CrispyVancouverSince December 12, 200531 Reviews
(3.2)- Food
(3.1) - Service (3)
- Value (2.8)
- Ambiance
(2.7)
Do a search below using the city or postal code search box if your city is not listed above.
Get dining news including restaurant closures and qualify for giveaways.
(3.2) (3.1) (3) (2.8) (2.7)We were up in Whistler for the May Long weekend - "Girls' Weekend" if you will. Took advantage of the gorgeous weather on Saturday to stroll the Village. We had a hankering for something to drink and some nibblies, and Longhorn Saloon looked like a great place to sit and watch people as they headed up the mountain with their bikes. Of course it was crowded and the music was loud, but that kind of thing doesn't bother me. We were lucky to find an unoccupied table - it just needed to be cleaned up, as the previous occupants' dishes were still sitting on it. Again, no problem; the place was busy. We flagged down one of the servers, and she removed the plates and glasses right away. She didn't give the table a wipe, though, which made for a bit of stickage when I placed my arms on the table. Ewww! We asked if we could have the table wiped - eventually it was. The menu didn't have a lot of items on it appy-wise. We asked for two orders of yam fries. When asking about a drink menu, we were told that they didn't have one! Is it just me, or is that odd? I like to see what kind of beverages are available and how much they cost. Maybe the drinks are written on a chalkboard inside or something. Or not. I didn't want to wade through the very large crowd to go inside and find out. Ended up just ordering an iced tea. The yam fries ($8) were typical pub fare, accompanied by a chipotle/barbecue dip that was pretty tasty. The party atmosphere was fun, and there were a mix of couples, single folk and families (although kids are permitted with parents, we noticed the host turning away unaccompanied minors). Speaking of the host, we found him an entertaining floor show as he bopped around to the music while greeting the restaurant patrons. This is a place that is good for the atmosphere, less so for the food.
I've been craving poutine for a few weeks - but not that lousy mall stuff! Finally took the kids to La Belle Patate after the Santa Claus Parade today! It's not much on ambiance, and not very spacious, but we weren't there for the ambiance - I was with a hungry 5 year-old girl, and a ravenous 13 year-old boy; ambiance was not a priority! Prices are a little bit more than what I expected....$8 for a Medium, $10 for a large. The container sizes are adhered to the top of the order counter for your reference - they serve the poutine in aluminum containers - the kind in which you usually get take-out Chinese food. My son had a medium traditional....although I'm sure he could have eaten a large; I'll remember that for next time. My daughter and I shared a medium traditional, which was just right for us. Lots of cheese chunks, and the gravy wasn't too salty - I'm no poutine expert, but this was really good! I figured we'd just go for the traditional poutine before trying any of the other varieties - and I'd really like to try chicken and peas poutine or pepperoni and mushroom or something. They all look good! They even have breakfast poutine! Sounds like a good hangover dish! I was very happy to find that they had cans of Biere D'Epinette (Spruce Beer)! I haven't had that stuff in ages! The guys working there were very friendly, chatting up the customers. It's a no-brainer that we'll be back for more!
I haven't been a regular on UBC campus since I graduated many moons (haha) ago.....but now that I work on campus, I've been seeking out various lunch options when I don't pack my own lunch. I noticed The Moon Noodle Bar right near The Pit, and figured I'd give it a go.....I selected Combo A: one item plus rice or noodle. I chose noodles with black bean chicken. I perused the other items: sweet and sour pork (I think), beef and broccoli, spicy tofu, mixed vegetables - everything looked pretty good. The noodles are of the thin variety, and were a little softer than I like, but what the heck - I don't expect gourmet cuisine from the SUB building! The chicken chunks (quite a few at that) were mixed with a good supply of red and green peppers, onions, and celery, and typical black bean sauce. It was a good-sized portion for me - if I were a real hearty eater, I'd probably go for the 2 items plus rice or noodle. I'm glad they don't use styrofoam containers; they packed my food in a recyclable cardboard container (which made a bit of a mess on my desk, but oh well....had to clean it anyway). At $4.50 it was a decent lunch; better than McDonald's. I'll go back to try their other items.
