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As of late, I've been addicted to buying online coupons for restaurants. Normally, most of the deals are with less-than-desirable places, so I tend to ignore them. Blame it on the deal-hunter in me as the "extra" year-end discounts lured me into buying one-after-another. With average-to-below-average experiences at The Brasserie Bistro and Big River Brewing, I was about to give up. But we decided to keep on soldiering on with our latest adventure at Bogart's Bar & Restaurant in the Downtown Hampton Inn.
For our starter, Viv and I chose the Steamed Mussels with shallots, garlic, herbs, white wine and butter served with grilled ciabatta. We found the mussels to be plump and on point in terms of doneness. The broth was flavourful without being salty with definite hits from the ample garlic and shallots. We didn't detect a whole lot of white wine though, but at the very least, it was cooked down properly. My parents decided on the Pan Seared Scallops with pancetta chips, cauliflower and goat cheese purée and French lentil ragout. Although a bit past done, the scallops sported an attractive sear which translated into a nice caramelization of flavours including the "just enough" seasoning. Underneath, the lentils were more than an afterthought as they were still toothsome and mildly seasoned. 
For my main, I went for the Beef Burger with bacon, aged cheddar, house roasted tomato relish, dijonaise and crispy onions on ciabatta. This was a solid offering where the large beef patty was still moist while exhibiting a smoky char. What made this burger was the ample amount of sweet and tart tomato relish. It provided a burst of flavour as well as extra moisture. As soft as the ciabatta was, it managed to hold everything together without becoming soggy. Viv ended up with the Arctic Char (with parsnip puree, root vegetables and brussels sprouts hash) not because she wanted it, but because my daughter wanted to eat it in addition to her own dish... We found that skin to be nicely crisped up but the fish itself was a touch overcooked. It was devoid of seasoning as well. However, the rest of the ingredients were seasoned enough including the smooth parsnip puree and toothsome veggies.
For her main, my mom had the Steak Frites consisting of a perfectly medium-rare flat iron steak with house cut fries and demi glace. As such, the steak was tender and moist. The slightly thick, yet silky, demi-glace exhibited a noticeable red wine essence while being a bit on the saltier side. The large mound of fresh-cut fries were really good. They were lightly crispy on the outside while soft and potatoey on the inside. I liked them so much, I dug into these after I finished my own portion. Trying to eat healthier, my dad had the Bogart's Salad consisting of chicken, crispy bacon, goat cheese, avocado, hard boiled egg and roasted cherry tomatoes with house dressing. Honestly, I would never order a salad myself, but this one was pretty typical yet good in its own right due to the fresh and vibrant veggies as well as the moist chicken breast.
For the kiddies, my son was eying only one item on the menu and it happened to be the Mac n' Cheese made with with bacon, aged cheddar, Gruyère and Parmesan. Well, he ate this up pretty quickly due to the wealth of cheesiness from the sharpness of the cheddar as well as the saltiness of the Parm. We didn't notice any bacon in it though. He also enjoyed the crispy topping which added some texture to the al dente noodles. In addition to eating half of Viv's arctic char, my daughter had half of her Pizza Margherita. If we were to compare this to a real Neapolitan-style pizza, it would rate pretty low. But if we look at it as a thin crust pizza with cheese and sauce (and basil), it was okay. The crust was slightly crisp while the ample fresh basil did add good aromatics. It could've used more tomato sauce though as it was lacking some zip.
For dessert, Viv and I shared the Chocolate Molten Cake with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream. We thought the cake should've been more intact before being served, yet that didn't make or break the dish. In fact, the kids hijacked it from us and ate most of it. For the small piece I did try, it was indeed moist and sweet. It was not bad, but a bit too wet for my liking. My parents opted for the Bailey's Crème Brulée with with orange almond biscotti. I sampled some and it definitely tasted like they added enough Bailey's. As for the texture, it was a bit too fluffy rather than custardy. It was not overly sweet though, which was a good thing since there was a significant hard sugar topping. If we ignore the fact we used 2 coupons for this meal for a moment, the regular prices at Bogart's are shockingly low especially for Downtown. In that case, we felt the food was more than acceptable given nothing was over $20.00
The Good:
- Decent eats, especially for the price
- Okay portions, especially for the price
- Friendly service
The Bad:
- Food came out real slow
- Naturally, there is better food in Downtown, but it will cost more
Fresh off a meal at the Fat Badger, I wanted to continue the English pub food theme, but roughly in the same manner (as in slightly elevated). That brought us to The Abbey in the former location of Wild Rice. Interestingly, my good ol' friends from England, in response to my mission to find good pub food, remarked that I shouldn't get my hopes up. Well, maybe they might be open-minded enough to give the Fat Badger and The Abbey at try. On that note, Costanza, Elaine, Viv and I were about to find out what was in store at The Abbey.
