Restaurant: Sushi Garden
Cuisine: Japanese/Sushi
Last visited: December 16, 2011
Location: Burnaby, BC (Burnaby South)
Address: 4635 Kingsway
Train: Metrotown Skytrain
Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: FMF Must Try!

Food: 3
Service: 3
Ambiance: 2
Overall: 3
Additional comments:

• Korean owned/operated
• Bang for your buck sushi
• Extensive menu
• Popular for sushi
• Hot items available
• Local favourite
• Very popular/busy
• Line-ups/wait list at 6pm
• Budget friendly/Cheap eats
• Family friendly
• Serves alcohol
• Same owners as California Sushi in Coquitlam
• Free parking at rear
• Dine in/Take out
• Mon-Sat 11am-10pm
• Sunday 11:30-9:30pm

**Recommendations: Alaska Roll, Tuna Gomae

Sushi Garden in Burnaby, BC is probably one of the busiest sushi restaurants in Metro Vancouver. It’s a large restaurant, but it fills up quickly and there’s a guaranteed line up that usually starts at 6pm. I’ve come here on numerous occasions, and it’s not my favourite sushi restaurant, but it’s bang for your buck sushi and it does the job if you’re in the area… especially after a hard day’s worth of shopping at Metrotown mall across the street.

I wouldn’t say Sushi Garden is high quality, but the food is actually decent especially for the price. I really don’t expect too much and if I take it for what it is, it’s good. Cheap sushi in Metro Vancouver isn’t really hard to find, and I wouldn’t make an effort to come here, but it’s an easy go to place if you’re in the neighbourhood. It’s actually Korean owned an operated and we can forget about “authenticity” because when you’re paying $3-4 for a roll, it doesn’t really matter.

The restaurant is for those who have graduated from All You Can Eat sushi and Samurai Sushi, and I would choose this before I would the other two. Sure AYCE sushi can vary depending on the restaurant, but generally, I’m not crazy about it.

If you can’t get a seat here, which is common, then I would also suggest trying Asakusa Sushi just a block away. It’s pretty much the same deal and that one is Vietnamese owned and operated. I like the menu selection better at Sushi Garden, but Asakusa Sushi offers really cheap bento boxes and nicer presentation. Their stuff has a little bit more care since they’re not as busy as Sushi Garden, but their both good options for cheap sushi in the area that actually tastes decent.

On the table:

**Tuna Gomae – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• $4.95
• The gomae sauce is a bit on the thin side and I prefer mine a bit thicker, but this was still good.
• It was half spinach gomae and half tuna gomae, but the portion was still big and worth the price even if it wasn’t all tuna.
• The sauce was thin in texture, but not in flavour and it was a bit sweet and I prefer mine nuttier with a gritty texture of freshly ground toasted sesame seeds.
• There was some pureed sesame seeds, but not a whole lot.
• The tuna isn’t the highest in quality, but again I don’t expect it for the price. When it’s covered in sauce it doesn’t really matter anyways.
• The best tuna gomae I’ve had so far is at Tokachi Japanese Restaurant.

Tako Yaki – 2.5/6 (Okay-Good)

• Octopus ball, 6 pcs $3.95
• If you’ve never tried tako yaki than these are good, but otherwise they’re pretty standard for tako yaki.
• It’s a popular street food usually made of batter, diced octopus, pickled ginger, green onions and topped with fish/squid shavings, Japanese mayo and okonomiyaki sauce (thicker sweeter Teriyaki like sauce).
• It was creamy, gummy and almost like a glutinous dumpling. It’s like eating a very soft mochi.
• It was a bit mushier than usual with a very tiny piece of octopus and it was a bit tough from being overcooked.
• I wanted more filling, because they were a bit too airy even though they are supposed to be somewhat airy and light.
• I could taste the pickled ginger and onion although it was very little. I appreciated it being in there though when lots of places just ignore it.
• They weren’t amazing here, but they’re not bad either and I wouldn’t mind ordering them again.

Seafood Salad – 3/6 (Good)

• Prawn, smoked salmon, tobiko $5.95
• This was a huge salad and well worth the price.
• It’s definitely not your Hapa Izakaya Sashimi Salad, Guu Sashimi Salad or Nan Chuu Sashimi Salad, but it was also half the price of all of them.
• It was a fresh salad with lots of ingredients and I liked it!
• It was crunchy with lots of fresh cabbage, carrots, cucumbers and lettuce and the chilled and firm Japanese vermicelli noodles (used in sunomono) were unexpected, but appreciated and original.
• The seafood wasn’t all sashimi, but I didn’t expect it for the price.
• There was only one piece of tuna sashimi and then lots of artificial crab meat, some tiny thin slices of salty smoked salmon, a piece of cooked shrimp, a piece of cooked octopus, and a generous amount of tobiko which I loved.
• There was a drizzle of wasabi mayo on top, which I could have used more of, but the best part was the dressing that came with it!

This dressing is their secret house made dressing and it makes everything taste delicious. It’s a vinaigrette and the same one they put on their famous Alaska rolls. It’s a very sharp and tangy Miso like Ponzu-Soy sauce. It’s an orangey-citrus vinaigrette that’s almost like an Asian inspired Italian dressing and it’s a bit savoury and sweet too. It had a grainy texture and you could tell it was made with a fresh puree of onions and apples.

**Alaska Roll – 5.5/6 (Excellent!)

• Avocado, tobiko, salmon $3.95
• This is what they’re famous for and it’s their most popular roll. I order it every time I come.
• I would possibly make the effort to come here just for this roll. It’s one of my favourite sushi rolls in the city.
• It was a perfect one-bite piece of melt in your mouth sushi. You have to love avocado to like this.
• They don’t use the rice to make it look big, but the rice was slightly bland and the seaweed a bit chewy.
• It was super rich and creamy and stuffed with buttery, over ripe, semi mashed avocado that comes across as guacamole.
• There was more avocado than salmon, but I don’t even care because it was good enough to overlook.
• What makes this roll different from all other Alaska Rolls is that they pour a special sauce onto it.
• The special sauce is actually the same home made vinaigrette they served with the seafood salad. I love that dressing!
• The acidity of the sauce really cuts through the richness of the creamy avocado and makes the whole thing pop.
• I wouldn’t mind some crunch of cucumber to break things up, but it’s still excellent!
• The salmon wasn’t great quality, but again, you stop caring because it delivers beyond a $3.95 roll and any other ordinary Alaska roll.
• This roll doesn’t require any soy sauce or wasabi.

Spicy Tuna Roll – 3/6

• $2.95
• Unlike most spicy tuna rolls, where you would just get spicy tuna, this one also had cucumbers, green onion and tobiko. For $2.95 I can accept not having as much tuna.
• The spicy sauce tasted like a Korean chili soybean paste and it could have been Gochujung sauce which I love.
• They don’t use the rice to make it look big, but the rice was slightly bland and the seaweed a bit chewy.
• It was a bit sweet and slightly spicy and I could have used more spicy tuna sauce.
• The best spicy tuna roll from a cheap eats sushi place I’ve had so far is still from Tokyo Joe’s Sushi Factory.

Toro Sashimi (Tuna Belly) – 2/6 (Okay)

• $9.95
• So this is the section I prefer to skip – the sashimi. It’s quantity over quality.
• Toro is one of my favourite sashimi so I just wanted to give it a try here.
• Most cheap sushi places don’t specialize in sashimi since it’s expensive, so it’s really not the place to indulge in sashimi although it’s still very popular with their customers.
• The cut was quite random and it seemed previously frozen and thawed because it was colder than being simply chilled.
• It wasn’t as oily and a bit firm rather than buttery, and it wasn’t toro I wanted to finish.
• The flavour just reminded me of very mediocre tuna sashimi which I’m not keen on.
• I could appreciate this toro sashimi much more if it were in a roll context (eg: Negitoro – tuna belly roll) because then the quality doesn’t become as important and the flavour would be more forgivable and somewhat masked.

Island Roll – 2/6 (Okay)

• Cooked tuna, fish flake with fresh kiwi sauce $4.95
• This was from a previous visit. It sounded the most original and interesting, but I wouldn’t order it again.
• It was basically something you might attempt at home, but I appreciate the creativity.
• It was a bit dry because the tuna was jut a canned tuna and I think it needed to be marinated more. They just marinated it in mayo and not enough of it either.
• The kiwi sauce was mashed kiwi with perhaps some lemon juice for tang.
• The roll was salty and sweet, but more on the sweet side, and the kiwi was a bit overpowering and the roll could have been saltier.
• There was also tamago in it, but it got lost in the mixture and kiwi and tuna was basically all I could taste.
• This roll is actually better if you dip it in soy sauce and wasabi… yes even with the kiwi sauce. It works!

Haru Maki – 3/6 (Good)

• Vegetable, Tobiko, crab meat $4.50
• This is from a previous visit. From the description I would never think to order it, but I’m glad I did because it was unexpected and good.
• It was almost like a Vietnamese salad roll, but instead of vermicelli it was all artificial crab meat. There was a lot of it!
• It was creamy from the avocado and crunchy from the fresh vegetables which included a red pepper, one asparagus, a little lettuce, lots of cucumber and a little bit of tobiko.
• They served it with a Teriyaki Hoisin like sauce which was great.
• There was another Japanese salad dressing that tasted like Thousand Island dressing and I wasn’t keen on that.
• The two sauces didn’t really complement and I liked it better with the Teriyaki Hoisin sauce, which I ended up asking for more of (no charge).

Prawn & Sweet Potato Tempura – n/a

• $7.50
• This wasn’t my order, but I had to snap a photo just in case you’re interested to see what it looks like.

Restaurant: Sweet Revenge Patisserie
Cuisine: Desserts
Last visited: December 28, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Riley Park/Little Mountain)
Address: 4160 Main Street
Bus: NB Main St FS E 26 Av
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: FMF Must Try!

