Sherman's Food Adventures: Wonton Noodles

Showing posts with label Wonton Noodles. Show all posts

Congee Noodle House

It has been over 3 years since Congee Noodle House has last been open. Ordered to shut down due to a partial collapse of their parking lot into an adjacent construction site, we lost a great place to grab quick Chinese eats. Due to insurance issues and of course the pandemic, it stayed closed, seemingly never to serve their wondering wonton noodles, congee and Chinese BBQ again. Well, I've been back twice since they returned from the dead. Oh and by-the-way, I'm using a stock picture of the front since there is Skytrain construction along Broadway.

Let's get to the items that are in the restaurant name first. I ended up with the Wonton & Siu Gau Noodles instead of just the plain wonton noodles because I wanted more variety. For those who are unfamiliar, the large wontons here are primarily comprised of shrimp with some binding from shrimp mousse and pork fat. These had a sweet snap from the shrimp. As for the Siu Gau, they were larger and added wood ear mushrooms that provided some extra crunch. The noodles were perfectly prepared having a good chewiness while the broth was mild, yet still had plenty of depth.

Alright, the second item in the restaurant name is congee, so we got the Sliced Fish and Beef Congee. The viscosity of the congee was on point with a silkiness that was thick, yet was still drinkable. Properly cooked down, the rice was barely there with only some bits. The sliced fish was tender and flaky while the sliced beef was marinated enough that it was tender while still retaining a meaty texture. In terms of seasoning, the congee base was flavourful without being too salty.

So in the Chinese description of these types of restaurants also include "rice", so we got the 3 BBQ Meats on Rice. This included roast pork, soy chicken and BBQ pork. The rice was chewy and nutty with a good amount of braising liquid for flavour. Sporting crunchy crackling and fatty belly, the roast pork was good. Despite being served the wing, the soy chicken was tender, but it could've been more flavourful. It was our mistake to not specify that we wanted fatty BBQ pork, so we ended up with lean. Therefore, it was a little dry.

Since we didn't have the BBQ Duck with the combo plate, we got half a duck to test it out. It was a good decision since the duck was huge and very meaty. The breast meat was tender and moist while the rest of the duck was brined well, but not salty. The skin was still mostly crispy while the fat underneath was fairly well rendered. This was the best BBQ meat of the 4 we tried.

To compliment the congee, we ordered the Deep Fried Silverfish with Chili Salt. For those freaking out, no these aren't the little crawly things on your washroom floor. Rather, they are little fish that are battered and fried until they are super crispy. Then they are wok-tossed in garlic, chilis and salt. This particular version was solid with fairly large silverfish that were indeed crunchy and completely seasoned by the ingredients.

For no other reason that we love Sweet & Sour Pork, we got that too. Despite being a lighter shade of red-orange (not as much food colouring), this was quite good. The batter was slightly on the thicker side, but was not a huge detriment. This was because the chunks of pork shoulder were large and also juicy. There was enough sauce to coat each piece without excess. I found it sweeter than sour, but still tasty.

Trying to go for the classics, we ordered the Curry Brisket on Rice. Another solid dish in my books where the large chunks of brisket were tender and only somewhat fatty. The curry itself was thick and creamy with enough coconut milk for aroma and viscosity. The peppers and onions were still firm, yet cooked all the way through. Just like the previous rice dish, the rice was dry enough that it was perfect to go with sauce.

Lastly, we had the House Special Noodles with a bevy of seafood and veggies. The noodles were crispy and nicely browned from the deep fry in the wok while there was enough starch-thickened sauce to soften it up. It was flavourful enough, but I personally like to add red vinegar to the mix. As for the ingredients, they were cooked just right with nothing being overcooked. Overall, this was exactly what I expected from Congee Noodle House and it was good to visit an old friend who has returned after 3 years. Prices have gone up but that is normal across the board. Food is still solid and of course the wonton noodles and congee rock.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Decent service
- It is an institution in Vancouver

The Bad:
- Currently parking is an issue

Max Noodle House

Boy, I haven't been back to Max Noodle in Richmond for over 10 years! Good news is that they are still around and I had the chance to visit it again. It used to be Mak's Noodle (at least the English name) which was related to the Hong Kong store in Central. However, it is just Max Noodle now and at the very least, brings Mak's Noodle vibes to the Lower Mainland. Portions are not large here, rather, they concentrate on quality and execution.

