The Lodge Steakhouse

Did you know, one of the least known steakhouses in the GVRD is located in a facility that hosts both an ice and curling rink?  Yah, that in itself would make it a bit obscure.  To top it off, it is found in the Brookswood in Langley.  For those who live in the area or nearby, The Lodge Steakhouse might be actually familiar.  However, to everyone that doesn't live there, they never know what the heck I'm talking about when I rave about the place.  I've blogged about the place before and have been back many times after that.  After my latest visit, I decided to combine 2 dinners into one post.

I normally do not order a lot of appies because their steak and main dishes are large and include sides.  I did end up trying their Calamari though and the best way to describe them was "fine".  They were uniformly crispy and the the squid itself was tender with a slight chew.  Batter was a bit bland though and the light drizzle of yuzu sambal aioli was not enough to flavour the dish.  It was tasty though with a tangy spice.  I think the solution would be to ask for it be served on the side.

We always get the ribeye here since it is always prepared right and it is reasonably-priced.  Well for our most current visit, they replaced that with a 14oz PEI Ribeye for $85.00.  I guess the 12oz for $56.00 is long gone...  However, I felt the PEI ribeye was worth it as the meat was tender with an appealing meatiness.  The steak was charred and prepared a perfect medium-rare.  This was served with vibrant crunchy veggies and creamy mashed potatoes.  We added the Peppercorn Sauce on the side for $3.50.  It was creamy, salty enough and slightly peppery.

For the previous visit, we got the Lobster Flambee prepared tableside.  This was seared in brandy along with white wine, cream, garlic and herbs.  The lobster was fresh and cooked to perfection maintaining its moisture and being at its bouncy best.  The natural brininess was well-accented by the creamy sauce that was aromatic with a touch of brandy.

Back to the current visit, we tried their Maple Bacon Scallops, also prepared tableside (and flambeed).  Despite being seared and prepared properly, the scallops themselves were the reformed variety.  No, these scallops didn't go to the big house and come out for the better.  Rather, these were a selection of smaller scallops formed into perfectly and uniformly-shaped "scallops".  Personally, I'm not a fan of these and wished the menu would've indicated this.  With that being said, they did taste great though with a smoky and salty sweetness.

Although the Lodge Bacon Cheddar Burger is one of the least expensive items on the menu, don't sleep on it.  Sporting a well-charred fresh beef patty with all the produce and charred onion relish on brioche, this ate really well.  There was a good combination of smokiness, meatiness, saltiness and fresh crunch from the veggies.  On the side, we got the Truffle Fries and they were crispy and nicely seasoned.

We also had the Chicken & Gnocchi sporting a blackened chicken breast.  As the picture illustrates, the chicken was nicely seared but not truly blackened.  Despite that, it had a smokiness and earthiness.  Chicken was tender and not dry.  Underneath, the large gnocchi were pillowy soft and light.  It sat in a creamy sauce that was not overly heavy with hits of herbs.  Some fresh ricotta helped add extra creaminess.

One of our favourite dishes at The Lodge is the Brown Butter Sablefish.  We had this dish on both visits and the first time was definitely better than the second.  For some reason or another, the flakes of salt that usually finishes the dish was either missing or there wasn't enough of it.  Hence, the dish ate a bit too mild.  However, the sablefish was still excellent being buttery and flaky.  We actually had to ask for more brown butter since you can see that the plate was lacking it.  That totally makes the dish as it provides a aromatic nuttiness and saltiness.

As for sides, we got the Creamed Corn and the Scalloped Potatoes.   Either I'm dreaming things up or they changed the recipe for the creamed corn.  I found it was still sweet and lightly creamy, but we found chunks of garlic in it that made it a bit different in texture and taste.  Still decent though.  As for the scalloped potatoes, it was more like a potato pavé in my opinion.  Definitely could see the layers of potato with butter and cream in between.  Pretty decent if not a bit dense.

Had 2 different desserts for the both visits with the Warm Brownie coming up first.  This featured a soft and chewy brownie with salted caramel chocolate ice cream on top.  Sure, a pretty simple dessert, but a well-prepared one at that.  The brownie was rich, but not incredibly dense.  Lots of chocolate flavour which was enhanced by the salted caramel.

