The acquaintance who introduced Green Leaf Sushi to us kept talking about The Eatery, so we decided to go check it out. It was jam packed on a rainy evening and were told that they were full. There were 2 tables side by side that were empty and when we questioned about it, the staff told us that they were holding it for a reservation at 8pm. It was 7pm. There was only Sheepie and I and we told them we were just going to grab something quick to eat and go. 1 hour was plenty of time. After we sat down, the table next to us was also seated.
The restaurant was dark, with neon lights. There were many crazy paper-mache creatures hanging from the ceiling. A unicorn, glass covered monsters, octopus, and so on. It was really funky. There was a live DJ that kept the atmosphere lively and loud. The candle holder was a beer bottle. The seats were a bit torn or stained, but with such dim lighting, it was really hard to ‘examine’ the interior except for the odd decors.
Apparently, food isn’t the only thing you can order…
Everything we ordered on one plate
The servers were very friendly, though a bit hard to hear in the noisy atmosphere. I ordered the Andy Warhol roll $6.50 and Tuna Takaki $8.50 while Sheepie ordered the Bob Marley roll $5.95 and Found Nemo Roll $6.95. Not only were they creative with the interior, but also with the names of the rolls.
All our dishes came out on one single plate. I was disappointed in the presentation despite the cost of the rolls. It didn’t seemed to have been considered that much, and having all of it on one plate made it look crowded. Secondly, Warhol’s roll was only 5 pieces for $6.50. None of the roll was anything special in spite of the fancy names. The tuna tataki was ok, but for the same price, you could get something way better at Green Leaf.
After having 4 dishes, we were still hungry, but because we thought the table was being used for a reservation, and also wasn’t too thrilled with their food, we decided to eat more at home instead. When the server came to ask us if we wanted dessert, we asked for the bill instead. She asked us if we were in a hurry because of the reservation. She informed us at that time that they were going to use another table that was free elsewhere, so there was no rush. However, we had decided that we were done.
It was a really unique restaurant – definitely not your typical Japanese restaurant. In fact, there was nothing Japanese about it except for the sushi and reference to Hello Kitty. I wasn’t a fan of their food, especially for the price and for those of you who have read my previous blogs also know I don’t really like loud atmosphere. I don’t think I’ll be ever be going back again.
Second Time for Lunch
This time, the restaurant was pretty empty on a Sunday lunch. We had a group of 12 at a long table. Again, the odd and funky paper-mache works hanging from the walls were the talk of the members as many took photos. The ‘interesting’ menu also gave some of us a chuckle.
I ordered the Nabeyaki Udon $9.95 (their menu has a typo, it says Nabe Yake. In fact, I think it should be one word, not two.) The description sounded great ” The complete comfort soup with chicken and egg in udon broth, served with prawn and veggie tempura, with rice on the side. For one thing, I thought it was odd to have a rice bowl come with udon – you’d never find this in Japan. But then again, you wouldn’t find this dish with the tempura coming out separately either. This is just a Western version. However, it was good since if you wanted to eat the crispy tempura with sauce and rice, it went well. The udon was a huge disappointment. It was the worst udon I’d ever had. I can make so much better (not to mention for probably less than a twoonie.) The noodles were all broken apart. It was soggy, as if they have been sitting in the broth for a really, really long time. The Japanese man sitting beside me agreed it looked questionable. It didn’t really taste good… However, the lady sitting in front of me (maybe Filipino?) said it was good. Maybe if you don’t know Japanese food, then you might like it…
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I was impressed that all the cutlery were engraved with the Earl’s ‘e’ on the handle. I ordered the Grilled Chicken Caesar $15. You had an option of choosing cajun or hot garlic chicken. I chose cajun. I was quite surprised with the size. It came on a large plate, though mostly all romaine. The leafy greens were fresh and crisp. There were a couple of croutons. I like the shredded cheese that blanketed the leafs like snow. The dressing was really good. The chicken were a bit burnt, but flavourful. The bread was crumbly and dry. I’m not a fan of bread, though I do love most complimentary buns that come out at finer restaurants at the beginning. I was also already full when I had finished the salad and chicken, so I only had a bite from the bread.
Service was satisfactory and the price was fair. The restaurant was clean and laid back. Washrooms are on the second floor.
