A Nice Surprise in Vegas - Coronado Café

December 26, 2011
Coronado Café, Las Vegas NV
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[Crunchy Noodles]
Garden Salad
Won Ton Soup
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This place always had a line up outside, even when we first stayed at South Point Hotel earlier in June. Mom always wanted to try it so we did. She was right, the cafe was great for the price they set. The dishes were very comforting and the environment more casual, more of a family feel than the rest of Vegas, which was a nice change.

The complimentary crunchy noodles were so good and very addicting that we finished it all and asked for a second portion. The dipping sauces were also good. I believe they had honey mustard, sweet chili, and one other sweet and tangy one.

I ordered a Garden Salad which is basically the worst salad I have had in a restaurant setting. However, for under $4, it really was expected. Two cherry tomatoes and one slice of cucumber. I had to order a second salad. It always puzzles me why lettuce and veggies are so expensive in restaurants. It makes no sense.

The Won Ton Soup was mediocre but it was also expected. I mean, it is won ton and soup and all the basic ingredients at a casual cafe. I was not expecting much but at least it was comfort food.

We also had Pad Thai and Pepper Steak, both of which were quite good for the level of the restaurant. Unfortunately, we got caught up in the food that I did not take pictures. Maybe next time! I know Mom wants to go back.

A Taste of Ningbo - 宁波海鲜酒家-Ningbo Seafood Restaurant

March 7, 2012

宁波海鲜酒家 - Ningbo Seafood Restaurant, Richmond BC

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宁式酱鸭

宁波一品上素

烤杂鱼

风味炒陈村粉
[陈皮绿豆沙]

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This is a fairly new restaurant, tucked away in the corner of Parker Place. Even for the three months it had been in business though, there was barely anyone there on a Wednesday night. I guess they opted for a 'soft opening' and did not advertise much, but still, there should not be just four tables in a large restaurant filled.

Anyways, the food was exquisite. I guess there is something to be said about not many people eating so the chef can cook each dish carefully. Mom is also right in saying that in the beginning, a Chinese restaurant in Richmond (where there are just way too many Chinese restaurants) need to present superb quality dishes in order to draw the customers back. They did that alright.

We started out with the 宁式酱鸭. The sauce was a perfect blend of soy sauce and sugary sweetness. The duck was also cooked perfectly, tender and quite lean for a duck. Together, the dish was very delicious - the perfect appetizer. I can still taste that sweet soy sauce - YUM!

For our fill of veggies, we decided to try 宁波一品上素 as we wanted only Ningbo specialties. There is no point eating other cuisine at a Ningbo restaurant. I have to say, although this dish was not as flavourful, it was delightfully refreshing. A nice, mild veggie dish with the light flavouring throughout.

My least favourite dish of the evening was 烤杂鱼. I never liked just salty fish. The flavour did go through the baked fish though so I could tell it was cooked with care and very nicely done. I just never liked salted fish much. I prefer my lighter meat dishes with a sweeter flavour.

Finally, another one of my favourites, was the 风味炒陈村粉. These rice noodles were translucent, way prettier than the normal opaque kind and much more chewy. They had yellow chives and Asian celery in them as well, so a nice blend of Asian veggies with shrimp. The noodles were nicely cooked, the 'al dente' version of rice noodles.

They gave each of us a bowl of 陈皮绿豆沙 in the end. It is the first time I have tried such a common dessert but made with mung beans instead of your usual red beans. A nice change, I think, because the mung beans have a slightly different flavour in that they are more bitter and less likely to blend with the sweetness of the sugar. Overall, though, a great meal. Their lunch menu looked very promising with all the appetizers and specialties so we will definitely be back in the summer to try out those dishes!

Best Ramen Ever - Spicy Beef Ramen

January 5, 2011

Naniwa-Ya Ramen, Waikiki HI

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Spicy Beef Ramen

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This was at the Makai Market Food Court in Waikiki's Ala Moana Center. Okay, so maybe it's not the best ramen ever. The noodles were still tender. I think this was the spicy beef one. Anything with spicy soup is always good. I guess it was just because while away from home, Mom and I always crave that Asian taste. To not have to eat Subway or pizza was great. It definitely satisfied that little Asian cuisine bug permanently lodged in our stomachs. Even mediocre noodles (as long as it's chewy and al dente Asian-style) will do the trick!

P. F. ZHANG's - P. F. Chang's

December 29, 2011

P. F. Chang's, Las Vegas NV

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Double Pan-Fried Noodles

Kung Pao Chicken

Stir-Fried Eggplant

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This is Mommy's restaurant. The last name matches. Then we realize the initials is Mommy and Daddy combined. Huh. Nice job. Dad first suggested going here for Chinese food made by non-Chinese. Surprisingly, it is quite decent. Not authentic, but delicious all the same.

