Curiously Carmen

Bai Bua Thai Cuisine – Two Revisits

May 24, 2019

Two years ago, I wrote a delicious post on Bai Bua Thai Cuisine! Thai food isn’t something that I normally eat, but I always enjoy it nonetheless.

But after spending a weekend of watching Hairy Biker’s Asian Adventures on Netflix and seeing them explore Thailand, the boyfriend really wanted Thai food! So I checked the menu at Bai Bua and they had a clear noodle soup I could eat, so off we went.

Then, I came back with Takoyaki a week later because I was craving Thai food again! So, this post features 2 revisits.

It’s been two years since coming to Bai Bua, but the restaurant and good service still remained the same.

Thai clear soup with chicken: I didn’t really have high hopes for this soup, since usually clear soup translates to not much flavour.

However, I was really surprised at how delicious this was! If one day my digestive problems subside and I can eat all the food I want again, I’d still order this clear soup.

The soup had a lot of depth to it and the flavour was well rounded. In particular, I enjoyed the mix of fragrant chicken broth and garlic. It came with a lot of plain boiled chicken which was juicy. The noodles were similar to the Chinese flat noodles aka ‘hoa fun’.

Red curry: The boyfriend went with a red curry and side of coconut rice. The spice level was subtle, but gradually sneaks up on you after many bites. He really enjoyed the red curry and it satisfied his Thai food craving.

Coconut rice: A must order for us when we have Thai! The coconut rice here was yummy and full of sweet coconut flavour.

We left very satisfied with our food, and had also had enough red curry and coconut rice left to bring back.

Mango sticky rice: OH MY – I seriously could not stop thinking about this sticky rice the next day. It was my first time trying mango sticky rice, and after checking that it was completely dairy free (eg. no condensed milk on top or evaporated milk etc), I was really excited!

This was so good! The sticky rice was …well, sticky, for lack of better description… like glutinous rice. The mango that was so delicately cut into a flower shape was very sweet and ripe. Both the rice and mango went so well with the coconut rice.

Now, on to my second visit with Takoyaki!

Coconut water: I was really thirsty that day so I reluctantly got a fresh coconut water. Why reluctantly? Because it was $6 and I wanted to also get a dessert!

Anyways, the coconut water was very refreshing and light. They also give you a metal spoon so that you can scoop off the coconut meat and eat it. I had a few pieces while waiting for my noodles, but the meat doesn’t have much taste.

Thai iced milk tea: Takoyaki has been here before, but only ordered a drink – the Thai iced milk tea. She remembered that it was really good so she ordered it again! It did not disappoint.

Thai fried rice: After checking to make sure this was not spicy, Takoyaki ordered this. She really enjoyed it. The rice was well seasoned and fragrant. There was too much to finish alone, so she packed it up for lunch the next day and said it tasted even better! Some foods taste better the next day (eg. chili) because the spices/herbs get to settle in.

I forgot how good Bai Bua was and I’d love to come back more often. I’m glad that there were safe dishes for me to eat there still!

There aren’t as many Thai places in Vancouver compared to Japanese/Vietnamese/Korean places, but Bai Bua would be one of my top picks for Thai.

Red Robin – Burnaby Location

May 23, 2019

Ah, Red Robin… so many memories from this place. During the beginning of our relationship, the boyfriend and I went to the North Vancouver location quite often. We were so sad when we drove out one day and they had shut down!

That was about 3 years ago now so we sadly don’t get to have our Red Robin fix anymore. But for Cheeseburger’s birthday back in February this year, he wanted Red Robin so we all went to the Burnaby one next to Lougheed Mall. We took him many years ago when the North Vancouver location was still open, and he’s loved it ever since!

I tried to make a reservation since it was a Saturday night, but was told they don’t accept reservations during that time. We ended up waiting about 20 minutes for a table. I was happy to see that it was busy because I do not want this location to get shut down either!

Freckled lemonade: Obviously, I had to start with their freckled lemonade! I love that it comes with unlimited refills. The lemonade is on the sweet side because they add strawberry syrup and strawberries.

