Dianne's Fish Bar

There's nothing like going into a restaurant that "feels like summer"... And that's what you can expect from Dianne's Fish Bar. Sure - it is officially summer here in Kingston; but until the last couple of days, it didn't really feel like it... and certainly on the night we visited there was a bit of a "nip" to the air (especially by the time we left). At Dianne's Fish Bar, though, things feel warm and beachy. From the orange awnings on the outside, to the blue, red and silver accents on the inside, the decor here was well thought out and is gorgeous from floor to ceiling. Hard to believe that we have already been to this exact location on Ontario Street for our blog (In October 2012, we visited Pasta Shelf, which has since closed, leaving space for Dianne's Fish Bar to take over) - and the redesign is pretty phenomenal.


Highlighted by classy fish paintings and art on the walls, a bar-height wood-top table in the centre of the restaurant that maximizes flow, glowing blue LED lights and even "sea-like" glassware, Dianne's certainly speaks Fish Bar. I mean, if I was going to imagine a fish bar, I think I would imagine something just like it - although I'm sure I wouldn't have been thoughtful enough to design it on my own... Long story short - whoever designed this space did a bang-up job and I wish I had such design savvy. But I don't... And I digress. 

Now, I was a little worried about going to a place called a "fish bar" because... well... put quite plainly - I don't like fish. That said, in honour of the ideals of the blog, I think it is important to try as many places as we can... and it certainly helped that I explored Dianne's website before going to see that they had options other than fish.  Beyond that, it was also important to me to allow my fellow adventurers to try something that they truly enjoy - especially Samer (oh, picky Samer - love ya, buddy), who has had more poor luck on this adventure than any of us, I think. 

What does the menu have to offer? A quick run-down includes  salads, shell fish, surf, turf, ceviche, fried food, tacos, offerings on a bun and dessert. One page, nice and "simple" (although, I'm sure I couldn't reproduce one single ounce of it), but lots of flavour and food options. The restaurant was also really busy - we called to make a reservation and they encouraged us to come earlier than our reservation time as they had a full house later in the evening and already knew that they would need the table. In my opinion, that's a really quick way to see how popular a restaurant is - and for not having been open very long, having a full reservation card isn't too shabby. 

All of that said, it was also clear that Dianne's Fish Bar is just starting out. Service was... bumpy. Certainly, our server was lovely - but it was clear that there were a lot of kinks being worked out as a very large number of staff walked back and forth between tables and the kitchen, tables and the bar, from table to table... and while we saw our very friendly server early on, it took far too long for drinks to be delivered (we actually had to request a drink for the second time since it wasn't delivered) and much longer than we had hoped for our mains to arrive after our starters... While we waited, we watched confused and (somewhat) fumbling kitchen staff behind the open window trying to figure out tickets. Oh - and the blunder of the night (a big pet peeve of mine) was when 2 people at our table finished, and our server cleared their plates within a second of them finishing their last bite, then asked them before the last 2 of us had finished if they wanted dessert or coffee. I think there is a lot to be said about just letting a group finish their meal and not putting people on the spot to rush to finish. Is that enough to keep us from going back? Certainly not - every restaurant has growing pains, that's for sure. I'm actually keen to try it again in a few months when perhaps they've settled in a bit more.

I suppose I should get to the details of the food, though. I will start by mentioning the phenomenal complimentary buns that were presented just after we ordered. I have no idea what kind of buns they were, but they were warm and fresh and had an amazing sprinkling of what I think was sea salt on top. Absolutely dee-lish. We asked for a second basket - you know, just to be sure that the quality of the bread was consistent. :)

Here's what we each ordered:
Carrie: Dianne's Burger: 6oz enright cattle co. naturally raised beef, seed to sausage bacon, blue cheese (which I replaced with any other kind of cheese than blue... not sure what it came with), mamas pickled green tomatoes, roasted garlic mayo and a side of fries. I also ordered a side caesar salad to start.

Tonia: 2 Carne Asada tacos: grilled marinated flank steak, barracho salsa, roasted poblano relish, queso fresco. Tonia also ordered a side caesar salad to start, and she had a cocktail with her meal (that was the drink that needed to be ordered twice).


