Author Archives: Ed Sum

12.04.24
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A Lil’ Taste of Philly at Serena’s Pizzeria and Hoagies

menu766 Fort St
Victoria, BC

Hours: 11 am to 9pm daily
Website: https://www.serenas.ca/
Phone: (778) 433-9696

Throughout my search for a proper Philly Cheesesteak outside the City of Brotherly Love, my quest is not over. Even though Serena’s Pizzeria and Hoagies certainly deliver in taste, the best greasy spoon diner style I had was while making a stop in South Lake Tahoe. If I remember right, I ate at Little Philly Cheesesteaks, and it was so sloppy, slippery and oh so good left an impression. Sadly, they closed a long time ago.

But the further away one gets from the State that gave rise to this sandwich, any operation’s claim needs to be tested against those memories. What I sampled warmed me all over. On the chilly day my buddy and I visited, we were searching for crispy fried chicken and found the advertising for House of Chicken, misleading. The offerings may have been for Doordash delivery rather than in-house. Although we looked at the menu, we were not in the mood for Pakistani style food and opted to leave.

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12.04.24
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Clash of the Cookbooks on ROKU Channel! Who’s Hungry For Grandma’s Recipe?

Clash of the Cookbooks PosterDebuting Dec 6, 2024 on Roku Channel

Join comedian Phoebe Robinson and cookbook author and culinary historian Max Miller as they put cookbook-obsessed chefs to the test with legendary cookbook-inspired challenges. Cookbooks are the cornerstone of how the average person has learned to cook for hundreds of years, testing the technical and creative skills of home cooks.

In this competition, chefs from across the country take recipes from the page to the plate by cooking from history’s greatest and the world’s toughest cookbooks.

6 Episodes make up season one, and if you’re looking to find the secret ingredient to help spice up your dish, this show is worth catching!

About The Roku Channel

Launched in 2017, The Roku Channel is the home of free ad-supported streaming television on Roku, and features a diverse lineup of more than 80,000 on-demand movies and programs, more than 400 live linear television channels, and premium subscription offerings in the U.S. It licenses and distributes content from more than 250 partners and features a growing library of Roku Originals.

11.06.24
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Sometimes Finding The One Japanese Place to Regularly Hit Isn’t All That “Yoshi”

20240929_124317Gateway Village
771 Vernon Ave
Victoria, BC

Hours: 12:00pm to 8:00pm Daily
Phone: (250) 475-3900
Menu: yoshisushi.ca

ES: In anime, “Yoshi” (where the I is silent) can mean, let’s do it, but in truth, it means excellence, and as a fixture in Victoria for such a long time, I’m sort of inclined to agree Yoshi Sushi is a great place to give your taste buds a treat. Had I truly wanted to go crazy, I could’ve gone for the massive platter of sashimi on my birthday to really experience all the wonders, but to be honest blowfish wasn’t on the menu and what’s offered are the safe staples.

The exception is with a soft shell crab roll, which when properly still warm, can do wonders to excite the taste buds. Or should I say the baos?

DK: My experience with the Japanese language pretty much begins and ends with doing flashcards with my roommate in the TRU dorms before tossing rotten vegetables into the parking lot from our balcony. Don’t know if he ever passed that test, but we did make room in the fridge for more eggs and bacon for our roommates to “borrow.” 

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10.02.24
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The Chef and the Daruma Movie Review

The Chef and the Daruma Poster

Playing at the Vancouver International Film Festival

Oct 2, 12:30 pm, International Village
Oct 5, 1:15 pm, Fifth Avenue
For additional showtimes, please visit the VIFF webpage

Anyone who loves sushi will appreciate how Chef Hidekazu Tojo helped popularise this delight in the west. He’s also credited as the person who invented the California Roll because one person’s wife didn’t like how the authentic stuff tasted. In Mads K. Baekkevold‘s debut work, The Chef and the Daruma travels back in time to look at who this man is. This documentary vividly tells the story of the boy who lived through a rough life before he found his peace. The cardboard doll he uses to help bring peace is magical.

It’s said that when you paint one eye on the Daruma, it will help motivate that person moving forward. Any luck and fortune that happens will be good. At the end of the year, should those dreams be achieved, all the gratitude gets sent heaven forth, and therein lies the beauty of this tale.

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07.17.24
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[Vancouver, BC] The Fast and the Furious with Ramen Danbo on Robson St.

20240216_2203321333 Robson St
Vancouver, BC

Hours: Daily from 11p.m to 11 p.m.
Menu: ramendanbo.com
Phone: (604) 559-8112

On a chilly night, sometimes a warm dish of ramen is required to chase the blues away. Technically, we’re now in summer, and it’s a great time to explore the big city, or the adjacent municipality like Richmond. Trying to find a bite late at night isn’t all that tough, but when my appetite strikes closer to midnight, the options are fewer. Thankfully, Ramen Danbo came to the rescue! With this chain opening operations all around the world (almost), I had to check out this operation. Every time I’m on the Robson strip, I see lineups. 

The buzz is in the broth, and it’s all about what’s in the white tonkotsu (pork bone) soup. Part of the process is now “mass-produced” so that it can be shipped to outlets so it can be brewed properly in house. Unlike open window operations, I couldn’t get to see how it’s made (when compared to another place I hit while in town).

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07.03.24
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[Seattle, WA] A Doh at The Dough Zone

20240301_165356815 Pine St
Seattle, WA

Hours: 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Website: doughzonedumplinghouse.com
Phone: (206) 682-6666

I don’t find the trend of choosing what you want to eat in advance all that unusual these days. This is more common in metropolises than anyplace else, and when operations like The Dough Zone to be as speedy as possible, I wonder if diner satisfaction is on top of the restaurant manager’s mind? I get the feeling they’re trying to the McDonalds of the Asian fast food scene when considering it is a franchise operation stretching from Washington State to California (and Texas).

If anyone wants to grab a quick bite here during the busy hours, I don’t recommend it. It’s best to reserve in advance. When the operation I went to is in the beating heart of the convention centre alley, they’re very popular. Also, when I didn’t want to stray too far when there were evening activities, they were pretty much the only choice unless I wanted to pay more at the bar that’s located at the Summit Building.

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