From the monthly archives: April 2010
Does anyone else feel that time is zooming by? I can’t even grasp the idea that it’s May 2010 (well, tom is) already!!
When I think about my life on a day-to-day basis, it feels normal but when I reminisce about certain events then I’m stunned. I feel as if time has just disappeared or that it has cheated me.
Most of you who know me well, also know that I tend to make tons of plans and goals. However, do I always push through with them? And the answer is no. It’s sad but true. Recently, I started to realize the goals that I established last year are still in progress. But I must give myself credit cause I really do try. Some people view my life as a random blur, since I have a tendency to bounce around and around. Yet, this is the only approach I know. I really can’t make myself wait for something better to come along by doing daily chores of a normal person. Most sane people would just find a stable engagement and then hope that their hard work will pay off. Am I insane?
Just the other day at dinner when I was explaining my plans for the rest of 2010, a friend asked me “are you soul-searching? are you looking for something?” It made me think. The thing is I think everyone is soul-searching. There is no way that I will find my “soul” by going abroad. And there is no way that I can find my “soul” by doing a 9-5. I guess the most simple way to put it is: I just want to see what else is out there……
A couple of my friends (2 to be exact, and you know who you are) have inspired me a great deal lately. They made sudden decisions to depart in an attempt to establish their goals with no concrete platforms. Is it scary?? Yes, of course. But to me, they are doing something. Something that most are scared to do. Regardless of the outcome, they can truly say that they tried. I’m very proud.
This time next year, I will probably still be struggling and bouncing around. Just know that I will always bounce with hope. The hope that one day, one of my ideas will stick somewhere=-)
Don’t be afraid to bounce a little too…..
Insadong— Located in “Korean Town” (Coquitlam) is a great place for Korean BBQ. This is always the first place I think of when I want some authentic, Korean style BBQ. This place is quite big with a traditional style interior. They even have the “request button” located at every table. So instead of yelling for help, you can just press the button and someone will attend to your needs. I really do feel like I’m in Korea when I dine here =)
I usually order the set BBQ menu which comes with marinated beef, chicken, pork, mussels, shrimp, oysters and my favorite galbi (beef short ribs). The set also includes a soup, a salad and a choice between seafood pancake or japchae (Korean Noodles).
Of course the meal comes with traditional side dishes (Banchan–in Korean) like: kimchi, sprouts, cucumber kimchi, radish and my favourite sweet potatoes!
I love Korean BBQ and this place provides everything that a great BBQ place should. The meat is fresh and the service is always good. The servers constantly changes the BBQ grill and refills the side dishes.
Red Devil—-Located on St.John street in Port Moody is a Korean style drinking place. Obviously, the main alcohol seller is Soju. I am usually not a big fan of Soju, because I find it very strong with a rubbing alcohol scent. However, a couple of weeks ago a few of us headed to Red Devil for drinks after dinner. And one of my long time friend introduced me to Apple Soju (with apple cups).
They scrap out the insides of the apples and then mix it with Soju and apple juice to create the Apple Soju. Then they use the outer apple shells as cups. The Apple Soju tasted great with the little apple chunks and the apple cups were brillant. The whole idea was fun and really changed the whole Soju experience.
I will definitely be back for this=-0
Mr. Kumpir— If you love potatoes then you must try Mr.Kumpir. I walked by this place last week not knowing anything about it. However, as soon as I saw the stuffed potatoes I knew I wanted one=)
Basically, they take a potato and mash it with butter and cheese. Then you select toppings and sauce to go on it. Or you can select ones on the menu. I decided to try the Canadian which has corn, ham, bacon bits, peas, and sour cream. I also added a cucumber, garlic sauce on top.
The stuffed potato was massive with loaded toppings……..
Look at the pictures..need I say more?? I shared this with my partner in crime and we had trouble finishing it. For $5.95 plus tax, it was definitely worth it=)
Deer Garden— Before my cousin’s departure back to Hong Kong my mom decided to treat us for a King Crab feast. This was the 4th King Crab meal for my mom this year and it was sadly my 1st (King Crab season is almost ending..><). My moms favourite place for King Crab is Deer Garden. She enjoys how the crab is cooked four different ways and loves the extra baked rice in shell (which not many other places have). I’ve had King Crab from Deer Garden a few times before and I was highly satisfied each time.
There were only 5 of us that night but the smallest King Crab that they had was 10lbs. So we were allowed to devour 2lbs each (overdose!).
