Penang Delight Cafe, Malaysian, Vancouver

Started off with Roti Canai, a bread dipped in sauce – well done, crispy, light, and tasty.

Next came our Rendang Chicken – fall of the bone marinated and coated in spices.

Laksa Beef Mix came with two noodle types and quite well flavored. This dish was the best bang for the buck.

Mango Fish (talapia) – deep fried then covered in tangy and sweet sauce with ripe mango slices; it’s been a while since I’ve had talapia but it’s not my favorite fish flavor, so don’t think I’d go for this again.

Bill came out to $62 (before tip) for 2 guys and a girl. We polished it off and it was the right amount of dinner for us. It’s on par with Tropica or Banana Leaf, but Banana Leaf is one notch better for the same price in our opinion.

3885 Rupert, Vancouver, BC V5M 3W2

Bo Laksa King Bubbles & Bits

Wear clothing that you don’t mind washing. It was spicy and flavorful. Would like to try the Laksa next time. Small amount of seating.

 2546 E Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V5K 1Z3
(604) 568-4593

www.bolaksaking.com/

 

 

started off with tea leaf salad (deep fried nuts and seeds), soup, roti (wonderful sauce)

 

pineapple fried frice (similar to other places), pad thai (on par), eggplant (really creamy), beef (was ok)

Sushiholic, 3311 East Broadway (& Rupert), 604-879-4881

Very happy to have tried a new place. Quality over quantity when compared to Sushi Garden. Above is their Sockeye Salmon Roll.

The Alaska Roll (left, front) has a sauce dribbled over it that is reminiscent of tempura bits. Spicy tuna roll (left, back) with two kinds of sesame seeds. Party Tray A on the right has a wonderful selection.

Gyoza here is deep fried and filling is standard. Toro (tuna) sashimi melted; so fresh it had a hint of sweetness.

Jang Mo Jib, Kingsway

Have enjoyed JMJ when it was in the Biltmore Hotel on Kingsway, then when it moved to Burnaby, but it started to pale compared to Meok Ja Gol, so it’s been quite some time since we’ve returned. Memories of their thin-skin pot stickers have kept me coming back though, and now I’m so glad they did. My usual favorites are definitely improved in flavor and texture. It was the busiest we’ve seen it on a Friday night yet the service was great – something we’ve just come to have lower expectations of.

First, the pot stickers are usually pan fried (still my preference), not deep fried, the way they are now, but it didn’t detract from the taste.

Bee Bim Bap Dol Sot means fried rice in a clay pot, which keeps it warm throughout your meal. It comes as separate ingredients and you mix it up yourself.

Who can resist their deeply marinated ribs? Look at the crispy browning of the seafood pancake; it was not as tasty or crispy during our last visit and this extra ooph makes the dish.

I don’t know how I managed to miss shooting the chicken noodle soup (too busy stuffing my mouth? this is hard work you know). Here was the biggest improvement of all. It has always been a more bland soup, mildly flavored but in the subtle healthy ways of momma-soup-minus-msg. This time, it was as if someone dialed up more flavor – definitely a wonderful way to round out our meal.

Hi Genki

Scary? Don’t let the eyes fool you. There’s a lot of meat under these heads. I always love coming here for their grilled salmon. My hand is almost sore after the meal of patience, but worth every savory bite. This is the first time I’ve been served the heads – must be salmon season.

The Miso Salmon is cut from the body, and therefore drier and less fat = less taste. Spicy calamari was deelish.

Spicy karaage and curry on pork chop are always consistently good.

Portland: Pok Pok

Yes, I’ve shown this before but how can I resist reliving the savoring? Chicken wings, roasted chicken, pork skewers, green papaya salad, all as good as I remember, but my new hot day fave – fresh squeezed limeade, Thai style.

Portland: Jade Teahouse & Patisserie

What is it with Porland and incredible chicken wings? What is it with Vancouver and a lack of them? See that honey and sour sauce? So coated in it. Different from PokPok’s but just as satisfying.

