Restaurant: Zawa Restaurant
Cuisine: American/Pub Food/Burgers/Greek/International
Last visited: May 16, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Commercial Drive/Grandview)
Address: 920 Commercial Dr
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 2-2.5 (based on items I tried)
Service: 2
Ambiance: 2.5
Overall: 2
Additional comments:

• American pub food
• Some Greek options
• Spacious/very casual
• Affordable
• Good portions
• Thurs. 9:30pm comedy shows
• Patio seating
• Sun – Thu: 8am to 11pm
• Fri & Sat: 8am to 12am
• Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

**Recommendations: Nothing really, but if you’re coming then maybe the Roast Lamb or Zawa Vegan Burger and Cream of Broccoli & Cheese soup was good.

This was not the first choice for dinner. It was a series of failed attempts at closed restaurants before we landed here. It was one of those “just pick a place” times and desperate times called for a desperate shake of an iphone for a “nearby” restaurant. When I heard the decision was made by an iphone to go to Zawa, I was a bit underwhelmed and wanted to request another shake. I had been here before for a comedy show, and I don’t remember being inspired by the menu, but on this occasion it was a large group and we were getting restless.

I guess first off I should mention I’m not really a “pub” diner. I don’t mind pubs, but I find myself rarely “wow’d” by the food they offer. On the other hand I have met pubs that I enjoy like BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery and Falconetti’s East Side Grill just to name a couple. I’m just not really the market for them, but I have to appreciate them for what they are. If I go to a pub it’ll either be a “fancy” pub or a total dive where the portions are massive, the food is dirt cheap, and their famous for something special, or even someone special – see Harold’s Bistro & Bar.

The food was better than expected at Zawa, but I didn’t come expecting much at all. I have a feeling the owner or chef there is Greek because they offered a decent selection of Greek food and it really reminded me of Martini’s Restaurant, but without pizzas. There were also some Italian options, but being that it was on Commercial Drive I wouldn’t come to Zawa for Greek or Italian food in particular. I’d come here under the “hey I want something cheap and I’m too hungry to walk or explore any further” circumstances.

So why was I here? Well, I was actually joining one of Sherman’s weekly dine outs with his soft ball team, and oh my god… together we can make dining out so not fun! Lol! We were food blogger natzis! “Everyone order something different!” “Nobody touch your plates until photos are done!”… holy crap… his team is patient! I can’t imagine how they possibly like us being there. But I guess my friends are used to this behaviour, so I guess so are his… ? Wow! We’re so lucky.

Anyways I had only met about half of them very briefly before so I wasn’t too comfortable planting my fork in all of their plates. Actually let me rephrase. I was very prepared to try all the dishes and I was planning to follow Sherman’s lead since they’re his friends. However when he didn’t do it, I had no choice but to follow suit and hold back a bit. I mean I don’t want to be banned from any future dine outs with them! First impressions matter. For this reason I wasn’t able to comment on very many dishes so I have rated a lot of them “n/a”. Sorry guys!

PS: Is it bad that I’m partly hoping they’ll read this post, so they know what to expect from me next time? My fork likes to dance around the table, but I promise I won’t eat ALL of it .

Photos are courtesy of Sherman.

On the table:

Deluxe Burger - n/a

• For the really hungry! Mixed cheese, double smoked bacon, grilled onions and mushrooms $ 10.99
• Our awesome burgers are ½ pound of extra lean ground beef chuck charbroiled to perfection and served on whole wheat Kaisers with lettuce, tomato, pickles & our house sauce, served with home made fries. Substitute soup or salad (caesar / garden) for $0.99 or onion rings / spuds for $2.99.
• It looks like Edam and/or Swiss cheese and the house sauce looks like that In-N-Out Burger Thousand Island sauce.
• I watched this diner pour ketchup all over the burger and apparently it was to mask the unbearable dryness and she thought the fries were hard too.

Z.Burger – n/a

• 8 oz. charbroiled lean beef chuck burger $8.49
• Our awesome burgers are ½ pound of extra lean ground beef chuck charbroiled to perfection and served on whole wheat Kaisers with lettuce, tomato, pickles & our house sauce, served with home made fries. Substitute soup or salad (caesar / garden) for $0.99 or onion rings / spuds for $2.99.
• Sherman missed the photo *gasp*, but it looked similar to the Deluxe Burger.
• The feedback was “my burger was terrible and the patty was way overdone to the point it was dry and crunchy in parts.”

