The SoftRockin' Revue

Softrockin' Revue

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Phnom Penh

Located in Vancouver’s Chinatown, Phnom Penh has been a mainstay in the area for decades. Most notably, people travel far and wide to avail themselves of their famous Chicken Wings, but they’re definitely more than that!

Of course, the first dish we had to try was their chicken wings (13.95; small order). These were so amazingly juicy and seasoned beautifully inside and out. What really makes these wings stand out though is the brilliant lemon pepper sauce that accompanies it!

The next dish we have here is the beef ball egg noodles (13.95). The broth was light and flavourful and the meatballs were enormous! These had a nice chew and were very juicy and tasty. These were on a bed of very al dente egg noodles.

Next up, we have an order of the Beef Luc Lac Rice with Egg (15.95). The sauce reminded me of a sweet brown sauce and the beef was very tender. Alone, each component is a little boring but there’s just something so magical when it’s all mixed together. The rich meatiness of the beef, creaminess of the egg, and refreshing crunch from the veggies creates such a unique experience.

Lastly, we have a plate of their squid. The battering in this is very different from the chicken wings. It’s much lighter than the wings and has a strong garlic flavour caked right into the batter! The squid itself is so amazingly tender, you’d think it’s a fish filet instead of a piece of squid. It comes with a side of that lemon pepper sauce too, but I think the sweetness of the squid and the strong garlic flavour makes the sauce unnecessary.

Good:

-Portion sizes are all quite large

-Food quality is phenomenal

Bad:

-A bit pricey

-The lineup.

Closing Comments: Food here is amazing and I like their queue system. They register your phone number and once a table is ready, they’ll just fire a text off to you to return to eat!

Overall Rating: 9.3 PBJ’s out of a possible 10.

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Kwong Chow Congee & Noodle House

On a cold winter's (or early spring's) day, nothing fills the soul better than some good old Cantonese style cooking. There's no better place that can satisfy that kind of craving than a Wonton Noodle House, such as Kwong Chow.

The prices here are all pretty reasonable, whether it be for lunch or dinner. Most dishes will set you back between $13 on the lower and and $14.75 at the higher end. Shown above is a plate of their Minced Beef Fried Rice with Lettuce. There is some significant application of wok heat to this dish and the beef bits of some nice charring on them. Very flavourful and not too greasy either!

Next up is a plate of their Chow Mein with Chicken and Chinese Mushroom. The noodles were all extremely crispy and there was a plentiful amount of tender chicken, mushroom, and bok choy. Although it was very flavourful, I'd prefer it if there were slightly more soft noodles underneath.

Another old school favourite of theirs is the Black Bean Sauce Spareribs with Green Peppers (this photo was taken after the sauce was mixed in). This was by far my favourite starch dish. There was ample use of black bean sauce without making the dish too salty and the spareribs were all tender and plentiful!.

Last up is an appetizer order of Deep Fried Squid. These were fried perfectly in that they were crispy, not oily, and had a terrific amount of seasoning and garlic flavouring. The squid itself was also very tender. Would go really well with a big bowl of congee or a wonton noodle soup.

Pros:

-Prices are reasonable for portion sizes

-Servers are all very personable.

-Food is solid

Bad:

-Chow Mein could stand to be a bit softer, but I'm sure you could just make a request for that.

Closing Comments: After visiting here several times, can say that the food here is really solid, especially their deep fried appetizers! Servers are also very friendly and attentive.

Overall Rating: 8.8 PBJ's out of a possible 10

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Chao Shou Wang

I’ve recently developed a taste for spicier food and when I first laid eyes on a photo of Chao Shou Wang’s Dry Spicy Wonton, my curiosity was piqued. Chao Shou Wang is located in Crystal Mall’s food court and despite the pandemic, they always seem to have a constant line (definitely a good sign).

To start, we have their Dry Spicy Wonton (8.50). The skin of the wonton has a nice chew and it came with a LOT of dry roasted peanuts on top. Flavour wise though, it was a little disappointing and could’ve stood to use more garlic and chili sauace.

