Fu Lin Hot Pot Restaurant (Coquitlam, BC)

This is another post that has been on the backburner for a while. In fact, this is from Chinese New Year - I remember going with Fmace and Fizzo. Why did it stick out in my mind? It fell on Valentines Day, the opening day of the Olympics, as well as Chinese New Year. Being that those three events coincided, all of us had all "reserved" the night for family dinner. Unfortunately, the Chinese New Year dinner didn't happen as the elders didn't want to brave the crowds and head out during the Olympics (later in the week, they rescinded this - you don't want to miss that post). As this visit was completed before I got my new camera, I apologize for the sub-par photos!


Ordering at Fu Lin is easy - it is all you can eat and you pick your menu (regular or deluxe, both under $20). We opted for the deluxe, as there was more variety, as well as a free dipping sauce for each of us.

We wound up ordering 2 satay sauces, 3 garlic soy sauces, and 2 sesame sauces - different sauces for different foods. That being said, I wished we had ordered another sesame sauce instead of the garlic soy.



There was a good selection of fresh meats, vegetables, seafoods and meat alternatives (bean products). The service was prompt and friendly, and I was surprised at the number of waitresses there were that night (four, for a small Chinese restaurant!). The only complaint (if any) would be that there seemed to be a small problem in the kitchen. As a result, we had to wait a little longer than expected for our food to arrive. I remember sitting there staring at Fmace and saying, "what gives, it's not like they have to cook it or anything!"

Overall, I would return to Fu Lin Hot Pot if I were in the area. The meat and seafood are fresh, and the variety trumps other hot pot restaurants. For under $20 you can enjoy yourself with some good times with friends and family.

Thank you to Fmace for organizing the last minute dinner and also being there on time (even when we weren't!).

Fu Lin Hot Pot Restaurant
#780 - 3025 Lougheed Highway
Coquitlam BC
P: 604-552-5851

Eatwell Vietnam Noodle Soup

We were in Coquitlam looking for a quick eat - I am not really familiar with Coquitlam, and M is even worse (there was that one time that he was picking up a car from Coquitlam and was going to meet me in Burnaby...I got home from *Maple Ridge* and found out that he had gone east along Lougheed instead of west - and was *finally* on the Mary Hill Bypass driving to Burnaby. omg!).

So it was no surprise how we ended up at Eatwell Vietnam Noodle Soup Restaurant when we were looking for Hopewell Chinese Kitchen. Ehhh...it was in the same area. (As in, either area could be described as being "close to Coquitlam Center Mall"...)

On a side note, when we pulled up to Eatwell, we commented on how they may be affiliated with Hopewell (does anyone know?). Anyways, it could just be the direct translation of their Chinese name, "Mei Mei".

We actually ate here on Halloween. Why do I remember this? We saw Captain Sparrow on the way in! :) Apparently, the guy dressed up (convincingly!) as Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean had just finished lunch at Eatwell...and a pair of groupie teenagers were asking him if they could take his photo. haha!



Let's start with Ms meal - grilled lemongrass chicken and pork atop rice noodle. At $6.50, he was pleasantly surprised with his meal. The pork and chicken were juicy and tender. He didn't share much. The portion was meatier than other Vietnamese restaurants. Although there were less char marks from the pan fry / grilling, and subsequently less flavour, it was an economical lunch choice.

I ordered the same as everyone else, beef noodle soup! At the time we dined at Eatwell, there was a separate menu with three tantalizing options: 1) a large noodle soup (your choice) with your choice of spring roll or bubble tea for $7.95, 2) a small noodle soup (vous choisez!) with your choice of spring roll or bubble tea, $6.95, or a student special (available Monday through Friday) for something ridiculous like $5.50 or something.



Of course, being on the bubble tea binge that I was on for the week, I ordered a "small" beef steak and tripe noodle soup. I have to say, the portion was extremely generous for the price. The soup didn't have enough salt, but that was remedied easily enough with a light sprinkling of salt. I liked that there was the option of steak and tripe, instead of steak, tendon, and tripe. I always feel so wasteful when I order a "#5" noodle anywhere in Vancouver and have to leave behind the tendon because I'm simply not such a big fan of it. So Eatwell gets a thumbs up from me on that point!



