Restaurant: Pho Lan
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Last visited: January 6, 2012
Location: Richmond, BC (Richmond Central)
Address: 6950 #3 Rd
Train: Brighouse Station Southbound
Price Range: $10 or less

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

Food: 4-4.5
Service: 3
Ambiance: 1.5
Overall: 4
Additional comments:

• Vietnamese owned/operated
• Hole in the wall/Dive
• Not the cleanest place
• Local favourite
• Busy at peak hours
• Casual/quick
• Cheap eats/budget friendly
• Parking at rear
• Cash only
• Dine in/Take out
• No delivery
• Daily 10:30am-10pm

**Recommendations: Pho Lan Special Beef Noodle Soup, Spring Roll (which I missed, but they’re supposed to be great), BBQ Lemon Grass Pork Chop

Talk about a hole in the wall huh? To be fair, this was just the back entrance. You can park in the rear for free and enter through the back door, which is very common of many divey/casual places. Heads up! Don’t focus too much on what’s going on in the kitchen as you walk by…

Okay so this is the front! Pho Lan is a local favourite and usually the first to come to mind when people ask for “the best pho in Richmond”. It was actually my first visit here, but I’m likely to come back.

To be honest, I did hesitate a bit since it failed a health inspection a few months ago and had to temporarily close. However it’s cleaned up now (I think) and has reopened, although the degree of improvement is very questionable. In a way I kind of expected a bit of uncleanliness for this style of dining though. I’ve likely dined at more dirty restaurants than I know… but it happens.

Referring back to my 10 Things to Look for When Dining Vietnamese! blog post, Pho Lan was rocking it! Let’s see… looks like a dive with a crappy sign containing lots of words? Check!

Cash only? Check! I saw about 4 of these signs throughout the restaurant.

Mostly Vietnamese people dining inside? More or less, but being in Richmond there were a lot of expected Chinese. There were actually a lot of Westerners too, but this place is a local favourite, so I was still buying into it. (This was taken just after the Friday lunch rush, otherwise it was packed.)

As for the authentic Vietnamese menu, I was surprised there was no Vietnamese on it. It had English and Chinese, but no Vietnamese. The owners are Vietnamese though, so it’s not Chinese style Vietnamese either. The food is cheap and the menu has all the typical dishes of any Vietnamese restaurant.

It’s Christmas time all year? Check, even though the string of lights weren’t turned on. I didn’t see the waving cat, but it already had about 5 of the things I look for when dining Vietnamese, so we’re looking good! On top of that, all I could hear was the yelling of orders in Vietnamese, which sounded like choppy out of tune singing… signs were pointing to legit! The owners are pretty friendly and quick with orders too, so that was a bonus!

Yes, definitely ghetto. There’s nothing like a sauce dish to fix a wobbly table…

Again, Pho Lan really isn’t the cleanest place, so if you’re a germaphobe you may want to reconsider. Of course even clean appearing restaurants can be dirty in the kitchen, but Pho Lan is almost obviously dirty in the front… so I really don’t want to know what’s going on in the back. I don’t want to scare you and it’s not like I got sick, and a lot of people I know who have eaten here have never gotten sick, but just giving you a heads up. If you want something more comfortable in the context of Vietnamese food in Richmond there are a lot of other options (like Pho Boi), but they might not taste as good as Pho Lan.

On the table:

Complimentary Bean Sprouts

• They serve them cooked so if you like them raw you need to ask.
• It was missing the chilies so you might have to ask for those too.

**#7 Pho Lan Special Beef Noodle Soup – 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• Rare steak, well-done flank, tendon, tripe, beef ball Small $6.50 Medium $7.50 Large $8.50
• What?! #7? The special is always supposed to be #1! Well technically it was the first listed in the Beef Noodle Soups section, so we’re good!
• The large size was unusually larger than normal so $8.50 was very reasonable.
• It was served piping hot with very thin and tender pieces of rare steak and a good amount of meat.

• The thin rice noodles were dried rather than fresh and they were pretty firm and finished cooking in the hot soup.
• I prefer fresh, but almost nowhere in Metro Vancouver makes them with fresh noodles.
• The colour of the hot beef broth was pale and somewhat clear which is better than deep and dark brown.
• The soup wasn’t as oily as I prefer and I actually wasn’t hit with the beef flavour until later on when I scooped the bottom. It’s weird how that happens because the beef flavour shouldn’t really sink to the bottom, but it kind of does.
• There wasn’t any anise flavour and it wasn’t too salty or sweet. A lot of places have a sweet broth which is likely from MSG (which is salty and sweet, not just salty).
• The broth still didn’t beat Pho Tam which is the best pho I’ve had to date. Their beef broth really tastes like authentic home made pho.

• All the beef pieces were incredibly tender and delicious.
• The fatty beef brisket slices were almost falling apart tender and they still retained a natural beef flavour.
• Sometimes they can taste bland and the flavour of the beef all cooked out into the soup, but not this one.
• There were about 3 beef ball pieces and they were better quality than usual. They seemed darker with more beef content and flavour and firmer in texture overall.

**BBQ Lemon Grass Pork Chop on Steamed Rice – 4/6 (Very good)

• $7.50
• For $7.50 it was a huge portion and well worth it.
• The grilled pork chop wasn’t all bone or fat and they were marinated nicely with fresh lemongrass.
• I prefer them a bit more charred, but these were cooked well and not dry. They weren’t necessarily juicy either, but they were tender.
• I do like them a bit saucier with more intense lemongrass flavour and a bit of a sweeter glaze like the ones from Pho Boi (see here), but these were still delicious.
• It comes with a side salad and orange nuom choc fish sauce which I love. It’s a sweet, salty and tangy vinaigrette you can pour over the whole dish.

• The steamed rice was Vietnamese short grain broken rice, which is a bit unexpected.
• Most Vietnamese places I’ve been to just use long grain, so this was an interesting detail.
• Short grain is usually used for sticky rice and it does have a stickier texture and tends to clump together.
• I really wish they offered the dish with Vietnamese fried rice, but fried rice isn’t available here.

Vietnamese Steamed Rice Crepe – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• Stuffed with pork, onion, Chinese mushroom, served with fried onion flakes and Vietnamese ham rolls $7
• I love this dish (Banh Cuon) and it can be enjoyed as an appetizer or a main. This was the main and it’s like a substantial warm salad.
• It’s a very light dish and it’s traditionally served with bean sprouts, Vietnamese ham, deep fried shallots and cucumbers.
• I personally prefer it served covered with bean sprouts, basil leaves and more cucumber instead of mostly lettuce, although there were bean sprouts underneath.
• The pickled carrots were a bit uncommon for the dish, but I do like them.
• The dish is eaten with the orange nuom choc fish sauce. It’s a sweet, salty and tangy vinaigrette.

There were about 5-6 warm crepes and they looked more Chinese in style than Vietnamese. They were rolled wider like Chinese steamed rice rolls at dim sum instead of  traditional thinner and log-like Vietnamese ones.

• The skins were thin, but a bit brittle and breaking apart. I question how fresh or made upon order they were.
• They were decently stuffed, but the skins weren’t chewy or as translucent, and the ends were slightly dry.
• The skins were heavier on the rice flour than tapioca starch so they really tasted more Chinese.
• The filling was marinated minced pork, black wood ear mushrooms and onions.
• The mixture was nice and peppery, but not spicy and the meat was very tender, soft and seasoned with fish sauce without being too salty.
• The wood ear mushrooms were completely soft and not crunchy, but overall the filling wasn’t dry and crumbly nor wet.
• There were a lot of textures with the steamed rice rolls and crunch of fresh vegetables.
• The crispy aromatic deep fried shallots and the nuom choc fish sauce just makes the dish come alive and it’s sweet, salty and tangy.
• It was good here, but Pho Tam is still my favourite for this dish – see Steamed Rice Rolls (Bahn Con).

Follow Me Foodie to Healthy & Cheap Eats in Vancouver!

Fat and broke from the holidays?

Yes? Well it just means you enjoyed yourself so don’t look back. It’s okay, we’re all in the same boat… or sinking the same boat? If you’re not in this category than pass this post on to your friends that could benefit. It may be insulting, but it’ll be a true test of friendship. If you missed my Foodie Friday segment on NEWS 1130AM radio this morning (11am every other Friday) here’s a quick recap.

Healthy and cheap are surprisingly hard to find, and healthy, cheap and good is even harder. Sure there are your salad bars and under 6 grams of fat Subway sandwiches, but eating healthy and cheap doesn’t have to be boring either. I’m not saying salad bars and Subway are boring (Jared Fogle ate it for how many years?), but there are more options and cuisines to explore.

Sure I could give you a list of vegan/vegetarian places, or you could just google those? Personally I’m a lover of rich, indulgent and heavy foods and could never really count a smoothie as lunch, but at this time of year, “healthy and cheap” is in demand. It’s okay, I get it, and who doesn’t want to save a penny?

I’m also not going to generalize everyone in one giant “fat and broke” category, so the following are just some suggestions for healthier and more affordable options. You decide which quote suits your current situation and bon appetit!

PS: I don’t think you’re fat… and I really hate that word.

