Royal Seafood Restaurant

           One day, we met up with some relatives for dim sum at Royal Seafood Restaurant in Richmond. This is a newer restaurant located in a strip mall. You can't miss the large sign. The location is in a residential area if I recall correctly, but don't quote me on that. The mall has plenty of parking, although the restaurant is on the second floor. You can either go up a grand stairway which looks as it it would be used for wedding pictures, or take a shady looking elevator up the side. Your choice. The dining space itself is not large, but you have a fantastic view of the parking lot and some (albeit not a lot) elbow room. The prices are normal, in line with most other places, and the portion sizes are average though. However, it may be a pain to order as most of the menu is in Chinese. 

           The first steamer we got after placing our order was the Haw Gow at what I think was $5.50. These were above average, with a bit of sesame oil with the shrimp which tasted fresh. The only downside was that the wrapper was a bit think and that made it hard to remove from the steamer. However, it still ends up with a 3.5/5 rating. The next steamer were these things, which I don't remember very much about. My mom said it has something to do with beans, and some kind of mushrooms but these were not memorable and I wouldn't order these again if I

had the choice. Mostly because I didn't enjoy the mushy texture and the odd taste. I would give it a 2/5. 

           The next dish was some offal, more specifically, the Beef Offal. I enjoyed these, as they had a bit of crunch to it, and had enough flavour to make it self sufficient. It was salty, crunchy, moist, and there was a surprising amount on the plate. However, one thing that I did not enjoy very much was the puddle of grease at the bottom, and while the offal on the top had no issue with it, the stuff on the bottom was coated in grease. Still a 4/5 though. This was followed up with the shrimp spring rolls, which did not have a grease problem. They were very crispy, and the shrimp inside was moist and juicy too. This made for a good bite when combined with the gingery sauce that is served with the plate on the side. The sauce wasn't needed though, as the shrimp had a nice flavor by itself. However, it these sat around too long, they would soften, although that is a problem with everything. In the end, it still gets a 4/5.

          Next up was the Plain Rice Noodle Rolls, with their sauce poured on top of them. They were decent as well, and while not good enough to blow me away, there was nothing wrong, which is why they get a 3/5. Their description was very accurate: plain, and the sauce was the only flavoring agent. We also had the beef balls, but I didn't try them but still took the picture, which is why there is a picture but I have no idea what they were like. Everyone else at the table seemed to like it though. One of the last few dishes

we had were the Eggplants Stuffed with Fish Paste. These had a good salty flavor with a nice texture. I think these had a nice texture, being soft but not mushy, while the fish paste was firm, although the flavors did have an MSG taste.They get a 3/5 as well.

          Moving onto the final dish of the day, which were the Sticky Rice in Lotus Wrap, or Lo Mai Gai, which was a filler item. These were decent where the rice was cooked properly, and everything inside was cooked well too. They were not overly large or little and there was enough filling. Nothing was amazing, but it was acceptable. I would give it the average 3/5.

Bottom Line: Average Dim Sum
Overall: 3/5

Bubble 88

     Bubble 88 is really hard to find. I'm talking really hard to find, since I've lived here for years and only learnt about it late last year. Heck, I only know about it because my mom told me about it. After a couple of visits, I finally decided to do a blog post about it. This Taiwanese spot is hidden in a strip mall behind the RBC bank in Whalley. The prices are decent, although the drinks are slightly expensive, but not insanely high. However, the food is pretty good, and the serve people of all ages, although there are a lot of students around. 

       The first item we got was off the drink menu, the passionfruit slush for $5. It was acceptable, not great nor awful.  The ice was fine and it was drinkable, although the flavors seemed artificial, but what do you expect in rainy Vancouver. It can be hard. This probably wasn't the best thing to order, but hot off our tropical vacation, we decided why not? 

     






 Moving on to the appetizer, which was the Popcorn Chicken. These little morsels were tender and moist on the inside while boasting a nice crispy exterior. The flavors were there, and it didn't overpower the chicken in anyway. They kept the skin on, which I personally enjoyed. However, it is not the way all people like the dish, so be wary. The portion side was good for $5.50, although it does not seem like it in the picture. I would give it a 4/5. 

