Johnny Fresco

Johnny Fresco
3-244 Weber St. North
Waterloo, Ontario, N2J 3H4

A couple of days ago a colleague insisted on going to this new place he previously remembered driving by. Of course, he didn't know the name of the place nor the type of food it served, but at least he knew where it was (corner of University and Weber). Turns out it was Johnny Fresco, which about two months ago took over the space where Donut Queen used to be. We did a brief drive by and it looked safe enough so we ventured in for lunch.

The space is bright and airy, but almost a little too sparse and empty. The menu is mostly fast food oriented, with burgers, pitas, fries, and other pick up and bite items. The set up is reminiscent of Harvey's where you order at the counter, a tray is set up and passed along the counter where toppings are placed on your cooked to order burger. The burgers are thick 6oz deals, which take a few minutes longer than the average fast food joint to cook. I ordered the only somewhat different item on the menu, the Greco Pita. This turned out to be a pita with a burger patty cut up and stuffed inside. It was a little dry and a little too full of burger meat for my tastes, even after I loaded it up with toppings, including tzatziki sauce, mushrooms, pineapple, hot peppers, plus the typical lettuce, tomato, cucumber. It came with a side and can of pop, the side being a choice of fries, garden, or caesar salad. Trying to be somewhat healthy, I choose the garden salad. It was served "Subway" style which means the same toppings that go on a sandwich/burger go into a plastic container to make the "salad". I tried some of my colleague's fries but they were not noteworthy (so why am I making a note of them?)

Overall, the food was about average, slightly above Harvey's but slightly below The Grill at University plaza. Most of the clientele seemed to be foot traffic from the local high school. It didn't seem like there was enough volume to support the place but I'm not a restaurateur. However, it was a cold and snowy day so perhaps it was down from the normal levels. Perhaps they were trying to cut costs because it felt like the only heat in the place was coming from the grill. It was freezing inside, and having bare metal chairs didn't help at all. I see no reason to return. The last thing this town needs is another copycat burger/greek fast food place.

Lunch items were $4-6, plus $1.50 for a combo or another $1 for a double burger (far too much meat for the average person).

China Garden

China Garden
31 University Ave. East
Waterloo, Ontario N2J 2A2

I can't believe we never write anything about China Garden. How can this be? We have had numerous meals from this restaurants ever since we first came to Waterloo. I still remember "the good old days", biking to China Garden for a bowlful of congee with dough fritters. We are no longer students and we've switched our main transportation tools to cars. Time flies! Still, there are days that we just crave for authentic Cantonese eatery food, and China Garden hasn't changed much since my first visit.

So far we have tried roughly 30% of their items, naturally we order some specific items more often than others:

- congee + dough fritters. I like the house special or shreaded pork with preserved eggs. There were times the congee was too watery, most of time the consistency is ok. And it is such a treat to dip crispy dough fritter into the thick congee then bite into it. :)

- fried rice: at one time we ordered the fried rice with two sauces (one ketchup-based the other cream-based) very frequently but we eventually got tired of it. Nowadays I tend to order salt fish and chicken fried rice and J enjoys the pineapple & chicken fried rice.
- sliced beef flat rice noodle. This is our all-time favorite comfort food, greasy and loads of flavor.
- fried noodles: I like the crispy noodles. As long as I get the crispy bits, I'm happy with any combination.
- beef tendon and brisket: the quantity is small but it normally packs with lots of flavour.
- XO sauce rice noodles. Pan-fried rice noodles with XO sauce and finish with peanut sauce.

Although they claim that they don't use MSG, I can still feel it afterwards(migrane, abnormal thirst and occasional rash). Not like MSG will stop me from having Chinese food completely. : p Btw, if you pay in cash and order $20+ (before tax) for takeout, you get 10% off.

All About Crepes

All About Crepes (Closed)
75 King St. South
Waterloo, Ontario N2J 1P2

After giving this place a scathing review, I felt like I should give them a second chance and returned once again for lunch. I must admit, the plating and presentation was much improved over their first efforts, but the menu wasn't changed at all and featured the same oddly priced list of crepes. Portions were still small, fillings had a very processed and unrefined taste to them. The dessert crepe my companion had wasn't too bad, but seemed to be filled with nutella (and too much at that). Strangely, the place was still quite busy so what do I know.

