Stepho's Souvlaki Greek Taverna

After a visit at St. Pauls' Hospital, Buddha Boy and I needed dinner.  It was almost 10pm and we were starving.  Not wanting to wait any longer, Buddha Boy suggested to go for Greek food at Stepho's Souvlaki Greek Taverna, which was just around the corner.

We don't know much about Greek cuisine but Stepho's has been on our list to try for a very long time.  Actually, Buddha Boy and I have been to Stepho's on different occasions, but that was long before we met.  :p

Banh Mi Saigon 西貢麵包

After an early morning appointment at 7:30am, we wanted a quick breakfast before Buddha Boy heads to work.  Since we were on Victoria Drive near East 41st Avenue, Buddha Boy suggested to go for banh-mi so he can bring a couple of sandwiches to office for lunch.

Yu Ki BBQ Kitchen 裕記燒腊小廚

Formerly known as Yu Kee, we have frequently visited this neighborhood gem for a very long time, especially when we wanted something comforting and close to home.  In fact, we began our visits since the start of its operation when it was only a Chinese barbecue take-out.

Last year, this restaurant has quietly changed its ownership and made a slight modification to its English operating name while the Chinese name stayed the same.  Under its new name, Yu Ki BBQ Kitchen 裕記燒腊小廚, the restaurant is now owned by the head chef who previously worked under his predecessor.

Tsim Chai Noodles 沾仔記

It's a Saturday...and we were stuck in a seven-hour course at the Richmond Hospital.  I thought about packing lunch boxes from home but we weren't sure about the microwave situation.  So, during our lunch break, we had to suffer through all that miserable tortures from the hospital cafeteria, brought to you by Sodexo.

Gold Stone Bakery & Restaurant 金石餐廳餅店

Another early morning at the clinic.  After my appointment, we needed breakfast before Buddha Boy heads to work.  Since we were near Chinatown, we ended up at one of our go-to places, Gold Stone Bakery & Restaurant 金石餐廳餅店.

Growing up, whenever my aunt and uncle babysat my little brother and I (pretty much every weekend), this large Chinatown cafe was our canteen.  We visited so frequently to the point that all the servers knew us by name, what we wanted to order and what our preferences were.  Decades later, the little girl became a fat woman, and some old time familiar faces still recognized me, only these days, there's a fat man accompanying me, Buddha Boy.

Owned by a Chinese family from Macau, did you know that Gold Stone 金石 originally started in Richmond?

Mui Garden Restaurant 梅園粉麵茶餐廳

After trying out all the locations of Mui Garden Restaurant 梅園粉麵茶餐廳 in 604, including the branches that no longer exist, the outlet on Victoria Drive near 41st Avenue in Vancouver is our preferred fix.  Most diners, including us, often visit Mui Garden for its famous Hainan chicken and/or the coconut curry, but this divey joint also offers beloved HK-style cafe food and classic Chinese dishes.

Yung Ho Soy Drink 永和豆漿

After an early morning appointment at the clinic, I drove into Richmond looking for breakfast before heading over to Daiso.  It's approximately 9am and I was looking for a quick bite, preferably at a food court.  After a quick search online, I ended up at Yung Ho Soy Drink 永和豆漿.

Years ago, after many people raved about this place, Buddha Boy and I paid it a visit but left with disappointing tummies.  Years later, I thought to give it another try to see if this Taiwanese-style traditional breakfast stall can satisfy my homesickness.

Strike 破店

It was another one of my vegetarian days.  It's lunch time, where to go and what to eat.  After tossing ideas back and forth with Buddha Boy, we ended up at Strike 破店 in Richmond.

Main Island Cafe 名島魚湯米線

It's approximately 1:45pm and I needed lunch.  Stopping at the lights while driving east along Kingsway, I noticed that the old Curry King 咖哩皇 has been replaced by Main Island Cafe 名島魚湯米線, a HK-style cafe that offers mix & match fish soup noodles.  Yes, start rolling your eyes because that's how long I haven't been in the area...

After I pay-parked on the street, I noticed there's free parking at the back...yup, dumb me.  Before walking into the restaurant, I quickly searched online for ratings or reviews...and it's not looking positive.  Oh well, since I already paid for an hour, I might as well try it.

Kwan Luck Restaurant 君悅海鮮中菜館

No food at home...and I didn't want instant noodles.  So when Buddha Boy got home from work at about 8pm, he took MomJ and I to the closest Chinese restaurant in our neighborhood, Kwan Luck Restaurant 君悅海鮮中菜館.  This place is so close that we could/should have walked there, but nah, driving made sense since it was late and cold.  Thank goodness parking was easy today, or else we would have to go with our backup plan, Mui Garden 梅園 on Victoria Drive.

The three of us ordered four items from the mix & match combo dinner menu plus one item from the wall menu.  The combo dinner set includes soup of the day, a bucket of white rice, dessert of the day and a choice of half Hainan Chicken 海南雞 or Clams in Black Bean Sauce 豉汁炒蜆.

