Thai Son Vietnamese Restaurant

Here is another backdated food post of Thai Son. I was kinda swarmed by some sort of fruit fries entering and departing the restuarant which was not a totally pleasant experience for Gator - it was late spring then. Overall, the food was so-so.

I was looking forward to having some Bun Bo Hue noodles. But it was not a totally good experience for me. It was not what I expected. The broth was really very greasy. I had to pour away like 1/4 bowl of this oily mixture before I cook commence eating.

I know this doesn't look greasy - but it really is. It had this huge pork knuckle inside.

I was not too enamoured with the pork knuckle - it was kinda big and made eating difficult. But I did like the meat balls and also the slices of meat.

The broth came with a healthy serving of onions

Bun Bo Hue came accompanied with a healthy serving of meat leaves and bean sprouts

 I added quite a bit of mint leaves and bean sprouts to hopefully absorb the grease from the broth. But it did not really work. A thumbs down from Gator for this dish.

We also ordered a grilled pork chop with a side order of meat loaf. The portions were pretty generous. I like the meat loaf - thought it was better than Pho Hoa Hong actually.

I really like the grilled pork chop - done quite nicely.

My favourite part of the dish was the burnt bits from the pork chop and the meat loaf.

Overall Experience:

Deco: 2/5 - you basically want to eat fast and leave. A no fuss place.
Quality of food: 3/5 - I liked the grilled pork chops but the bun bo huy was a disappointment for me
Value for $$: $$$/5 - its reasonable and portions are generous. But overall, I had better food elsewhere.
Overall Experience: 3/5 - it was so-so for Gator. I want to try their Pho next time.

Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodles, Aberdeen Centre

I have a backlog of food posts and so will be gradually write about them over the next few weeks.I have been to Chef Hung's twice and have a generally happy and positive experience.

One of the main highlights of this restaurant is their display of a moving bowl of noodles accompanied by chopsticks. It never fails to amuse Gator. I was told that when their restaurant first opened, there will be massive lineup outside their premise. But I had no difficulties at all during both occasions to get a table.

Chef Hung has won several beef noodle competitions in Taiwan.

The picture of presumably Chef Hung was displayed in all their paper place mats.

And this is their accolade - award wining beef noodles.

This time, ordered their Champion braised beef with noodle in tomato soup. Chef Hung claimed not to have MSG in their food and I believe that its true. I was not dehydrated hours after enjoying my bowl of noodles. Requested beef shank for one of the bowl of noodles. I was happy with the portions - I love the beef tendons in my noodles.

This pix is a bit blurry because of the steam from the noodles: beef shank

This one had no beef shank - spot the juicy tomatoes

Finally, I cannot resist ordering their chicken nuggets - I have to admit that their chicken nuggets were not as good as corner 23. It was fried but there was not much taste to their seasoning.

Crispy chicken nuggets - need more spice and taste to this dish

Overall Experience:
Deco: 4/5 - comfortable and private seating. I love their display of moving noodles - a centrepiece attraction. I also like sitting at the corner near the window.
Quality of food: 4/5 - I really like their noodles but felt that they should improve on their side  dishes are alright.
Value for $$: $$/5 - Its definitely more expensive than Cattle Cafe.
Overall Experience:  4/5 - I know a lot of people felt that their noodles are overrated but I had 2 positive experiences so far and I really enjoyed it. Service was polite, prompt and efficient.

Cattle Cafe - Richmond

I have been to Cattle Cafe on two separate occasions and on both occasions, I forgot to bring my trusted camera. So this time, its all photos from my mobile phone. I still prefer to use my camera because I love taking macro shots of food.

I went to Cattle during one of those occasions when I was too busy writing and reading and lost track of time to have an early dinner. I must say that I did not enjoy my first visit to Cattle. I ordered a fish soup noodle combo and did not really like it. Guess I did not choose my soup combination well enough. What Cattle Cafe offers is a variety of soup base - and you choose the ingredients that go with the broth. It was a mini disaster and I did not finish my food.

