Given the neighbourhood, it’s not all that surprising that L’Abattoir comes off with a certain kind of trendy, almost hipster-like vibe. This is quite different from another French bistro that I very much enjoy. The hostess, for instance, was wearing a French beret when we arrived. The male servers were sporting a similar “casual chic” look. Indeed, as Mijune points out, “the clientele and staff are hard to tell apart.”

The layout of the restaurant itself makes good use of the relatively limited real estate. The main dining room is located upstairs, directly above the clearly visible kitchen. There is additional seating toward the rear of the restaurant, behind the kitchen and down a relatively narrow hallway. I really like the exposed brick and the overall motif of the restaurant. There’s a great ambiance here.

While many other restaurants offer complimentary bread, they’re usually of the basic bread or dinner roll variety. L’Abattoir steps it up with in-house baked goods. Yes, those are bacon bits on the rolls on the right.

Country style pork pate, toast, pickled vegetables, apricot sauce

We started off the $38 prix fixe menu with our appetizers. I was expecting a small cup of pate, but what we got was a rather substantial slice on top of some brioche toast. The seasoning was fantastic and the assorted pickled vegetables added to a simply delightful dish.

Warm steelhead and fried potato salad, smoked pork fat, dill, horseradish

The second appetizer, while not quite as delightful as the pate, was also very good. The generous portion of fish had a smoky flavor to it that was well complemented by the bacon smoked pork fat.

Fillet of pacific cod with spicy chorizo crust, white beans cooked in red wine

Who said beans had to be boring? While the preparation was likely quite simple, the white beans here were great. I didn’t taste much of the chorizo in the crusting of the fish, however, and there were portions of the cod that were a little too dry.

Duck breast and leg meat sausage, buttered green cabbage, pan fried German noodles

I love duck. I would have preferred a whole duck leg or breast, but this sausage variety had some great flavors too. The German noodles reminded me of dumpling skins. They could have had a bit more bounce or chew to them, but this was otherwise a great entree.

One of the other options for the main course was a lamb ravioli topped with some more lamb. Seeing it at some other tables, I think I would have preferred that over the cod.

Earl Grey pot de crème, lemon shortbread, whipped milk

I thought this was going to be a warm dessert, but the cream was actually quite cool. If you prefer lighter desserts, this fluffy concoction would be your cup of tea (terrible pun intended).

Pinneapple upside down cake, mascarpone cream

So good. The warm cake worked well with the jellied and dehydrated pineapple, capping off a pretty fantastic meal.

Yes, you have countless options when it comes to eating in Gastown, but L’Abattoir should be pretty close to the top of your list. Service was attentive and friendly, the food was top-notch, and the atmosphere makes for a great dining experience. The unique cocktail list is impressive too… and they don’t skimp on the alcohol content either. My only complaint is the lack of cheap parking, but that goes with the territory.

Don’t forget to check out my other Dine Out Vancouver adventures from this year’s food festival. There was a lot of good eating in there!

This was my third time at Chambar–I had been here before both for Dine Out and for the regular menu–so I already had a pretty good idea of what to expect. I’ve never been disappointed with the food, the atmosphere, or the service at Chambar, so I was hoping that this visit wouldn’t be the exception.

Even though he was originally hired as the sommelier, Robert Stelmachuk is also the “front of house leader” at Chambar. He took on the role of manager/server with our table and he couldn’t be more delightful, always checking in to make sure that everything was to our satisfaction. Noting the couple of cameras we had at the table, he also took extra care to get the food “photo-ready” for us, knowing full well that the pictures would “end up on your Facebook or blog or wherever else.” His good humour and attentiveness certainly added to the appeal of the meal… but what about the meal itself?

The Dine Out menu at Chambar used to be $25, but the 2012 selection came in at $38 per person for three courses.

Carpaccio de Chevreuil: Charred venison carpaccio, garlic chips, radishes, white soy & red wine reduction, soba noodle salad

This was my appetizer and it was certainly larger than I expected. There were easily a dozen slices of venison there, each with just the right amount of seasoning. The garlic chips were great too, but I found the soba noodles to be on the mushy side.

Betterave & Fenouil: Roasted baby beets, orange braised fennel, pomegranate, whipped sheeps feta

Soupe d’hiver: Roasted celeriac & morel soup, shaved apple, lingonberries, watercress

Shown above are the other two appetizer options. I didn’t sample the beets, but I did have a couple spoonfuls of the soup. The sourness of the lingonberries offered a stark contrast to the otherwise earthy taste of the soup. This was different and I think in a good way.

