The Calm Before the Storm: A Snippet of Coconut Crumpet's Life

The clouds move in and summer moves out. It's the Sunday summer leaves Vancouver, wind, rain, lightening and thunder take its place. Back to living in Raincouver...

Honey Roasted Mission Figs

To contrast that gloomy mess outdoors, I discovered a new favourite treat. I've documented my love of ricotta in pancakes and muffins, and my first box of mission figs. Combine the two in an open-faced sandwich, add a drizzle of honey and there you have it, the most classy breakfast ever. Here are some more detailed instructions:

Ricotta, Honey, and Fig Tartine

To roast figs, place them cut-side up on a baking dish, drizzle with honey, add a few cracks of freshly ground pepper and bake at 400˚F for about 15 minutes. Toast a slice of bread until brown. Spread ricotta cheese over one side, taking care to spread all the way to the edges. Drizzle with honey (or mix the honey in with the ricotta before spreading on bread) and top with roasted figs. Bake at around 400˚F until ricotta cheese is browned (about 15 minutes?). Don't be impatient like me and take it out the second a browning spot of ricotta appears. Good things come to those who wait ;)

Whole Wheat Ricotta Peach Scones

After a hectic morning of teaching Sunday school to the cutest grade ones and twos, and a roll of kimbap for lunch, I kept myself occupied in the afternoon by baking up a batch of scones. Whole wheat ricotta peach scones. It's the first batch of scones I've made at home where cutting the dough into shapes was possible. For some strange reason, whenever I make scones at home (yes, it only happens at home), the dough becomes so runny I am forced to make drop scones instead. They don't taste bad at all, but it's frustrating when everyone else can cut their dough into different shapes and mine always end up being circular mounds. I am not super content with the outcome of the scones; they were a bit too greasy and not sweet at all. I'll do a few tweaks to improve the recipe before I post it. For those that are itching to try these scones themselves, I followed the recipe from Smitten Kitchen but used frozen coconut oil instead of butter, milk instead of heavy cream, and added some meyer lemon zest (makes all the difference). I think an egg wash would really benefit the appearance of these scones and some vanilla or almond extract for an extra flavour boost. The glisten you see on my scones is from a drizzle of honey I added at the end and attempted to caramelize under the broiler.

Before the thunderstorm, and where I do my food photography

So this is how Coconut Crumpet usually spends her weekends, that is when there isn't any homework to be done. We'll be watching the rain fall for the next half a year... Although the chilly season brings bad weather, I am looking forward to eating mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival (it's actually before the Autumn Equinox...) this week and pulling out those large cans of pumpkin puree I've been storing in the basement since Christmas. I have a perfected pumpkin loaf to share with you all. It's one of my faaaaavourites! Time to dig out my rain boots and that black peacoat I'm known to wear all autumn and winter long.

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡ 

Market Broiler

The males in my family are extremely well trained and behaved. They are used to my mom and I going shopping for hours and wait patiently for us with no complaints. Really, that is amazing and I can't even fathom how they manage to do it. Applause please. While we were shopping at the Outlets at Orange, which was across the street from our stay at the Ayres Inn, my dad took a look at Market Broiler's menu and told us he really wanted to go. And dad rarely ever says he really wants to eat something; it would be inconsiderate if we didn't let him go.

There was that one day, one cloudy Sunday in August, when we ventured out to Santa Monica for a day trip. That didn't last long and we were back in Anaheim by mid-afternoon. After some more shopping at the outlets, we had dinner at Market Broiler. "California's favourite fresh seafood restaurant". We'll see if they live up to their claim.

We stepped foot into the restaurant at uhm...about 6pm? And two waitresses greeted us and one led us to a table. It's a pretty spacious restaurant, but only a few tables were occupied. For a Sunday night, there was a sparse crowd. Part bar, part table seating, and part outdoor seating, this location reminds me of The Keg or something. A couple sitting at the bar was sipping on a fishbowl sized margarita or something. It's called 'fishbowl' on the menu, and it ain't joking.