Green papaya salad was perfect. Sub was text book. Spices authentic.

Chicken noodle (made fresh) was on par with my mother-in-law’s. The grilled eggplant melted like none other I’ve tried. The deep fried fish – juicy with substantial bite on the inside, nice fried skin on the outside.

One of the owners was a pastry chef in Paris – so happy some people have found their calling.

Black Cod with Miso

I put our new hood fan to the test by broiling frozen Black Cod with Miso in our toaster oven sitting next to our stove. When hubby came home late, I asked him to stay by the front door and take a dep breath – he couldn’t smell it! I accidentally charred the skin trying to achieve a crispiness (hence the artsy close up shot), but didn’t smell it either. The cod was tender and so full of flavor, so you can enjoy restaurant quality food right at home.

Angel Seafoods: 1345 Grant St, Vancouver, BC V5L 2X7  (604) 254-2824  www.angelseafoods.com

Kitchen Hoods: PS13-30″ Under cabinet Range hood for $659 and worth every penny because the 900 cfm ensured I wouldn’t be smelling fish in my closet upstairs too. What I like beyond the power is a 3 minute self timer so it shuts itself off by the time we settle down to eat.

King Crab Season

Empire Seafood Restaurant
Unit 200 London Plaza, 7997 Westminster Hwy, Richmond, BC | Tel:  604.249.0080

King Crab season is here and Empire was packed with fans. Ordered a 6-person combo, so the crab cost $10.99/lb – it came out to about $30/adult with some leftovers:

• Peking Duck skin wrap
• Lettuce Wrap with Peking Duck
• Steamed King Crab with chopped Garlic (so good and sweet I can just pour liquid over rice to make a meal!)
• Deep Fried King Crab (body parts)
• Noodles with Golden Mushroom and King Crab juices (disappointed with regular wonton noodles, not the Yee Mein it claimed on the menu; the mushrooms weren’t even separated but served in a huge clump right out of the pacakge)
• Bok Choy and Tofu Sheet
• Red Bean Dessert (really watered down)

Matcha Muffin with White Chocolate Chip

Saw this easy recipe on public television and it was… easy as muffins? Well it was easy because hubby made it! Extremely airy texture, not mushy or dense – we dived in immediately, but as they cooled, the tops became crispier, which made for a great combo. Normally I can’t even finish one store bought muffin because it’s just too sweet for my liking – I had no problem finishing off two!

Just assemble two bowls of wet and dry ingredients, then combine. Bake  at 375˚ F for 20 minutes. Makes 7 to 8 muffins.

1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
2 tbsp Green Tea powder
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
2/3 cup whole milk (we used 1%)
1/3 cup canola oil

Green Lettuce

A fusion of Chinese and Indian cuisine (Chindian), Green Lettuce was a surprising mix of East Asian dishes. Their deep fryer really knows how to handle batter. Everyone at the table had their faves and ours was the fried rice, which was very flavorful. The lamb was extremely tender had no hint of gamey-ness, but at the same time I couldn’t quite tell it was lamb either.

Vegetable Pakora, Sweet & Sour Prawns

Hawaiian Fried Rice, Pilli Beef, Lamb

Honey Lemon Chicken, Deep Fried Banana and Pineapple

Pearl House

Pearl House Restaurant, 7152 Sperling Ave., Burnaby  604-522-3177

Quite similar to No 1 Beef Noodle but better, in our opinion. Some dishes could have had less salt though, but overall very flavorful. The deep fried squid was obviously crunchy, but it was the fried basil leaves that kept me coming back – they seemed coated with a light curry powder and salt.

Beef and brocolli w rice, Taiwanese sausage and fatty minced pork with sauce drizzled on the mound of rice, Chicken nuggets on rice. The veggies all had great flavor.

