This was one of the highlights of our year! We came here for our anniversary…read more The atmosphere was sophisticated. The staff were friendly and attentive. And the food was absolutely amazing. I ordered the farro salad with chicken, it was hands down the best salad I have ever had! Every bite was different and you would think that too many items would make it confusing but it all worked together. Clearly an expert chef put that one together. Hubs had the black cod spaghetti with curry cream sauce, it was also amazing. It was definitely Asian fusion but it really worked! Our desserts were delicious, the butter cake was delicious and I'm not really a fan of cake. My creme brule was also good, standard vanilla, nothing exceptional but still good. All together a really wonderful experience and I would come back here in a heartbeat.

Ever wanted to feel like a prisoner? You know a place to get bad food? Maybe have some undeserved…read moreshame thrown at you and be held under duress?? Well, there is need to break the law! Just make your way to XIX. We went in on a Thursday evening and were seated in the lounge. The salad we ordered to share as an appie was good. Drinks were delicious. We ordered the Coconut Atlantic Salmon and the Tenderloin Steak medium rare. The salmon was good, but the steak was cooked beyond well done - so much so that it was chewy. I asked to have the steak sent back and ordered the Harvest Salad instead. After a little while, my partner was almost done their meal and my salad had not arrived, so I asked to have the order cancelled. The server said she would cancel it, then came back 5-10 minutes later to say that it was almost ready and asked if I still wanted it. By this point my partner was almost done with their meal. I said I'd still like it cancelled and ordered a dessert to take home. The server arrived after about another 5 minutes with a box. Thinking it was the dessert, I was about to ask for the bill, but she said it was the salad and I could take it or leave it. I told her I did not want it, she said she would leave it, and repeated that I could leave it if I wanted. The dessert came soon after along with the bill. The salad was still on the bill. I asked to have it removed and the server said she could not. She called over the manager who said they were not going to take it off the bill because I took too long to cancel it. I explained that I cancelled it, at least 5 minutes passed before it was "almost ready," and then it arrived another 5-10 minutes after that, so I did not want it, nor did I want to pay for it. She said they had already "comped" the steak so I had to pay for the salad. I told her there was nothing to "comp." The steak was inedible (I had one bite out of it and returned it), so not something to comp. It was an awful meal that no one should have to pay for. I had asked for the salad to be canceled, so again, I was not asking to have anything for free. My night was ruined, I was upset, and just wanted to leave. At this point, I didn't even care anymore, I told her I'd pay for the salad and wanted to go home. The manager said she'd ask the chef if he would take it off the bill. Again, I said no and asked for the bill with the salad so I could just leave, but she left anyway. What felt like at least another 10 minutes passed before she came back. This time she said the chef had taken the drinks off, but I had to pay for the salad. The whole experience was terrible, but the last bit felt like I was being held hostage. I wanted to pay and leave, but couldn't because they wouldn't give me the bill. We took our boxes and left. I still don't know what the point of all this was. Sure they don't want to loose money. Then why offer a steak you don't know how to cook? And, comp? Do they know what that means? There is nothing complementary about having inedible food you cannot eat taken off your bill. I ordered the salad and cancelled. I don't know how their kitchen works, even if I had taken too long to cancel, I did not deserve to be kept there after I agreed to pay for it. They took the drinks off and not the salad? I think the difference what $8. Does the $8 matter that much to them? Was it some deranged power move?? ... like a "haha, we won't let you have your way!" Oookay, you guys win! Guess I shouldn't argue with a guy who can't cook a steak. He must know better than me.

Great vibe. $5 highball on Sundays. Jake is one of the friendliest bartenders in the city. The…read moreambiance and low lights with Neon works very well. The DJ keep the mood going. Will definitely be back.

Place was 90% full Friday at midnight. We left at 1AM and still 60% full…read more 2 single stall bathrooms. Great decor. We were seated at the bar. Place was not rowdy at all. Music was pretty loud. Honestly, I was a little toasted by now so I am hesitant to give ratings. We tried: Baijiu barbie: 8/10 Strawberry Yum Yum: 7.5/10 Pisco Sour: 9/10 boyfriend thought it was better than at the Alchemy (smoother). Ha Long Bae: 9/10. Boyfriend loved it and gives it a 10/10. Drunken Dumplings: too spicy for me but boyfriend loved them. 7/10 for me. Very small portion, just a small bowl with 6 dumplings in it.