Follow Me Foodie’s Healthy & Cheap Eats in Vancouver!

“I want something quick, healthy and cheap, and I’m not vegetarian or vegan.”

Photo from Something Healthy website

Try Something Healthy Wholesome Meals & Juice Bar – Menu items include whole wheat thin crust pizzas with skim cheese, baked sockeye salmon fillet with side of brown rice/quinoa & roasted veggies and freshly squeezed juices and smoothies. It’s quick healthy fast food, with items under 400 calories and less than $10.

Address: 660 Abbott Street, Vancouver, BC (Gastown)

“I ate one too many chocolate calenders and there was only December. I’m a step away from an acne commercial and I’m wearing elastic pants. I don’t mind having a smoothie for lunch and I still have cash for my gym membership… and/or yoga classes.”

Try The Juice Truck – It sounds like you may need a major detox. Menu items include The Pineapple Beat juice (Pineapple pressed with strawberry, apple, beet & ginger), The Strawberry Coconut smoothie (Strawberry blended with coconut meat, coconut milk, banana, raw cacao nibs, vanilla & agave) and there’s even a daily soup special if a drink just won’t cut it. It’s about $6-8 per drink, but the quality of ingredients are high. It’s not necessarily cheap, but who cares when you still have money for yoga!

Address: 200 Abbott Street, Vancouver, BC (Gastown)

“Eating turkey over the holidays is what I called “dieting”, I want my meat without feeling too guilty. Fries are vegetables because potatoes are vegetables.”

Bamboo-Charcoal Dark Miso Ramen

Try Motomachi Shokudo – Craving ramen and think it’s healthy? Not exactly, but here’s a healthier option for it. Motomachi Shokudo is a healthier take on ramen offering lighter broths. The Bamboo-Charcoal Dark Miso Ramen is a blackened soup made with powdered bamboo charcoal and miso ($9.75) and it’s the healthiest option on the menu.

Address: 740 Denman Street, Vancouver, BC (West End/Robson)

“Isn’t there anything more adventurous than brown rice and a salad? I don’t count calories, and my pants are slightly tighter than my cash… “

Photo from Dine Out There

Try Nuba -  It’s Lebanese and Middle Eastern healthy fast food at reasonable prices. It’s not really “cheap eats”, but it’s not expensive either. I’m sure if you count the calories, starches and fat it’s certainly not as healthy as a garden salad, but how many garden salads can you really eat? This is relatively healthy, a bit different, and full of spices and flavour.

Address: 4 locations in Vancouver, BC – see here

“I’m living in an apartment I can’t afford and went boxing day shopping on a line of credit… but I still fit my clothes!”

Try Ba Le Deli & Bakery or Au Petit Cafe – A Banh Mi (Vietnamese sub) is the ultimate in cheap eats. For around $3 it’s one of the biggest bangs for your buck! Ba Le Deli & Bakery and Au Petit Cafe are the two institutions and local favourites for them. The Vietnamese cold cuts, pate or dark meat chicken (depends what you choose) and the French baguette might not be healthy, but you still fit your clothes and are blessed with great genes… and probably look great in a pair of jeans! FYI you can’t use a line of credit for these because most likely the restaurants accept cash only.

Ba Le Deli & Bakery address: 701 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC, or 633 Main Street, Vancouver, BC, or #101A 15277 100th Ave, Surrey, BC

Au Petit Cafe address: 4851 Main Street, Vancouver, BC

Restaurant: Phnom Penh – Post 3
Cuisine: Vietnamese/Cambodian
Last visited: December 28, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Chinatown)
Address: 244 E Georgia Street
Train: Main Skytrain
Price Range: $10-20

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

Food: 5 (6 for the famous items)
Service: 3 (Is what it is, but it’s fast)
Ambiance: 2
Overall: 5
Additional comments:

• Family owned
• Vietnamese & Cambodian fusion
• Some Chinese dishes
• Extensive menu
• English/Chinese/Vietnamese menu
• Busy at all hours/line-ups
• Local/tourist favourite
• Famous for chicken wings
• Hole in the wall
• Quick/Casual
• Moderately priced
• Award winning restaurant
• Dine In/Take Out
• Reservations for 8+
• Mon-Thurs 10am – 9pm
• Fri-Sun 10am – 10pm

**Recommendations: Most famous: Phnom Penh Deep Fried Chicken Wings/Squid/Prawns, Marinated Butter Beef, Filet Beef Luc Lac on Rice with Egg (ask to get the rice replaced with fried rice) and Mango Moo Shake! People also like the Phnom Penh Two Kinds of Noodle, Steamed Rice Rolls, Phnom Penh Hot & Sour Soup and Trieu Chau Fried Oyster Cake.

Kicking off the New Year with something most of us already know and love! I’ve already blogged about it twice (see here and here), but it’s a place that never gets old. It’s Vancouver’s most beloved hole in the wall serving Vietnamese-Cambodian cuisine. If you haven’t tried it yet, you’re either out of the loop or severely deprived. I actually named it as one of the dives Guy Fieri missed when he came to Vancouver to film Food Network’s Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives – see here.

Over the holidays I brought almost every out of towner here, either upon request because they’ve tried it, or my suggestion if they haven’t. I get the same orgasmic response every time and it never fails to disappoint. However part of the reason is because I never venture too far away from the signature menu items. I’ve tried some of their not so popular items, and they’re either okay or better elsewhere, so it’s only a guaranteed experience if you know what to order.

It doesn’t matter what time you come, along with your guaranteed experience will be your guaranteed line up. As a local, it’s one of the few places I’ll wait 20 minutes for. They recently had renovations, but you can’t even tell, and to be honest if they ever renovated to a “nice restaurant” with new tables and chairs etc., it just wouldn’t be the same.

If you’re a table for 2-3 it’s likely you’ll have to share a big round communal table, so it’s really not a place for socializing. Mind you, I suggest coming with a group of at least 3-4 because the portions are pretty big and you can’t miss any of the “must try” items. It’s really only famous for a handful of items, but those handful of items have become iconic to the restaurant and in Vancouver.

On the table:
**Phnom Penh Deep Fried Chicken Wing - 6/6 (FMF Must Try!)

• 1/2 order (4 wings) $7.95 Full order (8 wings) $12.50
• This is the claim to fame.
• They’re not “just chicken wings”. So far, nobody has made better ones than these and the dipping sauce is really what makes it.
• I actually prefer the deep fried squid or prawns, which are made the same way as the chicken wings, but it’s all about personal preference.

• They’re lightly battered, crispy, juicy and seasoned with rock salt, white pepper, a little sugar and what I think is MSG.
• They’re salty, peppery, very slightly sweet form the sugar or MSG. (MSG is actually sweet and salty, not just salty.)
• They come with lots of sauteed garlic and green onions too. I wish it had some deep fried crispy garlic as well.
• They’re very garlicky and it’s like a Greek meal after you finish. Pah!
• If you like chicken wings I’d also recommend Wo Fung Dessert House for their famous chicken wings – see here.

• This is what makes all the difference. The dipping sauce for the chicken wings. It makes it that much more addicting.
• It’s basically lemon juice with white and black pepper. It’s not spicy but white pepper is always so aromatic and with the lemon it’s an intense combo.
• It’s super tangy and the citrus brightens up the wings and helps cut through the grease.
• The combination of salt, lemon, garlic and pepper is undeniably delicious and flavourful!
• Eating meat dipped in white pepper and lemon/lime juice is something some Vietnamese people will do at home, especially with beef. The lemon pepper sauce is actually a condiment used for many dishes, like hot sauce, so the idea isn’t necessarily that new.

**Marinated Butter Beef - 6/6 (FMF Must Try!)

• Thin sliced specially prepared (medium rare) beef on a bed of brown garlic, cilantro, served with our special sauce $12.85
• I love this dish and it’s my favourite thing here. It’s a must every time I come.
• This dish does not exist in Vietnam, so it is unique to the restaurant. It is a take on Phnom Penh’s Bo Tai Chanh though! (Thanks to @wisemonkeysblog!)
• It’s like the Vietnamese version of beef carpaccio or Japanese beef tataki.
• It’s super tender like the texture of butter, and it’s almost raw slices of beef. The slices are a bit thicker, but they don’t require much chewing.
• It’s quite a large plate and I can eat it alone, but I do recommend ordering it with rice to soak up the sauce or the sauce can be a bit overwhelming, salty and tangy.

• The tender beef is intensely covered with nutty crispy garlic, perhaps some ginger and loads of fresh cilantro. It’s almost like a cilantro raw beef garlic salad.
• It’s a super aromatic and saucy dish and I love the texture of soft raw beef, crunchy fresh cilantro, nutty garlic chips and the savoury tangy soy based vinaigrette.
• The special sauce is a very sharp and bold vinaigrette and they just pour it onto the beef and let it absorb.
• I think it’s made with soy sauce, fish sauce, and lemon juice with perhaps some sugar. It’s definitely predominantly tangy and salty though.
• I could drink the sauce, although I’d be coughing from the acid and dying of thirst afterward.

