Category: EDCI 336 (page 2 of 3)

For this week’s blog, I have to admit I’m fairly swamped with homework. Due to this, I didn’t have the time to go to a fancy takeout spot as I have been for my past few blogs. I did, however, drive right past a newly opened chicken takeout spot, so I decided why not and stopped in for a meal. This restaurant was Mary Brown’s Chicken. Located on Admirals and Aldersmith in Esquimalt, Mary Brown’s, in the nicest way possible, just like every other chicken restaurant. The question is now, is it better than all those other chicken restaurants? Lee’s Chicken scored 20/40 on my scale, let’s see if Mary Brown’s can top it.

My Order: Buffalo Mary Sandwich

Appearance: 2/10

Ummmmmmmmmmmmm, to say the least, this is bad. Bland, bland, and blander are all I can think of when I look at this. The sandwich is mushed, and overall just not very appealing. I gotta admit though, the box the fries come in is pretty cool. I’ve never seen a fry box like this before, so for that alone, Mary Brown’s gets a few points in the appearance category. Other than that, I’m fairly disappointed, 2/10

Taste: 3/10

For what this sandwich lacks in appearance, it only somewhat makes up for in taste. To begin, the buffalo sauce they used was very sweet. Sweet to the point of it not tasting like buffalo sauce anymore. This really threw me off on my first bite. I expected the oh-so-delicious taste of buffalo sauce. Instead, all I got was disappointment. After a few more bites, I mean, I guess it tasted good? It definitely wasn’t bad tasting but it also was in no way good. Oh, and I almost forgot, THE WHOLE THING WAS SOGGY. Not just damp, but soggy. How does this even happen? I can understand if the sauce got the bun a little damp, but legitimately, the sandwich was wet. Just came out of the pool on a summer’s day wet. Not something I want a sandwich to be at all, 3/10.

Customer Service: 3/10

This place is just straight-up weird. Bad vibes all around for sure. Much like Lee’s chicken, when I went to Mary Brown’s, at that point, it had just been open for a few days. Meaning you’d expect some things not to go according to plan. The usual being misplaced items or long wait times, but here, the staff was just rude. Genuinely rude, not only to me but to many other customers. They were even rude to other coworkers. This wasn’t just one employee either. It was multiple employees, who seemed to not care one bit. They also asked if I wanted gravy with my meal, which I of course said yes too. I assumed it was free, but to my surprise, when looking at the receipt, I noticed that the gravy cost two whole dollars. Nobody even told me it was extra. Not an ideal look for a newly opened spot, 3/10.

Bang for Your Buck 4/10

In total, my meal came out to 15.11 taxes included, with a Pepsi and of course, the infamous gravy cup. Considering it would have been two dollars less without the gravy cup, this isn’t a bad deal. It’s pretty much the standard for all the chicken takeout places to be between 12 and 15 dollars for a meal, making it quite average. An average price for a less-than-average meal, 4/10.

Final score Breakdown

Appearance: 2/10

Taste 3/10

Customer Service: 3/10

Bang for your buck: 4/10

Final score: 12/40

Yikes

Final Thoughts

Mary Brown’s was a complete and utter letdown. I honestly thought it would be better than Lee’s chicken and Popeyes. Sadly, it was significantly worse due to numerous reasons. Maybe it was just a bad day for good ol Mary Brown or maybe it’s just bad. I’ll probably stop in another time soon to test this but as of right now, Mary Brown’s leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Literally and figuratively. Be very wary of eating here and happy Halloween!

P.S. Sorry for this being a shorter blog, as I mentioned I’ve been struggling with homework. Be expecting fuller-length food reviews again soon!

Jaxon’s Top Takeout in Victoria List

1. Rise and Grind, Downtown – 35/40
2. Italian Food Imports, Downtown – 33/40
3. RedFish BlueFish, Inner Harbour – 29/40
4. Foo Asian Street Food, Downtown -25/40
5. Lee’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 20/40
6. Mary Brown’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 12/40
   
   
   

For this week’s blog, I decided to get one of my favourite types of food, Italian food. Now you may be thinking hmmm, I wonder which pasta restaurant he went to? Fiamo maybe? What about II Terrazzo? This is where you’d be wrong. Instead of going with the stereotypical western idea of Italian food, for example, pasta and pizza. I decided to get an Italian sub from Italian Food Imports! Located on Blanshard and View Street, Italian Food Imports is a bustling market that serves as both a grocery store and as an Italian sandwich shop. Truly the best of both worlds, but does it have what it takes to crack the top of my prestigious list? Let’s find out.

