Hello my name is Kyle and I am a sushi addict. So is Megan. Sorry for outing you dear.
We have tried many sushi places, but few are repeated. That being said, for the past year we have frequented Damiko Sushi in South Surrey (2950 King George Blvd. Surrey) on a fairly regular basis. The restaurant is well laid out and found in the High Street development off King George Blvd just south of the South Surrey AutoMall. The staff are always friendly, but there is a very different level of quality based upon who is there on any given night. If the younger guy with the glasses is there you are in good hands. If the younger female who wears chuck Taylor's is there, no problems. Anyone else and chances are things could get dicey. We often do take out and a second check before leaving is always a prudent move.
All that being said, Damiko is our favourite sushi place. Currently our order looks like this:
Miso Soup- Always served hot with lots of miso and tofu. At $1.50 the price is reasonable for the size. A great starter.
Avocado Roll- Your basic roll with 8 pieces. The Avocado is always ripe and creamy. I don't know where they get it, but it is always awesome. The ginger and wasabi that comes with any rolls are good. It is the pink ginger and the wasabi is always more about the flavour than it is about the mind blowing pain. Their rolls are in general are very good and range from the mild to wild.
Gyoza- We always go with the meat (pork) Gyoza which seems to be boiled and then pan fried to give it a nice crispy texture. It is honestly one of my favourite gyozas around and the sauce that comes with it is excellent. Vinegar based but always has the nice nutty sesame flavour and a slight zing. At $6 for 6 gyoza it is a good sized serving.
Agedashi Tofu- Six large slabs of tofu in the usual tempura batter. Bad tempura is greasy and kind of falls off of whatever has been battered. The tempura is always crisp and not greasy at Damiko. It comes with bonito flakes and a sweet ponsu sauce on top with green onions diced too! At $6 for the dish it is a great sized appetizer and one of our favourites.
Spicy Tuna Salad- Ok, take your usual Spicy Tuna Roll, and make it a salad. Specifically, this dish is a large green salad with big, sashimi grade chunks of tuna in a "I crave it weekly" spicy sauce that has a slight sweetness to it. In all honesty, this is the dish that keeps us coming back. If you ask nicely and check to make sure it is there, you can also get the usual house salad dressing is a ginger and apple (I think) flavour and is awesome. It is a large serving size and at $9 is a must order.
Spicy Delight- Take a large orange, hollow it out. Fill it to overflowing with sashimi grade tuna and salmon. Add the before mentioned mouth watering spicy sauce and you are in business. At $7 this is an awesome dish if you are looking for spicy tuna and salmon.
There are many more great dishes that we have tried periodically at Damiko, but the above listed ones are the ones we keep coming back for. The prices are decent for good sushi and it is usually moderately busy but not overly so. If they could only get their orders right they would have a perfect score.
Verdict- One of our must go restaurants for eat in or take out sushi. We go weekly and for the carnivore and the vegetarian in the family there are many options. Just make sure you check your order before you leave.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Stacked Modern Diner- South Surrey
The Stacked Modern Diner opened in South Surrey (15388-24th ave) around the start of February 2011. The decor is decidedly Modern Diner and the staff are very friendly. Only open from 8am-3pm daily, Stacked focuses on breakfasts and lunches. Everything tastes homemade and the portions look to be of good size. The menu has a good variety of hot or cold sandwiches at lunch and what looks to be a decent breakfast menu as well. Prices are reasonable.
Hot Turkey Sandwich- I ordered the Hot Turkey Sandwich as it one of my favourites to try wherever I go. At $10 the sandwich is served open faced with turkey roasted on site, homemade stuffing and gravy on a toasted thick slice of bread. It comes with a decent serving of fries which were hand cut and cooked well. Could have been a little crispier but overall very good. Also came with a side of homemade coleslaw. They go with the creamier version of slaw and its not bad but mostly mayo based, it could be kicked up a notch but no complaints here. Everything tasted great and the homemade flavour really came through.
I also got a drink, Diet Coke @ $1.75 with free refills which was a good deal.
Verdict- There seemed to be good vegetarian options and a quick look at the menu showed good prices across the board with lots of variety. There aren't many seats at Stacked so make sure you get there early because if you show up any later you will be waiting for a seat once this place gets popular. I will definitely be going back and I hope to see you there.
