Taka’s Sushi

December 4, 2015December 4, 2015Leave a comment

With all the rave on Instagram about one of the best sushi restaurants in White Rock, I made it an excuse to go by on our way to Castle Fun Park. Plus, we hadn’t checked out the pier by White Rock in ages… Anyways, Taka’s Sushi is probably one of the smallest sushi shops I’ve been to. It fits probably around 10-12 diners only, and I’ve heard of the ridiculous waits for this shop. However, we arrived on a chilly Saturday at around 12:00pm and we were able to get a seat right away.

When we first entered, the host (not sure if he’s the owner) greeted us in Mandarin and S and I were automatically sort of confused. I had read that the place is Chinese owned but that the chef was trained in Japan and the wife is Japanese, but I still didn’t expect them to greet me in Mandarin. We soon realized that basically all the diners are Chinese-speaking… I swear these people drive all the way from Richmond and Vancouver to come eat here… Anyways, the interior although small is detailed with expensive decor. The chairs are suede and the chinaware they provide you with are top notch. Even the napkin was thicker than usual and had gold detailing and customized for Taka.

Aburi Nigiri: Sea Scallop, Atlantic Salmon Toro, Albacore Toro, Flounder Fringe, Blue Fin O-Toro

After looking at the menu for a few minutes, the host approached us and asked if we wanted any recommendations. I’m always down to hear what they have to say, so I agreed. However, I noticed that he kept selling to me all the expensive items… He kept convincing me to get sashimi and the most expensive nigiris and rolls on the menu. To be honest, I felt slightly uncomfortable since I knew the prices were rather high, but I wasn’t ready to dish out a $100 lunch.

I ended up choosing the aburi nigiris that were more affordable with one exception: the Blue Fin O-Toro which was a whooping $6.75! The presentation was beautiful, but to be brutally honest, I didn’t think they blew my mind. The sea scallops and the flounder fringe were my favourite though. The flounder fringe completely melted in my mouth! However, the salmon toro, albacore toro and the $7 blue fin o-toro were way overseared. I felt like it was a waste of the fish and perhaps I should have ordered the non-aburi nigiris. And to be honest, I felt that all the sauces on top overpowered the fish and you couldn’t even really taste whether it was fresh or not.

Mango Roll, Crunchy BC

Since S is not a big fan of raw fish, he chose two rolls, one being the Mango Roll, which was filled with mango, lettuce, salmon avocado, and masago and rolled in a soybean sheet and topped with crunchy pistachio bits. This was actually quite good with the mangoes being extremely ripe so you really tasted the sweetness of the mango. However, it was also very expensive at $8 for 5 pieces.

The Crunchy Roll had roasted salmon skin, spring onion, lettuce, yamagobo, masago, and sesame seeds, and topped with unagi sauce. I thought this was just average and tasted similar to a BC Roll, but costed $7.

Handsome Roll

Lastly, we got the Handsome Roll, which the host kept recommending, but it was also the most expensive, being $13. It was filled with spicy prawn and cucumber inside, crawfish tail, salmon, bbq eel on top with crunchy flakes, spicy sauce, unagi sauce, green onions and sesame seeds. As S does not enjoy spicy foods, we asked to have the spicy sauce removed. I enjoyed the crunchy flakes which gave the roll an interesting texture, but again, it didn’t blow my mind for the price I paid.

Overall, Taka’s is great if you enjoy your sushi with expensive ingredients like wagyu beef, lobster tail, and foie gras, but for someone like me who enjoys the taste of fresh seafood, it really wasn’t for me. Plus, the prices per piece can reach $7 which I find a little ridiculous even though the ingredient is expensive. And although I found service to be attentive, I found it to be pushy at times with the host trying to get me to order all the expensive items. At least that was how I felt. Otherwise, I guess this place could be a nice place to go if you’re in White Rock and you enjoy aburi sushi.