        Since no one was particularly hungry, we decided to share only 2 entrees. The first was the Deep Fried Porkchop in Curry at $9. There was a decent amount or rice, porkchop, and potatoes under all of that sauce. The sauce itself was very good, and had some spice to it, while still letting you taste the curry flavors. It went well with everything under it, despite the rice which ran out quickly. The porkchop was a disappointment, being overcooked and lacking crunch after being under the sauce. Despite the curry's attempts to moisten it up, it was stringy and hard to bite. the potatoes were average, being like normal boiled potatoes. Still, they went well. At 3/5 in my book. 

        The next entree ended up being the customizable Noodles with Black Pepper Sauce for $11. Actually, you don't actually need to get the Taiwanese Noodles or Udon, as there is also a rice option. You can also chose between beef, chicken, deep fried pork, or deep fried fish. We went with the beef and Taiwanese noodles. This dish comes on a large plate with lots of sauce, and meat on top of the noodles. This was disappointing, as the  beef was rather overcooked, being stringy and tough. The noodles were well cooked, but the sauce it was covered in tasted as if it were canned, and didn't go well with everything. This unmemorable dish earned it a 2/5.

Bottom Line: Hit and Miss
Tip: Meats are Overcooked
Overall: 3/5

Ray's Kiawe Broiled Chicken

Located in A Tent

Look at all those chicken!

Cruising down the main strip of Haleiwa, we came across one of the biggest clouds of smoke outside of China I have ever seen. When we left our car, we smelt a smoky flavour coming from Ray's Kiawe Chicken. It was one way to find a place we planned to eat at. Walking up to the tent, there was a massive grill outside, grilling  the contents of a chicken coop cooking over some wood. Of course we had to buy a whole chicken, and it was a very wise choice indeed. They have a couple of other items such as adding some special sauce, pineapple coleslaw and some other items. This place is located in the parking lot of what I think was a grocery store. Thus, you have to get it take out, and find somewhere to sit. However, this was no problem because there are a bunch of beaches a minute or two away. Once you have waited for the guy to grab your chicken, and chop it up, you are now the owner of a Kiawe Broiled Chicken. Personally, I find it really weird that they chop the chicken up behind a cover, like they don't give you the whole chicken.

Chicken + Secret Sauce $10

The Ray's Kiawe Broiled Chicken costs ~$9.50 for the Whole Chicken itself, and $10 for the chicken and "secret sauce". We start with the secret sauce, which  tasted like soy sauce and vinegar. Those were the only 2 flavours I could pick out, and went well with the chicken. I would give that a 3.5/5. The chicken, however, was pretty damn good. It was very juicy, with some nicely rendered skin. Said skin had lots of flavour, and was crisp in a chinese barbecue way. Probably because the people that made the chicken were Asian. Very delicious though. The smokiness was very subtle, but you could taste it along with the salty flavour of the chicken. I would rate the chicken a 4/5, because it isn't perfect, but very nicely prepared. 

Bottom Line: Good Chicken

Tip: Get the Sauce

Overall: 4/5 

Sansei Seafood and Sushi (Waikiki)

Same Entrance as D.K Steakhouse

                     One evening, we were chilling at the hotel when we decided to go for a nice meal at the Waikiki location of the Sansei Seafood and Sushi. We also found out that they had a 25% discount for Happy Hour between 5:30 p.m and 6 p.m, so that was a nice bonus. Too bad it wasn't Saturday of Sunday for they have a 50% discount on everything. The Sansei was located in the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa in practically the same restaurant as the DK Steakhouse which was operated by the same Japanese chef by the name of D.K Kodoma, who is quite well known in the Hawaiian Islands. We got the option to sit out on the patio or inside the restaurant. Of course we went for the patio overlooking Waikiki Beach with a nice view of the sunset on the third floor. There were some torches outside to provide some heat, and the Hawaii weather wasn't cold at all. D.K Komoda has won some awards for his dishes, so as always, we went for the award winning dishes on the menu. Before I start, Sansei Seafood and Sushi is a more modern take on sushi, and may offend people who like quality fish and just traditional sushi. It is like the Miku of Hawaii, except a bit more modern and club-like. This is because they have Karaoke from 10 p.m to 1 a.m. That is enough rambling, so time to get on to the food. 

