Penang Delight: Mouth on fire

Having fond memories of the food here, and had a craving of laksa, I wandered here with Adorables, hoping to find that delicious laksa I had once upon a time...

Restaurant: Penang Delight Cafe 來檳城美食,  (visit their website here)

Location: 1316 West 73rd Avenue, Vancouver
Cuisine: Malaysian, Singaporean
Price range: $15-30 per person





Date of visit: August 14, 2014
Atmosphere: 4/5
Staff/service: 4/5
Food variety: 5/5
Food quality: 4/5
Buck worthy? 3/5

Ordered a Seafood Laksa ($13.95) because I remember how authentic it was the last time I had it. This time looked the same authenticity, but added extra spice. Far spicier than last time for sure =( Anyhow, besides my mouth being on fire, loved the taste of it. They have two kinds of noodles included: vermicelli and egg noodle. I like the mix of noodles with the creamy curry soup base. On top there were some fishcakes, tofu puffs, egg, squid, shrimp, and fish. Not a bad mix but kinda pricey.

Also got an order of Roti Canai ($5.95). These were delicious. Flakey and chewy, the curry dip paired nicely. However, compared to other places, this was quite the expensive dish =(

Staff were quite friendly albeit slow and the food was a bit pricey for my wallet. I kinda knew before, but with the spiciness in the laksa, I found it less worthy of my dollars ^^"

Tapioca Cafe: Chem class?? Where are the schoolgirls?

Post-Victorian adventures, Adorables and I met up with Mr. Photographer for dinner. I had heard of a "maid cafe" here from friends, so we decided to come here to check them out (which to our disappointment there were none). Sneak peak of our food fusion plates haha








Restaurant: Tapioca Cafe 三年一班 (visit their website here)

Location: 1438-8388 Capstan Way, Richmond
Cuisine: Taiwanese, Bubble Tea
Price range: $10-20 per person





Date of visit: August 10, 2014
Atmosphere: 3/5
Staff/service: 4/5
Food variety: 5/5
Food quality: 4.5/5
Buck worthy? 4/5

Walking in, I knew there would be no maids =( Anyhow there were teppanyaki specials going on and seemed like a pretty good amount of food for hungry starving young men. Mr. Photographer ordered the Chicken Teppanyaki ($11.95) which came with two pieces of chicken, an egg, noodles, and veggies smothered with sauce on a hot plate. The portion size was pretty large, and plate was definitely hot. He enjoyed the meal but with his huge appetite, craved for more xD

Adorables ordered the Steak Teppanyaki ($11.95) and it was also quite large. The egg was cooked so beautifully... I almost shed a tear of joy. I don't know what noodles they use, but these were AMAZING. Chewy with good texture and taste-- gosh! I wanted to ask them where they got it!! Beef was tender and not bad.

I "spoiled" myself with a Lamb Hot Pot ($11.99), spoil as in getting something not on special haha. It came in a pot with a chemical rock fire underneath and had lots of extra meats, tofu, fishballs, napa cabbage, enoki mushrooms, and glass vermicelli. Taste was quite generic, I enjoyed the lamb slices and overall was pleased with this order.

Also ordered a Matcha Red Bean Slush ($3.00 with meal). I found it generic. Doesn't stand out but at least it meets the norm.

Our bill came in a cute pencil case, I guess to match their theme of a classroom (but no schoolgirl uniforms *disappoint*). I found the prices to be quite reasonable and tasted good! Hoping they bring back their themed restaurant =)

Point Ellice House: Frustratingly disappointing experience

Super stoked about going to Victoria for a mini-vacation, I looked at several high tea places to visit and this one stuck out to me.

