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Mak’s Noodle Restaurant in Richmond
2008-04-15 11:00:00
I know I am soooo behind in my blogs but I just realized how behind I was. Well, we went Mak’s in January and it is until now I got down to blogging about it. Frankly, I find so little time to do the things I enjoy these days. But anyway, I only have this entry and tomorrow’s to go before I get started on the Seattle Spring Break series. For today, it’s about Mak’s Noodle Restaurant . We only got to know about Mak’s when Erick commented that they have one of the best wonton noodles in Richmond . Erick is from Seattle and he comes over to Richmond every now and then just for food! So, I guess being a true-blue foodie, he knows where the great food is. We would not have found Mak’s on our own. It is sort of tucked deep in a strip mall along Alexandra Rd, the “eat street” of Richmond. The address if you are interested is 1200-8580 Alexandra Road. It is a Cantonese restaurant and their specialty is wonton noodles. Table condiments...

Da Hong Yun Shanghai Restaurant in Richmond
2008-04-14 11:00:00
Have any of you ever been to this Shanghai nese restaurant right across No 3 Road from the Richmond Centre Mall? For some reason, they had been changing hands several times over the years. I am not sure why because they seem to do very well as evidenced by how packed it is all the time. It is now called Da Hong Yun but I remember they used to be called Shanghai Wind and at another time it was called Chen’s. We went there because we were enticed by the Live Crab banner that they put up outside. The restaurant is smallish with something like 10 tables at the max. It’s so cramped that it was hard to move around once all the tables were filled. Decor wise, there is nothing much to it (why they even have Chinese New Year decorations still hanging in the store even today). This is a very traditional Chinese restaurant which means that they cater to mainly Chinese customers. It’s because there is only one waitress who could barely managed to communicate in English....
More About: Restaurant

Michigan Noodle Shop in Richmond
2008-04-12 11:00:00
I can almost swear that this place is new. Well, not new-new but new as in about 4 months new. We had been eating around Alexandra Rd every other weekend but it never quite notice it until recently. You know, with a name like Michigan , we can almost guess this is another HK Style Cafe. Suanne and I still have not figured out why so many HK Style Cafes are named after American Cities. The Michigan Noodle Shop is located at the eastern end of Alexandra Road. It is actually on the same strip mall as Zen Chinese Cuisine and across the road from Coco Chili. You won’t miss, not with that bright yellow signboard in an otherwise drab looking strip mall. Parking might looked to be very limited but just so that you know, you could actually drive up the ramp and park upstairs. We really thought that this place is one of the more expensive restaurant especially with their decor and expensive cars parked outside. It turned out that it’s a very traditional Chinese restaurant...
More About: Richmond

Vogue Chinese Cuisine in Richmond
2008-04-10 11:00:00
We met up with Angie’s family for lunch on a Saturday. We actually got to know each other through chowtimes. We are still amazed even today how we had gotten to know so many people through the blog. We decided to go to Vogue for lunch. Vogue is a popular Taiwanese restaurant located in the Continental Mall in Richmond . That mall, located on Cambie and Sexsmith, has quite a lot of eateries. We were early that day. Vogue opens at 11:30AM but we were already there about 15 minutes early. They were nice and asked that we come in and allow them some time to setup. Needless to say, the place were empty at that time. By lunch time, the place were absolutely packed. They have one of the more trendy and modern decor among Richmond restaurants. Not too fancy but really neat. For me, I like places where they pay attention to the details. The bowls, plates, cups and chopsticks were logo’d. This is the kind of place where you are better off ordering dishes for sharing. ...
More About: Chinese , Cuisine

Thai Son Reopened in Richmond
2008-04-09 11:00:00
Thai Son was one of the first restaurant reviews we made when we started blogging two years ago. We used to go there very often until one day the entire strip mall along the No 3 Road in Richmond was torn down. In place of that strip mall is the still under construction final stop of the new Skytrain Canada Line. We were pleasantly surprised to find that they had reopened on Garden City and Leslie Road. It’s just across the road from Fabricana. Thai Son is now also opened in three other locations. They are also at: 373 East Broadway, Vancouver #230-2800 East 1st. Avenue, Vancouver #201 4501 North Road, Burnaby They had labeled themselves as “The Best Vietnamese Food in Town”. For us, they are really one of the best Vietnamese places we had been to. The place is much larger than the old Thai Son but just as packed as it was then. I am pretty sure many of the patrons are return customers because there is no way a new restaurant in this location could draw ...
More About: Thai

