nondual1

I am delighted to report that Moderne Burger has re-opened from the fire since last Wednesday, June 29, 2005. The lamb and steak burgers are as good as ever, not to mention the fries and shakes. I forgot to ask them about the expansion though. Time to get a fill-up on those burgers! There is a note on Dan's door saying they will be back "with a new look." Judging from the near-complete gutting out of the interior, it's looking like quite a bit of work in the works.

Having mentioned VIP briefly in eG just a couple of weeks ago, I might as well go into a bit more details, now that it's been "outed" by the food-writers -- well, actually, it seems it had been written up before already, but whatever... Most of the on-menu items are in fact Vietnamese and choy-suey style Chinese. So, as Paul said, to get the "great stuff," you have to stay away from those. What VIP offers is not just run-of-the-mill Chinese, but a fairly specialized regional cuisine of the Chiu-Chow area. Chiu-Chow, despite its being a part of Guangdong (AKA Canton Province), is vastly different from the rest of Guangdong in terms of its food. Let me highlight a few to get you started; the chef/owner is quite fluent in English and can take care of you if you show interest. Some of these might have made it into the GStraight article, but I wouldn't know, since I don't read it anymore: 1. Soy-marinated items: Well, actually, they are somewhat a cross between braised and poached, using a soy-based liquid that contains secret spices. Foremost is the duck, which you can from a quarter to a whole. This is a must-try, for you will not find more tender and more flavourful duck anywhere. Period. Please consider rounding it out with tofu, eggs, and octopus; or if you are a little more adventurous, pig's ear. 2. The oyster omlette is perhaps the best I've had. It's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with oysters that seemingly melt in your mouth. 3. Gai lan stir-fried with anchovies. If you like gai lan with oyster sauce, then this is ten times better. Somehow the flavour of the sea that the anchovies give out just frames the freshness of the gai lan perfectly. 4. The octopus balls, either in soup-noodle, or as a soup by itself. The texture is awesome and the soup is so soothing for a summer day. 5. Chilled whole crab. This is, needless to say, seasonal. But when it is available, you must have this; once you have had it, you will never go back to Joe Fortes, Bluewater, or one of those seafood restaurants to have crab. Who can even fathom a whole crab simply steamed and chilled can be so sweet and rich? 6. Conch: grilled or poached. We've all had conch, the rubbery thingy, right? Not here -- the chef uses his excellent knife-skill to slice the conch really thin. This is one of the sweetest and most tender conch you can have. The off-menu is really not that extensive, as the chef serves only what he's best at and he is doing everything by himself. Besides the above, do try the pomfrey pan-fried and then simmered, the fried oyster, and, if you are in the mood to splurge a little, shark's fin soup, Chiu-Chow style. A couple of sweet dishes are also available, but I don't think we're gonna have room for them... Authentic Chiu-chow cuisine is very very hard to come by in this part of the world, so please try it while you could.

Sorry, but as far as I can tell, the only one in Vancouver -- Ma's Kitchen on Main and about 20th -- has closed since a couple of months ago. May I recommend a close (-enough) replacement called Kedah? It's Malaysian and very much halal/muslim. One of the best and authentic Malaysian restaurants in town. And the prices are *INCREDIBLE*! 5750 Fraser Street: 604 325-9771

Geez, there goes any hope of getting a table at Shanghai Wind for the rest of us...! It's as difficult as it is! So, no way am I going to let it out that they are closed on Tuesdays and their number is (604) 276-1780. I take so much joy at seeing one hopeful party after another being turned away while I nibble away at my pan-fried little buns (no, not *my* little buns... ). Who told them to not call ahead (at least 1 hour prior) for a table!!!

"Target stores will begin selling Vienna's Chicago-style hot dog--complete with a steamed bun, mustard, relish, onion, tomato wedges, a kosher pickle spear, peppers and a dash of celery salt. " Yes... yes... YES!!!!! Hit me with that, please!!!!!

