Belly Monster Battle: Panaderya Bakeshop

2 Comments September 5, 2014 CHANRY THACH

Justin: So a month ago, Chanry tells me about a cute new Hamilton Cafe that just opened up. We stopped into Panaderya Bakeshop for a couple of treats. I’m not huge on dessert, though I have to admit my tastes are changing of late. I’m either learning to appreciate dessert or my tastes are changing as I get older. Get off my lawn etc.

Chanry: I’m pretty sure I had something to do with the change of heart Justin. It’s either have dessert, or watch me give you stink eye from across the table. 

Justin: Always with the stink eye. Anyway, we decided to stop in for lunch (and more dessert). Panaderya Bakeshop cooks an assortment of items catering to the lunch crowd. As usual, Chan and I decided to try a bunch of items and share. I’ve come to call this “I order things I know and she makes me eat stuff I don’t.”

Chanry: Hhahha, next week, Balut! 

Justin: I don’t even know what that is. I’m scared already.

Chanry: Justin from Eating Your Content and I rarely ever go out for Asian food together. The man is not a fan – so I was pretty thrilled when I could finally drag him out for some Filipino food. I wouldn’t say I’m brand new to Filipino food but a majority of my encounters with it usually involve some form of karaoke so I was a little disappointed when we walked in and there was no karaoke machine in site. 

Justin: LOL can you imagine karaoke in this cute bakery? It’d be so random.

Chanry: It would be a goldmine! Are you listening Panaderya?! Anyways, onto the food..

Coconut Curry Chicken with Steamed Rice – $7

Justin: Any time I see Curry Chicken is available it’s an automatic buy. As soon as I took a look at this particular choice, I was reminded of the Curry Chicken I order every time I’m at Pho Dao Bo. Yes… I order Chicken at a Pho restaurant. Stop looking at me with those disapproving eyes.

Chanry: *disapproving eyes*

Justin: Not only did this look like Pho Dao Bo’s version, it tasted IDENTICAL! The major difference here is that Panaderya Bakeshop uses all parts of the Chicken. No complaints from me in that regard. I like when a restaurant cooks with the bones in. All that delicious flavour comes through. The Chicken was accompanied with Potatoes and served beside Steamed Rice. It was a solid portion of food, especially at that price. I figure this’ll be my lunch time go to if I stop in again.

Chanry: It tastes identical because they both probably use the same Aroy Curry Paste. I’m not hateing, I use the same one at home too! Kudos to Panaderya for serving up curry with the bone still on the meat though. That is exactly how mama makes it at home! So many times you get shavings of “chicken” or “pork” and I’ve purposely used quotation marks because meat should never look that pretty. You know what I mean right? 

Chicken Adobo with Glass Noodles – $7

Justin: This was Chanry’s choice. I didn’t know what “Adobo” was so I cowered in fear while she’s all “IT’S SO GOOD WE’RE GETTING IT!” Truth be told it didn’t really taste like anything to me. It was a lot like any “stew chicken” you’d get in a West Indian household. It tasted fine but nothing I’d be gunning for if I came in for lunch again.

Chanry: To be honest, adobo isn’t really my favourite but it’s such an iconic Filipino dish we had to have it. Cambodians have a very similar dish as well and it’s all very nostalgic. Again the portions were hearty and everything was bone in. Big thumbs up from me. Yes it’s a little messy to eat but everyone knows the meat closes to the bone is always more flavourful! This was a pretty safe choice for me – next time something way more adventurous! 

Chicken & Pork Spring Rolls – $6

Justin: Things kind of take a “meh” turn with these Spring Rolls. The wrapper was crispy but both Chanry and I couldn’t discern a difference between any of them in terms of taste. You’d bite into one and go “OK this is Chicken” and then try another going “Uh… OK this one is too so these MUST be Pork” only to find it all tasted the same. If it wasn’t for a texture change, I’d have thought they were all Chicken. The Spring Rolls were also sold cold. I assume they’d been sitting in the steam tray for a while. Meh…

Chanry: Justin nailed it. I couldn’t tell between the two, I understand why spring rolls are on the menu but if they’re gunna be that “chaunced” why bother? They were too tiny to even make a dent in flavour. Either beef them up – not literally, or take them off the menu. They’re too labour intensive too. Don’t even get me started on the frozen ones..

Chicken & Pork Skewers – $3

Justin: These were a step up from the Spring Rolls but still lacking. Like the Rolls, these Skewers were dead cold. It’s a tough spot to be in when you’re pushing cafeteria style and items sit too long. These tasted fine and I enjoyed the BBQ sauce but again, nothing I’d gun for again.

Chanry: These would have been a bit better if they were warm. They had some really good colour on them and the bbq sauce was fine enough but having them served at room temp made the meat hard. I can only assume these skewers and the spring rolls are on the menu as a stepping stone into the more authentic dishes. Fair enough – I see what you’re doing. 