**Filet Beef Luc Lac on Rice with Egg - 5/6 (Excellent)

• $9.50
• Another famous Phnom Penh phenomenon. It’s their most popular rice dish and it’s Vietnamese comfort food.
• I’ve ordered it once at another Vietnamese restaurant before so I don’t have much to compare it to, although this one was much better than the one I had.
• Don’t even think about ordering the version without the egg… unless you’re allergic.
• It’s a traditional Vietnamese beef stir fry dish and it actually tastes really Chinese to me.
• There’s a popular Chinese dish called “Minced Beef with Raw Egg on Rice” and it’s very similar and I actually like them equally. It also reminds me of a sauteed version of Korean Bulgogi beef.
• The beef is generously coated with a thick sauce and it’s savoury, sweet and nutty from sesame oil.
• The beef is tender and has probably been marinating for a long time, and they give you a lot of slices.

• From what I could taste I think the sauce is soy sauce with Oyster sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, garlic and maybe some honey or sugar. It’s not sticky, but it’s almost creamy and very flavourful.
• It is very good, but I’m pretty used to this flavour so it wasn’t anything spectacular for me. It’s simply well marinated, savoury and sweet, tender beef stir fry.
• You have to break the egg yolk into the beef. It’s the traditional way any Asian person would eat it.
• The raw egg yolk just blends in with the meat and it adds a richness and creaminess to the overall dish. It’s like a”natural sauce” and I only wish the fried egg was even more raw.
• For the Chinese version they literally crack a raw egg on top of the minced meat before serving it. The heat of the meat is supposed to “cook” the egg, but it doesn’t… and no one cares. It’s delicious.

**Filet Beef Luc Lac on Rice with Egg (With Fried Rice upgrade) – 6/6 (FMF Must Try!)

• $9.50 + $3 (Fried rice upgrade) $12.50
• If you think the Filet Beef Luc Lac on Rice with Egg is excellent, try upgrading the rice to fried rice and it’s trés excellent!
• The dish as a whole is 6/6.
• The fried rice is their “Trieu Chau fried rice” with finely chopped Chinese sausages, carrots, egg and green onion.
• The rice is fried really well here and it’s not clumpy, dry or wet. It’s moist and full of ingredients and I got that earthy smoky “wok aroma”.
• The Chinese sausages are a bit chewy and sweet like jerky so they make for great flavour and it’s also sauteed with some soy sauce or fish sauce.

Phnom Penh Hot & Sour Soup with Prawn – 3.5/6 (Good-Very Good)

• Small $12.25 Large $24.50
• This is a Vietnamese-Cambodian style of Hot & Sour Soup, and I prefer the Chinese or Szechuan kind which is almost incomparable.
• This is popular in Southern Vietnam and Cambodia and it’s the most popular soup at Phnom Penh.
• It’s a huge pot served boiling hot.
• The broth is lighter and more clear than most Chinese versions and it has more acidity to it too.
• It’s savoury from the fish sauce, sweet from some sugar, and sour from the lemon/lime/tamarind (?), acidic from some tomato stock and it has a good kick of chili spice.
• It had chunks of tomatoes, taro stems, pineapples, some peeled shrimp, bean sprouts, basil leaves, onions, cilantro and dried/fried brown garlic so it was full of ingredients.
• The soup had depth, great flavour and balance, but I couldn’t taste the prawns infused in it. I liked it, but it’s not something I’d have to order again.

Trieu Chau Steamed Dumplings - 3.5/6 (Good-Very Good)

• Clear dumpling stuffed with Jicama nut & pork $8.25
• They take 15-20 minutes to make. They were huge and each one is a 2-3 biter.
• I usually order these at dim sum (aka Chiu Chow Fun Guo), but for a non dim sum restaurant these are pretty good. I still prefer dim sum ones, but the style of these are different.
• It is served with a tangy malted vinegar for dipping and topped with cilantro and dried/fried brown garlic.
• They’re made fresh upon order and I’ve had several versions of these before, including Trieu Chau ones, but never with these ingredients.

• The skins are the chewy clear glutinous rice flour skins you see on prawn dumplings, but these were thicker.
• They are stuffed with jicama, ground pork, Shiitake mushrooms, Chinese sausage, baby shrimps, I think some dried shrimps, and the most unusual was the hard boiled eggs. Everything else is quite standard, but the hard boiled eggs are different.
• Each one had a 1/4 of a hard boiled egg, and I liked it, but I just wished it was mixed up with the mixture so it wasn’t so random.
• The outside is soft and chewy and the inside is crunchy and meaty with tons of ingredients, but without the dipping sauce they are on the bland side.
• Texturally I liked them, but here are a few other versions of them that I prefer: 5 Spice Swatow Style Dumpling with more of a gravy, Steamed Diced Pork & Vegetable Dumpling “Chiu Chow Fun Guo”, and Steamed Pork Dumplings with Peanuts.

Phnom Penh Dry Rice Noodle (No broth) - 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• Rice noodles with seafood, pork, ground pork, dried shrimp, and special sauces, served with bean sprouts (soup on the side upon request) $6
• This is pretty good and enjoyable, but also not that special.
• It could have been better if the meat wasn’t so dry too. The pork slices were really hard to chew, and since it was a dry noodle dish, it didn’t help.
• The only liquid is some dark soy sauce and I think they add a little oil so it’s not so dry.
• The noodles are just the standard Vietnamese rice noodles they serve in pho. Here, they are served luke warm and they’re nice and chewy.
• I liked the freshness of the cilantro with the addition of steamed bean sprouts which were served on the side.
• The heat just brings out the nuttiness of the fried garlic which I wish had been crispy. I could have used some more salty dried shrimp as well.
• The “special sauces” it’s served with is the standard Vietnamese spring roll dipping sauce (Nuoc Cham) and a chili bean paste. Mixed in with the noodles it’s all sweet, tangy, spicy and savoury especially with the already added soy sauce.

Pork Soup - 2.5/6 (Okay-Good)

• This is their signature soup that comes as a side. It’s usually served with a pork bone in it, but they probably ran out since it was late in the evening.
• It tastes like chicken soup to me and it was light, but flavourful, and I didn’t find it anything special.

Phnom Penh Special Jumbo Rice B (with Fried Rice upgrade) – 4/6 (Very good)

• BBQ Lemon grass pork chop, shredded pork, ham and egg on rice $10.50 + $3 (Fried rice upgrade) $13.50
• This is definitely shareable and well worth it.
• It comes with a side of orange Nuoc Cham vinaigrette which you pour over top and mix everything together.
• It comes with a few slices of Vietnamese ham, a fried egg, a generous amount of pork chops, a dry fried pork rind (which tasted like vermicelli noodles) with chopped Vietnamese ham and browned garlic, and a salad.
• The garlicky pork rinds kind of tasted like something you would use to fill vermicelli noodle spring rolls with.
• They seem like they’re coated in bread crumbs, which are dried/fried brown garlic flakes, so it has that crumbly texture and they’re not crispy and intentionally not saucy.
• The pork is tender and juicy, but I could have used more lemongrass on the rub.
• It has a nice sweet glaze on them and the quality of the meat is a bit higher than a lot of Vietnamese places. It isn’t just all gelatinous fat or wimpy chewy pork cutlets.
• I enjoyed the variety in the dish and you get some of everything.

Beef Fillet Anchois - 4/6 (Very good)

• Very rare beef specially prepared with smashed fillets of Anchovies, fresh lemon juice, sliced lettuce, green peppers & onions $16.50
• I was hoping this was going to be a Butter Beef 2.0. I was hoping it was an undiscovered item just waiting to be ordered.
• I did enjoy it, but I wouldn’t want an entire plate. This is good for groups of 4. It’s a very crunchy and a refreshing salad.
• And you thought the Butter Beef was rare!!? Take a look at this one! It’s almost still bleeding! There’s a lot of super rare and pretty much raw beef pieces tossed throughout this salad. It’s almost like ceviche. They’re incredibly tender and each piece only took a few chews. It doesn’t taste fatty or tendonous.
• The beef fillets are so pounded and tenderized. It’s probably marinated overnight in anchovy lemon juice as well as maybe some ginger that comes unnoticed.
• Each piece was incredibly flavourful with juicy tangy savoury marinade, however it was to the point of loosing that natural beef flavour. For that one reason, it’s not really for hardcore carnivores who love meaty flavours. I still enjoyed it though. I’m not a major carnivore nor am I vegetarian.
• The salad itself reminded me of Subway sandwich toppings. I wanted way more herbs in it, like mint, cilantro and basil etc.
• It was generously dressed with a very tangy and sweet lemon vinaigrette that’s slightly spicy. The sharp dressing is required to “cook” and kill all the germs in that beef! I couldn’t see or really taste any anchovies, but it’s in the marinade giving it sharp savoury flavour.
• All the veggies were also tenderized with the vinaigrette so the onions weren’t spicy, but the sauce kind of has a slight kick.

