Anjali's Dosa Garden - Newton

If we were stuck on a desert island with only one kind of food to eat...well, lets just say that South Indian has entered my top 10 list for sure (it would also be interesting to ask this question substituting dessert for desert!). Our visit to Tandoori Flame a few weeks ago while exciting, was somewhat disappointing in the dosa department. While many Indian dishes lend themselves to buffet style dining, dosa must definitely come to you straight off the grill and that's what we got at Anjali's Dosa Garden in Newton.

Located in a somewhat industrial and not so pretty strip mall just off King George. It is a no nonsense place, not nearly as lavish as Tandoori Flame but neither was my wallet so significantly lightened.

We started with their Idli Vada Combo which came with the usual red and coconut chutnies and sambar (a lentil based soup/stew). The vada was hot out of the fryer and along with pillowy idli both were perfect vehicles for the rich coconut and spicy sides.

Next was the main event. We tried the Mysore Masala Dosa which was filled with a wonderful potato and spice mixture. I am not really an expert on the different types of dosa but this one was squared off and had onion in the batter making it a little more rustic than some dosa that we have had. It did not disappoint and was rich and comforting on this rainy afternoon.  

Lamb Biryani was our third plate. This is a wonderful dish and too be honest, I have had it at several South Indian restaurants and it is always amazing! Just a perfectly conceived recipe (Well at least it is to me! If you don't like rice or lamb, you might be less enthusiastic).

We also ordered Podi Oothappam to go (mostly because I did not know what it was). It turned out to be a lovely pillowy bread with a not too spicy tomato herb paste topping. Very nice!

Not too fancy but friendly enough. Our server was a little run off her feet but did pretty well on keeping up. Don't be afraid to try something different! There is more out there than sushi and tacos and bubble tea (don't get me wrong. we love that stuff). This place we enthusiastically recommend.

Poke Bar - New Westminster Station

Poke Bar is not a local phenomenon. According to their web site, they have over 70 locations mostly in the US but there are a few in New Zealand and Canada too. So this is not their first attempt and it is evident.

I tried a couple of things. Unfortunately, they were out of noodles because their Kale Noodle special was intriguing. Instead I had a medium signature bowl , the name of which I cannot recall.

It was a bit of a feast, starting with a generous amount of luscious Ahi Tuna, brown rice, salad greens as well as (at my option) seaweed salad, massago, imitation crab and their sesame seed/ seaweed topping. For $15, I though that I got my moneys worth and was completely happy. I also ordered a small Spicy Salmon Bowl. This was a special that came to $10.

A little squished by the lid, this started with some very good, presumably Atlantic Salmon. Again I chose brown rice (you have the option of white rice, usually noodles or salad), greens, edamame, massago again and crispy onions. 

We certainly have our choice of poke places these days but this one is both convenient (right at the skytrain station) and offers tasty dishes at a decent price. The folks there were friendly and patient with me as I pondered the many options. It is worth a stop if you are in  New West!

Menzou Ramen & Bubble Tea - South Surrey

It is good news for the environment that ramen is beginning to be available further to the east than previously. It means that us folks out the valley do not have to drive as far to get our fix. Menzou Ramen is located in The Shops at Morgan Crossing. I only became aware of the place recently (it has been up and running at least 6 months) and since the weather has turned crisp we decided to see what they had to offer.

Its a chic little place and we were warmly welcomed. We found the service to be very attentive and friendly throughout our visit.

They offer a few starters including Deep Fried Squid which was quite good. It arrived hot and crispy and was tender despite being a touch on the salty side.

The main event, their original ramen was not mind blowing. The broth was not as flavourful as we have enjoyed at some places (should have selected shoyu instead of original?) and the chashu, despite having a bit of a sear which I like, was not overly memorable (should have chosen pork belly?). The egg and noodles were pretty decent though.

They offer a few adders and we asked for corn which I was surprised to see came on the side. That is not a complaint but just an observation.

We also ordered the Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup and this was something a little more special. The broth had some deeper flavour and the brisket was excellent being tender and very "beefy". With some greens including Taiwanese Sauerkraut, this dish was worth the price of admission!

