Milestones : Coquitlam location

Would you believe that I have never been to any Milestones restaurant before?! Cactus Club, Joey and The Keg have always been my preferred chain restaurants and for some reason Milestones has never really appealed to me. The same goes with Moxie's.

Like many chain establishments, Milestones can hold a large capacity of diners and there are are plenty of booth seating arrangements. The service for a chain restaurant was surprisingly disappointing though. The hostesses did not appear friendly and it was hard to find servers, especially during a slow dinner service. On two occasions.

The Boss Restaurant 大班餐廳餅店

With The Boss Restaurant, Fortune House Seafood, Kawawa Japanese and Sekai Udon Bar as the only current restaurant choices in Metropolis at Metrotown, sometimes the food court may be a better option. The aforementioned restaurants are not necessarily that bad (with a couple of exceptions), but the food is not really all that great either. I was curious to try The Boss again though because the place is memorable to me.

The Boss Restaurant is memorable to me because my first visit here was when I was in high school, it was also my first time visiting a Hong Kong style cafe. HK style cafes have never been my type of restaurant to go to and I remember ordering a burger and fries on my first visit LOL. I remember wishing that I could have went to McDonalds instead… I never liked No.9 Restaurant in Richmond too and remember ordering hash browns there on my first visit. But as of last year, I do not mind HK cafes anymore because some of the restaurants carry steaks. Although the quality may not always be the best… the steak options do save me from stressing out about what to order.

Majority of the seating arrangements at The Boss are comfortable booths, but there are a few tables at the back. The restaurant also has plenty of staff so there is no problem waving someone down, but you have to wave them down if you need their attention or want them to clear plates. On our visit, majority of the staff were extremely miserable looking too and impatiently tossed the food on our table. But May was extremely friendly and such a sweetheart. Too bad we only saw her at the beginning and the end.

The Keg Steakhouse + Bar : Alberni Street Location

I am a fairly picky and an indecisive individual, and there is only one other person that I know of who is pickier and more indecisive than me. It was also her birthday which meant that she had ever right to be pickier than usual! Her birthday evening was already all set (literally planned half a year in advance…) and we were not going to have a celebratory lunch, but we decided to grab a bite after finishing a run on the seawall.

Like every The Keg establishment, the restaurant has a modern atmosphere and features a high ceiling, luxurious velour and/or leather booth seating arrangements, and dim lighting. Out of countless visits to The Keg ever since I was a child however, this is the first time the hostess opened the door for me! Perhaps because we visited for lunch, no one else was at the front of the restaurant, or the staff is well trained at the Alberni Street location.

41 West Restaurant

West 41 is a small and quaint neighbourhood restaurant in Kerrisdale, serving West Coast cuisine with a bit of French influences. There are only around ten tables in the restaurant, but the seating arrangements are not too tight. The atmosphere is also fairly cozy, relaxing and non-rushed.

I purchased a Social Shopper voucher for 41 West and forgot about it until the last minute, as in a night before the expiry date. Fortunately though, I was lucky enough to score last minute reservations for the weekend by calling just the evening before. When I called to make the reservations however, the host was very rushed and impatient, despite that there was no background noise.

We arrived on a Friday evening and there was only one seated table, but the restaurant reached a half full occupancy throughout the duration of our stay. With regards to the service, there was only one server handling the front of the house. He was courteous and polite, but not quite attentive. Our appetizer plates sat at the table for longer than usual and my bread knife was never removed throughout all three courses, which I find odd.

Redbud Restaurant 紫荊閣餐廳

For three consecutive days, we headed to Richmond for an errand only to end up forgetting because we focused on eating! This was irritating because the both of us reminded ourselves to "not forget" before eating. Fortunately after three trips to Richmond though, we finally got the errand done before dinner. So as we circled around Richmond looking for a place to eat, we agreed to pass on live seafood along with bubble tea restaurants and settled for a Hong Kong Style Cafe.

