Rendezvous Pub

Here we are back at Rendezvous Pub out in Langley, to sample some of their brunch items in addition to their classics.  For those who don't know, Rendezvous Pub has been around since 1983 and it was pretty much a traditional pub until it changed ownership last year.  The menu has gone through some changes and they are modernizing the place a little bit at a time.  We showed up on a Sunday morning and the place was pretty busy.

The reason for this is their brunch menu and the incredibly affordable RP House Special for only $8.00!  This came with 2 eggs, choice of meat, hashbrowns and choice of toast.  As you can see, the eggs were perfectly sunny side up while the toast was lightly brown but still crispy.  The ample side of hashbrowns were fried beautifully where the outside was crispy and seasoned whereas the inside was still fluffy.  The two sausage links had a crispy exterior with a meaty interior.

As much as the eggs in the Triple Meat Omelette were pretty much cooked through, the size of this thing combined with the generous amount of meat inside made this very hearty.  I would find it hard for anyone to actually finish this easily.  Just for good measure, there was a good amount of melted cheese on top too.  Add in the large amount of the same crispy and seasoned hashbrowns, this was a lot of food for $15.50.

The Blackstone Benedict looked great on the menu and at first looked even better when it arrived at our table.  From the properly toasted English muffins to the crispy bacon and fresh tomatoes, this had so much potential.  Yes, we found the same great hashbrowns too.  Creamy and rich, the Hollandaise was solid too.  So what was wrong?  The poached eggs were completely cooked through.  Their kitchen was pretty busy, so maybe just a one-off.

Onto the happy hour menu (it is all day Sunday), we had some of the Wings in both Salt & Pepper and Caribbean Jerk for $12.00 each.  Most places charge $20.00 for wings these days, so this was pretty inexpensive.  These were crispy with rendered skin.  The meat was a little on the dry side, but still ok.  I felt the salt and pepper could've used a bit more pepper.  The jerk was pretty tasty with very mild spice.

Originally, we ordered the Breakfast Poutine, but what came out was the RP's Poutine instead.  No matter, it was pretty good with crispy Cavendish-type fries (the starch-coated kind).  There was a considerable amount of gravy, which was fine by me.  It coated every fry with good viscosity and also a balanced saltiness.  There was also enough cheese curds where most of them were melted.  Yes, most people would prefer some non-melted pieces of cheese curds, but this was still fine.

Also on their happy hour menu, we found a selection of pizzas and of course we went for the Meat Lover's Pizza for $16.00.  This featured a thin crust that was decent, especially for a pub. It was crispy throughout and not cardboard-like.  On top, they didn't skimp with the tomato sauce, meat and cheese.  There was so much pepperoni, bacon and ham, there was not one bite without a mess of it in our mouths.  Tomato sauce was quite good being tangy and a bit sweet.

Going with another classic pub offering, we had the Fish & Chips.  This featured two beer battered pieces of cod and the same crispy starch-covered fries.  This was really good, not only for a pub, but good for even a fish & chips joint.  The fish was moist and flaky while coated with a thin and crispy batter.  It wasn't greasy at all and the batter was nicely salted.  The side of tartar was creamy and tangy while the coleslaw was refreshing being the vinegar version.

Being in a pub, one must also try the burger too, so we got the Southern Dynamic Duo featuring 2 beef patties with double cheddar, jalapenos, onion rings, bacon and BBQ sauce on brioche.  Yah, this was fully loaded and despite the patties being the generic frozen variety, it ate quite well.  The meat was juicy and still had a meaty texture.  This was so loaded with different textures and tastes, it was quite the flavour bomb.  We got some Garlic Parmesan Fries on the side, and they were pretty loaded with parm and came with garlic aioli on the side.

One of our favourite items of the meal was the Rueben.  Yes, this was not complex where it was about construction and the individual components more than anything else.  Well, they had all of the right things including corned beef, Swiss, sauerkraut and Dijon on marbled rye.  Yes, they didn't put Thousand Island dressing in this, but I prefer the mustard anyways.  Bread was a soft rye and had some nuttiness.  So overall, the food at Rendezvous Pub is pretty good with all things considered.  Pricing is reasonable and portions are large.  Maybe a few items could've used a few tweaks, but the place was pretty packed and I'm sure the kitchen was slammed.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Generally solid food

- Well-priced

- Large portions

The Bad:

- A few things could've been less cooked through

Skye Avenue - Kitchen & Lounge

For awhile, I knew that Skye Avenue had replaced the long-standing Central City Brewing at Surrey Central.  However, I just never made it out there to see what it was all about.  It wasn't until Executive Chef Bal (of Desi Lounge in Downtown Vancouver) raved about the burger at Skye Avenue, that piqued my interest.  So when Nikita and Bluebeard wanted to meet up for some eats and they suggested that Skye Avenue be one of the options, I totally agreed to meet them there. 