• Poutine – 3/6
  • Our homemade fries smothered in cheese curds and gravy (+$2.99 if ordered with the burger)
  • This was your classic pub poutine. It’s not a traditional poutine, nor was that expected, but it was still pretty good and saucy.
  • It was smothered with a thick gravy that I personally think was mixed with the powdered kind. It definitely had that floury texture, but it wasn’t bad.
  • It was topped with ooey gooey melted cheese “curds” and it was greasy, late night, “comfort food”.
  • The fries were crispy, made with Russet potatoes, and they were quite good.

• The cheese curds weren’t the authentic cheese curds that squeak when you bite into them.
• Despite it not being the “real deal” it was passable and good for late night munchies.
• For a real poutine I recommend La Belle Patate.

Santa Fe Chicken Burger -  n/a

• Flame broiled chicken breast loaded mixed mozzarella & cheddar cheese, double smoked bacon and guacamole $10.99
• The comment for this was that the chicken was a tad dry, but it didn’t bother the diner.
• The chicken almost looks frozen to me, but the guacamole looks good.
• Onion Rings - 2/6
  • They were pretty much rings of fried batter.
  • They were nice and crunchy, but the onions were so thin you couldn’t even taste them.

Garden Burger – n/a

• Our gourmet veggie patty topped with sauteed mushrooms melted edam with basil pesto mayo or Dijon mustard on the side $9.49
• Our awesome burgers are ½ pound of extra lean ground beef chuck charbroiled to perfection and served on whole wheat Kaisers with lettuce, tomato, pickles & our house sauce, served with home made fries. Substitute soup or salad (caesar / garden) for $0.99 or onion rings / spuds for $2.99.
• This diner liked her burger, but found the edges of the bun really hard and had to pick bits of it off.

**Zawa Vegan Burger – 3.5/6

• Our home made veggies burger (chick pea, green onion, parsley, fresh dill, fresh basil, garlic four, spices. Served on kaiser bun with home made hummus $9.99
• Our awesome burgers are ½ pound of extra lean ground beef chuck charbroiled to perfection and served on whole wheat Kaisers with lettuce, tomato, pickles & our house sauce, served with home made fries. Substitute soup or salad (caesar / garden) for $0.99 or onion rings / spuds for $2.99.
• Now this was my order! So why vegan? We’ll given the area I assumed that this vegan burger would be a hit. The description also sounded like something different and unique to the restaurant, so I had a good feeling.
• It doesn’t look appetizing, but the patty was huge and upon cutting it I thought it was over fried and going to be really dry. Luckily I was wrong.

• It was actually quite good! It tasted exactly like a falafel. I’ve had better falafel, but this was still quite impressive.
• I could taste coarsely ground chick peas and lots of herbs, but no particular herb stood out and I got a good amount of curry powder flavour and a hint of spice too.
• The spice just killed the flavours of the dill, basil and parsley so I found that kind of a waste.
• It was very crunchy on the outside and decently creamy on the inside, but eaten as a burger it was all a little dry.
• The hummus was really thick and pasty and it was missing that lemony tang and there wasn’t enough of it either. It was a pretty thick sauce for this burger so it didn’t add moisture and it needed a stronger presence.
• There was just a lot of starches going on and it just got really “beany” in flavours and textures.
• I know this defeats the “vegan” purpose, but I actually ended up eating this with tzatziki sauce from Sherman’s lamb and that worked well!

• **Cream of Broccoli & Cheese Soup – 3.5/6
  • The soup was good!
  • It was ultra creamy, well seasoned and had tons of minced broccoli and onions in it, although it was thickened with a decent amount of flour and pureed potatoes.
  • It was creamy, cheesy, chunky, rich and smoky and it tasted fresh with stewed broccoli flavour. It was a very homestyle diner version, but it was good!
  • It was actually better than the broccoli soup I had at Crave On Main.

Z’S Lasagna – 2.5/6

• Our homemade lasagna featuring layer upon layers of ground beef, sauteed onions and fresh Parmesan in our zesty red sauce topped with plenty of melted mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Served with salad and garlic bread $12.99
• This was your traditional old fashioned lasagna that you had growing up. It was made in house, but I’m pretty sure frozen.
• It was very hearty, rich, saucy and cheesy, and the fresh Parmesan didn’t seem very fresh.

• The noodles were overcooked and there was no sign of any spinach or ricotta so it was really a “pub style lasagna”.
• There was lots of coarsely ground beef and it was quite meaty which was nice.
• The sauce had a strong bell pepper flavour and there were also carrots, celery and onions in it. It was a very classic spaghetti bolognese meat sauce and it reminded me of hamburger helper.
• It’s good, but just because any pasta covered with meat sauce and greasy cheese is usually pretty good.

