Hog Shack Cook House

June 6, 2015Leave a comment

Hog Shack has been around for a long time, and it’s probably the only barbeque meat restaurant we have in Richmond. Finally, I decided to make a trip to Steveston to get a meaty dinner.

The interior gives you that all American feel with white and red checkered tablecloths and wooden decor. They have a lot of long tables as well so it’s great for large groups. Their menu is basically for the meat lovers, with all meats smoked in house and all the rubs and sauces also made in house. It’s the place to go if you want some Kansas City style BBQ.

Smoke Lover’s Combo

Since S and I were not that hungry that day, we decided to just share a combo. The waitress said that the combos are quite large and would be sufficient for two people. When it came, I thought it looked rather small, but we were actually quite full by the end of it. The Smoke Lover’s Combo comes with beef brisket and pulled pork. With the combos, you can then choose two side dishes. We went for the potato wedges and hand-cut fries. The beef brisket had a nice crisp on the outside and was super moist and tender inside. The pulled pork was very flavourful and it wasn’t dry. The meats are definitely really good here! As for the potato wedges and fries, they are just quite average. They were crispy but I found that they were too golden brown, which meant that the oil might’ve been a bit old.

Overall, we were quite pleased with Hog Shack. If you’re looking for smoked meat in Vancouver, this is a great option other than the famous Memphis Blues. Service was subpar though. Felt like it wasn’t attentive enough although it was really one girl running the whole restaurant.

Pros:
– Great smoked meats
– Perfect place for large groups to share platters

Cons:
– Service was lacking a bit

Price Range: $20-40

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

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

Ramen Butcher

June 4, 2015June 4, 2015Leave a comment

Ramen Butcher opened up earlier this year in Chinatown and was definitely one of the most talked about ramen shops for a good time. They are part of the Menya Kouji franchise, which is a Japanese restaurant group with many ramen shops in Asia. The chefs are all trained under Yamagishi Kazuo, who is the inventor of tsukemen, a type of ramen noodles.

Everyone has been talking about the line ups, and I’m definitely someone who hates waiting. So a few months down the line, I was ready to check this place out, hoping the hype would’ve died down. And it definitely did. We had no wait when we arrived shortly just before 6pm, and the shop remained rather quiet throughout the meal. There were diners, but the tables were not fully occupied.

Orange – Tonkotsu broth with miso marinated ground pork

At Ramen Butcher, their ramens are colour coded. Although most of their soup bases are tonkotsu (pork) based, they put a spin on it with spicy, pesto, and garlic flavoured pastes. S went for the Orange, which has the tonkotsu pork broth with rich miso marinated ground pork. It also comes with aburi pork chashu, which you can choose fatty or lean, and a medium boiled marinated egg. S chose lean chashu and it was pretty much your typical chashu without any fat. The noodles here are much more thin and they are freshly made. I actually really enjoyed the tonkotsu pork broth along with the miso flavouring. It wasn’t too salty although we did find the soup a little on the oily side.

Black – Tonkotsu broth with roasted garlic oil

For myself, I got the Black, which features tonkotsu pork broth with roasted garlic oil, aburi pork chashu, and a medium boiled marinated egg. The broth definitely appeared black in colour, and my first reaction to the broth was that it tasted very unique. You get a strong roasted garlic flavour for sure, which I actually quite enjoyed. For my chashu, i chose fatty, and my piece of chashu was literally 90% fat! The fat is more chewy than the “melt in your mouth fat”, but it actually wasn’t that bad. It didn’t leave a fatty residue in your mouth afterwards. The medium boiled egg was also made quite well, with the yolk being runny.

