marymacDelta, BCSince September 5, 2005138 Reviews
(3.3)- Food
(3.3) - Service (3.3)
- Value
(3.1) - Ambiance (3.2)
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(3.3) (3.3) (3.3) (3.1) (3.2).... was what I was looking for. Did not find it here.
Last time I was at this place, the food was acceptable if you did not have high or gourmet expectations. Or so it seemed at the time...
Went in a couple of weeks ago on an early Saturday afternoon. I was dining solo, and wanted something hot, tasty and inexpensive. An epic fail on all three. I wish I could give less than one star.
There were a few people scattered around the large room. I was escorted to a table quite far out in a sea of empty tables. I asked to sit a little closer, and the hesitation to oblige me was obvious.
Ambiance... it looks like nothing has been changed or upgraded in years. I did not check out the washroom.
Food quality? How can EVERYthing taste the same?? Too much MSG? The overwhelming taste was salt. Vegetables were overcooked and limp. Deep-fried items were barely warm and greasy. I never did see some of the just-about-empty trays refilled. Items that were NOT very popular looked dried out, as if they had been on the steam tables too long. As mentioned in other reviews here, the dessert space was pretty sad.... and only TWO colours of jello (yes, that last is meant as sarcasm).
Service? Not to speak of. Perhaps I annoyed them when I asked for another table? Had to ask to have water topped up, and the second time I asked, the water never did appear. Empty plates stayed on the table - they were still there when I left. No bill arrived, so after waiting a few minutes, I put on my coat and headed for the cash register. Suddenly, there was some attention paid to me.. I think they thought I might "dine and dash". My bill was non-existent, and that caused a flap behind the counter. I was told I already had it. I told them I did not. They started to write up another one, and I heard the word Pepsi (or Coke - don't remember which) and the woman behind the counter started to add something to the bill. I spoke up and said "just one buffet, and no pop. I had water." She scratched something off the bill.
I paid and got out of there. I won't be going back, and would suggest a careful check of the total of the bill before paying.
Let's review: this is NOT a gastro-pub or a brew-pub. This is a "been here for a long while" pub. It is in an older area of Surrey, not a brand-new acres-of-huge-houses development. It is what it is... a local watering hole that serves beer and pub food.
On the chores run for Saturday, the Other Half and I were driving by. Having always said "we should try that out some day", we decided to stop in for a snack and a cool one. Around 2:00 pm on a Saturday afternoon, the place was jammed.
Ambiance? Clean enough, getting a little worn here and there. Hook & Ladder being a reference to a nearby firehall, there were bits and pieces of vintage firetruck gear. Without looking too closely, you might assume a country/Western theme. A large covered patio on one side, with Bear Creek running just a few yards away. In the summer, would be a very pleasant place to sit. The crowd was cheerful and relaxed, with a few local characters for colour and a few expletives heard here and there.
Two servers were just flying - we were acknowledged when we sat down, and then yes, we did wait a few minutes. Drink orders came quickly, food orders taken with a cheerful grin. The food took a while to get to us, but food was coming out to tables at an amazing rate. There was a $2.50 weekend breakfast special (steak and eggs = $6.95) that most seemed to be ordering, which may have been part of the reason for the crowd.
The OH ordered Cajun chicken quesadilla with Mexi-fries, salsa and sour cream. I decided on popcorn shrimp with cocktail sauce. The portions were very generous, and the food was very fresh. Popcorn shrimp in a pub can be a bit of a "risk" order, but it is also a good benchmark to see how well the cook handles a deep-fryer. In this case, thumbs-up to the cook! The shrimp were a good size, they were not at all greasy, and the cocktail sauce had lots of horseradish in it.
Overall, a good cheap and cheerful place for lunch, or snacks and a drink. Nighttime crowds would be different I'm sure, but that is true for most drinking establishments. I would return to try the $2.50 breakfast
Like so many other reviewers posting lately, I had looked forward to the new location. Sigh.
