The entrance is set kind of out of awkwardly off to the north side, and has very unique "saloon" doors which open into a patio on either side, before the actual entrance. Right inside the entrance to the building itself is the hostess station, which is easily missed (yup, I walked right by it.) The decor is on the darker side, with "stone" paneling on the wall and dark chairs, however it also has 2 of 3 walls filled with windows that offset the darker design making it feel warm instead of dark.
We came at noon on Canada day, and we were seated right away. Our server (Sherell) was also there promptly to take our drink order, and although the dining area was not at capacity, there was still a number of tables occupied. And of course she was also very prompt when we were ready to order, which also arrived very quickly. (Order taken at 12:10, arrived at 12:25).
My meal: Steak and Eggs with Breakfast potatoes and toast.
I always ask for my steak "on the rare side of medium rare", and it was done exactly as I like it. The breakfast potatoes were a good size, and done till they were golden brown and crispy. The eggs I ordered scrambled; they were soft, and light, exactly what you should expect.
My wife's meal: Prosciutto Eggs Benedict.
The eggs were slightly overdone, but that was the only issue with it. The hollendaise is made in house, and had a bright lemon taste the lightened a normally heavier sauce. The spicy tomato chutney under the eggs was an excellent surprise flavour that definitely added something special to the dish.
Desert: "Two timing pies".
Which comes with a smaller versions of both the Key Lime Pie, and the Chocolate Pecan Pie.
The Key Lime Pie; I found the the filling had a pronounced lemon flavour, and a more subtle lime flavour, which I expected to be the opposite. The crust was very nice with the addition of coconut to it, which gave it a little chewiness, and was a nice accent to the tartness of the filling. Although i was not blown away by the "key lime" in the filling, it was still a refreshing and enjoyable desert.
Atmosphere:
6 out of 10. The front door is almost hidden, and going in is confusing. The Hostess stand is relatively hidden. The Decor is quite dark, but it is reminiscent of a gentleman's club, or an old school lounge. This might be more obvious at night, rather than during the day, but in the daylight it didn't feel too confining. One other thing I noticed was the noise level, which seemed to be a bit more raucous than I would have expected in what appears to be a more upscale establishment. However this may be due to the way it has been marketed, in which encourages drinking (even for breakfast) which makes people automatically louder.
Food:
9 out of 10. Good food, well done. The Tomato chutney and Hollandaise with excellent, and the only issues were minor. (I would have liked to have seen some salt and pepper on the steak prior to cooking, and My wife's eggs were slightly overdone.
Service:
8 Prompt, courteous, and friendly. One of my "pet peeves" at any restaurant is to have to ask for a refill on my drink, and to really impress me, don't ask me if I'd like a refill, just bring one.
Overall;
7 out of 10. Location of the entrance is where Browns loses most marks for me, and the noise level made it difficult to have a normal conversation with the person across from you.
Entrees;
Son - Malaysian Satay Noodle Soup with Beef.
Wife - Kung Pao Prawns.
Myself - Malaysian Curry Beef Brisket.
Dessert;
Deep Fried Bananas with coconut
A very non traditional entrance way, as the hostess station is located at the end of a long water wall, however this allows for a great look at the restaurant, which is very stylish and upscale. There is a pool at the bottom of the water wall, in which I thought I saw goldfish in from our table, which was just on the other side of a glass partition which also served as a guide to the hostess.
The menu is filled with a variety of items, everything from sushi to paninis, including Peking duck and Malaysian or Singapore Curries. The variety is a bit surprising as it encompasses both Asian and European cuisines, but with a selection this wide you will more than likely find something you like. Plus there are more exotic items for the more adventurous palettes.
Brianna our server has been very apologetic about the length of time it has taken for our food to come, but as it is Father's day, and the restaurant so new, AND with it also being very busy, it is completely understandable. It should be noted that this is also NOT a fast food "joint", this is definitely an upper scale restaurant where you may have to wait a bit for your food, but I considered tonight's meal well worth the wait (and with how pleasant the servers were, it was very enjoyable! Big kudos to Brianna, as well as the other ladies, even though I didn't get their names.) :-D
The sushi combo came, and it was beautiful, as well as delicious. Served traditionally with pickled garlic, wasabi and soy sauce condiments. The avocado was refreshing, and the roe on top was bright and just perfectly salty.
