Curiously Carmen

Vietnam House

April 11, 2020

Disclaimer: In light of COVID-19, I just wanted to say that I am doing my part and social distancing. This is a review based on contact-less delivery.

I know that you may want to go out and have fun, but it is crucial that we distance ourselves to slow the spread of the virus and flatten the curve before it gets worse. Yes, you may feel fine but you could be passing on the virus to someone who is immunocompromised or elderly that may not survive this virus.

Another day, another day of social distancing and being at home. I realized that I did not step outside for 7 days, which I am not sure if that is impressive or just sad. I finally broke the streak by going to stock up on more groceries!

Anyways, it has been a whole 7 days of not eating restaurant food since our last meal with Wara Thai, so we decided to treat ourselves for lunch. The fiance had a coupon on Skip, and I was craving bun bo hue so we decided to try out Vietnam House since it had free delivery.

Vietnam House didn’t sound familiar to me, but when I googled it, I remember it used to a hole in the wall called Thai Hang. Thai Hang had been around for ages… I went as a kid and in high school as well. Looking at pictures, it seems like they went through a renovation in addition to the name change.

The menu on Skip was a bit odd, as it didn’t include the names of the dishes in Vietnamese. For example, they didn’t even write ‘pho’ but at least that is easy enough to translate to English. I had a harder time finding ‘bun bo hue’ and ended up calling the restaurant to find out which one it was. The translation was ‘beef and pork in rice spaghetti in soup’.

Spring rolls: I normally don’t order spring rolls because #health, but we are in a pandemic right now and I wanted to excite my taste buds.

I was also motivated by Michael at Yes We’re Eating Again to plate my takeout food nicely, as takeout boxes don’t make for aesthetically pleasing photos! #FoodBloggerProblems. It was fun, although I was rushing because we were hungry and the food smelled so good!

The spring rolls were fresh and still a bit crunchy despite being takeout, which was great! They were your usual Vietnamese spring rolls and tasty.

Bun bo hue: As mentioned above, I had a craving for bun bo hue, and this did not disappoint. When I first opened the takeout container, I was immediately greeted with an aromatic, fragrant soup.

The bun bo hue packed a lot of spice, and there was also hints of lemongrass flavour. There was also a generous amount of meat as well.

Had to give up with chopsticks and use a fork because the noodles were too chopped and short… 🙁

My only complaint would be that the noodles were too choppy and short, so my chopsticks couldn’t pick it up. I gave up and ended up using a fork at the end because they were just bits and pieces of the noodles. This made it a bit harder to enjoy because I am the biggest noodle lover out there.

Grilled beef, chicken, and spring roll on vermicelli: The fiance ordered a vermicelli dish, and his was delicious as well. I had a bite of the chicken, which was bursting with grilled lemongrass flavour, and also very juicy! The beef was also very juicy and flavourful.

He noted that his vermicelli noodles were also chopped and short, so he had a hard time picking up the noodles with his chopsticks as well.

All in all, Vietnam House was delicious! One good thing (obviously I wish that this never happened in the first place) about that this crisis and social distancing has brought on, is that we have been trying new, local places for delivery. When we do order delivery usually, we just stick with the usual and familiar places so it’s nice to branch out.

So far, we have tried Manpuku for Japanese rice bowls, Wara Thai, and now Vietnam House! All three discoveries have been great and I hope the the next delivery order we place will be just as delicious.

Travel: A Day in Kobe, Japan

April 7, 2020

During our trip to the Kansai region, Kobe was a city that I was really wanting to explore! Kobe is smaller than Tokyo and Osaka, so it doesn’t receive much international attention, except for its world-famous, mouthwatering Kobe beef! However, I personally really enjoyed our day trip here! There was a lot less tourists here, and felt like a breath of fresh air from the crowds of Osaka and Kyoto.

We travelled to Kobe from Osaka via a regular train which took roughly a hour. You can also take a Shinkansen which is faster, but it would cost a lot more. Our friend took a plane from Tokyo and met us in Kobe. Since he had limited time, a domestic flight was a lot faster than taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo.

We were in Kobe from the morning until evening! Here was our itinerary for the day:

Meriken Park: We started our day by walking around Meriken Park, towards the harbour. The photogenic Kobe Port Tower is located here, as well as a big Kobe sign that would make for a nice souvenir photo. The skies were blue and sunny, so it was a pleasant walk around this small area.

We also saw a small ferry terminal, and a boat offering tours around the harbour!

Harbourland: A quick 10 minute walk along the same path as Meriken Park, is Harbourland. There are some malls here to do some shopping as well. We walked around the path outside and took some pretty photos of the ferris wheel.

Lunch at Steakhouse Zen: You can’t go to Kobe and not try Kobe steak. Our Japanese friend knew a local, who recommended Steakhouse Zen to us. We came during lunch so the prices are a bit cheaper, but I will warn you that Kobe beef is not cheap!