Desserts (Assorted)

Justin: Alright now let’s get to what will draw you back to Panaderya Bakeshop again and again. Their desserts are GAWDLIKE! They cover an absolute gauntlet of delicious sweet items. Chan’s more of a fruit lover while I tend to dive into Chocolate. Anything that wasn’t filled or covered in Chocolate I took a bite and then passed along. I found the non chocolate items VERY sweet. In cases like the Strawberry Cream Puff, there was a lot of natural sugars and then more sugar (powdered, drizzle, etc).It was an overload for me. The Chocolate on the other hand was right in my taste pocket. Items like the divine Beignets were rich, but not overwhelming. Filling on most of the treats carried texture akin to Mousse. I couldn’t get enough.

Chanry: That’s it? One paragraph?! I could go on and on about how fantastic and over the moon the desserts are. Francis, the 27 year old owner bakes everything in house with one assistant. From the beignets to the three layered taro cake – these ladies are kicking some major butt in the kitchen!

Justin: Give me a bucket of Fried Chicken and I’ll write you a novel.

Chanry: There seems to be a rotating menu of sweets in the window so make sure you come by often. I am hoping she expands further into traditional Filipino desserts – like the jackfruit and plantain spring rolls. For a dollar apiece these puppies are pushing me further and further away from my bikini body.

Justin: You can have all the Jackfruit. I’ll take the Chocolate… fruit? WHATEVER! 

Justin: There are two distinct impressions I get from Panaderya Bakeshop. In terms of lunch food, I don’t really care for it. Everything ranged from “fine” in the Coconut Curry Chicken to unappetizing with the Spring Rolls. On the other side though, the desserts are outstanding. I’d lose all my teeth eating Chocolate Beignets every day forever. I’ve also found myself buying fresh Baguette on the two occasions I’ve stopped in and have been happy with it. I’d say try the lunch menu to see if it’s to your liking but absolutely take the time to eat any and all desserts. They’re all delicious and priced stupidly cheap at $2.50 or LOWER!

Chanry: The purple yam cake is what brought me to the door and it’s definitely what’s keeping me coming back. The desserts are without a doubt there specialty. A few things need to be tweaked with the lunch menu – for starters the temperature. Nothing was served hot! The lunch offerings are a great option for something quick and cheap and I think once they get into a good groove with the menu, it could be a really sweet lunch option. I’d come back and try some more authentic dishes because J and I definitely played it safe with the hot food. At $7 a plate – you can’t really hate though. The desserts are an excellent bang for buck and you get quality up the ass too. Sorry, probably should not have used that saying when describing desserts. What I’m trying to say is, it’s a great place to get quality hand crafted desserts without breaking the bank. It’s nice to see Hamilton ahead of the game when it comes to food trend. I think Filipino food is the new Korean.

Justin: There’s authentic Korean coming in my future isn’t there? =/

Panaderya Bakeshop
275 James St North 
Hamilton, On

Belly Monster Battle: Son of a Peach

1 Comment June 6, 2014 CHANRY THACH

Chanry: Now that Mr. Big Shot is back from Chicago we can get back to our regular scheduled programming.

Justin: Oh it’s gonna be like that? Next time I’ll pack you in my carry on bag.

Chanry: I’m sorry what? Free trip to Chicago? Thanks Buddy!  This week Justin from Eating Your Content and I take on Son of a Peach (SOAP) for Belly Monster Battle 3.0.  One restaurant, two bloggers, Lets Go!Chanry: So, just look at this place. It is so fricken cute I want to barf (in the most nicest way possible) from the pink animal heads with gold antlers, the octagon tables and the breathtaking light fixtures – I wanted to throw on a tutu and just gleefully prance around the whole place. Ya feel me J?

Justin: Do they make tutus in my size? They did a great job in creating a warm and vibrant surrounding. Things like light fixtures are lost on me though. I watched Chanry twist herself into a pretzel trying to get the perfect photo of lights.Chanry: Just look at them, they’re gorgeous! I can not say enough great things about the styling of  SOAP. We walked in on a Friday evening and they were just swamped. It may look spacious but this place is tiny and the bar although large – doesn’t really seat much. We were seated a few minutes later with a server who was frazzled – but friendly.

Justin: Yeah the large window makes it look far larger than it is. We came in and there wasn’t a seat to be had. I’d estimate they seat 20 people, including the bar. If you’re going to stop in on what you’d consider a busy evening (aka Thursday –Saturday) then I’d suggest making a reservation. Wait… do they take reservations? The web site isn’t up as yet and I can’t recall if the server asked us if we had one or not.Chanry: We both agreed on two small pizzas. A small is about 11″ and a large 16″. Well actually, I bullied Justin into it – much like I bullied him into going out for pizza in the first place.

Justin: UGH! I got in trouble from my usual dinner partner for not going with her.Chanry: Sorry! So, I really wanted to order the rice bowl because it would have have made amazing food porn – but Justin was a firm NO against that one. Which I get – $19 for a bowl of rice? Buddha better have blessed each kernel himself!

Justin: Yo fuck that. $19 for Rice & Shrimp? Are you funny right now? We perused the menu looking for something to accompany our Pizza but the idea of $12 Caesar Salad didn’t sit right either so we dived right into the Pizza.

