A&W

August 3, 2015August 3, 2015Leave a comment

Sriracha Burger

If you haven’t already heard, A&W had been offering coupons to redeem their new Sriracha Teen Burger for free. Unfortunately, the coupons have run out, but if you were lucky to get the coupon, but didn’t redeem it by their previous deadline, July 31, 2015, they extended it until August 9, 2015! The Sriracha Teen Burger features a sesame seed bun, filled with a pure beef patty, processed cheddar cheese, bacon, sriracha aioli, roasted red pepper, tomato and lettuce. It really tastes just like a teen burger but has the roasted red peppers and a hint of that sriracha aioli. I was expecting it to be more spicy, but it really wasn’t. I did like the roasted red peppers in it though.

Onion Rings

When you sign up with A&W online, they also post various coupons in your account. One of them was upgrading to Onion Rings for free when you purchased fries. So for $2.50, we got onion rings, compared to around $4.50 normally. Not bad! Their onion rings are also always crispy and sweet.

Chubby Chicken Strips

The must order for S at A&W are the Chubby Chicken Strips. They claim that they use 100% chicken breast from chicken raised without the use of antibiotics. I did think that the chicken tasted much more like real chicken without other random ingredients. They batter and bread the chicken with toasted wheat crumbs, wheat flour and spices. Quite crispy indeed, but I personally think they are quite pricey at around $8 for 5 small strips.

Poutine

On another visit, K brought take out home and I got to sample their Poutine. This was another deal where she used a coupon to upgrade her fries to a poutine for free. The poutine features Russet thick-cut fries with cheese curds and a poutine gravy sauce. We thought these were just average. The fries were a bit soggy and I would choose New York Fries over these for sure.

Overall, A&W’s new Srircha Burger is worth a try and I would probably order it again. I also like how when you dine in, your food looks pretty fancy in their little fryer baskets. Seems like a bit of an upgrade compared to your typical fast food restaurants. You don’t get this at the food court though, and we noticed that the food court’s quality was not as good as their restaurants with the food being cold and fries being fried in old oil.

Pros:
– Sriracha Teen Burger and Onion Rings are good
– Good deals when you sign up for their online coupons

Cons:
– Can be a bit pricey for fast food without the coupons

Price Range: $10-15

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

Food: 3 Service: N/A Ambiance: 2 Parking: 3 Overall: 3

Pajo’s

July 31, 2015July 31, 2015Leave a comment

The sun is rolling in and what better way than to head down to Steveston to enjoy some fish and chips at Pajo’s. It seems like Pajo’s have added some new items on their menu this summer, and I also got to try some new items, so I decided it would be a good opportunity to blog.

Large Salmon and Chips

S got the Large Salmon and Chips, which comes with 2 and a half pieces of fish and this is definitely quite a lot for one person. Good for sharing though! I usually get halibut or cod, because I always have a bad feeling that the salmon will become too dry after getting fried. Well, I thought wrong! At Pajo’s, they use pacific wild salmon, and surprisingly, the salmon is cooked to keep its moisture! I feel like you also get more meat compared to the other two fish. The batter is crispy and it is served with their fresh cut fries. Apparently the fries and soda are bottomless, something that seems to be new!

Soft Shell Tacos

For myself, I had been seeing pictures of their new item, the Soft Shell Tacos, and knew I had to give these a try. I was surprised by the portions, since I was expecting perhaps two tacos only. It ended up being three large soft shell tacos filled with deep fried cod, coleslaw and topped with a delicious Sriracha mayo. This was delicious, with the fish being moist and the batter crispy.

Overall, we were quite happy with the new items we tried. They are always very busy on sunny weekends, so be aware of the long waits. You can also head over to the one at Gary Point to see if there are shorter waits.

