Tropika Restaurant - Richmond

Restaurant: Tropika Restaurant - Richmond

Cuisine: Malaysian/Thai
Last visited: January 9, 2010
Area: Multiple – Richmond, BC (Aberdeen Mall)
4151 Hazelbridge Way
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3.5
Service: 2.5

Ambiance: 4

Overall: 3.5

Additional comments:

• Specializes in Malaysian/Thai fusion cuisine
• Bordering on Chinese, for me it's Chinese inspired too
  
• A lot of things taste the same - lots of dried shrimp paste
• Chinese operated, could be even Chinese owned I'm not sure
• Great presentation for drinks
• Great for large parties or groups
  
• Go when it's not as busy
• Extensive menu
  
• 3 locations in Vancouver and lower mainland
• Long line-up and wait for Richmond location
• Spacious, seats plenty
• Attracts Chinese
• Popular for seafood
• Won awards
• Reservations recommended

**Recommendation: Roti Canai (but mine wasn’t goo on this occasion), Terung Udang Kering, Sambal Bunchies, K.L. Crab, Tom Yum Kung Soup (not all items are in this review)

Tropika is a small chain restaurant with 3 locations in Vancouver, BC – one being at The Aberdeen mall in Richmond. I decided to go to the Richmond location, and to my surprise it was a full house. It seats plenty and there was a line up and wait list at 6:15pm so I had to wait until 7pm. We were seated at the very back of the restaurant at this random fold out table and chairs that were used just to satisfy the dinner time rush. (I would have rather waited for a proper seat, but I was arriving late for dinner).

Tropika serves Malaysian and Thai cuisine, however I find it more on the Chinese side than authentic Malaysian and Thai fusion. I mean there are some Malaysian and Thai qualities to the food, but it is very Chinese inspired at the same time. I missed the use of fresh basil, limes, lemongrass (Thai) and cinnamon (Malaysian). Maybe it’s because I started this blog that my standards have changed a bit, because I remember liking Tropika more.

Overall the food tasted pretty good, but I just felt like everything started to taste the same – a lot of dried shrimp, some fish sauce, and a lot of oil. I also don’t recommend coming when it’s busy because the quality of food was affected. They do have an extensive (and literally heavy) menu and I only touched upon it. I’ve tried several other things on their menu so what I ordered on this visit isn’t really what I would recommend. I just wanted to try something new. It would require at least 2 more visits for this to be a fair review.

On the table:

**Roti Canai (Malay Bread) 2/6 (on this occasion)

• Malaysian bread served with curry sauce. 2 pcs $5.90
• This is a type of grilled flatbread similar to the Indian paratha bread. It’s very buttery, and it’s almost stretchy and chewy.
• It’s one of their most popular appetizers and I think they just made a batch and put them under a heater because mine wasn’t that fresh. It’s wasn’t fluffy, and it was actually quite stale.
• The curry sauce was watered down. It’s definitely not the same curry sauce they serve with their curry dishes. I could tell because I went to another Tropika location (Cambie) right after this dinner and tried their chicken curry.
• The curry sauce they served with the roti was luke warm and the flavour was mainly spicy. As it gets cold, the flavour gets sweeter and not just spicy. It was made with pureed onions, chili powder, fish sauce and some curry paste.

Satay Sticks 3/6

• Minimum of 6. Your choice of chicken, pork, or beef with peanut sauce $7.20 Each $1.20
• The satay sticks were dinky looking to me. It was dark meat chicken and it was a bit fatty, but at least it was grilled nicely without drying out.
• The peanut sauce was not very creamy, but very chunky. I liked the texture because there were lots of coarsely chopped peanuts. It’s a great sauce in general, but it’s on the sweet side here. It was almost like there was too much honey or Hoisin sauce in it. I think it was more honey. It was a bit oily too. I like the peanut sauce at Paratha Man better.

Stir-fried Radish Cake 3.5/6

• Stir fried steamed radish cake with shrimp and Chinese sausage $4.25
  
• It also had minced Chinese mushrooms, water chestnuts, dried shrimps and some Hoisin sauce as the marinade. It was all mixed together and formed into a dome shape and they top it off with 2 shrimps $4.25
• This was recommended by our server; otherwise I would have looked past it.
• It was almost like Malaysian dim sum! It was a cross between pan-fried radish cake and sticky rice you would find at Chinese dim sum.
• It has a very mushy, gummy and almost sticky in texture - but it’s supposed to be. It’s almost like a thick and chewy mashed potato, but it’s not starchy although filling. I like the sweetness of the Chinese mushrooms, creaminess of the radish and refreshing crunch of the water chestnuts (although there wasn't much of that).
• The sausage and dried shrimp brought salty flavours, jerky-like, and the Hoisin sweetened it all up a bit. There was a slight pickled taste and I don’t know where that was from. Overall the fish was quite interesting and tasty.

