The foodventures of little miss piggy

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

2012-10-30T00:29:00.001-07:00

I will admit I'm the type of person who loves fall weather. I know a lot of people hate this type of climate, but for some reason I just love the cold and mood of fall. I guess one reason is because I get to finally wear all of my jackets! (Yes, I am a jacket addict when it comes to fashion!) and also because fall gives me an excuse to go eat as much noodle soup and hotpot as I want! Since my friends and I were not doing anything one Tuesday, we decided to go to Santouka for lunch after our quick shopping trip to Pacific Centre. If you guys haven't been to Santouka before, it's a small Japanese restaurant on Robson street that's pretty well-known for their ramen. On our way there, one of my friends started telling us about how good their pork jowl ramen is and that we have to try it out for ourselves. He even described it in a way that made me salivate even though I was still full from breakfast three hours before!

Based from what my friends have been telling me about this place, there's usually a long line up that goes past the front entrance of their store especially during weekends, holidays and/or peak eating hours. The size of the place doesn't help much with the waiting part either because they can only fit a certain amount of people at a time. Luckily when we got there that day, they had just opened up shop a few minutes before so we didn't really have to wait long for a table. The three of us ended up deciding on their Toroniku Ramen (the one my friend was telling us about), which is their signature item on the menu that comes with a bowl of noodles, a plate of their famous pork jowl and toppings on the side. What I like about this dish is that they give you the option of choosing your own soup base and whether or not you would like to add on any other additional toppings with your order. I will admit I wasn't sure at first if I wanted to get their pork jowl ramen since I was still feeling the fullness from my breakfast, but after my friend convinced me that it was really something worth trying, I eventually gave in and ordered one for myself.

When our orders finally arrived, I will admit I was pretty excited to try out the pork jowl especially after listening to my friend's very detailed description of how it tastes like. After taking the first bite into the cheeks.. I would have to say that my friend was spot on right with his descriptions! I was blown away by how soft and tender the pork was! You could clearly see from my facial expression that there was something magical happening inside my mouth! I literally felt like I was on meat heaven! It was just so light and melt in your mouth good that I even took my time chewing and eating it just so I could savor every bite of the pork cheeks!! The creaminess and seasoning of the broth as well as the right consistency of the noodles also helped better enhance the pork jowl and the overall flavor of the dish. If only you guys could see how happy I was right after! I was practically still smiling all throughout our walk back to the skytrain! Even with the long line ups, Santouka (for me) is one place worth waiting in line for. If you guys haven't been there yet, I highly recommend trying out their pork jowl ramen yourself and maybe you'll understand why this place is always full of people.

Toroniku Ramen (Kara Miso soup base)

Pork Jowl

Toroniku Ramen (Shio soup base)

Nordstrom Cafe (Oregon)

2012-09-20T11:21:00.002-07:00

My family and I decided to go have a mini family vacation before school started so we decided to go to Oregon to spend some quality time together and do a little shopping for ourselves. We stayed at the Marriott Waterfront hotel in downtown Oregon and did some shopping in the dt area and some of their outlets. I have to say I haven't been to downtown Oregon in a while and the last time I was there, it was still lively and crowded! When we arrived I was so surprised at how much things have changed since the last time I went! Usually we would go to Washington Square for shopping but sadly since we went along with a tour bus and they didn't include this place in their itinerary, we didn't really have much freedom to go anywhere by ourselves. Hence, we couldn't go :( and since we were staying in the downtown area, that's where we did most of our shopping and of course at the outlets. We also didn't get a chance to eat in a lot of places since being with a tour, the food that we had to choose from was most of the time from the food court. The second night that we were in Oregon however, we were lucky enough to have time to eat a nice decent meal and since we were already in Nordstrom, might as well go eat at their restaurant Nordstrom Cafe.

When it comes to food, Nordstrom Cafe is not actually bad, in fact you could say that they are surprisingly doing quite well in the food department considering that they're a department store. Usually I eat at their downtown Seattle branch and during peak hours, line ups are all the way out to the door but in this branch, the place was practically empty but still thinking from our past experiences in Nordstrom Cafe we weren't that scared to go in even though there were zero people when we walked in. If you guys haven't been to Nordstrom Cafe before, it's Nordstrom's restaurant that's located inside their store (not all Nordstrom locations have this though). The way their restaurant system works is that you have to pay and order at the front of the cashier then the servers will bring the food to you. The Seattle branch requires you to order first then a hostess will bring you to a table but since the Oregon location was totally empty, we just sat wherever we wanted to. One of the things that we usually order here is their Turkey Sandwich, I just love love their version of it. As simple of a meal as it may sound, I just really like the consistency of how it tastes like and how everything is put together. Their pasta dish is also a good choice to get when your here. The pasta is cooked perfectly (not too chewy and not too hard) and the thickness and amount of sauce that is mixed together is just right. They also have a great selection of salads to choose from but on this trip, we didn't get a chance to order any since their main dishes were very filling.

Even though the place was practically dead, at least the food quality is still consistent through out their cafes.

Half Turkey, Organic baby greens and Tomato Soup

Cranberry Turkey

Angel Hair Pasta w/ Asparagus & Salmon

Thomas Haas Chocolates & Patisserie (W. Broadway)

2012-08-24T22:24:00.000-07:00

My sister and I were on our way home from UBC the other day and for some reason we were weirdly craving some Almond Croissants. Where better can we get the best almond croissants here in Vancouver, but at Thomas Haas Chocolates & Patisserie! Located on 2539 W. Broadway (Kitsilano area), Thomas Haas Chocolates & Patisserie has been serving Vancouverites and tourists with their fine chocolates and to die for pastries ever since they first opened up shop here in 2000. Whenever we go there for coffee, snack/dessert or just take out, I always end up buying more than I'm craving for because everything just looks so delicious to eat! Especially when I see my favorites (Almond Croissant, Herb & Cheese Scone, Macarons and their Kalamansi Cooler) on display or just freshly baked right out of the oven, I just can't help myself! You would be surprised at how fast a lot of their pastries get sold out especially when it comes to their almond croissants and scones! (My suggestion is to go early during the day when it's freshly baked and still in stock!) They also have one of the coolest looking packaging designs on their chocolates, not to mention.. very tasty chocolates as well! But if your thinking of going for breakfast or lunch, they also offer a variety of soup and sandwiches on their menu. Normally they are closed on Sundays and Mondays (so you have to find somewhere else to go if your craving for pastries), but they are back in business on Tuesdays to Saturdays from 8:00am until 5:30pm. What I also like about their shop is that the interior of the space is designed with a lot of wooden aspects. It's very clean, simple looking and modern, at the same time very inviting and relaxing for customers to look at. One issue that I find hard to deal with in this location though is street parking. Since it is located on West Broadway, street parking is the only available parking spot for you to park in. Not only is it a pain to look for a nice and close parking spot, but also to do parallel parking when there's a huge wave of cars coming right at you. Since I do really really love their pastries, I try to look past the street parking issue (no matter how painful or annoying the process is) just so I could get myself some of their awesome pastries!

Macarons

Almond Croissant

Thierry

2012-08-23T02:03:00.000-07:00

Thierry Busset is famous for his awesome desserts at CinCin restaurant and now he finally opened up his own store that sells his best and most delicious desserts! Located on Alberni street across from Coast and Black & Blue, this place is certainly one of the best dessert places to go to in downtown. Their macaroons and pear financiers are to die for! as well as their super thin apple tarts and caneles! Their cakes and mousses are filled with creamy goodness! And their fruit tarts are just absolutely divine! (especially my personal favorite.. their lemon tart!)

Like any other place in downtown, there are a couple of ups and downs when it comes to going to restaurants/cafes. One of them is definitely parking! Parking as everyone knows is really really expensive in downtown. Usually street parking is the way to go but there's always a chance that you might not be able to find one at all. Also, it costs around $4 just to park for an hour so not only is it a pain to find a good parking spot, it's also very expensive. If you don't want to park on the street however, there are a couple of underground parking lots that do let you park for a couple of hours or up until the next day (It just depends on which parking lot you end up in). Another solution here is to just take the sky train! It's way easier and faster to travel to downtown and costs less than paying for gas and parking (which could also mean less money for parking and more money for food!).

Most of the time though, I usually go to Thierry after dinner or in the late afternoon. From what I've seen and experienced at Thierry after dinner, there's usually no tables or chairs left for us to sit on because this place is always full! When someone leaves, there's always someone waiting on the side to take their table/chairs. What I've learned from going to Thierry over and over (after dinner) is that you have to be quick in action! If not then you just have to patiently wait for the next table to leave or just order their desserts to go and then find somewhere else to enjoy their pastries/desserts/drinks. After lunch time isn't as bad as compared to after dinner because there's still vacant tables and chairs whenever I go there in the afternoons. I do find however that they have way more options to choose from during the day as opposed to their selections at night. They do restock their items but it seems that sometimes a lot of what I want is already sold out by the time I go there for dessert after dinner. I try to see this as a good thing though because at least it gives me a chance to try out some of their other items on display. Thierry also has an all day soup and sandwich menu, just in case you haven't had anything to eat yet, Thierry has totally got you covered! Their soup and sandwich specials do change from time to time but if I were to pick a favorite, I would have to say their Mushroom soup is the best! I haven't had a chance to try out any of their sandwiches yet but for sure I will find a free day just to go back for their sandwiches. What I also find very cool here is that they make their own sodas! I definitely would recommend you guys to try them out because they are pretty awesome! White Plum soda is what we usually order but they have a couple more options to choose from. Last time I went, all of their sodas were sold out! (Bummer!) but I guess this just goes to show how good they are since they actually run out of their own soda.

