Ponchos

We went to this restaurant because we were craving some Mexican food but didn't want fast food style like at the Red Burrito.

This restaurant is on Denman (near Robson). It's a very cozy restaurant, despite the fact that it is quite big and can accompany large groups. I enjoyed the sombrero hats that were made into ceiling lamps and the colourful blankets adorning the walls. The whole restaurant has an authentic feel with Spanish music playing happily in the background. You may even see the owner enjoy his dinner as he sings to himself at a table nearby the kitchen.

The price is very reasonable. For a dinner for two, including drinks, appetizer, main course and dessert you will pay about $60. You can easily spend less if you order just a main dish which is very filling on its own! Free nachos and the best salsa we've ever had are given as a free appetizer and the service is warm, friendly and fast. I have read previous reviews commenting on the horrible service but I guess they have improved since then.

The food is really quite good and reminiscent of the food in Mexico. For drinks, I ordered the Mechelada which is a beer of your choice with some hot spice and lime (I recommend this one with a Corona, despite the fact that this beer is apparently not popular in Mexico). As an appetizer, we ordered the Mazatlan which is shrimp and fish in a tangy tomato salsa with avocados (the taste of cilantro really stands out!). For the main course, I ordered an enchilada with chicken and rice, which was not very full of flavor (especially if you are used to spice) but it was very filling and had a very homemade feel. Nimalan ordered a fish enchilada which I enjoyed a lot more and kept eating some off his plate! For dessert, I tried a Crema de la Fresca. This is a very basic dessert with strawberries in cream but somehow they really make it worth the $5 that it costs!!

Overall, I would recommend this restaurant. It is a nice place to go with big groups as well since they have enough space and the atmosphere is lively. When we are craving Mexican food again, we will definitely come back!

Horizons Restaurant

I went to this restaurant with my parents to celebrate the obtaining of my white sail II certificate, yay me!

This fine dining restaurant is situated just below Simon Fraser University on Burnaby Mountain. The surroundings are beautiful and after filling up on food, you can go out for a walk in the rose garden and look at the Japanese sculptures outside the restaurant. Coming here just to check out the views is also worthwhile if you're nearby.

The inside of the restaurant has a relaxing and comfortable feel. When the restaurant is less full, adult contemporary songs are heard in the background. As the restaurant fills up, the music is drowned out by the chatter of customers and the sounds of the kitchen. The restaurant is classified as "fine dining" however, the interiors are really outdated and boring, the walls could definitely use a paint job.

The price is about ~$60 per person (including drink, appetizer, main course & dessert) which is a fair price for fine dining. The service is polite and very efficient. You don't have to wait too long for any of your food and bother the waiter to bring you something because he probably already has.

Now on to the food! The drinks were suboptimal at best. The mojito was bland and watered down. The non-alcoholic tropical delight tastes like a standard pineapple drink and the horizons sunset was decent, although my dad really enjoyed it. For appetizer we all tried the clam chowder which was really wholesome and good, although instead of clams my chowder was filled with tuna and salmon. As a main course I tried the maple salmon which was really delectable! The salmon was cooked perfectly, not overcooked like at many restaurants so it was very moist and scrumptious. The mashed potatoes tasted like my moms homemade ones (which are also very yummy) and the veggies were well done. I tried some of my dad's rainbow trout and my mom's organic chicken breast and they were also very satisfying. The focus of the food is more on the preparation than the seasoning which was fine because everything tasted just as it should. For dessert I had the creme brulee which was a bit too sweet in my opinion and slightly runny. My mom had the chocolate pate which was just that, a chocolate pate. Nothing too special but you definitely get your fill of chocolate to last you for a while!

This is a restaurant I would take visitors to or go to for a romantic date. I'd also recommend this place for special occasions, like a wedding!