are you gonna eat that? » Chinese

RICHMOND: The One Cafe

are you gonna eat that? — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:36:49 +0000

I love baked Portuguese chicken rice. It’s a staple in the comfort food of Hong Kong-style diners. I took it for granted that everyone made it in a similar way, because the ones I’ve been eating in the Vancouver/Richmond area all seem to be missing something.

Coconut milk and turmeric powder make up the basic [...]

VANCOUVER/RICHMOND: Alaskan king crab

are you gonna eat that? — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 04:13:43 +0000

There are two ways I know it’s Alaskan king crab season in Vancouver. There are countless restaurant ads with pictures of the spiny creatures all over the Chinese newspapers. Or my mother texts, “Want king crab dinner? It’s in season.”

As the Globe and Mail points out, however, it’s not really the “season” so much [...]

VANCOUVER: Xi Shi Lounge Chinese New Year Tea

are you gonna eat that? — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:03:25 +0000

I love Chinese New Year in Metro Vancouver, surrounded by family and everyone eating a whole lot. A limited-time event that piqued my interest was the Chinese New Year afternoon tea ($34/person) at the Xi Shi Lounge in the gorgeous Shangri-La Hotel in downtown Vancouver. It ends this weekend. (Follow Me Foodie has an [...]

VANCOUVER: Chu Kiang Chinese

are you gonna eat that? — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 02:24:44 +0000

Recent weekends have been hectic. J has been working out of town. We just bought a house which is going through major renovations. H is now a very active toddler. So J and I have been trying to find some “us time” in between trips to pick tile, faucets and flooring.

“Us time” tends [...]

RICHMOND: Paul’s Kitchen

are you gonna eat that? — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:51:42 +0000

It took me a few weeks of frequenting the Real Canadian Superstore in Richmond before I realized there are businesses on the ground floor, with their entrances facing the covered parkade.

Paul’s Kitchen does Hong Kong cafe, Chinese comfort food. It’s super cheap. Those are the two things you need to know, because it doesn’t look [...]

RICHMOND: Summer Night Market

are you gonna eat that? — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:30:11 +0000

The Night Market in Richmond, B.C. is a huge summer weekend event. Modelled after Asian markets where people can socialize and eat, eat, eat, this place is packed from the moment it opens at 7 p.m. til closing. It just shows there’s a big appetite for late-night destinations in North America.

The market has gotten [...]

CALGARY: Lido Cafe

are you gonna eat that? — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:38:06 +0000

Sometimes I just want food that’s straight-forward, fast and cheap. For years, the Lido Cafe has fit the no-frills bill. It reminds me of places we used to frequent when I was a university student, especially with its $6.95 full breakfast.

The Lido’s faded neon sign and table jukeboxes have withstood the test of [...]

CALGARY: Chinese Cultural Centre Restaurant

are you gonna eat that? — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:15:10 +0000

The Cultural Centre Restaurant opened four months ago in the lower level of the blue-pagoda building in Chinatown. It’s run by the same people who own U & Me Restaurant and the MBA BBQ Noodle House.

I’ve been there for lunch which left me less than impressed, and then I went back for a hot [...]

CALGARY: Fire Kirin

are you gonna eat that? — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 16:35:17 +0000

I got an email a few weeks ago from the manager of Fire Kirin in the Avenida Mall inviting me to try a tasting menu. In return, they wanted my honest feedback. A fair deal, I figured, so southward we went. (I keep forgetting how close this is to Southcentre Mall, but I digress.)

Named after [...]

CALGARY: Leo Fu’s

are you gonna eat that? — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 15:27:49 +0000

Leo Fu’s has been selling ginger beef for decades in a weird little strip mall near Chinook Centre. But believe it or not, I was enticed to the Chinese restaurant by the chicken wings.

You won’t find the Szechuan-style wings ($9.95) anywhere else. They’re plump and crispy, and covered in a sticky sweet and spicy [...]