Yup, I second that! Hmm, will astro turf do -- as in miniature golf course, covered ballpark, and my patio (with a Weber and beer-cooler)? I second that as well -- and add further that it's also an opportunity to test how many bad dogs I can stuff myself with. Kinda a dry-run for the annual hotdog eating contest. By the way, anyone know where I can get a decent Chicago Dog (no, Kaplan's doesn't quite cut it)?

Also at Shanghai Wind, available usually by advance order (a day or so), beggar's chicken. A dressed whole chicken stuffed with all sorts of goodies and then wrapped in lotus leaves. The whole thing is then encased with wet clay (or, perhaps it's just a flour dough, since the right type of clay is hard to find here) and baked. The bird is cooked in its individual clay pot! Think lu'au, only with chicken. Extremely tender, aromatic and flavourful -- you get a sniff of the fragrance three tables away as soon as it is broken open and dug into. Not that many restaurants in town are willing to take the time and effort to prepare this dish -- order it while you can! (Photos simulation only -- exact product at Shanghai Wind may vary). On to Shanghai Wind we go!

Hi there, Lee! Since you like sashimi bibimbap so much and you (and your Korean-looking brother ) do make a trek out to Coquitlam, have you tried the sashimi bibimbap at the deli attached to Hannam Supermarket (south-west corner of North Road and Lougheed)? It's food-court-like, but, for a really good price, you get very good sashimi bibimbap. Very nice inter-play of texture and temperature between the rice, finely-chopped lettuce and sashimi (including ika, sake, tai and shiro-maguro), helped along by the pungent raw garlic, pepper and sesame leaves. And of course you may splatter as much of the hot sauce on it as you like. Everytime I find myself in that part of town, I drop by for a fill-up. And Doegalbi (sp?) on top of Hannam serves one of the best Korean Jajangmien (noodles in black-bean sauce) and Nyengmeng (cold buckwheat noodles) around town, according to many Koreans. Talking about Korean BBQ, Arirang on Cambie has changed ownership in recent months and the new taste seems to me to have improved much from the previous ownership. All-you-can-eat BBQ at dinner is $17 ($18 on weekends). You really can't beat that price. I am always amazed at people choosing Shanbusen and its Chinese-influenced-Korean-BBQ over the real thing -- Arirang is so much better. I especially recommend the (unmarinated) pork belly, which is surprisingly good and a refreshing departure from the usual sweeter, marinaded taste. Hope to bump into one of you over one of these places some time.

I too look forward to Dan's re-opening; it must be tough for a young couple like them to go through a mis-fortune like this. Hunan places -- well, folks, I am afraid we are now down to 2... 1. The first one is at the foot of Main Street, where it crosses Marine Drive (8166 Main Street, Vancouver: 604-323-8093). I have eaten there a couple of times, with very good impression. The last time I ate there I drove home drenched in sweat and in a chili-induced daze -- do they give out DUI tickets for that, one wonders? They have a way of pickling the chili to make them almost white, and very fiery hot. "Chicken with white chili" is good, as well as the "fish head with chopped chili." 2. There is one on No. 3 Road (and Cambie, on the south-east corner, #150 - 4160 No. 3 Road). It 's relatively new and I have not eaten there. 3. There is -- and perhaps used to be -- one on Kingsway called Crystal Hunan, directly across the street from Metrotown. I drove by last week and, I might just have driven too fast or something, I didn't catch it. It would be quite a shame if it's no longer around, for native Hunanese like the food there. In case one of you want to give it a try -- 4539 Kingsway, Burnaby: 604-437-0828. Try their braised pork, Mao style. If you are not familiar with Hunanese food, it is usually very fiery-hot, and not the "slow-heat" hot, but very direct and punchy. Sichuan is quite cerebral and subtle, with many layers of flavour; Hunan is more rustic and in your face, with a simpler flavour profile. Not surprising at that -- Sichuan is home to Taoism and many poets and artists; Hunan's favorite son is one Chairman Mao, not to mention the site of many battles throughout history. Try them out; you just might like Hunanese food. But then, having found Golden Szechuan, you mean you still have quota left for other Chinese food?