Complimentary bread

We were provided with warm sourdough bread, much like the type the Old Spaghetti Factory feeds us. I appreciate that the bread was warm, but the slabs of butter were past room temperature and became a gooey mess once opened. I just enjoyed my bread plain, and in limited amounts. I have a bad habit of gorging myself with empty complimentary carbs before I realize I have a whole meal to finish.

Southern Fried Catfish ($9.95)

My brother got a Southern plate, with fried catfish hush puppies, coleslaw, and fries. It was a really large portion of everything fried. Ehh...not really my style. We weren't sure what a hush puppies was, and asked our waitress. She got the chef to come out and explain to us, which was really nice. He explained it was essentially fried 'leftover' batter. The catfish (which is also called basa...which is not good for you..) was breaded in a cornmeal batter. I thought it gave a nice flavour to a flavourless fish. My bother didn't really enjoy his meal because the catfish didn't suit his taste buds. It's a matter of opinion; some love it, others don't fancy it. The coleslaw was seasoned with spices which was interesting, but didn't actually add a distinct flavour. For those that usually enjoy catfish, this may be okay. Other than that, I wouldn't specifically recommend this dish.

Fresh Catch of the Day: Snapper ($11.95) - cooked perfectly

The menu at Market Broiler is really vast. There are so many items and specials hidden here and there. I found a fresh catch of the day special which cost only twelve dollars. My dad had originally wanted to eat snapper and lucky for him, that was the special of the day, so we saved a few bucks. Both parents ended up getting the special, just with different sides. My mom chose coleslaw and fries, and my dad chose vegetables and roasted potatoes. When our entrees arrived, my mom's fish was cooked perfectly. It was smooth and melt-in-your-mouth, the perfect texture. This piece of fish was very well enjoyed.

Overcooked snapper :(

Unfortunately for my dad, his fish resembled nothing like my mom's piece, despite being the same fish. It was flaky like overcooked tuna and very disappointing. We're guessing two different cooks prepared each of my parents' fish. My dad sent his back to kitchen and hoped the next piece would be better. The way the staff brings stuff back to the kitchen is a bit odd. Instead of taking the whole plate away, they ask you to place just the item you don't want on a smaller plate and bring that back. I like how they don't waste you're vegetables, but the way our waitress asked my dad to put the fish on another plate was awkward and borderline rude. 

When the 'fixed' order of snapper was served to my dad, it was the complete plate, vegetables and all. The head chef (same one that came to explain the hush puppies) came to apologize and brought my dad a special sauce he made to 'make up' for the poorly executed fish. (The sauce was a garlic-y oil, which my dad thought was a much more suitable pairing for the fish as compared to the tartar sauce.) I was happy to see that the chef came out personally to apologize, it was very professional. The little 'gift' was another part of his good customer service. 

So, after a long wait for his entree, my dad finally got to eat. The texture still wasn't identical to my mom's piece of snapper; I guessed that mom's was actually undercooked by a tad bit, which is how my dad prefers his fish. But it wasn't terrible so my dad didn't bother sending it back again. Lesson of the day: if you're unhappy with a dish, send it back.

Creative Combinations: Coconut Shrimp & Mahi Mahi ($16.95)

I was pretty excited to find a page in the menu where I could build build my own entree. Two mains and two sides. I chose coconut shrimp and miso mahi mahi. The shrimp were large, but as seen by the colour, they were fried for too long. The coating of shredded coconut didn't come close to the flavour of the coconut shrimp I had in Kahuku. The coating at Market Broiler didn't bring any flavour. The dipping sauce for the shrimp, which is the slightly orange-y one, was AMAZING. Pure coconut bliss. It was sweet, tangy, very coconutty, and reminded me of pina colada. It may sound weird, but it works beautifully with the coconut shrimp. When my mom wasn't watching, I ate the sauce on it's own, tee hee~

The mahi mahi fish, hidden under that kale, didn't taste like miso at all. I was rather confused by this. Miso is such a strong, salty, distinct flavour and I could taste none of it. It looked like it was a totally different seasoning, more like cajun spices than miso. The fish was cooked okay; mahi mahi is a sturdy, flaky, white fish. I was just a little disappointed because I was looking forward to the miso part of this entree. -pout-

My sides were disappointing. The vegetables were more mostly-raw-red onion than the good stuff, and the roasted red potatoes tasted more like boiled than roasted. Wheres the crispy skin? Not here. Fail 'roasted' potatoes.

