Gabby’s: Toronto

Monday dinner time and the sun is out, Toronto traffic busy as expected and we are looking for a quick bite on our way to the airport. GPS shows us a place called Gabby’s so we thought we’d give it a shot. Feeling like a few drinks and a light dinner this pub seemed perfect. As we entered the establishment the bartender was quick to motion for us to sit anywhere, and then came to take our drink order. After he explained the specials, we ordered our usual drinks. Our first impression of the place was that of an older neighbourhood pub where blue collar friends congregate after work for beer and wings. The group of guys sitting at the bar loudly expressing their profanity laced opinions, proved our first impressions correct. The menu offered an exhaustive number of items, ranging from the usual pub fare, to fajitas, entrees, and deserts...honest to god there must have been well over 100 items available on the menu. This instantly made us rather sceptical towards any one item actually being good, given the vast plethora of offerings. The bartender continuing along in the same efficient and speedy manner, seemed rather eager to serve us, coming back a few times to take our meal order...It was almost odd.

Having fish and chips on our minds we both ordered the fish and chips platter. Shortly after ordering, our meals arrived. The beer battered fish and chips were accompanied with premium malt vinegar, and surprisingly non premium tartar sauce. This wasn’t even your regular type of tartar sauce, but rather the mini Kraft tartar sauce packages, which seemed rather odd. In my humble opinion, they should just make their own...or at least take it out of the package back in the kitchen. Providing Kraft packages seems rather fast food like and didn’t quite go with the overall ambiance of the establishment. Nonetheless, Kraft tartar sauce aside, the two adequately sized pieces of fish were tender and not oily by any means. The fish was flakey and cooked perfectly...quite the surprise, not at all what we were expecting. I guess you can’t always judge a meal by the number of items offered on the menu. We finished our meal and determined that for a little neighbourhood pub, this place was a nice find. Other than the loud group of guys and the few trashy women who seemed to hang off of their arms, this place is offered us well mixed drinks and a great fish and chips platter. That being said, SJ and I will return should the mood strike us again

Location visited: 383 Eglinton Avenue East

Ratings:

Ambiance: Pub
Presentation: Average
Price: $15/serving
Service: Good
Value: Average




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The Sushi Dragon: Toronto

Thursday evening and looking for something close to the hotel to eat, having just joined my cousin and his wife after not having seen them for a while, we were looking for something that would quell our hunger and provide enough time to catch up and chat...sushi came to mind. What better place to relax and eat than a sushi place? Looking for another sushi place, which apparently moved, we stumbled across The Sushi Dragon situated on Dixon, so we figured we’d give it a try... At first glimpse of this place, I immediately noticed we were one of only a hand full of tables who had chosen this place to eat....good or bad, I don’t know....it was 8pm on a Thursday, maybe after the dinner rush for them? Regardless, as the place was empty we were seated promptly and our drink orders taken. Ordering the large Sake and an order of miso soup for each of us, as well as a soft shell crab, we began catching up. Never having had soft shell crab I had no idea of what to expect. It came cut into 6 pieces on a platter formed as a whole crab...and was surprisingly good. I never thought eating crab shell would be ok, but I guess that’s why it’s called soft shell...it felt like a crunchy tortilla battered crab...not bad for my first impression. Now I am far from a avid sushi eater, it’s something I have to be in the mood for, but always enjoy the rolls thoroughly. We took turns ordering rolls, and decided upon the Spicy Tuna, Lobster Rolls and The Big Canadian (I believe- well its stared with the big). Again, not having been an avid sushi eater I can only trust my cousin and his wife’s opinion of the sushi, I thought it was alright..I have definitely had better elsewhere, but these rolls were huge... I usually hate placing a whole piece in my mouth, but trying to accomplish that with these was like mild suffocation!!

Apart from the place being a tad chilly the overall the experience was good. The food was delivered at the right time, well presented and enjoyable. If I am ever in the mood for sushi, I would go back.

Location Visited: 634 Dixon Road




Ratings:

Ambiance: Casual
Presentation: Average
Price: $15/serving
Service: Average
Value: Average



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Movado: Winnipeg Manitoba

On the road by myself...in Winnipeg no less. So where to eat? I'm not really in the mood for something fancy, and I've left my book back at my hotel. I know, I know...nothing more pathetic than someone sitting alone in a restaurant with a book. Anyhow, with no reading material, I decided to go to Movada, a modern looking sports bar. Now, I have to admit, I'm instantly suspicious of empty restaurants, moreso when they are connected to, and share a kitchen with a Perkins (do they still exist????). But there's a hockey game to keep me occupied, and I'm having a nachos craving.

I'm not entirely sure how to describe the ambiance except to say that if anyone has been in a Molson's Brew House at 8pm on a friday night, that was virtually empty, then you've been to Movado. The solitude is welcome to me, but it makes the restaurant seem a little sad and pathetic.