The curry I had was mild, and very tasty. The beef was fall apart tender, also rich and hearty. The sides were of course rice, and a simple side salad of spinach was dressed with a nice slightly sweet dressing which made any bitterness that may have been in the spinach disappear. The rice was fragrant and tasty on it's own, but also made the perfect conveyance for the remainder of the curry sauce from under the beef.
My wife's Kung Pao Prawns was packed full of veggies, and came with a side of rice. The sauce was a medium heat which left a nice tingle on the tongue, but also had a sweetness that balanced the spice. The prawns were perfectly cooked and very tender. It was served in the pan, which was lined with what appeared to be banana leaves.
My son's Malaysian Satay noodle soup was absolutely HUGE, and had a bold coconut flavour that was complimented by pineapple and peanuts. Drew had the beef, which was very thinly sliced that kept it very tender. This may be called a soup, but you would never confuse it with something you might have a sandwich with! This was a MEAL!
For dessert we all went with the deep fried bananas with coconut (because unfortunately they were out of what I did want, the crepes.) The light tempura batter added a wonderful crunch to the soft warm banana, which was covered with coconut and a drizzle of chocolate and honey. Simply excellent!
I have to send out a big "Thank You" to Fred for opening a fine dining establishment in the North end. I can hardly wait to go back for the Peking Duck! :-)
It should also be noted the they have a BREAKFAST MENU as well, and they open at 11a.m. weekdays, and 7a.m. on the weekend! (Which also surprised me.)
Atmosphere/Decor - 8 of 10 The only thing I can see as a potential problem is congestion of "Stir Fry Bar" customers. Other than that I love the combination of both open and more private settings, and the open Stir Fry cooking counter.
Food - 9 of 10 Just because I save the 10 (wow factor) for that meal that really blows me away. This was an excellent meal, make no mistake of that! (Hoping for a 10 with the Peking duck!)
Service - 8 of 10 I do have to consider the extra time it did take our food to arrive. But between understanding that the staff is still trying to find their groove in the kitchen being how new it is, and the staff being very friendly, in my mind it made up for any of the wait because it was a very enjoyable evening!
Overall - 9 of 10 The food was excellent, the staff friendly and engaging, the surrounds beautiful and inviting. I don't count any wait time, because as I explained they are still very newly opened, as well as it being busy for a special occasion. And the fact that I wasn't affected by the congestion I expressed concern about. I didn't mention cost anywhere, but it is definitely worth saying that there is a mix of both higher end meals and more value priced meals. I know I will enjoy revisiting Fusion Hero time and again!
Some other images from inside. (To view any of the pictures, above or below, in full size, just click on them);
Let's start with a first impressions again. You walk in to a classic steak house decor with deep rich wood and muted, sophisticated upholstery. The linens are dark, and the dinnerware is a contrasting white, making for a classic upscale appearance. We arrived at 5p.m. on Tuesday June 8th, and aside from 3 other services had the restaurant and the waitress to ourselves.
I'm going to start with one of my pet peeves here, free refills on soft drinks, iced teas and common low cost beverages should be standard. If you're to cheap to keep my glass filled, I get the feeling I'm being overcharged for my meal too, and I am way less likely to come back.
Overall the meal was primarily under seasoned, although nothing stood out as unpalatable, it was the same way in the positive where nothing satisfied the "WOW" factor you expect at an establishment where you pay for above average cuisine.
The menu; Starters:
Silver's Appy Platter including;
- 2 pounds of wings (lemon pepper and BBQ),
- Snow crab mushroom caps,
- BBQ pork ribs (Greek lemon and herbs),
- Spinach dip with pita points,
- Veggies and ranch dressing.
Main:
Silver's Seafood platter for 2 including;
- 2 Soup of the day (Cream of cauliflower),
- 2 lobster tails,
- Scallops in dill cream,
- Spicy Cajun prawns,
- Diefenbaker Trout, Rice,
- Green Beans,
- Buttered spinach.
- 1 Tomato crab (bisque on the side).
Dessert:
- Triple chocolate cake.
- Caramel and pecan flan.
- Bread pudding with rum and butter sauce.
Review; Starters:
We had 2 types of wings, Lemon pepper and BBQ. It appeared the wings were baked and then sauced, and the size seemed smaller than average. The Lemon pepper had excellent flavour, although a bit small and dried out during the cooking process. The BBQ seemed less dried out as the sauce compensated for any cooking mistakes, and I found the flavour slightly on the vinegary side but not altogether unpalatable.