With a bevy of mushrooms and sauce, our first appie was you guessed it, Mushrooms on Toast. Sporting a combination of chanterelles, shimiji and button mushrooms, this had all the potential to be a wonderful mix of flavours. However, we found the sauce far too tart which inhibited the woodsiness of the mushrooms. With that being said, it was still a decent dish. Next up, we split 2 Sausage Rolls between us (sounds a bit sketch I know...). These featured a light and flaky pastry which was a touch soft on the bottom. Inside, the sausage was meaty and actually quite lean. It was mild in flavour, but the sides of dijon was super powerful where it should be used only sparingly.
Our favourite appie of the bunch had to be the Free- Run Chicken Karaage tossed in togaroshi and served with spicy mayo. Each large piece of fried chicken was crispy on the outside without being greasy. The attached skin was also nicely rendered and crisp. In addition to the slight spice on the outside, the flavours were further amped by the spicy mayo. Onto the mains, I decided on the Venison Burger with Lincolnshire Poacher cheese, wild boar bacon, pickled vegetables, salt & vinegar fries. Served on toasted white bread, this was actually 2 burgers disguised as a sandwich. This was so hearty, I could only finish half of it. The meat itself was nicely processed where there was both moisture and enough fat to keep the meat from being dry (as venison tends to be). It retained some pink, which also helped the cause. I found the cheese to be nutty and full-flavoured while the bacon added both crunch and saltiness. The side of salt & vinegar fries were da bomb as they were crispy while living up to its namesake.
Viv ended up with the dud of the meal being the Duck Confit with Toulouse sausage and cassoulet beans, blood orange and duck jus. Although the duck leg was crispy on the outside with well-rendered skin, it resulted in an extremely dry and chewy product. Hence, she wasn't overly enthused with eating it. It was also rather salty too. Not helping matters, the sausage was gritty and dry. On the other hand, the beans were nicely done though being soft with a slight bite. Costanza's choice of the Duck Shepherd's Pie redeemed the aforementioned dish. It was a good portion of shredded duck confit which was remarkably more tender and moist than Viv's dish. It was well-seasoned, bordering on salty, where it retained a natural gamy flavour. The mash potatoes on top were not overly heavy nor was it a thick layer either. Very little filler in this dish.
Elaine went for the Carbonnade Flamande, Beer Braised Beef with onions, horseradish, apple puree and pomme paille. The beef was fork tender and relatively moist. It was doused in a sauce that had a rich ale essence and woodsiness while riding the line between tasty and too salty. I liked the crispy and light pomme paille, but they were salted a tad too aggressively. For dessert, we had the Sticky Toffee Pudding with bourbon sauce which was probably the best we've had to date. Rather than soaking a heavy cake with even more sugar and moisture, this one sat in a creamy bourbon sauce. The cake itself was super light and fluffy (a departure from the typical). There were many layers of flavour including a lightly sweet and smoky toffee finish.
We weren't as enthused about the Peanut Butter Pie with sour cherries as the crust was far too sugary where the granules merely destroyed the smoothness of the filling. About that filling, it was silky and only semi-sweet with the essence of peanuts. I liked the sour cherries and wished there was more of it to bring some more acidity to the dessert. Despite some shortcomings, we still enjoyed our meal at The Abbey. One's experience truly depends on ordering the right dishes. We would definitely come back for the sticky toffee pudding for sure.
The Good:
- Casual, sophisticated ambiance
- Attentive service
- We liked 75% of the dishes, which is a pretty good batting average
The Bad:
- Not sure what was going on with the Duck Confit
- A bit heavy on the salt
Sometimes things were not meant to be. Case in point - we've been trying to eat at Bistro Wagon Rouge for almost a year to no avail. First time, it was after hockey and Gadget Girl changed our destination on us. Second time, it was closed. Third time, the wait was too long. Fourth time, Whipping Girl was sick. Despite her insistence that we go without her, Miss Y, Ned Flanders and myself changed our plans instead. Up next on our bucket list was The Fat Badger in Downtown, where British pub eats awaited us.
Actually Ned was waiting for us by holding down a table nervously since we were a bit late. He kept his head down so that he wouldn't draw any attention to his companionless-
ness (that's not a word is it?). When we finally did arrive, we got down to business and ordered far too much food for 3 people. We began with the Fried Pork Cheeks with cheddar & spring onion croquettes, watercress, frisee and apples slices drizzled with a warm cider & mustard sauce. Tender, moist and strangely beef textured, the pork cheeks were encased in a crunchy breading. The croquettes were really good with a soft centre and slightly crispy shell. With greens on the plate and a mildly acidic dressing, the heaviness was shaved down a few notches. To go with our brews, we got an order of the Pork Cracklings with sea salt & cracked pepper. Although I've had airier, these were still light and crispy with just the right amount of seasoning.
