Happy Date

February 15, 2015February 15, 2015Leave a comment

Happy Date has been around for a long time, and they are famous for their pineapple buns and HK style food. Not the best looking on the outside and inside, but they are known for great food. My mom told me that they now serve Chinese dishes for dinner time, rather than just the HK style food during lunch, so we decided to go give it a try. The restaurant is packed inside and surprisingly, it has been renovated and is decent looking. Nothing special, but it was clean.

They have a few set menus for dinner, including lobster or pigeons. We went for the Pigeon Special Set Menu, which came with two crispy pigeons and your choice of 3 dinner dishes served with soup, rice and dessert for $69.88. First up was the soup, which had meat and vegetables. Your typical home-made soup which had been boiled for many hours.

Crispy Pigeons

Then came the feature of the set menu. You can choose more or less pigeons depending on how large your group of diners are. The choice of dishes increase when you add more pigeons as well. We went for two pigeons, which was more than enough. Everyone had around 2 pieces to eat. We found that the skin could have been more crispy though. Flavourwise, I liked how it wasn’t overly salty.

Pork Chop with Honey and Peach Glaze

With our set menu, you can then choose three dishes from a long list of choices. We chose the Pork Chop with Honey and Peach Glaze, which ended up being a huge dish! It was definitely glazed with lots of sugar, since the honey was very apparent. The pork chop was deep fried, but we all found it to be just average. The batter was sort of too thick and I found it to be too sweet.

Vegetable and Bean Curd with Lettuce

The second dish was the Vegetable and Bean Curd with Lettuce. This came in a fish broth, which I found to be too milky for my liking. The veggies were fresh, but other than that, nothing too special. Your typical veggie dish.

Deep Fried Chicken with Fish Sauce

Lastly, was the Deep Fried Chicken with Fish Sauce. The skin was crispy, but didn’t seem to attach to the chicken itself. The chicken was moist and seasoned well, and I liked the fish sauce that came with it. Not bad.

Dessert was red bean soup, but I guess it’s whatever they decide to make that night. Not a fan of red bean soup, so I didn’t have any to comment on.

Overall, Happy Date was pretty average to me. Good prices and large portions, but I wouldn’t say the food is too memorable or above average. Service was also very friendly, and it’s honestly pretty clean although you shouldn’t expect much ambiance here. It’s super basic and simple, but somehow still attracts all these diners!

Pros:
– Reasonable prices
– Large portions

Cons:
– Average eats
– Ambiance isn’t the best

Price Range: $15-20

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

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

Maji Restaurant – revisit

January 28, 2015January 28, 2015Leave a comment

I’ve been wanting to revisit Maji for some time now, since I found that they had some pretty decent Taiwanese eats. However, parking here is just a nightmare, with Alexandra Street filled with diners on Friday nights. The restaurant itself is also packed! Luckily, we made last minute reservations while driving here and we were seated right away upon arrival. So be sure to make a call first!

Deep Fried Oysters

First up, we got the Deep Fried Oysters. These were big juicy oysters battered and deep fried. Along with a squeeze of lemon and this sweet chili sauce, it was very delicious. All of Maji’s dishes are meant to be shared, so this is great with a larger group.

Deep Fried Shrimp with Salted Egg Yolk

We also got the Deep Fried Shrimp with Salted Egg Yolk, which would have been perfect with white rice. The shrimps were deep fried with mashed salted egg yolk batter. You get tons of that egg yolk and I like how it was crispy and gave it a nice texture.

Taiwanese-Style Stir-Fried Noodles

Last but not least were the Taiwanese-Style Stir-Fried Noodles. A dish of oil noodles stir-fried with shredded cabbage, carrots, shredded pork, and basil. The basil flavour was very strong, and there was a good ratio of ingredients to noodles.

Overall, I was quite pleased with Maji once again. The only disappointment was they didn’t have their Taiwanese fruit beers that night, which I have been wanting to try. Prices are reasonable, and it’s a great place to share dishes with larger groups.

