Noode Box Time Season 2!

The Noodlebox

Location: 1867 West 4th Avenue

Phone: 604-734-1310

During my visit to The Noodlebox, my adventurous side led me to order the Coconut Ginger Deep Fried Banana. The concept of deep fried fruits may definitely not be enticing for all; however, I must say that this dish was quite good. 

It did take very long for the deep fried banana to arrive at my table. In terms of appearances, it looked exactly like what I had expected a banana to resemble after it has been breaded and deep fried. The banana itself has a crispy exterior, and is soft on the inside. There is also a light drizzle of ginger sauce for dipping on the side. I couldn’t really taste the “coconut” flavoring, but overall, the deep fried banana was very good. I recommend it as an interesting dessert option. 

Rice Meter: 3.5 

Noodle Box Time!

The Noodlebox
Location: 1867 west 4th avenue
Phone: 6047341310

A popular lunchtime spot for locals, the Noodlebox offers a wide variety of Asian fare catered to a western market. They have a made-to-order menu, offering wide selections such as satay skewers, and various rice and noodle dishes.

Pictured above is the Spicy Peanut Noodle box with chicken. You can choose how spicy you would like your dish to be, and I asked for medium spiciness. This dish was delicious and perfect against the winter blues: the peanut sauce was of a good consistency, the noodles were cooked perfectly, and the dish was seasoned well. The portion size is also very reasonable. If you enjoy peanut butter, you must try this! I would definitely order this dish again.

Rice meter: 4

La Brasserie Time!

La Brasserie

1091 Davie Street

Vancouver, BC V6E 1M5

(604) 568-6499

La Brasserie is a that I have been really impressed with this year; it serves expertly prepared European food in a cosy, intimate setting, and their kitchen is an open one. 

During a recent visit, I ordered the Free Range Rotisserie Chicken. For $22.00, you will get a tender roasted chicken on a bed of vegetables and a side of thick cut fries. I was not particularly fond of the vegetables; they had a sour taste to them because, I think, they are cooked in some sort of vinaigrette. The chicken, however, is absolutely delicious and is the best rotisserie chicken I have had at any restaurant. Also, La Brasserie also makes their own “ketchup” to go with their fries, which speaks volumes about their dedication to food quality. 

Rice Meter: 4.0

Death by Chocolate Time!

Death by Chocolate

1598 West Broadway

Phone: (604) 730-2462

Dessert lovers are certain to be familiar with Death by Chocolate; this establishment offers a wide variety of cakes and other desserts which are certain to please. Despite the name, I decided to try something that wasn’t chocolate-flavored, and ordered “The Last Straw”, which is described on the menu as being belgian waffles served with strawberries, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and syrup. 

After I placed my order, I was informed that there was no more vanilla ice cream and was given a choice to pick from their other selections; I chose raspberry. When my order arrived, I immediately noticed that my belgian waffles looked alarmingly like Eggo waffles, and tasted exactly the same. I have had belgian waffles before, and found these lacking in comparison. The ice cream, strawberries, syrup as well as the whipped cream did make this a very good dessert overall. However, unless you are a fan of Eggo waffles, I recommend trying other desserts ... such as a chocolate cake, perhaps?

Rice Meter: 3.0 

Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House

Location: 777 Thurlow Street

Phone: 604-669-1940

Pictured above is one of my favourite desserts of all time: the Duo of Chocolate of Joe Fortes. In essence, it is a molten center lava cake with a cookie-like biscuit on the side, and generous amounts of whipped cream and icing sugar. Now, you may find it strange that I would choose to speak about Joe Fortes desserts and not, perhaps, their seafood, but I do feel that this is one of their sublime offerings.

For one, the chocolate cake itself is served warm, and is very rich. As soon as you progress further, you reach the “molten center” which contains more rich chocolate sauce that mixes nicely with the sprinkled icing sugar. The live piano music and classic decor of the restaurant only makes this experience more enjoyable. Overall, I would highly recommend this dessert (my only complaint being that it is too small!) as well as dining at Joe Fortes, even if the prices can be steep.

Rice Meter: 5

Tenku Bakudanyaki Time!