Todd: Mixta salad to start (arugula, tomato, avocado, green beans, radish, corn, queso fresco, toasted pepitas, mostaza vinaigrette), and 1 baha fish taco: beer battered pacific cod, pickled red cabbage, radish, avocado crema; 1 shrimp pibli taco: pasilla chile, pineapple mojo, pico di gallo; 1 Carne Asada taco. 

Samer: Mixta salad to start; 1 baha fish taco and 2 shrimp pibli tacos.

First impressions of the food were mixed. The mixta salads looked amazing and hearty, while the caesar salad looked a little lack-lustre. The burger plate was full and hearty, while the tacos were quite shockingly small (we were especially surprised given the price). Everything, though was colourful and smelled awesome. Oh yeah - and of course, there were those buns!

Let me get right to the ratings: 

Carrie: 2.5 forks. The caesar salad was, sadly, brutal. There was little to no dressing on it, so all I could taste was lettuce. The fries were good, and the burger was okay - but it wasn't very flavourful and it was overcooked and dry. The toppings definitely helped in that department - especially the pickled green tomatoes. There were also red tomatoes on the burger, which was okay by me, but not advertised on the menu. I would definitely come back again to try something else, but unless there was a major change to the salad, I wouldn't order it again (for the $5 it cost, or for the $9 that the server mistakingly charged us all for it... she did fix our bills in the end, thankfully)

Tonia: 1 fork. Tonia felt really badly giving this score, but ultimately said she had to be honest when it came down to our rating food only. The caesar salad was bland and not worth the money, and her tacos were REALLY spicy. A little spice would have been fine, but hers were so spicy that she couldn't actually taste any flavours - her mouth was still hot well after the meal. She didn't enjoy her cocktail, either, which was a glass full of ice and a drink of little flavour. She did, however, really enjoy the bun!! Tonia said that she would probably come back again to try something else that is a better portion size as she was unimpressed by the small tacos. In her words: "It's always good to give a new restaurant a second try so that they can work out the kinks!".

Todd: 4.5 forks. I think Tonia and I would have faired much better had we ordered the mixta salad because Todd and Samer both enjoyed it a lot. Todd said that while he knows the score would have been lower based on service, since we only rate the food, he was happy and his score should reflect that. He thoroughly enjoyed his tacos, and aside from the pricing glitch on the bills for the salad, it was really good and he'd probably even order it again and order a small for $9 instead of the side $5 version.

Samer: 4.5 forks. Samer thought the salad was good (although he doesn't eat cheese and had to pick it off the top because he forgot to order it without), and he thought that the fish taco was surprisingly good. At first glance, the fish on the taco looked like it was going to have way too much batter, but in actuality, it was really good... And the shrimp? They were delicious. 

Overall Score: 3.13 forks. For a restaurant that hasn't been open long and is still more than likely figuring some things out, I'd say that is a decent score - room to improve, but definitely reason for customers to come back... And I'm sure they will (on both counts!). I have heard a number of people talking about Dianne's Fish Bar over the last little while, and generally speaking, the feedback is all positive. So - now you get to decide. Do you want to try out a little "piece of summer"? I'd say you have nothing to lose. 

Dianne's Fish Bar has yet to make it to the Urban Spoon site, so while I can't post a comparison, I'm sure it won't take much time at all to see them online in more places than this blog and their own website. I wish them culinary luck and prosperity for the future :)

PS... Perhaps it is also worth mentioning that Dianne's prides themselves on making dishes that are prepared with sustainable seafood options. As they say: "Down East seafood shack meets Baja Mexico"... kind of cool.

Limestone Kabob House

Okay... so life has gotten very busy and I am officially behind one blog post. Also, partly because we did 2 stops in one week... but ultimately, I have this post and one more to compose before we head out for dinner again this week. Yikes! Eating is totally worth it, though!

