synchroVancouverSince November 3, 20086 Reviews
(2.5)- Food
(2.7) - Service
(3) - Value (2.3)
- Ambiance
(2.2)
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.
(2.5) (2.7) (3) (2.3) (2.2)I had to try this place so I dropped by late on evening and had a smoked meat sandwich. Very fresh, hot, generous potions of smoked meat. Very tasty and authentic. Only thing is I wish I could put on my own mustard - but it was all good. I got a small poutine to go. It wasn't so good. I guess it needs to be fresh. The only downside I found really was the quite loud and always metal (trash/heavy). I guess it's there for the owners/staff and not for the customers. Still, I'd go back :-) )
I've dinned here before, usually with acceptable results. This evening, however, it failed on three fronts, which I'm thinking might be caused by who happens to be on the grill in the back. The seating and service was prompt and polite. No problems on that front. I ordered my usual slow-roasted baby back ribs. They proved to be tough and hard to cut through. The broccoli bordered on raw as if it had been passed near a boiling pot of water but did not actually get in or near it. And finally, the 'coffee' was instant - Tassimo or some other instant mix. Terrible after you've had a bad meal and just want a decent coffee. I have no idea why they have the fireplace so hot - it was over 27C/82F anywhere near the fireplace there! Sorry, I'm not going back and wasting $40.
I'm a big fan of Montreal Smoked Meat having lived in Montreal and been to Ben's and the original Dunns on St. Catherine's St. So when I heard Dunns was coming to Vancouver, I was excited.
There are booths with small tables in the front of the place. Pop music plays in the background. The seats are uncomfortable and the table is tiny. A coffee, cream and sugar container, and my sandwich took up all the table space. How two people can possibly eat together, I'm not sure. Maybe these are for singles as I saw the booths in the back occupied with couples or more. My server was good at getting my order but never came back to refresh my coffee. I eventually had to wave someone down.
I ordered latkes and the small 'medium' smoked meat sandwich. Smoked meat at Dunns comes either lean, medium or fat. The latkes came with sour cream. I ask for apple sauce and was told it was not available but the server would ask the kitchen. A few minutes later and voila, applesauce appears! The latkes were greasy and not very good. The smoked meat sandwich was packed with lots of meat. I noticed the bread had been pre-spread with mustard on both sides but there was no mustard on the table. I asked for extra mustard and was given a mustard container from which a somewhat watery stream gushed. Warning: the hole in the container is large and not needle nosed. When I picked up the sandwich, the bread started falling apart. I mean pieces of it just fell onto the plate and the sandwich would not stay together in my hand. The smoked meat, while generous was not very tasty (despite being 'medium'). I also wanted to try some hot mustard or Djon on the meat but none of these condiments were available.
The mediocre smoked meat sandwich and greasy latkes were reasonably priced but coupled with downtown parking on Seymour, uncomfortable seating, annoying music and the lack of standard condiments I'd expect for any place serving smoked meat, all add up to a big no thanks, I'm not coming back.
You'd think this one would be easy to do - no rush, no pressure. The place was basically empty. I sat at the bar and ordered from the take-out menu. Paneer pakora should never be this dry and chewy. Scattered among a few raw vegies were a poor imitation of the real thing. They tasted as if they'd come out of a Safeway frozen foods package, and not freshly made as I'm used to. The other big disappointment was the chicken curry. I ordered some naan and steamed rice and when I spooned the curry on top of the rice, I re-covered the container and got out some naan. There was a pool of watery tomatoe-like sauce on the side of the plate, ie the sauce had no body and very little flavor. So basically the worst curry I've had in 25years of eating East Indian food. The naan was acceptable but the rice... well, I've had better home-cooked basmati rice. It's not overpriced - it's just the food is bad. So, overall, poor. I won't be back.
Okay, let me start by saying I'm biased about this place. I've eaten here a lot and rarely been disappointed. Seating is small, about 18-20. The'll put tables together for groups of people, so don't be afraid to ask. Decor isn't going to win any prizes but it's very clean and the staff are friendly and always helpful. You won't be seated so find your own table, then talk to anyone behind the counter. If you're a vegetarian, there are lots of great tasting dishes to fill you up: falafel, stuffed grape leaves, lentil soup, greek/fattoush salad, spinach pie, foule, and spice/zaatar pies. The are very accomodating when you are asking for substitutes.
The daily specials are simple, quick and tasty: Mousaka (roasted eggplant); chicken & rice plate; beef shawarmas. Their beef/chicken rockets, wow pie, chicken donairs are all tasty, quick and easy meals. Their kibbeh is heaven, wraped in a pita wedge and covered with baba ghanoush.
The humous is homemade and fresh as is the falafel - not premade mixtures most places use. The falafel is superb. The tabouleh is the best in town. Either lentil or chicken vegetable soup with greek salad and chicken fattoush is a great meal.
Personally, I think the place shines on Saturday when they serve several special items: Cheese Pie; Zaatar Pie; Meat Pie; and Foule. Think of 'pie' like pizza pie. The pies are made from homemade dough about 8 inches: meat pie - covered in spiced ground meat; zaatar - spices (thyme, oregano, etc); cheese - a mixture of mozzarella & feta. Foule - a mixture of several type of beans in a stew of delicious garlicy sauce eaten with wedges of pita bread. These are excellent and tasty.
Desserts - lots of fresh, homemade items to choose from. I liked baklava or tamara with Arabic coffee. They have excellent rice pudding, humus & garlic spreads in their take-out fridge.
You can't go wrong here. The food tasts great and the price is certainly affordable.
Made reservations because it was Saturday but we went early, so they were not needed. Only a few customers were inside when we arrived. By the time we left, the place was full with a small line waiting at the door.
The waiter was attentive and let us ponder our food choices. Even as the place began to fill up, he came back to our table frequently. The drinks, appitizers, and food came quickly.
I read the earlier comment about mussels and sure enough, someone in our party ordered them to share. They were not as fresh I would have liked. The ceasar salad and bread which came with the dinner were good. The pasta in all of the dishes was overcooked: cooked a minute or two less would have been perfect. There was too much sauce also and the scallops were tiny and infrequent. The portions are generous and we had to package up some pasta to take home. The wine we had was excellent, recommended by our waiter.
The decor, table, laybout is good. My only negative comment on this apsect is that when the place began to fill, the ambient noise level rose.
So an acceptable meal for the price. I was disappointed by the pasta. Get that right and I'll come back for more but for now, I'll come back and try their breakfast menu.