Unlike Thomas Haas, Thierry is actually open every single day! (Thank God!) From 7am to midnight on weekdays and then 8am to midnight on weekends and holidays. So no matter what day of the week it is or how busy you are, Thierry is still open (til midnight) to cater to your (sudden) cravings of sweets and pastries!

Day time

Night time

White Plum Soda

Carrot Ginger Soup

Coconut Tuile

Caneles: If you guys don't know what caneles is, it's a soft french pastry that has a caramelized outer shell with a soft and custard center. Thierry's version is I think the best one that I've tried so far. Although it looks burnt on the outside, it's actually really soft to eat. It's not too sweet and too heavy so you won't feel as guilty eating two in one sitting.

Apple Tart: Its a thin layer of apple pastry but it's very good! It's a delicious choice for a light snack and it's covered in thin apple slices. Most of the time when you think of apple tart or pastry, it's usually a bit heavy because of the crust or pastry part but Thierry's apple tart is exactly the opposite of that!

Tiramisu: What I love about their version of the tiramisu is that it's not fully covered in chocolate powder at the top so you won't get all chocked up after inhaling the top part of the cake by accident. Also the cake itself (after taking off the chocolate sides) is very soft and creamy which makes it even better to eat.

Lime Mousse: The right balance of sweet and tangy!

Opera Cake: I didn't like eating this cake as much because I found it a bit too rich for my liking but if you like eating rich chocolate cakes, you'll love their Opera cake.

Salted Caramel, Blackberry (purple), Lychee (pink), Earl Grey
I adored all four! Each one is exactly true to their name and flavor! And what I like about this set is that each one is not heavy on the coloring.

Chocolate Trio (Left): Unlike their Opera cake, the chocolate trio is actually lighter even if the whole cake is made entirely out of chocolate. It's creamy, soft and light as well as not overly sweet.

Macaroons: Apple Spice, Pistachio, Pumpkin, Raspberry

The apple spice is (for me) the best one out of the 4 here! All of their fruit flavored macarons actually have a fruit at the center of each macaron so the Apple spice one has a small piece of apple in the middle. All of them actually taste good but it just depends on what type of flavor you like better. I like the apple more because although the flavor was simple, it's also very light, flavorful and not heavy on the coloring so it doesn't leave any coloring on your mouth after you eat it.

Coffee and Gianduja Macaron: The Gianduja is also one of my favorites!
It reminds me a lot of my Ferrero Rocher because of it's hazelnut and chocolate flavor.

Citrus Madeleine: They were okay

Almond Pear Financier: Absolutely one of my must buy/favorite items here! Their financier actually comes in 3 flavors but the almond pear financier is definitely the best one out of the three! These were super soft and moist to eat! You can also taste very well the almond and the pear flavor that's incorporated into each of the tiny financier.

Tropika (aberdeen)

2012-08-18T12:11:00.000-07:00

I've been craving a lot of eggplant lately and when I mean crave.. I mean eating eggplant almost every single day! I'm seriously not joking! I'm the type of person who can eat the same thing every single day until I get tired of it. What's funny too is that I'll take a break from eating it and then if I start craving it again.. It's the same cycle all over. So when my friend asked me where I wanted to go for lunch, I had exactly the right place in mind! This place not only serves great Malaysian/Thai food but also makes one of my favorite tofu appetizers and eggplant dishes in Vancouver. Located in Aberdeen Center, Tropika has already won numerous awards such as "Most Memorable Restaurant" and "Golden Plate Award". I'm sure this place has also won the hearts of many Vancouverites and tourists and has been one of the staple restaurants for authentic Malaysian/Thai cuisine ever since they first opened their doors to the public in 1990.

This Tropika location is really convenient because unlike other restaurants in Richmond, there are tons of parking spots to choose from in Aberdeen's parking lot (hundreds actually). But if your planning to go there for lunch/dinner on a weekend or on a holiday, I would suggest going earlier or later because for sure there will be tons of people in the mall during peak eating hours. Even with hundreds of parking spaces, you would be surprised at how many people go to Aberdeen! Sometimes it could literally take you from 5 minutes to as long as an hour just to find a parking spot! I'm seriously not joking! (one good example I can give you is Chinese New Year).

The restaurant itself is very spacious and open so they can easily accommodate a huge number of people. What I really like about this location too is that one whole side of the restaurant is designed with floor to ceiling windows so the restaurant looks even bigger and brighter when your eating. Also, since it is located along one of the many entrances of Aberdeen Center, you could easily see people and cars passing by.. so another bonus here is the view. When it came down to the service, I would have to say it wasn't the best that we've experienced but it wasn't the worst either. I'm not really sure if our server was just forgetful or lazy because when it came to our extra requests for refills, napkins and for a new set of utensils, he seemed to keep walking by without bringing anything in hand. And to think the restaurant wasn't even busy or full at the time we were there! The food on the other hand was so much better compared to the service (Thank God!). We actually ended up ordering 7 of their dishes to share, and for only three people eating.. 7 dishes was already a lot! Usually when we come here we would order their Tahu Goreng Nyonya (Fried Tofu), Satays, Roti Canai, Spicy Jumbo prawns, Pad Thai, Pineapple Fried Rice, Hainanese Chicken, Chicken Curry, Terung Udang Kering (Eggplant), Sambal Bunchies, KangKong, Bubur Cha Cha (Warm Soup Dessert), and Goreng Pisang (I think there's more but I just can't remember them exactly at the top of my head right now). What I really like about Tropika too is that they make amazing vegetarian dishes so if you hate eating vegetables, maybe they can help change your mind!

Tropika is actually not a bad place to go to for celebrations as well. I myself have celebrated a couple of occasions there (including my birthday) with tons of people in our party and we were still able to enjoy ourselves over and over. The service just depends on which server you get, sometimes it's good.. sometimes it's bad.. but I think what keeps us going back to the restaurant is because of their food (I mean come on, what's not to love about Malaysian/Thai food?)

Tahu Goreng Nyony: One of the best tofu dishes that I've had! When dipped into their sweet soy sauce, it just tastes even better! The skin is lightly fried and not super oily so when you bite into it it's just soft and melt in your mouth smooth.

Pineapple Fried Rice: They were very generous with their pineapple chunks so I was pretty happy about that. It's really cool too how they serve it inside a pineapple so it's really a full on pineapple dish.

Hainanese Chicken: The chicken was cooked very well and the sauce was great especially when you finally put it on the chicken. Their pickled vegetables however needs improvement.

Pad Thai: One word and one word only.. Fantastic!

Terung Udang Kering: One of my favorite dishes! It's cooked very well and I think they probably make one of the best eggplant dishes here in BC. It's not as oily too compared to how Chinese restaurants make them so you won't feel as bad/oily after eating it.

Sambal Bunchies

Bubur Cha Cha (Warm): I personally love Ginataan so I really loved this dish! If you guys don't know what Ginataan is.. it's a warm soup like dessert made with coconut milk, tapioca, Saba, rice balls and etc. that's really popular in the Philippines. It's sweet, yummy and good for my tummy!

Las Vegas Summer 2012: Spago at Caesars Palace

2012-08-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

With countless celebrity chef restaurants in Las Vegas, it was pretty hard to choose which one to try out next since there's at least a couple of them in every hotel. We were still shopping around at the Forum shops in Caesars Palace, when my mom decided on going to Wolfgang Puck's restaurant "Spago" for a late lunch. I've passed by this restaurant numerous times but I've never gotten a chance to try it out up until our recent trip to Vegas this summer. The restaurant is very spacious and open with numerous tables outside the restaurant, and since Caesars Palace is made to look like your in Italy, the set up of the restaurant highlights the fake view of Caesars Palace's version of Italy to make it more authentic for tourists and locals.