Food: 2.5 (based on what I tried)
Service: 1.5
Ambiance: 3.5
Overall: 3
Additional comments:

• Desserts only
• All natural ingredients
• No preservatives
• Cute/quaint atmosphere
• Intimate/cozy room
• Neighbourhood favourite
• Long waits/line-ups
• Organic coffee/teas
• Wine/Beer
• Limited seating
• Reservations recommended
• No reservations Fri-Sat
• Sunday – Thursday: 7pm-12am
• Friday – Saturday: 7pm-1am

**Recommendations: n/a

Sweet Revenge Patisserie is one of Vancouver’s few dessert only restaurants. I haven’t been here in over 10 years, but it’s been around for ages and it’s part of the Main Street classics. Given that I have a major sweet tooth and obsession with desserts “Sweet Revenge” and “dessert only” should be music to my ears. However I can also get quite particular with them and specific with what I look for.

If you’re more than 2-3 people, it’s really difficult to get seated here. There is almost always a line up and the place seats maybe 25-30 people, but it feels like it’s made for 10. It’s a very intimate atmosphere and it gets really warm, so make sure you like who you eat with.

The restaurant feels like eating in grandma’s living room and apparently some of the chef’s recipes are from Grandma as well. With the vintage furnace, floral upholstery and old fashioned trinkets, it was almost like playing house, or admiring a Main Street garage sale.

Unfortunately my experience fell short of my infatuation. The service wasn’t great, a bit passive and quite inexperienced, and I already expected very casual service to start. However, even overlooking the service the desserts I tried were quite average, although I appreciated the use of all natural ingredients. It just wasn’t very inspiring for a place that’s supposed to be dedicated and passionate about desserts.

It’s a traditional menu, but what I had didn’t make me want to explore much further, and for the size of the restaurant it’s attempting a lot. Therefore it’s assumed that their desserts will be quite basic and somewhat premade as much as it attempts to avoid being in that “mass-produced” category. The desserts just seemed a bit dated and routine rather than progressive and improved. I was charmed by the quaintness of the room, but the home made aspect of the desserts didn’t translate nearly as much as the ambiance suggested.

On the table:

Sweet Revenge - 2/6 (Okay)

• A torte-like cake, rich and dense, coated with dark chocolate ganache $6
• This is supposed to be the signature dessert.
• For being called the “Sweet Revenge” it wasn’t that sweet at all except for the chocolate coating.
• It wasn’t rich in the initial bites, but it’s a heavy cake so the richness catches up.
• It was a cold and dense cake coated with a hard, sugary and sweet chocolate ganache icing.
• I prefer a stronger chocolate than sugar aspect to chocolate ganache, so this was one I kind of scrapped off. At the same time it was the only other component to the cake so it almost needed it.
• The strawberry garnish kind of bothered me since it’s out of season, but the restaurant doesn’t emphasize local ingredients, so I can overlook it.

• The torte-like cake had maybe one thin layer of chocolate or buttercream in between, but it was barely noticeable.
• It was very simple and I wanted many more layers. Usually a torte will have many more distinct layers.
• The cake was quite dry, crumbly and nutty and made with ground almonds.
• Naturally a torte will be on the drier side, but this one was drier than normal.
• This just lacked some love and detail and there was nothing very memorable about it.
• As a signature dessert I just expected more “wow” factor.

Apple Pie - 2/6 (Okay)

• Served warm or cold, with real whipped cream $7 (a la mode + $1.50)
• This reminded me of the Baked Apple Dumpling from The Oakwood Canadian Bistro, but this came first.
• This had a very premade aspect to it. I kind of expect that from most pies, but I hoped it wouldn’t come across so easily in the taste.
• It almost seemed warmed up in the microwave rather than baked in the oven and the shell wasn’t crispy, but almost soft and very chewy.

• The pastry shell or crust is a very important part to a great apple pie for me and this one wasn’t flaky or that buttery.
• The filling was quite stiff rather than creamy and most of the caramel sauce inside had somewhat absorbed.
• The apples were more crunchy than tender and more tart than sweet and spiced with cinnamon.
• It was on the gummy side so there was probably a bit much cornstarch in the mixture.
• For a mom and pop shop I understand it would be difficult to make ice cream, so the store bought didn’t bother me.
• I’m really not keen on Breyers ice cream though, but if I had to choose one of their products it would be the All Natural Vanilla ice cream which this was.
• I’m still not crazy about it and I find most Breyers ice creams too creamy, and for store bought I generally prefer Häagen-Dazs.
• I think it would be great if they served the Mountain Dairy Ice Cream in Abbotsford or The Udder Guy’s Ice Cream Company especially since they’re local too.
• Personally I prefer the Apple Pie from Savary Island Pie Company.

“Smooth Operator” – 3/6 (Good)

• Fresh raspberries and mascarpone cheese with whipped cream, layered over raspberry liqueur-soaked chocolate sponge cake, sprinkled with white chocolate shavings and drizzled with raspberry coulis Single: $10.00 Double: $19
• This is supposed to be one of their favourites.
• It was smooth, moist, somewhat light, but still creamy and the better one of the three desserts.
• It tasted like a Raspberry Black Forest Cake, so it still wasn’t that special and possibly something you’ve tried before.
• If you cringe when you hear “Black Forest Cake” because you think of those gross artificial cherries, this wasn’t like that. This was better, but still not particularly better than a fresh Black Forest Cake.
• The chocolate sponge cake was quite standard and it wasn’t dry or even wet from being soaked. It wasn’t as moist as Betty Crocker’s “Super Moist” either.
• I couldn’t taste any of the raspberry liqueur soaked into the cake and it actually didn’t seem like it was soaked in anything.
• The chocolate flavour in the cake was very subtle and it tasted quite plain.
• I tasted more white chocolate and whipped cream and hardly any mascarpone cheese.
• The mascarpone cheese was really the selling ingredient for me that was supposed to make it different too.
• There were some actual fresh raspberries folded in the whipped cream and they were quite tart being out of season.
• There was kind of a sweet and tart balance, but it tasted much more simple than the description.

Strawberry Beer

• Framboise, Mort Subite, Belgium $6
• This is my kind of beer.
• I’ve had it in The Netherlands before and found it again at Gudrun Tasting Room in Richmond, BC. That was Früli strawberry beer though.
• It was nice to know I can get it here too now and it’s more affordable.

Hot Water

• $1.50
• I would have appreciated a mention that I would be charged for hot water before the bill arrived.

Restaurant: Sawasdee Thai
Cuisine: Thai
Last visited: December 22, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Riley Park/Little Mountain)
Address: 4250 Main Street
Bus: NB Main St FS E 28 Av
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: FMF Must Try!

Food: 2
Service: 2.5
Ambiance: 2.5
Overall: 2
Additional comments:

• Thai owned/operated
• Extensive menu
• Cheap lunch combos
• Family friendly
• Good for groups
• Accepts credit cards
• Mon-Fri. Lunch 11:30am-2:30pm
• Mon-Sun. Dinner 5pm-10pm

**Recommendations: n/a

I’m really not sure what happened to Sawasdee Thai. My Thai friends used to recommend this place to me years ago, and I finally tried it. It can’t be the same place they once knew. I’m not sure if it was because I went for lunch, or if chef was off duty (which neither qualify as excuses), or if the quality has just gone downhill, but as an award winning Thai restaurant in Vancouver, BC, I was a bit disappointed. It does get better than this, although Thai food in Vancouver isn’t necessarily something to brag about… it’s stronger than our options for Latin cuisine though!

I think I’m going to get a lot of hate for this because I know it’s a neighbourhood favourite and beloved Thai restaurant, but the quality of the dishes I tried were just not up to par and very average at the most. I won’t even compare it to authentic Thai food in Thailand, but even in the context of Vancouver, there is more authentic than this. Even just on Main Street I would say Bob Likes Thai Food is more authentic, although the menu is much smaller. I would rather have less dishes on a menu done really well anyways, but this is uncommon for any Asian restaurant.

The food isn’t inedible and I didn’t hate it, but it was catered for Western tastes. Even for Western tastes, it wasn’t that great though. The passion and care in the food just wasn’t there and the quality was sacrificed. I think I am just let down since I had high expectations going in. The chefs and staff are Thai, but I’m almost confident that this isn’t what they’re eating on breaks or serving their families.

On the table:

Larb - 2/6 (Okay)

• Choice of minced chicken, beef or pork seasoned with lime juice and chili $9.95
• This is one of my favourite Thai dishes that I always order, but it was only okay here. It’s best with pork.
  
• It is often overlooked since it’s under “salads”, but it’s basically a Thai lettuce wrap that is very traditional in Thailand.
  
• It was served on chopped romaine and it should be whole leaf romaine leaves.
  
• The pork was chunky and it should be very finely ground and almost crumbly, but not dry and chewy like it was.
  
• I tasted a hint of toasted rice and it was heavy on the lime juice, but I couldn’t taste the mint and the meat was just overcooked.
• It also has fish sauce and sugar so it’s a bit sweet and savoury, but the dish was rushed and the meat didn’t absorb the sauces.
  
• I asked for it hot, but the hot wasn’t very flavourful and the roasted chili flakes seemed stale. It was definitely hot, but only hot.
  
• A better larb is the one from Khunnai Chang Madame Elephant Thai Cuisine – see Lap Gai.
• Just for reference, this is an authentic Larb Moo from Tuk Tuk Thai Restaurant.
  

Gai Phad Bai Kra-Prao – 3/6 (Good)

• Stir fried chicken with onion and fresh basil leaves $8.75 (Lunch special price served with spring roll and satay)
• This was an off-menu request. It was the Gai Phad Bai Kra-Prao with added chilies and garlic and we asked for it hot.
• This was actually pretty good and the portion was good for the price too.
• It was basically a stir fry and a Chinese-Thai style dish. There is a lot of Chinese influence in Thai cuisine, so it doesn’t make it “non-authentic”.
• The chicken was moist and it was very aromatic with lots of basil leaves, garlic and onions.
• It was nice and saucy with a good balance of sweetness, tang from lime juice, and spice, but it was still flavourful and not just hot. If anything, it was more on the sweet side.
• If you like this, I will also recommend the Kra Pau Moo at Pink Elephant Thai. It might sound like an unexpected recommendation, but when I had it, it was great.

