Ebisu

Meal time: Saturday 7:00 pm

I've been here about three times and so far, so good. Parking is on the streets but I believe they have a back lot. This place used to be Hooters and I remember because I once got a $45 parking ticket here so this area does hold a lot of bad memories for me. Admittedly, I initially liked this place cause they had pretty waitresses but I now go more for the food ha ha.

tuna tataki supreme ~ $8.50
this dish was a really good starter but I think that the tuna tataki at Cactus Club tastes way better. Kinda strange considering this is a Japanese joint.

prawn & cheese gyoza ~ $5.85
the dish also comes with guacamole and some tortilla chips. Filled with yummy gooey cheese-ness, but unfortunately, there were only 6 pieces.


kinoko mushrooms ~ $4.80
after clogging my arteries, i figure i needed some veggies. Kinoko means mushroom in Japanese so we got the mushroom mushrooms. This dish looked a lot better in the picture but it was alright. It comes with two shittake mushrooms and a bunch of enoki mushrooms and you can dip it into the ponzu sauce on the side.

colossal cheese yakitori ~ $5.50
after i had my veggie fix, i decided to go back for some artery-clogging action and when they say colossal, they are not kidding. In the end, it's a chicken skewer with cheese melted on top. It's one of those dishes that taste awesome when you first taste it and then it kind of loses its appeal thereafter but still good.

pacific tuna whirl ~ $6.95
deep fried tuna on top of chopped scallop, avocado and tobiko. Pretty good cause i like chopped scallop rolls.

mentaiko yakiudon ~ $8.50
i had this with the kimchi add-on and it was very good and was not overly spicy. wish i got this dish earlier cause i was feeling really full by the time this dish came along.

creme brulee cheesecake ~ $6.50
This cake was absolutely delicious and a great way to top off the evening. Although I was quite full from dinner, it was so good that I wanted to order two.

Four times visited and four times left satisfied (food-wise). Service was fast but inconsistent. I'm normally not one to complain about getting my food quickly but getting 4 dishes at once is a little too fast especially if one (the mushrooms) is roasting over a fire. It just means we have to eat that dish first while the others liked the melted cheese skewer become cold. Also, if you want tea (a standard in Japanese restaurants), you have to pay for it... but that's ok cause I like water.

One last thing - they do NOT do separate bills. I mean, we had a party of 18 and we are paying an automatic 15% gratuity, so I'd expect something as simple as separate bills to not be an issue. And in the end, despite rounding up, our group was short $30. If you come with a large group and want separate bills, either:
1) come late so you can order at a different time from the rest of the group, or
2) say you don't knew the rest of your table, but they don't mind your presence since nothing brings strangers closer together than food.

So in the end, despite the shortcomings above, I still like the place cause I like the food and I think it's of great value. And the waitresses? Sorry ladies, but you lose your hotness when you say we're short $30 at the end of the night =/


Ebisu on Robson
827 Bute Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 3Y4
Tel: (604) 689-8266
Fax: (604) 689-8335
http://www.ebisu.ca/ebisu_robson

Sushi Town

Meal time: Saturday 6:00 PM

This place is probably my most favorite Japanese place in Burnaby. They are usually packed so I'm used to the line-ups but it was to my surprise that it wasn't exactly hustle and bustle on a Saturday night. Normally when you venture in, you'll have to write your name on the whiteboard to reserve your spot. If you're standing outside, they will come out and call your name which is great. The decor is that of your run-of-the-mill sushi joint. The place is also better suited for small groups unless you plan on going during non-peak hours.

It's a rather small restaurant but it's not cramped. Parking is also an ease with the street and neighbouring school parking.

I presume most of the waitresses are in high school and are mostly Korean but there are Chinese too. I usually get great service here which can probably be attributed to my being Chinese but looking kinda Korean. Don't expect to be waited on hand and foot, but so long as you put up your hand, be patient and understanding, you'll get everything you want.

The restaurant is also Korean owned so the sushi is Korean style which I absolutely have no problem with so long as it tastes great.

The main differences between Korean style sushi and Japanese style sushi are:
- Japanese style consists of the basic ingredients and takes a minimalistic approach whereas Korean style is packed with vegetables and meat and looks very colorful and flamboyant.
- Japanese style is dipped in wasabi while Korean style is dipped in sesame oil.

