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?

Oru (Fairmont Pacific Rim)

February 2, 2013April 28, 2013Leave a comment

Dine Out Vancouver 2013 is about to end soon! 😦 I’m sad since I wish I had tried out more places, but that also means my bank account is going to hurt! For those of you who don’t know about Dine Out Vancouver, it’s basically 200+ restaurants offering set menus that range from $18, $28, to $38. They are usually pretty good deals, but occasionally there are ones where you are paying for basically what you would if you ordered off the regular menu.

Anyways, this year, I decided to try out Oru. I really had not heard much about it, but I had a look at the menu, and it seemed like food I would want. Oru is located inside the Fairmont Pacific Rim, and it is absolutely gorgeous! When you walk through the hotel doors, you are at their lobby and when you continue walking, you see this clean bright white area and stairs leading up to Oru.

Oru has two sides to their restaurant. One side is more of a lounge, where people are mostly drinking. I love the red couches against the white walls. Such a nice contrast! There’s also a mini bar on one side.

They have an open kitchen, where you can basically see all the chefs working. Pretty neat if you sit close to them, but our table was pretty far from the kitchen. I also love how the kitchen area is all white. So classy looking.

Oru is supposed to be a Pan Pacific Asian fusion restaurant, so they actually serve sushi and such in their menu. I guess that’s why they also have chopsticks on their table. Orange chopsticks to be exact.

This is the view we had for our table. Not an ocean view, since we sat by the window that just overlooks the new convention centre. Still pretty nice though.

ORU Salad – sunflower seed butter, quinoa, organic greens, pea shoots, lemongrass dressing

My parents got the ORU Salad, which we stared at for quite a while. We realized that the cabage was literally still fully attached. So you really had to use your knifes and fork to eat this. That also means that they had to buy a cabbage for each dish they made! All fancy huh… Underneath the leaves were quinoa, and on the top, it was topped with sunflower seeds. I took a bite, and it was pretty good. The lemongrass dressing gave it a nice zest.

Yarrow Meadows Duck and Rabbit Terrine – pickled mustard seeds, radish and fennel salad

E had the Yarrow Meadows Duck and Rabbit Terrine. I didn’t try it but he said it was pretty good. Definitely a dainty piece on the large plate though.

Roasted Sunchoke “Mocha” – sunchoke veloute, truffled milk foam, morel cocoa powder

For myself, I had the Roasted Sunchoke “Mocha”. To be honest, I didn’t really know what a veloute was, so I did some quick googling beforehand, and it’s basically a soup. There was some cocoa powder on the top, but I didn’t really taste it. The truffled milk foam however, was powerful, but worked well with the soup. It had an interesting consistency, and was something I hadn’t tried before. Was it something I loved though? Not exactly, but I wouldn’t mind it.

PEI Coldwater Lobster – cold water lobster, isreali cous cous, coconut butter sauce

K had the PEI Coldwater Lobster. I didn’t try it, but apparently it was quite bland. You definitely cannot compare this to how Chinese restaurants prepare lobster. This was definitely just lobster with some butter sauce to go with. She did however mention that the lobster was a little overcooked, so it was a little tough.

Angus Reserve Beef Tenderloin – wild mushrooms, house cured bacon, confit fingerling potato, jus

I was debating between the lobster or the beef tenderloin, and am I ever happy that I ordered the Angus Reserve Beef Tenderloin! At first, I thought the portions would be small, because they usually are at fancy restaurants, but I was totally wrong. Medium-rare prepared, the piece of beef tenderloin was huge, and it was the most tender beef tenderloin I’ve ever had!! You still had to chew on it, but there was no fuss in cutting up the pieces, and it was just oh so tender!!! The sides were slightly crispy, and the meat inside was juicy and full of flavour. The sauce underneath was also delicious. It as a mixture of wild mushrooms, bacon, and potatoes. And I literally finished every bit of the dish. Everything just worked so well together, and I would definitely recommend this. This dish is on their regular menu too, and for $38, so it was definitely a steal for dine out, since you basically get the appetizer and dessert for free. But if I were to come to Oru again, I would highly recommend getting the Beef Tenderloin. So worth your money!

Chocolate Mousse Trifle – single-origin Mexican chocolate, candied banana, coconut foam

Everyone at my table opted for the Chocolate Mousse Trifle. It was presently beautifully like an art piece. The top of the chocolate mousse was a hard chocolate shell. This is definitely for the chocolate lovers. I liked how they had some candied bananas on the side, so you weren’t too overwhelmed with the chocolate flavour, and the banana flavour works well with it.

