Nong's Khao Man Gai

With not really a plan for dinner on our second night in Portland, we decided to go back to the well with a PDX classic - Nong's Khao Man Gai.  Yes, it is that famed food stall that dishes up one dish - poached chicken and rice with an addictive sauce.  However, quite awhile back, they opened up several B&M stores including the one at SE Ankeny.  This little counter-service spot is small and overflows into the outdoor sidewalk seating.  Well, it was a bit cold for us to sit out there and luckily, we scored one of the precious indoor seats.

Of course, we had to get the regular portion of the Khao Man Gai featuring a poached chicken breast atop Mary's non-GMO chicken rice.  Sure, we also got some cucumbers and a side of soup, but the star of the plate is their addictive sauce.  Sweet, gingery and garlicky, this sauce is like liquid crack.  You can put that on shoe leather and it would taste great.  But in this case, it was on tender and moist chicken with an aromatic and chewy rice.  To customize your plate of food, they also have a small fridge with all the condiments including hot sauce.

Naturally, we wanted a bit of variety with the meal so we also got the Super Soup which was essentially the previous dish in one bowl.  So imagine the same sweet daikon chicken soup with slices of the tender chicken and chewy rice.  This was so comforting and full of impact from the intense sweetness of the broth.  The bevy of chicken made this hearty and fulfilling.  Add in the rice that absorbed the soup while not being soggy, this was a Thai chunky soup.

Another variation of the same ingredients was with the Chicken, Rice and Peanut Sauce.  So the same chewy fragrant rice with sliced chicken breast on top, but drizzled aggressively with a thick peanut sauce and some crushed roasted peanuts.  This came with a side of lightly blanched broccoli.  I found the peanut sauce to be nutty and aromatic with some sweetness.  I thought it was pleasant, but for me at least, I much prefer their signature dish with that crack sauce.  I did think the peanut sauce went well with the broccoli.

Lastly, we had the Khao Kha Muu which was also very comforting.  It consisted of stewed pork, pickled mustard greens and boiled egg on jasmine rice with Thai chili sauce.  This had Cantonese Miu Choy Kau Yeuk vibes (Stewed Pork Belly with Mustard Greens) and that was a good thing.  So rich and meaty with tanginess where the rice soaked it all up.  So as much as the rest of the dishes were good, it is all about the signature chicken rice here.  You can't go wrong with it.

The Good:

- That sauce with the chicken rice...

- Reasonably-priced

- Other dishes are decent too

The Bad:

- Limited indoor seating

Dough Zone

After returning from Vegas, I spent all of one day back home before heading down to Portland once again.  Yep, I was just there in November, but was so happy with the eats we had, I was itching to return.  So I took the fam this time and had some eats along the way that I didn't even take pictures of!  I know, the horror!  But once in Portland, I was staying in Downtown near the river.  Since I was pretty tired from driving, we ended up just walking 2 blocks to the nearby Dough Zone.  If this name seems familiar, yes, it is the same chain that started in Bellevue, WA!

One things for sure is that this location is nicest of bunch, being the former high-end location of Lucier.  We did endure a short wait as it was a Friday night.  Since the portions aren't big here, we went ahead and ordered many items including the Five Spice Beef Shank.  Sliced razor-thin, the meat was easy to eat and really tender.  Loved the gelatinous quality of the meat and also the impactful braising liquid that had a nice star anise hit.  The same sliced beef shank appeared in the Beef Pancake Roll, which made it good in that respect.  As for the green onion pancake portion, it was quite flaky and light despite looking thick.  Not sure if I enjoyed all that lettuce in the roll though.

We got the Sweet & Sour Cucumber just so we had some veggies (I know that is a stretch).  They were crunchy and marinated enough so there was a tang without being too acidic.  The spice was actually quite mild. up the ante with the veggies, we got the Kale with Sesame Dressing just for good measure.  This was actually the biggest portion of anything we had ordered.  A bit ironic, but welcomed nonetheless because it not only gave us more leafy greens, it was pretty delicious too.  In addition to the nuttiness of the sesame and the sweetness added to the dressing, we also got hits of garlic and the crunch from the peanuts.  Since the kale was lightly blanched, it was still crisp, but wilted enough so it was tender.

