tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14347947987823986252024-03-12T22:00:05.868-07:00Why Cook? Eat out!"Why Cook? Eat out!" is a Vancouver-based food blog about Juky, the author, and his adventures (although not as exciting as it sounds) eating out in and around Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. Although the majority of posts will be about local restaurants, from time to time there will be miniseries about eateries that Juky visits on vacations with his family and friends. Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-28285755011986506852015-03-10T22:44:00.000-07:002015-03-10T22:44:06.892-07:00Thyme to Indulge CateringAs often happens on weekends, J and I had trouble deciding what to eat for brunch. J loves trying different places so she set out on a mission to find a new place to eat. She stumbled upon an article listing restaurants with "to-die-for breakfasts in Vancouver". That is how we ended up eating at Thyme to Indulge Bistro. (I found the article a little suspect, as a majority of the restaurants listed were on Main Street)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tumfX-0eeit8xP2BaobzLEXglq5kU3XNsiCritVvqeqBFAl5RQFNSGVUO8jYTp1f4BnQ_zld6Pa51FNPKAyU0Y2svDDXbFB4Qg0ku0IUe5nS1y5-f-DCVsTDJT5ju1iPSUmdpbWNmAiL/s640/blogger-image--186120172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tumfX-0eeit8xP2BaobzLEXglq5kU3XNsiCritVvqeqBFAl5RQFNSGVUO8jYTp1f4BnQ_zld6Pa51FNPKAyU0Y2svDDXbFB4Qg0ku0IUe5nS1y5-f-DCVsTDJT5ju1iPSUmdpbWNmAiL/s320/blogger-image--186120172.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crab Cake Benedict</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxICwl5s-5Uf863jUF7KwB4jSMjIsLe7n5KF2i7dF1S5zeqw9eftgDeyGpy12dpCGW0x90bpJxIkh6ghloqz4jPfP9BhADDO9PssIi5VgQKFOEMD_iufBUvGeSwOw2QUc9XeMM-qLqVjD2/s1600/blogger-image-1866880301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxICwl5s-5Uf863jUF7KwB4jSMjIsLe7n5KF2i7dF1S5zeqw9eftgDeyGpy12dpCGW0x90bpJxIkh6ghloqz4jPfP9BhADDO9PssIi5VgQKFOEMD_iufBUvGeSwOw2QUc9XeMM-qLqVjD2/s320/blogger-image-1866880301.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Croque Madame</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5pjj8-3OvoyvaTGgHZdhkCXGsZ4VA3S5rwp_C39ILecLvRzBVSoQYHwSDQMRcy76tC6B85bfq77boUcmUYJf28q6TwktRkuRdKCOxCO5HQBhCZ3hiXaDrQq1Q7uayKgKg1cbc3guIyjuu/s1600/blogger-image-1274348980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5pjj8-3OvoyvaTGgHZdhkCXGsZ4VA3S5rwp_C39ILecLvRzBVSoQYHwSDQMRcy76tC6B85bfq77boUcmUYJf28q6TwktRkuRdKCOxCO5HQBhCZ3hiXaDrQq1Q7uayKgKg1cbc3guIyjuu/s320/blogger-image-1274348980.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Croque Madame</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids Scrambled Eggs and Sausage</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5RDhNUxCpjfDvJsdh8KE0oeMRViefKW5JpkG0pUL57KLtOIb6bRJrY3kw_v61dWB2dhux02SrltBmEWLkG0xH2ZtyFSTJFzz_JchA7_4vSWd0ZaycybEvFcJj5tV4nztRQmqU3HMj0rO/s640/blogger-image--1326033369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5RDhNUxCpjfDvJsdh8KE0oeMRViefKW5JpkG0pUL57KLtOIb6bRJrY3kw_v61dWB2dhux02SrltBmEWLkG0xH2ZtyFSTJFzz_JchA7_4vSWd0ZaycybEvFcJj5tV4nztRQmqU3HMj0rO/s320/blogger-image--1326033369.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Various Macaroons</td></tr>
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Nestled next to the Dairy Queen on Main and 13th, the restaurant is small and doesn't really stand out with its small storefront. We found street parking nearby and waited over 30 minutes for a table (our fault for arriving during the peak of the brunchtime rush).<br />
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Once seated, we put in our orders and admired the interior decor. With bright white walls and plenty of natural light from the windows, the interior was very welcoming. It was also quite busy.<br />
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Service was pretty good with attentive servers. Our order took a little longer than we expected (a table that was seated after us and ordered at the same time received their food ahead of us by a bit), but the quality of the food made up for the wait.<br />
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<b>Crab Cake Benedict</b> - What is there not to love about crabcakes and eggs benedict? The cakes were deliciously moist and crispy on the outside, and the eggs were cooked to perfection. My personal favourite was the toasted focaccia that the eggs and cakes were served on. Forget English muffins!<br />
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<b>Croque Madame</b> - I have had this dish at a few different French restaurants, and I have to admit that Thyme's is the heartiest. The sauteed onions, peppers, and spinach made it stand out amongst its competitors'. My only criticism is that the bechamel sauce made the bread a little soggy. Nonetheless, the dish was superb.<br />
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<b>Kids Eggs and Sausage</b> - What you see is what H got. Eggs. Sausage. 'Nuff said.<br />
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We also got H a couple of <b>macaroons </b>which she took apart with great amusement.<br />
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Overall, I was quite satisfied with our meal. I wouldn't describe it as "to-die-for", but it was good and I would definitely go back. Next time though, I will aim for 12:30pm or much earlier to avoid the crowd.<br />
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<b>Summary</b><br />
<b><span style="color: magenta;">Food</span></b>: Great. The standout feature of Thyme is the food. A definite recommendation.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Service</span></b>: Good. The staff are friendly and attentive, but the food did take a little longer than expected.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Setting</span></b>: Good. The location is busy, but the restaurant itself is quite nice.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Value</span></b>: Good. Prices are reasonable and the food is great!<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/1759651/restaurant/Mount-Pleasant-Main-Street/Thyme-To-Indulge-Catering-Vancouver"><img alt="Thyme To Indulge Catering on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1759651/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-17283950447972398082015-03-02T23:47:00.000-08:002015-03-02T23:47:09.283-08:00Kongee Dinesty 金津粥品專門店After a year long hiatus, I'm back with more reviews, and I'm starting with a newly opened restaurant in Richmond called Kongee Dinesty.<br />
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The restaurant is in an easily accessible plaza on Garden city and Capstan Way. The plaza is now filled with restaurants, but even at lunchtime there were plenty of parking spots. </div>
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The interior is quite new and reminds me of Dinesty (same owner maybe?). It's bright, spacious, and plenty of daylight comes through the interestingly dressed up window that makes it near impossible to see into the restaurant from outside. </div>
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We were given the lunch menu so it was quite limited. We ordered just a few dishes to see if it was good and we weren't disappointed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLT0Yx9f4Yxc6v0sKCVZUte_2GWqaKGmLEO7Vxl_6VqV0e9E2yY-9NsZIqlZawiEpP7C1LRd9voAop0lXKLoPmMgWojHOnnY_5_QVFkzdavlOTs0E_A8C7c5Tqpl2828NTfT0Z1kls-X3/s640/blogger-image-1107871992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLT0Yx9f4Yxc6v0sKCVZUte_2GWqaKGmLEO7Vxl_6VqV0e9E2yY-9NsZIqlZawiEpP7C1LRd9voAop0lXKLoPmMgWojHOnnY_5_QVFkzdavlOTs0E_A8C7c5Tqpl2828NTfT0Z1kls-X3/s320/blogger-image-1107871992.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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<b>Sampan Congee</b> - A congee staple at most establishments, it was average to good. J doesn't meat pig's ears, so I don't know why she orders this. H didn't really care for it but she didn't complain either.<br />
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<b>Sweet Chinese Donut</b> - A favourite of mine. It was decent here, but tasted a little too doughy. H loved it though. I liked how it wasn't overly fried. </div>
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<b>Pan Fried Turnip Cake with X.O. Sauce</b> - This dish was the main event of my meal. The turnip cake was cut into cubes and pan fried in sauce. The cubes were a little on the thick side, so you get a lot of soft turnip cake in every bite (as opposed to the crispy outside). It could be cut a little thinner to increase the ratio of crispness. The sauce was tasty, but they could have been a bit more generous with it. The one thing I didn't like was the bean sprouts. They were flavorless and seemed to be added to the plate as more of a garnish than part of the dish. </div>
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<b>Chinese Donut Wrapped with Rice Roll</b> - in a nutshell I was disappointed with this dish. Maybe I was getting full and they served this nearly 20 minutes after everything else we ordered. However, I found that the doughnut was too doughy, and the rice wrap was a little below average. They provided a bit of sauce, but it felt a little stingy too. Overall, I probably wouldn't order it again. </div>
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H also got a glass of warm soy milk, which was just okay. </div>
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Service wasn't bad. There were probably 6 staff waiting tables and hosting, but there were also a few times we had to wait to flag someone down. The restaurant only has about 20 tables, so they can probably do with being a little more attentive. </div>
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Overall, I think I will go back because it's new, there's lots of parking, and they have a more extensive dinner menu that I haven't even looked at yet. For now, I do recommend trying it out, but time might change that recommendation. </div>
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<b>Summary</b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Food</span></b>: Good. Based purely on lunch, it was close to just being average.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Service</span></b>: Good. There were plenty of servers, but at times they weren't very attentive.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Setting</span></b>: Good. It's a new establishment.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Value</span></b>: Good. Their prices are quite reasonable and the food is pretty good.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/1934509/restaurant/Vancouver/Central-Richmond/Kongee-Dinesty-Richmond"><img alt="Kongee Dinesty 金津粥品專門店 on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1934509/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-78626246561984667072014-01-22T22:46:00.001-08:002014-01-22T22:46:38.875-08:00Kumare Restaurant & BakeryOur friends wanted to get their Filipino food fix, so we booked Kumare Restaurant & Bakery for a Saturday night dinner.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9O1Q7d_zZO0ZLPJhenuSajEeudYjr4FQ6kNz2zBc_R0JbyCChK4R5Jt2oyll3sTU3fcFhr3Y3E6MyihdajOL5pGH7U6yf4wy469xzfRU8juaMhGzNYpGlgu6jDWp32yw2mt6VF-zYHzl2/s640/blogger-image-1949860703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9O1Q7d_zZO0ZLPJhenuSajEeudYjr4FQ6kNz2zBc_R0JbyCChK4R5Jt2oyll3sTU3fcFhr3Y3E6MyihdajOL5pGH7U6yf4wy469xzfRU8juaMhGzNYpGlgu6jDWp32yw2mt6VF-zYHzl2/s320/blogger-image-1949860703.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lumpiang Shanghai</td></tr>
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The restaurant is in a small plaza and there were just enough parking spaces for the size of the restaurant. When we arrived, we were seated pretty quickly but it took a long time between visits from the servers to place our order. The place was quite busy, but the servers clearly weren't very attentive that night. The food also took a very long time before they were served, but it could have been due to the number of large parties dining that evening.<br />
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We ordered 6 dishes and split everything 'family style'. Following is what was ordered.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJ3JDHM22NhfQraZ3VqTucoiGDgudfT8eEwjFtx_v9wvw9a6ThUmhQnopdEcKbBW9st9AuKFCQ2Xet1izJtPP_sJwgoAghwmdXhriJ96941OE1I4jPBNQlNYXS1I4gSKN_uF7wfegB90E/s640/blogger-image--943392419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJ3JDHM22NhfQraZ3VqTucoiGDgudfT8eEwjFtx_v9wvw9a6ThUmhQnopdEcKbBW9st9AuKFCQ2Xet1izJtPP_sJwgoAghwmdXhriJ96941OE1I4jPBNQlNYXS1I4gSKN_uF7wfegB90E/s320/blogger-image--943392419.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken Pandan</td></tr>
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<b>Lumpiang Shanghai</b> - Deep fried bite sized spring rolls made up of ground pork, shrimp, and onions. Served with a side of sweet chili sauce. The sauce was the best part of the dish. The spring rolls had a light, thin, crispy skin, but the stuffing was very 'mystery meat'-like. The ingredients were very well-ground up so the texture was very bland.<br />
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<b>Chicken Pandan</b> - Fried chicken marinated in coconut milk and wrapped with pandan leaves. The chicken was very tasty and juicy. I thought the coconut milk flavour was too light, and overall the dish was too greasy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwTm8_Nr2RLEkPPwMji_NEWnMgW-P9PYNuo4pX-tKeJ4_TBrDKCzIETWDA7uLpIDVkkb6hZO-6dXcwm_Ly6POuBSXd-Q6X5llIys4KuUYkn78x2e4VxNjcmEsEKi97cQKXxCSO9o78Hyk/s640/blogger-image--1891671516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwTm8_Nr2RLEkPPwMji_NEWnMgW-P9PYNuo4pX-tKeJ4_TBrDKCzIETWDA7uLpIDVkkb6hZO-6dXcwm_Ly6POuBSXd-Q6X5llIys4KuUYkn78x2e4VxNjcmEsEKi97cQKXxCSO9o78Hyk/s320/blogger-image--1891671516.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kumare's Rice</td></tr>
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<b>Kumare's Rice</b> - Shrimp paste (bagoong) fried rice garnished with shredded mangoes. The mangoes had little to no taste and didn't add much to the rice and could have been left off completely.<br />
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<b>Adobong Sitaw</b> - String beans, shrimp, and pork braised in soy sauce, garlic, and vinegar. The sour nature of the sauce made this a favourite at our table. It went well with the garlic rice and the flavours were well received. I never thought I would enjoy minced pork with vinegar.<br />
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There were also 2 pork dishes that I honestly can't remember the names/descriptions of. The grilled one was actually quite good and very flavourful. The only thing I didn't like about it was that it was extremely greasy. The second pork dish was a little overwhelming in terms of the 'porkie' taste. The sauce it came with was good, but it was a little light in taste and heavy on cream.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0WCMh6YHcjrXnwN_9lvxVdup3uga6abAD83qzeutV03qhYNnGp_UdMdF1ark7YprA49KbtB9_P5yLjQJnU6RcJ02gqXRx6TSzdrXsVs5VcKPJeuVmTw9ZDDHW10MzjzVN0B4ztLLeVE2/s640/blogger-image-1449956504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0WCMh6YHcjrXnwN_9lvxVdup3uga6abAD83qzeutV03qhYNnGp_UdMdF1ark7YprA49KbtB9_P5yLjQJnU6RcJ02gqXRx6TSzdrXsVs5VcKPJeuVmTw9ZDDHW10MzjzVN0B4ztLLeVE2/s320/blogger-image-1449956504.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adobong Sitaw</td></tr>
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After all the mains, we also ordered a couple of <b>Halo Halo</b> desserts which I didn't end up trying because I was feeling sick (not from the food, just in general).<br />
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Foodwise, all the dishes were very tasty but they were also consistently too greasy. I'm not sure if this is something common with Filipino restaurants as 3 of 3 that I have tried in the Lower Mainland are all pretty greasy.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJVG9209Bhezyj6HlCEQKghINwCRwB3paGe83qGwPcZvOhyphenhyphen9KAdLxYYKY5iUKTFx_qxE9HbgSMaUeUVkqS3BHg6Se83_7n_kAw9XNKTSeo-UawSrd6EULwASGA2blj5nDZGpdfnqAnFtu/s640/blogger-image--68987012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJVG9209Bhezyj6HlCEQKghINwCRwB3paGe83qGwPcZvOhyphenhyphen9KAdLxYYKY5iUKTFx_qxE9HbgSMaUeUVkqS3BHg6Se83_7n_kAw9XNKTSeo-UawSrd6EULwASGA2blj5nDZGpdfnqAnFtu/s320/blogger-image--68987012.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grilled Pork</td></tr>