My Order: Ultimate Meatball Panini

Appearance: 6/10

As you can tell from the video above, the appearance is nothing special. Personally, when I think of a meatball panini, I imagine cheese and sauce spilling out the sides with big meatballs splitting the middle of the sandwich. Here we have none of that. There is some sauce spilling out, but besides that, it just looks like two pieces of bread stuck together. Two ever so slightly burnt pieces of bread at that. Even with all these fallacies, I must admit, it does look pretty yummy, 6/10

Taste: 10/10

Here we have it folks, our first 10/10. In the taste category as well, like c’mon people we got something special here. Where do I even begin? This sandwich was just so yummy, like life-altering. Every single component worked so well together, culminating in each bite being an explosion of flavours. Not to mention, the ingredients were so fresh, the meatballs were delicious and I believe the bread is housemade. Making for a genuinely special sandwich. I legitimately can’t even describe how good this sandwich was. Even writing this, I feel like I’m doing it no justice, with this poor writeup, but there’s nothing I can do. This sandwich simply has me speechless. All I can say is you must get one. I can guarantee it’ll be one of the better if not one of the best sandwiches you will ever eat. What are you even doing still reading this, GO GET ONE, 10/10.

Customer Service: 9/10

The customer service at this place is awesome. To start, due to it doubling as a grocery store, this little shop is always packed with people buying all sorts of things. You would think this would mean, having to wait in line forever, but to my surprise, it was quite the opposite. Yes, the line was long, yet it moved incredibly fast as the pace of all the staff was insane. All the workers moved with speed and purpose. It honestly looked like they were on a cooking show or something with how serious they were taking their job. This incredible focus in no way stops the worker’s kindness. Everyone I spoke to was very friendly and personable. I even laughed a couple of times as in the few brief conversations I had, many jokes were cracked. All those positives culminated in an awesome atmosphere with even better customer service, 9/10.

Bang for your buck: 8/10

In total, my meal came out to 16.50, including taxes and a two-dollar tip. To top it all off, I also got bottled iced tea with my meal. On the surface, this may seem pricey but in all honesty, this is fairly cheap. Most takeout meals of this quality cost around 15 dollars alone. This price doesn’t include taxes, doesn’t include a two-dollar tip and most importantly, doesn’t include a bottled iced tea. So, getting everything I got for that cheap of a price is something my wallet is very happy about. It may not be the cheapest in the world, but for what you get, it’s pretty damn good, 8/10

Final score Breakdown

Appearance: 6/10

Taste 10/10

Customer Service: 9/10

Bang for your buck: 8/10

Final score: 33/40

Final Thoughts

All I can say is, just go. Italian Food Imports may not crack the top of my list but for the taste alone this place is a must. After eating my sub, I was genuinely flabbergasted by how good it was.

Jaxon’s Top Takeout in Victoria List

1. Rise and Grind, Downtown – 35/40
2. Italian Food Imports, Downtown – 33/40
3. RedFish BlueFish, Inner Harbour – 29/40
4. Foo Asian Street Food, Downtown -25/40
5. Lee’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 20/40

Instead of heading to the occasional lunch-dinner type spot, for this week’s blog, I decided to head to a top breakfast spot in Victoria, Rise and Grind. Situated on Broad Street, Rise and Grind is an experimental breakfast spot housing a variety of predominantly breakfast sandwiches. I’ve heard nothing but good things about this place, but I also said that about the last three places and found myself disappointed in all three. Will this be the outlier, lets’s find out.

My Order: Big Mac Drip Sandwich

Appearance: 9/10

Ok, before I get into the appearance of my meal, I need to set some things straight. First, I know my picture isn’t great but let me explain. So this past week I’ve frantically been in the process of getting my passport renewed so I can go to the Seattle Mariners playoff. It’s been such a grind honestly. On Tuesday night, they called and told me I would have to come to the passport office at 8:30 AM the next day. If I didn’t, they said I wouldn’t be able to get my passport, so basically, I had no choice. I went in, the meeting went smooth, and I decided to get some breakfast after. The only problem was, it was about 9:30 ish when the meeting ended. To say the least, I was quite late for class. Therefore, I rushed and got my food, I rushed to get back to my car and I rushed while taking the pic. So sorry guys, my picture isn’t great but let me tell you about this beautiful meal.