I also tried their House Hot Noodles (8.50). The noodles had an amazing chew and also came with a ton of roasted peanuts. The sauce consists of minced garlic, minced pork, and chili oil all mixed together. It’s very tasty, though it has a bit of a slow burn that coats your lips for a few hours. It is a bit on the oily side so make sure you have something to drink.

Good:

-Huge portion of noodles

-Delicious chili garlic sauce

Bad:

-Wontons were a little plain, but if you get the noodles, you can always dip them into the pool of the chili garlic sauce for extra flavour

Closing Comments: If you get the noodles, you’ll definitely have a full on carb crash, though it’s totally worth it. Might want to try some of their other wontons though as this one was just okay.

Overall Rating: 8.3 PBJ’s out of a possible 10 

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The Buffet at Grand Villa (Pre Covid19 Review)

Most times, when I’m visiting a casino, it’s rarely to try my luck at the slots. Rather, it’s more likely that I’m there to try my luck with their dining options lol. The subject of this visit was the Buffet at Grand Villa Casino. I had heard they had a decent breakfast/lunch buffet, so off we went! This was considered a “Lunch Buffet”, so it’s either 13.05 if you have Encore Rewards Card or 14.50 otherwise.

For the mains, we have some salad, chicken, french toast, scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, breakfast sausage, bacon, chickpea salad, and potato salad.  The chicken was pretty moist, albeit a bit on the blander side. The bacon and sausage were your standard breakfast pack varieties. Same goes for the potatoes lol, they’re pan fried, a bit soft, but they’re potatoes! I think the one thing that stood out to me the most was the potato salad, it was very tasty and creamy.

They also had a selection of soups that day, so I gave the Mushroom and Onion bisque a go. It was pretty tasty albeit a bit salty. For beverages, they have one of those cool pop machines where you can choose the pop and any of the flavour shots that you want. They also have a machine that disperses coffee, cappuccinos, and lattes (all instant of course). 

For desserts, they had a selection of profiteroles (similar to the ones in the tub from your local grocer’s freezer section) and a selection of bars/cake squares. They kind of reminded me of the ones that you can get at Superstore lol. The ice cream machine was awesome though. You can get it with vanilla, chocolate, or swirled.

Good:

-Decent variety for the price

Bad:

-Quality is just okay, it’s obviously not a Vegas buffet, but it isn’t too bad either for lunch.

-Not really a fan of the desserts, except maybe the ice cream.

Closing Comments: You get what you pay for. It’s a slightly cheaper buffet with okay quality food for lunch. If nothing else, you’ll come out with a full tummy!

Overall Rating: 7.2 PBJ’s out of a possible 10 

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Todak Todak (Pre-Covid19 Review)

The Joyce-Collingwood area has a plethora of different kinds of restaurants to choose from, so it was only a matter of time before a Korean fried chicken joint rolled into town. Todak Todak replaced what was Xian Cuisine, and before that, Cattle Cafe. It seems that whichever business seems to inhabit this spot doesn’t have the best luck...so hopefully things will go well for them.

Shown above is a plate of their Boneless Fried Chicken (23.99). It’s a pretty decent sized basket of chicken. The pieces are crispy, not too greasy with a semi-light batter. They taste alright, though you will probably be better off with a plate of the chicken that comes with a glaze or sauce on it as this one is pretty simple.

The chicken came with a side of pickled daikon and salad with what tastes like a honey mustard sauce. 

Good:

-Decent fried chicken

-Good portion size

Bad:

-Not the cheapest either though

Closing Comments: Not much to say, it’s a decent go at Korean Fried Chicken. It’s no Cocoru Beer and chicken, but it does the job and it’s in the area. They also have some regular meal items, though I didn’t see anybody else order anything there but the chicken lol.

Overall Rating: 8.0 PBJ’s out of a possible 10

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Seoul Grill House (Pre Covid19 Review)

I’ve been on a bit of a Korean food binge the last little while, and this adventure was no exception. I was exploring the Guildford area one day with my dining companion and we discovered that in a little strip mall, a mere few blocks away from Guildford Town Centre, was this all you can eat Korean BBQ/Buffet restaurant. You know what happened next! The lunch time buffet price is 17.99.

