Izakaya Shogun Japanese Sushi & Grill

Friday night we went to the best sushi in London - Izakaya Shogun Japanese Sushi & Grill. I have been to several (maybe 10?) different sushi restaurants in London, and this one is clearly the winner. I have been many times, and I have never had anything to complain about. This night happened to be really busy, with just two servers on the floor, so service was pretty slow. They were both really hustling, and we had been served by them before, but we were without water for way too long and very thirsty. Trying to leave when 4 other tables had the same idea wasn't easy. That being said, the food was still great! We started with the Beef Gyoza:

Beef Gyoza - fried crispy dumplings, mixed beef and veggies inside

The gyoza were so good, the perfect appetizer. Next up was the favourite, the Spicy Peanut Shrimp & Crab:

Spicy Peanut Shrimp - Crispy fried shrimp and crab meat, tossed with house dynamite sauce

It is that sauce we need to talk about. The crab pieces just melt in your mouth, and the shrimp is always perfectly cooked. The sauce is so rich and creamy, and so much more flavourful than whatever you are imagining. We talk about this sauce on our way to the restaurant and on our way home. If we could buy it by the litre, we would. Then the rolls started:

Clockwise from top left - Double Dragon (deep fried salmon roll covered with fresh salmon and crab meat), Baby Lobster Roll (fried lobster with avocado and cucumber), and Jack Daniel Roll (spicy tuna and asparagus roll covered with BBQ eel, avocado, and crab meat)

We knew we were here for the Baby Lobster roll and the Jack Daniel roll. I think the Jack Daniel was my favourite with all its flavours and sauces, but Scott preferred the Baby Lobster for the buttery lobster pieces. The Double Dragon was good, but a little boring - I am not a huge fan of mixing cooked and raw salmon either. We will probably sub in something else next time. Finally, we also had the super crunch roll:

Super Crunch Roll - whole roll fried, spicy tuna & salmon shrimp tempura with crispy topping

This was the strangest roll we tried. With the whole thing being deep fried, you really couldn't taste much else, or tell what fish were involved. There also appeared to be almond slivers as a garnish. It was a huge roll, that was impossible to get in your mouth without spilling crispy bits everywhere. It was tasty, but not like a delicious sushi roll, more like eating bits of fried batter in a nice sauce. I don't think we will ever order this one again.

Without ordering any drinks or desserts, our bill ended up around $75 for the two of us, which is pretty typical here. Unlike all you can eat sushi, you don't leave needing to unbutton your pants or feeling like you need to be rolled home. We left full and satisfied. While there were some misses, there are many more menu items for us to try, and we have found a few that we would never skip on. Unfortunately the location isn't central to London, attached to a Super 8 Hotel in the city's south end, making it challenging to get to from our Northwest home.

Likes: The spicy peanut shrimp appetizer, baby lobster roll, and jack daniel roll are favourites that keep us coming back.
Dislikes: This was the slowest service experience we've had here, and the super crunch roll wasn't great.
Food: 4/5
Service: 2/5
Would I go again?: Definitely. Hopefully it was just an off day for service, but it was a busy Friday night. Maybe we will stick to Saturday lunch, where we have been the only customers in the dining room.

Please Don't Eat Paradise Cream's "Latin Food"

"I don't think I've ever ordered a sandwich and had my expectations crushed like this before." -Scott

Today we went to the London International Food Festival in Victoria Park in downtown London, ON. This was the 3rd year I have gone, and by far the most disappointing. Perhaps that was just because there was nothing new and exciting, and we were asked for a lot of money today, sometimes a little aggressively. There were the meat pies from Wisey's Pies and Bakehouse - New Zealand inspired and so delicious (we got lamb & sweet potato this year, but I think I preferred last year's Thai chicken curry pie). There was Goodah Gastrotruck, which I have mentioned loving before. There were tasty Vietnamese fresh rolls from Quynh Nhi, a summer favourite. We got two spicy vegetarian samosas from Raja for just $3, I am still meaning to try the restaurant as their festival food is on point. On a hot day in the park, a massive cup of fresh squeezed lemonade hits the spot (followed by tons of water when you get home). These were all things we had tried before and loved, only disappointment seemed to be new this year. There was a Dr. Oetker truck giving out free slices of their pizza (even free, it sucks). Michael's on the Thames made their Food Fest debut, and it felt like we had scored a deal getting 3 meat skewers for $10, but they were each very mediocre and dry (lamb, beef, & chicken). The mango and Thai sauces they had set out made it tasty, but didn't make the lamb any less chewy. None of this really warranted a post, until Paradise Cream (they don't seem to have a real website, it just redirects to Instagram). I had the luck and privilege of being their first Facebook review, and I would paste it anywhere I can to encourage them to improve, or people not to order their food.

