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Originally, we were planning to dine at Nubo Japanese Tapas on Pandora which was conveniently located 2 blocks from where we were hanging out. Literally, we were hanging out at Interactivity Board Game Cafe playing various games and enjoying milkshakes. However, for some reason or another, there was an hour wait at Nubo (and this was at 5:30pm). As much as we were in the mood for some Japanese eats, we were not prepared to wait for that long. Therefore, we walked down Blanshard looking for random food. Yes, that is not necessarily the best strategy, but we were hungry. We eventually settled on Menbow Ramen Bar.
After a quick search on google, it was determined that the place was decent enough to eat at. To begin, we shared the Chicken Karaage which was served with chili mayo and lemon. As much as the karaage was in a dark hue, the exterior was only lightly crispy. The dark meat was certainly tender, but not juicy being a bit stiff in texture. Although not bland, there could've been more salt. Not a bad attempt, but not particularly awesome either. As part of my combo, I also got a Chashu Don which was only $2.99 extra (a fair price considering the portion size). It was pretty solid too with chewy rice topped with a considerable amount of fatty chashu and green onions. There was definitely enough sauce and meat for all of the rice.
My choice of ramen was the Shoyu with chashu, half soft-boiled egg, nori, green onion, spinach, bean sprouts, fish cake, mushrooms and bamboo shoots. Silky and rich, the broth was full-flavoured and I could definitely taste the saltiness of the soy sauce. I made the mistake of drinking a large portion of the soup which made me thirsty (salt content) and feeling heavy. The noodles were perfectly al dente while the pork was semi-fatty and tender. I liked how they didn't overload the bowl with too much of the other ingredients because that usually muddles up the experience. I thought the egg could've been cooked much less, but it did taste good. For my son, he had the Shio with the same ingredients. Somehow, he seemed to have more noodles than I did. The soup base was more porky since the salt did not add any other complimentary flavours.
For my daughter, she chose the Miso with chicken broth, chashu, half soft-boiled egg, nori, green onion, fish cake, bean sprouts, spinach and corn. Naturally, the addition of miso meant the broth had more body in the sense that the fermented bean paste afforded depth and a rich nutty saltiness. Even though this was chicken broth, it was still silky and full-bodied. For me, I love corn in my ramen so this provided nice little pops of sweetness. Viv went for the Spicy Shio with chicken broth and the same ingredients as the regular shio. This was pretty spicy and due to that, it didn't really even matter if the broth was chicken or pork as we wouldn't be able to tell. Overall, we thought the ramen was decent enough at Menbow albeit on the pricier side. Yet at the same time, pretty respectable even if it wasn't in Victoria.
The Good:
- Decent
- Friendly enough service
- A good kind of basic (menu fairly simple)
The Bad:
- A bit salty
- Pricey
Okay, before you bring out the pitchforks, let me explain why we attempted to do Dim Sum in Victoria (even though we hail from Vancouver where some of the best Dim Sum in the world can be found). Despite the access to great Dim Sum in the GVRD, we miss having it while on vacation. Furthermore, call it curiosity or the inexplicable need to validate how good we have it by trying Dim Sum everywhere else. Whatever the case, we do what we do and I really don't give a rat's ass what others think. It is Sherman's Food Adventures, not Everyone's Opinion Adventures.
So we made our way to Don Mee Restaurant, which has been around for 80 years in Victoria. Hence, when we spotted ol' skool push carts, it was no surprise. We began with the BBQ Pork Pastries which were very sticky due to the aggressive honey glaze on the outside. The pastry itself was a touch dense, but still buttery and acceptable. There was a plethora of lean BBQ pork in the middle that sported a sweet and savoury glaze. For some reason, we ended up with the Salted Egg Yolk Custard Buns early on in the meal. Oh why not have something sweet right? Who's to judge anyways? Well, if you were expecting the modern runny "golden sand" centre, then you'd be disappointed. Rather, this was the traditional firmer filling. It was good though with bits of salted egg yolk and a semi-sweet and aromatic custard centre.