Green Papaya Salad – 3/6 (Good)

• $14.50
• This is a huge papaya salad, but I prefer the Thai papaya salads.
• Usually this is an appetizer, but with the added prawns and beef it would be considered a main.
• It comes with lots of shrimp, freshly shredded crunchy green papaya, mint leaves, some shredded carrots, toasted peanuts, crumbled beef jerky, and chilies.
• It’s a very refreshing and crunchy salad with lots of different textures.
• The papaya is green papaya so it’s not your typical orangey yellow one. It’s tart, not sweet and almost like crunchy daikon.
• It’s sweet from the sugar, tart and citrusy from the papaya and vinaigrette, savoury with the beef and very aromatic overall.
• It comes with a side of orange Nuoc Cham vinaigrette which just brings everything together and gives it more salty, sweet and sour flavours.

Vietnamese Crepe or Bánh Xèo - 3/6 (Good)

• Crisp bean pancake wrapped with bean-sprout, shrimp, ground pork, pan-fried to perfection $12.95
• This takes a while to prepare. It’s actually a French inspired Vietnamese dish popular in Saigon.
• I had the honour of trying a homemade one from a good friend. I won’t compare them, but I learned that traditionally the crepe is used as the filling for lettuce wraps. You fill romaine leaves with the crepe and top it off with a variety of fresh herbs. It’s then wrapped and rolled and dipped into Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese spring roll dipping sauce) before eating. It’s so much better that way!
• This crepe was MASSIVE. It’s actually pretty good, but just very bland and I do wish they would serve it authentically. There’s not many places making this though.
• It was a super crispy thin crepe and similar to a chip. It was almost deep fried and pretty oily.
• It’s nice and crunchy and the batter has some sliced garlic pieces, chives and frozen baby shrimp cooked into it. Fresh prawns would obviously be better, but I understand.
• It’s yellow from Tumeric, but it’s still bland.

• It was well stuffed, but I wish the variety of stuffing was more spread out. It was almost like clumps of toppings rather than an incorporated mixture.
• There was a lot of steamed bean sprouts, which is actually quite standard for this crepe. But since these were previously steamed they tasted a bit watery and lost their flavour. It didn’t help since everything else was already bland.
• It’s also stuffed with bland ground pork, and some yellow starchy bits that tasted like hard boiled duck egg yolks, but not salty. They were almost like coarse lentils and they were bland as well.
• The orange stuff is the shrimp and it was the only decently salty part. I wanted way more of it. It was a combination of dried and cooked shrimp and it had the texture and slight taste of sweet pumpkin, salty shrimp flavour followed by a slightly spicy note. It sounds gross, but I liked it. It’s a bit mushy and bitty.
• Eaten together it’s all crispy, crunchy and almost like a salad filled with bean like starchy textures.
• Texture was interesting, but it was very bland without the orange Nuoc Cham vinaigrette dipping sauce they served on the side. It also needed more fresh herbs.

**Mango Moo Shake – 6/6 (FMF Must Try!)

• $4.25 (Mango flavour is seasonal)
• It’s found in the “desserts” section and it’s almost like a bubble tea, but better.
• The Moo Shakes aren’t as well known, but people who know about them will always order them. They’re amazing.
• It’s not a milkshake, but there is a tiny bit of milk in it. It tastes like it’s made with fresh mango sorbet and it’s like a frozen mango slushy.
• It’s very naturally sweet with a little bit of added sugar syrup and it’s made with 100% real mangoes! They’re probably frozen but you can tell it’s real.
• It’s like a frozen fresh fruit puree of mango and it’s super thick and better than any fresh fruit mango bubble tea type drink I’ve tried to date.

Lychee Moo Shake – 5/6 (Excellent)

• $4.25
• I’m assuming the lychee is canned because they have it available all year.
• It’s full of lychee flavour and again it’s better than most bubble tea places making lychee bubble tea.
• It’s thick, refreshing and blended with ice like a slushy. There could be a splash of milk too.
• I find it a bit sweet, and I still prefer the mango, but I still liked this.

Assorted Handmade Chocolates – not from Phnom Penh, but it was dessert after dinner.

Miku Restaurant – Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi

2011 Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Yearblog

Happy New Year! Welcome to my Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Best of 2011! This is a recap and yearbook/yearblog of the BEST Follow Me Foodie (FMF) Food and FMF Foodie Moments in 2011.

I wrote a Follow Me Foodie Favourites & Best of 2010, so I decided to do another one this year. I don’t even know where to start. It’s been a crazy year, and I’m so grateful for everything that has happened with this blog. I’ve loved every minute of it (even the parts where it hurt to laugh because I was so full) and I’m so happy to have shared these delicious moments with you. Thank you for following me foodie and cheers to another year of gastronomic indulgence!

NOTE: IT’S NOT NECESSARILY “THE BEST“, BECAUSE FOOD IS PERSONAL AND I CAN ONLY DISCOVER SO MUCH IN A YEAR. THESE ARE JUST SOME WORTH MENTIONING IN MY BOOKS… OR BLOG? BLOG. IT’S MORE OF A 2011 RECAP/SUMMARY. ALL EXPERIENCES ARE FROM 2011 ONLY.

Top 20 BEST ASIAN/FUSION Restaurant Dishes & Food in Vancouver:

Suika – Beef Short Rib

Being in Vancouver, we’re spoiled by great Asian/Asian Fusion cuisine, so I decided to make it a separate category. Vancouver dominates and excels when it comes to Asian/Asian fusion cuisine.

Listed in no particular order. Based on the menu item, not the restaurant.

1. Suika – Beef Short Rib

2. Aki Japanese Restaurant – Black Cod (Sable Fish)

3. Pho Tam – House Special Pho

4. Wing Kee – Fresh Steamed Scallops with Vermicelli and Garlic

5. Dan Japanese – Tuna Chili Sashimi

6. Wang’s Beef Noodle House – Beef Brisket Noodle

7. Kirin Seafood Restaurant – Black Cod Braised with Squash and Roasted Pork Belly

8. Jade Seafood Restaurant – Steamed Mushroom Dumpling

9. Rainflower Restaurant – Pan Fried Tiger Prawns with Basil

10. Tokyo Joe’s Sushi Factory – Volcano Roll

11. Empire Chinese Cuisine – Alaskan King Crab Dinner – 4 ways

12. Red Star Seafood – Dungeness Crab with Wild Rice

13. Motomachi Shokudo – Bamboo-Charcoal Dark Miso Ramen

14. Tokachi Japanese – Tuna Gomaae

15. Empire Chinese Cuisine – Deep Fried Alaskan King Crab Knuckles

16. Ichiro Japanese – Dragon Roll

17. Delicious Cuisine – Deep Fried Shrimp with Salted Egg Yolk

18. Hapa Izakaya (Kistilano) – Salmon Shooter

19. Suhang Restaurant – Steamed Soup Buns with Pork Filling (XLB)

20. Jade Seafood Restaurant – Jade Smoked Grandpa Chicken

Honorary Mentions from 2010 list: Miku Restaurant – Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi, Top Gun J & C Restaurant – Baked BBQ Pork Bun, Hakkaido Ramen Santouka – Toroniku Shio Ramen

See “Follow Me Foodie Best of 2010 Asian/Fusion Dishes” here.

See the full “Follow Me Foodie Best of 2011″ here.

Restaurant: Pho Boi, A Taste of Vietnamese
Cuisine: Vietnamese/Noodle Shop
Last visited: December 11, 2011
Location: Richmond, BC (Richmond)
Address: 4131 No. 5 Road
Bus: EB Cambie Rd FS No. 5 Rd
Price Range: $10 or less

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

Food: 3
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3.5
Overall: 3
Additional comments:

• Clean/spacious
• Limited menu
• Casual/quick
• Family friendly
• Budget friendly/Cheap eats
• English menus
• Some bubble tea
• Free parking
• Accepts credit card
• Mon-Sun 12pm-11pm
• Closed Wednesdays

**Recommendations: Grilled Pork & Fried Rolls

10 Things to Look for When Dining Vietnamese!

What to look for, what to avoid, and general scouting tips for an “authentic” Vietnamese restaurant.

This may sound like a “discriminating” post, and I know I’m stereotyping… but it’s for fun and there’s a degree of truth to it, so take it light heartedly. It’s not everything I look for, and it doesn’t apply for every Vietnamese restaurant, and there are exceptions and I know that. I apologize ahead of time if I offend some people, but I’ve probably already done so with several posts in the past… so what’s another one? Just kidding… sort of… anyways here goes!

1. The name sounds gangster or gangsta, there’s no English in the title and at a quick glace it looks like French on crack.

Pho Boi… yeah that sounds gangsta enough. Okay, I’ll never say that again. But “A Taste of Vietnamese”? Hmm, I’m not feeling the English. And yes! There’s a “China hat” on the “o”! Pho Boi is the new player in the Vietnamese pho scene in Richmond, BC.

2. It looks like a dive and the sign is missing, messy, crappy looking or tacky.

I drove by Pho Boi randomly and the fancy signage and large space made it impossible to miss. Yes, this is definitely fancy signage especially for a Vietnamese restaurant.
And what is that? A logo? Baller! And is that patio seating?! Dang!

3. The less non-Vietnamese people inside the better.

Yikes, that came out so wrong. Let me explain though. When I go to an ethnic restaurant I just like to see the majority of the diners being the same ethnicity as the cuisine. Since Vancouver is a multicultural society and Richmond is mainly Chinese I expect to see various clientele, but I just feel more confident in the authenticity of an ethnic restaurant when people of that culture are dining there too. I’m sure I’m not the only one on this one.