Ajisen Ramen in Richmond
2008-04-08 11:00:00
Not sure about you but Ramen does conjure images of school days when we could not afford three square meals and all we had was meals after meals of instant noodles. For some reason, I loved instant noodles then. Am not sure what it is about instant noodles and kids … my boys are simply addicted to those stuff too. We went to Ajisen Ramen not too long ago for dinner with Nanzaro. Since he likes noodles, we thought we should just give it a try. Ajisen is located in the Parker Place Mall in Richmond . It’s on the eastern side of the mall, the part facing Hazelbridge Way. You won’t miss it, driving along Hazebridge. Inside, it does look kind of Japanese with gaudy coloured pink chairs and all. When we walked in they shouted greetings in Japanese. I’ve never been to Japan before but my impression of how a Japanese restaurant is like is exactly just like that. Despite that pretense, to us it is a Cantonese restaurant because the people who work there all s...

Kingspark Steak House in Richmond
2008-04-07 11:00:00
Even though we knew of this Kingspark Steak House , we had never ventured into it before. We had been to many of the restaurants in the strip mall across the road from the Richmond Public Market but not this one. It was the name that prevented us from visiting this place earlier. We thought it was a steak house, like a Chinese version of Kegs or something. But far from it, it was a Hongkong Style Cafe more than it is a steak house. This place is much bigger than most HK Style Cafes around town. Despite its size, it was actually packed and one had to wait a bit for a table. As in most HK Style Cafes, there is the free choice of beverage which comes with each order of entrees. They came in metal mugs. Unique, I must say. Be prepared though for very slow service. The waiters and waitresses were so swamped that they actually go about with their heads down and avoid eye contact, lest you get their attention!! You really need to call out to them. We ordered four items from their...

Deviled Egg
2008-04-06 11:00:00
Jean loves to make Deviled Eggs for potluck. Check here and here. It is a simple dish to make and you can make it ahead of time. Deviled Eggs are best served chilled from the refrigerator. Ingredients hard boiled eggs finely chopped celery a pinch of salt ground black pepper miracle whip paprika Click on the link below for the instructions. Instructions Peel the hard boiled eggs. Slice the egg into half. Remove the egg yoke and place in a bowl and the egg white in a platter. Over cooking the egg will result a greenish yoke on the outside. I cook my hard boiled egg by placing the eggs in cold water and bring the water to a boil. Remove the pot from the stove and let it sit for 12 minutes, covered. This way, my hard boiled eggs will never over cooked. I also learned from Jean that in order to peel the egg without it sticking to the shell, put the eggs in icy cold water after they are cooked. Jean has a neat container specially made for Deviled Eggs. Mash the egg yoke wi...

Puffed Wheat Cake
2008-04-05 11:00:00
This Puffed Wheat Cake is Jean’s grandson and his friends favourite. They cant get enough of it. Jean said they practically inhale them and she cant keep up with their demand. The Puffed Wheat Cake is a great snack for young children. They are very easy to make and only has few ingredients in it. Ingredients 8 cups puffed wheat 1/4 cup butter 2/3 cup corn syrup 1 cup packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Click on the link below for the instructions. Instructions In a sauce pan, combine butter, corn syrup, brown sugar and cocoa. Mix well and bring to a boil on the stove. Simmer for 5 minutes or until it looks stringy. Add 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Oil a large mixing bowl. Measure 8 cups of puffed wheat into the oiled mixing bowl. Pour the cooked syrup over the puffed wheat. Mix well and pack and press down well into a 9 x 13 cake pan. Let cool and set. Slice into squares and wrap individually in saran wrap.

Whipped Shortbread Cookies
2008-04-04 11:00:00
Jean made this very easy but delicious Whipped Shortbread Cookies . It is always a challenge using a different oven from your home. The Gilmore Park Church has a gas oven which takes a long time to heat up. Usually, we will turn the thermometer up by 50F to achieve the same result as the electric oven. However, this Whipped Shortbread Cookie is very delicate. You really have to watch the cookies as they burn easily. We burnt the batch we made in the kitchen due to the unfamiliarity with the oven. This batch of Whipped Shortbread Cookies were made by Jean the day before. They are so buttery and they just melt in your mouth. Great for holiday cookies exchange. Ingredients 1 cup soft butter 1/2 cup icing sugar 1 1/2 cups flour dash of salt 1 capful of almond extract Click on the link below for the instructions. Instructions Preheat the oven to 325F. Place the soft butter in a mixing bowl. Sift the dry ingredients over the soft butter. Whip together the mixture using an e...

