I Cafe, W. Broadway

Beef Brisket on Rice.  Rating:  5/6

Since starting my Grad Studies, I have learned to multi-task in ways I never imagined.  Carrying my iPhone, my textbook and a highlighter, I proceeded to “foodspot” my meal, as well as complete a whole chapter from my readings list for the day while eating my lunch.

Whizzo.

Since I fell asleep a couple of nights in a row because of the sheer volume of academic language that was infiltrating my brain, I thought it wise to order a drink full of caffeine for lunch.   Here, I have ordered a Cold Milk Tea.  The tea was nicely strong.  It had to be topped off with a single espresso shot prior to dinnertime though because I didn’t want to take any chances of falling asleep with highlighter in hand again.  That Concept Paper was due the next morning!  Takin’ no chances!

Bib wanted a sandwich.  I always find that HK Cafes in general make lousy sandwiches (and lousy steaks. mushy!)  The kids seem to like it though.  I find them kind of dry…just toast with stuff in between.  No mayo, no butter.  The fries were okay.  I suspect she wanted fries because she knows they always accompany the sandwiches.  She ate the filling and left the bread. Figures.

Curry Beef Brisket with subbed in Rice Vermicelli.  My try at ordering GF at this HK Cafe.  The rice vermicelli was the type that’s kind of al dente.  It wasn’t what I was expecting.  The brisket was good though I would have liked of it.  I hate it when I run out of meat before I’ve finished all my noodles.  I didn’t really drink the broth because it didn’t look or taste special.  Rating:  4.5/6

Fishballs and fishcake in fishbroth with egg noodles.   Rating:  4.5/6

For some reason, Stomach doesn't really like the menu.  It used to be better a while back, and we came here to eat all the time.  The view's still nice...of the North Shore Mountains.  However, today Stomach was a bit disappointed with the offerings for lunch specials and it'll probably be a while before we will visit again.  He's all over specials and that's his primary motive for eating somewhere sometimes.  The service was good...but the kitchen and waiter got two of our dishes kind of wrong.  I think Stomach wanted noodles but got rice from the kitchen because it was a special and the sandwich was missing cheese because the waiter wrote the order down wrong, but it wasn't a big deal.  We're pretty easy-going if the food's okay.  We're not ones to send a dish back.  We just don't come back for a while if the menu's not so inspiring.

You can check out their site and menu HERE.

I Cafe is located on the second floor overlooking the Holiday Inn across the street on W. Broadway.  There is some metered street parking and once upon a time, they offered free parking in the Holiday Inn parkade.   I’m not too sure if they still offer that though.  There’s plenty of transit nearby as it’s located on W. Broadway near all those medical buildings. 

More about → I Cafe, W. Broadway

CAFE GLOUCESTER, CAMBIE STREET

Deep fried calamari tentacles.  Just the tentacles, as advertised.  Rating:  6/6

Deep fried chicken wings and fries.  Rating:  6/6

Piping hot, freshly fried wings for a snack.  Way better than fast food chicken nuggets if you ask me.

Pad Thai.  A rather mild tasting version of the Thai rice noodle dish.  I would have like more heat and more sweet too.    Rating:  4.5/6

This Thai noodle dish is a new item that I haven't ordered before. Generally, I like most of the fried rice dishes, the baked pork chop and other baked rice dishes, the fried rice noodles with beef; but I have been noticing that the meats and veg that go with the Singapore fried rice vermicelli and a bunch of the other noodle dishes are pretty much the same:  ham, egg, shrimp, beanspouts, peppers and onion.  I don’t mind the combination, but would like the flavour of the sauce to be amped up in this particular dish.
  

Hot Milk Tea.  I take mine with Splenda.   It’s a strong tea.  Rating:  6/6

Mango slush.  Rating:  6/6

The kids loved this fruity icy drink. 

We had a successful afternoon snack.
 
Though this is my first post on Cafe Gloucester, I must admit that we are regulars here and the waitresses recognize my kids.  The waitresses are very friendly and personable; the food is prompt and consistent and the restaurant is generally packed most afternoons and especially weekends.  We always come for the early bird specials because the dishes are smaller (read:  cheaper) and come with complimentary drinks.

