2016 Foodie Finds: Gyoza Bar

Gyoza Bar - Ramen

Address: 622 W Pender St, Vancouver, B.C. 

Phone: 604-336-5563
Website

I was going to review another afternoon tea service however I unexpectedly ended up pet sitting (as I mentioned last week) downtown. Since I had the opportunity, I ended up trying out a few bowls of ramen here and there, this time with a friend (before a quick jaunt to Nordstroms and Sephora). Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of the outside of Gyoza bar, but ending up here was a bit of a last minute shuffle as we had tried to get into Ramen Gojiro but the lineup was too long for us to wait before my friend's appointment at Nordie's.

The inside was quite inviting, a fair amount of natural light, and lots of empty seats as the establishment is probably a few times larger that Ramen Gojiro.

Further inside from where we were seated, we could see the food prep area - bright, neat and clean. Also the staff all seemed to be Japanese from their accents and the restaurant definitely followed more Japanese greeting protocol than some of the other Asian wannabe noodle shops with their very terrible butchered Japanese greetings.

Since I'd spent a good 40 minutes walking from my friend's apartment to the restaurant, I ordered myself a nice virgin Mojito. It was lovely and refreshing, and, I must happily report, not overly sweet; light, and a bit tart from the limes, it was a great drink on a nice day. For those with a sweet tooth, I'd say pass on this as you'll not find it too pleasant. 

After a discussion on why I tend to like more subtle flavours and dislike overly salty or sweet things (which I suppose to most people taste 'normal'), our ramen was placed before us.

We both ordered the same ramen - Tamari Shoyu Tonkotsu Pork ($13.50 before tax) though my friend ordered the spicy version instead of the mild like I did (next time I will try the spicy). When it arrived I was a little disappointed thinking there was not a lot other than the sheet of dried seaweed, an egg and barely anything else other than noodles.

However, after poking around a bit, I found all the tasty toppings under the disguise of the soup. The bamboo shoots and the greens were nicely done - not too overcooked, flavourful and complimented the broth nicely. I forgot to photograph the egg, however, it was one of the best ramen soft boiled eggs I've had in the city so far. There wasn't a trace of chill/cold on the egg so I know it was just made, and the yolk was delightfully slow runny inside. The eggwhite portion was cooked through nicely and the flavour of the broth has sunk into it.

However, as usual, serving the sheet seaweed in the broth made for soggy seaweed which isn't my favorite if I haven't made the choice to do so myself already. The ramen was better than at Marutama - a bit more chewy and less flour-y tasting. I tend to enjoy the yellower of noodles with a bit more spring to them.

The chashu was nicely fatty and tender. The broth had a nice thickness to it, and the taste was definitely a bit more flavourful and deep in taste than the broth at Marutama. I think overall, I may prefer pork broth over chicken. If you're more a chicken broth type of person though, you may enjoy the broth at Marutama more.

I was sad I didn't have room to order the gyoza, as I've heard it's very good here. Ah well, something to look forward to the next visit to Gyoza Bar I suppose. All in all, the ramen here is pretty good, though a bit pricier than other ramen-ya's. I'd definitely come again if only to try out their other foods.

2016 Foodie Finds: Marutama Ramen

Marutama Ramen

Address: 780 Bidwell St, Vancouver, B.C. 

Phone: 604-688-8837
Website

So I had another post planned but since I had the chance to house/dog sit for a friend, I had a surprise opportunity to stay downtown for a couple of days and revisit a couple of ramen joints I haven't had the pleasure of eating at in some time (as well as try new ones).

While I was wandering around the first day, just taking a gander at everything that has changed along the Robson and Denman corridor since I was last in the area, I found a ramen restaurant just off the main stretch of Robson.

Since I was going to eat ramen anyways I figured I'd give this place a go. Stepping inside, I was glad to hear Japanese bantered about by the staff and a good number of Japanese people eating there. Over to one side by one of the front windows, were a pair of people making noodles. All good signs. 

I was seated quickly (no wait, as the sign outside indicated) and the staff brought me a basket to put my purse and belongings in. I really appreciated this as it's something that you only find in a few establishments in Vancouver, almost all of them Japanese.

The menu also had Japanese and the images looked good (I wanted to try the cha-shu gohan but I knew I couldn't finish everything). I ended up ordering the basic tamago ramen.

