BC Chinese Chef of the Year Award at BC Foodservice Expo Recap & Results!

A Follow Me Foodie Recap of the Chinese Chef of the Year Competition

All photos provided by Alvin K.C. Lee Photography

Congratulations to all the chefs who competed in the culinary competitions at The BC Foodservice Expo (January 29-30) at the Vancouver Convention Center. Organized by The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA), the B.C. Chefs Association (BCCA) and Canadian Culinary Federation (CCFCC), chefs from various restaurants in Metro Vancouver came together to compete for the title of “BC Chinese Chef of the Year” and “Roasted Chef of the Year”. After 2 days of Iron Chef like cooking challenges in front of a live audience the scores have been tallied and the results are in.

BC Chinese Chef of the Year

Gold Medal Winner: Chef Kent Wong, Fraser Court Seafood Restaurant

Other competitors include:

Gordon Ping Wah Chan of Always Seafood Restaurant
Sam Ka Bo Leung of Dynasty Seafood Restaurant
Wing Ho of Fortune Seafood Restaurant
Anthony Shy Wing Leung of Grand Dynasty Seafood Restaurant
Joseph Jiang of The Jade Seafood Restaurant
Chun Lum Ma of Shiang Garden Seafood Restaurant
Keng Wai Ng of Vivacity Restaurant
William Tse, The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant
Todd Bright of Wild Rice Modern Chinese Restaurant

**The competing chefs are members of the Canadian Culinary Federation (CCFCC) and the BC Chefs Association. Ten teams have been selected to date, based on merit and experience.

Roasted Chef of the Year

1st Place: Jeff Kang – Diva at the Met, Vancouver
2nd Place: Dan Craig – Delta, Burnaby
3rd Place: William Tse – The Sandbar, Vancouver

Other competitors include:

Rebecca Johnson – Italian Cultural Centre, Vancouver
Gerard Martin -Penticton Trade and Convention Centre, Penticton
Romeo Oloresisimo – Ora Restaurant, Kamloops
Tyler Leeson – Kingfisher Restaurant at Halcyon Hot Springs Resort, Nakusp
James Marinoff – Bon Rouge Bistro and Lounge, Victoria
John Waller – Victoria
Colman Herrington – Vancouver
Nathan Wright – Coast, Vancouver
James Hanna – RauDZ Regional Table, Kelowna

**All 12 chefs are active members of the Canadian Culinary Federation. Chefs from each of the four provincial chapters will represent their region thanks to a combination of merit, previous competition experience and success in regional challenges.

About the Chinese Chef of the Year Competition

For many of these Chinese chefs it was their first time competing in this sort of challenge, let alone in front of a live audience. Vancouver is world renowned for its excellence in Chinese cuisine and many, including myself, find that it’s just as good as what you can get in Hong Kong and China. For one, some of the best chefs in Hong Kong and China are the ones in the kitchen of many of our famous Chinese restaurants in Vancouver. Another reason is because the seafood quality and water is also better in Vancouver, which is especially important since Chinese food consists mainly of seafood. Quite often, it all starts with using the right ingredient. Sure there are dishes Hong Kong and China excel in, like Peking Duck, hand pulled noodles, and congee just to name a few, but generally speaking, Vancouver is the most well recognized North American city to house the best in authentic Chinese cuisine.

It’s not often to have a Chinese chef step out of a kitchen and that’s partially why I’m so passionate about this initiative. The BC Chinese Chef of the Year competition is a platform that gives them the opportunity to be equally as recognized as other well known and talented chefs in the city. Starting with a “Chinese Chef of the Year” is perhaps the first step, since it’s the most popular ethnic cuisine in Vancouver, but even better would be to eventually see Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese and other Asian cultures being showcased in the same context. In the end, cooking is cooking, technique is technique and good food is good food, so seeing them all represented in their respective categories is something I look forward to.

Judging Panel & Criteria

This was the first BC Chinese Chef of the Year competition and I was honoured and overwhelmed to be invited as a guest judge. The judging panel was lead by Chef Alex Chen, who is the 2013 chef representing Canada in the most prestigious and demanding culinary competition in the world – Bocuse d’Or in France. Other culinary masters on the panel included Sylvain Cuerrier (Executive Chef of RiverRock Casino Resort), Paul Ho (Treasurer of BCCA), Michael S.Pinter (Director of BCCA), and Ned Bell (Executive Chef of YEW at The Four Seasons Hotel).

The judging criteria included: Presentation, Taste, Organization, Sanitation, Safety, Kitchen Skills, Creativity, Communication with Chef and Sous Chef, and Wastage of Food.

With a similar stage set up to Iron Chef, the additional ingredients, spices and sauces were provided.

If I look through a cultural lens at Chinese food there are many factors that come to mind, such as efficiency and cost. Yes, this could be true of many cultures, and I know I’m speaking quite generally, but it is especially true with Chinese cuisine. Quite often it’s about getting the food out there as fast as you can because one less turnover is one less sale. Wasting is also highly frowned upon and that’s why every part of the animal is used and for the most part eaten.

Being very familiar with Chinese cuisine I’ve become immune to the expected family style servings and presentation. Making a dish look nice is not exactly the important focus, although what’s considered “nice presentation” is also debatable. Nonetheless, part of the competition was to challenge these chefs to strengthen their presentation skills and hopefully one day be able to have them at a level fit for national chef competitions. In a way it does mean these dishes need to visually appeal to Western and European standards, but at the same time it isn’t to take away from what they already know and do.

If there was an award for “game face”, he would have won it hands down. This is Chef Sam Ka Bo Leung of Dynasty Seafood Restaurant who is currently training to compete in the World Culinary Olympics in Germany. Best of luck to him!

Although many of these Chinese chefs are classically trained in Chinese cuisine and have cooked for decades in Asia and in Vancouver, there were also some chefs representing Vancouver’s modern Chinese restaurants, like Chef Todd Bright from Wild Rice and Chef William Tse from The Sandbar. These two chefs have exercised the idea of fusion in their own style at their perspective restaurants. While some could consider this as comparing apples to oranges, it is more or less an equal battlefield when there are chefs trained in traditional Chinese cuisine trying to modernize dishes, and chefs trained in non-traditional Chinese cuisine trying to keep them authentic.

It was interesting to see the different approaches to the challenges. On one hand there were the chefs with a set of nicely sharpened knives, and on the other hand there would be the chefs with one knife, which is the cleaver. You can predict which teams had which knife. The cleaver is the one knife that does it all if you know how to use it, and this all partially goes back on the idea of efficiency too. There’s no right or wrong, but they’re just completely different set of tools for different cooking styles.

This also stems from the fact that most traditional Chinese cuisine will require chopping of bones and the fish rarely has to be de-boned since it’s served whole, so the clever is more or less required. In Asia you rarely come across perfectly packaged chicken breasts and quite often the whole chicken is used and presented. A personal default I find with the cleaver is that it makes it harder to be intricate and detailed with its blunter blade and I find this also affects presentation. Once in a while I would see carving knives to cut lotus blossoms out of daikon, but generally the cleaver played the dominant role as expected.

In terms of cooking techniques, the wok was typically the cooking equipment most used as you may have guessed. The ovens were pretty much decoration as Chinese cuisine rarely requires an oven, and in fact, many homes in Asia don’t have ovens.

In regards to ingredients, the most used ingredient was likely the mushrooms since they symbolizes wealth and prosperity. It’s also especially popular to use during this time since it’s around Chinese New Year. The ingredients that were never touched were quite predictable too, the beets and fennel. Those are just way out of Asian comfort zone, although I’m sure they could do something amazing with it once they start experimenting. Who knows? Maybe next year?

**I apologize in advance for those hoping to read the “critiques” of the food. I’m not going to be commenting on the food too much, since that’s not really the purpose of this blog post. I just want to share with you my insights and experience at the Chinese Chef of the Year competition. I will however include some general comments on interesting techniques I witnessed.

Day 1: Chinese Chef of the Year Protein Challenge

The first Chinese Chef of the Year cooking challenge was to create one dish using a protein they previously drew from a hat. Given time to prepare and bring their proteins to the competition, the time limit was 45 minutes to complete the one dish. The point is to maximize this time, which again is a rather new concept for traditional Chinese Chefs who are accustomed to speed. Each chef had one sous chef and 2 teams competed at a time. Protein choices included chicken, beef, pork, lamb, duck, or seafood. Just like Food Network’s Iron Chef, additional ingredients, spices and sauces were provided for use.

Always Seafood Restaurant – Protein: Chicken

Sauteed Chicken in Phoenix Sauce – Chef Gordon Ping Wah Chan, Always Seafood Restaurant

The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant – Protein: Seafood

Steamed Mussels with Black Bean, Sauteed Seafood, BC Spot Prawn in Coconut Broth – Chef William Tse, The Sandbar

Shiang Garden Seafood Restaurant – Protein: Beef

Diced Beef Tenderloin with Pepper – Chef Chun Lum Ma, Shiang Garden Seafood Restaurant

Dynasty Seafood Restaurant – Protein: Duck

Duck in Two Delicacies: Pan Fried Stuffed Duck Breast with Mushroom & Sauteed Duck Diced Meat with Fresh Greens – Chef Sam Leung, Dynasty Seafood Restaurant

• The Endive leaves are very modern to Chinese cuisine and in this dish they filled them with mushrooms like a lettuce wrap.

The Jade Seafood Restaurant – Protein: Seafood

West Coast Sablefish Duo – Stir-fried fillet of sablefish with salted egg and pan-fried fillet of sablefish with pea tips and ginger puree – Chef Joseph Jiang, The Jade Seafood Restaurant

• The sauce used for the calligraphy was a puree of peas and ginger.

Fortune House Seafood Restaurant – Protein: Duck

Duck Breast in Yunnan Wild Mushroom Sauce & Sliced Duck in Black Pepper Sauce – Chef Wing Ho, Fortune House Seafood Restaurant

Grand Dynasty – Protein: Pork

Baby Pork with Black Vinegar Sauce and Pork Chop with Golden Maple Syrup – Chef Anthony Leung, Grand Dynasty

• The pork chop cutlet reminded me of the deep fried prawn dish tossed in mayonnaise and honey with candied walnuts. It’s a modernized Chinese dish and in this case it was executed with pork and a maple syrup glaze which hardened like crispy candy mimicking pork crackling to me.

Fraser Court Seafood Restaurant – Protein: Beef

Year of the Dragon with Delicious Beef – Chef Kent Wong, Fraser Court Seafood Restaurant

• I’ve never seen this done before. Chef made egg crepes and wrapped them around thin strips of beef tenderloin and then rolled it all together with more beef tenderloin like sushi. It visually reminded me of oxtail, but the whole execution process I’ve never seen.
• The wraps along the edges were almost like Peking Duck Wraps, but stuffed with mushrooms.

Vivacity Restaurant – Protein: Duck

Shunde Style “Sammi” Duck – Chef Keng Wai Ng, Vivacity Restaurant

• This showcased duck breast and duck tongue. The orange sauce was made with salted egg yolk and red pepper which are ingredients I’m familiar with separately, but not together.

Wild Rice Modern Chinese Restaurant – Protein: Pork

Sauteed Pork Liver with Szechuan Caramel, Mushroom Steam Bun, and Sauteed Vegetables – Chef Todd Bright, Wild Rice Modern Chinese Restaurant

Day 2: Chinese Chef of the Year – The Black Box Challenge

Day 2 of the BC Chinese Chef of the Year was The Black Box Challenge. Each team was given a black box featuring 2-3 ingredients which had to be used to make an appetizer and a main. Each team was given 45 minutes and only discovered their ingredients a minute before starting their challenge. Each chef had one sous chef and 2 teams competed at a time.