Sambal Egg 3/6

• Deep fried gourmet egg topped with Sambal sauce $2.00
• It’s not always deep-fried, but it is here and that’s part of what makes it different and good.
• The egg has a thin deep fried layer that reminds me of dried tofu skins. It wasn’t as crispy as it should be and I think they had premade a bunch.
• Sambal is a chili paste sauce and I don’t even know if this one was homemade. I feel like it was jarred Sambal sauce. It was a spicy, a bit sweet, but they gave us too much oil and too little pasts. The egg is supposed to be stir fried and fully coated with sauce, but becuase there wasn’t enough sauce it was a bit dry. Usually this dish is a 4/6.

**Terung Udang Kering 5.5/6

• A Troika specialty. Rated as one of the best eggplant in the city by some local food critics. Our eggplant dish is stir-fried in Sambal sauce and sun-dried shrimps with a touch of sesame oil to make a refreshingly extraordinary experience. (Description from menu) $11.95
• I have never ordered this before and I was unaware that it had won so many awards. It was really good, but it’s also something that comes up often in Asian cuisines so I don’t feel like it was EXTRA spectacular here. I mean it was delicious, but “best eggplant in the city” is a bold statement.
• It was almost like braised eggplant because it was so juicy and tender and had absorbed so much flavour, like a sponge. It literally melted in your mouth and was almost creamy in texture and stringy.
• The eggplant was spicy, but not too spicy and there was some green onion it is as well. It was sweet, spicy, and salty from the dried shrimps and fish sauce. The dried shrimps have so much flavour and they were almost deep fried because they were a bit crispy. It was so flavourful and well infused in the dish it actually gave it a very nutty taste…especially combined with the sesame oil.
• My only complaint is that it was very oily. I mean really the sauce at the bottom was so oily and my lips were super greasy. It would deter me from ordering it again though. It was really good.

Hainanese Chicken 1.5/6

• The pure flavour of the chicken is specially enhanced by the components of our chili sauce and Hainanese Chicken flavoured rice (which can be ordered separately) to create exciting flavours. (Description from menu) Half $7.95 Whole $12.95
• So what it actually is is a chicken boiled in a rich chicken bone stock that’s served cold. The oil it releases in the stock is then used to cook the rice that accompanies the dish. The condiments are peanuts, cucumbers, chili sauce and ginger oil.
• This is actually a Chinese dish that originates from Hinan, China but it is often associated with Singaporean or Malaysian cooking.
• First off I’m not a big fan of this dish in general, unless it’s from Admiralty Chicken. This is the best I’ve ever had Hainanese Chicken.
• I don’t think it was made well here. The chicken was moist but not flavourful as it didn’t absorb any of the flavours of the stock. It wasn’t as slippery as it should be too. It's not spicy, it's only spicy if you use the chili sauce it comes with.
• The ginger oil wasn’t fresh either and tasted like they used old ginger root to make it. There was no green onion in it either.
• Hainanese Rice: the rice was pretty good. The literal translation is “oil rice” because of the way it’s made. Don't let that freak you out though, it's not really oily, although it does use oil. It’s just very rich in flavour. $1.75/bowl
• Coconut Rice: the coconut rice here is good and you can smell the coconut milk more so than actually tasting it. $1.75/bowl

Thai Basil

Restaurant: Thai Basil

Cuisine: Thai
Last visited: December 18, 09
Area: Vancouver, BC (Westend/Downtown)
1215 Thurlow Street
Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4.5
Service: 3
Ambiance: 1
Overall: 4
Additional comments:

• Hole in the wall, seats 10
• Family owned and operated
• Outdoor seating for maybe 3 people
• Homecooked/Homestyle
• Made upon order
• Local ingredients
• Very cheap
• Eat in / Take-out
• $5.95 lunch specials
• Optional brown rice
• Attracts Westerners/white people
• Open kitchen
• Accepts MC/Debit/Visa
• Tuesday- Sunday 11am-9:30pm
• Closed Monday

**Recommendation: Pad Grapow (not on menu, need to make special request)

I walked past Thai Basil several months and finally decide to try it out. I was with my friend and we had spent the last couple days Christmas shopping so when we were deciding where to go for dinner the only craving we had was CHEAP. So we walked up Davie scoping out restaurants and had the intentions of going to Samurai Sushi as our default eatery for cheap eats…until I remembered Thai Basil that is. I had forgotten what the menu looked like, but all I knew was that it was really cheap; cheaper than Samurai Sushi, so it was a natural choice at the time.

