Vegetarians and Vegans step aside. This one's for the carnivores out there! One of my coworkers from Ontario told me I had to try this place. And having googled it I knew this would be a sandwich to remember. Meat & Bread is what it states, a sandwich shop which the main fill is meat... and bread! The simplicity of the sign and restaurant compliments the simplicity of what you get. There's no messing around in this place. They serve four sandwiches daily, in which specials continuously change. You could essentially get a different sandwich every day of the year. Damn! Everything in Meat & Bread is out in the open, so it's pretty awesome seeing all the meats being prepped. If that's not enough to make you salivate I assure you the smell of the place will! I was suggested the Porchetta as it was my first time there, which is an Italian roast pork with their in house made salsa Verde and crackling, If you watch the 5 minute video in which Guy Fiery visited Meat & Bread on Triple D, I'd say my reaction to my first bite was the same as his. I'm pretty sure no words can describe how amazing this sandwich was. The meat is custom butchered so the loin and belly are still attached. Now rub it down with a salt rub, add herbs, cook and blast it so the exterior is crispy, and cut to order! Now top that with Meat & Bread's in house made salsa Verde and shove it all in between a fresh rectangular ciabatta roll and it's pretty orgasmic. This is by far the most delicious, freshest, juiciest meaty sandwich I've probably ever had. I will be going back to try other items, and I hear their salads are really good too! Meat & Bread... simple and amazing! Writing this makes me crave another sandwich from there! If you're interested about everything that goes into the making of this sandwich, here's Guy's adventure to Meat & Bread: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXFmSwiUo3k
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Japa-what? Japadog! It only took me 7 months living here to finally have what's one of the most popular food truck items on the street. Funny - I didn't actually go to a Japadog food truck but to one of their small restaurant locations! I've come to the conclusion that for those that don't like Japadog are nuts. Sure, there's a lot of interesting ingredients thrown into one dog or sausage that may make it seem a little unorthodox, but it's just so damn good! As expected, there was a bit of a line outside the restaurant. But the orders are taken quickly, and like a food stand, everything is made hot and fresh, right to order. It's definitely worth the wait. The restaurant was clean and holds about 20 people, which are quickly coming and going. The staff were also very friendly. Maybe it's just me being nice, but everywhere I go I find asking "How are you doing?" makes a great start! As this was my first time, I had to go on a bit of an adventure to test the waters. So I ordered the Okonomi. A bit about Okonomi - It's a Karubuta sausage topped with Japanese sauce and mayo, crispy flaked bonito and cabbage. I had no idea what Bonito was, but thanks to Google I learned it's tuna. I have to give the place credit as the food actually looks like it does in the photos! When I got my sausage, I immediately could smell the tuna. First bite....I don't even know where to start with flavour. The sausage was juicy and delicious, the bonito provided a nice fish flavour, the sauces were light, but just enough to add some more oomph and then the crispy cabbage. So we have a crispy, juice, fishy hot dog.... stellar!! The sausage wasn't overly filling, which I enjoy when food just hits the spot. I will certainly be having Japadog again and more adventurous dogs. To give you an idea what to expect, here's their menu: http://www.japadog.com/menu_En.html Bon Appetit my friends! Welcome to Guu with Garlic. There are many Guu locations, but this one is close to home. It's a small place and you're usually waiting for seats, but we managed to walk in right with two open spots right at the open kitchen. The staff are constantly greeting and saying goodbye to customers, shouting orders to each other, and being lively and friendly The best part of sitting where the food is being made is sitting in awe watching the artwork of food being out together. Even the chef working next to us was friendly, and funny! So having said all this, here are (and in order) the items we ordered, and oh so enjoyed! Kabocha Croquette I love butternut squash, now start by envisioning a fried squash ball - so it's crispy on the outside, mashed and soft on the inside (reminded me of my butternut squash soup), and what's that? A hardboiled egg at the centre of the squash. Now toss some delicious mayo dressing and I don't think any words can describe its deliciousness. Not to mention the crispy garlic chips on top! Maybe orgasmic... that term always works with food! Ebi-mayo Fried Prawn Damn fried prawns are good. I grew up loving shrimp so I knew this would be awesome. The fried prawns themselves aren't the staple, even though the fried parts have herbs in it (adding a tad of initial flavour) and they aren't over-fried. The spicy Japanese mayo that is drizzled on it makes these babies disappear from the plate in seconds. If you aren't into spicy I suppose you should pass. It's not overly hot, but just enough to add a good kick to it! Okonomiyaki This was by far my favourite dish of the evening, even though all dishes were amazing! There's a lot happening on this plate. I love Japanese pancakes, and this fried pancake with squid, which seems to be infused throughout is stellar. The crispy cabbage and bonito flakes followed by the Tonkatsu sauce and Karashi mayo make this something I would eat again and again. The cake is fluffy, the squid chewy, the flakes crunchy and flavourful sauces make this dish epic! Sting Ray Fin I've never tried sting ray before, so why not try now. We really didn't know what to expect with this, or how it would be served. When trying the seared fin itself, it reminded me of beef jerky meets cartilage, except while cartilage is gross, this definitely was not. It's chewy like the two, and when dipped into the spicy mayo, yup I could eat these all day...like beef jerky. Duck Carpaccio Even though the duck was perfectly cooked, succulent and not super chewy, I found the onion in this dish was overpowering. There were green onions and white onions tossed into this. The vinaigrette that everything was soaked in was delicious, adding some acidity to the dish. This was still a good and I recommend it, but the onion just isn't for me... except the duck... that I'll take! Yaki Udon The meal ended with having udon noodles served with deliciously tender