Sugarholic Cafe

March 21, 2015Leave a comment

Sugarholic Cafe opened early this year in Aberdeen Centre. The location has been changing hands many times and it seems that the restaurants in this spot never stay long. The restaurant offers Asian styled Italian food and desserts.

The interior is really girly, with fancy looking chairs and chandeliers. They offer afternoon tea, so I guess that’s why they have this sort of decor.

Prawn Pasta with Creamy Rose Sauce

I chose the Prawn Pasta with Creamy Rose Sauce, which came on top of a bed of green salad. The pasta was a hint spicy, but very delicious. It was topped with seaweed to give it an Asian twist. The only problem I had with the dish was that some of the shell was still attached to the tail of the shrimp, so it was more difficult to eat. Would’ve been nice if the shell was completely removed.

Miso Cream Risotto with Salmon Steak

S got the Miso Cream Risotto with Salmon Steak. The risotto is not like traditional risotto where it’s creamy. I found it more like rice in miso soup with tofu. It was topped with salmon, which S said was just alright. He said there wasn’t any crispy skin. S said that the food is pretty expensive for what you get.

Overall, the food is alright. Nothing too exciting, but I wouldn’t say it’s terrible. I’d like to come back to try their desserts. They are famous for their toast boxes and toast with ice cream.

Pros:
– Ambiance is quite nice

Cons:
– Average eats

Price Range: $15-20

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

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

Uncle Lu 安可盧萬巒豬腳

March 20, 2015March 20, 20152 Comments

Uncle Lu opened up last year and is a sister store of Corner 23. They offer Taiwanese dishes, somewhat similar to Pearl Castle. The interior is actually decorated pretty nicely with lanterns and has a high ceiling. Service-wise, there isn’t much but it’s enough to get through dinner.

Stir Fried Satay Beef with Vegetables

We started off with Stir Fried Satay Beef with Vegetables. The beef was very tender and there was a lot of satay sauce on it. I found it slightly too oily though. Otherwise, a pretty good dish.

Salted Egg Yolk Fried Rice

We also got the Salted Egg Yolk Fried Rice to share. This was really delicious, with the rice being very flavourful due to the egg yolk.

Overall, based on the dishes we tried Uncle Lu seemed to be a decent spot for Taiwanese eats. There was quite a bit of traffic during dinner time on Friday, so I guess they must be doing something right. Prices are reasonable, and they have quite a large variety of food to choose from on their menu.

Pros:
– Decent eats
– Reasonable prices

Cons:
– Not much service

Price Range: $10-15

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

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

Jitlada

March 18, 2015March 18, 2015Leave a comment

Jitlada is a go to spot for my co-workers since it’s a short walk away. I’ve been here a couple of times now, but finally took out my phone to do some picture snapping this time. It’s very busy at lunch, and the restaurant isn’t too big, so be sure to arrive early. The lunch menu is quite simple with all items for $10.95. Most items come with spring rolls, salad, and rice.

The Spring Rolls arrived, and they were plated nicely with a side of dipping sauce. They were piping hot and had a generous amount of cabbage and cellophane noodles as filling. The wrapper was light and crispy.

Pad Kee Mao

E got the Pad Kee Mao, which they describe as drunken noodles. You can choose your meat, and she went for the chicken. It’s essentially stir-fried rice noodles and it’s seasoned with Thai basil leaves, onions and bell peppers. She said it was pretty good.

Gaeng Daeng

For myself, I got the Gaeng Daeng, which is red curry, and I chose the chicken for my meat. The curry is seasoned with fresh basil, bamboo shoots, red chili paste and coconut milk. You get a huge scoop of rice, and a pretty good salad filled with fruits and a light dressing. The curry itself had a good spice to it, but I didn’t think it was too special. Just average. It could have been more flavourful.

Overall, the portions are great for lunch and fairly priced for the Broadway location. Service is a bit slow during the lunch hour, but they manage to get you out within the hour lunch.