The best of the 2 desserts was definitely the Salted Caramel Cold Brew Bar.  Yes, we found the flakes of salt here and it definitely elevated the flavours of the coffee (and coffee crisp).  Some dulce de leche added some creamy sweetness.  Really balanced dessert and we dusted this off quite quickly.  Overall, these 2 visits further reinforces my belief that The Lodge is a sneaky well-priced steakhouse hidden in an ice rink in Langley.  If you are in the area, go check it out!

The Good:

- Well-priced for what you get

- Excellent service everytime

- Overall solid eats

The Bad:

- Um, those scallops were "reformed", need to say that on the menu

- Too bad they got rid of the $56.00 ribeye, but things are expensive these days... 

Salt & Steak

When Salt & Steak opened a year ago, I was a bit sad that Fresh Cravings had closed.  Hey, it wasn't the best place to get brunch, but it was affordable and completely serviceable.  Well, when one door closes, another opens right?  With The Keg a bit up the road, there is competition nearby.  That also includes Cactus Club across the street from the Keg on Scott Road.  One thing that Salt & Steak has over everyone else in the neighbourhood is that their steaks are Halal.  I dropped by one night for dinner to see if their 4.6 on Google was reflective of their food.

We started with the Warm Three Cheese Spinach Dip.  This was definitely cheesy as advertised and the spinach portion of the dip was creamy and well-seasoned.   They didn't skimp on the portion size and was more than enough for us as an appie.  However, we felt that garlic toast was not the best accompaniment though.  Even though it was good, there was too much bread.  Something like tortilla chips or fried pita chips would've been more appropriate.  

We had their monthly special in the Beef Lasagna and despite it being serviceable, I thought it was not very refined.  I appreciated the plethora of melted mozzarella, but that was far too much it and I would've liked to see a bit of a cheese crust going on.  Inside, it was okay with tender ground beef, bechamel and even more cheese.  I wanted to like this, but it wasn't my preference.

Before I get to the steak, I'll discuss the Salt & Steak Signature Beef Burger.  Despite not looking like it, the burger was actually decent.  The house-made patty was almost a bit airy and extremely tender.  For some people, it might be a bit too soft of a patty, but I didn't mind it.  The brioche bun was light and barely held together.  The side of fresh-cut fries were somewhat crispy.

Okay, for our steak, we had the T-Bone that was around 18 to 20oz.  We asked for it to be prepared medium-rare and it was as such (on both the striploin and the tenderloin).  Nice char on both sides and the seasoning was sufficient.  Since this should be their bread and butter, I'm glad to say this was done right.  Meat was tender and definitely smoky from the grilling.  The side of veggies were also grilled and not overdone.  In the end, we liked the burger and the spinach dip, but the lasagne, not so much.  However, the steak was our favourite dish of the meal.  Good thing too as the place is a steakhouse.  

The Good:
- Steak was cooked perfectly
- Friendly service
- Certified Halal

The Bad:
- I may need to try more dishes, but other than the steak and burger, some refinement maybe needed

Kobe Japanese Steakhouse (Dine Out Vancouver 2026)

Now this is a Vancouver classic... Kobe Japanese Steakhouse has been around since 1968 and has been delighting customers with grilled-in-front-of-you eats complete with a show.  I've been here numerous times over the years, but believe it or not, the last time was in 2011.  Yes, there are far too many places to dine at and getting around to ol' favourites is difficult.  Well, I'm happy to report that things are still going strong here and they are offering a Dine Out Vancouver menu for 2026 that is only $60.00.  It is complete meal were Jackie and I previewed it prior to the start of DOV on January 21st.

The meal started off with a bowl of Shabu Shabu Soup which consisted of chicken & beef stock.  It was a clear and clean soup that was mildly seasoned.  It had some fried onions which added sweet aromatics.  There was also sliced mushrooms and green onion.  Of course we were here for the teppanyaki and our chef gave us a show that included many fireballs, an onion volcano, shrimp tail tossing and plenty of sound effects from the metal spatulas and seasoning shakers.

