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.

West Restaurant + Bar

Cin Cin? Bacchus? Yew Seafood? Bishop? Blue Water? I want to save Cin Cin for an emergency just in case late night dinner since the restaurant is open till pretty late, and Yew Seafood has 50% off wine bottles on Mondays. So, the choice was West Restaurant. Plus, it is near my sister's place and I want to save Bacchus and Blue Water for a nicer day, when it is not raining. 

Walking in, the server walked us to our seat and was a bit more silent rather than welcoming but meh, not a big deal. The restaurant was fairly slow on a weeknight and for the couple of tables that arrived later on in the evening, everyone was dressed pretty casual. West Restaurant has a relaxing as well as a casual comfortable atmosphere and although the seating arrangements may look a bit tight, it did not affect us since the restaurant was not busy.

Sal Y Limon

I have mentioned before that I occasionally circle around streets or spend over an hour looking for a restaurant (to be honest, usually it is an hour and a half to two hours LOL). Why? Because I want to have a good meal! And am indecisive. So after driving up to Park Royal and going through the Capilano and Lonsdale area, my friend and I came back to Vancouver and agreed on a Mexican joint that is supposed to be popular… she claims there is always a line up! Plus, she is reliable and never falls for hyped restaurants. Moreover, Sal Y Limon hangs a banner declaring to be the winner for best tacos in Vancouver on Taco Wars!

Yeah… I do not even know what that is and honest to truth, it does not matter to me since many of my friends have already told me that this place is pretty good, way before they put up the banner! The Mexican joint is fairly small and customers order as well as pay at the counter, then grab their food. One of the most eye catching things would be their self serve bar, consisting of eight sauces(!), lime wedges, plastic cutlery and containers. Unfortuantely we did not try any of the sauces though since the food was flavourful enough. I will probably try some on my next visit though!

The Keg Steakhouse & Bar : Coquitlam location (2nd visit)

FIRST POST ON KEG STEAKHOUSE & BAR IN COQUITLAM [HERE]

Some people are happy with what they have and there are always others who try to find something better. Perfect example, even though Hy's and The Keg are my regular steakhouses, I have always subconsciously felt like there may be better ones. After trying Joe Fortes, Little Billy's Steakhouse and Onyx Steakhouse & Lounge however, where do I want to revisit the most? Hy's and The Keg.

We made the trip from Cambie just to visit Coquitlam's location for the usual above average service and in case the busier Burnaby location was sold out of prime rib. Unfortunately though, walking in on a late weekend evening around 9:00pm, the restaurant was sold out of prime rib! Sigh, the only steaks I like at The Keg are their filets and prime rib, favouring prime rib more. Did I mention we were craving for prime rib too?!

Walking to our seats, the booths were dirty and could have been properly wiped. The restaurant was also fairly empty and had loud music playing in the background, which gave the feeling like I was at Cactus Club. Although there is nothing wrong with the loud music, I was just a bit surprised since the music is generally at a controlled volume.

Cockney Kings Fish & Chips : New Westminster location

Surprisingly, I have only been to Cockney Kings Fish & Chips three times! I would have expected at least ten visits. Cockney Kings = All you can eat fish n' chips. Yup, that is one of the two things that I remember of the restaurant. The other is, their tartar sauce tastes weak. 

Coming for a late lunch around 5:30pm (or to most, an early dinner), Cockney's was pretty busy on a Tuesday. Walking in, the restaurant has two lines; one for take out and the other to be seated. Both line ups were quite long but fortunately, we only waited fifteen minutes. Every Monday to Wednesday, Cockney's offers all you can eat fish n' chips for $9.50 which includes unlimited foundation pop! Good value much? Yup.

Hon's Wun Tun House 漢記 : New Westminster location

POST ON HON'S WUN TUN HOUSE AT COQUITLAM [HERE]

Ah… Hon's Wun Tun House, a childhood memory of mine; fighting over pot stickers with my sister and as a family of four, ordering three dozen LOL. Around half a year ago, I tried re-living my memory of Hon's at the Coquitlam location. However, neither the pot stickers were not very good or the other dishes. 

So, I decided to visit the location in New Westminster because I remember coming here a couple of years ago and the food was definitely a lot better than Coquitlam's. The restaurant's interior is fairly simple, tables and chairs set up like a fast food joint.

Alvin Garden 湘緣湖南食府

Pretty much having tried most of the Chinese restaurants on Kingsway Street in Burnaby and Vancouver, I started looking for something new and different. This is where Alvin Garden comes in. If it was not for Urbanspoon, I would not even know of this restaurant.

Located near Metrotown on Imperial Street, Alvin Garden is known to the locals and by word of mouth or simply, known to those who drive pass which I never. The restaurant serves Hunan cuisine which is different from Sichuan, rather than the tongue numbing sensation from sichuan peppercorns, Hunan dishes use chilli oil for spiciness. The only other Hunan cuisine restaurant that I have visited in Vancouver would be Star Anise (according to the restaurant themselves...) which was not very… Hunan or good at all. So, I was quite excited for this visit. 