I really questioned its authenticity because everyone having dinner there is predominantly white. However I think it could be the area; as well you wouldn't notice it unless you lived in the neighborhood. This place is the definition of hole-in-the-wall; it’s a small operation that seats maybe 10. The kitchen is open which is good because at least I can see where my food is coming from. It’s clean and everything is served on nice rectangular white plates which really surprised me. I also loved the free toasted ground peanuts available at the counter. We seriously used the entire container between the 2 of us.

I had no idea what I was expecting. Part of me was thinking definitely watered down Thai food. When I asked for a recommendation she kept saying that the most popular was cashew nut chicken and Pad Thai, the dishes most popular for white people and mainly because they're mild. So I had to really explain to her that I didn't necessarily want most popular, but just the best thing according to them - basically what they would order. She said what she eats isn't on the menu, but she could get it made for us. I was sold.

She didn't know I was a reviewer/blogger but she did know I wanted the really authentic stuff. Therefore the dishes they prepared for us were especially made "Thai style". Meaning everything is spicy and served how they would eat it at home or in Thailand.

Note: You can make this request at Thai/Indian restaurants.

On the table:

Nua Nam Tok 3.5/6

• Grilled beef, onion, mint, roasted rice tossed in spicy dressing. Served on a bed of greens $5.95

• At first bite this was very spicy to me and I can handle spicy. I will usually go for medium, but I can handle hot. The first bite was spicy to the point of smoky bitter spicy. It had my nose runny quite early.
• The vinaigrette sauce was almost like a spicy Thai version of that orange Vietnamese sauce you dip your spring rolls in. It's made of fish sauce, lime juice, and other Thai spices. The seasoning they use for it is this dark red spice made of dried Thai red chili peppers. It’s available at their help yourself condiments section at the counter.
• It was very flavourful and started off salty, then immediately to tangy, and then right away to very spicy. But it's so weird because after a while of being spicy, it suddenly gets sweet. I couldn't even taste the spiciness anymore. They also fried the actual dried Thai red chilies right into the oil before sautéing the beef and I think they did the same with the Thai basil leaves, so the flavourful was intense. To my surprise it wasn’t greasy either.
• The beef is really tender from being marinated. It looks dry, but it was juicy. It was pretty lean pieces and for the price they give you quite a bit and the dish is big overall.
• I couldn’t taste or see any roasted rice though.
• I also wish the fresh mint should have been more chopped up.
• I still prefer larb gai, another authentic Thai salad, over this one.
• Must eat this with lots of ground peanuts - that are unlimited!

**Pad Grapow 5/6

• Stir fried minced chicken, garlic, & holy basil served with a fried egg on a bed of rice $8.50
• You can order it with minced chicken, pork, or beef.
• This is the secret dish that isn’t on the menu that was specially prepared upon request. Anyone can order it though, and I really suggest you do.
• This dish was very home style Thai, it was one of those dishes that you know is what they cook at home. It was really simple and when you see it served with a fried egg you just know it’s one of their go-to, feel good, home cooked meals. Fried eggs are common sides to lots of Asian cuisines, although it’s something we would do it at home or something you would see at Asian tea houses serving very casual food.
• The ground chicken is actually marinated in what tasted like sweet soy like sauce with garlic. It’s probably tamarind, fish sauce and (palm) sugar in the marinade with some garlic. It was very lean and delicious.
• The spiciness totally sneaks up on you with this dish…and I know why now! At first I thought it was because of the fresh red chilies and the seeds that got camouflaged into the minced meat. But now I know it’s because they use Thai holy basil in the dish and not Thai sweet basil! The flavour is totally different and this is when you know you’re getting the authentic stuff. This dish has to use a lot of holy basil because the flavour is what makes this dish. It has a peppery aromatic kick that’s softer than using straight up chilies. Both are used in the dish, but together the flavour is unmistakable.
• Again it’s best eaten with ground peanuts and the fish sauce and ground chili spice that comes with it. Adding peanuts isn’t the authentic way to eat it, but I loved the texture and flavour it added.
• The side of fish sauce doesn’t smell great, but the flavour it adds is amazing. Use it! It’s almost like a very pungent and potent salt – you just need to sprinkle some over the whole dish and mix it until you reached your desired flavour.
• My only complaint is that the egg was slightly overdone, so the yolk wasn't as runny. It should be runny so that you can mixed everything nicely together.
• It’s a very big portion for one person and totally worth the price.
• It’s also not greasy and a perfect ratio of meat and rice.

