Restaurant Reviews

 Mr. Mustache Tea – Burnaby – A franchise bubble tea shop that does desserts as well. Came into the shop after a dinner out with my sister. We decided to have something sweet and it’s close to home for the both of us. I have tried their bubble tea drinks before and it didn’t wow me nor it’s something unique. It’s like any other bubble tea drinks I have tried. I personally wouldn’t make my way to purchase a drink from them unless there isn’t any particular other place to go. So we took the opportunity to try their desserts. We ordered the matcha cloud cake and their tiramisu cake. I will say the matcha cloud was interesting esthetically since the shape and the bottom crust was something I haven’t really seen before – with some gold flakes on top. Cutting it through was a different matter – it was easy to cut through the matcha on top but the bottom was challenging. It was dense crust which made it hard to get an even bite of crust and matcha to see how well they match up. The matcha flavour wasn’t bad – it was a little on the light side but the colour was vibrant and beautiful. As for the tiramisu – the coffee wasn’t overpowering and it was nice creamy layers of cream / cocoa / and coffee and cake. It worked pretty well but something that left me saying “Wow or Nice”. Overall – I think their desserts are better than their drinks. But the price of the cakes are a little on the pricey side – especially the matcha cloud cake. It’s pretty small for the price of it. I would say – give it a try to see for yourself. 

 Mello Donuts – I heard about Mello Donuts from a family group chat. It was boasted so much, and I was somewhat in the area so I decided to purchase some to see how good it could be. I decided to purchase half a dozen with all the different flavours they currently had. From how it looked, it reminded me of a jelly donut, with a peak of a filling on top to showcase the flavour and esthetic appeal. The flavours that I picked were – Vanilla / Strawberries and Cream / Tiramisu / Lemon Curd / matcha – dipped donuts / dark chocolate pudding. So glad I had the hub and gf to split the donuts! First bite was the Vanilla. I didn’t realize that it was brioche dough that was used to make the donuts. The brioche dough makes a huge difference in taste and texture. It’s more fluffy and airy and it compliments the filling very well. The Vanilla flavour was very nice and subtle and not artificial reminder of Jello Vanilla Pudding which always turned me off. I think it was a great starter! Next we dived into the strawberries and cream – since the dough is light with the sugar coating it was a great duo pairing with the whipped cream. The strawberries help cut down the heaviness and provide a hint of tang and freshness balance. The Tiramisu cream – it clearly had a strong delicious coffee taste where the dough and sugar helps absorbs the slight bitterness.  The lemon curd – that is my favourite since it provides the right tang and sweetness balance which at times it’s hard to get it right. I am aware that many would find it more than sour/tang which can be a deterrent for some – but I find that with the right tang it’s more refreshing and it appears to taste more like the actual fruit itself. The matcha was great – strong tea flavour of fresh rice/grass taste – this was a seasonal item – hopefully they would bring this back. Lastly – the dipped cookie and creams – the dipped donut. Since it’s a dipped and it’s not a cream filling inside – it didn’t give me a lasting impressing. Since it’s a glazed style – the texture and taste combination didn’t seem to complement as well compared to the filling inside. The dough was just as good but the glazed texture just didn’t do it for me. I would definitely give this a try and go back again – it’s such a treat. However, it’s a little on a the pricey side so I wouldn’t purchase this all the time. I know they do have seasonal flavours to keep the customers looking forward to trying out – so I would say – give it a whirl!

Emilio Finatti Pizzeria – I am always on the lookout for some great thin crust artesian style pizza. When I saw some signs of this place opening up during a drive by, I knew I had to give it a go. Funny enough, this isn’t my first encounter of this pizzeria – their first location was in Langley which I had went to prior to Covid. I fully enjoyed the experience of the food and the atmosphere there. I didn’t connect the two together until I had browsed through their website. This review will be their Port Coquitlam location. This location is within the industrial area where their bottom level is serving pizza while the upper level focuses on selling the machinery / equipment. Since it was my first time at this location, I went with the suggestion of getting the verdure suprema as my friend and I were feeling more veggie than meat that day. I appreciate that they make it to order to ensure freshness! I like the fact that each pizza – they would scribble a little cartoon of any kind as their way of saying thank you. I love it – since it’s unique and it provides a nice personal touch to it. They also include any dipping sauce of your choice to go along with the pizza. Once you open the box to check out the pizza – you can definitely tell there has been alot of thought put into each pie. The amount of ingredients are fresh and generous and wonderfully topped on top. I will say though – because it’s thin crust – it doesn’t hold the ingredients well and some of the toppings will fall off due to the weight. However, I do manage to get a bit of topping in each bite. I like that they add a slight sweetness – not sure if it’s honey but some sort of light syrup on the edge of the crust to get a sweet savory taste. It’s quite nice. The dipping sauce is also really nice and fresh and depending on the flavour – it packs a punch. I do recommend not to put too much since the dipping sauce will over power the toppings on the pizza. I would highly recommend to try every flavour they have. I can’t wait to try it again! By the way – did you know they competed in Las Vegas’ pizza challenge twice. That’s pretty impressive in my books!