Hot Turkey Sandwich- I ordered the Hot Turkey Sandwich as it one of my favourites to try wherever I go. At $10 the sandwich is served open faced with turkey roasted on site, homemade stuffing and gravy on a toasted thick slice of bread. It comes with a decent serving of fries which were hand cut and cooked well. Could have been a little crispier but overall very good. Also came with a side of homemade coleslaw. They go with the creamier version of slaw and its not bad but mostly mayo based, it could be kicked up a notch but no complaints here. Everything tasted great and the homemade flavour really came through.
I also got a drink, Diet Coke @ $1.75 with free refills which was a good deal.
Verdict- There seemed to be good vegetarian options and a quick look at the menu showed good prices across the board with lots of variety. There aren't many seats at Stacked so make sure you get there early because if you show up any later you will be waiting for a seat once this place gets popular. I will definitely be going back and I hope to see you there.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Bohemian Cafe and Catering Company- Kelowna, BC
The Bohemian Cafe is a breakfast and lunch spot where the locals go. Located at 524 Bernard Ave in Kelowna, BC the Bohemian is larger than it appears from the street, but you get the vibe of the place imediately from its eclectic decorations and atmosphere. The staff are friendly, young, decidely laidback and "crunchy." A four person crew boat hangs upside down from the ceiling with xmas lights twinkling, there are large family style table available, and what looked like garage doors that would open in weather better than we experienced in February.
Blueberry Pancakes- Four pancakes. Meg guesses that there were walnuts in the batter, but they had been ground into the batter so no large chunks of nuts. A generous helping of blueberries on top, maple syrup and homemade strawberry preserves on the table provided just the right amount of toppings. For $11 I expected more, but Meg says they were delicious and some of the best she has ever had (she has had a lot).
Boh Breakfast Special- You pick 4 items from a list of a possible 8. I went with strip bacon, homemade sausages, fresh made seseame bagel and two scrambled eggs, or the carnivore's choice as Meg calls it. It was good. The sausages were outstanding and the highlight of the meal, having some good spice but none of the usual factory made flavour of most breakfast sausages. The bagel was good, with a chewy exterior and a dene but soft inside, just like they make them in Jersey. Not bad for $12, but I was hoping for homefries. No dice,they only do shredded, booo. There is also a slightly cheaper 3 option version of this item.
Coffee- Meg got the regular. It was good enough that although she usually drinks it with milk and sweetener she considered drinking it black. $2 for bottomless.
Iced Mocha Latte- I splurged and went with the Iced Mocha Latte due to a swollen wisdom tooth and the prospect of a cold beverage on a sore tooth sounded good. Very good but I normally wouldnt have ordered something like this. $4.
Cranberry-Pineapple Struesel Muffin- We took two of these for the road as we were heading for home and thought they looked delicious on the way in. They had lots of flavour and were very moist. Meg described hers as "juicy." Normally, the bottom of the muffin is give or take in Meg's eyes, but on this day the muffin got it, top and bottom. At $3 a muffin they weren't cheap, but we are on the road!
Verdict- If it were up to Meg, his place would be a regular weekend breakfast place. I wasn't as impressed and think it was likely an atmosphere thing that upped the ante for Meg. The food was good, but at close to $50 after taxes for breakfast I am pretty sure I can find better. I would go back, but not before trying some of the other breakfast places on Bernard Ave that showed promise. From the Vegetarian angle, there were lots of options on the menu including what sounded like a promising Huevos Rancheros.
Blueberry Pancakes- Four pancakes. Meg guesses that there were walnuts in the batter, but they had been ground into the batter so no large chunks of nuts. A generous helping of blueberries on top, maple syrup and homemade strawberry preserves on the table provided just the right amount of toppings. For $11 I expected more, but Meg says they were delicious and some of the best she has ever had (she has had a lot).
Boh Breakfast Special- You pick 4 items from a list of a possible 8. I went with strip bacon, homemade sausages, fresh made seseame bagel and two scrambled eggs, or the carnivore's choice as Meg calls it. It was good. The sausages were outstanding and the highlight of the meal, having some good spice but none of the usual factory made flavour of most breakfast sausages. The bagel was good, with a chewy exterior and a dene but soft inside, just like they make them in Jersey. Not bad for $12, but I was hoping for homefries. No dice,they only do shredded, booo. There is also a slightly cheaper 3 option version of this item.
