$15 – $25

TerraCotta Boyz Spicy Oil Noodles with Vegetables

TerraCotta Boyz, Contemporary Xi’An Cuisine

August 17, 2019

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.

Potters Garden, Korean Restaurant

August 16, 2019

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.

BlackBall Taiwanese Dessert Blackball Signature Crushed Ice

BlackBall, Taiwanese Dessert in Richmond

August 13, 2019

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.

Strike Taiwanese Cuisine Deep Fried Chicken Nuggets

Micha Asian Fusion Kitchen

August 12, 2019

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.

Chef Pin, Mala Dry Pot

August 11, 2019

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.

Boston Pizza Grandview Highway

August 10, 2019

For $21 per person, Boston Pizza is an expensive restaurant that serves mediocre food. However, if you look at it as a sports bar, then things become justifiable. The drinks are also on the expensive side for $7 a pint. But remember, you are not paying for just the drinks, but also the environment. Boston Pizza is not really a restaurant. It’s more like a gathering place for friends.

Uncle Fatih’s Pizza

August 9, 2019

The medium pizza at Uncle Fatih’s is $17 each. With tax, tips, and delivery fee it is approximately $24 per pizza. This price is more expensive than authentic pizzeria. This is when I realize delivery pizza are not cheap eats. Looking at delivery pizza alone, Uncle Fatih’s Pizza’s price is at mid-range. The pizza quality is at above average. This makes them worth our recommendation. We ordered the thin crust pizza. It is soft and fluffy. The bottom and the outside crust was crunchy. It is not bouncy, and is easy on the jaw. This is like factory made bread, not artisan. However, this is New York style pizza. We should not compare the style with Neapolitan pizza. Comparing to other similar delivery pizza. Uncle Fatih’s pizza crust is not as oily as Pizza Hut. It is also not as dry as Domino. It’s more airy than Papa John’s. Overall, Uncle Fatih’s Pizza crust is quite superior overall.

Sushi Mura, Korean Japanese Restaurant

August 8, 2019

I do enjoy the food here for its taste. However, when a someone call themselves a “Japanese Restaurant” I critique them using Japanese Restaurant standard. With this set of criteria, Sushi Mura is not good restaurant. They did not carry any of the Japanese culture, finesse, or belief. Sushi Mura feels like an operation of some Korean guys jumping on the “Japanese Food” band wagon to make some quick cash.

Egg and Co Brunch Smoked Meat Benny Inside

Egg & Co. Brunch

August 7, 2019

I apologize for having to be so blunt and straight forward. The hashbrown is simply dreadful. The exterior is not crunchy. It feels like they have been fried and left aside for a while before it’s served. The interiors are all dried out. I could almost choke on them. Of course, the expensive and non-refillable coffee did not help. Ikea makes better hashbrowns than Egg & Co. I love hashbrowns, and it is very rare that I cannot finish the hashbrown.

$15 – $25

TerraCotta Boyz, Contemporary Xi’An Cuisine

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Potters Garden, Korean Restaurant

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BlackBall, Taiwanese Dessert in Richmond

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Micha Asian Fusion Kitchen

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Chef Pin, Mala Dry Pot

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Boston Pizza Grandview Highway

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Uncle Fatih’s Pizza

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Sushi Mura, Korean Japanese Restaurant

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Egg & Co. Brunch

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