FoodMan99Surrey , B.C.Since February 24, 201157 Reviews
(3.3)- Food
(3.4) - Service (3.3)
- Value
(3.1) - Ambiance (3.3)
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(3.3) (3.4) (3.3) (3.1) (3.3)Shiro isn't exactly a place to head if you're looking to pack a gut. It isn't that type of restaurant and there are better places to go if you want a lot of bang for your buck. What this sushi restaurant does provide is tremendous flavour and fresh, local ingredients.
The salmon, incredibly delicious, is fresh and wild, locally caught. I had the spicy salmon sashimi and was initially disappointed at how small the portions were. But wow, the taste! Some of the best sashimi I've had.
The rolls were not messy, but were delicious and packed well enough to stay together but not so much that everything was squished. The chefs there are doing a great job.
Nothing particularly special besides that, I enjoyed the small, frantic atmosphere and the Japanese memorabilia hanging inside. The kitchen is completely open and all the ingredients are in plain view, which is cool to see. As far as service goes, it is a packed place and there are but a few servers. They do there best to keep your tea full and get the meal to you as quick as they can. They are polite and give you the (usually typical) cheery hello and goodbye when you come in and leave.
I debated on what direction to go between 2-3 stars for value. Truthfully, 3 rolls, sashimi and some deep-fried squid legs for $35 wasn't bad at all. Still, it wasn't enough to make two people full. I left very satisfied with the experience, but a bit hungry. I doubt I'd go back if my tummy is rumbling. I'd go in a heartbeat in any other case. Totally recommend.
Ok, so technically Tasty Indian Bistro is in Delta. The actual location is a bit run-down, but the restaurant itself is quite nice! They've got a hip, clean look to their interior, apart from a couple extremely tacky-looking statues guarding the door. And the food is great! My one complaint there is that the portions are just MILDLY lacking... for $12 butter chicken I think the bowl could be a bit larger. The tandoori is great too... but again, small portions. The samosas are kind of average, but with some mango chutney they're delicious and the mango lassi was terrific, nice and creamy. Again, a bit on the small size.
The servers here are pretty good. The night I went the place was dead, so we probably got a bit more service than I'd like since our guy clearly had no one else to tend on, but it's better to have them checking in a couple times too often than not at all. All in all, dinner for two came to about $45. I feel I could get more for that amount elsewhere, but the quality probably wouldn't be as good. I'll be coming back!
I'll get right to the point... this restaurant makes very serviceable Indian cuisine. I've already been to their OTHER Surrey location, and if you've been there, you'll know what to expect from the food. Their Tandoori chicken comes sizzling, and their butter chicken is always spot on. Make sure you get some garlic naan to mop up the sauce, it is DELICIOUS. Eeeevvvverrything else on the menu is very average though. Samosas, veggies, the goat meat, etc. All pretty ehh. If you go to Indian for the basics, you should come away happy. If you're looking to try something a bit more adventurous, maybe you better try somewhere else as well, because there are superior options out there, such as the Tasty Indian Bistro up on Scott Road.
Back to Mahek though. The service is average at best. This particular location seems to be staffed by a lot of very young, high-school aged servers. They seem very green to the job and don't do it particularly well. The room itself is nicer than the other location... it is clean and modern, but lacks any flair. Kind of like a small Earls or Cactus Club. And when you get the bill at the end, you'll find that Indian food isn't expensive, but nor is it cheap. I usually find it to end up around $40 before the tip for two... that'd be sharing two mains (they generally range from $10-14), plus an appy that I always regret and a mango lassi or a beer (their mango lassi is very hit and miss, but when they get it right it's very refreshing).
I'd recommend it if you live in the area and want to try some Indian. If you're up for a bit of a longer drive, try Tasty Indian Bistro near Strawberry Hill. Both are similar, but I find the latter has more range and a nice location and staff.
I don't really do the whole "food cart" thing. I'm just not in Vancouver during the day so I kind of miss out. Of course, I've been to Japadog, and the occasional french fry stand. And now La Brasserie's street cart. And wow.