The bubble tea? I ordered a mango milk tea. It was made from a powder and it was just average. It made me wish that I'd ordered the spring roll to go with my meal instead, because I could smell them wafting through the restaurant.

Eatwell is a small place run by Chinese and it has a nice family atmosphere (as opposed to a seedier, neon-light atmosphere). They also offer other options like curry rice, banh mi, and "specialty" dishes like pork trotter noodle soup, or seafood soup.

Nice find for the Tricities!

Eatwell Vietnam Noodle Soup

#315 - 1196 Lansdowne Drive
Coquitlam BC
P: 604-945-8276

Chada Thai Fine Cuisine (Coquitlam, BC)

Thai food again. What can I say though - when we get a hankering for any type of food, we tend to indulge until we get a little bit of food coma. In the case of Thai food, any time is good for Thai food!

We were near Coquitlam Town Center one weekend and happened upon Chada Thai. The restaurant is in the same shopping plaza as Save on Foods, A&W and Taco Time. The last time we were in the area, the Chada Thai was not open yet, so when we saw the number of people walking briskly into the restaurant, we thought we'd try them out.

It is a small restaurant, and at lunch it always seems quite busy. To make things simple, there is a limited lunch menu where everything is $10, and includes a small salad, soup, and crispy wraps. All lunch items come with rice as well, save for the pad thai.



Service was very attentive and hospitable, and the soup was offered at the beginning of the meal. I settled on the green chicken curry, while M ordered a pad thai.



Chada Thai does not "dumb down" their flavours! We both ordered the meals with "medium" spiciness, and the waitress cautioned that their dishes were a little spicier than other restaurants. We still chose medium spicy. When the food came, it was still palatable and delicious, but next time we'd order a less spicy entree. The pad thai was very flavourful - less tamarind than Lhy Thai, and a generous garnish of sprouts and roasted peanuts. M finished his entire dish!



I *love* green chicken curry. While my entree seemed small, it was actually very rich and had lots of vegetables and chicken in it. I was a little embarassed to ask for a doggy bag, but I *really* wanted to use every drop of the sauce!

We thought the meal was great, and would certainly come back for lunch! I did have a glance at the larger dinner menu online, but since we rarely venture into Coquitlam for dinner, we may not get to try their appetizers and other dishes.

Chada Thai Fine Cuisine

107-2991 Lougheed Highway [map]

Coquitlam BC

P: (604) 464-5300

Review: La Boheme Creperie (Farmers Markets, GVRD, BC)

I haven't exactly felt like blogging as of late. I really need to get on an exercise program as all this food blogging has been taking its toll! :)

The New Westminster / Royal City Farmers Market kicked off on Thursday with local musicians, serenading the crowd, free carrot cake, and lots of local produce and products.

I wasn't exactly in a shopping mood - I just showed up to look around for inspiration and motivation to cook or eat. There was a stand selling bell peppers at a good price - $4 for as many you could fit in a bag, but I remembered that I still had peppers at home. There were garlic scapes in season, but I'd had a little trouble using up my last batch from the Main Street Farmers Market. There were the organic meats and locally caught fish, but I knew that I'd be out this weekend and wouldn't have a chance of finishing any.



I'd heard great things about La Boheme - the line up for them at the Trout Lake Farmers Market was huge, and the lineups at a Portobello West show at the Rocky Mountaineer station was equally long. So when I saw the meager three-person lineup at the Royal City Farmers Market, I knew it was the day to try a crepe.

La Boheme makes their crepes with a light batter made from organic buckwheat flour and a small amount of white flour. I thought that it would make for a heavy crepe, but it actually very light, nutty and added a crisp texture.



I ordered the Ali Baba - red pepper spread, baba ghanoush (seasoned eggplant spread), and feta cheese warmed on a toasty-crisp buckwheat crepe, and topped with lettuce before being wrapped and served. It was a vegetarian option and it was delicious!