Pros:
– Light batter and fish is moist
– Patio is great for sunny days

Cons:
– Long waits on the weekends

Price Range: $15-20

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

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

Flying Beaver Bar & Grill

July 26, 2015Leave a comment

The Flying Beaver can be a bit out of the way as it is situated on Inglis Drive near the YVR airport. However, during summer, their patio is the perfect place to chill since you can watch the planes take off and land and also get some views of the Islands. We decided to check their Wings Wednesdays deal after work which begins at 5:00 pm. The place was bustling when we arrived! You look for your own seat, so there was a bit of standing around stalking for a seat, but we luckily found one within 15 minutes.

Coke Zero, Sleeman Honey Brown Lager

Their Wednesday drink deal was the Sleeman Honey Brown Lager for $4.56 a sleeve. We were also told that to get the wings deal, each diner had to purchase at least some sort of drink, even if it was non-alcoholic.

Honey Garlic

On Wednesdays, the wings are 49 cents after 5:00 pm. They have a decent list of flavours, including Honey Garlic, BBQ, Teriyaki, Thai Chili, Hot, Salt & Pepper, and Lemon Pepper. Our first flavour was the Honey Garlic. It was lathered with honey, but I found it to be slightly flavourfuless. I wished it had more garlic flavour to it.

Salt & Pepper

Next up were the Salt & Pepper, which was probably my favourite. Seasoned with simply just salt and pepper, these were crispy and tasty. The meat was also for the most part moist. You get one or two that are a bit dry.

Teriyaki

Lastly, we got the Teriyaki which had a good amount of sauce.

Overall, Flying Beaver is a nice choice for a bar in Richmond. Most of our pubs don’t have the best patios, so this is great without needing to go downtown. Not the cheapest deal for wings, but still a pretty good deal. Service is your typical pub service, but it was quite attentive. They also have a large menu for other food and drinks.

Pros:
– Wings are decent and reasonably priced on Wednesdays
– Awesome views out on the patio

Cons:
– Extremely busy
– You have to look for your own seat

Price Range: $10-15

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

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

G-Men @ NanChuu (Revisit)

July 24, 2015July 23, 2015Leave a comment

It’s been many years since I’ve posted about G-Men @ NanChuu. Not because I haven’t revisited in all these years, but sometimes when I revisit a restaurant, I just simply want to eat and enjoy my food. Well after go-karting with SS, SF, and J, we decided to grab some ramen in Richmond and G-Men was what was suggested. There is literally always a line up here – and I’m not really sure why because I don’t think it’s as good as the ones in downtown. I guess there’s few ramen joints in Richmond, so this will do. We ended up waiting over 30 minutes for a table.

RCMP Ramen

SF was craving spicy so she got the RCMP Ramen which comes with thick noodles in a red chili miso pepper flavour soup. The soup looked pretty red, but SF said it actually wasn’t that spicy.

Tonkotsu Miso Ramen with Ajitama

SS and J both got the Tonkotsu Miso Ramen and paid an additional $1.50 for an ajitama (marinated egg). The thick noodles are in a miso flavour pork bone broth. SS thought this was pretty good.

I didn’t like how the eggs were overcooked. I like it when the yolk is still runny.

Miso Cheese Kimchi Ae Soba

For myself, I decided to be adventurous and try something new. The Miso Cheese Kimchi Ae Soba is soupless according to the menu. The special thick noodle tossed in a small amount of miso flavour pork bone broth. I found that the broth was really thick so it got really salty. It’s topped with a marinated egg, cha-shu, corn, kimchi, seaweed, a slice of cheese, and green onions. I mixed everything together and the cheese and ramen were odd at first, but it actually works out. Not bad, but probably a one time try. I think I’d like to stick with the originals.

Pros:
– Good variety of choices
– Decent and consistent eats

Cons:
– Long waits
– I find the soup base to usually be too salty

Price Range: $10-15

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

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

Nu Chinese Bistro – ChinesBites Media Event

July 23, 2015Leave a comment

NOTE: As part of the ChineseBites media event, all food was free, but all opinions are based on my own experience.