Just take that all in. We wondered if there was even beef involved. After careful biting...

There is a bit of beef in there. There also appear to be Hickory Sticks, and ketchup & mustard, those Latin delights. Powdered Parmesan also screams quality & authenticity. I haven't used it in my own kitchen in years, and am a little disgusted someone would like me to pay them to serve it to me. From my Facebook review:

Maybe they should stick to the ice cream & milk shakes and not the pathetic attempt at Latin food. We visited this truck at the London International Food Festival in Victoria Park and ordered the Pepito Beef, assuming it would look something like the image on the sign. After waiting 10 minutes, we were notified it would be 15 minutes to cook the beef. We sat, we waited. After 15 minutes, I mistakenly thought the cashier had called my number (it was mine +10). She didn't seem too bothered, and after a total of 31 minutes we got our sandwich. It was the saddest thing I've seen from a food truck - very little beef, powdered parmesan, shredded mozzarella, avocado, ketchup, mustard, hickory sticks? It was terrible, none of the cheese had melted at all. I didn't realize the "special sauce" was ketchup and mustard. I will do everything I can to recommend everyone avoids this embarrassing attempt at food.

Likes: literally nothing.
Dislikes: Everything! The food was disappointing, the service matched.
Food: 1/5
Service: 1/5
Would I go again?: Absolutely not, hopefully they realize this isn't what should be happening.

Spanish Chicken & Potatoes

I am a pretty big fan of one-pot meals, where there is little assembly required. I decided to try out Spanish Chicken & Potatoes from Pinch of Yum. My kitchen laziness led to a few substitutions, but it turned out great! This was my first attempt at anything involving eggplant, so I was a little nervous about using it, but it was excellent in the sauce.

To make this, you will need:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 can of whole tomatoes
• 1 eggplant, peeled and chopped
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 4 chicken breasts (I used frozen)
• 10 baby potatoes, sliced
• 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp ground mustard
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3/4 cup uncooked rice

1. Cook the rice.
2. Mix spices together as a seasoning blend for the chicken.
3. Heat the oil in a big skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, tomatoes, & eggplant. Simmer until soft, stirring frequently (about 20 min).
4. Transfer mix to a food processor and blend. Add salt and pepper to taste (it will start out pretty bland and become delicious!)
5. In the same pan, add a little olive oil, chicken and potatoes. Sprinkle with half the spice mix and some salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes, then flip chicken, add remaining spices, & cook for another 15 minutes.
6. Add sauce back to pan, simmer until potatoes are fully cooked (chicken should be too!)
7. Top with parsley & serve with rice.

For leftovers, we just stirred the rice and parley into the sauce with the chicken, and I really recommend this. Rice is boring on its own. Make sure you don't hold back on the salt and pepper, it will be the difference between bland and amazing. At first I was disappointed, but the salt really enhances the flavour of the eggplant, and made it a dish I was proud of making. I couldn't resist topping it with a little Parmesan cheese, not sure that is in the 'Spanish' domain though. I will definitely be willing to dip my toe in the eggplant waters again in the future!

Brie & Cheddar Apple Beer Soup

I know, it's summer! You know what goes great with all this air conditioning? A nice warm bowl of soup! I saw this recipe a while ago on Half Baked Harvest and figured last night would be a great time to try it as it has been a while since I have indulged myself with Brie. The soup is creamy,spiced, and satisfyingly heavy. The pecan crumble is so delicious I want to just eat it all with a spoon. I bought a huge 3 L jug of apple cider without realizing I needed less than a cup, but I regret nothing. You could probably really play with this recipe by varying the type of beer and cheese you add. I used a big block of grocery store old cheddar and a nice brie which worked nicely. For the beer, I picked a craft nut brown ale by Black Oak Brewing Co. based in Toronto, ON.