4. It’s Christmas time all year.

Usually when I go for pho I want the place to look like a hole in the wall shady dive with a random string of Christmas lights by the window or cashier. Those are generally the best places for pho. So far, I saw none of these characteristics, but the upscale neon lights made me hopeful.

5. It’s CASH ONLY.

Oh god… and this! What is this?! You accept Mastercard and Visa?! Well that almost translates to “non-legit”. A Vietnamese restaurant that accepts credit card is a rare find! But, I put my stereotypes aside, went in and opened a menu…

To find this! What is that?!?! A description for pho in pretty understandable English?

6. There’s no English, little English, poorly translated English or spelling mistakes all over the menu.

A description for pho? And is that pho organized by categories for “beginners”, “regulars” and “adventures”? The menu looked like it was for Westerners. At least the Vietnamese names of the items were on it and it wasn’t called “beef noodle soup”, but it was looking a little White Spot… or mall food court.

7. The #1 or #2 is the “house special” and usually the best pho on the 100+ item menu.

The #1 and #2 is usually the “house special” and “must try” pho on the menu. It’s usually the benchmark pho and shows what the restaurant can do if they nail the broth. There’s also about 50+ menu items that are “mix and match” of the same thing. At Pho Boi the menu was small and limited for a Vietnamese restaurant and what would normally be considered the “house special” at a Vietnamese restaurant was #14-16. It’s basically the options under “The Adventures Choice” with all the “scary” exotic meats like “crunchy”.

Photo of Cambie Vietnamese Restaurant not Pho Boi.

8. There’s a waving cat.

It also goes by the name of “Fortune Cat”, “Lucky Cat”, “Welcoming Cat” or “Money Cat” etc. I didn’t notice one at Pho Boi, and it’s a superstitious thing. Lots of Asian restaurants have them and it’s supposed to bring luck to the owner.

9. The food is cheaper than McDonald’s.

Your bowl of pho should be the same or even cheaper than a meal at McDonald’s. A large bowl of pho should not cost more than $8… and I’m being generous.

10. All the staff are Vietnamese and speaking in a language that sounds like choppy out of tune singing.

If you want authentic Vietnamese food you want the staff, or at least the chefs, to be Vietnamese. Sure there is the exception of Vietnamese-Chinese, and Vietnamese-Cambodian food where the chefs might not be Vietnamese, but generally speaking it’s a great sign to have the people who know the food making it. Mind you, my mother can make good pasta, but she’s not Italian. Is it authentic? Of course not, but it’s still good.

In the end if I can find 3/10 of these characteristics from my list at a Vietnamese restaurant, I’ll give it a try. It depends on which 3 too!

So far at Pho Boi I witnessed a gangster sounding name, nice signage, a large group of Westerners at the front window, wannabe Christmas lights, an acceptance of credit cards, an English description of pho, the #1 and #2 not being the “House Special”, no waving cat, a cheap menu, and half the staff speaking Vietnamese. So what is that? 3? 3.5/10? Ahhh, it’s a gamble I’m willing to take!

At first glace Pho Boi looked like it was pho sure for Westerners. It was a wide open space that was quite nice and more comfortable than most shady looking Vietnamese restaurants. The food was clean with nice presentation and I would say it was visually catered to a Western clientele, but the food wasn’t bad! It was pretty legit, but not the best Vietnamese in Richmond. It was more authentic than I assumed so I’m glad I didn’t completely judge a book by its cover or I might not have gone in!

On the table:

Complimentary Bean Sprouts

• If I take photos of complimentary bread, why not bean sprouts?
• They’re offered cooked or raw.
• Everything was clean and it had all the fixings.

#14 Ph Tai Nam Gau Gan Sach – 3/6

• Steak, Flank, Tendon, Fatty Brisket, Tripe Regular $6.45 Large $7.45
• This is equivalent to the house special and it’s an “Adventure’s Choice” on the menu.
• It was good, and it had way more noodles than most places, but there wasn’t enough beef flavour in the soup.
• It had a beefy oiliness to it, which it should, and then a white pepper flavour too.
• I couldn’t really taste the star anise or any other flavours, but it was decent and not too salty. I actually wasn’t dying for water after, but it doesn’t mean it’s free of MSG.
• It was a bit dark in colour and I prefer mine a bit clearer and still nothing beats the best pho I’ve had which is at Pho Tam.

• The noodles were clumpy, but chewy and not overcooked and the broth was served hot.
• It was a decent amount of beef and everything was presented well in nice pieces and slices for what it was.
• The meats were somewhat tender, the flank and steak a bit chewy, and the fatty brisket was pretty much falling apart, but a bit dry.
• I wished it came with some beef balls, which usually comes in a house special.

S2 – Pho Do Bien Chui Cay – 2/6

• Hot & Sour Seafood Noodle Soup $7.45
• There were a couple slices of tomatoes, 3 shrimps which were likely frozen, but they were crunchy and not overcooked, and then a few of those artificial crab sticks.
• The squid was crunchy and overcooked and there was also a deep fried fish ball, but on the whole I wasn’t feeling any of the seafood.

• There was an immediate flavour of intense lemongrass and lime in the broth and it was mildly spicy with chili oil.
• The broth had no seafood flavour and I think it was just the chicken based soup with added lemongrass and chili etc.
• There was a slight tomato base and it was quite acidic with added lime juice and there was flavour, but it wasn’t a seafood broth.
• Again it came with way more noodles than most places would usually give you. They were nice and chewy, but clumpy again.

**B3 – Bun Thit Nuong Cha Cio – 4/6

• Grilled Pork & Fried Rolls $7.95
• This was my favourite. Generally I do like this item, but the grilled pork was done well here and the presentation was nice.
• It is a dry noodle dish served room temperature with hot meat so it’s almost like a warm salad.
• It comes with a side of orange nuom choc fish sauce which I love and that’s what you dress this dish with. It’s like a sweet, salty and tangy vinaigrette.
• It comes with bean sprouts, julienne cucumbers, julienne carrots, shredded lettuce, raw onions, peanuts, garlic chips, and cilantro so it’s very aromatic and flavourful with great texture.
• The pork was a decent amount and the quality of meat was better than most Vietnamese places.
• It was boneless pork that wasn’t too fatty and it was very tender and well marinated with some lemongrass and a sweet and savoury soy based Hoisin like glaze.
• The pork wasn’t dry at all which can usually happen with this dish, but it didn’t have that charcoal grilled exterior I like.
• Overall I enjoyed it and it was better with a squeeze of lime and added basil leaves.

• Chia Gio (Crispy Fried Rolls) - 2.5/6
• Crispy fried roll with ground pork, glass noodles and veggies served with fish sauce
• The roll was a bit premade and over fried, but the filling was very moist, juicy and flavourful. I liked the filling.
• It was very crunchy and crispy with very flaky spring roll wrapping rather than the rice roll wrapping.
• It was oily as expected, and the ratio of wrapper to stuffing was decent.

Summer Roll – 1.5/6

• Rice paper roll with shrimp, pork, vermicelli noodles, and salad served with peanut sauce $2.76
• I know it’s very simple, but I really like these in general. This was not a great one.
• It was mostly noodles and there should be some basil leaves in the stuffing.
• The pork was Vietnamese ham so that was a no no since the menu said pork.
• The peanut sauce also tasted funky and it lacked Hoisin sauce. It was gritty, very sweet like honey and a bit fishy and not just from fish sauce.

Restaurant: Má Pêche
Cuisine: Fusion/Asian/Euro-Asian/Desserts
Last visited: September 2, 2011
Location: Manhattan, NY (Midtown West)
Address: 15 W. 56th St. 
Nearby subway stop: 5 Av/59St
Price Range: $20-30

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

Food: 4 (based on what I tried)
Service: 4
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• Chef/Owner David Chang
• Award winning restaurant brand
• Modern fusion/Euro-Asian Menu
• Asian food/menu
• French technique
• Seasonal menu
• Famous Steamed Pork Buns
• Posh atmosphere, modern feel
• Local favourite
• Small portions
• Moderately priced
• $25 lunch price fixe menu available
• Breakfast Mon-Sat 7am-11:30am
• Lunch Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm
• Dinner Mon-Sat 5:30pm-12am
• Sunday 7am-11am, 5:30pm-10pm

**Recommendations: The food is very good, but the value isn’t. The Steamed Pork Buns are the “must try” item, but I found them better at Momofuku Noodle Bar.

Don’t be confused. You are at Má Pêche, however you have to walk through Milk Bar first. The outside was discrete enough already and I actually missed it the first time around. This seems to be a characteristic of the Momofuku restaurants, so just beware the signage and restaurants are all quite subtle.

Má Pêche is located behind Milk Bar, and both are the latest New York additions to the Momofuku restaurant empire. Created and owned by world renowned chef, David Chang, who is Korean American, it is influenced by Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai cuisine, but executed with French flair.