Market Broiler isn't a fantastic-omg-must-try restaurant, it is a chain so... Our experience had it's ups and downs. The service from our waitress was slow, but the head chef (which by the way, is Asian. I find that cool, haha!) is a great business person. Food was mostly mediocre and needs improvement; however the array of options available is wonderful. But I guess the more variety they serve, the higher the chance of ordering a 'mehhh' quality dish. Price is reasonable, but I recommend coming for lunch because the lunch specials are around ten dollars and sound like a better deal. I wouldn't purposely come back to Market Broiler, only if there was no better options at the time. 

Reviews on Yelp



Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Little Next Door

Besides The Griddle Cafe and Cafe Gratitude, I had a few other bucket list restaurants in Los Angeles I just had to eat at. Little Next Door is one of them.

Little Next Door

Little Next Door is a French restaurant, with some of the best food (and macarons!) in Los Angeles. What drew my attention to this restaurant was 1) all the positive reviews, 2) the menu items, 3) the location and setting, and finally 4) the prices. Sounding like an all-around awesome deal? It was!

This little restaurant facing West 3rd Street (a very busy street) is smack in the middle of the hip and trendy city of Mid Wilshire. I just kind of think of it as between Beverly Hills and Hollywood; sounds expensive, no? After a morning of shopping at the Outlets at Orange, we took an hour drive to get to this area. With loudly growling stomachs, we headed to Little Next Door for a very late brunch on a Saturday afternoon. Since it was like 2pm, we were seated immediately. I was very content with our table as it was next to the fence, facing the sidewalk, no direct sunlight, and would give beautiful lighting for photos. So far, Coconut Crumpet was very happy.

Our waitress spoke bits and pieces of French to us, greeting us with a warming 'bonjour!', calling us 'madame et monsieur', and thanking us in French too. It created this unique environment in which my family has never been in before. She was very attentive and came back frequently to refill our water, bring us more bread, or just ask how we were doing.

Complimentary bread and balsamic olive oil

We quickly ordered and another waiter brought us some complimentary bread. My family of four devoured two bowls of bread, happily dipping it in the luxurious spiced balsamic olive oil. The oil had fennel seeds and a multitude of other spices and herbs, very fragrant and a pleasure to eat, especially when you're almost dying of starvation. (We had breakfast at 7am..and brunch at 2pm..) The baguette had a crunchy shell and an extremely pillow-y interior, also served warm. Love.

Quiche Lorraine ($9)

Matoi Sushi

Time for a GLO, Girls Lunch Out, with my two childhood friends. A get together before the meteoroids of school rain down on us. Our original plan was to get some Korean-style chicken and ddukbokki at Vesta Grill, but arrived to find it wasn't open on Sunday afternoons. So after sitting in a hot car for a few minutes trying to come up with new ideas, we decided to try Matoi Sushi.

It was almost 1:30pm when we step foot into this Japanese restaurant. I was surprised to find all the tables completely filled, didn't know Matoi was that popular around here! That is a good indication for either a) good food, b) good deals, or c) all of the above. A square table would've been more convenient for us girls to told a conversation, but sitting at the bar was a fun experience. We had some pretty good laughs from chefs overhearing our questions and comments. They gave us spoons when my friend refused to drink her miso soup without one, and corrected us when we were guessing what the 'special of the day' was in our bento boxes.