Oh and did I mention that they offer free noodles once you finish your first bowl of noodles and still have soup left? Just let your server know and they will bring you a bowl of noodles to add to your existing soup. We were actually quite full from our first bowl already, but this is great for those who have a large appetite! Overall, Ramen Butcher is a decent ramen joint to try. It seems like people have negative reviews on Ramen Butcher, but I really don’t think it’s as bad as they say. Of course, I would still prefer some of the other ramen joints, like Santouka, but Ramen Butcher is still a great option. Is it so good that I would make a trip out of the way to Ramen Butcher? Probably not. But if I was around Chinatown, it would definitely be an option.

Pros:
– Free noodle refill
– Tonkotsu broth is quite delicious

Cons:
– Broth is a little on the greasy side

Price Range: $10-15

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

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

Mama’s Fish and Chips

May 23, 2015May 24, 2015Leave a comment

On a sunny Friday, my coworkers and I decided to head down Granville St. in search of lunch. We decided to check out the food trucks, and we found Mama’s Fish and Chips parked at Granville and West 10th. Just look for the black truck with a cartoon fish painted. I’m not sure if they move around or if they’re always at this location.

Their menu is mostly fish and chips of course, but they also have salmon sandwiches and crispy prawns. Prices are quite reasonable for fish and chips. The wait is rather long though at around 15 minutes or so after you place the order. I was hoping a food truck would be a quicker option than at a sit in restaurant, but it’s not really.

2 pcs Fish and Chips

I got the 2 pcs Fish and Chips to share with S and the portion was actually quite large. It comes with a side of coleslaw, fries, and some tartar sauce. The first thing I noticed was how dark the fish was fried. It was an golden orange, which I’m not sure if that means the oil is rather old. I was expecting a lighter yellow. However, the fish was very crispy. It was moist, but I wouldn’t say this is one of the top spots for Fish and Chips. Fries were crispy, but they didn’t wow me. As for the coleslaw, this was actually quite flavourful. Overall, the fish and chips are decent, but I wouldn’t say they are the top in Vancouver.

Pros:
– Decent fish and chips
– Reasonable prices

Cons:
– The wait to get your food is rather long

Price Range: $15-20

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

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

Dinesty (Aberdeen)

May 21, 2015May 20, 2015Leave a comment

Steamed Pork Soup Dumplings

Dinesty opened up last year in Aberdeen Mall, and I was glad since the No.3 Road location is usually packed. Upon arriving for dinner time, there were groups of people waiting for seats. We weren’t really acknowledged for a good few minutes, but we waited probably only 15 minutes to get a seat. Of course, we started off with the Steamed Pork Soup Dumplings. An order comes with 6 and these were decent. The skin is thin and the pork is juicy with a good amount of soup.

Deep Fried Popcorn Chicken

Next, we ordered the Deep Fried Popcorn Chicken. Probably not something you would normally order at a Shanghainese restaurant, but these were actually decent. They were seasoned with basil leaves and were very crispy. Thee chicken could have been more juicy and moist, but they weren’t too bad overall.

Fried Rice with Baked Salmon

Lastly, we got a Fried Rice with Baked Salmon to change things up. We normally get fried rice with your typical ingredients, but we decided to go for something different. However, this was a bad call as the dish just tasted odd. It was literally flaked baked salmon mixed in the fried rice. This made the rice very fishy. Not going to be trying this again.

Overall, the experience at Dinesty Aberdeen was average. Service was not that great and it was difficult to wave down the servers. Other than the pork dumplings, the items we tried were just average. It seems that many believe that the No.3 road location has better food, which I think I would agree.

Pros:
– Steamed pork dumplings are pretty good
– Large amount of seating

Cons:
– Service lacked
– Other menu items we tried were just average

Price Range: $15-20

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

Food: 2.5 Service: 2 Ambiance: 3 Parking: 2.5 Overall: 2.5

Earls (Broadway)

May 15, 2015May 15, 2015Leave a comment

The Royale with Cheese

Earls is currently having a limited time menu for their new gourmet burgers. For lunch, we decided to head down to Broadway and Fir and most of us ended up giving these burgers a try. StevieD got the Royale with Cheese, which features a freshly baked brioche bun with a certified Angus beef patty topped with dry cured bacon, caramelized onion, lettuce and tomatoes. The cheese is a mix of smoked applewood cheddar, regular cheddar and Monterey and the sauce is a mushroom ketchup. It comes with a side of fries which are very crispy.