The Snow crab mushroom caps were supposed to be stuffed caps with crab, asparagus and cream cheese, topped with a delicate cheese sauce. What we got was very light on crab, cheese, and seasoning, but heavy on the not well executed bechamel. (For those unfamiliar with a bechamel sauce, it is a rich sauce made from flour, butter and milk, which can then receive other flavourings like cheese to make it a cheese sauce.)
The BBQ pork ribs (Greek lemon and herb) were exceptionally tender and well cooked, however once again the lack of sufficient seasoning left us unsatisfied with them.
The Spinach dip with pita points was one of Drew's favorite, however I found the dip much to stiff for proper dip-ability, as well as having what I felt was a stronger flavour of spinach than I cared for.
Well what can I say about Veggies and ranch dressing, standard every day Ranch (no alteration from the standard, and definitely not home made), baby carrots, and thin celery strips. No bad, but nothing upscale about it.
Main:
I bumped the Tomato crab bisque to the top of the list here because honestly here is where I was expecting the break out "WOW" factor that I was talking about, especially after hearing that their Lobster bisque was "Blow your mind good". This was a nice thick, rich, tomato based soup, served with excellently done home made crackers. I really only had 2 problems with this soup, 1.) Not enough crab flavour, and 2.) unbalanced flavour profile (It was much too acidic). Both of these problems are very easily addressed, 1.) simply add more crab shells when making the broth to intensify the crab flavour, and 2.) and simple fix to counter an acidic tomato sauce or soup is to add something sweet to balance it with. Try it when you make you're next tomato sauce, throw a teaspoon or two of sugar in with it and watch how much smoother it is.
I only had one spoonful of the Soup of the day (Cream of cauliflower), and once again I found this under seasoned. The soup itself was a thinner consistency than expected, but the vegetables decent sized and were not mushy.
I'm not sure how or why, but the Lobster tails were of course good, just for some reason not nearly as good as the last one I had at Red Lobster, which seems very strange to me.
I think you'll find a theme running through my review, and the Scallops in dill cream continue that being sadly under seasoned, plus the sauce puddled around them on the plate (which is more a presentation faux pas than a problem with the sauce.)
The Spicy Cajun prawns had a nice spiciness to them, but it was one dimensional with no balance to the seasoning. It was like all they did was sprinkle cayenne and paprika on the shrimp and call it "Cajun", it really left me disappointed.
I was very curious about the Diefenbaker Trout, because I've never had a deeper lake trout before. Well to be honest they could have slapped a piece of salmon on the plate and called it trout, because it tasted more like salmon than what I ever imagined trout to be like. I may be wrong, but I really think that's what they did. I have to say though, the sauce for the "trout" was very good and actually well seasoned!
I have to say that the Rice was also well seasoned, and was unfortunately one of the high point even as a side dish.
The Green Beans were perfectly cooked, and served along side a well seasoned rice and trout they were very good!
The Buttered spinach was better than expect, but absolutely nothing to write home about. It take guts and talent to serve spinach, because if you don't do it right you can really mess up the whole meal experience. Well I'll say this, they had guts.
Dessert:
I cannot speak to either the Triple chocolate cake, and theCaramel and pecan flan. But they both looked very good and my wife and son seemed to enjoy their desserts.
I had the home made Bread pudding with rum and butter sauce. I was thankful that my dessert was neither too sweet, nor too rich, and although I thought it lacking for adequate amounts of rum and butter sauce I found it an enjoyable finish to the meal.
Overall I was underwhelmed by our experience at Silver's Steak House. Proper seasoning was lacking in many of the dishes, and it did not live up to neither our expectations nor the menu's build up of the dishes. Standard quality for upscale prices, and I wouldn't recommend them to anyone.
To give a basic first impression, as you walk in the door The Creek is small and fairly dark (even though we went during the early evening) with darker art, chairs and walls. Not that it was depressing in any way, just more of a classic Bistro "Artsy" which is deceptively different from the upscale cuisine they presented us with.
Starters: Roasted garlic baked brie, served with a side of roasted apple, raisin and cinnamon, sliced apple and "Crustini". Flash fried baby calamari, dusted in chipotle and cumin and served with a Moroccan sauce.
