Moxie’s Classic Grill

March 31, 2013April 27, 2013Leave a comment

Earlier in the month, I went to Moxie’s for M’s birthday. It’s located by the Sandman Hotel, but sadly I took forever trying to find the entrance to the parking lot. Silly me.

Surprisingly, it was my first time going to Moxie’s. I guess it’s because it’s located near all the hotels, and not so much Central Richmond. The service and ambiance reminded me of Earl’s and the prices are reasonable.

Meatballs Stuffed with Bocconcini – over linguine in a classic tomato sauce with fresh basil + grana padano

I couldn’t decide what to get for the longest time, but ended up going for a classic spaghetti and meatball. But with a twist! The Meatballs Stuffed with Bocconcini sounded really interesting since meatballs filled with cheese are always better! It was served over a typical linguini covered in the classic tomato sauce. It also came with two slices of garlic bread, which were really good! Sadly, the meatballs weren’t as good as I had imagined. I was hoping for some real stringy cheese oozing out, but the cheese seemed to be a clump in the middle.

Overall, food was alright. Nothing too special, but will definitely fill you up at a decent price. They also catered to our large table really well with more than 20 people. Definitely a good place to go for birthday dinners if you have a large group.

Hanok Korean Restaurant

March 28, 2013April 27, 2013Leave a comment

Hanok Korean Restaurant recently took over the Mongolie Grill in Richmond on Alexandra Rd. We decided to check it out since there aren’t that many other Korean restaurants in Richmond. The restaurant seems to be owned by a Korean man, but the servers don’t speak Korean. S and I decided to let J decide what to order, but little did we know that we would be having a feast. J communicated with the owner and we ended up ordering a set menu that included more than 10 dishes…for the three of us.

Green Salad

Each of us were given a small bowl of Green Salad. Actually, it wasn’t that small now that I think about it, given the amount of food we had. This could’ve been downsized by half. Romaine lettuce and cucumbers along with a ranch-like dressy that was sour made it a great appetizer.

Kimchi

There was the typical dish of Kimchi which I did not end up trying since there were so many other dishes to try.

Rice Soup?

I’m not sure what this was actually. But I remember it was really tasty! It was almost like rice with mushrooms in a soup. Kind of like porridge but better. We were each given a bowl of this as well.

I have no idea what this was called, nor do I know exactly what it was. But it was really interesting! It was almost like a jelly. Alone, I don’t think it has any flavour, but it was topped with a spicy sauce. Very interesting, and definitely something I wouldn’t have ordered on its own. I also don’t see this often, but maybe it’s cause I don’t know what it’s called on the menu!

Marinated Seaweed

They also had the typical side dishes of Marinated Seaweed. Quite typical, and nothing too special.

This was also like the jelly dish above! But it was in a different sauce. This one wasn’t spicy, and seemed to be marinated in a soup or something. Honestly, I’m not too sure, but I really enjoyed this dish.

Assorted Deep Fried Tempura

The set menu also included some dishes that weren’t so Korean. I felt like I was eating at a Japanese restaurant for a second. There were Assorted Deep Fried Tempuras, with yam, carrot, and squash. Of course, these weren’t as good as the ones you get at Japanese restaurants.

Salmon Sashimi

Salmon Sashimi was also part of the menu! Kind of weird to be honest. The salmon wasn’t as fresh however. It was a little mushy and didn’t have the bouncy texture that fresh salmon had. Still, it wasn’t the worse I’ve had. The dish was huge for three people as well…

Assorted Pan Fried Delicacies

There was a dish of Assorted Pan Fried Delicacies. The one on the left seemed to be a mixture of meat packed together with veggies. The middle was a fish, and the one on the right was a mushroom. Not bad, and quite interesting.

This dish seemed to be similar to a Chinese dish. They were deep fried chicken in a sweet sauce. This one was just okay.

S loves her Sweet Potatoes at Korean restaurants, but surprisingly, the side dishes didn’t include it! J asked the owner if we could get some, and he happily offered them to us!

I wish I took a clearer picture of this dish because it was presented quite nicely! This was extremely interesting. At the bottom is a piece of lettuce. Then the next layer is a pear that is not quite ripe. Then there was a layer of ginseng mixed with honey. It was such an interesting combination and had a great crunch to it. It also felt very healthy!