Now, the last time I was here was about 5 years ago, and the decor was significantly more warm, funky, and mellow...not so much "sports bar", although they have always had big screen tv's with sporting events on.

Service was fairly quick (not surprising with only 6 people in here), and the waitress courteous. After placing my drink order, she delivered it just in time to take my nachos order. Good thing I was only looking for nachos, because the menu has been downgraded to standard pub fare.

Anyhow, the nachos came, and...damn! A heaping plate of chips with green pepper, black olives, jalepinos, onion, ground beef, and CHEESE!!! Wow. Not sure I've seen this much cheese on a plate of nachos that I haven't made at home. And to think, one of the options for the nachos was to get EXTRA cheese. Can't even fathom that one. I'd be backed up for a month!!

Pretty darn good value for $12. Looked great, tasted great, and hey...3 more tables walked in while I was getting ready to leave.


[Ok. Update. The till is down, so I must either wait to pay my bill, or pay cash, and they likely don't have change for $100. The waitress has seemingly disappeared, hopefully to hand write my bill and try to scrape up $75 in change.]


Location Visited: 305 Madison St. Winnipeg

Ratings:

Ambiance: Sports Bar
Presentation: Average

Price: $12

Service: Average
Value: Good

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Pangaea : Toronto Ontario

Big city life provides enough competition to ensure that when you go to an upscale restaurant, the experience is always worth talking about; Pangaea (pan-gee-ahhh!) is no exception. Calling to make reservations on a Friday evening we were delightfully pleased to find this place could accommodate us. Upon leaving the hotel our GPS decided to stop working, so we contacted the restaurant to ask for directions. The hostess was very helpful and provided us with enough directions to get to the restaurant. Adding to her helpfulness she was calling us to make sure we weren’t still lost as we walked in. (Yes we were pretty lost and far from the restaurant when we first called..). Remembering our names we were seated immediately, and although by this time it was almost 9pm, the restaurant was still rather busy.

Walking through the French doors into the dining area we couldn’t help but notice the artsy yet very elegant decor; sculptures adored the walls, the ceiling flexed into a wave pattern and a slim tree placed in the center of the room collectively made this place scream quality(the washroom area however, was a slight departure from the overall dining room ambiance...quite the trip if you ask us!). The manager, a rather ebullient man, Jovan Roknic, dropped by as soon as we were seated to welcome us, and recommend we wait until we speak with him to order a wine with dinner.

For appetizers we chose Calamari and house made Lamb sausage. The Calamari was delightfully presented and attached in a circular ring with a small “leggy”, but thankfully missing tentacles, piece on top to finish the unique presentation. [Editors note: Moxies review about tentacles]. Paired on the plate with anchovies, capers, gaeta olives, onions, roasted garlic, lemon and beurre noisette (French term for "brown butter" or literally "hazelnut butter") was a complete delight. For a person who doesn’t usually enjoy the strong taste of capers and olives, this dish was cooked perfectly. The accompanying ingredients...the aforementioned onions, garlic, capers and olives, provided a perfectly complimentary taste for the calamari. SJ’s house made lamb sausage which came with pearl barley and a grilled apple salad with arugula, rosemary and lemon vinaigrette, was also a pleasant surprise. The lamb, a meat usually known for having a slightly sharper taste, was adequately paired with a wonderful vinaigrette which made it ideal.

After our appetizers were finished and we had ordered our entrees, Jovan stopped by to assist us with the wine list. Asking us what we had ordered for entrees, and what our price range was, he scooted off and grabbed a bottle for us to taste. I had ordered Qualicum Beach Scallops, and SJ the Duck Breast, so Jovan chose a French white wine called viognier ($48 for the bottle...affordable!). Not too sweet, not too dry, just the right compliment to our meals.

At first, I assumed he must have been a sommelier as he seemed very knowledgeable about pairing the correct wine with our entree’s. After asking him, he joked about being the dishwasher and engaged a server to confirm his position there (Manager). The group of employees seemed to enjoy their work together, and the interaction between them was entertaining and well worth the money spent. Jovan was extremely personable as he made the rounds from table to table, and made our experience there memorable.

My entree, Qualicum Beach Scallops, accompanied with “Paella” risotto, chorizo sausage, saffron, mussels, clams, tomato and asparagus was succulent and cooked to perfection. Many restaurants make the mistake of over cooking scallops, leaving them too rubbery and devoid of taste, not this place....nooooo... they wouldn’t make that mistake. The amalgamation of sausage, mussels, clams and risotto was heavenly... I don’t know if there is one dish they couldn’t get right.