We arrived in time for their Happy Hour and in addition to getting some drink specials, we also started with a few food specials as well.  Instead of the usual ball shape, the Mushroom Arancini arrived as a rectangle slab.  I thought it was nicely crispy, but the inside was rather mushy.  It did have good flavour in the earthiness of mushroom and smokiness of eggplant puree.  In actual balls, the Smoked Salmon Croquettes were also a bit mushy inside too.  Yet, most croquettes are made with potato, so that was to be expected.  There was a smoky saltines to them and there was a bit of tartar sauce in the middle.

We got 2 more specials in the Wagyu Carpaccio and Prime Rib Slider.  We found the carpaccio to be a competent plate with thinly sliced and tender beef.  It was topped with flaked salt, aged pecorino, truffle aioli, arugula and some aged balsamic.  Again, it as pleasant enough but the focaccia that came with it was horrible.  It was hard and very dense.  As for the slider, it was excellent with a soft toasted bun, horseradish aioli, fontina cheese, crispy onions and au jus.  The beef itself was super tender and there was no absence of flavour and texture.  Should've gotten a few of these!

Onto the mains, Bluebeard and I shared the Lobster Cobb Salad as well as the burger.  As you can see with the salad, there was no absence of lobster meat.  It was at its bouncy and springy best with natural sweetness and brininess.  It featured tender butter lettuce, ripe avocado, cherry tomatoes, custardy soft-boiled egg and gorgonzola cheese.  I thought this was a very good salad with excellent components.

Now for the Chef's Burger, it was comprised of an 8oz organic grass fed house-ground patty.  That way, it could be prepared so it wasn't cooked to a crisp.  It was super juicy, meaty in flavour and of course tender.  It was topped with fontina, truffle aioli and crunchy onions all on a brioche bun.  Chef Bal was right, this burger had it all, a juicy patty, texture from the onions and a soft brioche bun.  Even the side of fries were really good being crispy with lots of creamy potatoness inside.

Viv wasn't very creative and also ordered a burger in the Fresh Sockeye Burger.  This featured a 5oz chermoula-marinated salmon patty with mango salsa, pickled coleslaw and tartare sauce on a charred leek bun.  So with all those tasty ingredients, the flavours were impactful.  We had sweetness, tanginess and brightness on the crispy and smoky bun.  However, the main ingredient, which was the salmon, was rather dry.  Being sockeye, I wasn't surprised as the meat is leaner and would dry out easier.  It did taste good though.

Lastly, Nikita had the Gluten-Free Margherita Flat Bread.  For a gluten-free crust, it was pretty good being crispy and not too dense.  The tomato sauce was bright and tangy while there was more than enough fior di latte on top for impact.  We also found some fresh basil, but would've preferred it added after the fact.  Overall, Skye Avenue is a competent restaurant with some real highlights.  The decor is quite nice and the service is top-notch.  I do believe a few refinements are here and there.

The Good:

- That burger!

- Nice decor

- Great service

The Bad:

- A few refinements needed

H2 Kitchen & Bar (Sunday Supper)

It has been a minute since I've last visited H2 Kitchen & Bar nestled within the Westin Bayshore hotel.  They've gone through a few iterations with the current setup being a casual dining spot with a BBQ focus.  I've had that a few times now and it has been pretty solid, especially for a hotel restaurant (that are usually not known for thinking out-of-the-box).  This time around, we were here for their Sunday Supper Series and to have a few of their other items on the menu.  This is not the first time I've tried their Sunday Supper, as they used to have a family-style menu.  Now they feature a 3-course meal for only $43.00!

For the first course, there is an option of either the Caesar Salad or Chicken Corn Chowder.  We went for the chowder because I've also had that before and it was great!  Topped with a piece of puffed pastry, the large bowl was packed with delicate corn niblets that burst with intense sweetness and tender pulp.  There was a wealth of chicken that was moist and tender.  As for the broth itself, the viscosity was on the thinner side, but fine by us since it wasn't overly heavy.  It was sweet, a bit creamy and spot-on with the salt content.

