curiouslycarmen, Author at Curiously Carmen

Chef Hung Taiwanese Noodle

October 19, 2017

In August, I had a craving for Taiwanese noodles, even though it was very hot outside. So after doing some research, I remembered that SFU had just opened a new Taiwanese noodle place, Chef Hung!

I’ve been to the Chef Hung at Aberdeen Center in Richmond at least 6-7 years ago and remembered that it was really good but haven’t gone back since.

Seeing that the distance between Chef Hung’s and another Taiwanese beef noodle place was about the same we decided to go to SFU because we knew that it would not be as busy on a Friday night.

Since it was semester break the restaurant was pretty quiet. Prior to visiting, we called the restaurant to see if it was open as many other food places at SFU were closed during the break.

I’ve heard that during school time the restaurant is pretty lined up and busy though.

The restaurant was pretty comfortable and also very clean! That’s always the plus side of going to new restaurants 🙂

Champion beef brisket in clear noodle soup: I just wanted the standard Taiwanese beef noodle but the menu was a bit confusing as the descriptions didn’t seem to have it. So I decided to just take the chance and get this one and hope that it was the correct one.

Unfortunately, I was wrong! This was not this Taiwanese beef noodle soup that I was craving but I decided to try it anyways! I wasn’t a big fan of the meat because I don’t normally enjoy eating skin or tendon or anything like that, so luckily the boyfriend was able to have all of the meat.

As for the broth, it was really clear and it tasted pretty healthy. I was hoping to have the dark beef broth with preserved veggies that usually comes with Taiwanese noodles but this one was alright too. The only thing that matched my cravings were the chewy flat noodles which were delicious. There were dense and chewy.

Award-winning beef shank and tripe in tomato noodle soup: I guess beef shank was the meat that I was looking for but it’s quite confusing because restaurants describe their meats differently.

So we ended up trading the meat and I had the beef shank, which the boyfriend didn’t mind because he liked the meat in my bowl better anyways. The beef shank was PERFECTTTT, it was so tender and full of marinated flavour!

Just like my soup, his tomato soup was pretty clear and also healthy not to oily or salty.

Taiwanese chicken nuggets: The boyfriend was curious as to how the chicken nuggets fared here. It was a good choice because he really liked them! They weren’t too salty, not overcooked, and very fresh and crispy.

Overall I think that this place is a bit overpriced but you do get what you pay for! All the ingredients are of good quality but it was disappointing to see that they didn’t have the standard Taiwanese beef noodle soup that most Taiwanese restaurants have. However, it’s definitely a decent option to have if you are stuck on campus.

Yay!

Travel: Cancun Bucket List

October 16, 2017

I envy those people who just hop on planes every couple months or so! Well, not really because I don’t like plane rides… but I DO look forward to getting off that plane and exploring the destination!

Lately, I’ve been having a strong desire to travel but my next trip will be soon! To where? You guessed it… Cancun, Mexico! The boyfriend and I are celebrating a couple major accomplishments and it’ll be our first airplane trip together in FOUR years.

The last time we went on a plane together, I didn’t even have this blog yet… which is really saying something! We have done some short weekend getaways but not more than 4 hours drive away from Vancouver. I’m looking forward to a “real” vacation!

Anyways, to curb my travelling desire and to share my excitement, I’ve decided to write a Cancun bucket list!

Here are the things that we would like to do:

Day trip to Isla Mujeres: Isla Mujeres is a very tiny island about a 15 minute ferry ride from Cancun. There are also lots of excursions to do here, but we will probably just do a stroll of the island and relax on the beach to save some $.

Playa Norte, one of the beaches there, looks absolutely breathtaking so I imagine that there will be some time spent there too!

Snorkelling: Snorkelling is an absolute must! It’s both our first time in a tropical place, and we’ve both always wanted to try it. We are excited to be partnering up with Total Snorkel Cancun for our first ever snorkel experience!

You can also check out their Facebook and Instagram for more pictures!

Downtown Cancun: Cancun is divided into two sections: the Hotel Zone and Downtown. Most of the resorts are in the Hotel Zone, whereas Downtown Cancun has more of a local vibe. There are also shopping malls but I don’t really want to shop at western stores because I can do that in Vancouver.