Off to the Xiao Long Bao, we had both the Berkshire-Duroc Pork Soup Dumplings as well as the Pork & Crab Soup Dumplings.  We universally liked the pork dumplings more than the one with crab.  We felt that the crab gave the dumplings too much brininess that obscured the natural sweetness of the fatty pork.  The pork filling was moist and tender while the soup was sweet.  I found the top twirl of the dumpling skin to be fairly firm, but the rest was thin and delicate.

We also got the Pan-Fried Berkshire-Duroc Pork Buns which were really good.  Often, the layer of bun can be overly thick and doughy, but this one had a thin bun that was fluffy and light.  The airiness of the bun allowed for the pork filling to be front and center.  Not unlike the XLBs, the filling was moist and juicy.  In fact, there was soup to be found, just like the XLBs.  To get all of the menu, we got the Pan-Fried Dumplings (Potstickers) for good measure.  These featured a medium-thick skin while the pork filling was pretty much on par with the other dumplings.  The bottom was fried up crispy with a noticeable skirt.

For our noodle selection, we ordered both the Dan Dan Mein and the Spicy Beef Noodle.  These bowls were quite small and not enough to share.  However, I really didn't want to share the dan dan noodles because they were really good.  The noodles were al dente and dressed with a nutty and spicy sauce.  As for the beef noodles, the soup was quite mild.  The noodles were chewy and the beef was tender, albeit in small pieces.

For myself, I wanted to try the Berkshire-Duroc Pork Wontons in Chili Sauce.  Well these were decent with tender wontons that were soaked in a mildly-spicy sauce that was smoky with elements of saltiness and vinegariness.  Overall, the food at Dough Zone was as expected (I've been to various locations many times).  Most dishes were decent and some were quite good.  However, the portions were rather small.  Loved the waterfront location for this one in Portland.

The Good:

- Decent eats

- Swank location

- Good XLBs

The Bad:

- Small portions

District Noodle House

I recently visited District Noodle House located in the fast-growing River District for a quick lunch.  All I had was a Pho and came away satisfied.  I really wanted to try more dishes since their menu is fairly large.  However, I was short on time and really, how much can I eat when I only had one more person with me?  Well, my prayers were answered when I attended a menu tasting along with Jackie, Roanna, Eileen, Joyce and Diana.  Yep, with those capable eaters with me, I know we could put a dent into the menu!

So we began with some standard items in the Pork Spring Rolls and Grilled Pork Patty Salad Roll.  I thought the spring rolls were pretty textbook and then some.  Beyond the crispy wheat wrapper, the filling was good where the mix of pork and veggies was spot on and the texture was not too dense.  In fact, it was on the fluffier side despite the roll being jam-packed with filling.  As for the salad roll, it featured a big piece of sweet and charred pork patty.  What made this roll was the addition of mini fried spring roll inside.  It added a wonderful crunch.

Next, we had the Deep Fried Chicken Wings as well as the House Special Chicken Salad.  Tossed in garlic, black pepper, peppers and butter, these wings had plenty of aroma and flavour.  I found the wings to be crispy with enough seasoning for impact.  However, the toss with the components could've been more aggressive (as they tasted great on their own).  Texturally, the wings were juicy and tender.  As for the salad, it was appetizing with a nice tanginess and brininess.  Loved the crunch of the cabbage while the big pieces of shredded chicken were succulent.

We tried the Vietnamese Beef Carpaccio featuring lightly seared beef tenderloin topped with a house special sauce.  The sauce seemed to be a sweetened soy with elements of acidity and also some saltiness.  On top of the carpaccio was some cilantro, scallions, fried shallots, peanuts and pickled onions.  I found some pieces of the beef to be tender while larger and thicker slices to be have a bit more chew.  I did like the dressing as it was plenty savoury with acidity and a minor hint of spice.

