Episode #110: Sekai Udon Bar

Burnaby South, $$ (Moderately Priced)
www.sekaiudonbar.com 

My parents had an afternoon of dim sum planned, but after visiting a family friend, it was already 2:30 p.m. and much too late for dim sum. Of course, I seized the opportunity to turn the afternoon into a sushi adventure instead by suggesting Sekai Udon Bar at Metrotown, to which everyone agreed.

I was in luck because as soon as I got to the restaurant, I saw a sign advertising 20% off all food items from 3 to 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday! This meant that I could unleash my desires and order everything that looked good to me on the menu. Oh wait... if I did that, I would probably need to use all the tables in the restaurant. Anyways, since we arrived a little early, I spent a few minutes entertaining myself with the meow critters in the pet shop next door.

Sekai Udon Bar is Chinese-operated, and the interior of the restaurant is quite spacious. However, the restaurant was nearly devoid of customers despite the significant Happy Hour discount. The menu had a large assortment of udon and sushi items, but before I even finished reading the first page, my mom had already unleashed her desires instead and planned out our whole order. I scrambled to write down the names and descriptions of everything that she ordered into my notebook, but by the time I finished writing, there were already three dishes on the table (the food came out surprisingly fast). Then, by the time I finished taking photos of everything that had landed on our table, the Japoutine was almost all gone. My head was spinning before I even started eating!

Wild Sockeye Salmon Sashimi - B-

The first item to arrive was the five-piece Wild Sockeye Salmon Sashimi. From the photo, it is evident that the knife skills were rather crude. The sashimi was soft, but it was also weak in flavour and not the freshest I've had.

Japoutine - A-

Garnished with cheese and seaweed powder, the Japoutine was the tastiest item of the meal. The fries were large, crispy on the outside, and soft and moist on the inside. My dad and my sister kept eating the Japoutine like there was no tomorrow, but at least they left a few fries for me to sample.

Dragon Roll - B

The Dragon Roll consisted of prawn tempura, unagi, avocado, tobiko, mayonnaise, and unagi sauce. The unagi was sweet and savoury, and there was a nice crunch from the tobiko. The batter on the prawn tempura was a little hard, but overall, there was a nice harmony of flavours.

Atlantic Salmon Oshizushi - B-

The Atlantic Salmon Oshizushi smelled really good when it arrived, and the dish was noticeably heated. There was a fairly large amount of rice under each piece - or so it appeared. I looked a bit more closely and saw that there was a large piece of ginger sneakily hidden inside the rice! As a result, the oshizushi tasted quite discordant even though the seared mayonnaise on top was delectable.

Okonomiyaki - B+

The Okonomiyaki was especially soft in texture. There was a good mixture of mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce. However, my dad couldn't get used to the tangy flavour of the Worcestershire sauce, so I got to have half of the whole Okonomiyaki.

Tonkotsu Udon - A-

Tempura - B+

Finally, we got the Tonkotsu Udon (pork and chicken bone broth with chopped green onions, bean sprouts, and baby bok choy) with a side of Tempura. The udon noodles are freshly made in-house every day and had a relatively soft texture. The pork was tender and its flavour was nicely absorbed by the udon broth. The Tempura came with two prawns and one piece each of yam and zucchini. The frying oil was good, but I found the batter a bit thick. The flavours were preserved well, and there was enough juiciness in each piece.

The service was efficient and friendly, and the food came out very quickly, but perhaps this was because there were virtually no other diners in the restaurant. Thank goodness the dining tables were on the larger side, or we would have to start putting stuff on the floor! Overall, we found the food decent, especially for a mall restaurant. If I needed to have sushi in Metrotown, I'd much rather eat here than at Kawawa Japanese Restaurant.

Episode #40: Ebisu on Robson

Vancouver (West End), $$$$ (Luxury)
www.ebisu.ca/robson

I was strolling along Marine Dr. in North Vancouver en route to Ambleside to have dinner there when completely contrary to my expectations, it started to rain! I had made it most of the way to Park Royal, so I decided to grab a Pinkberry frozen yogurt cup from the Park Royal village and head back to downtown Vancouver so that I could periodically insert myself into a random building to allow myself to dry. I have no idea how a small frozen yogurt cup could end up costing me over $6, but I guess those are the kind of things that happen when I forget to bring my glasses and try to guess what's on the menu.

