Sushi Itshoni

One restaurant I avoid in Burquitlam is Sushi Itshoni. I remember coming here a few years ago and the poor quality food along with the unfriendly staff, did not make a good experience. Moreover, I remember seeing the staff reusing the shredded daikon garnishes which I find appalling. I even made sure to pour soy sauce over the daikon so at least the garnishes on my table would not be reused!

So why the revisit? A friend of mine wanted to try something new in the area and it was not her first time asking. She has asked me at least ten times to come here over the last year and I was thinking fine, hope you learn your lesson...

When we arrived, the atmosphere was a lot more welcoming compared to my first visit a few years back. The restaurant has a very simple interior and does not look cluttered. There are a few booth seats along with tables in the centre, and the seating arrangements are not cramped. Furthermore, the owners and staff are friendly.

Sushi Itshoni is a Korean restaurant that offers both Korean as well as Japanese cuisine. I was hesitant on ordering sashimi due to my negative former experience and that the prices are higher. For example, even the "basic" nigiri such as salmon ($2.90) and tuna ($2.90) are higher priced.

Hanok Korean Restaurant 韓屋 : Burnaby Location

There are plenty of Korean restaurants in Burquitlam, hence why the city is also known as "Korea Town". Some of the better restaurants in the area would be Toe Dam Korean for gamjatang and barbecue, Wang Ga Ma that specializes in soup, and Chom Chom Fusion which serves jokbal, albap and fried chicken. Cheers Chicken and Noodle would also be on the list for serving one of the best fried chicken, but unfortunately the restaurant recently closed.

Hanok is located in Burquitlam as well and in the same plaza along with Yan's Garden. I have always tried to avoid Hanok in Burquitlam because the restaurant does not offer barbecue and also because I was not impressed with the location in Richmond. As for the interior, the restaurant is not that big but the seating arrangements are comfortable. Our waitress was also friendly which is rare at a Korean restaurant!

Papa John's : Burquitlam location

If it was not for Papa John's being one of the few pizza restaurants in the Lougheed Mall area, I would not even know about them! Papa John's is a franchise and their slogan is, "Better Pizza. Better Ingredients". Furthermore, if comparing Papa John's to Domino's and Pizza Hut, I believe the last two are more popular.

My friend and I ordered from Papa John's twice and on both occasions, the delivery drivers were friendly and arrived within the time stated. On the second visit, the pizza actually arrived fifteen minutes before the estimated time of arrival. As for the delivery charge, it is $3.00 which we could have saved, had we walked literally across the street lol!

North Garden (3rd/4th/5th/6th visit)

FIRST POST ON NORTH GARDEN [HERE]

SECOND POST ON NORTH GARDEN [HERE]

Having said my story of Lougheed Wonton Restaurant, here is another of North Garden. North Garden is located in Burquitlam and is one of the only two Chinese restaurants in the area (the other being Yan's Garden). The restaurant is a family run business as well as the sister to Lougheed Wonton, and the staff often switches between both restaurants.

The interior is large and there is a high ceiling which provides better air circulation. In addition, there are plenty of booth seating arrangements (which are kind of wearing down) along with tables suitable for larger parties such as more than eight. As for the food, well… some items are not so good. I used to hate coming here because asides from the mediocre food at best, the staff always looks miserable! Geezus. However, there is one lady who is always extremely friendly on every single visit. Furthermore, after revisiting many times, I finally picked out a few dishes that are actually good. 

So, considering the lack of Chinese restaurants in the area along with a few dishes that taste great and an extremely friendly waitress, North Garden works for me. There is no more sulking whenever I hear North Garden… if I am in the area.

E2 Cafe Restaurant

RESTAURANT IS NOW CLOSED

Once formerly known as Lulu Cafe is now E2 Cafe, a Hong Kong style cafe restaurant. The restaurant is located in Burquitlam and is the only HK style cafe restaurant in the area. 

Before I started blogging (a year ago), I have been here a couple of times and the food was decent, as well as edible. So, we decided to revisit because I did not want to go to Denny's. Plus, on previous visits, I have never ordered any "HK style cafe" items such as a hot plate or one of those select three items kind of deal, and I wanted to this time. Also, with such good finds such as La Amigo and Kingpark Steak House, I thought E2 Cafe may be good as well.