Beef brisket with wide noodle which had unusual springy texture, Fried chicken leg w thin noodle. There’s a piece taken away before I got this leg shot, and I was concerned when I first saw blood, but was assured if it’s coming from the bone, it’s safe to eat – I had no ill effects.

Egg White Sponge Cake

Lily Bakery, 4500 Kingsway, #1326, Burnaby, BC | Tel: (604) 435-6689

A friend brought this cake over last year but I didn’t blog about it until now. After reading the comments on DineHere.ca, this light and fluffy, not overly sweet cake might be gone.

Chicco Japanese Dessert Café

Pronounced “cheek-o”, this take out box of desserts is a decadent finish to any meal – both visually and pallete-ly. Starting from the top and going clockwise: Strawberry Shortcake, Mont Blanc (chestnut), Japanese Soft Cheese Cake (it’s like cheese flavored cake, not baked style), and Greentea Moscarpone with red bean.

Here’s their site: http://www.chiccocafe.com/index.html

Pok Pok in Portland, OR

Crisp skin thickly coated with a sweet, finger-licking gooey sauce, these wings are the stuff of cravings – named one of the Top Ten Restaurant Dishes in America 2007 by Food & Wine Magazine.

We found Pok Pok in a house, car port, and lawn, set in a residential area. Highly suggest reservations. A little odd to eat our noodles with a fork, but other than that, it’s the real deal.

Aree Thai

Aree Thai, 1150 Kingsway, Vancouver East, 604-709-9229

Doesn’t this one photo of chili sauce breathe “authentic”?

Take a good look at these chicken skewers. They are plump, full fingers, not the cut up trimmed and slim portions from a single breast. Next is a fish cake, Tom Yum soup, yellow curry, spinach w peanut sauce, and finally! – a Pad Thai with noodles that have texture. Every dish is so robust in flavor, a rice bowl per person is needed. They make their own ice cream and although the menu only lists banana, coconut, and mango, the one to ask for is the Thai Iced Tea Ice Cream. The tea kicks in as an flooding aftertaste fills the mouth.

New translation of the day – how to say “very delicious” is “arroy-d” (pronounced alloy-d).

Kalvin’s Szechuen Restaurant

5225 Victoria Dr, Vancouver, BC V5P

Pork & greens, Hot & Sour Soup, and Chicken with Tofu. Spicy, greasy, tasty. Pictures say it all. The soup is chock full of stuff, like the way we yearned for after Chow’s closed.

Guu with Garlic

$5.80 Okonomi-yaki (Japanese pizza): much better ratio of ingredients and taste than the one served at Modern House.

$4.20 Calamari: batter is thin, no doughy, perfectly fried

$5.80 Aigamo-Salad (Duck Salad): dressing was light to balance all the fried items, can’t get enough garlic chips, but they’re not paper thin like they used to be.

$6.80 Saba-Grill (mackeral): you get half the mackeral, but no bones, crispy skin, buttery fat, on a bed of lemon slices and onions (sorry no photo).

$4.00 Korokke (croquette): fried mashed potato, corn

$5.20 Unagi-Meshi (eel on rice): need something substantial when eating tapas, so this rice filled some holes, but the sweet sauce could have been a little less.

$7.80 Ebi Mayo (deep fried prawns): doused with mayo and spice, you could taste the freshness of plump prawns

$7.80 Oden-mori (stew): An assortment of six pieces of Oden, definitely needed to cut the grease after those deep fried items (sorry no photo).

Best Shrimp Cracker Ever

Good news is this was the most authentic tasting shrimp I’ve ever had in a cracker – not the weak, artificially colored, and dubiously flavored puffs of cardboard I’ve had before. Bad news is it’s from Japan. BUT that’s why I blog about food like this – so I can say “I don’t know what it’s called but it looks like this and if you have room in your luggage…” You can’t doubt a cracker that even has it’s own moisture wicking pouch in each package.