The two of us went to try the new place out, and, without reading Dillybravo's comments above, came to the same conclusion. Granted, we last visited Disney many many many years ago, so Eisner's might have done something to cause the churros there to go down-hill fast, but, really, I would be quite disappointed if Churrolicious' churros are as good as they can get. They leave a lot of room for improvements: quite flavourless, both inside and outside; although crunchy (and, yes, a little chewy) on the outside, the inside is not fluffy, but soggy like they are not cooked through -- a combination of attributes to cause one to wonder if they should have lowered the oil temperature just a tad; there is the conspicous absence of aroma, even with the help of the cinnamon sugar, to lure one to take another bite; there is even a faint trace of baking soda. There has got to be better churros, right? Perhaps we made the mistake of not ordering the huge, filled ones, but then, if the churros are in need of a rescue from the fillings and cannot quite stand up on their own, they cannot be all that good, no? To be fair, I will visit again; and if they succeed in wowing me this time, I will gladly come back and edit/retract my comments. But, seriously, I think you guys are hyping it too much to set customers like me up for disappointment -- but I don't want to stray over into the other on-going thread.

Finally did. Had the following (description here: Choilaa (with chicken) Lhasa Momo (vegetarian) Raaio Daal jhaaneko Kukhurako maasu The two of us washed them down with Nepali tea and mango yogurt drink. Having been to Nepal once, I must say what the cafe offers is better than what the trip offered many times over. The cafe is very nicely-appointed, with a certain calming effect -- due no doubt to its extremely high ceiling, the choice of colour, and perhpas that picture with the Karmapa and Dalai Lama -- so the first impression was very nice. I was expecting real Tibetan food (more on that below) until I was handed the menu: the only thing that sounded remotely Tibetan was the momo, all else more Indo-Nepali instead. Since I like Indian food no less, not to worry. When the food arrived, it was quite a surprise -- not Indian at all! They were much more refreshing and less spicy than Indian; definitely a very Nepali take on them. Instead of a lot of dry spcies, the flavour was achieved through fresh herbs and vegetables; rather than very heavy sauces, they were light and delicate. One might even say there was a slight resemblance to Thai or Cambodian dishes. The citrusy and cilantro-flavoured Chicken Choilaa was a really nice appetizer that got the juice flowing. The Momo, though not bad in and of itself, was *not* how the Tibetans would have done it: it was confirmed by the owner/server that, instead of taking the time to roll out the dough the Tibetan way, store-bought Chinese dumpling wrapper was used. It just didn't have the texture of real Tibetan Momo. The Raaio, although a little bland, was quite an eye-opener, with a nice contrast of ingredients. The Dal was very nicely done: smooth and with just enough spiciness to bring out the natural flavour of lentils. Sometimes Indian Dal can be a little over-cooked or something, making it too heavy and numbing; this was light and refreshing. Perhaps the best was the curry (Kukhurako maasu). It was unlike any curry from either Thai or Indian that I had had before. The chicken was falling-apart smooth and the curry temptingly spicy (not spicy