Wen Xin (South Burnaby) ?

[LotusRapper]

All,

Anyone ventured out to Rumble Ave/Royal Oak in Burnaby and eaten at Wen Xin ? I lunch at Sunflower Cafe and/or Sasaya on Royal Oak once awhile. Walked by Wen Xin but they seem always closed midday, which only makes me more curious after looking at their menu on the door.

[DylanLK]

I've looked at the menu and wasn't sure quite what was going on. Mostly middle-of-the-road north-of-the-Yangtze dishes, with a few things that are vaguely Taiwan/HK cafe-ish, like pork chop on rice, beef with black pepper sauce....

Go check it out!

[fmed]

Yeah Lotus - TOFTT and BAC (take one for the team and bring a camera).

[betterthanbourdain]

LOL, beat me to the punch. BAC good one!! :-D sounds interesting enough, too bad that is out of my way or I would TOFTT.
BTW any comments about a Hunan resto on Kingways near Joyce. Chinese name has Xiang as the first character?

-----
Xiang
4850 Imperial St, Burnaby, BC V5J, CA

[fmed]

It used be run by Hunan folks...but now run by Northern/Shanghai people...the manager doesn't like his food to spicy, so their Hunan dishes are very un-Hunan.

[LotusRapper]

Is that this place ?

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&so...

Spicy Legend

Chinese on awning says: "Sichuan Hot Pot" (left) and "Chengdu Snacks" (right

)

The same day I went to Lingering Flavours I actually parked right in front of Spicy Legend. They were closed and I peeped through the window. Broom closet-sized, 3 booths of 4 seats each, and 2 v. small stand-alone tables beside, for a total capacity of maybe 15. No menu posted.

[LotusRapper]

Went there and TOFTT'd. And I survived. In fact I did better than that, I was pleased.

Even though the menu had an indecisive variety of "northern" and Sichuan dishes (incl. 水煮魚/water-boiled fish, 元蹄/braised pigs trotters, "squirrel" fish, etc) and Taiwanese dishes like salty crispy chicken, I still got the sense they are earnest to reproduce the cuisines of each region without much compromise. The pictures of some dishes certainly made them look "authentic".

Place is small-ish, maybe capacity seating at around 35. But cheery and modernly-furnished if modest. Owner lady was friendly and polite. Accepts cash only (ATM across road).

I ordered preserved vegetable with pork belly (mei cai kou rou/梅菜扣肉) on rice for $6. Came within minutes in a steaming hot hearty round dish. Abundant "mei cai" made me happy. The pork belly (6 generous slices) was tender but not as "darkly stewed" as I would have liked. Otherwise still tasty with no hint of MSG. I finished to the bottom of the platter and left happy.

Would return for more exploration.