Henlong Market

14357 104 Avenue, Surrey, BC  V3T 1Y1  (604) 585-8588

Yes, it’s a bit far, but like everything else on this blog, it’s all about the good food that’s blog-worthy. Along with fresh fruits, veggies, and uncommon ethnic spices,they also have a vietnamese sandwich shop with desserts.

I chose the pork rinds (found near check out cashiers) sold in a zip lock bag over a pre-printed mass produced version because it’s gotta be fresher – very light crunch. Deep fried banana: still crispy even though it’s the last 2 on the counter. The honey tasting caramel on top is not too sweet. The red bean dessert is good, but the one that sells out is the green strands in coconut milk dessert.

Toshi’s

Vancouverites will line up 20 minutes before Toshi’s open, even in a downpour. You know they are regulars when they start counting how many people are ahead of them to see if they will make it in the first wave of clients (less than 30 seats). Toshi’s will not seat you if your party is not all there.

Once we saw a couple who waited for their friends and finally decided to eat without them as the last table of the first wave remained. We finished eating, paid, and left while they were the last to stare hungrily at the food all around them.

• This is our first time trying the deep fried spider crab – two thumbs up! Or should I say down into the vinegar dressing with chives.
• Broiled black cod with miso is my weakness. No matter how many high end Western style restaurants offer it, I’ve never had it come close to the silky smooth texture of Toshi’s. Is it the cut? The preparation? If I were at home, I’d pour the remaining broiled juices on top of a bowl of rice and eat it happily.
• The Spicy Combo rolls are on either side of the House Roll and are not that spicy but the chopped scallop is very fresh.
• The House Roll has a sprinkling of roasted sesame seeds that bring out the nuttiness of perfectly ripened avocados. I’ve added a close up so you can see the prawn tempura tucked inside.

Hi Genki

Lotus Root Tempura was only so-so. The batter was a little soggy/soft. Maybe they were rushed, as the first wave of people for dinner had just cleared and we were the next wave.

I was so exited to try Grilled Cod for the first time here because I’ve always loved how Japanese prepare it – so silky soft, and it was, but I think Toshi’s is fresher.

You can never go wrong ordering the Chicken Teriyaki Bento Box.

Uwajimaya

600 5th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98104-3898, US (206) 624-6248

My favorite Japanese crackers are from Uwajimaya in Seattle. Imagine Fujiya the size of Costco, complete with Kinokuniya Bookstore – ah just transports me back to Japan. It has a great selection for $6. Since they are from Japan, the texture is light and tender. Buy 3 bags or purchase up to $15 and parking in their lot is free.

Sadly, although I show a photo here of the whole selection of 6 varieties, they’ve now started only including one each of the expensive ones and make up the rest of the quantity in the top left and bottom right. Guess the economy is trickling down everywhere.

Here are other yummy crackers from Uwajimaya. The star one has various printing on the individually wrapped bags including a sumo wrestler’s outfit and bellybutton.

Han Ju Hot Pot

4500 Kingsway, #1218, Burnaby, BC (604) 434-8098

Garlic assaults your nose before you see the front door and the long line ups if you get there past 5. My fave has always been #5, shown at top right (I ask for less oil). #3 is bottom left and #2 is bottom right.

Love Letter Egg Roll

Usually egg rolls leave a waxy, oily residue in my mouth – not this brand! Finally found it at Yaohan in Richmond.

Hi Genki’s Deep Fried Banana Ice Cream

The batter is light and the strawberry jam’s tartness gives a wonderful counterpoint to all the sweetness.

Hi Genki: 6680 Southoaks Crescent, Burnaby, BC V5E4N3 Tel: (604) 777-0533

Coffee Bun Bakery & Cafe (North Vancouver)

This place is located just outside the seabus at Lonsdale Quay. It’s got great identity, cute little sign with a cute golden brown bun attached to it. It intrigued me. Super fresh baked, hot bun. Crunchy warm topping and oh-so-soft inside bun. Who could resist a fresh out of the oven bun?

It was so fresh and hot that I kinda burned myself trying to take it out of the paper bag to share with Geoff… Did I say “share”?!!