Mains: Prosciutto wrapped chicken breast stuffed with smoked Gouda, served with a wild mushroom risotto. Rib eye steak with a wild mushroom cream sauce, served with roasted new potatoes and "seasonal" vegetables.
Dessert: Cream cheese peanut butter pie. Fresh fruit crisp with heavy cream.
We went earlier than most at 5:30, as well I had made reservations earlier in the week to ensure we would have a table. We were seated straight away and asked if we would like something from the wine list, the only dim spot in the evening was the waiter's lack of offering us anything else to drink (which I rectified by asking for something.)
I was impressed though even with the first sip of water, which was perfectly perfumed with lemon. Often the lemon added to water can be overpowering, or even worse the plain water can have an awful taste to it. So right from the get go my olfactory sense and pallet were pleased! I know this seems like a little thing, but having a glass of water that tastes off in some way (which can happen in Regina, especially in spring) can really throw off the rest of the meal, and it's this attention to detail I found lasted throughout the entire meal.
The Calamari and Garlic Brie arrived shortly after the fragrant smell of roasted garlic started to emanate from the kitchen, which is located very close to the guests due to the limited space available in the restaurant (a good thing in my perspective, it means they have nowhere to hide how they cook.) The Calamari was beautifully tender and the flavours of the Mediterranean encompassed each piece, and the Moroccan sauce added a very nice kick to let you know this wasn't your average fair. The Brie required some participation on our parts, as the components came separately and required assembly atop the crustini. The combination of apple, raisin, cinnamon, garlic, and brie don't automatically yell out AWESOME to most, but believe me this was an incredible melding of flavours which all seemed made for each other.
My meal consisted of a Med-rare (on the rare side) Rib eye steak partially covered with a wild mushroom cream sauce, along side beautifully roasted new potatoes and a host of vegetables that included carrots, parsnips, snow peas, and "Ching-Chiang" a small Asian cabbage. The steak was perfectly cooked to my specifications. The wild mushroom sauce was rich, creamy, earthy, and complimented the steak perfectly. I was once again completely impressed by the selection of vegetables, which were anything but standard fair, and all cooked to the perfection.
My wife's meal consisted of a Chicken breast, stuffed with smoked Gouda and wrapped in prosciutto. The Chicken was moist and tender, even on the ends, and neither the Gouda nor the prosciutto overwhelmed the dish, but they were well balanced and complimented each other. The wild mushroom risotto was creamy, rich and earthy, yet you got a sense of brightness added by the wine used in it. The vegetables were again perfectly cooked julienned peppers, carrots, and onions.
My dessert was a Fresh Fruit crisp, made with apples and berries, including blueberries and blackberries, with a classic crumble topping and along side was heavy cream. even though I was pretty much full from supper, I just couldn't stop eating until it was done. This crisp was SO fresh I probably should have slapped it! LOL But honestly the apples still had a little crunch, and the berries were excellent, and to balance the sweet and tartness the heavy cream was absolutely perfect.
My wife's dessert was a Cream cheese peanut butter pie. We both kind of expected this to be a little heavy (and she might have to take some home), but I think they had to add the caramel sugar piece on top to hold it on the plate! The flavour was excellent, not too much peanut butter or chocolate, and it was beautifully whipped and very light!
I don't usually go over the deep end like this with praise, because I evaluate every restaurant we go to for both good and bad qualities. The Creek Bistro hit a sweet spot with me tonight, because from what I saw every dish tonight was executed beautifully! This was not an inexpensive meal, but if you are looking to be impressed The Creek sure impressed both of us tonight!
May all your meals be dine-o-mite. (Just like tonight was for us!)
Bob
Overall it wasn't quite at where I would call it excellent, but it was a nice change from the usual appetizer, entree and desert.
The Mushroom Strudel was rich and creamy inside yet crispy on the outside, and had just the right mushroom flavour to satisfy the mushroom lover. The balsamic vinegar reduction they drizzled over the top added a slight hint of sweetness and acidity to balance the richness of the filling, however I found it an unnecessary addition.
The Calamari was one of the most tender I've ever had, with the ancho chili aioli making the dish better than it would have been with a traditional tzatziki sauce and elevated it to a fine dining level.