The first thing I checked out was their selection of BBQ items. They had marinated beef, marinated chicken, marinated pork, and onions. The slightly tangy marinade that all of the meats were bathed in was really tasty on its own (i.e. you could get some of the other sauces they have, but it’s not really necessary).

That said, my favourite would have to be the marinated pork shoulder. Holy, these are the most tender, thick cuts of meat and after bathing in that tasty marinade, each bite is so juicy and flavourful. 10/10 would recommend! It’s important to note that the staff change your grill surfaces very frequently so you won’t need to worry about consuming a whole lot of charcoal or anything.

The meats and onions can be obtained from these refrigerated vats near the back of the buffet. My main grief with this layout is that some other inconsiderate patrons drop the tongs completely into the meat and you know the kind of food safety hazard that could pose.

They also have a pretty extensive salad bar at the back too. The spicy soft tofu, bean sprouts, and jap chae are all highlights, as is the kimchi. The seaweed is bit weird in that it’s really sour for some reason. The potato salad and regular tofu are all pretty....whatever, and the spinach salad is a bit on the saltier side.

Out of the selection of hot foods, I found the sweet and sour pork to be a bit dry and bland from sitting out so long, and the cooked spicy chicken, bulgogi and fish are a bit old tasting from sitting in the heating trays. The tteokbooki was nice and spicy though and the sweet potatoes had a nice glaze on them.

The highlight of the cooked foods has to be the fried chicken though. If you see a new tray come out, be quick! These seem to clear out the fastest out of all of the cooked foods.

Good:

-BBQ meats are awesome

-Chicken wings..mmm

-Servers very attentive and change BBQ surface very often

Bad:

-The tongs situation regarding the raw meats

-A lot of the cooked foods are just...meh

Closing Comments: Loved the fried chicken, most of the salads, sweet potato, and the BBQ meats. They also have multiple soups near the back and a bibimbap station (though that seems kind of filler to me lol). They also have an ice cream machine, but it’s important to note that using it during lunch will levi an extra charge against you. The main dessert would be oranges, during the lunch rush.

Overall Rating: 8.2 PBJ’s out of a possible 10 

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Kim’s Korean Waffles and Pancakes (Pre-Covid19)

After a very satisfying meal at Midam, I noticed there was a small crowd gathering around this little cart and discovered that it was a tiny dessert cart! Jackpot!

In the spirit of trying out the Korean foods in the area, my dining companion and I decided to try two of their Korean pancakes.

Firstly, we tried the sweet rice pancake with brown sugar, cinnamon and peanuts (2.00). It was very chewy and soft like mochi with a cinnamon and brown sugar syrup-like filling. It was kind of like a chewy apple pie, minus the apples.

We also tried Korean Waffle with Custard (1.25 each or 5.00 for 5). A corner of the waffle was ripped off to show the filling, though when prepared, it looks like a Taiyaki. The custard was very hot and creamy with a light sweetness with a semi salty batter.

This one is very similar to the Custard one, though it has a not too sweet red bean filling. This one didn’t want to play nice and more than a corner ripped off before the photo...whoops.

Good:

-The older woman who runs the shop is very friendly

-Pretty cheap

-Nice way to finish off the food adventure

Bad:

-Not too much in the way of selection, though you could argue that means they could focus on making sure they do what they can better

Closing Comments: Awesome example of street food. Just a small dessert cart serving up some tasty, reasonably priced treats.

Overall Rating: 8.0 PBJ’s out of a possible 10

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Midam Rice Cake House/Cafe & Bistro

I’ve passed by the plethora of Korean restaurants on North Road, by Lougheed station, multiple times but for some reason, have never ventured out to actually check them out, and boy was I missing out. After a quick jaunt over to Lougheed Town Centre, I decided to give one of the restaurants in the area a try for dinner since it seemed an opportune time, and that led me to Midam.

