Little Bird Bistro

The leaves have turned golden brown and fallen off the trees, the wind blowing, and rainy days. Fall is definitely here. So what do Michael and I do? Run away to Portland again. Visiting the Oregon city has become something Michael and I really enjoy, a yearly routine for us. One of the biggest reasons is the great dining in Portland.

When we were looking for somewhere to eat dinner, everything we came across sounded so wonderful but unfortunately we arrived in to Portland late, and we could only dine out for only one of the nights we were there.

Because of our minor delay we got up bright and early to make up for the lost time in Portland. I did my usual stops in downtown, and of course Michael sat in his boyfriend chairs and waited for me. While he sat there patiently he did some research on where we could dine at. Michael has always had a fascination with birds since he was a child and when we came across Little Bird Bistro he got pretty excited. Since the bird bistro served French cuisine, he thought this place had something to offer for the both of us.

Luckily, we got a table after a short wait

When the evening approached us we were starting to get second thoughts of the place. What if there's a lot of people? Was it too late to make a reservation? Michael went back to the drawing board but we still went back to the bird. We made our way down to the restaurant on that cold night, it was a long walk from our hotel but we finally made it to the restaurant. Good thing there wasn't much of a wait.

Little Bird Bistro is a two story restaurant. I felt that it looked really cozy and the restaurant reminded me of cafes in southern France. There were blackboards up above in the wall that showed the specials and a big window where diners could watch the city goers walk by.

Gnocchi

 
Michael and I were seated on the main floor and our tables were pretty tucked in there side by side with other diners. I got hungry during my shopping day so I got tempted by a pretzel from the mall, but Michael suggested that we would get an appetizer to share. Michael knew that I love gnocchis  and decided to order the goat cheese gnocchi with ox tail, served with caramelized orange jus and peppers ($14). Yummy!

Biting into the gnocchi was like chewing in to lumps of clouds. There were such strong aromatic flavours from the ox tail with a lighter balance from the jus. I didn't try any of the ox tail myself but eating just the gnocchi's were just amazing. I loved that there was sprinkles of goat cheese to the dish, which added a nuttiness to the light flavours. Michael said that the ox tail was like melt in your mouth good. There such natural flavours in the ox tail with a touch of light seasoning.

Chicken fried trout

Michael was feeling a little ill that day and wanted to eat something light and easy on his stomach. He wanted to get the chicken fried trout with herbs, pickled vegetables, gribiche, and radishes ($22), but I thought that sounded pretty delicious and I wanted to eat that. Michael was nice enough to let me order it and he would order something else. Unfortunately, the chicken fried trout was completely different from what I thought it would be. I thought the dish was really heavy because the trout was fried, and now come to think of it the title makes sense now. There was a creaminess present from the gribiche that tamed a little bit of the friedness. I really liked that there was sprigs of dill and different herbs on the plate. Not only did it make the dish have an additional flavour but it also added interesting presentation. It was a bonus that beneath the batter the fish was very soft, smooth and silky. I decided it was a bad idea to have the mall pretzel in the end, I regretfully didn't finish the fish.

Pork pot au feu

Michael, meanwhile, got the light dish he was looking for. He ordered the pork pot au feu, which a stew with bone marrow and potatoes on a broth ($28). Michael just gobbled that sucker up because it was soupy, non greasy and not fried. Exactly the kind of fancy for-sick-people dinner he was looking for. He has never had bone marrow before so it was definitely an adventure for him. He was the pork itself was very soft another melt and he loved dipping the morsels in the broth and marrow. 

Even though I was really full from my fried trout I kept stealing Michael's potatoes. They were so tasty. I love that the seasoning on the potatoes wasn't overpowering and it was just prepared very simply. Michael's broth added the perfect amount of flavour. So very tasty.

Macaroons

Even though I didn't get the dish that I had anticipated on, I would be more that happy to return to the bird bistro to try other dishes off their menu. The kitchen definitely knows how to cook and I am super eager to return to try their other dishes. The server also gave us small macaroons with the bill, which was a nice touch.

