Motomachi Shokudo Ramen

On this beautiful sunny day, I thought it will be the perfect day to force Meko to go downtown for some shopping! I usually dislike heading downtown, due to the inconvenience of parking spots. But of course, there only two things that will bring me to downtown: Ramen and Holt Renfrew. Which both requirements were satisfied today. Yay! Our first stop was Pacific Centre. Then around 1:30pm, we walked to Waffles and Berries for a snack. When we got there, we found out they sold out of waffles for the day. Slightly angry and immensely hungry, I suggested Motomachi Shokudo for some ramen!! It's been a while since we have been there; I needed a refresher before I write this blog post.

Exterior of Motomachi Shokudo

Inerior of Motomachi Shokudo

As Meko and I walked down Robson Street, we passed by Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, which had a short line up. And Kintaro Ramen had a long line up as usual. The line up is one of the reason why I prefer Motomachi Shokudo. You don't need to wait in the freezing cold first for a very tasty bowl of ramen at a good price! The current hype for ramen in Vancouver is Santouka Ramen and Kintaro Ramen, whereas Motomachi Shokudo is not as well-known. It is tucked closer to Alberni Street, so most people will not walk pass it unless you are heading to Stanley Park.

Motomachi Shokudo feature ramen with a lighter broth. It is not as thick and rich as the ones you will find in Kintaro Ramen. Even the "light" ramen in Kintaro Ramen is comparatively more rich. This is because Kintaro Ramen's broth is all pork based. The broth in the ramen of Motomachi Shokudo is actually chicken based. Pork is generally fatter and create a richer and more flavourful taste in soups. The usage of chicken is healthier, as it is not as fattening.

New Generation Miso Ramen ($9.45)
Blend of four types of miso. This bowl of miso ramen is topped with Japanese leek, green onion, bamboo shoots, corn, a lot (I mean A LOT) of bean sprout, and a single piece of cha-shu. The noodles has a good chewy bounce to it. The broth itself is flavourful, yet not heavily greasy.

Extra Cha-Shu Miso Ramen ($11.45)
Cha-shu is BBQ pork. Very reasonably priced. For $2 more, you are getting 4 extra pieces of cha-shu (shoulder and back rib) and seaweed. I actually like the cha-shu from Motomachi Shokudo the most when comparing with other ramen shops (excludes toroniku from Santouka Ramen). It has a better marble blend of lean meat and fat, hence it is not too dry and not too overwhelmingly fatty in certain bites.

Light Miso Broth Ramen

Recall my previous post. For the Robson Street and West End area, I ranked my ramen satisfaction in the following order:

1. Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
2. Motomachi Shokudo
3. Kintaro Ramen
4. Benkei Ramen

Santouka Ramen has my number one vote because of the delicious melt-in-your-mouth toroniku (pork cheeks) and tasty pork broth. However, their regular cha-shu is actually inferior when comparing it to Motomachi Shokudo's cha-shu. If I only had $10 to spend on a bowl of ramen, I will head over to Motomachi Shokudo. Otherwise, a bowl of Tokusen Toroniku Ramen will make me very happy, costing $15. I personally find Kintaro Ramen a bit too rich and greasy for my taste, but I do have my occasional craving for their yummy Cheese Ramen! It is all personal preference, so leave a comment stating which is your favourite ramen shop :)

Extra charge for green tea.

Location: On Denman Street and Alberni Street. Just a few stores north of Kintaro Ramen. Generally has a short line up (approximately 15 minutes). The whole store only seats 18 people. Please note: they only accept cash and debit. There is also a $1 charge for green tea.

Food: Delish light ramen that is a healthier-option. Cha-shu is very good.
Service: The waitresses were not very attentive. However, the kitchen was speedy; we received our ramen shortly after ordering.
Price: We spent a total of $26 with tax for an afternoon lunch snack.
Recommended? Yes! Read above regarding my comparison of downtown ramen shops.

- Hippo


Motomachi Shokudo 元町食堂
740 Denman Street
Vancouver, B.C.
Phone: 604-609-0310

G-Be Izakaya

Happy Birthday Jodie ❤ It is my bestie's birthday weekend and she chose G-Be Izakaya for a casual dinner with the girls. Don't let the restaurant name fool you - it is no longer izakaya. Last time I visited G-Be Izakaya was over a year ago when it was still an izakaya restaurant. I actually did not know it changed owners until she told me; G-Be Izakaya now only serves hotpot! The owners are Chinese but the employees remain Japanese. I was quite shock. From my memory, the old G-Be Izakaya was decent, but pricey. I assume there isn't enough market and attention in the Grand Villa Casino area for it to prosper.