as in hot, but as in weaved together by many spices). The dishes went very well with the basmati rice. The tea and the yogurt drink were both forgetable -- we should have gone with the alcoholic drinks instead. All in all, a pretty nice dinner, although I cannot ascertain whether it was authentic Nepali or not. Tibetan, however, it definitely wasn't. And, now that I have dined at Cafe Kathmandu and the now-defunct ZHZ Tibetan (on Broadway), I feel that I can say a few things about Tibetan food in Vancouver. Well, there ain't none... at least not that I know of. ZHZ was owned and run by a Tibetan from Amdo (Qinghai), who had spent most of his adult life in Beijing, going to art school. Although he managed to offer a few authentic home-cooked dishes (said assessment was made by the Tibetans I went with), most of the items on the menu were not Tibetan. The fatal flaw that caused its quick demise was his refusal (or inability?) to serve Momo and butter-tea, the two items that most non-Tibetans associate with Tibetan food. His excuse for the former was a lack of time, since he was the only one in the kitchen, and the latter, the absence of the proper kind of tea. Well, he might have been a really good artist, but he definitely didn't know how to run a business. I have had Tibetan food at commercial establishments, ones that are better than ZHZ, as well as Tibetan homes -- I even attended a Tibetan wedding banquet. I have cooked for Tibetans as well. Inasmuch as I do like some of the Tibetan dishes (e.g., Momos, boiled mutton, Shamdey and so on), it really does not amount to much of a "cuisine." It has been quite monotonous until recent years, when imports from and interactions with the Han Chinese greatly expand the horizon. Traditionally, the common Tibetan diet was not a whole lot more than tsampa and tea, with the occasional treat of meat and soup. Momo was festive food and thukpa (noodle) was somewhat of a show of status. Not all Tibetans drank butter-tea, it being more a taste of the city gentries, especially in the Lhasa area; nomads from, for example, Kham (or Eastern Tibet) and most peasants just drank milk tea. Butter often was reserved for use as fuel, especially for the lights on the shrine. Many, although by no means all, of the Tibetan dishes bear a strong resemblance to certain Indian and Chinese dishes, which, incidentally, are much more delicious than their Tibetan counterparts. For example, goubuli baozhi or xiaolong bao, depending on the local variation, is more refined and tasty than most Momos; curries from India, or even Nepal, are more complex and delicious than Shamdey. Few dishes are uniquely Tibetan, except for perhaps yak products and tsampa. Others might differ, but I cannot say I take a great liking to dried yak-cheese, and the taste I have developed for tsampa is more out of cultural curiosity than gastronomical appreciation. Many Tibetans I know have similar feelings: when given a choice, they really wouldn't mind being served non-Tibetan dishes, leaving the Tibetan food for the time when they feel home-sick. And, of course, there are many who are born outside of Tibet ("Bo") and really have not that predicament to worry about. Perhaps knowing that it is not offering authentic Tibetan food, Cafe Kathmandu seems to have stopped promoting itself as so, opting instead for the label "Himalayan." Be that as it may, but I wonder what the deal is with the poorly-crafted tangkhas it's hanging on its wall and the "buddha-eye" it has painted on its wall.

