Yolk's - Vancouver, BC

The first time I had Yolk's was probably one and half years ago when they only had the food truck. Knowing they have expanded to a store front now, we decided to go back again. The restaurant was definitely was easy to spot with the bright yellow and blue colour. We went on a Monday so there wasn't a lot of people. The restaurant is quite big and and fit a lot of people. If you have been to Red Wagon, Yolk's would be twice the size of Red Wagon. 

I ordered fresh squeezed orange juice which was $4 and Calvin ordered the Chocolate Milk with Calleburt Chocolate. That was one expensive orange juice. 

Since their Egg Sandwich was so popular, that was what I ordered while Calvin ordered their daily special which comes with 2 eggs and sausage with hollandaise. Their hollandaise was decent though it wasn't very well-balanced. 

I ordered the sandwich with their truffle oil infused fries which was super delicious with the spring onions. Though as we ate more, it was starting to taste salty. 

This was my egg sandwich. Considering the price, I was expecting a larger portion but it wasn't enough... The portion was quite small compared to Red Wagon. 

Given their name Yolk's, the best part would have to be the yolk and no doubt it is definitely a runny yolk. The yolk was cooked perfectly. The sandwich itself was pretty good though. The muffin was toasted, the ham went well with the egg yolk. 

If I have a choice between Yolk's and Red Wagon, I would pick Red Wagon. One because they have more choices but two because their portions are bigger. Don't get me wrong, Yolk's is really good but I prefer one over the other.

Takeya Sushi

Simple decor, decent food is what I would use to describe Takeya Sushi. Takeya Sushi is located in the Seafair mall which is on No.1 and Francis, right beside the Safeway in the mall. I used to be quite familiar as I lived in the area and from what I've heard before, this sushi place wasn't the greatest. So when my parents recommended this place, I hesitated until my dad told me they changed owners. So I decided to give it a try. 

The place isn't very big and they have very simple decor. We were greeted by a Japanese waitress and only waited a few minutes before we got a table. I was so overwhelmed by the menu. They had 6 pages of food and rolls alone, they probably had over 20 kinds. It was very hard deciding what to order. 

In the end, we ordered 3 of their chef's special which were Takeya nigiri, Mango Philadelphia roll and Ebi Shu-mai.

First came the Ebi Shu-mai. We ordered it because it is not a common dish we see at Japanese restaurant. The dish is quite creative but it was kind of bland. I couldn't really taste the shrimp although the filling was all shrimp. 

Then came this platter, which they put 3 rolls we ordered onto one plate. There was the salmon roll, which I always love. There was also the Futomaki which was half a roll, and then the chef's special, Mango Philadelphia roll. 

The salmon was pretty fresh and I was quite disappointment at the other two rolls. The futomaki is pretty average futomaki but it wasn't rolled properly. It was really loose. I don't know if you can tell from the picture but the two pieces at the back pretty much fell apart. We couldn't pick up each piece without the filling falling out. 

The Mango Philadelphia roll had very strong cream cheese. The mango on the top didn't seem like was actual mango pieces as the color of the "mango" was very pale yellow. The avacado wasn't ripe yet as it was quite hard to chew.  

This dish is what I enjoyed the most. This is the Takeya Nigiri which had seared salmon and tuna as well as unagi, shrimp and saba. All the sushi on this dish were quite good. Of course the seared salmon can't be compared to Miku or Minami's seared salmon sushi and considering the price, it was pretty good. 

Their service is pretty good too. Their waitresses always have a smile on. 

Overall, this is not the best sushi I've had in Vancouver but considering the affordable price, their sushi is pretty good. I would come back here for some decent and reasonable priced sushi. 

Yah Yah Ya Ramen - Richmond, BC

This is probably the best ramen place in Richmond. I heard from a friend that there's this new ramen place that opened. Being ramen lovers, Calvin and I had to go try it. Yah Yah Ya is located in the Union square mall, right beside Richmond Sushi. This place was only opened in July so we thought it would be empty but we were wrong. I think we waited around 20-30 mins for a table on a Friday night. The place isn't very big. There are probably around 10 tables. 

*update: We went back again on Tuesday night and there was no wait at all. 

Please keep in mind they are only opened until 9pm and their last call is 8:50pm so make sure you get there before then! 

You get to choose the type of noodle, the intensity of taste, the the amount of oil.
Noodles: hard, normal soft
Taste:  Heavy, normal, light
Oil: More, Normal, Less

Based on their menu, they also have the option of lean or fat chasiu but it wasn't available when we ordered.

The ambience is nice and relaxing.

I ordered my favourite Shoyu ramen and Calvin ordered his favourite Miso.  We ordered normal for everything. Below is the Shoyu.

Miso Ramen. There was a lot of bean sprouts in the Miso. We both liked the Shoyu base better. The Shoyu has a stronger taste where the Miso was more mild. Calvin said next time he will get soup with "heavy" taste instead of "normal". 

