Prospect Point Cafe

There was a time, when we lived in Downtown, that we ate almost exclusively within a 5 km radius.  Yes, as much as I say there is great food in the burbs, I was one of those people who didn't travel for food. Let's just say I have been reformed and have seen what the burbs have to offer.  So some restaurants we'd frequent in the past, stayed in the past as we moved into Burnaby (apres les enfants).  When the general manager of the Prospect Point Cafe invited us for a meal, that really brought back some memories.  We'd often have breakfast on the weekends there because of the location.  Honestly, we didn't have much recollection of the food, mostly because it was pretty average at best.  Yes, it was one of those restaurants - relying on its stellar location.

So when we headed out for a Sunday lunch, we had no real expectations.  We were started off with some Chardonnay to go with the Wild Salmon Sampler.  It consisted of salmon spread with lemon cream cheese and fried capers; grilled, candied and smoked salmon.  This was a substantial offering which satisfied us an appetizer.  It would probably suit 4 people just fine.  We found the salmon spread to have body and a natural flavour about it.  The smoked salmon was buttery where the fried capers added a nice tang.  Of course the Indian candy was a real treat as it was moist and sweet.  The small piece of grilled salmon was moist with a good char.  Next up was the Serious Seafood Chowder with large pieces of salmon, clams, cod, carrots, celery and red-skin potatoes.  This was a thick and creamy concoction which had a fresh seafood flavour with big peppery hits.  We would've preferred a bit more salt though.

Onto the mains, my son went for the Logger's Breakfast consisting of 2 eggs, Canadian back bacon, fried potatoes and whole wheat toast.  He was very happy with the breakfast as his request for scrambled eggs came out right.  More often than not, scrambled eggs become fried eggs or even an omelet.  Not here, they were fluffy, buttery and just barely cooked.  He liked the back bacon, but since it was sliced so thin, it was pretty dried out.  The large chunks of fried potatoes were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  For Viv and myself, we started with the Lookout Burger which was constructed with a large Angus Beef patty, Canadian back bacon, cheddar, tomato, lettuce and pickles.  This was an above-average burger which neither excited nor disappointed us.  We liked the meaty, not overprocessed patty as it had lots of beef flavour.  It could've been cooked a tad less in our opinion.  I really liked the bun as it was airy and did not overwhelm the rest of the burger.  As for the fresh cut fries, they were aesthetically-pleasing and crunchy.

Moving along, we had had the Salmon Fish & Chips with housemade tartar and coleslaw.  First off, we were pretty overwhelmed at the sight of the 2 filets as one could easily feed one person.  The salmon itself was cooked nicely as it was still moist.  However, we found the batter to be too thick and in some spots, bready.  Therefore, it retained too much oil and became greasy as a result.  The tartar sauce was creamy with a mild tang.  Viv thought it need more zing, but I was okay with it.  Again, the fries were good and went well with the fish.  Lastly, we had the Cedar Plank Salmon which was properly-prepared.  The fish was a little rare in the middle which meant it was moist and not dried out.  There was a nice smoky, woodsy flavour.  The veggies and potatoes underneath were pretty good as well.

For us, if we could compare, the food has improved at The Prospect Point Cafe.  However, Viv probably said it best when she stated, "although the food was generally solid, it still didn't imprint a lasting impression".  Yet, we both agreed that the salmon appetizer was really good.  The restaurant itself needs a little bit of updating (which is in the works) that could possibly make the experience more memorable.  At the very least, they are not solely relying on its location as a selling point.

*Note: This was an invited dinner where all food was comped*

The Good:
- Food is decent, considering it is generally thought of as a tourist-trap
- Location is a selling point

The Bad:
- Due to the high cost of operating at Prospect Point, prices are higher
- Not sure what can be done, but the plethora of flies in the dining room was annoying