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Araxi

For the longest time Michael and I have talked about Araxi. Why? Because Michael and I are huge fans of the hothead chef Gordon Ramsey. The grand prize for winning Hells Kitchen on one season was to be head chef at Araxi. Unfortunately, the winner of the show didn't stick around at Araxi for a very long time.

Araxi

Michael and I decided to do a mini vacation to Whistler. Our first day of arrival we hit up the village and walked around. We came across the holy of the holy restaurants in Whistler, Araxi located in the heart of the village  at 4222 Village Square, they had a huge sign advertising 12 fresh shucked oysters for $12 from 3-6pm. A buck a shuck, well don't mind if we do.

In my previous entry I had mentioned that it is rare that Michael and I visit high-end dining. We appreciate good food and of course love, love, love food. But we don't feel that paying 30 something dollars for a plate of food is right. I love my fair share of fine dining when I'm with my mom of course, nothing beats a little mother daughter time... when she's the one taking care of the bill. Naughty me. So it came as a nice surprise to see that a high-end place like Araxi was offering such a sweet deal.

We were seated outside of the restaurant to enjoy the beautiful sunny day in Whistler and of course we did some people watch. We ordered our oysters with an order of truffle fries ($9.50). We only ordered two items and two drinks: a beer and a fruity non-alcoholic beverage, but we had to wait an awfully long time for our food. We noticed a lot of other diners got pretty angry as well. We also thought our waiter was a little curt, we thought maybe because we look so young. But excuse me for our fountain of youth, that's coming out of your tip mister!

After a long time of waiting our food finally arrived. The Zen oysters we were told came from Cortes Island, it was served with a sherry vinaigrette sauce. The oysters tasted amazing and beyond. Michael and I joked about, just a few years ago, when I didn't love oysters and I'd only ever eat one whenever we ordered them.

Zen oysters

Michael and I both agree that they tasted really fresh, just sliding down beautifully. The fresh seafood aroma was just magnificent and incredible. Slurp! slurp! slurp!  The vinaigrette was sour, tangy, with a hint of garlic taste. The sour taste added the sweet oyster flavour and enhanced everything the oyster has to offer. Although oysters from Rodney's were much bigger I also felt Rodney's did a better job shucking the oysters. I came across a lot of bits and pieces of unpleasant shells here. Michael on the other hand didn't find any of these unappealing shell bits.

Truffle fries

Moving on to the truffle fries, I have a great passionate hate for mushrooms, but I have had a minor appreciation for truffles. My mom and I eat at The Market at the Shangri-La Hotel often, and that's really changed my opinion on truffles after trying their delicious truffle pizza. The fries were simple but very tasty. Ah the difference between posh fries and fast food fries! It had a crunchy exterior, there was a light truffle drizzle taste over the fries that was also seasoned with light salt and parmesan shavings. The truffle flavour of the potato and the light salt seasoning just gave the natural flavour a slight push that completed the dish.

Complimentary bread worth mentioning

Last but not least is a dish that we wouldn't even call it a dish actually. Our complimentary bread, it was very tasty for a complimentary item. It looked hard as a rock but was very soft. We were served with organic butter and extra virgin olive oil. Of course it's usually with either just butter or evoo with balsamic vinegar.  But replacing and mixing the butter and olive oil together created quite something, a creamy factor. Towards the end Michael was scraping off the butter with his bread as if he was scraping gold.

Perfect Breeze and a Whistler pale ale

It was a light snack and for a hot summer day it's perfect weather to slurp some shucked oysters. The definition of west coast dining, but as much as we enjoyed lunching at Araxi, Michael and I do believe in loving food, putting an effort in the food and also getting more bang for our buck in it as well. What do you think?


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Pier 73

Michael turned another year older recently and of course we struggled to decide where to go eat. I would say it took us the whole good evening to figure out where the guy wanted to spent his birthday.

We decided to go to Pier 73 located at 3500 Cessna Drive, the website says its located in Vancouver which is really confusing because it is located at the Delta Airport Hotel in Richmond.