Thai Sun

Thai Sun
75 King St. South
Waterloo, Ontario N2J 1P2

After what seemed like an interminable 6+ month wait, Thai Sun is finally open, capping off a small row of shops and restaurants on the newly built Willis Way. I visited the place for lunch a few days after shortly after the opening. The decor was very contemporary, with flowing curves, designer oriented highlights and changes in elevation for added architectural interest. The difference between renovating an existing space versus starting from a blank canvas is evident here as a lot of effort was put into the design, and pays off well with a good first impression.

The menu was better than I expected. Thai Sun looks to be targeting a more upscale market than the typical 500+ menu item selection found at most common Viet-Thai restaurants. For lunch, they offer a few specials on a rotating menu, plus about half a dozen each of appetizers, entrees, soups and salads. The specials included spinning noodles (more commonly known as pad thai), green chicken curry, and wonton soup with beef jerky. Most specials include a side such as a shrimp roll, spring roll, mango salad and/or sticky rice. I was intrigued yet hesitant to order the beef jerky, as I was afraid I'd end up with a hot rod or something similar. I was pleasantly surprised to find a few tasty sweet and salty pieces of cured beef sprinkled with sesame. The wonton soup was about average, a nicely flavoured broth with a small number of forgettable wontons. The mango salad was a tasteful combination of sliced mango, onions, peppers and cilantro. However, it didn't have as much mango as I would have liked. Sticky rice was served on the side in a small woven container and helped provide a solid base for the meal. My colleagues were all generally pleased with the food although portions were somewhat small and not filling enough for a bunch of strapping young men.

As expected with any brand new restaurant, there were quite a few service related missteps. We had to ask for napkins and cutlery, food took quite awhile to come out, and entrees didn't arrive at the same time forcing two of us to wait awhile before giving up and starting without meals in front of everyone. Also, the side dishes were completely mixed up and we missed one of them without knowing it. I wouldn't hold this against them though unless the problems continue after a few weeks.

The lunch specials were all $11.99 or $12.99, soups and appetizers all less than $10, and main dinner items around $15. I found this pretty reasonable for the quality of the food they offer. I applaud them for their take on Thai food, with high quality, fresher ingredients and less reliance on excessive sauces and cooking. They've put together something more interesting than the ubiquitous copycat Viet-Thai places around town.

Rundles Restaurant

Rundles Restaurant
9 Cobourg St.
Stratford, Ontario N5A 3E4

This is another review which seemed to take forever to complete. The menu we had was way back in the summer/fall season so for sure the menu has changed now. In fact, the restaurant might not even open at this time; many restaurants in Stratford are closed between December and March.

One thing holding me back from completing the review, other than my pure laziness, was the "overall" experience. Don't get me wrong, we did NOT experience anything unpleasant. The food was fantastic. The wait staff seemed a little nervous and unpolished but it's still better than bad attitude. I can't explain why I feel so. Maybe the answer will eventually surface.

When we made the reservation, we were told (by the answering machine) to leave our info then they would call back to confirm our reservation. Interesting. How are they going to "confirm" our reservation if there's no table available? Being "old-fashioned" people like us (who prefer to talk to a real person than an answering machine), we called few times during 8pm and 11pm and eventually left a message and got response the next day around 10am. We assume this is arranged so their dining service won't be compromised during their operation hours.

The restaurant, along with the house, has been featured in various interior design and gourmet media publications. The frontage of the building is very narrow. There was a small, not very well-groomed English garden at the front entrance. Normally you would expect a sleek contemporary garden to go with such modern design. But the garden might be the owner's way of saying, "I'm on vacation, just make yourself comfortable."

We were somehow disappointed with menu offering (smaller selection due to Sunday). The menu was identical to what was posted on their website, and they were out of skate wing. The food, however, was the highlight of the night.

We had a cocktail called Tampico and sparkling water throughout the meal. From its description on the menu, Tampico is a long drink consisting of campari, cointreau, tonic and splash of lemon juice.

Amuse bouche: pea mint sorbet
The amuse bouche was served on a spoon. Great balance. Pea puree/sorbet was delicate, with just right amount of mint and citrus juice to wake up your palate. It was divine. In comparison, the bread was fresh and good but not as memorable.

Appetizer #1: ROASTED GOLDEN and RED BEETROOT and fresh sheep’s milk cheese, with walnut and sherry vinaigrette.
Appetizer #2: SMOKED RAINBOW TROUT with green apples, guacamole, Peruvian pepper vinaigrette, and tomatillo gazpacho.
Both items utilized the ring mold extensively. Smoked trout was smokier than I expected (in a good way) but the combination of tomatillo and guacamole was a bit overpowering. The contrast created great impact in the first few bites but the whole dish wasn't that interesting afterwards. On the other hand, the beet appetizer was a superb dish. Fine cubes of color were packed by the ring mold, like a jewelry box covered with semi-precious stones. Each vegetable cube retained its unique flavor yet they all harmonize as a whole. Every bite was like a treasure hunt for taste buds. Vegetables rarely taste THAT good. Naturally we both wanted to have more of the beet appetizer; however, J was the one ordering it originally, leaving me no choice but to peck at the smoked trout appetizer.