To make this tasty soup you will need:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2/3 cup apple cider ( + more for drinking!)
• 2 apples, chopped (Royal Gala worked well)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 pint of beer (473 ml can)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup milk
• 400 g old cheddar cheese, shredded
• 230 g brie, cubed

1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium hear. Add onion, pinch brown sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened (8 min).
2. Add apple cider and cook until onions are caramelized (15 min).
3. Add apples and thyme. Cook until softened (10 min).
4. Add beer, broth, and cayenne pepper. Bring to simmer and cook for 10 min.
5. Whisk flour into milk.
6. Puree the soup until smooth. Return to heat and bring to a low boil.
7. Whisk in the milk & flour mixture and boil for 5 minutes.
8. Stir in the cheeses until melted. Puree again for a nice smooth texture.
9. Simmer soup for 5 min, then enjoy!

While the onions were cooking in the cider I made the pecan crumble topping. To make it you will need:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups pecan pieces
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 6 tbsp softened unsalted butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Grease a glass pie plate. Add oats, pecans, flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon.
3. Cut butter into 1 inch cubes.
4. Incorporate butter into the mixture using your hands until everything is moist and evenly distributed.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, then crumble over soup.

This soup is really heavy and I was surprised by how spicy the bit of cayenne pepper makes it. I know it would probably be best suited for a gorgeous autumn day using fresh picked apples... but it was good last night! I love the crumble recipe and will probably try to find other things to put it on in the future.

Wooden Heads

This weekend I was at United Empire Loyalist Heritage Centre and Park for the Alberry Family Reunion in Adolphustown, On. First, I had to pick up my little brother in Kingston, ON, where we decided to get some delicious lunch at Wooden Heads. This downtown restaurant features a brick oven in the middle of the room where gourmet pizzas are fired. After scanning a pretty tasty looking menu, we decided to get 2 pizzas to share:

Meraviglioso - lobster curry, brie, caramelized onions, fresh basil

I ordered the Meraviglioso, not quite sure what to expect. This pizza was really sweet, and if it didn't say lobster on the menu, I wouldn't have known it was there. The 'lobster curry' seems to be a sauce, with very few pieces of lobster involved. The taste was pretty good - it is hard to go wrong with brie! The real star of the show was the pizza my brother chose:

Arrabbiata - superdynamite, pomodoro sauce, mozzarella, calabrese salami, banana peppers

This pizza was perfect. It was greasy and cheesy, so if that isn't your thing then maybe it isn't for you. Calabrese salami is one of my favourites, and the banana peppers were an amazing choice I would not have expected to work as well as it did. We didn't figure out what 'superdynamite' was and forgot to ask, but I am guessing it is a sauce that was involved...maybe? It was hard to tell where all the spice was coming from, but each bite packed some heat. We also ordered the Calamari Mumbai off the 'Tapas' menu and I failed to take a picture of it. I was more annoyed at the gratuitous use of tapas than anything else all day. It was a list of Appetizers, not really what you would picture as tapas, but sure, go ahead. The calamari was almost all cooked well, I got a piece that was overdone and too chewy. The sauce was tasty, but the naan felt cheap and I have had better from the grocery store, never mind an actual restaurant.

Likes: The atmosphere was nice and relaxing and the Arrabbiata pizza was delicious
Dislikes: The lobster curry was a bit of a miss for me. Restaurants should only do naan if you are going to be serious about it, it was a disappointment.
Food: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: Maybe. I am not in Kingston very often and there are other places I would like to try. A couple other pizzas on the menu might make it worth another visit.

Pork Tacos

Tonight for dinner I decided to attempt some tacos...Taco Tuesday! I actually had my heart set on beef when I headed into the store, but pork was on sale and so here we are: Pork Tacos! The taco seasoning was stolen from here, with me preferring smoked paprika in everything. I was also a little more generous with the red pepper flakes for some heat. I know I promised no cilantro, but if you want to add some this might be a good place for it, if you are into that sort of thing.

To make these delicious and simple tacos you will need:

• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb of uncooked lean ground pork
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 6 inch tortillas

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan, cook onion, jalapeno and garlic until soft (10 min).
2. While cooking, mix seasonings so it will be even to add.
3. Add pork and break up into small bits while cooking. Add the seasoning and mix.
4. Cook until pork is done (15 minutes).
5. Make your damn tacos however you want!

The rest is kind of a free for all in terms of amounts. For each of my tacos, I used:

• 2 spoonfuls of the cooked pork mix
• ~1 1/2 tbsp aged white cheddar
• small handful of mixed spring greens and spinich,chopped
• ~1 tbsp light sour cream
• ~1 tbsp PC Pico De Gallo Hot Salsa

Of course, any fresh salsa, including one you make yourself would do the job. even some fresh chopped tomatoes would be nice. I am lazy, and just bought this salsa to try. It is pretty good, not a new necessity or anything though. I inhaled two tasty tacos without a plate, which I do not recommend. Let me know if you have any ideas about other easy taco toppings!