Our adventures took us away from downtown this time to the corner of Princess Street and Gardiners Road where a relatively new restaurant (opened late October 2012) called the Limestone Kabob House sits. We were excited to give Limestone Kabob House a try, but hadn't heard a whole lot about it (we missed the article from The Whig Standard that went to print shortly after opening) so we weren't sure what to expect. At first glance, it is a nice, clean and interesting space. 

Walking in, there is a table for large groups directly to your left, and the space around it is separated from the rest of the restaurant by a half-wall. Kind of a nice idea if you want to go with some friends and feel a little special in a small place. Highlighting this space is a large framed chalkboard for guests of the restaurant to write comments on their experience - something I've never seen anywhere before. Now, I'm sure they read and edit as needed, but ultimately, there is definitely a risk factor in doing such a public display. Hopefully it hasn't come back to bite them in the proverbial arse at any point.

Another separated space in the Limestone Kabob House is - to be quite frank - a really odd one. Directly in front of you as you enter is a children's play area complete with puzzle piece floor mats and books. I sincerely hope that I'm not sounding "judgy" to anyone - really, people can do what they want and as long as children don't disrupt the eating experience of others, I'm not bothered - but when I take kids to a restaurant, the expectation is that they sit at the table and have good manners. Because of that belief system, I was really thrown by the play area. Perhaps for some this is a "pro" as the restaurant could appear to be more family friendly, but I'd be curious to see how often the space gets used... Overall, the restaurant decor is simple - and simple works nicely. Colour schemes are neutrals with a splash of red and tapestries hang on the wall. 

Now, to the ordering process. I think this is worth commenting on because I had to ask how it worked and noticed that other customers who came in were doing the same. At the back of the restaurant, there is an ordering and pick-up counter. Essentially, you can read a menu or look up at the boards above, choose what you'd like, then place your order. When it is ready, it is placed on the counter for you to pick up. I was very surprised by this style. If you have ever been to 5 Guys, it's just like that... but the big difference here is that there isn't the demand of huge lines of people like what I've seen in a "burger joint". I really was expecting to be able to order and be served (listen to me, all high and mighty!), so I was kind of disappointed with the style of service. Additionally, I think I was more disappointed because the one staff member working behind the counter was fine with walking all the way to a table to let customers know that their food was ready, but each time she did, she left the food sitting on the counter for customers to then follow her back to get. She could have easily dropped off the food - especially to the elderly couple who clearly had mobility issues - but instead, made the trip to the tables empty-handed to instruct customers to go pick it up themselves. Very odd. I think that this style of service (compounded with the fact that there was a strong smell of cooking/burning in the restaurant that gave me a bit of a headache) left me feeling that I would most likely order takeout in the future if I was to visit again.

And - to visit or not to visit again? That comes down to the food. Here's what we ordered:

Carrie: Tikka Kabob Dinner: chunks of beef tenderloin served with rice, in-house salad and flatbread.

Tonia: Sultani Kabob Dinner: combination of Barg (filet minion) and Kofta (lean ground meat) kabob, served with rice, house salad and flat bread.

Todd: Chicken Shawarma Wrap served with fresh lettuce, tomato, onion, cabbage and tahini sauce. Todd also ordered a side of Boulanee - fried tortilla stuffed with potatoes, green onion and herbs with garlic yogurt. 

Samer: Chicken Breast Kabob Dinner served with rice, house salad and flat bread.

Food was pretty fast... maybe not "fast-food fast" the way that the service style suggests, but still fast (and if I keep mentioning the service style, then my friends who say that I perseverate would have more support for their argument to that end). Food was also presented well - it looked nice and smelled really good, too!

Perhaps it would be best to get to personal opinions and ratings:

Carrie: 1.5 forks. Sadly, I didn't enjoy the taste of the food as much as I enjoyed how it looked. The best part of the meal was the salad (you can't really screw up lettuce and tomatoes, which is all there was in the salad) and my ginger ale, which they didn't make (clearly). I really wasn't a fan of the spice on the rice - it just wasn't my cup of tea - so I didn't eat much of it... and while the flavour of the meat was okay, the meat itself was so dry, it felt "dusty" in my mouth. I know - that is a really weird word to use - but really, that is the first word that comes to mind. Maybe I should have sucked on the meat instead of chewing it? The flatbread was just that - a flat piece of bread. There wasn't any flavour to it, and the sauce that was served with it (a red chili hot sauce thing that the woman working couldn't tell me what was in it, but did know that the chef makes it in-house because the rest of the food isn't spicy) wasn't enjoyable for me, either. I did notice that they have naan on the menu listed as "coming soon" - and hopefully soon comes quickly.