One dish that was pretty terrible was the Spring Rolls. The exterior was crunchy, but directly underneath, the rest of the layers were dense and chewy. Naturally, this made the spring roll rather tough to eat and it really didn't have a good mouth feel to it. To top it off, there wasn't much of a filling other than a bit of cabbage and maybe a touch of pork. We needed quite a bit of Worcestershire sauce as it was not seasoned enough either. A really ol' skool Dim Sum offering came next in the form of Shrimp Toast. This wasn't a typical version though as the darn thing had a massive ball of shrimp mousse on top of the usual oil-soaked white bread. I thought this was pretty good since the shrimp was bouncy and well-seasoned. The toast was crispy, but yes, it was essentially soaked in grease (like it should be).
It was also no surprise to find that the Lo Mei Gai (Sticky Rice with chicken and cured sausage in lotus leaves) to be the classic large version. I personally prefer this over 3 mini-ones as it seems that the rice is more uniformly textured. This was the case here where it was sticky and moist with plenty of ingredients. There was half a cured sausage and a large piece of chicken thigh mixed in with sliced pork. Therefore, the the whole thing was pretty robust and filling. Surprisingly, their Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll was on point with a thin elasticity. Inside, the medium-sized shrimp were well-seasoned with a meaty snap. As mentioned, the rice noodle was nicely textured being soft with a bite.
Onto some steamed items, we got the Steamed Pork Spareribs with garlic black bean sauce. This was also well-executed with meaty pieces of pork that were mostly rib portions with little fat and cartilage. The rib pieces were tender enough that it wasn't tough to chew while retaining the natural meat texture. In terms of seasoning, they were pretty heavy handed with the garlic (and garlic powder) where it was the dominant flavour. We didn't mind as it was impactful. The table beside us didn't want to try the Phoenix Talons (Chicken Feet), but we were more than up for the task. However, they didn't fry/steam them enough as the cartilage underneath was still crunchy. The skin was fine though being tender and completely seasoned with garlic and plenty of spice.
We didn't end up with the 2 most important items until the end (because of push carts). The Ha Gau (Shrimp Dumplings) featured a fairly thick dumpling skin which was a bit doughy and chewy. This should've been much thinner. Inside, the shrimp filling was good though with a delicate bounciness accented by bits of whole meaty shrimp. It was also well-seasoned being balanced between salty and sweet. As for the Siu Mai (Pork Dumplings), they were not very good. They were not visually appealing being too dark and texturally, they were far too meaty without the classic rebound. Moreover, there was no shiitake nor shrimp to be found inside. I found that they tasted too porky as well. Okay, let me have it, I know what you are going to say, "told you so, you shouldn't have even tried!". Yes, that is true, but some dishes were actually good. But overall, yah, not comparable to Vancity.
The Good:
- Surprisingly some dishes were good
- Fairly good service
- Decent variety
The Bad:
- When there was a miss, it really missed
- Not that cheap
- Hard to get what you want since they use push carts
There was a time when taking the kids out for tapas was not really a practical thing to do. With their limited preferences and also equally limited appetites, it was a better option to do White Spot. However, since they are older now with more mature palates, going for tapas or really anything else is not much of a stretch these days. So after a really cool experience at Cherry Bomb Toys on Broad Street, we sauntered down 2 blocks over to Trounce Alley. There, we found The Tapa Bar, where it was already hopping at 5:00pm due the tail end of happy hour. We were lucky to grab a table on a busy Saturday night.
We started off with the Chorizo Fondue with garlic and fresh tortilla chips on the side. Although the amount of cheese and chorizo was pretty modest, it was enough for all of the chips on the plate. This was a kid favourite as the cheese was stringy with enough diced chorizo on top for impact. It wasn't spicy, but there was definitely a meatiness. I would've liked to see the cheese kept heated as it was hard to dip the chips. Rather, we had to spread it on with a knife. We were recommended the Coconut Lime Salt Spring Mussels and the broth did not disappoint. Combined with the aromatics of the coconut milk, we found the acidity of the lime as well as the brininess of the mussels. In fact, the brininess was a touch overwhelming, but then again, better than not. The mussels themselves were cooked beautifully being buttery and tender.
Particularly for my daughter, we got the Portuguese Sardines grilled with rock salt and served with lemon. These were some pretty large sardines which were fairly fishy from the remnants of the innards. Well, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing as we love brininess and sardines are usually not bland by no means. Texturally, they were on point with a moist delicateness. We had to ask for more lemon though as the acidity helped cut through the intense fishiness. For our choice of thin crust pizza, we ended up with the House Smoked Chicken Breast with fresh basil and mozzarella. The pizza lived up to the thin crust billing being crispy all the way through. On top, the chicken was definitely smoky while still tender and not dried out. Combined with a tangy tomato sauce and a wealth of fresh basil on top, there was no lack of impact.
