Sura Korean Restaurant, Downtown

Over the years I have had the opportunity to try many Korean dishes from homemade to restaurants; and, I have to say that I absolutely love Korean BBQ. There are numerous things I enjoy about Korean BBQ, from the delicious marinated meats, kimchee, friendly staff, but the number one thing is the dining experience. Where else do you go to eat at where you get to grill your own food right at your table?

Sura, definitely nails all the things I love about Korean BBQ. They have amazingly friendly and attentive staff, great selection, reasonable prices and delicious food. The only difference is that at Sura, the waitstaff cook your food for you. Now, this was a bit of a disappointment for me, but thinking back, it was actually a nice change. It ensured the food was cooked properly and it allowed me more time to socialize with my family.

 If you are reading this and wondering if Sura is the place for you? I say try it, you won't be dissapointed - I know I wasn't!

Wah Lai Yuen, Chinatown - Victoria

I have read and heard from a few that Wah Lai Yuen "isn't what it used to be"; and, "it's gone down hill". Well, let me tell you what it used to be: It used to be good food with not so good service. The food always came out quickly, but the servers were always a tad on the rude side.

Now, let me tell you what it is currently: the food is still good, but now the service seem good as well.There is now a younger male server who has a better command of the English language and is quite friendly. I did notice some flashes of their former self when all of our dishes came out a different times, but overall much better.

So, in summation; Wah Lai Yuen is still serving up great BBQ Pork Noodle Soup and fantastic Honey Buns, but now they have good service as well. Furthermore, the food is still cheap. For three of us to order three separate dishes and be full afterwords it only cost us $27.00

Smoken Bones - Downtown

I have been wondering if the move from Langford to Victoria would be a wise choice or a regretful one for Smoken Bones. Victoria does tend to be a magnet for the granola munchers, vegetarians and vegans alike. Whereas, Langford's roots are still made up of the blue collar and redneck carnivores.

However, I can't seem to argue with the packed tables and line ups on a Friday night at their new "Hudson" location. They have stepped away from the minimalist decor of their former venue and have revamped their look with a trendy open ceiling - post and beam feel. Regardless, of their new look and larger location, the aroma when you first walk in is still that of smoky delicious smelling barbecue.

Now, this is where are night starts to go sideways. The server took 15-20 minutes to take our order. When she did (from their dine around stay in town menu), she wasn't familiar enough with the menu to know the wine pairings; instead, my wife had to explain each of them to her. Granted her or the menu might be new (maybe both), but you shouldn't have to ask for the type of wines - I am sure the bartenders are familiar with them.

After waiting another 20 minutes, or so, our appetizers finally arrived. My appy was truly delicious (fried pork wings), but everyone else wasn't as impressed with theirs.

Over an hour into our night - dinner finally arrived. I ordered their catfish with a side of butter cabbage and my wife had the Pear and Bacon Cured Pork Chop. Both meals were okay, but nothing to rave about. The butter cabbage which I have loved in the past fell short. For food that took so long, they undercooked the cabbage so much that it was almost raw.

Finally for dessert and another 20 minutes later it arrived. Who knew it took 20 minutes to scoop ice cream and heat a crumble and cut a slice of cake... The Peanut Butter Crunch Cake was way overpowering and altogether gross. The Peach Cobbler was okay, but the overabundance of nutmeg ruined it. The Bacon Ice Cream was decent, but surprisingly enough I couldn't taste the bacon.

Two hours and forty five minutes later we finally got our bill and left. I feel that I have given Smoken Bones enough opportunities to impress me, but they always seem to drop the ball. Their service was lack luster and extremely slow and not unlike every other meal I have eaten their, the food was mediocre.

Best of luck Smoken Bones - I don't think I'll be back.

Ray's Kiawe Broiled Chicken - Haleiwa, Oahu HI

Before heading to Oahu, one of my friends insisted I try Ray's in Haleiwa. He insisted that it would be the best chicken I have ever eaten in my life. Now, a statement such as that is a little hard to turn down. So, I promised that I would do my best to try it out.

Now, Ray's isn't a restaurant that you can just pop into anytime you feel like. Ray's is a BBQ trailer that parks in the local grocery store parking lot on Saturdays and Sundays; any other time and you are out of luck.

I read one review on Ray's and it said that you can't miss it, just follow the smoke and you are sure to find it. Well, that person was right! You can almost see the smoke from the highway as you drive into Haleiwa; and you can definitely smell the broiled chicken from a a mile away.

There were a couple of other suggestions made to me before trying Ray's 1) Get the whole chopped chicken 2) get the dipping sauce and 3) don't eat at Ray's - go to the beach. Now, I am not one to dismiss sound advice, but unfortunately, I didn't heed the the warning of going to the beach (there are fly's everywhere). Ordering the chicken chopped saves precious time in picking it apart and the sauce (a spicy, vinegar soy sauce) adds another dimension to the chicken which is needed when you are sharing a whole chicken with your spouse or in some cases trying to consume it all alone.

As for being the best chicken I have ever eaten...I don't think so. In fact, I was somewhat disappointed, not because it was bad, but because everyone hyped it so much that my perceived bar was set at an unattainable height. The chicken was good, but not worth the drive from the west coast just to eat it. I will however recommend it if you are already in Haleiwa on the weekend and need a reasonably cheap and protein rich dinner.