On Thursday October 28th, GoodNews.com is partnering with Re-Up BBQ Foodcart, who will be selling their addictive pulled-pork sandwiches for $1 (regularly $6.75). Re-Up BBQ is one of the new food carts that hit the city during the summer months. Apparently, it’s a small cart, they sell out fast and the line-up is long, which only means, these sandwiches are a must try!
Kintaro is one of the older ramen establishments in Vancouver; tiny with very limited seating and there is usually a line outside during peak hours. Rainy days, like this past weekend, are perfect for ramen. Restaurants that specialize in ramen usually have very limited menus, so it’s easy to choose what you want. There usually isn’t much variation in the toppings you get, but there are slight differences in the broth. The cheese ramen (with lean pork, above) includes bean sprout, menma, corn, green onion, BBQ pork, and two kinds of cheese. They don’t specify the kinds of cheese, but they are similar to mozerella. The cheese melts into the hot broth and gets intertwined with the ramen noodles. It is similar to a french onion soup, but there’s noodles. At the end, the cheese got a little clumpy and it was a little too much.
At Kintaro, you need to specify the richness of your soup and the kind of BBQ pork you would like (fatty or lean). Above, is the Shio Ramen with medium soup and fatty pork. The pork is VERY fatty, but it is also extremely flavourful. The ramen is average, but the broth is perfect and the you can definitely feel the roots of the establishment with their paper signs posted on the wall and comfy seating arrangement. Check out the video of Kintaro chefs in action:
They are supposed to be famous for their pupusas. Pupusas are a traditional Salvadorean dish that are handmade with a corn flour. There are three filling options: pork, beans & cheese, and mixed for $2.75 each. They are served with a side of pickled cabbage and watery salsa. You are supposed to eat the side accompaniments with the pupusas at the same time. Everyone has their own method, but the side can be put into the pupusas and eaten by hand or with a knife and fork. There was too little cabbage and salsa for 6 pupusas.
The mixed pupusa (above; shredded pork, bean, and cheese) was barely filled and tasted mushy, because there wasn’t enough cheese or shredded pork and the beans were a little watery. The outer shell was nicely made, because it was soft but slight crispy.
The pork filled pupusa were the best of the three that they have. The pork by itself was flavourful and it was filled perfectly. The pupusas from Rinconcito Salvadorean are not recommended because they are a little bland and dry, but the outter shell was made and cooked nicely.
This year’s summer night market is bigger than ever. The grounds are packed full of food and retail vendors, the biggest the night market has ever been. New additions to the food vendors include:
Apparently, Phnom Penh has been around for a very, very long time. If you have a large group of people, you should try to beat the lunch and dinner crowds by arriving early because I don’t believe they take reservations. I love Phnom Penh because the restaurant offers many dishes that you do not find in typical Vietnamese restaurants. They are famous for their deep fried chicken wings, which come with a yummy lemon pepper sauce and their butter beef. The only dish that I don’t recommend ordering is their banh xeo, because it was filled with bean sprouts and very little shrimp and pork. If you’d like to stray away from the pho and try some real Vietnamese food, try these dishes:
Deep-fried chicken wings sauteed with chilis and garlic
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Bun Beo: steamed rice cakes with a shrimp mixture on top, topped with shredded pork and vermicelli with coconut milk in the middle
Bun Coun: steamed rice rolls with a pork filling, topped with Vietnamese ham and fried onions
Banh Xeo: Vietnamese crepe filled with bean sprouts, ground pork, and the shrimp mixture on the Bun Beo (this is supposed to be filled with slices of pork and shrimp, not recommended)
Hot and Sour Soup with Fish (small): Primarily a sour soup with lots of veggies and chunks of fish
Butter Beef: thin slices of beef marinated in a vinegar, topped with fried onions and cilantro
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