Local Asparagus, Ramp & Capicola ($19) – aged provolone, parm cream sauce, Niagara capicola, whole milk mozzarella, farm fresh egg and parmigiano reggiano. Chanry: The cracked egg sealed the deal for me. Ever since I had the pizza from Baci, I have been obsessed with eggs on pizza. The ooey gooey yolk just lights up my eyes. It was sad to see there was only one egg though. Why so cheap SOAP?. They were very generous with the fresh basil on top though which gets a huge thumbs up from me. I love it when it feels like a garden just punched me in the face. They were more than generous with the capicola and it pared beautifully with the asparagus & ramps – although I count distinguish between the two.Chanry: Call me bougy all you want but this is definitely my style of pizza. It’s not greasy, heavy and the toppings are fresh. Simple food done well – you know that #$%^ gives me tingles inside. The crust and the dough, and the bottom of the pizza were all on point. I wish I could have had a little bowl of wild honey to dip my crust in. It would have made the perfect sweet finish to my meal.

Justin: I found the placement of the egg really odd. Typically you’d see a cracked egg in the middle of the pie. That way when you make the initial slice through, it can get an even distribution of yolk. This egg was more well… dumped on a single slice. Odd egg placement aside, the slice I scummed off Chanry was delicious. I was leery of Asparagus as I figured it’d be too thick on the bite but it worked well. The menu was a little strange in that it said Capicola but I thought it was Prosciutto on the Pizza. Yes I know they’re similar but is it one or the other or both?

Chanry: Who’s bougy now? Is that Capicola or Prosciutto Mr. J wants to know!  I also ordered a coke and it came in an old school glass bottle! That warms my heart.Justin: I feel like I just shamelessly plugged Coca Cola with that photo.

Spicy Meatball Pizza ($18) – house made California tomato sauce, meatballs, double smoked apple wood bacon, whole milk mozzarella, fresh basil and parmigiano reggianoJustin: You know that moment where you go “what do you want on your pizza?” and some jerk yells “ALL MEAT!” Yeah I’m that jerk. I’m sure my taste buds thank me and my heart hates me. This pizza was everything I could have asked for and then some. Bacon & Meatballs on the same pizza? YES! YES! YES! I’m all about go big or go home and these meatballs were not going home. Each slice pretty much had a giant meatball on it. Chanry wasn’t overly impressed but my mouth is about the size of her head so I took the slices down no problem. The sauce had just a little bit of zing to it. Shout outs to the gawdlike crust too. I’m a huge crust guy. You can pretty much botch the toppings but if the crust is good, I won’t give a shit about anything else. It’s got to be thin and have just the right kind of crunch. Truth be told, I couldn’t be happier with this pizza. It’s up there for some of the best I’ve had over the last few years.Chanry: This was Justin’s pick. Not gunna lie, these guys know how to do pizza .. says the Cambodian girl. The meatballs were juicy, and the tomato sauce was great. I just wish the meatballs were a tad smaller, so my delicate jaw didn’t have to unlock just to get a bite of that puppy!Chanry: Lets talk about the pink elephant in the room. The price. Are you kidding me? I know we’re all about buying local, organic, farm-to-table blah, blah, blah but come on, $19 for a pizza is a little steep. Yes I’m bougy, but I’m also sensible. The menu pricing in general was a little off, it doesn’t make sense that a bowl of rice is $19, and so was my pizza and then $12 for a caesar salad? I know the cost of romaine has gone up – but you’re kidding me right? $7 and I can go from a caesar salad to whole pizza, or two more dollars and I can go from a salad to chicken wings. Are you telling me the food cost between romaine lettuce and chicken wings is two dollars?

Justin: Yeah we both like to take up residence in Value Town. Truth be told I don’t have a problem with the Pizza pricing though. It’s high, but on par with a lot of nice Pizzerias out there (Libretto immediately comes to mind). I do take exception to the rest though. I have serious issues when restaurants price appetizers on par with or only slightly below their entrees. I”m not even going to get into the Tiger Shrimp Rice Bowl. It’d end up ranting like a lunatic on that one. If there’s one thing I can tell people reading, is that check the menu before going. If you and a friend are eating a pizza to your respective faces, you’re out $40. If you’re game with that, then by all means go nuts.Chanry: If you want my opinion, cause you asked for it right? I mean that’s why you’re hear. SOAP needs to kick up their drink menu! There is no bartender, only what’s on tap and house wine. I would have given Justin’s left arm for a Sangria, or a Mojito or a nice refreshing cocktail. But nope. None. Nothing. Not even a refreshing lemonade!

Justin: Wait… why MY arm? You got two girl.

Chanry: I need both of mine to complete the Hangry Gnome look. Duh. Also, the music was pumping, and the tunes were definitely shake ya booty worthy but it was just too loud. Like really loud. I was exhausted just yelling at Justin all night! Am I getting old? Did I really just complain about loud music? I need to stop.