Sansei Special Roll $10.25

Crab Ramen 

                       The order of the items that came out was very odd. Normally you would have the appetizer, the entree and then the dessert. At least the dessert came out last, which was good, but the order of everything else was freaking out. Thus, this blog post will be written in the order the items came out. I have no idea how this would happen, because if everything made fresh, the items are made in the order they should come out, but should they be premade, they could be brought out in the order they should be too. The first item that came out was the Sansei Special Sushi Roll for $10.25. This was a mediocre roll that came with Spicy Crab, cilantro, avocado and furitake, which is a Japanese seasoning. The sauce was the kind of Spicy Thai Sauce that you can get at the supermarket. This really ruined the roll, as the spicy crab was delicious, and wasn’t so spicy so you could actually taste the crab. The furitake didn't have too much taste which was good, and I would give it a 3/5. The next item to come out was the Crab Ramen in Truffle Broth for $17.25.  The best thing about this restaurant is that it goes family style so you can try a bit of everything and share some dishes. The dishes are pretty sharable too. Truffle ingredients are one of those things that can add a nice touch or completely overpower whatever flavours or ingredients are in the dish.  At the very least, this broth was very good with a hint of truffle and went well. If it was a little bit hotter, it would have been even better with the perfectly al dente ramen noodles, cilantro, and slightly spicy Jalapenos rings. The crab was very fresh, but was cooked very well. Easily a 4/5, as it was really good with nothing amiss, but just didn’t have the “blew me away factor.” Also, it was very expensive for the price, even at 25% off. 

Panko-Crusted Ahi Sashimi $13.25

Tempura Shrimp Dynamite $12.25

Japanese Calamari Salad

                      After an entree came out, the server brought us the signature Panko-Encrusted Ahi Sashimi, for $13. This is another one of their signature items (we ordered most of them), and had some butter like sauce on the bottom. That's the yellow like liquid in the picture. The first thing I noticed was that it was a bit greasy with the butter, panko and the combination was very greasy. This made the dish rather heavy with all of the butter. The tuna was not as fresh as the tuna in the poke I had prior for lunch. However, it was still fresher than the tuna we have here in Vancouver. The vegetables were fresh, and helped alleviate some of the heaviness. I would consider it filler, really.Next up was the Tempura Shrimp Dynamite for $12.25. There were 6 huge shrimp. Cooked perfectly, they were plump and juicy, with some extra crunch coming from the batter. Some mayo was added, which added a little more flavour. The batter was very thin, which allowed the shrimp to come through with the crunch and flavour. To add a lot more crunch, there was a deep fried wonton wrapper which had no flavour other than from the mayo. This was one of my favourite dishes, and I would rate it a 4/5. Another appetizer came out next, which was the Japanese Calamari Salad for $11.25, and had the same wonton wrapper which contained the calamari. The salad component was the little bit of greens on the bottom of the dish. They were soaked with some sweetish sauce which didn't exactly go well with the calamari, but added a little bit of flavour to the wrapper. The calamari itself was not very good. The batter was very thin, crunchy, and was a lot easier to eat than the calamari.The squid was very hard to eat, and overcooked to no end. I could barely eat this dish. Thus, I would give this a 1.5/5 due to the hard to eat squid.  Finally, we capped off 

Tempura Ice Cream $10

a meal at Sansei with a dessert that would qualify as a meal in itself, the famed Tempura Ice Cream for $10. This was a large tube of ice cream with a tempura batter. The batter wasn't very crispy, but was rather more cake-like, and there was a bunch of syrup on the bottom, chocolate and caramel flavoured. There was also a strawberry and whipped cream. Of course, this was a very heavy plate of dessert, as you would think. The sauces were sweet, and added some flavour to the Vanilla Ice Cream and the pound cake dressing. I(t tasted good though, even though it was very sweet. The tempura pound cake was still warm, but the ioce cream melted very slowly  even though it was warm. In the end, this was a novelty item that actually tasted pretty good, although it was a bit heavy. This was a good 4/5 dessert, since it did taste good.However, there was one thing that made everyone not like this restaurant: they charge a minimum 17% tip, and even though our server was friendly, that rule is not so great. 

