PaiGu

Waldo’s on King is an adorable little restaurant just outside the Covent Garden Market in London, Ontario. It seemed like the perfect setting for a ritual Sunday brunch. Unfortunately, after our meal, it will not be a regular visit. While the decor and service were effective in setting the right atmosphere, the food was surprisingly unimpressive. Despite an excellent array of appetizers on the brunch menu, everything that arrived was wanting.
The Lobster, Shrimp, and Scallop Bisque sounded amazing, but when it came, it was nothing more than orange sour cream, with a few scarce pieces of seafood. The scallops had a funny taste to them, as if they had been chemically treated (they tasted basic).

The Baked Brie in Phyllo was even less appetizing, with the “fresh fruits” garnish amounting to nothing more than a strawberry and a slice of orange. Why even bother putting that on the menu? It’s just sad.

The Chicken and Coconut Soup was a watery pool of coriander. I should have known. Coconut and broth do not fit in the same sentence.

We were excited when the Neptune Salad arrived though, a heaping plateful of shrimp, scallop, and lobster. That is, until we realized the scallops again tasted funny, like the chemically-treated kind. Besides, premium scallops would never be heaped onto a $11 salad, so I guess we should have seen that coming.

The only perk? They have great coffee.
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The Tasting Room is my favourite restaurant in London, Ontario if only for its melt-in-your-mouth, groan-with-pleasure creme caramel. Their creme caramel is the single most delicious taste my tongue has ever experienced. I was so shocked by how good it tasted the first time that I had to go back three times before I could confirm it: if heaven was a dessert, this would be it. This dessert was not, however, what brought me to the restaurant – it was a happy discovery at the end of a perfect meal.

What drew me to The Tasting Room initially was its large selection of appetizers, which came in large enough portions to constitute a small meal, or to share. Their Scallops Wrapped with Bacon are out of this world, but to be honest, so are most of their appetizers. Carribean Shrimp and Banana Curry is another unique appetizer that cannot be missed. The Calamari was a little on the bland side, but the Coconut Lobster Lollipops certainly made up for it. Prices for these appetizers are close to their entrees, but so are the sizes.

Their daily soup has also been consistently satisfactory. The daily soup is not on their menu, but I recall enjoying an excellent Black Bean Soup on two different occasions. I have not tried their entrees, as I am always full after the appetizers, but I have it on good authority that their seafood pasta is well-stocked for a $13 entree (lunch, $19 dinner).

They also have a very reasonable wine flight for anyone interested in a little wine tasting. Their servers are knowledgable, friendly, and always provide impeccable service. My only complaint is that their washroom facilities are far too small, but the rest of the restaurant is stylishly decorated.
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