The Other Half and I took my son and his partner out for dinner on a Sunday evening. Wait for the restaurant side was 45 min to an hour. The pub side was walk-in, and so we did.
It was VERY loud. Not just with the people there, but the ambient noise was too much. Sound on the multiple TV's seemed bothersome. We scootched together two small tables and waited. The server was very busy, and it took her a while to notice us (despite a few friendly waves to let her know we were there). I rated the service as "solid" because she was really making an effort.
Menu has changed, and not for the better. Some of the old stand-bys are gone (calamari - it WAS great), and the prices seemed to have taken a major jump upwards.
Ordered two appies to split four ways, and four entrees. Best we could come up with for comments on the food was "s'OK"
It looks like they've spent a lot of money on the complete overhaul/redesign but it doesn't seem as individual and welcoming as the old location. Again, I would agree with several recent reviews that say you might as well go to the Cactus Club/similar chain. There is no sense of individuality.
Very disappointing, won't go back soon.
This place is in the old ABC restaurant location. The inside has been tastefully redecorated, very open and clean lines, darker colours. For a fish & chips joint, the premises are upscale.
Having noticed the renovations and having seen an ad or two in the local papers, the Other Half and I were looking forward to trying out a new fish & chips place. Their opening day was Aug 21, we went there for lunch on the 22nd.
Greeted and seated promptly and pleasantly. Not very many people there at 12:30 on a Sunday, but it was getting much busier as we were leaving.
Ordered a couple of pale ales (on tap), and looked over the very basic menu. As well as fish & chips, they offer donairs on pita or naan and veggie pakoras. (THAT was a bit of an "uh-oh" moment, but a trial run is a trial run.) We ordered halibut & chips, only to find out that they were "sold out" of halibut. Apparently the first day was VERY busy indeed... Changing our focus slightly, we ordered cod & chips.
The service seemed at once to be over-eager AND disorganized. A new restaurant, new staff - it's understandable.
The food - fish was very fresh, fries/chips were excellent. The batter was a bit soggy, but acceptable. The tartar sauce was standard. There wasn't any coleslaw.
The owners/managers have put a great deal of effort into this venture. They ARE British, or at least their accent is... They seemed surprised by the suggestion that ketchup be put on the tables, but were open to the idea. Maybe ketchup isn't a table condiment in British "chippies"....? I also mentioned that most fish & chip places around here put a small serving of coleslaw on the plate. Again, surprised looks, but I think it is probably a cultural thing.
Value? Prices seemed a bit high, but not outrageously so.
Overall, a clean new look, friendly people, good fish & chips. I'll give them a few weeks to "settle down", and then I will definitely go again.
Haven't been here for a while, but felt like I wanted to add my opinion.
Previously, I've been to this place at least four times (only once was MY idea....). I find the service slow, sporadic and reluctant. Tea or water refills are not offered. It is hard to attract servers' attention, even with the buzzers at each booth. (hmmm, don't Korean restaurants usually have buzzers to call servers...?)
The food is just barely OK. I've had bento meals and sushi meals. With the bento meals, some of the food that should hot was cold, some of the items that should be cold were lukewarm. Quality.... not outstanding. Maguro/tuna was mushy and fishy on more than one visit. Tempura can be soggy. One time I ordered chawan mushi (steamed savoury egg custard in a ceramic container) - the middle of the custard was cold, the shrimp was NOT edible.
Ambiance. Lots of Japanese-y bric-a-brac, not much sense of a design plan. The washrooms were OK, but certainly NOT impeccable. The whole place is not that old, but starting to look shabby.
Value? Quite pricey for less-than-exceptional food.
I won't go back there again.
This location, for many years, was a very lack-lustre fish and chips place called Sea Shanty. That finally closed down, another fish and chips place opened briefly, then closed. This is the most recent attempt in this spot.