Naturally, the thing to get is their Wonton Noodles, but I decided to add Siu Gau as well. Siu Gau are bigger than wontons and have the addition of wood ear mushrooms. I would like to point out that, although the bowl is smaller than most other wonton noodles in town, the amount of dumplings and noodles seem to be the same. There is just less soup. About that soup, it was flavourful with a nice briny saltiness and aroma. The noodles were chewy with a snap, just perfect. I found the wontons to be excellent with bouncy shrimp that were sweet with a bit of white pepper. Siu Gau were equally good with the crunch of the wood ear.

We also got the Lo Mein with Shredded Pork in spicy brown sauce. This is another classic and although I love the flavour, the amount of pork fat was a bit much. Back to the taste, it was meaty and packed full of salty sweetness with a kick. Noodles were chewy and dry where there was just enough moisture (and fat) with the meat to coat each strand. For the strips of pork that wasn't fat, they were tender with the sauce completely soaking into it.

Something a bit more mild was the Sampan Congee (called seafood on the menu) with fresh squid, dried squid and pork skin. I found the congee itself to be rather mild, but still adequately seasoned. The viscosity was thick enough to coat a spoon without being clumpy. It was smooth and silky where it benefitted for the slow cooking process. There wasn't enough ingredients in my opinion so it lacked the usual body. We got a side of Salty Donut and it was hot and crispy. Inside, it was airy and light while the amount of salt was enough to flavour the dough.

We ordered the Deep Fried Bean Curd (Tofu) and it was also very good. These silky tofu triangles were super crispy on the outside while still buttery smooth inside. They were coated in spiced salt and although it was good, we wished there was more of it. Served on the side was raw garlic vinegar dip, which added a sharp tanginess. Overall, the food at Max Noodle was as good as I had remembered. I think it is one of the best places for Wonton Noodles even though some people consider it too small of a portion. I think it is enough and the quality is top-notch.

The Good:
- Excellent wonton noodles
- Focused menu
- That fried tofu is stealthily good

The Bad:
- Small portions for those who care
- Parking is typical Richmond small parking lot and tight spots

Daisy Garden

Oh isn't this a blast from the past! The original Daisy Garden burned to the ground 7 years ago and honestly, I didn't expect it to be resurrected. This place is part of my childhood as I remembered my parents taking me regularly for wonton noodles, congee and BBQ meats. So it is definitely with nostalgia that I suggested that we check the completely new space out with, you guessed it, my parents! To complete the circle of life, it was my turn to bring my kids out to Daisy Garden. Wonder if my kids will bring their kids? Oh I am thinking too far into the future...

So dealing with the present, we were pleasantly surprised with the modern and inviting decor of the new Daisy Garden. Their menu still had all the favourites including the Sui Kau Noodles and Wonton Noodles. We got them both and the broth was a bit disappointing. It definitely had all of the aroma but had little depth and needed much more salt and shrimp shell flavour. Noodles were good though being cooked properly with an appealing chewiness. Although the wontons were on the smaller side, they were good consisting of mostly shrimp. The texture was on point with a buttery snap. As for the siu gau, the addition of wood ear mushroom provided more crunch and there was a bit more pork which made it meatier.

Of course, I had to get a bowl of Congee and decided on the pork liver and meat ball (although this also contained pork stomach and pork kidney as well). I found the congee itself to be properly thick with a nice viscosity. It was enough to coat a spoon but not too thick where it was pasty either. There was a decent amount of meat where the liver was tender. In terms of seasoning, I thought the congee was much more home-style where it was rather mild. I really didn't mind that as we can always add more salt and white pepper. We got a side of Salty Donut to go with the congee and it as money. Light, airy and crunchy, it was none too greasy either.

To complete the trifecta of required eats at a restaurant like Daisy Garden, we got the Three BBQ Meat Combo Plate. Our choices included BBQ Duck, BBQ Pork and Roast Pork (we asked for no wing for the BBQ duck where they honoured the request without extra charge). I would say the BBQ duck was the best of the bunch with rendered crispy skin. The meat was tender and well-seasoned as well. The BBQ pork was a rather fatty piece, but that also meant the meat was tender and gelatinous. It was also well-charred and nicely sauced with the classic sweet glaze. We weren't that impressed with the roast pork as it was dry and rather bland. On the other hand, the crackling was crunchy though.

