Café Parvis

Every time I eat breakfast with my dad, we eat at chains. OK, almost every time. I ain't supes fond of chains: always the same thing, plastic eggs, over/undercooked potatoes, too much sauce, tiny sausage (hehehe...tiny sausage :p ). When I have the opportunity to go to a non-chain resto with my dad, I jump on it. Well, it's more like I send him an email saying we should hit up that place. I'll send him the menu AND point out things that HE could eat. I have to be thorough if I want to eat a nice breaky! And so, a couple weeks ago, we met at Café Parvis!

The place itself is quite cute, but also a tad too hipster for me. It ain't bad, it's more like 'oh, we have bowl haircuts, and round glasses, and clothes from the 1980s'. Hahaha! I did enjoy all the greeney in there and the high ceilings, but it was a bit too much on the dark side for me. The atmosphere, at 7:30 am was calm and actually quite nice! I really dug the place itself, but the location, on a weird side-street kinda street, was kind of out of nowhere.

They have a small selection of breakfasts, written on a board at the cash: a small menu, just the way I like it! I had the pain doré with tomates confites (translates to candied tomatoes... but I'm not supes fond of that), lots of herbs, bacon, swiss cheese, and balsamic syrup. Mmm: balsamic syrup. That thick liquidy goodness makes everything better. Everything. I LOVED all the herbs that made everything more flavourful, but I found that they had thymegerated (come on, get with it!). The tomatoes were just lovely: not too oily and very savory! I was a bit disappointed by the bacon: it could have been thicker. I like me a good, nice slab of thick bacon. Let's face it, I love me some bacon. The bread was way too eggy in the middle; it was basically one big runny egg :p The cheese was, wait for it, cheeeesyyy! It completed this savory pain doré quite well.

The service was at the counter so I shant rate it, but I will say that we waited a sh*t long time for our food. For a girl that's hungry as soon as she wakes up, this did NOT please me.

And now, le score!

Food: 6.5

I'll probs go back, this time for lunch or dinner!

Nacarat, part deux

Nacarat, Fairmont Queen E's bar, is takin' out a new cocktail menu and it is hot of the press! Head mixologist Nader Chabaane worked hard (I know, because I know his wife... BAM!) on a new menu, set up like a tasting wheel: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and my fave, umami! I was SO happy to see that on the menu!

First of all, I love the vibe in that bar: not too fancy, not too serious, but still sophisticated! If I'd have extra money lying around, I'd be there, like, a lot. A LOT. Perhaps worryingly a lot. I say that because the drinks are pricier than at other bars (16-24$), but hey, at other bars, the quality perhaps just ain't there.

And seriously, if you'd hear Nader talk about the way he came up with drinks, or how they make them, or what kind of scientific method goes into it, you'd understand the price of it. And they just look damn good. In another life, if I'm the head notary at the National Bank next door (let's face it, this was my uncle's job--props to Jean, up there), I'd be there every day after work for a nice, and much needed cocktail.

First, I had the Toadka: vermouth, vodka, crème de menthe, sweet peas, wasabi. My eye obviously got caught on the wasabi part. A drink with wasabi in it? Ugh... YA! I was totes excited, nay, ecstatic! Nader explained that for this drink not to actually BE green (I was actually wanting a green drink... but in hindsight, I guess getting a green drink doesn't fit everyone's taste!), they have to... well, I heard the word centrifuge and my mind kind of drifted off. What's important to know is that they go through a lot to make this drink. And this just goes to show you how high end this bar is! I did taste the wasabi, even though I would've loved more in there, and I thought there was a bit too much crème de menthe. Let's face it, I am not a crème de menthe girl. I'm just not. It's ma fault: my eyes got stuck on 'wasabi' and I was like I WANT IT! All in all it was a good drink and I did not regret ordering it, but I would have been coo coo with less crème de menthe and more of the waaasss!