Tapas is not tapas for us without an order of Patatas Bravas or deep fried potatoes with roasted garlic aioli. This was good and bad on the same plate. We appreciated the large chunks of potatoes that maintained an appealing potato texture. However, they were not crispy at all on the outside. Rather, they were merely greasy and soft. On the other hand, the creamy and aromatic aioli was flavourful and really helped save this dish. To get some meat into the meal, we ordered the 8 oz New York Striploin prepared a beautiful medium-rare (closer to the rare side, which is our preference). Other than a piece of sinew running down the middle of the steak, the meat was super tender with a desirable meatiness. It was flavourful from the char and really didn't need much to accent it.
Lastly, we got the Seafood Fettuccine with mussels, prawns, halibut and tomatoes in a saffron cream sauce. The fresh pasta was nicely al dente with a good rebound chewiness. It was enveloped in a very creamy sauce that was aromatic and brininess (again from the mussels). The seafood was perfectly prepared with flaky halibut and meaty snap prawns. As much as we enjoyed the pasta, there was just a bit too much sauce where it drowned everything in the dish. This epitomized other items such as the potatoes and the fondue where it was hit and miss within the same dish. Yet, as a whole, the meal was decent and service was good.
The Good:
- Decent portions
- Expeditious service
- Reasonably-priced
The Bad:
- A bit hit and miss
"What??? You don't have Agrius on your list of eats for Victoria???", Mijune scolded in disbelief. Fine, she had me there. How on earth did I not have En Route's 4th rated restaurant in the country? I guess I was so focused on family friendly joints that I totally forgot that my kids do enjoy fine or near-fine dining (it's just that my pocket book takes a big hit!). So not only did I planned to eat there for brunch once we got off the ferry (well, after we drove there of course), we also made resos for dinner later in the week (post will be up in a few days). Maybe now Mijune would get off my back now...
So we decided to get some of the more interesting dishes including the Baked Eggs with Swiss chard, tomato jam, braised lamb, nostrala, potatoes and French country bread. At first, Viv was concerned that it would be too gamy (I personally enjoy that btw), but it turned out to be quite mild and balanced. The eggs were perfectly silky and runny while the lamb was tender. I enjoyed the tang as well as the cheesiness of the dish where all was sopped up with the hearty toasted bread. For the other dish we shared, Viv was not too keen on ordering the Sauerkraut Pancakes because she doesn't really care for fermented cabbage. However, we were pleasantly surprised that the house-made sauerkraut was not overpowering. In fact, it was actually quite mild where it added the flavour of sauerkraut without overpowering the dish. The pancakes themselves were fluffy and light with minor crunch from the cabbage. On top, the sweet dijon was quite powerful adding a noticeable mustard finish.
For my son, he went for something more conventional with the Classic Benny with thick back bacon, poached eggs and Hollandaise atop French country bread. As rich as the Hollandaise appeared, it was silky and completely brightened up by the ample amount of acidity. The perfectly poached eggs were delicate and runny. He found the bacon to be fantastically buttery and flavourful, but with the unappealing fattiness, it was pretty heavy. Crunchy and firm, the French bread held up well to the wet ingredients. My daughter decided on the Fried Egg Sandwich with cheddar, back bacon, tomato jam, lettuce and aioli on a brioche bun. Soft and completely encasing the ingredients, the bun was airy and light. Inside, the thinly sliced back bacon provided the necessary punch to go with the runny egg and tangy house-made tomato jam. In general, the brunch was pleasant with a few surprises. We enjoyed it, however, we were more looking forward to dinner in a few days.
The Good:
- Some unique dishes
- Impactful flavours
- Good service
The Bad:
- Bacon could've been rendered a bit more
Expectations and institutionalized perceptions about certain things can often be hard to charge, especially when they are considered the norm and/or widely accepted. For instance, trying to get people to pay more money for things that have been traditionally inexpensive can be a severely uphill battle. For the longest time, Dim Sum has been reasonably-priced in the Lower Mainland, but it has been trending up in terms of pricing where in the past 5 years, we've seen the introduction of some serious high-end spots (such as Mott 32). Now we have Ampersand Bistro & Bar has recently opened up in Gastown offering "designer Dim Sum" in the old location of Mosquito. It may not be as expensive as Mott 32, but prices are on the higher end while the decor doesn't scream out "Chinese restaurant".