Pros:
– Friendly service
– Reasonable prices

Cons:
– Curry was just average

Price Range: $10-15

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

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

Sushi Gallery

March 17, 2015Leave a comment

Sushi Gallery is located in the Kitsilano area and is rated very high on Urbanspoon. S and I decided to check it out after work and indeed it was busy. It’s by no means any fancy restaurant, and in fact, miso soup and such are self serve. Reminded me of Tokyo Joes.

Caterpillar Roll and Yam Tempura Roll

S chose the Caterpillar Roll and Yam Tempura Roll. The Caterpillar Roll was filled with crabmeat and eel, and topped with avocado and masago. He said they were decent.

Chopped Scallop Roll, Ika, Tamago, Chopped Scallop, Salmon, Toro Nigiri

For myself, I got the Chopped Scallop Roll and various Nigiris. The portions are quite large, but I wouldn’t say the fish is very fresh. It’s good value for the price, but I probably wouldn’t come back again since there’s better sushi spots out there. I think they are great if you aren’t looking for traditional sushi. Most people seemed to come here for less traditional rolls with sauces and such.

Service-wise, it was pretty friendly, but a little slow. It seems to be more of a self-serve spot, hence the lower prices. Many people also came here for take out.

Pros:
– Large portions
– Low prices

Cons:
– Not the spot for traditional sushi
– Seafood isn’t the freshest

Price Range: $5-10

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

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

Ask For Luigi

March 16, 2015March 16, 20151 Comment

I’ve been wanting to dine at Ask for Luigi some time now, since it’s the latest hype in Vancouver and everyone has said it’s a must try. However, every time I go at dinner time, the place is packed and there’s always at least an hour wait. This time, I went during lunch time, and was gladly surprised that there was no wait at all! It’s located on Alexander Street, far away from most of the other restaurants in a little white house. You wouldn’t expect a restaurant here, but people still manage to find their way here.

The restaurant is very small and seats probably 20 diners or so. It’s a bit cramped, but I didn’t find it too bothersome. I hear that they don’t have air conditioning, so it’s quite hot to dine here in the summer. Might’ve changed by now though.

The interior is quite hipster, with water in glass bottles and a tap that’s built into the wall.

Pappardelle alla Bolognese & Fried Egg

On the weekends, they offer brunch, but they still have two pasta dishes. Since they’re famous for their handmade pasta, we had to get both of these. K got the Pappardelle alla Bolognese & Fried Egg, which was my favourite. the pasta was cooked to al dente and you could tell they were freshly made. The yolk of the fried egg was still runny and oozed out and tasted great mixed with the pasta. The bolognese sauce was slightly spicy, but not overwhelming. Very flavourful and I would definitely recommend this.

Tagliatelle alla Carbonara & Poached Egg

For myself, I got the Tagliatelle alla Carbonara & Poached Egg. Again, the pasta was very fresh and cooked to al dente. There were some bacon bits in it to bring more flavour. I liked how it wasn’t as heavy as most carbonaras.

The poached eggs were cooked perfectly so they were runny in the inside.

Overall, we were extremely pleased with Ask For Luigi. I would say that they are one of the best spots for pastas I’ve been to. Service is attentive and friendly and prices are quite reasonable. They aren’t the largest portions, like what you would get at chain restaurants, but it’s more than enough to fill you up. Parking isn’t too bad as well, as there are lots of street parking along the area.

Pros:
– Handmade pasta is delicious!
– Reasonable prices for quality eats

Cons:
– There are usually long waits during dinner time
– No reservations – must place name and number on the list on the day and they will call you

Price Range: $15-25

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

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

Pho TEN

March 15, 20152 Comments

Pho Ten is located across Ironwood mall, in the same strip mall as Original Joes. I’ve heard pretty good things about it, so I decided to check it out for lunch. The restaurant was pretty packed, but we still managed to get a seat. The interior is slightly nicer than most pho restaurants, but some of the leather on the couches were still peeling off…

Spring Rolls

We started off with the two orders of Spring Rolls. The spring rolls were quite small compared to most spring rolls at other restaurants, with very little filling. I also didn’t really like the wrapper they used, although it was still very crunchy. I would skip these spring rolls next time.

Bean sprouts and lime were served with our noodles.