SJ’s chose to go “off the beaten path” and try something out of his ordinary comfort zone. So he chose the Duck Breast, which was paired with pan-roasted, potato rösti, butternut squash, sautéed rapini, and was accented with a cassis reduction. The duck was cooked to perfection, and the fat usually found on duck breast was crispy and cooked in a way you could eat it. This is a big deal for me as I hate...let me reiterate hate...the texture of fat. Given enough time and privacy (it’s a little embarrassing), I would painstakingly pick every ounce off of my food...SJ made me have a bite just to ensure I agreed with his opinion, and I actually did!

For desert we chose the Warm Citrus Doughnuts filled with ricotta, then rolled in sugar and accompanied with arrack poached kumquats, and an orange-cardamom shake. Knowing that we were stuffed by this point, we chose to split the desert and the waiter was kind enough to bring the shake in two separate glasses. These donuts were warm and well presented. A MUST TRY if you go here...I normally opt for chocolate but based on the description and the meal experience, I couldn’t help by give them a try...and OH MY they were good...

Overall experience: having tried four different dishes with desert, and loving each of them...I can’t imagine you could make a bad choice here. Its obvious in the presentation and preparation, that this place has spent a great deal of time finding the proper ingredients to blend together in order to create an award winning culinary experience.


Location visited: 1221 Bay Street (at Bloor)


Ratings:

Ambiance: Romantic
Presentation: Exceptional
Price: $50/serving
Service: Exceptional
Value: Exceptional – However, if you aren’t used to paying for quality not quantity, then you may disagree with that assessment.



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The Salisbury House: Winnipeg Manitoba

Ask any Winnipegger and they will likely say this place is akin to home coming home. This Winnipeg institution, owned in part by equally legendary Winnipeg musician Burton Cummings, is a hybrid of cafeteria and diner style ordering and has one of the best burgers this side of the border. Now we know that’s a really subjective statement as there are all different types of burgers. SJ and I recognize this and categorize burgers by the establishment and the way they are prepared and cooked. Obviously a burger that you order at McDonalds or Burger King is different than those at an establishment like Earls, which is different still than the Salisbury House. The burgers here are made fresh, and topped with all the fixings you want, from bacon to chilli to onions. These burgers definitely do not fall in the fast food category, even though they are served in this type of establishment.

Originally we went to the location at the Esplanade Riel bridge, only to discover that it was not open. We can only assume that they close it during certain times of the year due to a lack of foot traffic, as it is literally located on a bridge. So we found another location, as there are several, so it wasn’t too difficult.

This location was surprisingly slow for the time of day, however this lent to the great service the staff provided us. Grabbing a tray and walking by the display cases lined with pies, I decided to give their chocolate pudding pie a shot. I was feeling like something sweet. Serving ourselves to the fountain drinks while reviewing the menu situated atop the grill, we all decided to order a “nip”; after all, you can’t go here without getting a “nip” can you? Taylor, SJ’s daughter, ordered the chilli nip, while I had a ½ pound nip and SJ a ¾ pound nip (pig). As the friendly cashier took our orders and assisted with carrying our trays to the table, I couldn’t help but feel very comfortable here. Although this place was very much a diner, where you’d in most cases be left to fend for yourself, this staff member was more than willing to offer any assistance we needed, including assistance with ordering. When our meals were ready, the lady brought them to our booth. Taylor was surprised to see the chilli not only came in the burger, but was also poured on top. Although she wasn’t thrilled with having to eat her burger with cutlery she enjoyed the burger thoroughly. My “nip” was juicy, garnished only with fried onions and cheese. My first bite was heaven, you could tell the meat was fresh, and although it was a tad greasy, the extra calories were worth it. The combination reminded me of in-and-out, the ever popular California burger joint...something rare and delicious! Don’t ask us why they call them nips, however for me a nip sounds like something small, and these burgers were not small by any means. [Update - The nip, as quoted in Wikipedia was named in 1931, as the original owner disliked the word “hamburger” . He decided to name his burgers “nips” as he considered them a “nip” of a Salisbury steak.]

The only disappointing bit of this experience was the chocolate pudding pie, as it seemed old and devoid of taste. The pudding component was bland, and the chocolate cream that adorned the top of the pudding was akin to Styrofoam and would have come off with one forkful. Taking 2 bites of this pie, I decided that chocolate really wasn’t that important, and as I was stuffed already it was time to go.

Outside of the dessert, the experience was good. The staff were attentive and friendly, and the “nips” delicious...which we recommend sticking to. You can’t go wrong there.


Location visited: 2727 Portage Avenue

Ratings:

Ambiance: Diner
Presentation: Average
Price: $10/serving
Service: Above Average
Value: Above Average



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Kawaii Crepe : Winnipeg Manitoba

A funky little cafe conveniently located in the heart of the trendy area of Winnipeg...Osborne Village, this crepe cafe has some of the best crepes around. Having lived in Quebec where they pride themselves in crepes, that’s a large compliment. Bustling with a diverse crowd of patrons, Kawaii, pronounced Ka-why , in Japanese meaning “cute”, not only delivers a variety of crepes, but provides an open concept where the crepes containing your fillings are made while waiting. I must say that watching your crepes being made is definitely enlightening and entertaining. The cooks begin by delicately spreading the batter onto a round cooking griddle, swirling it into a nice thin round shape, then proceed to flip it in half, and then fold your choice of toppings into the crepe. It definitely lends to the anticipation of your first bite!