There isn't much selection... as far as I know, they've got their chicken sandwich, drinks and butter tarts. I only got the sandwich, but what a sandwich it was. The chicken almost resembles pulled pork in texture... it is topped with creamy, delicious gravy and dried caramelized onions all packed into a very nice bun. Option of putting some mustard on, which goes great.
The guy running the cart is doing an awesome job as well. He handles a crowd with politeness and efficiency, and gets you your lunch ASAP at a pretty cheap price. Man it was delicious. I can't wait to go back.
Great shakes! Decent bites. Average setting. It all balances out. When you're walking main street, you're going to be able to find better options, but if you're having a 50's shake craving, this is a good enough place to stop. You're spoiled for options, and if it is a peanut butter milkshake you want, that's what they'll make you. As far as food goes though, I've seen better. They've got the standard fare you'd expect at a 50s-themed diner... I've tried their burger, their weird mac-n-cheese sandwich and their pulled pork. The pulled pork was terrible. The mac/cheese was... interesting. Burger was nice. It's hit and miss, so stick with the basics and you'll probably come out on top.
Service and ambiance are going to be what you'd think. Laid-back but pleasant, with an interior straight out of Archie comics. It's small and a bit run-down, but it has that 50s feel nailed. If ANY of this is jumping out at you ("oh wow, a 50s diner? Groovy!") then it's probably worth a try. Cheap bites, great shakes. The only thing you're losing is an opportunity to go somewhere better on the same street.
I'd go back. Drinks aren't that expensive, the food is reasonable for the price and it's very creatively constructed. No same old, same old here. Definitely try their beef tartar, and try their Italian spritzer-type drinks at just a bit over $5. Delicious. Truthfully, their portions are small. Not tapas small, but small. This isn't quite the place to go when you're famished, more just for a quiet night out. That also isn't hard to achieve, since this place is small and the seats aren't crowded. It ended up about 2/3rds full by the time I left, but the level of service never changed. Water was quickly refilled, our dishes were explained to us (which was nice, since sometimes they're quite complicated and you're not sure what exactly you're eating!) and service in general was friendly and attentive without being intrusive; just what you'd expect from an establishment like this.
I'd go back.
When you go to the Keg for Dine Out, you're getting your money's value. Although Dine Out is coming to a close, no doubt you'll be swamped with options again next year. Take a night and choose the Keg. Normally, this place offers their decent steaks for decent prices. During Dine Out however, they'll offer a 10oz as part of a three course menu for only $28. You're also getting choice of potato, a HUGE dessert (I went with their chocolate ice cream pie, scrumptious) and a starter. The steak's a pretty darn good steak. The dessert was lovely, although fair too large. Everything else was a bit ehh. For starter, I chose the shrimp. Overly buttery, very average. The potatoes, no matter what you choose, are going to range between good and very good. In fact, that's a good way to describe the entire meal. It's solid. There are high points and other points that don't go that high.
Besides food, you probably know what the Keg looks like. It's a classy establishment, with a sometimes unfortunately noisy clientele and a generic but intimate, clean setting. I like it in there. The waitress I got was pretty average, clearly reading from a mental script she had recited countless times before. It was a while between courses. It'll also be a while before I come back... I don't think regular Keg prices justify the value. It's pretty close to Joey or Cactus with inflated pricing. Dine out is a different story! Definitely make it a stop next year!
I'm assuming in writing this article that Pizzeria Barbarella, having been open only a couple days, is going to improve on a lot of what they offer. You should keep that in mind if you plan on going too. In some areas it'll be a problem. In others, not so much.
I went to Barbarella's just the day before, and found it looking pretty quiet on the outside. On the inside, the place resembles an empty warehouse. There's no ambiance at all. Cement floors, loose cables, plastic chairs, and the washroom light flickers like you're in a horror movie. There's no mirrors in there either. For ambiance they'd deserve 1 star, but again, they just opened, so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt and hoping they're only a few weeks away from getting the place looking lovely!
The service isn't too bad. At the time there were almost equal servers to customers. Again, they're new and hadn't quite got into the groove with the menu yet, but were for the most part friendly and attentive. They are a bit confused at times, but they get you your pizza nice, quick and fresh, and keep your water full.