Carbonade Flamande: Chambar Ale braised shortrib, sultanas, sage butter barley risotto

This was my main dish and it was deceptively filling. The shortrib was very tender and flavorful. The risotto was a little on the “crunchy” side, but I didn’t mind it all that much. I was later told by Robert that this was a simpler, smaller version of the braised lamb tajine from the regular menu, which I have tried in the past. I’d say the tajine was definitely better, but understandably a lot more work for the kitchen.

L’omle de l’Artique Niçois: Crispy Arctic char, sea asparagus, pea shoots, bacalao, lemon & grana padano concasse, tapanades

Even though the little dollops on the plate don’t look all that pleasant, they added some interesting flavors to this dish. The char was cooked beautifully with a nice crispness to the skin.

Moules-Frites Congolaise: Mussels, tomato coconut cream, smoked chili, lime, cilantro

No visit to Chambar would be complete without getting their amazing pot of mussels. Pictures really don’t do it justice, especially since we don’t have smell-o-vision. Served with a side of fries (which are also very good), this is a menu item that should not be missed.

A white wine-based option, called the Moules-Frites Coquotte, is also available. It is served with cream, smoked bacon lardons, and spring onions.

Le Fromage: Selection of 2 local cheeses, sultana bread, fruit compote

This dessert option really didn’t feel like a “dessert” to me. That said, I’ve always been a fan of cheese. The shame is that there wasn’t really enough bread to go with the cheese and compote.

Le Fruit: Lemon curd, toasted meringue, thyme scented shortbread

Based on the description, I was expecting a lemon meringue pie without the pie crust. What I got instead was a variation on a pavlova. There was a slight chewiness to the exterior and, with lemon curd in the center, this dish offered a nice way to cap out a great meal.

Chambar lived up to its expectations and easily earns my recommendation. Be sure to check out my other Dine Out Vancouver posts from this year, including Fleuri and Black+Blue. I have one more DOV post coming, but don’t be afraid to dive into my “Food and Drink” archive for more good eating.

Following up on my first Dine Out Vancouver 2012 experience at Black+Blue Steakhouse, we made our way onto our second food adventure. This time around, we visited Fleuri inside the Sutton Place Hotel in Downtown Vancouver.

While I was expecting more of a “restaurant,” Fleuri is probably better described as a hotel dining room. It’s almost like you are simply sitting in the lounge and there just happens to be a few dinner tables there. This doesn’t really make for the best ambiance or atmosphere, but it didn’t really detract from the food either.

The Dine Out Vancouver 2012 menu for Fleuri was $28 and consisted of three courses.

BC Clam and Tomato Chowder chowder vegetables, tarragon essence, crab fritter

This was one of the appetizer choices. The crab fritter hardly had any crab flavor in it and soup was rather uninspired, but I wouldn’t say it was bad either.

Crudo of Albacore Tuna citrus, soy and sesame flavours, squid ink, cod roe aioli

Crudo is essentially an Italian take on Japanese sashimi. The albacore tuna here offered a fresh crispness and this worked quite well with the crispy bits that they placed on top.

Buttermilk Chicken Sous Vide and Shiitake Mushrooms mushroom pudding, sour plum jus, red chard and braised celery, aged cheddar croquette

This was the option I selected for my main course, mainly because I have never tried something prepared as a sous vide. Indeed, the chicken was mostly able to retain its moistness, but the overall flavor profile wasn’t all that special. The shitake mushrooms had a great earthy taste to them.

I didn’t sample the other two mains, shown below, but I was told that the beautifully earthy flavors of the mushrooms held up in those two dishes too. In the case of the pot au feu, there is a large piece of salmon underneath that, but there could have been more shellfish to round it out.

Seafood and Shellfish Pot au Feu creamy curry emulsion and consomme, clams, mussels, sweet peas, curried squash

24-Hour Braised Beef Flat Iron root vegetables, tiroler bacon jus, onion horseradish froth, sweet potato puree

Butterscotch, Vanilla Chamomile Gelato and Passion Fruit Coup

Everyone received the same dessert and it was a pleasant way to end the meal. The crispy sesame cracker on top reminded me of Indian papadum, which offered a nice contrast to the silky gelato.