Secret ingredients: Mussels & Monkfish

Appetizer: Mussels with 3 different sauces – Chef William Tse, Sandbar

Secret ingredients: Mussels & Monkfish

Main: Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Monk Fish with Coconut Milk and Vegetables – Chef William Tse, Sandbar

Secret ingredients: Mussels & Monkfish

Appetizer: Monkfish on Grilled King Oyster Mushroom with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce

Secret ingredients: Mussels & Monkfish

Appetizer: Black Bean Stir-Fried Mussels with Peppers and Baby Bok Choy

Secret ingredients: Beef Sirloin, Hamachi

Appetizer: Beef Tartare & Hamachi Tartare with Wonton Crisps – Chef Todd Bright, Wild Rice Modern Chinese Cuisine

Secret ingredients: Beef Sirloin, Hamachi

Main: Seared Beef Sirloin, Hamachi Sashimi & Pan-Fried Fermented Black Bean Stuffed Gyoza, Chef Todd Bright, Wild Rice Modern Chinese Cuisine

Secret ingredients: Beef Sirloin, Hamachi

Appetizer: Seared Hamachi (Rare) with Wasabi Mayo

Secret ingredients: Beef Sirloin, Hamachi

Main: Seared Beef Sirloin, Hamachi Sashimi Tower with Egg, Cucumber and Wasabi Mayo & Potato Salad with Mushrooms

Secret ingredients: Saba, Beef Chuck

Appetizer: Grilled Saba with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce

Secret ingredients: Saba, Beef Chuck

Main: Sauteed Beef Chuck in Satay Sauce with Saba Endive Wrap on Enoki Mushrooms

Secret ingredients: Saba, Beef Chuck

Pre-Appetizer: Fried Saba with Garlic and Onions – Chef Kent Wong, Fraser Court Seafood Restaurant

Secret ingredients: Saba, Beef Chuck

Appetizer: Saba Poached in Egg with Dried Scallop on Butternut Squash with Sweet Soy Sauce – Chef Kent Wong, Fraser Court Seafood Restaurant

Secret ingredients: Saba, Beef Chuck

Main: Sauteed Beef Chuck wrapped with Chinese Broccoli in Satay Sauce & Sauteed Black Trumpets, Chanterelles and Vegetables – Chef Kent Wong, Fraser Court Seafood Restaurant

Secret ingredients: Horse Mackerel, Kangaroo

Appetizer: Deep Fried Noodle Wrapped Horse Mackerel with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce in Endive Leaves and Sauteed Vegetables

Secret ingredients: Horse Mackerel, Kangaroo

Main: Kangaroo Meat Patties with Baby Bok Choy

Secret ingredients: Horse Mackerel, Kangaroo

Appetizer: Deep Fried Horse Mackerel with Butternut Squash

Secret ingredients: Horse Mackerel, Kangaroo

Main: Sauteed Kangaroo with Sugar Snap Peas in Black Bean Sauce

Secret ingredients: Monkfish, Sirloin Tip, Mussels

Appetizer: Fried Monkfish with Sauteed Mussels and Chinese Broccoli in Black Bean Sauce

Secret ingredients: Monkfish, Sirloin Tip, Mussels

Main: Seared Sirloin Tip on Lotus Root with Honey Sauce

Secret ingredients: Monkfish, Sirloin Tip, Mussels

Appetizer: Minced Monkfish and Mussels Wrapped in Egg Crepe

Secret ingredients: Monk Fish, Sirloin Tip, Mussels

Main: Sauteed Sirloin Tip in Sweet Soy Sauce with Leeks and Endive

Restaurant: Xi Shi Lounge – Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea
Cuisine: Tea/Pacific Northwest/West Coast/Fusion/Desserts
Last visited: January 24, 2012
Location: Vancouver, BC (Downtown)
Address: 1128 West Georgia Street (At Shangri-La Hotel)
Subway stop: Burrard
Price Range: $20-30+ ($34 Afternoon Tea)

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

Food: 4 (for Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea)
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 5
Overall: 4.5
Additional comments:

• Inside Shangri-La Hotel
• Euro-Asian/Fusion menu
• Tearoom/Lounge/Restaurant
• Aafternoon Tea Service
• Lunch service
• Great for snacks
• Elegant/posh
• Cocktail/wine list
• Afternoon Tea with live classical piano
• 11.30am – 1am (Seasonal Patio from 11.30am – 11pm)
• 11.30am - 5pm (Saturday and Sunday)

**Recommendations: Afternoon Tea

Adding to the growing list of Chinese New Year menus in Vancouver is Xi Shi Lounge’s Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea (limited time). I’m loving the enthusiasm for the New Year and the various restaurant choices and menu options are more than welcome in a multicultural city.

Xi Shi Lounge opened late last year at the Shangri-La Hotel just underneath Market by Jean-Georges. It features an Euro-Asian fusion inspired menu with a focus on chilled and hot snacks, limited lunch items and a traditional Afternoon Tea. Yes, Afternoon Tea, not High Tea, there’s a difference (see my post here). On this occasion I was invited to their Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea which is offered from January 23rd through Sunday, January 29th from 11:30 am to 5:00 pm.

One of the things I valued most at the Xi Shi Lounge Afternoon Tea service was the live classical piano performance they had for entertainment. I’ve been to Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Vancouver, The Secret Garden Tea Company, The China Cup Tea Company, Applewood Country Gifts, Tearoom & Bakery, Tracycakes Bakery Cafe, and The Urban Tea Merchant, but this is the only one that featured live entertainment which really made it an elegant and upscale experience. This is featured on a daily basis even with their regular Afternoon Tea service.

It was nice to see Xi Shi continue the Asian theme with the Nikko chinaware rather than the English brands. When it comes to Afternoon Tea I can get quite particular because there are a certain set of expectations and traditions that come with it. Ambiance is a big part of it. It was an elegant, stylish and posh tearoom, and I found it carried more of a cocktail atmosphere fit for after work drinks.

I recently tried the “Year of the Dragon” Signature Afternoon Tea at The Urban Tea Merchant a block away. It featured a standard version of Afternoon Tea, but with some playful Asian influences. It was definitely still more Westernized, and if you’re looking for something more traditional to the Chinese culture, that isn’t quite authentic as dim sum, then I would suggest trying this Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea at Xi Shi. Personally, the “foodie” part of me enjoyed the food, value and overall experience at Xi Shi more, but the “tea lover” (not connoisseur) in me appreciated the luxury teas and tea culture at The Urban Tea Merchant. They both offer very different experiences and each have their strengths and clientele so it depends on what you’re looking for.

Even though I am very familiar with traditional dim sum, I still appreciated this Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea at Xi Shi, but on another level. I didn’t have expectations for authentic dim sum, but I was expecting a general understanding of the East meets West concept since the menu was developed by Chef Wayne Harris of Market by Jean-Georges upstairs. Jean-Georges is notorious for Asian fusion, so I was quite confident in the Chinese New Year menu even though the chef is of non-Asian decent. The selection of dim sum was more traditional than I expected from a place like Xi Shi, and if it can introduce or warm people up to traditional Chinese food via a modern context, I’m more than happy.

Now for the “stick to tradition” readers, I wouldn’t compare this Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea at Xi Shi Lounge to authentic Chinese dim sum. However, they actually did a good job replicating dim sum dishes making it more approachable for Western tastes. I would say the food was probably more Westernized than a place like Wild Rice (where the chef is non-Asian, but culinary trained in dim sum), but I do respect the extra effort they went on creating an entire menu just for the New Year and it was representable of Chinese food. Food authenticity aside, I would recommend this for anyone who values ambiance and style and it plays well into the Chinese New Year celebration.

On the table:

**Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea - 4/6 (Very good)

• $34/per person (Includes choice of loose leaf tea)
• Available January 23rd through Sunday, January 29th from 11:30 am to 5:00 pm.
• It was Western style dim sum, but again they did a respectable job with it.
• I was very impressed with what was delivered and the value was certainly there, especially when you factor in the provided classical piano performance.
• The menu featured great variety and every item was handmade and actually representable of traditional Chinese food.
• If you compare the items to the real deal, this doesn’t really do it justice, but it also wasn’t disappointing and I really did enjoy it.
• It’s supposed to be an Afternoon Tea, but with 9 hors d’ouevres, it’s definitely substantial enough as a lunch, and that’s coming from me! (I eat a lot.)

Choice of Loose Leaf Tea – 5/6 (Excellent)

• It was a premium brand of loose leaf tea from England, and I would have loved if they offered an Asian brand to suit their Asian theme.
• I have to admit, The Urban Tea Merchant is my shrine for luxury teas and it’s hard to compete with that quality.
• **Shangri-La Blend
• A black tea blend with pineapple, kiwi and plum.
• This is the signature tea. It was a fruity tea, but it smelled fruitier and sharper than it tasted.
• It was floral, with a hint of citrus, but I couldn’t pick up the kiwi although I enjoyed it overall.
• **Classic Chai
• An assam tea with exotic spices – India at its best.
• How can I resist “India at its best”?
• This was an excellent Chai and it was heavy with the cinnamon with a hint of cardamom and even spicy ginger notes.
• The spices were quite apparent and well rounded after adding cream.

Barbeque Pork and Puff Pastry, Vegetable Spring Roll, Shrimp Dumplings

• The items on this plate is representable of Cantonese style dim sum.
• It had something baked, fried and steamed and there was good variety.

The tier of hot appetizers were served with a soy and rice wine vinegar, Hoisin sauce, and lemon plum sauce. Traditionally the only item that would come with a sauce is the spring rolls, but this was the Westernized version.

Barbeque Pork and Puff Pastry - 4/6 (Very good)

• This is more or less an Asian inspired “sausage roll”, but it does exists in authentic Chinese dim sum. See BBQ Pork Pastry.
• This was meant to be eaten with the Hoisin sauce, which is the modern take.
• It was a soft and flaky buttery puff pastry that wasn’t dry and it was well stuffed with sweet and salty barbeque pork and green onions.
• The barbeque pork was lean, but not dry and although I prefer the authentic version, I still easily enjoyed this one.
• It was less saucy than the traditional version and since it had the Hoisin dipping sauce, it was understandable.
• If you like BBQ pork style buns, I would highly recommend these Baked BBQ Pork Buns.

Vegetable Spring Roll - 4/6 (Very good)

• A spring roll is a spring roll, but for a vegetarian spring roll, this was very good!
• It was well stuffed with carrots, cilantro and sweet Shiitake mushrooms and a bit of cabbage and celery.
• They were very crispy and the vegetables still kept their flavours and textures and it had a great crunch.
• There was a very subtle heat, but it wasn’t spicy. This was meant to be enjoyed with plum sauce and I was surprised that I even liked it at all since it was just a spring roll.
• A traditional Chinese style spring roll would be stuffed with prawns and the dipping sauce would be Worcestershire sauce. As for their vegetarian versions, I actually don’t think it’s as good as this one.

Shrimp Dumplings - 2/6 (Okay)

• It’s ambitious to take on the shrimp dumpling.
• This is what dim sum chefs and restaurants pride themselves on and it’s one of the hardest things to master. You judge a Chinese restaurant based on their Shrimp Dumplings.
• This requires a lot of technique to make so it almost holds too much significance for me to enjoy unbiasedly.
• The skin was actually quite chewy and nice, but it was too thick and classically it should be very thin and transparent, but not breaking.
• The prawn was a Side Stripe (?) and it had a mild infused ginger flavour, but it was on the dry side.
• It just didn’t carry that desired juicy crunch of an authentic prawn dumpling – see “Har Gow“.
• The effort is commendable, but if you’ve had a great version of the real thing, this was tough to appreciate.
• It was served with a soy and rice wine vinegar which is very modern, but it actually made it taste better. Traditionally soy and vinegar sauces are served with fried meat dumplings.

Green Onion Pancake, Steam Buns, Crunchy Sesame Balls

• This was the starch tier that was in between sweet and savoury. It led up to the top tier of sweet desserts nicely.
• The items on this plate is more traditional of Shanghainese dim sum.
• Green Onion Pancake – 1.5/6 (Poor – Okay)
• Next time I would start by eating this one first. It hindered from being eaten cold. That being said, I’ve had cold versions of the green onion pancake that have worked better.
• Usually there is more green onion and it should be all crispy and flaky.
• This one was quite dense and chewy, but it tasted better with the Hoisin sauce, which is not an uncommon method to enjoy together.
• I prefer it fried, but traditionally Shanghainese cultures tend to deep fry it – see Grilled Onion Pancake (it’s not actually grilled).
• Crunchy Sesame Balls – 2/6 (Okay)
• I loved that they served these, but the only thing is that they under baked/fried them and the inside was still doughy and stretchy. The flour flavour was cooked out, but they were still under cooked.
• This is very traditional to Chinese New Year – see my post on Chinese New Year Food.
• Traditionally they’re known as “Laughing Sesame Balls” and they’re enjoyed as a dessert or sweet snack.
• The sesame balls have a crack or dent in them which represent a smile and the seeds are symbolic for “having kids” (procreation) so you’ll get pregnant after one… just kidding.
• It’s actually a deep fried sweetened pastry and usually it’s crusted with white sesame seeds.
• I actually liked the black sesame seeds better and it made it even nuttier and more aromatic.
• They’re supposed to be crunchy throughout, but these were crunchy just on the outside and then soft and bready in the middle and unfortunately still doughy in the centre.
• I really loved the flavour of these (even more than the traditional ones) because I think they used all butter rather than lard/shortening (which Chinese people use). It was richer, a bit sweeter and not as greasy or dry as the traditional ones – see traditional Laughing Sesame Ball Cookies.

Steam Buns – 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• Wow. This was impressive. They did a great job with this and I was surprised to even see them. It was almost the “scone” on the tier.
• It’s traditionally a Shanghainese dish and they’re basically deep fried buns known as “Mantou buns”. Terracotta Modern Chinese actually uses them to make amazing Short Rib Sliders.
• These tasted very authentic and perhaps even better than some traditional ones.
• They’re meant to be dipped in condensed milk (in the centre) and enjoyed as a dessert.

• It’s deep fried, but it’s not a doughnut and it’s only the outside that is meant to be crispy.
• The inside was soft, somewhat spongy and fluffy as it should be, and the bread is a sweeter type of Asian white bread.
• The larger versions of mantou (loaves) are rolled like cinnamon buns before being deep fried and it creates a noodle like inside that Asian kids often enjoy. You can peel them like cheese strings.