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The restaurant location wasn't bad as they practically have their own parking lot in front of the restaurant. The interior was a little confusing as it feels modern with dark colours and dim lighting, but the nature of the food they serve is more family-oriented. </div>
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Despite the hit on service and the greasiness of the food, I still recommend Kumare Restaurant & Bakery because the food is good. Although, I would also recommend the greasiest dishes in moderation. </div>
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<b>Summary</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: magenta;">Food</span></b>: Very Good. This one could have slipped down to Good, but in moderation the greasiness can be overcome. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSl4E3JcWvUU_99NJdARybIrnOt9qp1GMm9nx9nptGSkb-Vm8v_KEH_uEG_ELJ1qsFHqsGJfQe-igJZK3WeCtgc7jesirCI87OKCUpVWJr57twhLghGAjqbWngFyN3S4c-yU5zuQJjvHw_/s640/blogger-image-997620208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSl4E3JcWvUU_99NJdARybIrnOt9qp1GMm9nx9nptGSkb-Vm8v_KEH_uEG_ELJ1qsFHqsGJfQe-igJZK3WeCtgc7jesirCI87OKCUpVWJr57twhLghGAjqbWngFyN3S4c-yU5zuQJjvHw_/s320/blogger-image-997620208.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Braised Pork</td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: white;">Service</span></b>: Poor. The servers are slow and aren't really attentive to all the tables in a consistent manner. The kitchen is also quite slow with serving up orders. </div>
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<b><span style="color: lime;">Setting</span></b>: Average. Just enough parking out front, and tables that can be easily arranged for large parties. </div>
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Value</span></b>: Good. Their prices are quite reasonable and the food is pretty good. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVa2mumTw6Hl2dgBeqguC2Kxh1KicYzWlF15Xblm4Xu4CZyMRA8T9HZU1qgm4L-9OnS8mG8Wh4SgEbS-qYdiIoyC4c6IbPdohWnzaOb_cKN2asq_Po1OLoakF2luw2y4tU7XoQ-RQObGf/s640/blogger-image--1480310841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVa2mumTw6Hl2dgBeqguC2Kxh1KicYzWlF15Xblm4Xu4CZyMRA8T9HZU1qgm4L-9OnS8mG8Wh4SgEbS-qYdiIoyC4c6IbPdohWnzaOb_cKN2asq_Po1OLoakF2luw2y4tU7XoQ-RQObGf/s320/blogger-image--1480310841.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halo Halo</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/1565838/restaurant/Vancouver/Richmond-Central/Kumare-Restaurant-Bakery-Richmond"><img alt="Kumare Restaurant & Bakery on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1565838/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
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<br />Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-80069440424319327462014-01-22T22:09:00.000-08:002014-01-22T22:09:06.154-08:00Ginger Indian CuisineGinger Indian Cuisine left me very pleasantly surprised.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NtgXrhKhxOSlL3tqqn1_cl_tAfcjgjUS6B5BNf8vP8OT_fWkXdBsts4sXXSrcs-Q-S74opBzjxytPIre9QQ2_tHixWZOx46w1kFSam9oN3hZxX61FPHLcDqhBfMGBSzIkC08KqvSqH7g/s640/blogger-image--194637224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NtgXrhKhxOSlL3tqqn1_cl_tAfcjgjUS6B5BNf8vP8OT_fWkXdBsts4sXXSrcs-Q-S74opBzjxytPIre9QQ2_tHixWZOx46w1kFSam9oN3hZxX61FPHLcDqhBfMGBSzIkC08KqvSqH7g/s320/blogger-image--194637224.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butter Mekhani</td></tr>
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J ordered the usual <b>Butter Mekhani</b> which she shared with H. The portion size was generous and the dish was thick and very rich with flavour. It tasted great and went well with the naan and rice. It didn't taste over complicated with too many different spices. Since H shared the dish, she had to order it non-spicy. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8ml6LV_2qTtJTc9hjiVpX9b5U7kkAwl1ozqVBUxjiuh2ElfQcTMak38MISrCjCBvNCbAKnx8SoxvAPaToGt6JP2Lp6GVF-4uDGz8snHgF5wEHr5LwFVYkLX8mjbQhPTeKgB-ISUL_hQ-/s640/blogger-image--980356251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8ml6LV_2qTtJTc9hjiVpX9b5U7kkAwl1ozqVBUxjiuh2ElfQcTMak38MISrCjCBvNCbAKnx8SoxvAPaToGt6JP2Lp6GVF-4uDGz8snHgF5wEHr5LwFVYkLX8mjbQhPTeKgB-ISUL_hQ-/s320/blogger-image--980356251.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daily Special</td></tr>
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I ordered the <b>Daily Special</b> which is basically 2 types of curry on a plate instead of 1 (plus a samosa). That night it was <b>Korma </b>and <b>Kadai Paneer</b> (if memory serves). I asked for my dishes to be spicy. I felt that both were a little thin but they were tasty nonetheless. Again, the ingredients in the both curries gave them a rich taste, but they didn't taste too heavy in spices. The samosa was average. I thought it was very light on stuffing. </div>
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The <b>Naan </b>was quite good. It wasn't too thick and it was cooked well and lightly crispy. It wasn't the best I've had in the Lower Mainland but it ranked near the top. We also ordered the <b>Paneer Naan</b>, which is naan stuffed with a combination of cheeses, cilantro, and spices. It was quite heavy and really could have served as a substitute to naam plus rice. It was very good, but in hindsight I probably would have skipped ordering rice. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWju0T_IGI7HvFHbLahqDkMaIEtWxIaYoOrEGcBByfOz6jeBhN6LC1sqTYmJohh9LgUgLIez9huP8MVwLw8HmL5XjuITEx4Kt0Qsyp745VW7AMnVAT7lfMAqHhF6MrV4TvcK8ZXZiyjWSE/s640/blogger-image-1569862984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWju0T_IGI7HvFHbLahqDkMaIEtWxIaYoOrEGcBByfOz6jeBhN6LC1sqTYmJohh9LgUgLIez9huP8MVwLw8HmL5XjuITEx4Kt0Qsyp745VW7AMnVAT7lfMAqHhF6MrV4TvcK8ZXZiyjWSE/s320/blogger-image-1569862984.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naan</td></tr>
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Service was pretty good. It wasn't very busy at the restaurant but many patrons came and went and also commented very positively about the food. Many of the other patrons shared my sentiments in that it was like a gem of a restaurant to find in Richmond.<br />
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The restaurant is located in a small plaza on Bridgeport Road near Costco. The other shops in the plaza are all closed at night so there was ample parking. The interior of the restaurant was moderately well-lit and they had a TV on one of the walls playing the hockey game.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDeMmlDoZES1GEl7uzkw4AfoWpU0Xp6zbwxexQhB1-Alb-Y50XSNtNR0b49CIZw_UJKvIWPTEA1Ydcd4i4e00XWVsmrEOoybRuvRC6-_GY17DE0hsqf93XbxlMfwCmdSd-JMxsGNv16MGd/s640/blogger-image-1393188640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDeMmlDoZES1GEl7uzkw4AfoWpU0Xp6zbwxexQhB1-Alb-Y50XSNtNR0b49CIZw_UJKvIWPTEA1Ydcd4i4e00XWVsmrEOoybRuvRC6-_GY17DE0hsqf93XbxlMfwCmdSd-JMxsGNv16MGd/s320/blogger-image-1393188640.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paneer Naan</td></tr>
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Overall, I would go back to Ginger Indian Cuisine. I know of several good Indian restaurants in Vancouver, but this is the first one in Richmond that I have tried that I enjoyed enough to want to go back. I recommend it!<br />
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<b>Summary</b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Food</span></b>: Good. I would almost rate it Very Good, but I did feel that my curries were a little thin.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Service</span></b>: Good.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Setting</span></b>: Good. Ample parking and there`s a TV for the hockey game.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Value</span></b>: Good. The price weren't outrageous and the quality is good.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/1739512/restaurant/Vancouver/Ginger-Indian-Cuisine-Richmond"><img alt="Ginger Indian Cuisine on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1739512/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
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<br />Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-83154292685073182252013-12-18T23:13:00.000-08:002013-12-18T23:13:25.040-08:00Hanafubuki Sushi 花吹雪We had a dinner-for-two voucher for Hanafubuki Sushi, so we picked a night and went to try it out. We were a little surprised when we found the place because the dining area only seats 6. Luckily for us, one of the three tables in the restaurant was empty, so we didn't have to wait.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLOxEEAHrmy2_ypsn62XRUIujdnq4l1fLmK9_GKFuszKCn-aNhbK_vTSwKumoZMVKb0fwyjAD06VOJRohGoHTwJyLQKk4vrXJjlBL8bpmQN3qTuRz5pc5wGOL3JxXv2D5XHOaa40u4oyn/s640/blogger-image-1048182124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLOxEEAHrmy2_ypsn62XRUIujdnq4l1fLmK9_GKFuszKCn-aNhbK_vTSwKumoZMVKb0fwyjAD06VOJRohGoHTwJyLQKk4vrXJjlBL8bpmQN3qTuRz5pc5wGOL3JxXv2D5XHOaa40u4oyn/s320/blogger-image-1048182124.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Takoyaki</td></tr>
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Our voucher was good for 2 miso soups, a share plate of takoyaki (equivalent to 2 orders), and a dinner plate for each of us consisting of 2 pieces of aburi toro sushi, a side salad, and a Magma roll (BBQ salmon, cucumber, avocado, imitation crab, and cream cheese topped with baked yam, green onion and specialty sauce).<br />
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The food quality was pretty good. The salad and the greens in the Magma roll tasted fresh. The takoyaki was a little soggy but delicious nonetheless. I thought that a single order would have been sufficient as J and I were counting how many we each already had as we got down to the last couple.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVi38L3vLUalmm1z_3Qtw3wBVl0jzbFVScjm0F10m1L1rjfbGv_EdVMHij_QpqtqhnByXgwCZEYeGDZH8c83seLSEuYTsbA_XMNxv8N1slWYKrvXD-dTxskksDCfcxwXRgKtKDHihWvLms/s640/blogger-image-1057236644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVi38L3vLUalmm1z_3Qtw3wBVl0jzbFVScjm0F10m1L1rjfbGv_EdVMHij_QpqtqhnByXgwCZEYeGDZH8c83seLSEuYTsbA_XMNxv8N1slWYKrvXD-dTxskksDCfcxwXRgKtKDHihWvLms/s320/blogger-image-1057236644.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magma Roll Dinner</td></tr>
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The aburi toro was fresh tasting and stole the show from the Magma roll which took center place on the dinner plate. The ingredients in the roll didn't go together quite well. There was a little too much rice which took away from the other ingredients and flavours. Also, the specialty sauce was a little bland, which didn't complement the baked yam or the green onion well. The BBQ salmon could have used more seasoning as well. All in all, most of the ingredients were either dry or starchy (naturally, not in a bad way), so it really depended on the sauce to bring it together, which is where it didn't really shine.<br />
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The quantity of food was good, even though I was quite hungry when we arrived. Service was good and attentive (although one would hope so when there are only a maximum of 6 people in the restaurant). Parking is typical for Robson Street, so expect to pay a couple of bucks for a parking meter.<br />
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Overall, the food wasn't bad but the location and size coupled with the un-extraordinary food aren't screaming for me to make a return visit anytime soon.<br />
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<b>Summary</b><br />
<b><span style="color: lime;">Food</span></b>: Average. Good quality but the execution was lacking on the Magma roll.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Service</span></b>: Good.<br />
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<b><span style="color: lime;">Setting</span></b>: Average. Very small restaurant (6 seats total).<br />
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<b><span style="color: lime;">Value</span></b>: Average.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/1673074/restaurant/Robson-Street-West-End/Hanafubuki-Sushi-Vancouver"><img alt="Hanafubuki Sushi 花吹雪 on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1673074/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-4509179317091899032013-12-18T23:11:00.001-08:002013-12-18T23:11:20.620-08:00Matoi SushiWhen we're out in Coquitlam visiting our friends, we usually head to Matoi for dinner. It's a Japanese restaurant run by Japanese (rarer than it sounds in the Lower Mainland). The food isn't spectacular or anything, but it's always fresh and the quality is good and consistent.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfDGbBMGF7n0BYiQO3rf4B4kuMrs45kndNn63n7CocltOHl3YOfo4HOfeTzLh8mWzvIOQNiRSKIpLtWaktxHJY2bzPGDqspiqVpl_ZvLAkWStl7a27L1Wo2MsuLby1aJtlbcM4QtsWCQ2/s640/blogger-image-387627880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfDGbBMGF7n0BYiQO3rf4B4kuMrs45kndNn63n7CocltOHl3YOfo4HOfeTzLh8mWzvIOQNiRSKIpLtWaktxHJY2bzPGDqspiqVpl_ZvLAkWStl7a27L1Wo2MsuLby1aJtlbcM4QtsWCQ2/s320/blogger-image-387627880.jpg" width="320" /></a>On our latest visit I ordered the beef teriyaki dinner box which comes with salad and rice. The variety in the box is fairly typical for a dinner box, but as I mentioned it's the quality of the food that keeps me going back.<br />
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The teriyaki is not overly salty or drowning in sauce as some places tend to do. The tempura has a good amount of batter (not too much and not too little) and it always comes out looking bright light yellow, indicating the oil used is pretty fresh.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_kXTSJDjVwz-NPmlzbeYU2VE7ntjTz47xZOVfKHGPqsMLCz-t2snmhNbx_CeG4Pcvir8FI8y2bw788bOfkjCw2w-0hSPkttRMVAwjMLjEmva-AuDuVBYLc3sN3RWT8euYczdFS7tgLbQ/s640/blogger-image-955935030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_kXTSJDjVwz-NPmlzbeYU2VE7ntjTz47xZOVfKHGPqsMLCz-t2snmhNbx_CeG4Pcvir8FI8y2bw788bOfkjCw2w-0hSPkttRMVAwjMLjEmva-AuDuVBYLc3sN3RWT8euYczdFS7tgLbQ/s320/blogger-image-955935030.jpg" width="320" /></a>If you're picky about the rice used for the sushi and maki rolls, it's also good to know that they use Japanese rice and a good ratio of rice to rice vinegar. Some places use too much or none at all and try to pass it off as Japanese.<br />
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Service is pretty average. It's not bad but it's not anything to highlight. It's not hard to get a server's attention as the dining area is a large room with a couple of semi-private rooms along one wall. </div>
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The restaurant is in a plaza with plenty of parking available so you never has to fight for parking or worry about paying a meter. </div>
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Overall, Matoi is good Japanese restaurant that is consistent in qulality and service. If you don't feel like restaurant gambling and leaving your dining experience to chance, I definitely recommend this restaurant.<br />