Intrigued with Malaysian food, I've always wanted to try Banana Leaf. Today was my last day on the job before starting a new position next week, and my wonderful co-workers decided to take me to Banana Leaf for lunch. Turns out, it was a great idea! Our server was very friendly; she did a terrific job. I ordered the Mee Goreng, and it was very tasty. I would definitely order it again, as I plan to return. We all had something different (there were six of us). One of us had lettuce wraps - those looked really good, Hainese Chicken (forgive my spelling) mmmmmm.....Nasi Goreng, and a laksa dish. I sampled the calamari, which was deep-fried - it was nice and light. Lunch dishes weren't too expensive, at about $8/dish. We considered trying the sampler lunch, which is $15/person, and offers a nice variety of things, however some of us weren't as adventurous. Maybe when I come back with the family.
I find the food at the Victoria Drive location tastes better than at the Keefer Street location, although you can't sit down and eat at the Victoria Drive Kent's. No biggie - take a number, choose your dishes, and you'll walk out of there with containers packed to the brim. We usually grab about six dishes - enough to feed a small party, and end up paying between $40 - $50. Love the garlicky, spicy dry prawns, and the pepper chicken! Also had a really good dish of green beans with a black bean sauce and beef.....kind of skimpy on the beef in that dish, though. They offer a number of bean curd dishes, curry, spicy fish balls......quite a variety of things to please just about anybody. And if you can't please everybody, there is a McDonald's next door. Even better, there is a Maxim's bakery across the parking lot, so you can pick up some egg tarts or other lovely things for dessert. Only drawback is the always crowded parking lot - it's insane as people vie for spots!
Didn't feel like cooking - who wants to cook on Valentine's Day? Took the kids, and headed to Dunbar 'cause we felt like hitting Mexicali. Oh no! Mexicali was closed - no note on the door saying why, no hours posted. Hmmm...looked next door, where Simon's Kitchen is located. Sounded good. After all - it's Chinese New Year!
The woman who served us was so sweet and personable - she brought special New Year's candy (you know - those yummy strawberry ones), and some fortune cookies for the kids. We decided to go with Lemon Chicken, Special Chow Mein, Chicken/Salty Fish Fried Rice, and Beef Chop Suey. The food came out very quickly, and it was all very good. A special mention for the Lemon Chicken - it wasn't overly breaded, as usual. Fried, yes, but a nice crispy/lemony experience. Special Chow Mein had pork, prawns, broccoli, etc., and was really good. One of the women serving us asked what we thought of the Chicken/Salty Fish Fried Rice (quite good). She told us that it wasn't as popular with Canadian people as it is with Chinese people - but we eat pretty much anything. I've been told that we caucasians don't like red bean soup. lol. I love the stuff. The portions were ample, and fed the four of us with a small container of leftovers to take home.
I noticed a couple of young guys across the way, with combo plates. They seemed pretty pleased too, and also had leftovers to take home! You can tell people feel at home here - a lone diner brought her leftovers to the kitchen to save the ladies a trip to the table.
We plan to return in the future to try some of the other dishes that sounded appealing!
For the longest time I've wanted to try this place, and I finally had the opportunity a couple of weeks ago. I really enjoyed the eclectic, party atmosphere. This place definitely says "Have a Good Time!" And the menu is definitely creative! It was hard to decide from all the exotic rolls listed. Some of the fusion dishes look interesting.....maybe we'll try those another time. Mr. Crispy and I tried "The Titanic", and enjoyed all the rolls very much. However, I find the prices a bit more than I'm willing to spend, considering my favourite sushi place (also in Kits) makes excellent sushi for a fair bit less $$. I had a Candy Apple Martini, and it was great. All in all, it was a good experience. Would I go there once in a while if I wanted to party with a bunch of people and eat some clever sushi? Yes. Would I make it my regular go-to sushi joint? Nope.