The location is not the best, but if you can get past the crowd and the front door it's worth it…read more We came late at night, right before the kitchen was about to close (which we didn't know about until we walked in). And we also came with a very large group. Honestly they had all the reason to kick us out, but the staff took care of us regardless. Since we were late we just picked the soup broth and 5 add-on's. I got the Herb and Lamb broth. It was delicious, savory, and hearty. And for the add-on's, I picked the sliced Beef Sirloin, Enoki Mushroom, Napa Cabbage, Fried Tofu and Flat Rice Noodles. They didn't have Fried Tofu so I asked to substitute for Fried Bean Curd instead. Looking back at this now, I'm glad (and I'm sure the kitchen was too) that we only picked 5 things. AYCE would've been too much and too overwhelming with all the options there. And honestly, they gave us so much for the 5 things we ordered. It was a whole spread of meat and veggies. I was actually very impressed. Portion size was huge. I was also impressed by the service we received. It was late, but they really took care of us as patrons. It's a 4.5/5 for me. Definitely one of the best service I've received at a sit-down restaurant/food business and I wish this place success.

Asian Express Downtown has significantly improved its ventilation over the years, enhancing the…read moredining experience. They have decent quality and selection of food for their AYCE and lunch special, so I'd give them a 8.3/10. The best parts about Asian Express include: - Seafood selection for AYCE - Lunch special - Bringing what was actually ordered for AYCE

Really delicious food and generous portions! Ordered delivery through Skip. We were very impressed…read morewith how well prepared our meal was. This is definitely going to be our new go-to Indian restaurant. The vegetable samosas were huge and the dough flaky. Came with two different sauces plus a delicious side if Chana Masala. Was a meal in itself. Also had Daal Makhani...yum! Love that we were given a spice level preference to all of the dishes we ordered. Came with an order of free Saffron rice which was also very fluffy and flavourful. The naan bread came in it's own sealed bag. Delicious, well prepared and packaged food. Wonderful experience and looking forward to trying more dishes. Highly recommend this restaurant!

Great food !! Love the butter chicken, so creamy and a kick to it!! The Mann is amazing!! Service…read morewas very nice, we always get the same gentleman

We had another amazing meal at Filistixs. They make all their dishes elevated. This was for…read moreDowntown Dining week. It was a 3 course set meal. My husband and I each tried different dishes so we could explore them all. First Course was Charred Asian Greens and Scallops - Atlantic scallop with gai lan, toasted black bean, and chicharron. and Grilled lettuce - grilled romaine lettuce, smoked ham, salmon roe, pickled oranges, and manchego cheese Both were great and very different. The charred greens had a smoky essence to it, and paired with the freshness of the sweet scallop made a lovely contrast. The grilled lettuce was beautiful to look at and had many contrasts in flavours. Loved the salmon roe. Second Course was Steak Kare Kare - flank steak with peanut sauce, ube mashed potatoes and eggplant puree Ginstaag Hipon - Argentina prawns, sticky rice coconut milk with fermented shrimp. Both were excellent but very different. The steak kare kare was rich and warming on this March night. The Ginstaag Hipon on the other hand was lighter and more of a tropical feel. Finally dessert Halo Halo - shaved ice cream, leche flan carmelized banana Ubu and Mango Crepes with mango ice cream Both were excellent and we were stuffed at the end.

This place is bomb. The food is excellent and the service is extraordinary. It's an unassuming…read morehole in the wall but I'm glad we tried it! Our server, Mark, remembered us after one visit and we've even seen him out in the food truck and had to stop by to say hello. I hadn't had Filipino food much before this place but i really enjoy it. Their food is almost like a fine dining Filipino food but very accessible. Super yummy!

Great food, Excellent service. Great place for events and…read moreparties. Very reasonable prices.

Kazakh Ramen has become a favourite spot for me when it comes to ramen dishes…read more Service is always very welcoming and fast at this place, which is always nice!! I'm a regular with the tonkotsu ramen bowl, served with pork, ramen, delicious broth, and egg, to name a few. Their shrimp tempura is always tasty. Ambiance is relaxing and it's very enjoyable to eat the ramen bowl.