Lemon Tart – vanilla syrup, meringue crisp, crème fraiche Chantilly

I wanted to try something different, but I didn’t want their third option, which was cheese, so I got the Lemon Tart. The waitress said that was her favourite, so why not! I’m normally not a big fan of lemon tarts, because they can sometimes be too sour and tarty. However, this one was delicious. It was almost like a lemon creme brulee. It had some sugar on the top that was burnt and the lemon filling was smooth and creamy. I also enjoyed the meringue crisps at the top. Everyone at the table got a bite and said that it was surprisingly good. And best of all, it wasn’t super sweet!

Overall, I was extremely pleased with the Dine Out menu for Oru. I can’t comment on how the food is normally, but their food seemed to be consistent. Oh, and I cannot stress how much I loved the Angus Reserve Beef Tenderloin! Beautiful place with great views as well. Servers weren’t annoying and gave us enough space to eat, while occasionally checking up on us.

Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co. (Kitsilano)

February 1, 2013April 28, 2013Leave a comment

I’ve heard good things about Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co. and I finally got the chance to try it out. J and I went on the least busiest time ever. A weekday at around 2pm, and we were literally the only ones there.

The place has a bar so I’m guessing it might get lively on weekend nights.

We got to sit in the room with the oven! They literally put the pizza in that oven in the back, so it’s pretty neat. I got to see the pizza getting baked.

Chicken Noodle Soup – Housemade chicken broth loaded with organic pasta, shredded carrots, chicken & topped with three herb pesto

I already ate, so I wasn’t too hungry. I chose to get the Chicken Noodle Soup. I didn’t think it was anything amazing. It was basically just broth with pasta, chicken and some veggies. I thought that the pesto on the top actually threw the soup off a bit. The soup also came with something like pita bread. It was pretty tough, so I had to dip it in the soup, except the soup was really just broth, so it didn’t work so well together.

All Beef Pepperoni Flatbread Pizza – Organic tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, organic beef pepperoni, crimini mushrooms, shaved red onion & sliced roma tomatoes; Topped with fresh chopped herbs

J got the All Beef Pepperoni Flatbread Pizza. They are basically famous for their flatbreads, and they are actually really good! Thin crust and full of toppings. We did find that they were a little burnt at the bottom, but it wasn’t too bad.

I also found out that they were having a special dine out event that night, but we totally missed it! You could make your own pizza and put it in the oven. Sounds so neat! Hopefully, they’ll have these events again even after dine out.

Toyotomi 豐臣家

February 1, 2013April 28, 20131 Comment

It’s about time I finally tried Toyotomi for their all you can eat hot pot. Toyotomi is located in such a hidden location. There’s basically no other restaurants on Anderson Rd, and they are just offices around there. They used to be a sushi restaurant that was known for their competitive prices and combos at a great deal. However, last year, I was told that they now offer hot pot! What a strange transition. They still make sushi as well though, but hot pot seems to be their selling point.

Once we sat down, we were immediately asked what kind of soup base we wanted. Honestly, we hadn’t even picked up on menu yet! How do you expect your customers to know what they want! We were then asked 3 more times within 10 minutes what we wanted for our soup base. I actually got kind of annoyed. I know there’s a time limit, but that’s my problem for wasting my time. You don’t need to ask 3 times when we clearly aren’t sure yet!

There are two prices for all you can eat hot pot. $14.99 gets you the normal menu, or if you want the deluxe menu, then it’s $20.99. This is on top of the soup base, which ranges from $7.68 to $9.48.

Bonito Clear Soup Base

We finally decided to just go for the Bonito Clear Soup Base, and that waitress finally disappeared. I don’t think she came back to see how things were going again after that. Their soup bases are not what you would normally see at Chinese hot pot restaurants. They are Japanese style soup bases, and have ones such as Sukiyaki.

Seaweed Salad

After handing in our menu list, we immediately got our Seaweed Salad. It was fresh and well seasoned and the portions were just perfect so you had enough of it.

Mix Sashimi Crispy, Salmon Sashimi, Tuna Sashimi, Tai Sashimi, Baby Tako Sashimi

We decided to go for the deluxe menu, which basically comes with more assortment of meat as well as sashimi. The sashimi was really what got us to decide to add on that $6. The sashimi is presented nicely on ice and even comes with seashells! We kind of came to the conclusion that they reused the ice and seashells though, so we really hope they washed it… Anyways, the sashimi was surprisingly quite fresh. It’s weird how the Salmon Sashimi still comes with a thin layer of the silver skin, and at first I thought it would feel disgusting in the mouth, but I really didn’t feel it at all. The slices were also very large for an all you can eat restaurant. I also tried the Tako Sashimi, which were limited to 1 per person.

