Meltwich Food Co.

So it goes without saying that the veritable sandwich doesn't get the accolades it truly deserves.  Often dismissed as a quick lunch option generally in kid's lunchboxes, it is associated with fast food spots such as Subway.  However, if you go gourmet, you will likely find really great Italian sandwiches at some delis and even full-service restaurants.  Okay, how about something in the middle?  A bit more exciting and refined than a basic sandwich, but not something that is as expensive as a proper sit-down meal.  Well, we have Meltwich, where it is counter-service restaurant that is a step above your typical fast food joint.  As the name suggests, they specialize in grilled sandwiches with plenty of cheese.  We made our way out to the South Surrey location to sample some this 100% Canadian-Owned chain (this matters right now!).

We wanted to go basic first and went for their Classic Melt, which for all intents and purposes, is a grilled cheese sandwich.  Don't be fooled by the simplicity of the sandwich because it was prepared expertly.   I thought the bread choice was excellent as it grilled up beautifully to be crunchy with a buttery nuttiness.  However, it was not heavy as it ate with a robust texture but was not dense.  Best of all, it was packed with cheddar cheese that was completely melted and stringy.

Of course we had to get some fancier sammies and that we did with the Southern Fried Chicken Melt.  At first, we were concerned at how flat this looked as compared to the picture on the menu board.  However, it wasn't important how it appeared to us rather, the eating experience was king.  Beyond the crunchy buttery grilled slices of bread, there was a wealth of crispy fried chicken.  Although it wasn't juicy, the chicken remained moist and was well-seasoned.  Meshed with the American and cheddar cheeses, we had plenty of ooey gooey goodness and saltiness.  Add on the chipotle, buttermilk dill sauce, tomato corn salsa, pickles and shredded lettuce, there was no shortage of creaminess, added moisture, spice and tanginess.  Getting something that was from their value menu for under $10.00, we tried the Pesto Chicken Melt.  This really did have a great pesto hit and the chicken was moist.  Again, it was encased with the same excellent grilled buttery bread.

One of the most surprising items we had was the Philly Cheesesteak.  By looks alone, this didn't appear to be anything special.  However, beyond the soft brioche bun, we found beautifully seared thin slices of beef that were tender and well-seasoned.  I loved the texture as well since the meat had some crispy bits and some drier portions.  This created a textural contrast as well as offering up nuttiness.  The bun itself brought everything together with a soft hug.

 

In addition to their sandwiches, the menu features a variety of poutines.  We had 2 versions including the Classic (not pictured) and the Chicken Bacon Ranch.  These featured medium cut russet fries that were fairly crispy where there was no gravy.    There was a generous amount of legit cheese curds that had a nice squeak to them.  I found the gravy to have a good viscosity and not overly salty.  The buttermilk dill drizzle on top added plenty of creaminess and brightness.

 

They also have a variety of sides too and we ended up with 2 of them including the Mac & Cheese Wedges.  These were pretty typical with Kraft-esque mac & cheese coated with a crispy batter.  They were a bit dry on their own, but the side of dill dip, it was good.  We also had some Mac & Cheese and it was rather saucy.  The flavour was quite muted, but after adding a splash of their delicious gravy, it added the slight saltiness that this needed.

 

Lastly, we had some of their milkshakes to go with our meal.  We had both the Oreo and Mango Milkshakes.  Surprisingly, the mango was much sweeter than the Oreo.  I was expecting the opposite.  They were fairly smooth while not being particularly heavy.  There was some iciness with the Oreo.  I did like the flavour of the Oreo as it captured the essence of the cookie without being crazy sweet.  Overall, the sandwiches at Meltwich were really good!  Bread was grilled up beautifully with a nutty butteriness.  They were generous with the cheese, which made things ooey gooey.  Poutines were on point too with delicious gravy and legit cheese curds.  For those who want to support Canadian, Meltwich is totally a Canadian-based chain.  Check out their daily specials, the Philly Cheesesteak can be had with fries and drink for only $13.00.  

