King Crab

907 Victoria N
Kitchener, Ontario
(519) 744-1050
http://www.kingcraboysterbar.com/

King Crab is the younger sister of King St Trio, a restaurant that has been in Kitchener-Waterloo for quite a number of years. With an experienced sibling, it has the chops to be a good restaurants, but is just missing out on that intangible je ne sais quoi that makes a decent place good. Let's see if we can figure out what it is.

To start off, it offers a healthy selection of seafood and oysters, and does it reasonably well, something that cannot be said for too many other places in town. Of course, a landlocked city in the middle of Ontario isn't the first place you'd turn to for seafood anyway.

The restaurant is located in a fairly nondescript strip mall in the middle of a commercial purgatory, surrounded by carpet shops and appliance stores. Strike one -- the ambiance on approach doesn't whet the appetite. Inside, the dining room is bordered by an open kitchen. This normally is an attraction, but we've always been seated by the windows away from the kitchen for some reason.

Sapphire started off with a Kir Royale which was nicely made and well presented.

There was hardly any traffic the night we were there, but the bread was still nice and fresh. Sourdough with a crispy crust, served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

To start, we had a half dozen oysters ($15). Not being very knowledgeable on oysters, we just as a sample of three varieties - raspberry, pickle point and malpeque. They were served with three flavourings, the traditional horseradish, an interesting wasabi sauce, and Chinese oyster sauce. I didn't particularly like anything other than the horseradish though. Other starters range from $6 to $15.

For mains, we had the crab feature ($23) and halibut ($?). I put the two pictures next to each other so it's more obvious that the dishes came with the same sides - cardamom scented jasmine rice and seasonal vegetables. This is strike two - although I suppose it keeps costs and complexity down, it smacks of laziness to plop a different protein down on the same starch and veg. At this level of restaurant, I would expect a unique combination of food for different dishes.

As for the proteins themselves, the crab was a soft shelled crab dusted with Cajun and Szechuan pepper. It was a lot meatier than the ones you'd find in a sushi roll so it was nice to be able to taste the meat, although it was very lightly seasoned and not very spicy at all. The halibut was wrapped in prosciutto with a grainy mustard sauce. The sauce was nice, but the halibut was a little overcooked and a bit tough. Portion was also quite small.

Other mains were pretty typical. Aside from seafood they had Angus steak, pork tenderloin, breaded chicken schnitzel, and a vegetarian entree "available on request" -- not very confidence inspiring.

Dessert was actually the highlight of the meal. All desserts are made in house, something a lot of places are highlighting these days to differentiate them from the restaurants that just import a few Dufflet cakes to mark up. The one we shared was layers of mascarpone cheese custard, alternating with coffee dipped English biscuits and raspberry coulis topped with whipped cream and shaved white and dark chocolate. Rich and decedent like any good dessert should be.

Service was good, friendly and attentive although with only three tables to serve there wasn't much pressure.

So overall, only two strikes but that might be enough to keep our dining dollar at more interesting and innovative places.

NOTE: It looks like the menu has been updated since our visit. You can visit their website for an online version.

Village Creperie

703 Belmont Ave W
(519)576-5796
http://www.villagecreperie.ca/

After our unusually critical reviews on All About Crepes, we sometimes wonder if our expectations were set too high. So when we heard about the opening of Village Creperie, we decided to give it a try.

If a restaurant's appearance can speak for its personality, Village Creperie strikes me as a slightly reserved, down-to-earth, yet chic place. The interior is quite neutral, with only one red wall to boost your appetite. Dark-wood chairs with clean lines, white linen, sturdy white ceramics, 18/10 stainless steel cutlery and a bar create an informal yet elegant ambiance. A bike hung behind the bar acts as a reminder of cycling in Brittany where its ever-changing landscape awaits you.

Once you are handed the menu, you'll be informed that the main dishes are under "Les Galettes" section, and desserts are under "Les Crepes" and "Les Flambées". Galette, made with buckwheat, is the savory type of crepe. Flambé refers to a cooking technique: by igniting liquor (minimum 40% alcohol content) which has been poured over food, you are able to add the flavor to the food without keeping the alcohol.

We were told that 98% of the ingredients used in the restaurant are organic. I don't know how they came up with this number (based on quantity or variety?). Here I have no intention to get into "is organic really better?" type of debate, but kudos to their determination on providing (what they believe) the best for the customers. If having three rolls of crepes for a three-course meal seems daunting, fear not! the only crepe in the appetizer list is "Petit crêpe au fromage de Brie: Brie, Nutmeg, Green onion w/ herb wine tomato puree, wrapped and melted in a crêpe". Crepes are, however, your only choice as main or dessert.

