Katana Japanese Steak and Seafood House- Langley, BC

So Megan and I decided to go out for dinner because I wasn't going to see her for a week or so. Wanting to try something new we headed out to Langley hankering for something non-chain-like. We have seen Katana over the years as we drove past, hit the bookstore or visited the Tim's across the road. Tonight was the night to try it.

Katana (http://www.katanateppan.com/) is located at 19957 Willowbrook Dr., Langley, BC and is a Japanese Steak and Seafood Hibachi restaurant. Although the lower mainland is plentiful with sushi/Japanese places, I have not seen nearly as many Hibachi places. To refresh your memory, hibachi is commonly found as a communal table of 8 seats around a large grill top. The chef is as much about the performance, knife work, and entertainment as they are about the preparation, which occurs in front of your eyes.

Meg and I wandered in without reservations (which I would recommend on any night and especially on a weekend night) and found 8 of the cook tops seating 64 people. I can imagine this places fills up quickly. The atmosphere is "modern Japanese" and the owner seems to have an affinity for model/toy motorcycles which adorn the shelves along side Katana swords as you walk in. They also have a huge amount of Polaroids pinned to the walls of people who have celebrated special occasions there. Some of them are very funny and worth a quick read.

The menu is pretty broad and you can pick from veggies, to chicken, steak, prawns, scallops, lobster, calamari and many combinations of the above, including the "ultimate dinner" which sounds enticing and comes with steak, prawns, lobster etc. I ordered the chicken and Meg got the scallop dinner. With any of the hibachi dinners you get onion soup, a small green salad, fried or steamed rice, veggies, and of course your protein.

The show surrounding the cooking starts with the flashing knife and spatula routine. We realized that we got the "B" team chef when we saw the chef at the next table. He had much better moves and even got a couple spins in there. After the flashing blades you get the flare-up as a combination of oil and alcohol is ignited on the grill. WARNING: Sit back or you could lose an eye brow. The next step is the spinning eggs that get flipped with the spatula and cracked mid air with the edge of the spatula effectively "catching" it. This gets mixed with a huge pile of rice on the grill. Various liquids including the mustard sauce are added to create a unique and delicious fried rice dish. This is where things get interesting. As it is a communal dinner, the chef divides up the portions and serves them onto your plate. Had I remembered this I would have pre-tipped as the other folks at the table seemed to be regulars and got more eats by my eye. After the rice we move on to the veggies which are a blend of carrots, mushrooms, onions, zucchini and the ginger sauce. The onion is cooked in the usual onion volcano steamed and ignited. Difficult to explain and I didn't video it. Take my word for it, kinda cool the first time you see it, but I've seen this show before and I kept my eye on the shrimp that were nearing readiness on the other side of the grill. Everyone gets a shrimp "appetizer" which amounts to two or three medium shrimp.

After the veggies are divided and served, each person gets their ordered protein. Meg says the scallops were delicious but she is partial to anything scallop based and her judgement can't be trusted. They looked good from my seat, and she didn't offer any which means she savaged the whole serving without considering sharing. Cold. Real cold.

My chicken was very good. Tender, lots of flavour and a good portion. I think mid way through the meal we were both worried about being full at the end, but by the end we were both full. Its the rice starter, totally lays a good base layer of carbs to build on. I offered Meg some chicken but as she is still boycotting any proteins that previously had feet, it was a futile gesture.

Verdict- All told, the meal was very good. Flavours were great, portions were good. Prices were on the expensive side with mine being about $22 and Meg's being about $26 but when you consider that you are paying for the meal and a show it isn't that bad. This isn't a place I would go to frequently, and it seems Katana is a special events-kinda-place. The service is good and attentive. If you are looking for hibachi, I have no complaints and would suggest you give it a try.

Ocean Park Pizza- South Surrey

Ocean Park Pizza (OPP) has been around for years and has been a family favourite for about as long. About 7 years ago the original OPP building was demolished a new larger and very nice building. The menu has stayed the same, maybe grown slightly. Located at 12688- 16th ave, this restaurant shares a name with many other Pizza places around the lower mainland, but this is the original. Known for more than their pizza, they have great steaks, ribs, burgers and pasta.


The atmosphere depends on where in the restaurant you sit. During a Canucks game, there is a view of many different large screens, but there are a couple of dark corners where you can share a desert in privacy. The privacy is nice, now if I could only find someone who would actually share the desert.


Reese and Ashley joined us for dinner tonight. Dinner with them is always a good time and the conversation is easy as the food and drinks fly.