Thank goodness the bus has its own lane when queuing for the Lions Gate Bridge. I managed to arrive at Ebisu in time to catch the Happy Hour specials, which meant significant savings on fresh oysters and wings, and slight savings on an assortment of other items. I wasn't too sure about the idea of eating 10 wings by myself (the minimum order), so I settled for the oysters. Of course, I tried some of the higher-ticket items from the regular dinner menu as well.

Royal Miyagi - A-

The Royal Miyagi featured fresh raw oysters from Cortes Island, BC. As advertised, it did have a very smooth texture (it was nice and slippery too) and was free of that green part (the liver) that some may like or dislike. The oysters were certainly on the smaller side but were dressed with a lively, tangy sauce to provide adequate flavouring. The oysters also came with tabasco sauce, but it was so spicy that when I put one drop of it on my chopsticks to try it out, let's just say that ... things happened.

Japanese Poutine - B-

The Japanese Poutine came on an iron plate with baked Yukon Golden Nugget potatoes with smoked bacon, oozing cheddar cheese and Mentaiko sour cream on top. The baked potatoes were cut to the shape of sliced meatballs (this is possible because of the small size of the potato). I liked how the sour cream was mild so that you would notice it without it being obtrusive. The sauce on top retained a predominantly cheesy flavour and texture, though I found the dish to be rather dry as a whole. The potatoes also needed a richer taste, or more dressing. Interestingly, there is a slice of whole-grain bread stuck to the iron plate (I couldn't even ply it off) and the potatoes absorbed some of the flavour from it. 

After the Happy Hour specials expired (at 6 p.m.), I ordered the Toro Inferno and the Tiger Mayo from the regular menu.

Toro Inferno - A

The Toro Inferno is listed on the menu as being the first original version created in Vancouver, and is freshly box-pressed with shiso, burdock, shiitake, sesame and sushi rice. Once it was brought to my table, a server brought a torch to sear the whole thing at my table! Each piece was seared for about three seconds, and this allowed for a smoky taste on the top along with a delicious, creamy layer of naturally-flavoured toro at the bottom. The sushi rice was soft, well-formed, and seasoned to better match the toro on top. 

Tiger Mayo - A

The Tiger Mayo consisted of 5 deep-fried Black Tiger prawns accompanied by a sweet chili mayonnaise dip. When the dish came, each of the prawns were paired with red yam chips, which were like potato chips with a slight spicy and raisin-like taste. Each of the 5 prawns were large, meaty and juicy and paired with a tasty, mildly spicy, smooth dipping sauce. The batter was light and crispy and garnished with herbs, hence the green tint. 

The service was quite attentive and friendly once Happy Hour ended, and the food from the regular dinner menu was of a higher caliber. The restaurant has a rather boisterous atmosphere and appears to cater to those in their 20's. However, the price range is a little steep for people of that age, and I found myself spending over $40 (including tips) without really getting full. Maybe ordering a filler (a ramen or rice bowl) next time would help.

Episode #7: Hapa Izakaya

Vancouver (Downtown), $$$ (Higher Priced)
www.hapaizakaya.com

Today was a day of very hot temperatures across much of Metro Vancouver, except places right by the harbour such as Waterfront Station. Therefore, Hapa Izakaya (Coal Harbour) became my choice for dinner tonight. Hapa Izakaya is situated right above the Waterfront Centre food court and is a large restaurant with a patio and clean, modern decor.

I came into the restaurant just before their Hapa Hour ended, so I was able to try some items from the Hapa Hour menu as well as other items from the standard dinner menu. The Hapa Hour menu consists of select items from the regular menu at a 50% discount, so I was quite surprised to see that there was nearly nobody seated inside the restaurant. I then turned my head around to see that the patio was completely packed. Nonetheless, I stayed inside the restaurant to benefit from the air conditioning and the more attentive service that comes from sitting inside a restaurant. Also, you can get better photos from the reduced sun glare!

After a wait that was shorter than the time it took me to decide on what to order, the Ebi Mayo arrived.

Ebi Mayo - A-

The Ebi Mayo came with six lightly battered tempura prawns and one prawn cracker. The prawn cracker was crunchier than any of the prawns, which were coated with a very soft layer of batter. The prawns were dressed in a very tangy mayonnaise sauce and served fairly hot. I highly appreciated the uniqueness of the sauce, which left me wanting more of the prawns. This dish was a very good deal at $4.49, but would be rather expensive if ordered at the regular price of $8.99.

Hapa Hot Wings - A-

The Hapa Hot Wings had no trouble in maintaining the level of quality established by the Ebi Mayo. The four chicken wings and two chicken drumettes covered with a lightly fried coating and tastefully peppered with spices. The outside was rather dry, but the chicken inside was remarkably tender and juicy. The spicy serrano chili sauce was sweet, tangy and quite spicy, and has an espresso-like aftertaste (yes, the coffee). The sauce adds a sweet and spicy zing to the chicken and goes well with the auxiliary vegetables as well.

