Takeya Sushi

April 15, 2015April 15, 2015Leave a comment

Takeya Sushi is located in the Seafair Mall on No.1 and is Japanese run. The restaurant offers sit in, but is not the largest or most glamourous looking restaurant, so many choose to order take out. When we arrived just before 6:00pm, there was already a wait for tables. We decided to skip the dine in and ordered take out.

Sushi Combo H – 1 California Roll, 1 Mango California Roll, 1 Papaya California Roll

S chose Sushi Combo H, which comes with three variations of the California Roll. You get your typical California Roll, and then one filled with mango and the other filled with papaya. I’ve seen many restaurants with mango in their California rolls, but was surprised to see the papaya. S thought the sushi was good and yummy. He said he would likely return.

Takeya Nigiri – lightly grilled (Salmon Toro, Tuna Toro, Saba, Amaebi, Unagi, Salmon Roll (3pcs), Tuna Roll (3pcs)

For myself, I went for the Takeya Nigiri. They have Chef’s Specials every motnh, and you can check online to see what’s new. The Takeya Nigiri set was this month’s special. It was a great deal at $11.95 for an assortment of lightly grilled nigiris along with two maki rolls. The fish was very fresh and I especially liked the Salmon Toro and Tuna Toro. These two just melted in your mouth.

I can see why people line up for Takeya. It is a gem in Richmond with affordable, fresh and authentic sushi. Presentation-wise, it’s not the fanciest, since they use paper cups for the wasabi and pickled ginger. However, quality beats it. I’ll definitely be returning and it’s a great choice for take out.

Pros:
– Fresh and good quality sushi
– Reasonable prices

Cons:
– Always long waits for dine in

Price Range: $10-20

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

Food: 4
Service: N/A (take-out)
Ambiance: 2
Parking: 4
Overall: 3.5

Man Ri Sung Korean Restaurant

April 12, 2015April 12, 2015Leave a comment

Man Ri Sung used to be located in the strip mall where Banzai is on Westminister. It recently moved to the third floor of Aberdeen Mall and is famous for their peking duck. I believe it is run by Koreans, but they seem to cater to the Chinese. Looking through the menu, there are quite a few dishes that lean towards the Chinese cuisine.

The interior is quite spacious with many tables. It’s great for large groups, and each table has the grill set up on the table in case you order bbq items.

Banchan

Dinner started with complimentary banchan, which included kimchi, marinated radish, marinated bean sprouts and sweet potatoes. These were just average, with the kimchi being probably the best as it was just the right amount of spice and sourness for me. The sweet potatoes were underwhelming. The sauce wasn’t that great compared to other restaurants. Seemed a bit watery.

Pan Fried Potato Noodles

Anyways, we didn’t get their famous peking duck, since you need to pre-order and it was just S and I eating. S chose the Pan Fried Potato Noodles in a small size, and it was quite a huge plate. I think he only ended up finishing half of it. The potato noodles were quite underwhelming. They were not very flavourful and I’ve definitely had better. It also seemed like they lacked beef in the dish.

Short Beef Rib Soup

For myself, I had the Short Beef Rib Soup. I found the beef short ribs to be overcooked so the meat was quite chewy. The soup itself was pretty good, although it lacked depth in flavour. I ended up dipping my kimchi in to give it some spice and flavour. This was just average.

Overall, Man Ri Sung was quite average based on the dishes we tried. Korean food can be quite pricey, but I think some of their items seem to be quite reasonably priced for the portion sizes. It would definitely be better to eat with a larger group so you can share more items. Service was quite slow near the end and I didn’t find it too friendly. I think I would prefer Sura downstairs even though it’s pricier.

Pros:
– Large portions
– Comfortable seating

Cons:
– Dishes we tried were just average
– Service was a bit slow

Price Range: $15-25

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

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

Kongee Dinesty 金津粥品專門店

April 11, 2015Leave a comment

Kongee Dinesty opened up earlier this year in the complex on Garden City. It offers congee and limited dim sum items during breakfast and lunch, but becomes a typical Chinese restaurant during dinner time.

They offer a kitchen with glass windows so you can watch the chefs prepare your food. The restaurant itself is pretty nice with your typical dim sum restaurant decor. The restaurant itself is quite small though. We were lucky to score a spot at around 11:30 am, but it soon became packed by the time we left. The waitress basically put our bill down before we asked to shoo us out, since there was a line forming at the door.

Sampan Congee

Of course we had to try their congee, so we went for the Sampan Congee. We ordered this off their pre-customized congee menu, but you can actually customize your congee for $8.95. With this option, you can choose two toppings of your choice, the congee base and garnish. If you order from 8:00am to 11:30 am, you can also choose an extra side, like Chinese donuts, free of charge. Anyways, we ordered the Sampan Congee and added preserved eggs in addition. Sampan Congee comes with just about everything and it definitely had a lot of toppings. We shared this between four people, and everyone had at least one bowl or more. Quite delicious!

