Avishan Persian Restaurant

After the first time I had visited Avishan out in Langley, the food continues to occupy a space in my mind.  The meats were prepared with such precision and the flavours, oh they were impactful and delicious!  Not to mention the generous portions as well as the friendly service provided by the staff.  What a little gem in the heart of Langley City.  I've been wanting to do a return visit for quite some time and coincidentally, I was invited back!  Well, they didn't have to ask me twice!

Upon sitting down, we were served the obligatory Black Tea with sugar cube on the side.  This is typical of Persian culture to offer guests some tea before anything else.  This was a nice start to the meal.  Just like last time, I had to go for the Kash Bademjan (Eggplant Dip) to kick things off.  Consisting of mashed grilled eggplant topped with whey sauce, sauteed onion, garlic and mint, this was a veritable flavour bomb.  Lots of tanginess from the whey complimented by the earthiness of turmeric.  The eggplant itself had a bit of smokiness and was almost creamy.  The chopped walnuts provided some texture to the dish.

When we look at a menu and see Chicken Wings, we might consider it a default item.  You know, something that all menus must have so that they are appealing to as many people as possible.  However, these were no ordinary fried chicken wings doused in some form of hot sauce.  Rather these were grilled and exhibited intense smokiness and caramelized flavours.  They were super flavourful and the meat was still quite juicy.  The skin was nice charred and somewhat rendered.

If you wanted a variety of meats, the best dish to get here (in my opinion) is the Vaziri.  This consisted of one each of a Koobideh and Grilled Chicken kebab. Made of ground lamb, the koobideh was juicy and tender with the unmistakable gaminess of lamb.  It was well-seasoned and spiced where the sweetness of the onions came through as well as the earthiness of the turmeric.  As for the chicken, it had some nice charring and the meat itself was tender.  It wasn't juicy per se, but not dry either.

It was suggested we try the Ribeye Steak.  Well, I wasn't really sure about that, but was pleasantly surprised that it came out perfectly medium-rare (close to rare, it is how I like it).  The steak had a nice char and it was well-rested.  The result was tender meat that wasn't oozing out juices.  This paired well with the saffron rice as well as the barberries with their tangy sweetness.  Considering how expensive steak is these days, it was a great value at only $39.99.

Normally, I'm not a fan of ordering Salmon Kebabs because they are usually overdone and flavourless.  However, this one completely impressed me because not only was the salmon moist and flaky, it was also completely seasoned with smokiness.  The salmon was so juicy that you can literally see the moisture on the wood cutting board.  This, like the other dishes, was served with saffron rice, salad and grilled tomato.

The last time I was at Avishan, I really wanted to have what Bluebeard was having - The Braised Lamb Shank.  But I was enjoying lamb chops already...  This time around, we did get the lamb shank and oh it was fantastic.  Fall-off-the-bone and super moist with the usual lamb gaminess.  It was well-seasoned and took on the sweetness of the onions and aroma of the roasted garlic.  This has to be one of the best dishes here amongst many great dishes.

Onto the sweets, we had the Cake of the Day, which was Pistachio Cake as well as the Saffron Ice Cream.  The cake looked fantastic and despite some harder parts on the exterior, the inside was moist and nutty.  Not too sweet and ate actually rather light with the fresh cream.  As for the ice cream, it was a touch icy, but plenty aromatic and purposefully sweet.  A nice finish to an absolutely delicious meal.  If you haven't been to Avishan, I suggest you do.  Sure, it is in Langley, but if you are heading out there, make it a destination.

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

The Good:
- Delicious well-prepared food
- Well-portioned
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Dining space is small, so make a rez or you need to wait

 

Adrian's At The Airport

Here we go with another restaurant in a strange location.  You know the type, ones that you'd find in a back alley, in a residential area, at a gas station etc...  We made our way to one of these in Adrian's at the Airport.  As the name suggests, Adrian's is located at the Langley Regional Airport.  This is not the first time I've visited a restaurant at a small airport before.  I've been to Skyhawk out at Boundary Bay Airport quite a few years back.  This time around, this was Nikita's suggestion and we love coming out to Langley for some food adventures with her and Bluebeard.

