Boiling Point - must endure freezing point first

Boiling Point

#130-4800 #3 Road, Richmond



Food: 3
Service: 3
Price: Fair

It's winter time, so R and I are always looking for something hot to eat. So when A suggested Boiling Point,  we were more than happy to try it. The name itself was already convenince enough, so off we went.

Chamonix - most worthy Teppanyaki

Chamonix
* lots of branches in Taiwan, the one I went to is closed for renovation at the moment

Food: 4.5
Service: 5
Price: cheap

I really like teppanyaki, because the food is prepare fresh right in front of your eyes, so you know where is has been from grill to plate, plus sometime you get a good show. Therefore teppanyaki was definitely once again on our list for recent trip to Taiwan.

Chamonix is a chain restaurant owned by Wang Ping enterprise. They pride themselves in service and food quality. I must say, I was impressed.

HK - wish we had more time

R and I were in HK for only one day, and the only thing we absolutely agreed on doing was to eat, even more than shopping. I know my time was limited, so I tried to narrow down to a couple must try places.

Kalok Restaurant - dim sum on sale all the time :)

Kalok Seafood Restaurant 加樂海鮮酒家

1008 - 8300 Capstan Way, Richmond



Food: 3.5
Serivce: 3
Price: Fair

Once again it's dim sum time with the family, and to no surprise we are back in Richmond to find the best one. This time we had to head to the airport right after, so we wanted to choose one that was close to the Airport, so Kalok fits the bill perfectly.

Chengdu - Do's and Don't's

I have returned from another trip to Asia, and Chengdu, Sichuan was my very first stop. This city is very laid back comparing to places like Shanghai or Beijing. It is known for being a place for pleasure and leisure. Now with the opening of the 2nd subway line, the city is very much accessible by public transit. Here are just some quick Do's and Don't's that I summarized:

Do's

Jet Side Bar - Afternoon tea at YVR

Jet Side Bar (Fairmont at YVR)

3111 Grant McConachie Way, Richmond



Food: 3.5
Service: 4.5
Price: Expensive

I've visited at least a dozen airports, but my favorite is still YVR. I love it's spaciousness, the bright interior and its relaxing decor. Not only is it beautiful, but fully functional as the Fairmont Hotel is literally attached to the airport, perfect for those who are catching a next day flight. Even if you are not staying overnight, you can still utilize it, as they do offer several restaurants and lounge.

The Baker & The Chef - urban local cafe

The Baker & The Chef



I recently went to a media event for the grand reopening of what use to be called The General Store and Bakery on Cambie. The whole place has been revamped into a modern and cozy sandwich cafe.

C Restaurant - try their tasting menu only if you have time

C Restaurant

2-1600 Howe Street, Vancouver



Food: 3.5
Service: 3.5
Price: Expensive

A while back, Groupon was running a pretty good deal for a 10 course tasting menu at C restaurant. Typically it's $120 per person, but with the deal it was that price for 2 people. Since I've heard some good things about their seafood, I really wanted to check it out.

29th Ave Cafe - a good place for curry only

29th Ave Cafe

4441 Boundary Road, Vancouver



Food: 3
Service: 3
Price: Fair +

There are multiple styles of curry and they all vary in taste. I find Indian curry the heaviest with liberal use of spices. Thai curry is 2nd on that list with the tendency to be quite spicy and creamy. The mildest curry is the Japanese/Hong Kong style, which is usually sweet. Both  R and I really love curry, so it's no surprise we immediately went to check out a curry restaurant suggested by our friend.

Sushi & Roll - great food without the wait

Sushi & Roll

103-10241 King George Blvd, Surrey



Food: 3.5
Service: 4
Price: Cheap 

I am loving my recent discovery of a sushi restaurant. So what's so special about this place, well it's very similar to Sushi Garden, BUT the big difference is the service and wait time. To top it off, this place is in Surrey, which is super convenient for me (maybe not for everyone). Now, I don't have to drive all the way out to Burnaby, and just to wait some more for cheap sushi.

Adesso - wonderful location and great food

Adesso Bistro

1906 Haro St, Vancouver



Food: 4
Service: 4
Price: Fair

Being a food blogger, people often come to you for suggestion. As I have said many time, I haven't tried as many restaurants as people think, and I suggest purely base on my experience and taste palate,. Anyways, when a friend came for advice on a restaurant he was interestd in, this was my answer: "Adesso?? Where is that, is it good?". After a quick search on Urbanspoon, and discovering that it had 92% 'like it' vote, I was more than keen to try it.

