All Entries in the "Hong Kong" Category

Tai Hing Congee and Noodle House in Richmond

It snowed the night before.  It was one of those mornings, you know.  The air was chilly and we all wanted more than just cereals for breakfast.  We wanted something warm, hot and I could see Suanne hinting under her breath that she wanted to not make breakfast that morning.  She does it ever so subtly … like commenting there are not enough eggs for everyone and that we are down to only two Costco croissants.  LOL!

The boys were too lazy to go out and so was I.  The main problem was not so much as the drive and all … it is because we gotta brush our teeth, take a bath and put on going-out clothes.  That is Suanne’s rules.  It is like a formal event or something.  Before we go out, Suanne will insist we all must, at the minimum, take a bath, brush our teeth, comb our hair and put on street cloths.  This time she compromised … she allowed us to go out “as is” as long as she does not have to make breakfast.  Deal … we said!

So we all gingerly rescued our yesterdays clothing from the laundry basket and pull it over our head (after taking a quick whiff  it is humanly acceptable).  We quickly combed our hair using our fingers and made sure we zipped our mouth unless absolutely necessary during the short drive.  Suanne, being the ever so prim and proper, went through the rituals.  She kept very quiet during the drive because I can see that she was beginning to turn blue from holding her breadth.  It was not that bad, really … and it’s all in her mind, we told her.  We assured mum that once we take our first bite, the smell will theoretically dissipate.

We knew about this place called Tai Hing.  It is very well known for being cheap and no frills kind of a breakfast place.  This is exactly the type of place where 73% of the people comes in without combing their hair.

Tai Hing was absolutely full that morning, and I assume like every morning too from the looks of it.  Some people had to wait for a table outside the restaurant in the frigid weather.  They are highly popular because of one thing … their food is simple and their prices cheap.  OK, that is two things. Read More

Happy Date Bakery and Restaurant on Park Road, Richmond

Hey … does anyone of you feel the economic hardship coming your way yet?  Until now, I have not heard of anyone I know who had lost their job but me think it’s the calm before the storm.  So, we thought we should start looking at spending a bit lesser on dining out.

When we think about budget, no frills meal, we often head off to Happy Date.  It just dawned on us that despite being there so many times, we had never gotten down to blog on them.

Happy Date is located on Park Road just off where the Richmond City Hall is.  It is a very popular Hongkong Style eatery.  Like many HK style cafes, they also have a bakery but I don’t really think highly of their bakery.  I much prefer the ones found in The Boss, Kam Do and particularly Lido.

We had always visited Happy Date for breakfast which is always packed with people.  This was the first time we were there for dinner.  We were kind of surprised that the restaurant is half empty.  We expected it to be just as packed as breakfast.

They gave us free soup.  They looked like they had been in the pot for weeks.  I don’t know what to make of it really.  It doesn’t taste bad at all but it’s just that such lotus plus pork soup should be a lot more clearer.  The boys did not want to touch it.

You-know-who ordered this.  Sigh … I don’t want to talk about it except that it costs $9.

Between Suanne and I, we ordered two main dishes to share.  The Oyster Omelette costs $10.80 came in a really big plate.  We figure they must have used at least 6 eggs for this judging from the size of it.  It had salted radish and ginger besides, of course, oysters.

It was OK except that it’s somewhat overcooked.  We prefer it to be slightly undercooked with a bit of runny eggs — like this.

The Sea Cucumber Hotpot was quite expensive at $15.80.  The reason is it is just a normal hot pot.  We counted only about 5-6 pieces of small sea cucumber in it.

We like sea cucumber for the texture of it.  There is a belief that it has aphrodisiac properties but let me confirm to you that it has no effect on me — nor do I need the said properties.  LOL!  Maybe I need a few more pieces.

They gave us Mango Pudding as dessert.  We sure did not order this but since it’s free, we gobbled them up.

Our bill came up to $45 including tips and taxes. Frankly, for $45, I could think of a few other places with better food and deal than Happy Date.  Still, Happy Date is one of our favourite breakfast place.

7th Heaven in Richmond’s Aberdeen Center

I can’t recall which one but there is a Vancouver Food blog that did a review of the 7th Heaven Cafe in Richmond not too long ago.  If it was not for that blog (which gave a rather good review), I would not have know it is there.

The 7th Heaven Cafe is basically a HK-Style Cafe.  It is located on the first floor of the Aberdeen Mall in Richmond.  It is really tucked behind the Northern Delicacy restaurant and one would not know of its existence if not for a banner they put up.