We started with kibbeh and soup of the day - vegetable soup with rye dinner roll. The texture of the vegetable soup was silky smooth, a great way to start the meal. Kibbeh is a Middle Eastern dish composed of minced meat, bulgar and spices and its vast variety ranges from raw to cooked. The kibbeh served at the Village Creperie is "baked organic, extra lean ground beef mixed with spices, onions, and bulgar cracked wheat w/ non-fat house-made yogurt cheese". Let's just say they looked like meat balls, tasted like meat balls, and they were mildly-flavored yet tasty.

For the main dishes, J had Reuben français while I enjoyed Saumon et moutarde.
Reuben français: House-made corned beef (no nitrites or nitrates) creates a delicious crêpe w/ sautéed sauerkraut & Mozzarella, drizzled with in-house Reuben dressing.
Saumon et moutarde: Wild marinated salmon fillet w/ organic buttermilk-dill, and grainy mustard
The piece of salmon in my crepe was very lean but moist. Butter milk, dill and grainy mustard are the tried-and-true match with salmon, you just can't go wrong with it. However, the spotlight should be on the crepe (or in this case, galette). The pancake was so thin yet spongy. With a bit of seasoning, I could eat a stack of this all on its own. The corned beef was quite different compared with the normal ones from deli or grocery stores; the corned beef made at Village Creperie didn't have that artificial after taste. Both dishes were nicely done but I prefer the corned beef over the salmon. Due to the thickness difference between the salmon and the galette, the salmon was so dominant that the galette was merely a staple in that dish.

Dining at the Village Creperie without having their crepes is like going to KFC without ordering chicken. We ordered one "regular" crepe, one flambeed.
LES CRÊPES: Dulce de Leche w/ toasted pecans, topped w/ fresh fruit
Pomme au Miel: Crêpe de Froment and caramelized organic apples & honey, flambéed with cognac and topped w/ crème fraîche

Dulce de leche used to be quite exotic. Thanks to President's Choice, it is being marketed extensively this season and becomes "mainstream". Dulce de leche is made by slowly simmering sweetened milk until it thickens so its look and taste are similar to caramel. In this dish, the "pancake" stood its ground. The toasted pecans were aromatic and they added crunchy texture to the dish. The dulce de leche was creamy but not too sugary; after having their version, I'll only grab a jar of this from the grocery store when I'm desperate. This was truly sensational. We had to draw our swords (dinner knives) and fight for it.

"Pomme au Miel" was another nice dessert. Normally flambé is considered a way to "wow" the diners. You pour liquor in the pan, tilt it then, WHAM! flame rises. On very rare occasion, an inexperienced server might not remove the bottle soon enough thus "bigger-than-expected" flame can be created accompanied by cries and chaos. Nope, this won't happen at the Village Creperie. A professor-like gentleman showed up with a cream pitcher containing cognac. He struck a match and set the cognac on fire, then poured it on the plate. The beautiful blue flame quickly spread along the cognac. It was quiet yet precise process, indeed something a (retired) professor of Chemistry would do. This dish had a pungent floral scent, I am not sure if it was from the apples or the honey.

There are only few of things with room for improvement. The portions might be small for men but more or less acceptable. Also, there's no coat check. As the weather gets colder, this service becomes crucial. The owners might intend to run it as a casual restaurant but it is NOT - on a weekday night, no one showed up in jeans. I couldn't help frowning for a second when I realized that I had to "sit" on my overcoat. Last but not the least, the "grouping" in the dessert section on the menu is confusing. For example, there are both "Dulce de Leche w/ toasted pecans, topped w/ fresh fruit" and "fresh fruits w/ dulce de leche or chocolate" on the menu, and they are not adjacent to each other. It will be nice if the list is sorted with some rules. (Or there is, I just haven't figure it out.) Overall, we had a great time. "Village Creperie" proves that new customers can become regulars, if your crepes are so good that people simply can't get it else where.

Niko Niko Roll & Sushi

20 King St. East, Kitchener, Ontario | (519) 571-0073

During our recent trips to Ye's we had noticed that the quality of the food had taken a turn for the worse, not to mention an implicit hike in prices (canned pop was no longer included in the all you can eat price). This, combined with the fact we had gorged ourselves far too many times in an effort to get our money's worth, led us to try Niko Niko Roll & Sushi -- a place that has been favourably mentioned by a couple of our friends. At first it seemed wrong to go somewhere that did not have limitless sushi when it was available just down the street, but it turned out sometimes less is more.

The emphasis of the menu is of course their namesake rolls. There are about 25 varieties to choose from, ranging from the traditional (Rainbow Roll - multicoloured raw fish) to the interesting (Grand Canyon) to the bizarrely named (Love Love). The presentation is top notch with nicely plated items decorated with care, compared to the slap-it-together-as-quickly-as-possible items from Ye's.