French Onion Soup- Ashley started with the French Onion Soup. The French Onion has always been a great dish at OPP. Served "mouth scaldingly hot" the cheese will peel the skin off the roof of your mouth, but you will risk it anyway because it smells so wonderful. Just don't touch the crock it comes in or you will burn your paws! Based on a beef and onion stock and topped off with bread and a healthy amount of provolone cheese at $6 it is well worth it and you may even consider a second order.


Chicken Penne- Ashley ordered the Chicken Penne to be the main part of her meal. A good sized portion, lots of chicken and a good creamy flavourful sauce, and two slices of thick garlic bread to soak up whatever is left a the end. At $15 it is on the higher side of reasonably priced, but when Megan is considering ordering it sans feet (chicken in this case) you know it is a Fat Kid favourite.

Canuck Burger- Reese ordered the Canuck Burger. 7 oz patty that is hand formed and topped with red onion, bacon, mayo, lettuce, pickle and tomato it is a good, basic burger that comes with fries. At $11 it is a basic and decent meal worth considering. I am pretty sure that OPP flame broils their patties for a great flavour that tops any fried or griddled patty. Reese went healthy and ordered the side salad rather than fries. The ranch dip on the side doubled as burger dip. According to Reese, ranch dressing goes well with anything.

Veggie Burger and Sweet Potato Fries- Meg ordered the Veggie Burger. Meg swears that this is the best veggie burger she has eaten. Sometimes I wonder if that is like saying "this is the best fake Rolex I have ever owned." Sure it looks nice, but compared to the original, ugh. Anyway, apparently it is the most like a real burger, no pieces of identifiable veggies inside and again with the flame broiled taste. It comes with lettuce, tomato and onion, and Meg upgrades to the sweet potato fries which comes with a light chipotle aioli. At $12 it is a good deal and Meg swears by it.

Lasagna with Meat Sauce- My favourite at OPP is the Lasagna. It comes in a piping hot metal dish that like it's French Onion brethren will scorch your mouth as you attempt to shovel it in your face. Lots of noodles, lots of sauce, lots of cheese. The flavour is awesome and this has become the lasagna that I measure all other against. It comes with two pieces of garlic bread to mop up the sauce, although there won't be much left by the time you are done. At $13 its not cheap for pasta, but it's worth every penny. The portion size is large and you will have trouble finishing it off.

Ceasars- A special note should be made about the Ceasars at OPP. I don't know what they put in the Ceasars here but they can become habit forming. You have been warned.

Verdict- OPP continues to be a family favourite. There are many more great dishes to try here and they frequently have special events such as Robbie Burns Day (Jan 25) and St. Patricks Day (March 17). On Robbie Burns Day, if you wear a kilt you get a free entree from the special Scottish Menu that night. The Haggis wasn't wonderful from all accounts but it is a good party. I highly recommend checking out OPP if you haven't done so. There seems to be a good amount of vegetarian options on the menu and it is a great atmosphere whether you want a pitcher with the Canucks game, or are looking for a relaxed night out with friends or the family.


We will definitely be back, I am thinking about the Lasagna already...

Stacked: The Return- South Surrey

In my first blog about Stacked Modern Diner I had been there for lunch but upon seeing their breakfast menu vowed to return and bring Megan. As a reminder, Stacked is located at 15388- 24th Ave in Surrey, BC. I won't waste your time with the usual intro to the establishment, let's get to the issue at hand, or mouth in this case.

Smoked Salmon and Eggs- Megan ordered the Smoked Salmon and eggs. Basically, a foccacia bread toasted with two scrambled eggs, home fries and topped off with a lightly smoked lox style salmon. Meg reports that the flavour was good and the eggs were cooked well. This also came with two slices of toast so the overall carb count was pretty high according to our intrepid test eater. At $10 the portion was reasonable and the quality good.

Spicy Sausage Hash- Home fries, peppers, onions, spicy sausage topped with scrambled eggs and a light and tasty hollandaise sauce. Came with sourdough toast and home made preserves. The eggs were well cooked, the potatoes tasty, and the sausage was a nice and flavourful slightly dry chorizo style sausage. It was a decent portion for the $11 price.

Coffee- Stacked serves Saltspring Island Coffee with a feature blend each day. The day we were there it was a dark roast that even with a sweetener and generous milk had me talking slightly faster than an auctioneer at a livestock auction.