Chill Restaurant and Lounge

5507 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC V5H 2G3  (604) 436-3088   www.mychill.ca

We started off with a refreshing lotus salad. I’ve never had it raw before but it has a nice crisp and the vinegarette cut the fried things to follow. beef roti: nice but i’ve had lighter doughs from malaysian or thai versions. The prawns were fluffy cloud-light – not sure how they did it, very fresh and robust prawns, delicately seasoned. the noodles and deep fried tofu were good but nothing really stood out from usual fare. The star of the show for me was the mini deep fried oysters – not a hint of fishiness and pure creamy oyster goodness with an outside crunch.

Wang’s Shanghai Cuisine

Like a pilgrimage, we sought the source of reputed dumplings in Crystal Mall, Bby. It’s on the upper floor, last stall, surrounded by clients willing to wait for freshly made dumplings. The filling exploded with juices and the taste was so home-made! The dumpling photo is short 2 because it was all we could do to restrain ourselves from eating it all before a photo could be taken.

Meok Ja Gol Korean

Tried smaller dishes on their menu since it was just two of us eating this time. Bee Bim Bab, Noodles, and Potstickers along with condiments. Although not the array of their BBQ menu, very satisfying.

Meok Ja Gol Korean

The best Korean dinner we’ve ever had! Charcoal tubes are lowered into their grill and skewers automatically rotate, making a smokeless environment and the juices sealed in. The marination is lighter than most restaurants, so I taste the meat more.  The waiter had our meal timed to perfection, removing the meat from the skewers and cutting, then placing on the grill top to continue cooking if you wanted your beef well done. It was certainly more relaxing than having to be concerned about it yourself.

Dumplings were gone in a NY second. Grilled mackeral was crispy all the way to edges. Eel was tender and fought over to the last piece by the boys.

Fried noodles (Jap Che)  were a little sweeter than I’ve usually had, but was still tastier than most. Nothing comes close to my friend’s mom’s homemade version, but it’ll do nicely. The pancake was loaded with seafood and the texture was so light and fluffy, it prompted compliments from the first bite.

Seating was very roomy – so much more comfortable and all the better to reach for that last rib! The charcoal takes about 1/2 hour to prepare, so it was a good thing we called ahead and had them start. The “MJG Dinner BBQ Combination B” feeds 4-5 people for $100. In our case, it fed 2 couples and 2 boys, and everything was polished off except for one slice of pancake. It was very filling and extremely satisfying. Even if you don’t have enough mouths to experience the self-rotating charcoal dinner, the flavors and quality of the other dishes alone will have us coming back for more.

Meok Ja Gol: 4992 Newton Street (and Kingsway), Burnaby, BC (604) 436-5005

Lemon Coriander Prawns

I’ve recently been introduced to Costco’s frozen prawns, already deveined and shelled, but tails left on. I wanted to find more recipes for making prawns. Here’s one I found on rouxbe.com — enjoy! Marlene

Chinese Pot Stickers

I love pot stickers! They are so yummy when pan fried to a golden crisp, but still moist inside. This recipe is similar to Gyoza King’s prawn, pork and chive gyozas. I like the home-ey taste of the homemade skins, nice to work with, very fresh, moist and thick, but it was a lot of work compared to store bought. These freeze well — freeze in single layer tray, then transfer to a freezer bag when frozen. Marlene

Ingredients:

Ginger pineapple chicken

Try fresh orange sections and orange juice instead of the pineapple chunks and lemon juice. This chicken goes very well with a simple stir-fry vegetable dish or over sautéed mixed greens. We recommend using a non-stick skillet for this dish. When using chopsticks, it’s ideal to slice the chicken after it is cooked, or you may serve the breasts whole when using forks and knives.

Clay Pot Chicken

Serves 4

Clay pots are popular in China as they retain heat and can go straight from the oven to the dinner table. Meat is usually seared and then simmered slowly in the pot in the oven to create a tender and flavourful dish. While the clay pot dish simmers in the oven, you may prepare a stir-fry dish that will be ready at the same time.

