Ocean Seafood Restaurant

I have a fear of driving to Richmond Hill. The busy Highway 7 during rush hour, and minimized 2 lane traffic...It's a nightmare. However, when it comes to eats, I will do absolutely ANYTHING. Yes, i'm that serious. One beautiful Sunday afternoon, we decided to head to Ocean Seafood Restaurant. Tucked inside a fairly big plaza located by Hwy 7 & Leslie, this place is not hard to miss. The parking was indeed a
nightmare, due to the limited
spots and busy restaurants
that share the same plaza.

 We were given an afternoon tea lunch menu which featured some Hong Kong Style Favourites, Congee, Sandwiches, and snacks that came with your choice of HK Style Milk Tea, Coffee or Iced Tea. The first item that caught my eye immediately was the Baked Pork Chop on Rice (4.5/5). We had the choice of Black Pepper, Cream or Tomato Sauce. Don't let the size of that plate fool ya, this was massive! Although I had no intentions of sharing haha, I had to because it was so big! Topped with cheese, the sauce had a perfect tangy and sweetness to it that wasn't overpowering but left you craving for more. It complimented the rice which was a tad bit undercooked
well, and the pork was juicy.

My sister was craving some Fried Chicken Wings (3.5/5) and these were great. Crispy, Juicy and flavourful, easy on the grease! It was a steal in my opinion, especially because it came with a drink!

We got an order of the Shredded Pork and Vegetable Chow Mein (3.5/5) which was loaded with crisp veggies and tender shredded pork. The addition of bean sprouts added a nice crunch and the sauce had the right consistency.

The Malaysian Style Minced Beef Fried Rice (4/5) was one of the best fried rice I ever had. Not only was beef tender, the rice was flavourful
without exhibiting much MSG and grease. I loved the
addition of the diced Gai Lan,
as it added a nice crunch.



We enjoyed the Singapore Style Fried Vermicelli Rice Noodle  (3.5/5). The spice level of the curry wasn't too overpowering, but it
was still a tad bit salty in my opinion. Again, I love the addition of the crisp veggies as it balanced the dish well.

The dishes we tried this visit were
above average in our opinion,
and we would definitely come back
again, especially to check out
their dinner offerings. The service
was average, but the food and drinks
came out fast which was good. This
is a great place to satisfy your
HK Style favourites cravings for
a decent price.

Gourmet Vegetarian Restaurant

Located in a busy Chinese Plaza, tucked away in
the far left corner, Gourmet Vegetarian Restaurant can easily be missed, so keep an eye out, but first keep an eye out for a parking spot
as there aren't many.

Other than eating Dimsum in Scarborough and Markham most of the time, my grandma brought up a place she used to go all the time. With limited seating, suitable for about 50 people, this place did get really busy both times we were here. You can order straight from their Dim Sum menu or their menu which offers a variety of noodles, fried rice, soups and vegetarian dishes.




We started off with the Deep Fried Taro 
Patties  (4/5), which were wrapped in
beancurd. If you love Taro, you will absolutely LOVE this dish. As a Taro fan myself, these were fried to a  perfect crisp and were loaded with Taro that was piping hot. There was
definitely no absence of Taro here. These were even better dipped in the Sweet & Sour Sauce that came with the dish.

We saw a few other fellow diners ordering the Vegetable Fried Rice Noodle (4/5) and we immediately knew why. Although it may look fairly simple to make, it was delicious. Loaded with tons of crunchy bean sprouts, chinese mushrooms, parsley, carrots and green onions, the colours and taste of this dish were vibrant. The sweetness of the veggies were a perfect
compliment to the soft rice noodles.


The Fried Dough Fritter Stuffed Rice Noodle (1/5), was just sad. I was disappointed at the
fact that they would even serve such a poorly executed dish to anyone like that. The whole thing was more like a deconstructed rice noodle than a supposedly stuffed one. The rice noodle
was very thick and slimy for some reason, possibly the reason why it was falling apart. Such a shame, as the dough fritter was crispy.