Only since the beginning of the year, it was impossible for me to set foot in a HK style cafe, but now I no longer mind because some of the restaurants offer steak. There are also only two HK style cafes in Richmond that serve above average food to us which are La Amigo along with Kingspark Steak House. However when circling around, BF noticed Redbud twice and kept yapping about the restaurant so I decided to give it a go. Plus, some of the photos that were uploaded from someone related to the restaurant did not look bad.

Redbud appears to be a new HK style cafe and a higher end one, offering dishes such as rack of lamb, steak and lobster. The restaurant is fairly spacious and there are booth seating arrangements along the walls and tables in the centre. On our visit, there was an older waitress along with a younger one and both were friendly. The younger waitress was very attentive and polite too.

Carmelo's

Having already celebrated my birthday over the weekend, I did not want to go out for dinner on the actual date because it landed on a weeknight. Another reason is because I have learned my lesson to only dine out at certain non-Asian restaurants on the weekends, when the head chefs are there! At the last minute however, I was really craving for The Keg. The birthday gods were clearly not on my side though because The Keg in North Vancouver has been closed for a while and we did not want to travel far, so decided on Carmelo's.

Carmelo's is located in West Vancouver, offering classic and traditional Italian cuisine along with a mix of West Coast. The restaurant has been on my wish list for a few months now and way before Amici, but we chose to visit the latter first because I knew that restaurant would be good (and it is!). Since Carmelo's is fairly small, reservations are recommended regardless of the day of week. We happened to visit on a Monday and discovered the restaurant offers a $10.00 promotion on certain pastas, so this was definitely a bonus for us.

Carmelo's is a casual white tablecloth restaurant with dim lighting and there is a candle on certain tables. There are two sides of seating arrangements in the restaurant and a few window seats for those who like to people watch. When we walked in, I was surprised to see an actual "reserved sign" on a window seat table only to discover it was not ours lol!

The Keg Steakhouse + Bar : Dunsmuir Street Location

After circling around West Point Grey and Kitsilano, we decided to head Downtown to find a restaurant for dinner. As another hour passed of circling around, we decided to play it safe (and boring) and chose The Keg. Actually, the Downtown Keg locations may not really be "safe" as in the restaurants are consistent because I never had a good experience at the Alberni Street location! On at least three occasions at The Keg on Alberni, the staff were not friendly and the food was subpar. At a Chain restaurant? Beats me…

We decided to try the location on Dunsmuir Street because neither of us have been here before and I was pretty excited to try the new menu. When we walked in, the both of us were surprised at how large the restaurant is because The Keg does not even look that big from outside of the building. The lounge is located on the first floor and the dining room is up a spiral staircase.

Similar to the other locations, The Keg's interior has a casual atmosphere. The seating arrangements are not too cramped (if you get a booth seat) and The Keg can always accommodate large parties.

Amici

A new neighbourhood and more restaurants to try based on convenience equals one happy lady. Asides from being a selective diner, I like everything to be perfect most of the time. I am well organized, have the creepiest best time management skills right down to the second and am freakishly detail oriented (except when it comes to writing…). Having said that, I needed my first meal as a new resident in the neighbourhood to be perfect... PERFECT.

Sounds hard? Like a whole day of researching restaurants to try? Nope. I stumbled upon Amici, checked some comments on Urbanspoon as well as Yelp and even went to their website. There are a couple of comments that majority of the clientele are in their 70s and to me that is a good sign because some seniors know good food! Then I decided to check their website and found, "you've just stepped back in time, to an era when the world moved more slowly, family was the focus and every meal was a time to celebrate" and knew this would be THE restaurant where I would love everything.

"Every meal was a time to celebrate" just shouts out good food to me! I mean, there are times when I have felt like "hmm the photos look good so perhaps the restaurant is not bad", but never like "this restaurant WILL be good". There are not even many photos of the food online and it was like I had a sixth sense thing regarding the restaurant. When we walked in, the owner welcomed us and mentioned to take a seat in the corner. I took that literally because there was a corner and the only table for two. However, he mentioned we could seat at a four person table because it would be more comfortable (plus, we do need the table space considering the amount of food we order too).

