Return to Bullock's!

This evening, I had the pleasure of dining with my fellow YK blogger, Jason, his godmother, mom and my Hubby at Bullock's Bistro. Bullock's is located in the Old Town section of Yellowknife, directly across from Weaver and Devore. Some of you may remember this post which originated this evening's dining experience.

Be forewarned, this summer Bullock's is not taking dinner reservations. This is commonplace in chain restaurants in larger centres, however I was surprised that Bullock's has gone this route. Dinner service starts at 5pm so arrive early to snag a table, as per Jason's advice. Jason and co arrived a few minutes before 5pm and Hubby and I arrived a few minutes after five, which would have been too late. Jason had thankfully saved the table.

Within minutes of our arrival, the restaurant was filled to maximum capacity. Once the restaurant was filled to the brim, the server/owner went to the cooler and called out for people to let her know what alcoholic beverage they would like. If you wanted a non alcoholic drink, you could serve yourself. In the past all beverages were self serve from the cooler, however due to various laws the staff is now required to serve alcoholic beverages.




The server/owner brought us buns and took our orders. There are no side plates for the buns, so just grab one and dig in, eat it right off the bare table top. The choices on the menu were very fresh looking caribou, cod, pickerel, arctic char or the seafood platter. For the fish, you have the choice of grilled, pan fried or deep fried. There is also the seafood platter, where the three fish selection is skewered and cooked to your preference. The server does not give out menus unless specifically requested as the menu varies daily depending on what fresh ingredients they have. The downfall is that you do not know the prices of what you are ordering, however you can expect each entree to be around the $30ish dollar mark, give or take a little.

I was tempted to go with the caribou, as I have never ate caribou before and the muskox we had previously tried at Bullock's was absolutely heavenly. However, I decided to go with Jason's selection, the seafood platter.

From the time we ordered to the time we were served, it was approximately one hour. This is perfectly acceptable as you can see the cook working full blast cooking by herself behind the counter. The server/owner helps the cook to prep the plates. The cook started by frying the french fries, then moved on the the various fishes and finally cooked the caribou. As the meals were ready, they were served. A tip if you are in a rush, is to sit at the bar as their meals were served first. Another tip is do not go to Bullock's if you are in a rush!

Our meal was served with Hubby being told they would bring more fish for him in a moment. When it was ready, an additional piece was brought to the table and plunked on his plate. More fish for the seafood platter that three of us had ordered was also brought to the table on a small dish for us to share in addition to our kebab.


The pan fried fish kebab (AKA seafood platter) was dredged in the most flavourful, tasty, yummy batter I have ever tasted in my life. There is also a dark sauce added to it, which adds a whole new yummy dimension to the dish. There were homemade french fries (crispy and hot) and a romaine salad served with each meal. If you prefer only fries or only salad, let the server know. With the salad you have the option of a feta dressing or herb dressing, I tried the feta which tasted very strongly of feta and garlic, but was quite delicious.

The ambiance in the restaurant is slightly frantic, loud, overcrowded yet everyone is happy, enjoying their delicious food and the unique atmosphere. The music was quite loud at first causing us to have to holler/scream talk, but the request to lower the music was obliged and once it was turned down made for easier dinner conversation.

We had a wonderful meal and the company added to the great experience. If you heading to Bullock's for a meal, leave all your previous dining expectations at home. You are not heading to Earl's or Moxie's, nor the Five Fishermen. Bullock's is kind of like eating at a huge family reunion being hosted at your aunt's house. It will be crowded, loud, someone may yell at you to move your chair or ask if someone can sit at your table, but the food will be great and that is why people keep coming back.

Here is Jason with the leftovers, self wrapped in butcher's paper and placed into a cardboard box to prevent leakage. No environmentally unfriendly styrofoam "to go" containers here!

Lunch au Wildcat Cafe

Le Wildcat Cafe
3186 Wiley Street, Oldtown, Yellowknife
Opens at 7am
Prices range from $$ to $$$$$



Today I had the pleasure of having lunch at one of Yellowknife's more famous restaurants, Le Wildcat Cafe. My friend and I decided to go at 1pm in order to avoid a big noon lunch rush. We were pleased to see that while le Wildcat was nice and full, it was not overcrowded. Before entering the restaurant you are greeted with this sign that helps to explain the seating procedure of le Wildcat.

There are long benches and wooden tables on each side of the restaurant that will comfortably sit around six adults. In three of the corners of the room there are smaller tables that will sit two to four adults. This restaurant is separated into two rooms, one for the kitchen and the other is the main dining area. The walls are beautiful, rustic, stained wooden logs and boards. Olden day artifacts adorn the walls and corners. Be sure to look up to see an old saw strung across the rafters as well as a well used paddle.


