Qoola Plus (Richmond Centre)

August 14, 2013Leave a comment

Qoola opened not long ago at Richmond Centre and took over the old Carlton Cards location right next to McDonalds. The Qoola here is huge compared to the rest in Greater Vancouver, and it is actually called Qoola Plus. I think it’s because they offer more than just frozen yogurt here. Anyways, first you choose your flavour of frozen yorgurt and this is self serve, unlike Pinkberry. However, the downside is they don’t have little cups for you to taste test them, like at Menchies. You can still taste test the flavours, but you need to ask one of the employees, which becomes a hassle.

They have a large variety of toppings you can add, and it ranges from cookie crumbles, mochi, nuts, cheesecake, candies to fruits. They also have various sauces you can drizzle on.

And here is M since he wanted to get on the blog post…

Seating is also abundant here, with many couches further in the back. It makes a great place for groups to hangout, but also dates wit hseating areas for just two people. They close at 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 10pm on the other days. You can enter from the outdoor entrance if the mall is closed.

So I’m guessing what makes this location a Qoola Plus is the food that they offer. So other than frozen yogurt, you can purchase sandwiches and pasta! That’s pretty cool. Their display was not shown, since I guess they were sold out by the time we went. I wonder if they’re any good.

And here is mine creation! I have some Original Yogurt, Watermelon Sorbet and Mango Tango Sorbet. It is then topped with Mochi, and Green Tea Mochi. Not a huge fan of frozen yogurt, since I’m an ice cream person, but I thought it was decent. It’s not too sweet so I like that. The mochis were definitely my favourite part though. Especially the green tea mochi. It was a huge piece, and of course weighed more, but was extremely chewy. So good!

And here’s a snapshot of all our Qoola. My friends said that the original yogurt is by far the best, and the cheesecake topping is really good. The plus side of Qoola is that no Qoola is ever the same. You can customize it however you like, whereas Pinkberry employees make it for you. I’m guessing the Pinkberry upstairs in the food court is going to have some competition!

De Dutch

August 12, 2013August 12, 2013Leave a comment

Since C works from the afternoon until night time, we decided to go grab brunch for our catch-up session. There aren’t too many breakfast places in Richmond, so she suggested De Dutch. My friends always talk about De Dutch, but I’ve actually never been. I had no idea where it even was! It’s literally tucked in a very tiny complex on the road across Superstore, and I’ve driven past the area plenty of times. Never have I noticed it though! It’s in a complex next to Good Eats Dim Sum to be exact. Parking is limited, but there weren’t too many diners during our time.

Inside, the place is very family style. Simple and clean.

I like how they have a clock of Amsterdam and Vancouver. A cute addition to their decor.

Spinach Bene – Edam and fresh spinach served on Dutch rusks with basted eggs, Hollandaise sauce, hash browns and garnished with fruit

When we saw our Spinach Eggs Benedict, we were sort of confused. It was definitely not what we were expecting. I guess this is the Dutch style. Instead of an English muffin, they use a Dutch rusk, which are essentially bread which has been baked twice. I actually really enjoyed the rusk since it’s crispy and reminded me of toasted croutons. Much better than an English muffin because I find that they can be quite tough sometimes. The egg is also basted so that one side is sunny side up, and the other side is basted so it is basically white on both sides with a runny yolk inside. Quite different from your typical poached eggs, but the yolk was still runny which was good. Their Hollandaise sauce was alright, but wasn’t the best I’ve had. I also wish they had cooked the spinach, since the dish felt like a cold dish in the end, with raw spinach inside. Sort of like a salad. Something was a little odd. Hashbrowns were basically potatoes cut into very tiny cubes. These were just okay. They weren’t served very hot. As for the fruits, they lacked colour and freshness. Not the best.

Smoked Salmon, Red Onion & Brie Dutch Tosties – with a side of Caesar salad

I saw that they had something called Dutch Tosties on their lunch menu, so suggested we give it a try. We chose the one filled with Smoked Salmon, Red Onion & Brie. These were amazing! The bread on the outside is toasted just perfectly so it was crispy, and the mixture of salmon, red onion, and brie were spot on. The brie really made the sandwich as it provided the feeling of eating a grilled cheese sandwich. The red onions added more flavour. This was one of our favourite dishes. We also chose the side of Caesar salad, but it was quite disappointing. It was overdressed, and the lettuce looked like it had sat in the sauce for way too long. They also cut up bits of cheese, instead of grating it on, or even using a powder. It was definitely not too appetizing. Should’ve chosen a side of Kettle chips instead.