Tonia: 3 forks. Tonia's meat was much better than mine. It was really tender and seasoned well - quite tasty! The rest of the meal, however, Tonia was "neither here nor there" about. She was hoping for falafel when she walked in and was quite surprised that it wasn't offered (how does that happen?!), but was perhaps more disappointed by the lack of dipping sauce for the kabobs other than the red stuff. Tonia thought it would have been really nice to have a garlic sauce to dip the meat in.

Todd: 4 forks. Todd enjoyed his meal. He was succinct in saying that "the food was tasty" and he would eat the shawarma again for sure.

Samer: 3 forks. Samer thought that the chicken was the only thing that saved the meal - it had an amazing marinade. While he admits that he is picky, he wanted the limestone salad with fatoush and kabooli, but they didn't have any - which forced him to have to make a quick "game-time" decision and change his order. Samer was also disappointed by the fact that they only salad dressing offered was ranch. The rice was average. 

Overall Score: 2.88 forks. Ultimately, it was my score that dropped this overall score, but I'm still committed to being honest. Would I be willing to try it out again? Probably... but I think that I would stay away from the dinners so that I don't have to face the rice again.

You'll have to keep your eye on Urban Spoon for a review if you're interested - the Limestone Kabob House has yet to make it to their site, so I don't have a rating from there to compare. I hope that they just get better the longer that they are open..

The next blog will highlight our trip to Dianne's Fish Bar - a new restaurant downtown. I hope to have it up soon! 

Silver Wok

For this stop of our adventure, we decided to get some take out from a downtown Chinese restaurant called Silver Wok. We have been there before, and typically, we eat in - but we were pairing this adventure with our weekly Bachelorette viewing as well (don't judge!), and with our busy schedules, takeout was the best option.  I must apologize at this point - Todd picked up the food and I forgot to ask him to take photos, which meant that we have pictures of the food, but none of the actual establishment. I will do my best to describe it from memory.

Sitting on King Street, Silver Wok is in the heart of it all - just steps away from many of the popular attractions that downtown has to offer. The inside is understated and simple - tables surrounded by black metal chairs with some simple pieces of art on the walls. There are a couple of round tables that accommodate large groups, and tables for more typical group sizes of 2 to 4. When you visit Silver Wok, whether you are staying or going, you are sure to see full tables, and lots of people in and out for pick-up orders. Additionally, Silver Wok will deliver to Kingstonians - so if you ever get lazy like I do from time to time, this is a good option. One thing that you will notice very quickly when you visit - people who work there are committed to being there a lot. This is very easily recognized when you look to the back of the restaurant where there is what can be considered a "staff table" (or perhaps family table?!) that is covered in newspapers and other items sitting underneath a television. They obviously make themselves comfortable here - and when it's their livelihood, why not?

If you want a sense of what Silver Wok has to offer, check out their website found here. At the end of the day, it's a Chinese food restaurant and it will probably have exactly what you expect. If you're looking for one of those Chinese-Canadian/American restaurants that offers cheeseburgers and fries, you won't find it here. What you will find is a good variety of truly Chinese options. If you want a cost-effective option that allows you to have variety in a dish all your own, try out one of Silver Wok's combination plates. 

And with that, here's the run-down of our orders:

Carrie and Todd: We each had wonton Soup to start, Special Combination Plate #5: 1 egg roll, sweet & sour chicken balls, chicken chop suey and chicken fried rice. We each ordered this with the sauce on the side.

Tonia: Wonton soup to start, and Special Value Combination Plate "P": 1 egg roll and curry chicken on steamed rice.