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

The Good:

- Delicious well-prepared melts

- Legit Poutine

- Specials make things affordable and also their under $10.00 menu

The Bad:

- I thought the mango shake was a bit too sweet

Boardwalk Burgers, Fries & Shakes

So why am I out in Abby again?  No, it isn't for a concert and no, it isn't to meet up for dinner with Nikita and Bluebeard either.  Rather, I was invited to try out Boardwalk Burger, Fries and Shakes at their S. Fraser Way location.  Did I really drive all the way out there for burgers?  Hey, I've done that before, I've even gone as far as Chilliwack for a fried chicken sammie.  For me, I will travel for food and sometimes, the best things are not within Vancouver itself.

To get a taste of the menu, I went for the baseline with the Boardwalk Classic sporting cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and secret sauce.  This was a fairly substantial burger since the patty was large in diameter and thick.  I found it to be on the leaner side, yet still tender at the same time.  The brioche bun was a sturdier version where it held up the wet ingredients well.  I would've liked it toasted just a bit more to soften the interior.  Despite being a small detail to some, I thought the uniformly even piece of lettuce and ample tomato ensured that I would get some in every bite.  It also looked nice too.

Going with a fancier burger, I also tried the Mushroom Swiss with sautéed mushrooms, grilled onions and mayo.  This was a very good burger with the same thick patty topped with a mountain of fresh mushrooms.  They were laced with creamy mayo and melted cheese.  These classic ingredients combined together made for pungent flavour profile of cheese and earthy mushrooms.  Lots of moisture provided by the mayo and the whole thing ate really messy, but it was worth it.

Onto a different type of meat, I went for the Hawaiian Grilled Chicken with lettuce, tomatoes, pineapple, cheese and mayo.  Despite being rather thin, the chicken breast was still quite moist and tender.  It sported nice grill marks and had a bit of smokiness.  Once again, the lettuce and tomato were fresh.  The addition of pineapple added a tangy sweetness while the cheese added more body.

To complete the variety of burgers, I also had a fried version in the Spicy Crispy Chicken with lettuce, tomato, cheese and spicy mayo.  You know my love for fried chicken sammies, so I have a good handle on what is good and what is not.  Well, this one was definitely good.  The chicken was juicy and not overdone while the batter was uniformly crunchy.  I also enjoyed that this had a good kick and lived up to its name.

Onto the sides, I had the regular fries with my classic burger which could've been just a bit more crispy.  I also had the Bacon Cheddar Ranch as well as the Poutine.  I thought there was a good amount of crispy bacon with enough cheese for some ooey gooey texture.  I enjoyed the poutine more since it was pretty traditional.  It sported legit cheese curds topped with a rich gravy that wasn't too sweet.  Those Onion Rings were also good being the breaded type. They were crunchy with tender onion within.

Of course I couldn't forget about the various types of Milkshakes they had on the menu.  I went for something a bit different in the Strawberry Cheesecake Shake.  This was served in a clear-domed cup that held more shake than a flat lid would.  Also, I could see my shake.  This was one thick shake that was still quite drinkable.  I found it quite sweet, but it worked for this flavour.  I did get the cheesecake hit while adding some strawberry notes.

For dessert, I ironically had Cheesecake.  Well, it didn't look like much, but I found it quite good.  The texture was rich and thick with plenty of cream cheese flavour.  It was only purposefully sweet.  I also had the Lava Cake as well as the Brownie.  The lava cake was pretty typical with chocolate sponge encasing a molten centre.  However, the brownie was surprisingly good.  It was rich, chocolatey and just sweet enough.  Loved the crunch from the walnuts.  So for a fast-food concept, Boardwalk offers up quite the extensive menu.  They really nail it with the burgers, whether it be beef or chicken.  I do think the fries could be a bit crispier, but they are still good.  As for the desserts and milkshakes, I appreciate they are trying to offer more than the usual limited varieties at other places.  Overall, it was a great experience and I hope they expand closer to Vancouver!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post