Basak Cafe – Been really enjoying in looking dessert places around Coquitlam / New West and Surrey area. It’s been nice to know that many cafe / restaurants are expanding outward from the hub of Vancouver. I was recommended by another foodie who was raving about this dessert. What’s unique about this dessert is that it’s a folded waffle that looks like a taco with flavoured cream sandwiched in between. The waffle was made very well with a nice crunch outside with soft and slight sweetness when you bite into it. The cream filling is nice and light. I enjoy the half and half where you get to choose two different flavours in one waffle sandwich. I tried the strawberry and green tea with red bean. The waffle when you bite into with the cream had the perfect balance of waffle and cream. The waffle holds up well and it doesn’t get soggy at all which is nice to see. One thing I do prefer if they had more fruit like in Nero – but then again the price difference changes for that reason. The more fruit you have the more expensive it will be. Portion wise is really huge, so ideally it’s best to share it with someone. Also price point – it’s very reasonable as well. This place is such a nice treat and different from other dessert cafes. I would highly give this a try if you you want to try something different. 

House of Tofu – I’ve been to a number of their locations ie Richmond and Metrotown location, however those places have sinced closed down. I recall the impression of these restaurants were mediocre. This one in on North Road is surprisingly delicious! The portion and quality of the dishes were well prepared and full of flavour. Their signature dishes is clearly their tofu soup which you can choose different protein flavour and level of spiciness. My flavourite is the seafood with medium spicy soup. The deep flavour from the seafood really enhances the soup overall and their in house tofu makes it super hearty and filling. Another thing that I really enjoy is the rice they have. They prepare it in this silver bowl but it’s warmed up down below so it creates a rice crust on the bottom which is such a treat to have. When you get to the bottom of the rice and you pour in the soup to scrape up the crust – it’s a nice crunchy texture to eat!  Another dish that they do really well is the seafood pancake. I enjoy this dish a lot because it’s really nice and crispy on the outside and soft and moist in the inside. I’ve been to a few restaurants that serve the pancake, but it always turns out more soggy and everything falls apart once you grab a piece which is pretty annoying. Their pancake holds very well, and when you dip into the sauce, the crunch is still there! It’s doesn’t leave a greasy aftertaste nor feel heavy after eating it. I’ve been there a few times, and these two are usually my staple dishes I order when I dine in. P.S. I’m not sure if the restaurant is a partnership with Basak Cafe, but I know that if you dine with House of Tofu, you can get 10% off at Basak. So something to think about when you do order from there!

Kimbab Cheonguk – Another restaurant I haven’t visited since covid19. This restaurant/snack shop is a popular and go to for tasty Kimbab. So what is kimbab? It’s Korean sushi roll. Where they would have some sort of pickled veggie and mixture of protein wrapped inside. Kimbab is a popular snack or lunch on the go where you can easily find in many vendors in Korea. Here in Vancouver, it’s something you can find in many Korean supermarkets or restaurants. However, Kimbab Cheonguk specialize in making Kimbab. This shop does it exceptionally fresh and well done. The size of the rolls are also bigger as well. Comparing these to HMarts – it’s like black and white difference. The ones in the supermarket are done early and not made on the spot which results the rice and the seaweed being less al dente and crisp. Being a snack shop – it’s Korean comfort food at it’s best. If you haven’t tried Korean food before, this would be a good first step on entering that world by trying it out. If you like sushi roll, it wouldn’t be to far off from having a teriyaki roll. 

Gary’s Patisserie – I recently discovered this amazing cake place from my cousin in early in 2020 for my grandma’s birthday. They made this beautiful fresh mango slice toppings and fresh durian filling inside. It’s the best combination for tropical fruit lover such as myself and the hubs. These two fruits are the top fave in our books. The first bite of the cake we just feel head over heels over it. The sponge cake itself was light and fluffy which is very even and not dense at all. The light vanilla sweetness combined with the fresh durian cream was a perfect pairing. It did not overpower at all. Along with the mango slices on top it provided the slight tart that was needed to bring the flavours to the top of the surface. The cream itself was not heavy at all. It was just as light like the cake but had the distinguish durian flavour. Nothing was overpower the other. They were definitely generous in the amount of mango slices being placed on it since it weigh quite a bit when I went to picked it up.