As you can tell, the chasiu looks kind of bland and it was. There wasn't really a taste to it. It pulled apart very easily but it basically felt like the meat was cooked in the soup for hours and has lost its flavour into the soup.

The noodle was decent though. We like our noodles slightly chewy and this was exactly that. The egg was pretty good though I would've enjoyed it more if it was marinaded longer.

We also ordered the gyoza and this was $5. They bring you sauces for you to mix on your own. All the pieces were stuck together so when we were trying to pick one up, the filling fell out. We weren't able to pick up one piece as a whole. The gyoza wasn't very special. There was more meat than veggies so the proportion wasn't very good. It was lacking some taste. I think they probably buy it outside though I can't be certain.

*Update: When we ordered it again second time on a Tuesday night, the gyoza was cooked better. We were able to separate them apart one by one without falling apart. The taste was still lacking but the skin was thinner.

Overall, I would definitely come back to this place again as I really enjoyed their soup base and their noodle. Although there are better ramen places in Vancouver, this one is pretty good too. 

Miku - Vancouver, BC

After having been to Minami, I didn't really see the need to go to to Miku given they have the same food. I came here because it was one of my girlfriends' birthday and she wanted to come here. I was very pleased that I did. 

First of all, the view was quite amazing. This is a new location for Miku and it is super busy. I don't think you would be able to get a table without reservation. I came late because of work and my girlfriends already ordered some food. 

They actually ordered a lot of food. They ordered the Aburi Sashimi Trio which has 3 types of flamed Seared Sashimi with signature sauces. Each one of the sauces went really well with the sashimi. The salmon had more of a mayo sauce, the one in the middle had more of a wasabi sauce and Tuna had a yuzu sauce.  The sashimi was obviously very fresh. That was a very mouth-watering dish. 

We then had the Miku Roll which had salmon, crab, cucumber, sea urchin, rolled in fish roe with seared MIKU sauce. The sauce was to die for but I feel the sauce overpowered the roll a bit. I couldn't taste the sea urchin one bit. I could taste the salmon, fish roe and the crab though. I could easily finished all of these bite-sized rolls in no time. 

As I was still enjoying the aftertaste of the rolls, the waitress brought over this ginormous plater and I had no idea what this was. I soon found out this was the MIKU waterfront platter which served 3. That was probably why my girls ordered it . This included chef's choice of sashimi, oysters, clams, mussels, jumbo prawns, kaizen poke, scallop ceviche and kale gomae. All for $78 which is a pretty good deal if you ask me. It equates to $26/person for all those seafood. I don't know if you can tell but it was a lot of food. The sashimi, clams, oysters were all super fresh. I didn't like the prawns that much though. It was lacking flavour. I wasn't sure if it was because they sat on top of a bucket of ice for a long time.

The kaizen poke was seasoned with miso and sesame which was good. The scallop was a bit sour with the citrus they added to it although it helped maintain the freshness of the scallop. The scallop was very fresh and full of flavour. Next time I would just ask to have a little bit less lemon.

Lastly, we ended with my favourite sushi, the salmon oshi sushi. This is one of their signature and it's just so so so good. After eating all the food above, I could still eat all the pieces. I really liked that they later the salmon with a piece in the centre. It really brings out the salmon flavour. The fact that the salmon on top was half seared just sealed the deal. The salmon melted in your month, just the right balance between rice, salmon and the sauce. 

I am sure you would know my thoughts on this restaurant by now. I would definitely go back again and bring others to here. Their food is just too awesome. 

Amber - Central, Hong Kong

Being a 2 star michelin restaurant, Amber certainly did not disappoint. Amber is located inside The Landmark. Central can be a quite complicated area as all the malls are somehow connected and at times we are not sure which mall we are actually in. Amber is inside Mandarin Oriental hotel and the entrance to the hotel from the mall isn't in a very obvious spot so we gave ourselves some time to find the restaurant. 

We visited Hong Kong last Christmas and we decided to try a Michelin restaurant. During Christmas time, malls in Hong Kong always have festive decoration and this was the decoration inside Landmark. 

We made reservation for 3 course lunch for $548HKD/ per person. We got seated quick quickly and I have to say the service was impeccable. The menu changes every season. 

After we got our drinks, the waiter took our orders very quickly. We were then served by another waiter with various bread options. 

Soon after, the waiter brought over several amuse bouche for starter. The first is what looks like a lollipop but it's actually a cherry coated foie gras with a slice of beets. This is their signature amuse bouche.  Both of us are not fans of foie gras. It would not be something we would order. To my surprise, the two components actually went very well together. The foie gras inside is mousse like texture and melts in your mouth. The cherry flavour was quite strong which overpowered the foie gras flavour sightly. I still enjoyed it because the foie gras flavour wasn't that strong. I don't like the gaminess of foie gras.  

Amuse-Bouche: foie gras lollipop coated with cherry 

Then we had this bite size lemongrass crab roll. I really enjoyed this. The crab flavour was strong and the roll was quite crunchy. The lemongrass added another texture to the crab and brought it to another level. It was fried perfectly, not burnt but just right that you can bite into it and there would not be flakes falling out from the shell. 