But on to the good stuff! The pizzas are delicious. If you've been looking for authentic Naples-style pizza, you probably know there aren't many options in Vancouver. This is one of the few places you CAN get a good Italiano pizza made, as opposed to something you'd find at Rocky Mountain Flatbread, or Boston Pizza. The pizzas are made in what looks like a pretty good oven (you can check it too, it's an open kitchen) and come crispy, hot and tasty. They're nice and moist in the center but have a great crust. They range from $12 to about $16 or 18.
That's it, really. Their menu is pretty small so far, so there are about 5-6 pizzas to choose from and a few appetizers I didn't try. They've also got standard fare Italian-style drinks, I think spritzers and sodas. I was really happy with the food, I absolutely love the kind of pizza they make at Barbarella. I hope that everything else quickly moves along to equal how good their food is.
Their pizzas are right between the size you'd want for one and for two, so you're pretty much stuck being hungry or having too much. Their quality is pretty low too, matching the level of service you're going to get. A couple pizzas and a few cokes, plus tip, and you're at $40. You're getting Little Caesar $5 hot-n-ready-level pizzas, they shouldn't be $15 each. As far as the location goes, no, it's nothing special. LOTS of places to get pizza downtown. Don't go here.
Jimoco will give you two pasta plates for the price of one, so you'll be more than able to load up on all the pasta you want, if Jimoco pasta is indeed what you want. You get what you pay for, like with most things. Cheap eats with a buy one get one discount? Cheap ingredients with, albeit, large portions. Besides that, the place is pretty average in general. It is always crowded (since it only has about 10 tables) without any real ambiance. Maybe you'd enjoy it if you're bringing a few friends or you're planning on buying more than one pasta plate to get in on their deal. Otherwise, skip it. You can get a much better plate of pasta for the $15 or so they charge anywhere else in the city.
What a great place! Awesome owner who clearly loves what he does and is more than happy to chat with each and every person who comes in. Yeah he's crude and crass but that's part of the fun, so make sure you go in with a good sense of humour.
The place is a hole in the wall but they've got tables and a few chairs if you want to stay and eat. The food is tasty and fresh, the only problem is he gives you waaaaayy too much meat and cheese in the sandwich and he's probably not going to ease up, even if you ask him to. You're pretty much stuck with whatever sandwich he chooses to make you, but if you're looking for a giant sandwich and a fun time, this is the place to go.
This small, modestly-furnished sushi joint isn't going to blow you away with cheap prices or huge portions, but the service is very pleasant and attentive (despite that the place was quite busy!) and the sushi is fresh and delicious. The selection isn't large... but they've got all the key staples, from 10 or so rolls to choose from, 6 or so sashimi options, udon and tempura, among other things. The sashimi is extremely fresh and the tempura is crispy to perfection.
The rolls themselves are quite small. They're about $4 each and could definitely pack more bang for their buck, but they make up for it in terms of quality. I can't really recommend anywhere else in the Guildford area over this place... Tengoku across the road has great service and atmosphere, but it doesn't come anywhere close to the level of food quality. Try it out!
You know, my expectations going in here were pretty much at rock bottom. Except for the beer. I was anticipating some really, really delicious beer.
The beer was actually just decent. I went for lunch so it was only $4 for a large glass, and I didn't quite finish mine (I was driving). They give you quite a few extravagant options, so you're free to play it safe or try something exotic and different.
But the food is what scared me. High-priced pub food is usually on the miss side of hit-or-miss, and at $15 for a sandwich, $12 for wings and $14.50 for a small pizza, I was expecting little bang for my buck.
In the end, the two of us there split a pulled pork sandwich, which we had split onto two plates. Came with fries, and the pulled pork was on a really nice pun, topped by coleslaw. The portions were very generous and one sandwich was more than enough for both of us. The fries were oily and could have had more taste, but were very large and crispy.
