Life in the Lower Mainland (BC, Canada)

If you're sitting on the fence whether to buy Royal Mixed Mochi -- recently on sale at my local Walmart for 12.88 CAD, just in time for Chinese New Year -- these pictures might help you decide. First of all, the obvious -- the amount of filling displayed on the box is very different from how much was in the actual product. Other than that, the various flavours were fairly tasty. The flavours were on the subtle side, not a taste explosion. Probably better paired with a subtle drink, like a green tea.

My friend introduced me to Ramen GAOH today in Burnaby near Hastings and Willingdon. Really impressed by the deliciousness and filling portion for a decent price! Some noodle orders come with an optional extra order of noodles, included in the price. Some vegan options. My friend got the Scorpion Ramen (slide 1 -- $17.50) which was a slightly lighter bowl of noodles but still a fair portion. Based on his previous visits, he suggested the Tsukemen, and we tried the fried rice, which comes with instructions at the table for what to do. Spicy Tsukemen (slides 2-3 -- $18.95) Tsukemen is house-made thick noodles in special dipping soup with pork chunks. Comes with karaage (deep fried chicken) or chashu. Noodles can be hot or cold. Spicy Tsukemen is tossed in house-made spicy sauce that contains ground pork. I didn't find the spicy sauce particularly spicy. It doesn't come pre-tossed so if you find it too spicy you could spoon it aside. Or if you already mixed it into your noodles...

Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba  has basically been my go-to for impressing out-of-town friends -- even my Japanese friend (albeit one who lives in the US) was interested in going and not disappointed. This time we even squeezed in a bit of dessert. Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen ($15.95) Pork Bone Broth or Chicken Broth, Spicy Minced Pork, Soft Boiled Egg, Green Onion, Garlic, Baby Corn, Dried Red Pepper, Bamboo Shoot, Bell Pepper, Kabocha, Onion, Kokoro Spicy Sauce, Thin Ramen Noodle Spicy Ramen comes with choice of chicken or pork broth; I opted for the pork broth. Deeply flavourful broth makes every bite and slurp delicious. Can't say I'm a big fan of their choice of vegetables, but the broth more than made up for it. I seem to remember only HALF an egg. Ebi Mayo ($14.45) Been a long time since I've had ebi mayo anywhere, and maybe I don't remember it well enough to compare, but this version was terrible. It did feel like they were freshly prepared and still slightly hot. You can see...

Tendon Kohaku basically specializes in tempura on rice and drizzled with a sweet "tendon sauce". Nothing wrong with the tempura, and it does come with the proper crispy batter, but also nothing really special here for the price. The presentation makes it look like they overfilled a bowl but that is of course just an optical illusion to make the portion look bigger than it really is. Nevertheless, there is a decently filling amount of rice underneath all that tempura. Orders come with a small bowl of soup to start. Pretty much everything had tempura prawns (which I have to avoid because of my gout), so I went with the vegetarian one, which has a vegan tendon sauce option (and which didn't really stand out for me; I just drizzled more regular tendon sauce and chili powder on it). Vegetarian Tendon ($16.45) Rice Kohaku Tendon Sauce, 1 Kabocha Pumpkin, 1 seaweed. 1 green Bean, 1 Shiitake Mushrooom, 1 Lotus Root, 1 Enoki Mushroom, 1 yam, 1 Baby Corn, 1 shishitou pepper For a...

Just a quick update here on Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba . I still recommend the place for all the same reasons, but I don't recommend the Cheese Mazesoba. Went again for lunch with another friend, and I thought I'd try something different-weird. And cheese mazesoba sounded pretty weird. Except it wasn't. They certainly did not skimp on the cheese, that wasn't an issue. And when you see the picture or the bowl that's brought to you, you don't see any cheese at all. That's because the cheese is already pre-mixed into the noodles beneath, and you can see it very clearly in white stickiness all over the noodles. No skimping there. The big problem though is there simply wasn't enough cheese flavour. If you isolate the noodles you can faintly taste some cheese. Whatever they are using just isn't a very strong cheese. Which for me was not just a let-down but felt really pointless. Why have an ingredient that you're barely going to be able to taste and that...