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<b>Summary</b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Food</span></b>: Good. Fresh ingredients and consistently good quality.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Service</span></b>: Good.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Setting</span></b>: Good. The restaurant is clean and parking is quick and easy.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Value</span></b>: Good. You pay for the ingredients and quality. </div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/1552639/restaurant/Vancouver/Coquitlam-Town-Centre/Matoi-Sushi-Coquitlam"><img alt="Matoi Sushi on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1552639/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-17696652913875327572013-12-04T21:41:00.000-08:002013-12-04T21:44:50.560-08:00Pearl Castle Café 圓香生活餐飲 <i>This review is for the Pearl Castle chain, although my most recent visit was the Richmond Centre location.</i><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihldJQ7nLNBZkmgPYuxTWj7rX3ghswvB_fotLob583f7aqAI0jurCec4ebdIyBjmw-4abSFtOEGG619MqORN29_F3lv4n3nFc8hQw9pxtQkMmI18r6GA6l9wnTeJonyM_V_S65NOta9a2h/s640/blogger-image--2014151222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihldJQ7nLNBZkmgPYuxTWj7rX3ghswvB_fotLob583f7aqAI0jurCec4ebdIyBjmw-4abSFtOEGG619MqORN29_F3lv4n3nFc8hQw9pxtQkMmI18r6GA6l9wnTeJonyM_V_S65NOta9a2h/s320/blogger-image--2014151222.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Milky Seafood Hotpot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Pearl Castle was a long-time favourite of mine, but in recent years they have spread themselves quite thin and lost the focus on quality. They regularly raise their prices and keep opening new locations. </div>
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<div>
My most recent visit was to the Richmond Centre location. Their menu is pretty consistent across locations and they have quite a bit of variety. I decided to try their <b>milky seafood hotpot</b> for a change and was a little disappointed. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_tzoxm6ys-nXyu9LgkMmQLrTcIliZdqR8k9MzHwAONh5Kqj_8qW0te2oj2PZXCKXEO5yl3Ojdy5s1_7ZckucSKJni5NjI7HC1lreK0_GY_ICnBvG667Gi-klkb1fm83L1EXdxKdZDfSx/s640/blogger-image--379826726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_tzoxm6ys-nXyu9LgkMmQLrTcIliZdqR8k9MzHwAONh5Kqj_8qW0te2oj2PZXCKXEO5yl3Ojdy5s1_7ZckucSKJni5NjI7HC1lreK0_GY_ICnBvG667Gi-klkb1fm83L1EXdxKdZDfSx/s320/blogger-image--379826726.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Milky Seafood Hotpot</td></tr>
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The pot was rather large but most of it was soup and lots of cabbage. There were a few pieces of seafood in the pot including a shrimp and a mussel. The soup was rich with milk and pretty flavorful. However, overall I wasn't impressed and probably won't ever order it again. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Service is standard for a Chinese restaurant, and the setting is pretty average. The only bonus for the Richmond Centre location is that it's in a mall so parking and shopping are readily available. </div>
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<div>
Overall, I would recommend the Pearl Castle chain of restaurants, but I would stick with the Sexsmith location and some of the other dishes that you everyone else ordering like the crispy peppery chicken nuggets or the three spice chicken.<br />
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I find that in general, the Minoru (Richmond Centre) location is slower on service and the food quality isn't at the same level as their original location on Sexsmith. </div>
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<b>Summary</b></div>
<div>
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Food</b></span>: Good</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: lime;"><b>Service</b></span>: Average</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Setting</span></b>: Good</div>
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<b><span style="color: lime;">Value</span></b>: Average</div>
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<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/1480908/restaurant/Vancouver/Central-Richmond/Pearl-Castle-Cafe-Minoru-Richmond"><img alt="Pearl Castle Café 圓香生活餐飲 (Minoru) on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1480908/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-73693008959393551042013-10-27T17:20:00.000-07:002013-10-27T17:20:40.906-07:00Chongqing Restaurant 重慶飯店<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjetOwjwmUoZU9iEnUIfwmgqBhorwDM2nyvEA4SmircrzZMXHrd0CFNSfpFCFnh0gtfKoENznlyFOJT89jOEeFludib609CeLx7BGUVquFoTcjz7ov6lW8HVHJ2HHasjj38LLPJR5P6w1v3/s640/blogger-image--716477938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjetOwjwmUoZU9iEnUIfwmgqBhorwDM2nyvEA4SmircrzZMXHrd0CFNSfpFCFnh0gtfKoENznlyFOJT89jOEeFludib609CeLx7BGUVquFoTcjz7ov6lW8HVHJ2HHasjj38LLPJR5P6w1v3/s320/blogger-image--716477938.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken Corn Soup</td></tr>
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It's been quite some time since we went to Chongqing Restaurant on Kingsway (10 months!) so we decided to head there for lunch after H's gymnastics class. We arrived around 12:30pm and the restaurant wasn't very busy (yet).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHStQVFUiZ0KoSZVIF54_Iiw3_hMBMR3bVZdFfGbveGPS5Rvom0rOY-VzHM3IHD0SBqxTzUtKmFnMaqMMcMdoWe0uw1sKJHCAflsN5l4zsenZTg_DrqfMlEUGRH0G_vj70HrXRo8DY6Lq/s640/blogger-image--1101364194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHStQVFUiZ0KoSZVIF54_Iiw3_hMBMR3bVZdFfGbveGPS5Rvom0rOY-VzHM3IHD0SBqxTzUtKmFnMaqMMcMdoWe0uw1sKJHCAflsN5l4zsenZTg_DrqfMlEUGRH0G_vj70HrXRo8DY6Lq/s320/blogger-image--1101364194.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot and Sour Soup</td></tr>
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I asked for a high chair so the server directed us to sit at a table near the entrance so there's more walking room around the chair. However, the new booth he gave us was in direct sun. Even with the blinds down and closed, J and I were feeling the heat and asked to move. With a much cooler booth, we sat down and put in our orders.<br />
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<b>Seafood Chow Mein</b> - standard chow mein with some seafood included. It wasn't bad but it wasn't memorable either.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43n1bHphC4X0tz1uSefZOGSVpuvERuNWAy8kOPkf8UcaKwpEyjqLqkmAxa3ZBWxbImIElFX_YeuSeg6BlvXkA8efW0h8yJLxMhgaEKKE3VQ_74mMVFOmxWJe4mB53VDMttmEFAw-6oYeX/s640/blogger-image-1161671999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43n1bHphC4X0tz1uSefZOGSVpuvERuNWAy8kOPkf8UcaKwpEyjqLqkmAxa3ZBWxbImIElFX_YeuSeg6BlvXkA8efW0h8yJLxMhgaEKKE3VQ_74mMVFOmxWJe4mB53VDMttmEFAw-6oYeX/s320/blogger-image-1161671999.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seafood Chow Mein</td></tr>
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<b>Tan Tan Noodles with Pork Chop</b> - I ordered this one because I like comparing Tan Tan Noodles at various restaurants. I have to admit that I really liked the way they made it. The soup is very thick but there's enough of it that the noodles don't absorb everything. This is important for me since I spend a long time feeding H while I eat. Some places, the noodles absorb all the soup and it's like eating dry noodles. Anyway, the noodles are good and the soup is a bit spicy. I would like to try the Deluxe version next time, which comes with ground meat in the noodles. The pork chop that was served on the side was pretty good. It's dipped in a curry sauce before being fried, so there's a curry taste to the meat which is actually quite original. H really loved the pork chop and ate all but one piece that she let me have..<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOj_BwJb2iVjnV1ry1gowSPB-7gOPlIFmRJlxwRxS3dDYaoTz0msBgrqFGNrX7h04vtXpt3EWl5pxYHvdt7SfQo9ePNDx6Xot5ZSfY62SNmXPw1i7BADlRS4ZMt4R9w_F4SOvleTg8w0ll/s640/blogger-image-1110783144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOj_BwJb2iVjnV1ry1gowSPB-7gOPlIFmRJlxwRxS3dDYaoTz0msBgrqFGNrX7h04vtXpt3EWl5pxYHvdt7SfQo9ePNDx6Xot5ZSfY62SNmXPw1i7BADlRS4ZMt4R9w_F4SOvleTg8w0ll/s320/blogger-image-1110783144.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tan Tan Noodles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7echFYi6NIkYuROfSRuLPcpjQqPP6OEj0nQE2gZ2ggSyXiNelckK4DMwCukoenCJ2Eay2fc7zBTDSqG1m9hFfa2CjTDH7eMo484Ia7WzAorIO0YCG1gRNFGiC-MGhnWl64cJm3Lq-4WM/s640/blogger-image--645383543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7echFYi6NIkYuROfSRuLPcpjQqPP6OEj0nQE2gZ2ggSyXiNelckK4DMwCukoenCJ2Eay2fc7zBTDSqG1m9hFfa2CjTDH7eMo484Ia7WzAorIO0YCG1gRNFGiC-MGhnWl64cJm3Lq-4WM/s320/blogger-image--645383543.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork Chop (c/w Tan Tan Noodles)</td></tr>
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All lunch special menu dishes come with your choice of soup: hot and sour or chicken corn. We ordered one of each since H can't handle spicy. The chicken corn soup was very thick and had some egg swirl, shredded chicken and bean sprout tips. It was a little too thick and would have been better if there was more substance to it.<br />
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Service wasn't bad overall. It was very apparent that they didn't turn on the AC until sometime later when someone probably complained or the employees realized it. It also get pretty busy in there as the lunch crowd started to arrive.<br />
<br />
I'm going to make an effort to try out Chongqing for dinner as they have a lot of Szechuan dishes that I really want to try and the food is pretty good.<br />
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<b>Summary</b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Food</span></b>: Good. Everything is average or better (more better). Soup can be skipped.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Service</span></b>: Good. Nothing to write home about.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Setting</span></b>: Good. They have their own parking lot and there's quite a bit of street parking nearby. The restaurant is pretty clean.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Value</span></b>: Good. The lunch specials were $8.45 and a decent size. Food is good too.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/1634157/restaurant/Vancouver/Burnaby-South/Chongqing-Restaurant-Burnaby"><img alt="Chongqing Restaurant 重慶飯店 on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1634157/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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<br />Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-60951982513226545412013-10-22T07:25:00.002-07:002013-10-22T07:27:23.522-07:00Malay Curry House 馬拉星 Malay Curry House is quickly becoming one of my go-to restaurants for a hot bowl of noodles. They are located on Kingsway a block from Boundary and they specialize in Malaysian style curries. They also have a killer Hainan Chicken that's boneless and comes with your choice of 2 sauces from a pretty lengthy list of options.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFRH_mtmtJSGbLyhnrrCscBsq7t8keDCQ48GLt0xoq1f2Hddgbi_tCHOxepqErF_H_iMWzV3z6yEvG7wyxqFwh7vt2EJpWsFRv6KAnVuXJbbvFyx00IfJTtHK5n17n-MMSU_ul_P6377C/s640/blogger-image-374781538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFRH_mtmtJSGbLyhnrrCscBsq7t8keDCQ48GLt0xoq1f2Hddgbi_tCHOxepqErF_H_iMWzV3z6yEvG7wyxqFwh7vt2EJpWsFRv6KAnVuXJbbvFyx00IfJTtHK5n17n-MMSU_ul_P6377C/s320/blogger-image-374781538.jpg" width="320" /></a>My favorite items on their menu are the curry soup noodles. They have a kick and very deep flavours from the various spices that they use. On my last visit, it was a little bit on the salty side, but it was still very delicious. You get your option of a couple of different kinds of noodles, but I usually go with the oil noodles because they are thicker and don't absorb too much of the soup which I like drinking along with the noodles. You can get mixed noodles as well, which is what J usually does. You also get to choose what kind of meat you want in it. I tried the lamb and I have to say that I still prefer the beef brisket. The lamb was mostly bone and fat, so it took away from the dish. The beef on the other hand, is very good. The meat is on the fatty side, but they more than make up for it in the quantity that they give you. Their soup noodles all come with napa, fish cakes, and tofu puffs.<br />
<br />
The Hainan Chicken is one of their specialties and they actually run out of it sometimes. When we go with a larger party, we usually order a half or whole chicken in advance to ensure that we have one for the kids. They serve their chicken boneless which is great for the kids, and the chicken oil rice is flavourful while not being too oily. The chicken comes with some pickled carrots, radish, and a couple of chunks of pineapple. Soup is also included but it's very light and a bit salty so it's nutritional value is questionable at best.<br />
<br />
The sauces are the highlight of the chicken dish. The standard choices with Chinese oil chicken are present and they make them quite well. I am referring to the ginger and chives sauce, and the sweet chili sauce. I tried the lime sauce one time and while I was impressed, I still fall back on the standard sauces.<br />
<br />
J has ordered a variety of their other soup noodles and she hasn't been disappointed yet. She loves variety and doesn't like eating at the same places very often, so it speaks volumes when she wants to revisit a restaurant within a couple of weeks.<br />
<br />
Another feature that I like about Malay curry house is that you can add a cold drink to your meal for fifty cents. They only have one flavour available at a time, but so far it's always been something fruity like peach or passion fruit tea. It's quite good and balances the heat from the noodles very well (especially in the summer).<br />
<br />
The restaurant is decently decorated and pretty clean with several tables and a bench by the window. It is quite spacious and I think they could probably fit a few more tables in there without much problem (although I can't comment on the legality of cramming more people in there).<br />
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Service is where a lot of people get turned off by the restaurant. The servers are not well trained and very inefficient. They are slow to respond to customers and they don't monitor the dining room very often. On one particular visit, our server took orders from 2 people at a time from our table of 8. She took 2 orders and went to the kitchen, came back for 2 more orders and went to the kitchen again, and then returned to take another 2 orders. It was quite bizarre and very inefficient.<br />
<br />
We have had orders mixed up before too. I had ordered oil noodles and my friend ordered mixed noodles, but we ended up with each others' noodles in the soups that we each picked. They also forget small requests like additional plates or bowls. We end up just walking to the counter instead of requesting them from the servers.<br />
<br />
Finally, and this is the biggest problem and probably a deal breaker for many people, the restaurant (or just the servers) often make mistakes on the bill. I know friends and relatives who have eaten there and been billed for more items than they ordered, or billed more for what they did order. This happened to me on both the last 2 visits I made there. Less than a month ago, we were billed for an extra meal. On my last visit, the prices on the bill were higher than on the menu, and we were billed for an entire Hainan chicken instead of just the meal. The number of mistakes we have experienced and have been reported by friends and family are quite high, but I will leave it at that. Make sure you read your bill carefully!<br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
<b><span style="color: magenta;">Food</span></b>: Very good. Great noodles and Hainan chicken.<br />
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<b><span style="color: white;">Service</span></b>: Poor. Service is not great, even by Chinese restaurant standards.<br />