Justin: WHAT?! Whether we’re “getting old” or not, I don’t want to YELL at my dinner partner in a restaurant. If I needed to YELL over dinner, I’d find a sports bar. Music is supposed to elevate ambiance, not distract from your dinner experience. Volume in half and we’d have both praised the great selection of tunes.Chanry: So, Son of a Peach is just gorgeous darling! This is where hipsters go when they grow up and have kids. The food is great, they definitely know how to put some sweet ass toppings on some dough but the pricing is a little off for me. It hasn’t completely deterred me from going back but I’m hoping they’ll add a mean summer cocktail menu soon. Like real soon. I’d be there in a heart beat cause this is the kind of place you bring your girlfriends for over priced drinks and comfort food.

Justin: It was bound to happen but I’m leaning on the “unlikely to go back” side of things. The food was delicious. The restaurant is beautiful. The service was on the ball between both our server and the co-owner stopping in to check on us. The music was extraordinarily off putting though, to the point it was all we really touched on after leaving. The price point just enough of a deterrent as well that I couldn’t whole heatedly recommend Son Of A Peach.

Chanry: Wait. what? What if I want pizza again?!

Happy Eating! 

Son of a Peach

#62 -2049 Pine Street

Burlington, On

http://www.heypeachy.com

Belly Monster Battle 1.0 [Aberdeen Tavern] | Belly Monster Battle 2.0 [Tavern on George]

Belly Monster Battle: Tavern on George

Leave a comment May 16, 2014 CHANRY THACH

Chanry: Last week when Justin  from Eating Your Content and I teamed up for our 1st Belly Monster Battle..

Justin: ..Two weeks ago

Chanry: …ok, ok, two weeks ago,  we received a lot of feed back about how great the post was and how much fun it was to read – especially my parts of course! So this week we bring to you – the second edition. Don’t think this is going to be a weekly thing or anything … okay there might be one next week too but put your pom poms away, this won’t be an erryday thing.

Justin: Please note that I do not own pom poms. On the real though, our last “Battle” was a nice change of pace and I was really happy we could team up together again so soon.Justin: I caught word of The Tavern On George 4 months ago while perusing through Hamilton’s Subreddit. Someone inevitably asks “what’s the best place to eat/drink/date/etc” once every six weeks or so. This time around, The Tavern On George was brought up as having some interesting cocktails and a tasty if small menu. It went on my giant list of places to eat (aka my ever forgetful brain) and it was just a matter of time before visiting.

Chanry: When J first suggested Tavern on George (TOG) – I went “eww why” Because A). This place doesn’t have a website, no instagram, not even a Facebook. Do you see me giving you cut eye TOG, because I am throwing shade your way & B). There was no menu to be found anywhere! I very rarely go into a restaurant dark. Meaning, I don’t know what’s on the menu and I have no idea what I’m going to eat. Not cool. But I reluctantly agreed and off we went to Hess Village

Justin: Well… they do have a Facebook Page and a web site. Sadly the site is a splash page. Going in dark is a big no no for a lot of people though. I immediately gun for an online menu when learning about a new place as well. If the word of mouth hadn’t been so positive from Reddit, there’s no way I would have pushed it on you. Incurring Chanry’s wrath is not a fun time. There’s soooooo much side eye.

Chanry: True. I’m giving J side eye right now as I’m editing this ..Chanry: When we first arrived we were welcomed with a bowl of Jerk Spiced Popcorn and we were both pretty impressed. This was a great conversation piece and definitely better than the generic bread basket.

Justin: I couldn’t agree more. I love WARM bread when first sitting down at a restaurant but this was a great Curveball. At first you’re like “really? Popcorn?” but the colour gets you wondering and then you bite into that light Jerk Spice and your palette gets lit up. Chef Kyle said they had been experimenting with various unconventional flavours and this was the one most folks agreed was the best. I could eat this to my face every day. I’d say Kernels should steal the idea but then they’d sell me a large bag for $56 somehow.Chanry: After cruising the drink menu I realized I was more in the mood for something else.. The true test of a well trained bartender is how well he can mix drinks off the menu – The manager Will, whipped me up something on the fly when I told him I wasn’t a big drinker but still wanted something nice to sip on. He also didn’t make me feel like a big Diva for wanting something not on the menu. Brownie points there! He came back with a “Southside” which was exactly what my brain & taste buds had in mind. He nailed it right on the head! Something sweet, sour, light and refreshing; I was in heaven with this one! J had a Long Island Iced Tea and I wouldn’t go near that with a ten foot straw.

Justin: We all know by now I don’t know anything about the finer points of booze. What I do know though is that was by far the most well balanced Long Island Iced Tea I’d ever had. For a drink with 3oz of liquor, I never felt like I was tasting anything boozy (that’s a word and I’m sticking to it). It’d most likely be my drink of choice if visiting for cocktails.Kale & Roasted Pork Belly ($6.5) – house roasted pork belly, shaved carrot, house citrus vinaigrette and whole roasted almonds

Justin: Ah Kale, my arch nemesis. I see we meet again. This was definitely a “Yeah… I don’t want that” and Chanry did. There’s a photo above so you can see who won that argument. ANYWAY, I don’t mind saying I was wrong… on occasion. Let’s get to the star here. The Pork Belly was gawdlike. Pork Belly is making the rounds of late in a lot of restaurants and I may keep some in my freezer from time to time as well. It’s an easy ingredient to mess up. Undercooked it almost tastes gelatinous. Overcooked and it’s a chewy disaster. This was smack in the middle Seasoned perfectly, very juicy and an easy chew. The Kale, which I was dreading, turned out well. The Citrus Vinaigrette took the otherwise blah Kale up a notch.