Fish and Chips

And of course S got the Fish and Chips, which is always his go to dish. These are beer battered Icelandic cod and comes with a side of house tartar and coleslaw. As always, he says they are delicious.

The Forager

E and I each got the Forager, which is perfect for vegetarians. It features a hand-chopped mushroom burger with crisp red onions, mayonnaise, cheddar, fresh lettuce and pickles. The mushroom patty is tossed in olive oil, parmesan cheese, rolled oats, and oregano. Again, it came with a side of crispy fries.

The Forager was very delicious and a good alternative to the meat patty. The mushroom patty was very well seasoned. The burger was quite messy to eat but was very delicious. Overall, it’s a great time to try out these new gourmet burgers as they are only available for a limited time from April 22 – June 16, 2015. They are also running a social media contest where you can win burgers for four! Check out their website or in store for more information!

Pros:
– Limited time gourmet burgers
– Good service

Cons:
– Food is consistent but average

Price Range: $20-30

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

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

Rajio

May 13, 2015Leave a comment

Rajio is the third sister company of Suika and Kingyo. Rajio has been on my to visit list for some time now since I love izakaya food and I’ve been pleased with my experiences at its sister restaurants. I gave them a call at around 5:30 asking for a table at 6:00 and the waitress told me yes, but only until 7:00 and that I could come even earlier. No problem since we weren’t going to eat for long anyways, so an hour was perfect.

When we arrived, the restaurant was starting to pick up with the arrival of many other diners. While seating us, the waitress stressed to us again that we would only have the seat until 7:00pm. We get it! She seriously didn’t have to repeat it so many times… Anyways, the interior of the restaurant is quirky with Disney lights and wooden tables. It’s quite a small restaurant, so I would suggest making reservations.

Dinner started off with complimentary salad. The salad used a type of cabbage that I’ve never had before. The texture was quite thick and hard and was quite flavourless. The dressing was quite delicious though, with a bit of sweet and tangy flavour to it. Would much prefer Suika’s salad though.

Black Sweet & Sour Pork Rib

We started off with the Black Sweet & Sour Pork Rib, which came sizzling hot and looking impressive on the plate. The pork ribs were slightly battered and fried and topped with a balsamic vinegar sauce. It had a tangy sweetness to it and was very flavourful. I especially liked the parts which had some fat to it since the meat around those areas were very tender. Some other parts of the meat were rather overcooked and became very dry. I was worried that there would be more bones than meat, but it proved me wrong. Tons of meat for you!

Imperial Kitchen Tested Peking Chicken

Next was the Imperial Kitchen Tested Peking Chicken. This was crispy chicken skin with green onion and Rajio’s original sweet bean glaze wrapped in a warm soft tortilla. S and I were both underwhelmed by this. The portion was so small as well! It only came with 3 small rolls. The chicken skin was crispy, but that was about it. Nothing too special and you really don’t get much value out of it.

Kakuni Bibimbap Stone Bowl

Lastly was the Kakuni Bibimbap Stone Bowl, which featured stewed pork belly, glazed with peppery sweet soy, and placed on top of rice with green onion and savory shrimp. The pork belly was juicy and very tender. The waitress mixed this up for us and the overall dish was very flavourful. You can never go wrong with some juicy pork belly!

And 10 minutes before 7:00, the waitress came by again to make sure we were going to be out by 7:00. Clearing up our plates and letting us know it would be our last call. Like seriously, we get it. No need to be so pushy. Overall, service was pushy and food was just average. Nothing really blew my mind and made me excited to come back and try the rest of their menu. I’d much rather just return to Suika, Kingyo or even Guu.