The quality of the beef is unparalleled and unlike any steak you will ever eat. As expected, the beef was mouthwatering, melted in our mouth, and super delicious. We ordered a lunch set, which also came with rice, soup, veggies, and dessert.

The cherry on top of a perfect lunch was that Steakhouse Zen is located on a higher floor of a building complex above the train station, so you get a beautiful view while eating Kobe steak. To our right, were buildings and the water peeking out. To the left, was greenery and mountains (including Mt. Rokko, our next destination!).

Mount Rokko and the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens: After lunch, we walked to the base of Mount Rokko, next to Shin-Kobe Station. We took the cable car to the peak of the mountain.

The ride up in the cable car was beautiful and we also saw Nunobiki Waterfall from above. Alternatively, you could also hike up the mountain but we wanted to spare our tired feet when possible.

Atop of Mount Rokko is the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden. The Nunobiki Herb Garden is a really pretty, calm area where guests can see many different types of herbs, flowers, and greenery. There is no entrance fee to the garden.

You start at the top of Mount Rokko and can walk down the mountain to see the different types of vegetables and herbs that they grow here. Unfortunately we came during winter so the trees and leaves were bare, but I still found it to be very beautiful and calming here. I can only imagine how breathtaking it would be during sakura season!

Foot soak atop Mt Rokko: One of our highlights of the day was the herbal foot soak. For 100 yen, guests can soak their feet in a hot, herbal bath made with fresh herbs from the garden. The foot soak has a beautiful view overlooking Kobe. We ended up spending a hour chatting, just enjoying the view, and enjoying the hot water relaxing our feet.

There are also hammocks at the herb garden! It was a bit too chilly to fully enjoy in the winter time though.

City Loop Bus: After our relaxing visit to Mt Rokko and the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden, our friend (tour guide/translator hehe) suggested that we take the City Loop bus back to the Harbourland area for dinner.

The City Loop bus stops at all major and recommended Kobe attractions. This was a great suggestion because we were able to see other areas of Kobe instead of being in an underground train!

Harbourland at night: We were thinking of going on the sunset cruise, but we spent too long relaxing at the foot soak at Mount Rokko and missed the sailing time. Oops! But no regrets because that foot soak was amazing. Anyways, I would recommend the sunset cruise if you have time.

We ended up walking around Harbourland a bit more, and took some pictures of the night landscape. You could also take this time to shop around Habourland.

Dinner: Our friend suggested Vietnamese food for dinner! It was my first time having Vietnamese food in Japan. We went to Thang Cafe Motomachi which was a short walk from Harbourland.

Compared to Canadian Vietnamese restaurants, the noodles were thicker and chewier. The main distinction was that the pho broth was very gingery so that may be a good or bad thing depending if you like ginger or not.

Overall, it was a very fun day in Kobe. We left very satisfied with the sights that we saw and the city left a great impression on us. The weather was beautiful the whole day as well. Kobe, you were great!

Wara Thai

April 4, 2020

Disclaimer: In light of COVID-19, I just wanted to say that I am doing my part and social distancing. This is a review based on contact-less delivery.

Wara Thai is a Thai restaurant that quietly opened in Chinatown a year ago. I remember coming across the restaurant online last year while looking up food options in the area, but haven’t heard anything about it on social media or food blogs so I kind of forgot about it. While looking on Uber Eats, we decided to try Wara Thai because they were offering a $3.00 off coupon.

Compared to other Uber Eats places we tried, it took a really long time for our food to come. It took over a hour, almost close to 1.5 hours! Needless to say, we were hangry! I am not sure if this was due to Uber Eats or perhaps Wara Thai was just slow at preparing their food, but I try to be as informative in my reviews as possible.

Green curry w/ chicken: Out of all the Thai curries, the fiance and I love green curry the most. Naturally, we had to give this a try and compare it to other Thai restaurants!

Our first impression of the green curry was that it was very watery… like soup! We were confused and worried that it would be disappointing (especially after almost 1.5 hours wait) but thankfully the curry turned out to be delicious.

We ordered a medium spice level which was perfect for us! There was a spicy kick and the curry was very fragrant and flavourful. I am used to Thai curries being more creamy and rich, but this was still very delicious.

The tub was quite big so we had enough curry to eat the next day after cooking more rice. Speaking of rice, we also ordered a small coconut rice which was creamy with a rich, delicious coconut flavour!

Spicy basil fried rice: This was one of the specials that the fiance picked. This was absolutely delicious as well! There was a lot of ‘wok hei’ or grilled wok flavour, which is an absolute necessary in perfecting fried rice.

The chili was also pre-roasted which elevated the ‘wok hei’ taste even more. There was a generous portion of seasoned pork. The basil leaves added more excitement and texture to the fried rice. It also came with some freshly sliced cucumbers to help balance out the spiciness.