Pros:
– Dishes are nicely presented
– Fish is fresh

Cons:
– Very expensive sushi
– Service felt a bit pushy

Price Range: $30-50

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

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

Joe Fortes (30th Anniversary)

December 3, 2015November 29, 2015Leave a comment

A few weeks ago, Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House celebrated their 30th anniversary with select items during lunch at their 1985 prices. S and I decided to head over on Friday at around 11:30am to join the crowds. Of course, there were tons of people waiting and we left our name and number with the hostess who said they would text us when a table was ready. She told us it would be probably a two and a half hour wait, but we stuck with it anyways.

More than two hours later, we still didn’t hear back so I suggested we go back and check. Turns out there were no patrons waiting anymore and that apparently she had texted us about the seat. I was pretty choked since we were starving and the hostess had clearly entered the wrong phone number into the system. To make things worse, the $12 steak that we were excited about was sold out by now… We had waited so long already, so we settled with it and were led to their upper floor where the patio was. The patio was very nice and was heated so we didn’t need to bare the cold. They also had a beautiful bar on the patio.

After placing our orders, we were served complimentary bread with lobster oil and balsamic vinegar. This is always a plus at Joe Fortes since the lobster oil is delicious!

Shrimp Cocktail

Of course we got some items from their anniversary week menu, so we chose the Shrimp Cocktail which was discounted to $5.95. I had imagined them to be big plump shrimps, but they turned out to be baby shrimps already premixed in the cocktail sauce and topped with fresh horseradish. Slightly disappointed, but the shrimp was still very fresh and you got a good amount.

West Coast Fish Cakes

I didn’t know that Joe has Blue Plate Specials every weekday during lunch, where a dish is on special each day of the week. On Friday, it was the West Coast Fish Cakes for $9.95 so we got that to share as well. These were delicious! Lightly battered with well seasoned fish.

Blackened Rock Fish

And since we couldn’t get the extremely good $12 deal of New York Steak, we opted for the Blackened Rock Fish which was also offered only for $11.95. The rock fish was actually very moist and the blackened crust had a peppery taste to it. It came along with roasted potatoes and market vegetables. A good deal for sure.

Overall, the food at Joe Fortes didn’t disappoint. However, we were slightly disappointed with the service that day given that I’ve had really good service in my previous visits. Our waitress completely forgot our order and had to come back to ask and she also didn’t appear very friendly until near the end of our meal. Perhaps she was flustered with the busy lunch hours with the anniversary week…

Pros:
– Dishes are well executed
– Nice ambiance

Cons:
– Service we got that day was quite poor

Price Range: $20-25

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

Food: 4 Service: 1.5 Ambiance: 4 Parking: 2 Overall: 3.5

Maurya Indian Cuisine

December 2, 2015November 29, 2015Leave a comment

For our first and second year lunch, E suggested we go to Maurya Indian Cuisine for their lunch buffet. I came here last year when I first started work, but it was never a spot that I would crave for during lunch time since I find Indian food to be rather heavy.

When you enter, you will be surprised how beautiful the interior of the restaurant is. High ceilings and beautiful decor. I can imagine this to be a great place to host parties.

I believe the buffet lunch has increased their prices because it is now $15.49 before tax. In the first section, there are some salads, fruits and Indian appies.

Next up are some spring rolls and vegetable pakoras.

Moving on, you have your tandoori chicken, fish pakoras, two choices of rice and then your curries.

This was my first plate and I have to say I would stick with the butter chicken. The tandoori chicken is rather dry and I’m just not a huge fan of their other curries. You also get baskets of naan which are very good. They also have some desserts such as their rice pudding and gulab jamun but I find Indian desserts to be way too sweet for my liking.

Overall, Maurya Indian Cuisine is average. Nothing amazes me but it’s a convenient option for me since it’s near work. However, I feel that I don’t eat enough to make my money’s worth during their lunch buffet, so I would probably stick to ordering a la carte next time. We also had an issue near the end when they ran out of most of their food and we had to wait a long time to have them refill it. Guess they weren’t expecting so many diners during a Thursday lunch.

