Broken Rice: Seriously broken rice!

Super keen today with GirlNextDoor, we rewarded ourselves to a fancy dinner after our hot yoga session post-long-work-day. Having passed by here many times, I finally get a chance to try! Super excited!!

Restaurant: Broken Rice (visit their website here)

Location: 4088 E. Hastings Street, Burnaby
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Price range: $20+ per person




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

Walking in, we knew this was not your typical Vietnamese restaurant, it felt very modern and westernized. So we concluded we should order special items over your typical Phở. xD We chose Uncle Hing's Chicken Wings ($6.95) with Garlic Butter as our first appie. This was fresh: crispy outside and juicy inside. the butter went well and enhanced the flavors of the wings. Even GirlNextDoor had the chicken skin (she normally doesn't eat it!).

Next we enjoyed their Duck Confit Sliders ($6.95). They reminded me of peking duck, equally delicious. The duck was tender, moist, and flavorful, which went well with the texture of the crunchy cucumber and carrot. The bun was steamed, chewy, moist. Beautiful creation!

Then we had their Phnom Penh Roll ($6.50). This was a bit disappointing after the two superb appies. It contained Chinese sausage that made the flavors odd and I just didn't like the overall texture. Also contained egg, carrot, jicama, basil, lettuce and peanuts with a peanut dip. 

We actually started with a light Green Papaya Salad ($8.95) with Beef Jerky as jerky was the most popular option. This was packed full of crunch and flavor. I enjoyed the lightness and tartiness of the salad, but the basil was too big that it became overwhelming in flavor. I wish they julienned it so the flavors could mingle more.

For our actual main, we got their Coconut Braised Pork Belly ($13.95). The display was tidy. There was broken rice, salad, and the dish. They bundled the pork belly with green onion, very cute! This was where it got interesting. We studied their rice, none were full pieces, hence their name! We all had a good laugh with it. The flavors of the broth was soaked into the pork, which was tender and melted in my mouth. It wasn't too fatty but enough that it added flavor to the meat. Wonderful!

Overall our experience was quite positive. Can't believe we ordered so much! The service was great and I like the modern look. Mostly the food was enjoyable and delicious! I still wonder if they have to break the rice, or do they buy rice leftovers from rice farms....? xD