More about → CAFE GLOUCESTER, CAMBIE STREET

CATTLE CAFE, RICHMOND

Deep Fried Ginger Garlic Wings.  This side dish is what it’s all about.

We’re back here again! to try a couple more dishes and variations of the fish soup.  Just to make sure it was as good as we thought it was.  Yup.  It was.

Chicken on Rice.  Rating:  5/6

Fish soup with ramen, ham and meatballs.  Rating:  6/6


Peanut Chili Sauce Fish Soup with Fish Slices, Sliced Brisket and noodles.  Rating:  5/6

Very consistent fish soup broths.  The spicy peanut one left me thirsty, but it was very good nonetheless.  I usually don't drink all the soup and find the bowls very hearty.

If you have room for dessert, they make bubble teas and eggball waffles too.

More about → CATTLE CAFE, RICHMOND

DEER GARDEN SIGNATURES, RICHMOND

Beefballs, Ham and ramen noodles in Fish Broth.  6/6      All this for just $7.50 (soup base, noodles, toppings and drink)!


Fried fish with tartar sauce (sidedish for extra $1.50) when you order the above soup combo.




Dandan noodles with sliced brisket and fish slices.  6/6

Tender, thin slices of brisket and plenty of white fish slices, tons of siu choy and a rich, deep peanutty dan dan broth.  This really hit the spot!  I like how you can choose whatever you want for meats and veggies.  The variations are endless.  Don’t like cilantro? you can check it off the paper order menu that each person gets.  Each bowl can be customized to the individual’s preferences.

The true test of the restaurant’s broth is the fish broth.  Because it is so rich and flavourful and not even a tad fishy at all, you get a good idea at the quality of the ingredients. 

The  Deer Garden Signatures menu is a tad different from Cattle Cafe, which is located downstairs.  The differences are negligible.  Most offerings are the same.  The quality is pretty  much the same with slight nuances.  I’d say the Deer Garden Signatures ordering system is perhaps more efficient.  Each diner gets his/her own sheet to order their bowl of soup and though you can verbally do the same downstairs at Cattle Cafe, there is less chance of a screw-up this way. 

The service is not as good at Deer Garden perhaps because it is jam-packed full of people and generally has a lineup out the door.  The servers look harried and run around with huge bowls of hot soup and other mini meals.  Sometimes drinks arrive well after the kitchen has delivered the soups to our table. 

Stomach at one meal ordered a rice dish.  He loved it but found it so huge he had to pack some home.  That’s saying a lot.

The menu offerings are varied:  with steamed rice combos, curry combos, sandwiches, appies, fish soups and mini meals.  Prices are very reasonable and portions are huge.  Flavours, quality are offerings are very similar to Cattle Cafe.   Deer Garden also offers the usual HK drinks like milk tea and they offer Bubble Tea as well.

Here’s a link to the MENU. 

I would say the service is not as efficient as Cattle Cafe because of the dozen times we have been to both, we have had some difficulties at Deer Garden and not many with Cattle Cafe.  Both restaurants are always packed though and that coupled with the desire to speed diners through may have something to do with the service.  Cattle Cafe has some waiters and waitresses that have some personality though and that’s always nice.  Deer Garden seems an edge newer and shinier.  It is definitely a larger space and can accommodate more diners. My MIL insists that the fish soups have more noodles downstairs in Cattle Cafe, but I don’t know as they both were quite huge. 

For my post on Cattle Cafe, click HERE.

More about → DEER GARDEN SIGNATURES, RICHMOND

CATTLE CAFE, RICHMOND

Fishball, ham and ramen in fish soup broth.  6/6  ($7.25 for soup base, toppings and noodles with drink).




Steamed Blackbean Spareribs rice.  6/6


Fish noodles in satay broth with beef.  Rating:  4/6


Milk tea.  6/6

Cattle Cafe in Richmond is located in the Stomach of Richmond, which is a stretch of Alexandra Road that is peppered with a myriad of Asian restaurants.  You can’t throw a fishball far without it landing in front of one.
 