Nu Chinese Bistro is located on the second floor in Richmond’s Cosmo Plaza on McKim Way. It used to be called Nu Shanghainese Bistro, but has since changed names because of new ownership. I was invited by ChineseBites along with 10 other food bloggers to taste their menu. Since we had a large group, we got seated in a private room. The interior of the restaurant is pretty nice.

Xiao Long Bao 南翔小籠包

Right off the bat, we were served the Xiao Long Bao with vinegar sauce on the side. These were decent with the skin not being too thick and there was a good amount of soup.

Sautéed Black Fungus 涼拌木耳

We were then presented with three cold appetizer dishes. At first, I thought the Sautéed Black Fungus was underwhelming since there was nothing but the fungus in the dish. However, we later realized that the black fungus was seasoned with wasabi! Sort of odd, but I sort of enjoyed it after eating a few more spoons.

Traditional Shanghai Smoked Fish 老上海熏魚

Another cold appetizer was the Traditional Shanghai Smoked Fish. This was flavourful and smoked nicely. I personally didn’t really like the dish just because there are bits of thin bones in it, which you can technically eat.

Soy-Braised Kaofu Bran with Assorted Mushrooms 四喜烤麩

The last cold appetizer was the Soy-Braised Kaofu Bran with Assorted Mushrooms, which I quite enjoyed. This is a typical Shanghainese appetizer. The gluten, mushrooms, and black fungus were soaked in a flavourful sauce.

Clay Pot Wonton Chicken Soup 砂鍋竹笙餛飩雞

Next up was the Clay Pot Wonton Chicken Soup, which I really enjoyed. The soup was sweet and flavourful and filled with chicken, wontons, black fungus, and pea shoots. The pea shoots were tender and delicious. The wontons were just average with the skin being a bit too thick.

Special Beef Wrap 撈餅牛肉卷

The Special Beef Wrap was just average. I still enjoy the one at Peaceful Restaurant the best. The dough was a bit too thick and not crispy enough.

BC Dungeness Crab with Fried Shanghai Rice Cake BC肉蟹炒年糕

Next up, the BC Dungeness Crab with Fried Shanghai Rice Cake was a messy but flavourful dish. The dish came with two crabs and was braised in a savoury sauce with green beans. I usually love rice cake, but I thought they overcooked them a bit too much so it was mushy. The crab itself was fresh and filled with meat.

Stone Pot Braised Pork Belly Shanghainese Style 石鍋紅燒肉

As usual at Chinese dinners, there is pork belly. The Stone Pot Braised Pork Belly Shanghainese Style came with knotted bean curd and was quite flavourful. However, I found this to be slightly on the oilier side.

Braised Tofu with Seafood 瓊山海鮮豆腐

The Braised Tofu with Seafood would’ve been great served with rice. The tofu was smooth and silky. A good dish.

Zhenjiang Style Ribs 鎮江骨

One of my favourites of the night was the Zhenjiang Style Ribs. It was sweet but you can also taste the vinegar that was used to flavour it. Meat was tender and fell off the bone.

Fried Green Beans with Minced Pork 幹煸四季豆（攬菜肉鬆）

The Fried Green Beans with Minced Pork was pretty average. I thought it was flavoured enough and they were quite oily.

Sichuan Style Boiled Fish 蜀香水煮魚

Another one of my favourites was the Sichuan Style Boiled Fish. I am not one that can take a lot of spice, but I like to eat spicy food once in a while. I liked how they give you a ladle that has wholes so that you don’t end up scooping the soup onto your plate too. The fish was tender and numbing because of the fish, but the spiciness didn’t last long. It was a good numb!

Xiang Jiang Tea Smoked Duck 湘江樟茶鴨

The Xiang Jiang Tea Smoked Duck comes with little buns. The skin was crispy, but some of the meat is a little dry. It depends which part you get.

Beef Tenderloin and Eggplant with Black Pepper Sauce 黑椒茄子牛柳粒

Another veggie dish was the Beef Tenderloin and Eggplant with Black Pepper Sauce. Quite flavourful with the meat being tender and eggplant cooked well. Again, it seems that their veggies are slightly too oily for my liking.