Lemon and Garlic Chicken – n/a

• Charbroiled marinated chicken breast and a light seasoning of lemon, garlic and white wine. Served with roasted potatoes , steamed vegetables and garlic bread $13.99
• The chicken was small and that’s the first thing I noticed.
• The plate was filled with a lot of sides though and the prawns came out of nowhere.
• The vegetables are frozen, and yes that bothers me, even if it is a pub.
• The roast potatoes are their roasted Greek potatoes. They’re tender and well flavoured with Rosemary, but they lack that lemony tang.
• I didn’t try the chicken, but this diner thought “my chicken was a little dry and a bit tough to cut without tearing the meat.”
• Apparently the sauce on the chicken and veggies was good though, but how hard is a lemon, garlic and white wine sauce… as long as the wine isn’t crappy.

Prawns Souvlaki – n/a

• Served with rice, Greek salad, roast potatoes, tzatziki and whole wheat naan bread. Small $14.99 Large $18.99
• The prawns looked like those premade frozen prawn skewers, but I’m not sure.
• The rice wasn’t Greek rice, but regular white rice which was very unexpected.
• The diner said the Greek Salad was quite “blah” with barely any olive oil or spices.
• The first prawn was a little overcooked almost rubbery and the rest was okay.
• Basically it was an overpriced dish and not event decent quality enough to justify the price.

**Roast Lamb – 3.5/6

• Tender lamb marinated in our tomato sauce and slowly roasted served with rice, Greek salad roasted potatoes, tzatziki and whole wheat naan bread $16.99
• This was Sherman’s order and he requested Caesar salad instead of Greek salad.
• The Caesar dressing is made in house here and it was quite good. Nothing noticeably different, but I appreciate the home made factor.
• The plain white rice really bothered me, as a Greek dish I’d expect Greek rice considering the menu seems quite Greek focused.
• The pita was fine and the tzatziki was almost just all Greek yogurt, but still thick, creamy and not bad.
• The roasted Greek potatoes were tender and okay in flavour with some Rosemary, but lacked that lemony tang again.

• The lamb was falling off the bone tender and this is what convinced me that there was a Greek chef in the house. Either that or it’s one of the favourites on the menu where the recipe is tried, tested and true.
• It didn’t even require a knife and it shred away so easily. The meat was tender and the outside a bit crispy from the roasting and there was a good amount of fat to keep it juicy.
• It was a bit too fatty for my liking, but any less it wouldn’t have been as good.
• The only downside to this lamb was that it was bland, but at least it had some meat juice to make up for it.
• I topped some lamb on top of  my Vegan Burger and that wasn’t bad too.

Restaurant: Martini’s Restaurant
Cuisine: Pizza/Greek/Burgers/American
Last visited: May 15, 2010
Location: Vancouver, BC (Mount Pleasant/Main Street)
Address: 151 W Broadway
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 2.5
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 2.5
Additional comments:

• Since 1973
• Family owned (Greek)
• Popular for whole wheat pizza
• Greek food/family recipes
• Home made dough/sauces/dips
• Big portions
• Affordable
• Budget friendly/Cheap eats
• Casual/neighbourhood pub
• Monthly specials
• Dinner/Drink specials
• Lunch/Dinner/Late night eats
• Dine in/Take out/Delivery

Business Hours

• Mon-Thurs 11am-1am
• Friday 11am-2am
• Saturday 2pm-2am
• Sunday 2pm-12am

**Recommendations: Whole wheat pizza, Kalamari, Souvlaki

Martini’s Restaurant is a casual neighbourhood pub specializing in whole wheat pizza. The owners are Greek so they offer a selection of Greek food as well, but the majority of the menu is still pub food and I wouldn’t call it a Greek restaurant. The kalamari and souvlaki are classic local favourites though and they’re actually good too, but not the best in the city. It all sounds a bit random, but they’re busy and they attract local and late night diners in the area.

The food comes in massive portions and the prices are cheap and the quality is decent for the most part. The sauces and dips are all home made which is quite impressive for an eatery of this style. It’s better than typical pub food and a good place for late night eats, but people seem to love it and I just didn’t. You’re guaranteed to get full at a very reasonable price, but it’s not somewhere I’m planning to revisit. There are dishes I would re-order, but it’s not a priority.

