Wo Fung Dessert

Phone: N/A
Address: 3220-4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond, BC
Hours: Mall Hours
Website:  N/A
Parking: Mall Parkade

Wo Fung Desert is situated in the food court of Aberdeen Centre. Despite the name, they actually specialize in Hong Kong style street snacks. They’re famous for their deep-fried chicken wings; some food-bloggers claim they serve the best wings in the city. I must investigate.

 

Snacks

Chicken Wings 7.5/10

• Served hot immediately from the deep-fryer.
• There’s a hint of ginger.
• A bit over salted.
• Light, crispy batter.
• The wings came out pretty dark, a sign that they’ve been re-using the oil for a while.
• The meat at the center of the wing was still a bit pink.

So, are they the best chicken wings that can be had in the city? Even without the drawbacks, not quite but they’re up there. The chicken wings are certainly pretty tasty; the batter was light and crispy while the meat was hot and moist. I guess it’s hard for the meat to be dry since the wings were a bit underdone and still a bit pink in the center. They must have been rushing the order due to the growing line. Now, undercooked chicken should have been a huge red flag, but I wasn’t too worried about it, the centre was still very hot and I didn't get ill from the underdone wings.

VERDICT

The chicken wings are worth ordering for take-out if you’re ever at Aberdeen Center. They are some of the better wings you could find in the city. I recommend you re-heat it in your toaster oven for ten minutes at 325°F. This reheat them back to a crisp while cooking them a bit and sweating out some of the oil. As for the best wings in the city, I still think they’re to be found at Phnom Penh in Chinatown.

No. 1 Noodle House

Phone: (604) 999-1111
Address: 1 West Cordova Street, Vancouver, BC.
Hours: 11:00am-5:00pm, 6:00pm – 2:00am
Website: http://www.no1noodlehouse.ca/
Date of Visit: Apr. 30, 2013
Parking: Meter parking along street.

No. 1 Noodle House is a "pop-up” ramen restaurant. Opened by restaurateur, Mark Brand of Save-on-Meats, there has been some anticipation being built up around this restaurant recently. No. 1 Noodle House is basically a test kitchen, serving a very limited menu and aimed towards the late night crowd, closing as late as 4:00am (if they still have any food leftover). In addition to ramen, they also serve beer, wings, and a bahn mi sandwiches.

  

Ramen

Shoyu Ramen 2/10

• The noodles themselves were okay at best.
• Broth was very bland, just step up from watered-down soy sauce.
• Pork was chewy.
• Fresh greens were an interesting topping.

I ordered the shoyu ramen because their signature spicy chicken ramen was unavailable. The presentation was surprising and out of place with the overall dive atmosphere of the place. I don’t like being so critical, but taste-wise, this may be the worst bowl of ramen I’ve had. It was like someone with minimal prior experience preparing a bowl throw something together to imitate a bowl of ramen. The overall dish was bland with no redeeming aspects. Portioning was on the small side too, but I guess that wasn’t necessary a bad thing. Good thing there was a bottle of Sriracha hot sauce on the side to aid the dish.

To give the readers some more perspective, here’s a bowl of Toyo Suisan instant ramen. Compared to the ramen served at No. 1, well, simply put, it blows it out of the water.

ATMOSPHERE

• Most of the seating was available as pic-nic tables. Sit wherever there’s a spot.
• Sticky seats.
• Reminiscent of a dive bar/pub.
  

SERVICE

• Service was pretty quick.

VERDICT

I realize No. 1 Noodle house is in its initial soft opening stage at the moment, and they’re still working out the kinks, but this may be one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had in a while. It’s like a dive bar experimenting with some new menu items. If they remain open past their 7-month “pop-up” period, it may be an indication things have improved. However, at the moment, for the same price, you could head over to West End and have an actual bowl of ramen. I really couldn’t recommend this place.