Pros:
– Good variety of options during lunch buffet
– Ambiance is very nice

Cons:
– A tad pricey for lunch buffet
– Ran out of food during lunch service

Price Range: $15-20

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

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

Shikisai Japanese Restaurant

December 1, 2015November 29, 2015Leave a comment

Shikisai Japanese Restaurant is located in Blundell Mall, so conveniently near home. The restaurant is run by Japanese and have many patrons who order take out.

Upon entering, you will see the sushi chefs at work. This is also the waiting area. To the left, there is a doorway leading to the dining room. I asked the lady for a seat for two and she just pointed telling me to write my name on the waiting list. I looked inside and noticed that the place was half empty, so I was confused why we had to wait.

We ended up waiting for probably 15 minutes although the restaurant had more than half of the seats empty… Another couple was also in the same situation. Anyways, we finally got seated, but by one of the sushi chefs who I had seen working at the front. Odd… The restaurant apparently had renovated recently, but it was still rather simple and modest looking.

Yam Roll, Chicken Teriyaki Roll, California Roll

S got his usual and I was surprised how nicely presented they were. I thought they looked pretty well constructed, but S begged to differ. He appeared to already be biased after the long wait and also since the prices were a bit higher for a neighborhood mall shop.

Negitoro Roll

For myself, I had the Negitoro Roll. Very nicely constructed with a good amount of filling. The tuna was very fresh.

Mini Chirashi Don

I also ordered a Mini Chirashi Don, and it ended up being a decent size although you don’t get a lot of rice. That was fine with me since I really just wanted the sashimi. There was salmon, tuna, octopus, ebi and tamago. All sashimi was very fresh.

Overall, I thought Shikisai’s quality of food was pretty good. Sashimi was fresh, but the prices are definitely a little on the higher side for a basic neighborhood restaurant. Service was also really odd with the long wait times when there were no customers. I also overheard the couple next to us who tried to order a variety of dishes and they were told they did not have any that night.

Pros:
– Sashimi is fresh
– Japanese-run

Cons:
– Portions are a bit small for the price
– Long wait times when there are no customers

Price Range: $15-20

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

Food: 3 Service: 1.5 Ambiance: 1.5 Parking: 4 Overall: 2.5

Momo Sushi (Robson)

November 30, 2015November 29, 2015Leave a comment

Since we were in downtown, I suggested we try something new. A bit of Googling got us settled at Momo Sushi which is down on Robson Street past the shops. Apparently there are tons of Momo Sushi shops around downtown.

The interior is simple and relatively clean. When we arrived, there were still many seats open, but closer to dinner time, the place was all packed.

Chicken Teriyaki Roll, Yam Roll, California Roll

I knew we were here for “good value” sushi so I wasn’t expecting much here given the lower prices. S chose a variety of his usual rolls and when the plates came we were surprised how large the portions were! He was beyond full at the end and it didn’t cost us much.

Spicy Combo (Spicy Tuna Roll and Spicy Chopped Scallop Roll) and Negitoro Roll

For myself, I chose their Spicy Combo and added a side of Negitoro Roll since I thought I would still be hungry… Guessed wrong since I could barely finish my plate. The chopped scallop roll had chopped scallop inside the roll but also piled on top. You could make two rolls with the amount of scallop they put… The only thing that I wasn’t fond of was that cheap spicy sauce they used. But I can’t complain given the prices I paid. The fish was also surprisingly quite fresh!

Overall, S and I left the restaurant happy that we had a good deal and were pleasantly full. Don’t expect authentic sushi here, but I found that the rolls were decently executed and fish appeared fresh. When I want cheap sushi without sacrificing too much quality, I’ll be returning to Momo!