Bottom Line: Good Food, Service, Atmosphere. 
Tip: Tempura Ice Cream
Overall: 3.5/5

Matsumoto Shave Ice

Small Sign, but Big Lineup

          After visiting Giovanni's Shrimp Truck, which is probably the second most famous eatery on the North Shore, we decided to visit the most famous one. Yes, Matsumoto Shave Ice which is located in a mall on the main strip of Haleiwa. The business was started in 1951, so they have been around for a while. I hear they have also done renovations too, because the interior looks very nice. We visited it, and the line was pretty darn long. Luckily, it was really fast, and I you could look at souvenirs and stuff like that during the 10 minute wait. The Shave Ice prices were a bit pricier than Waiola Shave Ice, but they use natural fruit flavours. The souvenirs were pretty weird, but I still got a shave ice postcard because where can you get a shave ice postcard?

Lots of Options

Guava, Passionfruit, Watermelon shave Ice
 with Condensed Milk $3.50

         We ordered a Large Shave Ice with Condensed Milk (Snow Cap) for $4, we got passionfruit, guava, and watermelon syrups. Sorry for the weird photo, as it just looked so good we started eating before taking the picture. I'll start this off by saying you have to get the snow cap. It was so freaking good, nice and sweet, with a nice dairy flavour like you would gte from ice cream. I would prefer this over ice cream, actually. The ice was very finely shaved, about the same as Waiola, with no irregular chunks. This was shave ice that straight up melted in our mouths, with the nice texture. The syrups were where this place really hit the money. You look at some brightly coloured ice and think: this isn't going to go well. You look at these flavours, and everyone wanted to try some because it looked like actual fruit. This tasted like actual fruit too, as the watermelon had lots of watermelon flavours and was just the right amount of sweetness. The passionfruit was a food flavour too, with just a hint of sourness making sure the syrup was just right. Thej guava was probably my least favourite flavour, probably because it didn't suit my sweet tooth with the tartness being a bit stronger than the passionfruit. I say it was my least favourite because of personal preference, but in reality all the flavours tasted like actual fruit. Still, it was a good tropical choice, and was a nice alternative from the sweetness. Said fruity syrups were poured in a good size, with it going down to the very bottom and soaking all of the ice. There was no syrup just sitting on the bottom though, which was good. The ice didn't really melt until when we were finished the shave ice, with just a bit of liquid that you could drink. The portion sizes are pretty good, and if you ate a full meal you probably want to share one between 2 or 3 people depending on how much of a sweet tooth the group has. This was the best shave cic experience we had in Hawaii, and deserving of a 5/5, no matter how much of a tourist attraction it is.

Bottom Line: Awesome Shave Ice
Tip: Condensed Milk (Snow Cap) is the best!
Overall: 5/5

Char Hung Sut

Front and Large Sign

Menu

          One day on our trip to Hawaii, we decided to make the short trip out to Chinatown. After boosting our appetites through looking at pig heads, green frogs and fresh salmon, it was time to try some of Hawaii's Manapua. Manapua is practically Char-Siu Bao in Hawaiian, and there was one place that stood out above the rest: Char Hung Sut. Char Hung Sut has been around for over 70 years and always have been well known for their Manapua. When we walked into the "restaurant" it was obvious this wasn't a sit in eatery or an actual restaurant, and they do take out only. Luckily this Chinatown in Honolulu isn't very sketchy at all compared to Vancouver's Chinatown. There were a bunch of nice older ladies making the products, one guy steaming the items and another lady who took orders. The pork they were using looked like ground pork, and the items were premade ready for take out. I have no problems with premade food as long as it isn't too unhealthy and tastes good. One good sign was that they were still siting inside the steamers. After pointing us towards the chalkboard on the wall, she tried to get us to buy every single item on the menu. Luckily we stopped her after getting a nice assortment of items to sample. While Char Hung Sut is famous for their Char Siu Bao, they also do a few other porky and non porky items. A little variety is good, just like the prices here for everything, as we paid about $10 for everything, and filled us up as a snack. We were in and out within 3 minutes due to the quick service and lack of lineup, but I have heard that lines pick up later in the day.