Green Curry – 2.5/6 (Okay-Good)

• Green curry with bamboo shoot in coconut milk and your choice of pork, chicken or beef $12.50
• This was from the regular menu and there were lots of ingredients which was nice.
  
• A Thai green curry typically comes with eggplant, but this one had green and red peppers and bamboo shoots.
  
• I found the curry sauce a bit watery, but I could taste the lemongrass although it was missing aromatics and more basil leaves would have helped.
  
• I liked the crunchy bamboo shoots and the chicken was tender, but the sauce just lacked the depth and texture of a quality homemade curry paste.
• It wasn’t bad though, but I prefer green Thai curries elsewhere.
  

Roast Duck Curry – 3/6 (Good)

• Red curry with roast duck, pineapple, tomato and bamboo shoot in coconut milk $12.50
• I recently had the Duck Curry at Bob Likes Thai Food down the street so it was still fresh in my head. I’ve had variations of duck curry before so it’s not a new dish for me, but I do like it.
  
• This duck curry actually had duck flavour infused into the curry sauce and the one from Bob Likes Thai Food didn’t really.
  
• The curry was so rich in duck flavour that I didn’t even have to eat a piece of duck to know that there was duck in it.
  
• This one also had fresh pineapples and some peeled red grapes which is common in South East styles of duck curry, but the one at Bob Likes Thai Food had fresh pineapples and lychee which is a bit more interesting. The lychees are canned though so I just prefer the grapes.
  
• The red curry sauce was a bit thin again and the sliced duck was quite dry, but I did like the generous amount of crunchy bamboo shoots and I found the ones at Bob Likes Thai Food too soft.
• The texture and flavour of the curry seemed like they only used coconut milk and it should be made with coconut milk and coconut cream. I had the same issue at Bob Likes Thai Food, but it was more obvious here.
  
• Again the sweetness, tang and spice was quite well balanced and there were a lot of ingredients which I appreciated.
  
• I actually liked the quality of some of the red curry based dishes better at Pink Elephant Thai and the one at Bob Likes Thai Food seemed a bit richer too.
• I liked the duck curry equally at Bob Likes Thai Food, but for different reasons.
  

Phad Thai - 1.5/6 (Poor-Okay)

• Stir fried rice noodles with tofu, prawn, egg, peanut, green onion and bean sprout $8.75 (Lunch special price served with spring roll and satay)
• Really? Ketchup? I haven’t been to a Thai restaurant serving ketchup Pad Thai in a long time. It’s almost the red flag for “non-authentic Thai food”.
  
• To be honest, I actually don’t think ketchup Pad Thai tastes bad, but if you’re claiming to be an authentic Thai restaurant, then I think it’s misleading to sell ketchup Pad Thai.
  
• The authentic Pad Thai uses tamarind sauce and not Ketchup. Ketchup is an American thing, but even as an Americanized Pad Thai this one wasn’t great.
  
• The noodles were overly sauced and almost wet and soggy and I saw no sign of peanuts.
  
• There was very little egg, 3 crunchy shrimps, and very little tofu.
  
• For an authentic Pad Thai, I would suggest the Pad Thai from Bob Likes Thai Food if you’re on Main Street craving Thai, but otherwise the one from Khunnai Chang Elephant Thai Cuisine in downtown Vancouver, BC is the one I prefer.
  

Sawasdee Fried Rice – 3/6 (Good)

• Thai Style fried rice with your choice of: crab meat and shrimp, chicken, beef or pork $8.75 (Lunch special price served with spring roll and satay)
• It was good fried rice, but not really authentic Thai style fried rice.
• The rice was actually quite wet and almost saucy, but it had good flavour and it was a bit sweet too.
• I ordered it with pork and the pieces were quite dry and there were a couple roughly chopped tomatoes in there too and there should be more.
• I hoped for more egg and bean sprouts and typically there should be some fresh chilies, but I think you just have to request them.
• Some cilantro, green onions and basil fried into the rice wouldn’t hurt either for more aromatics.

Thai Spring Roll – 1.5/6 (Poor-Okay)

• Deep fried spring roll stuffed with noodles and mushroom ($7.50 a la carte)
• Each lunch special came with a spring roll and it wasn’t great so I wouldn’t recommend ordering it a la carte.
• It was almost all vermicelli noodles and very little mushroom and the quality was not there.
• The good things were that it wasn’t dry or over greasy and the roll was still crispy.

Thai Satay - 2.5/6 (Okay-Good)

• Marinated in mixture of spices, broiled and served with peanut sauce. Pork or chicken. ($8.25 a la carte)
• Each lunch special came with a chicken satay stick and it was okay.
  
• It was a bit sweet in the marinade, decently charred and served with a creamy smooth peanut sauce.
  
• Malaysian satay sauce has peanuts in it, but authentic Thai satay sauce is smooth in texture, so that was legit.

Restaurant: Cinch Grill Italian Cuisine
Cuisine: Italian
Last visited: December 15, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Robson Street/West End)
Address: 1517 Robson Street
Bus: EB W Georgia St FS Denman St, Train: Burrard Skytrain
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 2-2.5 (based on what I tried)
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 2.5
Additional comments:

• Italian cuisine
• Pasta/Pizza/Panini
• Casual, but nice
• Moderately priced
• Extensive menu
• Lunch and dinner
• Couple tvs
• Beer/Wine
• Patio seating
• Open late

**Recommendations: n/a, but if you’re here, then the Braised Beef Short Ribs and the Cinch Pasta

Whoa. 90%+ on Urbanspoon with 80+ votes? That’s high! I was certainly curious and I put it on my restaurant list. I couldn’t think of its location and I’ve never heard of it before either, and I actually drove by it twice trying to look for it. A hidden gem? Perhaps! I was hopeful… and unfortunately I’m still hoping for it… to get better.

That’s the challenge when dining on Robson, Denman or the West End. Even as a local, it’s hard to judge what’s a hidden gem, neighbourhood favourite, and tourist trap. The area is full of all of the above and I try to play it safe when I’m looking for options in the area. On this occasion, it was a desperate time and almost everything was booked for the evening so I resorted to Cinch Grill.

From the outside I was pretty uninspired and when I saw it I had recalled walking by it in the past, but never really paid attention to it. At first glance I placed it in the “tourist trap” category, but the whole Urbanspoon thing made me think I could be in for a pleasant surprise. I probably should have gone with my first instincts, although the food wasn’t inedible, it was just quite disappointing and not at downtown standards.

I like to think they tried, but the menu was way too big and there were a lot of shortcuts. I can’t even say it’s good for the area because there are better options in the West End and especially downtown for Italian food at this price and portion. Therefore I probably wouldn’t come back, although I can see why some long time locals in the area probably love it. It used to be a deli, but during the Olympics they upgraded and renovated to a casual, but nice restaurant. I think as a deli it could have been great and perhaps it just kept that loyal following.

I was really rooting for this small and family owned restaurant, but the food couldn’t lie and neither can I. Personally if I wanted this price range, level of dining and Italian food on Robson/West End I would prefer Cafe Il Nido, Nook, Ciao Bella Italian (haven’t been in a while), or maybe the new Cosca which I have yet to try, but looks promising. Basically, there are lots of options to explore.

I think Cinch is Italian owned and operated, but if they cut half the menu and pour some love into those items and serve them like how they would at home, I think it would be great! I bet they could too! *Finger crossed*

On the table:

Eggplant Parmesan – 1/6

• Tomato Sauce, Parmesan and Bocconcini Cheese, Fresh Basil $9
• This was a pretty sad eggplant parmesan and I thought it was a salad at first.
• The eggplant was thinly sliced and I couldn’t really tell it was eggplant at all.
• There was some tangy sun dried tomato sandwiched between the layers, and the parmesan was minimal.
• It was almost too premade and pre-prepared and a bit dried out and shriveled.
• The salad had some minced fresh tomato, typical wild greens and radicchio, and I’d really call it a salad.
• It was drizzled with a sweet balsamic reduction, but overall I wouldn’t call it an eggplant parmesan.

Seafood Risotto - 1.5/6

• Tiger Prawns, Mussels, Scallops and Squid, Saffron and Fresh Tomato $15
• The risotto wasn’t too bad, but the seafood was really not very good.
• The scallops were barely seared and only on one side and the shrimp was crunchy and not overcooked which is good.
• The mussels tasted a bit fishy and almost slimy and undercooked. They were fresh, but they didn’t taste fresh.
• The risotto was a bit soupy and runny, but at least the rice was al dente and firm.
• There was a creaminess to it, a bit of tomato and a little Parmesan cheese, but I would still say it was runny.
• The flavour was heavy on packaged chicken stock and there was a hint of saffron in it that I could taste. There was no seafood broth or flavour in the risotto though.
• There was some fresh basil, but overall I was kind of eating the risotto because I was hungry, not really because I enjoyed it.

**Cinch Spaghetti – 4/6

• Roasted Chicken, Mushrooms, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Herb and Truffle Cream Sauce $13 
• I actually enjoyed this! For $13 it was a reasonable portion and pretty good.
• The noodles were thin, and firmer than I expected. I wouldn’t mind them a bit firmer, but most people would be satisfied with this texture.
• It has a creamy sauce that was buttery and flavourful with freshly cracked black pepper, basil and a hint of truffle oil.
• There was some roasted red pepper and the sauce was creamy, rich with olive oil, chicken pan jus, and a hint of cream and it had good flavour.
• It’s easy to make, but it was still good for the restaurant and probably as good as a good pasta at Earl’s.

Beef Short Ribs – 4/6

• Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs, Beef Marrow, Horseradish Mushroom Sauce, Roasted Potato $18
• This was the best thing of the night, but I wouldn’t call it Italian.
• The beans were crisp, the beets and zucchini tender and the roasted potatoes were buttery, creamy and well seasoned.
• It was a huge slab of short rib that literally came melting off the bone and it was very likely that they were boiled first.
• It still had flavour though and it was topped with a mushroom pan jus.
• The beef was quite fatty and the meat was juicy and moist and very tender.
• I enjoyed the beef, but it’s not really something I couldn’t get anywhere else.
• I wouldn’t come back for it, but I did enjoy it.