Prata-Man Singaporean Cuisine

Restaurant: Prata-Man Singaporean Cuisine Restaurant

Cuisine: Singaporean/Malaysian
Last visited: November 19, 09
Area: Richmond, BC
#180 - 9020 Capstan Way
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4 (if you stick to recommended items)
Service: 3
Ambiance: 2

Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• Family owned and operated – Chinese Malaysian
• Very popular to locals
• Popular hole in the wall
• Homemade/home style
• More Chinese-Malaysian, than authentic Malaysian food
• Seats 20
• Busy for lunch
• Quick eat, cheap prices
• Lunch and dinner service
• Eat-in/Take-out (Eat in if you can, paratha bread is better fresh)
• Cheaper price for take-out (I would still prefer to eat in)
• Cash only

**Recommendation: Chicken curry, paratha bread, Hainanese Chicken (Don’t bother exploring their items, these are the ones)

This place is the definition of “hole in the wall” – the location is quite hidden at the end of a small plaza on Cambie. It seats about 20 and everything looks really rundown from inside and out. Even the chefs/cooks are wearing those super thin plastic disposable aprons – the same material they use as table cloths at cheap dim sum places. As much as a dive this place feels and looks it manages to be one of the most popular hole in the walls in Richmond…maybe even THE most popular.

I’ve been here on a few occasions and people often get take-out from here for potluck dinners. I’ve always been pretty impressed by it until I started ordering items that aren’t as popular. Don’t bother exploring the menu. I also got take-out on my last visit there and I’ve never really been disappointed, except on this occasion. So I’m going to base my review taking all my visits there into consideration too.

On the table:

• Beef Rendang 1/6
• This is a very popular Malaysian dish, but the one they make here is not representable of it at all! It’s supposed to be a beef slowly cooked in coconut milk and Malaysian spices until it becomes falling apart tender and absorbs all the liquids and juices it’s cooked in. However they made it into beef brisket curry – beef rending looks and tastes NOTHING like this.
• First, it’s supposed to be a deep reddish brown colour, not yellow.
• I kept thinking maybe they made a mistake with my order. But they told me it would take longer, which it should because it’s slow cooked; however I think it took longer here because nobody orders it. It took 15 min. to make – so I know there was no mistake, it was just not Beef Rendang.
• It had beef brisket, potatoes and curry sauce. Even as a beef brisket and curry it wasn’t that great. The beef brisket was extremely fatty and there was hardly any meat.
• Where to get REAL AUTHENTIC Beef Rendang: Kedah House on 1652 South East Marine Drive, Vancouver (East Van). The best here.

• Paratha Bread 5/6
• I love their paratha bread here, but because I got take-out it wasn’t as good as good. I would really recommend eating in if you can. If you get it to go I’d order it with rice.
• It almost tastes like there’s potatoes in the recipe. It’s fresh and made upon order. It’s very soft with a crispy outside and it pulls apart beautifully. It’s a bit thicker and bigger than what most places will serve.
• It must be eaten with their curries. Yum!

• Tofu Goreng 3/6
• Deep fried tofu with bean sprouts and peanut satay sauce for dipping.

• This is a very popular Malaysian appetizer that Malaysian people would order. The recipe isn’t authentic here.
• Again, better if you eat-in, and again it’s not a poplar item and they do make it better at other places. The best I’ve had it is again at Kedah House.
• The tofu was big pieces, which is good because some places serve it with tiny pieces.
• It’s very crispy, but didn’t have soy sauce or chili sauce. I’m not sure if they serve it differently when you eat-in, but tofu goreng has to be served with chili soy sauce.
• The peanut satay sauce on the other hand was amazing! There was lots of ground peanuts, garlic, ginger and I think some honey to combine it all and sweeten things up. It was very fresh with fresh pureed lemongrass too. It was thick, slightly spicy, sweet, and nutty.