Second drink I had was the Nacarat Is The New Black: midori, mescal, citrus, orange bitter and squid ink to make it black (SO awesome!) I mean, how cool does this sound? And how cool does it LOOK? Makes me think of a detective in the 50's! Yes Imma call it 'Detective Nacarat' from now on! I really loved the fact that they used squid ink to turn it black! Who here has seen squid ink on a bar menu, like, ever? No? That's what I thought. They definitely go the extra 8 miles. Btw, I really didn't mean to refer to Eminem's movie here, HAHA! All the flavours were in there! All o' them levels! It was just strong enough and the citrus was lovely! They know how to dose their sh*t at Nacarat. Oh, they know!

Third drink was le Ptit Louis: rhum, Southern Comfort, pineapple, lime, clove and anise on top. The surprise here was the anis. I do NOT like anis. Just like I can't handle fennel. Meh. BUT, surprisingly, this fit and I wasn't totally repulsed haha. It was a tad on the spicy side, which was quite lovely. A good pick!

We also got food. I mean, what is a night at a bar without the food? Well, that doesn't make much sense since usually, I go DRINK at a bar and it's rare that I order food. But... when in Rome, am I right? I absolutely loved everything on this pic! There as also 'Les Chinoiseries' which is not on here: cold soba noodles with shrimp. hello, shrimp. Yes, shrimp. I gotta say that we were all a bit surprised when we had our first bite and it was cold. But you know what, it was still much liked. The salmon tataki + homemade kimchi (YA, I said homemade) was right up ma freaking Asian alley. It was legit one of the best kimchi I've eaten... and I've eaten kimchi before. Believe me you! It was spicy enough, fermented enough, awesome enough! The salmon was also perf cooked/uncooked. It was a bit of a peculiar pairing but it was, let's say it together, right UP my ALLEY! I happily finished it when my girls were like 'girl, there's too much kimchi in there', and I was like 'yo, there's no such thing'. I mean, there WAS, but who gives a sh*t. The duck tacos in chicken skin. Excuse me? What did you WHAAATTT!!! The duck was perfectly cooked, the seasoning was on par and the chicken skin was so effin good! Not fatty at all, surprisingly. Les escargots! I used to HATE snails. Hate them hate them hate them. Of course, like a lot of people that hate them little creatures, I just had never tasted them :p With wild mushrooms and a red wine sauce, there is no way this was going to be bad. Well, it was amazing. It was literally gone in 2.5 seconds. Oh look, there are some escargots... oh wait, look, no more escargots.

The service was worthy of a great bar: quick and efficient. AND, hey, it doesn't hurt that the waitress was dang hot. OK, I do feel a couple harassment cases coming my way but pfff you don't know who/where I am! Alright, I guess you could just look at my bio, damn it! Anyhoot, it was good serv!

And now, les scores!

Booze: 8
Service: 9

And another win for Nacarat! And y'all KNOW I'll be back!

Habanera

Cuban food. Been to Cuba, done Cuba. About 6 times. Well, I had to try the REAL thang. Cause, let's face it, when you go to an all-inclusive in Cubes, it ain't Cuban food. So I thought of La Habanera. And my girl Gigi was in! After all, I've never been to Havana ooh na na. Argh, I have that song in my head every damn second of every damn day. At least, this time, it was legit.

I absolutely LOVED the place and the vibe! You DO feel like you're in Cuba when you're in there! Super colourful, flamingo in  neon lights, palm trees, flowers in the windows, islandy festive music.

I just loved this wall!!! It totally brought me back to Cuba! Cuba Si! :)

We started off with a mojito. Duh. That's all I need to bring me back to the country where I saw my first good lookin' topless woman on la beach. And I'm totes serious when I say that it was every bit like the mojitos I use to order in the Cubes (not to confuse with pubes, hahaha). It had more lime than the usual mojito and that's what made it better, I my opinion.

We were sharing food, which is ALWAYS the way to go. Listen to me: always. It should read: 'Be smart, listen to Marie'. Yes? Yaaassss! We got the salad first. The Aguacate: avocado, nougat, red papaya, oseille leaves, cucumber and mojito dressing. Did anyone say 'mojito'? Mojito in EVERYTHING! This was a hit and a half. And no, I don't know how I got the half. First of all, oseille leaves are SO IN right now! They are so damn cute and they add just a bit of acid. The avocado was perfection. You know, when Chandler is trapped in an ATM vestibule with supermodel Jill Goodacre, and he says that gum would be perfection? Ya, THAT kind. And no, I won't stop with the Friends trivia. The cucumbers were just the crunchy greatness that they should be, and the papaya was just sweet enough.