The atmosphere is very casual, with funky plastic chairs and tables; however, I highly suggest you grab a seat when you walk in, as seating is limited and it's often very crowded. Many patrons opt for takeout and if you live close by is definitely convenient.

Kawaii has something for everyone’s taste buds, from Savory; herbs, spices and meat fillings that are available at anytime of the day, to Sweet; fruits and sugary goodness. If you’re feeling creative, add extra toppings to any of the existing combinations to create your own unique combination.

As I make crepes at home that are often filled with Nutella (which incidentally lines the cooking area), bananas, strawberries, whipped cream, or eggs bacon strips and cheese, I went for Savory. I was looking for something different that would excite me, rather than something I can make very well at home. The Czar: filled with grilled chicken, lettuce, parmesan and ceasar dressing was great. On first bite, the crepe was crispy on the edges, yet soft in the middle. Having made crepes, I now understand why they spread them so thin and flip them in half; not only to create the right serving size that fits into the cute hand held wraps they provide, but also to ensure the crepes don’t get over cooked and crispy all over. A practice I will adopt for when I make mine from here on in. SJ who opted to create his own crepe combination, chose the Divine Brown (butter and brown sugar) adding Strawberries, Peaches and Pineapple. Unfortunately his crepe was first made with the standard butter and brown sugar only, then placed back on the grill and modified to include Strawberries, Peaches, and Pears...no Pineapple. The cook also apologized for overcooking the crepe, however SJ liked it better. In fact SJ later returned for a breakfast crepe filled with cheese, bacon and eggs. Not quite as good as the sweet (didn't like the savory with the sweetness in the crepe), but still quite good.

If you’re in the mood for a nice breakfast in casual setting, Kawaii crepe not only meets your expectations, but takes it once step further by providing a French Press (on request) to your table for your coffee needs...something I have not seen in the past. If you don’t mind waiting in line to order and to get your food, this is a must try.

Beware: SJ and his Brother went back for seconds as the taste enamoured them to come back for more, however at $5/serving, you can’t afford not to try more than one if your stomach can handle it.


Location Visited: 201-99 Osborne Street , Winnipeg Manitoba


Ratings:

Ambiance: Casual
Presentation: Good
Price: $5/serving
Service: Below Average
Value: Above Average




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Mitzi’s : Winnipeg Manitoba

While sitting in Mitzi’s it struck me that there are likely few restaurants with Tudor Style decorations on the wall, in a semi rundown building, where you would expect to be served the best chicken fingers known to man. Loud and always busy, we were seated right away at noon. The crowd was mainly those on lunch break or meeting friends downtown to share a quick bite. Seasoned to the tight time frames of their patrons during the day we were tended to immediately. Two glasses of water were brought when the waitress took our drink orders, and immediately after we received our lunch orders. As it was lunch, we opted for the small chicken finger meal, which comes with a Chinese soup that arrives while your meal is being cooked, 5 pieces of chicken fingers, coleslaw and fries. Quite the value for 8.95! The starter soup was consomme based with rice and green onions, very tasty for such a simple soup. Looking around I noticed this place served traditional Chinese food, however having been here on several occasions for the chicken fingers, and having bragged to SC about them, I figured we should stick with the plan...next time however SC will give the Chinese food a try, I mean if their chicken fingers are so good I wonder how the Chinese food is?!

Swiftly our lunch dishes arrived and upon first glace I could have sworn I ordered the small; the fingers provided, although smaller than those traditional ones provided at other establishments, were more than the equivalent of 5 chicken fingers.....I am not complaining. The fingers as always were amazing, breaded with a light batter, flavourful and juicy, and accompanied with a honey dill sauce that complemented them perfectly. The fries, crinkle cut like those in your high school cafeteria were as expected and the coleslaw perfect. SC commented that it tasted like KFC’s coleslaw, which it did, a rare combination nowadays.

When finished devouring the chicken fingers, most of the fries and coleslaw, SC and I stood up to pay at the till. While standing at the till I noticed that they were selling Mitzi’s hats to assist in the fundraising for cancer, very admiral in my opinion. We paid the cashier and promptly left 30 mins after our arrival.

SC believes this place to be a quiet little hole in the wall restaurant, with a Chinese food facade with the BEST chicken wings she has ever tasted, and I concur.