Eight Jewel Sweet Rice 八寶飯

To finish our huge meal, we had the Eight Jewel Sweet Rice. This reminded me of the lotus wrapped rice you eat during Mid Autumn Festival, but the sweet kind. The rice is flavoured mostly with red bean paste. Flavour-wise, I thought it was okay, but it didn’t look too attractive.

Overall, Nu Chinese Bistro had some hits and misses. Service is also a bit sparse. The ambiance is quite nice to host family dinners though.

Maruwa Sushi

July 21, 2015July 21, 2015Leave a comment

Beef Roll, Chicken Roll, California Roll

Maruwa Sushi is a Japanese restaurant in Ironwood Mall. I felt like I should switch it up with my usual sushi take out spots and try a new one, so we ended up going to the restaurant to place our order. A short 15 minutes, and our food was ready. S got the not-so-traditional rolls as he usually goes for. The Beef Roll and Chicken Roll both looked packed with meat. S said that the rolls were decent.

Chopped Scallop Roll, Negitoro Roll, Salmon Roll

As for myself, I went for my usual favourites, which are the Chopped Scallop, Negitoro and Salmon Roll. I found that they were rolled pretty nicely and tight. However, I did find that there was slightly a bit too much rice. I liked how they put wasabi in the rolls already. The seafood was fresh and overall, it was quite good.

Overall, Maruwa Sushi is a decent choice for take out sushi. Prices are reasonable and quality is pretty good. Service was also quite friendly.

Pros:
– Decent sushi
– Reasonably priced

Cons:
– A bit too much rice to filling ratio

Price Range: $10-15

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

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

Coco Hut

July 19, 2015July 19, 2015Leave a comment

I think I’ve been to Coco Hut a long time ago, but it’s been years since. Since S is Singaporean, we decided to check it out and see whether it was up to par.

The restaurant is rather small, but it was quite packed during dinner. Service is average as there is basically one women taking orders and serving the dishes.

Pearl Barley Tea, Lemon Tea

We decided to get the Meal for Two Combo which is priced at $20.95. You get two drinks, an appetizer, and two entrees. We both added $0.50 extra to make our beverages cold. I got the Pearl Barley Tea, which has a slight barley flavour which tasted quite refreshing. S said that he has had much better though. Lemon Tea was quite your typical.

BBQ Satay Skewers

For our appetizer, we got the BBQ Satay Skewers. You can choose from chicken, pork, or beef. We went for chicken and you actually get 4 skewers. I think the menu said only 2 skewers, so I was quite surprised. It comes with some peanut satay sauce with chopped up peanuts in it. The chicken had a nice char, but I didn’t find them to be mind blowing.

Hainanese Chicken with Flavour Rice

S got the Hainanese Chicken with Flavour Rice. I hear that they are famous for them, but S said he was extremely disappointed. Mainly because the rice was not flavoured as he expected. It had only a very slight flavour, and he said this was not even close to being comparable to the ones in Singapore or at home. I found the chicken to be decent, with a nice jelly on the skin. I guess S is the expert with the chicken, since he’s had lots of it. He claimed it was very sub par.

Laksa Noodle in Soup

For myself, I got the Laksa Noodle in Soup, which was a huge bowl. It was filled with seafood, bean sprouts, and even some chicken. The soup was spicy, but definitely one that I could handle. I sort of wished it had more spice actually.

Overall, I thought Coco Hut was decent, but S really didn’t enjoy it. I guess if you’re not an expert in Singaporean cuisine and you don’t eat it too often, then you’ll find Coco Hut to be pretty decent. Prices were decent for two and there is decent parking at this mall.