I have been to Pier 73 once with my mom but never returned and it was Michael's first time, I honestly don't know why we never thought about coming to the place. Pier 73 is located near the Vancouver International Airport, right by the Fraser River on the edge of Richmond. We can see the boats floating around and it was nice to have a view during the night. The restaurant is quite big and it felt like being in a dome when we were inside because of its high ceilings. 

I would say Pier 73's atmosphere  is a combination of bar and lounge. Like family fun meets raging hockey fans. Of course it serves the standard hot wings, nachos, and various other bar appetizers but it has some upscale meals as well.

Three Cheese Crab Dip 

One appetizer caught Michaels attention was the Three Cheese Crab Dip ($12). It was crab meat, roasted artichokes, basil, mozzarella, and cream cheese. Along with nachos and toasted baguette on the side. Surprisingly the dish was actually filled to the brim with crab, we thought it was just going to be swamped with cheese and only tiny bit of crab. But nope we were certainly wrong. There was a strong sweet crab aroma that we knew for sure these ones were the fresh ones. The sweetness of the crab complimented the creaminess of the cheese very well. The nachos and baguette was of course an incredible combination.  I loved the crunchiness with the soft gooey crab and cheese.

Although this was an amazing appetizer, Michael and I wished that there the amount of nachos and baguette was enough ratio for the crab dip. We ended up just eating plain nachos. Yum?

Smoked salmon fettuccine 

Moving on to entrees, as I mentioned in a previous post I promised myself I would try and eat more healthy this summer. Of course I had considered the healthy route but Michael convinced me on the pasta. So I thought okay fine, tonight will be my cheat day and tomorrow I will go back to being healthy. Anyways, I ended up getting the smoked salmon fettuccine with a creamy white wine sauce ($18). I must say the white wine sauce was very creamy but its a shame that the flavour was also a bit bland. But since the smoked salmon was rather salty I would think it was a fair enough pairing.

Steak and lobster

Michael on the other hand really enjoyed his meal. He had the prime dish - the steak and lobster. For less than $30, Michael thought the dish was appropriately portioned. The lobster shell was flipped inside out as a dish decoration with the meat still attached, which actually made it a little awkward to eat. Pretty though. The steak itself was cooked medium rare as requested and arrived perfectly cooked.

I really enjoyed going to Pier 73 with Michael, they have a great ambiance and I had a lot of fun dining there with Michael. I would love to go back and try out other delightful goodies on their menu.

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Burnaby Riverway Clubhouse

It's that time year again friends, Vancouver Dine out! Michael and I both think we have a love-hate relationship with Dine Out. We love it because we get to discover other restaurants in the city we didn't know existed. But we sometimes feel that not all the restaurants are giving the "great deal" as they make it seem. Some people automatically go for the $38 menu and don't give the little unknown guy a chance, because they instantly feel their getting a bargain deal with the name brands. But I hate to break it to those people, you're not necessarily getting great food for the money you're paying.

Michael and I are doing two $18 menu and our first stop was Burnaby River Clubhouse. I love going to Burnaby other than just going to Metrotown, it reminds me of the good old days when I use to hang out at my fabulous wonderful aunt's apartment. The restaurant was at a golf course and when we first arrived we weren't sure what to do because no one came to greet us. When we finally sat down at our table, their menu was a little confusing at first because there was a three course meal with individual prices but the bottom said $18 for the tasting menu. Seemed strange it wasn't a completely separate Dine Out menu.

The dining area was pretty big with a gorgeous chandelier hanging in the middle room. There were big windows that you could see the golf field, or so I think since we there in the night time. But I am sure it would have been a nice view to dine to. They were also playing black and white movies which I loved.