Even though Todd had to trek across the city from downtown to our house in the west end, the food was still hot when he arrived - especially the wonton soup. That was pretty darn satisfying, if I do say so myself! There's very little in the food world that is more disappointing than getting home with a takeout meal and taking a bite of luke-warm or cold food; especially soup!  Overall, we were pretty happy with our orders. I can't say too much more without giving away our ratings and comments, so let me jump right in:

Carrie: 4.5 forks. Everything was absolutely fantastic. The only drawback was the chicken to batter ratio of the chicken balls. They were still tasty, but at least a couple of them were more dough than chicken. In my opinion, though - Silver Wok has the best egg rolls and wonton soup in town. Great flavour, good stuffing in the rolls and lots of goodness in the wonton soup - not just broth. 

Todd: 4.75 forks. A direct quote from our good friend Todd for the night: "The MSG tasted great!! I don't care if I have a headache tomorrow!" Awesome.

Tonia: 4 forks. Tonia thought that the soup had good flavour and the best thing about the soup was that it had a lot of wontons. Her egg roll, sadly, had much less "stuffing" than in the past - in fact, it was almost hollow (I felt badly for her, but still wasn't willing to offer up any of mine... and even as I type that, I'm happy with my decision. Does that make me a bad person?!). One bite, and most of the stuffing came out. Sad. Tonia did like the curry, though and would recommend it for sure. The steamed rice seemed a little less than fresh, and the fortune cookie was stale. 

Overall score: 4.42 forks!

I will always stand by my opinion that Silver Wok has the best Chinese food in town. I certainly know others have other favourites (including, perhaps my fellow adventurers), but ultimately, this is my blog, so ... na-na-na-na-boo-boo. Silver Wok Rocks! 

Really, though - even if I was much more mature than I seem to be, who can argue with an overall score like that? 

The next blog from our visit to the Limestone Kabob House will be coming very soon!

Tommy's

I remember when Tommy's was established... I saw the sign and thought "Sweet! A new place! We will have to check it out!". All of that excitement, and yet still, it took the 40-in-40 Adventure to make it there. I guess that's why this adventure has been so great... In all reality, sometimes I miss my "old dependables", but it truly has been great getting to know what I've been missing - and I have certainly been missing the locally owned and operated Tommy's.

Offering all day breakfast, cheap drinks, a 24-hour menu from Thursday to Sunday and daily specials, this little diner definitely appeals to the student crowd - so it is perfectly situated in the "hub" on Princess Street near Barrie Street. The important thing to know, though, is that during our visit, I discovered that whether you are a student or were one in the (what seems like distant) past... or maybe you weren't a student at all... Tommy's is still worth a visit. The atmosphere is pretty fun. The floor is checkered black and white, playing off the black and white booth seats that remind me of the seats in an old car (which car, exactly, I'm not sure... I don't really know much about cars... In reality, it may not be a car I'm thinking of at all!). Look up to the ceiling, and you'll see records that have been painted silver and attached to the ceiling tiles, as well as cool pendant lights that hang,

adding a nice glow to the space. On the walls, neon lights and pieces of art add to the diner atmosphere. All in all, it feels like a space where anyone can feel comfortable to sit and eat, or sit and drink. Luckily for us (or perhaps only for me as I'm not sure anyone else in my group noticed or was as "judgy" as I was to care), our visit was made all the more interesting by two other factors - first, the mix of techno songs playing over the speakers, and second, by the group at the table next to us who very closely resembled the gang

from Big Bang Theory - complete with an "Amy Farrah-Fowler" (although, for the record, this girl's male companion was a lot more "handsy" than Sheldon would ever be). As they played some sort of trivia game and mocked each other using diction that was far more intelligent my own typical "hanging-with-my-friends chatter" for having less correct answers (not wrong - just less correct), I couldn't help but giggle to myself. If you living under a rock and aren't sure what I'm talking about when I mention Big Bang Theory, then study up by watching clips on youtube here.