Ths time, we had fish noodles and beef. This is not from their combination set but I would say that this dish is quite something. The noodles are made from actual fish and there are generous slices of beef. What I really like was the broth - it was thick and flavorful. I wonder how Cattle made their fish noodles. I came across this blog in Taiwan about how the fish noodles are literally made from hand with just fish flour, dough and a wine bottle. Amazing. http://taiwanxifu.com/2011/03/30/tainan-fish-noodles/http://taiwanxifu.com/2011/03/30/tainan-fish-noodles/

I love the broth of my fish noodles - forgot to take a pix of just the noodles

I find this soup so comforting on a cold and rainy day.

The next dish was Cajun Boneless Chicken with steamed rice in honey and tomato sauce. I love this dish - the chicken was seasoned so well. But the sauce was extremely rich. You literally can get full just by drizzling the sauce with the steamed rice. I much prefer it if they serve it by the side though. This dish comes with a hot drink - you can pay a bit more for a cold drink or one of their speciality drinks.

The portions are enormous - the table beside me was asking me what dish I ordered because this looks so good.

I chose Horlicks as my hot drink - was a reminder of my childhood.

Finally, I can never say no to my mango slush. It is my litmus test to any bubble tea place.It was alright I would say - pretty average. Nothing to rave about. Can't beat the bubble tea at my favourite bubble tea joint.

I can't resist mango slush, even though its cold outside :)

Overall Experience:

Deco: this is just one of the typical cafes where you eat and basically hang out. Its not actually the best place if you want to have a private conversation.
Quality of food: 3.5/5. I had a bad experience in my first visit so I am a little cautious about choosing my noodle combination.
Value for $$: $$$/5. I think its pretty reasonable if you stay away from ordering their speciality drinks and side dishes. Some of the side dishes cost almost the same price as their meal.
Overall Experience: 3/5. I am pretty netural with this place. I know some people really love the noodle combos. But I much prefer the rice dishes. I also tend to refrain from ordering laska or tom sum soup base because I tend to make them at home and want something different when I venture out to eat.

Bubble Queen - Pacific Plaza

One of my list of favourite things is bubble tea. I thought this was a most fantastic invention - whoever thought of blending milk tea with fruits, chocolate etc and then add it with sago/tapioca balls? Apparently, bubble tea originated in Taiwan. I came across this article at CNN International which was quite informative. http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/drink/inventor-bubble-tea-885732 
Chun Shui Tang Teahouse in Taichung makes their bubble tea shaken and not blended. Sounds very Janes Bond - Shaken not stirred :) I suppose this requires a lot of hand power.

In any case, I heard a lot of positive reviews about Bubble Queen and decided to check out the place. I must say that the shop has an excellent selection of drinks - all kinds of flavours. They even store boxes of chocolates in their store - Hershey's, Kit-Kat, Oreo etc. Decided to get Hershey's Chocolate and their infamous mango slush with no pearls.

I was actually disappointed - the drinks were really too sweet for my taste. I much prefer my bubble tea at my favourite hangout which is a post for another day. Ascetically, its really nice that they add real mango pieces and even a small piece of  Hershey's chocolate onto their drinks. But I found it really hard to eat them (especially the mango pieces) with a straw. It bothered me a little. I rather drink the bubble tea and be done with it. On hindsight, I should have ask for less sugar and/or syrup in my drink.

It was an adventure just going down to Richmond Centre but I don't think I will make a trip specially there just for the bubble tea.

Mango slush with mango pieces -it really fills you up. 

Whipped cream with a piece of Hershey's chocolate - this is way sweeter than the mango slush!

I was so thirsty, I started drinking my mango slush before taking another pix.

Overall Experience:

Deco: not many seats for you to hang around and chat. Its quite a sight to see their display of mangoes and the variety of chocolates.
Quality: 3/5 (for the drinks). Was too full to order their waffles.
Value for $$: $$$/5
Overall Experience: 3/5. This place is just too out of the way and I still prefer my favourite bubble tea joint.

Pho Hoa Hong - 135 Street Surrey

Its been raining the past 2 days and it is times like this when I start dreaming of a bowl of warm pho - comfort food at its best :).