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<b><span style="color: lime;">Setting</span></b>: Average. Parking on nearby streets and the dining room is spacious and clean.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Value</span></b>: Good. Great food and decent prices.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/1613723/restaurant/Victoria-Fraserview-Killarney/Malay-Curry-House-Vancouver"><img alt="Malay Curry House 馬拉星 on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1613723/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-20151121146960901592013-10-16T17:10:00.002-07:002013-10-16T17:10:27.715-07:00Po Kong Vegetarian Restaurant 普光素食Aside from dining with vegetarians, every once in a while we have a craving of the meatless variety and we pick from a short list of restaurants that serve no meat at all (because vegetarian options at regular restaurants often use the same cooking implements or even the same oil as that used for meat dishes). We've been to Po Kong on Kingsway once before and chose to go again this long weekend.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBhBlq9wN6PQtMtHCUG7CJ4vsvEEsfGpiCfpwcq276IVMPhwRd0diMQrKLzZL_fouIV-J_3Dd0PPN9CvmZ4qNd1I1RRQpIB8uA5LbhSH4l8d-coXQfOmoI10sQ7iZ-XINfcvdSqmBh4iK/s640/blogger-image--15640387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBhBlq9wN6PQtMtHCUG7CJ4vsvEEsfGpiCfpwcq276IVMPhwRd0diMQrKLzZL_fouIV-J_3Dd0PPN9CvmZ4qNd1I1RRQpIB8uA5LbhSH4l8d-coXQfOmoI10sQ7iZ-XINfcvdSqmBh4iK/s320/blogger-image--15640387.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jai (Gluten) Combination</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The restaurant is located at a busy section of Kingsway near Knight Street, so parking can be challenging. We ended up a block away right on Kingsway, so it wasn't so bad. The restaurant has about 3 parking spots out back, unless you feel like double-parking and having to move your car if you box someone in, or get boxed in yourself.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNlvTLzYY9eqVG9lz68NxF-MYa5IbpTQOAwdhcqEqbTHH1lay_cgO9QTlLxYm6vXLIbAG4pO6Hu5v0bXk4KUwup57Re56WUcrbvrVNZ4h2QBmg-CF3fLBO55k2K1GP9PuWyvnpww2Bvazi/s640/blogger-image--966729454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNlvTLzYY9eqVG9lz68NxF-MYa5IbpTQOAwdhcqEqbTHH1lay_cgO9QTlLxYm6vXLIbAG4pO6Hu5v0bXk4KUwup57Re56WUcrbvrVNZ4h2QBmg-CF3fLBO55k2K1GP9PuWyvnpww2Bvazi/s320/blogger-image--966729454.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baked Vegetables in Portugese Sauce</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The interior is very... green. They have quite a few tables of various sizes and on the Saturday that we went, it was half full when we arrived. Throughout our meal, more patrons showed up and a small line started to form by the entrance, which is almost always a sign of good business.<br />
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As a Chinese restaurant, you get your choice of tea as you sit down and we ended up ordering perhaps a little too much.<br />
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<b>Jai (gluten) combination</b>. A combination of different kinds of marinated wheat gluten. Spongy in texture and easy to chew, Bo Kong's wheat gluten is a great appetizer and goes well in the main dishes as well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSC_MHiRPfjleY3TMTQOSkaQ4pSs1JOeHWltpEu1ci4dzBWyoG6tClXMCau-CjoK_5cJm03BiH_q0mEzHSRZGG5ATuPMS7epKYmVcjaUNrNMasKmJd11r90uwhAoRnZ6AjUKNfBhlKstL/s1600/blogger-image-1426399706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSC_MHiRPfjleY3TMTQOSkaQ4pSs1JOeHWltpEu1ci4dzBWyoG6tClXMCau-CjoK_5cJm03BiH_q0mEzHSRZGG5ATuPMS7epKYmVcjaUNrNMasKmJd11r90uwhAoRnZ6AjUKNfBhlKstL/s320/blogger-image-1426399706.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enoki Mushrooms on Fried Tofu and Broccoli</td></tr>
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<b>House special chow mein</b>. A myriad of vegetables and thick broth-like sauce over a bed of crispy fried noodles. Meat or no meat, this dish is excellent for the variety of vegetables and textures of the ingredients. There's bok choi, bamboo shoots, marinated wheat gluten, wood ear (a type of fungus), broccoli and carrots. I think there was bean sprouts in there too. There is so much variety in this dish that you forget there's no meat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspsP7H92VvcnicOrKS3W8siIXyizExwfH3UR6MYuL9IPoaSuLb6gahFSfV_gKP6IYfaGudBo2Xzoe2hY7DG8pE0KRiskJp0lG7yuFO1gs_JkU8LsbPAMrYuZSDcPV9PNgCmLg73pGVC-A/s1600/blogger-image--365930298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspsP7H92VvcnicOrKS3W8siIXyizExwfH3UR6MYuL9IPoaSuLb6gahFSfV_gKP6IYfaGudBo2Xzoe2hY7DG8pE0KRiskJp0lG7yuFO1gs_JkU8LsbPAMrYuZSDcPV9PNgCmLg73pGVC-A/s320/blogger-image--365930298.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sizzling Steak with Black Pepper Sauce</td></tr>
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<b>Baked vegetables in Portugese sauce</b>. If you like Portugese sauce and the chewy, stringy taste and texture of baked cheese, order this one as soon as you sit down. There's a 20-30 minute preparation time for it, but it's well worth it. The dish is comprised of mostly broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and taro, baked with Portugese sauce and covered in cheese. The sauce works very well with the baked vegetables and the portion size is very generous.<br />
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<b>Enoki mushrooms on fried tofu and broccoli</b>. The overall taste of this dish is similar to the house special chow mein, except it is a little more subtle. The enoki mushrooms are mixed with carrots and poured over a stack of fried tofu on a bed of broccoli. The tofu and broccoli aren't completely dry, but there wasn't quite enough sauce to spread around the whole dish. This dish was pretty average overall.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZ1Xzgo3z3IaaM9OwyZ9_7rNQxfZ5eBXCAZ-1lx4CNLOGkquGVsHdKRX1d-d60Zn7q6pRii3aKyxOjsemBTD5k4A7XUQ5rZuc3EsUS4Cf7j9pQ9_d5t5OL-Xm3mgM6k53VT3u9K5C7rBK/s1600/blogger-image--1130264856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZ1Xzgo3z3IaaM9OwyZ9_7rNQxfZ5eBXCAZ-1lx4CNLOGkquGVsHdKRX1d-d60Zn7q6pRii3aKyxOjsemBTD5k4A7XUQ5rZuc3EsUS4Cf7j9pQ9_d5t5OL-Xm3mgM6k53VT3u9K5C7rBK/s320/blogger-image--1130264856.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plain Rice Roll </td></tr>
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<b>Sizzling steak with black pepper sauce and broccoli and cauliflower</b>. The steak is imitation meat or sausage (really made of tofu or other bean ingredients) and sliced up and pan fried on the sizzling plate. The black pepper sauce very good and adds a bit of kick to the 'meat' and the vegetables. It might be better with corn or cabbage to soak up the sauce, but it's a good pick regardless.<br />
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<b>Plain rice roll with sesames</b>. The rice rolls are pretty standard. The dipping sauce is pretty good with a peanut taste to it which goes well with the sesame seeds.<br />
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<b>Sesame sticky rice balls with lotus paste</b>. J had a craving for these so we ordered a small plate of them. The balls were served piping hot and we had to wait a few minutes for them to cool down. The sticky rice balls were thin, soft and not too sticky. My only criticism was that the amount of lotus paste inside was little more than the size of my pinky fingertip.<br />
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Service at Po Kong was pretty standard for a Chinese restaurant. The owner/manager (I think) was very active in playing the part of host for new guests and departing customers.<br />
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After this good experience, we will definitely be back.<br />
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<b>Summary</b><br />
<b><span style="color: magenta;">Food</span></b>: Very good. The food is made well with quality ingredients and not as greasy as average Chinese restaurants that serve meat.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Service</span></b>: Good.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Setting</span></b>: Good. The interior is brightly lit and spacious.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Value</span></b>: Good. The prices are similar to meat-serving restaurants, but the food quality is on par, if not better, than many.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/1574911/restaurant/Kensington/Po-Kong-Vegetarian-Restaurant-Vancouver"><img alt="Po Kong Vegetarian Restaurant 普光素食 on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1574911/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-53816316343713996482013-10-16T17:06:00.000-07:002013-10-16T17:06:02.824-07:00Green Lettuce 貴賓閣 Indian and Chinese fusion? Yes please!<br />
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It's been a few years, so we planned a dinner at Green Lettuce in Vancouver with our friends. We made reservations and showed up for dinner on a Friday night. We were surprised that the restaurant wasn't very busy, as in the past it was always packed for dinner.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL8s_w-ZAHSeM2TbEPwt1aUkEIoBtCKITnNnUMNVE3YDyeksWO-K6SUq3FM0ujs7OWb_R6q8RxaqTIM36SUBdK0W9AIt4bKzcJCHw3IR3T4VZZZbs-QWyuLouP2Tcx7ftulidnBDqJP5kH/s640/blogger-image-161085375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL8s_w-ZAHSeM2TbEPwt1aUkEIoBtCKITnNnUMNVE3YDyeksWO-K6SUq3FM0ujs7OWb_R6q8RxaqTIM36SUBdK0W9AIt4bKzcJCHw3IR3T4VZZZbs-QWyuLouP2Tcx7ftulidnBDqJP5kH/s320/blogger-image-161085375.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spicy Chili Garlic Wings</td></tr>
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We started off with a couple of orders of <b>Spicy Chili Garlic Wings</b>. The wings were quite crispy depite being covered in their chili garlic sauce. They tasted fantastic and had a bit of kick to them. Peeling away the sauce and the skin, the kids had some as well.<br />
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On top of the wings, we put in our order for a few share plates.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNv-G6WRCxwlYyqSD8xMLpSyOnef5NhqCaFaQzY-KJe0_w7E-4IDdi6fQVpmrIWbiTjcpwrQFNFj3hkRFzb8hO3T0HyhYF8zwtAMgAToQ7lxp7TztWdlkZdaasJsEVp4ZIHAEJ0h4KLhC/s640/blogger-image-1963672332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNv-G6WRCxwlYyqSD8xMLpSyOnef5NhqCaFaQzY-KJe0_w7E-4IDdi6fQVpmrIWbiTjcpwrQFNFj3hkRFzb8hO3T0HyhYF8zwtAMgAToQ7lxp7TztWdlkZdaasJsEVp4ZIHAEJ0h4KLhC/s320/blogger-image-1963672332.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chili Beef</td></tr>
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<b>Chili Beef</b> - This dish is listed with 3 chili peppers next it (the maximum), and When asked if we could turn down the heat level, the server said that it can't be adjusted for this dish. As it turned out, it was only mildly spicy. The beef was rolled in batter before being fried. As a result, we had a bit of difficulty discerning 'where's the beef'? The texture of the fried batter made it taste very much like fried fish. Upon closer examination, the beef was thinly sliced and likely pre-tenderized so there wasn't much beefiness spring to it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQyToXskqE7KHjE4PqSnQBNEV2xu34hfj4UhptkOa6u_oSiXylA3IGESAFuBw62RCsJmh3F5K5M28oxiyJdRRGRvGvvBQyh3_-YwkNkXOtfNyGRgONGrL13nDyUyOAq8pejIls_wI-Jkg/s1600/blogger-image-81606610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQyToXskqE7KHjE4PqSnQBNEV2xu34hfj4UhptkOa6u_oSiXylA3IGESAFuBw62RCsJmh3F5K5M28oxiyJdRRGRvGvvBQyh3_-YwkNkXOtfNyGRgONGrL13nDyUyOAq8pejIls_wI-Jkg/s320/blogger-image-81606610.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet & Sour Fish with Pineapple</td></tr>
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<b>Sweet & Sour Fish with Pineapple</b> - This fish tasted very similar to the beef in that it was battered and fried as well. The blend of sweet and sour sauce mixing with the batter was quite delicious (even though the result was that it was hard to tell the difference between fish and batter). There could have been more pineapples though.<br />
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<b>Vegetable Korma</b> - This dish was quite simply a stir-fry of vegetables with some curry sauce. It wasn't spicy despite the chili rating in the menu. I would have preferred a thicker curry, but the vegetables were a good break from the other (fried) dishes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcWaBPziv8x_w_o-fE3kM85bPb-4jbxbRJa7qij32JOyf0l2_oShWHq_ERAWTUk0qDMAgyF4OaUWUCjg8SrFfGBXIG5e2ojhbIy34CIEgphFNZf_2cQTacXxJnTB-YErszbvSy-K8jQdQc/s1600/blogger-image--1242310464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcWaBPziv8x_w_o-fE3kM85bPb-4jbxbRJa7qij32JOyf0l2_oShWHq_ERAWTUk0qDMAgyF4OaUWUCjg8SrFfGBXIG5e2ojhbIy34CIEgphFNZf_2cQTacXxJnTB-YErszbvSy-K8jQdQc/s320/blogger-image--1242310464.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegetable Korma</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Service and setting weren't bad overall. When I spilled some water on H, our server came by quite quickly and gave us extra napkins (racial stereotype about Chinese and Indians purposely omitted). She also recommended a small bowl of rice which would be enough for all of us.<br />
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When the restaurant is full, it can be a little crowded. However, that Friday night it wasn't very crowded at all, so it was quite comfortable. Parking is also readily available in the nearby residential streets if you can't find a spot on Kingsway.<br />
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Overall, the dining experience was good, but I would definitely order some different dishes the next time so we don't end up with 75% of our dishes being fried.<br />
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<b>Summary</b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Food</span></b>: Good. The wings were excellent, but the heavy batter on 2 of our dishes was a little too much.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Service</span></b>: Good.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Setting</span></b>: Good. Restaurant is clean with many tables, and there is parking nearby.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Value</span></b>: Good. The prices are moderate, with the popular dishes being a little pricier.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/180756/restaurant/Kensington/Green-Lettuce-Vancouver"><img alt="Green Lettuce 貴賓閣 on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/180756/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-54164890845149289272013-10-16T17:02:00.001-07:002013-10-16T17:02:14.954-07:00Hamilton Street GrillThe day after our return from our Hawaiian vacation, we didn't (I should clarify that by "we", I mean "I", because J doesn't cook) feel like cooking and we happened to have a Living Social or Social Living or some Groupon-like coupon to use at Hamilton Street Grill, so we decided to eat there.<br />
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Thankfully we made reservations because when we arrived it was quite busy. It was a Monday night but just about every table was occupied. We were given the option between a high chair or a booster for H and we chose the former since boosters don't have straps. It was a surprise to us when we were led to a booth that was elevated half a foot off the ground. The host tried to put the high chair under the table but on the ledge which is an accident waiting to happen so we opted for a booster after all.<br />
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Aside from H's seating considerations, we sat down, ordered some drinks and showed our server the voucher (which was non-descript about what was included). The voucher was valid for an appetizer, 2 entrees, and a dessert all from the Summer 2013 Price Fixe Menu. We quickly made our selections and our food arrived in timely fashion.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-i4kRa6znAZBczOQOuBf_tVhJ-Rnoj_JNTvS6l9eIAwNbZ_0a-QKnkLxRwswGQFA2kRoVFddw19NBcBkA3ithDA7G5UOChjDHXpGBeW2P2OEAf7ebFtfsYKHnGDb0SGGd0OEN0vTorgXl/s640/blogger-image--245641779.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-i4kRa6znAZBczOQOuBf_tVhJ-Rnoj_JNTvS6l9eIAwNbZ_0a-QKnkLxRwswGQFA2kRoVFddw19NBcBkA3ithDA7G5UOChjDHXpGBeW2P2OEAf7ebFtfsYKHnGDb0SGGd0OEN0vTorgXl/s320/blogger-image--245641779.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgonzola Fondue</td></tr>