I seem to remember my mom *dry* stir-frying (i.e., no oil, no water) black beans (not the pickled one, but the dry, usually "soak-before-use" type) on low to medium heat until it smokes as a way to season new wok. Uncle Ben: Is that a "Hoisanese" method you would recognize? I'm not really sure about the chemistry behind it. As well, fresh chives are involved if it is a brand new wok, so as to get rid of the ferric odor that it usually has. If smoking and a lack of good exhaust are a concern, try to use lard in the place of oil per Ben's method. Or dump a pound of bacon in there -- sure, it'll smoke, but at least it's really aromatic smoke!

Ah, not to worry! You have gotten one of the most versatile vegetables there is! But, first let me make sure you have the right vegetable: bok choy has dark green leaves and white stems; whereas qing-jiang-cai has green leaves and green stems. The leaves of the latter are rounder than the former, and the stems more bulbous as well. But even when we are not sure, the two vegetables are so similar that, in most cases, recipes are the same for either. But, let's assume you have qing-jiang-cai. Perhaps the best use of the qjc is as accompaniment for braised abalone. The abalone coats the qjc leaves, making it the perfect receptacle to finish off every drop of the precious sauce; at the same time, it is a refreshing contrast to the rich and robust abalone. Not cooking abalone... all right, but I just thought I should get that out of the way first, that's all. The easiest way to use qjc is stir-fry it plainly. Smash a couple of cloves of garlic and ginger slices. Wash the qjc carefully and split it lengthwise once, or, if the plant is sizable, perhaps another time to quarter it. The point is to have them all split into uniform size so they cook through evenly. Heat your wok or sauce pan, adding a little bit of oil. With a low heat, sweat the ginger to release its flavour. When the ginger is almost brown, dump in the garlic and a little bit of salt, stirring all that around but taking care not to burn the garlic. Turn up the heat and put in all the qjc. Stir them around immediately so they don't burn. As soon as steam seems to be coming up from the liquid being released by the vegetables, stop stirring and cover for up to 5 minutes. Then test the vegetables for doneness and taste; cook it a little more or add more salt as needed. Serve. To make it a little more complex, there are two variations to the stir-fry method. The first is to use Chinese pickled cabbage, which ususally comes in a can, in the place of garlic. For every pound of fresh qjc, use about one-and-a-half tablespoon of pickled cabbage. Lightly wash the pickled cabbage to remove excess salt and chop it into smallest bits, if desired. Then, after the ginger and before the gjc, throw in the pickled cabbage. After sauteing for a minute or two in medium heat, add a little sugar and, if desired, cooking wine. Then finish the dish as before with the qjc. The pickled cabbage provides a good contrast to the qjc in size, texture and flavour. Another way is to use shitake and Chinese ham (or other ham if unavailable). Julienne the re-hydrated shitake and the ham. Sautee them first, adding cooking wine, soy sauce and white pepper to taste, in a medium heat, taking care not to burn them. Then, again, finish the dish as above with the split and washed qjc. If you are familar with zosui (rice porridge), qjc, along with cilantro and shitake, are perfect to be put in. Just chop them all up into small pieces and put them into the broth (of bonito and so on). When they are cooked through (i.e., the shitake is soft and the qjc shrunk), put the cooked rice in and finish the porridge. Shanghainese use qjc to make "vegetable-rice." I think I have seen it done in sort of a cold-pickle/salad too. If any other uses come to mind, I will add them. Have fun and enjoy!

Man, I almost fell off my chair... ... Having been seated for dinner this evevning at Shanghai Wind on No. 3 Road of Richmond, I looked up from the menu and saw the chef owner of the former Shanghai Yan Yun making xiaolong bao behind the counter!! We exchanged smiles and nods; he and the whole restaurant was so busy we didn't have the chance to chat. But I guess the suicide watches on account of the sudden closing of Shanghai Yan Yun can stand down now...!

Urgh... and you didn't save some for me...? I am so glad you like the food. And you took some amazingly appetizing pictures! You are gooood! Golden Sichuan has the best dan dan noodle in town, its only room for improvement is to use fried soy bean instead of the peanuts that it is using. This and the Zhong's Dumpling are the two that I order everytime I'm there. The same two served up at the Szechwan Restaurant on Saba Road, for example, are far inferior. On the other hand, Szechwan Restaurant's "boiled beef/pork" or "shui zhu rou" is better than Golden Sichuan's. Both of them, however, best other so-called Sichuan restaurants in the "slow-heat" department: not so hot that scares one away, only just enough to seduce one to take yet another bite to prolong that tingling feeling, and, before long, one's sweat glands are driven into high-gear until one is immersed in an esctatic serenity of spice paradise. And then one lets out that moaning... Very different from, say, Hunan (for which, incidentally, Vancouver is blessed with 3 very "authentic" restaurants) and the Southeast Asian heat. Honestly, you have only scratched the surface of the very good Sichuan food at Golden Sichuan. Try some of their non-spicy dishes, like shrimp with guo-ba (rice-crispies) and "twice-cooked pork," next time; and if you like to down a couple of beers, peppercorn chicken, which is almost the only "authentically" done version here in town. Please also give some of the cold side dishes a try if you have room. I think someone should organize one of these egullet events (to which, incidentally, how come I have never received an invite, huh?) at Golden Sichuan, which has a private room tucked away perfect for it.