The rolls are fairly sized and come out in 8. You can probably tell what I mean now when I say colorful but then again, these are their special rolls.

Double Dragon roll ($8) ~ cucumber, masago, avocado and unagi inside. More unagi and avocado on the outside. By the way, masago is smelt (i.e. the orange stuff) and unagi is eel. Pretty good and crunchy. Probably my second favorite of the 3 rolls we'll look at.

Mangodise roll ($5) ~ crab meat, cucumber and mango on the inside. shrimp on the outside. i don't really like this roll and it probably has to do with the fact that there's a raw shrimp on top and I don't like raw shrimp. Even without the shrimp, I don't particularly like this roll.

Awesome roll ($9) ~ crab meat, cucumber, avocado and masago on the inside. Salmon, green onion, masago and bonito on the inside. Bonito are the dried mackeral flakes you get that I'd think were gross by itself since I don't like dried fish but taste good here. My picture makes it look unappealing but I can tell you for a fact that it is definitely awesome!

Spicy Tuna Sashimi ($8) ~ Even though I can't take the spicyness without getting at least 5 glasses of water, I can't help but pass this up because 1) for $8, you get a ton, and 2) it tastes great! I believe they marinate their tuna which is why it tastes so good. I know other places would give you the tuna sashimi and put chili paste (i.e. Kawawa, that place in Metro) on the top and call it spicy tuna. For your information, that kind of spicy tuna is crap.

Ton Katsu combo ($9) ~ I think it was $9, that or $8 but I think it's an okay price. You get your standard bowl of rice and some green and two pieces of deep-fried awesomeness. My friend got a chicken katsu so we each swapped a piece. We were unable to tell the difference between the two in terms of taste. For some, that may be a problem. For others, it tastes like any other fried food - good.

Sushi Town offers a great deal of value and the quality of the food is always good. Staple eats are the spicy tuna sashimi and the awesome roll . My only complaint is the wait . Sometimes I'm so hungry that I just want to erase the names of the people in front of me.



Sushi Town
5935 Hastings Street
Burnaby, BC V5B 1R7
Tel: 604-294-6155

Pho Van

Meal time: Sunday 1:30 PM

This is my third time here and judging by how my first two experiences were, I wasn't really looking forward to lunch but when you're hungry, you're hungry. To the left of the restaurant is a parking lot and there's always the streets so the parking here is definitely ample.

I recall the first time I went inside, I was almost blinded by the bright neon lights that were made worse made by the mirrored walls. I've since grown accustomed to it but I still find it kind of psychadelic and aggravating. I guess the lights help you feel like you're in the 70's. That or the owners really like rainbows. They also have a large flat screen TV at the back which always seems to be playing a Vietnamese version of "Dancing with the Stars". I asked my Vietnamese friend if girls in Vietnam (he went back last Summer) look like that and he said no - only the Western born Vietnamese do.

Anyway, the restaurant itself is mid-sized but it can get really cramped during peak hours. You'll probably find yourself doing a lot of seat adjusting with the tables next to you coming and going.

Small beef balls and soup ($7) ~ The bowl was surprisingly big and it had lots of noodles and its fair share of beef balls, and in the end, it was quite good. I don't normally eat pho but this will probably become my staple meal whenever I come here. The broth is also very tasty as well.

A minor thing but I don't understand why they fill the soup all the way to the top. Yes, we get more but if your fingers are touching it, it's kinda gross.

Normally when i eat Vietnamese foods, I like to go for the rice plates. but unfortunately, I don't like their rice plates here. I had a lemon grass chicken and a lemon grass pork chop my previous trips and I could only eat about half of it given the fat/inedible content of the meat.

We also had spring rolls - they were alright but I wasn't exactly looking towards get a second order.

Service is what you expect from a pho place. They are very busy but manage very well. You can't really expect them to notice you unless you put up your hand but they are prompt once they get the signal.

Pho Van is a decent place to get your pho fix but not your rice plate fix. It's not a place I plan to return to on my own accord but the next time my friends suggest we eat here, I'd be a lot less hesitant to go - that is, until i get sick of beef balls in soup.