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<b>Gorgonzola fondue</b> with sliced garlic bread for dipping. Let me start by saying I love gorgonzola. It is part of the blue cheese family (I didn't know cheeses had family) which is surprising because I don't particularly like blue cheese, and goes great with pasta. We chose the fondue because the other choices were pretty standard as far as appetizers go at restaurants. The garlic bread they served it with was toasted up and pretty crispy. The blend of textures between the bread and the fondue was interesting in a good way. The fondue itself was absolutely fantastic. Although J thought it was a little too strong, I thought it was perfect. The fondue size was quite generous as I ended up completely covering the last few pieces of bread and still had some left over. We used the remaining fondue to accompany the steak that came later. It is a true shame this appetizer is not on the regular menu. I hope they bring it back or give it a permanent spot on the menu.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoXo__GZECuMnjQ4Fd7tbB6VbJc4VdTt6UjFlgCphsHQ4fWSCeGXYMEYPcGKxUnLBUWNlr4eexkok3NV-LFXZDECONjyko18Tm1lAtJRWhy7eSyDHA4GIgkvCmM1tzKYWDS7XTNR5cclH/s1600/blogger-image-358356255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoXo__GZECuMnjQ4Fd7tbB6VbJc4VdTt6UjFlgCphsHQ4fWSCeGXYMEYPcGKxUnLBUWNlr4eexkok3NV-LFXZDECONjyko18Tm1lAtJRWhy7eSyDHA4GIgkvCmM1tzKYWDS7XTNR5cclH/s320/blogger-image-358356255.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Certified Angus Beef Sirloin</td></tr>
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<b>Certified Angus Beef Sirloin</b> with mushroom red wine sauce and garlic mashed potatoes. J felt like steak, seeing as how we were at a steakhouse, and since we had a whole week of fish. The sirloin was ordered and served medium rare, but already sliced up. I'm not a fan of pre-sliced steak, but J didn't mind. The beef was good and went well with the left over fondue. The sauce was pretty good, but fairly standard. J's only criticism was that there was no garlic taste in her garlic mashed potatoes. I tried a bite and I would have to agree that they could have accentuated the garlic flavour a bit (or a lot) more.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKWqn4JczMbyzhZAgQQcMiTcSNP07Wo0vx50AOeZKSAfMRedG6mSTR-EB0DfZQVwkIgIPi7B8MjVgRTyMWHtP8W1xrueNDknrL6vYCZecvXBirbwBlo_AUeP8wX32GVonW_DDnajYdMGH/s1600/blogger-image-1348860583.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKWqn4JczMbyzhZAgQQcMiTcSNP07Wo0vx50AOeZKSAfMRedG6mSTR-EB0DfZQVwkIgIPi7B8MjVgRTyMWHtP8W1xrueNDknrL6vYCZecvXBirbwBlo_AUeP8wX32GVonW_DDnajYdMGH/s320/blogger-image-1348860583.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penna Pasta</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Penne pasta</b> with salmon, halibut, prawns and Vancouver Island mussels with tomato cream. After a week of fish, I had grown fond of it and decided to go with a seafood pasta. The seafood was fresh and tasted great along with the penne in the tomato cream sauce. I'm not a fan of shrimp/prawn, but the prawns in the pasta were actually quite good. The sauce was flavorful and not overpowering. Overall, the dish was well put together and I enjoyed it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMjmey72N6fLeaW1VKfcyoXJDSXKlW-0nLMXfq9X2CQEo5D9MtMKBuYVrSGD2LoTm16DmHn-FVU9oqenXEYbcUstKTDk0s7ZCYwmKJrShmJkRWljlg25j2NtVeAutbqrX0CIJuMhloYDi/s640/blogger-image--1415135340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMjmey72N6fLeaW1VKfcyoXJDSXKlW-0nLMXfq9X2CQEo5D9MtMKBuYVrSGD2LoTm16DmHn-FVU9oqenXEYbcUstKTDk0s7ZCYwmKJrShmJkRWljlg25j2NtVeAutbqrX0CIJuMhloYDi/s320/blogger-image--1415135340.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belgian Chocolate Mousse</td></tr>
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<b>Belgian Chocolate Mousse</b>. Aside from the whipped cream on top (I'm pretty sure it was compressed canned whip), the mousse was quite delicious. It was sweet enough that it didn't get boring, as mousse often tastes to me. I would have liked a bit more variety in textures, such as a layer of cake, crust, or crushed nuts, but it was still quite good on its own.<br />
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Being a restaurant in Yaletown, parking isn't always easy. The interior of the restaurant is pretty nice. It's dimly lit which is great for setting the mood, and the tables are spaced out so you have some sense of privacy.<br />
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<b>Summary</b><br />
<b><span style="color: magenta;">Food</span></b>: Very good. Their Gorgonzola Fondue was very good, as were their entrees.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Service</span></b>: Good.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Setting</span></b>: Good. Parking isn't easy but the restaurant interior is pretty nice.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Value</span></b>: Good. The food was very good and the entire experience was quite satisfying.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/180787/restaurant/Yaletown/Hamilton-Street-Grill-Vancouver"><img alt="Hamilton Street Grill on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/180787/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>
Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-41013047043289885602013-10-16T16:57:00.002-07:002013-10-16T22:09:13.420-07:00Frostcity (Hawaii, US)After posting shaved ice photos on a social media site, we were recommended to try Frostcity. On our last night in Hawaii, we did just that.<br />
<br />
Frostcity isn't far from the Waikiki area, but it is a bit of a drive. It's a small establishment on the first floor of what looked like an apartment complex of some sort. They have quite a bit of seating inside and several parking spaces right outside their door.<br />
<br />
Their prices are moderately high, even for their Small size, but you do get quite a bit of 'frost'. They serve Taiwanese style (based on what I read) shaved flavored ice. Basically, imagine freezing juice and then shaving that. So the flavors are available in limited quantities by their stock. Some of the flavours that we wanted weren't available, so we had to pick others. In the end, we ordered 3 Small plates of the following: <b>durian</b>, <b>Nutella</b>, and <b>mango</b>.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCe-SpG7qvrQPW2vOShVbI46NwWB8aalZyJLvOUzmRw5LcNmdQsUFh1P-x7s9DjugVYioVXyIAoEdbDfbQqSOsLKJawqWe7hmCr3dXWfVSdUNLjE9KMw7TWMxHoG517e6g9tMa2LwRSWN/s1600/IMG_1065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCe-SpG7qvrQPW2vOShVbI46NwWB8aalZyJLvOUzmRw5LcNmdQsUFh1P-x7s9DjugVYioVXyIAoEdbDfbQqSOsLKJawqWe7hmCr3dXWfVSdUNLjE9KMw7TWMxHoG517e6g9tMa2LwRSWN/s1600/IMG_1065.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Durian</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The texture was similar to soft serve ice cream when it's made with yogurt instead of milk. It was very soft, but cold (LOL) and had a slightly frosty texture to it. The flavoring was good for the first few minutes, but as my mouth got colder, the taste became very subtle. Even with a Small, I started to get tired of the singular taste as I finished it. In terms of mixing flavours, they have some set combinations that you can choose from, but you can't make your own.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlXOmhsclTBvSEELpW3eRfi19w3aZ2OeGkvX8G6fQL_2Z4YqN2hKj37RpMdvsFOX7QHnk4_OUSl4mxGKtg-N0tRldwrTBYXf6niZnGyGZkH1-ms1NkbDv2My56c6kAUgni7ETPEge1lL5w/s1600/IMG_1067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlXOmhsclTBvSEELpW3eRfi19w3aZ2OeGkvX8G6fQL_2Z4YqN2hKj37RpMdvsFOX7QHnk4_OUSl4mxGKtg-N0tRldwrTBYXf6niZnGyGZkH1-ms1NkbDv2My56c6kAUgni7ETPEge1lL5w/s1600/IMG_1067.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nutella</td></tr>
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They must realize the taste and texture monotony of eating a small mountain of singularly flavored ice, so they include some garnishing on the side of each plate consisting of passion fruit gel balls, mochi, coconut jelly, and honeydew pieces.<br />
<br />
It's not easy to directly compare shaved ice to the flavored ice that Frostcity serves. They are made differently and therefore taste different as well. In the end, it comes down to preference. I prefer the flavour and texture variety of shaved ice with toppings over the shaved flavored ice.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjONUi14YPd74iX1i9uOAautFCBUP7nt7bumV8UIFBXdaqIBf5UKK-VpE-9jyKA2sBvQxTWFn1SNoQ0Fp2iRoXBFbe2mAPr6EhDYVdBQqo06bE-kWFayU1OhC1m8MXrp9YcrTrlT4fAQSqN/s1600/IMG_1068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjONUi14YPd74iX1i9uOAautFCBUP7nt7bumV8UIFBXdaqIBf5UKK-VpE-9jyKA2sBvQxTWFn1SNoQ0Fp2iRoXBFbe2mAPr6EhDYVdBQqo06bE-kWFayU1OhC1m8MXrp9YcrTrlT4fAQSqN/s1600/IMG_1068.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mango</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Overall, Frostcity ice plates are great to share if you're inclined to do so, or if you really like eating a lot of one flavour.<br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
<b><span style="color: magenta;">Food</span></b>: Very good. The flavored ice is very fine and you get a good portion even for a Small plate.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: lime;">Service</span></b>: Average. You go up to order, sit down, and they bring you your dessert. They also remind you not to steal their spoons.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: lime;">Setting</span></b>: Average. They have quite a few tables and probably expanded to a neighboring store as it looked like 2 separate sit-down areas.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Value</span></b>: Good. Prices are high compared to shaved ice, but keep in mind that you're not eating ice.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/37/1584873/restaurant/Hawaii/Manoa-Makiki-University-District/Frostcity-Honolulu"><img alt="Frostcity on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1584873/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-50635674394391218152013-10-16T16:54:00.002-07:002013-10-16T22:06:12.128-07:00Hula Grill (Hawaii, US)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil4ETKCNHk2PB7atE-aSnAutGmBNjkP-_GqtaGOz9Ey18lZcfHt6ZrRsyVwAKvyHPzlCkHSBOBuOsZIvgrxJzft5Uayrm4stbVGRdKtEksB3IVK4WjxEJu_A9qDgLVjaF_d-K-AVRbOYI3/s1600/IMG_1064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil4ETKCNHk2PB7atE-aSnAutGmBNjkP-_GqtaGOz9Ey18lZcfHt6ZrRsyVwAKvyHPzlCkHSBOBuOsZIvgrxJzft5Uayrm4stbVGRdKtEksB3IVK4WjxEJu_A9qDgLVjaF_d-K-AVRbOYI3/s1600/IMG_1064.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hula Grill</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We couldn't decide what to have on our last night in Hawaii, so we decided to go with someplace familiar. We had gone to the Hula Grill in Kaanapali a few years back and we really enjoyed it, so we decided to try out the one at Waikiki for our last eat-out.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8mphts1xHro4luAxTMk-VRQCQXycWWemuC6W8ppK2TJUwkTvPTraKuRcLmow0gM32oz4GYQrxfgxoZiGoMEjCIljyHCqxND9AEvqEfEK25sY80RKmJO9wwGDHkEuyRY-x7uWYVvcF2xG/s1600/IMG_1051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8mphts1xHro4luAxTMk-VRQCQXycWWemuC6W8ppK2TJUwkTvPTraKuRcLmow0gM32oz4GYQrxfgxoZiGoMEjCIljyHCqxND9AEvqEfEK25sY80RKmJO9wwGDHkEuyRY-x7uWYVvcF2xG/s1600/IMG_1051.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lava Flows and Ice Kona Coffee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The restaurant is located in a hotel, so it wasn't surprising when we arrived that the wait would be close to an hour long. We were given the option of sitting in the lounge area where it was self-seating with the option of the full dinner menu instead of the bar menu. A couple of tables cleared out just as we went in, so we got a table without waiting at all.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHQiPUVp4NOujbeCqdZXnG_Rb1dNUnZFQcuoof5aT4eSnUxdKIR_p7_pB7rcLTCSsGsOFgOLw7OGNjIWFITEx1hP2blmwlJnT5bN4pc6daUu9HZyNBJc-rMO7fkJeWS0N9WjjmD2hK2Usy/s1600/IMG_1057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHQiPUVp4NOujbeCqdZXnG_Rb1dNUnZFQcuoof5aT4eSnUxdKIR_p7_pB7rcLTCSsGsOFgOLw7OGNjIWFITEx1hP2blmwlJnT5bN4pc6daUu9HZyNBJc-rMO7fkJeWS0N9WjjmD2hK2Usy/s1600/IMG_1057.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Macadamia Nut Crusted Fresh Fish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We started off by ordering a couple of <b>Lava Flows</b> and an <b>Iced Kona Coffee</b>. The Lava Flows were excellent. They weren't too sweet and they remained chilled and well-blended throughout our dinner. My mom mentioned that the iced coffee didn't taste particularly different than regular iced coffee.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55dlxhxQTvLA4ThI5xvpQ6pl4FPz-UQh_gSFL2NRRWqj9v2fEODVd2vVl2_gebLLNQx1Nd6FpA464tMXwqlix-Ql4RW28_SOrOJAKaT7uxA5GRZMViiT72qEkrRIHZImv7gE2sEZEcwbz/s1600/IMG_1059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55dlxhxQTvLA4ThI5xvpQ6pl4FPz-UQh_gSFL2NRRWqj9v2fEODVd2vVl2_gebLLNQx1Nd6FpA464tMXwqlix-Ql4RW28_SOrOJAKaT7uxA5GRZMViiT72qEkrRIHZImv7gE2sEZEcwbz/s1600/IMG_1059.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tandoori Style Fresh Fish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My mom and I both ordered fresh fish, while J ordered a seafood chowder.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwHVh2csS38LV2nqW4YogsasbLLiFjhmJK7W2hgDNM1Td77jXquUhwAqEZjLJdTBxbgAM2sb3WBTPuU_75H7Np_ixpwWyORBtwIMd3luZv1xKSDicDCWujQnEpqrZssi8SeK3IBJ9mqDY/s1600/IMG_1058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwHVh2csS38LV2nqW4YogsasbLLiFjhmJK7W2hgDNM1Td77jXquUhwAqEZjLJdTBxbgAM2sb3WBTPuU_75H7Np_ixpwWyORBtwIMd3luZv1xKSDicDCWujQnEpqrZssi8SeK3IBJ9mqDY/s1600/IMG_1058.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coconut Seafood Chowder</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Macadamia Nut Crusted Fresh Fish</b> - lemon beurre blanc. I ordered this 4 years ago and I was just as happy this time around. I shared most of the rice and almost an entire piece of the fish with H. She really enjoyed it as well, but I think it was more because of the side of <b>Steamed Broccoli</b> that we ordered for her. My only criticism of the dish was that the fish was a little overcooked, probably because it came in 2 small pieces as opposed to a larger single piece.<br />
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<b>Tandoori Style Fresh Fish</b> - spicy roasted with cucumber yogurt raita. I had a bite of this and it was delicious. It had a bit of bite to it, and my mom absolutely loved it. She said it was her best meal on the island.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSRbhODumLrqImmP2qoild8n_KPaCPudnKtpovJlUYxmlbqCUpbCplnsULx-3cotOCZmtY1sfHREqHI_gUTop3KCqPUi-ilJejsAnCuWFr2zrB4cxeJdow66ZpwB9xrd96UVDUMhOSphES/s1600/IMG_1060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSRbhODumLrqImmP2qoild8n_KPaCPudnKtpovJlUYxmlbqCUpbCplnsULx-3cotOCZmtY1sfHREqHI_gUTop3KCqPUi-ilJejsAnCuWFr2zrB4cxeJdow66ZpwB9xrd96UVDUMhOSphES/s1600/IMG_1060.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Side of Steamed Broccoli</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Coconut Seafood Chowder</b> - lobster, shrimp, scallops, and Hawaiian fish in a coconut cilantro broth. J's chowder was a fantastic feast of flavours. I tried some of it and I was very impressed. The coconut cilantro broth was delicious and was the perfect base for all the seafood that was included. There was rice in the chowder as well to give it some more volume, and everything mixed together was a perfect blend of flavours and textures. The seafood was cooked well and absorbed a lot of the flavour from the broth.<br />
<br />
<b>Homemade Ice Cream Sandwich</b> - vanilla ice cream, macadamia nut brownies, raspberry sauce & whipped cream. The brownie was good and had just the right amount of macadamia nut baked in. It wasn't too hard or too soft and it went well with the ice cream. I thought it could have used just a little more rapsberry sauce, but overall it was very good. Unless you have a sweet tooth and lots of room after dinner, this is a good one for sharing.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDu28lYsqR6KkUJbS1iLDRBKFyF_M8cEVfZQAE9nvBqCZCAl5-bkwbm5lB3j8B6sbNVKCpmYXIksM5n0_EbahvaI-7kHtqQhXmTsk9brYLt53zs6VnkvIvDsLvkeHEs1Uvte9DgBuxrdLK/s1600/IMG_1061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDu28lYsqR6KkUJbS1iLDRBKFyF_M8cEVfZQAE9nvBqCZCAl5-bkwbm5lB3j8B6sbNVKCpmYXIksM5n0_EbahvaI-7kHtqQhXmTsk9brYLt53zs6VnkvIvDsLvkeHEs1Uvte9DgBuxrdLK/s1600/IMG_1061.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade Ice Cream Sandwich</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Service was fairly decent. Our server was quick with our drinks and taking our orders and our food didn't take very long to arrive (maybe 15 minutes). I should mention that the hotel we stayed at provided us with some Waikiki coupons and vouchers, and there was a coupon for Hula Grill that we brought with us. The coupon was for a free Homemade Ice Cream Sandwich dessert when ordering 2 entrees. If used in the afternoon before 6pm, it also included a free salad. Our server read the coupon a few times and then said that it could only be used before 6pm. In the end, we had her check with other staff to confirm, but it was interesting that she had never seen the coupon before. I guess those booklets weren't as common as we thought.<br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