Now here is where the meal got interesting as they are introducing a selection of new dishes including the Vietnamese Mango & Papaya Salad.  This was super delicious where the crunch from the green papaya provided texture while the dried banana blossoms added a "meatiness".  Nice tangy dressing that had sweetness and brininess.  On top of the salad were rice crisps topped with sesame & lime marinated shrimp, balsamic caviar and wasabi mayo.  These bites had a little of everything including crunch, creaminess, bounciness from the shrimp, tang from the balsamic and a bite from the wasabi mayo.

Another new dish was the Double Mustard Green Rolls consisting of shrimp, butter eggs and Vietnamese ham.  These looked like harmless rolls, but in reality, they were less straight-forward than they appeared.  Let's start with the mustard greens first.  They were blanched until tender, but not mushy.  There was the unmistakable slight bitterness such as mustard greens can be.  Inside, the combination of ingredients would've been enough for impact, but the side of mắm nêm added a pungent fermented shrimpiness.

Continuing on with the new, we tried the Vietnamese Pizza served on grilled rice paper and topped with shrimp, pork bits, butter corn and spicy mayo.  Loved the creativity by using multiple layers of hydrated rice paper that was crisped up by putting it on a hot grill.  The result was a firm crunch that was a bit smoky.  Having the spicy mayo on top provided a kick that was complimented well by the bursts of sweetness from the corn niblets.  Add in the meatiness of the shrimp and aromatics from the pork, we had an appetizing dish.

Those were the smaller new dishes, but they also had 2 larger mains in the Fried Banh Chung & Beef Short Ribs.  This was plated as a composed dish with a large braised short rib covered with a creamy peppercorn sauce.  Meaty and fork tender, the short rib was flavourful on its own but the sweet and savoury peppercorn sauce added the necessary moisture and saltiness.  I found the sauce a touch salty, but when eaten in moderation, it was tasty.  On the side, there was fried sticky rice that was super crunchy.  Some pieces were a bit too crunchy, but others were soft and glutinous.  Perfectly roasted honey glazed carrots completed the dish.

The other dish was the La Vong Sizzling Cod Fish Wrap & Roll.  It was impressively presented on a hot cast iron plate with dill and scallions.  Tender and flaky, the pieces of cod were marinated in fermented rice, turmeric and galangal.  Hence, the fish was not devoid of flavour.  However, the dominant item was the ample amount of dill.  This was served with ruby red lettuce and herbs as well as vermicelli and rice paper.  There was a choice of sauces including the mắm nêm and mắm tôm.  Lots of impact here including the pungent brininess of the mắm tôm.

Back to regular programming, we had a selection of sandwiches including Grilled Lemongrass Pork, Grilled Lemongrass Chicken and Cold Cut.  All 3 featured crusty and airy baguettes that stayed as such even though it sat there on the table as we took our photos.  My personal favourite was the cold cut or Bánh Mì đặc biệt since it was loaded with meat.  It had the usual ingredients such as pickled veggies, jalapenos, mayo, soy sauce, cucumbers and cilantro.  The other 2 contained plenty of moist charred meat as well as the same ingredients.  The chicken was predictably more tender.

Of course we had to get some soup noodles too in the form of Pho Satay and Pho Ga.  I thought that the base broth for the Pho Satay was quite meaty, yet light at the same time.  I didn't think it was particularly spicy, rather it was aromatic.  The noodles were not overdone and the meats were both plentiful and tender.  As for the Pho Ga, it consisted of chicken meat and chicken meatballs.  I found the meatballs to be fluffy and bouncy while the chicken was fairly tender.  The broth was clean and sweet.

Hitting all the usual dishes, we had the  Special Rice Platter and Special Vermicelli. Both included lemongrass chicken, pork chop and pork patty.  The vermicelli added a spring roll while the rice included a runny egg.  As usual, we found pickled daikon and carrots, lettuce, cucumber and tomato.   Fish sauce was served on the side.  Much like the meats in the bánh mì, they were well-marinated, properly charred and tender.

We had another rice dish in the Vietnamese Shaking Beef.  This featured cubes of beef that were wok-fried with onions and garlic.  This was plenty aromatic from the caramelization of the beef.  Furthermore, the beef was marinated enough so that it was tender with a balance of sweet and salty flavours.  Naturally, this went well with the side of chewy rice (in a good way).