The featured plate for the Sunday Supper was the Cherry Cola Braised Short Rib with celeriac polenta, pickled gem tomato and charred broccolini.  Compared to some of the past featured mains, this was one of the more appealing offerings.  The large piece of boneless short rib was for tender and succulent.  A bit sweet and full of umami, it really took on the flavours of the braise.  Rich and creamy, the polenta had some aggressive seasoning (which was good).  Broccolini was vibrant with a fresh crunch.

For dessert, we had the Roasted Apple Cheesecake with shortbread crust, roasted apples, oat crumble, vanilla ice cream and brandy snap.  This was a pretty dense cheesecake and we weren't surprised as it was New York style.  Plenty of baked cream cheese flavor with balanced sweetness.  Loved the roasted apple on top as it added a sweet fruitiness.  It was mixed with oat crumble which added texture as well as nuttiness.  The vanilla ice cream wasn't completely necessary, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Of course we didn't just have the Sunday Supper and call it a day...  We also had some other dishes including the Firecracker Shrimp.  This was more about the crunchy batter (must've had rice flour) than anything else.  It held up to the sweet, tangy and spicy sauce nicely.  The Buffalo Wings were okay, but really needed more sauce.  The meat was moist and the batter was still crispy, but there was a lack of moisture and flavour to the dish.

With a bevy of legit cheese curds, the Waffle Fries Poutine was pretty good.  First off, the waffle fries were crispy while still maintaining a soft potato texture.  They topped it with a balanced gravy that wasn't too salty, but had enough flavour though.  Just like it should be, the cheese curds weren't completely melted, so we go that squeak.  Not pictured was the side of brisket, that should've been on top of the poutine.  When we added it, there was much more body and layers of meatiness.

From the Happy Hour menu, we selected the Fish Taco as well as the Burnt End Sliders.  The fish taco was pretty solid where the piece of flaky fish was rather large and coated with a crispy batter.  The usual condiments were there.  Really loved the sliders where the meat was tender but had candied bark that was smoky and sweet.  A slice of pickle helped add some acidity while the Hawaiian buns were soft and sweet.

So we couldn't not order something from their BBQ menu right?  I've had their larger combo platters before, but we had to get something smaller since we had so much food already.  Therefore, we settled on the CAB Smoked Brisket with mac & cheese and market vegetables.  This plate was generous with 2 thick slices of brisket.  Although it looked dry at first, the meat was decently moist and completely fork tender.  We chose the O.G. H2 BBQ Sauce and it was smoky, sweet and tangy.  Veggies were still crunchy while cooked through.  Mac was al dente with lots of real cheese, but we would've liked to see more cheese sauce for moisture.

Looking enormous with 2 crispy strips of bacon, the Whiskey BBQ Burger was delicious.  The well-seared beef patty was crispy and smoky on the outside while still being fairly moist on the inside.  The aged cheddar provided some smokiness while the bacon did the same as well as adding some crunch.  A few tempura-battered onion rings provided even more crunch.  This was all sandwiched in a toasted brioche bun.

We ended up with the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich as well since I wanted to reminisce about my fried chicken sandwich IG account (that I no longer update due to bad cholesterol...  LOL).  This was a serviceable version with a generous amount of juicy chicken coated in a crunchy batter.  We found the heat level to be rather mild though.  Bun was soft with crispy surface areas while the slaw was crunchy and fresh.

We ended up ordering 2 drinks including the Gin in the Garden and the Fig & Strawberry Spritz.  Really enjoyed the first drink as it was refreshing and light with floral notes.  The second was a mocktail and was also floral with some tang.  We added a second dessert in the Banana Pudding Jar.  Despite my reservations about anything banana for dessert, this was actually fantastic.  Much better than the cheesecake.  Purposefully sweet and aromatic custard with fresh bananas.  This was yet another solid meal at H2 Kitchen & Bar where the food is much more casual than fine dining.  As you can probably tell, the dishes are comforting and generous in portion size.  Great for a date but also for the family as well.  The Sunday Supper deal is particularly a great value.

 

*Partial comp on the food and beverages for this blog post*

 

The Good:

- Sunday Supper 3-course meal is a great value

- Considering the portion size, it is a good value

- Nice dining space

 

The Bad:

- Wings were so-so

- Cheesecake a little too dense

Burger Bender @ Match Eatery & Public House (Delta)

There are many things I look forward to each year.  These include Summer holidays (and usually a trip somewhere), taking off my winter rims and switching to Summer rims, Birthday dinner(s) and Match's Burger Bender (from Jan 16th to Feb 23rd) .  Wait.  Really???  Yes, as I've said many times, I enjoy the burgers at Match (also their wings) and I honestly look forward to their new burger creations every year.  This time around, they have 5 offerings with 2 hold-overs and one that has been voted by customers as the best for 2 years - the French Onion Big Dipper.

