Seasons in the Park

Seasons in the Park is by far and above one of the most scenic places to dine in Vancouver. It’s one restaurant in the Sequoia Company of Restaurants, which all seem to be beautifully situated, regardless of where they are in Vancouver. Seasons in the Park happens to be smack-dab in the middle of Queen Elizabeth Park, and must be one of the restaurants with the best view in the spring- and summer-time. I’ve actually been here for my birthday twice – this year and two years ago! It’s not a tradition, but a fun choice when the weather is great and the flowers are in bloom.

Needless to say, the ambiance makes this restaurant a winner – but the food itself is great, too! Top that off with friendly and attentive service, and you have a restaurant worthy of being called “amazing”. The dishes aren’t incredibly “innovative” or mind-boggling, so I wouldn’t start mentioning Michelin stars or anything, but they are still delicious and dining here is still enjoyable.

BC Salmon Burger: ★★★★★

BC Salmon Burger

In-freaking-credible. The salmon was perfectly cooked and melty; no dry fish or rubbery texture here whatsoever. The onions and lettuce in the bun were crisp, and the bun itself was outstanding. It was buttered and grilled, I believe, and was warm and fluffy when I bit into it. The buttery-ness went really well with the buttery salmon. The rémoulade had a nice cooling effect to offset the “warmth”, with a pleasantly mild tang. The salad was nice and crisp, as was the pickle. Highly recommend the salmon burger. This was probably one of the best salmon burgers I’ve had in Vancouver (though I haven’t had too many so perhaps my saying that doesn’t mean too much).

Queen Elizabeth Burger: ★★★★☆

QE Burger

Another outstanding burger. I guess it’s hard to go wrong with buttered burger buns!

The meat was tender but deliciously juicy. The bacon – a class addition, of course – took it over the top with its subtle crunch and smoky flavour. The cheese was white cheddar, which was awesome but… just a pinch too scant. If I could have re-ordered this burger for Pita, I would have asked for extra cheese. It had a great, strong flavour that cheeses aged over a course of years typically have, but dominated this one side of the burger… Needs more cheese to balance it out!

Pickle and vegetable toppings were great, as was the coleslaw, which was acidic with sweet undertones – the way it should be – and not overly creamy. (I don’t like coleslaw in general, so the latter point is really important in my opinion… It’s not coleslaw if the texture is more creamy than it is cabbage-y.) The fries were thinly cut, warm, and crisp. They weren’t overly-greasy, and tasted fresh. Fries done right!

Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake: ★★★★★

Yes, I realise it’s hard to go wrong with dessert but… I love this cake. And not just because it says “Happy Birthday!” to me.

I would not change ANYTHING. I love the multiple layers of a lighter tasty chocolate mousse and a darker chocolate mousse. Both layers are fluffy, and the ganache topping is just sweet enough to take the bitter edge off of the chocolate. This is definitely a dessert I would say should be shared – maybe between three people. But it was my birthday, so I ate most of it, alongside Pita.

Just looking at it is making me salivate. IT IS AMAZING. Texture-wise and flavour-wise (and scent-wise, too, if you’re in-the-know about how important smell is to taste). I guess if I had to complain, I would say that the “Happy Birthday” sign was too sweet… It doesn’t usually come with the cake (of course), so I didn’t factor it into my ranking. The presentation of this cake is also beautiful. The cape gooseberry on top was a nice touch and added a great burst of fruit flavour.

This was my favourite part of the meal, clearly.

Butter

The bread basket at the beginning of the meal was good, too. The buns were fluffy, fresh, and warm and… the butter says “butter” on it! Cool. Just in case you can’t recognise butter when you see it, I guess? Hah. The buns were good but the butter was nothing special. Serving herbed butter would probably be appropriate here, especially because of the “fancy” atmosphere in Seasons in the Park.

The wait staff here, in the couple of times that I have been, has always been very friendly. Maybe we’re just lucky to get great waiters and waitresses serving us here. I definitely appreciate great service when I see it! Our server on this occasion was knowledgeable about the menu and the restaurant’s background (happened to be a topic of conversation for a moment), and was very conversational. Our water glasses were pretty much full throughout the meal, also.

Two thumbs up! Though slightly costly, Seasons in the Park offers great service, delicious food, and a charming atmosphere and view.