Lychee and Osmanthus Flower Shooter, Red Bean Mochi Ball, Egg Tarts

• Oh gosh. Chinese desserts. Desserts is not the forte in Chinese cuisine and usually it’s just fruits, which I kind of expected, but this was still appreciated.
• I eat everything, but Chinese desserts and Indian desserts are hard for me to love.
• Indian desserts I find often too sweet and Chinese desserts often not sweet enough, and it bothers me that they’re usually served warm.
• Anyways, they took the “better” of Chinese desserts and I didn’t fear getting to the top tier.

Red Bean Mochi – 2/6 (Okay)

• Alright, so I kind of feared this so I ate it first. Save the best for last…
• If you know this blog, you all know how I feel about red bean. Basically, it’s something I think I’ll appreciate when I’m older.
• Red bean mochi is more of a Japanese thing, but Chinese people still have their own version and so do Koreans. I prefer the Japanese kind – see here.
• The mochi skin was a bit doughy, dense and starchy and sprinkled with coconut, the coconut I liked!
• The inside was filled with sweetened red bean paste that was smooth and sweeter than traditional Chinese red bean paste.
• This was very rich and pasty and it’s just not my thing. That being said I still swallowed my bite and it wasn’t bad for what it was.
• A mochi that is my thing that I love (since it has no red bean) is the one from Hapa Umi that’s filled with ice cream – see Passionfruit Mochi Ice Cream.

Egg Tarts – 3/6 (Good)

• They did a good job with the egg tarts and they’re made in house too.
• It was a sweetened, crumbly, soft and moist shortbread like tart and the egg custard was also smooth and well made.
• It wasn’t a flaky or crispy egg tart shell, but they were very tender and even better than some Chinese dim sum places.
• There are some amazing ones at authentic Chinese dim sum, but these were still good.

Lychee and Osmanthus Flower Shooter – 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• When I heard “shooter” I expected a drink, but this was actually jello.
• Jello shooters at Afternoon Tea was new, but of course non-alcoholic… boo. Just kidding.
• This was a version of the traditional Longan & Wolfberry Pudding or Lychee and Gogi Berry Jello.
• The bottom was the Chrysanthemum(?) flowers and I’m not sure if they meant them to sink to the bottom, but traditionally the flowers float throughout the jello.
• The gogi berries usually float throughout the jello too, but they just had the one dried one on top. This is perhaps a bit “exotic” so I understand the interpretation.
• This lychee jello was probably the best lychee jello I’ve had to date. It was full of fresh lychee fruit flavour (how? I don’t know since it’s not in season), but I loved it.
• It was fragrant and fruity and definitely sweeter than most Chinese desserts, and as sweet as most American jellos.

Restaurant: The Urban Tea Merchant – “Year of the Dragon” Signature Afternoon Tea
Cuisine: Tea/Pacific Northwest/Sandwiches/Desserts
Last visited: January 18, 2012
Location: Vancouver, BC (Downtown)
Address: 1070 West Georgia Street
Subway stop: Burrard
Price Range: $30-50+

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

Food: 3.5-4 for Afternoon Tea (6 for tea)
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 4
Additional comments:

• Family owned/operated
• Flagship location in downtown
• Original location in West Vancouver
• Cafe/tearoom/gift shop
• Popular for afternoon tea
• Tea sampling welcomed
• Tea education classes
• Sophisticated, but kid-friendly
• Limited wine/champagne list
• Brunch 10am-1pm
• Afternoon Tea 12-5pm
• Mon-Wed. & Sat.: 10am – 7pm
• Thurs-Fri.: 10am – 8pm
• Sundays & Holidays: 12pm – 7pm

**Recommendations: Any of their teas. Freshly Baked Scone, Petit Tea-Infused Chicken Salad Cone, and “Year of the Dragon” Signature Afternoon Tea

On the third day of Chinese New Year my true love gave to me, the “Year of the Dragon” Afternoon Tea! Well that’s something different! It’s the second day of Chinese New Year and I mentioned The Urban Tea Merchant’s Chinese New Year menu in Follow Me Foodie to the Chinese New Year Kick Off & Chinese New Year Menus! It may not be traditional, but it’s something new, modern, fun and still festive to the New Year.

The last time I came to The Urban Tea Merchant was for their Holiday Afternoon Tea, and this time I was invited to their “Year of the Dragon” Afternoon Tea in honour of Chinese New Year. These special feature menus are festive twists on their standard Signature Afternoon Tea Service, and the “Year of the Dragon” Afternoon Tea is available from January 16th to January 31st. Even if you don’t come for afternoon tea, they do have a tea boutique as well as some Chinese New Year teas at their gift shop.

And this is my favouite part of The Urban Tea Merchant. They carry about 200 kinds of TWG Tea which is a 100% natural, high end luxury tea from Singapore and they’re the exclusive distributors for it in Canada. I could probably spend a day here just smelling all the various teas and it’s definitely a place for tea lovers and tea connoisseurs. If you’re neither, no worries, they have tea sommeliers to assist you.

Obviously this is not going to be a traditional Chinese New Year menu. Traditional dim sum is often compared to Afternoon Tea, and in this case it was still very much a Western version of Afternoon Tea, but with slight influences of Chinese and Asian ingredients. This is the first year The Urban Tea Merchant has introduced a Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea Service and I was ecstatic at the idea. We live in a multi-cultural city and it’s just another option to celebrate food and ring in the Chinese New Year.

Although I enjoyed my Holiday Afternoon Tea Service here last time, I wasn’t necessarily keen on the food. I found it pretty good with some unique tea-infused twists, but I didn’t really see the full value and I did expect a bit more. However on this occasion I felt like I did get more and my experience and food was even better, although still pricey. Perhaps it was because I already knew what to expect, but even so, there were improvements to the menu that I could see and taste. I just felt like there was more creativity and effort and maybe that was due to the theme. The “Year of the Dragon” Signature Afternoon Tea was generally well played and presented.

Now heads up! Xi Shi Lounge at the Shangri-La Hotel nearby is also hosting a Special Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea Monday, January 23rd through Sunday, January 29th from 11:30 am to 5:00 pm. $34 per person. Compared to The Urban Tea Merchant the items are more traditional Chinese with dim sum inspired bites like BBQ puff pastries, shrimp dumplings, egg tarts, mochi balls and more. My post here.

On the table:

Tea Sommelier’s Choice of Chilled TWG Tea Jasmine Pearls Tea & Sorbet

• I didn’t get this last time, but they start you off with a little amuse bouche or palate cleanser.
• The chilled tea was the White House which was very mild, light and refreshing with rose notes and fruity flavours of berries.
• The mango sorbet is delicious! It tasted like pure mango pulp and it was smooth, creamy, rich and thick and full of natural mango flavour without being too sweet.

**TWG Tea Selection – 6/6 (FMF Must Try!)

• TWG Tea is a 100% natural, high end luxury tea from Singapore.
• It’s a premium quality tea at a premium price, but if you appreciate tea, it’s easy to see the value.

• Jade Dragon Tea – 50g/$58
• This is a very rare green tea and although it appears mild, it has a strong finish that’s slightly dry and bitter. It’s reminiscent of a traditional Chinese tea and it goes with everything.
• It’s very expensive due to its unique qualities, and it’s an included option in the Year of the Dragon Signature Afternoon Tea at no extra charge.
• Dragon Gate Tea - 50g/$11
• This was a mix of white, green and black tea and there were hints of ginger and mint.
• There was a natural sweetness and the mint was mild, but almost a flavour that went away quickly.
• The ginger was more aromatic and not spicy, and I could taste it without it being dominant.
• This went well with sweet and savoury food.
• Timeless Tea – 50g/$11
• This was perhaps my favourite and it was incredibly fruity in aroma and flavour.
• There were strong notes of Hibiscus and sharp flavours of red berries in a black tea base.
• It was naturally sweet in flavour and would even taste great chilled.
• Earl Gray Chocolate Tea – 50g/$9
• It tasted more chocolatey than it smelled and it worked well with a bit of cream.
• It wasn’t particularly sweet or bitter and I found the chocolate quite mild.
• It was a good tea, but I probably wouldn’t choose it to pair with an Afternoon Tea.

“Year of the Dragon” Signature Afternoon Tea Service - 4/6 (Very good)

• $48 per person
• Chef’s selection of savouries and sweets and tea of your choice.
• It was still very much a Western style Afternoon Tea Service, but there were some playful Asian influences and ingredients used here and there.
• It’s not meant to be traditional Chinese and I appreciated the effort and variety of savoury and sweet selections.

Savoury Tier

• From top: Open faced smoked salmon, wasabi mayo & soy jelly, Tiger Hill Tea-infused egg salad sandwich, Cucumber, watercress & cracked black pepper sandwich, Traditional wrapped Peking duck & plum sauce, Wagyu beef carpaccio with horseradish foam, Petit tea-infused chicken salad cone & petit savory tart, Boursin cheese mousse with crisp endive & candied walnut, Baby shrimp & chopped apple served in Chinese spoon.
• I loved the variety this time and I was so happy it wasn’t all tea sandwiches.
• It seemed like there was more effort and higher quality ingredients
• Sure there were some standard things, but there were also a few surprises and I never got bored which is key.

Traditional Wrapped Peking Duck & Plum Sauce – 3/6 (Good)

• This was the most traditional the menu got and I didn’t even expect it to get this traditional. It was nice!
• It was a home made parsley and garlic crepe wrapped with a little piece of duck, carrots and green onion with Plum sauce.
• Of course this is a modern take of the authentic Peking Duck wraps, so it was in its own category and I wouldn’t compare them.
• It was served cold and I could have used a bit more duck and I was hoping for crispy skin, but the crepe was thin and there was good texture and balance of sweet and savoury.

Open Faced Smoked Salmon, Wasabi Mayo & Soy Jelly – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• So it’s definitely more Japanese than it is Chinese, but regardless of the origin, it was good and it wasn’t just the typical “smoked salmon sandwich”.
• I liked the open faced concept much more than the sandwich because the salmon was a bit hidden as a smoked salmon rillette sandwich. 
• I would have loved if the bread was toasted for texture and extra nuttiness, but I could taste the salmon, hint of lemon zest and kick of wasabi.  
• They really didn’t hold back on the wasabi and I loved that! It wasn’t burning at all, but it was obvious and it worked with the freshly cracked black pepper.
• I would have loved more from the soy gel because it added a desired saltiness. The squiggle on top was unusual, but I appreciated the effort.
  

Wagyu Beef Carpaccio with Horseradish Foam – 4/6 (Very good)

• Using a high quality ingredient like Wagyo beef are the things that show value to the afternoon tea menu. These are things I wanted in the previous menu, but I’m glad they’re doing it now.
• Again, more Japanese than Chinese, but as long as it’s good, I’m okay.
• It was on a crunchy piece of toast with a layer of roasted garlic tapenade and black pepper Wagyu beef on top.
• I was surprised the horseradish foam was so mild considering the wasabi in the salmon was so strong, so if anything stronger horseradish would be great because I would have never guessed there was horseradish.

Selection of Tea Infused Sandwiches

• Tiger Hill Tea-Infused Egg Salad Sandwich - 2.5/6 (Okay-Good)
• $15 a la carte
• It was good, but I thought it was just a regular egg salad sandwich with alfalfa sprouts on multi-grain bread, but this time it wasn’t dried out.
• It was easy with the mayo, but the tea was unnoticeable even though it was infused for 24 hours.
• Had there been more egg salad I might have been able to tell, but the nuttiness I was getting was coming from the bread more than the tea infusion.
• I almost wanted the Chinese Soy Sauce Tea Leaf Eggs, but that’s something entirely different.
• Cucumber, Watercress & Cracked Black Pepper Sandwich - 2/6 (Okay)
• This was quite standard and expected with a little cream cheese, but I wouldn’t mind more crunch of cucumber.

**Petit Tea-Infused Chicken Salad Cone & Petit Savory Tart – 4/6 (Very good)

• $15 a la carte as a sandwich
• It was a thin, crisp, and lightly sweetened mini waffle cone stuffed with chicken salad. I had this last time and my feelings haven’t changed.
• I almost wanted dried cranberries, pomegranate seeds, or nuts in the chicken salad for texture and flavour, but it was just a basic chicken salad with some celery, although it was good!
• I can’t say I tasted the tea in the chicken salad and it was perhaps a bit smoky, but I wouldn’t have known unless I was told there was tea in it.

Petit Savory Tart - n/a

• I think they forgot this…

Boursin Cheese Mousse with Crisp Endive & Candied Walnut – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• I was really happy they replaced the Celery Confit with Gorgonzola Mousse with this! I liked this much better!
• It’s not hard to do and expected, but it was still good and I could taste the Boursin cheese.
• It would have been great with the Gorgonzola, but endive leaves are more costly than celery.

Baby Shrimp & Chopped Apple served in Chinese Spoon - 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• I really enjoyed the baby shrimp salad in a spoon more so than a tea sandwich. I just couldn’t taste the shrimp in the sandwich as much.
• It was creamy and sweet and savoury with crisp fresh apples and I wouldn’t mind having the dill in the salad rather than just as a garnish.
• It was pretty literal, but it had texture and it was still good.