Strawberry Cheesecake Pannekoeken – sweetened cream cheese, strawberry topping and whipped cream

Lastly, we decided to try their famous Pannekoeken. Since we already had our mains, we chose to get a sweet Strawberry Cheesecake Pannekoeken. This is a Dutch creation, with a circumference of 37″ and a diameter of 12″. It basically fills your whole plate. It’s sort of pancake but made as thin as a crepe. Maybe a little thicker, but definitely much thinner than a usual pancake. Inside, you can choose to put a variety of fillings, and De Dutch offers both sweet and savoury fillings.

When wrapped up and cut in half, it looks like this. We spread our sweetened cream cheese, strawberry toppings (which are just canned strawberries with syrup), and the whipped cream all over, and then carefully rolled it up. Honestly, we weren’t too amazed by this. It was just a weird combination. You could taste the saltiness of the pancake, but then you have the sweetened cream cheese going on. It just wasn’t a pleasant taste. We both didn’t end up finishing it and agreed that a savoury pannekoeken would’ve probably tasted better.

Food was okay, with hits and misses. You can’t really expect typical American breakfasts here, since they have a Dutch twist to it. Prices are also the typical breakfast joint prices, being at least $10 an entree. Service was also a hit and miss. One server was quite rude and seemed like she didn’t want to be working, while the other was extremely friendly. I guess De Dutch is still a good alternative to IHop, if you’re in the Richmond area looking for breakfast.

Old Country Buffet

August 8, 2013Leave a comment

I go to Seattle pretty much every year just to do some shopping. Finally, I got my passport back from applying for a Visa, and I could go down south! On a random weekday, K, E, and I decided to do a day trip just to Bellis Fair. We got there at around lunch time, and wanted to grab some cheap food. We’ve been to Bellis Fair multiple times, and we always pass by Old Country Buffet. Honestly, it reminds me of Uncle Willy on the outside. Never really dared looking in or even checking out the menu. For some reason, we just impulsively decided to just go try it out. Lunch is until 3:30, so make sure to get there before that time, or you will be paying the dinner price. Lunch is around $8 and drinks are an additional $2. Your total comes to around $10 a person for lunch. Honestly, the $2 for drinks is a stretch for me, since I can’t even finish a full cup of soda usually. I definitely should’ve stuck with a glass of water for free.

After you pay, you basically find your own seat wherever you want. Don’t expect any service whatsoever, other than someone coming to take away your dirty plates. I didn’t really get any close ups of any of the food in the warmers, since there were people all around me, and I also didn’t have any hands to hold my camera with a plate in the other hand.

But as you can see, they have multiple bars with different categories, like vegetables, salads, meats, and desserts. They even had an area to make your own taco with everything you would need from salsa to sour cream. They only had hard shell tacos though, which was fine since they were surprisingly crispy. I would’ve loved a soft tortilla though, since it’s not as messy to eat.

The variety of food is quite good for the price you pay. There is also a stir fry section where you can get a server to add the ingredients of your choice to make a stir fry immediately. I didn’t try it out though, since I assumed the stir fry wouldn’t be even comparable to actual Chinese stir fry.

This is my first round. Definitely not very presentable, since I just pile my food on top. I had some ribs, a seafood pancake, sweet and sour pork, some pasta, and caesar salad. Pretty typical food, and I wouldn’t say anything was amazing, but it wasn’t terrible.

K got the freshly baked pizza, which was apparently quite good.

E’s plate.

My round two consisted of more caesar salad. My poorly put together taco is also in the back. I also got some mac and cheese, which was pretty good! It was super cheesy. I also got a piece of fried chicken drumstick, and it was actually fried quite nicely. You could easily get your money’s worth just by eating fried chicken. (I hear that’s what people do at buffets, don’t they?)