Shown above is the Spicy BBQ Squid and Pork Belly Box Set (13.00). The tentacles had a nice BBQ flavour and a nice chew but wasn’t overly rubbery or anything. The pork also had a decent BBQ flavour to it with a slight burn. These were interlaced with Midam’s soft homemade rice cakes!

Aboe is their Pan Fried Pork Belly box set (13.00). This one is very similar to the above, except it doesn’t have that semi spicy sauce. The pork had some crispy bits to it, which were beautifully evened out by the melt-in-your-mouth fatty bits. The meat was very juicy and it also had some of their rice cakes mixed throughout. Both of their box combos came with a side of their purple rice, their tangy salad, crunchy kimchi and preserved jalapenos. Watch out as the bottom of the box becomes quite oily near the end as it tends to pool.

Good:

-Friendly, quick service

-Food was very tasty and came out at lightning speed

-Interesting decor

Bad:

-N/A

Closing Comments: Good prices, portions, and flavours. If you’re a big basketball fan, you might also get a kick out of the NBA memorabilia scattered all throughout the restaurant too.

Overall Rating: 8.4 PBJ’s out of a possible 10 

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Crystal Cafe

Crystal Cafe appears to be a relatively new entrant to the Crystal Mall food court. According to their sign, they’re related to the “Grill King” in the Lansdowne food Court, which, if I recall, originally started out as a U-Grill format restaurant but branched out into doing noodle soups, all day breakfasts, and hong kong cafe style combos. This restaurant appears to have ported that format over, minus the U-Grill/noodle soup stuff.

The one thing that always catches my eye regarding Hong Kong style cafes are the 2 item combos (i.e. choose 2 meats with spaghetti/rice, choice of sauce, and drink).

They also had some cheap breakfast /afternoon snack combos...maybe I’ll give them a go on a separate visit.

I ordered a two item combo (10.50) with pan fried pork chop and cutlet fish with garlic sauce (sauce not pictured). The vegetables that it came with were essentially steamed cabbage with some carrots..pretty plain. The pork chop was tender enough though it could’ve stood to use some seasoning. The sauce was alright, it kind of reminded me a bit of tomato sauce though instead of garlic sauce.

The fish cutlet was probably the winner of this meal though! It was very light and crispy on the outside with a very juicy flavourful inside.

Good:

-Everything is so cheap here

-Decent portion size

-Friendly staff

Bad:

-Quality is good, but not amazing

Closing Comments: I enjoyed the meal I had here and would probably try some of their other dishes. That said, it was a good meal but not an amazing meal. They might be stronger at some things (e.g. fish cutlet) and weaker at other things (e.g. pork chop).

Overall Rating: 7.0 PBJ’s out of a possible 10

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El Caracol (Pre-Covid19 Review)

This has to be one of my all time favourite restaurants! Not only is it a total hole in the wall, there hasn’t really been anything on the menu that I haven’t loved! El Caracol is located on Victoria Drive, located almost right next to another Mexican Restaurant, and if you weren’t purposely looking for it, you’d definitely miss it, and that’d be a complete loss!

One of my favourite dishes here is their Enchilada Mexicana (11.99). The meat option that I ordered was their Carnitas. The salad consists of some preserved carrots and beans with a slice of avocado. The beans were of the re-fried variety and were very soft. The carnitas were a bit chewy but had an interesting smoky flavour to them and were topped by what I can best describe as a mild tomato chili sauce with a decent amount of meat and cheese inside a tortilla. For me, the texture was very similar to eating lasagna. However, by far the best feature of their dishes is the rice. I’m not sure if it’s cooked in broth or something but it’s A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

The Carne Asada (12.99) dish has very similar sides to the Enchilada, but it has bits of grilled beef instead. The beef was nicely seasoned and despite being so thinly cut, it was very juicy.

A crowd favourite of their’s are their Pupusas (10.50). These had some very thick dough with stringy, tender Pork on the inside with a bit of cheese and beans. By themselves, they’re just okay, but I highly recommend eating them with the pickled cabbage and salsa that’s provided.