Overall opinion is as it always was, this place does not disappoint. For a quick lunch or a casual dinner this is a must try and in my case, over and over again. So next time you’re downtown Winnipeg and looking for a place to have a quick bite, drop in at Mitzi’s have a chicken finger or 10...we guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Location Visited: 250 St Mary Avenue

Ratings:
Ambiance: Diner
Presentation: Average
Price: $12/serving
Service: Above Average
Value: Above Average

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The Original Pancake House : Winnipeg Manitoba

When we entered the Pancake House we were seated right away...rare for this place on a weekend morning, even at 11:30 when we arrived. The atmosphere of the place is similar to any pancake house or generic chain restaurant...wide open and unimpressive. Shortly after having looked at the menu, a waitress came by to ask if we knew what we wanted for drinks. English obviously being her second language, she had some difficulty answering our questions on whether they had milkshakes and or smoothies, so we decided to look at the menu and order from it rather than query her further. Several minutes later we were approached by another waitress who was much more familiar with their menu. She took our drink menu stating she didn't know what one of the drinks listed was, and that they were no longer providing Fruitopia. We ordered our drinks, orange juice, coke, and two hot drinks.

Our drinks arrived promptly and we were ready to order. Not being a breakfast person, I decided on a turkey club on rye with a tossed salad and Italian dressing. Stuart chose French Toast with cream cheese and strawberries.When our orders arrived we were shocked by the sheer size of the food on the plates. My turkey club, was rather filling and I probably ate ¾ of it and a few bites of salad. The salad seemed fresh, no limp leaves or bad taste for the few bites I had. The club had ample mayo, which is not the norm for most places serving clubs, fresh lettuce, well cooked (almost crisp) bacon and fresh tomatoes .I had no complaints about the taste of this Turkey club, I would say it's marginally better than most I have tasted thus far.

Stuart's French Toast, of which he also ate ¾ of, was supposed to come with cream cheese and strawberries, but instead showed up with some sort of runny cream cheese icing and canned strawberry pie filling. This is not to say that it didn`t taste ok, just that the description in the menu surely outdid the reality of the meal.

I would highly recommend this place offer half sizes, because the plates, although reasonably affordable, are more than the average person can eat. In my opinion a tad wasteful. It seems to be patterned after the US philosophy of whereby if you can`t wow them with the quality of the food, make up for it in sheer quantity instead. Service was reasonable, and we were checked on a few times during our brunch.

For a pancake/breakfast place, I would say the overall experience was average. I do not have anything exceptional to say, nor bad. The service average, the meals better than average, but way too big, but then again, for some that's a great thing...I on the other hand would prefer to enjoy a smaller but better quality serving, than to throw away half of my plate after I`m full or bored of eating with the bland taste.


Location Visited: The Pancake House: Polo Park in the Clarion Hotel


Ratings:

Ambiance: Casual
Presentation: Good
Price: $12/serving
Service: Good
Value: Good



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Chicago Phil's : Winnipeg Manitoba Canada

Loaded with toppings this pizza demands an empty stomach prior to consumption. The toppings fresh and the cheese plentiful. My first bite was good, however as I took a few more, something seemed to be eluding me. The pizza was good, there were tons of toppings, the crust was near perfect, however it just didn’t win the vote for the best pizza... what could it have been??? Ah yesssss, the one thing that can make or break a truly great pizza... pizza sauce, it needed a bit more. SJ, stubborn like most men can be when faced with some criticism of their favourite food...scratch that...favourite anything ... proceeded to say it wasn’t missing pizza sauce, then took it back after a few more bites and proved me entirely right. Continuing along the “you just shot my baby” routine, SJ made excuses as to why it couldn’t have more pizza sauce, because anymore sauce and the toppings would slide off. (SJ comment - What I actually said was that with this many toppings it would make the crust soggy. And I've never said it was the best pizza...just the best in Winnipeg. I've found women tend to be prone to exaggeration and selective memory, and sometimes even a woman as awesome as SC fits the mold). Now I have to admit, that could be a plausible explanation, but I wasn’t buying it...it needed a tad more pizza sauce. So as far as I was concerned this pizza although full of toppings, with a light yet crispy crust was missing sauce..end of subject. I can’t say anything more about it....just SAUCE, besides that, it was a better than average pizza. 14” stuffed full of toppings, great crust, piping hot when we picked it up... I will definitely come back to give it another shot and see if it was an off day or if, they, unfortunately, after numerous years in business, don’t have the sauce to topping ratio figured out yet... Oh and for those thin crust lovers, they offer thin crust as well. ;)

Location visited: 70 Donald Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba


Ratings:
Ambiance: Take out only
Presentation: Average
Price: $25/serving
Service: Above Average
Value: Above Average



The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Ichiban: Winnipeg Manitoba Canada

Having had SJ's "day job" purchased by a Japanese company, we recently learned that Ichiban (in Japanese), means "Number 1". This restaurant clearly has long ago stopped attempting to live up to its name. Arriving 5 minutes early we were politely asked to wait to be seated. The entrance, which was dimly lit with a display case of Japanese souvenirs, provided a slight distraction from the tacky decor. While waiting, we reviewed the articles on the wall usually reserved for great reviews of said restaurant. In this case however, one of the two displayed boasted that in 1973 Liberace consumed a meal there. In my opinion...not the best use of advertisement or space, and immediately lent credence to the fact that this place was in dire need of an update. I mean, come on...an extreeeeemley flamboyant lounge musician from the 70's ate there???? 33 freakin years ago??? Yikes, we must try this place!!!