I recently checked out the place trying as many items as my appetite could handle. We went right for the standards including the Ha Gau and Siu Mai. Attractively plated, each dumpling was served in their own little vessel complete with accompanying sauce. Topped with an "Asian pesto" of sorts (cilanto, parsley, leek oil and vinegar), the ha gau featured a thick dumpling skin that was doughy with little elasticity. As for the filling, it was fully of whole shrimp that had a nice meaty snap. The dumpling itself was rather mediocre, but the green sauce added lots of umami and brightness that complimented the combination of nuoc cham and dashi underneath. As for the siu mai, it was far too meaty where there was little variation in terms of texture and flavour. The lean pork didn't exhibit the classic rebound and the lack of shrimp contributed to the one note texture. There also wasn't enough shiitake. These were set on a soy vinegar sauce with a dollop of srirracha on top.
Probably the prettiest dumpling was the Seafood with 4 little treasures on top. These also sat on a soy vinegar sauce that was subtle enough not to overwhelm the dumpling. That was necessary as the filling wasn't particularly flavourful. I guess it wasn't a surprise as seafood (I think it was a mix of shrimp, scallop and fish?) isn't usually that robust. As with the ha gau, the dumpling wrapper was fairly thick and doughy. Topped with the same green sauce, the Chicken Dumplings also were complimented by some black sesame on the side. Again, the dumpling wrapper was no different that the rest, so it was already behind the 8-ball in that regard. However, the chicken filling was moist and tender with mild-seasoning. The sauce helped make the chicken dumpling flavourful enough whereas the black sesame didn't seem to go (was delicious on its own, but not particularly complimentary with the green sauce).
Similar to the ha gau, the Shrimp & Chive Dumpling featured an even more doughy dumpling skin due to its shape and subsequent folds. That made it a bit clunky to eat, but it wasn't horrible either. The filling was roughly the same as the ha gau except with the addition of chives. This made it more bright and varied the flavours of the dumpling. Without the aid of the green sauce, this was a little bland even with the sweet soy underneath. I had high hopes for the Crab Xiao Long Bao, but ultimately, it had too many flaws for it to be good. First of all, the dumpling skin was thick and lacking in elasticity. Second, the way they arranged it in the overly small steamer ensured they would stick together (hence destroying them when picked up with juices leaking out). There actually wasn't enough soup to quality as a legit XLB, but the filling was juicy and delicious (being impactfully sweet and savoury).
They didn't have any of their king dumplings available, so we went for the Sassy Wontons instead. These boiled dumplings were served with spicy oyster sauce, parsley, scallions and crispy noodle sprinkles. I thought the wontons themselves were decent with a meaty filling encased in tender, yet chewy dumpling wrapper. As much as the sauce was spicy and impactful enough, I wasn't sure the oyster sauce paired well with wontons (too salty and thick). Rather, it would've been better served with a more traditional spicy chili oil dressing. Moving away from dumplings we tried their Salmon Soba Bowl consisting of Oceanwise salmon, free run egg ribbons, roasted eggplant, edamame, peashoots, japanese pickles, spiced cashews and sesame soy infused soba noodle. I thought the individual ingredients were good including the surprisingly moist salmon (it didn't look it), but the thing as a whole was only okay. I think the main issue was the bland and somewhat soft noodles.
Lastly, we had their version of Charcuterie sporting Chinese cured sausage, Taiwanese sausage, cured pork belly, pickled veggies, brioche bun and hoisin chili sauce. For me, this was nothing special because I eat these meats all the time, including making cured meat rice at home. However, the way they prepared it was good as they fried them up creating a crispy exterior texture as well as caramelization. So I gave myself a few days to think about what I just ate at Ampersand to give a balanced opinion. To be completely blunt, I think Ampersand is too much style and too little in substance. With all of the great high-end Dim Sum spots in town, there is no reason to spend so much on mediocre food.