Bunk Sandwiches - mark it down when you head to Portland

Bunk Sandwiches

621 SE Morrison, Portland

Food: 4

Price: Fair

Ahhh long weekend, what we all look forward to. However waiting at the border wasting that precious time is something I definitely does not look forward to, and that is exactly why I left really early on Friday afternoon to make my way down to Portland for some tax free shopping and dining. :)

Of course I did my homework ahead of time, and found a couple places that I wanted to try. First one on that list is: Bunk Sandwiches.

Chez Meme - now open for dinner

Chez Meme

4016 Hastings Street, Burnaby



Food: 3.5
Service: 4
Price: Fair

I know I've blogged about Chez Meme, so why I am blogging about it again? Well, if you ever been here, you would know that they only open during day time, but since 5 weeks ago, they now officially serve dinner from 5:30-9:00 (Tue - Sat). With that being said, they no longer open for lunch on Saturday, so if you do want to try their really good sandwiches, you will just have to find a way to try on weekdays.

Here is their new dinner menu, which I thought was pretty simple.

Destination Wedding - the breakdown

I know I been MIA for awhile now, but I have a legitimate reason for doing so. I've been planning a destination wedding since last August. I am happy to report, the wedding is over, and now we can return to regular programming (that is if I am not too lazy :p).

Richmond Night Market - great food selection

Richmond Night Market

8351 River Rd, Richmond



I love night markets, so naturally I couldn't wait to check out the new one that just popped up next to Brighouse skytrain station. I think they made a very smart choice in terms of convenience, because despite the free parking, it was horrendous trying to get into the parking area with major traffic jam. We actually arrived early only to be told to park underneath the skytrain station, at the moment I was not happy due to the distance. It was not until we were about to leave, when I realized it was really a blessing in disguise, because we were not stuck in traffic just for trying to get out of there. 

After a short walk from our parking lot, this was what I saw: a seriously long line up. If the weather was nice, I wouldn't have minded so much, but it was really cold to stand there for more than half an hour just to get in. Now it makes me wonder, just how early do you have to come to be the first person in line.

Thierry - nice place for desserts

Thierry Chocolaterie Patisserie Cafe

1059 Alberni St, Vancouver



Food: 3.5
Service: 3
Price: Fair +

There is always room for dessert, say the girl with the extra dessert stomach. That't me in a nutshell, I love desserts and always on the lookout for new places. So when I heard about Theirry opened by the renown Cin Cin dessert chef Thierry Busset, I was more than willing to give it a try.

I leisurely strolled the streets of down town after attending a seminar on a Monday afternoon, thinking that the dessert shop should be pretty empty consider the time and day, but I was wrong. The place was pretty packed at around 3pm.

Cakeaters - who knew cake decorating could be so fun!

Baking has always been one of my hobbies, but life has been so busy recently, that I don't have the time to bake. Okay, truth be told, I am mostly feeling lazy when I am not busy. :P Anyways, when I saw a deal popped on Wagjag for a whole day cake decorating class, I was more than happy to get my butt of the couch and actually learn something, that's when I called up my baker friend A and off we went. 

When we were looking for the address for Cakeaters, it almost seemed like it was just a residential area, so we initially thought the class was hosted in someone's home, and the expectation went down a few notches. However, this was so far from the truth in so many ways.

Grand Dynasty - fabulous décor, good dim sum

Grand Dynasty Seafood Restaurant 金殿皇朝

4331 Dominion Street, Burnaby



Food: 3.5
Service: 3
Price: Fair +

I been craving for dim sum for quite awhile now, so I decided to treat my parents (who also love dim sum) to Saturday brunch. Since I was playing badminton at 12pm in Burnaby, Grand Dynasty was the perfect choice for us.

Osamu - pricey but worth it

Osamu Sushi

2764 Barnet Hwy, Coquitlam

Food: 4

Service: 4

Price: Expensive

The one thing about being a food blogger is that people expect you to know where to eat, and what is good, so my friend often come to me for suggestion. The truth is I haven't tried that many restaurants, and when I do suggest a place, it's only because it suit my taste palate, so all I am saying is to take my suggestion with a grain of salt. Anyway, when my friends came to me for a suggestion for our Friday night dinner, I immediately picked Osamu, because I been wanting to try, and no one objected.

"Never judge a book by its cover" rings true for Osamu, because from the outside it looked like any other typical sushi restaurant.

Italy - good to know (in my opinion)

During my trip to Europe, both R and I agreed that our favourite country was Italy, even though we only visited Rome and Venice. Although I loved both cities, I think Venice has the upper hand, because it's so unique.

(I call the white tower: the leaning tower of Venice :P)

Maenam - modern Thai restaurant

Maenam

1938 W 4th Avenue, Vancouver



Food: 3.5
Service: 3.5
Price: Fair +

For R's 2010 birthday, his friends actually got him a $50 gift certificate to Maenam, and for some reason we never thought to use it. It's a good thing there was no expiry date and I am so glad they did not close down. Maenam was not hard to find, but parking on the other hand was a little hard to come by. If you are lucky you can get free parking once you turn onto Maple street. The restaurant was a decent size with fairly dim lighting, I guess they are trying to give you that relaxed ambiance.