Most rolls are reasonably priced from $8-$12 each and 1-2 will fill up the average person. Also available are combos, which come with salad, and you can add a half order of udon noodles for $2. A special roll of the day (one selected from the menu) is also available at a discounted price with the combo and is a pretty good deal at $12.90 including salad and 6 pieces of sushi.

The salad is fairly typical - iceberg lettuce, shredded carrots and a couple slices of tomato with a nice Japanese dressing.

We tried the udon noodles for $2 extra with a combo. Again, a pretty safe noodle dish with all the standard ingredients, plus a shaker of shichimi togarashi (be careful, very spicy!)

In our two visits, we sampled the following rolls:

Hawaiian Roll (pictured with 6 piece sushi combo) - It wasn't one of the more interesting rolls, but it was the special of the day so we went with it. It was just avocado and tuna wrapped around a california roll.

Tornado Roll - squid tempura, spicy crab, avocado. Basically a tempura roll with avocado topped with chopped up spicy crab meat. A little on the creamy side with the sauce on top but tasty.

Spider Roll (not pictured) - soft shelled crab, avocado, cucumber and masago. A much heartier portion of soft-shelled crab than at Ye's. Here, there were actual crab legs and claws sticking of out the roll the way it should be. The crab was a little undercooked, or perhaps the oil temperature was slightly too low, as it wasn't as crispy as I would have liked. Otherwise, very enjoyable.

Grand Canyon Roll (not pictured) - eel, salmon, bread crumbs. This one was for the adventurous. Eel and salmon rolled together, topped with bread crumbs and cheese and baked. Cheese seems to be a fairly common ingredient at Niko Niko, appearing in quite a few of their rolls but it's not something I usually expect on sushi. Here it was overwhelming the rest of the ingredients in this roll, plus the warm temperature threw off the taste a little. As a bonus though, there were some crunchy rice bits stuck to the tinfoil like you'd find at bottom of a pot of fried rice.

Love Love (not pictured) - spicy tuna, salmon, avocado, cucumber. The spicy tuna was chopped on top, and not much to say about the taste except that it was a combination of the ingredients. The presentation was nice and probably accounts for the second "love".

The restaurant was more than half empty on the two week nights we visited, but I expect weekends to be more crowded. Decor wise the restaurant is well lit on the two week nightsand interestingly is decorated with murals of Venice, presumably from the location's last iteration as Venizia. The main mural was left largely intact, except for the addition of a Niko Niko sign done in a fine black Sharpie on one of the merchants along the canals of venice. See if you can spot it on your next visit!

Overall, we were pretty pleased with the quality of the food and will visit it quite often, especially when we're not in the mood to eat until we explode.

Baby Martini

It has been quite awhile since our last review, but never fear, dear reader, we are still alive and dining. A couple of months ago Baby Martini joined the family which put our restaurant outings briefly on hold. We will be training her in the art of fine cuisine as soon as possible as to avoid reviewing places like Chuck E Cheese and East Side Mario's. Look for some more reviews coming in the next few days!

Wok Wagon Express

450 Columbia Street West, Waterloo, ON
Catering (519) 888-6868
Express Store (519) 888-9818
http://www.wokwagon.com

Every time I pass by Columbia and Fisher-Hallman / Bearinger, I can't help but to take a quick look into the parking lot, see if I can spot the "Wok Wagon". Eh, no, not the store, I am talking about the little white truck with the "Wok Wagon" logo and contact info.

The first time I ordered something from Wok Wagon (the restaurant) was several years ago. I grabbed the menu and expected to see items like "Sweet and Sour Chicken Balls". Well, they did have that. But there were also authentic Chinese dishes. I ordered "Almond Soo Guy" (almond chicken) w/ rice to go. I remembered I was on a tight schedule that day, I parked my car in the park and was planning to stuff myself w/ few bites of whatever so I could go to the next appointment. But man! It was good. (I am sure I didn't feel so just because I was hungry; I ordered this dish several times afterwards and it was just as good). The juicy chicken breast strips wrapped in crispy(outside) fluffy(inside) batter. The sauce, vegetables and rice were also nicely done. How come no one's ever mentioned this restaurant before? Is it because it barely qualifies as a restaurant (no seating, "take out" only)? Ever since this trial, Wok Wagon becomes "officially" on our Chinese take-out list.