Brought my out-of-town friend to  Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba  and it was good! My phone was on the fritz so these pictures are from my friend's phone which captures superior pictures. They have various offerings other than mazesoba , but of course this is what they are famous for. What you get basically looks just like the pictures on the online menu. Unlike fast food burgers, what you see really is what you get. The concept is simple - lots of ingredients you mix into noodles and eat. That's it. The ingredients and sticky sauce make them all gum together so every bite of noodle has some of the ingredients. Price point is decent especially considering not just the portion you get but the amount of toppings you get compared to noodles. And in addition to noodles, you can get about one cup of rice toward the end (at no additional charge) to mix into your bowl, to get at every last bit of food and sauce. Some have chili ratings, but even at two-chilies it wasn't particularly spi...

My friend re-visiting Vancouver after many years was reminded of Japadog so we stopped by the outlet at McArthurGlen Designer Outlet -- which you can skytrain to for free from YVR airport . Just get out on the correct side of the station. Otherwise you might be confused by the map inside the station. After some agonized selection (we figured we could only try two between the two of us), she settled on the Menchikatsu Dog and the not-shown-on-the-website Okonomi. Together they came to $22.24 after tax. It was interesting to get my friend's take on the Japadogs because she's Japanese. For starters, she recommended eating the Okonomi first, because she estimated it would have a subtler flavour than the Menchikatsu Dog. Okonomi Dog Inspired by the Japanese okonomiyaki pancake, what you think of this Japadog will probably depend on your idea of what an okonomiyaki should contain. If you start with a blank slate about this, then this Japadog will simply be special for having...

Small bright space open for lunch and dinner with a bit of a break in between. Get ready before you go in: Menu is accessed from a QR code available at each table. If you don't have data, you can probably connect to the free Wifi provided by the City of Vancouver. Pay attention to the menu! It tells you about the complimentary tea (it smells a bit like coffee but it's made from beans) and the bowl (it's not as deep as it looks). Premium Bowl ($18.95 + $5 for cold tofu) Conger Eel, Shrimp, Kakiage (mixed seafood tempura), Soft Boiled Egg, Seaweed, Green Bean For $5 even though it's got fancy stuff on it I'd pass on the cold tofu next time. Nothing really special there. Tempura came hot but it's not going to stay hot. Neither will the rice, special bowl or not. Tempura wasn't particularly crispy probably because of not just the rice which was probably more than room temperature at some point, but also because they pre-drizzle their special sauce on the te...

Met up with a friend on a rainy afternoon here. We dropped in shortly before Noon and it was maybe 1/3rd busy. Shortly after, the place was packed -- all tables and bar seating pretty much occupied. As there were vegan options, I went vegan to try it out. DISCLAIMER: I am NOT vegan. Vegans, vegetarians, and other limited-diet people sort of have a beggars-can't-be-choosers position so they may rate the vegan fare here higher. I'm omnivorous so I'm probably more critical here. My friend's spicy meatball ramen had a much tastier (and spicier) broth, so overall you will probably have a tastier time here than if you go vegetarian. After all, flavourful broth is one of the main things about ramen. TIP: Be careful ordering drinks and extras as there's a lot of soup here. The bowl is sharply tapered so there *may* be a bit less soup than other ramen places, but probably not by much. Price seems pretty steep but is only a couple dollars more than say, Fat Mao Noo...

Finally got around to trying SPAGHeTEI, the Japanese take on spaghetti. It's a small space that can get quite popular. Even so, seat spacing is really quite good, and you don't get a squashed-in feeling common to many places now. Went on a Thursday night and there was just one frantic waitress on the floor. English over the phone while making my reservation was also quite poor and my reservation ended up being scrambled from 8 persons to 8pm. Best to show up in person to make a reservation unless you're speaking Japanese. Apparently you can't get a pot of tea here, but hot green tea is complimentary. Of the spaghetti I tried, each has a very different character, so if you can, go in a small group and try various types. In the end I found the taste mediocre, but bonus points for interestingness and a lunchtime happy hour when you can get their most popular spaghetti at just under $10, plus other discounts. Green Garlic Bread You get one piece per person fo...