Menzou also offers an extensive bubble tea selection. This is usually Marie's happy place but since it was chilly we had some hot tea instead. So Menzou is a decent place when you have the craving and don't wish to make the commute to Richmond or wherever. 

BTW, my partner is out of hospital and doing much better. She still has some health challenges and is under the capable care of her sister for the moment. I am breathing some relief and am happy to have her back.

Kababji Grill - South Surrey

I actually hesitated to try Kababji Grill because there were a few poor reviews on Zomato but I always say (OK so I haven't said it for a while) that you should review your reviewer. I realized that all the negative reviews came from people who had not written any other reviews or who wrote mainly negative stuff. I don't know these people and they are probably fine humans but if they only take to the internet to complain (Really? Do people do that?), I certainly can't trust that they are unbiased or even reasonable. So I decided to give the place a try because the menu is interesting with a few items I am not familiar with and I happen to love Lebanese food.

Located in The Shops at Morgan Crossing, try not to get frustrated by the stupid parking lot. Kababji is a one or 2 person show. The gentleman who takes your order will cook your food and deliver it to your table. Truly a multi talented fellow but not exactly warm and welcoming. I kind of expected that from other reviews but he warmed up considerably when I showed some appreciation for his craft and joked about the garlic breath I would be taking with me. Be friendly with people and they will reciprocate. In the meantime, there is nothing wrong with being serious in this world.

And oh my! First was some fine Baba Ghanouj. Smokey and rich and bathed in lovely olive oil, this was almost a meal unto itself. The accompanying pita was less than spectacular but I hardly noticed.

Next came Arayes, ground beef stuffed grilled pita. The beef was aromatic with middle eastern spices. It made me think cinnamon but I believe there is a little more to it than that. Topped with a garlic sauce that is insane! This is a dish you must try!

I am a Falafel Pita fan even though they are not exceptionally photogenic. Even the interior is not pretty but it was such a satisfying and tasty wrap!

Unlike burritos which tend to be filled with rice and beans and very little viand, this boasted tasty, cuminy falafel as the main ingredient along with vegetables and messy tasty sauce. Very nice! On another occasion, we got a Mixed Grill Platter to go. At $19.99 this was enough for two. 

It consisted of 3 skewers, one each of lamb, chicken and kufta (ground beef). They were each nicely charred around the edges. The kufta had that delicious middle eastern spicing again and made me smile. The chicken and lamb were both moist and tender. They were perfect even after a thirty minute drive home. They came on a bed of lovely basmati rice obviously cooked in stock and spices. The platter also came with sides.

A salad which was by no means a cynical throw in piece or two of lettuce, as well as very good hummus and amazing garlic sauce. The garlic sauce deserves some note here. Although Lebanese garlic sauce (Toum) looks like and is made the same way as mayonnaise, the emulsifier is a ton of raw garlic instead of egg! I had no idea that this was even possible! Google it! It is often cut with mayonnaise to tone it down but regardless, this is a delicious sauce guaranteed to keep vampires and probably the flu at bay! I am officially a big fan of Kababji Grill!

The Carvery - South Surrey / Sub Par Significant Other

This is both a review of a pretty decent little sandwich shop and a confession as to what a bad life partner I am. Last weekend, Marie was having some pretty serious pain and we took her to ER in Langley both on Saturday evening and on Sunday morning before we finally found out that she has a kidney stone. So they sent us home with pain medication and the plan was; manage the pain and the stone will pass. By no means a pleasant situation for her but not life threatening. Unfortunately things went south pretty fast from there. Her sister took one look at her a couple of days later and said, "We are taking you back to emergency!" We got there (to Peace Arch this time) to find that the kidney stone had gotten stuck, she was dangerously dehydrated and had infection (where was I during this, you may well ask?). They swooped into amazing action in the emergency room and continued it in the ICU and she is now a few days later, on the mend but not a happy camper in her new role as pincushion for many monitors and medication delivery devices and blood tests and...she wants to go home in the worst way but that is still a few days away, I am afraid.
The lesson here is, if you need to be taken care of, I am clearly not your man. I consider myself a pretty decent electrician, a mediocre to fair food blogger but clearly I am not to be entrusted with human life. Thank goodness for Marie's sister and the folks at Peace Arch Hospital. So having selfishly gotten that off my chest, I am spending as much time with Marie at the hospital as I can...but a guys still gotta eat, right? You know, there is a little sandwich place called, The Carvery near here....dare I? In my defence, my partner is getting better, she has a constant stream of visitors and she is not really a fan of sandwiches anyway....so a bit sheepishly, I sneak out for a sandwich...well, maybe a couple of times!