Pros:
– Reasonable prices
– Large portions

Cons:
– Not your authentic Japanese restaurant
– Very busy during prime hours

Price Range: $10-15

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

Food: 3.5 Service: 2.5 Ambiance: 2 Parking: 2.5 Overall: 3

Gang Nam Korean BBQ

November 29, 2015Leave a comment

Gang Nam Korean BBQ is located on the corner of Empire Centre and has been around for quite some time, but for some reason or another, I never gave it a try. Finally, on a weekday night, I headed over with S, J, and M for a Korean bbq night.

Each table has a grill in the middle, so space-wise, you don’t get a lot and it gets rather crowded to eat.

Banchan

Once you’ve placed your order, they bring you a large assortment of complimentary Banchan, which included marinated bean sprouts, kimchi, sweet potatoes, pickled radish, green salad, and lettuce to wrap your meat in.

Marinated Pork Short Rib

We ended up ordering one of their BBQ dinner combos which was around $45 and is supposed to fill 2-3 people. It came with 4 meat dishes, a choice of Seafood Pancake or Japchae and a choice of Bibimbop.

Chicken Bulgogi

All their meats were very flavourful since they were well seasoned. You got quite a lot of meat for the price you pay. Our combo also came with Pork Belly and Pork Jowl.

Japchae

We chose Japchae as one of our options and it was a large dish (the picture above was half eaten already).

Bulgogi Bibimbop

For Bibimbop, you can choose between vegetables, beef, seafood or pork. We went for the stir fried beef and it was very flavourful.

Beef Tongue

We also added the Beef Tongue separately and these were delicious. I love the chew on it.

Man-du

The last add on we had was the Man-du which are steamed meat dumplings. These were addicting and I loved the sweet soy sauce that came with it.

Overall, we were extremely happy with Gang Nam Korean BBQ. We were beyond full and could have done with just the combo itself. Prices are quite reasonable, although we had some soju and beer, so it ended up costing over $30 a person. Otherwise, it can be quite reasonable. Service is also quite friendly.

Pros:
– BBQ dinner combos are great value
– Most dishes were well executed

Cons:
– Restaurant is a bit small so can be crowded on weekends
– Table gets very crowded

Price Range: $20-40

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

Food: 3.5 Service: 3 Ambiance: 2.5 Parking: 2.5 Overall: 3

Ole Wings & Tapas

November 27, 2015November 27, 2015Leave a comment

Another meet up with SP and SK meant looking for a spot with good food and cheap drinks. We decided to give Ole Wings and Tapas a try although the drinks didn’t have any deals going on. It’s pretty hidden since it’s upstairs, but by dinner time, the place was filled with rowdy Koreans playing games while drinking.

Spicy Soy Boneless Chicken

They have a variety of chicken items and we decided to share the Spicy Soy Boneless Chicken. This was actually a very large plate and we could barely finish it! The batter is very crispy and if you like your chicken with sauce, this is great. At first bite, it was quite spicy, but as you ate it along with the beer, it was actually quite bearable. I think it was a much better deal than Zabu Chicken.

Seafood Pancake

We also got an order of Seafood Pancake, but I was quite disappointed with this. It wasn’t very crispy and there wasn’t a lot seafood in it. I’d suggest sticking with their chicken here.

Overall, I was quite satisfied with Ole Wings and Tapas. A good choice among the Korean restaurants in this stretch if you want chicken and beer. Pitchers run at around $15 which is around the same as most restaurants, but I found that the value of the chicken was pretty good since we only needed to order one plate for the three of us. You also get free pickled daikon since it pairs well with spicy food. Service was also quite friendly and attentive even though we were probably the only non-Koreans dining there.

Pros:
– Prices are reasonable for the amount of chicken you get
– Crispy chicken and variety of sauces to choose from

Cons:
– Food other than chicken appears to be just average
– Can get very loud at night

Price Range: $15-20

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

Food: 4 Service: 3 Ambiance: 2 Parking: 3 Overall: 3.5

Fondway Cafe – Media Launch

November 20, 2015November 22, 2015Leave a comment

NOTE: All food and beverages were complimentary as part of the media launch, but all opinions are based on my personal experience.