The Good:
- Solid burgers
- Such a huge menu
- Lots of choices for shakes and dessert

The Bad:
- Fries were good, but could be crispier

Ma Poule Mouillée

Seeing how a bunch of non-toasted bagels from St. Viateur wouldn't necessarily satisfy us, we made the short drive over to Ma Poule Mouillée.  Of course there was a lineup and we stayed the course for 45 minutes...  We needed to see if this was better than Romados down the street.  Not sure why we didn't visit the place the last time we were here because it is across the street from La Banquise.

Anyways, we did finally get to the counter and we ordered the Louis Cyr (1/2 Chicken) with roast potatoes.  You can choose fries instead and this came with a side salad too.  We opted for the spicy and it was mild in our opinion.  As for the chicken it was not as juicy as we were expecting.  Rather, the breast was a bit dry and really need the sauce to give it moisture and flavour.  The dark meat was predictably better.  As for the potatoes, they were excellent.  Creamy and soft inside.

To get a variety of things, I also ordered the Little Talbot which was a chicken sandwich in a Portuguese bun.  Due to the dry breast meat, the sammie ate as such.  I asked for spicy and the sauce helped a bit but again, it wasn't that hot.  I guess I should've asked for more.  The side of fresh cut fries were excellent.  Crispy with plenty of potato goodness inside.

Okay, the real reason we were here was for the Poutine with chicken, São Jorge cheese and chorizo.  OMG, this was freakin' delicious and life-changing.  With all that savoury and rich gravy, the chicken was suddenly reborn.  Look at all that cheese!  It was stringy and completely covered the fries.  The chorizo added meatiness as well as a good kick.  Got everything in one bite and my mouth was very happy.

We also added one each of the Coconut and Portuguese Tarts for some sweets at the end.  I thought the Portuguese tart was quite good.  Loved the flaky and light tart shell and the silky custard filling.  It wasn't too sweet and that worked for me.  However, the coconut tart was definitely sweeter and aromatic from the coconut.  Overall, I found the chicken a letdown especially a place that promises juicy chicken.  However, that poutine is high-level.  I would come back for that.

The Good:

- Oh that poutine!

- Loved the roast potatoes and fries

- Tarts are quite good

The Bad:

- The actual chicken, especially the white meat, is not juicy

- Spicy could be spicier

Pause V

Arriving late into Quebec City meant we had really no choice in rental cars.  We were saddled with a Chrysler Pacifica, which would've been awesome if we brought the kids, alas we did not.  That infortainment unit must be the crappiest I've ever experienced.  It kept crashing and messing up my navigation!  Hence we took a little while to get to our hotel in Downtown and once we got settled, there were limited options in terms of late night eats.  We did stumble upon one a block away from our hotel in Pause V.

For Elaine and Costanza, they were in the mood for some Poutine Brune and as such got the classic in medium.  They weren't shy on loading up the legit cheese curds atop fresh cut fries.  Once melted from the delicious gravy, it was an ooey gooey experience.  Those fries were perfect with a crispy exterior giving way to plenty potato texture inside.  About that gravy, it was flavourful to the point of salty but not being salty.  

As you can see, they also had some Cheeseburgers and they were also fantastic.  They looked rather unassuming, but the bun was nicely toasted being soft, but robust enough to keep things intact.  The burger patty was meaty with natural textures.  It had been grilled up with some smokiness and had good flavour.  The only added ingredient was some shredded lettuce and burger sauce.  Basic but good.

Viv wanted something more than basic and ended up with the Country Burger with all of the same things as the cheeseburger except with the addition of a slice of grilled ham and fried onions.  So was this any better than the basic cheeseburger (that costs less)?  No not really.  I mean the ham added more flavour and the onions were sweet and caramelized.  But the basic cheeseburger was king.

