Overall: Standard pho; The branch at Pinetree Village is better
Food: Vietnamese
Price: Reasonable, $8-$10 per pax
Ambience: The wallpaper looked garrish
Pho 99 Vietnamese Noodle House
2991 Lougheed Highway, #62
604-472-1299
Chicken Wings and Espresso(Background)
We just can't go without ordering chicken wings! Well, this was quite a disappointment because the servings were really small, and it wasn't as crispy as it could've been! The coffee was excellent, I managed to stay up most of the night, in an attempt to study for my finals! It has served me well.
Vermicelli Bowl with Chicken and Spring Rolls
It was my first time ordering this, and I was really satisfied with it because it was really filling. The portion is solid enough for two people to share. There's an adequate share of chicken and spring rolls; this is an excellent well-rounded dish with your daily servings of protein, carbs and veggies!
Noodle Soup with Beef Flank
Having the traditional Vietnamese soup base, it was a little bit too salty for me. My preference is still the noodles with the beef stew, but this is a good substitute if people don't want something too potent.
Pork and Ham Submarine
It's like an ordinary sandwhich, but wrapped in a baguette. It's a decent alternative if you're tired of eating noodles or if you don't particularly want a rich dish.
Overall: The service was far from spectacular but the food makes it a "will return" spot
Food: So good! West Coast cuisine
Price: A little on the pricey side; $30 per person incl. tax and tip
Ambiance: Romantic but a little noisy because of the small seating area
1168 Hamilton St.
604 568 1344
The Flying Pig immediately went up on my "To Eat List" posted back in December after Sohee and I failed to get in due to the hour long line up.
Finally, after some of my major final exams were done, we made a bee-line to The Flying Pig again. And this time, it was meant to be as we got there even later than before but only had to wait for 5 minutes! Lovely.
Located in the Yaletown-home-of- the-yuppies area, I never really found a reason to venture out there due to my shallow pockets (I was always more of a Gastown kinda gal anyway). But there is now a reason to return.
The top 2 dishes of my choice were the BBQ Wild King Salmon and the Veal Piccata. I liked that the salmon came with gnocchi and a pumpkin cream glaze, but was skeptical about the salmon itself as many places tend to overcook it. So I questioned our waiter quite a bit about the 2 dishes and probably pissed him off after choosing the Salmon after his recommendation of the Veal. But whatever lol.
And I definitely made the right choice. The salmon was perfectly cooked- soft and moist. And the sides of potato gnocchi with a creamy pumpkin glaze over top, so goood! Although this was a filling dish, I polished off almost all of it.
Unlike me, Sohee was decisive. She went with the Wild Seafood Pappardelle with a spicy rose sauce. This also tasted as yummy as it looks, and there was a generous dose of seafood.
We ended off the night with the signature T.F.P Drumstick, which tasted like an ordinary ice-cream cone. I wished we got the maple sugar pie instead, but this gives me extra reason to return! They also serve brunch and I think I definitely want to make a trip back for a sampling of their daytime menu.
All in all, TFP is one of my top places in Yaletown to dine at. However, be prepared for the wait as they do not take reservations. -Sara
Part of what makes me proud of being Singaporean is the food. Unable to have authentic (and cheap) Singaporean fare in hawker centres like back home, I'm always on a look out for good little eateries that serve decent and reasonably priced Singaporean/Malaysian cuisine. The typical ones are Banana Leaf and Tropika, with Tropika on Cambie &14th Ave being my favourite. I need to do a review there.
Close to where I live is an independent eatery that my family likes to frequent. It is located in Port Moody, and is run by a Sri Lankan Chef who moved to Canada years ago. His restuarant was recently featured in the Vancouver Sun.
Review Snippet
Overall: Memorable and authentic food, good service
Price: Reasonable, $10-$15 per person
Food: Singaporean/ Malaysian/ South-east Asian (SEA)
Ambiance: Spacious, quaint with SEA-inspired furniture and decorations
3033 St. Johns Street.
Port Moody, BC
604-461-2245
A must-order for my family whenever we are there is the Seafood Hor Fun. Remember to ask for "Singaporean Style" as this version is not on the menu. For as long as I can remember, we always order this version such that I don't even know how the "regular" one tastes like. My dad, a hor fun expert always raves about how fresh their horfun (the rice noodles) is and wonders where they get it from. Plenty of tasty gravy and seafood. I love the soft and tender fish slices!