This dish reminded me of a Chinese dish once again. It had a light soup with rice crackers in it, which when dipped in the soup became soft with a slight crunch. It was topped with a mixture of seafood including squid, shrimp, and mussels. Not bad.

Jap-Chae

I usually love Jap Chae, but to be honest, I was much more interested in all these new dishes I hadn’t tried. The Jap Chae was just typical, or I was just less impressed by it since I was amazed by all the other dishes. And by the way, our table was literally filled by now. We didn’t have room to move our dishes at all…

This was a fish that J said is filled with bones and not something that everyone likes. I didn’t end up trying it since I’m not a big fan of eating fish with bones in it.

Braised Beef Short Ribs

Another dish was the Braised Short Ribs. The sauce was sweet and flavourful and filled with squash and carrots. The short ribs were huge and tender.

This was also a very interesting dish. The bottom was a thin slice of radish. On top was something similar to pork belly. The top had minced garlic. I felt that the minced garlic was too much for me so I brushed most of it off, but other than that, it was really interesting. It was refreshing and had a great crunch. It reminded me of Peking duck dish we eat at Chinese restaurants.

Another dish that tasted similar to kimchi. I think it was some sort of radish though. I found this spicier than kimchi.

Spicy Soft Tofu Soup

The Spicy Soft Tofu Soup came in a sizzling pot. It was filled with tofu and was in a tasty broth that had a hint of spice.

Spicy Stir Fried Squid with Rice Cake

The Spicy Stir Fried Squid with Rice Cake was a dish I had at another Korean restaurant. The squid was tender and the rice cakes were chewy. The sauce wasn’t too spicy, so I enjoyed it.

This was an extra dish that the owner also gave us. It was some sort of radish that was sour and reminded me of pickles. It was marinated in a kimchi-type of sauce and J loved it.

Lastly, when our bill came, we were given oranges that had been nicely peeled and cut out already and put back in the skin. How cute!

Overall, I was extremely pleased with Hanok! Look at our table for three! This was only halfway through dinner too, so our table was literally filled with food at all times and we had to eat quickly to clear up room for more food. The meal cost $35 a person, so it’s a tad more expensive than a regular meal, but you get A LOT of food. The meal was definitely enough for 4-5 people. The owner was also really friendly and constantly came to check up on us. At the end of dinner, he also came by to ask for feedback about which dishes we enjoyed and didn’t like. That is definitely a good start to understanding your customers better! I heard they also have good deals for lunch, so I will definitely come back to check it out.

Ichi Rock [ra:ku]

March 16, 2013April 28, 2013Leave a comment

For dinner, we took a 15 minute walk to an area with more food. S had urbanspooned some popular restaurants, and Ichi Rock [ra:ku] had some pretty good ratings.

The place is essentially run by a young Japanese couple. The man is the one cooking and behind the sushi bar, and the lady does all the serving and order taking. The interior is decorated with a modern twist, with lots of Ikea lights (Don’t ask why I recognize them..). The restaurant itself is quite small and can probably only fit 30 people max. It was still almost half full on a weekday night. Not bad for a small business. Food of course came out a little slower since there is only one chef.

Green Tea

I was surprised that we were actually charged a $1 each for our green tea when I looked at the bill later. However, I was fine with that as the green tea didn’t seem to be too watered down. It also came in fancy little cups!

Risotto Roll – avocado, crab meat, chopped shrimp, cheese, mayo topped with honey mustard sauce (served warm)

S and I decided to share two items. They have a variety of special rolls, but the Risotto Roll especially stood out for us. It said it was served warm! I’ve never had warm sushi, so I was curious what it would be like. It was served on a plate covered in tin foil, and the sushi was covered with sauce, mayo and cheese. It was stringy and definitely reminded me of risotto! Japanese style of course! It was essentially a California roll, but with a twist to it. Quite creative and worth a try!