Ambiance: 5

Food: 4.5

Service: 4.5

Value: 4

Overall: 4.5

Nuba (W Hastings)

Of all the places I have been but not blogged about, I was disappointed and kind of ashamed when I realised I had never written about Nuba – the restaurant one on Hastings. I’m sure the cafés (one on East 3rd Ave., one on Seymour St. in Yaletown, and one in the Waldorf Hotel on Commercial) are just as amazing, but for the largest menu and an amazing first experience, I would highly recommend the main restaurant!

Emme and I set out one midweek afternoon specifically in search of Nuba, despite Emme’s great reluctance to venture anywhere near Gastown and Hastings, and actually walked by the entrance a couple of times because we were searching before the clock hit 5 o’clock. Of course, after 5p.m. it’s impossible to miss it when you walk by it. We were lucky to arrive so early, seeing as it seemed that every table was reserved for later that evening, and the waitress could only guarantee us an immediate seat if we left before 7:30p.m. A two-and-a-half hour window for eating dinner is quite generous, so we easily promised to be gone before then.

Side Pita (comes with Beef Tenderloin)

Nuba has a very cozy feel, which may be in part due to the fact that is partially underground. While achieving a warm and welcoming interior, it still has very tastefully done décor. It is definitely, in my and Emme’s opinions, one of those restaurants that makes you feel like you could just kick back and lounge around, enjoying good food and conversation. (None of that for us that evening, though, of course – what with the ‘time restraint’… and the fact that we were seated at a table instead of a couch!) It is definitely great that they offer different seating selections, though; you can choose to sit and casually enjoy your dinner on couches or take the traditional table route… or, of course, sit at the bar if all the tables are taken or you’re there for drinks rather than awesome food.

And so, speaking of awesome food… Emme and I enjoyed all of the dishes we ordered. That said, however, we didn’t order that many things. One thing I can say about this: our number one mistake that evening was going to Nuba not feeling particularly hungry. We had both had big lunches, and weren’t too hungry only a couple hours later. Although, considering the prices, this might be a good thing. Considering how fantastic the food was that night, this was a bad thing.

Beef Tenderloin with Hummus

Emme ordered a hot appetizer or mezze that was a special of the day: a Beef Tenderloin steak that came with hummus and pita on the side. I’m not sure – and not sure Emme is either – about what exactly was on top, but the crunchy topping was a wonderful accompaniment to the most tender cut of steak Emme has supposedly ever had. The swirled sauce was unexpectedly sweet, but somehow perfectly matched the ‘gamey’ taste of the meat. Her only complaint was that the portion was so small for the price, but it was an appetizer… and Nuba is definitely not a cheap place to eat for dinner. The hummus that was on the side was intended for dipping with the warm, toasty pita pieces that came with the meal, was what we both attacked when the plates initially came. We are hummus lovers.It lived up to our expectations, which are typically quite high for hummus. It is such a simple dip to make, but Nuba definitely did it justice.

Fattoush Salad

I didn’t help Emme with her hummus for long (she didn’t need me to, either; it was so good that she easily polished it off by herself), since my salad arrived. I love salad, but the one thing I would berate myself for this time would be: why would you get a salad at such a great restaurant?! That is my regret. There are so many other appealing and wondrous-sounding dishes at Nuba that take more preparation and are a better display of how great the restaurant is. Yes, the salad was fantastic and the toasty pita topping was lovely, the veggies were crunchy and fresh, and the garlic-lemon-herb dressing was perhaps the best salad dressing I’ve ever tasted… but there are better ways to spend your money here! It was a Fattoush Salad, by the way, and still thoroughly enjoyed even though I regretted getting it instead of something more complex that couldn’t be imitated in a personal, home kitchen.

Sea Scallops

I also ordered something off the ‘hot mezze’ menu: Sea Scallops. The names of dishes on the menu are definitely straightforward and simple, but… don’t be fooled. I actually like menus that are upfront about what the dish is, as opposed to throwing in a bunch of adjectives and other flowery descriptive but unnecessary phrases. Despite the simplicity of the menu, the dishes are wonderfully complex and hit a range of taste points on your tongue all at once… like the beef tenderloin, for example – sweet, savoury, salty. The texture of the food is also amazing. So it goes without saying that these scallops were also better than I could have hoped for. I still love the simplest preparation, of course (hotate sashimi, or raw cuts of scallops!), but this was… superb. I’m running out of words like ‘amazing’, ‘great’, etc. for this post… Anyway. This dish was an awesome mixture of subtly sweet flavors from the scallops, a hint of spice from the paprika and coriander crust, and a lovely combo of nutty and savory flavors from the walnut and sesame oil dressing. The scallops were perfectly cooked. I. Loved. It. Were it not so pricy, I would order it again and again… (But like I said before –  there are so many other promising dishes on the menu, so I would only get this again as a special treat!)