If you never had a Big Mac Drip sandwich, let me explain how it’s composed so you can visualize it for yourself. From top to bottom, layer by layer, here’s how it goes; Eggo waffle, bacon strips, egg, Eggo waffle, sausage patty, egg, bacon strips, Eggo waffle, bacon strips, egg and finally, one more Eggo waffle. Oh, and you get a cup of maple syrup on the side. What an absolute monstrosity, but boy is it beautiful. Trust me, 9/10.

Taste: 9/10

Just as it is amazing on the eyes, the Big Mac Drip sandwich is amazing on the taste buds. I don’t even know where to begin. The combination of flavours is overwhelming but oh-so-good. From the sweetness of the syrup to the salty of the sausage and bacon. Everything blends perfectly. Then on top of that, you have a fluffy Eggo waffle to piece everything together. It’s unconventional but it works so well, 9/10.

Customer Service: 9/10

I walked in pretty much right as they opened, which could have gone one of two ways. Either the workers would of been ready for the day and happy to help or they would of been still sleepy and the service would of been on the slower side. I expected the latter but to my surprise the service was fast, friendly and enjoyable. All the workers were extremely friendly and within 5 minutes I was out of the restaurant. Perfect for a quick morning bite, 9/10

Bang for your Buck: 8/10

In total my meal came out to 18.05, taxes included, with a two dollar tip and a 12oz coffee. This may seem pricey for a breakfast sandwich but what you have to remember is the absolute huge amount of food you get inside the sandwich. There’s 3 eggo waffles, 3 eggs, numerous pieces of bacon and a sausage patty. So although the price may seem steep, for the amount of food you’re getting it’s worth it, 8/10

Final score Breakdown

Appearance: 9/10

Taste 9/10

Customer Service: 9/10

Bang for your buck: 8/10

Final score: 35/40

Final Thoughts

To conclude, Rise and Grind is awesome. It’s easily my favourite breakfast spot in the city. I cannot believe how good it truly is. There’s not much more to say besides it’s amazing, you have to go.

Jaxon’s Top Takeout in Victoria List

1. Rise and Grind, Downtown – 35/40
2. RedFish BlueFish, Inner Harbour – 29/40
3. Foo Asian Street Food, Downtown -25/40
4. Lee’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 20/40

For this week’s inquiry blog, I decided to stop in at a Victoria takeout classic, Foo Asian Street Food. Found on the corner of Yates and Blanshard, Foo is a laidback eatery serving a range of Asian street food-inspired dishes. It’s a quaint little restaurant for sure, but this does not mean it doesn’t pack a punch. Does it have a big enough punch to top my list though? Let’s find out.

My Order: Red Coconut Curry

Appearance: 7/10

I’m going to be honest, when I first opened the takeout box, I was caught a little off guard. I mean look, it’s like everything was just tossed in there with no regard for appearance. Of course, I don’t expect them to make it look like a 5-star meal but still, some care is appreciated. I must admit, it still looks pretty good though. The assortment of vegetables gives it a nice pop of colour in contrast to a rather bland-looking assortment of chicken pieces. Overall, I wish a little more care was put into the appearance but still, it looks quite yummy, 7/10.

Taste: 6/10

Coconut curry is something my mom has made for dinner for years in my house. It has practically become a staple meal of our family. Thus, my exceptions were very high for this coconut curry. Not to mention, all I’ve heard about Foo in the past few years has been positive. So did it meet expectations? Well, sorta. I’ll start with the positives. The curry sauce was impeccably creamy, albeit a little too coconutty for my taste. Ok, that’s all for the positives, now time for the negatives. First off, non of the vegetables were cooked properly. Almost all, if not all, of the vegetables, were between this weird middle area of being cooked and being completely raw. Soft and crunchy at the same time, not exactly ideal. Next, the chicken just felt off. I don’t know how to explain it but something was weird there. It was rubbery but slimy and some pieces appeared undercooked. Finally, the rice was 100% overcooked and tasted like it had been left out for a while. Honestly, it probably was. So, to be honest, I’m very conflicted when it comes to this meal. It was delicious, I can’t lie about that, but so much just felt off with it. The taste was there but the texture wasn’t, 7/10.