Restaurant: Point Ellice House (visit their website here)

Location: 2616 Pleasant Street, Victoria
Cuisine: Coffee/Tea, High Tea
Price range: $10-$30+





Date of visit: August 9, 2014
Atmosphere: 4/5
Staff/service: 3/5
Food variety: 1/5
Food quality: 2/5
Buck worthy? 1/5

To be very fair, they were super patient with me changing my reservation many times and answered all my questions via email promptly. When we arrived, it was quite sketchy as it was in an industrial area and the road was in terrible condition. I find there was lack of direction as we entered and overall we didn't feel welcomed. Had to look for seats ourselves and we weren't noticed until standing up and waving our hands at the waitress who was standing right next to me. WOW. Anyhow, since we only ordered two high tea sets, she made us order another two teas because sharing of tea wasn't allowed. So we paid for admission ($6.00) and tea and high tea. =.=

Either way, we eventually found a spot with some shade from the blistering sun and sat down to enjoy our four teas. The individual Tea ($4.00) was from the same list as high tea, meaning we chose 4 out of their approximately 10 teas. Not very happy. Nothing exceptional about the teas, besides the cute cups. My tea smelled a lot better than the taste, which made me a bit sad =(

First came a Carrot and Squash soup which the other waitress kindly help us split into four cups. It was decent, didn't taste like canned stuff and I could feel the carrot. However, nothing special about the flavors.

Here's our two High Tea Sets ($27.00 each) placed on the same tray. Sigh. No wonder it was so "cheap" compared to the other high tea places. The best part of it all was the slice of watermelon. The sandwiches were dry (like, the bread had been left out too long). The quiches were the ones you can get in a 48 pack from Costco. The brownie and banana bread were probably from a supermarket. The jam was good. Scone was also likely to be store-brought. Meh.

Overall I was super disappointed with what we had paid for. The website definitely dresses it up a lot more than what is actually presented. We had to tour the house ourselves, and the lack of directives to navigate our experience really irked me. Mind you there were friendly staff, just not helpful. I would definitely recommend going to other places for high tea in Victoria.

Chiffon Belgium Waffle Bar: Unexpected dessert in an industrial area!

So there was a groupon for this place, $15 for two waffles plus two drinks! Sounds like a good deal and not too far from home, so I brought my parents here to try!

Restaurant: Chiffon Belgian Waffle Bar (visit their website here)

Location: 100-1485 Coast Meridian Road, Port Coquitlam
Cuisine: Dessert
Price range: <$10





Date of visit: August 22, 2014
Atmosphere: 3/5
Staff/service: 4/5
Food variety: 5/5
Food quality: 4/5
Buck worthy? 5/5

I totally imagined it to be located in a more urban area, but nope! It was located right next to a bunch of industrial places with lots of giant trailers and a gravel lot. We were quite skeptical walking in as it was under another name (with Chiffon Belgium Waffle Bar written on the side). Anyhow, we walked in and it was kinda homey and the friendly staff seated us promptly.

We looked through their comprehensive menu to find they offered a myriad of dishes from western and Chinese cuisines. Decided on a large Wor Wonton soup ($8.99) and there were 12 wontons (I kinda lost count) and it was packed full of meats and veggies. Quite delicious, they were pork wontons (which my mom didn't care for much because she likes shrimp ones).

Here is the tea. We got Sencha and Earl Grey which were both quite good, both fragrant and light-- the way I like teas. Came on a cute tray with cups, they even gave us an extra cup because there were three of us ^-^

Seeing as their seasonal special was the Berry Berry ($8.50), we got that. It was an assortment of seasonal berries with raspberry cheesecake gelato on top of waffles. The berries included blueberrries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries. I really liked the gelato as it was tart and sweet but so creamy!! Waffles were nice and crispy on the outside and soft and chewy inside. Surprisingly beautiful and delicious for a place located in the middle on an industrial park!

We also ordered a Hazelnut waffle ($8.50) which was topped with vanilla gelato and hazelnuts. I found this more generic but still quite good!

Now, I enjoyed this a lot but realize it's closed? (super late post, sorry) Anyhow, it was good while it lasted, hope they come back!

Yuji's: Such long yummy sweet potatoes!!

I thought I saw one on Kingsway, but here I am at this location hidden discretely (kinda) in this neighborhood!