We were obviously not regular patrons to the restaurant, but that of course did not affect the service we received – which was fantastic, just like the food. There is not much more to say beyond that; our waitress was super polite, patient, knew the menu well, and enjoyed explaining the restaurant’s background to us when we asked about its origins (and why it chose its location). Even if you didn’t make a reservation, you till receive top-of-the-line treatment and a memorable dining experience.

The only downside is the prices, but for what you get, Emme and I both think that a trip to Nuba is completely worth it. Definitely a must-try if you’re in the area… and a must-try even if you’re not!

Ambiance: 5

Food: 4.5

Service: 4.5

Value: 3 (expensive but worth it!)

Overall: 4.5

Shiro

By recommendation of a restaurant manager (at a different restaurant, of course!) who is also familiar with Japanese food and culture, as I myself am, I suggested to Emme that we give Shiro on Cambie St. a try one night instead of visiting our typical, favourite Japanese place. As we’ve both enjoyed authentic Japanese cuisine before – in Japan, on the streets, in restaurants, and even in a ryokan – we both have quite high standards and visited Shiro with great expectations because of the recommendation we’d heard. It didn’t look like much from the outside, but we managed to snag the last parking spot in the small parking lot outside the restaurant, early one evening, and ventured on inside. Despite being so early, there were already quite a few tables that were occupied. Although we could have sat at a table, we opted for the sushi bar instead, since I in particular am always hugely entertained by watching the itamae at work. We were given green tea, short glasses of water, and menus, and for a while that was about all the service we received. The restaurant was very busy, apparently, and the waitresses had their hands full delivering food, catering to other customers, and trying to fulfill take-out orders over the phone. Eventually we flagged down a waitress in the tiny restaurant (which is indeed quite cramped!) and placed our orders.

Typical Miso Soup

Chicken Teriyaki

Emme, not much of a sushi fan (or of raw fish, i.e. sashimi), went with Chicken Teriyaki that came with a bowl of plain white rice and miso soup. The chicken was cooked well and flavourful — the sauce was not overpowering and not too sticky nor too sweet. Rather, it acted as a suitable complement to the dish and didn’t destroy the chicken flavour. The veggies were not overcooked and were good accompaniments to the dish, and tasty like the leading component of the dish (the chicken).

Emme’s meal also came with an Ebi Sunomono, which was quite small but also quite tasty. It was unexpected that the shrimp were shredded as they were, and there definitely could have been more cucumber, but the sunomono still fulfilled its job as being a refreshing dish and somewhat of a palate cleanser… A nicer presentation with a bit more besides just the noodles would’ve been a bonus, though, and not hard to do.

Ebi Sunomono

Along with the sunomono, the chicken teriyaki also came with an order of Assorted Tempura. The tempura was fine; the batter was quite thick, but this was not necessarily a bad thing. The exterior of the tempura pieces was pleasantly crispy and the interiors soft and cooked through.

Assorted Tempura

Emme also asked for a serving of one her absolute favourite Japanese dishes (which also happens to be one of the simpler ones!): Edamame. Edamame is what it is… It’s hard to go wrong with it, really. However, for what you pay to get it at Shiro, we definitely were in agreement that you should get a bit more. The dish was tiny, and it’s hard to imagine that this is usually meant to be shared amongst a group of people – or even amongst two or three. The edamame wasn’t really salted very well, although it was served warm and still very good.

Edamame

I ordered many little small dishes to satisfy my appetite, as I usually do when I dine at a Japanese restaurant. I tested out some of their nigiri sushi and ordered four pieces, one each of Hokkigai, Hotate, Salmon, and Ika. The ika nigiri piece was just a little bit tougher and more rubbery than I usually expect, and I did in fact have a bit of a challenge eating it, but it still tasted okay. The hokkigai was delicious, and perhaps the best raw surf clam I’ve had in Vancouver to date. The hotate and salmon were both absolutely delicious; the hotate was perfectly sweet and the salmon was so fresh that it did indeed practically melt in my mouth as outstanding salmon sashimi is wont to do. (As a side note, I will also say that the ginger was particularly good at Shiro as well!)

To go with all my raw fish, I got a Kappa Maki (cucumber roll) for some nice crunch. The cucumber was indeed very fresh and crunchy – and also plentiful. I have actually been to places before where the roll seemed to mostly be rice… Thankfully, this time around that was not the case. I also really liked how all of my sushi was directly handed to me by the sushi chefs, who were working at an amazing speed the entire time and pounding out piece upon piece or roll upon roll of fantastic looking sushi.