I noticed that you could order varying noodle doneness - as well as noodle and soup refills for a modest amount more. If you're a hearty eater and need more carbs in your world, this is for you.

My bowl of ramen came very quickly, and there was a nice selection of extra toppings (fried garlic slices, sesame seeds etc) in little jars on the counter.

I tried the soft boiled egg first since it could cook if I waited too long. Not the best soft egg ever but at least the yolk was still a bit runny inside. I thinik however that the egg was either made in advance or chilled very quickly to stop additional cooking as it was very cold on the side that wasn't in contact with the soup. The soup itself was nice and thick - the fatty style of broth. It was a pretty straight up chicken broth, though very mild in flavour. I found that I wanted a bit more depth to it. I ended up adding some of the fried garlic and chili spice to kick up the flavour profile a bit.

The noodles themselves were...ok. The mouthfeel wasn't great, not quite chewy enough and rather thin bodied. The greens and the seaweed sheet were soggy. I think perhaps having the seaweed sheet on the side and dry until I'm ready to eat it would be preferable (at least for me).

All in all, the service was fairly good and the ramen was passable. In all honesty it isn't my favourite ramen in the city but if the other ramen-yas are busy and you're dying for ramen it's a decent backup plan.

2016 Foodie Finds: Zakkushi

Zakkushi Izakaya - Main Street Location

Address: 4075 Main St, Vancouver, B.C. 

Phone: 604-874-9455
Website

Near the corner of Main St and King Edward is a little strip mall, where this izakya is tucked away. This is a regular go to when my friend Yuki comes to visit from the Seattle area. Apparently, this type of charcoal grill style Japanese food (at least of this calibre) isn't readily available in the Seattle area which makes this place a nice regular little joint since it opens until late.

Zakkushi has 2 locations in town (there used to be 3) and offers a range of drinks, appitizers, sushi, salads and various other cooked dishes aside from the charcoal grill items on skewers. If you're really itching for oden, they do offer it, but I tend to stick to the grill items for the most part.

Typically, we order a range of grilled meats and veggies (the P-toro - aka pig belly slices, are one of my favorites) some which come with the option of sauce or served with just a wee bit of salt. I tend to prefer the salted version as sauces tend to take away from the flavours of the meat etc itself. Other tasty options are the tsukune (minced chicken) that you can select with various topping options, grilled moochi with cheese, bacon wrapped garlic stubs, grilled gizzard, and oropon beef.

With so many choices, you may just want to order one skewer of each type that interests you and then share. You can always order more of whatever you liked best ;) I like almost all of the items on the grill menu so it's often hard for me to decide, however the meats are tender, juicy and cooked to perfection.

One thing to note, is that like many good authentic Japanese restaurants, there tends to be a seasonal menu with special items featuring local and seasonal dishes. So if you do find something you like on the seasonal menu, be sure to get it while it still is around or you may end up regretting it.

I personally love okra (raw and cooked) as well as zuccini, so I highly recommend both in their grilled forms for your veggie portion. The bonito topping on the okra make for a delightful flavour. Watching the chef grill items is also fun, so if you enjoy that, try and score a seat at the bar table. 

Some dishes, such as the yaki onigiri (grilled rice ball) come with pickled veggies along side as a palette cleanser. This version pictured above is the cheese topped onigiri, but you can get the shoyu or butter shoyu versions as well.

One important thing to remember is that on the table there is an empty cup item to one side. This is where you place your finished skewers as Japanese grill restaurants like these will wash and reuse the skewers - the skewers aren't the flimsy stick like things you buy at the grocery store so there's good reason for this.

Now onto dessert! Often the seasonal menu will have some interesting desserts. if you like Japanese desserts or at least the flavours of Japanese desserts, you'll want to try them out. They will often feature matcha, red bean, hojicha and other delicate and colourful flavours. Unlike traditional North American and European sweets, these will be light, and less sugary.

If you happen to have a meal during an actual holiday or celebration, you'll often be able to get limited or off menu dessert options. You can keep an eye out on their website/Facebook page for announcements - for example, the item pictured above was available for Hallowe'en but only if you dressed up. They offered frozen, carved and hollowed out mini pumpkins filled with a hand made ice cream just for the event.