So we also got a Shawarma Mixt with both beef and chicken.  In actuality, the beef was chopped up burger patty (which wasn't a bad thing).  This combined with pickles, lettuce, garlic and kebab sauce in a grilled pitta was quite filling and rather tasty.  There was the meatiness of the beef and chicken that was complimented by the sauces and then the burst of tanginess from the pickles brought things alive.  The grilled pita was crispy adding texture and also keeping things intact.

Lastly, I added the Poutine Steak Haché for good measure.  Yes, it was essentially the same classic poutine brune, but with chopped-up burger patty on top.  Therefore, the burger meat made this more fulfilling and robust.  I loved this poutine so much, I came back the next night to get one to go!  Overall, Pause V was a surprise find when we were desperate for food.  It fit the bill and more so.  I would come back the next time I'm in Quebec City!

The Good:
- Solid eats including the burgers and poutine
- Inexpensive
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Basic things are good, don't need to go beyond that, it isn't better  

Fritz European Fry House

I can't even remember the last time I visited Fritz European Fry House.  Sure, there is an old blog post about it, but that wasn't the last time I ate there.  It isn't as if I don't want to re-visit the place, because I I like their frites (or fries, whatever you want to call them).  I'm pretty sure it is under different ownership by now too.  The main reason I haven't been back is that I do not live in Downtown anymore and frankly, there is not much space in there to eat the frites and/or poutine fresh.  I personally do not like eating my poutine while walking nor do I want to take it somewhere far where it will get cold and extra soggy.  However, I was staying within a block away due to a conference and it was the perfect opportunity to pick up a late night snack and have it still piping hot in my hotel room.

So yes, I got myself a medium-sized Bacon Poutine.  I gotta say, this was one fine poutine with plenty of crispy frites topped with a considerable amount of cheese curds.  Throw in a boatload of crumbled bacon and thick gravy, this was a decadent and sinful treat.  I thought the gravy had a nice consistency and was plenty flavourful.  The melted cheese curds were stringy and was evident in each bite.  I didn't remember it to be this good, but am glad I got to have it again.

Of course I also had to get some Frites and I went big with the large size.  Yah, that was a huge cone of some crispy frites that were full of potato goodness inside.  The best thing about these frites was that they were not too thin where they would merely be crisps and not too thick where it would be too dense. Seeing that this was less than 5 minutes from the time I received them, they were still hot and fresh. 

Naturally, I wasn't about to dip these into ketchup (nothing wrong with though), so I went for a couple of dips including Garlic Lovers and Chipotle Mayo.  Being the classic accompaniment, the garlic aioli was creamy and aromatic.  This is my personal fav.  However, the chipotle mayo was pretty good too with some heat and smokiness.  Now this post is a bit short, but since they only have these 2 menu items (poutine can have different toppings though) and no hot dogs available at the moment, this is all I could order.  This is also all I could eat too!  Still good to me and if I have the chance to eat it again, I will!

The Good:
- Solid frites
- Equally good poutine
- Open late

The Bad:
- Nowhere to eat them other than walking around, which is okay for the frites on a nice day 

 

The Spud Shack

So I've been back to the Spud Shack on many occasions but never felt the need to blog about it again, but this time, I finally thought why not?  I mean, this is one of my favourite spots for house-cut fries with a variety of dips as well as their poutines.  Other than La Belle Patate, this is the place to get your hands on poutine in the GVRD.  They do have other things on the menu too and I will cover that in this post.  For those who don't drive, this is also quite convenient since it is located in the New West skytrain station.

Now the thing here is to get the Fries and really why would they be called the Spud Shack otherwise?  This time around, the fries were solid as usual being fluffy and light inside while crispy on the outside.  The dips we had were Roasted Garlic Mayo, Smoked Onion Mayo and Pamesan Mayo.  For me, I enjoyed the smoked onion mayo the most as it was sweet, aromatic and lightly smoky.  The roasted garlic was solid as it had strong garlic notes.  However, the parm mayo was quite salty due to the plethora of cheese.  Good for those who love parm!

