Ivan Yushin
It's a family-friendly restaurant in Kitchener. We stopped by on our way back from the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. It’s not a fancy place, but the service is good and the value is solid. Signature Pig Tails We made a mistake with this appetizer - the braised pig tails were mostly fat and bone with almost no meat. Strawberry Gazpacho A chilled purée-style soup, absolutely perfect for a July afternoon. I'm not usually a soup fan, but I have to admit I really enjoyed this one. NY Striploin 14 oz An amazingly tender steak, cooked perfectly to medium-rare. We asked for no butter (“maître d’hôtel” butter with garlic and herbs), yet it was still absolutely fantastic. The grilled asparagus, root vegetables, and their garden salad (as a substitute for potatoes) paired beautifully with the steak. Filet Mignon 7 oz Even more tender than the striploin - exactly what you’d expect, though reality doesn’t always meet expectation. Here, it did. Both steaks were well above expectations. Dessert Platter Probably the best option to share, since you can sample different desserts. The mini crème brûlée was good, the cheesecake was fairly standard, and the peanut butter cake was a pleasant surprise. Conclusion: We really liked this place. While the menu doesn’t offer anything extravagant, their steaks and the strawberry gazpacho were well above average!