Because it is close to a secondary school, during the school year it is wise to avoid the place at lunch time. As we are in summer vacation time from the school year, the Other Half and I decided to try it out. It wasn't very busy around noon on a Saturday.
Place is open, very clean. Much of the old furniture is still there, repainted. The kitchen/fry-up area is visible to the rest of the space and looks spotless. Restrooms are adequate and clean. The young server was prompt and attentive.
The OH ordered a scallop dinner, I ordered 1 piece of halibut dinner.
Here's where it gets "iffy". The halibut was ABSOLUTELY perfect!! A decent sized piece, moist and not over-done, encased in an EXCELLENT batter. Accompanying coleslaw was fresh and tasty, perhaps a bit too much dressing, but nice and crunchy.
HOWEVER.... the scallops were tiny, tough and overcooked. AND....the chips were very bizarre. They were hot and the insides were nice and mealy. The outside was inexplicably flabby - as if they were deep-fried once to seal them, and then baked instead of another dip in the hot fat to crisp them up. Most disappointing.
Value.... ? Good fish and chips are not cheap, anymore. For the price, I expected better overall quality.
Ambivalent. Not sure I will rush back.
Having heard about a renovated Vietnamese restaurant in the Scott-town Plaza mall (96th and Scott Road) in Surrey, we had to stop by and try it out.
The Other Half and I were there for an early lunch on a holiday weekend Saturday. A few people there, not crowded. We were greeted promptly and offered a choice of seating. Tea came, and the order was taken in good time. The OH needs a fork, and it was supplied without reminders. (Not always the case...). I ordered Bun Bo Hue (spicy beef noodle soup, Hue-style). The server asked me if I knew what I was ordering, but it was just making sure I knew what I was doing, not condescending at all. The OH had a grilled pork/spring roll/rice noodle platter - one of the "special combinations". Food was fresh and hot, everything tasting as it should. The pickled daikon and carrot garnish was very nice.
The place is very recently renovated, very open and clean. Kitchen is semi-visible and looked immaculate. Washrooms were spotless.
It seems to be a husband and wife team, serving pho and the usual Vietnamese dishes and beverages. Value was excellent (they have a "summer special" discount for orders over $15), the people were friendly and obliging, the food was good.
Not much competition in the immediate neighbourhood, but it is encouraging to see such a straight-forward Vietnamese restaurant in the area.
For so many years, the Terminal Hotel and attached beer parlour/bar were by-words for "eeewwwww". One would not want to touch too many things in there, nor would you want to venture in if your scuzzy-meter was working...
New days, new Terminal. No seedy hotel anymore, just a very nice pub close by the newer developments on the New Westminster waterfront.
The Other Half and I had driven by, noticed the new paint job, noticed "hotel" was gone from the name, noticed the lack of "seedy", and thought we might stop by. Lunch time mid-week, and we finally made it there. A few other patrons, not too busy.
NICE renovations. Everything very clean, tidy and modern. Washrooms impeccable. Not too busy, but it WAS mid-week, mid-day. I ordered the "let's-try-it-out" steak sandwich with fries. OH had perogies and chorizo sausage. Food was very good, service was very timely,open and friendly. Apparently, this new version has been in operation since early in the year. I'm thinking an aggressive advertising campaign might be in order.
If you are driving by and wonder why that building is still standing, drop on in. Nice place, nice people, decent food.
My adult son and I were looking for "breakfast" after the Trout Lake Farmers' Market. Either congee or dim sum/ yum cha was the consensus, and I had heard of this new(er) place in Chinatown. "Back in the day", the only place you COULD get dim sum was Chinatown, but things have slowed down there since Richmond became "Golden Village". We decided to check out this place.
It is a "check-list" joint, no carts and no servers calling out the dishes - but places with carts are few and far between these days. Not a big place, not fancy, but clean and fluorescent-light bright. Washrooms were clean as well....