Kappa Maki

I had miso soup and a sunomono on the side as Emme did, although I only asked for a plain Wakame Sunomono, which was just about the same as Emme’s. Presentation is fine, but a slightly bigger portion would make it more worth purchasing!

Wakame Sunomono

As I have mentioned before, I love veggies and so got another dish to go with my meal: Horensou Ohitashi. While I thought the presentation was very nice, the dish itself was far, far too dry. Usually there is a nice amount of “special dressing” on the dish (with a soy sauce base, I believe), but this time there was absolutely none. In fact, the spinach was completely overrun by all the katsuobushi, which I usually adore. Without the dressing, however, this dish just did not work as it should have, and it is usually quite easy to produce a wonderful-tasting ohitashi… Thus, I can’t help it that I was quite disappointed that it didn’t taste as flavourful as it could have.

Horensou Ohitashi

In any case, the pieces of nigiri were all outstanding, as was the cucumber roll and Emme’s chicken teriyaki. The edamame could use an upgrade in terms of serving size (and salt!), as could the sunomono, and the ohitashi really needs more sauce and less katsuobushi. Overall, it was still a tasty and satisfying meal.

Shiro, as I’ve said before, is a very small restaurant, and as a consequence it suffers from feeling just a little too cramped when it is busy. This is probably in part due to its popularity – but for that it cannot really be blamed, since the food is very good. The ambiance is really just “okay” and not particularly pleasant nor unpleasant. But it’s clean – although cramped – and that is one of the more important aspects of it.

On a busy night, service may not seem very good since the waitresses have to handle take-out orders via the phone as well as entertain present customers, organise those customers who are waiting, clean tables, take actual orders, deliver food, and keep tea and water topped up… Unfortunately, Emme and I visited on a hectic evening, even though we went early, so the service we received was limited, although the waitresses were pretty friendly and clearly tried to be accommodating. The reality is, however, that we did wait quite a while before our orders were taken. Luckily, during the meal, we received constant refills for our water and tea, for which we were both thankful.

One specific aspect of Shiro that tipped me in favour of the restaurant was its authenticity. The sushi chefs are Japanese, décor is pretty much all Japanese, and the waitresses are all Japanese. The experience is consequently enhanced and all the more real, and the quality of the food is definitely of a very high standard. Also… you know a Japanese restaurant is good when a couple of the patrons are Japanese themselves, and are obviously regulars! Emme and I can be quite picky about the Japanese restaurants we go to, and authenticity in terms of food and service is one thing we almost always look for.

I must note that although Shiro has a very extensive menu – or so I thought – Emme, who doesn’t speak Japanese as I do and has more of a typical “Western palate” (if that makes any sense), said that her choices on the menu felt limited… I didn’t find that to be the case, but perhaps others may feel that way if they’re not sushi fans – I can’t really say for sure. Anyway, it was still a good dining experience; the ambiance may have been lacking, but the food was great and the service was friendly (although not the best — and hiring additional servers would probably not help much since there is not really enough space for lots of them to be moving around the dining area simultaneously!).

Ambiance: 2

Food: 4.5

Service: 3.5

Value: 4

Overall: 3.5

Trixi’s Crepe & Coffeehaus

One place worth considering on South Cambie, should you ever be in the area for a movie or otherwise, is definitely Trixi’s Crepe & Coffeehaus. This little place is a small, cute, yet nondescript “hole-in-the-wall” type place on the corner of Cambie and W 17th. Aside from serving up the obvious — crepes and coffee — Trixi’s also offers a selection of cold desserts (ice cream, sorbetto, gelato…), teas and tisanes, baked goods, and lunch items like bagels, paninis, soups, and salads. It’s the perfect pit-stop if you need a quick bite-to-eat or just a place to visit for a warm, inviting place to chat with a friend over coffee (or, if you’re like me, tea!).

Mocha Latte

Emme, who just so happened to need an afternoon snack before we went to watch a movie at the Park Theatre one time, suggested we drop by since the place didn’t look too busy. Upon entering we were greeted by a welcoming counter attendant and an equally welcoming interior. Trixi’s is a long and narrow café, but is quite cozy — even more so because of the cushy, comfortable chairs available if you’re not running out the door after getting your coffee. Not in the mood really for crepes — though all the combinations and choices on the board seemed really delicious — Emme ordered a Vegetarian Panini and got a Mocha Latte on the side.

