The Good, The Bad and The Beefy
Look Ma, I can post my blog on time! But seriously, there's nothing better than being regular.
On account of the MS Bike tour this weekend, I spent some time in Ottawa and had the opportunity to try two new restaurants. My resulting experiences prompted me to create this week’s title, which I hope will be mostly self-explanatory. Oh, and a word of warning. The nature of this posting suggests that it might become a wee bit epic, so if you need to get a drink, take a bio break or sell some stocks, I'd do that first...
The Good: Sushi Kan
I did not patronize Sushi Kan this weekend, but should have; it never disappoints and always fulfills. When you enter, you might be surprised by the size. It is very large for an all you can eat sushi place. However, the service here is not what one usually expects for these types of restaurants. It is usually prompt and friendly, and they rarely make mistakes. Also, any staff is willing to help, unlike most places that just tell you that "you must talk to your server" and then walk away.
Although sushi preferences are, to some extent, a personal thing, there are particulars at this restaurant that I think set it apart from other places. First-off, the maki aren't too big. Sushi protocol says that rolls and sushi must be eaten in one bite (biting off a piece is akin to double-dipping in Japanese culture). Making a bad situation worse, places with large rolls tend to overstuff them with rice while skimping on the fish. Speaking of fish, another thing that sets Sushi Kan apart is the freshness. Jenn and I both love sashimi (raw fish) and the sashimi at Sushi Kan is always fresh and tasty. The mackerel, white tuna and red snapper are our all time favourites. Lastly, the selection is diverse and interesting. We once went to Sushi Kan with people that don't love fish, but love sushi and Japanese food, and they found lots of stuff to enjoy. Some of our personal favourites include a tempura spicy crispy shrimp roll, the previously mentioned sashimi and the weekend special tuna sushi.
All in all, a great place. Another plus, you order by writing on a paper, not by telling the server. In my experience, this lends to more accurate and prompt service. If I was to find fault in the restaurant, it would be that the edamame is served cold and that I can never eat as much as I want to!
The Bad: Sakura Sushi
A friend of mine recently gave me an Ottawa Citizen article talking about the top five sushi places in Ottawa. My current favourite, Sushi Kan, was mentioned as was Sakura Sushi. The article raved about the service and quality of the finds, especially the spicy crispy iterations, and since Jenn and I love the spicy crispy, we thought that we couldn't miss.
We couldn't have been more wrong.
Before I pan this place, I should mention the positive, few as they might be. The pot stickers were amazing; the best I've had. Also, they had a wide assortment of appetizers and sashimi available.
All in all, the quality of the food at this place wasn't horrible. It was fairly fresh and the portions were appropriate. The spicy crispy finds weren't as good as the Citizen article promised (I like Sushi Kan's better) and the selection wasn't as good. They had some interesting hand rolls but I thought that the nori (algae wrapper) was a little stale (it was much too chewy). The miso soup wasn't great. Also, some of the rolls were much too big.
The thing that really killed this restaurant was the service, or complete lack of service actually. This was an all you can eat place, and Jenn and I left before getting our ice cream, as it was unclear whether we would ever get it at all. Also, I didn't tip. I figured that a tip was for service, and since we didn't get any, why pay? The server initially came to give us menus and then returned fairly promptly to take our initial order (no little papers here, though). That was pretty much the end of the service. Most of our food came, but we waited quite a while (20-30 minutes) for the last of our initial order, which only came after repeated reminders. Also, it was difficult to get the attention of the servers (who must have been blind, or high, as it seemed) when we wanted to reorder. Some tables seemed to get service, but for the number of people in the restaurant, there wasn't nearly enough "motion" from the servers.
I usually don't like to berate a restaurant with such harsh criticism until after a second visit, but after this time, I'll never go back. There's isn't enough room in this man's sushi heart for that kind of crap.
The Beefy: The Works
I've had many people suggest that I try The Works, Ottawa's gourmet burger bistro. All I can say is, Mmmmmm, cow.
Before getting down to the details, I'll just mention that the ambiance and service was top notch. Absolutely no complaints. Pretty much the polar opposite of Sakura. I tipped very well.
