Garrison

22 Aug 2011 2 Comments

Cha Baa Thai – A Personal Confession

Is it bad that I’m sitting here salivating as I write this review? I need to get this off my chest – I am addicted to Cha Baa Thai. I eat at this fine establishment between three to four times per month and would probably have supper there every night if I wouldn’t go broke doing so. It’s embarrassing to admit but until now I haven’t reviewed this favourite of mine for one reason: The food comes to the table and I inhale it. I don’t have time to get out my phone or camera to snap a photo because it’s so darn good (and good looking) that it’s gone before I have a chance. Whether it’s eat-in, delivery or pick-up, I can honestly say that I have been 100% satisfied every time I have eaten there.
My usual order is the Green Curry with vegetables but lately I’ve been going for the Red Curry with vegetables for $12.50. The vegetables are never overdone, always have a little bite to them and each and every vegetable is distinguishable in taste through the spicy curry. This is one spicy curry that stays true to the integrity of the vegetables and for that, I give it props. To me there is nothing better than dumping the whole bowl of hot and delicious curry over a plate of jasmine rice and letting it soak up all that flavour.
Dave ordered the Masaman Curry with Chicken for the same price and really loved it, although commented that he should have got his usual Masaman Curry with Vegetables because it has so much variety of flavour, whereas the chicken is just…well, chicken. We always split the medium jasmine rice for $4.50 and I encourage you to try their deep-fried spring rolls which are 4 for $6.95. We may or may not have eaten those so quickly that I was unable to garner a photo…oops! I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.
I was thrilled to see that Cha Baa carries my favourite local summer brew, the Garrison Raspberry Wheat Ale, so I got to work enjoying that beautiful specimen the moment it arrived at the table.
I should mention that although my treks to Cha Baa originally began with their Queen Street location, I have since switched to their newer Burnside restaurant. I enjoy the atmosphere and service there a great deal, and it is never as busy as the downtown location.
If you’re in the area, Cha Baa has great lunch specials with the above curries, rice and a spring roll for only $10. You can’t beat that price for delightful Thai cuisine.
Cheers,
Kristin

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11 Aug 2011 No Comments

The Armview – Summer Burger Special on Open Mic Night…

I want to start by stating publicly that I have NEVER had a meal that wasn’t absolutely wonderful at the Armview. Good. Now that I’ve got that off my chest I can talk about my first ever instance of bad service at one of my absolute favourite local joints. Maybe it’s because I’ve never been there for such a late supper – it was around 8:30 in the evening – or maybe the fact that open mic was taking place on the bar-side of the restaurant had something to do with it. Either way, Dave and I left shaking our heads and wondering what had happened to the Armview we loved so dearly.
We sat down and our server promptly arrived and asked if we wanted drinks. I ordered a Garrison Nut Brown and water. After five minutes or so, she came back with the water and asked if we were ready to order. The special was intriguing, an Avocado Banana Beef Burger so I ordered that with a side salad of mixed greens. Dave ordered his usual, the Avocado Delight wrap with fries. I didn’t say anything about the beer which was still missing in action, and figured it would come with my meal. Our supper arrived about ten minutes later and as the server went to set Dave’s food down in front of him, the vast majority of his fries slid off the plate and onto the table. She was apologetic and seemed a bit frazzled, but assured us that she’d get more fries and they’d be right up. She made no effort however, to clean up her mess and rather left Dave to pick up the fries. I could see his internal struggle to not eat them off the table, poor guy.
At this point I asked for the beer again and it came soon after. The Avocado Banana Beef burger was tasty, but not mind-blowing. The avocado did nothing for the flavour, and was indiscernible through the rich and sticky peanut butter. I’m a huge fan of peanut butter and banana sandwiches, and also of peanut butter on a burger, but had never thought to combine the three. They didn’t skimp on the banana either, which was great for both flavour and texture. If there was such a thing as a burger that tasted like summer, this one did. The banana really gave it that lightness and sweetness that go so well in the warm months. The burger itself was a little on the dry side and was served very well-done. Dave commented that the Avocado Delight seemed to now come with couscous on it and although he does enjoy couscous, didn’t care for it so much on his already perfect wrap. His fries came eventually, but only after he’d finished his wrap and the few fries that had avoided running onto the table.
As for the Garrison Nut Brown, it had a much more prominent nuttiness than I’d expected. It was strong enough in flavour that I had to sip it gingerly, and in all honesty I made Dave finish it. It wasn’t my favourite of the Garrison brews but that’s purely a case of personal preference. I do appreciate it for its depth of flavour and richness.
As we walked away, Dave made a valid point; one bad experience is often enough. If that had been our first time there, I’m not sure if I’d love the Armview as much as I do. I’ll be back for sure as it’s one of my favourite local spots, but I’ll make sure to continue my trend of daytime visits and avoidance of open mic night.

Cheers,
Kristin

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