Note: This review was originally posted on Dine Here and reposted to this blog on Sep 16, 2013.
I've been to Cattle (every location) many times and I've never been disappointed.
The ambiance is just average and is typical for most Chinese cafe-style restaurants.
The service is pretty average as well. If you've been to one Chinese cafe, you know what I mean.
The value is pretty solid as you get free hot tea and the meals are around $8. The most popular choice at Cattle is the noodle bowl. For just under $8, you select your soup base, your noodle, two items (eg. tofu puffs, beef brisket, fish slices, etc.), and any premium side items at an extra charge (eg. fried chicken wings, pork cutlet, etc.). The meals and noodle bowl all come with a hot drink, or a special drink for another $2. The special drinks include bubbleteas, smoothies, and shakes, which are all fairly large.
The food is good, if not better than the average Chinese cafe. I've tried a few flavours of their milkshakes, and they have all been good. Their mini-meals and their baked meals are all pretty decent, and their noodles are great. I've tried a few different soup bases, and my favourite is the Tom Yum soup. It's a bit tarte and spicy, so be forewarned (as not everyone may be accustomed to that).
Summary (repeat of above)
Food: Good.
Service: Average.
Setting: Average. Almost every location is cramped and parking is average at best.
Value: Good. You get a big bowl of noodles or meal with a drink for under $10. If you spend another $2 you get a bubbletea.
Friday, March 18, 2011
508 Bistro
Note: This review was originally posted on Dine Here and reposted to this blog on Sep 16, 2013.
J and I always see this place as we drive by on Kingsway, and we decided to finally try it out. The restaurant is spacious and the atmosphere is a little hard to pinpoint. Clearly, it used to be a lounge/bar. The service was average to good, as we had to flag down the servers whenever we needed them. The prices were average and comparable to others in its category. We ordered a bubbletea which was surprisingly better than a majority of establishments that specialize in making bubbletea. What makes this restaurant unique is their Taiwanese style to their dishes.
We ordered three dishes and an appetizer. The first was a stir-fry pork with chillies which was quite spicy and tasty. The second dish was a fried rice with dried shrimp. It too was pretty good and not too greasy the way most restaurants make fried rice. The third was the well-known 3 cup chicken. At first, I wasn't too excited about ordering it, but at 508 Bistro they make it with boneless chicken which wasn't drowned in sauce. Another good dish. Finally, our appetizer was the handmade beef roll (another common dish at Chinese restaurants). They use a thicker wrap than most places, but it was quite soft and fluffy. The beef was tender and it came with a delicious garlic dipping sauce. Instant favourite.
We are already planning on returning with my family as we were happily surprised at the quality of the food. As of the time of writing this review, the restaurant is open in the evenings only (until late, for those with midnight cravings), plus lunch on weekends (not weekdays).
Summary
Food: Good. Although a little on the greasy side, the dishes were very flavorful and their drinks are made well.
Service: Average. Nothing good or bad to mention.
Setting: Good. Parking is readily available and the interior of the restaurant is nice.
Value: Average. The dishes were average priced for Taiwanese eateries in its class, but the dish sizes were a little on the smaller side.
J and I always see this place as we drive by on Kingsway, and we decided to finally try it out. The restaurant is spacious and the atmosphere is a little hard to pinpoint. Clearly, it used to be a lounge/bar. The service was average to good, as we had to flag down the servers whenever we needed them. The prices were average and comparable to others in its category. We ordered a bubbletea which was surprisingly better than a majority of establishments that specialize in making bubbletea. What makes this restaurant unique is their Taiwanese style to their dishes.
We ordered three dishes and an appetizer. The first was a stir-fry pork with chillies which was quite spicy and tasty. The second dish was a fried rice with dried shrimp. It too was pretty good and not too greasy the way most restaurants make fried rice. The third was the well-known 3 cup chicken. At first, I wasn't too excited about ordering it, but at 508 Bistro they make it with boneless chicken which wasn't drowned in sauce. Another good dish. Finally, our appetizer was the handmade beef roll (another common dish at Chinese restaurants). They use a thicker wrap than most places, but it was quite soft and fluffy. The beef was tender and it came with a delicious garlic dipping sauce. Instant favourite.
We are already planning on returning with my family as we were happily surprised at the quality of the food. As of the time of writing this review, the restaurant is open in the evenings only (until late, for those with midnight cravings), plus lunch on weekends (not weekdays).
Summary
Food: Good. Although a little on the greasy side, the dishes were very flavorful and their drinks are made well.
Service: Average. Nothing good or bad to mention.
Setting: Good. Parking is readily available and the interior of the restaurant is nice.
Value: Average. The dishes were average priced for Taiwanese eateries in its class, but the dish sizes were a little on the smaller side.
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