Specials at Matoi Sushi

We were provided with several menus, tea, and cutlery. The regular menu can be viewed online; there are also two special menus. The one titled 'Today's Special' are more appetizer or izakaya sized and the 'Lunch Specials' come with rice and sides. On a side note, the green tea Matoi Sushi serves has a stronger flavour and I quite enjoyed that. We were asked to place our orders not long after we were given menus because the kitchen was taking it's last lunch orders. The restaurant closes for a few hours in preparation of dinner.

Although I didn't keep track of the exact amount of time for our food to arrive, it felt like a slightly lengthier period of time. We were chatting a lot, but were also very hungry. Nevertheless, when the food arrived, we were blown away at the portions.

Udon Combo A ($7.99)

My best friend was going to 'be a rebel' and ordered Udon Combo A, which was a simple bowl of udon and seaweed with half a California roll. She happily slurped up her udon noodles and was so full afterwards. If I wasn't so full, I would've finished off her kelp. 

Bento Box A ($8.50) Top: with beef teriyaki, Bottom: with chicken teriyaki

The rest of us ordered the Bento Box A, with a choice of either chicken or beef teriyaki, plenty of tempura, a 'special of the day', salad, California roll, and some orange. Oh my. I had the box with the chicken teriyaki. The waitress also came by to ask if we wanted a bowl of rice to go with our box. Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs at that point so we both said yes. I actually finished the whole bowl of rice (whoaa....) but she didn't. I guess that's why they ask first before giving it to you; it's a lot of food. We should've just shared one box. The chicken teriyaki was okay, I gladly cleared it off with my plain rice. The tempura was very crispy and I liked the assortment of vegetables; yay for kabocha tempura! The salad was dressed with an interesting creamy sauce; it's nice to have something refreshing to clear the palate. The 'special of the day', seen in the top right corner, was a salmon meatball drizzled with Japanese mayonnaise. It wasn't bad, but wasn't outstanding. We were too full to full enjoy it by then. I ate one or two pieces of my California roll and had to pack the rest home for my brother to eat. It was a standard California roll, could use more avocado ;)

Pocky sticks come with the bill!

We were some of the last customers to leave the restaurant. Our waitress came back before we were finished our meals to inform us the cashier was closing and we could still sit and eat after paying our bill. A small package of chocolate Pocky sticks comes with the bill, but only one package per table. Not a problem since we hadn't any room left in our stomachs anyways. It's a nice touch~

The service is friendly and still exists, meaning they will come refill tea without being asked to. Our waitress also split the bill for the three of us. I'm not sure if Matoi Sushi is Japanese run or Korean run, because the (main?) sushi chef at the bar spoke Japanese to some employees and Korean to others. It's quite neat actually! I had a great first experience at Matoi Sushi and will be sure to come back again in the future. It's nice to have more choices for sushi other than Sushi Town and  Sushi California.



Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Fisherman's Market & Grill

Since having sea bass on a cruise 2 years ago, my dad has been craving that buttery, melt-in-your-mouth fish. It's not commonly found in Vancouver so when I saw it on menus in California, I took the chance to bring my parents in hopes of finding good sea bass. Sorry to ruin the ending for you, but we didn't find what we were looking for.

Where to order or purchase seafood

Fresh seafood can be purchased on the left side and ordering cooked food is right beside. Hence market + grill. Reminiscent of the seafood markets in Hawaii where I also bought poke, yummm~
 
There are several Fisherman's Market & Grill locations in the Palm Springs area, one of which was across the bridge from where we were staying. Funny fact of the day: this bridge crosses a river. But I'm almost 100% sure that river has been dry for, like, ever. We came for a lunch on a very hot August day. There is outdoor seating which would be a wonderful place to enjoy some casual seafood, but the heat was just too much to bear. If the mist-sprays had been turned on earlier, it would've been okay to sit outside.

Fisherman's Market & Grill Menu

When we arrived, we didn't quite know what to do. It isn't table service, and it isn't counter service either. A waiter asked us if it was our first time at Fisherman's and we replied yes. He handed us a few paper menus and informed us that we placed our orders at the cashier, then he will find us a seat indoors. The paper menus he handed us were rather useless, as the whole regular menu is written on a massive blackboard and included the prices (with the paper version did not). 

