Deer Garden Signatures 鹿園魚湯米線

6270 Fraser St Vancouver, BC V5W3A1 | (604) 322-6116 | www.deergarden.ca

I don't usually come here, but was in the neighbourhood and was so impressed with the Deer Garden in Richmond, I thought I'd give it a try. BAD IDEA.

I should have known from the moment I stepped in. We were waiting at the door for sometime before any of the waiter/waitress even noticed us. I thought maybe they ran out of tables but there were clearly empty tables yet to be filled. Because we were so hungry we quickly place our order ( 1 XO turnip cake, deep fried pork cutlet and 1 noodle) to share. The pork cutlet and turnip cake came out fast but the noodle took over 20 mins. Turns out or order was delivered to the wrong table ( the table next to us).

We didn't say anything assuming either:
A) Our noodles took longer to make or
B) The girl next to us ordered the same thing

After a good 10-15 mins of texting on her phone, the girl beside us finally decided to dig around in the bowl of noodles.
Just then, her actual order came, it was at this time that both the waiter and the girl noticed something was wrong. us as there were 2 bowls of noodles at her table now.

Oh and I'm pretty sure the whole restaurant could hear because the waiter's voice was so loud we could even hear their private conversations.

Anyways, after they took "our" noodle in, they brought it back out in less than 5 mins!

So tell me, how did you remake my order in LESS THAN A MINUTE?

On top of that:
1. Our noodle was no longer hot, it was lukewarm
2. The noodles were getting soggy
3. There was limp cilantro (clearly it has been sitting in soup for too long)
4. There was no apology for the delay

Maybe they could have gotten away with it if the other person was sitting half way across the room, but we were sitting right next to her. WE WATCHED THE WHOLE PROCESS.

If this happened to us, who knows if they've done the same to other customers...

Moreover, we had the hardest time asking for chilli and the waiter shouts across the room to the point where it was impossible for customers to have conversations. We had to ask 3 times before someone "remembered" to bring use the chilli.

The only time the waitresses were responsive is when they're waiting for you to pay.

Bottom line is, I will not be coming back here ever (not this specific Deer Garden at least.
My advice is, if you are craving Deer Garden, cross the bridge to Richmond or go to another branch.

Best Mediterranean Food

Cioppino's Mediterranean Grill

1133 Hamilton St Vancouver, BC V6B5P6 | (604) 688-7466 | www.cioppinosyaletown.com

Came here for A's birthday a while ago... will let the pictures speak for themselves because words can not describe how good the food was.

Digby Scallops

Oven roasted , sweet tomato confit , tender artichokes

This dish was the most delightful in my opinion, as you can see it came with 3 big scallops. With the pairing of either the sweet tomato confit, tender artichokes or both, each bite had its own unique taste.

Beef Carpaccio

Sliced AAA Canadian beef , Parmigiano , Harry’s bar mustard dressing

I'm a big fan of Japanese beef carpaccio, so this was definitely a must try when we saw it on the menu. Unlike Japanese beef carpaccio, this was more rich and savoury. A wonderful start to a wonderful meal.

Foie Gras

I have to say that foie gras has never been something I go crazy for, partially because I dislike the powdery texture of cooked liver. But then again that was before I tried the foie gras at Cioppino's. The foie gras here is cooked to perfection. There was nothing powdery about it, in fact from the minute it entered your mouth it melts and disappears, leaving you with the sweet aftertaste of the sauce. One order may not be enough.

Boar Meat (Special of the day)

The words boar meat sounded so intriguing as it is very rare to find it served at a restaurant, so we just had to try. To our surprise it was unlike what we thought it would be (tough meat, smelly) it was soft and delicate with the right fat-to-meat ratio - Another must try

* Linguine - Atlantic half lobster , tomato-cream-lobster sauce

Was very impressed with the size of the lobster. The lobster to pasta ratio was perfect and you can clearly tell that the lobster was not a side and was in fact a part of the meal as a whole.

* Classic Lobster Bisque - served with Pacific crab-apple-celery root rémoulade

This is another must have at Cioppino's, the richest most savoury lobster bisque I've had so far.

Price: $$$$

Food:  ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Service:  ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Ambience:  ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Conclusion: Good food, wonderful service, lovely atmosphere. What more can a girl ask for? Undoubtedly one of the pricier restaurants out there, but surely it is worth every penny.

*** Please note that items with a "*" are items I was too hungry to take pictures of, but reviewed anyways.

Uncle Lu

Uncle Lu 安可盧萬巒豬腳

3779 Sexsmith Rd Richmond, BC V6X1J8 | (604) 370-0250

To be honest, based on what it looks like from the outside, I really thought this was a fancy tea shop for the longest time. Which is why I never bothered to try it. Until recently.

Uncle Lu aka sister store of Corner 23 is always packed with people. At times you really have to seat yourself, and the food takes a while to come out, so I would not suggest coming here if you are in a rush.

They tend to alternate their teas (sometimes within the hour which bugs me as I do not appreciate drinking a mixture of red and green tea, I am a food purist in that sense) but I absolutely love the aroma of their red tea.

Below is a compilation of the foods we have eaten as I have been here too many times.