Happy 24th Birthday to me! Well, not today. But about a week ago. The best thing about birthdays when you get older and older, it’s not about the presents anymore. It’s about “WHERE AM I GOING TO CELEBRATE?” Moreover, what do I want to eat on my birthday?! I’m not one of those people that think too much on my birthday, I just let it be. I know, not too exciting. But at least it’ll be full of surprises!

You must be wondering why did I get egg tarts on my birthday instead of a cake? Well, thanks to my stomach flu a week ago, my doctor said I can’t have any dairy products for 3 days (and the 4th is my birthday). So, my friends got me egg tarts as a substitute! How thoughtful! =) Thanks to @whoelsecanitbe, @itsMichelleNgai, and @deborah_dph.

The night before my birthday was Milestones Date Night event (I love specials happening around my birthday, it’s great!), so I invited my family, my girlfriend, and her mom for a pre-celebration dinner. And thanks to Date Night at Milestones, it helped me chop the bill down by half! Phew. Actually, they almost over-charged me…but thanks to the beloved Chinese parents, of course, they triple-check the bill so we don’t get ripped off! (One thing I got to learn from the ‘rents.)

This was on their Date Night special menu. One of four appy’s, this is a lightly fried panko crusted medley of roasted mushroom risotto, creamy Goat cheese & Reggiano cheese. Served on a smoked chilli Arrabiata sauce and drizzled with infused basil oil.

Second up, is their twist on a classic. Thinly-sliced crispy calamari steak served with spicy sausage tomato caper sauce and preserved lemon aioli.

Third up is something that we had before. A crispy coated shrimp lightly fried and served with our honey chipotle glaze for dipping. It was better the first time we had it, but even the presentation this time around wasn’t that great.

Fourth appy was the all famous roasted garlic caesar salad. “House-made Ciabatta croutons, Reggiano cheese, our signature Caesar dressing. Topped with shaved Asiago cheese and roasted garlic.” One thing that this caesar salad stands out is the garlic, it’s so garlic-y that it hits you before you put it in your mouth. I would vote this as my second favourite caesar salad aside from Boathouse.

My girlfriend and I both ordered this dish. It’s a double breast, with sliced Portobello mushrooms sauteed in olive oil with plenty of fresh basil, roasted garlic and reduced Reggiano cream served over capellini. We had this dish before, it was so good the first time that was why we decided to order it again. However, this time was a bit bland and the sauce was not enough. However, we still liked it.

I believe we ordered 3 of these. “Crusted with our special blend of signature seasonings and served with au jus.” My girlfriend and I both thought the chef’s cut was a bit smaller than the ones we had before. Maybe they were running out, so they had to cut it downsize. But, for this price…it was totally worth it!

My dad had the new york striploin which was not as good as he thought because the meat was not as tender as the prime rib.

We were all too full for dessert.

The morning of my birthday, I along with my family and the girlfriend’s family went to Kirin Coquitlam for Dim Sum. A treat from my girlfriend’s parents. Thank you! Sorry, no pictures.

My birthday dinner was at Shanghai River in Richmond. (One of my favourite Shanghainese restaurants in Vancouver.)

The XLB at Shanghai River is by far one of the best in town. It wins its competitors because its shell is very thin, and it has tons of juices inside.

My girlfriend and I decided to give this dish a try. It was in the seafood section of the menu. I forgot what the english name for the dish was called, but it was this yellow code from the gulf of mexico stir fried with fungus and other veggies. What struck us was that the fish was from the gulf of mexico. We really had no idea if it was or not, or if it’s just the name. But, the fish was very good. If I was to use one word to describe it, it was very solid!

This dish is also one of the best in Vancouver. The duck is smoked, it’s very tender and juicy, inside and out. Not only is the duck good, the flour bread on the side was also very tender and soft.

To end off the night, we had half an order of Reb bean paste puff. It’s called “Go Lie Dou Sa” in Cantonese. At first, the manager didn’t allow us to order half an order. But, when we decided not to have dessert and when I was about to take my bill, he decided to make half an order for me. Talk about not knowing how to do business! This puff is basically made from egg white and then deep fried but inside is red bean paste and outside is sprinkled with sugar. (I have no idea why the sugar it’s pink. Anyone know why?) This wasn’t the best I had, but it was alright.

To end off the birthday evening, of course, I had …

Nope, not the box!

It’s a Chestnut cream cake from Anna’s Cake House at Lougheed Town Centre. Their cakes are usually not that appealing, but their Chestnut cakes are the best IMO.

There we have it! My birthday meals all-in-one post.

Tags: 2011, Birthday, Chestnut Cake, Coquitlam, Milestone's, Prime Rib, Steak, Tri-City, XLB