Rating / 3 out of 5 stars

Xu’s Wonton House in Crystal Mall’s food court are the new owners of the stall previously occupied by Wang’s Shanghai Cuisine. With new owners come expectations, or doubt. Can they do well and keep up with the previous owners’ success or will they flop like a fish? The menu has remained relatively the same, but what about the taste?

(Above: Xiao Long Bao in a bamboo steamer.)

We ordered our usual: Shanghai mini wontons in soup, regular wontons in soup and Xiao Long Bao. I eat with my eyes first, and my eyes were telling me these were not the same dishes.

Tre’s Shanghai mini wonton wrappings were nice and light, but the meat was scarce. Some didn’t have any at all. The broth however was comfortably piping hot.

My empty wontons were swimming with large strands of seaweed and dried shrimp. The broth was a bit bitter and more concentrated than Wang’s. The large pieces of seaweed were clumped together in chunks. I wanted to enjoy my soup, but I couldn’t.

(Above: Shanghai style mini wontons in broth.)

The Xiao Long Bao was juicy, but missed — just missed the mark. The wrapping was thicker, making the soup dumplings heavier. It was good, but if you’ve tried Wang’s before, then you’d be bitten with a slight disappointment.

Our bill came to just under $13 which is about what you’d expect for Chinese food court meals. I’m not sure if we came on a off day or Xu is still ironing out their kinks, but the food doesn’t quite match Wang’s. The new owners, however, are much more friendlier than the previous. For now, we’ll just have to get our dumpling fix elsewhere.

Perfect for: Runner up for best food court xiao long bao.

The Details

Crystal Mall Food Court
4500 Kingsway, Burnaby
604.909.6688

Rating / 2 out of 5 stars

The One, is a Burnaby restaurant from the same pedigree as Lao Shan Dong, serving up a variety of Taiwanese dishes including noodles and hot pot. The’ve taken over the space once occupied by a discount suit store in an abandoned Blockbuster video complex right next to a karaoke Joint, which they also happen to run.

Inside, The One is a modern Taiwanese cafe with a similar vibe as a club or KTV joint —  gaudy bright lights with plush banquettes and loud patterns scream at you relentlessly. Crowds of young Asian kids yap happily amongst their friends as they dig in to tables overcrowded with boiling hot pots and mini dishes as Mandarin pop music fills the room.

(Above: 1. Pickled Cabbages sprinkled with bits of fresh chili. 2. Marinated Cucumbers.)

The menu at The One is pretty daunting, showcasing pages after pages of dishes. We divided our attention between the regular and Winter menu finally settling on a few dishes we hoped would reflect The One’s spectrum of offerings. First, marinated cucumbers: unevenly sliced chunks of half mangled cucumbers that was ok, but tasted under seasoned. Pickled cabbage followed: perfectly tart, crunchy and with the occasional bite from the bits of fresh chili.

(Above: Deep fried oysters unceremoniously topped with deep fried basil.)

For an appetizer, the deep fried oysters: a generous portion of smallish oysters lightly — very lightly — battered and deep fried. This dish wobbled precariously between ok and terrible as the stingy seasoning and fishy taste slowly whittled away at all the potential it may have had.

For our main, Case and I shared a hot pot (easily enough for one hungry person). From their winter menu, we selected the lamb which arrived in a stainless steel pot, and was fired up table side by our server. The broth was nice, although tasted more vegetable based than lamb. It was populated with chunks of vegetables, noodles, a variety of fish balls and scant slivers of lamb —  a nice medley that continued to flavour the broth as the evening wore on.

(Above: Lamb hot pot stewing with a bunch of happy friends.)

Our bill came to $29 with taxes and tips, which is a pretty decent deal for all the dishes we had. What the One Restaurant had in potential, however, was cut short with a few stumbles. The hot pot and pickled cabbage was decent, while the deep fried oysters and marinated cucumbers disappointed. The service was similarly inconsistent swaying from the occasional attentiveness to plain abandonment near the end of our meal.

Perfect for: pre or post KTV nourishment for Asian teeny boppers.