Since this is one of Wolfgang Puck's fine dining restaurants, I had high expectations from the service and food that it has to offer. After we were given a table (with a wonderful view by the way), one of the servers gave us our menus. One thing that we noticed immediately was that the restaurant only uses Peanut oil to make their food. This was alarming to us because one of my sisters is allergic to peanuts and since it was noted at the menu that they use Peanut oil, we were starting to rethink the whole situation and whether or not should we even stay for lunch. We ended up calling one of the servers on the floor to ask about the Peanut oil situation, but what ended up happening however was something very unexpected. He told us that the only dishes that had peanut oil in them are the fried items on the menu. We weren't sure as to which other items on the menu were fried besides fries and the calamari so we asked the server to elaborate more about the items because we just wanted to make sure that my sister wouldn't get an allergic reaction to their food and also because we don't have any allergy medicine at hand. The server seemed annoyed after we asked him to be more specific so he ended up just saying "Just the fried items on the menu! What more do you want me to say?!" Well.. first of all, it was our first time eating there so how the heck do we know which item/s on the menu had any fried items or peanut oil in them. Second, we just asked you to elaborate more since you work there and you should know very well the menu already, it should be easy for you to tell us which items use peanut oil or not. Our meaning of elaborate is to specifically tell us which one she can order and which one she can't. It's not really that hard of a question if you know the menu, I mean it would be a big help if you knew and it's okay if you didn't.. maybe you could even ask the chef if your not sure.. we wouldn't mind.. just as long as you don't give us an attitude about it we would be okay.

Just as we were about to decide on leaving, another server came to our table to help us with our peanut oil situation. This time however, the server was very kind enough to tell us which specific one had peanut oil and which one did not. After the frustration over the first server that gave us an attitude, we were very happy to know that the second server was in fact our main server for lunch so after finally deciding on what to order we ended up deciding on four different items to share, their Calamari, Spago Classic Chopped Salad, Italian Wood Fire Sausage Pizza and their Hand cut Spaghettini. Service wise, I would have to say that the server that we got (Second server) was very good with customer service. He was very friendly, accommodating, knowledgeable and quick with his responsibilities (unlike the first server that we got). If he didn't swoop in to save the situation, I think we would have just left the restaurant and head over to Bobby Flay's "Mesa" inside the casino. I really admired the way he interacted with the other customers as well and I can honestly say he was one of the best servers that we got on our recent trip to Vegas. Not only did he do damage control from the first server but he also showed how he really cared about the customer's dining experience.

The food on the other hand was simple and presented well, but the dishes didn't seem anything special to me. Also, I feel like it's not worth paying the cost of fine dining since the food that they make seemed to me like it could be served in a different restaurant setting that's not fine dining. I was just expecting it to have more of a "wow" factor instead of my initial reaction of "oh, it's only that?" kind of expression since Spago is considered to be one of Wolfgang Puck's fine dining restaurants. We went there during lunch time so maybe the menu is a bit more limited and more casual than their menu during dinner time. The items weren't bad per say but I just thought that they could have done it a little bit better and more unique. Also, it would be nice if the food did live up to the fame of Wolfgang Puck. I kind of had high hopes for this place but somehow I'm a bit torn in between going back there again on my next trip or not.

Spago Classic Chopped Salad

Calamari

Italian Sausage Woodfire Pizza

Hand Cut Spaghettini

Pajo's Fish & Chips

2012-08-17T01:37:00.002-07:00

It's been really really warm lately and as much as I would love to go out and enjoy the outdoors, it's really hard not to get a headache from walking outside especially with the up and down temperatures that we've been having over the last couple of weeks. Also, since we don't have centralized air con at home, it's seems even warmer to stay indoors (even with the windows open and our electric fan on high) than to go outside. So when my family and I were deciding on where we could go, Steveston seemed to be like the best place to not only enjoy and make the most of the weather, but also satisfy my sister's craving for fish and chips!

We haven't been to Pajo's in a while, so I was really excited to go for fish & chips! Normally Pajo's is only open on certain days during Fall/Spring, but in the summer time they are open every single day from 11am to 8pm. We were pretty early when we arrived that day so there wasn't as much people yet as opposed to when you go there during peak eating hours. We were also lucky enough to have gotten a nice table by the shade so we wouldn't be directly exposed to the sunlight. When it was finally time for us to order however, we were kind of worried that each of us wouldn't be able to finish a large order by ourselves so our solution was to just order one large halibut fish & chips and one large cod fish & chips to share.

Both the halibut and the cod were nicely fried and crispy on the outside, but I ended up liking the cod better than the halibut. It's not that I don't like eating halibut (I do!) but for some reason the cod just tasted better that day. The cod was soft and smooth on the inside and then crispy on the outside while the halibut was a bit more dense than normal. Both fishes were still good but I just preferred the cod better. The fries on the other hand was something that I wasn't happy with. I will admit I am a huge sucker for french fries! It's one thing that I can't resist! whether it's just plain french fries or a dressed up poutine, I'll still eat it either way! But the fries at Pajo's was really disappointing! It was really soggy and super oily! I was thinking that maybe it was soggy because the fries were at the bottom of the fish so the heat (from the fries) couldn't get through. I'm not completely sure if that's really the case but that could be a possibility. Maybe if they served the fries in another cone or a different container, it wouldn't be as soggy as it should have been? or better yet, maybe even crispier to eat! Also, every fish & chips order comes with it's very own tartar sauce. I'm not really sure though if they charge you extra for more tartar sauce (because usually i just dip mine in both tartar sauce and ketchup so I never run out of sauce) but I know that they have a couple of other sauces to choose from on the side (unless of course you want gravy then they charge you $1.25 for it). It is quite pricey to eat at Pajo's especially if you also order drinks and/or additional side items but If you want to lower the cost of your meal, I would suggest sharing a drink (if your planning to order pop) because pop is refillable! Although our bill came out to be much more expensive than expected, we still enjoyed our relaxing day at Steveston.

Cod Fish & Chips

Halibut Fish & Chips

Las Vegas Summer 2012: Jean Philippe Patisserie at the Bellagio

2012-08-14T13:43:00.000-07:00

Going to Vegas isn't complete without a trip to Jean Philippe Patisserie at the Bellagio! If you guys haven't been to Vegas before, Jean Philippe Patisserie is a European style pastry shop filled with overflowing sweet goodies and treats. This pastry shop not only specializes in chocolates and pastries but also different kinds of crepes, gelato and much more. From the ingenious mind of Jean Philippe himself, Jean Philippe Patisserie also houses the largest chocolate fountain in the world! Imagine a fountain that drips different kinds of melted chocolate from the ceiling! It's quite an attraction to see when your in Las Vegas especially if your a chocolate fan yourself! But don't forget.. there are two Jean Philippe Patisserie branches here in Las Vegas, one in Aria and another one in the Bellagio (which houses the chocolate fountain) so if you want to get a glimpse of the infamous chocolate fountain, you have to remember to go to the right hotel! Also, you wouldn't believe how much people go to Jean Philippe every single day! There's always a huge amount of people waiting in line just for their gelato, pastries & crepes. What I like about this place though is that they open early and they close late (Monday - Thursday: 7am - 11pm Friday - Sunday: 7am - midnight) so if your looking for somewhere to go for a quick bite to eat or for a late night dessert/snack, Jean Philippe Patisserie is a great place to go to!

Apple Sensation Crepe: one of our favorites here! I think it tastes better with vanilla ice cream. When you combine all of the components together, it tastes almost like an open faced apple pie, only lighter.

Tiramisu (bottom) and Cookies & Cream (Top) gelato

Turkey & Cheese Crepe: Heavier than their other crepes because the filling is actually inside. It had the right amount of turkey and cheese so the cheese didn't over power the entire crepe. I also really liked how it came with a salad on the side but instead of eating mine separately, I actually just got a little bit of both and ate it at the same time.

Berry crepe: It had a mix of sour and sweet from the berries.. it was okay.

Exotic Crepe (served with coconut ice cream): Super loved this one too! The topping reminds me a lot of marmalade but when you eat it with the coconut ice cream, it actually tastes very refreshing. Sweet and refreshing!

Suika (revisited)

2012-08-13T18:07:00.002-07:00

It was my sister's birthday the other day and we decided to surprise her by bringing her to Suika for dinner. She absolutely just loves Japanese food especially when it comes to sashimi or anything raw (that's eatable of course!). It really doesn't matter what kind of carpaccio, tataki or sashimi it is, she'll still eat it! She even loves red meat! that's why whenever we go out for steak or prime rib, she would always ask for it to be cooked medium rare.. and guess what? She's only 15! So after going back to Suika a few weeks ago, it dawned on me that she might love this place too! (maybe even become one of her new favorite restaurants.. you'll never know). Like my last visit, I also went back on a weekday (Wednesday this time) and I made sure that we had reservations for 6 people at 6:30pm because this place is always busy even on a weekday! When we arrived, we were lucky enough to have found a good parking spot just a few feet away from the restaurant (Thank God!) and when we got inside, we were given a very spacious table right at the corner of the restaurant. The place wasn't full yet when we got there but you would be amazed at how packed this place is in just a span of one hour (can you believe it? in just one hour?! insane!)