I usually dislike all-you-can-eat menus. It has been years since I've been to one, since it is often overpriced for the quality you are getting. For $20-$30, I can get much better food else where! But of course, it is the birthday girl's call. Plus, I love trying new places. Despite my initial opinion, I will still judge the food from a fresh pair of eyes. I am always ready for a surprise.

From the menu, you can see that the soup broth are Japanese inspired. We chose the Hokkaido Miso Broth.

There are also three hotpot sets you can choose from:
1. SuperSave All-You-Can-Eat Hotpot: $13.99
This includes all the SuperSave snack and hotpot items.
2. Deluxe SuperSave Upgrade: +$5
For a $5 upcharge, you can get everything in the SuperSave snack and hotpot items, PLUS all the Deluxe SuperSave snack, handcone, and hotpot items.
3. Premium SuperSave Upgrade: +$8
For a $8 upcharge, you can get everything in the SuperSave and Deluxe SuperSave, as well as the Premium SuperSave items. The Premium SuperSave includes all-you-can-eat sashimi. And includes unlimited canned beverages.

 

 

 

After we started cooking, I've actually forgotten to take the remaining dishes we ordered. I was not impressed by the food. It was poor cut of meats. You can not choose specific vegetables, you must choose the assorted vegetable plate. The curry tasted potato fries were popular in our table though. We added the $8 to upgrade into the Premium SuperSave, so that we can order the sashimi. The salmon pieces were the size of a quarter. The tuna was still half frozen. Another restaurant that serve hotpot and sashimi item is Toyotomi in Richmond. For similar pricing, I rather head over to Richmond and have all-you-can-eat at Toyotomi.

Post Dinner Celebration
We headed over to a friend's house to cut the birthday pie! I had to include this in my post since it was so amazingly delicious! This is homemade. Special thanks to Sarah for this delicious melt-in-your-mouth Chocolate and Nut Pie.

My creation! Topped with chocolate/vanilla marble ice-cream.

Back to G-Be Izakaya...
Location: Next to Grand Villa Casino, at the end of Dominion Street. You can find parking at the lot next to the restaurant or head to the casino parking lot at south building parkade.

Food: Not very good. Fusion of Japanese and Chinese hotpot.
Service: Slow. They were not low on staff, but was still no where to be found. However, they were nice and courteous. They notified us 5 minutes prior to last call to our 90 minutes dining limit.
Price: The total came to $157 with tax for 6 people.
Recommended? No.

- Hippo


G-Be Izakaya
4331 Dominion Street
Burnaby, B.C
Phone: 604-435-6002

Taste Good Wonton Seafood Restaurant

Congratulations to my cousin! Last night was the celebration of her new baby boy's first month. In the Chinese tradition, it is a big deal. It is time for friends and family to gather together and congratulate her and the new born. She held a dinner at Taste Good Wonton Seafood Restaurant for over 40 people, which took up half the restaurant. The exterior of the restaurant looks quite shabby. But when you enter and get seated, the interior is actually quite grand looking.

Each table is meant to seat ten people, hence the following dinner is designed to feed a table of ten. But of course, knowing my cousin, she does not cheap out and always ensure everyone leaves with a happy full belly.

1^st Course: Cold Appetizer Plate
The food was not chilled. It was warm, so it was probably left on the counter for an extended period of time prior to serving. Certain pieces (ox tongue) were bland, and certain ones (squid) were too salty.

2^nd Course: Shrimp Ball with Crab Claw
Standard. The size is actually larger than most other restaurants. It was served steaming hot - fresh off the deep fryer.

3^rd Course: Stir-fried Scallops, Prawns, Celery, and Beans
Great decor. However, I found it a bit too oily.

4^th Course: Asian-style Thick Soup
Although not much ingredient, this was actually very tasty! I still do prefer ones with more quality ingredients.

5^th Course: House Special Stir-fried Crab
This is probably one of the better tasting dish the entire night. There are two crabs on this dish. Very good flavour with the stir-fried garlic and green onions. The crab itself is actually not very fresh. But overall, the strong house special flavour overpowered the original flavour of freshness. A dish I may order again when they have quality crab.

6^th Course: Chicken over Sticky Rice
Chicken flavour was average. Slightly dry and they did not use free range chicken. The flavour of the glutinous rice was good, but I found it too sticky. It did not go down my esophagus well.

7^th Course: Steamed Fish Topped with Mui Choi
Tasted like home-made. Mui Choi is a preserved mustard green that you can find in Asian markets. It comes in a can and is very salty. For those who never tried, it is actually very tasty.