Pork Floss Pancake
2008-04-01 11:00:00
Julie second’s pancake recipe is Pork Floss Pancake which is a savory pancake. I think my boys would love this. Check out my other pork floss recipe here. Pork floss is great with porridge and for making sandwiches. My good friend, Polly makes nutella and pork floss sandwiches for her kids’ breakfast or even pack them for school lunches. The Pork Floss Pancake is more fragrant as it uses more eggs and has chopped green onions in it. The crispy pork floss complemented the soft pancake well. Ingredients 1/2 cup flour 2 eggs finely chopped green onions salt and pepper to taste Click on the link below for the instructions. Instructions Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and add enough water to form a smooth and slurry batter. Place a ladle of the batter into an oiled frying pan on medium low heat and swirl to coat the whole pan. When the batter has set, flip the pancake to cook on the other side. Place some pork floss on one end of the pancake. ...

Sweet Potato Pancake
2008-03-31 11:00:00
Julie demonstrated two pancake recipes in the South Arm Community Kitchen. It’s been a while since she last demonstrated in the South Arm Community Kitchen and we missed her cookings. We are glad she is back. The first recipe, Sweet Potato Pancake is simply my cup of tea. I love sweet dessert and this is a sure winner. Ingredients 1 cup flour 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon salt sweet potatoes water Click on the link below for the instructions. Instructions Peel the sweet potatoes and steam for 10 to 15 minutes until soften.Mash the potatoes into a paste. Add a little sugar if you prefer it sweeter. Set aside.You may substitute the sweet potato filing with red bean paste, lotus seed paste, green bean paste or black sesame seed paste, whatever your preference. Combine the flour, cornstarch, egg and salt in a bowl. Add water bits by bits while stirring in one direction. Add enough water until the batter is smooth and runny. Heat a frying pan (pref...

Turkey Chili
2008-03-29 10:00:00
The second dish which Minoo demonstrated from the book Deceptively Delicious was called Turkey Chili with red pepper and carrot. Minoo substituted the lean ground turkey with lean ground beef as she was not able to find ground turkey when she did the groceries shopping for the ingredients. Minoo also used the real pepper and carrot instead of puree as in the original recipe as there is no children in the community kitchen. Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 cup chopped red onion 1 lb ground lean turkey or beef 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon chili powder, or to taste 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 (15 oz) can chopped tomatoes 1 (26 oz) carton reduced fat low-sodium chicken broth 1/2 cup red pepper puree (we used 1 cup chopped red pepper) 1/2 cup carrot puree (we used 1 cup chopped carrot) 1/4 cup cornmeal 2 tablespoons flaxseed 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed Click on the link below for the instructions. In...

Yellow Cake with Pumpkin
2008-03-28 10:00:00
Minoo shared with us two recipes from the book Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld, wife of the comedian Jerry Seinfeld. This book is available in Costco for about $15. Minoo had been introducing this book to the community kitchens as it’s recipes incorporate vegetables and fruits in the puree form. In this way, kids will not know they are eating vegetables and fruits which has been masked. Having kids to eat nutritious meals is one of the biggest challenge during meal time. This book has a chapter which covers on how to puree and freeze vegetables and fruits in small portions for convenience usage later. This is good for small families which often have to toss away rotten vegetables and fruits simply because they cant finish eating them. Puree food is also good for seniors, easy on digestion and gentle to their palate. The Yellow Cake with Pumpkin turned out moist and had a very ‘pumpkinish’ colour. We also added some flax seeds for extra nutrients. We...

Cornmeal Pancake
2008-03-27 10:00:00
In the South Arm Community Kitchen, Ming shared a very simple Cornmeal Pancake recipe with us. She also make use of okara, the insoluble material left over from making soya milk from soya beans. The Cornmeal Pancake is crusty and filing. It is good for teething toddlers. Ming also made some cornmeal porridge with the leftover cornmeal she brought. The porridge can be easily prepared by bringing a pot of water to a boil and add in the cornmeal (amount depend on how thick you want the porridge) and cook for a few minutes until the porridge thicken. Ingredients 1 cup cornmeal 1 cup okara (can be substituted with more cornmeal, a little milk or melted butter to moisten the batter) 1/2 teaspoon baking powder dissolved in a little water 2 to 3 tablespoons of sugar (depending on how sweet you like it) Click on the link below for the instructions. Instructions Preheat a grill. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and let sit for 30 minutes. Add milk to form a batter. In ou...