It is no secret that ramen has exploded in Edmonton and what was once an elusive cuisine is now…read moreentirely common. It's wonderful to have so many options available and one of those is Kazoku Ramen in the west end area of Glenwood. The Edmonton Food Faves We Crave 2022 list named this restaurant as one of their Favourite Date Night spots and I was very excited to find out how they compare to the other big ramen shops in town. Visiting on a Monday evening, the restaurant was busy and bustling, indicative of it's popularity. Almost every table remained occupied for the duration of my visit. The location isn't exactly the greatest part of the city, however you'll find them in a strip mall directly next door to perennial favourite Bucas & Pastas (have you had the pasticcio??). Kazoku is immediately recognizable by their red awning and this theming remained excellent on the inside. Stepping through the door the aroma of broth tantalized my senses and I couldn't wait to taste the food. My eye was drawn to the incredible mural on the wall, which I absolutely loved!! It's of a city skyline with an adorable cartoonish Godzilla eating a naruto (a type of fish cake). The artwork is striking and looks amazing with the red lanterns hanging throughout the restaurant and dark wooden beams. They've done a wonderful job of creating an amazing atmosphere that you wouldn't necessarily expect from a strip mall! Kazoku means family in Japanese and this family business strives to only serve food that they would serve to their own family. The focus is on authentic ramen made with the freshest ingredients, creating delicious melodies of tastes and colours. Our server was prompt and efficient but I did find her to be quite curt and uninterested in answering many questions or offering recommendations. I was happy to order a Japanese Cream Soda (Melon flavour soda with a scoop of vanilla ice cream - $6.50) to drink, a beverage that I've seen on Japanese menus before and was happy to find here. The colour alone is a lot of fun and we enjoyed slurping on the deep green liquid. The soda tasted sort of citrusy to me and not as much like melon. But when you get the ice cream in the mix it's all very sweet and joyful. (An ideal treat for kids.) Next, we grabbed an order of Edamame (Soy beans sprinkled with coarse sea salt - $4.50) because you can't go wrong with some tasty beans. Bright green, well-cooked, and nicely salted. We happily popped these into our mouths and enjoyed the tender beans within. Edamame always feels like snacking, except in a healthy way. The menu features several types of appetizers and tempura but I zeroed in on the Takoyaki (Fried wheat balls with octopus in the center topped with tonkatsu sauce, mayo, nori, bonito - $13.00), a favourite of mine. Complete with dancing bonito on top, these takoyaki balls appeared to be entirely legit. I am certain that the restaurant is using a specialized takoyaki pan, which is what creates their perfectly spherical shape. Biting into the golden-crispy balls, these were almost identical to what I'd experienced on the streets of Osaka. Crisp on the outside but very soft on the inside with a piece of tender octopus hidden within. The sauces on top added a lot of flavour as did the shaved bonito. These were really good and one of the highlights of the meal for me. Ramen, of course, is Kazoku's specialty and with twelve types on the menu they've got a ramen for everyone. Heavy to lighter broths are offered and the menu does a good job of describing the type of broth to expect in each. I couldn't help but notice some stark similarities between the ramen at Kazoku and the ramen offered at Japanese ramen chain Santouka (my favourite ramen of all-time), including the appearance of shio ramen (my favourite!). They also have a chili goma which I usually love, full of spicy chili oil. However, for my first visit I felt that I should experience the Kazoku (Char siu, full soft-boiled egg, nori, bamboo shoots, corn, black fungus, bean sprouts, toasted sesame, green onion, naruto - $18.50), the restaurant's namesake bowl. Unexpectedly, the server asked if we wanted pork belly or shoulder for our char siu and I have never encountered this option before. Looking for some guidance on which to choose, the server offered little (none) information on the difference between the two. We chose pork belly as that seemed to be the cut of char siu that we were more familiar with. Made with a lighter pork broth, the depth of flavour was alright but I did find myself longing for something a bit more robust. I wasn't all that impressed with the char siu overall. As a BBQ pork, I found the slices incredibly thin (they should be quite thick!) and completely lacking in caramelized BBQ char. The meat was underdone and full of wet, uncooked fat. The noodles were great; nice and loose and tender. The ajitama (egg) was nicely prepared with an ideal jammy yolk, although a bit more marinaded seasoning would have been

We had the chef table on discounted Tuesday and thought it was quite a feast! Beware while the…read morepricing notes $35, most entrees had added cost. The side items were fairly large and plentiful. Restaurant is very spacious and the service was very friendly. They had a la carte and set meal options as well. We had a large table and everyone enjoyed it! Free parking underground.

Nice setting w affable service. Food is ok but many items overly sweet such as deep fried…read moreeggplant. The eel was V thin for the solo platter. Lots of banchan (side) dishes including daikon pickles, kimchi, aforementioned eggplant. Chefs table seemed heavily laden and comes w sliding table. Quite the presentation.

Food was hot and super tasty. Service was exceptional. Very fair prices. Not a fancy place but this…read moreplace is substance over style.

Good rice, fresh broccoli, beef slimy, lemon chicken deep fried something that was tasteless…read more chicken balls OK, good service, restaurant clean.

Hadn't had simply in about a year, still best in the city…read more This donair is a 9.7 Never disappoints

This location is always busy. They serve up hot and fresh donairs and fries…read more The staff are quick and friendly to interact with. The serving sizes are great and the food is delicious!