Now their other prominent menu item is Poutine and lots of them.  We got The Original as well as Le Montreal (smoked meat, pickles and mustard).  As you can see, they use legit cheese curds and they were still intact being squeaky.  The gravy was salty enough to make an impact while also having a nice viscosity.  I personally love the smoked meat poutine as they don't skimp on the meat and pickles.  Add in the mustard and the whole thing wasn't too heavy.

They also have some burgers on the menu including the Effin' Good Burger with prime rib patty, smoked onion mayo, BBQ sauce, bacon, tomato jam, lettuce, pickle and Monterey jack cheese.  I've had this burger many times and it ranges from being juicy to a touch dry.  However, it is always nicely charred and fulfilling.  The chopped bacon adds smoky saltiness while the tomato jam adds sweet tanginess.  Overall a solid burger.

The other burger is the J.W. Wimpy Burger with 2 hand pressed beef & pork patties, double aged white cheddar slices, grilled onions and special Tuesday burger sauce.  Yes, this had Popeye's vibe written all over it (not the fried chicken chain, the cartoon) and I would gladly pay you on a Tuesday for a burger today!  This was good where the patties were juicy due to the addition of pork.  That white cheddar really came through as it was substantial.  This was packed with flavour.

Lastly, we had the 1 piece Cod & Chips with a side of tartar sauce.  So yes, the colour of the batter was rather dark.  That really wasn't the issue as it was crunchy and tasted fine.  Yet, it was on the greasier side.  The fish was perfect though, flaky and moist.  They really didn't skimp on the fries and the tartar was not only good with the fish (I recommend that you dip your fries into it as well).   So yah, the food at The Spud Shack is pretty straightforward and I personally enjoy it.  I actually crave the fries and wish I made it out more often.  Great place to grab a quick bite before a movie at the Landmark Theatres.

The Good:
- Solid fries with dips
- Burgers are good too
- Many varieties of poutine

The Bad:
- Limited seating  

Dogs N Roses Food Truck

Before the expansion of street food (ie. food trucks and food carts) in the Lower Mainland, all we were allowed to experience was the good ol' hot dog.  Yep, my memories of Mr. Tube Steak are still fresh in my mind (albeit not overly excited about it).  That is also why we got Japadog since the owner wanted to do something different and all they were allowed at the time was a hot dog cart.  From there, we now have everything from Neapolitan Pizza to Spanish Tapas.  However, sometimes things come full circle as we can see with one of the newer trucks in Dog N Roses.  Yes, they do serve up hot dogs, but they feature house made sausages and truly interesting ingredients.  I was recently invited to try their wares while they were parked in front of Moody Ales in Port Moody.

We ended up trying all of their dogs including the Pork Smokie with kimchi mayo, green onions, black sesame spread, furikake sprinkles, fried onions and green apple pearls on an organic brioche bun.  I actually got to sample the smokie separate from the hot dog and it was meaty, juicy and not overly fatty.  There was a nice snap to the casing while the meat was well-seasoned.  When combined with the rest of the ingredients, there was naturally an Asian flavour to it with the slight spice from the kimchi mayo and nuttiness from the black sesame.  The pops of sweet tang from the pearls was actually a nice compliment.  Next, the Pork Kebab "burger" was served with artichoke sumac cheese, green onions, asian sesame coleslaw and yogurt pearls.  This being more of a meat patty rather than a sausage meant that the texture was more robust and less moist.  It wasn't dry though and I enjoyed the spices mixed in with the meat.  Lots of crunch and freshness from the coleslaw and once again, the "je ne sais quoi" from the yogurt pearls was welcomed.