Hapa Roll - B+

The Hapa Roll consists of torched salmon, spicy mayonnaise, avocado, cucumber, carrot, asparagus, kaiware (radish sprouts) and ikura (salmon roe). The interior of the roll had a rather solid texture due to the asparagus and the carrot, though these were softer than you would expect. The avocado was the spotlight of the roll, though you could taste most of the other ingredients as well. The spicy mayonnaise on top, when torched along with the salmon, brought a brilliant, charred flavour to the roll that I always look for when I order seared sushi. Unfortunately, there was way too little of this goodness. It was as if the cook was trying to tell me, "I know how to do it right, but you're only getting a little glimpse of my mastery."

Marshmellow Fondue - A

In terms of presentation, the Marshmellow Fondue (it's spelled that way on the menu) was simply glorious. It was in fact eye-catching enough to attract the attention of the tables next to me. The dark chocolate fondue, which was rich and creamy, was kept in a bubbling motion due to the heat coming from the candle below. The marshmellows themselves were amazingly soft and the fresh fruit, especially the strawberries, were very delicious upon being dipped in the fondue. The chocolate was slightly sticking to the roof of my mouth and my lips. It is best to share this dish with at least one other person (or otherwise, you might experience sweetness/chocolate overload ...).

Overall, I found the service quite attentive (partly due to the fact that I was one of the very few people sitting inside). Presentation was superb for each dish and the food displayed innovation and experimentation. The items on the Hapa Hour menu are literally a steal, but if you want to try the regular dinner menu (which has a much wider selection as well as higher prices) as well, go at around 5 p.m. and wait until 5:30 to order off the regular menu.

Episode #1: Alpha Sushi + Bar

Vancouver (Downtown), $$$ (Higher Priced)
www.alphasushibar.com

Today, on a drizzly, cloudy day in Vancouver, I decided to begin my sushi adventures at Alpha Sushi + Bar. This restaurant, located in the southern part of downtown, is a small, Japanese-run restaurant. The inside of the restaurant had a slightly old-fashioned feel, which was accentuated by the menu I received which consisted of printed pages glued onto a hardcover history book describing the turn of the 20th century.

To my delight, I made it in time for Happy Hour. Here is the Happy Hour menu as of today:

(click to enlarge)

After a short wait, the first item to arrive was the Ebi Mayo:

 Ebi Mayo - A

The Ebi Mayo consisted of 6 battered prawns, a mayonnaise dipping sauce and some salad greens. Since the prawns were served very hot, I decided to eat the salad greens first (clever way to keep me entertained!). The mayonnaise had a slight reddish hue and was creamy and slightly sweet. The prawns were not large prawns and were covered with a soft, thin layer of batter. The batter was slightly too crispy in one or two of the prawns, but overall, I was very satisfied with this dish.

Richards Roll - B

The Richards Roll consisted of two tempura prawns, tobiko, cucumber, wrapped with unagi, avocado, sweet soy and wasabi mayo. The unagi on top was well-flavoured, but was cut very thin, so the tempura prawns became the main focus of the dish. The seaweed was too stiff and was a challenge to chew. However, the prawns were soft and full of flavour, and the sweet soy complemented the roll well. The roll is not spicy (except for the tobiko but this was barely noticeable) despite the "wasabi mayo".

Seafood Gratin - A-

This oven-baked dish contained salmon, scallops and prawns on a bed of butter rice, topped with cheese and cream sauce. The salad that came with it was dressed with a very "vinegar-y" sauce, which was a little too sour for me. The sauce was strong, but unfortunately, it sank to the bottom, so the leaves on the top had little flavour. The Seafood Gratin itself had an abundance of salmon and scallop (there were some prawns too). It was mild in terms of flavouring, but the creamy, soft layer of cheese and cream sauce on top made this a delightful dish.

The servers had a good attitude and were attentive throughout my visit. Interestingly enough, as soon as Happy Hour ended at 6:30 p.m., several customers walked into the store, just to miss the last call for the special menu. I walked out of the restaurant wanting to take the bus to West End, and saw that the bus was already at the stop. I resisted running across a red light, which resulted in me just missing the bus and having to chase after it. After running all the way to Bute St. (4 blocks away), I had to stop because I developed a massive coughing fit. Note to self: red lights can be evil.