The Double Pan-Fried Noodles - it took Mommy and I quite a while before we figured out it was the equivalent of 两面黄 - were a bit on the salty side. We asked for veggies and shrimp and they only charged us for one of them... unless we got less than usual. But the menu had said specifically that two ingredients would cost more. That was nice. The shrimp were tender and really good. The crispy parts of the noodles were also good. Just a little salty.

The Kung Pao Chicken was not exactly superb, just mediocre. It was more like fried chicken cubes rather than stir-fried mini cubes. The sauce was a bit on the sweet side, not spicy enough. The peanuts were good though.

The Stir-Fried Eggplant was my favourite dish, not just because I love eggplant. The garlic sauce was nice and sweet, and the eggplant was fried slightly so the dish was generally pretty good. As long as the sauce is good, and that there is enough sauce on the plate, the dish will be good.

Overall, very decent Chinese food for Vegas. This was the one near the strip, not the one in Planet Hollywood. We decided it would be more quiet and a more relaxing atmosphere, more spaced out. Finally acceptable Chinese food by non-Chinese chefs!

Traditional Chinese, Western Style - Han Dynasty

November 27, 2011

Han Dynasty, Philadelphia PA

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DanDan Noodles

Dry Pot Rabbit

Snow Peas Leaves

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Creative? I think so! This is perhaps the darkest Chinese restaurant I have ever been in, with bright red tables and classic Chinese chairs. But there were hardly any lights - totally western style in that sense. Yet, it was one of the best reviewed restaurants for Szechuan cuisine and I was set to find out if that was true. Indeed, it was - sort of.

We started with DanDan Noodles. Not authentic, no. It was nowhere near spicy enough. And zero numbness which is not Szechuan. However, their spicy and sweet peanut/sesame sauce was good regardless - a very unique dandan noodle. There were no vegetables, ground meat, or Chinese sauerkraut. Still, it was good. The noodles were chewy and tender and the thicker kind. Suits me just fine.

I wanted really spicy food so naturally, I picked the one with the highest level of spicy - Dry Pot Rabbit. I don't remember ever eating rabbit, though Dad claimed I have tried it back in China. I don't remember, honestly. So he encouraged me to try it now and try it we did. Such tender meat! I never thought I would fall in love with eating rabbit meat. (On a side note, is rabbit considered red or white meat???) It was really spicy, a bit too much for Dad. But I loved the spice lingering on my lips. The celery, red bell peppers, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts were nice complements to the meat.

Finally, not wanting to eat unauthentic string beans, we opted for Snow Peas Leaves - very refreshing, very light, and not spicy at all. The leaves were not very...um...嫩(tender?). But the garlic was nice. I ate most of it.

Overall, it was a great last dinner to end the mini-vacation. It would have been nice to see the dishes better though - a little too dark for Chinese food.

Spiced Up Evening - 峨嵋山庄-Emei Restaurant

November 24, 2011

峨嵋山庄 - Emei Restaurant, Philadelphia PA

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担担面

干煸四季豆

水煮鱼

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So when it comes to Chinese restaurants, there tends to be many many dishes on the table, all meant for sharing. Thus, it leaves me too many photos and too many posts if I am writing about individual dishes. Therefore, I shall resort to reviewing everything in one post - if I can fit it in!

峨嵋山庄 started out 小菜（花生米&泡菜） with for everyone. Kind of cute, if you ask me. It was the most formal Szechuan restaurant we could find in Chinatown and the few reviews it had were quite positive.

Their 担担面 was, according to Dad, quite authentic - as authentic as you can get with Philadelphia anyways. The spice and numbness of the sauce was great, and the skinny noodles slippery and tender. I would have preferred more vegetables, though. And more of the meat and sauce. This is usually the case with noodles in a restaurant.

Their 干煸四季豆 was not authentic, partially because it is not really a Szechuan dish. Nonetheless, they fried the beans and it was not spicy which pleased Dad.

Finally, their 水煮鱼 was not authentic either.

It had bok choy and celery on the bottom, instead of the usual yellow bean sprouts.

The soup is supposed to be watery with spicy chili oil but this was more spicy sauce and corn starch. The fish was fried too, instead of boiled. Regardless of authenticity, however, the fish was tender and the flavor was good. Who really cares whether it is authentic, as long as it tastes good right?

I have to say, reading reviews online helped so much in picking restaurants for the day. After three months of non-real food, this day was a huge improvement. Very spicy and satisfying.