The basis of The Works is a great burger. Basically, aside from some great appetizers like onion rings and traditional poutine, the menu consists of a listing of over 60 burger topping combinations. Everything gets a chance—from boring old bacon and cheese to trés modern pesto and brie. You pick one of the types of burgers (like beef, chicken, turkey, veggie, tuna, domestic elk etc.), a white or whole wheat bun and then the toppings. You get a choice of a side like fries or coleslaw or a premium side like onion rings or Kraft Dinner. Yum.
Jenn and I split the traditional poutine (the Poutine Chez Guy). It was good. The curds were fresh and squeaky, and the gravy was beefy (maybe a touch under salted, but in today’s salt-phobic society, I can understand) and the fries were delicious. The server suggested an appetizer as the burgers are made fresh and so take about 20 minutes to prepare, but before I knew it, our burgers arrived. I chose the Hamburger Mary with the side coleslaw and Jenn had the Spartacat Special and a side of fries with Curried Mayo. The Spartacat Special came with cheese, bacon and avocado and was delicious. The avocado melted under the heat of the burger and created a rich sauce. The curried mayo had a nice strong curry flavour. My Mary was a classic with cheese, bacon, tomato, mayo and a fried egg. The coleslaw was deliciously creamy with a kick from the jalapeno juice added to the dressing. My burger was fantastic and filling. Both burgers were perfectly cooked. The menu advises that the patties are cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, and there was no absence of juiciness. They will cook the patties to a lower temperature if you want, but you'll have to sign a waiver.
Oh, I also had a draft Mill St. Tankhouse Ale, one of my personal favourites.
The only complaint I can muster (and I'm being a little picky here, but when it's that good...) is that the fried egg was cooked in a ring, like one for an Egg McMuffin. This creates a slightly fluffy texture. I would have appreciated the slightly chewy texture of a true fried egg as a great textural contrast to the rest of the bugger. However, as I said, I'm being a little picky.
So, bring your friends and your appetite!
Wow! A trio of reviews. All we need now is a dusty clearing, a haggard old cowboy with a predilection for brusqueness, two Mexicans (one scared, one scary), thematic music and some rapid eye movements that go on way too long.
On account of the MS Bike tour this weekend, I spent some time in Ottawa and had the opportunity to try two new restaurants. My resulting experiences prompted me to create this week’s title, which I hope will be mostly self-explanatory. Oh, and a word of warning. The nature of this posting suggests that it might become a wee bit epic, so if you need to get a drink, take a bio break or sell some stocks, I'd do that first...
The Good: Sushi Kan
I did not patronize Sushi Kan this weekend, but should have; it never disappoints and always fulfills. When you enter, you might be surprised by the size. It is very large for an all you can eat sushi place. However, the service here is not what one usually expects for these types of restaurants. It is usually prompt and friendly, and they rarely make mistakes. Also, any staff is willing to help, unlike most places that just tell you that "you must talk to your server" and then walk away.
Although sushi preferences are, to some extent, a personal thing, there are particulars at this restaurant that I think set it apart from other places. First-off, the maki aren't too big. Sushi protocol says that rolls and sushi must be eaten in one bite (biting off a piece is akin to double-dipping in Japanese culture). Making a bad situation worse, places with large rolls tend to overstuff them with rice while skimping on the fish. Speaking of fish, another thing that sets Sushi Kan apart is the freshness. Jenn and I both love sashimi (raw fish) and the sashimi at Sushi Kan is always fresh and tasty. The mackerel, white tuna and red snapper are our all time favourites. Lastly, the selection is diverse and interesting. We once went to Sushi Kan with people that don't love fish, but love sushi and Japanese food, and they found lots of stuff to enjoy. Some of our personal favourites include a tempura spicy crispy shrimp roll, the previously mentioned sashimi and the weekend special tuna sushi.
All in all, a great place. Another plus, you order by writing on a paper, not by telling the server. In my experience, this lends to more accurate and prompt service. If I was to find fault in the restaurant, it would be that the edamame is served cold and that I can never eat as much as I want to!
The Bad: Sakura Sushi
A friend of mine recently gave me an Ottawa Citizen article talking about the top five sushi places in Ottawa. My current favourite, Sushi Kan, was mentioned as was Sakura Sushi. The article raved about the service and quality of the finds, especially the spicy crispy iterations, and since Jenn and I love the spicy crispy, we thought that we couldn't miss.
We couldn't have been more wrong.
