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

Chutney's Indian Grill

With the high prices of everything these days coupled with the uncertainty in the economy, it has been increasingly hard for many people to dine out.  I mean, even heading to McD's is not even that affordable.  Coupons withstanding, you can easily dish out $20.00 if you aren't careful with your ordering.  So when I run into inexpensive options that aren't necessarily fast food, it is definitely refreshing and it is especially true when the food is interesting and served in generous portions.  That was the case with Chutney's Indian Grill.  I recently checked out their Langley location just right off 200th. 

This counter-service restaurant is definitely no-frills, but still has a great selection of Indian street food and dishes.  We started with the Samosa Smashed Bowl.  Not served exactly in a bowl (because it was in a take-out box), the 2 veggie samosas did start off complete and were smashed in front of our eyes.  It was topped chickpeas, creamy jalapeno cilantro, raita, tamarind, sprinkle of chaat masala & any other toppings available at the counter.  This was great with crunchy bits of the samosa intertwined with the soft texture of the filling.  There was spice combined with the tanginess of tamarind chutney as well as the brightness of the mint chutney.

You can be forgiven if you confuse the Stuffed Kulca with the Jamaican dish Doubles (that has similar vibes).  This featured fluffy kulcha with a mix of seasoned potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, chaat masala and tamarind.  Combined with the tamarind chutney this was very similar to Doubles except with kulcha rather than fry bread.  Good mix of spice, tanginess and equal parts savouriness to go with the fluffy bread.

Something that was very North American but with an Indian twist was the Tandoori Chicken Sando.  This consisted of crispy fried chicken, served on a brioche bun, shredded romaine, pickled onions, creamy jalapeño cilantro + spicy crema.  This was legit where the chicken was juicy and spicy with a crunchy batter.  Loved that the veggies were fresh and crispy helping bring the heat down while the soft brioche was the perfect bun to let the crunchy chicken shine.

We couldn't decide which bowl to order, so we had all 3 including the Butter Chicken, Indo-Chicken Salad  and Steak & Crema Bowls.  Sure, they all had similar components other than the main protein (and the sauces) but they did eat differently.  The butter chicken was predictably more saucy and flavoured the rice underneath with minimal chutney or other sauces added.  Nice tanginess with some creaminess.  The Indo-Chicken Salad was flavourful with spice but of course needed some of the mint chutney for the greens.  The steak was pretty tender and well charred.

The most impressive items were the Meat Plate and Tandoori Chicken Platter.  Consisting of fries, naan, salad, butter chicken, rice, chutneys, tandoori chicken and grilled lamb.  Fantastic value at $17.95.  Strangely, I loved the fries as they were crispy with a soft potato centre.  As for the Tandoori Chicken Platter, it was another great deal at $13.95.  I would say that it was just as filling as the meat plate with lots of tender and flavourful chicken on top of rice.  As you can see, the food at Chutney's is well-portioned and reasonably-priced.  It is also delicious and well-prepared.  A really good choice for some casual eats whether it be dine-in or take-out.

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

The Good:

- Well-prepared eats

- Inexpensive

- Well-portioned

The Bad:

- Won't be as complete as a full-service restaurant, but you must remember the prices are reflective of that.

Moku Famous Hawaiian Barbecue

We all know where to get a bowl of poké when we need one.  It isn't hard to find a place nearby.  However, if you wanted actual Hawaiian cuisine, it becomes more difficult.  So what is Hawaiian food anyways?  For those who haven't been, it is combination of different ethnic cuisines.  In particular, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Portuguese, Chinese and of course, Polyneisan.  I was super excited to try out Moku Famous Hawaiian BBQ out in Langley since they had plate lunches as well as other Hawaiian goodies.

So let's get right to it with a classic in the Spam Musubi.  As you can see clearly in the picture, the Spam-to-rice ration was 1:1.  Hence, this ate really hearty and was not longing for the salty butteriness of the evenly-seared Spam.  A balancing sweet and caramelized teriyaki glaze helped complete the familiar flavour-profile.  The sushi rice base was the right texture being soft while still chewy.  It bonded properly and did not fall apart even when picked up.

Going for the first plate lunch, we found the Garlic Shrimp with rice and mac salad.  These large and plump shrimp were lightly fried and tossed in a garlic brown butter.  The result was some nutty aromatics with some saltiness and a touch of spice.  It reminded me slightly of Chinese salt & pepper garlic shrimp to a degree due to it being fried.  However, with the butter, it was was richer in flavour.  Texturally, the shrimp had a moist snap and really benefited from the light crispy coating.

If you are looking at this picture and have your mouth open, it can mean that you are hungry and/or in awe at the size of the Kona Beef Ribs.  For $22.95, this was a huge amount of meat!  These massive ribs were coffee-rubbed, slow-cooked and slathered in mango BBQ sauce.  The result was some tender meat that still had plenty of natural texture left.  The coffee taste was there but not enough to make it bitter while the BBQ sauce was tangy and sweet.

Another popular Hawaiian dish that I personally love is the Loco Moco featuring rice topped with 2 beef burger patties and smothered with rich mushroom gravy.  A fried egg put the finishing touch on the dish.  I really appreciated the home-made beef patties which were meaty with a natural texture.  Not sure if you can tell by the picture, but the patties were large and thick.  With an appealing viscosity, the gravy was silky with the right amount of saltiness and umaminess.

By virtue of using either fresh rice or rice with too much moisture, the Spam Fried Rice was a bit wet.  Despite this, it still ate well due to the generous amount of cubed Spam.  The saltiness from the meat helped flavour the dish and also provide a buttery texture.  Also, the fat from the Spam added umaminess and aromatics to the rice.  The addition of veggies was both a blessing and a curse as it gave colour and texture, but it also added even more moisture.

We ended up sampling the rest of the meats with the Combo Plate that has a choice of 2 meats, 2 scoops of rice and mac salad.  The first plate consisted of Chicken BBQ and Beef BBQ.  As you can see, the chicken was beautifully charred with smokiness and sweetness.  The meat itself was still moist and juicy.  As for the beef, it was fairly thin and meaty in texture.  It was less caramelized than the chicken.  I like how they add some sauteed cabbage and carrots underneath.

The next Combo Plate featured the Kalbi Beef and Garlic Furikake Chicken.  This mound of food would be a challenge for one person to finish by themselves. A regular Combo Plate sets you back $25.95, but with Kalbi, it is an extra $2.00.  Worth every penny in my books as you get 2 meals for that price!  The short ribs were tender with a chew while being flavourfully sweet and savoury.  Crispy but tender inside, the chicken was sweet and garlicky with hits of seaweed.

Our last Combo Plate consisted of Spicy Mochiko Chicken and Kalua Pork.   Similar in texture to the garlic chicken, this version had a bit less sauce and indeed had a mild kick.  The Kalua Pork was moist and tender despite not looking so in the picture.  Flavours were subtle and mild with only a bit of saltiness.  Of course we had to try their Hawaiian Pog to wash everything down with right?  It was appealingly fruity and sweet being refreshing.  Overall, the food at Moku is fantastic  and served in enormous portions.  Pricing is completely fair and they even have party/family meals if you order ahead.  I think I've found my Hawaiian food fix in the Lower Mainland!  Normally, I would say something like "I will be back with the fam!" but I have already returned!  Had most of the same dishes and they were exactly the same except I got even more ribs that the first time, but it was bit drier.  Otherwise, it was an excellent visit and Moku will be in my regular rotation of restaurants!

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

The Good:
- Delicious
- Large portions
- Well-priced

The Bad:
- Parking lot fills up fast
- Maybe the rice in the fried rice can be drier

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