Life in the Lower Mainland (BC, Canada)

. Let's Jam looks like a hole-in-the-wall cafe with usual cafe fare like sandwiches and pastries and cakes, but it's run by friendly Mongolians (some of whom can speak Korean, apparently) and they are preparing a Mongolian menu. During my early 2015-April trip the menu wasn't official yet, but they have pictures behind the register and you just have to go up to the counter and ask for Mongolian food. I ordered an Ice Chai Tea Latte with soy milk (part of their regular menu) and a half order of dumplings. It was just $10. A half order of their deep fried dumplings (banshtai shol, I think) is three large, thin dumplings with a thin layer of beef inside. Kind of like flat empanadas. Tastes sort of like Chinese food, so it might not be as interesting to Asians. About 1/3 meat, 2/3 fried-to-golden-brown chewy dough. Comes with token salad like a slay with vinegar but no mayo. Use of bottled sauces optional. If I remember correctly, I was offered sriracha chili sauce and ...

Crustacean was one of the restaurants recommended to me for my 2015-April trip to San Francisco by friends who used to live in San Francisco. I'm always up for interesting eats, so the mystique of their having a "Secret Kitchen" where family recipes are prepared away from the prying eyes of "outsider" staff intrigued me. That, plus people raving about their garlic noodles. And Crustacean sounded like such an old family restaurant that I didn't think it merely a marketing gimmick. Certainly the one staff person I chanced to run into on my way up the stairs confirmed the Secret Kitchen protocol did in fact exist. First impressions of the place were good. The maître d' gave polished, professional service and was patient with noob questions. The restaurant is elevated over the street, giving you views of the city. The dining area is also tiered, so even if you are not sitting at a window, there's still the possibility of good views. The dim room of...