Braised short rib poutine

For starters I had the root beer braised short rib poutine with white cheddar curds and beef gravy. My first bite in the french fries was fantastic. The fries were seasoned with salt and pepper and topped with a coat of light gravy to help everything go down smoothly. The cheddar was of course cheesy but I have to say I don't think there was enough of those bad boys. As for the short rib, at least one of us liked it,  I gave everything to Michael, I felt there was too much of a strong taste of the beef and I just couldn't handle it. Michael thought the short rib tasted like a pot roast and it was very juicy and tender. He thought the flavours were strong but it wasn't too overpowering.

Watermelon carpaccio with crispy chicken

For Michael's appetizer, he got the watermelon carpaccio with crispy chicken, sesame seed, with a sweet and sour chilli glaze. Michael thought the chicken was reminded him of Taiwanese style fried chicken but tasted better and a lot less greasy than the chicken we usually order at bubble tea cafes in Richmond. It was definitely done professionally.

Arctic char

For entrees I got the Pan seared arctic char with roasted red peppers risotto cake, served with spinach on the side and a citrus infused honey and cilantro coulis for a little pizzaz on the plate decor. I thought the Arctic char may have been left on the stove for a little too long. I thought the fish was on the rather dry side. But I did manage to get in a few juicy parts of the fish but not too much. The risotto cakes were roasted alright, it was rather chewy and hard than soft and I didn't taste any peppers despite the red colour of the entire cake.

Filet mignon

Michael had the bacon wrapped filet mignon with pan seared polenta, I had a taste of Michael's polenta and I thought it was very chewy and not crispy at all, like as if it was had been sitting out for awhile. But Michael thought his filet mignon was perfectly cooked. Every bite was delicious and he said he felt that he got a lot of value with this restaurant. On the menu it said the regular price for the filet mignon was only $16. It comes with two pieces and a small serving of veggies. The meat was perfectly cooked, he enjoyed every bite.

Marshmallow bread pudding

Last but not least we had dessert. I had the marshmallow bread pudding served with a hazelnut chocolate sauce and vanilla gelato, I have actually never had bread pudding, and it tasted exactly like what I thought it would be. Tasted like sweet clumpy bread. I'm not sure if that is what bread pudding should taste like but I didn't like it but I didn't hate it. I thought the sweet factor was just right. It went really nice together with the ice cream because it balanced out with hot and cold and the vanilla added some creamy texture to the bread.

White chocolate panna cotta

Michael had the white chocolate panna cotta, it was his first time eating a panna cotta as well, I for one isn't a fan of panna cotta. Michael thought the panna cotta was a little too sweet for his liking with the white chocolate but the portion was perfect.

I would love to come back to the Riverway clubhouse, it seems like its a casual chic place to dine out, the environment is very laid back. Michael and I really enjoyed ourselves when we were there. I am excited to do take 2 with Michael and see what the other restaurant has to offer. But a part from Michael, I am going with a fellow gal pal of mine at a restaurant that Michael and I visited awhile back thats tucked in Stanley park.

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The Fish Shack

Since Dine Out 2013 is creeping up on us, Michael and I thought it would be fun to head out to Vancouver for the night. I came across The Fish Shack when I was browsing around for Dine Out inspiration, surprisingly Fish Shack's regular menu seemed more tasty than their Dine Out, and I was keen on trying it. I also knew Michael would be up for any restaurant that focuses on seafood.

Michael and I usually avoid franchise restaurants, and The Fish Shack is owned by the Glowbal group, but I feel that the people at Glowbal have their fair share of hit restaurants. Also since the Glowbal group is such a well recognized company in Vancouver, I arrived with high expectations.

Fish Shack is located in the tip of Vancouver's party strip at 1026 Granville Street. For those scratching their heads wondering, "Didn't that place use to be an Indian restaurant?" Yes. It used to be Sanafir, also owned by the Glowbal group, but in my opinion was a major "miss." I felt it was over priced and served unappetizing "Indian fusion" food and the restaurant made me feel like I was in Moulin Rouge.

