All entries in the 'Asian' Category
Pearl Castle in Richmond Centre now open!
It’s been quite the wait, but as we mentioned earlier, Pearl Castle in Richmond Centre has finally opened! They’ve been open since last Thursday, and I finally got a chance to go check them out yesterday.
Pearl Castle is an immensely popular bubble tea joint in Richmond, and you’re almost guaranteed to have to wait in line if you attempt to go at night at around 10 or 11. Although many people prefer other bubble tea places, such as the popular Dragon Ball Tea House, Pearl Castle is consistent, they have great bubble tea as well as great food.
The new Pearl Castle in Richmond Centre is a franchise of the original one, which made me skeptical because I wasn’t sure if they just bought the name, or if they actually intended to faithfully recreate the original Pearl Castle.
October 6, 2009 | Jeremy | Comments 0Jade Garden in Shanghai
Jade Garden is part of a chain of restaurants owned by the Maxims Group. Other establishments in the group include Sichuan Garden, Shanghai Garden, Chiu Chow Garden, and Peking Garden. Jade Garden is a popular Shanghai eatery that offers signature local dishes as well as Hong Kong style dim sum in a classy and refined setting. The place was decorated with high ceilings, translucent unadorned glass, marble floors and subtle lighting. It was a memorable experience because of the great service and graceful atmosphere. I always wanted to try their signature Steamed Reeves Shad (Yangtze River Herring) and Jardin de Jade Jasmin Tea Smoked Duck.
We started off our dinner with a couple of dim sum dishes - Spring Rolls with Pork and Deep Fried Turnip Pastries. The spring rolls had an unique texture that I have not experience before. After a close examination, I noticed that unique texture came from the ingredients cut into strands and assembly length wise inside the spring roll. Every bite of the spring roll has a very evenly distributed amount of filling.
This was my second time having deep fried turnip pastries; I loved the crispy and flaky texture of the pastry coupled with very flavorful shredded turnip inside.
Yang’s Fry-Dumpling in Shanghai
Yang’s is very well documented restaurant. I always pay them a visit because I can not resist their mouth watering shengjian mantou. This is the most famous fry-dumpling stall in Shanghai and has been in business for fourteen years. They have two stalls on Wujiang Lu no more than twenty steps from each other. There is always a queue of impatient patrons waiting for their shengjian mantou.
September 18, 2009 | Danny | Comments 6Rui Fu Yuan Restaurant in Shanghai
Greetings from Shanghai! I’m having my first dinner at Rui Fu Yuan Restaurant. This was not my first time eating here. I tried this restaurant in early 2008 and really liked it. Business must be very good because I’m eating at the new branch just two blocks from the original location. I was able to try the original location on my first trip. There are only two locations. There are two things to take note:
- If you don’t read and speak Mandarin then don’t bother coming to this place
- Make sure you have a reservation
Rui Fu Yuan is known for their authentic Shanghainese food among the locals.
Our first dish, Jellyfish Appetizer. The dish was served at room temperature containing jellyfish heads, black vinegar, sesame oil and parsley. It was lightly salted with a defined black vinegar taste. The jellyfish had a sharp and crisp texture. Jellyfish heads sounds weird, but its a Shanghai delicacy. I liked it.
September 8, 2009 | Danny | Comments 0Cafe Gloucester in Vancouver
After visiting a friend in the hospital, we decided to grab a quick bite nearby. We decided on Cafe Gloucester; this would be my first time, but everyone else seemed to rave about it.
Upon entering Cafe Gloucester, it definitely looks and feels like a more ‘upscale’ HK Cafe, kinda of like Bauhinia, but not quite as clean.
The menus at Gloucester look like they’ve been around the block a few times, but my mom always told me that it’s whats on the inside that counts! This rings true for Gloucester as well, as they have a fairly extensive menu with all the items you would usually expect to see at a HK Cafe, and more. Although touted to be on the more expensive side of HK Cafes, I found the they are quire reasonably priced. They might be slightly more expensive than places like Alleluia, but it’s still very reasonable.
September 2, 2009 | Jeremy | Comments 1
