Just got back from Richmond/Burnaby… er, I mean Vancouver a few week ago, to visit some family. And of course, we did some eating too. Here are my thoughts:
Dim sum: I thought Empire Seafood Restaurant (Richmond) was still very solid in the “classics” department, particularly all their cheung fun varieties, har gow (not pictured), and jook with lean pork and thousand year egg.
But… there IS a new contender that all the HK aunties are going to now for “New Wave” (think Chef Tony-style) dim sum, and that’s New Mandarin Seafood. Surprisingly to me, it’s in Vancouver proper, and NOT in Richmond or Burnaby. I think this place is one full notch above Empire, and easily as good as Kirin (in its prime), and (sadly) several notches above anything we have here in SoCal.
Complimentary giant wok-fried puff sesame ball for each table!
Tea service was phenomenal - Our Iron Goddess (courtesy of house leaf specialist Tea King Trading) was among the best I’ve ever had.
And the pastry chef really nailed the fluffy, flaky dan taat (egg tarts) properly. Reservations here are essential.
Fine dining: I enjoyed the tasting menu at (Michelin one-star) Published on Main…
The menu was solid: Interesting and tasty dishes, though strangely I did not find any of them indelibly imprinted in my mind. Dashi and local summer fruits and vegetables chawanmushi proved to be a highlight; this tasted delightful.
The chef seems to be in love with currants in all its forms - it felt like every other dish during my dinner featured currants in it (see my hiramasa crudo).
Pacing of the dishes inexplicably slowed around the end (my theory is that the chef eloped with his beloved currants). It should be noted that I loved the team’s earnest, friendly service, as well as their serious cocktail/mocktail program (a very well-poured elderberry spritzer pictured)…
Surprises and Huge Bites: The Hainan chicken rice at Mui Garden (Burnaby and Richmond locations) is SHOCKINGLY good (as in… better than anything I had in Singapore… so good I went back the next day for more, and I rarely repeat restaurants during vacation). Every aspect of this dish was respected: The soup, the fragrant rice, scallion oil, and of course the hauntingly tender chicken meat and its jade-like, pristine skin. Huge bite!!!
The summer chilled chicken & jellyfish salad, lobster with glutinous rice in bamboo steamer, gently sweet tofu flower (dou hua) with ginger syrup and the delicate HK steamed egg custard at Ho Yuen Kee (Vancouver proper, on Fraser St.) were all legend-level spendid. Though, I found the much-vaunted Ho Yuen Kee wontons just a tad lesser than the fragile, packed-with-shrimp-aroma little jewels served at Max Noodle House (Richmond), taste-wise. Upon further reflection, I think the value-conscious locals prize the large size of the HYK wontons when taking into account their overall assessment.
Street food: Just gotta get my usual JapaDog while at YVR. This is right next to a Tim Horton, which is a lovely storefront pairing…