I took photos of the interior as we were leaving which explains the empty looking restaurant. The interior looks like a rustic Italian dining room and the restaurant is dimly lit but not too dark. Every table has a white linen tablecloth, a candle as well as gray cloth napkins, and the chairs are very fairly comfortable. The restaurant does not look as "yellow" as the photos too.

Yew Seafood & Bar

Yew Seafood & Bar is located at the Four Seasons Downtown and the restaurant has a casual relaxing atmosphere. I have been meaning to try the restaurant for a few months now and a voucher for their seafood tower which was offered through Travelzoo gave me the push I finally needed to make time.

When we arrived, the three staff members at the front were welcoming and professional. There was a small line up and the staff made sure to help everyone within minutes. Since I had a voucher for the seafood tower, I was requested to send the restaurant a print screen and accidentally sent the e-mail from my blogging account. However, I believe my experience was the true representation of the restaurant.

After seating, our server asked if the kitchen could start on the seafood tower while we looked at the menu. The restaurant has an eclectic contemporary design with a high ceiling, skylights, and a glass-enclosed wine cellar that is a also a private room at the the centre of the dining area.

Carver's Steakhouse

Going to a steakhouse in Richmond may not be the first thing that comes to mind, considering the amount of Asian restaurants available in the city. As for the steakhouses in Richmond, there are only three which includes Carver's, Chop Steakhouse and the good ol' reliable Keg.

As for myself, I have made it a goal to try every steakhouse in BC and because there are not many, it can be easily done. Also, conveniently, Social Shopper was offering a voucher for $45.00 which includes a three course dinner; one appetizer, two entrees and a dessert to share. Who can pass on a great offer considering the visit was bound to happen anyway?!

After circling the parking lot for ten minutes looking for a spot, we called the restaurant and asked where else we could park. Turns out, the manager mentioned we could park anywhere and if we get a ticket, the restaurant would reimburse us! So we ended up parking in the staff section. 

Walking in, we waited at the front for a while and a friendly server came over to seat us. At the end of dinner, one of the staff mentioned there was a last minute large party so the service was a bit slow. However, we felt the service was great and everyone was friendly. As for the interior, there is a black and red scheme rather than the traditional white linen tablecloth, and every table has a floating candle along with a red napkin.

Cafe Gloucester 告羅士打餐廳

So I apparently think I am the queen of Hong Kong style cafe restaurants. I know the concept of ordering, what a set menu usually includes, and can distinguish between a better or not so great one. Cafe Gloucester can be considered a "higher end" HK style cafe and was the first to offer steaks as well as lobster. Having said that, obviously I had to make a visit.

Cafe Gloucester is a large restaurant and there are plenty of seats. The restaurant is divided into two sections by wooden dividers, and is very spacious as well as clean. Furthermore, Cafe Gloucester is the only HK style cafe I have been to that provides placemats. Although not like it matters… lol.

Moulin Rouge

Tom & Jerry's has been replaced by Moulin Rouge, which is a bit of an odd name considering the type of restaurant… but oh well. Looking for a late night dinner, we remembered that Moulin Rouge offers nothing over $10.00 and were curious to see if the restaurant is better compared to the former Tom & Jerry's. After taking a look at the menu, every item as well as the description along with the prices are exactly the same as Tom & Jerry's. Perhaps the new owners and management decided to keep everything the same?

Well, what is not the same is the interior. The restaurant has plenty of booth seating arrangements and even a stage. However, something that has not changed is the red carpet. For a restaurant to spend so much time renovating the whole place, why not change the carpet? The carpet is old as well as dirty compared to the rest of the interior. Why not go all the way?

Edible Canada at the Market

The last Travelzoo voucher I purchased was for dinner at Bridges, where my experience seemed to be a true representation of the restaurant; food and service wise. So, when I noticed another good deal on Travelzoo which included two appetizers, entrees and dessert at Edible Canada in Granville Island for $59.00, I snatched it up. Normally I am not a fan of bistros because there are not many amazing ones in Vancouver, but with many positive reviews on Urbanspoon; I had to try out Edible Canada. Plus, it was the perfect opportunity because of the voucher.

