Otreat Brunch + Bistro

Brunch is a thing in the GVRD.  I'm sure I haven't said anything new with that statement since you can find brunch literally everywhere.  From high-end hotel restaurants to the neighbourhood cafe, we can get some pretty good brunch at different price points.  Now, have you noticed that there has been growth in the Korean-inspired brunch spots?  Think of it, we have Jess, Toast to Coast, Off and On etc...  Trying to get to all of them, I finally made it out to OTreat Brunch & Bistro in Walnut Grove in Langley.  OTreat is actually the combination of "offer" and "treat".  I guess we were ready for a treat!

That we were when we decided to go with Bulgogi Eggs Benny served on thick-cut toast.  Yes, this was as big as it appeared with a plethora of tender beef bulgogi.  The meat was moist and full-flavoured with a balance between sweet and savoury.  This was also set atop a hash with smashed potatoes, tomato confit and carrot rappe.  Two perfectly poached eggs with runny yolks were covered with velvety Hollandaise.  I thought it was creamy and buttery with enough seasoning.

We were recommended the Egg in Hash with gravy and honestly, I wasn't a huge fan of it.  For me, the whole point of a hash is that it is caramelized with peppers and onions, possibly has crispy potatoes and also crisped up sausage.  This had all of that but then was doused in gravy.  Now the gravy was actually great clinging onto everything with a silky texture.  It was salty enough to provided the necessary seasoning as well.  I just didn't like that the hash was wet.

For our choice in the pasta section of the menu, we decided on the Pesto Prawn Pasta.  We thought this was a solid dish where the linguine was al dente and thoroughly coated in a cheesy, nutty and herbaceous pesto (without being drenched).  This didn't eat too greasy and the extra parm and fresh basil provided more pesto vibes.  The prawns were beautifully prepared having a meaty snap that was sweet with natural prawn essence.

My favourite item of the meal had to be the Pork Banh Mi served in a soft baguette.  Now soft meant the inside as the outside was still crispy.  Stuffed full of juicy pieces of grilled pork, this was very filling.  In addition to the caramelized and smoky flavours of the pork, we found cilantro, carrot rappe, pickled radish, cucumber, tomato and jalapeno.  I could've done without the tomato as it made things rather wet.  However, the red pepper dressing was money as it provided slight spice and sweetness.  The side of starch-coated fries were fried perfectly crispy. 

In addition to brunch items, there is a display of bakery items too at the front.  We ended up getting the Ragu Croissant as well as the Earl Grey Cream Croissant.   Really enjoyed the savoury meat ragu and melted cheese on the crispy and flaky croissant.  As for the dessert croissant, it was filled with earl grey cream that was light and only sweet enough.  The pastry itself was a bit stiff though.  Still enjoyed it.  Overall, the food at OTreat is pretty solid and well-portioned.  The space is cute and the service is attentive.  Good brunch option out in Langley.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Well-portioned
- Cute place

The Bad:
- Enjoyed the cream in the cream croissant but the pastry was a bit stiff