Okonomiyaki – Japanese style pancake with seafood

The second dish we chose was the Okonomiyaki. I really enjoyed this dish. You can choose from bacon, seafood, or vegetables, but we chose seafood. It was filled with oysters and squid and tons of cabbage. It was then covered with cheese, mayo, fish flakes, and seaweed. I loved how the cheese added a stringy texture to it and it almost felt like there wasn’t any batter to it. Really flavourful and the portion was huge. We ended up sharing it with the other girls.

Overall, I was quite content with the food at Ichi Rock. Although the service was slow, I can understand since they are run by only two people and the friendly service definitely makes up for it. They also have some homemade desserts that looked quite good. The prices are average – not exactly cheap, but not ridiculously expensive. After trying two Japanese restaurants in Calgary, I still find that Vancouver has better restaurants at a better price!

Suika

March 2, 2013April 28, 2013Leave a comment

For our school club’s team dinner, I chose to have it at Suika. It’s located conveniently on Broadway and offers a selection of Japanese tapas, similar to the ones you can find at Guu.

We ordered a bunch of dishes to share, but it was difficult to share with such a large group. I suggest going here with smaller groups since each dish cannot be shared with probably not more than 4 people. Above was something similar to a tartar I’m guessing? I don’t really know since I didn’t order or try it.

Plum Wine

We all got some plum wine and this was sweet and easy to drink. It was really good served over ice.

Deluxe Suika Box – nine kinds of appetizers

I chose to order the Deluxe Suika Box, but unfortantely it is extremely difficult to share. H and I ended up being the only ones who devoured it… It was an assortment of 9 appetizers and was presently really nicely in a box. Some items were marinated lotus root, eggplant, spicy tofu, a few types of fish, something that tasted similar to beef tongue, and also something similar to a cracker with something like cream cheese. I’m not exactly sure what each dish was, but it was exciting to try a bit of everything!

Kakuni Bibimbap – stewed pork belly, sweet dried shrimp & scallions on rice served in a hot stone bowl

We also got the Kakuni Bibimbap, which was full of flavour. The pork belly was an interesting choice for a bibimbap.

Sockeye Salmon Carpaccio – thinly sliced sockeye salmon with sesame soy dressing, yuzu zest, garlic chips & wasabi mayo

I’ve heard great things about the Sockeye Salmon Carpaccio, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. This was really good! The dressing complemented the salmon really well and I would definitely order this again next time.

Chinese Poutine – french fries topped with spicy ground pork sauce, mozzarella, chili oil, sansho and minced cilantro

The name Chinese Poutine really got us curious about what it was and so we ordered it. I don’t really know why it’s called Chinese poutine, but I guess they used some Asian ingredients in it. I’m a fan of poutine, so this was definitely something I enjoyed. It’s got more of a sauce than say the typical cheese curds though. They basically melted mozzarella on the ground pork sauce, but it was very flavourful, and had a hint of spice.

Lightly Smoked Tuna Tataki – with home made chili oil on a bed of sliced onion topped with scallions

I ordered the Lightly Smoked Tuna Tataki and enjoyed this quite a lot. It was lightly seared on the sides and the sauce was different from other restaurants I have tried. It worked well with the fish!

Beef Filet Fried Rice – cured beef & garlic fried rice

The Beef Filet Fried Rice didn’t look like anything special, but it was surprisingly really good. The beef filet was extremely tender and the garlic in the fried rice definitely gave the dish some flavour. Great variation to the typical Chinese fried rice.

Grilled Duck – grilled duck breast with tomato, granny smith apple slices and special sauce (balsamic, soy, butter & Japanese pepper)

I didn’t try the Grilled Duck, but it looked quite delicious. I found that the accompaniments on the side were also quite interesting. Granny smith apples and tomatoes along with duck? I’m actually quite curious now to know what it tasted like.

Asari Yaki Udon – pan fried thick noodles with manila clams & citron pepper

I love a good dish of yaki udon, so I ordered the Asari Yaki Udon. It wasn’t a large portion, but there were a decent amount of manila clams for the portion of noodles we were given. It was extremely flavourful, and the udon were covered evenly with a bit of sauce.