I only have two rounds of actual food, and I got excited to move to desserts. However, I was utterly disappointed. Look at the pictures! None of the desserts looked appetizing…

Maybe the cookies or brownies? But they looked really sweet…

The pies and custards also looked overly sweet.

But I found a soft-serve ice cream machine! They had chocolate, vanilla, and even a swirl! I was definitely impressed with the swirl machine they had. Not many buffets have this.

But they also had orange sorbet, so I went for that instead. I can pretty much guarantee you it’s artificial flavouring though. I liked how they also had a variety of toppings and sauces you could add to your sundae. Perfect for the kids.

And last but not least, I was amazed at their slurpee machine. Okay, maybe I get amazed pretty easily. Our buffets in Vancouver don’t have this stuff! Or at least not at such a low price! I tried the blueberry fanta, and it made my tongue blue. Definitely artificial. Tasted sort of weird too… They have a bunch of other soft drinks, coffee, and lemonade as well though.

Overall, I can’t say Old Country Buffet is amazing, but it also isn’t terrible. I guess for the price you pay, it’s decent and you get a wide variety of food. I always feel ripped off at buffets since I can’t eat a lot, but at this price, I feel like I can eat my money’s worth of food. I hear they also offer breakfasts at a really cheap price, but I wonder what they serve.

Guu Garlic (Robson)

August 7, 2013Leave a comment

For my birthday dinner, J took me to Guu Garlic on Robson St. I’ve never been to this location and I heard that each Guu has a different menu, so I was pretty excited to see what was different. We sat at the bar and we could see the chef preparing our food. I still don’t understand how they can just yell the orders and remember what to make. Their communication and teamwork skills are definitely great here.

Kimchi Udon – marinated udon with cod roe, soy sauce, butter, kimchi & green onion

I always get the normal Yakiudon, so this time we tried the Kimchi Udon. It’s not exactly kimchi on the noodles, but the flavour is a kimchi flavour. I’m guessing they didn’t use traditionally prepared kimchi. The noodles were similar to the yakiudon one, and were cooked until chewy. I still prefer the original yakiudon over this one though.

Ishiyaki – Today’s hot stone bowl dish

We also decided to try the Ishiyaki, which is a hot stone bowl with whichever rice they were serving on the day. I don’t exactly remember what the waitress described the dish as, but it reminded me of Italian flavours. Here, she began to mix the rice before I got a picture.

This is what it looks like after it is mixed thoroughly. The rice is filled with meat, tomatoes, green onions, onions and some other ingredients. We definitely thought it didn’t taste like something you would eat at a Japanese restaurant. The flavours were very westernized and I personally thought it tasted like Italian rice.

Tuna Tataki – lightly seared tuna sashimi with green onion, garlic chips & ponzu sauce

Tuna Tataki is always included in my usual orders. This one was seared really well so that the inside was still raw. I’ve had it a couple of times where the tuna is over-seared.

Salmon Carpaccio – Sokeye salmon carpaccio

I’ve had the Salmon Carpaccio at the Richmond location before, and it is always one of my favourites. This was once again executed very well. I just love the sauce and dressing they use on it. Tons of flavour and the salmon is fresh.

Grilled Japanese “Kurobuta” Sausage

Lastly, we ordered the Grilled Japanese “Kurobuta” Sausage from the daily special menu. Kurobuta is the famous Japanese term for pork meat from a Berkshire pig. These pigs are black and are a rare breed, hence the dishes are usually more expensive than a dish made from the typical breeds. These pigs are originated from England, but they are also bred in Japan, and therefore called Kurobuta if they are bred in Japan. They are prized for their juiciness, tenderness, and flavour. It also has much more fat than normal pork meat. These sausages had a crisp outer layer and the inside was definitely much more juicy. They came along with two dips. One was a mustard seed sauce, which I really enjoyed. I thought the red dip was ketchup, but my sausage became really spicy! I later realized it was a spicy ketchup.

We didn’t end up getting dessert or finishing our meal since we had an emergency and had to leave halfway. The servers were very accommodating and cancelled our dessert order right away. I really wanted to try their dessert too… it had green tea ice cream in it. Oh well, next time!