Pros:
– Laksa and Hainanese Chicken was decent
– Prices were reasonable

Cons:
– If you’ve had Hainanese chicken in Singapore, you may find it to be below average
– Service is a bit lacking

Price Range: $10-20

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

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

Hakkasan Bistro – ChineseBites Media Event

July 14, 2015July 14, 2015Leave a comment

NOTE: Today’s post will be a guest post since K attended the ChineseBites media event on behalf of me. As part of the ChineseBites media event, all food was free, but all opinions are based on K’s own experience.

With work being so hectic and exams coming up, K got the chance to attend another ChineseBites media event on behalf of me. This time, it was at Hakkasan Bistro, where we have both been years ago when it first opened. It’s located in such a random area, with industrial offices on No.5 Road, that I have almost forgotten about this restaurant as an option.

Honey Roasted Pork Cheeks

The ChineseBites media dinner featured a good 10 course meal. It started off with the Honey Roasted Pork Cheeks, which is a chef’s signature dish. The cheek, or jowl was very tender and had that nice chewy texture. It was marinated in a honey glaze so it had a hint of sweet flavour.

Chef’s Signature Whole Coconut Pork & Snow Fungus Soup

Another signature dish was the Whole Coconut Pork & Snow Fungus Soup. The soup is double boiled for over three hours with pork, snow fungus, and savoury broth. K liked how the soup had coconut flavour, but also that you could scrape the coconut on the side, which was soft enough to eat. It also came with a soy sauce and chives dipping sauce which helped flavour the chicken. K’s only complaint was that the hole was a bit small, so a bit hard to eat, but nevertheless, one of the favourites of the night.

Steamed Specialty Odorless Garlic Lobster, Jasmine Rice

Next up was the Steamed Specialty Odorless Garlic Lobster which is one of their famous dishes. The garlic is odour-less so you won’t have garlic breath after eating this! K thought that the garlic flavour was not as pungent, and many others agreed that they would still prefer the real garlic. However, the lobster was pretty fresh and came with a fragrant jasmine rice.

Ancient Style Salt Baked Chicken

Another specialty is the Ancient Style Salt Baked Chicken. The free range chicken is marinated with a special blend of ten different flavourful Chinese herbs and spices, and then wrapped in parchment paper and placed in a clay pot filled with hot salt. This ancient baking technique gives the chicken a unique aroma and taste.

K liked this a lot since it was not super salty despite being cooked in salt. She also found the meat to be very tender.

Braised Pork Hock and Steamed Mini Flour Rolls

The Braised Pork Hock is glazed in a sweet braise sauce and came on top of some broccoli. K said that the fat didn’t melt in your mouth like some other restaurant’s pork hock, but it was still pretty good. The Steamed Mini Flour Rolls were also perfect to pair as there were lots of dipping sauce.

A nice layer of fat on top of tender meat.

Mui Choy Stirfry Seasonal Greens

Some greens for dinner were the Mui Choy Stirfry Seasonal Greens. The mui choy was pickled and flavoured well, and was great to go with rice. You don’t see many restaurants using mui choy to stirfry with veggies, so this was an interesting dish.

Hakka Homestyle Steamed Egg, Pork with Duck Yolk

The Hakka Homestyle Steamed Egg was a favourite because it was simple yet had the homey feel to the dish. Again, it paired well with rice and featured pork and duck yolk inside the silky smooth steamed egg.

Stirfry Fish with Pickled Cabbage

The last savoury dish was the Stirfry Fish with Pickled Cabbage. K found it to be quite average and her least favourite dish. Not that it wasn’t good, but there wasn’t anything too special and she felt like she could order this at any other Chinese restaurant.

Steamed Milk Egg White Custard

To finish off the huge meal, there was Steamed Milk Egg White Custard, which was great to ease off the savoury dishes. The custard is not very sweet, and K said it seemed like a great dessert if you’re on a diet!

Overall, Hakkasan definitely had quite a few impressive menu items. Prices are a bit on the higher end but they execute well with good quality items. Be sure to check to make sure whether you need to order some of these items a day in advance. The coconut soup and salt baked chicken, for example, require reservations.