Stir-fried beef with tomato and basil

10 ounces beef tenderloin
4 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
5 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
¼ teaspoon salt
Dash white pepper
1 small white onion
2 medium tomatoes
½ ounce (about 12 leaves) fresh basil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoon hoisin sauce

Menudo

Another Phillipino comfort-stew that’s easy to make. If you don’t like liver, just substitute for some other meat. I also tend to add more vegetables than it calls for.

Chicken Apretada (Apretadang Manok)

This Phillipino stew is so easy, the instructions are shorter than the ingredients! We add extras like carrots or peas to change it up a little too. Slather this over a bowl of rice, and you have instant Asian comfort food! Don’t suggest freezing, as the potato texture is lost.

Cucumber Sunomono Salad

Thinly sliced cucumbers tossed with rice wine vinegar, mirin, and chilli flakes. This Asian inspired dish is a nice garnish, or light salad.

Legendary Noodle

4191 Main Street, Vancouver
Tel: 604-879-8758

Tina H’s Top Picks

Zipang Sushi, (Japanese) 3710 Main Street, Vancouver, Tel: 604-708-1667
as usual, good and bad reviews

Rekados Grill, (Phillipino) 4063 Main Street, Vancouver, Tel: 604-873-3133
good food but underwhelming service

Banana Leaf, (Malaysian) 820 W Broadway, Vancouver, Tel: (604) 731-6333
recommend the tuesday special, assorted seafood and vegetables with tamarind and turmeric sauce

Korean Short Ribs (Kim)

For 10lbs of meat: Soak ribs for 2-3 hours water to rid blood

1 head garlic (minced)
1 white onion (minced)
1 cup sesame oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup honey
2 cups light soya sauce
1 tsp sesame seeds
2 green onions (diced)

Mix ingredients together by hand; sauce should be sweet. Dip ribs in sauce and marinate overnight.

This is where you can buy your frozen short ribs:
Supreme Meat Supplies Ltd
1725 MacDonald Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5C 4P3
Telephone : 604-299-0541

Sophie’s Choice

Lhy Thai
7357 Edmond St., Burnaby
Tel: 604 526-8085

• curries, spinach & peanut sauce, noodles, decent prices, med. size portions

Sushi Garden
4635 Kingsway, Burnaby
Tel: (604) 436-0104

• Alaska roll

Pho Van
3370 Fraser Street, Vancouver
Tel: 604-872-2879

•  #24

Kimchi Nara Korean BBQ

2nd Floor London Plaza, No 3 Road and Westminster Hwy | 604.273.7933
Mon–Sat 11:30 am – 10 pm (closed Sun)

Sushi House

7060 Kingsway, Burnaby | Tel: (604) 521-3131 (reservations not accepted)

One of the cheaper small ones, but is a locals’ favourite. Self-service (extremely understaffed during busy times). So busy, they have two discount rates for take-out order 2 hours early and one day early (5% & 10%).

Toshi Sushi

181 E 16th, Vancouver | Tel: (604) 874-5173

Toshi Sushi is a popular sushi house off Main Street ran by proprietors Toshiyuki Saito and Tomoko Saito. Opens at 5 and suggest you line up early or else be prepared to wait. Do not bring a party over 6 people.

Hi Genki

6680 Southoaks Crescent, Burnaby, BC
604.777.0533 | Lunch: 11–3, Dinner: 6–8:30

Dragon Ball Bubble Tea House

1007 West King Edward, Vancouver, BC │Tel: (604) 738-3198
less then $10 │ cash only

No. 1 Beef Noodles

4741 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby, BC │ Tel: 604-438-6648
less then $10 │ cash only

Shiro, Vancouver

3096 Cambie Street (& 14th ave), Vancouver | 604-874-0027
Wed: 5-9:30

• Price Range: $15