Category Archives: American

Escape! at Elements Casino

Escape - Elements Casino Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - ZomatoDisclaimer: *This was a complimentary meal. This post was not edited or written for monetary compensation, and are solely my opinions and observations.

Hours of Operation: Monday to Sunday 24 Hours
Address: 17755 60th Avenue Surrey B.C. V3S 1V3
Phone: 604.576.9141

idearabbit_elements-casino18I was kindly invited to the newly renovated Casino Elements for their exclusive dinner; a seven course dinner with all-you-can-eat dessert! I was pretty stoked!

It was hosted on a Friday evening, so trying to get from downtown to the location in Surrey took us 2 hours! However, it was totally worth the drive!!

idearabbit_elements-casino19idearabbit_elements-casino1 idearabbit_elements-casino3 idearabbit_elements-casino2Dinner was held at Escape! on the second floor. It was an open space, easily seating over 100 diners. One side is all glass, letting in natural light to brighten the room. There is a stage on one side where there are free live entertainment from bands, local acts, stand-up comics every Friday and Saturday night. Check their website to see who’s performing.

idearabbit_elements-casino4I started off with a Shirley Temple which was tropical and beautifully presented, getting me into a ‘summer’ like mood. It tasted good too! It’s been a while since I last had one :P

idearabbit_elements-casino20The executive chef Raymond Mah, nicknamed ‘Chef Ray’ cooked up a seven course meal for the event. Keep in mind that these items are served on various days.

idearabbit_elements-casino61. Tomato & Bocconcini, Sundried Tomato Pesto, Balsamic Glaze (Rating: 5/5)

MMMMmmmmmmm! Just loved it! The tomatoes were fresh and firm. The small mozzarella cheeses were semi-soft and the mix of herbs and balsamic glaze were just perfect! I could have just stuffed myself completely with this one dish!

idearabbit_elements-casino52. Antipasto Salad, Grilled veggies, Salami, Basil (Rating: 3/5)

Selection of cooked carrots, onions, red and green peppers, mushrooms and salami. Sheepie and I thought the onions were squid! LOL. This is just me, but I usually cook my veggies quite raw since I like the hardness or crunchiness (even if that means not getting the most nutrients from them, like  cooking mushrooms brings out more potassium), but I like them raw (or close to it). Something about gooey veggies that I don’t find as appetizing. I would still eat it of course. Since most of the items were plain (except the saltiness of the salami), it would have been nice to have some additions of olives.

idearabbit_elements-casino7Pork Loin, Grainy Mustard Apple Sauce (Rating: 4/5)

Beautifully presented with the colours and layout. The meat was super soft and juicy. It was very impressive!idearabbit_elements-casino8Baby Back Pork Ribs, Whiskey Smoked BBQ (Rating: 5/5)

I’ve rarely had ribs in my life (can I call myself a foodie then? lol). In fact, I don’t really remember ever having one in a good restaurant. I think I’ve avoided wings and ribs because they tend to be greasy and have rarely any meat to chew on. However, these ribs were huge and presented on a wooden board. These ribs were amazing! Wow! Glazed with rich, smokey BBQ sauce, the meat was plentiful and moist.  A big thumbs up!

idearabbit_elements-casino9Portuguese Paella (chorizo, shrimp, peppers, tomatoes, saffron) (Rating: 5/5)

Sheepie wasn’t overly thrilled, but that’s because he’s not a big fan of rice to begin with. My friend also commented that it wasn’t the dish she cared for, but I loved this dish! It was dryer than most paellas I have had, which I actually like better than some which are stickier and mushy. As a person who loves fried rice, this was a delight for me, lol.

idearabbit_elements-casino10Clam & Mussels in a Cioppino Broth

It turned out that the shells I picked up were all empty…so no comments on the contents of the shells, and it wasn’t much of a stew but the tomato was enriched by the herbs, wine and seafood umami.

idearabbit_elements-casino12Lemongrass Chicken w/ Mango Chutney (Rating: 4/5)

Sheepie LOVED this dish the most. He fell in love with it. The meat was juicy, with the right amount of burnt charcoal flavour on the edges. The pineapples gave it a sweet touch while at the same time giving it a cheerful and energizing visual appeal.

idearabbit_elements-casino21 idearabbit_elements-casino13Smoked Beef Brisket, Natural Jus

Nicely roasted on the outside, but kept super juicy and moist inside. It was 1/3 fat, so Sheepie and I ended up cutting those parts off, but otherwise, the natural jus covered brisket was delicious!

idearabbit_elements-casino11Salmon, Bacon Carbonara Jus (Rating: 4/5)

The salmon were soft and savoury.  The lightly flavoured cream went really well with the fish. I love salmon, so I had several pieces, hehehe. idearabbit_elements-casino14King Crab Legs, Garlic Steamed w/ Green onions (Rating: 3/5)

Sheepie and I found it to be a bit too salty. On top of that, the legs were topped with a lot of garlic. Like A LOT. Sheepie, who has a deficiency of tasting garlic, didn’t notice, but I found it very garlicky. Don’t get me wrong, I do love garlic, but it was a tad bit too much, so I had to scrap off a spoonful from some. The meat otherwise was superb quality.

idearabbit_elements-casino15Crab Claws, Butter Poached (3.5/5)

With most of us full, no one was from our table was attempting to go through the hassle of carving out the meat from the claws…which was unfortunate. Such good meat, rare to get and expensive to order! I did take some home, and had some there. It was loaded with a lot of meat, though slightly a bit fatty from the butter. But as a person who no longer have butter in her fridge (for about 5 years now), I become sensitive to when butter is used.

idearabbit_elements-casino22idearabbit_elements-casino16 idearabbit_elements-casino17idearabbit_escape_elementscasino_26Afterwards, there were unlimited desserts at the Diamond Buffet downstairs. I tried the vanilla and chocolate mix soft ice cream in a cone.

idearabbit_elements-casino24I also had the chocolate mousse pudding. Light and not overly sweet. Sheepie who has quite a bit of sweet tooth was in heaven!