We did a complete tasting by sampling a wide range of their Drinks including Lemongrass Kumquat Black Tea, Lychee Iced Tea, Passionfruit Iced Tea, Creamsicle Orange, Condensed Milk Cold Coffee, Strawberry Smoothie, Durian Smoothie, Avocado Smoothie and Jackfruit Smoothie.  My favourite was the Durian Smoothie hands down.  It was creamy and well-blended where the durian flavour came through without being overbearing.  It was lightly sweet and aromatic.  I also enjoyed the Lychee Iced Tea as it was not too sweet and really refreshing.  Overall, the food we had at District Noodle House was quite good with some of the new dishes being both interesting and showing the creativeness of the kitchen.  Great addition to the River District!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Good eats
- Well-portioned
- Some interesting creations

The Bad:
- Pho broth can be a bit more aggressive

- Prices are on the higher side, but then again, what is cheap these days?

Bánh Mì Très Bon White Rock (Mother's Day Brunch)

We all know Mother's Day is special and restaurants take notice by offering brunch, buffet brunch and other options.  Some of us might take mom out to Dim Sum, sushi, pasta, Indian or high-tea.  So many choices, you can't go wrong.  Well, there is something a bit different where Bánh Mì Très Bon in White Rock is offering a Mother's Day brunch that is what can be referred to as Vietnamese High Tea.  Yep, at a very reasonable price of $65.00pp, one can dine on a nice selection of savoury and sweet treats.

The first item was the savoury with a 2-tiered tower with a selection of Banh Mi on top and a combination of mini Salad Rolls and Spring Rolls on the bottom.  I particularly enjoyed the meatball banh mi since it was stuffed full of tender spiced-pork.  Combined that with the crunchy baguette, it was a nice textural contrast.  The mini salad rolls were great with the peanut-hoisin sauce.  I wished that the mini spring rolls were just a bit larger as they were super crunchy with not enough filling.  Yep, as the picture suggests, there was also a mini-bowl of Pho included per person.  Choices include beef, chicken or vegetarian.  The second tower was more traditional sporting a collection of pastries and sweets including Lemon Tart, Chocolate Mousse, Creme Brulee, Key Lime Cream, Macarons, Peach Danish, Blueberry Danish and mini-Croissants.  This was a solid spread of little desserts where the lemon tart was my favourite.  It was tangy with a firm shell.  The key lime cream was also tangy and refreshing.  Macarons were on point with a crispy shell giving way to a soft and slightly chewy interior.  They were on the sweeter side. The last tower was a bevy of Fresh Fruit that consisted of honeydew, pineapple, strawberries, green grapes and Mandarin oranges.  Sure, this was just fruit, but all of it was fresh and ripe.  In particular, the honeydew was so sweet and soft.  Pineapple was also sweet with its classic acidity.  Strawberries were flavourful and all very fresh.  Grapes were firm and juicy.

They also have a Mother's Day Dinner Platter for $89.00.  It serves 4 people and consists of cubes of rib-eye steak, rice & watercress salad (not pictured), grilled pork & beef skewers, mini savoury crepes & woven vermicelli noodles.  We tried the main platter and the meats were well-charred and nicely marinated.  Great for wrapping in the delicate vermicelli noodle sheets with the herbs and fish sauce.

Also available are the Xoi Chien or sticky rice cakes topped with a tangy sweet & sour sauce of $16.00.  Absolutely loved these as the sticky rice was both firm, but also soft and chewy inside.  There was a meat filling and also meat in the sauce.  This made it hearty and robust. The sauce was full of impact where the sweet and sour was balanced.  But really, it was all about the textures in this dish.

Lastly, there are Mimosas available to compliment either the Vietnamese high tea or the dinner platter.  Options included orange, pomegranate or passionfruit for $15.00.  So there are the Mother's Day options at Bánh Mì Très Bon.  I feel that the high tea is a fabulous deal, not only because you get so much food for the money, but is also delicious.  Definitely something a bit different than the usual brunch or dim sum choices we have in town.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Something a bit different for Mother's Day
- Good value
- Tastes good

The Bad:
- Not so sure of those mini spring rolls

Little Billy's

Despite being one of the closest restaurants located near me, the last time I've been to Little Billy's was in 2009.  Yes, that was only the second year of this blog and yep, that was really 15 years ago!  To be honest, nothing really stood out to make me want to come back.  However, things have changed as the son has taken over revamping a few things including the decor and some menu items.  We were invited to try out some of their wares and hey, it made for an easy commute for me!