While Fleuri isn’t quite as top shelf as a place like Pear Tree, it is perfectly adequate as a fine dining experience. The food is prepared well, service was attentive, and even the regular menu prices are very fair. The “hotel lobby”-like ambiance does throw you a little, though.

The new year always comes with a set of mixed emotions. On the one hand, it means that tax season is upon us. On the other hand, at least around these parts, it means it’s time for Dine Out Vancouver. The annual tradition allows us to enjoy some great restaurants with affordable prix fixe menus.

Glowbal Group owns one of the largest collections of restaurants in Vancouver, including places like Sanafir and Coast Restaurant. The newest addition to the collection is called Black+Blue and it is a steakhouse located on the increasingly trendy Alberni Street. The Dine Out Vancouver menu consists of three courses for $38.

“Bacon ‘n’ Eggs” thick cut double smoked bacon, fried duck egg, spicy maple syrup, wild arugula

This was one of the two appetizer options. The thick cut bacon had a good amount of fat to it and the scrambled duck egg was silky smooth. I’m not as big a fan of the sweet and savory combination created by the maple syrup, but that’s just a personal preference.

Tuna Carpaccio truffle aioli, pickled beets, grated horseradish, micro bulls blood greens

And here is the second appetizer option. The tuna was pounded flat into a very thin layer. This really wasn’t anything all that special and it was easily forgettable as a dish.

Onion Rings

While the wait times at Black+Blue weren’t quite as bad as at Rare or Victory, it did take a lot longer than expected to get anything. After the appetizers arrived, we sat around and twiddled our thumbs for about an hour. Nothing came. Then, we saw the table next to us order some great looking onion rings and we couldn’t resist.

While they don’t have that breadcrumb batter that I prefer, these massive onion rings were crispy and arrived promptly. At $7, they’re not a terribly expensive addition to your dinner either.

Roasted Sablefish roasted squash purée, au poivre sauce, micro salad

Believe it or not, that’s a main dish. One of my dining companions ordered this entree and she was thoroughly disappointed. What little bit of fish that was on the plate was “too fishy” by her description. There was likely more fish in my carpaccio appetizer.

Angus Tenderloin roasted pearl onion, béarnaise sauce, snow crab leg

While I was hoping for more of a “steak” dinner, I understand that the tenderloin comes out in more of a “prime rib” kind of texture and consistency. It was a decent cut, but many of our “medium rare” orders arrived much closer to medium. Since we had waited over an hour and a half for our entrees, we really didn’t want to wait for them to re-fire.

You’ll also notice that the description called for snow crab leg. There were some minuscule amounts of crab mixed into the bernaise sauce, but this was hardly what we expected. Again, this really wasn’t anything special and I could have easily received a much better cut of meat at any number of other steakhouses in Vancouver.

Classic Crème Caramel orange-almond biscotti, orange liqueur

The sole dessert option on the Dine Out menu was this. I would have preferred the torching that would have come with a creme brulee, personally. I also found that the dessert was terribly inconsistent. Some of us at the table had a lot of vanilla bean (the black bits), whereas others had virtually none. Some of us had significantly larger or smaller pieces of biscotti too. Again, this was quite forgettable.

I went in with some high hopes for Black+Blue. Here was a world class steakhouse backed by Glowbal. Walking in, I really enjoyed the ambiance with the wide open center, wraparound “balcony” like seating on the second floor, a prominently displayed meat locker, and music that was playing at only a couple levels below a nightclub. It seemed like a fun, happening spot.

Unfortunately, the food was ultimately disappointing and the wait times were definitely outside the norm. I hope that this was due to be relatively new, coupled with the pressures of Dine Out Vancouver. If Black+Blue can find its stride and improve its quality, it could be a winner. For now, you have many other options for a great meal in Vancouver.

For most intents and purposes, you could say that Vancouver has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to restaurants. As such, we simply cannot and will not tolerate sub-par food, nor will we put up with sub-par service. But that is exactly what I experienced over the weekend at a relatively new Chinese restaurant in the Crystal Mall complex.

I’ve written about terrible customer service in the past, but I also understand that “customer service” usually isn’t the top selling point for most Chinese restaurants in this city. That said, what I had to endure at Victory Seafood Restaurant in Burnaby was simply beyond reproach.