WOW! All I can say is, what a paradise dinner! The staff were very professional and friendly. The food was amazing – just wished we had more time to eat them all!

Afterwards, we were given a tour of the casino, and the Encore Rewards card to play at the slot machines. I think I’m a bit addicted now! LOL.

Taste: carrotcarrotcarrotcarrotcarrot    Price for Value: N/A

Atmosphere:  carrotcarrotcarrotcarrot   Service:  carrotcarrotcarrotcarrotcarrot
Location: carrotcarrotcarrot

Loafe Cafe

Loafe Café Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - ZomatoMy friend and I were attending free lectures at UBC, celebrating their centennial year. For lunch, we went to Loafe Cafe which was conveniently located in the same building as the lecture hall. It’s a modern, slick cafe with a touch of hipsterish feel from the blackboard/chalk menu.

idearabbit_loafe_ubc1 idearabbit_loafe_ubc3I had a bowl of soup $4.95 and a side order of salad $4.95 of Coconut Quinoa. I wasn’t expecting such a large portion, so my friend and I were quite surprised. The quinoa salad had a hint of sweetness from the coconut, but a refreshing zesty flavour from the squeezed lime. It was so delcious. I loved it. Felt healthy too.

idearabbit_loafe_ubc4 idearabbit_loafe_ubc6The soup was nice and hot of tomato. There weren’t much chunks of ingredients in it, but I didn’t mind. It was also good.

idearabbit_loafe_ubc8 idearabbit_loafe_ubc7My friend had the Smashed Avo Toast $7.95 with avocado, garlic oil, alfalfa sprouts, cranberry, all on top of walnut loaves. It was beautifully presented, and also looked healthy too. Though she couldn’t resist the loaf breads, and she had a slice.

idearabbit_loafe_ubc5

Service was satisfactory. The food was great. Prices are fair. I wished we had these kinds of cafes when I went to university! (not UBC)

Taste: carrotcarrotcarrotcarrot    Price for Value: carrotcarrotcarrot

Atmosphere:  carrotcarrotcarrotcarrot   Service:  carrotcarrotcarrot
Location: carrotcarrotcarrot

Jane’s at the Heights

Jane's at the Heights Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - ZomatoDisclaimer: *This was a complimentary meal. This post was not edited or written for monetary compensation, and are solely my opinions and observations. The owner did know that I was there to dine as a blogger.

The restaurant and Zomato had generously offered a free entree, so I decided to check out the place. We went around 4:30pm on a Saturday, and there were 2 single men eating away. We sat in a booth that had torn areas, but for the most part, I thought the place was cleaner than I expected.

The place was quiet, without any of those annoying TV screen all around you, so that you could actually do some talking. idearabbit_janesattheheights1 idearabbit_janesattheheights6 idearabbit_janesattheheights5There were some interesting decor on the wall. idearabbit_janesattheheights4idearabbit_janesattheheights3

idearabbit_janesattheheights2Their menu consists of a wide selection of Western food, Chinese and Thai. It’s embarrassing to say as a food blogger, but I don’t think I’ve been to a restaurant that was so mixed like this one.

idearabbit_janesattheheights7I love Egg Benedicts, so I had to try their Heights Benny $11.25 with two poached eggs, sliced ham, caramelized onions, saute mushrooms on English muffins covered in hollandaise sauce and a side of hash browns and salad. The hashbrowns were super crispy and hot! Mmm! Delicious. I think it’s the first Benny that had so much in it. It was really filling. The salad on the side was really nice and refreshing to counter balance the heavy benny’s.idearabbit_janesattheheights8  idearabbit_janesattheheights9idearabbit_janesattheheights11

I know some people don’t like runny yolks, but I love them! So this was perfect! It mixes with the sauce, and gives another option for flavour and texture for the hashbrowns, as opposed to eating them straight.

idearabbit_janesattheheights10Sheepie had the Classic Burger $9.95 with a 5 oz sirloin beef patty along with large leafy greens, tomato, onions and pickles. Sheepie complimented that it had superior bun like in Germany (but that’s probably because they were Kaiser buns – which are originally from Austria). He said that the patty was really good, and that it was the best burger he’s had in a long time. The fries, like the hashbrowns were hot and crispy. Thumbs up.

The Thai owner was really friendly and I got to chat with his for a bit. Since the my benny was complimentary, the bill was much lower. Because of that, my % for the tip was lower than I expected when I punched into the debit machine. I got cash out for the tip, where he talked about how he was focused on serving good food, with good service, and wasn’t concerned about the tips. (I still gave him some).

It’s not in the area where I usually go to, but I wouldn’t mind returning again! I am already craving the runny yolks and the crispy hot hashbrowns/fries as I write this!

Taste: carrotcarrotcarrotcarrotcarrot    Price for Value: carrotcarrotcarrot

Atmosphere:  carrotcarrot   Service:  carrotcarrotcarrotcarrot
Location: carrotcarrotcarrot