El Cubano (forgot to take a pic :/ ). Oh YASS. Pork, ham, smoked mustard, Swiss and provolone cheese, and pickles. Get. IN. MA. BEEEELLY!!!! Yum: grilled sandwich, supes cheesy, and ubs moist. The mustard added an extra layer of flaves and that was dang on. Yes... dang.

Tostones rellenos de camarones. Basically, this was a plantain 'cup' filled with rum, coconut, garlic, and dulce de leche shrimp. Sounds good, right? Ya, we both thought so. Guys, you KNOW how much I loves me some camarones! A good shrimp can go a long way. Nothin' bad to say about them. The plantain, on the other hand, was dry as all hell. Yes, apparently hell is dry. I guess because of all the heat and fire? The coconut was nice though, but let's face it, coconut is ALWAYS nice.

Tacos de pescado OR fish tacos! I love me a good taco! Mmmmmm... tacos! The tortilla was yummers (it's a thing), but the corn was too hard (what IS this, popcorn seeds?). The fish was moist (ugh-effin word) but lacked in flava. Basically, the whole thing was a bit meh.

We got our drinks very quickly, but then it took our waiter a while to take our order for the food. And we were HUNGRY. I'd wanna say 'never go to a restaurant if you're really hungry' but that just doesn't make sense!

And now, les scores!

Food: 7
Service: 8

Although I'd gladly go back for one of dem mojitos, I'll probs just end up finding 8000 other restos to eat at before I do. 

 

 

Nacarat

Ma girl Clo's husband is none other than the head mixologist at Nacarat. Hello. Obviously, this place was bound to be on my list! We had gone to the official re-opening of the Fairmont Queene a couple weeks prior and I had gotten a glimpse of Nacarat. And I loved it.

Nacarat looks ubs fancy from the outside and, you know what, it's ubs fancy from the inside too! Classic everything. Just classic! Marble counters, elaborate drinks, leather seats. You feel a bit like you are in Mad Men. And that's not a bad place to be! Save for all the cheating and the conniving. You know.

We were ready to be wowed by those awesome drinks we were promised. OK, promised is a big word, but Clo had told me a bit about them and, by looking at the menu beforehand, I was expecting some goodness.

I started with the Mr. White: vodka, apricot, Grand Marnier, vanilla, tonic. This was a perfect drink: sour and sweet at the same time. I drank it in 2.5 seconds AND ate the confied orange on top. Hey, I guess I was hungry too!

The Negrogen: mescal, cognac Hennessy, bitters, vermouth, amaro. What a freaking presentation!!! When it arrived, our mouths legit dropped. It was in this glass box filled with smoke, and when they opened it, it was basically a smoke show. WHAT!

A ribbon of chocolate on the inside of the glass made for an even nicer presentation. It was UBS strong. Wooooow! I drank it very slowly haha. I think the mescal got to me, man. It got to me. With all that alcohol, no wonder these cocktails range from 16$ to 24$ a pop.

Service was great! It sort of works like in a restaurant with the order being taken by the bartender up front and then everyone putting in their ingredient. Exactly like working the line in a kitchen. It works like a charm and it makes for perf drinks every time. Service was quick and professional. The only thing that sucked a bit during this experience was that we were sitting on the 'bad' side of the bar, where all the bottles were. We felt like we didn't get the whole experience.

And now, the scores!

Drinks: 9
Service: 9

Of course I'll be going back. You ALWAYS go back when you know the head bartender :)

Nouilles épicées/Spicy Noodles

I was hungover. I needed grease. The restaurants under the building where I work are limited. I went for some noodles. Thank you for reading this review. Goodbye. But seriously, this will be short n' not-so-sweet.

 

Not very much looks good at Spicy Noodles. What? I gots to be real here. My stomach didn't need the healthy stuff from Eden, the bio source of Galléries du Parc. It needed bad stuff. Very bad.