       

Sui Mai/Pork Hash 80 cents

Half Moons 80 cents

     Once I picked up the box filled with all of our goodies, I went to photograph them within 5 minutes while they were still hot. Maybe putting them into a large bamboo steamer keeps them warm, or maybe we just lucked out. All that matters was that our box was hot. The wax paper that prevented the box from sticking to the food was a nice touch. The first item we tried after getting to the nearest waterfront park was the Pork Hash. At 80 cents a piece, these were pretty small, but I guess you get what you pay for. In this case, we got a mini Siu Mai, which was practically what this was. Nice and hot, these little one bites were nice and tender, not overcooked at all. The flavours were good, and were pretty juicy being steamed. They were solid, reasonably priced and met the criteria for a 3.5/5.Moving onto the half moons, which were 80 cents each. They definitely looked like half moons, and were filled with mostly water chestnut. Well, this wasn't very impressive at all, but edible. Serves me right for ordering that at a restaurant that does mostly pork items. The water chestnut was a little crunchy and the outside layer was soft, but even the people that know this dish weren't very impressed. In the end, a 2/5. 

Large Manapua $1.80

Look at The Size!

         Finally, we get to the main course, the big boys, the Manapua. And boy, were these some huge char siu bao. The picture doesn't really show you the beauty of these. Just imagine the average 2 inch or so Char Siu Bao, take 3, and put into one massive bun. That was legitimatly the size of this bun. It was a great value, for $1.70, and had a good ratio of bun to pork. It wasn't one of those places where you get a sandwich and end up with a slice of ham on 2 pieces of bread for $5. Inside the bun, the pork was stringy like Pork Floss, and looked like it had been baked in an oven. No worries though, as the shredded pork was without a doubt one of the best Manapua/Char Siu Bao I have ever eaten. There was enough pork for you to get some in each bite, and it was really juicy. You really shouldn't judge this book from it's cover. The sweet char siu flavour was just right, not overly sweet or salty and there really was no liquid inside the bun. Just pork and bread, with the bread basking in the flavour of pork, softly complimenting it perfectly. While the bun was a tiny bit dense, it didn't put off the Manapua very much. Overall, everyone liked the Manapua and came to a 4.5/5. Very good but not quite nearly perfect.In the end, if you find yourself strolling through Honolulu's Chinatown, it is well worth the short walk to get some of their famous Manapua

Bottom Line: Good Manapua, Ok Everything Else
Tip: Stay with the Manapua
Overall: 3.5/5 Total, 4.5/5 Manapua

Miku

View of Waterfront and Lonsdale Quay 

     Before I started this whole food blogging thing, I still loved food. However, I hadn't gotten into the whole aspect of taking pictures before everything (still don't). Hopefully you will forgive me for not taking a picture of Miku's entrance. However, I did have a visit a few months ago, and got a table with a nice view. So to compensate, I have a nice view from our table. If you've heard of Miku, in Downtown Vancouver, it probably is for their Aburi Sushi and seafood. At the price point, it better be good. That is what we hoped to get when we made a visit because my mother loved it. While this comes off as an expensive restaurant, it really isn't if you compare it to Cactus Club, White Spot or any of the other chain restaurants.

Jidori Chicken Nanban $13

        Inside the restaurant, it was very open, bright, modern and nicely decorated. Service was great too, coming around often and explaining everything to us. Our water was refilled often too.  On his recommendations, we started with the Jidori Chicken Nanban for $13. There were about 6 small pieces of chicken. The chicken had a very thin layer of batter surrounding it. The dish also came with some fresh, light tartar sauce and some lettuce slaw. The tartar sauce was so light that it went so well with the chicken. And the chicken batter really let the flavors come through, the chicken was SO JUICY. This was no doubt the best pieces of battered chicken I have ever had. With the crispy slaw and juicy chicken and tartar sauce, I will consider this one of the best things I have ever eaten. A 5/5 no doubt.

Soba Peperoncino $18

           My mom, who had been here before had raved about the Soba Peperoncino for $18, which had hints of spice and lots of seafood. It included squid rings, shrimp, sweet pepper, shiitake mushrooms and tempura flakes. The Soba noodles were cooked perfectly, soft but still chewy and the tempura flakes helped add some crunch. As expected, the squid rings and shrimp were cooked perfectly, and the shiitake mushrooms really helped. The portion size looked small, but was filling being a lot of noodles. Was it worth the price? Probably not, but it was cooked properly and cooked well at that. Overall, I would rate this a 4/5, as it was good but didn't blow anyone away.