Goodah Gastrotruck

I have been waiting weeks for this! Goodah Gastrotruck is one of the few food trucks in the city of London, and it is great. Today, and every Tuesday from 9 AM to 2 PM until late in the summer there is a Farmer's Market on campus at Western University. It looks like the Goodah truck will be there, and I can't be the only one hoping it is consistently. Today I ordered the Jalapeno Popper and added bacon ($9):

Jalapeno Popper - blend of roasted and pickled jalapeno, mascarpone, cream cheese, cheddar and monterey jack with a pickle and side of coleslaw

After paying in advance and a wait of about 10 minutes, they called "Betty White" and the sandwich was mine. The bread was crispy and perfectly fried, oozing with cheese. I prefer my addition of 4 slices of bacon for $1.50 over the base $7.50 Jalapeno Popper. The jalapeno pepper flavour was there, but it wasn't very spicy. The coleslaw was a miss in my opinion - with apple pieces that were tasty, but it was too creamy for me. The pickle was the perfect end to a lunch, and I benefited from a labmate's pickle, too. Overall this was a very satisfying lunch, especially considering what is usually on offer on campus particularly during the summer months.

Likes: Sandwich is crispy and delicious, filled with cheesy goodness
Dislikes: Coleslaw was a disappointment and I would expect something called a Jalapeno Popper to be spicier.
Food: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: Definitely. I look forward to what will be on special and love cheese too much.

The Early Bird

This morning for breakfast we went out to one of our favourite spots in London, The Early Bird. Our first date actually took place here. We have been back many times since and always been extremely satisfied. We walked in a little after opening time at 9 AM, and there were already a couple other tables. By the time we left the place was pretty full, with a few tables still open on the patio. Today's special was right up my alley:

Eggs Benedict on cornbread with popcorn chicken, honey garlic hollandaise, and pork rinds with a bruschetta side salad

This was a great start to the day, although probably a little more salt than necessary. The popcorn chicken was hot and fresh, but I would have preferred a more flavourful batter. The honey garlic hollandaise was very subtle. The eggs of course were perfectly poached on the soft, delicious cornbread. I enjoyed the bruschetta salad more than I expected to, it had a salty dressing that made me more welcoming to chunks of raw tomatoes than usual. Scott on the other hand was feeling very ambitious - he ordered the full stack of pancakes:

Pancakes layered with smoked bacon, peameal, and potato hash topped with a fried egg covered in maple syrup.

Alas, he only finished two pancakes and all the layered parts - the half stack equivalent. We currently have some pretty fluffy and delicious pancakes in the fridge. I am not normally too crazy about pancakes, but these are really satisfying with how fluffy and absorbent they are for the maple syrup. While he continued to eat, I sat and sipped my fresh, bottomless coffee. The service was great, with 3 different staff members interacting with us throughout the meal to make sure everything was going well.

Likes: Food is fresh and plentiful. Feels like you are getting great value in quality & quantity
Dislikes: There are always these greens that I struggle with and end up dropping on myself like a real mess. The bathrooms are terrible for lighting.
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: Definitely. I take people from out of town here and recommend it often.

Spicy Corn & Avocado Soup

So I bought too many avocados and decided to head to the internet and make a meal out of the last lonely one. I should warn you now, this will be a cilantro free zone. It tastes like dish soap, so it will never be invited to anything I eat again. I don't care how good you think it is. Now that's taken care of, I present to you... my soup:

I consulted a couple recipes (here and here) and decided they both seemed kind of boring on their own, so mashing them together might be a good idea! It turned out really delicious, and I am scarfing it down between sentences now. If I wasn't trying to be healthy, I would say it needs some heavy cream, so do that if you prefer creaminess over unblocked arteries. Instead I will recommend more avocado (I only had one, but if I did it again I would add another).

To make this soup you will need:

• 1/4 olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 12 oz can of corn kernels
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups of chicken broth (veg if you swing that way)
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and sliced
• 1/2 orange pepper, chopped
• 1/3 cucumber, chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• as much salt and pepper as your heart desires

1. Cook onion in olive oil until translucent on medium heat (about 10 minutes)
2. Add corn, garlic, and broth. Simmer on high for 10 minutes
3. Add everything else & blend until even and creamy in texture
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste

Now my soup is all gone. That didn't last long. I will resist going back for more, but just know I want to. The lemon here is the unsung hero I think, and if you want to kick up the spice just let a few jalapeno seeds make there way in. I didn't end up adding any extra salt to mine since my broth was salted, so make sure you try yourself and decide. This made 6 cups, so I'm sure it won't last too long overall and really didn't take long to make. Currently accepting any recommendations for improvements, except cilantro!