8^th Course: Sala Porkchop
This was below average. It is deep fried pork chop with Asian-style salad dressing.The pork chop itself was very fattening. The coating was too sour and too moist. A good sala pork chop should have a dryer sala sauce to prevent greasy texture when consuming.

9^th Course: Fried Rice
This was surprisingly good! It was topped with a lot of fried garlic, so if you love garlic, this is the fried rice for you! The flavour was taken from the House Special Stir-fried Crab. A delicious salty and peppery and garlicky taste! It is was the only dish that 'wow-ed' me tonight.

10^th Course: Fried Noodles
After trying the fried rice, the fried noodle was really bland. It is yee mein - which is a noodle that is generally served at large Chinese dinner at the end of the meal. It should have been served first, since the fried rice completely overpowered it.

Dessert: Baked Taro and Mango Pudding
This was not bad, but many people on my table complained that it has taro and not enough mango tapioca. The crust was too thick, so the entire Baked Pudding was too dry. Also, there was too much taro and not enough mango to balance the moisture.

A very filling 10-course Chinese dinner. This set menu did not include much vegetables. It was all seafood and meat, which I do not mind. I am quite carnivorous when it comes to stir-fried crab. Taste Good Wonton Seafood Restaurant is not bad for Chinese dinners. I have had better, but it is still passable in my books.

Location: On the south side of Marine Drive and Fraser Street. Easily accessible if you are traveling eastbound. Can be tricky if you are coming from Burnaby, due to the island divider on Marine Drive. There are parking in front of the plaza. Can be difficult to find parking during the dinner rush hour.

Food: Passable. Generous portions, good flavour, but below average quality.
Service: Average.
Price: Since this is a family dinner, I did not need to pay for it. But from overhearing the discussions with my cousin, at least $500. My guess for the portion and the quality of the food, approximately $600 per table.
Recommended? No.

- Hippo


Taste Good Wonton Seafood Restaurant 豐澤樓
620 SE Marine Drive
Vancouver, B.C.
Phone: 604-323-1318

Kiriri Sushi Bar

Attention sushi lovers, you are missing out if you have never tried Kiriri Japanese Cuisine and Sushi Bar. Why? Well, I'm sure you have all been to sushi restaurants with specialty rolls drenched in delicious Japanese mayo and other sauces. You probably also been to authentic sushi bars where they primary serve fresh sashimi and other small rolls. Kiriri takes authentic sushi bar to another level with their high quality and fresh specialty rolls. Without the obstruction of powerful tasty sauces, you are able to taste the full flavour of the fish and rice itself.

After a grumpy day at work, I think sushi is the best way to brighten up the rest of my evening. It was last minute decision to head over to Richmond, so we did not make any reservations for Kiriri Sushi Bar. The was a really bad idea. When we got there at 6:30pm, we noticed over half of the tables on the floor were reserved. The hostess said it will be a 45 minutes wait and she felt really bad telling us that. Luckily for us, a table was just finishing up and we were seated sooner than expected.

There are actually quite a few appealing dishes on the menu. We had to fight over which item to order. So after a long battle and bothering the waitress for recommendations, here is what was on the table:

Red Tuna Tower: chopped red tuna, avocado, and mango on sushi rice ($10)
My initial reaction: Very nicely presented and that it probably taste similar to the tower you find at Guu Otokomae. When I took my first bite: I realize there is no sauce. I took my second bite: Wow, I can actually taste the red tuna, avocado, mango, and the sushi rice. All four of the ingredients were very fresh and tasty. Often, the sauce overpowers the natural flavour of the fish itself; it is capable of hiding the stale flavour. With this delicious red tuna tower, nothing is masked. Very fresh and delicious! Recommended by Hippo!

Toro Nigiri ($3 per piece)
Not the best, but definitely one of the better toro nigiri I have had. Creamy and fatty goodness. The sushi rice itself was also very tasty.

Spicy Salmon Roll: spicy salmon, avocado, and mango wrapped in soy paper; topped with salmon sashimi and jalapeno ($10)
This was amazing. Lightly marinated spicy salmon with a jalapeno topping really brought out the fresh salmon flavour, and not simply overpower it with a pungent spice. It is a very mild roll. Nice use of the soy paper to prevent determent of natural taste. The salmon sashimi that it is topped with is actually quite a large piece. It is rolled up, but when you lay it out, it is a decent size salmon sashimi piece. Recommended by Hippo!

Dynamite Roll ($5)
Your typical dynamite roll. The highlight of this roll would be the dual jumbo prawn. It is freshly fried and the prawn was delicious. Otherwise, it is quite standard.