Har Gow, Sui Mai, soy sauce chow mein were all basic but fresh and good. Sticky rice was not on the check-list, but on a table card. It was listed as "mini", but it was a reasonable size. Shrimp-paste and eggplant had a bell pepper sauce instead of black bean, but the paste had chunks of shrimp and it was tasty. Cha Siu Bao (BBQ pork in steamed bun) was standard. Egg tarts were rich and tender, wolfberry gelatin was lightly sweet. Perhaps it could have used a few more wolfberries, but it was refreshing.
One quibble, and it is a minor one, BUT.... I really, REALLY wish that places that cater to (mainly) Chinese customers would not just automatically assume that all non-Asians prefer jasmine tea! I asked for "bo lay" at the beginning, but got jasmine. TWICE.... sigh. They even brought back a "refreshed" pot with jasmine, not the bo lay we had been drinking (maybe that was the first pot we sent back - twice). That and - if you are not Asian - prepare to be stared at and talked about. Some of us have a bit of the language, y'know.
Service was standard, ambiance was typical, food was basic-good, value was GREAT.
....the garlic fries with pesto and chipotle dips, with just about any of Big River's house-brewed beers or ales! Heaven for a carboholic...!!
The Other Half and I were in the Ironwood Plaza area Monday around noon. None of the food establishments seemed all that enticing that day, but the siren song of the garlic fries called to us. We've been there a few times before, and this visit was just as satisfactory as previous ones.
As mentioned in other reviews, Big River is a bit of a hybrid beast. One side is brew pub, one side is for family dining. Having never attended the bowling alley, I cannot comment on that aspect of the operation.
The room itself is very clean, open, high ceilings, dark wood, West Coast-ish with a smatter of river-related history in the wall murals. The place was not busy on a Monday at noon; we were greeted at once and invited to sit where we wished. Our server appeared promptly with menus and to take drink orders. Pale ale is the "special" on Mondays, and we went with that. Very smooth, just lightly hopped, very drinkable. The OH and I shared a sandwich special, Montreal Smoked Meat with garlic fries. This Montreal Smoked Meat sandwich was one of the best I've had on the West Coast. The meat itself was tender and moist, not too smokey or salty. Lots of it on dark and light rye toast with Dijon mustard. Very simple, very good. As it was the garlic fries craving that brought us in, we ordered an appie portion in addition to the garlic fries that came with the sandwich. We were a little "piggy" in ordering the extra fries, and some were packed up to go home with us.
The service was easy, friendly and efficient. Perhaps because it wasn't that busy, we did not have to wait too long for the food and it arrived very hot and fresh.
Value? Not too bad, not dirt cheap either. Considering the quality, I thought it was easily worth what we paid. Keeping in mind that we had the beer on special and split a sandwich-on-special plate WITH an extra order of fries, it was quite reasonable.
Oh, and those garlic fries? Sigh.... I cannot resist them!
Step-daughter took the Other Half and I here for lunch recently. Three adults and a new baby in a carseat took two people to get us seated. We had barely opened the menus and the server was there to take orders. We asked for green tea and a few more moments and then didn't see her for quite some time. The tea was VERY weak and not very hot.
Step-daughter ordered a dynamite combo, the OH ordered a sushi/sashimi bento and I ordered ten-don, miso soup and spinach goma-ae. Spinach arrived almost immediately and was the first sign something wasn't up to standard. The goma-ae dressing was super-sweet and there wasn't much of it plopped on top of stringy spinach. The spinach had not been inspected for quality and some of the pieces were old and discoloured. The whole thing would have been more edible if the spinach had been chopped even a little bit, but the leaves were whole and stringy.
Step-daughter's combo arrived, the two miso soups arrived, and then the ten-don for me. The sushi looked to be standard issue, fake crab/surimi much in evidence. The ten-don was a disappointment. One tiny tempura shrimp, one half piece each of squash, sweet potato and white potato. Overall was poured a dark brown gloppy, very sweet sauce with some shreds of carrot and onion that was advertized as "ten-don sauce". Not tempura dipping sauce, but a mystery gravy poured over everything, soaking the rice below.