Alleluia - large portion, cheap price

Alleluia (歡欣餐廳)

8131 Westminster Hwy, Richmond



Food: 3
Service: 2.5
Price: Cheap

Richmond is a place that I hate to love. I mean there is no question they have the best variety for food at any time of the hour, but on the other hand everything else just drives me crazy (pun intended). Seriously, who likes to play find a needle in the haystack game when it comes to parking, or navigate the tiny roads along side crappy drivers (not everyone). Despite all that rambling, you will still find me back there from time to time. I confess, I am  food addict. So I guess I will just have to keep enduring all of the above just to 'feed' my addiction :).

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Our volleyball group of friends is once again back at it. This time we discovered a indoor volleyball court out on Mitchell Island near Richmond. So it's only natural, we head there for dinner afterwards.

Gadget Review - Cuisinart Waffle Maker

I been wanting a waffle maker for a long time, but then I am pretty sure it will be tossed aside once I've used it a couple times. So why did I end up buying one? Well, the reason was simple, you see I am huge fan of The Amazing Race, and one of the episode was filmed in Belgium, where they were making these delicious looking Belgium waffles. After that episode and my weakness for food, I immediately told R "we need a waffle maker". Low and behold, here it is... (hopefully I will use it often :P)

Cora - breakfast is what they do best

Cora Breakfast & Lunch

3025 Lougheed Hwy, Coquitlam

Food: 4

Service: 3.5

Price: Fair

Ever heard of the phrase "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Well, I couldn't agree more, that's why we decided on Cora for a late lunch at 3pm on Saturday. Truth be told, I been dying to try it ever since it opened, but I no longer live in Coquitlam, so I am never in the area. Finally the opportunity presented itself when I had to go to Port Moody for the day.  

Yew - impressive decor, average food

Yew Restaurant and Bar

791 West Georgia St., Vancouver



Food: 2.5
Service: 2.5
Price: Fair

Nowadays, brunch has become the favourite meal for family gathering. Why is that so, the reason is simple, everyone has plans for the weekend and they typically are in the afternoon till well into the nights. Therefore, it's only natural for families to gather during daytime on the weekends, thus nothing works better than brunch. In fact, I think dim sum would be Chinese people's brunch. :P

Yew restaurant is located in the Four Season Hotel. The decor is absolutely gorgeous.

Won Jo - worth the drive if you like noodles

Won Jo BBQ & Noodle Restaurant


105-508 Clark Road, Coquitlam

Food: 4
Service: 3
Price: Fair

One benefit for being a food blogger is that all my friends have the urge to share all the good restaurants they've been to. Of course, I am more than happy to take down the notes, and even more happy to find out they are right. This is exactly the case with Won Jo noodle house.

Given the name of the restaurant, it's pretty obvious what they are famous for: BBQ and noodles.

A Piece of the Pie - the sugar debate

Another article brought to you by R:

image from http://www.redbrickpaper.co.uk

How do you start your day? A cup of coffee might be many people’s routine. Cream and sugar? Sure, why not, after deciding on milk or half/half, next up is sugar : white or brown? Brown sugar has better aroma and seems more natural.

Shanghai House - cheap, if you know what to order

Shanghai House Restaurant 上海人家

6340 #3 Rd, Richmond

Food: 3.5

Service: 3.5

Price: Cheap (depend on what you order) 

If it wasn't for the food, I think Richmond would lose its appeal real fast. First, finding parking is like finding a needle in the hay stack. Second, it seems like the parking stalls are made for smart cars only, and third, driving skills in that city really varies greatly :P. Anyway, so it's no surprise we are once again back in Richmond just for food, this time to buy some speciality food and to eat as well.

Since I was craving Xiao Long Bao and I wanted to try something new, thus we ended up at Shanghai House Restaurant right across from Richmond Centre. If fact it was so close, we just left our car parked in Richmond centre and walked across the street (see complain no. 1 and 2).

East India Grill - good Indian food in Langley

East India Grill

#106-19653 Willowbrook Dr, Langley (map)

Food: 3.5

Service: 4

Price: Fair

I think Langley get a bad rep for a place without much diversity (at least from what I heard), but I beg to differ. Other than many big chain restaurants, they do have many small unique restaurants, such as Mai's, and Luxe. They also have the nicest/cleanest Pho 99 I've ever seen.

East India Grill is located right next to Luxe. Since I been there once before, it was easy to find. They are open from 11-9 everyday except Sunday.