Beef Sashimi

We were really impressed with the Beef Sashimi, that we ended up ordering 3 more dishes. The beef had great flavour and was seasoned extremely well. Full of flavour and was extremely juicy. This also didn’t have a limit, so we ordered tons!

Snow Beef, Pork Cheek, Sliced Lamb

Then we got our orders of meat. I think we ordered like 30 slices of beef, and then 15 of pork and lamb. But wow, we did not expect the slices to be so large. We still finished it regardless, and we were extremely satisfied with the meat.

Ice Tofu, Fish Tofu, Beef Tripe, Imitation Lobster Ball, Black Wood Ear, Gluten, Tofu Puff, Oyster Mushroom, Squid Ball, Shrimp Wonton, Shrimp Dumpling

They put most of the other items all together in one bowl. It looks pretty nice when presented though. I enjoyed the Squid Balls, as you could actually taste the squid in it. Everything was pretty average, and I didn’t hate any of it.

Veggies

For our second round, we ordered some veggies. You basically get 3 columns to order, so it’s easy to pace yourself.

Mussel, Tiger Prawn

I never tried the tiger prawns, but my parents said that they were large and had full of shrimp flavour to it. The mussels were also great.

Curry Fish Ball, Deep Fried Oysters, Takoyaki, Chili Seafood Ball

Other than hot pot food and sashimi, they also had cooked food, which I found interesting. The Curry Fish Balls were surprisingly pretty good! Up to par with the ones at night markets. They also had Takoyakis, which is kind of strange. These were limited too! They actually had tako in it, so I was quite pleased. The Deep Fried Oysters were also not bad.

Sesame Oil w/ Enoki Mushroom, Salmon Sashimi, Tuna Sashimi

Another order of sashimi! Tons of Salmon Sashimi because it was really good! I feel like we totally ate our money’s worth since we ordered so much sashimi! The Sesame Oil w/ Enoki Mushrooms were pretty weird though. They just tasted of sesame oil, and we didn’t like it.

For the last round, we felt like our items weren’t coming, but they weren’t significant items. They were items we just wanted to try, so we didn’t really care. We did want to get those Iced Pineapples which were part of our deluxe menu though! They don’t have desserts, so that’s pretty much their dessert. They didn’t come until we told the girl who told us it was our last call. Then they immediately came…Like c’mon, we have to ask them for pineapples in order for them to come…

Overall, we were pretty satisfied with the food. For the price, you are getting average or above average food, and especially since it’s an all you can eat place. Don’t expect much from service though, because they just want you to eat and leave so they can get the next round in.

To see the menus:

Adonia Tea House

January 29, 2013May 2, 2013Leave a comment

J and I finally met up to have some girl catch up time and we woke up early to go brunch. Well not that early, but we got to Vancouver around 11 and when we got to Jethro’s Fine Grub, we were told we would have to wait 40 minutes. The place was really tiny and 40 minutes is usually an okay wait for me, but I had other plans after. So we decided to go elsewhere. J suggested Adonia, and we called to make sure we could get a seat, and off we went.

I love how the chinaware is super girly at Adonia. All the floral and golden details make you feel like you’re at an actual tea party!

Jasmine Green Tea (back) and Mango Passion Fruit Green Tea (front)

Their teapots however, were not as girly as I had imagined them to be. For myself, I got the Mango Passion Fruit Green Tea. My mini afternoon tea set came with a choice of tea, so I chose this fruity green tea. I usually like floral teas, but this fruity tea was a nice change. A hint of sour and sweet, but not overwhelming.

Seafood Chowder – Crowded with fresh seafood

J got the Seafood Chowder, but I never tried it. It looked appealing though, with an actual large piece of shrimp in it.

Smoked Salmon – Gourmet sandwich with smoked wild sockeye salmon, dill cream cheese, sweet red onion and capers on foccacia bread. Served with a side salad.

For her entree, J got the Smoked Salmon Sandwich. I was so tempted to get this too! It looked delicious with loads of smoked salmon on the foccacia bread, topped with onions and capers.

Mini Afternoon Tea – A sampling of our afternoon tea. It includes 7 pieces of mini sweets and savories accompanied by your choice of tea.

For myself, I got the Mini Afternoon Tea. This was for $18 and included your choice of tea, so an average price for high tea. They also offer just an afternoon tea, which is their deluxe version and I’m guessing includes much more. That one, however, is $27.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich, Cucumber Sandwich, Egg Sandwich, Berry Scone with Devon Cream and Raspberry Jam

On the bottom tier, we have our savories. The sandwiches were all very basic sandwiches, but they were presented nicely and delicious! Simple ingredients, but executed right! The scone had berries in it and top with sugar on the top. It wasn’t my favourite, as I found it a bit too dry, but scones aren’t my favourite.