Stepping Up to the Plate

Allow me to establish the situation. My family went out on Sunday evening for Chinese New Year dinner. This is a celebratory time when we can get together with extended family and enjoy a good meal. We had about 15 or 16 people at our table. The standard “set menu” at a seafood restaurant like this is designed for a table of ten.

So, when my aunt made the reservation, she told the manager that she would like to pay 50% more to get 50% larger portions, while maintaining the same set menu. The manager agreed and it seemed like everything was going to be in order. Unfortunately, nearly nothing went according to plan.

Strike #1: The Pop Lie

Since there were several children at our table, my aunt inquired ahead of time about the cost for pitchers of pop. She was told that our table of 15 could have unlimited soda for $15 per flavor. That sounded reasonable, so we order a pitcher each of 7-Up and Coke.

After the two jugs arrived and we divided it amongst us, we were informed that the pop wasn’t unlimited. Instead, it was $15 per jug. That’s entirely different than what we were told and the management refused to honor the previous agreement. Strike one.

Strike #2: The Insufficient Soup

As mentioned above, we had agreed to pay a 50% premium on the set menu price in order to get 50% larger portions for every dish. When the soup arrived, we were barely able to get a dozen half-filled small bowls. Remember that the standard 10-person menu would have called for ten full bowls of soup, usually with a couple of bowls to spare. With a 50% premium, we should have received at least 15 full bowls.

When we asked the server whether he was sure this was the larger portion, he said he would ask the kitchen. Returning, he said that it was indeed the larger portion. We told him that he could quite clearly see that there was not enough soup for 15 patrons and he agreed, only to shrug his shoulders and to say that there is nothing he could do. Strike two.

Strike #3: The Two Hour Wait

The real nail in the coffin had to do with the timing. If you were following along on Twitter and Facebook that night, then you’ll know what happened. A typical ten course Chinese menu usually takes about two hours to complete. We were nowhere near that timetable.

In fact, after sitting at our table for two hours, we had received only three dishes in total, the third of which was completely out of the standard order. Yes, I understand that Chinese New Year’s Eve is a busy time, but the restaurant would have fully known about this in advance. It is up to the management to prepare for it. They didn’t come around to refill our tea. The staff avoided us when we inquired about the timeline.

Our reservation was at 6pm and we were seated at that time. It was now 8pm and we weren’t even one-third of the way through our meal. Worse yet, the table next to us was seat at 6:30pm and they had not received a single dish in those 90 minutes. Nothing. This is positively disgraceful.

You’re Out: The Utter Indifference

After over two hours, we went to the manager and told him about the situation. We also told him that if we did not receive our next dish in the next 10 minutes that we’d be walking. He nodded and “rushed” to the kitchen to check on the situation.

We let those ten minutes pass and no one came to visit our table. We were fed up and we stood by our word, getting up and walking out of the restaurant. We walked right past the two or three employees who were fully aware of our situation. The waitress turned to her manager and told him that we had not paid. The manager’s response? A simple shrug, stepping aside to let us walk out. That utter indifference really demonstrates how the staff treat this business.

I’ve lived in Vancouver all my life and I’ve seen how the Chinese culture has changed during that time. I don’t expect world class service at most of these kinds of restaurants, but this is well beyond what can be tolerated. In a “foodie” city like Vancouver, utterly disgraceful service with a blatant disregard for your customer cannot and should not survive.

And the irony of their name–”Victory” Seafood Restaurant–really is the icing on the cake (that I never received). Do not, under any circumstances, eat at this restaurant. With an experience like this, I will not be giving “Victory” a second chance.

Aside: It’s times like these that I am so happy about the power of the Internet. My Facebook update on the situation received nearly 30 comments in the first 24 hours. Word of mouth is increasingly powerful and I am grateful for it.

When you think about some of the best “restaurant” neighborhoods in and around Vancouver, places like Yaletown and Gastown come to mind. What I’m quickly discovering, though, is that the North Burnaby area of Willingdon Heights also has more than its fair share of interesting eateries. These include spots like Bombay Beat Restaurant for East Indian cuisine, but you also have fine dining options like Pear Tree Restaurant too. You don’t have to brave the downtown parking nightmare for an elegant meal!

For New Year’s Eve, Pear Tree offered two sittings, each with its own special prix fixe menu. We opted for the earlier time (6:30pm), which happened to have the cheaper of the two menus at $70 per person. Pear Tree is relatively small, with fewer than 50 seats, which helps to give it a more intimate feel and what felt like more attentive service. Our prix fixe menu consisted of three courses.