I can't say the waiter was super courteous while treating us unfamiliar customers. The tone of his voice was a bit stern and frustrated. I get that we starred at the menu for a really long time, and began sitting at an open table supposedly meant for another group, but we're new and should be aware of that. 

We got into a bit of an ordering mishap as the cashier charged us for the wrong fish tacos. On Tuesdays, they have a $5 fish taco special (taco Tuesdays!). There is also a lunch special of the same dish that is $7.99, but happens everyday. And then there's the regular fish tacos written on the blackboard which costs $8.95. Keep in mind all of these are exactly the same dish. My mom didn't notice the mistake on the receipt until we were seated at a table. Thankfully our server fixed that for us and brought us back change. Lesson of this post: make sure the cashier punches in the right order before you pay!

While we were waiting for our food, I went to fill up our water cups with cold water from the soda machine and also added some lemon or lime from the condiments section. There is a variety of salad dresses, sauces (like tartar sauce), and salsa available to go with the food. 

Sea Bass Sandwich ($12.95)

Our orders swiftly arrived and we anticipated the sea bass burger the most. It was a disappointment and resembled nothing like the buttery Chilean sea bass we had long ago. This is because it isn't the same species of sea bass. I mean for under $15, we shouldn't have expected it to be Chilean. The Barramundi sea bass is the more common type found during my visit in California, and is probably what this was. The fish was cooked all the way through and the texture was flaky like a 'normal' white fish. It wasn't exciting at all and the burger was crumbly and fell apart easily. I would not recommend the sea bass burger sandwich. The coleslaw and rice pilaf sides were rather good though.

3 for $5 Fish Tacos

Here we have the Tuesday tacos! (Or just the Baja fish tacos in other words) On the poster advertising taco Tuesday next to the cashier, I noticed some famous food network stars came and voted this as the 'best fish tacos'. Now, I've never had a fish taco before, but I can definitely conclude that these were amaze-balls. Every element of this dish was fanta-bulous. Absolutely enlightening. To begin, the fish was fried to perfection, and I usually don't fancy fried foods at all. It was crispy yet not greasy and the fish was meaty and moist. Next, the corn tortillas were charred and thoroughly heated up on the grill, making it bendy and more flavourful. I have no idea how the tortillas didn't start breaking halfway through, but it was wonderful. The slaw looked plain, but was very lightly dressed, adding the necessary flavour but not over powering the fish and corn tortilla. A little squeeze of lime (okay, I put a lot...) and maybe a spoonful of salsa from the condiment bar made this dish the ultimate meal deal. Did I mention that these three tacos were each huge?! These tacos are must. get. Tuesday or not. I'm estimating that 25% of the customers at the restaurant were munching on these tacos. (My family ordered two) The table next to us, the table behind us, everyone was aware of the amazing taco deal on Tuesdays. I loved this so much, I am inspired to re-create it at home. So far, no luck, but I'll continue to dream about these fish tacos~

Ahi Tuna Sandwich ($12.95)

The dish I chose to order was the Ahi tuna sandwich. I had some pretty darn amazing Ahi in Hawaii and wanted to make a comparison. This wasn't bad; the fish was grilled to a perfect rare. The flavours in the sandwich were not overwhelming, but it was a good balance of fresh vegetables, creamy sauce, and bounce-y fish. I chose coleslaw and potato wedges as my sides. The potato wedges are reaaaally good too! Crispy on the outside and well seasoned; had to prevent myself from gobbling them all up. It was a good sandwich (I swear it looks like a burger!), but it's nothing I'd purposely go back for.

There aren't too many restaurant choices in Palm Dessert/La Quinta, so Fisherman's Market & Grill is a great place to go for lunch. Take a look at the $7.99 lunch specials on their website; there are some great deals there too like clam chowder and salad. If you're near a Fisherman's location on a Tuesday, pop in for some super delicious fish tacos that are easy on the bank account and an indulgence for the taste buds. Life changing. 