So let's talk about the French Onion Big Dipper first as it is also my favourite as well!  That might shock some people since they know my aversion to raw onions.  If you know me well, I actually don't mind onions, when they are cooked right.  For this burger, they are completely caramelized and for the ones in the dip, they are super delicious and add depth and sweetness.  The burger itself features their thick moist patty that is evenly seared.  This adds nuttiness and smokiness.  They put a large breaded onion ring into it as well as melted slices of Swiss.  The key to this burger is the French onion soup dip on the side.  It is not overly salty and has all of the rich flavors of sweet onion.  One dunk of the burger and the toasted brioche soaks it up and it becomes a flavor bomb of umaminess.  Delicious.

Now for the other returning burger, it is the Mighty Mushroom.  This is a pretty classic mushroom burger with the same 6oz chuck beef smashed patty.  It is not the thin type of patty you might be thinking of as it is thick and plenty juicy inside.  However, it does have the crispy edges of a typical smash patty.  I find that they properly season the meat while not making it super salty, so you can taste the meatiness.  They top this patty with sauteed crimini and button mushrooms along with Boursin cheese.  As you can imagine, this is plenty strong with bursts of umaminess.  A touch of dijonnaise helps add a bit of zing to keep things from being too bogged down with heaviness.

One of the new burgers that I think will be a fan favourite is the Crispy Chicken Bacon Mac & Cheese.  Yes, that is quite the mouthful and in fact, literally as well.  It is hard to fit this thing into my mouth!  The base of this burger is the fried chicken breast which I'm happy to report is moist and not dry.  The batter is relatively thin, properly seasoned and crispy.  Topped that off with crispy smoky bacon and some non-offensive mac n' cheese, we have a tasty concoction.  Now let me clarify what I mean by "non-offensive".  Sometimes, when people shove more carbs into a carb heavy sandwich already, it bogs everything down.  They put just enough of it that you know it is there without thinking you are actually eating the dish.

Okay, when I first looked at the Mr. Rib, it gave me some McRib vibes.  However, it is nothing like the McD's versions as the piece of rib is actually pork ribs without the bones!  So no formed ground pork patty here, it is real meat. Furthermore, it is tender fall-off-the-bone meat (hence no bone) which is very easy to eat and a bit smoky.  I think a bit more tangy and smoky BBQ sauce is needed to give it that messy deliciousness.  There are the obligatory sliced onions and pickles to give some bite and zing to the heaviness of the pork.  As much as the toasted bun is fine, I think a softer roll is necessary to keep the sandwich from being too dense.

Lastly, the Brooklyn Deli is really a burger with a corned beef sandwich surrounding it.  So same 6oz patty with corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss on an "everything bagel" brioche bun.  This is pretty solid with the corned beef sammie vibes coming through.  I think that it needs more corned beef because it got a bit lost in the smoky meatiness of the charred burger patty.  Otherwise, still very good, especially with some mustard!  So there you have it, another year of Burger Bender with the excellent French Onion Big Dipper and Mighty Mushroom.  I think the best of the new ones is the Crispy Chicken Bacon Mac & Cheese.  That is a massive burger which is hits all of the high notes.  Get them before February 23rd!  Oh get some wings too, they are great as well!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- The French Onion Big Dipper
- Crispy Chicken Bacon Mac & Cheese
- For the sides, get the Breaded Onion Rings or Tater Tots!

The Bad:
- Maybe the bun could be softer for the Mr. Rib
- More corned beef for the Brooklyn Deli?

Tap & Barrel (The Amazing Brentwood)

For all the chain restaurants we have in town, one of my favourites is Tap & Barrel.  I find that their food is pretty good and the pricing is reasonable.  Sure, it isn't as fancy as Cactus Club nor Earl's, but it isn't trying to be either.  With that being said, I find that I enjoy their Shipyards and Bridges locations the best.  Now there is one a lot closer to me at The Amazing Brentwood.  So will this be my new favourite location?  Well, we made 2 visits to see if that would be the case.

For our first visit, we actually came for brunch and hence, it was only logical that we had the Double Bacon Benny with crispy potatoes.  Although the English muffin was a bit too toasted, it was somewhat softened by the adequate amount of creamy Hollandaise.  The addition of Cajun spice helped break-up the butteriness.  The poached eggs were nicely runny and the bacon was meaty and not overly crispy.  However, the potatoes were crispy and soft inside.