Coffee- Meg got the regular. It was good enough that although she usually drinks it with milk and sweetener she considered drinking it black. $2 for bottomless.
Iced Mocha Latte- I splurged and went with the Iced Mocha Latte due to a swollen wisdom tooth and the prospect of a cold beverage on a sore tooth sounded good. Very good but I normally wouldnt have ordered something like this. $4.
Cranberry-Pineapple Struesel Muffin- We took two of these for the road as we were heading for home and thought they looked delicious on the way in. They had lots of flavour and were very moist. Meg described hers as "juicy." Normally, the bottom of the muffin is give or take in Meg's eyes, but on this day the muffin got it, top and bottom. At $3 a muffin they weren't cheap, but we are on the road!
Verdict- If it were up to Meg, his place would be a regular weekend breakfast place. I wasn't as impressed and think it was likely an atmosphere thing that upped the ante for Meg. The food was good, but at close to $50 after taxes for breakfast I am pretty sure I can find better. I would go back, but not before trying some of the other breakfast places on Bernard Ave that showed promise. From the Vegetarian angle, there were lots of options on the menu including what sounded like a promising Huevos Rancheros.
Da'Noha Mediterranean Grill- Kelowna, BC
http://www.urbanspoon.com/ gave us a decent review of Da'Noha, but with the usual contradictory reviews about the quality of food, service, decor, etc. It also gave us the ambiguous "$$$" as a pricing guide. Promising decent Mediterranean food, Megan and I were off to 1675 Abbott St.
Located in the lower floor of a hotel, the decor did not scream Mediterranean, but we were hungry and the smells from the kitchen could have been worse, or at least would have needed to be worse to have us leave at this point.
First look at the menu showed a limited, but decent list of the usual items. Let the eating begin.
Spanakopita- Megan and I started with a Spanakopita appy. Sauteed spinach, feta and very flaky filo pasty. Three small triangles were ok for the $6 price, but left us looking for more.
Pita and Hummus- The pita and hummus appy was a good size and was comprised of warmed pita wedges and crispy baked pita wedges sprinkled with a cajun-esque spice. The hummus itself was very flavourful without being oily. Finished with paprika on top and grated radish the dish didn't last long. For $5 it was a good buy.
Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta with White Wine Cream Sauce- This was Meg's pick. The men says a white wine sauce, but it is really more of an Alfredo sauce. Very creamy, while still being cheesy. Lots of prawns that were cooked perfectly and not overdone, asparagus was still crunchy and not overcooked. Came with linguine pasta and garlic pita wedges. The portion was a good size for the $16 price.
House Red Merlot- Meg found the wine list. Shocking I know. A 9 ounce serving for $6. Meg says that it was a great wine for the Okanagan on a cold Friday night as the wine had a distinct dark red cherry flavour at the end.
Chicken Shwarma- Served on a sizzling plate with chunks of chicken, onion and tomato. Came with a side plate of Tahini sauce, warmed pita wedges, and a cool relish of tomato, lettuce and green onion. The portion size wasn't outstanding for the $17 price but the chicken was perfectly cooked and the flavour of the sizzle platter was deep and savoury. The Tahini had a great nutty sesame flavour with a hint of lemon.
Service- It was a very quiet Friday night with only us and one other couple in the restaurant. Service was good and the waitress was friendly. Just be aware that you have to pay for refills on pop!
Verdict- Overall we would go there again. Everything was good, portion size was ok but was kind of pricey. As Meg is eating as a vegetarian, there were limited options.
Located in the lower floor of a hotel, the decor did not scream Mediterranean, but we were hungry and the smells from the kitchen could have been worse, or at least would have needed to be worse to have us leave at this point.
First look at the menu showed a limited, but decent list of the usual items. Let the eating begin.
Spanakopita- Megan and I started with a Spanakopita appy. Sauteed spinach, feta and very flaky filo pasty. Three small triangles were ok for the $6 price, but left us looking for more.
Pita and Hummus- The pita and hummus appy was a good size and was comprised of warmed pita wedges and crispy baked pita wedges sprinkled with a cajun-esque spice. The hummus itself was very flavourful without being oily. Finished with paprika on top and grated radish the dish didn't last long. For $5 it was a good buy.
Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta with White Wine Cream Sauce- This was Meg's pick. The men says a white wine sauce, but it is really more of an Alfredo sauce. Very creamy, while still being cheesy. Lots of prawns that were cooked perfectly and not overdone, asparagus was still crunchy and not overcooked. Came with linguine pasta and garlic pita wedges. The portion was a good size for the $16 price.
House Red Merlot- Meg found the wine list. Shocking I know. A 9 ounce serving for $6. Meg says that it was a great wine for the Okanagan on a cold Friday night as the wine had a distinct dark red cherry flavour at the end.
Chicken Shwarma- Served on a sizzling plate with chunks of chicken, onion and tomato. Came with a side plate of Tahini sauce, warmed pita wedges, and a cool relish of tomato, lettuce and green onion. The portion size wasn't outstanding for the $17 price but the chicken was perfectly cooked and the flavour of the sizzle platter was deep and savoury. The Tahini had a great nutty sesame flavour with a hint of lemon.
Service- It was a very quiet Friday night with only us and one other couple in the restaurant. Service was good and the waitress was friendly. Just be aware that you have to pay for refills on pop!
Verdict- Overall we would go there again. Everything was good, portion size was ok but was kind of pricey. As Meg is eating as a vegetarian, there were limited options.
Welcome to the Fat Kid Food Journal!
"Fat Kid" : A state of mind, not a state of physical being. To be a "fat kid" is to enjoy food and the eating of it. Example; "Wow you really fat-kid'd that sushi!"
Megan and I enjoy finding and trying new types of food. Specifically, our palate is in search of "ethnic" food, or at the very least is not from a chain restaurant that you can find in every town between here and wherever you may be.
Recently Megan and I were in Kelowna for my work. While there we asked the concierge at the hotel for recommendations. Normally when this happens you get a good suggestion to find a small "hole in the wall" or as we usually ask, "where do the locals go?" Andrew the concierge recommended "Ricks Grill." Yes, that Ricks Grill. As in Ricky's All Day Grill. Absolutely not. I refused to believe that Kelowna's best culinar offering was Ricky's.
We went back to the room, got on http://www.urbanspoon.com/ and tried to find a decent place near by. What amazed me the most was how contradictory the entries were. For every great review there was a bad one for the same place! Helpful? Not so much.
It was during this exercise that Megan and I decided we would make the ultimate sacrifice, eating out and blogging our experiences. You're welcome.
In our entries, you will get a short introduction that will provide a map, location and details about atmosphere and service. We will also list the items we ordered, the price, and impressions and details about the dishes. Each post will be finished off with a "Verdict" of either: Do not go here, Would go back, or likely to become a regular place for us! You will also find details on vegetarian options now that Meg has sworn off of foods that previously had feet.
We hope that you have as much fun reading about our adventures as we have doing them! There will likely be some that are not spectacular, but we are willing to suffer for our art. If you have recommendations please pass them along.
Megan and I enjoy finding and trying new types of food. Specifically, our palate is in search of "ethnic" food, or at the very least is not from a chain restaurant that you can find in every town between here and wherever you may be.
Recently Megan and I were in Kelowna for my work. While there we asked the concierge at the hotel for recommendations. Normally when this happens you get a good suggestion to find a small "hole in the wall" or as we usually ask, "where do the locals go?" Andrew the concierge recommended "Ricks Grill." Yes, that Ricks Grill. As in Ricky's All Day Grill. Absolutely not. I refused to believe that Kelowna's best culinar offering was Ricky's.
We went back to the room, got on http://www.urbanspoon.com/ and tried to find a decent place near by. What amazed me the most was how contradictory the entries were. For every great review there was a bad one for the same place! Helpful? Not so much.
It was during this exercise that Megan and I decided we would make the ultimate sacrifice, eating out and blogging our experiences. You're welcome.
In our entries, you will get a short introduction that will provide a map, location and details about atmosphere and service. We will also list the items we ordered, the price, and impressions and details about the dishes. Each post will be finished off with a "Verdict" of either: Do not go here, Would go back, or likely to become a regular place for us! You will also find details on vegetarian options now that Meg has sworn off of foods that previously had feet.
We hope that you have as much fun reading about our adventures as we have doing them! There will likely be some that are not spectacular, but we are willing to suffer for our art. If you have recommendations please pass them along.
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