chocomoo

I went to Maurya for the first time a few weeks & liked it, but I know next to nothing about Indian food so I guess it's not saying much. The service also seemed a bit off - it seemed as though the young servers were more used to serving at, say, Milestone's or Earl's. The manager (? the Indian guy who greeted us at the door and served us our food), however, was wonderful. I too, would suggest Rangoli. I haven't been there yet, but it's definitely on my "to try" list. I sent my friend to Vij's with a visitor from Missouri, and they loved it.

I was at Tinseltown a couple of weeks ago (I think?) to see Brick, and I swear I saw your scooter! I even remember looking at it & thinking, "How cute!" It made me pine for Greece. I like Osaka (previously known as Yaohan) better than T&T. Although Osaka & T&T are now owned by the same people, Osaka just seems cleaner to me. Plus they seem to have more Japanese snacks (my favourite aisle!! ) Warning: stay away from the prepared foods at the Chinatown location of T&T (it apparently is the dirtiest location out of the 4 (?) we have here in the Lower Mainland). The prepared foods at Osaka are quite good though - nice selection of Northern & Southern Chinese hot & cold dishes.

I went with a friend (last year?) & we tried 2 or 3 things (I only remember 2): scallops with poached apples in some kjind of creamy yellow sauce (surprisingly good!) and seafood paella (meh, I'm not particularly fond of paella). It was practically deserted at 7 p.m. but was quite full by 9 p.m.

Sorry, hopefully you saw my post before it got deleted! No idea what happened... Let's try this again: Golden Ocean is not bad - not particularly inspired dishes, but dependable. It's really busy during lunchtime. Stand-outs include fry cart items (especially the taro "cake", which is nicely spiced & has a nice crisp on the outside, and the fish "cake" ("yue bang"), which comes with a sweetened red vinegar for dipping), and porcupine buns (deep-fried custard-filled (SE Asian custard?) buns shaped like cute little porcupines). For a large selection of dim sum dishes, mvpbonds, check out Gala Seafood in Richmond. Cheap dim sum, but not the best quality.

You don't like crunchy yam fries? I do...I guess it's a matter of personal preference. The best yam fries are at Elements in Whistler! Thin-cut, salted, super crisp, not greasy at all. It came with some sort of aioli. ← I do like crunchy fries (in fact, they're my favourite!), but it was the YAM that was crunchy - these were about the same size as the fries in Feenie's poutine.

Dinner (2 weekends ago) - Maurya Lamb biryani - yummy! I don't normally have Indian food, so it was nice (I got the mild version, which had the perfect amount of heat). At the end of the dinner though, the waitress accidentally dropped a bowl of curry on the floor, with my friend's jacket acting as a nice little shield. There were curry spots all over her jacket (both inside & out), but luckily her jacket is tan-coloured, and the restaurant will be paying for the dry-cleaning bill. Absolutely no argument from them when we asked that they pay for the dry-cleaning. Mother's day dinner - Golden Ocean Velveted scallops with Chinese kale, spicy salt ("jiew yeem") deep-fried pork chops, "long lei" fish 2 ways (chunks of fish meat & bones deep-fried - nice & crispy), steamed chicken in broth, crispy chicken with fish sauce (it was good but not really that different from regular crispy ("ja jee") chicken), honey garlic spareribs, steamed tofu with mlk (?? it's called "king san" tofu - the result is a really silky tofu that's perfect with rice) that's topped with seafood & diced Chinese kale, and one more dish I'm forgetting. Baked tapioca pudding with red bean for dessert (not too sweet). The place was bustling as usual. Saturday dinner - Mark's (off West Broadway) My friends & I weren't very hungry, so we opted for 2 appetizers & a pizza. Sounded promising enough: yam fries with balsamic reduction, spinach & artichoke dip, & pizza topped with goat cheese, banana peppers, roasted red peppers, and prosciutto. The dip was ok, nice & cheesy, but the tortilla chips were deep-fried, so were quite oily. The yam fries, however.... kinda oily and CRUNCHY. My friend likened them to deep-fried carrot sticks. Barely discernible yam flavour too. The balsamic reduction might have saved the fries if it had been more flavourful.... Not vinegary enough & not enough of it. Finally, the pizza - when we ordered it, I was likening it to the pizza/tart I've had at Fiction, that had the prosciutto & arugula draped on it (DELICIOUS!). But the prosciutto on the pizza at Mark's was cooked.. It was ok, just not what I expected. We got the remaining 2 slices packed up, and the box arrived with a little bonus - a curious little ant. MMMMMMM, I'll take 5 of those! I understand that restaurants have insect problems now & then, but maybe they should try to keep them away from takeout containers.

