still however confused what exactly is authentic Cambodian and Vietnamese food. Maybe I ordered the wrong dishes. But I’ll definitely come back again for more. The prices are however more expensive than I had expected, but it’s decent. Oh and to add, the interior was newly renovated, so it was actually really clean with brand new furniture.