3 Star

Maiko Japanese Matcha Café in Richmond

I was very excited to see another premium matcha themed Japanese dessert franchise opening up in metro Vancouver. The quality and pricing are both standing in the mid range of the parfait places we have tried. Loopy soft-served ice cream is a sign of poor quality for me. Poorly layered parfait and filler toppings also forced them down the ranking ladder. The parfait here is $13.50 after tax, which is on part to Tsujiri’s $14 parfait with much higher quality topping. The parfait here is still a good dessert. It’s just not worth it when compared with other Japanese matcha dessert locations.

Chef Liu Kitchen Taiwanese beef noodle in Richmond

Chef Liu Kitchen is a nice little stand in the food court. The cost of their food at $13 per person is considered average in 2019. They have certainly got the taste aspect down, but the food lack the finer details. This restaurant is perfect for customers not in pursue for superb food. Everything here is good, but not extraordinary. It’s “good enough” if you’re not picky.

Bukjang (Bukchigo Jangguchigo) Korean Cuisine in Coquitlam

Bukjang is a small Korean restaurant. Tradition and authenticity can be observed throughout the store. The food was individually made to order and they are very tasty. We ordered 2 items and it cost us $20 per person so they are not exactly cheap. I think the atmosphere was set up for drinking, and that is what I am going to do on my next visit.

Donair Spot Lebanese Restaurant in Vancouver

My platter came with salad, hummus as sides and Basmati rice below the meat. It is served in a styrofoam container. I grabbed a spoon and a fork, then onto enjoying my lunch. The salad was simple lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. They are crispy and refreshing, I can taste how fresh it is. The lamb was very thinly sliced. They are very tender and juicy with lots of flavour. The juice flows into the Basmati rice to make them moist. Of course, the mouthwatering sauce on top also contributed to that. I find the chicken a little dry with a hard crust. I think it worked pretty well to have two types of meat. It provided alternative texture, but I probably wouldn’t order the chicken again. The lamb worked much better for me.

Tsujiri, Japanese Matcha cafe in Richmond

Compared to Nana’s Green Tea’s $9.80 parfait, Tsujiri’s $14 parfait feels like a whole other ball game. The parfait at Tsujiri is 150% more expensive, but they seem to use more interesting toppings. I’m not sure if these topping is worth the extra $4 to you. The lone line up seems to indicate the worthiness of these toppings. I personally cannot justify the cost because they simply can charge higher for a parfait in 2019, but will leave the decision up to you guys.

Meiji Milk Cookie Ice Bar

Normally, when I get an alternative flavour of the same product, the expectation is to have a consistent texture and flavour profile. With the taste and texture both lacking far behind its Milk ice bar counterpart, I cannot justify the $8.99 price tag. It is really rare to see someone screw up an Oreo product. I simply cannot recommend Meiji’s Milk Cookie Ice Bar.

Meiji Milk Ice Bar

Biting into the ice bar reveals the consistent texture of the interior. I could feel the slight icy texture, but that actually provided a little bit of the refreshing sensation. The taste is wonderfully designed. This ice cream bar has a very rich taste of milk. The sweet taste is complemented by some savory taste to make each bite interesting.

Kin Kao Thai Kitchen, modified authentic Thai food in Vancouver

Overall, I think Kin Kot is an above-average Thai restaurant. It cost us $35 per person because each main course cost about $20. I like how they are serious about spicy food. They are also comfortable spicy, with no chemical taste. I was sweating like a waterfall by the end of it, but the burning sensation did not linger to cause any discomfort in my mouth. I would recommend Kin Kot, but wouldn’t’ come here often due to the high cost.

Sushi California Koreapanese Restaurant, A popular fake Japanese chain

Our server brought us tableware and tea. They are the generic plastic material with some graphic to resemble Japan. These tableware are light and feel cheap. It is quite fitting for the Sushi California to use these. They look Japanese, but cheap and lack integrity once you interact with it. I don’t understand how you can have a “Small Party Tray for 2” and give out 9 pieces of nigiri sushi. I mean… Who does that? Let’s not even talk about who gets salmon or the masago. One person is going to eat 1 sushi less and still fork out 50% of the price. This party tray should be called “The Breakup for 2” instead.

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