Brownie, Coconut Lemon Pie, Fruit Tart

The top tier was filled with 3 desserts. I’m always excited to try the dessert section! I didn’t find them any special though. They were all decent, but nothing made me go wow! I did enjoy the Fruit Tart though, but I think it was because of how nicely it was presented. Each piece of fruit, although small, was sliced nicely so it would all fit on the tart.

Overall, Adonia was average. I don’t think it was anything amazing and the service wasn’t exactly the best either. Also, you don’t know what the savouries and sweets are before hand. So you really just get a surprise, whereas many other high tea houses have a menu listing the different items that you will get.

Cheesecake Etc.

January 25, 2013May 2, 2013Leave a comment

After dinner, J and I went to get dessert at Cheesecake Etc. It was probably half full since it was a weekday night, so they told us to just choose a seat wherever we wanted.

Original Cheesecake with Strawberries

J got the Original Cheesecake with Straweberries, which I’ve also had in the past. They have actual strawberries on them, and the whip cream is fresh! However, I still like the cheesecake at Cheesecake Factory in the states the most!

Tonight’s Special – Tiramisu

The waitress told me that tonight’s special was the Tiramisu, so I immediately said yes to that. Their cheesecake is basically the same, except you can choose different toppings, so of course I wanted to try something new! I really enjoyed this. It wasn’t too strong in alcohol and the cake itself was soft and crumbly. Perfect when it was mixed in with the whipped cream!

That night, they also had a pianist and jazz singer performing. I’m not usually a jazz person, but jazz and cheesecake in a dimly lit seating area just seems to work so well!

Kitanoya Guu (Richmond) (revisit)

January 24, 2013May 2, 2013Leave a comment

I feel like I just recently went to Guu in Richmond, but come to think of it, it was actually a month ago. J and I wanted some Japanese food though, so off we went. It was a Thursday night and the place was pretty empty. The vibe and ambiance was totally missing, although they still screamed Japanese words at you when you enter and leave! Since there weren’t many customers, the service was especially tentative, and I feel like our tea cups were always full.

Salmon Skin Salad (on the house)

Within minutes of taking down our order, we were given a complimentary appetizer. It was a Salmon Skin Salad, and although I usually don’t like to eat salmon skin, this one was not bad. The lemon gave it some zesty flavours, and worked well with the rest of the salad.

Beef Tataki – thin sliced seared beef w/ ponzu sauce

I chose to get the Beef Tataki, since I love the way Guu flavours it. However, I was extremely disappointed with tonight’s! Beef tataki is supposed to be seared, but this one was overdone. It still looks red on the picture, but I should have taken a snapshot of the other side, because it was completely cooked and brown. J and I both agreed this was not up to their usual standards.

Tuna Tataki – seared tuna w/ ponzu sauce

The Tuna Tataki was also a disappointment. It seemed like the chefs weren’t making their tatakis correctly tonight!! They are usually really delicious, so I’m not sure what went wrong, especially since they had plenty of time to perfect it since there were barely any customers.

Steamed Mussels

Somehow, we ended up with Steamed Mussels too! We didn’t order them, but I took a picture of them before we told them to send them back. They looked delicious though, and we were tempted to eat them anyways…The mussels looked fatty!

Unagi Moshi – BBQ eel & poached egg on rice in hot stone bowl w/ teriyaki sauce (without egg)

J wanted to get something like a unagi don, so the waitress recommended us the Unagi Moshi. It’s colourful and comes in a stone bowl. It totally reminded me of a bimbimbap!

The waitress then helped us mix it all together. I’m not a big fan of eel, but I liked how the bits were all mixed into the rice, so you could still taste the eel, but the texture wasn’t as apparent. It was strong in ginger flavours, and the teriyaki sauce worked well with everything. At the bottom, the rice started to dry up, and you could get the crunchy rice texture just like in any stone bowls.