Pros:
– Great Taiwanese dishes for sharing and reasonably priced
– Ambiance is rustic, but modern

Cons:
– Parking is a nightmare
– Long waits if you don’t make reservations

Price Range: $10-20

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

Food: 4
Service: 4
Ambiance: 4
Parking: 1
Overall: 3.5

LA Chicken (revisit)

January 25, 2015January 25, 20152 Comments

I hadn’t been to LA Chicken in over 2 years, so when S wanted fried chicken, I thought it would be time to go for a revisit. LA Chicken is a hidden gem in Richmond, in a small complex off Cambie and No. 5 Road. You probably wouldn’t blindly walk into this shop unless you’ve heard about all the good stuff. Nothing is fancy about the exterior or interior. Old school menu board with ambiance that does not make you want to stay, but the fried chicken is probably the best in town. Run by a family, most people say LA Chicken is better than KFC or Church’s, and I have to agree.

We got the Dinner Combo for 2, which includes 6 pieces of fried chicken, a medium order of fries and gravy. You can choose between spicy or regular, or have a mix of each. We went for the regular and the skin was super crispy and the meat was moist. Tender and juicy in the inside, and crispy on the outside. It also wasn’t overly salty. However, 2 weeks later, we went for the same combo, and we found it to be overly salty. It seems to normally be less on the salty side, but I’m not sure what happened with that batch.

As for the fries, they were underwhelming. Fries weren’t crispy and they were well under-seasoned. Unless you use the gravy, the fries are pretty bland. The fries were just not good. Stick with the chicken and skip the fries. Gravy was alright, but I found it a little too salty.

Prices are a bit higher than your fried chicken chains, but it’s still reasonable. Service is also really friendly, but expect some waiting time since there are always line ups during dinner time. Get the chicken to go as the ambiance really isn’t that great. Parking is also a bit of a nightmare in that small complex, but you can park near the residential areas and take a short walk over.

Pros:
– Chicken is moist and crispy
– Service is very friendly

Cons:
– No ambiance whatsoever
– Always a line up

Price Range: $10-20

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

Food: 4
Service: 4
Ambiance: 1
Parking: 3
Overall: 3

Top Shanghai Cuisine 上海一只鼎

January 18, 2015Leave a comment

Baked Scallion Pancake

Top Shanghai Cuisine has been around for years. I still remember going to their previous location years ago, but I haven’t revisited since they moved to their Ackroyd location. We started off with the Baked Scallion Pancake, which was fluffy and well seasoned. I liked how it wasn’t too oily.

Stir Fried Noodles with Beef

Next, the Stir Fried Noodles with Beef arrived, and it was a decent portion. I found it to be very heavy in oil though. I guess this dish is usually very oily anyways though. This was average in terms of flavour. I think I’ve had better elsewhere.

Steamed Pork Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)

A weird timing, but the Steamed Pork Dumplings showed up last. I found that the skin for these dumplings were thicker than the ones at Ding Tai Fung. However, I liked how the soup inside was still sizzling hot and although I would’ve liked more soup in it, the broth was very flavourful. Not bad!

Overall, Top Shanghai Cuisine has some decent eats. No wonder this place is so packed! Don’t expect much ambiance or service here. Tables are packed so close together and the waiting customers are basically standing next to you while you’re dining. Arrive before 7pm or you’ll be waiting around for seats.

Pros:
– Decent eats with reasonable prices
– Menu is filled with pictures for easy ordering

Cons:
– Don’t expect amazing service
– You’ll be sitting very closely to the table next to you

Price Range: $10-20

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

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

Earls Kitchen + Bar (Richmond) – revisit

January 13, 2015January 13, 2015Leave a comment

Fish and Chips

Making reservations on the day of New Year’s Eve proved to be a difficult task. In the end, we resorted to Earls Kitchen and Bar in Richmond since they had more seating compared to other restaurants. A short wait and we were seated. It seemed that people were rushing to their New Year’s Eve parties. S got the Fish and Chips, which came with two pieces of beer battered Icelandic cod, house tartar, coleslaw, and a side of fries. S said the fish was moist and the fries were crispy. He said Earls does fish and chips pretty well and probably better than most places he’s been to.

Fettuccini Alfredo

K got the Fettuccini Alfredo, which came with the classic cream sauce and topped with grana padano parmesan. It looked rather plain, but she said it was pretty good.