That's right...! Yes! But then, doesn't the liberal use of lard (not the frozen re-constituted type sold in supermarkets, but the "real" thing) make up for that? Guess what supposedly make your "crystal-steamed sweet glutinous balls, Chiu Chow style" taste so good?? Of course, nowadays, nobody even uses lard anymore...! VIP's Kitchen (1487 Marine Drive, West Vancouver. 604-925-1811), although non-descript in decor, comes very close to being authentic Chiu-Chow, the only constraint being the availability of authentic ingredients. The menu is pretty small, since the chef wants to offer only those that he makes really well, but include many of the popular dishes one finds in a Chiu-Chow restaurant. In terms of skills, the chef is at par with any Chiu-Chow chefs in Hongkong or Chiu-Chow. Make sure you call ahead of time to make a reservation, since there are only 4 or 5 tables, and request dishes that require preparation (such as cold crab, fish-rice, shark's fin soup and so on). No, unfortunately he has no time to make crystal-rice-ball, although he could make taro-paste ("yu ni") and even "clear-heart pills" or "qing xing yuan" if you really really really beg. Enjoy!

Exactly! I did but I did! Little fleur de sel from Brittany that I got from the Gourmet Warehouse... I am saving those precious Sichuan peppercorns, they having come to me straight from Chengdu, though -- do you know they actually faintly resemble lavender in fragrance?

Why, that's only because they are in English; try them in French or Italian and they would be just delicious! "Tiramisu" is much more appetizing than "pick me up," isn't it? And "crepe suzette" is less "science-experiment-sounding" than "pan-cake drenched in a sauce of orange and orange liqueur, after being processed through an open-flame of lit-liquor," no? I think we miss out a lot if we approach a cuisine or a dish with preconceptions, either of language or of cultural habit. A case in point is using meat in dessert. Yucky, right? Well, only until you've tried the famous "little chicken biscuit" of Hongkong (which, despite its name, is made with pork instead of chicken), "jia sa rou (steamed pork belly layered with lotus seed paste)" of Sichuan, and "bing tang dun hua jiao (rehydrated fish-bubble in a crystal-sugar soup). They all sounded terrible, but look and taste like heaven on earth. It was not my intention to start any war over authenticity or dissuade anyone from going to the new Sichuan place. Remember I said I would go back myself? Be sure to give me a hug if we bump into each other there, all right? Authenticity is of course an issue of degree and POV. The hard truth is that, for many cuisines, we non-natives, despite our pine for the authentic, usually have a hard time appreciating the real deal. (Can't quite find it now, but there is a parallel thread on transplanting Italian and Greek food here, which has some similar points, especially that of "a slice of parma ham on bread"). So, from the POV of taste, 100% authenticity, which usually is only available in the place of origin (for Sichuan, it's typically Chengdu and Qongqing) because of terroir, availability of ingredients and so on, may not be preferred by everyone. But when it's down to only 20 or 30%, take for example the Chinatown-chopsuey-Chinese-cuisine, then hardly anyone could say it's real Chinese food, right? To sum it up, like I said in my original post, Sichuan natives may not like the taste of this new Sichuan restaurant, but it might be quite acceptable for non-natives. Which is not a bad thing: it all depends on what you are after. As for "HK Style Western food," it is a particular, and some might say peculiar, collection of food (which is not robust enough to be called a "cuisine" yet) that has grown out of a particular place and of a particular time. Hongkong folks, especially those who have grown up in a certain era, like it mainly to cure their home-sickness for a place lost to the passage of time; for all others, it is an acquired taste. Liking it is the exception, rather than the rule.