This isn’t a healthy drink and is full of sugar, but it’s a nice treat to have occasionally.

Silver spoon smores: The birthday boy, ordered a delicious milkshake! The silver spoon smores came with toasted marshmallows, chocolate dipped graham crackers, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup. Doesn’t that sound heavenly?

Simply grilled burger: The boyfriend went with the simply grilled burger, which he always used to order as well. To make it more filling, he added another patty and had some cheese with it too. He loves the simply grilled patties because they are juicy and flavourful.

The veggies for the burger came on the side. There was a generous amount and the veggies were all fresh too. For the side, he picked the endless fries which are always a good idea.

Prime chophouse burger: If you love onions, this burger is for you! Cheeseburger picked this and he loved every bite.

The burger came with crispy onion inside, and was topped with an onion ring. It also included sauteed mushrooms, steak sauce, and Provolone cheese.

Buffalo chicken wings: Maki ordered the buffalo chicken wings with feta cheese. She wasn’t a fan of the buffalo sauce so she didn’t end up eating that much of it. The boyfriend and Nigiri helped her eat the rest, they enjoyed it more than she did.

Good thing she also ordered a stack of onion rings! I forgot to take a picture of them, but they were more enjoyable than the chicken wings.

Simply grilled chicken burger: Due to my digestive issues, I played it safe and ordered the grilled chicken burger. It turned out to be a very delicious choice and light enough for my stomach to handle!

The chicken had a nice char, and grilled flavour. In addition, the meat was juicy. It also came with a bunch of fresh veggies that made the burger seem bigger. I ordered a salad with vinaigrette sauce on the side because I didn’t want a flareup from the fries.

All in all, we had a delicious albeit unhealthy meal at Red Robin’s. I’d recommend Red Robin’s if you were wanting a good and reliable burger. No, it’s not a fancy, boujie, or trendy place but it’s a classic!

The Keg – North Burnaby Location – Revisit

May 22, 2019

The Keg in North Burnaby was one of my first ever blog posts, over five years ago! Since then, The Keg has been one of the go-to places with my parents for special occasions. We come here at least 2-3x a year, so I figured it was time for an update post!

This location is located next to the Costco in North Burnaby. There is a big, free parking lot but we still find it hard to find parking, depending on the time of the year or if it’s Mother’s/Father’s day.

Prime rib, medium rare, 8 oz: This is my parent’s go-to! Their prime rib is always amaaaazing. It is tender and cooked to a perfect medium rare. Just looking at the picture makes me salivate.

That night, they got the grilled vegetables, but the double baked potato or mashed potatoes are quite delicious too. The angle of my photo makes the steak look small, but it’s a filling portion.

Tuna steak: I usually get the prime rib too, but my digestive problems were at its peak that week so I wouldn’t have been able to handle a rich and juicy steak or that much red meat. How sad right? So, I decided to play it safe and order a tuna steak. This was my first time ordering a non-beef item at The Keg.

The tuna steak was very small and not that filling. I found it to be a bit dry too. For the portion and price, the steak was definitely the better value and I felt pretty ripped off by this. But what can I do? Hopefully next time, my stomach will be in better condition so I can have the prime rib.

Baseball top sirloin: The boyfriend went with the baseball top sirloin that night! It was also a 8 oz, but looked smaller because it was thick. I believe it’s called a ‘baseball’ sirloin because it’s thick and could easily fit in the palm of your hand like a baseball would.

He enjoyed the sirloin a lot and had no complaints. Since this is such a thick cut, they can only cook it to a medium rare.

Service here can be a bit hit or miss here, depending on the day that you come. But the steaks are consistently delicious and it is a good place to come for a special occasion!

Wah Lun (Ryan’s) Chinese Restaurant – Revisit

May 21, 2019

Wah Lun Chinese Restaurant has been one of my go-tos for dim sum for many years. They changed their name to Ryan’s Chinese Restaurant a few years ago, but also still go by Wah Lun as well.

I wrote about Wah Lun 5 years ago so it’s time for an updated post!