Reviews on Yelp

Palm Springs on Dwellable

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Fig, Almond, and Raspberry Yogurt Cake

It's my first time trying fresh figs. Alice is yelling at me, "You're mad, bonkers, off your head!" I know... These juicy, succulent, sweet delicacies, why didn't I go out in a mad search for these earlier?

I've been eager to work with fresh figs before the summer season began. My only experiences with figs are using the 'Chinese method'; adding dried figs to Chinese soups (which are usually broths) for sweetness and flavour. Eating fresh ones is completely foreign to my family. So are a lot of other foods; I constantly open my parents' eyes to new and exciting food. 

My neighbour has a fig tree in their backyard, and over the years, its branches have grown over to our backyard. For those that love figs, this would be a dream come true. However, I didn't know when the right time was to pick the fruit so we ended up with starchy, unripe figs in our mouth every time we decided to cut one open. That discouraged us from picking anymore. 

A bowl of fresh Black Mission Figs

During my last visit to our local Superstore, I scored a box of black mission figs for only two dollars! These babies could easily cost five dollars or more. Cha-ching! Finally, I can experiment with these luscious fruits. Hmm... with ricotta, in a muffin, or simply roasted? I can't decide. 

Beautiful, soft insides of a fig

A ripe fig should be soft and its thin skin should almost be wrinkly. A really delicious fig may have syrup beginning to drip out from the bottom end. The downside to purchasing from a grocery store is that the figs may not have been picked at its peak ripeness.

I was surprised at the soft, almost jelly-like flesh of fresh figs. Like dates, it's like nature's candy. It's unlike any other fruit I've tried and this made me very eager to get on with incorporating them into some recipes. After an evening of brainstorming a list of ideas, I decided to begin with a simple yogurt cake, pairing the figs with a drizzle of honey.

Grab a slice!

This cake is moist, flavourful, and fragrant. The yogurt replaces much of the fat while keeping the cake moist. That leaves us with only a quarter cup of coconut oil in an entire cake! I wished the figs had more time to roast and shrivel up a bit more; that would increase the sweetness of the fruit. But even after a bit of cooking in the oven, the figs provided much of the flavour and sweetness necessary for the cake. A sprinkle of sliced almonds gives a bit of textural contrast, and everything is better with some nuts ;)Raspberries give a pop of bright colour to the cake. It's the first time frozen raspberries haven't failed my entire baked good, I haven't had great experiences with using frozen raspberries... ahem. The hidden magic comes from the Meyer lemon zest. A Meyer lemon makes all the difference. The concoction of aroma coming from the oven while this cake is baking is mind-blowing. Ripe fruit, coconut, caramelizing honey, and zingy zest are all present.

A slice of Fig, Almond, and Raspberry Yogurt Cake

I've even healthified it by replacing some of the flour with whole wheat flour, wouldn' be a recipe from Coconut Crumpet without it being guiltless. Low in fat, sugar, increased fibre, and flavoured with fruits and nuts, this makes a fantastic afternoon snack or dessert. It's also very classy and would impress adults. Oh ho ho! Reheat a portion of this cake in the oven and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, honeyed yogurt, or whipped cream and top with a few quarters of fresh fig. De-lish.

Time to dig in!

Click below to view the recipe!

Tip Thai Restaurant

Running out of suggestions as to lunch places in the Tri-Cities, my dad decided to finally give Tip Thai a try. Our first experience at a Thai restaurant was not impressive. That was Sang Thai, which is run by Chinese people so that doesn't really count. Tip Thai has been given pretty good reviews; a tiny restaurant with friendly staff and decent food? Definitely sounds attractive. But I'll have to give Tip Thai a mixed review.

Tip Thai is located in Downtown Port Coquitlam, which I think that sounds rather amusing. It is beyond Lions Gate Park after passing under the bridge. There is free street parking and a small parking lot behind the row of businesses. The restaurant is really small with only six or so tables. All the glass doors were slid open, so the whole restaurant front was open-air. At first, we were glad to see we weren't the only customers. Turns out, the man sitting at one of the tables was the waiter.