Le Wildcat also has additional seating available on the patio adjacent to the restaurant. A sign advises patrons to be sure to go into the restaurant to let the server know that you are there. With temperatures hovering around eight degrees Celsius today, we decided to dine inside!

The ambiance of le Wildcat is fantastic, you truly feel as if you have been transported 60 years into the past. I wouldn't have been at all surprised to see a burly woodsman in a plaid jacket with an axe slung over his shoulder saunter in through the front door. Actually, in Yellowknife that probably wouldn't be too far fetched anyway.

The servers were highly competent, something I always appreciate when dining in our lovely metropolis. As for the lunch menu, the prices range from reasonable to quite pricey, depending on the items. The menu is quite a bit larger than what I had suspected, so the selection was quite plentiful.

My friend and I both ordered the arctic char burger which is served on a scrumptious and fresh kaiser bun. The bun is smeared with slightly overpowering garlic mayonnaise, lettuce and thin slices of red onion. As for the arctic char itself, it was sheer culinary perfection, lovely and soft, not at all overcooked or hard, allowing the obviously fresh flavor of the arctic char to dominate the burger. I wasn't so fond of their fried potato wedges, they were a very dark brown colour... chewy on the inside, overly crispy and over fried on the outside. I would have greatly enjoyed the option for either a fresh salad or a roasted potato in it's place.


At $18 a plate for each arctic char burger plus a soft drink each our bill totaled just over $40. A little steep for lunch in my opinion, however I will be back to try both their breakfast and dinner menus.

Return to YK BP

Breaking news flash, I have broken my seven month long boycott of YK BP and returned to try it once again. Of course this was due to our friend’s suggestion, but I gritted my teeth and back I went. Sure enough our server was the same gal who seven months ago screeched at me that she did not KNOW what types of herbal teas they offer, I can’t expect her to know EVERYTHING. She did not KNOW why our appetizers took 30 minutes to come to the table in an empty restaurant and why they were stone cold and gluey. Let’s just say I felt nervous in her presence once again, sweat actually beaded on my palms. But I played it cool... and prayed silently that she did not remember me.

Let’s start at the beginning though. We were seated by a young person who had yet to master the fine art of verbal communication and manners. Of course I can deal with that as they were not being outwardly rude, just seemingly incapable of human to human speech.

Example: Hostess hands menu to Hubby. Hubby replies, “Thank you very much!” Hostess stares at ceiling and replies, “Yuh.”

Note: Yes, I did watch her eyes stare at the ceiling and no she did not manage to say an articulate “yeah”, it was definitely, “yuh.” To confirm this occurrence when the hostess handed me my menu I replied with another, “Thanks a lot!” To which the hostess continued to gaze far, far away and again said, “Yuh.”

Okay. While it didn’t start out great, I was relieved that the seating part of our dinner went as smoothly as it did. Next came our server to take our drink order. Again, I was nervous and very uneasy when I realized it was THE SAME SERVER WHO SCREAMED AT ME OVER HERBAL TEA, so I channeled my inner Deepak Chopra and forged on with the ordering process.

It was truly like a miracle had occurred at YK BP. This once shockingly rude and hysterical young individual spoke to us appropriately, politely and was at ease with the order taking and food serving process. She calmly rattled off what beer they had for Hubby and calmly and politely told me that their slush machine was out of order, so no Boston Bellini for me.

I literally can say I was stunned with this experience but in a happy and wonderful way. Our food was served promptly and was actually hot. (My one teeny beverage critique would be that my Caesar was so fiery hot that I doubt a fire breathing dragon could consume it... just had to say!)

To conclude, my final thoughts for YK BP is to give them a nice pat on the back as it was obvious to me they have made a big endeavor to improve the customer service offered by their establishment. Kudos to you YK BP!

Best Ever Reader Submitted Comment!

In case you missed this fantastic reader submitted comment in the comments section, I am posting it here as it contains some valuable info for all of us Yellowknife dining gurus.

I was laughing out loud 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 perceive 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 chaos. 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?

For more of Jason's wonderful and thought provoking commentary, check out his blog here. I am really looking forward to going back and trying it again, when are we going?

Keeping it Real - Restaurants in YK Part 2

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!

Keeping it Real - Restaurants in YK Part 1

I find there is very little online info on restaurants in YK. I really dislike going to a new restaurant without prior knowledge of the place, so here is a rundown if you are looking for a place to eat in YK. I welcome and encourage all you Northern Bloggers to respond and blog about your experiences to help out all the Northern Newbies looking for a place to eat. If you know of any hidden gems, please let the rest of us know!

Note to Newbies: Never feel like you are under dressed when dining out in YK. It is not possible. So strike that worry from your dear minds.

$$$$$ is the most expensive rating and $ is the lowest.

