Memphis Blues

Howdy blues brothers and sisters, it's been awhile since Michael and I have gone out to dine because we feel that our restaurant ideas are becoming  real stale lately. We past by Memphis Blues on the busy streets of Granville and Broadway. I have heard of this place once from a gal pal of mine, they claim they have gotten a lot of recognition for their meaty goodness.

Memphis Blues is located at 1465 West Broadway in Vancouver. When we walked in there was a strong smell of barbecue sauce, I think that would be a good thing since Im sure down south people really love their barbecue ribs. There was a lot of blues music type of theme happening in the restaurant, a lot of Southern pride thats for sure. Michael and I was really confused when we were ready to order, it turns out that we had to walk up to the counter to order and pay and someone will bring our food to the table afterwards.
 

BBQ Pit Wings

I wasn't sure I think maybe because everything was just smoked or barbecued. I think Michael was a little torn with choices as well. He started off with the BBQ Pit wings ($8.50) , which I also munched from of course. We both agree that the chicken wings were fried too long, leaving little amounts of juice in the chicken, but the the bright side was that the seasoning for the wings were pretty nice.  It had a herby, salty, and sugary sweetness which I thought it was unique taste to fried wings.

Oyster Po'Boy with fries

 I have been craving for an oyster burger so I decided to get the oyster po'boy ($9.95), it was suppose to be served with beans and coleslaw, but I'm not a beans kind of gal, so I substituted for fries instead. My thoughts on the po'boy is pretty mixed. I think the cook didn't go far enough with pimping out the sandwich with a lot of rowdy ingredients in there because the main focus is the oyster. So it was just tomatoes and lettuce and I believe some sort of ranch dressing sauce. My first few bites in to the oyster I thought, hey this sandwich isn't all that bad, the oyster was lightly battered and fried and the bun was soft. But when I got to the core of the oyster,  it was too much oyster flavour  for me to handle, lets just say I can still taste the sea. It was a little too much. My fries, on the other hand, was probably the best highlight of my dish. It was seasoned nicely exactly how the fried chicken were but towards the I think the seasoning got to heavy with heat that my lips were going to burn off. But other than that very strong flavours!

Rib Ends Sandwich with salad

Michael on the hand got the rib ends sandwich with greens ($9.95). He substituted his side for a salad which I also got to taste, it was accompanied with a vinaigrette, I for one love my vinegar, for those who don't me I LOVE vinegar, but this vinaigrette was too strong for me. I just cringed when I tried and I got that unappealing scratchy feeling on my teeth. Yikes! Michael thought his sandwich was a little too dry as well. He thought the BBQ flavour was overpowering and he finished his coke and another glass of water before he was halfway done his sandwich.

On an unrelated note, Michael and I think Memphis Blues need a better ventilation system in the restaurant. It got so smokey in there I felt like I couldn't breath. We left the restaurant with that unappealing smokey after smell of the restaurant on our clothes. Both Michael and I are pretty sure we won't be returning to Memphis Blues anytime soon, there is nothing too special to their menu and we're not sure where all its recognition comes from. 


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Dai Jang Kum

Sometimes figuring out where we want to eat is like pulling teeth. Finally, after deciding on an option where we didn't have to leave Richmond, Michael and I agreed we'd go for Korean barbecue at Dai Jang Kum, 3088 St. Edward Dr. Michael knew about this place from going with his family a while back, but I had yet to try it.

The hot plate grill

When we walked in it wasn't too busy, the restaurant looked quite big, and all the tables were arranged in booths with a stove each for diners to cook their meat. We decided on Combo A ($35.95), which had a combination of chicken, beef, short ribs and pork. Our waiter came and installed our stove for us, he then set up our first batch of meat on the stove, but the rest was up to us.

Our combo came with a rice and a soup each

The lightly marinated chicken and beef was very tender and juicy. We each got a small dish of something similar to a sweet soy sauce to dip the barbecue goodies. The best part was its sweetness had just the right amount, not strong enough to over power the taste of the marinating of the chicken and beef, but enough to add a new flavour.

A small salad each

Michael basically wolfed down everything else on the table. He especially loved the dipping sauce and said it just added a sweetness to the meats you don't usually taste. I know he liked cooking the meats himself too. The cooking plate does get a little charred during cooking, but the servers seem to be more than please to replace them when that happens.

Side dishes

One of the reasons Michael and I love coming to Korean barbecue restaurants is because they serve little side dishes. Dai Jang Kum did not fail. We both love the sweetened potatoes and I'd have to say the kimchi can't be beat either. Michael was really looking forward to the seaweed side dish Korean restaurants usually serve though, I guess they don't serve that at this restaurant.

We just wanted to say that we were both pleasantly surprised by the service at Dai Jang Kum, our waiter was very friendly and was quite attentive. For carnivores wanting to chow down on food that promises not to disappoint, Dai Jang Kum should definitely be a consideration.