As I scrolled back to read the old posts on this thread, I found this: How things changed...! I would quite safely say that non-HK-style Chinese food, including Shanghai, Sichuan and Hunan, have since gone neck-to-neck with HK-style Chinese food. This is in tandem with the shift in the origins of immigrants. Some non-HK-style Chinese food is almost as good as "back home" in quality and definitely ahead in terms of the concentration of variety. Good HK-style and Cantonese places abound still: the Harbour that Lee mentioned, Hoi Tong on the other side of No. 3 Road, Mandarin (or whatever the name is for the one in Radisson Richmond), the various Kirin's, and so on. As for Chinese desserts: Whereas I would concede that desserts are not Chinese cuisine's forte -- open any Chinese cook-book and it is self-evident -- and that French, Viennese, Italian and so on do have the upper-hand, it's not THAT miserable. The many sweet-soups are often the perfect way to wrap up a heavy, can't-take-another-bite meal; "double-skinned milk" is a wonder worth beholding on its own; sweet dumplings with sesame filling is love trans-substantiated; "ba xi" or "pulling silk" banana or apple is any child's favorite; tapioca pudding (with lotus-seed paste) is so heart-warming in the winter; lotus-seed buns; sesame rolls; thousand-layer cake ("Qian Chen Gao"); "gao li dou sa"; pan-cake with date-paste filling... ... and my favorites from Chiu Chow: "Lu Dou Qing Xing Yuan" paired with "Wu Ni Shui Jing Bao"! Keith, perhaps the jury has not heard all the evidence yet??

I have spoken to my Richmond contacts who tell me that KT, you have good taste. My contacts were just speaking of it today and said that the restaurant is very good and quite authentic. What 'authentic' means is that the food is very spicy. In fact it is "numbingly hot" - the kind where your lips get swollen and turn a dark shade of black. ← Been there. I like some of the dishes but find the whole experience a little too contrived -- faux antiques (reportedly the owners spent $600K on the decor, quite a sum for a Chinese restaurant) that aren't comfortable to sit on; tea brewed with "mineral water" that, unfortunately, is not hot enough to bring out the flavour; too many flashy dishes that, again unfortunately, are not done all that well, but merely offered for show; hoakily-dressed servers (Are those guys servers or kung-fu fighters, anyway? ) who have yet to learn how to serve. In other words, you go there to "eat the house" instead of the food. I suppose some people do like to do that, just not me. And definitely not at these prices. Some native Sichuan folks reported that, having eaten there, the food is not really as authentic as they'd like. Non-Sichuan natives, on the other hand, might appreciate the adapted taste it offers. It's more worthwhile to go for lunch, as it has two options for sets of "xiao chi" or "little dishes," which are Chengdu-style dim sum. That way, you get to try a lot of different flavours without having to pay $688. I would particularly recommend its "shui zhu rou pian" or "pork slices cooked in water," which, despite its name, is quite spicy yet refreshing. It has a variation done with fish as well. Some of the spciy chicken dishes are fine too. See, the thing is, Sichuan cuisine has more than just spicy dishes ("ma la"), yet this place clearly has not mastered the "bai wei" or "plain-tasting" aspect of the cuisine. I would most likely check the place out from time to time, but personally I think Golden Szechuan on Broadway and Burrard offers much better food and service at more reasonable prices. More sincere and authentic too. And if anyone is really really really into hot and spicy, try the Sichuan-hotpot (or "Fondue Chinoise") at Mountain-City Hotpot on Alexandra Road. Be warned: Brace yourself for the morning after... if you know what I mean!

Oooops! But of course...! All right, scratch Takumi. In its place, I would recommend either one of these for Japanese: 1) Chiyoda on Alberni, between Burrard and Thurlow. Having been on the scene for a long time, Chiyoda is an old favorite for Japanese themselves. It has been given a face-lift in recent years and continues to serve authentic Japanese delicacies and very fresh sashimi. 2) Yoshi on Denman and Georgia is a little more upscale, but is one of the few that offer kaiseki-style dining. Something to be experienced. Both of these are within 15 minutes walking from Harbourside Hotel. As well, for Chinese seafood, Imperial Chinese Seafood is literally steps away. Not necessarily the best Chinese restaurant in town, but is pretty safe and comfortable bet for non-Chinese.