Chanry: Obviously I forced J into getting this one because I knew two dishes were not going to make me full ..aaaand there was pork belly. Duh. Like he would have ordered Kale on his own! This ended up being a pleasant surprise. Of course the pork belly was completely unnecessary (you could have easily replaced it with any other protein) but like a hot chick at a party – once she’s there, you don’t ask her to leave! It added a nice salty texture to the kale salad which came pre-dressed. Kale is usually pretty bland on its own but the dressing worked really well with the texture of the greens and it didn’t wilt on us at all.Very Southern Fried Chicken & Fries ($9.5) – Boneless chicken thighs marinated in Trinidadian green seasoning, double -dredged and deep fried in classic fashion. Served with garlic dill pickle, muster, fries and nappa cabbage coleslaw

Chanry: The Fried Chicken definitely isn’t something I’d consider traditional. It resembled something more of a Mochiko Chicken from Hawaii made with rice flour (yay gluten free) and add a Trini twist (where the chef is from) minus the sesame seed and Teriyaki sauce of course. The accompanying “bbq” sauce which actually turned out to be house made ketchup was a great addition. Be warned this is fried chicken on the sweeter side, so if you’re a fan of chicken & maple syrup this is definitely up your alley. The cold slaw I could have done without, just a personal preference but the fries and honey mustard played very well together. The crunch and coating on the outside was redic though, kudos on texture and moisture. You get three pieces of boneless thigh meat so expect a punch of flavour! Cause ya’ll know dark meat is where it’s at. For that price, you can’t really go wrong.

Justin: It’s Fried Chicken, you KNOW that I was going to push for it. Chanry and I are going to have to make a top 10 Fried Chicken list soon. When you’re used to either flour based skin or just the straight drop method and then see these pieces, both the skin and chicken itself threw me for a loop. What really caught my attention with this Fried Chicken is that it was de-boned thigh meat. Now a lot of people will tell you that the bone is necessary to add flavour. This Fried Chicken could make the case it isn’t needed. It was insanely juicy (as you can see) dark meat. As Chanry mentioned, this was a sweeter flavour as well. At first I thought I was tasting Ginger. It turned out that Chef Kyle uses Jamaican Five Spice in his recipe. I prefer salty over sweet but this was still very enjoyable.Pork Meatball Banh Mi ($8) – House ground pork meatballs seared to order on a Vietnames Roll with sambal mayo, chicken and pork liver mousse, carrots, daikons, cilantro and cucumber quick pickle

Chanry: I know what you’re thinking, a place that has two of Chan’s all time favourite things to stuff her face with. WHAT?! I know – I got very excited in the car when J told me the chef on their Twitter account recombined both the Fried Chicken & Banh Mi.  Lets be honest and say this will never beat a $2.99 Nguyen Huong Banh Mi but it was a start – just a few tweaks here and there in my opinion and you’ve got a pretty kick ass lunch. For starters, more pickle – don’t get greedy with that $%^*!! And the bread was too dense. We later on found out they’re purchased fresh each day but because of the humidity in the kitchen, they tend to steam up and take the crisp factor out. In this case, I would suggest hollowing out some of the filling – just so you get a better ratio of filling to bread, ya’ll know how important ratio is to me. The cilantro and pork patties were on point for ratio and quantity – super fresh and good flavour. I would have gone with some more bolder flavours like lemongrass and kaffir leaves though.  A dashing of soy sauce and a few slices of Thai chilies wouldn’t hurt either. But overall I am very excited to see Hamilton chefs playing around with one of my favourite things to be exported out of Vietnam .. next to that green stuff your neighbor smokes – just kidding!

Kudos to Will for bringing over the sriracha. A few lashings of this on the banh mi just elevated it a few notches, or maybe I just like the sensation of a burning tongue. Who knows!

Justin: I had mixed feelings about this dish. There are a few preconceptions I have about Bahn Mi and a crispy bite is at the top of my list. As soon as I grabbed the bread I knew it wasn’t going to be crisp (sadface). On the flip side, I find “traditional” Bahn Mi is typically lacking in Proteins in favour of a lot of cheap vegetables. It’s street food for a reason right? In this case, the Pork Meatball Patties were thick and seasoned well. They never took a back seat to vegetables, even the Cilantro (which I really prefer in minute portions if at all). With adjustments to the Bread and Vegetable portions this could be a hit. As is, it was my least favourite of everything we tasted. First impressions (bite?) are everything.Chanry: The chef was also generous enough to bring over some things he was working on. Like these Bourbon sour Popsicles. Careful they melt pretty fast, but the flavour was on point! I easily could have two or three of these in the summer, especially if we were on a patio – errrmahgerd keep them coming . I would have loved to see them served inside a stemless wine class, cause whatever you weren’t able to lick up, you could still drink up. Nothing goes to waste in my books! Especially something so thirst quenching and delicious.