Walking in, a friendly as well as welcoming waitress greeted us and she was the only one at the front of the house. The restaurant is a good size and the seating arrangements are not cramped. Plus, I cannot imagine there ever being a line up. However, the parking lot has literally only ten spots and most of the parking stalls are taken by Sushi California customers! So if you come during peak hours, good luck finding parking LOL.

C-Lovers Fish & Chips : Burquitlam location

With only $50.00 cash in our pockets, we decided to be adventurous and find out how much $50.00 can get us. In the Burquitlam area, there is pretty much only Chinese, Korean, Japanese, a few Vietnamese and a couple of chain restaurants. Theoretically, $50.00 is more than enough for a two item combo at a Chinese restaurant, sushi rolls if having Japanese, and a hot pot at any Korean joint. But, without having to calculate right to the dot or worrying about being short on cash considering the amount of food BF and I eat, we settled on something simple. Fish n' Chips.

In addition, not just fish n' chips, but all you can eat as well! This way, there is no need to worry about being hungry after dinner. C-Lovers is a fast food chain restaurant that serves pretty much fish n' chips and burgers. Having visited C-Lovers once before at the location in Coquitlam, I was interested in trying the one in Burquitlam. When we walked in, our waitress Stephanie mentioned we could seat ourselves anywhere. After taking a look at the menu, we decided to pay it safe, go for the AYCE and if we enjoy the meal, come back for a la carte next time.

As for the interior, the restaurant is much cleaner than the location in Coquitlam. Furthermore, the waiting area is quite spacious which makes those who grab orders to go, more comfortable. Every table is preset with utensils along with a menu, and larger tables are labelled "reserved for six or more". As for the cosmetics, the walls are painted a muggy swamp green and there are brown painted pillars, pretty much similar to the location in Coquitlam.

TODDLER ($2.99), CHILD 4-10 ($5.99), ADULT ($11.99).

Pho Capital

Pho Capital is one of the newest Vietnamese restaurants to pop up in Burquitlam and has been around for almost a year. Having visited before during the grand opening, the food was nothing special and I never wanted to revisit. However, my friend claims it is not bad for the area and since we were looking for a light late night dinner, I caved.

The restaurant is fairly clean and has booth seating along the wall, and the tables in the centre. When we walked in, the owners were friendly and throughout dinner, the husband tried making small talk. He told my friend to replace his phone because the screen was cracked and asked who his service provider was. In addition, he mentioned Rogers is practically next door and said my friend should get a new phone as soon as possible LOL. As for myself, he asked if I found the rice platter pretty because he noticed I was taking photos of it. If only he knew I thought the opposite…

Sushi California : Burquitlam location

Four days of consistent bad luck : Day Four Part II.

Finally to an end.

After having a pretty unappetizing lunch at Marutama, we headed to Surrey to look at arcade games for work. And rather than staying in Surrey for dinner, it was my idea to head back for a meal at Sushi California... after driving through Guildford, Fleetwood and King George, without finding a restaurant that interested me. Yeah... I think my fear of eating at a crappy restaurant and wasting money is coming to an end because you never know until you try, and my four days of consistent bad luck were actually restaurants I went out of my way to visit! So, might as well take a gamble and from now on, walk into random restaurants.

Sushi California is known to serve large portions and be a "bang for your buck" kind of joint. And having been here plenty of times throughout high school, there has never once been an issue regarding the quality, as in no foul tasting sashimi. So, I decided to come here because I wanted large portions of sashimi at a cheaper cost. And a cheap dinner. As for the Burquitlam location, the restaurant is known to have long line ups and minimal parking spots. Realistically, there are twelve to fifteen tables and most of the time, there will be a wait. 

Sushi & (2nd/3rd visit)

FIRST POST ON SUSHI & [HERE]

A post I have been procrastinating is my revisit to Sushi & because the dinner was not as good as the first. On the revisit, the restaurant was busier and although there were plenty of available tables prior to an hour before closing, we got stuck in a corner where it was hard to get noticed. After settling down, our waitress mentioned that any order of nigiri or rolls will take at least twenty minutes, which I appreciate for letting us know in advance.