Tenku Bakudanyaki

Location: 8740 Charles Street
 

Tenku Bakundanyaki is simply the big brother version of Tako Yaki, otherwise recognized as miniature octopus covered in dough and slathered with teriyaki sauce, mayonnaise, seaweed, and other Japanese delicacies. These treats can be found anywhere from food stalls in the popular summertime “Night Markets” in Vancouver and Richmond, or even in mainstream Japanese restaurants, and usually come in multiples of 6 per order. Tenku Bakundanyaki, however, likes to be eaten solo. 

It was my first time sampling Tenku Bakundanyaki, and one of the few times I have purchased food in a parking lot. However, do not underestimate their minimal set up! These giant octopus balls (as I like to call them), are quite delicious, and unique. For a mere 500 cents (yes, they do convert menu pricing from dollars to cents, which makes no sense to me, but that’s beside the point), you can choose between several flavours of Tenku, including curry, wasabi mayo, and mustard mayo. 

Being a fan of wasabi, I ordered wasabi mayo, whereas my significant other chose mustard. Our orders arrived neatly encased inside a conventional Chinese take-out box with chopsticks and napkins thoughtfully tucked into the crevices. I found the mustard flavoured Tenku a little bland, and much prefer the little spicy kick which the lightly flavoured wasabi sauce provides. I do feel that Tenku Bakundanyaki gives you nothing to write home about if you have already had Tako Yaki in the past, although I would recommend this food stand on account of its novelty and low price point. 

Rice Meter: 4

Sanafir Time!

Sanafir

Location: 1026 Granville Street

Phone: 604-678-1049

As one of the restaurants in the Glowbal Group, Sanafir means “meeting place” in Arabic. Indeed, the branding and decor of this restaurant do suggest that it is a social environment, and I was looking forward to sampling the food it has to offer.

I went during the lunch hour, and immediately decided that I was going to order the Grilled Beef Striploin Salad. My order arrived with generous slices of medium rare striploin sitting on a salad heavy with tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette. The meat was cooked very well and had a very good texture. The salad itself was very flavorful and was a nice companion. Overall, the striploin salad is a great lunch dish and good value for money. As a side note, I do believe that this salad is only offered in their lunch menu.

Rice Meter: 4

Donair King Time!

Donair King

Location: 1028 Davie Street

Phone: 604-685-8723

Donair King boasts that it has the “best donair in the city”, and with such a self-proclaimed reputation, I decided that I must try this restaurant. The establishment is small with limited seating, and does not have the most attractive storefront. However, upon entering the restaurant, you will see racks of lambs roasting on one side of the wall, which is very enticing indeed.

Now, the first thing I might note is that I really appreciate that the staff here wear plastic gloves when preparing their foods, because this is not always the case. My order of Beef Donair arrived under 10 minutes and was nicely wrapped, in the style of french crepes, so that they can be conveniently eaten sans utensils. Now, I am not a donair expert by any means, but this was very good! The tortilla wrap was almost crunchy, which is a texture that I enjoy, and stuffed full with well-seasoned roast beef, cucumber, lettuce, and tzatziki sauce. I think that the portions are very reasonable, given the price. I highly recommend visiting the Donair King and look forward to trying other offerings. 

Rice Meter: 4

Blenz Coffee

Location: 1203 Davie Street

Phone: 604-568-4428

With temperatures being at sub zero, I believe that hot chocolate vendors will be making a fortune here in Vancouver. It was also the ridiculously cold weather that led me to Blenz Coffee for a cup of their delicious hot chocolate. 

Their hot chocolate, I feel, is superior to that of Starbucks and Tim Hortons. First of all, you can choose from three different types of hot chocolate, such as white, milk or dark. While their hot chocolate is expensive (running at about $4.00 for a small size), it is very rich, smooth, yet not overwhelmingly sweet. During this particular visit, I ordered the white hot chocolate with whipped cream. I also topped it off with extra cinnamon. There is just something different about the Blenz hot chocolate that I feel would be difficult to replicate at home, and so it is definitely a treat, especially when it is snowing. 

Rice Meter: 4.5

Pan-Da Time!

Pan-Da Fresh Bakery

Location: 1300 Pacific Boulevard

Phone: 604-761-6088

If you ever pass by the David Lam Park on Pacific Boulevard, you may notice on occasion, a conventional yellow school bus parked alongside the road.