Justin: Alcohol based Popscicles? Well then… let’s get drunk for dessert shall we? It’s a great idea in theory but these delicious Popsicle are going to need work in execution. Let’s get the obvious out of the way: Booze doesn’t freeze. So the water is binding this all together. We were in a temperate room and this melted FAST! I’m sure the idea is to make for a patio treat but something will have to be added into the mix to hold it together. As for flavour, this was spot on. Much like my Long Island Iced Tea, this never tasted too boozy. It was light and refreshing. I’m hopeful this Popsicle can be refined because it could be a summer hit.Chanry: All in all , TOG is definitely a little gem worth visiting. Definitely not your typical “Hess Village” vibe and after a quick chat with management, you can look forward to them opening up for lunch later in the week and the kitchen is already open up late at night. So no greasy spoon necessary at 1am, come for a banh mi – or at least come for the popcorn, trust me. Just show up for the popcorn! It’s a great bang for your buck and the cocktails easily make TOG a great after work spot.  

Justin: Our service was fantastic, with Will being very proactive in anticipating our needs and just carrying on general conversation. Much thanks to Chef Kyle for briefly stepping out of the kitchen to answer a few recipe questions. We’d have been baffled on the Fried Chicken for sure without him. Also; as Chanry briefly touched on with the Fried Chicken, the price point is straight value town. Every item we ate was under $10 with portions large enough to satisfy. As for the food itself? I’m honestly on the fence. Everything (aside from the Kale salad oddly) felt like it’s right on the cusp of being great but not… quite… there. Everything felt like it needed just a little something more or adjusted to elevate it to “wow” status. What I’d suggest is stop in for drinks and see if something catches your eye on the menu rather than vice versa. The food has so much potential, it just hasn’t been realized yet.

The Tavern On George
109 George Street
Hamilton, On

Belly Monster Battle : The Aberdeen Tavern

Leave a comment May 2, 2014 CHANRY THACH

Before I roll out a new series called Belly Monster Battle – let me introduce you to my posse – we like to call ourselves the #bellymonsters and we like to spend 9 hours eating our way through the city – check out Goat Roti Chronicles for the full details here.

My partner in crime for Belly Monster Battle will be Justin Baisden from Eating Your Content. As far as foodies go in Hamilton – Justin is your man. You name it, he’s reviewed it – this guys is pretty legit. Creep him, stalk him – just go make friends with him already – he is good people! 

Anyways, onto our thoughts on newly opened resto Aberdeen Tavern. 

Justin: I chanced upon The Aberdeen Tavern accidentally. I was a bit overzealous in getting to Food Truck Alley a few weeks ago and was 1/2 hour early. I figured I’d take a walk and then come back. On my walk I noticed the restaurant and popped in. They were in the midst of a soft open. I had a quick word with PR Rep Andrea Cassis, She laid out the idea of a great spot where friends could come together and share a few appetizers and cocktails in a relaxed yet upscale environment.

Chanry: The Aberdeen Tavern first came on my radar when I spotted them on Instagram. I immediately went full creep mode and tried to find everything I could on them. There was nothing. I was not a happy gnome. Then came the sassy tweets.

Justin: She’s not kiddingChanry: All jokes aside, I got all the info I needed and immediately made reso’s for a mini #bellymonster night. As per usual, we decided to eat family style. This time I didn’t have to bully anyone into it, they were all willing participants! Lets start with the apps first:

Grass Fed Steak Tartar -waffle chips, horseradish, brava ($15)

Justin: I’ll be completely honest in saying Tartar is not something I eat on even a semi regular basis. I’m not adverse to it in the least and enjoyed this dish but I’m in no position to render an opinion on it. Chanry the floor is all yours

Chanry: Thanks J! I thought this was a great dish if you’re a fan of tartar. If not, feel free to take a pass. You’re really just eating flavoured raw meat. There I said it! The first few bites weren’t memorable but it kept getting better and better every time I went back for more. Would I order it again? Probably not, but I have no regrets ordering it. Sid enjoy it as well.

Oxtail Tacos – charred corn salsa, cilantro, red cabbage & feta slaw ($14)

Justin: So when Chanry and I were initially discussing menu items, this was by far our biggest point of contention. I wanted to get my hands on this immediately and she was well… indifferent. The sad reality of the situation is that she MIGHT have been warranted in her wanting to pass.

Chanry: I told you so.

Justin: Anyway… The Corn Salsa, Cilantro, and Red Cabbage were all fresh and crisp. I’m not typically one for Cabbage but it worked well here. The problem is with the Oxtail itself. There was nothing about this protein that said “Oxtail” to me. Coming from a West Indian background, I’m very familiar with Oxtail. It was the big reason for my initial excitement. The truth of the matter is that it could have passed for any number of shredded meats. That distinct Oxtail taste simply wasn’t there.