I would skip Pink Pearl - there are TONS of great dim sum restaurants waiting for you in Richmond! Just take a look at the Chinese food thread for ideas. That place on W. 41st off E. Boulevard is Golden Ocean. It's really busy though, so it's best to make reservations. I was just there for dinner on Mother's Day. Highlights include the deep-fried "long lei" fish (deboned, the bones are also deep-fried), honey garlic spareribs (nice & meaty, a nice change from the usual bones or deep-fried batter), garlic pea shoots (really tender), scallops with Chinese kale ("gai lan"), and baked tapioca pudding with red bean (which needs to be preordered).

Isn't the most boisterous one Guu? On Thurlow near Robson? Guu with Garlic is further down (up?) on Robson. aaustin, if you decide to go to Guu (on Thurlow), MAKE SURE they give you a sturdy chair to sit on - the stools have been known to fall apart (the legs snap onto the seat). Basically, all izakaya places have lots of cooked food to choose from - the focus tends not to be on sushi. And, since the portions are small, you can try a bunch of different things without spending too much money! There are lots of izakaya places in Vancouver (and Richmond). The Guu's, Hapa Izakaya (on Robson), Chopstick Cafe (in Yaletown), Manzo (Richmond - also has a relatively large selection of grilled foods), are just some of them.

^ Yes it is an entire duck - I'm too lazy to write about it again, so here's the link to my post about Shanghai Wind's 8 treasure duck: click!. You also must try the red-bean filled cream puff things, which I wrote about in my post as well. I should try their fried radish cake (I don't like the steamed kind - I've had too many with a pasty consistency) & lion's head meatballs next time.

I haven't been in a while either, but I heard that they have recently expanded into the space next door (the seating used to be quite crowded) BUT the food hasn't been as good. Like canucklehead, I love their bbq meat (both duck & quail are good - crispy skin, juicy & flavourful meat) and shredded chicken salad. The chow fun dish is also available at their brother restaurant, Koon Lok, and it's called "mei choi zi geung ngau ho" (pickled veggies with pickled ginger, beef fried rice noodle).

I don't like Cheesecake Etc. The two times I went it was a variation of cheesecake items: plain cheesecake, chocolate cheesecake, strawberry cheesecake, parfait, possible some other things. I don't like the consistency of the cheesecake because I like my cheesecakes really rich & dense. Also, the "chocolate" and "strawberry" cheesecakes are just the normal cheesecake but with thin chocolate/strawberry sauce drizzled on it. The parfait had chunks of the cheesecake in it with something, I don't remember what. I always wondered about that little cluster of stores too - they make me think of an old gypsy lady peering into her crystal ball, or that machine Tom Hanks made his wish on in Big.

Also, the tiny ones are often called "ha mai" in Cantonese (I think it refers to the size of the shrimp ("ha" meaning shrimp, "mai" meaning uncooked rice). The really big dried shrimp (they're not circular and are flatter) are called "ha gon" in Cantonese ("gon" meaning dry/dried). These are less salty, much sweeter, meatier, shelled and more expensive. Flattened, they are about 1.5 inches in length.

