Double Double Chinese: Tastes like HK!

After my little day trip to Victoria, the glutton in me couldn't resist more food. After a beautiful sunset walk, Adorables and I ended up here, and the feel itself made me giddy-- it was just like in Hong Kong!







Restaurant: Double Double Restaurant 老油條大牌檔 (visit their website here)

Location: 128-4600 No. 3 Road (Empire Center), Richmond
Cuisine: Chinese
Price range: $10-15



Date of visit: February 28, 2015
Atmosphere: 4/5
Staff/service: 2/5
Food variety: 5/5
Food quality: 4/5
Buck worthy? 5/5

There was a long lineup, but we were lucky there was a two-person table that had just freed up! We ordered Deep Fried Chinese Donut ($2.25). These weren't the freshest because they probably made it earlier in the day and just reheated it. However, I like the texture and flavor, chewy on the inside, crispy outside and lightly sweet. It didn't feel too oily either.

Next we got Hong Kong Style Sampan Congee ($5.50). The congee base is great, very authentic. Ingredients were also authentic and tasted great! In it there was minced beef with deep fried glass vermicelli bits, squid, deep fried pig skin, peanuts, and pig stomach. Loved it!!

Their Deep Fried Tofu ($5.95) was crispy, hot, and juicy inside. They used good tofu for this and we really enjoyed it!

One of my favorites was the Deep Fried Squid Tentacles ($7.95). It was a large plate and fried nicely. Not too much batter and the squid was fresh.

Finally, we got a Pan Fried Oyster Omelette ($9.50). This was large, but also thin. Again, another authentic dish with oysters, egg, and scallion. It was a bit salty but full of flavor from the oysters while still being able to taste the egg.

I felt so full and satisfied after this! I have to say though, you've gotta be assertive and speak canto with the servers, or they'll ignore you.

Pagliacci's: Adorkably punny dish names!

Day trip to Victoria, of course I'd have lunch on my little Elephant =D (thanks) Not sure where to go, I looked up somewhere relatively highly rated and we ended up here. Paid street parking, not bad.

Restaurant: Pagliacci's (visit their website here)

Location: 1011 Broad Street, Victoria
Cuisine: Italian, Breakfast
Price range: $15-20 per person




Date of visit:February 28, 2015
Atmosphere: 4/5
Staff/service: 4/5
Food variety: 3/5
Food quality: 3/5
Buck worthy? 3/5

We were started with some complimentary bread as we worked through the menu.

I ordered the The Prawn Broker ($16.00) with Side Soup, such a cute name! It was a cashew curry based sauce with coconut milk, jumbo prawns, mango chutney, and cream on a spinach fettuccine. There is an option of half the pasta for $3 less. Greedy me got the full serving =P It was full of ingredients and the pasta was al dente. However, I not much curry flavor and the sauce was too sweet. I prefer savory pasta more.

Soup was tomato-based, fragrant and tangy. I liked it!

Elephant got The Big Easy ($17.00) with Caesar Salad. This had jumbo prawns, chicken, Italian sausage, bell peppers and mushrooms in a spicy Cajun marinara sauce over penne. So much meat in his, but delicious albeit a bit spicy for me.

Salad was fresh and your typical Caesar salad. We could've chosen a different sauce, but wanted to just get the full Caesar experience =P

It was also kind of early, Elephant ordered a Coffee ($3.00). They kept refilling it, and I guess it was ok. (Not a big fan of coffee). Overall the service was great and props to their creative names!

Kibo: I prefer my meals without mice around. Thanks.

Adorables got a Groupon ($11 for $30 of food) for this place, so we decided to hit it up before it expired! When I arrived it was empty, I had the restaurant to myself. Oh well, probably because it's a random Wednesday night.

Restaurant: Kibo Restaurant and Lounge (visit their website here)

Location: 1261 Hamilton Street, Vancouver
Cuisine: Japanese, Sushi
Price range: $15+ per person




Date of visit: February 25, 2015
Atmosphere: 0/5 (mice? No thanks)
Staff/service: 4/5
Food variety: 5/5
Food quality: 4/5
Buck worthy? 1/5

Server was very friendly and attentive, I was seated promptly and he brought me some water to start. I knew I wanted to try their Salmon Tartare ($8.00) because it sounded amazing online. Presentation was nice, with the tower of salmon tartare in the middle surrounded by four oba tempura pieces. It looked like a flower. 

The tartare was light, refreshing and a bit tart. I liked the cilantro and their use of sockeye salmon. Made it less fatty than others I've had. Oba was great as a chip to scoop the salmon tartare into our mouths. Fresh and crispy! Loved this dish!

As we sat waiting for our other dishes, little critters joined us at the restaurant (besides another couple who also walked in and were seated next to us). I mean mice. YEAH. MICE AT SUCH A NICE ESTABLISHMENT. I was scared for my life. Too bad they were camera-shy. I was tempted to ask if they were pets, but refrained. It was the first time seeing a live mouse for me though. Kinda lost my appetite at this point and was super worried I would die from the food. Our Kibo Roll ($13.00) showed up all pretty. I ate it anyways. It was an avocado and cucumber roll topped with seared tuna and salmon. The Kibo sauce consisted of ginger and radish, but it overwhelmed the whole roll. Far too tangy, gingery, and salty, taking it off, the roll was far more enjoyable. Adorables also mentioned it was too saucy (the bottom was all sauce), which I agreed with.

Finally, the Crazy Roll ($12 online but they charged us $13) arrived. Visually appealing, Adorables was not impressed by the texture of the roll. The deep fried garlic chips on top stuck to our teeth and disrupted the creaminess of the whole roll. The spicy negitoro and avocado went well together as the spiciness cut the sickening feeling of super creamy avocado. I took the roll to go though, the mice kept running around and I just couldn't focus on eating. Nor did I have much of an appetite.

Service was not bad, but sadly, I won't return because of their vermin problem. I hope they'll fix it, but I checked online for their food inspection and it wasn't listed. I guess its a new problem. I'm still breathing, so I guess the mice were just around the store front. First time in my life that there was no tip to the meal. Adorables mentioned that if it were busier we would have never known. Maybe ignorance is bliss sometimes...