The latte was apparently perfectly done… Emme couldn’t really compare it with one from Starbucks, since she usually doesn’t order mocha-anything from Starbucks, but this latte was hot, tasty, and flavourful. Quite nicely done.

Vegetarian Panini

The veggie panini looks delicious, and, Emme assured me, it was actually as delicious as it looks. The veggies were fresh, as was the egg (which was also cooked to perfection!). The melty cheese brought all the ingredients together and the oregano sprinkled within and on top of the panini was a particularly nice touch. It added a pleasing herby flavour to the sandwich.

Raspberry Dream tisane

I’d eaten a snack just a bit earlier and was satisfied enough with a tea – or rather, a tisane, as it was a fruit infusion. Trixi’s carries teas and tisanes made by Steeps, and they all sounded extremely appealing to a tea-lover such as myself, but I managed to pick one: Raspberry Dream. It was a lovely blend of flavours in its own right, with a strong raspberry taste and delicate undertones of rosehips and hibiscus. If you’re starting to feel blue thanks to Vancouver’s seemingly semi-constant rainy weather, perhaps you could try sipping some of the Shi**y Weather tea? (I don’t swear, really, but that tea’s name definitely made me chuckle a bit, and Trixi’s does offer it — along with the perfect environment to enjoy it in on a rainy day!)

Although we didn’t stay for long and didn’t try what the café is obviously known for — its crepes — both Emme and I agreed that we would happily come back again just to taste the crepes and maybe some of the gelato. Both sweet and savory crepes are available, so there should be something for everyone! And if the quality of the panini is a good reflection of the rest of the food options at Trixi’s, then we can decidedly say that the place has great food… Alas, that’s a far shot just based off of one sandwich, but the place definitely left a good impression. The attendant at the counter (actually the owner, I think?!) was also super friendly and happy to answer any and all questions we had as well as strike up conversation and make us feel even more welcomed. True, it’s not a restaurant, but I’d still compliment the place on great service. The ambiance was also lovely, and aside from comfortable chairs, the décor was also tastefully done (and the bathrooms clean – always a good sign, haha).

All in all, a very pleasant “dining” experience! We will be back to try the crepes (and more tea and hot coffee!). [And if what I’ve been told is true, then the counter attendant is actually no mere attendant, but the owner! Even more impressive, in my opinion. Good way to build up strong connections with customers and ensure that they get nothing but exceptional customer service.]

Ambiance: 5

Food: 4

Service: 4.5

Overall: 4.5

SalaThai on Cambie

After finally watching The King’s Speech (which is a fantastic film, by the way, and deserved all the Golden Globes Awards it received) last night, a companion of mine (codenamed “Emme” for the sake of privacy~) and I found ourselves on Cambie St. at dinner time. Although I live close to Cambie, I’ve rarely explored it or spent time poking around past Cambie and W Broadway… Yep, that means I’m hardly acquainted with any restaurants in that area, though I have heard from several people that Shiro, which is at Cambie and W 15th (I believe) is worth visiting. As it stood, however, I just went out for Japanese with Emme over the weekend, and although I could eat it every day, Emme likes varying things a little more than I do…

Walking a bit took us to the front of SalaThai, which I recalled seeing on urbanspoon.com. I couldn’t remember reading anything particularly horrid about it, and there were signs all over the window making claims to fame or being the “best” Thai restaurant in Vancouver in 2010, etc. etc. There was also a large plastic menu with pictures of every dish posted on the window… Now, I don’t know about the rest of the dining crowd, but Emme is pretty suspicious of places that post pictures of their dishes everywhere in order to draw a crowd in (or to show what a dish is?). I’m somewhat of an amateur when it comes to picking good restaurants, or discerning good from bad, and I’m new at this food blogging thing, too… So anyway, I completely fell for all the “Best Thai Food in Vancouver!” and “Voted #1 in the city!” signs and urged Emme that it didn’t look that bad and that we should try it out.

Well… Let me start by saying that I was wrong. I’m sorry to be harsh and/or disappointing, but my meal at SalaThai on Cambie was one of the worst meals I’ve had in a while.

To start, we were seated in a warm dining room by the window, and the ambiance was quite okay with slightly dimmed lights and a quiet dining crowd. The restaurant was pretty clean, but several times throughout the meal we were subjected to listening to the obnoxiously loud crunching and crackling of plastic bags as take out was prepared right in the dining room. (Could this not be done before the dish comes out of the kitchen?) Also, the dining room did not stay consistently warm. The floor staff that evening turned the heat on and off throughout the evening… The restaurant became chilly just as quickly as it warmed up when the heat was turned back on. Is it really necessary to play with the heating switch? Why not find a comfortable temperature and leave it at that? The restaurant never got “too warm” in the first place, so I don’t understand the logic behind this (to save money?).