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Jang Mo Jib

Our evening took us to a Korean restaurant instead of French, as had we originally planned, since it was fully booked. But it was Friday night, C'est Dommage.

So traditional Korean BBQ and hot pot it was! Jang Mo Jib, located at 8320 Alexandra Rd., in the heart of Richmond by the Landsdowne Mall.

I remember visiting this restaurant a few years ago with a friend. The decor and environment remained the way I had remembered it, the outside showing off an exaggerated Asian architectural feel, no mistaking this place for a western steakhouse.

The menu is what really surprises you. With so many choices, it's difficult choosing, one of my favorites is a seafood pancake with onions, and the rice noodles with a veggies and soy sauce. Yum, but they come in such heaping portions that I'd never be able to finish it.

Michael and I both ordered from the claystone hot pot menu, dishes served with a tofu stew and a soup mix with assorted veggies and proteins. A bowl of rice held in signature Korean metal bowls accompanies its arrival.

Kim Chee Soon Doo Boo - long name, many ingredients.

I had the Kim Chee Soon Doo Boo, a medley of soy bean paste, kimchi, radish, egg, beef and tofu paste. The dish was a delight. The tofu was extremely smooth and paired well with the mildly spicy broth - you get to choose mild, medium or hot. My mild broth was delicious, it wasn't spicy enough to overwhelm, but was enough to give a nice kick of heat. I mixed it with the rice and it was Korean heaven, the tofu and broth mixes with the rice to add moisture, definitely a dish I was happy to try. The added bits of kimchi also gave the dish a nice crunch to counter the softness of tofu.

Those are my chopsticks on the top right. Mmmm, potatos.

One of the things I look forward to most at a Korean restaurant is having the side dishes presented to you before the meal, especially the sweet marinated potatos. We received generous portions of the usual four side dishes, potatos, radish marinated in a hot sauce, kimichi, and a seaweed veggie mix.

Ssuk Uh Soon Doo Boo - assorted seafood stew

Michael had the Ssuk Uh Soon Doo Boo, a similar bowl in the tofu hotpot menu, with assorted seafood, onions, radish, tofu, and egg in the signature broth. He ordered it with the medium spicy option, but complained it wasn't spicy enough. He loved it though. His bowl had enough seafood to quench his appetite, so much he couldn't finish all his rice.

Tohng Gahl Bee - AAA beef short ribs

Usually I don't eat beef, but Michael really wanted me to have some - since we were at a Korean BBQ restaurant. We both shared the Tohng Gahl Bee for $24.95, AAA traditionally cooked Korean short rib marinated in BBQ sauce and cooked on charcoal. The beef was pretty good. It was juicy, tender, and melted apart when it was your mouth. The sauce made it taste even better, sweet but not overwhelming. Topped with the smokiness from the charcoal, it really hit the spot. It just went so well with everything.

The tableware shows the restaurant takes its authentic feel seriously.

I haven't been to many Korean restaurants I could say the same for the food, except one. One of my fondest memories was going to the famous K-Town in New York City, and they really knew how to make good food. But I think my experience tonight at Jang Mo Jib could sit right up there with New York.

In total the bill came to $56 with tip.

As for the earlier mentioned French restaurant, a little place near Fraser Street and Kingsway in Vancouver. I'm stoked for several reasons, first, my fabulous aunt had recommended this restaurant, and I trust her opinion in many things. Second, Michael has never been to Europe and I think he never understood why I have a love affair with Europe. Visiting this restaurant would be a good experience for him.

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The Hog Shack Cookhouse

It's been a while since Michael and I has gone out to eat. Out of a random thought today, Michael suggested we go to The Hog Shack Cookhouse on 160-3900 Bayview St. in Steveston Village.

Fish Tacos

The ambiance was like a classic country style steakhouse. I have always passed the place but never thought I would give it a try. The menu was the usual steakhouse affair. I try to not eat beef too much and try to cut that out of my diet, so I ordered the Fish Taco, $12, that arrived with a light salsa on it and a mixed green salad on the side. It was a decent taco, but the tortilla wrap tasted kind of stale and the fish was a little too crunchy to my liking - to the point that the fish was a little dry. But other then that, it wasn't bad. The sweetness of the salsa balanced out the dryness. I didn't pay too much attention to my mixed green salad, it was a little overdressed, so I had just eaten the bits of cucumber and nibbled on Michael's side dishes.

Hog Shack Baby Back Ribs

As for Michael, he likes meat as much as the next guy. Beef, lamb, pork, you name it Michael will eat it. This time, Michael ordered the Hog Shack Baby Back Rib, $17. He said his ribs were very filling and very meaty. He enjoyed  his side dishes, and told me the mashed potatoes were filled with herbs and tasted good. As for the yam fries, they tasted like any other yam fries with chipotle dipping sauce. 


The total of the bill came to $35.56 with one glass of coke including tip,  we haven't decided if we would return to this restaurant any time soon though. Maybe not too soon?

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