Arby’s in Bellingham, WA
2008-03-24 10:00:00
Oh, did you guys know how long was the border wait last weekend?  It was unbelievably long … 3-5 hours south bound.  We had been going south for our shopping at least once a month since the Canadian Dollar reached par with the mighty USD.  However, we had been somewhat lucky not to be caught up in lineups over 1 hr. A couple of months ago, we stopped by Arby’s in Bellingham.  Arby’s is struggling in Canada with just a handful of outlets in BC.  We like Arby’s and used to go often for their Roast Beef sandwiches when there was an outlet in Richmond.  It’s closed a few years ago but we still remember having the sandwiches almost once a week. We got the French Dip and Swiss Toasted Sub Combo for $6.85.  The combo included some fries and a soft drink. We prefer toasted subs.  Some people told us that the reason subs were toasted was because it’s a way to hide the fact that the subs were not freshly baked.  Regardless, we prefer it toasted....

Zen Chinese Cuisine in Richmond
2008-03-23 10:00:00
Hey, errr … we’re back.  Gosh, it must have been the longest we went without a single posting since January 2006.  The spring break sure was great. Today, I am blogging about the “Best Chinese Food Outside of China” … well, that was according to Jennifer 8 Lee.  Jennifer is a reporter for New York Times who had just published a booked called “The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food”. In writing the book, she visited restaurants in 42 states in the US and other 23 countries in search for Chinese food. When she landed in Vancouver, she went to three restaurants … Kirin, Sun Sui Wah and Zen. Out of the many restaurants, she chose to describe Zen as the greatest. From the outside Zen does not really look like much of a restaurant.  The location too is left too much to be desired as it is on the second floor of a smallish strip mall at the end of Alexandra Rd in Richmond . According to the news, Zen had be...
More About: Cuisine

Chocolate Bun
2008-03-15 10:00:00
This is Arkensen and Nanzaro’s favourite bun. It is chocolatey and soft. Sometimes, I fill the buns with some semi-sweet chocolate chips to give it the extra omph. This time, I filled the Chocolate Bun with a few white chocolate wafers. Ingredients 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast 3 cups bread flour (I used all purpose flour) 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa 1 egg 1/4 cup butter, softened 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup warm milk chocolate chips/wafer (optional) I used the bread machine to prepare the dough. Set the bread machine to sweet bread setting. Place the ingredients into the machine in the order as per your machine’s requirement. Click on the link below for the instructions. Instructions Preheat the oven to 350F. I bake the buns at 325F because I usually use a glass baking dish. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.Lightly flatten a piece of the dough and fill it with a few chocolate wafers. Pinch the edges together and roll the dough into a ball. ...

Taco Pie
2008-03-14 10:00:00
Karen made us this Taco Pie for lunch. She will make this for the community meal too. The Taco Pie is a very affordable dish. The most expensive ingredient in this recipe is the cheese. The Taco Pie is a fusion of Mexican and American dish. This one pot dish is good for potluck too. It’s a filing dish complete with beans, vegetables, chips and cheese. Ingredients 1 medium onion 2 bell peppers (red & yellow) 1 lb lean ground beef 1/2 bag of corn chips 1 can mix beans (540ml) 1 bottle mild or medium salsa (250-350ml) 1 teaspoon chili powder salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon cooking oil, olive, canola or corn a few sprigs of cilantro and parsley 200g grated cheese for topping Click on the link below for the instructions. Instructions Preheat the oven to 350F. Crush a bag of chips, to 1/4″ pieces. Set aside. Karen showed me how to cut sweet pepper. First slice the top off. Then slice the sides, leaving the stem with the seeds intact. No messy seeds a...

Ponderosa Cake
2008-03-13 10:00:00
We made Ponderosa Cake at the Gilmore Park Church Community Kitchen for the community meal. Ponderosa Cake is a popular cake in University of British Columbia. Karen was involved with the catering at UBC long time ago and she made a lot of these Ponderosa Cake. You can still find this cake in the UBC cafeterias until today. Karen had modified the Ponderosa Cake recipe to reduce the amount of fat and sugar for a healthier snack. She was able to maintain the sweetness by roasting the banana first. Ingredients 1 cup butter 2 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 cups banana (5 to 6 banana) 3 cups unbleached flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 cup low fat yogurt or sour cream For topping 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips Click on the link below for the instructions. Instructions Preheat the oven to 350F. Line pan with parchment paper. To bring out the sweetness of the banana, roast the banana while you preheat the oven....