The menu surprised me. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting to be offered, but I was pleasantly surprised when I opened it up to see the amount of variety and the choices available (in my notes, I wrote "very eclectic menu!"). Certainly, there were "typical" things offered - munchies, salads, sandwiches... But I was impressed by how the descriptions made it very clear that even things that are seemingly typical aren't completely typical after all. All in all, there are great options no matter what you happen to be looking for or how hungry you are. (If you're interested in seeing the menu for yourself online, I couldn't find a website, but Tommy's is on Facebook, and their menu can be found there.) Perhaps the only turn-off for the menu was that the pages were sticky... I get it - things get spilled... it just kinda grosses me out a little. Not the end of the world. Also, at some point, someone said "I'd like to point out that this place is 1000 times cleaner than Stooley's, which makes for a much better experience in a similar-style restaurant". True story. 

Here's what each of us ordered:

Carrie: Melted Mozzarella BLT wrap: Bacon, lettuce, tomato, mango chipotle mayo, gooey mozzarella sticks and a drizzle of house marinara wrapped in a flour tortilla. Of course, I ordered it with poutine. 

Tonia: Chicken Sandwich: Seasoned grilled chicken breast, bacon, herbed havarti cheese, lettuce, tomato and chipotle mayo on a soft grilled ciabatta bun, with a caesar salad. 

Samer: Chicken Sandwich with just lettuce and tomato, with a house salad as a side.

Todd: Club Sandwich: Made with smoked turkey, grilled bacon, 12 grain toast, mango chipotle mayo and Canadian cheddar cheese, with a side of poutine.

Shirley: (Glad to have you back, Shirley!!) Taco Salad: Romaine lettuce, seasoned local ground beef, blended cheeses, red onion, green peppers, salsa and sour cream.

While the ordering process was a little disappointing for me (I really wanted the Italian Meatball Melt that was listed on the menu, but found out as the server took our order that they actually don't have it any more... so, I was left to make a quick decision, which isn't very good for someone like me who is a type-a-planner), I was happy with the speed of service and the attentiveness of the staff. Further, I was also happy with the presentation of the food - simple, but fun plates (helped greatly by the red and white checkered paper lining the dishes) made me impressed and eager to eat. Also the hunger. That made me eager to eat. But mostly the presentation... It was great.


And with that, here's what we thought overall:

Carrie: 3.75 forks. I truly believe that had I not had to adjust my plan last-minute, I would have perhaps been happier. I just didn't have time to psych myself up for what I ended up with. Ultimately, the food was good - the poutine was the best part. The sandwich... the "gooey" was not really gooey, and ultimately, as mozzarella sticks cool, they lose more and more gooey-ness, which made them less enjoyable as the evening went on. Actually, later in eating, I forgot it was cheese and thought it was chicken... so... those were kind of weird bites. The homemade mayo was pretty awesome - and again, the poutine was great.

Tonia: 3.5 forks. Tonia really, really enjoyed the sandwich. She thought the mayo was really good, she liked the havarti, and she liked the soft bread with garlic butter. The salad was "neither here nor there".

Samer: 4.5 forks. Samer happily announced that the food at Tommy's was well beyond his expectations. He arrived to Tommy's with doubts, but said "I would definitely come back!". For Samer (who I affectionately like to call "picky boy"), this is a pretty huge statement. I know he wouldn't throw it around for just anywhere.

Todd: 4.75 forks. Todd thought the sandwich was really great, and was happily surprised. Todd liked how there were only 2 slices of bread, and said that the bread was also really good. In Todd's opinion, portion sizes were good and the upgrade to poutine was a good choice - the gravy was definitely enjoyable. Todd would order the same meal again - definitely a sign of a happy customer!

Shirley: 4 forks. Shirley was being more health-conscious than the rest of us with her order of the taco salad, and she was happy with her choice. The salad was was "tasty" and she definitely enjoyed the presentation.

Overall score: 4.1 forks. 

For a place where none of us were sure what to expect (and some of us had lower expectations), I'd say that is a pretty awesome score. I would happily pass on a recommendation for Tommy's, and I personally look forward to going back again some time.

Our next "stop" will be take-out from Silver Wok. In an effort to catch up from the Christmas holiday, we are doubling up a couple of weeks - this week will be busy!!