The service on this day wasn't outstanding, but this isn't the type of place you go to eat quick and get out. Expect the slightly hippy-ish waitress to have a flashback or two and forget where she is, once she shakes off the haze of patchouli she'll remember that you are there and top off your coffee. Embrace the slower pace and friendly, laid back atmosphere and breakfast will be a good time.

The Agave Grill- Langley

So today is Meg and I's 8th Wedding Anniversary. To celebrate we decided to head out for some dinner. I decided that I would find a new place that would be a surprise for Meg. Knowing that she loves some good Mexican food, and since she has been in mourning since the demise of Chicken Bob's, I searched out some Mexican strange.


http://www.urbanspoon.com/ had all good recommendations for the Agave Grill so I decided that we would give it a shot. Located at 19988-84th Ave in Langley, the atmosphere at Agave can best be described as Cactus Club or Moxies, light on the Douche. It was classy with some very comfy chairs and decent sized tables. They feature their tequila bar quite prominantly with blue light that is meant to evoke the nature of the blue agave plant. I think. You bought it right?

We went on a Wednesday night and there were only a couple other tables filled so service was great and the waitress (Ellen) was very nice. Complimentary chips and salsa are first on the menu so I won't profile them as their own dish as everyone gets them. The chips were the tri-colour ones, warmed and lightly salted but from the bag and not made on site. The salsa was a "roasted garlic" salsa that had a fairly bland flavour and required a decent amount on the chip to get any impact. No spice or heat to speak of.


Guacamole and Chips Appetizer- The presentation is interesting. Two prep-cup shaped pucks of Guac with a star shaped chip standing between them on a bed of lettuce and two lime quarters. Ok, you got my attention, bring on the tasting. To say I was dissapointed doesn't quite do it. The guac had the requisite avocado, chunked, with tomato, onion, cilantro and that was about it. There was no garlic flavour, the lime helped, but I usually toss in some red pepper flake in mine to give it a bit of heat. My overwhelming impression was all show, no go. It was just flat and tasted like something was missing. We didn't even finish it, and in the realm of fat kids, that is not a good sign. At $6, I wouldn't order this again. There were other items on the menu that looked decent.


Chicken/Vegetarian Burrito- Megan and I both went with the Burrito. I went Chicken while Meg asked about the possibility of Vegetarian. Both were a decent size burrito that came with spanish rice, guacamole, and flaggings. The burritto had a light cream sauce on top that had a mild spice to it in addition to some green onions and tomatoes. The filling on the burrito was quite good as well. A good balance of beans and filling of choice.



The chicken in mine was plentiful and had been grilled prior to assembly. I was happy to see it wasn't the dreaded bag'o'chicken breast that some restaurants use. This tasted and looked like actual chicken breast that had been grilled and then used for the burrito. Nice touch, it made the difference in the taste.

Meg's burrito was filled with beans and fajita vegetables. Nice big chunks of al dente mushrooms, onion, peppers. This gave it a big flavour and a nice texture. At $14, the portion was decent but not impressive. I didn't go away hungry, but then again that may have been due to desert...


Deep Fried Ice-Cream- At $7 this desert comes with your choice of mixed berry, caramel, or chocolate topping in addition to the whipped cream. The Ice cream is rolled in corn flakes and flash fried. The ice cream is a good base, being a better grade of ice cream than first expected. The shell is crispy, but the star of the show is the sauce in addition to the ice cream. We polished off our smallish portion pretty quickly, but were happy with the order in general.




Verdict- Overall, the Agave is a nice place and prices range from mild to "on the expensive side" (at least in our budget). The main courses were good but not impressive. Megan described the cuisine as "Camexican," or a Canadian impression of Mexican food. Kind of like a tamed down Tex-Mex fare. The flavours were good, just very understated, now that I think about it, kind of like the atmosphere.

There were not lots of vegetarian options but the staff seemed very willing to accomodate. The wine list looked decent with a good balance of local and imported wines. Meg went with the house Red which was a Domaine De Chaberton at $9 for 8oz. They had other drink specials, with the focus on their tequilas and martinis.



A special note. If you are planning to use the Agave Grill as a location to break up with someone, don't. The cutlery at this place could double as a bayonnet or at least a trench knife. The forks wern't as bad as the knives, but trust me when I say, you could do some real damage with one of those knives. Utter the words, "its not you, it's me..." and you could easily end up with a knife in your throat, Criminal Minds style.



I don't know that the Agave Grill will become a regular in our list of "go-to" establishments, but it is a good place to try if you are looking for mild mexican, or "Camexican" if you ask Meg.