<b><span style="color: magenta;">Food</span></b>: Very good. The food bordered along Exceptional.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Service</span></b>: Good.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Setting</span></b>: Good. There was ocean view from the dining room, but it was dark out so even if we sat there we wouldn't have seen anything. I'm sure it's quite the view during the day.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Value</span></b>: Good. Very good food combined with moderate to high prices.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/37/410932/restaurant/Hawaii/Waikiki/Hula-Grill-Waikiki-Honolulu"><img alt="Hula Grill Waikiki on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/410932/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>
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Waiola Shave Ice is actually a window on the side of a convenience store in a quiet neighborhood not that far from Waikiki. On your way there, you might not think there is anything around, let alone a shave ice store, but it's there. You will know you're there when you see the line-up. Thankfully, there is a parking lot right next door and some street parking nearby.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiola Shave Ice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What is different about Waiola is the fineness/texture of the ice that they use. They shave the ice so finely that it is nearly identical to eating falling snow (if you've ever done that before). There's nothing unique about their flavours or toppings, but when combined with the finely shaved ice, it's almost like eating a sorbet.<br />
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J ordered the special Azuki Bowl with Mochi. The first time, she got it as-is off the menu. The second time, she added extra condensed milk because she thought it wasn't sweet enough the first time. The bowl is better than the cup because the mochi are placed on top of the bowl, while it is placed at the bottom if you order a cup. Burying mochi in ice makes it harder to chew, so the bowl works out better. J especially likes that the azuki beans they use are big and sweet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmOcVSBHGmkC2NH-4jGB8yeKHfD9f7EYscS-l5nmQgZRY6M_FVxOO_105SnIkzcyiqfBd-IR5nkOi7Jgt6pibRpedBlXgWOWp6TcsbV9PI6TEEI2_DIjaLr55DamB45uJ0U8J3mAKZ-yr/s1600/IMG_1036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmOcVSBHGmkC2NH-4jGB8yeKHfD9f7EYscS-l5nmQgZRY6M_FVxOO_105SnIkzcyiqfBd-IR5nkOi7Jgt6pibRpedBlXgWOWp6TcsbV9PI6TEEI2_DIjaLr55DamB45uJ0U8J3mAKZ-yr/s1600/IMG_1036.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Azuki Bowl with Mochi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I ordered a small cup the first time and a large cup on our second visit. In hindsight, I should have just ordered the extra large bowl! Despite being back in Vancouver where it's less than 10 degrees out, I still have Waiola cravings.<br />
<br />
I tried the following flavours: guava, Thai Tea, pineapple, POG (passion orange guava). The Thai Tea was very good and would have gone well with maybe a coffee flavour instead of guava. The other fruity flavours were all great, but the POG and pineapple blended together so I couldn't really taste the differences.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QqM-2d2hdx2PjloVCeycHPIqm4xM99PYl-tMU9YC8zXIGItzeW8-NVtob_wCZMySEzkkrjWbsNv1JTseXkazNwp8FD4E_Xo_s7RSzsth9IlCbN8icDYUkvsdgFrsmFzcwqMw1Qb9O4y_/s1600/IMG_1035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QqM-2d2hdx2PjloVCeycHPIqm4xM99PYl-tMU9YC8zXIGItzeW8-NVtob_wCZMySEzkkrjWbsNv1JTseXkazNwp8FD4E_Xo_s7RSzsth9IlCbN8icDYUkvsdgFrsmFzcwqMw1Qb9O4y_/s1600/IMG_1035.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large Cup Pineapple and POG</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I've seen other shaved ice places in Honolulu but I always change my mind about trying them when I see customers walking away with bowls, cups, etc. filled with big chunks of shaved ice and flavoring. Since trying out Waiola a few years back, shaved ice has never been the same for me.<br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
<b><span style="color: orange;">Food</span></b>: Exceptional. Stop reading and try it out if you're in Honolulu. The shaved ice is so fine it's like eating falling snow.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: lime;">Service</span></b>: Average. It's a window on the side of a convenience store.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: lime;">Setting</span></b>: Average. It's in the middle of a quiet residential neighborhood. But there's plenty of parking.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: magenta;">Value</span></b>: Very good. Special bowls or extra large bowls are around $5.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/37/1585845/restaurant/Hawaii/Manoa-Makiki-University-District/Waiola-Shave-Ice-Honolulu"><img alt="Waiola Shave Ice on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1585845/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-54033121386850054112013-10-13T16:40:00.000-07:002013-10-13T16:40:11.383-07:00Leonard's Bakery (Hawaii, US)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_p6bJ1wMnaKFEqdhMFQEiJAH5rzP9rixeWddtPn54nG12nDNIAKz4ya45Vftv47NDzFz6Wea8icXr_-niCTSrqXGXOZLB4CRpjO31w62Od3UWEhJq1xQ47f0nNVKy7btXla0v1NRtUigO/s1600/IMG_0975.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_p6bJ1wMnaKFEqdhMFQEiJAH5rzP9rixeWddtPn54nG12nDNIAKz4ya45Vftv47NDzFz6Wea8icXr_-niCTSrqXGXOZLB4CRpjO31w62Od3UWEhJq1xQ47f0nNVKy7btXla0v1NRtUigO/s1600/IMG_0975.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet & Sour</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Being a doughnut fan, we made a visit to Leonard's Bakery for their excellent made-to-order malasadas. We ordered an original, a sweet & sour, brown sugar & cinnamon, and chocolate-filled.<br />
<br />
The malasadas were very warm, fresh, and soft on the inside. I thought I would like the cream-filled ones better, but I enjoyed the powdered styles ones more in the end.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJzDuoCIEUnhNrJRkbFfGwhNj0FO4WPb63ji81fpaXYd805NWJ_rzwNcPRkFFFzn_lHQiK2VYLSao2sgawsJoujZABImlr2tZa4r8J0hPW8ho2zYIVJ-wX8qXsyq6wdC-s-Eoeqa_H_TC/s1600/IMG_0976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJzDuoCIEUnhNrJRkbFfGwhNj0FO4WPb63ji81fpaXYd805NWJ_rzwNcPRkFFFzn_lHQiK2VYLSao2sgawsJoujZABImlr2tZa4r8J0hPW8ho2zYIVJ-wX8qXsyq6wdC-s-Eoeqa_H_TC/s1600/IMG_0976.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate-Filled</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I definitely recommend giving them a try. They have other baked goods as well, but their malasadas are what they're famous for.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjoQLuRs2C0sSrzzI6cbmelK8o_JOUf1SGArnjILBbLq5vexnjImNyUUfLufGXxN6qKKmSJD_Y7AkBCMbRueRBEY-zx3UnCpjjxEapkV_vxxBIYae4f0n1UNCqLpDgoIF0GLO9exhX_wo/s1600/IMG_0977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjoQLuRs2C0sSrzzI6cbmelK8o_JOUf1SGArnjILBbLq5vexnjImNyUUfLufGXxN6qKKmSJD_Y7AkBCMbRueRBEY-zx3UnCpjjxEapkV_vxxBIYae4f0n1UNCqLpDgoIF0GLO9exhX_wo/s1600/IMG_0977.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate-Filled (after my 2 bites)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/37/411338/restaurant/Hawaii/Kaimuki/Leonards-Bakery-Honolulu"><img alt="Leonard's Bakery on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/411338/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-1896730287759235622013-10-13T16:21:00.003-07:002013-10-13T16:21:51.591-07:00Hee Hing (Hawaii, US)After a long morning at the Honolulu Zoo, we walked over (which we regret) to Hee Hing which is a Chinese restaurant offering dim sum for lunch. It had been over a week since we had some Chinese food so we were looking forward to satisfying our cravings with some dim sum.<br />
<br />
It was well into the afternoon already so we weren't expecting the restaurant to be busy, but we were surprised to find it completely empty except for a private function that was happening in one of the side rooms.<br />
<br />
The menus were all in English with no Chinese anywhere, which is usually a bad sign. Some of the items we wanted on the menu only available on Saturdays were sold out. The food that we did order wasn't very good. The shrimp dumplings had a really thick wrap, and the fried sesame balls were completely cold. There was no effort to keep their food warm from earlier in the day, or to make it fresh.<br />
<br />
The order of chili wonton dumpling was mildly warm and tasted a little off. The soup was odd and the one slice of chili in it looked out of place and wasn't spicy. Our order of beef rice roll had a tiny bit of beef in it.<br />
<br />
Overall, I was disappointed with the restaurant and wouldn't go back.<br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
<b><span style="color: white;">Food</span></b>: Poor. Low to average quality food but lack of care in ensuring that the food is served in good condition.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: lime;">Service</span></b>: Average.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: lime;">Setting</span></b>: Average. The location wasn't bad and there were lots of tables available, but the interior of the restaurant feels very old.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: lime;">Value</span></b>: Average. Normal dim sum prices but low to average quality food.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/37/410873/restaurant/Hawaii/Kaimuki/Hee-Hing-Honolulu"><img alt="Hee Hing on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/410873/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>
Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-54737851089103176272013-10-13T15:59:00.006-07:002013-10-13T15:59:51.753-07:00Cha Cha Cha 2 (Hawaii, US)After a not-too-hot day driving to the North Shore and back, we walked over to Cha Cha Cha 2 at Waikiki for dinner. We picked the place due to its popularity and J and I generally like Mexican. The entrance to the restaurant is not very obvious and I wouldn't have even seen it if wasn't looking for it.<br />
<br />
We walked inside and asked for a table for 4, and the server said it would be a few minutes but they can set it up for us. So we waited around for a few minutes but no one helped us. The restaurant was less than 30% full at that point. Another party of 4 guests walked passed us and a server seated them immediately so I asked again and we got a table.<br />
<br />
It wasn't clear who our server was and it was several minutes before she came by to take our order. We ordered 3 entrees for the 4 of us and waited over 20 minutes for the food to arrive.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_isEM33JxYFrEFRrSE_NZSppIFu9HcE_l_pi1s0V6ZlDohoKTjuKt0_xmC9TCya_VeN7AnxfeYJV9f9YvMhHF8UPIbvc57AkEm4BqTA7ItdfD8_9i2TLaCXNarplNjZfKXjWBPR4xDsX/s1600/IMG_0968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_isEM33JxYFrEFRrSE_NZSppIFu9HcE_l_pi1s0V6ZlDohoKTjuKt0_xmC9TCya_VeN7AnxfeYJV9f9YvMhHF8UPIbvc57AkEm4BqTA7ItdfD8_9i2TLaCXNarplNjZfKXjWBPR4xDsX/s1600/IMG_0968.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ole Burrito</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Ole Burrito</b> - Shredded Pork, Black Beans, Cheese, Rice & Chipotle Sour Cream in a Flour Tortilla. The burrito was quite large, but I found it extremely dry. There was a lot of rice and black beans inside, but practically no sauce inside the burrito. The black beans were semi-hard and possibly under-cooked which made the burrito taste even more dry. Thankfully, the coleslaw it was served with was cool, moist and refreshing.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrCqtQrB9_kmh4hOuwm0gGhwvPTzRw4qbh3uYCFSAUER16XRG9k3wcHIR40wagZUyN3QPkEKoq0cIqpEoUEzrGwE9bawZE5yBLN5vnfnVdmGLF4VdDUb5IMOdrQVv1ZsIvBNKrx2bXg1g/s1600/IMG_0970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrCqtQrB9_kmh4hOuwm0gGhwvPTzRw4qbh3uYCFSAUER16XRG9k3wcHIR40wagZUyN3QPkEKoq0cIqpEoUEzrGwE9bawZE5yBLN5vnfnVdmGLF4VdDUb5IMOdrQVv1ZsIvBNKrx2bXg1g/s1600/IMG_0970.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ocean Garden Burrito</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Ocean Garden Burrito</b> - Grilled Fish & Veggies, Cheese, Rice & Black Beans in a Spinach Tortilla. The fish was better than the pork burrito, but overall it was still pretty dry. My mom removed the black beans which helped a lot. The fish was grilled well and quite tasty.<br />
<br />
<b>Pacifico Quesadiila</b> - Grilled Fish in a Spinach Tortilla. Topped with Tropical Salsa & Sour Cream. Much better than the burritos, the quesadilla was moist and tastier. The grilled fish went well with the other toppings folded into the tortilla.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXET4wix9qNw4BhOeQUnijK2UuzuZOdeRb9Haz4Kxc8_s54pfTJlQDuLhE1Ycx6wIZL6Kxt1kJ1lGhqqiqen3manJakvTulrR1ufIh9f0J26cDP7yKWYL6p9NJn-ASbTQvSXgwDoxdhD3k/s1600/IMG_0971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXET4wix9qNw4BhOeQUnijK2UuzuZOdeRb9Haz4Kxc8_s54pfTJlQDuLhE1Ycx6wIZL6Kxt1kJ1lGhqqiqen3manJakvTulrR1ufIh9f0J26cDP7yKWYL6p9NJn-ASbTQvSXgwDoxdhD3k/s1600/IMG_0971.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pacifico Quesadilla</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After we were finished with our meals, we had to walk over to our server to get her attention for the bill. In general, it seemed that the servers weren't trained or just didn't bother monitoring their tables. Several times throughout our meal they congregated by the bar and just chit-chatted instead of looking after their tables.<br />
<br />
The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't memorable in much of a good way. I probably wouldn't go back because there are many better places nearby.<br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
<b><span style="color: lime;">Food</span></b>: Average. The burritos are dry. The quesadilla we tried was good.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: white;">Service</span></b>: Poor. The servers weren't attentive and seemed to prioritize gossip and chit-chat.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: lime;">Setting</span></b>: Average. The patio is along a small side street and there's no particular view. The dining room was very bar-like.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: lime;">Value</span></b>: Average. The prices weren't bad but the food was just average.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/37/410399/restaurant/Hawaii/Waikiki/Cha-Cha-Cha-2-Waikiki-Honolulu"><img alt="Cha-Cha-Cha 2 Waikiki on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/410399/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-84158367663377500432013-10-13T10:16:00.005-07:002013-10-13T10:17:22.521-07:00Giovanni's Shrimp Truck (Hawaii, US)<i>Note: This review is for the Haleiwa location and not the Kahuku location. </i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8E3ggUbSvSVFu9nbTOk5m_7Vd7d7ioMkYoLZRGDh5EE0KHW5TnKRnES9tn-gRRvKxESYJ_zY_LndX9NcG6i-1BkGBwBj8ze-oNZ3XxIUXyGMu_oSXZA7i_tZn7kN7jV4E4MoPz-v8bQeQ/s1600/IMG_0888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8E3ggUbSvSVFu9nbTOk5m_7Vd7d7ioMkYoLZRGDh5EE0KHW5TnKRnES9tn-gRRvKxESYJ_zY_LndX9NcG6i-1BkGBwBj8ze-oNZ3XxIUXyGMu_oSXZA7i_tZn7kN7jV4E4MoPz-v8bQeQ/s1600/IMG_0888.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giovanni's Shrimp Truck</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Let me start by saying I'm not a big fan of shrimp. Despite that, we had to make a 40 minute drive from Honolulu out to Giovanni's Shrimp Truck in Haleiwa (North Shore) just because it's that good.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrimp Scampi Plate</td></tr>