Tiramisu – 2.5/6

• $6-8?
• The tiramisu smelled like Hershey’s chocolate sauce as soon as it landed on the table. I wasn’t keen on that.
• I don’t think there was any rum, but at least the lady fingers weren’t over soaked and I could taste the coffee. It wasn’t strong espresso, but it was there.
• The marscapone layers were generous, but they didn’t taste like marscapone. It was more like a sweet creamy layer and I wanted more marscapone for sure.
• The cake wasn’t dry, and I actually liked it better than the one at Nook (from what I can recall), but there are better tiramisus than both.
• This settled my sweet tooth, but as a tiramisu it wasn’t that satisfying.

Restaurant: Yaletown L’Antipasto
Cuisine: Tapas/Italian/Wine Bar
Last visited: December 8, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Yaletown)
Address: 1127 Mainland St
Skytrain: Yaletown-Roundhouse Stn Northbound
Price Range: $20-30+ ($15-20 mains)

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 2.5 - 3
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 2.5 - 3
Additional comments:

• Italian chef/cook
• Meat & Cheese
• Limited menu
• Couple pasta specials
• Intimate/cozy
• Neighbourhood feel
• Good wine list
• Patio seating
• Open late Thur-Sat.
• Breakfast: Mon-Fri.
• Lunch: Mon-Sat
• Dinner: Mon-Sat.
• Closed Sunday

**Recommendations: Antipasto platter, White Tuscan Beans

I came here when it was Chocoatl and then again when it was Eataly, but I missed the gelato shop prior to the welcoming of Yaletown L’Antipasto. It’s a tricky spot with a high turnover, but this is the new kid on the block and for once it’s not selling desserts.

I actually walked right by it because I didn’t think the new restaurant would be taking over this location. It’s a small space that’s tucked away on Mainland and it’s easily overlooked and missed. I don’t think I would have even noticed it with its small signage, but I had received an e-mail from the owners notifying me of its opening. Sherman (whom I have to thank for the awesome photos) received the same and he invited me to join him for dinner there.

To be honest I’m not much of a meat and cheese person, so I’m pretty biased since Yaletown L’Antipasto specializes in antipasto. It’s not just meat and cheese, but it’s generally cold appetizers and salads. Don’t get me wrong, I like this type of food, but it’s just hard for me to see the value in it when I can prepare something similar at home with a good supplier. However taking it for what it is, it’s not bad, but I wasn’t necessarily impressed because the food is almost too simple.

The meats aren’t cured in house, but they are carefully selected. It features a couple hot dishes, which are two daily pastas, and those are prepared by the co-owner’s mother who is Italian through and through. Crap! I almost wish I didn’t know that or see her making it, I get nervous when I know moms are in the kitchen.

Anyways, she does the cooking on a small stove top in the open kitchen, so the menu and potential for the food is quite limited considering the small space and cooking resources. Everything is quite basic, which is all they can really do, but at the same time it makes it hard to see the value even given the circumstances.

The restaurant is a very intimate space and I wouldn’t suggest it for groups or for dinner. It really is an antipasto kind of place just like the name suggest, and the word does mean “before a meal” after all. I just found it more enjoyable as a pre-dinner or after dinner place, or a place to catch up with a friend over a glass of wine on a weeknight, and that’s kind of what I did.

Despite having a full dinner and being full, I didn’t really feel satisfied which is quite common for me with this style of dining. In the end I was actually most impressed with the  side of beans, and meat and cheese, even though the latter is not really my thing. However the wine was well paired and the selection was quite good.

Generally there was attention to the little details, but the big ones were a bit missed. I was hoping it would be Italian throughout the whole menu, which is how they present themselves, but there were some non-Italian wines and a non-Italian cheese. It may not seem like it looking at the menu, but it’s trying to do a lot with a limited space and kitchen. If it’s going to be a dinner place there are some rough spots that need smoothing out, so hopefully this is just the beginning. On the other hand I have a feeling the paninis they offer at lunch could be promising since the meat and cheeses are nice, and I would actually be more inclined to check that out.

On the table:

Mixed Olives - It was just a simple starter and they weren’t house marinated or anything. They were a bit soft, nice and salty, but good. In the area I do prefer the mixed olives at Cibo Trattoria & Uva Wine Bar based on variety and quality.

**Yaletown L’Antipasto – 3.5/6

• House signature dish. A fine selection of imported deli meats & cheeses, served with marinated vegetables and toasted Ciabatta Bread $20
• Again I’m not really a meat and cheese person because it’s hard for me to see value in something I can prepare at home with a good supplier, but I do like it.
• For what it is, the price is fair for the size and quality of meats and cheeses.
• It only comes in a platter, and I really think they should offer it a la carte.
• Wine pairings: Tolle Colle Secco Montepulciano, Italy and Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand
• I enjoyed it even more with the wine pairing suggestions, but again I was hoping for an all Italian wine list.
• I personally enjoyed the Tolle Colle Secco Montepulciano better with the meat and cheese selection.

• Meats – 3.5/6
• Salame Milano, Salame Tipo Felino, Bone in Prosciutto San Daniele, Culatello
• I’m not a salami person because I find them too fatty and greasy, so I gave mine to Sherman. I did eat some though and it was decent quality, but it’s not a cured meat I would choose.
• The Culatello and Bone in Prosciutto San Daniele were quite mild, not that salty, and both very good. Not the best quality, but good quality.
• The Prosciutto San Daniele is the darkest and a bit sweeter and authentically it is hand cut, which it was here.
• The Culatello is the highest quality of prosciutto and it’s the higher part of the leg from a larger pig.

• Cheeses – 4/6
• Ricotta Dura, Provolone Picante, Piave Stravecchio, Cabrales (doc)
• There was a good selection of soft to hard cheeses, but the Cabrales (blue cheese) was from Northern Spain and I was hoping for all Italian cheeses.
• I honestly loved each cheese, but for different reasons.
• The Cabrales is a combination of cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s milk and it was most unique also being cured in caves. It was incredibly pungent and for real blue cheese lovers, but it wasn’t gamey or too salty. I haven’t come across it prior to this.
• The Cabrales paired with the Tolle Colle Secco Montepulciano was heavenly for me.
• Marinated veggies: artichoke heart, cipollini onions, house roasted peppers, mixed olives (which weren’t as salty as the ones in the starter), and marinated sun dried tomatoes.

I just wanted to show the hand cut method on the bone in Prosciutto San Daniele, which results in a meatier bite.

Bread ($3 a la carte) – It was served warm and very lightly toasted, but I prefer my Ciabatta bread chewy with large holes and this one was just okay.

Rigatoni Amatriciana – 3/6

• Pasta of the day $14
• It’s one of the most basic and classic pastas from Rome and it was made authentically with unsmoked pork cheek (Guanciale) and not pancetta or bacon.
• The rigatoni was a dry pasta which I actually like, and it was nice and firm with a chew that stuck to your teeth.
• I think most people would find it undercooked, but it’s not.
• Italians traditionally cook their pastas under the 8min. mark and this was perfectly al dente.
• The pasta itself didn’t seem salted, but the sauce was salty enough so it ended up being okay.
• It was lightly coated in a house made tomato sauce that had a nice acidity, but I couldn’t taste the flavour of the pork infused into it.
• The sauce stuck onto the pasta well, but I was hoping for more fresh tomatoes, more pork cheek and some Pecorino Romano melted into the sauce for the price.
• It is a very simple homestyle pasta, but for what it was, it was good, authentic and made well.

Gorgonzola & Walnut Ravioli & 4 Cheese – 2/6

• Pasta of the day $14
• This was the other pasta of the day and I can’t say I enjoyed the ravioli.
• I like to taste all the ingredients in the menu title, and I couldn’t really in this.
• The sauce was good and home made, but the Gorgonzola was very mild and the walnuts were nowhere to be seen or even tasted.
• I thought there would be some Gorgonzola in the sauce and toasted walnuts on top, but there wasn’t.

• The ravioli is from a supplier, which is fine, but I’m not keen on the product.
• I’ve actually purchased the same ravioli to make at home before. At home it’s quick and useable, but at a restaurant, I’m not sure.
• The filling is really pastey and thick and it just coats your whole mouth.
• I couldn’t taste any walnuts or much Gorgonzola in the filling so I wouldn’t recommend the ravioli.
• The sauce was very rich and creamy with bits of ricotta, and it had potential if it was made with a different pasta.

**Fagioli Alla Toscana (White Tuscan Beans with Sage) - 4.5/6

• White Italian cannelini beans, extra virgin olive oil & sage $10
• This was my highlight! They were delicious!
• However I think they’re overpriced and I thought they would be $8 at most.
• It was again simple, but it just felt like comfort food without being too heavy or rich.
• It was made from dry cannelini beans and they were nice and firm.
• It was almost like a creamy white bean stew made with good olive oil and it wasn’t too salty and very homestyle.
• There were some onions and garlic, but it wasn’t that garlicky in flavour.
• The only thing is that there were maybe two sage leaves so I wanted more because I couldn’t really taste it.

Antipasto di Bresaola – 3/6

• Grass fed, dry-cured beef, arugula, mushrooms, shaved Parmiggiano $14
• They served the salad after the pastas which is the traditional Italian way and I appreciated that.
• The Bresaola was a nice quality and they were shaved well too.
• It was drizzled with good olive oil and lemon juice for acidity.
• It pretty much was what it was, but it was good for what it was.

Vitello Tonato – 3.5/6

• Simmered Veal Eye of Round, served cold with served cold with a creamy sea medley sauce $14
• I really like vitello tonato, but I don’t have much to compare to because it’s not very popular in Vancouver.
• It is easily overlooked because generally people don’t know what it is.
• It’s a traditional cold Italian dish and the veal slices taste almost exactly like tuna. They’re super tender, but it had that dry texture of flaked tuna.
• The veal is well done and coated in a creamy mayo-like tuna sauce and that’s why it tastes fishy and almost like mashed tuna patties.
• The sauce is comparable to a tuna based Caesar dressing with a bite of pureed capers and I would say it’s acquiredm sharp and pungent, but I really like it.