Age-Udon: crispy udon noodle with seafood and vegetables with soup ($10)
This was a new experience. I have had prawn tempura udon, but crispy udon was new to me. The udon is coated with a light batter and deep fried, such that it is similar to tempuras. A hot broth is served on the side, meant to be poured into the udon, then immediately consumed. I thought this was very tasty. The waitress also notified me that age-udon is actually one of their original udon on the menu.

Black Sesame Creme Brulee ($6)
Individual portion. We shared, but it is actually perfect for one. Comes in a cute little container with a lid. The black sesame creme brulee is on the lid shaped as a bowl. The remaining of the container is filled with variety of fresh fruits. Very creamy and delectable. They also have a green tea creme brulee as well for all you green tea lovers.

Kiriri Japanese Cuisine and Sushi Bar is not just another cheap Richmond sushi restaurant. You will definitely be paying the price for the high quality, fresh fish you are receiving. Come with a palate ready for natural flavours. Please do not consume strong/flavourful/salty food overwhelmed with MSG, as that may ruin your experience here.

Kiriri Japanese Cuisine and Sushi Bar

Location: In a plaza corner of Blundell Road and Garden City. A 5 minutes drive from Richmond Center. There is a small parking lot for the plaza, but it is generally full. You can also park on the streets of Blundell Road. They are closed on Mondays. Reservations recommended.

Food: Very satisfied. Traditional Japanese sushi with a slight twist. One of my favourite sushi bars, along with Ajisai Sushi Bar! Highly recommended by Hippo!
Service: Standard, attentive.
Price: The total came to $53 with tax for two people.
Recommended? If you love quality and fresh fish, then it is a must try!

- Hippo


Kiriri Japanese Cuisine & Sushi Bar
8780 Blundell Road
Richmond, B.C.
Phone: 778-297-4330

Hawker's Delight

Hawker's Delight has got to be the cheapest Asian fast food restaurant in Vancouver. At $5.40 per plate, not even the regular meals at McDonald's can beat that. This restaurant is quite shabby looking, but have caught attention of many Vancouverites due to their solid cheap food. You order the food with the cashier at the counter in the back, take a number, and grab a table. There are not much table space and it is generally quite cramped with the in / out flow of people ordering food and grabbing take out.

When we stepped inside, Meko's friends immediately spotted us. Coincidentally, this couple is always at every restaurant that Meko and I head to! While they were chatting away, I have settled my heart on Hainese Chicken. Meko's friend suggested us to try #11: Mee Siam. They also recommended us to try the vegetable fritter, so we grab those too. The lady at the counter has poor command of English, but was very friendly. From the counter window, we can look right into the kitchen.

Vegetable Fritter ($1.15 per two pieces)
The vegetable fritter was pre-fried and was under a heat lamp ready to be served immediately. A sauce, similar to fish sauce, was drizzled over the crunchy fritters. I took a few pictures and consumed it right away before it got too soggy. It was actually pretty good. The best I can describe it would be a deep fried dough batter with vegetable pieces. Very reasonably priced, I will order again.

Hainanese Chicken ($5.90)
Very generous portion. The chicken itself is average - moist-dry texture, not much chicken flavour. The rice however, was really good. A large bowl of delicious oily rice went well with the chicken. The dish is accompanied by a dip that was very tasty; you do not need to add much for a nice strong sweet and sour flavour. I have had better Hainanese Chicken elsewhere, but I can't complain much for the price I am paying.

Mee Siam ($5.40)
This dish consists of thin rice noodles in a spicy, sweet, and sour sauce. I found the tamarind flavour too tart for my taste, but Meko said it was not bad. There is no meat in Mee Siam, only a boiled egg. It does not look like much food, but Meko claims he is full from the noodles. Ultimately, we both prefer the Hainanese Chicken over the Mee Siam.

The last time I visited Hawker's Delight was well over 3 years ago. I actually wasn't very fond of the food during my last visit. Perhaps the flavour of the cooking has an authentic flare that is not well suited with my taste bud. We did not particularly enjoyed it as much as our friends.

Location: On Main Street, south of East King Edward Avenue. There is paid meter parking on Main Street for $1 per hour. When we drove down the street, we did see someone checking the parking meter. It was also a Tuesday when we visited the restaurant. Usually free parking after 6pm if you are willing to park further.

Food: Below average, but it is reflected upon the price paid.
Service: Friendly. They brought the food out to the table when you dine in.
Price: Cheap. The total came to $14 with tax for two people.
Recommended? Food does not suit my taste buds.

- Hippo


Hawker's Delight
4127 Main Street
Vancouver, B.C.
Phone: 604-709-8188