Looking over the menu, there is quite the variety with pastas, schnitzels and steak.  However, it had a prominent Greek flavour to it and as such, we started with the Calamari.  This featured a fairly light batter that was properly seasoned, but was a touch greasy. The squid itself was a touch chewy, yet it wasn't hard to eat either.  I would've preferred bigger pieces of squid though.  I did like the Tzatziki as it was creamy, tangy, garlicky and bright.

Usually, when we order Dry Ribs, they are small bites of riblets that usually aren't that tender.  However, the version here was actually chunks of baby back ribs!  Yes, not only were they meaty and tender (with a balanced amount of fat), the texture was what you expect out of ribs. The other places, the meat is too lean and hence just eats like dry pork.  These were juicy and well-seasoned while crispy on the outside.  I would gladly order these over and over again!

For my main, I went for the Mushroom Schnitzel accompanied by veggies, red cabbage and roast potatoes.  The decently-sized pork cutlet was crispy and tender with a thick mushroom gravy on top. The meat was a touch on the drier side, but he gravy really helped alleviate that with savouriness and umaminess. I liked eating it with the sweet and tangy cabbage as it cut through the richness.  I found the veggies to be cooked quite well where they weren't overdone.

Viv went a classic Greek dish in the Chicken Souvlaki consisting of 2 skewers, Greek salad, rice pilaf, roast potatoes and pita bread.  Sporting a nice char, but not burnt, the chicken was smoky and seasoned.  Being chicken breast, it was predictably a bit on the drier side.  However, the side of Tzatziki was there for a reason.  We found the salad to be really fresh while the rice was fluffy and also seasoned.  Although the potatoes were tender, we wished they were lemon potatoes instead.

For Bluebeard, he also went for a Greek dish in the Moussaka.  I was actually deciding between that the schnitzel and so was Bluebeard.  The solution was to just share our plates!  That we did and I thought the Moussaka was quite good with a creamy bechamel (that wasn't stiff) and layers of tender eggplant and potato with plenty of meat. The meat sauce was a bit tangy, but I would've liked to some more cinnamon and the bechamel could've had more nutmeg.  Otherwise, this was still a very solid version.

Nikita ended up with the NY Steak with the same sides as the other dishes.  It had some pretty good grill marks and hence it was smoky and caramelized.  She asked for medium-rare and it came out more medium.  It was still tender though and was properly rested.  Overall, the food at Adrian's is definitely fresh and feels home-made. It isn't fancy food, but it is comforting and is a great place for the family or friends to meet up.  There is a wide variety of dishes and portion sizes are good as well.

The Good:
- Things are generally well-executed
- Well-portioned
- Friendly service

The Bad:
- Food isn't fancy per se, so people have to have reasonable expectations that this is comfort
food
- On our visit, it seemed like many of the cocktails weren't available

The Lodge Steakhouse

"Did you want to try The Lodge Steakhouse in Langley?" asked Nikita one day.  I was totally game as I love venturing into the burbs for food.  I wondered where it was located and she replied, "It is above an ice rink and curling facility".  That totally confused me because I equate restaurants above or attached to an ice rink as mostly a pub or a bar.  However, when we arrived, the steakhouse was nicely appointed and had class.  Super interesting location where they share the washrooms with the actual bar on the other side of the building.  A bit too bright for a steakhouse (as it is hard to see the doneness of the steak), but a nice change from the usually dark dining rooms.

Service was great and we got things started with a few appies including the Beef Carpaccio and the Tuna Stack.  The plating with the carpaccio left a bit to be desired, but ultimately, they were both very good!  The beef carpaccio featured peppercorn and all spice-crusted tenderloin, arugula, grana padano, olive oil and spicy mayo.  Despite the massive amount of mayo, the beef carpaccio ate well with tender thin slices of beef that were a bit peppery.  The mayo added moisture and a bit of spice.  As for the tuna stack. the large chunks of ahi tuna were fresh and buttery.  The togarashi spiced wasabi aioli and yuzu vinaigrette completely flavoured this dish including the buttery and ripe avocado.  Loved the crispy tapioca crisps that went with this.

I actually returned with a friend sometime later and had the Salt Spring Island Mussels as well as the Strawberry Pecan Salad.  Plump and cooked perfectly, the mussels were bathed in a heavy cream broth with white wine, garlic and thyme.  Many places these days do not use cream and the broth ends up being quite thin.  This one adhered to each mussel which meant all of the great flavours were front and centre.  Loved the airy grilled bread on the side.  It was light and soaked up the broth beautifully.  As for the salad, the picture only represents a half-portion as we split it into 2 plates.  It was bright and fresh with ripe strawberries and tangy vinaigrette.