Went to Pho Hoa Hong some 2 weeks ago and I was pleasantly surprised by the food. The infamous Pho Tham was located at the exact same street but somehow, I decided to venture into a place which is somewhat less popular.

The beef pho came in two sizes - small and large. Small is pretty filling for me. I liked the fact that my pho had some nice ligaments - a source of calcium for me.. I actually thought the best part of the beef pho was the ligaments.

The beef looks so inviting.

The broth was lightly seasoned - am kind of used to a much heavier broth.

One thing I learn is not to put a lot of beansprouts into your pho - I know this sounds so bad and so carnivorous but believe me, it seriously dilutes the subtle taste of the rich broth. It sounded so out of the world to me the first time someone gave me this advice. Then I recalled my granny's words when I was in elementary school .She said that bean sprouts are considered a "water vegetable" and so one has to be "light fingered" when one adds them into soup. Also she warned me about not adding too much water when frying bean sprouts with salted fish.  A couple of month ago, I came across this review about prawn mee soup in Singapore (http://ieatishootipost.sg/2010/01/beach-road-prawn-mee-order-your-prawn.html) The owner of the prawn mee stall categorically also told the writer of the blog not to add bean sprouts into the soup because it will affect the taste of the soup.


I love my appetizers in Pho Hoa Hong. It was some shrimps BBQ with bacon. Somehow, the fat in the bacon melted over the shrimps and made it so juicy. The entire shrimps was highly seasoned with tamarind sauce. The Vietnamese meat loaf was also pretty impressive - moist and lightly seasoned. 

The shrimps were slightly charred but it tasted to good with the tamarind sauce and the melted fat from the bacon.

I know the center of my attraction is the shrimp and bacon in skewers. The meat loaf seems so grey in color but  it is really worth a try.

Overall Experience:

Deco: 3/5. Service was quick and efficient. It is a no-fuss joint with Chinese paintings adorn on the walls. I was pretty relieved that the washroom was pretty clean.
Quality of food: 4/5. I was very happy with my pho and my shrimps. Also, I did not experience any extreme thirst after drinking basically nearly all the broth in my soup.
Value for $$: $$$$$/5. Price is reasonable and would not break your bank. Portions are also generous.
Overall Experience: 4/5. Its not the best beef pho that I had but I was happy with it. And I really like my shrimps and bacon.

A Serendipitous Discovery - Dhaka Fish and Briyani Halal Restaurant, 5750 Fraser Street

I am so excited to blog about the this Indian restaurant - it was a serendipitous discovery as I happened to be in the Fraser area. Its what some food bloggers will consider a "hole in a wall" place. Very unassuming and no fuss but yet an authentic experience. When you enter this restuarant, it seems that time stood still and you enter into another enclave in Vancouver. Simply amazing - the restaurant seems to have a loyal following from the Indian/Bangadeshi community. People were happily eating briyani with their fingers.

Back to food -  The Mulligatawny soup which  is a connotation of chicken, lentils and Indian spices in a rich broth was the start to my journey into foodie paradise. For $3 dollars, this soup was a real steal - the chef did not stinge on ingredients. One minor let-down - there was no accompanying naan with the soup but I am not complaining. It was a heady experience drinking this bowl of sweet, sour, spicy and thick broth. Also, I just love inhaling the smell of spices - which came from the soup and most probably from the cooking in the kitchen :)

A rich and thick broth.

This is to show the depth of the soup bowl - the serving was pretty generous

For the main course, we ordered two main dishes. The chicken tikka was done so very well - it came in this sizzling hot plate with some dip. I like it - the chicken was boneless. I think it was chicken breast. Personally, I much prefer it if it was meat from chicken thigh. I find breast meat quite hard whereas there is a softer texture with chicken thigh.  This dish is not spicy at all so I think those who are afraid of spicy dishes might actually like this dish. The server told us that this dish came with a free serving of naan - I like the texture of the plain naan. Personally, I like garlic naan but hey, its part of a set.