The first way that the King Crab is served is Steamed legs with Garlic and Green Onions. The crab legs are split in half and then steamed with garlic and green onions. The first bite was heavenly! The meat was juicy and fresh. The garlic and green onion sauce was very tasty but it didn’t overpower the freshness of the crab.
The second dish was Steamed legs with a Ginger, Garlic Sauce. The meat tasted as great as the first dish, however I personally preferred the garlic and green onion sauce more. Maybe it’s because I love the taste and smell of garlic.
The third dish was the body of the King Crab which was served Deep fried with salt garlic and pepper. I would have to say that this was my favourite of the night. There was so much meat in every single piece and the batter was scrumptious. It was deep-fried perfectly, with just the right amount of salt, garlic and pepper taste. I used the left over toppings to mix with rice and it was so good.
The fourth dish was the Baked Rice in Shell. What they do is scrap the insides of the King Crab’s head and then stir-fry it with rice and then bake it with a cheese sauce on top. YES, it tastes as good as it sounds. This is one of the specialty dishes that not all other restaurants serve when you order King Crab.
I think Deer Garden does an excellent job in blending the freshness of the crab with a distinctive flavor. The freshness and texture of the crab isn’t overpowered by the essence of the dishes.
Banana Leaf—My lovely cousin was back in town from Hong Kong, so we decided to go for dinner together. My mother suggested Banana Leaf since she has never been there. It was a good choice since I like Malaysian style cuisine.
Once I walked into the restaurant, there was a strong fragrance of different spices which made me even more hungry as we waited for seats. We made reservations in advance, thus we didn’t have to wait too long (which was a good thing cause I was starving).
After pondering the menu for a while we decided on a few dishes, however they didn’t have enough servers so it took forever to take our orders. I literally had to wave my hands to receive attention (I know this is rude but I had no choice..><)
The first dish was the Roti Canai. It was $6 for 2 pieces, however the pieces were large enough for the four of us to share. The sauce that accompanies the Roti is so good. I think it would taste delicious with rice. The Roti was flaky and warm. I like it more than the ones they serve at Tropika.
This is the Seafood Char Kuey Teow. It is flat rice noodles with sweet, spicy soya sauce, egg, pork and seafood. I definitely expected more from this dish. There wasn’t much seafood and flavor. The texture of the noodles were good but it was a little bit too spicy for my liking. At the price of $11, I don’t think I would order this again.
The third dish was the Rendang Beef, which is a rich beef dish with coconut milk and spices. On the menu it states that it is lean beef however I didn’t expect the meat to be so tough and chewy. I literally couldn’t chew the beef and swallow it. So basically, I was eating sauce..haha! The flavor was great; a hint of coconut and it wasn’t too spicy. No one really touched this dish after their first bite.
This was what they had on special that night. King Prawns with a peppercorn sauce. We weren’t fans of peppercorn so we changed it to a curry sauce. The sauce was great and tasted delicious with the Jasmine rice but the prawns weren’t fresh. I really don’t like it when prawns and crab have a soggy texture. Overall, this dish was okay.
We also ordered the Jasmine Rice, which I really liked. The rice was cooked just right with a infused jasmine flavor and it also had corn and carrots. They also give you a big amount, so I couldn’t finish the bowl.
Now, most of you are probably wondering why didn’t you order Satays? Satays are one of the most popular appetizers when it comes to Malaysian food. And indeed we did order it but it never came. Satays were the first thing I ordered. After we were close to finishing all of the above dishes I started to wonder why my favourite dish hasn’t made an appearance yet. When I asked the server about it, her face was blank and replied that she would check for us. When she came back she notified us that the server who took our order was new and forgot to place in the order. Then, she tells us that we would have to wait a minimum of 15 mins for the satays. We were already finished our dinner and have been waiting for so long. I was quite bummed and asked if there could be a compensation ( I was thinking like giving us an extra 2 satays or something). But the server gave us a blank face, said no and went to find the manager. When the manager came back he gave us a lame excuse. Okay, I guess I can’t expect too much from an Asian restaurant. If this same situation occurred at a Western eatery, I know something would have been done. The server who took our order didn’t even come and apologize for her mistake. So overall, I would say that they don’t have good customer service.
In general the food and atmosphere was good. I will try the other locations next time!
From the moments of struggles to the thoughts of woes, we continue living and searching for a glimpse of happiness. Here are a few quotes that will help us through…..(dedicated to the ones closest to me)
“Sadness flies away on the wings of time.” ~Jean de La Fontaine
“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.”-anonymous
“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away.”
The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it.
W. M. Lewis
“Try and fail, but don’t fail to try.”
Happy Socks!
