MISS VANCOUVER PIGGY
Pho 99 and Pho Hoa (I guess Pho Boi now…) are two of the largest Vietnamese franchises in Vancouver. Of course these restaurants may not serve the best Vietnamese food and cannot compare to some of the small family owned establishments, but they get the job done… sort of, for those who have a craving. Or in general, for the non picky.
The newest Pho 99 restaurant is in Coquitlam on Schoolhouse, very close to the SilverCity theatre. The back of the restaurant also has a door which leads to a bowling ally! Since this is the newest Pho 99, the restaurant is very clean and looks nice. I believe this is the largest restaurant in the franchise as well. There are plenty of seats along with booth seating arrangements and the restaurant overall was very comfortable to dine in.
Legend House is a fairly new Northern China cuisine restaurant in Coquitlam. The restaurant makes their own dumplings along with hand stretched noodles, and offers a variety of Szechuan dishes.
Walking in, there is an open window kitchen concept and the interior is very nice. The restaurant has a rustic modern interior; unfinished wooden floors along the walls, bricks, a high ceiling and nice chandeliers. In addition, the restaurant is fairly big!
There are comfortable booth seating arrangements and plenty of tables. Asides from being one of the larger Chinese restaurants in Coquitlam, Legend House is definitely one of the better looking ones. As for the staff, everyone was friendly. Our waitress double checked our order on her tablet and a few other waitresses came by to see if we needed more drinks.
Generally I choose not to blog about restaurants when I have a meal with my family or a group of friends. The reason is because I am spending time with good company rather than for the purpose of eating. Plus, considering the amount of food I order with just BF… imagine how much dishes there are with more people! Another reason is also because I tend to visit my regular restaurants with family and friends rather than trying somewhere new.
However, Kaya Japanese is an exception. My family and BF travelled forty five minutes just to come here because my first experience was great; food and service wise. Our waitress followed up with our dishes a few times and always asked if we needed more drinks. Most importantly, the food was good too! I practically raved about the restaurant on my first blog post. Although unfortunately, the staff from my first visit was not here this time around and our experience was a negative one.
Walking to the front doors, I noticed a sign on the right door. There is a sign that mentions which door to open now… so no more getting yelled at by the staff as a welcoming! After seating, my father did not bring his reading glasses and asked the waitress what the meaning of a Chinese character on the cup was. Surprisingly her response was, "Why? Why are you asking me?" in a rude tone of voice. She could have easily mentioned that she cannot read Chinese instead, or fake her customer service skills and talk in a "happier" tone of voice, like she is shy and was curious to know why he asked.
Mega Donair is located in Port Moody and appears to be a small mom n' pop operation; the husband oversees the kitchen while the wife handles the front of the house. The shop offers donairs, falafels, platters, salads, hummus and samosas.
Something interesting to point out is that Mega Donair makes their own pita bread from scratch, to order! The bread is an important component for donairs, but personally I care more about the meat and sauces.
After selecting our choice of meat, we went for all the toppings and sauces available to see how Mega Donair makes their donairs. The selection of toppings include lettuce, tomato, cucumber and spicy carrot. As for the sauces, hummus, tzatziki, sweet sauce and hot sauce are available.
As for the location in Coquitlam, I have been here on three occasions. On the first visit, I took my parents here and bragged about how the portions are huge. However, my father was very unpleased because the sashimi did not taste fresh and the table setting was dirty, he is even pickier than me… We left the restaurant with only a few grabs from each dish and the car ride home was silent because he hates having low quality food. Many years later, I did not want to revisit because of the bad memory with my father LOL… but BF wanted to try this place out. The second visit was very similar to the first, but the ending was more "I told you so" and me gloating.
Fast forward to a couple of more years later, there was a third visit. This time, I needed an excuse to go to Coquitlam's T&T because after spending the whole day going to Richmond (Osaka and T&T), Downtown, 1st Avenue and Burnaby's T&T… NONE of them had ice cream mochi. WTF? I was desperate and really needed them, so we had to go to Coquitlam.
On my first visit, I never expected to return because the restaurant looks old and not very clean. As for the food, there were a couple of good dishes while most were mediocre. However, based on convenience, there is always someone who wants to come here rather than travelling far. But hello? I am supposed to drive far to have dinner here?! Although I will take partial blame because when Coquitlam Centre has something I really want and when I cannot wait a few days for a store transfer, I am in the area and agree to stop by for dinner.