The Details

5908 Kingsway, Burnaby
604.569.1866
theonerestaurant.ca

Rating / 4 out of 5 stars

Fortune House Seafood Restaurant in Metrotown serves up consistently solid dim sum in a more upscale than usual environment. Dim Sum can be both a harrowing and rewarding experience. Regardless of the venue, it usually involves some sort of physical activity (primarily concerning the elbows). Fortune House is no different, although its comparatively luxurious decor necessitates are more subtle approach — arrive early, or take a number and wait. Elbows are a last resort.

(Clockwise: 1. Spare Ribs in Black Bean Sauce. 2. XO Sauce. 3. Chicken Feet.)

There is no cart service here (that would be uncivilized) — orders are placed by marking off desired dishes on menu sheets and handing it off to your server. Case and I ordered a few dim sum standards. The chicken feet was fall apart tender and bathed in a beautiful savoury sauce; the steamed spare ribs gently seasoned and tender; while the shrimp and chive dumpling proportionately balanced with the right amount of meat and thickness of dumpling skin.

(Top to bottom: 1. Steamed Bean Curd, Scallops and Enoki Mushrooms. 2. Baked Red Bean and Tapioca Dessert.)

We followed up with some dishes not found in all dim sum restaurants. The steamed bean curd with scallops and enoki mushrooms were awash with a light cornstarch glaze; while the baked red bean and tapioca dessert was a crunchy delight on the outside and sweetly soft on the inside.

Our meal came to $35 including taxes and tips, which is certainly on the pricier end of dim sum. However, the quality of food at Fortune House has always been solid.

Perfect for: solid Dim Sum while waiting for the mall to open.

The Details

4700 Kingsway, Burnaby
604.438.8686
fortunehouserestaurant.com

Rating / 2 out of 5 stars

Finding a Vietnamese beef noodle shop in the suburbs can be difficult, and it would seem running one can be equally difficult. Pho Tan on Kingsway in Burnaby has taken over what was once Pho Saigon.

Structured like a house — Pho Tan sits pushed back on a lot. Rickety stairs with peeling paint lead up to a squeaky, wood framed glass door. Pho Tan remains much of the same on the inside but has had a mini face lift. New paint and tables add life to what was once a stale room.

(Above: Cafe Sua Da, Iced Vietnamese Coffee with Condensed Milk.)

We ordered two beef noodle soups with everything: rare beef, beef tripe and beef balls. Plus one iced Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk. The soup was decent: the broth tasted freshly made, but did not stew long enough for all of the flavours to come together. The noodles were overcooked and several pieces of beef were dry. The iced coffee was only ok.

(Above: Number 1 on the Menu — everything including the kitchen sink.)

Our bill including taxes and tips came to just under $22 which isn’t too shabby for Burnaby. Overall, it was an underwhelming experience, so our search for good beef noodle soup in the burbs continues.

Perfect for: Last minute beef noodle emergency.

The Details

6516 Kingsway, Burnaby
778.397.3337

Rating / 4 out of 5 stars

Chez Meme Baguette Bistro on Hastings in Burnaby is a small, charming, neighbourhood restaurant that serves simply prepared French food with friendly hospitality.

The menu is small, but filled with so many good looking items it was hard to narrow down what we wanted. Tre ordered the Sarladaise: a luxurious sounding duck confit omelette served with sauteed potatoes, onions and a fresh baguette. I had the French toast brioche: served with strawberries, caramelized apples, whip cream and a side of real maple syrup for an extra $1.75.

(Above: French Toast Brioche topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.)

Our breakfasts were fantastic. Tre’s duck confit classic French omelet was fluffy and moist, the duck tender and gently seasoned. The baguette was nicely toasted while still slightly soft.

My French toast brioche was dope. The pieces of thick, pillowy brioche had just a light hint of egg. The strawberries were lightly sweetened and tasted fresh even though it’s out of season. Even though the portions were generous, we couldn’t help but leave nothing on our plates.

Our only disappointment, however, were the weak Americanos.

(Top to bottom: 1. Duck Confit Omelette served with potatoes and freshly toasted baguettes. 2. So so coffee.)

The bill including taxes and tips came to just under $30, which was well worth it. The food is rustic and truly a hidden gem — certainly unexpected for Burnaby. Chez Meme, however, is only open in the day during the week. No weekends or evenings.

Perfect for: Good, honest and simple French food.

The Details

4016 Hastings Street, Burnaby
604.299.1141