Cheese Petit Quiche – 2.5/6 (Okay-Good)

• This wasn’t made in house before so I loved that they started making it in house. It adds more value to the menu and shows that extra bit of effort.
• It was a standard quiche in a thin soft tart with a little cheddar cheese melted into it.
• It’s quite basic, but as a one biter, it was fine, however as a full quiche I would expect more.

**Candied Ginger Scone with Devonshire Crème & Tea-Infused Jelly – 5/6 (Excellent)

• $4 a la carte
• I loved this scone! It’s actually from Savoury Chef a great catering company in Vancouver.
• It would have been even better warm, but it was excellent regardless.
• It had a nice crunch on the outside and the inside was almost cakey and not dry.
• The crunch was the best part though. It was like a cookie!
• It wasn’t that buttery or really flaky, but it was delicious!
• There were some candied moist ginger and it wasn’t too sweet or rich, and it was indeed a scone, not a biscuit.
• It was served with strawberry jam instead of tea-infused jelly though.
• The Devonshire creme was the real deal too and not whipped cream with creme cheese or creme fraiche etc.

Sweets Tier

• Tea-infused macaron, chocolate dipped dragon fruit, chocolate truffle, petit fours, fresh exotic fruit, Matcha tea-infused fortune cookie

Petit Fours - 4/6 (Very good)

• The Petit Fours are made by TWG Tea and distributed by The Urban Tea Merchant.
• I love marzipan cakes and petit fours, but the fondant is usually too sweet and sugary, or just not good.
• In this case the fondant was more like a semi-soft white chocolate shell and it was very sweet, but good compared to the usual fondant.
• The cake wasn’t dried out like last time, and I enjoyed it much better. This probably varies with shipment and the you happen to get it.
• Personally my favourite marzipan cake is from Market by Jean-George – see Marzipan Layer Cake here.

Fresh Exotic Fruit

• Chocolate dipped dragon fruit, dragon eye, star fruit, pineapples and oranges.
• I wasn’t expecting the star fruit, dragon fruit or dragon eye so I was quite impressed with the details.
• I don’t even know where to buy Dragon Fruit right now, but they were actually pretty sweet.
• It would have been even better if the dragon fruit was dipped in Matcha white chocolate to continue the theme, but this was still good.

Chocolate Truffles – 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• I tried the 1837 Black Tea (Signature tea with berries, anise and caramel) and the Singapore Earl Grey truffles.
• As mentioned, the chocolate truffles are made by Chocolate Arts in Vancouver and distributed by The Urban Tea Merchant.
• The truffles are all infused with teas which again I’m a fan of.
• The truffles are great quality and made with 70& dark chocolate.
• They had nice creamy tea infused ganache centres and thin shells, but the tea was quite subtle for my tastes.

TWG Tea Infused Parisian Macaron (Raspberry Tea Infused Macaron) - 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• $4 each
• As mentioned in the intro, I do find them very expensive, and it’s because they are flown in from Singapore on a weekly basis.
• They are made by TWG Tea with TWG Teas and distributed by The Urban Tea Merchant.
• The pastry chef who made these trained with the Mecca of macarons Ladurée, which I tried in New York – see my post here.
• I wrote a post called The Perfect Parisian Macaron so that just shows where I’m coming from.
• It was well made and it actually tasted just like a Ladurée macaron, but even better assembled.
• However I wasn’t huge on the Ladurée macarons because they didn’t have a crisp shell and this one didn’t either.
• The macaron was good, but it was missing the crisp shell and I do find them overpriced and I couldn’t taste the tea.

Matcha Tea-Infused Fortune Cookie - 4/6 (Very good)

• I really didn’t expect this either! So cute!
• A homemade Matcha Fortune Cookie was another detail that just added to the effort of the menu.
• I suggested selling these separately, but unfortunately it’s only available with the “Year of the Dragon” Signature Afternoon Tea.
• They were made with real Japanese TWG Tea Matcha powder and it was really strong and high quality which I loved.
• It wasn’t bitter or that sweet and it was very crunchy and almost brittle. I really enjoyed them.

Follow Me Foodie to the Chinese New Year Kick Off & Chinese New Year Menus!

Gong Hay Fat Choy! Sun Lien Fai Lok! Gong Xi Fa Cai! Xin Nian Kuai Le!

Nom nom nom! Ah yes, those are phonetics everyone might understand! Happy Chinese New Year and welcome to the year of the dragon! “Puff the Magic Dragon lives by the sea…”, I bet you’ll be singing that all day now. Anyways, it’s the year of the dragon, one of the few animals Chinese people don’t eat… and why? Because they’re mythical creatures that only exist in forms of tattoos on Asian gang members… and in Mulan. Anyways, if you missed my Foodie Friday segment on NEWS 1130AM radio this morning (11am every other Friday) here’s a quick recap.

If you don’t have reservations for your Chinese New Year dinner or more importantly Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner, you’re likely not going to get any of the “Best Chinese Restaurants” the city has to offer. But no worries! There are lots of other options! Being in Vancouver, even plan B or C isn’t that bad for Chinese food. We’re lucky to live in a place where excellent Chinese food isn’t hard to find.

There are endless options in the city for Chinese food and various ways to participate in the celebration of the New Year. If you want to do it the traditional way, then a traditional Chinese restaurant with a traditional Chinese menu, and a group of 10 people is the way to do it. However we’re in Vancouver and traditions don’t have to be followed, it’s more about the spirit and always about the food, so grab your chopsticks and toothpicks and Follow Me Foodie to various Chinese New Year Menus in Metro Vancouver, BC!

This is a very small dent in the Chinese restaurant scene and there and many more options than this, so please use this as a rough guide. Feel free to leave a comment if you have questions or need further suggestions.

Follow Me Foodie to Chinese New Year Menus!

“I’m a foodie of tradition and I’ll eat all 10-12 courses myself if I have to! Bring on the real deal!”

Dried Oyster with Fat Choy from Fisherman’s Terrace at Aberdeen Centre in Richmond, BC

You said it! Almost all the formal Chinese restaurants will have a set menu for Chinese New Year. It should include Chinese mushrooms, fish, chicken, noodles, and abalone if you go for the higher end menu. There are different menus and prices usually set for 10 and you can expect to spend anywhere from $280-$800 for a table of 10 at a nicer Chinese restaurant. Each restaurant should have at least 4 different set menus for you to choose from.

Dried Oyster with Fat Choy is a very traditional dish for Chinese New Year and there is a lot of symbolism behind it. You can listen to my explanation of it here on air with CBC Radio last year.

Here are some sample menus of traditional Chinese New Year dinners I’ve had: Fisherman’s Terrace, Shun Feng Seafood Restaurant, Kirin Seafood Restaurant and The Jade Seafood Restaurant.

“I want to do something traditional, but less formal and I can’t get a reservation for dinner.”

Make it a dim sum! It still may require a reservation, but your chances are higher for dim sum than dinner. A few dishes traditional to Chinese New Year are the Pan Fried Radish/Turnip Cakes and the Pan Fried Taro Cakes. They are both savoury cakes and the Radish/Turnip Cakes (different names, same thing) are definitely available all year. There’s also a traditional sweet brown sugar rice cake called “Nian Gao” and these cakes symbolize a sweet year and growth… growth in prosperity, success, and height… although the last is wishful thinking. Just kidding, but cake or pudding in Chinese is “Gao” which means height or raising higher.

You can also buy premade ones and pan fry them at home yourself. Almost all the of dim sum restaurants will sell ready to fry ones during this time. It’s tradition to buy them and give them away to people as gifts during the New Year. Saint Germain Bakery sells nicely packaged ones (see here), so if you really want to impress someone… *ahem* bring one for their mother.

Dim sum options: Richmond options: Red Star Seafood, J&C Top Gun Restaurant, Rainflower Restaurant, The Jade Seafood Restaurant, Empire Chinese Cuisine, VivaCity Seafood, Kalok Seafood Restaurant, Sea Harbour, Kirin Seafood Restaurant, Good Eat Seafood Restaurant etc. Vancouver options: Kirin Seafood Restaurant, Red Star Seafood, Dynasty Seafood Restaurant, Golden Ocean Seafood etc., and Burnaby option: Grand Dynasty Seafood Restaurant. There are honestly so many options and if you’re not familiar with your dim sum, then get cracking! Not knowing what or how to order is no excuse when I have pictures to help

“I prefer a modern take on Chinese food and don’t have 10 friends/family I like.”

Try Wild Rice. It’s a modern fusion take on traditional Chinese cuisine and they have a special Year of The Dragon Prix Fixe Menu designed for 2 from January 22 – February 4, 2012. (I hope you have at least one person you like). The menu includes Water Dragon Platter for Two, Dungeness Crab Salad, Steamed Ling Cod, Albacore Tuna Tartare and a dessert Plate of Food Wishes. $38.88 for two people.

Wild Rice Vancouver: 117 W. Pender Street at Abbott on the edge of old Chinatown, 604-642-2882

Wild Rice New Westminster: 122-810 Quayside Drive in the River Market, 778-397-0028

“I’m a tea connoisseur, and I’ve done the dim sum, but I want something new and modern.”

This is the shrine for tea lovers. Their tea library and quality of luxury teas are incredible. From January 16th – January 31st, 2012, The Urban Tea Merchant is introducing their “Year of the Dragon” Signature Afternoon Tea Service. The menu includes Tiger Hill Tea-infused egg salad sandwich, traditional wrapped Peking duck & plum sauce, chocolate dipped dragon fruit, dragon eye fruit, Matcha tea-infused fortune cookie and many more savoury and sweet bites. $48 per person. Full menu here.

The Urban Tea Merchant Downtown Vancouver: 1070 West Georgia St. Vancouver, 604-692-0071

The Urban Tea Merchant The Village at Park Royal: G3 – 825 Main St. West Vancouver, 604-926-3392

Now heads up! Xi Shi Lounge at the Shangri-La Hotel nearby is also hosting a Special Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea Monday, January 23rd through Sunday, January 29th from 11:30 am to 5:00 pm. $34 per person. See my post here.

“I prefer the hotel version of Chinese New Year.”

Photo Credit Pan Pacific Vancouver

So you’re a little less adventurous and maybe not a fan of the traditional stuff? Or your dining with some “white bread and butters”? Or you need something for the kids? (I personally believe kids should be introduced to unfamiliar food at a young age though). Well whatever the reasons are you’ll get a good mix of everything (including non-Chinese items) at the Cafe Pacfica Restaurant.

This Sunday January 22, Cafe Pacfica Restaurant at Pan Pacific Vancouver is hosting their annual Chinese New Years Day Brunch Buffet which includes a fancy buffet featuring: Chinese Charcuterie, Dim Sum, Lemon Chicken, Wok Station, Sushi Station, Omelette Station, Carving Station and many more things. The dessert buffet offers Chocolate Dipped Fortune Cookies, Sweat Bean Sesame Balls, Egg Tarts, Sago & Lotus seed pudding, Chocolate Mousse and Creme Brulee. See the full menu here.

The buffet also includes a live piano performance and a great view – see here for prices and more details.

Pan Pacific Vancouver: 300-999 Canada Place, Vancouver, 604.891.2555

“Just take me to a Chinese New Year fair and let me sample random Chinese goodies!”

Aberdeen Centre in Richmond, BC is hosting their annual Chinese New Year flower and gift fair January 19-29 (see hours here). There will also be a live countdown on January 22 at 10:30pm – 12:10am in the Central Atrium of the mall. Parking will make you want to pull each strand of hair out one by one and you may discover a heightened sense of road rage, so I highly recommend taking the Canada Line… thank me later.

Make sure you check out the Dragon’s Beard Candy stand. It’s Chinese style cotton candy stuffed with sugared ground peanuts and it will be extra popular this year since it’s the Year of the Dragon. It’s a special dessert that’s labour intensive to make and the “cotton candy” is hand pulled.

Aberdeen Centre: Suite 130, 4400 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond, 604.270.1234

Restaurant: House Guest
Cuisine: French/West Coast/Pacific Northwest/Eclectic
Last visited: January 12, 2012
Area: Vancouver, BC (Gastown/Downtown)
Address: 200 – 332 Water Street
Train: Waterfront Skytrain
Price range: $20-30 ($15-20 mains)

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

Food: 3.5
Service: 3
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• West Coast cuisine
• Eclectic comfort food
• Seasonal menu
• Moderately priced
• Hipster/hip vibe
• Spacious
• Late night hot spot
• Good for groups
• Cocktail/wine list
• Restaurant/Lounge/Bar
• Reservations recommended
• Thurs. 5pm -  Late
• Fri. 5pm – Late
• Sat. 5pm – Late
• Sunday Brunch

**Recommendations: Duck Donair, Crab Tater Tots & Tarragon Remoulade

4 times! FOUR times! Actually no, 6 times! I tried twice without a reservation too. It’s also closed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and only open for dinner Thursday-Saturday, with a Sunday brunch, so it’s not the most convenient or accommodating restaurant.

I’ve been trying to make reservations to try House Guest since mid-December and I finally got my foot in the door. Mind you it was Christmas so they were busy, but still; and to top things off they only accept reservations by e-mail. They have a phone number, and it rings, but that’s as far as you’re going to get. Hard to get. Yes, they play that game very well, but as one of the newest and hottest restaurants to hit Gastown, they can, and I was persistent.