We also had the Croque Madame with toasted brioche, white cheddar, prosciutto, sunny side egg, truffle bechamel and parsley.  Since they used brioche, this ate much more lightly than regular bread.  It was lightly toasted, so it was still somewhat fluffy inside.  The truffle bechamel was creamy and nicely earthy.  On top, the sunny side egg was runny and it provided even more moisture to the bread.

For myself, I had to get my favourite item here - the PB&J Burger!  I've had my fair share of burgers with peanut butter, but this one is the best I've had.  The savoury and creamy nuttiness was perfectly balanced by the salty and sweet bacon jam.  So much flavour packed into this and the addition of chipotle in the peanut butter only added another layer of flavour.  Also, the beef patty was crispy on the outside and moist in the middle.  This all sat within a soft toasted brioche.

We ordered some appies for the table including Chicken Strips and Waffle Fries as well as Salt & Pepper Wings.  Coated in a crispy breading, the chicken tenders were moist inside.  We opted for the waffle fries and they were crispy.  As for the wings, they were fried enough that the skin was rendered.  The meat was not exactly juicy, but it wasn't overly dry either.  There was enough salt to flavour the wings.

For both visits, we had the Steak Frites.  However, the first version was with a 7oz Sirloin ($34.50) while the second was with the 10oz Prime Rib Medallion ($42.95).  Both came with a peppercorn sauce, arugula salad and of course fries.  The peppercorn sauce was really good being creamy (even creamier the second time) and flavourful.  If I had to compare the steaks, it was predictable that the ribeye was more flavourful and a bit more tender.  With that being said, the sirloin was also tender, but just not as much as the ribeye.  Both were cooked to medium-rare as requested.

Since they have a whole section dedicated to their pizzas, we had to get one in the form of the Hawaiian Heat.  As the name suggests, this was a combination of roasted pineapple, bacon, smoked mozzarella, jalapeño mayo, lime and pomodoro sauce.  It had all of the qualities of a Hawaiian pizza with its sweet and saltiness as well as smokiness, tanginess and of course spice.  The crust itself was decent with a crispy bottom and edges.

One of the more under-the-radar appies was the Crispy Humboldt Squid.  it didn't look like much, but the pieces of squid were tender while the outside was lightly battered and crispy.  It was well-seasoned where the jalapeno mayo added some tangy spice.  We ordered the Seafood Chowder primarily for my daughter.  She thought it was decent, but a bit thin and lacking in ingredients.  For the items that were in the soup, the clams, cod, potatoes and corn were good though.  The addition of Old Bay seasoning gave it some some salty spiciness.

She continued the theme of seafood with the Caper Dill Salmon with featuring oven-roasted steelhead, caper dill aioli, crispy potatoes, asparagus, dill and parsley.  The salmon looked great from the outside, but ultimately, it was overdone.  It wasn't to the point of being dry, but it was no longer moist.  It was properly seasoned though while the sauce was creamy and full of dill.  Crispy potatoes were like the ones from brunch.

My son went for the Porcini-Crusted Beef Dip featuring Certified Angus beef, truffle jack cheese, tiger horseradish sauce,

caramelized onions, French onion jus and crispy onions.  This was quite good with a toasted baguette that kept everything intact while absorbing the jus to its fullest.  Hence, there was plenty of sweetness and rich savouriness to go with the tender beef.  Due to the addition of truffle cheese and porcini, there was plenty of earthiness as well.  Side of tater tots were super crispy.

For myself, I had the West Coast Clubhouse with a side of the same seafood chowder.  This very large sandwich had plenty of tomatoes and arugula as you can see in the picture.  there was also tender grilled chicken breast, crispy bacon, aged white cheddar, smashed avocado and charred fresno aioli.  All of this made for a hearty sandwich that hit all of the flavour notes.  This could've almost been called a melt because the brioche was buttered and grilled on the flattop.  Although rather messy to eat due to the greasiness, the sandwich was excellent and I would order it again.  Overall, the food at Tap & Barrel Brentwood was pretty good. Definitely more of a casual vibe and also a bit less expensive than Earl's.  Earl's is more elevated, but then you are paying for it too.

The Good:

- Decent eats

- Expansive dining space on the 2nd floor

- Reasonable pricing

The Bad:

- Food lags behind Earl's and Cactus Club (but costs a little less)