• It’s served on a bed of dry arugula, but there’s enough tuna sauce to dress it.
• La Quercia is also an excellent place to try this dish if it’s your first time.

Tiramisu – 2/6

• $6
• The desserts are all house made which I appreciate.

• I love tiramisu, but unfortunately this one was on the watery side and I couldn’t taste much mascarpone which is my pet peeve.
• I could taste some espresso, and not really any rum and the lady fingers were quite wet.
• I was hoping for the top to be sprinkled with bittersweet cocoa powder, but it almost seemed like hot chocolate powder.
• Overall this didn’t really work out for me.

Panna Cotta – 2/6

• $5
• The panna cotta was home made that afternoon, but it hadn’t set yet.
• The flavour was good, although a bit sweet after a few bites, but it was almost like melted ice cream.
• The raspberry sauce gave it a nice tartness and I liked the vanilla bean seeds, so it had potential.

Restaurant: Capstone Tea & Fondue
Cuisine: Tea/Coffee/Drinks/Fondue/Desserts/Ice Cream
Last visited: August 14, 2011
Location: Richmond, BC (Richmond Central)
Address: 160 – 9020 Capstan Way
Price Range: $10 or less for drinks, $10-20 for fondue

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 2.5
Service: 3 (friendly, but so slow)
Ambiance: 3.5
Overall: 2.5
Additional comments:

• 2 locations
• Locally operated/owned
• Tea/dessert house
• Modern Taiwanese tea house
• No bubble tea
• Fresh fruit drinks/smoothies
• Popular for chocolate fondue
• Chocolate fondue all you can east
• Limited House made desserts
• $19.95 fondue high tea
• Sophisticated atmosphere
• Limited seating
• Reservations recommended
• Accepts Interac/Visa/MC
• Free parking
• Open late

**Recommendations: Ice cream truffle fondue

The original Capstone Tea & Fondue started in 2005 and it’s located in downtown Vancouver, BC. This new location is their second location that opened almost right next to Manzo Japanese Restaurant in Richmond, BC. It’s kind of predictable that the next location would be in Richmond, considering it’s the home of bubble tea and all types of Asian cuisine. So with 100 bubble tea places to choose from, what does Capstone have that the others don’t? Or what do the others have that Capstone doesn’t?

Well that’s the thing! Capstone Tea & Fondue isn’t a bubble tea house at all. They have no bubble tea. They specialize in teas, herbal teas, coffees and a limited selection of fresh fruit drinks in a modern atmosphere.

For me it was almost like the Chinese version of Starbucks. As much as it tries to cater more towards a “Western” audience, there was Asian flare in the style, menu and execution of their overall image, drinks and food. However the service was opposite of most stereotypical Chinese places, it was friendly! On the other hand it did move at a snail’s speed which is very unusual.

The Richmond location is the same as the Vancouver one, except it’s more mature and romantic with candles and a spa like feel. As much as it tries to set itself apart from the typical bubble tea house, to me it just seems like a fancy bubble tea house with less selection and no bubbles.

I actually made two visits to Capstone Tea & Fondue in Richmond because I was pretty disappointed with my first visit. I thought I’d give it the benefit of the doubt because from what I remember my experiences at their Vancouver location have been better. Anyways round two didn’t go so well either, but I don’t think I’m the market for it.

They’re actually most known for their chocolate fondue. I’m not much of a “fondue” person just because I find it’s something I can prepare at home, with ingredients from the right supplier. For me it’s almost like meat and cheese, or hot pot (Chinese fondue), I don’t see much value in those options when dining out.

However the experience is nice and it is the only fondue place in Richmond, BC. It is better quality than your “grocery store fondue party”, but I still found it quite standard and  the menu a bit pricey for what was being served. Although different styles, I missed my traditional bubble tea houses. Sure they wouldn’t have fondue, but I’d give that up for a much larger variety of drinks, Taiwanese chicken nuggets and thick toast with condensed milk!

On the table:

Japanese Matcha Latte – 1.5/6 (Round 1)

• $5.25
• This wasn’t even a big glass and I found it expensive.
• It cost more than a Starbucks Matcha Latte and I liked the Starbucks version better. Starbucks isn’t my favourite, but just for point of reference I’ll use it as an example.
• This one was very milky and almost flavourless and unsweetened.
• It was almost like Jasmine tea and it was bland so we ended up sending it back. I rarely send things back too.

Japanese Matcha Latte – 2/6 (Round 2)

• $5.25
• The new one wasn’t much better, but it was presented nicer.
• They added more syrup and matcha, but it was still bland.
• They say it’s a “full-bodied tea steeped with milk and topped with frothy rich foam”, but I just got lots of frothy milk with matcha powder.

• The sweetener I’m quite sure is a house made Jasmine tea syrup, and I could taste the Jasmine, but wanted to taste the matcha.
• It wasn’t bitter and it looked like a lot of matcha powder, but it didn’t taste very matcha-y.
• For the price it just didn’t seem 100% matcha or a very high quality of matcha powder.

Complimentary Black Sesame & Matcha Tea Cookies – 3.5/6

• These came complimentary with the lattes and they were good and made in house.
• They were similar to shortbread cookies and it was crunchy and nutty and aromatic with matcha powder, freshly ground black sesame seeds and I think some tea leaves.
• They were a bit floral in flavour, but not bitter or overwhelming and they weren’t too sweet or buttery, but perfect tea time cookies.
• Other places that make cookies of this style that I enjoy are from Chef Kev Cookies & Chocolate and Tealips Bubble Tea & Coffee.

Matcha Frappe - 1/6 (Round 1)

• Choice of dairy: soy milk, whole milk, skim milk $5.45
• Like a smoothie, our tea frappe is blended with real fruits and sweetened with our home made Jasmine tea syrup.
• This was from my first visit, and unfortunately this got sent back as well. Again, I rarely send things back.
• It was very icy and crunchy with clumps of ice and actually bitter from the amount of matcha.
• I did like that they used real milk as opposed to powder like most bubble tea houses though.
• They brought me a new one, but it was almost the same so I ended up just paying for it and leaving without having either.

Matcha Frappe - 2/6 (Round 2)

• Choice of dairy: soy milk, whole milk, skim milk $5.45
• Like a smoothie, our tea frappe is blended with real fruits and sweetened with our home made Jasmine tea syrup.
• I re-ordered it on my second visit just to re-test it, but it was almost the same.
• Again, I did like that they used real milk as opposed to powder like most bubble tea houses.
• The drinks are very icy and crunchy rather than creamy though and I could bite into lots of crushed ice, it’s not like a smoothie.
• It’s not the dessert kind of matcha frappe with green tea ice cream, but this was just ice, with matcha powder and a splash of milk. I really couldn’t taste anything else going on.
• The texture and flavour was a bit powdery too from the matcha powder and again it’s barely sweet, but sweeter than the matcha latte.
• I like more milk as opposed to almost all ice and I prefer the Matcha Frappe from places like Pearl Castle, Zephyr in the Sky, or the Matcha Blended Ice from Waves Coffee or Blendz. One of the best is the Japanese Green Tea Ice Cream bubble tea from Dragon Ball Tea House.

Pina Colada Frappe – 2.5/6

• Choice of dairy: soy milk, whole milk, skim milk $5.45
• Like a smoothie, our tea frappe is blended with real fruits and sweetened with our home made Jasmine tea syrup.
• Even though it was made with fresh fruit and real milk, the execution wasn’t great and I don’t know if the fruit just wasn’t ripe enough or what.
• This didn’t taste like a traditional pina colada you would get at most restaurants and I didn’t find it as good.
• It wasn’t that sweet, more milk based, quite pulpy and my throat started to get scratchy even after a couple sips.
• I couldn’t get much coconut and I think it could have been enhanced with a little pineapple and coconut syrup, but I’m not sure.
• This was my friend’s drink and her throat was very scratchy after it. It’s that scratchiness the acid in fresh pineapple can give you sometimes.

Mango Pineapple Frappe – 3/6

• Choice of dairy: soy milk, whole milk, skim milk $5.45 (Available with or without milk)
• Like a smoothie, our tea frappe is blended with real fruits and sweetened with our home made Jasmine tea syrup.
• Again, although it was made with fresh fruit and real milk, I’ve had better fresh fruit blended drinks than this at bubble tea houses.
• It was a very pale yellow and there wasn’t as much mango, but the mango didn’t seem very ripe.
• The pineapple wasn’t that ripe either, so the unripe fruits just didn’t give it a natural sweetness.
• The Jasmine tea syrup gave it a slight floral sweetness, but it was all very mild, and a bit tart.
• It was more milky and icy than it was bursting with fruit flavour, although it was pulpy.
• The Mango Mooshake at Phnom Penh is my favourite mango slushy thus far. Dragon Ball Tea House also does an excellent job with fresh fruit drinks.

All You Can Eat Chocolate Fondue – 3/6

• $9.95/person with a drink or $14.95/person without a drink.
• Made with 56% semi-sweet Belgian dark chocolate. A chocolaty sweet sensation that melts in your mouth…
• Served with assorted seasonal fruits and daily featured pastry items, and comes with a personal size fondue pot.
• Fondue toppings: honey graham crackers, roasted peanuts, sprinkles, coconut flakes, caramel crumbs, almond rocher (2 for $2.95)
• Putting “all you can eat” on the menu almost ruined any level of class they were aiming for, but it works and people like it.
• This wasn’t actually my order, but I’ve had it before.
• It’s a standard chocolate fondue, but 56% chocolate doesn’t appeal to me. I’m more of a 75-80% (or even higher) dark chocolate fan.
• The fruits are fresh and standard and the presentation is nice, but there’s really nothing fancy about this.
• The tea cakes are made in house and they’re more or less pound cakes, but they’re good.
• The other pastry was the house made green tea and black sesame tea cookies I mentioned above.