Finally. A restaurant that can hopefully hold the spot! It took over the old McLean’s which was previously So.cial at Le Magasin. Although the location is huge and on the main strip it still remains very hidden and discrete. With tinted windows and the tiniest signage, which is essentially just a symbol “NXG”, or I mean “HXG”, I don’t even know if it’s called “House X Guest” or “House Guest”?

With the opening hours, reservation/phone system, ambiguous website, and now the name(s) of the restaurant, I could smell “hipster, but don’t call me hipster” from across the street. I couldn’t even call you “hipster” even if I wanted to though because you don’t pick up your phone! I’m half kidding and half hoping they sign up for opentable.com (unless that goes against hipster rules?).

Anyways the inside wasn’t as dark and mysterious and actually quite stylish and refined. In a nutshell it was for the hipsters that have a little more money and prefer dining on the second floor rather than the basement. I mean that quite literally too because the basement here seems more like the unused lounge.

The vibe was night and day with a slow start and a loud finish. It started off feeling more like a restaurant, but by 8pm it quickly transformed into a packed night club with a DJ. It felt like Montreal or New York, and it didn’t bother me since I expected it. The food didn’t come secondary, but I would say it could be more impressive if you think about it coming from a nightclub context.

It got to a point where I didn’t know who was serving and who was dining. The staff and the customers looked the same and I couldn’t tell one pair of black rimmed glasses to the next. Someone would pick up a plate and I didn’t know if they were cleaning it or wanting to sample it. It was all quite quirky and the theme continued to the ladies washroom. If you use the right sink the hot water comes from the right handle and the cold water from the left. It might have been like that before the restaurant change, but it added to the overall quirkiness.

I knew about House Guest when it opened in October last year and the menu sounded right up my ally. It was a more unique interpretation of “comfort food with a twist” and everything sounded innovative and indulgent which is what I like. However the menus are seasonal and I missed out on the old menu which sounded more catered to my tastes. The new menu is a bit more tamed and not as decadent, although still rich.

I was slightly more inspired by the concept and menu descriptions than I was with the outcome of some of the dishes, but I did appreciate the creativity and intention. Everything is made in house except for the macaroni noodles and Israeli cous cous, but I was still expecting a bit more in flavour and execution, and sometimes the ideas were ambitious for the price. Occasionally there were sacrificed ingredients and a few dishes tasting too simple and feeling slightly overpriced, but generally it’s a fun place with a playful menu.

At the end of the meal I learned that the chef is Kayla Dhaliwall, who I actually met at the 12th Annual Healthy Chef Competition last year. She was on The Well restaurant team and she is now running the kitchen at House Guest. It was an unexpected surprise and on that note she did bring out a couple complimentary dishes at the end of the meal (which I’ve noted), but otherwise everything was paid for and I came unannounced.

On the table:

House Guest’s Bait - 2.5/6 (Okay-Good)

• Gin, orange bitters, lemon, egg whites, cointreau, rhubarb bitters $10
• You can ask for it sweeter or more tart and I don’t think there’s an official bartender so it may vary.
• It was strong with orange and it tasted quite simple for $10. It was more or less like an orange and lemon juice with gin.
• I was hoping it would be a bit more foamy with the egg whites and it was good, but for $10 it was okay.

PMC - 3/6 (Good)

• Pimento mac‘n’cheese croquettes / red eye ketchup $9
• They were served with a Red Eye Ketchup which basically tastes like a BBQ sauce.
• It’s actually a mixture of Ketchup and coffee and I think this one had some HP sauce, BBQ sauce or Worcestershire sauce because it had a nice kick and depth to it.
• The coffee grounds are completely dissolved so you can’t taste the texture of coffee, but there was an intense smokiness and earthiness.
• There was a well rounded bitterness in the aftertaste, which I really liked.
• As much as I liked the sauce, it ended up overpowering the mac and cheese croquettes.

• I love deep fried mac and cheese, but I expected these to be much richer and cheesier.
• They were hot with a crispy and thin panko batter and that was good, but the mac and cheese was a bit buttery more so than cheesy in flavour.
• It wasn’t stringy or creamy and the noodles were a bit soft, but that’s usually the case for deep fried mac.
• I could only taste orange cheddar cheese and I was hoping for a richer cheesier sauce even if it required a thicker rue or maybe just additional cheeses.
• A smoked cheddar might have worked to stand up to the Red Eye Ketchup.
• The Parmesan shavings would have benefited more from being melted into the filling rather than used as a garnish.
• They were well seasoned with a gentle heat from the pimento seasoning on the panko crumbs, but more cheese please!
• Black & Blue actually used to make a really decadent deep fried mac and cheese croquette with a truffle & white cheddar cream sauce for dipping. The sauce really made it!

Prawn Guac – 3/6 (Good)

• Chilled prawn guacamole / smoked tomato / blue corn chips $13
• I usually wouldn’t order guacamole at a restaurant because it’s something I can make at home, but I heard good things about this one.
• The guacamole was just okay and quite literal, but the real highlight was the smoked tomato emulsion underneath the guacamole. That’s what really brought the dish to life and made it good.
• The guacamole was creamy with pureed and roughly chopped avocado, chopped prawns, and a bit of tomato, and I found it quite ordinary. It wasn’t heavy with lime or cilantro and it was missing some acidity, brightness and overall flavour.
• The tomato emulsion ended up being the acid and it was also really smoky and a bit garlicky with perhaps some chipotle mayo because there was also some heat. I really liked this!
• The guacamole just tasted really simple and it was a bit small for $13.
• I know there are prawns to justify the price, but the prawns were just cold prawns and they kind of took a back seat.
• I would have loved grilled prawns and an avocado dip, but that would be even pricier.
• Currently the blue corn tortilla chips are also being made in house too.
• If you like this idea I do have a recipe for a Pistachio, Avocado, Sour Cherry & Black Sesame Dip with Prawns.

Lobster & Waffles – 2/6 (Okay)

• Bacon wrapped lobster sausage / pretzel crust / lemon mascarpone waffle $16
• This jumped off the menu, but for $16 I questioned how much lobster there was going to be. I didn’t expect much, but it sounded delicious!
• I’ve had the notorious Fried Chicken & Bacon Waffles at Hash House a Go-Go and it’s a real Southern treat that has made it’s way to Vancouver… finally!
• I loved the idea, but I expected something very different.
• The waffles were really flat, thin and crispy throughout and I couldn’t taste the lemon or the mascarpone in them.
• I would have preferred the waffles more traditional, fluffy and airy light, with a crispy outside and cakey soft inside.
• I thought there was going to be lemon zest in the waffles and a mascarpone dollop on top, but it was much more of a savoury dish than a sweet one.
• Even so, I was hoping to taste the rich creamy mascarpone with a slight tang in the waffles.
• I found it kind of a waste to deep fry lobster and turn it into a sausage, so it probably would have worked better with just the typical chicken.
• I did enjoy the salty crunchy crispy pretzel crumb crust, but the inside could have been crab and I wouldn’t have been able to tell.
• The lobster was quite hidden and the filling quite mushy with what seemed like minimal lobster flakes.
• There was a nice piece of thick bacon wrapped around the lobster before it was deep fried, but it didn’t really do anything or help the lobster shine.
• The bacon might have been better just candied and crumbled on top of the whole thing.
• The waffles were crunchy and so was the lobster sausage so I was just hoping for a bit more texture overall.
• The sauce tasted like a house made mayo and having it with waffles didn’t really do anything for me although it was okay with the lobster.
• I think a maple brown butter sauce, lobster hollandaise or a mint crème fraîche would have been suitable if it wasn’t going to be a dollop of mascarpone. I just saw the dish going in a different direction.

**Duck Donair - 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• Duck Confit OR White Beans & Truffle Falafel / sheeps Feta / herb & citrus tabouli / “tatziki” $15
• Duck confit of course! I love duck confit and it’s a must if it’s on the menu.
• It’s not big and it’s a bit pricey, but it’s duck confit so I get it. It was also really good though and not comparable to a $5 donair on Granville Street, although those are good too!
• It was wrapped in a very soft homemade grilled naan and there was a good amount of duck.
• The duck wasn’t too salty and it was moist, juicy, tender and well shredded.
• The wrap had actual pieces of fresh orange segments in it which really helped contrast the rich duck giving it a bit of juicy zing and freshness.
• Orange and duck also go hand in hand so I loved how it was played here.
• It was a very fresh wrap and I could taste all the components of the salty rich sheeps feta, a little tabouli (which used Israeli cous cous instead of the traditional bulgur) and the fresh tzatziki yogurt.
• If anything I wouldn’t mind some raisins for a bit of sweetness.
• I could also taste some whole toasted fennel seeds being used for a slight licorice aroma and I loved the French meets Middle Eastern theme.
• The salad was well dressed with duck fat dressing (brilliant), some sliced radish and topped with lots of crispy salty fried onions and duck cracklings (more brilliant) which was the best part… the fried onions and cracklings with the wrap was even better. The salad was delicious though!

Charred Cauliflower Flat Bread (With Added Braised Shortrib) – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• Charred cauliflower / potatoes lyonnaise / nicoise olives /cauliflower puree / grana padano $14
• I told you I had a decadent palate! I love braised short rib, so I requested short rib for an additional charge.
• It was a toss up. Short rib flatbread or duck confit flatbread? I had the duck confit donair so I decided to go with the vegetarian flatbread and add the short rib!
• The braised short ribs were in pretty large chunks and the flatbread was made in house which I liked.
• The short ribs were moist, but not juicy and they used to be offered in sliders and in a short rib poutine, but unfortunately they’re both taken off the new menu.
• I really don’t know if I would like this Cauliflower flatbread as much without the short rib.
• This would have been even better with a drizzle of tzatziki from the duck donair, and with the added short rib the tomato emulsion would have worked too!
• I was hoping for more texture and everything was quite soft so I wanted something crunchy or crispy like fried capers, fried onions or toasted pine nuts since the flatbread wasn’t crispy.
• It was pretty hearty with the slices of buttery Russet(?) potatoes on top of the flatbread and I couldn’t taste the cauliflower puree or grana padano.
• It wasn’t a cheesy or saucy flatbread and I was hoping for more cauliflower puree or perhaps a hummus spread for more flavour and texture.
• I love the pieces of charred cauliflower which gave a nice nutty flavour and the bite of salty olives and sprinkle of basil was also great.
• It was still pretty simple and the interesting part would have been the cauliflower puree, but I couldn’t really taste any.

**Crab Tater Tots & Tarragon Remoulade – 5.5/6 (Excellent!)

• $7
• Oh god. Thank goodness chef brought these out!
• I can’t believe I almost left without trying them, although I would have ordered them had they been on the menu.
• These are from the old menu and not on the new menu, but they still make them so you just have to ask.
• They’re made in house and likely the best tater tots you’ll try. Bacchus also made good Saffron & Tomato Taters as an amuse bouche, but these were fantastic!
• They were crispy, salty and well seasoned and the inside was creamy and smooth with what seemed like a mixture of melted mashed potatoes and minced potatoes.
• The potato filling was so creamy and rich and it almost seemed like a pommes puree.
• I think there was some pimento in them for a bit of heat, but I enjoyed these more than the PMC (deep fried pimento mac and cheese appy).
• To be honest, I couldn’t taste much crab although there were minimal flakes of it in each tater tot, but for $7 it doesn’t really matter and they’re still delicious.
• The tarragon remoulade tasted like a lemony tartar sauce (that’s essentially what remoulade is) and it kind of tasted like dill mayo too. It was good with or without the dip.
• Personally I would have dipped these in the tomato emulsion from the prawn guacamole appy.

Churros – 4/6 (Very good)

• Fried churros, spiced sugar, dolce de leche, red velvet sauce
• It’s usually a choice of 3 sample sized desserts for $12, but the dessert menu wasn’t it full gear yet so chef brought these out complimentary.
• I loved the presentation and I’m a sucker for anything served in miniature dishes. The mini paint pails tempted me to paint the wooden plank… but I didn’t.
• I like churros, but I’m not crazy for them. They’re super easy to make, but for what they are, these are very good!
• The churros were fried completely crunchy, which is actually authentic. I do like the ones with the soft doughy centres as well, but those are a different style.
• They were nicely dusted with sugar and cinnamon and the added chili was a great touch!
• They weren’t too sweet or spicy, but the heat came in on the second bite. It was very subtle although noticeable even if you didn’t know it was in there.
• The caramel sauce was delicious! It was a homemade dulche de leche and it was thick, creamy, sweet and rich and fluid enough as a dip for the churros.
• The red velvet sauce was too thin and drippy, but the flavour was good. It tasted more like espresso than chocolate though and I was hoping for more chocolate.
• I’m excited to see the new dessert menu, but this type of restaurant would be a great place to introduce Vancouver to Chocolate Potato Doughnuts or even PB&J Bon Bons.