For my appetizer, I opted for the orange caramelized scallops with double smoked bacon risotto. The scallops were seared beautifully and the risotto was just creamy enough. I could really taste the smokiness of the small bits of bacon.

Susanne went with the spot prawn cappuccino. This was like a foamy soup, having a flavor that reminded me of a seafood bisque, but with a much lighter airiness about it. I was disappointed that, while there were pieces near the bottom, it didn’t come with a whole spot prawn.

My main dish was the bacon-wrapped partridge with a partridge confit. This was served with potato and a vegetable medley. While it wasn’t exactly how I envisioned it (aside from the confit leg), it tasted great. I really enjoyed the crispiness of the confit. This entree made sense, don’t you think? A partridge in a pear tree?

Braised boneless short ribs with mushroom ravioli was Susanne’s main. Naturally, the meat was succulent and tender, but I almost liked the ravioli better than the short ribs. A very nice dish. We were offered a bowl of pea shoots too (not pictured), for some added greenery to both of our suppers.

For dessert, Susanne ordered the chocolate ganache with crisp nut base, accompanied by a scoop of orange chocolate sorbet. This wasn’t actually as rich and sweet as it looks, which is a good thing. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a light dessert, but there is definitely enough here to get your chocolate fix.

My dessert sounded relatively simple with a lemon tart and a lemon sour cream sorbet, but that crisp on top really helped to bump it up a notch. I like lemon desserts and this one was no exception.

We were also provided with complimentary petits fours, including a couple pieces of great Earl Grey dark chocolate. Adding in a couple of cocktails and a French press coffee, the total bill came to just under $200. That includes taxes and tip. This certainly is not an inexpensive meal, but Pear Tree Restaurant can very much consider itself to be a fine dining establishment with high quality cuisine. I imagine the regular menu would be more affordable too.

From Hakkaku Ramen to Chez Meme Baguette Bistro, the Burnaby North area along Hastings Street has a wide range of restaurants for you to consider, offering food from all around the world. Some are sub-par cheap eats, but Pear Tree Restaurant really is a great diamond in the rough.

There was a lot of hype surrounding this place when it officially opened its doors a couple of years ago. Here was a hot shot chef from overseas who had won several awards for his Taiwanese beef noodle soup and he was opening a restaurant in Aberdeen Centre in Richmond. It had to be good, right? The hype surrounding Chef Hung certainly begot more hype, as people were known to line up for an hour or more to get a seat.

For some reason or another, I didn’t go… that is, until about a week ago when I happened to be in Richmond doing some shopping anyhow. We initially planned on just getting a quick meal at the Aberdeen Centre food court (we already tried Aoyama Cafe before), but opted to try out this noodle place instead. After all, there was no more lineup.

It was a little odd that they didn’t have nicely printed menus for us, giving us simple “takeout” style menus instead. And then, you have to fill out your own order sheet; that might be a good thing, since the service staff seems to have limited English.

Just as we did at Ali Shan Taiwanese Restaurant in Burnaby, we started our meal with some deep fried chicken nuggets ($4.95). These certainly aren’t the same as the giant fried chicken fillets in Taipei night markets, but the breading and seasoning is similar. I found that these nuggets lacked the right level of crunch and tasted a little too doughy. There could have been more seasoning too.

The menu gives you several options for the beef noodle soup, but many of them are going to be very similar. You typically get to choose from beef shank, brisket, tendon, tripe, or some combination of the above.

You also get to choose between thin and thick noodles; both Susanne and I opted for thin, as that’s usually what we get for our Taiwanese beef noodle. The spicy soup is more typical (it’s not that spicy), though there are non-spicy options too.

I found the noodles to still have a nice amount of chew and “bounce” to them, cooked to a great al dente. There’s quite a bit of meat in the bowl and the soup had a good flavor to it too. All beef noodle soups are served with a small dish of pickled vegetables.

Not surprisingly, the price is nowhere close to what you’d get in Taiwan, but it is still a little higher than the many other Taiwanese beef noodle soup restaurants in and around Vancouver. Most bowls at Chef Hung range from $8-$11.

I don’t think this restaurant deserves the sub-50% rating it currently has on Urbanspoon, but it’s doesn’t exactly provide the breathtaking experience that the hype would lead you to believe either.