It is definitely a much more cleaner place than most HK-Style Cafe.  They apparently allow the rental of the entire place for events during certain days of the week for a minimum charge of $2000 or $3000 … something like that.  Our boys like this place simply because they have free wifi here.

Food wise, their menu shows a wide variety.  Their Laksa (which they spelt as Larsar on their menu) looked pretty but does not even have a kick to it.  They even have sweet corns in it.  It looks like Laksa but does not in any way tastes like one.  This one is $7.50.

We also order the Curry Lamb.  From the looks of it, we knew that it is more of a “curry cream” and devoid of spices — indeed it was.  They had two huge piece of lamb though but it was so tough and dry we did not finish it all.

One thing we observed … the dishes looked pretty and nice.

We also had the Hainanese Chicken Rice.  The chicken was somewhat skinny.  It was nothing to shout about, really.

Ginger and chilli sauce … a must have in any Hainanese Chicken rice.

The Sauteed Clam in White Wine Sauce costs quite a lot.  I can’t recall exactly but it could have something like over $20.  Again, presentation wise, it was really nice but it is just OK.  I would say it is not worth the price.

All in all, we were not impressed with 7th Heaven.  The whole place looked great with fun decor.  The waiters and waitresses are young and looked quite professional.  The dishes looked great.  But that is as far as it goes.  Frankly, we were quite disappointed.  The boys were happy though … they had wifi.

Angel Cake House in Vancouver

Last Saturday morning, we had to go downtown to pickup the Vancouver Sun Run package. So, we decided that we should just go out for breakfast for a change … and to Vancouver, for a change too. I know, we had been eating out a lot within Richmond.

So, we ended up at Fraser and E 44th. Suanne and I had stumbled upon the the Angel Cake House once before and so this is our second visit.

You can’t really find many other places that can beat the Angel Cake House for value. Here, you can get a hearty Chinese breakfast for under $5 with drinks included. Parking is quite plentiful along the street but it was early morning when we were there when traffic is light … especially for a Saturday morning.

Suanne opted for the so-called “Western Breakfast” selection. For $4.95, you could select 2 items from the section. For the first item, Suanne had the French Toast and Shrimp and Mushroom Omelette. The French Toast were two thick sandwiches with Kaya (coconut jam) in between.

The omelette had a generous helping of shrimps. The mushrooms complimented the shrimps well … absolutely great with soya sauce. The only problem with soya sauce is that it is horrendous for the French Toast — we have to be extra careful not to “contaminate” the toast.

That above is considered ONE item …

For the SECOND item, Suanne chose the vermicelli in soup with shredded pork and some pickled thingy. I liked these kind of simple plain noodle soup. Unlike egg noodles, these does not make you feel like it’s too much food. Not bad, right? $4.95 for all these food.

Arkensen (Nanzaro did not join us because he had training) ordered the Beef and Fishball Noodles. This is also $4.95 and comes in such a large bowl that Arkensen did not managed to finish it. Anyway, Arkensen is not a big eater in breakfast, so this is too much food for him.

I made my selection from the “Chinese Breakfast” menu. Again for $4.95, I get to choose two items. The first was fried noodle. It was quite wirely … no, not like wires but I hope you know what I meant.

The second item was congee with mushrooms and fish. Put lots of soya sauce. Nice.

I did mentioned earlier that the food came with a free drink. We had the usual stuff, milk tea.

Look at that … only $15.38 for all the food. You should check this place out if you are seeking for a place for some good hearty and cheap Chinese breakfast.

After the breakfast, we headed to the BC Place stadium to pickup the Sun Run package. Since it was a nice morning (although on the chilly side), we parked on the street near the Science World and walked over. Parking near the stadium is ridiculously expensive too.

There was a small fair where you could get some freebies. The organization is amazingly smooth despite them having to deal with almost 60,000 participants. I bought a few pairs of really nice running socks which were going for just $1.50.

BTW, this is the first time I was in the BC Place since the air inflated roof collapsed. Now I can see how old and dirty the inflated roof is. It’s no wonder they are trying to replace it with a lower-maintenance roof before the 2010 Olympics. But it’ll be sad to see the famous roof go.