Cattle Cafe is one of many recently popular Hong Kong Cafes that specialize in homemade soup stocks that rely on fresh ingredients and no MSG.  The most popular broth is the milky white fish broth that should not evoke fishiness at all but is rich with flavour and depth from quality ingredients like plenty of bones, herbs and tender loving care…not instant stock granules.  The menu gives the diner tons of options. 

1.You choose your broth:  milky fish broth, spicy Laksa, tomato, herbal etc. 
2.  Then you choose your noodle type:  ramen, udon, rice noodle, Korean yam noodles, etc.
3.  Choose from a huge selections of meats and veggies:  ham, fishballs, meatballs, brisket, innards, fresh veggies, herbs, mushrooms, tofu…
4.  Optional, at extra cost are sides:  Fried chicken wings, fried fish, chicken or pork cutlets…
This is all for ONE reasonable price and it includes a drink.  The bowls are generally huge and full of good fresh ingredients.  It beats instant noodles or at home or McDonald’s anyday.

Here is a link to the MENU.

My daughters love the eggball waffles that they make here.  I have to make sure I order them last or they don’t eat anything but!  They also make bubble teas and other HK type drinks like milk tea. 

Parking is in the lot adjacent to the plaza that it is located in, and along the street with metered street parking.  Cattle Cafe opens at 11am and is promptly packed by 12pm with a pretty big lineup.  Turnover is pretty good.  Service is okay depending on how busy it is. 

The offerings are a tad different than the Deer Garden Signature Cafe menu (restaurant located upstairs), but it’s like comparing Earls and Milestones.  They’re similar in vein because I believe that at one time the people working upstairs and downstairs were the same.  The broths are very similar with just minor differences in basic ingredients, like the enoki mushrooms or beancurd skin found in one broth and not another.

Prices are very reasonable and it’s a perfect place for lunch.  There are tons of snack offerings and many mini meals and special deals.

We go here a lot because the kids love it and it’s perfect for a healthy lunch.

For my Deer Garden Signatures post, click HERE.  

More about → CATTLE CAFE, RICHMOND

COPA CAFE (CAMBIE) REVISITED

Chasiu Miso Ramen.  Rating:    5/6

Beef Rice Noodles.  Rating:  6/6


On the mini set meals, which you receive if you arrive early (around 5-5:30 for us), you get a comp drink.  My drink of choice is always the diet Lemon Coke. 



















The Cold Milk Tea is very good and perfect on a hot day.  Rating:  6/6





















Singapore Rice Vermicelli.  Rating:  6/6
Copa makes Singapore Rice Vermicelli just the way I like it…with a hot kick.  Most places lack the proper proportions of noodle, meat and sprouts.  I like this version and the curry flavour is stronger than most. 


Stirfried bok choy.  Rating:  4/6
Though these looked really good, they were huge chunks that probably required a couple more minutes of cooking time as the centres were on the hard side.  I didn’t detect any or enough garlic flavour.  They were certainly crispy if that’s what you’re looking for.


Sweet and sour spareribs (served with soup and rice).  Rating:  5/6
Originally, I had wanted the Oyster and green onion dish, but they were out of oysters so I chose the Sweet and Sour spareribs.  You get a choice of soup and a big bowl of rice.  I was pleasantly surprised by the flavour but taken aback by the unnaturally vivid red spareribs.  The ribs were juicy, tender and freshly fried.  Good.


How about Breakfast for Dessert?    Kaya Stuffed deep fried French Toast.  Rating:  5/6

The early bird menus are really popular and they have specialty hot stone rice bowls too.

***
December 17, 2010 visit

Silky egg and prawns on rice noodles.   Rating:  5/6

Pork and black olive fried rice.  Rating:  6/6
Amazing combination of flavours! Salty black olive leaves and meaty chunks of tender pork combine with the rice and egg. Great wok fire.

