The 4th Criteria - Fuel

My dining experiences are based on 3 simple factors: food quality, service, and ambiance. For me, I don't care much for the ambiance as long as the food quality and service are good. I expect what I pay for. When I'm going to a Chinese restaurant for a $10 meal, I don't expect much for service or ambiance. But if I'm paying $50 for a main course at a fine dining restaurant, the food better be good and the service better be greater.

I always go to Fuel with the highest expectations, and I never come out of the restaurant disappointed. Since it is about to Refuel (it's new name), some friends and I decided to go for one last dinner... but it was kind of disappointing. The quality of food was not on par with our previous visits. I had the Brodo and the Ribeye steak. Both were so salty that I find myself drinking my wine everything time I took a bite out of my food. Chef Robert Belcham prepares the most amazing scallops in town, but the ones that Bu, B, and Snoopy ordered were overcooked and the doness very inconsistent. - Points deducted for food quality.

We brought it up with the hostess when she asked about the meal. She kept saying the restaurant is known for its heavy flavors, but she didn't seem to want to accept our suggestion that the food could be too salty. All of us, combined together, must have been to Fuel on more than 15 occasions, and I've had my share at various fine dining restaurants that I think I know heavily seasoned food and food that's too salty. To be fair, the hostess was very friendly and nice. - Points deducted for service.

The manager later came by to explain why we may think the scallops were overcooked. The restaurant actually received some fresh scallops that morning. Fresh scallops have a firmer texture compare to frozen and thawed ones. So that explained the difference in texture, but that still didn't explain the inconsistency. I was surprised by the manager's honesty, saying that it's one of those nights where they probably just screwed up. To me, that's better than suggesting that my taste buds are wrong. - Points awarded for service.

Furthermore, he brought us dessert wine, and tons of desserts. Amazing bacon ice-cream!!! - More points awarded for service.

The next day, I talked to a chef from another fine dining restaurant. He said to me, "With so many new restaurants popping up in town, you have to be perfect everyday to keep your customers coming back. You cannot have a day off." ...I thought that is very true. From now on, I think I need to add a 4th criteria before I will proclaim a restaurant is good - consistency.

Stay tune for my next blog on the new Pourhouse in Gastown.