Chicken Kara-age – famous Japanese “o-sho” style deep fried chicken served with sansho jio (Japanese salt & pepper)

I also ordered the Chicken Kara-age, and they were such large pieces of chicken! I would’ve preferred them to be cut into smaller portions so more of us could try it. It also came with a salt and pepper for dipping instead of the typical mayo.I felt like the chicken was covered with more batter than it needed, so it felt like you were eating batter instead of chicken for the most part.

I’m not sure what this was called, but it looks like a Japanese pizza. I never tried it either, so I’m not sure what ingredients are in it.

Someone at the table also ordered some sashimi, which I believe both are some sort of tuna. I tried the one on the right, and it was extremely fresh. I loved how it was topped with some tobiko too.

Tokyo Oxtail Ramen – slowly braised oxtail & noodles in soy broth topped with dried fish powder & scallions

Someone also ordered the Tokyo Oxtail Ramen, which actually looks really delicious! I didn’t try it though, but it looks like it would be full of flavour.

Yukimi Daifuku – green tea & red bean gelato wrapped in sticky rice cake

And onto the desserts! We ordered pretty much every dessert on their menu and decided to share them all. First up was the Yukimi Daifuku. I actually really wanted to try this, but it was extremely difficult to share. It’s like the perfect combination of my two favourites: gelato and sticky rice cake, better known as mochi! I am definitely going to come back here for this.

Almond Tofu – served with blueberry sauce

The Almond Tofu was extremely smooth and delicious. It was like having tofu dessert but with almond flavour! It was also served with a blueberry sauce, but none of us ended up using it since the dessert was already great on its own.

Earl Grey Tea-Creme Brulee

The Earl Grey Tea-Creme Brulee was so delicious! It was basically a creme brulee but infused with earl grey flavour in it. I love variations of typical creme brulees and this one definitely worked!

Japanese Legendary Matcha Tiramisu

The Japanese Legendary Matcha Tiramisu was also delicious. The cake was so fluffy and light, and the matcha was strong in flavour so I loved it. Along with the whipping cream, it was just perfect! I love the Japanese twist they add to these French desserts!

Matcha Brulee – frozen matcha creme brulee with fresh whipped cream & red bean sauce

And then we also got the Matcha Brulee. Okay, so we had an earl grey creme brulee and now a matcha one? Nope! This was a frozen creme brulee! It felt like I was eating matcha ice cream or something! So smooth but icy at the same time. The top was lightly caramelized just as a creme brulee would be. Such an interesting but delicious dessert!

Souffle Cheese Cake – fluffily baked cheese cake w/ brown sugar sauce

Lastly, we had the Souffle Cheese Cake. This was extremely fluffy and light. It reminded me of Japanese cheesecakes as opposed to the typical cheesecakes because of how light it was.

Overall, I was extremely pleased with the food at Suika. They have a normal menu that they have every night, but they also have a menu where they change it up every night. Definitely a great place to share some plates with friends, but probably not in too large of a group. I’m definitely coming back again, whether it be just for the food, or the desserts…Definitely for the desserts though!

Gyo-O 魚王

March 1, 2013April 28, 2013Leave a comment

Gyo-O is a cute little restaurant in the mall on Capstan. I’ve gone here years ago, but hadn’t gone back since. They are famous for their noodles and donburis.

Inside, the place is nicely decorated with lots of wood and paintings.

Deep Fried Chicken Soup Udon – Deep Fried Chicken in Soup Udon

I had originally ordered the Deep Fried Chicken Bukkake Udon, but unfortunately they brought me a Deep Fried Chicken Soup Udon. I was actually pretty annoyed since our server actually came back to confirm our orders and I specifically pointed it out to her on the menu. I wanted to try their Bukkake Udon because I don’t see many places with this. It’s supposed to be served with only the udon and then you pour this sauce over it, and the noodles are supposed to be extra chewy. Anyways, the soup udon was not bad. I found it a little salty, but the udon was cooked al dante. It also came with lots of deep fried chicken which was great dipped in the soup so it didn’t feel too oily.

Seafood Tempura Bukkake Udon w/Egg (NO EGG) – Prawn, Salmon, Squid, Unagi, Fishcake, Vegetables Tempura with Half Boiled Egg on Dry Udon

J got the Seafood Tempura Bukkake Udon without the egg. The sauce was pretty much something similar to soy sauce, so it was actually way too salty.