UPDATE: Scott got home from work and suggested the perfect additions! A scoop of low fat sour cream and light drizzle of sriracha in each bowl. So it's all gone now.

Lentil & Rice Veggie Burgers

Last night I decided to try a recipe I had been eyeing for a while on Pinterest. Of course I strayed quite a bit and made it very much my own, through laziness, necessity, and well... laziness. The original recipe is intended to be vegan, which I am not, nor was I interested in the concept of a 'flax egg'. I made 4 pretty decent sized patties, with more than enough avocado sauce for each (originally from here, adapted). Each was served on a fresh bun from International Bakery, a local vendor at the Covent Garden Market in downtown London. I also added some extra old white cheddar melted on top, spring mix lettuces, and ketchup. We roasted up some potato wedges tossed in fresh ground salt and pepper as a side. Overall it was a pretty delicious meal. In the future, I might want to step up the spiciness either through more in the patty or toppings - let me know if you have any ideas!

To make the patties, I used things we already had around. The original recommended brown lentils, but I already had red & green, so I made the sub to red. This means my lentil mix is a lot lighter in colour than I was expecting, but I don't think there is a real different in flavour. We also maintain a large jar of minced garlic (laziness, I know) that makes it a lot easier to add garlic to everything. One ingredient I have struggled to find in big box grocery stores was the garam masala spice blend. There is a PC Black Label blend that I found at Loblaws that has been doing the job, but I intend to branch out to more specialty stores in the future. The other note I would add is in regards to the BBQ sauce. This sauce is very vinegary and sweet, in the future I might want to try a smokier sauce.

To make the patties:

• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 1 inch fresh ginger, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup walnut pieces
• 5 big basil leaves
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup uncooked basmati rice
• 3/4 cup uncooked red lentils
• 2 tbsp BBQ sauce
• 1 tsp peanut oil
• 3/4 cup panko

1. Cook rice and lentils separately in boiling water until done.
2. In blender or food processor combine onion, ginger, garlic and walnuts until finely chopped.
3. Add spices, basil, rice, and about half the cooked lentils. Blend until well combined, scraping down the sides regularly.
4. Transfer to a large bowl and add remaining lentils, egg, BBQ sauce, and oil. Mix evenly (with your hands!)
5. Add panko & mix. Add more panko if the mix is too wet, or another egg if it is too try.
6. Form 4 well-packed patties.
7. Grill on medium-high heat until crisp on the exterior (about 8 min per side), using cooking spray to prevent sticking.
8. Make your burger & enjoy!

To make the avocado sauce:

• 1 avocado
• 2 big basil leaves
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tsp lime juice

1. Blend together all ingredients, add salt & pepper to taste.

When making the avocado sauce, remember that avocados tend to brown as they oxidize in exposed air. I recommend waiting until the patties are ready to come off the grill before blending the avocado mix, as it only takes a couple seconds to make.

For all my blending and food processing, I use the Ninja Master Prep Pro System. We live in a tiny apartment with no balcony or access to a BBQ, so for all our grilling we use the Cuisinart Griddler. both of these products made for great gifts for our small space. We use each very often, and they are both easy to clean.

Eva's Original Chimneys

For our 2 year anniversary, Scott bought tickets to see Kinky Boots in their final performance in Toronto. Of course that means we needed to find food first! We decided to visit Evergreen Brick Works in the hopes of food trucks and a nice stroll. Although we were a little disappointed to see only two food trucks and another truck selling Harem Pants, there was one we were excited to try. For a couple weeks, Eva's Original Chimneys was mainly located at Brick Works, catching a lot of attention on social media. When we arrived, the sky was pretty overcast and the park wasn't too busy. We were able to walk directly up to the truck without a line and order the Sweet Apple Pie:

It's an ice cream cone made of a Hungarian pastry, known as a chimney cake. If you have never had one, its a lot like a doughnut, covered in sugar and cinnamon. The cone was filled with vanilla soft-serve with some apple pie filling. It was a pretty good sweet treat, but there was a secret surprise at the end...at the bottom of the cone there was a chocolate truffle. This little chocolate nugget was unexpected, and not all that welcome, it was really kind of strange to have. The pastry itself was crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, tasty but not too sweet.

