Chinese in Vancouver 2002 - 2006

[Ling]

BTW, the Keefer mooncakes used to be distributed to all the Chinese grocery stores, but for some reason, they're not there this year.

My parents bought a box of lotus seed ones from Pine House this year. They were OK. I like the Keefer ones better.

They also got a box of the HK Maxim "iced pastry" ones. They had coffee, strawberry, chestnut, and mango flavour. I liked the coffee one best, but they were all good. (For those who aren't familiar with this style of mooncake, the filling is more like a light ice-cream than the regular bean paste stuff.)

Pics in this post:

HK Maxim mooncakes

[canucklehead]

They also got a box of the HK Maxim "iced pastry" ones. They had coffee, strawberry, chestnut, and mango flavour. I liked the coffee one best, but they were all good. (For those who aren't familiar with this style of mooncake, the filling is more like a light ice-cream than the regular bean paste stuff.)

Are these diffrent from the style that I posted above? Where they frozen ice cream mooncakes? I've always thought that would be a good idea for a product - Ice Cream Mooncakes. I wish Hagen Daas would get on it.

[Ling]

This pastry, unlike the ones you unfortunately got, was great! They're not exactly ice-cream as they only need to be stored in the fridge as opposed to the freezer. Once they are out of the fridge, they soften up pretty quickly though.

[canucklehead]

This pastry, unlike the ones you unfortunately got, was great! They're not exactly ice-cream as they only need to be stored in the fridge as opposed to the freezer. Once they are out of the fridge, they soften up pretty quickly though.

←

Ahhh - the bakeries told me that this is the week that they start with the "Iced" patries - I am guessing that they don't hold as long as the normal pastry.

You know - the whole time I lived in HK, I never had the Iced style (or any Mooncakes really). Mid Autumn festival weather in HK is still soooooo hot! The idea of eating anything heavy was really unappealing.

[sanrensho]

They also got a box of the HK Maxim "iced pastry" ones. They had coffee, strawberry, chestnut, and mango flavour. I liked the coffee one best, but they were all good. (For those who aren't familiar with this style of mooncake, the filling is more like a light ice-cream than the regular bean paste stuff.)

Where can these be purchased? T&T Supermarket?

[canucklehead]

They also got a box of the HK Maxim "iced pastry" ones. They had coffee, strawberry, chestnut, and mango flavour. I liked the coffee one best, but they were all good. (For those who aren't familiar with this style of mooncake, the filling is more like a light ice-cream than the regular bean paste stuff.)

Where can these be purchased? T&T Supermarket?

←

I did not see them at T&T when I was there... I am going to check out the Maxim's on 41st and Victoria (inside the London Drugs Mall) on the way home. More taste tests!

BTW - this was the branch of Maxim's that made me think that the Vancouver business may have been purchased by the HK mothership - it looks exactly the same as a HK branch. Local business that use HK business names need to be careful - I remember that a local business was sued by a HK business and lost - the judge said that the local business was using goodwill that had been generated by the original HK business.

[Ling]

^I'll ask my parents when they get home where the HK Maxim mooncakes came from. They frequently go to Empire Supermarket so perhaps they got them there, but I'll double check and make sure.

[canucklehead]

^I'll ask my parents when they get home where the HK Maxim mooncakes came from. They frequently go to Empire Supermarket so perhaps they got them there, but I'll double check and make sure.

←

Oh - they are HK Maxim mooncakes... so going to the Maxim bakery on Victoria will only result in disappointment for me. See how confusing it is for the consumer?

[Ling]

^Yeah...I was confused too, when you said you were going to 41st and Victoria. So you didn't notice the HK Maxim mooncakes at T&T? They came in a pastel coloured box. Anyway, mom will be home in an hour or so...we'll find out where the mooncakes came from then.

[chocomoo]

FYI, Mega Bakery at Continental Centre also sells the "iced" mooncakes. I don't think I've ever had iced mooncakes with actual ice cream in them though. The ones from Mega are kept in the display case, and are filled with flavoured mung bean paste. I don't really think iced mooncakes are worth the money though - the ones from Mega are like $1 each! My parents don't like them because they hardly resemble the traditional mooncakes. By the way, do iced mooncakes come in normal sizes? I've only ever seen them mini-sized. The flavours available at Mega right now are mango, black sesame, taro, red bean, and green tea (or was it mung bean? I forget). We got the mango and black sesame ones - I haven't tried them yet, but I've liked the black sesame one in the past.

edited to add: Judging from looks alone, I'd say the Maxim iced mooncakes look like they are of better quality than Mega's. Maxim's look like they have actual mango and strawberry in them, while Mega's are flavoured (except for the black sesame one, which has actual sesame seeds in it).

Edited September 26, 2006 by chocomoo (log)

[Ling]

^My mom says she got them from Empire, but you can get the HK Maxim iced pastry ones in many other Chinese supermarkets. She said they were about $25 for 8 mini mooncakes.

[LordBalthazar]

They also got a box of the HK Maxim "iced pastry" ones. They had coffee, strawberry, chestnut, and mango flavour. I liked the coffee one best, but they were all good. (For those who aren't familiar with this style of mooncake, the filling is more like a light ice-cream than the regular bean paste stuff.)

Where can these be purchased? T&T Supermarket?

←

I saw them at the T&T in Richmond this weekend but didn't pick any up because we weren't directly heading home. I did, however, pick up a "Taiwan Moon Cake Gift Box" which includes: oriental green bean cake, red ben, walnut, date, and white bean. Also picked up some moon cakes from Sea Harbour (a box of double yolks for my wife and just plain lotus paste for me) and enjoyed them immensely. So much so that I'm thinking of experimenting with my own homemade mooncake ice cream.