Next up was a Scotch Egg atop HP Sauce. Funny enough, I had exclaimed that the sauce underneath bore a striking resemblance to HP Sauce. Ned Flanders replied that it was indeed HP Sauce. Okay, I guess that is why it tasted like HP Sauce... Duh. Well, that was probably the reason why we didn't get a whole lot of impact from the sausage. It was moist enough, but we didn't taste a whole lot of meat (possibly from us dunking it into the HP Sauce). As for the egg, it was nicely executed with a beautiful free-range yolk. Completing our "appies", we had the Mini Yorkshire Puddings stuffed with roast beef, gravy and horseradish cream. We liked the pudding itself as it was light, soft and airy. However, the roast beef was slightly chewy. Gravy was nice where it was meaty without a boatload of salt, yet the horseradish was too mild to be heard.
Moving onto some larger items, we tried the Grilled Local Sea Bass with bubble n' squeak, watercress & blood orange salad with caper & raisin sauce. Nicely crisped, the skin was the highlight of the dish. As for the fish itself, it wasn't as buttery and flaky as we would've hoped. I did like the seasoning as it was there without being overwhelming. The bubble n' squeak was soft while not mushy where it had a nice acidity from the blood orange. What really brightened up the flavours was the caper and raisin puree as it was acidic and sweet. Probably our favourite main of the night was the Steak & Ale Pie with champ and mushrooms. Beneath the flaky and buttery crust, we found a thick gravy that featured the depth of ale without the bitterness. The sparse speckling of meat was succulent and rich in taste. The side of champ was buttery and good on its own. On the other hand, mushrooms added more depth-of-flavour.
Our last entree was the classic Irish Porter Bangers & Mash with sage and onion gravy. Yes, the portion size was as large as the picture illustrates. The 2 large sausages were not as heavy as they looked. Inside, the lightly chopped meat was mixed with a good amount of chunky onion which added sweetness along with a looseness that made the sausage easy to eat. I found the onion gravy to be excellent as it offered up both a tang and sweetness to balance off the savouriness and sage. Underneath, the mash was buttery and smooth helping soak up the rich flavours of the gravy. For dessert, we shared 2 of them including the Banana & Fudge Eton Mess with little nuggets of meringue hidden underneath the cream. I would say I was indifferent with this dessert as it was really sweet and lacking in differing flavours. I did like the meringue though as it was a textural contrast to everything else.
As for the Sticky Toffee Pudding with vanilla ice cream, it was love at first bite. The toffee pudding was moist, rich and sweet. Although it was still quite sugary, it wasn't any different than other versions I've had. To top it off literally, the melting ice cream added more sugary goodness. Surprisingly, we dusted off all of our food with barely anything left on our plates. Overall, we quite enjoyed the food we tried. Sure, it wasn't perfect, but nothing ever is. The Fat Badger, in our minds, successfully serves up a more refined British pub food experience.
The Good:
- Decent portions
- More than one-note flavours
- Friendly service
The Bad:
- Some of the proteins (ie. fish & roast beef) were a bit overdone
- Squishy and tight in there, but hey, it's the pub-like experience right?
Sometimes take out is only a means to fill one's stomach with greasy burgers and fries... Sure, there is Subway and salad bars everywhere, but how about something more satisfying? Well, that's what we did when we dropped by Cioffi's for some eats (which were not necessarily more healthy, but a whole lot more interesting than burger and fries). The kids were a bit perplexed though as they noticed that we were walking into a meat market (no, not that type of meat market, my clubbing days are long over). They were skeptical, but in the end they were interested in trying out the eats.
We ended up with an order of the Osso Buco Gnocchi and it was surprisingly good for something that had been sitting in a chaffing tray. The gnocchi was firm, but not overly dense. I suppose anything softer would've turned to mush otherwise (while being warmed). There was a generous amount of tender osso buco which ranged from small strands to large chunks. I found the tomato sauce to be relatively mild with only a bit of tang. We also got Polenta topped with something similar to a puttanesca except without anchovies (rather there was pork I believe). Hence, there were some good flavours from the onions, tomatoes and olives. Good thing too as polenta is usually a blank canvas. The texture was firm while still moist.
