Kypriaki Norte

After a long day of driving and walking around Whistler village, we decided to return to our hotel room to relax and brainstorm where we could go for dinner.  I wasn't sure if I was hungry at all, Michael thought we had our oyster snack a little too late in the day so he wasn't too hungry.

Kypriaki Norte

We finally settled for a Greek restaurant, Kypriaki that wasn't too far from where we were staying at 4122 Village Green. The reviews were hit and miss with place but we thought we should take a chance. Since we already get fabulous Greek food from our favorite Greek man we rarely go anywhere else for Mediterranean, if we do it would feel like we're cheating on George.


Indoors


When we arrived I thought the place looked a tad tacky and dodgy. Their decor was around the restaurant screamed out loud and busy. There was statues and hanging flower plants in every corner and bright paintings on the wall. I thought to myself, alright, they may not know how to decorate but hopefully they can cook.

Originally I was going to get a light appetizer and their chicken penne with a creamy rose sauce. It sounded safe, but I thought since I'm at a Greek restaurant I wanted the Mediterranean flavours. Lots of strong citrus and herb taste. Michael said that he was going to get their three course menu ($35) and I thought sure why not, I'll do the same.

Complimentary bread

Our seat looked directly into their dimly lit kitchen and we could see some of the chefs do their thing. We can also see the waitresses cut the bread for diners, using their bare hands. I thought they should've done that out of view of the guests or used a cloth or gloves, especially when one of them was playing with her hair right before she cut the bread.

When our bread arrived at our table, I just a poked a mini hole in the middle and dipped it in the balsamic vinegar and olive oil that was served along side. It didn't taste very good though.

Lobster and butternut squash soup

For the two starting dishes Michael and I got the same dishes. We both got the lobster and butternut squash soup. I thought it tasted like any cream based soup, a neither here nor there. There was a faint taste of well, something, it didn't taste like lobster or squash. I fished out some chunky bits of what may have been lobster pieces but I wasn't sure what I could make out of it. Let's hope it was lobster. The soup was just a mere "meh."


Greek salad


For our second dish we both got the Greek salad, which tasted pretty generic I found, just the classic cucumbers, red onions, olives, tomatoes and peppers with olive oil and feta cheese sprinkles all around. Michael thought he really liked the salad, it tasted light and refreshing. He thought it was the best part of the meal, since there was a whole bunch of cheese and lots of veg for him to munch. For myself it was another mediocre salad to me. I thought there wasn't much flavouring to this salad dish.

Roasted lamb with roasted potatoes and vegetables

For the entree,  Michael got the roasted lamb with roasted potatoes and steamed vegetables, with tzatiki on the side, which everyone raved about in the reviews. The vegetables that came on the side were nothing spectacular, but he thought the dish was huge for its price, easily enough to feed two. The meat was definitely fall-off-the-bone, but Michael thought the flavouring was a bit too powerful for his liking. He ended up being unable to finish the dish since he was too full.

Roast chicken with goat cheese stuffing

For my entree, I got the roast chicken with goat cheese stuffing, with potatoes and steamed vegetables on the side. A perfect oven roasted chicken, in my opinion, would be a light-crispy exterior with juicy goodness oozing out. Just let the natural flavours flow, let the chicken fat do its magic, and toss on a light seasoning of basic salt and pepper, no more. My chicken at Kypriaki was so burned it shattered in to pieces when I poked it with my fork. Definitely overcooked and dry. The goat cheese seemed as if it had not melted and sat in the chicken in curds, and was absolutely incompatible with the overdone chicken. Since the chicken was dry, I stole Michael's tzatiki sauce, which was probably the only thing that was right about the dish for the night.

We took a chance, but clearly our luck dried up, for myself at least. I know Michael really liked his lamb, but that wasn't a surprise since everyone wrote in their reviews that the lamb is the only thing that is good. I would suggest giving Kypriaki a pass.


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Neighbour's Restaurant

We've got another food adventure inspired by John Catucci from You Gotta Eat Here on the Food Network. Michael and I went to Neighbour's Restaurant Pizza and Pasta House with my fabulous aunt, located on 6493 Victoria Drive in Vancouver.

The inside is dimly lit and blooms a cozy feel

I have a childhood friend who lives really close to the restaurant, so if she is reading this I wanted to say hello. When Michael and I walked in to the restaurant it seemed really cozy, like a family style restaurant. I liked that there were pictures of John Catucci around the establishment and on their menu.

The menu at Neighbours is really big, there is so much to choose, from pasta, pizza, a combination, or Greek food. It was such a big menu that the three of us, Michael, my aunt and myself, couldn't decided what we wanted and took a good 15 to 20 minutes to decide what we wanted.

Their most popular dish - baked lasagna

I initially thought I was going to order the pizza because that's what John got, but everything changed when I saw the menu. After a long time deciding our linner (a combination of lunch and dinner), I got the baked lasagna ($14.95) since the menu claimed it's their most popular dish. It tasted a lot more cheesier then an average lasagna, that was a major plus, and the meat sauce with the lasagna wasn't overwhelming, so everything went really well with the combination. I would describe the food as smooth and very flavorful from the gooey cheese and the light taste of the meat.

Chicken Mediterranean Dish

Michael got the Chicken Mediterranean Dish ($15.95), and thought the chicken was nice but it was a little over seasoned and a little salty for his liking. But there were lots of the chicken so that was nice. He said the mushrooms in the chicken was a nice combination as well and that the rice pilaf on the side was very enjoyable - good flavour and mixing well with the chicken. The salad was nice and light, with sprinklings of cheese giving a little creamy taste.

Canadian bacon and pepperoni pizza

My aunt got the Canadian bacon and pepperoni ($19.95) pizza, and was ever so nice to let me try. I thought the pizza was really good, meaty and cheesy, and the pizza overall was light so it didn't feel too overwhelming after finishing. I usually leave the crust behind when I finish a slice, but the Neighbour's crust was light and it was far from being dry.

Overall, Michael and I really liked Neighbour's and we wouldn't mind going back to try some more different selections on the menu. For the price that we paid, the amount of food we were served is outrageous. We left the restaurant really full and we can't wait to go back for more food.

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George's Taverna

Our day ran short today because I had school and I have a pretty pathetic Friday school schedule. So Michael and I weren't expecting much from a meal today. We decided to eat at George's Taverna at 130-3760 Moncton Street in Steveston Village, one of the local takeout restaurants.

George's Clubhouse

The restaurant can be seen in parts in the show one of my favourite shows, Once Upon a Time, you can spot it if you look close enough. This place is one of our favourite casual dining places to go when we're hungry. Michael has been going to this place since his high school days and introduced me to the place a few years ago. They serve traditional Greek style food  like pita wraps, souvlaki, and saganaki! Who doesn't like fried cheese?

Fries with honey mustard

I usually get the chicken donair but today I was really hungry. So we both ordered the Georges Clubhouse, $9.45, a mix of pork, bacon, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes squished between two slices of pita bread. The dishes also come with sides of fries, which are absolutely to die for. They are lightly salted and seasoned with spices and goes perfecto with their house-made honey mustard - what is suppose to meant for chicken strips but we dip it in fries. It's like a taste of mustard heaven.

Calamari with tzatziki sauce

To end up off with this hearty meal we even shared an appetizer of  crispy calamari for $8.95 with fabulous tzatziki sauce.

Oh, and everything here is served in extra large portions. If you ever visit, you can also eat knowing all the cooks have been with the restaurant for years. The staff's ability to be consistent in both taste and presentation is definitely one of their strengths.


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