Samurai Sushi House

Phone: (604) 325-8597
Address :  5888 Cambie St. Vancouver, BC
Hours: 11am to 9pm
Website: N/A
Date of Visit: Mar. 30, 2013
Parking: Parking in back or along Cambie Street.
Whenever I visit Samurai Sushi House, I generally order the sashimi. The quality and preparation of food here isn't great and sashimi requires minimal preparation. On closer examination, you could see the fish was not cut with skill, there are bits hanging off here and there. There were even a few times where the bones have not all been picked out or not fully defrosted. However it still tasted fine for the price I paid. The fish served here is a bit on the bland side by the way, sometimes, I would have to drench the fish in soy sauce due to the lack of flavour. Still, the fish here is much better than some all-you-can-eat restaurants.
I generally order the Hamachi sashimi because its comparable to those served by much higher end restaurants depending on the cut (I think its from the same supplier).

SASHIMI

Salmon and Hamachi Sashimi 7/10

• Salmon Sashimi is sliced in large uneven portions.
• Tasted relatively fresh, or rather, recently defrosted by the fishery.
• Hamachi Sashimi was slice thinly in this picture, however, they have been sliced in pretty large portions before.

Whenever I visit Samurai Sushi House, I generally order the sashimi. The quality and preparation of food here isn't great and sashimi requires minimal preparation. On closer examination, you could see the fish was not cut with skill, there are bits hanging off here and there. There were even a few times where the bones have not all been picked out or not fully defrosted. However it still tasted fine for the price I paid. The fish served here is a bit on the bland side by the way, sometimes, I would have to drench the fish in soy sauce due to the lack of flavour. Still, the fish here is much better than some all-you-can-eat restaurants.
I generally order the Hamachi sashimi because its comparable to those served by much higher end restaurants depending on the cut (I think its from the same supplier).
 

SUSHI

UNAGI TEMPURA ROLL 7/10

 

• Fair amount of deep fried and roasted eel gives a nice contrast to the soft avocado.
• Large portion of avocado.

This is another item I regularly order when I visit Samurai Sushi House. An Unagi Tempura roll with avocado is commonly found in other sushi restaurants. More importantly, its not found in any of the combos, meaning, its likely not prepared ahead of time. Some of their more common items like the salmon maki roll is prepared ahead of time and sitting in room temperature waiting to be sliced when someone places the order. It's not the most appealing thing to eat. Moreover, its not packed with rice in order to give o a larger appearance.
 

ATMOSPHERE

• In short, bad. Order your food takeout.

SERVICE

• Also bad. Order your food takeout. Sometimes you get thanked after you pay them.
• Food is prepared fairly quickly.
• They once made a mistake on my order and they rectified it the next time i visited.

VERDICT

While the price has gone up over the years and the portions dwindled marginally, they still offer some the largest portions for the price. This establishment is not a place I can recommend unless you're looking for some cheap sushi. The only reason I keep returning its because its conveniently located on my way back home. They do offer a discount if you place your take-out order by phone in advance, but they do prepare food pretty quickly and your order may be sitting on the shelf for a while.

Kintaro Tonkatsu Ramen

Phone: (604) 682-7568

Address: 788 Denman St, Vancouver, BC V6G 2L5

Hours: Tuesdays to Sunday 12:00pm to 11:00p, closed Mondays

Website:  N/A

Date of Visit: Mar. 29, 2013

Parking: Meters along street.

Kintaro Ramen is one of the first and most popular ramen restaurants in West End, Vancouver. They boast to serve hand made tonkotsu ramen, although I have no idea which part of the bowl of ramen was actually handmade. Located at the busy corner of Denman and Robson where several other very popular ramen restaurants (such as Santouka and Benkei Ramen) have opened up, line-ups are to be expected. Kintaro Ramen was so busy during my visit that orders were being taken while people were still in line. Their menu is relatively simple compared to other ramen restaurants offering only ramen with BBQ pork in your choice of Shoyu (soy sauce), Shio (salt), or Miso soup base and a few sides (such as gyoza). The option to choose between fatty or lean slices of pork and a light, medium, or rich soup base is available. They do not accept credit cards.

