State & Main

We dined at this restaurant last evening and found it sparsely occupied, with guests seated at widely spaced tables. Upon arrival, the host and hostess appeared momentarily uncertain—possibly due to our arrival with a toddler. We were informed that our party of four plus one would be seated at a high table, which we accepted, and we declined the offer of a high chair. Only upon approaching the table did it become apparent that it was located directly beside the kitchen entrance. While this was disappointing, we chose not to raise the issue. Our server, however, was exceptional and demonstrated genuine hospitality throughout the evening. We ordered drinks and calamari to start. While visually appealing, the calamari was garnished with a charred lime, which imparted a bitter, burnt flavor when squeezed over the dish and detracted from the overall taste. The cook forgot about the chilli and coconut as advertised. The cocktails came with 20% of ice cubes in the glass, making the 2 cocktails a volume of tasteless color water with a faint hint of the flavor they promised. For our main courses, we ordered a bison burger, fish tacos, Ahi Tuna poke bowl, fish and chips, and a child’s order of chicken tenders and fries. Throughout the meal, there was frequent and loud kitchen traffic, with repeated calls of “corner” as staff moved between the dining area and kitchen. The plates were quite small, with food stacked high to create the appearance of generous portions. This made eating awkward, as food frequently slid off the plates, making the use of cutlery difficult. The poke bowl was particularly disappointing: it was under-seasoned, featured bitter pickled cucumbers, thickly sliced radishes and carrots, dry low-quality rice, and lacked overall balance. The fish and chips were well executed, though the cabbage slaw was overly sour. The fish tacos and bison burger were both enjoyable, though the tacos were overwhelmed by the accompanying vegetable salad. An additional concern was the unprofessional conduct of a cook, identified by a name beginning with “C,” who stood near our table with a toothpick in his mouth, shirt partially unbuttoned, openly chatting with a server before taking a lap through the restaurant. For dessert, we ordered crème brûlée and vanilla ice cream. The crème brûlée appeared to be at least a couple of days old, with excess moisture and an uneven texture. The ice cream, served as a compressed mound in a bowl, was unappealing and unrecognizable as ice cream to our three-year-old, who refused to eat it. We paid the bill and left a generous tip before departing.

- Foodie -

Visited this location - very lively location. Seems to host large groups for celebrations which was nice. Staff were friendly and super efficient. Seating tiny bit awkward for the group I was with couldn’t combine tables but wasn’t a huge issue. Not very big location so spacing is tight. Menu wasn’t huge but had a variety of things to choose from seems to be a mix of Asian and regular pub food. I tried the salmon along with another person at our table. The serving sizes were two different sizes which was sort of strange. I got the smaller portion.. fish was nice but lacked flavour. Supposedly there was a maple butter but I couldn’t tell. Other people at the table ordered the steak and shrimp. It was tasty - steak was tender and shrimp was battered crispy and not over cooked. We also ordered the fish tacos. The tortillas weren’t great and fish was bland. Ordered burgers and that was decently priced and fries were great.. it was nice to try it. Might try the steak again but seems a bit expensive seems average place liked it but not really sure it’s my favourite to come back to again.

- Susan Abraham -

I visited this restaurant with a few colleagues this week for lunch. The service was excellent, and the atmosphere was pleasant—restaurant‑like, but nothing particularly memorable. The food selection was good, although overpriced for a lunch menu. I ordered a burger and fries. To be honest, I’ve had better at far less expensive restaurants. Specifically, it came on a basic white bun and the meat patty was harder than a burger should be. On the positive side, the fries were crispy and tasty. Overall, I was reasonably satisfied with the visit and I will return at some point. However, I will try other restaurants before I cycle back.

- Jack Santos -