This, my reader, is not just an ordinary school bus. It is, in actuality, a food vendor! Pan-Da Fresh Bakery is one of the new entrants into the Japanese food cart market here in Vancouver, serving a variety of unique croissant flavors in their magic school bus kitchen.

You will need cash, and an empty stomach, as you peruse their chalkboard menu of different croissants including: the macaroni and cheese croissant, the strawberry chocolate croissant, and various croissants served with ice cream.

It was a tough decision, but I decided to order the White Chocolate Matcha croissant. My order was a flaky, crispy croissant with a melting white chocolate filling and matcha (or green tea) powder sprinkled on the top. It was a delicious treat for just under $5.00, and yet another novel experience!

Rice Meter: 3

Zakkushi For The Last Time!

Zakkushi Char-Grill Diner

Location: 823 Denman Street

Phone: (604)685-1136

So far, what has been sampled from Zakkushi was not disappointing. However, I will reserve this post to mention a menu item that I would definitely not recommend. This dish is known as Satoimo, which is simply deep fried taro balls with a side of green tea matcha powder and salt for dipping.

I expected this dish to be sweet, as in the case of purple taro to which I am accustomed. However, this was probably a different strain of taro as it was white and very, very bland. I will liken the taste of these taro balls to stiff dough balls. The side of matcha powder and salt did not help and perhaps only made it worse.

Rice Meter: 0.5

Milstones Time!

Milestones Grill and Bar

Location: 1109 Hamilton Street

Phone: 604-684-9111

This post is going to start, and end, on a low note, as this dish which I will mention was a disappointment.

This is the Soy Salmon from Milestones. It was featured in their “Date Night” menu which allows two people to share an appetizer, and to have an individual entree, for a reduced price. Not usually being a fan of salmon, I am not sure why I decided to pick this one from the “Date Night” selection. My order came out, and while the presentation was acceptable, the salmon itself was dry and lacking in flavor. The side of rice it came with was also very dry.

I was disappointed with my order, of which I ate less than half, but decided against sending it back as I really just wanted to go home, and maybe cook up something else to eat.

Rice Meter: 1

Zakkushi Time Again!

Zakkushi Char-Grill Diner

Location: 823 Denman Street

Phone: (604)685-1136

It would not make sense to go to a Char-Grill Diner without ordering some grilled foods! Zakkushi’s stand out offerings are it’s variety of skewers: there are everything from the usual grilled meats (think pork, chicken and beef), to seafood (think octopus, prawns, scallops), to more unique items, such as quail eggs.

A sampler dish of 5 different skewers, known as the “kushi set” on the menu, was ordered. The menu says that the 5 different skewers include: momo, shiso, memaki, ptoro, and harami skewers. I am not Japanese and these names are nothing short of confusing. However, I was able to make out chicken, beef, pork and leek, in the assorted skewers.

The presentation of these skewers are what sets them apart from regular barbecued foods. For one thing, the portions are small; however, they seem to be very carefully made. One of the chicken skewers, for example, is wrapped in a leaf, whereas another beef skewer had a dollop of what I assumed to be sauerkraut.

Overall, while the skewers are not exactly good value for money, they did taste pretty good and were unique.

Rice Meter: 3

100 Days Time!

100 Days

Location: 350 Davie Street (Opus Hotel)

Phone: 604-642-0557

100 days is a restaurant so named because it is only open to food critics for about 100 days. This temporary restaurant offers food lovers an experience, mixing art and food as diners enjoy expertly prepared dishes in a dining room in which the walls are stripped and decorated with graffiti art, and the lights are neon.

I visited this restaurant with high expectations, and for the most part, they were met. The dining room was somewhat “grungy”, comprising of folded chairs, a questionable tiled floor, and walls and windows of colorful graffiti. The food, however, was delicious.

100 Days is an OceanWise restaurant, and so I decided to order seafood in the form of a Lobster Macaroni and Cheese dish. The macaroni and cheese was served with a side of salad and a concentrated lobster bisque sauce which was poured into the pasta by my server. This is definitely no Kraft dinner! The sauce is extremely cheesy and creamy (on account of the lobster bisque); chunks of lobster as well as dungeness crab are nestled amongst the pasta. Overall, it was great dining experience and I will definitely revisit the next time around.