Yes, that's right, not just "delicious", but delicious!

I should add, that this crepe made me happy that M wasn't having dinner at home that night. I was extra-garlicky all night and I believe that the people in my building should thank me for fending off any vampires for them that evening. :)

I'm looking forward to trying La Bohemes' other offerings.



La Boheme Creperie is at local farmers markets and other outdoor events throughout the summer. To find out when they are at your local farmers markets, sign up for a newsletter from My Market News. They'll send you newsletters each week for the markets of your choice.

Glance: Coquitlam Farmers Market (624 Poirier, Coquitlam, BC)

We also visited the Coquitlam Farmers Market this weekend. Tis the season to be out in the sun!

I love that BC is the "birthplace" of the 100 mile diet. I love more that the local food movement has made for some imaginative ideas and products. As I've said before, I'm going to try and explore more of the farmers markets and their offerings. If you're interested in farmers markets / pocket markets in your area, please sign up for a weekly newsletter from My Market News (tell them Yum-O-Rama sent you!) or visit the Eat Local website for more information.

BTW, June is "Bike to Market" month - bring your bike down for special offers like a free tutorial on bike maintenance, free bike valet, coupons, and more! (Not all services available at all farmers markets)



The Coquitlam Farmers Market offered less claustrophobia than the Trout Lake one. I did go earlier, so perhaps I missed the peak "rush hour" for the market. In any case, you had more time to chat,with the vendors, take a couple photos, and ask any questions you might have had.

That being said, I only took a handful of photos as I felt a little naked without human shields from my camera!



I wound up buying a bunch of long beautiful green onions and some radishes. They were the first stall I stopped at, but I bought the items after I'd had a gander through everything else. (I'm seeing scallion pancakes and Vietnamese salad rolls in my future...) She also had some corn plants on sale; if only I had a back yard! Both times while I was at her stall, other patrons stopped and asked when she'd be getting her garlic scapes. I guess I'll have to return for those!

Langley Organic Growers / Langley Co-op also had a stall at this location, and had the most beautiful salad greens ever. However, we weren't having dinner at home that night, so we didn't pick any up. Next time...Dr. Gadget...next time. ;)

We also happened upon the "Mushroom Man" at the edge of the parking lot. He had a massive clump of oyster mushrooms sprouting out of the side of a growing vessel he had, as well as a selection of gorgeous mushrooms on sale. Again, we weren't having dinner at home that night, so it was a little bit of a bummer.

What else was there...we picked up a 8" California Lilac / ceanothus victoria from S&S Nursery for a bargain! He also had a banana tree and a weeping birch (and many, many others) were interested in. I hope he still has some if we go back later this season!

There were other beautiful things - a variety of honey and honey products from Vlad's Apiary, Unwind Yarns who dyes and spins her own yarn (on Ravelry as khetala), and Gesundheit Bakery which had yummy looking cherry strudel, cinnamon twists, and cheese bread.

It was a good experience. Looking forward to visiting either the Main Street Station Farmers market today, or the SFU Pocket Market - I suppose that weekday farmers market are more down to business and offer more produce? Looking forward to it, in any case!

Coquitlam Farmers Market @ Dogwood Pavilion Parking Lot (Sundays from 9am to 1pm, seasonally)

624 Poirier Street, at Winslow Ave [map]

Coquitlam BC

Farmers Markets In the Lower Mainland

Forgot to blog about Farmers Markets in the Lower Mainland - the farmers' market season has begun in Vancouver and the lower mainland!

For more news and information about Farmers Markets around your area, be sure to visit EatLocal for ones in Vancouver, or to sign up for an email reminder service at MyMarketsNews.

Ivan at Kalley Kandy let me know of the latter - My Market News will actually send you an email each week (depending on which reminders you sign up for) with a list of vendors and/or the products that will be available at your preferred venue. When you sign up, be sure to let them know that Yum-O-Rama sent you!

In particular, the folks in Port Moody seem to have it good; they have pocket markets with loads of fresh fruits and vegetables, and natural prepared foods available. Yum!