Pho Ga Dac Biet

S chose the Pho Ga Dac Biet, which featured flat rice noodles with boneless chicken and quail eggs in chicken soup. S said it was decent.

Pho Ten Special

For myself, I got the Pho Ten Special, since I like my pho with all the ingredients. It came with rare sliced steak, brisket, fatty flank, tendon, tripe, crunchy flank, and beef balls. You get a good amount of ingredients, but I found the broth to lack flavour.

Overall, Pho Ten is decent. I wouldn’t say it’s the best, but it does it’s job for pho. Service is also pretty friendly.

Pros:
– Decent eats
– Service is friendlier than many pho restaurants

Cons:
– Seating may not be the best
– Just average – nothing too special

Price Range: $10-15

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

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

Gyoza King

March 9, 2015March 15, 2015Leave a comment

Gyoza King has been around for a long time and is famous for their gyozas and izakaya style food. The place was quite busy when we arrived, so be sure to make reservations ahead of time.

Ebi Mayo

We started off with the Ebi Mayo, which had a light but crispy batter. Not the largest prawns, but still very fresh and satisfying.

Pork and Chicken Gyozas

And of course we had to try their Gyozas. We decided to try an order each of Pork and Chicken. They showed up looking the same and the waitress quickly told us which was which. However, we weren’t paying attention, and by the time we started eating, we couldn’t tell the difference between the two. Honestly, they taste quite the same, so if you want variety, you should choose one with shrimp or veggies instead. Other than the fact that we couldn’t tell the difference between the two apart, the gyozas were some of the best I’ve had in restaurants. The skin was thin and crispy both top and bottom. There was a good amount of filling and the dipping sauce complemented well.

Overall, Gyoza King lives up to its expectations for good gyozas. They also have a wide variety of choices for izakaya food and seems like a fun place for drinks. Service is attentive and friendly. Seating can be a little crowded since the restaurant is quite small.

Pros:
– Gyozas are pan fried to crispy
– Large variety of izakaya choices

Cons:
– Seating is pretty cramped

Price Range: $15-25

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

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

Soft Peaks

March 8, 2015March 8, 20151 Comment

Soft Peaks just opened over a month and it has gotten a lot of hype. I was fortunate enough to be invited to try their media samples. Located in the heart of Gastown, it’s very convenient and it was no surprise that there was a long line up on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

The shop is owned by two Korean brothers and they focus on ice cream that is made with Avalon organic milk. Everything about the shop is about local – from their local ingredients to their cups and spoons which come from local suppliers.

They are famous for their honeycomb topping, which comes from the Okanagan and Fraser Valley. The honeycomb on ice cream was the craze in South Korea last year, so it’s great that they’ve brought it to Vancouver.

Other than the honeycomb, they offer many other premium toppings, including Himalayan pink salt, Tim Tams and yuzu marmalade.

Honeycomb Peak

Of course I went for their signature ice cream – the Honeycomb Peak. It featured a piece of local honeycomb on top with corn flakes at the base. The honeycomb is sticky and sweet and the honey oozes out of the comb. I love the mix of honey with the creamy dairy based ice cream. Makes it super smooth and the sweetness of the honey is just right. However, I wish that I could dig into the corn flakes earlier on. You can’t really get to it until the end.

Green Forest

K chose the Green Forest, which features organic Premium Matcha powder, sweet red beans, and condensed milk on top of the soft serve. I actually really enjoyed this as it wasn’t too sweet. K said she wished there were some mochi balls as well. That would’ve been perfect!

Overall, we were quite pleased with Soft Peaks. They come at a premium price and are good treats once in a while. A good change from your typical gelatos. Service is friendly, but expect long waits since everyone is checking out the shop these days. They also have some seating upstairs if you want to enjoy your ice cream indoors.

* All food were complimentary.

Pros:
– Ice cream is smooth and ingredients are all local
– Interesting toppings to choose from

Cons:
– Long waits
– Premium prices

Price Range: $5-10

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

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

Every Day is a Food Day

Tag: food

Sugarholic Cafe

Uncle Lu 安可盧萬巒豬腳

Jitlada

Sushi Gallery

Ask For Luigi

Pho TEN

Gyoza King

Soft Peaks