Pros:
– Fun, quirky ambiance
– Decent izakaya items

Cons:
– Service was pushy
– From the items I tried, nothing blew my mind

Price Range: $15-30

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

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

Go Fish

April 28, 2015April 28, 2015Leave a comment

It was a sunny day after work and with the extended summer hours in place, we finally got to try Go Fish. Go Fish is located just off Granville Island in a little wooden shack. It’s quite the hidden gem, since it’s not in your typical tourist area of Granville Island. I had no idea that this area even existed! They have some seating at the shack as well as some long wooden tables near the parking lot.

You order at the shack and they will call your name when your dish is ready. Service was hip and friendly.

Fish & Chips – cod

Of course we came here for what they are famous for, so we got the Fish & Chips. The best part is that the fish come in dim sum boxes! I am a sucker for these gimmicky details.They have various portions, and we chose two pieces with coleslaw and fries and added an additional piece. You can also choose from cod, salmon, or halibut. We went for cod and the fish was moist. The fish is battered with their homemade Granville Island beer batter and I found it crispy without being oily. It is served with tartar sauce, as well as a Pacific Rim coleslaw, which was seasoned very well. I normally hate coleslaw, but I found myself eating this up! As for the fries, they were crispy and I liked these much more than Pajo’s.

Overall, I was extremely satisfied with Go Fish. Prices are comparable to Pajo’s and other fish and chips spots. It may be one of my favourite fish and chips spots now! I found the fish less oily than Pajo’s. Plus, you get a beautiful view of Granville Island’s fisherman’s wharf while eating here. Definitely a hidden gem!

Pros:
– One of the best fish and chips spots in Vancouver
– Great scenery

Cons:
– Line ups when it’s sunny and closer to dinner time

Price Range: $10-15

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

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

Kaneda Japanese Restaurant 金田 – revisit

April 24, 2015April 24, 2015Leave a comment

Green Salad and Miso Soup

Kaneda is located just a short walk from work, and I actually visited the restaurant a few years back when it had opened. During that last visit, we had gone for their all you can eat dinner menu. Reading the post I had written back then, I commented that I wouldn’t be returning since the service and quality of food was pretty bad. However, since SD said his last visit was pretty good, we decided to take his word and give it a try. During lunch, they also have the all you can eat menu, but we ordered a la carte. We all went for their lunch bento boxes, which were priced at a great value of $9.00. All bento boxes start with a green salad and miso soup. This was very average. Tasted just like your typical all you can eat soup and salad.

Lunch Box C

For myself, I got Lunch Box C, which featured Chicken Teriyaki, Assorted Tempura, Assorted Sushi and Rice. The chicken teriyaki was very average and I found it quite oily. The assorted tempura had way too much batter, hence very oily. I felt like I was just eating fried oil after a few bites. You do get two ebi tempuras, but it’s coated heavily in batter. The assorted sushi ended up being 3 nigiris. You get salmon, tuna and ebi. I found that the seafood wasn’t too fresh. I guess you get what you pay for. This will fill you up, but the quality isn’t great.

Lunch Box A

SS got Lunch Box A, which featured Chicken Teriyaki, Assorted Tempura, California Roll, and Rice. S also agreed that there was way too much batter on the tempura. He felt the California rolls were mediocre and not memorable.

The lunch boxes also end with a mango pudding, but this was also quite sub par. E and I both agreed that it lacked any flavour and the consistency wasn’t very smooth. There were bits of the batter that didn’t seem to be mixed thoroughly or sifted. Will I be returning again? Probably not. Good value, but quality is below average.

Pros:
– Lots of seating
– Inexpensive

Cons:
– Poor quality sushi

Price Range: $10-15

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

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

Every Day is a Food Day

Category: $$

Hog Shack Cook House

Ramen Butcher

Mama’s Fish and Chips

Dinesty (Aberdeen)

Earls (Broadway)

Rajio

Go Fish

Kaneda Japanese Restaurant 金田 – revisit