Granville Island Brewing Taproom

August 5, 2013August 5, 2013Leave a comment

After water-biking at Granville Island, J and I were thirsty and walked by the Granville Island Brewing Taproom. I’ve never been here, so we decided to grab an afternoon drink to quench our thirst.

The taproom was quite packed, but we luckily found a seat by the bar. You basically just walk in and find a seat wherever you like. Pretty much like any pub. In the back, you can see all the machines brewing the beer.

They have a tasting map with the 8 different beers they have. I’m not a huge fan of beer, so I honestly had no idea what I was ordering. I did however go to a beer tasting event before, so I learned a little, but still not enough to call myself an expert (not in close actually).

Hefeweizen, Raspberry Ale, Small Batch

They had a special going on where you could try 3 different kinds of beer on tap at around $9 I think? The glasses are around half the size of a normal pint, but it’s perfect if you want to try different types of beer. I chose to try the Hefeweizen, which was described as a unfiltered wheat ale, and is vaguely tart with light clove and banana flavours and aromas. It finishes crisp and dry. I definitely tasted the banana flavours to it, which was quite interesting, but I did find it to be a bit dry, like it said. Next I tried the Raspberry Ale. I keep seeing this advertised around Granville Island, and because of it’s pink colour, I always assumed it would be a girly beer. I believe it’s only available during the summer as it is a seasonal ale, and combines premium malt and hops with Fraser Valley raspberries. It is well-balanced with raspberry colour, aroma and finish. It tastes like fresh raspberries, without being too sweet, and is refreshingly tart with enough pale malt character, so it tastes like an ale, and not a wine cooler. This was definitely one of the sweeter and fruitier beers, and probably my favourite out of the three. Last but not least, J chose the Small Batch, which we were told was basically a dark ale. It was super bitter! Definitely not something I would drink normally, and it left a bitter aftertaste in your mouth.

If you want to try out different beers at a decent price, the taproom at the Granville Island Brewing is the perfect place to go. It gets quite busy during the summer afternoons, and I would assume it’s even busier during night time.

Seto (Revisit #3)

August 4, 2013August 4, 2013Leave a comment

On my actual birthday, J took me to Seto for lunch before my birthday adventure began. He seems to enjoy this restaurant after I brought him here once. Quality is always good and they make authentic Japanese food. I’ve never been to Seto during lunch hours, so it was a surprise to learn that they had a lunch menu and one that was of good value, especially since their dinner menu is usually quite pricey.

Seto Box – Teriyaki Chicken, Sushi, Sashimi, Zarusoba, Tempura, Salad, Sunomono, Soup and Rice

Most of the lunch items are Lunch Boxes. J got the Seto Box and it included a lot of dishes for only $15! The Zarusoba came first, and this one was green. It was a decent amount and J said it was quite good.

Tempura

Next, they brought us the Tempura. One yam, one zucchini, and two prawns. All lightly battered, and didn’t feel too greasy.

And here was the rest of the items in the Seto Box. It had two pieces of salmon sashimi, two pieces of tuna sashimi, teriyaki chicken on rice, ebi, tuna, and salmon nigiri, a salad, and some sunomono salad. Sashimi was fresh as usual, and nigiris were all constructed well.

Saba Nigiri, Salmon Toro Nigiri

J also ordered some Saba and Salmon Toro Nigiris. I didn’t try the Saba as usual, since I think that it’s probably quite fishy. I did try the Salmon Toro, which is essentially the salmon belly, and this was quite delicious. The texture is much more soft and buttery compared to just normal Salmon because the belly area is more fatty.

Lunch Box C – Teriyaki Chicken, Sashimi, Nigiri Sushi, Tempura, Sunomono, Soup and Rice

And last but not least, I had the Lunch Box C. Pretty much the same as the Seto Box, except I don’t have the Zarusoba and Salad. The Seto Box would have been too much food for me anyways, so the Lunch Box C was just perfect. A filling meal and only for a price of $12!

Now that I know Seto has such good deals during lunch time, I think I may come here more often during lunch if I’m craving some quality Japanese food. It seemed that most diners got the lunch boxes because of the good deals. They have quite a variety of boxes to choose from too!