Of course, the long-boiled soup arrived first.  The soup of the day was Pitahaya Flower & Pork Bone Soup 霸王花煲豬骨.  The soup had minimal MSG with ample amounts of flower fiber strands and tender chunks of meat that fell apart from the pork bones.

Enjoy Cafe 1+1餐廳

After dropping off Buddha Dog at his day spa, Buddha Boy and I had a little over an hour to kill before my TCM appointment.  Perfect time to have a quick breakfast...but where?  Not wanting to go far, we ended up Enjoy Cafe 1+1餐廳, which was about a block away from the doggie spa.

Pearl Hot Pot 珍珠小火鍋

There's not a lot of personal-sized hot pot restaurants in 604.  Other than Pearl Hot Pot 珍珠小火鍋, what other personal-sized hot pot places come across your mind?  And by this, I mean those true hot pot restaurants, not those bubble tea joints that offer mini pots as entrees.

Fire Pots?  KK Dollar Hot Pot 開開豆撈坊?  Gokudo Shabu Shabu Hot Pot 極道涮涮鍋?  Or the old HKYK Hot Pot 英記火鍋?

Pearl was (and still is) the first place in 604 that offered personal-sized shabu-shabu hot pots.  While "shabu-shabu" is Japanese, this place is purely Taiwanese-owned and Taiwanese-run, even the menu is very Taiwanese.

Greenday Vegetarian 綠日素食

Located where the former Woo Ying's Vegetarian 如意吉祥素食 was, Greenday Vegetarian 綠日素食 is the new kid in Pacific Plaza 太古廣場.

G8 Taiwan Kitchen 雞霸王

In late 2015, a new Taiwanese restaurant popped up on Oak Street near West 67th Avenue in Vancouver's Marpole neighborhood.  Remember that popular food stand at Richmond Night Market offering those yummy Taiwanese salt & crispy chicken 鹽酥雞?  According to some Chinese forums and blogs, the creator of G8 Taiwan Kitchen 雞霸王 is the owner/operator of that beloved stall.

Not knowing that the restaurant is closed on Mondays, our first attempt failed.  Then, after checking its Facebook page to confirm the operating hours, we attempted to visit for dinner but arrived to find that it only opens for lunch on Thursdays.  Well, I guess it's true when people say third time's the charm...we were finally seated on our third try.

Rose Garden Seafood Restaurant 嘉好海鮮美食之家

Because Buddha Boy has been busy with deadlines at work and I have limited mobility to do grocery shopping on my own, we have been dining out a lot lately.  Tonight, Buddha Boy suggested to go for the mix & match combo dinner 合菜 (和菜) at our neighborhood canteen.

The two of us ordered six items from the Family Combo 精美和菜 menu plus a dish off the regular menu.  The combo includes relevant portions of soup, rice and dessert.  We requested to only have four of the seven dishes served to us while the other three packed as take-out.

The Soup House 湯.com

After a disappointing meal at East One Seafood Restaurant 食家飯堂, Buddha Boy and I wanted a reasonable-priced mix & match combo dinner 合菜 (和菜).  We were lazy and didn't want to go to far from home, but at the same time, we wanted to try somewhere other than our usual neighborhood canteen, Rose Garden Seafood Restaurant 嘉好海鮮美食之家.  Flipping through my phone, I came across the food photos from our previous visit to The Soup House 湯.com where we ordered a few  dinner dishes on top of pot-rice orders.  Well, I think we just decided where we're going for dinner.

East One Seafood Restaurant 食家飯堂

As we mentioned in our first post of this newly opened restaurant located on 1st Avenue and Renfrew Street in Vancouver, Buddha Boy would like to give it another chance and try its dinner dishes.  So, here we were...dragging along MomJ for the experience.

Our meal started with a bowl of Wonton in Soup 淨雲吞, something Buddha Boy enjoyed last visit and wanted MomJ to try.  Unfortunately, the wontons were overcooked and the broth was overly salty.

Iron Kitchen 鐵廚

In the fourth-quarter of 2015, Buddha Boy and I visited this restaurant when it first opened.  At that time, we mentioned we would return simply because it's in our neighborhood and the food was acceptable at its price points.  Since then, we have not yet visited.  Until recently, I returned a couple of times to have its mix & match soup noodle combo.  Here's one of the visits...

First to arrive was my half-sweetened Black Tea 泡沫紅茶.  Unlike out previous visits where our drinks were solid, this time, the tea was quite diluted.

East One Seafood Restaurant 食家飯堂

During a pho lunch gathering, Seto-san mentioned there's a new restaurant opened up where the former Venice Garden 海皇 was.  Curiosity got the best hold of me as I began my search online for some photos or menus.  No luck.  How about flipping thru Ming Pao 明報?  No luck.  In the end, Buddha Boy simply said, "Why don't we just go there for brunch tomorrow?"  And that's exactly what we did.