The server seemed to have that "I'm too cool for school" attitude. She was friendly in short bursts but overall came off aloof and uncaring. Not really sure where to put her on the spectrum, but overall I came away unimpressed with that. Overall I came away unimpressed with everything actually, but it more than met my low, low expectations. Since there isn't a lot of good food in Central City at SFU or the Food Court, I may be back. The food isn't bad and the craft beer might grow on me. If you're in the area and hungry, it's probably worth the chance.
When you go in, the Afghan Horsemen staff'll greet you warmly and ask "cushions or table?" Table is regular dining. If you say cushions, you'll lose the shoes and go into a room off to the left, where you'll sit at low, very comfortable tables on cushions with your back against the wall. It's great, I absolutely loved the setting.
The rest is pretty average. The food is a nice twist on Greek if you've never tried Afghan before, and they do all manner of shish kabobs and rice/meat based meals. I hear they have a good Vegan menu, but I'm a carnivore so I wouldn't know. When I say it's like Greek, I'm not saying it IS Greek. The tastes offered are much different, but the meal size and what you get in it is comparable.
The staff there is pretty good, the price is decent (about $15-20 for every dish) and the food's nice. I might go back, just for the awesome cushioned seating. Love that.
I ended up at Incendio when Nilci Antica was just plain too busy on a weeknight. Incendio, on the other hand, was about 1/3rd full. Unlike their competitor up the block, Incendio has a warmer, cozier (and slightly hokier) feel, with slightly unprofessional but friendly service. You'll end up with a few different waiters catering to you, and none of them come off 'textbook', but they all seem happy to be there and happy to help.
The pricing is ok. About $15 on average for a pizza and $6 a pint. However, if the Canucks are playing, you'll get that for $16 together, so I was able to get a nice, cheap pint and a 12-inch pizza. Nice! I also shared some hand-rolled meatballs for $7. The dinner progressed like this: Bread! Free of course, and with the traditional balsamic/olive oil combo. The bread was delicious but already had a strong taste, and didn't require the dressing. Meatballs! REALLY, really good. I'm not sure if they're $7 good (you only get three, about half a fist in size), but they're good. Pizza! I went with the margharita, and it was extremely average. Ever had an Earls pizza? Expect that. It's big and pretty ok for the value, but it's not a true, Italian pizza. Don't get me wrong, it's better than what you'll get for your late night pizza cravings from Dominos, but it's definitely not the best I've had in Gastown alone. That'd be Nilci Antica.
You know, I'd probably return... the place was warm and friendly, the food was good and the price was reasonable. I still know I can get better pizza just a street up though.
There are a lot of options for Italian in Vancouver, and there are a few options within a couple blocks of Via Veneto (the slightly superior Portobello Risorante comes to mind) but things aren't too bad here. The interior is decently sized, with a posh, fine-dining decor. It's a bit dark but very cozy, helped by candles at each table. The staff seems a bit nervous, but pleasant and attentive.
The food's actually pretty good. They have delicious carpaccio for $12 (which I love) and servicable pasta. I tried the Penne al'arriabaca for a bit over $18, while my date had a fettucini pasta that was a lot better. I haven't tried any of their chicken or veal meals, but I did have the bread. On the plus side, it's very good and they continue bringing it, along with a balsamic vinagrette/white wine concuction, as long as you keep finishing it. On the minus side, they'll charge you an initial price of 3.45 for bread. Wow, paying for bread? Still, it's only an initial charge. Any subsequent loaves come free.
I'm a bit torn about the restaurant. I feel the penne could have been better, but the carpaccio and the fettucini was great. The bread was very tasty too. Overall, I'd advise against the penne and go under the assumption it's a weak dish on a menu of strong dishes. And if you ARE a penne person, it's not THAT bad. But perhaps you'll find it more to your liking!
Decent Chinese food in Langley? I don't really know the Chinese food scene here, because it's not my neighourhood. I assume that the reviews for this place are a bit inflated due to lack of tasty competition. Still, Luxe isn't too bad. I went for Dim Sum, and if you don't know Dim Sum, look out. They'll give you a menu if you don't know how it works, but otherwise they seem content to just bring around a tray and visually offer you various choices. If you don't know the various shrimp bawls, prawn rolls or rice in banana leaf combos, you might not really know what they're showing you. It's not that their giving terribly bad service or aren't understanding, it's more that they except you to know the game and the rules.