Edible Canada has outdoor seating along with a dining room, and seating arrangements at the bar. Furthermore, there is also a retail store at the back of the restaurant. When we walked in, the hostess was friendly and mentioned how she remembered taking my reservation a couple of hours earlier.

Kingspark Steak House 京士柏餐廳

Only up to a year ago, it was impossible for anyone to make me sit at a Hong Kong style cafe restaurant; I just simply hated them and would rather go to McDonalds. The reason is, HK style cafes never suited me before and I do not like their menus (IE one item with rice, spaghetti or some other form of carb, or a baked rice/spaghetti dish). So, I would be starving but at the same time torturing myself since when I am picky, I will not touch anything I do not want. However, fast forward to a year later, I do not mind going to HK style cafes when I am not hungry. Or to be entirely honest, occasionally visit HK style cafes when I am feeling scrubby and do not want to be seen by anyone important lol.

Walking in, there were a few waiters on the floor and every one of them was friendly as well as professional. We were provided with a few different menus and as usual, I was overwhelmed. When browsing the menus, I usually start by eliminating any beef with vegetable (beef with gai lan, beef with bittermelon…) as well as pork dishes (honey garlic spare ribs, sweet n’ sour…), and go straight to the steaks or hot plates. By the way, I do not even use the hot plates properly and will never pour sauce over the food because I like the natural flavours LOL. Unless the sauce is really good...

La Amigo Restaurant 雅谷餐廳

A post I have delayed for a while is my pre-dinner at Amigo Restaurant because I never took a photo of the restaurant's exterior LOL. I mean, I could have, but on my visit, it was pouring rain and well… obviously not worth it. In addition, I kept forgetting to take a photo every time I went back to Richmond! However, fortunately a long time reader and IGer of mine, crispylechon, actually took the photo for me! He joked (or I hope he was joking...) about almost getting hit by a car while snapping away. So thanks to crispylechon for this photo!

I always struggle when finding a restaurant during the 2:30pm-5:00pm period in Richmond. Usually it is because I do not want to visit a Chinese restaurant earlier than 6:00pm, and am not a big fan of Hong Kong style cafes or bubble tea food. Especially when I am really hungry. Furthermore, my last experience at a Hong Kong style cafe, ABC HK Cafe, was horrible, the absolute worst. So, after circling around for thirty minutes, my friend and I decided on Amigo because I was making her really mad with my indecisiveness. Plus, she has been interested in trying the restaurant for quite some time.

Q4 Ristorante by Quattro

RESTAURANT IS NOW CLOSED

Four days of consistent bad luck: Day Three.

Every time I am in Kitsilano, I always stress about where to eat. I mean, whether it be called cheap or greedy, I just do not want to set myself up for a good meal and receive everything but. Odd? Yes, I know. That is why most of the time I play it safe and head to a mediocre restaurant which makes my day when the food is better than expected! Of course, unless there is already a restaurant I have in mind. So, scooping out a few places on Urbanspoon, Q4 seemed like an okay Italian restaurant.

Walking up to the front door, I loved it. Mirrored doors? LOVE. I wanted to take a selfie but chose to do so after dinner, which unfortunately did not work out since the doors were left open. Plus, I did not want to get any awkward stares. As for the interior, the seating area is very open and I personally like it. Although on a full house, the restaurant may get loud. The interior looks simple as well as clean and has wooden floors as well as chairs, and tables with white tablecloths. As for the seating arrangements, it is not cramped and outdoor seating is available.

After walking in, our server led us to our requested window seat which was not overlooked on OpenTable (Black + Blue...). Our server was friendly, had a positive vibe and left us to browse the menus. As she later creeped back to see if we were ready to order, she overheard us talking amongst each other that none of the appetizers caught our attention. Fortunately, she came to the rescue and mentioned some daily specials, which we were interested in.