Restaurant: Yuji's from Japan (visit their website here)

Location: 220-2083 Alma Street, Vancouver
Cuisine: Japanese, Sushi, Tapas
Price range: $20+





Date of visit: September 16, 2014
Atmosphere: 4/5
Staff/service: 5/5
Food variety: 3.75/5
Food quality: 5/5
Buck worthy? 4/5

A little restaurant, glad we got a spot right away! Felt very cozy and staff were friendly in greeting us. Stared at the menu for a long time as they had some nice sushi/sashimi that looked interesting. Decided upon a Sushi Omakase ($25.00) which consisted of 8 pieces of sushi taken from the special menu. I seriously don't remember what we got, but the fish were all delicious and fresh. I know for sure we had hamachi, big eye tuna, sockeye salmon, saba, flounder, and kanpachi... maybe aji too xD I don't recall those names :( Rice to fish ratio was great and the rice was seasoned and cooked perfectly.

Seeing as the prices weren't for a student budget, we only ordered a Sweet Potato Tempura ($7.50) to go with our sushi (before we hit up another joint). These were long sticks of deliciousness! So straight I was thinking they'd reject any sweet potato that wasn't long, straight, and skinny!! The insides were fluffy and moist with some bite. The outside was crispy and didn't taste oily at all!! I liked the tartar dipping sauce (they also had spicy ketchup and some ginger thing which I didn't care much for).

Either way, Adorables and I enjoyed the meal-- more so the tempura but sushi was memorable (if only it didn't lighten our wallets so much).

Ichiro: Fresh sashimi, great variety!!

Date with Bonnishi! It's been far too long since I've met up with my fav sushi buddy ^-^















Restaurant: Ichiro Japanese (visit their website here)

Location: 12011 2nd Avenue, Richmond
Cuisine: Japanese, Sushi, Seafood
Price range: $20-30





Date of visit: September 6, 2014
Atmosphere: 4/5
Staff/service: 4/5
Food variety: 5/5
Food quality: 4.5/5
Buck worthy? 5/5

Bonnishi had noted they had cute lunch sets and she was absolutely correct! I looked around and saw people with sets and wanted one for myself. But first, sushi. I tried one of their Ika Uni nigiri ($3.25) and it was really fresh. The ika was crunchy and a bit slimy-- just the way I like it. Uni was sweet and creamy but I wish there was more. Kinda hard to keep the uni on top I guess... cuz it slipped off partly.

Looked like a rocket ship to me xD

Took a while to decide, but finally settled for their Sashimi and Noodle set ($13.95). There were six kinds of sashimi, udon, rice, and edmame. I couldn't finish the rice and wasted it, should've just told them I don't need it ><" Anyhow, udon was chewy with good texture to it. Tasted pretty good.

Onto the different sashimis! They were all super fresh (so I don't repeat myself too much) and plated prettily. Tuna was nice, it wasn't overly-mushy nor sour. Actually tasted like... tuna. Yum!

Then there was salmon, which surprisingly melted in my mouth and wasn't tough like the other wild salmon I've had before!

Now, I've never been a fan of raw sweet shrimp, but this made me change my mind. I actually tasted the "sweet" to the shrimp without that disgusting metallic taste. It was a bit slimy but acceptable.

The spicy salmon was so pretty... flavors weren't overwhelming and the peanut-y sesame sauce was great. It wasn't actually very spicy, just enough to enhance the flavors.

Tuna Gomaae almost confused me, but then I realized it was the sauce that made it like gomaae. It was basically your normal tuna in sesame sauce. Also delicious.

Finally, Ichiro Zuke. Now what is this? I don't really have a good clue, but it was a mix of the tuna and salmon in a soy-based sauce topped with some ginger and radish. The flavors jumped out at me, surprised that they didn't mask the flavor of the fish!

Bonnishi ordered a Wanko and Sashimi Set ($19.50) which included 2 kinds of mini cold soba noodles (salmon egg on grated radish and poached egg), assorted tempura, sashimi (tuna, salmon, yellowtail, sweet shrimp), BBQ eel on rice, and miso soup. Everything looked so delicate and pretty =)

A close-up of her noodles, first the salmon eggs.