The OH sat back to wait, but nothing arrived.
After watching later arrivals being served their food, we asked the server about the OH's bento. "Just a minute, just a minute!" and she rushed away. After that, she was into avoidance mode, avoiding eye contact, avoiding passing by our table. By this time, I had finished as much as I wanted of my meal and step-daughter was still waiting politely for her father's order to arrive (mine was a hot - OK, warm - dish, hers was sushi rolls - in my defense for seeming rudeness!) While they WERE busy at lunchtime, no one stopped by so that we could ask about the missing bento. Finally, I was on my feet ready to go get the "boss lady" when she realized I was on my way over. When we told her that Bento F had not arrived, she said... "you didn't order it" and "I wondered why HE wasn't eating". WTF? Then why was a miso soup (part of the bento set) delivered to the OH? After a brief "discussion" (yes we did order it, no you didn't, yes we did), she headed for the kitchen. Both step-daughter and I had finished our meals by the time his arrived with a muttered "sorry".
During all this time, no fresh tea was offered, although the servers were bustling the teapot around to other tables.
OK, enough venting. Quality of food was "meh" to the extreme. Value was not there - my icky sauce-drowned "ten-don" was $10, small and stringy goma-ae was $4, the bento (standard amount of food, and the tempura was not hot) was $15. The room was standard "Japanese" with phony cherry blossoms. The bathroom was clean enough.
The bill was the only thing to arrive with any alacrity, and there was an extra charge for a soft drink that had neither been ordered nor received. The charge was removed without any apology, and there was nothing else removed from the bill for the aggravation of their "overlooking" one order. They actually stuck to their story that we had NOT ordered the bento!
Would NOT recommend for quality, will NOT return because of having to argue to get an order that HAD been placed.
Having driven by this establishment just after Christmas, and thinking that it looked quite charming and in a pleasant suburban area of Richmond, the Other Half and I found ourselves in the area again around lunch time on a Saturday. The interior is several levels, nicely decorated and well-kept. The washrooms were clean and tidy.
Service was excellent. A very friendly lady server acknowledged us promptly, brought menus and took drink orders. Drinks arrived in good time, and we took some time to look over the menu. A bit more extensive than most pub menues, with some intriguing options. The OH ordered a chorizo quesidilla with fries and I ordered "rustic vegetarian pizza". Then we sat back to wait and wait and wait.
FINALLY the food showed up. My first view of the pizza was not promising - it looked very overcooked, dark brown. It was a thin crust type, and the crust was pretty overdone. My guess is that it was a frozen pizza that was left in the oven too long. The toppings were supposed to be roasted peppers, red onions, artichoke hearts, black olives and cheese. There was very little of ANY of those things on the $14 pizza. It was dry, dry, dry and tasteless. I gave up after one slice and some toppings off another piece. The OH said the chorizo quesadilla was OK, but the fries could have used a bit more time in the deep fryer.
The server was very apologetic and very anxious to make things right. She offered a replacement to take home, which I declined. She took SOME of the cost off the bill.
Too bad. Nice place, nice people, a menu with real potential. Terrible food product.
Won't be back.
.... the decoration of a restaurant is better than the food?
Took my son and a friend of his here for dim sum on a Wednesday. Having been overawed by the jammed parking lot out front in the past, we agreed to get there EARLY to avoid a wait. The place opens at 10:30, we were there by 10:40. No wait, no problem getting seated.
The room is open, not horribly crowded and nicely decorated. The front door has an arrangement of screens that keeps the people waiting in line from staring at your food and keeps the drafts out - quite ingenious. Also ingenious was the illustrated menu card with numbered items that matches the numbered tick-off sheet. I had a moment's panic when realizing that there was no English on the tick-off sheet, but son's friend pointed out the numbering system and all was well.
