Mysterious Foodie

The Place:

Mongolie Grill
201-4295 Blackcomb Way
Whistler, British Columbia
604 938 9416
A cloth napkin establishment

Blurb:

Holy Noodle! All I can say is take it easy, this place charges $3.50 per gram and when you are faced with every veggie known to man, six types of meat, four types of seafood and the most delicious sauces to smother it all with it is very easy to get way out of control. All three times I’ve been here my basic instinct is to fill the bowl to the top but this literally ends up costing more than $60 and there’s no way in hell you can finish it in one sitting, and if you’re traveling, reheating doggy bags is not always an option. Take it easy and aim for half a bowl. Rice and your choice of miso or hot and sour soup are included in the cost of your meal.

My Recommendations:

Pick your favorite meats and veggies, don’t throw in a little of everything just because you can. It’ll pile up before you can say “bean sprouts.”

Service:

Once we were seated we gave the server our drink and soup orders and then ran to the counter to build our own bowls of noodly-veggie-meaty-saucy heaven. After you’ve prepared your concoction, hand it over to one of the many talented stir-fry guys and they throw it on the medieval-looking searing surface for about ten minutes. The time moves quickly while watching these tricksters throw spatulas and vegetables into the air, be nice and set a few bucks on the windowsill when they hand you your personalized, perfectly cooked stir-fry.

Tab:

Three guests (absolutely stuffed) and cocktails $120 CAN

Ambiance:

Dark and industrial, very vague music in the background

What To Wear:

Anything goes

Who’s There:

Hungry people. It’s a young crowd, only a few over middle-aged couples.

Wait For Table:

35 minutes, Saturday 7PM
You have to go there in person to put your name on the waiting list.

Rating:

Food – 4 Napkins
Service – 4 Napkins

The Place:

Earls Whistler Restaurant
220/221-4295 Blackcomb Way
Whistler, British Columbia
604 935 3222
A cloth napkin establishment

Blurb:

Located in the Upper Village, Earls is centrally located and easy to find. Conveniently, there’s a Guess right downstairs so I can shop while I wait for my table.

My Recommendations:

Start with the calamari, it is so fresh and seared quickly with very little breading so you get a lot squid and not a lot of filler. The taste is so big you hardly need the “Earl’s own tzatziki sauce” that comes with it, I don’t even want know what Earl puts in that sauce, but yum. Even if you’re not a fan of onions the finely chopped sweet red onions sprinkled on top really bring out the flavor.

Santa Fe Chicken Salad, go light on the peanut lime vinaigrette dressing if you want to save some calories. It’s flavorful enough, you don’t need a full dose. This mixed lettuce salad is topped with Cajun chicken, avocado, feta cheese, sweet dates, corn, black beans, and crispy tortillas. It is refreshing and savory and a guilt-free dish. I had this salad split with my friend and it was plenty for both of us.

Jeera Chicken Curry with Jasmine Rice, oooooh, spicy-yumminess in a bowl. In an attempt to weed out the weak at heart our server warned, “This dish is very authentic.” She was right, I’ve been to India and this is a traditional curry, but I dare say a bit better than anything I had in India. Spicy, but not overwhelming, even my white bread family could handle it and probably love it. It is served with steamed jasmine rice and warm naan. The portion is plenty big to fill up my manly man sized friend.

Blackberry Mojito is amazing. Get it “Earl Sized”, which is a double for only 50% more cost.

Service:

Fast and Friendly, but let’s be clear people, we are in Canada! I have never met nicer people in my life, especially the wait staff. Considering it’s a Friday night and every table is booked the wait was definitely bearable. The calamari was out within 10 minutes of ordering, the rest, about 25.

Tab:

Three guests with cocktails $100 CAN

Ambiance:

Dark walls, dark furniture, glossy tables and chairs. The techno beats in the background can feel a little rave-ish at times but it is not overwhelming, it becomes a nice droning heartbeat after a couple cocktails. Three large flat screens broadcasting hi def sports face the dining room so sports enthusiasts will be pleased. Amazing chandeliers too.

What To Wear:

Upon entering you’ll see staggering model types ready for the after dinner party and snowboarder chicks in jeans and beanies, go with whatever you want and it’ll be fine. I felt good in my jeans, converse, and grey long-sleeve blouse.

Who’s There:

Aside from the model types and their beaus there are also families. I see a few moms and dads dragging angry teenagers around and people like us, snow bums looking for a great room and great food.

Wait For Table:

30 minutes, Friday 7PM
You have to go there in person to put your name on the waiting list.

Rating:

Food – 4 Napkins
Service – 5 Napkins