Gingko Nuts and Bean Curd Sheets with Baby Bak Choy

Next, we got some veggies, so we went for the Gingko Nuts and Bean Curd Sheets with Baby Bak Choy. This was a healthy choice and the bak choy was very fresh.

Chinese Donut Wrapped with Rice Roll

Then we went for a dim sum item, with the Chinese Donut Wrapped with Rice Roll. The Chinese donuts were fresh and crispy with the rice roll being relatively thin.

Yee-Fu Noodles with Golden Chives

Lastly, we got the Yee-Fu Noodles with Golden Chives. The noodles were chewy and were not too oily. It came with baby scallops and vegetables, so pretty good for the price you pay.

Overall, I was quite satisfied with Kongee Dinesty. Prices are reasonable, but the restaurant is quite small, so I can see it being packed very quickly. Great place to go if you want to get congee. I especially like how you can customize it.

Pros:
– You can customize your congee
– Items other than congee are pretty good too

Cons:
– Not a place to have long chats – they tend to kick you out
– Not a lot of seats

Price Range: $10-20

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

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

Peaceful Restaurant

April 9, 2015April 9, 2015Leave a comment

Peaceful Restaurant was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives by Guy Fieri and I’ve been wanting to check it out since. It’s located right at Cambie and Broadway, so very close by to work. We decided to go check it out after work for an early dinner.

The inside is fairly small, but the turn around time for tables is pretty quick. They have an open kitchen concept, so you can watch the chefs prepare your food. It’s pretty cool to watch them prepare the noodles, which are what they are famous for.

Peaceful Beef Rolls

We started with the Peaceful Beef Rolls, which is beef marinated in five spice and rolled in a crispy green onion flat bread and filled with sweet hoisin sauce. These were some of the best I’ve had! The flat bread was super crispy and there was just the right amount of beef and hoisin sauce. Super crispy, but not overly oily.

Mu-Shu Stir-fried Noodles

Next, we tried the Mu-Shu Stir-fried Noodles. For noodles, you can choose either knife-sliced or hand pulled. We went for knife-sliced, and they were super chewy, but I loved it. The noodles were served with pork, cabbage, woodear mushroom and egg. The noodles are definitely the star of the restaurant. Must try!

Northern Pork Dumplings

Lastly, we had the Northern Pork Dumplings, which were filled with pork, chives, cabbage, and green onions. They came boiled with 10 pieces. The dough is rather thick, but I actually really liked it as they were very chewy. Very filling though.

Overall, I would definitely recommend Peaceful Restaurant. They have great noodles and the prices are reasonable. Service is average, but you manage to get their attention.

Pros:
– Hand-made noodles are delicious
– Must try Peaceful Beef Roll

Cons:
– Seating is a bit cramped

Price Range: $15-25

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

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

Midam Cafe

April 6, 2015Leave a comment

Midam Cafe is hidden in a complex just off North Road. It’s been a year since I’ve visited, and K was desperate to get some shikye (a Korean rice drink). So desperate that we drove almost an hour to get here to find out they didn’t offer it right now. Probably because it’s more of a summer drink. Anyways, Midam is famous for their rice cakes, and I have to say they are pretty good! The spot is filled with diners at night for drinks and food, but we were surprised to be the first diners here during your typical lunch time on a weekend.

We were served the complimentary ban-chan or Korean side dishes. These were all very good, consisting of kimchi, sweet potatoes and marinated kelp. The kimchi was a lot spicier than your typical, but was still delicious.

Korean Traditional Rice Cake Soup

I chose the Korean Traditional Rice Cake Soup, which was surprisingly a very large bowl of soup. The broth was flavoured well, but definitely not salty. The rice cakes were cooked perfectly, so they were slightly chewy. It was filled with green onions, egg and seaweed. I put some of the kimchi in to give it some spice, which complemented the dish very well.

Fresh Vegetable Porridge Set

K got the Fresh Vegetable Porridge Set, which again was a very large bowl. It had chopped vegetables and the porridge was flavoured just right. Very delicious!

Grilled Mochi with Red Bean

We finished off our meal with dessert, which oddly came at the same time as our food. I would’ve appreciated it more if the dessert was served after we finished our meals. The Grilled Mochi with Red Bean came on a hot plate and didn’t look too appetizing, but was actually quite delicious. The mochi was soft with a slight chew, and the sweetness from the red beans and roasted almonds worked well with the dish. The only concern was that the mochi was slightly burnt, so you could taste the charcoal.

Overall, Midam has solid Korean dishes and is great for desserts and drinks. I would suggest you try their rice cakes as they are probably some of the best in town. Service is just average, and there honestly isn’t much since you need to press the button to get the attention of your server. Parking is pretty good as well, although I can imagine the complex getting busy with the Korean supermarket also located in the complex.

