Please see Part 1 here
Diamante
$$$ ¾
1-483 Range Lake Road, next to Sam’s Monkey Tree, across from the Shell Station
Mmm. Last week was my first visit to Diamante, and I was happily surprised at the tasty, fresh food and quick and efficient service. Woo hoo. The interior decor is slightly out of date, however it was clean and well maintained, so major bonus points for that. The drink and food menu need to be replaced. They have seen better days. Back to the food, it was wonderful. The pasta is HOMEMADE. Delish, perfectly cooked, nicely seasoned, the sauce complimented the noodle, not overpowering it. I had seafood pasta which had large hunks of all kinds of seafood. This Maritimer gives that a big ol’ thumbs up. We were served fresh and moist sour dough bread with an appropriately crusty crust. I had mussels which were nicely cooked and all safe to eat, in a lovely white wine creamy tomato sauce. The server was friendly and knowledgeable, efficient... what more can one ask for.
Final thoughts: This is a hidden gem in our fair metropolis. I would go back without hesitation. Try their Bellinis... oh try them. Try the homemade cheesecake with caramel sauce. Deeelish.
Our Place Family Dining Room
$$$ ¾
50th Ave & 50th St
Simply put, the food was OK. They list “Fresh PEI Mussels” on their menu, when I asked how that was possible; our server explained that they are frozen PEI mussels. Not fresh. The service was above average for YK. My one issue with the service was that we were seated somewhat close to the kitchen and the server kept running back to chat to the cook. “Oh, I am going to try to sell those customers the special! Let’s see how I make out!” Awkward. The interior decor of Our Place is outdated, it is incredibly dark inside, the majority of seating are 1980s office chairs, pink in colour, they are in need of an update. From our window seating we were able to watch many homeless people staggering the downtown streets of YK. I am on the fence about this establishment, with a slap of paint and new seating could make a really big improvement. The food was pretty good as well as the service so for that alone, I would go back!
Final thought: With an updated aesthetic, this restaurant would be one of the better places in YK.
Bullocks’ Bistro
$$$$ ½
3602 Pilot’s Lane, across from Weaver and Devore in Old Town
This was one of the first places we ate when we were still YK virgins, Newbies, Southerners through and through. I have not been back since. This restaurant is a famed aspect of YK. Many tourists eat there to experience a veritable Northern dining experience. The Arctic Char and Muskox we tried were absolutely, mouth wateringly delicious. The fries and salad were not so good. The dressing bottle on the table was the number one filthiest thing I have EVER seen in a restaurant in my lifetime. It was covered in whatever oil was in the bottle, and it was really caked on, so I knew it had been there for some time. The service was simply alarming, very rude. When we arrived the server led us through a jam packed room and started screaming at one table to move so we could sit there and they could sit somewhere else. When we were seated she snapped at us that we could get our own drinks from the run down looking coolers against the back wall. She then snapped at us that all that was left on the menu was two pieces of char and some muskox, so what did we want. We didn’t know what on earth muskox or arctic char was, so we went with one of each. We ate, enjoyed the meat and fish then paid the insanely high price for our meal and left.
Final thoughts: If I am paying $35 for a piece of fish and some old, soggy fries and am not even being served my drink, I would at least expect to be treated politely. You will either like it or loathe it. Try it out and let me know! I have since heard that they are no longer allowed to "not serve" drinks, so that is a point in their favour.
Vietnamese Noodle House
$$
4609 50 Ave, across from Quality Furniture
This was an OK eating out experience. The decor is very outdated with insect papers and air fresheners stuck in the corners of the restaurant. The food I tried was not bad at all... yummy chicken balls and beef and broccoli, the rice was fluorescent yellow colour, so I am still pondering what variety of rice that was. If you feel like some Vietnamese noodles, I suggest take out. I have only eaten there once for a quick lunch, so that is the extent of my knowledge of this establishment.
Final thought: I think another restaurant makeover is in order!
Explorer Hotel, Trader’s Grill
$$$$
4825 49th Avenue
Brunch Only Review
This is a MUST when in YK. You should always make a reservation as this is super popular, just call 873-3531 and ask to speak to the restaurant. This is a wonderful eating out experience, the brunch is absolutely on par with any you would find at a fancier establishment in the South. On the lower lever of the dining room they set up a waffle and pancake section. This is a heavenly experience! The waffles come freshly made to order, with white and milk chocolate curls as a garnish in addition to gobs of whipped cream. After this, go on to the spread in the little room just off of the dining room. A chef will be there carving up some form of meat, they have arctic char, various other seafood, chicken, eggs, bacon, sausages, fruit, desserts... whatever you could dream of wanting to eat. It is wonderful. All of their desserts are made on site, which is a fabulous perk.