Italia Pizza

For myself, I got the Italia Pizza, which was topped with Virginia ham, Genoa salami, chorizo, and Provolone cheese. A 10 inch pizza, this was actually quite a lot and could easily feed two. I liked the thin crust and the chorizo made gave it some heat. Pretty good for a chain restaurant, but also a little on the oily side.

Overall, Earls is your typical chain restaurant, but their food is pretty consistent in quality and flavour. Service was also pretty good. Plus, there’s an abundance of parking at Lansdowne which makes things more convenient.

Pros:
– Food is always consistently decent
– Service and ambiance is nice

Cons:
– Your typical Chain restaurant menu
– No reservations ahead of time for parties with less than 6

Price Range: $15-25

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

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

Torarenbo Japanese Restaurant 虎連坊

January 11, 2015Leave a comment

Salmon Sashimi

I’ve been to Torarenbo years ago, and didn’t think it was too memorable, but I decided to go back and see how it is now. Parking is pretty difficult around dinner time in the complex on Park Road since there are several other restaurants. We were greeted by Chinese speaking employees, so we knew that this wouldn’t be authentic Japanese food. We started off with the Salmon Sashimi, with an order arriving with 7 pieces. The sashimi were a decent size and was very fresh. Slightly pricey compared to other restaurants.

Rainbow Roll

Next was the Rainbow Roll, which came with 8 pieces and was visually quite attractive. It was essentially a basic California roll, but topped with different sashimi, including tuna, salmon, and prawn. Not bad.

Fantastic Roll

Next was the Fantastic Roll, which was my favourite. It came in a pretty flower shape with 6 pieces. It was filled with chopped scallop, toro and mango, and topped with tobiko. I liked the hint of sweetness from the mango.

We also got the Seafood Nabeyaki Udon, which I forgot to get a picture of. This was a seafood hot pot style soup noodle and the soup was extremely delicious! Very sweet, but I’m assuming there wasn’t MSG since I wasn’t thirsty after dinner. A large portion noodles with scallops, two fried ebi tempuras, and fish.

Overall, we were quite satisfied with the food, but I thought it was slightly pricey. They seem to have a returning clientele though, since the servers seemed to know many of the customers. Most of their tables are reserved beforehand and it actually gets filled up during dinner time. I can see why since their service was extremely friendly.

Pros:
– Fresh sashimi
– Service was exceptional

Cons:
– Parking can be difficult
– Not your authentic Japanese owned restaurant

Price Range: $15-25

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

Food: 4
Service: 5
Ambiance: 3
Parking: 2
Overall: 3.5

Copa Cafe (Richmond)

January 5, 2015January 5, 2015Leave a comment

On Christmas, most restaurants are closed and unless you make reservations well in advance, it’s pretty difficult to get a table on the day of. Mom had been talking about trying the new Copa Cafe on River Road in Richmond for some time now, and it was conveniently opened for Christmas. Not my ideal restaurant to go to for Christmas, but she really wanted to try it, so what could I say… I’m not a huge fan of HK cafe style food, which is essentially what Copa Cafe offers. What was worse was that on Christmas, they only offer their “Christmas menu.” I honestly thought it was a rip off since you had to get their 3 course menu, which was way overpriced for what I was eating. It started off with butter and bread. I didn’t end up eating this since I knew I would get too full by the end of the meal.

Shrimp Salad

First course starts with the Shrimp Salad, which was quite a large portion, but was missing the dressing sauce. I felt like I had a drop of dressing only. Therefore, the salad was really dry. You got some cocktail shrimps, bacon bits and croutons. I personally thought this was a pretty bad salad. Anyone could’ve made this and it definitely lacked flavour.

Shredded Ham Cream Soup

The second appetizer is the choice of Cream Soup or Minestrone. I chose the Shredded Ham Cream Soup. The soup wasn’t hot and already had a layer of cold soup at the top when it arrived. A medium consistency, which I liked, but it lacked any ingredients. You got the tiniest piece of shredded ham here and there.