If you've been to the super-popular Hokkaido Ramen Santouka , you may have noticed that for $1 you can get an "appetizer" of two pats of butter. According to my Japanese friend, this is to mix into your ramen for extra "richness". I'd never heard something so preposterous, and maybe it's an April Fool's joke  on his part, but I was determined to try it. He recommended the Shoyu Ramen ($10.95) to go with it. Shoyu ramen ($10.95) Soy sauce flavor. Without the butter, this delicious ramen already has a slight fatty-ness to the broth. Didn't care much for the bamboo, but the broth is delicious, the noodles firm and with good texture. With the butter, I can taste the butter slightly, but it didn't really add a lot of richness. Not worth the overpriced $1 for the little bit of butter when $4 will get you a whole block at any supermarket. Bring your own butter? While waiting, they bring you the menu and even take your order while yo...

Kingyo was a winner last time I went so when my friend came to townI took here here as a safe bet. Their "famous invincible and undefeted tantan noodle" ($9.80 for a big bowl) was still good, and this time I got to try other stuff as well. Overall these choices were not as interesting or tasty, but price for what you get and for the portion is fine. Corn Steamed Egg Pudding ($6.80) super smooth egg pudding with corn and crab flakes There's crab? Rather small portion for price. Also watery/soupy. Interesting to try but might be an acquired taste; otherwise not that tasty. Pressed Mackerel Sushi ($12.80) Lightly seared marinated mackerel pressed sushi with sweet kelp, sesame, takana pickles topped with our original green onion ginger and mustard dressing This was OK. Works better if you try not to lose too much of the green onion dressing, which tends to fall off. Sizable pieces add up to quite a filling portion of rice. Grilled Pork cheek ($7.80) Kingyo...

G-Men Ramen is a tight little space with a totally inadequate waiting area (but benches right outside) because of the queue that apparently forms every day, not just Friday and Saturday nights. However, turnaround is quite fast. There is also "bar seating", which actually isn't that bad as the bar table is quite wide. Good for couples since they are side by side anyway. Make sure you put your name down on the waiting list (which can move quite quickly despite the maximum 2-hr time limit per seating) when you arrive. You will be asked whether you are okay with bar seating or if you need a table, at the time you put your name down and again when seating becomes available. Tan Tan Men ($10.25) 8oz spicy sesame & peanut flavour pork bone broth with thin noodle Thin noodle looks like the type you get in a packet of instant noodles. And there's a LOT of it. Quite a bit of diced pork as well. Overall, a heavy and filling meal for just $10.25 and you may want to ...

We were warned that the portions for Minami's Taste of Yaletown 2015 were going to be small, but fortunately that turned out to actually not be the case. They aren't huge either, but unless you are a really big eater, you will probably leave satisfied but not feeling too full. And there's a tricky workaround as well -- read on. I ordered the vegetarian option because I knew no one else would, so my experience of the "normal" Taste of Yaletown menu is limited. Garden Trio Soy Paper Quinoa-Avocado roll was horridly bland and boring. Tasted like avocado with rice. Which it mainly was. And you got four pieces of this. Was I supposed to pair it in the same bite with the tomato-with-pesto? Honestly those "fresh market vegetables" stood out better. Okra. Yuck for their sliminess once you start chewing -- BUT before you set them aside, there's a brown strip of sharp and slightly spicy-hot sauce that really helps with the flavour and makes it almos...

Dropped by ShuRaku Friday night after Nordstrom closed on me at a ridiculously early 9pm. Although ShuRaku looked empty from the outside, it was surprisingly busy inside, especially for after 9pm. I think our server was a manager or something because I later saw her giving instructions to another server. In any case, all staff seemed very attentive and prompt to help or execute requests. I was there with a friend just for a late-night snack and we ordered just three things. Ei-Hire ($4.50) Dried and barbecued sting ray fin This was on the special menu of the day, not in the regular menu. Winner! This turned out to be very thin slices of fish. Slightly sweet, not very fishy. Chewy but not insanely so. Strangely tasty because of the mild sweetness and fun to eat because of the chewiness. Net portion of maybe a half cup is less than appetizer-sized. Still, worth a try. Chopped Scallop Maki Sushi ($4.95) With tobiko (fish roe) and mayo Really boring. You get exactly what ...