I want to see the local vendors and markets there instead! Apparently, Cancun is well known for their vanilla extract too which you can buy in this area.

Cancun Underwater Museum (MUSA): At the bottom of the warm, beautiful waters of Cancun, lies an underwater museum dedicated to the art of conservation. It seems like a very unique activity!

Our 2 hour snorkelling package with Total Snorkel Cancun includes a visit to MUSA.

Cozumel: This is a bit of a stretch and I don’t know if we will end up having enough time to do this, but Cozumel would be really nice to check out too. It is an island in the Carribean Sea and a very popular cruise port. It looks very beautiful but it takes 3 hours from Cancun, which means 6 hours round trip. Reviews I’ve read recommend Isla Mujeres instead since it’s closer.

Last but not least, most of our time will be spent relaxing on the beach or swimming pools at the resort of course! It’s funny because usually when travelling, we don’t purposely try to spend time at the hotel and rather go out and explore… but that’s how it goes with an all inclusive!

For more things to do, check out Cancun Riveria Maya’s website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! They are also a reliable and trustworthy site to book your snorkeling tour with Total Snorkel Cancun.

Do you have any Cancun recommendations? Let me know in the comments below!

Disclaimer: Post in partnership with Total Snorkel Cancun, in exchange for media passes.

Romer’s Burger Bar (Two visits)

October 13, 2017

The boyfriend and I were leaving Richmond, and were in the mood for happy hour. The weather was warm, sun was shining, it was a weekend, and we had just finished our errands = all perfect reasons to have happy hour!

I remembered an app named Brewhound which shows you daily specials for restaurants in the Lower Mainland. I highly recommend you download the app, as it will come in handy if you’re not sure on where to eat. Btw, not sponsored… they don’t even know I exist haha.

One of the closest options was Romer’s and we wanted to check out the developing River District, so off we went! I remember seeing this place on Dine Out, but that was the furthest of my knowledge about this place.

This post is a combination of two visits!

Parking in River District was free, and was not a problem at all. Romer’s was easy to spot as everything else was just apartments and townhouses.

We wanted a patio seat but was told they were all reserved. It was a bit stuffy in the restaurant. Seeing how hot that day was, there could have been more AC.

I would describe the atmosphere in Romers as casual.

Truffle fries, $6.95: The scent of the truffle oil slowly wafting to our table was amazing. Mmmm… truffle oil…. The fries were delicious, crunchy and fresh. We would definitely order this again!
Cheesy spinach kale dip, $9.95: The boyfriend was in the mood for some spinach kale dip so this was the second dish. Probably the best way to eat vegetables.

I couldn’t eat it but the dip looked really good, and he really enjoyed it. It was full of blended spinach, kale, and was SUPER cheesy. The chips were also pretty good and tasted better than your average chips. They were thicker than usual, which might be why?

Our second visit was in mid-September! The weather happened to be warm enough for the patio still! We saw some cute dogs trotting along the trail, hehe 🙂

On this visit, the boyfriend ordered the same spinach dip so I won’t talk about it again.
Root beer: I thought this was worth mentioning as they only sell craft root beer here. It is lighter in colour, but I didn’t like the taste (I normally love fountain root beer).

It reminded me of cough syrup but perhaps it’s an acquired taste. The boyfriend on the other hand loved it.
Burger bowl: I felt like something lighter that day and decided to give this a try. For an extra $2, you can go bunless and turn your burger into a bowl that includes avocado, hard boiled egg, iceberg lettuce, and corn/bean salad.

I did not regret it because it was delicious and fresh! The avocado is hidden behind the patty. I would definitely consider getting the burger bowl again. The only con was that the patty was on the dry side, although the flavour was there.

Overall, our two visits to Romer’s were brief but pleasant. Romer’s is a good place to go if you want to escape the city, but still remain in the city if that makes any sense? The River District feels a lot different than most other neighbourhoods in Vancouver.

We would definitely come back a third time if we were in the area!