I was invited to Fondway Cafe‘s media launch last Sunday organized by Chobee PR. Apparently Fondway used to be inside Crystal Mall, but it has relaunched near the Metrotown skytrain station, so is very accessible.

Their menu offers coffees, teas, and cafe style snacks. It is a Taiwanese cafe but mixed with a hipster European feel.

They offer over 60 teas and you can purchase the teas to bring home. They also sell a variety of tea and coffee appliances.

For the media launch, we got to sample an array of their garden fruit teas. The teas are brewed with a special machine called Teapresso that uses a 9-bar water pressurizer to extract the flavour of tea.

Signature Iced Tea

I tried the Fruit Garden, which had hibiscus, rose-hip peels, apple bits, citrus peels, and sunflower petals. The teas were served cold and I enjoyed the fruitiness and floral flavours.

We then moved over to the coffee bar where the girls were pumping out the drinks. They offer coffee beans from Elysian coffee roasters and the beans are from Guatemala and Costa Rica.

Nitrogen Coffee

Fondway differs from other coffee shops as they feature a Nitrogen Coffee, which is cold brewed and infused with nitrogen gas to create a silky texture and bubbly taste. The coffee was very smooth and clean but I found it very odd that that the coffee taste disappears after you consume it. Your first initial contact with the coffee will give you that strong coffee flavour, but it disappears right after. It’s great for people like me who do not enjoy the after coffee taste that lingers in my mouth.

Honey Lemon Coffee

The Honey Lemon Coffee was a bit of an odd one for us. We found it to have that odd sour taste that we didn’t really enjoy.

Grass Jelly Milk Tea

One of my favourites was the Grass Jelly Milk Tea. The milk tea was strong in fresh tea flavour.

Caramel Macchiato

We also tried the Caramel Macchiato with one shot of espresso. The coffee was smooth and the caramel wasn’t too sweet. I also noticed they have really neat menus where you can check the items you want to order with an erasable marker. Pretty neat!

And then we hurried over to the food! This was a foodie’s dream with all the food presented beautifully!

Belgium Waffles, House Salad

Taiwanese Sandwich, Chicken Croissant

Tuna Waffles, Cheese Salmon, Pumpkin Cracker, Daily Sandwiches

Daily Soups

Daily Soups included a Minestrone and Clam Chowder Soup. M and I both agreed the chowder was the best. It was flavourful and didn’t taste like your typical canned soup.

These were the items we sampled. Our favourite was the Cheese Salmon which featured smoked salmon on top of a cracker along with cheese, lettuce and dill. The Tuna Waffle was also a favourite as the waffles were light and fluffy and tuna was flavoured nicely with a light mayo. The Taiwanese Sandwich was a nice twist as it featured waffles as the bread.

Coffee Pana Cotta

And onto the desserts! We started off with the Coffee Pana Cotta which is more like a creme brulee with coffee caramel liquid at the bottom. Quite sweet, but the custard was smooth.

New York Cheesecake

The homemade cakes then started rolling in. The New York Cheesecake had sugar on top and it was torched to give that creme brulee hard sugar feeling. The cheesecake was denser than what I would’ve liked as I prefer the light and fluffy Japanese ones, but good nevertheless.

Ujikintoki Cake, Seasonal Fruit Cake, Earl Grey Cake, Concentrated Chocolate Cake

We also got to try a variety of their daily cakes. Since we were too full, we only tried the Earl Grey Cake. The cake itself was very fluffy, but I found that the hazelnuts on top stole the show so it tasted more like a hazelnut cake. More earl grey flavouring and less hazelnuts would’ve made the cake perfect.

Overall, we had a good time and enjoyed the beverages and snacks that Fondway offers. Service was also extremely friendly and waitresses are able to speak both Mandarin and English. I can see this as a cute place to catch up with your girl friends.

Fondway is offering a grand opening day special and you can experience a 4 signature course for only $20. You can choose from either option A or B. Please see picture above for details and contact details to reserve your ticket in advance.