Zakkushi Disappointment

I featured Zakkushi in one of the best izakayas to go to in Vancouver last year and have returned a few times since.  This last trip I made, unfortunately brewed a small storm inside my heart.  We walked in and the place looked a bit different.  Fancier menu, brighter lighting, not as smoky, not as crowded, loud, or ghetto.  Hmmm it's not quite the Zakkushi I remember, but that's ok.. I'm mostly here for the food even though I miss the ghettoness just a little bit.  We ordered the usual skewers, daikon salad, and of course, the delicious kimchi mentai yaki udon smothered with cod roe.  At first, the waiter informed us there was no more udon and if we wanted soba instead.  He later revealed, that they don't make the dish anymore.  Shocked and appalled, I demanded answers.  I was there 4 weeks ago and they were still serving it.  From what I know, the dish is one of the MOST RAVED ABOUT on the Vancouver food blog sites.  And from what my friend told me, they were there last week, and they STILL got it!  The waiter had no answers for us.  He said the owners simply removed it from the menu.  I told him the owners made a huge mistake.  He shook his head in despair and simply told me to blog about it. So that was blow number one.  FYI this is what the dish looks like:

Kimchi Mentai Yaki Udon

I believe this tuna rice dish is also now non-existent.  What a shame, it also was really good.

Negi toro don

I came home and checked their website and it says their "Grand Menu Starts Now".
I appreciate it when restaurants try to up their scale but being innovative and changing up things.  However, I don't appreciate the sheer negligence over the quality that sometimes comes after the menu/owner/chef changing.  Such as the case at Wo Fung chicken wings (now 3 times smaller), Cattle Cafe (watery soup base), and Pied a Terre (salty steak frites and dismissal of Napoleon), and now Zakkushi charcoal minuscules.

New menu! 

Back to the restaurant. After we delighted ourselves with the $9.99 Sapporo pitcher, we ordered the usual Kushi Set which comes with 5 skewers.  Each time, the skewers seem to be shinking smaller and smaller.  Did the change the chef? Did we come on a bad day? What has happened?

Before - Kushi set on July 31, 2010

After - Kushi set August 25, 2010

Tsukune December 12, 2009

Tsukune Aug 25, 2010

I looked over at the Japanese folks next table and, to my astonishment, their skewers were twice the size of ours.  Due to legal reasons, I decided not to post their pictures with skewers.  Of course these are not the biggest blunders for a restaurant and it is still as busy as ever.  But to me, the wow factors for Zakkushi is gone.  I have absolutely no reason left to go back there (unless for the $9.99 Sapporo pitchers).

Cattle Cafe: no longer yummy

I used to enjoy going to Cattle Cafe on Alexandra Road in Richmond. It was well known for it's ginormous noodle soup which you have to option to select everything from soup base, type of noodles, toppings, drinks and sides.  I was more than excited to re-visit the cafe to indulge in a big bowl of laksa that seemed to pack with flavours and seemingly bottomless.

A lot of the restaurants, as they get more and more busy, I guess they often overlook or replace the quality of their food to cut costs.  Or perhaps it was just the inconsistency of the kitchen.  Either way, what used to be my favourite places in Richmond has become an abomination with this one last time visit.

Laksa noodle soup, still seemingly as big and looking just as delicious.  But after tasting the soup, I wondered how many times they watered the pot down and reused the same broth over and over.  Where were the flavours this time! I was pretty much drinking slightly flavoured water with oil drizzled on top.
To add an extra punch, that estranged strand of hair we found didn't improve the situation much.  Remember,  it's an asian place.  Sending a plate back will only result in a look of disdain and you will still get the same plate back (with the hair removed with someone's bare hand).

We also ordered their recommended pork chop with demi-glaced onion sauce.  It looked fantastic in the picture!  Since it's popular, sure we would try it!

 This is what came out. 

At first glance, no, it doesn't look like anything in the picture.  And I was expecting a demi-glace sauce to be more brownish and gravy like, not creamy and rose like.  Kkkk, it's an asian place, maybe it's fusion right? Their own interpretation. If it tasted good, then all would be forgiven.  We still had to bounce back from that last bowl of laksa.  Although, this one didn't look promising either.  And as we took a bite, our thought was unanimous "people "like" eating this?".....Really?  I mean we were in Richmond where hundreds of asian restaurants compete on price and quality to stay on top.  You're telling me that this dish that looked and tasted like it was made by a 10 year old girl is your best selling dish?

Needless to say, I am never going back again.  Could it be one bad day? Maybe. The inconsistency, though, and that pork chop though, I just couldn't bring myself to forgiveness.  So this is my goodbye. The quest for next best laksa ensues.