Before I pan this place, I should mention the positive, few as they might be. The pot stickers were amazing; the best I've had. Also, they had a wide assortment of appetizers and sashimi available.
All in all, the quality of the food at this place wasn't horrible. It was fairly fresh and the portions were appropriate. The spicy crispy finds weren't as good as the Citizen article promised (I like Sushi Kan's better) and the selection wasn't as good. They had some interesting hand rolls but I thought that the nori (algae wrapper) was a little stale (it was much too chewy). The miso soup wasn't great. Also, some of the rolls were much too big.
The thing that really killed this restaurant was the service, or complete lack of service actually. This was an all you can eat place, and Jenn and I left before getting our ice cream, as it was unclear whether we would ever get it at all. Also, I didn't tip. I figured that a tip was for service, and since we didn't get any, why pay? The server initially came to give us menus and then returned fairly promptly to take our initial order (no little papers here, though). That was pretty much the end of the service. Most of our food came, but we waited quite a while (20-30 minutes) for the last of our initial order, which only came after repeated reminders. Also, it was difficult to get the attention of the servers (who must have been blind, or high, as it seemed) when we wanted to reorder. Some tables seemed to get service, but for the number of people in the restaurant, there wasn't nearly enough "motion" from the servers.
I usually don't like to berate a restaurant with such harsh criticism until after a second visit, but after this time, I'll never go back. There's isn't enough room in this man's sushi heart for that kind of crap.
The Beefy: The Works
I've had many people suggest that I try The Works, Ottawa's gourmet burger bistro. All I can say is, Mmmmmm, cow.
Before getting down to the details, I'll just mention that the ambiance and service was top notch. Absolutely no complaints. Pretty much the polar opposite of Sakura. I tipped very well.
The basis of The Works is a great burger. Basically, aside from some great appetizers like onion rings and traditional poutine, the menu consists of a listing of over 60 burger topping combinations. Everything gets a chance—from boring old bacon and cheese to trés modern pesto and brie. You pick one of the types of burgers (like beef, chicken, turkey, veggie, tuna, domestic elk etc.), a white or whole wheat bun and then the toppings. You get a choice of a side like fries or coleslaw or a premium side like onion rings or Kraft Dinner. Yum.
Jenn and I split the traditional poutine (the Poutine Chez Guy). It was good. The curds were fresh and squeaky, and the gravy was beefy (maybe a touch under salted, but in today’s salt-phobic society, I can understand) and the fries were delicious. The server suggested an appetizer as the burgers are made fresh and so take about 20 minutes to prepare, but before I knew it, our burgers arrived. I chose the Hamburger Mary with the side coleslaw and Jenn had the Spartacat Special and a side of fries with Curried Mayo. The Spartacat Special came with cheese, bacon and avocado and was delicious. The avocado melted under the heat of the burger and created a rich sauce. The curried mayo had a nice strong curry flavour. My Mary was a classic with cheese, bacon, tomato, mayo and a fried egg. The coleslaw was deliciously creamy with a kick from the jalapeno juice added to the dressing. My burger was fantastic and filling. Both burgers were perfectly cooked. The menu advises that the patties are cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, and there was no absence of juiciness. They will cook the patties to a lower temperature if you want, but you'll have to sign a waiver.
Oh, I also had a draft Mill St. Tankhouse Ale, one of my personal favourites.
The only complaint I can muster (and I'm being a little picky here, but when it's that good...) is that the fried egg was cooked in a ring, like one for an Egg McMuffin. This creates a slightly fluffy texture. I would have appreciated the slightly chewy texture of a true fried egg as a great textural contrast to the rest of the bugger. However, as I said, I'm being a little picky.
So, bring your friends and your appetite!
Wow! A trio of reviews. All we need now is a dusty clearing, a haggard old cowboy with a predilection for brusqueness, two Mexicans (one scared, one scary), thematic music and some rapid eye movements that go on way too long.
Seriously, avocado on a burger is A M A Z I N G why did we not think of this sooner?
ReplyDeleteI think I did, but at the time you didn't "like" avocado. It's only a recent discovery to some of us...
ReplyDeleteWe have to show this burger place to the Swiss Chef next weekend. I will have to try the one with the Avocado also. Happy Cooking !!!
ReplyDelete