Yoko Sushi

Restaurant: Yoko Sushi

Cuisine: Japanese/Sushi

Last visited: October 22, 09
Area: Coquitlam, BC

1001 Austin ave

Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3.5

Service: 4

Ambiance: 3

Overall: 3.5

Additional comments:

• Owned and operated by Koreans
• Not really authentic - "Westerner's sushi"
• Clean, friendly, trendy for area
• Sashimi/Sushi/Donburi/Noodles/Meals
• Set meals/Bento boxes/Sushi platters
  
• Some specialty rolls
• Lunch specials 11am-4pm
• Can customize your own roll upon request
• Attracts locals within the area
• Dine in/Take-out
• Open everyday 11am-12am

**Recommendation: House Green Salad, Gomae, House roll, Yoko roll

Curious to try: Korean Chirashi "Donburi": sashimi, vegetables and rice mixed with spicy sauce $10.95

I've come here on several occasions and it's not really because the food is exceptional, but it's clean, comfortable, somewhat trendy, reasonably priced, and the food is good and well-prepared even though it's not "authentically" Japanese. The food tastes pretty good, but it's almost too perfect - kind of like ordering a Kung Pao Chicken bowl at an American chain restaurant - it's usually pretty good, but just not authentic.

It's only been around for about a year and it's owned and operated by a young group of Koreans. It attracts Westerners and Koreans around the area. The presentation is nice and the food is fresh so it's a good choice if you're around and craving sushi. It's decently busy during dinner, but you'll never be waiting in a line.

On the table:

• **House Green Salad 4/6
• Our signature house dressing $3.50

• Surprised? So was I! I never order house green salads at any restaurant. I've tried the Japanese green salad, but have never liked it until I tried this one.
• It's served with their signature house dressing, so it's homemade and really good.
• The dressing is made with a combination of apples and onions and it's nice and thick. It has the texture of pureed apples but and the flavour is sweet yet tangy at the same time. You also get that bite of finely grated onion. I would have liked more dressing though because there was a lot of salad.
• The green salad they use is really fresh and not that chopped ice berg lettuce most Japanese restaurants will serve. They used shredded romaine with some carrots and purple cabbage for colour - there wasn't one brown or wilted leaf.
• **Gomae 5/6
  
• Spinach with sesame dressing $3.95

• They make Gomae really good here. The sauce is homemade again and it's a mix of ground sesame and peanuts. Some places will only use sesame sauce, but I like it with peanuts because it's richer and gives it a deeper flavour.
• The picture looks like a lot of sauce, but it's actually the perfect amount and I love the sauce! More the merrier. It's just enough to perfectly coat each leaf after you mix it altogether.
• **House Roll 5/6
• Salmon, tuna, ebi, avocado, tamago & crab $6.95
• I really like the house roll here. They give you ebi (shrimp) and it's really rare to have this ingredient in it. Most people will use a cheaper ingredient even if they just wanted to make it bigger.
• At Yoko's they use really little rice in their house roll and give you tons of filling, which is great. However the rice is a little too wet and there' s not much flavour to it.
• Another thing they do differently is they wrap it in a soybean wrap (the yellow layer wrapped around it). The soybean wrap doesn't have much flavour, but it makes for nice presentation. It's almost like the texture of the seaweed wrapped on the inside. It kind of helps keep everything together and I really liked it.
• They drizzle it with this homemade mango sauce which was unexpected and creative. The mango was made with a mango syrup, almost like a coulis. It's sweet, but not overpowering because they didn't soak the roll with it. It wasn't really creamy and it wasn't made with mayo, but maybe evaporated milk or corn syrup, something of that sort. It was still nice and light and went well with the roll.
• It is a larger roll, as most house rolls are, but you get fresh ingredients and a lot of it. The portion of each ingredient was well balanced.
• 
• Kamikaze Roll 2/6
  
• Prawn tempura and crab with spicy tuna on top $8.95

• This was really whatever to me. The plating was nice, but that's about it. I actually expected more...especially at $8.95.
• The rice wasn't flavourful enough and the tuna wasn't spicy enough so it was kind of bland. The prawn tempura is pre-fried and they make batches at a time for the sushi chefs so we had one that had been sitting out for a bit. So it wasn't crispy and the batter was a bit soggy and not as fresh.
• The spicy tuna was pounded and got too mushy and they didn't give you enough for this roll. It was a bit inconsistent with each piece. The spicy marinade kind of tasted like Tabasco sauce and had that one dimensional flavour. This roll needed something crunchy - either green onions or cucumbers to give it that extra something. I wouldn't order it again.

• **Yoko Roll 4/6
  
• Salmon, avocado, and cream cheese then deep-fried $6.95

• I didn't order it on this occasion, but I've ordered it before and still think about it.
  