Copa Cafe and Cafe Gloucester are comparable in consistency, service and menu selection. They both carry early bird specials and present you with various menus depending on the time of the day. The mini set menus are our favourite and you must go before 6pm to get them. You get a drink with your mini meal and the meals are of course smaller (that’s what “mini” means, right?)  Most prices average around $7 and you can get anything from fried rices, noodles, soups or baked spaghettis and such. Milk teas are the norm for the freebie drinks and if you would like it cold, it’s extra cost.  If you dine later, you can get those iron plate specials with a selection of meats and sauces with sides of starch including soup and a dinner bun.

Copa is unique in that it opens early in the mornings for breakfast specials, whereas Cafe Gloucester opens at 11:00 am.  We arrived at 9am one time and found it full of older folk dining on congee, Chinese donuts, macaroni soup, toast with a sunny side up egg and milk teas for breakfast.  As you can imagine, there are also mini set menus that give you ample choice of a selection of choices for a good deal.  Prices for breakfast are cheap and average around $5-7.  Don't quote me on the exact time of opening, because I just noticed they started opening early for breakfast, but I'm pretty sure that on the weekends especially, they're open at least by 9am.

Located near King Ed and Cambie, Copa Cafe is across the street from a Canada Line station.  There is a nearby bus stop and parking in the lot behind the restaurant.  Meter parking is on the street.

For my previous post on Copa Cafe, click HERE.

August 18, 2011 update:  look below for some dishes we tried.

 Taro Fried Rice.  Excellent wok hay!  6/6

Consistently hot, spicy and yummy!  Rating:  6/6

Kiddie meal (includes drink and dessert).  Deep fried chicken wings, fries and linguine in bolognaise sauce.  Rating:  5.5/6  Good value.

More about → COPA CAFE (CAMBIE) REVISITED

BAUHINIA, RICHMOND

Free range chicken (hoi naam gai).  Rating:  5/6

Stomach liked this dish.  I noticed it was plated nicely and had a good portion of the free range chicken and veg.  Stomach still likes Mui Garden’s free range chicken better simply because they have chickens with MORE MEAT.  However, this version was good.


Singapore Rice Vermicelli.  Rating:  5/6. 

Nice golden hue! I don’t like those versions that are only have a dash of curry and a sprinkling of meat and veg.  This version had an abundance of veg, shrimp, and bbq pork.  I don’t think it was hot and spicy enough…and it could have had more “wok fire”.  Very good though and I’d order it again just to make sure I liked it.


Kids’ meal.  Fried chicken wings, potato puffs and Spaghetti bolognaise.  Gee.  How can you go wrong with freshly fried chicken wings and those tater tots?  Bebe liked the kiddie plate.  She gave it a rating of 5/6.


Fish balls and fish cake on wonton noodle soup.  Rating:  3/6. 

Bib, poor thing had the noodle soup and this was the most disappointing dish of all.  She had to ask Bebe for some of her wings and potato puffs.  There was no depth to the broth and do you see the sprinkling of wilted shredded lettuce?  It looked so sad.   It didn’t taste all so good either.  

All in all, Bauhinia was a pretty good visit other than the soup noodle.  The plating was nicer than usual HK cafes, service was efficient and the place was comfortably decorated.  The kids were mesmerized by the big salt water tank full of fish on one wall where they spotted “Nemo”. 

Bauhinia is way off the beaten track for us and I don’t think we ever come this deep into Richmond that often.    If we find ourselves in this neck of Richmond, I think it’s worth another visit to try out some other dishes.

Bauhinia is located in a plaza and there’s parking out front in the lot.

More about → BAUHINIA, RICHMOND

COPA CAFE

Shredded Meat Chow mein.  Rating:  5/6



Singapore Rice Vermicelli.  Rating:  6/6

Oops! fuzzy pic.  But this is the spiciest most flavourful rice vermicelli I’ve had yet. Yum!


Chinese sausage and taro fried rice.  Rating:  6/6

I love this fried rice dish.  It has good wok fire.  If you like little taro bits…they’re similar to potato…and the little salty Chinese sausages, this is your dish.  My 4 year old in particular is all over this fried rice dish because of the Chinese sausage.  Chinese sausage is fatty, sweet and salty all at once.

For my other post on Copa Cafe, click HERE.




For my other post on Copa Cafe, click HERE.

More about → COPA CAFE