I was surprised that a Caucasian past-middle-aged man was the waiter; my family assumed he was the husband of one of the Thai cooks. Very friendly and welcoming service. Just a tad bit awkward because everyone could probably hear us discussing what to order, including the people across the street. 

Each of my family members chose an item from the lunch specials, which are served from 11:30am to 3:30pm, even on a Saturday, for only $6.99 each. Each entree has a choice of chicken, beef, or tofu and spiciness level. Adding $2 for a few frozen prawns or seafood is too much in my opinion. We were promptly provided with cold water and utensils after placing our order.

Pad Thai lunch special ($6.99)

Our orders were quickly put together in the open kitchen. I believe there were only two cooks making the food. They spoke a different language and I assume it is Thai. The lunch specials were served all together which is a sign of good timing in the kitchen. My brother got the Pad Thai with beef and asked for it as spicy as possible. Apparently that is 4x spicy. When it came, we were all curious to see how spicy 4x was. It wasn't spicy, at all. The sauce was more sweet than anything else. A bit too sauce-y and sweet for me, but my brother still ate it all. The noodles were perfectly cooked and still maintained its bounciness and chew.

Tip Thai Fried Rice lunch special ($6.99)

My mom got L1, Tip Thai Fried Rice with beef. I don't know if the cook put the wrong spiciness in the wrong dish because my mom's rice was way more spicy than the Pad Thai. Although bearable, there was a definite burn in the throat after swallowing a bite of this rice. The flavours of the fried rice were quite delicious. However my mom pointed out that the rice used was of very low quality. We aren't even sure if it was jasmine rice like the menu stated because it was obvious that the rice were broken and in small bits. This also makes it harder to keep it dry when frying as it clumps together in mushy lumps. The broken rice is sold of a lot cheaper because it is the 'rejects' from the crop.

Green Curry lunch special ($6.99)

Once we were given the menu, my dad immediately say "well, of course curry". So that's exactly what he got. There are three types of curry and he chose green curry and asked for it spicy and with beef (again...). The curry sauce was rich in coconut milk but the consistency was too thin for our liking; turns the rice into a soupy mess if too much sauce is added. There were a few pieces of eggplant and bell pepper, and a bit of basil for seasoning. The spiciness was just right for my tastebuds, enough to give it some heat but not mask all other flavours. The curry base is very flavourful, just need to thicken it up. 

Red Curry lunch special ($6.99)

I also got a curry, but the Red version instead, just to get some variety. I had it medium spiciness and with tofu. The coconut flavour was pungent (yippie!) and just as flavourful and thin in consistency as the green curry. The red curry is more sweet than the green one. Mine had pumpkin chunks, bell peppers, and basil too. The side salad that comes with all the combo dishes was lightly and simply dressed with fish sauce. Refreshing!

So here comes the bad news. For the whole afternoon following lunch at Tip Thai, my tummy was gurgling and feeling very uncomfortable. I won't go into any further detail than that. I suspect that it was either a) I scarfed down my meal way too quickly b) the food was just too rich compared to my usual clean diet or c) the tofu in my curry was spoiled. The last option is a possibility as it doesn't seem like Tip Thai has a steady wave of customers to regularily clear their ingredients. That is a pity because they have potential as being a great restaurant. Cheap prices, decent portions, tasty food, good service, and clean presentation, it's all there.

While I can't say I'll be running back to Tip Thai at the next opportunity I get, there are several other dishes on their menu that peaked my interest. Thai flavours seem to suit me well, coconut milk, peanut sauce, tofu, cashews, eggplant, Thai basil... There are areas Tip Thai can improve upon, and hopefully that will strengthen their restaurant. It's a good place to try if you're feeling sick of the usual rotation of restaurants in the Tri-Cities. Maybe the quality of the food will increase with the number of customers~



Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