Somewhat of a disappointment as well,
the Pan Fried Bean Curd Roll Stuffed with
Vegetables (3/5) were lacking veggies on the inside. There were a few strands
of carrots, chinese mushrooms and pieces
of celery, but overall it was too thin in my
opinion, resulting in a very chewy and
slightly crispy exterior.








 We enjoyed the Pan Fried Vegetable Stuffed
Bun (3/5), but felt like it should've
been called a Mushroom stuffed Bun, as
it was stuffed with a plethora of Mushrooms
ranging from Shiitake and WoodEar resulting
in a satisfying crunchy interior. The Bun itself
was a tad too greasy, but nonetheless it
was definitely tasty!

The Vegetable Spring Rolls (4/5) were
definitely one of the best ones I've ever
had. Stuffed with mushroom, carrots and
cabbage, these were super crispy without
the wrapper being too thick.

I did enjoy my visit and I will come
back to try their other vegetarian dishes.

Lemon Tree

Located right outside of First Markham place, in the never ending row of restaurants ranging from
sushi to Chinese desserts, Lemon Tree offers a wide selection of Vietnamese and Thai favourites.
Today, we came for the Pho. Still on the hunt for the best Pho in Markham....and in Toronto now...we were hoping to add a small and cozy spot like Lemon Tree to the list.


It was a Tuesday, on a cold autumn evening, and the place was packed! They only one chef and one waitress for almost 20 people, and it took at least 45 minutes for  to arrive.
My sister went for the Rare Beef Pho (3.5/5), which was quite tasty as the broth was piping hot, while it was mild and full of flavour. It wasn't overly salty either and had a hint of sweetness from it which was good. There was a decent amount of rare beef, but it was oddly chewy and not tender at all. I was not a fan of the noodles, as they used dried rice noodles instead of the fresh ones, which in my opinion makes a big difference.

 I decided to have the Cooked Beef Pho (3.5/5), which again had the same mild broth. I love to have Cooked Beef instead or rare, because it is usually brined prior to being sliced, which adds a ton of flavour. In this case, the beef was nice and fatty and somewhat tender which was good. Again, if they had used Fresh rice noodles instead, I would've enjoyed this dish even more.

 
Lemon Tree is a decent place that bowl of Pho you've been craving all day long.
They have enough seating for roughly around 30 people, but their service is slow (Might be different on less busy nights).Lemon Tree deserves a revisit for their other dishes next time.

The Good:

• Nice Broth
• Average Portion Sizes

The Bad:

•  Slow Service
• Noodles might need a little work

Dim Sum at OMEI Restaurant!

Growing up in a Chinese family, going out for Dim Sum on the weekends were the usual. Aside from frequenting places such as Ginger & Onion Restaurant ( Beside Market Village), one place we would often visit would be OMEI Seafood Restaurant. Is it just me or are push-cart dimsum spots becoming a rare sight? 

Tucked inside a small Chinese Plaza in Richmond Hill, OMEI is known for it's quality 5-course lobster dinner and it's seafood. This time around we were here for their Dim Sum, another specialty of theirs.
OMEI does not use the push-carts to serve their dimsum, instead you get their dimsum menu and check off what you want to order, which ensures that it's fresh and not roaming on the push-carts for a certain amount of time.
PICTURES WERE TAKEN FROM TWO VISITS


Up first were the Deep Fried Squid Tentacles (5/5). Arriving Piping hot and fresh, these were a delight. Unlike the battered fried ones you find at other dim sum spots, these were tender and bouncy and the squid had a nice snap and was well seasoned. These were quite addicting as well, couldn't stop eating them!



Up next were the Shrimp Sui Mai. (5/5) These were enormous.Looking around, we could see that almost every table had an order, so we knew these were a must. Topped with Masago (Fish Eggs) and Dried Scallop Shavings, these were a hit. One bit into one of these goodies, we immediately realized why these were so popular here at OMEI. Filled with Shrimp Mousse, dried mushroom and large pieces of shrimp, these offered a nice crunchy snap and were very well seasoned. It was like eating a giant wonton from all the shrimp it had! The Masago added a hint of saltiness while the Dried Mushroom and Dried Scallop shavings added a smoky flavour. These are an absolute must when you come to OMEI!