Pho Van
3370 Fraser Street
Vancouver, BC
Tel: 604-872-2879

Society Restaurant & Lounge

Meal time: Thursday 1:30 PM

This is a brand new restaurant opening up in Yaletown and I had a promotional coupon so we decided to check it out. It's also conveniently located about near the Yaletown skytrain and it's about a 2 minute walk. If you plan to drive, there is parking in front of Hamilton but you know what it's like to park in Yaletown.

We went at 1:30 to avoid the lunch time rush and because I had to return to work soon after. We were nicely greeted by the hostess and they had a nice, quiet outdoor seating area with heating lamps but it was full so they took us inside.

They had great music and I liked the decor. They also had two big pink chandeliers on the ceiling. The crowd was mostly that of the younger crowd. The servers also catered to young children as next to us were two moms with their kids and the servers brought them crayons, coloring books and biscuits. The inside is kind of small so I don't think you could host a party of more than 15 unless you book the place and even then you won't all be sitting with each other.

On one end, there was a soft sofa to sit while the other side were stiff yet comfy chairs. The table was covered with paper for easy clean-up. We were greeted by our friendly waiter Jess who gave us the menu. The menu was a page and they had another menu for smaller dishes. It's a fair mix of comfort food like burgers, pastas and pizzas. We decided to share the following appetizers: the calamari, smoked salmon and nachos.

Calamari ($10)- probably the size of two tater tots but these were really tasty! This was probably the best appetizer dish we had.

Nachos ($8) - the menu said it came with the works... if works means few jalapeno peppers, some onions, green peppers and bean paste, then it's the works. It also came with small dips of sour cream, salsa and guacamole. Chips were too salty for my liking.

Smoked salmon ($10) - it came with red onions, capers, ricotta cheese, cream cheese and mini bagels. Salmon was good but it wasn't anything spectacular.

Lobster spaghetti ($18) - A special order since my friend didn't want the gnocchi. The dish was a little small even though it came in a huge plate. This dish was very flavorful but didn't warrant the price tag even though it came with a slice of garlic bread. Also, the pasta was not cooked al dente which my friend preferred.

Lobster gnocchi ($18) - It's a good thing we had lots of appies cause this was another relatively small dish. I didn't find it as tasty cause I guess the potatoes subdue a lot of the flavor.

All American steak and fries ($24) - It came with a small salad with balsamic vinaigrette and very salty steak fries. The steak was quite juicy and tender but for the price, I think I'd get more value from the Keg. Meanwhile, the salt from the fries was still lingering on my lips hours after we left.

3 appies and 3 mains came out to be $34/person. It's quite pricey for food that I think I could get at Denny's but I had a 50% coupon so no complaints about that. Service was good as they constantly filled out waters although our server catered more to the young kids.

I wouldn't mind going for just tapas and drinks but it probably wouldn't be my first choice for mains with all the other restaurants nearby. Nonetheless, it's a pretty hip place and I'd certainly be open to checking it out again just to chill.

P.S. Here is the coupon voucher which gives 50% off for lunch during the month of November on weekdays. Definitely try it out before it expires at the end of November.

EDIT: 11/22 -I've removed the rating part of my review as I would just like to share my experience at the time and not give restaurants an arbitrary number to rate a one-time meal.

Society Restaurant & Lounge
1257 Hamilton St
Vancouver, BC V6B 6K3
Tel: 604-629-8800
http://www.society-grg.ca/

Prelude

Before I eat out at a new restaurant, I tend to visit www.dinehere.ca to check out the reviews and food recommendations from other reviewers. I always thought it would be great if they had pictures of the food and decor too. I also realized that some of the reviews were very bias when I once posted a detailed negative review on a new restaurant and someone (probably from the restaurant) wrote a great general review the next day to inflate the score. Some questions you may ask:

Q: Why?
A: I got into it after taking photos of various dishes while in Asia and just wanted to share some of culinary adventures with others in Vancouver.

Q: What experience do you have doing this?
A: I have over 26 years of eating experience.

Q: Do you have a refined palate?
A: It's either good, no good or okay.

Q: Why are your restaurant reviews only for Vancouver?
A: Cause I live here.

Q: What kind of camera do you use?
A: Canon PowerShot SD780IS Digital Elph - it's so small and spy-like!

Q: Your pictures look dark.
A: I don't use flash. It's just something I read online and I think it's annoying to other diners in a dark environment. Exceptions are celebrations.

Q: Are you a professional photographer and food critic?
A: No, I am merely a PhD.