Kingyo means goldfish, and the little restaurant that feels like an old tavern in a period kung fu movie is heavily branded with goldfish images. Definitely worth checking out for the decor. Keep your eye open for the free mouthwash, toothpicks, cotton swabs, and air freshener in the bathrooms (in this respect similar to their sister restaurant, Suika ). It's a busy place even on a Sunday night, but turnaround can be quite fast, and after 8pm or so you can probably expect to walk in and get a table for a small group. Or, even easier -- reservations are allowed. It's an izakaya, so I recommend against tunnel-vision and looking for the sushi. In fact, the one sushi we had was intensely boring. Luckily we had two Japanese girls at our table who helped with the ordering and we got lots of tasty stuff (and some duds, sadly). Deep Fried Fresh Corn ($5.80) - deep fried fresh corn with soy butter Whole corn cut into quarters lengthwise, so you get some of the inedible cob...

Suika has a tight space that looks perpetually busy. Dark interior with dark furniture. Fantastic sake-bottle chandelier. Bathrooms are black-walled so for goodness sakes do not turn off the light or the next person will have a helluva time looking for the switch. Like a real Japanese establishment, they have mouthwash and toothpicks. (Nope, not ultra-classy enough to give you disposable toothbrushes.) They are too busy to give you the most prompt service and bussing and water, but the apparently all-Japanese staff are friendly and polite. Plus, the kitchen is quite fast, all things considered. And they do make sure someone sees you all the way to the door and wishes you a safe journey home. It's an izakaya, which is sort of meant to be drink-alcohol-eat-snacks. Therefore portions are going to be small for your money, and you hope it will be tasty. TIP: If you are hoping to put together a filling dinner at a decent price, remember to order carbs. Like noodles or rice....

Umi Sushi Express is "famous" for their end-of-the-day $2 sushi box deals, but my friend insists they are best for their cheap bento boxes. Around $7.49 will get you a beef or beef short rib bento box that includes: A few slices of sweet potato tempura One long prawn tempura Four pieces of sushi with what looks like avocado and imitation crab meat Token salad of shredded lettuce tossed in maybe soy sauce About 1 bowl of rice A variable amount of meat $9.99 for the teriyaki Unagi bento box (freshwater eel). It does NOT look like the picture. Picture shows a lot more meat than you are likely to get, and apparently this can vary highly from day to day. Today, my friend's beef bento box had more mushrooms and onions than pale shreds of beef. My unami was thinly sliced and pasted over the copious amount of rice. Lots of sauce helped me to eat the excess rice. Strangely, the prawn in the prawn tempura was tasteless. I carefully isolated the prawn from the...

It can be a frustrating experience to go to a restaurant that's basically slammed and find they are short-staffed. Like the last time I went to Jamjar . Can it be that management genuinely did not expect it to be so busy? Just home from Guu Garden this evening. Got there shortly after 7.30 pm and there was a slowly increasing lineup. Even after 9pm, new patrons were trickling in. The staff were non-stop scurrying around. Our poor sweetheart server Seiko (?) was nevertheless unfailingly polite and patient. Not once did she look impatient or fail to give us service with a smile. I felt bad that all I could offer her was a few kind words slipped in whenever she came by, and a decent tip at the end. There's a note on the faux wood menus that reads, "It is not rude to yell out 'sumimasen!' [excuse me] calling your server at Izakaya", but we didn't try it. Also, despite the restaurant being so busy, none of our dishes looked like rush jobs or that any c...

Next time I go to a Japanese restaurant, I'll have to remember to ask the staff what the name means. "Basho" can apparently mean different things depending on the kanji . Although "location" is a good guess, it may refer to the haiku poet Matsuo Bashō . Anyway, I finally got down to Basho Cafe to have a peek. For a smallish place, it's really nice that they didn't try to cram the floor with as much seating as possible. Instead, there's a respectable amount of legroom and privacy between the tables (though for roominess in cafes, Lost + Found still can't be beat ). I ducked in late afternoon for a meeting, so I just got a peppermint tea and a mini-muffin. Kabocha Muffin ($1) I was sort of hoping that they'd mispelled kombucha , but no, it was kabocha --Japanese pumpkin. $1 for a ping-pong ball sized muffin that'd been sitting in the counter for god-knows-how-long since it was around 2.30 pm. Why did I buy it? No idea. Well whad...