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.

Dim Sum as a Staple - 钓鱼台海鲜酒家-Fisherman's Terrace Seafood Restaurant

March 10, 2012
钓鱼台海鲜酒家 - Fisherman's Terrace Seafood Restaurant, Richmond BC
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五香鸡粒咸水饺
上素三菇肠
竹叶珍珠鸡
香茜牛肉球
鱼子北菇烧卖
豉汁煎酿茄子
紫菜金菇豆腐卷
银杏鲜腐皮浸豆苗
榄菜四季豆
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So here we are, back again, except this time with two other families, both of the women my mom's colleagues. Well, at least this gives us an excuse to order more items and try them all!

Finally, they brought back the 五香鸡粒咸水饺 after it was removed from their menu a long time ago. This was my favourite dish of the day. I used to love this and I clearly still do! The frying is just perfect, crispy on the outside and perfectly sticky on the inside. There was a decent amount of chicken in the inside and very nicely seasoned. You can taste the savoury sauce and the chicken but it does not take away from the sweetness of the sticky rice shell.

The 上素三菇肠 was also wonderful, as good as it looks. The soy sauce was nicely flavoured and the mushrooms were great. They always have great rice noodle wraps. We also ate the old favourite with Chinese donut and pork fluff, which was just as good as last time. Oh, I just cannot get enough of the rice noodle wraps.

The 竹叶珍珠鸡 was again a disappointment. This time even more so because not only was it not flavourful, there was less filling of meats and egg yolk on the inside. I do not think I will order this dish again, even though it has been my favourite for so long. It is really very sad but they might have changed either their chef or their recipe. Now I will just have to go and hunt down another dim sum place with good chicken and sticky rice in bamboo leaves.

We had tried their 香茜牛肉球 before, and it did not change much. It was nicely seasoned and the beef was very tender but there was nothing special. The  鱼子北菇烧卖 was actually quite good. I do not remember eating it before but this time, it was certainly memorable. There was a nice seafood taste but also the richness of the beef and the lightness that comes from steaming the dish.

The eggplant dish, 豉汁煎酿茄子, was actually surprisingly nice. It tasted way better than it looked, although it was not particularly a standout. The eggplant was sweet and lovely but the shrimp was more or less just a regular blob of shrimp. The shape also did not appeal much to me.

Since one of Mom's colleagues is vegetarian, we had to order vegetarian dishes. The 紫菜金菇豆腐卷 was mediocre, nothing special but not bad either. The mushrooms in there were good and the tofu puff was nice and juicy but the dish to me was a bit on the bland side. The seaweed was a miss for me.

I loved the 银杏鲜腐皮浸豆苗. I have always loved snow pea leaves. They are just so lovely and green. While not a fan of the bean curd wraps, I absolutely loved the gingko nuts. I do not recall ever eating them, though that's probably just my memory playing tricks. I only heard the term 'gingko nut' this year though, while watching Chopped at school on the Food Network. They are so chewy and lovely! The dish was also very very light and refreshing.

The final dish was 榄菜四季豆. I was fairly pleased with this dish, one of the best 四季豆 I have had in restaurants in quite a while. I know I have never tried  and I absolutely love the flavour. The beans were nicely fried, just the right way. The flavour was deep and savoury but still had the freshness of the string beans. A very nice end I have to say.

Overall, Fisherman's Terrace is still great. I should note that I particularly love their little plates. They are not just your generic white plates. Each is different. Two of the same dishes will come in different plates. They are all the nice, delicately painted and designed Asian-style plates. I have my favourites clearly, but there are definitely more things on their menu I want to try and dishes I would definitely go back for.

Overdue Christmas Hangout - 红屋-Red House

March 9, 2012
红屋 - Red House, Richmond BC
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港式奶茶 (HK Style Milk Tea)
香辣牛肉意粉 (Stewed Beef Spaghetti w/ Spicy Tomato Sauce)
~

My friend Chris and I were supposed to eat lunch during my winter vacation but due to last minute conflicts, I never met up with him. This time back home, I made sure I made up for that. He suggested we go to Red House, since he knew my standards.

I have to say, this place was pretty decent for a Hong Kong style cafe. It has a nice quiet atmosphere, hard to find on a Friday evening. It was a great place, I think, for Asian-style comfort food. I'm not a big fan of the plastic table covers but it was quiet and service was not bad. The tea that came was my first cup of tradition HK style milk tea. At least it was warm and I can sweeten it to my liking.


I was very pleased with the 香辣牛肉意粉. The beef was very tender, and the sauce was exactly what I was looking for. The nice Asian-style tomato sauce with a nice hint of spiciness was great. The vegetables were not overcooked but had flavour and the spaghetti was decent enough. Perhaps it could have been cooked a little less, but I just like it a bit more chewy. The sauce was definitely the highlight though. A bit more to cover all the noodles completely would have been nice but the flavour was really quite good.