As for the service, the first few visits were great. The staff was friendly, always remembered my face and there was only one issue; it is hard to get service when the restaurant is packed (like most restaurants). However, after more visits passed and despite being a regular, the staff started to neglect us and it was impossible to get plate changes … not sure why. Perhaps because the staff knows I am a regular and will always be around, so they chose to focus on other tables?
Having tried Kam Ding in Coquitlam which was mediocre, we decided to try another Chinese restaurant in the area; Poco Ocean. When we walked in, the two of us stood by the entrance for a good ten minutes and the owner's wife as well as a waitress stared at us, but never spoke a word or acknowledged us. After feeling a bit awkward just standing there, I decided to wait outside because the restaurant was fairly hot and the waiting area is quite small. As another ten minutes passed, BF came out and I asked him how long the wait would be. Surprisingly his answer was, "I said 'excuse me' twice to the owner's wife but she ignored me." LOL at the time it was a bit hard to believe, so I decided to walk in myself and ask.
After settling down, we waited around ten minutes for tea which is not a big deal since neither of us drink tea and only use it to clean the table setting if needed. Poco Ocean has an outdated Chinese menu written on a whiteboard at the back of the restaurant and an English menu is available if requested. If comparing the two, every item on the Chinese menu is offered in the English version, except the prices have not been updated. 
Too lazy to look for an interesting restaurant to try and without many options in Coquitlam, BF and I settled on Kam Ding. When we walked in, the restaurant reminded us of Rose Garden and Sing Kee; a "dirty ghetto" Chinese restaurant.
The restaurant may not be the cleanest but hey, the seating arrangements are not cramped. There are plenty of tables for four along with larger tables for groups of more than five. Asides from meh looking interior, the entrance to the washroom was quite scary. There is an oily door handle which looks like an entrance to a garbage room and the washroom is really creeping looking.
Since I was meeting a friend around West Plateau in Coquitlam, we decided to venture out to Port Coquitlam for Japanese. Neither of us had high expectations considering the area, but some of the photos (whole slices of uni are served rather than loose pieces) from Sushi Bar Shyun did not look bad. Actually, I meant the photos from Asahi Japanese but somehow kept thinking of Sushi Bar Shyun. When arriving at Sushi Bar Shuyn, we did not know the restaurant is closed on Mondays and the both of us agreed to try out a random, Ginza Sushi.
Ginza Sushi is located in a small plaza between a Chinese restaurant Rainbow Butterfly and Dominos Pizza, along with a Starbucks drive thru. Walking in, there is a hallway to the dining room where we waited for a bit until a friendly as well as polite waiter seated us. 
The restaurant appears to be a small Korean operated family business and the staff is very friendly as well as welcoming (why is it never the same for Korean cuisine restaurants?!). There are a few booth seating arrangements, tables in the centre, and even a private section at the back of the restaurant for large parties. After ordering, we asked if we could move to a larger table because the amount of food was a bit too much for a two person table, and the waiter was more than happy to.
Deciding to forgo on C-Lover's fish n' chips (which was quite risky because we like the restaurant), we decided to try another restaurant in Coquitlam. Austin Fish & Chips is a small franchise and there are two other locations, in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadow.
Walking in, there is an easy to read and well organized take out menu, along with a few tables at the front. As for the dining area, there is a nice underwater mural painted on the wall of deep sea creatures. In addition, the seating arrangements are not cramped and there is a good amount of tables.
Austin Fish & Chips offers all you can eat pollock on Tuesdays to Thursdays, as well as Sundays. However, unlike similar competitors (C-Lovers and Cockney Kings), bottomless pop is not included. Furthermore, asides from seafood, the restaurant offers fresh fried chicken and burgers.
While dropping by Safeway at Kensington Plaza, there happened to be a birthday celebration for Cobs Bread. What did that mean? Free ice cream from Rocky Point!
The available flavours were salted caramel, mint flake, espresso flake, rocky point road, maple walnut, cotton candy, vanilla as well as strawberry, and a sorbet such as mixed berry. Furthermore, there was a special flavour which was made especially for Cobs, lemon blueberry scone.
Formerly known as Little Thailand, is now Maekhong Thai which is still under the same ownership. The Thai cuisine restaurant is located in Port Moody and we found out later on, at a small residential building. Furthermore, the outside looks really creepy. At first, we were confused why there was a trailer here and when we walked up, there were police officers speaking to a resident about a domestic dispute. Turns out, the restaurant is located at a residential building. In addition, we thought it was nice how the restaurant offers patio seating. However, the patio may be for the whole apartment building and not the restaurant.
