For $9.99, you get quite a bit of Xiao Long Bao in the plastic box. You can clearly see that these buns are made by machines. I agree these are not authentic Xiao Long Bao. I see them as tasty emergency rations when I feel lazy to go out. I cannot recommend this to everyone because they fail as Xiao Long Bao. If you add on the convenience factor, but they are not bad.
Martini’s is a bar-restaurant. They have been around for a long time. To be honest, this was my first visit. I was a little shocked at their operation. The food is definitely above average bar-restaurant. The drinks selection is not as wide as most craft beer places. However, they are solid on the price, service, and atmosphere. It is no coincident that Martini’s is still one of people’s go-to bar. Definitely recommended, especially on Wednesdays.
The most important aspect of this bowl of noodle is on the noodle and the sauce. I have to say this dish taste very good. The savory flavour is not very strong. Dried herbs add a lot of appetizing aromas. Hot spicy chili is present but quite subtle. I prefer it to be a bit spicier but overall this is a very good bowl of noodle. The noodles are made to order. This type of noodles is wider than normal because they are hand-stretched from the dough. Once you order the noodle, you will hear the chef stretching the noodle and hitting it against the table. I think the noodle’s textures are a little too soft.
The seafood pancake is served in cast iron plate to retain heat. It is topped with lots of seafood like oysters and small octopus. The imitating crab meat strings on the top was very crispy. There was a thin layer of oil at the bottom to make the bottom very crispy. However the middle is a bit soft. The cast iron retained heat, so the seafood pancake was still warm half way through our meal. I enjoyed the ability to get half order so we can enjoy more dishes.
I consider the Lookout Restaurant as fine dining. Therefore I am a little more strict on the performance. Looking at the restaurant closely, everything they do is in unison. From courteous service to delectable food, everything I have experienced have been tastefully designed. Adding the astonishing view to that makes the Lookout Restaurant at Gray Monk one of the best restaurants. Everyone should at least try it once in their life time.
This is a consolidated review for 3 of our visit to Oak+Cru Social Kitchen and wine bar. We had experienced the different aspect of this restaurant. As a restaurant within hotels go, Oak+Cru is fairly priced at $30 per person for breakfast. The food is not the best, but above average. The service is pretty good, but staff seems to be confused by the different promotions. Awesome atmosphere and view. If you live in the hotel. Oak+Cru is going to be the most convenient location for you.
The first thing I noticed was the droopy grass jelly covering the crushed ice. They are black and shiny like a mirror. It is the most jiggly grass jelly I have seen in Vancouver. When eating, the grass jelly has a noticeable herbal taste. The soft texture makes it the highlight of this dish. The crushed ice is course but not sharp. They are soft to the bite. Unlike Icy Bar’s Razor Sharp Ice, there is no unpleasant texture. There are condensed milk and brown sugar added to the crushed ice. I could taste a strong flavour of cane sugar, which is also quite pleasant. Taro Balls and Yam Balls are being called “TaroQ” and “YamQ” at BlackBall. To be honest, I am a little disappointed in these. The bite to them has no bounce. I understand this means that there is not much starch powder added, but it is not the texture I was looking for. Flavour-wise, they are not really sweet but has a good natural flavour of taro and yam. All these beans are perfectly cooked. Adzuki bean and Mung beans are cooked until their skin starts to peel. This made the interior very starchy. Sugar was added to the cooking process and very noticeable. The Kidney Beans are larger beans. The structure is more intact. I could still feel the pop when I bite into them.
As soon as I walked in, it is evident the restaurant had been renovated. The front curve that direct customers towards the left have been replaced by two straight walls. This is a much more efficient use of space. The tables and chairs have also been changed from ugly, cheap (it was the theme before), and down to earth style to the Zen-like Japanese style decoration. The feature wall on the left has been kept. You cannot tell it’s an old wall. Overall, it is a much appreciated transformation aesthetically.
Most of the other similar restaurants would put a lot of oil as a medium to carry flavour from herbs to the ingredients. What I like about Chef Pin is the dry pot’s base is not over oily, but the pot still has a lot of flavour. The first couple of bites didn’t do much for me. Starting the 3rd bite, I feel the spiciness crawling from my throat into my mouth. The spicy taste burning to make me want to stop eating, but the different ingredients and perfectly balanced flavour urge me to continue. My watermelon juice is freshly blended. They taste the same as the watermelon slice. I cannot detect any added sugar. The juice is not blended too fine. Some of the texture of the melon remained. This juice aided me in combatting the spicy burning sensation in my mouth.