Ramen
 

Shio Ramen (Fatty Pork Slices & Medium Soup Base)
6.5/10

• The pork bone broth was pretty heavy. There were so many bits of pork fat suspended in the broth that it was almost creamy. While I could really taste the salt used to season the broth, I couldn't really taste the savoriness of the pork bone.
• The noodles had a nice, chewy, springy texture
• The highlight of the bowl; the BBQ pork, or Chasu, was fatty, flavorful and tender.
• Toppings were minimal; an overcooked hard-boiled egg, green onions, sprouts, and bamboo shoots.

Perhaps my expectations were too high given the massive amount of hype surrounding the place, but I couldn't find much memorable about the ramen they serve here. The bowl of ramen served at Kintaro was pretty large and you do get a decent amount of ramen. The broth was a let down and it did get very salty after a few sips. The only redeeming quality of the dish was the large piece of chasu, although the dish could have greatly benefited by adding a second slice.

Shio Ramen (Fatty Pork Slices & Light Soup Base)
6.5/10

Here's a picture of the light soup-base for comparison.

Miso Ramen (Lean Pork Slices & Rich Soup Base)
6.5/10

I expected the lean pork slice to be a bit on the rough side but it was actually fine. You get a few more slices when ordering the lean pork.

SERVICE

• Service was minimal. Our order was taken while we were still in line to get into the restaurant. We waited for our food to arrive once seated.
• The line up was about 15-20 minutes during the Friday dinner rush.
• They were very busy, so dont expect attentive service.
• Water was filled frequently.

ATMOSPHERE

• Decor is minimal. 
• There are a few small tables along the wall, a few bar-seats, and a big communal table by the window. Space was sparse.
• Seating was cramped and uncomfortable.

 

VERDICT

 
With plenty of ramen restaurants in Vancouver, (there are several big ones only a few minutes of walking away), Kintaro holds its edge by offering a more affordable pricing, larger servings, and better chasu with their ramen. However, my overall experience with Kintaro was okay at best. While the ramen was decent, with the line-ups and cramped seating inside, I'll be trying another place nearby the next time I want ramen.

Moderne Burger

Phone: (604) 739-0005

Address:  2507 West Broadway  Vancouver, BC

Hours: Tuesdays to Sunday 12:00pm to 7:45pm

Website:  http://www.moderneburger.com/

Date of Visit: Feb. 14, 2013

Parking: Meters along Broadway or street parking at the back.

Moderne Burger is a diner style burger joint famous for its simple, down to earth, burgers and shakes. I've been wanting to try this place for a quite a while now since they've burned down in 2005. I finally had a small opportunity to do during a break and here's a quick review.

Mains
 

Moderne Steak Burger Platter
8/10

• Beef patty was fresh (never frozen) and had a noticeably hand formed shape. Texture was meaty.
• The bun could have been toasted a bit longer.
• The hand-cut to order fries were very good. While not very crispy, the fries did arrive fresh from the deep-frier and properly seasoned. Centre was soft, fluffy, and very hot.

Their burgers are available with your choice of protein (beef, turkey, salmon, or veggie) and comes with the standard vegetable toppings. Add-ons such as cheese, bacon, and mushrooms are available. A side of fries could be added and I do recommend you try the fries. 

SERVICE

• Service was quick and simple. The waitress takes your order and brings you your food.
• Owner is friendly.

ATMOSPHERE

• Modelled after an American diner, the dining area is really unique in Vancouver
• Booths are small and not very comfortable. Stools are available for counter seating.
• Open kitchen, you can hear what's going on in there.
• Bathroom was clean.

 

VERDICT

Moderne Burger has a very simple menu, but they executed their food very well. The atmosphere wasn't my favourite but this restaurant is a good option if you're looking for a quick burger fix. Unfortunately, I  didn't get to try one of their shakes, I'll definitely be ordering one next time I return for another burger.