Final Thoughts: You must do it. I believe it is priced at around $20/person, but as a treat, it is worth it. You are worth it! Yum!
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I was laughing outloud when reading about your Bullock's experience. Let me guess: you showed up after 6pm? Never, never do that again. LOL I too showed up after 6pm on my first few occasions. What happened to you also happened to me. LOL (Seriously, I can't stop laughing.)
You should give Bullock's another try. It's a great place to eat AWESOME food and meet some VERY interesting characters. (Well, you've met them already but they were at their worst.)
Here's what you do: make a reservation for 4:30 or 5pm. Your meal will take 30-45 min to prepare. While you wait, they will give you fresh buns and butter. And, MAN! Are those buns the best EVER. But make sure not to ask for more. You will be sternly told, "NO." And if you forget to do that, you MUST NOT insist. The response will be something like, "There are more people coming. They want buns too you know?! You can't eat all the buns! Everyone gets one!" (Of course they lie. You can only have one bun because they only make so many to reward those that show up early for supper. I bet you got no buns.)
When they hand you a menu, take it but don't look at it. Ask them what's available today. They will list off names of fish. Don't ask for any description about the fish. You are going there to eat fish and the fish you eat is whatever was caught that day. You should be familiar with local fish if you are "from here." Make up your mind right away and order it. I usually order the Fisherman's Platter which is a bit of everything they have. You can also earn bonus points for knowing that your fish can be either grilled, pan fried, deep fried, or grilled and comes with your choice of fries, salad or half and half and ordering it without them having to ask.
It is safe to order their delicious fries at this time of day. They will arrive hot and crisp and be dotted with sea salt. They are at their best with cider vinegar. You should also know that the black sauce on your table is for grilled fish only. The dressing for the salad is the feta cheese and dill mixture. BTW, both recipes are closely guarded secrets.
After you've ordered and before the buns get there, go get your drinks. As you wait, the staff will strike up conversation with you. They will probably ask you many questions. The more "local" they percieve you to be, the bigger the meal. (Or maybe that's just my perception.)
By 5:30pm, the place will start to fill up. And everything starts to go fast. By 6-6:30pm, it's usually kaos. Luckily, you were served at 5:30-5:45pm. By 7pm, they run out of food and you are paying your bill and heading to the movies.
You simply showed up at the wrong time. So yeah, try it again! Can I tag along?
AWESOME! We must go to Bullocks! Do you mind if I post this on the main part of my blog as a Reader submitted comment?
The brunch at the YK Explorer is NOT a patch on what the Frob has in Iqaluit, which is odd because they are both owned by the same folks.
I must say that I was alarmed at your comment about the Vietnamese Noodle House. I go there almost every day during school, and although the food might not be quite what you expect, and the decor quite out dated, you must admit that the food is ridiculously quick, and the people there are quite friendly if you do the same.
If you go there enough, they'll learn your meals by heart, and sometimes even deliver them without asking. I love the Vietnamese Noodle House, and must say that you should give it another go. Probably with a group of teenagers. It seems all we care about is price, and speed since we have to be back at school in an hour. And, we'll usually eat whatever you don't, even if you think it's disgusting.
Although, that being said, I do appreciate everything you've said in any of your posts, and hope that what I've said hasn't been insulting. I'm very sorry if it has been. I quite agree with you on Boston Pizza.
I worked there for a year and a half. The reason they have such a hard time keeping employees, is because they treat them like shit. If you're lucky enough to find a good server, then, ask about their schedule, and only return while they're working. They'll continuously give you good service. The only reason I get good service, is because I know the server's personally. Even though I love the food, it's quite overpriced, and even though I love the people, I want to punch my manager in the face. Every single time I'm there. Again, a good idea, if you return, is with a group of teenagers. Me included. If I'm there, you'll no doubt get better service. Not to toot my own horn, but they like me over there. Not quite sure why. I complain every chance I get!
Indigo - well, if I ever find myself in Iqaluit, I will have to try the Frob brunch. Thanks for the suggestion.
Jacqueline - I appreciate your comments! I was however alarmed at the interior of the VNH, the fly papers and air fresheners really, really disturbed me. Gross. I will give it another go, many people I have spoken to have raved on their popularity and great food. Thanks for your comments!
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