Check out my previous reviews at Seto: https://everydayisafoodday.com/2012/05/21/seto-japanese-restaurant/

https://everydayisafoodday.com/2013/07/17/seto-sushi-revisit/

Vij’s

August 2, 2013Leave a comment

Vij’s is known to be one of the best Indian restaurants in Vancouver. Not sure if it’s because of celebrity chef, Vikram Vij, but it’s definitely a must try! They’re famous for their long line-ups, so I haven’t had the chance, or maybe patience to go try it out. J had gotten me a gift card last year, and K said she wanted to go for my birthday, so off we went. We went on a weekday, and because of those scary line up stories I heard, I suggested we get in for our first seating. The restaurant opens at 5:30, but reviews suggested we go a little earlier than 5pm to secure a spot since they don’t take reservations. We got there around 5:05 and this is what the line up was like in the picture above. Not too bad. We were lined up just behind the lady in the white skirt, and there were around 10 people sitting in the patio area waiting as well. Soon after, the line began to form. At around 5:25, a lady came out to give us a sample of Cassava Root Fries. This was quite nice after waiting in the burning sun for 20 minutes. The people who sat at the patio area also had purchased drinks from a waitress who seemed to work at the sister store, Rangoli, which is right next door. They never offered the drink menu for the people in line though.

Finally, at 5:30, they opened the doors and the line quickly moved as they got everyone seated. The inside smelled of spices and was dimly lit. I liked how they had enough servers to quickly get everyone their menus, water and greet them. They were definitely efficient and knew what they were doing.

The kitchen area actually looks pretty small from the outside, but I’m not sure if it’s actually bigger than that. If not, I’m surprised they can get the food out in such a quick time.

Simple tableware, but I loved the copper water bottle they used. Gave it some Indian flare and kept the water cool. I have to add that I’m really impressed that all the plates they provided us were hot! It definitely helped to make sure the food was still kept warm even on the plate.

Complementary Chai

We were asked whether we wanted a sample of their complementary Chai. It was hot, and I honestly wasn’t looking for a hot drink after waiting in line under the burning sun, but I was curious to try it. I let it cool down for a bit, and took a sip. It was so good! I remember trying a chai tea latte at Starbucks, and absolutely hated it. I was surprised how good this one was! It was a little minty, and surprisingly sort of cooled me down. Delicious!

Pakora

Just when I thought the samples were over, a server came around offering more! A burning hot Pakora! I sort of wish they had given us a plate first, since these were really hot, and I couldn’t even hold it for long. These were really good though! The spices were just right and not overwhelming.

Cassava Root tossed in Indian Spices

They also gave us a second sample of the Cassava Root Fries tossed in Indian Spices. Again, these were burning hot and fresh. I find the spice a little too spicy though! Still delicious.

Samosas filled with Lamb and Beef, sauteed in fennel, cloves and sumac

K and I decided to share two appetizers and a main as it was a relatively early dinner for us. I love samosas, but man, were these good! For $13.50, I had thought it was pretty ridiculous for 2 Samosas, but these are totally worth the price you’re paying for. I especially liked the curry at the bottom. It was similar to a butter chicken curry, and had a tomato base to it. Surprisingly, it also wasn’t too spicy and was delicious with the complementary naan. I’m not crazy for coconut, so at first, I didn’t mix the coconut mixture together. However, I gave it a try, and it was absolutely delicious. It brought some coconut flavour, which is always delicious in a curry.

The pastry aren’t those thin, flaky ones you usually get at donair shops, but a thicker pastry, which still has the flaky texture. The inside was filled with lots of potatoes, lamb, and beef and tons of spices. If you don’t think you can get full off of one samosa, you will!

Mutton Kebobs with Bengali Style Curry

To be honest, I don’t know much about Indian cuisine, so I ended up reading some reviews to see what is good. Follow Me Foodie had given a great review on the Mutton Kebobs, so why not? Both K and I didn’t even know what mutton was, but after googling, we learned that it was just an older sheep. Most chefs are afraid to use mutton because they have a stronger taste than lamb and can often be overcooked and dry. I did find that cutting into these kebobs, they were a little tough, but it seemed like it was because of the outer layer. The outer layer had a sausage like texture. The overall execution reminded me of sausages, and I found it spicy. The inside was extremely moist though. It was paired with a Bengali Style Curry, which was sort of like a Butter Chicken Sauce again, but very thin. The consistency definitely wasn’t thick. The curry was too spicy for me though, and along with the spicy kebobs, my mouth was flaming! I liked how they had a salad filled with cucumbers on the side though, as it cooled me down.