Beef rendang- a staple malay/ peranakan (term for the chinese-malay mixed race in Singapore) dish. Rich, thick curry and tender pieces of beef, this dish was pretty good.
Spicy, garlic chicken wings. This was really tasty and we enjoyed it thoroughly, especially the garlic and onion bits/chips over top.
My order- sambal fish and egg plant. This was part of their lunch special and for $8, is such a deal! I had this once before and it has stuck with me ever since. The fish is nice and crispy and I love the sambal chilli paste served with it. They definitely could have been more generous with the eggplant though.
Overall, Kurumba Restaurant is highly recommended if you ever make a trip out to the tri-cities or live around the area!- Sara
Overall: Good value for hearty, tasty Italian fare
Food: Tasty, comfort food; Italian/ Korean fusion; Breakfast/lunch/dinner
Price: Very reasonable, especially their 2-for 1 pastas; $10/person (incl. tip and tax)
Ambience: Cosy and clean interior
Jimoco Cafe
1046 Austin Ave
Coquitlam, BC V3K 3P3
778-355-6729
Finally, another place to cross off my list! I went to Jimoco Cafe for lunch, after recommendation from a family friend.
Jimoco serves Italian dishes, with a korean twist. My friend and I got there at 12:30pm for lunch and there was a line up. I guess we should have known better given its popularity in the area and small interior. There were a large number of Korean customers, and I had one lady strike up a conversation with me in Korean, only to be disappointed with my "Sorry, I'm not Korean" reply. Lol.
As the line grew, so did my tummy with great anticipation. I was excited to try the fusion pasta, I had heard so much about!
To satiate my growing appetite, complimentary garlic bread was served. Free bread- always a nice touch.
My dish: Linguine Soul. This is linguine, served with a spicy tomato base in a hot pot and a generous serving of seafood- mussels, clams, scallops and prawns. On a cold rainy day, I definitely welcomed this piping and spicy hot dish.
Linguine Vongole. This was linguine served with a white wine sauce and a generous portion of clams. This garlic, buttery white wine sauce was quite tasty and I would get this next time.
Overall, I will be back to Jimoco Cafe, as their pastas are very reasonable and pretty tasty. The portions are also pretty generous. With their 2 for 1 pasta deals, the total bill incl tax and tip only came up to $10 per person. Definitely good value for the portion and quality.-Sara
Overall: Will be an option if we are in the vicinity
Food: Thai/ South-east Asian
Price: Reasonable; $10-$15 per person
Ambience: Thai decor; ample seating
115-4600 Kingsway, Burnaby
Station Square Mall
604-438-2288
Craving some reprieve from the hustle and bustle of boxing day shopping, and to satisfy our rumbling appetites, we settled on some Thai food within the vicinity of Metrotown at Thai House Royale. Knowing it was a chain restaurant, our expectations were not high, but settled on it given our less attractive alternatives of food court fare.
We were seated quite fast despite coming in at lunch hour so this was definitely a plus!
First up, calamari with Thai-infused spices and a sweet yet spicy dip on the side. The calamari was pretty tasty- crispy but not too oily. I enjoyed the unusual dip as well.
Another favourite of our family's when eating at SEA restaurants are the chicken satays. The skewers looked more like chicken kebabs to me, and I was slightly skeptical. However, the meat chunks were tender, even if they were not authentic. The same can be said of the peanut sauce- not super authentic but it was tasty. I felt it was a bit too "lemak"( too much coconut milk).
Another favourite Thai dish of ours is the Pad Thai. This was probably the least authentic dish as the base oozed with a tomato-y taste. There was however, a generous portion of shrimp.
Lastly, we had the chicken green curry. This was pretty good and surprisingly spicy- the sort of spice that creeps up on you. I enjoyed this quite a bit.
All in all, this is a decent Thai restaurant to check out if you are shopping in Metrotown as it definitely beats the food court fare in the malls (including crystal mall). -Sara