Overall, Gyo-O was alright. I felt a little disappointed just because I didn’t get what I had ordered specifically although I tried J’s and it was a little too salty for my liking. They also have a lot of other donburis that look pretty good. Their menu is quite large, so there are always lots to try.

Ebisu (Robson)

February 14, 2013April 28, 2013Leave a comment

Friday night, I went to Ebisu on Robson St. to celebrate a friend’s birthday. The Robson store is not that much different from the one in Richmond, although they seem to have a larger menu as well as drinks.

Chopped Scallop Roll

I got the Chopped Scallop Roll because I pretty much get it at every Japanese restaurant. It was average and nothing too special.

Chicken Karaage – deep fried boneless chicken served with sweet honey-mustard and Cajun mayonnaise

I also got the Chicken Karaage which was a huge portion. They actually have a one person size too, but we got the larger one. The pieces of chicken were much larger than I had expected, but since it was boneless, all was good. The batter was decent, although quite oily. I enjoyed the honey-mustard which tasted a little like plum sauce, and the Cajun mayonnaise was a little spicy.

Hamachi Inferno – yellowtail box pressed in shiso, burdock, shiitake, sesame and sushi rice seared!

Ebisu is famous for their inferno sushi, so I finally decided to try it. They have 3 fishes to choose from: saba, hamachi or toro. I chose the Hamachi Inferno, and it was presented to us raw.

Then the waitress brought over a lighter, and seared the sushi in front of us. Pretty cool to watch the colour turn.

And here’s the final product! The fish was soft and definitely a different texture from raw hamachi. I found that the sushi rice was a little harder than usual though, but it was definitely something different to eat.

Overall, I was pretty pleased with the food and service at the Robson Ebisu. They offer a variety of interesting rolls as well, so their menu is quite extensive.

Bel Cafe (Take Out)

February 11, 2013April 28, 2013Leave a comment

I’ve gone to Bel Cafe for some desserts before, but I have to say their menu is quite pricey! Around $6 for each dessert…but it’s the sister store to Hawksworth, so what do you expect. Even their boxes and take out bags are so much nicer! I guess your money goes towards that stuff.

Dark Chocolate, Raspberry, Vanilla

This was some good chocolate goodness, but it wasn’t too sweet! I loved the little chocolate crunches on the side. The raspberry wasn’t very strong though.

Double Lemon Tart

The lemon tart was way too tart and sour for my liking. I much prefer the one I had at Oru. I did however like the little lemon slices at the top which were like candied lemons.

Crispy Choux Milk Chocolate Orange Ganache

I’ve had the orange ganache before, and it is one of my favourite desserts here. It’s basically a cream puff topped with a chocolate cream, a few slices of chocolate and orange slices. Yum!

Raw Canvas (Dine Out 2013)

February 4, 2013April 28, 20132 Comments

I’ve always wanted to try Raw Canvas but looking at the menu, it can be pretty pricey. It’s basically a place where you can eat some meat and cheese, have some drinks, and then you have the choice to go paint! Pretty neat idea, and an awesome place to go for a girls night out. Luckily, Raw Canvas participated in Dine Out Vancouver 2013, so I got to try it out for only $38!

$38 gets you your “appetizer”, which is a choice of cheese sampler or meat sampler. Then your “entree” is a canvas to paint on, with all paint supplied and included. Lastly, your “dessert” is gelato and port! A pretty good deal, since the smallest canvas itself is normally $55. The one for dine out is a bit smaller though, but still a deal regardless since you get food as well.

They have a really nice bar, and at around 9p.m, the place was filled with people having drinks. It definitely feels like a nice place to chat with friends over some drinks.

The place is basically separated so one side is where you eat, and the other half of the place is where the art happens! At first we thought that there weren’t that many easels, but they actually have a lot! It gets a little tight, so if you want lots of space, then I would suggest going earlier or on a weekday night.

I love how the wooden tables and brick walls give the place such an artsy feel to it! Along with the gorgeous paintings on the wall, you can’t help but feel inspired to paint!

The place actually has a decent amount of seats too. Seats for smaller and larger groups as well. The dim lighting totally works in this setting.

