Sunday, July 31, 2011

Floata Seafood Restaurant

Was invited to a banquet at Floata Seafood Restaurant in Chinatown. I have not been here in ages. I remember coming here with my grandfather a long time ago for dim sum. It more or less looked the same; but I noticed they refurbished the interior a little. Unfortunately, a visit to the washroom disappointed me severely. The washroom was old and did not look maintained; definitely a drastic difference from top-end Chinese restaurants in Vancouver.

The service was also horrible. First, they force changed plates for me when I did not want to at all. Second, a few dishes and bowls were dirty; they were not washed properly and food bits could be clearly seen. Third, when the plates should have been changed (ie. after eating lobster), they were not changed. Fourth, the beverages, coke and sprite, were refilled once or twice in the entire dinner, and we had to call them to. Fifth, spinner thing on the table was dirty from the previous dishes as we ate our meal, not once was it wiped for us. Sixth, staff kept pushing big carts and big bins through the dining area to the other parts of the restaurant. Seventh, we had just had the fried rice, so we were given bowls; now it is assumed that bowls are used to eat the rice as this is common practice in every other Chinese restaurant I have been to. After we were done the rice, the waitress brought the desert (an almond soup), the waitress then rudely exclaimed in Cantonese "why would you use the bowls for the rice" We were absolutely appalled. One of the managers then took over but did not over any apologies at all, merely stating overcapacity as the reason to their rudeness. This is the most ridiculous service I have experienced in a long time.


Well let's talk about the food now, it doesn't get much better here either

4.5/5 
+
  •  Probably the best part of the meal
  • My favourite Chinese dish of all time; I rarely have piglet because it is really expensive
  • Crispy and thin skin
  • Meat was not too fatty
  • Taste was perfect, not too salty
  • Pieces were cut perfectly small for putting into mouth in one bite
-
  • Skin could be a little more crispy

 4/5

+
  • Refreshing for the summer heat
  • Lots of winter melon
  • Ingredients (shrimp, BBQ duck, etc) were good
-
  • Not served hot enough





















3/5

+
  • Didn't taste very special at all
  • Everything was very standard (mushrooms, tofu skin, bok choy)
-
  • Too salty




2/5

+
  • Lobster
-
  • Meat did not taste fresh at all
















3.5/5

+
  • Meat texture was pretty good
 -
  • Not enough meat in the chicken













2/5

+
  • Sauce that accompanied the fish was very strong and provided good taste
-
  • Fish did not taste fresh at all, it was not soft enough


 










3.5/5


+
  • nothing special, tasted like the usual fried rice and noodles at the end of every banquet

Overall: Never again unless it was free like this time.

Floata Seafood Restaurant 富大海鮮酒家 on Urbanspoon

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Favor Eat World - Taiwanese Specialty


Find myself visiting the wonderful Crystal Mall quite often these days, found myself here in the lunch hour and wanted to grab a quick lunch as I was hurrying to an appointment. With so many choices, again I had a hard decision in choosing what to eat. I was actually at the stall next to this one yesterday when I saw a lady grab the Taiwanese Beef Noodle from this place; I was drooling yesterday, so I had to try it today when I had the chance. From the big display they had, it seems that this would be safe option.


Beef Noodles (Soup) $6.03     4/5

+
  • They had the option of choosing a spicy soup, but since I can not eat spicy, I chose to stick with the non spicy soup, this soup had a very strong taste, it was a little spicy, and the taste is hard to describe, but it reminded me of the soup base of kimchi bowl noodles
  • The beef was a very good texture, not too hard; I hate it when beef is too hard that it annoys your teeth to bite into, but this texture was perfect
  • The noodles themselves were similar to udon and it was great to "suck" them into the mouth
  • Complementary hot cup of tea
  • Served boiling hot, a very refreshing lunch and I really enjoyed it
-
  • Soup was a little too salty, but otherwise still good

   


Overall: Another success inside the Crystal Mall food court, I imagine this Beef Noodle would be even better in the cold winter of Vancouver because it'd warm you in seconds and the feeling will be so good. I will be back at the food court for more food :).


Favor Eat World - Taiwanese Specialty (Crystal Mall) on Urbanspoon

Xu's Wonton House


Wanted to grab a delicious but small snack in Crystal Mall because I was hungry and dinner would be soon anyways, so I just needed something quick and easy to fill my hungry stomach.Wandered around the food court for a few rounds before finally deciding to try the famous Xiao Long Bao at Xu's Wonton House. It was my first time getting this dish at a food court place so I was excited to compare it to the restaurant XLBs. 