The food was still excellent as usual and the service that we got was still amazing. I really like how every time I come here, the consistency of their food and service is always the same. It really shows how much care and effort the restaurant has put in just to make the dining experience of their customers a great one. After we ordered our food, we didn't have to wait long before our food started to arrive. And just like my last visit, the kitchen still amazes me at how well presented and cooked perfectly each of their dishes are in just a short amount of time. Honestly, my taste buds and my stomach are always happy and satisfied whenever I go to Suika and based on my dining experiences there, they still haven't found a way to disappoint me in anything they do.. well not yet.

There was also something that happened that night that made our experience there even more unforgettable. After we sat down on our table, my auntie asked one of the servers if there was a free dessert for someone celebrating his or her birthday. The server was kind enough to tell us with a smile "no, but we can sing Happy Birthday for you!" We didn't really think that our server would do it because we thought that she was just joking around with us. At the end of the night however, after ordering our desserts and waiting for almost 10 minutes for it.. we called back our server to follow up our order (we were assuming that maybe she forgot to punch it in). What we didn't know was.. all of the servers were waiting for the right time (since the place was really busy and the servers had a lot of things to do) to have a free minute or two just so that they could all come together and sing Happy Birthday (very loudly I might add) to my sister. We were all very surprised and happy that they even had the courtesy to really sing Happy Birthday! Not only did this make our recent experience there a very tasteful and satisfying one but also a memorable one to all of us! Having been here for dinner 3 times already.. I still can't find a reason for you guys not to go to Suika.. it seems like this place just keeps surprising me and my taste buds every time I go!

*Side Note: We didn't get the $25 "Suika Punch" dinner package from Vaneats on this trip but if you would like to see what it comes with.. you can check out my last post about Suika here ---> Suika

Lightly Smoked Tuna Tataki: I really loved this dish! I was able to try it out the last time I was there because of the Suika Punch dinner package from Vaneats. The tuna was lightly smoked on the outside and when you eat it together with the toppings and sauce, it's a magical combination of flavors that you won't be able to resist! Light, sweet and tangy.

Salmon Carpaccio: The salmon was sliced very nicely and dressed well. Light and fresh!

Tofu Salad

Hotate Carpaccio (Scallop): It looked more like a salad dish because there were more greens than scallop but the scallop itself was light and soft to eat.

Corn Kakiage: This is a must try/order item! You wouldn't think it to be anything special when your looking at the description of it on the menu but when you try it, you'll be absolutely mind blown at how you can make such an amazing dish with very simple ingredients.

Tokyo Oxtail Ramen: I've seen a lot of people ordering this and we wanted to give it a try. The noodles were very chewy and the broth was tasty. Although the oxtail was cooked in a different way that I'm used to eating it, it was still a good dish.

Ebimayo: It wasn't your typical prawn tempura. Although it's not unique, it's still very very good!

Tako Karaage (Octopus): Octopus version of the calamari. It's was okay, nothing special.

Grilled Sable Fish: If you love fish, your definitely going to love this! Although it did have a couple of fish bones here and there.. it's still one very good dish!

Beef Short Rib: Definitely a must try item here! The meat was very tender and very easy to take off from the bone. Although the sauce was thick, it actually worked very well together.

Kakuni Bibimbap

Dynamic Steak: The king of all steaks! This is another must try item here! It's the enhanced version of their Beef Fillet Steak and it costs $38 (definitely worth it!). It's double the price and size of their regular steak (which costs $16) and is good enough to share for 2-3 people. It was cooked very well especially for it's size and it also has the right amount of meat to fat ratio. It's juicy, soft and tender that you will definitely want to have more of it after your first bite!

Almond Tofu

Matcha Brulee: Eating here wouldn't be complete without an order (or maybe two) of their Matcha Brulee! It's just absolutely melt in your mouth perfect!

Servers singing Happy Birthday

HK Bbq Master

2012-08-11T02:49:00.000-07:00

My mom's sudden craving for Bbq pork led me to one place and one place only.. HK Bbq Master! Located on 4651 on no. 3 road inside Superstore's parking lot, this small bbq shop is not to be judged! In fact, it should be admired! Why? because they have one of the best tasting Chinese bbq meats around town! I don't really know what they put on their meat to make it taste so good compared to other Chinese bbq shops here, but it's been attracting customers from all over Richmond and Vancouver ever since they opened! The place is quite small to begin with but they do have a couple of tables and chairs for customers who wants to dine in. When your planning on just going for take out however, there's usually a long line that goes out the door (insane right? and it's just for Chinese Bbq!). The wait isn't really as bad as it looks like because the servers are pretty quick and efficient at attending customers so you'll pretty much be out the door with your piece of meat in no time! Also, being located inside Superstore's parking lot has it's benefits.. such as.. free parking! (YEY!) I will admit sometimes it's hard to find a good parking spot at certain times of the day, but I guess it just depends on what time you go and how patient you are to wait for one. The prices that they charge here ranges from $5.99 - $9.50 for their rice combos and then from $8 - $12.50 for half or $16 - $25 for the whole thing (without rice). I think it might still be pricey for some people but I promise you though that if you finally get a chance to try out their meat/s, I'm sure you'll understand why people love to go to HK Bbq Master!

Bbq Pork on rice ($5.99): Soft, Chewy and cooked well. Super love the black parts of the bbq pork! especially when it's smothered in their sauce!

Roasted Pork on rice ($6.99): Since I grew up in the Philippines, I'm so used to putting Mang Thomas (Sauce for roasted pig) on any roasted pork dish that I eat. The pork tasted good by itself.. it was soft and nicely cooked but with Mang Thomas.. it tasted even better!

Las Vegas Summer 2012: Haagen Dazs at Fashion Mall

2012-08-09T00:36:00.003-07:00

While shopping around Fashion Mall in Las Vegas, we decided to pop by the food court for a quick stop at Haagen Dazs for a snack to cool off from all the walking that we've been doing. We don't exactly have a Haagen Dazs store/stall/kiosk here in Vancouver, but I'm sure it would be cool if we had one! They had a couple of flavors for you to choose from but what caught my eye was the ad behind the counter that said "Sweet Balsamic Strawberry Ice Cream"! I super love strawberry balsamic especially on salads or steaks (Yes.. I use mine as a dipping sauce for steaks! No judging!). However by the time I finally decided on what flavor I wanted, I didn't know that my mom had already ordered an ice cream for me (super fail). She did get me strawberry.. just not strawberry balsamic.. but no sweat! It was still good! I mean it's still better than nothing right?

Cookies and Cream

Strawberry

Kisamos Greek Taverna (Steveston)

2012-08-05T03:09:00.002-07:00

I haven't been back to Kisamos for quite some time now so when my mom decided on Greek food the other day, the first thing that came to my mind was to go to Kisamos. Located at 3420 Moncton st, Kisamos Greek Taverna is a restaurant that serves authentic Greek food right at the heart of Steveston. We were fortunate enough that the weather was super nice that day so walking around Steveston was a nice way to spend the day with the family. However, our recent visit there was quite a disappointment for me service and cleanliness wise. Why? Because when we arrived, there was only one server that was doing all the work in the restaurant. People were starting to come in and accumulate quite a bit at the door area but the server couldn't escort them to a table because she was busy serving hot food to other customers or taking other people's order. The server herself was actually not bad and even with load of stuff to do her attitude was still very positive, but since she was all by herself, she could not get to other customers immediately (I would imagine that she would be having quite a stressful day ahead of her). So when we were trying to get her attention, it took a while before she was able to take our orders, give us refills on water and other things. I was just really disappointed at how she was the only one at the front of the house doing all the work when they could have had another person come in to help her out so that everything would be quicker and even more accommodating to the guests. Not only did this result in frustration over trying to get her attention but also for the wait that some guests (including us) had to endure.

Their cleanliness on the other hand was on the so so side, it wasn't as clean as I had hoped for but it wasn't super dirty either. I mean what can I expect from a restaurant like this? 5 star quality? Of course not. Also, when we sat down, one of the plates on our table was dirty so I wasn't happy about that (I have a picture of it below). The plate added on to the frustration that I had with their idea of only getting one server because it really did took a while before she was able to get around to our table for us to tell her about it and for her to bring us a new set of plates. When it came to their food however, I will admit that it was pretty decent. Their service and cleanliness wasn't really as good as I had hoped for, but the food was still good and tasty like my last visit (so at least you know that the chef is consistent with his/her cooking). We only ordered two of their items to share (their roast lamb and spanakopita) since their dishes are already quite filling just from the sides themselves (they pretty much load you up with carbs like rice, pita bread, potatoes and Greek salad). The lamb itself was cooked very well but the mint gravy could have used a bit more mint flavor to it. Their Spanakopita on the other hand had a nice crispy texture on the outside and then filled with the right amount of spinach & cheese on the inside. What I loved the most here though was their pita bread and their Tzatziki sauce because believe it or not they actually make it from scratch right at the restaurant! Actually all of their dishes already comes with a side of Tzatziki sauce but since we loved it so much.. we actually ended up ordering 2 more for $1.75 each. The price they charge for their sauce may be a bit much but for the taste and quality of the ingredients that you get, you'll be happy for paying that extra $1.75 just so you could get more of their awesome Tzatziki sauce!