To be honest, I came to this restaurant a long time ago and I haven’t written the post until now. Thus my recollection of each dish is vague so I won’t be going into my usual essay with the details or “rating” of each dish. However I remember a good dish when I have it, and there are details that do stand out which I will mention.

On the table:

**Kalamari

• Served with tzatziki. For one$9.65 For two $10.95
• The kalamari is a local favourite and it’s crunchy, crispy, tender and not greasy.
• The portion is huge for an appetizer and I think this was even a small. It’s enough for 3-4 people for sure.
• The tzatziki sauce was a major highlight for me. It’s the thickest creamiest tzatziki sauce I’ve had and it was awesome! It’s made with real Greek yogurt and it’s very tangy, garlicky, lemony and simply perfect.
  

Poutine

• Home cut Kennebec fries, cheese curds & gravy $5
• The portion is massive, it’s cheap, and it’s smothered with gravy and cheese. It’s a typical pub style poutine.
• I’m very poutine picky – see my quest for The Best Poutine on Davie Street.

Chicken Wings

• BBQ, Cajun, Red Hot or Spicy Honey-Lemon sauce. Served with creamy dill $7.95
• The wings seemed deep fried first and were a bit inconsistently covered with sauce. It was nice to have the house made creamy dill included as a condiment. There were no complaints on this.

Steamed Garlic Mussels

• Sauteed with garlic, dill, white wine & tomato-cream sauce. Served with garlic bread $10.45
• Mussels at a pub? Yup, and they don’t butcher it. It was swimming in a rich and tangy sauce that was quite strong in the garlic and dill department.

**Chorizo Sausage, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Mushrooms Whole Wheat Pizza

• Small 10”: $13.65 Medium 12”: $17.95 Large 14”: $20.95
• Very good, and you can’t tell it’s whole wheat pizza crust, except for the fact that it has a crunchier texture. It’s not exactly thin crust, but it’s not that thick either.
• Lots of toppings and very cheesy, but I wish the ingredients were on top of the cheese.

**Cajun Chicken, Zucchini. Onions Whole Wheat Pizza

• Small 10”: $13.65 Medium 12”: $17.95 Large 14”: $20.95
• Nice and crunchy whole wheat crust again, very cheesy too, but I wish the zucchini weren’t thin slices.

Martini’s Burger

• Ground top sirloin, broiled and topped with grilled onions, lettuce and tomatoes $9.95 Add cheddar $1.25  Add bacon $1.25
• I didn’t get to try this, but just looking at it – the patty looks a bit small for the bun. It does look like a fresh hand made patty though, but I can’t confirm if it is. Apparently it’s 100% ground top sirloin though.

**Chicken Souvlaki

• Lamb, Chicken, or Prawn Souvlaki. Marinated in extra virgin olive oil, garlic and spices. Small $12.95 Large $14.95
• This is a small and it was massive. The owners are Greek and the souvlaki is one of their top sellers so I thought it was a safe bet. I would say it was too.
• The chicken was moist and tender and well seasoned and the rice was also flavourful. I just love the tzatziki sauce here, it’s very thick and creamy.
• The pita seemed like whole wheat pita bread and I wasn’t a fan of that.
• The Greek Salad had a mound of crumbled Feta cheese, but other than that it was basic.

Lamb Souvlaki

• Lamb, Chicken, or Prawn Souvlaki. Marinated in extra virgin olive oil, garlic and spices. Small $12.95 Large $14.95
• I didn’t try the lamb.

Stuffed Neptune Chicken

• Chicken breast stuffed with shrimp & crab meat, cream cheese, green onions, shallots, spinach & fresh dill then baked and topped with a garlic-cream sauce $15.25
• The sauces here are pretty heavy on the dill and this garlic-cream sauce was no different.
• The veggies looked like the frozen bag of mixed veggies.

Braised Lamb Shank

• Braised with celery, carrots, onions, pancetta, tomatoes, herbs, red wine and spices. Served with green salad, garlic mashed potatoes and garlic bread $16.25
• I bet you don’t expect to get this at a pub! I know I don’t.
• It was apparently quite good but the meat could have been more tender. I’m not even a fan of lamb and I wanted to eat this. It’s huge too.

Braised Beef Short Rib (Monthly Special)

• Served with green salad and garlic mashed potatoes $18 Add sauteed mushrooms + $3.65
• It’s a massive portion for a pretty good deal in my opinion.
• This was really disappointing and too bad because it looks pretty good. The meat was really tough and chewy to the point where it was inedible and had to get sent back.
• The mash was good though.
• I actually like the braised beef short rib from Encore Restaurant & Lounge.