We also shared a Veal Parmigiana Sandwich on Calabria bread. I found the veal to be a bit on the dry side (forgivable since it had been sitting in the warming tray). There was just the right amount of tangy sauce and cheese. The bread held up well to the sauce, however, it could've been toasted more. Lastly, we got a slice of Cheese Pizza just in case my son decided to refuse the other items (he didn't, which was a surprise...). The pizza was more like a cheese bread where the dough was fairly soft while the tomato sauce had a slight tang. There was an adequate amount of melted cheese on top. As you can see, the takeout eats at Cioffi's ain't complex, but for a reasonable price, one can eat more interesting food than some chicken nuggets.
The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Pretty decent for takeout
- Friendly people
The Bad:
- With things sitting around in warmers, textures can degrade
- Purely takeout, unless you want to stand in front of the meat counter
As much as my last visit to Chong Lum Hin was a decent one, the one thing I remember most is the adult shop that was located kitty-corner to the restaurant. No, don't get the wrong idea, I wasn't longing to return for some products after-the-fact, rather, it was my son's question about a sign in the window: "what are adult toys?". Yah, awkward parent moment... Well, that store is long gone, but Chong Lum Hin is still around. For good reason too, as it combines decent eats at a low price. That was the plan for Dim Sum with Popper and Popette (oh and little poppy as well).
So onto the food, the first plates to arrive were the Shrimp Spring Rolls and Gai Lan with oyster sauce. My son jumped with joy when the spring rolls showed up but then made a face when he noticed the greens next to it. At least my daughter liked both plates (she's gonna be the foodie in the family). Anyways, we found the spring rolls to be crunchy and compact in size. There was very little filling which was ultimately too soft, especially for shrimp. There was no absence of seasoning though where the garlic really came through as well as the copious amount of salt. As for the gai lan, it was crunchy and visually-appealing. They cooked it just long enough.
Next we had 3 different rice noodle rolls including the Donut Rice Noodle Roll (Ja Leun) and the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll. We also got the beef, but it is not pictured here. The rice noodle itself was buttery soft while still maintaining some elasticity. Inside, the salty donut was crispy while not being dense. It was a bit too greasy for our liking though (they could've done a better job draining the oil). As for the shrimp rice noodle roll, the filling was not surprisingly similar to the one in the spring roll. The little bits of shrimp were combined with mousse which in turn made it too soft without the appealing snap texture. It was well-seasoned though.
Onto the usual suspects, we had the Haw Gow (Shrimp Dumpling) and Sui Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumpling). With a thick and slightly chewy dumpling skin, the haw gow featured whole shrimp and mousse filling. It was a bit wet, but the pieces of shrimp had a nice snap. There was too much sesame oil though as it was a bit overwhelming. As for the sui mai, there was a moist and buttery bounce texture that was accented by a good amount of shiitake mushroom. We found that the salt content was too much, yet at the same time, the dumpling did taste good with a combination of pork flavour and Earthiness from the mushrooms.
Since I was given the responsibility of ordering (of which I gleefully accepted), I had to get the Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet) and Bean Curd Skin Roll. Glistening with sauce, the chicken feet were sweet and garlicky with a definite lingering spiciness. Texturally, the skin was too soft and broken in spots. However, underneath, the cartilage was hard and crunchy. I thought the bean curd skin roll was well-prepared. The outer skin exhibited a chewy, yet moist texture where the sauce was silky and mildly seasoned. Inside, the filling was loose and juicy with a good amount of veggies. The pork was tender while maintaining a rebound.
Moving onto some carbs, we had the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice) and Pork Spareribs on Rice. For mini-lo mei gai, these were pretty plump with lots of very sticky rice inside. And when I say sticky, it was dry sticky rather than being moist. On the bright side, there was plenty of ground pork filling that featured a good amount of shiitake and moisture (which helped the dry rice). Even more dry, the sparerib rice was chewy and purposefully dry. The spareribs on top were a bit fatty, yet ultimately tender enough with some rebound. There was plenty of garlic and spiciness even though much of the marinade had seeped into the rice.
For our last 2 dishes, we went for the Pan Fried Daikon Radish Cake and Beef Meatballs. We weren't huge fans of the daikon cake as it was mealy and wet. On the other hand, there was plenty of Chinese sausage which in turn meant it was flavourful. The aggressive pan fry also ensured caramelization and smokiness. The meatballs looked good and indeed they were with an appealing bounce texture accented by a proper amount of cilantro. This was further enhanced by a good amount of sweet and savoury elements. As you can probably ascertain from the dishes we tried, the Dim Sum at Chong Lum Hin is good enough for this class of restaurant. Sure, some issues arose here and there, but with nothing really around the area, it does the trick for cheap.
The Good:
- Decent Dim Sum
- Inexpensive
The Bad:
- It's a dive (if you care)
- Service is okay, but very sparse
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