Blue – Sake, alize bleu, ginger ale, ginger

K got a mixed cocktail called Blue. Pretty nice!

Karmellet Tripel (Belgium) – abbeys

E got the Karmellet Tripel, which he said wasn’t too bitter. It was recommended by the guy, who we think may be the owner. He was extremely nice and professional. Awesome service!

Peach Italissima Nectar

For myself, I was not feeling like alcohol, so I chose the Peach Italissima Nectar. I really had no idea what it was, but it came in a tiny little bottle.

Then you pour it into a glass with ice, and it is actually pretty good! It’s a little thick, but the ice helps to liquify it. Not bad, and it actually was decent with the meat.

Water comes in a Raw Canvas glass bottle, which they reuse. It’s pretty neat though. You want to check your glasses beforehand though, because some of them have paint on them since people can take their drinks with them when they go paint. The servers were observant enough to let us know and quickly change them though.

Freshly Baked French Baguette

At first, we thought that we would not get full at all, since we’re really just eating meat… but we were wrong! For the 3 of us, they served us two large bowls of Baked French Baguettes. And we were totally full after our meal! I guess the bread really fills you up.

Charcuterie Tasting Plate, served with freshly baked french baguette: Provence Saucisson Sec – southern French sausage flavoured with pastis, Pheasant and Pistachio Terrine – made in Quebec by maison du gibler, Czech Beer Salami – classic Czech style salami flavoured with beer

Accompaniments:Stoneground Mustard, Fire Roasted Tomatoes, Cornichons

All 3 of us got the Charcuterie Tasting Plate, which is basically a plate with 3 types of meat and 3 accompaniments. On the far left, there was the Provence Saucisson Sec. This was basically a sausage, and was my favourite. It was soft and tasted great with the stoneground mustard. In the middle, was the Pheasant and Pistachio Terrine. This was probably my least favourite. It might’ve been the pistachio flavour that threw it off for me. Lastly, on the right was the Czech Beer Salami. Although it was lightly sliced, it was very chewy and hard. It was also extremely strong in pork, but salami is made of pork! They gave a fair amount of the salami, and it was easy to place on the bread.

For the accompaniments, it came with the Stoneground Mustard, which was my favourite! It’s basically mustard seeds that are grounded and made into a paste. It’s definitely strong in mustard flavour, and I could just spread it on the bread and I would be completely happy. So delicious! In the middle, we had the Fire Roasted Tomatoes, which were also really delicious. This can just be put on the bread and there was tons of flavour. And lastly, on the right, were the Cornichons, which are basically pickled cucumbers and are popular in Europe. I’m not a big fan of pickles, but these ones were surprisingly not too sour. I didn’t finish all of them, but they were nice to have in between all the meat.

Gelato and Port – Vanilla Bean Gelato with Sweet Portuguese Wine

For dessert, the item was Gelato and Port. It was a huge scoop of Vanilla Bean Gelato, and you could see the black specks so you knew it wasn’t just vanilla extract. It was served with a glass of sweet Portuguese wine, which when you smell it, smells quite strong in alcohol. I thought it was brandy or whiskey at first, but the server explained that it was a sweet wine. I poured around half the flask in, and it was already plenty to have a taste of alcohol in it. Definitely brings out the sweetness and was a great pairing to the gelato.

After you finish dessert, they ask you if you’re ready to go paint! They don’t push you to, and you can take your time to talk some more if you want to. But of course we were ready to go paint! They provide you with a smock so you can totally get into your artsy spirit. They also have a long wall of paints, and you just squeeze them out onto you palette board. I wish I got a picture of that, because it looks really neat! Then, you go ahead and get all artsy! They also have an artist there to look after you in case you have questions, or need some help getting inspired. And honestly, you don’t need to be an amazing artist to paint. Everyone was just having fun and bringing out their creativity!

So overall, Raw Canvas is an awesome place whether you know how to paint or not. It’s definitely a place to go once in your lifetime, whether it be on a date, to celebrate or to find a place to have food, drinks, and art! It may get quite expensive if you go on their regular nights, but it is something that everyone should try. Instead of having a typical movie night, why not go painting?