For both meals here, we had the 12oz Ribeye that included vegetables and a choice of side.  As stated on the menu, this steak would be charred and that is truly was.  Excellent grill marks and smokiness all around.  Inside, it was perfectly medium-rare and juicy exhibiting classic ribeye meatiness.  It was also well seasoned and topped with a compound butter.  We added peppercorn sauce on the side and it was creamy with of course, peppery notes.  We had the Truffle Mac n' Cheese as a side and although it was plenty cheesy with truffle, it ate quite dry and needed some form of bechamel to keep things creamy.

During the first visit, we tried both the 10oz New York Striploin and 8oz Tenderloin as well.  Despite both being tender in their own way (the striploin had more chew while the tenderloin was buttery soft), the flavours and overall textures were not as good as the ribeye.  The charring and seasoning were just as impactful though.  We had Mashed Potatoes for both and it was excellent.  It was potatoey while smooth and creamy with plenty of seasoning.  The veggies were still crunchy, yet cooked all the way through.

Even though the Lobster Spaghetti rings in at $55.00, I knew I just had to order it.  Good choice really because the lobster bisque-like sauce was aromatic, briny and sweet.  Hidden within, there was a wealth of moist bouncy pieces of lobster (and it wasn't just claw meat either).  The pasta itself could've been more al dente, but it was still delicate and buttery.  The same grilled bread was perfect for soaking up the residual sauce.

Despite looking like a well-composed fine-dining dish, the Sea Scallop Risotto was a complete miss.  First of all, the well-seared scallops were totally overdone.  Texturally, they were chewy and dense.  Probably some of the worst seared scallops I've had in quite some time.  As for the risotto, it didn't fare much better.  I found it overcooked and a bit too saucy.  It did taste good though with enough seasoning and cheesiness.

As much as we regretted ordering the scallops, the Brown Butter Sablefish totally flipped the narrative.  It was expertly-prepared being buttery and flaky while sporting somewhat crispy skin and enough salt.  However, the charred and sauteed asparagus, baby potatoes, grape tomatoes, edamame and mushrooms were no slouch either.  Exhibiting smokiness and being well-seasoned, the veggies were not overdone either.  That bourbon maple brown butter was super delicious and complimented the dish with a sweet nutty butteriness.  Of note, they actually delivered our dish to the wrong table, but instead of serving us that particular dish, they cooked up a new one (very professional).

In addition to the truffle mac n' cheese and the mash potatoes, we tried 2 more sides in the Broccolini and the Truffle Fries.  As you can see, the broccolini was still vibrant and had a nice crunch.  It was well-salted.  The fries were quite good (I've had them twice already) being crispy with lots of potato creaminess in the middle.  Just enough truffle oil added to the mix too.  This was also well-salted.  In both visits, we didn't opt for any dessert because the options were pretty standard.  Who knows, maybe we are missing out.  Overall, the food at The Lodge is above-average.  Sure, some things could be better, but there are more things good than bad.  Pricing is fair and things are well-portioned.  I would be open to coming back for a third visit.

The Good:
- Well-charred and cooked steaks
- Well-portioned
- Service is friendly

The Bad:
- That sea scallop risotto was not good
- Mac n' Cheese was too dry

Sunday Brunch at Coast Langley City Convention Centre

Yes, AYCE or buffets are making a comeback in the Lower Mainland!  If you have paid attention, there are more options now than we have had for the last 10 years.  I've already gone over the reasons in previous posts, so I'm not going to repeat it here.  However, I will say that despite the prevalence of AYCE options, there are not many affordable and good Sunday Brunch buffets in the GVRD.  Well, I think we might have a winner in the Coast Langley City Convention Centre (or CLC).  They turn their ballroom into a huge Sunday Brunch Buffet costing $44.95 for adults and $21.95 for kids (up to 12 years old). We were invited to try the Easter Brunch (which was a bit more for $49.95) to see for ourselves if this buffet was worth the money.  