With two young men with good appetites, we were able to order quite a variety of dim sum. The usual suspects, plus a few different dishes over and above the run-of-the-mill. The quality varied from OK to pretty good. Pan-fried radish cake (lo bok gow) was cut into smaller pieces and fried with spicy XO sauce - great! Purple taro steamed cake topped with cheese was unusual and good. Deep fried spring rolls were crisp and served standing upright in a footed goblet; the presentation was interesting and preserved the "crisp", but the filling was skimpy. Steamed spareribs in black bean and garlic sauce dish was sub-standard - mostly tasteless and mostly gristle. Har gow, congee, egg tarts, cha siu bao were all good. A pan-fried egg batter folded over filling and topped with dried tuna shavings was a visual treat, the tuna shavings "dancing" in the heat of the dish. We ordered three sweet items for dessert - egg tarts, steamed sponge cake and a slice of papaya filled with a gelatin-based pudding.
The food came intermittently, which was good as we were able to sample the dishes while they were hot. When we reviewed the orginal order sheet (returned to the table as an "all done" signal), we realized we had not received the papaya/pudding item. Asking for the dish resulted in three people double-checking the order slips delivered to the table with the dishes. By the third sour face, I felt that they were doubting our honesty. After a manager checked the slips, the papaya dish was dumped on the table by the stone-faced manager lady. Guess they don't like it when they get caught out in a slip-up?
Anyway, lots of food, some of it outstanding, but most of it pretty average. Quite pricey, in my opinion. This place is supposed to serve some of the very best dim sum in the Lower Mainland, or so I've heard from Asian friends. I'm glad we went, REALLY glad we didn't have to wait in a long lineup, and glad that my curiousity has been satisfied. I would investigate some of the other well-regarded restaurants in Richmond for dim sum before I return to Sea Harbour.
Stepping into this place is like time travel... I don't think it's changed its appearance much in a long, long time!
I've driven by this place for years and years. Always on the way somewhere else, so never stopped. Saturday lunchtime, the Other Half and I were driving by and we decided it was time.
A small place, with the requisite counter seating. Decoration is kinda cowboy, kinda farmland, kinda trucker.
Coffee was offered instantly, and was pronounced to be "very good" by the OH, who is persnickity about his coffee. They offer all-day breakfasts, and they looked appealing as we observed them going by to other tables. The OH decided on an open-faced, double patty chili burger. The daily burger special was monterey mushroom with fried onions - it was calling my name. We both opted for fries.
The oval platters arrived overflowing. Chili was good and plentiful, fries were excellent, burger patties freshly hand-made. Neither one of us could finish, so each took half home for another time.
Service was fast and friendly. Lots of locals, but the "drop-ins" were treated in the same easy manner. The place was clean, the food was perfect diner food, and the portions massive.
The sign on the outside says "Home of Famous Pies", or similar. We were just too full this time. As authentic a tradtional diner/cafe as you're going to find. Highly recommended.
Being in Maple Ridge at lunch time on a Thursday, the Other Half and I stopped by for a snack.
Not many people there, which was odd. The pub is located in a busy mall-ish area, lots of traffic.
We settled at a visible table, nothing in the corner or a dark area. Eventually, I got up to retrieve menus myself. After a bit longer, a sullen server was dispatched to ask about drinks. The OH and I both ordered pints, then sat back to wait. And wait. Eventually, the server reappeared and we ordered yam fries and calamari. "That's IT?", she asked with a suprised tone. Yep, that's it, sunshine.
Food took quite a while to get to us. The yam fries weren't very hot. Calamari was good, but an extremely skimpy portion for $10. No return server-visit to check on drinks or food. After waiting a while after we finished, we finally stood up to put on our coats and that's when she reappeared, wanting to know if we wanted another drink! No, just the bill please. Suddenly, she was in high gear, zipped to the bar, retrieved the bill and got it back on the table before we were completely into our coats!