With our food being prepared in front of us, it did heighten our anticipation as the smells and aroma made us salivate.  The Teppan Shrimp was seasoned and tossed in a good amount of butter and lemon.  It seared up well and had a buttery snap to go with the brininess.  Prepared at the same time, we had a good amount of Vegetables including zucchini, onions and mushrooms.  It was cooked well so nothing was mushy and there was enough seasoning as well.  Two sauces were provided for dipping including a mild Ginger and a punchy Garlic & Mustard.  That garlic & mustard was my favourite and went really well with the steak and chicken (that you will see in the few pictures).

In addition to the shrimp, we also had Tiger Prawns that was cooked in a liberal amount of butter.  These were meaty with a sweet snap and went well with the ginger sauce.  For the base DOV menu, there is a 5oz Sirloin steak included, but for another $14.95, it can be upgraded to a 6oz Beef Tenderloin (which is in the picture).  These were seared on all sides with butter, seasoned and then cut into cubes.  More butter and seasoning followed an extra sear.  These little morsels were buttery tender and although there was good flavour already, I dipped it into the Garlic & Mustard sauce.

Our last course was the Teriyaki Chicken and that was probably my least favourite since it was chicken breast.  It wasn't overcooked per se, but wasn't juicy either.  At least it had lots of sauce to add moisture.  Went well with the provide bowl of rice.  Dessert was a choice of Mario's Gelato: Vanilla Tofulatti, Matcha or Mango.  We tried all three of them and believe it or not, the vegan Tofulatti was my favourite.  Flavour was mild and sweet enough while the texture was somewhere between ice cream and sorbet.  The Matcha and Mango were rather sweet, yet pretty creamy.  Overall, for $60.00, the DOV menu at Kobe is a good value with more than enough food for one person.  Sure, it isn't the most amazing meal in the world, but the food was good for what it was and you get a show to go with it too.

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

The Good:
- It's a fun night out
- DOV menu has enough food
- Meat quality is good

The Bad:
- Will never be a "fine dining" experience, but it isn't trying to be

 

C|Prime Modern Italian Steak and Wine

Haven't been back to C|Prime in the Century Plaza Hotel for quite some time.  I remember when it was Roy's Steakhouse (that closed 20 years ago), that my parents would frequent back in the day.  Yep, they brought me along and I was that little kid who was getting his fill of steak.  I guess not much has changed as I still like my fill of steak!  Recently, I returned with Jackie to try out some dishes.

We started off with a showstopper in the Osso e Manzo (Bone Marrow Beef Tartare).  With filet mignon tartare on top, the huge bone marrow was really over-the-top.  It served its purpose though by being a serving vessel for the tender and buttery tartare.  Of course there was fatty bone marrow underneath all that, which only helped make the dish more sinful and buttery.  Soaked with butter, the side of toasted bread was the perfect crispy texture to compliment the bone marrow and tartare.  I do think the bone marrow and tartare did clash a bit and I'd rather have them separately.  Both were good though.

Next, we had the Risotto Nero which featured a grilled 1/2 lobster.  However, the thing that made this dish sing was the lobster bisque reduction.  Our senses of both smell and taste were blasted with the concentrated lobster essence.  It helped flavour the risotto completely and made us wanting our next spoonful of risotto.  Thick but evenly spread on the plate, the risotto was cooked right with chewy rice that exuded the beautiful colour of squid ink.

The main event was the Angus Reserve Bone-in Ribeye prepared medium-rare.  This was a bit closer to rare, which kept the meat moist, but possibly less tender.  With that being said, the steak was sufficiently tender and had good natural beef flavour.  It was served with a silky and gelatinous demi-glace which was flavourful with a pleasant saltiness and umami.  It was also properly rested as there was minimal juices on the plate.

On the side, we had two dishes including the Truffle Mac & Cheese as well as the Foraged Mushrooms.  Typically, I find mac & cheese at most steakhouses to be highly disappointing.  This one bucked the trend by being cheesy and properly sauced, so that it wasn't dry.  There was plenty of truffle flavour (with real black truffle too) and seasoning.  Toasted crumbs on top added a nice crunch while the noodles were not mushy.  As for the mushrooms, they were texturally on point while completely seasoned.  

For desert, we had the Tiramisu, which was presented in a showy manner.  Once the clear cylindrical container was removed, it revealed plenty of mascarpone cream.  This ate quite well with moist espresso-soaked lady fingers and sweet mascarpone.  Although this looked rather wet, it didn't eat as such.  Overall, this was a solid meal and there was some pizazz to go with it. 