With 5 restaurants in New York, and next year one in Sydney and Toronto, I can just feel an eventual location popping up in Vancouver, BC. All of these cities have a strong Asian presence, on the other hand I found it catered to a non-Asian clientele. I guess it is similar in theory to Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie in Vancouver (which I do enjoy), but they are different in style.

Fusion Asian food, or modern Asian food. It’s a tricky concept to appreciate especially if you’re Asian or familiar with Asian cuisine. Usually you can’t help but to think there is better for cheaper, but you almost have to turn off that attitude or you won’t enjoy this. My experiences have generally led me to enjoy fusion Asian food only when it comes to Japanese cuisine, so I was hoping this would convince me otherwise.

Next to introducing ramen to New York through Momofuku Noodle Bar, these infamous pork buns are what launched the brand to its success. These Steamed Pork Buns are offered at all of his restaurants in New York and it is the signature David Chang item.

The philosophy is Asian food made with French technique, which tends to translate to nicer looking Asian food at double the price. The portions are smaller than expected, so it takes a few dishes to get full. It’s not fine dining, but the portions and price almost speak of it, so I thought it was pushing it a bit. The food was great, but the value wasn’t, so the experience wasn’t as satisfying as I had hoped.

The Momofuku restaurants were on my itinerary from the start. I had to see what the hype was all about so I put them as priority, and eventually they started to move down the list. I even got my reservations for the 2 Michelin Star “impossible to get reservations for” Ko, but I ended up canceling that too. I did end up trying Momofuku Noodle Bar, and it’s not that any of the three I tried were bad, but it gave me enough of an idea that I didn’t feel the need to try them all in the two weeks I had in New York.

On the table:

Steamed Pork Buns – 4/6

• Hoisin, Cucumber, Scallion $10
• This is the signature Chef David Chang “must try” item.
• It’s a modern version of a traditional Chinese dish that has existed for centuries.
• These are really small, but very rich so I would only want one, but I wouldn’t be full.
• The first bite was excellent, and then the hype kind of faded.
• The bun was super soft, pillowy light and moist.
• The pork belly was incredibly buttery and creamy and it literally melted in my mouth, but probably because it was so fatty.
• It was actually too fatty for my liking, and I did want more meat. Yes, fat makes it tender and delicious, but I don’t want so much of it.
• The pork was savoury, super oily and almost dripping with oily juices, I barely had to chew it. Calling it “tender” would be an understatement.

• It was very good, but there wasn’t enough of the other ingredients.
• I wanted more hoisin, cucumber and scallion. I actually couldn’t taste the scallion at all.
• It was missing crunchy texture, especially since the bun and meat were so soft.
• It didn’t have enough sweet Hoisin either and overall I just wanted more balance, texture and flavours instead of just bun and fat.
• I ordered these Steamed Pork Buns again at Momofuku Noodle Bar and I liked them better at that location.
• To see an authentic version of it see Taiwanese Steamed Sandwich (Koah-Pau) at Delicious Cuisine in Richmond, BC.

**Steamed Oxtail Buns – 4.5/6

• Apple, fish sauce, crispy shallots $10
• I actually liked this one more because it wasn’t as rich and fatty as the pork buns and it had more dynamic texture and flavour.
• The beef was tender and quite fatty, but not juicy and surprisingly a bit on the dry side.
• It was a bit oily, but not saucy, and I think I would have preferred braised beef brisket.
• The crispy shallots are always a great addition to anything, and the pickled green apples were juicy with a nice tang and sweetness.
• It was sweet, salty, tangy and crispy and the fish sauce gave it a bright savoury flavour without taking away from the beef flavour.

Crispy Pork Shank – 4.5/6

• Yogurt, lime, jicama $14
• This was considered a main but it was the size of an appetizer.
• The pork shank was about the size of a hockey puck, but it was rich and delicious.

Just to show portion, and that was an “extended” pen too…

• The pork shank (leg) was shredded into bits and pieces and it was very well disguised especially with all the tendons and muscles chopped up and mixed.
• The meat was formed into a patty with minced, carrots, celery, onions, and garlic, and lightly breaded in Panko and deep fried until crispy.
• The meat was moist, tender and savoury with a bit of heat from I think Japanese chili powder.
• It was also a bit chewy and sticky from all the tendons gelled throughout the filling, so the texture was a bit acquired.
• I could have used a little more meat and a bit less tendon for more balance in texture.
• The thin crunchy crust was a great contrast to break things up though.
• The yogurt was under the spicy and zesty jicama root salad and it was a thick tangy Greek yogurt.
• The spice, tang, and refreshing crunch of the salad was a great contrast to the richer pork shank.
• The pork shank wasn’t hot, but mildly spicy and the yogurt made it a bit more mild.
• It was pricey, but at least it was something new, different and creative, and it was well executed.

Dessert: Don’t worry! I didn’t skip it! I ended up ordering a few things from Momofuku Milk Bar upstairs. All desserts from Milk Bar can be ordered and enjoyed at Má Pêche. My post for Milk Bar here!

Here’s a teaser of one of the desserts I ordered.

The famous “Crack Pie” – see my full post here.

Restaurant: Cambie Vietnamese Restaurant
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Last visited: August 10, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Riley Park/Little Mountain)
Address: 4136 Main Street
Price Range: $10 or less

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

Food: 3 (based on what I tried)
Service: 5
Ambiance: 2.5
Overall: 3
Additional comments:

• Family owned/operated
• Friendly service
• Vietnamese cuisine
• Specializes in pho
• Local favourite
• Budget friendly/cheap eats
• Family friendly
• Eat in/Take out
• Accepts Interac/Visa/MC
• Limited free parking in the back
• Fully licensed
• Open late
• Open daily for lunch/dinner

**Recommendations: Pho

I came here with my sister after our Chocolate Tasting 101 class at Xoxolat. We needed something to melt away the delicious sugar and fat we had just consumed and a hot bowl of pho seemed most appropriate.

I was originally looking for Pho Tan on Main Street, but I had the wrong address and ended up not being able to find it. Little did I know it was only a few blocks further South on Main Street. Anyways I resorted to plan B which was the next pho place I could find, and that happened to be Cambie Vietnamese Restaurant. It’s hard to miss their signage considering “Vietnamese” is in font size 5000.

I’ve actually been to this restaurant over a year ago, but it was only to meet friends and I didn’t get to try anything, except for their deep fried banana with ice cream, which was good. I know many of my friends like the pho here, so I was still curious to check it out and really try their menu this time around.

The interior is pretty much the most random array of decorations I have seen in a Vietnamese restaurant. I think the only thing missing was a string of Christmas lights, but I’m sure if I walked around a bit more I would have spotted them.

The man in the photo above is the owner of the restaurant who runs the floor and I’m quite sure his wife does the cooking. He’s super friendly, outgoing and even funny, but I don’t even know if he knows that. There’s a charisma and charm about him and he socializes and appreciates all his customers. He actually seems like he’s having fun and he reminds me of Mr. Ping from Kung Fu Panda, Po’s dad who owned the popular noodle shop.

Anyways the food is one thing, but then the service is another, and I’d say the service outweighs the food here. I only tried a few things, but the pho was the highlight and the rest was quite mediocre. I guess it’s not too big of a deal considering pho is usually what you would order at a Vietnamese restaurant anyways. The service was more memorable and it’s what I remembered most about my first visit here over a year ago too. I would come again for the quirky ambiance and the pho, but have yet to explore other items, and I’m not sure how keen I am on doing it.

On the table:

Steamed Crepes – 2.5/6

• 6 Steamed rice crepes stuffed with ground pork, onion and mushroom $3.69
• I love this dish, but it was okay here and there is better. Pho Tam probably makes the best ones I’ve had to date – see their Steamed Rice Rolls (Bahn Con).
• It was served with pickled salad and deep fried shallots and garlic on top, but they were chewy instead of crispy.
• Traditionally it should be served with fresh bean sprouts, basil leaves, and Vietnamese ham.
• For $3.69 I don’t want to complain too much. It’s still a great deal and decent, and likely good if it’s your first time having them.
• Basically I wouldn’t order them entree size, and they do the job, but they’re not great for what they are.

• There wasn’t much filling and the skin was too thick and chewy. A good one has skin that is paper thin and almost translucent.
• It’s stuffed with ground pork and some wood ear mushrooms, but some of the meat was a bit dry and crumbly and then some of it was moist and juicy.
• It was well seasoned stuffing and flavourful with a nice crunch from the mushrooms and tangy salad, but when you’ve had great ones, these ones just don’t really cut it.
• It was actually really cute because we only had one roll left and the owner came over with a sad face and said “awww, who didn’t finish that?!” and started shaking his finger (non-offensively)… and with that reaction we cleaned off the plate!

They served it with peanut sauce, but traditionally it’s supposed to be eaten with the orange fish sauce called Nuoc Cham sauce, which you can ask for. The peanut sauce is the “Americanized” way to eat them, but personally I ‘d rather have peanut sauce with my Vietnamese salad rolls, and Nuoc Cham with this.