Not one instance of a smile or or one single effort at eye contact. Apparently she wasn't having a good day and didn't care who knew it.
Seems like a nice enough pub, but with the slow and unfriendly service, coupled with the lack of value, we won't be going back.
Looking for a pub/restaurant for a late lunch after Circle Craft show, the Other Half and I were checking both sides of Dunbar. Spotting The Dunbar, we stopped in.
The menu says the brunch is available on the weekend, but it was on offer on a Wednesday. The OH ordered a skillet with potatoes, eggs, chorizo and "mystery" sauce and toast. I ordered fish and chips. The skillet was pronounced "OK", although the yellow sauce was bland and tasteless - it was advertised to be "hollandaise". The whole skillet was not very hot, temperature-wise. The fish and chips were not good. The two pieces of "wild cod" were very small and encased in a dark, tough batter. They looked to be warmed-up frozen product. Chips were OK, but I'm wondering about the menu description of "house cut spuds"...? They were pretty generic. Tartar sauce tasted like Miracle Whip.
Value - not good. $12 for the sad fish and chips with weird tartar sauce. No salad, no coleslaw. The OH's skillet was $11, and that seemed a high price for generic brunch.
Ambiance? The outside deck would be great in warmer weather, but the inside area is very dark, small and cramped. I did not make the journey to the washrooms so cannot report on cleanliness. The tables needed better wipe-down.
The only bright spot was our server, who was friendly, attentive and prompt. The food took quite some time to appear, but she kept us updated and checked on us several times to make sure we had what we needed.
Won't rush back.
A co-worker and I went for supper on a Wednesday evening. We arrived around 7:00, and the place was pretty empty.
Lots of booths around the perimeter, with a couple of long tables for bigger crowds. Bollywood and sports on the big screens. The place was tidy and clean, lots of room. Washrooms were very clean.
Service was excellent. Very friendly lady, and very attentive. My friend is a bit timid with heat-levels in food, so we settled for "Canadian medium", not "desi medium". Very little heat at all.... but the food was tasty.
We ordered butter chicken (their newspaper ad said "best butter chicken" - so of course we had to try it), dal tarka, raita, garlic naan and rice pullao. Butter chicken was tender, but the sauce was very, very thick and tomato-y. Dal tarka was excellent.... nice balance of spices. Raita was standard, naan was lovely with a bit of a "chew". The rice in the pullao was perfect, with sweet peppers, peas and onions added.
Dinner for two, with a beer and a glass of wine, no dessert, was just over fifty dollars. Lots of leftovers.
We stayed chatting for quite a while, but the staff did not rush us. The place was very busy when we left just after 9:00 pm.
Nice place, good food, nice people. I would return.
Elixir is located in the Opus Hotel in Yaletown, one of the top 500 hotels in the world, or so their publicity says.
Not many people in the restaurant at 6:00 pm. Our server was VERY young and inexperienced. Time will take care of that, I guess. Any question at all had to be referred. A trainee...? We hit a snag VERY early on when the wine we ordered was not immediately available - they couldn't get into the wine safe... They DID comp us a glass of red wine while we waited for the locksmith...
For appies, the Other Half ordered bacon-stuffed scallops, a special. I ordered prawn cocktail. Three scallops with the bacon inside was an interesting concept, but the bacon was soft and grey. Tasted OK. The prawn cocktail was a bit bizarre... came with a chopped mix of mango, cucumber, avocado, and overripe pineapple. The sauce was poured over the prawns...tomato based , I think. Prawns were fresh, but the rest was a bit strange.
For entree, the OH ordered salmon with "spicy peppers, chorizo, mussel & butter bean ragout". Fish was cooked properly, came with four huge mussels. Reportedly tasted fine.
I ordered ribeye steak and frites, with peppercorn sauce and a wilted watercress salad-garnish. The steak was more chewy than ribeye should be, with some extra gristle thrown in. Frites were limp, peppercorn sauce was bland.