Sauteed Mushrooms

• $3.65

Caesar Salad (Side)

• Romaine lettuce tossed with our homemade Caesar dressing, croutons, and Grana Padano parmesan,

Restaurant: My Greek Taverna
Cuisine: Greek
Last visited: July 6, 2010
Location: Surrey, BC
Address: 6450 120th Street (Scott Road)
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4.5 (based on few items I tried)
Service: 4
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 4

Additional comments:

• Family owned
• Homemade, authentic Greek
• Large portions
• Friendly and attentive service
• 2 locations (Surrey and Coquitlam)
• Affordable
• Family atmosphere, kid-friendly
• Steaks and pastas available
• Variety of family platters or platter for 2
• Daily specials
• Dine in/Take-out
• Free parking
• Cash/MC/Visa
• Mon-Sun 4pm – 10pm

**Recommendations: Hummus & Pita, Taramas dip, Ribs, Chicken Souvlaki, roast potatoes… which is basically everything I ordered.

My Greek Taverna is a family owned Greek restaurant located in Surrey, BC. They actually have 2 locations, one in Coquitlam (which I didn’t know about) and the other in Surrey. The one in Surrey is in a very odd location and there’s honestly not much competition in the area. I came to the one in Surrey, which isn’t as popular and I don’t even know if locals know about it. Seriously, the place isn’t that busy and I don’t know why. I just think people think it’s dodgy because it always looks empty and closed from the outside.

I came here several years ago and it’s been at least 8+ years since I’ve come back. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it just fell off my radar and I usually think about New York New York Greek Restaurant when I’m craving Greek in the area. I actually forgot how good My Greek Taverna was and I’m so happy that I came back to visit it! The food is really good and I was very impressed. It’s one of those restaurants that should be a local favourite and for some reason it’s just not. I’m really happy when I come across little independent places that people don’t know about that serve solid food.

I had forgotten what the food was like, but my hopes going in weren’t high and I expected mediocre to standard Greek food. Even looking at the menu I was thinking “oh no, they do everything here” which means they must not do anything that well. They offer classic Greek specialties, pasta, lasagna, steaks, fish, escargot, and then chicken fingers and fries. It just looked like a mess of everything – a “confetti” menu.  However to my surprise everything I ordered was well prices, huge portions, home cooked, and just good!

On the table:

**Hummus & Pita - 4.5/6

• A mixture of chick peas, fresh garlic, lemon and herbs make a tasty dip $4.99 or side order (80z) for $2.99
• Seriously this was a very good hummus. It was homemade and very garlicky in flavour. It was almost smoky and it had a slight bite of  fresh garlic spiciness to it at the end. I feel like there was toasted cumin seeds in it and there was a nice tang from the lemon to brighten it all up. It was fresh, creamy and the portion was very generous. I didn’t see or taste many fresh herbs, but I didn’t care.
• I don’t know what’s up with this Greek pita, but it was awesome. It was grilled and crispy on the outside and soft and warm inside. I think they butter it before serving it which obviously makes it even better.

Taramas – 4/6

• Fish roe pate. Full order with pita $5.99. Or have it as a side for an additional $1 by ordering another full order dip of your choice.
• They also offer 8oz of Taramas for $3.29
• Seriously for an additional $1 – this was a total bargain.
• I was very surprised to see it on the menu because it’s a very traditional Greek dip that many restaurants don’t offer. I’ve only seen it served at Pasparo’s Greek Taverna in North Vancouver, which is one of my favourite Greek restaurants.
• Taramas is made of smoked cod roe, onions, olive oil, and lemon juice. It almost tastes like a tangy and rich smoked salmon mousse. It was creamy and fluffy and I just loved it. It has a very strong fish taste so if you don’t like that then this isn’t for you.

**Chicken Souvlaki – 5/6

• Broiled tender morsel of chicken marinated on a skewer $14.95
• This was a huge portion and it comes with rice, potatoes, Greek salad and tzatziki.

• I’ve never seen chicken souvlaki like this before. It was massive! It wasn’t small pieces of chicken, but huge chunks of it. It was so juicy, moist and well marinated with tons of flavour. It was nicely grilled so I could taste the smoky charcoal flavour and it had a perfectly crispy edge. There was tons of dried oregano and it was just really juicy. I didn’t even need the tzatziki sauce and I love that stuff.
• The rice was also very flavourful and well done. Not mushy or anything, it was a nice pilaf with carrots, onions and some celery.