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The last time I went, there were 2 shrimp trucks in the same dirt clearing by the highway. This time around, there were 2 shrimp tucks and another 3 other food trucks in the same clearing. The only truck with customers lining up and eating its food was Giovanni's. I'm not sure how the others stay in business...<br />
<br />
This will be a short review because we all ordered the same thing: Shrimp Scampi. They have Hot & Spicy shrimp as well but we tried it a few years back and it was so spicy that we couldn't actually taste the shrimp. The third menu item was Lemon Butter Shrimp which we also tried before and we found that the flavours were more subtle than the scampi.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlXmNJ-webm4QmMrF68xwuDumK-vli6TMfMGSjDYP5E3P0BgILTon5D82xE3XP2ANc3qf89NtSqgAhNDcxU8sIW3ndp90Zg0g9UpEunDvH5wnPnI523sQ0wPHykLYvMxwIk3-7gXYaoFt/s640/blogger-image-1311370389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlXmNJ-webm4QmMrF68xwuDumK-vli6TMfMGSjDYP5E3P0BgILTon5D82xE3XP2ANc3qf89NtSqgAhNDcxU8sIW3ndp90Zg0g9UpEunDvH5wnPnI523sQ0wPHykLYvMxwIk3-7gXYaoFt/s320/blogger-image-1311370389.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrimp Scampi (close-up)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So the shrimp scampi plate is probably made with several cloves of garlic. They even top the rice with more garlic! Although I'm not a shrimp fan, I love their scampi. They are fresh, juicy, cooked perfectly and very flavorful.<br />
<br />
I recommend driving out to the North Shore to give them<br />
a try. There's a reason everyone goes to Giovanni's instead of the other half a dozen food trucks nearby.<br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b>:<br />
<b><span style="color: magenta;">Food</span></b>: Very good.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: lime;">Setting</span></b>: Average. It's in a dirt clearing and the only available seating is a few park benches with flies swarming you.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Value</span></b>: Good. The food more than makes up for the price, which isn't quite as easy to swallow at $13 per plate.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/37/1429443/restaurant/Hawaii/North-Shore/Giovannis-Shrimp-Truck-Kahuku"><img alt="Giovanni's Shrimp Truck on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1429443/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>
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<br />Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-8428284325750614752013-10-13T09:55:00.002-07:002013-10-13T09:55:20.643-07:00Doraku Sushi (Hawaii, US)After a long day of eating, we weren't very hungry but we still wanted to keep to our dining itinerary so we walked over to Doraku Sushi at Waikiki.<br />
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The restaurant was dimly lit and quite modern-looking. It was on the third floor of one of the hotel/shopping complexes along Waikiki and had a nice outdoor patio overlooking Kalakaua Avenue. We were seated on the patio which was nice because the dining room of the restaurant wasn't very well air conditioned anyway. The doors to the patio were fully opened so it was about the same inside as outside in terms of temperature.<br />
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As we weren't very hungry, we quickly decided on a few dishes to share and put in our order with our server. I noticed that all the servers were male. I'm not sure if that's a hiring policy or coincidence.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiixKgkMOGIie9Vdlwbplq5wNVHgRTAcmLLLzVXKNbMMXzWeGfU9K-HYFm5abnyJt4n9PdI2DdwOMwdj-mpWc-UX0h2akRWiCBW4HsZMhxZ9SodOvAkFKz1LdAPvMBcW3Bh66S6q1S9_Hwk/s1600/IMG_0875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiixKgkMOGIie9Vdlwbplq5wNVHgRTAcmLLLzVXKNbMMXzWeGfU9K-HYFm5abnyJt4n9PdI2DdwOMwdj-mpWc-UX0h2akRWiCBW4HsZMhxZ9SodOvAkFKz1LdAPvMBcW3Bh66S6q1S9_Hwk/s1600/IMG_0875.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doraku Seafood Salad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Doraku Seafood Salad</b> - diced tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and red snapper tossed with mango, tomato, and spring mix tossed with Doraku dressing. I found the dressing to be a little too tarte. It was like a mix of Italian dressing and Japanese sweet dressing. The salad wasn't large and had a few pieces of sashimi in it. I enjoyed it but I think it would have been undersized if I were actually hungry.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jG8Ek7JRRxybG0-9rFn3_Lx92DPWChTBKNG6PJT-RYcNA2AxrQiYtnjU8utYVNN91hY8EyhWOC_BDlvIGn6Tc0mNVejsHqTwUtypjmh_RfKh0wff34xDNjOoJc_jWjgSW72L1XrQBU4Y/s1600/IMG_0877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jG8Ek7JRRxybG0-9rFn3_Lx92DPWChTBKNG6PJT-RYcNA2AxrQiYtnjU8utYVNN91hY8EyhWOC_BDlvIGn6Tc0mNVejsHqTwUtypjmh_RfKh0wff34xDNjOoJc_jWjgSW72L1XrQBU4Y/s1600/IMG_0877.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Style Doraku Roll</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b>New Style Doraku Roll</b> - crabmeat and avocado roll, topped with seared tuna, daikon radish, shiso leaves and crispy garlic chips, finished with a special wasabi yuzu citrus sauce. This roll was actually really good and the one I liked better of the two rolls we ordered. The garlic chips on top added some nice texture to the roll. Although the daikon on top looked bland and tasteless, it did a great job of absorbing the wasabi yuzu citrus sauce. The flavours blended well together and made the roll taste like a super-charged California roll.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1UrwvTGhJmRVt3UZv6EkhcjlQnglXCixm__m-dN4JVJJwXhZu5j18hIJTTHw0lS65JFRuJE0ivGQLXTtb-moGOqoJIb4Kf8_AbtBFob7C8rcGwbvYUYWTJx2ul8BAeeH_aXBjmMD5Ipl/s1600/IMG_0878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1UrwvTGhJmRVt3UZv6EkhcjlQnglXCixm__m-dN4JVJJwXhZu5j18hIJTTHw0lS65JFRuJE0ivGQLXTtb-moGOqoJIb4Kf8_AbtBFob7C8rcGwbvYUYWTJx2ul8BAeeH_aXBjmMD5Ipl/s1600/IMG_0878.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Misoyaki Butterfish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Misoyaki Butterfish</b> - black cod butterfish glazed and baked with yuzu saikyo miso and served with grilled seasoned vegetables. We ordered this for H and she really liked it. It was soft, tender, flaky and very flavorful. My only complaint is that it had bones in it, so I had to slowly pick through it before feeding H.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJ8cCLv5lmzs6S8vqOTTy8Ei3PVYBFKpESwvUpRLGpS1NUllpGCW7cU3wM1TcYOJsnWMhMInekNwHyAJVScoUpxcA3abyliHP2vgAazER3DOUF9ApGvGXaMw_zDVATOr41X0RelJc6QMi/s1600/IMG_0880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJ8cCLv5lmzs6S8vqOTTy8Ei3PVYBFKpESwvUpRLGpS1NUllpGCW7cU3wM1TcYOJsnWMhMInekNwHyAJVScoUpxcA3abyliHP2vgAazER3DOUF9ApGvGXaMw_zDVATOr41X0RelJc6QMi/s1600/IMG_0880.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Dragon Roll</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>White Dragon Roll</b> - shrimp tempura and avocado topped with unagi, red tobiko, unagi sauce, ao nori and spicy aioli. I should have read the description a little closer because this one was pretty basic. I was sold on the spicy aioli, but I could barely taste it in the roll. Imagine a dynamite roll with unagi on top, and that's exactly what it was.<br />
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<b>Chirashi Don</b> - assorted sashimi served over sushi rice. Fresh sashimi on rice.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11q3GLyEaDtHGXHL0fNHra3ev9IB-CapT_WAFNNukO7DHhPjl5Ks6tzo4OGLnDUKx2hwI7hwCExULgGQMwH3zQzne3sION-0fnxwO4dJdShMWnElOyfsDfevaFNyzy_M6r_h4G2Xjf3tH/s1600/IMG_0882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11q3GLyEaDtHGXHL0fNHra3ev9IB-CapT_WAFNNukO7DHhPjl5Ks6tzo4OGLnDUKx2hwI7hwCExULgGQMwH3zQzne3sION-0fnxwO4dJdShMWnElOyfsDfevaFNyzy_M6r_h4G2Xjf3tH/s1600/IMG_0882.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chirashi Don</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Foodwise, Doraku Sushi doesn't do anything spectacular or unique with its dishes. It was a good meal but nothing about it really hooked me or would entice me to try it again.<br />
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Service was pretty good, but our server did disappear on us a couple of times. It was great, but it wasn't bad either.<br />
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<i>"Sorry for the dim photos. We were seated on the patio where there was almost no lighting whatsoever." </i><br />
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<b>Summary</b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Food</span></b>: Good. Nothing bad about the food, but it wasn't unique or special.<br />
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<b><span style="color: lime;">Service</span></b>: Average.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Setting</span></b>: Good. It's along Waikiki and the patio view of Kalakaua Avenue is great (if you can get one of the few tables with that view).<br />
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<b><span style="color: lime;">Value</span></b>: Average. Good food but medium to high prices.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/37/1413523/restaurant/Hawaii/Waikiki/Doraku-Sushi-Honolulu"><img alt="Doraku Sushi on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1413523/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>
Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-84459996612659897242013-10-11T22:37:00.001-07:002013-10-11T22:37:47.265-07:00Teddy's Bigger Burgers (Hawaii, US)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihccQz7oVZ5fpaqNqjtF4YQ2-7j7BkYpVEtWa6gs-x3TUF6RFhjF1PMYUt6k5KRQOLrDyPD5jtS9rOOTrVE5l_Mn9UUMcNGtZ_JAA7tOtP8cO6Pi4qYvYhDYAo9O2ZNGvjUa1dsucyXaoU/s1600/IMG_0860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihccQz7oVZ5fpaqNqjtF4YQ2-7j7BkYpVEtWa6gs-x3TUF6RFhjF1PMYUt6k5KRQOLrDyPD5jtS9rOOTrVE5l_Mn9UUMcNGtZ_JAA7tOtP8cO6Pi4qYvYhDYAo9O2ZNGvjUa1dsucyXaoU/s1600/IMG_0860.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything we ordered</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I love a good burger and we noticed that there were several Teddy's stores around Honolulu so we gave it a try. We visited the location across the street from Don Quijote's just after lunchtime. It wasn't very busy so we took our time examining the menu and deciding what to order.<br />
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We ended up ordering something for each of us, including an 'extra thick' hand scooped <b>Kono Coffee Milkshake</b> which was absolutely superb.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEmdplHVNGj6Eu23tgzgJH9jf87GUsXkLLhj-4ZFqKXwSbB5EgjH27ztHd2c6VEhIPXvJ6CLnxM8SvuzSn0zRfmvUdOW-0C040h35do4ggVhJzeYXjoPrOcNFO949yTTAdgyczMm-RtKM/s1600/IMG_0861.JPG" height="213" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fish Sandwich</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Fish Sandwich</b> - Soft, tender, and flaky, this sandwich was above average in taste and quality.<br />
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<b>Kilauea Fire House Style Big Burger</b> - I ordered this one and was a little disappointed that they excluded the typical lettuce and tomatoes. I still enjoyed the burger a lot though, because it was spicy, juicy, and included an onion ring and bacon. I think it would have been better with at least some lettuce on it though.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvO7AR8fyThpJtKjrHD2Qw8i_AweHiFWbQhyNQtVMYJkBJyvMvOmck4hDpgYeh9_j726MTjtdBk4OxW1Fhx1dOb_xNPrf88FJnx2kutsdbud9TjmNL2IZ-mMtYEDKcbpCwIu2r3IIBWjf/s1600/IMG_0862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvO7AR8fyThpJtKjrHD2Qw8i_AweHiFWbQhyNQtVMYJkBJyvMvOmck4hDpgYeh9_j726MTjtdBk4OxW1Fhx1dOb_xNPrf88FJnx2kutsdbud9TjmNL2IZ-mMtYEDKcbpCwIu2r3IIBWjf/s1600/IMG_0862.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kilauea Fire House Style Big Burger</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DpYvE2pAIHlNEgfTXVSFhnbuZRZqJsvs-sYhFr6XEAnuBfI0eA2DQON61EsfkQToR__f2lGcgZtuRuF8JsWg25M05p9KzSYtzzqznK89XfQsNJiWvT77R4LKUxN8DafCv-tm05PG5Gzn/s1600/IMG_0864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DpYvE2pAIHlNEgfTXVSFhnbuZRZqJsvs-sYhFr6XEAnuBfI0eA2DQON61EsfkQToR__f2lGcgZtuRuF8JsWg25M05p9KzSYtzzqznK89XfQsNJiWvT77R4LKUxN8DafCv-tm05PG5Gzn/s1600/IMG_0864.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lahaina Style Big Burger</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Lahaina Style Big Burger</b> - Big and messy. J ordered this one and really liked it. However, she found that it was a little too big for her so I ended up finishing it for her. The sweet pineapple really added to the overall taste of the burger. Most place put teriyaki sauce on the burger with pineapple to make it "Hawaiian", but the Lahaina style was very good. Teddy's Teriyaki Sauce is custom made with their own mix of ingredients so it wasn't overpowering like regular Teriyaki sauce.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_AxHA2JGM2xpPP9BVUG04_AxeZ9Q-ZbFotH9GDt19wvjpLppa8gRftaCIgG1NlrjCl6so9lU13Fveea2vIiHjawWfLpOszvFrS8gNyV9N5JgJMDTUEdFjRIWsjrgSlJ9DMRuH8_WtCDAt/s1600/IMG_0863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_AxHA2JGM2xpPP9BVUG04_AxeZ9Q-ZbFotH9GDt19wvjpLppa8gRftaCIgG1NlrjCl6so9lU13Fveea2vIiHjawWfLpOszvFrS8gNyV9N5JgJMDTUEdFjRIWsjrgSlJ9DMRuH8_WtCDAt/s1600/IMG_0863.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keiki-sized Burger</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Keiki-sized Burger</b> - We ordered this for H and it was a good size with the regular toppings, but she didn't seem to like it that much. I had a few bites of it to clear away the edges of the buns for her but she wasn't really a big fan of it. She loved eating the lettuce though...<br />
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The restaurant was large, spacious, and had great air conditioning. The servers were all very welcoming and we had a good overall experience. I will definitely stop by a Teddy's again the next time I'm in Honolulu.<br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
<b><span style="color: magenta;">Food</span></b>: Very good. Fantastic juicy burgers with fresh toppings and unique condiments.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Service</span></b>: Good.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Setting</span></b>: Good. Lots of parking, spacious interior and great air conditioning.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Value</span></b>: Good. Although it's like a fast food joint, it's not fast food. They make everything to order and the food quality and taste is on par (or better) than many sit-down restaurants.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/37/1786752/restaurant/Hawaii/Ala-Moana/Teddys-Bigger-Burgers-Honolulu"><img alt="Teddy's Bigger Burgers on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1786752/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-49616478416169103412013-10-11T17:43:00.001-07:002013-10-11T17:43:45.550-07:00Bubbies Homemade Ice Cream (Hawaii, US)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9SGoWtI816BCBZmVWY5Lf3jW2tPRi8B72DjR-Xkb3xlzd0pBUx_OwFWvlQ7pOD3P7ShdtM-yUe01RU9ZmTF8ZxIl_B0Mfv2BC1VisvV-pRoYo0faIr1cj5b25jU2ON4QzEVjSIC3GL1b-/s640/blogger-image-338079285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9SGoWtI816BCBZmVWY5Lf3jW2tPRi8B72DjR-Xkb3xlzd0pBUx_OwFWvlQ7pOD3P7ShdtM-yUe01RU9ZmTF8ZxIl_B0Mfv2BC1VisvV-pRoYo0faIr1cj5b25jU2ON4QzEVjSIC3GL1b-/s320/blogger-image-338079285.jpg" width="320" /></a>The last time we were in Hawaii we looked for Bubbies Homemade Ice Cream and couldn't find it. The address in Honolulu is on University Avenue, but it was nowhere to be found. This time around, we gave ourselves plenty of time to find it. After asking around, we finally found it. The store is actually on Coyne Street, but the complex that it's attached to has a University Avenue address.<br />
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Anyway, we stopped by and ordered a couple of flavours each to try it out. Between the 4 of us, we ordered 6 mochis - 2 peanut butter, 2 guava, and 2 lychee.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx03fHjtbeyRjY1bF_ViTHl3MI-hQNfCUQHTkwTk1hL-IU_VWn8qmpY3cw4FLLXvB41Gmi1qRQwoHVuPlM27tXYfIPt8JaaiJ9mks7HR-E7DaXB8lg0dZdusucTi2i3D411cS0oe4t17At/s640/blogger-image-538634633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx03fHjtbeyRjY1bF_ViTHl3MI-hQNfCUQHTkwTk1hL-IU_VWn8qmpY3cw4FLLXvB41Gmi1qRQwoHVuPlM27tXYfIPt8JaaiJ9mks7HR-E7DaXB8lg0dZdusucTi2i3D411cS0oe4t17At/s320/blogger-image-538634633.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