Due to my stomach problems, it’s been awhile since I’ve been here or have had dim sum – at least a year? The boyfriend and I came here with my parents one afternoon when my stomach was feeling okay. It was good to be back!

Specialty BBQ pork buns: If there’s one thing you must get here, it is their BBQ pork buns! They have the best BBQ pork buns ever. The bun is coated in a sugary egg yolk thing, and is always fresh and fluffy.

The BBQ pork inside is juicy, flavourful and delicious too. They often bring these out fresh and you they smell sooo good.

Sticky rice wrap: The sticky rice wrap was fragrant and flavourful.

Radish cake: I didn’t have any of these, but everyone else enjoyed it. The radish cake here is cut into cube sized pieces and deep fried. Each piece was seasoned well and had a slightly crunchy exterior.

Shrimp rice roll: I love shrimp rice rolls! The one here was decent, no complaints about it.

Steamed prawn dumpling: The shrimp dumplings were fresh and had a good dumpling to shrimp ratio. There was a fresh snap to the prawns.

Bean curd wrap: The boyfriend quite enjoyed the bean curd wrap. It is one of his must orders at dim sum! This one did not disappoint unlike the bean curd wrap at Fraser Court.

TonTon Sushi (Two visits)

May 19, 2019

I conveniently found TonTon Sushi while scrolling on Instagram one day. Why conveniently? Because I was meeting Cola the following week in the Cambie area and was looking for a place to have lunch! TonTon Sushi opened about 3 months ago, and replaced Sushi Aria.

I enjoyed it and brought the boyfriend here a week later since we were in the area! It was either here or Sushi Hub, which is also a great choice.

TonTon Sushi wasn’t super busy when we went, I guess it is still a bit under the radar. We were quickly seated and service was friendly throughout the meal although it was hard to get the bill at the end.

Hamachi oshi: Oshisushi is something I haven’t had for awhile, because I find that restaurants often out a lot of sauce (eg. pesto) on it that could possibly contain dairy. Cola was too full to finish, so after checking with the waitress to make sure it was dairy free, I had a piece!

The oshisushi was sooo good. It was lightly torched so there was a delicious grilled and smoky flavour to it. There was a miso sauce on top that added some subtle flavour. Inside the sushi rice, there was a small piece of tamago! I’m so glad I tried a piece.

Ikura inari: This was something unique as well! Cola decided to try this because she hasn’t seen it at other restaurants. It was essentially a big inari nigiri topped/filled with ikura.

She quite enjoyed this dish as well. Normally, she doesn’t order inari by itself because it is too sweet. But she said that the salty ikura helped balance it out and the two flavours complemented each other well.

Negitoro roll: One of my go to rolls! The negitoro was fatty and fresh. They were very generous with the portion filling.

Salmon avocado roll: There was a mix-up and they brought me a yam tempura and avocado roll. I would have just ate it but I can’t really eat deep fried foods these days and wasn’t trying to ruin the rest of our afternoon, so I told them about the mistake.

Look at that excess sashimi in the roll!

Just like the negitoro, the salmon and avocado was bursting with ingredients! There was so much fresh salmon sashimi inside that it was overflowing. Just look at this picture from the last two pieces! In addition, the avocado was ripe and creamy.

Tuna and salmon sashimi: We also split a sashimi. The plate was a bit watery from defrosting, but the fish itself tasted fresh and delicious.

California roll: This is sad…. I ordered the California roll, but ended up being pretty full from the other 2 rolls, sashimi, and the oshisushi. So, I packed up the entire California roll…. and realized I forgot it at the restaurant a few hours later. BOO!

On the second visit with my boyfriend, we ordered most of the same things (hamachi oshi, ikura inari, salmon avocado roll, and negitoro roll) so I won’t review them again, because the taste and quality was the same.

Ocean Pacific Roll: Since we love tuna, the boyfriend wanted to try this roll which is a tuna lover’s paradise. It was fresh, however, for the price of $10, it was not worth it.

TonTon Sushi was delicious and everything was really fresh. It would be a good option if you were craving sushi in the area.