Black + Blue

Black + Blue = Steakhouse, Glowbal restaurant and meat locker. Yup, that pretty much sums it up. I recently found out that all Glowbal restaurants currently have a promotion, order two appetizers as well as two entrees, and the second entree is free! Of course the fine print is, it has to be between 4:00pm-6:30pm which is more than reasonable. Most places that offer happy hours or promotions is to keep the restaurant afloat during the day and the staff busy. A typical business strategy when the restaurant needs extra income and does not lose money during the daytime. On a rainy weekday, I made reservations for 5:00pm and requested a seat on the second floor. I also requested that if the seating arrangement cannot be accommodated, I would be more than happy to change the date and/or time if needed.

Well, turns out that was useless. After being seated on the first floor in the corner with a view of the front desk, the host mentions that the second floor opens after 6:00pm. Yeah… why did I not receive a phone call? Plus, considering that the restaurant was not busy when we walked in, it would have been nice if we were seated at a different spot (although we did not get the worst seat since there is a window...). To be honest, if I was celebrating a special occasion, I would not be happy with the seat. Also, since it was pouring rain, it would have been nice if the host offered to grab our coats.

Jacks Restaurant & Steakhouse

Jackson's Steak and Grill, or Jacks Restaurant & Steakhouse? Looking for a restaurant close to the Harrison Resort, I relied on Urbanspoon's "nearby" app and read a review on Jackson's Steak and Grill (mainly about their prime rib and tenderloin!). However, walking in to Jacks Restaurant & Steakhouse, we could not find prime rib or tenderloin on the menu! Turns out we were at the wrong steakhouse LOL. In our defence, how is Chilliwak considered a "nearby" eat from Harrison?! Jackson's Steak and Grill has plenty of booth seating arrangements and coming an hour before closing, the only one waitress at the front of the house was friendly as well as attentive. 

JACK'S SHRIMP CAPS, SIRLOIN WITH SCALLOPS, TABLE BREAD, TOMATO VEGETABLE SOUP, NEW YORK STEAK WITH PRAWNS AND BAKED ESCARGOT.

ABC HK Cafe 愛彼茜餐室

RESTAURANT CLOSED

After finishing some appointments in Richmond, BF and I were stumped on what to have for lunch. Dim sum at Sun Sui Wah was an option but considering that it was around 2:45pm and the restaurant would be closing soon, we passed. A pet peeve of mine is when the staff starts to vacuum while I am still eating and even worse, hitting the table with the vacuum! Plus, I was in the mood for a less than $40.00 lunch rather than the $70.00-$80.00 range that it would have been for dim sum, considering the amount that we always order! So, after circling around Richmond, we both agreed that the food court at Aberdeen Centre was the best choice. However, before heading to the food court, I noticed ABC HK Cafe! The alluring menu posted outside as well as the lobster dishes drew us in.

The restaurant's interior is pretty clean, spacious and has a high ceiling as well as window wrapped walls. This is the nicest Hong Kong style cafe restaurant that I have ever been to! And not going to lie, I was pretty excited and could not wait to eat. Plus, I was starving (we actually had reservations for tea but cancelled because we needed real food).

ABC HK Cafe offers plenty of choices such as a create your own noodles resembling Deer Garden's, hot plates, sandwiches, Korean stone bowls, hot pot, a la carte and of course, lobster. It took us quite a while just to figure out what we wanted because the menu was sort of all over the place, despite the colourful and easy to read font.

Jimoco Cafe & Pasta

Jimoco Cafe & Pasta, a most talked about restaurant from a friend of mine. He claims that the restaurant serves tasty pasta, is a must visit and the price is a steal! So meh, why not? I did not have any other restaurants in mind anyways. Plus, I expected the restaurant to be a bit slower on a raining evening since occasionally there is a long wait. Walking in, there was a pleasant aroma of pasta sauce which is a good sign for me. The restaurant has less than six booth seats and a few tables for four which can be arranged to accommodate larger parties.

AAA SIRLOIN STEAK WITH HERB BUTTER AND  TOMATO SAUCE FUSILLI WITH HAM, MUSHROOM AND GREEN PEA, AAA BEEF TENDERLOIN IN ONION CREAM SAUCE AND CREAM SAUCE FUSILLI, BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP, GARLIC TOASTS AND SEAFOOD STEW IN SPICY TOMATO SAUCE.