Joey's -Burnaby

 A night out "kid-free" is a rare and special occassion and even when it occurs I find it hard to let go. On my last night out we went out with friends to Joey's in Burnaby. Calling ahead on a Friday night can only go so far and after we arrived we found ourselves waiting.... It wasn't that long before a hostest came to offer us a seat with one exception it was to be seated at the chef's table. We were in a mood to try something new and this seemed a perfect fit.

  The table was a long woodent table that sat facing the orderly chaos that is a reastaurant kitchen. We were treated to complimentary cocktail tasters and appetizers and pleasant conversation with many staff that would come by our table.  It is a facinating experience to watch the many wonders of just how your food comes to your table looking so tantalizing.  The speed and efficiency of the staff boggles my mind as I think of how just one other person in my kitchen could drive me crazy.  The location of the table leads to a noisier than usual atmosphere so if you are looking for a quiet dinner to talk this would not be your best selection.  For a fun and enlightening experience and if you don't mind kicking up the volume this is a unique way to spend an evening. 

The downside of this type of a dinner, it makes choosing your dinner a difficult thing.  Seeing all this yummy food coming from the kitchen with the delicious aromas puts you in the mood to try everything....  I had to settle on some comfort food and after appys of chicken wings, calamari and flat bread, chose the ahi tuna club as my main course.  The ahi tuna cooked to a pleasant medium rare, the onion rings gently battered and the thin shoestring fries with their light and crispy flavour only confirmed I made the right choice. 

Why stop there, with a final challenge ahead we chose to share Joey's interpretation of apple pie.  A light puff pastry with apples dressed in a caramel crumble it was tasty enough to have without the icecream.  After all you know how I feel about apple pie a la mode, it really should be served with cheddar cheese!

All in all a great evening out and one to be repeated again soon!