Ellison's Bistro

Ellison's Bistro
14 Charles St. West
Kitchener, Ontario

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.