The one thing that struck me right away was the many different food stations.  The first was the Sushi where there was a selection of maki as well as freshly torched aburi nigiri.  For a buffet (that isn't an Asian one), the sushi was more than respectable.  Rice was chewy and not overdone while the ingredients were fresh.  There were more cooked versions of sushi, but I'm sure they were trying to satisfy all tastes.

They also had the basic Breakfast Items but with a twist.  For instance, the scrambled eggs were folded with cottage cheese and chives.  Even their sausages were a cut above the usual with large country pork and lean turkey.  There was thick strips of double-smoked bacon and herb-spiced hash browns.  Nearby the breaky things, there was chilled whole shrimp, prawn cocktail and mussels.

Moving onto the hot Main Dishes, we had a selection that included Salmon & Cod Thermidor, Roasted Turkey & Stuffing, Beef Marsala, Westcoast Paella, Mascarpone-Whipped Potatoes and Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Root Vegetables.  Really enjoyed the fish as it was not overdone (impressive for a buffet) and was sitting in an aromatic lobster cream sauce.  The turkey was moist and came with all the fixins'.  Wasn't a fan of the paella as the rice was dry and bland.  The seafood was excellent though.  Beef marsala was pretty tasty with rich flavours and tender beef.

Over at the Carvery, we found perfectly medium-rare Angus Roast Beef, Honey Ham, Chicken & Waffles, Mini-Pancakes and French Toast.  Loved the beef as it was exactly how I like it being tender and still juicy.  Buttermilk fried chicken was certainly crunchy and still moist inside.  Made-to-order waffles were crispy and light.  Those little pancakes were easy to eat and great for kiddies.

One of the best features of this buffet has to be their Eggs Benedict Station.  Yes, they make it to order and there are 4 options including Cajun shrimp, smoked salmon, honey ham and spinach & mushroom.  We got them all and they featured runny egg yolks and a silky champagne Hollandaise.  I would've liked to see the English muffin toasted more, but honestly, what a great effort for a buffet.

Right next to the eggs benny was the Pasta Station.  Yep, this was also made-to-order and featured 3 choices including Spaghetti with meat sauce, Rotini with pesto and Rotini with spicy sausage.  Yes, the pasta was already par-cooked and need to be reheated, but it still turned out al dente.  The fact that the pasta was not sitting in a chaffing tray meant it was ideal in texture and the flavours were activated from the toss in a hot pan.  Really solid offering for a buffet.

The last made-to-order station was the Omelette Bar on the opposite side as the Benny bar.  We could have custom omelettes with ingredients that included ham, mushrooms, bacon, tomatoes, peppers, cheese, spinach and green onions.  As you can see on the plate (with the salads), the egg was just barely cooked through.  That ensured the eggs would be fluffy and just a little runny inside.  Perfect!

If you are fan of Desserts, they didn't disappoint with 4 different tables including Easter-themed treats (with some Charcuterie as well), dessert jars and creme brulee, fruit and cakes as well as a chocolate fountain.  You really could find something here for everyone.  Unless you are so dessert savant, you wouldn't be able to eat one of everything either.  So there you have it, an extensive Sunday Brunch Buffet that I think is worth the money.  They have their Mother's Day Sunday Brunch coming up for $49.95 (adults), $39.95 (seniors) and $29.95 (children).  The menu will be slightly different as they change it up often.

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

The Good:

- Fairly large selection with many made-to-order stations

- Decent quality

- Large space

The Bad:

- I would've liked to see at least one more seafood option

Rendezvous Pub

It's not often I head to the pub for a tasting, let alone an ol' skool pub out in Langley.  But hang on here, there is a twist to this visit though.  You see, the ownership has changed and they are in the process of altering the look of the place as well as the menu.  So I accompanied Roanna and Eileen to see for ourselves.  Now the outside doesn't look much different, but there have been subtle changes to the interior without taking about the "pub" vibe.

As for the menu, I'll get to that in a bit, but I'll talk about some of the drinks first.  From left-to-right, we had the Jolly Rancher, Mango Daiquiri, Rendezvous Fishbowl and the CoronaRita.  My favourite was the CoronaRita as the sweetness and tanginess helped balance the Corona.  Also enjoyed the mango daiquiri as it was balanced, where the rum wasn't overpowering.  The Jolly Rancher was sweet as expected, but did have quite a boozy kick.