The Good:
- Attentive service
- Nice little space
- Some good ideas
The Bad:
- Dim Sum just doesn't measure up to all we have in town and at that price point
If you've been driving down Hornby just past Nelson in Downtown Vancouver, you might've noticed the long line of people in front of The Alley. This is just the latest Taiwanese chain to hit the Lower Mainland where it merely adds yet another option for bubble tea. They've been operating in Ontario and this is their first foray into BC. What sets them apart is that they make their own cane sugar syrup and "Deerioca" from scratch. I was recently invited to try out several of their signature drinks and thankfully skip the line. Hey, I'm not about to decline skipping the huge lineup!
So one of their most popular drinks is from their fresh milk series - Royal No.9. This was definitely milky and almost creamy. There was no doubt about the milk flavour where there was some floral fruity aspects to it (thanks to the blueberry-infused black tea). It was almost like vanilla but not. The sweetness was really balanced and it didn't overwhelm. As for the pearls, they were perfectly chewy while not being hard or too soft. There was a deep rich sweetness to them that was welcomed as the drink wasn't that sweet to begin with. We were recommended the White Peach Oolong from their "The Finest Collection". Now this was the complete opposite from the subtle flavours of the Royal No.9. This was very strong and bitter where I got big hits of tea, but very little peach. I'm sure those who like powerful natural-tasting tea would be all over this. For me, it was too pungent.
From their signature Brown Sugar Deerioca series, we had the Deerioca Fever with soy milk and the Deerioca Matcha with fresh milk. Okay, these were my favourite as predictably, the brown sugar featured deep caramelized sugary notes. As much as the soy milk version was thinner and lighter than fresh milk, it was still quite good. Of course there was the usual soy milk taste, but it was tempered by the rich sweetness of the chewy pearls. Onto the matcha, it had just enough aroma and bitterness for impact while not being over-bearing. This ensured there was harmony between the green tea, fresh milk and brown sugar pearls. It all created a pleasing drink that went down smooth while providing subtle impact.
Going in a complete different direction, the Aurora Series featured 2 drinks including Morning Dawn (jasmine green tea, mango slush and, again, butterfly-pea-flower tea) and Northern Lights (apple vinegar, grape slush and butterfly-pea-flower tea). Fruity, aromatic and floral, the morning dawn was fairly sweet. It was still refreshing though albeit subtle. I was more drawn to the Northern lights due to the tang from the vinegar and fruitiness from the grape slush. It was also pretty sweet, but the tang helped balance it out. Okay, after trying 6 drinks from The Alley, it made me appreciate the differences that exist amongst all of the available bubble tea shops in Greater Vancouver. I can see why there is still an insatiable thirst for more choices. The drinks at The Alley were good and had their own personality. I would personally go back and have it again.
*All beverages were complimentary*
The Good:
- As for the bubble teas, they were purposefully sweet with balanced flavours
- On point brown sugar pearls (loved the warm temperature in relation to the cold drink)
- Surprisingly good floral fruity aspects to the milk tea
The Bad:
- White Peach Oolong was a bit too strong for my tastes
- Cold drinks could've been a bit less sweet
It's been almost 5 years since I've had brunch at the Flying Pig. That was at the Gastown location right after Sunday hockey. From what I can remember, the brunch was solid with some interesting menu items (including some good complimentary banana bread to start). Interestingly, I had made a mental note to bring the fam out since I knew they would enjoy it. However, it got lost in the shuffle and we still haven't done that. Well, an invite to try their brunch menu (with some new items) at their Olympic Village location accomplished the long-awaited revisit (without the fam though).
Rather, it was with Jacqueline and we did our best to get a variety of eats including the Bone Marrow Cheesy Bread. Yes, they really did add a large luxurious bone to the already overloaded bread (sporting a thick layer of melted cheese). If you think this was over-the-top, it definitely was but this didn't make it any less tasty. The bread was a meal in itself where the $13.00 price tag seemed completely reasonable. Onto something more typical, we had the Classic Eggs Benny sporting toasted English muffin, shaved ham, Hollandaise and 2 perfectly runny poached eggs. Sometimes, eggs benny has become something unrecognizable. So having a well-executed "normal" version worked for me. The muffin was crispy, therefore standing up to the tangy sauce and runny egg yolk.