The mochi wrapping was very thin and soft and didn't stick to my hands. It was lightly sweetened and went very well with the ice cream which was fresh and flavorful. The flavoring in the ice cream was light and subtle. It wasn't too sweet and it was very refreshing. I've had ice cream filled mochis before, and Bubbies was without any doubt at a higher level of quality and taste than any I've had before.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYdevmHFzo2Rtq3DXEqgf3ODjOASyTC75tqtK9ru2ZKSRrRyBZHvCzRZfjoiI7hj67oHOraJgdYZoEhNRV_nUBiMUCehfSsSdNOTkE7JC-pX_wFQCfVv8AkBwY4T77VjbI0_o3JP8ieTc/s640/blogger-image--540446532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYdevmHFzo2Rtq3DXEqgf3ODjOASyTC75tqtK9ru2ZKSRrRyBZHvCzRZfjoiI7hj67oHOraJgdYZoEhNRV_nUBiMUCehfSsSdNOTkE7JC-pX_wFQCfVv8AkBwY4T77VjbI0_o3JP8ieTc/s320/blogger-image--540446532.jpg" width="320" /></a>If I went on an empty stomach, I would have ordered half a dozen just for myself. I recommend Bubbies without hesitation.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/37/410290/restaurant/Hawaii/Manoa-Makiki-University-District/Bubbies-Homemade-Ice-Cream-Honolulu"><img alt="Bubbies Homemade Ice Cream on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/410290/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-6013023169093337552013-10-10T23:16:00.001-07:002013-10-10T23:16:12.514-07:00Marukame Udon (Hawaii, US)Our first fooding stop in Oahu was Marukame Udon. Althoug I'm not normally a fan of udon (I prefer ramen), I thought Marukame Udon was fantastic.<br />
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The restaurant is on Kuhio Avenue, just one block farther inland from Kalakaua Avenue (which pretty much IS Waikiki). It's easy to find as it gets quite busy, so just look for the Japanese noodle shop with the line-up outside. We arrived there early for dinner, so we just beat the line. You enter the restaurant and immediately line-up to order your udon. You pick the soup base and then you add items to your bowl and pay, cafeteria-style.<br />
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We ordered 2 drinks and 3 bowls of udon. It was unclear whether or not we even needed to order drinks because most people just use these clear plastic cups that are sitting by the drink machines and poured whatever they wanted, even though signs indicated that tea was $1.29. I think we paid $2 for each of our drinks even after I asked the cashier if we could just get tea with the plastic cups. Honesty may be the best policy, but it can cost you!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmv8myJsToa8MInW1U7G7ijLEhjA9GV86SwxI4oSrDQzZOXcWckhLENg0evDiOOjPK8ogFOcw6x9DbfBuHDF-w5U49_7upPPLXrS-xJRvzKo7YAwJoDgji9vF9JKBm6rViFock66x054x/s1600/IMG_0637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmv8myJsToa8MInW1U7G7ijLEhjA9GV86SwxI4oSrDQzZOXcWckhLENg0evDiOOjPK8ogFOcw6x9DbfBuHDF-w5U49_7upPPLXrS-xJRvzKo7YAwJoDgji9vF9JKBm6rViFock66x054x/s1600/IMG_0637.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ontama Udon with Chicken Karaage</td></tr>
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Ontama Udon with Chicken Karaage. Described on the menu as "sauce" instead of soup, I thought it tasted like broth. It was flavorful and tasty, but a little too salty which was probably the result of the restaurant either making their udon with salt blended in, or cooking the udon in salt water. The chicken karaage was soft, tender and juicy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05B66IEUNP8OkFza03AgGwJkjqmIeK6EDAyU8emgEJ_KCCmnmJhhX1gP3QjHJI6TzDCj0z3pklfL5SOOZSkGaCGpf1v04VYKMfgfOgYDdGheRBnn32RIv6cn6Vmylr8dwFMM8ytr3ivdq/s1600/IMG_0638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05B66IEUNP8OkFza03AgGwJkjqmIeK6EDAyU8emgEJ_KCCmnmJhhX1gP3QjHJI6TzDCj0z3pklfL5SOOZSkGaCGpf1v04VYKMfgfOgYDdGheRBnn32RIv6cn6Vmylr8dwFMM8ytr3ivdq/s1600/IMG_0638.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curry Udon with Fish Cake Tempura</td></tr>
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Curry Udon with Fish Cake Tempura. The curry was thicker than typical Japanese curry sauce which was a nice surprise. It was very tasty and not very spicy. Again though, it was pretty salty. The fish cake tempura was nice and added some texture to the noodles. It wasn't overly battered, but the crispy bits that dropped into the soup made it taste even better.<br />
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Niku Udon with Squid Tempura. My mom really liked it and said the squid was very soft and tender. She mentioned that the udon was a little salty as well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NQw1wbV7pDCX1VQqitBiC7VsNTadnO1YDVHpJ6GUc2ro8ZEYZamWE7MI5xlReJXK8Dseg8Y1TPxcFL8Z7pJUDFyfI-0RoCtWG9kYslI37Sb6kdIx6gguqTIPBmfjVicVbcGfc9pIeyzF/s1600/IMG_0639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NQw1wbV7pDCX1VQqitBiC7VsNTadnO1YDVHpJ6GUc2ro8ZEYZamWE7MI5xlReJXK8Dseg8Y1TPxcFL8Z7pJUDFyfI-0RoCtWG9kYslI37Sb6kdIx6gguqTIPBmfjVicVbcGfc9pIeyzF/s1600/IMG_0639.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Niku Udon with Squid Tempura</td></tr>
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The restaurant was bustling within 30 minutes of us sitting down, and it was clear that many of the patrons visit after their workday and such. The workers clear tables quickly to try to get customers in and out as quickly as possible. Despite this, we never felt rushed as we had to slowly feed H without the luxury of a high chair (we were in a booth and they didn't have boosters).<br />
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<b>Summary</b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Food</span></b>: Good. A little salty but very delicious nonetheless.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Service</span></b>: Good. Orders are fulfilled quickly (since you're in a queue) and tables are cleared quickly.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Setting</span></b>: Good. Parking probably sucks (we walked) but the restaurant is clean with lots of seating.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Value</span></b>: Good. Tasty food and a whole meal will probably run you under $15.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/37/1594829/restaurant/Hawaii/Waikiki/Marukame-Udon-Honolulu"><img alt="Marukame Udon on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1594829/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-90371528216708158972013-10-10T22:56:00.003-07:002013-10-10T22:56:59.647-07:00Mama's Fish House (Hawaii, US)Our last eating stop in Maui was Mama's Fish House in Paia. We drove nearly an hour to get there and it was well worth it.<br />
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The restaurant is on the Hana Highway and it's very hard to miss (during the day). It's quite large and they have plenty of seating. The parking is all valet only (free) because they get so busy that they have to cram lots of cars into their parking lot. The restaurant itself is about 75 feet from the ocean so the views are decent during the day. At night, the sea breeze is very refreshing and the mood and atmosphere of the dining room is quite romantic.<br />
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Service at Mama's is quite good as the servers are all very polite and helpful. It's a very busy restaurant so we made reservations. However, be aware that they will call you to confirm your reservation. So make sure you can be contacted or give them a call the day before to confirm your reservations. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkt2KDc6P0YH9oa7BCv30ODy7ki7vcRu3ioZL5CQyz7YwxTYnvfgk7uk3dtP8ICNgsdKkgiGAY4icVNyKZJxrlSbvZku9FIdQWKPhpR_vo3yRIyMdIyb8Uk8t1-VifNyQcEZkGH3Y2w2vI/s1600/IMG_0596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkt2KDc6P0YH9oa7BCv30ODy7ki7vcRu3ioZL5CQyz7YwxTYnvfgk7uk3dtP8ICNgsdKkgiGAY4icVNyKZJxrlSbvZku9FIdQWKPhpR_vo3yRIyMdIyb8Uk8t1-VifNyQcEZkGH3Y2w2vI/s1600/IMG_0596.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fruit Smoothies and Ginger Tomato Bisque</td></tr>
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We ordered 3 fruit smoothies around the table along with an appetizer and 2 entrees.<br />
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The <b>Fruit Smoothies</b> were all very good. They were thick and frosty, but the ice and juices never separated and maintained their consistency throughout our dinner. After the drinks were served, we were given some Hawaiian sweet bread and a whipped butter with what I can only assume was ground red bell pepper for colour and a hint of pepper taste.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIIf2vGIpCgcq8-Btsd89H0s0PFPRDVeP6-5jBqLFkAtFIJ93iiMnPfq41vGR01IgmhH9aK48kiIITob6mBRjzgVyZbTfJ7G2J0PEXZL7sy23avRzfO8PApnhqEx21zqf-ykkF__TUmRq/s1600/IMG_0603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIIf2vGIpCgcq8-Btsd89H0s0PFPRDVeP6-5jBqLFkAtFIJ93iiMnPfq41vGR01IgmhH9aK48kiIITob6mBRjzgVyZbTfJ7G2J0PEXZL7sy23avRzfO8PApnhqEx21zqf-ykkF__TUmRq/s1600/IMG_0603.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opakapaka Ceviche</td></tr>
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The server also brought a <b>Ginger Tomato Bisque</b>, compliments of the chef. It was served hot and had lots of flavour.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnamvXVG_5CwxEDHWWhz4Beb1Xq7xZrW3AmWQHz-AI7WBhAS5kVb1gqArkkknHDMfFhblpOY-qLH5KsG7vetAHB0_HP47y23OOnRYnGynnO1FZ8YtYnhL5B2cHVYwYDQROzK5IJ5q-L417/s1600/IMG_0610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnamvXVG_5CwxEDHWWhz4Beb1Xq7xZrW3AmWQHz-AI7WBhAS5kVb1gqArkkknHDMfFhblpOY-qLH5KsG7vetAHB0_HP47y23OOnRYnGynnO1FZ8YtYnhL5B2cHVYwYDQROzK5IJ5q-L417/s1600/IMG_0610.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mahimahi Stuffed with Lobster and Crab</td></tr>
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<b>Opakapaka Ceviche</b> – Tahitian lime, chili pepper, kaffir lime leaf, cilantro and mango. Our appetizer was a great way to start our meal. It came with three types of chips and was very refreshing. The ceviche was cold and the sauce wasn't too sour. We tried to eat the young coconut that it was served in, but it was rather difficult so we gave up after a few pieces.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsrFFQ7Ml6xq0lVu7OOFhHe5agzYyAE2V_AvOFNxopoKYkHvVUJmPEo8C6MvwKK11KJr0rVPPa-edyeKYSzyGLkBIETy_QZMGXO6Cfkgjthl1JP6U0OmlFR0QWmHg9LPSs50JEFqALcko/s1600/IMG_0612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsrFFQ7Ml6xq0lVu7OOFhHe5agzYyAE2V_AvOFNxopoKYkHvVUJmPEo8C6MvwKK11KJr0rVPPa-edyeKYSzyGLkBIETy_QZMGXO6Cfkgjthl1JP6U0OmlFR0QWmHg9LPSs50JEFqALcko/s1600/IMG_0612.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ahi Seared in a Hana Ginger-Panko Crust</td></tr>
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<b>Mahimahi stuffed with lobster and crab, baked in a macadamia nut crust</b>. I ordered this the last time I was at Mama's and it was just as good as I remembered it. The mahimahi was very soft and tender, and there was a good portion of crab and lobster stuffed inside.<br />
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<b>Ahi seared in a Hana ginger-panko crust with Kalua Pig fried rice</b>. The ginger-panko crust had subtle ginger taste to it which blended very well with the ahi tuna. I gave H most of the kalua pig fried rice and she loved it. It was very flavorful and the pork was excellent.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEXjhl_z-rdfLxk7MJ4LHCX2mSiCcUBm_EkiBT9oT1nlSDW1cnihsB9w8e9gcVZfWrOpUldlN7ydajNmGniTcq6G62vBHjkLa-UkpBQWRRdGUxpGmyt5bFoXseI3iFLTUXISBojywAz-ct/s1600/IMG_0613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEXjhl_z-rdfLxk7MJ4LHCX2mSiCcUBm_EkiBT9oT1nlSDW1cnihsB9w8e9gcVZfWrOpUldlN7ydajNmGniTcq6G62vBHjkLa-UkpBQWRRdGUxpGmyt5bFoXseI3iFLTUXISBojywAz-ct/s1600/IMG_0613.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kuau Chocolate Pie</td></tr>
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Since the 4 of us shared 2 entrees, we had room for dessert so we ordered the <b>Kuau Chocolate Pie Baked in a caramel cookie crust</b>. The chocolate part of it was very smooth and rich, but it didn't really stick out as being unique or different from what you can get at a bakery. The caramel cookie crust was the central attraction. There was a thick layer of caramel between the chocolate and the crust. The only problem was that the chocolate separated from the caramel so we had a tough time keeping the top and bottom of the pie together. Altogether though it was quite delicious and a nice way to wrap up our dinner.<br />
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Overall, I recommend anyone who visits Maui to try out Mama's Fish House. If you do the drive to Hana during the day, Mama's is a great place to stop by for dinner on your way back to wherever you're staying on the island. Remember to make reservations though.<br />
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<b>Summary</b><br />
<b><span style="color: orange;">Food</span></b>: Exceptional. All their dishes are very well made and delicious.<br />
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<b><span style="color: magenta;">Service</span></b>: Very good. The servers are very polite and helpful. Service is top notch.<br />
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<b><span style="color: magenta;">Setting</span></b>: Very good. Free valet parking, romantic atmosphere, and spacious dining room.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Value</span></b>: Good. The prices are steep, but you're paying for all of the above, so it's somewhat justified.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/37/411433/restaurant/Hawaii/Paia-Upcountry/Mamas-Fish-House-Paia"><img alt="Mama's Fish House on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/411433/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1434794798782398625.post-72827403208030135622013-10-10T22:23:00.002-07:002013-10-10T22:23:25.158-07:00Ululani's Hawaiian Shave Ice (Hawaii, US)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMT6MyxoUBe-rM-DosNg7_vZRVHseE8IwEX_bcY7ONvtFTdkJkAyCRJcP95JKeAF_QBKx2oAwQ-vzvRnUHepIT28gc9nnVNxHE2VRc5IIxB4_0DjzrNaQb8arhPwmPPadXecWXYsc4HOhv/s1600/IMG_0553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMT6MyxoUBe-rM-DosNg7_vZRVHseE8IwEX_bcY7ONvtFTdkJkAyCRJcP95JKeAF_QBKx2oAwQ-vzvRnUHepIT28gc9nnVNxHE2VRc5IIxB4_0DjzrNaQb8arhPwmPPadXecWXYsc4HOhv/s1600/IMG_0553.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't remember what flavours we got...</td></tr>
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While shopping along Front Street in Lahaina, we passed by Ululani's and I remembered seeing it on a travel site, listing it as the #1 "restaurant" in Maui. It was a hot day and we decided to try it out. I have certain tastes when it comes to shave ice (I'm Taiwanese so it's in my blood) so I wasn't getting my hopes up, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the texture of the ice (very finely shaved) and the taste of the flavour syrups. We chose to add a scoop of macadamia ice cream to ours, which I though actually took away from the overall taste of the shave ice (there were way too many macadamia nuts in there!).<br />
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Regardless, I can see why Ululani's is touted as "the best shave ice" in Maui. I don't agree, however, that it is the best shave ice in Hawaii (I'll save that for another post). If you're in Maui and have a craving for shave ice, you can't go wrong with Ululani's. There's a reason there are 2 of their stores within 100 feet of one another.<br />
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<b>Summary</b><br />
Forget the summary, just go try it out. It's really good.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/37/1699399/restaurant/Hawaii/Ululanis-Hawaiian-Shave-Ice-Lahaina"><img alt="Ululani's Hawaiian Shave Ice on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1699399/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>
Jukyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08526347508530525136noreply@blogger.com0