Good article on Izakayas in Vancouver

Izakaya, known to me as a joint that serves japanese tapas and beer, has been a popular staple amongst Vancouver locals for quite a few years now. Its reputation and popularity with visitors coming in the sample the much talked about menu has also grown immensely. As more Izakayas open up, Japanese tapas are becoming like Dim sum but for dinner, instead of brunch. I stumbled across an article about Vancouver Izakayas on Chow.com which has a good overview and listing of Izakayas in Vancouver area, covering famous ones such as Guu and Gyoza King. If you love japanese cuisine and never been to an Izakaya, I recommend going to Guu on Robson. It offers a unique experience with their chaotic yet upbeat atmosphere, and most importantly, their cocaine-for-your-palette tapas.

Read the article here.

Pictures taken @ Guu, Aberdeen Centre, Richmond BC

Okonomiyaki (japanese pizza)

Tuna mousse to be wrapped with nori

Beef Carpacio

Good Eats in Vancouver

I'll update this post often as I go to Vancouver a lot , solely for the food.

Wo Fung Dessert Aberdeen Centre, Richmond, BC



I was extremely heartbroken when Little Bean which had the crispiest and juiciest fried chicken wings no longer serve chicken.

Then, I heard rumours that the best fried chicken wings are at the food court and Aberdeen Centre. It took me a couple trips before I found where this joint was located. Finally, one day when as I was making another hunt for chicken wings I came across something peculiar. While other food joints were waiting for one customers to come and order, only one had a lineup of about 10 people. I quickly observed to see what people are ordering and behold, fried chicken wings are flying out of the kitchen. It seemed to be the only thing patrons are ordering from Wo Fung Dessert. I think the "Dessert" part is what threw me off and why I never found this hidden treasure. Anywho, I took one bite of the freshly fried wings and I think one single tear of joy came out. It was crispy, juicy and the skin and the meat are perfectly seasoned and marinated. There's tons of flavour but not over powering and you can just taste a hint of ginger.

Frappe Bliss

If you walk a few steps over across the food court you will find a shop called Frappe Bliss which offers all different kinds of shaved ice dessert. It may sound too simple but their secret ingredient lies in the shaved ice which is made of milk, a combination fresh ingredients and milk, or yogurt. The texture of the shaved ice is very smooth, almost velvet and has creamy flavour. Aside from the different flavoured shaved ice you can also pick different toppings to go on the dessert. It's very different from all the other shaved ice desserts and extremely refreshing even after a full meal. I didn't find their website having a lot of information but you can click here to see their selections and reviews.



Steveston Pizza Co. Steveston, BC



Steveston Pizza Co. is a small shop on the corner of Moncton and 3rd Ave in Steveston and only does takeouts. In the summertime, it's a perfect spot to stop by and picnic by the beach which has a scenic harbour view. Steveston Pizza Co. is well known among the locals for using fresh and gourmet ingredients. It's hard to make a selection from the menu when everything sounds fantastic. My favourite is the simple Margerite One but I'm still making it my mission to sample everything on the menu.

Cheesy leftover!!

Tenku Richmond, BC


I call it the giant takoyaki, but the apprporiate name is actually "Bakudanyaki". The giant ball is sold at 500 cents a pop and is consisted of rice cake, shrimp, calamari, cabbage, quail egg, and different toppings. Look for a Tenku stand when you are hungry for bakudanyaki at 7100 Elmbridge Way (in a parking lot) from 11-8 pm everyday. Here is the website for the delicious menu and location.

Gmen Ramen Richmond, BC



G-Men Ramen is achain of Gyoza King and is known as Kintaro's biggest competition in Vancouver. The key here is the broth; shoyu, torigara (chicken) shoyu, and miso; all of which are rich and packed with flavour. Cheese lovers should try the Miso, Cheese & Kimchi Ae Soba. Aside from ramen, there are also donburi (rice) dishes such as bbq eel, salted cod roe, or marinated pork on rice. The only downer is that the space is extremly limited and there's always lineups. If you are planning to go with a bigger group of people, all party must be present once your table is available, otherwise they'll give up your table. Inside the restaurant, the decor is kinda cute. They make the kitchen to look like a street vendor, reminiscent of authentic ramen stands in Japan.

Japadog downtown Vancouver

Located on Burrard street, (one location on Burrard and Smithe, the other on Burrard and Penderstreet, Japadog is probably the most famous hot dog stand in Canada, having been aired by CBC, Global, and CBC, not to include published in various magazines. some of the past clients include Steven Seagal, Daniel Dae Kim, and Ice Cube. The lineup on any regular day may be long but nobody seems to mind the wait. You can find all sorts of people from businessman to tourist sitting down on the pavement and enjoying the delicious fusion between Japanese flavour toppings and a North American staple. The most popular being the Terimayo, which branches into different types, and the Oroshi. Patrons can check on their website before embarking on the search for Japadog as they maybe opened or closed depending on the weather.