**Rare Beef Pho – 4/6

• $6.99
• It sound like pricey pho, but they only offer one size and that’s large.
• You can even ask for extra noodles at no additional charge! The owner is super nice.
• It was actually very good pho, and I’d come back for this.
• It was served piping hot and the noodles were nice and chewy.
• It was quite aromatic with a strong beef flavour and it wasn’t too sweet or salty.
• The colour was a bit yellow and I’m quite sure there was added bouillon powder in it. It’s not uncommon to do that, but this one was just a bit heavier with that flavour.
• The best pho I’ve had is still from Pho Tam – see here.

• The beef was really good and it came with a decent amount served completely rare. It was very tender and thinly sliced and very well marbleized.
• I still like the rare beef slices from Pho Tam better, but these are still great.

You can order as much bean sprouts and basil leaves as you want.

Spicy Basil Chicken Salad - 2/6

• Boneless chicken satueed with sweet basil served on fresh garden salad $6.99
• The Spicy Basil Chicken is also available as an entree over rice, but I ordered the salad version.
• For a basil salad I was hoping to see some fresh basil.
• I wanted it to be more traditional Vietnamese with basil, bean sprouts, pickled cucumbers, daikon and carrots.
• I think I was most bothered that it looked nothing like the picture and there wasn’t much chicken so it actually seemed quite pricey.

I was expecting the photo above.

• Apparently they were short staffed that night, but I’m not sure if that’s an excuse. The service was fast, but maybe they had someone who didn’t know the menu well enough to be preparing the food… ?
• It ended up being just sauteed chicken and veggies over lettuce.

• The salad was actually really saucy, but it was mostly shredded lettuce, sauteed onions and red bell peppers.
• It was one small piece of boneless and skinless dark meat chicken fillet and it could have been their marinated lemongrass chicken, but I’m not sure and it wasn’t obvious.
• The chicken was really rubbery, and it was juicy because it was dark meat, but it wasn’t great chicken.
• It was a spicy and sweet dressing, or sauce, and again I was hoping for fresh basil leaves, but it was all dried herbs.
• It almost tasted like a spicy honey Teriyaki based sauce with some fish sauce and it was slightly tangy like a vinaigrette too.
• It was more sweet than salty, tangy and then a bit spicy, but not Thai food spicy either.
• It would have been better with rice, but I probably still wouldn’t order it as an entree with rice.

Food Network’s Diners, Drive Ins & Dives in Vancouver, BC!

What Guy Fieri missed and what he needs to come back for!

If you missed my Foodie Friday segment on News 1130AM radio (11am every other Friday) here’s a recap! To listen to it click here.

By now you probably know that Food Network’s popular show Diners, Drive Ins & Dives and host Guy Fieri recently came up for a visit. This is the first time they’ve shot in Canada and his first stop was in Vancouver, BC. As beautiful as the city is, it’s also delicious!

Some of the local “Diners, Drive Ins & Dives” he visited included Save-On Meats, The Red Wagon, Tomahawk Restaurant, Falconetti’s East Side Grill, Peaceful Restaurant and food cart Fresh Local Wild. Not to discredit anywhere he visited, but I just want to highlight some of my personal “Diners, Drive Ins & Dives”. Here are a few I think he really needs to come back for! I nominate these places as potential candidates for his show.

Follow Me Foodie’s Diners, Drive Ins & Dives

1. Hilltop Cafe Diner

Photo from Sherman.

Heart stopping menu highlights: Everest Burger, Cowboy’s Eggs Benedict

2. Phnom Penh

Heart stopping menu highlights: Phnom Penh’s Deep Fried Chicken Wings, Marinated Butter Beef, Filet Beef Luc Lac with Egg on Fried Rice

3. Be ‘wiched Cafe

Photo from Sherman.

Heart stopping menu highlights: Chain Gang Chili, Apple Pie Stuffed French Toast, Triple Citrus Cream Cheese Bars, Pumpkin Cookies with Warm Icing

I have lots more to add to this list, but these are just a few of my highlights with only some of the city’s best heart stopping dishes.

Want to hear more Follow Me Foodie talk? Tune in every other Friday at 11am on News 1130AM!

Photo by Winston Wong

Foodie Tour of Vancouver’s Food Carts & Food Trucks

5 food stops, 4 sandwiches, 3 food carts, 2.5 hours, 1 full foodie day!

After a year of hibernation, Foodie Tour is back up and running, and this time it’s running with restaurants on heels, I mean wheels… I was the one in heels! Anyways Foodie Tour is introducing a tour of Vancouver’s food carts and food trucks!

With over thirty food carts in Metro Vancouver, it’s impossible to hit them all in one tour over 2.5 hours. So creator and host of Foodie Tour, Michelle Ng, has selected five of her favourites in downtown Vancouver and is taking locals and tourists to go try them out.

Photo by Winston Wong

I was invited to attend the media launch for the Vancouver Foodie Cart Tour which included a visit to five food carts and samples of their signature item. For the average person you’ll probably be full at the third stop, but if you can really eat, you’ll make it to all 5 and be pretty full at the end.

You eat about half a sandwich at each stop so the food is substantial, especially since most food carts specialize in a couple things and all are considered as “mains”. However you are walking from location to location and it is over 2.5 hours, so there’s time for digestion and it’s all spaced out. On the other hand, the food carts and trucks are in close proximity of each other so the walk is easy. This is a “foodie tour” though, so this format is expected.

Since I only tried one sample sized item at each cart, I’m not going to go into much detail about the food, well not as much as my usual at least. The tour showcased some of the diversity in Vancouver’s food carts, and there were a couple that I can’t wait to go revisit.

Tickets for the Foodie Cart Tour are $50/person. I do find it pricey, but it is an experience and you do get to meet people and learn about the carts and trucks. The tour is conducted in groups of 15 people max, so it’s more of an activity than it is about finding value in just the food alone. You also get a Very Important Foodie Card (VIF Card) card which lets you enjoy small perks and privileges at a few selected establishments and food trucks. For tickets and more information see here.

All photos are courtesy of Sherman unless otherwise noted.

Photo by Winston Wong

La Brasserie Street

West Georgia St. and Granville St.
Vancouver, BC (Downtown)

The first stop was La Brasserie Street, and it ended up being my favourite of the five we visited. The La Brasserie Street food cart stems from the semi-casual Franco-German restaurant La Brasserie on Davie Street. Therefore I was prepared for some bratwurst, ham hocks and suckling pig, but instead I was surprised to find only one sandwich on the menu, the Brass Chicken Sandwich. This was a gourmet chicken sandwich though and it honestly made me forget about their pork specialties.

This is also the only food cart out of the five we visited offering dessert… bonus! It’s such an easy money maker and I don’t know why so few trucks offer it.

Nonetheless with every food cart we visited after this one, I couldn’t help but to reminisce about this glorious chicken sandwich. I’m going in full detail with this sandwich because I enjoyed it so much and nothing was altered.

Brass Chicken Sandwich – 5.5/6

• Beer brined rotisserie chicken in gravy, on a buttermilk bun, topped with crispy onions $6.25
• If I had a grandma who made Sunday night dinners, this is what I would hope would show up on my plate.
• It reminded me of Thanksgiving dinners or a chicken pot roast, but in sandwich form.
• It was a super soft and fluffy buttermilk bun that was almost like a brioche.
• To contrast the airy light bun was a mound of delicious crispy fried onions which always makes everything taste better. I did wish they were a bit more seasoned though.
• If it had crispy onions AND crispy house made bacon bits… this would be a pee in your pants exciting sandwich! I was borderline…

Photo by Winston Wong

• The filling was just pouring out and the ratio to bread was ideal.
• It was a plentiful amount of  juicy, moist, shredded, tender chicken bathing in an intense chicken gravy that was perfectly seasoned.
• The gravy was made with wonderful chicken juices and oils, but it wasn’t greasy, oily or too heavy, but still rich.
• The chicken was infused with the fragrant piney scent of rosemary which wasn’t overpowering, but noticeable.
• The sandwich was warm and almost just melted in your mouth with little chew.
• All it was missing was mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing and the other half of the sandwich.
• This was hearty comfort food at its best and it’s reasonably priced too!
• It’s the biggest mess since it’s quite saucy, drippy and soft, but so worth it. I warn you, a nap may be in order after this.
• I will certainly come back again for a full sandwich and highly recommend this!

“World’s Best” Butter Tart – 4/6

• $1.79 (Not included on public Foodie Tour)
• Put the “World’s Best” in front of anything and expectations will rise ten fold.
• I’m not huge on butter tarts, but I’ll eat them if they’re there. I think these are out sourced.
• It was very good, creamy and smooth, not too sweet and heavy with maple syrup and rich buttery caramel flavours.
• It wasn’t too oily or sticky which I liked as well, but the shortbread crust was a bit hard and not as tender, crumbly, flavourful or thin as I like.
• I personally like butter tarts with raisins and nuts in them too, but for what it was, these were still very good.

Photo by Winston Wong

Japadog

845 Burrard St (Burrard & Smithe – has few locations around downtown)
Vancouver, BC (Downtown)

I think this is the must try food cart just because the Vancouver food cart craze pretty much started with Japadog. It’s Vancouver’s most successful food cart and the most recognized, even in the States.