Complementary Naan

We were given complementary Naan and this was soft and fluffy. Not extremely flaky, and more on the doughy side, but I enjoyed it. They were warm and weren’t too oily. You can get unlimited naan as long as you ask, but this stuff gets you filled up before you know it!

Papri Chaat – 2 Kinds of Chutney and Mung Bean on Fried Dough

More samples? Yup. This is called the Papri Chaat. The server described it as two kinds of chutney and mung bean on fried dough. The fried dough was simliar to a tortilla chip, but not as salty. The mixture worked really well together and I could eat these as snacks all day!

Wine Marinated Lamb Popsicles in Fenugreek Cream Curry on Turmeric and Spinach Potatoes

And then came what everyone raves about and what I came for. The Lamb Popsicles! Wow, weren’t these the best lamb I’ve had in my life. They were cooked to medium-rare and were extremely tender. The sauce was quite mild and actually a bit sweet. The consistency was much more thing, and was great to dip your lamb in. There were also spinach and buttered potatoes at the bottom which were delicious when soaked in the sauce. We were so full by the end of our meal, that we actually had to take two of these popsicles home. And honestly, I was afraid that they wouldn’t taste good anymore, but my dad tried it once we got home, and he said they were still delicious! That’s how good they are. Cooked perfectly!

Complementary Basmati Rice

For our entree, they also brought out some complementary Basmati Rice. It had a nice spice and aroma to it, and were cooked so it wasn’t too dry. Really good with the cream curry.

My conclusion is that Vij’s is a must try! It might be overrated with all those lineups, but the food is that good! Try to get her for the first seating because you basically have to wait for the first seating customers to finish before you get a table. It’s also quite a pricey dinner, but so worth it. Come here for special occasions, when you aren’t in a hurry and have the time to wait and enjoy your dinner!

Dinesty

August 1, 20132 Comments

Dinesty is next to Starbucks and Ebisu in Richmond, and I believe they recently opened one in Downtown on Robson. I’ve gone by this restaurant multiple times, but I don’t think I’ve actually ate here before. At last, J and I decided to grab an early dinner, and he suggested we go to Dinesty. It seems to be his favourite place to go.

I think we got there around 5 pm, so it was quite empty. However, shortly after sitting down, the place quickly became filled. Apparently, there are usually long waits during dinner time, and it’s almost impossible to get a seat without reservations. The food here seems to be a mix of Taiwanese and Shanghainese food. Decor is simple and clean, and I like the open kitchen they have. You can see the chefs preparing your food, just like Shanghai River. Sort of a similar concept in terms of their floor plan.

Steamed Pork Dumplings

I wanted some Steamed Pork Dumplings, or better known as Xiao Long Bao! An order came with 8 hot and steamy dumplings. The wrappers were thin, yet held the pork, and inside, it was juicy. The soup was very delicious!

Ma Po Tofu

J chose the Ma Po Tofu. It was a large serving, and definitely too much for two people to share. The tofu was soft and the sauce wasn’t too spicy. It would’ve been perfect with white rice, but we had ordered another rice. We ended up mixing it with our Shrimp Fried Rice, since it would be too spicy and salty to eat alone.

Shrimp Fried Rice

Lastly, I chose the Shrimp Fried Rice. It had a hint of shrimp paste flavour, and the rice was cooked so it wasn’t too moist and sticky. There were also an abundant of shrimps inside.

Overall, I enjoyed the dishes we had at Dinesty. I can see why people enjoy coming here for meals. You get a good amount of food, which is of decent quality, at a decent price. I hear that service isn’t as great once it gets really busy during peak times, so perhaps going early is the way to go here. I also like how all their menu items have pictures, so you get a sense of what you are ordering beforehand. Perfect for beginners of Chinese food!