One of the best sushi restaurants in the Vancouver area, Takumi, is just minutes away from SFU. Located in a sizable strip mall off one of Burnaby's main thoroughfares, it is bright and clean, with very fresh seafood. Sit at the sushi-bar and let the two chefs serve you. Chit-chat with them if you like; sit back and relax is perfectly fine as well. Quite reasonably priced for the level of food. Closer to your hotel, Cardero's is a pleasant 15-minute walk along the sea-wall toward the west. It is a bustling place with a fantastic view. Sit out on the patio and appreciate the sunset for more peace and quietude. The new and famous Lift is also located nearby. I have not been there, however. If you don't mind going into the Robson area, which is also just 15 minutes away, then Saveur on Thurlow should offer you the ultimate peace and serenity, not to mention some fantastically authentic French cuisine, including many intricately-prepared seafood dishes. You should be able to find lots of other restaurants along Robson, but most of them are quite loud and crowded. Let us know if you need any more help! Enjoy the stay!

Using gelatin might be considered a cop-out: the "authentic" method is to cook pork-skin (sans gras) down to get the aspic-like material. Very time-consuming. Gelatin, which I believe is obtained from cow bone, is probably an acceptable nonetheless.

Why, you guessed right -- it is (or, used to be) left-over rice in a sense. Chinese used to cook rice with a clay-pot and when you do, a slightly-browned, very fragrant and crunchy layer of rice is left at the bottom of the rice-pot. "Guo Ba (锅巴)," or literally "that which sticks to the pot,' is then scooped out and dried further for later used. Nowadays, GB is more likely made from regular cooked-rice by frying or roasting. When it comes time to finish a GB dish, the dried GB is deep-fried and then the steamy-hot sauce or other ingredients are poured over it. And you get lots of crackling and sizzling sound, as well as one wonderful dish of GB. Kind of like rice crispies, come to think about it... T&T has packaged GB from time to time, in case you want to try this at home. And Golden Szechuan on West Broadway (and Burrad) has one of the best GBs with shrimp and vegetables in Vancouver. And a few words about Xiaolong Bao: Din Tai Fung serves perhaps one of the best modern-day XLB, although one might run into some even more exhilarating rendition of it in small shops in Shanghai. I have had the DTF version and, let me tell you, none of the ones in Vancouver really comes close. Nevertheless, the ones at Northern China Delicacy (Aberdeen Centre) are very good; unfortunately, a few other things there are far from ideal, making it difficult for me to return. But Shanghai Wind, also with very good XLB, is definitely worth going back to again and again. Shanghai River is so inconsistent that I don't find it risk-worthy, especially at the prices they are charging. There are just better and more consistent alternatives around. Bai Yu Lan (8111 Leslie Road) also has a killer XLB, although it is kind of tucked away and not always easy to find. Incidentally and not without much regret, the Shanghai dim sum place (Yan Yun) on Main Street in Vancouver has changed hands, now becoming a Shandong noodle place... ... makes me want to drown my sorrow by binging on XLB!!!

Los Gatos is just a skip, slide and hop away from Palo Alto to the south, about 30 to 40 minutes driving off-peak. But Palo Alto proper has its share of good dining establishments as well. Dianh's Garden is a bit run-down; stay there if you must, but, you might do better staying at the Garden Court, which is attached to Il Fornaio, a very good Italian restaurant. Although now part of a chain, the PA location is one of, if not the, original ones. Two birds with one stone, why not? Another hotel that you might want to consider -- Palo Alto, frankly, is not that rich in that department, I am afraid -- is the Westin. Although it has a good restaurant (Soleil) as well, I am just wary of "hotel food." It's just me... If you like (or, "don't mind") big-name places, then do try Spago. No further introduction is needed for it, I surmise. The old favorite formal, sit-down, get pampered restaurant is Maddalena's. Be sure to make a reseveration ahead of time! And if need more ideas and phone numbers, try these sites: http://www.paloaltoonline.com/restaurants/ http://www.cyberstars.com/city/palo-alto.ca.us/restaurants/ In case you have time for less formal dining or lunch, please try the Andale's (Cal-Mex) on University and Joanie's (diner, with French influence) on California. Although I have not been there myself, many good press about Tamarine (upscale Vietnamese) on University. Enjoy your trip and do report back with your experience!