Next, we have their Yuca Con Chicaron (7.50). This was an amazing side dish! It consists of fried cassava which had a very crispy exterior and a creamy inside. They are paired really well with the pickled cabbage and tomatoes. The pork itself was very crispy on the outside and had a roast lamb-like texture on the inside. The flavour reminded me a lot of dry rub pork ribs and were slightly salty and tangy.

I’ve also been able to try their Nachos (9.00) on more than one occasion. It’s very warm, cheesy, and comes with a lot of sour cream, avocado, tomatoes, and a bit of cilantro with beans.

A cold weather favourite of their’s is Sopa de Pollo (11.99). It’s got bits of chicken, carrots, zucchini, green onion, potatoes, and pepper in a very creamy broth that reminds me a bit of corn chowder. Shown is the large size and it’s VERY filling.

Lastly, we have their Sopa De Mariscos (14.99).  This one is also very creamy and has a salmon flavour to it with a hint of shrimp. It has big pieces of salmon, prawn, and mussel. It also has a bit of a coconut aftertaste to it.

Good:

-Good service

-Very authentic offerings

-Decent portion to price ratio

-Yummy!

Bad:

-Not the cheapest

-Food can take awhile sometimes

Closing Comments: It’s not a place that I’d go every week (or should go every week), since it’s not super cheap or anything, but damn the food here is amazing. Servers are always so friendly too.

Overall Rating: 8.8 PBJ’s out of a possible 10 

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La Maison Da Nang

I’ve been watching the building, that La Maison Da Nang now occupies, go up for what seems like ages now and it seemed like the restaurant would never open. When their open sign finally lit up, I decided to give it a go. If there’s another Vietnamese restaurant that can satiate my desire for spring rolls on top of a bed of vermicelli, I’m down!

I ordered the Grilled Pork with Fried Rolls on Vermicelli (10.95). The pork itself was juicy and tender with what I think was a hint of lemongrass. Their spring rolls, although on the smaller side than I’m used to, were SUPER crispy and not oily at all. The filling consisted of the usual vermicelli, carrots, pork and mushrooms. The noodles were warm still and had a nice chew to them. Pretty solid attempt at this staple!

Good:

-Menu isn’t super extensive, but if the execution at this dish is any indication, they probably do a decent job at their other dishes too

-Very attentive servers, constantly coming back to refill tea and check on you

-Good portion compared to price

-Super modern interior and well maintained 

Bad:

-Nothing specific comes to mind

Closing Comments: Food was tasty, good portion, reasonable price, and good service. What’s not to love?

Overall Rating: 8.7 PBJ’s out of a possible 10 

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Jam Cafe on Beatty

Jam Cafe. When people have dropped the name of the restaurant in conversation, it conjures up an image in my mind of a giant line of hungry restaurateurs waiting to be ushered in for a drool-inducing breakfast extravaganza. The real deal was something similar to that lol. The line for the restaurant took about an hour or so, though when we did finally got seated, I was a bit giddy.

At the recommendation of the colleagues that I was dining with, I ordered the Charlie Bowl (17.00). It’s essentially a delicious blend of meaty sausage gravy on top of cubed ham, bacon, some sweet fried egg and melted gooey cheese. Did I forget to mention that there were some crispy biscuits and hash browns underneath? I found that the longer that I let the dish sit, the more the egg, once punctured, and gravy melted with the crispy hash browns and biscuit. Each bite was a super flavourful, meaty yet crispy bite.The portion didn’t look gigantic or anything but holy I hit a few walls trying to finish this was it was super heavy.

Good:

-Great portion sizes and breakfast creations

-Service was efficient

-Digging the classic 80′s soundtrack that they had going on

Bad:

-REALLY pricey

-The line it really ridiculous lol

Closing comments: I savoured every bite of the Charlie Bowl, but damn, the price was pretty up there , especially for breakfast. That line didn’t much help the cause either.