The Foi Gras with truffles was quite heavy with truffle, which overpowered the delicate flavour of the foi gras itself. I think they could have substituted some of the truffle with a lighter krimini or even portabello flavour to reduce the intensity of the truffle.
The Tiger Prawns in Chipotle Tequila butter had a nice selection of vegetables which accompanied them, and the prawns themselves were very well cooked and tender. The chipotle tequila butter was a bit of a let down however, the only real addition I noticed was the heat of the Chipotle which overpowered any tequila flavour. I also found the compound butter's flavour very one dimensional, and I think that reducing the amount of chipotle and adding a complimentary flavour such as Lime would have given the sauce a much more balanced and palatable flavour rather than just adding the heat of the chipotles.
Lastly we had the Chorizo and Mushroom Tostada. This is a "pizza" type of meal made on tortillas to have a very thin crust. The house made chorizo was definitely an interesting twist to the dish, and it took a bit to get used to the foreign smell of the sausage.
Overall I would have to say that most of the food was trying a bit too hard to be ... Read Moremore than it was through over seasoning with specialty products (like truffles, chipotles and very strong chorizo). Not that it wasn't an enjoyable meal, but the menu gave the impression of up scale dining, and that really wasn't quite fulfilled in the completion of the dishes.
I should make mention of the atmosphere to give a complete review. La Bodega is located right downtown, in what I believe is a large classic home. The dining areas are quite cramped, and some of the tables are just barely large enough to hold 2 tapas plates and the small plates you use to eat off of. The clientele we saw were incredible diverse, making the dining experience slightly less enjoyable by the rowdiness of some of the restaurants patrons (I should mention however that this could have been a result of expectations arising from the preview of the menu, which seemed to promise a more upscale cuisine.)
Overall I give La Bodega a 7 out of 10, and that is simply because the pretentiousness of the menu was not lived up to in either the atmosphere or the execution of the dishes.
After church today we decided to have lunch out due to a busier than normal schedule, so after all the discussion it was agreed that Houston Pizza would be acceptable by everyone.
First impressions;
Now although this is not a specific criteria that will affect the flavour and/or quality of a meal, I still find this an important part of the dining experience and therefore will include it as a part of the review.
Upon arrival we were greeted, and seated, by a pleasant hostess, however she looked as though she was doing far more work than just hostess/waitress, as she almost appeared as if she had been working in the kitchen. Now it's not that I have a problem with being seated by someone from the kitchen; however at the same time the front end staff directly reflects the restaurant as a whole making the experience that of "fine dining" or "cafe cuisine", and my impression at Houston Pizza was that of a Cafe rather than that of a Fine dining establishment (even though it is classified as a "family restaurant" and not fine dining).
The table setting was incomplete at seating, as well the cutlery on 2 settings had food remnants on them that was not taken off by the dishwasher nor checked for by the dish washing or waiting staff.
Service: The service staff came and took our drink order upon seating, and the server came back for our order shortly after we were ready which was appropriately done which I was pleased with.
I was disappointed in having to "catch" the server to replace a dirty soup spoon upon my starter's arrival, and it was equally annoying to do the same whenever I required a refill on my beverage.
The Food; The menu offered far more than Pizza, Pasta and Burgers, having more elaborate dishes like Swordfish, Gyros, Souvlaki and Steaks and Seafood.
My selection for lunch was a simple enough "English style fish and chips". Now I have had this at other establishments that have made it fresh, and from scratch, and it can be incredibly satisfying, however this was not the case at Houston Pizza. The fish's batter was not what one would expect from true "English style" fish and chips; the batter was plastered to the fish making it one with the fish it surrounded making the combination heavy and dense, and what I expected was a batter that lightly enveloped the fish to retain it's moisture rather than to overwhelm the delicate fillet. It was similar to what you might have achieved at home with a frozen meal from a supermarket. The "chips" were standard French fries, and were quite soggy having been served with the fish placed on top of them.
This meal could have been easily duplicated at home with frozen supermarket items for far less expense yet with equal results.
Overall experience; The staff was pleasant and courteous, however I found them lacking in table attentiveness regarding both service and cleanliness. Our meals were adequate to fill the basic requirement, but as a dining experience Houston Pizza lacked in all aspects in which they attempted to achieve if they are looking to be a quality Family dining establishment.
In a nutshell I can tell you that what we got was upscale prices for average quality.