**Ice Cream Truffles – 4/6

• The ice cream truffles are my favourite, but that’s also just because I love ice cream.
• They’re just mini balls of store bought ice cream and you get to dip them in chocolate, like at Purdy’s… or at home.
• They have raspberry, strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, mango, and green tea, but they vary on occasion and location.
• With the all you can eat fondue it was $1 for 3 truffles, or $3.95 for 6… I’ll take 2 orders of $1 for 3 in that case.

Restaurant: The Cone Zone
Cuisine: Desserts/Ice Cream/Gelato
Last visited: August 15, 2011
Location: New Westminster, BC
Address: 595 6th Street
Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 2.5
Service: 1.5
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 3
Additional comments:

• Gelato/Ice Cream/Sorbet/Soft serve
• Gelato from Gelateria Dolce Amore
• Ice cream from Dutchmen Dairy
• Some cookies available
• Ice cream sandwiches
• Flavour burst soft serve ice cream
• No mix-ins/toppings
• Pre made gelato cakes
• Affordable
• Limited seating
• Mon-Sun 11am-10pm

**Recommendations: n/a

Being the ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet and gelato fan that I am, you can only imagine my excitement when I discovered there was a place called “The Cone Zone”. The fact that it was in New Westminster didn’t stop me and I was determined to do some tasty research.

I fell upon it randomly online and looked it up on Urbanspoon. The professional pictures certainly hyped me up and I was looking forward to this magical experience. It’s an understatement to say I have a soft spot for anything in the ice cream and frozen treat department, and as I continue my summer binge of it, my soft spot could be getting softer o.O.

The Cone Zone just opened this summer and I was expecting a more contemporary and trendy concept and ambiance. The inside was definitely not what I was expecting. I thought it was going to be an old fashioned ice cream parlour with fresh ice cream being churned in the back and maybe even a Marble Slab Creamery set up at the front, but it was in fact just old fashioned.

I decided to get my facts straight before I jumped to conclusions of standard wholesale ice cream and out sourced gelato, and I ended up being half right. I was told that the ice cream was from Dutchmen Dairy in the Okanagan, and that the gelato was from Gelateria Dolce Amore on Commercial Drive in Vancouver, BC. As for the soft serve ice cream, that was just being dispensed from a machine with pre-made mix, which is not uncommon.

The soft serve ice cream didn’t bother me, but the other aspects kind of did because both companies wholesale so I didn’t have to come to The Cone Zone just to try them. On the other hand it’s convenient for those in the area and brings everything closer to “home”.

I guess the positive was that it’s reasonably priced. It’s the same price for ice cream or gelato which is rare since gelato is usually more expensive. The regular size also gives you two flavours, and for $3.95 that’s usually the price of one flavour.

The Cone Zone is a one stop shop, but that’s as far as it went for me. It had all the frozen treat options including milkshakes, ice cream sandwiches and pre-made frozen ice cream cakes, and the only thing it didn’t have was soft serve frozen yogurt or a toppings bar.

As for the cookies for the ice cream sandwiches, they just looked like regular cookies and I’m surprised you can’t customize it with your own choice of ice cream. It’s only vanilla, chocolate or strawberry ice cream.

The concept is simple, but there wasn’t anything special about it. If the ice cream and gelato was being sourced from amazing brands, then yes, I could see the charm, but the brands were just okay. I am pretty picky when it comes to ice cream and gelato though. There just wasn’t anything exclusive about it and unless you live nearby, you can probably save yourself the trip.

On the table:

Soft Serve Ice Cream (Butter Pecan Burst) - 1.5/6

• $3.25
• I went with the flavour burst soft serve ice cream since it was something a bit more different and not as available.
• I’m not even keen on flavour burst ice cream because I find the syrups really artificial, but I had to try it just to confirm.
• I chose butter pecan and I’m not even a fan of butter pecan unless it’s the real deal, but all the other flavour burst syrups sounded so regular.
• The butter pecan syrup was very salty and as expected artificial tasting. It didn’t have any flavour of pecans and it was just buttery.
• The syrup was pretty much melting and dripping before the ice cream and I found it very salty and too sweet. I almost tried wiping it off, not by licking it either.

Soft Serve Vanilla Ice Cream – 4/6

• $3.25
• I tried the soft serve vanilla ice cream and I actually did enjoy it.
• The ice cream itself reminded me of McDonald’s soft serve ice cream except perhaps a bit creamier.
• I actually really like McDonald’s soft serve ice cream, and I don’t feel guilty about saying that, so the resemblance didn’t bother me at all.
• But if I was going to order vanilla, I might as well go to McDonald’s or even Costco, which also has soft serve ice cream.

English Toffee Swirl Ice Cream – 2/6

• Regular (up to 2 flavours) $3.25
• I normally don’t order English Toffee, but I don’t mind it.
• The ice cream is hard which I like, but the toffee flavour only came through in the initial bite.
• The aftertaste of the ice cream was greasy and that’s my biggest pet peeve for ice cream.
• I was really surprised that Dutchmen Dairy was once named “best ice cream in BC”, because I really didn’t see it.

Blueberry Ice Cream – 2/6

• Regular (up to 2 flavours) $3.25
• All the ice cream is out sourced from Dutchmen Dairy in the Okanagan.
• The first bite tasted pretty good, but that quickly disappeared after a few more.
• It was hard ice cream, and quite creamy as well, but it had a greasy after taste again.
• There was some fresh, but wrinkly blueberries in the ice cream, but it was more syrupy than it was flavoured with real blueberries.
• Some of it tasted like blueberry jam swirled into the ice cream.
• The best blueberry ice cream I’ve had to date is from Krause Berry Farms in Langley – see here.

Vanilla Ice Cream – 2/6

• I sampled the Dutchmen Dairy plain vanilla just because I always do with ice cream.
• It’s the most basic flavour and I choose to “judge” a brand of ice cream.
• There weren’t any vanilla bean seeds, which does bother me to some degree, however there are brands that don’t have any that I love, like Island Farms or Mountain Dairy in Abbotsford.
• Again it had a greasy after taste and it wasn’t particularly strong with vanilla and some grocery store brands have stronger vanilla flavour.

(geotag)

Restaurant: Continental Seafood Restaurant 辛運海鮮酒樓
Cuisine: Chinese/Seafood/Dim Sum
Last visited: June 19, 2011
Location: Richmond, BC (Richmond)
Address: 11700 Cambie Rd
Price Range: $10 or less dim sum, $20-30+ dinner

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 2.5
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 3
Additional comments:

• Traditional Cantonese cuisine
• Chinese/English menus
• Live seafood tanks
• Popular for dim sum
• Push cart dim sum
• Popular for take-out BBQ meats
• Known to Chinese locals
• Nightly live entertainment
• Ballroom dance floor
• Very affordable prices
• Large space/venue
• Free parking
• Dim Sum/Lunch/Dinner
• Monday 10am – 12:30am
• Tuesday 10am – 12am
• Wed-Thurs: 10am – 12:30am
• Fri-Sat: 10am – 1am
• Sunday 10am-10pm

**Recommendations: n/a

It was another Chinese banquet and this time it was at a restaurant I can’t say I’m too excited to go back to each time. So why do I go back to it? Well it’s mainly because of the dance floor. So this is where Mijune gets her boogie down? Actually no. But it is where my parents do. They love ballroom dancing, so this is one of the spots to do it. Being that it was Father’s Day I decided to partner up with dad and do a little jiving myself!

Banquet food. I’ve never been a fan, however there are some hotels, restaurants and catering companies that do a great job of it. It doesn’t always have to taste “mass produced”, but quite often it does and I have to kind of expect it. As long as everything is served at it’s intended temperature and the quality of ingredients isn’t sacrifice I’m usually a happy girl.

I can’t say Continental Seafood Restaurant is my preference for a Chinese banquet dinner, but it’s a big venue so it is a popular choice with very reasonable prices. People also like coming here for dim sum because of the old-fashioned push cart system they offer. It’s better than Floata in Chinatown, although this exact restaurant used to be Floata a few years ago. I came here when it was too, so maybe I just have bad memories all together.

The menu on this occasion was one of their more affordable banquet menus (around $28/person) and it was quite average, but the venue is what people like. For me, I look forward to my Dairy Queen Blizzard I usually get after dinner here. It’s located in the same mall complex right in front of it… and sorry hot red bean soup just doesn’t do it for me.

On the table:

XO Sauce

• This was better than I expected and actually quite gourmet, but not as good as the one from Top Gun J&C or Red Star Seafood. I actually think it might better than Kirin’s though.
• It was made with dried mini shrimp and dried scallop which are pricey ingredients. The smaller shrimp is more affordable than the large.
• It was mildly spicy, but could have been more aromatic and I think the quality of the dried seafood just wasn’t as high, but still good for this restaurant.

Roasted Suckling Pig – 3.5/6

• We were really hungry, so we ordered a pre appetizer a la carte.
• Roasted suckling pig is usually a celebratory item that traditionally comes out on special occasions.
• For anyone that enjoys porchetta or “crackling”, the Chinese have been doing it for centuries.
• For traditional Chinese tastes, this was actually a very good roasted suckling pig, but for my “Westernized palate”, it was too fatty.
• The skin was crunchy and sweet like meat candy and the meat was juicy, fatty, creamy and rich just as pork belly should be.
• It’s too fatty and gelatinous for my liking, but authentically it’s common to find it like this.
• All the clear gelatinous fat layers did melt away and there’s no chewy tough parts at all.
• It’s not the best roasted suckling pig in Richmond, but you can get this at pretty much any Chinese restaurant.
• Butcher shops are solid and affordable options for it. Try HK BBQ Master which is an award winning take out butcher shop in Richmond. (Of course it’s in Richmond.)
• I actually really like the one from Jade Seafood which doesn’t have the fatty layer, and the meat is lean, but not dry, and the skin is still very crispy.

Cold Appetizer Platter – 3/6

• The BBQ pork – 3/6 – was relatively lean, but not as flavourful or saucy as I prefer. I prefer mine a bit juicier, but this one was still good.
• Jellyfish –  2.5/6 – was marinated with sesame oil, but a bit bland and not sweet nor spicy. Although different styles, after having the jelly fish at Blue Water Café it’s hard for me to go back to the Chinese stuff.
• Hokkaido Clams – 3/6 – was chewy and it’s one of the more modern options included on the appetizer platter.
• Soy Sauce Chicken – n/a – I missed this one.