As is the case with everywhere that I travel, one of my bigger goals while here in Australia is to enjoy some of the local fare. Our first stop in the Land Down Under was Cairns and our first experience with “authentic” Aussie “nosh” was at The Raw Prawn.

Located on the esplanade (not far from where we saw the giant bat colony), The Raw Prawn offers both indoor and outdoor seating. Also, while it’s name clearly indicates that they are geared more toward the seafood end of things, they also have a good variety of game meats (“bush tucker”).

If you are seated before a certain time (around 6pm), you are offered a 15% discount on your supper. We just missed the cutoff, but we decided to give the place a try anyhow.

Having a hard time deciding, I opted for a combination plate that consisted of kangaroo, crocodile, and beef. This “taste of Australia” was, well, quite tasty. The kangaroo wasn’t nearly as “gamey” as I expected it to be, having more of a tender beef consistency and flavor.

The crocodile was similar in scope to chicken or pork in taste, but with a drier texture and some stringiness. The beef was just beef; I much preferred the kangaroo filet over the beef steak.

Susanne opted for barramundi with an avocado-based salsa, accompanied by asparagus and fingerling potatoes. The barramundi wasn’t all that different from many other poached white fish varieties, flaky like a catfish or trout. The butter sauce was a bit much and while the barramundi was fine, it didn’t seem particularly special. It may have been better if it was grilled or charbroiled.

The bill came to $70, including a modest tip. To our knowledge, tipping is not really expected in Australia, but the bill did have a tip line. We erred on the side of caution, but it’s not like we felt ripped off for leaving a gratuity.

There are a few reasons why I decided to combine my brief review of The Raw Prawn with my writeup on Barnacle Bill’s. First, they are both located on the esplanade in Cairns, only a couple of shops over. Second, they have similar menus. And third, they both offer an early bird discount. In the case of Barnacle Bill’s, the discount appeared to be recently upgraded from 20% to 30%. That’s substantial!

Since we did have that discount, we decided to splurge on an appetizer (and I had a beer). Shown above is the Oysters Kilpatrick. The half dozen raw oysters are topped with chopped bacon and worchestire sauce. They are served on a bed of coarse salt, but you don’t really need it. These were positively delightful.

For my main, I ordered chilled bay bugs. They’re not insects; the “bay bugs” are actually a local form of rock lobster. Served with a mango salsa, lemon, salad, and thousand island dressing, the bay bugs have a similar consistency of scampi. The meat looked layered and didn’t at all have the “rubbery” texture of overcooked lobster. There were two whole bay bugs, each sliced in half, and it was a refreshing dinner on a hot summer’s night.

For Susanne’s main, she had the bouillabaisse. Served with some mustard and a hard roll, this large bowl of soup had quite a lot of seafood in it. There were mussels, prawns, fish, squid, scallops and other goodies from the sea. There was just a little bit of kick in the tomato-based soup to accompany its wonderful fragrant flavor.

Again, the total bill came to right around $70. This is despite adding an appetizer (~$18 regular price) and a bottle of beer to the mix. The 30% discount was certainly appreciated.

Between the two, I think I preferred Barnacle Bill’s over The Raw Prawn. The menu was bigger and the food was more flavorful. It also helps that the “early bird” discount is larger too.

There are many other restaurants in and around the Cairns Esplanade, including Ganbaranba Ramen. From Thai to Turkish, East Indian to Italian, you’ll be surprised at what you’ll find in this part of Australia. Cheers, mate.

In the last ten years or so, we’ve seen a huge surge in the number of Taiwanese people moving to Vancouver. Not surprisingly, they’ve brought along their culture, their language, and their food. We’ve seen the rise of bubble tea, for instance.

While it is certainly arguable that the Taiwanese food in Vancouver isn’t as good as the Taiwanese food in Taipei, there are many great eateries in and around Vancouver that come pretty darn close. One such establishment is Ali Shan Restaurant, located inside Crystal Mall in the Metrotown area of Burnaby. Presumably named after the natural area in Taiwan that is perhaps best known for its tea, this casual eatery is Taiwanese through and through.

Susanne and I decided to give this place a shot, having heard good things. We ended up having to wait over half an hour for a table in this relatively small restaurant, but it was a Saturday night.