There are a few staple desserts though, like their yuzu cheesecake (with cookie spoon). This one is one of my favorite desserts here as I love the citrus fused with the cheesecake concoction. 

While Zakkushi isn't the cheapest of eateries, the quality of food is great. I'd suggest people avoid going there starving if they require large quantities of food, however for a nice meal out once in a while it's a great option. 

Like many BBQ restaurants though, you'll want to make sure you wear clothing you don't mind washing right away as they will likely end up smelling like BBQ.

Overall, a fun place to take guests if they've never experienced a Japanese izakaya or Japanese food as they can sample a little of everything, and experience a real Japanese restaurant/izakaya atmosphere. The staff are pleasant and attentive, the food is good and the drinks are tasty. They don't even bat at an eye at us frilly ladies :) so it's comfortable for my friends and I to dine there, though if you plan to go during busy dining hours you'll want to make a reservation ahead of time as they can get very full.

2016 Foodie Finds: Sugarholic

Sugarholic Cafe: Lunch & Dessert

Address: 4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond, BC

Phone: 604-285-6199
FaceBook Page

Aberdeen centre, for those who aren't privy to the local details of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD), is a Chinese mall in Richmond. It's not too old and built much like the malls in Hong Kong, complete with fountain that has a light, music and spray show every couple of hours or so. Shops and restaurants come and go (I would have written about Aoyama - the Japanese style family restaurant but that one closed down last year) as popularity dictates, but it's an interesting mall all in all. However, I'm specifically going to look at SugarHolic Cafe.

I've now been here a few times and it's situated pretty much in the centre of the mall on the ground floor. In fact it took over the location of Aoyama for those who may have frequented that establishment back in the day.

So above you can see the restaurant/cafe. It's all glass along most of the walls with a cute pale blue and white themed aesthetic. 

During lunch time there's a special lunch menu which gives you limited options but adds a drink. From past experiences I can say that not all the food is great there and I can't eat the shellfish so if you're wanting any of those dishes, make sure to check out reviews as I can't atest to the quality and taste of the seafood dishes.

My friend ordered the rolled chicken thigh with spicy seasame sauce and elected to go with pasta (you can also choose rice). The rolled chicken is basically deboned thigh meat that's been rolled and cooked - it's quite tender, moist and tasty. My friend polished it all off so I'm taking that as a good sign. I've had other rolled chicken dishes here that were tasty so you may want to try one out.

This is one of my go to dishes here if I'm not just there for the sweets. Chicken steak on curried risotto. They've upped the veggie quotient in the dish which makes me happy, and the curry makes for a nice oomph to flavor value. Chicken is crispy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside. I actually couldn't finish and took 90% of the rice home for later since I knew we'd be sharing dessert.

Now this was the real reason we came. My friend had never tried Honey Box Toast before. Literally this is a loaf of bread that's been hollowed out and the innards cubed and toasted. The outside is also toasted so everything is toasty crisp and warm. Then they add custard and other toppings (dependent on the type you get - this one is chocolate, marshmallows, chocolate ice cream and an Oreo cookie). You cut open the side and everyone digs in. I suggest at least 2 people to share, 3-4 if you plan on eating a full meal along with this.

However, while the food is pretty decent and the drinks quite nice (I had hot hazelnut milk tea), the service can be really lackluster or very slow depending on the day and who is working. You may need to aggressively flag down someone when you need something and definitely tell them if you are in a hurry or you'll be waiting for eons. 

For frill factor though, they don't bat an eye. Neither good or bad changes to the staff or service. You're more likely to get looks from the other customers though most are Asian so aren't quite so mystified at the level of poof and lace going on.

Since the mall is right off the Canada Line Skytrain station (the newer part connects to the station) it's very convenient to get to and from. As it's a mall, there are also many other attractions to preoccupy yourself with so it makes for a nice few hours (Diaso, Candyland, other fooderies, bakeries and the like).

Overall, because of the convenient location, the decore and ability to fit larger groups, many of the local Lolitas will plan a meetup at SugarHolic every now and then. While the cafe does serve an Afternoon Tea, I have yet to try it as I'd rather eat the other food and desserts.

Even with mediocre service, I still go back though as there aren't a huge number of locations that are easily accessible and serve Honey Box Toast.