Here are some of the freebies we got. He he he … I actually expected more than these. I was quite disappointed. Oh … the Sun Run T-shirt they gave? It was COTTON! I was expecting a Technical. Oh well …

I’ll tell you about the Sun Run in my update tomorrow. This will be my second race (after the Harry’s Spring 8K Run Off). I know some of you had earlier been following my other blog (on http://26miler.com). Just wanted to let you know, I got lazy and had stopped updating that blog but had kept running … not a lot but at least I had kept it up to a minimum of 1-2 runs a week and up to 4 times a week. I’ll keep the blog up and if I find more time, I’ll update that.

Kingspark Steak House in Richmond

Even though we knew of this Kingspark Steak House, we had never ventured into it before. We had been to many of the restaurants in the strip mall across the road from the Richmond Public Market but not this one.

It was the name that prevented us from visiting this place earlier. We thought it was a steak house, like a Chinese version of Kegs or something. But far from it, it was a Hongkong Style Cafe more than it is a steak house. This place is much bigger than most HK Style Cafes around town. Despite its size, it was actually packed and one had to wait a bit for a table.

As in most HK Style Cafes, there is the free choice of beverage which comes with each order of entrees. They came in metal mugs. Unique, I must say.

Be prepared though for very slow service. The waiters and waitresses were so swamped that they actually go about with their heads down and avoid eye contact, lest you get their attention!! You really need to call out to them.

We ordered four items from their menu which were numbered. Guess what, despite ordering it by the number, they got THREE of our orders wrong. Gosh, we had never had this sort of things happening to us before. When the first dish came, we accepted it but when they brought us the other two also wrong, we refused to accept them.

Frankly, what annoys us was not over the wrong orders but that the bad attitude of the waiter who blamed us for the mess. He insists that we take the order but seeing his attitude, we refused to speak to him any further. After that, he did not come around to our table. *shrugs*

Nanzaro ordered Beef and Shrimp Paste Stir Fried Rice Noodles for $5.95. I must say that their prices were really cheap. This was actually very good. The Shrimp Paste is actually Belacan … that pungent popular Malaysian shrimp paste. You should try this one.

Arkensen ordered Salted Fish with Diced Chicken Fried Rice for $6.45. It was nicely done, in fact some of the better ones we had. There wasn’t really a lot of stuff in it but it was done just right … not soggy, not overly salty and smells great.

This is Chicken Steak with Black Pepper on Rice ($6.45). This was NOT what we ordered but we accepted this because it was not too bad. It is a simple rice dish with fried chicken. We actually liked the black pepper sauce. Nice.

Suanne ordered Eggplants and Shredded Chicken E-fu Noodle with XO sauce for $6.95. The serving is quite small. Overall, the dishes are very simple, no frills dishes, which explains their low prices. But taste wise they were quite good.

The total bill came to $32 including tax and tips. Yeah, we still left tips because the other waitress who served us was really sweet.

Lido Restaurant in Richmond

We found a gem of a place during the Christmas holidays last year. Nanzaro and Arkensen had to do Tag Day duties at the mall at 9:00AM in the morning. Normally, we would eat out for lunch or dinner but since the boys will not be done until after 1:00PM, we decided to go out for breakfast for a change.

We did not want to go to Kam Do or the #9 Restaurant. So we drove around for a bit and came upon the small strip mall between the Aberdeen Mall and Parker Place along Hazelbridge Way.

The Lido Restaurant is a HK-Style Restaurant. Unless you already know this place, chances are that you will likely drive past without really realizing it’s there. Since we first went to Lido, we had been returning to this restaurant a couple of times already. We like it that much.

The first time we were there, there were hardly any people since it was about 7:30AM in the morning. But on other days, the place was absolutely packed with people having to wait outside the door for a table. The turn around time for a table was fast though.

In these place, you really need to be more assertive and don’t wait for them to ask you. You really got to leave your name with them and make sure they hear you correct or you will be in for a long. long wait.

Forget about ambiance, it is the food that matters here. Menus were pasted all over the place. Those were the specials — too bad Suanne and I can’t read them. Oh, we don’t even bother asking them about it because they are so busy, they really don’t have the patience for a chat. That’s service for you in such Chinese restaurants. Once you can look past that, you’ll be alright.

Being a HK-Style Cafe, Lido serves Cantonese food … like the one below.

They have some of the best rice noodle roll (chee cheong fun) that we had ever tried. Though I could not see them making it in the kitchen, I really think they make it on site. The sweet soya sauce were poured over the rice noodles when served. It is bland with no filling but absolutely is delicious.

I know the rice noodle roll above and the food below came in a combo set but I can’t remember what came with which combo set.