EDIT - I was not expecting a third visit but since it happened, it is combined with the revisit and starts at the end of my post.

Hanamori Sushi

Having spent some time looking for a new Japanese restaurant, my choice was Hanamori Sushi. The restaurant is located in Burquitlam on North Road, near Sushi &, Insadong, Chom Chom Fusion and Pho 99. Hanamori is Korean owned and the restaurant is quite small, with only three tables available as well as four seats at the sushi bar. As for the interior, the restaurant is clean and the atmosphere is friendly as well as inviting.

Cheers Chicken & Noodle (2nd visit)

FIRST POST ON CHEERS CHICKEN & NOODLE [HERE]

Hmm late night eats in Burquitlam? A couple of pubs, Boston Pizza, Church's Chicken, Joey's, Wings, Pho 99 and a few Korean restaurants. Who am I kidding? I deliberately made the trip to get some fried chicken from Cheers Chicken & Noodle! From what I remember, the restaurant serves the juiciest and tastiest fried chicken that I ever had in quite a long time! Walking in, the restaurant was fairy quiet and there were a few people drinking and chatting. 

Japolo Sushi

My only memory of Japolo Sushi is coming here for lunch in high school. Growing up, I loved sushi and with the limited Japanese restaurants in the area, I told a couple of my friends we had to come here. Both of my friends were pho lovers and left the restaurant quite annoyed at me, claiming I took them to one of the worst restaurants. But, I did not let that get to me since I left happy with a simple california roll and probably tempura in my belly.

Fast forward to years later, I avoid Japolo Sushi because there are so many better options but, BF has always wanted to try the restaurant (he likes to go to restaurants that I avoid, something to do with proving me wrong). Plus, I have never tried the Vietnamese food here before and did not mind trying. The restaurant is located in the same plaza along with North Garden as well as Okoman Sushi, and the interior looks pretty simple. Booth seats against the wall and tables in the centre.

GRILLED PORK BANH MI, PHO TAI, ASSORTED SASHIMI, UNI NIGIRI AND BUN BO HUE.

Chom Chom Fusion

It seems like this restaurant has been here for many years and I always ignore it. Why? Because I was not a fan of Korean cuisine before, asides for the BBQ meat. Plus, the restaurant is located next to a karaoke joint and I always assumed they were connected…  a karaoke restaurant.

On the evening I had dinner at Sushi & (which I recommend for those in the area!), I took a look at Chom Chom's menu posted outside and was sold. I knew I had to make a visit to try the fried chicken. The restaurant is located in the same plaza as Sushi &, Insadong and Pho 99. Meaning, parking is somewhat annoying since the plaza gets full during prime meal times.

Seok Gi Si Dae

Using Urbanspoon's app, my friend and I found a nearby Korean restaurant, Seok Gi Si Dae. After reading some posts to confirm that the restaurant offers barbecue, we made our way to the restaurant - on foot. She lives close by and the restaurant is only a thirty minute walk which seemed fun at the time, until we got too cold. We ended up cabbing to the restaurant and the driver was so nice.

Making small talk, he asked for our occupation and we told him we were unemployed and should be bussing rather than cabbing (jokingly). The total was around $5.00, we gave him $8.00 and he kept on insisting for us to pay even less than what the total was because he "knows how hard life can be". Wow eh? I rarely come by good hearted cabbies.

Seok Gi Si Dae is a small family owned Korean restaurant, the owners work at the back of the house and the son oversees the front. The restaurant is located in Burquitlam next to KFC, in the same plaza as Bella Pizza.

New Szechuan Restaurant 新四川飯店

New Szechuan resembles what one would find at a small local town village in China, straight down from the decor to service. The cream coloured walls with four paintings on the wall, sanitary disposable tablecloths (which I prefer), and two staff members sitting at the counter staring at you without offering a table; only happens at the smallest village in China.

Sushi &

Sushi &, a newly opened Korean owned Japanese cuisine restaurant in Burquitlam. The restaurant is located in the same plaza along with Insadong and Pho 99. Sushi & renovated the whole restaurant and I appreciate that, rather than just changing the name of the restaurant and leaving the interior the same as the previous restaurant's (although the tables and chairs do look similar). On a weeknight, the restaurant was not very busy and we were greeted by the friendly staff. The restaurant's seating arrangements are spacious, comfortable and another row of seating could have been squeezed in, but I am glad they chose not to.