• Greek salad - 2.5/6 they give you an ample amount of Greek salad and this one had red onions, cucumber, tomatoes, feta and even green peppers. The only thing is that it had one olive for the entire salad which was used as decor. It was also a very tangy salad and was a bit heavy on the vinegar.

**BBQ Rib Tails and Prawns – 5/6

• This was a special of the day for $15.95 With prawns $18.95
• This was gigantic! It was almost the width of the table and the portion was so generous. They gave about 5-6 rib tails and 5 prawns with Greek salad, rice, potatoes, and tzatziki sauce. Well worth it and it was all good!

• The rib tails were very lean but very tender. It tastes like the meat on regular baby back pork ribs, except leaner. They shredded away beautifully and it wasn’t chewy at all. Rather than pulling the meat off the bones, I pulled the ribs out of the meat. No joke. They were literally falling off the bone and I just plucked the bones (which are short rectangular flat stubs) out one by one.
• The rib tails were marinated in a sweet and tangy homemade BBQ sauce and I could taste some Bay leaf and probably some brown sugar being used. It was a gentle BBQ sauce so there was no bold kick. I could have used more sauce though, but i guess they didn’t want to overdo it.

• The prawns were slightly overcooked and very buttery in flavour. I could have done without them. I would prefer them to be at least seasoned with some dried Oregano, or have some Greek flavour to them. Still good, but nothing one couldn’t do at home.

• The Greek potato had a strong lemon flavour that was infused right into the core. It was so tender, creamy and soft and it absorbed all the flavours of fresh lemon juice and was very well seasoned with oregano, salt and pepper. It was roasted perfectly, not dry at all and the bottom had a crispy crust.
• I wonder how long they marinade the potatoes for because it was really tangy all throughout. It made it especially good with the tzatziki.

Desserts

Ecmek or Ekmek – 1.5/6

• $4.95
• Ecmek is a traditional Greek dessert and normally it would come with some kataifi on the bottom. There’s several versions of Ecmek and I think it just depends on the family recipe. The server told us this one was made with lady fingers, vanilla pudding and whipped cream. This was sadly, the most disappointing part of my dinner.
• It felt like a lazy Ecmek or one that had been sitting in the fridge for a couple days already. It was a whole lot of whipped cream, cinnamon sugar, and solidified pudding that was not good. It was almost like a gelatin pudding and it was so dense and not creamy at all.
• It’s supposed to be topped with toasted almonds too. However this one only had ONE single slivered almond on the whole thing… and that just did not “top” things off properly.

From the side it looked like lady fingers…

But no no, they’re not…

• Now I’m not Greek so I don’t know how it’s traditionally supposed to be made, but it tasted like white bread and it looked like the crusts of it. It was well soaked in a syrup so it was still moist and honestly the bread part was not bad, it was much better than the pudding part.
• I would much rather have the Ecmek from New York New York Greek Restaurant. The one as Pasparo’s Greek Taverna is the best though, it actually has Kataifi (shredded pyhllo pastry) on the bottom – authentically Greek!

BBQ Baby Back Rib Dinner

Restaurant: Panos Greek Taverna
Cuisine: Greek/Mediterranean
Last visited: September 22, 09

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4 (Based on what we had. I didn’t try enough though so the rating could be unfair)
Service: 3
Ambiance: 1.5
Overall: 3
Additional comments:

• Hole in the wall shady location
• Greek family owned and operated
• Authentic and really homemade
• Good reliable Greek food that’s cheaper than average
• Hummus made in house
• Good portions, poor plating
• Very casual small restaurant, casual service
• Fills up at around 7pm

**Recommendation: BBQ Baby Back Rib dinner, Souvlaki (moussaka is supposed to be good, but I didn’t try it)

This restaurant is super shady. It’s in a strip mall that looks abandoned. We were the third group in there at 6pm on a Tuesday…which isn’t bad. It also filled up decently by 7pm, mostly by locals living around the area. I really hesitated when I saw this place from the outside, but it does have positive word of mouth. Panos is really your reliable go-to hole in the wall Greek restaurant. It’s authentic homestyle Greek cooking and I could even see the Greek men in the back peeling away at potatoes on their little stools in the kitchen. It’s family owned and operated and it really feels like it to from the moment you walk in. It’s almost like a Greek diner more than a restaurant. It is a bang for your buck though – big portions and it’s cheaper than average. Souvlaki dinners are around $12 and the most expensive thing is I think $15, maybe $17 for the fish/seafood plates.