Maekhong Thai gives off a traditional Thailand home feeling. The interior has a few Thailand symbols such as a brass figure of Asian elephants hanging on the wall along with a portrait of a goddess, and a buddha statute head. However, asides from a few Thailand symbols, the restaurant looks old and well, not going to lie, it was quite stuffy.
Go Gung was recommended by a family friend in Vancouver, and for her to rave about the galbi beef ribs at a Korean restaurant in Coquitlam? It must be a must visit. Go Gung is located in the Westwood Plateau neighbourhood which is past Coquitlam Centre, at the Westwood Plateau Village. When we arrived, we thought holy shit, this is the Korean restaurant to dine at.
Walking in, the interior shocked me. Go Gung is the nicest looking Korean restaurant that I have ever been to! There is a gorgeous water wheel fountain at the waiting area and the restaurant has window wrapped walls. Furthermore, there is a nice stonewall divider which separates two dining areas, and the restaurant has private rooms. In addition, although not pictured, there are cute little Korean figurines on the stonewall.
Go Gung means "the old palace" in Korean and it is our intention to make you feel like royalty during your time with us. Whether you are an experienced diner or new to Korean food, our knowledgeable staff witll help you discover the tantalizing flavours and aroma that will please your senses. From the moment you arrive, you will be treated to a memorable culinary experience including an extensive menu, specialty bar, spacious seating and an amazing view. And you are invited to participate! Every table has its own gas barbecue and ventilation fans [so] you can prepare our specialty meats to your liking in a smoke free environment. Experiment with a vast selection of condiments and satisfy every appetite with entrees, soups and salad from the main menu. Korean food is all about flavour! Our reasonably priced dishes are made to order using the freshest ingredients.
Wow, look how heavy the rain is! After finishing dinner with my parents, I was craving for some fish n' chips and met up with a friend at C-Lovers Fish & Chips. C-Lovers is a fast food chain restaurant that serves made to order fish n' chips and features an all you can eat menu as well! The restaurant was fairly empty when we walked in but quite a few people came for take out. The all you can eat menu comes with unlimited fish n' chips and bottomless pop, just like Cockney Kings.
When someone mentions Coquitlam, I think of Coquitlam Town Centre and never Port Coquitlam or Port Moody. I mean, when I go to Port Moody I just think of it as Coquitlam and as for Port Coquitlam, all I know is that you pass a small bridge which is a few minutes away from Coquitlam Centre. So, having to make an errand, I went all the way out to Port Coquitlam and realized hey, this is pretty far! Fortunately, Wilbur & Sabastian's Smokehouse is also located in Port Coquitlam which is a restaurant that I have been wanting to visit for about half a year. 
After visiting Memphis Blues, I made it a goal to try every barbecue joint in B.C which is fairly easy, since there are not too many. The restaurant is very clean and the seating arrangements are comfortable as well as comfortable (no cramped tables here)! However, there are not many tables which my be an issue during peak hours, for those who hate line ups. 
Whaaaat! There is a Deer Garden in Coquitlam? No, there is not. Some photos must have been added to the restaurant by accident because this is not the Deer Garden Signatures! You know that feeling after sitting at a restaurant and literally not knowing what to order? Once in a blue moon when it happens to me, it is either because I am overwhelmed from so many choices or, there is simply nothing that I am interested in. Yeah, I was pretty upset after taking a look at the menu. Not only that but as a late lunch… I could not have Chinese food the way I like it, with plenty of dishes and seafood. So, we settled on grabbing a snack and to go for dinner a couple of hours later. 
After trying a few Japanese restaurants based on high recommendations such as Sushi by Yuji, Kishimoto and Tokyo Thyme, I decided to spend a couple of hours going through forty (literally) restaurants on Urbanspoon. Looking through almost every photo and judging the presentation as well as knife skill (which is not necessarily the best way but it helps), I finally stumbled upon a place that seemed worthy to visit! And I know my sushi pretty well.
Walking in, apparently we opened the wrong door and were welcomed by a young waitress yelling angrily, "CAN YOU USE THE OTHER DOOR?" Yeah… not the friendliest welcoming considering that it was pouring rain, there was no sign posted mentioning which door to open, and that the restaurant was empty. Usually people who work in the service industry can fake friendliness, such as saying "Ohhhh sorry! You are supposed to use the other door," which actually guilt trips the customers while the staff secretly thinks "idiots". See the difference? I prefer the latter option a lot more. After being seated, the younger waitress was off work and our waitress for the night was an older lady, who was very friendly as well as attentive.