Yay!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Nude Foundation (New formula)

October 10, 2017

You may remember my review last year on the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation. I quite enjoyed that foundation because it worked really well with my skin.

This fall, Estee Lauder released the Double Wear foundation again with a change in formula. I thought I would review it as well, and share my thoughts on it!

The packaging is the same as the old formula. Both are housed in a glass foundation bottle. The product comes out easily and effortlessly. This bottle seems a bit smaller and also more of a rectangular shape than the old one.

At the media preview event, I was told that the main difference is that this one contains 50% more water. Because of that, it is supposed to give the foundation a lighter feel.

Application: Despite having 50% more water, I was told that this foundation still has a medium to heavy coverage. I noticed that this foundation was definitely more watery and liquid-y, which is a given considering that there is more water in the ingredients.

I was able to reach the same about of medium-full coverage with this foundation but had to put on 3 layers. With the old foundation, I only needed 1 layer for medium-full coverage. You could get away with 1 layer as well for light coverage, but I don’t wear foundation often so when I do, I like to go for at least a medium coverage.
Does this photo seem familiar to you? That’s because I was also testing out the Pixi by Petra Endlessly Silky Eye Pen the same day! You can read that review after this one 🙂

Wear: It was very comfortable to wear and I have no complaints about it. There were times that I forgot I was wearing foundation because it wasn’t heavy at all. That day was also pretty warm and I didn’t sweat it all off on the patio while eating.
-Very comfortable, lightweight feeling despite being medium+ coverage
-Feels just like the old Double Wear foundation which I love!

-Need a couple extra layers of foundation to match the medium+ coverage of the old Double Wear

Yay!

The Canadian Brewhouse (Two visits)

October 7, 2017

The Canadian Brewhouse is a pub that opened in Richmond a few months ago, in the new Central at Garden City plaza. The boyfriend heard about this place on the radio, and wanted to try it out. This post is a combination of two visits!

The restaurant is clean, welcoming, and has many TV screens for sports games. They also have a shuttle to BC Place on football game days.

Despite the poor air quality, we decided to sit on the patio for our first visit. We were quickly greeted by our server, who was friendly and prompt our whole visit.

One thing we found cool was that each table had a button where you could press to call your server. There were three buttons: call your server, get a bill, or another round of drinks. Our server then showed us the smart watch that they each wear, which alert them to the table.

I imagine that it could get pretty hectic for them during peak hours, and if there was a kid pressing it for the sake of pressing it. Or impatient customers.

Montreal Smoked Poutine: I really liked the Canadian pride here, and thought the Canadian flag inside the poutine was very cute! They have a great selection of poutine, and it was hard for the boyfriend to pick just one. The Montreal smoked poutine came with Montreal smoked meat and dill pickle!

He really enjoyed the poutine. There was a generous amount of gravy, cheese, and meat. Nothing to complain about!

Chicken strips w/ side Caesar salad: Y’all know me and my love for chicken strips, it was only right I tried them here as well! Right when they came to the table, I was so happy because I knew they would be perfect. Idk, I can tell if chicken strips will be good just by looking and I’ve never been wrong yet! These were tender, flavourful, and had a crispy exterior. So delicious!

Since Caesar salad has dairy, I asked for it without sauce (I know, I’m weird but I don’t eat salad with sauce). They forgot so the picture above is the original salad that got sent back. Anyways, nothing to complain about with the salad either.

Now, for our second visit!

Slow roasted beef dip: You can never go wrong with beef dip, and this was no exception. I really liked how soft the bun was, and it was also slightly sweet. There was a generous portion of beef too. I was quite stuffed after having this!
Canadair donair: No, that is not a typo — it is called Canadair! The boyfriend really enjoyed the donair. Like my beef dip, it came with a generous portion of meat and lots of gooey, melty cheese.

He decided to get the rice so that we could sample more of their food items. The rice was really good because it was seasoned with herbs. It’s a good alternative to fries if you don’t want something deep fried.

Service on our second visit was not good compared to our first visit. The second time, service was really slow. It took a long time for our waitress to come, for us to flag her down to order, and to pay for our bill. Definitely wasn’t impressed considering how impressive service was the first time.

Yay!