Thursday, January 20, 2011

Ma and Pa Shop - Kao Shiung, Taiwan

As a complete stranger to this country, I really had no clue where I was.  Thanks to my lovely girlfriend who was my personal Tour guide and official translator.






Rice noodles with bean sprouts and sliced pork.  Very home tasting.  Was an excellent meal, small portion but adequate.  Add and a little chilli oil and red vinegar and your good to go.


Pig Intestine with Spicy Peanut Sauce and fresh herbs.
mmm.. what a treat this was. Just delicious.  Simple yet overloaded with flavor.  Underneath all the goodness is fresh diced garlic.



H10 Ocean Coral - Mayan Riviera, Mexico



My very first trip to Mexico and definitely not the last.  We got a good deal on this new all inclusive resort and we gave it a shot.  Online reviews came back with a bunch of mixed reviews but we took the chance and book it.  Wow.. what a gem we found.  This place was just awesome, had no complaints at all.




The morning after we arrived, what a sight to wake up to. This was from my balcony.



 The other half of the pool

Hearty breakfast preparing for a day of lounging by the pool and drinking all my troubles away.



 Keeping the party going, I believe this was around 4pm after drinking at the pool all day since 9am. 

After we returned to our suite... Round 1-Mojito and a shot of Tequilla
 

 Round 2-Mojito and a shot of Tequilla

 After a handful of trips back out to the bar, we got tired of going back, o we convinced the bartender to give us these.

And once again, going back got tiresome so we both went back to the bar and came home with these.  I think it was nap time after these.



















Players Chop House - Vancouver, BC

808 Beatty St., 
Vancouver, BC, V6B 1C2

A nice steakhouse in Vancouver right next to BC Place.  More of on the upscale dining, intimate semi-formal hot spot.


Gorgonzola Mac and Cheese
This was extremely tasty, very cheese and not for the weekend cheese eaters.  Strong sharp taste but very filling.  As you can see in the picture, there was much better things to focus on.


Chophouse Prime Rib
Sea salt rubbed, slow roasted and served with a traditional Yorkshire Pudding

This was a treat to eat.  Cut was wonderful, flavor and texture was excellent as well.  Yorkshire Pudding was good minus the burnt parts.  Au jus was salty, but in a good way.  Definitely not watered down.

Chilli's - Las Vegas



McCarran Internation Airport-Departures
Las Vegas, Nevada

Grabbing a bite as we waited for our flight from.  Hearty meal after a night of Vegas adventures.

Classic Bacon Burger and Fries
A crowd-pleasing favorite topped with applewood smoked bacon, cheddar, red onion and mayo.
This was very tasty and satisfying.  A bit on the heavy side before a flight but it was worth it.  Didn't get to enjoy it as much as I would have liked because it was almost time to board our flight by the time it was ready. Took alot longer than I would have expected.  Burger was fresh and patty will grilled well.  Slight charing but not burnt. Loads of bacon.. mmmmmm.... bacon is life.

Moose Neighbourhood Pub & Gril - Surrey, BC




Moose Neighborhood Pub & Grill
 14974 104 Avenue
Surrey, BC



A small neighborhood pub located in the heart of Guilford in Surrey.  This is a smaller intimate setting where most of the locals hang out.  Always seems to be busy and has daily food and drink specials.  This was the 6oz steak dinner.

This meal came with the steak, Cesar salad, mashed potatoes with gravy and garlic bread.

This was pretty much the same except with fries and gravy on the side.
 

There wasn't very much expectations for this meal as it was only $6.95 on special.  I believe this was on a Friday.  Cesar salad had a bit too much dressing on it.  Garlic bread was pretty standard as was the steak.  Gravy was thick and flavorful.  I enjoyed the fries, nice and crispy, moist on the inside.

Beeps Fast Food- Van Nuys, California

6063 Sherman Way,
Van Nuys, CA 91406

This place was located just down the street from our hotel.  Walked by it a few times throughout our stay but never stopped in.  On our last day before heading to the airport we decided, why not.  An old school historical spot.  Classic diner decor inside brings you back to the old school.

Philly Cheese Steak:
  This thing was massive, loaded with shaved beef, onions, cheese.  This this was a bit soggy and didn't look too appetizing.  Well up until you took your first bite out of it.  What a surprise.  This must have been the ugliest but the best tasting Philly I've had.  I still long for this but its too far away.  Till this day I have yet to find a comparable replacement.  I give this 2 thumbs up!


Outback Steakhouse- California


7575 Beach Boulevard
Buena Park, CA 90622, United States


I enjoy the Outback Steakhouse chain quite a bit.  You can never have a good steak too often.




 Bloomin Onion
Everyone know what these are and if you've been here im pretty sure you've tried this already. A little to much for just 2 people but its a must.  Crispy and tasty and you gotta love that spicey dip they give you.



Outback Special Steak:
Simple and natural.  I personally like my steaks simple, mild seasoning to none, rare/medium rare.  Meat was tender and melt in your mouth texture.  Very well done and cudo's to the chef that day.  Baked potato with the works.  Potato was good, and wasn't over baked like alot of place's i've been to.


  


Meatloaf with Mushrooms on Mashed Potato:
This wasn't my dish, presentation wasn't very good, sloppy.  This looked and tasted like a hand made hamburger patty. Mushy texture, definately not too appetizing.  Would not order this in the future myself.  Gravy was a little bland but better than being too salty.