Overall I would have to say that Kisamos isn't a bad place to go to if your looking/craving for authentic Greek food in Richmond. Although they do need to make some improvements on other aspects of their restaurant, their food however has still given us a good reason to go back a couple more times. I'm just hoping our next visit would be a better experience for us not just food wise but service and cleanliness wise as well.

The dirty plate

Pita bread

Tzatziki Sauce

Roast Lamb

Spanakopita

Las Vegas Summer 2012: Lunch at Aria's "The Buffet"

2012-08-03T01:44:00.001-07:00

During our recent trip to Vegas, my family and I visited Aria's buffet twice, one for lunch and then another for dinner (---> Dinner at Aria's "The Buffet"). Unlike their dinner buffet, their lunch buffet is more focused on brunch items with the usual suspects such as breakfast items, Chinese food, Indian food, Japanese food, Mexican food, Western food, a smaller variety of seafood, meat and of course dessert. Like I said in one of my previous posts about Aria, the quality of their food is one of the best ones that I've had on the strip. The restaurant's interior is very luxurious and elegant, and the service that we got this time was much better compared to the service from our last visit (not like it sucked really bad last time but there was an improvement). For an irresistible price of $20.95, their lunch buffet is too good of a deal to pass up! especially since your already paying for the whole package (quality of food, service and atmosphere).

Pulled Pork Sliders

Breakfast Pizza

Amazing and Super Creamy Creme Brulee

They seriously have one of the best tasting fruit cobblers ever! I always end up eating 2 bowls of this!

Las Vegas Summer 2012: Ciao Ciao Cafe Bar at Ceasar's Palace

2012-07-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

With the insane summer heat Las Vegas had for us, ice cream/gelato was one of our staple snack/dessert items that helped us cool off during the day. One of my favorite places for gelato on the strip is located in Ceasars Palace's Forum Shops called Ciao Ciao Cafe/Bar where they serve not only gelato, but also Nathan's hot dogs, pizza, nachos and drinks. Directly across from Max Brenner and H&M, you would be surprised at how much people go to this small kiosk just for gelato! With unique flavors such as Tiramisu, Banana Foster, White Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake, and more.. as well as four different sizes to choose from such as Regular (1 flavor) for $6.25, Mid-Size (1-2 flavors) $7.99, VIP (2-3 flavors) $9.99, and the terminator (2-3 flavors) for $12.99, you would be tempted as I was to get one (or maybe two) for yourself!

VIP: Banana Foster, Tiramisu and White Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake Gelato

Suika

2012-07-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

I can't remember exactly when my last visit to Suika was, but I know that it was somewhere in the line of 2006 - 2007 when they first opened their doors here in Vancouver. If you guys haven't been to Suika before, Suika is a Japanese Tapas restaurant similar to Guu (another Japanese Tapas place) that serves snack sized portions of food with very outgoing and loud servers (loud in a good way though!). Located at 1626 W. Broadway, directly beside Goldilocks, Suika is surprisingly a great restaurant for dates (even with the loud background), gatherings and celebrations (Although it's not really a big restaurant, it can still house quite a decent amount of people).

One of the most important things that you have to remember here when your planning on going for dinner at Suika is.. reservation. We actually went on a Thursday with reservations at 7:30pm and the place was still surprisingly full! (this goes to show how good this restaurant is.. still busy even on a weekday!) One thing I'm not really sure of is whether or not you might need to make reservations during lunch time. I'm assuming that they might also be very busy especially during peak eating hours because of lunch rushes or lunch breaks that people (who work near there) would have. For their lunch menu, I think that they do have a different set of items and specials that they only offer during lunch time so I guess this gives me another excuse to go back another time to check it out myself.

One issue that I didn't like with Suika's location is the parking (as always when your eating in Vancouver). Since the restaurant is located on W. Broadway, street parking is usually the only available area for you to park in. It can be a pain in the butt to find a good spot near the restaurant let alone do parallel parking with lots of cars waiting behind you at the same time. What I do admire from this restaurant is that the service that they provide is very consistent (as I recall from my last visit here, the service was still very good and up to my standards). The kitchen was also quick at producing (fresh and quality) food because we didn't have to wait long before our orders started to arrive on our table. Our server was also very accommodating during our entire meal which helped in making our experience even better for all of us. When it was time for me to judge the food, I would have to say that (although simple) the presentation was done very well. They were also able to incorporate the right combination of flavors and textures into their dishes which helped (better) enhance the taste of each item even more.

Also, If you've never been to Suika before I would highly recommend getting/trying out the "Suika Punch" dinner package that Vaneats is currently offering for $25. The package includes: Lightly Smoked Tuna Tataki, Tomato Kimchi, Yellowtail Carpaccio, The Hellz Chicken, Chinese Poutine and a pitcher of Sapporo. My friends and I actually bought one of their dinner package just to try it out and as you will see below through the pictures, for 5 food items and a pitcher of Sapporo beer, it's a pretty good deal! I would definitely recommend you guys getting this! Not only will you get to try a variety of items from their menu, but your also getting the bang for your buck by paying only $25 for 6 items (imagine beer alone already costs $18!).

Sapporo beer (included in Suika Punch dinner package)

Lightly Smoked Tuna Tataki (included in Suika Punch dinner package)

Tomato Kimchi (included in Suika Punch dinner package)

Yellowtail Carpaccio (included in Suika Punch dinner package)

Grilled Duck: Duck was cooked very well

Chinese Poutine: They were spot on with the Chinese part because the poutine had minced meat on top, the fries were crispy but it wasn't anything special. (included in Suika Punch dinner package)

The Hellz Chicken: The chicken was cooked perfectly and when combined with the sauce, it had the right kick of spiciness that made everything worked well together. The sauce however tasted kind of familiar to me.. it actually made me think of Tabasco sauce mixed with Siracha. (included in Suika Punch dinner package)

Dynamic Steak: This is another must try/order item! I'm not sure if they have this on the menu but it's the enhanced version of their Beef Fillet Steak. It costs $38, and it's twice the size of their regular steak which costs $16. One order of this is actually good enough to share for 2-3 people. It has the right amount of meat to fat ratio and when you eat it with the wasabi that it comes with, your taste buds may feel just like they are about to go to meat heaven!

Matcha Brulee: It was absolutely divine! I think one order wasn't enough to make me feel fully satisfied with this dessert. If you combine everything together (the matcha with the red bean and whipped cream), it was just perfect.. melt in your mouth perfect!

Las Vegas Summer 2012: The buffet at Wynn

2012-07-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

When it comes to buffets, I keep hearing people say that Wynn has one of the best tasting ones on the strip. So when my family and I were planning our trip to Vegas this summer, I made sure that we had enough time to squeeze in a time slot to try out Wynn's infamous buffet. This (would you believe) actually became one of my ultimate goals during our trip and as weird or funny as it may sound, I was really motivated to make it happen! No matter how full or tired I was.. I made sure that Wynn was one of the restaurants that we had to go to! After my constant reminder (or should I say nagging) to my family.. they were nice enough to bring me (finally!) to Wynn's buffet! You wouldn't believe how happy and excited I was when we were in our taxi ride all the way to the hotel. I was literally hyping myself up and imagining how much food I could choose from! Originally I wanted to go try their dinner buffet, but since we already made dinner plans for the rest of our time there, Lunch was the only available and ideal time for us to go. By the time we got there, there were surprisingly no line ups outside (Thank God!) so we were able to go straight in right away without having to wait long. It was also a good thing that there were no line ups because we were already super hungry that we practically just dived into their buffet as soon as we were given a table!

When you enter the restaurant, you'll see how the interior is decorated with very nice whimsical characteristics like the colorful floral arrangements at the center hall that leads you to a number of open door ways towards the other parts of the restaurant and buffet. When it came down to their service, I would have to say that our server was great at doing his work but what bothered us the most was when it came to calling him. He seems to be no where in sight most of the time! but at least when we finally got his attention, he was quick to respond and provide us with our orders. Food wise, you could easily see the difference of quality that you get compared to other hotel buffets on the strip. I would have to say that Aria's buffet is still my favorite place to go to but Wynn's is not bad as well. I do however still want to try out their dinner buffet because I'm assuming that maybe there would be more seafood and meat options at night. Lunch didn't really have as much seafood options as I was expecting it to have but for the variety of food that they had, you could say that they were a pretty good contender to Aria's buffet.

Usually quality and luxury comes with a hefty price, yet the luxury buffets in Las Vegas are priced reasonably well especially for the package (atmosphere, service, quality of food and drinks) that your getting during your entire meal. So when it comes down to their prices, there's really nothing to argue about paying $20 - $25 (or in Wynn's case $23.99) for the atmosphere, service, all you can eat (quality) food and refillable drinks for a couple of hours. I'm still curious to see what the difference is between their lunch and dinner buffet (besides for the price) so hopefully on my next trip, I'll get a chance to try it out! (I will make it happen!)

