Parker Place food court punches above its weight

Our ongoing series covering Chinese food courts always makes me a little frustrated for two reasons. 

First, the quality, diversity and affordability of food at food courts is a reminder that there aren’t enough of these in Vancouver proper. Second, it’s ridiculous that in a city with so many local publications, we’re the only publication consistently visiting and reviewing these places. Seriously, Vancouver Sun what’s going on?

So my ongoing hope with these reviews is that you venture outside your comfort zone and check out what non-traditional dining spots, like food courts, have to offer. 

High on your list should be the recent food court I visited in Parker Place at 4380 No. 3 Rd in Richmond, just south of Aberdeen Station.

It’s jam-packed with high-quality food stalls, many with clear English signs (that some Chinese food courts lack) making it an easy visit for most people.   

Yummy Bao

You can’t miss Yummy Bao. Located in the back part of the food court, a couple old ladies measure out ground pork from a heaping pink pile, stuffing it quickly into freshly made bao dough, pulling and shaping each one meticulously to form that instantly recognizable shape. 

The second thing you’ll notice is the price. Five large-sized bao’s, which could easily fill you up for lunch, cost a pittance, only $8 in total, taxes included. It’s a reminder of how food can be affordable (sadly just not in Vancouver).

The place is popular, and I had to wait about 20 minutes. But it was worth it.

Each one is cooked well, with a solid amount of salty, flavourful pork filling. The juice soaked into the bao, but it still holds up its consistency, and you still get a soup dumpling-like experience as the liquid hits your mouth after your first bite. Bring a napkin.

Once you’ve eaten them be sure to grab some for the road with 13 freezer dumplings costing a grand total of $8. Maybe grab two, hell, grab three, as long as you have the freezer room. 

Joys Taiwanese Food

Reviewing the menu brought me back to my Taiwan trip, with dishes like scallion pancakes and crispy chicken.

I’ll keep this review short and sweet because I had one dish on my mind as soon as I saw the menu at Joys Taiwanese Food — the Taiwanese pork bun. Like a painting by a Renaissance master, the heavenly photo of the pork bun called to me as soon as I saw it.

Made up of bao, a thick slice of fatty pork bellly and sweet peanuts with cilantro, it looked as good as it tasted.

The pillowy bao dough was steamed to perfection, a white puffy cloud shaped perfectly for the thick pork belly, that layer of rich meat and fat, to rest comfortably. But what really brought it all together was the sugary peanut bits cascading on and around the bun and meat. It’s one of those combinations of fat, salt and sweet you might not ever consider, but when together, you cannot imagine them apart.

The rest of the food looked enticing and I cannot wait to return. But if you have one thing to eat at Parker Place, you can’t go wrong with their Taiwanese pork bun. 

Editor’s note: I'm sorry I did not write down the price. Judging by photos on Google, it was around $7.25.

Best Rice Roll

Best Rice Roll is an aspirational name for a food court restaurant, so did it hold up to its name?

If it wasn’t the best, it certainly had the most helpful staff. I ordered the pork, but after a questioning look and a brief discussion, I was encouraged ordered to get the A1, Golden Net Shrimp Rice Roll. 

A brief wait and the lady plopped down a perfect-looking rice roll. But it wasn’t done. She proceeded to slather a peanut sauce and what tasted like a sweet soy sauce onto the rolls, practically drowning each one in the slightly brown and dark sauces.  

The first bite? I knew I was in the hands of an expert. The soft, warm rice roll gave way to a crispy textured inside, almost like a more crunchy tempura, surrounding the shrimp. The combo works. Really well.

The rice roll itself was exceptional. But the two sauces really took the dish to another level. The sweetness of the soy sauce and the subtle peanut flavour of the second sauce combined to elevate the rice roll beyond what you’d normally find at a traditional dim sum location.

Is it the best? If you know me, I don’t believe there’s such thing as the best. But it’s a rice roll that has you recalling the flavours any time you have another rice roll. Plus you can’t go wrong with $9.50 for three well-portioned rolls. 

Cherry’s Ice Bar

I’m coming around to the idea that Asian countries have nailed desserts. Obviously, bubble tea stands on it’s own. But Cherry’s Ice Bar really made me a believer.

Chinese baobin, and Japanese kakigori, it goes by different names but they’re mostly the same: a heaping chunk of shaved ice topped with an assortment of fruit, ice cream and toppings like red bean, mochi and more. It’s a nice alternative to heavy ice cream, a perfect summer treat to cool you down, which makes sense in Taiwan where it’s hot and humid all summer.

Of course, I ate it in March and didn’t need much cooling down. I opted for the strawberry, mango and a big heaping scoop of ice cream. But they offer more traditional options, like red beans, taro and mochi.

First off, it’s massive. Don’t do what I did and eat it yourself. My stomach was upset.

What wasn’t upset were my tastebuds. The sweet fruit paired perfectly with the shaved ice, creating a mellow combination rather than an overly sweet dessert. Fruit juices seeped down into the ice, flavouring each bite, along with the vanilla ice cream. 

If you’re like me with sensitive teeth, it can be a bit of a struggle. But I made do, with the ice melting very fast, making it easier to eat the toppings. 

For those who don’t want a heaping mound of milk such as ice cream, but still want something cold to enjoy on a warm day, baobing is a winner and Cherry’s Ice Bar is a worthwhile place to try it.