Likes: perfect vanilla soft serve, nice soft pastry

Dislikes: the chocolate truffle was unwelcome
Food: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: Maybe, but there are so many other food trucks and desserts to try that it doesn't really need to be revisited

Hollywood Cone

In May I had the distinct displeasure of have a wisdom tooth removed that had been making its way into my mouth despite there being no space for it. What this really meant was... ICE CREAM! In my hometown of Oshawa, ON, Hollywood Cone has become ridiculously popular, and I was ready to get in on the action. Starting as a food truck, they have recently announced the addition of 3 more locations (including downtown Toronto). I went on two separate occasions - May 8 & 22, the second to make sure it wasn't just a codeine-fueled delusion. My brother and I went in the afternoon, when I can only assume they are at their busiest. The line was around the small restaurant and many people seated had no desserts in front of them yet. We waited the 40 minutes, debated going out to feed the parking meter, then were rewarded with the most insane milkshakes I have ever seen. He ordered the Funnel Cake Shake:

While my brother is not a small guy, he was still unable to finish the whole thing. He made his way through the Funnel Cake and maybe half of the actual soft-serve vanilla milkshake. Every bit as delicious at it looks. I ordered The Cloud Nine ($14.99), one of the pricier menu items:

There was a peanut butter cup, a whole slice of plain cheese cake, a dense chocolate brownie, then an actual milkshake surrounded by peanut butter minis stuck in place with peanut butter. My eyes were way bigger than my stomach. The cake and brownie were both perfect, but the milkshake itself had many little bits and crumbles inside the glass lined with peanut butter. Trying to get it all out into a takeaway container was a real challenge. All of the Mutant Shakes are dine-in only, while they also serve many more manageable shakes. I am sure they taste good, but the novelty factor is what drew me in to begin with. The restaurant space was completely packed and we were lucky to score seating in the front window. It was impossible for the staff to keep up with the demand, or to clean up with the speed children can smear ice cream and toppings around the space. We weren't disappointed, but so uncomfortable with how much sugar we had just consumed.

After showing these pictures to my boyfriend, he insisted we return at the first chance we got. We we went two weeks later, we arrived just a half hour after opening and the restaurant had only 3 other guests. Ordering and securing seating was a complete breeze. This time, we decided to try one of their banana splits - the Cherry Cheese Cake:

With two full bananas, cherries, and cheesecake pieces all covered with vanilla soft-serve and whipped cream, this banana split was enormous. Again, I was impressed with the cheesecake. While it was simple to execute, it still took the staff about 10 minutes to produce.

I think it would be difficult to be too disappointed in the food itself at Hollywood Cone, it is exactly what you expect for massive amount of ice cream and sugar. It just isn't anything special except volume, which you are definitely paying for. Any of the Mutant Shakes or Banana Splits should probably be shared, although feel free to take it on yourself!

Likes: The food is what you want, assuming you know what you're getting into
Dislikes: Too busy for the staff and current style of service to keep up, this includes cleaning up the dining room
Food: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Would I go again?: Probably, but I would try to make sure it isn't a peak time

Shelby's Food Express

This weekend Scott and I went to the Forest City Flea to scope out some deals. While we didn't end up buying anything too substantial, we worked up an appetite that only a massive plate a delicious fries could satisfy! This wasn't our first trip to Shelby's Food Express, we knew what we were getting into. I ordered a Regular Chicken Shawarma Fries, while Scott went for the Large Beef Shawarma Fries. The dish consists of a big pile of fries covered in about every sauce they could have on line, then the meat of your choosing, followed by a big spoonful of the creamiest garlic sauce. We were both full and extremely satisfied. The wait was about 10 minutes for both plates, and we were in a cozy booth by the window. For a Sunday lunch, there were only about 2 other tables and a couple takeout orders. Once we had our plates, the cook checked up on us a couple times to see how we liked it. The menu is clear and easy to follow, with daily specials - Saturday's special is currently a Large Chicken Shawarma Fries for $7.99. Overall, Shelby's has always been friendly and delicious, you can't miss with the Shawarma Fries!

Likes: The food and service is great
Dislikes: Location is a little off the mark. Fine for driving, more difficult to walk to or use public transit (~11 minute walk outside of Downtown).
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: As soon as possible!