Focusing on just the food, it’s hard for me to say how good everything really was since I only tried 2 things on the menu. I will go back to try more items since I hear lots of good stuff about it and that way I can also give a fair and complete review.

On the table:

• Greek Salad 2/6
• Greek Salad is Greek Salad most of the time. Fresh ingredients and pretty generous with the shredded Feta. Only one olive though. I prefer the crumbled or cubed Feta – but that’s more expensive and I didn’t expect it at this restaurant anyways.
• They serve it to you first so you can eat it as an appetizer and you almost get more this way because it’s not squished onto your plate. That being said the spot for salad on your plate is filled with a generous amount of rice.
• Chicken Souvlaki 3.5/6
• I know – the plating/presentation looks really poor and the portion looks poor too. When I saw it I thought the same thing. It’s a lot more than it looks though. It looks really plain and it’s probably because the salad was served on a seperate plate. Don’t let how it looks discourage you though because it was good.
• The chicken souvlaki is good, but as good as any other chicken souvlaki. The marinade was nice and flavourful and the chicken was tasty throughout. They grilled it nicely and the meat was still juicy and moist inside.
• The potato was good too, but I’ve had better. It was soft and well marinated with lemons…not too sour though.
• The rice could be better. It was kind of bland and maybe a little dry. Kind of boring…so I don’t have much else to say about it. It was kind of “buffet rice” – you know when the rice just sits under a heat lamp in the back?
• **BBQ Baby Back Rib Dinner 5/6
• This was really good and it’s only $15 or something. The meat literally fell off the bone with the touch of the fork. So tender, so flaky and so good. The bones were totally bare at the end of the meal.
• I’m not sure if the bbq sauce is homemade or not (I doubt it was homemade), but I can’t complain because it did the job fine. It was sweet, sticky and savoury with a slight tang and kick. I think we got around 12-14 ribs…talk about a bargain at $15!
• Drool these were good too.

• Greek family owned and operated
• The Greek items are authentic and really homemade
• Hummus made in house/homemade sauces
• Some Italian dishes/influence
• Kind of all over the place with their menu – stick to the Greek items
• Lunch combo platters
• Gyros & burgers available at lunch
• Pasta & steaks available at dinner
• Most desserts made in house
• Attracts families and locals
• Busy, but reservations not required
• Open Monday-Sunday 11am-10pm

Appetizer platter: Kalamari, dolmathes etc., really good hummus and tzatziki, Ecmek

This restaurant is kind of in the middle of nowhere in a random plaza located at a major intersection too (64th Ave & 152nd Street). I’ve been here a couple times for dinner and it’s pretty good. I’m always skeptical of these restaurants, but a friend recommended it so I decided to give it a try. It’s not dodgy or anything, but just a simple family owned Greek restaurant in Surrey. There’s always a dinner crowd, but no line-ups or anything which is good. They’re kind of all over the place with their menu – one of those do it all Greek restaurants – fish, steak, pasta, Greek, Italian, burgers and the list goes on…just stick to their Greek food, because that’s what they do best. Greek owners that know Greek food and follow their own recipes – they don’t need the other stuff on the menu. The Greek food is good enough on its own.

• **Appetizer Platter $17.95 4/6
  • Kalamari, dolmathes, olives, hummus, tzatziki, pita bread

• • It’s a platter made for 4. The variety is not bad, although they could have included maybe one more appetizer in there – like the spanakopita. You’re basically paying for the dolmathes (4) and the kalamari (half the plate). You get a good portion of each though. It’s not a bargain, but it’s reasonable.
• **Dolmathes 3.5/6
  • Grape leaves stuffed with ground beef and rice in a “light” lemon sauce.

• • I actually really enjoyed these and I usually don’t. The stuffing is really good, and the ratio of meat to rice is fair. The rice keeps its texture and shape even after they cook these, so I really like that. I would have appreciated another layer of flavour, either stronger on a the dill or maybe a hint of mint. Something to make these stand out!
  • They call it a “light lemon sauce”, but it’s not. It’s a rich and creamy lemon sauce – looks like hollandaise sauce. Kind of tastes like it too, except it has a tang. It tastes good and goes great with the dolmanthes, it’s definitely one of the better sauces I’ve had served with dolmathes. At this restaurant, you should give them a try.
• **Hummus 5/6
  • This is pretty wicked hummus. It’s made in house and a greenish yellow colour. I think they go heavy on the parsley, although you can’t really taste it. It’s thinner in texture, not the thick kind. Really fresh, flavourful and creamy and at the same time light. Strong garlic and lemon flavours. They should have given a bigger portion (as as appy and in the appy platter) – they serve it in the same dish as the tzatziki. I expected more.
    