The restaurant is bright and inviting

Now it has become The Fish Shack. The place seems to be fun place to eat, kick back, shuck some oysters and have have an ice cold beer. The restaurant is laid out exactly how Sanafir was with the outside patio and upstairs dining room as well. The walls were decorated with warehouse pallets, I thought it was such a clever way of decoration, but Michael on the other hand thought it was rather "low budget" looking. I loved how the bar area, the lights were hung with ropes, it looked like it should have been part of a boat by the harbour.

On an unrelated note of the restaurant, I just have to say their restrooms are an individual room suitable for the ladies and gents. It was very uncomfortable going to the washroom and having a urinal two centimeters away from me, and another thing that bothered me was that the restroom was insanely dark.

Their menu is laid out in a newspaper headline style

But let's talk food. The Shack's menu served many traditional west coast seafood delicacies, fish and chips, oysters, clams, lobster, you name it they got it. I had mentioned from a post while back, that ever since Michael and I dined at Crab Pot in Seattle, Michael has been on the hunt for the same concept as Crab Pot, getting a hammer and just whacking the heck out of his food. For myself, I feel like I did it in Seattle, I don't need to do it here and I'm only along for the ride.

Does anyone else think the spikes on the hammer are a bit unnecessary?

I was curious to see what their oyster burger tasted like and I saw many diners get their fish and chips which looked really tasty and also their steamed mussels looked divine. But I knew Michael wanted his crab pot experience again. At the shack they have the same concept with the hammer. They offer two choices one is the small catch ($20 per person) which offers dungeness crab, mussels, snow crab, prawns, calamari, cray fish, corn, potatoes, and chorizo. With the big catch it has everything and add an extra lobster ($30 per person). Of course the portion was not as big as Crab Pot but the idea and all was there.

A small portion - but cheaper - compared to Crab Pot

I do think the crabs and calamari tasted really good, it was full of meat and tasted very fresh. Dipping the food in liquified butter was just heaven on earth, my entire dinner went in there. As for cray fish, I have never tasted it before it looked like a mini version of a lobster, I'm not sure if cray fish is the same as crawfish but I would think crawfish would taste similar. I thought the cray fish tasted very fishy and I couldn't handle more than one. Michael thought there was a good amount of crab and especially liked how the server left a jar of spices for us to sprinkle. The seafood broth was a nice touch too. He thought there could have been more clams and corn though.

We still haven't found a restaurant that exceeds the expectations set by Crab Pot. This small catch meal for me was a mediocre and I think it's a little "meh." Michael thinks it was worth it for the cheaper price, it's still the same type of experience. But I think the other selections on the menu would be fantastic and wonderful and I am determined to taste their other dishes.

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The Crab King

Ever since Crab Pot in Seattle, Michael has been on a mission to find somewhere that offers the same service - Food scattered on your table in front of your face, and using a hammer and smashing away.

It doesn't look big, but there's seats enough for dozens

We found Crab King literally on the water at 3540 Bayview St in Richmond, just steps away from the heart of popular weekend destination Steveston village. We checked out their menu online first and it seemed a lot simpler compared than its Seattle counterpart.

You order food at the counter, they bring it to you

The Crab King is an outdoors restaurant on a floating platform. It has the concept of a fast food place where you order food at the stand and they will bring your food to you at your table. Michael and I both agree that Crab King has a wonderful view. The outdoors restaurant is located right on the water, but when the sun goes down you better have a lamp next to you. It's dark, but also gives a romantic vibe.

Crab poutine

I saw that they served crab poutine ($8.95) and I was dying to try it. Michael's family were joining us for dinner but were running late and we were both starving. We ordered it as a snack. The french fries were crunchy and very fluffy in the inside, and even with the gravy, it didn't feel very heavy. We both agree there could have been a little more gravy and crab though. We thought the gravy could do with a touch more flavour too, but the crab was very sweet and tasted fresh, coming straight from their live tank.

Bib, mini fork and clamp

Michael's family finally arrived and we decided to share two of the Taste of the West Coast meals ($49.95). This feast wasn't dumped on the table like at Crab Pot. It arrived in a giant metal bowl, filled with dungeness crab, clams, shrimp, mussels, Yukon potatoes, corn on the cob and sausages. There was a choice of having the crab served steamed or fried and we got both. We didn't get mallets to go with the meal though, just metal clamps.  