After having been seated promptly at 6pm around a grill where the cooks are known to prepare an "entertaining meal experience", we immediately noticed the crowded space allotted to the amount of chairs surrounding the grill. So we promptly repositioned our settings to provide some room to eat. About 10 mins into our seating a woman came by to take our drink orders, both SJ and I had our usual which was prepared in the...well...usual fasion. (double dark rum and coke, double gin and ginger ale).



While seated at the table we couldn’t help but notice that the music was extremely irritating. SJ’s daughter, Taylor, commented that it sounded like a sheep being slaughtered in the background, which of course made us laugh as it really did! To further add to the amusement, a few minutes later we overheard our table mates mentioning how horrible the music was. I can certainly appreciate that it must have been authentic, however, like the decor, 1970's Japanese music may not be an enticement to most Canadian patrons.



After having received our drinks, the same woman, now 20 mins into our seating, took our orders. I can only assume the delay was so we could get liquored up in order to tolerate the sheep mutilation...AKA the "music". About 30 mins into our seating our soup, which came with each of the combo meals ordered, arrived. It was a welcome sight, as we were all starving by this time. Unfortunately, "dish water" would be the best description available for this chicken broth with vegetables. Mine, was very salty and the vegetables undercooked. SJ’s , salty with the vegetables overcooked, and Taylors, the same. I had to wonder if I got a different batch because mine had a lot more kidney beans than SJ’s and Taylors. In any event, mercifully the soup was quickly rushed away by the servers and the cucumber salad with our substituted appetizers arrived. The combo meals come with chicken livers cooked in a special way on the grill as an appetizer. Neither of us being fans of liver at all, we both decided to pay extra and get the Gyoza, provided at ½ price for a substitution. While the cook prepared the chicken liver for the other patrons at the table, SJ and I enjoyed our Gyoza and cucumber salad. The cucumber salad was rather good, with a spoonful of canned crab thrown on top. Presentation as a whole, was sadly lacking for the salad, but the Gyoza came presented reasonably well, with a bit of salad on the side and soya sauce for dipping. The Gyoza and cucumber salad was indeed the highlight of the evening, but this we did not know until later. In an effort to try everything, I was invited to try Taylor's Chicken Liver that her 10 year old palate seems to like. Sadly, you can dress up a liver anyway you want, but it still has that pate texture that we can’t handle. by this point we was starting to feel slightly rushed, as while I was busy reaching over to try the Liver, my cucumber salad was abducted by the man clearing the plates. I wonder if they teach the servers to be ninja’s, because he was damn quiet and damn quick...I almost didn’t see him leave!

Now we can admit we are fussy when it comes to preparing food and not mixing things that have touched raw meat (mainly chicken) with anything, so please take this with a grain of salt...the cook surely did,,,except it was more like a spoon full...but we will get to that soon enough. So here it goes, the cook turned the raw chicken over with the same spatula he was cooking our fried rice. I am sure he has done it a million times, but wow, that’s a little scary from a salmonella perspective. Again, I am very picky (read Monica from Friends) with respect to chicken and cooked food/vegetables.

In any event, the cook, in one of his handful of entertaining "feats", took the rice bowls he filled and flipped them over to us and presented them on our plates. The remaining bit was generously divided amongst those who did not order fried rice, to give them an example of what it tasted like. The rice however, was salty, mushy, and overcooked. And while this made it easier to eat with chop sticks, it was not impressive to the taste buds. I could really go on and on about how horrid our experience was here, the food...all of it was over cooked and salty. Burnt "baby" lobster, rubber chicken, and the filet tasted remarkably like liver....I am serious, I don’t know if they store them together in the kitchen, but even SJ confirmed my opinion. The Shrimp, at $35/plate plus extras, was not cleaned or de-veined. One of my BIGGEST pet peeves is paying a lot for quality, not getting it, and then noticing that they didn’t de-vein the shrimp. Do I really want to eat shrimp filled with poop? If I was paying $5/plate, I would expect that, but at $35 I think it is justified to have expected more.

As a whole, this was VERY disappointing. To recap: feeling crowed and rushed, horrible music, salty over cooked food and to top it off, the cook, who did...ummmm...maybe two entertaining things during the course of the meal, definitely indicates a "no-return" rating for Ichiban. For a place that is "renowned" for the entertaining cooking experience, he definitely didn’t deliver. A few flips and bangs of the salt and pepper shakers at the end of the meal is not worth the $175 spent. To put it mildly, his personality was completely "missing in action". So our unanimous vote (including Taylor)...go elsewhere. This place is tacky, outdated and obviously very tired..There are soooo many better places to eat, so keep your money and eat somewhere else.