Another fan favourite we ordered was the Pan Fried Rice Noodle with Sliced Beef. Some people consider this dish as much of a measuring stick as any other in a Chinese restaurant. So this version lacked a bit of colour, but that was mostly due to the conservative use of dark soy. Otherwise, there was a enough wok heat to create caramelization and keeping the noodles in one piece without using an obscene amount of oil. I would've liked to see more seasoning though as the dish ate a bit bland. There was a good amount of tender sliced beef though and that helped add a bit more flavour.

Our one rice dish was the Curry Brisket and Tendon with white rice. We rather enjoyed this one as the curry had a balanced amount of coconut milk that made it creamy without being overly heavy. The actual curry flavour was a bit watered down, but not unusual for a Cantonese version. Each piece of brisket was fairly tender and some where a bit fattier. I found the tendon to be a bit too soft and some were almost melting into the curry. So in the end, this was definitely a walk down memory lane and it was worth a visit just for the nostalgia. I thought that the food was fine, if not a bit on the pricier end given the portion size. Not my first choice for this type of food in town, yet also not a bad choice either if you were in the area.

The Good:
- It has got that nostalgic factor for many people
- Nice welcoming decor
- Decent eats

The Bad:
- Just a smidge on the more pricier side compare to competitors
- Food is decent, but there is better

Sanbo

To be honest, if I didn't stumble on the IG stories of Jo and Elaine (@whatjoate & @elaineats_), I would have never known about nor eaten at Sanbo. Despite being a local favourite, it really isn't that well-known throughout the GVRD. So what sets this Cantonese/Hong Kong-style cafe hybrid apart from all of the rest, especially in Richmond? Beyond the reasonable pricing and large portions, they are best known for their Soy Sauce Chicken. Yes really and also their Crab with Special Sauce as well as the Curry Beef Brisket and Tendon. We made the trek out to Richmond to see if their "reservation only" chicken was really that big of a deal.

To start, we had the Curry Beef Brisket and Beef Tendon. This was an enormous portion of gelatinous and soft tendon mixed in with meaty chunks of brisket. Not to be outdone, the uniquely big cuts of potato were soft and flavourful while retaining its integrity and texture. The dish reminded me somewhat of the one found at Mui Garden due to the creamy coconut milk. It was aromatic, yet still slightly spicy with plenty of curry, unlike the one at Mui Garden. Not a complex dish, but tasty and well-executed. Getting our intake of greens, we ordered the Gai Lan with Beef. This was also well-portioned with many slices of tender and well-seared beef. Underneath, the uncut stalks were crunchy and vibrant. Plenty of wok heat ensured that there was caramelization and minimal moisture.

Arriving on a large plate, the plump Soy Sauce Chicken sure looked impressive. Actually, it ate even more impressively. Predictably, the dark meat was juicy and buttery tender, but the white meat was equally succulent. It resembled sous-vide meat, but it wasn't. I've rarely had chicken breast so moist and tender. Not to be ignored, the chicken skin was nicely flavoured by the sweet soy and somewhat gelatinized. I enjoyed how the chicken itself was still naturally flavourful without being soaked with soy. Another one of their more popular dishes is the Candied Walnut Honey Peach Pork Chops. Typically, I can't stand mayo in Chinese food, but this was quite good. There was just enough of it and the amount of sugar was just right. The pieces of pork chop were tenderized without losing their natural meatiness.

Going for the trifecta, we also got a 3 lb Dungeness Crab with Special Sauce. In actuality, there really wasn't a sauce per se, but rather ingredients that flavoured the perfectly fried crab with spicy, sweet and umami notes. The combination of peppers, onions, garlic, green onion, black bean, dried shrimp, black pepper and soy made for a flavour explosion. Sure, it overwhelmed the delicate crab, but that was the intention. Essentially, the crab was merely a fluffy textural vessel for the seasoning. This could be had with rice cake and I highly recommend you add that. For the kiddies, they wanted the Scrambled Eggs and Shrimp to go with white rice. This was yet another large dish with fluffy albeit a bit overdone eggs that were a bit pale (but no food colouring I suppose). Mixed in was a generous amount of cold-water crunchy shrimp (more like prawns) that were well-seasoned.