Main #1: GRILLED SIRLOIN and BRAISED BREAST OF LAMB with roasted red onions and black trumpet mushroom sauce.
The sirloin was tasty and exceptionally moist. The braised lamb didn't taste "lamby" but it tasted good and straightforward. The potato puree was the smoothest we've ever had. At the end it just blended into the jus.

Main #2: CRISP, SUCCULENT CONFIT OF DUCK with garlic sausage, and a cassolette of seasonal vegetables.
I found the garlic duck sausage was a bit strong and out of place. It tasted nice by itself but there was no coherence between the duck confit and the sausage. The coherence issue didn't stop me from loving the dish - it was the best duck confit I have ever had. The skin was crispy and the meat was absolutely tender and moist; clearly it was done over a long period of time. No rush in the process. This is how duck confit should be like. Period.

Dessert #1: CANADIAN, UNPASTEURIZED MILK CHEESES with walnut and raisin bread
Dessert #2: GLAZED LEMON TART and orange sorbet
I really enjoyed the variety of cheese. With walnut and raisin bread, it really tasted like a dessert. J also enjoyed his lemon tart.

J and I discussed about this restaurant. One word we could come up is "Eclectic", to the extent that the restaurant might suffer identity crisis. The menu is somehow limited and it doesn’t seem to be updated frequently; however, the food is fantastic. The wait staff will fluff the down seat cushions if we leave the seat during the meal but they seemed inexperienced in handling plates and responding to customers. The service wasn’t the formal type but the staff wasn’t as welcoming as you would expect from a bistro. The restaurant enjoys lots of media buzz over the years but its wait staff isn’t snub or polished, although people around us did look well-cultured with big disposable income. As we are confused by the personalities of this restaurant, we inevitably discuss "how much are we willing to spend dining at a restaurant like Rundles”. There's never a definite answer on this question but in this case it is extraordinarily difficult.

The Keg Steakhouse & Bar

The Keg Steakhouse & Bar
42 Northfield Dr. East
Waterloo, Ontario

We've been to the Keg several times, with friends or by ourselves. There's nothing really "wow" us but we haven't had any unpleasant experience either. Few days ago we were out running errands. It was very late by the time we were done. I complained to J that I was so HUNGRY that I could eat a cow. So…the Keg it is.

The decor of the Keg seems to be a result of careful calculations aiming at pleasing the majority; it is rich, simple, conservative but not too traditional. Take their Christmas tree as an example. The theme of their Christmas tree is gold and ivory, full of gold metallic ribbon, gold and (ivory) feather ornaments, and lighted with ambient lights. It is so lush yet "quiet".

In fact, the menu also seems to be designed to appeal everyone. Fundamentally it is a typical steakhouse menu. For example, their signature prime rib is served with garlic mashed potatoes and horseradish. But there are also items seasoned with teriyaki or ginger sauce just to add a bit of Asian flare.

We started with calamari. For mains I had prime rib and J had crab meat w sirloin, a variation of surf and turf.

- Sweet hot calamari (sweet and spicy ginger garlic sauce)
- Prime rib, garlic mashed, horseradish and red wine herb au jus
- Crab meat sirloin: asparagus spears and crab meat on a sirloin ladled with a creamy three mushroom sauce (2.00 donated to a kids charity with every surf and turf combo)

The calamari is ok. The ginger garlic sauce is on the sweet side, lots of teriyaki in it. They need to rework on the formula of the sauce. To be honest, we would probably enjoy it more with conventional tartar sauce. But we acknowledge their effort on trying something different.

I asked to have my prime rib medium rare and they got it right! I suppose if you dare to list description of each degree of doneness, you really have to get it right. The horseradish was surprisingly intense, moderate consumption is recommended. We were impressed by the amount of crab meat we got for the dish crab meat sirloin but that is about it; we both agree that they did a better job on preparing the sirloin than the beef.

If you want to find a place for friends-gathering or a family reunion and you want to kick it up a notch, the Keg will probably be the choice which keeps everyone happy (except the vegetarian and vegan population. After all, it's a steakhouse.).