Location Visited: 189 Carlton Street, Winnipeg Manitoba


Ratings:

Ambiance: 70's Lounge
Presentation: Average
Price: $35/serving (excessive)
Service: Average
Value: Below Average




The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Kelsey’s Winnipeg Manitoba Canada

We originally planned on dining at another restaurant, however with a 30 min line up we decided to give Kelsey’s a shot. We have been to Kelsey’s on several occasions in the past, in various cities like Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, and Calgary and have never found their food to be anything special, this time would be no exception.


We were promptly seated and our drink orders taken. The waiter, who was very friendly and attentive, laughed at my light hearted comment about only being there because the other restaurant had a wait. On this trip we had a 2 year old boy and 10 year old girl with us. Parents out there can attest that having a well behaved 2 year old in a restaurant for more than 1 hour is sometimes a miracle, and that it can turn ugly rather swiftly when they are hungry, bored, or restless. In an attempt to ensure that we had a happy and occupied child, when the waiter took our order we requested that a small side plate with 10-12 fries be brought out earlier to feed him. The waiter at first seemed a bit confused by our request, but quickly caught on when we said to just take the fries off from one of our other plates. After ten minutes our waiter arrived with a small plate with some fries. As we were primarily focussed on occupying the kids to ensure that they didn't disturb the restaurants other patrons, we hadn't really noticed, until we had nothing left to occupy the child with, that our food had exceeded 30 mins from the time we ordered to arrive.

Approximately 10 minutes before our food came out the waiter dropped by quickly to advise us that our food would be right out. As we had been waiting for a bit, I assumed right away would have meant within the next few minutes. Considering that we both ordered the peppercorn burger with fries and gravy, and his daughter had the mild chicken wings, you’d wonder what took 40 mins to make? Where they slaughtering the cows and chickens in the back? Growing the potatoes maybe? The restaurant really wasn't that busy, and now I remember why I don`t usually come here.

The meals finally came out, although not all at once, as we had to wait for one of the orders of fries. Strangely they actually "deducted" the 10-12 fires they had brought us earlier from one of the plates. Certainly in their right to do so, but a little odd nonetheless. Although the burger was rather plain for toppings, the toppings were enough to offset the peppercorn spice. With two large onion rings, gruyere cheese, and ranch sauce on it, it was rather good. The fries were fresh and the beef based gravy was rather good as well. The chicken wings, keeping in mind my obvious bias for my partner's wings, were mediocre at best. They were medium in hotness, but soggy and tasteless, again something you could buy from the frozen section of your local grocery store and consume without having the hassle of paying a tip or going out.

From right after our drinks were ordered this experience sort of went downhill. I don't think it was really due to the waiter, who was attentive for the most part. Although we when we were ready to leave, we had to sit for another 15 mins to get and pay our bill. This experience has reminded me again why there is absolutely nothing particularly outstanding or memorable about the Kelsey’s chain, and because the food is average at best, the service should be that much more exceptional to make up for it. Odd that in a restaurant vertical that includes Earls, Joeys, and Moxies, Kelsey's still has yet to undergo any kind of renovation or re-inventing of itself. It still looks, feels, and tastes exactly like it did in the 90's...and it wasn't really all that great then either.


Location Visited: 655 Empress St , Winnipeg Manitoba

Ratings:

Ambiance: Casual
Presentation: Average
Price: $15/serving
Service: Below Average
Value: Average



The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Moxies: Winnipeg Manitoba Canada

Friday evening and looking for a few drinks and appies. Upon entry into the lounge our hostess promptly cleaned a booth for us while engaging me in some friendly conversation. Our waitress promptly brought our menus and took our drink order. Although the place was loud, it was still quiet enough to carry on a conversation without having to raise your voice. The music was funky the patrons were mainly dressed casually, except for the few people looking to impress. We started off by ordering the drink special, The G.T. Gin, being my man's current favorite alcohol made the choice easy, and also the combo platter with hot wings and a honey dill dipping sauce for our chicken strips.


Our drinks came very quickly and as we both took our first sip, we realized that this version of Gin and Tonic, was indeed special. A dollop of slush, a double shot of Gin, lime juice and lime leaves, this drink left our mouths watering after each sip. Four drinks later…well, that’s another story.