• Its a deep fried roll, and they do a good job with it. They do a great job with the deep frying and the whole thing is lightly battered and crispy when complete.
• The cream cheese gets all soft and warm and the roll literally melts in your mouth. The salmon doesn't cook so don't worry about it getting dry. The roll is creamy, rich and well-executed. A real treat, but you might want to share it because you may get sick of it if you just order that alone.
  
• 
• Vegetable Teriyaki Don 3/6
• Stir-fried mixed vegetables served over rice. Served with miso soup. $9.95

• They give you a decent amount of fresh veggies and it's a pretty big bowl.
• There's carrots, broccoli, bean sprouts, cabbage and zucchini, but it was missing mushrooms and onions - there were maybe some onions, but not enough.
  
• The sauce is a standard Teriyaki sauce, so nothing exceptional there, but still good.
  

Shanghai River - Review 2

Tan Tan Noodles

Restaurant: Shanghai River
Cuisine: Shanghainese/Chinese/Asian/Dim Sum

Last visited: Multiple - October 17, 09

Area: Richmond, BC

7831 Westminster Hwy

Price Range: $20-30

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very Good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 5

Service: 3

Ambiance: 4

Overall: 4.5

Additional comments:

• Known as the best/Richmond's most popular Shanghai restaurants
  
• Higher end Shanghai/Chinese Restaurant in Vancouver/Richmond
  
• Hit or miss items - but when it's a hit it's a big hit!
• Busy/Crowded/Line-ups all the time
  
• Reservations recommended
• Menu in Chinese and English - some pictures
• Shanghainese staff in front and in kitchen
• Very popular to locals/Chinese/main stream/tourists
  
• Should go with at least 8 ppl - how the menu/portions are designed
• Visible "Xiao Long Bao" (famous steamed pork dumplings) making station
• Dishes meant to be shared
• Private dining room available

**Recommendation: Steamed mini pork dumplings "Xiao Long Bao", braised eggplant with chili sauce, deep fried crab with chili & garlic.

To see my 1st review for Shanghai River

To see my 3rd review for Shanghai River

After talking to my friend from Shanghai I have learned that Shanghai River is not really authentic Shanghainese food. It's still good, but just not authentic. I can see where she's coming from because I've been to Shanghai and when comparing the food I get it.

It's true the dishes here are influence by Chinese/Cantonese cooking. The food is still good, but it's just not authentic Shanghainese. They need to cater to the tastes of the majority so being in Richmond - it's no doubt that the food will have a Chinese/Cantonese flair.

For the record we ordered 16 steamed mini pork dumplings aka "xiao long bao" between 2 people. Don't think we missed out! ;) I just didn't bother to write about it again because it's already in my 1st review for the restaurant.

On the table:

• Pan fried pea tips 6/6 (Just depends on if you like the veggie though)
  
• These are stir-fried snow pea tips. I love this vegetable. It has the flavour of snow peas and the texture of a firmer and sturdier spinach. It kind of tastes like it too, but better.

• They make it really well here and it's a simple recipe, but who cares when it's good. You get a lot of it too, a nice pile enough for 4-6 no problem.
  
• It's not oily even though it's pan-fried and they saute it with a light soy sauce to give it some saltiness and flavour. Nice and healthy .
  
• They style if more Chinese than Shanghainese.
• Tan Tan Noodles 4.5/6
  
• This is the most unique way I've seen tan tan noodles done. There's definitely a professional chef in the kitchen and his take on it was solid - although I don't know how "authentic" it was .
  

  

• I have no idea how he made the soup base. It was served with this thick creamy and frothy layer - it looked like a latte! It was really flavourful and I think it could have been a mix of sesame and peanut butter sauce. There were some finely ground peanuts, but not enough of them. There was also lots of finely ground black pepper which is different because usually it's just spicy from all the chili oil they use.
• It wasn't actually that spicy for me. It wasn't that oily either, which means it wasn't as "authentic" because Shanghai food, and especially this dish, is really really heavy with oil. This is traditionally supposed to be served with red chilies too, and those were nowhere to be found. Nonetheless I still though the soup tasted great.
• The sliced cucumbers are great because it lightens up the dish and cuts through all the richness and spiciness.
• The noodles are nice and fresh and made in house. They absorb really easily though and got soft quick.
  
• The could have used more mince pork because there wasn't that much at all. Actually everything was just a bit too minced and finely ground...it almost became powdery. The pork was so minced it blended in with the peanuts.