Chanry:  Like Justin mentioned,  I was very skeptical in the beginning. I just couldn’t understand what tacos were doing on the menu besides attracting the plaid wearing, beard rockin’ hipsters. When they arrived, it was clear they didn’t need to be on the menu. This was probably the least satisfying dish of the night. It was over priced and the oxtail flavour just wasn’t there. The sauce was too overpowering and you really couldn’t taste anything else. Plus $14 for two tacos? PUHLEASE! I’m not queen sheebah. I can’t afford that! Next time, I’ll leave the tacos to the hipsters.

Duck Confit Spring Rolls – nappa cabbage, caramalized onions, blacy soy love ($12)

Justin: These were far more enjoyable. The Spring Rolls were hot and crispy. The Napa Cabbage and Caramelized Onions only served to elevate the Duck. While the Oxtail was lost in the Tacos, there was no doubt in my mind what I was eating here. The Duck was extraordinarily tender and rich in flavour. The Spring Rolls were dressed in Black Soy Bean Sauce. I was indifferent to the sauce and could have done without it.

Chanry:  These were great spring rolls but were they mind blowing? No. I enjoyed them and I’ll eat them again no problem but I’m not rushing back to order them. I didn’t like the fact that the sauce was poured on top of the spring rolls. Luckily we dug into them first. If we had waited, they would have been a hot soggy mess. I don’t really see the logic of pouring sauce on top of something that just came out of the deep dryer and is meant to be crispy and crunchy. It defeats the purpose of a spring roll. Like J, I did find the filling to be very generous with duck confit and there is a perfect balance of wrapper to filling. Ya’ll know that irks me to no end when things don’t balance out.

 

Wild Mussels with Crostini – pernod, bacon, leeks ($15)

Justin:  The Mussels were thick, tender and very juicy. Let’s be real though, when it comes to Mussels, it’s broth or bust. This broth was ridiculously good. It was fused with Pernod (which I now have to try as a standalone), Bacon, and Leeks. I won’t lie, I took a spoon to this broth when we finished off the Mussels. It was that good.

Chanry: These came highly recommend by the lovely Avi Constam; The Aberdeen Tavern’s Director of Wine & Spirits. She was kind enough to also send over a 2013 Sauvignon Blanc from Featherstone Estates (which she actually helped make. How fricken cool is that?) for us to enjoy with our meal. The mussels weren’t on my radar but ended up being moooney!  Perfectly executed for such a simple dish. Again; good on ya Aberdeen! The flavours were full bodied but not overwhelming. I was also guilty of scooping up spoonfuls of that broth. I could have poured it in a sippy cup to be honest.

Meatballs – charred & braised in tomato sauce with Quebec cheese curd ($13)

Justin: These were my Appetizer winners. Sometimes simple works best and that’s exactly what these were. The Meatballs were thick and seasoned well. Each of them has a melted Quebec Cheese Curd in the center. They were then covered in melted cheese in a bed of Tomato Sauce. I really should have ordered a second one to my face.

Chanry: These were an absolutely delightful surprise. I wasn’t even looking at the meatballs till Justin made the pick and I’m glad he did.These were far from little and they were exceptionally moist, well seasoned and perfectly braised. The pool of beautiful tomato sauce was the highlight for me as well. Something so simple but executed so well. It’s a big deal for me! It’s easy to mess up such a simple dish but The Aberdeen Tavern killed it (in a good way) with the tomato sauce. I couldn’t wait to sop up every last morsel of it!

One more app. I just had to! I saw  the crab cakes walk by and that was it. They were mine. Of course being the gentlemen Sid & Justin are, they let me order.

Justin: For the record, I’m not a gentleman. I’m just scared of her

Lump Crab Cakes – mango & jalapeño relish, red pepper coulis, preserved lime ($15)


Justin:While I eat Crab, I don’t really go out of my way for it. I took a small bite and at Chanry’s suggestion, added in some of the Mango Jalapeno Salsa. It was enjoyable but again, not something I’d go out of my way for. Chanry it’s all you on this one.

Chanry – YAY! More crab cakes for me. First off, these were a decent size and there wasn’t much filler that I could pick up on but it also wasn’t chucks of crab either, more like shredded crab. If you are a crab cake aficionado, this will mean something to you! I wasn’t too impressed with my first bite and neither was anyone else at the table but once I paired my second bite with the mango relish (which I completely ignored in the beginning because that stuff is usually just garnish anyways) I was a little more impressed. The sweet tang and citrus notes from the salsa played very well with the crab cake. My only qualm was that there wasn’t a fresh wedge of lime on the plate to give those bad boys a little zing!

Chanry: I’ll just say it now because I can’t hold it in anymore – the rest of the meal was absolutely phenomenal. If you’re an avid reader of Eating Your Content, you’ll know what I mean when I say these next three dishes were “gawdlike”

Justin: Another soul is corrupted.

Fettuccini with Lamb Shank -lamb shank ragu, procini mushroom, chèvre, pstachio minto pesto ($22)

Justin: Our friend Sid ordered this for his entree and was not disappointed. I snuck in a bite or 3 and was very pleased as well. This dish was overloaded with ingredients but at no point was ever swimming in sauce. Oddly enough though, it could have used maybe 1/2 a cup more Fettuccini as there was a very healthy helping of Lamb Ragu left over. Big props to the Pistachio Mint Pesto. I have never tasted anything quite like that. You got a hint of mint (sigh the rhyming couldn’t be avoided) but never lose the sense of that rich Pesto.