Rice Meter: 4

Zakkushi Time!

Zakkushi Char-Grill Diner

Location: 823 Denman Street

Phone: (604)685-1136

This is going to be the first post of a few, reviewing dishes that from Zakkushi Char-Grill Diner, a Japanese barbeque restaurant aiming to introduce Vancouverites to the concept of charcoal grilled foods.

First up is the Yakkitori Don SP: chicken teriyaki on rice with a half-boiled egg and mayonnaise on top. A healthy dose of seaweed was also involved. The way to go about eating this dish is to puncture the egg so that the yoke can mix in with all of the other toppings on the rice. It was good, but not excellent. The dish rice was lacking in flavor and could have used more teriyaki sauce, or even salt.

Rice Meter: 3

Nando's Chicken Time!

Nando's Flame Grilled Chicken
4334 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC
Phone: 604 434 6220

Chicken is the ultimate comfort food. There are countless food businesses built upon serving this bird (or genetically modified counterparts, but we won't get into that), and one of my favorites, hands down, would be Nando's Flame Grilled Chicken. Nando's boasts fresh meat served with expertly tailored sauces, and are renowned for their use of Peri Peri, an African chili pepper, in their spicy offerings.

While visiting their location on Kingsway, I ordered a Lemon and Herb flame-grilled chicken leg with a side of Peri Peri fries. The Lemon and Herb chicken, by the way, is the flavor of choice for those who fear or despise all that is spicy. It is, to put it simply, a lightly charred chicken leg dusted with various herbs with a slight lemony tang. The other three flavors of chicken include Peri Peri in mild, hot or extra hot, in order of increasing spiciness. To be honest, I always find that Nando's chicken could be seasoned more, and find myself having to add generous dollops from the bottle of Wild Garlic Peri Peri sauce, a thoughtful complimentary condiment on the house, in order to truly enjoy my dish. The same can be said for the Peri Peri fries, as it is hard to detect any sort of spice. However, I do tastefully drown my potatoes in ketchup anyways, so that does not bother me too much.

Overall, Nando's is a recommended place to visit if you are running low on your list of chicken hot spots, and is a comforting diversion from the normal fast food restaurants which serve chicken by the boxes.

Rice Meter: 3

Bo Laksa King Time!

Bo Laska King
2546 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC
Phone: (604)568-4593

Laksa, a noodle in a spicy soup base originating from Southern Asia, is a popular dish which is offered in various Malaysian, Singaporean and even Chinese restaurants here in Vancouver. Having caught word of a little "hole in the wall" restaurant which makes possibly the best Laksa in the city, it was decided that I must try it for myself.

The said restaurant is Bo Laksa King; they have two locations in Vancouver, one sharing a storefront with a grocery store on Joyce, and another full-out restaurant establishment on Hastings Street. Now, I had actually attempted to visit the Bo Laksa King on Hastings twice; unfortunately, an unhelpful handwritten sign was posted on the door the first time, informing me that they were closed for the day. The second visit proved to be the charm, however, and I was able to order a takeout of Laksa. Now, you may wonder why I chose not to eat in, and this was simply because the restaurant itself was rather empty and I felt a bit uncomfortable being in a quiet business on Hastings Street late at night.

I ordered a Laksa along with Roti, which is a croissant-like pastry which comes with a side of curry sauce for dipping. The food is very inexpensive; the Laksa is under $8. I must say that the staff were very friendly, and promptly prepared my order and packed the soup separately from the Vermicelli noodles and the toppings (which I understand, is customary). At home, I unpacked my order by placing (noodles first!) into a big bowl, and carefully pouring in the Laksa soup, which is a mixture of curry and a spicy broth flavored with coconut. Bo Laksa King is rather generous with their toppings, which include fish balls, sliced meats, and tofu. The soup, however, is the true deal-breaker, and this one really did not disappoint. It consistency is somewhat creamy with coconut and curry undertones which are not too overpowering and has a good amount of a spicy "kick" to it. The roti pastry itself was good, but not special, and the curry dipping sauce was nowhere near as good as the Laksa soup.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this place, for takeout at least.