Best Dim Sum in North America - 钓鱼台海鲜酒家-Fisherman's Terrace Seafood Restaurant

December 23, 2011

钓鱼台海鲜酒家 - Fisherman's Terrace Seafood Restaurant, Richmond BC

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南翔小笼包

山根蒸凤爪

竹叶珍珠鸡

肉松炸两肠

蜜汁叉烧酥

发财莲藕煎鱼饼

鲜虾瑶柱韭菜饺 

椒盐鸡膝

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I was so excited to go for dim sum. This is our favourite place for dim sum ever. The taste is just really appealing to us for some reason. Very nice flavours time and time again. I also just finished renewing my learner's license so I was pumped to go eat.

Cousin Jason was hungry so we started with the 南翔小笼包. That was just like any other restaurant, nothing special. 山根蒸凤爪 is also not one of my favourite dishes in general. I am just not ahuge fan of chicken feet. It's good, but not one of my favourite foods.

What I do love are 竹叶珍珠鸡, 肉松炸两肠, and 蜜汁叉烧酥.

Sticky rice and meat with eggs and mushrooms in bamboo leaves is just such a great combination. This time was a little disappointing as the flavour was not as deep as previous times. Perhaps it is just a one time flaw (hopefully!).

And speaking of 肉松炸两肠, their sauces are delicious. The sweet and savouriness of the dish is just absolutely amazing. One of my all time favourites at dim sum and at Fisherman's Terrace, it is especially tasty!

While I'm not a huge fan of layered pastry dough, the flavour of the filling in 蜜汁叉烧酥 is amazing. Perfectly sweet, not too fatty, with a nice honey aroma. Some of my favourites left me happy.

发财莲藕煎鱼饼 and 鲜虾瑶柱韭菜饺 are two other dishes Mom ordered. I never cared for fish or other meat pastes. They just do not appeal to me.

I'm not a huge fan, but chives are always good. I find steamed dumplings to be hugely overrated for dim sum. Although, when you do get a very chewy outside dough wrap, it is good. I find them, in general, though, on the bland side.

We had to wait so long for 椒盐鸡膝. I swear they forgot about it at least two or three times. After talking and waiting for over 30 minutes, it finally came, nice and hot, fresh out of the pan. My absolute favourite at this place, along with the sticky rice dishes - something we get every time and has yet to be disappointed!

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!

Homecoming Dinner - 聚-Dinesty

March 3, 2012

聚 - Dinesty, Richmond BC

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小笼汤包

京酱肉丝＋薄饼

镇江骨

栗子鸡煲

丝瓜毛豆面筋煲

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Home sweet home! Of course, Mom had to take me here - her new casual Shanghai cuisine restaurant. The price of the food they serve is absolutely amazing. They do not have the most exquisite food but definitely more home-style and definitely more than reasonably priced.

The 小笼汤包 is supposedly the best in Vancouver. It's true. The wrapper is thin and chewy, perfectly steamed. The pork filling is not fat yet the soup inside was very tasty. It is definitely the best 小笼包 around, only I was never a huge fan of it, regardless of where I eat it.

A traditional Beijing dish, the 京酱肉丝＋薄饼 was not up to my standards. The sauce was not bold enough. There was not enough fresh scallions, and traditionally, there should not be any cucumbers. At least the pork was tender. The pancakes were good though - perfectly chewy and thin with that nice white flour aroma.

The next course, my favourite dish - as Mommy knew - was 镇江骨. The sauce was extremely well flavoured - perfectly sweet and sour. Mom found it a bit salty but I thought it was just about perfect. The sesame and pine nuts added a nice hint of flavour, and the spareribs were perfectly fried. The outside nice and crispy, soaking up flavour, and the insides nice and tender. It was definitely the best I have had ever, hands down. I would go back any day just for this one dish.

The 栗子鸡煲 was a bit salty for my taste. The dates and chestnuts in the pot were good, except the chestnuts were slightly undercooked for me. I like them a bit mushy, so they can melt in your mouth. The sauce was basically just salty, nothing special there. A bit too much salt led to lots of water once I got home. The chicken was at least nicely cooked and tender.

Finally, the 丝瓜毛豆面筋煲 was a nice end to the meal as it was not salty - nice and refreshing and light. The loofah was not bitter so I consider it good. Well, it always has a nice and moist texture. I've always had a soft spot for good loofah. Edamame is just the same old edamame as always. The gluten was chewy too. It was a bit on the bland side but a nice balance to the salty chicken dish.

Overall, their food is homey but very reasonably priced. I would like to go back once more to try a few more dishes, including their stinky tofu. But one thing's for sure, I will definitely go back for the 镇江骨!

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

~

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.