For dessert, OH ordered apple tarte tatin which, we were informed breathlessly, would take 15 MINUTES because it was presented on puff pastry. The caramel sauce was overcooked, and melded firmly to the plate - a real tough chew if it could be chipped off the plate. I ordered the cheese plate with a vintage port. All three cheeses were very salty and strong...manchego, pecorino and Roquefort. Unfortunately, the one bottle of vintage port was running very low, and I did NOT receive a full serving. They offered to give me a "bit of something else" to bring up the volume to a full serving. The "something else" was run-of-the-mill tawny port, and that followed the vintage. Not impressive.
Value was about average for this type of restaurant. Service was awkward and rushed. Ambiance = we were seated in the "garden room" with windows open to the sidewalk and traffic. A bit noisy, plastic "wicker" and plastic plants.
I would not rave about this restaurant. For the price, there are much better places within a block...
I'm reposting this because the food rating was too high...
Always a special occasion
The Other Half and I have been to Pearl several times. Always a pleaseure.
We took the OH's daughter and son-in-law for dinner on a Saturday night. We made reservations for 6:45.
Turns out it was SeaFest in White Rock. Beach access and Marine Drive were closed to traffic. We were redirected to a local high school for shuttle mini-bus service. This was a complete surprise, as the restaurant neglected to mention the road closures. The OH's daughter is pregnant to a point that makes moving around not so easy, so this was hard on her. If the restaurant had mentioned the closure, we would have gone somewhere else. When we arrived (finally) at the restaurant, they acted very "surprised" that the closure and the parade were happening that night. Like the businesses on the main drive were NOT advised.....? Don't think so.
The food was a bit hit and miss. Tempura calamari was excellent, sweet corn bisque was very good. Seared scallops with salad was more "iffy"...the scallops were over-cooked.
Three of the four ordered the beef duo... grilled filet and short rib meat fritters. Potatoes were presented as "pomme pomme frites", meaning half a dozen huge bars of fried potatoes arranged in a square stack. The filet was excellent, the fritters were overcooked. The "frites" were soggy. I ordered the evening's special:: butter-poached prawns, one grilled (huge) scallop, tempura cauliflower and braised chard. The prawns (two) were huge, but were strong-tasting. The scallop was the size of a small can lid, cut into a checkerboard on the top. The scallop itself was chewy. Tempura cauliflower was OK, a bit salty.
For dessert, the son-in-law asked for an iced version of a fancy hot coffee. He said it was good. Stepdaughter had frozen three fruit granita. OH had semolina cake with orange sauce and raisins. I chose a brie cheese with fruit, plum preserves, crackers and raspberry cordial.
No one complained, but the desserts did not knock our socks off.
Service was impeccable.. Casual, professional, prompt and friendly. Absolutely perfect. Two special requests were handled graciously.
Ambiance is modern, upscale, clean lines. Washrooms are very clean.
-Value... just OK. This is an upper-end establishment. For the price, I would expect something a bit more even in quality. Some items were perfect, excellent. Some items made you think...."hmmmm".
OVerall, a satisfactory visit. A few rough patches, which should not be there for the price.
As others have commented, I am thinking that Tojo-san has gone just a bit above himself.
I have been a Tojo fan since 'way back at Jinya, back in the 80's. It was always fantastic, always worth it. When he set up "Tojo's" near Cambie, it was fun and still worth it.
The new location leaves me cold, as does the value of what he is pumping out. I took Japanese visitors there for omakase, and I was embarrassed, as well as quite a bit poorer.
Service was almost non-existent, but an Indian gentleman who spoke Japanese was very much in the spotlight.
The omakase was NOT worth the money, and even my Japanese visitors figured that out. Lots of premade cooked dishes, a few sushi items and that was it. Tojo-san himself came out to collect kudos. Even with the Japanese, he was a braggart, boastful.
Too bad, but I don't think that I will return, even after all these years of believing.
NOT recommended.