• Mushroom Tofu Wrap – 3/6 – I love these. They were sweet and juicy and stuffed with lots of Shiitake mushrooms in a bean curd wrap. Not as smoky as it sometimes is, but still good.

Deep Fried Prawn Ball Stuffed with Scallop – 3/6

• I prefer the lobster version, but given the set menu price the scallop was fair.
• It was lightly breaded and crispy and the pawn ball was juicy with a firm spring to it.

• The scallop was soft and the quality of it wasn’t great, but I still enjoyed it.
• It’s dipped in either red vinegar or sweet and sour sauce before enjoying.
• The vinegar cuts the grease a bit and the sweet and sour sauce makes it reminiscent of a gourmet spring roll. I like both dipping sauces.

Sauteed Mixed Vegetables, Chicken & Squid – 2/6

• The celery was overcooked and old and I was hoping for more snow peas and other vegetables. A generous amount of celery is usually the case with this dish though.
• It was simply sautéed with garlic and the chicken was a bit bland, but the squid was tender.

Shredded Chicken & Dried Scallop Consumme – 2.5/6

• I’m not a fan of this soup, but I’ll still eat it and somewhat enjoy it. I think I’ve just had it too many times by now.
• It was a bit watered down, but at least it wasn’t thickened with too much corn starch and it wasn’t gluey or that slimy.
• Naturally it is a bit slimy though and it’s full of slippery ingredients and crunchy textures like bamboo shoots, green onions, Shiitake mushrooms and of course shredded chicken and dried scallop.
• There was lots of dried scallop, which is the delicacy, so it was nice to see so much.

Sauteed Sweet & Sour Prawns – 3/6

• I usually look forward to this dish.
• It tasted like fresh prawns sautéed with garlicky Sweet Thai Chili sauce and sweet and sour sauce.
• The prawns were slightly overcooked, but not dry and I wish they were crispier to the point where the shells are edible. These weren’t quite there yet.
• It’s quite aromatic as it’s sautéed with aromatic vegetables like Chinese celery and bell peppers, so it’s more developed than just plain old Sweet Thai Chili sauce or sweet and sour sauce.

Braised Pea Tips and Bean Curd in Consomme – 2.5/6

• This is a healthy and light vegetarian side dish.
• I wish there was more garlic flavour, but the pea tips were sautéed quite well maintaining their colour and texture.
• The bean curd was silky soft and absorbed the consume well.
• It’s a rather boring dish, but it’s meant to be like that, so I can’t really say anything more about it.

Steamed Chicken with Deep Fried Garlic – 3/6

• I was expecting the standard deep fried chicken course next, so this was a bit of a change.
• I think it was braised before it was steamed, but the sauce it was sitting in was great.
• The sauce was sesame oil, natural chicken oil, and Chinese cooking wine and it was nice and light and not too oily or salty.
• It was a tender free range chicken but the meat itself was bland, although tender and decently juicy.
• There was a hint of Chinese 5 spice powder, a bit of white pepper, and then crispy nutty garlic chips on top.
• This was meant to be eaten with the ginger and green onion oil served along side.
• For this style of chicken, my favourite is The Jade Smoked Grandpa Chicken from The Jade Seafood Restaurant.

Steamed Fish with Soy Sauce & Onions – 2.5/6

• I have to admit, this totally freaked me out a bit.
• It looked like eel and I’ve never had this type of fish served at a Chinese banquet dinner. It was unusual.
• I think it was a Snakehead fish and the meat was white, and it was firm and almost like tuna, but perhaps more mild in flavour.
• I prefer the standard steamed Rock Cod, but this was okay and there weren’t many bones which was nice.
• It was cooked perfectly and the sweet soy sauce was fine, but at times it was a tad fishy tasting.

Fried Rice with Tobiko – 2/6

• I found the rice really bland and there was no dried scallops or soy sauce or salt or anything as seasonings.
• The crunch of Chinese broccoli (kai lan) was nice, but the frozen mixed vegetables and lack of egg whites made it a bit sad.
• The tobiko on fried rice started maybe a year and a half ago, and I do welcome the new garnish.

Braised E-Fu Noodles (Yee Mien) – 2.5/6

• It was soft buttery noodles, but a bit heavy with the soy sauce and a little wet.
• There was some green onions and Shiitake mushrooms, but hardly any and then a couple strands of Enoki mushrooms too.
• The noodle itself is a somewhat chewy soft egg noodle made with wheat flour, and they’re unassumingly rich, but you can’t tell just by eating them.

Chinese Dainty Two Cookies – 3/6

• Almond Cookies – 3.5/6
• I’ve always like these cookies.
• These weren’t very crispy, but they were very tender and soft in the middle and very lightly sweetened.
• It was less sweet than normal and it was a bit on the eggy side and almost like an eggy almond cake cookie.
• The whole Chinese almond on top was an ideal garnish.
• Sesame Cookies (Laughing Balls) – 3/6
• These are pretty much deep fried balls of dough rolled in sesame seeds.
• It’s crumbly and harder and not like a donut, but more like a cookie.
• This one was a bit soft in the middle and nutty from the sesame seeds and again not that sweet.
• The crack in the ball is supposed to represent a laughing smile. (Wow that sentence sounds weird)

Red Bean Soup – n/a

• Yup! If you know my blog, you probably know how I feel about this.
• We’re not friends, yet it always shows up on my dinner table even though I never invite it.
• This is the part when I head over to Dairy Queen, which is located within the same mall complex almost next door.

Restaurant: Gallery Café (At Vancouver Art Gallery)
Cuisine: Sandwiches/Salads/Cafe/Pacific Northwest
Last visited: July 9, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Downtown)
Address: 750 Hornby Street (At Vancouver Art Gallery)
Price Range: $10 or less, $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 2.5 (based on what I tried)
Service: n/a (pay at cashier)
Ambiance: 3.5 inside, 5 on the patio
Overall: n/a
Additional comments:

• Cafeteria style
• Sandwiches/salads/desserts
• European cafe food
• Good for coffee breaks
• Quick/casual
• Attracts locals/tourists
• Moderately priced
• Limited, but decent wine selection
• Plenty of indoor/outdoor seating
• Classical music on the patio
• Fantastic patio
• Summer Hours
• Monday–Friday 9am–9pm
• Saturday & Sunday 9:30am–6pm

**Recommendations: Carrot Ginger Trifle Cake

The outdoor patio for the Gallery Café is actually that entire space with all the patio umbrellas.

Summer has been shy this year for Vancouver, so although blue skies aren’t always in order, this grand patio at Vancouver Art Gallery’s Gallery Café is still a fantastic spot to be (as long as it’s not raining). The patio is certainly the highlight here and an attraction for locals and tourists. It’s open to the public so you don’t have to come from an exhibition in the Vancouver Art Gallery just to enjoy it.

It’s spacious and almost busy all the time, but there’s plenty of seating and it’s not so bad waiting for a seat while listening to classical music playing from their outdoor speakers. The music makes it more of an elegant patio, and being located in the heart of downtown, it’s a nice “escape” from the city while still being in the city.
However if there’s no space outside, the inside seating isn’t bad either. It’s a minimalist and clean dining room with a simple cafeteria set up which attracts quite the crowd at lunch. I’ve only been here a few times before, but the food hasn’t been anything memorable and it’s not a selling factor, although I think it should and could be. On this occasion the food was okay to good, but I guess the ambiance made up for it to some degree. Even if they were going for this level of “cafeteria style food”, the quality should compare to Whole Foods, which I find does a great job with their “food court” like approach.

Being located inside the Vancouver Art Gallery, it’s somewhat natural to assume that the Gallery Café would be a bit more special, elegant, or creative. I’m just going to say it, but I really think the restaurant needs an update. Cooking is an art, and here it just felt like a dying one.

With a BG Urban Cafe like set up of very mediocre looking food, I really think it could use a makeover. Personally I think it would be such a tourist attraction if it did something like Extraordinary Desserts in San Diego, but I know that’s asking for the extreme. I’m not suggesting that the food be pretentious, but it should be at least somewhat creative and representable of Vancouver’s talent and appreciation for the culinary industry. It should be an attraction. The Gallery Cafe has a prime location and great space and I think they could be doing so much more with it.

The menu items and offerings are all very simple, despite how it may sound. It may seem extensive and there’s a lot listed, but there actually isn’t much selection. There is a daily specials menu and there are a selection of quiches and entrees, but nothing looked very inspiring.

In this case, less is definitely more, so fewer items with fresh, quality, local ingredients and clean execution would have been the way to go for me. The passion in the food just seemed lost and too obviously mass produced. It was quite pricey considering what you get, but given that it is the Vancouver Art Gallery it is to be expected. Generally, I found the emphasis and value in the ambiance and brand rather than the food and ingredients.

On the table:

50′s Tuna Melt in a Pita – 3/6

• Tuna, Cheddar + Dill Pickles $7.95
• In the display case it looked like a decent size, but after it was pressed, it was incredibly small and definitely snack size.
• For the price, I would rather go to Nu Greek Street for a Chicken Souvlaki Pita. That may be comparing apples to oranges, but even for a tuna melt I would suggest the one at Everything Cafe, which is actually very good.

• It had a good flavour, but it was predominantly coming from the cheddar cheese and pickles and I couldn’t taste much tuna.
• The tuna could have been chicken and it was flaked into small pieces and perhaps marinated with a bit of lemon for a tang.
• I have a feeling it’s just the tuna that doesn’t get used up from the ahi tuna salads. That part doesn’t bother me, but holding back on the amount of tuna does.
• There were semi-cooked crunchy red onions, a good amount of melted cheddar cheese, and a bit of parsley, but the long slices of crunchy dill pickles were almost overpowering.
• The pita was generic and a bit dry, but thin, and overall it seemed more like a chicken quesadilla than a tuna melt to me.
• It was decent and still good, but not impressive for what it was supposed to be, and it’s nothing I would deliberately crave and come back for.