Restaurant: Nan Chuu Japanese Izakaya 南廚
Cuisine: Japanese/Tapas
Last visited: January 3, 2012
Location: Richmond, BC (Richmond Central)
Address: 1160-8391 Alexandra Rd
Train: Lansdowne Station Northbound
Price Range: $10-20+

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

Food: 3.5 - 4
Service: 2.5
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• Gyoza King Group
• Japanese chefs
• Izakaya/tapas
• Traditional menu
• Authentic
• Very casual
• Good for sharing
• Ramen available
• Reasonably priced
• Beer/cocktails/wine
• Reservations recommended
• Mon-Sat 5:30pm – 1am (often later)
• Sunday 5:30pm-11:30pm
• Closed Wednesday

**Recommendations: Negi Chashu, Salmon Nanban, Saba Shioyaki, Gyoza, Tori Karaage, Deep Fried Oysters

Nan Chuu is part of the Gyoza King Group which also owns Gyo-O in Richmond and Chicco Cafe and Gyoza King in downtown Vancouver, BC. They used to own G-Men Ramen in Richmond too, but due to rent issues they recently closed shop. It was quite a shocker since G-Men Ramen was always busy with line ups, but the ramen menu is now being served at Nan Chuu.

I think the owners of Gyoza King are actually Chinese, but the food at all their restaurants are prepared authentically by Japanese chefs. Each of their restaurants are very different, and not like how each Guu or Hapa Izakaya is different. Each Gyoza King Group restaurant specializes in a specific category of Japanese cuisine like ramen (G-Men), seafood/sashimi (Gyo-O), Japanese desserts (Chicco Cafe), traditional izakaya (Nan Chuu) and fusion izakaya (Gyoza King). I’ve tried all of their restaurants and generally I do like them. Of course I can’t clump them all together, but so far I haven’t had a bad experience.

Located on Richmond’s famous “eating street”, Alexandra Road, is Nan Chuu Japanese Izakaya. I’ve been waiting ages to try this place and after several unsuccessful attempts and unforeseen closures it is finally reopen. It was closed the whole summer for apparent renovations, but I’m not sure what has really changed besides the signage.

The restaurant is really long and narrow with a small bar, some tight booths and group dining in the back. At first glace it really took on that traditional Japanese izakaya feel, but it wasn’t until later that it felt a bit enclosed. The on again and off again quirky jazz music alternating with the at times working silence just didn’t seem as lively or ideal for this style of dining.

Izakayas are Japanese pubs, so they’re supposed to be casual and fun watering holes for people to drink and eat tapas until wee hours. In the context of Vancouver they’re usually quite glorified and pricey, but it wasn’t the case here. The menu makes it one of the more traditional izakayas I’ve been to so far with reasonable prices and portions.

The food isn’t fancy or creative, so it might not be as exciting or interesting, but it is simple and authentic. Guu with Garlic is also great, but the menu items are more fusion and modern. If I forget about authenticity and focus on what I like, I personally like Suika, but overall izakaya is one of my favourite styles of dining and I like a lot of them. There are way more than the few I mentioned and generally the izakaya scene is solid in Metro Vancouver.

On the table:

Asahi Black

• $5
• A good izakaya place should have an extensive and affordable drink list featuring beer, cocktails and sake.
• I’m not a beer drinker, but you should drink beer with izakaya. It’s like having champagne on New Years.
• Izakaya food is more or less catered for it.

Goma-Ae - 2.5/6 (Okay-Good)

• Spinach salad in sesame sauce $3.50
• I almost always order goma-ae. This one is considered cheap.
• The spinach was very watery and that affected the sesame sauce and made it runny, so overall it was too wet.
• The sesame sauce was house made with freshly toasted sesame seeds, but it was on the salty side and I have a high tolerance for salt already.
• I prefer a bit more sweet salty balance and more sesame seeds and flavour.

Seafood & Avocado Salad – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• Shoyu dressing $11.95
• This was a huge salad and it was enough for 4.
• The romaine leaves were cut in huge pieces so it was really messy to eat. I would have preferred the standard mixed greens, but this was fine.
• It came with a good amount of ahi tuna, salmon sashimi, a few pieces of scallop sashimi, and 6 wedges of avocado sprinkled with tobiko.
• It was pretty standard with some shredded daikon and a few julienne red bell peppers.
• The shoyu dressing was sweet, salty and tangy, but it tasted like shoyu-ponzu (citrus) dressing.
• The other dressing was a sweet Japanese mayo, but it wasn’t that tangy and usually that sauce would taste like Thousand Island dressing.
• I prefer the sashimi salad at Guu with Garlic or even better at Hapa Izakaya with the deep fried prawn heads (see here).

**____ Negi Chashu – 5.5/6 (Excellent!)

• BBQ pork slice, and thin cut green onion $7.50
• It was simple, but still something I wouldn’t be able to make at home.
• It was almost like a BBQ pork salad that was served room temperature. It was my kind of salad.
• The pork was the BBQ pork used for their ramen and it was incredibly tender and flavourful and not too salty.
• The pork was on the leaner side and it wasn’t juicy, but not dry or chewy either.
• The fatty parts of the pork were all chopped up, not gelatinous and practically unnoticeable. They came across as creamy bits mixed with BBQ pork slices.
• The spicy raw green onions helped cut the grease, but it wasn’t even greasy. It just lightened up the dish.
• It was all lightly dressed in a sweet soy sauce (shoyu?) mixed with sesame oil, which was really strong and aromatic.
• I just wish this had crispy garlic bits on top for more texture, but at least there was a refreshing crunch of onions.

Takoyaki – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• Grilled octopus balls 4 pcs $3.75, 8 pcs $7
• These were a bit smaller than normal and about the size of golf balls.
• They were generously sauced with sweet Japanese mayo and sweet and tangy Takoyaki sauce.
• It was topped with bonito flakes which is standard.

• These are rich one biters and basically lightly grilled balls of creamy fluffy Japanese pancake batter.
• They were melt in your mouth, pillowy and creamy, but not potatoey or floury.
• Each one is stuffed with a little piece of octopus tentacle.
• Authentically there should be some flavour of pickled ginger or green onion, but this one had none and I missed that.
• They are lighter than croquettes and great as hot snacks.
• Nan Chuu’s sister restaurant Gyo-O Japanese Restaurant (also in Richmond) used to make a stellar takoyaki, but I haven’t had them in a while.

**Saba Shioyaki – 4/6 (Very good)

• Grilled mackerel $6.75
• I always get Black Cod/Sablefish, but it wasn’t on the menu, however it’s not in season anyways.
• For mackerel, it actually didn’t taste that fishy and I really enjoyed this. I do like mackerel though.
• This was a very traditional version of a saba shioyaki and it was very good, but I was hoping for more robata (grill) aromatics/flavour.
• The skin was crispy, but I prefer it a bit more charred.
• It was marinated in sake and soy sauce, but it wasn’t too salty at all.
• The meat was incredibly juicy, moist and tender and it was almost flaking like cod.
• The juices were leaking onto the plate and it was likely one of the juiciest mackerel I’ve had.
• It was traditionally served with grated radish and lemon and overall this was very good.
• I prefer the Grilled “Saba” Mackerel from Guu with Garlic (see here), but that version is fusion.

**Gyoza – 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• $5.25
• The gyoza is signature to the restaurant brand, so it’s almost a must try.
• As a gyoza, it was better than most gyoza, but it was still just a gyoza.
• They were house made and fried pretty perfectly with nice crispy bottoms. However I think they sat a bit before serving because they weren’t as crispy as they looked.

• The skins were nice and thin and not too chewy or doughy and they were stuffed with a good quality pork mixture and big pieces of chives.
• The pork was lightly seasoned with soy, tender and moist, but not super juicy either.
• It wasn’t strong with sesame oil or ginger and they tasted a bit better than normal, but I wouldn’t guess it was their signature.
• They have more varieties of gyoza at their downtown restaurant Gyoza King – see here.

Ebi Mayo – 2/6 (Okay)

• 6 pcs Deep fried fresh tiger prawns dipped in mayo sauce $6.50
• This is one of the favourites here, but unfortunately I didn’t get it.
• They came out quite soggy and the batter was really thick and doughy.
• They were heavily sauced with sweet Japanese mayo and I missed a chili kick and spice.
• As a non spicy ebi mayo, usually the mayo would still have a bit of a tang to it, but this one had no tang either.
• It was just super intense with mayo and the prawn was crunchy, but hidden by the heavy batter.
• I prefer the ones at Hapa Izakaya – see here.

Deep Fried Oysters – 4/6 (Very good)

• $7.50
• It was what it was, but they did a great job with them!
• I’m not keen on cooked oysters, but I’ll eat them.
• These were medium sized, plump, and juicy and perfect as is or for a Po Boy Sandwich.
• They were crunchy and panko crusted and fried until golden brown.
• They weren’t even that oily for being deep fried and the white paper they sat on wasn’t clear at the end.
• The dipping sauces were sweet Japanese mayo and Tonkatsu sauce (Japanese style BBQ sauce with Worcestershire kick).
• A squeeze of lemon and dip of each sauce was the best way to enjoy these.
• They kind of reminded me of the deep fried oysters from Rodney’s Oyster Bar in Yaletown, and I remember liking those too.

**Salmon Nanban – 5.5/6 (Excellent!)

• Deep fried salmon marinated in “nanban” vinaigrette with onions and carrots $4.50
• This was likely my favourite dish of the night.
• It was a big portion for the price and it was the daily special.
• It was about 7-8 pieces of boneless salmon and they had a soggy skin due to the sauce.
• I wish they removed the skins and deep fried them separately and sprinkled them on top.
• The salmon pieces were slightly dry, but after you dip them in the delicious vinaigrette it was easily forgotten.
• The Nanban sauce was amazing enough to forgive the slight dryness.
• Nanban sauce is made with rice wine vinegar, mirin, soy, sugar, Worcestershire, boiled radish/konbu seaweed and a bit of chili so it has depth and it’s not just regular vinaigrette. This one didn’t taste spicy though.
• It was super citrusy, tangy and salty and intense with lots of flavour and it just made the dish pop and come alive. I was drinking it alone! (Dying of thirst after)
• It was a juicy dish and the crunch of raw spicy onions was refreshing and made it like a salad.
• The Chicken Nanban at Miku Restaurant is my favourite “Nanban” dish, but this is a serious competitor!

Assorted Sashimi – 4/6 (Very good)

• Fresh tuna tataki, salmon & scallop sashimi $12.50
• This isn’t a place for sashimi so the selection is very limited, but I needed a break from the fried stuff.
• For not specializing in sashimi it was a bit more pricey, but the quality was actually pretty good and I liked it.
• The salmon was surprisingly buttery and good.
• The scallops were fresh and sweet and topped with tobiko.
• The tuna tataki (ahi tuna) had a salt and pepper crust, but it wasn’t done that well.
• The tuna was good tuna though, but it seemed more like ahi tuna than tuna tataki.
• My favourite tuna tataki so far is from Suika – see Tuna Tataki or Taka’s Take-Out – see Peppered Tuna Tataki.

Beef Yukke – 3/6 (Good)

• Fresh beef sashimi marinated in yukke sauce topped with quail egg $7.50
• This was best eaten immediately. No surprise there.
• It’s Japanese beef tartar, but it didn’t look appetizing.
• I have no problems with beef sashimi, but the way this one looked was a bit unsettling.
• It actually looked like raw ground beef ready to be made into patties and I thought it would be cut into mini cubes or slices.
• Mixed together it was better, but it was all quite slimy and texturally acquired.
• There were a few pine nuts which helped, and the spicy onions broke things up a bit, but that was about it.
• The yukke sauce is a predominantly sweet and syrupy garlic soy sauce with sesame oil and it absorbed into the meat well.
• It should have been served with crostini, prawn crackers, or lotus chips because it was a bit repetitive and excessive alone.
• I’ve tried their Salmon Yukke at the Gyoza King location and Guu does one as well – see Salmon Yuke. If you want to be even more adventurous try the Salmon with 7 Friends from Guu with Otokomae. (That was totally an unintended play on words)

Dessert – There was only ice cream ($3) so I passed. It wasn’t homemade or anything, so I just had dessert at home.

Restaurant: Mazazu Crepe
Cuisine: Japanese/Desserts/Ice Cream
Last visited: January 7, 2012
Location: Richmond, BC (Richmond Central)
Address: Unit 3110, 4151 Hazelbridge Way (In Aberdeen food court)
Train: Aberdeen Station Northbound
Price Range: $10 or less

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

Food: 2
Service: n/a (food court)
Ambiance: n/a (food court)
Overall: 2
Additional comments:

• Franchise
• Japanese style crepes
• Crepes only
• Sweet and savoury crepes
• Made upon order
• Soft serve ice cream
• Snack
• Food on the go
• Budget friendly/cheap eats
• Lunch/Dinner

**Recommendations: Soft serve ice cream in a cone.

The Aberdeen Centre food court in Richmond, BC is one of my favourite shopping mall food courts in Metro Vancouver, let alone Richmond. It’s predominantly Asian cuisine with a random Vera’s Burger Shack. The set up is clean with a good variety and the prices are affordable. After Vietnamese food at Pho Lan I was up for dessert (no surprise there), and in the context of Richmond, this is actually one of my go-to places for it.