Vermicelli n' shrimp. There were no veggies. OK, there were 3 bean sprouts. Approximately. On the picture, there were lots of them. Damn it! The shrimp that were actually present, and there weren't many, were tiny and overcooked. Whyyyyyy? I asked for it to be spicy and at least they delivered on that front :) One good thing was the egg. It had a great flavor and totally went with that spicy side of it.

 

And now, the score! I KNOW you've all been waiting for it.

 

4.5

 

Every time someone at the office comes back with take out from this place, it doesn't look too good so I just don't know what came over me. So, no, I won't be going back.

Ps: A friend at work just told me that once, she actually brought the food back and asked for a refund. Ya, that happened.

Panthère Verte

La Panthère Verte is a vegan, environmentally friendly-responsible restaurant. I think they had one on the Plateau about 5 years ago and now, they have 6 locations AND a food truck. I'm just imagining the cells growing when a baby is developing in the womb: multiplying and multiplying. OK, this is a weird and somewhat creepy comparison. I shall stop this at once. All this to say that ma gym boy, Leo, invited me to the one on Mackay, right next to Concordia, where he is the new manager. I'm really liking one of his first decisions as new manager: invite me to eat awesome food.

You know how much I like getting invited, right? Of course you do. Hint: I love getting invited. tell all your restaurateur friends. And I THANK YOU. But enough about me. The place itself is very inviting. It seriously feels like you are entering a jungle when you step in: plants everywhere, wood, and more plants! And, by the way, I looked and I didn't find any panthers, which I think is a good thing. OK, that was a bad joke. Hey, if my friend in Egypt can see a jaguar in the front seat of a car, there's always a possibility I can see a panther in a restaurant. Am I right? Anyhoot, there are communal tables at the back and some at the front, including this cute booth right in the window. Yes, you feel like you're in it because you have to climb into it and you have to sit with your legs crossed. I liked the style. Oh, and the music. The music was right on! Actually one of the best I've heard in a restaurant recently. Jolene by Dolly Parton, Lana del Rey, CCR. It faintly reminded me of my friend Lena's awesome mixes in the early 2000s when we were young 20 somethings in the city. Yes, I'm old.

On top of having very cool music, la Panthère Verte is uber environmentally friendly. If I knew a word that meant more than 'uber', I'd put it here. They have a green policy! I shall explain. You bring your container, you get discounts. You don't have one, you pay a small fee for the compostable container. You can also pay a deposit of 1$ for a mason jar and when you bring it back, you get 1$ in your pocket. What I found wow is that La Panthère Verte does not have a garbage. QQQUUUUWHAT? Yep. They either have recycling or compost. You empty yo plate where it needs to go and then you leave it on the shelf. It looked like it was quite well managed: we all know that this kind of procedure is difficult to maintain and that this could easily become very messy. And finally, food is organic and local as much as possible. Basically, this restaurant is quite the model citizen.

Leo wanted me to gain 18 pounds on that day so he brought me almost everything on the menu. I tend to exaggerate, but not THAT much.

The EVERYTHING: Black bean noodles (VERY interesting!), lentil salad, mesclun (but it was uber fresh, so it was acceptable), white bean salad, coleslaw, sweet potatoes, falafel ballzzz and a falafel sandwich. I told you: he wanted me to gain 18 pounds. Well, I think the dessert was responsible for most of those, but this comes later. Lets begin.

I had the ginger and apple cider drink which was oh-so-fresh and had just the tang I wanted. I'm also a sucker for bubbles. Buuuuubbles! Talk about a refreshing drink!

The black bean noodles, although original, were not my cup-o-tea: they tasted a bit flat and lacked flavor. Wait, that's the same thing. You get it. The lentil salad had this mustard vinaigrette and I absolutely loved the mix! It was a bit on the hot (n' spicy) side, which I love. Y'all know I loves me some heat! The white bean salad had dill in it. If you're starting to know me, you KNOW I ain't a fan. Like, ever. WELL, this was actually nice. Yep, I'm saying it: I liked the dill (don't tell anyone!). It actually made the salad taste fresh and went really well with the beans. The mesclun. Well, it's freaking mesclun! In my book (and you guys know I have the BEST book), mesclun is bad after having it for more than one day. Yes, I'm a tough mesclun consumer. And damn proud of it. Anyhoot, there was a lovely vinaigrette on top of it: very herbal and full-o-flavour! This made the salad, of course. Mesclun never makes the mesclun. OK, I'm getting ridiculous now. The coleslaw was... meh. OK, it was alright, but it was nothing special. The sweet potatoes looked promising but they kind of felt short of delivering. They could've had more flava. They were perfectly cooked though, which was a relief, haha. Nobody likes an undercooked sweet potato.