Pros:
– Delicious home-made rice cakes – both savoury and sweet
– Great selection of desserts and drinks

Cons:
– Lack of service

Price Range: $10-20

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

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

Bestie

April 5, 2015April 5, 2015Leave a comment

I’ve been to Bestie before, but the last time I went, I was too hungry to even bother taking pictures for the blog. This time, we did a midnight run and took the food to go to G’s place. Bestie is located in Chinatown and is definitely the definition of a hipster spot. They are a sausage and beer spot and makes the perfect midnight snack.

The menu is inspired from German street food, and they are famous for their currywurst, which originates in Berlin. I’ve tried the real currywurst in Berlin, but I would say Bestie does it just as good or even better! Currywurst is really just sausage on fries with a curry powder mixed ketchup sauce.

Currywurst – Classic Pork Thüringer

At Bestie, there are really two main sausage menu items: the currywurst or sausage with sauerkraut. I’m not a huge fan of sauerkraut, so S and I chose the currywurst. You can then choose from the type of meat you want in the sausage. We went for the Classic Pork Thüringer, which was very delicious. You can tell the sausages are made with fresh meat. The curry ketchup is slightly spicy, but not overwhelming. I also liked the tangy flavour of the ketchup, which was more like tomato paste. The fries themselves, aren’t anything special. I wuoldn’t say they are crispy, but the sauce makes the fries flavourful and tasty.

Currywurst – Turkey Chorizo

G go the currywurst with the Turky Chorizo as the meat in the sausage. The chorizo gave the sausage a slight more heat than the classic pork sausage. Very good as well. If you like ketchup and spice, you will like Bestie’s currywursts.

I do find that the prices are on the high side at around $8.50 per order. It’s almost like paying for a full meal! It does fill you up, but knowing that it’s just fries and sausages makes you wonder how much they make from this.

Pros:
– Great spot to try currywurst
– Quality sausages

Cons:
– Pricey

Price Range: $10

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

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

Twisted Fork Bistro

March 29, 2015April 2, 2015Leave a comment

Twisted Fork is a busy little bistro on the Granville strip in downtown Vancouver. No reservations mean long waits, but as we arrived at the restaurant around 6:00PM, we managed to get seating almost immediately.

The restaurant features an open kitchen concept with seating that features an ample amount of pillows. In a word, it’s “chill.” Service is friendly.

The menu features a “fresh sheet”, featuring dishes which may change daily (updates are provided on their website).

The complimentary bread was average, suffering from being both cold and tough to the chew.

Duck Confit

S ordered the Duck Confit with bacon braised cabbage, jus and pickled pumpkin. He said that it was “not bad.”

Mussels with Frites

I got the Mussels with Frites, which feature a pound of mussels tossed in cream sauce and topped with fries. I think the fries were actually yam fries, so that’s always a plus. However, the fries were quite soggy. The mussels were small, but sweet. Quite good

Pros:
– Quality food
– Cozy ambiance with friendly service

Cons:
– Bread was disappointing
– Usually long waits and no reservations

Price Range: $20-30

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

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

Tuc Craft Kitchen

March 22, 2015March 22, 2015Leave a comment

I’ve heard really good things about Tuc Craft Kitchen, so K and I found some time to check it out on a Saturday afternoon. On the weekends, they offer their brunch menu and the spot is very busy.

The restaurant is located in Gastown and has two levels. The interior has a European feel to it.

Vegetable Frittata

K got the Vegetable Frittata, which featured three free run eggs, Swiss cheese, wilted kale, buttered leeks, sweet bell peppers, salsa verde, and toast. The portion was huge! Very flavourful and cheesy.

Irish Stew Skillet

For myself, I had the Irish Stew Skillet, which had two free run poached eggs, grass fed beef, yakima valley lamb, roasted button mushrooms, and BC new potatoes. At first, I thought the portion would be too little, but there’s actually tons of meat and potatoes, so it fills you up just right. The beef and lamb were very flavourful, with the potatoes being crispy on the outside. The poached eggs had a runny yolk and mixed well with the rest of the dish. Really enjoyed this!

Based on the dishes we tried, I really enjoyed Tuc Craft Kitchen. I’m looking forward to coming back to try their famous fried chicken and waffles. Prices are quite reasonable for a Gastown location and service was pretty good. Will definitely return!

Pros:
– The dishes we tried were tasted great
– Friendly service

Cons:
– Usually need reservations

Price Range: $15-20

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

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

Every Day is a Food Day

Tag: food

Takeya Sushi

Man Ri Sung Korean Restaurant

Kongee Dinesty 金津粥品專門店

Peaceful Restaurant

Midam Cafe

Bestie

Twisted Fork Bistro

Tuc Craft Kitchen