[canucklehead]

I could not find any HK Maxim Mooncakes at either Osaka or TNT in Richmond. I guess its not meant to be....

I got a box of assorted mooncakes from Seaharbour - they are down to their last few boxes and expect to sell out in the next couple of days. No more double yolks - mixed nuts, lotus pastes, assorted are the ones they have left.

[lannie]

Also picked up some moon cakes from Sea Harbour (a box of double yolks for my wife and just plain lotus paste for me) and enjoyed them immensely.

←

I got a box of assorted mooncakes from Seaharbour - they are down to their last few boxes and expect to sell out in the next couple of days.  No more double yolks - mixed nuts, lotus pastes, assorted are the ones they have left.

←

Ooh, with the 'thumbs up' from Lord Balthazar and a 'fear of losing out' since they're almost sold out warning from Canucklehead, I think that I will get me some Sea Harbour mooncakes asap!

Funnily enough, the shop here in Cowtown has dozens upon dozens of boxes of them, in an array of flavours. Hope they're not gone by the time I get there this weekend...

[adelaide]

Are these diffrent from the style that I posted above? Where they frozen ice cream mooncakes?  I've always thought that would be a good idea for a product - Ice Cream Mooncakes.  I wish Hagen Daas would get on it.

←

FYI, Hagen Daas did get on it.....I think they've been making ice cream mooncakes for several years now, but I've only seen them in HK (it has a chocolate crust.....mmmmm)

[~cayenne~]

This pastry, unlike the ones you unfortunately got, was great! They're not exactly ice-cream as they only need to be stored in the fridge as opposed to the freezer. Once they are out of the fridge, they soften up pretty quickly though.

←

Ahhh - the bakeries told me that this is the week that they start with the "Iced" patries - I am guessing that they don't hold as long as the normal pastry.

You know - the whole time I lived in HK, I never had the Iced style (or any Mooncakes really). Mid Autumn festival weather in HK is still soooooo hot! The idea of eating anything heavy was really unappealing.

←

Shi-Art (sp?) in Richmond Centre sells tins of mooncakes imported from HK (I recognized the name of the producer at time of reading tin, but can't remember it now).... just an FYI for what it's worth.

[Ling]

We just got a box of the red bean paste and salted egg yolk from Keefer Bakery. You can buy it at Yaohan.

(And if you want to make your own mooncakes, you can find a recipe in the September 30th issue of Sing Tao. You need a mooncake mold though. My mom is making them this week.)

Edited October 1, 2006 by Ling (log)

[~cayenne~]

I could not find any HK Maxim Mooncakes at either Osaka or TNT in Richmond.  I guess its not meant to be....

I got a box of assorted mooncakes from Seaharbour - they are down to their last few boxes and expect to sell out in the next couple of days.  No more double yolks - mixed nuts, lotus pastes, assorted are the ones they have left.

←

We saw Seaharbour Mooncakes for sale, two different size tins at an Asian grocery market on Park Road in Richmond, across from Richmond Centre, 'round the corner from Shanhai Wind. They may have the HK Maxim ones too, they also had the Pinetree Bakery ones bargain priced. The Shi-Art (restaurant) tins for sale may have been HK Maxim

Edited October 1, 2006 by ~cayenne~ (log)

[slc515]

Help! I am going with a bunch of friends to Vancouver this weekend. We plan to have Hot Pot on Saturday night and Dim Sum Sunday am, YUM :-)

After a little bit of research I am leaning towards Garden City Hot Pot and Floata. We are staying right across from GM Place. Does anyone here have any input? Thanks!

[Ling]

Floata is in Richmond, and a bit of a drive from GM. You might want to try the Kirin on Cambie...that seems to be the consensus on what's "best" for dim sum in Vancouver/Richmond, and it is much closer to your hotel.

[slc515]

Floata is in Richmond, and a bit of a drive from GM. You might want to try the Kirin on Cambie...that seems to be the consensus on what's "best" for dim sum in Vancouver/Richmond, and it is much closer to your hotel.

←

Isn't Garden City in Richmond and Floata downtown?

[Ling]

Garden City is in Richmond. I only know of one Floata, and that's in Parker Place, which is in Richmond.

ETA: My mistake. Google says there's also a Floata on Keefer St. in Chinatown. I haven't been there.

Edited October 6, 2006 by Ling (log)

[canucklehead]

Landmark Hotpot on Cambie @ 25th ave (King Edward) is very good - cantonese style w/ lots of fresh seafood. Golden Szechuan on Broadway @ Burrard does a spicy sichuan hot pot.

[LordBalthazar]

Has anyone here tried those fantastic steamed sweet and salted egg yolk buns at Sea Harbour? Any idea how they make the filling? Do you think they had condensed milk to hardboiled egg yolks or do they whisk the condensed milk with the raw yolk? I'm asking because I'd like to use it as a base for an ice cream.

=

[Ling]

^I tried googling a recipe for you, but unfortunately I couldn't find one.

***

I just had (leftover) dimsum from some friends who went to the Kirin at Cambie just now, and though I really appreciate the food, it wasn't as good as what I've had at the Kirin in Richmond. Perhaps it is because I'm eating this stuff reheated, but my boyfriend who was at the lunch apparently also felt the same way. It was still pretty good dim sum though, and I don't think anyone would be disappointed at this location.

So there's another two votes for the Kirin in Richmond to add to the mix for "best dim sum" in town.

I also had an incredible spicy/slightly sour pork dish at Top Shanghai the other day...it is "yu xiang ro si" in Mandarin. I love this dish and Top Shanghai does an incredible job with it.

Edited October 8, 2006 by Ling (log)