beef, mushrooms and onion. While it'll take me forever to fully get the palate to get all the spices and herbs in dishes, all I know is this was stellar! The pan fried noodles were cooked to perfection, not super chewy, not super soft. That middle ground is where it counts! So my verdict at the end of the day? If it wasn't obvious enough, get your butt to Guu! The staff are super friendly, welcoming you, serving some of most authentic Japanese food, and by the photo shown here, they're super awesome even when you're leaving! - p.s. one has hands in the air like he just don't care, another two thumbs up, the last flashing peace signs, a waitress laughing at us all, and some random guy sitting turned around staring at what's happening. An epic end I'd say! I was first introduced to Pho Number One last March from my good friend Josh. He pretty much swears by this place when it comes to Pho. Mind you it's a lot closer to his place than mine, but the fact I've been there twice on my own since moving out West must says it's worth walking to on that crummy rainy day...or if you're just too lazy to make something yourself, which I played both of those cards a few weeks back! There are some mixed reviews with this place, but I guess like anywhere you go there's hits and misses. All three times I've been here the service has been great and the food delicious. I've only been here since new ownership took over, and the young ladies that run the place are very polite and helpful! All of the times I've been here it hasn't been super busy, but there's usually a couple tables filled with people. The first time I came here I ordered the Seafood Pho. I find that seafood dishes typically aren't cheap, and if they are, they're short on the seafood! This dish I was super impressed as for just under $10 my Pho was packed with shrimp, squid, crab and fish cakes amongst the rice noodles. The seafood was chewy (how I love it!) and the seasonings of siracha, hoisin, lemongrass and chili gave it a nice kick! All Pho dishes are also served with bean sprouts, which you can add as much or little as you like. I love bean sprouts so I usually put a lot in! The second time I dropped in, I planned on pick-up for lunch the next day. I was so impressed how my order for the standard Rare Beef Pho was handled. The server asked if I was going to eat it right away when I got home and if so they would prep it as per usual. However, they took the liberty of separating the broth, beef, noodles and bean sprouts so that the ingredients would remain fresh, and I could put it together quickly myself. It tasted absolutely amazing when I ate it the next day. I love how the beef finishes cooking into the broth, and the beef broth itself is so simple yet flavourful. And finally, that rainy blah day, in which I actually present you a photo, is the Brisket Pho. The brisket was similar to the rare beef Pho...except the awesome jam-packed beef brisket on top. Extra beef, extra goodness! Yum! All three dishes had a wonderful broth. The beef broth is packed with flavor and isn't super salty. The ingredients are all fresh and the noodles are cooked perfectly, soft yet still chewy. Let's also not forget the free green tea they serve you! Something about their green tea I absolutely love. I have yet to check out other Pho places in the city, so I can't say this is the best. It's delicious, so don't be fooled if you walk in and it's quiet. The Pho dishes are under $10, which is a bonus and for the amount that's served, I'd say totally worth it. Try it out! When I'm spending a few nights anywhere away from home, I like to check out somewhere new to eat a good meal. I've been in Nanaimo a few days now and before even coming out, I started scoping out places online to see what's maybe popular or had some good reviews. In Nanaimo, this was one of the most highly regarded places. This is Saigon Kitchen. The place itself doesn't exactly stand out as it's tucked away behind other buildings. The exterior is simple and the interior is very warm and welcoming. From the moment I walked in the staff was very friendly. I knew exactly what I was getting before even arriving here. My choices for the evening were prawn salad rolls and a Vietnamese crepe. I was served by a Vietnamese lady whom, after a little socializing with her, learned she moved here from Vietnam, her brother is the owner and chef, and she is the manager of the restaurant. When I ordered the crepe her immediate reaction was "Yum!" and she proceeded to tell me how much she loves crêpes and is glad to have it on the menu. Nonetheless, I expected something amazing! I wasn't disappointed. I began with the rolls as an appetizer. They're large in size, but they aren't crazily filling - perfect start prior to the main dish. The salad rolls consisted of a thin rice paper, tightly wrapping fresh romaine lettuce, bean sprouts, warm sticky rice and prawns. On their own, it may not be the most flavourful, though they are lightly seasoned with herbs - it's the sauce that makes it spectacular! A very delicious peanut sauce was served with this, and it's such a perfect combination. As the main dish I ordered the Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Crepe). I was not sure what to expect, but it's a popular dish in Vietnam and sounded great so I couldn't resist. The crepe was brought as a flavourful, slightly buttery folded rice pancake, packed with bean sprouts, chicken and prawns. The rice pancake is pan fried, and was very crispy, which is fantastic! I don't think a soggy crepe would be the way to go. The goodies inside are simple, which is expected of these crêpes, and I like that. Simple is better. The inside is brought to life as they are seasoned with herbs and fish sauce. For myself, I like that the fish sauce is just the right amount so it isn't overpowering. The manager of the restaurant also served me a chili sauce, which she explained was her mother's own recipe and since she brought it into the restaurant, it has been very popular. As I enjoy spicy sauces and pastes, I essentially caked my crepe with it. it had just the right amount of spice for a good kick to the food, without actually taking away the meal's taste. The crepe was also served with some leafy greens and a light and sweet vinaigrette, which was nicely complimenting. At the end of the day, I would definitely come back and try something different. The menu is extensive and the price is right. It also seems to be a local favourite based on the conversations some of the customers were having with the staff. There are only a few Vietnamese restaurants in the area, and this family-owned restaurant is a great one! Check out the restaurant here: http://saigon-kitchen.ca/ |