          For our sushi, we got two different orders of sushi. The first roll we ordered was the Red Wave Roll, which cost $17. the Red Wave Roll was practically an improved California roll. It came beautifully plated with crab and avocado on the inside, wrapped in some red tuna and topped with a

Red Wave Roll $17

Salmon Oshi Sushi $16.50

sauce made of tiny pieces of onion and what tasted dominately like sesame oil. However, the ingredients were fresh, which made for a good tasting roll. I would rate it a 4/5. Saving the best for last, we had to try some of their Signature Aburi Oshi, so we got the Salmon Oshi Sushi for $16.50. The sushi was pressed into a box shape, seared, they put some of their sweet-ish Miku sauce on top and added an jalapeno slice on top. It absolutely melted in my mouth, and had some spiciness, which made it really good.  The fish was buttery, there was flavor, the sushi rice was fantastic and I could go on and on and on about how fantastic this actually was. This is no doubt a must try at Miku. I give this a 6/5. This was a great way to cap off a meal at Miku. To me, I would consider this one of the best Japanese restaurants in Greater Vancouver.

Bottom Line: Worth the price.
Tip: Ask the servers for their picks.
Overall: 5/5

Miku
200 Grandview St, Vancouver, B.C

Maxim's Bakery (Whalley)

Maxim's Bakery Entrance

        Maxim's Bakery is a chain of bakeries that are scattered throughout the Lower Mainland. Actually, the Chinatown location there is the bakery with a restaurant above. Most of them just have the baked goods and you just buy them and leave. At the Whalley location, you just take a tray, a pair of tongs and go to get your pastries. I go there quite a bit, and the goodies are often very fresh and replenished often. They actually do a thing where there is no tax should you buy 6 pieces of anything, and do cakes for parties and whatnot. Not only do they do whole cakes, but also sell refrigerated small slices of cake. However, we only got the a few of the baked goods even though I will add a few pictures of the cakes I got a while ago.

Sausage Bun with Cheese

         We start with the Sausage Bun with Cheese for $1.75, which had just come out into the baked goods section. When we got home 10 minutes after the purchase, the bun was still warm. The sausage was just your generic sausage, which tasted like the kind of boiled sausage you could make at home. However, the cheese was topped with some green onlion which didn't do too much, but the cheese was melty. Under the cheese, there was some sauce that was a bit sour. It was slightly odd tasting, but it did in fact go pretty well for the bun. The bun was nice and warm. The bun was actually quite airy and really nice, but the one problem was that it was greasy.  However, this bun is still a 3.5/5. IT was acceptable for $1.75 too, even though it was nothing special.

Mini Coconut Bun $1.50

Pineapple Bun $0.60 for 1, $1.50 for 3.

           The next item we got was the Mini Coconut Buns, which looked pretty fresh while one of the employees showed us one of the fresh ones. My mom actually got his one, but she let me try a bit. At $1.50, this was a decent portion with some coconut shredding inside and sesame seeds on top. This was my first one, so I can;t really rate this bun, but it was light and airy like the Sausage Bun. The other item we got is the Pineapple Bun, which cost 60 cents for 1 or 3 for $1.50. This one was a bit disapointing, as it wasn't fresh even though it was around 3 hours after the opening time. This bun was a little chewy

with the outside as it was not very fresh. Probably sat there for quite a few hours after it was baked. Going along with the suspiction that the bun was a bit older, the pineapple thing on top was like eating a pineapple chip. Nor did it help that the bun wa pretty cold. Overall, this bun wasn't too great, probably because it was not fresh. However, on a few other times I have tried this bun, it is actually good when hot. I would give this bun a 2/5. 

8"Black Forest Cake $24?

      As a bonus, I'll show you people some birthday cakes. Whenever we ever get a cake, Maxim is our go to spot. #NotSponsored! Anyways, we like there cakes because the leftovers taste just as good as when we get them. However, stay away from the ridiciously sweet white chocolate. I thought that I liked sweet things, but this was really not good. So yeah, cakes are always affordable. Oh, and the picture on the bottom is their section of cold mini slices of cake. I wouldn't recommend them unless you wanted a treat, but you could probably get better.

Maxim's Cake Case

Bottom Line: Only If Fresh

Tip: Heat+Water=Fresh

Overall: 3.5/5

  Maxim's Bakery
 10153 King George Hwy, Surrey