 

See how this chicken sizzles...

A very well marinated chicken. Delicious dipping sauce as well.

Delicious basket of naan.

A nicely spiced vegetable dish - goes well with the naan.

Our next dish was Novaratan Korma - a vegetable and fruit dish in a creamy sauce. I did not see any fruits in my portions though - maybe, it is all mashed up. I was so glad that I had this dish - the sauce went very well with the naan. Which brings me to my next point - while its great to have chicken tikka and chicken tandoori, you do need to order a dish with some curry sauce to go with your rice and naan. I personally prefer some contrast to my food - something dry with something moist. Something spicy with something light.

My source of fibre for the day.

Finally, as an avid tea drinker, I highly recommend the chai tea. I can tell that it is brewed fresh with just a hint of spice.

The chai tea came in a small pot - I been dreaming of chai tea since this food adventure.

Overall Experience:
Deco: 3/5 - its a pretty simple place. Not much privacy. But one of the interesting things in this place is to just people watch. I witnessed a man (probably a frequent customer) walking in to the kitchen and having a conversation with the chef.
Quality of food: 5/5. I think I hit jackpot with this serendipitous discovery. I saw quite a lot of people from the Indian and/or Bangadeshi community eating briyani. Given that the name briyani is included in the name of this restaurant, I should give it a try in my next visit.
Value for food: $$$$$/5 - this place is a great value for money, especially if you are on a budget. The portions are pretty generous and I had to pack some of the remaining food.
Overall Experience: 5/5. Hungrygator stamps her approval. Definitely worth another visit.

Hime Sushi - West 10th Avenue & Sasamat

Hime Sushi is an unassuming Japanese resturant along the Sasamat area. But the quality of sushi and food is fantastic. Service is also very prompt and efficient. I have been there a couple of times since it is near campus. Happy to share with my readers my recent food escapade at Hime.

One of the best selling points about Hime is the quality of its sashimi. Its fresh and extremely refreshing. It always cries out to me "Order more". This time, moderation is the key to enjoyment. Not to mention I need to be careful with my pocket :) So, ordered an appertiser sashimi. The cut of the sashimi is noticely smaller but for the price, I am not complaining. Also the quality of the cut is comparable to the regular sized sashimi. Verdict - fresh, light and satisfying. Frankly, I could eat the entire appertiseer by myself :)

Nicely sliced pieces of sashimi. I want MORE (hehehe)

Next came the fried stuff - tempura and the soft shell crab. I like the quality of tempura at Hime. Its crispy and yet does not leave me with a greasy and heavy afterfill. But my favourite is the soft shell crab. Its not only crispy but there is sufficient meat and even some eggs inside. The soft shell crab went very well with the tangy mayo - a big thumbs up for me.

Catching seafood by its tail

Beautiful array of soft shell crab - somehow I think they were trying to display it like a "live" crab.

Finally, came the delightful array of one of their sushi's specials. Generally, the price of the sushi here is more expensive than some of the other sushi joints around the area. But its worth a splurge once in a while because the quality of the sushi is simply divine. I generally prefer eating the more traditional type of sushi in this resturant compared to their other types of fancy rolls. Again, the freshness of the seafood is a strong selling point in this restaurant. I highly recommend it.

A beautiful array of succulent, fresh sushi.

I love my salmon sushi.

Overall Experience: 
Deco: 3.5/5 - fairly simple but clean and comfortable. Can be a tight squeeze at times and you sometimes have to wait for a table, particularly on Saturday nights. Best to make a reservation if you have a large group.
Quality of food: 4/5 - I am generally happy with the quality of the  seafood and the fried stuff here. The bento lunch set (which includes terriyaki etc)  is a good value for money but I personally feel its not their strongest selling point - which is their combo sushis and sashimi.
Value for $$: $$$/5. Its not exactly the most economical place but its worth saving for. Ordering ala carte can be expensive at times (depending on what you order) and may set you back $20 per person.
Overall Experience: 4/5 - I love this place. And I do get cravings for their soft shell crab and seafood motoyaki.