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

The Good:

- Nice decor and atmosphere

- The items we had some flair

- Some really good dishes

The Bad:

- Steak was prepared properly but could've been a bit more tender

Linny's

After all these tasting menus and elevated fine-dining experiences, it was time to...  go for another tasting menu!  Now, this was a little different as we made our way out to Ossington for Linny's.  This high-class deli and steakhouse elicits vibes from yesteryear with New York decor and servers with bow ties.  One could easily order a la carte off the menu, but for 2 people to get the Linny's experience, the Friday Night Special (can be had any night) is the way to go.  It is a chef's curated menu that highlights everything Linny's is known for.

This all started with some snacks including the Challah Service where it came with an addictive fresh cheese and blueberries.  The bread itself was fluffy and light with just the slightest chew.  Some nuttiness was provide by the roasted sesames on top while the spread was thick and creamy (like cream cheese, but milder) with the sweetness of blueberry compote and tangy dusting of sumac.  We found a couple of Pastrami Croquettes topped with pastrami seasoning aioli.  These croquettes were crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.  The exterior was so light, it literally broke apart on contact.  Peppery and smoky, the pastrami and aioli added quite a punch.  Lastly, we had 2 slices of seared Pastrami Sausage which was salty and fatty.  It was sinful to eat, but super tasty.  The mustard helped cut the heaviness and salt.  House-made pickles helped cut even more so.

Next set of dishes included the Fluke Crudo sitting in a fennel oil that was super impactful.  It had enough salt to season the fish while the oil was definitely liquorice-forward.  It was a bit floral with the sharpness of garlic.  We also got the Chicken Liver Toast with cured egg yolk, fried onion and pickles.  First of all, the bread underneath was somewhat crispy with crunchy edges, but still soft in the middle.  I prefer this as it gave us a few textures rather than just crunchy.  The liver mousse was a bit on the salty side, but I enjoyed the boldness with a touch of booziness and sweetness.  The onions were aromatic and nutty while the pickles provided the necessary acidity.  Lastly, we had Linny's House Salad with gem lettuce, cucumber, bulgar and champagne vinaigrette.  Nice interlude in between the saltiness and richness of the current and previous dishes.  We had sweet tanginess and the brightness of champagne to go with the tender leaves.  Bulgar was a nice crunch to the mix.

Then we were served slices of their famed Pastrami with mustard.  Oh these buttery slices were heavenly.  Nicely marbled, these melted in my mouth and had the rich salty earthiness that we all associate with pastrami.  Of course there was a hint of pepperiness as well.  Cutting through the fattiness and saltiness was the tangy and slightly hot mustard.  There was also a plate stacked full of French Fries that were super crispy and totally fried multiple times.  These were more like crisps, but hey, I loved them.  Completely salted and tasting great on their own, but we had some aioli, ketchup and mustard on the side to compliment.

Of course we had to have a steak somewhere in the meal right?  Subsequently, we were presented with The Romanian or Hanger Steak with Grace's garlic and a Beef Karnatzel.  This was a beautiful cut of meat that doesn't get enough love.  It comes from the plate of the cow and is super meaty in flavour.  This one was exactly that and was prepared medium-rare.  It was tender with a pleasant chew while perfectly salted.  Some compound butter made things velvety and flavourful from the pastrami spices.  Hey, that roasted bulb of garlic was aromatic and complimented the beef well.  On the side, we found Cylindra Beets with pistachios and shallots.  The tender, earthy and sweet beets were great with the plethora of crushed pistachios as well as the pistachio puree.  Nice nuttiness and saltiness.  The shallots provided that bright crunch.

Before dessert, we were served some house-made Marshmallows which were light and fluffy.  Onto the actual dessert, we had the Chocolate Babka braided with chocolate and topped with vanilla ice cream.  This pull-apart bread was super soft and airy with a crispy exterior.  The chocolate was semi-sweet with appealing bitterness.  In the end, we really enjoyed this meal because it was completely different than what we had been eating.  Food is more down-to-earth but classy at the same time.  Service was great and we had more than enough to eat.  Would come back when in town.