Yakiudon – pan fried udon w/ beef, mushroom, green onion, & soy sauce + butter

I also love Guu’s Yakiudon, so I had to get that! But I was disappointed with it! When it was served, it just didn’t look appetizing. The udon was a bit soggy, and just wasn’t up to par! I felt like everything that I always enjoy at Guu were such a disappointment tonight!! What was wrong with the chefs 😦

Beef Tongue – 3 styles (Daily Specials)

Finally, J wanted to try something interesting, so we got the Beef Tongue which was prepared in 3 different ways. I have to say I was hesistant to try it first, just because I get a little iffy when I try new organs, or weird body parts… Who doesn’t?! The first one on the right of the plate was cooked and chilled. We found that it was quite salty and reminded us of ham. The texture is definitely chewy though. The one in the middle confused us a little. It had a sunny-side-up egg on top and underneath was a meatball! It was a meatball with beef tongue in it. This is a good choice for starters who have not tried tongue before, since you wouldn’t even realize what’s in it. It’s literally like a meatball! The last one on the left was crispy on the outside, and wasn’t as salty as the first. It was flavourful and I liked it much more compared to the first.

Overall, I was quite disappointed with my visit at Guu this time. I remember a friend saying that the Guu in Richmond is always either a hit or miss. Their consistency is a problem, but this was the first time I experienced this. Weird how it was a weekday and the chefs had plenty of time to perfect their dishes since there were few customers, yet they did not.

Top Chiu Chow Cuisine

January 20, 2013May 2, 2013Leave a comment

I didn’t even notice Top Chiu Chow Cuisine until my family decided to go try the restaurant. It’s in the same mall as Richmond Sushi and Bubble World among many others, but it’s literally at the end of all the shops in a corner. The restaurant was quite packed when we got there, but we made reservations beforehand, so we immediately got our seats.

Apparently they also have a second floor, but it seemed a little sketchy…hmm
The decor is surprisingly quite clean and modern for a Chinese restaurant. They started us off with complimentary peanuts and something that reminded me of sour pickles.

Since their menu is all in Chinese, I’m not exactly sure if I’m translating the items correctly in English, but here’s the items we ordered.

So we kind of got lured into getting their Daily Soup…okay fine, maybe they didn’t exactly trick us into it, but the guy told us we should get a soup since most dinners aren’t complete without a soup. He suggested the daily soup, and started listing out the ingredients, and my mom just quickly said sure. We later realized that it cost us $68.80…

Daily Soup

It came in a large cauldron and we learned that we had ordered some soup with expensive ingredients… Shark fin! And now I feel terrible because I was hoping to stop consuming shark fin since everything is about sustainability these days. 😦

They serve the soup to you with just the clear broth. It’s also got goji berries, chicken, and other Chinese ingredients.

The waiter then scoops out all the stock. The shark fin was actually not even that good. The parts of the shark fin were not the best parts, hence the price wasn’t extremely ridiculous. We were surprised that the service was quite good though, since they also offered to reheat our soup after if we decided to eat our other dishes after our first serving of soup.

Oyster Omelet – 煎蠔餅

This is a typical dish in Chiu Chow cuisine. I really enjoyed this dish although I found it a little oily. It was nicely pan fried so that it was crispy on the edges though.

Crab and Shrimp Balls

I’m not sure if I’m translating this correctly, but half of them are basically crab balls and the other half are shrimp balls. They are fried and then you dip them into this sauce for extra flavour. I found them to already have enough flavour alone, and dipping into the sauce just made it too salty.

Chicken with Kale Leaves – 潮式川椒雞

I found these chicken to be a little too salty, but it worked well when accompanied with rice. The kale leaves also gave a nice crunch. They were flaky and almost like seaweed!

Marinated Goose Meat – 滷水鵝肉

We were quite disappointed with the marinated goose meat. It was much more tough and lacked flavour. It felt like these were not done in house, and that they had just reheated store bought ones.

Satay Beef Noodles with Veggies

We were expecting the noodles which to be flavourful with satay, but surprisingly it lacked the satay flavour. It was a sweet flavour instead, which we didn’t mind. Very saucy, and the beef were tender.

Oranges were complimentary and were a refreshing way to cleanse our palettes.

Sweet Red Bean and Lotus Seed Paste Dumplings – 潮式水晶包

For dessert, we ordered sweet dumplings which are famous in Chiu Chow cuisine. Half were filled with red bean paste, and the other half filled with lotus seed paste. I tried both, but my favourite was the red bean paste. They had tons of filling and you could tell the filling was grounded with actual red bean or lotus seed. There were still little bits in it, unlike store bought paste. What was great about these dumplings were that the outer layer was extremely thing. They’re kind of like a mochi gelatin texture and translucent, but the chef was skillful enough to make them extremely thing. The only issue was the folding area which was difficult to keep thin, and therefore there would be a lump of dough at the bottom end.

Overall, I was quite satisfied with Top Chiu Chow Cuisine. The service was extremely tentative and they even switched our plates twice throughout dinner, which doesn’t happen at most restaurants unless you are eating seafood.