My favourite was the Spicy Bolgogi Chorizo with sesame coleslaw, green onions, gochujang mayo, pineapple pearls and cilantro.  Once again, I got to try the sausage on its own and wow was it ever fantastic!  Beyond the firm snap of the casing, I got large chunks of tender and meat that was definitely spicy, but balanced.  There was enough fat for the sausage to be moist and juicy without being greasy.  The coleslaw brought the heat down with a tangy crunch as well as the sweet pearls.  Moving onto the Beef Weiner, we found it nestled in the same organic brioche bun with organic sauerkraut, dijon mustard and fried onions.  As simple as this one appeared, I thought the tender savoury beef weiner was accented nicely by the tangy sauerkraut.  Of course the mustard added another layer of tang and a bit of bite.  I wasn't sure if there was actually a whole lot of fried onions as most of it was raw on top which was good, but a bit overpowering.

Lastly, we sampled the Poutine with 5-spice gravy, cheese curds, fresh house made kimchi, furikake sprinkles, greens, friend onions and cilantro.  Once again, the Asian influence was front and centre here as the gravy had that unmistakable essence of 5 spice, in particular from the star anise.  There was a lot going on here and in some sense, a little less moisture would've been ideal.  However, the flavours were strong and the fries were crispy.  Well, for a "hot dog" food truck, there was more to it than a tube steak.  Rather, we found delicious house made sausages combined with interesting ingredients.  Good accompaniment with your beer.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Well made and textured house made sausages
- Not your typical toppings
- Focused menu

The Bad:
- A little on the pricier side (but sausages are house-made)

The Pink Bicycle

Only a few stores down from our previous nights dinner at Menbow, we ended up having lunch at The Pink Bicycle the next day.  Featured on "You Gotta Eat Here!", this was not the reason we picked the place.  Rather, we just wanted some good burgers that didn't belong to a chain restaurant or fast food joint.  With that in mind, the prices at The Pink Bicycle do reflect its "gourmet" burger persona (mind you, the proteins are top notch).  The place ain't fancy, but we don't care about that.  The food does the talking.

My son went for the basic Pink Bike Cheeseburger with naturally raised, grass-fed premium BC Beef topped with smoked cheddar & Pink Bike sauce.  This was fully loaded burger with fresh lettuce, tomatoes and onions.  The nicely charred meat patty was large and thick easily filling up all the way to the edge of the bun.  It was on the leaner side, so it wasn't juicy per se, but it wasn't dry either.  He decided to sub his fries for Fried Mac n' Cheese Sticks which were humongous - really crispy and full of sharp cheddar flavour.  For my daughter, she had the Seared Ahi Tuna Burger featuring toasted sesame seed crusted Ahi tuna seared rare, topped with a ginger sesame slaw & wasabi mayo.  Again, there was more than enough tuna to fill every bite and it was indeed rare being tender.  The wasabi mayo was mild while the slaw provided crunch with a strong sesame oil hit.

For myself, I had the Blue Cheese Lamb Burger with local organic lamb infused with savory rosemary apricot pesto and topped with blue cheese & zesty lime mayo.  This was a flavour bomb as the flavourful lamb was further enhanced with the tangy sharpness of the ample blue cheese.  I didn't get too much of the pesto, but it was definitely there.  The side of truffle fries were really crunchy (almost like crisps) with a balanced hint of truffle oil.  Viv decided on the BBQ Bison Burger with free-range bison topped with smoked cheddar cheese & homemade pink bike barbeque sauce.  This was lean as expected with a smoky char.  The BBQ sauce was lightly smoky, tangy and sweet.  Adding to the smokiness was the cheddar cheese.  In the end, we enjoyed the burgers at Pink Bicycle, but weren't sure if they were necessarily awesome.  Maybe unrealistic expectations?  Whatever the case, still a solid place nonetheless.

The Good:
- Quality meat prepared properly
- Impactful flavours
- Friendly service

The Bad:
- Pricey
- Bun was a bit generic