DAILY SOUP BOILED IN CROCK, PORK WITH DREID TEA MUSHROOM, CAULIFLOWER WITH HUNAN CHILLI AND PORK, HUNAN FRIED RICE, COUNTRY STYLE FRIED PORK WITH GREEN CHILLI, HUNAN STYLE BRAISED PORK, SMOKED BAMBOO SHOOTS WITH SMOKED PORK.

The Spud Shack Fry Co.

When I found out about Spud Shack, a little joint located at New Westminster skytrain station, I was pretty excited to introduce my friend to what may possibly be one of the best places for poutines. She loves her poutines and always orders them. So, after claiming that she will love me even more for where I am about to take her for a late night snack, she says "poutines? I don't even like them". LOL what? Yeah, apparently when she orders a poutine at the food court or movie theatre, it is because there is nothing else that she wants. Oh well, already paid for parking so too bad for her. I even raved about this "surprise" place to her for days too!

Shandong Family Restaurant 珍魯味

What was supposed to be dinner at Bacchus ended up here… because of the rain. Princess much? Yup, I hate the rain and rather go somewhere fast for dinner. After driving through Fraser Street, Main Street and all the way to Kingsway, the choice was Shandong Family Restaurant. I actually wanted a bowl of congee next door and to call it a night, however, BF wanted to try the new restaurant because he has never tried authentic Shandong cuisine in Vancouver. Shandong Family is the new replacement of the AYCE hot pot restaurant, Spicy Legend. The interior looks the same and sticks to a red and black scheme. 

PORK EGG FRIED NOODLE, HOT AND SOUR SOUP, PORK JELLY, BRAISED SEA CUCUMBER WITH SCALLIONS, PORK CABBAGE DUMPLING, ONION PANCAKE AND DEZHOU BRAISED CHICKEN.

Trees Organic Coffee : Granville Street location

After grabbing some $2.85 burgers, my friend and I walked across the street, literally, and ordered cheesecake. Well, actually, I wanted a sandwich and my friend mentioned that the coffee shop has some. But hey, there is always room for cheesecake right? Trees Organic Coffee claims to have "Vancouver's best cheesecake" and with surprisingly five locations, it must be good!

The cafe was 75% full on a Friday late afternoon around 4:00pm with a mixed clientele of hipsters, students and those grabbing coffee on the go. Trees Organic Coffee has plenty of cookies, cheesecake and a few baked goods such as biscotti, scones and croissant. Sandwiches are also available like my friend mentioned, however, pre-made. Plus, they looked very generic and for around $11.00, I rather go to a sandwich joint that sells freshly made ones.

Deer Garden Signatures 鹿園魚湯米線 : Fraser Street location

POST ON DEER GARDEN SIGNATURES AT CONTINENTAL PLAZA [HERE]

Deer Garden Signatures, one of the reasons why I started enjoying noodles. My first visit to Deer Garden was in Richmond, at the Continental Plaza and I loved them. A clear, healthy and light refreshing broth topped with vegetables and meat, what is there not to like? After finding out that Deer Garden also has a location on Fraser Street which is a lot more convenient for me, I had to make the visit!

Deer Garden was pretty much packed on a weeknight and the restaurant properly maximizes their seating arrangements, which is very important to me. There is nothing more uncomfortable than nudging the stranger beside you, struggling to get to your seat, or possibly knocking someone elses' food off the table! We were seated on the other side of the restaurant and the seating arrangements are a lot more spacious as well as comfortable there (although I do not mind the cafeteria layout pictured above, it is a lot better than Cattle Cafe's!).

$2.85 Burger Cart

A couple of weeks ago, my friend asked if I wanted to try "Japanese flavoured hamburgers for $2.85". Huh? Japanese flavoured? $2.85? Is it any good? Turns out when she said "Japanese flavoured", it means teriyaki sauce. After finishing up some shopping, we made our way to the food truck which is conveniently located a block or two away from Pacific Centre. The food truck offers a few options of canned pop and two burger choices, beef patty with cheese or without. We both passed on the cheese since we did not want processed.

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. 

Burgers Etc. BBQ House

REVISIT POST ON BURGERS ETC [HERE]

Burgers Etc was a constant fail since I could never find the restaurant, despite having the correct address and saying "it should be here" numerous times. Well, "RIGHT HERE OMMG WHERE IS IT?!" was what I really said. After many frustrating failed attempts, an early evening trip around 5:00pm was much needed, hoping some daylight would help locate the restaurant. Side note, by "could never find", I was going 30km and still missed it! Walking in, the friendly waiter was welcoming, mentioned the daily soup and provided the option of seating anywhere. The restaurant's interior is squeaky clean and has less than ten tables.

PORK RIBS, BEEF BRISKET, SPICY CHICKEN WINGS, PULLED PORK SANDWICH, HOMEMADE BEEF BRISKET SOUP AND BOYLAN CANE COLA.