I’ve wanted to try Mazazu Crepe since it opened, but I always get distracted with Frappe Bliss (my fav) and Qoola. On this occasion I almost got distracted again, but I finally decided to just try the crepe and settle my curiosity once and for all. I wish I didn’t mean that so literally too.

Mazazu Crepe is a franchise in Japan under the name of Mother’s Crepe. It’s a crepe only shop, but it’s not your traditional French crepe so don’t expect authenticity. The crepes are basically wannabes of French crepes, but with the occasional Japanese toppings and ingredients. The franchise could be better in Japan, but it just didn’t work here.

The sweet crepes come with either custard, soft serve ice cream, whipped cream, strawberries, bananas, chocolate brownies (not house made), Japanese cheesecake, glutinous rice cakes or red bean. It’s actually just a switch up of the same ingredients so there’s really not much selection.

The savoury crepes include ham, cheese, tuna salad, hard boiled eggs and sausage. Again it’s just a switch up of limited ingredients so there is not much selection for savoury crepes either. All the crepes are around $3.50-4.95 and they’re quite large and cheap, and unfortunately so are the ingredients. You do pay for what you get.

Personally the crepes just came across as poor imitations of French style crepes. The only thing I would come back for is the soft serve ice cream, which I actually liked, but I’d ask for it in a waffle cone.

On the table:

I ordered the Green Tea Shiratama Azuki Soft Ice Cream crepe because it was the most unique, even though I dislike red bean.

This is what I got.

Green Tea Shiratama Azuki Soft Ice Cream - 2/6 (Okay)

• $4.95
• It’s served with your choice of milk, green tea or twist soft serve ice cream. I ordered twist.
• It’s only served wrapped up to-go and they don’t offer it served on plates.
• The crepe is made upon order so it was still warm.
• It’s filled with soft serve ice cream, glutinous rice balls, red bean, whipped cream and sprinkled with matcha powder.
• She tried alternating the layers, but there was only one scoop of red bean at the top.
• The whipped cream was really thick, rich and greasy and not that sweet, and I wasn’t digging it.
• The red bean paste (azuki) was really thick and creamy and pretty sweet, but I’ve never been a fan of red bean.
• There were some actual red beans in it and it wasn’t completely smooth. It’s actually not bad for what it was.
• The 3 glutinous rice balls (shiratama) were chewy, squishy and plain (naturally that way). They’re filling and dense and traditionally served with azuki.
• Shiratama have a very neutral flavour and they taste like nothing and they’re one texture throughout.
• I would have preferred mochi which is at least a bit sweet and lighter.

Needless to say, they were incredibly messy and drippy to eat. Soft service ice cream in a warm crepe ends up being a soggy mess. I love crepes and ice cream, but not like this.

• Even alone the crepe was not good and it was likely the only home made part.
• For a crepe place they should have nailed the crepe.
• The crepe was very thick and doughy and I could still taste the flour in the batter.
• The crepe batter wasn’t sweet or eggy and it just tasted like flour and water.
• It wasn’t crispy or browned at all and ended up being really chewy and almost stretchy.
• The best part was the soft serve green tea ice cream. I love soft serve ice cream in general though.
• The soft serve ice cream was quite light which I liked, but it was richer than McDonald’s soft serve which I still like!
• It wasn’t icy, overly rich, creamy or sweet (like Dairy Queen) and I would actually come back for it. I’d order it in a waffle cone next time for sure.
• The Milk flavoured soft serve ice cream is $2.86 and the Green Tea flavoured soft serve ice cream is $3.10.
• On a similar note, the best soft serve ice cream I’ve had so far was at Dessert Club, ChikaLicious.

Follow Me Foodie On Dine Out Vancouver 2012!

My thoughts on Dine Out Vancouver & A Preview of the Hapa Umi & Cento Notti Dine Out Menus!

It’s that time of year again. It’s the 10th Annual Dine Out Vancouver from January 20 – February 5, 2012. I don’t know if it really needs any explanation, but it’s basically Canada’s largest restaurant festival featuring 231 restaurants offering a set menu for $18, $28 or $38 – see the full list of restaurants and menus here. Adding to the festival this year are 70 culinary-focused events, tours and activities.

The original purpose of the event was to help give restaurants a boost during a slow time of the year… when most people are still trying to save money and loose weight from the holidays. It’s a bit ironic, but it works and people still love it, or it wouldn’t be on its 10th year.

This is quite an interesting post for me to write and I’ll be totally honest about it. I wrote a semi-controversial post about it last year stating why “I Don’t Dine Out Vancouver” (see here) and basically my thoughts haven’t really changed. I could easily make this into an even longer essay, because I have so many thoughts about it, but I’ll keep it in a Follow Me Foodie oversized “nutshell”.

There’s nothing wrong with Dine Out Vancouver, but I’m actually not the target market for it. Personally I prefer going on a regular night because I find it more representable of the restaurant. I usually find it even better too since it’s not as busy or rushed and I’m not limited to the prix fixe menu. I’ve also found some restaurants to jeopardize the ingredients or portions to meet the cost of the price fixe so I rather just go on a regular night. Last but not least I do like a good deal, but I’m willing to pay for food at a restaurant that I want to try regardless of the extra incentives. I’m not saying I wouldn’t participate in any Dine Outs, and I’ve done them before in the past, but I enjoyed them more for the company than the food.

I appreciate Dine Out Vancouver more as a food festival and I’m happy if it gets people trying restaurants and enjoying food. However I still highly recommend people to go back to their favourites on a regular night because Dine Out is really more or less just a sample. I wouldn’t really base my opinions on a restaurant solely on their Dine Out Vancouver menu. Personally, I’m more interested in the 70 culinary-focused Dine Out Vancouver Events which include Street Food City (Jan. 24-26), Dine Academy, Secret Supper Soirée, and Brasserie Mystère.

If you’re looking for Dine Out recommendations I can pass on what I know since I was invited to the Dine Out Vancouver 2012 media preview. Each group was taken to two surprise restaurants and mine were Hapa Umi and Cento Notti. However my thoughts are just for their Dine Out 2012 menus and not for the restaurant on a regular night.

I have tried Hapa Umi in the past and I still enjoyed it more on a regular night, but their portions were quite generous for the Dine Out menu and I saw the value (depending on what 3 courses you end up choosing). As for new Italian pop-up restaurant Cento Notti in Yaletown, I found it more of a hit and miss and I expected it to be in the $28 category (Update! It is now $28!), but I have yet to try it on a regular night for comparisons sake.

Other suggestions I heard from friends who tried different restaurants on the media preview was that Bitter Tasting Room ($18) was well worth it and impressive. I also heard there was amazing food and portions at Kitsilano Daily Kitchen, and raving reviews about Salmon n’ Bannock Bistro ($28) which I’ve been meaning to try since last year. We didn’t try all the restaurants and I didn’t get feedback from everyone, but those were some highlights.

Hapa Umi – Dine Out Vancouver 2012 – $38 Menu

Appetizers Choice:

Albacore Tuna Tataki – Salsa verde, crispy tortilla ribbons

• I found the portion generous and the quality of the tuna was very fresh and high.
• I could taste the infused smokiness in the sear and there was a slight heat from the Shisito seasoning on the crust, but it wasn’t spicy.
• The salsa verde wasn’t meant to be traditional and it was a nice switch up from an expected avocado puree.
• There may have been a bit of avocado, but it tasted mostly of lime and cilantro.
• The tortilla chips added a great crispy texture and I think it would be fun to see those as crispy fried ramen noodles.

OR

Tofu Salad – Citrus Soy Dressing

• This was even healthier and lighter than the ahi tuna choice and the tofu is organic. It was a huge salad too.
• I probably would have preferred firm smoky soy marinated tofu as opposed to this soft one which kind of fell apart in the salad.
• The tofu seemed like an imitation of fresh mozzarella and I just needed a stronger dressing.
• There were nice crunchy textures, deep fried lotus root, crisp sweet matchstick apples and fresh green beans, but it was a bit bland overall for my tastes and I like tofu.

OR

Edamame Potage Soup – Grilled Sake Sausage

• Oh god. I really hope this is on the regular menu because I would go back to order this a la carte. This again was a good portion.
• This was the richest and heaviest choice for the appetizers which also makes it my favourite. It really tasted the best too though.
• If you like pea soups, this was similar and it was almost like a pommes puree or velouté, which is my favourite kind of soup.
• It was creamy and velvety smooth and was thick enough to coat the roof of your mouth and stick to your spoon.
• I bet the soup was made with dashi (Japanese stock) and it just had a wonderfully rich and developed flavour throughout.
• The sausage was juicy and flavourful with snappy skins and I think there was a hint of mint in the soup to keep it bright and fresh.

Entree Choice:

Umi “Salisbury” Steak – Pork and beef steak, ume emulsion, sweet potato crema, corn-butter poached vegetables

• This dish and steak wasn’t that big, but the steak was full of flavours and it would be fantastic in a burger bun.
• It was cooked perfectly with the juices locked inside and the mixture of pork and beef made for an incredibly tender and flavourful patty.
• There were also crunchy bits of water chestnuts in the patty to give texture.
• There were some nice crispy leeks on top and the ume (Japanese plum) sauce gave it a sweetness similar to apple sauce, but also much sharper.
• The corn-butter poached vegetables were slightly random and perhaps a bit too sweet. Since corn is out of season it would be nice to see butternut squash being used as an alternative to achieve the same sweetness.
• The spoonful of sweet potato crema on the side was cold though and I wish it was plated underneath the steak so it would still stay warm from the heat of the meat.
• Overall all the sauces were sweet, so I did miss some savoury components and even some tang or heat for more balance.

Poached Ling Cod – Yuzu Kosho gel, vegetable and umeshiso fritters, nori paint

• I loved the quality of the flaky ling cod, but I really missed having the skin. I did expect the skin at a restaurant as sophisticated as Hapa Umi too.
• The fish seemed steamed and quite Chinese in style.
• The plate had a lot of components and sauces so I was almost eating everything separately.
• I love nori sauce, but this one seemed pureed with little bits of seaweed rather than smooth and melted like the ones I’ve often had.
• The yuzu kosho gel had good flavour, but it ended up being almost like a gelatinous clear sheet of sauce and it would be great if it was executed as gel capsules. I find gels are best presented in capsules when using molecular gastronomy.
• I wasn’t too keen on the umeshiso fritters because the rice ended up being a bit mushy, but the flavour was there.
• The daikon was juicy and well infused with dashi (Japanese stock) and that was prepared excellent.
• Again there were interesting textures and colours to the overall dish, but it was perhaps a bit overly ambitious.

Tofu Steak – 8 grain risotto, scallion-ginger soy

• This was the vegetarian option and although I do like tofu and vegetarian dishes, I would enjoy this more as a side. It would be a great side to that Salisbury steak.
• The tofu looked like a giant toasted marshmallow and it was lightly deep fried and crispy with a soft and silky middle.
• The risotto had a lot of texture and it was nutty from all the various grains, but it was a lot of one thing.
• Usually a risotto is creamy, but this one was very firm and it contrasted the tofu nicely, but I felt like it was missing an ingredient.
• There were some onions, zucchini, and eggplant sauteed into the risotto and I was more favorable to the concept.

Dessert Choice:

White Sesame Panna cotta – black sesame ice cream

OR

Matcha Mille Fuille – puff pastry, matcha custard

OR

Chocolate Mousse Roll Cake – Chocolate genoise, cinnamon ice cream

We actually ran out of time for dessert and had to make it to the next restaurant

**My thoughts are just for the Hapa Umi Dine Out 2012 menu and not for the restaurant on a regular night.

Cento Notti – Dine Out Vancouver 2012 – $38 Menu (Update! Now $28!)

Mocktail – Agri Dolve Fresh puree of blood orange, white cranberry juice and ginger ale $5

Appetizers Choice:

Baby Beet – Arugula salad, house cured goats cheese, candied hazelnuts

• It was quite a typical beet and goats cheese salad.
• The cheese was quite thick and dense rather than fluffy and soft and it wasn’t that heavy and gamey in flavour, but still noticeably a goat’s cheese.
• I liked the beet chips and the tender sweet red and golden baby beets underneath.
• It brought me back to memories of the Pistachio crusted goat cheese croquettes I had in Quebec City – see Vegetarian Plate (Chevré).

OR

Fontina Ravioli – Sweet onion and thyme broth

• This was very similar to a French onion soup.
• It was a very flavourful soup with a very strong thyme flavour, but I’m not sure how I feel about the little bits of what seemed like dehydrated garlic or onion bits floating on top.
• There were also some minced carrots and I guess I expected the carrots to be infused in the stock rather than visually and texturally there.
• There was one giant ravioli floating in the centre and it was super creamy and rich with a polenta like filling flavoured with melted cheese.
• The filling just oozed out of the ravioli and the skin was also nice and firm which I liked too.

Entree Choice:

Braised Lamb Cheek mafalda pasta – saffron beech mushrooms, tomato concasse

• This was a very saucy and rich dish.
• It was perhaps slightly over sauced, but the noodles were really firm and al dente which I liked.
• The lamb cheeks were decadent, melt in your mouth and delicious!
• They were incredibly tender and glazed with a sweet and tangy demi glace or red wine reduction, and it was nice and syrupy.
• I could see some finding the dish salty, but I have a high tolerance for salt so it was okay for me.
• I also really like sauce so I’m not too bothered by the amount, but it was a lot of sauce.