Customer Service: 7/10

The customer service was fine. It was quick, I only waited about 10 minutes for my food. Although I have to admit, the person who was taking my order was a little rude. They seemed entirely distracted by their friend who happened to walk into the restaurant right after me. I was practically forced to speed up my order just so the server could chat with their friend. I understand that this was a specific circumstance with a specific person but nonetheless, it made my experience while in the restaurant less enjoyable, 7/10.

Bang for your Buck: 5/10

In total, my meal came out to 23.00, taxes included, with a two-dollar tip and a Phillips rootbeer. I’m not entirely pleased with this price. The portion size was above average, but nothing special. Plus, when you add in all the problems I had with the food, it just feels a bit pricey. I dont know, pretty average, 5/10.

Final score Breakdown

Appearance: 7/10

Taste 6/10

Customer Service: 7/10

Bang for your buck: 5/10

Final score: 25/40

Final Thoughts

To conclude, Foo left me conflicted. Nothing about the experience was inherently wrong. So much was just off. It may have just been the item I ordered, it may have been the restaurant’s wrongdoing or maybe the staff was having an off day. We will never know, but what I do know, is that my experience was tainted. I came in with high expectations and left disappointed. I wish it could have gone another way foo, but here we are.

Jaxon’s Top Takeout in Victoria List

1. RedFish BlueFish, Inner Harbour – 29/40
2. Foo Asian Street Food, Downtown -25/40
3. Lee’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 20/40

For my second inquiry blog, I decided to stop in at Red Fish Blue Fish. Located downtown, right on the ocean, Red Fish Blue Fish is a seafood eatery housing various fish dishes. Ranging from common Victoria bites like fish and chips to more experimental plates. For example, the cod dog, which is a hot dog made with cod rather than the standard beef concoction.

Red Fish Blue Fish is definitely a cool little spot to take a picture at but is it also a good place to eat? Let’s find out.

My Order: Two Piece Cod Fish and Chips

Appearance: 7/10

Coming in a standard takeout fry tray the two-piece cod looks exquisite. Evenly distributed with everything placed with care, I was truly pleased with what I received. I mean just look at this meal, you cannot tell me it doesn’t look good. Although, it does look a bit bland which knocks some points off. I think this has to do more with the two main items of the meal being brown, nonetheless, 7/10.

Taste: 6/10

I can’t lie, when I saw how delicious the meal looked, I was so excited to eat it. Plus, I’ve had numerous people tell me how amazing this place is. After a few bites though, I realized that RedFish Blue Fish is not the godsend everyone raves it is. Instead, it was just some pretty average fish and chips. I could have gone to any common fish and chip spot in Victoria and gotten the same thing. It may be my fault for having such high expectations but that doesn’t make me any less disappointed. The fish was extremely fresh and flakey though so it gets raised above a 5, simply for that, 6/10

Customer Service: 8/10

There’s not much to say here besides that the service was quick and efficient. I waited in line for 10 min, ordered, and then received my food 5 minutes later. The servers were also extremely personable and sparked a quick conversation with me, which I appreciated. I have heard, that if you go around lunchtime you may have to wait in line for 30+ minutes, as it is quite a popular spot. So be cautious if you plan to go for lunch, 8/10

Bang for your Buck: 7/10

In total my meal came out to 23.26, taxes included and with a two-dollar tip. This is fairly standard when it comes to ordering from fish and chips places. If anything it’s pretty cheap for two huge pieces of fish. Halfway through the meal, I was completely full and decided to save the rest for a later occasion. Great bang for your buck as it provided me with two separate meals, 7/10.

Final score Breakdown

Appearance: 7/10

Taste 6/10

Customer Service: 8/10

Bang for your buck: 8/10

Final score: 29/40

Final Thoughts

To finish, RedFish BlueFish is an awesome spot with great views and good food. Although it’s nothing particularly mindblowing, the fish is fresh, flakey and delicious. I would recommend this restaurant to any of my family or friends. Be wary though of the long wait times. Make sure that if you are planning to stop in for lunch that you go early to beat the rush.

Jaxon’s Top Takeout in Victoria List

1. RedFish BlueFish, Inner Harbour – 29/40
2. Lee’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 20/40