Roasted Sweet Potato Soup
2008-01-29 10:00:00
Minoo kicked start the Caring Place Community Kitchen with two dishes. The first dish is Roasted Sweet Potato soup with orange and ginger. You may make this dish with yam, pumpkin or other winter squashes. This Roasted Sweet Potato Soup is a creamy soup flavoured with orange zest and grated ginger. It is best served warm. The creaminess of the soup comes from the sour cream. However, you may substitute the sour cream with a couple tablespoons of peanut butter and it’s equally good. Ingredients 6 cups peeled, cubed yams or sweet potatoes (about 3 large ones) 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onions 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 5 cups low-fat chicken broth 1 tablespoon each grated orange zest and gingerroot 1/2 teaspoon each ground cumin and salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 6 tablespoons low-fat sour cream Chopped, fresh cilantro for garnishing (more…)

Rice Cooker Soy Sauce Chicken
2008-01-28 10:00:00
One day, while me and Polly were browsing through some Chinese magazines looking for the recipe for Ma Lai Ko (unfortunately we cant find it, if someone out there has a tested recipe, please share), we came across this interesting recipe, Rice Cooker Soy Sauce Chicken .  The name caught my attention and I asked Polly to translate the recipe for me to try it out. I had a rice cooker which has been put away for a long time as the non-stick pot does not behave as it should be.  Every time I cooked rice with it, I lost about one bowl of rice as they stick to the bottom.  Since then, I have been cooking my rice on the stove.   When I saw the recipe, my long abandon rice cooker came to my mine.  At least, I can make use of it for this dish.   The Rice Cooker Soy Sauce Chicken turned out to be pretty good.  The caramalized sauce is great to go with steamed rice.  Arkensen and Nanzaro love this dish. Ingredients 1 whole chicken or 3 chicken legs 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce 2 tablesp...

Migration to WordPress Completed!
2008-01-28 09:35:00
Whew!  It took us an entire weekend to migrate chowtimes to Wordpress .  We know it is still rough around the edges but the good thing is we’re back in business.  We will take the next few weeks to cleanup the odds and ends. If you had bookmarked any of our internal pages, please note that they will not work anymore.  This is because WordPress names pages different from MovableType and we decided that it is best adopting fully what WordPress does. Oh … ignore the corvette on the header page.  We’ll fix that later on to something more foody. Enjoy! Suanne and Ben

Migrating From MovableType To WordPress and a New Blog
2008-01-25 21:08:00
Update 27Jan 7pm: Alright … I think we got it all figured out now. Chowtimes.com will start to go dark anytime soon. The go-dark period will likely be 24-72 hours. The site is temporarily up at http://chowtimes.26miler.com. When you see a “corvette” you will know that the migration to WordPress had been completed. (blowing a bye kiss to MovableType!) Update 26Jan 5pm: We got going again. We have created an interim site here if you want to have a sneak peak. Migrating all our photos will take a long time … estimated 7 hrs. We’ve got more pictures than we thought we had! Update 26Jan 5am: Sigh … this is going to take longer than I thought! Am utterly stuck at this and working out the steps with my new hosting’s support. Stay tuned. Hi All: Suanne and I will start migrating chowtimes.com from MovableType to WordPress starting tonight. If all goes well, you will not notice any difference except that when we are done, you will see a...
More About: Wordpress , Blog

Vinegar and Oil Tasting
2008-01-25 10:00:00
Karen brought a couple of her vinegar and oil for us to taste as she did not have to prepare much for the community meal the next day. Basically, she’ll made the Chili in Indian Sauce for the community meal entree and salad for the sides. We helped Karen to wash and chop two big boxes of greens to be used for salad the next day. The food bank also donated two large platters of cookies for the community meal and that takes care of the dessert. Karen brought a couple of oil and vinegar for us to taste and she also shared a few vinagrette dressing recipes with us. Here are what we tasted: A sherry vinegar which has quite a strong sour taste. A lemon infused olive oil which has a very nice lemon flavour. A balsamic vinegar which is mellow and smooth, not too sour. The grape seed oil does not have any flavour in it which is very good for cooking because of its neutral taste. We also compares the oil with an ordinary olive. We did the tasting with some bread. Bing a typic...
More About: Vinegar