Rice Meter: 4

Boston Pizza Time!

Boston Pizza

2850 Bentall Street

Vancouver, BC
Phone: (604) 439-1132

Boston Pizza is one of those restaurants whose name is an understatement. Their menu offers so much more than just pizza, and one particular item that is worth mentioning would be the Jambalaya Fettuccini. The name tells all, it is basically fettuccini mixed in with conventional Jamabalaya ingredients, including smoked sausage, shrimp, tomatoes and onions. The result is a delicious spin on a rice bowl classic as well as the box standard spaghetti and meatballs.

I ordered my dish without extra baked cheese baked out of preference; the fettuccini was of a good texture with a perfect ratio of sauce, pasta, and meats/vegetables. The only downer is that, nearing the end, the sauce does tend to get a little watery and the pasta begins to lose its flavor just a little. The accompanying garlic bread was a very nice touch as well, although granted, I have never tasted bad garlic bread. As always, I find, the service at casual dining restaurants is uncreative, but good.

This dish is definitely a recommendation the next time you are at a neighborhood Boston Pizza. The best part is this: if you can make it on a Tuesday, all of their pastas are on special for just under $10!

Rice Meter: 4.5

Fish 'N Chips Time!

Mr. Pickwick's Fish & Chips
1007 Denman Street
Vancouver, BC
Tel: (604) 681-0631

If you have a craving for seafood coupled with a deep fried Mars Bar, look no further than Mr. Pickwick's Fish & Chips.  Conveniently located along Denman street near English Bay, this cosy little restaurant is a great venue to visit for good old fish and chips and, if you are feeling adventurous, various deep fried desserts.

While I have not delved into those latter offerings, I can say a thing or two about their fish and chips. While it may not be the absolute best fish around town (this is something I have yet to find out), the flavor, pricing and service of Mr. Pickwick's makes it a place worth visiting. I will speak about the service first. The waiters are very knowledgeable about, well, fish. They can rattle off different salmon species comfortably and are not shy about making recommendations based on your palette. Don't like what you've ordered? That's not a problem. Simply mention it and they will resolve your concerns either by offering to prepare a new dish, or perhaps even removing the charges from your bill. I myself had no qualms about my food, but noticed that this was the service they offered to a nearby table. Needless to say, the service is impeccable.

I ordered two pieces of halibut fish and chips. The fish is nicely breaded and comes with thick cut fries, garden salad, and a creamy tartar sauce. As a reminiscent touch, the fish is served upon wax paper printer with a newspaper deco. The portions are generous and do taste delicious.

Rice Meter: 4

Poutine Time!

La Belle Patate
1215 Davie Street, Vancouver
(604) 569-1215

Simply put this looks like a heart attack waiting to happen, but it's the best poutine I've ever had. Just the fact that the picture shows a half eaten poutine should be enough to reinforce the fact that it looked absolutely mouthwatering when it first came. This poutine is offered in three different sizes: small, medium, large; as a first-time customer I went for the large. This poutine was massive; words will not do it justice and I would not recommend anyone in the right mind to order a large. A small poutine here is already the size of a large poutine everywhere else, so you will be getting a large amount of poutine goodness.

The poutine I ended up choosing out of their huge selection was the steak & pepperoni poutine and as you can see in the picture, there is no cutting back on the ingredients. The beef, pepperoni, and cheese was just piled on there and needless to say was very delicious. The pricing is quite reasonable for what you receive, but this is not a place that you would want to visit on a regular basis. It's quite unfortunate that something that tastes this good is probably harmful for your health.

Rice Meter: 4

Cold Noodles and Beef Time!

Cho Sun Korean Restaurant

3486 Kingsway Street, Vancouver

(604) 434-1222

Piping hot barbecue beef is always good, especially when served on a sizzling plate. What Cho Sun offers during their lunch hours are several special dishes that are priced at only $9.99. My favorite out of the specials would have to be the Spicy Cold Noodles with Beef Short-ribs. As with most other Korean restaurants, you will receive a variety of side dishes that has unlimited refills free of charge!