Another thing I appreciated about Wara Thai was that they catered to dietary restrictions. Their menu informed you whether or not it was dairy free, gluten free, or could be made vegan. As someone with dietary restrictions and chronic digestive problems, I really appreciate the small details and care that a restaurant puts into the menu to inform customers like myself.

We really enjoyed our meal from Wara Thai and would order again without a doubt! I would also love to visit the restaurant for a meal when this social distancing fiasco is over.

There aren’t too many Thai places in Vancouver to pick from (compared to other Asian cuisines such as Japanese, Vietnamese, or Chinese) so Wara Thai is a nice addition to Vancouver’s Thai food scene!

Travel: Cup Noodle Museum – Osaka Ikeda

April 1, 2020

While doing my part in social distancing and staying home, I thought it would be a great time to continue my travel posts from our recent trip to the Kansai region (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Himeji, Kurashiki)! We went back in late January/early February, but honestly that felt like a year ago because things were so different then compared to now!

The Cup Noodle Museum is not actually located in Osaka. From Osaka’s city center, it is about a 40 minute train ride to the city of Ikeda. Ikeda is a small, residential city so we thought it was quite odd to plop a museum here. Turns out, the city of Ikeda is where cup noodles were actually invented!

We actually weren’t planning to come here, but prior to our flight, we had nothing to do and saw that the Cup Noodles Museum was only 15 minutes away from Itami Airport. So, we checked our luggage in early and killed a couple of hours here. It was actually one of the highlights of the trip and I ended up really enjoying our visit here!

Since the Cup Noodle Museum is the only attraction around here, there are signs everywhere when you get off the train station so it would be hard to get lost. There is no entrance fee here unlike the Cup Noodle Museum in Yokohama.

First, you sanitize your hands and pay for your cup. As of Feb 2020, it was 300 yen and I believe they only accepted coins.

Secondly, this is where the fun begins! You are led into the decorating area! The decorating area is efficiently divided up by parties of 2 or 4. Each table has its own pens so you don’t need to worry about sharing with other visitors.

We spent about 30 minutes decorating our cups. We could have been faster but we had a few hours to kill before our flight, so why not?

Thirdly, you hand over your newly decorated cup to the staff, where it goes into this machine to put the noodles in.

Fourthly, your cup noodles are handed to another staff. You can select one broth flavour, and some toppings!

Finally, your cup noodles go through a machine where it is sealed and packaged! It was very fun to watch and see your creation look like a real, packaged food item that you’d buy at a grocery store!

In addition to making your own cup noodles, there are also exhibition rooms talking about the history of cup noodles, and interesting facts. There is also a huge wall of cup noodles over the years that make for great photos!

There is also a gift shop where you can buy souvenirs.

For only 300 yen (or about $4 CAD), it was a great way to spend a couple of hours and now we have personalized souvenirs in our home.

If you have some time to kill in Osaka, or departing/arriving from Itami Airport, I would recommend a stop here!

Sushi California – Cambie St

March 29, 2020

Disclaimer: In light of COVID-19, I just wanted to say that I am doing my part and have been social distancing. Luckily, I have some drafts saved up before this whole craziness began so please don’t attack me for posting restaurant visits.

Before this craziness began, Sangria’s Riskay Girls found ourselves at Sushi California after a morning of bridal shower and bachlorette planning for Sangria’s wedding! Unfortunately, everything is now being put on hold until the madness is over. Side note, my thoughts are with all the brides getting married this summer, it really sucks.

I actually haven’t been to this Sushi California location until now. I found this location to be less busy than the original Lougheed location. Parking may be a bit hard to find since this is such a busy area, but it is a minute away from Broadway/City Hall station.

Salmon sashimi: The salmon sashimi was delicious and satisfied my sashimi cravings. The sashimi was very fresh and the pieces were very large too!

Dynamite roll: The dynamite roll was alright. Nothing too special about it. I found it underwhelming compared to the other dishes we ordered.

Crunch house roll: The crunch house roll was delicious! It was a deep fried roll with crab meat, avocado, tuna and salmon sashimi. The teriyaki sauce was a pleasant, sweet addition to the roll.

Although the roll was deep fried, it didn’t feel too heavy or greasy to me, and had a light crunch.

Beef yakiudon: The yakiudon was delicious, with a creamy, mouthwatering sauce. I thought I tasted a bit of butter in the sauce but not too sure.

The only disappointing thing about this dish was that it was quite small so I didn’t find it worth the price. The photo is deceiving because it makes it look bigger than it was.

Okonomiyaki: Last but not least, the okonomiyaki! The okonomiyaki was delicious and very filling.

Overall, I enjoyed this location of Sushi California. Reliable, straightforward sushi at reasonable prices.