We started off with some appies including the Calamari.  This was a medium-sized portion that featured large pieces of squid.  I found the batter to be light and crispy while not sliding off each piece.  The batter was properly seasoned, but the side of tzatziki as welcomed with its garlicky tanginess.  As for the squid itself, the texture was tender but still had an appealing chewy bounciness.

We also had the flaming Saganaki (which was hard to capture in the bright natural light).  This was a huge piece of cheese that was pan fried and doused with ouzo, then lit on fire.  Trust me, it was flaming and sizzling.  It was served with warm pita on the side.  Since it was such a big slice of cheese, it wasn't exactly melty, rather, it was firm and definitely cheesy and a bit boozy.  Not that I don't like generous portions, but maybe this could've been a smaller piece.

Continuing on the theme of huge, the Crab Stuffed Mushrooms was another large dish.  It consisted of button mushroom caps with a good amount of crab and plenty of melted cheese.  Due to the amount of mushrooms, the dish had a bit of moisture at the bottom though.  That made the dish a bit wet.  The amount of filling did offer up a robust bite that was quite good especially with a squeeze of lemon.

I personally love Moussaka, so it was one of my requests in addition to what we were already expecting.  This was served in a large bowl which meant that it was plenty moist and not dry like some other versions.  The moist layers of meat, eggplant, potato and zucchini combined well. with the creamy bechamel.  This was served with vibrant and crunchy veggies, rice, lemon potato, tzatziki and pita bread.

Yet another favourite of mine is the Roast Lamb, hence we had that as well.  This was a rather large piece of marinated lamb shoulder that was fork tender.  It fell apart very easily and was succulent.  Loved the braising juices as it was earthy and tangy.  Definitely a great version of Greek roast lamb.  It came with all the sides as the moussaka.  I liked how the lemon potato was firm, yet still tender with a good hit of tanginess.

Just because it looked good on the menu, we had the Lobster Linguine.  It featured a fairly large lobster tail as well as big prawns and scallops in a red lobster sauce.  For $38.00, I found this to be an excellent value.  The pasta was al dente while the sauce was mildly creamy.  I thought the lobster essence could've been stronger, but it was partially offset by the big lobster tail and the amount of seafood.

Saving the best for last as we shared the Flaming Greek Platter for 4.  We felt $136.00 is a reasonable price for the amount of food included: one skewer of each lamb, chicken, beef and calamari, signature calamari, lamb chops, paidakia ribs, garlic prawns, spanakopita, roasted potatoes, vegetables, rice, pita bread, hummus and tzatziki.  As you can see, this was a considerable amount of food.  The whole rack of ribs was super tender and well-spiced.  All of the souvlaki was nicely charred and tender.  I especially enjoyed the calamari skewer as the squid had a nice snap to it.  Those lamb chops were also delicious with meat cooked to medium being super tender and well-marinated.  Overall delicious platter of food and a good deal in my books.

For dessert, we had the Baklava and Portuguese Tarts.   Although I'm not a fan of very sweet desserts, the baklava was pretty good with the usual nutiness and texture of the phyllo.  As much as Portuguese tarts are not Greek, they were pretty good here.  The flaky and crispy shell held in the light and semi-sweet custard.  Nice char on the top and sides too.  Overall, the food at Little Billy's is a whole lot better than I had remembered.  Mind you, that was over a decade ago...  While dining there, I noticed quite a few regulars come in.  Little Billy's has always been a neighbourhood spot and I'm glad it is continuing on that tradition with some changes.  My next visit won't take as long as last time!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Cozy spot

- Solid eats

- Pricing is fair

The Bad:

- Some items could use a bit more refinement

Sunday Brunch at Coast Langley City Convention Centre

Yes, AYCE or buffets are making a comeback in the Lower Mainland!  If you have paid attention, there are more options now than we have had for the last 10 years.  I've already gone over the reasons in previous posts, so I'm not going to repeat it here.  However, I will say that despite the prevalence of AYCE options, there are not many affordable and good Sunday Brunch buffets in the GVRD.  Well, I think we might have a winner in the Coast Langley City Convention Centre (or CLC).  They turn their ballroom into a huge Sunday Brunch Buffet costing $44.95 for adults and $21.95 for kids (up to 12 years old). We were invited to try the Easter Brunch (which was a bit more for $49.95) to see for ourselves if this buffet was worth the money.  

The one thing that struck me right away was the many different food stations.  The first was the Sushi where there was a selection of maki as well as freshly torched aburi nigiri.  For a buffet (that isn't an Asian one), the sushi was more than respectable.  Rice was chewy and not overdone while the ingredients were fresh.  There were more cooked versions of sushi, but I'm sure they were trying to satisfy all tastes.

They also had the basic Breakfast Items but with a twist.  For instance, the scrambled eggs were folded with cottage cheese and chives.  Even their sausages were a cut above the usual with large country pork and lean turkey.  There was thick strips of double-smoked bacon and herb-spiced hash browns.  Nearby the breaky things, there was chilled whole shrimp, prawn cocktail and mussels.

Moving onto the hot Main Dishes, we had a selection that included Salmon & Cod Thermidor, Roasted Turkey & Stuffing, Beef Marsala, Westcoast Paella, Mascarpone-Whipped Potatoes and Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Root Vegetables.  Really enjoyed the fish as it was not overdone (impressive for a buffet) and was sitting in an aromatic lobster cream sauce.  The turkey was moist and came with all the fixins'.  Wasn't a fan of the paella as the rice was dry and bland.  The seafood was excellent though.  Beef marsala was pretty tasty with rich flavours and tender beef.

Over at the Carvery, we found perfectly medium-rare Angus Roast Beef, Honey Ham, Chicken & Waffles, Mini-Pancakes and French Toast.  Loved the beef as it was exactly how I like it being tender and still juicy.  Buttermilk fried chicken was certainly crunchy and still moist inside.  Made-to-order waffles were crispy and light.  Those little pancakes were easy to eat and great for kiddies.

One of the best features of this buffet has to be their Eggs Benedict Station.  Yes, they make it to order and there are 4 options including Cajun shrimp, smoked salmon, honey ham and spinach & mushroom.  We got them all and they featured runny egg yolks and a silky champagne Hollandaise.  I would've liked to see the English muffin toasted more, but honestly, what a great effort for a buffet.

Right next to the eggs benny was the Pasta Station.  Yep, this was also made-to-order and featured 3 choices including Spaghetti with meat sauce, Rotini with pesto and Rotini with spicy sausage.  Yes, the pasta was already par-cooked and need to be reheated, but it still turned out al dente.  The fact that the pasta was not sitting in a chaffing tray meant it was ideal in texture and the flavours were activated from the toss in a hot pan.  Really solid offering for a buffet.

The last made-to-order station was the Omelette Bar on the opposite side as the Benny bar.  We could have custom omelettes with ingredients that included ham, mushrooms, bacon, tomatoes, peppers, cheese, spinach and green onions.  As you can see on the plate (with the salads), the egg was just barely cooked through.  That ensured the eggs would be fluffy and just a little runny inside.  Perfect!

If you are fan of Desserts, they didn't disappoint with 4 different tables including Easter-themed treats (with some Charcuterie as well), dessert jars and creme brulee, fruit and cakes as well as a chocolate fountain.  You really could find something here for everyone.  Unless you are so dessert savant, you wouldn't be able to eat one of everything either.  So there you have it, an extensive Sunday Brunch Buffet that I think is worth the money.  They have their Mother's Day Sunday Brunch coming up for $49.95 (adults), $39.95 (seniors) and $29.95 (children).  The menu will be slightly different as they change it up often.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Fairly large selection with many made-to-order stations

- Decent quality

- Large space

The Bad:

- I would've liked to see at least one more seafood option