Maybe it's just me, but I would hate sharing condiments with others. Like a person who licks their fingers, and then touching the jar of shared mayo... *shudder*

I also had a great time at Senhor Rooster's recently, on Friday (any eGulleters also there that night?). My friend & I arrived half an hour early for our reservations (a rare occurrence). The specials chalked on the board included: - sweet breads - caldareida (sp?) - some kind of fish - some cut of beef (I'm sorry, I was focussing on the lamb!) - rack of lamb Bread Our server brought us a basket with 2 Portugese buns, with butter. I kept waiting for them to bring out the sauces, but after it became clear that they weren't going to, I asked for them. Our great server promptly brought out 3 large squeeze bottles of the sauces: piri-piri, jalapeno, and mango ginger. My plate looked like an artist's palette with the little perfect pools of orange and green on it. As I've posted before, I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes to spicy things, so the piri-piri was not my favourite. We both loved the mango ginger - I wasn't expecting the big hit of mango! I noticed that a lot of other tables didn't get the sauces either, but as soon as we got ours, they started asking for the sauces too (I noticed that some got 4 different kinds ) Appetizers We shared the kale & potato soup, and the bbq mushrooms. I won't repeat what's already been said about the yummy mushrooms, but the soup was a nice surprise. The soup was of the consistency of a Chinese "gung" (someone else can explain this one) - clear and thick. It was a revelation because I've never had non-creamy potato soup before. Lots & lots of kale too!! Mains As I already mentioned, I went for the rack of lamb. At $35, the lamb is a really good deal (I got 7 racks! I had 3 and saved the rest to take home to my family, who loved it - even my mom, who isn't too fond of lamb). The sauce was really good - complex & intense. I got a little more sauce than I would've preferred, but that's ok! My friend opted for the pork & clams, which I didn't try. She said it tasted like chicken, but in a good way - a bit dry, but still good. The flavours reminded her of the bbq mushrooms. Desserts Another reason why I didn't finish my lamb was that I wanted to save room for dessert! We shared the blueberry flambe & creme brulee. I was hoping to witness Daniel making the flambe, but he was hidden in the kitchen I haven't had flambe before and it was really good. I don't think I've had a dessert I truly disliked. I wish he'd left out the pomegranate seeds though, because I bit into one by accident (bitter!). Mmm, buttery blueberry sauce... The creme brulee was different - it's been said before, but we were surprised that it was so watery. I almost thought it didn't set properly! I liked the taste of it, although I might not order it again (I like the kind that doesn't drip off your spoon). I think a visit with my family is in order.

I think they ran out of ideas.

Oops, I did mean Pearl Castle! Actually, their first store was in the Parker Place food court, and that one was called Elephant Castle That was the first place I ever had bubble tea with something other than tapioca "pearls" in it (it was pudding, by the way - tastes better than it sounds).

Agreed about Ellie. I love those bonito-topped fried tofu squares!! Every time I go, there isn't one table in the place without this dish. Traditional Taiwanese is exactly what you say it is: much more casual than Vogue. Dishes are less expensive, but the quality of ingredients isn't really up to Vogue's standards. I've never been impressed with their xiao long bao or wuo tei. Also, I've had slightly rancid meat there before, never at Vogue. That being said, nobody else noticed the "off" meat. I had a bento box last time & I really liked it - sides included stir-fried garlic chives & corn (with lots of garlic) and stir-fried diced firm tofu with veggies. I think you're right, those noodles are called stupid noodles. I also like the food at Elephant Castle. Mmm, grilled corn on the cob...

The venison, definitely. Both the carpaccio appetizer & the loin main are very good. Personal preference, but I liked Chambar's venison better than Feenie's venison (on special the night I went). Feenie's venison was $38, Chambar's is $28. Feenie's came with a chocolate demi-glace, while Chambar's comes with a gin & cherry compote. While the chocolate & venison was an interesting pairing, I liked the sour cherry flavour better.

Strangely, I love crunchy things! Like the browned crunchy rice at the bottom of the pot that you mention (Chinese love it too). I just hate the contrast of biting into soft things, chewing away happily and CRUNCH! I cringe too - I always want to reach out and pick it out for them! I also don't like looking at tongue - one of my phobias is looking at & touching bumpy things. *shudder* But I'll eat tongue after the stuff is peeled off. I even like it!

I hate that jarring sensation too! It's even worse with claypot steamed chicken with rice - there are always bone shards in the rice! Don't get me wrong - I love the taste of the rice, mixed with the chicken fat & sweetened soy sauce, and tender chicken, but I wish they would debone the chicken first...

I totally agree - I tried those Calbee chips recently and was expecting Lay's ketchup chips but they tasted like tomato relish chips instead. In a good way Has anybody else noticed that the tomato flavour only comes in a wavy shape? I believe the pizza flavour also comes only in a ripple shape (not wavy, ripple).

