Juski

I finally made it to Quilon, a little Indian restaurant on #3 Road that I passed by ALL the time years ago but was never interested in. It wasn't until my most recent trip back in town this past summer that I really started to take notice of this place because during dinner time, I would see just bodies standing in the windows, signifying people waiting for tables, signifying busyness, signifying I must check it out!

So after talking about it for a couple of months, my friend Mar and I tried it out tonight. It was a cold November evening and thick, saucy, filling, fattening Indian food was what my belly demanded.

Service: Service was slow, our waitress had a little hygiene issue, and we had to go up to the kitchen to wait to be seated, that's about the only complaints I have for the place. Oh, and maybe the too-bright light right above our heads, you know, the kind where some women wouldn't want to be seated right under for a first date with a hottie.

This is the type of restaurant that isn't much to look at from the street, but when you walk through the door, there are newspaper clippings of the restaurant all over the walls. This place is popular through word of mouth and apparently is famous for its dosas. These huge crepe-like things can be plain, or filled with vegetables. The texture and feel is just like those Parisian crepes you can get filled with chicken salad or filled with strawberries and bananas.

Food: To start, we were served papadum with a spicy dip. That was gone while we chatted away about Britney and Fedex like they were our neighbors. We ordered the masala dosa (paper thin crepe with vegetable filling, mostly onions and potatoes). Every table had one of these huge crepes! It was quite delicious. The filling part was only the middle 3/5 of the whole crepe, so being smart eaters, we ripped away the unfilled parts first and ate the dosa from the inside out. Didn't even finish it! Three people would have been perfect in sharing one dosa. I ordered fish korma (my favorite sauce made of mainly coriander and cashew nuts) and my friend ordered prawn vindaloo. Oh dear, I love korma. The korma was great! Of course, I'm not really critical about the food I eat, unless it really tastes like shit, but this korma was so good and creamy, like a good korma should be. The vindaloo had good consistency, with six big prawns! Yes, six! Peeled without tails! Each dish also came with rice AND naan. Total price was $44 including tax and tips. What a great deal! Before, we had to run to Vancouver's Punjabi Market for some good Indian grub. Now, we can have it in the comfort of #3 Road and Westminster. Definitely a place I shall return. And return. And return. And I promise to be adventurous next time and NOT get the korma.

6030 Number 3 Road Richmond BC
604.303.0011
Fax: 604.448.9375
Open 11 AM to 10 PM, closed Mondays

www.bcrestaurants.ca/quilon

4.5/5

A poker playin girl friend once told me about this restaurant when I returned to Vancouver. I'm not a gambler, and would not voluntarily go to the casino. But when that same girl friend's birthday came up and I found myself planning a surprise birthday dinner, I knew exactly the place to go: Tramonto Italian Fine Dining @ River Rock Casino and Resort in Richmond.

The surprise dinner party was planned for 7.30. The ambience was classy but vibrant. Bonus points! Italian restaurants are great for people like me who love to chatter and laugh out louder than usual! Our waiter, Steve, looked like Uncle Joey from Full House. I swear!

To start, my friend Anna and I shared the Antipasto Platter but she's a vegetarian, I'm a pescatarian, so we gave the meat items to our friends:

Jumbo prawns, bay scallops, house smoked salmon, prosciutto, fresh tomatoes with mozzarella, roasted portobello mushrooms, grilled asparagus, eggplant, courgette,
roasted sweet peppers, marinated artichokes, Kalamata and mixed Cerignola olives.
For one $15
For two $26
For four $38

For my main I had the crab risotto.

An amaretto sour during breaking bread time, and a bottle of 2004 Wild Goose Gewurtz shared with two others during dinner.

The best part of the meal was the bread, I thought. The restaurant bakes its own whole wheat loaf with dates and rosemary. We had three baskets! The next time I go there I will ask to buy a couple of loaves.

Points for ambience.
Points for comfort and view.
Points for bread, service, wine selection.
The food was beautifully presented and there is nothing bad to say about it. I took off .5 for the priciness of the food, which I've had for cheaper elsewhere. However, the ambience and coziness factors bring that negative aspect way up. Am I making myself clear here? Sorry, finger-tied.

This link brings you to the website and menu. Note that the menu changes.

Here is a pasta dish a friend ordered. It's strips of beef and vegies tossed with flat noodles. Looks good!


Open daily from 5-11 PM. All major credit cards accepted. Reservations recommended.
8811 River Road Richmond BC V6X 3P8 (On the third floor of the hotel building, tucked in a corner)
604.274.8900