The falafel. Ah, the falafel. Panthère Verte actually has an award winning falafel. Ya, it's happening. First, it was Marie-Claude Lortie that said that they were the best she had tasted and that she would go back time and time again. If you know who MCL is, you know she is difficult as all hell. All. Hell. And then they were voted best falafel in Montreal many years in a row in the Best of MTL in the magazine Cult MTL. And I'm sure they have some stashed 'Winner of the best falafel' trophies, somewhere. So herbal and full of loveliness. It was perfectly fried, not crumbly and nicely moist. I'm also ready to make it MY fave falafel. Change APPROVED! There was also the falafel sandwich and although it was the same awesomeballs falafel in there, the pita was a bit on the thick side for me. Just a ps, you have the option of having everything in that sandwich, on a plate, without bread. Perfect for peeps watching their carbs :)

The sauces!!! They have many. I just love a good dip, you know? My fave (and Leo's too!) is the Yogi: vegan yogourt with lots of herbs. It was so damn fresh! I also liked the Hippie: maple syrup (nothing can go wrong here), ginger and sesame. As I said, I likes me a good dippin'.

The dessert. Was I still hungry? Hellsss no. Did I NEED dessert? Absolutely not. Did I want it? Well ya. I needed to try it, you know, for the review. Tiramisu. Or Viramisu, because it's vegan. Hehe. This was a huge mother freaking piece. The coffee taste was quite faint, which is good for this non-lover of coffee. The frosting was good and thick but not too overwhelming. It was very moist (ugh, stupid word) and I think a part of it was because of the layer of chestnut cream in the middle.

Service was done by Leo, so it was perfect. He explained everything to me in detail and gave me a drink asap! He even sat with me to tell me more about what I was eating (OK, he was on his lunch break :p).

And now, the scores!

Food: 9
Service: 10

Leo keeps on telling me that I must try more food on the menu, so, you know what, I might be back sooner than later :)

Da Fish Shack

Another Grand Cayman review! I could get used to this. Fo realz! Maybe I should just move there. Fun fact: I was in Cayman for 13 days and I stopped counting the times that Rachie would whisper, in a very creepy way: 'You should move here'. If I could, you know, work from home, from Cayman, I would jump on that sh*t in 5 seconds. Imagine, instead of my view on the Mont Royal, which I must say ain't so shabby, well, it would be on the freaking Caribbean sea. Ya, I'm down. But before this happens.... Rach and I went for lunch at Da Fish Shack, located right smack downtown Georgetown.

It looks like your run of the mill restaurant... you know... with a view on the freaking sea. Argh, it was so ugly. I can just hear Rach whispering the same thing in my ear. You enter the restaurant and there's a big bar and then there is the terrasse overlooking you know what (I'm writing this, waiting for my flight home in Miami, and I literally want to cry). There was a huge mother f*ckin fan that was very VERY loud, so we had some trouble hearing each other but at least we got to practice our lip reading. It was a tad grey yesterday, with intermittent showers, but this view is always breathtaking!

We started with some breadfruit. I had never ever EVA eaten this! It's so much fun eating new things, isn't it? That sounds like a trap parents used to use when we were young. Breadfruit is very akin to a potato, in flavour and also in texture and appearance. Basically, it's a god damn potato, yo! Our waitress gave us an enormous amount of butter (I don't think I use this much butter in a full year) to put on the breadfruit. It was nice and crispy and SLIGHTLY dipped in butter and a bit of salt, it was a feast! I'm totes ordering more of this when I go back!