Bayulan Steamed Mini Pork Buns (5) $4     4/5

+
  • Very meat juicy inside
  • Sizzling hot, I even burned my tongue while eating it because I was in a rush
  • I saw that they freshly prepared the buns and meat with their hands at the front counter as the orders were taken
  • Pork was chewy, not too soft or hard
  • Pork was not too salty, but still carried enough taste
  • Biting a little hole in the bun, then proceeding to slurp the juice is the best feeling ever
-
  • I thought the bun skin could be done a little better, it was a little too hard for my taste, I would have preferred something more soft
















Overall: These XLBs were excellent for the price (5 for $4) and they tasted very good. Especially with the juice inside the buns, just be careful of burning your mouth! Make sure when you eat it, you slurp the meat juice directly into your mouth, that feeling can not be beat.

Xu's Wonton House on Urbanspoon

Monday, July 11, 2011

Bun Me Baguette

This past weekend was the Summer Live 125 Celebration in Stanley Park for Vancouver's 125 Birthday. Multiple street vendors set up shop inside Brockton Oval to serve food to hordes of hungry people; I was one of them. I had a hard time picking which vendor to purchase from, but I saw a big lineup at Bun Me Baguette, so I decided to try this one.
















I've never had a Baguette before and I had no idea what it is, but I thought it was sort of like Subs at Subway. I personally don't get why so many people like Subway, I don't like it at all. At first, I thought Bun Me Baguette would be similar and I wouldn't like it because it looks like a sub. But boy was I surprised! 





They had two options only, either BBQ Lemongrass Chicken or Lemongrass Tofu. And they also offered three levels of spiciness for risk takers, brave people, or people who can handle spicy; however, I can not handle spicy that well, so I opted for no spicy. The vendors themselves were Vietnamese (I'm pretty sure they were) so this is definitely authentic Vietnamese Baguette. Here's which one I picked:

BBQ Lemongrass Chicken $6.00 (HST included)     5/5


+
  • BBQ chicken was amazing, it had that strong "BBQ" taste which I just absolutely love; the chicken was also quite juicy when bitten into
  • The various vegetables they used (cucumber, cilantro, carrots, daikon) were cold and refreshing, especially the big slice of cucumber
  • The bun itself was unbelievably crispy, so good...
  • The sauce they used was a perfect fit for the baguette, I do not know how to really describe the taste


Overall: I definitely want to eat this again!

Bun Me Baguette (Street Vendor)
Robson at Hornby

604-785-8441

Old Spaghetti Factory (Richmond)


Friends decided to go to Old Spaghetti Factory after a few games of bowling next door, I was pretty hungry after all that exercise. I have been to Old Spaghetti Factory before, but not in a few years. Our large group was seated quickly, and the service was attentive. I noticed they had a antique weight scale at the entrance that actually works, very interesting to have a weight scale in a restaurant haha



The newspaper-style paper menu had many many choices, and it took me a while to pick. Here's what I decided to go with. The entree also came with bread and ice cream.


Seafood Fettuccine Alfredo $13.50     4/5
A creamy creation with shrimp, scallops and mushroom sauteed with fresh spinach and egg fettuccine noodles and Alfredo sauce

+
  • Very thick Alfredo sauce and taste
  • Fresh seafood
  • Not too salty
  • Noodles were thick and texture was not too soft or hard
-
  • It just didn't taste very exceptional, I don't know how to explain, but it tasted really standard, which is why I gave it only a 4/5
  • Not enough seafood


Clam Chowder (Minestrone Soup is free, but I substituted for Clam Chowder) $2.25     4/5


+
  • Very very thick
  • Lots of fresh clams
  • Not too salty, unlike the "famous" clam chowder I had at Pike Place Market in Seattle which I thought was overrated
-
  • Could have came a little hotter




Overall: Old Spaghetti Factory delivers good food for the price. I would not mind being back. 

The Old Spaghetti Factory Richmond on Urbanspoon

Friday, July 8, 2011

Donburiya



Was looking to get some Donburi (Japanese-style rice bowl) before heading to Stanley Park for the Theatre Under The Stars show, which was quite entertaining by the way, definitely worth checking out in the summer. Today's weather was quite cool and wet for a summer day, I thought a nice bowl of hot donburi would be nice.