While the service was not terrible, as it seems other reviewers have mentioned experiencing at this particular SalaThai branch, our waiter could hardly explain dishes to us when we inquired about anything. Fortunately, he was quite smiley in compensation for inability to speak proper English, so I can’t say that my experience with the service here was as bad as others’ experiences. Our glasses were not routinely filled with water, however, and asking for water top-ups was a bit difficult simply because catching the attention of the waiters was not an easy task… (Being short on water is not something you want when you’re eating spicy food, I think!)

Onto the food: Emme ordered Chicken Cashew Nuts ($10.50), which is “chicken sautéed with cashew nuts, onion, dry red chili, and bell peppers” only Emme asked if they could omit the red chili to take down the spice level. This simple request confused the waiter… Initially Emme just asked if they could make it less spicy, or just mildly spicy, and the waiter didn’t get what we were asking (even though, looking at the website now, we apparently should have been able to ask for varying levels of spice!)… Thus she ended up just saying “No red chili” and he finally understood.

Half-eaten plate of Chicken Cashew Nuts

This dish was the first out of the kitchen – literally about five or ten minutes after it had been ordered. Usually speediness is a good thing in a restaurant, especially if you’re hungry… but this is only if speed is accompanied by quality. This dish was, sadly, pretty terrible. The chicken was soggy, the veggies limp, and the sauce – which should have had a nice nutty flavour from the cashews and should have been tasty even without the red chili – was flavourless and watery. In fact, we’re both pretty sure that the entire dish was just prepared earlier in the day and then nuked in the microwave for a couple of minutes before serving. (The website says otherwise, but you can never really know…)

Some of the ‘Chicken Cashew Nuts’ with Coconut Rice

Emme tried the dish alongside some coconut rice ($2.25), which was pretty standard. Overall, a very disappointing dining experience for Emme, who has in fact been to Thailand and tasted true (and truly fantastic) Thai cuisine.

To top off the evening, Emme was extremely sick less than an hour after eating. Food poisoning? I’m not sure… That or just a really poorly prepared meal. She could only pinpoint the chicken as perhaps being the cause — it seemed suspicious even when she was eating it.

Being the health-conscious one that loves vegetables, I of course ordered a salad: the SalaThai Seafood Salad ($12.99).

SalaThai Seafood Salad

This was actually not that bad. It definitely could have done with a bit more seafood, though… and less iceberg lettuce, which seemed to dwarf the plate and take up half of it, pretty much. The spicy lime juice was actually a nice complement to what would otherwise be a totally bland salad. The seafood was all cooked, at least, but not really in a consistent manner… By that I mean, I had a few pieces of squid and shrimp that were really rubbery, and a few pieces that were quite okay and tender as they’re supposed to be. I only had two mussels on the plate, but they were both tasty. The lumps of white fish fillet I had were, at the very least, cooked well and not dry. The shrimp, squid, and fish fillet chunks were all flavourless and lacking the typical mild and soft sweetness I’ve tasted when eating seafood at other times… Luckily, the veggies on the plate were crispy and fresh, although the cilantro (which was supposed to be mint) didn’t have as strong a flavour as it should have and may have been a bit old. The two orange slices I got were obviously cut earlier in the day — they were soggy and just tasted old.

I ordered a little bowl of Jasmine Rice ($1.75) on the side to make my meal more filling.

Jasmine Rice

I was expecting a delicately flavoured bowl of rice with a light, fragrant, subtly nutty aroma… but this just tasted like plain white rice. Also, if I’m not completely mistaken, isn’t Jasmine rice supposed to not be sticky? (Just as Basmati rice isn’t sticky?) Well, in any case, it at least was a reasonable side dish, I suppose.

For what we got in terms of service and food, the meal was really not worth it… As Emme commented, we definitely did not get good value for our money. (Especially true for Emme, whose digestive tract suffered from the meal…)

Apparently the SalaThai downtown is better, but I’m not sure I would even give it a shot if the chain can’t maintain some consistency in quality between its branches. If you have the opportunity to dine in this area, I would give this restaurant a pass and pick one of the many other restaurants around.

On a five star scale…

Ambiance: 3.5

Food: 2

Service: 3

Overall: 2.5