The steamed bowl

I thought the steamed crab tasted very simple but really nice. Nothing fancy was added on except a light sprinkling of herbs. The mussels and clams tasted very fresh and the crab meat was very sweet. I thought the view of the water right affront of us was suited so well while we were dining.  Michael was amazed at how much meat was inside the crab, since dungeness crabs aren't known to be particularly meaty. 

The fried, spicy bowl

The Thai fried crab had a light sweet and sour taste at first, but there was a little heat to it that sneaks up on you that makes you want to chug a pitcher of water. The flavouring was delicious. The only bad thing would be that the heat and marinade does kind of hide the sweetness and freshness of the actual seafood. Michael like the steamed variety more since it wasn't so hot. His favourite part is getting an excuse to dip food in butter anyways. 

Crab King definitely wins on its waterfront view

We both agree that there are hits and misses between the Pot and the King. Crab Pot served bigger portions without breaking the bank and comes with three types of crab, no less. I thought Crab King had the fresher food of the two and the two types of flavour was a good bonus, but they cost a little more.

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Kaboom Box

Here is another segment of our Eat St experience. We all know that food carts are on the rise in Vancouver recently and are becoming really popular, I think it's because the menus are creative, their truck designs are witty and it makes us coming back for more.

Usually open for lunch to 3 p.m. daily

Michael and I have  walked by Kaboom Box at Granville and Robson many times. This little red wagon serves classic west coast cuisine such as fish and chips and salmon burgers. Their menu isn't very big but it offers a good choice and variety.

Gulf Island Fried Oyster Po Boy

Michael instantly knew what he wanted to get the Gulf Island Fried Oyster Po Boy ($8.04). Michael's lunch comes with three fried oysters, coated with a thick crust and paired with tartar sauce for dipping. Of course Michael saved the best for last, the good boyfriend he was, he let me try some of his fries, we both agree that the fries were cut and fried to perfection. They are served skinny cut fries and tasted very light, crispy outside and fluffy inside. We could eat a whole plate of these fries and wouldn't feel sick afterwards. Marvellous.

House Salad

As for myself, I really didn't know what to get for my lunch, I didn't have much of an appetite but I knew I should eat something anyway. I ordered the House Salad ($8). Almonds, smoked salmon and cranberries. All of this yummy goodness was rested on top of mixed greens and served with a dressing that I can't quite put my finger on but seems like a creamy type of vinaigrette with a hint of garlic. Quite the tasty thing.

I felt rushed because I was the only one standing at the cart, and I felt an awkward tension between me and the cashier.  When my salad was served, I saw cranberries, and for those who don't know me I despise fruits, but surprisingly the cranberries didn't taste all that bad. Since they were dried, there wasn't a strong berry aroma, and the cranberries really balanced out the tangy sour taste to the dressing. The almonds added a hint of saltiness and crunchiness to everything and was really nice. The salmon, oh my it was good. Light, smoked to perfection, very moist  and delicious with the greens.

Although my salad was amazing, I have to say that the portion served could've been bigger. For $8 I expected a bigger portion to the salad, even if it everything was just greens. Street carts, you better up your portions or lower your price. But other than that, keep on roaming the Vancouver's streets.


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Joeys Restaurant

Restaurant franchises are something Michael and I try to avoid, but we've always had a soft spot for Joeys. This weekend we made a short shopping trip to Burnaby and decided to get dinner at Joeys Burnaby located on 1899 Rosser Ave. The restaurant's location was nearby where my aunt lives, so I'd like to give a shout out to her!

The decoration is like any other Joeys located throughout the Vancouver area, although Michael and I thought it was really hard to find the place since it was located adjacent to a main road and tucked upstairs in a building. When we finally found the parking lot there were quite a few additional turns through corridors and a few stairs to climb inside to make it to the actual restaurant. As I said, it's quite hidden.