What’s unique about this place was that it was located in a centralized kitchen with no actual store front. So most of the time, you’re just ordering things online and based on word of mouth. In most cases, if you haven’t tried their cakes before, it would be best to buy their cake in a jar to get a taste yourself prior to buying a full size cake since that’s all they really provide. 

So far – I have ordered the Mango Durian Cake and the Chestnut one. They’re both very well done. However, I still leaning towards the Fresh Mango Durian Cake as my all time fave with this patisserie. Give the cake jar a try. You won’t be disappointed.  

Busan Daeji Gukbap – I have done a review of this restaurant before. It’s under a large umbrella restaurant group – Daiji. However, I haven’t been back since the COVID19 outbreak. I have noticed due to the impact, the customer service is better and more prominent compared to precovid time. I was craving for a bibimbap – the nutritious rice stone bowl dish. One of my favourite dishes since you get majority of your food groups and it’s very aesthetically appealing.  Taste wise? It came out fresh and very generous in portion size. The flavour in the meat wasn’t overly too saucy – it was a nice balance when you mix it with the vegetables. One of the negatives I find for some restaurants when they make bibimbap the meat tends to be too sweet or salty so overpowers everything. So something to be aware! Another thing you know if a good bibimbap is good – is the rice! If the rice is nice and fluffy – then you know that the quality and taste there. I also enjoy their fresh side dishes as well. I had thoroughly enjoyed their kimchi which had a nice fresh crunch and kick which is rare to find in some restaurants. 

Gram Cafe & Pancakes –  I’ve had soufflé pancakes twice. I had a friend recommend one place that was solely desserts and they’re signature dish was the soufflé, however I was sadly disappointed. It tasted more eggie than a sweet dessert. So I was on a hunt to find something better. One of my friends suggested Gram since it was a Japanese franchise that slowly made it’s way over to the West Coast. I was thinking, since it’s a franchise there is some merits of consistency of quality and demand for it. If there wasn’t, it wouldn’t be able to expand worldwide. At the moment, there is only one location opened in the lower mainland which is Richmond, Aberdeen. Whereas the remaining locations are still pending. Since I was there, I decided to try out their non souffle pancakes to see if it’s any different from the other pancake places I’ve been. I had ordered the Tiramisu and Coconut Custard. Both of them are more of the heavy cream side along with the souffle. The souffle requires more time to make so that came last. As I got to work on trying out the two. I quickly noticed the batter isn’t as sweet or as light and fluffy as I liked compared to some of the other breakfast place I’ve been do. The batter leaves more slight salty aftertaste lingering in the mouth. The toppings that were it didn’t really meld together to help balance it out.  Th mascarpone cream for the Tiramisu wasn’t very runny so it didn’t absorb in the pancake well so it felt like you were taste two different things and didn’t combine as well. The same goes for the coconut custard. The coconut cream wasn’t enough that you had more of pancake which you just eat with nothing along with it. The aromatics of coconut was not even noticeable. So personally, I would skip out on wanting to try their normal pancakes. Since these pancakes aren’t as airy it’s more dense, I got full pretty quickly. When the souffle arrived. That was a different story. I’m glad that it came last. It was very easy to cut through and it was nice and airy as I had expected to. Having the syrup on the side to add more and the light butter on top paired it very well. It was definitely a different experienced compared to their normal pancakes. There wasn’t a noticeable egg taste compared to others that I have tried.  I personally think if you were to come, just come for the souffle and nothing else. The other pancake selections just don’t cut it. If you know a better place to try – please let me know!

ThomasHaas – If there is one patisserie which I have been a loyal customer and fan of – it would be none other than ThomasHaas. Their savory baked goods have always been a staple that never fails to leave a smile of satisfaction on my face. I was so lucky when one of my clients surprised me with some beautiful goodies there. However, if you have never been to the bakery and wouldn’t know what to get. I would highly recommend any of their croissants. They have one the best croissants – super flaky, airy and not greasy feeling at all. One way you know it’s well made is that it’s still just crispy and airy overnight when you reheat it in the oven. Something that many other supermarket croissants fall flat on. Another item is their Danishes and their sour cherry turnover is a nice balance of sweet and savory. You really can’t beat their pastries in the lower mainland. There is always a line up and the pastries is what people come for. So if you get a chance – purchase a few to enjoy for breakfast or for nice high tea at home!