Update: This restaurant has closed.
Wendy and I had a WagJag deal for Eh! Restaurant so we decided to head down to the Alberni & Thurlow location to check it out. Prices seemed quite reasonable for this area with many entrees on the rather sparse menu under $10 before the discount.
The decor was kind of a cafe meets japanese restaurant vibe with a good mix of electro-house playing on the sound system at a reasonable volume. The staff seemed to have been plucked from the ESL school down the hall; when I ordered my main dish I had great difficulty conveying my request for a whole wheat tortilla with the waitress questioning me about whether it was a type of sauce 😛 Despite communication barriers they were very friendly however noone came around to ask if our food or drinks were ok except to warn us when the kitchen was about to close.
To start we tried the Vegetarian Spring Rolls ($7.50). The shell was nicely crisp and they were twice the size of your usual spring roll. The mango chili sauce wasn’t bad, basically a sweet & sour sauce with a mild kick to it. The pickled ginger didn’t add anything to the flavour so after trying a piece of the ginger we left the rest untouched. Overall fairly satisfying but a bit steep at $7.95 considering it’s a meat free dish and when compared to the pricing for the rest of the menu.
My Steak and Mushroom Wrap ($8.95) came smothered in a standard bbq sauce which completely overwhelmed the accompanying ranch dressing inside. The cheese, caramelized onion and mushroom filling went well with the medium-rare steak but could have done without the limp lettuce. I’m glad I chose the generous helping of fries as the side as they were cooked to perfection with just the right amount of coarse salt added.
Wendy had the Mixed Grill ($9.95). The beef tenderloin came done to a perfect medium-rare, but at a temperature ranging somewhere between lukewarm and cold. The lamb was tender and well seasoned but nothing to write home about either; just average. Garlic prawns were plump and succulent but couldn’t taste the lemon butter listed in the menu if in fact there was any on them. Veggies were fresh tasting and with the right amount of herbs, including a strong hint of rosemary on the potatoes that helped them hit the spot.
All in all a below-average experience, can’t say we’ll be returning any time soon.
EDIT: Just read that apparently they DO make a point of employing international students here, so I guess the language barrier could be part of the fun of the experience if you’re up for it.
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Thought the same thing as well. Wildly popular with international students though, comfort level is high.
I visited eh restaurant and I thought it was great value good food for a very reasonable price, once you get round the fact that they have all students as staff, apparently the only professional is the chef who actually manages the place as well!
I was reading your review and after reading I thought you gave them a poor overall rating in my opinion so I checked through your review you gave 9 positive experiences to 6 not so positive which is a 60% positive out of a 100% how can you give an overall below average experience does not make sense to me?
Instead of always trying to find fault maybe try and understand what they are trying to do and be more supportive on their efforts – they are one of the good guys on a very pretentious street- quality affordable food in downtown what a concept!!
Didn’t think fries would come with this type of food. Think I will pass. I am looking to eat healthy this year. Customers also deserve good service — maybe be a better experience for the employees — not for the customers.