Overall Rating: 8.0 PBJ’s out of a possible 10

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Mui Ngo Gai

I had heard from some friends that there was an amazing old school Vietnamese restaurant located just under my nose, Mui Ngo Gai. It’s located near the intersection of Victoria Drive and Kingsway and the first thing that you’ll notice when you enter the shop is the striking decor. Specifically, there’s quite a sizable shrine to Mother Mary near the back of the shop lol. The specials on their menu seemed to be interesting too, as they had some cool and unique looking dishes such as Coconut Eel, Snails, and Frog Legs! 

That said, I always find that instead of going right for the “exotic” dishes, one must try the staple dishes first as they’ll be a good indicator of how the more complex dishes will fare. I ordered the BBQ Chicken with Spring Roll on Rice (11.95). The chicken was quite juicy and had some crispy skin. The Spring Roll though was a bit too dry for my liking. The vermicelli was a bit strange for my liking though as it was quite oily for some reason and seemed to lack any degree of chew.

Also ordered a side of their Chicken Wings to try (6.75). The batter on these was on the thicker side, though it was still crispy and very juicy inside.

Good:

-The servers here were incredibly friendly

-Very clean shop

-Interesting decor

-BBQ chicken was decent as were the chicken wings

Bad:

-Pricier end

-Vermicelli was a bit strange

-Spring Rolls could stand to be a bit less dry

Closing Comments: It was an okay experience here. The service was excellent, though I feel some of the dishes could use some work.

Overall Rating: 7.4 PBJ’s out of a possible 10

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Ramen Danbo (West End)

Every time I take a stroll down Robson Street, I’m constantly amazed by the sheer number of people that are lined up for Ramen Danbo. In order to maintain such a crazy line, I figured that they must be doing something right! 

I ordered the Classic Rekka Ramen (10.95) with a soft boiled egg (1.75). The noodles had a great firmness to them and the broth was very rich. That said, I didn’t find that the togarashi really added much in the way of spiciness or extra flavouring...so I might as well have opted for the regular Classic Ramen instead and saved myself the buck. Most other ramen shops tend to have the powder in a shaker at each table so I found it interesting that they infuse your ramen with it prior to arriving at your table. The meat was tender though and the egg added a nice finish to the dish.

Good:

-Food comes out REALLY quickly

-Decent sized portion

-Regular broth is decent

Bad:

-Would skip the addition of togarashi here as I didn’t find that it really added much.

Closing Comments: Overall, ramen was good. Would I eat it again? Sure. Would I line up for more than 20 minutes for it though? Probably not.

Overall Rating: 7.8 PBJ’s out of a possible 10

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Nook (Olympic Village)

I was planning on meeting some colleagues for dinner one evening, and they suggested that we give “Nook” a try. When I think of a nook, I think of a warm and cozy place to hangout or just lounge about. The restaurant itself wasn’t too far off in that we got a decently comfy booth and some comfort food to pair.

To start, we have the Mushroom pizza (22.00). Although it looks a bit doughy, the crust was very crispy and thin. The mushrooms themselves were quite juicy and mixed well with the saltiness of the pancetta.

We also ordered a Ricotta pizza (20.00). The crust was similar to the mushrooms in terms of crispiness. The saltiness of the olives mixed with garlic and the slightly sweet cheese definitely made for an interesting combination!

Good:

-Solid pizzas

-Good Service

Bad:

-REALLY pricey for what you’re getting

Closing Comments: I really enjoyed the laid back atmosphere of the place. It’d seem like a great place to grab a bite and socialize with colleagues or friends after work, if it wasn’t so expensive.

Overall Rating: 8.0 PBJ’s out of a possible 10 

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Obanhmi

I lovvveeee a solid Vietnamese Sandwich and I thought I’d never be able to find another favourite after discovering Banh Mi Saigon Limited...UNTIL NOW! The subject of this visit is Obanhmi. It’s a relatively new entrant to the Kingsway area, located a few doors down from the brand new T&T Supermarket near Kingsway and Nanaimo Street. What first caught my eye about the place is that they seem to offer a lot of “combos” where you pair the sandwich with some sides and a drink.