The Good:

- Not fussy food, but still classy

- More than enough to eat with the tasting menu

- Great service

The Bad:

- Although there was some great light interludes, the meal as a whole is quite heavy

Gordon Ramsey Steak (River Rock Casino)

I guess it was a matter of time that we got our very own Gordon Ramsey Steak in the GVRD.  Hey, he already has a location of Gordon Ramsey Burger in the Hard Rock Casino out in Coquitlam!  As much as there is plenty of hype with the name, I appreciate that he shows up for his restaurant openings.  It shows that he cares about his establishments and wants it to start off on the right foot.  Well, Eileen and I paid GRS a visit to see if it can live up to the hype.

Things go started off with an Amuse Bouche that was a Gougère filled with sharp cheese and top with blueberry and pickled onion.  A nice little bite with airy pastry and a good balance of flavours.  Our first ordered dish was the Dungeness Crab Cake.  This was pan-fried and not deep fried like other places.  It was practically all fluffy crab meat with very little filler other than some mayo to bind it.  It was definitely crab forward with sweet brininess that was complimented by some herbs and that was about it.  Nice crispy crust on the outside.  There was some herb aioli and a charred lemon as well.

We had one more appie in the Tuna Tartare.  It was beautifully plated with cucumber "scales".  The tuna itself was buttery soft and well-seasoned.  Maybe it was a bit too seasoned as I found it on the saltier side.  The spicy ponzu was quite dominant and did obscure the natural sweetness and flavour of the fresh tuna and ripe avocado.  This came with some sesame crackers, which were nutty and crunchy.  This helped alleviate some of the saltiness.

Of course we had to get their signature dish in the Beef Wellington.  As you can see in the picture, it was beautifully prepared being somewhere in between rare and medium-rare.  Unfortunately, the tenderloin was a touch chewy and the pastry was a little doughy.  Not that this wasn't good though, it was, but the one I had at Hell's Kitchen in Vegas was superior.  This came with a red wine demi-glace which was velvety and flavourful without being salty. 

We added one more main dish for good measure in the Miso Glazed Sablefish.  This was well-prepared where the fish was nicely seared while still being flaky and moist.  It had intense smokiness and caramelization as well as a rich saltines that didn't overwhelm the fish.  This sat in a briny and sweet shrimp dashi with Napa cabbage, bok choy and shimeji mushroom.  Good crunch from the veggies and added earthiness from the mushrooms.

For our sides, we chose the Heirloom Carrots and the Potato Purée.  Roasted with caramelized honey, the carrots came out intensely sweet and smoky.  It further intensified the natural sugars in the carrots already.  As for the potato purée, it was noticeably buttery and silky smooth.  Even though it was aggressively seasoned, we could still taste the natural potato essence.  Some chives on the top not only added colour, it did provide some brightness.

Why have only one dessert when we could have 3?  I attacked the Vanilla Mascarpone Cheesecake first because, well I'm a sucker for it.  This was a good one where it was creamy and rich without being super dense.  It was certainly cheesy and aromatic with on point sweetness.  We had some fruitiness provided by the berry compote on the side while tanginess came in via the lemon curd.  To top it off, there was some airy meringue.

Now the cheesecake was pretty solid, but my favourite was the Chocolate Tart.  Beginning with the firm and crispy tart shell, it held a silky and rich chocolate ganache.  It was a bit bittersweet (in a good way) where the dark chocolate really came through without being too bitter nor too sweet. It was topped with some chantilly cream which helped keep things a bit light.  A brush streak of salted caramel added that something something to bring out the sweetness even more. 

Now does that mean I didn't enjoy the signature Sticky Toffee Pudding?  Well, I did like it, but once again, it wasn't as good as the one I had in Vegas.  The date cake was still super moist and fully caramelized in flavour.  Yes, the dessert was pretty sweet, but hey, it's sticky toffee pudding!  I think the toffee sauce was the point of no return for the sweetness in this dish.  It was a bit smoky and plenty sugary.  I did enjoy the toffee ice cream as it had that rich nutty caramel flavour.  Overall, this visit to Gordon Ramsey Steak in Richmond was okay.  Other than the crab cake, nothing really stood out.  Things were competent and service was excellent.  However, when you are paying those prices, you expect a bit more.

The Good:
- Excellent service
- That crab cake
- Solid desserts

The Bad:
- Beef Wellington was not as good as expected
- More refinement needed