As a tourist I think it has to be on the list of food carts to tour, and in fact I always bring tourists here just because it’s usually new for them to try. On the other hand, as a local, the chances are you’ve already tried a Japadog and the hype has died, so you might not be as excited to see this on the list. It’s a solid hot dog and generally a local favourite, so it’s the obvious choice. To see my full post on Japadog – see here.

Kurobuta Beef Terimayo Japadog – 4/6

• Most highly prized pork! Kurobuta 100% pure all natural Berkshire pork. Kurobuta is the Kobe beef of pork. $6.47 Including tax $7.45
• It was a 6/6 for me when it first hit the food scene, but now it’s just a hot dog with Japanese toppings, but still very good.
• The hype has dwindled and the prices increased so you look at it differently.
• This is their most popular hot dog and it’s my favourite one.
• For me the wasabi mayo is a must on this Terimayo hot dog.
• It’s quite a standard and juicy beef hot dog, marinated with Teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, sweet onions and shredded nori.
• It’s Vancouver’s award winning hot dog, but with all the variety we have in food carts now, it’s just not my first choice anymore.
• To see more of their hot dogs see my full Japadog post here.

Bun Me Baguette

Robson St and Hornby St
Vancouver, BC (Downtown)

It’s the most affordable food cart in Vancouver, which is surprisingly a rare find. At $4.50 for a sandwich enough for two people, it’s easily a great choice for “cheap eats”. However if you’ve had a Vietnamese sandwich (banh mi) before, or you’re a veteran banh mi eater, then you probably know where to get it for cheaper and better.

That being said, I can be sold on enthusiasm and young entrepreneurs, and that’s what the creators and operators of this food cart represent. What I actually appreciated the most was that it was one out of two food carts we visited that didn’t have a “fancy” restaurant name, or brand, backing it up, the other was The Kaboom Box.

From a “foodie” perspective, yes it gets better, but if you’re looking for convenience and what does the job, this will do the job. On the other hand there is the very hidden hole in the wall called Sushi Yoko Cho that’s selling banh mi just a 1 minute walk away from Bun Me Baguette. They’re only $3.75 there too, but I haven’t tried them yet.

BBQ Lemon Grass Chicken Banh Mi – 3/6 (and make sure you get the hot sauce)

• The classic cluckers banh mi! Stuffed with our lemongrass seasoned juicy chicken and drizzled with out special sauce. Combined with a rich eggy mayo, crunchy cucumber, fresh cilantro, and crisp and refreshing pickled carrots and daikons, this wicked sandwich will make your mouth water.
• You can select your spice level and I highly recommend adding the jalapeno and hot sauce to the baguette, or it’s very average.
• The banh mi was not bad here, and the buns are baked fresh daily, but the flavours were very mild compared to most, and the vegetables weren’t pickled enough.
• It’s a crunchy crusty baguette and the lemongrass marinade was light and I actually couldn’t taste any rich eggy mayo.
• The chicken were pieces of chicken thigh and at times it was a bit fatty for me with a little bit of the gelatinous skin still on.
• The hot sauce (sriracha sauce) really makes it. It’s a great sauce, but it shouldn’t necessarily make the sandwich either.

The Kaboom Box

795 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC (Downtown)

It was a break from the meat and bread, but not from the carbs, and it was on to potatoes! I probably would have rather sampled one of their sandwiches though and I didn’t find what they showcased, the poutine, as a highlight here. I just felt like I had the “best sellers” from every other food cart, and then here I was just trying one of their sides, which is not the star of the show or representative of The Kaboom Box.

The Kaboom Box was the only cart that was so focused on local and sustainable ingredients and materials though, so I did appreciate the visit for that reason. Had we tried a sandwich I probably would have enjoyed this stop even more.

I have been to The Kaboom Box before, which was previously called Fresh Local Wild – see my post here. On the other hand, my post needs an update because although the menu is almost the same, the chefs have changed, and I feel that the food has as well, at least the poutine has.

Just an added note, but all their sandwiches are $7.25 now, which includes their Fried Oyster Po Boy Sandwich, Venison burger and the popular hot Smoked Salmon Burger.

Poutine – 2/6

• Made with local mixed mushroom gravy and real white cheddar curds $5.36
• The fries were quite regular, but crispy and seasoned, and the cheese curds were imported from Quebec, but they weren’t squeaky.
• They weren’t the fresh cheese curds and they melted really easily so they were just plain White Cheddar cheese curds as opposed to “real” cheese curds used for traditional poutine.
• The vegetarian mushroom gravy was quite good and creamy with some celery flavour in the background, but it needed more mixed mushrooms.
• I actually wanted to ask for a side of this mushroom gravy and go back to La Brasserie for another Brass Chicken Sandwich and pour the mushroom gravy on that!

Nu Greek Street

Granville St & W Georgia St
Vancouver, BC (Downtown)

This was easily my second favourite of the tour. I’m not sure if it was a great way to end because I was getting pretty full, but if I had known I would have certainly paced myself better to thoroughly enjoy it.

The Nu Greek Street food cart is under the Kambolis Restaurant Group which includes Raincity Grill, C Restaurant and Nu. The Nu Greek Street food cart is obviously the baby of Nu, their casual fine dining Greek restaurant in downtown. With such a big name to carry it, and considering the owner is Greek and many recipes come from his mother, I had high expectations.

At $6.50 for a gourmet Greek wrap I considered it fair. Most of the food and sauces are made at Nu and then finished off and grilled upon order at the cart.

Grilled (Chicken) Souvlaki Pita – 5/6

• Chicken, lamb or vegetable $6.50
• The meat is flavourful, moist and good, but it wasn’t the highlight.
• The highlight was the pita which could stand on its own. It’s an amazing pita!
• The pita is super soft with an almost flaky exterior and it reminded of Indian naan without the spices. It carried its own flavour too.
• It was a good thickness, tender and chewy, and even a bit fluffy, and they’re half prepared at the restaurant and finished up on the grill at the cart.
• There were some fresh tomatoes, onions and tzatziki (ask for a good amount of the tzatziki).
• The tzatziki is creamy, refreshing and tangy, but it wasn’t thick with Greek yogurt, although still very flavourful and balanced with fresh cucumbers mixed in.
• They could honestly sell just the pita with their house made tzatziki and I would buy it, and they do for $4!

“We are noodle folk. Broth runs through our veins.”
—Mr. Ping

Enter to win 2 tickets to the advanced screening of Kung Fu Panda 2!

Ticket details (valid one night only):

Date: Tuesday May 24
Time: 7pm
Theater: SilveryCity Metropolis (Metrotown Mall)

How to enter:

1. Send the following tweet: “I entered to win Kung Fu Panda 2 tickets on @followmefoodie‘s contest! What’s your favourite Asian Noodle? http://goo.gl/TKYPt“
2. Comment on this post with your favourite noodle dish in Vancouver.

Contest ends Sunday May 22 at midnight. Thank you and good luck!

And remember to visit Follow Me Foodie Facebook Page!

The Noodle Series – 20 Asian Noodle Dishes

In celebration of Kung Fu Panda 2 I’m featuring Mr. Ping’s favourite food! NOODLES! Here are some delicious noodles that come to mind for me. They’re not all necessarily my favourite or the “best”, but it showcases a variety. This is only within the Asian noodle category too. There are so many more choices and these 20 noodle dishes just touch the surface! Now how big of a noodle fan are YOU?!

The Vietnamese Noodle

Pho Tam – House Special Beef – Combination of Beef and Rice Noodle in Soup

The Beijing Noodle

Beijing Cuisine – Tossed Mung Clear Noodles in Sauce, Sesame Paste & Shredded Meat

The Chinese Noodles

Michigan Noodle Shop – Traditional Wonton Noodle Soup

Michigan Noodle Shop – Lo-Mein with Shredded Pork in spicy Brown Sauce

Rainflower – Hometown Style Pan Fried Silver Needle Noodle

Rainflower – Scrambled Egg & Scallop Fried Rice Noodle

The Thai Noodle

Khunnai Chang Madame Elephant Thai Cuisine – Pad Thai

The Japanese Noodles

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka -  Toroniku Shio Ramen

Miku Restaurant – Soba Pepperoncino

Aki Japanese Restaurant – Nabeyaki Udon

The Taiwanese Noodle

Wang’s Beef Noodle House – Beef Brisket Noodle

The Shanghainese Noodles

Northern Delicacy – “Dan Dan” or “Tan Tan” Noodles in Black Sesame Soup

Northern Delicacy – Shredded Chicken with Glass Noodle

The Malaysian Noodle

Seri Malaysia – Mee Goreng Mamak

The Singaporean (Malaysian) Noodle

Bo Laksa King – Laksa

The Korean Noodles

Jang Mo Jib – Jab Che or Jap Chee  (Potato Noodles)

In Korea (but available in Vancouver) – Stir Fried Korean Rice Cake Noodles with Gochujang Sauce (Ddeokbokki)

Celadon Fine Korean (whistler, BC) – Chilled Pink Angel Hair Noodles

The Szechuan Noodle

Sichuan Da Ping Guo Restaurant – Sichuan Glass Noodle with Soy Nuts

The Persian Noodle (Dessert)

The Apron – Faloodeh