I decided to give the Banh Mi and Nem Fries Combo (10.00) a go. I had a dining companion with me during this visit so we each ordered a different sandwich to try. I ordered the Meatball sub. The meatballs were very juicy and slightly tangy. The bread here isn’t as hard as the one at Banh Mi Saigon, so it won’t cut the roof of your mouth open. It’s still warm and crunchy, though a bit on the softer side. It had a decent amount of filling but not has much as the aforementioned shop. My companion had the Lemongrass Chicken Breast sub. The chicken was still super warm when the sub came out and was very juicy. Both subs were chalked full of your standard preserved carrot, daikon, and some cilantro.

Shown above are the Nem Fries with a side of spicy mayo. If you have ever had Spam Fries, these are very similar. It’s essentially a super crispy wonton wrap that’s been rolled up very tightly around some pork before being thrown into the deep fryer. These were pretty interesting and addictive. Who doesn’t love something deep fried and crunchy?

Good:

-Prices are fairly decent

-Subs and Nem Fires are the bomb

-Owners are very friendly and approachable if you have questions

Bad:

-Small shop, dine-in spaces can fill up very quickly

Closing comments: Pretty solid sandwich shop. Since the first visit, I’ve visited quite a few more times and have always been impressed by the quality of their product.

Overall Rating: 8.8 PBJ’s out of a possible 10 

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Double Double

Located at the Empire Centre in Richmond, I had heard rave reviews from a coworker about their wonton noodle soups and congee. Immediately, Congee Noodle King came to mind so I set my expectations to a similar level...but boy was I blown away. I’ve found a new favourite spot!

As an aside, I did not order ALL of this in one go as that would be insane. These photos and experiences took place over the course of several visits. To start, we have Prawn Wonton Noodle Soup (7.90). It’s surprisingly difficult to find a bowl of this kind of soup around these days, so I found the strong prawn flavouring of the broth to be quite comforting. The wonton themselves had a decent crunch to them and the noodles had a good chew factor.

Next up, we have a plate of deep fried silver fish (11.90). These had a hint of garlic and were crispy and nicely salted. Keep in mind that for the most part, you’re just going to taste the batter more than anything as the fish are so tiny to begin with. These go well with a bowl of congee or within a noodle soup.

Thirdly, we have a small bowl of Pork and Preserved Egg Congee (7.50). The congee was decently creamy and was made even more flavourful with the addition of salted peanuts, the strong flavouring of preserved egg, and the salty pork bits.

Nothing quite goes as well with congee as a Chinese Donut (2.95). These were very crispy and not oily. Get dipping!

Another great congee pairing are Wok Fried Radish Cakes (7.50). These were crispy on the outside while managing to be super creamy on the inside. They’re topped with XO sauce and a pinch of salt.

Very similar to the Chinese Donuts as shown above are their Chinese Donuts wrapped in Rice Roll. Above is a half order (3.95). They’re still crispy on the outside and gently draped with rice wrapping on the outside and drizzled with a light sweet sauce.

Next on the docket are Deep Fried Tofu with Enoki Mushroom in Oyster Sauce (9.50). These were AMAZING. the sauce is so simple yet so delicious. Each egg tofu was very crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. even when they’ve been sitting in the sauce for awhile. There was a surprisingly decent amount of enoki mushroom here to give added texture.

The last dish that I’ve tried here is their Crispy Sweet & Sour Pork, Regular Order (14.90). According to the menu, it’s “So Good” lol. It definitely was too as when they arrived, they hit that delicate balance between retaining the crispiness of the pork while having it absorb just enough sauce to give it flavour. The regular sized portion may not look huge, but it’s a decent amount of meat here, especially for 2 people.

Good:

-Decent sized portions

-Decent prices

-Food quality has been consistently good

Bad:

-Service can sometimes leave something to be desired.

Closing comments: I love the food here though the service can sometimes be a bit off-putting. If you can get past that aspect of a meal here, you’re going to have a good time!

Overall Rating: 8.9 PBJ’s out of a possible 10