I ordered the Bammy Rundown. What is that, you ask? I had no effin clue before I ordered it. I actually wrote 'bambi' instead of 'bammy' on my phone. Bammy is a fried (because, when you can fry it, why not do it) Jamaican flatbread, made from yuca. It felt like I was eating polenta. It had absorbed all the yummy flavours of the broth and it was so easy to eat! Hello, calories! The snapper was fried and was looking at me with all its sharp teeth. Quite scary indeed! But man, that fish was gooood! Basically, it is cooked down with carrots, onions, okra and other veggies, so it literally was falling off the bone(s). I absoluely loved the okra, which we all know can be slimy if not cooked well. Mmmm, sliiiiime. Bah. You know me and textures! The veggies were cooked to perfection and oh so tasty. The broth was made with coconut milk, although it didn't taste like it. Rach told me that Caribbean cuisine uses a lot of coconut milk, but not necessarily for the flavour: her mom cooked rice and beans (yuuuuummy!) in coconut milk and we could detect it at all.  Anyhoot, this was a winner of a dish! AND it was cheap. Well, it was cheap in Cayman standards.

Service was great throughout the meal: we were greeted with a smile, seated right away and we got water and water refills in a timely manner. We also got our food quite quickly!

And now, the scores!

Food: 9

Service: 9

Do me a favour and go next time you're in Grand Cayman. You know, next time :)

Il Cortile

My dad eats lunch at nice restaurants about four times a year with his cousin and uncle. The last place had been Il Cortile and let's just say they had a bad service experience. My dad is difficult but for him to get three free meals because of this was something else! So, my dad decided to bring my step-mom and I. And we all know how much I like free food. A lot. I like it a lot.

I waited for my step-mom and dad right outside, from where the restaurant looked like, well, a cave! And then you enter somewhat of a basement type place and then BOOM, one of the best kept terrasse secrets in Montreal. This little courtyard was beautiful, with flowers hanging from balconies and paintings on the brick walls. Uber cute! I kind of felt like I was back in Europe. Ah, Europe, my first love! But enough about me and my lovers, apart from the cuteness, this place seemed to be hosting quite the richest in Montreal. Plastic surgery, fancy scarves and Louis Vuitton purses were everywhere I looked. It was almost like a secret society. Fo serious yo. So I was basically hiding under the table. But a girl's gotta eat...

The waiter brought us antipasto that consisted of prosciutto, grilled veggies, and parmesan. Basically, some of the best things on earth. I'd have more of that right about NOW. Those portobello mushrooms were literally to dsie for. DSIE. FOR. Stuff that is cooked in butter is ALWAYS good. The prosciutto melted in my damn mouth. A bite with mushroom, parmesan and prosciutto was like a little piece of heaven in my mouth.

Mushroom risotto. The risotto was cooked for just the right amount of time. Still a tad crunchy and not mushy. Texture was on par. They had cooked it in mushroom stock and they were very abondant in there as well. Again, who doesn't like mushrooms cooked in butta? The waiter shaved some parm on there and BAM, you got yourself a winner. That dish was so filling, it felt like I had gained 10 pounds in one sitting.

Service was probably one of the best I've had so far. In ma life. We got sparkling water very quickly, wine was served the proper way, and our waiter was more than present the whole time. He checked on us, refilled our glasses and asked us if we needed anything else.

And now, the scores!

Food: 8.5
Service: 9.5

I can say that I won't go back because, hello, I ain't no millionaire. But I did appreciate the wonderful service!

Montreal Pool Room

It was time for lunch with ma Jer bear again and he suggested Montreal Pool Room, 'Montreal's classy greasy goodness'. I am not a HUGE fan of the whole pataterie craze, but as he said, they were the FIRST one in Montreal, opened since 1912! Dang! It was definitely worth the go then! I was convinced in 2.5 minutes.

Montreal Pool Room has how many pool tables, you ask? Zero. None. Nil. Apparently they used to have some in the good ol' days but those days are long gone and they kept the name. As soon as you enter, you KNOW they've been there for a while. And you KNOW you'll get a good dog. Yes, I'm so cool that I call a 'hot dog', a 'dog' now.