Las Vegas summer 2012: Cosmopolitan's "Wicked Spoon" buffet

2012-07-25T19:58:00.003-07:00

The second buffet that we went to on this trip was to another one of our neighbor hotels called the Cosmopolitan. If you guys haven't been to Vegas yet or haven't been back in a while, Cosmopolitan is a new hotel on the strip that recently opened a few years ago that's super modern and chic.

When you enter the restaurant, you'd be surprised at how grand and elegant the place looks like. From the design of the sitting area to the layout of the buffet line, you'll be as excited as I am when you walk into the place filled with the overflowing sight and smell of food! What I really liked about this place is that most of their items are already portioned out for you in small plates or containers, so instead of over eating or getting too much food on your plate, you'll have the right amount of servings of each item to try without filling yourself up too much. Their dessert section is also quite an eye opener! With numerous drool worthy items such as chocolate covered strawberries, bread pudding, tiramisu, chocolate mousse, strawberry shortcake, carrot cake, gelato, and many more. It was absolutely dessert heaven! and it just made me want to dive right into their desserts first before digging in to their entrees.

We actually arrived at the restaurant around 8pm but since the restaurant closes at 9, I was a bit worried whether or not an hour was enough for us to fully enjoy and savor their buffet. Usually buffets in Las Vegas or Asia are very overwhelming especially when you see how long of a line their buffets are and how much food are on every section of the line. Luckily when I asked our server about this, she told me that they do close at 9pm however the food stations closes at 9:15 (so that gives us another 15 min after closing to grab all of the food that we want to eat!), drinks are still being offered til 9:30 and then customers can stay and finish their food until 10pm (Thank God!). When it came down to the food, you can easily see the quality of their execution for each item. You could even see the chefs preparing each item one by one so you know that everything is made fresh on the spot. What did bother me a bit though was the long line for the seafood. It was kind of annoying because the location of the cooking station for the mussels/clams is directly beside the king crab so when there's a line, the king crab section is always blocked off with people. Other than the frustration over the line, I did have a number of favorite items (Risotto, Fried Tomatoes, Parmesan Shrimp, Lasagna, Mac & Cheese and etc) but when it finally came to their dessert.. Their bread pudding was by far one of the best tasting ones that I've had (out of all the buffets that I've been to) on the Strip! No joke! It was so good, I ended up finishing two servings of it! Let me tell you, my love for bread pudding is like my love for frozen yogurt, fruit cobbler (but the topping has to be super crumbly!) and mini doughnuts! I will never get tired of eating them! That's why whenever I go to buffets or all you can eats, these items are usually what I look for/attack first when I scan the dessert section.

Another factor that stands out from the Wicked Spoon is the quality of their service. The server that we got that night was exceptional! She was very friendly, quick and accommodating during our entire meal. Her attitude never changed the whole time and she didn't even rush us to leave even though the restaurant was already closed (Talk about amazing patience and great service right there!).

Normally, I don't usually eat this late at night when I'm in Vancouver especially when it comes to buffets (even though late night all you can eat Japanese is very common in our city's culture nowadays when it comes to food after 9pm). But since I'm already in Las Vegas and I'm on vacation.. I practically went all out with my eating and just forgot about my diet for the whole 7 days that I was there. You can literally see the huge smile on my face every time I took a bite of my food. It was really paradise for me.. now if only I had a time machine.. I could just rewind my whole trip and experience everything all over again.

Still literally mind blown!

Top Gun J&C (Richmond)

2012-07-23T00:27:00.004-07:00

My family and I decided to go have brunch at Top Gun the other day and since it was on a weekend, we were already expecting the worst. We arrived there around 1:30pm and just as we predicted, it was still packed with people! Although we ended up only waiting for 30min, it still seemed quite a long time for us because it was already 1:30pm and we were starving! Located at 8766 McKim Way, on the second floor in a strip mall right across from Bubble Queen.Top Gun J&C is a very well known Chinese restaurant here in Richmond that serves one of the best Chinese foods around. If your planning to come here, this place won't be as busy as coming on a weekend but like other Chinese restaurants here, they do fill up pretty fast especially for dim sum! Since they are located in the same mall with a couple of other businesses, they only have a few parking spots allocated for customers to park in so parking might be an issue. However, you can park on the side walk (street parking)
but of course it's not free (as if anything in this world is ever free!).

Whenever we would come here, we would usually order their Baked Bbq Pork Buns (they make the best ones out of all the dim sum places here in Richmond!), Egg Tarts, Baked Durian Pastry, Deep Fried Taro Root in Sugar, Pan Fried Stuffed Tofu, Sticky Rice w/ Diced Pork, Steamed Chicken and Sausage Rice, Steamed Sponge Cake, Red Bean Almond Tofu and their Baked Black Sesame Pudding.

Top Gun used to close one day during the week but starting July 1, they are going to be open from 9:00am - 3:00pm and then 5:30pm - 10:00pm every single day now so good news to all Top Gun fans out there! What's really great about Top Gun is that they offer discounts to customers that have their Top Gun Card, which I think costs at around $50 to enter and then $25 a year to renew (It's quite expensive but if your a frequent customer to all of their restaurants, you do get a better deal from this). Since we do have one, we got to get 30% off from our bill and for 12 items, we only paid for 60+ dollars including tip (not too shabby for the amount of food that we got). But as much as I love Top Gun, our recent visit was surprisingly disappointing. The poached vegetable that we ordered came along with a surprise guest.. A bug! (EEEEEEW!!!) My appetite seriously changed from being hungry to full in just a few seconds! I know that when vegetables are freshly picked there is a huge chance that there might be bugs in them but at least wash them thoroughly! I guess this just goes to show that they didn't wash the vegetables well enough to make sure that each one of them didn't have any creepy crawlies any more. When we complained about the bug in the vegetable dish, the server immediately asked us if we wanted a new one of the same dish, a different dish or just cancel the order. Of course, we didn't want to order the same thing again after that! and we were practically almost done eating so we just ended up cancelling the dish. I would have liked it though if they had the courtesy to give us a complimentary dessert or something else just to make up for it but I guess that's only gonna happen in my dreams. Of all the times I've been to Top Gun (and let me tell you I've been here countless of times already), this is the first time that there was a bug in our food. Other than our surprise visitor, Top Gun is actually a pretty decent restaurant and even after this fiasco for sure I will still come back for their food but maybe just stay away from their Poached Vegetable dish next time.

Baked Bbq Pork Buns - best ever!

Egg Tart

Deep Fried Squid

Fish Congee

Poached Vegetables

Steamed Rice Roll w/ Chinese Doughnut & Green Onion - the doughnut on the inside wasn't crispy and soft.. it was just hard and oily.

Steamed Bbq Pork Buns

Siu Mai

Eggplant w/ Fish Paste

Deep Fried Taro Root w/ Sugar - one of my favorites!

Steamed Chicken & Sausage Rice

Steamed Sponge Cake

Las Vegas Summer 2012: Jollibee & Red Ribbon

2012-07-22T01:15:00.000-07:00

When it comes to food, Las Vegas is very well known for their high end restaurants by world renowned chefs such as Wolfgang Puck, Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, Jean George, Jean Philippe and much more. They are also famous for their overflowing buffets where you can stuff yourself with as much food as you want! But who knew Las Vegas is also one of the few places here in North America that has Jollibee and Red Ribbon???! I didn't know that!

When our family friends in Las Vegas asked us if we wanted to go.. Of course our initial reaction was OMG ARE YOU SERIOUS??? with a follow up of YES! WHEN ARE WE GOING?! right after. As I have written in one of my previous posts, Jollibee is one of my favorite places to go to growing up. I can still remember when I was still studying in the Philippines, my mom and grandmother would always buy us marienda (snack) at Jollibee after school before we head over to our tutor's house. Red Ribbon is also a huge part of my childhood because our whole family loves to eat their pastries and cakes, or to be more specific: their Chicken/Beef Empanadas, Ube Cake, Mamon, and their Banana Loaf. Since there is no Jollibee or Red Ribbon in Canada, the closest that we can get our Jollibee/Red Ribbon fix is if we go all the way to SouthCenter Mall in Seattle (around 2 1/2 hour drive from Richmond).

Located within the beautiful community of Summerlin in Las Vegas, Jollibee and Red Ribbon is an awesome fast food place to go to for meals or take outs. If only Vancouver could open a branch here.. then I wouldn't have to waste my gas and drive all the way to Seattle just to get my Peach Mango Pies and Ube Cake!

Burger Steak

Peach Mango Pie!!!