• **Kalamari 4/6
  • I really appreciate this. They serve you quite a bit, which is good. It’s basically half the plate. The deep fry the kalamari really well, and it’s big pieces. They are relatively lightly batters, so you really taste the kalamari. They’re a nice colour too, and the oil they used was fresh. Good quality squid. You know it’s good when you can eat it on its own even without the tzatziki dip – and I love that stuff!
• Moussaka
  
• Moussaka 2.5/6
  • Layers of ground beef, potatoes, eggplant and bechemel sauce.

• • This was good, but not the best I’ve had it. It’s a big portion. You get lots of beef and potato, but not much eggplant at all. I could barely taste it or even see it. It was kind of lazy (really homemade) moussaka. Which is good and bad. The potatoes were cut in chunks rather than slices, so it kinds of separated from the other layers. I like to bite into all the layers when I eat a piece and I felt like I was missing something.
  • They could have went heavier on the seasoning for the ground beef as well. Couldn’t really taste that slight hint of cinnamon that makes moussaka special. The bechemel sauce is really good though. Really nice and creamy, really good. I didn’t taste much tomato, cheese, or bread crumb flavours either – so this was a good moussaka, but too simple for my liking. I like my moussaka more elaborate and complex because it’s such a time consuming entree that takes experience – I felt like I could have made this version at home.
• Chicken Souvlaki 3.5/6
  • Chicken souvlaki, rice, Greek potato & Greek salad.

• • Standard for a Greek restaurant. Pretty much what I expected. The meat was flavourful, but could have been more juicy – it wasn’t dry, but just not that juicy either. You get 8 pieces.
  • The rice is actually really good here – I think they cook it in that Lipton chicken soup – at least that’s what it tastes like. But whatever, as long as it’s good, and it’s not like this is an upscale restaurant. The point is, the rice is very flavourful.
  • The potato – they could have cooked it for a bit longer. I’ve had more flavourful Greek potatoes in my life for sure…where the lemon flavour just absorbs throughout the entire potato…YUM

• Fresh Halibut 4/6
  • Topped with white wine sauce. Served with Greek potato, rice, Greek salad, pita bread and tzatziki.

• • This was a nice and light dish. It’s a pan-fried fresh halibut and they cook it really well. Nice and juicy which is hard to do with halibut. They don’t give you too much white wine sauce which is good because you want to taste the freshness of the fish. The sauce is a a simple white wine sauce mixed with cream, but it’s not heavy or thick. Nothing creative or gourmet, just fresh ingredients and a simple sauce – and there’s nothing wrong with that.

• Desserts
  
• **Ecmek 4.5/6
  • Yummy! Homemade vanilla pudding topped with roasted almonds and whipped cream.

• • This is almost like a Greek Verizon of a bread pudding…with a lot of vanilla pudding on top. It’s a really traditional Greek dessert, and this one really tastes like someone’s mom made it.
  • The bottom layer is almost like a really really moist bread pudding. It’s pieces of pastry soaked up in syrup – which is cinnamon and lemon flavoured. I felt like I was eating an apple pie, but there were no apples. I loved this pastry. The next layer is their homemade vanilla pudding. It’s really good pudding! It’s really thick and creamy – you can really slice through it. However the vanilla is extract and not the real deal. But whatever, this generous portion of Ecmek was only $4 – so I’m not expecting top quality ingredients or anything gourmet. Lastly they top it off with whipped cream and toasted almonds. This dessert just melts in your mouth even though it’s served cold. It’s creamy, flavourful and absolutely delicious.
  • I need to order them more often so I can compare them to other places.
    
• Homemade Bougatsa 2/6
  • Homemade lemon custard wrapped in filo pastry sprinkled with icing sugar and cinnamon.

• • This is served warm. Yes the lemon custard is homemade, but no they didn’t do that great of a job with it. It was a good attempt if only they didn’t curdle it! And I don’t think they even knew. I could taste the curdled texture, it was kind of funny cause I could just imagine some one’s mom experimenting with this and not even realizing she had curdled the custard…and then just serving it anyway. You do get a lots of custard though, you can’t tell in the picture, but they’re generous – I just wish it was good custard though. For $4 I didn’t mind the screw up.