The food's pretty good. Standard dimsum fair, maybe a bit better. Rolls came with a strange vinager sauce that didn't compliment it well. Banana leaf rice and beef was delicious.
Valuewise, it's fairly good. I had a tonne of food over two people, and we only paid 30 after tip. I suppose if you're in Langley and feeling like Chinese, this isn't a bad spot. It certainly isn't "Westernized" if that kind of thing scares you, and the location is clean, the staff is alright, and the dimsum is good. If I'm in the area again and craving Chinese, I may try their dinner menu. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to go back however; there are equally good options closer to home.
Low tide is Rodney's version of Happy Hour, except for oysters. Fresh-shucked raw oysters, at only a buck-fifty a piece. That's not bad! Low tide runs from 3-6 daily, and also gives you some other options, such as steamed clams and mussels, for example. When I went, I had the steamed mussels and a good helping of raw oysters.
The service there isn't too bad, the servers are more than happy to explain each of the sauces that accompany the oysters to the table (make sure to load up the oysters with a couple if you've never tried before; it's delicious) and quickly brought fresh bread when we ran out, without charge. You'll need the bread if you buy steamed mussels, because dipping the bread into the juice it is steamed in is HEAVEN.
Valuewise, the Rodney's is probably ok. I've never been outside of Low Tide this one time, but during Low Tide it is totally worthwhile and I'd definitely be back. I skimmed the dinner menu though, and the price jump is pretty steep. I think I'd rather go to Joe Fortes for a seafood/oyster dinner, but Rodney's during the day can't be beat.
You may also enjoy the setup. It's a small, two-level building right in yaletown that has a rustic, warm atmosphere, and it's always busy. You feel like you're right on the warf inside... in a good way!
I really enjoyed this place, solely because of the food. It's enough to make up for average service, a kind of bland interior and prices a bit more expensive than they could be.
But the food! Very delicious. Treat yourself to butter chicken with garlic naan if you've never tried Indian or are a rookie to it, and make sure to dip your naan into the sauce. The two dishes I tried (Butter Chicken and Chicken Tandoori) were both big enough to share, so my party of 2 were able to get two plates, both around $12. The naan is 2.50 for Garlic and 1.50 for regular, but I'd suggest the garlic.
The Chicken Tandoori comes sizzling on a hot plate and, even if you just get the half chicken as opposed to the full, is quite a lot of food. It's also extremely tasty.
For drinks, I had the Chai (which was meh) and the Mango Lassi (which was mmm).
There's really nothing else to say. Our server brought us rice we didn't order but when we informed him of the mistake he happily corrected it. A good experience, and I would go back if not for that there are very similar, equally delicious offerings closer to home.
Pajos is a little Fish and Chips place on a warf at Steveston, and they serve up Halibut, Salmon and Cod fish & chips as well as burgers. I went with the large Fish & Chips with Halibut, which runs at $14. Pretty expensive. I also grabbed some chowder which the staffer recommended, which ran at I think $4. The service there is decent. The guy serving us hadn't tried much of their menu, but what he had tried he was able to describe well. He was friendly enough.
For the food itself, it's actually really delicious. The halibut was tasty and the batter was amazing. Don't overcoat in vinegar or lemon, because you want it to stay as crispy as it comes. The portions for a large are OK, I shared my large as well as the chowder and that was more than enough for 2. The chowder was alright. Thick, creamy, but in need of a bit extra seasoning. The fries were standard fare.
And now for the ambiance! Wow there are a lot of crows there. And these are scruffy-looking crows. They're the size of small dogs and they will stare you down. I've never been glared at by birds before, and these crows are not in the least bit afraid of you either. It's kind of nice being on the dock on a nice, sunny day, but since all the seating is outdoors, you don't get to avoid the cold glares of death the giant birds around there give. It's actually pretty entertaining though, as long as birds don't scare you. Tables are all covered with umbrellas, so you don't have to worry about the birds defiling your meals or hairdos.