This place looks uber popular amongst everyone, of every age. Old guys that used to go there with their parents in 1945, teens that are hanging out near that corner, middle-aged adults, and I'm sure you'll see some prostitutes and strippers at some point during the day/night! It has lovely pastel walls with frames that have been there for a long while, maybe since forever even. Maybe since the dawn of time, who knows.

I think the coolest thing there was THE CLAW!!! You know, like in Toy Story! What? I like a good kids' movie, ok?

I had one hot dog steamé because I damn had to, and also because when I told Jer I was gonna have two grilled and he judged me with his eyes first and then he judged me verbally. SO, I had one grilled, one steamé and some French fries. Well, they were the best hot dogs I've had in a long time. The grilled one was nice and crunchy and the steamé one, dare I say it, was nice and steamy. The fries were really perfect, especially when we added paprika (didn't know that was a thing!) and a bit of vinegar! The onion rings that Jer bear had were crunchy and onion-ring-perfection but there weren't enough, I found. We saw some men that were obviously regulars that would put a fry or two right ON their hot dog. Hum. Obviously, we had to try it. And I think this should be on the menu. Or, you know, you can just take a fry, add a fry :p

Service was grumpy, but I expected nothing less. Just crack a little smile, will ya? No? Oh, okay.

And now, the scores!

Food: 8
Service: 5.5

I've tried it and now we can move on to another restaurant :)

Otto Yakitori

My Asian boy (yes, he's ALL mine) Jer and I were continuing our Asian persuasion restaurant visits because, let's face it, we live for that (well, I know I do!). We had been meaning to go to Otto Yakitori Isakaya and had actually tried but it was closed for a private event. DAMN IT!

Anyhoot, I've been to this address before, when it was another Asian resto that served up a LOT of body parts. Jer bear used to have these evenings called Strange Meats where we'd eat kidneys, ears, hearts, the whole shabang. Ugh. As a food blogger, I would LOVE to be able to eat, like, chicken feet, or eyeballs (ugh, I just puked in my mouth a little bit), but I just cannot. I CANNOT.

The place itself is a bit on the dark side, with some very vibrant drawings on the walls, and lots of reggae music. Yes. Reggae. Basically, songs that have been reggae-ed. Not an uber fan of this genre. Especially not in a Japanese restaurant. I mean, what???

We started with a salad and miso soup. The salad was... meh, mesclun. But you know what, it was fancy mesclun. Don't ask me what that means but it wasn't as bad as usual. Maybe because it was uber fresh, I don't know. There was yuzu vinaigrette which was just very pleasant and not overpowering because they put just the right amount.

The soup was very.. fishy. They had obviously put bonito flakes in there. I like fishy but this was a tad too much. A nice surprise was that they make their own tofu which was really soft and tasty.

Chicken skewers, skin skewers and chicken BUTT. Hahaha, butt. The chicken was marinated and grilled and it was just perfect. You know, that perfect chicken? Ya, this was it. The skin: let's just say we're getting a bit too close to strange meats here, but I actually really enjoyed it. Obviously I only had a couple bites and left the rest to Jer bear because he can handle it more than me. Ya, he can handle SKIN. The butt. As Sir Mix A Lot once said: I like big butts and I cannot lie. I just had to put that in there. The butt was, wait for it, PACKED with flavor! Hahaha! Mmmmmm!!! SO good!

Pork tonkatsu and chicken curry. I've never had curry with more than one meat, so at first, I must admit, I found it whhheird. Jer was like 'meh, just put in all the meat. ALL the meat!'. The tonkatsu tasted great and was surprisingly not that fried. There wasn't that much chicken, but the pollo (yes, I'm goin' international, baby!) that was in there was full of chickeny flava! The rice was on par and the sauce was very tasty, on the thick side-o-things. Put a bit of nanami (Asian chili flakes) on top and you got yourself a winner! I have to say though that it was a big portion and it was quite heavy. Quite.

Service was great, quite unlike any other Asian resto, I must admit. We got water quickly and she even asked how we liked our meal. Dang!
 

And now, the scores!

 

Food: 8

Service: 9
 

My goal is to try every isakaya in town so I doubt I'll be going back, but certainly not because I didn't enjoy ma meal!