Found just off King George Hwy in not the most exotic of locations adjacent to Avis Rent a Car, The Carvery is an 11 to 4 kind of place, serving pretty good lunches to folks who know where to find them! On the weekends, they do porchetta and brisket, so I chose the Porchetta Sandwich with a bowl of  Cream of Broccoli and Cheddar.

The bread was very good (filone) being nicely chewy. The pork itself was not bad but when I think porchetta, my mind travels to Meat And Bread in Vancouver and this one did not quite measure up to that standard nor did it have the wonderful cracklings. In fairness, The Carvery is not going the same  route and the sandwich has very  

 nice greens, tasty chimichuri and paprika aioli. The soup was wonderful and rich.

On another visit, I ordered off their regular menu which has a lot of tempting combinations and classics to offer.

A Cubano! I am not an expert but this was a revelation! Roasted mojo (garlic, cumin, oregano and citrus) pork shoulder and smoked ham, with Swiss, pickles and mustard on Cuban loaf, brought me close to tears! Put this on your bucket list!

Finally, I got a Lambwich Panini to go. This was also a great pleasure with roasted pulled lamb shoulder, chimichuri, sunny fetta spread (not quite sure but feta?)  and greens on ciabatta. Nice! Check out their menu but remember that they have daily specials. Taco Tuesday? And there was a Ham, Macaroni and Cheese Sandwich special when I dropped in.

Definitely worth the effort to find! And Marie is better as each day passes. I will keep you in the loop.

Ramen Butcher

I complain when the weather is too hot but I'm not keen on getting rained on constantly either. Some people are never happy. The one good thing about rain is that it signals the commencement of ramen season. OK, so you can eat ramen anytime but it is wonderful on a rainy, dreary day.

As I was working my way through that weak logic, we suddenly found ourselves in front of Ramen Butcher in Chinatown!

The message (ramen) was clear. Soup and noodles were called for.

Oh my goodness but the basic product was wonderful (actually, this was Orange Miso Ramen) and we felt warm and fuzzy from the very start. The broth was rich and velvety. The chashu has some substance and we really enjoyed the miso marinated ground pork!

We also ordered Classic Tsukemen where you dip the noodles into the sauce. It is not 100% soup like but really pretty close. again the broth or dipping sauce if you prefer, was something special. The smokiness of Bonito Flakes was really notable. We ordered both meals as combos with Karage Chicken Don with one ramen and

a Curry Don with the other.

Both of these side dishes landed well. The chicken was crispy and the curry was just slightly sweet and not too spicy as you expect from a Japanese curry. There are all sorts of options and extras that you can order including extra helpings of excellent noodles if you can make the broth last. Prices are in line with most ramen places so you can leave satisfied with out lightening your wallet too much.

We found the staff to be quite friendly and the surroundings are comfortable. Give them a try!

Crackle Creme

We are always too full for desert but so may places are showing up that specialize in the final course (or bubble tea and the final course) that we thought that we should start there for a change.

Creme brulee is such a classic and wonderful desert (written recipes date prior to 1700) that there should be more places that specialize in it. A wonderful torched and crackly sugar topping, over a delicious custard base, it is not so filling as a giant piece of cake or pie but completes a meal grandly!

We had the Pandan Coconut version with a lovely green custard reminiscent of my partner's Filipino deserts. It was not overly sweet but was smooth and rich.

Desert waffles and toppings formed the next category at Crackle Creme. I ordered it with a condensed milk drizzle also a Filipino favourite ingredient. I found the waffle a little too chewy.

They do macaroons here also (impossibly cute ones) but we did not try them on this visit.

We rounded our desert out with a Latte with was very good. I feel like there might have been a time in the distant past when we did not expects a latte to come with a clever design in the foam. What barbarians we were!

This is a comfy little place at the south edge of Chinatown. Desert is not expensive here, as I was expecting it to be. Why not start with desert and see what you can discover?