And then the poached egg.

And the BBQ eel on rice-- looked like a good size.

Of course neither of us could finish our food, but the quality was definitely worth the buck! Although my nigiri wasn't as worthy... I'd probably be back for their sashimi :3

Sushi K Kamizato: Foodgasmic but lacking service

Super late post, but thought I'd revive this! Thanks to Koffee for taking charge and ordering us yummies!! (And treating dinner hehe)

Restaurant: Sushi K Kamizato (visit their website here)

Location: 2105- 2850 Shaughnessy Street, Port Coquitlam
Cuisine: Japanese, Sushi
Price range: $30+





Date of visit: October 5, 2013
Atmosphere: 4/5
Staff/service: 3.5/5
Food variety: 5/5
Food quality: 4.75/5
Buck worthy? 4.5/5

We were started off with some mediocre Seafood Karaage (on the house). Definitely not their strongest dish in house, but hey, it's free. The tuna and salmon was fresh, but the batter was soft =(

First to arrive were lovely Tiger Eyes ($4.00 each). They consist of rice wrapped with wild salmon topped with chopped scallop and bottomed with a slice of cucumber. I love this. It just melts in your mouth because the salmon is lightly seared and the fat just "smoothens" out everything. Scallops were fresh and plentiful, uh-mazing!

Then came the Black Saba Roll ($9.95). Lightly seared saba on top and saba inside the roll with some cucumber. I found it a bit too fishy for me, but all the flavors come together nicely. I don't know what herb they put in there but it was good.

Next, was a "journey" through tuna. This dish, Tuna 4 Way ($10.95), was to be eaten in a certain order to enhance your experience. It goes from light flavors to stronger flavors of the tuna. Now being me, of course I forgot what each one tasted like, but the flavors did get intense. You start on the left then go right (multiple times hehe). The third one, I remember is spicy. The last one was cooked. I liked the first part best as it was a light soy-sauce-based tuna and the tuna was buttery as it melted in my mouth. (Yes, if you're getting the flow, most things melted in my mouth tonight).

Then came the highlights. NIGIRIS. Look how pretty they are ^-^ Generally, the rice-to-fish-ratio was good, not too much rice and the rice was cooked well. Koffee had Ikura ($2.50) which I didn't care for, but it looked pretty :3

First I dug into the Tuna Tataki ($1.95 each). The outside was lightly seared and presentation was nice. Forgot what it was topped with but it was kinda tart and enhanced the flavors of the tuna. Again this cut of tuna melted in my mouth and mixed with the sushi rice beautifully. MMMMM =]

This Aburi Toro ($3.95 each) didn't look as pretty, but mixed with the herbs and pepper, it was a party in my mouth. Toro is nicely marbled with fat which made the whole mix of rice and fish a very smooth experience.

Now this was my sushigasm of the night, Aburi Hamachi ($3.95 each). I still remember the experience. After placing it in my mouth I was speechless in well... sushi heaven. The hamachi being lightly seared lost its strong fishy flavor but had this aromatic sweet fish taste mixed with their sauce and the herbs. MY GOSH. Can't even describe how amazing this was!

Lastly was an Aburi Saba ($2.95 each). After my sushigasm, this didn't quite compare. And not being quite the fan of Saba, this was less amazing. The aburi made it less fishy though, which was a bonus for me =)

Finally, a Crab Motoyaki ($6.95). I don't think that's the whole price. The owner (very friendly btw) told us the crab was small and the portion was small so she adjusted the price. I was surprised at how light the sauce was. Normally it's heavy mayo+egg, but this was nice and light with shredded crab meat. Interesting because I've never had crab motoyaki before!

On the house, the finish the meal, they gave us a plum wine. I'm a super uber lightweight, so this took me out and I had to rest for a bit before driving home haha! Kinda sweet and I could taste the plum, it wasn't too bad. Burned a bit going down though =/ Maybe I'm just not set for alkie =P

Very satisfied with this experience. The service is super slow though, but a nice place if you want some fresh, good quality sushi =)