So what do you get when you combine a Vanilla Waffle with Andrew's Fried Chicken? Something tasty of course! This was well-executed from the waffle to the chicken. Sporting a crispy exterior, the waffle was tender and fluffy inside. There was the unmistakable aromatic vanilla essence that complimented the mild sweetness. The best part of the dish was the large fried chicken breast. It was moist and tender with an appealing crunchy batter. Continuing on with carbs, we had the Brioche French Toast with whipped cream and blackberry compote. By virtue of it being made with brioche, the bread was moist and of course eggy (also from the egg batter). It was moist, but not wet though where the crispy exterior created the classic textural contrast. The whole thing was fruity sweet from the blackberries and wasn't overwhelmingly sugary.
Onto some more lunch type items, we tried the Lamb Bolognese Rigatoni with 8-hour slow braised lamb, house-made basil ricotta and charred garlic bread. They certainly didn't skimp with the lamb here as it easily coated each al-dente rigatoni creating a rich meatiness. Loved mixing in the ricotta as it added an aromatic creaminess to an already rich and thick bolognese. Although it didn't look particularly impressive, the AAA Prime Burger was fantastic. The best part was the prime rib patty as it was charred, juicy and barely cooked through. This created a rich meatiness that was natural-tasting and caramelized. It was further amped by the bone marrow aioli that created a fatty silkiness that afforded even more body. Add in the pickles and this helped lighten up the heaviness to provided a balanced great- tasting burger. Overall, the brunch at The Flying Pig was solid and a good alternative to the usual brunch spots in town.
*All food was complimentary*
The Good:
- Well-executed
- Nice space
- Fair portions
The Bad:
- Parking can be a pain in the area
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Originally, we were planning to dine at Nubo Japanese Tapas on Pandora which was conveniently located 2 blocks from where we were hanging out. Literally, we were hanging out at Interactivity Board Game Cafe playing various games and enjoying milkshakes. However, for some reason or another, there was an hour wait at Nubo (and this was at 5:30pm). As much as we were in the mood for some Japanese eats, we were not prepared to wait for that long. Therefore, we walked down Blanshard looking for random food. Yes, that is not necessarily the best strategy, but we were hungry. We eventually settled on Menbow Ramen Bar.
After a quick search on google, it was determined that the place was decent enough to eat at. To begin, we shared the Chicken Karaage which was served with chili mayo and lemon. As much as the karaage was in a dark hue, the exterior was only lightly crispy. The dark meat was certainly tender, but not juicy being a bit stiff in texture. Although not bland, there could've been more salt. Not a bad attempt, but not particularly awesome either. As part of my combo, I also got a Chashu Don which was only $2.99 extra (a fair price considering the portion size). It was pretty solid too with chewy rice topped with a considerable amount of fatty chashu and green onions. There was definitely enough sauce and meat for all of the rice.
My choice of ramen was the Shoyu with chashu, half soft-boiled egg, nori, green onion, spinach, bean sprouts, fish cake, mushrooms and bamboo shoots. Silky and rich, the broth was full-flavoured and I could definitely taste the saltiness of the soy sauce. I made the mistake of drinking a large portion of the soup which made me thirsty (salt content) and feeling heavy. The noodles were perfectly al dente while the pork was semi-fatty and tender. I liked how they didn't overload the bowl with too much of the other ingredients because that usually muddles up the experience. I thought the egg could've been cooked much less, but it did taste good. For my son, he had the Shio with the same ingredients. Somehow, he seemed to have more noodles than I did. The soup base was more porky since the salt did not add any other complimentary flavours.
For my daughter, she chose the Miso with chicken broth, chashu, half soft-boiled egg, nori, green onion, fish cake, bean sprouts, spinach and corn. Naturally, the addition of miso meant the broth had more body in the sense that the fermented bean paste afforded depth and a rich nutty saltiness. Even though this was chicken broth, it was still silky and full-bodied. For me, I love corn in my ramen so this provided nice little pops of sweetness. Viv went for the Spicy Shio with chicken broth and the same ingredients as the regular shio. This was pretty spicy and due to that, it didn't really even matter if the broth was chicken or pork as we wouldn't be able to tell. Overall, we thought the ramen was decent enough at Menbow albeit on the pricier side. Yet at the same time, pretty respectable even if it wasn't in Victoria.