Halo-Halo

Ube Cake

Chicken and Beef Empanada

Yew Restaurant + Bar (revisited)

2012-07-21T00:32:00.002-07:00

My family and I decided to go to have a nice lunch at Yew to spend some quality time together and to make up for the gloomy weather Vancouver was having yesterday. The last time I was here, I did a post about their weekend brunch ---> Yew Restaurant + Bar where they have their infamous 3 course brunch (appetizer, entree and dessert included) for only $29! and just in case you guys are wondering if they still have it.. they do! Every weekend! ;)

Being a Friday, I was really surprised at how busy it was since it was already 1pm when we got there and we still ended up waiting for about 45 min before we were given a table. Non the less, the food and service that we got was still amazing so that made up for the 45 min wait that our stomachs had to endure. What I really like about Yew is that the service that they provide you is consistently exceptional! The server that we got was very accommodating throughout our whole meal. When we asked for bread, she nicely explained to us that she didn't want to give us the bread that they have left at the moment because it was already stale but as soon as the kitchen finishes baking the new batches of scones and rolls, she'll deliver it to us immediately. Even though the bread took a while to make and she gave it to us when we were half way into our meal, she was still nice enough to give us two batches of newly baked bread after she saw how my mom loved the first batch that she brought us. She even gave us new set of drinks without us having to ask her for it! so i'm totally giving her a two thumbs on this one!

On a side note.. Yew is also having a promotion going on called "Foxy Fridays" where guests wearing the color pink will be given a free chef's creation appetizer! This also qualifies for the guys by the way.. so guys don't be ashamed to wear some pink when you go to Yew on Fridays! The promo is only on during Fridays from 2:30pm til closing so make sure to remember that Pink is the color if your going to Yew on a Friday!

Halibut: Seared Haida Gwaii Halibut, Lemon & Spinach, Creme Orzo, Feta Cheese, Oregano & Lemon Olive Oil

Mac & Cheese:Garganelli Pasta, White Cheddar, Summer Truffle Cream

Shrimp Brioche w/ Kennebec Fries: Hand peeled Shrimp, Grilled Brioche, Avocado, Lime Alioli & Butter Lettuce

Dungeness Crab Roll w/ Kennebec fries: Avocado, Daikon, Vermicelli Noodle, Spicy Apricot & Peach Sauce

Warm Fruit Crumble

Las Vegas Summer 2012: Aria's "The Buffet"

2012-07-19T22:30:00.001-07:00

Another one of my favorite reasons when it comes to eating in Las Vegas is because of their overflowing long list of buffets that surprises you every time whenever you eat! The quality of buffets in Vegas depends actually on which hotel's buffet restaurant you go to because not all buffets are that good and worth going to especially if your planning to pay around $40 for dinner. When my family and I came last year, we went to Bellagio's buffet and Aria's buffet (twice!) but if you compare Bellagio's to Aria's, you could easily see how the quality of food and presentation is way better in Aria than in Bellagio's. Bellagio was okay but personally for me, I thought their buffet was like a higher end version of Tulalip Casino's buffet (sorry if you guys don't like what I have to say about this place but it just didn't make me want to go back!). At least when we tried Aria for the first time, it immediately hit the following criteria of what I look for in a buffet: 1. Good quality of food 2.Wide variety of options 3.Refillable drinks 4. Great service 5. Design of the space and 6. Bang for your buck!

Since we ended up staying in Vdara again in this trip (that's where we also stayed last year), we decided to just head on over to Aria's "The Buffet" for dinner since it's directly beside Vdara. The line going in wasn't as long compared to when we were there last year but the only difference now is that they are currently offering a promotion where you can get unlimited wine and a half piece of lobster along every adult dinner that you pay for. This promo is only for their gourmet buffet dinners during Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and costs at around $38.95 per person. Imagine for $38.95, you can get a half piece of lobster, all you can drink wine/pop and all you can eat food! (King Crab and Prime Rib included!) Let me tell you.. when your in North America, only in Vegas can you see something like this! What I also like about the buffets in Vegas is that the restaurant doesn't even rush you to leave! (unless of course they're already about to close). If you could eat so much.. you could practically stay there and fill yourself up with food up to 3 hours and they won't even care! Talk about buffet paradise!

Another thing that a lot of people do at buffets is that they usually go in around the time when the restaurant is about to do the switch from breakfast to lunch or lunch to dinner. If the buffet that your going to doesn't close in between meals.. you can outsmart the price of your meal by going in the restaurant before their lunch or dinner time starts and you can pay either the breakfast or lunch price. The best deal is when you pay dinner for their lunch price because they usually have more seafood and meat options at night. This isn't really cheating.. it's more like outsmarting the system (well I like to think it that way.. plus you do get a better deal and more bang for your buck!).

Think about it, when can you even get the chance to get Prime Rib, Snow Crab, King Crab, and Jumbo sized shrimp all in the same plate in Vancouver?? Not often! We only get nicer buffets on special occasions like Mother's Day Father's Day, Easter Sunday or some other holiday, and what's sad about it is that they don't have as much variety and quantity of food compared to here in Vegas or in Asia! Other than the quality and the overflowing options of food that you get, The buffet at Aria is also very well designed. With glass lighting hanging down from the ceiling to minimal use of color, Aria's dining area is made to look modern and high end to entertain hotel guests, tourists and locals with their wide options of food. Also being in a five star hotel, it's already expected that you should definitely get five star quality service. The server that we got was very accommodating however, she was pretty slow and forgetful at our drink orders which made it a little frustrating this time around. As I recall, the service that we got last year was exceptionally good and the server that we got didn't even required us to ask for more of our drinks because by the time it was empty, he was already ready with a new set for us to exchange with him. Maybe she was just overwhelmed by the amount of things that she had to do that's why she was slower and more forgetful? I don't really know why but I'm trying to make it look like a positive thing for you guys because this place should really be one of the few places that you should try when it comes to buffets here in Las Vegas! Just minus the forgetfulness of our server this trip.. it would have been perfect! But non the less, she was still really nice and friendly throughout our whole meal. Now if only Vancouver had buffets like these.. I would probably be there practically every single day! I'm not joking!

Jang Mo Jib (Richmond)

2012-07-18T12:20:00.001-07:00

Eating is one of my favorite things to do and one of the reasons why is because usually you get to surround yourself and spend time with the people you love the most. Having my family here from the Philippines was a great reason for us to go out, celebrate and eat! so when we were deciding as to where to go for dinner the other night, my mom suggested to go to Jang Mo Jib since they have big dishes, great tasting food and a lot of parking spots for us to park in.

Located on Alexandra Road beside Sheraton hotel, Jang Mo Jib is well known for their delicious and quite expensive Korean food. This restaurant is an amazing choice if your eating with a large party because of their huge portions of food and their all you can eat side dishes! I mean who's to argue with refillable food? even if it's just kimchi or potatoes, I'm happy with that! (Better than nothing right?) Their food is pretty darn good especially when it comes to their hotpots, noodles and chicken wings. Whenever we come here we would usually order their Ghal Bee JJim (hotpot), Yang Nyum Chicken (if you love spicy food, the spicier the better!), Jab Che (Sweet potato noodles), Hae Mool Pah Jun (Seafood Pancake), Tohng Gal Bee (Beef short ribs), Bibimbap and their Bool Go Gee (Stir fried beef rib eye). The food might be a bit on the heavier side though since there's a lot of meat, carbs and refillable side dishes, but I think it's still worth taking in the calories especially if it's awesome Korean food! One of my favorite things about eating in a Korean restaurant too is because of their tea. I do love tea in general but there's just something special about Korean teas that makes it unique. It has a very different taste compared to what Chinese and Japanese restaurants offer and for me it just taste way waaaaay better!

What I also like about Jang Mo Jib is that the restaurant itself is very spacious, so you don't really have to worry about being seated in a cramped area. Also, parking in this location is better than other restaurants located on Alexandra Rd because (guess what??) they have their very own back parking lot! (Yey!) so even though we went on a Friday night there's still tons of spots for me to park! Which is super awesome because less pain for the driver! (aka ME!). Overall I would have to say that even though Jang Mo Jib's price range is on the higher side, it's still worth indulging yourself to a Korean feast once in a while.. especially if you're getting the quality and taste that you're paying for.

Jab Che

Gahl Bee Sal Bool Go Gee

Side order of lettuce

Gahl Bee Jjim

Yang Nyum Chicken

Hae Mool Pah Jun

Las Vegas Summer 2012: Serendepity 3

2012-07-16T00:14:00.001-07:00

Summer vacation calls for a trip to one of my favorite places in North America.. LAS VEGAS! For some reason, Vegas just reminds me quite a bit of home. The food (especially the buffets!), the weather (during summer time), the shopping and the hotels just brings me back to when I was still living in the Philippines. I just recently came back from Las Vegas and on our first day there, we decided to head straight to one of my favorite places on the Strip.. SERENDEPITY3! Located in between the Bellagio and Ceasars Palace, Serendepity 3 is a restaurant that is famous for their foot long hot dogs, sundaes and frozen hot chocolates. Founded by Stephen Spruce in 1954, Serendipity also holds the title for making the world's most expensive dessert in the Guinness World Records for their Golden Opulence Sunday that costs at $1000 per order! (Insane right?)