Chanry: The fettuccine was a very generous portion. They were not shy with the ragu at all! I agree with Justin that it definitely could have used more Fettuccini. But being the meatatarian I am – I’m not complaining! Bring on the lamb! I was also excited to get more helpings of that beautiful tomato sauce. 

 Possibly the Best Burger – grass fed proprietary grind, onion jam,  5 yr cheddar,  brioche, frites ($17)

Justin: I ordered this as my entree. I’ve mulled this dish over in my mind for days since eating it. Let’s get the one major positive out of the way. The PATTY itself is, and I say this with confidence, the best Patty I have ever eaten. There is a very fine line when it comes to getting a burger a perfect Medium Rare and under-cooking it. More often than not, in the attempt to get a Burger M/R, it arrives cold. This patty was perfect. Now as for the rest of the Burger? Well… not so much. The Brioche Bun was light but held everything together well. Unfortunately, the toppings were unable to elevate the otherwise spectacular burger. The 5 year aged Cheddar added nothing. It’s not like they skimped on Cheese, the photo makes that abundantly clear. There was just none of that rich cheddar flavour that should come from the aging process. Red Onions, Lettuce & Tomato were just that and I got no real sense of the Onion Jam. It’s a shame, because if the toppings matched the quality of the patty, I’d say this was the best Burger I’ve ever eaten.

Chanry: The patty was magnificent. Perfectly cooked and juicy but like Justin said, nothing else about it was mind blowing. Yes the bun played a great side kick but the toppings were pretty mediocre. In order for it to be Possibly the Best Burger in my books, they need to kick up the toppings. Rings of onions and some bibb lettuce just wasn’t rocking my socks off! Sorry boo.

24hr Short Ribs – beef rib with creamy grits,  mushroom, shiny sauce ($22)

Justin: Ladies & Gentlemen, welcome to the main event of the evening. My… GOD was this delicious. See that knife you’re using? Toss it over your shoulder. You won’t need it. Your Fork is more than enough to cut through this beef. You could ask for a spoon in fact.Let’s not short (har har) the Grits though. They were soooooo smooth. The consistency was more akin to fine Mashed Potatoes. The mushrooms rounded out an absolutely divine dish. I could gush over it forever. If I wasn’t such a nice guy, I’d have stolen it from you Chanry.

Chanry: You would not have survived to write this story if you dared Justin! The short ribs were my pick and they were hands down my fave dish of the night. Perfect grits, the jus was salty, rich, full bodied without being sticky and thick. The short ribs were suuuuuper tender – like buttah.  I wish they served the dish in a risotto bowl though because then I could have tipped the bowl and realllly cleaned my plate! And for that price it wouldn’t hurt to throw another short rib too. I have no shame in admitting that I took some of Justins left over fries and dipped them into the left over jus on my plate … #noshame

Flour-less Chocolate Cake 

Justin: This was fine but not something I’d go out of my way to eat. I’ve never been able to get accustomed to Flourless foods. There’s a distinct taste, or lack thereof, that doesn’t sit right. This was also overly rich. On the plus side, I could eat the Compote all evening. Props to Chan for basically saying “EAT IT” as I’d have missed out otherwise.

Chanry: Our server warned us that it would be super rich but I got it anyway and mannn she wasn’t lying. The fruit compote which I would usually chalk up to garnish or an after thought from the kitchen actually did a fantastic job of cutting the richness of the cake. And it was paired beautifully with the 2011 Select Late Harvest Cabernet Franc the lovely Avi sent over. What a sweetie right? And cute to boot!Chanry: All in all it was a great night for the first of many Belly Monster Battles.  We had a fantastic time at Aberdeen and we will definitely be back for brunch… and maybe apps… oh and those gawdlike short ribs!! It’s a great addition to the Hamilton restaurant scene. Perfect place for a date: Fancy enough to impress but still casual enough for a girls night   The environment and the styling of the place is superb, Kudos to the owners!

Justin: I have split thoughts on The Aberdeen Tavern. My main negative is the price point of their appetizers. I couldn’t find value in any of them except the Mussels & Meatballs. Pricing on items like 2 small Oxtail Tacos ($14) and Crab Cakes ($15) vs an entree sized Burger ($17) is mind boggling. In terms of quality, I have little complaint though. Tacos aside (which Chanry warned me about), everything was strong in terms of flavours. I can’t praise the entrees enough. They were superb and worth every penny. Odds are good I’ll order the Short Ribs to my face upon returning. As for a night out, girls night makes sense but my boys are more Beer & Nachos than Cocktails & Spring Rolls. Chanry and I immediately agreed that this was an ideal place for a date though. Service and quality was top flight without crushing your wallet’s soul. If you’re looking for a nice night out, make a reservation at The Aberdeen Tavern.

Happy Eating! 

Aberdeen Tavern 

432 Aberdeen Ave

Hamilton, On 

http://www.theaberdeen.ca