Deep Fried Chicken Nuggets ($4.20)

We started with this appetizer (which is also available as part of a $7.50 set menu entree). They use the same kind of breading and seasoning as the Hot Star XL Fried Chicken at Shilin Night Market in Taipei, but in more of a nugget form.

The meat was tender, but some of the pieces were a little too large. As such, some people might say that the chicken is lacking in crunch. They also didn’t “toss” the chicken in the spices, simply sprinkling on the seasoning instead. I had no complaints about that, though I would have preferred more crispiness from the outside.

Omelette Rice and Deep Fried Pork Chop with Curry Sauce ($8.20)

Unlike the Japanese style curry at Aoyama Cafe in Aberdeen Centre, this one is served with omelette rice (or “omurice,” if you prefer). I thought it was a nice touch that they flavored the rice rather than serving plain white rice inside the omelette. The mushrooms on the outside were cold, unfortunately, but the tonkatsu was crisp. I just wish there was more sauce to go around.

Spicy Beef Noodle in Soup ($6.90)

There’s not much that is quite as satisfying as a good bowl of piping hot noodles. You can choose between wide noodle (shown here) and thin noodle, the latter of which really isn’t all that thin; it’s what you would normally expect from a Taiwanese beef noodle soup, meaning that it’s just a touch thicker than ramen or about the same as lai fun. While there was plenty of beef, the broth wasn’t spicy enough to be called spicy.

All in all, Ali Shan Restaurant in Burnaby is a solid choice if you want your share of some Taiwanese fare. They also offer hot pot, Korean bibimbap, and more, all at very reasonable prices. The meals are served with your choice of soup or sweet tea too. I’m not sure that it’s worth a 30+ minute wait, but it beats having dinner at a bubble tea place.

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of a good breakfast. In the Vancouver area, you can turn to a place like Red Wagon Cafe for a great breakfast, but it is more of the greasy spoon variety. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that Chez Cora is the healthiest option on the block, but it’s not a greasy spoon either.

Oftentimes referred to simply as Cora, this is a Canadian chain of casual restaurants based out of Quebec. There are franchises in all of the other Canadian provinces with the noted exception of Saskatchewan. There are over 100 locations across the country. Around these parts, there is a location in Coquitlam, about a block away from Coquitlam Centre, and that’s where I went for breakfast a short while ago.

One thing that is interesting about Cora is that it is not open for dinner. There is a very clear breakfast focus here, though they are open for lunch as well. The other big focus is on fresh fruit, which is included in nearly every dish on the menu. While they both have French influence, Cora and Chez Meme are quite dissimilar.

The dining room at Cora is bright, colorful and cheerful. The kitchen area is mostly open too, clearly showcasing all the fresh fruit that they serve. Service was reasonably friendly and timely.

Much like the dining room, the menu is equally bright and colorful. There are a lot of photos of the food and many menu items are showcased with whimsical descriptions. You will find that breakfast dominates more than three-quarters of the menu.

In addition to my cup of coffee, I opted for the “Tastyfull April 89.” This is very large French crepe filled with fresh fruit and topped with some whipped cream and powdered sugar. I went with the custard filling, but you could opt for a “chocolatey-hazelnut spread” for a dollar more.

And yes, there is a lot of fresh fruit inside, including strawberries, bananas, and melon. The custard was sweet without being too rich, so unlike pancakes or pannekoek, there was no need for table syrup.

Susanne selected the Eggs Ben et Dictine. This is a pretty typical take on an Eggs Benedict, but she opted for mushrooms rather than the usual ham. Along with the English muffin and Hollandaise sauce, the Eggs Ben et Dictine was served with roasted potatoes and fresh fruit. And yes, there is a lot of fresh fruit here too. This was all very good, though the eggs were slightly overcooked for my tastes.

Perhaps one of the best deals on the menu is the Cora’s Special. This is a comprehensive breakfast with two eggs, bacon, ham, sausage, a crepe, roasted potatoes, toast, and fresh fruit. That’s a lot of food and it was easily enough for my parents to share.

I don’t know if I’d always make the trek out to Coquitlam, but I can easily recommend Cora as one of my favorite breakfast places in the Greater Vancouver area. The fresh fruit really sets Cora apart from the greasy spoons and the lighter crepes make this much more appealing than a place like IHOP.

Portions are sizable, prices are reasonable, and I left thoroughly satisfied with my breakfast. If you’re out in the Tri-Cities, do pay Cora a visit. You won’t regret it.