All paninis and sandwiches are served with a House Salad which was just basic greens tossed with a basic vinaigrette and a couple pumpkin seeds.

Californian Panini – 2.5/6

• Pesto Chicken, Tomato & Brie $7.95
• This was actually substantial as a lunch, unlike the tuna melt.
• I must say that the bread almost carried more flavour than the filling.
• The bread was likely out sourced, but it was good bread.
• The bread tasted like a potato and rosemary bread and after it was grilled and pressed it was thin and crunchy and the herb flavours intensified.
• It had a great chew that wasn’t tiresome and nice flavour that carried the sandwich.

• Unlike the 50′s tuna melt, this one had a good amount of ingredients and the only thing missing was the pesto.
• I pretty much couldn’t taste any pesto at all and the chicken was slightly dry, but it was passable, decent, and overlooked.
• It had a lot of thinly sliced chicken and a good amount of creamy, buttery, stringy melted brie and some freshly sliced tomatoes.
• However it could have been a brie and chicken sandwich before a pesto chicken sandwich or suggested “California Panini”.
• As a “Californian Panini” I think avocado would have been an amazing touch.
• This isn’t anything you couldn’t make at home, but I give credit to the bread.
• On the other hand I would have preferred a Smoked Turkey Club House panini from BG Urban Cafe.

There was a lot of baked goods and desserts to choose from, but this sounded the most creative and different. I really wish the walnuts and candied ginger weren’t only used as garnish though and actually incorporated into the cake.

**Carrot Ginger Trifle Cake – 3.5/6

• $4.50
• This was very light, fluffy and airy, but it was quite sweet so it does end up feeling a bit rich.
• I definitely could have used more walnuts, candied ginger, and maybe even some raisins and just more ingredients in general, because it was a very basic carrot cake recipe.
• The ginger flavour was only in the form of candied ginger cubes used as decor for the top and it was the same with the walnuts. There was only one of each in the whole bowl too.
• It wasn’t soaked in any syrup or rum, as I expected it would be since it was a trifle, but the carrot cake was very moist and tender with lots of visible shredded carrots.
• The cake wasn’t spiced that heavily and there was perhaps some cinnamon and nutmeg, but it wasn’t very apparent.
• Since the carrot cake was sweet enough already, I was very pleased to discover that the cream was actually fresh whipped cream rather than cream cheese icing.
• The whipped cream was fresh, not oily, and lightly sweetened and spiced with perhaps nutmeg.
• It was very good and I did enjoy it, but it could have easily been so much better, with not even much more additional effort.
• This is a great way to use up day old carrot cakes, and if that’s what they were doing, you couldn’t tell the cake was day old.

Restaurant: Maruwa Sushi Japanese Restaurant
Cuisine: Japanese/Sushi/Sashimi
Last visited: June 6, 2011
Location: Richmond, BC (Richmond)
Address: 11300 Steveston Highway
Price Range:

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 2.5
Service: 2
Ambiance: 2
Overall: 2.5
Additional comments:

• Japanese owned/operated
• Traditional menu
• Sushi bar
• Mostly sushi/rolls
• Limited sashimi
• Limited hot menu items
• Very casual
• Cheap eats/budget friendly
• Take out party trays
• Accepts Visa/MC/Interac
• Mon-Thurs: 11:30am-2pm, 5pm-9:30pm
• Fri: 11:30am-2pm, 5-10pm
• Sat: 5-10pm (dinner only)
• Closed Sunday

**Recommendations: n/a, but if you’re coming then the Toro (Tuna Belly) Sashimi, Spicy Tuna Sashimi, BBQ Salmon Belly

Maruwa Sushi seems to be a neighbourhood favourite, but I didn’t get it, unless it wins by default. I was in the area after the hockey game and I was trying to satisfy a late night sushi craving, so I decided to check it out after some recommendations.

It is Japanese owned and operated and it is somewhat authentic, but I didn’t find it that great. If I was in Richmond and wanted to stay within the same price range I would happily go to Kiriri Japanese Cuisine & Sushi Bar, Seto Sushi Japanese or even Sushi Hachi before this place. All of those are as “authentic” if not even more authentic than Maruwa. They do have a traditional menu and I guess I ordered more misses than hits, but at least it was very affordable so the damage wasn’t that bad.

I could be partially biased though because I did have Miku earlier this day and that’s like coming from gold to bronze. However even taking that into consideration, I still wasn’t that impressed. I made a decent dent in the menu and sampled a good variety, but I still didn’t see the hype. I can’t call it an “off day” either because it was just the way they execute things and nothing to do with seasonings.

We were the last table before closing, so maybe they just really wanted to go home, but the service wasn’t very accommodating either. I’m quite sure it’s family owned and operated, but I certainly didn’t feel like family going in. Overall the feeling wasn’t that great which in unfortunate because I love supporting local businesses. The menu is very affordable and I was hoping to find another amazing go-to causal sushi joint, but for now I guess I’ll just be going to somewhere else…

On the table:

Goma-ae - 1.5/6

• $3
• It was chilled and seemed premade.
• The sesame sauce tasted bottled and it had no flavour.
• It almost seemed watered down which it could have been if it was premade as the spinach would have released water.
• It was slightly tangy and I was just not a fan of this goma-ae. It tasted like it looked.

**Spicy Tuna Sashimi – 3/6

• $5
• This was not a bad deal and it came with a decent amount of small and thin slices of tuna swimming in lots of soy, sesame oil, a bit of chili oil and topped with tobiko.
• The sauce was a bit too salty though, but it had good flavour, which was predominantly sesame oil.
• It was barely spicy and only at the very end, but it went away quickly. It was more aromatic and the pieces absorbed the sauce well.

**Toro (Tuna Belly) Sashimi - 4/6

• $10
• This was probably the best thing and I saw the value in it too.
• The toro was fresh and sliced nice and thick and each piece was incredibly juicy, creamy, buttery and oily.
• Just looking at the plate you can see the oils coming out and it just melted in my mouth.
• The knife skills were alright, but I’m not going to be too picky and I did like the big slabs.

**BBQ Salmon Belly - 4/6

• $4.75
• This was a daily special. It’s the tastiest part of the fish, besides the cheek, except when it comes to salmon I do prefer the belly.
• I saw value in this too. It was a large portion, hot off the grill, and they did a great job preparing it.
• The salmon wasn’t charred, but it was still very crispy, well rubbed and infused with shio (salt) and/or soy and grilled to perfection.
• It wasn’t greasy on the outside and the meat was flaky, juicy, fatty, tender and almost melting.

Sushi - The menu is very roll focused so I decided to order a good variety. It just started to kind of go downhill from here. The rice was heavy on the vinegar, but a bit dry and the seaweed was a bit chewy.

Saba Battera (Pressed Mackerel) - 2.5/6

• $6.50
• This was a great deal and quite authentic in execution, but I just wasn’t a fan of the sushi rice, which was a bit dry and heavy on the vinegar.
• It’s a very fishy sushi and mackerel is very strong so I needed a Shiso leaf underneath the fish.
• This sushi has a very pickled flavour that’s reminiscent of pickled herring. The mackerel was treated in vinegar or mirin, so it tastes pickled.
• It was topped with a thin sheet of kelp, which seemed quite tangy and sweet. This is quite traditional for a Saba Battera.
• I liked the Saba Battera from Seto Sushi more and that one is 8 pieces for $10 – see here, although the Saba is sliced a bit thinner there.

Tamago (Egg) Nigiri - 1.5/6

• $1.25/piece
• The test of a Japanese restaurant is supposed to be the tamago and I always order it.
• This one was a big piece, but they were overcooked and brown although well layered.
• It wasn’t dry and it was slightly sweet, but also quite bland for tamago and I couldn’t taste much dashi in it.

Spicy Salmon Roll – 1.5/6

• $2.75
• It’s a bargain, but I didn’t really enjoy it, so I still wouldn’t order it again.
• It was a bit rice heavy with minimal salmon and it didn’t help that it was mashed up.
• It was marinaded in the same sauce that was served in the spicy tuna sashimi appetizer I had.
• It was salty again, but bearable because the rice helped balance it out. 
  

Spicy Tuna Roll – 1.5/6

• $2.75
• The tuna was mashed up and it was very plain.
• It wasn’t that salty or even spicy and I couldn’t taste it at all really.
• It tasted exactly like how it looked.

California Roll with Real Crab - 2.5/6

• $4.50
• The price is pretty good for a real crab roll.
• There was lots of flaky crab (questionably frozen) and there was either hardly or no mayo so I could really taste the crab, which I liked.
• There wasn’t much avocado, which I guess can be a good thing since you do want more crab.
• It’s just a California roll, but I’d consider ordering this since it’s a bang for your buck kind of deal.

Spider Roll (Soft Shell Crab) – 2.5/6

• $11.50 (8 pieces)
• I would rather have the Red Spider Roll at Koto Izakaya Sushi and Robata for $10.99.
• It came recommended and it was one of their priciest rolls, but it was pretty big I guess.
• It was the best roll I had out of all the ones I ordered too, but that’s not saying much.
• It was a full soft shell crab, but it was a bit over fried and not that juicy although very crunchy and crispy.
• There was a little mayo as a binder, a little bit of asparagus stem and some salty bits of tobiko on top.
• The rice was minimal, but a bit dry and the seaweed was chewy and it wasn’t rolled very well either.
• I don’t’ find it worth the price.

Natto Roll - 1/6

• $2.75
• This is a very traditional Japanese ingredient. Natto is fermented soy beans.
• I’ve had it once at G-men Ramen before and I don’t hate it, but I wouldn’t choose it either. I ordered it again to give it another try… wishful thinking on my part.
• It’s coated with an incredibly slimy and sticky clear liquid that’s reminiscent of bodily fluids…
• The clear strands of slimy sticky spider web goop is bacillus subtilis, which is a healthy bacteria. It makes the soy beans slimy, but it’s good for you.
• It’s very smoky and a bit bitter and it almost feels like you’re eating sushi covered in smoky bitter snot. I don’t know how else to put it. Ah, I know! It’s acquired.