Amuse-Bouche: Lemongrass crab roll 

This was a pork croquette. We were warned by the waiter to eat this in one bite as there would be juices coming out. The juices in there were still slightly hot so be careful when you eat this. The breaded shell was really delicious as the shell was not too thick and the shell was fried perfectly. This was a very interesting dish, though I have to say I like the other two amuse bouches better.

Amuse-Bouche: Pork Croquette

For appetizer, I ordered the oysters with green apples, pickled cucumber, greens and yoghurt. First, I have to say the presentation is awesome, there are so many elements in each dish that whenever it is served, Calvin and I took a while to admire the presentation and the elements of each dish. 

Vancouver is known for fresh oysters. So coming to HK, I wanted to see what the oysters in HK would taste like in a 2 star michelin restaurant. I have to say I still like the oysters in Vancouver better because it is fresher but the combination of flavours added freshness to the dish with the apples, cucumbers and yoghurt. It was definitely a very refreshing dish to start the meal. 

Appetizer: Royal Cabanon Oysters - served over pickled kyuri cucumber jell-O, greek 'hung' yogurt, fresh green apple sorbet 

Calvin had the chicken terrine. I am not a fan of terrine so I didn't really like it. I ate it with the bread and it was really good. Right balance of flavours and the chicken jus is just so clarified as you can tell with the picture. The parsley jel didn't have much flavour to it.


Appetizer: Challan corn-fed chicken - galantine over poultry jell-O with italian parsley gel, country bread 'tartine' with chicken jus & virgin hazelnut oil

As I mentioned above, I am not a fan of foie gras because of its gaminess. When I was deciding on which dish to get for my main, I asked the waiter as I wasn't sure what to get. The waiter said he really liked the pigeon, so even though it has foie gras in it, I decided to give it a try. The presentation may not look as fancy as the other dishes, but there is still lots of detail. There are 3 pigeon legs on the apple and the legs were so juicy. The legs were smaller than the ones Chinese people would normally eat. 

So this was basically pigeon breast crusted with foie gras and this dish was so good. I never thought I would say this, but this dish made me love foie gras. Because the foie gras was pan seared, it basically melted in my mouth and took away the gaminess I was already afraid of. The breast was obviously very juicy but to me, the foie gras definitely stole the show here. I was savouring the foie gras with every bite. 

Main: Mieral bresse piegeon - breast with foie gras farce on toast, the cripsy pigeon leg over roasted salsify with raw & cooked granny smith apple

Sorry for the disgusting picture, but wanted to show what the inside looked like. You can see the breast underneath the foie gras crust. As you can see, I couldn't stop eating and was pretty much devouring the whole dish. I didn't mention the apples in the dish because I didn't care for them after I started eating the breast. I have to mention the jus was really good though, has very strong pigeon flavour and rendered to very clear. 

Calvin had the fish. He was debating between the seabass and pollack. Since both of us never tried pollack before, that was what he chose. We both agreed that that was the best fish we've ever had. The fish was cooked to perfection; it was super flaky. The meat just falls off. The skin was super crispy. The four cylinders around the fish were potatoes with leek and parsley. The potatoes added another texture to the dish. They also cooked that to perfection. They were not too hard nor too soft. 

Main: line caught pollack - oasted on crispy sour dough bread, organic lemon peel 

new potatoes, cockles, leek & italian parsley

After main, we were given this palette cleanser which reminded me of Haagen Daz ice cream bar. It was definitely very refreshing to our palette although the coconut flavour wasn't very strong. 

Palette cleanser: Chocolate dipped coconut ice cream bar

For Dessert, I chose the william pear. The other options were seasonal berries and chocolate cremeux with ice cream and glaze.

Again, great presentation. What caught my attention was the extra virgin olive oil caviar. I never thought to include olive oil in a dessert. I tried the olive oil with the dessert but I couldn't really taste it as olive oil though it was an interesting taste. The pear was poached nicely with the wine and the sorbet complimented the pear very well.


Dessert: William Pear -  poached in fragrant spiced shiraz red wine, black current sorbet & extra virgin olive oil caviar

Calvin had the chestnut. The pastry was really flaky and crispy to a point where it was quite difficult to cut through and have a bite. The ice cream was really smooth. Comparing the two dessert, I actually liked the pear better though. I don't think I would order this again though because I didn't find it to be that spectacular. 

Dessert:  chestnut -  ice-cream with a brown rum ‘diplomat’ cream served as a ‘faux 

mille-feuille’ with black currant coulis 

Lastly, our meal ended with petite four and all of them looked so delicate. They had cream puffs, macaron, marshmallow, etc. It was a great way to end the meal.

Overall, I was very pleased with the quality of food and service at Amber. I will definitely come back if I have the chance. I would recommend this place anyone and this is definitely a restaurant worthy of 2 michelin stars.