Since we got shrimp already, we went for the Satay Seafood Vermicelli Hot Pot rather than the one with prawns. This featured perfectly textured vermicelli that was not oversoaked with sauce. Hence, the vermicelli was chewy, yet not too dry. There was plenty of satay seasoning that created a light spiciness. In terms of the seafood, we found basa, shrimp, scallops and squid as well as peppers, onions and pineapple. After seeing the food I ate at Sanbo, Mijune wanted to try for herself. I joined her for dinner and ended up ordering the very similar Satay Prawn Vermicelli Hot Pot. I thought this was even better than the seafood hot pot. With less clutter and only featuring large prawns, there was actually more chewy and nicely wok-fried vermicelli. Butterflied, the prawns were meaty and perfectly cooked with a firm snap. Flavours were impactful and super delicious.

As simple as Wok-Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic can be as a dish, it is not always prepared properly. It can range from old pea shoots to overcooking or use of too much oil. Gladly, this was none of that as each leaf was tender yet still retained an appealing crunch. There was enough garlic and seasoning to flavour while not overdoing it. Portion size was generous (as these cook down substantially) and the oil content was low. Rounding out their most popular dishes, we tried their Sweet & Sour Pork. Although it isn't the best I've ever had (I think Hoi Tong has that honour), this was very solid. We appreciated that they freshly fried the pork so each piece was juicy and tender. With a fairly light layer of batter, the pork was meaty (and not fatty either). The sauce was well-balanced if not a touch watery.

One dish we could've done without was the Fried Cod wok-fried with salt, pepper and chilis. It wasn't as if the dish wasn't properly prepared. The fish was flaky and the batter was light and crispy. There was enough seasoning on the outside for spice and saltiness. I guess it just didn't live up to the rest of the other things we had. Consider that a huge compliment to the chef. Other than this and the scrambled eggs, every other dish was prepared properly and tasted great. Their signature items lived up to the hype and I would gladly go back for them (crab, chicken, curry and prawn hot pot). Add in the fact the pricing is reasonable and generous portion sizes, there is no surprise at the constant lineups.

The Good:
- Solid Cantonese eats
- Reasonably-priced
- Generous portion sizes

The Bad:
- Hurried atmosphere
- Hit and miss service
- Parking lot is insufficient

Sam Wo

For those about to leave comments criticizing me on even thinking of visiting the legendary Sam Wo in San Francisco, please be aware I've visited the city and surrounding Bay Area over a dozen times. So with that in mind, I'm acutely tuned into the Chinese food scene (or lack of). Hence, I was very skeptical with Eater putting Sam Wo in their 38 Essential Eats list. Despite all the warning signs and the fact I live in Vancouver (that happens to have some of the best Chinese food in North America and the world), I had to see for myself why Sam Wo is so beloved with lineups that border on incomprehensible.

We went at opening and secured a table immediately and ordered the signature item being the BBQ Pork Rice Noodle Roll served with their famous hot mustard. When it arrived, it looked more round than the usual rice noodle roll and completely overstuffed with lean BBQ pork, cilantro and egg. Since it was served lukewarm, the rice noodle was a bit gummy. However, if it was hot, it would've been on point due to its elasticity. The roll itself was nothing special, but the dip was money with a vinegary sharpness. Since we were ordering congee, my son wanted to get the Salty Donut. That we did and it was not crunchy and overly dense. This was not good at all.

About that congee, we got the Fish "Jook" as it was phonetically translated on the menu. Fairly silky with soft grains of rice, the congee was medium-thick in consistency. It was lightly seasoned where the sweetness of the fish came through. There was a considerable amount of what we thought was some type of cod (possibly snapper?). The fish was not particularly flaky and moist. It was a bit chewy for some reason. Moving not the Wonton Noodles, it reminded us of the 1980's. Reason being? The wontons were all pork with some water-chestnuts. If we compared it to similar wontons, these were good with tender bouncy pork that was mildly-seasoned. The noodles were too soft and over done while the soup was pretty bland.

To add more carbs, we got the Duck Fried Rice (minus the green onions) and it was pretty good. The rice was dry and fairly nutty while not greasy. There was ample amount of tender duck, but an equal amount of duck skin which was not appealing. We found that the amount of seasoning was just right. Our last dish was the Broccoli & Beef which was below average. The dish was far too watery and the broccoli was overdone. The beef was somewhere between chewy and tender. As you can probably guess, we weren't super impressed with the food at Sam Wo. Sure, it is more of an ol' skool style of Chinese food reminiscent of the 80's, but even with that being said, I've had better Cantonese cuisine in San Francisco during the 80's.