The combo tray was presented well, with a great use of the flatbread to create a division of items. Upon first bite into the chicken wings, I thought they were reasonably good. However I must admit my guy's wings are the absolute best, which leaves me a tad biased towards other wings. These wings were spicy, but not unbearably so. Unfortunately though, they were also a bit soggy and seemed as though they had been sitting for a while prior to arriving at our table. The flat bread although covered with rosemary, tasted rather bland unless dipped into the accompanying garlic cream cheese flat bread sauce. The chicken strips, accompanied with the honey dill dip, were tender and juicy, and the highlight of the platter. The calamari was good, not rubbery or over cooked and was largely comprised of rings, not the "leggy" parts you see frequently (we tend to be fair-weather calamari lovers…enough with the tentacles already). The avocado rolls tasted ok, but again, would have been much better had they been hot and fresh. As they were the last item that we tasted however, it may have been a factor in the freshness. The plum sauce that accompanied them was good, and nicely accentuated the rolls.

As mentioned before, the combo plate seemed as though it had been sitting a bit, or possibly “pre-made” so everything was lukewarm and a tad on the soggy side. It almost gave off the taste of those frozen appetizer packages that you buy at the supermarket.

Kayla was our waitress and as a whole very attentive and friendly. Quick to bring fresh drinks, and she answered all of our questions about the food knowledgably.

The overall experience would have been excellent had our food arrived hot. Overall, we didn’t go into it with super high expectations though.

Location Visited: Polo Park Mall


Ratings:

Price: $28 (Combo Platter)
Ambiance: Casual/Lounge
Presentation: Great
Service: Great
Value: Good

Overall experience: Slightly disappointing




The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

Coco Brooks: Calgary Alberta Canada

Located in the heart of a rather industrial area, in a completely unassuming strip mall-esque building; the sign for cocobrooks above the entrance is the only thing that distinguishes this place as an establishment meant for eating at. From the outside of this restaurant you would have no idea what kind of magic is created with these four walls. We boast this as one of the best pizza's in all of our travels. It is always a place we stop in
during our trips to this fine city. It's definitely a must try for pizza lovers.

Upon entry the establishment it resembles more of a food court atmosphere with tables, plastic chairs and TV's. The line on the side to place your order is usually quite lengthy during the lunch rush, but moves very fast as they pre-bake some of the favourites.

On this particular visit the woman taking our order was friendly and courteous, and the pizza, (which comes only in individual size servings) was, as with our past experiences, simply amazing. On this trip I had the Bacon Double Cheese, and SJ ordered the Mile High, which is his pizza of choice. My Bacon Double Cheese pizza had a light tomato with ground beef sauce, smoked bacon, white onion, mozzarella, and aged cheddar. The Mile High, boasts about half an inch of pepperoni, salami, ham and mozzarella, with a light tomato sauce. The crust, which is always crisp yet soft, was loaded with toppings. They don't skimp on the toppings here, or the cheese, so come with an empty stomach as you will be assured to walk away full.

The variety of available pizzas has something for everyone. Most of the pizzas are mainstream, but they do offer a few variances to satisfy more eclectic taste buds. The prices are great for the quality and amount of toppings offered. At an average of $7.00 per personal pizza, your wallet can’t complain.

When our number was called we added the complimentary chillies and parmesan to both, (located by the fountain pop dispenser), and dove right in. The pizzas were hot, freshly made and cut into four slices for easy consumption. Not much to say other than, it ALWAYS tastes great.

When you open the box for the first time the smell wafts up and entices you. One of the most unique things about this establishment is the quotes and parables on the recycled boxes the pizza is served in. These make for interesting reading, and are geared towards lifting the spirit. Although some are religious based, the owners provide a small note to explain and apologize if any offense is taken. The boxes and napkins are made from recycled material and unlike many pretenders, this place is very conscious of their foot print on the environment and ask you also recycle your box when finished.

Cocobrooks also carries numerous other items on the menu such as calzone, pastas, salads, desserts, and a good "bake at home" selection. If you love pizza, and are ever in Calgary, be sure to check out one of the three locations...you will not be disappointed.

Location Visited: 2020 32 Avenue NE Calgary, AB


Ratings:
Ambiance: Casual/Food Court
Presentation: Good
Price: $6-$10/serving
Service: Good
Value: Great

Overall experience: A casual dining experience with amazing value.



The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics

And so it begins...

Frequently travelling across Canada and the U.S., we are privileged with eating in various cities, experiencing the life of the city and through the magic of food, different cultures. We have truly seen it all. This blog was started because we got tired of people who wrote amazing reviews of restaurants only to find out, they did so because they were biased, had no accounting for taste, or the experience they spoke of was sadly not the norm. So as “ undercover food critics”, we will give you the REAL skinny on these places, from price, ambiance, value, presentation, service and overall experience; everything you need to know what you’re getting. We NEVER inform the establishment that we are coming, and we feel this lends itself to a true “man on the street” dining experience.



You’ll hear about the best of the best and the worst of the worst. So join us on what has been one hell of a food ride thus far, as we finally unveil, without prejudice, what we really think of the food and let you decide where to eat your next meal.



The Meal Truth - Undercover food critics