By the time we got to our hotel, it was already pretty late because we were caught in line for about an hour just to get through immigrations at the new Terminal (which by the way just recently opened a week before we arrived) so by the time we got to the restaurant it was already around 8:30pm. If you guys haven't been to Serendepity3's Las Vegas branch, you would be surprised at how busy this place is! Practically every time I pass by the restaurant there are always people waiting in line to go in the restaurant or by their take out window. It doesn't really matter if you go on a weekday or weekend because you'll always see a line outside this place. When we went last year we ended up waiting around an hour and a half before we were given a table. This time however we ended up only waiting for 45 min which is a big improvement compared to our last trip, but it was still busy being that it was already 8:30pm when we arrived. Honestly though, I wouldn't mind waiting in line for 2 hours at this place because serendepity3 is actually one of my favorite restaurants in Vegas. If you don't want to wait as long for a table or maybe you want to order their food to go, they also have a very convenient take out window outside their restaurant that offers a simpler menu of their main menu. The wait time is shorter than waiting for a table but most of the time there's still a huge line up outside .. so be prepared to wait!

Every time we come here we would usually order their "All in Nachos" (my favorite!), "Crab Cake Salad", "Don't be afraid of my alfredo", "Mushroom burger" (it's a vegetarian burger), and their "A.B.C. burger". I've been wanting to try their foot long hot dogs for quite some time now because I always see a lot of people ordering it whenever I'm in town. Like last year, we ended up ordering quite a lot of food already so I didn't really get a chance to try it again this trip but hopefully on my next visit to Vegas, I'll get my chance to see why people like to order their foot long hot dogs so much. Another item that I (for some reason) am always excited about is their "All in Nachos".. as simple as it is, the mushiness of the black beans with the crunchiness of the chips and melted cheese, along with the gummy taste of the meat just goes so well with the avocado, sour cream and salsa that it comes with. Every bite blends so well in texture and taste that it just makes me lose control of my eating habits! Honestly, I think this is one of the best tasting nachos that I've had and I could probably eat a whole order or two by myself because it is just that good! I'm not really sure if a lot of you guys prefer this kind of nachos but if you are in town, I would suggest to give their nachos a try.. you'll never know.. you guys might end up liking it as well!

And Of course (let's not forget!) a trip to Serendepity3 ALWAYS calls for their frozen hot chocolate for dessert! If your in any branch of Serendepity3, whether New York, Las Vegas or somewhere else.. you have to order their frozen hot chocolate. This is a must have item in every location! I promise you, your missing out on something special right here if you don't give yourself a chance to try it out! They have a number of frozen hot chocolates to choose from in their menu but usually we just settle for their regular sized original frozen hot chocolate or their strawberry frozen hot chocolate. For us, one order of their regular size is already good enough for 4 people to share but of course if you feel like indulging yourself in cold rich hot chocolate.. why not order one just for yourself ;p The summer weather in Las Vegas is pretty much burning hot especially in July and August. I think the highest temperature that we had to get through this trip was 48 degrees, and in the span of 7 days.. I was pretty much tanned without even trying to tan! That's why Serendepity3's frozen hot chocolate also comes in super duper handy in the summer for cooling off from the scorching heat! In my opinion, the taste of their frozen hot chocolate is quite similar to how a chocolate milk shake slushy would be but more enhanced and much better than your typical chocolate shake. What makes their drink more unique than others is that they have their very own blend of chocolate mix that they make and use for their frozen hot chocolate. They also give you the option of customizing your very own frozen hot chocolate with toppings such as strawberries sauce, peanuts, fresh berries, marshmallows, pb cups, candied almonds and etc for only a dollar each, which makes it even cooler because you get a chance to dress up your frozen hot chocolate just the way you like it.

I also really like going to Serendepity3 because it reminds me a lot of being in a malt shop. I remember reading a lot of Archie comics growing up and whenever they would go to Pop's shop, I would always wonder how it would look like when it's real. Serendepity3 is not really exactly the same as Pop's but it's more of like the fancier version of how a malt shop would be. If only they could open one up in Vancouver, this would probably be our new hang out place every weekend!

Frrrozen Hot Chocolate

All in Nachos

Steak Frites

Crab Cake Salad

Double Decker Grilled Cheese with a cup of Tomato Soup

If you guys are planning on going to Las Vegas, I would suggest you guys to put Serendepity3 on your must try places on your trip. I hope you'll get a chance to try out and like this place as much as I do and hopefully wait as shorter of a time as I did going into the restaurant because the lines just seem to get longer and longer every time I go.

Doughnut Adventures part 4: Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

2012-07-09T01:24:00.001-07:00

My friends and I decided to go do a late night Krispy Kreme run the other day to go grab some of their doughnuts because apparently after 9pm, all of their doughnuts are 50% off! (I didn't really know about this until my friend told me about it but isn't it awesome?!) The down side in all of this is that the only Krispy Kreme store that we have here in BC is located in Delta (7153 120th street Delta, BC) which is around a half hour drive from Richmond.

I haven't had Krispy Kreme in a long long long time and let me tell you, eating my first Original Glazed doughnut in 3 years was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I'm seriously not exaggerating, I haven't had Krispy Kreme in that long and the last time I had it was when I went back home to the Philippines! When we arrived however, the store was already closed so we had to buy our doughnuts through the drive thru window. I really wanted to go in and have a look at their doughnut selections and see the doughnuts first hand but since they close at 9, the drive thru menu/pictures will do.

They have quite a lot of choices to choose from and as I have written in my last few doughnut adventure posts, I super love doughnuts with fillings inside especially if it's fruit filled! Krispy Kreme does have a couple of fruit/cream filled doughnuts (Chocolate Iced Kreme Filled, Glazed raspberry Filled, Chocolate Iced Custard Filled, Glazed Kreme Filled, Lemon FIlled, and Powdered Berry Filled) but since my family preferred the Original Glazed better and I was trying to cut back on my sweets, I just decided to buy a dozen of the original ones to bring home so I wouldn't be tempted to eat more than I was planning to (esp if they were fruit/cream filled ones). If I wasn't buying for my family, I guarantee you I might have gotten almost every single flavor of doughnut that they have and maybe another dozen full of the Powdered Berry Filled doughnuts (which looks so good in the picture by the way!). I'm sure a lot of people have already tried their doughnuts and most of you would know that their doughnuts are really really sweet. Unlike Cartems or Outpost, Krispy Kreme's glaze is intense in sweetness (well for me it's super sweet!) and although it's melt in your mouth good.. eating too much of it isn't really good for your health.

As late as it was when I arrived home, I was tempted to eat 2 of the doughnuts myself (which I am not proud of since I was supposed to be cutting back on sugar!). Eating one just wouldn't cut it especially after 3 years of depriving myself from Krispy Kreme. So I guess putting a Krispy Kreme in Delta was a good idea since I won't be tempted as much to go buy and eat their berry filled doughnuts! If there is one in Richmond, I would probably have diabetes by now.

Original Glazed Doughnuts

West Lake Vietnamese Restaurant

2012-07-06T02:11:00.001-07:00

My little sister went to the dentist the other day to get her teeth checked and since her appointment was around 11:30 am, we decided to go grab lunch at West Lake since our dentist's office is only one store down from the restaurant. I haven't been to West Lake before and I was surprised to see how the place looks cleaner than most Pho places here in Richmond. Although usually a lot of my friends would say the dirtier the place, the better the pho! (or maybe that's just the people I know) this place isn't actually that bad taste wise even though it's cleaner looking compared to a lot of Pho places that I usually go to (such as Pho Lan). Located on a strip mall on no.3 road (105-4800 no.3 road Richmond, BC), West Lake is known for their create your own pho option where you can customize your own bowl of Pho according to how you like it. You start by either choosing a small or large bowl of Pho and then choose up to 3 toppings from the choices that they give you (Rare Beef, Beef Flank, Beef Ball, White Radish, Tendon, Tripe, Chicken Meat Ball, and Vietnamese Ham). They also offer great deals on their lunch combos where you can choose any entree, appetizer and drink from their lunch menu (depending on which combo you get) for either $9 or $10 (which is an awesome deal if you ask me). In a place like this, you won't really expect great service especially for cheap Pho, and to be honest I really don't mind it as much just as long as the Pho is good! Based on my past experiences on finding a parking spot in this area (from eating at boiling point and our visits to the dentist), the parking is not as bad as most places but then again I've only been here on weekdays so I'm not really sure if it might be more crowded on the weekends. Compared to most Pho places that I've tried here in Richmond, West Lake is in the middle of my food scale (which is: not that bad but it's not the best, and there are other places that are better). I would still prefer going to either Pho Viet, Pho Lan, Lemongrass or Pho Hoa for Pho but since a lot of people have different tastes I would recommend you guys to go give this place a try, you'll never know maybe you might end up really liking this place!

Rare Beef Noodle Soup

House Special Noodle Soup

Shrimp Salad Roll

Vegetable Salad Roll

Side Order: Soup

Bbq RIbs