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| - Location: On Monkland, corner of Oxford. Street parking available and it's not a pain in the arse to find. The closest subway is Villa Maria - cross the street and walk straight on down.
The place: I like the space - minimal decor, lots of dark floors and walls, dimly lit, very casual vibe. They have a decent-sized terrace as well.
The food: I split an appetizer with my date and we decided to go for the firecracker shrimp. The shrimp were quite big, and from a flavor perspective, they were pretty darn good with just a tiny hint of heat. My main was the Saigon salad - black soba noodles (served cold), shaved beets, cabbage, Taro and mango with a sesame vinaigrette. Frankly, I wanted to love this dish but I just liked it. My plate was basically layers of shaved vegetables on top of noodles that were hidden at the very bottom of the plate, and a vinaigrette served on the side. Personally, I think the dish would be better if it was served mixed - as in, mix that sh*t up instead of making me work for it. I also felt like it was lacking something and that something was meat. Chicken or shrimp would have completed the salad for me. Lastly, I think chunks of beets (or other veggies) would have been nicer than shaved veggies. In any case, the salad was good, just not the best cold noodle dish I've had. My date had the salmon and enjoyed it. We didn't have dessert because, frankly, their desserts were incredibly boring.
Service: Very friendly. The hostess was super smiley and helpful, and our waiter was as well.
Price point: For what it is, I think it's a little pricey. As another reviewer mentioned, their starters are very expensive. For half an appetizer, my main and wine, it cost me $40.
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