I seem to have seen these before... The mont blanc one looks like it's in fancier packaging now though. I tried the Rich Fran matcha with macadamia nuts, and liked it much better than the Pocky Mousse matcha flavour. Although the macadamia nuts didn't add much to the flavour (I would've preferred a crunchier nut like almond or hazelnut), the matcha flavour was much more pronounced. Actually, I prefer normal Pocky to Mousse Pocky, and Rich Fran to Mousse Pocky. The Fran biscuit stick is crunchier (and chocolate-flavoured, at least for the flavour I tried), and the chocolate not as soft, melty & sweet as Mousse Pocky chocolate.

^ That's weird, because I tried the 72% cacao blackcurrant (also made by Meiji, but in a fancy purple & gold trim box) and thought it was quite good! I don't remember what type of chocolate it was though. There's was also a plain 72% cacao one, that was in a green & gold trim box.

Yep, she's one lucky gal! Chambar was in addition to the dim sum she has once (or twice, sometimes even thrice) a week.

I've also been to Chambar recently, in the beginning of March. My uncle & dad really enjoyed the Bellevue Kriek from when we went for Dineout Vancouver earlier this year, so they had a couple of those throughout our meal. Even my 92-year-old grandma had one! Starters My dad was pretty excited about the complimentary birthday appetizer he got, and he chose "foie de canard Villa Lorraine", which came with a blueberry (?) granita and 2 pieces of truffled brioche French toast. The menu said that the granita was a port & white grape granita, but I think it was blueberry. Whatever it was, it was DELICIOUS! It came in a cute little bowl with a tiny spoon. My parents & auntie & uncle (hereby known as "the adults") really enjoyed the foie gras. My sister ordered the warm octopus salad, which came with an avocado puree and, unfortunately, lots of cilantro. I would've liked it better without the cilantro, but the adults liked it. My aunt ordered the venison carpaccio, and it was a surprisingly large portion. The juniper berries really added that extra something. We ordered the braised short rib appetizer as a main for my grandma, but she didn't really like it. I can't really remember too much about it other than the fact that it was quite yummy and everybody else liked it. I'm guessing my grandma didn't like it because it was dark-coloured (she can't see well because she has cataracts) and wasn't on the bone. We thought it was nicely presented and the meat very tender and flavourful. Oh well, can't win 'em all! Mains My dad, uncle, auntie and I all got the fallow venison loin. Of course, I had already decided on this weeks prior. And it didn't disappoint - the cherry flavour was a perfect match for the venison. I loved the gnocchi too - I liked it much better than the gnocchi I had at Fiction. Just a matter of taste, I suppose. The ricotta filling was light and cheesy. Mmmm... My sister had the honey-roasted duck breast, which she liked. My mom ordered the mussels coquotte, which are cooked with bacon and cream and shared them with my grandma (who liked the mussels better than her short ribs). Dessert time! My sister got the Belgian waffle with chocolate sauce, raspberry coulis & vanilla ice cream. I've had that a couple times before and wasn't particularly wowed by it, so I decided to go for something new. I don't really remember what it was (I'm sorry Ling!), but it was one of the heavier things on the menu (my favourite too!), and was something like a chocolate terrine, if I remember correctly. It's not on their online menu, so all I have is my memory to fall back on, which isn't saying a lot. I don't think there was any fruit in it - but I actually like fruit & chocolate combined. The dark chocolate-filled chambord poached pear with chocolate lavender ice cream was really tempting though. Actually, I was having a hard time choosing what I wanted, it all sounded so enticing!! All in all a very nice meal. I requested a table in the back room, so we had a nice view. My grandma didn't complain much about Chambar afterwards, so she didn't dislike it as much as I thought she did. People were staring at us when we were leaving though, probably because they didn't expect to see a little old Chinese lady there! Oh I forgot to say that we had great service! Our server reminded me of Smith from Sex & the City. Heehee... I've been a few times and haven't had bad or indifferent service once. One little thing though - we were charged a service charge of 17%, but the menu says that the service charge is for parties of 8 or more. We were a party of 7; no matter though, as we would've tipped that much or more anyway.