Joeys Restaurant - beautifully presented Pesto Shrimp Flatbread $14

We started with the Pesto Shrimp Flatbread for $14, which featured mozzarella cheese, sun dried tomatoes, chipotle aioli , and basil. From the sounds of it, I thought there were going to be actual pieces of mozzarella, but when it arrived, I was quite disappointed to see there was just a slight smear of it. Other then my mozzarella catastrophe, the flatbread tasted really good. Filled with flavours, the shrimp was fresh and the chipotle aioli gave it the right amount of heat. I also loved that the flatbread was soft and fluffy.

The delicious taste of Joey's Blackened Basa is always consistent

For entrees, Michael had one of his favourites at Joeys, which is the Blackened Basa, served with a tomato pickled salsa with rice and vegetables for $19.50. Michael said that his fish was very soft and fluffy, crunchy on the outside but melting apart like butter on the inside. It came in two separate fillets, large portions that promise to fill even the hungriest of diners. A bed of rice is laid under the fish to complete the plate. Delicious.

Butter chicken and salad, no thanks on the naan bread

For myself, I chose the Bombay Butter Chicken for $17. One of the reasons I love Joeys is that they offer their menu to diners who are non-meat eaters. Since I was a little sick today and wasn't feeling really meaty, I substituted my chicken for its soy variety. The classic butter chicken dish is usually served with rice, but I also decided to change things up, vying for a tossed salad instead. The butter faux-chicken arrived mixed in with bell peppers which added some colour to the broth; there was a little heat to it but my cold tossed salad really balanced it out. The naan that was served on the side wasn't your familiar soft and fluffy naan though, it came in like nacho texture and it appeared to have chutney baked into it. Why mess with good naan?

Overall the experience in the restaurant I felt was alright, I would give it a fair "meh" for the dining experience. Michael thought the service wasn't that great which I have to agree, but other then that he really liked his food

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Relish Gastropub

Ever since Rodneys Oysters Michael and I have been search for another place that serves raw oysters just as tasty - and cheap. Michael found Relish Gastropub and Bar, which serves a "Buck a Shuck" oysters from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Relish is located on 888 Nelson St., Michael read around reviews and they didn't sound that bad so he thought we would give it a try.

Pretty generous drinks deals served here daily

Relish seemed to be tucked in pretty well blended in with a bunch of office towers, so you'll really have to look for it. The lounge seemed pretty modern looking, and its modest size made the place look a little more cozy and intimate. One of the highlights is its $3 beer deals for different days of the week, since today was Friday, we each got a sleeve of Kokanee.

Tastefully presented, but a bit small

Michael and I thought the oyster were pretty tasty but were  much smaller then we had expected, which was a little bit disappointing. One thing that bothered Michael and I was that when we slurped the oysters, there was an unappealing crunch to it, I thought it was very sandy but Michael thinks its the shell being chipped from poor shucking. The oysters were served with four house made sauces from hot to mild, our favourite was the relish one, I think it's because it reminded me of Rodneys.

The best part of the meal, in my opinion

We also shared a poutine for $11, they sound like just regular cheese curds, gravy and fries, but the menu description forgot to mention there's quite a bit of heat to the poutine. From first glance, the poutine doesn't look too much, as a matter of fact it didn't look too appetizing. Well, looks can be deceiving, it ended up tasting really good with ooey gooey goodness from the cheese curds and gravy. The hotness of the pepper and chilli flakes did get a little overwhelming at one point though.

Homemade burgery goodness :)

Michael ordered the Mini Beef Sliders $11, which were braised short rib with white cheddar, BBQ sauce, and caramelized onions with aioli. Michael thought it was interesting that instead of using beef patties they used a slice of cut beef and everything including the bun was homemade. It also came with a mini marinara dip that tasted not bad and a mini salad on the side.

I am still undecided about whether I'd come back since I thought the food was pretty mediocre and that this place is definitely not for seafood. Lesson well learned. Michael said he would come back for the beer deals and bar food, but definitely not for their oysters.

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