Le Frolic Bistro Bar
$$$$
5019 49 Street, or as we say in YK, across from the mall

I have mixed feelings about this place. It is one of the more upscale dining establishments in YK. Initially it was my absolute favourite place to eat. While the atmosphere is fantastic, the best I have yet to see in YK, like all things YK the service and food is hit and miss, which I find disappointing beyond belief. I have probably ate there about six times, the first four times we enjoyed very nice, well cooked and presented meals with on par service and walked away feeling satisfied and leaving a nice tip for our server, always a good sign. The last two visits we had some bad service and not so great food, we haven’t returned since.

Final thoughts: Great ambiance, mediocre service, pricy drinks, expect to pay $30ish for entrees and $15ish for starters. Don’t miss the Crab Cakes, Arctic Char or Bison Burger. For the price, I expect vastly better and consistent service. Try it out and hope you catch them on a good day.

Fuego
$$$$
4915 50th Street

Hubby and I had our V Day dinner at Fuego this year. For Valentine’s Day, they opened up their upper banquet room to accommodate the extra bookings. I don’t really have many great things to say about our experience, so here is the rundown. The room we ate in smelled very musty and old. The servers were vastly unknowledgeable. The Tinhorn Creek Pinot Blanc was grossly overpriced... $46 for a bottle that sells for $16 at their winery and $22 ish at the YK Liquor Store. A portion of our meal was still FROZEN inside, the duck was 100% uncooked, it was supposed to be cooked. My last beef was the included 20% gratuity. I have known many servers and know how darn hard some of them work. I understand why some establishments include a gratuity on the bill. But at Fuego on February 14th, the service was just bad. There was plenty of staff to accommodate the number of patrons, but these gals were just young and unknowledgeable. They really didn’t care about what they were doing, but tried to maintain the fact that they were extremely posh folk. I didn’t want to tip these kids 20%... because they sucked at their job and served me below par, overpriced food. It was obvious they were not well prepared for the numbers they booked and fed that evening.

Final thoughts: I will try it out again on a non holiday in the future. The ambiance in the bottom level was pretty modern for little ol’ YK. If you do go, skip the V Day meal.

Taste of Saigon
$
4913 50 Street

Please try this place out and enjoy their consistent, yummy, affordable food. As the name suggests, they serve Vietnamese cuisine and their slogan is, “Vietnamese dining at its best” and I agree. The interior is clean, and well maintained. The staff is pretty efficient and friendly. They offer a great, speedy take out service. I highly recommend #44 or #45!

Final thoughts: Do it. It’s good. Order by the number and not the name, it will be worth it.

Boston Pizza
$$ ½
5102 48 Street

I genuinely cannot formulate any sort of review for YK BP. I went. It was bad. I wrote the company. They sent me 4 free vouchers for personal size pizza and a fountain pop. I donated them to a kid’s program run by Hubby’s work. According to the manager they have a really hard time finding and retaining good employees. It shows.

Final thoughts: It’s a great chain to have in YK, I may in fact return one day... maybe.

L’Attitudes
$$
Upper Level, YK Centre Mall

This is one place I go back to again and again. Consistent, friendly, knowledgeable servers, which I love. There is a modernish, clean atmosphere and the food is always good to great. Kind of reminds me of an upscale Irving Big Stop, if ya know what I mean my Maritime peeps. (That’s a good thing for the rest of you!) They have a mean chicken finger, great wraps, the salads are always fresh, and the fries are crispy and plentiful. Oh yes. We like that. L’Atitudes is the perfect place for a quick or leisurely lunch.

Final thoughts: I am pretty sure you can’t go wrong with this place! However, this is YK, so nothing is ever definite.

A Must When in YK

Sushi North!

After living in B.C., I became addicted to the sush. I simply love the flavours, the texture of this wonderful cuisine and I especially LOVE wasabi. It's my favourite thing ever.

Sushi North is the only sushi restaurant in YK. Apparently it opened a few years ago seasonally to accommodate the influx of Japanese tourists and due to the popularity amongst the locals, they now are opened year round.

I had once tried take out from there and just recently dined in at the restaurant. It is simply and modernly decorated and very bright and cheerful with large, bright local art featured on the walls. All prices include tax, which is something that always appeals to me and the prices are on par with what you would pay in B.C. They only accept cash for now, so if you are like me and never carry cash, stop by the bank machine before going. (There are banks located very close to SN.) Their California Roll is priced at $6.00 as is their Dynamite and Veg Roll, with the other single items ranging from $5.00 to $15.00. They offer box specials that are priced at $11.00, $15.00, and $32.00.

The menu is relatively small in comparison to other sushi restaurants I have tried in other provinces and states, everything that I and my dining companions have tried has been tasty and fresh.

Pictured above is their Veg Roll, California Roll and Ebi Nigri Sush. Notice how nice and green the avacado is!
Sushi North is located on 50th Ave next to Sutherland's Drugs and is closed on Sundays. Try it out the next time you find yourself in YK!