The milk tea was served in cup and saucer, not in tall glasses like other HK-style Cafes. Hey, err … does anyone know how these thick milk tea are made? We bought ready made ones but never knew how they make it so good. Like … do they need some kind of tea making machine to achieve such consistency?

The Preserved Vegetable and Pork Noodle Soup was equally up to par too. They uses instant noodles which in Hongkong they call it Gong Jai Min. Gong Jai Mein is literally translated as “Doll Noodles” after the popular instant noodle brand in HK many years ago.

Then there is the Congee we ordered. I can’t remember anymore what type of congee we had. With a couple of dashes of white pepper and lots of soya sauce, this bowl alone is more than enough for a hearty breakfast.

I had later learned from my friends that Lido’s specialty is their oven freshly baked Pineapple Bun. Despite the name, the Pineapple Bun does NOT have pineapple as an ingredient and neither does it had any semblance in taste to pineapples. The reason it is called the Pineapple Bun is because it looked like a pineapple. I tried to look at it from all angles, but as much as I tried, I can’t see where this looked like a pineapple.

But whatever it looked like, the Pineapple Bun is a very popular sweet pastry from Hongkong. It is a very light bun and is best eaten fresh from the oven. Lido’s pineapple buns are so good that they need to be ordered ahead of time. So, when you go to Lido (especially at meal times), not only must you leave your name to get table, you must ALSO leave your order for Pineapple Buns on a separate waiting list. We had to wait 15 minutes for 2 pieces of the buns AFTER we were seated. You MUST try their Pineapple Bun.

The kicker is this … the above costs just $15 including taxes and tips. You can’t beat the value for money. Time your visit to Lido outside of peak meal times and come with lots of patience. I think it is worth the hassle.

Tsim Chai Noodles in Richmond

I never were quite sure how the words like Tsim is pronounced. If this Tsim word is similar to Tsim Sha Tsui (pronounced as Jim Sar Jui), then Tsim Chai Noodles would be pronounced as Jim Chai noodles. Any Cantonese out there who can confirm this?

Arkensen was in a camp at Golden Ears that day we went to Tsim Chai Noodles. So, it was just the three of us (Nanzaro, Suanne and I) who went out for supper. We don’t normally go out for supper but since we had “dinch” (or was it “luncher”) that day, we did not get down to dinner until later at night.

All the years we were in Richmond, we had visited almost every restaurant around that neighborhood around the Richmond Public Market but this is one we had never stepped our foot into before.

Tsim Chai is very much a Cantonese place and I do really think that the owner is from Hong Kong. My impression is that these type of restaurants are the “first wave” of Chinese restaurants … you know, they are opened before 1997 when HK reverted to China rule and lots of Hongkongers came over to Vancouver. Today, most Chinese newcomers came from Mainland China (i.e. Mandarin speakers).

Anyway, since we did not want to eat that much, we decided to just get two dishes of noodles to share between the three of us. I love beef tendon and got a bowl of Beef Tendon and Wonton Noodle in Soup. The soup is quite fragrant and unique in that it came with a bit of dried tangerine peel. This bowl costs $6.25.

I don’t know what is the right name to call this. I would translate this to chili oil. You see a lot of this on the table in Chinese (Cantonese only?) restaurants. Sometimes, this comes in a container with something like 90% oil with 10% chili! We always drain out the oil … but question … do people normally take the oil too? *Shudder* too much artery clogging oil to me.

Another thing I could not understand is that they do not normally provide one of the mini saucers to put this chili on. We normally use the soup spoon for this. Some Chinese restaurants provide the mini saucers, some don’t … I never knew why.

Anyway, Nanzaro digs this stuff. He can easily take two spoonful of that in a sitting. It seems that this chili oil is some sort of a specialty in Tsim Chai Noodle. They proudly display and sell bottles of these on their counter. I think it was at $5 a bottle.

Nanzaro ordered the Fried Rice Noodle Singapore Style which is categorized as mild spiciness. The waitress is surprised by Nanzaro for ordering spicy food — they all do. Nanzaro really likes spicy food which is kind of uncommon for someone his age. Arkensen on the other hand is completely opposite … he just can’t take spiciness.

Total bill came up to $18 including taxes and tips. I recommend this place. It’s easy to find, lots of parking, service is quick, the price were pretty standard, and most importantly, the food is pretty good. They are located in the strip mall just across the road from the Richmond Public Market … you won’t miss it.

Opens Monday to Sunday from 11:00 am to midnight.