Royal Angkor

Historically, when I've asked people about Royal Angkor, the general response has either been something like "I've never heard of it" OR "You know - it's that place on Princess Street that looks a little run-down but has fantastic food". Given these little tid-bits of information, imagine my surprise when I explored their website to find out that Royal Angkor has been voted in the Top 500 restaurants in the country by "Where to Eat in Canada" (pretty impressive - especially considering how many restaurants there are in Kingston alone, let alone the country!); AND when we walked in to Royal Angkor this week, we found it to be completely renovated to look classy and gorgeous. Least to say, both the website and the restaurant left me more than impressed... and that's before I had anything to eat.

Offering affordable Cambodian and Thai cuisine to its patrons, Royal Angkor has been in operation for over 11 years and is run by a local family. Having been well known for good food since they opened, the renovations inside mean that customers have something new to be impressed about - and perhaps that there is a whole new crowd being drawn in. While I had yet to visit Royal Angkor, my fellow adventurers (we were a small but mighty group of three this week) had been in the past - but none of us had seen the new renovations yet, and we were all impressed. The restaurant walls are painted a neutral colour and simple track lights keep the space around the plain yet comfortable tables well lit. Perhaps the nicest feature - two sets of wall art, each made up of 3 canvases that are stunningly hand-painted. Honestly, they are gorgeous. The colours and the detail drew in my eye as soon as I walked in the door... and I found myself staring at them mid-conversation from time to time. A true highlight of the cultural background of Royal Angkor, these pieces of art very much add a positive accent to the space.

Another piece of art? The food. As each plate was delivered, it was very clear that these chefs take pride in the dishes that they present to their customers. Colourful and aromatic food sits atop elegant white dishes in such a way that as soon as you see it, you know it must taste good. Simply put, things look healthy and fresh and delicious.  Here's what we ordered:


Carrie: Cambodian spring rolls to start, and #4: Thai Vermicelli - Crispy spring rolls on a bed of steamed vermicelli noodles with lettuce, cucumber, basil and bean sprouts topped with roasted peanuts, served with Thai salad dressing. I also added grilled pork.


Tonia: Cambodian spring rolls to start, and #5: Chicken Stir Fry - Stir fried chicken in a light red curry sauce with peanuts, lemongrass, bell peppers, onions and Thai green chill, served with steamed rice.

Todd: #13 - Kako Khmer - A Cambodian lemongrass stir fry with chicken, mixed vegetables, green papaya, jackfruit, eggplant, long bean, and Thai green chill, served with steamed rice.

The menu is not very large - which is actually quite nice. In my opinion, this allows the restaurant to truly provide what they are really good at cooking. Everything, no doubt, arrives tasting as good as it looks - and I'm sure tasting as good as our meals did. And with that, I might as well get right to it instead of beating around the proverbial bush... So here are our ratings:

Carrie: 4.5 forks. Everything was absolutely delicious. Seriously. The spring rolls were a little different from what I'm used to - but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think ultimately, I just wish I hadn't ordered so much food... I wasn't expecting the rolls to be as hearty as they were (the wrap was thicker than other "joints"), so by the time I got to my meal (that, if you hadn't noticed also had rolls on it), I was already starting to feel the "bulge". Now, did that stop me from eating it? Heck naw... It was good food, after all.

Tonia: 4.8 forks. Tonia thought the spring rolls were really good - not the typical outer shell that she thoroughly enjoys, but they were "hearty and flavourful". As for her main course, Tonia thought that it was a good portion and was very tasty. Nice flavour with just a bit of kick. Tonia said that she would definitely come back in the future.

Todd: 4.5 forks. Continuing his trend of being brief, Todd said, "It was flavourful and it was a nice portion size. It was real good."

Overall Score: 4.6 forks

While we have had more high scores than I expected to have on this journey, this one - as one of the top scores overall, I think - certainly surprised me a bit. As a "Royal Angkor newbie", I wasn't sure what to expect... Now, as a "Hopeful Royal Angkor regular", I can't wait to continue to be impressed.

TEN RESTAURANTS LEFT!!! What will I do with myself after that?!...