The side dishes usually comes first and what I usually receive consists of kimchi, beansprouts, sweet potatoes, and bamboo shoots (I think?). From experience, these dishes are usually enough to rate the Korean restaurants. The reason behind this is because all Korean restaurants should have these same starter dishes and having the ability to make these dishes shine from the rest of the restaurants demonstrates that the chefs are capable. That being said, these dishes were not the best that I've had, but at the same time I have had worse.

As for the main course, the spicy cold noodles always hits the spot for me. The amount of food you get is definitely more than enough. The noodles when mixed with the spicy sauce tastes absolutely delicious. The beef has been marinated before barbecuing and tastes perfect. The smell of the beef alone is able to make my mouth water, but with the cold noodles it definitely makes an awesome combination. I would definitely recommend this place for everyone, at least for lunch.

Rice meter: 4

Dumpling Time!

Beverly's Dinner Services
Home, Vancouver

In exchange for Beverly coming to my house to cook me dinner, I promised to blog about her meal. I have only had breakfast and it is nearing 11PM with no food at home; I was starving. Needless to say, Beverly delivered her goods and cooked it at my place while I lazily sat at my computer desk doing next to nothing.

I have no idea where she got the dumplings from, but it tasted amazing. Along with the dumplings, I had this interesting sauce that she made; I think it was made with vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce. Anyways, the sauce tasted awesome, the dumplings were amazing, and the fact that I didn't have to cook was great. Also included with the meal was some bok-choy and some soy sauce; random, but delicious nonetheless. I'm pretty sure you all know what I'm going to rate this on the rice meter, but for the sake of completeness, here it is.

Rice meter: 5

Onion Time!

The Smoking Dog Bistro
1889 W 1st Ave, Vancouver
(604) 732-8811

Looks delicious doesn't it? Well, it was actually very delicious, only problem was it took over forty-five minutes for any food to be placed on our table. Unacceptable. As the name of this restaurant states, it's a bistro, so it is a small cozy little place. The prices were pretty decent and the food was pretty good, but the service was very unsatisfactory. There was no dinner bread to start, so being the hungry beast that I was, I ordered within two minutes of being seated. There were probably around three to four other tables that were occupied out of the fifteen tables or so available, so by no means was the restaurant busy. Forty-five minutes later, right when we were about to die of starvation, this lovely dish arrives at my table.

My dissatisfaction was instantly lifted away as this heavenly dish was placed in front of me. The cheese was stringy yet crunchy, probably torched for that texture, and the soup was pleasant. I should probably mention that I absolutely love french onion soup, my hunger may have had something to do with this, but this was one of the best that I have had. Within moments of arrival, as I was devouring my soup, my steak-frites arrived. I'm not sure about why it took so long for the food, but once it did come, it was absolutely delicious.

I ordered a medium-rare steak and it came at medium-rare. I'm going to rant a little here because whenever I order steak at medium-rare, I always get medium. It's not that medium isn't good, but I specifically requested medium-rare because I want medium-rare, but that almost never happens. Anyways, the steak was very delicious, perfectly cooked to my liking, and looked amazing. To sum things up, the food was delicious, but the service was sub par. I would recommend this restaurant if the food was served faster, but unfortunately forty-five minutes was unacceptable.

Rice meter: 3

Curry Cattle Time!

Cattle Cafe
4885 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC
(604) 276-2800

To keep the theme going, we'll start off with something related to rice. This place is a small restaurant that is located across the street from Metrotown. Nothing too special about the decor or the food; simply put this place is cheap, simple, and delicious. As this place is small, I would recommend not going during their busy hours or be prepared to wait outside as you stare at everyone inside eating their steamy delicious Asian cafe food. Not exactly what I would enjoy doing as my tummy howls for food.

During my visit I had their Curry Beef with Rice mini meal. I should probably mention that Asian cafes have a tendency to set their prices extra high during rush hour by implementing something called the mini meals. These meals are only available during their non-peak hours and are approximately half the price of the regular dishes and are not mini at all. Also included with these meals are a choice of hot drinks from their menu; for an additional $1 you may get a cold drink or $2 for a specialty drink.

The dish was quite delicious with a really nice consistency. The curry though, I must say, was spicier than I would expect compared to other Asian cafes and hit me as quite a surprise. I would highly recommend this place if you were in an Asian mood as I felt that this place was relatively clean for an Asian cafe.

Rice Meter: 3.5