Lung Kee Congee & Noodles 龍記粥粉麵

After leaving Toys R Us at Lansdowne empty handed with no tamagotchis, an on the way stop to my favourite juice stand was needed, 8 Juice at Aberdeen Centre. There were some thoughts on trying most of the food stalls at Aberdeen rather than visiting a restaurant for dinner, however, the worst feeling (for me) would be leaving the mall with an unsatisfied full stomach. Because then, I would be complaining about wanting to eat something tasty without knowing what, and visiting a restaurant after would just be stupid. I do plan on trying a bunch of the food stalls at Aberdeen for dinner one day though, it would be quite fun. After grabbing the drinks, I went for some congee because I felt a bit cold, so Lung Kee Congee & Noodles it was. Fine, I was also hungry and needed a snack before dinner.

Private Home Chinese Cuisine 一點心意

Is it sad having to check Instagram to remember the restaurants that I visited during the week? When I started my post, I forgot the reason for visiting Private Home Chinese. I remember wanting to try something different and was in the mood for Chinese; however, don't I usually eat Chinese? So why am I craving for it? 

After checking IG, I noticed that it has actually been days since I have had Chinese food! Asides from hot pot a few nights ago. So, either my memory needs some improvement or I need to start visiting more memorable restaurants! Private Home Chinese is a family owned restaurant that opened their second location on Kingsway Street, in Burnaby. The restaurant serves Northern China and Szechuan cuisine. Also, seafood is available but requires preordering which is somewhat a disappointment for impulse diners. 

The restaurant is newly renovated and has two sides for different seating arrangements. One side has a few tables for larger parties of more than six, and the other has plenty of booth seating arrangements and tables in the centre. The interior has a black and red scheme and there are red plastic booth seats which are easy to clean, as well as black coloured tables and chairs. Furthermore, the restaurant has a relaxing atmosphere and a couple of TVs tuned to the mandarin channel, which gives the impression that customers will never be rushed. 

On a Saturday evening, the restaurant was fairly empty and we were greeted by a friendly waitress. 

Fatty Cow Seafood Hot Pot 小肥牛火鍋專門店 (2nd visit)

FIRST POST ON FATTY COW SEAFOOD HOT POT [HERE]

When I like a restaurant, I really like it. Meaning, I rave about the restaurant for days and do not shut up about how good it was. Sometimes, I even want to revisit the next day and lose sleep over thinking about it. Although rare, it happens, and Fatty Cow was one of them. Located in Vancouver on Victoria Drive, Fatty Cow is an all you can eat late night hot pot restaurant. We were seated at the same table as the previous visit and the staff was pretty much the same. 

ADULT $19.95 CHILDREN (5-10) $13.95 [+$1.00 for weekends/holidays]

DOUBLE SOUP $8.50 SINGLE $7.00 POP $1.50

Yolk's Breakfast

The most important choice at Yolk's, poached eggs or chicken n' waffles?

Being a lazy eater, chicken n' waffles seemed less messy and easier to eat, plus, many people rave about them. I was not really hungry when I ordered from Yolk's but now looking back, I should have ordered more food such as the poached eggs, hashbrowns and orange juice. Because now, I have to make another trip just to try everything, sigh. The good news is, I am a picky eater and want to come back, that must mean something right? The line up was not very long and the friendly cashier mentioned there would be a fifteen minute wait. If there is usually a somewhat long wait, this may be a problem for those who are on their lunch break, but hey, at least everything is made to order!

Mei Jan Hong Beef Jerky LTD

Making impulse purchases and eating when I am not hungry are two things I am good at. So, every time I am at Aberdeen (well, to be honest, whenever I am in Richmond not necessarily the mall), I always make a trip to Mei Jan Hong for some jerky. This little shop is one of the only two places that I know of for freshly made jerky. I have tried the chicken, beef and pork, and honest to truth, the jerky is only average at best (although I have high standards for a lot of things). 

The main point (for me) is that the jerky is housemade and fresh. Also, there is a limited amount of fresh jerky shops in B.C. After a few errands, I continued with my weekly routine to grab some jerky. I started snapping some photos until the owner came out from the back and said, "no photos" in an unfriendly tone of voice (I do not blame her). I was a bit surprised since there was never an issue of taking photos before. Plus, I always buy a few pounds, am a regular and was already paying for my jerky, still no photos allowed? I mean, I totally respect if there was a sign posted saying no photos… but she did not have to be so angry about it. Being the immature person I am, I only wanted four strips of each kind and cancelled the 3lbs she was already weighing. That of course caused her to glare at me more but meh, I only come here for impulse purchases anyways. If I loved the jerky here, then this would be a different story.

Le Crocodile

LUNCH POST ON LE CROCODILE [HERE]

Le Crocodile, a fine dining restaurant with professional service and a relaxing atmosphere. Walking in, the manager greeted and lead us to our seat. We were presented with the champaign as well as wine menu, and our server Kris came shortly with the dinner menu. I would hate to give the wrong guy credit and hope our server was indeed Kris, since that was the name written on the bill (I never mention names but meh, why not this time?).

The restaurant looks a bit small but is fairly large; not too cramped and has properly maximized seating arrangements. In addition, the lighting is not too dim and every table has a small lamp or a tea light candle. On a weeknight, the restaurant was quite loud and had a mixed clientele, from young couples dressed very formal celebrating a special occasion or on a romantic date, to those having dinner after work, and casuals wearing a polo and jeans.