I went out with a group of my girlfriends one Friday night for dinner. We were seated in the waiting area, which is no big deal. We expected that, since we didn't have a reservation. One of my friends tried to make reservations, and was told that we couldn't. We were served a complimentary sample of bruschetta while we waited - I believe it had a white bean topping. Very nice. Nice looking room - very busy. Service was OK. Our waiter was an affable fellow; he did a good job seeing that our needs were met. As for the food - we sampled the Kobe Beef meatballs to start - they were very tasty. We all ordered pasta dishes. We agreed that they were OK, and that was about it. Considering the price for the measly pasta shell dish I ordered, I could have made it better myself - and with more garlic! Red wine was served in large glasses, but maybe only a third full.
Can't say I have any burning desire to re-visit Trattoria Italian Kitchen considering all the other great restaurants this city has to offer.
For more than $7 a slice, I expected a better slice of pie than the one I had at Aphrodite's. I had the apple pie, and quite honestly, I think my husband can make a way better pie. I kept finding apple seeds in the pie, and little tough pieces of apple peel and core. It was tasty, but didn't 'wow' me.
I've always wanted to try a Japa Dog after hearing so much about them...and since I work close by, I trotted on down during a sunny lunch hour last week. Being that it was lunch time, I had a bit of a wait for my order, but it was well worth it! I tried the Teri Mayo; holy crap, was it good! I love the way the Japanese mayo melds with the thick teriyaki sauce - it totally works! I definitely want to come back and try the others. The two women serving the hot dogs were very friendly. All in all, a great hot dog experience.
I've walked by this place many times, but never tried their food until today when I decided to treat the kids to lunch. Not feeling terribly adventurous today, my son and I opted for a couple of bento boxes and some tomago for my two year-old daughter. The teriyaki chicken was moist, flavourful and delicious - we all enjoyed that. The assorted tempura in the bento box consisted of two plump prawns, a decent-sized carrot disc, and a piece of yam - not too greasy. The California roll was not bland like at some sushi places. The bento box included just the right amount of salad (with a tasty salad dressing) to compliment the rest of the food - it was quite a good portion of stuff! The miso soup was light and not too salty. I didn't try the tomago, but it was still warm, and my toddler did not leave a speck of it on her plate! The restaurant itself isn't fancy by any means; there are a few tables, but on a warm summer evening, I think picking up some sushi from Tokyo One and heading over to Trimble Park would be a great idea!
After hearing about this place from a few people, I finally got the chance to eat there yesterday! It looks like a regular cafe, but surprise - tasty Indian food can be had for about the same price as McDonald crap! For about eight bucks, you can get a plate of butter chicken with rice, naan, and a salad with mystery dressing. It's a pretty hefty portion, too! The samosas are good - 2 meat ones for $1.50, or two vegetarian ones for a buck. They also have curried lamb, chicken tikka, and other Indian dishes. I notice some Greek dishes on the menu as well - souvlaki, gyros, etc. I'll have to give that a go next time....if I can keep from ordering the butter chicken again!
I noticed that the place was fairly busy over lunch hour - there are only about ten small tables inside, and one outside. There is a TV for your viewing pleasure as well.
We always like to go out for dinner or lunch on New Year's Day.....usually for sushi. However, this year after reading about how good All India on Davie was, we thought we'd give it a shot after looking at the Christmas lights in Stanley Park. We weren't disappointed! Although the buffet isn't large like some other places, we found the quality of the food was superior. Hot, fresh garlic naan is brought to the table - naan worthy of a second helping! The butter chicken was very good. The buffet featured the usual suspects: aloo gobi, muttar paneer, rice, lamb, another chicken dish, etc. Everything was tasty, and the service was good. It's not a very big restaurant, and we had to squeeze out of our chairs so as not to disturb the diners behind us, but that's just a minor quibble. Definitely will come back!
I really like Enigma, not only because it's cose to where I live, but the food is pretty decent, and they have a nice selection of martinis. Kids are welcome there - they have a children's menu. We've had the curry platter for two a couple of times now - a selection of curries (chicken, lamb, etc.) served with rice and naan, and it didn't disappoint! Enigma is also great for a burger or appies. We only had one minor problem the last time we visited Enigma; our server forgot to place our appetizer order with the kitchen. However, she was very apologetic and quickly came up with options to resolve the problem - order the appetizer for us to eat there or take home, or free dessert - we chose the latter, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I look forward to returning for brunch some day - and sitting on their patio!