The Good:
- Friendly staff
- Decent value

The Bad:
- Not sure what the fuss is about the food, it is merely average at best

Neptune Wonton Noodle

If you haven't noticed, Neptune Wonton Noodle has been expanding like there is no tomorrow in the past few years. From it's single location in Richmond along #3 Road, they now have spots at Central City in Surrey, McArthur Glen, the Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam and now at Station Square in Burnaby. For me personally, there are better choices for Dim Sum, Cantonese cuisine and wonton noodles (& congee), but I'm not really all that sure why they get hammered online. The food is more than serviceable and there has been a reasonable level of consistency across the chain.

We decided to check out their newest location at Station Square for Dim Sum (even though it is their wonton noodle outlet, usually it is only served at Neptune Seafood Restaurant). Despite ordering a several dishes from their limited Dim Sum menu, we went ahead and got their specialty - BBQ Pork & Duck Noodles and Wonton Soup. Unfortunately, they gave us the wing for the BBQ Duck (quite a common occurrence), so the meat was rather dry. The skin was crispy with an appealing hue. We found the BBQ pork rather lean, but flavourful nonetheless. The noodles were fairly al dente, but the soup was too mild. As for the wontons, they were medium-sized and full of shrimp and pork mousse. They were bouncy and sweet with a nice background hit of sesame oil and white pepper. However, the wonton skin was a bit too thick.

Onto the Dim Sum items, we had the usual with the Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumplings) and Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumplings). Thick and somewhat floury, the dumpling skin appeared to be over-steam for the ha gau. On the other hand, the filling was on point with large chunks of sweet and buttery shrimp that had a firm snap. These were binded with a shrimp and pork fat mousse that was light and airy. Similar to the wontons, there was a nice sesame oil and white pepper hit. I actually found the siu mai better as they were the perfect texture with some meatiness from the chunks of pork, but the entire dumpling was bouncy thanks to the processed pork binding mousse. There was also a good amount of shiitake mushrooms and chunks of shrimp.

Normally, when we order Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice wrapped in lotus leaves), we get either a really large one or 3 minis. However, these were like supersized minis where 2 could be considered the size of a large. Inside, there was a decent ratio of ground pork, cured sausage and salted egg yolk to gluntinous rice. I found the rice to be a touch on the harder side, but that didn't make or break the dish. On the same note, usually we would find 3 BBQ Pork Buns to an order. But they gave us 4 in the bamboo steamer. A good value in my books. However, the bun was a bit too dense for our liking. Fortunately, there was enough lean pork filling to balance it out. It was rather sweet though and needed more savoury elements.

Looking rather pale, the Steamed Black Bean Pork Spareribs were on point texturally. They were meaty with a chewy rebound, but still tender to eat. There was a lack of seasoning though as I could really taste the porkiness. Usually that is not a bad thing (natural flavours), yet it was a bit too strong. Most ribs were meaty, with only one or 2 cartilage and fatty pieces. In a bright shade of reddish-brown, the Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet) were quite good. They were plump and tender with softened cartilage and fat underneath. There was still a bite though as nothing was melted and/or melting. There was plenty of garlickiness and seasoning to boot.

Depending on your personal tastes, the Beef Meatballs were either great or too soft. I'm on the fence about them because I like a firmer and denser meatball. These were super processed where they were airy and buttery with only a light rebound. My mom liked the texture while Viv hated it. Whatever the case, they were not bad and had a balanced amount of green onion. Next up was a kiddie favourite in the Shrimp Spring Rolls. One bite and it was apparent that they put more than a few cloves of garlic into these. That was a good thing as there was plenty of impact in addition to the on point texture of the shrimp. The outside wrapper was a bit dense though, yet ultimately crispy.

For dessert, we ordered the Steamed Sponge Cake which was a little too dense compared to the regular square-cut version. However, it wasn't too sweet, which was welcomed in our books since it was a good way to finish the meal. On average, the food was not bad with some highlights. Of course there was some minor issues, but considering its location (with plenty of parking in and around), Neptune Wonton Noodle does the job for a quick meal, Dim Sum and late night.

The Good:
- Decent eats
- Open late
- Varied menu

The Bad:
- Can get pricey
- Some minor issues

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