MANGO ROLL, NABEYAKI UDON, DELUXE ASSORTED SASHIMI, UNI, AWESOME ROLL II, PRAWN AND YAM TEMPURA, AND SOFT SHELL CRAB.

Toe Dam Korean Fusion BBQ (2nd visit)

FIRST POST ON TOE DAM KOREAN FUSION BBQ [HERE]

A revisit so soon?! Well, a month is a long enough time considering that I make revisits more often, but isn't that the whole point... finding new regular restaurants to go to?! After the dinner at Potter's Garden, I craved for some better tasting Korean food and of course headed to Toe Dam Korean. When we walked in, the restaurant was busy and all the tatami rooms along the left side were booked for a company party. The party was loud and every few minutes there would be some clapping as well as chanting in Korean, which I found quite heartwarming rather than annoying. 

Cheers Chicken & Noodle

REVISIT POST ON CHEERS CHICKEN & NOODLE [HERE]

Around a week ago when visiting Dasarang, my first choice was actually Cheers Chicken & Noodle (as well as Church's Chicken). So, being in Burquitlam for another late night dinner, I decided to finally give the restaurant a try.

Cheers Chicken & Noodle is located at the plaza beside Hainan Plaza and is next to a Karaoke joint. When we walked in, the staff was having dinner and the waitress immediately got up to greet us. The restaurant was empty on a weeknight around 10:00pm but shortly after we seated, four to five groups followed. The interior is quite spacious, has booth seating arrangements, and the only complaint is that the tables are shorter than usual which made me feel like I was hunching a bit. Also, the restaurant has an upbeat vibe due to the Korean pop music in the background.

Dasarang Chicken

After driving around Burquitlam, my friend and I contemplated between Church's Chicken or Dasarang for fried chicken. We both agreed to try Dasarang and to get it out of the way. Plus, a restaurant that specializes in chicken and with 80% of the menu consisting of chicken dishes, the chicken must taste good! Dasarang is located in Burquitlam and the Korean restaurant specializes in fried chicken. One of the reasons for procrastinating this visit is because how much fried chicken can you eat in one sitting? I like to have a variety of dishes but not two to three orders of fried chicken with different sauces.

Walking in, it took around five minutes to be seated due to the group of people hanging out at the cashier. The restaurant was surprisingly empty but a table of five showed up near the end of our dinner. Dasarang Chicken is a fairly large restaurant and there half booth seating arrangements along the wall, as well as larger booths for four to six people. 

Insadong Korean BBQ and Seafood Restaurant

Insadong is a very well known Korean restaurant in Burquitlam, as well as the only Korean Restaurant I used to recommend (until I found out about Wang Ga Ma and Toe Dam Korean). This is my third visit since January and prior to these visits, the last visits were during my high school years. I have always enjoyed Insadong, thought the prices are pretty decent and always ordered the combos for two to three, or more. However, rather than going for the combos, my friend always chooses a la carte and on the three separate occasions this year, the food sucked. Finally for our fourth visit this year, I was firm on ordering a combo because I have never been disappointed with them. The only reason she does not prefer the combo is because we cannot finish everything and she is not the type to overeat (personally I love to and am guilty of that).

This is my first time coming to Insadong on a weekend and usually on weekdays, the restaurant is pretty empty. After waiting fifteen minutes for parking, we waited forty minutes for a seat. Honest to truth, the only reason I waited forty minutes was because I have not seen my friend in a while and on any other occasion, I would have passed on mediocre food. Come on, I cannot even wait forty minutes for a good restaurant (unless I had cravings). In addition, the restaurant had enough empty tables to kill the line but the waiters were slow at clearing them. 

After the staff finished clearing up some tables, the tables as well as chairs were still dirty and napkins, candy wrappers and other miscellaneous trash was left on the ground. Insadong is a huge restaurant with three to five private rooms, at least twenty tables for two to six people, and are always overstaffed but never efficient. It is such a shame because the interior was pretty nice before, especially a couple of the private rooms.

COUPLE BBQ COMBINATION FOR 2-3 PEOPLE ($59.99).