Ah - nothing like Tzatziki breath! We've been stopping by MacFalafel for years now, as it's conveniently located in the same strip mall where we buy dog food, make our 7-11 runs, and indulge in French Patisseries (next door!). But I digress! My husband is addicted to the shwarmas, and goes there once a week. You can have your shwarma as a wrap or served with rice and salad. Yum yum yum! The falafels are quite good too!
I'll be the first one to admit that the place has a weird kind of ambiance, what with the purple walls, thrift shop artwork, and the neon olympic rings adorning the walls - and the floors really need a good scrubbing. I'm amazed the fish in the big tank by the front door are still alive - the previous fish died, and were replaced. So why do we frequent this place? The food is pretty good and inexpensive. We have dined here many times without a problem. We always end up ordering the same thing, so they remember us, and practically start writing down the order when we walk in the door! I especially like the grilled pork with spring roll and prawns with vermicelli - squirt a hefty amount of hoi sin sauce (after wiping the crud off of the dispenser), and good eatin' is yours! My son favours the grilled pork with vermicelli and spring roll. I've had the Pho Tai, and it's pretty standard - fills the gut, and chases away the chill on a cold day without chasing away the cash in my wallet.
Sometimes you just gotta have a good Montreal smoked meat sandwich - and it's really grand on a Siegel's bagel! I love their smoked meat - full of flavour, not too much fat. Oh, and the pickle - the perfect partner to the sandwich! Too yummy! My husband was given an extra pickle to bring home to me when he told the person behind the counter that the sandwich was for his preggo wife. lol. The hamentashen is very tasty, but the rugoleh (the strawberry in particular) wins, hands-down! Definitely not an every-day treat, 'cause it must have a zillion calories (that has to be a cream-cheese pastry they're using!) It's been a while since I've been out all night, but if I remember correctly, they're open 24 hours!
We've eaten here a number of times, and find that after eating at Hoshi Sushi we always feel content. Their sushi is well-presented and fresh, and we've never been disappointed. And bonus marks to them for having "Kids' Combos" on the menu. It's in a great location, too - right smack in the busy shopping area of West Broadway (well, parking kind of sucks).
The menu is pretty extensive, and there are deals to be had! There is a "Three Item" menu, on which three items can be had for $8.99 (and miso soup is included). My son opted for a yam tempura roll, chicken teriyaki, and agadashi tofu. I went for the 3-item dinner special menu ($11.99 - also includes miso soup). I had an Alaska roll, Dynamite roll, and an order of chicken karaage. I was hungry when I walked in that night, but couldn't finish everything! My husband had salmon teriyaki, which was presented nicely, all sizzling in a cast iron dish with veggies, plus he had an order of tomago.
It isn't a large place, and the people there are very friendly. I want to return and try a few of their other dishes - I was eyeing the picture of Tempura Bananas that was hanging on the wall. Mmmmm.....
Wow....this place really feels like something out of the 1970s - check out those lamps! It's kinda cool, though. I remember when it used to be Woodlands, and there was a natural foods store downstairs. They have quite an extensive buffet, filled with salads and hot items....curry, rice, tortellini, scallopped potatoes, spring rolls, samosas, tofu. Everything is pretty tasty, and oh-so-Kitsilano. It isn't an AYCE buffet, though, keep in mind. You have to pay by the weight, which can get kinda pricey if you like your veggies. They have a few desserts that are OK. My son had a pie that was sort of like a chocolate pudding pie, but made with tofu. It wasn't bad. The fellow at the cash register was extremely friendly, so extra points to him!
I was eager to try the Noodle Box after reading about how popular it was in Victoria. We tried it out.....well finally got to eat after they mixed up our order and almost gave it to somebody else. OK - not a big deal. For nine bucks you get a box of noodles with a bit of chicken in it. I was thinking that for $9, you'd get a decent amount of food, but nooo....just a little box. Good thing we each ordered our own box - we were still hungry afterward. I'd rather go to some little hole-in-the wall noodle place that doesn't charge so much and has better food!