Surf and Turf

For my entree, I chose the Surf and Turf. This came with a baked lobster tail, steak in peppercorn sauce, some blanched vegetables, and mashed potatoes shaped like a pear and deep fried. The dish was cold when it arrived. To add, my entree came 5 minutes after my two appetizers arrived. Do they expect diners to eat that quickly? It was the worst service possible, with three plates in front of me. I felt that was really unprofessional. As for the food, the lobster was just average. Nothing special. The steak itself was cooked perfectly to medium rare, but I personally thought the peppercorn sauce tasted disgusting. It ruined the whole dish. Something about the flavour was just off. The fried mashed potatoes were decent but needed to be flavoured. The potatoes themselves were bland. Overall, I wasn’t happy with this dish.

Turkey with Cranberry Sauce and Mashed Potatoes

Dad got the Turkey with Cranberry Sauce and Mashed Potatoes. It came with gravy and a side of vegetables. He said they were alright. Your typical turkey.

Crème Brûlée

For dessert, it was Crème Brûlée. The sugar at the top was burnt at the top, hence giving it a burnt taste overall. To add, the dessert was watery in the middle. I thought it was pretty disgusting. Your set menu also comes with your choice of hot drink. The menu ranged from $23 to $32, which I found wasn’t worth it considering the quality of food. It’ll get you full, but I wouldn’t order any of this again. Stick with their regular menu.

Pros:
– Decent amount of parking spots in the parkade shared with T&T
– Ambiance was pretty nice and decorated for a HK style cafe

Cons:
– Service was unprofessional – appetizers and entrees came out all at once
– The dishes we ordered weren’t that great

Price Range: $20-30 (Christmas menu); normally $10-20

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

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

Jade Seafood Restaurant 玉庭軒海鮮酒家 (revisit)

December 31, 2014Leave a comment

Winter Solstice is pretty big for Chinese families, so my mom said we needed to go out for dinner. We celebrated a few days early since it’s always difficult to accommodate with everyone’s schedule. She suggested we go to Jade Seafood Restaurant since they were having a Special Abalone Set Menu. It was $39.98 per person, which was a pretty good deal considering what we got and how full we were. The dinner started off with complimentary peanuts and XO sauce.

Double Boiled Soup

For soup, there are two choices. The Double Boiled Soup came in a clay jar and was extremely sweet and delicious. You could tell it had been boiled for a long time. If I tasted it correctly, it was boiled with chicken and conch meat, which brought lots of flavour.

Shark’s Fin Soup with Shredded Chicken

The second option was the Shark’s Fin Soup with Shredded Chicken, which was definitely less sustainable. I’m surprised they still offer it here since most restaurants have stopped selling shark fin soup. The broth was a thin gelatin consistency and came with ginger and shredded chicken.

Braised Whole Abalone

Next up was the Braised Whole Abalone, which sat on a bed of braised pea tips. Pea tips are one of my favourite Chinese veggies, and they were delicious soaked in the abalone sauce. The abalone itself was just alright. I found it a little too chewy and tough for my liking. The ones at Kirin are much better in my opinion, but also pricier.

Baked Conch with Cheese in Portuguese Sauce

Next was the Baked Conch with Cheese in Portuguese Sauce. The conch shell was presented as part of the dish, and you would’ve thought there would be conch meat inside, but there wasn’t even a bit! It was all mushrooms and onions mixed with the Portuguese sauce. We felt a bit ripped off because of that, but the dish was flavourful regardless.

Sauteed Chicken with Vegetables

A dish that was shared amongst the table was the Sauteed Chicken with Vegetables. It was a good mix of wood ear fungus, zucchinis, carrots, and onions. However, I found the dish to be a bit heavy on oil. The set menu also came with Fried Rice with Egg White and Dried Scallop, which I forgot to take a picture of. Each person got their own bow, and it was huge. Too much rice to finish off the meal.

Hot Almond Soup with Sesame Balls

Lastly, for dessert, it included the Hot Almond Soup with Sesame Balls. The almond soup was smooth and full of almond flavour. There were two glutinous balls filled with sesame paste. Not bad.

Overall, the set menu was a pretty good deal. I know that service is usually pretty bad at Jade, but surprisingly, we had really good service that night. Very attentive and our food came out just as we were about to finish the previous course. Parking of course was a nightmare though, as there are two other restaurants downstairs now.