I found this restaurant through Urbanspoon, filtering for the restaurants that were most liked by others. Ended up choosing Donburiya. The prices were much cheaper than I expected as this is a Japanese fast-food style place; however, the seating was quite comfortable and the staff were friendly. Ordering food is like ordering at McDonalds where you place the order at the counter, however, the food is delivered to you by the staff. Self-serve free ice water is provided as well as some condiments.



 decided to try something new today, the Yakiniku:

Yakiniku (Medium) $6.50     5/5

+
  • Charred taste (did not appear black) through out the entire rice bowl; this taste was just delicious and I remembered it for several hours after the dinner because it was so tasty
  • The sauce they used was spread out through the entire rice bowl, other places I've been to usually just have all the Donburi ingredients on the top, and then tasteless rice on the bottom; however, the Yakiniku I had today was tasty throughout the whole bowl
  • The BBQ pork was prepared to just the right level, I really loved that "BBQ" taste
  • The lettuce vegetable they used combined with the salad sauce also added to the taste of the rice, sort of reminded me of the lettuce and salad combination in McDonalds' burgers
  • The rice did not stick together or had too much sauce on it, so the rice was not overly softened and retained much of the BBQ taste from the pork = Yummy!




Overall: Most delicious Japanese Donburi I've ever had, and at an affordable price too. I'll be back.

Donburiya on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Benkei Ramen



It was such a hot day today! After going for a walk in Stanley Park, I was hungry for some lunch. Since I had a stamp card from Benkei Ramen, I decided to have lunch there. I noticed that they opened the sliding door/window thing; this was great for bring the summer into the restaurant! Finally summer is here! 


I thought I was going to get a bowl of ramen as usual, but when I got the menu, I noticed they had Beef Curry with Rice and that it was a *NEW* item, so I decided to try it. Maybe not such a good idea seeing as the name of the restaurant was Benkei RAMEN, but oh well, let's see how it was:

Beef Curry $7.75    3/5

+
  • Beef (I think it was Beef brisket) was delicious, there was just a little layer of fat, which was perfect as it wasn't too fatty or "old"
-
  • A little too much sauce in relation to the amount of rice
  • Besides the beef, it tasted pretty bland to me
  • More of the delicious beef would be great

Spicy sauce



Overall: I like their ramen better!

Benkei Ramen (Robson) on Urbanspoon

Monday, July 4, 2011

Luda















I was super tired from Canada Day celebrations the previous day, so I really wanted to head out for dinner. I was having a hard time picking between this restaurant and another restaurant (Gingeri in Richmond), but Gingeri was full for dinner so we went to Luda. By the time we got here, I was already really hungry and I looked forward to trying their Oyster Omelette, a Chinese dish of Chiuchow origin. Chiuchow food is rare in Vancouver, so I am excited every time I get to try the Oyster Omelette.

If you have never been here before, you might not expect much in terms of cleanliness and/or food quality from a place on East Hastings. When you walk inside, you'll be surprised by the coziness of the restaurant; and the prices are in line with restaurants that appear higher-end. This definitely is not a hole-in-the-wall place serving Canadian Chinese food.

Here's what we ate:

Salted Fish Fried Meat (Pork) Pie $14.98     5/5

+
  • The "bouncy" feel felt by your mouth when you bite into the meat was present here
  • Contrary to steam, the method of preparation used at most Chinese restaurants for this dish, Luda takes it up a level and fries the Pie, I believe this gave a better feeling in the mouth and a feeling of more "fire"
  • The salted fish was distributed in little pieces, there weren't too many, so the Pie was not excessively salty
  • Goes very well with a bowl of rice

















Oyster Omelette $16.80     5/5

+
  • One of my favourite dishes of all time, Luda does a great job with it
  • Traditionally, oyster omelette would be prepared using small oysters, however, small oysters are more abundant in China and not so here on the West Coast, so what most chefs do is cut big oysters into small pieces; personally, I do not have that big a preference regarding this because it still tastes good since the oyster was fresh
  • The omelette was not too thick or thin, just the right amount of starch was used to give the egg a thicker consistency
  • Not too oily
  • The onions sprinkled through out the omelette augmented the taste and texture of the omelette greatly, because the onions added more crunchyness to the omelette
  • Fried just to the right level, not over fried, and fried just to the right level in that the egg is still crunchy
  • Lots of oysters 



Spicy sauce and another sauce (I did not really like the taste)
椒C Fermented Bean Curd Spinach $14.98     4.5/5

+
  • Good texture (crunchy)
  • Usually I do not like spinach, however, when it is prepared with this method, I love it because the taste is excellent for going along with a bowl of rice
  • Fresh







Overall: All the dishes were served steaming hot. It was quite a nice dinner with comfortable seats. I can tell that the chef has put a lot of effort into preparing the dishes. I'll be back.

Luda 老大南國風味 on Urbanspoon