Rating

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 The front curve that direct customers towards the left have been replaced by two straight walls.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.

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.

Via Tevere Pizzeria Napoletana

August 6, 2019

Margherita pizza is my favorite Neapolitan pizza. If we see the process of making pizza as the merging of art and science, then Margherita is at Neapolitan pizza’s purest form. I like how every ingredient is fresh. Their distinct taste becomes very prominent. The acidity of tomato sauce laid the base of a good pizza. It’s not overly sour to dominate other ingredients, but it’s a taste that’s always there to give the other tastes a lift. You can pay attention to the fresh basil, and then indulge in the salami’s saltiness with the more laid back mozzarella taste. You can also take a bite and let all these flavour merge and complement each other. A well made Margherita Pizza is simple but never boring. The crust was airy and sturdy. The slight burn marks all around is a good indicator that this pizza is carefully monitored during the cooking process. Turns out, this pizza is perfectly cooked. The dough at the bottom was less than 2mm in thickness. Also, it has an even thickness. There were no unpleasant surprises with too much dough. I have had instances with Neopolitan pizza where my jaw got tired halfway through a pizza. Via Tevere’s dough was sturdy, but easy on the jaw.

Kikyouya Shingen Mochi Popsicle 桔梗信玄餅アイスバー

August 5, 2019

Kikyouya Shingen Mochi Popsicle is a little on the expensive side for its size. I think it is completely worth it because I literally have not enjoyed a popsicle from opening to finish like this one. I indulged this popsicle on all my senses. From the aroma right out of the packaging to 4 types of textures in my mouth. With a small size like this, I can see the interior scenery change with every bite I take. There are also quite an interesting taste variation depends on which part of the popsicle you are eating. This little popsicle provided me with surprises in every bite.

Thai Express Basil Shrimp Fried Rice Cover

Thai Express, Best Shrimp Basil Fried Rice

August 4, 2019

The Basil Shrimp Fried Rice was very well done. Each grain of rice is separate. It has a lot of wok taste that even some of the full-on restaurants are not able to create. The eggs were from a squirt bottle but it did not affect the texture. There are also lots of shrimp. The saltiness is at a good level. If you don’t think it is spicy enough, there is a bottle of sriracha hot sauce that pairs perfectly with the fried rice.

Rating

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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Uncle Fatih’s Pizza

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Sushi Mura, Korean Japanese Restaurant

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Egg & Co. Brunch

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Via Tevere Pizzeria Napoletana

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Kikyouya Shingen Mochi Popsicle 桔梗信玄餅アイスバー

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Thai Express, Best Shrimp Basil Fried Rice

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