Onto the food, we started with a pub classic with the Salt & Pepper Dry Ribs.  I liked how these were in fairly large pieces, which allowed them to be juicy inside despite deep-fried to crispy goodness on the outside.  There was enough seasoning for them to stand on their own, but the ribs were extra tasty when dipped into the soy chili.  A second option was the garlic lime spinach-infused mayo.  Personally, I enjoyed the soy dip more.

Next up was the Garlic Prawns sauteed in white wine with garlic, tomatoes and green onions.  This was pretty good where the prawns were delicate with a snap texture.  Lots of buttery garlic goodness where the garlic bread was the perfect vessel to soak it all up.  Personally, I could've done without the green onions as I believe they obscure the delicate flavour of the prawns.  But I get it, the green looks nice.

So I had mixed emotions with RP's Wonton Soup.    It is because they were just too generous with the components.  I mean, look at it, you can't even see the soup.  There was a bevy of cabbage, carrots and red/green peppers.  I thought the peppers dominated the flavour profile just a bit too much.  On the other hand, the wontons were pretty good with a juicy pork filling.  Hidden within, large tiger prawns were to be found as well.

Off their happy hour menu, we got Butter Me Up, which was naan topped with house-made butter chicken covered with melted cheese.  This ate a bit like pizza bread as the naan was on the thicker side and quite fluffy.  I found the butter chicken to be partially obscured by the considerable amount of cheese.  I did get the tangy creaminess though with a bit of spice.

Onto the mains, we started with the Route 56 Burger with bacon, Monterey Jack cheese, jalapenos, LTOP and mayo on toasted brioche.  This was a solid burger despite the premade burger patty.  It was nicely seared while still being moist.  The bacon was crispy and the produce was fresh.  I liked how the bun was toasted properly as it crispy with a soft and warm interior.  Fries were the typical starch-covered variety, but were prepared properly.

Coming from one pub classic to another, we had to order the 2 piece Fish & Chips featuring Pacific cod.  I found this to be very good where the fish was coated with a thin crispy batter.  It wasn't greasy and the large pieces of fish were flaky and moist.  The batter was properly seasoned too.  On the side, the tartar was typical and did the job.  Same with the fries, just like with the burger.

Hey, pub food usually includes some type of steak, and this one happened to be the 7 oz New York Striploin served with fries, garlic bread and Caesar salad.  We requested it to be prepared medium-rare and it was exactly that.  Considering it was only $21.00, this was a surprisingly tender and nicely charred on the outside.  The side of Caesar was quite good with crisp romaine and just enough dressing.

To get a sense of all the types of dishes, we got a pasta as well.  Our choice was the Parmesan Chicken Fettuccine.  So this was essentially an Alfredo with a chicken parm on top.  Both components of this dish was solid as the pasta was al dente and the sauce was creamy.  The chicken was tender while coated in a medium-thick breading.  There was a tangy marinara on top with melted parmesan.

Probably the sneakiest item was the Creole Chicken with mashed potatoes and mixed veggies.  Why?  Because it was sneaky good!  The chicken breast was charred and caramelized on the outside but moist and tender on the inside.  The creole butter was nicely spiced and slightly sweet while the mash was homestyle.  Loved how the veggies were cooked just enough to be still vibrant and crunchy.

So we already had fish & chips, burger and steak, so why not a Hot Dog & Kettle Chips too?  Nothing much out of the ordinary except some pretty tasty caramelized onions atop a jumbo dog.  This elevated a simple item with intense sweetness.  Those housemade chips were super light and crispy while not greasy nor over-salted.  Lots of mustard on the side for the hot dog and if you wanted to dunk the chips into it.

We also had the Mac & Cheese that featured a creamy "Velveeta"-type sauce.  Hence, it was saucy and didn't yearn for more saltiness. The noodles were not too soft, which added texture.  This came with some garlic bread.  For our dessert, we had the Chocolate Lava Cake with a side of vanilla ice cream.  This was pretty textbook with fluffy cake and a molten sweet centre.  In the end, the food at Rendezvous Pub did the trick with some surprises.  Considering the price point, the food is a good value.

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

The Good:
- Decent eats
- Well-priced
- Adequate portion sizes

The Bad:
- May need further renovations
- Wonton soup needs work