What really makes Wok Wagon unique is not just the good food, but their "Kitchen-on-the-go". One year we celebrated J's B-day by inviting friends to our place and had Wok Wagon catering for us. The initial contact didn't go smoothly. Since the minimum order was $150 ($200 on weekends if I remember it correctly), I thought I might as well order all the items people might be interested. When I was on the 8th item, the guy taking the order interrupted me PROMPTLY, in an AUTHORITATIVE manner, "We can't serve this way. The food won't be hot enough if you order so many different items." "....(shocked for 5 seconds)...I'll call you back in 10 minutes." "OK." I did call back in 10 minutes, here's the final list:
- Honey Garlic Ribs $9.25
- Spicy Garlic Beef $9.25
- Imperial Pork $7.95
- Lemon Chicken $8.25
- Treasure Nest (seafood served in a bowl made of crispy fried potatoes) $12.95
- Cantonese Chow Mein $9.50
- Vegetable Fried Rice $5.50
- Spicy Tofu $6.50
I didn't order Almond Soo Guy due to allergy concern. Also, the Honey Garlic Ribs might be made in advance so it wasn't counted as a (hot) stir-fry item. (At least I wasn't interrupted this time so I guess I didn't "max out" the stir-fry limit.)

The truck arrived slightly ahead of schedule. It pulled into our driveway. Truck stopped, doors opened. The chef got off from the driver's side then went into the "kitchen" and got ready to cook. A girl walked out from the passenger's side; she was responsible for the paper work (billing), asking for serving bowls and passing the dishes to us. Btw, you could opt to rent their dishware or purchase the disposable ones. We figured it was just a friends' get-together. Worst comes worst, we have stainless steel mixing bowls and deep baking sheets. : p

After we got their permission, we took turns to visit the kitchen and saw how the chef worked in this compact kitchen. For so many dishes, it only took her less than 30 minutes to start, cook, clean-up and time to take a group picture w/ us. Not to mention all the dishes were still piping hot after the truck left our driveway.

Although some friends showed up late, as usual, and missed the show. People in general were quite happy w/ the food. The funny thing is, almost every dish had its own "fans", even the relatively generic chow mein and fried rice. Decent ingredients, a hot wok and fast action are key elements of good Chinese food. Wok Wagon achieves that with their kitchen on the wheels.

Ellison's Bistro

14 Charles Street West, Kitchener | (519) 744-2075
www.ellisonsbistro.com

Last month we went to Atlantis at Paradise Island, Bahamas. We couldn't help but to compare the food we had over there with Ellison's, and I must say that the Caribbean cuisine in the resort didn't impress us much. Ellison's Bistro, to us, is a hidden gem in K-W area. We initially learned about this place through word of mouth. Since then we've visited this restaurant several times and tried various items.

We normally like to start with the pepper pot soup. The portions of main dishes are generous, to the extent that we rarely have chance to sample their desserts. Don't worry if you can't take the heat. The food here is not overly spicy, although you can always request for it. If you decide to go to Ellison's Bistro, I highly recommend their pepper pot soup, jerk chicken and roti with your choice of curry (chicken/goat/beef).

Pepper pot soup: the immense black pepper and herbal aroma will awake every sense of yours after your first sip. And just when you think it isn't as spicy as expected, the "heat" will suddenly kick in and numb your tongue and mouth. But you know you can't stop. There's more! The flavorful, thick beef soup is full of potatoes, veggies and stewing beef. Everything blends in yet still remains its unique taste. I would be dying to know the trick if this flavor can be achieved without long hours of baby-sitting the pot. We love to enjoy the soup on cold raining days, although Elvis told us it would be equally nice on warmer days as well - the spiciness will help you to sweat and hence you'll feel cooler afterwards.

Jerk chicken: I have this dish several times and it never disappoints me. The chicken is spicy yet moist inside. It is so flavorful that sometimes I can't help but to finish the whole dish and over-stuff myself. Despite the fact that Elvis is the only one working in the kitchen, he still tries hard to impress...with style. Things like green onion "flower" or orange twist are regulars on his plates.

Roti (fluffy flat bread) served with curry. Don't underestimate this "wrap"; that's a lot of food in it. The worst part is, not only it is difficult to stop eating, you might even ask for more dinner rolls so you can dip it in the remaining curry. It's that finger-licking good.

I took my sister to Ellison's Bistro during her visit. She is from Sydney (Australia), the city with abundant nice restaurants and fresh, good quality supplies. Not to mention she's been "the" finicky eater in my family. She was, however, quite impressed by Elvis' food and service.

Reservation is recommended. Once we decided to pop in without reservation and it was the only time Elvis didn't come greet us. It is nice that the chef actually comes out and greets you. If time is permitted, he is even happy to answer any question about the food, the menu and his restaurant. During a recent visit, I noticed his daily lunch special promo. The items vary by day and it's for take-out only. Probably a good idea to call for details.