Chili in Indian Sauce
2008-01-24 10:00:00
Karen made a Chili using some Indian Sauce she got from the food bank. It is a good way to introduce new flavour to your family to expand their culinary experience. This is a vegetarian dish. Karen served the chili with basmati rice and salad greens on the side. The Chili in Indian Sauce is so simple and quick to prepare. The sauce is sold in microwaveable pouch which is ready to eat. The sauce Karen used is Baingan Bharta which is roasted aubergines in a tangy sauce infused with rich Indian spices. The sauce is not too spicy. The sauce can be served on itself but Karen used it to make a chili dish. This way, she can served a large group of people in a small budget in the community kitchen. To make this Chili in Indian sauce is very simple. First, drain the canned beans of your choice. Saute some fresh vegetables like onion, celery or green onion in a pan. The vegetables add freshness and flavour to the dish. Once the vegetables are softened, add the pouch of Indian sau...

Roast Pork Rice Paper Roll
2008-01-23 10:00:00
Vanessa also made some Roast Pork Rice Paper Roll s to serve with the Pineapple Fried Rice. The roast pork is bought from the best roast pork stall at Parker Place in Richmond. The Roast Pork Rice Paper Roll is best served warm, unlike the Vietnamese Shrimp Rice Roll which is served cold. Ingredients 1 lb roast pork 1 package of rice paper 3 carrots 1 large red onion 1 bag of bean sprouts Hoisin Sauce to taste Click on the link below for the instructions. (more…)

Pineapple Fried Rice
2008-01-22 10:00:00
Vanessa kicked start the the South Arm Community Kitchen with two of her favourite dishes. The first dish is Pineapple Fried Rice . Many Chinese made fried rice at home. It’s a good way to use left over rice and meat. Nanzaro often asks me to cook extra rice so that he can fry rice for supper or breakfast by himself. Vanessa kicked it up a notch by using the pineapple shell to plate the Pineapple Fried Rice . This is just like what we get at high end restaurant which comes pricey. Vanessa showed us how to make this from our own kitchen. We simply love the presentation of this Pineapple Fried Rice. Ingredients 1 whole pineapple, not too ripe. 4 cups cooked rice. preferably overnight left over rice 4 slices Cooked ham 4 eggs a bunch of green beans Soy Sauce Salt to taste Click on the link below for the instructions. (more…)

Cucumber Cafe in Richmond
2008-01-21 10:00:00
I’m so glad that the kids are back to school and we’re back to normal routine. Polly and I take our first opportunity to have a ladies’ day out at the Cucumber Cafe in Richmond . We had a long break in December as either one of us was not feeling well or our kids were not feeling well. Well, winter is the flu and cold season, :(. Cucumber Cafe is located at 10211 St. Edwards Dr, adjacent to the new Sandman Signature Hotel. It’s a new cafe in the block. The first thing we noticed was the good service. The waiter opened the door to greet us warmly. The Cafe is cozy and warmly decorated with a real fireplace and the brightly orange coloured seats bring the warm morning glory into this place. As usual, Polly and I were looking for cheesecake to endeavor. Luckily, there is one in the menu. We ordered the Creme Brulee Cheesecake for $4.95. This cheesecake is rich and served with caramel sauce. We also ordered a Warm Apple Brown Betty which is apples bake...

Coco Chilli in Richmond
2008-01-20 10:00:00
Alexandra Road has a large concentration of restaurants in Richmond . That 1/2 mile stretch from Garden City and the No 4 Road is lined with restaurants. If there is one place we lunch out a lot on weekends, it is here. We go to Kam Do and Silver Tower quite a bit. Despite all the visits, we had never stepped into Coco Chilli before. We knew it was there, who would not have noticed the bright yellow facade. It does looked a bit teenager’ish to us and without taking a second glance we thought that it is a bubble tea house or something like that. We were wrong. I can’t really figure out what type of a restaurant Coco Chilli is. They have quite a bit of spicy and curry dishes. On one hand, I would say that they are a South East Asian restaurant but then it’s something about it that says that it is a cafe style restaurant. Whatever it is, they have a very extensive menu. What we like best is that there are lots of pictures on them. Maybe it was bad timing ...