Add a little Soy Sauce and Chili Oil.....Oh man.

Enough of the drooling from the Sui Mai. Arriving piping hot next was the Stuffed Eggplant with Black Bean Sauce. (3.5/5). This was a generous portion once again.
The eggplant was fried up nicely, not being too mushy and retaining it's flavour. The fish paste offered a nice meaty texture to the eggplant but was rather salty and with the addition of the black bean sauce the whole dish sort of fell apart. Have you ever eaten something so salty, it made your tongue itch? This was how salty it was. Maybe the chef added a tad too much salt? Usually when I come to OMEI and order this, it's normally not as salty as it was this recent visit! The black bean sauce was relatively thick but did not lack it's black bean flavour. Overall maybe if this dish wasn't this salty, it would've been pretty decent in my books. Maybe it was an unlucky visit? Ha.

Coming steaming hot to the table was the Beef Rice Noodle Roll aka Cheung-Fun. (4.5/5). I'm a huge fan
of Cheung-Fun and it's a staple at every dim sum spot I go to. OMEI I would say has one of the best Cheung-Fun because of the soft texture of the Rice Noodle Roll. The Rice noodle roll at many dim sum places I've been to, are often very thick and unpleasantly chewy and hard. Overall any type of Cheung-Fun is not good served cold, and the one at OMEI is always served piping Hot. Drenched in a lightly sweet soy sauce, the texture of the rice noodle roll had a slight chew but was relatively soft and toothsome.Unlike some dimsum spots where the beef tastes soft and mushy, the beef had a nice meaty texture and complimented the rice noodle roll very well. Along with Green Onion the  beef also had hints of Orange Peel, which added a nice flavour to the overall dish.




Another dimsum favourite of ours is the Deep Fried Stuffed Bean Curd Roll. (4.5/5). I prefer the fried version over the steamed, because the bean curd offers a nice crispy texture and keeps in the flavours of the filling inside. The version at OMEI has Wood Ear Mushrooms, Carrots, Dried Mushroom and baby corn in it's filling, which I find tasty because all of them add a nice crunch. The flavours in this dish were on point and all the ingredients were fresh. With a splash of Worchestershire Sauce and Hot Sauce ... Mmmmm!






Have you ever had a craving for something out of blue? Like just randomly, thinking and the thought of that food just entered your mind? Well recently I've been craving 
Turnip Cake. Steamed or Pan-Fried....It didn't matter.      

 I couldn't get my mind off them! I finally got a chance to get an order of Pan-Fried Turnip Cake.(3.5/5) What makes a good turnip cake? Well fresh turnips and a nice balance of ingredients of course! Loaded with an ample amount of Chinese sausage and Dried Mushroom and Dried Shrimp these were okay. The turnip cake was kind of dry, so the ingredients didn't mesh as well together. I would've like to see more turnip, which would've brought more moisture to the dish. Well at least it was good enough to fulfill my craving!

Lastly we got an order of Deep Fried Glutinous Dumplings aka Ham Sui Gok (3.5/4) These were fried up nicely and arrived piping hot. The filling consisted of the average being , Ground Pork, Onions, Chives and Dried mushroom. I would've liked if they had a little more filling as the flour on the outside was a bit thick. Overall this was an average dish, nothing special. Don't forget your complimentary dessert of Red Bean Soup!

OMEI offers a variety of Dimsum as well as some specialty dishes such as their Braised Beef and Turnip, and Braised Tripe and Tendon. Although quite pricey, the generous portions make up for that. The service here is also great as well, and the wait for food isn't that long.

The Good: 

• Generous Portions
• Fresh Ingredients
• Food is always served HOT
• Good Service

The Bad:

• Quite Pricey
• Food is a tad too salty