By heaven, that was good
I have visited Heaven Gastro Club on several occasions for a casual drink or appetizer and to catch some sports games on their big screen TV. It was time to try a full sit down dinner after a long Monday, so we headed down to a busy University Plaza, easily found parking and entered the restaurant.
We were greeted immediately and offered a seat in either the bar area, which had a choice of booths and high-top tables, or the dining area. We chose a large cushy booth in the bar that gave us a nice view of the whole restaurant and a great angle of the huge TV behind the bar broadcasting the NFL’s Monday Night Football game. The restaurant has chic decor and many modern accents. It has an upbeat vibe and energetic atmosphere.
Since we were familiar with the drink menu, my companion and I ordered beverages right away. A pint of Block 3 Saison Beer ($4.99 special) for my companion and a Heaven Caesar ($7) for myself. If you are a fan of Caesar’s like I am, you must try them here. They use a special seasoning mix and a perfect combination of Worcestershire and Tabasco. Heaven also has a whole menu dedicated to piled-high Caesars, a variety of Caesars served with mini appetizers.
We took time to review the menu tonight. Because we had only chosen appetizers in the past we realized that we had never really given the full menu a good perusal. To start I chose the Poached Pear Salad ($12) and my companion went with the Wonton Cheese Fried Pickle ($8). I really enjoyed the salad for its variety of flavours. The spice from the arugula, the sweetness from the pears and the sharpness of the blue cheese all came together nicely in each bite. My companions’ appetizer was an interesting and delicious twist on deep fried pickles. The wontons were crisp as was the pickles inside and the portion was enough to be shared between us.
The Traditional Butter Chicken ($14) caught my eye when it came time to choose an entree. It arrived well-presented, a separate bowl of rice with grilled pita wedges, a bowl of the butter chicken itself and a little side of mango salsa. The chicken was cut into small bite-size pieces and although the sauce wasn’t traditional in taste, not as creamy or spicy, it was very enjoyable. My companions’ Ramen Noodle Bowl ($12) was a great choice for a filling entree that wasn’t too heavy. The dish included chow mein, pickled vegetables, green onion, a pickled egg and tofu in a broth flavoured with soy sauce. For a restaurant that could be assumed to be catering to a university sports bar crowd, both dinner dishes were executed well.
Our server offered us three dessert options to finish our evening, Deep Fried Cheese Cake, a Fudge Brownie or a Sundae. As a chocolate lover I immediately decided on the brownie ($6.99) and my companion could not resist the temptation of the cheesecake ($6.99). The aroma of the cheesecake instantly reminded us of carnival treats. The warm crisp pastry filled with rich and creamy cheesecake was very decadent. My brownie certainly satisfied the sweet tooth also. An equally rich dessert with an extra sweetness of chocolate drizzle and a nice dollop of whipped cream filled my plate. Both desserts usually are accompanied by a scoop of ice cream, which would have been a nice pairing, however we were informed due to a freezer issue there was none available. Our server was apologetic to this and at the close of the evening when returning with our bill she included a $10 gift certificate to make up for the absence of ice cream. We both thought that was a very kind and over and above gesture.
Assessing food, atmosphere, service and prices, Dining Out restaurant reviews are based on anonymous visits to the establishments. Restaurants do not pay for any portion of the reviewer’s meal. Contact Sylvia Pond at foodreviewer@yahoo.ca.