Cheap and good places in Tokyo

I haven't blogged on here for a while after my Japan/Korea trip and have been feeling a little bit lazy.  So for a recommendation for drinking spot in Japan as already mentioned in my other travel blog, the "270 Yen Kinokura Jr.".  All of the dishes and drinks (quite an array of selection) are less than $3.  Food is awesome, drinks are good size, it just seems almost too good to be true.  The best thing is, these joints can be found all over main areas in Tokyo, so it's real convenient.

Another convenient fast-foodish restaurant I really liked was the Tempura Tendon Tenya.  It may be a chain restaurant but the one we went to at Nippori really captured my heart.  For something that was simple and good, the prawn tempura there were fresh crispy.  Best of all, it is served with plenty of sauce (and a bottle at your table if you want to really drench it), a poached egg, the addition which makes the dish for me.  The set comes with miso soup, and udon soup for around 750 yen.  So if you are looking for something that is convenient, cheap, and good, I recommend this one as the way to go.

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.