OR

Lois Lake Steelhead Trout – Tomato/Basil risotto, pickled zucchini salad

• I love Steelhead Trout and I loved that they served it with a crispy skin, but I question how it will turn out when Dine Out hits and they get really busy.
• This was moist and juicy, especially since it had some of the belly, so I hope they can keep the execution consistent.
• I think there are going to be complaints that there are some bones in it though.
• Chef explained that the bones were difficult to remove due to the cut of trout and how it had to be presented, but without being told this, there might be some issues.
• It was topped with an escovitch (pickled salad) which is really common in Hispanic cultures and the Caribbean, but it’s more common to have it with deep fried fish.
• The risotto was al dente, creamy, and strong with Parmesan cheese with a little acidity of tomato and I enjoyed it. I hope this is consistent too since risotto isn’t forgiving.

OR

Roasted Porchetta – Cannellini bean puree, braised pork cheek arancini

• I love porchetta, but I found this one quite dry and tough to cut through.
• I usually look forward to the crunchy crackling skin, but this one was just the roasted loin.
• It was stuffed with dried apricots and there was a lot going on, but it was hard to look past the dryness.
• The bean puree was nice and it reminded me of pureed chestnuts which always goes well with pork.
• The braised pork cheek arancini was my favourite part and it was almost like a deep fried creamy and cheesy risotto croquette.

Dessert Choice:

Cento Classic Frozen Tiramisu

• Everyone raves about this and loves it, but I’ve been eating frozen tiramisu and frozen fruit cakes since I was a kid, so it wasn’t particularly new for me although I did still like it!
• It was almost like a semifreddo and if you like tiramisu for the rich creamy texture, fluffy marscapone and slightly cheesy flavour, that’s not what you’re going to get here.
• This was strong with chocolate and coffee more than heavy with marscapone in flavour.
• The whip was also more like whipped cream than marscapone too, so I did miss the marscapone which is the best part of a tiramisu for me.
• At times the lady fingers can be dry due to the freezing, so I did miss the moisture of a soaked lady finger from a non-frozen tiramisu.
• The bar on top looked like a brownie, but it was actually a very light and dry espresso like biscotti.

OR

Lemon Tart – Marscarpone Creme

• The lemon tart was sweeter than it was tangy and it was actually not very tart at all. I do prefer a zing in lemon tarts.
• I did love the creme brulee crispy top it had and the tart contrast of plump and juicy Amerena cherries (?) were a nice alternative to a typical raspberry coulis.
• The dollop of marscarpone creme was much stronger with marscarpone flavour than the one served on the tiramisu and I really liked it with the lemon tart. I do wish it was the same one served with the tiramisu too though.

**My thoughts are just for the Cento Notti Dine Out 2012 menu and not for the restaurant on a regular night.

Restaurant: Locus Restaurant & Lounge
Cuisine: Pacific Northwest/West Coast/Eclectic/International/Brunch
Last visited: December 19, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Riley Park/Little Mountain)
Address: 4121 Main Street
Bus: SB Main St FS E King Edward Av
Price Range: $10-20 ($15 sandwiches, $20+ mains)

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

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

• Pacific Northwest cuisine
• Restaurant/Bar/Lounge
• Sandwiches/Pastas/Mains
• Neighbourhood favourite
• Popular for brunch
• Daily features
• Eclectic menu
• Extensive menu
• Extensive drink list
• Cheap drinks
• 10pm daily (3.25 Singles / 5.25 Doubles)
• Mon-Fri. 10am – 2am (Kitchen closes: Mon – Sat 1am)
• Saturday 9am – 2am *Kitchen closes: 1am
• Sunday 9am – 1am  *Kitchen closes: 12am

**Recommendations: Hot Pulled Wild Boar Sandwich, Yam Gnocchi

It’s been around for probably about 10 years and I always wanted to check it out, but it’s taken me a while… at least 10 years a while. It’s really popular for brunch, but it also attracts a late night crowd since drinks are cheap after 10pm everyday. I would say it’s one of the Main Street classics. It has somewhat of a dark hipster vibe and eclectic menu that’s supposed to feature local and seasonal ingredients.

I came here after watching The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which made the experience even more gloomy and creepy. The red lights brought me back to memories of the Narrow Artist Lounge, which is another very hidden gem on Main Street. It’s a very casual and laid back atmosphere and the menu is more impressive than what I would assume.

Based on what I tried the food was good, but at times bordering on pub food. I’m not sure if there’s an absence in chef, but it just seemed to deliver a bit more on the menu. I have a feeling it really depends on who’s making your food and I came pretty late at night. Everything was still home made with pretty decent quality ingredients and eclectic flair, but what I tried wasn’t necessarily memorable.

I wasn’t really impressed or disappointed and I’m still interested to try their brunch. For this type of food in this area I personally prefer Habit Lounge or Crave on Main, but this was still good. The menu is pretty extensive and the mains get surprisingly pricey for the type of restaurant. I was more inspired by the intention of the menu than the actual food, and I just wish it committed more because it had a lot of potential.

On the table:

Complimentary Bread

• I really didn’t expect house made complimentary bread, so this was quite impressive.
• It was served cold and it was soft, fluffy, moist and seasoned with herbs, salt, black pepper and maybe paprika (?). I was biting into actual spices in the bread.
• It almost seemed Indian spiced and I thought the heat was coming from the butter, but it was from the bread.
• I thought the butter was a creamy whipped sun-dried tomato butter, but there was no sun-dried tomato and it almost tasted like paprika or an Indian spice again.

Organic Hot Chocolate – 3/6 (Good)

• $4
• It was topped with whipped cream and a Pocky Stick which I thought was cute.
• It was made in house, but it wasn’t indulgent, or that chocolatey or very sweet for that matter.
• I thought it was going to be really rich and creamy, but it was quite light and milky which also made it easy to drink.
• It wasn’t a dessert or a sipping chocolate and I was hoping for more chocolate, but it’s still good.
• For a really decadent and chocolatey hot chocolate try the mocha or hot chocolate at Mink Chocolates.

Feature Pizza – 3/6 (Good)

• Grilled flat-bread made in house with roasted tomato sauce, genoa salami, red onions, spinach, Quebec cheese curds & feta cheese $13
• This was definitely more of a flatbread than a pizza.
• It looked really “pub food”, but it actually tasted pretty good. Of course, anything covered with this much melted cheese would be though, so it was bordering on munchies good.
• It was more or less something you could do at home, but they didn’t skimp on the ingredients and it was quite heavy.
• The tomato sauce was regular and the genoa salami quality was okay and more like ham, but it covered the whole flat bread in one even layer.
• The Quebec cheese curds were completely melted like mozzarella so they weren’t that fresh or they would melt and squeak in your teeth. On the odd occasion I had a squeak, but I would barely call it a cheese curd.
• It was pretty salty with the added feta and tomato sauce and I would have preferred basil over spinach, and it was a basic 5 minute flatbread pizza.
• I personally prefer the flatbread from Joey’s like the Tandoori Chicken Flatbread and the Pesto Shrimp Flatbread which are great.

The flatbread was grilled, but it wasn’t crispy and it was just soft and chewy.

**Hot Pulled Wild Boar Sandwich - 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• Mushroom gravy, spinach, roasted garlic aioli, & jalapeno jack on house made whole wheat Kaiser $14
• The pulled boar is one of the signature items.
• I’m a huge fan of pulled pork and pulled wild boar sounded even more exciting.
• I loved the pulled wild boar, but the sandwich as a whole could have been better.
• It came with a salad and roasted herb potatoes which were really good!
• The potatoes had crispy skins and they were tender, creamy and well seasoned, but at the same time they seemed like they were under a heat lamp, although not dry.

• It was a heavy sandwich and I appreciated the home made bun, but the kaiser was dry and not crispy and it just didn’t seem very fresh.
• I could have used more meat and it ended up being too much bun. I was hoping for a crispy, lighter, fluffier and softer bun.
• Wild boar is more tender but also leaner than pork, so I was a bit nervous it would be dry.
• The pulled boar ended up being incredibly moist and juicy and even fattier than expected.
• The meat is naturally sweeter and nuttier than pork too and there were some delicious crispy charred bits.
• This one was also very smoky and tasted like it was made in a smoker and it didn’t taste like liquid smoke.
• There was no BBQ sauce but it was still saucy from a rich mushroom gravy.
• I really wish there were actual mushrooms in the gravy because it had none and it didn’t taste that mushroomy at all.
• I liked the creamy roasted garlic aioli and mild kick of the jalapeno jack cheese which added to the richness, but the bun really kept it from shining.
• I also missed the textural contrast and crunch of a cole slaw and the spinach just didn’t carry the sandwich.
• The pulled boar was fantastic, but I just wish the rest came together for it.

**Yam Gnocchi – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• With caramelized onions, wilted kale, and goat cheese, tossed in sage brown butter $18
• This was actually pretty good and I liked that it didn’t skimp on the goat cheese. It was quite a substantial dish.
• The gnocchi was pan fried and semi-crispy, but I did find it on the doughy side and a bit dense and chewy rather than soft and fluffy. I wasn’t keen on the gnocchi, but I am a bit picky with gnocchi.
• The fluffy goat’s cheese wasn’t that strong and gamey, which I prefer, but due to the amount the dish ended up being quite salty.
• It was very lightly sauced with a simple brown butter sauce and the kale gave it a nice earthiness, but I couldn’t really taste the sage.
• I was getting the sweetness from the caramelized red onions more than the yam gnocchi, but the onions were great especially with the salty cheese.
• It would be nice to have the kale sauteed in a bit of balsamic for a contrasting tang too.
• It was missing some texture and some added nuts or one more ingredient would have been great.

Gingerbread Creme Brulee – 3/6 (Good)

• $7.50
• All the desserts are from Sweet E’s in Vancouver.
• The caramelized creme brulee crust was a bit thick and uneven.
• It was a pretty firm, creamy and eggy creme brulee and it was very mild with the gingerbread spices.
• It almost tasted like Chai with a little cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves (?).
• It was very light and not that sweet, but I was hoping for more gingerbread flavour.
• As a side note, for a local restaurant the garnish would be better as a gingerbread cookie instead of non-seasonal fresh fruit.

Cranberry Cherry Chocolate Mousse Tart – 2.5/6 (Okay-Good)

• $7.50
• All the desserts are from Sweet E’s in Vancouver.
• This was really rich and a 1-2 biter for me even though I really like desserts.
• The chocolate was bittersweet and good quality, but it was just way too much.
• It was more like a stiff and dense chocolate ganache torte and I was hoping for more balance and layers with all the ingredients mentioned.
• I was expecting a thinner chocolate layer and the top to be covered with plump Amerena cherries and cranberries.
• The crust was a bit hard, crumbly and dry, but it eventually got soft when the chill came off.
• There was a thin layer of tart cherry puree with dried cherries/cranberries in between the chocolate and tart shell, but not really enough.
• I couldn’t taste the mousse at all and I’m not sure if it was supposed to be thawed from the fridge before enjoying because it was almost like a chocolate bar.
• It’s only because it’s supposed to be a local restaurant that it bothers me, but it probably shouldn’t have strawberries and blueberries as a garnish since it was winter.

Chocolate Ganache with Cashew Brittle Tart – 2.5/6 (Okay-Good)

• $7.50
• All the desserts are from Sweet E’s in Vancouver.
• This was almost the same as the Cranberry Cherry Chocolate Mousse Tart.
• It was a 1-2 biter and it was really rich, dense and heavy with chocolate and more like a chocolate ganache. It would hold a fork.
• Again it was good quality bittersweet chocolate, but just too much of it and I was hoping for more components and texture.
• I really couldn’t taste much cashew or cashew brittle and I thought the top would be covered with it.
• Again the crust was a bit hard, crumbly and dry, but it eventually got soft when the chill came off.
• I can’t help but to notice the garnish again… non-seasonal. I wouldn’t mind if there wasn’t an emphasis on local.

White Chocolate & Chestnut Rum Mousse Tart - 3.5/6 (Good-Very Good)

• $7.50
• All the desserts are from Sweet E’s in Vancouver.
• This was the best dessert of them all and the best of the tarts for sure.
• I always prefer dark chocolate to white chocolate, but this just worked better as a whole.
• It wasn’t as rich, dense or heavy as the other tarts.
• It was very light and fluffy with a nice moussey layer that was apparent.
• There was very little rum and very little chestnut, but I could taste a bit of that chestnut texture and flavour whipped into the white chocolate.
• Some actual chestnut pieces or an actual chestnut puree layer would have been nice too. I was hoping it would be like the one in Chinese style fresh fruit and chestnut cakes.
• It wasn’t that sweet and more dominant with white chocolate flavour, so I still could have used more layers and components.
• Again the crust was a bit hard, crumbly and dry, but it eventually got soft when the chill came off.
• There was a nice tart raspberry sauce to contrast the sweetness, and the non-seasonal fruit garnish should be changed for maybe roasted chestnuts.

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.